Looking Back at 2009

Winners

Barack Obama: On January 20th, our 44th and first African-American President was sworn in at the age of 47. So much hope, so much energy.  We'd never again have to hear nuclear pronounced nucular or wonder if our chi'dren was learnin'.  He started quickly out of the box, but got bogged down by the health care reform kerfuffle.  Then there were the unfortunate August town halls.  Like many observers have noted, no one has ever made a dime betting against this guy.  It's nice having a smart guy in the White House again.  Let's hope 2010 gives him the bounceback we'd all like to see...well, most of us. 

Rachel Maddow: She never shouts. She doesn't talk over guests or down to them. She doesn't ask questions to listen to herself talk. She examines, reports and exhibits a cool calmness while politely dissecting adversaries on both sides of the aisle, often to their faces...then thanks them for being on her show!  Her preparation is unmatched.  She covers stories no one else wants too. She goes out of her way to explain complex issues, often with humor so her viewers 'get it' without feeling inadequate. Her show has definitely found it's niche and hit it's stride.

Senator Al Franken (D-MN):  Franken’s very first piece of legislation was an amendment to the FY2010 Defense Appropriations Bill, prohibiting defense contractors from restricting their employees’ abilities to take workplace discrimination, battery, and sexual assault cases to court.  30 male Republicans voted against it.  Then they were shocked by the blowback they received.  Apparently, they viewed Jamie Leigh Jones gang rape and the 24 hour lock up in a shipping container, which inspired this amendment as frivolous; "Just boys being boys."  Protecting Halliburton/KBR against lawsuits must come first in their neo-con world.  I honestly do not understand how any self-respecting woman can vote Republican.  This was just another example of their ongoing dismissal of women as equal parts of society.

Chesley Sullenberger: How could you not be impressed on January 15th when Captain Sully landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River saving all 155 on board. The plane encountered a double bird strike which crippled both engines.  Further adding to his legend was that he walked the aisle of the jet twice looking for passengers before exiting the plane himself.  One part of his legend that was too much information was how it increased his "love" life.

Susan Boyle:  Who can forget her rendition of "I Dreamed A Dream" on Britain's Got Talent. The sneers, jeers, eye rolls and chuckles the portly, frumpy woman received prior to her song, and the immediate reactions upon launching into it was one of the greatest moments ever on live TV.  If ever anyone proved you can't judge a book by it's cover, she sure did.

Shaquille O'Neil:  In a nice gesture towards a poor family, NBA star Shaquille O'Neal paid for the funeral of 5-year-old Shaniya Davis whose body was found November 16 in North Carolina on the side of the road.  Her mother and another man were charged with multiple offenses. I'm not a basketball or O'Neil fan, but I'll give the guy credit for doing a very nice thing.

Losers

Glenn Beck & Rush Limbaugh: Conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory.  Lie after lie.  All nonsense, much of it dangerous. They give the teetering fringe the outlets they need to justify radical actions.  I'm all for freedom of speech, however when you are able to spread outright lies without consequence, we have a problem.

Dick Cheney: He does everything the above do, but he says it as an ex-VP. That may give him a bit more credibility with a few more people.  His constant attacks on Obama are meant to distract people of the true Bush-Cheney record.  The 20%ers honestly believe they kept us safe and think Clinton was at fault for 9/11. They think the economy was strong under Bush.  It does seem to have effectiveness with the same old segment. Of course Cheney won't appear anywhere but Fox Newz, the right wing propaganda channel.  This is another case of repeating the message incessantly until it becomes a perceived truth to as many as possible. 

Birthers: So is it that they don't realize Hawaii was a state in 1961?  Do they really believe Obama's grandparents posted birth announcements in the Honolulu Advertiser & Star Bulletin in August of 1961 because they knew he'd be president one day? Do they just not care that Kenya didn't become a republic until 1964? Or is it as simple as trying to delegitimize the "exotic" guy for some predisposed opinions?  Hmm...

Deathers: The same people as the birthers.  They couldn't make that argument stick so they moved on.  The new claim, kicked off by Sarah Palin was that Obama was going to have a panel of bureaucrats to decide who lives and who dies.  Apparently, in addition to the elderly and down's syndrome babies, there was even an amendment that conservatives get offed first!  You know, we could laugh about this, but there's a whole lot of people in this country that actually believe this crap.  You know who they are as well as I do.  They're the anti-education Christofascists.   No surprise that my top pick(s) gave both groups credibility for their message(s).

Sarah Palin: There's not much more that I can add to what I've already written about her.  I just find it terribly disturbing that 58,343,671 people willingly voted for a ticket that could've put this empty-headed nitwit one heartbeat from the presidency.  In 2009 she proved that she's a liar, she's deceptive, she's manipulative, she's an anti-intellect, she's an opportunist ... and she's becoming a multi-millionaire because she has a huge fan base who thinks she's attractive - and waves the bible.

Peyton Manning: Because it's my blog.  I can't stand this guy for a variety of reasons. It started while he was a college "star" and continued as his professional success grew.  Somewhat recently, Huffington Post had an article about his commercials that eventually led to a discussion comparing him and Tom Brady. A lot of responses were calling Manning the all-American boy and disparaging Brady because he had a child out of wedlock. Even the fact that it had been a long-term relationship was irrelevant to these flag-waving, bible-thumping clowns. Manning likes to use the God word.  Whenever I spoke of Manning's issue, I got scrubbed. Whenever I linked the article, I got scrubbed.  Read this linked article if you want to see where my feelings about him begin.  It's the story of a female trainer's treatment by not only him, but her employer because of him.  I will root against the Indianapolis Colts until he retires.  Brother Eli's stunt when the San Diego Chargers drafted him was just one more clue about how cocky these guys are, thanks to their father Archie who was a below average NFL quarterback in the 70's.  I'll keep Tom Brady, thank you very much. 

The WTF's

Joe Wilson (R-SC): He of the "You lie" fame. Can you imagine had a Democrat yelled "You lie" at Bush when he was making his WMD claims? He/she would've been censured, Republicans would've demanded an apology on the floor and the Republicans would've spent millions on a challenger. How did the Democrats handle it? As usual they did nothing. They once again let the R's have a "win". Is it an important win? Not by itself. Democrats still don't get that these little victories add up in the minds of our simple minded electorate. There's a group that thinks by not responding, it means any of their various nonsense is correct.  When will Dems learn?

Michele Bachmann: "I have experience that throughout my political career, being labeled a kook." - "Michael Steele, you be the man. You be the man." - “What we have to do today is make a covenant, to slit our wrists, be blood brothers on this thing." Ok, I just used a few of my favorites although there are dozens more. Gee Michele, given the comment about slitting wrists over HCR, I have no idea why you would be labeled a kook!

Tiger Woods: There's really nothing I can add that you haven't heard or thought yourself.  I'm not sure if I've ever witnessed a faster fall from grace.  He'll return to golf and he'll win, but he'll never have the marketability that he had before Thanksgiving.  His brazenness probably even makes Bill Clinton jealous.

Balloon Boy: You now, the day I got home from work and saw this on tv, while we didn't know officially that it was a hoax, I knew that kid was going to be found hiding in the house.  Glad mom and dad are going to jail for a little while.  They should also be forced to pay the $42,000 bill they received to reimburse police, the National Guard, and the FAA who were all involved in the search.

Party Crashers: Michaele and Tareq Salahi, managed to slip into a state dinner at the White House even though they were not on the guest list.  Reportedly, the Secret Service is looking into its own security procedures.  Yeah, that makes sense, let them investigate themselves.  Am I the only one who thinks that's ridiculous?  Anyone?

Happy New Year!

Stay safe

Why Doesn't This Dick Just Go Away To An Undisclosed Location?

I just want to say that while I’m disgusted, I’m not surprised that Republicans are trying to use this terrorist bombing attempt for political gain. Good ol’ Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) has even used this event to try and raise money for his bid to become Michigan Governor. He Sent out an email to supporters Tuesday repeatedly asking for contributions. However, one man that totally makes my skin crawl is Dick Cheney. I loathe that man. He represents everything bad about politics and he’s got supporters. He was named “Conservative of the Year" at some right wing publication called Human Events. In his latest anti-Obama attack, he’s telling the Fox Newz loyalists that Obama “is trying to pretend we are not at war.” He’s upset at the administrations low-key approach, which I actually applauded recently. How smart is it to telegraph your response to the world? Does this fool not understand that it’s not only U.S. citizens who will be seeing it? Just because Obama’s not standing on an aircraft carrier beating his chest, doesn’t mean he doesn’t have counter-measures in action.  Oh, by the way, how did that work out?  What scares the hell out of me is I think this lunatic is actually running for President 2012 right now! Seriously. We didn’t see him for eight years, now you can’t turn on your tv without seeing that evil bastard. I’m worried that he’s getting traction. He went on to say that, “It doesn't fit with what seems to be the goal of his presidency: social transformation, the restructuring of American society.” Really? What has changed? There's no evidence to support that claim.  However, repeat it enough and the sheep will follow. I'm not sure exactly why he felt the need to slip that in there, except...2012.

As for terror attempts, why the double standard? Bush was not subjected to criticisms from either Democrats or the media when he waited six days to respond to Richard Reid's attempted shoe-bombing of an airplane on December 22, 2001. Like Obama now, Bush was also on vacation when that botched terrorist attack occurred. Here’s my worry. While I applaud the Democrats for trying to take the high road, it always bites them in the ass in the end. The Republicans have no shame and will continuously drive their propaganda across no matter how ludicrous it is.  It has been a winning formula for them.  Democrats need to get tough with their political rivals.  Nobody’s talking about the fact that the Bush White House set the guys free who master-minded this attempt, because Dems aren’t pushing it. Also, very few news sources are reporting the similarities to the ‘Shoe Bomber’ and Bush's response – which was nearly identical to Obama's. Karl Rove also chimed in complaining that it took Obama 72 to address the public, yet never mentioned it took Bush twice as long. By the way, did you hear Mr. Sanctity of Marriage is getting divorced for the second time. Another hypocritical piece of trash.

For all the hopes and dreams of Republicans who think this is going to destroy Obama, I think they’re underestimating him. For some reason, something within me is telling me that Obama has a plan. He has proven that he thinks things out. Conservatives are still of the "shoot first, ask questions later" mentality.  If Obama finds “it”, and "it's" successful, the Republicans will be done for a long time since the only thing they've got left to run on is the notion they're tougher on national security.  He knows that.  I hope he successfully takes that silly notion away as well.  Many of us like low-key.  Give ‘em hell, Prez!

Update: I just want to add this clip from tonight's MSNBC Hardball with Chris Matthews that I just viewed.  On a quick glance, I noticed that Salon.com's Joan Walsh was on so I stopped to watch.  I always appreciate her take on things.  Tonight, I especially enjoyed the part where she blasts former Cheney aide Ron Christie for continuous Republican attempts to delegitimize this President at every opportunity.  I even thought Matthews was correct! 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Wheel of Fortune - GOP Spin In Action

You've got to give credit where credit is due.  Ever since the Christmas day attempt to bomb Detroit bound Northwest Flight 253, the GOP has been relentless on it's attacks of the Obama Administration for not taking terrorism seriously.  The daily grandstanding of how the system didn't work has been deafening.  Apparently they think that everyone get's their news from Fox so no one would ever find out that the reason there's no TSA chief is because Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) has been holding up Erroll Southers nomination.  DeMint's afraid Southers would allow TSA workers to join a labor union!  DeMint has said the Christmas day attempt was a "perfect example of why the Obama administration should not unionize the TSA." Really?  That's a perfect example?  I'd love to hear him explain why.  My experience has always been that well paid employees with job security will be more vigilant in their jobs.  Southers has passed through two Senate committees, but the hold prevents his nomination from being subjected to a full Senate vote. DeMint's demands for testimony about unionization would mean at least three days of debate and test votes. Typical GOP, complain that the house is on fire, but make sure the water's turned off.

I thought this also might be of interest.  ABC News reports that two of the four leaders allegedly behind the al Qaeda plot to blow up the jet over Detroit were released by the U.S. from the Guantanamo prison in November, 2007, according to American officials and Department of Defense documents. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attempted bombing in a Monday statement that vowed more attacks on Americans.  American officials agreed to send the two terrorists from Guantanamo to Saudi Arabia where they entered into an "art therapy rehabilitation program" and were set free, according to U.S. and Saudi officials.  Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula called the would-be bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab a "hero" and a "martyr" and lauded him for beating U.S. intelligence. Riiight, he beat U.S. intelligence, but got his ass whooped by a flight crew and some pissed off passengers.  Definitely not a hero.  Considering he started his underwear on fire, those promised virgins for martyrhood probably aren't going to be much good to him!  One more thing:  With all the fanfare and hand-wringing Republicans (and some conservative Democrats) have done about Obama allowing terror suspects to be tried in NYC, someone remind me; who was President in November 2007 when these guys were released?  How are Dick and Liz Cheney going to spin this one?  I'm sure they'll be making the Fox rounds all week!

Update: President Obama just spoke moments ago so I'll post a few key points he made:  "It's essential that we diagnose the problems quickly."  He noted that information about the Nigerian charged with trying to blow up a plane on Christmas was available in some databases, but was not shared properly across agencies. "Had this critical information been shared, it could have been compiled," and a fuller "picture of the subject would’ve emerged," "When our government has information on a known extremist, and that information is not acted on and shared, as it should have been … a systemic failure has occurred, and I consider that totally unacceptable."
I just want to say wow.  While I still do not view this bombing attempt as a failure on the part of the Obama Administration since the system and its flaws were in place before his presidency, it's clear that he is in front of the situation and will not allow the status quo to be acceptable.  Could his team have looked into this and improved it?  Yes, hindsight is always 20/20.  I was impressed with his no nonsense approach of accepting responsibility for errors while not inciting fear.  Can you imagine Bush ever admitting mistakes on his watch or missing an opportunity to scare people about terrorists?  I'm very happy Obama didn't do any chest thumping or flag waving to make his points.  While I don't agree with some of the rumored remedies (full body scans), I've got to give him credit for being tough enough to admit there were oversights and they will be addressed immediately.  A cool head and calmness will prevail for this guy.  It's a nice change having a cerebral leader instead of a reactionary fanatic.

Surprise! Right Wingers Claiming Bombing Attempt on NWA Flight 253 Was Obama's Fault

Surprise!  The right wing is trying to blame President Obama for the attempted terror attack on Christmas day of US bound Northwest Airlines flight 253. Do they have no shame? Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) said today that it is fair to blame the Obama administration for the attempted bombing.  He insists that that the Obama administration is trying to "downplay" threats.  Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), a frequent critic Obama, called the unionization of airport security workers the "the top priority now of the administration" and said that closing the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba will not "appease" extremist groups. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) also said that "This is a jolt for us. This is a wake up call."  In other words, the sky is falling, the sky is falling.  Let's show them that their tactics are working, we're scared!  Ever since Obama's been in office, Republicans have been looking for ways to pin his name into a terror attack dialog.  First it was the Fort Hood shootings and now this. No matter how hard they try, they will never be able erase the fact that Republican George W. Bush was at the helm when the worst terror attack ever on U.S. soil occured. I honestly think they want something to happen to use as a step towards getting back into power because they view themselves as the "national security experts."  They really seem to think people only remember there were no large scale attacks for the last 7 years, 3 months on U.S. soil during the Cheney/Bush years. It's no wonder that Dana Perino thinks it's ok to make outrageous claims on Hannity's show. They choose to forget the most critical part and assume everyone else does too!  I’m sure the right wing talking heads will go nuts over this failed attempt tomorrow. The right wingers all over the internet are ablaze in excitement comparing this to 9/11. That alone is disgusting considering what actually happened that day.  This is more along the lines of the 'Shoe Bomber' in 2002.  President Obama is in Hawaii on vacation, so that’ll be a big target for the righty talkers and their simple-minded listeners. They’ll be bitching that he was playing golf or was at the beach. They won’t have any answers about what difference it would have made where he was, but they’ll focus in on his vacation.     Mark my words.

The fact that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab failed in his attempt and was overtaken by passengers and crew will go largely unreported or used merely as a side note. The Wingnuts will exclaim what could have happened, making their minions feel that it did happen. They are going to focus on how to tie an Obama failure to this. Could it have been a disaster? Of course it could’ve been. Fortunately it wasn’t and reviews and changes to U.S. bound planes are already underway. It’s not like Obama changed any airline safety rules that Bush had in place that could’ve increased the likelihood of this attempt. Yes, things were missed; generally suspicion occurs when someone pays cash for a ticket and boards without luggage. The fact that the would-be bomber's father, a Nigerian banker had written to the US embassy to tell them his son had become radicalized should’ve immediately led Abdulmutallab to the no fly list. However, it must be noted that this plane did not originate on U.S. soil.  It originated in Nigeria with a stop in Amsterdam and on to Detroit.  Blaming Obama or any other U.S. official is nonsense.

The political grandstanding of Republicans knows no boundaries. Hoekstra is also ranting how “This administration has totally clamped down on information-sharing with Congress”. He’s upset and is claiming congress isn’t being kept abreast of potential threats. This coming from the guy known for leaking classified information! He recently tipped off a radical cleric that he was under surveillance after the Fort Hood shootings. His showboating noted that the man’s email was being read by U.S. intelligence agencies. The CIA, the FBI, the NSA, the White House — nobody else had reported this cleric was e-mailing Major Malik Nadal Hasan. Good ol’ Pete let him know though. Idiot, and he’s the ranking Republican on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.  Hey Pete, if they're really not sharing, it's probably because of you!

This morning Rep. Peter King (R-NY), and Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), got into a disagreement on CBS' "Face The Nation."  King wants Obama out there telling people to be scared and feel threatened. He wants our President reminding people how deadly this enemy is. Clyburn, who I agree with on this subject countered with:

"I think that the president, in his response, is doing exactly as he should do, I think that in so many instances these terrorists get more benefit from the reaction they cause than from the action they take. And so I believe that for the president to be very measured in reactions -- in his reactions, not elevating this thing to the point that it would be satisfactory to terrorists, is exactly the way to do it."

Right on Mr. Clyburn!

The real irony for me is changing our way of life by living in fear is exactly what the terrorists want, and it’s what conservatives are gift-wrapping for them! It cracks me up that the conservatives who act like the tough guys are actually the scaredy cats! The supposedly wimpy liberals in NY, D.C., Boston, Chicago, LA - the places most likely to be targeted because of their financial, political and cultural importance, are generally the most rational and calm. Thumbing your nose at radicals by acting in a 'business as usual' state instead of succumbing to threats and cowering in fear will dampen their goals. I’m dumbfounded as to why someone in Alabama or South Carolina or any other Hee Haw state who's scared of terrorists should be. The blue states with the most to lose have people willing to stand up to these criminals. Who really has the backbone? I've been critical and disappointed with some of Obama's other decisions thus far, but at this critical time I'm thankful for a calm leader.  I'm grateful McPalin are not in charge.  This is time for cool reflection, not immediate reaction.   Thank you President Obama.

The Decade In Sports - Remembering Dale Earnhardt

Back in the early 90's when MLB once again had a players strike, I had enough. The pampered millionaires had sold the fans out and assumed we’d stand along side them. I was one of those fans that left baseball behind. But as a sports fan, I needed something to fill that void.  The only thing going on those summer months was Nascar. As I would tune in, only knowing that whoever I was rooting for would have to be sporting the Chevy Bowtie, something happened within my subconscious. Every week, a sinister looking black and silver race car with a bold forward italicized white number 3 would qualify in the back of the pack and within the first several laps would be fighting for the lead. I liked that guy, he was a racer and I had no idea who he was.  Turns out, at that time he was a five time champion. As time moved forward I became a big Nascar fan, not following baseball at all except to see a score here and there. I had the #3 die-cast cars, some shirts, posters and was enjoying a fun sports ride until February 18, 2001. In the last turn of the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, a tap from Sterling Marlin's Silver Bullet Dodge and an ensuing crash involving 3rd place running Dale Earnhardt had occurred. Everything changed in seconds.  I had seen many crashes that looked far worse, yet immediately something within made me feel this was different. Perhaps it was Ken Schrader’s reaction upon looking into the crippled #3 laying in the grass, maybe it was former driver, turned commentator Darrell Waltrip's nervous reaction and concern. DW's brother Michael had taken the checkered flag for his first Nascar win with Dale Jr. right behind him, both in Dale Earnhardt owned Chevrolets, not realizing immediately what had happened in their review mirrors. Moments later, we watched Junior jump out of his car leaving it stranded all alone on pit road as he sprinted towards the accident.  Maybe it was my own intuition. I just knew something wasn’t right. I saw the writing on the wall in my mind in a very literal sense.  A couple hours after the race, it was official. Nascar President Mike Helton announced that we had lost Dale Earnhardt. I was one of thousands (maybe millions) who mourned the passing of Dale Earnhardt. Yes, I cried.

As a fan who rooted for “The Intimidator”, remembering the triumphs and tragedies is still heartwrenching, because we know how it ended.  We watched a lot of success at Daytona except the elusive Daytona 500 which was finally captured in 1998.  Before that day, we watched the greatest driver of all time (in my opinion) find bad/strange luck in the biggest February race every single year.  We also watched him flip over multiple times at the 1996 July Talladega race, getting burned when flames from Bill Elliott’s car entered his cockpit. We remember Dale crying when he had to climb out of the car (with Mike Skinner climbing in) the following week after about 15 laps at the Brickyard 400 do to the injuries. We remember the 1997 Daytona 500, after being nudged by Jeff Gordon and flipping across the backstretch over and over and over, yet land right side up and finish the race once realizing the car would still start (Chevy tough). Then the crowning jewel, even though he never got that 8th Championship, he went on to win the cherished Daytona 500 on his 20th try on February 15, 1998.  After the race, something unprecedented happened; every crew member of every team lined up to greet the 7 time Champion at his proudest moment while he drove towards Victory Circle.  Dale Earnhardt wasn't pretty like Jeff Gordon and he wasn't a smooth talker like Richard Petty.  Dale Earnhardt was Superman, and we never could have imagined that Superman's kryptonite would be the concrete at Daytona. For me, it will probably remain the greatest sports story/tragedy of my lifetime.

I’m posting the closing laps of Dale’s last win at Talladega on October 15, 2000 when he went from 17th to 1st in just 6 laps. This why Dale was known as “The Intimidator” or "The Man In Black". This is why he had so many fans.  This guy was a racer.  Four months later, he was gone.



After that morbid day in February of 2001, I did start watching baseball again because watching Nascar without the black #3 was too painful. Heartbroken owner and Dale's closest friend Richard Childress retired the #3 in favor of #29 which was painted white for the rest of 2001. A brash young driver from the Busch Series that Childress had been grooming to be Earnhardt's eventual teammate in 'The Cup Series' was chosen to fill the seat of the famous Chevy.  In just his third race in the white #29 Goodwrench Chevy, Kevin Harvick nosed out Gordon by inches to win in Atlanta.  It was truly the moment the healing began.  While GM Goodwrench remained as primary sponsor for several years after Dale's death, the car is now sponsored by Shell/Pennzoil. However, a small #3 remains decaled just below the B-Pillar as a reminder of what that car represents.  Harvick has done an admirable job considering the pressure and focus thrust upon him, including winning the 2007 Daytona 500 in what is considered the greatest finish ever to that particular race.  Later, in the summer of 2001 when Nascar returned to Daytona on July 7, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at the track that 5 months earlier had turned his world upside down.  It really felt at the time that Nascar would have the ability to move forward since two of Dale's most important legacies, his racing son and his car were winners.  What greater tribute could he have asked?

I don’t watch Nascar as I used to -- it will never be the same. I root for Dale Jr. when I do watch, but he’s not in the same league as his dad. It's starting to feel like potential missed. Another thing different about Dale Jr. that was never a concern for his father, he cares about what everyone thinks of him on and off the track. It makes him a super nice guy, but an average race car driver.  He seems to lack the 'killer instinct' so important in competition. I wish he could once again find the skills and temperment that he exhibited while running the Busch Series where he was a two-time Champion. Early in his 'Cup' career he also showed flashes of promise by dominating the Superspeedways for several seasons even after his dad's death.  Of course he had his own serious fiery crash driving an American Lemans Series Corvette in 2004 at Infineon in California. Watch video at 1:14 mark. Not surprisingly, he hasn't been the same since.

I guess if you're going to look at a silver lining, after Dale's death Nascar immediately put safety at the top of their priorities.  In 2000, Nascar lost 19 year old Busch Series driver Adam Petty (in May), a fourth generation racing Petty, at New Hampshire International Speedway.  He was killed instantly when his car struck the wall head on during practice.  Then in July at the very same track where Petty died, 30 year old Winston Cup driver Kenny Irwin was also killed during practice.  He too, struck the wall head on, flipping the car on it's side and eventually it's roof. Irwin likely died instantly of a basilar skull fracture.  However, it took losing the sport's biggest star to make them take action.  As someone who has seen pictures of Earnhardt's blood soaked cockpit, it was clear something had to be done.  Earnhardt was famous for wearing an open-faced helmet because he felt the full-faced helmet was heavier and could lead to severe neck injuries.  He also thought it blocked too much of his peripheral vision.  He also preferred to sit very low in the car for presumed safety reasons.  Sadly, the investigation showed that he was killed because the 5 point seat harness had failed, resulting in a broken neck when his face slammed into the steering wheel, hitting with such force, it was bent.  The autopsy also revealed a broken ankle from still having his foot jammed on the brakes upon impact.  Ken Schrader has never spoken publicly about what he saw as first man on the scene that day, but one can only imagine.  The following week, Dale Jr. switched to a full-faced helmet and in the ensuing weeks Nascar ruled that all drivers must wear a HANS (Head And Neck Support) device which attaches to the top of the seat keeping their heads pretty immobile.  Some of the drivers complained that it impeded on their movement, but Nascar smartly didn't budge, telling them to install more mirrors and rely on their spotters. 

The sport has changed a lot since that February day.  Perceivably good looking drivers with marginal skills get top rides so they can push sponsor products; the season points system has regressed into "The Chase" where you can shoot for 12th place through 26 races and try to turn it up for the last 10 to become Champion (note: Jimmie Johnson would be a 4 time Champ under the old rules too); the Car of Tomorrow was developed as a safer race car, yet destroyed the competition by not allowing manufacturers to be creative with design.  I think Nascar could have laid down basic ground rules that the car makers would've had to incorporate while still allowing for seperate identities.  The COT (as it's known) are all identical bodies for the four manufacturers.  The only thing differentiating a Chevy from a Ford from a Dodge from a Toyota are the decals and the engines.  Everything else is mandated by Nascar, making the racing uninspiring.  Yes, the sport has changed for the worse, but I was happy to have enjoyed it during the best of times.

Dale Earnhardt celebrates winning the 1998 Daytona 500.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays To All!

I really like this musical holiday light show, but it is no longer available for embed so I've linked it. Enjoy!
Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Wizards In Winter (video)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! - Captain

Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow

(via Twitter)

Matthews Creating His Own Sideshow

In keeping with the cantankerous mood I find myself in these days, let’s discuss Chris Matthews. About a month ago Matthews dissed his colleagues at MSNBC by saying that he was the only one on the network inviting opposing opinion. In the case of Keith Olbermann, that may be true. However in Keith’s defense, his show has always been about skewering untruths generally from the other side. Yes, Fox and Limbaugh are often targeted, but it doesn’t mean what he says is less factual. His show is not about debate, it's more about setting the record straight.  Rachel Maddow asks conservatives on daily and is often refused because they know their factless rhetoric will not go unchallenged.  David Frum, Nancy Pfotenhauer, Tim Phillips and recently Richard Cohen were verbally eviserated trying to use that technique. Granted, it gives other conservatives pause appear, but her aim is true and it’s why she has a growing fan base. That said, former Bush speech writer Mark McKinnon is a frequent guest and I’m confident Colin Powell is among those who would appear again if asked.  The lesson is to be honest and not falsify objectives so the debate can continue.  Now there’s Ed Schultz who has really seemed to take personal offense to some of Matthews recent comments. He really seems to be a guy 'mad as hell who isn't going to take it anymore' - from anyone!  His show is formatted in a very similar way to Chris’, yet once the battle has begun and no one can hear a thing, he shuts them down and redirects as needed. Having opposing opinions all screaming at the same time doesn’t do the viewers a bit of good, but that's what Matthews show promotes.  Schultz has just as many "righties" on as Chris. I guess the difference is, that Chris recycles BFF's like Tom DeLay who should be in jail and Nazi Pat Buchanan. It just strikes me a bit odd that Matthews has decided to make a right hand turn and trash his colleagues just as it became evident that the Comcast deal was “on”.

When the Stupak Amendment (yes, that again) passed the House HCR bill in early November, Matthews hosted Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) of co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus. She had circulated a letter which had about 40 signatures of House Democrats who say they will oppose the health care bill if it's used to restrict abortion rights. He badgered, interrupted and was downright rude to her for the entire interview. She had appeared on Rachel’s show the night before so I knew what her goal was, but anyone watching Matthews wouldn’t have heard a thing. Matthews’ conservative Catholic upbringing was on display for all to see. In his world, women do not have the right to decide what happens within their own bodies. He kept talking over her about how taxpayers don’t want their money to go towards abortions. I emailed his show and told him I didn’t want mine going to unjust wars either.  Like I always say, “You can’t be pro-life and pro-war”. I find it odd how many people can’t see that.

Last week, this is what Matthews said about the far left as he calls us. You know, those who had the biggest impact on Obama’s election. "I don't consider them Democrats, I consider them Netroots. And if I see they vote in every election, or most elections, then I'll be worried. But I'm not sure they're regular, grown-up Democrats. I think a lot of these people are troublemakers who love to sit in the back seat and complain. They're not interested in governing this country. They never ran for office, they're not interested in working for someone in public office. They get their giggles out of sitting in the back seat and bitching." Daily KOS founder Markos Moulitsas fired back, "In 2003, when Bush landed his plane in the aircraft carrier, and spoke in front of the banner that said, 'Mission Accomplished,' Chris Matthews had an entire show based on that event, and he said everybody knows that we won the war, except a few critics. Well, I was one of those few critics. People like me in the Netroots were some of those critics. And it turns out that we were right and the Beltway conventional wisdom was wrong. And once again, we're in a situation where people like Chris Matthews don't learn from these mistakes. They're trapped in this bubble and they think that they know better. If Chris Matthews is worried about us working, and if he thinks that we're not Democrats, then he really should be worried, because he's got a thing coming."
Markos Moulitsas Slams Chris Matthews on "The Ed Show."

I've never heard him insult or dismiss Dick Armey's Teabaggers.  I guess the lack of diversity in those crowds has gone unnoticed by him.  To give that group of bigots more credibility than activist organizations like Moveon.org, Democracy Now or even Daily Kos is a tell tale sign of where Matthews true allegiances lie.  He didn't mention how Armey's D.C. luncheon was cancelled last week because no one signed up to attend.  You can bet had it been a cancelled lucheon for someone on the left, it would've been included in "Sideshow".