An open letter to naive Virginia Voters

Dear Virginia,

Do you have any clue who you just voted in as the next Senator of Virginia?

Now, I know the results are not quite official, but I feel sure they will stand as is.

Jim Webb is not the moderate Democrat he has painted himself to be during the campaign. Virginia meet your version of Chuck Schumer, Hillary Clinton, and Bill Clinton rolled into one. He is not a Mark Warner Democrat; he is a LIBERAL way to the left of center. What, you didn’t know that? Well let’s see. Why would he tell you who he really is in a campaign where his competitor became more interested in personal attacks than domestic policy? George Allen and his campaign could have torn this man apart by just focusing on the issues at hand. But they felt as though they had to attack the man instead. If they had just pointed out the differences in domestic strategy the result would have been a different one. This was a strategy that leads to political death for Mr. Allen. No more is the talk of Allen in ’08. He will go off to the land of politicians who fail in what appeared to be certain victory. He will join those who “had presidential potential” but fell short. He will probably form a new golf foursome with Dan Quayle, Jack Kemp, and Bob Dole.

Now, why do I say Jim Webb is like Bill Clinton and the others? Well, let’s take some quotes from Mr. Webb’s web site (or is it Webb site?) and then I’ll give my little commentary afterward. You must first understand that the new wave of Clinton Democrat (or socialist for my money) speaks in code words. I will highlight the code words and give you the real meaning.

• “We must reexamine our tax and trade policies and reinstitute notions of fairness, and also enforce our existing trade laws so that free trade becomes fair trade.”

Fair/Fairness – Give away taxpayers money to their base most of whom do not pay taxes and raise taxes on those of us who actually pay them.

• “Jim believes that all Americans deserve access to some form of quality health care. Health care legislation should focus on providing people access to health care, not simply on corporate profits.”

Deserve – Look it only took a moment to get to my favorite Liberal code word. Deserve means giving their base anything they want by raising spending to new heights. Tax and spend it is, YEA!

Access – OOH! Another good one. This means don’t worry about going to work, we the all powerful government will take care of you.

Corporate Profits – This is a way of making sure the base knows that they think badly of that evil corporate tycoon who dares to use the capitalistic system to their own profit. That bad man should be made to give money to the “poor” like you, now go vote for us and we’ll punish the horrible greedy corporate bad guy.

• “It is vital that Congress fully fund the mandates of No Child Left Behind.”

Fully Fund – Goody, Goody more tax and spend. The higher the spending goes the better.

• As Virginia's junior Senator I will work with Gov. Kaine and the legislature to implement their transportation priorities by fighting for greater federal funding.

Greater Federal Funding – Look he actually slipped out of the sheep skin for a moment and showed his real colors. There is no code here. Plain old “Mo Money!”

You see, the M.O. of the basic liberal or socialist is to throw more and more money and any and all issues. If it requires raising taxes; who cares. Their base doesn’t typically pay any taxes; so they are cool with it.

So, Virginia buckle up and prepare for the bumpy ride. You are about to get what you asked for! Thanks a lot! Next time do your research. Next time the campaign must be about the issues, not whether the other candidate writes dirty books or not!

That’s my disgusted 2.3 cents. So there!

A time to heal

As it says in Ecclesiastes, there is "a time to kill, and a time to heal". A picture can at times speak a thousand words, and I beleive the one above does just that. Not because of anything I did in snapping the picture, but because of the young man and the power of his emotions. I saw him at a couple of flags in obvious mourning, and I decided to take this shot in a very descreet manner. It touched me just seeing him there, so I had to share the image with others. What a powerful moment in my life. It is important to remember that these soldiers are real men and women, and not just cold statistics. Each of these 2,800 + flags in this healing field memorial represented a life, a real person. In the demeanor of this young man, I saw love, honor, friendship, pain, morning, and healing. What a statement for these real men and women. They are just like me and you, but with a huge weight of conflict on their shoulders. They fight and protect and yes kill, but there will always be a time for healing. Remember them every day and please pray for these real men and women!

The American Flag that I love!

This great holiday (Call it Independence Day not just the 4th of July) is a very sacred and special one for me. I, for one, understand the many sacrifices that service men over the life of this great country have made on my behalf. My father is a Navy veteran of both World War II and the Korean Conflict. I am very proud of my dad’s honorable service. He instilled in me a healthy respect for this country and the symbols that represent it. The American Flag has always been a sacred and beautiful sight for me. I remember with great pride the days when we opened every day in my California public elementary school with the Pledge to the flag. I still take the pledge seriously, and feel a great sense of pride when speaking it.

I see the flag and I feel the hope of the pilgrims as they start a new life in this new world.

I see the flag and I feel the urgency of the writers of the Declaration of Independence.

I see the flag and I feel the Cold and Hunger of the men at Valley Forge.

I see the flag and I feel the fear and pain of the soldiers fighting for our independence.

I see the flag and I feel the joy at the victory and the gaining of real American Independence and FREEDOM.

I see the flag and I see the faces of many American Men and women who have fought and even died to protect and preserve that independence. I feel love and pride for these dedicated fighters who thought only of the job they had to do and not of self at all.

The picture you see above is from a Soldiers Healing Field flag memorial here in Virginia. Each flag (over 2,800) represents a soldier who has died in this war on Terrorism. If you can walk through those flags and see the names of these brave me and women and not feel pride and yes sadness, something is wrong with you. No matter how you feel about this war of the Presidents decision making in regards to it, there are real lives over there fighting. They are not only fighting to keep us safe and to protect our freedom, but to help give birth to another freedom loving society. That calls for the utmost respect and prayer. I pray for our soldiers daily. They are friends, family, and neighbors. They are real, and they make my pride in this great land even more strong.

I for one will continue to fly my flag in front of my house. I love what it still means and stands for to me and most of America. I will not allow the few extremists to ruin my flag and the Country it flies over. I still follow the long stated flag rules our country has extablished, and treat the flag with great respect. Yes, I know it is just a piece of cloth, but it's more than that. It is a symbol. Many folks don't get that. I think it is partly because we are so cought up with our own selfish wants we don't want to "waste" time on such trivial matters. It is uncomfortable and inconvenient for some to take the time to think through the things I've listed above. Not for me. The flag and what it stands for is real to me and it always will be. My children already feel a very strong respect and love for the flag as well.

Another important point is that the Flag represents America, American citizens, and the American way of life. It does not necesarily represent the government. So, when folks burn or otherwise defile the flag because they hate George W. Bush or the government as a whole, they are really burning the symbol of the entire country and its citizens.

So please take time this Independence to thank God for this country, and to pray and honor the fighting men and women we have over seas. Without the God of our fathers, this country will ultimately fail. Take time to instill respect for our great national symbol in your children. It will soon be theirs to protect and defend.

That’s my 2 cents once again.

THE SHACKLES ARE RIDICULOUS

I understand that the US military must vigorously investigate the alleged incident involving our troops in Haditha, Iraq last fall. The charges are that the incident that was originally reported as a group of civillians killed by a roadside bomb may now be marines who killed as many as 24 unarmed civillians on purpose. I feel strongly that the investigation must be allowed to be completed before anyone assumes these men guilty. Some congressmen and media members have already tried the case and termed them men as having killed in cold blood. The facts are as of yet not released, so it is rediculous to report their guilt as fact at this point. If they are indeed found guilty then they should be punished accordingly. But not yet!

First, let's remember that these men were in the middle of a long fire fight with terrorists (not insurgents - I hate this PC term) who were hiding behind civillians. This was not a picnic at the Haditha town park, it was a Battle. These men are in a terrable situation where the civillians are mixed in with cold blodded killing terrorists. They are hiding them from our men even as the fights are going on. This is a guerilla war, not a conventional. SO, we must bear in mind the terrable position these brave fighting men are in.

Now, we learn (I should state from very few press and media outlets) that these men are being put in shackles at the Camp Pendleton Brig in San Diego. Rediculous. Not one of these men have been convicted of anything. They are still American soldiers, and deserve to be treated as such. The terrorist detainees at Guantanimo Bay, Cuba are treated with much greater respect than our own men. We must let these men out of their bonds immediately until the day that they are found guilty of an actual war crime.

HOLDING MY BREATH!

OK, Al-Zarqawi is dead.

I have heard the ceaseless pundits and all knowing news talking heads moaning and groaning for years that we have not killed this man. I am watching and waiting for them to come on the news shows and write in their columns and spout their heads off with joy that he is now dead. With the execption of a few on Fox news, the reaction has been one of a mild ho hum excitement.

This is pitiful. If you are going to call for his head over and over as the main reason we can't make any progress, then rejoice when our military heros actually deliver his head to you on a platter. Where are the congratulations that should be with the same furver as the moans and groans?

That's my sarcastic 2 cents!

ABC13 Home Makeover FINISHED

These are some of the pictures of the final product in the Home Makeover we were able to complete. The results were incredable, but not as impressive as the huge number of volunteer hours that were put in. What a blessing to be involved in this project and play a small part in changing this family's life.

Kittens saved by News Reporters!

Even though we are a news station and not Animal Planet, we do have hearts. At least Danner and Courtney do. These 2 news hounds hunted down some kittens that were in the crawl space under the ABC13 Home Makeover house. They spent quite some time trying to find them under the house with flashlights and a big satelite truck operator. I have a picture of them searching, but decided not to publish the unflattering angle so as not to get in trouble. After rescuing the cute little critters, they transported them to a Vet in Bedford, where they were treated with antibiotics and something for worms (Nasty). These 2 ladies and Living in the Heart of Virginia and Home Makeover host Tab O'Neal are now searching for homes for the little guys (and girls).

More Volunteer Pictures HMO 2006

Had to get these 2 pictures on since Lacy is a frequent reader of this blog! Great job dude.

ABC13 WSET 2006 HOME MAKEOVER

Above are some pictures from today (Wed. the 17th of May) on the WSET HomeMakeover Project at the Home of Elizabeth and Bailey Branch of Big Island, Virginia! The is the second annual makeover project for us here at WSET. It is a great community effort. I am impressed as I go up there to take still pictures for the station every day what great attitudes all of the volunteers have. The reason is because they know they are having a part in changing someone's life. The Branch family has had it rough lately. Their Husband/Father Roger Branch passed away just before a friend entered them into our makeover contest. The craftsmen and women and all the volunteers are giving their time with no expectation of getting anything in return. There are tons of folks donating materials as well.

These folks are literally changing the quality of Bailey and Elizabeth's life. The changes in the house are staggering. They put in cathedral ceilings which will open things up drastically. They are insulating the house in EVERY crack possible where all they had was old newspaper as insulation before. Yes, 1941 copies of the Roanoke World News were found (and saved) in the walls. The improvements are way too many to mention here. The more important part is the huge impact the work is having on the community, the volunteers, and the family. It has been great to see the huge amount of time the members of the Big Island Volunteer Fire Department have spent at the house. Baily is a volunteer at the BIVFD and they want to give back to their comrade. Great job Folks!

It is a blessing to be even a small part of this project and see the way our community comes together to help others. I volunteeded last year, and will be again this weekend. I will have a blog entry on my day at the house next week.

Mr. Bush, We're not buying!

Dear Mr. Bush,

I respect you greatly, but I am quickly losing faith in your words. I was always taught that as a Christian, I was to be honest before God and before men. You, however, seem bent to make whatever statements you feel will help your poll numbers. Last night's speech was a waste of America's time and a complete insult to the base you intended to appease. Your polished, flowery words only amounted to a continued insufficient answer to an enormous problem. I have numerous issues with your so called 5 point plan to stop illegal immigration, but I will focus on the one that really has me confused.

The issue has to do with your proposal to deal with the illegal aliens who are already here in America sucking off of the system we subsidize with our tax dollars. Some folks are calling for complete amnesty and pardon for Illegal aliens (notice I do not use the term Illegal immigrants); which is a complete joke. Others (myself included) feel that if you have broken the law (coming here illegally) you have to pay for your crime. In this case it would take the form of deportation from this country. You decided that you were not comfortable with either of these “extreme” ideas, and crafted your own fence-riding middle ground. Your statement on this part is as follows:

“There is a rational middle ground between granting an automatic path to citizenship for every illegal immigrant, and a program of mass deportation. That middle ground recognizes that there are differences between an illegal immigrant who crossed the border recently and someone who has worked here for many years, and has a home, a family, and an otherwise clean record. I believe that illegal immigrants who have roots in our country and want to stay should have to pay a meaningful penalty for breaking the law, … to pay their taxes, … to learn English … and to work in a job for a number of years. People who meet these conditions should be able to apply for citizenship but approval would not be automatic, and they will have to wait in line behind those who played by the rules and followed the law. What I’ve have just described is not amnesty it is a way for those who have broken the law to pay their debt to society, and demonstrate the character that makes a good citizen.”

All I can say is wow. I assume as you re-read this you swell up with pride at such a brilliant statement. I personally have no clue how anyone could possibly think there is any merit in this statement. How in the world would this work? Would we hire more INS employees who go door to door with a “tell me a little about your self” questionnaire? What in the world is the cut off point where someone has “worked here for many years”. How do you intend to pull off such a huge undertaking? Is some one going to visit them and test them on English? How do we determine exactly how much back taxes they owe? This is such a joke and a typical country club Republican smoke screen.

I for one am sick of this nonsense. I am writing my senators and representatives as soon as possible and urging them not to vote for a plan that in any way resembles your 5 step program. I am not alone. There is a great group of people who voted for you and had great faith in you. We also had expectations that were based on your campaign speeches that are largely unfulfilled.

I beg you to wake up. I urge you to listen to the words that come out of your mouth and exercise some integrity and care. I will continue to pray for you daily. May God bless you, and may you follow through with honesty as he would want you to.

Again that is my 2 cents and I’d like to keep it. So, please don’t make me give it to an illegal alien.

America: The God Vacuum

As a child I loved to fly kites. I remember having many different kites of different shapes, sizes, and styles. We would fly our kites for hours, and even invent games and competitions between all the neighborhood kids. Kites are such simple things, but some of my best childhood memories involve flying them. I still fly kites with my children to this day.

So, why do I bring up kites in a rant about America being a God Vacuum? Well, no matter the shape, size, or style of kite; they all have one thing in common. All kites have some sort of structure or backbone holding them together. Without this backbone the kite would just collapse and be unable to fly.

America was founded with a backbone, but now that backbone is all but ignored. The founders of this great country were Christian men who based the formula for their new government on the principals of the God they believed in. Now, if you want, you can try to argue this point with me, but it would be futile. There are evidences of this God backbone for America in our founding documents, on our governmental buildings, in our songs and pledges, in the founder’s personal writings, and in virtually everything else in that era. So, let’s move on and take this backbone as a fact. To do otherwise is akin to not recognizing your own image as you look at it in the mirror.

Over the past 50 years, the extreme elements of our country have slowly chipped away at this backbone until it is all but gone. The result is what I call the God Vacuum, or the absence of God in America. The list of these extremists and their targets is endless. Every element of the God backbone has been attacked at one time or another. The first big step was taking God out of our schools. This started the God vacuum by eliminating God from a large portion of our children’s lives. Then it moved on to removing as many references to God as they possibly could in every area of our lives. Just a few examples are: the elimination of the 10 commandments from our courts, the elimination of prayer and references to God in most government facilities, right down to eliminating something as simple as nativity scenes. What began as a little omission of God here or there is quickly becoming a huge stigma towards God or his principals. It all goes back to the misinterpretation of the establishment clause and Thomas Jefferson’s statement about the “wall of separation” of Church and State. This was always intended to be a one way wall which kept the state out of the church not the other way around. None of the founders wanted God to be eliminated from our government or our society. Unfortunately, we as citizens have largely sat by silent and allowed this vacuum to materialize without much of a fight. I fear that it will only grow worse and worse and the backbone of our country will be only a memory.

Why does this matter so much? Remember the kite, without a backbone it collapses and does not fly. Now a country without its backbone is about to collapse and take a nose dive. A constitution and laws that are written from a Godly frame of mind, tends to make little of no sense to the ungodly. That is why there is so much confusion, and our court system finds it necessary to rewrite laws that have made sense for 200 years. The only solution is for those of us who long for the America of our Fathers to take a stand and be as vehement and persistent as those who are attacking it. We must be vocal, honest, and learn to not take their “no” for an answer. We must fight fairly, and we must not compromise. The silent majority has been the sleeping giant for too long. Majority you ask? Of course we are. It just seems like the Godless extreme are stronger because of the way they shout and fight. We must learn to use some of their tactics without their lies and distortions.

I for one will do what I can to stop the erosion and chipping away at America’s Godly backbone. I believe strongly that every human is born with a God shaped hole in their heart. Many choose to fill it with other things, and that is their choice. However when they evacuate God from America and create a God Vacuum, it is time to stand up and be heard.

That’s my 2 cents, and may God continue to bless America even in the midst of her rebellion!

Stars and Stripes Forever, but not at school

It's bad enough that God was taken out of our government schools years ago, now a nitwit superintendent in San Diego County, CA has taken the American Flag out of his schools. His reasoning was unrest that resulted after proud American kids confronted Hispanic kids who walked out of class in protest to possible immigration policy changes. So this Superintendent immediately went after the disruptive Hispanic kids who started the whole thing by waiving the Mexican flag and yelling, right? Wrong, he did the "fair" thing and banned everyone from bringing flags even for the country we live in. The guy’s logic is amazing. “Our goal was to get rid of the Mexican flags on campus because they were causing such heated feelings,” Supt. Ken Noonan said. He goes on to state the "legal council" told him he couldn't just temporarily ban Mexican flags. So, let's see, at the expense of the lawful rights of real and true American Citizens he protected the rights of folks who are most likely made up of illegal aliens in majority. Great job, KEN! You win the lame, politically correct loser award. You are the guy that punishes a whole class when 1 deviant does something wrong, right.

This is the whole problem. The government school system as a whole is so worried about diversity and protecting the "feelings" of all students that they forget that we are actually in America. I know for a fact that the constitution still stands, and that the filthy ACLU has not yet successfully removed our government. So, where does this joker get off banning the 1 symbol of the country that runs his little schools. He works for the government for Pete's sake.

I just don't get it. OK, my head hurts already, but check this quote out. “People are mad at just the idea that someone would dare to ban kids from bringing American flags on campus,” Noonan said. “But it was the very act of bringing flags that led to a lot of strife on campus.” Hey Dummy, it was the act of bringing in MEXICAN flags that started the issue. So, please narrow your focus, get some guts, and ban a flag from the outside not the inside. This is so knee jerk and silly that it makes me sick.

That's my 2 or 3 cents! WOW!

Pro v. Con - For v. Against - Roe v. Wade = LIFE V. DEATH

Today, I am facing irony clean in the face. It is an irony that I seem to face every year at this time. It seems clear to me that in the fight between life and death, life should always win. However, in our world, there are those who vehemently disagree. There are, it seems, times when life is no longer a concern. Death is a “choice” for them that clearly overrides life.

Yesterday was the anniversary of the controversial Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court Decision that made Abortion legal in the United States. I will not go into all of the details of Abortion in this entry, but I will clearly state that I am 100% against abortion. I do however think of how far we’ve come since 1973 in this issue. The 2 sides of the issue are still completely adamant that they are correct, and more separated than ever in ideology. More importantly, the issue has become even bigger. Since 1973, we also have to worry about: Late-term abortions, Partial-birth abortion, and State/Federal/tax-subsidized abortion.

So the irony for me is the way the other side can totally ignore what most would consider the #1 protected entity – life. Even more staggering is the main reason they state for the justification of terminating life – choice. It is utterly sickening to me that some people believe that their “right” to choose the death of another human life is more important than life itself. It doesn’t matter the reason in my book, it is still choosing death over life. I guarantee that there would be plenty of willing adoptive parents waiting in line for these babies if the mothers would choose the obvious choice of life. It wouldn’t hurt if the government would get out of the way of adoption and make the process more simple and inexpensive either.

Now, let’s move on to the topic that originally caused me to write this today. As I hear the media report about the National Right to Life day activities in Washington, one thing is clear. Political correctness and political pressure has totally hurt the cause for life. First of all I would prefer they not call the March a Protest, but that is an issue of semantics. It is hard for me to think of it as a protest when these people are speaking out for life. So, it is odd for me to think of speaking out for saving life as a “protest”. Secondly, it amazes me how the media refers to the 2 sides. The folks who agree with aborting living babies are the “pro-choice supporters”, and those of us who are for saving innocent children who don’t get a choice are “anti-abortion activists”. Do you see the way those terms set the 2 sides up? The “Pro-choice” folks are painted as obviously the most rational and therefore supporters of choice. The “anti-abortion” folks are painted as scary, irrational activists who are against the establishment. Wow, what a built-in promotional tool for the pro-abortion crowd. I think if they are going to be referred to as pro-choice, then call us pro-life or anti-death like we would like. Or if you insist on calling us anti-abortion, then call them anti-life or pro-abortion. It is a totally unfair position that all the media takes as a whole (even FOXNEWS). Listen for yourself and see if I’m right – I am!

Anyway, it appears that something is going to come to a head in 2006 with this issue. It appears that Samuel Alito is going to be installed as a Supreme Court Justice to replace Sandra Day-O’Conner in the next week or so. We also have the recently appointed Chief Justice John Roberts. It appears that both of these men lean towards the conservative side and would vote “pro-life”. Yesterday it came out that the South Dakota legislature is going to bring up a bill for a statewide ban on Abortion in 2006. There are other Abortion related cases already in appeals court as well. One example is the New Hampshire parental notification law that the Supreme Court sent back down to the lower court after the appeals court overturned the law. I’m not sure what will happen, but I am encouraged by comments from President Bush to the March for life rally yesterday. "The self-evident truths of the Declaration of Independence apply to everyone, not just to those considered healthy or wanted or convenient," Bush said. "These principles call us to defend the sick and the dying, persons with disabilities and birth defects, all who are weak and vulnerable, especially unborn children." The pro-life movement, he said, "is a cause that appeals to the conscience of our citizens and is rooted in America's deepest principles. And history tells us that with such a cause, we will prevail."

One thing is for sure, our father God is in control. God loves all human life; his word makes that point clear. As a father myself, I can not imagine making the choice to abort a life under any circumstance. No matter how you justify this choice it is, at the heart, a choice for DEATH! God rest those innocent children who never got the chance to make any choices or be heard at all. They did nothing worthy of being destroyed; and yet selfish, depraved people (their own flesh and blood) chose to kill them. I can only speak up in their favor, and wait on the Lord my God for his resolution of the topic. It will happen in his time and in his mighty, just, and loving way!

That is my 2 cents. Please pray for life and morn the 40+ million children that have been aborted since 1973!

Get used to it!

I've heard a lot of complaining and griping over the past 4 to 6 months about the price of gas going up, up, up. Up until a few weeks ago I was one of the loudest shouters (who me, and I'm usually so quiet). Then oil drilling in the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge was voted down by Congress yet again. I just can't believe that the Republicans have a majority and still can't sneak this one through. It is one of the most important domestic economic issues to ever face our country, and yet political pressure groups have so much power and influence that it may never pass. We have the worst case of politicians who are in the pockets of lobby groups we've ever seen. The Congress is no longer lead by the best interests of their constituency, but by what is the best for their continued political power and $ Gain $.

Today the Oil prices went up yet again, and they are quickly headed to where they were after Hurricane Katrina. All I'm saying is don't expect Congress or even the President to get as upset as we are and actually do something about it. Because while we're making our measily salary and living month to month, they are sitting there in their multi-million dollar houses with their madea and nannies asking what the problem is. So stop worrying and losing sleep, because your representative sure isn't.

That's my 2 cents!

Senseless Playoff Picking time

I've held off on doing any NFL playoff picks so far. But now that the 4 Conference championship games seem to be toss-ups, I'll take a shot at it. I have heard picks on both sides of both games.

Let's start with the NFC, the home of the weirdest grouping of Playoff teams ever. Now we are down to the obvious Pick going in - Seattle, and the 5 seed - Carolina. This one is a no brainer to me. In the playoffs, defense wins every time. Yes, Sean Alexander will get his yards. Yes, Matt Hassleback will have some success throwing the ball around. But, Carolina will cause turnovers, and they will decide this game. Not to mention Steve Smith and Jake Delhomme. They dismantled the supposed #1 defense (who hadn’t played much of anyone) last week and made it look like they were playing a high school team. So, my pick is the Road Warrior Carolina Panthers to make the Super bowl with a 31 - 24 win over the playoff cursed Seahawks.
Now for the AFC game no one predicted. All the "experts" said it would be the Patsies and the Colts. They were wrong. I said all along that Denver would make it. I did not see the Steelers coming. As a Charger fan, I assumed the Steelers would lose out in favor of my Chargers. But, Pittsburgh is there, and playing well. This is the real toss up. Both are great defenses with great pass rush, great secondaries, and the ability to limit the run. I'm impressed with the growth of both QBs this year. I'm not ready to anoint either as great QBs, but both are very efficient and are now limiting errors well. Both running games are good, but Denver's combo is more consistent. The receivers are pretty even as well with Rod Smith and Hines Ward as the big dogs. I will say Pittsburgh’s receivers have the edge in big play potential. One difference is that with the emergence of "Big Money" Heath Miller, Pittsburgh has a great option at Tight end that Denver does not really have with Putzier. So what separates these 2 teams on Sunday? Here is where I make Pittsburgh fans mad. 2 things: Coaching and home field advantage. I feel strongly that Shanahan's playoff and Super Bowl experience will make the biggest difference. No one game plans better for these types of games. He will have this team ready, and they will shock the Steelers like the Steelers did the Colts last week. No, I don't mean Dominating Drives. I mean they will have a plan that will totally control the momentum of the game. On the other point, I know I picked the road team in the Carolina game, but those teams were not nearly as even as these 2. First off, Denver is virtually unbeatable in their house, and second Denver has only played one game and it was at home. They are fresh, and Pittsburgh is road Weary. At the end of this one, it will be Denver 35 Pittsburgh 24.

Those are my 2 cent predictions for what it's worth.

Quick College Football Gripes

OK, I stayed up until 1am to watch one of the best football games I've ever seen and the best individual college performance I've ever seen. The Texas vs. USC match-up is the first game to live up to the Hype in a long time. Unbelievably, I still have a short list of Gripes. So, Here goes.

1. Keith Jackson? What was up with that? Keith, my friend, I feel the same way about you as I do Bret Favre. You have both had tremendous runs as the best at what you do, but it is time to hang it up. I've never heard a play-by-play guy make so many mis-statements in my life. And what is with the "times out" deal? You will always be remembered, but please stay off of my TV.
2. Bowl Officiating? Was this not the worst case of bowl game officiating ever? It was horrable all around. So why did I think the National Championship game under the not so watchful eye of the NCAA would be any different.? Thank goodness that those horrable calls didn't ruin the outcome of the game. My wife said to me "they sure are having to review a lot of calls". That is because there were so many bad ones. What a disgrace. I wish the NCAA would pay some attention to the officiating issues and not spend so much time worrying about a coach who bough a recruit a donut at Saint Wigwaam University.
3. The unfairness of the media hype machine- You got a good look last night at what I've been saying the whole year. Vince Young, not Reggie Bush, should have won the Hiesman Trophy. Texas gets so much less publicity and game exposure than USC that everyone thinks Reggie Bush is the end all be all and Vince Young is just OK. Last night Vince young proved his point and vaulted himself ahead of Leinert if he comes out for the draft. I'll even say that Houston has to take a second look at Vince Young over David Carr instead of just simply defalting to Reggie Bush.
   
4. Dan Fouts doesn't get enough credit as a Color guy. He did a great job last night.
5. 4-1 Pete Carroll doesn't look so Brilliant. Where was Reggie Bush (Decoy or otherwise) on that 4-1 play at the end. It made the offence very one dimensional and easy to stop. Bad call Pete.
6. Matt Leinert Can't run.
   
7. The stupid games start too late. Start them at 7pm so I can get to bed before too late. Now I'm tired, grumpy, and mean. Wait, that is not exclusive to today! Sorry!
8. That's my 2.1 cents!
   

My Top Ten New Years Resolutions for 2006 that most likely will not last

10. Stop watching 24 Hour Cable news. They are so hungry for news that they report speculation and not fact. I can't tell you how many times I've heard them have to correct information; it is just usually smaller information. In the case of the WV Coal Mine incident, it was just big enough to raise eyebrows. Who am I kidding, I'm a hopeless spot news (must know right now or die) addict.

9. Try not to get mad at idiot Virginia Drivers. This will be a tough one. Most folks around here don't understand that acceleration lanes are a place to accelerate, NOT STOP! I also hate the slowpokes in the passing lane. Must learn to love them and be patient with them, good luck!

8. Start looking for capital to start a year round Professional Football league. There is still a month until the Super Bowl, and I'm having withdrawal symptoms already. OK, I know, wish in one hand and you know what in the other. . .

7. Never eat at McDonalds again. My distaste for both their food and their ultra-brat, teenage, smart-mouthed, brainless excuse for workers has driven me to a full-on boycott of the lousy franchise. I have given in to my wife and children in 2005 maybe 10 or 15 times and gone there only to be totally disgusted and mad upon leaving. My 2006 goal is to not darken their stupid doorways or drive throughs at all. My daughter's big brown eyes are already beginning to burn a hole in my heart. So, this one may not happen.

6. Give in to the friends and begin to look for the right fit for a run for political office. For years, friends have mentioned that they would love to see me run for political office, and they would vote for me. I have often said that the world is not ready for someone to the right of Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage. I've also said that I'd have to run as an independent because the Republican Party would never stand for an uncontrollable candidate. I would vote my way, and speak my mind (ouch that hurts already). But this time it's for real, I'm going to do it. OK maybe I should just give this one up again before it even starts.

5. I plan to do something kind for a stranger every day in 2006. Wait, I already do this now. I open doors for people who are rude or worse in return. I've even been told by an obvious feminist that I was insulting her by holding the door. I am one of the few people who let the crazy drivers in front of me when leaving a crowded parking lot. In turn they flip me off. I try to saw kind words to everyone as I pass, only to be given a nasty look. I try to be patient with the stupid clerks at Wal-Mart, only to get bomblasted with the fact that they don't want to be there and generally hate everyone. OK, I'll already revise this one. I plan to do something nice for all of my civil friends and family every day in 2006.

4. Stop listening to sports radio. I don't think it is healthy to overload my tiny little brain with so many different people's crazy opinions. It also adversely affected my fantasy football performance this year because I listened to too many experts. So, I will no longer listen to that stuff. OK, so I've already screwed that one up, I'm listening to Dan Patrick right now.

3. Begin a new daily exercise program. That was last year, and it lasted for 2 weeks. 2 years ago it went for 8 months. OOPS.

2. Stop asking everyone the huge cliché, bla bla bla question everyone asks when they run into someone "how are you doing?" Aren't you sick of hearing that question? I always tell people the honest answer when I'm asked that question. So, for the upcoming year, I plan to bite my tongue and say something different to folks. It's such a habit phrase, this one could fall quickly!

1. I want to start a campaign to smack anyone who I see using the bathroom and then walking out without washing their hands. I normally just boil inside in disgust when I see this, but no more. I will speak out to everyone I see do this. OK, you think I'm overreacting? Next time you are eating your lunch in the break room at your office just look around at everyone touching everything and think about how many of them didn't wash their hands. I hope you keep your double bologna super cheese sandwich down. I feel sick!