NASCAR Ratings Down - Blame it on the Gopher

NASCAR races during the first half of the season are broadcast on Fox. TV ratings have been down an average of 10% for all of the races broadcast so far. This has got NASCAR, Fox, advertisers, and team sponsors worried. Most of the blame is being directed towards the economy.

I have a different take ... blame it on the damn gopher.

Fox came up with a camera buried in the pavement, which captures some truly dramatic shots of cars as they pass inches overhead. Shortly after introducing it, they added a cute little graphic of a gopher diving into his hole just before a car went overhead. People supposedly fell in love with the gopher, and Fox held an internet contest to name it. "Digger'' won.

Digger became a marketing opportunity for Fox. All kind of merchandise appeared with the gopher's likeness on it.

Over this past offseason, the folks at Fox decided to push this little critter more and more. At Daytona, we were subjected to an obnoxious cartoon with him and his NASCAR loving family during the pre-race coverage. We are repeatedly assaulted with this gopher during race coverage, and not just when the pavement cam is active.

I like Fox's broadcast team. However, their constant attempts to 'gimic' up their coverage is offensive, and tiresome. From Digger to the obnoxious theme music and patting themselves constantly on the back on air, it is too much.

NOTE to Fox, NBC, ESPN, TNT, and Speed (all broadcasters for NASCAR) - dump the gratuitous B.S. and get back to basic, thorough coverage of the race, the drivers, and the teams. That is what your audience is tuning in for, not crappy little cartoon characters.

That's why people are tuning out (or at least turning down the sound).

Waffle Attack Almost Turns Deadly

This is just too funny ....

From WLTX.com, Columbia South Carolina, comes the story of an almost deadly incident at a Manning, SC Waffle House, sparked by a waffle.

Crystal Samuel, patron, was attempting to eat with some of her friends ...

"I thought I was gonna get me a All Star" - Crystal Samuel

Ms. Samuel apparently didn't get what she ordered, and became abusive towards the waitress, a Ms. Yakeisha Ward. Samuel ended up throwing a waffle at Ward. Even though it didn't hit her, it was on. Ward came over the counter to tackle Samuel. The fight spilled out into the parking lot, where Ward went to her car and grabbed a pistol. The pistol went off during the scuffle, hitting Samuel in the arm. Ward then pistol whipped Samuel in the head, before Sheriff's deputies arrived and seperated them.

Ward was arrested, and posted $500 bond. She was back at work at the Waffle House the next day.

Samuel was released from the hospital after bullet fragments were removed from her arm. When contacted by local news, she reportedly said "bad customer service...." .

This just goes to show that you never, ever, want to complain about food you are served.

House Dems Block Campaign Finance Ethics Investigation

House of Representative Democrats, led by Nancy Pelosi, have blocked, for the eighth time this year, a largely Republican effort to launch an ethics investigation into campaign finance irregularities.

Three House Democrats, John Murtha (D-PA), Jim Moran (D-VA), and Peter Visclosky (D-IN) are under scrutinuy for the millions of dollars their campaigns received from companies and lobbyists that they steered lucrative federal contracts to. I don't know much about Moran or Visclosky, but Murtha has been embroiled in kickbacks, payoffs, and shakedowns for many years, even being caught on tape by the FBI trying to extort money in exchange for political favors.

Murtha is a Pelosi lap dog. There is no way she will allow any inquiry into his actions to take place. Why is she blocking? If they are innocent, then the Democrat run ethics committee will exonerate them and clear the matter up. But, they are guilty, everyone knows it, and the only way to keep them in Congress and out of jail is to keep the investigation from happening at all.

Where is all the B.S. from the Dems about the Republican Culture of Corruption, their key talking point during the 2006 Congressional elections? Don't hear much from them now about that, do we?

Oh, by the way ... this is the same John Murtha who accused our Marines, in print and on video, or rape and murder in Iraq. The same John Murtha who refuses to apologize now that those Marines have been proven innocent of any wrongdoing.

Obama Cuts Funding for Hydrogen Powered Cars

Despite all the hype from Obama's regime about having to get away from reliance on that nasty oil, and the need for alternatively fueled vehicles, Obama's 2010 budget cuts funding for hydrogen fueled cars.

I didn't know this, but GM has had hundreds of hydrogen powered cars running for years now in tests, rolling up millions of miles. These miles have been on the street, by individuals - not on a test track. Other car companies have had similar efforts ongoing. The technology apparently works. For those of you in the dark on this, it's a car that runs on water ....

Wow ... a car that runs on water, and who's only byproduct is oxygen released into the air. Sounds like the perfect green method of transportation. It is very close to being production ready. The Bush Administration funneled millions of dollars into helping GM and others developing the technology.

Now, Obama has pulled all of the funding out of his budget, apparently with no explanation. Some folks at GM, and a few active eco-orgs have picked up on this, but the mainstream media and the Obama regime has been silent on it.

Why pull funding? I have no idea, but as with almost everything else this administration is doing, follow the money if you want to find out why ....

Note: The car pictured above is the Honda FCX Clarity, a current functioning hydrogen vehicle.

Obama's Election Triggering a Rise in Racial Hatred

The election of Obama the Immaculate is spurring a rise in racial hatred across the country. Now, before you fly off the handle, I do not think Obama is purposely causing this, and I do not think he wants it to happen. However, it is happening ....

This country is divided more than it has been at anytime since the Civil War. The Far Left has declared war on anyone that does not follow their politics. The Far Right defends itself, and is called racist, elitist, and worse for doing so. More and more people are moving out of the middle and towards the opposite poles. Racial relations, particularly between whites and blacks, are being pushed to a higher intensity as a reaction to Obama's heritage.

Two things triggered me to write this today. First, breakfast. I was in a popular local cafe, a place where many folks gather to visit and start their day. A large group of fellows seated around a table near me were voicing their concerns over Obama and what he is doing. The hatred I heard in their speech was scary - beyond political disagreement by far.

Second, the Dallas NAACP held a press conference yesterday, where their president, a shrill woman named Juanita Wallace, complained to anyone who listened that the KKK was running a membership drive in a small local town, and this was evidence of 'grass roots hate'. Surrounding this woman were members of the New Black Panthers. Now if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black, so to speak ....

I think this explosion of hatred and racial posturing is an occurence that was inevitable to coincide with the election of the first black President, whoever that person turned out to be. With all the bad racial history this country has, I think that this outpouring of racial bias and hatred is part of the process of getting to the point where the color of skin is not that important when electing officials. The election of Obama is not the action that puts the United States over the racial hump - it is an important action that will move us further along that path. The next minority elected to that position will be far more likely to be elected and judged based upon their qualifications than the color of their skin. Rosa Parks sitting in the front of the bus didn't end racism - it was a step. Obama's election isn't ending racism - it is a step. Each step gets us further along, even if the step is painful.

The fact that Obama is a hard core leftist has ramped up the situation, adding dislike and hatred of his policies to the racial component. This is making the wound wider, more painful, and it will take longer to heal.

Personally, I don't care whether the President's skin is white, black, brown, purple, green, or pink with yellow polkadots - I care about their qualifications, their experience, and their policies. THAT is why I don't like Obama and want him out of office - not because he's half black.

Eventually, the United States will be better off racially for Obama having been in office. Now, how much of the United States is left to benefit from it after he gets through socializing our country remains to be seen. I think we'd have been much better off with the first minority President being Condi Rice, or maybe even Colin Powell (although they aren't 'authentically black' according to race hucksters like Jackson and Sharpton).

And one more thing .... to all those people who voted for Obama just because he is black (or half-black) - you are just as racist, just as bigoted as those who voted against him because he is black.

Who Says the French are Woosies, Part Deaux

Another example of those crazy French guys, aviating and such .....

Democrats Declare Capitalism Dead

Meet Howard Dean, the absolutely insane goof that is the former head of the DNC (Democrat National Committee). This man was the figurehead of the national Democrat Party (although Obama is recognized as the Imperious Leader, due to his office).

Howard Dean has demonstrated that he is mentally unstable over the years, with evidence becoming evident during the 2004 presidential campaign.

Last week on CNBC, Dean stated in an interview on Obama's economic policies:

"We've had quite enough capitalism over the past 8 years. I think we need some regulation now."

There it is. This loose cannon has just stated the Democrat Party's economic policy in two sentences.

You Can't Even Tell a Joke Without the Left Blowing a Gasket

'D' Magazine is a local publication dedicated to things involving Dallas. A recent issue focused on our newest high profile resident, President Bush.

There were a series of five articles in that issue from local writers. One of them is David Feherty, a golf analyst for CBS and a resident of Dallas. Feherty ended his column with a joke:

"From my own experience visiting troops in the Middle East, I can tell you this though ... Despite how the conflict has been portrayed by our glorious media, if you give any US soldier a gun with two bullets in it, and he found himself in an elevator with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Osama Bin Laden, there's a good chance that Nancy Pelosi would get shot twice, and Harry Reid and bin Laden would be strangled to death."

Now, I think that's pretty damn good for a joke, and probably not far from an actual truth.

However, Feherty has drawn the wrath of his employer, CBS:

"We want to be clear that this column for a Dallas magazine is an unacceptable attempt at humor and is not in any way condoned, endorsed, or approved by CBS Sports." - LeslieAnne Wade, CBS Sports spokeswoman

Ferherty forgot that you can only make fun of people if they are Republicans. Democrats cannot be spoofed in any way in the mainstream media. If his joke had included Bush and Cheney instead of Pelosi and Reid, then the goofballs at CBS would be laughing their asses off instead of being upset. Feherty's job with CBS is probably very much at risk, because he offended some liberal sensibility.

Democrat attacks on the first Amendment continue.

Update - While Feherty has been apologizing for his joke to anyone who will listen (I would bet that he's been told to by CBS, or lose his job), left wing 'comics' can make jokes worse than this, and Obama and the mainstram media howls with laughter.

During the White House Correspondent's dinner, comic Wanda Sykes attacked Rush Limbaugh verbally in front of the crowd:

"Rush Limbaugh said he hopes this administration fails, so you're saying, 'I hope America fails,' you're like, 'I don't care about people losing their homes, their jobs, our soldiers in Iraq.' He just wants the country to fail. To me, that's treason."

"He's not saying anything differently than what Usama bin Laden is saying. "

"You know, you might want to look into this, sir, because I think maybe Rush Limbaugh was the 20th hijacker. But he was just so strung out on OxyContin he missed his flight."

"Rush Limbaugh, 'I hope the country fails' -- I hope his kidneys fail, how about that? ... He needs a good waterboarding, that's what he needs." - Wanda Sykes

This photo was taken at the dinner, and is reported to have been snapped during Syke's tasteless tirade:

Some in attendance where shocked by the comments, and dismayed by Obama's responses:

"That's way, way beyond reasoned debate or comedy and Obama's reaction to it was astonishing. Imagine if a comedian 'joked' that Obama was a terrorist who was guilty of treason and should be tortured and allowed to die. There would justifiably be an outcry."

-Toby Harnden, Editor, Britain's Daily Telegraph, an attendee

Constitutional Illiteracy

The Constitution of the United States is the founding document of our country. It was painstakingly constructed by our founders after a lot of give, take, discussion, debate, and negotiation. It defines the best form of government this world has ever known.

The Constitution defines our system of government. It defines the role of the Federal Government in our Union. Anything not explicitly stated as a responsibility of the Federal Government in this document is the responsibility of the individual states, their state level governments, and their populations.

There is an alarming lack of knowledge and understanding of the Constitution by our elected officials, and it has been this way for years. Our current President, everyone I've heard speak in his cabinet, the leadership of the House and the Senate, the vast majority of Democrats serving in federal office, and quite a few Republicans have absolutely no idea what is in this document or its meaning, and how it is supposed to be applied to how the government runs. Pretty damn sad ....

For instance, I'll use abortion as an example. Without choosing a side on the issue itself, I'll state this as an absolute fact - there is no Constitutional right for a woman to have an abortion. Nowhere in the Constitution does the word 'abortion' appear. As such, laws concerning abortion are the responsibility of the individual states to decide. That's a fact, that's how our government is defined to work - yet somehow we've allowed people in charge to twist things around so that many Americans think that the Constitution gives them that right.

That's just an example ...

Our Founders foresaw the need for the Constitution to be changed and updated as time goes on. Constitutional Amendments can be made to clarify, add, or even change the responsibilities of the Federal Government. The process is simple but lengthy - an Amendment is passed by both the House and Senate, and then if it is ratified by 2/3 of the states, it becomes part of the Constitution. The reason for the high standard for ratification is simple - Amendments are serious business, and not to be taken lightly.

The idiots running our Federal Government now don't have a clue on this. They only believe in the Constitution when it suits there needs. They misquote it, misrepresent it, and misuse it constantly. they flat ignore it most of the time.

I propose that every person running for a federal office be tested on their knowledge of the Constitution and government structure. No pass, no play, so to speak ...

Currently, any fool who can buy, steal, or cheat his/her way into Congress can do so without having to know anything about how it works, or how it is supposed to work.

All elected federal office holders take an oath to protect and defend the Constitution - too bad they have no idea what that Constitution is.

First person I'd test - Obama - it is clear he hasn't got a clue, or more likely just sees the Constitution as a road block to his agenda. He sure doesn't have any intent to abide by it.

This is Chris Matthews?

I have absolutely no use for Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC's Hardball and overall lunatic fringe rabid liberal media attack dog. I can't even watch this guy, he's so abrasive and blatantly partisan - supposedly no-nos for a media representative?

Mark Davis is a local conservative radio talk show host, he plies his trade on WBAP-820 in the Dallas area. To give you an idea of how conservative Mark is, he occasionally guests hosts for Rush Limbaugh (and does very well at it).

To my surprise this morning, while semi-listening to Mark's show, I hear him say that he's interviewing Matthews up next. ??????? Well, this ought to be interesting ....

Matthews is making the radio talk show rounds promoting his new book. I listened to his back and forth with Mark for 8-10 minutes, and was shocked. What I heard was a thoughtful, respectful man, who while standing by his liberal principles, was gracious about it. He had great things to say about Jack Kemp, who he considered a friend. He waxed poetic about the good old days of Reagan and Tip O'Neil - where these political titans fought over principle but did it with style and respect. He said he voted for Bush in 2000, and admired him in the aftermath of 9/11, and said his only real problem with Bush's policies was Iraq. No hatred, no far left propaganda ....

I don't know if I heard the real Chris Matthews, who uses a different persona on the TV to generate ratings (as poor as MSNBC's are), or if I heard the sham of someone trying to sell a book on a conservative talk show. Hearing his words, and how they were delivered, I tend to believe the former.

Doesn't mean I'll watch his show ....

Reframing the Global Eco-Scam

ecoAmerica, a 'non-profit' environmental marketing firm in Washington, has been conducting research and focus groups for the past couple of years. The goal - to reframe the global warming message into something that is easier to attract people.

Now, first .... Global warming is an absolute scientific fact, according to the left. No argument is allowed, no dissension is accepted. If that is so, then why does a environmental marketing firm exist?

ecoAmerica has decided that key phrases need to be substituted when talking about global warming. The American public has grown weary of hearing 'global warming', and equates the phrase with left wing eco-terrorists, treehuggers, fruits, and flakes. Well, duh ....

Out: global warming
In: our deteriorating atmosphere

Out: carbon dioxide
In: moving away from dirty fuels of the past

Out: cap and trade
In: cap and cash back
In: pollution reduction fund

Out: energy efficiency
In: saving money for a more propserous future

Out: the environment
In: the air we breathe, the water our children drink

Apparently, a slick marketing campaign is needed to rescue this 'absolute science' in the public's eye.

eco-America held briefings on their findings for environmental groups and the Obama administration this past week. The presentation, which was not supposed to be made public, was leaked to the press, either by accident or by someone with a conscience.

I've got my own word exchange I feel is more appropriate:

Out: global warming
In: scam

Out: climate change
In: natural warming and cooling cycle of the earth's environment

Obama's First Supreme Court Choice - How Far Left Will He Go?

Supreme Court Justice David Souter announced he will be resigning his seat on the court after it ends its current session, this coming summer. Souter, appointed by President Bush (41), had been generally considered one of the liberal members of the court, siding with the leftists on the vast majority of decisions. Given this, it is unlikely that Obama's new appointee will have any impact on the power balance on the court.

Souter promoted himself as a conservative during his vetting process, one who would uphold strict interpretation of the Constitution. Shortly after he was seated, it became apparent he had misled the President - he was a moderate left winger in sheep's clothing.

Early speculation in the news is that Obama will nominate US Appeals Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor. A female, of Puerto Rican heritage would fill two of Obama's stated criteria for the position - female, and a minority. However, it is far too early for a favorite to emerge.

This will be a very revealing pick for Obama. Will he choose a moderate liberal in the mold of Souter, or will he pick a far left nutjob - a clone of Ruth Bader Ginsburg? I would place money on the latter, especially since there is nothing Republicans can do to oppose the pick - he will jump at the chance to give a lifetime appointment to a radical judicial activist.

Obama is not constrained by many rules concerning his pick - a Supreme Court Justice does not have to meet any qualifications - doesn't have to have been a lawyer, or a judge, or have any judicial training or experience whatsoever. It could be Hillary Clinton ... Eric Holder ... Janet Napolitano ... all three have been mentioned as possibilities. He could nominate Bill Ayers, for pete's sake ....

Update - The more I hear in the media about this as the days go by, the worse it gets. There is no pretense of argument from the left about who the pick should be. The most important factor to them is which minority (or minorities) are represented by the pick. The only experience that Obama thinks is credible is how downtrodden the person and his monority affiliations are. He's flat come out and said that several times, that he wants someone who has been failed by the system, who has experienced being shafted by the government and big business. Judicial and Constitutional experience/knowledge are not necessary, and may not even be wanted. It is a given that such a minority person will be far left - any minority who is considered moderate or conservative is not a 'real' minority.

The argument from the right is still partisan, but much more logical. They want a conservative jurist, or at least a moderate one, who is judicially qualified, and will apply the law and the Constitution as it is written.

Our framers, the incredible people who established the foundation for this country, established the Supreme Court as a check on the power of the President and Congress - to make sure that what those two branches did was in agreement with the Constitution. The Supreme Court cannot make laws - it cannot make policy - that is an absolute mandate of our Constitution. However, Obama has made it very clear that he sees it differently - to him, the court is a tool to be used to make social changes . Apparently, Obama believes He knows better than the people who founded this country. No surprise there .....