Monday, February 28, 2011

Sprint Cup 2011: Race 2 - He's Back!!!!


WINNER: Jeff Gordon,#24, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motor Sports

Jeff Gordon won today’s Subway Fresh Fit 500. It seems so hard to comprehend that it’s been sixty six races, the balance of almost two seasons, since the familiar #24 car took the checkered flag. His last victory was in Texas, April 2009, an accomplishment ending a 47 race slump. Has it been so long since Jeff Gordon was reeling in the wins appearing almost unstoppable?

His victory is significant for his place in NASCAR history. The victory moves Gordon to tied with Cale Yarborough with 83 wins. His next win will tie him with Darrell Waltrip (84) and the one after that, Bobby Allison (85). With three more wins, 3rd place will belong solely to Jeff Gordon. The next threshold would be to exceed David Pearson’s mark of 105 wins. He’d need 22 wins to equal Pearson. It was not that long ago when that feat seemed almost inevitable, but if Gordon were to race for five more years, he’d need to about 4 ½ races a year. Jeff Gordon’s stature in the sport certainly has been overshadowed by his teammate, Jimmie Johnson’s dominance.

Last week’s Cinderella story saw the carriage turn into a pumpkin as Trevor Bayne blew a tire and wrecked early finishing in 40th position, the lowest position of drivers actually competing in the race. Three shameful quitters with no intention to finish the race, McDowell, Blaney, and Nemechek turned in their disgraceful parade laps and called it quits.

Here’s a quick look at the top finishers:

1- Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
2- Kyle Busch, Toyota
3- Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet
4- Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet
5- Ryan Newman, Chevrolet
6- Kasey Kahne, Toyota
7- Tony Stewart, Chevrolet
8- Kurt Busch, Dodge
9- A.J. Allmendinger, Ford
10- Dal Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet
11- Denny Hamlin, Toyota
12-
13- Matt Kenseth, Ford
14- Mark Martin, Chevrolet
15- Martin Truex Jr., Toyota
16- Brad Keselowski, Dodge

The points:

1- Kyle Busch, Toyota (+6)
2- Kurt Busch, Dodge (+2)
3- Tony Stewart, Chevrolet (+9)
4- A.J. Allmendinger, Ford (+6)
5- Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet (+21)
6- Mark Martin, Chevrolet (+3)
7- Bobby Labonte, Ford (-4)
8- Ryan Newman, Chevrolet (+12)
9- Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet (-4)
10- David Gilliland, Ford (-8)
11- Paul Menard, Chevrolet (-3)
12- Carl Edwards, Ford (-11)
13- Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet (+12)
14- Denny Hamlin, Toyota (+5)
15- Kasey Kahne, Toyota (+8)


How quickly fortunes change. Ford was sitting pretty after capturing the top 3 spots of the Daytona 500. At Phoenix, their top three cars finished 9th, 12th, and 16th. All four Hendrick drivers finished in the top 15 at Phoenix. Only Mark Martin finished in the top 15 at Daytona. Only the Busch brothers, Kurt and Kyle finished in the top 10 in both races, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, and A.J. Allmendinger made the top 15. That both races had big wrecks (the proverbial big one) early in the race, many of the top competitors have at least one bad start at the beginning of the new season.

Demolition began immediately after the race to renovate and repave the Phoenix race track which has not been resurfaced for 20 years. Despite being bumpy with numerous cracks filled in, many drivers are happy with the track left alone, but it was certainly clear to TV viewers the road was rough.

The Sprint Cup tour continues its western swing next week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Georgia Lawmaker Pursues Taliban Justice for Women

Okay, let's get one thing out of the way for starters, the notion of "Taliban justice" is an oxymoron, but we are concerned about a Georgia lawmaker who has to be a moron to propose as vicious a law against women as he has proposed. If the Republican party wants to be the majority party, they must disassociate themselves from fascist notions like what this lawmaker considers. The lawmaker is Republican Bobby Franklin, a graduate of Covenant College in Lookout Mountain Georgia who majored in biblical studies and business administration. He represents Georgia's 43rd district which includes most of Cobb County which includes Marietta, Georgia and other northwest suburbs of Atlanta.

Here it is: any woman who endures a miscarriage in Georgia would have the burden of proof to demonstrate the the miscarriage happened naturally and was not the result of human intervention. Even if one accepts the strictest prohibitions against abortion,this is un-American and heavy handed. Our entire legal system is based on "innocent until proven guilty."

While it's difficult to imagine such a mean-spirited law could pass and surely it would not survive court challenges, the very notion of it is a dreadful slap against American freedom and that women are equal citizens worthy of the full rights of citizenship.

Georgia residents must oppose this with all due fury.

Reference article: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/26/georgia-lawmakers-anti-abortion-proposal-punish-women-miscarriages/




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Choices

Pregnancy is a tough issue -- ask any woman who's been through it. Abortion is even tougher -- ask any woman who's been through it if that's a subject she'd openly discuss. Conversely, if life doesn't begin at conception when does it?

If that is so, how can a person argue abortion is not taking a human life or at least a life in progress? Abortion is ugly. Sonograms show little fellows swimming in embroyotic fluid earlier and earlier. Sonogram guided abortions also have shown these little fellows fighting for their lives when abortive intrusion occurs. However, before we scream MURDER, let's deal with some hard core tough realities.

Men cannot get pregnant, Woman reach an age where they're no longer furtile. It's very easy to define morality in absolute terms when it only affects some one else. How many well-to-do Republican daddies have daughters who've had abortions they'll never know about?

Does the state have the power to compel a woman to become a mother against her wishes?  If the fetus is viable, it seems legit to say absolutely. Adoption is always an option. It's interesting that those who oppose abortion generally make all kinds of assumpions and feel convinced that women who have abortions will at some point if they  have any  soul at all become overwhelmed with guilt, hate the day they killed a child, and dread the judgment day they will have to answer for murder. Perhaps some women do feel such guilt. But what about women who give up babies for adoption who see that child coming kicking and screaming entering this world?  Do they not consider all the "what if's" or wonder how the child they gave up might be doing.

If a person believes that life begins at conception and that abortion is murder, there can be no second guessing, no accomodation, that perhaps only in the case of preserving the mother's life can abortion be justified. Even in the case of rape or incest, abortion cannot be justified because the potential child had nothing to do with the circumstances of his conception.

However, even women who are primarily anti-abortion will point out that what could violate a woman more than rape or incest and then on top of it, she would be held responsible for carrying a child as an eternal reminder of the horror or horrors how she was violated -- raising a kid who carries half the violator's DNA?

There's also the social context of the multiple problems brought on by unintended child births, single parent homes especially for younger mothers, the likelihood of poverty, horrible possibilities for kids growing up without fathers -- failure in school, drug abuse, gangs, very late term abortions conducted in the violent city streets.

Examining the abortion debate, there are lots of lose/lose and win (for the anti-abortion foes)/lose. We will not consider a woman having an abortion a win for anyone except maybe the politicians and agencies like Planned Parenthood who support abortion.

This writer knows three women who have had abortions, two of whom confided some of their circumstances. One was a college student whose IUD failed. Another was dealing with the end of her marriage to an alcoholic. Both of these ladies were destined for tremendous success, one a cumma cum laude college student the other a recent master's degree recipient destined for a brilliant career in her field of study. They've gone on to great success and have become very loving and devoted moms. There is zero evidence of the kind of guilt the pro-life supporters would assume would exist. The college student was paying her own way through college and would have had zero family support if she had a baby. The other lady would not have been able to continue her career of choice, one that required long hours and much study. There were zero chances of matrimony for the college student. The other lady's marriage was a close to divorce and faced a situation where continued cohabitation with the drunk would have continued subjectgation to abuse.

There is no way this writer can call those ladies sinners or murders. They are women who faced a horrible choice, agonized as they weighed their options, and did what they felt they had to do. Both are contributing to society in exceptional ways right now and are happily married. Some who read this will quickly jump to the conclusion none of that matters, they have sealed their fates. They'll burn in hell for murdering children.

Is this not the ultimate example of why the Bible teachers us "judge not lest ye be judged?"  When we judge on a level like this, we're dealing with ultimate kinds of issues. No judgement should be made casually and not without realizing are judgment often reflects more on ourselves than the subjects we judge.

There are religious people who insist abortion is murder. There are others, with equal fury, will take the stand having a child without the means to devote all one's devotion to raising a child responsibly is also sinful.  White middle class people don't have to deal with the ravage of single parent families where there is no father providing support. Men can impregnate a woman,disappear and never truly become fathers. Men are only as involved in the child rearing process as they chose to be. Many men make horrible choices.

Therefore, is it right for men to madate choices for women? The fateful issues involved in considering abortion simply  do not affect men. Sure some deadbeat dads get the justice they deserve for being deadbeats, but that's just a small part of the bigger equation.

Life begins at conception. This writer is a man. This man cringes at the thought of an abortion. The idea of that "little fellow" avoiding death when the abortion probe is inserted just brings a sense of horrible sorrow. This writer also thinks about the three woman he knows who had to make the fateful choice and knowing the specifics of each one cannot possibly villify the ladies he knows. They did what they felt had to be done.  This issue truly is one that is so heavy it appears to be beyond a human's capacity to judge -- at least if his gender is male.

This being the case, I cannot support outlawing abortion but do support very strict limits on late term abortions -- that the window of opportunity must be a short one. While Rowe b. Wade appears to be a horrible court decision with faulty logic defending it, the societal situation remains the same regardless.  If the women of our nation were to develop a consensus one way or another on the aborion issue as long as the window is very short, this writer's consciousness tells him this is not his place to intervene.

This is my choice, one that I agonize over and would like to simplify and side with the "pro life" position. I feel this is an ultimate decision for a woman. I am a he who cannot understand this from the ponit of view as "she."

God help us!



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Sprint Cup 2011: Race 2 -- Flying at Phoenix


Before we discuss Phoenix, there’s still a lot of buzz about last week’s Daytona 500 fairy tale victory. Imagine what it must be like for a 20 year old kid who grew up a huge Jeff Gordon fan complete with #24 lunch box and getting photographed with his idol at a young age to be working with that same Jeff Gordon in practice and the 125. Jeff Gordon didn’t win his first Daytona 500 until his 5th season. Considering Darrell Waltrip won in his 17th attempt, Dale Earnhardt in his 20th, and drivers with long distinguished careers like Rusty Wallace won ZERO, young Baynes’ triumph is even that much more significant. We got to know the young star a lot better over the course of the week, and the lad is most impressive. He’s intelligent, personable, has a great sense of humor, and seems very well grounded. Trevor Bayne has a bright career ahead as he looks forward to only his third Sprint Cup Race. For a manufacture that was all but shut out of the action last year barring Carl Edwards comeback at the very end, to have their most historic team, the “legendary” Wood Brothers racing a factory sponsored car with a likable 20 year old driver, the excitement must be tremendous and that the “blue ovals” won the top three even better.

This early in the season, prognosticating Sprint Cup races is a difficult process. The Daytona 500 has little relevance for the race that follows other than perhaps identifying some under financed teams that of course wear their Sunday best for the big race. This year, the cars have a new nose with a molded splitter on the front, not the award design where it’s held on with cables, rubber bands and chewing gum. Ford’s engine program has come a long way from the first use of the FR-9 engine with its limited rollout last summer. Most competitive drivers return to their same teams as last year. The biggest move is Kasey Kahne moving from Richard Petty Motorsports to Red Bull for a one year gig. Perhaps the driver/crew switcheroo in the Hendricks shop for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, and Mark Martin will change the chemistry there. The new kid sensation, Trevor Bayne, falls back to earth, having crashed his #21 in practice and going to a back up.

Working off last year’s book won’t be as helpful this year since the race is moved from April to February, night to day as such perhaps the data from last November’s race would be more relevant. Sun getting in drivers’ eyes created issues in the fall race. How could February differ?

For what it’s worth, 2nd round practice looks like this:

1- Kyle Busch, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
2- David Ragan, Ford, Roush/Fenway
3- Carl Edwards, Ford, Roush/Fenway
4- Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, Earnhardt/Ganassi
5- Greg Biffle, Ford, Roush/Fenway
6- Mark Martin, Chevrolet, Hendrick
7- Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, Stewart/Haas
8- Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, Stewart/Haas
9- Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing
10- Paul Menard, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
11- Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
12- Juan Montoya, Chevrolet, Earnhardt/Ganassi
13- Regan Smith, Furniture Row, Chevrolet
14- A.J. Allmendinger, Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports
15- Joey Logano, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing

The champ, Jimmie Johnson, a dominant racer at Phoenix, had the 21st best results.

Here’s how they line up after qualifying:

1- Carl Edwards, #99,Ford, Subway
2- Kurt Busch, #22, Dodge, Shell/Penzoil
3- Kasey Kahne, #4, Toyota, Red Bull
4- Kyle Busch, #18, Toyota, Combos
5- Regan Smith, #78, Chevrolet, Furniture Row
6- Joey Logano, #29, Toyota, Office Depot
7- Martin Truex Jr., #56, Toyota, NAPA
8- Jamie McMurray, #1, Chevrolet, Bass Pro Shops
9- Brad Keselowski, #2, Dodge, Miller Lite
10- Greg Biffle, #16, Ford, 3M
11- David Regan, #6, Ford, UPS
12- Denny Hamlin, #11, Toyota, FedEx
13- Paul Menard, #27, Chevrolet, Vertis/Menards
14- Ryan Newman, #39, Chevrolet, Tornados
15- A.J. Allmendinger, #43, Ford, Valvoline

Note, NO Hendrick drivers. They qualified as follows: Jeff Gordon – 20th, Mark Martin—23rd, Jimmie Johnson – 28th, Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 35th, and Tony Stewart (who shares Hendrick equipment does better, 18th.

Only Brian Keselowski failed to make the field. Daytona 500 victor Trevor Bayne starts 33rd sharing a driver who’d damned well better compete or quit the Sprint Cup series as this would be his third year cluttering up the field, Joe Nemechek in 32nd. All other rides except Tony Raines in the #32 Ford racing for Front Row have sponsorship; however, Front Row did not engage in “start and park” last year. They’d better not this year. We will continue our truculent lobbying that no car should enter the field without the equipment and intent to complete the entire race. Imagine a PGA golfer walking off the course after three holes in a Sunday event, an NFL team playing one quarter, or a baseball team playing just two innings. That NASCAR condones this is baffling.

When the checker flag drops, Sprint Cup fans will begin to see the first steps of how the field for the 2011 season will sort itself out. With Atlanta and Fontana being reduced to one race a year and the schedule being shuffled as a result, Bristol’s first race will be March 19th, then the field returns to the west coast, Fontana a week later at which time the owners points will lock in. Having a short track in the early stages provides a much truer test of a team’s capacity before the season’s first milestone is met.

For Jimmie Johnson haters or fans who sneer at Hendrick in general, don’t take last week’s results or tomorrow’s starting lineup as any harbinger of what could lie ahead, they’re just warming up. Remember how well Matt Kenseth started in 2009 and what happened to him?

Gentlemen, start your season!




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Thursday, February 24, 2011

Teachers' Union Lawyer Spills the Beans

How much more does the public need to know that America's teachers' unions despite lots of PR mumbo jumbo to the contrary could care less about quality education. It's all about preserving the union and its influence. Please share this with anyone who cares about their kids' education. This is very disturbing.



Bob Chanin served as General Council for NEA working for the nation's top teacher's union for 41 years. In an organization where Presidents come up from the rank-in-file, no doubt Chanin was the power behind the throne. The attitude presented in video is pervasive in our nations' schools. We've seen it come to a head in Wisconsin.




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A PLEAD to Readers



GLENN BECK MUST GO RIGHT NOW, IMMEDIATELY!!!

I am asking you to please spread the world, Fox News MUST get rid of GLENN BECK NOW!!!

The creepy pied piper is hell-bent on self-destruct and taking a cadre of naive fools with him.

This is not a matter of different political beliefs or a difference of opinion. The cold hard truth is Beck is a mad man who is a dangerous demagogue using the same tactics as Adolph Hitler to develop a cadre of zombies who will follow down whatever path to ruin his twisted vision leads.

He is a master showman who uses every trick in the book, as in the "nothing up my sleeve" theatrics and insane plays to fear, paranoia, and insecurity to indoctrinate his followers.

On a nightly bias, Beck takes all the big issues of the day which stir up conservatives and pulls them together as one great big united plan that is on the verge of destroying the world. There's no perspective, no analysis, just simple appeals to total panic.

We've gone through the issues and techniques this dangerous fool has employed for his charades.

He is the liberals' poster child for how whacked out and deranged conservatives are. They use him to scare people on the fence to be terrified of the many hard working and decent people who believe in traditional values and free enterprise. He is not one of us. He is his own deal and his deal is rotten.

Please how can we prevail on Fox News to send this guy packing. Week by week, his claims get more outrageous and the pure emotional sickness goes further over the top.

Of course, he'll say "people are going to call me a mad conspiracy theory nut or just trying to scare the hell out of them" then he does exactly that. He is not well-educated. He is not intelligent. He does not use rational judgment. His thinking is not logical.

George Soros, one of the great villains of our time played him like a fiddle when interviewed on CNN this past week.He caught Beck in a lie and beat him and Fox News to death.

This is the worst thing that can happen for the dialog in the media. It confirms what hack like Media Matters has said all along -- and on the issue of Glenn Beck, Media Matters is right.

When conservative columnists have to step up to defend George Soros and Media Matters, something or someone is very wrong. Glenn Beck is very wrong. We must deal with him. Time is wasting.

SHARE YOUR IDEAS -- PLEASE COMMENT ON THIS POST. DO YOUR OWN THING. TALK THIS UP.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!


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Thanks to Michelle Malkin: Conservative Teacher Reveals a Non-Conformist's Plight

RMF was once a public school teacher whose experience as an executive in his local teacher's union brought about his conversion from a classic liberal to conservative. What the reader is about to examine from a Minnesota teacher's point-of-view is an all too often reality for teachers who put their students first and embrace traditional values.

As more information about the state of public education becomes clear and citizens get a first hand look at what public teachers' priorities are, it becomes shockingly true that schools are what many have long thought they are intolerant enclaves of left-wing indoctrination where politics trumps professionalism and that completely inappropriate demeaning and insulting comments about Republicans and conservatives are not only taunts directed at non-compliant faculty members but also shared with students to intimidate them into to developing an anti-free enterprise, closed shop pro-union, pro-left wing agenda, political agenda.

The Minnesota teacher writing below expresses what is so common around the country. The behavior she cites cannot be tolerated and has no place in an institution funded by tax payers for the benefit of all citizens not just ones who drink the Democrat Kool-Aid.

From Michelle Malkin's site:
http://michellemalkin.com/2011/02/24/letter-of-the-day-the-plight-of-the-conservative-public-school-teacher/




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Media Critic, Brent Bozell, Sizes Up Mainstream Coverage of Wisconsin Insurrection




Let's see, if you're liberal to begin with but act in denial trying to convince your audience you're mainstream, if you're a member of a union that is overwhelming Democrat, how effective and objective would you be covering a showdown between a newly elected Republican governor and his conservative legislative colleagues dealing with a showdown with their Democrat counterparts and tens of thousands of union goons?

The way the battle lines have been drawn the viewer would see some rather obvious parallels between how the media covered the Egypt rebellion and the Wisconsin labor riot. Of course, Governor Scott Walker cast as the evil dictator Mubarak and the teachers, Obama union thugs, and other clowns as the Egyptian rebels.

It is also interesting to note how obscene, mean-spirited and filthy many of the chants, taunts, signs and banners are and what did these same reporters have to say about the conduct of the tea party rallies? These are the same people who scolded the tea party and conservatives for their angry rhetoric and insisted it led to the Tucson massacre. Truth be told, if one were to compare the vulgarity, viciousness, and over-the-top insults the tea party would be like a small town Boy Scout troupe compared to the Wisconsin thugs who'd be more like the vandals sacking Rome. The lack of proportion and honesty in this regard is inescapable for anyone who has paid careful attention to the coverage.

Brent Bozell, head of the Media Research Council brilliantly sizes up the press coverage in Wisconsin. Should anyone be surprised that the legendary pseudo-intellectual masquerading behind her snobbish foreign accent, Christiane Amanpour, should be responsible for some of the most ridiculous reportage.

Read this article, it's right on target: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brent-bozell/2011/02/22/bozell-column-media-wisconsin-bad-joke






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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Democrats Think We're too Clueless to Ask Questions

Question: If the measure the Wisconsin Republicans are supporting would allow state employees to decide for themselves if they want to join a union or not, how is that taking away worker rights?


Seems to me when you're forced to do something, then you don't have to be forced to do it any longer, that's giving someone freedom.  In their world are rights and freedoms conflicting ideas?




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Billy Graham and Glenn Beck???? Beck Gets Weirder and More Extreme as Ratings Plunge

The scary little man was in rare form on his Tuesday, February 22, 2011 program.  With any Beck program, you can count on his intro starting off with "Hello America," then some claim about how much that day's program is more important than anything the audience has ever watched on TV or how shocked what he has to tell them will leave them, all delivered in a dead pan "I'm here to ruin your day" tone of voice, and then the doom and gloom, we're all screwed narrative with the usual name calling, outrageous claims, and  salutations for his pseudo-religious reverence for his mythological depiction of the founding fathers nonsense continues. Two things are bound to happen in short order, blaming Van Jones and implicating him in the conspiracy du jour and then uncontrollable outbursts, shouting, heavy breathing, face turning red, sneers,and derisive laughter. Of course if he's really on a roll he might even start crying. Again, we ask our readers to compare his emotional outbursts to film footage of Hitler stirring up an audience. Yes, it's not nice to compare people to Nazis. It's done way too often in media, but here's the real case where it's appropriate.

Gadhfi, George Soros, the Wisconsin strikers, the media, Van Jones, communists, socialists, the Islamic brotherhood and anyone else who's put a hair up Beck's butt are all marching together to hasten our doom. There's not much time left...the same old Glenn Beck, scare-you-silly trash TV. How incredibly quickly Beck "connects the dots" as he puts it making all the bad guys part of one apocalyptic conspiracy. This has been his stock in trade since starting his show on Fox, but it gets more bizarre and far reaching all the time. Maybe he'll gulp down some Alex Jones Kool-Aid and start up the old fluoride is a drug the government puts in our water to make us zombies nonsense on his show. If he needs bottled water sponsors, he'll do it.

What made him look especially desperate yesterday was at the end of his program where he reported visiting the legendary evangelist, Billy Graham. There were no photos or any clear verbatim quotes. Beck gushed about what an amazing man Graham is and most of it sounded like he was trying to convince his faithful that Graham was mostly patting him on the head telling him what a nice little lamb of God he is. Beck said he visited Graham's home a top a mountain in North Carolina but the extent to which Graham truly interacted with Beck on any substantial way or had any kind of message could not be discerned.

What we don't get is any kind of context that makes the Graham visit seem significant or if it is just name dropping.  Graham is a kind man who often will have a cup of tea with a noteworthy person and grant such a person a prayer.

Whether or not Graham did that, we know it's looking more and more like Beck doesn't have a prayer, and that's a darned good thing.


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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Gadhafi's Final Act Confirms -- A Genocidal Maniac of Historic Proportions

Moammar Gadhafi is butcherig his own people ordering his Air Force to kill Libyan civilians from their fighters. Two fighters have bolted to Malta rather than fire on their own people. Hundreds have been slaughtered. Not since Tiananmen Square has a government unleashed brutality on its own people on a scale this great though Iran sure has tried. The oil rich country, one of the earliest supporters of Arab terrorism and Locherbie airline explosion, could be facing all-out civil war as the Libyan military is increasingly splitting from its leadership leaving Gadhafi paid mercenaries to his dirty work. For a dictator who has been lying low for the last couple decades, having American cruise missiles aimed at him might have had something to do with that, the Libyan tyrrant is going all out to live up to the worst of his reputation vowing to die fighting. Clearly, the rebels would be happy to expedite his fate.

How disturbing it is that the White House has been all but mute on this massacre not calling the master of genocide out for his slaughter. Even Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton conspicuously avoided mention of this fiend in her remarks on the violence.

Where is American moral leadership in yet another episode in the Muslim world where the most fundemental of human rights are being oppressed with intense lethal force. The Obama administration can't play nice when geocide marches on. If the United States is to have any hope of ever establishing constructive relationships with a post-Gadhafi Libya, this is no way to do it.

We pray for the survivors of the Tripoli terror and hope justice will prevail.



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The Wisconsin Plague Spreads to Indiana

And now the nonsense spreads to Indiana…Democrats refuse to show up to work to avoid facing votes they know they can’t win.

The Unions, the Democratic Party, and their lapdogs in the media are lying when they use words like “freedom’ and “rights.” What they are struggling with is a direct reflection of the population exercising its freedom in executing their right to vote. Their vote was contrary to what the pro-labor union agenda desires, and now those elected in free and honest elections (after all when elections run amuck, it’s often in urban areas where labor unions and their allies can manipulate the polls) the governor and state legislators are doing what they pledged to do for a majority of the population who voted.

The big ruckus in Wisconsin is not about taking away individual rights, all too the contrary. The governor and Republican legislature seeks to give state workers the FREEDOM not to join a union if they chose not to and elect to have their income that labor law mandated be taken from their salary without their consent be theirs to spend, save or invest as they see fit. Forcing workers to join unions is a restriction on freedom not an expression of freedom. People don’t have the right to belong to join a union when that choice is forced upon them. The Right to Work concept which 23 states currently enjoy allows employees to have the right to choose or not chose the right to join a union. The union, in turn, has to be more responsive to its membership because they have to behave in such a way that workers would see value in joining. In truth, unions silence workers. They speak for the employee to the employer. They determine how the company’s or tax payer’s money should be divided up and distributed to the workers. The result is a system that does not reward quality but instead time spent on the job.

Certainly, at the dawn of the industrial revolution when industries engaged in unscrupulous labor practices exploiting and abusing their work force, the union movement served a purpose, but that was 100 years ago. How much things have changed since World War II, yet unions act as if society owes them something for things they claim to have accomplished a century ago. To what do we still owe the British who implemented the Magna Carta. Our society is founded on the basis of the U.S. Constitution and aside from “right to assemble” and a few other provisions, nothing explicitly says society needs unions or that unions have any power to mandate anything. Yet we see efforts to destroy the democratic process with notions like “card check” where employees could be coerced into voting for union representation as their REAL right to vote in a secret election would be taken away.

So Wisconsin and Indiana are face with the reality that the vast majority of the public finds their lives are just fine without unions. They see how the union approach to business has led nowhere as many of those business no longer function in those states. They see where their tax money is going and that the Democratic party wants them to fork over more money for union employees who believe they have the right to all kinds of perks and benefits people who work in the real world do not get. They see their neighbors out of work and teachers crying because they’re not getting the raises they think they are entitled to receiving, that they are being asked to chip in for their lavish benefits albeit at a much lower percentage of income than most workers, and that they are upset because the majority believes they deserve the choice of how much they want the unions to “represent” them.

The will of the people is to hold government employees to terms of employment more like the private sector and that they cannot enjoy the perks of what amounts to a government run monopoly. The majority of Wisconsin and Indiana elected representatives are ready to act. How would the Democrats have acted if the Republicans could have obliterated a vote on Obamacare by not showing up on Capitol Hill? The answer is obvious, they’d be accused of killing babies, trying to screw the middle class, and all the usual rabble rousing and incitement of class warfare. The overreach of government that Obamacare woke people up on the state level that enough is enough. Americans expect people to do their jobs – when teachers fake illness and get fraudulent doctors’ excuses and elected officials do not show up in their chambers, they’re not doing their job. They should be treated the way most people would be if they behaved so irresponsibly, be disciplined and possibly fired but absolutely not paid. If the legislature is in session and there are no conditions (floods, epidemics, winter storms, hurricanes) that would prevent attendance at work, their seats should be declared vacant allowing business to go on and for them to be removed from office.

Yet they say they are exercising their rights. At every turn they are denying what has been established by society at large exercising its rights and that in doing what they claim are their rights but such behavior is illegal should be dealt with accordingly without pity or prejudice. The rule of law legally enacted by the representatives of the people must prevail and acting contrary to such must be treated as lawlessness.

To sympathize and support legislators who would flee their states they have a duty to support is irresponsible and intolerable. Those who report the news should take a hint and report the truth of the situation not what they want to truth to be.

It’s time for the will of the people to prevail. It’s time to end the union moment. Its time has passed and it is at its very best an expensive nuisance but in situations as we see today it is a sickly cancer on society that must be destroyed.

Columbia University: Elite Asses Heckle and Taunt Disabled Veteran

How should a former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant, a Purple Heart winner, who was shot eleven times and was disabled as a result expect to be treated an elite university that he now attends?

Anthony Maschek, 28, a native of Idaho, is a freshman at Columbia University in New York, who was in the 10th Mountain division infantry serving in Iraq and spent two years at Walter Reed hospital in rehabilitation from his injuries sustained when attacked by insurgents in Kirkuk receiving wounds to both legs, his abdomen, arm, and chest, had the opportunity to speak about his military experience in defense of reinstituting ROTC programs at the school. He enrolled in the Ivy League school to begin last fall’s semester. Columbia University has banned all activity by the military on campus for 42 years including ROTC programs and recruiters.

When speaking of his experience in Iraq and attempting to present the world situation the US is fighting, Columbia students shouted taunts at him including “RACIST!” This fine living example of sacrifice was jeered, booed, and laughed at.

Maschek’s main point to an audience of elite, well-educated fools, “It doesn't matter how you feel about the war. It doesn't matter how you feel about fighting. There are bad men out there plotting to kill you."

Columbia University has a long history of abusing figures who don’t agree with the prevalent radical ideology shouting down speakers and attacking them on stage. Is this not the very definition of intolerance? Overwhelming those with different points of view and silencing them from speaking to members of the audience who may or may not agree with them still want to hear their views IS intolerance in its most blatant and immoral form.

Individuals with established American values who believe in our Constitution, our culture’s accomplishments, or any notion that the United States is a force of good in the world go to Columbia with targets on their backs. To profess any kind of Judeo-Christian morality or God forbid, a stance against unlimited access to abortion would be treated as thought crimes. The typical charges are that good American patriots or anyone to the right of the most extreme left views of the Democratic party are of: imperialism, sexism, racism, hostility toward Islam, and an assortment of other “isms” of their choosing adhering to the most ideological form of extreme political correctness. Anyone who has the slightest sympathy toward mainstream American values is almost certain to face attack and abuse. In contrast, Islamic extremists, communists, and very any professed adversary of the American way can bloviate endlessly without being challenged.


How ironic is it then that this same university would invite Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian madman dictator as a distinguished guest going as far as to instruct students how to behave appropriately for his appearance.

To think that Columbia is one of the nation’s most elite Universities like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton which have also created similar hostile environments of radical tyranny.
These are closed societies so lost in the abstract and theoretical sojourning endlessly in a world of sickly exaggerated, excessively arrogant intellectualism; they’ve lost all grasp of the world of true enterprise, entrepreneurial wisdom, and personal responsibility.

It’s time for the little people they belittle and seek to control through an ever expanding world of the politically correct nanny state to rise up and knock them down to size. For all their wealth, lineage, and academic prowess, the simple wisdom of heartland common sense eludes them that they would have the audacity to taunt a person permanently disabled on the firing line to defend the liberties they abuse so shamelessly. They are not to be revered but ridiculed and perhaps pitied that for all their prestige represents they are blind to the common goodness and immense sacrifice of the American soldier. For that and the influence they wield, we condemn them.

When serious post-secondary education reform is seriously considered, the Ivy League's hegemony over academia must be destroyed.

Reference Article: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/hero_unwelcome_Zi3u1fwtRpo87vXAiAQfSN#ixzz1Eff1txnq



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Monday, February 21, 2011

Sprint Cup 2011: Race 1 -- The Daytona 500, One Strange Ride


First, pass the barbeque sauce, salt and pepper, a certain blog writer needs to eat his words who sized up the 2011 Daytona 500, thusly:

Sizing up the field and trying to project favorites to win the race couldn’t be more daunting when even the best performers so far might respond differently with a further choked down engines, but so far the Childress cars and Kurt Busch in the Shell/Pennzoil Dodge easily mistaken for Kevin Harvick’s car since he drove those colors last year are the most impressive. We can also infer that Fords and Toyotas are not likely to win. The Hendricks gang can never be ruled out.

First, Fords finished 1, 2, 3 followed by a Toyota. Paul Menard, the newcomer to the Childress team was their only driver in the top 10 finishing 9th though Regan Smith in 7th was racing with Childress equipment. Kurt Busch, who’d been the king of Daytona so far in Sprint Cup activities leading up to the race did finish 5th and was right in the action going for the win at the end. Brother Kyle Busch was also in the top 10 finishing 8th. As for not ruling out Hendrick cars, three out of four were destroyed with Mark Martin sneaking in 10th.

Were it not for such an improbable and ironic conclusion, the 2011 Daytona 500 could have race fans left confused and frustrated. In a race that saw a record number of both cautions and lead changes for the historic February event, adjusting car performance to cope with the much needed new pavement for the long and demanding tri-oval, wreck after wreck saw many top competitors knocked off the track including “the big one” coming early after only 29 laps affecting 14 cars removing defending champ, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon from competition. They’d patch up their cars and run for points.

Charlotte Observer writer, Jim Utter, remarked that this year’s Daytona 500 was a little like Bristol. Who’d think to compare two of the most radically different tracks, but look at what happened. The pattern of racing saw the field bunching up two by two much like all of the wild animal kingdom gathering up to set sail on Noah’s arc, but unlike Biblical lore, they were not pairing up for safety and survival, they were more like lemmings leaping into a mighty blender. Pairs of cars were literally bumper to bumper zooming at over 190 mph. The visuals alone could be quite discomforting as multiple two sets could be racing three and even four wide. One cannot say the track had a defined groove. Cars had to swap leads within their partnerships so as the rear car would not overheat, a problem to begin with, but accelerated by NASCAR limiting the cooling ability of the cars specifically to force drivers to slow down and not build momentum which had taken cars over 200 mph, the danger threshold, in practice.

How can fans not be excited by the results? Seeing the historic #21 once again taking the checkered flag for the “legendary” Wood Brothers gaining their fifth Daytona 500 win as an organization with winners like Tiny Lund, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, and A.J. Foyt, put young Trevor Bayne in the company of some of the greatest names in motorsports. Alas in more recent times, the Wood Brothers have fallen on hard times fighting just to stay alive was glory enough bur, the driver, Trevor Bayne, who had just turned twenty years old was racing in only his second Sprint Cup race having not achieved a victory in either the Nationwide or Camping World Truck series. Bayne was not even running for Sprint Cup points or rookie of the year as the Wood Brothers had only planned on a part time schedule of sixteen not even half of the year’s races.

In post race interviews, Bayne showed tremendous poise, intelligence, and a quick wit signaling that a bright career could be ahead.

Reality shows that first time winners who win the Daytona 500 as their first race can fade into obscurity just as likely as they’d ascend toward NASCAR’s elite, but never has success struck so rapidly. Michael Waltrip entered in XXXX races before his ill-fated Daytona 500 win in 2001.

Of restrictor plate aces and big competitors, it was a very tough day Tony Stewart did okay but faded at the end finishing 13th. Clint Bowyer, the second best Childress effort came in 17th followed by last year’s winner Jaime McMurray. No other major competitors finished on the lead lap and it just gets uglier. Denny Hamlin came in 21st , one lap down; former 500 winner, Ryan Newman, finished 22nd, two laps down; Dale Earnhardt Jr. who looked competitive all day long wrecked late finishing six laps down in 24th place. The champ, Jimmie Johnson, caught in “the big one” finished 27th, 19 laps down following by teammate, Jeff Gordon in 28th where laps out no longer matter. Matt Kenseth, a recent 500 winner reached 34th followed by teammate, Greg Biffle in 35th, then Childress driver, Jeff Burton. While it would not be surprising to see Joe Nemechek in 39th, he didn’t park his ride, he wrecked but still finished above two time winner, Michael Waltrip in 40th. Even before the big one, a fellow many thought might win, Kevin Harvick, landed in 42nd, next to last, after just 22 laps with a blown engine.

POS / CAR# / DRIVER / MFG / LAPS
1 - 21 , Trevor Bayne , Ford ( 208 )
2 - 99 , Carl Edwards , Ford ( 208 )
3 - 34 , David Gilliland , Ford ( 208 )
4 - 47 , Bobby Labonte , Toyota ( 208 )
5 - 22 , Kurt Busch , Dodge ( 208 )
6 - 42 , Juan Montoya , Chevrolet ( 208 )
7 - 78 , Regan Smith , Chevrolet ( 208 )
8 - 18 , Kyle Busch , Toyota ( 208 )
9 - 27 , Paul Menard , Chevrolet ( 208 )
10 - 5 , Mark Martin , Chevrolet ( 208 )
11 - 43 , A.J. Allmendinger , Ford ( 208 )
12 - 9 , Bill Elliott , Chevrolet ( 208 )
13 - 14 , Tony Stewart , Chevrolet ( 208 )
14 - 6 , David Ragan , Ford ( 208 )
15 - 32 , Terry Labonte , Ford ( 208 )
16 - 7 , Robby Gordon , Dodge ( 208 )
17 - 33 , Clint Bowyer , Chevrolet ( 208 )
18 - 1 , Jamie McMurray , Chevrolet ( 208 )
19 - 56 , Martin Truex Jr. , Toyota ( 208 )
20 - 77 , Steve Wallace , Toyota ( 208 )
21 - 11 , Denny Hamlin , Toyota ( 207 )
22 - 39 , Ryan Newman , Chevrolet ( 206 )
23 - 20 , Joey Logano , Toyota ( 206 )
24 - 88 , Dale Earnhardt Jr. , Chevrolet ( 202 )
25 - 4 , Kasey Kahne , Toyota ( 199 )
26 - 36 , Dave Blaney , Chevrolet ( 198 )
27 - 48 , Jimmie Johnson , Chevrolet ( 189 )
28 - 24 , Jeff Gordon , Chevrolet ( 173 )
29 - 2 , Brad Keselowski , Dodge ( 166 )
30 - 0 , David Reutimann , Toyota ( 164 )
31 - 83 , Brian Vickers , Toyota ( 160 )
32 - 38 , Travis Kvapil , Ford ( 153 )
33 - 71 , Andy Lally * , Chevrolet ( 149 )
34 - 17 , Matt Kenseth , Ford ( 133 )
35 - 16 , Greg Biffle , Ford ( 126 )
36 - 31 , Jeff Burton , Chevrolet ( 92 )
37 - 9 , Marcos Ambrose , Ford ( 82 )
38 - 37 , Robert Richardson Jr. , Ford ( 45 )
39 - 87 , Joe Nemechek , Toyota ( 29 )
40 - 115 , Michael Waltrip , Toyota ( 28 )
41 - 192 , Brian Keselowski * , Dodge ( 28 )
42 - 29 , Kevin Harvick , Chevrolet ( 22 )
43 - 46 , J.J. Yeley , Chevrolet ( 10 )

*Rookie candidate



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On the Behalf of Working People in Wisconsin to Their Teachers, "Time's Up!"

Time's Up -- Report Directly to Detention Hall for a Good Old Fashioned Ass-Whoopin'

“We’re not neglecting our teachers; we’re giving them a real life lesson.”

How far do unionized teachers think they can push the public at a time when public education is attacked from all sectors even the film industry with the release of “Waiting for Superman?”

The real life issue is that public school teachers are violating the law selfishly defending so-called rights they have abused and benefits that go far beyond what most employees could dream of receiving. The real story is teachers are engaged in fraud obtaining bogus doctor’s notes excusing their absence for fake illnesses. Reality shows that almost everybody in Wisconsin has had to make some concessions to help stabilize the state’s economy while private employees are seeing no growth in salary or benefits during a weak economy. Unemployment is high and part of the reason seeking concessions is to prevent layoffs.

How can these unprofessional, selfish teachers possibly show up for school, be on time, and be honest when they’re playing hooky to whine about how unfair their lavish compensation is? Plenty of Wisconsin residents would love to have just some of what teachers have to whine about. These greedy teachers will take the notion of “Do as I say, not as I do” to even a more absurd degree when they return to work, something they do not deserve to enjoy, when those who have engaged in dishonest behavior contrary to their employment agreement should be fired.

It’s time the public treat public schools with the same kind of harsh zero tolerance which they show for children as false packaging for strict discipline. Wisconsin teachers are now on the “time out” bench and the dunce caps should be forthcoming.




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Sunday, February 20, 2011

George Soros Attack on Fox News has Merit

Das Beckmeister

Make no mistake about it, George Soros is a bastard. A multibillionaire, Soros invests his wealth in pursuit of his extremist left wing agenda clearly aimed at thwarting the free enterprise system, American political, military, and economic dominance, propping up numerous left-wing causes including the Tides Foundation, Center for American Progress, MoveOn.org, NPR, and Open Society Institute. To his credit, he helped thwart eastern European Soviet hegemony supporting Hungarian liberation, but his dastardly deeds include investing fortunes unsuccessfully to defeat George W. Bush in 2004, supporting drug legalization, and manipulation causing the devaluation of the British Pound. While from an American political standpoint, Soros is a dangerous villain, but that he contributes to promote “open societies” in some of the world’s most oppressive countries, his work is worthy of praise.

That George Soros would have it out for Fox News, the news outlet which has consistently reported his exploits should come as no surprise. Media Matters, a site Soros finances is largely dedicated to discrediting the news network often taking material out of context to affect vicious smears. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that in a CNN interview, Soros would claim Fox News (is) like Nazis in the way it deceives people.

On the surface that would seem like a sweeping generalization full of sour grapes since his exploits are reported in exasperating detail on the Fox network, but Soros then zeroes his criticism in on the Glenn Beck program. In typical apocalyptic overstatement, Soros is routinely used as convenient scapegoat, the mastermind behind conspiracies world wide and operating a shadow government for which Soros functions as the puppet master. While Beck does reveal some truthful activities of Soros and his operatives, the extent to which he uses bits and pieces to stir up fear and paranoia, Beck went so far as to assert that Soros was deeply involved with the Nazis leading up to World War II including “helping to round up Jews.” Given that Soros was born on August 12, 1930, he would not have even been 15 years old on V-E day, so just how much of a Nazi could have Soros been? Yes, at 13 years of age, he worked for the Jewish Council in Hungary that helped facilitate rounding up Jews, but how much can this biographic detail be used to legitimately vilify Soros?

To compare Beck’s techniques to Hitler’s is not really a stretch. He plays on peoples’ fears and sense that boogie men like Soros and Van Jones, not front line figures, but shadowy figures from behind the scenes doing much of the harm. His presentation ranging from frantic uncontrollable tantrums, to vicious mean spirited sarcasm, to blatant demagogic appeals appealing to his audiences’ vanities, fears, and prejudices creating fears of such things as impending food shortages are all techniques right out of Hitler’s techniques. Calling his faithful into action to do such things as hording food, buying gold (his sponsor) while creating a sense of desperation are also long standing techniques of notorious demagogues -- first fill them full of distorted information. Second, appeal to their fears and insecurities. Third, implore them to pursue a specific course of action, all lay the ground for mobilizing the faithful to act like mindless zombies. Of course, to various degrees, Soros agencies like MoveOn.org with their many letter writing, petition, and boycott drives do the same.

This creates a difficult conundrum for Fox News. Commentary based programs hosted by Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Neil Cavuto are also harshly critical of Soros, but their opinions are much more reflective of true editorial commentary that while certainly biased reflecting each commentator’s values with O’Reilly and Cavuto being more analytical and Hannity being more the partisan in opposition. Any of these hosts might engage in debate with Soros supporters allowing for a responsible exchange of ideas.

During hard news programs, George Soros is nowhere to be found since his conduct seldom is part of the day’s headlines since his activities tend to generate news not actually be news.

The bottom line is Fox cannot absolve itself from Glenn Beck by claiming he’s just a commentator. That they provide him a forum where he does not subject himself to debate or no counter points are made to his insane assertions, Beck’s boogie man paranoia demagoguery reaches the public unfiltered, unchallenged, and somewhat legitimized as being the product of a news entity as huge as Fox and its parent company, Rupert Murdoch’s Newscorp.

The implications are clear. If Fox is to be a major force in world journalism, they must maintain extremely high standards of performance and ethics. While they are certainly welcome to pursue a conservative point-of-view in contrast to the highly liberal slant of many news organizations like the New York Times, to engage a paranoid, emotionally challenged, raving demagogue like Glenn Beck gives adversaries like George Soros firm footing to stand on in discrediting the network. Certainly, open-minded viewers who try to make sense of Glenn Beck’s insanity are easily prepared to agree with Soros if they can be put in a position of equating Fox News with Glenn Beck.

Fox News has brought this mess upon themselves. The longer Glenn Beck remains with their network, thankfully he has been disposed of from New York and Philadelphia radio, the more FNC will be increasingly associated with Beck’s lunacy which seems to be getting more radical and over-the-top as Beck feels more entrenched and unchecked at the network.

We call upon Fox News and ask for others to support us in our plead to the network, to promptly dismiss Glenn Beck and end the reign of insanity his show represents. For whatever short term ratings gains the ranting madman affords them, responsible advertisers are heading for the hills. The entire organization suffers from how the cancer of one bad apple infects the entire enterprise. To see that gold vendors and telemarketing promotion for the complete colorized and black and white works of Shirley Temple shows the Bizarro world is an unhealthy place to be. Responsible news reporting is no "Good Ship Lollypop."



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AMEN


Governor warns of as many as 12,000 could lose jobs!!!!

Don't tell these union goons, they couldn't have seen this coming. Many of them won't have to complain about what they think is a raw deal from the state. They won't have jobs to complain about at all, and it SERVES THEM RIGHT!!!

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/20/12g-state-workers-fired-budget-deal-wisconsin-governor-warns/

The teaching profession is revealing its true agenda by engaging in the unlawful behavior they have chosen to follow. Is it any wonder public schools are falling to pieces? Who'd want these people entrusted with their children's future?




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Modern American Heroes


A bright future in Wisconsin and New Jersey from two strong governors: Scott Walker and Chris Christie; Isn't this what we've wanted for a long time?


Right Minded Fellow salutes two great governors whose commitment, leadership, and values show that business as usual in American government does not have to be. We praise Scott Walker from Wisconsin and Chris Christie from New Jersey for taking on the teachers' unions and bravely working toward resolving their states' financial difficulties. They recognize that the best approach to a state's long term health is creating a fiscal environment conducive for business to operate profitably in their states. That they are solidly behind educational reform refusing to give their states' teachers union free reign of their bully pulpit deserves tremendous praise for the courage and resolve doing so represents.

American tax payers and voters must demand the same of their governors recognizing that state houses across the country are awash in union contributions which thwart reforms for the good of the public at large.


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Wiscosin Teachers Have Forfeited Their Professional Integrity

LYING, FAILING TO HONOR COMMITMENTS, ACTING LIKE SOMEONE ELSE OWES THEM SOMETHING, IS THIS WHAT WE WANT TEACHING AMERICA'S STUDENTS??

Wisconsin is the Tip of the Iceberg on a National Public School System that is OUT OF CONTROL

How can parents justify sending their children to be taught by GREEDY teachers who are so craven in their disrespect for their jobs, their students, their community, and their state by gathering FAKE doctors' notes to justify their absences.

Any sense that they have the right to engage in civil disobedience that breaks the law IS NOT exercising their first amendment freedom, it is an insurrection that must be treated as such. How can people who willingly violate the law whose compensation, particularly benefits are far better than those in their communities receive continue to expect the public will buy their doom and gloom scenarios like forty plus students in the classroom when the actions being taken by the Wisconsin governor are designed specifically to make maintaining the current staffing levels as high as possible without layoffs. If the teachers do not accept some concessions, the budget situation WILL force layoffs.

Teachers are obtaining FRAUDULENT doctor's notes to justify their absences. Doing such alone should result in dismissal.

One of the great revelations in recent labor disputes is that the notion of the underpaid teacher is largely a myth. Teachers are paid quite well. Consider whatever their annual salary is does not take into account that they are TEN MONTH employees and that they receive exceptional benefits which have not required contributions or co payments -- thus the generous benefits reward twice over.

Every effort to reform education is fought vigorously by teachers who increasingly act like they're doing the world a favor just showing up for work. Years of declining educational performance brought on No Child Left Behind, a reform they fought aggressively. It is little wonder that teachers oppose charter schools, home schooling, on-line eduction, for profit tutoring, and vouchers for private schools because they are not union members.

Any attempt to adjust teacher compensation so that it emphasizes pay for performance where exceptional teachers are rewarded for their contributions are likewise fought.

The tests don't lie. American students are losing ground compared to the academic performance of other children in the industrialized world. The future of our culture is at stake and every effort to improve education is met with resistance from teachers and their radical unions.

Thus the situation is as such, public schools are declining. The cost of staffing schools is skyrocketing. Increases in educational funding is not producing results. Teachers acted above any effort to make their profession more accountable and to change to meet current reality. They act as if their authority is absolute and tenure makes it very difficult to weed out ineffective teachers. Nowhere in our society is the entitlement mentality more out of control than among public school teachers who are responsible for teaching students the rule of law, personal responsibility, and serving as solid roll models.

The Wisconsin experience suggests the state should FIRE every teacher who continues to engage in the unlawful insurrection. Why not privatize the system where schools contract with private firms which supply properly trained professional teachers and by contract are expected to obtain specific results. No results - no contract.

It's time to think out of the box. We cannot continue to pay taxes to the lawless.  The teachers demand sacrifice while offering no concessions themselves. The teachers' conduct has shown them to be social leaches entitled to nothing more than due process dealt out firmly to the fullest extent of the law.

The time to tolerate this garbage has come to an end. It is the teachers who are forcing the issue. It's time for Wisconsin to respond accordingly.




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Saturday, February 19, 2011

MSNBC -- Left Wing Advocacy Journalism in Wisconsin

Who'd be surprised that MSNBC's coverage would be biased in favor of the criminal behavior on display in Wisconsin? 

It probably wouldn't be surprising that MSNBC is also patting itself on the back for the great job they're doing reporting the story as Lawrence O'Donnell giving his colleague Ed Schultz "attaboy's" for "taking this story national."

Schultz goes on to call the governor's actions as an "attack on the middle class" of Wisconsin and pledging to show the "radical" influences including "tea-partiers" with one blast after another against Governor Scott Walker. You will not see more dishonest, politically biased, pure rabble rousing disguised as reporting in this clip from Ed Schultz on the Rachel Maddow show.



Naturally, in supporting the radical insurrection afoot in the Cheese State, they're also reporting absolute lies fed to them by the union such as there is no budget crisis in Wisconsin and that they are fighting pay cuts of 20%.

It would be no surprise for Fox News, perhaps on "Fox News Watch" or News Busters to report MSNBC's failings, but this information comes from David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun who blasts MSNBC's disasterous coverage of this dreadful event.

REFERENCE STORY: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/zontv/2011/02/madison_wisconsin_ed_schultz_m.html

Our praise to David Zurawik for his responsible expose of this horrible journalistic fraud. MSNBC continues to marginalize themselves by making no pretense of objectivity and has no regard for the facts if they don't conform to their activist agenda.


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Friday, February 18, 2011

Sprint Cup 2011: Race 1, Daytona 500 -- Same place, new track

Hello race fans!

Right Minded Fellow is proud to kick off its third season of Daytona through Homestead commentary and analysis of NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing. Attempting to say thoughtful and incisive previewing the 2011 Daytona 500 is a most daunting task as “speed week” has provided no standout favorites and many complex issues with no obvious conclusions. We will do our best to preview the situation and indicate what those questions are. One way or another, they will be answered on Sunday. We hope to see a competitive safe race with the faint hope that perhaps 2011 will provide a Daytona race with no “big one.”

The 2011 NASCAR season begins with one of the most puzzling set of circumstances in years certainly perhaps even more so than the introduction of the “car of tomorrow. “ With the repaving of the Daytona International Speedway, the entire race has essentially been remanufactured. The handling characteristics and speed of the cars, given that the auto technology of the last quarter century has produced cars capable of far exceeding 200 mph a speed at which cars can become airborne with the slightest tap, are functioning entirely differently than with the old surface. With a consistent smooth surface and tire rubber that works with fresh modern asphalt two cars working in drafting tandems can exceed 200 mph. Such was seen Saturday night in the Bud Shootout. First, NASCAR attempted to reduce speed by altering the cooling systems so engines would overheat quicker in the draft forcing drivers to ease up. Now a smaller restrictor plate will also be employed. These are both fixes initiated once cars have begun to practice. The smaller plates being added as a last minute fix with little time to practice.

Sizing up the field and trying to project favorites to win the race couldn’t be more daunting when even the best performers so far might respond differently with a further choked down engines, but so far the Childress cars and Kurt Busch in the Shell/Pennzoil Dodge easily mistaken for Kevin Harvick’s car since he drove those colors last year are the most impressive. We can also infer that Fords and Toyotas are not likely to win. The Hendricks gang can never be ruled out.

The best laid plans can go up in smoke in a moment at Daytona. We could see the Childress and Hendricks cars looking great going into the last quarter of the race, and then there’s the “big one” eliminating a large chunk of the field creating more a war of attrition.

What’s shaping up as clear, fans will see a new style of racing on Sunday as teams and technology try to tame a new racetrack while taming the challenges of high speed racing.

The field lines up as follows noting that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will move to the back of the field since he is driving a backup car since his primary car was destroyed in practice.

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet
2. Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
3. Kurt Busch, Dodge
4. Jeff Burton, Chevrolet
5. Regan Smith, Chevrolet
6. Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet
7. Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet
8. Michael Waltrip, Toyota
9. Matt Kenseth, Ford
10. Kyle Busch, Toyota
11. Kasey Kahne, Toyota
12. Brian Keselowski, Dodge
13. Juan Montoya, Chevrolet
14. Jaime McMurray, Chevrolet
15. A.J. Allmendinger, Ford

Note that Regan Smith racing for the Furniture Row team is running with Earnhardt/Childress power plants and a Childress chassis leaving only newcomer, Paul Menard, who starts 19th the only Childress entry not in the top 7. Michael Waltrip is racing a part-time schedule and had to race to make the field. Brian Keselowski, Brad’s little brother, is a private single car ride owned by his father, Bob, who ran in the ARCA series. Their equipment is from Penske.

Other noteworthy drivers start as follows: Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 17th; Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 18th; defending champion, Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 23rd, and Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 25th.

In addition to Earnhardt, David Reutimann and Joey Logano, both driving Toyotas will move to the back of the field for being in backup cars.

Five drivers, all driving Toyotas, none considered competitive rides and possible start and park entries did not make the race: Derrike Cope, Kevin Conway, Todd Bodine, Michael McDowell, and Casey Mears.

We feel compelled once again to voice our anger over what a horrible mess the official NASCAR website, NASCAR.com has become this year. It is very difficult to glance over and find timely information in an organized fashion. The overall appearance is busy and disorganized. Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network maintains the site and must be held accountable for what is a woefully shoddy product. In their ten year association with NASCAR, they have consistently delivered a substandard browsing experience for race fans only approaching marginally acceptable at their very best. Race fans deserve much better.






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It's Time for a Ronald Reagan Moment: Dealing with Wisconsin Lawless Labor

FIRE THE BASTARDS, NOW!!!

America is a country that lives by the rule of law. The law is established by the representatives of the people who elect them to serve the public good. Public employees are bounded by contract to report to work, discharge their duties, and accept the terms and conditions of their employment.

For most folks, the understanding is clear, “Do your job.” In Wisconsin, the Democratic Members of the Wisconsin State Senate have fled to Illinois to prevent a quorum allowing the legislature to do its job. The writing is on the wall – a measure that public employees, the base of the Democratic Party’s base, will pass if just ONE Democrat dos his job and shows up to take his seat he was elected to fulfill the responsibilities and duties thereof by the citizens of the state.

Wisconsin teachers are violating the law not showing up for work lying about their absence, claiming to be sick, so they can organize en masse to protest in the state Capitol of Madison.

At what point can the legislators’ seats be declared vacant and are there provisions to replace them? Under such circumstances it’s almost unimaginable no matter how much money the unions throw at the proceedings the Republicans would not gain a seat or two and gain a quorum.

The teachers are in clear violation of the terms and conditions of their employment. It’s time for a Ronald Reagan moment. FIRE THE BASTARDS!!! The public puts tremendous trust in their teachers part of which is to discharge their duties in a professional and ethical fashion and in so doing serve as appropriate roll models for their students. In Wisconsin, the teachers under direction of their union are violating their responsibilities even coercing students to participate in rallies in support of their insurrection. Using students as pawns in a politically motivated cause is unacceptable.

Adding to the numbers of protesters, it should be no surprise that the unions would mobilize their faithful busing in cadres of supporters from out of state to create a nosier ruckus. What we do not expect to happen is for the President of the United States to use his political apparatus to encourage ILLEGAL behavior and further to provide recruits to actively participate in the insurrection.

This is not Cairo, Egypt. What is happening to the public employees, the school teachers, is a reflection of the will of the people who elected new legislators to address the economic concerns of Wisconsin like many Midwestern states are severe with the loss of manufacturing jobs and a shrinking tax base.

For the Democratic Party specifically under the direction of the President, to actively thwart the legislative and legal process in Wisconsin is illegal, immoral, and unacceptable. No one should be surprised how Nancy Pelosi views the activities in Wisconsin.  This disgusting excuse for a political leader is clearly engaged in sedition. She describes the Wisconsin insurrection as; "an extraordinary show of democracy in action.”

“Wisconsin's workers, teachers and public servants must have a seat at the table to fight for a safe workplace, I stand in solidarity with the Wisconsin workers fighting for their rights, especially for all the students and young people leading the charge.”

Listen up you SICK BITCH -- there is NOTHING being imposed that in any way compromises the safety of teachers or their workplace whatsoever. That Pelosi would encourage students to serve as pawns in a cynical political display of pure greed and absolute entitlement is beneath contempt. While Pelosi might work for an electorate of San Francisco freaks, Wisconsin teachers work for the citizens of their community whose generosity has been stretched beyond all reasonable patience.

Elections have consequence. All the crybaby teachers and other state employees are being asked to do is accept a FRACTION of that which those of us in the private sector accept as standard terms of our employment. Just how likely are tenured teachers likely to lose their jobs? If they were to compare their total compensation including benefits with private sector employees, they’d have to be blind not to see their communities are taking damned good care of them. The message is loud and clear, they are being asked to contribute to their state’s well-being too while every cent they own is right out of the pocket of those they are acting confrontational towards now.

How bad is the Wisconsin insurrection? The new technique of the radical left which obviously means labor unions is to organize their goons to harass those they disagree with by surrounding their private residences holding people hostage in their own homes violating their right to security in their own homes. This kind of lawlessness should subject all those involved to nothing less than prison. Once again, those who are engaged in union organized events somehow think that implies a sense of immunity from consequences.

It’s time for the local school boards to demand an immediate return to work. Those who don’t comply will be found in violation of the terms of their employment and fired. It is most unfortunate that unions feel free to do whatever they want when their demands are not met. American history is full of episodes of theft, vandalism, assault, and other crimes against anyone who gets in the way of unions. It’s time for an all out assault on public employee unions and break their backs.

Any elected official who supports such insurrections will pay for this. We the people must demand such NOW!!!



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Thursday, February 17, 2011

WISCONSIN: No Time for Cheesy Nonsense


Obama's GOON SQUAD "Organizing for America" Sends Rabble Rousers and Resources to Stir Up Rancor and Civil Unrest at State Capital



Here's an open statement to the teachers, union jerks, students, public employees, and Democratic party legislators, cut out your bull crap and get back to work. No one with any  common sense feels sorry for your situation whatsoever. You're lucky your state receives relatively little national press for it does not escape our notice that Madison, Wisconsin and the state university campus is one of the great hotbeds of American radicalism that set the stage for the kind of excesses that you are being asked to give a little back so the whole state can move onward and you can keep your job.

Private sector workers contribute to their health care costs. You don't. You're being asked to contribute an amount about half that of private sector employees and you act like you're being screwed. You're being asked to contribute to your pension. You get a pension! Most private sector workers at best get a 401k. You're not getting the pay raise you expected. Well, from the private sector here's a big loud BOO-HOO-HOO.

Teachers calling in sick because they can't accept the hard fiscal reality of their state are behaving illegally and dishonestly -- a great example to set for your students who you've recruited to politic for you. Pathetic.

Democratic legislators take off for Illinois where they can't be rounded up and do their job attempting to thwart the will of the people who are sick of seeing state employees getting all kinds of perks and fortune, while many of them haven't seen a pay increase if they have a job at all. ARE YOU TOO BLEEPING STUPID TO SEE HOW PISSED OFF THE PUBLIC IS AT YOU?

Everyone knows what your answer is -- raise taxes, in other words when you're state employees, you are asking the people who pay your salaries to take a cut in their income so you can take an increase in yours. Well, one thing's for certain, folks won't be heading south of the border to Illinois which just upped their taxes 66% to support their crime-ridden corrupt political machine.

Sure, we know, you would jack up the tax more on the "rich" because you don't think people who EARNED that much money should be allowed to keep the money they earned. Here's a dirty little secret. You can accept the taxes they're paying now because if you raise them, who has the ability to move out to some place else that charges lower taxes more easily. Yep! That would be "rich" people. So what's better--raising a rich person's taxes and having them leave Wisconsin thus you get NO TAX REVENUE from them  whatsoever, or you can take what they're paying now.

While we're dumping on you, you do not have your job necessarily because you have EARNED it. You have it because you've been in your job longer. How about getting rid of some of you guys who've been on the job, don't do much in favor of young workers still full of enthusiasm ready to go.

Basic economics: for every dollar a public worker makes, a taxpayer is giving up one of his or her dollars. Private sector workers see they wages go up when they produce more and that makes the employer earn more money and can then hire more people who will pay taxes or their employees might be rewarded with higher wages which means paying more taxes. When the economy is growing there is more money to provide more for public employees. When the economy is hurting, the pool from which public employees is compensated shrinks. What is simpler the logic or the math?

Some how some people who fancy themselves as well educated just don't get it, do they?

The bottom line is your an American. You got a job. Stop complaining and get back to work. This is not a threat -- it's the cold hard truth. If you're going to demonstrate, show the public you are worthy of your job and when financial conditions improve, you will be rewarded. Demonstrate calling the governor Hitler and carrying on like idiots as you are now will only make the public feel good when someone sticks it to you -- which would serve you right.


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Dale Earnhardt: NASCAR's Worst Day


Things happen in our world that no man can possibly understand much less think he can even possibly control. Realty can be far more perilous and amazing than a creature’s ability who only uses ten percent of its brain could ever comprehend. The ironies and fate alone are far complicated with their truth and meaning only revealed through small glimpses, little snapshots, and gentle whispers. Still, the human race yearns for certainty and the meaning of it all to be shouted loud and clear.

How could a mere auto race, a scheduled sporting event, 43 men driving around in circles behind the wheels of fantastically powerful automobiles for 500 miles when one of those 43 men can be just a fraction of an inch in his car ahead of driver #2 and gain instant fame and notoriety while the mortal risks that such men put at stake are ominous beyond rationality?

As preparations crank into high gear for the 2011 running of the Daytona 500, the first event of a long, grueling stock car season, sports fans the world over look back to tens years ago when not only the greatest challenges of one sport but the ironies of life could be more evident.

While perhaps it was beyond perception at the time, ominous portents were beaming from the heavens and steaming up from the earth in February, 2011, and no place could that seem more evident than in the state of Florida where the events of “Speed Week” are an annual ritual where crowds in the tens of thousands flock to the Florida race track for the sport’s most prestigious event.

As the 2000 NASCAR season was winding down to celebrate the coronation of its champion, an uproar in Florida had the whole nation on edge. The United States had just endured its closest Presidential election where the decisive results would be determined by the vote in Florida where George W. Bush and Al Gore were just a few hundred votes apart. After conceding defeat then promptly invalidating his concession, Al Gore initiated a legal battle that would lead to recounts, numerous court decisions ultimately to be determined by the United States Supreme Court. The fate of the most powerful nation in the world was determined by just a few hundred votes from the Sunshine state. Those on the losing end were still furious just days after the inauguration of a new President.

The nation’s biggest sporting event, the Super Bowl, was also held in Florida just three weeks earlier. A team that never won the Super Bowl before beat a historic team representing the nation’s largest city as the Baltimore Ravens clobbered the New York Giants 34-7. The trophy was the second for the City of Baltimore who had lost their beloved Colts to Indianapolis but received the team which had been the Cleveland Browns, one of the few teams never to compete in the big game. NFL fans in Cleveland had no patience for the irony behind Baltimore winning its second Lombardi Trophy, and for those, the Ravens victory seemed as tainted as angry democrats perceived the election of George W. Bush to be, but ultimately what matters are results and who won.

Against this background the 2001 Daytona 500 created high expectations surrounded by more hype and publicity than ever before. The sport of NASCAR was attempting to elevate its status to rival the mighty NFL. The broadcast would mark the beginning of NASCAR moving almost its entire schedule from cable to network TV. The Fox network’s promotional efforts began during the football season. They were ready to use its full broadcasting resources to kick NASCAR to the next level. The race marked the return of Dodge to the sport for the first time since the early 1980’s.

From when the cars rolled off their haulers, the buzz focused on a familiar name, Dale Earnhardt. The 2000 season showed the seven time champion back in top competitive form while his son Dale Jr. had won rookie of the year honors with his father as owner. The senior Earnhardt was ready to run for his eighth championship and second Daytona 500 in a car owned by his longtime friend, Richard Childress. Meanwhile, he fielded a competitive team of his own. Joining his team of his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Park, veteran driver who had yet to win a points earning race, Michael Waltrip joined Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. Fox television looking for an angle to attract fans had their cameras trained tight on the series most accomplished champion competing at that time. The Earnhardt/Childress camp was confident as Earnhardt created dreams of an Earnhardt 1-2-3 finish that he, of course would have the best chance at being number one.

The senior champ was pumped full of enthusiasm. His old foe and close friend, Darrell Waltrip was in the TV booth as a commentator for the race joined by Larry McReynolds who was crew chief for the Intimidator’s victory in 1998. Waltrip’s wife, Stevie, greeted him before the race giving him a note of encouragement with a message from Proverbs 18:10 written on it which the champ taped to his dash.

Terry Bradshaw waived the green flag as the starting field accelerated up to speed. Bill Elliot led from the pole but would only lead one lap enroot to a 5th place finish. In the early stages of the race, the high degree of drama was fed by an edgy calm with Ward Burton making Dodge’s decision to return to NASCAR look brilliant leading the most laps. The longer the race continues like tension building a lot a fault line – no one really questioned if but when the big one would occur and fate certain came true on lap 173 as cars were checking down to be ready for the final push. Robby Gordon and Ward Burton made contact and suddenly cars were spinning and crashing in full demolition mode. Tony Stewart’s car sailed aloft while Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, and Rusty Wallace were knocked out of the race as Tony Stewart’s car found its final resting place across team mate, Bobby Labonte’s car. Observing the mayhem, Dale Earnhardt screamed in his radio, “They’d better do something out here or somebody’s going to get killed.”

The red flag lifted and green flew, the race was on in the scurry for the jackpot. Before the race, Dale Earnhardt boasted that he and his guys, Dale Jr. and Mikey (Michael Waltrip) would be leading the train. Piece by piece in the final segment, that’s just what happened with Michael Waltrip getting the best of it with Dale Jr. his partner from behind. Dale was leading the rest of the pack with Sterling Marlin and others attempting to find the right circumstances to manipulate the draft and blast ahead. The competition was intense as cars were flirting with disaster bunched up as restrictor plate races usually are. As the white flag dropped, Michael Waltrip held the lead with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in second. Meanwhile, Dale Earnhardt was pushing and pulling using every last ounce of sweat he had to hold off the remaining field as he pushed his guys to victory probably thinking if he saw any shot to blow past them, he would. Dale Earnhardt had a pack of cars right behind him including Sterling Marlin flirting with the drivers’ side of the #3 car and Kenny Schrader to Earnhardt’s right. As the cars entered turn three, they ran out of wiggle room, and perhaps something smaller than a wiggle set tragedy in motion as Earnhardt lost control of his car heading as a missile straight into the wall as Schrader plowed into his car broadside. Earnhardt’s and Schrader’s cars came to rest on the infield just below turn four. As hell broke out in turn four Michael Waltrip crossed the finish line with Dale Earnhardt Jr. crossing second. For a fleeting moment, Michael Waltrip, who never won a point’s race before, achieved his sport’s greatest victory. As he slipped away from all mortal bonds and the angels carried his soul aloft, did Dale Earnhardt know the great victory he created with his driving, his ownership, his guidance, his friendship, and his fatherhood?

Few watching the sport had any idea how serious the wreck was. Darrell Waltrip was yelling in joy as his kid brother took the checkered flag but when he looked toward the scene of the wreck tears welled up in his eyes as he said softly, “I hope Dale’s okay.”

The 15 car moved on to victory lane and the celebration began. Dale Jr. ran off to the wreckage where a frantic Ken Schrader had just been shown freaking out as the safety crews approached. Something ominous was going on but who would have known.

Soon, Waltrip’s joy turned curious. Where was his teammate? Even more so, where was his owner/friend?

Dale Earnhardt’s body was loaded into an ambulance which headed slowly to the Halifax Medical Center in Daytona. Could the viewers infer that something was clearly wrong? The celebration continued in pit road as dark clouds of doom set in over the celebratory spirit. Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds, and Darrell Waltrip had to promptly exit their broadcast since the red flag after the “big one” forced the race overtime. They could only say so much. Things happened so fast and the news hadn’t been made official Nobody knew.

Richard Childress, the Earnhardt family, and NASCAR officials rushed to the hospital into a joyless chamber of broken dreams. Mike Helton, NASCAR President, gathered the press. “We lost Dale Earnhardt.”

The sport’s greatest driver gave his life in the sports’ greatest event where Dale Earnhardt had experienced some of his greatest successes winning everything imaginable many times over while it would take twenty years after coming so close so many times to win the big one just three years prior to the saddest day.

NASCAR soldiered on. The next Sunday, the traveling carnival would go to the next town on its schedule, Rockingham, North Carolina. The Childress team rushed Busch Series driver up to the senior circuit to fill the legendary seat. The #3 car was repainted in opposite colors from the mighty “Intimidator” scheme. Number 29 replaced the famous three. How horrible could fate be than watching Dale Earnhardt Junior crash hard and be removed from the race? His failure in his first race alone without his dad seemed unspeakably cruel. Yet, as so often would prove in this drama, ironies abound. Steve Park, driver of the #1 Dale Earnhardt Incorporated team won the race.

Two weeks later in Atlanta, the irony of redemption rang out as Dale Earnhardt’s crew and the driver assigned to awesome task to fill his spot on the Childress team held off Jeff Gordon’s challenge won the Atlanta race, a huge triumph in the healing process. For Richard Childress and his team as well as Dale Earnhardt’s team, the best therapy was on the race track.

The NASCAR caravan returned to Daytona on July 7, 2001. In the sports first return to the site of the tragedy, fans and drivers alike would have to come to terms again with what happened in February. How would young Earnhardt Jr. handle facing the location of where he lost his father? One might think the weight of the world rested on the shoulders of the rising star. What better could he do other than winning the race itself which he did valiantly and ironically, team mate Michael Waltrip finished second, a reverse of their ill-fated victory from February.

Tragedy and irony would befall the sport again in September. One September 11, 2001 four airliners were hijacked by Islamic terrorists. Two planes stuck the World Trade Center in New York causing both towers to tumble to the ground, another airliner crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. A fourth jet crashed to the ground in Pennsylvania as heroic passengers fought their captures refusing to be murdered creating a greater murder possibly at the United States Capitol. Close to 3000 Americans were senselessly murdered by pure evil. All US air traffic was grounded as a mighty nation attempted to figure out its direction in the wake of the tragedy. The NASCAR race scheduled for Loudon, New Hampshire was postponed to the end of the year. The next race on the schedule, September 23, 2001 would be the Cal Ripken Jr. 400 in Dover, Delaware, just a short distance from Baltimore and Harford County where Ripken grew up. A famous Junior who wore number eight waved the green flag for another Junior in car number eight. Both Junior’s had fathers from simple origins who were tough-minded souls, all knuckles and know-how. The race bore Ripken’s name in honor of his approaching retirement at the end of the season. Wouldn’t it be so poetically just that Dale Earnhardt Junior should win that race?

The season finished a week late in chilly New Hampshire. Somehow, a cold finish far from home would seem ironically just for a season that chilled the hearts of all its followers on the date, November 23rd, the day after Thanksgiving, ironically known as “black Friday.” Jeff Gordon who was fighting hard to succeed as NASCAR’s top driver from his inspiration and sometimes mentor, Dale Earnhardt won the championship, his fourth making Gordon only the third man to win four championships, the first since Dale Earnhardt. But the younger Gordon found all paths to equaling the great Earnhardt and Petty mark of seven stopped cold. The following season, Gordon would introduce a new driver to the Cup series, a young man from California, who’d race in a car owned by Gordon himself and Rick Hendrick, Jimmie Johnson. Johnson would soon race to the top of the NASCAR world now holding an amazing five championships and counting all won consecutively. Gordon, Johnson, Earnhardt Jr., and an old sidekick of Earnhardt Sr.’s, Mark Martin are now all Hendrick teammates.

Ten years have passed since Dale Earnhardt’s shocking death in 2001. As the NASCAR season prepares to begin anew in Daytona, there is no angle of the sport today that does not bear Dale Earnhardt’s influence. The commitment to safety quickly became an obsession with NASCAR hoping to never lose another driver. One can’t forget that NASCAR’s #1 family, the Petty Klan, had lost their fourth generation driver, Adam, at Loudon, NH just the year before Earnhardt’s death. The use of the HANS device designed to prevent rapid head movement and snapping a driver’s neck was promptly implemented. SAFER barriers were erected giving energy saving wall technology to soften direct impact with the outer barriers. The Sprint Cup race car was completely redesigned with safety in mind. All angles are taken into account so as to never lose another driver in action.

Surely at least one driver’s life has been saved with the new technologies coming into play but being serious because not all of them were used. Last year’s first race at Pocono had a horrible crash with Elliot Sadler at the wheel of the #19 RPM Ford hitting a solid dirt wall head on. The external danger was inexcusable but the car and its safety equipment allowed Sadler to escape unharmed. One thing’s for certain, when the Sprint Cup Tour races at Pocono this spring, that area of the track will be properly reengineered.

Recent years since Dale Earnhardt’s death have not been kind to his sport. The state of the economy, higher gas and transportation costs, and a troubled US auto industry have forced cutbacks through out the sport, teams closing shop, and other teams merging. Attendance and TV ratings are way down while the sport is witnessing history in the making as Jimmy Johnson’s awesome reign of success continues forward.

For the Earnhardt name, things have not been good either. With the angry departure of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Eury Jr. from DEI and then seeing DEI merge with Chip Ganassi’s operation, it’s clearly Ganassi who’s in charge there and the Earnhardt name is just an after thought.

Dale Earnhardt Junior looked like a future champion earlier in the decade but from his final season with the family business and the move to Hendrick which should have liberated him to reach new heights. Instead, his career has been stuck in reverse. Still, Junior remains NASCAR’s most popular driver often getting more attention than the current five time champion.

Of course part of what made the Dale Earnhardt era so exciting was not just the driver himself, his bold moves, his aggressive style of driving, and of course the wins, it was the great rivalries he created with his fellow competitors which stirred up even more passion taking on Bill Elliott, Darrell Waltrip, Geoff Bodine, Rusty Wallace, and Jeff Gordon.

As close as the racing is today, it’s incredible that there aren’t such obvious rivalries anymore. Wouldn’t anyone who challenges Jimmie Johnson create a great story? Tony Stewart, for one, is a driver who certainly has the ability to create the kind of intensity the Intimidator once provided.

Dale Earnhardt’s legacy far exceeded his accomplishments on the track. His story growing up in a racing family struggling to make ends meet, the untimely death of his father, and his rise up through the sport without the support of a huge organization at first created a level of interest and empathy not afforded to today’s drivers from much more well-off backgrounds. That despite creating a powerful racing empire, Earnhardt and his owner, Richard Childress, never abandoned their humble roots and quietly helped out fellow racers and their community purposely avoiding the spotlight, but the stories of kindness could not be kept quiet. When not on the race track, Dale would be more likely shoveling shit on his farm than shooting it with the celebrity set.

The decade that has past since NASCAR’s darkest day, the loss of a true modern hero, gives pause for reflection not only celebrating one of the two true titans of NASCAR but also how the sport has carried on since that fateful day. Starting 2011, NASCAR is safer and more competitive. The sport even has an active driver who might win more than the magic seven that distinguish Earnhardt and Richard Petty alone atop the field of the entire sport. Despite all that has happened in the last ten years, NASCAR remains in a process of redefinition. For two decades, if someone asked what is NASCAR all about, all one would have to do is point to the #3 Chevrolet. Today, that answer is not as clear.

Here’s to Dale Earnhardt – he made his sport and all who understood him better for the experience. Is absence is still as hurtful as it was a short ten years ago.




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