Ohio State snatched defeat from the jaws of victory with blown coverage with 16 seconds to go. Also, they left at least 5 points on the board with a missed field goal and a missed 2 point conversion. Finally, Texas’ first touchdown drive was referee aided.

Now that the airing of grievances is over, congratulations to the Longhorns, that was a hell of display in passing put on by McCoy and Cosby. As for the Buckeyes, Big 10 co-champions, a win over Michigan, and a very hard fought loss in a BCS bowl – I’m proud of you guys for playing your hearts out and leaving it all on the field. Would I rather the team won? You bet. But these guys played a solid 4 quarters of ball and that’s all any fan can ask of their team.

GO BUCKS!

Win the Fiesta Bowl against the University of Texas. No one expects you will win; all the more reason to stand-up, fight, leave nothing in the tank, and beat those ‘Horns!

While the battle on paper seems to be done and fully in favor of Texas, in my heart, I still believe you can pull out the win over a very talented and well coached opponent. Win one for Woody’s memory, GO BUCKS!

This stands by itself with no explanation necessary. Ever since I heard “there’s a bathroom on the right” instead of “there’s a bad moon on the rise” I’ve been susceptible to this sort of humor…

And a less funny alternative…

Before reading this entry, invest 15 minutes to watch the two videos embedded at the bottom of this post, they are parts 1 & 2 of a Canadian Broadcasting Company story on Benny Hinn and Grace Brulot, seen at age 8 during a crusade in Calgary and later at age 11.

Assuming you’ve now made the time to watch the videos, it’s clear that Hinn is a charlatan fleecing the people left and right by taking their money. Often people who can afford it the least. It’s also clear that the label “non-profit” shouldn’t come within 1,000 miles of this character and his organization (a prime example of why we should revoke tax-exempt status from large churches and other “non-profit” enterprises.)

But to me, while annoying and criminal, the real tragedy of this story revolves around Grace. First, she’s been victimized, not only by Hinn, but more damaging, by her own Mother. She has been taught that she’s like she is because of some “grand plan” laid out by some deity and if she’s only good, and pious, and faithful enough, the deity will either “heal” her in this life or provide for her in the next life. If a child wants to have faith in unicorns, fairies, pixies, or elves, so be it. But for a parent to indoctrinate their child with this is beyond criminal and beyond evil.

In the second part of the story, we see that Grace is starting to figure it out in spite of her Mother, the religious community around her, and her indoctrination. Good for you Grace! She is embracing this life and working to discover her limits and bound past them due to her own will, intelligence, and dare I say, grace. Due to the continued presence of this fairy tale religion, she gets no credit for her own will to survive and thrive, it’s laid at the altar of the deity – it’s god’s will. Well, I think it’s pretty clear it’s Grace’s will and to take that away from her is worse than taking the hundreds of millions of dollars swindled by Hinn. And that her Mother and the rest of the community are taking it from her is about the deepest betrayal to be found in our world.

So, while Job #1 is to stop (or at least tax) Benny Hinn and his ilk. Job #2 has to be stopping parents from this form of child abuse. Religion should be the choice of each individual. Children raised in religious households have no chance to make that choice – it’s there from birth. And to make a different choice as a child or an adult, is seemingly impossible. It’s time to start rescuing these children from these situations and changing our laws to protect them from the very people they should be able to trust, their parents.

This whole situation makes me physically ill. I have to wonder why it doesn’t affect more people in this way.

CBC on Benny Hinn – Part 1



CBC on Benny Hinn – Part 2

President Bush hasn’t been good for much over the past 8 years, but he has always been good for a (mis)quote that makes you think you’re watching Adam Sandler as Billy Madison in the role of our fearless leader. At some point, you have to stop and think, how did this moron get elected, twice. It really says something about his competition now doesn’t it?

In any case, the HuffPo put up a list of Bush-isms yesterday, and it’s a doosie. Reminds me of the fact that from about October, 2001 to present, I can’t stand to listen to Bush speak. Reading it is bad enough, but listening to it is impossible. So I’m grateful to be able to read, and not hear, these Bush-isms. Below are some of the best ones with my editorial comments; go read the article for the rest of them.

Via the Huffington Post:

_ “I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully.” _ September 2000, explaining his energy policies at an event in Michigan.

Editor: This explains the energy policy over the past 8 years. Investment in making sure fish and humans can co-exist peacefully. We wouldn’t want the fish-pocalypse….

_ “Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?” _ January 2000, during a campaign event in South Carolina.

Ed: How about our adults?

_ “They misunderestimated the compassion of our country. I think they misunderestimated the will and determination of the commander in chief, too.” _ Sept. 26, 2001, in Langley, Va. Bush was referring to the terrorists who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks.

Ed: When he said this the first time I laughed. When he said misunderestimate the second time I thought “maybe it is a word?” When he said it the third time I said “it must be a word, no one would let the president use a manufactured word three times in a televised speech.” I was wrong, they would and they did. It’s not a word.

_ “There’s no doubt in my mind, not one doubt in my mind, that we will fail.” _ Oct. 4, 2001, in Washington. Bush was remarking on a back-to-work plan after the terrorist attacks.

Ed: Speaking the truth inadvertently – perhaps Freudian?

_ “It would be a mistake for the United States Senate to allow any kind of human cloning to come out of that chamber.” _ April 10, 2002, at the White House, as Bush urged Senate passage of a broad ban on cloning.

Ed: I agree. And, it would be a mistake to let any cloning come out of the oval office…

_ “There’s an old saying in Tennessee _ I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee _ that says, fool me once, shame on _ shame on you. Fool me _ you can’t get fooled again.” _ Sept. 17, 2002, in Nashville, Tenn.

Ed: The Who want their royalty now.

_ “Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.” _ Aug. 5, 2004, at the signing ceremony for a defense spending bill.

Ed: Again with the Freudian slip, George, you’re giving up your true agenda. This would be like Senator Palpatine saying “Sith” instead of “Jedi” while addressing the Senate.

_ “Too many good docs are getting out of business. Too many OB/GYNs aren’t able to practice their love with women all across this country.” _ Sept. 6, 2004, at a rally in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

Ed: Anyone think George had an alternate profession in mind?

_ “These are big achievements for this country, and the people of Bulgaria ought to be proud of the achievements that they have achieved.” _ June 11, 2007, in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Ed: Guess George is really Montgomery Burns, you know, providing the “First Annual Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence.”

_ “Thank you, Your Holiness. Awesome speech.” April 16, 2008, at a ceremony welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to the White House.

Ed: I said Happy Gilmore, maybe I meant an odd-cross-cloning between Bill & Ted and Beavis and Butthead….

_ “I remember meeting a mother of a child who was abducted by the North Koreans right here in the Oval Office.” _ June 26, 2008, during a Rose Garden news briefing.

Ed: Guess they’re going to have to dial-up the security posture in the White House, first we’ve got children wandering through and secondly, bands of North Koreans are apparently abducting children there at will. So much for border control and Homeland Security!

_ “This thaw – took a while to thaw, it’s going to take a while to unthaw.” Oct. 20, 2008, in Alexandria, La., as he discussed the economy and frozen credit markets.

Ed: Does he know the difference between freeze and thaw? He must. If not, why not open the windows and give him a blast of cold air to “freeze” him and then let him thaw slowly over an open fire?

Well, I hope that was as entertaining for you as it was for me…we’ve only got 15 more days to get our shots in before the idiot wanders back to his village in Texas.