Thomas Sowell, Master Distiller

If there's anyone better than Mr. Sowell at distilling complex issues down to incisive points in a sentence or two, all the while intellectually destroying the half-wits on the other side, I don't know who it is. I am at once respectful and envious, hoping my writing skills mature to a place anywhere near his one day. As Exhibit A, I offer this column and some key excerpts, do read it all though.

"This past week has told us more than we wanted to know about ourselves and about our enemies.

There was far more controversy over remarks made by the Pope than over the violence unleashed by Muslims against people who had nothing to do with what the Pope said.

That our enemies do not understand the significance of free speech in a free society, where things that offend us can be denounced without indiscriminate violence, is bad enough. But that we ourselves seem headed further down the slippery slope of self-censorship is chilling.

Tolerance has been one of the virtues of western civilization. But virtues can be carried to extremes that turn them into vices. Toleration of intolerance is a particularly dangerous vice to which western nations are succumbing, both within their own countries and internationally.

Double standards are being wrapped in the mantle of morality. The drive to extend Geneva Cnvention protection to terrorists who are not covered under the Geneva Convention is one of a number of dangerous self-indulgences by people who seem to think that being morally one-up is the ultimate and survival is secondary.

Senator Lindsey Graham's comment that we are going to win in our struggle with terrorists "because we are better" was all too typical of this mindset. It would be hard to know which would be worse -- if he said it as just some offhand political rhetoric or whether he is really fatuous enough to believe it and irresponsible enough to gamble American lives rather than extract murderous secrets from captured cutthroats.

There is already evidence from Guantanamo that the prisoners there are abusing the guards far worse than any guards have abused these prisoners. Yet our media have no interest in that and have been willing to believe every allegation by these professional terrorists, including the physical absurdity of trying to flush the Koran -- or any other book -- down a toilet.

Unfortunately, these are not just isolated lapses in judgment. It is largely the same people who have for years been more protective of criminals than of their victims who are now more protective of captured terrorists than of those who are their targets.
When such attitudes became ascendant in our courts during the 1960s, the declining trend in crime rates suddenly reversed and skyrocketed, as liberal judges created new "rights" for criminals out of thin air and called it constitutional law.

But this goes far beyond judges and far beyond our own times. The political left has been weak on protecting society from criminals for more than two centuries. No one should be surprised that this same attitude has led to great preoccupation with trying to get captured terrorists treated more nicely. ...

Those in the United States and in other western nations who are urging dialogue with Iran are repeating the tragic mistakes of the 1930s that led to World War II. People say talk is cheap but it can be enormously costly when it becomes just a way to forestall action while an enemy nation builds up its military threat.

Since Iran is not letting the idle chatter at the U.N. delay their rush to get nuclear weapons, they are more dangerous than the Nazis were -- while we remain as gullible as those in the west who blundered into World War II and almost lost it."

No Seriously, I Really AM Made of Money

I swear, the utter incompetency of the vast majority of government bureaucratic employees (not like me, because I actually, you know, work) increases proportionately with the size of the bureaucracy (the federal government is less competent than the state government and the state government is less competent than the locals). I hate this, and I am so mad right now I can barely see straight. I recently got a promotion from a position funded by the city to a state position, and although direct deposit is mandatory with my new position, the first paycheck has to be mailed or otherwise gotten to me.

Since I moved from the address the State had on file for me, I asked in writing that that first check be sent to the office to make sure I actually got it. The entire time, the little voice in my head kept telling me there's no way in HELL that would actually work and my check arrive on time, and the little voice was right. The State was notified of this change in position back in AUGUST and the request to have the check sent here was made the first week of September, so these hacks have only had 45 days or so to get this right.

I guess it's too much to ask that the flunkies do the job their worthless hides get paid for...and obviously, I am made of money, so any delay in my paycheck I'll just have to deal with, no matter if checks and auto-debits for my bills start bouncing like a basketball. I won't be reimbursed for any of that, my credit gets jacked up for late payments, and no one cares...but if I were to tell the State to perform anatomically impossible acts upon themselves and to cover their own blasted courts until I get my pay for time I have already worked, I'd be fired and disbarred, while the slapnuts in charge of making sure I get paid couldn't get off their a$$es long enough to do what they are paid to allegedly do still get to keep their jobs. Gotta love it.

This story forwarded by a colleague of mine just about says it all about how I feel (minus the boiling fury and brokeness until this mess is fixed of course)...enjoy!

THE GOVERNMENT CAT

Four men were bragging about how smart their cats were.

The first man was an Engineer,

The second man was an Acountant,

the third man was a Chemist, and

the fourth man was a Government Employee.

To show off, the Engineer called his cat,

"T-square, do your stuff."

T-square pranced over to the desk, took out some

paper and pen and promptly drew a circle, a square,

and a triangle. Everyone agreed that was pretty smart.

But the Accountant said his cat could do better.

He called his cat and said,

"Spreadsheet, do your stuff."

Spreadsheet went out to the kitchen and returned

with a dozen cookies. He divided them into 4 equal piles

of 3 cookies.............Everyone agreed that was good.

But the Chemist said his cat could do better. He called his

cat and said, "Measure, do your stuff."

Measure got up, walked to the fridge, took out a quart of

milk, got a 10 ounce glass from the cupboard and poured

exactly 8 ounces without spilling a drop into the glass.

Everyone agreed that was pretty good. Then the three men turned to the Government Employee


and said, "What can your cat do?"

The Government Employee called his cat and said:

"CoffeeBreak, do your stuff."

CoffeeBreak jumped to his feet.....ate the cookies, drank the milk, pooped on the paper, screwed the other three cats, claimed he injured his back while doing so, filed a grievance report for unsafe working conditions, put in for Workers Compensation..............and went home on sick leave for the rest of the day. :)

9/30 Weekend Football Picks

Another somewhat off week for NCAA games, and is it just me, or are there more consistently fun, exciting, and/or meaningful NFL games early in the season than any other year in recent memory...? Anyway, on with the picks for big games and those I care about...enjoy!

NCAA

Middle TN St. University vs. North Texas- The Blue Raiders could never pull this one off during the Andy McCollum era, which means they were never able to win the Sun Belt despite good enough talent, which helped lead to his eventual firing. I don't know much about the new coach (Stockstill), but I do know he is recruiting a little better, and until the Oklahoma slaughter, they were holding up better against superior competition. Although North Texas still has a great rushing attack, MTSU is due, and with a slightly improved defense and fewer turnovers, added to playing someone closer to their competitive talent level, I think MTSU pulls out a close win for which they are due, Blue Raiders in an upset on the road, 19-17.

Tennessee vs. Memphis- This is a classic trap game into which UT has stepped before, going to Memphis as a 26 point favorite in '96 with Peyton Manning at the helm and losing. That won't happen this year. Memphis doesn't have DeAngelo Williams and has looked horrible on offense all season despite still having some potential playmakers on offense. UT's superior speed and strength on both sides of the ball will overpower Memphis, but it may stay close until the half. Vols win this one going away, 34-10.

Florida vs. Alabama- The Tide looked awful last week losing to an Arkansas team they should have beaten easily and would have last year. The Tide had a great season last year and are now rebuilding whether they like it or not. The D will still play hard and hit you in the mouth, but the Tide's pass game only comes in spurts if at all, allowing the opposing defense to load 8-9 in the box and stuff the run. Florida's D-line is very, very good, the offense has more speed and talent, including senior QB Chris Leak (who I hate to say looks great this year), and they remember the embarrassing 31-3 loss to Alabama last year. At The Swamp, this will get uglier for the Tide than it has in a while (sorry Leigh!), take the Gators here big, 41-13.

Ohio St. vs. Iowa- The last time OSU was embarrassed was by Iowa at Iowa, which is where the game is this year. Iowa QB Drew Tate is a solid senior leader, the run game is above average, and the defense looks more stout than normal. That said, Buckeye QB Troy Smith is one of the best in the nation, has more weapons on offense to work with, and the OSU defense appears to have reloaded rather than having ro rebuild after losing 9 starters. I expect a defensive slugfest here, closer than Vegas has it, but OSU pulls it out late, 17-16.

NFL

Titans vs. Cowboys- I actually am picking the Titans to win here, not sure exactly why, but here goes...the Titans are due for a break, surely they have some pride after getting embarrassed and starting 0-3, the T.O. mess is a huge distraction, and calcified Drew Bledsoe is the opposing QB. I think this game will be ugly, Vince Young will play a few series this week, and the Titans take a close win in an awful game,13-9.

Panthers vs. Saints- Classic letdown game for the Saints after an emotional win in their Superdome return last week...and this just in, the Saints are better than advertised. They may not win the division or be a Super Bowl contender, but they could easily be 6-2 at the halfway mark with their schedule. The Panthers, however, have Steve Smith back, are playing at home, and this could be a playoff elimination game for them in Week 4 (if they lose, they drop to 1-3, 3 full games behind the Saints). Another close game, much better played that the Titans/Cowboys pillow fight though, Panthers climb back to .500 at home, Carolina 23, Saints 20.

Patriots vs. Bengals- This may well be the passing old guard Pats playing against the incoming new guard Bengals. Assuming Cincy players can stay off the police blotter, they look like legit Super Bowl contenders with a franchise QB, great RB play, very good WR depth and production, and an opportunistic defense that never misses a turnover chance. The Pats are a mess, but they still have Tom Brady...even so, Brady is throwing to stiffs and rookies right now, which means the running game is getting stuffed, which means they don't produce and the defense, in turn gets tired and wears out late. All that to say, Cincy at home, take the Bengals, 30-20.

Bears vs. Seahawks- This is an NFC Championship preview game right here, far and away the classes of the conference. If Seattle gets even adequate running game production while Alexander is out, they go 12-4 with a first round bye, and if Chicago's running game ever wakes up and Grossman keeps maturing, they could go 13-3 or 14-2 with a No. 1 seed. Picking the Seahawks in an upset is tempting, and I wouldn't be surprised if they win, but I am not betting against the suffocating Bears D at Soldier Field...Chicago finds a way to get past the Seahawks in a defensive struggle, 23-17.

I Secede

From the New Sisyphus blog, here is an aptly titled post, "I Secede". There's some good stuff in there, and while I don't agree with all of it, some things are very much spot on. Being a member of the younger generation, I am very fond of some of the technological advances, more enlightened (read: stay the fudge out of my business) attitudes re: certain personal decisions, etc. But the loss of other things, such as internal drive and motivation, personal responsibility, common courtesy, manners, chivalry, and so on, and seeing those things replaced with egocentrism, greed at all costs, race and identity-based politics, and a European *spit* sense of entitlement makes me queasy re: the future of our nation and civilization. Key excerpts below...read below, you decide.

"If 9/11 had really changed us, there'd be a 150-story building on the site of the World Trade Center today. It would have a classical memorial in the plaza with allegorical figures representing Sorrow and Resolve, and a fountain watched over by stern stone eagles. Instead there's a pit, and arguments over the usual muted dolorous abstraction approved by the National Association of Grief Counselors. The Empire State Building took 18 months to build. During the Depression. We could do that again, but we don't. And we don't seem interested in asking why. (1st paragraph quote via James Lileks)

There is the key, hiding, like our enemies, in plain sight. There it is, in all its glory and horror. We could do what needs to be done, but we do not. We used to be able to do what needs to be done, but today we cannot. We used to be able to roll up our sleeves and get to work, today we must not.

My nation lives there, almost suffocated, on the other side of this historical wall. People I love know nothing of it and think I'm mad for pledging it my loyalty. It can no longer be seen, but I can glimpse its corpse in the faded stars and eagles of the old Federal Courthouse in Portland. It's empty, standing embarrassed, near its new steel and glass counter-part. The best of my nation gives itself while its replacement nation hardly notices.

My nation would have accomplished in a month what the Bush "Administration" has in six years. My nation provided the capital on which we all live, built the streets in which we all walk, provided the infrastructure we are all now busily tearing down in joyful, adolescent, unthinking destructiveness. ...

Our leaders do not lead. Our lawmakers do not debate. Our journalists do not tell the truth. Our artists are wed to an avant-garde that was getting obsolete in 1961. I no longer feel the need to pretend. I will not give these people the time of day. ... (Emphasis Mine --Ed.)

My nation recedes when it should be striding confidently forward. Its replacement is wounded, perhaps mortally so, by self-inflicted wounds. The ironic cynicism. The adoration of sexuality above all else. The revolutionary power of the unhinged market. The lobotomization of historical knowledge. The mockery of honest labor. The importation of a laboring race. The easy grace of lifestyle.

I live in my nation, and yet do not. I find it harder to find every day. I used to tell myself that when my nation awoke shrugged off the sluggishness of slumber the world would gape. But what I took for a sleeping giant was a hollowed-out husk. Of a government, and a people, who have no pride.

You might say that I am dispirited, but you would be only partly correct. I will no longer have anything to do with the replacement nation. Its deathsong is so wrapped in its founding sinews it will not last nor give comfort. But it gives plasma screens, hot wet teens and all the civil liberties you can eat. And how happy a people we are. (Emphasis Mine --Ed.)

There have always been wolves among the sheep. At any time they could separate one from the herd and do what comes natural to wolves. But the sheep organized and fought back. They even had their own wolf-hounds, as vicious as the wolves in their own way but to entirely different effect. But never have I seen such an adoration for the criminal as among the people of the replacement nation now. The thug's tatoos now adorn the arms of our young women, the pop charts populated by real and imagined gangsters, the fashion set to mimic those who kill, who brutalize, who cheapen. The chardonnay sippers never miss The Sopranos...same sh*t, re-packaged for taste.

I do not feel what these people feel. I do not see what they see. I do not share their hopes. I despise their dreams.

I dissent.

I object.

I secede."

NCAA Does Right by Ray Ray

From Gene Wojciechowski of espn.com, we get a heart warming story of the NCAA, normally a faceless, bureaucratic (and sometimes duplicitous and hypocritical) entity whose alleged mission is to take care of student athletes, getting one right. Ray Ray McElrathbey, a defensive back at Clemson, had taken on the responsibility of raising his 11 year old brother after his mother relapsed on crack cocaine (again), and with his absent father battling a gambling addicition of his own. For a while, the player's coaches and other university staff were fearful of taking the little brother to school or letting him do his homework in one of their offices for fear of the NCAA imposing sanctions on Clemson for providing "extra benefits" to one of its players.

Thankfully, someone in authority at the NCAA realized the absurdity of this situation, and Ray Ray and Clemson were granted a special waiver by the NCAA to make it OK for the school and the staff to help Ray Ray out with his brother in ways which might seem ordinary to anyone else, but which will ultimately make all the difference in allowing Ray Ray to successfully balance completion of his studies, the demands of football, and the sacrifices of caring for his brother.

I know firsthand how hard it must be on this young man to be a father figure to his brother at age 19, because this situation reminds me so much of my own father, is his early 20s facing a bitter divorce with two small children and an unfit (at the time) mother. Dad could have told the judge to dock his paycheck for child support and made my brother and I wards of the state, and God knows where we might have ended up and what might have become of us. But he didn't do that, he stood up and took responsibility for us and raised us the best he could, at great personal cost and sacrifice to himself and his dreams. It didn't go unnoticed and unappreciated by me, and I sincerely hope my Dad knows how much I appreciate it, and him.

Kudos to Ray Ray for stepping up to the plate as a man and taking care of his brother...he could have easily shuffled his brother off on the system in favor of a life of partying at college, and no one would have blamed him a bit...and big thumbs up to the NCAA for living up to its mission and helping out this young man and his brother, who have certainly had enough hard times for one lifetime already.

Enemy Identification Issues

Some Soldier's Mom lays it down chapter and verse in as solid and comprehensive a post as I have read in some time about the problems average, decent Americans have in identifying the enemy we face in the current war for and (and on) civilization. This war isn't as "neat" as wars past, our enemies not as "honorable" as wars past, and in some ways, the immediate stakes may not seem quite as high. Unfortunately, we face a death-obsessed enemy, one who views honor as a concept of the weak and enslaved, one who sees the entire earth as a battlefield (including civilians), and one who will "win" by any means necessary. If you don't identify the enemy and the problem, there is no hope of winning the war...I just hope it doesn't take millions of Americans enslaved or vaporized before civilization figures it out...read it all, it's that good.

"I believe that much of the disconnect of a large segment of the American populace with the War on Terror is for three principle reasons.
First, ...They haven't accepted yet that the battlefield is Planet Earth. Any time. Any place.

Secondly, with a "mere" 137,000 troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan -- compared to 16 MILLION deployed in WWII (457,000 in Vietnam) -- 99% of the American people are unaffected by the battles that occur across oceans, continents and time zones and, therefore, disconnected from those who fight and the real face of the war on terror. ... they go to Starbucks, and work and the gym and baseball games and soccer practice every day and never give it a second thought… that there really are people out there that want them and their children dead just because they are Americans. Frankly, just because you are not "them". ...

Finally -- and I think the most significant of the three -- Americans cannot IDENTIFY their enemy. ...

Then, starting in the 1970's, a war broke out and the world hardly noticed. Americans certainly didn't. The enemy -- the attackers in all cases -- wore no uniforms. They answered to no government.

They did not come from any one country… but represented membership in a violent and bastardized form of Islam. They believe that all non-Muslims need to be killed, converted to Islam or forced into slavery and they don't care how long it takes them to accomplish this goal. And they don't care how they achieve it… don't care who or how many they kill or how they die.

They fight under no rules -- not rules of war and not by rules of civilized societies. They are not bound by morals except their own monsterized version of their own -- skewed and twisted and contorted to fit the murder they promote. They are not signatories to any of the treaties and conventions and think of them as "infidel" words. Their tactics are to terrorize and kill. The aim is death -- theirs, yours, ours. Death is both their aim and their reward.

They do not have negotiable goals. They do not want property, goods or money. They want to deprive you of your freedoms which encompass and embrace ideas and ideals that run contrary to their oppressive theocratic doctrine. They use death… preferably civilian deaths, which instill the greatest horror -- the greatest terror -- in the general populace. Their aim is to terrorize -- to deprive citizens of their freedoms. And horrific death of innocents -- children, women, men -- without warning is the greatest degree of terror possible. And they are not afraid to die themselves… they believe that death glorifies their God and grants them entry to Paradise. Life is meaningless to them.

They say that they do this for justice… they say they have political grievances… they say that their religion demands this of them. They lie. Those are excuses to murder innocents… not reasons. They need reason to die and these excuses are expedient.

Until Americans modify how they view war -- how they view this war… and accept that there is a whole new set of "rules" and a whole new enemy, they will never "get it". And sometimes I don't care if they ever understand; I just want them to not get in the way of the rest of us who do.

Errors Should Not Be Consequence-Free

Via Daily Pundit, we get a great summary of one of the biggest problems with the soooooofter, niiiiiiicer version of the U.S. this side of political correctness, namely that of the abdication of the duty to enforce consequences upon those whose failures cost American lives. Letting bygones be bygones is only appropriate AFTER we figured out what went wrong (and fixed it) and who screwed up (and fixed that too). I am glad someone has recognized this squishy nonsense for the failure and danger that it is and has spoken up about it.

Every time we get a bipartisan, blue ribbon commission to investigate anything, the only thing you can be SURE that will be investigated is how to put out some ambiguous bunch of gobbledy-gook that muddles the water and defelects blame from anyone of consequence, in either party. For instance, former Clinton National Security Advisor Sandy "Pants Burglar" Berger, pled guilty so stealing secrets and unlawfully removing classified documents re: national security and all he had was his security clearance suspended (and if Hillary is President, he will get his old job back, yikes)...George Tenet had no idea what was going on as CIA director under Bush or Clinton, is the sitting CIA director leading up to 9-11, and this flunky gets a Medal of Freedom awarded to him by Pres. Bush...the 9-11 Commission actually had several avowed Clinton hacks on there, two of whom had actual, direct roles in creating the conditions that allowed 9-11 to happen, so big shock that this "comprehensive report" didn't suggest any, you know, actual changes or accountability. Read the whole thing, but if some government hack's failure leads to an American city flattened and radioactive for several generations, it won't be time for finger pointing, it will be tar, feathers, and gallows time...just saying 'sall.

"I said we are not in a position that is even as good as sub-optimal. All of the forgetting of the past, the eschewing of spilt milk, the rejection of recrimination, has led us to a place where we have Muslims rioting around the world at anything even remotely perceived as a slight; at Pakistan making a separate peace with the Taliban running Waziristan; at the specter of an Iran armed with nuclear weapons, standing astride both the Straits of Hormuz and Iraq's oil fields, at Hizb'Allah in effective control of Lebanon on behalf of its Syrian and Iranian masters, of an Israel in strategic tatters, of a Saudi Arabia funneling hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of willing, even suicidal, bodies into a myriad of Islamist terror organizations, of a "Palestine" openly governed by avowed terrorists, a Europe succumbing to the twin maladies of demographic pressure and malignant political correctness, an American president who has retreated from his own stated positions of bellicosity focused on Islamist terror, an impending Vietnam-style collapse in Iraq, and a crushing political defeat for those who advocate effective war on the regimes that support the Islamic terror surrogates of every shape and style.

Spin it how you will, this is not a good place to be. Yet here we are. Do you think, then, that it might be permissible to inquire who screwed up, and how did they screw up in order to bring us to this place?

Here's my first suggestion as to one thing we could do right now: Put the finger on every mistake we have made, including naming the names and placing the blame on those who made the mistakes, and even, if at all possible, imposing some sort of punishment on those who screwed up so badly.

In this world, you get what you pay for. And if there is no price on error - in other words, if error is free, then, amazingly enough, you're going to have far more error than you ever believed possible...especially if you refuse to even examine what those errors might have been, and penalize those who committed them."

Pay Environmental Jizya, or We'll Sue!

Gotta love this one...a pathetic political hack filing a pathetic political lawsuit less than 60 days from election date b/c he wants to go from being state attorney general (where he can file all the frivolous lawsuits his heart desires) to state treasurer (so he can grub as much of the poeple's money his insatiable appetite desires). This really chaps me...it's one thing if a bunch of loons want to worship the mother earth goddess Gaia or some such claptrap; this is America and they are free to their idiocy. Their right to said idiocy, however, ends when they try to strongarm their beliefs (supported at best by unreliable computer modeal and at worst by nothing at all) onto the rest of us through lawsuits and other confiscatory taxation. As you might note in the article, the only other lawsuit of the kind filed by the California AG against the automakers was filed in Connecticut, and was dismissed for attempting to address "political questions"...this is judge-speak for, "Hey, nut job, if you can convince a majority of legislators of what you believe great, but I ain't legislating it from the bench, so get bent." Stupid politician, and yes, I know this is an oxymoron...read it all if you can stand and cut through the enviro-tripe to see this for the attempted extortion this lawsuit really is.

"Lockyer is suing on the theory that greenhouse gases are a "public nuisance" under both California and federal law, an argument similar to one being pursued in a case before the 2nd U.S. District Court of Appeals in New York. Connecticut and seven other states, including California, have sued five power companies to get them to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

The Connecticut lawsuit was dismissed by a district judge who said it attempted to address political questions. In a brief filed in support of the utility companies, the automakers' alliance argued that such a suit "opens the door to lawsuits targeting any activity that uses fossil fuel for energy."

For a more appropriate response (spine required unfortunately, meaning it will never happen), here's Emperor Misha:

"These frivolous lawsuits will directly impact consumers, dramatically increasing the cost of motor vehicles, goods and services dependent upon highway transportation and other hidden costs. Consumers should decide whether they agree with paying their hard earned dollars to worship the false god of environmentalism and vote at the ballot box."

Reality TV and Marriage Have NEVER Successfully Mixed

ESPN commentator Scoop Jackson, a cutting edge writer with whom I agree about half the time, writes a great article detailing the landmines inherent in any couple, especially a celebrity couple, participating in reality TV shows. BET is slated to air a series about the Christies, the husband of the pair being now former NBA player Doug Christie, and his certifiably insane wife Jackie. The man is whipped to a degree I have never seen and the woman is possessive on a level I can't even fathom. For example, Doug was required to give a little signal to his wife in the stands after EVERY basket he scored (a lot over a 13 year career), no females were EVER allowed to talk to or interview him, and this woman even came out of the stands and got involved in a brawl during a Kings/Lakers game! But for now, the couple laughs it off, says everything is fine and that they are happy...but as Scoop points out, if this couple goes the way of most other celeb-reality TV couples, it could get intersting and ugly in a huge hurry. Frankly, I'm giddy, I can't wait, this is a train wreck of BIBLICAL proportions in waiting, and God help me I am looking forward to it.

"On Oct. 5, "Committed: The Christies" will air on BET J. It's the reality show that's been in preproduction for the past 14 years. With enough rumors, incidents and scandals to make "Nip/Tuck" seem like an episode of "The Buzz On Maggie" and make "The Wire" seem like it was originally programmed for PBS. The Christies' show could become must-see TV. The second-best show on television after "Flavor Of Love."

But it will come at a cost...and that cost will be their marriage.

See, if you glance at the track record of marriages featured on reality shows, it don't look too golden for Doug and Jackie.

Nick and Jessica ("Newlyweds")? Done. Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro ("'Til Death Do Us Part")? Apart for life. Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler ("Meet The Barkers")? Through forever. Bobby and Whitney ("Being Bobby Brown")? Finally, finally over.

All victims of post-traumatic reality-show stress disorder -- a.k.a. divorce."

9/23-24 Weekend Football Picks

This is somewhat of an off weekend for big NCAA games, but there are several biggies on the NFL slate, so I'll be picking more NFL games than normal this go-round...enjoy!

NCAA Football

Notre Dame vs. Michigan St.- The Irish looked terrible last weekend, and my pick of them to thrash Michigan looks foolish. The Notre Dame D couldn't stop anyone, and the Spartans have a better offense than Michigan. The Notre Dame offense gets back on track this week, but it won't be enough...take the Spartans 38-24.

Kentucky vs. Florida- The Wildcat offense seems to be coming together a little better, and as usual, they will keep it close for a while, but the Gators have too much speed and talent on both sides of the ball; so, despite the natural letdown from their big victory over UT last week, the Gators take this one 41-21.

Tennessee vs. Marshall- Marshall isn't as good as it has been in the past, and Tennessee will be looking to rebound after pi$$ing away the Florida game last week. Ainge and Meachem will have a huge day, and Marshall will have no answers in Neyland Stadium, Vols win 31-10.

NFL

Denver at New England- I am very tempted to take the Broncos at home, but Jake Plummer has looked terrible so far this year. When in doubt, take the superior QB, and in this case, it's Tom Brady. The Broncos D is good enough to keep this close, but I think the Pats win a slugfest, 20-14.

Carolina vs. Tampa Bay- Same analysis here as with the last game, Jake Delhomme is better than Chris Simms, who is the 3rd worst QB in the league this year behind Daunte Culpepper and Aaron Brooks. Both teams have great defense, but Carolina gets Steve Smith back this week, and that will make the difference, Panthers win here 16-9.

Bengals vs. Steelers- The Bengals look very good, and I am picking them to win this game, but the Steelers could win just as easily due to all the injuries the Bengals have. Give the slight QB edge to Carson Palmer and the Bengals have a better running game, this could be the game that signals Cincy has arrived as an elite team, and I think they win 24-20.

Obliterating the Cult of Victimhood

Blogger, Marine, and now medical doctor Doc Russia takes a mighty swing of the Cluebat in the post below and knocks it out of the park re: victimhood and misplaced admiration and priorities. There are some serious money quotes in here, but read it all...I don't agree with every word or suggestion, but we do have to resolve to and match the ruthlessness of our vicious and bloodthirsty enemies, or we will lose, and then we will die, and not necessarily in that order.

"War is killing people and breaking things. I know this must come as a shock, but if you look at what they did to us on 9/11, you see that it is exactly what they did to us. They came, they took down a few buildings, and killed a few thousand Americans. That is war. That is an act of war. We are at war. God, I can't believe that I really need to spell this out! Why? Because although we are at war, we are apparently doing everything but killing people and breaking things which is exactly what winning a war is all about. He who killls more people and breaks more things generally wins a war, but we are not doing that. No, instead we are talking about what kind of memorials to erect "to commemorate the courage and the sacrifice of those who died." Hey, aside from Flight 93 (which certainly should be a lesson to us all), and except for maybe Rick Rescorla, most of those people were just victims.

...And we just love our victims.

We worship them. We enshrine them. We give them spots on talk shows, and lucrative book deals. It makes me absolutely sick that we have turned into this. We need to stop fawning over victimhood. We need to stop gushing praises over people like Jessica Lynch and Shoshanna Johnson and start cheering for guys like Chesty Puller and Audie Murphy. We need to stop making victims heroes. We need to make the stone cold, bloodthirsty killers who will remorselessly murder every sonofabitch terrorist they come across with smiles on their faces into heroes. We need to celebrate the conquering heroes, and not the sappy, after-school special kid with an alcoholic mom because he started a recycling program. Overcoming some minor obstacle to rise to mediocrity does not make you a hero...hell, it doesn't even make you special. (Emphasis Mine --Ed.) Screw the hand-wringing, panty-twisting girlish squeemishness over it. We need to celebrate our killers.

We should celebrate them because it is also celebrating the greatness of western civilization. ... We need someone to stand guard at the gates of civilization to keep the barbarians and chaos out. Throughout most of human history, the cruelest and most violent peope generally dominate, terrorize and wreak havoc upon the gentler, kinder, nobler of mankind. The hospitable are taken hostage to the aggressive and destructive. This is true of every terrorist and tyrant you see; the strong use their strength for power, which becomes absolute, and then, as the saying goes; absolute power tends to corrupt these animals absolutely.

But not here, because there is a difference between men and animals. Animals are animals and that is all there is to their story. Animals are born as animals, they live as animals, and they die as animals. Men are animals too, but the difference is that while animals are fated, man can dream to be, aspire to be, strive to be, and ultimately absolutely be more than a mere animal. Here, in the West, a man of violent and ill-tempered nature may become a hero, and while he is elevated by civilization to the status of hero, he, in return, serves civilization...not a slave, not an animal, but a man doing a man's work. The strong and violent protect the noble and just. It is a great strength of our culture that the most destructive of impulses can be forged in the fires of discipline and honor into finest steel of our age. (Emphasis Mine --Ed.)

Instead, we make memorials, and celebrate victims, and wonder why we didn't kill the bad guys when we had them in our sights. We do these things while our enemies plot our slaughter, and our dead haunt us in mute injury that we have not avenged them, or even earnestly defended ourselves."

Some Long Overdue Truth From Pres. Bush...Now Let Him Back it Up

Since the immediate aftermath of 9/11, impressed is not a word I have used much to describe President Bush. Although I believe him to be better than either of the alternative candidates he faced for election, I also believe that he has made some pretty serious mistakes, although not some of the ones the MSM would have you believe. And while no one will ever confuse this man for Kennedy or Reagan, his stirring speech at the U.N. was as impressive as he has ever been, and it serves to delineate the differences between the U.S. and our allies, and the corrupt, thieving den of dictators and terrorists the U.N. has devolved into. Although he pays far more deference to and we as a nation pay far too much financial support to this ineffectual world body, most of whose members hate our guts and our way of life, the whole thing is worth reading.

"Some have argued that the democratic changes we're seeing in the Middle East are destabilizing the region. This argument rests on a false assumption, that the Middle East was stable to begin with. The reality is that the stability we thought we saw in the Middle East was a mirage. For decades, millions of men and women in the region have been trapped in oppression and hopelessness. These conditions left a generation disillusioned, and made this region a breeding ground for extremism.

Imagine what it's like to be a young person living in a country that is not moving toward reform. You're 21 years old, and while your peers in other parts of the world are casting their ballots for the first time, you are powerless to change the course of your government. While your peers in other parts of the world have received educations that prepare them for the opportunities of a global economy, you have been fed propaganda and conspiracy theories that blame others for your country's shortcomings. And everywhere you turn, you hear extremists who tell you that you can escape your misery and regain your dignity through violence and terror and martyrdom. For many across the broader Middle East, this is the dismal choice presented every day.

Every civilized nation, including those in the Muslim world, must support those in the region who are offering a more hopeful alternative. We know that when people have a voice in their future, they are less likely to blow themselves up in suicide attacks. We know that when leaders are accountable to their people, they are more likely to seek national greatness in the achievements of their citizens, rather than in terror and conquest. So we must stand with democratic leaders and moderate reformers across the broader Middle East. We must give them voice to the hopes of decent men and women who want for their children the same things we want for ours. We must seek stability through a free and just Middle East where the extremists are marginalized by millions of citizens in control of their own destinies.

Today, I'd like to speak directly to the people across the broader Middle East: My country desires peace. Extremists in your midst spread propaganda claiming that the West is engaged in a war against Islam. This propaganda is false, and its purpose is to confuse you and justify acts of terror. We respect Islam, but we will protect our people from those who pervert Islam to sow death and destruction. Our goal is to help you build a more tolerant and hopeful society that honors people of all faiths and promote the peace. ...

Freedom, by its nature, cannot be imposed -- it must be chosen. From Beirut to Baghdad, people are making the choice for freedom. And the nations gathered in this chamber must make a choice, as well: Will we support the moderates and reformers who are working for change across the Middle East -- or will we yield the future to the terrorists and extremists? America has made its choice: We will stand with the moderates and reformers.

Recently a courageous group of Arab and Muslim intellectuals wrote me a letter. In it, they said this: "The shore of reform is the only one on which any lights appear, even though the journey demands courage and patience and perseverance."

I'll See a Border Fence Built High the Same Time Unicorns Fly

Via Captain's Quarters blog and Senator Bill Frist's blog, finally some good news on the illegal immigration front. It seems elections and the prospect of a legacy as one of the more wooden and ineffective majority leaders in history has a funny way of focusing one's attention. With this bill, if passed, Congress would finally deliver, for once, what the vast majority of people in this country have loudly and repeatedly asked for...a border fence without any linkage to "amnesty", "normalization", "guest worker program" or other such nonsense. Part of the funding (about half) for this effort has already been provided in a defense appropriations bill, and the rest of the funding should be no problem at all. Captain Ed astutely points out that this will be an awfully hard vote for some representatives to vote "NO" on, esp. considering they are in tough midterm elction races (i.e. Harold Ford D-TN, etc.), and I think it will probably gather enough votes to survive even if a filibuster is attempted. Now, if only we can prevent some kind of amnesty being backdoored in after the elections, move forward with deportations, and step up and sustain workplace enforcement, we'd definitely be moving in the right direction...here's to hoping this great first step is a harbinger of things to come. More than that though, I just hope the damn thing gets built at all, and frankly, given the pro-amnesty stance of President Bush and most RINOs, I'll believe a border fence when I am staring at it completed.

Captain's Quarter's

"I have predicted exactly this move several times since my interview with Frist, and the effort makes political sense. It will force the Senate to vote on an issue that many people see as critical to our national security , and the bill provides a common-sense solution to the chronically porous border in the American Southwest. Those who vote against it, and especially those who attempt to filibuster it, will have to answer why they insisted on linking national security to normalization for illegal immigrants."

VOLPAC

"That's why I strongly support the Secure Fence Act of 2006 … and that's why I'm bringing this crucial legislation to the floor of the Senate this week for an up-or-down vote. By authorizing the construction of over 700 miles of two-layered reinforced fencing along our southwest border and by mandating the use of cameras, ground sensors, UAVs and other forms of hi-tech surveillance, this legislation would help us gain control over every inch of our borders – once and for all.

Americans deserve secure borders … and Americans deserve to know where their Senators stand on border security. This week, when the Senate votes on the Secure Fence Act of 2006, Americans will know which of their representatives are committed to real action on border security and which ones aren't."

R.I.P. Oriana Fallaci...We'll Take it From Here

Italian author Oriana Fallaci died of cancer after a full, eventful, and interesting life at age 76 on Friday. She has been one of the leading voices speaking out against the rising threat of Islamofascist terrorism of our time, and she will be sorely missed. Anyone who has received death threats, who has been put on trial for "defaming Islam", and who reduced former Secretary of State Kissinger to a quivering pile of mush in a single interview is alright in my book. Emperor Misha wrote a worthy tribute, so it's reposted here. For another stirring tribute, check out the link below to Michael Ledeen's remembrance of a great woman, someone definitely worthy of respect and emulation. Godspeed Oriana and thank you for your wisdom and insight, go on in peace to your eternal reward, for it is well deserved, and as the Emperor says, we will indeed take it from here...

Oriana Fallaci Dies at 76

"…and a guiding light in the fight against Islamic Fascism and the creeping conquest of the West goes out. I first learned about her shortly after 9/11, when her book "The Rage and the Pride" came out, a book that no home should be without a copy of.

Oriana was a kindred spirit, somebody who understood that, in order to have any hope of defeating an enemy, you must first acknowledge its existence and realize the true nature of it, without excuses, squeamishness and the cowardly unwillingness to face reality that the modern West has become infamous for.

And she did.

As was to be expected, she was met with vilification and hatred rather than intelligent arguments. She was accused of inciting hatred against Islam and was even dragged into court. France, in the best traditions of fascism, tried to have her books banned even as Paris was burning, set alight by members of the "Religion of Peace" that they would accept no criticism of.

In an irony that I'm sure wasn't lost on Oriana, the politically correct cowards of what she called "Eurabia", in their desperate attempts to fascistically oppress her dissent, proved every single one of her points about them: that what was once a proud civilization had degenerated into a spineless caricature of itself, busy whoring itself out to whoever might come asking.

Mercifully, she passed on before she could witness the final Islamization of the country and continent that she loved, but I'm sure that she hoped, right up to the last minute, that somehow the seemingly inevitable fate of Eurabia and the world could be avoided. Our job now is to make sure that her hopes were not in vain.

Pick up the torch that has fallen from her hands and carry the light of truth forward. Refuse, like Oriana did, to ever let your language be castrated by politically correct shibboleths.

Describe the world as it is, rather than how the gutless weasels that we call "leaders" would like for it to be. The one sure way to get run over by an oncoming freight train is to be caught looking in the wrong direction.

Rest in peace, Oriana. We'll take it from here."

Vols 20, Gators 21...Just UT Being UT in the Fulmer Era

Drained, exasperated, confounded...all are good words to describe being a Volunteer fan in recent years. Tennessee almost always has superior, or at least equal, athletes to the teams they play. This leaves two things that are the root cause of the Vols' vascillation between greatness and mediocrity: coaching and execution.

Tonight the Vols had everything going for them: home crowd, equal or better athletes everywhere it mattered, and a great inspirational story with DT Justin Harrell playing basically on one arm in his last game. This loss can't be chalked up to the refs either, b/c there were two iffy calls in this game, one against each team that cost them each a TD, so that part basically evened out.

Taking the coaching first, it doesn't matter who the coordinators are, even as good as Offensive Coordinator David Cutcliffe consistently is all around and Defensive Coordinator John Chavis is schemewise, so long as Phil Fulmer is the head coach, the buck stops with him, and the Vols won't win anything of consequence as long as he's steering the boat, plain and simple. This man lacks the killer instinct to coach at an SEC school, just as his predecessor Johnny Majors did. Love him or hate him, Steve Spurrier had/has that killer instinct, and is willing to put his boot on someone's neck and crush the life out of them when he has them down...Fulmer doesn't, never has, and never will. If he hasn't shown it in 10+ years, it ain't coming folks.

Tonight is a perfect example of that, Tennessee was up 10 and had the chance to put the Gators away, but they didn't do it because they were playing not to lose instead of playing to win. Instead of going downfield with the passing game that got them the lead, they stuck with a run game that was averaging negative yards per carry on the night. In no less than 5 series the second half, the Vols ran on first, ran on second, and threw on third, and ended up punting four times and losing the ball on downs the other possession. This allowed Florida to climb back up off the mat and back into the game.

The other coaching brainfart was getting beat repeatedly by the same plays all night long. Here's a clue retards...when QB Tim Tebow came into the game, they should've put 10 in the box b/c a QB draw wass coming and everyone in the stadium (except the UT coaches) knew it. That play was run 7 times, all for positive yards, and four for killer first downs that were easily preventable. Also, re: that scramble left and throwback right play, the Vols ran the same defense against it twice and got beat for 2 easy TDs that cost them the game.

In terms of execution, well, it's hard to execute anything when your O-line doesn't even get off the bus. Florida's D-line took off its belt and made the Vols' O-line it's little sissy bee-yatches to the tune of less than a yard a carry...make it 15 of the last 17 games where the team in this game with the most rushing yards has won. Tennessee held its own nicely in the first half, but the D was on the field forever, and it showed in the second half, where they got gassed and were gashed repeatedly on the ground.

Oh, and all those improvements UT made against Air Force and Cal...? Those went out the window. The Vols went right back to missing tackles on D like they have been for about the past decade, throwing guys forward instead of sideways or backwards, including the clinching run in the final minute that should've been a gain of 3 instead of 7. Special teams did pretty well, until Wilhoit kicked the last kickoff out of bounds and set up Florida sixty-five yards from paydirt. In short, Tennessee deserved to lose this game, and are lucky the manhandling they got didn't produced the a$$-kicking worthy of their play.

Simply put, Tennessee showed up to a game against an elite program in a game that would be decide by inches packing only centimeters and no sack...and that's no one's fault but their own. So shall it always be in the Fulmer era, and Vols' fans can either demand a change or get used to it.

Football Picks for 9/15 Separation Saturday

Now for something I am excited about, my big game picks for NCAA Football's Separation Saturday:

LSU-Auburn- This one is almost too close to call and is for the SEC West title most likely (same as UT-Florida in the SEC East); as much as Kandi will hate this, LSU won at home last year and Auburn will return the favor this year on the Plains. Auburn has played the better schedule of these two teams and has won more resoundingly with ridiculous defensive play and good enough turnover-free offense...PK John Vaughn gets redemption from his 1-6 debacle last year and wins it for Auburn with a FG late in the 4th. ...20-14 Auburn.

Miami-Louisville- The Cards are almost unstoppable at Papa John's, and even with the loss of Michael Bush, they are the better team...more firepower on offense and they have something to prove, and this will start the slide of Miami as a program out of the uber-elite for a few years. The Cards win a close one at home and set up a showdown against West Virginia later this year with title implications. ...31-21 Louisville.

Michigan-Notre Dame- Michigan was not that impressive in a win over Vandy and the Irish looked great thrashing a rebuilding Penn St. program. Notre Dame gets this one at home, has a superior coach, the better QB, and a defense that loves to hit and force turnovers. I think Michigan becomes the South Carolina of the Big Ten with a loss here, and it will happen. ...Irish 31-17.

USC-Nebraska- USC has too much firepower and speed. Nebraska's quality running game and big hitting D keeps it close early, but USC pulls away at the end by keeping Nebraska QB Zac Taylor from having time to throw...38-17 Trojans.

Tennessee-Florida- This is for the SEC East crown, with the winner going on to greater things and the loser in a lot of trouble. That goes double for FL, with the hardest schedule in America, they lose here, they are looking at 6-5 or worse. UT wins here, 10-2 and a BCS game isn't unreasonable, they lose, it's 8-4 and playing in the 3rd week of December. UT has played far better opponents than the Gators so far, and the Air Force scare helped prepare them for a misdirection spread offense and will help them stay grounded. Erik Ainge will do to the Gators' secondary what Chris Leak did to the Vols' seconday two years ago...shred it. With the lift of DT Justin Harrell playing his last game in as a Volunteer as a captain despite a season-ending injury last week providing the emotional lift, the Vols take a squeaker as their passing game, better tackling, and improved special teams barely beats Florida's great run game and speedy wideouts. ...Vols win, Vols win! UT-23, Gators-21.

(Sunday-NFL) Titans vs. Chargers- This one could get ugly in an awful hurry. I see LaDainian Tomlinson gashing the Titans for about 200 yards, and if Philip Rivers simply manages the game, the Bolts win by 2 TDs...Chargers got to 2-0 and win big, 31-13.

A Pox on Every Last Terrorist Enabler in EUrabia

This is a real blood boiler from Fox News...a German hostage taken by radical Islamic terrorists (these things are quickly becoming both synonymous and redundant) gets magically released after Germany paroles a Hezbollah member who murdered a U.S. Naval officer in cold blood. Our government is making the right noises here, but all I have to say is to hell with the whole stinking sorry lot of these appeasing cowards.

If Eurabia wants to bend over and take it up the tailpipe from IslamoNazis, they can be my guest, but they should do it on their own time and their own dime. The vast majority of the entire Europe we used to know as an ally was already circling the drain of history due to a terminal case of nanny state socialism...I just think that the rise of Islamic terrorists in their midst will speed up that swirl and give them someone to surrender to. There's not a single good reason I can think of, strategic or otherwise, that the U.S. Armed Forces should remain in Germany another day...and when the barbarians are at the gate with their scimitars sharpened, they can deal with it on their own. I've said it before, but with "allies" like this, who needs enemas? May God bless and keep the family of Mr. Stethem, and may the justice meted out to his murderers be swift and merciless, in this life or the next.

"Mohammed Ali Hamadi was released despite strong U.S. objections, FOX News learned. Those objections were raised in phone calls to German authorities by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and FBI Director Robert Mueller, as well as by top-level State Department and administration counter-terrorism officials.

U.S. officials said they "can't rule out" the possibility that Germany deported Mohammed Ali Hamadi, after he had served 19 years of a life sentence, in exchange for the release of Susanne Osthoff, a German archeologist taken hostage in Iraq and freed four days after Hamadi's deportation. German authorities have denied any such deal was made.

In June 1985, Hamadi was one of four Islamic militants who commandeered TWA Flight 847 — en route from Athens to Rome — and hijacked it to Beirut. The ensuing hostage ordeal lasted 17 days, with the plane shuttling among various Mediterranean airports.

On the second day of the hijacking, Hamadi and his accomplices learned that U.S. Navy diver Robert Dean Stethem was on board. Hamadi and his co-conspirators beat Stethem unconscious, then shot him to death and dumped his body on the tarmac of the Beirut airport. The hijackers later escaped.

In 1987, Hamadi was arrested in Frankfurt, Germany, for carrying explosives in his bag at the airport. He was convicted both on that charge and of Stethem's murder and sentenced to life in prison. Late last year he was paroled by the German authorities and deported to Lebanon.

On Dec. 21, 2005, shortly after Hamadi's return to Lebanon, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters: "I think what I can assure anybody who's listening, including Mr. Hamadi, is that we will track him down, we will find him and we will bring him to justice in the United States for what he's done. "We will make every effort, working with the Lebanese authorities or whomever else, to see that he faces trial for the murder of Mr. Stethem."

At a press briefing Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tom Casey confirmed that contact had been made with the Lebanese government regarding Hamadi, and that the case remains active. "The United States still believes that he and anyone else who is responsible for such heinous acts should face justice," Casey said. "And we do continue to wish to see him be brought to the United States to face trial here."

Now here is a politician who gets it, and hopefully more regular, ordinary folks worldwide will wake up too. Canadian leader (Conservative MP and Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister) Jason Kennedy... now if only we could get one of our own feckless, spineless "leaders" to say this about terrorists, and their supporters and enablers the world over:

"There was another political party in the past which had democratic support, which provided social services, which played an important role in the political life of its country in Germany in the 1930s which was also dedicated to violence against the Jewish people," said Kennedy.

"The world was wrong to negotiate with that party then and it would be wrong to negotiate with Hezbollah today and I'm shocked that Mr. Wrzesnewskyj (a politician who resigned in disgrace after having direct talks with Hezbollah outside his authority) doesn't understand that," he said.

"The Liberal party of Canada and other opposition parties cannot claim to be prepared to be ready to govern Canada if they cannot even establish a coherent position on such a clear-cut issue as the terrorist nature of Hezbollah, an organization motivated by anti-Semitism and dedicated to the destruction of Israel."

Kenney said the Liberal MP's logic that Hezbollah should be negotiated with in order to achieve peace in the Middle East is flawed. There is nothing to negotiate with a group motivated by hatred and dedicated to the destruction of a state," he said.

My Voice...Remembering 9/11

This is my recollection, 5 years out, of the morning of 9/11 from my first year of law school. This piece was written while I was a 3L at UT-Knoxville. I think the thing I remember most is it changing my perspective, especially as it relates to my loved ones. Little more than a week before the attacks, I had a bad argument with a dear friend, and I said some of the most horrible things that anyone could imagine to this person. There was no excuse for my behavior and I offered none. The day of the attacks, once I knew my family was OK, my thoughts turned to her, hoping that the things I last said to her wouldn't be the last words she ever heard me say. As it turns out, it wasn't. I sent a long e-mail of apology, and while noting that my feelings were hurt, that I had no business saying what I said, and asking for forgiveness. We later had a long phone conversation and patched things up, said we loved one another, and hung up. Although this wonderful woman's path in life has taken her far from me, it makes my heart smile to know that we ended on the best of notes and that we will always have a small place in the hearts of each other. Just like the attacks brought out what really mattered to the people who died that day, it did the same with me. This is my story, there are others like it, but this one is mine.

I remember that morning well. I had overslept, and was cursing myself for running late to class so early in the semester. When I came through the doors, it struck me that nearly every classroom was empty, completely EMPTY, cavernously empty. I walked through the halls feeling like I was in some post-Armageddon movie scene. Still munching my strawberry Nutri-Grain bar (funny how we remember the little things), I went down to the Commons, a place on the first floor of the law building where students relax, talk, socialize, and study. Most times in the morning there are a few full tables, some with one or two folks at them, and others empty. That day, they were all empty, and everyone was packed into the Commons, and they were all standing, watching in shock on the big screen TV.

I arrived shortly after the first tower had hit, and then things kind of get blurry. I vaguely remember asking someone what had happened, started reading the news tickers at the bottom of the screen, and not believing what I was seeing. Then the second plane hit and the fireball came. The closest I can come to describing the feeling is when a professor calls on you to explain a case to the class, and you haven't even skimmed the material and have no answers...times about TRILLION. That's how bad I blanched and how badly my stomach dropped. More blurriness, then bodies dropping from the sky, the Pentagon, and Flight 93...my God when will they stop and how many more can there be?!!

At some point the President came on and talked to the nation, and somehow things seemed a little better. This man, George W. Bush, God Bless him had taken off his politician's hat, and it stayed off for quite a while. He talked to as as human beings, grieved with us, cried with us, vowed to get to the bottom of this with us...and he MEANT every word. There was no doubting that for a second, and at that point I thanked God for having this man in charge. After the initial grief, and the calm and honest words of the President, my next rational thought (after the blinding rage, the disbelief, and realization that this was a whole new ballgame) was, "Alright, where are the cowardly, murdering, scumsucking bastards that did this? There isn't anywhere they can hide where we won't go hunt them down and exterminate them like the vermin they are, and by God we have a leader who understands and will lead that charge!!!" (Comments
substantially edited to avoid excessive swearing due to anger over the attacks themselves and re: subsequent failures to live up to the promises made in the aftermath of that day to get the terrorists and ALL their allies, not just the ones that are convenient. --Ed.)

Then the facts started emerging...Al-Qaeda, Osama, Islamofascist terrorists...Giuliani and his strength, the heroes of Flight 93, the NYPD and FDNY, the unbelievable grief and pain of the families. I have said all this to make the point that this changed me FOREVER. When I looked at what happened that day, I did not UNDERSTAND, nor could I comprehend the magnitude of what had happened. And for that, even to this day, I have felt utterly selfish for being so wrapped up in my own life as to not see this coming that it kills me.

When I got to law school, the wild streak hit me that hits most college kids at 18 when they are on their own and buckwild for the first time. It started that summer before and lasted until that day...leading to all kinds of bad times that but for the grace of God am I even still here. But that day helped turn the tide for me. I am not saying all that stuff stopped immediately, but most of it did. I needed perspective, and I craved understanding and knowledge more than anything. I certainly wasn't going to get it the way I was going. Seeing the pain of the families, the horror of a nation, and the steely determined resolve of a nation and its leader to FIGHT gave me pause, and put things in a new light.

I started thinking that I was in law school for a reason, and that I was pi$$ing it all away. I started studying harder, and dedicating myself more, even through my grief and self-flogging for my selfishness...going about life the best way I could. I mean, dammit, if for no other reason than those murdering cowards didn't want me to, and they still don't, I will do it...I will live the American dream, and use whatever path God takes me down to help other people realize how great this country is and that they should live it too. I have cleaned up my life, immersed myself in politics and current events, and become the penultimate newsjunkie. It all started that day, because I wanted knowledge I didn't have, perspective I couldn't have gotten any other way in such a short time, and to atone for my selfishness regarding the needs and plight of my fellow Americans and my country.

Two years later, and it has finally set in. To me, the tributes, the songs, the playing of "Taps", the cards and notes of loved ones at Ground Zero, the sickening replays of the planes hitting the towers and the Pentagon, and of people leaping to their death from an inferno, denying the murdering cowards the power to chose their death...it all means something to me now in my heart. It all means to me what it should have that day had I been handling my business the right way. Not surprisingly, I have spent my day mostly in tears or on the verge thereof. The national anthem at Vols' football games means more to me now than ever...country music, specifically "The Angry American" and "Have You Forgotten", hold a dear place in my heart, etc.

It took two full years, but now I KNOW. I know what I should have known then, and I will keep it up. If anything like this ever happens again, someone tries to destroy our way of life, I am 24 years old and in good physical shape, smart as hell and could probably stay home, but I would be the first one down to the recruiter's office to hunt those miserable vermin, wherever they are now holed up. I will close with a quote I once heard from a columnist whose name now escapes me..."I hope that as their last thought on earth, the people who perpetrated the plot and supported the murdering cowards of 9-11 infamy, in whatever caves they lived in before departing this earth, the thought that "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to pick a fight with America after all."

Amen, couldn't have said it better myself. I will never surrender, never forget, and I will always remember. And if I have anything to say about it, we most certainly will not fail. May God Bless all who read this, our president and leaders, our armed forces fighting for freedom and exterminating terrorists globally, all my fellow Americans, and finally, America the Beautiful herself.

Sincerely,
Chris Whittaker

Crisis Really Is a Great Editor

I'm sure I will find something to post re: the politics, the wars, etc. in the now 5 years since 9/11 on that day, but for now I will stick with this piece by columnist Peggy Noonan, an excellent writer with a special gift for writing about the heart and the human element of things. I won't lie, reading this story made my eyes well up with tears, my heart breaking for all those left behind from the final calls on that fateful September morning, and at the same time, filling with admiration at the courage and focus of the doomed callers who left those wrenching messages.

Despite facing certain death, the now-deceased victims of 9-11 were more concerned about those they loved than themselves. Even if they only had a couple of minutes to talk, they prayed, expressed their love, and said their goodbyes because that was the most important thing and it had to be done, even though deep down they were likely terrified. The passengers of United Flight 93 took it still another step further, attacking the terrorists and storming the cockpit of the plane and driving it into the ground, knowing their chances of survival were slim, but slim beats nothing any day.

They made this sacrifice to save the lives of people they'd never met in Washington D.C., and that is simply heroic. I know in my heart that I am of the same stock and class of man as Todd Beamer, the passenger who courageously led the counterattack against the terrorists on Flight 93. While I don't welcome trouble, I have always been a game-time player, someone who excels when the lights are on and the game is on the line, and I would not shrink from the challenge of answering such a call should I be placed in a similar situation one day. More than that, I hope the person I end up with is someone I love so much, so hard, so deeply, that God forbid, if I should find myself in such dire straits someday, that my first and last thoughts on this earth will be of her, that she knows and fully appreciates the kind of man I am, and that the same is true of her feelings of me (as soon as I settle up the last earthly accounts with my maker, of course) Read the whole thing, it's worth your time, and pray for the families and loved ones left behind from that day, because they've relived that morning in their head every day since then.

"I think too about the sounds that came from within the buildings and within the planes--the phone calls and messages left on answering machines, all the last things said to whoever was home and picked up the phone. They awe me, those messages.

Something terrible had happened. Life was reduced to its essentials. Time was short. People said what counted, what mattered. It has been noted that there is no record of anyone calling to say, "I never liked you," or, "You hurt my feelings." No one negotiated past grievances or said, "Vote for Smith." Amazingly --or not--there is no record of anyone damning the terrorists or saying "I hate them."

No one said anything unneeded, extraneous or small. Crisis is a great editor. When you read the transcripts that have been released over the years it's all so clear. ...

Peter Hanson, a passenger on United Airlines Flight 175 called his father. "I think they intend to go to Chicago or someplace and fly into a building," he said. "Don't worry, Dad--if it happens, it will be very fast." On the same flight, Brian Sweeney called his wife, got the answering machine, and told her they'd been hijacked. "Hopefully I'll talk to you again, but if not, have a good life. I know I'll see you again some day."

There was Tom Burnett's famous call from United Flight 93. "We're all going to die, but three of us are going to do something," he told his wife, Deena. "I love you, honey."

These were people saying, essentially, In spite of my imminent death, my thoughts are on you, and on love. I asked a psychiatrist the other day for his thoughts, and he said the people on the planes and in the towers were "accepting the inevitable" and taking care of "unfinished business." "At death's door people pass on a responsibility--'Tell Billy I never stopped loving him and forgave him long ago.' 'Take care of Mom.' 'Pray for me, Father. Pray for me, I haven't been very good.' " They address what needs doing.

This reminded me of that moment when Todd Beamer of United 93 wound up praying on the phone with a woman he'd never met before, a Verizon Airfone supervisor named Lisa Jefferson. She said later that his tone was calm. It seemed as if they were "old friends," she later wrote. They said the Lord's Prayer together. Then he said "Let's roll." ...

This is what I get from the last messages. People are often stronger than they know, bigger, more gallant than they'd guess. And this: We're all lucky to be here today and able to say what deserves saying, and if you say it a lot, it won't make it common and so unheard, but known and absorbed.

I think the sound of the last messages, of what was said, will live as long in human history, and contain within it as much of human history, as any old metallic roar."

A Pitiful Display of the DNC Attempting Censorship

There's a docu-drama due to air on ABC this weekend re: 9/11, and advanced screenings have shown the Clinton administration in a, shall we say, less than favorable light, when in comes to zealously attacking terrorists, tracking them down, apprehending them, or doing much of anything on that front really. It (correctly) points out that Mr. Clinton was too preoccupied during his second term of office getting his Lewinsky on and then trying to stave off impeachment for lying about it to pay any attention to the growing threats presented by Islamic terrorists. Now the Clintons and the rest of the DNC are screaming bloody murder, threatening ABC's broadcast license and driving them into bankruptcy if they don't cancel or substantially "edit" (read: whitewash and airbrush it to Clinton's liking) it...this after they accuse others of imagined "crushing of dissent"...how rich and ironic.

I have more than my share of disagreements with Pres. Bush and the "Republican" Congress of the last 6 years, but they aren't doing anything like this. Read the whole thing, Emperor Misha's post and the Democrats' letter itself, and see a preview of the future with the DNC back at the levers of power, especially Hillary as President *shudder*.

With "Allies" Like This, Who Needs Enemies

It's times like this that I really sometimes wish America would just leave the rest of the world to its own devices to devolve into the cesspool of barbarism that it mostly is. Outside of Britain, Australia, Taiwan, and a few other places, not only is America and the good we do not appreciated, people actively work to undermine it...either that, or they act with such cowardice that it has the same net effect. So it is now the latter case with Pakistan and President Musharraf, who are doing their best Neville Chamberlain-esque appeasement imitation in the hopes that the Al-Qaeda crocodiles will eat them last. Via Bill Roggio, retired military man, blogger, and terrorism expert, we learn that the government of Pakistan has ceded part of Waziristan (an area about the size of New Jersey) to the Taliban, surrendered weapons and other contraband seized during fighting between Pakistan and the Taliban, and has released over a hundred mid-level AQ fighters and commanders to end the fighting. All the work put in by the U.S. military in eviciting the Taliban from power in Afghanistan might now be wiped out, because all AQ has to do is cross the "border" and they are home free.

Maybe they will be lucky and the appeasing Pakistanis will get to be eaten last, but if recent events are any indicator, radical Islamofascists seem inclined to blow up the apostates and unbelievers in their own midst, their own "people", until they can eradicate Israel and destroy America, taking us all back to the 7th century. Read the whole thing, but you know it's bad when the ceded area is now called the Islamic Emirate of Waziristan.

Also, here's Heidi from Euphoric Reality with a devastating takedown of Pakistan, completely debunking the myth that they are our ally. They may have passed along some intelligence and rounded up a few nobodies in the terror world to keep up the front and foreign American taxpayer funded aid flowing in, but it does get tiresome living such a large lie for so long. Since Islamonazis are usually in it for the long haul, I am only surprised that Pakistan and its feckless leader let their masks slip so soon. These morons have not only created a new terror state in their own country, they have said they would not arrest Osama bin Laden if he came there! They are not our friends and do not deserve a dime of our aid or another second of our time.

Romney Calls a Murdering Jihadist a Murdering Jihadist

I have attached below the entire text of a press release from Massachussets governor Mitt Romney, who gets it exactly right by telling Iran's most recently retired Islamist dictator to get bent if he thinks MA taxpayers will pay for his security. Of course the feckless feds and the enablers at the State Department willingly picked up the slack (paid for with tax dollars). Now if only we could get President Bush to remember how well he did talking this forcefully after 9/11 and get this clown's visa revoked, we would be getting somewhere. Harvard should be ashamed, but as a bastion of liberalism and ally of terrorists everywhere, it isn't ashamed, and I am Jack's complete lack of surprise. Thankfully, one leader got this right...and if Mitt Romney keeps this up, I may have to support him in the '08 GOP primary.

ROMNEY DENOUNCES KHATAMI VISIT TO HARVARD
Declines to provide escort, or offer state support for trip

Governor Mitt Romney today ordered all Massachusetts state government agencies to decline support, if asked, for former Iranian President Mohammed Khatamis September 10 visit to the Boston area, where he is scheduled to speak at Harvard University.

State taxpayers should not be providing special treatment to an individual who supports violent jihad and the destruction of Israel, said Romney.

Romney's action means that Khatami will be denied an official police escort and other VIP treatment when he is in town. The federal government provides security through the U.S. State Department.

Romney criticized Harvard for honoring Khatami by inviting him to speak, calling it a disgrace to the memory of all Americans who have lost their lives at the hands of extremists, especially on the eve of the five-year anniversary of 9/11.

Said Romney: The U.S. State Department listed Khatami's Iran as the number one state sponsor of terrorism. Within his own country, Khatami oversaw the torture and murder of dissidents who spoke out for freedom and democracy. For him to lecture Americans about tolerance and violence is propaganda, pure and simple.

Romney cited a litany of hateful actions by Khatami, including his support for violent jihadist activities:

During the period of time he was in office, from 1997 to 2005, Khatami presided over Irans secret nuclear program. Currently, the Iranian Government under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is snubbing the international community's request to cease nuclear weapons production.

In the recent conflict along the Israel-Lebanon border, Khatami described the terrorist group Hezbollah as a shining sun that illuminates and warms the hearts of all Muslims and supporters of freedom in the world.

Khatami has endorsed Ahmadinejad's call for the annihilation of Israel.

During Khatami's presidency, Iran refused to hand over the Iranian intelligence officials who were responsible for the attack on the Khobar Towers that killed 19 U.S. military personnel.

In his own country, Khatami oversaw the torture and murder of Iranian students, journalists, and others who spoke out for freedom and democracy. Khatami relaxed freedom of speech laws giving democracy reformers a false sense of security only to engage in one of the largest crackdowns in the countrys history.

In Khatami's Iran, there was no religious tolerance. According to the U.S. Office of International Religious Freedom, Iran was one of the worst offenders of religious persecutions. Minorities, such as Evangelicals, Jews, Catholics and others, have suffered. Khatami pretends to be a moderate, but he is not. My hope is that the United States will find and work with real voices of moderation inside Iran. But we will never make progress in the region if we deal with wolves in sheep's clothing, said Romney."

Jeremiah 29:11 and "My Wish"

This song articulates very well what I hope in my heart that all my friends and loved ones find...that's pretty easy; after all, the Bible says that even a sinner loves his friends and family. The harder part is wishing these good things and happiness for people to whom you have offered yourself, only to be told that it isn't you, that you aren't even worthy of a shot for whatever reason. It's very hard to hear something like that when you don't know someone that well yet but happen to think they have great potential as an intriguing prospect, and it's harder still when you have become emotionally invested in someone to any significant degree.

There were quite a few times before I got things right with the Lord where I was hurting emotionally, and I had my friends around to support me, and they were/are all wonderful. There was something inside that no person could resolve, a gnawing emptiness, a lonely feeling, like trying to walk the highwire with no safety net...so when I fell, it hurt, badly. This kind of rejection is never easy to deal with, but I assure you it is even harder to cope when you have no one to talk to or turn to, no one to trust in. I am talking about the absence of God and faith here.

It never gets any easier, putting yourself out there and nothing happening...it feels rather like Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day" sometimes, lol. While I know it is no more a referendum on my value as a person or what kind of man I am than being turned down for a dance during a night on the town, "no" still smarts a bit. It's those times when I take comfort in passages like Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." I know the kind of man I am and that God has made and shaped me the way He has for reasons only He knows, one of those being a perfect match for the special someone waiting for me. Much like my job search, I try to pursue my goals and dreams, pray about these things, and trust Him to open the doors when the time is right.

This Rascal Flatts song reminds me of Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance" in some ways, which is good because I liked that song when it came out and still do now because it inspires faith and motivation to persevere, even when things are hard and it feels so much easier to simply give up. It's not only my wish for my friends and loved ones, but for everyone, myself included. Here are the lyrics, so...ENJOY!

"My Wish"
Rascal Flatts, Me and My Gang (2006)

"I hope that days come easy and moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

More than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it,
That your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more then you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more then you take.

Oh More than anything, Yeah, and more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it,
That your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more then you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish."

A Red Curtain of Blood Moment on Labor Day 2006

First off, Happy Labor Day to all, and yes I am glad I have the day off and can spend it doing as I please (sleeping, working out, watching football most of the day). In lieu of real work, enjoy the post below. (NOTE: RCOB stands for "Red Curtain of Blood", a phenomenon which occurs when something inspires such anger and outrage, a red curtain of blood comes over one's eyes, like in the movies, and they can no longer think rationally or see straight) Hat Tip: Kim Du Toit)

From World Net Daily, this Labor Day post is dedicated to the lazy and worthless cops (and, to a lesser degree, the spineless citizens) present at the scene of the incident described below in Maywood, CA. At an alleged "Campaign for Immigrants' Dignity" rally *spit*, a band of reconquista-dor thugs thought it would be great fun to take down the U.S. flag from the post office and replace it with the Mexican flag. In addition, these wastes of perfectly good oxygen and DNA thought it would be great fun to pick on the weak and elderly and threaten with violence anyone who dared to remind them that they were in America and that they were breaking the law. All this they did in full view of no less than four cars full of policemen, who did, survey says, NOTHING. Shame on these pathetic excuses for "law enforcement" officers, they are worthy of neither the title or the uniform. By all means, let's not forget that the D.C. bureaucrappers think these "activists" should be given full amnesty and citizenship. The U.S. is facing no less of an invasion from illegal immigrants than we would be if Mexico, et al., were trying to take over the country by force (these thugs actually think the entire Southwestern U.S. belongs to Mexico), the only question left is whether sovereignty and the rule of law still have any meaning left in this country. Judging by events like this, I fear the answer is no, and that portends bad things for us all...read the whole pitiful tale.

More Good News For America the MSM Has No Interest In

(UPDATED: Midnight, 9/3/06--Fox News did have a couple of segments on this topic and I saw a story about it on CNN.com, but I still have doubts as to how much play this will get in the newspaper/print media.)

After reviewing the Sunday news shows today, which was sadly predictable, the only topics that appeared to be of interest were the Valerie Plame non-story, the Karr/JonBenet non-story, and how many seats the Democrats will win by in the mid-term elections in a couple of months. Today, Iraqi forces, I repeat, Iraqi forces, seized the #2 Al-Qaeda leader in Iraq, the man who took over the reins of AQ after Zarqawi was dispatched to hell courtesy of a massive laser-guided bomb. These Iraqi troops that so many people believe to be utterly incompetent and good for nothing are not anywhere near the level of capability of American troops (then again, few are) and yes, there are issues within the fledgling Iraqi army, but by and large, they have heart, guts, and they show up to do a dangerous job in difficult circumstances, day in and day out. For that, they deserve our respect and at least some positive attention from the media.

Unfortunately, good Iraqi troops will never get any more good publicity than American troops, because it doesn't fit with the MSM/Democrat template that George Bush is the devil, that the Iraq war and everything about it was a mistake, and that the U.S. armed forces are a bunch of bloodthirsty, trigger happy savages. It's a shame, but read the whole thing from Yahoo News in the comfort that Iraqis are likely to be a lot less, shall we say, charitable and forgiving, than we Americans to "detainees" or "insurgents" who slaughter civilians and innocents. To the soon to be late Al-Qaeda #2, good riddance, and to the Iraqi forces, job well done.

UT Lays The Big Orange Smackdown on Cal, 35-18

All I can say is WOW! I didn't even recognize the Volunteer team that stepped onto the field in Knoxville tonight. They corrected almost all the things that made them so horrible last year and so mediocre in years prior to this one (both before and since the '98 national title season). Special teams were solid, they didn't give up any huge plays after the first long pass in the first quarter, and they didn't kill themselves with stupid penalties and letting the other team convert on third and long.

Even more than that, two HUGE things: 1.) QB Erik Ainge looked great, and that's a lot easier when you actually pass the ball on first and second down sometimes to keep the other team guessing (and when you have big, fast receivers for whom the light finally seems to have gone on), when you convert third downs, and when you have several big plays on offense. 2.) The defense TACKLED WELL and in gangs! This is such a huge deal b/c my Dad and I have long said the Vols have been the sorriest tackling team in the SEC for over a decade, but not tonight. Marshawn Lynch (Cal's stud RB) is huge, fast, shifty, and very scary because he's a home run threat every time he touches the ball. That said, he (and everyone else on Cal's offfense) went nowhere because the D swarmed to the ball, applied pressure, and when they got to the ball, they wrapped up, took them down, and didn't let them fall or be thrown forward for more yards.

Literally, this is the best game against a good team I have seen UT play in about 6-8 years, and if they keep playing like this, an SEC East crown (and/or more) is not out of reach. : )

Football is Baaack!...2006 NCAA and NFL Preview

I am so glad football season is here, both college and pro. I've always been a huge fan and I would love to be an offensive coordinator someday if I tire of practicing law. Since I am a TN man, of course I am a Vols and Titans fan. Other teams I have liked since childhood, and my comments on their potential this season (as well as for the Vols and Titans):

NFL

1.) Tennessee Titans- I like the Kerry Collins signing b/c Billy Volek wasn't cutting it in the preseason against guys who will be bagging groceries this time next month. Collins is a strong-armed gunslinger who may not win you too many games on his own anymore, but at least he doesn't take anything off the table, and will help maintain respectability until Vince Young becomes the starter Opening Day 2007 or before. If the young veterans on D play up to their potential, this could be a 7-9 or 8-8 season, but no more than that. If not, they could be 4-12 and looking at another high draft pick in 2007.

2.) Chicago Bears- Outstanding defense carries the team, led by Brian Urlacher. They have speed to burn and major hitting ability, like the Ravens 2000 Super Bowl team, and might have actually gotten better in this year's draft. Rex Grossman is on a short leash though, having pulled a Volek in the preseason, and if he doesn't pick it up, Brian Griese may take his job. I have them pegged for 11-5 in an otherwise weak NFC North and a second round playoff exit due to lack of production at WR.

3. Denver Broncos- They are the likely AFC West champs and a potential Super Bowl pick. I have the over/under on Vandy alum Jay Cutler taking Jake Plummer's QB job at about Week 10, and if not, definitely by 2007 Opening Day. The defense has a window of about 2 years for Super Bowl potential left there, and UT alum Al Wilson is a beast. Look for them to go 12-4 or 13-3 and back to the AFC title game at a minimum.

4.) Carolina Panthers- I went to a Panthers game last year, and Bank of America stadium is gorgeous, a great place for football. This is also a blue-collar team absent of ego issues, which should help them back to the playoffs. I think this is a 10-6 wild card team that no one will want to play in the first round of the playoffs. Keyshawn Johnson is the quiet complement to Steve Smith with a good attitude Terrell Owens would be well-served to emulate. The D is still solid on the line, as are the starters in the secondary, but they've lost some depth. Nickel cornerback play and linebacker performance will make the difference between this being a borderline playoff team and Super Bowl champion.

NCAA Football

1.) MTSU Blue Raiders- I used to play there, and they did win the opener last night 7-6...I have them pegged for a 6-5 finish and second in the Sun Belt. They have decent talent on both sides of the ball and above average special teamsbut can't pick them as champs until they quit choking away big games. I also think they should have hired Major Applewhite (former Texas QB) as their head coach in the offseason.

2.) Tennessee Volunteers- This is perhaps the toughest of the prognostications to make b/c the Vols have the talent to compete for the SEC East title, go 10-2, and go to a BCS bowl game. If Arian Foster is the beast at RB he looked like last year and the D weathers the loss of 6 of its front 7 to the NFL, it's all up to Erik Ainge. If the QB looks more like the freshman sensation he was in 2004, I think it's a tossup between UT and Florida for the East, with the loser being slaughtered by Auburn in the SEC title game. If Ainge is more like the sophomore pile of hot mess he looked like in 2005, the team will go 3-8 this year enduring Jonathan Crompton's growing pains at QB b/c the non-conference schedule is brutal. The fan in me prays for the former, but since Phil Fulmer is still the head coach, I fear it will be closer to the latter.

3.) Florida State Seminoles- I always liked the Indian mascot, horse, etc. because Cherokee blood runs in my family. They always have a swarming, big-hitting speed defense, and this year is no different. The offensive specialists always turn the field into a track meet, but the O line is inexperienced and they haven't had a star QB since Charlie Ward left. If Drew Weatherford is even a decent game manager, this is a team in the hunt for an ACC title and a BCS bowl game. If he's better, they may be playing for the national title in January, but if he's worse, then they play in the Who Gives a Crap.com bowl in early Dec. at 6-5.