Associated Press: Sandy Kozel: 'Supreme Court Upholds Health Care Law'

Source:Associated Press- a pro-ObamaCare rally at the U.S. Supreme Court.

"The Supreme Court has upheld the individual insurance requirement at the heart of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul." 

From the Associated Press

Associated Press: Raw Video- ‘Four Arrested in Florida Child Prostitution Ring’

Source:Associated Press- Prosecutor Katherine Fernandez Rundle and her team.

“Four men are accused of operating an underage prostitution ring that lured vulnerable foster girls into the sex trade with cell phones, gifts of clothing and attention they did not get elsewhere, authorities said Tuesday.”

From the Associated Press 

“Miami-Dade police have arrested four South Floridamen in connection with an alleged child prostitution ring that targeted teenagers in foster care.

29-year-old Eric George Earle, 30-year-old Anturrell Nathaniel Dean, 34-year-old David Zarifi and 65-year-old Willie Calvin Bivens now face felony charges for conspiracy, racketeering and unlawful sexual activity with a minor. Investigators say they recruited one teenager living in a group home, who then recruited others to have sex with men for money.”

Source:CBS Miami- 4 suspects in the case.

From CBS Miami 

Hopefully this goes without saying and if it doesn’t, you are really ignorant about me or just some type of jerk something: I’m against juvenile prostitution and I don’t see how any good person could be in favor of it, or even believe it should be legal, whether they are for it or not. But I don’t see how it’s any more of a problem than underage drinking of alcohol or smoking tobacco.

And assuming these guys are guilty of running this child prostitution ring and again at risk of stating the obvious, I don’t know if they are, they’ve only been arrested from what I’ve seen, they should and will probably get what’s coming to them. Florida doesn’t mess around with people who take advantage of juveniles or young adults, this is the State that executed serial murderer/rapist Ted Bundy in 1989.

What I would have a problem with, if these guys were arrested for running an adult prostitution ring, whether it’s made up of female or male prostitutes or pimps: we already have too many people in prison in America, who aren’t actual threats to society, in many cases. Especially thanks to the War on Drugs, a lot of our inmates are in there for using or possessing illegal narcotics. Prohibiting prostitution just adds to this problem.

Like alcohol, tobacco and yes marijuana, prostitution, if its regulated properly, is something we can live with as a country, that is prostitution for adults, if they consent it. Juveniles shouldn’t be involved with this at all. Nevada and perhaps other states as well as countries, have figured out how to live with prostitution through taxation and regulation and so can we, instead of sending people to prison and having them live at taxpayers expense.

We should allow healthy prostitutes and pimps who follow the regulations and pay their taxes from this business, stay in business and have them contribute to society with their taxes and arguably services to their customers. Rather than sending them to prison and wasting their lives and devoting more tax dollars to pay for people who are more than capable of supporting themselves.

There’s of course the argument from both the Right and Left, who support big government and will say how dangerous this would be and so-forth. But these dangers can be handled through regulation. Child prostitution of course should remain illegal, but adult prostitution is not something we should support or subsidize.

But like alcohol, tobacco, gambling and hopefully someday soon marijuana, prostitution is something we can live with, if we regulate it and tax it properly. And if people in this business violate these laws, then of course they should be arrested, tried and convicted, if found guilty. 

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Brookings Institution: Robert Puentes: 'Transportation Bill Is Critical for America's Productivity and Competitiveness'

Source:Brookings Institution- Senior Fellow Robert Puentes.

"Millions of jobs and countless projects from coast-to-coast depend on funding from the federal transportation bill, which, if lawmakers fail to act, expires on June 30. Talks in the House and Senate continue on tough issues such as the Keystone XL pipeline and gasoline taxes and some are calling for another extension of the legislation to keep the money flowing. In this Expert Q&A video, Senior Fellow Robert Puentes says an extension is likely but reauthorization is desperately needed.

Robert Puentes: From our roads, to our bridges, to our railways, the federal highway bill is critical for Americas productivity and competitiveness. States and metros should be able to rely on federal support as they innovate and grow." 

From the Brookings Institution

Associated Press: Mark Sherman: 'Court Decision 'Takes Teeth' Out of Arizona Law'

Source:Associated Press- Supreme Court reporter Mark Sherman.

"The AP's Mark Sherman, who covers the U.S. Supreme Court, breaks down what the Court's decision on an Arizona immigration law means. The justices left one provision of the law intact, but doing so likely takes the teeth out of the measure." 

From the Associated Press

A&E: Biography- John Wayne Gacy

Source:A&E- documentary about serial murderer John W. Gacy.

Source:The Daily Press

“John Wayne Gacy, a successful businessman from the Chicago suburbs, moonlighted as a children’s entertainer who went by the names “Pogo the Clown” and “Patches the Clown.” He was also convicted in March 1980 of murdering 33 boys and young men, making him the worst serial killer in American history at the time.

But it wasn’t just the number of victims that made Gacy’s crimes so haunting. It was the gruesome manner with which he committed the murders: luring children into his home, binding and raping them, strangling them to death and then burying them throughout his property.

For his crimes, Gacy was sentenced to death. His execution, carried out in May 1994, attracted enormous crowds.” 

From A&E 

“A&E Biography John Wayne Gacy A Monster In Disguise”

Source:Thomas Day- John W. Gacy's sister.

From Thomas Day 

“John Wayne Gacy, (born March 17, 1942, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.—died May 10, 1994, Statesville, Illinois), American serial killer whose murders of 33 boys and young men in the 1970s received international media attention and shocked his suburban Chicago community, where he was known for his sociability and his performance as a clown at charitable events and childrens’ parties.” 

Source:Britannica- I believe this is from John W. Gacy's Chicago P.D. mugshot.

From Britannica 

This is from the original A&E Biography documentary of Chicago area serial murder John Wayne Gacy. But the video from which this photo is from is not currently available online. 

Source:A&E- Terry Sullivan prosecuted serial murderer John W. Gacy.

With some serial murderers I think what could they have been if they didn’t enjoy murdering people and weren’t serial murderers, how much could they’ve accomplished in life, if they weren’t serial murderers, with their ability to hide who they really are. Maybe they could’ve had careers as actors or something. Take John Wayne Gacy who was both a serial murderer and a child molester, who enjoyed murdering people, but also having sex with adolescent boys, young men even. But in his public life, he was a successful small businessman who was very popular in his Illinois town and considering a career in politics.

John Gacy was being recruited to run for public office, but who was also another serial murderer who had a rough childhood. Bad father like Henry Lucas, but the difference between Gacy and Lucas, is that John Gacy was very intelligent, well-educated, and successful in his professional life. Unlike Henry Lucas who didn’t have a professional life, who wasn’t well-educated, who didn’t even finish junior high and wasn’t intelligent. Perhaps borderline retarded and was a drifter, moving from small town to small town, picking up work wherever he could find it. And at one point even living in a chicken coop.

John Gacy is responsible for murdering and raping at least twenty people. Some of them very young men, adolescents, because that’s who he was attracted who. He wasn’t a homosexual, but a bisexual, who was attracted to women and very young men. Who’s probably not missed by anyone other than his very close relatives.

John Gacy getting the death penalty is not a tragedy. One less serial murderer off the streets, one less bisexual rapist that young male inmates have to worry about dealing with in prison. But his life was tragic because this was a very intelligent and productive man, family man. Who in his public life was very productive and successful. And died in his early fifties in 1992, because of the death penalty, because of the person he was in his private life.

You take the private side out John Gacy’s personality out of him, you are talking about someone who might have been Governor of Illinois or ended up in Congress. Gacy dying the way he did wasn’t tragic, but the private life that he did live, with all the people who hurt and murdered was tragic and what he could’ve been, that he never achieved, because of the fact that he was a serial murderer is tragic. And represents someone who had he decided not be a serial murderer, perhaps could’ve had a career as an actor, because of his ability to live the lives of two people.  

Foreign Affairs: 'Robert C. Bonner on the Mexican Election & Drug War'

Source:Foreign Affairs- interviewing Robert C. Bonner about Mexico.

"Foreign Affairs Focus: Mexico's Drug War With Robert Bonner

As the Mexican presidential election approaches, Managing Editor Jonathan Tepperman interviews author Robert C. Bonner about President Calderon's successes in the fight against corruption, violence, organized crime, and powerful drug cartels, and the continued progress necessary to establish a peaceful state with strong institutions. If PRI candidate Pena Nieto wins as expected, will he sustain this battle against the drug cartels? How can Washington cooperate with Mexican law enforcement to address the transfer of drugs and money across the border?

Watch former DEA Administrator Bonner discuss Mexico's unique situation with former Mexican foreign secretary Jorge Castaneda in this 2010 "Foreign Affairs LIVE":" 

From Foreign Affairs 

Associated Press: Matt Small- 'Drug Talk and Parenting, the New Rules'

Source:Associated Press- Trish Nixon's 21 year old daughter.

"Colorado Springs mother, Trish Nixon talks about how she approached the 'drug talk' with her now 21 year-old daughter. This, as Colorado votes in November on a measure to legalize the recreational use of marijuana." 

From the Associated Press

I believe the best comment that Trish Nixon (the mother who is featured in this piece) said was a very important point. She said (and I'm paraphrasing) that it's up to her daughter whether or not she uses marijuana or not. But similar to alcohol, anytime you put any drug in your body whether it's marijuana or alcohol, that drug is going to affect you and affect your personality. So you need to know what you are getting into before you take any drug. 

I think that's what most pro-marijuana legalization supporters are saying here and I'm one of them. We're not saying that people should or should not use marijuana. We're saying that people who do choose to use marijuana recreationally, shouldn't be arrested for it when they're 21 or over and that it should be regulated like alcohol. As well as putting out all the best available information about marijuana and then letting free adults in America make that decision for themselves and having them live with consequences of their own choices and actions.

Associated Press: Lee Howell: 'AP Sources: Immunity Offered to Some Immigrants'

Source:Associated Press- welcome to the border.

"The Obama administration will stop deporting and begin granting work permits to younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and have since led law-abiding lives." 

From the Associated Press

Secretary Hillary Clinton: 'Delivers Remarks on Syria'

"U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks on Syria following the meeting of the Action Group on Syria in Geneva, Switzerland on June 30, 2012...  

From the U.S. Department of State

Source:U.S. Department of State- Secretary Hillary R. Clinton.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, said that the Obama Administration’s strategy involving Syria, is very clear. And said in a way that almost sounded sarcastic. As if she’s shocked that no one else understands it and then she laid out why she believes this strategy (if you want to call it that) by laying out what sounded like goals: "We want to see the bloodshed in Syria to end, we want the Assad Regime to stop terrorizing its people. We want the Syrian people to be able to build a future for themselves." Well, that’s great, but unless you are part of the Syrian Regime, or some other type of authoritarian, who doesn’t believe in those goals, of course you believe in human rights for everybody.

That’s like saying you believe in democracy, the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, the American flag, apple pie and all the rest of the things that Americans tend to love. Good luck finding someone in this country who disagrees with any of those things. 

Goals aren’t the same as a strategy. Goals are what you want to accomplish. A strategy is the plan to achieve those goals. Something that Secretary Clinton understands, the Obama Administration has goals when it comes to Syria, but hasn’t shown much in any strategy to achieve those goals.

The good news is that President Obama and his national security team, seems to at least be preparing to put all options on the table, as they relate to Syria. According to CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr, the Defense Department is looking into what it would cost to back the Syrian rebels. What type of military President Assad has, what type of resistance that they could put up, as far as planes, weapons, etc that they could use. Not only against the Syrian rebels, but how they could respond to a coalition force. If a coalition force was put together, if NATO and the Arab League were to get involved to protect the Syrian rebels, as they take the fight to the Assad security forces.

A no fly zone, over a country of twenty-million people, which is what Syria is, about the size of Iraq physically, not quite as big. A No Fly Zone should be the last option we go to as far as getting involved in Syria, but the fact that they are even looking at that, tells me the Pentagon is preparing to get involved. Goals are great to have: "This is what we want to accomplish." But that’s just the first step. Without a strategy to layout how your plan in accomplishing those goals, you are going to come up short. You’ll end up trying a bunch of different things, without putting much thought into them. Essentially flipping a coin to see what works and what doesn’t and end up flying in a dark and hope you don’t crash into anything. 

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American Civil Liberties Union: 'The Aging Prisoner Boom: Picturing Our Elderly Behind Bars'

Source:ACLU- an aging inmate at one of America's prisons.

"Striking photos by Tim Gruber give an inside look at our nation's growing elderly prisoner population. A new ACLU report examines the problem and offers practical solutions to address the dramatic and costly growth in the number of elderly prisoners." 

From the ACLU

Just for the record: I do support life in prison without the possibility of parole for the most serious of felonies, like murder, rape, terrorism, espionage, arson, kidnapping, etc. But even permanent life in prison needs to be humane and as cost-effective as possible, that's in life with keeping the public as safe as possible as well. 

So no, I'm not for letting serial murderers and rapists out of prison, just because they're too old and weak to ever murder and rape again. But we do need a system and program for our aging inmates who'll never legally get out of prison, but allows for them to age and die with dignity. 

Again, I'm not talking about releasing lifers just because they are old or for any other reason, other than being found innocent. But setting up a health care system in prison, senior homes for inmates, that would be financed by the prison health care system, that the inmates would pay into themselves. Saving precious tax revenue for other priorities in government that are already underfunded.

Associated Press: Raw Video- Mitt Romney: ‘To Small Businesses: ‘Add More Jobs’

Source:Associated Press- Governor Mitt Romney (Republican, Massachusetts) and Governor Rick Snyder (Republican, Michigan) campaigning in Michigan.

“Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney held a small business roundtable in Frankenmuth, Mich. Tuesday morning. The state is his final stop on a five-day, six-state Midwestern tour. Earlier he said he thinks Michigan is a state he can win.” 

From the Associated Press

Telling someone to hire people, won’t create jobs. Mitt Romney and Barack Obama says it’s time to hire new employees: “Well, just because of that alone, we are going to start hiring more people right way, because they know with their vast experience in running small business’s on how best to run our business’s, then we the people who are keeping these business’s, well in business”. It doesn’t work that way. What creates jobs in either small or big business, is the need to hire new employees. It’s as simple as that.

Mitt Romney and Barack Obama waving their magic economic wands, won’t get small business’s to hire more people right now if profits are down or flat or you are worried about just staying in business. Perhaps trying to figure out how to obtain a loan, just to stay in business. You aren’t going to look for way to increase your payroll, if anything you are going to look for ways to cut payroll, to save money.

Small business’s aren’t hiring right now, because economic growth is low, job growth is also low because of weak economic growth now three years into the economic recovery from the Great Recession of 2008-09. Economic growth is low because consumer demand is low. Consumer demand is low, because people simply aren’t spending money right now.

If reading any of this makes you dizzy, I completely understand. I’m dizzy just from writing it. Americans are spending just to meet their basic needs and are struggling just to do that. One reason why it’s a bad time to pass tax hikes. Sorry Socialists, tax hikes and tax increases are not always a good thing a cure to any disease, economic or otherwise. But all these things in the economy are linked together and are holding our economy down. So the way to create jobs and get small business’s to start hiring again, is by giving them more customers. Give them more demand so they need more employees to meet the new consumer demand.

You don’t create new jobs by making small businesses jobs tougher by taking more of their money from them to feed Uncle Sam, who needs a diet anyway. The way you create more jobs, is to create more demand and need for new workers. That is how we get the economy going again. Sounds simple, now we need policies to encourage that. So first, let’s not pass tax hikes right now, the payroll tax or anything else. Consumers need that money in their pockets and for jobs to be created, they need to spend that money.

One way to do that is to create jobs for small business like with infrastructure investment, passing an infrastructure bill out of Congress in the hundreds of billions of dollars over two years. By giving construction companies more work to do, they’ll end up needing new employees to do that work, which will create more and new jobs, hiring unemployed construction workers.

Economics 101: to create new jobs, you first need to work and business to do. These people will now have some money to spend with their new jobs and would add to our consumer spending, which will lead to new consumer demand, which will lead to new economic growth, which will lead to more job growth.

All of these things are linked together and when they are all doing well, like just as little as 5-6 years ago or in the 1990s economic and job growth are high. But when they are down, our whole economy as far as consumer demand, consumer spending, economic and job growth are all down. Which is the situation right now. So to fix these problems we need to encourage people to spend money again. You don’t fix the economy with politician’s saying: “Now it’s time to hire for the good of the country!” Business’s need good reasons to hire that will help their business’s first. 

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You can also see this post at The Daily Press, on WordPress. 

You can also see this post at The Daily Press, on Blogger.

The Onion: Stan Kelly- 'Behind The Pen- Nanny State, Ninny State'

Source:The Onion- Big Brother is watching you (to paraphrase Sting)

Source:The Daily Press 

“What’s wrong with a young person going to the Big Brothers to find a role model? Plenty, says Cartoonist Stan Kelly in this week’s “Behind The Pen” video.”

From The Onion

The guy narrating this video sounds like a pervert. Perhaps how Jerry Sandusky sounds in private or how some of these religious fundamentalists sound in private. The people who bash homosexuals and believe homosexuality should be outlawed.

Stan Kelly (or whoever the guy in the video is) does make a valid point of what a nanny state looks like: “Don’t bother to think for yourself and to take care of yourself, because we Nanny-Statists will do that for you. And not only that, but when you do things that are considered unhealthy, we’ll punish you for hurting yourself. So you don’t do that in the future.”

This whole nanny state episode is a self-inflicted wound that Nanny-Statists on the Far-Left have done to themselves, by trying to outlaw large soda drinks in New York. And they have their brand new hero in Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who I guess has replaced Karl Marx in leading the charge and have opened up themselves to satires like this and I referring to this video by The Onion.

Whether it’s outlawing plastic bags in Los Angeles or trying to outlaw tobacco or hate speech, because Nanny-Statists are worried about people’s feelings getting hurt, (well, people who agree with them) they add to the notion that so-called and self-described Progressives (Socialists and Neo-Communists, in actuality) want to control people’s lives for them. Because in their small world, Americans who don’t have a Northeastern or West Coast education, aren’t intelligent enough to manage their own lives, so they need some left-wing, hippie Uncle Sam to do that for them.

The Onion: 'High Unemployment- Linked to One Man With 42,000 Jobs'

Source:The Onion- the man with too many jobs, while millions of Americans are unemployed. Well, according to The Onion.

Source:The Daily Press

“High Unemployment Rate Linked To One Man With 42,000 Jobs. A recent report finds that one man is selfishly working thousands of jobs while other Americans go without even one. (Aired 10/25/11)” 

From The Onion 

Maybe if we didn’t have so many damn workaholics like the Jim Richmond’s of the world who work in three difference cities on the same say, doing three different jobs at once, we wouldn’t have the high unemployment that we have. Just throwing a stupid thought out there.

Source:The Daily Press- the three men along with Jim Richmond who are responsible for the high unemployment in America?

No wonder we have so much unemployment in this country. Jim Smith lets call him (for lack of a last name) has 42K jobs. You know to be honest with you, I have a hard time believing that one person could manage 42K jobs. I mean he would have to be Superman on steroids. A man with 14-21 thousand clones to pull this off, even making Mitt Romney jealous of all the clones he has. Perhaps Jim borrowed some of his clones from Mitt. He would have to be the worst workaholic imaginable. Someone who never sleeps, perhaps always on caffeine picking up a caffeine addiction while working at Starbucks and running another Starbucks.

Jim Smith with that caffeine addiction, to be able to fly planes on the weekend, while he’s air traffic controlling other planes in another city, at the same time. Flying from New York to St. Louis, while landing planes in Miami. His kids probably don’t remember the last time they’ve seen him. His wife or several of his wives (perhaps he’s Mormon) and ladies he’s met on 2000 of his jobs, have already filed missing person reports. But the problem that police have, no not that they ran out of coffee and doughnuts, Jim gave them a new supply, while working at Dunkin Doughnuts. The problem that police have is that they don’t know which Jim Smith to look for.

How do you track someone down with 42K jobs? Not only that, but how do you track down someone with 42K jobs named Jim Smith? You look up that name in a phonebook and you see 1K guys with that name and then maybe you say: “Well, how many guys named Jim Smith with 42K jobs?” Well, only one if any, but I’m skeptical that one guy could have all of those jobs. I know what you are thinking to be skeptical of that there is a guy with 42K jobs, would be like trying to believe that Mitt Romney is unemployed, or Barack Obama is a Socialist or Santa Clause doesn’t really exist.

Well, call me crazy then, but I don’t believe it to begin with. I have this weird suspicion that this story was made up by Onion News and I know what you are thinking. That Onion News reports more facts than Fox News. Well thats true, but if Mitt Romney is unemployed, then anything is possible. I mean who says that President Obama’s economic policies aren’t working: 42K jobs were created for one man alone.

With that type of job growth, we can create so many jobs, that we won’t have enough unemployed workers and then we won’t need as big as a safety net. Which of course would drive so-called Progressives (hyper active Socialists, really ) crazy to the point where they would come up with policies to layoff more workers, but wouldn’t that be a nice problem to have. 

President Barack Obama: 'Mitt Romney's Economic Plan: It Didn't Work Then, It Won't Work Now'

Source:President Barack Obama- Governor Mitt Romney (Republican, Massachusetts) presidential campaign rally.

"Mitt Romney's Economic Plan? He wants to cut jobs for firefighters, police, and teachers. It's the same thing he did in Massachusetts. The plan didn't work then and it won't work now." 

From President Barack Obama 

I think the strategy that the Obama Campaign is using against Mitt Romney is pretty obvious. Governor Romney is running as a successful businessman and job creator, not as the former Governor of Massachusetts, a job that he had from 2003-07. 

The reason for that is because the job that he did as Governor, is not something that a Republican wants to run on, at least nationally. The biggest accomplishments that Governor Romney had are accomplishments that a Progressive Democrat would run on: universal health insurance and same-sex-marriage. And his job as a job creator is not much to brag about either, being in the 40s when it comes to economic and job growth in his state.

NFL Films: NFL 1967- NFL Championship- Dallas Cowboys @ Green Bay Packers: Ice Bowl

Source:Pro Football Hall of Fame- the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers for the 1967 NFL Championship.

Source:The Daily Press 

“Pro football fans in Green Bay, Wisconsin have always been recognized as a loyal and hearty bunch. But one wouldn’t have faulted even the most loyal “Packer Backer” if he’d decided not to attend the 1967 NFL Championship game between the Packers and Dallas Cowboys. Played at Lambeau Field on December 31, the temperature at game time registered a frigid 13 degrees below zero. Nonetheless, more than 50,000 parka-clad fans braved the elements that New Year’s Eve and watched in awe as the Packers claimed their third consecutive NFL title, with a 21-17 victory.

From the start, Green Bay fans felt their team had a distinct advantage over the warm-weather Cowboys, After all, the Packers lived and practiced in the cold Wisconsin climate. Green Bay’s early 14-0 lead probably convinced fans that they were right. However, the severe weather affected the Packers too. Dallas scored a touchdown and a field goal after two Packer fumbles and added a second touchdown in the fourth quarter. Suddenly, with 4:50 left in the game the Packers were behind, 17-14.

The Packers literally and figuratively “kept their cool.” Behind the leadership of future Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr, they marched down field. With sixteen seconds remaining and the temperature down to eighteen below zero, the Packers found themselves about two feet away from victory. Starr called time out. The field was like a sheet of ice. The two previous running plays had gone nowhere. With no time outs left, a running play seemed totally out of the question. A completed pass surely would win it. Even an incomplete pass would at least stop the clock so the Packers could set up a field goal to tie the game and send it into overtime. After consulting with Packers coach Vince Lombardi, Starr returned to the huddle.”

From the Pro Football Hall of Fame 

“I think this is as close as you can get to the full game.”

Source:Virgil Moody- the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers for the 1967 NFL Championship.

From Virgil Moody 

When I think of great football games, I don’t think of great shootouts, like the New York Jets beating the Miami Dolphins back in 1986, something like 52-49, the shootout of shootouts with quarterbacks Dan Marino and Ken O’Brien trading touchdown passes. Good game, entertaining game, of course, but not one of the best games of all-time.

No, a great game is generally not played by two teams that can’t stop each other, where the team that has the ball last, wins or can’t score against each other. And it’s generally a mistake rather than a great play that decides the game.

Great games are generally played between two great teams, where both teams have good or great offenses and defenses. And the team that wins, is the team that executes or prepares better and perhaps gets a few more breaks. Thats what the 1967 NFL Championship, better known as the Ice Bowl represents. Two very good teams on both sides of the ball, both playing a great game. I mean think about it, the 1967 NFL Championship played in Green Bay, Wisconsin, not Milwaukee, but Green Bay.

Take football and freezing weather away from Green Bay, nobody outside of the country has ever heard of Green Bay. Actually, take the Packers out of Green Bay, nobody outside of Green Bay has ever heard of Green Bay. But they have the Packers and they have Lambeau Field, the New York Yankees of the NFL and most famous and best stadium in the NFL. There’s nothing that better represents the NFL than the Packers and Lambeau Field, with all of its Hall of Famers and championships.

The Packers won the first two Super Bowls, so there was no better place to be, to play this game and weather was part of it. The ultimate of football weather, zero degrees at halftime, windchill probably -20, a skating rink for a football field. Playing a very good and up-incoming team, from the biggest city or 2nd biggest city in the South, the Dallas Cowboys.

What made the Ice Bowl great, we’re the great players who played in, the Hall of Famers and Pro Bowlers who played for both teams. QB Don Meredith, WR Bob Hayes, DT Bob Lilly for the Cowboys. QB Bart Starr, OT Forrest Gregg, OG Jerry Kramer, DE Willy Davis and others for the Packers. I mean these teams had to be this great, just to show up to play this game and represent why this is the best bad weather football game of all time. 

FYI: 'The World's Most Notorious Serial Killer- Ted Bundy'

Source:FYI- I believe this is the F.B.I. most wanted photo of serial murderer Ted Bundy. 

Source:The Daily Press

“The World’s Most Notorious Serial Killer : Documentary on Ted Bundy (Full Documentary)”

From FYI 

When I think of people who would fall into the category, of what could’ve been, as far as people who could’ve been very successful in life, the ultimate underachievers, Ted Bundy would definitely be on that list. There are plenty of athletes who would make that list. Baseball players like Darryl Strawberry, who was a five-tool player, whose career was shortened due to drug addiction. Jose Canseco would be on that list as well. Not so much drug addiction, except for perhaps steroids. But someone who wasn’t very disciplined as an athlete or a person.

Football players like RB Eric Dickerson and this might be hard to believe, because he’s in the Hall of Fame. But he could’ve and perhaps should’ve gone down as the best running back of all time. Perhaps the most talented RB of all-time, but never made it to that level. And then you look at politicians, like Richard Nixon, without his paranoia, would’ve gone down as one of the best American president’s ever, especially on foreign policy. And then you can also look at serial murderers and Ted Bundy would be at the top of my list.

There are plenty of criminals and serial murderers who are pure evil, who bring nothing to the table, from a positive sense. Richard Ramirez the Night Stalker comes to mind. And then there are serial murderers who are a mix bag of good and evil. Take away the evil side and they could’ve been very productive in life. Ted Bundy would be at the top of my list.

Serial murderers like John Wayne Gacy, who when he wasn’t murdering people, was a very successful business and family man. Who was considering a career in Illinois politics and could’ve gotten elected and been successful at that. Ted Bundy went to college and was studying to become a lawyer.

Bundy was a law student and even represented himself in court, during his murder trials. Murder trials, because he’s connected to at least twenty murders that we know of and there may be more.

The evil side of Ted Bundy, was one of the worst people we’ve ever seen, one of the most successful serial murderers that we know of, as far as the amount of people he murdered and murdered all young women, most of them college students. So he could rape them, then murder them and then keep them as his possessions, so he can come back to them. Thats how he satisfied his sexual desires and is someone who had to be stopped, because he would’ve killed more. 

Associated Press: President Obama: 'Europe Must Act to Stem Econ Crisis'

Source:Associated Press- President Barack H. Obama (Democrat, Illinois) talking about Europe at The White House.

"President Barack Obama is urging Europe's leaders to act quickly and decisively to solve the continent's economic crisis. Obama says there are solutions available to European leaders, including injecting capital into weak banks." 

From the Associated Press

Shomari Stone: 'Grand Opening of Maryland Live! Casino in Hanover, MD'

Source:Shomari Stone- reporting for WRC-TV News in Hannover, Maryland.

"Grand Opening of Maryland Live! in Hanover - Casino is now open to the public

Shomari Stone takes you inside Maryland Live! Casino in Hanover, MD.

Thousands lined up for a chance to win big at the grand opening of Maryland Live! at Arundel Mills in Hanover, Maryland on Wednesday night. The casino opened with more than 3,000 slot machines and a mix of electronic table games including Blackjack, Roulette and Poker.

The new $500 million Maryland Live! Casino is designed to appeal to more than just gamblers. Those looking for a great meal have several dining options, including the Cheesecake Factor, Bobby's Burger Palace and Phillips Seafood. The project also created more than 2,500 jobs, with 1,500 employees working at the casino. The casino is expected to generate more than $400 million per year in tax revenue to support local schools.

Maryland Live! is now open to the public Sunday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., and Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m. Guests must be 21 years or older to attend."

From Shomari Stone

If you want to look at legalized gambling from partisan, political lens, this is a win, win for both hyper-partisan sides of the political isle in America: 

The Left gets their new government revenue to support all of their so-called progressive programs that they want, as well as new revenue for government programs that we actually need like education, infrastructure, and law enforcement. 

The Right gives the Maryland Assembly and Governor Martin O'Malley the opportunity to lower taxes in Maryland on individuals and businesses, because of all the new good jobs that are created by casinos and the taxes that the people who go to the casinos will pay. As well as giving Maryland the opportunity to keep new revenue in the state that otherwise would've gone to Delaware or New Jersey that has legalized gambling in their states. 

I know the Christian-Right doesn't like gambling because it violates their fundamentalist religious beliefs. And the Nanny State-Left doesn't like gambling because they're worried about too many people gambling their money away. But this is not a theocracy (at least not yet) and the State of Maryland is not a nanny state (at least not yet) but instead calls itself the Free State of Maryland. If you are going to call yourself the Free State, then you have to live up with that. 

Everything in life that adults do can come with real risks, including gambling. Doesn't mean you outlaw it and hope it goes away, especially when you are talking about victimless crimes. Every activity that Americans participate in life can be safely and responsibly regulated, as well as taxed, to make them as safe as possible, but also put take pressure off of taxpayers when it comes to income and property taxes and allow for you to keep more revenue in your state. Which is how gambling, as well as marijuana, should be handled in Maryland.

Associated Press: Matt Friedman- 'Syria: US, European Diplomats No Longer Welcome'

Source:Associated Press- Bashar Al-Asasd: Baathist President of Syria.

"Syria barred a string of U.S. and European diplomats Tuesday, saying they were "no longer welcome" as the country plunged into its most profound international isolation in decades." 

From Associated Press

It’s a good thing that both America and Europe are pulling their diplomats out of Syria for diplomatic as well as for security reasons. Looks like the Assad Regime is preparing for war, as they should be if they want to stay in power. And of course they do and be the most authoritarian regime in the Mideast. This government is worst than the Islāmic Republic of Iran, which is an Islāmic theocracy, that of course is sexist towards women. President Assad is not interested in being President of Syria, that’s just his title. He’s interested in ruling over his people. Which is different.

The Assad Regime is more of a terrorist organization than a government. It’s more of a police state, than a government. They will allow you to live in what they claim is their country for a price: that you do exactly what they want you to do, you live under their code of conduct and live up to what they believe a Syrian should be. And the West looks like is finally waking up to that and the Syrian people are finally fed up about that and are literally now fighting back about it and it’s only a question of whether the Arab League and the West are going to help them fight back.

I wrote two blog posts last week arguing that the United States needs to stand for the Syrian people. Not calling for an invasion of Syria. No one in their right mind is, but there are other ways to assist people fighting for their freedom, without invading their country and risk killing innocent people. It could even happen short of a no fly zone, with things like military aid, weapons, food, humanitarian relief, blockades, preventing money from leaving the Assad Regime. And going to the Assad Regime, along with other sources, things we should’ve been doing for months.

We could be empowering the Syrian rebels to take the fight to the Assad Regime, but without doing it for them. Telling them that if they want their freedom, they have to go take it from President Assad. The old guard so to speak, is not going to go down without a fight, as we saw in Libya and of course as we are seeing in Syria. 

It’s good that the United States and Europe are pulling their diplomats out of Syria, to prevent them from going through any possible future violence. And this might be a sign of what’s to come, that the Syrian rebels are ready, or are preparing to go on the offense. Hopefully with the backing from the West and we will be able to eliminate another authoritarian regime in the Mideast. 

You can also see this post on WordPress.

The Onion: 'Week in Review'

Source:The Onion- Also in what's not in the news: the Republican Party endorsed President Barack H. Obama for reelection as President of the United States.

Source:The Daily Press 

"Straight and gay service members are looking forward to asking and telling, scientists believe the recent heat wave may have been caused by a massive star at the center of the Solar System, and Bristol Palin reveals that her mother has had 15 abortions. It's the week of August 8th, 2011." 

From The Onion 

Source:The Onion- Governor Flip Flopper (Republican, Massachusetts) I mean Mitt Romney (honest mistake) is desperate to be President of the United States.

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney announced today that he will clone himself again, to make himself look like a woman. Along with undergoing plastic surgery to make that happen, to better reconnect with female voters. But canceled those plans, after being told by Christian-Conservatives that they wouldn't vote for a woman for President. The ironic part of this, that a lot of those voters are women as well. 

In a press release from the Romney Campaign, they announced that already managing four clones, Conservative Mitt, Liberal Mitt, Moderate Mitt and Neoconservative Mitt, would be too much to handle. To go along with a Female Mitt.

Also in the news: Vice President Joe Biden  announced that Mitt Romney was more qualified to be President of the United States, then himself. But in the next sentenced announced that Mitt would make a worst President than George W. Bush. Apparently Vice President Biden forgot to take his medication. His wife Jill Biden announced that her husband is back home in bed now. And will only be allowed to leave the house, with tape wrapped around his mouth, to prevent him from speaking. 

That's your week in what didn't happen. For more information on what's not going on in the world, I suggest you become a die hard viewer of Fox News or reader of The Onion to find out how the world doesn't work.  

The Nanny States of America: The Week in Big Government

Source:Wikipedia- The Nanny State of Britain.

"Nanny state is a term of British origin that conveys a view that a government or its policies are overprotective or interfering unduly with personal choice.[1][2] The term likens such a government to the role that a nanny has in child rearing. An early use of the term comes from Conservative British Member of Parliament Iain Macleod who referred to "what I like to call the nanny state" in the 3 December 1965 edition of The Spectator.[3][4]

The term was popularised by journalists Bernard Levin[5] and Auberon Waugh[6] and later by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher."

From Wikipedia

"Congress took up one of the most divisive issues in politics Thursday as the House of Representatives rejected a controversial measure banning abortions based on the sex of a fetus.

In the House, 246 representatives backed the bill while 168 voted against it, leaving the proposal short of the two-thirds total necessary for passage. Most Republicans supported the measure; the majority of Democrats opposed it.

Supporters characterized the proposal as a necessary defense of the civil rights of unborn children; opponents called it part of a broader so-called war on women and an ongoing assault on legalized abortion."

Source:CNN- U.S. Representative Trent Franks (Republican, Arizona) sponsor of the antiabortion bill.

From CNN 

"A federal appeals court has struck down the Defense of Marriage Act – Congress's key legislation to block gay marriage – as unconstitutional in a ruling that will propel the issue to the supreme court.

The Boston-based first district appeals court upheld a lower court decision that gay marriage is a matter for individual states to decide and that the federal government does not have the authority to deny recognition of same-sex unions.

It is the highest court to date to strike down the 1996 act, known as Doma, which denies gay married couples federal benefits and protections given to heterosexuals such as health coverage, social security payments and medical leave. A host of states have passed their own bans on gay marriage, but eight states and the District of Columbia have authorised same-sex unions." 

Source:The Guardian- "Greg Kimball and Brian O'Connor kiss outside the Massachusetts state house in Boston in 2007...

From The Guardian 

"ABC News' George Will this morning slammed Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his proposed ban on certain sizes of sugary soda in New York City restaurants, movie theaters and delis, calling it an "irritable gesture" on "This Week."

"In one sentence he's got the essence of contemporary liberalism. That is something preposterous and something sinister," said Will, before quoting Bloomberg saying 'we're not taking away anyone's right to do things. We're simply forcing you to understand."'

Will admitted the United States faces an obesity problem, but argued that Bloomberg's solution is misguided.

"Regulating the size of these drinks at some outlets will do nothing about it (American obesity problem)…what this really says is, what Bloomberg is saying, the government helps with your healthcare, the government's implicated in your heath, therefore we own you."

Will went further, comparing the effort to regulate what people drink to the liberal effort to regulate people's energy use.

"This is one of the reasons liberals are so enamored of the issue of climate change. They say all our behavior in some way affects the climate," he said. "Therefore, the government - meaning, we, liberals, the party of government - can fine-tune all your behavior right down to the light bulbs you use."

ABC News contributor Donna Brazile expressed her support for Bloomberg, but admitted the proposed plan couldn't solve the American obesity problem.

"We have a public health crisis. Obesity is national problem. I don't think you can solve it by banning one of many sugary things out there," said Brazile. "All I can tell you is that this is a very serious concern and I commend the mayor for raising it and also giving you something to drink about," said Brazile." 

From ABC News 

"George Will and Donna Brazile debate Mayor Bloomberg's soda proposal."

Source:ABC News- This Week with George Will and Donna Brazile.

From ABC News

A Federal appeals court rules that DOMA, (the Defense of Marriage Act that President Clinton signed into law back in 1996 that the Republican Congress passed) that President Clinton now says was a mistake to sign into law, is ruled unconstitutional by a Federal appeals court. Because it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. A familiar ruling and why I predict that all same-sex marriage bans will be ruled unconstitutional in the future. 

Looks like women won't have to ask Uncle Sam's permission to use the bathroom or interfere with her and her doctor in decisions they make regarding her health. 

New York City bans sweet drinks. How Mayor Mike Bloomberg was ever a Republican, I'll never know. Lately he doesn't look like a Democrat either, but governing as a left-wing Nanny Statist. I would call him a Communist, but he's a billionaire and the only billionaire Communists are dictators. And whatever you think of Mayor Bloomberg, he's certainly not a Communist. (At least on economic policy)

Whether big government is coming from statists on the Far-Left or its coming from statists on the Far-Right, it's still big government. And it's too big, because it interferes with how free adults live their own lives, not how we live among each other. But how we live our lives as individuals. Whether it involves health care, with abortion or telling people they have to take government health insurance. Or outlawing same-sex marriage, because you don't like homosexuals and it violates your religious freedom to allow them to get married.

How same-sex marriage violates anything to me, is a mystery that could make for a good book or movie. And maybe I'll write about that in the future. Or telling people they can't have soft drinks, because it's unhealthy for them. Again, interfering with how free adults live their own lives.

We are a liberal democracy and because of that we have the liberty to live our own lives. Statists whether they are on the Far-Left or Far-Right, seem to have such boring lives, that minding their own damn business puts them to sleep. So they feel the need to mind other people's damn business, with what health care they can have, who they can marry, what they watch on TV, what they can eat and drink, etc. 

Big Government is also undemocratic because you are saying with these laws, that end up getting thrown out, is that you know best how to live the lives of the people you represent, better than them. 

We live in the United State of America, which is a liberal democracy. Americans are supposed to have the freedom here to live their own lives. Not interfere with the freedom and security of others, but to be able to make their own decisions for themselves. If individual freedom and free choice is too scary for you, I suggest that their countries that you might want to try in instead. The Communist Republic of Cuba is just 90 miles south of Florida. But you hear about or see people fleeing to Cuba to escape America.