Category: Sports

Death Of A Statesman

Sad news today….the death of one of the last statesmen left in the US Congress, Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland….

Rep. Elijah Cummings died early Thursday at Johns Hopkins Hospital due to complications from longstanding health challenges, his congressional office says. He was 68. A sharecropper’s son, Cummings became the powerful chairman of a House committee that investigated President Trump, and was a formidable orator who passionately advocated for the poor in his black-majority district, which encompasses a large portion of Baltimore as well as more well-to-do suburbs. As chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Cummings led multiple investigations of the president’s governmental dealings, including probes in 2019 relating to the president’s family members serving in the White House, the AP reports.

Cummings was born on Jan. 18, 1951. In grade school, a counselor told Cummings he was too slow to learn and spoke poorly, and he would never fulfill his dream of becoming a lawyer. “I was devastated,” Cummings the AP in 1996. “My whole life changed. I became very determined.” It steeled Cummings to prove that counselor wrong. He became not only a lawyer, but one of the most powerful orators in the statehouse, where he entered office in 1983. He rose through the ranks of the Maryland House of Delegates before winning his congressional seat in a special election in 1996. The Baltimore archdiocese tweeted that Cummings “generously shared his God-given gifts and talents w/the people of his beloved city, state, and nation for so many years.”

Rep, Cummings will be sadly missed by the Congress and the nation…..our Congress have so few actual statesman…men/women of conviction and decency….

IST would like to offer our warmest feelings toward the Representative and his family……

May He Rest In Peace.

I Read, I Wrote, You Know

Those Damn Dem Centrists!

2020 election is in the wings and all efforts are being played.

Pundits are screaming for a centrist candidate for the Dems…..a centrist will be inclined to protect the corporations that own the news these days.

Personally, I do not think centrtists do anything to help the situation…they are more likely to feed the partisan BS that has crippled this country for damn near 4 decades.

Let me illustrate my opposition…..

https://lobotero.com/2011/06/27/centrist-vs-independent/

https://lobotero.com/2014/07/29/centrists-the-bane-of-politics/

Who are the centrists?

For those that are not sure who is who in the Democratic field….watch for their election strategy…..

I hate the term “centrists”…….. they are “corporatists”…… meaning they will do what it takes to keep corporations in control of government…..

In his book Failed States, preeminent linguist Noam Chomsky described the significant gap between the policy positions of the U.S. electorate and their elected “leaders” as a “democracy deficit.” That gap, he concluded, is the product of the deceptive manner in which “elections are skillfully managed to avoid issues and marginalize the underlying population…freeing the elected leadership to serve the substantial people.”

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/08/08/step-one-closing-democracy-deficit-stop-referring-corporatists-centrists-or

What is this strategy?

Democrats voting strategy: 1). Vote blue, no matter who   2). Refuse to discuss voting records, donor history   3). Yell at anyone discussing voting records, donor history   4). Refuse to support any progressive candidates   5). Wonder why Trump wins re-election   6). Repeat in 2024……. 2028.

It is a false allure of centrism that the MSM is pushing on the viewing public……

Nancy Pelosi is worried about 2020. As, of course, is every Democrat, but Pelosi has an analysis of the challenge the party faces that is striking in how tentative it sounds, even frightened. Here’s what she told The New York Times over the weekend:

Sitting in her office with its panoramic view of the National Mall, Ms. Pelosi—the de facto head of the Democratic Party until a presidential nominee is selected in 2020—offered Democrats her “coldblooded” plan for decisively ridding themselves of Mr. Trump: Do not get dragged into a protracted impeachment bid that will ultimately get crushed in the Republican-controlled Senate, and do not risk alienating the moderate voters who flocked to the party in 2018 by drifting too far to the left.

“Own the center left, own the mainstream,” Ms. Pelosi, 79, said.

It wasn’t that long ago that Pelosi was supposed to epitomize the left’s radicalism, a “San Francisco liberal” who filled every heartland American with rage and disgust. Now she’s telling the Democratic Party that the path to victory is by limiting conflict with Donald Trump and offering a sedate policy centrism.

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/05/06/fearful-democrats-and-false-allure-policy-centrism

If you want more of the same from your Dems then vote for those damn centrists…..Biden, Mayor Pete, Harris, Booker, etc etc…….and please stop attaching the “progressive” label to these corporate toadies.

Get Smart!

Learn Stuff!

Then VOTE!

“Lego Ergo Scribo”

Gentlemen–Start Your Engines

The weekend and I am in search of something different for posts….continuing my attempts at FYI.

The Olympics is approaching and there is a try to get a certain “sport” that is pressuring the committees to include it…..the sport is “pole dancing”……not just for strip clubs anymore….at least that is their belief……

Normally associated with seedy night clubs, pole dance is desperate to distance itself from of an undesirable image, and supporters believe the gymnastic and acrobatic elements of ‘Pole Sport’ warrants Olympic Games recognition.

In 2016, The International Pole Sport Federation (IPSF) submitted a request to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for Pole Sport to be officially acknowledged as a sport.

Pole Sport practitioners are working hard to challenge stereotypes, rid itself of preconceptions and promote a family friendly and competitive environment in order to gain recognition, which is something as diverse as breakdancing has provisionally achieved.

RT Sport hooked up with Nyashi Dance school in Moscow to find out why Pole Sport deserves Olympic recognition.

https://youtu.be/hZZdAGMmXUk

Gentlemen! I have wonderful news that I know you’re going to want to hear: As of early this month, the Global Association of International Sports Federation granted pole dancing “observer status,” meaning it’s officially recognized as a sport! Woohoo!

I’m sure pole-dancing women everywhere are overjoyed, because they know for a fact that it takes a shit ton of coordination, strength, and skill to spin around a pole with a single arm and hang upside down and still manage to look insanely hot.

https://www.maxim.com/sports/pole-dancing-olympic-sport-2017-10

Okay my thoughts…..the Olympics are for actually sports…..to me there are too many “sports” included that should be eliminated….horse dancing, sailing, circumcised (yes I know it is the wrong word) swimming…a few year back they eliminated softball but kept horse dancing….why?

What is next a “spin class” event for the Olympics….how about mountain climbing?

This could be the hot ticket if the outfits befit the idea of “pole dancing”…..talented yes…….. a sport not really.

That is my offerings for the day….I need to nurse an aching back….enjoy your Sunday and thanx for your time.

WTF?

The rain made me look for something on the Tube to occupy my mind……..a sport perhaps….there was Lacrosse, RallyCross, Rugby and then I cam across one that made me take notice……Collegiate Bass Fishing!

Is there a sport called Collegiate Bass Fishing?

I cannot think of anything my boring than fishing…and yet there is a college sport built around it.

Why?

But Wait!

What was that?

I found yet more interesting, for lack of a better word, sport….I came across the Cornhole Championships……..you read that right…CORNHOLE!

I found it because I looked away from the Tellie and heard the announcers saying such stuff as…..the bag could find the hole, the hole can be elusive at times, etc…..you can imagine that I sat up and had to watch to see what I was missing……

They have Mens, Womens and Mixed Doubles all looking for that elusive hole……

At first I thought it was a parody of sports……but the people looked damn serious….so I decided to check for myself……the color commentary is what got my attention originally….such terms as “rim the hole”….”slide past the obstruction”…..”4 bagger”…..”block the hole”…….on and on…..

It is NO joke! They even have a governing body…….

*** HOME ***

There is even a World Championship……seriously.

This is a serious sport apparently……who knew?  I am an old fart and this is just something that caught my attention…..old farts will know what I mean.

My Sunday was more interesting than I thought it would be….

Learn something everyday and you will NEVER be bored!

To Kill A President

Almost from the very beginning there have been those that have thought that killing a president would solve all the problems…..and unfortunately this president is no different…..

A North Dakota man has admitted stealing a forklift as part of a bizarre plot to kill President Trump last year. US Assistant State’s Attorney Brandi Sasse Russell says Gregory Lee Leingang, 42, stole the forklift and made his way to the motorcade route before Trump arrived to speak at a refinery in Mandan on Sept. 6. 2017, the Grand Forks Herald reports. “The intent was to basically try to get to the limo, flip the limo and get to the president and he wanted to kill the president,” Sasse Russell told a federal court Friday. As part of a plea deal, Leingang admitted attempting to damage government property and “attempting to enter or remain in a restricted building and on grounds while using a dangerous weapon.”

Leingang was arrested after the forklift became stuck in a gated area. Public defender Michelle Monteiro told the court the Bismarck resident was “suffering a serious psychiatric crisis during this incident” and his mental health has improved after seeing a psychiatrist and a therapist in prison. She said Leingang pleaded guilty in state court to stealing the forklift and setting two fires the same morning. He received 15 years for those crimes and 5 years for an unrelated burglary charge. Leingang will be sentenced on the federal charges Feb. 15, and Sasse Russell says she is considering making the federal sentence concurrent to the time he is serving on the state charges. (In 2016, a British man who admitted plotting to kill Trump was sentenced to a year and a day in federal custody.)

That puts Trump in good company (something he is not too fond of doing in person….I mean finding good company)……

From Abraham Lincoln to Barack Obama, a look at presidential assassinations and failed attempts.

http://timelines.latimes.com/us-presidential-assassinations-and-attempts/

Notice as we get into the twentieth century the presidents involved in assassination attempts have gone up…..I wonder why that is?  (Geez!  That was sarcasm people!)

This has always been there and I guess it will continue to be so……

Saturday–03Nov18

Cooler weather once again has come around….maybe this time it will stick around longer than a couple of days….we can hope.

I begin my weekend posting with a photo of a potato….I love a baked potato with lots of butter and sour cream but eateries never have a big potato I have to settle for those small ones….but then I saw a great potato at my local grocery…..

It was heavenly!

Enough of the foodie thingy…..we are in the middle of NFL season and we just finished the World Series…..I am not a big fan of organized sports but I do enjoy the guys at Bad Lip Reading…..

First we have the World Series……

Next their take on the NFL…

These guys are genius…..they NEVER stop being funny…..it is important to start your day with humor…….enjoy!

For me their takes are far more entertaining than the actual sports…..I hope you guys will have a great Saturday and enjoy yourself as much as you can.

Be well, Be safe…….chuq

Sneakers Are Burning

I guess this is my second Closing Thought–07Sep18

Now if you have been smart and stayed away from the TV then you may not know what I am going on about…..the truth is I was not going to take part in this story for I believe it is just a diversion from more important stuff.  But after all that was happening around the story I felt the need for comment.

Nike has taken its own advice to “Just Do It”—with the “It” being “Get involved in the NFL national anthem controversy.” The company, days before the start of the new football season, has signed up former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick as the face of the 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It” campaign, CNN reports. Kaepernick, who has been unable to get a new NFL contract since taking a knee for the anthem in the 2016 season to protest racial injustice, tweeted a photo from the campaign with the caption: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” A roundup of coverage:

  • “Top bracket.” Kaepernick’s existing deal with Nike had been about to expire when it was renegotiated for the new campaign; a source tells the AP that Kaepernick’s compensation will be similar to that of the top bracket of NFL players on Nike’s books—and the deal also includes a Kaepernick apparel line and donations to his charity, Know Your Rights.
  • The backlash begins. Not every Nike wearer was thrilled about the move, with some so outraged that they filmed themselves destroying their Nike gear, Metro reports. Twitter user Sean Clancy posted a video of himself incinerating his Nike shoes, complaining that the company had forced him “to choose between my favorite shoes and my country.” The hashtags #BoycottNike and #JustBurnIt started trending Monday.
  • Cutting swooshes. Country singer John Rich tweeted a picture of his soundman, a former Marine who had “just cut the Nike swoosh off his socks.” “Get ready to multiply that by the millions,” Rich warned.
  • Worth it? Nike, which has been battling Adidas to sign top players, is gambling that signing Kaepernick will be worth a backlash that is expected to include the president, Bloomberg reports. “The long-term relationship and a contract that benefits both parties over the next 10 years will likely outweigh any current controversy,” says Bloomberg analyst Chen Grazutis.
  • Athletes side with Kaepernick. Numerous fellow athletes and other celebrity spoke out in support of Kaepernick on Monday, reports Al Jazeera. #IMWITHKAP,” tweeted Miami Dolphins wide receiver Kenney Stills.
  • Ahmadinejad, Cruz get involved. In what WFAA describes as a “new height of bizarreness” in the controversy, former Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tweeted Monday that it was a shame Kaepernick, “one of the best Quarterbacks in the league,” didn’t have a playing contract. Sen. Ted Cruz then tweeted that the agreement of Ahmadinejad suggested that the NFL, Nike, and Beto O’Rourke, his Democratic challenger, “are all on the wrong side of the American people.”
  • Tillman, too. Pat Tillman, the former Arizona Cardinal killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2004, was cited by conservative commentators including Fox’s Stephen Miller as somebody who would have been a better face for the campaign, WBIR reports. Critics said Tillman would have supported players’ right to protest, or suggested he be left out of the debate instead of “weaponized.”

You Tube blew up with idiots setting their Nikes on fire…..goes to show that most Americans have more  money than brains.  They are destroying a $100+ shoe because of something an orange idiot had to say.

Personally I think if you had to protest why not give your Nikes to someone who needed shoes like a homeless veteran?……but wait that action would not give one that You Tube moment that they desire.

If they do not agree with what this man did, Kaepernick, then protests like this school in Arkansas……

Nike uniforms are vestimenta non grata at the College of the Ozarks after the company’s Colin Kaepernick ad campaign. The private Christian college in Missouri announced Thursday that its athletic teams will no longer buy Nike uniforms and any it has now will be removed, the Kansas City Star reports. In a statement, college president Jerry C. Davis accused Nike execs of “promoting an attitude of division and disrespect toward America” with the Kaepernick campaign. “If Nike is ashamed of America, we are ashamed of them,” Davis said. “We also believe that those who know what sacrifice is all about are more likely to be wearing a military uniform than an athletic uniform.”

Nike, which aired a Kaepernick-narrated ad during the NFL season opener, is “free to campaign as it sees fit,” just as the college is free “to ensure that it respects our country and those who truly served and sacrificed,” says Marci Linson, the school’s vice-president for patriotic activities. President Trump also criticized Nike and NFL anthem protests Thursday. “I don’t like what Nike did. I don’t think it’s appropriate what they did,” he said before a rally in Montana. The AP reports that there were no “clear-cut protests” during the season opener, in which the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Atlanta Falcons 18-12. Sources say Kaepernick watched the ad’s premiere from Nike headquarters in Oregon.

They chose to not use Nike products…..an excellent protest.

This whole thing is silly….Nike is getting all the free publicity they can use….and Our Dear Leader is helping their sales “yugely”……

Burning Nikes is about as moronic as the old days of pouring French wine down the drain because of something they did or said…..or to a lesser extent re-naming French Fries as “Freedom Fries”.

All in all a stupid knee jerk reaction to something that needs no response.

A few closing thoughts…….

“I am patient with stupidity but not those that are proud of it”

“Nothing worse than aggressive stupidity”

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance”

“It is a shame that stupidity is not more painful”

“Do not cater to stupidity”

I must shut down the mind for the day…..I dearly wish everyone have a great evening.  chuq