Washington Times: 'An Addiction Democrats Can’t Kick'

Source:The Washington Times- with an editorial about the Democratic Party and tobacco.

Source:The FreeState 

"The backrooms of American politics are not so smoke-filled now, but hypocrisy hangs as thick as ever over Washington. President Obama, who has been a three-pack-a-day man for most of his life, declares smokers Public Enemy No. 1 in his latest budget. He wants a near-doubling of the federal tax on cigarettes, to $1.95 a pack, all to pay for a universal preschool program for 4-year-olds. It’s the Democratic schizophrenia on tobacco.

If liberals believed their own rhetoric, they would call for an outright ban on tobacco, not a Mike Bloombergian half-measure, such as ordering retailers to keep the packs out of sight. The would-be successor to New York City’s nanny-in-chief, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, called for raising the minimum age for buying tobacco from 18 to 21, as if this would prevent youngsters from lighting up.

In Maryland, a Democratic state senator from Baltimore County unsuccessfully sought earlier this year to fine drivers $50 if caught smoking with a passenger under the age of 8. If someone of tender age shouldn’t be subjected to secondhand smoke, why exclude 10- and 12-year-olds from protection? Indeed, why not ban smoking entirely? 

There’s a simple answer: Liberals and Democrats can’t call for a neo-Prohibition ban on cigarettes because they’re addicted to tobacco revenues. Taxes on tobacco finance too much of their social spending to allow such a drastic move. The precursor to Obamacare, Hillary Rodham Clinton’s State Children’s Health Insurance Program, enacted in 1997, was financed with a tripling of the tax on tobacco. Her opponents pointed out how this wouldn’t work, because the sales of tobacco would fall, and so would the tax revenues that the program was intended to depend on.

Economists know this as the price elasticity of demand, which shows the responsiveness, or “elasticity,” of the quantity of a good or service to a change in its price. It’s simple. As the price of a product goes up, the quantity of it sold goes down. The higher taxes raise the price of tobacco, sales decline, and so do the tax revenues." 

From The Washington Times 

What the Washington Times is arguing here is that on one hand leftist (instead of Liberal) Democrats are arguing that tobacco is so bad for you, that we need to essentially tax the hell out of it, to pay for their social programs. 

So on one hand Democrats are saying that tobacco is bad for you, but if you smoke, we'll take that money to pay for their social programs. And I agree with everything that The Times is saying here. I would just replace liberal with leftist or some other left-wing, because the nanny state and big government in general, is as illiberal (not liberal) a government philosophy, that one could possible dream up.

Tru-TV: Lizard Lick Towing: ‘No One Calls Amy A Bitch’

Source:True-TV- Amy Shirley vs. Bubba & Earl, LOL! 

Source:The Daily Post

“This guy puts his hands on the wrong woman!:Tru-TV." 

From Tru-TV

This might sound as obvious as: “If you don’t play with fire, you won’t get burned” but sometimes when you are either dealing with people who either forgot to get an education, or didn’t bother to get an education, or believe they don’t have to follow the same rules as everyone else, stating the obvious can be necessary. When you pay your bills, your property won’t get repoed.

Source:Tru-TV- Amy Shirley vs. Bubba & Earl, LOL! 

I don’t watch this show from very often. But it is pretty funny and sort of represents every single stereotype that Yankees and people who live in big cities and urban areas in general have of country folk (let’s say) Rednecks, even. 

The people who work at Lizard Lick Towing in North Carolina are fairly intelligent, at least the owners Ron and Amy Shirley. But a lot of the people they deal with who just got their vehicles and other property towed because they didn’t pay their bills on them look like, frankly stereotypical country, bumpkin, dipshit, hicks. Who believe they live under different rules as everyone else and don’t have to do such inconvenient things like paying their bills on their cars and trucks. And that is what you see in this scene.

Jack Hunter: 'Conservatism's Future: Young Americans For Liberty'

Source:The Southern Avenger- Mr. Conservative Barry Goldwater, when he was running President in 1964.

Source:The FreeState 

"An editorial in the August 1960 edition of National Review described the conservative youth activists who agitated to get Barry Goldwater on the ballot with presidential nominee Richard Nixon:

Youth was everywhere at the Republican convention. Youth managed the various candidates’ booths. Youth waved the posters. Youth held the convention parade, and it was youth, primarily, that staged the Presidential demonstration Wednesday night … Lots of the young people had no ideological interest, they had come … well, because their family was Republican … But those who were serious, the ones who will be working hardest to guide the Republican Party in the future, were conservatives: and most of them Goldwater fans. They passed out 15,000 Goldwater buttons, handed out literature, rallied inside and outside the amphitheater. They greeted Richard Nixon at the airport with Goldwater signs, and did the same thing for President Eisenhower the next day. 

The editorial then noted: “They drove one Nixon aide into muttering in exasperation ‘Those damn Goldwater people are everywhere.’”

Youth might not show up in droves at the ballot box, but their activism and enthusiasm has long been a driving force behind the direction of both major parties. This has been particularly true of the Republican Party and the conservative movement.

The youth activists who so passionately championed Goldwater in 1960 and 1964 were at the forefront of a conservative revolution that would eventually take over the GOP and deliver Ronald Reagan the White House. The old Republican guard, which preferred Nelson Rockefeller, would push back in ’60 and ’64, and the establishment fought hard against conservatives again in 1976 when Reagan challenged President Ford. But by 1980, the old Republican guard was simply no match for the long-building Reagan Revolution, something everyone concedes started with Goldwater.

And it all began with youth." 

From The Daily Caller

The Barry Goldwater conservative movement of the mid 1960s and even late 1960s launched Ron Reagan into office as President of the United States in 1980. But actually Congressional Republicans didn’t get the majority back in the House, or Senate in the mid and late 1960s, but made them a strong minority in both chambers. As well as Richard Nixon elected and reelected President of the United States in 1968 and 72, placed Ron Reagan in strong place to be the GOP frontrunner for President.

After losing in 1976, Ron Reagan became the Republican frontrunner in 1980. The way Gerry Ford governed as President of the United States in the mid 1970s, fiscally conservative, as well as respecting personal freedom and civil liberties, all of these things started with Barry Goldwater when he ran for President in 1964. And took sixteen years for it all to come together with a Republican president in 1980, a Republican Senate for the first time, since 1952 and a large Republican minority in the House of Representatives in 1980 as well. Where House Republicans led by Minority Leader Bob Michael, could work in coalition with right-wing Southern Democrats in the House, to pass and block legislation.

What happened with the Barry Goldwater conservative movement of the mid 1960s and what it finally led up to and what’s going on with the Ron Paul libertarian movement of today in the Republican Party, both have one thing in common: neither one was big enough to be a governing coalition in the United States, or even a leading coalition in the Republican Party, where they hold a lot of leadership positions. Back in the mid 1960s, America was still in the LBJ Great Society Progressive Era. Where Americans by in large wanted and liked big government taking care of them. And we are obviously pass that now. But Ron Paul’s problem in the Republican Party are the Neoconservatives and Religious-Right are still in charge of the Republican Party. 

But what they also have in common with the Goldwater Conservatives of the 1960s, is the old-guard is dying off and losing influence. While the Goldwater Conservatives were growing back then. And the Libertarian Republicans are growing today, as the Religious-Right and Neoconservatives are dying off and losing influence.

As then U.S. Senator Jim DeMint said back in 2012 before he became President of the right-wing populist Heritage Foundation political action group: “The Republican Party needs to become more Libertarian for them to be successful in the future.” But they do not have to embrace all of their positions, but they have to move in that direction on social issues. And get back to being a real fiscally conservative party. And stop nominating presidential candidates who run as fiscal Conservatives, but have records that suggest otherwise. Who run as Religious-Conservatives, but have records that also suggest otherwise. And get back to being a real Conservative-Libertarian-Federalist party again, that can compete and be successful all over America.

NFL Films: The Steel Curtain Steelers

Source:NFL Films- James Harrison's big hit against Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning.

Source:The Daily Post 

"Pittsburgh Steelers - The Steel Curtain Pittsburgh Steelers Biggest Hits of All-time. Some of the best Chaos and Carnage created by the Steelers Some of the biggest hits in steelers history." 

From Sports Violence Studios

Source:NFL Films- Steelers WR Lynn Swann's, great catch against the Dallas Cowboys, in Super Bowl 10.

What made the Pittsburgh Steelers of the late 1970s even better than the Steelers of the mid 1970s, was the rule changes on offense in the NFL in 1978 that improved the blocking and opened up the running and passing games on offense. And opened up the passing game also with the illegal contact rule that allowed for WR’s to be able to get off of the line of scrimmage and run their patterns. 

Before the rule changes, the Steelers were a power run, ball control offense. That would rely on their Steel Curtain defense to set up great field position for them and get them takeaways. And when defenses tried to take their running game away by stacking the line of scrimmage, the Steelers also had deep threats in the passing game with WR’s John Stallworth and Lynn Swann and QB Terry Bradshaw. 

Bradshaw being one of the best deep passing QB’s of all-time, but with the rule changes on offense the Steelers had to find more ways to score and to be able to score more points. As we saw in Super Bowl 13 against the Dallas Cowboys and Super 14 against the Los Angeles Rams. The 1978 rule changes on offense in the NFL opened up the Steelers offense and made them a vertical passing and power running team, to go with their great defense.

Joey Teefizz: MISL 1985-1/13-Cleveland Force @ Pittsburgh Spirit: Highlights

Source:Joey Teefizz- John P. Dellacamera and John Sanders with the call of the game for the Pittsburgh Spirit.

Source:The Daily Post

"Great game in Pittsburgh between Force and Spirit, another tight finish between these two with excellent halftime interviews with Charlie Greene and Bernie James."

From Joey Teefizz

The Force-Spirit rivalry was one of the better rivalries in the MISL. And had the MISL knew anything about marketing then and now, they would’ve done a good job at marketing this rivalry especially in North Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, the areas that the Force and Spirit represented respectfully. 

Indoor soccer is a perfect sport for America and American sports fans, because it is so fast paced and up in down with the rules not really benefiting either the offense or defense. Which is how classic American sports fans like it. 

There is a lot more scoring in arena soccer or futsal than in soccer itself. But that is because the playing fields are smaller and the rules don’t favor either side. Unlike in soccer where the rules are designed to keep scoring down and as a result it is a more defensive game. But for whatever reasons arena soccer has never really caught on in America. Even though it is an American sport designed for American sports fans.

Intelligence Squared Debates: 'The GOP Must Seize the Center or Die'

Source:Intelligence Squared Debates- Republican political strategist Ralph Reed.

"2012 was a disappointing year for Republicans. The failure to win key swing states in the presidential election and surprising losses in the House and Senate have prompted some reflection. Was their embrace of small government, low taxes, and a strong conservative stance on social issues at odds with shifting American demographics? Or did the GOP embrace the right platform, but the wrong candidates?" 

From Intelligence Squared Debates

NFL Films: NFL 1973- Super Bowl 8- Minnesota Vikings vs Miami Dolphins: Highlights

Source:NFL Films- Miami Dolphins FB Larry Czonka taking it in for a TD.

Source:The Daily Post 

"(4K ULTRA HD) - Super Bowl VIII Highlights - RESTORED" 

From Godzilla Rocks 

I think what the Minnesota Vikings experiences in their 4 Super Bowls from 1969-76, is that if you can't run the ball against the other team and can't stop the other team's running game, you are not going to win the Super Bowl. 

You might be able to win the Super Bowl today without a running game, or at least a running game in the Super Bowl, but you couldn't do that in the 1970s, for the simple reason that the rules favored the defenses so much, both the defensive lineman and the defensive backs. 

If you couldn't run the ball in the Super Bowl in the 1970s, even if you had one of the best passing games in the NFL that season, which is what the Vikings had, your QB (in this case Fran Tarkenton) and your receivers, will be sitting ducks. Because your o-line will get run over by the d-line and linebackers, especially since they know you have to throw the ball, just to move the ball.

Like with the Kansas Chiefs in Super Bowl 4, the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 9, the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl 11, the Dolphins won Super Bowl 8 at the line of scrimmage with their o-line and d-line. They ran the ball at will against the Vikings smaller front 7 and stuffed the Vikings running game the whole day.