Terrorists Attack DME

WARNING: VIDEO IS GRAPHIC



News broke today that a terrorist/homicide bomber exploded a device at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport, killing 35 and injuring 170. Doko Umarov, a Chechen Rebel leader, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Between the Nord-Ost Seige in 2002, Beslan School Seige in 2004 and the homicide bombing of a Moscow Metro train in 2004, Russia has a history with Chechen rebels who commit these cowardly acts. History will show they will deal with these evil-doers swiftly and the same could be expected in light of this attack.

Having lived through 9-11, our hearts and prayers should be with the Russian people as we pray for those lost and the surviving family members. We also hope that Russia can eventually be a consistent partner in the War on Terror.

If a television host that nobody watches gets fired, do we know about it?

From time to time, we've all heard the common philosophical riddle, "If a tree in the forest falls and nobody's there to hear it, does it make a sound?" If not for the Internet, the same theory can be applied to the question, "If a television host that nobody watches gets fired, do we know about it?"

What would have been thought of as "unthinkable" (well, at least in their world) occurred last night: MSNBC fired Keith Olbermann, thus ending the run of his 8pm show Countdown. I'm honestly not surprised about this as he has a rather contentious relationship with NBC brass and his ratings are tanking, consistently lagging behind FNC. Furthermore, his show is not only from a hard-left perspective, but is rather mean-spirited. The parody is better than the actual show! There are a few speculated reasons as to why Olbie is leaving, between the Comcast merger and wanting more money, but I'm sure that soon enough, we'll all know the truth.

Until then, it has been announced that Lawrence O'Donnell will replace Olbermann in the 8PM timeslot, and we expect a similar level of mean spirited antics, along with a likely #3 finish in ratings when comparing to the other news networks in FNC and CNN. While I was wrong about the prediction I made when Olbie was suspended in November, I still believe that we will eventually see Alan Grayson hosting a show on the MSNBC airwaves; another reason to watch Fox News.

Obama at the Super Bowl?

News broke the President, a big time Chicago sports fan (who loves going to games at "Kaminsky Field"), said that if the Chicago Bears win the NFC Championship next Sunday, he will go to the Super Bowl! The game will be played in Dallas at Cowboys Stadium on February 6.

Over the past 45 years, the Super Bowl has grown into a cultural phenomenon and is the most watched sporting event every year. Ratings are huge, advertisers spend millions on air time during the game, ticket prices are expensive and the host city is a major destination during the two weeks leading up to the game. Everyone wants to be involved in the Super Bowl and sitting presidents realize this, as they know the extra headaches their attendance will cause at the game between greater security and the inconvenience a presidential visit will cause to the fans. It is for this reason they stay in the White House or Camp David to watch the game.

The Super Bowl this year is being played in the largest NFL Stadium in the US (over 100,000 fans will be in Cowboys Stadium on game day) and for the price the fans are paying to attend that game, the level of inconvenience will be higher than ever. The media will likely focus less on the game and more on the president and what he is doing during the game, which will inconvenience the fans watching, especially those rooting for the Jets or Green Bay (or Pittsburgh and Chicago). Furthermore, with the president attending, the Super Bowl will an even bigger target to terrorists or those wishing to do the United States harm. (We can hearken back to The Sum of All Fears, as we see an executive visit to the Super Bowl didn't go well...and yes, I realize that is a movie, but we are living in a post-9/11 era.)

The president must realize that the Super Bowl is about the players who have reached the apex of their sport, the fans who are in attendance or watching from home, and not about himself. Even more important is the safety of the president, players, and the fans. It is for that reason, President Obama should scratch this crazy idea and instead, watch his Bears (assuming they win) from the comfort of the White House theater. Yet if he does go, we pray for everyone's safety in Dallas on February 6!

UPDATE, 1/23/10: It's safe to say President Obama will not be attending the Super Bowl, as his Chicago Bears lost to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship.

Legal Action from the "Fountain Lady?"

In the past week, a video of a woman falling into a fountain while texting, at the Berkshire Mall, near Reading, PA, has been making its way around the Internet. For those of you who haven't seen it, here it is!



It now looks like she's considering suing the mall management. This is very sad and I don't think she's going to have much of a case as her status as a mall employee will work against her. A jury will believe she should have known that corridor and known there was a fountain in her path. Furthermore, an argument could be made that the only reason she is suing could be to make money where she can easily pay off pending restitution charges in an unrelated case. An analysis of this case brings me to a few conclusions about American politics and society:

1) This is clearly a frivolous lawsuit and by looking at the bigger picture, is clear evidence as to why we need tort reform in the United States.

2) As an educator, I have clearly seen students have an over-reliance on electronic devices, whether smartphones or iPods; so much so that they become oblivious to the world around them. I have always told my students to be cognizant of the world around them, even if walking around, for their own personal safety. Thank goodness this woman was not seriously injured, but it could have been worse. If she either stopped walking or looked around, falling in the fountain could have been avoided. A lesson learned for not only the millennials I have taught, but the adults who still haven't learned.

3) Will this be another reason for malls to remove fountains? I personally like malls that have fountains as it provides an aesthetic touch to the mall and positively contributes to the mall's atmosphere. Many malls have been removing fountains due to rising costs in maintenance and a belief that floor space could be better used for a kiosk. I just hope this incident doesn't give them more incentive to remove fountains.

Assuming it is filed, here's to hoping a wise judge dismisses this ridiculous lawsuit!

Promise Kept

Speaker Boehner said it would be passed and even though it was delayed a week as a result of the shooting in Tucson, it passed! The House of Representatives has repealed ObamaCare with a bipartisan vote of 245-189! (The other side likes to talk about bipartisanship, but the only bipartisanship we've seen with this bill comes in the form of those against it) Republicans had a net gain of 63 this fall and ran on repeal. Their constituents are watching and this was a promise that had to be kept. They did that, so hats off to the Republicans and the Democrats who were brave enough to go against their party and support the will of the American voter.

The repeal will likely not be brought up in the Democrat-controlled Senate and if it does, President Obama will likely veto it. Democrats claim this is a waste of time, but Republicans should refuse to accept their fait accompli. Bring it up again in three months and vote on repeal, making the president stand by it! Do it again in another three months, making the president stand by it again! In this process, Republicans can pick off some Democrats who are more worried about protecting their seat, and by 2012, the Republicans will have a major campaign issue. The Campaign Finance Reform Supreme Court ruling, which came nearly 8 years after the law was passed, taught us we should never allow an unconstitutional bill to become law and "wait it out" in the courts while it's law. Rightly so, the House is not waiting on ObamaCare. In the meantime, Republicans should work on a replacement to the bill and that replacement must not stifle job creation, the way ObamaCare does. That replacement must include tort reform, permission to buy insurance across state lines and health savings accounts.

This repeal vote is a good sign that Republicans are standing behind principle and not backing down; exorcising the demons of 2006. Their constituents are watching and the House Republicans in this session of Congress must keep their eyes on the ball!

(NOTE: The above picture is the 2000+ page ObamaCare bill being held by Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen at a rally in late 2009)

UPDATE 1/19: An interesting statistic...of the 39 Democrats who voted against the bill in March of 2010, 30 stood for re-election. Of those 30, only 13 won and of those 13, 10 switched their positions and now support the law for which they voted against...hmmm.

It's Not Even 2012 Yet!

The 2012 Election will be a big year, not only for the Presidential Election, but for the Senate. We are a little under two years away and already two Senators who caucus with the Democrats have thrown in the white flag for their 2012 campaigns: Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Kent Conrad of North Dakota. Both are going out on a high note because they see they cannot win their party's primary (in Lieberman's case) or the general election (in Conrad's case). They join Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, announced her retirement. (but would have likely won re-election)

Again, it's very early, but looking at the Senate in 2012, Jim Webb (VA), Bill Nelson (FL),(If Jeb runs, Nelson will definitely lose!) Claire McCaskill (MO), Sherrod Brown (OH), Bob Casey (PA), Herb Kohl (WI), Joe Manchin (WV), Jeff Bingaman (NM) should be very worried about their re-election chances and I wouldn't be surprised if any of these folks decide to step aside, or do not prevail in 2012.

The Intellectual Honesty of Ed Koch

I don't always agree with former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, but I do respect him for his intellectual honesty and the fact that he got it right on a few occasions. Well, he did it again in a recent column on Sarah Palin. While he doesn't agree with her on a lot of issues, he respects her for standing up for herself, thinks she is an effective voice for those who endorse her ideology and believes her to be the epitome of the American dream.

Last night, Palin was interviewed on Hannity, her first interview since the shooting in Tucson. This is another example of Palin showing resolve, courage and grace in the line of fire.

"I'm thankful for the opportunity to have to speak for many and I will continue to do so. I feel very blessed to be in the position I am and I'll take the darts and the arrows because I know others have my back and I have their back."

She's not going anywhere!