Tim Fuerhardt: MLB 1991-Detroit Tigers @ Baltimore Orioles: Orioles Last Game at Memorial Stadium

Source:The New Democrat

The story of this Tigers-Orioles game, even though it is a very small part of the Orioles 1991 season with this being their last game at Baltimore Memorial Stadium, but this game pretty much summarized their season. You would think that the Orioles management would’ve put more into trying to make sure that they had a competitive team in 91, considering this was their last season at Memorial. And they tried to do that with the Glen Davis trade, but they were horrible in 91. Very little pitching, at least consistent pitching either starters or in the bullpen. And not a lot of offense in their lineup to go with Cal Ripken.

The Orioles lost this game I believe 8-1 to the Tigers, who had a pretty good lineup that year. But the real story of this game was that it was the end of a great era not just for Orioles baseball with all the success the Oriole had at Memorial, but the end of a great era for Major League Baseball as well. Just too bad that the Orioles, especially for their fans, that after winning their last MLB World Series in 1983, they five of their last eight seasons at Memorial, were losing seasons. Including losing 108 in 88 and two 95 lost seasons in 87 and 91. But the Orioles of the 60s, 70s and 80s were one of the best franchises in MLB and all of that home success came at Memorial.

ABC Sports: MLB-1985-MNB-Detroit Tigers @ Baltimore Orioles: Highlights

Source:The New Democrat. 

Interesting matchup between two non-contending AL East teams in 1985. The Detroit Tigers finished in third place, but fifteen games out of first. And the Orioles finished fourth sixteen games out of first. But the AL East was deep in 1985, with four teams, the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Tigers and Orioles all having winning seasons. And the Boston Red Sox were a 500 club that year. So it wasn’t like the Tigers and Orioles had bad years in 85, it was just that the Blue Jays and Yankees were both very good. And had their been a wildcard back then, both the Jays and Yanks would’ve made the AL Playoffs.

The Orioles were in transition in 85 especially as it relates to their pitching with Jim Palmer retiring after the 84 season. They were still good enough to be a winning team, but no longer a serious contender for the AL East. Their pitching wasn’t nearly as good as it was in the early 1980s and 1970s. And became a power hitting team that needed big offensive games to win. The Tigers won the MLB World Series in 1984 and were still good enough to contend in 85. But they slipped back as the Blue Jays and Yankees finished first and second.

Rachel Maddow: Best of Michelle Bachmann Fails

Source:The New Democrat

Just to state a fact here and hopefully not my only one in this post, it is kind of funny to hear from Rachel Maddow and really anyone on MSNBC talk other than maybe Larry O’Donnell and Ed Schultz, talk about the lack of facts coming from really anyone, including Michelle Bachmann. Who at least in the Representative’s case, she has a following, unlike MSNBC. To correct Rachel Maddow, Representative Bachmann only serves in the House. So she doesn’t sit on the Intelligence Committee in Congress, but on the House Intelligence Committee, which is bad enough. And also to correct Rachel Maddow, Representative Bachmann wasn’t appointed by the Congressional Republican Leadership to the Intelligence Committee. Just by the House Republican Leadership. Since Representative Bachmann only serves in the House and not the Senate as well.

So how about my greatest hit of the distinguished Representative from Minnesota who hopefully for the rest of the country, not including comedians and bloggers on both sides if the aisle, will be spending a lot more time back on the Frozen Tundra next year as she departs the House of Representatives at the end of the 113th Congress.

I think number one has to be which was in her 2011 presidential campaign announcement speech about saying that “same-sex marriage being the number one threat to national security”. I don’t know this as fact, but I believed she included pornography in that speech as well and said both pornography and same-sex marriage are our number one threats to national security.

You know, you would think someone who serves on one of the intelligence committees in Congress, not the Congressional Intelligence Committee in Congress, (to take another jab at Rachel Maddow) would be getting briefings and, gee I don’t know intelligence, (I know wild idea) about what are truly the national security threats to America. And hear things like North Korea, Islamic Republic of Iran and their state-sponsorship of terrorism, Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State of Syria, that also occupies part of Northern Iraq. And think, “gee perhaps these states and groups are real threats to American national security”. And same-sex marriage and pornography, which would never even come up in a House Intelligence Committee hearing at all for no reason whatsoever. Well because they have nothing to do with national security.

I’ve never viewed President George W. Bush as a dumb man. Well at least not post-9/11, because at that point at least I thought President Bush was up to the job at least when it came to national security and foreign policy. And it looked like when, even including Vice President Dick Cheney, that the President was in good hands with a good team around him. Even with the Iraq debacle, I saw him as unqualified, sure, but not stupid which are two different things. But I could easily see why others viewed him that way with his horrible habit of saying things that are simply false. But whether you think G.W. Bush is a bright guy or has bricks for brains (to put it lightly) the man looks like an English professor at Harvard in comparison to Michelle Bachmann.

Whether Michelle Bachmann needs to be institutionalized, or under some therapy for some mental handicapped she’s suffering from, or simply an asshole who specializes on speaking out of her ass, which could be said by a lot of people in Congress both House and Senate, there isn’t an easier person to make fun of in Congress than Representative Bachmann. And yes I have to admit, as a blogger and political satirist myself, I’m going to miss her for those reasons alone. Plus, she’s so damn cute and funny both intentionally and unintentionally. Intentionally when she’s not going off on Democrats with nothing more than a bucket of spit. That I hope she keeps herself in the public eye in the future. Just as a private citizen, perhaps as a political satirist, columnist, blogger, radio talk show host. All jobs she’s actually qualified for, unlike her current one.

The Newsroom: Maggie On Michele Bachmann & Christianity

Source:The New Democrat

What the Maggie character from The Newsroom didn’t mention and perhaps didn’t think of, is that perhaps Representative Michelle Bachmann’s whose career in Congress will be over in just a few weeks, (counting the days, can’t wait) that perhaps Michelle believes her own propaganda. See I’m not sure if the distinguished Representative from Minnesota is an escaped mental patient, someone who should be committed, but because she’s married to Markus Bachmann who perhaps should be committed as well, or is not smart enough to see that her dear wife needs professional help. Or is a complete idiot who believes her own, lets say propaganda about “God wants me to run for President”.

You know not all politician’s are liars. Which is as difficult to believe that it never snows in Minnesota, or the New York Yankees aren’t from New York, or there isn’t a lot of oil in Texas. But there are politician’s that are simply flat nuts or complete morons, or perhaps in Michelle Bachmann’s case a case of both. And yes there are politician’s that lie, well their mouths off, who the only way to know what they think and know about anything, at least important is to always have them on truth serum. I’m just throwing it out there that there are politician’s who are nutty or dumb enough to actually believe their own words and aren’t always lying.

Real Time With Bill Maher: 'Most Americans Are Dumb & Uneducated'

Source:The New Democrat

I wonder if Bill Maher includes himself in the group "most Americans are dumb and uneducated". I also wonder where he got those polls and numbers he was apparently quoting. Assuming what he does is a real job, he wouldn't have the time go do those polls himself, or do all the research. Bill Maher again leaves me with a piece where I'm sort of with him, but not completely there. Are there stupid Americans, you might as well ask if their lakes in Minnesota, snow in Alaska, or water in Michigan. That is not a real question or debate. And to be completely truthful, I don't believe "are most Americans stupid a real question and debate either".

If most Americans were stupid, the country wouldn't be nearly as developed as it is and far along and powerful across the board as it is. Why, because a country run by idiots and not just in the public sector and private sector couldn't create that. Why, because they are idiots and what are idiots good for, well why are they called idiots, because they are experts on idiocy. I know Bill Maher is a comedian, at least technically so what he says should be taken with at least jar of salt every time he even tries to sound serious, but he's simply wrong about that.

Now here is where I agree with Maher. And again no debate, too many stupid Americans, but why is that, one our education system, public for the most part isn't as good as it needs to be for a country this size. Too many Americans either not finishing high school and even if they do not getting out of high school what they should've gotten that taxpayers paid for and as a result having to take high school courses in the junior college that would take them  so they can finish their high school education and be ready for junior college.

But it is not just education, but it is also about values. And no I'm not a Religious Conservative, but things that people need to do well in America, aren't valued as highly as what is considered hot or awesome at the time by too many young Americans. Which is how you get such a high percentage of Americans who couldn't tell who their U.S. Representative is, even if it meant winning the latest smart phone with a year of free service. Why because they are too busy playing video games, watching so-called reality TV, what was the latest bar their favorite celebrity got kicked out of. Or what Kim Kardashian had for lunch in Beverly Hills on Saturday and what shoes she wore with her purse.

A lot of young Americans are more interested in these celebrity culture and technology stories, than they are in current affairs and politics. And forget about American history or the U.S. Constitution, "because that is like so yesterday and not awesome". Actually for a lot of Millennial's, what happened last year, "is like so ancient history". American history and current affairs is being replaced by valley culture and valley pop. At least in the short-term, hopefully at some point they'll grow up and become more serious and respectful of things and people that came before them. But right now they are making America look stupid.

The Late Show With David Letterman: Jon Stewart On Things (November 13th, 2014)

Source:The New Democrat

As far as kids, glad I don't have any! And so far I've done a hell of a job up achieving one of my goals in life which was not to have kids. I'm not even crazy about being an uncle, as my two nieces and nephew may tell you. Not saying that having kids is not important and that kids don't have a place in the world. Last time I checked, people don't start off as adults in life. I'm a perfect example of that and some may say I haven't finished childhood yet. I'll say one thing nice about kids. I'm glad my parents decided to have them and more importantly at least to me, I'm glad they had me.

As far as Halloween, I'm glad that's over for me. I mean it was useful to me as a kid, because it meant about a week or a few days of free candy. Depending on how successful I was at tricker treating and not scaring the hell out of people who may give me candy. Like dressing up as Charlie Manson, Ted Bundy, Saddam Hussein. But one thing I discovered as an adult with a job, that if I want candy, I don't have to ask my parents. I can just go buy it, like I did on Friday and besides candy is not that important to me anyway. A couple of things you learn as an adult.

As far as freedom in Egypt and the Middle East, or Arabia. This may sound harsh, but are they ready for freedom, I mean what would happen if all the sudden they had it, would they know what to do with it? I think freedom to people in that part of the world they where they grew up and living as adults in such an authoritarian statist environment, where you are told what to do by your own damn government all the time, you come to expect that. It is a reason why these countries are called police states. Because it essentially like living in prison where you don't have to make decisions for yourself.

I think learning to live freely for people who've only known an authoritarian system, would be like trying to learn how to drive without an instructor right after you learn how to, well drive for lack of a better word big wheels. I think their would be a real learning curve there. And if you free the people there, then you are also freeing authoritarian radicals who want to tear down the current police state to establish their own. Not saying that freedom couldn't work in a large like Egypt to use as an example, but there would have to be smart people there who have to know how to establish it. And an overwhelming majority of the country that actually wants it.

ABC Sports: NFL 1978-MNF- Baltimore Colts @ New England Patriots: Joe Washington Highlights

Source: Joey Mesa - Baltimore Colts RB Joe Washington.

Source:The New Democrat

I'm posting this because as a Redskins fan who is not quite old enough to have a very good memory of the Baltimore Colts before escaped to Indianapolis in 1984, I remember Joe Washington with the Redskins in the early and mid-1980s.

He was what the NFL calls now and perhaps then a hybrid on offense. Someone between a wide receiver and running back. Someone you could run out of the backfield in a traditional set, but run draws, catch screens and swing passes out of the backfield. But you also line him up in the slot position as a possession receiver, or even big play receiver. Hybrid offensive players tend to not be big for running backs and not tall for receivers.

Hybrids tend to be about 5'9-5'11 around 190-200 pounds or smaller than that. Strong enough to run the ball out of the backfield and catch the ball as a wideout and get open. But not quite big enough you want that player to be doing full-time, at least as your go to runner or receiver. The guy who really reminds me of Joe would be Eric Metcalf who played for the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons in the 1990s. And played both halfback and wide receiver, as well as return kicks and punts.
Source:Joey Mesa