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

Real Time With Bill Maher: Bill Maher Tells American Socialists to Come Out of the Closet

Source:The New Democrat

Forget about me saying at risk of slapping myself on the back, because I'm just going to slap myself on the back so much, you would think I was being whipped with a belt by a gay lover. Because I've made at least part of the point over and over of what Bill Maher is saying here. We not only still have closet gays in America, but we have closet Socialists as well. We have Americans who say "I hate socialism, oh by the way, you even think about touching my damn Medicare, I'll kill you". And that is the nice version, but who do you think runs Medicare, Jesus Christ? Medicare is a socialist centralized federal government-run program that is financed through taxes that we the people pay.

But there's even more, because we also have Americans who say they aren't Socialists. They just speak highly of socialism and defend socialism, as if their lives or Unemployment Insurance depended on it. Sort of like the Christian fundamentalist preacher who says he hates homosexuality and that it is a sin. While at the same time he's having affairs with men that his wife and ten kids don't know about of course. But the difference being the closet Socialist on the Left, doesn't have the balls to admit they are a Socialist. The person on the Right doesn't support socialism broadly. So I'll cut them some slack.

But the closet Socialist on the Left is a Socialist, perhaps knows they are a Socialist and just doesn't want to admit it. Because admitting to being a Socialist in America or admiring it, is liking a man admitting he likes boys, or admitting to being a rapist or something. It is not socialism that Americans hate, but the word itself because it gets linked to communism and other leftist authoritarian ideologies. It is not that we don't have Socialists or gay lovers of gay socialism in America. It is that we have Socialists who don't have the balls to admit to what they are. And Americans who do not understand what socialism actually and look down at and people who actually admit they are Socialists.

Whether you want to call the lets say hard core Left in America especially in the Democratic Party McGovernites, which is how they were labeled in the 1970s and 80s, or Progressive Caucus in the 1990s and even today, or the modern label Occupy Wall Street, these are the stuck in the closet with the door bolted down that an Army tank couldn't knock the closet door down Socialists in America. The Bernie Sanders of this movement actually has the balls to admit he's a Socialist and damn proud of it. But a lot of his followers don't and go by Progressive, or what makes me want to try to ram a brick wall down with a head, I hate saying this but they some call themselves Liberals.

NFL Films: NFL 1958-Championship-Baltimore Colts @ New York Giants

Source:The Daily Journal

Was the 1958 NFL Championship game the best game ever played, well if you look at the 5-6 turnovers in that game and both teams getting in the red zone and not scoring and other mistakes like that of course not. The 1967 NFC Championship between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Back Packers especially if you consider the weather conditions and where the game was played in Green Bay, Wisconsin, was a much better played game. 

But the Cowboys and Packers still manages to play very well in that game. Even though it was played under those conditions. And the Hall of Fame head coaches Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi coaching that game and all the Hall of Fame players that played in that game. Cowboys DT Bob Lilly, WR Bob Hayes, CB Mell Renfro. For the Packers QB Bob Starr, OT Forrest Gregg, OG Jerry Kramer, DE Willy Davis, LB Ray Nitchke and others. I believe thats the greatest game ever played as far as the quality of the game.

And that's different from the most important game ever played. Because the 1958 NFL Championship had more to do with the future of the NFL as well as pro football. It made it easier to form the American Football League because of the attention that the 58 NFL Championship got, because now it was clear that there was room in America for more than twelve Pro football franchises, that were all in the NFL. And the NFL wasn't looking to expand, but instead consolidate the revenue that it had. 

The NFL had just survived the Korean War where it lost players to that war, World War II obviously same thing the Great Depression and somehow survived financially from that and came out better and on top from where it was before. What makes the 1958 NFL Championship and yes it was a very well played game and even a great game to watch as far as how entertaining it was, was for one it was the most important game ever played. You're talking about the two best teams in pro football playing for the NFL Championship in New York at Yankee Stadium in front of a live national televised audience, with two great football teams that had great coaching. 

For the Baltimore Colts coached by Weeb Ewbank who's in the Hall of Fame. For the New York Giants, forget about their head coach Jim Lee Howell and (I know with a name like Jim Lee Howell how can you forget that name) but you got Vince Lombardi as the offensive coordinator and Tom Landry as the defensive coordinator. As they say in Brooklyn, forget about it! That's all you need to know about the Giants coaching staff.  

And then you Hall of Famers for the Colts like QB John Unitas the greatest ever, RB Len More, RB Alan Ameche who scored the winning TD in the game, OT Jim Parker maybe the greatest OT of all time. WR Ray Berry one of the greatest possession WR of all time. DE Gino Marchetti maybe the greatest DE of all time, CB Johnny Sample and many others. The 1958 Giants as far as Hall of Famers, on offense RB Frank Gifford, on defense DT Andy Robostelli, DT Rosey Greer, MLB Sam Huff. 

These are three of the greatest defenders of all-time and they had the best defense in the NFL as well and scored enough points to win. With  Frank Gifford, FB Alex Webster, WR Tobin Rote and QB Charlie Connerly who could both run and pass and do them well. Anytime you get a matchup like that, under those conditions in a championship final on network TV and radio with all the major newspapers covering the game, you got something special, the NFL at this point was a major sports league. 

But Major League Baseball was still number one and college football was probably number two as far as team sports. But this game set the stage because of the audience it drew, still one of the highest rated programs and intended games in pro sports history, for the NFL by the early 1970s to be the dominant sports league in America if not the world. 

What the 1958 NFL Championship Final did, was set the stage for the NFL and the AFL to become the number one sports league in America because of the teams that played it, the players that played in it, how well they played. And of course the audience it drew, because now America could see how great of a sport pro football was and decided they wanted to see a lot more of it. 

Frank Russo: Captain: The Thurman Munson Story

Source:The Daily Journal

I'm not an expert on Thurman Munson, he died in 1979 and I didn't start watching baseball until 1983 but what I've heard about Thurman Munson, is that there's not nearly enough information or reporting about him one of the most underrated and under appreciated baseball players of all time. We are talking about one of the best all around Catchers of the 1970s, right there with Carlton Fisk and Johnny Bench. Same skills as both players but ran better and could hit for a better average. 

This was a catcher who was a 300 hitter and back then that almost never happened. Besides I'm a Baltimore Orioles fan and the New York Yankees are our arch rivals and Orioles fans hate the Yankees and we had a very good rivalry with each other in the 1970s and 80s and the Yankees cost the Orioles a three division titles in the mid and late 1970s, 76-78. But again what I've heard and know about Munson, is a great all around catcher who was headed to the Hall of Fame. 

And even though he only played eleven seasons 1969-79, again since he was one of the best all around catchers of an entire decade that alone should be enough to give Thurman Munson consideration for the Hall of Fame. Anytime you're one of the best players at your positions and one of the best players in the game for an entire decade, that alone should give you strong consideration to be in the Hall of Fame. But thats not up to me but it took a plane crash in the Summer of 1979 to keep Thurman Munson out of the Hall of Fame because he's a player that played in pain constantly, similar to Mickey Mantle another great Yankee and who was headed to the Hall of Fame.

If you want to know if Thurman Munson was a great baseball player or not, you need to know what makes a great baseball player. To me thats someone with no glaring weakness's and at least with a few glaring strengths and you show these skills consistently for a solid period of time, 5-7 or ten years to me for a catcher to be a great Catcher, you can't just be a guy that calls a great game, defends his position well and throws the ball well, Rick Dempsey of the Orioles did all of those things very well. 

And for about ten years about as well as they could be done. But he was basically a 230 hitter with very little if any power and not much of a run producer his entire career. But he was a good clutch hitter in the playoffs but that alone even with being a great Defensive Catcher. Doesn't get you in the Hall of Fame, the reason why Thurman Munson was a great catcher because he did everything that Rick Dempsey could do if not better. 

But he was also a 300 Hitter who drove in runs. Who also had solid power but not great power but definite threat to go deep. In the American League the two best catchers in the 1970s were Carlton Fisk and Thurman Munson and you could go either way and for that decade I would lean towards Munson, because he played through injuries without losing production. Fisk missed a lot of time because of injuries. When I think of the term captain as it relates to sports, I think of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers who his teammates called Cap. 

But captain also fits Thurman Munson of the New York Yankees who was not only the captain of his teams but the leader the quarterback, the on field coach of that team that his teammates knew they better do their jobs or the captain was going to get on them. Who always did whatever he could to make sure his players were in the best position that they could be so they could play as well for the Yankees as possible. Thurman Munson was the Captain of the New York Yankees.

1987-88 Los Angeles Laker Back to Back

Source:The Daily Journal 

The Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s were a great dynasty for several reasons and more reasons because they had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin Johnson and Pat Riley as their head coach and Jerry West as their general manager. They had the best center of all-time, the best point guard of all-time, one of the best head coaches of all-time in Pat Riley, one of the best executives of all-time in Jerry West. And a great chief executive in Jerry Buss, again one of the best ever. All these people are Hall of Famers and in Jerry West a Hall of Famer as one of the best players of all-time as well as one of the best general managers of all-time.

And you add in James Worthy another Hall of Famer and a guy who played both small forward and power forward at 6'9 225 pounds the size to play both positions and you throw in their fast break, I believe the best ever with their ability to defend, rebound, run the floor. Kareem, Magic, Riley and their fast break is what they are known for, but these are just some of the reasons why they were a great dynasty. 

You had Jerry West putting the teams together, Pat Riley leading the teams and then Kareem and Magic, both two of the best players of all-time not just at their positions and you can make a good case for both of them that they are the best basketball players of all-time period as their lead players, with Worthy backing them up, who on most other teams in the NBA would be the best player on the team, but since he played for the Showtime Lakers he was the third best player.

The Showtime Lakers had three of the best players in the league all on the same team with the best head coach in the league at least at the time in Pat Riley with their three franchise players. One or two of them even could have a bad game, not in a championship game, at least not two of them and the Lakers could still win. Because two or just one of them was great enough to pick up the slack for one or two players. The Celtics back then were the only other team in the NBA that had that.

With all that, that's still not enough to be NBA champions, that's most of the pieces, but not all of them. They had great role players as well, Byron Scott great outside shooter and defender, Michael Cooper the same thing and with the ability to play both guard positions and small forward. Kurt Rambis excellent post defender, rebounder and ran the floor very well and a great hustle player. AC Green another excellent rebounder and post defender who ran the floor very well and could score a little as well. Mychal Thompson a great third big man, the ability to play both center and power Forward. Could rebound defend, score and ran the floor very well as well.

The Showtime Lakers are known for their fast break, but what doesn't get mentioned is why they are a great fast break team. Back then the Lakers were also one of the best defensive teams if not the best defensive team as well as a very good rebounding team and the best passing team in the league. Their defense and rebounding led to their fast breaks, with Earvin Johnson the best Point Guard the NBA has ever seen running the Laker show. 

But with Kareem, Magic, Worthy, their outside shooters, they were also a great half court team. The Showtime Lakers were like a great movie or TV show with a great producer, director, great lead actors and great character actors with everyone knowing their roles and playing them up to their best ability. Which is why I believe the Showtime Lakers are the best NBA dynasty of all time.