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This is late primarily because I spent Thanksgiving week with children and grand children.

Fellow denizens and visitors, The first Thanksgiving celebration was held as a means of celebrating the fact that the Pilgrims had made it through their first year and could now feed themselves. I have no doubt that during that first year in the New World, the Plymouth settlers did much wrong, and probably would have had much to complain about. That has been the way of the world since Adam and Eve got drop-kicked out of the Garden.

Instead of complaining, on this one day, they took time out to celebrate the ways in which our Lord had blessed them. In many ways, we are in the same situation today.

There is much wrong with our nation, and for the first time in many years, our survival as a free people is in doubt. However despite our problems, despite the actions of some bone headed politicians, we, in the USA still have much for which to be thankful.

In the last thirteen months, we changed governments peacefully. There are many places in the world in which that is not possible. We have more individual liberty and wealth than virtually any nation on the globe. We are so well off that the biggest health problem among our poverty class is obesity. Our poverty class have lifestyles that many in the third world can only dream of. Every individual in our nation has the opportunity to succeed, or fail. It is a personal choice. We can travel throughout the nation, without fear of being arrested because our “papers” are not in order. We have a constitutionally protected freedom to express ourselves, and to worship as we see fit, (by way of comparison, try to proclaim Christ in Jerusalem).

We are truly a blessed people, and that is something which we need to keep in mind far more than one day a year.

I could say much more, but you should get the idea, and I have a sermon(actually two) to write. 🙂

Have a blessed Advent and Christmas.

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First things first (and no sound effects this time):&#160 I’m on “vacation”.

For those of you who remember (and even for those of you who don’t), my last such extended period away from my primary means of income creation went something like this.

And – most unhappily – so will this one.

It’s a long story, and once All Is Said And Done&#153, I will have some sort of comment on it.&#160 But for now, the Blushing Bride&#153 and I are going to be hard at work.

In other words…David, General – you guys have the conn.

(PFWs, of course, are not, and will not be, affected by this.&#160 Priorities, y’know. (grin))

Secondly, you may have noticed that the starfield clock has been replaced.

Reason is that – and I have to confess to a slight bit of stupidity here – the site where the clock was housed appears to have gone belly-up, and I didn’t download the .swf file in time.

Oh, well.&#160 Live ‘n learn, I guess.

Talk to you guys in roughly a week.

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Every year or so in the PFW, I usually declare one simply by executive fiat, even when all my teams don’t win.

Time to break out the rubber stamp.

Frisco Liberty 31, Saliva Sulphur Springs 33

at #4 Texas Christian 51, New Mexico 10

UBuffalo 9, Kent State 6

at Oklahoma 27, #12 Oklahoma State 0

#22 Nebraska 28, at Colorado 20

at Dallas 24, Oakland 7

In reading the writeup for Frisco Liberty-Backwoods Tech, it sounds very much like Round I of Cowboys-Giants Douchebags:&#160 ‘Boys score late, Douchebags score later & win.

Guess it was a bit much asking a second-year program to knock off the Wildpussies.

(Memo to Sulphur Springs students:&#160 This ain’t about you.&#160 It’s about your backwoods town and a certain State Farm insurance “agent” and his bitch of a daughter who live just north of there.&#160 Try not to take it too personally, mkay?)

In the Insomnia Field-Goal Bowl, UBeefalo prevailed, 3-2, with AJ Principe kicking the last one with five seconds left to ice it.

Believe it or not, the Bulls finished with 320 total yards offense.&#160 Thermilus had another nice game, with 123 yards on 29 carries.&#160 Zach Maynard was…meh. 13-32-181, with five of those going to Brett Hamlin and four going to Terrell Jackson.

UBuff finishes 5-7, 3-5 in the MAC, and it’s fairly safe to say Turner Gill will spend one more year there.

Earlier this week, there was speculation that TCU would be playing Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl.

Uh, scratch that.

To give you an idea of how dominating the Sooners were in Norman, OSU got six first downs – all in the first half.&#160 OU’s defense harassed Zac Robinson into a paltry 9-21-44, with a pick.

Landry Jones was a very workmanlike 20-37-224 in helping the Sooners to extend their home winning streak to 30 since TCU beat them there in ’05.&#160 Ryan Broyles caught 9 for 103 yards and added a punt return for a score.&#160 DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown combined for 130 yards on 33 carries.

Good thing for the Blackshirts and the Cornhusker special teams.&#160 I’d probably be screaming about Bo Pelini’s offense again otherwise.

This is why Bo Pelini didn’t want his team even thinking about Texas until next week.

With the Big 12 North title already wrapped up, he forbade the Nebraska Cornhuskers from so much as mentioning the Longhorns, who they’ll face in the conference championship next Saturday.

[…]

“I thought we took a step back today,” Pelini said after the Cornhuskers (9-3, 6-2) struggled on offense and only pulled this one out because of touchdowns on a punt return and an interception.

Niles Paul had the punt return, going 59 yards in the first quarter.&#160 Linebacker Matt O’Hanlon, who’s turning into a pretty good one up there, had the pick-six towards the end of the first half.

Once again Zac Lee overwhelmed no one, going 9-14-73 with a score (Ben Cotten), but Rex Burkhead performed admirably in the running game, gaining 100 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

Most teams have figured it out:&#160 As goes Miles Austin, so go the Dallas Cowboys.&#160 And most teams will run a zone with mid-to-deep safety help to try and neutralize the speedster, now that he’s established himself as the Pokes’ number-one wideout.

Oakland, however, isn’t most teams.&#160 They will stubbornly go mano a mano&#160 on your wideouts with their DBs, as if they still had Charles Woodson & company back there with Tatum & Atkinson.&#160 And while the Raider defensive backfield isn’t&#160 chopped liver, it isn’t going to stop a big, fast wide receiver who can catch the ball.

Austin caught seven Tony Romo passes for 145 yards, and Jason Witten added five catches for 107 as the Cowboys won their fourth straight Thanksgiving game under Romo.

Romo threw for 309 yards on 18-of-29 passing, and the C’boy offense racked up eight plays of at least 25 yards, with five of those going for over 40.&#160 Felix Jones & Tashard Choice combined for 135 yards on the ground on 10 carries total (although Jones did most of the work – Choice’s run was a 66-yarder out of a Wildcat-type formation).

Dallas now faces yet another treacherous December, with two division leaders on the schedule, plus Round Two against each of their division rivals.

I won’t deny there were tears in my eyes as the clock wound down on this game.&#160 I’ve lived through 81-16 against TU, 70-9 at the hands of Texas A&M, and even 70-35 at the hands of Guns-Up U five years ago.&#160 (Damn, has it been that long?)

So to sit with the Blushing Bride&#153 and soak in the first perfect regular season in my lifetime, the first in 71 years for any Frog team and the first 12-0 start in school history – well, it was an emotional moment.

It didn’t start off that way, though.&#160 Despite a second-quarter explosion that saw a 9-0 lead balloon to 30-0, it should have been a lot more.&#160 Dalton was either missing receivers high, bouncing them in, or the receivers were just dropping the damned things.&#160 In fact, it took an Andre Gurode-type snap over Donovan Porterie’s head deep in their own territory, and the subsequent punt of the ball through the end zone, to get TCU a safety and their first points of the day.

But in a span of about two-and-a-half minutes, the Frogs blew it open.

A Dalton 17-yard flip to Bart Johnson for his first score of the year made it 16-0.&#160 One three-and-out and one Lobo facemask penalty later, Dalton found Antoine Hicks racing down the right seam, hitting him in stride for the 62-yard touchdown.

New Mexico fumbled the ensuing kickoff, which TCU recovered.&#160 On the very next play, Andy found Hicks again on a post route, and though NM would score the next 10 to give Frog fans a bit of indigestion, it was over.&#160 Daryl Washington & Rafael Priest would take pick-sixes to the house on consecutive Lobo possessions in the fourth for the final margin.

The Froggies now wait a week to find out where they go, and against whom.&#160 And Gary Patterson has earned a promise from me never to accuse him of being in over his head ever again.

As for me, I’ve&#160 earned (actually, appropriated) the right to declare a Perfect Football Weekend – I really don’t care that&#160 much what happens to the Sulphur Springs “hah skrewl” team (a little Rush lingo, there), and all the rest of my teams won.

So, there.&#160 Nyaah.&#160

This week:&#160 5-1.&#160 Perfect Football Weekend achieved (executive fiat due to TCU’s perfect season (3)).&#160 Overall:&#160 51-22.

The PFW will reconvene on Friday, as we continue to see if anyone can bounce Sulphur Springs from the playoffs.&#160 Plus, the C’girls are still playing, so there’s that.

Besides, Bucky’s in Hawaii – and if anyone thinks I’m giving HDD the week off, yer nuts.&#160

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At a guess, I’d say that Tiger Woods definitely isn’t an alpha male.

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Denizens, you’re well aware of my personal opinion of a certain doublewide redheaded bimboid about 120 miles east of here.

That said, I would still come to her defense were I to see her becoming a victim of this.&#160 This is just…wrong.

It was tough being a red head recently for students at a middle school in Calabasas, Calif., where dozens of students attacked their red-headed classmates — apparently inspired by an episode of the television show “South Park,” and a Facebook group.

The attacks happened on “Kick a Ginger Day” at the school, apparently inspired by a “South Park” episode titled “Ginger Kids,” which used red-heads as a satire on racism. That apparently led to the Facebook group “Natioinal Kick A Ginger Day,” which includes message encouraging attacks on red heads.

And another thing:&#160 If you haven’t recently, take another gander at that pic of my son down there on the sidebar.

See the hair?

I’d damn well best never see shit like this being done to my son.&#160 Bastards who do that will be well&#160 ventilated by the time all is said & done.

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(Yeah, it’s a rerun of a rerun of a rerun.&#160 Of a rerun.&#160 Et cetera.&#160 Bite Sue me, mkay?&#160 I’m busy cooking. )

I first penned (penned?) this screed (g) on 11/17/01.&#160 I thought it appropriate then (and still do), it being Thanksgiving and all, to jot down a list of those things for which I was thankful.&#160 This year the tradition continues, below the fold, as usual with only a few minor tweaks to keep things current:

First of all, let me once again apologize for not blogging as much as I wish I could.&#160 Ideally, I’d be cranking out two or three posts a day.&#160 There’s certainly that much going on in the world, and it tears at my gut to be missing the opportunities to write about these things.&#160 Pains me even more to think that you, the Denizens, are missing out on most of My Eternal Wisdom&#153.&#160

The fact is that I simply have not had time to do one of the things that I enjoy more than I ever thought I would – writing.&#160 I never for a moment, sitting in my first ever English Composition college class twenty-five years ago, taught by a guy I believed to be an idiot, thought that I would ever come to the point that I actually got a kick out of slapping thoughts on page.

Amazing how things change.

But, I digress.&#160 There’s not been enough time.&#160 There’s never&#160 been enough time, but that’s beside the point.&#160 I’ve been swamped at work, and that’s when I’m not trying to renew a certification.&#160 This is taking me away from the chores I need to be doing – keeping the house clean, doing the laundry in a timely fashion, cleaning the kitchen, picking up dog crap off the carpet, those sorts of things.&#160 And when I do finally get around to those things, they keep me from doing stuff I like to do – like surfing the Web and writing these columns.

Which brings me around to the topic at hand.&#160 Thanksgiving’s today, and it’s a good time to kick back and tick off the things for which your obdt.&#160 svt.&#160 (a little Blackie Sherrod lingo, there) is thankful:

God.&#160 The God of the Bible.&#160 The God of Abraham, Issac, Jacob, David and Solomon.&#160 That&#160 God.&#160 Not Allah, not Muhammad, not Cthulu, not crystals and/or chakras and/or trees.&#160 God.&#160 Too damned few of us show our Creator too damned little appreciation for everything He’s given us, and do trust me when I tell you that that little tidbit has not&#160 escaped His attention.

His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the work He performed on the cross that allowed me to receive His salvation.&#160 (An aside:&#160 Yeah, in case anyone didn’t know – I’m a Christian.&#160 Not anywhere close to being the best example thereof, to be sure, but I’m still being worked on, and you’re just gonna have to be patient. (grin))

Being an American, and free to worship as I choose.&#160 For now, given whom the morons of this country just put into office.

My wife, Mrs. Venomous.&#160 Yes, Denizens, I haven’t really mentioned it up until now, given my track record with such pronouncements (rueful grin) – but it’s once more through the marriage breach, dear friends.&#160 That’s five now – yes, it does pain me to say that – and So Help Me Cthulu&#153, this is the last one, forever & ever, a-freakin’-men.&#160 But this one has convinced me that the institution of marriage really is a Good Thing&#153 – she cares for me more than the other four combined.&#160 (No offense intended, D.)

My current home – a two-story, two-bedroom jobber I share with the aforementioned Mrs, a chow/terrier and a huge lump of muscle & energy in the shape of a collie/sheltie mix.&#160 Not the cozy cottage in Forney, but at least I have an office again from which to pen (pen?) these screeds.

My son – Stephen Geoffrey “Skip” Crager, Jr.&#160 (although his doublewide-assed mother insists on calling him “Geoffrey”).&#160 Even though I haven’t seen you since 2003, Skip, I still love you.&#160 Always will.&#160 Always remember that.

Friends & family, some more than others.&#160 Even the ones who are diametrically opposed to me in their beliefs.

And while I’m thinking about it – and I should have really mentioned this last year, too – my sister in law.&#160 My brother, heretofore doomed to a lifetime of Eternal Bachelorhood&#153 – not necessarily a Bad Thing&#153, given his sibling’s aforementioned catastrophic track record – was pulled from that abyss by a wonderful woman he met only a couple of years prior.&#160 They celebrated their first anniversary back in August, and while it hasn’t been Easy Street&#153 for them, they’re doing better than okay.

Employment.&#160 Specifically, mine as a desktop technician, where I get to play with computers all day long – in effect, getting paid to practice my hobby.

(Thankfully, I’ve had a full-time gig since 2006, for a company known to me and only to me – since I know pussies like Cianderella Tierney, who bitched long and loud about me being a NetKKKop before having his ass exposed as a lying skank that doesn’t work at EDS, would love to find out where I work and try to get me fired…)

Okay, where was I…?

MP3s.&#160 The ability to take all my all-time favorite songs, regardless of format, and transfer them to something I can listen to in my car.&#160 Fuck you,&#160 Hilary Rosen.

Turkey.&#160 Lots of it, preferably drumsticks.

Leftovers.&#160 Turkey sammiches with lots of mustard.&#160 YEAH!

(Well, hold the bread on that.&#160 I have got to-got to-got to start paying more attention to Atkins.)

An American President who, though he is still not completely trustworthy in my eye, is at least giving the impression that he is, at least, trying – which is a damn sight better than what we could have had, hm?&#160 And at least this guy understands that the Presidency isn’t just one big frat party.&#160 (This will be crossed out for at least the next four years.)

The military which he commands.&#160 Peepz, these men & women do a helluva job protecting you and yours and the freedoms you enjoy, and they do it for pretty much next-to-nothing.&#160 Next time you see one, take a moment to say, “Thank you”.&#160 (Another aside:&#160 When I first posted this, I left out one very important group of guys:&#160 the Coast Guard.&#160 Unconscionable, since one of my readers served in that very branch.&#160 Mr. Slagle, my apologies – and my thanks.)

My car:&#160 A 2007 Chevy Cobalt.&#160 Quick, cozy, and twice the gas mileage of my old truck.&#160 In this day and age, that’s important.&#160 For $10 more per month, I get all that, plus a 5/50 warranty.&#160 Good stuff, that.

A seafood restaurant chain here locally by the name of “Ole Whiskers”.&#160 Catfish, chicken, ribs, stuffed crab, onion rings, and a host of other great stuff.&#160 Catfish topped with Tabasco&#169 sauce has become a staple.

My current box – a Pentium 2.66-GHz with 2 gigs of DDR RAM.&#160 Two 21″ monitors so that I don’t have to squint anymore when I write these things.&#160 (Well, not much, anyway – at 1280×1024, things are still awfully small.)

The aforementioned crap-on-the-carpet dogs – she’s still a precious little lapdog, and she captures the heart of anyone that meets her.&#160 The aforementioned collie mix – a whirling dervish that tears everything up, but he has an infectious personality.&#160 Even my brother’s little min-pin, Mindy – one of the most affectionate dogs you’ll ever see.&#160 (They’ve since added a precious little dachsund mix, Demi, who operates at one speed:&#160 Warp.&#160 Beautiful pup.)

Ham.&#160 Not as much as a turkey drumstick, but leftover ham does go good with eggs.

Any college football team that severely thrashes the Texas A&M Aggies.&#160 (Not anymore.&#160 Now that they’re rid of Dennis “The Mercenary” Franchione, and they’re getting their heads handed them on a weekly basis, it’s probably more appropos to pity them.)

Any college football team that severely thrashes Nebraska.&#160 (Not since they hired Bo Pelini, and hopefully never again.)

Any college football team that severely thrashes Miami.

Any college football team that severely thrashes Arkansas.

Any college football team that severely thrashes Texas.&#160 (Unless it’s Arkansas.)

TCU’s Horned Frogs.&#160 Your best job ever this year, Gary Patterson.&#160 Even if you don’t win the BCS bowl to which the Froggies’ll get invited, you’ve established yourself as one of, if not the&#160 best coaches the program’s ever had.&#160 Do the city of Fort Worth a favor – don’t go all Franchione on us and jilt us for Bama or Notre Dame or somesuch, mkay?

Any college football team that severely thrashes SMUT.

Any pro football team that kicks the crap out of Donna McNabb and the Philthydelphia Beagles – something the Cowboys did this year in Philthy, and will do this year in Dallas.

Tony Romo.&#160 Especially if he ever wins a playoff game… (sigh)

Jerry Jones – for signing that extension for Romo. (grin)

Southern Baptist churches that aren’t afraid to call themselves “Baptist”. (Not since they climbed into bed with the enviro-nutjob movement.&#160 Now it’s any church that unashamedly preaches the Gospel and refuses to compromise with its enemies.)

An occasional road trip – maybe to go fishing, or even if it’s work-related.&#160 I love staying in hotels where I can crank up the AC at night, and not have to worry about the electric bill (grin).

Microsoft.&#160 No, all you morons at the federal judiciary – Bill Gates does not run a monopoly, and you damned well know it.&#160 What he does do is run an extremely successful company, one that you bastards tried to shake down for $$$$, and failed.&#160 It’s not a secret that the tech sector crashed simultaneously with Janet El Reño’s baseless attack against Microsoft.

Spanish-language television channels.&#160 You will not find a better-looking collection of major babes anywhere on Planet Earth.&#160 And they don’t mind letting people know that they’re women either, dammit.&#160 Take that, NOW.&#160 🙂

Mashed potatoes.&#160 With a ton of gravy.&#160 (Atkins be damned on this one.&#160 (grin))

Ranch-style beans™.&#160 (Well, not so much now, seeing as ConAgra Backstabbing Foods has decided to shut down the Fort Worth plant that RSB has called home forever – but it’s still a nice little bean.)

Sweet tea – even though, being a Type II diabetic, I can no longer drink the stuff (make mine Sweet ‘n Low, 3 packets per 40 ounces, please unsweetened, unless it’s peach or cranberry tea, please).

Hooters’ hot wings.&#160 Scenery’s not bad, either.&#160

Dueling-piano bars.&#160 Picture two baby-grands.&#160 Picture two players with crass senses of humor.&#160 Picture some of the raunchiest lyrics ever conceived – sometimes on the fly.&#160 Picture yourself laughing your ass off.&#160 Try it sometime.

Rush Limbaugh.&#160 Sean Hannity.&#160 Mark Levin.&#160 Glenn Beck (though Levin seems to not like him for some reason).&#160 Michael Savage.&#160 Michael Reagan – and, in case I’ve not mentioned it before…his dad, too.

Ann Coulter.&#160 Michelle Malkin.&#160 Laura Ingraham.&#160 Sigh, yowzah.&#160

The Blogosphere&#153.&#160 Specifically, Misha and Alan Henderson – for getting me into this blogging thing.

My new hairstylist.&#160 In all my lifetime, I’ve only found three people who could fully understand what I wanted done to my hair, and do it right in a minimum of time:&#160 one retired about 15 years ago.&#160 This one’s just as good as her predecessor – and she’s a major babe, too.&#160 (grin)

Broadband.&#160 Forney didn’t get it on a widespread basis – but I have Verizon FiOS Time Warner Cable now, and I rock yet again…(though, as soon as Verizon FiOS comes to Arlington… (grin)

And finally (though this list is by no means complete) – you Denizens who keep coming back to the site in hopes that I’ve updated it.&#160 Without you guys, why am I doing this?&#160 Thanks very much for being here.

And Happy Thanksgiving.&#160 Remember the Source from whom the blessings originate…

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Prior to the Thanksgiving Day post, the Realm&#153 stops down for a short time to mourn the passing of Charles Kenneth Henderson, the father of Denizen & fellow blogger Alan K. Henderson.

Mr. Henderson had just celebrated his 77th birthday.

Alan, my friend, if there’s anything we can do, sir.

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As we gear up for another Perfect Football Weekend, we see where they’re trying to sweep things under the rug over at Hidden Valley Ranch.

Newman appeared to shove Campo after the secondary coach stopped him following a series and the two got into it again quickly after being separated.

Wade Phillips took a “Nothing to see hear,” approach Monday, saying it’s normal for such interaction.

[…]

When asked if he would speak to Newman about the incident Phillips said, “I don’t think you know the situation, so I think you’re misinformed about that. But we try to get everything straightened out on the sideline. There are a lot of ways to do it.”

Reporter: So what did happen between the two?

Phillips: “I’m not going to go through all of that because …”

[…]

“I don’t need to go into detail of who said what, what happened to who, all those things, he said she said,” Phillips said. “There wasn’t anything big that happened that made a difference. We worked out what we had to work out on the sideline, and that’s what we normally do. And that’s what happens with a lot of teams a lot of times.”

Nothing to see here, move along.

Memo to Owner Jethro (yet another h/t: Gil LeBreton):&#160 Vince McMahon’s boys over at WWE are coming to Dallas for the RAW broadcast December 7th.&#160 Mayhap you can get Newman & Campo on the midcard, no?&#160 Perhaps in a steel cage match?&#160 (Anything’s gotta be better than Chris Jericho’s boring-assed promos.)

On to the PFW.&#160 Heights is out, and I don’t follow either Forney or Royse City any longer, so it’s time for emergency plan “B”.

MERLIN:&#160 “B”, sir?

VENOMOUS:&#160 That’s “B” as in barricade.&#160 Figure it out, Mr. Merlin.

(Quick, give me the reference.&#160 Anyone?&#160 Bueller?)

Anyway, until they get their asses knocked out – which I hope is soon – we’re following whichever HS team is playing Sulphur Springs in the playoffs.&#160 And we’ll be doing this because Sulphur Springs is my high-school anti-team.

KORRIOTH:&#160 A team you hate?&#160 How do you figure?

T-BONE MCMANX:&#160 Remember who’s in Sulphur Springs, Cap.

KORRIOTH:&#160 Who’s in Sul…ah.&#160 Got it.

VENOMOUS:&#160 Good work, McManx.&#160 You’re now…(flip flip flip)…a Lieutenant Commander.

T-BONE MCMANX:&#160 I am honored, sir.&#160 Thank you.

Anyway, we’ll follow the team that knocks ’em out going forward.&#160 This week, we’re hoping that’s Frisco Liberty HS; the game will be in Mesquite Friday evening.

That afternoon, ABC will be in Boulder, Colorado to carry the Buffaloes as they host Bo Pelini’s 22nd-ranked (USA) Nebraska Cornhuskers.&#160 Nebraska’s a 10&#189-point road favorite, but Colorado’s been a Jekyll-and-Hyde team all year, and if the Jekyll team shows up, it’ll be a long afternoon for Bo’s boys.

And just a bit prior to that, UBuffalo will wind up their regular season on the road against Kent State.&#160 Don’t ask me why, but despite Kent State’s winning MAC record, and UBuff’s 2-5 conference mark, the Bulls are a 3-point road favorite.&#160 The SpatulaLine will remain in place for this one, meaning that as much as a 9-poing loss will still count.

Saturday, Bob Stoopes’ Oklahoma Sooners will host the annual Bedlan&#169 game against 12th-ranked Oklahoma State.&#160 Only the fact that the game’s in Norman can account for OU being an 8&#189-poing favorite – if this game were in Stillwater, I shudder to think of what Vegas’ line would be.&#160 Gimme OSU, and you can keep the points – OU’s gonna need ’em; the Cowboys win this one straight-up, I think.

The marquee game for Saturday, though, is in Fort Worth, where Gary Patterson’s fourth-ranked Texas Christian Horned Frogs complete their magical regular season against the Lobos of New Mexico.&#160 This is Patterson’s third go-round this year with the concept of “attaboy/awshit”, and here’s why.

Vegas has installed the Froggies as a prohibitive 44&#189-point favorite.&#160 That aside, is there anyone reading this that is on some psychedelic mind-bending compound and thinks for so much as a nanosecond&#160 that New Mexico has a chance against the Purple People Eaters&#153?&#160 Anyone?&#160 Anyone at all?

(crickets)

There you have my point.&#160 No one in their right mind thinks the Lobos are even gonna get a sniff in this game, much less beat the fourth-ranked team in their backyard, where they’ve won some 45 of their last 51.

But if they do…

All that said, the bags of Tostitos&#169 will be flying around Amon Carter Stadium that day as the Frogs romp.

Now, am I forgetting anyone…?

MERLIN:&#160 (ahem)

VENOMOUS:&#160 Oh, yeah.&#160 Them.

Tomorrow is Turkey Day…which, of course, means that the Dallas C’girls have the 3:00 game against DA RAAIIIIIIIDUUUUUUUHS (minus their issue-ridden fan base) over at the Death Star.

Freakland is 3-7, and quite probably the best one of thsoe in the league.&#160 They still have speed at the wideouts and a defense that likes to hit.&#160 Dallas doesn’t like that (see Bay, Green, two weeks ago), and it usually comes back to bite ’em in the butt.&#160 Greg Ellis returns to haunt his old team as the Raiders handle the C’girls with ease.

We’re back Sunday with the recap.&#160 In the meantime, Bucky is off until next week, when they play Hawai’i there, and my question to HDD is:&#160 Wanna get away? (grin)

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Beginning about 6 months before my fiftieth birthday, AARP sent me numerous invitations to join their organization. I have consistently refused because the AARP has the habit of taking political positions which I find to be unacceptable. In this article Joseph Farah tells us that our old Friend John McCain has urged AARP members to tear up their membership cards.

It seems that the good senator can do some things right.

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If there was ever an undeserved victory, it was this one.

Arlington Heights 13, Denton Ryan 38 (Area Round)

#4 Texas Christian 45, at Wyoming 10

UBuffalo 42, at Miami (Ohio) 17

Oklahoma 13, at Texas Tech 41

at #25 Nebraska 17, Kansas State 3

at Dallas 7, Warshington 6

Heights was down 31-0 before Denton Ryan took their collective foot off the Jackets’ throat.

All in all, it was a good season as Jacket seasons go.&#160 There was one point during the year where they held their opponents scoreless for 13 straight quarters.&#160 (Granted it was against Wyatt, North Side & South Hills, plus one quarter against Eastern Hills, but still.)

For a perpetually undersized unit with maybe one or two Division I-caliber athletes on the entire team, that’s not too shabby.&#160 Congratulations to Steve Hale and the intrepid AHHS coaching staff.&#160 Keep up the good work, guys.

Is there someone up at UBuffalo reading me?

I put the Bulls on the SpatulaLine, and they then go out and show me they didn’t need it?

KORRIOTH:&#160 Well, you didn’t exactly do much research on Miami of Ohio, y’know.&#160 They’re even worse than UBeefalo this year – 1-10.

VENOMOUS:&#160 Point.

Anyway, Brandon Thermilus returned from injury to run for 126 yards and two TDs, and caught a 29-yard pass from Zach Maynard for a third, as the Bulls rolled.

Y’know, OU isn’t the first team that’s ever gotten torched by the Texas Tech passing game in Lubbock – just ask Gary Patterson – but one would have hoped for a better performance from Stoopes’ Troops&#153 and the nation’s 18th-ranked pass defense.

OU dressed in the same type Nike “combat uniforms” that TCU used in their game against Utah – these inspired by those unis worn by the 1955 national champions.

Problem is, they played like they were still stuck in 1955.

Tech quarterback Taylor Potts abused the Sooner secondary for 388 yards and two touchdowns, and the Raider ground game embarrassed the Sooners for 161 yards, 136 of those by heretofore-unheralded back Baron Batch.

Landry Jones threw for 262 yards, but he only completed 18 of 35 passes in getting there.&#160 And the running game gave him absolutely no help at all, which may have been because by the third quarter, Tech was so far out in front that running would have been pointless.

Speaking of those who might be reading me…looks like I’ve got some readers amongst the Cornhusker staff.

As you might recall, I ripped Nebraska for allowing themselves to be out-rushed by Iowa State, of all teams, and I admonished Bo Pelini that he needed to re-evaluate what he was trying to do there in Lincoln.

Not that he actually reads me, but it seems as if he’s somewhat scrapped that dreadful West Coast offense.

Back-to-back home losses to Texas Tech and Iowa State started a stretch of four games in which the Huskers scored a total of four offensive touchdowns.

But the Huskers tweaked their offense, installing the power-I formation and using less of the spread. They also overcame a quarterback controversy that saw freshman Cody Green start two games before Lee regained control of the job two weeks ago.

For this game, Lee was efficient if not spectacular.&#160 He was 13-19-166 and a score.&#160 Niles Paul caught four of those for 82 yards.

The Blackshirts kept the Wildcats out of the end zone despite the boys in purple outgaining Nebraska in total yards, 293-267, so credit to them for this win.&#160 They forced a KState fumble on the goal line and also sacked Cat quarterback Grant Gregory on his last drive; KState would eventually lose the ball on downs, effectively ending the game.

The Huskers will now, presumably, become the sacrificial lamb for the TU Shortdicks’ romp to the BCS Championship Game.&#160 But if they play defense like this there, who knows?

Gary Patterson was not a happy camper.

“We just had two of the worst practices we’ve had all year,” Patterson said. “I can tell you right now we’re in a lot of trouble defensively. Two bad practices.”

On Saturday, it was the offense, not the defense, that started out a little shaky.&#160 After holding Wyoming to a three-and-out, Andy Dalton misfired on three straight passes in the Frogs’ own three-and-out.&#160 And on TCU’s next series, Dalton was intercepted on the Cowboy 2.

TCU slowly began to get untracked, scoring on a Matthew Tucker three-yard run for a 7-0 lead.&#160 But after the two teams traded field goals, potential disaster struck.

Driving for what would have been a commanding 17-3 lead, Ed Wesley, on the Wyoming two, suffered a case of Lonta Hobbs-itis.&#160 That is to say, he fumbled.&#160 Wyoming’s Chris Prosinski scooped up the ball and raced 98 yards for the tying score.&#160 With Cowboy fans screaming and the team believing it could hang with the Frogs, an upset was not out of the question.

Then Wyoming kicked off.

With Jeremy Kerley having been knocked a little woozy earlier, Greg McCoy replaced him and fielded the short kickoff at the Frog 19.&#160 Eighty-one yards later, TCU had regained the lead, the momentum, and re-established their dominance.&#160 Another Cowboy three-and-out was followed in short order by a Dalton-to-Kerley (now back in the game) 45-yard bomb.&#160 Game over.

Andy was somewhat off, only going 10-19-168.&#160 But the ground game, despite Wesley’s two fumbles (he would lose another one in the third quarter and not touch the ball again), rolled up over 300 yards for the fourth straight week, giving the Frogs over 500 total yards, likewise for the fourth week in a row.&#160 The defense, after allowing a first-quarter field goal, smothered Wyoming the rest of the day (178 total yards).

This should have been a second stright Cowgirl loss.

Oh, the defense was doing its share, for the most part, although they still had trouble getting off the field on third down, and they would give up 20-yard-plus plays to the Deadskins at the most inopportune times.&#160 Yet, they kept the Skins out of the end zone.

Unfortunately, the Deadskin defense was doing likewise to the C’girls.&#160 Romo couldn’t get a pass to a wide receiver until the end of the third quarter – it was either overthrown, or behind the receiver, or bounced in, or tipped, or picked off.&#160 The running game was doing okay, but always seemed to get stuffed for no gain on 3rd-and-2.

Dallas’ only saving grace was that Deadskins kicker Shawn Suisham reminded the Dallas crowd of why Bill Parcells cut his ass three years ago; he missed on attempts in the 2nd and 4th quarters, pushing them left & right, respectively.

But with four minutes left in the game, Romo & the C’girl offense found some rhythm, shredding the normally-dependalbe Deadskin secondary in completing seven straight passes, the last one to Patrick Crayton in the endzone with 2:41 left.&#160 An Anthony Spencer interception off a tip would seal the game for the C’girls.

Yes, they did deserve to lose this game.&#160 On the other hand, I s’pose that – in some small way – it makes up for this.

But if they play this badly on Thursday, there’s going to be a lot of indigestion in Arlington.

This week:&#160 4-2.&#160 Overall:&#160 46-21.

The PFW will return a little early with its Thanksgiving edition on Wednesday, as we’ll have the traditional Thanksgiving post up on Thursday, after which I’m taking the rest of that day off.

At that time, we’ll play Round Three of “Attaboy/Awshit” with TCU, while at the same time celebrating a “victory lap” of sorts as we herald the completion of the Froggies undefeated regular season.

We’ll also attempt to find a replacement “hah skrewl” (a little Rush lingo, there) team, and I have a pretty good one in mind.&#160 Don’t miss it.

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As most of you know, I have very little use for the Catholic denomination.

That said, I was majorly encouraged by (hat tip:&#160 Moe Lane at Redstate.)

Providence Bishop Thomas J. Tobin has forbidden Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy to receive the Roman Catholic sacrament of Holy Communion because of his advocacy of abortion rights, the Rhode Island Democrat said Friday.

“The bishop instructed me not to take Communion and said that he has instructed the diocesan priests not to give me Communion,” Kennedy said in a telephone interview.

Kennedy said the bishop had explained the penalty by telling him “that I am not a good practicing Catholic because of the positions that I’ve taken as a public official,” particularly on abortion. He declined to say when or how Bishop Tobin told him not to take the sacrament. And he declined to say whether he has obeyed the bishop’s injunction

About time the Catholics put some teeth in that declarative of theirs concerning politicians & baby-butchering.

Nice work, guys.&#160 Now, if you’d go and tell off a certain Honduran lady in Miami about marriage vows, i.e. actually keeping&#160 them…

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One step closer to socialism.

One step closer to civil war.

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Just HAD to do it Darth….just had to do it.

Anyway, I digress. The following is a copy of an email that I got from American Solutions earlier this week that I just finished reading (yea, yea, yea I know, “earlier this week”. Sue me, life has happened). American Solutions is a PAC/think tank that Newt Gingrich started in response to some recent events (namely that thing that was promised under the guise of “change”). I get emails from them whenever there is a significant goings-on inside the Beltway. Which means I’ve been getting them very frequently since last November.

Anywho. Check out what’s covered in this email and then ask yourself, “WTF, and just WHO do these politicians think they are?”

Unemployment currently stands at 10.2%, the highest in a quarter-century. The stimulus failed and now even more people are out of work.

Rather than creating jobs, the $787 billion pork-filled spending bill has created more debt and more deficits that every American citizen has to pay for in the middle of a recession.

Implicitly acknowledging the failure of the stimulus, the Obama administration has now announced a “Jobs Summit” on December 3rd.

For an administration actively promoting the adoption of job killing health, energy, and labor legislation, holding a “Jobs Summit” is more theater while millions of Americans struggle to find work.

Consider the record of the job killing politicians:

  • They promised us that the $787 billion stimulus would keep unemployment below 8%, but unemployment has been above 8% since February.[1]
  • They promised us the stimulus would “create immediate jobs,”[2] yet more than 4 million jobs have been “lost and dislocated” since President Obama signed it into law.[3]
  • Without reading it, they rammed through a 1,400-page energy tax in the House,[4] which will cost each taxpayer thousands of dollars in higher energy costs and result in the loss of an estimated 1.1 million jobs per year.[5]
  • Without reading it, they passed a 2,000-page tax and control bill in the House and called it “health care reform”, which will lead to $557 billion[6] in higher taxes and a loss of millions of jobs.
  • When faced with the failure to create jobs through the stimulus, they made up, yes made up, a new measurement of jobs “saved or created” that no economist takes seriously. As evidence of what they will do to deceive the public, they produced a “saved or created” report that invented congressional districts that do not exist as recipients of billions of taxpayer dollars[7] and distorted job creation numbers by tens of thousands, all to prove that th e stimulus is working.[8] David Obey (D-WI), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, even called this “outrageous” and described the mistakes as “ludicrous.”[9]
  • This is the record of politicians who promise new jobs and then vote for job killing legislation, record deficits and excessive government control.

    This week our General Chairman, Newt Gingrich, will be releasing an internal strategy memo outlining how we can stop these job-killing politicians before they cripple our economy for good and end America’s global, economic, and political leadership. Speaker Gingrich will also outline a bold agenda for American job creation and prosperity.

    We can’t stop these job-killing politicians alone. We need your help. Thank you for fighting to save America.

    Sincerely,

    Dan Varroney
    Chief Operating Officer
    American Solutions
    ——————————————————————————————————————————-
    [1] Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    [2] White House, “Remarks by the President and Vice President at the Signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.”
    [3] American Solutions, “The Real Story Behind the Stimulus.”
    [4] American Solutions, “Pelosi’s Crusade to Pass Cap and Trade.”
    [5] Heritage Foundation, “The Economic Consequences of Waxman-Markey: An Analysis of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.”
    [6] http://jct.gov/publications.html?func=startdown&id=3619
    [7] Watchdog.org, “$6.4 Billion Stimulus Goes to Phantom Districts.”
    [8] American Solutions, “Stimulus Jobs Distorted Coast to Coast.”
    [9] Washington Post, “Flawed Stimulus Numbers – Or a Flawed Promise to Provide Them?”

    ThatIsAll&#153

    _____________________________________________________





    This has been making the email rounds. Looks like it just might have possibilities:

    What a clever idea! Yes, Christmas cards. This is coming early so that you can get
    ready to include an important address to your list.

    Want to have some fun this CHRISTMAS? Send the ACLU a CHRISTMAS CARD this year.

    As they are working so very hard to get rid of the CHRISTMAS part of this holiday, we should all send them a nice, CHRISTIAN card to brighten up their dark, sad, little world.

    Make sure it says “Merry Christmas” on it.

    Here’s the address, just don’t be rude or crude. (It’s not the Christian way, you know.)

    ACLU
    125 Broad Street
    18th Floor
    New York , NY 10004

    Two tons of Christmas cards would freeze their operations because they wouldn’t know if any were regular mail containing contributions.

    So spend 44 cents and tell the ACLU to leave Christmas alone.

    Also tell them that there is no such thing as a “Holiday Tree”. . . It’s always been called a CHRISTMAS TREE!

    And pass this on to your email lists. We really want to communicate with the ACLU! They really DESERVE us!!

    For those of you who aren’t aware of them, the ACLU, (the American Civil Liberties Union) is the one suing the U.S. Government to take God, Christmas or anything Christian away from us. They represent the atheists and others in this war.

    Help put Christ back in Christmas!

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    Unfortunately, it is completely believable.

    It seems that our President is now “sternly” warning us against too much government debt!

    Amazing, simply amazing.

    I believe the term our founder, in moments such as this makes reference to an RCOB. It definitely applies.

    _____________________________________________________

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