Did Dez Bryant get jobbed in Green Bay? You could make that argument and I'm pretty sure the NFL is going to have to revisit Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 1:
"If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball throughout the process of contacting the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete."
It needs to be said -- if the call is upheld and Bryant gets the catch, it doesn't follow that the Dallas Cowboys leave Lambeau Field with a victory, although their chances of doing so would have improved quite dramatically. It's likely, but not certain, that the Cowboys would have scored and taken the lead. Aaron Rodgers would likely have had over three minutes to move the ball on offense. Perhaps the Dallas defense would have stopped him, but they didn't stop him much in the second half of the game.
The only time an official's call can be said to decide a game's outcome is if it happens on the last play of the game. And Packers fans have seen that happen.
A few changes to the ol' blog today. I changed the background because I was tired of the chain link fence and I changed the tagline to "the cul de sac of love" in a pathetic attempt to court favor with ennui-filled suburbanites. Most of the other changes, unfortunately, involve the culling of blogs on the sidebar. Some really good folks are now out of the game and many of the blogs are now simply deleted. Ones that are still accessible are now in the expanded "Moribund Burgermeister" section. Blogging is not a growth industry at this point and there are times I suspect that we are the proprietors of an electronic buggy whip factory. Still, we soldier on.
Also, I note that the Dead Pool kinda died since we were on vacation over the new year. I'm not sure if we want to revisit it or just let the 2014 Dead Pool run on for another year, since one of the best ways to survive 2014 was to be named in our Dead Pool -- nearly everyone who was listed at this time last year is still alive. So in an act of compassion, perhaps we'll eschew an update for the year. We've got your back, Zsa Zsa.
It is a major weekend and most likely the best weekend of football out there, Old Dude. The top 4 teams in the NFL protect their home field in the playoffs, and on Monday the first true national championship game in college football will take place.
Sounds intriguing, but they do play on and, as I recall, there's a fairly important game scheduled for later on in Arizona. At least that's the word on street.
Do they even let you out on the street? That's surprising. I know that the Super Bowl is the big one, but you see my point, right?
Especially if you don't wear a hat.
I'll bet you got some real laughs out of that line the first time you used it. I'm guessing that was 1975, right?
Maybe 1977. But I take your point.
Jokes are old, you're a little old. This banter is getting old. Therefore, it's time to get down to the HYYYYYPPPEEE! and watch me work!
Baltimore Ravens (+7) vs. New England Patriots. The Patriots have rebounded nicely since they had a nightmare against Kansas City and Tom Brady is looking like a legitimate MVP candidate. If this was 2004, New England would win, especially since this game is being played in Foxboro. However, I do not see Troy Brown or Corey Dillon around now and the Ravens have been masterful at winning on the road. I have concerns for Baltimore, because the emotions of finally winning a playoff game in Pittsburgh could cause a hangover effect. So of course I would pick New England right? Well, not exactly. Ravens 28, New England 24. I'm not sure what to think about this one. The Ravens are a bit of a bete noire for the Pats and while I think the Patriots are the better team, I don't think it will be easy. But I do think they'll prevail. Patriots 31, Ravens 27.
Carolina Panthers (+11) vs. Seattle Seabags. Seattle are the defending champions and although I do not think they will repeat this year, there is one category where they will win. Pete Carroll is a major jerk and with Jim "Hey, I'm a Major Jerk, Too" Harbaugh now walking on water somewhere in the Ann Arbor area, Carroll will be the default winner of the Jerk Coach of the Year for this seasons and he'll be the favorite for the next few years as well. We all know that Seattle rarely loses at home and has a very tough and physical team. What people forget is that Dallas beat Seattle in their building this year and New Orleans and San Fran almost beat them last year at home. I can't hate on Russell Wilson because he is an upstanding man and was a great quarterback for Bucky. But Scam Newton looked very good last week and he would like nothing better than to quiet a bunch of Seahawk fans. I think the Panthers are a tough matchup for the Seahawks, so let's roll the dice on this one. Carolina 13, Legion of Booed 9. I'd like to agree with you, young fella. But I don't. The Panthers have improved, but they have a losing record for a reason. Seattle wins this game by wearing them down. Seahawks 24, Panthers 20.
Dallas How Bout Them Cowboahs (+5.5) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers. Dallas has been smoking hot lately and Tony Romo is trying to prove to me that he is not actually a choker in big games. Problem is that Dallas won with some help from the men in stripes last weekend. People in Michigan would probably agree with me, but that is for you, the reader, to decide. DeMarco Murray has been fabulous this year and the Packers tend to struggle against the run. However, the Packers beat the Cowboys last year in epic fashion with a 23 point comeback, with Matt Flynn at the helm, in JerryWorld. Think they can handle Lambeau? Aaron Rodgers and the offense play like gangbusters at home and the Packers have yet to lose there all year. Can't see that changing. Packers 37, Cowboys 19.
Let's roll the obligatory Frozen Tundra footage. Take it away, Ray Scott and Jack Buck:
Yeah, it's cold in Green Bay. I really hope that Joe Buck can wear the same hat that his dad did on the 1967 broadcast. It won't be that cold on Sunday, but it's going to be a challenge for the Cowboys to cope with the weather. I do worry about DeMarco Murray, but my sense is that Dallas is not built to deal with the Packer offense. This will be a shootout and the Packers will outscore the Cowboys. Packers 38, Cowboys 28.
Indianapolis Colts (+7) vs. Denver Broncos. This game is dominated by the quarterbacks, as Peyton Manning once again faces his former team and his successor Andrew Luck. Manning would love to get another Lombardi Trophy to match his brother and to help remove some of the stain of not being able to get it done in the clutch. Denver is explosive and you have to think this is their last best chance to win a title. Luck will have his time, but not this time. Denver 45, Indy 32. I wonder about Manning -- he's been fading down the stretch and I don't think he'll get his team to the Super Bowl. I do think the suspect Colts defense is there for the taking, though. Peyton gets one more week. Broncos 35, Colts 24.
Oregon Ducks (-6) vs. The Ohio State University Buckeyes. I am so glad that neither team in this game is an SEC team! It is about freaking time that the Southeastern Excessively Hyped Conference is out of the title game. Remember, no one knows more about HYYYYYPPPPE! than me, so if I say the SEC has excessive hype, you can take it to the bank. As you may know, I was at the Rose Bowl with the old dude and the rest of the family and I have to say this -- my goodness, Oregon looked very convincing. Marcus Mariota is a legit beast and Oregon just rolled over the Criminoles. I am familiar with Ohio State and they had a much tighter game against Alabama, but had a big blowout in a certain game I will not comment on, but is out there for those that are curious. A person with knowledge of Ohio State told me that this team reminds him of the 2002 team that beat a loaded Miami team in Glendale in an epic game. I did pick Ohio State for good reason last time, but Oregon passed the eye test. Ducks 42, O-H-N-O 39. We were in Pasadena last week and it was an amazing performance. When the Ducks jumped on FSU, it was over in a hurry. Ohio State has really looked good over the last few games and I think Urban Meyer is going to win national championships in Columbus. I just don't think it will be this year. Should be a very entertaining game. Ducks 38, Bucks 31.
That is all for this week. And my message to the players is this -- heroes get remembered but legends never die. Ben out!
Speech and its suppression are much in the news right now. A few thoughts:
While we mourn those murdered in Paris on Wednesday, it's worth noting two things about the satire that Charlie Hebdo created. First, a hell of a lot of it was truly objectionable stuff. I'm particularly offended by this cover:
Translation -- "The Pope Goes Too Far!"
This cartoon shows Pope Benedict holding a condom as if it were a Communion Host, and pictures him saying "this is my body." As a Catholic, I recognize this is intentionally gratuitous and meant as nothing more than a stick in the eye of Catholics everywhere. In the secular world, we'd call this a dick move.
Having said that, I have no problem with the cartoon, because I was in no way forced to see it. I had never heard of Charlie Hebdo before Wednesday and even if I'd ever seen the image before, I would have been free to turn my head away and reject it. Stephane Charbonnier would not have cared what I thought, so we'd have been even.
I'm willing to entertain nearly any viewpoint as long as I'm free to choose how I entertain it. Which brings us to Star Tribune metro columnist Jon Tevlin, who is concerned about what the City of Bloomington is doing to some local organizers of Black Lives Matter:
When hundreds of protesters descended on the Mall of America on Dec. 20 to protest the police killing of young black men, there is little doubt the protesters broke the law, albeit a bad law in my view, by trespassing.
It was an intentional act of civil disobedience, and I agree with Bloomington City Attorney Sandra Johnson on at least one thing: If you are going to engage in civil disobedience, you should expect to be punished. It goes with the territory.
So far, so good. As is his wont, however, Tevlin starts moving the goalposts:
I happen to think that punishment for a peaceful protest should be light, such as a short probation and community service.
But Johnson is going much further, saying she wants protesters to pay for police presence at the event and potential income lost by store owners at the mall.
If I wanted to be sarcastic and ask a Stephen Colbert question, it would be: Why do you hate the First Amendment, and do you work for the city of Bloomington or the Mall of America?
This is nonsense. From the outset -- does the Mall of America pay taxes to the city of Bloomington? Why yes, yes it does. As such, it is a constituent of the city of Bloomington and is entitled to police protection. Moreover, there's no dispute that having hundreds of protesters clogging up your place of business is a problem.
I'm actually amenable to the message that Black Lives Matter is sending -- I agree that police often use excessive force and that the case of Eric Garner is particularly troubling. That does not mean that the messengers should have the right to obstruct the normal activities taking place at the MOA, especially during the height of the Christmas season. The staff of Charlie Hebdo relied on the support of its readership and its friends to publish their often odious viewpoints. The Black Lives Matter people are seeking rent to promulgate their viewpoints, and they are willing to use force to make people listen to them. While I understand Tevlin's concerns about the obvious force involved in a city attorney seeking monetary damages, it's worth remembering that the Black Lives Matter group had other options for getting their message across, options that would not have forced people to listen. I think people ought to listen to the message of Black Lives Matter. I don't think they are required to do so.
Do you take offense at offensive language? If you are human, you do -- everyone is offended by something. Ought you avoid offensive language in polite company? I'd recommend it in most instances. Should we proscribe it? No, a thousand times no.
The words that Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane "Charb" Charbonnier offered in the aftermath of a previous attack are fitting:
"I don't have kids, no wife, no car, no credit," he told Le Monde. "Maybe it's a little pompous to say, but I'd rather die standing than live on my knees."
I don't know if Charbonnier was actually standing when the murderers came, but we have learned where he stood. His words were only pompous in the context of an intellectual class that has no problem being on its knees.
Killing in response to insult, no matter how gross, must be unequivocally condemned. That is why what happened in Paris cannot be tolerated. But neither should we tolerate the kind of intolerance that provoked this violent reaction.
Those who work at this newspaper have a long and disgusting record of going way beyond the mere lampooning of public figures, and this is especially true of their depictions of religious figures. For example, they have shown nuns masturbating and popes wearing condoms. They have also shown Muhammad in pornographic poses....
Stephane Charbonnier, the paper’s publisher, was killed today in the slaughter. It is too bad that he didn’t understand the role he played in his tragic death. In 2012, when asked why he insults Muslims, he said, “Muhammad isn’t sacred to me.” Had he not been so narcissistic, he may still be alive. Muhammad isn’t sacred to me, either, but it would never occur to me to deliberately insult Muslims by trashing him..
So Charbonnier had it coming, apparently. Mr. Donohue, you don't speak for me.
Representative John A. Boehner beat back an embarrassing challenge to his speakership from aggrieved conservatives on Tuesday as Republicans assumed control of both houses of Congress, pledging to restore function and civility to a body that has become a symbol of disorder for most Americans.
Two dozen Republicans voted against Mr. Boehner, and one withheld his support, clouding what should have been a day of euphoria for the party after its definitive midterm election victory. It was the largest number of votes against a speaker from members of his or her own party in at least two decades.
There's a lot of crap in those two paragraphs, of course -- what, specifically, makes the House a "symbol of disorder," one might ask, especially "for most Americans." Still, the problem with Congress in the last session wasn't necessarily John Boehner. The larger problem was across the building, in the form of this guy:
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas
From what's been reported, apparently Reid had a violent argument with some exercise equipment or something and he wasn't even present yesterday when we had his pal Joe Biden simultaneously administering the oath of office to new senators and copping feels:
An obvious grasp of the situation
Yet the problem is in the Republican leadership, or so we are told.
Let's be honest -- John Boehner is hardly the optimal leader, but in order to topple him, you need someone else who can credibly lead. And as a one-time rebel points out, that individual doesn't yet exist:
Representative Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, a Republican who did not vote for Mr. Boehner in 2013 but did so this year, said the attempted ouster of the speaker was “poorly considered and poorly executed.” He added, “This was an effort driven as much by talk radio as by a thoughtful and principled effort to make a change.”
The random nature of some of the protest votes reflected how disorganized the opposition to Mr. Boehner was. One congressman voted for Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, for speaker; another voted for Senator Jeff Sessions, Republican of Alabama; two voted for Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio. Mr. Gohmert received three votes; Mr. Yoho, two. Each man voted for himself.
I'm not sure how a Senator can be Speaker of the House, but we'll leave that aside. Mulvaney's point about talk radio is spot on. It's great that Mark Levin and his pals are howling about Boehner, but howling isn't how you change the world. Getting in the arena and getting your people elected is how you change the world. Boehner has been at that business of getting elected for his entire career. He's quite good at it. I'm not aware that Levin has elected anyone. The world of practical politics requires a lot of hard work and sustained effort. And, unfortunately, it requires making compromises with people you find unsavory or unsatisfying. It's great to be a true believer, but true believers rarely grasp the levers, especially if they spend the majority of their time howling and preening.
One reason civil disobedience was such a powerful tool in the civil rights era was that people who chose the path were willing to accept the punishment of the state. Martin Luther King spent significant time in jail fighting while fighting for justice.
On a night when the Bloomington City Council passed a proclamation honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., council members were urged to live up to King’s vision of justice.
About 100 people packed the council chamber Monday night, many of them urging leniency for leaders of Black Lives Matter, the local group that organized a pre-Christmas protest at the Mall of America on the heels of nationally publicized incidents involving the deaths of young black men in confrontations with police.
The way to honor Dr. King is to accept the path he chose. "Free at last" never meant free of consequence. King understood that.
We are going to learn the new inductees in the Baseball Hall of Fame today. It's a pretty safe bet that two great pitchers, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez, will make it. There's a decent chance that another pitcher, John Smoltz, will be in as well. There's also an excellent chance that longtime second basemen Craig Biggio will earn the nod, as he fell only two votes short last year. That would be a good class.
I've written extensively about the HOF in the past and I remain convinced that there are a lot of good candidates who aren't getting proper consideration. In particular, I'm mystified that Tim Raines and Alan Trammell haven't received more support from the voters. I suspect there are just too many good candidates out there and since the rules state that you can only vote for ten candidates per year, there simply aren't enough votes to go around. There were 34 candidates on this year's ballot. Many are clearly not HOF material -- no one seriously believes that Rich Aurilia or Eddie Guardado are all-time greats, to use just two examples, but you could make a strong argument for a lot of players. From the outstanding Baseball Reference website that I've linked above, consider the 24 names they have essentially stack ranked:
The only player on this list who is certain not to make it is Brian Giles. If you could only pick 10 of these people, which ones would you pick? If I had a ballot, I'd choose:
Randy Johnson
Pedro Martinez
Craig Biggio
Jeff Bagwell
Tim Raines
Alan Trammell
Mike Mussina
Mike Piazza
Edgar Martinez
Roger Clemens
Barry Bonds
Clemens and Bonds are both among the top 10 players in MLB history, but neither will get in soon because they are both linked to steroid use. The only guy I've listed that I have any misgivings about is Edgar Martinez, mostly because he was a career DH. As I see it, the problem is that it's become more difficult for a player to get in during the modern era. If you could take George Kell or Dave Bancroft and put them in the modern era, they'd pale behind some of the candidates on this ballot. Bancroft, who primarily played in the 1920s, a good era for hitting, was a lifetime .279 hitter who had 2,004 total hits. Trammell, who played most of his career in the 1980s, is a lifetime .285 hitter who had 2,365 hits. How do you compare these guys across eras? It's not easy, but if you believe Dave Bancroft is a Hall of Famer, then I don't understand how Trammell is not.
This post is actually more of a test of our capabilities than a meaty, substantive discussion of the pressing issues of the day. Mrs. D and I are working our way north to the Twin Cities after dropping a load of HYYYYYPPPPE in Galesburg.
We have been mostly away from Minnesota for over a week now. While it was good to get away from the cold, we are glad to get back to the mostly frozen north. We have made our lives here and while we have silly people governing us, we still have the luxury of pointing out their silliness via a number of electronic devices. As I am demonstrating from south of Owatonna.
We're finally home after our "assignment," which was actually a wonderful family vacation in California. A number of circumstances will really prevent normal blogging from starting again until Tuesday, but a more steady stream of content will be coming after that. A few random observations:
We apparently picked the coldest week they've seen in Southern California in quite some time. I don't think it got above 65 degrees the whole time we were there. It was glorious, though -- it felt like early October in Minnesota, which is just about my favorite time of year.
I hadn't been to California since 1980 and much has changed since then. The last time I was there I didn't spend a lot of time north of Los Angeles, but since we were staying in Arcadia we were close to the San Gabriel Mountains. We don't have mountains in Minnesota, so it was pretty cool to see.
We had the great fortune of spending an evening with Gino early in the trip and some time with one of my best friends from college, Rob Driscoll, late in the trip. While there are tourist attractions galore in Southern California, seeing good friends may have been the biggest highlight.
Politics seem far away when you are traveling. There's a lesson in that.
We're going on a little "assignment" for the next week, so posting will be a little light, most likely. Try to have some fun during this coming week. We plan to.
So, old dude, in less than 24 hours we won't be in snowy Minnesota.
Right. Where are we going again?
I think that Metamucil is starting to eat away at your cerebral cortex, there, Geritol Fan! Lay off the over-the-counter meds and start paying attention. You know where we'll be! Here's a picture as a reminder:
The end of Route 66, baby!
Yes, that's right. We've made up our minds, we've made a new start. We're going to California with an achin' in our hearts.
Stop with the Led Zeppelin references! Seriously! You know Mrs. D doesn't approve of such things!
Sure, but if we play our cards right we'll see Gino.
Yes. But before we get on the plane, we need to make a few picks. Watch me work!
Bear Down Chicago da Bearz (+6) vs. Minnesota Vikings. So Jimmy Clausen lasted less than a week as the Bears starting quarterback. Rather than going with third stringer, the aptly named David Fales -- I mean, seriously, is there a better name for a Bears quarterback than Fales? -- the Bears have decided to go back to Smokin' Jay Cutler, who has not been the answer this season. Meanwhile, the Vikings are trying to finish strong with Teddy Bridgewater at the helm. Teddy has had his moments this year, and this game will be a good test, because it's going to be cold and snowy at TCF Bank Stadium. If Teddy is going to succeed in this division, he needs to win cold weather games, even if the Vikings are headed back indoors in 2016. Vikings 32, da Bearz 7. So this game marks the return of Jared Allen to Minnesota. If you recall, the Bears let Julius Peppers go to Green Bay and used the money to sign Allen. How'd that turn out? Here's a screen shot of Allen's year:
Not much production, but a handsome beard
Now, here's a screen shot of Peppers's year:
We should mention that the two interceptions were pick sixes
You hear plenty of blame for Marc Trestman and the stumbling of the Bears offense, but the real problem in Chicago is defense. And that's what the Vikings are going to exploit tomorrow. Vikings 28, Bears 17. Detroit Motor City Kitties (+7.5) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers. Here you go. It's the big one? How big?
That's right. It's the big one. This couldn't be simpler. Winner gets a bye, loser goes to Dallas, most likely. The Packers struggled in Week 3 against the Lions, but this time some things have changed. The big issue for the Lions is on the lines, both offensive and defensive. On offense, the Lions will be without Dominic Raiola, who was last seen doing this:
He won't be playing on Sunday. Neither will Nick Fairley, the nasty defensive lineman who has been battling injuries all year long. The Packers do need to worry about this guy, though:
When you play the Lions, you'd best keep your head on a swivel. The Lions do have another problem beyond their questionable tactics. That problem is they have not won a game in Wisconsin since 1991. What do I know about 1991? Not much, because I was not even born! Have you seen how the Packers have destroyed everyone who has come into Lambeau this year? It's gonna take more than spearing and foot-stomping to win. Packers 56, Lions 49. Bet the over, then? No, it's not going to be a scoring festival, but I'm pretty confident that the Packers will score this time. The Lions are a good, if nasty, team, but at Lambeau the Packers will get it done. Packers 34, Lions 24.
Since we're going on vacation, I'm not certain we'll have a chance to do many bowl game picks, but we are going to do a lightning round on a few. Here goes!
Citrus Bowl -- Mizzou Tigers (-5) vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Gophers are playing on New Year's Day! Good for them. Unfortunately, they are taking on R. A. Crankbait's Mizzou Tigers, a very capable squad. Will Goldy prevail? Gophers 31, Mizzou 0. Uh, no. Mizzou 28, Gophers 24. Outback Bowl -- Beloved Wisconsin Badgers (+6.5) vs. Au-barn Tiger/War Eagle/Plainsmen/Whatever the heck they call themselves these days. That title was so long I barely have room for a pick. Sorry, Au-barn. Bucky 21, Au-barn 13. Auburn is explosive. That's the challenge. Auburn 38, Wisconsin 31. Rose Bowl -- Oregon Ducks (-9) vs. Florida State Seminoles. The Old Dude and I will be looking live at this game! We are pumped! Too bad it's the annoying Seminoles. But hey, what a thrill for us and never again will the Rose Bowl have this much HYYYYYYPPPPPPE!!! Green-clad National Champions 45, Criminals 7. I hope it's a better game than that. Ducks 38, Seminoles 28. Sugar Bowl -- Alabama Roll Tide (-9) vs. The Ohio State University Buckeyes. We shall never again discuss the Big Ten Championship game. As for this game, I expect a repeat. Ohio State 35, Alabama 31. Wait, did you just pick the Buckeyes? Dang. Alabama 34, Ohio State 28.
See, I'm reasonable. I can pick the Buckeyes if I really want to. Not that I ever do, but I have my reasons. Meanwhile, we'll be seeing this:
So I observe
And this:
When you wish upon a star, your wallet will be cleared by far
I've got a little list — I've got a little list Of society offenders who might well be underground, And who never would be missed — who never would be missed!
-- Gilbert and Sullivan, "The Mikado"
Pope Francis has his list, too, but there's nothing little about it. In his efforts to reform the Curia, Francis has identified 15 specific points. All are worth discussion; one of the more intriguing ones is point #8:
8) Suffering from 'existential schizophrenia.' "It's the sickness of those who live a double life, fruit of hypocrisy that is typical of mediocre and progressive spiritual emptiness that academic degrees cannot fill. It's a sickness that often affects those who, abandoning pastoral service, limit themselves to bureaucratic work, losing contact with reality and concrete people."
While Francis is specifically concerned with the cocooned Curia, he's offering a challenge that is universal. How many of us are limiting ourselves to bureaucratic work? You don't have to work in an established bureaucracy for this to happen -- we worry about checking off the boxes on our own little lists and lose sight of the people who surround us. In most cases the stakes aren't as high in your own life, but focusing on the task list keeps us from seeing beyond it.
Are you called to pastoral service? If you are a Christian, you are. The services you render don't necessarily have to include serving soup at the Dorothy Day Center, but we do have an obligation to get beyond our selves and our lists. The more we focus on our lists, the more certain that the Lord High Executioner's claims become true -- the "society offenders" never would be missed, because we don't see them.
Francis's point about academic degrees is especially apt. We all know people who are highly educated and use their education and their academic prowess as a shield from the outside world, or as a truncheon. The curriculum vitae is a little list of its own, but it's only retrospective.
Francis issued a blistering indictment of the Vatican bureaucracy Monday, accusing the cardinals, bishops and priests who serve him of using their Vatican careers to grab power and wealth, of living "hypocritical" double lives and forgetting that they're supposed to be joyful men of God.
Francis turned the traditional, genteel exchange of Christmas greetings into a public dressing down of the Curia, the central administration of the Holy See which governs the 1.2-billion strong Catholic Church. He made clear that his plans for a radical reform of the structures of church power must be accompanied by an even more radical spiritual reform of the men involved.
Two things, before we go any further. The Curia doesn't "serve" the Pope; they are supposed to serve the Church itself. Second, because so many members of the Curia have only served themselves, what Francis plans to do is absolutely necessary.
6) Having 'spiritual Alzheimer's.' "We see it in the people who have forgotten their encounter with the Lord ... in those who depend completely on their here and now, on their passions, whims and manias, in those who build walls around themselves and become enslaved to the idols that they have built with their own hands."
8) Suffering from 'existential schizophrenia.' "It's the sickness of those who live a double life, fruit of hypocrisy that is typical of mediocre and progressive spiritual emptiness that academic degrees cannot fill. It's a sickness that often affects those who, abandoning pastoral service, limit themselves to bureaucratic work, losing contact with reality and concrete people."
10) Glorifying one's bosses. "It's the sickness of those who court their superiors, hoping for their benevolence. They are victims of careerism and opportunism, they honor people who aren't God."
12) Having a 'funereal face.' "In reality, theatrical severity and sterile pessimism are often symptoms of fear and insecurity. The apostle must be polite, serene, enthusiastic and happy and transmit joy wherever he goes."
Francis is identifying issues that happen in all organizations and is calling on the Curia to get back to first principles, principles that largely get ignored the deeper one resides in any bureaucratic structure. The larger question is what he is willing to do to bring about the needed reform. Bureaucracies depend on inertia and delay; since Francis is an old man, a lot of folks in the Curia assume they'll be able to wait him out. The task at hand is to keep the pressure on.
The "funereal face" line is particularly amusing, because it's such a feature of institutionalized Catholicism. The assistant principal at the Catholic high school I attended was a nun that nearly everyone called "Funeral Face." She was severe, officious and if she ever smiled, there were few witnesses. Her primary task seemed to be enforcing the dress code for girls, which required that girls wear a blue blazer while "in transit," meaning between classes. The real purpose was to keep the gals covered up, lest the boys get distracted by their Catholic schoolgirl charms. I can assure you the policy did nothing except irritate the girls -- we were plenty distracted anyway.
I will stipulate that there are atheists and agnostics who are kind and decent. And any honest Christian knows that the faithful are all sinners in one way or another. If I want to see a sinner, all I have to do is look in the mirror.
Francis is many things, but he's not a pagan. I have seen a lot of ostensibly intelligent people who seem to think that the man who sits on the throne of St. Peter is really going to argue that the traditional notion of God is outdated, and they also apparently believe that utterly ludicrous notion would be (a) possible and (b) desirable.
If you want to understand the problem that the Catholic Church (and Christendom generally) faces, this is it. Oh, and one other thing:
I probably wasn't going to go see "The Interview," the apparently shelved movie in which Seth Rogen and James Franco go all Bill and Ted, or Day of the Jackal, or something, on Kim Jong Un.
Can't see it now, though. And while Kim Jong Un might be part of the issue, the larger issue is closer to home, as attorney Kurt Schlichter points out:
If some pack of scumbags walked into a movie theater showing The Interview and opened fire, Sony and the theater companies would get sued. There’s no question about that – the Aurora theater chain where that psycho decided to start shooting is getting sued by the victims’ heirs as we speak. And, under our ridiculous tort system, the theater will lose, whether it prevails in court or not. Defense lawyers like me are not cheap.
Sony is a business; its duty isn’t to fight for our principles but to preserve and expand shareholder value. We veterans all swore to die, if necessary, to defend our Constitution, but Sony didn’t. It’s easy for us to say to Sony, “Hey, let’s you and him fight,” when it’s neither our money nor our personal safety on the line.
Incentives matter. And given the wounds that Sony has suffered in recent weeks, the last thing it would want to do is take a chance.
Old dude, it's hard to find a game to pick these days. Unless we choose to look at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, a stirring contest between Air Force and Western Michigan. That's a game I wouldn't watch if it happened in September, so what do we do?
Pick the games we can pick? That's a possibility, right?
Seems sensible to me. But I'm going to have to dig down deep in the well of HYYYYYYPPPPE! to get too excited. Watch me work!
Minnesota Vikings (+6.5) vs. Miami Tuna Net Victims. When we last saw the Dolphins, they were getting crushed by New England. Now that happens all the time, but we are duty bound to look past the thrashing and consider the fate of the local team, which is taking its talents to South Beach, at least temporarily. Somehow I think ol' Zygi won't let the Vikings stay on South Beach, though. Probably they'll be in a motel on Alligator Alley or something. As for the game, the Dolphins almost beat the Packers earlier in the season, but they are 7-7 and pretty much out of the playoff hunt, unless several teams have unfortunate aviation accidents in the next few weeks. I think the Vikings have a chance in this one -- Teddy Bridgewater is playing pretty well and it won't be cold down there. That's certain. Vikings 27, Tuna Net Victims 3. Here was an early report from Miami:
I was not aware that the coach of Notre Dame was part of the cast. The Vikings have a plan and while the Dolphins are technically still alive for the playoffs, they aren't likely to get there. Still, motivation is a factor and I think the Dolphins will outlast the Vikings in the end. Still, expect a good showing. Dolphins 28, Vikings 24. Glorious Green Bay Packers (-10.5) vs. Tampa Bay Creamsicles. Last week didn't go particularly well for the Packers, as they struggled against an inspired Buffalo Bills team. This week they head down to Tampa, a place where they've sometimes struggled. However, a quick look at the standings tells us that the Buccaneers have only won two games, both against local Florida high schools. Lovie Smith does have the book on the Packers, but one reason he's in Tampa was that the Packers were regularly running circles around his now antique Tampa 2 defense. The Bucs don't have very good personnel and will have a very difficult time stopping the Packers on offense. And just a reminder -- you have to R-E-L-A-X. That's hard for me to do, given my HYYYYYYPPPE!, but I pay attention to Aaron Rodgers. Packers 51, Bucs 31. The Packers should win this game. Of course, I said the same thing about last week. I have a better feeling about this one, because the Bucs are, well,
Charles Barkley is one of the greatest philosophers of our time. Packers 38, Bucs 21. Detroit Motor City Kitties (-9.5) vs. Bear Down Chicago da Bearz. Our man Jay Cutler finally got benched. He's been replaced by Jimmy Clausen, last seen leading the Carolina Panthers to a #1 draft pick that replaced him. As I have suggested, maybe it's best for Jimmy Clausen to lead this team. He joins a fine tradition of Bears quarterbacks that includes Peter Tom Willis, Sexy Rexy Grossman and Cade McNown. On the bright side, as far as I know, none of these former QBs are in prison, although an earlier Bears QB isn't so fortunate. I am also certain that no other former Bears quarterback has been the governor of Illinois, which is also a position that usually leads to a trip to Joliet. I would like da Bearz to win this game, because it would be exceptionally funny and helpful to the Packers. And you know what? I'm serious. Yes Gino, I'm throwing you a bone on this one. And unlike most Bears quarterbacks, I expect that the pass will not be intercepted. Bearz 31, Choke Artists 0. Uh, no. Did you watch that game last week? I'm not sure the Bears were even in the stadium for a lot of the game. Marc Trestman is very close to joining the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Yeah, I'd like the Bears to win, too. But I'm not crazy. Lions 28, Bears 14.
The funny thing is, while I understand that picking the Bears is a ludicrous idea, I've made my peace with it. Just remember this -- I may sound like I'm crazy. But at least I'm not delusional. As far as you know, at least. Ben out!
The first lady also described being mistreated at a Target store in suburban Washington, during a shopping trip she took in 2011. "Even as the first lady," she told the magazine, "during the wonderfully publicized trip I took to Target, not highly disguised, the only person who came up to me in the store was a woman who asked me to help her take something off a shelf."
Things have changed since I was in the employ of the ol' bullseye. If the assistance of the FLOTUS was required, apparently Target is now stocking crappy school lunches on its high shelves. Either that or the FLOTUS is a Randy Newman fan.
It is always a temptation for a rich and lazy nation,
To puff and look important and to say: --
"Though we know we should defeat you, we have not the time to meet you.
We will therefore pay you cash to go away."
And that is called paying the Dane-geld;
But we've proved it again and again,
That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld
You never get rid of the Dane.
