Is SMU P5 Worthy?

After nearly 30 years wandering in the college football wilderness, there is now serious conversations about SMU joining the PAC 12. They recently lost two of their top brands (UCLA & USC) to the Big 10+. And in the midst of TV negotiations, found it would behoove their position to attempt to replace the two Los Angeles teams with a school that would at least give the conference some presence in Southern California. And in a bid to expand their reach, they are considering SMU, which sits in the middle of the #4 Dallas media market (DFW) and also in the Central Time Zone. The negotiations have stretched out much longer than most would expect, leading many pundits and reporters, who have little else to do at this time, to produce hundreds of reasons why the conference will fail, and propose multiple alternative plans.

Also during this time, many ignorant voices have made their hatred for SMU known. Many are from former Southwest Conference (SWC) fans. They are determined to do whatever it takes to keep SMU down. Others are just plain misinformed about what SMU has accomplished, past, present, and its potential for success. These are generally from schools that have been rejected by the PAC 12, or have few options to move up in college football.

Three decades ago there was a split in college football. Generally, the larger schools in the major conferences formed a coalition to make sure they would get the majority of revenue, media coverage, and TV time. At one time, it was called BCS, now we call it P5. Sometimes, the split makes perfect sense. Schools with an average attendance of 15k probably should not be competing against a Texas, Michigan, or Alabama. But who makes that decision, and on what basis? Some teams made the mix like Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Duke, and Kansas, that are notoriously bad and spend little on football. While others like SMU, who for 75 years successfully competed in a Big Boy conference, simply got left behind.

As time passed, and conferences expanded, it was never really clear what determines P5 status. Was it consistent wins, making it to the postseason playoff, attendance, revenue, budget, academics, media market, school investment, or even geography? All of these have been used to either include, or exclude potential members. And to those on the outside, its quite frustrating. Either we are all FBS or not. And if we are, then there should be more equity.

What do I mean by equity? I'm not arguing necessarily for equal revenue. If you earn a billion - good for you. But there is an automatic bias in place for schools with the P5 label. People deny it all the time, but its so obvious to anyone who wants to see it.

Take polls for instance. P5 teams, especially the true blue bloods, always get preferential treatment. A G5 team will not be ranked until mid-season, even with multiple wins - and having played a difficult schedule. One loss may take them out of the top 25, while a loss by a P5 school may only drop the school a few places. It is quite rare for any G5 school to start the season ranked. Which makes it harder to move up to the required ranking to earn a playoff spot. Even G5 wins versus P5 are often dismissed as flukes, or there will be excuses like injuries or weather. But if a P5 wins, they are just naturally superior. The sportswriters who vote will deny this all day, but their votes prove their bias.

But wait, there's more. Recruiting is the key to building a winning football team. Every year, the staff must make sure they are recruiting players even better than what they already have on campus. Its hard work, made even more difficult when you are a G5 school recruiting against a P5 staff. That P5 label is used like a sledgehammer to pummel the opposing staff. "If you go G5, you will never be seen on TV, no rankings, playing teams nobody cares about, with little chance to make the NFL, and even less chance to be National Champions," - P5 Recruiter. "But come to our P5 university and see the facilities built by all our revenue. Bathe in the excess dollars we dump each year into football!"

I only exaggerate a little. Now most of that is untrue. If you are good, the NFL will find you. But a chance at a National Championship is an incredibly difficult proposition, if not impossible. With few exceptions, P5 facilities are generally better than schools at the G5 level. They are usually larger universities with more options overall. Its easy to see why many recruiting battles are won by P5 teams.

But let's suppose Stud Athlete commits to a G5. He was originally rated as a high 4 star, with offers from many P5 schools. Once that commitment is well known, his rating will inexplicably drop. Instead of that G5 having a top 20 class, they fall back down among the other G5 schools. Stud Athlete is still talented, maintains the same offers, but his choice has influenced the people that profit from tracking this to make changes to make sure P5 schools are at the top. It keeps the revenue flowing to the recruiting services, and keeps the P5 fans happy. 

You are in the G5, having a good season, earn a trip to a bowl...in your own town against another G5 school. Every school should appreciate any bowl invitation. But generally G5 schools are placed in bowls against each other. Its rare to get a chance to play up a level. And when a G5 team prevails, its always because the P5 school didn't want to be there. The 12 team playoff is another step in the right direction, but until EVERY FBS school has a legitimate chance to play for a National Championship, it is not enough. If the NCAA finally decides to split FBS into the haves and have nots - fine. But there better be a compelling argument for each school left behind.

SMUs Case - Historical Argument

Southern Methodist University opened its doors just North of downtown Dallas in 1911. Originally affiliated with the Methodist Church, it has been largely secular in its approach to education. I can attest to this truth, as there were more Catholics on campus than Methodists when I was there in the 80s. There is a seminary on campus, and as a liberal arts college they do require a religious elective. But there are plenty of options that satisfy this requirement that have nothing to do with Christianity - not that there is ANYTHING wrong with knowing Christ.

SMU started playing football in 1915, joining the SWC in 1918. The SWC featured a mix of public and private universities, and some of the best football in the nation. The SWC included: Arkansas, Baylor, Rice, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M,  Texas Tech, and TCU. Houston would be added later. 

In 1922, Ray Morrison "the father of the forward pass" became coach and his team became known as the "aerial circus" for their prolific passing attack - unusual at that time. In 1923, SMU went 9-0, followed by a National Championship, the first of 3, in 1935.

The Game Of The Century - 1935 SMU versus TCU

Grantland Rice called it the "Game of the Century" matching TCUs Sammy Baugh against the equally potent SMU passing attack. Both teams were 10-0, and an overflowing crowd packed Amon Carter to watch this clash of titans. SMU would prevail, earning a trip to the Rose Bowl and was declared national champions by the Dickinson System.

Cotton Bowl - The House That Doak Built

Few players ever receive the amount of coverage, awards, and accolades as Doak Walker. My Mother, who attended SMU with Walker, had a collection of magazine covers and articles about him, too numerous to number - such was his fame. The crowds at Ownby Stadium grew to the point that games had to be moved to the Cotton Bowl, such was the enthusiasm in Dallas to see Walker play. He could do it all - run, pass, kick, punt, and tackle. He won the Maxwell Award and the Heisman Trophy, among many other recognitions in the late 40s.

The Pony Express

There was a time in the 80s that it could be argued that SMU was the best team in the country. And the numbers seem to confirm this. From 1980-84 SMU went 49-9-1. The team was full of future NFL stars - Eric Dickerson, Craig James, Michael Carter, Wes Hopkins - just to name a few. They were the team to beat and the source of much frustration from big money boosters at other schools. It seemed impossible that this little private school in Dallas could out recruit Texas, A&M, and Arkansas for top talent. But they did. 

Their best year was 1982, where they went 11-0-1 - the only blemish, a tie with a ranked Arkansas team. They would go on to beat Pittsburgh in the Cotton Bowl and then waited to see how the sportswriters would vote. They decided to give it to the old man at Penn State, and their one loss team. That paragon of virtue, Joe Paterno, one of the greatest hypocrites to EVER walk on this planet, was given a National Championship.

There is no denying that SMU paid players in the 80s. But so did EVERY university that was nationally relevant, even many of those that weren't relevant, were trying their best to keep up. All the players knew it, because they were getting the offers. The amount distributed by SMU was peanuts compared to the jobs, cars, houses, prostitutes, debt relief being offered major talent around the country. And SMUs misdeeds seem quite mild now, compared to murdered players and covering for rapists on your team at Baylor. And of course years of fake classes for athletes at North Carolina. Those cases got just a slap on the wrist compared to SMU. 

Then there is Joe Pa. Who always wanted folks to believe that he ran a squeaky clean program - and people believed his shtick. That man protected a rapist, and enabled a pedophile to use Penn State for decades! Imagine, young children being raped in Penn State facilities, and at their events. How many folks participated in this, or were aware of Sandusky's activities? We will probably never know how deep the pit really was. But it was PURE EVIL, not corruption, and the diabolical actions started at the very top, and Joe Paterno was right smack in the middle. He was just as guilty as Sandusky for what those kids endured. He provided Sandusky unlimited access and turned the other way. And yet everything is now hunky dory in Happy Valley - a place that should have been razed, and the ground salted for all their heinous activities. But SMU paid a few players, let's shut their program down.

A slight digression to show the ridiculous nature of the NCAA. They will destroy one program, and overlook massive academic fraud, gang rapes, or university sponsored pedophilia at others. I honestly don't know if the NCAA will ever be respected as an organization again.

In spite of the NCAA, SMU was the team to beat in the 80s. But in the Spring of 1987, the NCAA officially shut down the SMU football program for one year. They would allow 6 road games in 1988, but SMUs leadership chose to sit out that year, returning to play in 1989. The very week the NCAA slammed the hammer down, recruiters from virtually every university - many just as guilty for paying players, arrived on campus to pick at the carcass. I was there and witnessed the disgusting event. In every possible way, it was a DEATH penalty. SMU would start from scratch with just a handful of players who would remain. The rest would be new players, recruited under new, and draconian rules. 

The Pye Penalty

SMU was still in the SWC in the 1989 season and would field what amounted to an all freshman team. The results were to be as expected. The Mustangs were dominated by everyone with a pulse. Just looking at the size of the lines revealed much about what a mismatch each game was. That first year, SMU chose to leave Texas Stadium - Home of the NFL's Cowboys, and play in the old, slightly refurbished, Ownby Stadium on campus. All the sportswriters predicted SMU would not win a game for years. The Mustangs won 2 their first year. Beating UCONN with a last second "Miracle on Mockingbird" pass for a TD. And the obligatory beat down of North Texas 35-9. Those flickers of hope were drowned out by embarrassing road losses to Houston 95-21, and a nationally televised game against then #1 Notre Dame, where their coach had his players run out of bounds, rather than score again. The final score was 59-6, but the humiliation was so much worse.

In the final days of the SWC, it was revealed that then President of SMU, Kenneth Pye, had changed the way SMU recruited athletes. The new policy required athletes to be admitted to the school first before their official visit. And if that wasn't a big enough burden. He also raised the standards for entry above the NCAA minimum, meaning the very best athletes were almost certainly excluded from our talent pool. This was all done even though there was NEVER any academic scandal. Athletes went to class, did their homework, and had plenty of tutors if they needed help. But such was the overreaction of our leadership. This policy would haunt SMU for a decade.

The Pye Penalty made it impossible to compete in the SWC. Recruiting suffered as SMU scrambled to get the leftovers after almost every school had their picks. Few high quality players were willing to wait to see if they were admitted, or qualified, when they already had offers on the table. Instead of fighting Texas, Arkansas, and Baylor for recruits, we were fighting it out with FCS teams and North Texas for talent.

From 89-95, SMU did not have a winning season and only won 3 conference games. so when it came time to form a new conference, merging the old Big 8 with the best 4 from the SWC, it was pretty clear SMU would be left behind. Texas politics made sure Tech and Baylor were included, leaving Rice, SMU, TCU and Houston to find new homes.

The Wander Years

The three privates landed in the newly formed WAC16. A conference made up of teams seeking a better life. It was made up of the old WAC conference plus a few others, and truly had potential to be a pretty decent collection of schools. Houston, to their credit, joined the new CUSA, in hindsight, a far better move.

Almost immediately there was friction in the WAC. Nobody liked the quad system, and attempts to split into divisions meant loss of traditional rivals. So instead of figuring it out like adults, a handful of schools met in a dank airport bar and decided to split into a new conference. Not only that, the split took the very best teams, leaving 8 teams, that had little in common, to pick up the pieces. TCU eventually made the right move and jumped to CUSA. SMU, Rice and Tulsa attempted to make it work. Teams would come and go, and with each move, the conference seemed to get a little weaker. SMU had taken action to fix their internal recruiting issues, but now they faced a problem that made recruiting even more difficult. SMU had no conference stability. Playing teams that were not brand names, and were not traditional, or even natural rivals, impacted recruiting. The bowl options were uninspiring, TV very rare, little revenue, and conference mates were virtual unknowns to Texas recruits. Something had to change.

Here Is Where The Story Begins 

There were too many iterations of the WAC to even attempt to define. SMU spent 9 long years trying to get its house in order, while the ground kept shaking underneath. No offense to all the fine universities that tried to make it work, the conference(s) were dumpster fires. And everyone knew it. SMU aggressively sought a way out before finally landing in CUSA in 2005, where they would remain until 2012. To keep their distance from SMU and the privates, TCU joined the MWC, a conference they could dominate, and remained there until invited to join the Big 12, finally receiving their golden ticket to the Big Boy League.

Many teams in CUSA would later be in the American, so the next few years provided some stability, even though expansion was always being discussed. It was during this time that SMU had its first taste of post-death penalty success under June Jones. From 2009-2012, SMU won 30 games and 3 out 4 bowl games. While not the national breakthrough we needed, it was proof that a coach could win on the Hilltop. Jones used his success at SMU in an attempt to change jobs, and before contracts were signed was very publicly rejected from consideration. His interest in SMU quickly faded, along with the results. In short order, he was gone.

Chad Morris, a former Texas high school coach, and OC at National Champion Clemson, seemed like a homerun hire. The Texas high school coach had barely unpacked before he was floating his name for new jobs. Recruiting did improve under the Texas high school coach, and he had a winning season his last year before leaving for an embarrassingly short time at Arkansas. The Texas high school coach's departure was actually a Blessing, as Sonny Dykes was available and interested to see what he could do on the Hilltop. By this time, all recruiting hindrances were gone - so no excuses there. SMU was investing and building everything the staff requested. Recruiting improved, and the transfer portal became a valuable tool, and before long, SMU was winning, a total of 37 wins in the last 5 years! Of course Dykes would leave in 2021. And his former OC Rhett Lashlee would return as HC from Miami. He built upon what Dykes had accomplished and even improved the recruiting results - especially when it came to transfer recruiting.

Which brings us up to date. The expansion delay has given opportunity for folks to come out of the woodwork with reasons why SMU should not be selected. The most fascinating of which have come from former SWC teams now in the Big 12, and specifically Texas Tech. They joined the Big 12 from the very beginning, and yet have never won a conference championship. Even Baylor, a Big 12 doormat for years, found a way to eventually win. And even with SMUs post-DP slump, our AP appearances still top the poor folk in Lubbock!

It makes you wonder, what could possibly make Tech fans so disturbed about SMU landing in the PAC12? Its a mystery, but they are not alone. TCU, BYU, and even a handful of Baylor fans have offered their brilliant commentary, which normally starts with something like, "My brother once lived in Dallas and he said SMU can't draw flies!" - How can you compete with such thoughtful analysis?

Or even better, someone will post some random photograph of Ford stadium at the end or beginning of a game, and claim this is proof that SMU has terrible attendance. You could literally do that in any stadium, wait until halftime, or when fans start leaving, and suddenly that full stadium is a ghost town. It doesn't prove a thing. But the really amazing thing about this kind of "thinking" is the total absence of imagination. SMU has 12k students and a stadium that sits around 32k. We do not have the advantage of 30,000 students as a starting point. We must have our local alums, Dallas sports fans, and even visitor's fans to fill the stadium. NoNameU motivates few folks outside the players' family, and rarely brings much of their own fanbase. But make the game meaningful - a clash between unbeatens, a traditional rival familiar to alums, or a major brand name, suddenly alums and students WANT to attend. Local sports fans buy tickets, and yes, even the visitors will bring some fans. In short order, there are 30k folks in the stadium. In the past we have had some awful attendance, but nobody can argue that it has continued to improve - averaging 24,972 in 2022. That is 78% capacity. The stadium will be slightly larger when construction is done. And we are hopeful a new group of conference mates will be exciting for students/alums/fans.

The attendance smack is simply outdated.

SMU In The Record Books

In listening to the whiners on social media, you would think SMU has never accomplished anything noteworthy in its history. Well, let's do a quick review, comparing the Mustangs to some of our friends - both old and new.

Heisman Trophy Winners

TCU - 1 - Davey O'Brien 1938

SMU - 1 - Doak Walker 1948*

Oregon State - 1 - Terry Baker 1962

Stanford - 1 - Jim Plunkett 1970

Houston - 1 - Andre Ware 1989

BYU - 1 - Ty Detmer 1990

Colorado - 1 - Rashaan Salaam 1994

Baylor - 1 - Robert Griffin III 2011

Oregon - 1 - Marcus Mariota 2014

*In my humble, and of course totally unbiased opinion, Eric Dickerson earned the Heisman Trophy in 1982. I could identify several reasons for the snub, but you could probably guess them just as easily. Walker was not even statistically the best back that year. Dickerson shared time/carries with Craig James. So let's compare stats: ED: 232/1617/7.0/17. HW: 335/1752/5.2/16. Walker had 100 more carries, one less TD, and almost 2 yards less a carry! And compare their NFL careers and there is no doubt who was the best RB in 1982, and likely the best player on the best team that year. I like them both, as players and individuals, but ED was robbed!

NFL Hall Of Fame Members By School

Oregon         (6) Dan Fouts, Alphonse Leemans*, Mel Renfro, Norm Van Brocklin, Dave Wilcox*, Gary Zimmerman

Arizona St         (5) Curley Culp, Mike Haynes, John Henry Johnson*, Randall McDaniel, Charley Taylor

SMU         (5) Raymond Berry, Eric Dickerson, Forrest Gregg, Lamar Hunt, Doak Walker

Stanford                 (4) John Elway, James Lofton, John Lynch, Ernie Nevers

TCU                 (3) Sammy Baugh, Bob Lilly, LaDainian Tomlinson

Washington         (3) Hugh McElhenny*, Warren Moon*, Arnie Weinmeister

California         (2) Tony Gonzalez, Les Richter

San Diego St         (2) Marshall Faulk, Joe Gibbs*

Utah         (2) Mac Speedie, Larry Wilson

Washington St  (2) Albert Glen Edwards, Mel Hein

Baylor          (1) Mike Singletary

BYU                 (1) Steve Young

No HOF         (0) Texas Tech, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon State

* Player went to multiple schools

One might ask, what does the NFL have to with college? It simply shows the impact that a college has had at the highest level. Along with the above, SMU has placed 10 in the College Football Hall of Fame, 31 All Americans, 11 conference championships, and 3 recognized National Championships - 1935, 1981, and 1982. 174 SMU players have played 8442 games in the NFL, and scored 720 TDs - ranking #35 of all schools, and 73 Pro Bowl selections, ranking #31,

What Have You Done For Us Lately?

You will notice in any discussion concerning P5 status, there is an ever changing level of criteria that makes a team "worthy" of acceptance. Those freshly admitted, and those that have been there for decades, and yet accomplished NOTHING, seem to be the loudest. Some schools just know they belong, and don't throw stones - God Bless them.

One of the best measures, IMHO, is current record - meaning the last 5 years, both in wins, and head-to-head against future conference partners, and maybe even the malcontents if it is relevant. When it comes to the PAC 12, SMU has not played any teams in some time. But their all time record is solid. Including SDSU in the mix, SMU is 7-6. In the last 5 years, SMU has more wins (37) than Arizona (15), ASU (28), Colorado (19), UW (36), WS (32), OS (26), Stanford (23), and California (25). Only Oregon (45), Utah (43), SDSU (40) had more. Will their success translate to immediate success in the PAC, history suggests no. But maybe the adjustment period is a lot shorter than TCU, Baylor, or even Tech in the Big#(tbd) league.

And before people start shouting strength of schedule, you play the hand you are dealt, and generally recruit at that same level. SMU did face 9 bowl teams last year, and has played TCU 4 out of the last 5 years, going 2-2. Even with their mega run last year, TCU only has 36 wins. And SMU counts all 4 new Big members among the teams they played in the last 5 years. So if we played weak competition, then who did they add?

Then we have our friends out in dusty Lubbock, who based on their fans on social media, are apoplectic at even the possibility that SMU would be considered for a P5 conference. They, along with others, have worked diligently at keeping SMU down. Having a financially blessed P5 school right in the middle of Dallas will certainly not make it any easier to recruit the area.

Tech is an interesting case. The Texas legislature made sure they were included, along with Baylor, in the first iteration of the Big 12. So Tech had a 27 year head start, and STILL hasn't earned a Big 12 championship. Even historically dreadful Baylor, the doormat of the Big 12 for a decade, finally put things together. During Tech's glorious reign as whipping boy for the Big 12, they averaged 3.96 conference wins a year! And only 28 wins overall in the last 5 years. Can P5 schools be kicked out for underperforming? I don't understand their hubris. Maybe its the sand and tortillas. But now that the conference will be diluted, they might get lucky and win the Big#(tbd).

I have no harsh words for TCU. I see them as a trailblazer, a model that SMU can learn from. And while our paths are a little different, there are some similarities. 

Let's take a quick trip back in time, when a young man, who at the time was a UT fan because of his Father, was introduced to SMU by his Mother, and a trip with the Methodist youth to see TCU @ SMU. The year was 1973 and SMU won 21-19. That was the first of many SMU v TCU games that I went to as a young man. Even though we only attended SMU home games, it seemed like we always saw SMU beat TCU. It was so bad, I asked if we could see another opponent. From 1972, I never saw SMU lose to TCU. This continued into the 80s while I was at SMU. In fact, only the death penalty brought the streak to an end. 15 straight wins through 1986. And even after the DP, TCU was often the only SWC team we could beat, going 2-5 in the final years of the SWC.

Just a few years later, TCU decided to be a player in college football. They switched conferences and distanced themselves from the private schools. They landed in CUSA, and started investing in the program and recruiting better. They hired Dennis Franchione, who proved they could win. He passed the baton to Gary Patterson who continued the progress. And something amazing happened. Patterson was successful and stayed at TCU for 20 years - unheard of for a school like TCU. But the stability of staff and conference allowed them to move to the MWC, which was brilliant, because they dominated what was then likely the best G5 conference. They were able to build their resume and make a solid case for them to be included in the next round of expansion. And it just so happened that the Big12 needed a replacement, and TCU was ready for the call.

SMU made a few bad moves, some poor coaching hires, so progress was disjointed at times. But now they are poised to move up. Whether that's this year, or 5 years down the road, we will be ready. NIL and the portal has changed the game. And SMUs most recent success is directly related to both. The class signed this year would have been inconceivable five years ago, but there is SMU in the top 10 of recruiting for combined HS & portal transfers.

That's enough for today. Most of this was written from memory, as I lived through the majority of the facts mentioned. Where needed, I provided links to sources. If I missed something, or was off a date, I apologize. It was not done intentionally or maliciously. And all my barbs at SWC teams are meant in good fun. I usually root for Texas teams when not playing SMU. I do miss the SWC and unfortunately  know it will never exist again. And that makes me sad.

Some of this may be very familiar to SMU fans. But younger Mustangs may have not heard everything. And its obvious many from other schools know little about our journey.

There is more I could add, but let's see how this first blog is received.

Go Mustangs and God Bless You!

I think we all miss the Longhorns. 
Especially the brunette in the background.

Don't Cry For Beto

Lighten Up, Francis!

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Once again, like that bad case of herpes, or those feisty Texas fire ants, Robert Francis "Beta" O'Rourke crawled out of his nest to invade Texas politics. It does not matter that he has been rejected multiple times by Texas voters, he is destined to be elected, somewhere, for something.
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Money poured in from socialists all over the country. All with dreams of transforming Texas into some sort of democrat utopia. The usual suspects supported Beta: Teacher unions, folks who are dependent on the government, and malcontents. He managed to outraise Governor Abbott - love the sound of that, by $600,000. With the help of big metro areas dominated by democrats, and their creative vote counting skills, Beta thought surely this was his year!
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They Are Just Not that Into You.

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Like the nutcase Cindy Sheehan before him, he jumped on top of the graves of the Uvalde children, and used them as his primary soapbox to attack guns, declaring, “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.” There is absolutely no reason to ban an AR-15, and automatic weapons, which would generally include many AK-47s, are already heavily regulated - such is the intelligence of the hipster from El Paso. Or does he truly think Texans are too stupid to not already know that fact? If the intent were to reduce crime, these so-called "assault weapons" are used in 3% of firearm murders, making his position even more curious. And in the very rare cases that they are used, law enforcement impotence can lead to many casualties. When law enforcement, or legal gun owners act quickly, the threat can be neutralized and lives saved.
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See Note Below

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Does he really believe his own rhetoric, or does he see gun control as an issue of opportunity? Either way, its not the type of person you want in leadership. The right to own weapons and defend one's person, family, and property is a Natural Right. History has proven how dangerous it is for folks when they are disarmed. Criminals will still possess weapons as will government. And before long, there will be little difference between the two.

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In Uvalde, 72 minutes went by before law enforcement, almost 400 officers, finally engaged the shooter. If you have a home invader, or you are at a location with an active shooter, you can't afford to wait on law enforcement.
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We Don't Need No Stinking Badges

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What you believe will eventually come out of your mouth. And Beta has a way of gushing that is quite revealing. During a campaign speech at Prairie View A&M University, his desire to divide and fan the flames of racism could no longer be restrained. With the zeal of country evangelist, he declared law enforcement the "new Jim Crow." Obviously, Texas police officers of all races put their lives on the line daily for all people. They thoroughly and completely rejected his statement. The TMPA issued a press release which included this paragraph.
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Mr. O’Rourke’s dangerous and incorrect characterization of law enforcement officers not only across our great state, but nationwide, is divisive and plainly untrue. O’Rourke taking aim at officers is an insult that further divides public safety from the very people they are sworn to protect due to the outrage incited by his false narrative. Racist accusations about the dedicated, hardworking men and women who don a uniform daily to protect and serve our communities are disgusting and disrespectful. It is critical to remember the number of law enforcement officers who have been assaulted and murdered simply because of the uniform they wear. O’Rourke’s inflammatory speech is particularly surprising since it follows a tweet he made four days prior, praising law enforcement officers who are “keeping our communities and our state safe.”

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This type of rhetoric is quite common in democrat circles, so its not surprising that Beta would embrace it. There have been more than a few prominent democrats who have called for defunding the police - an idiotic idea from folks whose neighborhoods and businesses are often being torched by crazy mobs who have been energized by agitators railing against Law and Order. Like Robert the Bruce's father, Beta seems to play both sides, embrace the madness when he is around other crazies, yet feigns respect for the Rule of Law when around normal Texans. But as we all know - A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:8)
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"I consider it completely unimportant who in the party will vote, or how; but what is extraordinarily important is this — who will count the votes, and how." - Attributed to Joseph Stalin

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Texas Our Texas, All Hail The Mighty State!

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Folks not from Texas rarely understand this state. From its earliest history, it has resisted tyranny. Texans are fiercely independent, and love Liberty. The idea that some punk from El Paso is going to decide what weapons we can own, or what kind of cars we drive, or how we protect ourselves, is an anathema to a typical Texan. And to be so tone death to the real concerns of Texans, especially those from Latino backgrounds, that folks coming here illegally must be stopped. We welcome anyone that comes legally and in peace. But these are largely criminal invaders who have been lied to by folks in our very own government. We all pay the price for unrestricted illegal immigration. Lower wages, fewer entry level jobs, higher insurance, especially medical insurance, and then of course the increase in crime and prison overcrowding. Nobody wins with illegal immigration. Even those coming here are being robbed and raped by cartels, and being used by criminals in sweatshops, and as servants for the rich and famous. If you are an advocate for illegal immigration, you are not going to appeal to the majority of Texans, no matter the ethnicity.
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Killing Babies For Fun And Profit

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Democrats also believed they had a winning issue with abortion. Texas is still a largely Christian state. But even beyond that, there is a sense of right and wrong that prevails throughout Texas. Murder is murder. If there is any choice, it should have occurred months earlier when the couple decided to have unprotected sex. 

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There was a time when democrats suggested that abortion be "safe, legal, and rare." Many Texans could probably tolerate that, as it would be extreme cases, maybe rape, or incest, where it would be desired, not necessarily preferred. As in most things, democrats saw a profit motive in expanded abortion. They would make sure the abortion providers had plenty of money to stay open, and the laws would remain in their favor. In return, the abortionist would kill the children, even at birth, as often as possible, collecting funds from their victims. And they discovered that medical research paid generously for baby parts, so a whole new revenue stream became available with an ever increasing demand for more baby parts. Who cares if more black babies are aborted than born in New York City. As long as the abortion industry was profitable - and it was, money flowed freely back to the democrat party - $45 million in the 2020 election. Hey, and let's call it health care, because Americans are so dumb they will not understand the difference between murder and health care. Unfortunately for the democrats, most Texans do understand the difference.
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One For You, Three For Me 

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As expected, Beta did well in the large, urban areas. Democrats have remained in power for decades by keeping millions stuck in poverty, living in government slums, and attending crappy government schools. Every couple of years, they are just a vote for a Republican away from losing everything. Just have to keep voting for the democrats just this one more time and you'll see, it will get better. Four generations of this, and there are more poor folks than ever. Always agitated and afraid that their government cheese will be taken from them.

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Even Benjamin Franklin understood that you do not finance poverty. That simply creates more poor folks. If democrats truly cared about the poor, they would have fixed the problem decades ago. But its nice to have a stable, yet perpetually agitated base of low information voters you can count on to do your bidding.

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Since 1964, America has been losing the War on Poverty. We have quite literally dumped $25 TRILLION in a completely ridiculous effort to end poverty. Hundreds of redundant programs manage these funds, so only God knows how many millions landed in the pockets of bureaucrats and ne'er-do-wells in NGOs. Surely a few Congress critters and their friends and families had their hands out for a few bucks as well.

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But let's just imagine that all that money did land in the hands of households living below the poverty line. If we could cut them a lump sum payment out of that amount, that is a staggering $6.25 million per household! So, why do we still have poor folks? Because that is what democrats want.

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When I was wee lad, my Mother worked for the welfare department. She eventually left for a job that would allow her more time with me, and my two older sisters. Years later we were discussing her career, and what she liked or disliked about each job. It was her task as a case worker to work with individuals, often minorities, and the very poor, to help them get jobs and get OFF of government assistance. And she was very good at it. She was a Believer and loved people. And wanted the very best for them. And even hired a few for odd jobs as she had extra money available. 

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Contrast that with today's case worker. They are tasked with signing up as many folks, for as many programs as possible. The idea is to get them permanently dependent. And even if they are here in America illegally, that does not matter, shower them with free gifts, compliments of American taxpayers - actually borrowed from future taxpayers. So that is the core of Beta's support.

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The next largest group is of course union workers, especially government employees who see government as their source. The most prominent, and radical of these are the teachers' unions. I am not aware of any group more universally against providing students with a quality education than teachers' unions. You could probably add the Federal and state bureaucracies to that list, as they add little value, and certainly don't earn the dollars wasted on them. 

Government School Education

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Now hear me carefully - I do not hate teachers. I have two sisters who were both teachers in public schools. I do stand against teachers, unions, school boards, and educrats, that would rather waste money, teach about alternative lifestyles, and hatred of America, than reading, writing, and arithmetic. IF the goal is to lift people out of poverty, something must change. School choice makes a whole lot of sense to me, compared to the mess that exists presently. Shutting down the Department of Education ($640 BILLION Budget) and greatly reducing union and administrator influence, would allow GOOD teachers the freedom to do what they do best. And those GOOD teachers could be rewarded accordingly. And, the bad ones could more easily be identified and dismissed, or assigned something else that fits their qualifications.

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Plus, technology is changing the world. Do we need 8-3, 5 days a week classroom study? I don't know? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe some hybrid. The point is, find what works and do it for the children. Stop teaching LGBT nonsense, and divisive, false history. Leave the politics at home and let kids think the best of their country and leaders at least until high school.

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In every city there are numerous churches with classrooms that sit empty 6 days a week. There are also plenty of office space available in most markets for private and church schools to operate, giving parents more choices, smaller classrooms, and a more customized education experience. They key is the funding, currently just over $13k per student each year, must follow the student to whatever school they choose.

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Its all about choice, right?

Its amazing how often votes are misplaced by democrats. And they always find them just about the time the Republican takes the lead, or is about to take the lead. And its an amazing coincidence that all those votes that turn up in the wee hours, or found in the trunk of some worker's car, are almost exclusively votes for democrats, and only in competitive races. Amazing. But Beta, assuming he had help in Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, was shellacked in the counties. There are 254 counties in Texas. Some are very sparsely populated like King County. Some like Dallas county have a whole lot more. It is in the counties, the dislike and rejection of Beta reaches a crescendo. Here are a few select counties, (County Name - County Seat - Abbott Total - Beta Total)

1. Young (Graham) - 5,479 - 627
2. Wood (Quitman) - 15,647 - 2,320
3. Wise (Decatur) - 21,948 - 3,528
4. Van Zandt (Canton) - 18,388 - 2,461
5. Smith (Tyler) - 56,542 - 18,706
6. Rockwall (Rockwall) - 30,157 - 12,084
7. Parker (Weatherford) - 52,444 - 10,105
8. Midland (Midland) - 32,362 - 7,144
9. Lamar (Paris) - 12,521 - 2,657
10. King (Guthrie) - 100 - 3
11. Johnson (Cleburne) - 42,867 - 12,200
12. Hunt (Greenville) - 23,709 - 6,405
13. Gregg (Longview) - 24,174 - 8,630
14. Comal (New Braunfels) - 54,259 - 19,061
15. Borden (Gail) - 306 - 9

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Nearly 1 million votes separated Abbott from Beta. It was only a close race in the mind of Beta. But with all the experience he has now at losing, he should see if he can resurrect the Washington Generals. They were once the best at losing to the Harlem Globetrotters. He might fit right in to an organization like that.

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And please Beta, leave Texas alone. We have made it clear that we want NOTHING to do with the democrat agenda. We prefer Liberty to tyranny.

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There once was a time when Texas was dominated by democrats. The kind that loved Jim Crow laws, and often had white robes and hoods in their closets. By the mid 80s, they were being voted out of office, slowly at first, until the majority of the state embraced Conservatism, and reluctantly the GOP as the best party to preserve Liberty, which was under assault. Pockets of democrat support remains in the large urban areas as demonstrated above. 

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The party in Texas did evolve, becoming more Conservative, hiding their racist ways. However, it was not enough for the national party that was now championing depravity. God was kicked out, meaning any moral constraint was gone. In its place was a policy of the end justifies the means. The enemy was defined as anyone who opposes democrats, and they were to be identified as racists and fascists - a classic case of projection. This was too much. Long time democrats left the party and switched to the GOP. They could not stomach the evil anymore. Although collectivism in all its most ugly forms has led to misery and suffering for millions, democrats to this day still embrace it as the solution. 

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The average Texan is a rugged individualist. They enjoy their Liberty. They love their neighbor, and respect their right to be left alone. The notion that some "Karen" is going to come to their house and tell them how to keep their yard, raise their kids, or protect their family, is bat guano crazy.

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The male equivalent is Ken, which doesn't work as well. Karen is the perfect representation of the democrat party. Its the renegade teacher that is going to teach your 1st grader that there are 27 genders and he/she/it can choose whichever one they want. And there is nothing you can do to stop the teacher because the students belong to him/her/them? 

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Its the science editor in the national media headquarters that absolutely KNOWS that there has been no significant warming in 170 years, yet gleefully plays unchallenged clips of a Swedish dropout turned agitator angrily shouting, "We're all going to die!"

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Or the politicians railing against fossil fuels, and complaining about the rising oceans. They then fly on their private jets, leaving behind their beachfront compound, to participate in a global party celebrating the financial windfall they will all soon share because the people are so gullible and refuse to think for themselves. Especially those that live near the coast, or visit it regularly, SHOULD notice that there has been virtually no change going back hundreds of years. That should be reason to celebrate.

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So since Beto was our very own Karen, I choose to call him by a more accurate nickname, Beta. This describes a man who is seen as passive, subservient, weak, and effeminate. Its a perfect description of the grifter from El Paso, who pretends to be Mexican when it might help win votes, hiding his Irish roots. You've heard of "toxic masculinity" of course. Beta suffers from something far worse, toxic effeminacy. A man who projects the very worst traits of women, specifically a masculine Karen.

Note how effortlessly Beta USES victims to push an unconstitutional gun  grab. Legal gun owners are not the issue. The weapons that he is targeting are not a problem. Its an effort to control the population, to strip away their God-given rights incrementally. If they can take those two guns, why not handguns, and rifles, and so on? 

You get the idea. I'm done.

NOTE: The Thomas Jefferson quote cannot be verified. I am usually good about checking these quotes for accuracy, but the quote sounded so much like Jefferson, I ran with it. So in its place, I give you something even better. A few lines from Ayn Rand's essay Man's Rights - From Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal.

My October Surprise

Here In My Car - I Feel Safest Of All - I Can Lock All My Doors...

Until I purchased my first car, I shared a '73 Dodge with my Father. He drove for his carpool once a week. And I drove it to high school the other 4 days. I found out the hard way that Chrysler products all shared a unique superpower. They would DIE if you turned left and the engine was not thoroughly warmed up. It sounds strange, but I spent a few minutes before every trip mapping out paths to my destination with just right turns. Crazy.

My parents had Chrysler blood flowing through their veins. So every car in our garage was a Chrysler brand. But I hated their products like they were demons from hell. That hatred later flowed to all American products, as I encountered numerous flaws in various brands, and was stranded on the roadside more times than a teenager should be. Then, I purchased my first Datsun. After an initial hiccup, the former owner installed the wrong type of fuel pump, it ran like it was trying out for the Indy 500. I drove that car to college and it kept running until a truckload of inebriated Highland Park youths ran it, and me, into a tree.

Next came Mazda, which I drove until college graduation. It took me into my first job, and well over 100,000 miles of fun. I felt pity for the old girl, as she was leaking from just about everywhere - literally being held together by prayer. 

Then, I decided to try some German engineering and bought a Volkswagen - which sank into the swamp. No, that's not correct. An old man ran a red light and put me in the hospital. Let me tell you, when you are my size, 6'5" and at the time, a sturdy 250, having a group of healthy firemen lifting me into an ambulance is a wee bit unnerving - but I survived. Unfortunately, the car was put to sleep.

From the settlement, I upgraded to an even better and bigger Volkswagen. Their tanks in WW2 got better with size, why not their cars? That vehicle took me all over Texas, until it sank in a swamp - nope, that's not it. It was targeted for destruction by a carload of illegal aliens. They were not insured, unlicensed, and hit me. But according to the letter of the Law, I was at fault for the accident.

You might think after all that I might have given up driving altogether. No, instead I acquired a Toyota 4Runner - the car of my dreams. Its big enough that I just dare people to hit me - not literally of course. Instead, I plead the Blood of Jesus over it every day. And at well over 100,000 miles, I am just now dealing with a handful of routine repairs. They are such awesome vehicles. If only all my car experiences were so nice.

Memes, Get Your Memes Here!

I'm sure you have seen these messages on social media - share this or else you will not be Blessed. Or, like this, or else you will face God's wrath. God does not work that way.

First off - God is always wanting to Bless. When you are a Baby Christian, and what you say is not matching what is in your heart, He applies much mercy to protect you from your own stupidity. As you mature, He expects your mouth and heart to agree - or else. What is the or else? See Job. 

God Blessed him tremendously, placed a hedge of protection around Job - that was satan's complaint. But something brought that hedge down, and it wasn't God or the devil. It was Job. He GREATLY feared that his kids might sin, or that catastrophe would hit his life. And that is exactly what he got. When he finally figured out what was wrong, God helped him get his mouth under control, and then restored and doubled his fortune. The lesson - don't fear. Speak God's Word Boldly. Believe Him and Praise Him. And you will be BLESSED. And forget the memes.

Don't Change A Thing...

This song is 40 years old - released October 27, 1982. I remember getting home from work and watching this video, and MTV for hours - cable television finally reached Longview, Texas and I talked my parents into installing it. We only had 3 reliable TV stations at the time. 

Don't Change from INXS ranked as high as #17 on the US Charts, but that IMHO was an unfortunate ranking. The clubs were playing this as part of their regular rotation. An even I, as kid still in high school who only rarely went to a dance club, remember dancing to it many times. Enjoy! Just Don't Change A Thing!!

Its Election Season!

As October winds down, you can't escape all the election ads, the paid bots, the "surprises", and the Democrat shenanigans. I have to admit, Twitter can be fun. And messing with the DNC bots - although rarely will it ever change any minds, is very satisfying. Here are a few of my most recent exchanges.

It amazes me how democrat operatives can get so fixated on a single aspect of any situation. Its done intentionally to build sympathy for their cause or candidate. They never reflect on what is truly the greater good - how can the MOST people benefit. And Brooklyn Dad is a hoot. He must be paid well to tweet the crap he puts out. He is my pick for agitator of the year.

I don't know Peter Morley, but since this response, he has since revised his spiel. Apparently, its not OUR money. Because it must stay under the control of the government.

The owner of this Tweet blocked me, so I can't copy the original nonsense - so let me recreate the concept. For some reason, people on the extreme left - most democrats, are obsessed with The Handmaid's Tale. A truly dreadful book about a dystopian future where the breeding women are dressed like 18th century women - in red Snuggies and white bonnets. 

Women have fought the patriarchy for 50 years, emasculating most of the male population, and yet somehow men are going to rise up, take back control, and make women sex slaves? And my point was simple, IF this were to happen, there is no way that nubile women will be forced to wear those stupid outfits. Let the elevator reach the top floor. The handmaids are more likely to dress and dance like Lily Collins.

Remember, this is MY dystopian future, where nubile women are admired and respected.

Where does one go from that?

Are You On Quora? Here are a few of my most viewed and upvoted answers and my profile page.

What are some useful tips for students starting their first semester at Southern Methodist University?

Why do people think Christ was somehow poor when he was a carpenter which was high paying back then?

If the USA became a theocracy, who would you like to see as the head of that church?

Can Christians play horror games?

For King And Country

When I was a wee lad, I ordered a copy of the Texas travel guide and mapped out a 30 day mega journey, hitting everything in the State that looked cool. My family never made that trip. But I am glad to say that during a very strange year of selling textbooks to schools throughout Texas, I hit 75% of my tourist goals. I'm talking all the hot stuff - Battle of Gonzales battlefield to the Confederate Air Force (now known as the politically correct, Commemorative Air Force). I saw everything from Paisano Pete, the giant Road Runner statue in Fort Stockton, to the East Texas Yamboree in Gilmer, celebrating you guessed it - Sweet Potatoes, better known as Yams. I traveled to Paris, Athens, Dublin, and Odessa, and never crossed Texas state lines.

This state is big and beautiful, and so very interesting. Most of these places can be visited over a long weekend, depending on where you start.

Order your Texas Travel guide today, or access it online: Texas Travel Guide 

Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman

If given a choice, I would likely go back to Finland, or Greece, or the Virgin Islands, or Toronto, or Montreal - truly the prettiest big city in North America.

Even in North America, you can literally be brought to tears by the beauty of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada. They are spectacular in Winter, probably even better during the Summer. And of course the Blue Ridge Parkway is probably one of the most impressive drives in the United States.

There are certainly some very beautiful places throughout North America, and of course the world. But my heart remains in Texas!

The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water...Upon observing King Chuck on the bank, she promptly returned to her watery home, Excalibur still in hand.

I will never understand why any modern nation would subsidize a monarchy. But then again, we've got a whole city (Washington DC) of ne'er-do-wells, getting rich off taxpayers, who consider themselves to be our betters. Maybe England does have the better system of just one family of miscreants rather than the whole government. 

Oddly, I am not listed in the top 62 of the current line of succession. I truly do not understand this oversight. I would make a great king! Maybe England should consider changing monarchs daily? They could have a King For A Day? Make it a prize on a game show?

Or an even better take on a dying empire, "Heil Me!"

Texas produces some of the most beautiful women on the planet. It is a melting pot of various cultures, blessed with an abundance of sunshine, allowing women to get a healthy, heaping dose of Vitamin D, and plenty of fun in the Sun. So it should be no surprise that a giant school like the University of Texas would have some of the prettiest cheerleaders/pom squad in the country. But what the heck is up with those awful uniforms? You might as well dress the ladies in cow costumes. You've got more money than half the NCAA schools combined, surely you can do better than this?

These Uniforms - Hot, or Not?

My vote is a resounding "NOT". Although in that second photograph, the brunette in the background, could probably make anything look great. Its a shame I could not find a better shot of her. 

Das ist alles für heute!

One Ring To Rule Them All

There is so much happening in the world, but I choose not to be depressed. I will follow Paul's advice and pray for those in authority. That will take care of them and me.

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. - 1 Timothy 2:1-4 NLT

So this came across my Twitter stream.

So I had a few minutes to waste, and a video editing tool. 

Do not try this yourself. Selecting beautiful women is for highly qualified individuals. Remember, I am a professional.

I have probably seen the Austin Power movies 10 times since they were released. But I never noticed this 80s rock star playing in Austin Power's band.

Don't recognize her? How about this?

Yes, its Susanna Hoffs, lead singer of The Bangles, and a favorite of many lads in the early 80s.

Its football season! And yes, this is SMUs Year!!

More wins to come.

I have no idea why I made this meme. But there is truth in it.

Happy Independence Day! And Other Fun Stuff!!

If you love America, you celebrate this day. This was the moment we declared our Independence from England, ending government ties to an oppressive and outdated monarchy. And setting a new standard for all people to follow - All men are created equal. And while it has taken some time for that idea to fully materialize, this day was the spark that lit the fuse.

The Founding Fathers would go on to win our Independence through a hard fought war, and then create a government, a Democratic Republic, to protect the rights of all citizens.

87 years later, by coincidence, two major Civil War battles ended. The same day the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania ended, July 3, 1863, the Confederate defenders surrendered at Vicksburg, MS. (Terms offered on 3rd, accepted on the 4th) Union forces surrounded the city, the last major CSA obstacle on the Mississippi River, and for 47 days shelled the defenders and citizens. Older homes have cannonballs stuck in walls from the siege.

At one point, Union General Grant began digging a canal to divert the river away from Vicksburg, but later abandoned the endeavor - the work can still be seen. Its the most interesting Civil War battlefield I have visited. And its an incredible story. I'm really surprised it has not found its way into a major motion picture. July 4, 1863 did not end the Civil War, but the conclusion was never in doubt after this weekend.

Found on Twitter:

I cannot even begin to express how frustrating and devastating and terrifying it is to be a climate scientist in a society run by climate deniers

— Peter Kalmus (@ClimateHuman) July 2, 2022

This is an employee (paid by taxpayers) of NASA. He describes himself as a client scientist, but his activities are much more like agitation, than research. And if he is doing it on our dime, he should be dismissed immediately. He has encouraged kids to walk out of school, and chained himself and others to JP Morgan, for the latter he was arrested.

If Red Flag laws were a thing, he's the type you would report. If he gets frustrated, devastated, and terrified, because normal people dismiss his ridiculous claims, I would keep all weapons out of his possession. The guy is unhinged. Referring to those who don't agree with his alarmist claptrap as climate deniers, reveals he is not interested in honest debate. He wants to shut down any alternate views, no matter how well researched.

For better or worse, I've been on this planet far longer than Pete. And I have heard every prophecy of doom "climate scientists" like Pete have released, In every case, the date passes and nothing happens. In religion, that person is called a false prophet. Anyone engaging in such activities should be locked up.

MGM/UA better be developing a series a films for Paloma (Ana de Armas). In the handful of minutes she was on screen, she made No Time To Die worth watching. You want a strong female who can kick butt and look good - you have found her. She is the Gal Gadot of spy films. I'm not suggesting she is the new 007, but if the new 007 is a woman, she should get a very close look.

Instead, Lashana Lynch was set forth as a possible replacement. In the film, they make it seem that she assumed the 007 code name since Bond had stepped aside. Towards the end, she offers it back to Bond - probably the right move.

If she is to be the new 007, the writers of NTTD did not help her at all. Because every female in the film upstages her, some like Ana, do it with just minutes on screen! During the major fight scene, she is down the street on a 2nd story porch. They couldn't even be bothered with a close-up of her action, but we do hear her grunts while she is fighting. Meanwhile, the camera clearly favors Bond and Paloma taking on everyone in one of the better coordinated fights seen with Bond and a female accomplice.

The sexy swagger, so much a part of the Bond character, is completely missing. Bond follows Lynch to the bedroom, and you just know nothing is going to happen. Why? There is not one spark between them. You can almost hear a sigh of relief from Daniel Craig when he realizes that the bedroom visit is platonic. Bond had more chemistry with Judi Dench than with Lynch! Even the female extras exhibit more sex appeal than Lynch - was this scripted this way on purpose? Were producers seeking a backlash from fans so they could claim racism or patriarchy? I hope not because I would take Naomie Harris in a heartbeat as a possible 007 replacement. She's sharp.

Good luck with Lynch. I wanted to like her character and performance. I think she was undermined by the script and limited time on screen. If given a chance, a better script, and more screen time, Lynch just might prove everyone wrong. 

Or maybe just hire Charlie Hunnam and let the Bond series continue as we have come to expect. Nothing says we can't have more than one 00# character saving the world - maybe one of every gender and flavor!

Speaking of bad casting and unforgettable characters, does anyone, without searching Google, remember the name of the villain, or who was cast to play that part? Like many recent adversaries in the Bond franchise, totally forgettable.

Check out my new post (Part 2) - Women Pastors - Paul's Advice, Or Liberty For Female Pastors?

Elon's Mom Has Got It Going On!

As a wee man, I looked forward to Sports Illustrated about 3 times a year. First the college football preview, then came the college basketball preview, and finally the Swimsuit edition. Otherwise, it was a worthless magazine for college sports. If you wanted coverage of the Southwest Conference, SI was definitely NOT your source.

But every Spring several pages of tastefully photographed beauties, in sometimes questionable swimsuits, arrived in my mailbox. The first edition my Mother found in my possession led to a long discussion of its purpose in my room.

I haven't even thought of SI in years. The last swimsuit edition I purchased probably had Kathy Ireland in it! 

My how things have changed. Here are your 2022 cover models.

Kudos to all the women who were selected. I especially want to acknowledge Elon's Mother Maye Musk. Its great to see a seasoned citizen enjoying life. I liked her photos so much I wrote - ok "borrowed" a song about her. Sung to the tune of  Fountains of Wayne - Stacy's Mom.

 

Elon's Mom

Elon's mom has got it goin' on

She's all I want

And I've waited for sooooo long

Elon, can't you see?

You're just not the guy for me

I know it might be wrong but

I'm in love with Elon's mom

.@mayemusk revealed how Elon, Kimbal and Tosca reacted to her historic #SISwim22 cover https://t.co/8rUtfFrSXA

— Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) May 21, 2022

I'm a big fan of 80s music. That decade produced a bunch of talented acts, and a ton of great music and videos. The generation most impacted by that decade is reaching the pinnacle of their lives. Which means they are the decision makers in Hollywood, and the consumer segment with the greatest buying power. So its no surprise that music from the 80s is turning up everywhere.

Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’ Streams Soar 8,000% Thanks to ‘Stranger Things’

For some reason, this story really took off. Don't get me wrong - I love the song and consider myself a Kate Bush fan. She did not make my ranking of Top 5 songs from the 80s, but she was an honorable mention. That may not seem like much, until considering how many good songs there were during the decade. I also identified a handful of cover songs that I thought were very well done. Placebo knocked it out of the park with a cover of Running Up That Hill. See My Favorite 80s Music Cover Songs.

I tried to watch Stranger Things when it was first released. I really wanted to like it because I'm a Winona Ryder fan. But I bailed after a handful of episodes. I did go back and watch the new season to see how the Kate Bush song was used. I must admit I liked the placement, and enjoyed the episode almost exclusively because of the song usage. I tried episode 2, but bailed about halfway through. There are just too many better options out there. If they could just get rid of the kid actors...😏

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

If law enforcement will stand down, and not engage an active shooter for up to an hour, the perp doesn't even need a gun. Imagine a crazed lunatic with a machete in class room of 1st graders. Now give him/her/them an hour. How many victims could he create with a swing every couple of seconds?

The left is so desperate to disarm America. Beto, the Washington Generals, or designated loser of Texas politics, was demanding gun confiscation before they even removed the bodies in Uvalde! And he can't even be honest about what he wants, misleading voters into thinking that Americans can purchase automatic weapons, and that these "assault weapons" are the problem. No, the problem is much deeper than that. And if guns weren't available, the student in Uvalde could have used many different weapons. He could have waited until the end of the day and driven his car through lines of children, or planted a bomb, or even poisoned the food - and likely killed far more children. Evil will find away. Americans must always be vigilant, law enforcement and armed citizens.

This report will make you angry, and confused.

The mom that ran in and saved her kids after being handcuffed in Uvalde finally spoke out. pic.twitter.com/wHNouRkCY7

— barbarism critic (luxury gay space communist arc) (@SxarletRed) June 3, 2022

16 years ago, a blog post from the past - A little perspective on June 6th...

Its Good To Give Thanks!

 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD. -- Psalm 150:6 KJV

Its that time of year when family and friends gather together to give thanks for all the GOODNESS God has placed in their lives.

This is the perfect time for the enemy to declare all out war against people - attacking their health with the pandemic, as well as dividing them as to what choices make the most sense to protect themselves and their children.

To make matters worse, the issues have been politicized, so the party in power has their allies in mass media to first shame the folks into obedience, and if that fails, bring the hammer down, with the threat of legal action.

And if all that was not depressing enough, signs of inflation are all around us. Ships are sitting offshore, waiting to be unloaded. This is a problem already noticed at retail, as many things are in short supply and racks sit empty. This will become far more significant as Christmas approaches.

And then there is the final insult, the ne'er-do-wells in academia and media crawl out of the ashes wanting the world to reimagine the first Thanksgiving. No longer is it a nice celebration giving thanks to God for a good harvest and peace, but another opportunity to demonstrate how the evil white man destroyed Native America.

What is a Good Christian to do?

Fear Not!

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. - 3 John 1:2 KJV

That's the beauty of being in the Body of Christ. You don't have to worry about anything. You can cast ALL your cares on Jesus. (1 Peter 5:6-8) You can eat your food with joy and thankfulness, surrounded by those you love. You can CHOOSE to be full of JOY! Don't let the enemy and his earthly thralls derail your holiday.

George Washington - from his Thanksgiving Proclamation 1789

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor ... Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be ... 

Final Thoughts - November 22, 1963

Today is the anniversary of the JFK assassination. Contrary to many reports, neither Dallas, or Conservatism, had anything to do with his murder. A radical communist, one who spent more time in New York, New Orleans, and the Soviet Union than in Dallas, murdered President Kennedy. I am really tired of this revisionist BS the media spews this time of year. Did Washington DC kill Lincoln and Garfield? Did Buffalo kill McKinley? Did LA kill RFK? Did DC attempt to kill Reagan and Clinton. Heck, maybe the media needs to examine the radical and violent tendencies of DC?

Click here for info on the real story behind America's Thanksgiving.

Have A Very Happy Thanksgiving!

The Fall of TCU Coach Gary Patterson and the Corrupt College Football Playoff

Why not combine two rants into one? This week the story broke that TCU had finally decided to get rid of Gary Patterson. He coached the Horned Frogs for an amazing 20+ years, starting as Defensive Coordinator under Dennis Franchione. Under Patterson, TCU won 181 games and lost 79. They were invited to numerous bowls and had a 11-6 record. Considering where TCU was in the 70s and 80s, it was a spectacular and successful run.

I Come To Bury Patterson, Not To Praise Him

I wish no ill on TCU or Patterson. Truth is I like TCU and enjoyed their run. The school is very similar to mine - SMU. Whatever they accomplish, we should be able to do it twice as well. But as time drifted on, a much more sinister side of Patterson emerged. He made it much more difficult to appreciate their success.

If you like winning, running up the score, watching your players rip the helmets off their opponents and angrily toss them downfield, Patterson was your man. And if you ignored your teams criminal behavior and unsportsmanlike antics, and yet amplified your opponents mistakes, Patterson was your kind of coach. 

I respect him now, much like you would respect any strange discoloration on the body that will not go away. Yes, he won lots of games, beat SMU soundly many times. But even in the "good times" he was still an unhappy Grimace - a rotund, purple being of indeterminate species with short arms and legs. He was a sore loser and a sore winner. He blamed everyone but himself for the losses, and gave himself tons of credit for the wins. He was always complaining, demanding respect from others, while giving little in return. 

Maybe there were brief moments where he expressed love for his team, humility, and respect for his opponents, but it rarely came out when the cameras were on him. May he find peace in his next career, and a very dependable towel girl to wipe his sweaty brow.

A statue of Gary Patterson remains outside TCU's stadium. And that is exactly where it belongs, outside and alone, never to do any more harm to the program. And its likely too heavy to move.

The College Football Playoff Must Change

The suits crunched their numbers, cooked the books, and came up with their Playoff Rankings. And as expected, Cincinnati was demoted from a comfortable, and well deserved #2 spot, down to an outside looking in #6. Gone were Houston and SMU, both ranked in the polls, and the final chance for UC to face ranked opponents.

The national media sees the problem, but they are unlikely to push for a solution. From ESPN:

The CFP selection committee reminded us all once again that the Group of 5 need not apply to the playoff, that it is judged by a different set of rules, that it might as well be playing for crumpets and not national championships.

I take this personally. I want to believe that SMU, and other teams like them, do have a legit shot at the playoff. But the system is flawed. The votes go to the anointed conferences, and then our wins against unranked teams are dismissed. SMU is now 7-1. They started with wins over Abilene Christian, North Texas, and Louisiana Tech before facing a then-ranked #26 TCU. After the first three wins I did not expect to be ranked, and of course we were on nobody's radar. After a SOLID victory over TCU, SMU starts getting votes, but remained outside the top 30. TCU fails to get a vote in either poll. It wasn't until week 6 at 5-0 did SMU crack the Top 25 at (24). And there is at least one writer who has never voted for SMU, even after going 7-0.

And that's just SMUs experience. Imagine if you are Cincinnati cruising along unbeaten, with victories over everyone's favorite Notre Dame, and Indiana from the Big 10 - where its required that every team be ranked - no matter what they do or accomplish, it will not be enough. By some ridiculous measure, the suits will find a way to diminish what UC has done in order to lift up one of their P5 darlings. Its just terribly wrong. 

What makes March Madness so spectacular is that everyone HAS A CHANCE. Fans LOVE IT when some little school like Abilene Christian #14 takes the mighty Texas #3 to the woodshed. Or the great and powerful Ohio State #2 is humiliated by Oral Roberts, the #15 seed. They may not go far, but at least there's a chance. And that makes for a great fan experience. Cinderellas normally don't stay very long at the ball, but make quite an impression.

So again this year, a tiny group of suits will sit around a table in a cold dark room and decide the fate of college football. They will pick 4 teams and arbitrarily declare them to be the best of the best. All sorts of statistics will be unveiled to defend their choice. And defend they will, twisting themselves into a pretzel to prove that they chose wisely. Like lemmings, sports fans will crowd around their TV to watch Big 10 teams find ever creative ways to lose to their more powerful friends in the SEC and Big 12. And then we will have two teams that remain. We will be told that whoever wins this final game will be the best in the land. There could be 5 unbeaten teams remaining not in the playoff, but that does not matter. The Playoff Committee has spoken. Let it be written, let it be done.

Its been a very long time since I watched a BCS or playoff game. Its just another meaningless game to end the season. The irony is that by elevating this playoff, they have made the bowl games worthless. At least in the past, a handful of teams might have a shot, and depending upon who won or who lost their bowl games. Then the sports writers would vote, and we would spend the next year arguing about who was the best. Is this system any better?

Give me a 16 team playoff. The winner from every FBS conference gets an automatic bid. Pick a handful of teams as at large participants. Seed them fairly, and let nature take its course. Now, you have a true playoff, and several games that must be watched. Do it, do it now, or else.

Heisman Candidate Tanner Mordecai, QB SMU