Monthly Archives: September 2013

Waiting for the Ole Miss catastrophe

Hard to believe the Longhorns defense could have improved sufficiently in six days to erase their BYU beatdown—550 rushing yards allowed. My Mississippi cousins are happily anticipating tomorrow’s Ole Miss game. They always win the tailgate, they like to say, but this time they have a good chance to win the game.

Even former Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro, now lighting up opponents of the New Orleans Saints, says the problems are on the field, not with the coaches on the sidelines. No grit, no leadership, no execution. At least we have one good Texas game to watch tomorrow (Aggies vs Alabama) even if the QB in College Station is a self-centered jerk who will never make it in the NFL.

UPDATE:  Hoo-Boy, do these 2013 Longhorns suck. No defense and very inconsistent offense. After three scoreless quarters, including the whole second half, they lost 44 to 23. Kansas State next week undoubtedly will be more of the same—only the KState score will be a lot higher.

As for the Ags, they almost beat Bama a second time, but lost 49-42. Despite Manziel the bad-boy wonder-worker and his last-minute 95 yard TD.

AND:  Mrs. Charm, taking Mr. Boy to lunch out near Cedar Park day after the game, reports seeing a Longhorn flag in someone’s front yard: It was at half-staff and upside down. Yep.

Adios, Voyager

Thirty-six years after it was launched, the Voyager 1 robot spacecraft has left the solar system and entered true interstellar space: the first known human-made object to do so.

“Voyager has boldly gone where no probe has gone before, marking one of the most significant technological achievements in the annals of the history of science, and adding a new chapter in human scientific dreams and endeavors,” said John Grunsfeld, NASA’s associate administrator for science in Washington.

Voyager: into the interstellar darkness, continuing an intrepid voyage of discovery that could last for billions of years.

Our robed rulers pursue gun control

The Leftist White House and their Leftist pals in the Senate and House are only a small part of the battle against gun rights. The Leftist judiciary is the biggest, and their race to restrict guns for those who can’t afford body guards is rolling along.

“Take the case of Peruta v. County of San Diego for example,” says NRA executive director Chris Cox. “In this California case, government and gun-ban lawyers are trying to convince federal judges that our Founding Fathers only wanted you to have the right to own a gun inside your home – and that your Second Amendment rights are null and void the minute you walk out your front door.”

Like they say, there’s never been a more important time for you to join the NRA. Your membership will help pay for fighting these cases and for things like this choice YouTube video from gun enthusiast and gun carrier Colion Noir, a new voice of the NRA.

UPDATE:  In Illinois, at least, carrying outside the home is no longer in dispute. And, in Colorado, voting for gun control can get a pol recalled. Hooah!

Rule 5: Helicopter hottie

One of the better email forwards I’ve ever received, this one from J.D. over at Mouth of The Brazos. I want to believe this is one of the Obozo court media embarking for another bit of suck-up stenography, but I have to admit I never saw one this striking in 35 years in the biz, nor quite in this way, of course. Except in fantasy. Ah, fantasy. Life’s recurring, ennobling pleasure.

Classic gun threat and defense

“Alexander directs his muzzle roughly at the robber’s larynx from a distance of only inches, while maintaining his left hand in a position to deflect an attempt by the robber to raise his own handgun. Alexander says he followed this action by informing the robber that ‘you need to get out of here before I blow your head off.’”

With some free legal analysis from the law professor-proprietor of the blog Legal Insurrection. Who says that, as usual with these cases of right-to-carry, stand-your-ground gun defense, no shots were fired. Brandishing with a promise to kill was enough to drive a robber away.

Will there be a Christmas truce, too?

It’s tempting to follow Norman Podhoretz’s theory that Obozo’s Syria Circus isn’t ineptitude but a nefarious plot to make the USA look stupid. Because otherwise, with its shifting claims of really tough strikes, but not too really tough, mind you, it’s clowns all the way down.

But it could be our favorite Nobel Peace Prize winner has decided he actually likes rattling sabers now and then and he’s trying to channel LBJ and his turn-the-screw attacks on North Viet Nam.

They were supposed to, you know, bring the Commies to the Paris peace table, whether square, rectangular or round, so that Lyndon could get re-elected for having won an unpopular war. And if so does this mean Obongo will eventually be offering Baby Assad a Christmas truce?

UPDATE: Looks like Lurch’s “trust us” b.s. turned into an apparently offhand remark about letting Russia secure Baby Assad’s chemical weapons which has now morphed into Obongo’s new no-strike-Syria policy. And after all that two-bit histrionics. Geeze Louise. There’s obviously no Xmas “truce” in the offing now.

MORE:  Or Not. Is Obozo being played by the Russians? Who better?

BYU 40, Texas 21

BYU was David Ash’s winning debut in 2011. This year the boys in Utah were his humiliation. His offense couldn’t protect him. When he dropped back to pass, there were three Brigham Young University defenders in his face. His defense looked comical with one missed tackle after another.

The secret “elevation masks” apparently didn’t make a difference. After sacking him repeatedly, BYU finally knocked Ash out of the game in the first half of the fourth quarter with a possible head injury.

Always hard to see the Longhorns lose, especially when an unranked team like BYU runs over them. Literally—with 550 rushing yards, the most by any opponent ever. In truth, though, it was predictable. The Horns were lackluster in the first half against cupcake New Mexico State last week.

Now Texas, which already was a miserable 15th in the AP ranking, could fall out of the Top 25 altogether. Just like last year. Once more dismantling the pre-season narrative of better, faster, tougher, etc. And, once more, reinstating calls to fire Coach Mack Brown and Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz. Might as well add Co-Offensive Coordinator Major Applewhite to the list, too.

The Horns might come back. Maybe. We’ll see if they can come back far enough to at least win another Alamo Bowl. They certainly won’t beat Oklahoma or Oklahoma State, and may well lose to West Virginia, TCU, etc. Sigh.

UPDATE:  As expected, Texas has fallen out of the AP Top 25, replaced in its No. 15 slot by Miami. That’s what happens when an unranked team whips your ass, like BYU did.

Ironically, USC, the team Texas beat for the national title back in ’05, has also fallen out, for only a 10-7 loss to Washington State. Something to worry about, maybe: Ole Miss, Texas’ next opponent, debuted this week at No. 25.

MORE:  Texas has fired Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz. Pity, I think, but somebody’s head had to roll. It was for sure it wouldn’t be Brown’s.