The Gift

We know what Maureen Dowd received for Christmas-a brain. Even she get it:

If we can’t catch a Nigerian with a powerful explosive powder in his oddly feminine-looking underpants and a syringe full of acid, a man whose own father had alerted the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, a traveler whose ticket was paid for in cash and who didn’t check bags, whose visa renewal had been denied by the British, who had studied Arabic in Al Qaeda sanctuary Yemen, whose name was on a counterterrorism watch list, who can we catch?

Give em Hell Ed.....

If you click on to the link below, you will learn in 29 seconds why Ed Koch endeared himself to so many New Yorkers. The man can sit on my Stoop @ any time.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmYHVHQhFv4

Tick Tock.....

A Good Friend from the Stoop came up with the following scenario:

The terrorist that tried to blow up 300 civilians on Christmas day (and who violated just about every major rule of war ever created) was Mirandized and indicted in federal court instead of being treated like an enemy combatant. As Spock from Star Treck would likely say, "Logic dictates" that in the future any terrorist who intends to commit mass murder will not be treated as an enemy combatant, but will be arrested and given all Constitutional rights of a US citizen. Now I pose the following scenario:

Terrorist arrested in New York City with the nuclear trigger.
FBI: "Where's the bomb!!!?"
Terrorist: "I want my lawyer."
FBI: "Uhmmmm"
Tick...tick...tick....

The nightmare continues.....

The Mayor & The Cardinal

For anyone interested in NYC history, check out this interview with three-time NYC Mayor Ed Koch. Koch reveals that during his mayoralty,there was a time when he was clinically depressed to the point where he could hardly get out of bed, but a call from Cardinal O'Connor lifted his spirits and broke him out of his depression. Koch calls Cardinal O'Connor a "true brother". Check it out:
Ed Koch with Budd Mishkin at the 92nd Street Y In a wide-ranging discussion on his life and career, former New York City Ed Koch sits down with NY1's Budd Mishkin at the 92nd Street Y on September 8, 2008.
© 2009 YouTube, LLC 901 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066

The Lying King

Remember that scene in Scarface where Sosa says to Tony Montana:

I like you, Tony. There is no lying in you.

Unfortunately, I do not feel the same about the rest of your organization.

Sosa would have never uttered those words to Obama. Because Sosa would have seen Obama as a liar.

Lets look at Obama's lies about Health Care.

The link below is the Teleprompter Man on the 2008 campaign trail. Watch him tell the assembled sheep how horrible John McCain's health care plan is because of the way its funded. Watch him mesmerize the Kool Aid drinkers by hammering away saying how horrible it would be to fund health care reform by cutting Medicare and taxing existing health care plans.

But look at the Senate bill that Obama supports, sports fans. How is it paid for? By cuts in Medicare & taxes on existing health plans!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zO3jCmfPDA


The next lie Obama told the people is the following:

So let me begin by saying this: I know that there are millions of Americans who are content with their health care coverage - they like their plan and they value their relationship with their doctor. And that means that no matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period. If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period. No one will take it away. No matter what.

Here's the skinny on Obama's promise: above: he has broken it. Millions of Americans won't be able to keep their existing health plans. Here's why: (1) under the Senate bill, restrictions in Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts will cause people to pay thousands of dollars more in taxes which, if they cannot afford, will force them to choose another plan; and (2) certain so-called "Cadillac Plans" will be taxed at a 40% rate which will force employers to offer less expense plans with less benefits.

Another lie: that illegal aliens will not be covered. The President does not believe that anyone is an illegal alien. He calls them "soon to be registered Democrats". If you ask the man about borders, he thinks you are talking about a book store. If the man is on the record for granting amnesty to illegal aliens, how can you believe him when he says illegal aliens won't be covered?

Change we can believe in, huh?

The System

From today's NYT:

“The system has worked really very, very smoothly over the course of the past several days,” Janet Napolitano, the Homeland Security secretary said, in an interview on “This Week” on ABC. Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesman, used nearly the same language on “Face the Nation” on CBS, saying that “in many ways, this system has worked.”

Looks like the next Nobel prize winner is going to be Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano. She was all over the Sunday talk shows yesterday bragging that "the system worked" with regards to the terrorist attempt to blow the Nigeria to Detroit plane out of the sky.

Think about the sheer arrogance in that statement. "The system worked." Napolitano should hang her head in shame at Homeland Security's actions in this case. But I guess some people are beyond shame.

The system worked?

Think about this. The system was warned about this terrorist by his own father. Think about how dangerous you have to be that your own father is dropping dimes on you, warning a foreign government that the kid is a nutjob terrorist. By the way, by this act alone, the old man has proven to be more concerned with our safety that Napolitano ever has.

The system knew this man was a terrorist and allowed him to obtain a visa to travel to the United States.

The system put him on a terrorist watch list that we now know means nothing. The New York Public Library system can tell you that I never returned a biography of Willis Reed that I took out in 1974, but the Homeland Security computers in 2009 can't track known terrorists that want to board U.S. bound planes. They guy didn't even have to use a fake name.

You would think that once someone on the terrorist list wants to obtain a visa and/or fly to the U.S., as soon as you put his name in the computer, bells and whistles would start going off, much like a slot machine that was just hit for a big jackpot.

But if you thought that, you would be wrong.

Dead wrong.

But the system worked.

You want to know how incompetent Napolitano really is? Did you know the Napolitano the HOMELAND SECURITY CHIEF, has a policy of not using the word "terrorism"?

Check it out:

This is an interview Napolitano gave to the German magazine Der Spiegel:

SPIEGEL: Madame Secretary, in your first testimony to the US Congress as Homeland Security Secretary you never mentioned the word “terrorism.” Does Islamist terrorism suddenly no longer pose a threat to your country?

NAPOLITANO: Of course it does. I presume there is always a threat from terrorism. In my speech, although I did not use the word “terrorism,” I referred to “man-caused” disasters. That is perhaps only a nuance, but it demonstrates that we want to move away from the politics of fear toward a policy of being prepared for all risks that can occur.

Can you believe that this person is in charge of keeping you safe from terrorists? She won't even use the word! Its like having a police chief refusing to use the word "arrest".

She is afraid to hurt the feelings of those who are willing to kill themselves as along as they are able to kill you and your family in the process. So she calls them "man-caused disasters."

Napolitano as Homeland Chief is a man- caused disaster. And Obama is the man that caused it.

Watch Your Back

From the NY Daily News:

The terror suspect who tried to blow up a Detroit-bound plane is the son of a Nigerian banker who alerted U.S. authorities to his "extreme religious views" months ago, it was reported Saturday.

The father, Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, a former minister and chairman of First Bank in Nigeria, is shocked that his son was even was allowed to fly to the U.S., family members told the Nigerian newspaper This Day.

So our government knew about this terrorist and did nothing. And allowed him to board a plane headed to our country. Can you say you're surprised? I mean, Major Hasan gave power point presentations on the joys of suicide bombing and all our government did was promote him up the military chain.

Regarding the terrorist on the flight to Detroit, thank God for the passenger who subdued this vermin. Bottom line lesson folks: if you rely on the federal government and the federal government alone to shield you from religiously inspired maniacs who want to kill you, your faith in your government may lead to your death.

If they couldn't stop a Major Hasan or the Nigeria to Detroit terrorist, -and they were on CLEAR NOTICE that both were jihadists- what makes you think they can capture others?

Hasan and this new terrorist were fish that jumped into the boat. And our government threw them back into the ocean.

If you see something, you better do something, cause the feds see something and do nothing.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

I just read that Susan Saran Wrap and Tim Robbins broke up after 23 years. Questions: When limousine liberals break up, who gets the limo? Does Jesse provide counseling? Who gets the kids on Earth Day? Who ends up with the velvet autographed portrait of Fidel Castro?

Billy

“In 1980, the A’s hired a new manager that I would look up to for the rest of my life, one of the best teachers and managers anyone could ever play for, Mr. Billy Martin. Billy always got the most out of me. He taught me to compete at the highest level and respect the game of baseball. Billy, I miss you very much and I wish you were here with me today.”-Rickey Henderson-Hall of Fame Induction Speech, July 2009

In the time flies department, Billy Martin died 20 years ago today, in a car crash in upstate New York, Christmas Day 1989.

See the link below on how Billy is remembered by Rickey Henderson, Rod Carew, Willie Randolph, George Steinbrenner & Whitey Ford.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIUh4nLJ5pI

Know Your Audience

This is from Andy McCarthy over @ National Review:

To All My Liberal Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or explicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2010, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

To All My Conservative Friends:

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Old KKK Members Don't Die, They Live On To Vote For Socialized Medicine

Buried deep within the 2,000 page monstrosity of the socialized medicine bill in the Senate, the bill that the country does not want, there must be a provision where the government subsidizes the costs of white sheets for KKK members. How else would they get the support of Senator Byrd-Brain?


Despite Fragile Health, Byrd Is Present

A Most Unusual Christmas Tree

The White House has a Christmas tree. Strike that, a Holiday tree, I do not want to face a hate crime indictment so close to Christmas, I mean the holidays. Just to show that Obama is like everyone else, the tree has ornaments. One ornament is Mount Rushmore, with Obama's face added to the existing monument to Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln & Teddy Roosevelt. Hey, the President has a very high opinion of himself, just ask him, and what's wrong with using a Christmas tree to brag about your alleged accomplishments? I mean, didn't the Reagan's superimpose Ronnie's face on the Lincoln Memorial on a Christmas tree ornament? (Somehow, I don't think so.) There also is an ornament of some famous drag queen, but hey, I guess its a way to reach out to the "undecided" voters. The best ornament has to be the one they have of Chairman Mao on the White House Christmas Tree. How awesome is that? I'm surprised that they don't have tinsel that looks like Hitler's mustache up on the tree. All of the above is true. See the video below.
White House Radical Christmas Tree Ornaments found .wmv White House Radical Christmas Tree Ornaments found. Such as Mao Tse Tung..
© 2009 YouTube, LLC 901 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066

The Weather Report From The Stoop

So the world's leaders met last week in Copenhagen to discuss the weather. Out of this most solemn of meetings, the group consensus was that the United States is a pretty messed-up country. The current President of the U.S, Barack Obama, did not deny that the U.S. is a horrible country, he actually agreed with the assessment, but he assured the leaders of both the free & the un-free world that because of him, Barack Obama, the U.S. is going to be a country that they will look favorably upon.

And the thing that will make these countries look favorably upon the U.S. is prior U.S. Presidents. Specifically, a couple of dead ones. More specifically the dead Presidents that appear on U.S. currency. And the transfer of such currency to the countries that are at this moment, not real big fans of the USA.

Out of the weather meeting in Copenhagen came the idea that dictators like Castro & Chavez and Communist countries like China need cash from the U.S. so they don't chop down too many trees.

The actual dollar amount is $100 billion. A year. And that is just a start, a minimum commitment.

Now one of the big problems is the undeniable fact that the U.S. does not have the cash on hand. We are more busted than a blackjack player who hits on 16 and draws a king. So the U.S. has to borrow the money. From China. And part of the money we borrow from China, we will give back to China as a gift. So we will pay back all of the money we borrow from China with interest, and also throw them many billions of dollars that we borrow from them as a gift. If you think this sounds like you borrowing $100,000 from a bank and you pay the whole thing back to the bank at 6% interest, plus you give the same bank $40,000 for free as a gift, you would be correct.

So that is one problem.

Another problem is the billions of dollars we will be pouring into the bank accounts of Chavez, Castro, etc. We are essentially bribing Third World dictators to not chop down trees, build windmills and bicycle lanes, and build 40 foot Al Gore statues for their people to worship.

But, say they decide to take the money and not do what they agree to do? I mean part of the cool thing about being a dictator is that you do not have to listen to anybody. Nobody can tell you what to do, that is why you got into the dictator business.

So what happens then? Do we send in peace keepers, lets call them green peace keepers, and chain them to the trees in Zimbabwe so that Mugabe does not chop them down?

Do we have a Bay of Pigs II where we send in the green peace keepers to storm Cuba to furiously paint bicycle lanes in the streets of Havana?

Bottom line: the idea that a broke America will send $100 billion a year to dictators to bribe them into doing the right thing is insane.

Bernie Madoff's scam was more acceptable than this one.

Send Them A Christmas Card

A Stoop pal of mine gave me this idea, and I think it is a good one. There are only a couple of days left, but it is not to late. I'm talking about sending a Christmas card. To the ACLU.

Let me explain. These petty little people see a Christmas tree in the public square as the biggest threat to America. (What do you expect from vermin who go around taking photos of brave CIA agents & then show the pics to terrorists in GITMO in an effort to bring criminal cases against our brave people?)

When the ACLU gets mail, they hope it is a donation. When they see that instead it is a Christmas card, the level of disappointment in the ACLU office must be like the time that these so-called privacy advocates tracked down Robert Bork's movie rentals and it included such salacious titles as "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington & Miracle on 34th Street".

The more Christmas cards the ACLU receives, the more disappointment we can bring to these Scrooges.

So do your part and wish the ACLU Merry Christmas.

Here's hoping that they receive mountains of Christmas cards.

The Bell That Won't Ring

As I write, my Stoop, like every other Stoop in Brooklyn, is covered in snow, as NYC just got hit with a major storm. And I am wondering: When is my bell gonna ring? Where are the young kids going door to door ringing bills trying to make some cash by shoveling snow?

I ain't holding my breath. I don't think it will happen. I think Al Gore should put these kids on the endangered species list, there are so few of them.

From my early teens until my early 20's, me and my pal TG would work every snow storm. We would ring every bell from 7th Street to Carroll street, between 8th avenue & the Park in Park Slope. I would take one side of the street, TG would take another. If we made the sale, we would yell to the other guy to come over and we would begin shoveling. We wouldn't even count the money until we were done, when we would go to a local bar, empty our pockets of cash on a table in the back, and throw back a few (or more than a few) cold ones.

We weren't the only kids doing it, there were lots of them hitting the pavement.

Its inconceivable to me that 5 days before Christmas in this rotten economy there are no young kids that need some extra money in their pockets.

I look out my window and see although there is a foot of snow, there are men on bicycles delivering Chinese food. And young kids can't go shoveling?

Memo to the young ones: Put down the video game and pick up a shovel. Go door to door. Its a good workout, plus you learn a valuable lesson: you have to work to get money in America.

Stoop Laughter

Warning: The link below will cause you to burst with laughter.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRYAqekvj4I

Mr. Excitement

I may be shouting from the Stoop, but I have a friend who is definitely yelling from the hallway. He makes me laugh more than anybody, and his political instincts are right on the money. For the hell of it, let's call him Robbie.

We got to talking about the charismatic one, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. I told him what Dennis Miller says about Al Gore, that he has so little charisma that Gore's vanity license plate is a bunch of randomly selected numbers, also applies to Reid.

Robbie's reply:

"Harry Reid reminds me of a creepy librarian that is so odd that the other librarians say, 'keep this fu*king guy away from me', so they lock him in a separate room. When he sneezes, dust from his attic flies all over the library. I thought Nevada was one of the coolest states? How did they end up with this guy? He must be from that part of Nevada that is nothing but desert and tumble weeds for miles & miles."

I laughed like a loon.

Rude & Dangerous

Not only is Chuck Schumer a rude & arrogant human being, he also is a danger to our free speech rights. I say that because he is on the record for supporting the "Fairness Doctrine". (See video below.) What is the Fairness Doctrine? It basically states that the airwaves are the property of the government, and thus the government has the right to tell television stations and radio stations what to broadcast, all in the name of so-called "fairness." Liberals, who by definition only like speech that they agree with, want to use this Stalinist tactic to get rid of right-wing talk radio hosts. Think about that: we actually have elected officials, POWERFUL elected officials, that want to pass LAWS that give them the power tell radio stations exactly what kinds of political views they can broadcast on the air. It truly is a dangerous threat to our freedoms. And Schmuck Schumer is the ringleader of this modern day Stalinist brigade. Can BALDMAN help it that the only thing more boring than left wing radio is left wing television? In fact, left wing Air America almost got their first major sponsor, Ambien, until the sleeping pill manufacturer realized that the 10 listeners the station has fall asleep from sheer boredom before the first commercial break. If you count the total number of hair plugs on Chuck the Shmuck's head, it would be more than the number of Air America listeners. If you want to see Baldman's full take on this issue, type "fairness doctrine into the search engine above.
Schumer compares Fairness Doctrine to regulating porn America's Newsroom.
© 2009 YouTube, LLC 901 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066

Of Course There Is A Double Standard

Did you see NY Senator Chuck Schumer called a flight attendant a bitch? (See below.) Chuck was flying from Washington to NY, courtesy of the taxpayers of this country. Apparently, Chuck thinks that FAA rules prohibiting talking on cell phones only applies to people who actually pay for their plane trips, and deadbeat freeloader Senators who don't pay a dime for their travel are above the law.

How shocked Chuck must of been when the flight attendant had the audacity to ask him to comply with the law. His hair plugs must have stood on end.

If a Republican Senator called a woman a bitch, Schumer would be the first one to exploit it to the high heavens. In fact where are the liberal women's groups like NOW on this one? Where are the picket signs from the progressive women of Park Slope where Schumer lives? We all know the deal. Because Schumer supports abortion and even EXTREME procedures like partial birth abortion (which the late NY Senator Moynihan called "infanticide"), Schmuck Schumer could beat a woman unconscious with a cell phone and NOW would blame the cell phone maker for manufacturing a product that could be used as a weapon against women.

Big lesson that we have learned on the Stoop: as long as you are a Democrat, and have that "D" in front of your name, you can get away with ANY behaviour. You could have been a member of the KKK, a domestic terrorists group that kills black people, and as long as you are a Democrat, you too could become a Senator like Robert Byrd. That "D" in front of your name allows you to kill a woman in a lake, like Ted Kennedy. You can cheat on your taxes to the extent that would make Wesley Snipes shake his head in dismay, and still be in charge of drafting the nation's tax laws like Charlie Rangel. You can have your boyfriend run a male whorehouse out of your apartment and claim you had no idea what the hell was going on, like Barney Frank. You can have the title "Reverend" in front of your name, and that combined with the "D" allows you to have a kid out of wedlock like Jesse Jackson, or give speeches like Al Sharpton complaining about "white interlopers" in Harlem. And on and on.

But always remember that these men represent the party of the people.

er - page 1 Sen. Schumer Lashes Out At "Bitch" Flight Attendant

Blowing Smoke

Idiot wind blowing every time you move your teeth
You're an idiot babe
It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe- Idiot Wind-Bob Dylan

I remember about 8 years ago, I read a book about the cultural history of the United States during the 1970's. (The title escapes me.) It was no dry recitation of facts, instead it covered what movies people watched, why the divorce rate skyrocketed, the birth of the health foods movement etc.

The book also covered climate change. The major scientists of the 70's warned of climate change. They told us the effects would be devastating. And the world as we knew it would be changed forever.

So we were warned as early as the 70's, right? Wrong. You see, the climate change the scientific community in the 1970's warned us was coming was a new ICE AGE. How did that prediction turn out?

Now these white coats tell us that global warming is a done deal.

Please excuse the Stoop for being skeptical.

Global warning is the perfect liberal cause.

Here's why:

1) It makes you feel good about yourself. Just ask one of your earth-day celebrating friends.

2) It costs trillions of taxpayer dollars.

3) You don't need to show any results after spending the trillions. You can always rely on that tried and true liberal formula "we need to spend more to get results." It doesn't matter if the predictions are wrong, you always get to say "we're doomed if we don't do x" and x always involves spending a crazy amount of cash. It called moving the goal posts.

When I think of climate change, I close the window.

But I do have a great plan to help the environment. Here it is: Lets kill/capture as many terrorists as possible. They are bad for the environment. Their presence on this earth is toxic. That's why I think our soldiers are the best environmentalists we have in America.

As for my take on global warming, I defer to the expert on the link below:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjmtSkl53h4

Random Notes

There is no truth to the rumour that in the wake of Baldman's lapband surgery, several local pizzeria's have declared bankruptcy and Snapple had to close a couple of plants.

Hey, you see the Prez told Oprah that he gives himself a "solid B +" regarding his first year job performance? Isn't it great that America has a President with such high self esteem? What would it take for the President to give himself an "A"? A couple of more million on the unemployment rolls? Indictments of our brave CIA agents for roughing up some terrorists? Or perhaps the day KSM takes the stand in lower Manhattan?

Isn't it nice that the President gives himself a grade but refuses to reveal his actual college and law school grades? I say that not because I believe there is a correlation between grades and Presidential performance, but in response to those who called baby Bush dumb and ridiculed his college grades, the same people that belittle Sarah Palin for attending 5 colleges.

By the way, in the time it took me to write the last paragraph, Palin just sold a 100,000 books. The woman sells books faster than the Beatles sold records.

Real Defense

For you Giant fans that were disgusted watching Desean Jackson stroll into the endzone backwards on Sunday, the video below will remind you of how defense used to be played by Big Blue. Its the 1990 NFC Championship Game, and the hit by Leonard Marshall that ended Joe Montana's 49er career. Watch Marshall come off the ground TWICE and never give up, which resulted in one of the greatest plays in Giant history.
Giants vs 49's 1990 NFC championship game The Footage in this game belongs to Americas game, i do not own it. I am only using it for entertainment.
© 2009 YouTube, LLC 901 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066

Its On The Way Out

On the Stoop, we are fond of using clear, direct language. We pride ourselves on using language that lets the listener/reader know what we are saying and where we stand. We don't water it down, or muddy the waters.

In that same vein, the late George Carlin had a routine on how euphemisms get in the way of what we really mean. Carlin used the example of how in World War I the term used to describe soldiers who were mentally scarred by WAR was "shell shock". It was direct, it was lively, and everyone knew exactly what the hell you were talking about. In World War II, the same condition was described as "battle fatigue". Not as direct, the word "fatigue" is mushy when compared to "shock", and it takes a lot of the power away from what you are describing. From Vietnam and until the present day, the condition originally know as "shell shock" had a pit stop at "battle fatigue" and is now known as "post- traumatic stress disorder".

Post traumatic stress disorder is dry and technical and robs the reader of the power that is conveyed by "shell shock." Its used to soften the blows, but some blows need to be stiff.

Which brings me to another term that is on its way to euphemistic hell. (I forgot we can't use the word "hell", I should have said the "post- tropical dwelling of the damned").

What do you call someone who resides in a country illegally? I have always called such people "illegal aliens". For the most part, so have you. Whether you believe that amnesty should be granted to illegal aliens or not, its clear that the people we are talking about meet the two-prong test: (1) they live in America; and (2) they do so illegally.

But using the term illegal alien/immigrant is on its way out. In due time, it will be a hate crime to say it.

What is it being replaced by? The purposely ambiguous "undocumented immigrant".

I remember in early 2002, Baldman attended a law school conference and the topic had to do with the aftermath of 9-11. If you think they talked about how to stop us from getting attacked again, you would be wrong. If you think they talked about how to help our government meet the challenges of fighting world-wide religiously-inspired maniacs, it would indicate that you have no idea how hopelessly and dangerously liberal the mindset is in American law schools.

With the smoke from the towers still evident in lower Manhattan, the topic on this day was the inevitable backlash that would occur with Americans inflicting violence upon "undocumented immigrants."

Baldman was astounded. Here we had thousands of Americans murdered on an unprecedented scale, by a REAL enemy that would give their lives to kill us all, and we were talking about some hypothetical scenario that was the figment of the law school mind?

They were concerned that American lynch mobs would go around rounding people up. Of course, it never happened.

Always remember this: the ultra liberal among us always believe the worst about their own country, and the best about all other countries.

At the conference the first time the first lecturer used the term "undocumented immigrant" my hand immediately shot up. "What do you mean by undocumented immigrant? I'm confused. Do you mean "illegal alien"?

You should have seen the look the speaker gave me. At that moment, I could tell she hated me more than I hated Bin Laden. And she never would say "illegal alien."

Anyway, I bring up the illegal alien thing because for the first time, the dreaded term "undocumented immigrant" has surfaced in a Supreme Court opinion. The author: the self-described wise one: Justice Sotomayor.

Prediction: within 5 years, if you say the words "illegal alien" you will receive a tougher penalty than actually being an illegal alien.

Painful To Watch

It pains me to say it. It kills me to watch it. But it cannot be denied:

My beloved Giants SUCK on defense. They can't rush the passer. They can't cover any receivers. And they can't tackle. Other than that, they do everything alright on defense.

The Giant defensive coordinator, Bill Sheridan is a dead coordinator walking. Hiring Shaq to teach free throw shooting makes more sense than having Sheridan coach defense in the NFL.

Last night's game against the Eagles was the last straw. Desean Jackson was running around so open and free, I'm surprised that immediately after the game Obama did not name Sheridan the Head of Homeland Security.

Remember how after Johnny Carson retired, he would send jokes to Letterman and Letterman would use them in his monologues?

Can't the Giants set something similar up with the Great Spagnuolo? His Rams aren't doing anything, have him come up with the defensive game plans.

Giant fans take pride in their defense more than you can imagine. Even more than Yankee fans take pride at having a half a billion dollar payroll.

I would rather see the Giants lose 7-3 every week than to see what happened last night.

Leading The Way

Its been a while since we have seen any, so it might be interesting to see what it looks like. I'm talking about leadership. Presidential leadership. Watch the video below on Lyndon Johnson and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and pay particular attention to the description of the meeting that took place in the White House between LBJ and Alabama Governor George Wallace.

Compare it to what passes for Presidential leadership today.


American Experience . The Presidents . Lyndon B. Johnson Video ..

A Sick Idea

Every time Congress passes legislation, we all have to ask one fundamental question: "Where do they get the authority to do so?"

Congress does not have a blank check or magic wand to enact whatever it wants upon the American people. It can only act accordingly to the powers granted to Congress in Article I of the U.S. Constitution.

Now with the socialized medicine bill that Congress wants to inflict upon the American people, when we ask where Congress gets its authority, the answer we get from our Socialist friends is the commerce clause.

Now, to be sure, the Commerce Clause in Article I does give Congress the authority to pass legislation that concerns interstate commerce.

But this monstrosity of a bill goes beyond interstate commerce. It actually compels American citizens to engage in commerce whether they want to or not.

Let me explain. If European-style social medicine is imposed upon us, there is a provision in the bill that REQUIRES all Americans to buy health insurance.

You do not have a right to opt out. You will be punished for opting out.

You will in effect, be punished for deciding to NOT engage in interstate commerce.

Leave it to our liberal friends to always be 180 degrees from the correct answer.

How can you use the commerce clause to justify Congressional constitutional authority to pass laws effecting Americans that choose to NOT ENGAGE IN COMMERCE?

Its as if they suffer from "Constitutional Dyslexia"- when it comes to the Constitution, you can count on liberals arriving at at answer that is backwards.

Never before has the U.S. Government required a citizen to buy a stand-alone product or service. (Yes, you are required to obtain car insurance, however that requirement takes place only after you have Voluntarily decided that you want to own and operate an automobile on public roads.)

Not only will socialized medicine make us sick, it will also be a terminal illness inflicted upon the U.S. Constitution.

Funny Stuff

Nothing wrong with coming in from the Stoop on a cold day to watch something that will make you laugh. See the Shaquille O'Neal Comedy Roast below. Accordingly to Bill Simmons and his best seller "The Book of Basketball", Shaq's reaction to comedian Guy Torry's jokes about the size of Jason Kidd's son's head caused a deep chill in the relationship between Shaq & Kidd. The whole routine is funny, but the J-Kidd stuff starts around the three minute mark.
Guy Torry - (Shaq's Comedy Roast 2) Guy Torry Roasts Emmitt Smith - Shaq's Comedy Roast 2
© 2009 YouTube, LLC 901 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066

Two Approaches

So far, the Mets GM Omar Minaya has signed TWO backup catchers on the free agent market. We needs arms & bats, and the first thing on Omar's agenda is signing TWO backup catchers? Have you ever heard of such a strategy? It would be like a football GM going into the off season saying "our top priority is signing someone to hold on extra points & field goals."

Unbelievable.

As for Yankee management, every winter they start off with the same bullspit, telling the public that they have a strict budget that they must adhere too, and they will protect their beloved farm prospects. And then they go and trade their so-called untouchable prospects in the Detroit salary dump of Curtis Granderson. The Yankees spend so much money every off season, is it any surprise they have a General Manager named CASHMAN?

You Have To Know Your Place In Life

Don't you hate it when someone cuts the line? So does Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And who cut her off? The rookie, Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

See below, from law.com:

In the midst of a lively oral argument at the Supreme Court, the justices' questioning of the attorneys at the podium sometimes overlaps, with several justices jumping in with different queries at the same time and talking over each other. The situation usually resolves itself fairly seamlessly and subtly, with one justice trailing off or explicitly deferring to the other. But a somewhat tense moment at the Court on Tuesday indicates that Justice Sonia Sotomayor may still be getting used to the rhythm of the questioning and the etiquette of sharing argument time with her more seasoned colleagues on the high court bench.

During arguments in United Student Aid Funds v. Espinosa, a case involving the discharge of student loans during bankruptcy, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg asked Michael J. Meehan, counsel for the respondent in the case, about the petitioner's interpretation of a provision of the Bankruptcy Code at issue.

Meehan began his response to Ginsburg, and Sotomayor -- who has already established herself as an active and assertive questioner during her short time on the Supreme Court bench -- jumped in during the middle of Meehan's second sentence to engage him on a different topic.

"Counsel, may I interrupt for just one moment, because I -- there is something needling at me that I do need an answer to ..." Sotomayor said.

Justice Stephen Breyer, who sits next to Sotomayor, turned toward her as if to say something or intervene -- but Ginsburg was ready with a quick and forceful response.

"And I'd like him to answer the question that I asked him first," Ginsburg said.

"I'm sorry," Sotomayor said, looking slightly chagrined.

An Extremist

If the thought ever passes your mind that the President seems like a moderate man, a man of reasonable judgment, a man who embodies traditional mainstream American values, all you ever have to do is examine his choice of national school safety czar.

School safety involves keeping our kids safe right? Yet, the man Obama appointed does not seem to me someone you would want around your kid, never mind being in charge of your kid's safety.

As we posted before, the man Obama put in charge of school safety, Kevin Jennings, once was told by an underage student of his that he had sex with a man he met in a bus station bathroom.

Did Jennings report this to authorities as required by state law?

Of course not.

What the school safety czar to be instead did was tell the kid "I hope you used a condom".

Now comes the word that Jennings started an organization that advised 14 year olds on things such as "fisting" & "spitting/swallowing" (See below).

This is the man in charge of keeping our children safe in school.

And that decision was made by the President.

And if that does not tell you everything you need to know about Obama's judgment and values, I don't know what to tell you.

Keep drinking the Kool Aid.

UPDATE: Year After Reprimand, Obama 'Safe School Czar' Run Seminar Handed Out 'Fisting Kit'...

Here They Go Again

In an effort to impose socialized medicine on an America that does not want it, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid just did what all liberals do when they are desperate: he played the slavery/racist card. He's Harry:

"Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all the Republicans can come up with is, 'slow down, stop everything, let's start over.' If you think you've heard these same excuses before, you're right.

When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said 'slow down, it's too early, things aren't bad enough.'"

When this body was on the verge of guaranteeing equal civil rights to everyone regardless of the color of their skin, some senators resorted to the same filibuster threats that we hear today."

Its that old and tired tactic that liberals can't get enough of: "If you do not agree with us, you are racist."

They play it more often than WNEW used to play "Stairway to Heaven."

Lets put aside the fact that Harry is just flat out wrong on history (Lincoln was a Republican, the Southern block of Senators who filibustered civil rights legislation were all Democrats, etc.).

Lets also put aside the fact that the party that endorses racial preferences is the Democratic Party.

Lets put aside the fact that the party who endlessly lectures us on the importance of diversity filibustered and denied the nomination of Miguel Estrada to the federal bench.

Lets also put aside the fact that liberals in the Senate sing endless praises for Robert Byrd, their former majority leader and the current Senior Senator from West Virginia who just happened to be a former member of the KKK. (I guess liberals explain that one away as a "youthful indiscretion". I guess that youthful indiscretion extended to when after Martin Luther King was assassinated when Byrd gave a speech on the Senate floor blaming King for his own death. Byrd was 51 years old at the time. By the way, if I googled the phrase "Liberals politicians praise Robert Byrd" my computer would explode from the amount of hits.)

If we put all of that truth aside, it seems that Reid and his fellow liberal legislators actually believe that the rights Americans have under the U.S. Constitution (free speech, religion, the right to bear arms etc. (I put that one in there to drive liberals batty) extends to socialized medicine.

To people like Reid, they think Patrick Henry actually said "Give me a government subsidized colonoscopy or give me death!"

To people like Reid, Harriet Tubman ran the underground railroad to help black women get government sponsored mammograms.

Most people know better.

I hope.

Eric Holder Is No Broken Clock

The guy who came up with the saying "Even a broken clock is right two times a day" never would have come up with that phrase if Eric Holder was Attorney General at the time.

The latest: ACORN

After the massive abuses/corruption in ACORN was uncovered, Congress passed and Obama signed a law disallowing federal funds to be distributed to ACORN.

So far so good, right?

But the legal lightweights in the Holder Justice Department have taken the position that the feds should continue to pay ACORN for existing contracts between the federal government and ACORN.

Let's get this straight. The feds enter into a contract with ACORN. The feds pay ACORN taxpayer dollars, and in return ACORN provides services. Just like any other contract.

OK, unless the services that the federal government asked ACORN to perform included signing up massive amounts of illegal aliens to the voter rolls, engaging in tax fraud, and providing advice to a couple on how to evade taxes and receive federal benefits from their child prostitute business, (ROLL THE TAPE) it seems to me that ACORN has breached the contract it has with the federal government.

And accordingly, the federal government is under no legal obligation to continue to give ACORN our tax dollars.

Think of it like this: If you hire someone to paint your house, and he comes back to you and says "I provided advice to your neighbor on his child prostitute business" and your house remains unpainted, DO U THINK YOU SHOULD PAY HIM?

Of course not.

Not only is the federal government under no obligation to continue to pay ACORN, it should sue it to get back monies already paid.

As well as launch a criminal investigation into ACORN activities.

But we have Eric Holder as AG.

And under his leadership, the Justice Department has become a rubber stamp/facilitator for all ultra-liberal causes.

The Justice Department is supposed to enforce existing laws.

There was no existing law that compelled KSM to receive a federal trial in lower Manhattan.

And there is no legal justification for providing ACORN with taxpayer dollars.

And there was no legal justification for giving a fugitive from justice (Marc Rich) a pardon while the guy was still on the lam.

Whenever I come across a broken clock, I will shake my head and think of Eric Holder

A Nice Win

"It's the biggest play of my career," Jacobs said of taking a short pass from Eli Manning and going 74 yards for a touchdown that put the Giants in front to stay. "It's extra special against Dallas. That's absolutely a team I can't stand. I've been hating Dallas ever since I knew anything about football."

Criticize Brandon Jacobs all you want, but with his statement above, the man was born to wear a NY Giant uniform.

Giant fans hate the Cowboys more than any other team. No other team comes close. The root cause: Giant fans see so many Cowboy fans in the tri state area and see them as sports traitors. Its the whole "root for the home team" thing.

So to beat the Cowboys is always fun for Giant fans. (And it has happened twice this year.)

Did the Giants play great? Hardly.

They let Romo-Witten play catch far too much.

But the run defense was solid, turning Marion Barber into the Washington DC Mayor I always confuse him with, as well as manhandling Felix Jones.

Big plays by Kiwi, Osi, Smith, Jacobs & Hixon made the difference.

Survive and advance, Jim Valvano used to say.

Giants-Eagles next Sunday night.

Stoop Renovation

A man walks down the street
He says why am I soft in the middle now
Why am I soft in the middle
The rest of my life is so hard -Paul Simon- "You Can Call Me Al"

Baldman will be undergoing minor surgery this morning. Years from now, I will tell my grandchildren that I lived in an America where the people got to choose their own doctors and surgeons, and they will look at me as if I had full blown Alzheimer's.

By the way, do you know where that phrase "Simon says" comes from? It comes from the fact that Art Garfunkel has no talent, and Paul Simon had to tell him what to do.

The Obama Math: Addition Followed By Subtraction Which Leads To Division

Remember the Naked Gun Movies? They were hilarious, with waves of jokes. Lots of wit and dry humor. The movies were based on a short-lived television show called "Police Squad."

Watching the President's speech at West Point last night reminded me of this old line from Police Squad:

Lieutentant Drebin: We are not going to stop until we solve this crime. OK, lets go get some lunch.

Talk about a mixed message: the President is committing 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, yet he tells us at the same time they will begin leaving in July 2011?

The President calls Afghanistan a war of necessity, and claims that his resolve is unwavering, yet he starts making withdrawal plans on the day he increases troop levels?

Chastity Bono has a better sense of identity than Barack Obama.

Putting Obama in charge of a war is like making Shaquille O'Neal play point guard or Tony Randall play Oscar- there's no natural fit there.

Imagine Lincoln at Gettysburg saying the following: "We need to insure that those who died here did not do so in vain. We will fight until the end. Accordingly, I resolve to draft 100,000 more men into the army. And, oh yeah, I will begin sending troops home in May 1864."

What if Tom Coughlin told Bill Belichick prior to the Super Bowl: "We will blitz Brady with everything we have, but beginning in the second quarter, we will stop blitzing."

Does Obama think that the Taliban cannot interpret English? Why else would he tell the enemy exactly when we will begin leaving?

Have you ever heard of anyone telling your enemy your exit strategy while maintaining with a straight face that you are committed to fighting a war?

This is a classic example of Obama trying to be all things to all people.

By increasing the troop levels, he is appealing to lets call it the "Merry Christmas" crowd. By announcing withdrawal dates, he gains points with the "Happy Holidays" cabal.

I am surprised that Obama did not split the baby further:

"I am sending in 30,000 additional troops. 15,000 will be used to kill & capture the enemy. The other 15,000 will give out Korans, prayer mats, and humanitarian aid. And all wounded enemy combatants will be eligible for free health care under the public option."

By the way, notice the withdrawal date- July, 2011. Just in time to shore up the Happy Holidays base for his 2012 campaign. Dates will tell you a lot- if passed, the Socialist Health Care proposal will not take effect until 2013, one year after Obama's reelection campaign, which does not allow the people to judge Obama at the ballot box on the actual implementation of socialized medicine.

Clearly, we have a President who has no idea on what to do in Afghanistan.

By trying to be all things to all people, he is in reality being nothing for nobody.

Won't Get Fooled Again

I have to admit, I was a believer. I bought into it. I was fooled by the cool sunglasses, the walkie talkies, and the ear piece thingy. I believed they were competent. And I was wrong.

I'm talking about the Secret Service. The secret is out. And the secret was a lie.

How in the world can two uninvited, unlisted, unknown people stroll right into the White House and get FACE to FACE with the President of the United States?

Jesus & Mary, help us all. Who knew breaking into the White House was as easy as an illegal alien crossing the Mexican border? (My bad, for liberals on the Stoop, please think the words "undocumented persons" whenever you see the words "illegal alien". Don't want to upset you. And happy holidays to you as well.)

Great Dennis Miller joke: Borders Book Store has better security than our borders.

You see the Secret Service tried to play it down by saying that they were checked for weapons, so no harm could have occurred?

Please. You don't need a conventional weapon to be a danger to the President. What if they picked up a lamp and bashed the President's head? What if they went Tyson and bit his ear off? Hit him with a Chinese star? Punched him in the throat like Gerry Cooney did to Ken Norton in the Garden? Head-butted him, like John Starks did to Reggie Miller? The possibilities for violence are endless, and for the Secret Service to shrug it off speaks to their incompetency.

Here is what should happen:

1) The Secret Service should be replaced by the people who provided security to Led Zeppelin in the 70's. Those bastards were ruthless, and no one got close to Page/Plant unless they had prior clearance.

2) This couple should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Lying to a federal official, etc.

3) After they pay their debt to society, they should be hired as security consultants by the federal government. I'm serious. The government needs more creative types within its ranks, the motivated criminal minded people who might be able to tell where the next scam/scheme is coming from.

The Dead Weight

I watched the first hour of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert last night and it reminded me of how much I like Paul Simon-and how much I don't like Art Garfunkel.

So Paul Simon came out and did a couple of his solo songs, which were great. Then he introduced Dion and Little Anthony & the Imperials, which were both awesome.

And then, he comes out. With no introduction, like he is Joe Guy. Sporting the same white guy fro that he has had since LBJ was president. Wearing a pajama top, and dirty hippie jeans.

Art Garfunkel. And the elevator music portion of the show began.

The Simon & Garfunkel songs all sound the same to me, pedestrian folk tunes with no drums.

And Garfunkel brings nothing to the table. What took Simon so long to get rid of this dead weight?

Think about it: Simon wrote all the songs, and played guitar. All Garfunkel did was sing along to the words and music provided to him by Simon.

Talk about riding the gravy train.

And his singing sucks. Remember that scene in Animal House during the Toga Party when that guy sang in the stairwell "I gave my love a cherry" and Belushi walked by and grabbed the guy's guitar and just smashed it to pieces?

That guy represents Art Garfunkel to me. They should have gotten Garfunkel to play that role. Why not? It can't be because he was to busy. I mean, what has the guy done in the last 40 years since Paul Simon dumped him?

Is he still working on his album?

Once Simon got rid of that dead weight, he started making songs like "Me & Julio" and "Late in the Evening" music that was rhythmic and bouncy and interesting.

I read somewhere that Garfunkel used to bust Simon's balls, and say things like "I don't want to sing that" or "this song should be placed 2nd on the album, not third".

Talk about a guy who totally misread his position in life.

The guy who plays the triangle in "Earth Wind & Fire" brings more to the creativity table than Art Garfunkel ever has.

So once he came out, I shut it off.

After a hard nights work, Artie can now go back to what he has been doing for the last 40 years-cashing "Scarborough Fair" checks.

Quote of the Day

"You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot further the brotherhood of many by encouraging class hatred. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves."
- Abraham Lincoln

"I'm Done. Done."

Did you see that Bob Sheppard has announced that he is retiring as the Yankee public address announcer? I wonder, did he make his retirement announcement over the Yankee public address system in the third Yankee Stadium? How cool would it have been to hear that:

"I announce that I quit. I quit".

Talk about things that are past due- the guy is going to be 100 years old next year! That means he has been cashing social security checks since Mickey Mantle was playing.

The guy is so old, he got his last name from his previous occupation.

When Sheppard first started announcing, the PA system wasn't even invented yet. He would open the press box window and yell at the top of his lungs.

Imagine the poor bastard who was Sheppard's backup? Every winter he probably thought, "I'm finally gonna get the job".

That guy probably died years ago.

Bob Sheppard held on to his job for so long, he makes Cal Ripken look lazy.

I tell you, Sheppard was either the most dedicated person who ever lived or outright crazy.

Think about it: Say your 90 years old. Are you gonna travel to the Bronx for ANY REASON WHATSOEVER? And after commuting to the Bronx, you have to work? And since baseball has no clock, you never know when the workday is finished- who would do that?

It Can't Do It

If you think that the same government that lets uninvited strangers get by checkpoints and into the White House to attend State Dinners ("Table For Two For The Bin Ladens"), the same government that knew that Major Hassan gave PowerPoint lectures on how awesome suicide bombing is, the same government that has for GENERATIONS failed to educate American children through the public education system, that same government that is the only bookie to declare bankruptcy via the NY OTB, if you really think that same government can deliver health care to all -then you have a faith that in government that is delusional.

Your Average Commute

It was five years ago yesterday. The day before Thanksgiving. They say its the biggest commuting day of the year, and by the looks of the enormous crowd at Grand Central Station that early morning, you wouldn't get an argument from me.

I was on my way to work in Westchester, in the reverse commute from hell: Brooklyn to White Plains.

I went to buy the newspapers and my train ticket fell to the ground. While bending down to pick the ticket up, I heard the unmistakable sound that could mean only one thing: the back of my pants ripped.

Not only did it rip, but it ripped in such a unique way that it looked like I was purposely wearing pants with the ass cut out-like the ass-less pants Prince wore in a video.

I learned that when your pants rip to make your ass hang out on the biggest travel day of the year in the biggest train station in the world- it makes a man immediately consider all available options. It concentrates the mind.

Could I tie my jacket around my waist to hide it? No. Because Baldman has a rule that he does not wear coats/jackets unless it is below freezing. It was about 40 degrees. Please note that Baldman is the only one who follows this rule. So on this day, he was the only one in Grand Central with no jacket and no ass within the pants.

Could I go buy a new pair of pants? No. It was too early in the morning, stores were not open, and I was not about to walk around the city with my ass flappin in the wind.

The only option that made sense was to call it a day and just go home.

But even that had its perils.

It was still rush hour, and who the f **k wants to get on a packed train with ass-less pants?

So the plan was hatched : get on the 4 train, stand with my ass-less pants ass against the door, and get to Brooklyn ASAP.

For the diversity lover in you:

1) I was the only white person on that 4 train;

2) I was the only person with his ass exposed on that 4 train.

Now my plan to stay standing against the door worked until we got to a stop where a ton of people got on, and the mass of humanity shoved me to the middle of the car.

So I had to steel myself for the inevitable: laughter, cat calls etc.

I was ready. Now, I had long been a proponent that the best defense is an offense.

And it worked on that day like a charm.

Right in the middle of that subway car, a man said to me: " You know, your pants are ripped, right?"

I immediately fired back at the guy:

"Two things. One, you think I don't know that? And two, WHAT THE F**K ARE YOU DOING LOOKING AT MY ASS!"

All of a sudden, the guy looked more embarrassed than me, by accusing him of staring at my ass-less pants in front of a packed rush hour train, it brought him more shame than he could possibly bear.

So he slinked away and melted back into the crowd.

And I made it home and threw the ass-less pants in the garbage.

Happy Thanksgiving.

A Nightmare And A Dream

"Dean Meminger was quicker than the 11:15 Mass at a seaside resort."- Al McGuire

The Stoop was saddened to read that Dean Meminger was in critical condition after a fire broke out in his Bronx apartment. Apparently, crack pipes found by Dean's bed may have played a part in starting the fire.

What a shame.

Dean has been battling drug addiction for over 30 years.

He had it all. And squandered it. What a sad thing to see.

Dean was a basketball prince of New York City. He was a city kid who starred at Rice High School. He went on to have a legendary college basketball career with McGuire's Marquette University.

After that, he was a number one draft pick of his hometown Knicks, and was a member of the 1973 NBA champion Knicks.

The Knicks couldn't have won it in '73 without Dean.

Here's the deal; The Knicks played the Celtics in the 1973 Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics were 68-14, and had the best record in basketball.

The Celtics had Cowens. And Havlicek. And Jo Jo White.

It came down to a game seven. In Boston Garden. From the opposing team point of view, the last place you wanted to play a game seven was in Boston Garden.

Why? Because the Celtics never lost a game seven on their court. Ever. You gotta remember, in 1973, the NBA was less than 30 years old, and the Celtics had won almost half of the league championships.

But all bad things must come to an end, and the '73 Knicks became the first team to beat the Celtics in a game seven in Boston.

And what did Dean do in that game? He shut down the previously unstoppable Jo Jo White. He also had 13 points and six rebounds off of the bench.

''Dean went out and shut Jo Jo down and we won that game,'' Phil Jackson recalled. ''It was a signature performance in our history.''

Dean's NBA career was finished by 1977, and I remember he coached the Albany team in the old CBA, and he also coached Manhattanville College a couple of years ago. He got the Manhattanville job through a recommendation from his good friend -Earl Monroe.

But the drugs always got in the way with Dean.

Its amazing when you look at the post-championship lives of the 12 men who were the 1973 NBA Champion Knicks.

On the positive side, you have examples like Bill Bradley, who was a three term U.S. Senator and ran for President, Dick Barnett, who received his doctorate, legendary icons like Clyde & Pearl, a 10 time NBA champion coach in Phil Jackson.

On the other side of the ledger you have Dean & Hawthorne Wingo, who has also led a very sad post '73 life.

From the Presidency to the pipe.

Dean Meminger knows what it feels like to be a champion in his hometown of NYC.

He also knows what it feels like to be a crack addict.

You ever hear the Marvin Gaye song "Flying High In The Friendly Sky"? Its a song where Marvin reveals his addiction to cocaine:

Flying high in the friendly sky
Flying high without ever leavin' the ground, no
Rest of the folks are tired and weary
Oh Lord, and have laid their bodies down.
I go the place where danger awaits me
and it's bound to forsake me.

If you play that song while watching highlights of Dean Meminger, you will capture everything that is great and sad about the first guard off the bench for the '73 Knicks- Dean "The Dream" Meminger.

Making A Kid Happy

I have a friend who wants to take his son to an NFL game. However, the son is under the impression that just like in baseball a fan can catch a foul ball, in football a fan catch a football.

And the father wants to let the kid down gently, by telling him that in football, for the most part, fans don't get a football that's thrown into the stands.

I told him that is nonsense. And gave him a sure-fire way to have his kid catch a football in the stands.

Here's how: You take the kid to the next Jet home game. You make the kid wear the opposing team's jersey. Whenever Mark Sanchez drops back to pass, you have the kid stand up and yell "I'm Open!".

If he does that, there's a 50/50 chance that the kid will go home with an NFL used football.

A Worthy Cause

The 9/11 Never Forget Coalition is holding a press conference tomorrow morning where they will announce a December 5, 2009 rally that will protest Eric Holder's reckless decision to try terrorists in lower Manhattan.

Congressman Peter King, for my money the best anti-terrorist person we have in the Congress will be there. 9/11 families will be there. Andy McCarthy, who prosecuted the terrorists who bombed the Trade Center in 1993 will be there.

The Coalition Message:

New Yorkers to Attorney General Holder:

"We Will Fight You All The Way!"

For more details click here.

Back to Holder. The distinction he has made in deciding to try some enemy combatants in civil court and others in a military tribunal is that the target of the attack determines the type of trial the defendant will receive.

Thus, those who attacked the U.S. Cole, will get a military tribunal. Conversely, the Trade Center thugs get a full civil trial, with all its bells & whistles, because they attacked a domestic target.

That is Holder's argument/rationale.

But that argument holds less water than a man with no kidneys.

Here's why- KSM is the architect of the 9/11 attack. That attack included the Pentagon. Last time I checked, (and admittedly it may have changed under Obama) THE PENTAGON IS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE UNITED STATES DEFENSE DEPARTMENT.

Since KSM attacked a military target, using Holder logic, why the hell is he receiving a civilian trial?

The answer: There is no logic, no legal rationale, and no precedent for giving KSM a civil trial.

It's purely a political decision made by the President designed to shed light on the CIA, the Army, and all things Bush/Cheney.

Holder has called this the trial of the century.

Remember, the trial of the last century was OJ's.

In the upcoming KSM trial, Holder & his ACLU brethren want to turn the CIA into Mark Fuhrman.

Here's hoping that protests like the 9/11 Never Forgets Coalition will hold will make a difference.

Finally

Did you see the story below over the weekend?

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

Bishop Tobin has taken a logical step that many other Catholic Church leaders should have done long ago.

We here on the Stoop always wondered how Catholic politicians could write laws or vote for legislation that promoted/endorsed/legalized abortion, and yet remain in good standing with the church.

It would be like during the 1960's, a member of Martin Luther King's church publicly advocating on behalf of segregation.

In both instances, the social justice concerns of the church (abortion/segregation) are incompatible with the individuals beliefs.

Bishop Tobin has told Patrick Kennedy that he should reconsider his membership in the Catholic church.

Tobin's advice makes perfect sense.

If I joined a gym because I wanted to play basketball, and I found out the gym has no basketball court, why would I stay a member?

Would it makes sense to sit and pout and tell the gym owners that I want them to install a basketball court? Or should I just walk across the street to another gym that meets my needs?

Patrick Kennedy wants the Catholic Church to adopt the Kennedy ideas of morality where abortion on demand is legal and just and the taxpayer pays for the "procedure".

I got news for you: it ain't happening.

The Catholic church may have its problems, but making Patrick Kennedy's views on abortion church dogma makes as much sense as accepting an offer from Patrick's dad to drive you over a bridge.

So a salute to Bishop Tobin for his common sense clarity when it comes to Catholic politicians.

Happy Birthday

It was the last of the major public works projects that is part of Robert Moses' incomparable resume. At the time it was built, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. It took a mere five years to build, and was opened on November 21, 1964.

Of course, I am talking about the Verrazano Bridge, which turned 45 yesterday.

Think of how pathetic we are now when we have all the advantages of modern technology, and yet we can't build anything. Ever.

The Trade Center- still a hole in the ground-is a travesty.

If you ever think that our society is always moving forward, just remember, everything you see was built by previous generations, and we have dropped the ball when it comes to public works.

Give Us The List & Let's Check It Twice

So little of relevant news actually makes it onto the television/print media that the Internet is a Godsend that gives us the ability to focus on such issues. Thank you, Mr. Gore, for inventing the Internet.

One such story slipped through this week. Did you know that the U.S. Justice Department has a whole bunch of lawyers that work there now, however, prior to joining the Obama/Holder DOJ, they acted as defense counsel FOR TERRORISTS HELD @ GITMO?

Did you know that Holder's prior firm defended 18 such terrorists?

Did you know that Senator Casserly asked Holder during his testimony on the Hill to PROVIDE THE LIST OF DOJ LAWYERS THAT HAVE BEEN RECUSED FROM THE 9/11 CASES BECAUSE THEY PREVIOUSLY REPRESENTED GITMO TERRORISTS?

Did you know that Holder did not commit to providing such a list? He just said that he would consider the request?

Did you know that Holder hemed and hawed in responding to the question saying he could not commit to providing the list because of "attorney-client privilege" considerations?

Did you know that his response was so legally off base, that it would be laughable except for the fact that the Attorney General of the United States does not seem to know that THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE SHIELDS COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE ATTORNEY AND CLIENT FROM BEING REVEALED, AND THAT THE NAME OF THE LAWYER IS NOT A COMMUNICATION AND THEREFORE NOT COVERED BY THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE?

DID YOU KNOW THAT JOE PESCI'S CHARACTER IN MY COUSIN VINNY HAD A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE THAN ERIC HOLDER DOES?

Don't you think the American people deserve to know what lawyers in the justice department acted as counsel for accused terrorists?

Let's close with something that Senator Kyl entered into the record during Holder's testimony.

Here is the partial transcript:


SEN. KYL: Let me just close with this point. You said — and this really bothers me, Mr. Attorney General, with all due respect — "For eight years, justice has been delayed for the victims of the 9/11 attacks." I want to put in the record, Mr. Chairman — ask unanimous consent to insert in the record an article called "Justice Delayed" by Andrew McCarthy.

SEN. LEAHY: Without objection.

SEN. KYL: And I'll just quote two paragraphs from this.

"This is chutzpah writ large," he writes. "The principal reason there were so few military trials is the tireless campaign conducted by leftist lawyers to derail military tribunals by challenge (sic/challenging) them in the courts. Many of those lawyers are now working for the Obama Justice Department. That includes Holder, whose firm, Covington & Burling, volunteered its services" —

ATTY GEN. HOLDER: Hah!

SEN. KYL: — "to at least 18 of America's enemies in lawsuits they brought against the American people."

And it concludes, "Within two years, KSM and four fellow war criminals stood ready to plead guilty and proceed to execution. But then the Obama administration blew into Washington. Want to talk about delay? Obama shut down the commission, despite the jihadists' efforts to conclude it by pleading guilty. Obama's team permitted no movement of (sic/on) the case for 11 months, and now has torpedoed a perfectly valid commission case — despite keeping the commission system for other cases — so that we can instead endure an incredibly expensive and burdensome civil (sic/civilian) trial that will take years to complete."

Shut em down

Below is the first paragraph from a New York Times story from earlier this week:

Teachers at W.H. Maxwell Career and Technical Education High School in Brooklyn were among those at 23 high schools citywide awarded a total of $3.5 million in performance bonuses on Thursday, even though the school received a D on its progress report earlier this week.

They got a D for their overall performance. And they get bonuses? What do they get for a "C", a mansion? Talk about rewarding failure. And speaking of failure, only one high school received an F on its report card. Does anyone in their right mind honestly think that only one high school should be deemed a failure in New York City?

Here is the rationale for giving bonuses for getting a D:

“Maybe a school didn’t go from a D to a C, or stayed at a C, but it’s still making progress,” said Ann Forte, a department spokeswoman, defending both the report cards and the awards program.

The monthly statements that Bernie Madoff mailed to his clients were more credible than the New York City High School report cards.

Tenure for life, no real way to fire incompetent teachers, salaries that have gone up 40% over the last four years, and now bonuses that reward failure.

Oh, and don't forget holidays off for days like "Brooklyn-Queens Day."

What a system.

What a failure.

Jayson & Gus

According to news reports, Jayson Williams is expected to accept a criminal plea for the shooting of Gus the limo driver. The plea includes three years in jail.

Methinks Jayson's lawyer dropped the ball. Forensics experts testified that Gus was shot from 8 feet away. As anyone who ever watched Jayson Williams play basketball can attest, Jayson's shooting range consisted of about 5 feet.

On a serious note, the killing of Gus the limo driver is an instructive example of the "good Jayson" " bad Jayson" that have been at war with each other for far too long.

The good Jayson is a man who people love to be around. He is funny, quick witted, charitable, generous to a fault- a poster boy for all that is right about the modern athlete. The good Jayson knew how fortunate he was, and acted accordingly.

The bad Jayson has a history of violence that is chilling. Bar fights, assault charges and crazy gun related incidents are all part of the bad Jayson box score.

The good and the bad that make up Jayson Williams collided the night he met Gus the limo driver. And the bad Jayson won.

Jayson hired Gus, like any other customer. Jayson eventually hooked up with some friends who were on the Harlem Globetrotters, and they went out for a night of partying.

The good Jayson included Gus into the party. Cause that's the kind of guy he is. When the party moved to Jayson's mansion in Jersey, did he leave Gus outside in the limo, as the hired help?

Of course not. The good Jayson invited Gus into his home.

And that is where the bad Jayson tragically takes over.

Whether it was a prank, a mistake or on purpose, we will never know for sure.

But at some point, Jayson had a shotgun and shot Gus in the belly.

And Gus died.

And 8 years later, the criminal case appears to be resolved.

I gotta end with a crazy Jayson story. It perfectly illustrates the duality that exists in this man.

Dwayne Schintzius was a teammate of Jayson's with the Nets.

Here is a transcript of a interview he conducted with a Florida radio station. The prosecution tried to admit this story into evidence, but was blocked by the judge:

I was spending the weekend with Jayson. He had recently suffered a career ending injury, and cashed in his $87 million insurance policy from Lloyds of London. He lived in a 31,000 square foot mansion on 300 acres. It was like a compound. Anyway, one night we are hanging out, and he had this 150 pound rottweiler named Duke. Anyway, Jayson was talking about how tough Duke was, and I bet him $100 that I could drag Duke out the front door by his back legs. The front door was about 15-20 feet away.

Anyway, so he agreed to the bet, and the game was on. Suddenly, Jayson started shouting attack commands to Duke, trying to get him to maul me. I started baby talking Duke, ‘Come on big fella, how are you Duke?’, etc. So Duke lays down on his side for me to scratch his belly, and so I scratch his belly and drag him out the door. I said to Jayson ‘OK now pay up’. Jayson says ‘OK I’ll be right back’ and goes back inside the house and upstairs.

After a minute or two, Jayson comes back down with a double barrel shotgun. Without a word, he pumps a round into Duke’s side and then blows his head off with the next shot. He then reloads, points the shotgun at my head from a foot away and says ‘Schintz, get this ******* dog cleaned up and out of here, or you’re next.’ I said ‘Please Jayson, just don’t kill me.’

His brother and I ended up picking up Duke and taking him to a spot on the property and burying him. Jayson had gone to bed by the time we got back to the house. The next morning I woke up, walked into the kitchen, and there was Jayson wearing a ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron, making pancakes with a big smile on his face, acting like nothing had happened.”

Corrupt Like A Senator

As you may know, former NY State Senate Majority Leader Joesph Bruno is on trial for fraud. There is one fact that has emerged from the trial that should anger any New Yorker.

Every year, Senators must fill out financial disclosure forms that are forwarded to the Senate Ethics Committee. Senators must list their outside business interests/income as well as any conflict of interests that they may have.

Now the State Senators have legal counsel that advise them on how to comply with the requirements.

Here is the fact that makes the blood boil: the lawyers for the Senate advised the Senators to have the completed disclosure forms hand-delivered to the Ethics Committee.

What's the big deal about hand delivering the damn forms?

Well, its huge. Every time the federal government brings a criminal case against a defendant, it has to show WHY IT HAS JURISDICTION OVER THE MATTER.

The feds typically use the fact that for financial crimes, a criminal defendant used the U.S. mail in committing/furthering the crime. It gives the feds the jurisdictional hook they need to bring the case.

Now it the Bruno case, the lawyer who advised the Senate testified that he advised the Senators to hand deliver the financial disclosures specifically because he wanted the feds not to have jurisdiction over the contents of the disclosures.

Think about that: they knew the disclosures were either false or misleading, and didn't want the feds to be able to carve out a case, so they hand delivered the forms instead using a conventional mailbox.

The level of corruption has reached toxic levels when politicians complete conflict of interest forms with the actual intent to avoid federal jurisdiction over the bull**it they admit on the forms.

Rise up, pitchfork brigades.

He Makes Me Miss Janet Reno

Some things have to be seen to believed, and then after seeing it, you still can't believe it. Oprah's boyfriend's, testimony, strike that, my bad, I mean Attorney General Eric Holder's testimony before the Senate below falls into this category. (Video below.) This guy is AG? Watch his response when he is asked prior to KSM, please name any cases where an enemy combatant detained on foreign land received a civil trial. HE DOES NOT KNOW THE ANSWER. (WHICH OF COURSE IS ZERO, IT'S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.) Watch him struggle with the question as to if we capture Bin Laden, would he be entitled to Miranda rights before questioning. This is not a first year law student. (Although to be fair to first year law students, most of them, like the rest of the country, would scratch their heads at Erich Holder's decision to give Marc Rich, a fugitive from justice, a pardon. Please keep the Polanski file away from his desk.) Back to Steadman's, I mean Holder's testimony: As the Chief law enforcement official for this country, how could he not be prepared to answer such basic questions? These questions were softballs tossed underhanded to the AG. Yet, he kept striking out so often, he should have been wearing Ryan Howard's jersey. This guy makes Janet Reno look like Clarence Darrow. Roll the tape:
Lindsey Graham Destroys Eric Holder Lindsey Graham vs. Attorney General Eric Holder
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