President Kennedy – A Final Goodbye

Final Goodbye

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Final Goodbye

President-elect Kennedy and his wife greet well-wishers after attending a Sunday morning mass.

Number 77 in a series of 77 John F. Kennedy cards.

 

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Vikings Lose To Bears 36-30 In OT 12/28/2009

Laying Blame

Welcome Viking fans. You’re just in time to play “The Viking Blame Game. It’s so easy to do, everyone is playing. It’s fun for the entire family. What a minute, you don’t know how to play the Viking Blame Game? Here’s how to play. Use Monday nights loss to the Bears as the playing field, then simply point a finger at who you believe deserves to be blamed for the loss.

Let me start for you, and then you just follow in behind me.
Head coach, Brad Childress. You’re to blame for the loss. (See how easy that is!) (You can score more points if you give a reason why blame is to be had) Childress knew Antoine Winfield was not 100% back from his foot injury, and yet, he allowed him to play. The results of that decision, Winfield got burned repeatedly for long pass plays and several touchdowns including the 40 yard game winner in overtime.

No, Adrian Peterson is to blame. He always fumbles the ball. Just like last night, in overtime, he catches a pass and runs for a first down but right before he gets tackled, the ball is stripped out of his hands, (Arguably the strongest hands in the NFL) and falls to the turf recovered by the Bears. The results, two plays later Cutler throws a 40 yard TD pass covered by Winfield to win the game.

No, Peterson is not to blame. It’s the running back coach. He should have from season one trained Peterson to hold the ball in a more secure fashion. Teach him how to cover it up in traffic and when contact is initiated. He should have reminded him as he was running out to the huddle during overtime that the Bears are going to try to strip him of the ball.

No, you got it all wrong. Ryan Longwell is to blame for the loss. He missed an extra point which would have given the Vikings a 31-30 edge and no overtime. Plus Longwell had one of the worst nights at kickoffs. He never got one past the 20 yard line allowing the returner to give the Bears excellent field position. And on the one kickoff, Longwell didn’t even attempt to tackle the Bear returner.

Placeholder and punter Kluwe is to blame. He botched a simple extra point hold and netted a 15 yard punt allowing the Bears excellent field position.

Although Longwell kicked poorly, he wasn’t to blame. Special teams was to blame. They were lousy last night allowing massive kick return yardage setting up the Bears offense on a short field.

It wasn’t special teams. It was Ben Leber. He’s to blame! He dropped two interceptions thrown right to him that would have turned the game around and stop the Bears from driving and give the Vikings good field position.

If you’re looking to point fingers at who is to blame. It falls squarely on Jasper Brinkley. He got called for a stupid penalty and couldn’t cover the Bears tight end allowing him to score a TD and key first downs.

Well, the blame starts up front. The offensive line. LT McKinnie is playing like he wishes he were in Miami, not at the Super Bowl, but on vacation, soaking up rays on the beach.

And Loadholt, he got that stupid holding penalty nullifying Harvin’s catch and run to the 15 yard line for a first down. Instead, the Vikings punted eliminating a scoring drive. Loadholt is to blame.

Now wait just a darn tootin minute. What about Favre. He fumbled the ball last night. At a critical time. He’s to blame.

Why blame just one player. The entire defensive line played lousy. They only had one sack. The Vikings lead the NFL in sacks and they only got one sack on Cutler.

Don’t forget about Reynaud, punt returner. He let plenty of returnable punts hit the turf and roll off valuable yardage instead of catching and running. He is to blame for the loss.

The referee’s are to blame. They cheated last night. They were holding Sidney Rice on pass plays, roughed Favre, face-masked Peterson, hit Peterson out-of-bounds, and not one of those penalties were called. The ref’s had it out for the Vikings and they controlled the game and they are to blame for the loss.

The announcers jinxed the Vikings last night and they are to blame. They showed a stat that Favre is 0-42 in comebacks when the team is down by 17 points. If they didn’t show that stat, the Vikings would have won.

Zygi Wilf is to blame along with the Minnesota legislature. Wilf should have some how got a new open air stadium completed three years ago so the Vikings would be more prepared playing in cold weather.

I blame Dennis Green because he took a knee in 1998. Shit rolled downhill from then. Toss in Randy Moss and Daunte Culpepper just because.

I blame the economy and president Obama for not bailing the Vikings out offering them tax credit money to build a new stadium. If the banks of America and auto industry can secure billions upon billions of dollars in loans, what’s a paltry 900 million?

The Vikings played themselves right out of the playoff bye week. Instead, the Saints secured home field throughout and now the Vikings do not control their own destiny. They must now beat the Giants and hope the Cowboys beat the Eagles. That’s pathetic. While other teams are peaking, the Vikings have shot their wad and packed it in. Three losses in the last four games. If the Vikings thought Chicago was cold in December, they ain’t gonna like Philadelphia in January. If they even get that far.

Nothing is easy when you are a Viking fan. A few weeks ago we were all thinking home field, bye week, super bowl. Today, very solemn. Visions of how the Jets and Favre collapsed in December last year and how it’s happening to the Vikings this year. Visions of Peterson continuing his fumbling. Childress continuing his Napoleon complex. The Eagles routing the Vikings in last years playoff game.

In effect, the Vikings have no one to blame but themselves. From ownership on down. No one play, or player, or game is to blame.

I think Michael Stipe from R.E.M. sums up the Viking season so far when he sang….

If you could see yourself now, baby
It’s not my fault
You used to be so in control
You’re going to roll right over this one
Just roll me over, let me go
You’re laying blame
Take this as no, no, no

You bang, bang, bang, bang, bang,
Blame, blame, blame
You bang, bang, bang, bang, bang,
It’s not my thing so let it go

If you could see yourself now baby,
The tables have turned
The whole world hinges on your swings
Your secret life of indiscreet discretions
I’d turn the screw and leave the screen,
Don’t point your finger,
You know that’s not my thing

You came to bang, bang, bang, bang, bang,
Blame, blame, blame
You bang, bang, bang, bang, bang,
It’s not my thing so let it go, now

You’ve got a little worry,
I know it all too well,
I’ve got your number,
But so does every kiss-and-tell
Who dares to cross your threshold,
Or happens on your way,
Stop laying blame
You know that’s not my thing

SKOL VIKINGS!

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John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial Record Album – 1963

Ask Not...

Recorded on the evening of JFK’s death, November 22nd, 1963.
This record is narrated by Ed Brown, produced and broadcast by radio station WMCA, New York. The album is a collection of some of the most inspiring speeches including his inaugural address, campaign speeches, to the citizens of Berlin, and of course the Nixon / Kennedy presidential debates.

Ask What...

The back cover of the album are touching eulogies beginning with cardinal Cushing, Speaker McCormack, Chief Justice Warren, and Senator Mansfield. At the top, it highlights that actual speeches including his Inaugural Address, Civil Rights, Cuban Rockets, (Cuban Missile Crisis) Nixon-Kennedy Debate, Alliance For Progress, New Frontier, Berlin Wall, Etc.

All royalties from the sale of this album are being donated to the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation for research on mental retardation.

JFK Vinyl

There were no inside covers, just a standard two sided record jacket. Not even the sleeve had any artwork. Just a standard generic sleeve. The record itself had one track on each side. I believe i have the 2099th record pressed in the run. Etched in the return grooves is the number JFK 2099A3. The B side has JFK 2099B1 etched in the return grooves.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was our 35th president, the first and only Catholic faith president. This one sentence spoken by Kennedy during his Inaugural Address, January 20th, 1961, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” has been etched in the heart and minds of many Americans, young and old. They are very wise words, especially for today.

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Lost Update – Island Of Misfit Toys

Lost Update – Prelude To Season Six – 12/25/2009

It’s Christmas day and instead of dreaming of sugar plums dancing in my head, I’m thinking about season six of ABC Lost. In particularly, how similar Lost is to the 1964 animated Christmas special, Rudolph The Red nosed Reindeer, but more exact, to the Island Of Misfit Toys.

Let me explain…..

Misfit Island

Lost takes place on a mysterious island inhabited by outlandish people where everyone on the island seems to be an outsider, one that doesn’t fit in well within society. Misfit Island is a mysterious secluded island home to misfit toys, toys that just don’t seem to fit in to society.
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Bumbles Bounce

The Lost island is inhabited by a ferocious monster that pops up and terrorizes the inhabitants. They call it the Smoke Monster. There are secrets that certain people know about the monster and are somehow able to control it. Misfit island also has a ferocious monster. They call it The Bumble. And Yukon Cornelius knows that Bumbles bounce and knows how to control it. They ain’t nothing without their choppers.
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Guns On Lost

On Lost, there are plenty of guns on the island. Sawyer has a suitcase of guns. Kate has guns. Jack has guns. The others have guns. The other others have guns. On Misfit island, one of the toys is a gun. A significance that a gun played a prominent character on Misfit island.
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Boat That Don't Float

On the Lost island, there was a freighter that brought the evil others to the island. The boat sank. Also, John Locke sunk the submarine stationed on the island. Desmond’s boat ran aground on the island. All the boats seem to sink on the Lost island. Misfit island also has a boat, and guess what, it doesn’t float either. Coincidence? I think not!
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Misfit Campfire

On Lost, the central point was the camp the castaways gathered around. From the pilot episode when the castaways were around the camp fire and the smoke monster made it’s first appearance, to the others cabins community. Misfit island also had a camp fire site that was the focal point.
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King Moonraiser

Moving on, the Lost island has a mysterious powerful entity that runs the lives of the castaways and the others. People call him Jacob, who lives in the old Egyptian style ruins. on Misfit island, the broken toys are governed by King Moonraiser, a mysterious flying lion that lives in a castle that looks very similar to an Egyptian palace.
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Misfit Castle

This is King Moonraiser and the throne he sits on governing over all the misfit toys. He goes out searching the world every night and brings back toys that have been abandoned and not loved anymore. On Lost, Jacob has also visited people and apparently brought them back to the island. All the people on the island seem to be broken and unloved.
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Dr. Jack Sheppard

Meet Herbie, misfit, dentist. He moonlights making toys in Christmas town. The head elf is always on his case telling him how inadequate he is and that he is not up to standard with all the other elves. On Lost, Herbie is Jack Sheppard. The surgeon is in his fathers domineering shadow. Somehow Jack doesn’t fit in and wants to start fresh.
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Christian Sheppard

Although he doesn’t look anything like Christian Sheppard, the head elf of Christmas town is a lot like him. One can only speculate if the head elf liked to tip a few back during work hours, but we do know he had a change of heart towards Herbie and even opened up to him, just like Christian did with Jack.
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Sawyer - James

On Lost Sawyer is the bad boy and the comic relief of the show. Everyone calls him Sawyer but his real name is James. On Misfit island, Charlie, the “Charlie In The Box” was mistaken for a jack In the Box. Just his mere physical appearance makes him the comic relief.
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Kate Austin

On Lost, Kate is a woman being brought back to justice in handcuffs. She alienated herself from everyone in her life. No one loved her anymore. Misfit island has Dollie, who looks a lot like Kate, and all she wants to be is loved again.
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Hurley

On lost, Hurley, an over weight luckiest unluckiest person on the planet just wanted to get away and have a simple existence. I’m just saying that the pink elephant reminds me of Hurley. A lot!
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Yukon

Misfit island has Yukon Cornelius, prospector, miner, authority figure, and controller of the Bumble. No one knows how he go there but he seems to know the lay of the land. On Lost, John Locke knows how to control the smoke monster, knows the way of the Lost island, and is an authority figure on the island.
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Lost Season Six

So there it is. ABC Lost is about a group of misfits stranded on a deserted island where supernatural things occur. Each character just wants to be loved again and have a normal life. Misfit island is a place inhabited by broken unloved toys governed by a supernatural flying lion. all the toys want is to get off the island and be loved again.
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Merry Christmas Lost Fans.

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