Super Bowl Sunday--updated

And I will watch the game. Of course. Though there were years there when I avoided the game because of the spectacle and terrible games. Last couple have been watchable--certainly since Green Bay defeated New England. I do tire of the hype, however, and the constant blather. I will avoid as much of the pre-game crap as I can--including the National Anthem. Sorry.

I do look forward to the game. I have work to do this afternoon, and then will sit down to some home-made chili and hope that the game is not a blow-out either way. With all due deference to my good friend Ubub (a lifelong Chicago fan), I will be cheering for Indy. I have been a fan of Mannings for sometime and also Tony Dungy, who I think was not respected enough for the job he did in Tampa.

That and I am still mad about the Super Bowl shuffle. Making us watch McMahon dance was a crime. Why isn't he in Gitmo? Oh, and Ubub also defeated me in our Fantasy Championship game and I hold grudges.

Predictions? Leave them in the comments. I am hopeful that Peyton will score some points early and make this a good game. I am fearful that the swarming Bears defense will score quickly. Let's all hope it is a competitive game and that the commercials are not too annoying.

updatedHall of Fame voting is done and proof that the Hall is full of it. Michael Irvin in, but still no Art Monk? Are you kidding me? That is a damn shame.

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We had a visitor this week who appears to have trolled the blogs looking for people who disagreed with his stance on Carter and Clinton as Southern Baptists. I followed him home and said a few things myself. Feeling feisty lately, I guess. But to be honest, I don't want to be lectured on discernment or morals from someone defending the Southern Baptist Convention. The very same one, as we posted earlier, who gave President Bush an award on Religious Freedom. The same one, who as David Kuo documented, oversaw a sham of a "faith based" initiative that included grant reviewers dismissing anything not Christian. And let's not even talk about Iraq.

Yeah, the Southern Baptists (no offense, Tony, you know we respect you here) have really shown themselves well over the last 8-10 years. So, visitor, I am rather happy that you don't want to "fellowship" with me. I would rather break bread with either former President in a heartbeat.

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Speaking of our idiot president. I really hate saying it that way, but it is so accurate. The same guy who has gotten us into two wars he didn't want to fight correctly, is now using the same PR blitz to prep the country to go after Iran. Oh, I doubt it will be the same method, mostly because the Congress won't rubber stamp a "bomb at will" legislation this time. I suspect a Gulf of Tonkin-esque scene, where Bush comes on the news breathlessly, and in tortured English (bad pun, eh?) informs us that while American sailors were trying to rescue a raft of puppies, evil Iranians shot at them. Or some such bullshit.

One of the Administration's oft used claims is that Iran is fomenting much of the violence in Iraq. As Josh Marshall suggests, that is not clear at all. In fact, much of the violence that our troops face is from Sunni insurgents, not Shia. That means that it isn't Iran, but more likely Saudis who are endangering our troops.

Let's just add that to a list of "inconvenient facts" that our administration has and will continue to ignore.

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More on the immoral pit that has become the GOP. Some are speaking out against the President's claim, and just as he did to Democrats who disagree, he is attacking their loyalty. Joe Scarborough is tired of it, though he seems to think it is only bad when the President questions conservatives on their bona fides. No such outrage when liberals have their loyalty to country or troops questioned? And I emailed Joe just that question.

But Conservatives are turning on this faux president. Even Dick Armey, who I disliked when in office, now admits that the Iraq resolution was a mistake.

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Back to football. The NFL may have overstepped PR-wise by telling a giantmegasixflags church to not charge admission (it was for the food) so that the people could watch the game in the same place they worship. I think it is all rather funny, but can concede that this will look bad for the NFL. Fred, however, has great fun with Family Research Council's Tony Perkins (a braying ass, btw) and his assertion that any alcohol usage is the same as substance abuse:

"Perkins and the FRC are among those supposedly 'conservative' Christians who insist that they, unlike the evil liberals, read the Bible literally. This is an example of how they don't mean 'literally' literally.

Thus wherever the word 'wine' appears in the Bible -- which is a lot -- these folks read it as 'grape juice.' But then they get to a passage like Ephesians 5:18, 'Do not get drunk on wine,' and suddenly decide that the same exact word they have insisted should not be read as 'wine' now means 'wine' after all.

There are a lot of words that might be used to describe this kind of culture-conformed eisegesis, but 'literal' is not one of them. Neither is 'conservative.'"

I must say I enjoy all the discussions about literalism.

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Finally some humor, dark as it is. Bob Geiger has a good list of editorial cartoons. My favorites are the ones with Cheney claiming privacy about his gay daughter while his party claims the right to pursue other gay people.

Have a good day.