The Inauguration Of Barack Hussein Obama

OK Already! There is a news blackout at the Russell household this weekend. It is three days until the magical moment when the smartest man in America will take the reins of government from the imbecile W. and already the news channels are Barack saturated; well that and the endless reruns of the heroic pilot that saved all the people on USAir by crashing into the Hudson River instead of the World Trade Center. “We are talking now to Jonathan Doe who was in New York when the plane went down.” “Mr. Doe, What did you see?”

“Well I didn’t actually see anything but I heard all the sirens and I said to myself, ‘something big has happened in the big apple today.’”

“Mr. Doe, what color were the ambulances that were seen rushing to the scene?”

“Uh, I didn’t actually see any ambulances, but their sirens had an urgent pitch to them.”

“Thank you Mr. Doe, or can I call you Jonathan?”

Enough! Do you think we would have seen that kind of coverage if Delta Connection flight 4323 crash landed in the Great Salt Lake? I don’t think so. The biggest thing about that crash was that it happened in New York City. Yes the pilot is a genuine hero, as is the flight crew and I am thankful that all passengers lived to take another flight. But I have heard enough and seen enough pictures of the stack of seat cushions used as floatation devices stacked in a corner. One news person gave a 5 minute presentation on how the seat cushions really do float, just like every flight attendant has told us before every flight we take.

But this blog is about the new president. I am totally amazed at what is happening. It is an historic moment. We are about to have our first non-white, non-European, president. I can understand the elation of the people who are going to have a president for the first time that looks like them. It is an amazing thing. It would have been nice to have elected a Black person president who has actually accomplished something besides being black, however.

People have lost their minds over this. On National Public Radio, the radio network owned by the people, just before Christmas a soloist on Garrison Keillor’s show sang her rendition of “In Bleak Midwinter.” In case you don’t know, it is a traditional English Carol about the coming of the Christ child. But in yuletide 2008 Renee Fleming sang these words. “In the bleak midwinter, at the Christmas feast, a family leaves Chicago and travels to the East, for a public mansion in Washington, D.C., in a time of trouble and festivity. All across the nation, sea to shining sea, people watch the passage of that family.” (See National Review, Jan. 26, 2009, p.14)

So now B. Hussein Obama is not just the second coming of FDR and Abraham Lincoln, he is being compared to the first coming of Jesus Christ. I don’t know which to feel worse about. That the American people can be so taken or that BHO is set up for failure. Here we have a new president who has no accomplishments to speak of. Democrats rail at the inexperience of Sarah Palin while ignoring the fact that she has more experience than BHO.

But of course, BHO is much smarter than Sarah Palin, John McCain, and George W. Bush all put together. You know of course how that intelligence is measured. If you agree with the left you are smart. If you are conservative, you must be stupid. Former NY Gov. Mario Cuomo said yesterday on Mike Huckabee’s TV program that BHO was incredibly intelligent. How does he know that? What evidence did he give? Even if he is egghead smart, Henry Kissinger seemed to be mighty intelligent too, but who would have wanted him as president?

God puts kings and presidents in position and our responsibility is to obey them and pray for them. Those two things I will do to the best of my ability. The Bible does not say I have to watch the coronation, uh, I mean inauguration for 5 days straight.

I Am Glad To See 2008 Go—Sportswise

I don’t think it possible to have a worse sports year than 2008. It was an awful year for any team to have me as a fan.

It began in the spring when the Lobo Basketball team, once again, was only futile in any attempt to gain the NCAA tournament. It is sad anyway when you measure success just by getting into a tournament, even if you never have a chance to win. I wonder what it is like to root for a team that has a shot at the final four.

Of course the Jazz stumbled early in the playoffs but my longtime team, the Lakers made the finals, only to lose to the hated Boston Celtics. This year may be different. We must wait and see.

In Baseball, the Yankees got off to a slow start and never sped up. The last year in the House That Ruth Built was the first year in a decade that the Yankees didn’t make the playoffs. At least the Red Sox didn’t go anywhere either.

When fall came around and football started the Lobos got off to a slow start losing their first two before picking up and beating Arizona. After that, it was downhill, losing to both Utah and BYU and congratulating themselves on close games. With a final 4 win season the blow came when head football coach Rocky Long hung it up.

The Broncos, with a mediocre team beset with injury, led their division from week one, only to collapse in the final three games to spend another January at home. Then the unthinkable happened. Another coach bit the dust.

Here is hoping for a better 2009.

Oh! One more. I was home at thanksgiving when my old High School Football team went to the state championship game with an unblemished record. They lost and now hold the record for the school that has lost the state championship game more than any other school. What a record. (They did win once, back in the 1950's)