Marquette v. Syracuse

Early game! Perfect!

No Holy Saturday/Easter scheduling conflicts!

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

[T]he third-seeded Golden Eagles and Orange will meet again this season with a Final Four appearance at stake. The game will start at 3:30 p.m. CT and be aired by CBS.

This should read "the Warriors and Orangemen will meet again...."

Alas, those days are over.

We're left with Golden Eagles and Orange.

It could be worse I suppose. It could have been "the Gold and Orange will meet again...."

So lame. Still really bugs me when I think about it.

"We will be Warriors forever."

--BO ELLIS

Good Friday

Jn 18:1—19:42

Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley
to where there was a garden,
into which he and his disciples entered.
Judas his betrayer also knew the place,
because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.
So Judas got a band of soldiers and guards
from the chief priests and the Pharisees
and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him,
went out and said to them, “Whom are you looking for?”
They answered him, “Jesus the Nazorean.”
He said to them, “I AM.”
Judas his betrayer was also with them.
When he said to them, “I AM, “
they turned away and fell to the ground.
So he again asked them,
“Whom are you looking for?”
They said, “Jesus the Nazorean.”
Jesus answered,
“I told you that I AM.
So if you are looking for me, let these men go.”
This was to fulfill what he had said,
“I have not lost any of those you gave me.”
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it,
struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear.
The slave’s name was Malchus.
Jesus said to Peter,
“Put your sword into its scabbard.
Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?”

So the band of soldiers, the tribune, and the Jewish guards seized Jesus,
bound him, and brought him to Annas first.
He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas,
who was high priest that year.
It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews
that it was better that one man should die rather than the people.

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus.
Now the other disciple was known to the high priest,
and he entered the courtyard of the high priest with Jesus.
But Peter stood at the gate outside.
So the other disciple, the acquaintance of the high priest,
went out and spoke to the gatekeeper and brought Peter in.
Then the maid who was the gatekeeper said to Peter,
“You are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?”
He said, “I am not.”
Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire
that they had made, because it was cold,
and were warming themselves.
Peter was also standing there keeping warm.

The high priest questioned Jesus
about his disciples and about his doctrine.
Jesus answered him,
“I have spoken publicly to the world.
I have always taught in a synagogue
or in the temple area where all the Jews gather,
and in secret I have said nothing. Why ask me?
Ask those who heard me what I said to them.
They know what I said.”
When he had said this,
one of the temple guards standing there struck Jesus and said,
“Is this the way you answer the high priest?”
Jesus answered him,
“If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong;
but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?”
Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Now Simon Peter was standing there keeping warm.
And they said to him,
“You are not one of his disciples, are you?”
He denied it and said,
“I am not.”
One of the slaves of the high priest,
a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said,
“Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?”
Again Peter denied it.
And immediately the cock crowed.

Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium.
It was morning.
And they themselves did not enter the praetorium,
in order not to be defiled so that they could eat the Passover.
So Pilate came out to them and said,
“What charge do you bring against this man?”
They answered and said to him,
“If he were not a criminal,
we would not have handed him over to you.”
At this, Pilate said to them,
“Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law.”
The Jews answered him,
“We do not have the right to execute anyone, “
in order that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled
that he said indicating the kind of death he would die.
So Pilate went back into the praetorium
and summoned Jesus and said to him,
“Are you the King of the Jews?”
Jesus answered,
“Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?”
Pilate answered,
“I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?”
Jesus answered,
“My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here.”
So Pilate said to him,
“Then you are a king?”
Jesus answered,
“You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

When he had said this,
he again went out to the Jews and said to them,
“I find no guilt in him.
But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at Passover.
Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
They cried out again,
“Not this one but Barabbas!”
Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged.
And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head,
and clothed him in a purple cloak,
and they came to him and said,
“Hail, King of the Jews!”
And they struck him repeatedly.
Once more Pilate went out and said to them,
“Look, I am bringing him out to you,
so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.”
So Jesus came out,
wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak.
And he said to them, “Behold, the man!”
When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out,
“Crucify him, crucify him!”
Pilate said to them,
“Take him yourselves and crucify him.
I find no guilt in him.”
The Jews answered,
“We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die,
because he made himself the Son of God.”
Now when Pilate heard this statement,
he became even more afraid,
and went back into the praetorium and said to Jesus,
“Where are you from?”
Jesus did not answer him.
So Pilate said to him,
“Do you not speak to me?
Do you not know that I have power to release you
and I have power to crucify you?”
Jesus answered him,
“You would have no power over me
if it had not been given to you from above.
For this reason the one who handed me over to you
has the greater sin.”
Consequently, Pilate tried to release him; but the Jews cried out,
“If you release him, you are not a Friend of Caesar.
Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”

When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out
and seated him on the judge’s bench
in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon.
And he said to the Jews,
“Behold, your king!”
They cried out,
“Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!”
Pilate said to them,
“Shall I crucify your king?”
The chief priests answered,
“We have no king but Caesar.”
Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus, and, carrying the cross himself,
he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull,
in Hebrew, Golgotha.
There they crucified him, and with him two others,
one on either side, with Jesus in the middle.
Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross.
It read,
“Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.”
Now many of the Jews read this inscription,
because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city;
and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.
So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate,
“Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’
but that he said, ‘I am the King of the Jews’.”
Pilate answered,
“What I have written, I have written.”

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus,
they took his clothes and divided them into four shares,
a share for each soldier.
They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless,
woven in one piece from the top down.
So they said to one another,
“Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be, “
in order that the passage of Scripture might be fulfilled that says:
They divided my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
This is what the soldiers did.
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

After this, aware that everything was now finished,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Jesus said, “I thirst.”
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
“It is finished.”
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

Now since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and that they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately blood and water flowed out.
An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;
he knows that he is speaking the truth,
so that you also may come to believe.
For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:
Not a bone of it will be broken.
And again another passage says:
They will look upon him whom they have pierced.

After this, Joseph of Arimathea,
secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews,
asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus.
And Pilate permitted it.
So he came and took his body.
Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night,
also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes
weighing about one hundred pounds.
They took the body of Jesus
and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices,
according to the Jewish burial custom.
Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden,
and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried.
So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day;
for the tomb was close by.

The Chickeneers

An Easter treat from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon:

All-Clucking Version of The Lumineers' "Ho Hey"

(Where's the Easter egg? On the couch. I didn't expect it to be white.)

ObamaCare Increasing Premiums

More lies about ObamaCare from the White House...

Ron Johnson: Victims of Government

From The Daily Caller:

Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson on Tuesday unveiled the first installment of a new project aimed at demonstrating how big government hurts average Americans.

“The root cause of our economic and fiscal problems is the size, the scope, and the cost of government – all the rules, all the regulations, and all the government intrusion into our lives,” Johnson said in a statement.

Johnson is encouraging other Americans to bring him their own stories of government overreach and burdensome regulations.

“Over-regulation consumes massive amounts of the people’s money, too often lacks common sense, has no heart, costs jobs and economic growth,” Johnson added.

Steve's Story



This is your government.

Proud?

I'm not. However, I'm very proud that I helped send Ron Johnson to Washington.

Gay Marriage, the Supreme Court, and the Constitution

Is gay marriage a constitutional matter for the Supreme Court to decide?



Should marriage be redefined by the courts, specifically the Supreme Court?

Mark Levin cites an AP story from earlier this month in which Justice Anthony Kennedy expressed his belief that the Supreme Court is deciding too many issues that should be decided by Congress.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy said Wednesday that congressional lawmakers need to maintain the nation’s balance of power by being able to compromise, expressing concerns that the high court is increasingly the venue for deciding politically charged issues such as gay marriage, health care and immigration.

Kennedy, a former Sacramento law school professor, was asked by reporters whether he thought the court was deciding too many issues that can be decided by Congress.

“I think it’s a serious problem. A democracy should not be dependent for its major decisions on what nine unelected people from a narrow legal background have to say,” Kennedy said. “And I think it’s of tremendous importance for our political system to show the rest of the world — and we have to show ourselves first — that democracy works because we can reach agreement on a principle basis.”

Levin shares his thoughts related to the Supreme Court's role in this case.

MARK LEVIN: Here's a quaint thought. You know, we do have amendment procedures in the United States Constitution. If the overwhelming majority of Americans through their state legislatures believe that the Constitution should actually be amended, not rewritten by this what I call this ongoing Constitutional Convention in Washington, but I mean, actually amended to define marriage as something more than a man and a woman, then why don't they try that?

If Congress believes, if two-thirds of the members of the House and the Senate really believe, they really believe this is a fundamental right, a liberty, then they ought to make their case to each other, because two-thirds of both bodies, the House and the Senate, can propose a constitutional amendment to the states and three-fourths can ratify.

I am tired of our Constitution being amended by the courts, by presidential fiat, by congressional statute. I'm sick and tired of it. You and me, we show fidelity to our Constitution. We talk about our Constitution. We talk about the processes, the history, and this, that, and the rest.

They don't give a damn on the Left. The ends justifies the means. That's it. And if they don't like the outcome of a vote, like on Proposition 8, then they claim it's a constitutional right, or as I have said over the weeks, a civil right. When people out there oppose what the Left is doing, they're said to be pushing wedge issues. When the Left pushes exactly the same issue from a different perspective, it's said to be a civil right.

Bottom line: Levin believes, "If the Supreme Court is faithful to its responsibilities, it will rule no federal jurisdiction, period. No federal jurisdiction. Period."

Interesting.

Leno: 'Take It, Jimmy'

When Jay Leno ends his show, he thanks his guests and then tells viewers to stay tuned for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Leno used to do the same thing when Conan O'Brien followed him.

Now, when Leno signs off, instead of just shouting, "Jimmy," he says, "Take it, Jimmy!"

I don't think that change is a coincidence.

Leno appears ready, almost eager, to end his long affiliation with NBC.

Obama Spring Break: Bahamas Vacation

No White House tours. There's not enough money.

Another vacation for the Obamas, with the taxpayers picking up the Secret Service bill?

No problem.

Sequester? What sequester?

From the Weekly Standard:

In the first three months of the year, members of the first family have been on three vacations, averaging a vacation a month. And now it's being reported that the first daughters are on a spring break vacation in the Bahamas.

The Obamas began the new year in Hawaii. "President Obama departed Hawaii this morning for Washington, after spending NINE days vacationing with family and friends in his native state. Here’s a quick look at how he spent his vacation," ABC reported on January 6, 2013.

"Obama played FIVE rounds of golf with SEVEN different partners, spending roughly THIRTY hours on TWO different courses on Oahu. The president made FIVE early morning trips to the gym at the nearby Marine Base at Kaneohe Bay. The First Family spent TWO afternoons enjoying the beach on the base and went for ONE hike to a local waterfall. The president spent ONE father-daughter afternoon with Malia and Sasha, bowling and going out for shave ice, an annual tradition."

Then the first lady and their daughters vacationed in Aspen over President's Day weekend. "First Lady Michelle Obama arrived in Aspen on Friday afternoon and is here with her daughters for a ski vacation," Aspendailynews.com reported in February.

...While the rest of the family was in Colorado, Obama went to Florida for a golf weekend. "It was not his motivation, certainly, but President Obama is honoring his modern predecessors on this Presidents’ Day weekend by doing what many of them liked to do on breaks: chill out in Florida with the guys — including, in his case, one of golf’s most famous guys, Tiger Woods," the New York Times reported in February.

And now it's being reported that the first daughters are on Spring Break in the Bahamas. "Sasha and Malia Obama are quietly vacationing at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, Breitbart News has learned," a report reads.

The Obamas are most definitely not feeling our pain.

As Breitbart reports, the media are ignoring the Obamas' lavish vacations while they slammed George W. Bush for mountain biking and clearing brush at his ranch.

Obama and his family are jetting around, lifestyles of the rich and famous.

But if your family planned to go to DC for a Spring Break vacation, forget about touring White House.

That's off limits to the little people.

The Obamas appear to think they can do whatever they want and not suffer any criticism whatsoever.

When it comes to the Leftists minions and the government dependents they've created, they're absolutely right.

Tom Wolfgram Ad, the Packers and the NFL

Yesterday, when I was on Tom Wolfgram's campaign website, I saw this ad prominently placed on his home page.



Watch Tom Wolfgram's ad for his reelection bid as Ozaukee County Circuit Court judge. It's titled "Seattle."

We all remember that 2012 game from hell.



I didn't watch the ad yesterday and I haven't seen it on TV, but I noticed the image of the Packers and the NFL refs.

Charlie Sykes mentioned the ad on his radio program this morning and tweeted this:

Ozaukee Judge Tom Wolgram uses photos of Packer-Seahawks game in his TV ad. He Ok's that with the NFL and the Packers right? #copyrightlaw

— Charles Sykes (@SykesCharlie) March 26, 2013

Recall the Russ Feingold ad from his failed U.S. Senate reelection campaign in 2010. He, too, used NFL images. The NFL didn't like it. Read more and watch that ad here.

So Wolfgram, a presiding judge, seems to be dismissing copyright law, unless he received permission from the NFL. That, of course, is highly unlikely. The costs of using NFL images in ads are prohibitive.

Is this yet another fumble by Wolfgram?

Yes, Wolfgram has 18 years of judicial experience but he's doing a lot of things one would expect from someone very inexperienced.

Joe Voiland, Wolfgram's challenger, keeps looking better and better.
_________________

UPDATE:

Packers spokesman said to his knowledge, they were not contacted for permission bit.ly/X9OkeH #WiRight #WiPolitics

— RightWisconsin (@RightWisconsin) March 26, 2013

Jim Carrey and Greg Gutfeld

On The Five Monday, Greg Gutfeld really unleashed on Jim Carrey and his new song, "Cold Dead Hand." Carrey's anti-gun video mocks gun owners and mercilessly targets the late Charlton Heston.

Before releasing the video, Carrey tweeted on Sunday:

'Cold Dead Hand' is abt u heartless motherf%ckers unwilling 2 bend 4 the safety of our kids.Sorry if you're offended by the word safety! ;^}

Carrey is begging for attention.

Watch video of Gutfeld's reaction.

GREG GUTFELD: He is probably the most pathetic tool on the face of the earth, and I hope his career is dead. And I hope he ends up sleeping in a car the way his life began. This video only made me want to go out and buy a gun. He thinks this is biting satire - going after rural America and a dead man.

Let's talk about Charlton Heston. Charlton Heston was one of the first actors to be behind the civil rights movement and march. What did this jackass Jim Carrey do? He was behind the anti-vaccine panic. There's 160,000 people that died from measles last year according to the World Health Organization. Jim Carrey has killed more people than all the rifles combined.

He's a dirty, stinking coward. He's a moral coward that did a video attacking rural America. He wouldn't do a video about gangs, which kills way more people with handguns. He wouldn't do that because he's too worried about his career. He's such a pathetic, sad little freak. He's a gibbering mess. He's a modern bigot. He's a modern bigot. He's a bottomless pit of insecurity, and the desire for acceptance is why he's doing this because he knows in his heart that he's a fraud.

The Charlton Heston thing is the thing. Here was a great man who is dead and cannot defend himself. This little dirtbag, this little nobody...

...He's as edgy as a Frisbee.

...He insulted a bunch of people and then he ran like a little baby. He's such a little, sad freak.

I'd like to hear Carrey's response to this.

He should do a video about gang violence or violent video games or the violent trash produced by Hollywood. If he had a spine he would.

Like Gutfeld, this video, as well as all the other bullying lately over guns, has only served to make me want to get a gun.

Bottom line: Carrey epitomizes the worst of Hollywood Leftists.

Joe Voiland For Judge

Judge Tom Wolfgram chose to toss his political impartiality out and joined the fray to oust Governor Scott Walker. He signed the recall petition, clearly engaging in a very public political act.



Why is this problematic?

Why vote for challenger Joe Voiland?

Voiland explains:

The Separation of Powers is central to our republic. The legislature makes the law. Our judges enforce it.

But here in Wisconsin, we have seen a concerted effort to undermine the Separation of Powers. Time after time, our state court judges have blocked legitimate acts of the Wisconsin Legislature.

Ozaukee County Judge Tom Wolfgram crossed the line into politics and publicly supported the effort to recall Governor Scott Walker.

Judge Wolfgram now claims in the liberal Ozaukee Press that publicly supporting the recall was nothing “political.”

Judge Wolfgram’s claim that the recall was not political is “not just hogwash, it’s transparently misleading hogwash. Petitions in any instance are political acts intended to force a question of some sort on a larger scale. In this case, it’s even more explicitly political, as the petitions want to use the political process to negate an election,” as one writer notes.

I am challenging Judge Wolfgram in the April 2nd Election.

I am thankful that Joe Voiland is challenging Wolfgram, giving Ozaukee County residents a choice.

The incumbent judge has revealed that he has terrible judgment. And then when confronted with the facts and his failure to remain impartial, publicly stating his opposition to Gov. Walker, supporting the recall, Wolfgram came up with excuses that were remarkably poor.

Given how badly Wolfgram has handled the matter, I wonder if those in the old boy network in Ozaukee County publicly endorsing Wolfgram realize that they're taking a risk. Their association with Wolfgram reflects poorly on them.

True, some may have given Wolfgram their endorsement before learning that Judge Wolfgram actually signed the petition to recall Gov. Walker. Have any withdrawn their endorsements? It's something they should consider.

Read Wolfgram's appeal to voters:

Dear Voters & Friends

I am deeply committed to the rule of law, applying it fairly and impartially, treating all participants in the court process with dignity and respect. I recognize each person’s case, at that moment, is the most important case in the court system. When I proudly and humbly took the oath of Office I swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Wisconsin. I appreciate my obligation to apply the laws as they are written not as I or anyone else thinks they should be. I have faithfully adhered to this duty in deciding thousands of cases during my judicial career.

I have owned a home in Cedarburg for 32 years and know that one of the most important functions as a Circuit Court Judge is to keep our community safe. The Police Chiefs of every community in Ozaukee County as well as Ozaukee County’s sheriff have recognized my efforts in this regard and support my re-election as Judge. I will be honored to have your continued support and your vote on April 2nd.

Presiding Judge, Ozaukee County

Tom R. Wolfgram

I don't buy the impartiality stuff.

Wolfgram blew it when he signed that petition.

Without question, Joe Voiland is the better candidate for Ozaukee County Circuit Court judge.

Abortion Hurts

eBay: Jim Carrey Autographed Photo

An autographed 8x10 photo of Jim Carrey is for sale on eBay.

The seller hopes to earn money to buy a gun.

I'm selling this Jim Carrey Autographed B&W 8X10 Photo (mint condition) in hopes that I sell it for enough to buy a GUN to protect my family.

I'm thinking of getting the Glock G30S .45 ACP Pistol which retails for $640 U.S. Hopefully I can get at least that much for the autographed photo. If it sells for more than I'll get a laser sight for it and take some gun safety classes and get my "concealed carry" permit.

I lost all respect for Mr. Carrey after he released his "Cold Dead Hands" video mocking responsible gun owners and Charlton Heston.

I believe in the 2nd Amendment and my rights shall not be infringed! From MY cold dead hands Mr. Carrey!

I'm sure the seller doesn't really expect to get anywhere near $640 for that photo.

The current bid is $20. That reflects Carrey's popularity.

Ted Johnson and the Ugliest Wife in the NFL

Former New England Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson is not a very nice man, and he's not very bright.

From ESPN:

Former New England Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson apologized Friday after saying on a radio show that defensive lineman Vince Wilfork had the ugliest spouse of any of his former teammates.

Johnson, now a radio analyst in Houston, made the initial comment Friday morning on Houston sports radio station KILT. During a lighter segment on the show, Johnson was asked by a caller which of the guys he played with had the ugliest spouse.

"I got it. Yeah, I got it. This is a big, big man," Johnson said. "This guy had his way with the Texans this year. ... He won't hear this -- Vince Wilfork."

What a horrible thing to say!

Furthermore, it was incredibly stupid. "He won't hear this."

How could he think that the cruel statement he made on the radio wouldn't get back to Vince Wilfork?

...Wilfork responded angrily on Twitter on Friday morning, writing an apology to fans in advance to how he would react to the news.

"I do not play when it comes to my family," he wrote.

Shortly after that, he tweeted, in part: "It is f----- up when a x-teammate that I looked up to and enjoyed playing with takes shots at my family. She is my everything. I don't care when this was said no one should cross that line."

Wilfork also wrote that he has "a great family life" and was "blessed to have them."

Johnson, who played with the Patriots from 1995-2004, tweeted this apology in several parts Friday afternoon:

"I just made a huge error in judgment and want to apologize to Vince and his wife for comments I made earlier today on a Houston radio show.

"Vince and his family are outstanding people who I have admired since they arrived in NE. I learned a big lesson today and feel terrible.

"I have personally apologized to the family and feel awful. It was a huge error in judgment and I'm sorry for upsetting Vince's family."

Bianca later tweeted a thank-you to her followers for their words of support and added, "I love me and I love that my husband loves me."

The ugly person in this matter is Ted Johnson. A 40-year-old man should know better than to say something so hurtful.

Apologizing was the right thing to do, but a good person would have never responded to such an inappropriate question and actually identified "the ugliest wife in the NFL."

It was a terrible question and unbelievable that Johnson gave an answer.

A history of concussions is no excuse. If Johnson's brain is truly messed up, he doesn't belong on the radio.

Also, it's a huge mistake for anyone to believe it's possible, in the age of the Internet, to say something about someone on the radio without that person finding out.

Jim Carrey: 'Cold Dead Hand' (Video)

Jim Carrey knows how to get attention - Go on Twitter and call gun owners "heartless motherf%ckers."

How original!

'Cold Dead Hand' is abt u heartless motherf%ckers unwilling 2 bend 4 the safety of our kids.Sorry if you're offended… say.ly/jtu5rar
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) March 24, 2013

The important question is "Do we possess guns in America or do guns possess us?"say.ly/VPr5rpR

— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) March 25, 2013

'COLD DEAD HAND' Hits 'Funny Or Die' at 12:01am tonight! What are you afraid of? It's just a funny little song!2;^… say.ly/zju5rsV

— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) March 25, 2013

Lame.

Watch the video.

Very lame.

Wow, @jimcarrey is desperate to please his masters. I wonder if he's fed a liver snap every time he trashes law abiding Americans.

— GregGutfeld (@greggutfeld) March 25, 2013

Yoko Ono and Gun Violence

From NPR:

Yoko Ono, the widow of slain Beatle John Lennon, has weighed in on the issue of gun control by tweeting a photo of the blood-spattered eyeglasses worn by the legendary musician when he was fatally shot by a deranged fan more than three decades ago.

Her tweet, on the 44th anniversary of the couple's marriage:

"Over 1,057,000 people have been killed by guns in the USA since John Lennon was shot and killed on 8 Dec 1980."

There have been many millions of violent acts committed in the U.S. since John Lennon's death.

Marquette: Sweet Sixteen!

What a game!

Marquette beat Butler, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen.

From the Associated Press:

Back and forth went Marquette and Butler, trading makes and misses in a high intensity rematch that made a case for being the best game so far of this NCAA tournament.

In the end, Vander Blue and the Golden Eagles advanced as the Bulldogs couldn't muster any more of their March magic.

Blue scored 19 second-half points to rally third-seeded Marquette out of another hole, and the Golden Eagles survived 74-72 on Saturday to reach the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament.

"I know everybody in our team, we weren't ready to go home," said Blue, who made a last-second layup to win Marquette's first game of this tournament. "We had two close games - we had a lot of those this year. What we went through earlier this year prepared us for this weekend."

...Marquette (25-8) will meet the winner of Sunday's game between Illinois and Miami (Fla.) on Thursday in the East Regional semifinals at Washington, D.C.

It will be Marquette's third consecutive Round of 16 appearance, but the Golden Eagles are seeking to move past that round for the first time since 2003, when Dwyane Wade led them to the Final Four.

Time to get beyond the Sweet Sixteen.

Watch video.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz: DC Staffers and STARVATION

The sequester is hitting DC staffers hard.

According to Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz, they are on the brink of starvation.

From the Washington Times:

Automatic federal cuts are bringing staffers to the brink of starvation, suggested Debbie Wasserman Schultz, at a recent House Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee hearing.

Restaurants on the House side of Congress are increasing in cost so much that aides are being “priced out” of a good meal, she said, as Fox News reported. The comments came by way of a discussion about the impacts of the sequester on lawmakers’ office budgets.

...Just to clarify: An 8-ounce bowl of Ham and Bean soup at the Cannon Office Building’s carry-out café costs $2. A gourmet wrap or sliced bread sandwich sells for about $5. And in the Longworth Building’s sit-down cafeteria, a serving of stuffed chicken, asparagus and mashed potatoes sells for about $7, Fox News finds.

Meanwhile, Ms. Wasserman Schultz’s staffers earn between $60,000 and $160,000 per year, Fox News reports.

This woman cannot be taken seriously.

Joe Biden spends nearly $600,000 of our money on his hotel bill for a one-night stay in Paris, while staffers can't afford to eat.

Ridiculous. What a bunch of buffoons!

I wish Americans would wake the hell up.

Milwaukee Voter Fraud

It's shocking that voter fraud in Milwaukee is actually being addressed a little bit by the DA's office.

The Democrats in power in Milwaukee, like Mayor Tom Barrett, have spent years and years denying the problem.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel takes credit for unearthing the alleged felons, but it also stresses that "cases of fraud surrounding voter registration or voting" are rare.

I think it's more accurate to say charges are rare, investigations into voter fraud are rare.

Another point from the JS: "Republican legislators and Gov. Scott Walker last year changed state law to make it harder for voter registration workers to move between communities in Wisconsin. But that same change also makes it harder for watchdogs such as the Journal Sentinel to easily gather information about who is now doing voter registration work."

Yeah, right. Blame Walker. Good grief.

Milwaukee County prosecutors should spend at least as much time digging into voter fraud in Milwaukee as they spent on their very open "secret" John Doe witch hunt.

These Democrats failed to get Scott Walker, after years of trying.

If they sincerely tried to clean up Milwaukee's elections, who knows how much fraud they would discover?

I'm sure the people they have under investigation for violations are just the tip of the iceberg of the problem in Milwaukee. These poor chumps are really unlucky.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Following Thursday's felony charges against a voter registration worker in Milwaukee, a prosecutor made clear that two more workers also are under investigation.

All three men came under scrutiny after being identified last year in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story that looked at the criminal records of the people certified to register voters in the city. In response, the Milwaukee Election Commission also is looking at the possibility of doing routine checks of its own to prevent such problems in the future.

Along with nine other people, Andrew L. Shepherd, 32, was charged with a felony by Milwaukee County prosecutors Thursday for falsely telling Milwaukee officials in 2012 that he had no felony record when applying to get hired as a special voter registration deputy. Shepherd has two felony drug convictions and a third conviction for recklessly endangering safety.

Shepherd and two other men were dropped as voter registration deputies by the Election Commission after the Journal Sentinel reported on their criminal records in an October 2012 story.

Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf didn't rule out further charges Friday.

"Other matters are under investigation at this time, including the ones you asked about," Landgraf said of the two other men.

Milwaukee is such a mess.

I have no faith in its elections. I don't trust the process.

That's not good.

Biden's Hotel Bill

The Obama administration is disgraceful on so many levels.

The revelation that Joe Biden spent over one million dollars of the people's money on his hotel bills during a trip to London and a one-night stay in Paris.

From the Weekly Standard:

As it turns out, Vice President Joe Biden's London stay in February was not the most expensive part of his trip. A government document released on February 14, 2013 shows that the contract for the Hotel Intercontinental Paris Le Grand came in at $585,000.50.

UNBELIEVABLE.

There's more, from the Weekly Standard:

Vice President Biden and his entourage spent a little time in London in early February during his first foreign trip of the second term of the Obama administration. A document released today revealed that the cost of lodging in London alone was close to half a million dollars. The contract was awarded on January 30, 2013 to the Hyatt Regency London for a total of $459,388.65.

This is utterly unacceptable. There is absolutely no justification for this sort of spending.

I am royally ticked off, not only at Obama and his fellow Leftists but also at my fellow Americans who voted to reelect this malevolent ruler.

Everything could be so different right now if Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan had been elected.

This all sucks. ALMOST $600,000 FOR BIDEN'S ONE-NIGHT STAY IN PARIS!!! And that's only the hotel bill. It doesn't include the cost of flying him around.

Hey, Leftists! See the disconnect here???

No??? Didn't think so.

The Obama administration is releasing prisoners, furloughing employees, shutting down the White House tours, and now, closing air control towers.

But there is no shortage of taxpayer funds to send Biden and his entourage to live high in Europe.

That is such BS.

It's shocking that Obama has the audacity to make the "little people" suffer because of his sequester while he's pissing away so much of OUR money.

Budget cuts... GIVE ME A BREAK! One million freaking dollars for Biden's hotel!

We know what Obama and his flunkies are doing. They're hurting us and they don't care at all. They're playing political games, making us suffer while they're living the high life.

What lying sacks of really bad stuff!

Leno and Jokes For the Other 50% of Country

I completely disagree with Matt Drudge's tweet that Jay Leno "dared to entertain and offer jokes for the other 50% of country."

Left cheering #Leno exit typical, he dared to entertain and offer jokes for the other 50% of country. Unacceptable in 'New America'...
— MATT DRUDGE (@DRUDGE) March 20, 2013

Yes, some Leftists may object to Leno's rare Obama jokes and are eagerly awaiting his departure.

As a conservative, I am cheering Leno's departure because he has veered so far to the Left, trashing the Right on a nightly basis.

He does it all the time, and not only in his monologues. Leno recently has brought in a line-up of Leftists in his second guest spot to help him trash Republicans. We get NBC "News" personalities up the wazoo, spewing their Leftist drivel. Not long ago, Leno gave Piers Morgan a spotlight platform to lobby for gun control. Way too much Leftist propaganda for me.

Here are some of Leno's "jokes for the other 50% of country" from Thursday's show:

JAY LENO: Well, here's a big controversy with the History Channel's mini-series The Bible. Well, it seems the actor playing Satan bears an uncanny resemblance to President Obama. You know, this isn't the first time the president's been portrayed as the devil. FOX News does it every single day. This is not new.

And Congresswoman Michele 'Nutball' Bachmann back in the news -- She has attacked what she calls the Obamas' lavish White House lifestyle. She says they spend too much money on perks and things like a dog walker. That turns out to be totally not true. The Obamas do not pay someone to walk their dog. Joe Biden does that job every day for free.

This was followed by a clip of Obama being heckled during a speech in Israel. The tape showed the heckler to be Donald Trump.

The next joke:

LENO: Well, after losing two presidential elections in a row, the Republican Party has outlined a plan to attract minorities. It's called 'Operation Pretend We Like 'Em.'

Not funny, in my opinion. Not entertaining. Not a grain of truth.

No joke Leno told mocked Obama or his policies, but he obviously did slam Republicans.

I think Drudge is living in the past, when Leno was more fair.

While Leno will occasionally throw in a joke that zings Obama, without question, Leno's monologue is not fair and balanced. He does not offer many "jokes for the other 50% of country."

Thursday night, Leno did do a gag about Nancy Pelosi endorsing a new, highly caffeinated coffee, showing a container with her face, eyes bugged out. That and the Biden swipe were the only so-called jokes involving Democrats. Those don't remotely balance out with Leno's attacks on Republicans.

Leno is still telling stale Mitt Romney jokes. Then again, "It Guy" Jimmy Fallon is, too.

Bottom line: Drudge is wrong.
________________

UPDATE: Right bemoans possible Jay Leno exit.

Could Jay Leno become a new conservative hero?

In the bitter and gossipy duel between Leno and NBC (the “Tonight Show” host is set to be replaced by Jimmy Fallon, according to reports), some see political fallout in Leno’s fall from grace.

“Left cheering Leno exit typical, he dared to entertain and offer jokes for the other 50% of country. Unacceptable in ‘New America’…” tweeted Matt Drudge this week in the wake of news of Fallon’s ascension. And Jezebel touched on Leno’s rough relationship with the coastal elites, describing him as “Middle America’s favorite late-night host.”

Fox News’ “The Five” speculated, if slightly in jest as is the show’s wont, that Leno was suffering for his barbs against President Barack Obama.

...Perhaps conservatives will be cheering when they hear this - Leno could land at Fox.

...Matt Towery wrote on the conservative Town Hall website that Leno – despite being a liberal – is like “Barry Goldwater” when compared with David Letterman.

"...I know that Jay Leno, like most on network TV, is a self-proclaimed ‘liberal,’ but I could care less. Next to David Letterman, he looks like Barry Goldwater,” Tower wrote.

Towery described Leno as an “equal opportunity offender” comic, who doesn’t back away from poking fun at Democrats when it’s warranted.

“The critics generally hate Leno, because to them he’s too much a part of ‘average’ America. He doesn’t have the endless—and I mean endless — sarcasm of Letterman and actually refrains from attacking people. He’s not cutting edge. He’s too much the apple pie American. Oh and he’s too funny to a majority of Americans,” Towery wrote.

This is driving me nuts.

If Leno is a "conservative hero," then conservatives have terrible judgment when it comes to choosing heroes.

I don't think these commentators watch past the monologue. They really don't know what they're talking about. They don't know how much Leno has changed since his return to NBC as host of the Tonight Show.

I never tune in to watch Letterman anymore. He's been a nightmare for over a decade. I can't stand him. It's kind of sad because I really used to enjoy him, but those days are long gone. I know he's an insufferable lib. He's cruel. He's horrible.

But Leno is not the person being portrayed in the media right now. This idea that Leno offers conservative stuff, even middle-of-the-road stuff, is ridiculous.

On the conservative-liberal spectrum, Letterman would out lib Leno; but Leno is no conservative hero.

Assembly Bill 54: Early Voting in Wisconsin

It is a totally legitimate effort to make voting uniform throughout the state of Wisconsin.

Hours of in-person absentee voting should not vary from locality to locality.

That's fundamentally unfair and potentially a way to disenfranchise people based on where they live.

It's wrong.

Of course, Leftists like Tom Barrett, utter failure as mayor of the decaying city of Milwaukee and three-time gubernatorial loser, object to Assembly Bill 54. They're crying voter suppression.

I say it's voter suppression to allow only certain areas greater access to early voting.

Duh!

From FOX 6 News:

A bill introduced in Wisconsin’s Assembly would cut the amount of time voters can cast ballots early for an election. The idea is not sitting well in Milwaukee, and on Tuesday, March 19th, Mayor Tom Barrett and others called it “unjustified.”

Some say it levels the playing field, but others say it attacks a person’s basic right.

“The problem apparently to some Legislatures is too many people are voting in areas that support people of not of their party,” Mayor Barrett said.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and other community leaders don’t support Assembly Bill 54 — a bill that limits a clerk’s office to take in-person absentee ballots Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Rep. Duey Stroebel (R – Saukville) is one of the authors of the bill, and calls it a common sense bill. He says the measure would make absentee voting hours uniform statewide.

“What this bill is geared toward is fairness and equality,” Stroebel said.

Opponents in Milwaukee see it as a power play from the right, and feel it disenfranchises minority and college voters.

That's ridiculous.

College students and minorities can vote during the same hours as other citizens in Wisconsin. It's crazy to claim otherwise.

If Barrett and his Leftist brethren want longer hours, including weekends,  for voting, then all Wisconsinites should enjoy that convenience.

There is nothing unfair about MAKING VOTING FAIR FOR ALL.

Good grief!

I fully support Stroebel's bill and I encourage Wisconsin voters to contact their representatives and demand the passage of legislation that prevents people in certain areas from having extended voting opportunities that others lack.

This really is a no-brainer.

Of course, it should be fair.

On election day, polls are open in the state for specified hours. The same should be true for early voting.

Anything other than equal voting opportunity for all throughout the state is unjust.

Niki Johnson: Condom Portrait of Pope Benedict

Do you think this is a nice portrait of Pope Benedict XVI?

Would you judge it differently if you knew the "artist" made it with condoms?



The work is titled Eggs Benedict.

Not very respectful, is it?

The artist, Niki Johnson, is not praising Pope Benedict. She's condemning and mocking him.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, once again a step behind and slow in its reporting:

A Milwaukee artist is drawing national attention, some of it negative, for one of her creations: a portrait of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI constructed out of 17,000 colorful condoms.

The piece by Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design instructor Niki Johnson, a kind of latch hook portrait, is a commentary on the artist's views on sex and Benedict's statements on condoms -- including the now famous 2009 quote while on a trip in Africa stating that condoms increase the spread of AIDS.

Local church officials did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment. But it's been featured on the Huffington Post news website and described as "disgusting" by MediaBusters, a conservative website.

Ironically, Johnson's commentary on her blog is in some ways in sync with Catholic teaching. She says, in part: "Healthy sexual choices are at the root of creating a healthy nation." However, they clearly differ on what constitutes "healthy."

The church holds holds that sex is a gift to be expressed only between a man and a woman in the confines of marriage. Johnson, who lives in Shorewood, says: "Love in all of its colors, partners and kinky curiosities is to be enjoyed by those who are in it."

Note to the JS: It's ridiculous to suggest that Johnson's commentary is at all in sync with Catholic teaching.

Read Johnson's post about her portrait.

She writes:

Eggs Benedict exists because I believe it is my responsibility as an able bodied person living in our current cultural climate to incite further discussion about the direction our leaders point us in. As an artist, my thoughts manifest in my artwork best. It’s a pretty simple relationship. During the production of this piece I made many intentional choices; from selecting a cheerful moment from the Pope’s earlier years to reproduce, to going with a festive color palette, to putting great care into the making of the portrait to ensure that both the subject matter and the materials were on some level being celebrated in the midst of the questions that their combination raises. I made these choices because it is important to me that this piece opens more doors than it closes, by remaining both glorious and irreverent at the same time, if that’s possible. Like other portraits I have made, I see Eggs Benedict conceptually existing in a grey space between the black/white nature of political statements- creating room for a nuanced experience that has an added degree of complexity.

There's nothing nuanced or complex about this work.

Johnson expresses her disdain for Pope Benedict, something she has the right to do.

But let's be honest. Johnson isn't opening any doors to discussion. Her portrait is not operating in a "grey space." It's perfectly black and white.

Personally, I don't find Johnson's portrait to be nearly as offensive to me as a Catholic as Piss Christ, Andres Serrano's photograph of a crucifix submerged in his own urine. Adding insult to injury was the fact that the National Endowment for the Arts was supporting Serrano's "art," that tax dollars had gone to the creator of Piss Christ.

The offensive "art" was defended by liberals. It was deemed artistic expression, not desecration. Although it caused some uproar and offended some Christians in the U.S. in the late 1980s, there were no riots. The taxpayer funds supporting it irritated many; but there were no fires, no calls for beheadings.

Like Serrano, I think Johnson wanted attention. She got it. She knew the way to get noticed would be to mock the Pope.

To some, she's a hero. To others, she's intolerant and hateful.

Bottom line: The Constitution doesn't protect us from being offended. It protects freedom of expression.

Dr. Kermit Gosnell

I'd like to hear what abortion advocates, like Obama and Planned Parenthood supporters, have to say about the actions of Dr. Kermit Gosnell.

Why aren't they expected to comment on his horrific behavior?

Leftists always demand that every conservative comment on the words or actions of people on the Right, as if all conservatives should be held accountable for an individual's behavior.

Why aren't all Leftists associated with Gosnell, requiring them to account for what he did?

Double standard. Same old, same old.

Why are ABC, NBC, and CBS ignoring the story of this monster?

ABC, CBS, and NBC's morning and evening newscasts have yet to cover the trial of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, which began on Monday. Gosnell is charged with murdering seven babies who were born after viability in his rundown abortion facility. The Big Three also gave the story minimal coverage back in January 2011, after the Philadelphia physician was arrested. ABC completely ignored it, CBS Evening News aired one full story, and NBC gave just 50 words on Today.

Serial murder is news. Ignoring the case is very telling.

If a nut claiming to be against abortion murdered Gosnell, you know the networks would be splashing the story.

From CNSNews:

Dr. Kermit Gosnell, an abortionist now on trial in Philadelphia charged with seven counts of first-degree murder--he allegedly cut the spinal cords of late-term aborted babies who were born alive--apparently used to joke about the large size of some the infants he aborted and in one case, according to what a co-worker told the grand jury, said, “This baby is big enough to walk around with me or walk me to the bus stop.”

Gosnell, 72, who ran a multi-million dollar abortion business in West Philadelphia, was arrested on Jan. 19, 2011, and his trial started Monday, Mar. 18, 2013. The first-degree murder counts refer to seven late-term aborted babies who were born alive and then killed, their spinal cords cut with scissors.

Gosnell is also charged with the third-degree murder of a pregnant woman, Karnamaya Mongar, 41, who died after being given a pain killer at Gosnell’s office. He also faces several counts of conspiracy and violation of Pennsylvania’s law against post-24-week abortions.

In testimony on Monday, Adrienne Moton, who used to work for Gosnell at the Women’s Medical Society in West Philadelphia, said she recalled one baby – “Baby Boy A” – who was aborted in July 2008. Baby A was so large, Moton took a photo of the child with her cell phone before Gosnell took the baby out of the room.

"I just saw a big baby boy. He had that color, that color that a baby has," Moton said in court. "I just felt he could have had a chance. … He could have been born any day.”

This is so sick.

Joking about killing a baby???

This is the stuff that Leftist extremists like Russ Feingold accept as "medical care for women."

Russ Feingold: Radically Pro-Abortion from Wisconsin Right to Life on Vimeo.

Obama shares Feingold's views on abortion/infanticide.

Really sick.

James Holmes, Aurora Shooter, Converts to Islam

Is this a sign of the insanity of mass murderer James Holmes or part of the method to his alleged madness?

From the Washington Times:

The man who shot up an Aurora, Colo., movie theater during a screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” last summer has reportedly converted to Islam and prays up to five times a day.

A prison source say the beard James Holmes sported in court last months represents his new-found faith. The source said Mr. Holmes has turned Muslim as a way of justifying his horrific crimes on July 20 which left 12 people dead and 58 people wounded, the Daily Mail reports.

“He has brainwashed himself into believing he was on his own personal jihad and that his victims were infidels,” the source told the National Enquirer.

Mr. Holmes now prays five times a day, sticks to a strict Muslim diet and spends hours each day studying the Koran, the source told the Enquirer.

But most Muslim inmates are not happy with the convict’s new religion.

“None of them condone forms of terrorism or extremism,” the source added. “And they don’t want their religion to be connected to that awful shooting.”

Holmes isn't making any friends among his fellow Muslim inmates.

What's weird is that the inmates "don't want their religion to be connected to that awful shooting." They display conscience and concern, so I wonder why they're behind bars.

Converting to Islam, real or staged, isn't going to help Holmes at all. He's a cold-blooded murderer. There's no justification.

Will Brian Ross, the ABC News reporter who erroneously labeled Holmes a Tea Party member, report on the religious conversion of Holmes?

Netanyahu: Obama and Media, Incestuous

One thing we know about Obama is that he has very thin skin.

The guy has no problem dishing it out, but he can't take it.

I love that Benjamin Netanyahu took a jab at Obama for his "incestuous" relationship with the media.

Here's video, from Breitbart.

President Obama approached his chief foreign policy speechwriter, Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes and said to Prime Minister Netanyahu: "Just remember that anything offensive that I say, it's because of him." Obama then pointed out that Rhodes' brother, David, runs CBS News and has a "proud Jewish mother."

Netanyahu quipped, "It sounds like a very incestuous relationship."

"Not if you watch CBS News," Obama retorted.

Obama tried to get the last word, but it, of course, was lame.

Yeah, everybody knows that the American mainstream media and Obama have an incestuous thing going on, "being so close or intimate as to prevent proper functioning."

Obama's retort was embarrassing. How many times has Obama been yapping it up on 60 Minutes?

There's nothing more awkward than someone trying to be cool when he's so not cool.

Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon

Jimmy Fallon just celebrated his 800th episode of Late Night.

He's been on the air for four years, and NBC already wants him to host the Tonight Show.

In terms of late night TV, that's a quick rise. It took David Letterman more than a decade to get a show in that time slot.

I'm a late night TV viewer. I have been since I was old enough to determine my own bedtime. I've seen the hosts come and go, rise and fall, entertain and annoy.

I used to be a Letterman fan. I thought he was destined to be the next Johnny Carson, but NBC chose a different direction and went with Leno as Carson's successor.

Conan O'Brien's brief stint as the next Carson was a mess. I loved O'Brien's Late Night, but his show lost a lot when he moved to LA. The enormous studio didn't suit him. Something was very off. I still liked him better than Leno.

So, Leno returns to Carson's chair after a bitter fight. No one came out of that one looking good, except Jimmy Fallon. He, publicly, stayed out of it.

And now, NBC is ready to give Leno the boot again.

Good idea or bad idea?

From FOX News, the outlet routinely trashed by both Leno and Fallon:

Will Jimmy Fallon be the next host of “The Tonight Show?” He says he doesn’t care.

In the latest issue of GQ, on newsstands March 26, the funnyman addressed the burning question of whether or not he will take over “The Tonight Show” after Jay Leno retires.

“I mean, in the nicest way, who really cares,” he told the magazine. “In the nicest way. It would be great, sure, I guess. I’d love it, but it’s not on my mind. I’m in no rush to do anything. I’m kind of a boring character in that book. I’m not in a fight with Jay or Conan, or any of them. I don’t have that story.”

Still, “Saturday Night Live” producer Lorne Michaels said he thinks Fallon is a shoe in for the job.

“I’m not allowed to say it—yet. But I think there’s an inevitability to it,” he told GQ. “He’s the closest to [Johnny] Carson that I’ve seen of this generation.”

I still consider myself to be a fan of Fallon's show, though he has shifted away a bit from his goal to entertain without alienating people. That's unfortunate.

As much as I like Fallon, he's not close to Johnny Carson. He's irreplaceable.

Letterman, although from the midwest, didn't have the midwestern charm of Johnny Carson. Letterman's style is snippy and smart ass, and incredibly grating after a while. No Carson.

Leno seemed like a nice guy and appeared to want to appeal to a broad audience, but he's taken a sharp Left in his comedy and interviews. Also grating. No Carson.

O'Brien was really clever and quick and likable. His self-deprecating humor was funny, until it became impossible to accept as based in something honest.

None can compare with Carson.

Fallon is extremely talented and can be very entertaining. However, I don't know that he'll appeal to an older demographic. Yes, he won a Grammy and did a fantastic job hosting the Emmys. But at least some of what he does now would have to change. For example, I don't think an older audience would enjoy watching him debut a new video game. The goofy stuff probably won't translate well.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

It has become clear that Jimmy Fallon is going to become the host of The Tonight Show, but sources say an internal debate among key players is underway regarding the timing.

According to these sources, some top executives at NBCUniversal are leaning toward a February launch to take advantage of the promotional platform of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Others, including Late Night executive producer Lorne Michaels, are said to have concerns about rushing the transition.

The Leno-Conan debacle is still relatively fresh. Another retirement against his will by Leno wouldn't be too pleasant. Here we go again....

NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt and his late night and alternative chief Paul Telegdy are said to be actively looking for a Fallon replacement at 12:35 a.m. One possibility is another Michaels protege, Seth Meyers of Saturday Night Live.

The latest news comes as Leno continues to take jabs at NBC execs including Greenblatt, who reportedly sent Leno an email to back-off on the ridicule. On Monday’s show, Leno quipped during his monologue: "You know the whole legend of St. Patrick, right? St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland -- and then they came to the United States and became NBC executives. It's a fascinating story."

Leno taking jabs at NBC execs should be no big deal. Carson regularly mocked the execs behind NBC's programs and the network's poor performance.

I wish Leno, and all of these late night hosts, would make fun of the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. I like to think Carson wouldn't have given Obama a pass or been a shill for Obama, like Letterman and Leno. Fallon is possibly the worst shill of all. He let Obama use his show like no U.S. president has ever used a program in a network's entertainment division.

I certainly won't miss Leno when he gets shown the door - again. Good riddance.

If Jimmy Fallon takes Leno's place as expected, I think I might end up missing the Jimmy Fallon of Late Night, just as I missed the Conan O'Brien of Late Night and the David Letterman of Late Night.

SPRING!

Spring is here!

Yeah, right.

It becomes official at 6:02 AM.

Windchills around zero.

Happy spring!

Pope Francis Inauguration Mass (Full Video)

Here's the complete video of the Mass of Inauguration of Pope Francis, installed as the 266th Bishop of Rome:

Pope Francis Homily (Video and Text)

Here is the homily of Pope Francis, Mass of Inauguration:



Here's a transcript of the text.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I thank the Lord that I can celebrate this Holy Mass for the inauguration of my Petrine ministry on the solemnity of Saint Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the patron of the universal Church. It is a significant coincidence, and it is also the name-day of my venerable predecessor: we are close to him with our prayers, full of affection and gratitude.

I offer a warm greeting to my brother cardinals and bishops, the priests, deacons, men and women religious, and all the lay faithful. I thank the representatives of the other Churches and ecclesial Communities, as well as the representatives of the Jewish community and the other religious communities, for their presence. My cordial greetings go to the Heads of State and Government, the members of the official Delegations from many countries throughout the world, and the Diplomatic Corps.

In the Gospel we heard that "Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife" (Mt 1:24). These words already point to the mission which God entrusts to Joseph: he is to be the custos, the protector. The protector of whom? Of Mary and Jesus; but this protection is then extended to the Church, as Blessed John Paul II pointed out: "Just as Saint Joseph took loving care of Mary and gladly dedicated himself to Jesus Christ's upbringing, he likewise watches over and protects Christ's Mystical Body, the Church, of which the Virgin Mary is the exemplar and model" (Redemptoris Custos, 1).

How does Joseph exercise his role as protector? Discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard to understand. From the time of his betrothal to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, he is there at every moment with loving care. As the spouse of Mary, he is at her side in good times and bad, on the journey to Bethlehem for the census and in the anxious and joyful hours when she gave birth; amid the drama of the flight into Egypt and during the frantic search for their child in the Temple; and later in the day-to-day life of the home of Nazareth, in the workshop where he taught his trade to Jesus.

How does Joseph respond to his calling to be the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church? By being constantly attentive to God, open to the signs of God's presence and receptive to God's plans, and not simply to his own. This is what God asked of David, as we heard in the first reading. God does not want a house built by men, but faithfulness to his word, to his plan. It is God himself who builds the house, but from living stones sealed by his Spirit. Joseph is a "protector" because he is able to hear God's voice and be guided by his will; and for this reason he is all the more sensitive to the persons entrusted to his safekeeping. He can look at things realistically, he is in touch with his surroundings, he can make truly wise decisions. In him, dear friends, we learn how to respond to God's call, readily and willingly, but we also see the core of the Christian vocation, which is Christ! Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others, so that we can protect creation!

The vocation of being a "protector", however, is not just something involving us Christians alone; it also has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone. It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God's creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means caring for one another in our families: husbands and wives first protect one another, and then, as parents, they care for their children, and children themselves, in time, protect their parents. It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God's gifts!

Whenever human beings fail to live up to this responsibility, whenever we fail to care for creation and for our brothers and sisters, the way is opened to destruction and hearts are hardened. Tragically, in every period of history there are "Herods" who plot death, wreak havoc, and mar the countenance of men and women.

Please, I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be "protectors" of creation, protectors of God's plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world! But to be "protectors", we also have to keep watch over ourselves! Let us not forget that hatred, envy and pride defile our lives! Being protectors, then, also means keeping watch over our emotions, over our hearts, because they are the seat of good and evil intentions: intentions that build up and tear down! We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness!

Here I would add one more thing: caring, protecting, demands goodness, it calls for a certain tenderness. In the Gospels, Saint Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. We must not be afraid of goodness, of tenderness!

Today, together with the feast of Saint Joseph, we are celebrating the beginning of the ministry of the new Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter, which also involves a certain power. Certainly, Jesus Christ conferred power upon Peter, but what sort of power was it? Jesus' three questions to Peter about love are followed by three commands: feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross. He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must open his arms to protect all of God's people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important, those whom Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison (cf. Mt 25:31-46). Only those who serve with love are able to protect!

In the second reading, Saint Paul speaks of Abraham, who, "hoping against hope, believed" (Rom 4:18). Hoping against hope! Today too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope! For believers, for us Christians, like Abraham, like Saint Joseph, the hope that we bring is set against the horizon of God, which has opened up before us in Christ. It is a hope built on the rock which is God.

To protect Jesus with Mary, to protect the whole of creation, to protect each person, especially the poorest, to protect ourselves: this is a service that the Bishop of Rome is called to carry out, yet one to which all of us are called, so that the star of hope will shine brightly. Let us protect with love all that God has given us!

I implore the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, Saints Peter and Paul, and Saint Francis, that the Holy Spirit may accompany my ministry, and I ask all of you to pray for me! Amen.

"We must not be afraid of goodness, of tenderness!"

That's the vibe I pick up from Pope Francis - tenderness.

Pope Francis explains that he has power but it's grounded in service. We're called to protect the poor and weak.

Today, together with the feast of Saint Joseph, we are celebrating the beginning of the ministry of the new Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter, which also involves a certain power. Certainly, Jesus Christ conferred power upon Peter, but what sort of power was it? Jesus' three questions to Peter about love are followed by three commands: feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross. He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must open his arms to protect all of God's people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important, those whom Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison (cf. Mt 25:31-46). Only those who serve with love are able to protect!

In the second reading, Saint Paul speaks of Abraham, who, "hoping against hope, believed" (Rom 4:18). Hoping against hope! Today too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope! For believers, for us Christians, like Abraham, like Saint Joseph, the hope that we bring is set against the horizon of God, which has opened up before us in Christ. It is a hope built on the rock which is God.

Want hope and change?

Go to Mass. Walk with God.

Pope Francis Installation Mass: Live Stream

Watch a live stream of the inaugural Mass of Pope Francis.

What a beautiful blue sky!

Joe Biden is leading the U.S. delegation. Nancy Pelosi is joining him.

These Catholics are Democrats, deathmongers, first and foremost. They support the slaughter of the unborn, the most weak, vulnerable, and innocent. They've spent their political careers promoting the culture of death.

Can they be forgiven, considering they know what they do?

Shawn Schulpius and Edwin West

Two men are moving into a home on Milwaukee's southeast side.

The new neighbors are Shawn Schulpius and Edwin West - sex offenders.

These are bad men. They're dangerous.

Is it surprising that residents in the area don't want them released in their neighborhood?

No.

Is it surprising that during a meeting at St. Veronica Church Milwaukee County D.A. John Chisholm told concerned residents that the sex offenders WILL be moving in and they need to deal with it?

No.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Two convicted sex offenders scheduled to soon move into a Bay View home drew a crowd of a couple hundred residents to a meeting Monday night.

After listening to police, prosecutors and corrections officials explain why Shawn Schulpius and Edwin West will move to a rental home in the 1100 block of E. Van Beck Ave. later this month, residents scribbled questions on cards and later angrily shouted questions. One resident asked how they could feel secure if both West and Schulpius are repeat offenders.

Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm said the men have served their sentences as well as many years at a secure treatment center for sex offenders in Mauston and now experts have determined, and a judge has agreed, that they should be allowed back into society.

"I understand there are great concerns of everyone in this room," Chisholm said at the meeting inside St. Veronica Church on E. Norwich Ave. "We treat all these cases like they're our neighborhood."

BS.

Does Chisholm have two sex offenders like Schulpius and West living down the street from his family?

Check out the crimes of new neighbors Shawn Schulpius and Edwin West:

West, 48, was convicted twice of sexually assaulting an acquaintance when he was 23 and 25; Schulpius, 39, was convicted of sexual assault of a 6-year-old girl, a 12-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy when he was a teenager. The sex offenders were both convicted in Milwaukee County and will live together.

Good Lord.

Schulpius did monstrous things. He admitted to assaulting TWENTY victims in less than a decade. TWENTY.

Other neighborhoods have been successful in keeping Schulpius out, but this time, officials are ignoring the residents, leaving them feeling powerless and victimized.

Both men were committed under Wisconsin's Chapter 980 law that allows inmates deemed sexually violent to be held for mental health treatment after they serve their prison terms. Schulpius has received more media attention because he repeatedly sought supervised release from the program at Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center with his case reaching the state Supreme Court in 2005.

For many years Milwaukee County prosecutors successfully argued against Schulpius' discharge from Sand Ridge until a judge last month decided he should be released.

Officials told the crowd Monday night that for the first year Schulpius and West will be under strict supervision and will not be allowed to leave their home - not even to get mail or shovel the sidewalk - except under limited conditions such as buying groceries and going to therapy sessions. Whenever they leave home in the first year they'll be accompanied by escorts.

If their supervision will be so tight, it seems to me that they aren't exactly ready to be released into the community.

Will someone live with them, monitoring them constantly? No.

This is insane.

After the first year the men are expected to get jobs to pay for their living expenses. And for the rest of their lives they must wear GPS monitoring ankle bracelets while they're in Wisconsin and comply with the sex offender registry program.

When residents asked how their neighborhood was chosen, an official said many locations are considered and in this case at least 30 rental homes were investigated before the location on E. Van Beck Ave. was picked.

Why dump them in this neighborhood?

Is the plan to let yet another Milwaukee neighborhood go to hell?

I don't understand why Schulpius and West will be unleashed in an area with so many schools.

"There's absolutely no perfect placement. We recognize that," said Jason Cram, supervised release program manager at Sand Ridge. "There simply isn't a place in Wisconsin where there will be no children nearby."

Then keep them locked up and away from the good people.

Here's more:

Schulpius has repeatedly sought supervised release or discharge from the program without success. His case once threatened the constitutional underpinning of the Chapter 980 law, adopted in 1994, when it got all the way to the state Supreme Court in 2005.

"He's been continually involved in one of the most strenuous treatment programs in the country," said his attorney, Robert W. Peterson.

On Thursday, Schulpius appeared before Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Charles F. Kahn Jr. via video conference from the Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center.

"This is going to be a big change for you, and it's not going be easy," Kahn told Schulpius, who sat alone in small room wearing a blue dress shirt and a tie.

Kahn told Schulpius he'll be under be greater restrictions, in many ways, than at Sand Ridge, and that he will have "no wiggle room" around some 50 specific conditions of supervised release. "You're ready for that?" Kahn asked.

"Yes sir," Schulpius responded.

The supervised release plan Kahn approved will keep Schulpius under constant electronic surveillance. His limited excursions from home will be accompanied by someone from a supervision team. He will be subject to scheduled and unannounced visits from a probation agent, polygraph tests, physical exams, continued counseling and training.

Assistant District Attorney Gale Shelton said prosecutors gave the release plan - prepared by the Department of Health Services, which runs the Sand Ridge center - "very close consideration."

She reminded Kahn that in four reports from 2000 to 2012, Sand Ridge staff thought Schulpius met the conditions for discharge. Relying on different experts, prosecutors convinced a jury in 2010 that Schulpius was still more likely than not to reoffend, and his release was denied.

In 2010, Schulpius was deemed likely to reoffend.

What's happened since? Are we to believe that in the last three years he's changed, and that he no longer wants to assault children?

What can residents do now that their children are in danger?

Police are telling them to form block watch groups, block watch groups to keep the sex offenders in line.

Unbelievable.

Alderman Tony Zielinski blames the state of Wisconsin for having laws that allow sex offenders to be placed in "densely populated neighborhoods."

In other words, "There's nothing I can do. Don't blame me."

Residents would be crazy not to blame Zielinski. There were 30 other homes cited as possible locations for the criminals. If he can't protect his constituents in a matter as important as this, then he's a bad alderman and should be voted out of office.

Chisholm had the audacity to say the residents should remember the Chapter 980 law kept the offenders out of the neighborhood for as long as it did.

That's no consolation. Put Schulpius somewhere else, someplace with a less target rich environment. Area residents have the right to protect themselves from this threat.

Chisholm says they've run out of options to keep Schulpius locked up. Really? Chisholm managed to drag out that John Doe investigation for years. I'm sure he could do something. Maybe if residents appeal to Chisholm by saying they signed the Scott Walker recall petition he'll try a little harder not to punish these law-abiding citizens.
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Watch video, from CBS-58.

Watch video, from TMJ 4.

'The Bible,' Satan, and Obama

Does this face look familiar to you?

It's Satan, from The Bible.

The actor looks a bit like how I imagine Obama might look after the end of his second term.

The Leftists are flipping out.

Leftist dilemma: Raise hell over #TheBIble’s ‘Satan’ & help increase notoriety for @bibleseries, or ignore ‘Satan’ & lose a grievance opp.

— Adam Baldwin (@adamsbaldwin) March 18, 2013

People upset Satan in #TheBible looks like Obama have it all wrong... Satan is older, so technically Obama looks like him. #Caring

— Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) March 18, 2013

#TheBible Satan was speaking with a teleprompter tonight on #TheBible.

— Robert Whitmore (@rwhitmmx) March 18, 2013