The NFL Must Address The Protests NOW!

Granted the Cowboys were 5-6 going into last nights game against the Redskins and Elliot is out the lineup until Christmas Eve but that can’t explain all these empty seats.

This photo was taken at the kickoff. There's thousands of empty seats. Zoom in on the photo and see for yourself.

Anyone that has been in denial about the effect of the protests or the image problem the NFL has with its players right now is being blown completely out of the water.

Week after week the owners and Goodell refuse to address it. Giving the players $89 million to set up a slush fund for black social justice programs was the dumbest move ever. Especially if the players still have a right to protest this year.

Maybe they’ll agree to stay in the locker room next season when the anthem is played but the damage has been done. I’m wondering if the players will find a way to protest after the anthem is played and before kick off. I don’t trust them to do the right thing.

Goodell and the owners must get an agreement signed by the NFL players union THIS year, not in the offseason, to ban all political protests on the field before, during and after the game period.

If they don’t do it this season the NFL is going to experience an enormous loss of fans next year. Also, if Goodell doesn’t spearhead the effort to get an agreement this season he should be fired at seasons end.

There’s so much turmoil and division in our country with politics today. I’m sick and tired of my favorite game being a forum for more of the same with the racial hatred and division.

The players have every right to free speech and community service off the field but on it they need to end the protests NOW! If not I won’t support the Broncos or the NFL next season and whatever happens to the game, the players, the owners and the commissioner will be responsible for it.

Longmire is at the end of the trail

 
Finally, it’s over. No worries, I don't include any spoilers in this review.

Since I’m a Wyoming native I appreciated the setting for Longmire (it was actually filmed in New Mexico) but from the prospective of being former law enforcement, Longmire consistently broke almost every law and procedure in the book to get results.

I know big fans of the show will excuse that by saying it’s a fictional series but still there were to many times the writers wrote some farfetched and ridiculous scenarios. The first 2 seasons of the show were entertaining but the writing progressively got worse from then on. I think they should have found a way to end it much sooner. 

After the 2nd season the show became very predictable, monotonous and at times torturous because they portrayed Wyoming law enforcement as inept, rogue and reckless.

Walt rarely if ever needed a search warrant which was far and away my biggest peeve. 

There were plenty more, he maybe wore gloves twice at crime scenes during the entire run. He finally wore a Kevlar vest in the final episode (every officer wears one today, even in Wyoming) and never called for any backup when it was available.

He rarely used cover and concealment wisely but instead chose to charge in straight up and all alone in many instances during dangerous situations or for felony arrests. Sheriff’s and Sheriff Deputies in small counties all over the US often end up responding to calls alone but not when it’s known ahead of time that guns are involved or there’s an active shooter, they'll always call for backup.  

One of the ironies of the show was he always wore his heavy brown coat everywhere he went, even on 80 degrees days but “never” wore a Kevlar vest. As dangerous as they made Wyoming appear with all the homicides, the gangs and the drug trafficking you’d think Walt might take his self-preservation way more seriously. 

The reason he never went anywhere without his oppressive coat was the producers of the show probably believed it made him appear bigger than he actually was and to hide the ponch he carried up front.

And one last thing that made Longmire less believable was his refusal to wear a radio on his person or carry a cell phone like every Sheriff and Police Department have done for years. Yes folks, you may think Wyoming is full of Bubba’s but I guarantee you every one of them wears a radio and has a cell phone today. It made Walt look like a buffoon when he had to borrow a phone every time an important call needed to be made from outside his office or at a crime scene.

That said, with all the criticism I’ve laid out, even with its numerous faults, the last 3 episodes of final season they did a fairly worthy job of wrapping up the series.

As with all series you do become engrossed with the characters of the show if you play them out to conclusion. Walt was an entertaining one, as was Henry, Branch, Vic and Ferg. Nighthorse and Malachi were good in their villain roles as well. Their acting was fine but the writing wasn’t.

I’m aware that many TV series hire different Directors throughout the run of a show but 21 different people directed episodes for Longmire. You combine the lack of consistent direction with some substandard writing and it made it very difficult at times to stick with the show to the end.

Granted, Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones has set the bar high for TV series with its exceptional acting, writing and directing but that standard is one I hope more producers of future shows would try harder to emulate.    

NFL Owners spurn NFL Sunday Ticket Cancelation

Since the NFL owners didn't have the guts to stand up for the anthem yesterday I canceled the NFL Sunday Ticket this morning. 

If you knew me personally you’d know how much Broncos football means to me. I'm heartbroken and devastated that the game I love has been turned into the theater of the absurd and ridiculous.

I planned to hold out until the end of the season but I just can't continue to support the Broncos, the NFL and the league players if this is their official position. 

I've had the Sunday Ticket since 1998 when I moved out of the local tv broadcast area for the Broncos. I've missed maybe 3 Broncos games going back to the mid-70's. Football has been like a religion to me since I was 6 years old, a place to go to enjoy a game and forget about all the worlds troubles if just for 3 hours.

No more...

I want to thank Obama for setting back race relations 40 years when he called for the insane "Beer Summit" at the beginning of his presidency. It was the spark that ignited all the race hustling that has followed since. Then he doubled down on every justifiable Police shooting and created this culture of hatred for law enforcement. Prior to his Presidency we had made real progress but it's all been erased and now it's spun wildly out of control.

I can't think of time in American history that I've ever seen such a misguided and unnecessary protest as this anthem nonsense. 

And it was all started by one selfish player looking to be traded from his team because he lost his job. This is an iron clad fact and cannot be denied, it has zero to do with police brutality. He used the race card as a fake cause to bring attention to himself period, end of story. Now it's went completely nuclear and for no good reason at all. The left-wing media has poured gas on the fire by supporting the players and blaming Trump. I don't give 2 hoots about what Trump says this isn't about Trump. It's about showing the ultimate disrespect to our veterans who fought and died under the flag for our freedom and dishonoring our brave men and women in law enforcement.

Work still needs to be done on racial equality but not at the expense of the anthem. It's the ultimate insult to use it as a soap box.

All of my Broncos clothing, caps and memorabilia will be stored in a box until this has come to a complete stop. I'm a forgiving person and I will come back to the game but not until every football player in the league stands for the anthem and shows gratitude for living in the greatest country God ever created. 

Heroin (E) is a must see documentary

The new Netflix documentary entitled “Heroin (E)” is a sad and sobering film but one I believe everyone must watch. I served on a grand jury a few years ago as an alternate one day here in Astoria. 5 of the 7 cases we heard were for heroin possession. I’m certain that since then the problem has grown exponentially.

There are many layers to the onion of this tragedy. Bad parenting, lack of parental discipline or boundaries, lack of a quality education or skills for good jobs in small and large cities which create a need for government entitlements of all kinds and way too many people with no moral code of conduct nor a belief in any form of a higher being. Drug addiction can consume anyone from any background but without these issues being honestly addressed people are more likely to fall prey to addiction.    

Anyone that thinks pot legalization or lax laws for possession of other control substances are a good thing live in a bubble, are in denial and don’t consider the dark side of this crisis.  Legalizing marijuana was the first small step into the rabbit hole. Legalization will have long-term effects on future generations, especially young children it’s a mathematical certainty. For people with addictive personalities, not all, of course, pot “is” a gateway drug.

The human costs are heartbreaking but the financial costs are just as staggering. One of the EMT’s said in the film, if left unchecked it could bankrupt the entire US.

Colorado, Oregon, and Washington may believe that the tax revenues created by the legalization of marijuana are a risk vs reward scenario but eventually that well with run dry with higher dropout rates, criminal activity, increased incarceration, drug rehab costs and sky-high entitlement spending.

There are no easy answers. Long jail sentences may not be the answer and of course, drug rehab funding must increase but enabling people and not having any consequences are no remedy either. We must begin to condemn drug use just as we have cigarettes or Astoria could follow in the same footsteps as Huntington. 

I can't imagine the emotional toll it would take to be a Police Officer or an EMT in Huntington, WV. God bless the 3 exceptional women highlighted in this film. I admire their faith and public service, we need many more folks just like them. 

In 2017 the Denver Broncos will rise or fall on Offense

I watched the Bears preseason game and was glad they pulled out a win all be in preseason.

I think the first series of the game showed the biggest strength of the team which is the secondary. 

Yes, overall the Broncos D will be good again this year but not without issues. They have to play better against the run. The DL and the LB's have to step up with a better pass rush as well. Von Miller can't do it all and you can bet he's likely to be the primary focus of offenses that face the Broncos. If he lines up on the DL expect him to be doubled teamed on every play. 

The Broncos offense however is the big question mark. We can only hope that Offensive Coordinator Mike McCoy has a good game plan for the players available. McCoy must know that Siemian and Lynch are equally flawed. Siemian may have a better head for the game than Lynch but Lynch has better athletic ability.

Personally I don't see Siemian ever achieving superstar status at QB. I believe the Broncos should consider starting Lynch even though he hasn't looked good in camp or this first preseason game.

The only way the game between his ears will improve is by playing time. If the Broncos were actually considering bringing in another QB this season then that doesn't inspire confidence in either one. If that's the case I think Lynch should be the opening day starter despite his growing pains.

I know the Broncos have improved their OL but it remains to be seen if they can pass protect or run block better than last year when the games count. If they improve that helps whoever starts but Lynch has better scrambling ability than Siemian if they can't protect.

It is a team game after all and the teams fortunes can't rest solely on the QB position. The RB's have to get the ball to the second level once a hole is open. Hopefully CJ, Charles and Booker can elevate their game. Obviously if the Broncos can establish a decent running game it'll help take the pressure off whoever starts at QB.

At WR Thomas has to have more production and he has to reduce the number of dropped passes. He has to make the tough and easy catches. Hopefully Sanders continues to contribute. I'd argue he was the teams most valuable player on offense last year. At TE hopefully Green must make more of a contribution as well.

As it stands today I don't have high expectations for the Broncos this year because of their offense. The defense should play well enough but the big question is can the offense put up points on quality defenses? Today I'd say no but as a diehard I'm optimistic they can.

I believe it's the Raiders division to win this year. The Broncos aren't likely to make the playoffs as a wildcard. The Broncos have to find a way to beat the Raiders and win as many divisional games as possible or they'll be on the outside looking in come the postseason.

It could be a long season for fans if the Broncos get off to a bad start. My axiom is expect the worse hope for the best especially on offense.

GO BRONCOS!!

Man-Made Climate Change, Energy and Economics

More Americans must become better educated and have stronger opinions on man-made climate change, energy and the economics of both because it could be the 3 issues that bring the US to its knees if we don’t bring honest debate, common sense and facts back into the discussion.

We should push for renewable energy, it will advance but even then, it still has to make economic sense. The taxpayers should not be on the hook for billions and trillions of dollars’ in subsidies if the technology is completely unaffordable, non-reliable nor practical to use. We should be all for private investment in renewables but not for giving massive subsidies to prop up the research surrounding it.

It's a fact that the renewables, no matter what the scenario, isn’t a one size fits all solution. It’s a complete fantasy to believe they alone can replace fossil fuel. The one that makes the most sense is nuclear if people could get over their fears about it. Fantastic research is being done today to make nuclear energy safe but you don’t hear about it because to many environmentalists reject it outright.

Given that then we have to explore for oil, natural gas and coal to keep our lights, heat, air conditioning, agriculture and manufacturing industries going. They’re all finite resources of course and hopefully someday the science, the economics and the wide spread use of renewables will be more readily available and reliable. But we can’t commit economy suicide based on a theory today, and it is a theory that man has and will continue to destroy Mother Gaia, if we use fossil fuels. It’s not a factual argument.

We’ve made great strides on environmental protection but the scales have swung too far the other way with the spending and regulatory side. In the beginning the EPA did help create reasonable protections for air and water quality. The gasoline powered cars today burn very clean fuel and emit half the amount of carbon monoxide as they once did and we can thank the EPA for leading the way on that one issue. The air quality in major cities has vastly improved as a result. 

 Air Quality vs Pollution 

The problem is to many people believe man-made climate change and bad air quality are one in the same. They are two completely different subjects and are not connected. carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are 2 different gases, you’d be amazed how many don’t know the difference. 

One thing is a factual certainty carbon dioxide (CO2) is NOT a pollutant and the global warming debate has nothing to do with pollution. The average person has been misled and is confused about what the current global warming debate is about which is greenhouse gases. None of which has anything to do with air pollution.
 
People are confusing smog, carbon monoxide (CO) and the pollutants in car exhaust with the life supporting, essential trace gas in our atmosphere carbon dioxide, (CO2). Real air pollution is already regulated under the 1970's Clean Air Act and regulating carbon dioxide (CO2) will do absolutely nothing to make the air we all breath "cleaner".
 
They are also misled to believe that (CO2) is polluting the oceans through acidification but there is nothing unnatural or unprecedented about current measurements of ocean water pH and a future rise in CO2 will likely yield growth benefits to corals and other sea life.

CO2 is in our every breath, in the carbonated sodas and waters that we drink and in the dry ice that helps us keep our food cold and safe. We breathe in 400 parts per million and then exhale 40,000 parts per million with no ill effects.

We breathe the 40,000 ppm into victims needing CPR and it does not cause them to die! 

The monitoring systems in U.S. submarines do not provide an alert until CO2 levels reach 8,000 ppm which is higher that natural CO2 levels have been on Earth in the last 540 million years.

CO2 is a great airborne fertilizer which, as its concentrations rise, causes additional plant growth and causes plants to need less water. Without CO2, there would be no life (food) on Earth. The 120 ppm of CO2 added to the atmosphere since the start of the industrial revolution has caused an average increase in worldwide plant growth of over 12 percent and of 18 percent for trees.

There is not a single instance of CO2 being a pollutant. Ask any chemistry professor. The only thing being polluted is young minds and useful idiots.

Endless Government Subsides

As of 2015 Elon Musk had received government checks totaling $5 billion dollars, it’s chump change compared to the unicorn budget that the lunatic Gore wants to wallow in but he still hasn’t delivered a reasonably priced car for working families.

Al Gore recently said $15 trillion dollars in investment are needed to keep the earth from spinning into global apocalypse. Of course, $9 trillion of that amount would fund companies he has financial interests in.

The Math Matters

My question is where does that money come from, the US government by way of the taxpayers? Do we borrow more money from China? Is doubling our national debt a wise investment considering the science is far from conclusive that man is dramatically effecting climate? Should we be investing billions more on solar and wind when it’s a mathematical and scientific fact they can’t possibly meet are energy needs in the best of scenarios?

The future of the our freedom and its continued existence depend on a sound energy policy, ‘reasonable environmental regulation’ and practicing far better economics at every level of government. Common sense must win the day, not extremism based on an unproven theory.

There is an ideological war going on about social and economic issues but we should all be on the side of freedom and common sense. We just can’t afford to be narrow minded or our country could easily slip into an epic economic collapse. And instead of living in a free and thriving capitalist society we’ll revert to a third world country and economy with the social order swirling into complete chaos.

I doubt believers will read many of the links I've posted if any because there’s a massive amount of data here and it contradicts their opinions. It’s much easier to deny opposing data and not consider any argument that questions the conventional wisdom.

This is the problem we face, hard-core extremists live in an echo chamber and have tried to shut down any debate or research that doesn’t agree with their vision of utopia. I hope more reasonable people are willing to accept that there are other views and they are good arguments to be made to not march in lock step.

Reasonable discussion about energy, economics and the climate change theory has to return to the forefront or I’m fearful a civil war is a real possibility in the future.  Set aside the social differences because these 3 issues may will be the tipping point to our destruction.

Below are some links to support my opinion. 

This video has been out since 2012 but not many made-man climate change believers have watched it.

The Great Global Warming Swindle 

I’ve included this link because the research dollars play a huge role in determining the kind of research being done by scientists and universities on climate change. They have a vested interested in perpetuating the man-made climate change theory for that reason alone, this can’t be denied.

Academics Play the Global Warming Card

What I Learned about Climate Change: The Science is not Settled

Thoughts on the Public Discourse over Climate Change

Russian Scientist: ‘The New Little Ice Age Has Started’

9 Things You Need To Know About The Climate Change Hoax

Mathematical proof that man-made climate change is a total hoax

Renewable solar and electric car subsidies cost taxpayers billions.

Tax Subsidies for Renewables Now Far Outpaces Fossil Fuels

Elon Musk's growing empire is fueled by $4.9 billion in government subsidies

Cut off Elon Musk's Government Subsidy Gravy Train

Taxpayer Weaned SolarWorld Comes to an End

Renewables policy a scandal, says John Howard

Obama Legacy: List of Failed Obama Green Energy & Solar Companies: Losses in the Billions for Taxpayers. None Succeeded.

Germany Votes To Abandon Most Green Energy Subsidies

The wind energy myth.

Wind turbines don’t make economic sense.

Wind turbines are neither clean nor green and they provide zero global energy

This documentary is dated but still holds true today.

Windfall: The Movie

By many estimates America has at least 300 to 600 years of oil and natural gas reserves.  The national security issue regarding energy is addressed here. This article and the information there in makes us far more secure than depending on solar or wind.

America Now Leads the World In This Surprising Category

An American Oil Find That Holds More Than All of OPEC

Saudi Arabia Surrenders To U.S. Shale