Posse Incitatus

Disappointment and Anger

I am disappointed that Michigan State lost to Michigan last night, but not angry about it. My anger is directed toward the Obama administration for the fact our nation is becoming a growing police state and Uncle Sam has conservatives in the crosshairs. More on that a little later, but first a few comments on the Wolverines' 80-75 victory over the Spartans Saturday night.

Here are the key stats that explain why Michigan won: The Wolverines made 11 of 19 3-point shots (58 percent) and 25 of 30 free throws while outrebounding MSU 34-30. MSU led by as much as 8 points, but Michigan just kept coming in the second half as the Spartan defense tired with the constant barrage. Michigan's season average on 3-point shots is 39 percent, so they sure picked a great game to be above average.

I am encouraged by the quality play I saw from several Spartans off the bench, including freshman guard Alvin Ellis III (2-for-2 behind the arc, 12 points), and forwards Alex Gauna (junior) and Gavin Schilling (freshman), who each scored 4 points in less than 7 minutes.

Sophomore forward Matt Costello and freshman guard Kenny Kaminski each got more playing time than they normally would with the absence of injured Adreian Payne and Branden Dawson. These players will continue to get lots of real-game action in the coming weeks, which bodes well for their development and the team's prospects.

The NCAA basketball season is a marathon, not a sprint. Michigan was the better team Saturday night, but who's to say MSU won't win in Ann Arbor on Feb. 23? By then, Payne will be back. And on that day, I highly doubt the Wolverines will be so red-hot behind the arc. If Michigan sweeps MSU in the regular season, we may play them again in the Big Ten postseason tournament, so all is not lost. Last night's loss was tough, but it's not the end of the world. Especially because, as my next topic demonstrates, the frivolous bread and circuses many of us indulge in ("GUILTY!!!!") don't amount to a hill of beans compared to the fact our nation is in decline and under the rule of a power-obsessed, despotic administration.

SLOUCHING TOWARD '1984' - For months we have heard about the Internal Revenue Service targeting conservative groups, the National Security Agency spying on Americans and the Department of Justice wiretapping a Fox News reporter because of his Benghazi reporting. But this blog was a real eye opener as far as underscoring the extent of the police state.

As the saying goes, "If you're not angry, you're not paying attention." Either that, or you're just a corrupt progressive who's fine with government abuses as long as they keep your guys in power.

Conservative renaissance man Dinesh D'Souza, whose excoriating 2012 documentary "2016: Obama's America" warned of the consequences of four more years of governance by our statist president, is being targeted by the Justice Department for the type of campaign financing violation that left wingers regularly get away with. This type of persecution promises to get worse as the haughty leftists of the administration seek to squeeze their opponents like a lemon. Stay tuned, because things could get really ugly.

 

 

Battle of the Unbeatens

Tonight at 7 p.m., the Michigan Wolverines play the Michigan State Spartans at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. Two months ago, practically no one would have dreamed that both teams would suffer serious injuries to key players, yet both would be unbeaten in conference play in late January.

Last season's runner-up in the NCAA national championship game, Michigan lost two key players who left early for the NBA draft: Sophomore point guard Trey Burke and junior shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. Then a few weeks ago, standout center Mitch McGary was lost for the season when it was announced his back injury needed surgery.

Meanwhile, the Spartans have had their own share of injuries and illnesses. They have been playing without their 6' 10" senior forward Adreian Payne for several weeks. He's been battling a nagging foot injury (plantar fasciitis) and Coach Tom Izzo decided it's best to let him rest, get fully recovered and be ready for the stretch run and tournament time several weeks away.

Earlier this week, starting forward Branden Dawson broke his hand when he slammed it on a table in a fit of rage while watching college basketball analyist Dan Dakich criticizing Dawson's game. (Learn to control your anger, Branden! Or at least channel it into your on-court performances.)

Other key players have been hobbled by injuries including the dynamic guards Gary Harris (ankle and shoulder) and Keith Appling (hip pointer and sore back). Center Matt Costello missed several weeks with mononucleosis and still is not at full strength, and a few backup players have had minor ailments.

One thing both these teams have discovered as younger, less experienced players have stepped up to play more minutes is that some of the formerly lesser-known guys are actually pretty good. Michigan sophomore guards Nik Stauskas and Caris LeVert have stepped up big-time. Stauskas is the Big Ten's leading scorer (18.5 points per game ave., 44 percent 3-point shooting), and LeVert is averaging 11.6 PPG. Costello has become a defensive force for the Spartans, specializing in blocked shots. MSU freshman forward Kenny Kaminski has had a hot hand with his three-point shooting (55 percent behind the arc). There are other examples on both squads of developing talent.

Tonight's contest promises to be close, exciting and most likely fast-paced. The winner will claim undisputed possession of first place in the conference. My prediction: MSU 75 U-M 71.

 

The Left Rears its Ugly Head....Again and Again....

Arrogance and smugness are bad traits of politicians on all points of the political spectrum, but these undesirable qualities, sprinkled with a tendency toward the profane, definitely seem more prevalent among the leftists.

Last weekend, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave an interview on "The Capitol Pressroom," a PBS radio program. He stated that "extreme right wing" conservatives who favor the Second Amendment and oppose abortion and gay marriage are not welcome in New York state.

“Who are they?” the governor asked in his annoying, nasal voice. “Are they these extreme conservatives who are right-to-life, pro-assault-weapon, anti-gay? Is that who they are? Because if that’s who they are and they’re the extreme conservatives, they have no place in the state of New York, because that’s not who New Yorkers are.”

The millions of New Yorkers who are pro-life, favor the right to own firearms and oppose gay marriage would beg to differ. Just because New York is a blue state doesn't mean it has no conservatives. And those conservatives, who pay taxes just like everyone else, certainly do not want a left wing Democrat governor defining who New Yorkers are. This is just one of many recent examples of haughty behavior from insufferable liberals.  (If I were to respond like a typical lefty, I'd call the governor an intolerant bigot and a "hater.")

In recent months a couple of teachers' unions -- in Michigan and Wisconsin -- have defended tooth-and-nail two dirtbag teachers whose transgressions were disgraceful.

In the small northern Michigan town of Rose City, math teacher Neal Erickson was fired after he was convicted of raping a male student over three years, from 2006 to 2009. He was sentenced to 15-30 years in prison. The Michigan Education Association is going to arbitration to try to force the West Branch-Rose City school district to pay Erickson a $10,000 severance buyout. Adding insult to injury, several teachers wrote letters to a local judge in support of their pedophile colleague. Moreover, one school board member sat with the supportive teachers and Erickson's family when the scumbag was sentenced.

Now on to another nauseating display from one of our esteemed "educators"...

In Wisconsin, Andrew Harris, a science teacher at the Glacier Creek Middle School in suburban Madison, was fired for viewing porn on school grounds and trading it with others. The local teachers union was able to get Harris reinstated with $200,000 dollars in back pay. The union spent about $700,000 on legal fees. Your tax dollars at work!

Think about it: Does a convicted pedophile deserve ANY kind of severence pay? Would you want a pervert who abuses school equipment by viewing and transmitting porn to be teaching your kids? Of course not, but the teachers' unions dug in their heels with a fierce determination for both of these dirtbags, demonstrating that power, money and sickly pride trump common decency and respect for others in the minds of left-wing ideologues.

These are the kinds of stories that deserve closer attention from the public. These are the types of incidents that low information voters don't know or care about, either because they have chosen to be apathetic and ignorant, they are addicted to sucking off the government teet, or they believe the distorted stereotypes of conservatives that the corrupt media perpetuates with its tainted reporting. 

And there's more...

Down in Texas, which seems to be a culture and world all its own, the darling of the left-wing media is Wendy Davis, famous for her abortion filibuster last fall in the state legislature during which she wore pink sneakers that were pictured all over Twitter and other social media. (The Twitter hashtag #standforwendy was a busy one!)

Ms. Davis is a candidate in the Lone Star State's gubernatorial race, and her opponent, Attorney General Greg Abbott, has been paralyzed and in a wheelchair for 30 years. It seems Davis, whose personal veracity has come into question of late due to extreme embellishments on her resume, has a gaggle of tasteless supporters who are badly lacking in class and common decency.

A video has surfaced depicting Davis supporters as having fun with the fact Abbott is in a wheelchair. And lest we forget, Ms. Davis claimed it was Abbott who was behind revealing her dishonesty about her supposedly "self-made" background, and chose to state that Abbott "has never walked a mile in my shoes." Classy.

And then there's Florida Democrat U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who on Wednesday's anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court ruling on abortion wished Roe v. Wade a happy 41st “birthday” because of her “commitment to protecting women’s rights.” It doesn't take a genius to spot the irony of that idiotic statement. "BIRTHDAY"? Really? For an anniversary that commemorates the butchery of 55 million fetuses, courtesy of vacuum hoses and saline solution? This is beyond the pale. I'd be willing to bet that 95 percent of abortion supporters don't know who Margaret Sanger was, or that she was a vile, racist eugenicist.

Speaking of abortion, worthless commediene Sarah Silverman, whose schtick would make a drunken longshoreman blush, recently came out with an ad in which Jesus Christ is sitting munching popcorn with her and gives the thumbs-up to abortion. Breathtaking sacrilege, to say the least.

I could go on a lot longer, but ought to wrap this up... No sense regurgitating the numerous vulgar and nasty attacks on Sarah Palin from the likes of Martin Bashir and perpetual potty-mouth Cher. They're out there, but I'm not going to wallow any further.

There is a stark ugliness to the progressive mindset and many who call themselves progressives. A cold, soulless and expedient nature in itself is bad enough. But accompanied by unbridled conceit, it's insufferable.

The most alarming thought for conservatives is not so much the fiscal ruin that will befall our nation if the progressives continue to make inroads in K-12 education, academia, the news media and government (as bad as that scenario would be). It's the condescending, smug know-it-all attitudes of the leftist elites regarding their misguided statist policies, in conjunction with their cancerous, nihilistic social agenda that could well destroy this nation. There is absolutely no time for complacency or overconfidence. We're in for the fight of our lives.

The Courts Push Back

President Barack Obama has shown tendencies alarmingly similar to those of the late Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez. He has stirred up envy and class warfare with distorted demagoguery, imposed higher taxes on the rich; expanded the welfare state to appease the less-educated masses; penalized companies with burdensome regulations and bureaucratic harassment; and misused government agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service to intimidate critics into staying silent.

But there's one thing this megalomaniac has not been able to pull off as successfully as the Bolivarian thug: Stacking the courts with loyal puppets who will do his corrupt will all day long.

Three areas come to mind immediately as examples of courts refusing to toe the statist line: Obamacare, federal regulation of the Internet, and presidential appointments made during a disputed period of Senate recess.

Obamacare already is being implemented in a clearly unconstitutional way, with the president changing the rules and exercising selective enforcement of different provisions so as not to ruffle too many feathers as this monstrosity takes effect. He's granted hundreds of waivers to cronies, delayed by one year the mandate for large businesses to provide health care to all full-time employees, and recently granted a "hardship" exemption to many individual policy holders so they won't have to pay the fine for not purchasing coverage.

Meanwhile various court challenges are working their way through the legal system. In late December, Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor issued a stay prohibiting faith-based nonprofit groups including the Little Sisters of the Poor and Christian Brothers Employee Benefit Trust from having to comply with Obamacare's mandate on providing contraceptives and abortifacients in health care plans.

In addition to its desire to micromanage health care, the administration has designs on the Internet. So-called "Net Neutralty" (a progresssive euphemism) would even out rates charged by broadband providers -- rates that obviously ought to vary since some web users -- Netflix and Youtube, for example -- gobble up much more bandwidth than others. A few days ago, a U.S. Appeals Court  threw out Federal Communications Commission rules requiring broadband providers to treat all Internet traffic equally.

I won't attempt to analyze the legal intricacies, but I believe the court recognized that the FCC mindset (an extension of Barack Obama's philosophy) is that equal outcome trumps all. Damn the facts on the ground, it's not fair to charge some companies more than others.

As I've often stated, emotion and feelings (about fairness and other utopian concepts) are what rules the liberal mind, not logic, rational thought and facts. I certainly hope the Net Neutrality pipe dream gets permanently placed on the ash heap of history, lest innovation and progress in digital and Internet technology be stifled.

 Finally, let's talk about the O-man's recess appointments (those not subject to Senate approval because the legislative body is supposedly in recess). One of his more egregious moves was to appoint three left-wing hacks to the National Labor Relations Board while the Senate was in pro-forma session....NOT IN RECESS! The Supreme Court has expressed skepticism about the president's recess appointment powers. No, Barry, you CAN'T always have your way.

It's still another three years until this catastrophic presidency comes to an end. But it's at least somewhat consoling that the judicial branch of the federal government serves as a backup to a feckless Republican Congress and a roadblock to the despotic proclivities of the Executive Branch. 

 

Legal Pot - Are We Ready for this Can of Worms?

For years I've said that my ideology lies somewhere between conservative and Libertarian. Yet, I am troubled by certain aspects of Libertarian philosophy -- especially advocacy of the right to abortion, which I consider murder and an act that destroys an innocent, vulnerable human and corrodes the souls and consciences of women undergoing the procedure.

Recently Colorado became the first state in the nation to offer legalized pot for sale to adults for non-medical reasons.

My qualms have centered around the harmful effects to society of having buzzed people behind the wheel of motor vehicles, operating power equipment and making important decisions with regard to finances, health care, legislation and the like. I am not naive. I realize we already have plenty of people who do these things under the influence of alcohol and prescription drugs, and problem drinkers whose performances are diminished by wicked hangovers. Matter of fact, alcohol has killed more people and destroyed more lives (and livers) than all other drugs combined. But since millions can and do use it responsibly, it is bad policy to outlaw it, as we learned 90 years ago.

If pot were as mild as it was back in my days of being young and foolish, I would be more receptive to legalizing it. But today's reefer is much more potent. Too many people -- especially teens and young adults -- will get far more than they bargained for when they puff away. It has been scientifically proven that in younger people (those up to about age 25), the brain's frontal lobes, which help us exercise good judgment and avoid risky behavior, are not sufficiently developed. That explains why teens do so many reckless things, and that will be a contributing factor to an even more dysfunctional society once legal pot becomes pervasive (it is only a matter of time).

I've heard the argument that people who want to smoke pot are going to smoke it regardless of whether it's legal or not. But I'm not so sure I buy that. Here's my analogy: Suppose you are watching TV and craving Pepsi, potato chips and French onion dip at 9 p.m. on a bitter cold, snowy night. Isn't there a good chance you would indulge if those items were in the house? But what if none of those items were on hand, and to enjoy them would necessitate bundling up and driving a couple miles to the grocery store on treacherous roads? Wouldn't you be likely to resist the temptation or find an alternative (maybe a half bag of stale tortilla chips is left in the cupboard, and 10 ounces of flat Kroger brand cola left in a 2-litre bottle)?

And so it goes with marijuana or any illegal drug: If using it means venturing into a dangerous neighborhood to make a deal, or associating with unsavory characters to score a dime bag, that in itself may be a sufficient disincentive. Not to mention, you are breaking the law and could get busted by your friendly neighborhood Barney Fife. Oh, and then there's that drug test thing for folks who are seeking employment. Lots of employers require it these days.

The carcinogens in marijuana, the damage marijuana smoke does to lungs and brain cells... these are things that will put a further burden on our already overburdened healthcare providers, including doctors, psychiatrists, emergency rooms and clinics.

In a theoretical argument assuming a static world (which we all know does not really exist), you could legalize all drugs and put a stop to the drug dealers, black markets, drug-related crime and prison overcrowding. We could also eliminate huge expenditures on the War on Drugs.

But actions have consequences. You cannot compartmentalize drug addiction or even occasional drug use, any more than Bill Clinton could compartmentalize multiple sordid sexual affairs and act like they had no influence whatsoever on the way he carried out his duties as president.

The fact is, many more people will be using pot if it's legalized across the board. This means many more workers will be less productive on the job because their brain synapses have been fried. Some of them will be fired for poor performance. Yet their desire to get high will remain as their income is cut off. So what will they resort to if unemployment checks don't pay all the bills plus buy hootch? Why, crime, of course. See, it won't really go away after all.

Too, students typically ranging from junior high through college age, won't absorb and retain information as well and will be less motivated to study as they enjoy spacing out to music on their iPod with THC circulating through the veins.

Don't get me wrong: I agree the War on Drugs has been almost as big a bust as the War on Poverty. I adamantly disagree with locking up those who possess small amounts of illegal drugs with hardened murderers, rapists and other thugs. It pains me to see intelligent, talented people who, because they made a mistake while young that didn't cause serious harm to anyone, have a felony on their records and thus have ruined their chances of finding a good job.

A take-no-prisoners approach for drug violations has been a fiasco that has escalated court and incarceration costs and prohibited many young people from living productive lives. But on the other side of the coin, I believe a libertine marijuana policy could well open Pandora's Box.

 

Time Warp Diplomacy

Imagine if Secretary of State John Kerry spent much of his time negotiating with European leaders about NATO troop levels and whether the United States would be permitted to station Pershing II missiles in western Germany. Most people with an inkling of knowledge regarding foreign affairs and the real threats facing our nation would scratch their heads and wonder, "WHY?"

And so it is with Kerry's repeated trips to Jerusalem and the West Bank to broker a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. 

Among the issues are setting the border based on the 1967 line, the plight of refugees, security matters, whether Jerusalem can be a capital for both states, and Arab recognition of Israel as a Jewish state. In other words, a virtually impossible wish list. If you are a realist about the entrenched, bitter enemies of the Middle East, you will realize this is a fool's errand.

For years now, the left has insisted that once the Israeli-Palestinian question is resolved, all will be hunky -dory in the Middle East. They honestly believe, as incredible as it may seem, that the enmity between these two peoples is the root of all strife in the Middle East. It never ceases to amaze me how liberals develop an obssessive tunnel vision about certain issues that renders them incapable of reason, unable to comprehend alternatives. Examples: Ronald Reagan's tax cuts of 1981 and NAFTA are the root of all of our current economic woes....Wal-Mart is the epitome of exploitation and the poster child for evil capitalism...George Bush lied about WMD... the Koch Brothers are Satan incarnate.... blah X 3.....

News flash: The Middle East has gone up in flames since the so-called "Arab Spring" of 2011. Syria is a nightmarish conflagration involving murderous al Qaeda rebels (Sunni) vs. brutal killers from the regime of Bashar al-Assad (Shia). Sunni fighters from Syria (some from al Qaeda; others from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) have run roughshod over the western Iraqi province of Anbar, which includes the major cities of Fallujah and Ramadi.

In Egypt, the deposed Muslim Brotherhood is bitterly attempting to throw a monkey wrench into the military rule that has been in effect since last summer. Instability is the typical state of affairs in much of Egypt.

Lebanon is on edge as Sunni rebels from Syria have made inroads. Saudi Arabia has been intervening to further the interests of Sunnis, and the age-old Arab-Israeli enmity pales in comparison to the Saudis' desire to protect themselves and their interests from Shia Iran's desired hegemony in the Fertile Crescent. Indeed, Saudi Arabia has been tight with Israel in recent months, formulating plans for a possible attack on Iran's nuclear bomb production facilities.

Meanwhile, Kerry and the naive Obama administration have reached a sham agreement with Iran calling for the Persian nation to supposedly scale back its nuclear weapon production program ("Hey, Barack, it's Neville Chamberlain on the line...")

The fact is, Sunnis greatly outnumber Shias in the Middle East, and the Obama administration needs to get serious about treating them with respect. Although they may have their differences on the degree to which governments should lean secular or adhere to Sharia law, one thing Sunnis agree on is that a nuclear Iran dominating Iraq and Syria is a nightmare in the making.

In the big picture, the differences between Israel and the Palestinians are but a blip on the radar screen.

Brady Hoke buys himself two more years at U-M

I'm a little late to the game on the whole offensive coordinator shuffle going on between U of M and Alabama, ut I think there is something that is missing from the conventional wisdom.

The first and most important piece is that this buys Head Skunk Bear Brady Hoke two more years - one for Doug Nussmeier to get situated and then one for him to actually peform.  Had he retained Al Borges, he would have been under intense scrutiny all next season.  He now has some breathing space.

The second is that Nussmeier's resume is not exactly all he's cracked up to be.  He seems to me to be a typical career climber - constantly on the move, always aiming for the next level, never sticking around long enough to really make a  mark.

His resume is impeccable, but not particularly distinguished.  To put it another way, he has done nothing to show that he's capable of building a program from scratch, which is effectively what the Wolverine offense needs.

Let I be accused of being a typical Spartan hater, I will note that from a political standpoint, Hoke's hire is brilliant.  In a one move he's ended the deathwatch placed on his own job and changed the focus of the fan base.

Nussmeier's hire - from Alabama no less - has made the Blue Aid drinkers purr with delight.  "Michigan is stealing Alabama's talent!"  "We're a destination program again!"

Adding to the aura of supremecy is the fact that Nussmeier will make $200,000 more than Borges, who fans derided as outrageously overpaid.

All well and good.

Of course there is more to it than that.  It is pretty clear that Alabama did not want Nussmeier.  This season was disappointing for them (whose call was that field goal against Auburn, anyway?) and Lane Kiffin had been waiting in the wings for some time.

Having Nussmeier leave of his own accord suits everyone.  Nick Saban doesn't have to buy him out and the Skunk Bears can pretend they are poaching talent from a dominant program.

Lest there be any mistake, I think Brady Hoke is a mediocre head coach in far over his head.  He has shown no ability to restructure the U-M football program or build his allegedly elite recruits into anything resembling a team.

He is, however, a brilliant athletic politician, parleying his small role in the 1997 Skunk Bear team and his Michigan Man status in to a $4 million a year job.  Unlike his predecessor, he says all the right things to all the right people.

He also has the measure of his athletic director, which is very important.  Dave Brandon may have a reputation as a no-nonsense turnaround artist, but in his heart his is obsessed with his time at Michigan football and the legacy of Bo Schembechler.  He is not there to modernize U of M but to stage a Big Ten edition of "That 70s Show."  The Cult of Bo still rules Ann Arbor.

The upshot is that the hire will not matter that much on the field, but it offers the head coach two solid years of job security.  And for that, I congratulate Brady Hoke.  Well played, sir.  Well played.

The true significance of the Chris Christie bridge thing

Most of the pixels being wasted in the blogosphere are focusing on the political aspect of Chris Christie's staff allegedly closing bridge lanes as political payback.

This is the way we are these days - the substance of the charge isn't as interesting as the contortions used to evade it.  While the media is of course harder on a Republican governor than it would ever be on a Democrat (got to protect one's own, of course), the treatment is actually quite similar.

"How will he respond?"

"Will the voters buy it?"

"Will this hurt his presidential campaign?"

Nowhere in the mix is there a discussion of what this says about the politics of today.  As someone with far too many years in electoral politics, I am here to tell you that Chris Christie's petty, smug and vindictive staff is the rule, not the exception in our political class.

This is who those people are.  This is why they go into politics.

Time was, failure was met with a demand for accountability.  Governments fell and careers ended over lapses in judgement or even bad luck. 

Nowadays, all one need do is hold a contrite press conference, weep convincingly (or appear outraged, as appropriate) and it's all good.

To put it another way, scandals used to be about what actually happened.  In Benghazi, a US ambassador was murdered.  That used to be a big deal.

Nowadays, scandals are about how poeple manage them.  Do they say the right things?  Has the coverage been favorable?  Are the polls showing any movement?

Writing at PJ Media, Richard Fernandez has been talking about the steadily eroding design margin of western civilization.  This casual attitude toward the actual offense is a large part of it.

When the margin was narrower, fools simply could not be trusted.  Gen. Curtis LeMay's alleged formulation:  "I have neither the time nor the inclination to seperate the incompetent from the merely unfortunate."  One mistake was enough.

For a generation that was farms blow away into dust and lived through the carnage of two world wars, this approach made sense.  For people 70 years removed from the danger, it seems harsh and archaic.

Maybe it is.  Maybe civilization is strong enough to withstand unlimited levels of idiocy.

On the other hand, the capital city of a major industrialized state just went without power for a week because its municipal utility has been systematically robbing the infrastructure budget to cover transfer payments.  The largest city in the same state is now bankrupt.  Perhaps the margin isn't as big as we thought.

There is a tendency among historians to think in terms of centuries, but the dividing lines do not always line up with the calendar.  This was noted somewhere in the blogosphere earlier this week (I forget where) - that the 19th century didn't really begin until the overthrow of Napoleon in 1815 and the 20th didn't commence until the Great War began in 1914.

This trend actually goes back farther than that.  One could argue that the death of Louis XIV in 1715 ushered in the 18th century proper, and that the beginning of the Thirty Years' War in 1618 ushered in the 16th century.

That being the case, we may be living in the final years of the old 20th century, waiting for the world crisis that will bring on the next epoch.

Indeed, I sometimes think we are living in 1914.  We are secure in our prosperity, smug in our global trade and distracted by emerging and new entertainments (back then it was silent films and records).  And of course our leaders were far to enlightened to make a gross miscalculation that would shatter the fabric of civilization itself.

Just like their leaders were.

Meanwhile, as our TMZ Media Blathered...

Americans can and often do get a distorted perception of what the world is all about. This is because our mainstream media is too often shallow, superficial and utterly inane. Newspapers now do what they used to criticize TV of doing -- pandering to viewers' prurient interests and dumbing them down with sensationalistic fare.

While the headlines have been full of stupidity -- another MSNBC moron putting foot firmly in mouth with an ill-advised swipe at Mitt Romney's black grandchild; swill about Michelle Obama and Opra living it up in Hawaii; the latest breathless hype about the polar vortex -- some disturbing things are happening right under our noses.

•  Remember the Fukushima nuclear plant that was heavily damaged by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan? Well, it seems that now, nearly three years later, many types of West Coast fish and wildlife are turning up with severe defects and genetic mutations due to the radiation. These ailments promise to work their corrosive way through the food chain and harm untold numbers of humans over the next few decades.

• The Government Accountability Office is investigating several cases of the Pentagon waiving laws banning use of Chinese-built components on U.S. weapons so the F-35 fighter jet program can stay on schedule. While the parts in question -- $2 magnets -- probably don't represent a security risk, there are other instances where allegedly counterfeit parts made in China have found their way into American military aircraft. It doesn't take much imagination to contemplate nefarious doings by the Chi-coms. Perhaps they could incorporate some back door software entries into their components, or devise other ways to compromise the integrity of U.S. jet fighters. Food for thought. 

• Just when you thought California couldn't get any crazier, the Golden State now has a law that requires public schools to let transgender students use bathrooms and locker rooms and play on sports teams according to which gender they identify with, regardless of their biological sex. It is troubling to think what a nightmarish can of worms this policy will open. I pray that there will be no sexual assaults, and I hope there are enough sane parents in California (especially those with daughters in school) to stand up in outrage and demand that this insanity be stopped before it gets started. Let's hope this serves as another reality slap in the face -- a harsh wakeup call -- to liberals who are not beyond hope. (Recall that I have written about liberals who are capable of reason when their ideology clashes with their needs and interests.)

• Meanwhile, in the Middle East, violence and chaos are spiraling out of control. Syria's civil war has spilled into Iraq and Lebanon. Concerned about Iran developing the bomb, Saudi Arabia is rattling sabres and may even attempt to obtain nuclear weapons. Besides the typical Shia-vs.-Sunni battles and alignments, various Sunni rebels are fighting each other in Syria (i.e., non al-Qaeda rebels fighting al Quaeda and its allies). Al Qaeda captured the city of Fallujah last week, and the Iraqi Army is attempting to drive them out. But a thoroughly corrupt, compromised Iraqi government inspires little hope. It is downright painful to think of the dozens of fine young men who were killed and maimed when the U.S. Marines helped drive al Qaida out of Fallujah in 2004. All for nought, apparently. How would you feel if you were a family member, relative or close friend of one of the Marines who gave his life in that battle?

• In China, things are souring on the economic front. Higher interest rates there, in conjunction with a credit crunch, will have a ripple effect on the U.S. fiscal and economic front. Between higher interest rates stateside and retail sales being gouged by the high costs of Obamacare, expect the U.S. economy to continue floundering. I've mentioned Gerald Celente of the Trends Research Institute in the past. Having accurately predicted the 1987 stock market crash and housing market meltdown of 2007-2008, he has a solid track record, so this interview is worth checking out. Hint: Don't invest in stocks in 2014.

Admittedly, I indulge in my own bread-and-circuses, mainly with sports and music (sometimes augmented by junk food and/or adult beverages). I'm not much for New Year's resolutions, but one thing I'll work on this year is resisting the temptation to spend too much time on trivial pursuits and striving to become better informed of important trends and developments.

The Power of Belief; the Payoff of Hard Work

Congratulations to the winningest Michigan State Spartans football team ever: The 2013 Spartans finished 13-1 including their 24-20 victory over Stanford in Wednesday's 100th Rose Bowl. I wasn't too far off on my predicted score (26-20).

This is a team that was plagued by doubt in the early going -- doubt from fans, sports writers and perhaps even the players and coaches themselves. Early in the season, the Spartans weren't sure who their quarterback would be, whether the guy finally chosen would be any good, and whether their offense would improve from its anemia.

When they struggled against weak teams such as Western Michigan and South Florida, naysayers were derisively saying, "Same old Spartans," meaning MSU was destined to revert back to its ostensibly natural state of  mediocrity after achieving great success in 2010 and 2011. (The 2012 season, which featured a number of gut-wrenching losses, ended with a 7-6 record for the squad, which to Spartan bashers meant the return to mediocrity was already underway.)

But Coach Mark Dantonio, who like his team is often underestimated and usually exceeds expectations, knew what he was doing. He saw something in sophomore quarterback Connor Cook, and gave him the starting reins. Only once did Dantonio remove Cook from a game, on the last series of the Sept. 21 Notre Dame tilt, thinking that last year's starter, senior Andrew Maxwell, would be more confident and successful in guiding the Spartans down the field to at least kick a field goal and send the contest into overtime. But Maxwell failed miserably to even get one first down, and Notre Dame won, 17-14.

From that point on, Dantonio stuck with Cook, and it has paid off handsomely. Cook has shown remarkable poise, and he and his receivers have learned to operate like a well-oiled machine. In Wednesday's Rose Bowl, he completed 22 of 36 passes for 332 yards.

Most impressive was his resilience after throwing an ill-advised short pass that was picked off by a Stanford linebacker and run in for a touchdown. Many quarterbacks would have been mortified, rattled, and unable to perform well after such a devastating mistake. But Cook just got "back in the saddle' and started slinging away again, just what MSU needed as its running game was held in check for the most part.

Two things stand out when I think of the Spartans' success:

1) The coaches' ability to recruit often unheralded "under-the-radar" high school players, coach 'em up and fit them in just the right way to help the team. The players, for their part, are not just talented physically, but possess the humility and right attitude to buy into the system and work hard to fulfill their roles. There is a lot of substitution going on, which keeps fresh players in the game and enables younger players to gain real-game experience so they'll be ready for action when their elders graduate.

2) Dantonio and his highly capable staff, including the nation's best defensive coordinator, Pat Narduzzi,  are solid with the fundamentals, do not ask the players to do things they are not capable of doing, and are terrific motivators.

Dantonio knew how close the 2012 team was to winning 10 or 11 games rather than 7. He knew how solid his defense was; that he had playmakers on offense and that the 2013 season could not possibly result in so many injured offensive linemen as what the Spartans endured in 2012.

He told his players, "You will be the ones" to get Michigan State back to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1988 as long as they were willing to work hard and keep fighting. He instilled much-needed confidence and inspiration in the players, and it shows. The team got better and better as the season progressed, culminating with the conference title victory over favored Ohio State, and the Rose Bowl win over another favored foe, the Stanford Cardinal.

Not to sound arrogant or overconfident, but this really sets MSU up for future success. Their recruiting is bound to improve, and even if Narduzzi accepts a head coaching job elsewhere, it won't be hard to attract an excellent replacement since the university has demonstrated it will pay big bucks to attract and retain talented coaches.

Mark Dantonio will go down as one of the two or three greatest coaches in MSU's storied history, ranking up there with Duffy Daugherty and Biggie Munn. I know I can speak for most Spartan fans when I say we are deeply appreciative of Dantonio's talent, intelligence, hard work and commitment. Thanks also to the players who've busted their tails and sacrificed to achieve this level of success.

GO GREEN; GO WHITE! Victory for MSU!!!

Now, on to a great Big Ten hoops season!