The Fake Lonnie Finch

The problem for Verrelli is that he's being asked to defend a concept at a Federal level using a State case as its basis. It's basically a prayer shot, like a half court shot at the end of a game, this piece of legislation. Kennedy is thought to be the weakest link. Though its difficult for to see even him expanding the Commerce Clause into, basically, infinity. As Verrelli was forced to say, from the government's standpoint, once you are born you are in a marketplace. Which, of course, is absurd, but he has to argue it nonetheless. Stupid and brazen, but par for the course with anyone appointed by Obama. Dear Mr. Verrelli, having been a part of either a health plan or being able to pay cash out of pocket on my own, I've never been a burden on the "health care system." Such a give up argument by the government: because you are born, the Commerce Clause says we can tell you how to spend your money and on what; and, if you don't you'll pay a tax penalty that isn't a tax. So dumb. The problem with people like Barak Obama is that, in their minds, there really is no place for personal responsibility. If you work hard and earn your way, there is never any reward. You must accept a lower standard because there are lazy people out there who want what you have, but won't work for it with equal vigor. As far as the liberal ladies, they are an embarrassment. Bader Ginsberg is really the only one who belongs up there. Sotomayor is clearly out of her league. And, Kagan...with virtually no courtroom experience as a attorney and zero as a judge, is just ridiculous. So, of course, veteran civil litigators were running circles around them. How could they not?

It's not really an "oddly narrow principal." The principal is whether the government can make you buy things you don't yet want or need under threat of penalty...or, whether the government can keep you from buying more of a service than your fellow man if you can and are willing - again, under threat of penalty to you...and the dastardly doctor who would take your cash for services.

Well, herein lies part of the problem: there is much finger-pointing among insurance carriers, hospitals, and Medicare. Seems like everyone is asked to bend - except doctors. To me, doctors have always been the X-factor. As a seller of medical malpractice insurance, I know the rates used to be high because of the threat of lawsuit. But, since that was capped here, the market is much more competitive and healthy. Obamacare was a ridiculous waste of time and money. What needs to occur, in my opinion, is: (1) there must be national tort reform to drive down overhead costs for doctors, and (2) there must be a tax incentive for individuals and families to purchase their own insurance. Without these two elements, time and money is wasted.

I think after hearing Anthony Kennedy, the "swing" voter, we can safely assume that Obamacare as we knew it is over.

And, here is a solid post! Another difference is just as 23 implies - a health insurance policy can be used as maintenance, an auto insurance policy cannot. You can't file claims under your auto policy for oil changes, tune-ups, tire changes, etc. Yet, that is what a large cost of health insurance claims are. Look at everything they are asking health insurers to pay for in "preventative" care. It is wholly different than an auto policy. Excellent point, 23! Also, the auto insurance marketplace does what it should logically do - charge more for those with higher frequency of use of the policy than others. An MVR will also tell a company how risky you are. But, we are bent out of shape about that with health insurance? We think health insurers should not have any underwriting standards at all? Someone who goes to the doctor once every 52 weeks should have to pay as much as someone who is at the doctor's office once a week? Does this make any sense? If I eat healthy, exercise and take care of myself, I should be charged as much as some slob who sits around drinking beer and eating sno balls? Because you can't identify where the line should be, everyone has to be thrown into the mix? Again, call it what it is when you are asking for it - socialism.

Auto insurance = only liability is mandated; mandated for the protection of third parties. The state could care less whether you buy coverage for your car. Also, if you do not drive a car, you 'll never be required to buy auto liability insurance. Just call the mandate what it is - socialism and be done with it. Why is that so hard? Just say you wish America was socialist. Look, we hear about people who have all of these problems with insurance companies, drug companies, hospitals, etc. And, we hear that we have to take care of them. Why? Why do people who can afford to pay their own health care without insurance have to be forced to participate? The state doesn't say to automobile owners, we are going to force your to buy Comprehensive and Collision coverage because if your car is totaled it might cause you hardship such as not being able to drive to work and make a living. So, for the good of society as a whole, you are now forced to buy Comprehensive, Collision, Uninsured Motorist/Underinsured Motorist (liability and physical damage), Towing and Labor, and Rental Car. It doesn't matter that you may not want to cover a car due to its age. It doesn't matter that you have enough money to buy another car without insurance proceeds from your totaled car. It doesn't matter that you realize how infrequently you'll use the Towing and Labor and Rental Car, if ever at all. None of that matters. You are now required to buy all of this auto insurance, in addition to the auto liability.

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That logo is still great. Do we have enough cash in our athletic department to do a "throwback" uniform game the way other programs do? I'd love to see the Mean Green play in Original Worm duds. Great idea for a homecoming? I'd say so. Anyone with insider knowledge of the athletic department finances know if we can swing this some sunny day?

Texas sucks. The school, not the state. And, OU used Prop 48s also, just as much as Nebraska. So, it's fantasy to say OU was itching to get rid of Prop 48 because of Nebraska. OU is just as bad as Texas now. The reason they hitched their wagon to Texas is that their current administration has some misguided fantasy about having their own network that is just as unwatched as the Longhorn Network. But, after making a $300 million mistake once, it's unlikely OU will find any takers among cable sports networks. I hope UNT does well no matter where it ends up. And, I will always look at Texas and OU failing to win championships in football despite their control of their conference money as a thing to laugh about. Screw Texas. Screw OU. Screw any school that has sold its soul for cash. Let's hope against all hope we can succeed and stay off the list of schools, like Texas and OU, who have had to break NCAA rules to get and stay where they are...and take lawbreaking players who have athletic talent. Even Boise State has gotten on the shenanigan bandwagon. Does it hurt to lose? Yes. But, it does feel good to be a fan of a school that - for the moment anyway - still plays the off the field game with integrity.

No. Just saying there are guys with his athleticism in the League. But...you do wonder what would have happened if guys like Lance and Riley had four years of a bona fide college coaching staff preparing them. And, yes...I realize without Todd Dodge, we probably wouldn't have gotten Riley. And, possibly no Lance without the other Todd Ford. Still, Lance is an exceptional athlete. Who knows? Maybe Colorado would have moved him to DB. Texas surely would have moved Riley somewhere else with a roster full of, at one time or another, Colt McCoy, G.J. Kinne, John Chiles, and Garrett Gilbert at QB. Anyway, the point was to show that the numbers he put up are in line with folk already starting and starring at the next level. The Emmitt Smith example was to show how luck also plays a part. Emmitt Smith was a great runner. But, would have been a great runner had the Jets not taken Blair Thomas ahead of him? Remember, the Jets took Thomas as the #2 pick in the draft; Emmitt fell to #17. Blair joined Ken O'Brien at QB, receiving corp led by Al Toon. Mark Boyer at tight end. Anyone? No future All-Pro OLs there. Bruce Coslet as head coach versus Jimmy Johnson? Coslet doubling as offensive coordinator? Sometimes, they say, it's better to be lucky than good. Lance is already a good athlete. Now, we wish him luck on landing with the right team - either in the draft or as a free agent.

Pre-draft measureables ERIC WEDDLE - Now with Chargers Ht: 5-11 Wt: 203 40: 4.48 s 3-cone: 6.78 Vertical: 33 1/2 Broad: not taken Bench: 11 reps Wonderlic: 27 LANCE DUNBAR Ht: 5-8 3/4 Wt: 197 40: 4.47 3-cone: 6.8 Vertical: 35 Broad: 10-3 Bench: 11 reps Wonderlic: Unknown if given This isn't everything, I know, because at the combine they'll also do interviews and have the kids do some position drills. But, I think Lance has the tools to catch on somewhere. Given his frame, surely an NFL training staff could put another 10-15 pounds of muscle on him. Emmitt Smith went 5-9, 215 back in the day. I'm not saying Lance is Emmitt, but...who knows? Someone will give him a shot. Given the right situation (i.e., Emmitt dropped into an offense that already had Aikman, Irvin, Novacek, and an OL filled with future All-Pros), he'd do well.

That kid took a physical beating here. He and Vizza both. The no tight end, no fullback scheme puts a QB all by himself. And, as thin as we were at WR back then...it was a no win situation for both of those kids. I'll forever hold that Riley had the athleticism to succeed as a DB, WR, and kick returner. Would have loved to see his QB mentality at free safety. That kid Eric Weddle who is now a safety for the Chargers played some QB in high school before going mainly to defense for Utah. He's under six feet and doing pretty well in the League. The Todd Dodge hire was a gamble in many ways. Many ways. One was the insistence that Riley was an FBS-ready QB. It was too much of a gamble. For every Drew Brees story there are hundreds of kids that size who don't make it. UNT had Danny Meager on the roster when Vizza arrived. Vizza should have been redshirted, Meager given his full senior year to start. And, Riley, when he arrived, put on the field where we really needed help - WR and DB. He was more than athletically capable for either of those positions. And, from the willingness for pain he took at QB, you can't convince me that he couldn't have been made into a kick returner. Those guys have to have no fear about running full speed into the oncoming wall of opponents running full speed. If...if...if. Should...should...should. Best of luck to Riley at Austin Westlake.

I don't like the Alliance idea. I don't know why. I just don't like it.

I, for one, am looking forward to this game. People in other states who know and love us will be able to see me and the kids sitting in the end zone watching the game and whatnot. Besides, we owe Louisiana a beating for what they did to us last year against our third team QB that McCarney thinks is the backup; and, I want to be there for it.

I'm just happy that the helmets are green again. Because we're "Mean Green"...well...that always seemed like a slam dunk to me. I realize that when we hired Southlake High's coach, we needed their uniforms as well. Anyway, I'm happy to take it one step at a time: (1) Get the helmet green again - CHECK (2) NT or UNT or Worm or Son of Worm as logo - IN THE FUTURE Gotta have something to look forward to. Can't-have-any-pudding-if-you-don't-eat-your-meat kind of thing with the green helmet being the meat and the logo being the pudding. See? See what I'm saying here? Pudding and meat. It's all pudding and meat with this helmet thing.

The only thing that surprised me was the bench. With a compact body, you usually can do more. Physics: less distance to push the weight on each exertion. I'm sure much of it had to do with Lance having three strength trainers in four years. All things being equal, I think his speed combined with his character get him in somewhere.

Here's an underlying issue, and it will be for awhile: White people. I'm a white person. At least, that's what I've been told. Both my mom's and dad's ancestors hopped on ships from England to America in the 18th Century. I don't know how much whiter we can be (except my dad's side...who wrangled their way into Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, marrying the occasional Indian/Native American along the way). We are in a situation now where there is no longer a majority race in America. Although we whiteys still have the highest percentage, it's no longer over 50% of the population. And, so, guess what? There will not be another time in my lifetime when there will be any one race with 50% or more of the U.S. population. This is scary to many old, white people. Like, my dad, for instance. This stuff scares him. He gets all worked up about immigration, voter ID laws, etc. There's nothing to stem the tide. Our "Founding Fathers" made this an immigration friendly country. And, it remains that way today. "But, Fake Lonnie, illegal immigration is bad and lawbreaking." I agree. But, until we do away with the two real pressure points of its cause - (1) unions driving up the cost of jobs with wage and benefit demands that don't square with reality, and (2) individuals and corporations hiring the illegals because they are have their eyes on "the bottom line" - it's not going to change. First, union are not going to just fold for the good of the country. And, second, corporations and their investors are not going to take less in profits and dividends just for the good of the country. If you haven't accepted reality yet, here it is, plain and simple - the bastards on both sides of the political aisle aren't going to push their donors/backers to make the real, necessary changes needed to stem the flow of illegals. Everyone - left and right - wants what they want economically, and that has created the vacuum illegals fill, and will continue to fill. So, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! The food is good, the women tan and smooth, and the beer and tequila readily available and accepted at most social gatherings.

Name: ADIOS MOFO Height: 5'9" Weight: 186 Speed: Do I have to? I don't want another ticket. Age: 42 T-shirt Size: X-Large NOTE: My little guy will probably want to run around again as well. He played flag this year and really took to it.

Sure. It'll be the day after Congress decides people can buy and carry whatever type of weapon they want. And, a couple of days after all Mexicans are rounded up in door-to-door searches and taken back across the border.

The problem here is the same as the problem encountered by potheads who yearn for legal marijuana - there are already Federal laws regarding voting rights. And, also like the potheads learn time and again, it doesn't matter what law your state passes, Federal law will control when there is a conflict between them. CAVEAT: I fully understand that... ...the 10th Amendment exists, ...some state pass Medical Marijuana laws, ...you're not prejudice against Mexicans specifically, but just in a general sense. It doesn't matter. Where there is Federal law, it will control. Spin your position any way you want; Federal law will still win the day. Even the commie lib Supreme Courts in Cali and Massachusetts have given up to Federal law on pothead arrest issues...and, yes, even though it might be possessed for medical purposes. State laws makes people feel good about themselves. It's like slapping yourself on the back for a job well done even though what you've done will eventually equal a big bag of nothing. Fortunately, America is entrepreneurial - even in politics. So, PACs can be formed and political snake oil salesmen can get people whipped up enough to send them their money. It's like televangelism without God. Yes, 2nd Amendment nuts have the NRA. Potheads have NORML. There are countless immigration groups. And, they all have one thing in common - they know damn well Federal law will trump state law...but that people can be whipped up enough anyway to wedge money off of them by telling them they can stop it! It's really pretty funny. So, get on that mouse wheel, voter law/immigration people. You've got plenty of company with the potheads and States righters who don't understand that the Constitution or Federal common law. Fly into that window, potheads! But, make room for the voter ID/immigration folks. The don't see the clear pane of Federal law either.

Can they get the kid a chin strap that goes under his chin...and, put the "UNT" on it? I'll hang up and listen.

Again, not being a basketball aficionado, we fire him for winning or finishing runner-up in the Sun Belt four or five times in the last six seasons, then what? -Do other college basketball coaches covet this job? -What are the odds we get a proven head coach instead of just a "hot" assistant (SEE Wojcik fired from Tulsa today)? -What does our money say we could do? Being as ignorant as I am about our basketball program in total depth, I have to look at it just as a casual fan from my alma mater. From that perspective, it looks...what's the word...crazy to give up a bird in the hand to chase two in the bush. Although...I do know some people like to put their hands in the bush.

I know so little about basketball that I'm happy with Johnny Jones. He wins season after season at a school where football coaches have complained that we have limited resources. These were our basketball records for the years I was on campus: 1990-91: 17-13 1991-92: 15-14 1992-93: 5-21 That was when we were in the Pee Pants Conference (Southland). As long as Johnny is doing better than 12.33333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333 wins per season, he's doing better than when I was a student living in Denton. And, that's good enough for me. He's got 180 wins in 11 years here, and has led us to two of the three NCAA Tournaments we've ever appeared in so...what are we bitching about again? I'm still hip to JJ.

That's a funny bit, the SMU guy thing. And, yes, SMU will suck with or without Doherty. He reached high highs at Notre Dame. Took North Carolina from perennial NCAA Tournament appearances to the NIT. And, has led SMU...nowhere. They'll be what they are, with or without him.

I thought Tulsa would be done with Wojcik after he wasted last season's roster of upperclassmen. Whomever they hire is going to get a great roster with Jordan Clarkson, UConn transfer Scottie Haralson, Eric McClellan, Tim Peete, and Kodi Maduka returning; that's five of their top six scorers and minutes players. Only Haralson will be a senior. Wojcik was a great recruiter and assistant at Michigan State. But, his TU teams spit the bit too often in big games. Many thought - myself included - that the 21-point beating of Oklahoma State in December of 2009 was a turning point. In reality, it was the zenith. Tulsa is a weird little school that has always prided itself on basketball more than football. So, this is tough for them. When you consider that Wojcik is the win leader, you have to understand that, considering its history, it means very little. Many other coaches who came to Tulsa left after short stints and went on to greener pastures: Nolan Richardson, 1981-1985...now Mexican national team coach...national title, 1994 at Arkansas Tubby Smith, 1991-1995...now at Minnesota...national title, 1998 at Kentucky Bill Self, 1997-2000...now at Kansas...national title, 2008 Basically, if a Tulsa coach is worth anything, someone else hires him away. Tulsa is in a situation where it has wanted to hire a great coach that doesn't get hired away, but doesn't have the money to keep them around. Like other small schools, Tulsa has to someday admit it is small...or, somehow get its donors to cough up enough money to prove otherwise. Wojcik wasn't horrible, but he wasn't great either. Which begs the other question that always tugs at small schools - do we have enough to be consistently great? Believe me, when you talk to old time TU basketball geezers, Gonzaga sticks in their collective craw. They don't understand why their little school can't be like Gonzaga. But the truth is, Gonzaga doesn't have the 800-pound gorilla that Tulsa does pulling away financial resources - football. There is a tug of war between Tulsa in football and basketball, and the old basketball people at TU hate it. There was a big faction of TU alumni that was, two athletic directors ago, pushing TU to drop its football program to I-AA. It's funny, though. Wojcik rebuilt the team fairly quickly. But, just winning consistently isn't enough for TU basketball. The old guys haven't been to an NCAA Tournament in 10 years now. The new athletic director is under pressure to change that...before they die, and football really takes over!