Eastwood shows us the good, the bad and the ugly within the 2012 Presidential Election Campaign

San Francisco native Clinton Eastwood Junior showed us all exactly what kind of live unscripted act any acceleratingly aging alpha male who represents the greater society as its enduring cultural icon of youthful sun king like vitality, virility and vanity against the eventual sundrying effects of time. Being a pure Califonian actor turned Republican politico like former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former Mayor of Carmel by the Sea from 1986 to 1988 always had a populist knack of running and ruling with common sense without extraordinary dollars, keeping any lawmaking to its minimum and doing the right thing in a nonpartisan way. Yet unlike the masterful Chrysler Super Bowl ad from earlier this year, where Eastwood using the embattled and indebted Motor City of Detroit as his backdrop as Eminem did the year before to make a similar halftime peptalk to America to look ahead of the current economic slowdown that which has only expanded by 1.7%, find a new way forward and win it all in the second half against the world, the Republican National Committee and its Republican National Convention in Tampa got stale partisan rhetoric about how a vote for good old conservative Red is better than bad old liberal Blue.

Instead of sticking with his wonderful salute of respect towards Doctor Martin Luther King Junior, whose Dream ideal and action of nonviolent civil disobedience continues to give various minority Americans hope, opportunity and towards true change, and simply repeating the same Chrysler Super Bowl ad mantra of "We are all in it tough time, but we can come back from this and it is time to bring America back", Eastwood turned the non standard celebrity endorsement into a simple standard celebrity endorsement for Willard from westward, this is exactly the kind of political communications tripe made for the mainstream media mass that stopped John Mccain and Sarah Palin in their tracks last time, when Americans looked through the translucent fast food wrapping paper covered in pork barrelled political fat from the Beltway that was their election campaign promise, will likely do the same for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan this time around as well as business investment remains low with that renewed economic confidence and drive towards starting up business expansion.

Unlike most of his Hollywood good versus bad guy movies, the real reason this could not sell is because it was not an international terrorist or domestic threat to national security and his homeland that invisibly sat in that empty chair on stage, rather it was the President and Commander in Chief of the United States of America Barack Hussein Obama II who was being portrayed as the bad guy in this oddly framed rendition of real life theater. Fabricating a political boogeyman when a real lack of leadership exists is just as much a problem, as it shows your team lacks the confidence in its game plan to attack the facts as they are, failing that, losing confidence and one begins to wonder if their action will be any different than that of the other guy who believes more in rhetoric and depends more on a teleprompter than America and its American citizens themselves. Talk is cheap, but excessive not evasive action is expensive and can leave one off worse than before, perhaps it has become time for all of us to paraphrase Teddy when Progressive Theodore Roosevelt intimated the warrior monk tactic of peaceful cautiousness without fear by beginning to walk the talk, speak softly and carry a big stick for America to go far and start moving forward.

Club football returns up north as college football begins down south

Just as the NCAA down south and the CIS here in Canada begin college and university tackle football for fall play, Tom Skippen is leading the charge to bring OMFL club tackle football up north here in the Counties of Grey and Bruce and the City of Owen Sound, one athletic endeavour I truly believe has finally come of age. Currently has two sons involved in minor football down in Orangeville, the former Honda Manufacturing of Canada worker from Alliston started an industrial league, which became the largest in the nation. Furthermore, he came back to Owen Sound in the mid 1990s to start up the Owen Sound Flag Football League, a very successful league that could have continued to be strong if supported well enough in the community in my own humble and honest opinion.

From all these startups, Tom has moved toward creating the Grey Bruce Renegades minor football program, where one can contact him by phone at 519-377-5963, mail at tom@hardwaterrescue.ca and check out their web at www.greybrucefootball.com.

Personally having watched the whole 2000s decade go by with failed ventures for Grey Bruce football in both the Cattlemen and Colts, I do sincerely hope this one well and express such goodwill towards it, though I know it has a long road ahead. During the same time in that decade, we all have watched the proud oldtimers Grey Highlands Lions, Owen Sound CVI Falcons and West Hill Raiders fight, tear and claw for their survival, while expansion newcomers like Saugeen District Royals and St. Mary's Mustangs cruise into championship games flipped between each other, change happens and positive reaction can be made. I believe the same thing could happen for a minor junior football program in the Twin Counties, but only time will tell how successful it can be, longlasting it will remain and my hope is that it will be indeed.

Obama will not select Clinton as Vice President 2012 and stick with same old status quo Biden

It is all about Al Gore, the Vice President that was nothing more and nothing less for America, who was the backup Commander in Chief who tried following the success of his master Bill Clinton and failed despite winning the popular vote 48.4-47.9% yet losing the electoral vote 271-266-1 which matters down south. Following somewhat in the footsteps of Minnesotan Walter Mondale, who backed up Jimmy Carter in 1976 as Vice President, just as fellow Senator from Minnesota Hubert Horatio Humphrey Junior had attempted against Richard Nixon in 1968 and failed. Not since the shortened tenure by term limits, with the four terms of Franklin D. Roosevelt along with John N. Garner, Henry A. Wallace and Harry S. Truman from 1933 to 1945, has any Democratic President of the United States of America be successfully reelected so historical precedent does not precede into this commentary.

All in all, this shows just how fragile a Democratic victory is and how even moreso a Democratic repeat can be, thus President Barack Hussein Obama the Second will not be selecting the United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as his nominee for Vice President and instead the former Senator from Illinois will stay with his first term horse Joe Biden.

Not unlike the Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman in 2000 or North Carolina Senator John Edwards in 2004, the former Delaware Senator Joe Biden had always been what has been since moniked a career politician. But like the former Tennessee Senator and Vice President Al Gore, Biden used the fact as it was and turned it around to sustain the state of the union as it was, buy some more time internationally and build upon that national confidence, ironically maintaining the status quo to return America back to its original stability just before the financial crisis. Though nothing to be proud of, the accomplishments in the very least allowed the American empire to simply remain a union, live another day to keep the hope that change will come and that America will continue moving forward towards a brave and brand new tomorrow.

Redeem Team USA is not the Dream Team USA in mens basketball

Winning by just 7 points over Spain  does not allow you to best the original Dream Team USA that wins theirs by 32 over Croatia 117-85, but a gold medal is a gold medal no matter what year you, one or a team wins it. Being the 20th anniversary of the original Dream Team USA, when Chuck Dalys other bad boys of Barcelona came, saw and dominated their competition, some recently could not help but try and compare, if not compete, in saying the 1992 United States of America Mens Olympic Basketball team was some how insuperior to the 2012 version. As ignorant as that statement is, without going deep into statistics to prove scientifically how wrong it really is, this 2012 Redeem Team of London may be deeper, more athletic and more experienced than the 2008 Redeem Team of Beijing, but has absolutely nothing on the original 1992 Dream Team of Barcelona.

Under 1992 assistant coach and now 2012 head coach Mike Krzyzewski and current executive director Jerry Colangelo, Team USA Basketball slowly rebuilt itself after the mens gory year Olympic and world championship drought, which began after the 1996 Dream Team III brought home the last glory year gold and really took hold after the Athens embarrassment in 2004. Winning the gold in Beijing, through a final in which Team America defeated Spain 118–107, was a key piece in the rebuilding of a longlasting dynasty in major international competitions to be. However, no one expected what exactly was to come next, which I personally found to be very disappointing.

Statements came out saying the 2012 Team America at London was not just the Dream Team USA redux but actually better than the 1992 issue, somehow a team which could not find one player on its roster who now would play in all three of the latest major international competitions, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Istanbul 2010 Worlds and London 2012 Olympics, which is something an original member would likely have done, was somehow better and more superior than the other. After the 3rd place Team USA College edition finish for bronze at the Seoul 1988 Olympics, the Federation of International Basketball Association allowed professionals to play with amateurs, ironically despite votes from America and Russia against the proposal, to which the explosive popularization of the sport globally came wit, beyond anything anybody or anyone would have ever thought possible. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls, John Stockton and Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz, Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers, Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics, Patrick Ewing of the New York Knicks, Chris Mullin of the Golden State Warriors, David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs, Charles Barkley of the Philadelphia 76ers, Clyde Drexler of the Portland Trail Blazers and Christian Laettner of the Duke University Blue Devils and Minnesota Timberwolves later, without alternates in Joe Dumars Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons and Shaquille O'Neal of the Louisiana State University Tigers and Orlando Magic later, all made the sport a very successful business worldwide, one where all the current National Basketball Association stars playing in Olympic and world championships today should be simply thankful for their humble global participaction.

Jamaica America and Canada show the world real athletic pride

We all knew Jamaica was going to complete their dominance in mens sprinting gold there in London like they did in Beijing, as Bolt took off with the 100m and 200m for the double triple, but that the United States of America had been shut out as much, as they were in both, led many to believe America was due to shock the world and help make an Olympic and world record happen in the 4x100m relay across the pond in the Big Smoke. Indeed they did, but big brother America only pressured the small yet proud nation of Jamaica, as their next closest sprinting peers and rivals, to be the ones to do it on the international elite stage with 36.84s to the USAs 37.04s, being from Blake to Bolt the best relay group since the last world record 37.10 relay crew of lead Asafa Powell, Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, anchor Usain Bolt and the alternate Dwight Thomas in 2008.

But some wonder if the current squad of lead Yohan Blake, Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, anchor Usain Bolt and the alternate Kemar Bailey-Cole would have beat the past group which had no challenge from the 2008 Team America of lead Darvis Patton, Rodney Martin, Travis Padgett, anchor Tyson Gay with its alternates  Walter Dix and Leroy Dixon, which became disqualified in the heats after dropping their baton in Beijing. The current 2012 Team America of lead Tyson Gay, Trell Kimmons, Ryan Bailey and anchor Justin Gatlin with its alternates Darvis Patton and Jeff Demps itself made a national record with 37.04s, but had changed its game and pieces so drastically in London, unlike the very consistent Rastasquad from the Caribbean that changed very little since their last Olympic showing. America will continue to tool their Team USA from a Redeem Team into a Dream Team, but watching a deep and young Jamaica team become even deeper and younger will force America into a search across the Deep Gulf South for more lasting talent in the future.

In other news, Canada used the American baton fumble in Beijing to get into the 2008 final, where lead Hank Palmer, Anson Henry, Jared Connaughton and anchor Pierre Browne created a season best 38.66s for a 6th place finish. Fast forward futuristically to today in London, where a crossover infringement disqualification by the 6th ranked Team Great Britain in the heats for lane got the 11th ranked Team Canada of lead Gavin Smellie, Oluseyi Smith, Jared Connaughton and anchor Justyn Warner into the 2012 final, once there however after apparently acing the bronze medal with a 38.07s that allowed the Atlanta Gold Medal 1996 Team Canada mark of 37.69s to stand on, that they too committed a lane violation through veteran Connaughton and would be disqualified, allowing a Richard Thompson anchored Trinidad and Tobago to move from fourth to third. Canada will continue to grow, but perhaps the best that comes from this, not just for Canada but the world, is a change that rule from stepping on the line to crossing it and return the double false start for good measure.

Arenaball alltime athletic great should be an ironman

On the eve of the Arena Bowl XXV at New Orleans Arena, in a twenthfifth anniversary year that saw the Philadelphia Soul comeback in the least to take the East from the beast Jacksonville Sharks 89-34 and the Arizona Rattlers to become the best in the West by squeeking by the hot Utah Blaze 75-69 to meet in the Big Easy where I think a Jon Bon Jovi less yet Jaws full Soul will outplay the Rattlers 79-73 tonight, a decision made by the leagues historical committee is what has left us a little hard to it. Downtown Eddie Brown was selected by the Arena Football League as its greatest player of all time by 136 and 0 1st place votes to the 135 and 3 1st place votes of Barry Wagner, the reason this seems not so right and somewhat wrong is that Arenaball has always been the underdog football game for the underdog football player, owner and fan, Brown being an Offensive Specialist only makes him a one dimensional player whereas with Wagner being a Wide Receiver and Linebacker keeps with the Ironman both sides of the ball play you remember Arenaball was all to be.

Not only this, Wagner was a 7 time AFL Ironman of the Year award winner and voted onto the All Arena team 7 years in a row from 1992 to 1997 with Orlando and San Jose. was a key component in the famous "Miracle Minute", in which he scored two touchdowns, two two-point conversions, recovered an onside kick and made a key defensive stop for the Predators, all in the final minute of a 1992 game against the Detroit Drive only to lose to the Drive in Arena Bowl VI 56-38 at the O Arena for the last year of Arenaball in Motown, though would win with Orlando in Arena Bowl XII at the Ice against the Tampa Bay Storm 62-31.

Then over with the Sabercats, Wagner went on to help the Sabrecats win both ArenaBowl XVI 52-14 at Hewlett Packard Pavilion and XVIII 69-62 at America West Arena each against the Arizona Rattlers. This is not the second time Arenaball has dishonoured the star grad from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University Bulldogs, when the twenthieth season also placed Brown ahead of Wagner as the Arenaball greatest player of all time, the same year he was cut by the practice squad of the Tampa Bay Storm thus joining the Daytona Beach Thunder of the World Indoor Football League and one whom Arenaball Hall of Fame head coach to be Iowa Barnstormers, Chicago Rush and Albany Firebirds Mike Hohensee has called "the prototypical Arena Football player" and "best two way player that played the game." One almost feels as though the leagues historical committee may as well have selected Kurt Warner as their greatest player of all time, at least Arenaball could at least get a financial bounce from such a decision.

Majestic State of Montana neither racist nor redneck

The word on the street down Fox News way says Montana Democrat Governor Brian Schweitzer believes some constituents of the Treasure State are racist and redneck, especially those from around the 45 years of age demographic, which is why new legislation should start with the young, early enough and target the tender child with its cultural and societal change.

As one who usually visits the Paradise Valley, Livingston and Yellowstone River region of this great state around now ever other year or so with the majority of our American family still over there, although we are not fully part of the privileged white majority with a native background from mixed Blackfoot, Cree and Ojibway traditions all the way Pacific North West from Spokane Washington to Old Father De Smet Mission of the Sacred Heart Idaho or Cataldo and Coeur De Alene Idaho then traced to various reservation lands in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, I still believe my own Montana is not the Montana that Schweitzer has come to lose hope in, wants to change and progress away from its traditions.

For him to compare it with the historic walk from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama is not fair, though again I agree with the intent behind the Indian Education for All Montana Code Annotated 20-1-501 legislation, however we must never allow the importance of American indigenous cultural heritage and education to trump the everlasting lifelong freedoms, liberties and the pursuit of happiness of those others.

Jean Charest is just another Robert Bourassa during these political games

While it may be that Jean Charest is just another Robert Bourassa in his mind, looking for that Olympic federalist wave of patriotic sentiment, as in 1976 when Bourassa looked to gain in an November election with the golds won by the majority of Francophone Canadian athletes during the August games in Montréal and now Charest has an election during the games in London. Or perhaps like another Jean, Lesage he will recreate another René Lévesque, possibly from the environmental natural resources file and probably from within? With his high anglo blood flowing, one can see a sprinkle of Daniel Johnson Junior on top of this English muffin, though honesty would find this to be an Irish Quebecer in John James!

Now that all of Stephen Harper, Jean Chretien and of course Brian Mulroney have all in different shapes, means and ways have shown their approval of Charest, his government and style of governance being autocratic, antidemocratic and federalist. However, this is a mix that seems to propel the greatest and most powerful leaders of the Dominion, especially in la belle province such as Pierre Elliot Trudeau one could argue. Until there is another constititional crisis in Canada, which is soon to be coming as this general election will prove, Charest will always be Louis Alexandre Taschereau during these days of peace as we enter warlike times politically.

My question is, just as we see newly minted Coalition Avenir Québec party leader François Legault from the high powered powderkeg portfolio of education or healthcare when in Official Leader of the Opposition Pauline Marois' Parti Québécois, trying hard to become a reincarnation of Maurice Duplessis. Who is his Claude Ryan in this case using another high powered powderkeg portfolio like labour, to create a franken hyper version of the old Péquistes against Prime Minister Trudeau battles from years past, revised perhaps into a new Caquistes versus Prime Minister Harper wars of the future if tides have changed and the waves maintain, as I would highly doubt the Torontonian Lise Thériault to be it?