Great news on the cinematic front. Peter Jackson will be making the film version of The Hobbit.

Peter Jackson has won the battle for Middle-earth and is to make The Hobbit.

The Oscar-winning Wellington film-maker and Hollywood studios New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios announced today that they had resolved their legal dispute. Jackson and partner Fran Walsh will serve as executive producers on two Hobbit movies.

Pre-production will begin as soon as possible and both will be shot simultaneously, tentatively in 2009. The Hobbit is likely to be released in 2010 and the sequel in 2011.

I’m pleased to hear that Jackson’s masterful interpretation of Middle Earth will continue – but I do have one question. A sequel? What sequel? What sequel is the sequel to The Hobbit?

Posted by: Greg at 10:58 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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My God – is the woman really this stupid?

The hotel heiress was so enamoured with the two dwarf actors - who were dressed as the blue cartoon characters to promote Haribo's new Smurf sweets at a Christmas market in, Berlin, Germany - she asked if she could take them home with her.

A source said: "When Paris saw the guys on the sweet stall she squealed. We heard her saying, 'Oh my, real life Smurfs. I always wanted one when I was a kid', before turning to her pal and asking, 'Can I take them home?'

"Then she added 'I didn't realise this is where they came from'."

“I didn’t realize this is where they came from?” You must be freakin’ kidding. Nobody is this far out of contact with reality. Surely this has to be a put on. At least I hope it is.

Posted by: Greg at 10:56 AM | Comments (94) | Add Comment
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So much for the integrity of the Mitchell Report.

One active major league player was able to keep his name out of the former Senator George J. MitchellÂ’s report on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, even though Mitchell had evidence that he bought them, Mitchell said in an interview Friday.

The unidentified player offered persuasive evidence that he had disposed of the drugs without using them, Mitchell said one day after releasing a roughly 400-page report critical of baseballÂ’s drug testing program. The report named about 90 players who were linked to the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

"Persuasive evidence"? Like what? And did he buy such drugs from others? Did he report those who he bought this set of drugs from? If you are going to name names, then you need to name them all. I'm curious what other little frauds and deceptions George Mitchell included in his report.

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Roger Clemens. Andy Petite.

Seeing those two names in the report crushed a lot of spirits here in their home town -- especially after the exciting seasons we had with the two men playing here. But of greater concern to many of us is the presence of Miguel Tejada, who the Houston Astros acquired just Wednesday.

A 21-month investigation into use of performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball concluded Thursday a culture of secrecy and permissiveness gave rise to a "steroids era" in the game that included some of its biggest names, most prominent among them superstar pitcher Roger Clemens.

The report criticized team officials across the league who did little to police their own clubhouses and high-ranking officials in management and the players' union which, the report said, had little motivation to interfere with the surging popularity and economic growth experienced by the game over the last decade. It spread blame for the rise of the use of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone in baseball among the players, team officials, the union and Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig.

"Everyone involved in baseball over the past two decades -- commissioners, club officials, the players association, and players -- shares to some extent in the responsibility for the steroids era," the report said. "There was a collective failure to recognize the problem as it emerged and to deal with it early on. As a result, an environment developed in which illegal use became widespread."

Among the most prominent current and former players fingered in the report were Barry Bonds, Miguel Tejada, Gary Sheffield, Andy Pettitte, Rafael Palmeiro and Mark McGwire.

"Players who used [performance-enhancing] substances were wrong," the report said. "They violated federal law and baseball policy, and they distorted the fairness of competition by trying to gain an unfair advantage."

The problem, of course, is that none of these players really has the ability to fight the charges made in the Mitchell report. There won't be any day in court, nor will there be any sort of due process for those accused. That troubles me -- especially given the intimate involvement of federal prosecutors in the investigation that culminated in this report. Indeed, it appears that only Barry Bonds will ever get a chance to present a legal defense to charges related to steroid use.

Regardless, though, I still hope that the game can be redeemed by this report, and the response to it.

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I've never made a secret for my love of rodeo -- indeed, the one positive thing about the approaching end of the football season is that it brings me that much closer to RodeoHouston this spring. And right now its time for the National Finals Rodeo, the event that caps off the year for the sport that grew out of the everyday skills of the American cowboy.

The New York Times covers it today.

Just as they did in the 1882, when Buffalo Bill Cody organized the first major rodeo, in North Platte, Neb., cowboys rope calves, ride rough stock and wrestle steers. Life for a cowboy, however, does not get much better than the 10 days they spend here each December chasing the biggest pot of the year at the National Finals Rodeo.

It means that after 80 or so rodeos, they are one of the top 15 competitors in their discipline. It means that after more than 270 days on the road driving four cowboys to a truck and sleeping two to a room — or often a tent — they finally receive their own accommodations.

And at the lower levels of the sport, that is exactly the case every weekend. But at the NFR -- not to mention here in Houston -- you see the best of the best competing for incredible amounts of cash. That is where the living is sweet -- though the risk is high. Certainly the physical toll that the sport takes is every bit as high as football -- except that there is no such thing as a penalty flag on a bucking horse, nor does a bull stop its spinning and bucking after 8 seconds. And yet these men keep on enduring the pain for one more shot at the gold buckle and a check.

Indeed, I've got only one complaint about the article. Why pick this picture to be the first thing you see about the story?

I can tell you that there would have been plenty of American flags and probably 49 other state flags presented in an identical fashion. Why play up the one with the Confederate Battle Flag so prominently displayed? Is it a sign that someone with the NYT wanted to surreptitiously present an editorial opinion about rodeo and its enthusiasts? Or was this really the best that they had?

Posted by: Greg at 11:16 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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This is going to turn out to be an ugly day for Major League Baseball -- and yet it may also begin the redemption of the game.

The headquarters for George J. MitchellÂ’s investigation into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball has been the DLA Piper law offices in Midtown Manhattan, right next to Rockefeller Center and only blocks from the Park Avenue offices of Major League Baseball. On Tuesday, as MitchellÂ’s 20-month investigation drew to a conclusion, it was Major League Baseball that was on the move, as officials from the sport went to the DLA Piper offices to get a look at the report.

What it contains will be officially revealed Thursday, when Mitchell holds a 2 p.m. news conference in Manhattan. Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig will hold a separate news conference across town at 4:30 p.m. to discuss the report's findings. But two people who are familiar with MitchellÂ’s investigation, and his findings, said that the report would contain the names of more than 50 active and former major league players who are linked to the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

More than 50.

Wow.

Not that anyone will be surprised by that number -- or by some of the names that surface. We've watched some of these folks have freakish growth spurts (paging Barry Bonds) over the years, and so we have a good idea who they are. Others have admitted using these drugs.

The question, ultimately, is one of rectifying past abuses and setting the course for a clean future. Here's hoping that we will see some penalties for those involved in this scandal -- and a continued commitment to the new penalties that have been imposed in recent years. Maybe I'll start going to games again.

Posted by: Greg at 10:53 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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As a kid, I cheered Jack Pardee as a player for the Washington Redskins when he was a part of the "Over the Hill Gang". Later, when he was coaching the Chicago Bears, I got to meet him (and his team's budding young superstar, a running back named Walter Payton) when the team was using a drill hall at Great Lakes boot camp during a cold snap. And I've always had a soft spot for any team he is coaching. For that reason alone, I'm excited about this possible comeback.

For University of Houston athletic director Dave Maggard, the search goes on for a football coach to replace Art Briles. But a person with knowledge of the situation said that it has been narrowed to two candidates — former NFL and Cougars coach Jack Pardee and Notre Dame offensive coordinator Michael Haywood.

Pardee said Tuesday he had not been offered the job, and Haywood could not be reached for comment. Maggard would not comment on the situation, saying only that "there is still a lot of work to do."

Now either of these guys would be a good choice as head coach, but I personally like the choice of Pardee. And i like this coaching staff.

Pardee's projected staff would reportedly include current assistants Jason Phillips (wide receivers), Bubba McDowell (cornerbacks), Tony Fitzpatrick (defensive line) and Thurmond, with newcomers like former SMU assistant Ronnie Vinklarek (offensive line), Tomball High's Tommy Kaiser (S-backs and special teams), Arlington Bowie coach Kenny Perry (safeties) and former Cougars quarterback David Klingler (offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach).

Pardee said the staff would have a good blend of experience and youthful enthusiasm.

Not only that, but it is also a good blend of what has been a very successful coaching staff under the team's former coach and new coaches who will introduce new perspectives and talents. the presence of both continuity and change would be good for teh Cougars -- and might just propel them back tot he heights that they reached under Jack Pardee two decades ago.

Posted by: Greg at 11:01 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Or maybe he will just need to cower in isolation for the whole time.

Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison Monday for running a "cruel and inhumane" dogfighting ring and lying about it.

The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback could have been sentenced up to five years by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Vick, who turned himself in Nov. 19 in anticipation of his sentence, was wearing a black-and-white striped prison suit.

After Vick apologized to the court and his family, Hudson told him: "You need to apologize to the millions of young people who looked up to you."

"Yes, sir," Vick answered.

The 27-year-old player acknowledged using "poor judgment" and added, "I'm willing to deal with the consequences and accept responsibility for my actions."

Although there is no parole in the federal system, rules governing time off for good behavior could reduce Vick's prison stay by about three months, resulting in a summer 2009 release.

Probably hoping to be back for the 2009 season. Let's hope the NFL has other plans. I'm certain that NFL fans – especially those of us who buy the tickets and actually go to the games – don't care to see him back on the field.

Posted by: Greg at 10:33 PM | Comments (22) | Add Comment
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Unbelievable.

Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor has died from the gunshot wound he suffered early Monday when he was shot in his Miami home.

"He did not make it through the night," said Taylor's attorney, Richard Sharpstein, who called the incident "a ridiculous unnecessary tragedy."

Taylor died in the Miami hospital where he was taken after being shot once in the leg early Monday morning. The bullet severed his femoral artery. Police are investigating the shooting as a possible home invasion.

Taylor's death comes after what had been interpreted as optimistic signs following hours of surgery.

Taylor had squeezed a doctor's hand and made facial expressions early Monday evening, Redskins officials and a family friend said, providing some hope after he emerged from seven hours of surgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital. He had been "unresponsive and unconscious" until that point and doctors had feared possible brain injury or death, according to Taylor's attorney, Richard Sharpstein.

Signs had seemed good up to that point, but I guess the reports were overly optimistic. It will be interesting to find out why the reality was so different from what we all thought.

My deepest sympathies to Taylor's family and teammates.

Posted by: Greg at 11:31 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Of all the absurd marketing strategies I've encountered in my life, this has to be the most arrogant.

Comcast, the nation's largest cable company, has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the NFL Network demanding the channel's representatives stop encouraging fans to leave the cable provider.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, the outspoken chairman of the league's NFL Network committee, has urged customers of Comcast and other large cable providers who don't carry the network on a basic tier to switch to satellite or other cable services that do.

The channel's IWantNFLNetwork.com website includes a box titled "MAKE THE SWITCH." Above a field to enter a zip code, the text reads, "Switch to a TV provider that will bring you NFL Network, not hold you hostage."

The letter, dated Monday, contends that such actions violate the contract between the network and Comcast.

The only problem is that Comcast is supposed to be carrying the NFL Network as a basic cable station, but has instead packaged it as a premium challenge. The NFL, seeking to serve the fans, is urging them to shop around for their product and purchase it where they get the best deal -- a strategy which will bring them more fans.

By the way, Comcast -- your service here in Houston has sucked so bad since you took over from TimeWarner that I'm considering a change anyway -- but the NFL Network issue will be a factor in my decision on which alternate provider to get my service from.

Posted by: Greg at 03:39 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Let's honor every one of them.

We need to take this one viral, folks. If you've got a website site, put it up.

By the way, the alternative rock group 3 Doors Down is openly supportive of our military, as shown in this earlier video.

H/T Ragnar of The Jawa Report

Posted by: Greg at 12:46 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Looks like that home run ball may need to be branded with prison stripes, not just an asterisk.

Barry Bonds, who holds two of baseballÂ’s most cherished records, was indicted in San Francisco today on four counts of perjury in connection with his testimony about his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

He was also indicted on one count of obstruction of justice. The charges stem from his testimony to a federal grand jury in December 2003 when he denied knowingly taking steroids.

Whispers about Mr. Bonds’s record-setting performances — becoming the career home-run leader with 762 and the single-season record-holder with 73 home runs in 2001 — grew louder because of his links with the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative. The lab, also known as Balco, has been the subject of a federal investigation on illegal steroid use. Other athletes, including the former track star Marion Jones, have pleaded guilty in connection with the case. Ms. Jones recently returned the five medals she had won in the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.

But Mr. Bonds’s lawyer, Mike Rains, said: “I am utterly confident that this case will absolutely dissipate when the misconduct of the government comes to the forefront in this case. Barry is innocent of the charges, this is ridiculous.”

So let's see.

Bonds testified that he didn't knowingly take steroids.

He's now been indicted for perjury because of that testimony.

If he is convicted, that should be a sufficient basis to conclude that he did, in fact knowingly take steroids.

Seems to me that should be a sufficient basis for MLB to ban him from further connection with baseball, and from the Hall of Fame. Heck, one could legitimately argue that it is sufficient grounds to nullify his home run records.

Posted by: Greg at 10:56 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Maybe she can get them into the same ritzy rehab that she and her Hollywood pals spend time in.

Paris Hilton is being praised by conservationists for highlighting the problem of binge-drinking elephants in northeastern India.

Activists said a celebrity endorsement such as Hilton's was sure to raise awareness of the plight of the pachyderms that get drunk on farmers' homemade rice beer and then go on a rampage.

"The elephants get drunk all the time. It is becoming really dangerous. We need to stop making alcohol available to them," the 26- year-old socialite said in a report posted on World Entertainment News Network's Web site. Her comments were picked up by other Web sites and newspapers around the globe.

Last month, six wild elephants that broke into a farm in the state of Meghalaya were electrocuted after drinking the potent brew and then uprooting an electricity pole.

"There would have been more casualties if the villagers hadn't chased them away. And four elephants died in a similar way three years ago. It is just so sad," Hilton was quoted as saying in Tokyo last week. She was in Tokyo to judge a beauty contest.

Gee, if only she could, like help some, you know, people. Instead she appears to want AA for elephants.

Posted by: Greg at 12:36 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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You know, given Cruise's frequent box office failures.

Tom Cruise’s new film “Lions for Lambs” didn’t even crack the top three at the box office, and “Tom is not happy,” says a source close to the actor. “Lions,” Cruise’s first release since “Mission Impossible: III,” is also the first film to come from Cruise and Paula Wagner’s United Artists studio.

“Tom wanted to really hit a home run with his first United Artists movie,” says another source. “It was more about how the industry was going to view him than the moviegoing public that Tom was worried about.”

Oh, I see. it isn't how the little people who buy tickets to the movies view him. Rather, it is how the insiders in the motion picture industry view him that matters.

Could that be why he stars in movies that are critical and commercial failures as often as he stars in hits?

And could that attitude explain why Hollywood really doesn't attract viewers like it used to? After all, when the consumer doesn't matter to the producers, the result is lower sales.

Posted by: Greg at 11:10 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Here's a neat story about high school football, and how a small town program has become a source of pride for a local community.

Their photos are on the cards traded over at the elementary school, and their exploits are on the lips of the old men who gather at the Second Cup Cafe each morning. They are the sons and grandsons of this north Kansas town, and for 30 autumns now, the Smith Center Redmen have puffed up the chests of folks here.

They are a high school football team, a superb one that has won 51 games in a row and three consecutive state championships, and has outscored opponents this season, 704-0. They are more than that, however, to the 1,931 people here who all know one anotherÂ’s names: The Redmen are proof that hard work and accountability still mean something.

The trading cards, for example, are not about hero worship. Each player and cheerleader signs a contract pledging to remain alcohol-, drug- and tobacco-free. If they break that promise, they must go to the elementary school to explain to the children why they were kicked off their team, and their cards are revoked.

Interest in the town’s youth is not limited to worshipful talk in its cafes, either. As many adults cruise Main Street as teenagers on weekends, and the Jiffy Burger remains a nexus for three generations of Smith Center denizens — except for Friday night, of course, when the Redmen (10-0) will travel to Oakley (11-0) to face the Plainsmen in a playoff game.

“What we do around here real well is raise kids,” Smith Center Coach Roger Barta said. “In fact, we do such a good job at it — and I’m talking about the parents and community — that they go away to school and succeed, and then pursue opportunities in the bigger cities.

“None of this is really about football,” he added. “We’re going to get scored on eventually, and lose a game, and that doesn’t mean anything. What I hope we’re doing is sending kids into life who know that every day means something.”

I've noticed the connection between athletics and making responsible citizens. At the school where I teach, athletes are held to a high standard, and we have seen well-over a hundred young men reach college on football scholarships that allow them educational opportunities they might not have gotten otherwise. Our other sports programs have had similar, if smaller, success. It sounds like Coach Barta of Smith Center, Kansas, has accomplished something similar with his program, which is as more important in my eyes than the phenomenal athletic success.

I'll be pulling for the Smith Center Redmen this weekend, hoping that they can manage another undefeated season and a 52-0 winning streak -- just as I will with my own school's shot at a seventh straight undefeated regular season.

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Some folks are going to want to make this about a split withing the conservative movement. It is far from it. Instead, it is a simple contract issue.

Five authors have sued the parent company of Regnery Publishing, a Washington imprint of conservative books, charging that the company deprives its writers of royalties by selling their books at a steep discount to book clubs and other organizations owned by the same parent company.

In a suit filed in United States District Court in Washington yesterday, the authors Jerome R. Corsi, Bill Gertz, Lt. Col. Robert (Buzz) Patterson, Joel Mowbray and Richard Miniter state that Eagle Publishing, which owns Regnery, “orchestrates and participates in a fraudulent, deceptively concealed and self-dealing scheme to divert book sales away from retail outlets and to wholly owned subsidiary organizations within the Eagle conglomerate.”

Some of the authors’ books have appeared on the New York Times best-seller list, including “Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry,” by Mr. Corsi and John E. O’Neill (who is not a plaintiff in the suit), Mr. Patterson’s “Dereliction of Duty: The Eyewitness Account of How Bill Clinton Compromised America’s National Security” and Mr. Miniter’s “Shadow War: The Untold Story of How Bush Is Winning the War on Terror.” In the lawsuit the authors say that Eagle sells or gives away copies of their books to book clubs, newsletters and other organizations owned by Eagle “to avoid or substantially reduce royalty payments to authors.”

The authors argue that in reducing royalty payments, the publisher is maximizing its profits and the profits of its parent company at their expense.

I'm not familiar enough with the publishing industry to tell whether the suit has merit or not. I'll be quite interested in seeing what becomes of the case, given Regnery's prominence on the right. But rest assured, the result will not be the end of conservative publishing.

Posted by: Greg at 10:59 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I guess this means that there will be a marked rise in the quality of television programming as the writers of the crap walk the picket line.

Film and TV writers resolved to put down their pens and take up picket signs after last-ditch talks failed to avert a strike.

The first picket lines were set to appear Monday morning at Rockefeller Center in New York, where NBC is headquartered.

In Los Angeles, writers were planning to picket 14 studio locations in four-hour shifts from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day until a new deal is reached.

The contract between the 12,000-member Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producer expired Oct. 31. Talks that began this summer failed to produce much progress on the writers' key demands for a bigger slice of DVD profits and revenue from the distribution of films and TV shows over the Internet.

Writers and producers gathered for negotiations Sunday at the request of a federal mediator.

Neither side seems interested in budging.

And so expect reruns and reality shows.

And an increase in book sales and DVD rentals.

Even better, perhaps the networks could simply go black, raising the quality of their programming even further as Americans realize that they don't miss the garbage at all.

Posted by: Greg at 11:10 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Matt Schaub is out. Sage Rosenfels is in. Depending on how he plays, we may end up with a quarterback controversy here in Houston. But wth Andre Johnson and Andre Davis both injured, do we have enough of an offensive threat for Rosenfels to shine and create that controversy? Or do we drop another game that we should have won due to the lack of depth that all the injuries have exposed? Sadly, I fear that it will be another long day for those of us who cheer for the Houston Texans.

On the other hand, we still have some really hot cheerleaders.

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I've always liked Joe Torre -- and I am glad to see him land on his feet after being dissed by George Steinbrenner.

And what sweet revenge -- manager of the Dodgers!

Joe Torre grew up in Brooklyn rooting against the Dodgers. Now, a half-century after they moved west, heÂ’s their manager.

Torre was hired by Los Angeles to succeed Grady Little on Thursday, taking the job two weeks after walking away from the New York Yankees.

“Joe Torre comes with a great resume,” Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said on a conference call. “What he’s done the last 12 years is as powerful as any manager in recent memory.”

The winningest manager in postseason history, Torre moved from one storied franchise to another, agreeing to a three-year, $13 million contract. He becomes the DodgersÂ’ eighth manager since they left his hometown, where he rooted for the rival New York Giants.

“As a kid growing up, you didn’t like them,” Torre said on WFAN radio in New York before the hiring was announced. “As a player, to me the Dodgers were the Yankees of the National League because ... you either loved them or you hated them.”

There's a little Dodger Blue in every American, and to see Joe Torre end up in Los Angeles seems appropriate. And for hm to manage the two most loved -- and hated -- franchises in America is quite a feat.

Now if he could only have been hired by the Cubs, so that he could have helped them leap forward into the sort of post-season success that they haven't seen in a century.

Posted by: Greg at 10:10 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Why are folks upset over KitnaÂ’s costume?

Detroit Lions quarterback Jon Kitna and his wife dressed up as a naked man and a fast-food drive-through attendant at a teammate's Halloween party, depicting an embarrassing moment for one of the team's assistant coaches.

Now Kitna is getting some flak on local TV and in a newspaper column. Kitna said he was just trying to have fun, but regrets the scrutiny the costumes created.
"If I would've known this, I wouldn't have done it because I didn't want to try to bring attention to it," Kitna said Wednesday while surrounded by reporters and television cameras.

Defensive line coach Joe Cullen pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct and guilty to impaired driving after he was arrested twice last year, once in August 2006 after police said he was driving nude through a Wendy's drive-through lane, and a week later when they said he was driving under the influence of alcohol.

Especially since the butt of his joke doesnÂ’t seem too troubled by the Halloween silliness.

"When we talked yesterday, the first question out of his mouth was, `Did you win?' He seemed to not have a problem with it."

I’m curious – had he appeared as Senator Larry Craig, would there have been this controversy? And let’s be honest here – if this is the worst dirt you can dig up on Kitna, there really isn’t anything to complain about. No guns, no dead dogs, no drugs. Lighten up, folks.

Posted by: Greg at 10:02 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I love the Harry Potter books. I was quite sad to see them end. And I wept at the death of Albus Dumbledore in the sixth book of the epic series.

And so I ask this question with all due respect to the incredibly talented author -- why do you find it necessary to make this announcement, and why now, given its seeming irrelevance to the story?

Harry Potter fans, the rumors are true: Albus Dumbledore, master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay. J.K. Rowling, author of the mega-selling fantasy series that ended last summer, outed the beloved character Friday night while appearing before a full house at Carnegie Hall.

After reading briefly from the final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," she took questions from audience members.

She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true love."

"Dumbledore is gay," the author responded to gasps and applause.

She then explained that Dumbledore was smitten with rival Gellert Grindelwald, whom he defeated long ago in a battle between good and bad wizards. "Falling in love can blind us to an extent," Rowling said of Dumbledore's feelings, adding that Dumbledore was "horribly, terribly let down."

Dumbledore's love, she observed, was his "great tragedy."

Frankly, it seems to me that this adds nothing to the story. And while it answers a question about his family (or lack thereof), I don't see where the detail really matters. Rowling really included nothing that can be seen as contributing to this conclusion in the books themselves (my reading of the final novel left me understanding that the "great tragedy" was his role in his sister's death).

Is there any particular reason that Dumbledore should not be gay? No, there is not, and given my high regard for the gay educators I work with I have no problem with a gay man in the position of headmaster. But because of the nature of the the role that Dumbledore fills in the story, I do not see any particular reason that his sexuality is even relevant. I fail to see the information as enriching the story in any manner. As such, I argue that Rowling ought to have remained silent in regard to this particular detail.

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Posted by: Greg at 08:12 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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The television as we have always known it is no longer available at one retailer.

The nation's largest consumer electronics chain says it has pulled all analog televisions off store shelves. Flat panel and high-definition screens have taken their place.

Beginning in February 2009, broadcasters plan to stop transmitting analog signals, although people with older sets can still get programming via special converter boxes, set-top box or direct satellite.

The Minneapolis-based chain says it told its stores to stop selling the products at the beginning of the month.

More than 60 million U.S. households currently rely on an antennas or analog cable. Cable operators are required to guarantee their customers will receive broadcast channels until February 2012.

After the first of the year, the government will be making available coupons that can be used to buy converter boxes. Best Buy will sell coupon-eligible converter boxes starting early next year.

As one of those folks with nothing but analog sets in my home and analog cable running into it, I'm not happy with the upcoming change. But Best Buy is making a responsible decision (something i rarely say -- I hate Best Buy) in light of the upcoming change in broadcast standards.

Posted by: Greg at 10:08 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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No mention of God allowed in Radio Disney ads for a new movie – The Ten Commandments.

It's a movie about the Bible, but family-friendly Disney Co. is moving heaven and earth to make sure the word "God" is stricken from some advertisements promoting an upcoming animated film on Moses and the Ten Commandments.

Radio Disney was to broadcast a radio spot for Promenade Pictures, makers of the film "The Ten Commandments," but the company sent an e-mail earlier this month instructing that the phrase "chosen by God" be stripped from the script.
"Our BS&P [Broadcast Standards and Procedures] said Both scripts need to include the studio mention and omit the following line: CHOSEN BY GOD.... Please let me know if you have any questions," reads the e-mail, sent Oct. 2 to Promenade media buyer Casey Baker by Radio Disney Network sales.

The network claims that the problem isn’t the mention of God, and that there is no prohibition on religious references in their BS&P – but the letter says otherwise.

I’ll definitely see the movie – indeed, I may make it the first I have seen in a theater in at least three years – but I think I’ll continue a personal boycott of Disney products.

Posted by: Greg at 09:27 PM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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An interesting question, if he is really filing for President.

t has become something of a cliche: politicians launching their electoral campaigns on late-night talk shows, in a calculated attempt at hipness.
But a late-night comic announcing his presidential candidacy on a late-night talk show - now that is a hall-of-mirrors maneuver worthy of Stephen Colbert. The man known to viewers for his portrayal of a fulminating right-wing blowhard said on Comedy Central on Tuesday night that he will be a candidate in his native South Carolina.

* * *

Colbert, who in real life is a Democrat, said he would file papers to run in both parties' primaries.

It is hard to take the guy seriously in any event, but if he is going to make a run, shouldnÂ’t the equal time rules apply across the board?

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I'm expecting quite a dust-up in Jacksonville, as my Texans take on the Jaguars in an AFC South battle. By the way -- all teams in the AFC South are over 500 right now.

Here's how CBS analyzes the matchup.

This team owned the Jags last year -- even as we played played a poor season. I think that we can do it again, although injuries may make it difficult. My guess is that this is a game won by a margin of 7 points of less -- and I won't predict the winner.

Posted by: Greg at 06:00 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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If he insists upon proclaiming wearing his bigotry and anti-Semitism as a badge of pride and honor, then this German soccer player should not be permitted to participate in any international competition, now or in the future.

The tensions in the Middle East seem to have influenced the decision of Iranian-born German international soccer player Ashkan Dejagah's decision not to travel with the national Under-21 squad for a match in Israel.

Dejagah, who plays for Bundesliga club VfB Wolfsburg, asked his national team managers to withdraw him from Germany's European Championship qualifier against Israel, to be played in Tel Aviv on Friday, citing "personal reasons."

"He came to us citing personal reasons that seemed very plausible," DFB spokesman Jens Grittner said in a statement.

Dejagah was quoted by mass-circulation tabloid daily Bild as saying his motive was cultural.

"I have more Iranian than German blood in my veins," he said in a report published Tuesday. "That should be respected, and besides I'm doing this out of respect. My parents are Iranian."

Dejagah was born in Tehran, but later moved with his parents to Germany. He holds a German passport.

The decision on his part is outrageous, and based upon the hateful tenets of the rogue regime of his homeland and the hateful tenets of the Islamist religious cult he follows. Given GermanyÂ’s history, it is incumbent upon the German government to boot this Islamo-Nazi from the national team -- and from the country, revoking his German passport in the process.

Posted by: Greg at 01:44 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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That is my response after he was responsible for no fewer than16 of the 22 points scored by the Houston Texans today -- including two 54-yard field goals and the game-winning 57-yarder that won the game with just seconds to go.

Kris Brown kicked a 57-yard field goal with one second left — his third of at least 54 yards — to help the Texans escape with a 22-19 victory over Miami at Reliant Stadium.

Brown had kicked four field goals of 54, 43, 54 and 20 yards to keep the Texans in the game when the offense bogged down. He tied an NFL record with three field goals of at least 50 yards.

The Texans' offense was limited to one touchdown for the second game in a row against a winless team.

The Texans are now 3-2 and Miami 0-5. It feels like the Texans lost because they played so poorly against a terrible team.

The defense finally forced a turnover, but the offense capitalized with a field goal, not a touchdown. The defense couldn't stop Ronnie Brown. It couldn't contain Cleo Lemon, the backup quarterback who replaced the injured Trent Green.

Green left the game after suffering a concussion when he blocked Travis Johnson on a reverse. Green went low on a reverse by Ted Ginn Jr. His head hit Johnson's knee, and he didn't get up. Green, who was able to move his legs, suffered a concussion. He was taken off the field on a stretcher and was taken to the hospital.

Other than Kris Brown, there are only to bits of good news coming out of this game -- we will hopefully have both Ahman Green and Andre Johnson back next week, and Trent Green was reported back in the Dolphin's locker room after going off that field in a fashion reminiscent of Cedric Killings' departure against Indianapolis.

I'll take the win -- but this one was sadly reminiscent of the 2004 and 2006 seasons. God grant that I never have to compare this team's play to 2005 season.

Posted by: Greg at 10:30 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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The Texans go for their third win of the season -- after coming frighteningly close to beating the Indianapolis Colts in a game marked by massive injuries to the Texans offense. And Texans QB Matt Schaub has something to prove to the team where he would have been starting this season if they hadn't traded him in the off season.

Better quarterback. Better defense. Texans win.

Posted by: Greg at 06:00 AM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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It was a first that went unnoted at the time -- but which began a practice that is quite common today.

The play was 48 Toss, and 30 years later, Dick Vermeil remembers it as if he called it last Sunday. Herb Lusk took a pitch from Ron Jaworski, headed around left end and breezed unscathed 70 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown. Four steps over the goal line at Giants Stadium, the Philadelphia Eagles' running back rewrote the playbook. Alone in the end zone, with a crowd of 48,824 looking on, he celebrated with a gesture in what has since become a watershed moment in American sports.

With little ceremony and no advance warning, Lusk kept his eyes straight, dropped to his left knee and bowed his head in prayer. A few seconds later, he stood back up and returned to the sideline, his legacy sealed.

"Herb Lusk was the first NFL player to kneel in the end zone and pray," said Steve Sabol, president of NFL Films, which has footage of more than 9,000 games played since 1894.

No one doubts the sincerity of Lusk's action -- his faith was well-known to others in the NFL. The prayer was not particularly noted at the time. But it opened the floodgates to such religious moments -- something about which I have mixed emotions.

I'm glad to see folks be open about hteir faith.

I'm less pleased about the fact that some of those who engage in such public prayer appear to "talk the talk" during the game but don't particularly "walk the walk" off the field.

Posted by: Greg at 09:42 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Smoking pot while awaiting sentencing and subject to drug testing – how freakin’ stupid can you get?

A federal judge placed tighter restrictions on Michael Vick on Wednesday after the Atlanta Falcons quarterback tested positive for marijuana.
Because of the result, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson placed special conditions on VickÂ’s release, including restricting him to his home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with electronic monitoring and ordering him to submit to random drug testing.

The urine sample was submitted Sept. 13, according to a document by a federal probation officer that was filed in U.S. District Court on Wednesday.

This could result in a longer sentence for Vick, because the judge can take such violations of release conditions into account when determining the amount of time he must serve.

I wonder – will this violation lead to an additional suspension by the NFL under its drug policy after his release from prison (state or federal, as the case may be) and reinstatement in the NFL?

Posted by: Greg at 10:33 AM | Comments (20) | Add Comment
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Hearts stopped and more than a few prayers were said at Reliant Stadium Sunday as Houston Texans DT Cedric Killings was removed from the field on a stretcher after what was clearly a serious injury. Those prayers seem to have been answered.

When Texans defensive tackle Cedric Killings stood up next to his bed Monday morning, the doctors and hospital personnel applauded. All indications point toward Killings eventually walking out of Methodist Hospital.

But there are a number of questions surrounding Killings' future as he tries to recover from a fractured vertebra. Killings, who initially had no feelings in his arms or legs, fractured his C-4 vertebra in the second quarter when he collided with Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Roy Hall on a kickoff return.

Team doctors said Monday that Killings, 29, has complete movement in his both of his legs, but his hands remain weak and so does his left arm. They said they are waiting to see if that changes in the coming days.

The C-4 is one of two vertebrae fractured by Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett two weeks ago. Everett is rehabilitating at Memorial Hermann Hospital, and has only limited motor function in his arms and legs. He is not yet able to walk.

The Bills' Everett is a local boy, so the Killings injury hit home for a lot of us in the stadium who immediately thought of the incident only two weeks ago. I'm thrilled to hear that Killings is doing better -- and that Everett is near to friends and family, and on the slow road to recovery.

Unfortunately, we have some other injury news that may have more of an immediate impact on the season, one that saw the Texans off to a strong start after five years of less-than-mediocrity.

Center Steve McKinney cannot believe the timing of it all. During five losing — and often hopeless — seasons, McKinney was on the offensive line trying to help lift the Texans to respectability.

If the Texans finally do record their first winning record this season, McKinney will be forced to watch from the sidelines.

During the 30-24 loss to the Colts on Sunday, McKinney suffered the first serious injury of his NFL career when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He must undergo season-ending surgery, and will be replaced in the starting lineup by 12-year veteran Mike Flanagan.

The loss of McKinney will be keenly felt, for he is a great performer on the field and a team leader.

And he isn't the only injury that will impact the starting lineup.

Coach Gary Kubiak said he is confident backup running back Ron Dayne (bruised ribs) will be able to play this weekend against Atlanta.

Ahman Green, who hasn't finished the last two games with a bruised knee, received positive news from an MRI, but said he doesn't know if he will be able to play Sunday. Tests revealed no damage to the knee.

"It's just sore," Green said. "(The MRI showed) nothing bad, just swelling. I'm grateful for that."

Kubiak said Green bruised the knee against Kansas City in the season opener, and it has gotten worse.

He is hopeful Green will start. If not, Dayne will fill in and Samkon Gado will back him up.

Of more immediate concern is the wide receiver position. Jacoby Jones will be out two to three weeks with a separated shoulder. He started the first game of his career against the Colts, filling in for Andre Johnson, who is out with a knee sprain.

Johnson will not return this week, either. Sunday was the first time he was allowed to bend his knee since suffering the sprain Sept. 16 against the Carolina Panthers.

Johnson sprained the posterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his left knee, and must wait until they both heal.

"It's like I'm learning to walk normally again," Johnson said. "I've been in a brace for the whole week. Now, I have slack in my brace where I can bend my knee."

Fortunately, we seem likely to get WR Andre Davis back after his finger injury.

But let's be honest -- we need Johnson, Green, and Jacoby back to bolster an offense that has done a good job in the opening weeks of the season. They are performers for the Texans, and without them the talent pool is definitely a bit shallower.

Posted by: Greg at 10:37 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Looks like he may have state time to do, too.

The prosecutor in the county where Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has admitted to bankrolling a dogfighting operation plans to present evidence to the grand jury, Tuesday, that could possibly lead to an indictment.

"Yes, I'm presenting matters to the grand jury that involve dogfighting at 1915 Moonlight Road," Surry County Commonwealth Attorney Gerald G. Poindexter told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Monday night.

* * *

Poindexter couldn't detail the exact indictments he will pursue, but said the local investigation and the federal investigation largely focused on different crimes.

"The killing of dogs is one of those statutory prohibitions. Dogfighting is a crime, the mistreatment of animals is a crime, so you could take your pick, or take them all," Poindexter said before cutting the conversation short. "I don't have anything else to say about it. I'm through with it. Hopefully it's coming to an end."

The real question, other than the nature of the state charges, is whether the sentence will be served concurrently with or consecutively to the federal sentence that has yet to be imposed. If the latter, Michael Vick could find himself doing significantly longer prison time than he expected.

UPDATE: Vick indicted on state charges.

Michael Vick and three co-defendants were indicted by a grand jury Tuesday on state charges related to a dogfighting ring operated on Vick's Virginia property.

Vick, who already pleaded guilty in federal court to a dogfighting conspiracy charge and is awaiting sentencing Dec. 10, was indicted on one count of beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and one count of engaging in or promoting dogfighting. Each count is a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.

And since these are state charges, there should not be any question of double jeopardy.

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Can the Texans make it 3-0 this week? The loss of Andre Johnson is a problem, though, and the Colts are dominant. Still, a much-less talented Houston team beat the Colts last year as they prepared for their Super bowl run.

CBS had disabled embedding for the YouTube analysis of the game, but you can see it here.

In the mean time, here is another analysis for you.

This is a nationally televised this week, so let's hope they acquit themselves well and pull another miracle out of their hat.

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Oklahoma State University QB Bobby Reid is a graduate the high school where I teach. He was really savaged in a column this week by a hack reporter for one of the local papers. Coach Mike Gundy went off about it yesterday.

Bobby Reid is a fine young man. Thank you, Coach Gundy, for standing up for him.

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Posted by: Greg at 02:16 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Let's hope that the rest of the league has the integrity to not offer Barry Bonds a contract.

Barry Bonds was told by the San Francisco Giants that he won't play for them in 2008, he said on his Web site Friday. But baseball's all-time home run leader said he planned on playing somewhere next season.

In a statement, Bonds said: "This journal will be one of my last entries as a San Francisco Giant. Yesterday, I was told by the Giants that they will not be bringing me back for the 2008 season."

Giants owner Peter Magowan told Bonds of the decision in person Thursday night, said Bonds' agent, Jeff Borris.

Frankly, the MLB should have banned Barry Bonds before he passed Hank Aaron with his steroid-enhanced home run number 756*.

And for all you Barry Bonds fans out there, you can kiss my asterisk.

* home run count includes those hit while using illegal performance-enhancing drugs in violation of major league rules -- and which shrunk his package to smaller than that of a six-year-old.

Posted by: Greg at 02:06 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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And no, not based upon your personal faith or lack thereof. Based upon the nature of Western Culture, and America in particular, built upon the foundation of the ministry and mission of Jesus Christ.

I don't know what went through her mind and why she would think that was cutting edge or even funny. But first, I want to actually show you that, in fact, Kathy Griffin is wrong. Jesus had everything to do with her winning that award. And here's the reasoning.

Jesus died on a cross 2,000 years ago. His dying words were, "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do." He died and they buried him in a rock cut tomb. Three days later, as the Bible says, he rose from the dead. That day is what Christians celebrate as Easter.

After the resurrection, Christianity began to take off like wildfire, spreading from the Middle East northward to Europe and westward into Ethiopia. In 300 A.D. Emperor Constantine accepted Christianity and it beccame the religion of Europe. Rome soon became the seat of the faith. After several years of human failings, the church went through conflicts and quite a few unbiblical years — the crusades and the inquisition to name just two. Out of that came the Reformation — the reforming of the Church, sort of a back-to-basics Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Out of the Reformation emerged a vision of law by Samuel Rutherford, called Lex is Rex, Law is King. From that, others devised a secular version that is used to help lay the foundation of government for a new land called America. Ninety-four percent of America's founding era documents mention the Bible; 34 percent quote the Bible directly. The idea of bringing unity to the universal is a particularly Biblical concept.

The freedoms we enjoy in this country to speak freely and to live freely are directly related to that man who died on a cross 2,000 years ago.

So, you see, Kathy Griffin, Jesus has everything to do with you winning that award. You live in a free country where your abilities can be recognized if you're willing to work hard enough. That's at least the dream of America. If you'd been born in many other parts of the world, your daily activity might involve seeking out a way to survive, or even trying to avoid persecution and death. Luxuries like pursuing a career in the entertainment industry would never have been realized; luxuries like being able to insult the founder of a religion of forgiveness and acceptance would not have been possible.

Kathy Griffin, just because you "can" say something, doesn't mean you "should." When you say "suck it, Jesus," you didn't just insult Christianity Â… you insulted the very reason you've prospered

Bravo to FoxNews religion reporter Lauren Green for that analysis.

Posted by: Greg at 09:51 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The CBS preview of this week's game.

While they may be picking the Panthers, i believe the Texans may just squeak out a win -- especially if they get to face David Carr under center for the Panthers for any length of time.

My pick -- Houston 24, Carolina 21

Posted by: Greg at 06:00 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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It is a dumb rule.

But even dumber than the rule is violating it after the repeated warnings given by the NFL to its 32 teams.

The National Football League fined New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick $500,000 yesterday, and the team will forfeit its first-round draft pick in 2008 if it makes the playoffs, for violating league rules Sunday when a Patriots staff member was discovered videotaping signals by Jets coaches during the season opener at the Meadowlands.

The Patriots will be fined $250,000. If they fail to make the playoffs, they will forfeit their second- and third-round picks in 2008.

It is the first time in league history a coach and franchise have been disciplined for videotaping — essentially spying on — opponents. The league’s ire with a team that has won three Super Bowls in six years and that until last week was considered a model of success was obvious in the unprecedented severity of the punishment. No coach has ever been fined such a large amount. Teams have forfeited first-round picks before, sent to other teams as compensation in tampering cases, but no team has ever lost a first-round pick as an outright punishment. No team will receive the draft pick or picks the Patriots will forfeit.

“This episode represents a calculated and deliberate attempt to avoid longstanding rules designed to encourage fair play and promote honest competition on the playing field,” Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a letter to the Patriots.

Quite a penalty for the offense of filming what is done in the open, able to be seen by tens of thousands of fans in the stadium and (potentially) millions on television broadcasts of the game. As such, the notion that there is something wrong with "signal stealing" is rather absurd.

However, this is a rule that has stood for years, and warnings were issued about it just last season. As a result, I have no sympathy for Belichick and the Patriots, despite Goodell's acknowledgment that the taping had not had an effect on the game.

Still, is this a rule that makes sense -- and does it need to be revisited and modified, if not completely stricken from the books?

Posted by: Greg at 09:37 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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After all, these words are nothing if not dripping with hatred and bigotry.

The comedienne didn't go home empty handed, winning Outstanding Reality Program at the 2007 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for her show My Life on the D-List. As planned, Griffin shouted ""Suck it Jesus, this award is my God now!"" from the stage.

Will she have to go into hiding because of death threats? Will her show be cancelled? Will the Academy revoke her award? Will she even find it necessary to apologize for insulting Christians and the Son of God?

Of course not.

But what would have happened if she had dissed Mohammad?

Posted by: Greg at 09:31 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Jane Wyman was a beauty as a young woman. As she aged, she remained a marvelously talented, dignified woman whose grace exuded an inner beauty.

Many forget that, had the circumstances been different, she could have become the First Lady.

Jane Wyman, an Academy Award winner for her performance as the deaf rape victim in "Johnny Belinda," star of the long-running TV series "Falcon Crest" and Ronald Reagan's first wife, died Monday morning at 93.
Wyman died at her Palm Springs home, said Richard Adney of Forest Lawn Memorial Park and Mortuary in Cathedral City. No other details were immediately available.

Wyman's film career spanned from the 1930s, including "Gold Diggers of 1937” to 1969's "How to Commit Marriage," co-starring Bob Hope and Jackie Gleason. From 1981 to 1990 she played Angela Channing, a Napa Valley winery owner who maintained her power with a steely will on "Falcon Crest."

Her marriage in 1940 to fellow Warner Bros. contract player Reagan was celebrated in the fan magazines as one of Hollywood's ideal unions. While he was in uniform during World War II, her career ascended, signaled by her 1946 Oscar nomination for "The Yearling."

The couple divorced in 1948, the year she won the Oscar for "Johnny Belinda." Reagan reportedly cracked to a friend: "Maybe I should name Johnny Belinda as co-respondent."

My personal favorite movie starring Jane Wyman was “Brother Rat”, in which her co-star was none other than her future husband, Ronald Reagan.
Years later, after Reagan had entered politics, Jane Wyman kept silent about her ex-husband and their marriage. She said it was wrong to gossip about ex-husbands and ex-wives. But after his death in 2004, she released a statement that spoke volumes about him in its brevity and sincerity.

"America has lost a great president and a great, kind and gentle man."

And today Hollywood has lost a great actress, but America has gained a beautiful angel in heaven.

And to Michael Reagan and his family, I offer my condolences on the loss of his mother.

Posted by: Greg at 09:28 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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