Blunts, Bloggers, Pens and Hines 86

Let’s see what’s going on…

“Hey Bluz, what do you think about…

…the Blunt Amendment being defeated in the Senate?”  You’d think that something called the Blunt Amendment would have something to do with Snoop Dogg’s recreational proclivities, but in fact, it was an amendment to a transportation bill sponsored by Sen. Roy Blount (R-MO).  The goal was to provide a loophole so that any employer that didn’t agree with birth control would not have to provide it via insurance coverage for his employees.

The amendment, which would essentially gut the birth control mandate, was rejected in a vote that was way closer than it should have been.  The entire point of the mandate was to make sure that everyone had easy access to birth control.  It doesn’t work if there are thousands of loopholes and exceptions for every jagoff that wants to substitute his own morality for that of every one of his employees. 

The accommodation that was agreed to that exempted Catholic church organizations (to have insurance companies pick up the tab) seemed to me to cover the important bases, leaving everyone with most of what they wanted.  But leave it to the Republicans to want more, especially since accepting the accommodation would leave the President with the perception of a victory.  Can’t have that in an election year now, can we?

The fact that we’re still even arguing about birth control in 2012 is very, very disappointing.  I think the Republicans are going to regret stirring up this issue, come November.  (I know I’m going to do MY part…)

…the death of Andrew Breitbart?”   Good riddance.  OK, I don’t really wish death on anyone, but I won’t spend any time mourning the passing of this shyster. 

After the hatchet job he did on former US Dept. of Agriculture employee, Shirley Sherrod, I can’t believe anyone ever took him seriously.  You remember that debacle, right?  Breitbart took a video of Sherrod making a speech and reassembled some quotes to completely misrepresent what she was talking about, then pressured the White House to have her fired, (which they did, before doing any further investigation, to my utter disappointment).  Once the full video came out, it was clear that it was nothing but a mean-spirited and intentional smear job. 

I have no use for people like that.  People say enough stupid things on their own… they needn’t be manufactured from an outside hand.

This was also the guy that sponsored that bozo that made those ridiculous ACORN and Planned Parenthood “sting” videos.  The trap there is that they blow up the one case where they talk to someone that’s not bright enough to toss them out, and bury the film of the dozens of others that were.

People like this don’t warrant public attention or respect.  He didn’t get that from me when alive and he sure as hell won’t now.

…the Pens coming to Baltimore!”  Hot damn, I was excited when I saw the headline in the paper.  My Pittsburgh Penguins coming here??

Upon closer examination, I found that my joy was premature.  It wasn’t those Pens coming here; it was these:

I’m considerably less happy now.  But I do wonder what it is that it takes to become a Nib Meister.  (See the arrow, above.)  If I were a Nib Meister, I’d always be like,

Then I smile again because “Mrs. Nibbs” is a nickname I made up for my sister, many years ago, when I thought she was liable to become “a crazy old cat-lady down the street, named Mrs. Nibbs.”  Ever since, I’ve called her most every variation of the word… Nibbs, Nibbles, Nibblet, Nibboletta, Mrs. Nibblesworth…

Wait, now where was I?  Oh yeah, the Pens… the real Pens… Last night, while on hiatus from Sitcom Kelly’s Silence of the Lambs pit, Pens defenseman Kris Letang got rocked in the chops halfway through the first period and left the game. 


He already missed 21 games this year with a concussion, so it’s not really a good time to absorb another head shot.  But I think I know how to cure him.

All the Penguins have to do is bring him back to Pittsburgh and put him out on a platform downtown.  Once word gets out to the Penguins’ lady fans, they will gather around.  I’m betting the resulting cloud of estrogen will have amazing recuperative powers and Tanger will be back on his skates in no time.

(Late Note: Letang did indeed suffer another concussion and is on his way back to Pittsburgh.  Ladies, the rest is up to you.)

…the Steelers releasing Hines Ward?”  Aw crap.  I hate this.  I understand that it’s a business, the Steelers figure to have 4 receivers that will outperform Ward on the field and you can’t just hand out roster spots out of pure sentimentality.  But damn.

I was really hoping that Hines would just walk away into the sunset and retire, but he says he feels like he still has a couple more good years in him.  I’ll hate to see him in any other uniform, that’s for sure.  Oh please, Hines, if you have to keep playing, let it be with an NFC team, so I can root for you to have a good season with a clear conscience.  I couldn’t bear to see him with someone like the Browns…  Gah!

Hines was the epitome of what it means to be a Pittsburgh Steeler.  He played hard and he hit hard.  In fact, he redefined what it means to be a blocking wide receiver.  He didn’t just block, he knocked dudes out. 

That explains the total animosity that other teams felt toward him.  He was lighting up their tough-guys and smiling at them afterwards.  They were embarrassed because it was they who were supposed to be racking up the receivers.  And they hated even more that when they were able to get a good shot on him, he just got up smiling, thus depriving them of their kill-shot ego boost.  So what does any ego-driven athlete do when someone gets the best of them?  They claim he cheated or took cheap shots.

Bullshit.  Hines hit him straight on, right on the button.  Just watch the video.  So what if he might not have been looking?  Makes no difference. 

The league eventually came up with what is informally known as the Hines Ward Rule, which outlaws blindside hits downfield.  Also, the receivers have to wear little bells around their necks and are required to yell, “Look out, here I come,” whenever attempting a downfield block.

Hines Ward was a warrior.  He played the game with great spirit and all heart.  He wasn’t the tallest or fastest, but he was always open and rarely dropped a ball.  I still have his jersey and I plan to have it on when he’s inducted into the Hall of Fame, whenever that may be.