T.D.I.H. - Feb 28

On this date in history several Nobel laureates were born.

The first, Philip Showalter Hench, was born in 1896. He won the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine in 1950 for his work with the adrenal cortex.

The next was Linus Pauling in 1901. He is one of only four people to win multiple Nobel Prizes, and one of only two to win two different Nobel Prizes. (the other was Marie Curie) He won both a Chemistry (1954) and a Peace Prize (1962).

In 1915, Peter Brian Medawar was born in Brazil. He was registered as a British citizen at birth, and moved to England in 1918 and lived there the rest of his life. He won the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine in 1960 for his work with tissue transplants.

In 1930, Leon Cooper was born in New York City. He would go on to win the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1972 for his work with superconductivity.

In 1939, Daniel C. Tsui was born in rural China. He moved to the United States in 1958. He would go on to win the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1998 for his work with electrons.

In 1948, Steven Chu was born in Missouri. He won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1997 for his work in trapping atoms with lasers.

And finally, in 1953 Paul Krugman was born in Albany. By all accounts he truly deserved his Nobel in Economics in 2008 for his New Trade Theory, even if virtually everything else he has said is complete bullshit.

T.D.I.M. - Feb 28, 1980

On this day in 1980, the number one song in the United States was Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen. Queen has long been one of my favorite bands. One of the things I love about the band is the wide variety in their style. This song is a rockabilly song and I sing along every time I hear it.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 27

On this date in 1952, the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. This Amendment became neccessary when President Franklin Roosevelt broke the unwritten rule that you only served two terms as president of the United States. George Washington began this tradition when he refused to run for a third term. Everyone else managed to respect this tradition until FDR. The 22nd Amendment mandates that you may only serve two four year terms of office as president. (or one four year term if you have previously served two or more years as president)

T.D.A.T.M. - Feb 26, 2000

The number one movie on this date continued to be The Whole Nine Yards. This is a clip from the movie where the two main characters meet.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 26

On this day in history in 1914, HMHS Britannic was launched. She was designed and built as part of White Star Line's three Olympic class liners. Her sisters were Olympic and Titanic. HMHS Britannic was brought into service during World War I as a hospital ship. While serving in the Mediterranean in 1916, she struck a mine and sank. Her sister ship Titanic had already struck an iceberg and sank in 1912. The third ship Olympic was involved in several notable collisions, including the deliberate ramming and sinking of a German submarine while serving as a troopship in World War I. Olympic was eventually scrapped in 1936. The most interesting bit of history dealing with these three ships however is the story of Violet Jessop. In 1911 she was working on Olympic when that ship collided with a British warship and was forced to limp back to port for major repairs. in 1912, she was on Titanic when it sank and was one of the survivors. Finally in 1916 she was on HMHS Britannic and survived when it struck a mine and sank. Depending on how you look at it, she was either the luckiest, or most unluckiest person around.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 25

OK.....this one is for me. On this day in history, Faron Young was born in Louisana in 1932. He was a country music star, and a ver successful one, but I had never heard of him or his first name until yesterday. Faron?

Well guess what...there are at least two of them. On this date in 1962, Faron Moller was born in Canada. He's a computer scientist.

T.D.A.T.M. - Feb 25, 1990

The number one movie this week continues to be Driving Miss Daisy. Here is a clip of Jessica Tandy winning the Best Actress Golden Globe that for Driving Miss Daisy.

T.D.A.T.M. - Feb 24, 1980

The number one movie on this date was still Kramer V Kramer. Apparently this movie was a monster. I was living in the UK at the time, so the impact this movie had escaped me. Here is part two of Meryl Streep's interview on Inside the Actor's Studio.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 24

On this date in 1980, the US Olympic hockey team beat Finland in the gold medal game to complete the Miracle on Ice during the 1980 Winter Olympics. It is impossible to overstate how big a victory the win over the Soviets two days earlier was, coming during the Cold War, shortly before the US in fact boycotted the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympic Games. The emotion of the moment was captured perfectly by Al Michaels.

T.D.I.M. - Feb 23, 2000

The number one song in the US on this date was Thank God I Found You by Mariah Carey (remember when she was huge in the industry?) featuring Joe and 98 Degrees. I don't remember this one. It appears to be a one week wonder.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 23

On this date in 1868, W.E.B. Du Bois was born in Massachusetts. He was a very influential early civil rights activist. To put his role in modern terms, he was his generation's Malcom X, and Booker T. Washington was their generation's Martin Luther King Jr..

T.D.I.M. - Feb 22, 1990

The number one song in the US on this day continued to be Opposites Attract by Paula Abdul. A duo named the Wild Pair were given credit on this song. Their only other credit on a hit song was for singing back up on Stacy Earl's Romeo and Juliet. Earl has been described as an Abdul clone, and this music video seems to prove that out.

T.D.I.H. Feb 22

On this date in 1847, The United States Army defeated a Mexican Army at the Battle of Buena Vista during the Mexican-American War. Gen. Santa Anna of Mexico had a much larger force, but was unable to defeat the American forces under the command of Gen. Zachary Taylor. Taylor would become President of the United States the next year, and this battle featured prominently in his campaign. A key factor in the victory was determined artillery fire by the Americans.

T.D.I.M. - Feb 21, 1980

The number one song in the United States on this date in 1980 was Do That To Me One More Time by Captain and Tennille. This duo is one of my guilty pleasures.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 21

On this date in 1965, Malcolm X ( Malcolm Little) was assassinated. While in prison as a young man, Malcolm joined the Nation of Islam, a Black Muslim organization. He would eventually rise to become the second most powerful figure in the religion, and was eventually killed by members of the Nation of Islam, most probably at the orders of Louis Farrakhan.

Political Gibberish

I was watching a documentary on President Reagan on HBO last night. At one point they were discussing Reagan's economic policies. One typical liberal elite was discussing the tax cuts, and how they represented a vast transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich.

Did you get that? Letting someone keep the money he made, instead of taking it from him and giving it to someone else is somehow a transfer of wealth to the taxpayer! This "elite" was actually arguing that reducing the amount of wealth you transfer from the rich to the poor is actually a transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich. The poor are actually entitled to the money, it is their money. The worst part is that no one ever calls the left on this assumption.

A similar piece of deceptive political talk is to call reductions in the amount of a raise a cut. President Obama's budget for 2011 talks about cuts, but actually spends more money than his 2010 budget!

T.D.I.H. - Feb 20

On this date in history The Saturday Evening Post published the first of Norman Rockwell's Four Freedoms. These paintings were inspired by a speech by President Franklin Roosevelt. They were widely used as propaganda during World war II and were effective as tools for raising war bonds. The first cover was Freedom of Speech. The other three were Freedom from Fear, Freedom to Worship, and Freedom from Want.

T.D.A.T.M. - Feb 19, 2000

The number one movie in the US on this date in 2000 was The Whole Nine Yards. This was an adventure/comedy starring Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry. There was a sequel in 2004 called The Whole Ten Yards.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 19

On this date in history, the insanity defense is used successfully for the first time. It helped that the man who used it was a member of the Tammany Hall political machine and a Congressman. His name was Daniel Sickles. He murdered the man having an affair with his wife, but was found innocent due to temporary insanity. He later served as a general in the Civil War. His conduct in the army was questionable, both his military decisions and his personal behavior. His insubordinate actions at Gettysburg have been described both as nearly disastrous and as the key to Union victory. During the battle he lost a leg due to cannonfire. (The bones are still in a museum in Washington D.C.) Over thirty years after the battle, he was able to use his poltical ties to convince Congress to award him the Medal of Honor for his actions at Gettysburg.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 18

On this day in history a partnership in 1980's teen angst was born. Literally. John Hughes, the director, was born on this date in 1950. Molly Ringwald, perhaps the most famous teen actress of the 1980's was born on this date in 1968. The two would go on to produce three of the ultimate 1980's teen movies: Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, and Pretty In Pink.

Lots of actors on this date: Cybil Shepherd 1950, John Travolta 1954, and Matt Dillon 1964,

T.D.A.T.M. - Feb 18, 1990

On this date in 1990, Driving Miss Daisy had returned to number one in the United States. Here's Morgan Freeman in a commercial for Listerine.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 17

On this date in history, the House of Representatives finally decided the outcome of the election of 1800. Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied for the most number of votes, even though they both belonged to the Democratic-Republican Party. So the House was forced to break the tie, eventually giving Jefferson the presidency. Could you imagine the chaos if the 2000 election had gone to the House? It easily could have.

While reading up on this incident I was struck by something. Jefferson's cabinet consisted of five (and really four) Departments. There was a Secretary of State, Secretary of Treasury, the Attorney General, the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy. (these last two were later combined into the Secretary of Defense) The only other two were the President and Vice- President. The Obama administration has twenty cabinet officials besides the President and Vice-President! And I'm sure President Jefferson had no Czars...President Obama has thirty-seven.

For those wondering if a similar tie could happen again, the answer is no. The Twelfth Amendment was written to keep it from happening, and was ratified four years later in 1804.

T.D.A.T.M. - Feb 17, 1980

Once again the number one movie in the US on this date was Kramer V Kramer. Here is the first part of Meryl Streep's appearance on Inside the Actor's Studio.

T.D.I.M. - Feb 16, 2000

On this date in 2000, the number one song in the US was still I Knew I loved You by Savage Garden. Here is an audio clip of a "chipmunk" version of the song.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 16

On this date in 1804, Stephen Decatur led a raid into Tripoli harbor to destroy the captured frigate Philadelphia during the First Barbary War. The picture is a famous painting of the USS Philadelphia burning while Decatur and his crew flee on a ship in the foreground. Decatur became the first American post-Revolutionary War war hero. His brother, and fellow naval officer, James was killed during this war. While we Americans were successful militarily, we did end up ransoming our captives, and were forced to return and fight a Second Barbary War after the War of 1812 was finished.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 15

On this date in 2005, the web site Youtube was launched. As a brief perusal of my blog will illustrate, the site has become nearly ubiquitous in the six years since.

T.D.I.M. - Feb 15, 1990

The number one song in the US on this day was Opposites Attract by Paula Abdul. This was a pretty popular video at the time. The animation was pretty cool, and the Wil Smith-type rapping was safe.

T.D.I.M. - Feb 14, 1980

On this date in 1980, the number one song in the US was once again was Rock With You by Michael Jackson. Below is a clip from Youtube in which someone organized a couple of flash-mobs who got together and danced to Michael Jackson.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 14

First, in 1859, Oregon becomes the 33rd State. Later, in 1912, Arizona became the 48th State.

Start Saving For Food...

Food is going to start getting very expensive, very soon. We are approaching a perfect storm. this Spring/Summer. Here are some of the reasons:

1) Gasoline prices are going up. This will affect food prices every step of the way, from planting, growing, harvesting, shipping, processing, shipping, and retail.

2) China is having a wheat crop failure. They will be buying huge amounts of grain this year. Russia, Australia and Argentina are all having poor crops this year due to drought and weather.

3) Egypt is a huge grain importer. It's people eat large amounts of bread. How likely do you think it is that the generals in charge of Egypt will be trying to get its hands on as much wheat as possible to placate the Egyptian people?

4) There are grumblings that the recent cold weather has devastated Mexican produce crops.

5) Ethanol. Not only is the diversion of corn into ethanol affecting corn prices, it is also affecting beef and chicken prices, because corn is such a big part of animal feed.

This is going to be a very bad year for the world's poor. (and I am not including the "poor" in the United States) I predict widespread starvation and social unrest.

Update 6:31 AM 2/15/11: It is getting worse.

Update 11:12 PM 2/15/11: "Global food prices have hit "dangerous levels" that could contribute to political instability, push millions of people into poverty and raise the cost of groceries, according to a new report from the World Bank." H/T Instapundit

T.D.I.H. - Feb 13

On this day in 1970, the album (and yes it was an actual album back then) Black Sabbath was released in the United Kingdom. The album by the band of the same name is widely acclaimed as the first heavy metal album. It is still attracting new fans over forty years later, partly in thanks to games like Guitar Hero. The members of Black Sabbath at this time were: Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward.

T.D.A.T.M. - Feb 12, 2000

The number one movie on this date in 2000 continued to be Scream 3. I understand the clip below has all of the death scenes from the movie...so I just saved you an hour to an hour and a half of your life....

T.D.I.H. - Feb 12

On this date in 1809, President Abraham Lincoln was born in a one room log cabin in Kentucky. President Lincoln is considered to be one of our greatest presidents. Given his appearance and height, I question the possibility that he could win a presidential election today. He preserved the Union during the Civil War and finally brought about the end of slavery in the United States. His birthday is a holiday still in 10 States, including California. Lincoln has a unique place in American culture.....witness this very funny Geico commercial featuring him.

T.D.A.T.M. - Feb 11, 1990

On this date in 1990, the number one movie in the United States was Hard to Kill, starring Steven Seagal and Kelly LeBrock. I think I may have actually seen this one, but all Seagal movies seem to blend together for me.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 11

On this date in history two potential Republican presidential nominees for 2012 were born. First, in 1953, Jeb Bush, governor of Florida, brother of one president and son of another, was born. Most people consider Jeb to be a better politician than both his father and brother. He has denied any interest in running for president. People have also seen a political future for his oldest son, George P. Bush. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of discussion about rejecting any more members of the Bush family as presidential nominees to stifle talk of a political dynasty. Funny how no one talked about the Kennedys that way......

The second potential nominee is none other than Sarah Palin. She was born on this date in 1964 in Idaho, and went on to become governor of Alaska and the vice-presidential candidate of John McCain. Just the mention of her name is enough to start progressives foaming at the mouth, but she continues to deny that she is running for president in 2012.

T.D.A.T.M. - Feb 10, 1980

The number one movie in the US on this date in 1980 was back to Kramer V Kramer after a one week hiatus when it was supplanted by American Gigolo.Below is an ad for the Volkswagon Fastback from 1967 starring Dustin Hoffman. My family owned one of these. We drove around much of Western Europe in one in the 1980's, with a tent strapped to its roof in the summers.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 10

On this date in history the 25th Amendment, dealing with presidential succession, is ratified by the States in 1967. This Amendment replaces Article II, Section 1, Clause 6 of the US Constitution. Under the provisions of this Amendment, Gerald Ford became the first man to hold the office of Vice-President and the first man to hold the office of President without being elected to either. It has most often been invoked to temporary transfer power to the Vice President while the president is undergoing a medical procedure that involves anesthesia.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 9

On this date in 1971, Satchel Paige became the first player from the Negro Leagues to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Satchel is famous not only for his dominant pitching but also for sheer longevity.

T.D.I.M. - Feb 9, 2000

The number one song on this day continued to be I Knew I Loved You by Savage Garden. Here is an interview of them from Australia around the time when this song was released.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 8

On this date in 1968, a mostly Black crowd gathered at a bowling alley in South Carolina to protest the alley's segregationist policies. The crowd grew violent, and the South Carolina police fired into the crowd, creating the Orangeburg massacre. This occurred before the Kent State shootings and got almost no attention.

T.D.I.M. - Feb 8, 1990

On this date in 1990, the number one song in the United States was yet again How Am I Supposed To Live Without You by Michael Bolton. Here is a clip of Michael singing When A Man Loves A Woman with Percy Sledge, the man who first made the song a hit. This was a very cool thing to do.....I'm actually starting to like our boy Bolton.........

T.D.I.M. - Feb 7, 1980

On this date in 1980, the number one song in the United States continued to be Rock With You by Michael Jackson. Here is one of Michael's Pepsi commercials.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 7

On this date in history, the 11th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified in 1795. The 11th Amendment was passed to over turn the results of a US Supreme Court case, Chisholm v. Georgia. The first Amendment after the Bill of Rights, the 11th Amendment reads:

The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State.

Nice and concise. The Supreme Court had ruled in such a way as to limit the sovereign immunity of the States. (Federal encroachment began early) The Congress passed an Amendment over turning the decision, and the people ratified it. It is notable to us for several reasons.

First, it explicitly limits the power of the Judicial Branch. Second it is an example of the Congress and people of the United States telling the courts that they got it wrong. Far too often we see the Supreme Court as the last, or supreme, authority on what the Constitution means or what the powers of the government are. Third, it is an example of the Congress and people explicitly protecting the power and most importantly, sovereignty, of the States. The States weren't just lines on a map. The United States was much more of a "European Union" type of entity at the time.

There was a follow up case to Chisholm in 1999 called Alden v. Maine, in which four Justices actually argued that the States gave up their sovereignty when they entered the Union.

So, in 1795, (less than seven years after the Constitution was ratified) Congress and the American people both agreed that the States did have sovereignty and yet in 1999, (over two hundred years later) four Justices not only disagreed, they also decided that they knew better than the generation who actually wrote the Constitution. I'll let you guess which wing of the Court sought to weaken the States.

Superbowl XLV Second Half

5:26 PM:

Start of the second half, Packers up 21-10. Packers will get the ball first.

5:27 PM:

NFL commercial about their online content.

Fox commercial for House.

commercial for Car Warriors TV show

Nascar "Ferris wheel" commercial.

5:29 PM:

still waiting for the second half kick off. Fox promo for Glee. Touchback, Packers will start at the 20. Woodson is out for the rest of the game. Penalty, 1st and 20 from the 10. Ten yard completion, 2nd and 10. Penalty, 2nd and 15 from the 15. completion, 3rd and 5. Jones drops a probable touchdown. penalty on the punt. That was NOT a facemask.

5:36 PM:

Cars.com commercial

etrade baby "tailor" commercial

Ozzy Ozbourne/Justin Bieber commercial from Best Buy...funny a little

Fox commercial for the Chicago Code

American Idol commercial

5:39 PM:

Steelers start at the fifty with a long run. 3rd and 1 after a Ben scramble. First and goal for the Steelers after a Redman run. Mendenhall for the touchdown at 10:19 of the third quarter. Extra point good, 21-17 Packers.

5:43 PM:

Another Pirates movie?

Mini commercial

Homeaway.com commercial

5:45 PM:

Steelers kick off. Packers start at the 20. 3rd and 7. sack. Second half could not have started better for the Steelers. Steelers will start from their 40.

5:49 PM:

Another Elantra commercial

Timothy Hutton commercial for Groupon.com

Coca Cola "border" commercial

5:51 PM:

9:00 in the 3rd quarter. 3rd and 1 Steeler time out

5:53 PM:

Stella Artois commercial

CarMax commercial

X Factor commercial (Simon Cowell)

5:55 Pm:

Steelers convert. Ward makes a catch, first down inside the 30. 3rd and 13. Sack. Field goal try. Not even close. Worst shank on a field goal I have ever seen.

6:00 PM:

Chrysler commercial for Detroit, with Emenin.

6:02:

Packers begin with an 18 yard competition. 3rd and 8. Time out by the Steelers at 2:34 of the 3rd quarter. incomplete.

Steelers take over at their 13. 3rd and 2. Pass is too high. Good bounce on the punt for the Steelers. A cheap foul on the Packers. Packers end up taking over on their 13.

Packers look thoroughly confused. 3rd and 10. Dropped pass being reviewed. Ruling of incomplete confirmed. Green Bay charged with a timeout. Green Bay got a penalty on the punt and had to re-kick. Much worse kick.

Steelers start from the Packers' 41. End of the 3rd

6:21 PM:

NFL commercial using classic TV clips

Jack in the Box commercial: All American Jack

HTC..apparently something to do with cellphones

Cadillac commercial

6:24 PM:

Start of the 4th quarter. Bad fumble by the Steelers. Exactly what the Packers needed.

Packers went for the home run, but incomplete. Got a much needed first down. Another dropped ball...at least three crucial passes were simply dropped by Packer receivers. 3rd and 10. Converted and long yards after the catch to about the 1 yard line, by Nelson. Rodgers sacked on 1st and goal, loss of six yards. Touchdown to Jennings who was wide open at 11:57 of the fourth quarter. Extra point good, 28-17 Packers.

6:31 PM:

Rango..an animated movie starring Johnny Depp

Cars.com commercial, talking cars

Bud Light commercial.."dogs"

Fox promo for Glee

6:33 PM:

Steelers will start around their 25.

6:34 PM:

Sonata hybrid commercial for Hyundai

Pepsi Max commercial "I wanna sleep with her"

Rio, an animated movie

6:36 PM:

Steelers get a 1st down in Packers territory. Nice screen for a second 1st down. Penalty for holding, 1st and 20. Lots of quick screens to the flat by the Steelers. 3rd and 3. Beautiful throw for a td by Ben to Wallace at 7:34 of the fourth quarter. Steelers go for 2. Pitch to Randle-El for a walk in conversion. 28-25 Packers.

6:44 PM:

Bridgestone commercial

Go Daddy commercial

"Racing stripe beetle" commercial for the VW Beetle.

Fox promo for Raising Hope.

6:46 PM:

Packers will start from the 25.

6:46 PM:

Mercedes Benz "Janis Joplin" commercial

Fox promo for Chicago Code

Fox promo for House (take off of Mean Joe Coke commercial)

promo for the NFL draft

6:48 PM:

Rodgers sacked. 3rd and 5. false start, 3rd and 10. Biiig pass play to Jennings......31 yard completion. Biiig running play by Starks. less than 5 minutes left in the game. (Steelers only have 1 timeout left) Another big completion to Jones. 1st and goal Packers. Nice drive, especially considering the start. 3rd and goal. A field goal forces the Steelers to go for the TD. Almost a catch by Nelson. 4th and goal. Field goal at 2:07 of the fourth quarter. 31-25 Packers

6:56 PM:

Chevy Camero commercial

Verizon iphone commercial.

6:58 PM:

Penalty on the kick off. Steelers will start at their 13. 1:59...the 2 minute warning.

6:59 PM:

Chevy Cruze/Glee commercial that ties in to the show tonight

commercial for a movie...Limitless.

commercial for Skeechers shoes

commercial for Terra Nova (new TV show)

commercial for another new TV show

commercial for Glee

7:02 PM:

Big catch for a 15 yd gain. small gain. 1:28 left. thrown away. 1:02 left. 3rd and 5. incomplete. 4th down, less than 1 minute. Almost too much time, incomplete.

Packers do their kneel downs. Packers win 31-25!

Superbowl XLV

Hmmm..long intro featuring different groups of people reading the Declaration Of Independence, led by Colin Powell and Roger Goodell sponsored by Fox Sports and the NFL.

3:00 PM:

Promo for the Daytona 500, followed buy a regular Toyota commercial.

Next an anti smoking commercial.

A Chase online banking commercial for phone apps.

A Dodge Ram commercial.

Another Fox promo..for Fox News this time. Nothing special yet.

3:02 PM:

The pre-game begins. Joe Buck pretty much carries the whole show.

3:05

PM: Ford Focus commercial. Trying to get people to go online to their site.

AT&T online surfing commercial.

All State Insurance commercial by the "I'm a ..." guy. An American Idol commercial.

Fox Promo for Animation Domination.

3:07 PM:

Back to the pre-game. Introduction of the teams. Sam Waterson introduces the Steelers franchise. Sam introduces the Packer franchise also.

3:14 PM:

A commercial for a Sandler movie called Just Go With It.

A commercial for a big dipper pizza at Pizza Hut.

A commercial about "eco-boost" engine trucks from Ford.

Movie commercial for Battle: Los Angeles...looks like an alien invasion movie.

Fox promo for House and The Chicago Code

NFL commercial for public service/Play 60.

3:17 PM:

Back to pregame. Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award: Madieu Williams...spoke from Iraq. Lea Michelle from Glee sang "America the Beautiful" backed by a military choir..I hated the arrangement. Christina Aguilera sang the National Anthem. She screwed up the lyrics and made it all about her..I am not impressed.

3:24 PM:

A commercial for Kung Fu Panda 2.

A commercial for McDonald's featuring the bears taking food away from sightseers.

A commercial for Livingsocial.com featuring a cross-dresser.

A phone commercial by AT&T about 4G.

Fox promos for some of their shows.

A commercial for Bones.

3:27 PM:

A promo for the NFL about the game called The Journey featuring Michael Douglas.

3:30 PM:

Coin toss. Steelers take tails. Coin comes up heads and Packers defer.

3:32 PM:

Follow up Ford Focus commercial, really pushing people to go online.

Fox Sports promo.

3:33 PM:

Sideline interviews.

3:34 PM:

kick off. 37 yard return. 3 and out for the Steelers on the first possession. The punt was muffed, but Green Bay recovered. Green Bay makes a first down, but also punts.

3:43 PM:

"Hack Job" commercial for Bud Light.

Pug commercial for Doritos. eh.

jail break commercial for Audi. I LOL'd.

3:45 PM:

Steelers second drive starting from the 20. A very nice 15 yard run to begin with. Quickly followed by a 9+ yard run. Steelers end up punting from near midfield, goes into the end zone.

3:50 PM:

Doritos commercial..finger sucking..

A commercial for the Chevy Cruise Eco.

Commercial for Pepsi Max. Really? Hit a White woman in the head with a can of soda? I bet this commercial gets some discussion

promo for the halftime show

3:52 PM:

Packers second drive. Packers convert a third and inches when Starks bounces to the outside. Time out 5:53 in the first quarter

3:56 PM:

Bud light "product placement" commercial

Chevy Truck "Lassie" commercial

Fast Five movie commercial.

Fox promos.

3:58 PM:

Nice scramble and play by Rodgers to Jackson. Touchdown for the Packers on a third and one at 3:44 in the first quarter. Nice throw to Nelson. Extra point is good.

4:01 PM:

Pepsi Max commercial

Doritos commercial. "Grandpa"

Elantra commercial by Hyundai

Fox Promo

NFL Draft promo

4:04 PM:

Nice return but it came back because of a penalty.

4:05 PM:

A commercial for Cowboys & Aliens movie. I am so there. This looks fun.

A commercial for the Optima..I enjoyed it.

Fox Promos.

4:07 PM:

Big Ben throws while falling down in the end zone and is intercepted. Collins runs the ball back for a touchdown. Extra point is good. 14-0 Packers at 3:20 of the First quarter.

4:08PM:

Eminen commercial for Brisk tea.

4:09 PM:

Replays of the interception. Crosby kicks from the 15. Steelers start at their 36. Ben is limping. Runs for a first down on third and 9.

4:15 PM:

"Reply all" commercial by Bridgestone

"History" commercial by Chevy for the Volt.

Go Daddy commercial introducing Joan Rivers

Fox promo for House

Verizon commercial for the iphone.

4:18 PM:

Second quarter begins. Steelers have a 3rd and 12. Steelers convert. Steelers are in the red zone at 13:02 of the second quarter. 3rd and 7. Pass completed short of the first down. Steelers field goal at 11:11 of the second quarter. 14-3 Packers

4:23 PM:

"Western" Budweiser commercial. I like this one...

Valentine's day commercial Teleflora

Commercial for Transformers 3

4:25 PM:

Packers return the kickoff to their 25

4:26 PM:

A commercial for BMW

"1984" commercial for the Motorola Zoom.

BMW "changes" commercial for diesel fuel

4:28 PM:

Packers have a 3 and out by less than a yard.

4:31 PM:

Coca Cola commercial..well done

A Commercial for a movie about Thor.

"Darth Vader" commercial for Volkswagon..good. Best break overall so far

4:33 PM:

Buck begins with a recital of Ben's legal woes. Steelers begin with a hold..1st and 20. They convert to face a 3rd and 6. The ball is snapped with 1 sec on the play clock and Steelers make the first. Time out Steelers with 4:35 left in the second quarter.

4:39 PM:

Snickers commercial ...I laughed

"chimps" by Careerbuilder.com

movie commercial for Super 8

Fox promos

4:41 PM:

Ben intercepted by Bush on a 2nd and 11 at 4:28 in the second quarter. Jennings touchdown for the Packers at 2:24 in the second quarter makes it 20-3 Packers. Extra point is good, 21-3. Steelers are not out of it however.

4:47 Pm:

Packers kick off. Ben has 2:18 to get something done. Nice, big play. Exactly what the Steelers needed...

4:49 PM:

Chevy Cruze commercial

Captain America commercial...looks like the Avengers might be getting together...

Castrol commercial

Carmax commercial "I feel like a ..." I liked it

Fox promo for Glee

4:51 PM:

Ambitious throw by Ben. Time out by Green Bay at 1:54 to deal with Woodson's injury. Pass batted down on second, brings up a third and ten. Pass is caught for a first. Green Bay is bleeding secondary players (Shields and Woodson). Steelers call a time out at 1:37. Long pass play..Steelers are in the red zone with a first and goal. Hurry up. Back of the end zone, Ward for a touchdown with :39 left. Extra point good, 21-10 Packers.

4:58 PM:

Another Green Bay secondary player (Collins) leaves for the locker room. Green Bay gets the ball first in the second half.

5:00 PM:

Halftime

5:01 PM:

American Idol commercial

Chevy hybrid commercial, eco pimping

weird Android phone commercial

repeat of an earlier Dodge Ram truck commercial

Fox promo

5;03 PM:

halftime show.

5:13 PM:

Because I blog through the commercials, I usually miss the halftime show...however...Fergie's version of Sweet Child O' Mine was so awful I had to say something. The production values of this show are awful.....This is the worst halftime show I can remember, a bigger disaster than Janet's nipple slip.

What Do You Mean No Cheerleaders?

The Super Bowl today will have no cheerleaders in it. Neither the Steelers or the Packers have team cheerleaders. So I will provide some instead.

Enjoy.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 6

On this date in 1788, Massachusetts became the sixth State to ratify the US Constitution, thus becoming one of our original thirteen States. Massachusetts is one of those preppy States though that maintain they are not States. According to the people of Massachusetts, they live in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 5

On this date in 1994, Byron De La Beckwith was convicted for the murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers. It was the third trial for this murder, the first two trials in 1964 ending in mistrials by all male and all white juries. The third trial was the subject of the movie Ghosts of Mississippi.

T.D.A.T.M. - Feb 5, 2000

The number one film in the US on this day was Scream 3. This is yet another movie I have never seen. (can you tell I read a lot?) To be honest, I didn't even realize that a Scream 3 had been filmed. I'm sure my brother knew though.....hell..he probably saw it the night it opened. He has seen all of these slasher/horror movies going all the way back to the original Halloweens and Friday the 13s going back to the early 80s.

Egypt and Wheat

There is an article today discussing the fact that one of the causes of the current unrest in Egypt is the scarcity and price of food in that country. As I once noted, at one point Egypt was a huge exporter of wheat, and now it is the world's largest importer of wheat. Egypt basically imports half the wheat it consumes. This is exasperated by the fact that Egypt has one of the world's highest levels of per capita wheat consumption. By all accounts, Egypt has boosted domestic production, tripling production in the 80's and 90's. However production can't keep up with the population increase. The population of Egypt was estimated at 3 million people at the beginning of the 19th century, and it was over 70 million at the beginning of the 21 century.

T.D.A.T.M. - Feb 4, 1990

The number one movie on this date continued to be Driving Miss Daisy. Here is a clip of the movie receiving the Best Picture Oscar.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 4

On this date in 1913, Rosa Parks was born in Alabama. Her arrest for refusing to give up her bus seat led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the emergence of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. onto the civil rights scene. Rosa did not have an easy life, and was never wealthy.

T.D.A.T.M. - Feb 3, 1980

The number one movie on this date was American Gigolo. The movie stars Richard Gere as an "escort" for older ladies. He was already 31 when this movie was released, and he is still considered a sex symbol by some 31 years later. (That means he is over sixty now ladies....)

T.D.I.H. - Feb 3

February 3 is officially Four Chaplains Day in the United States by an act of Congress. On this date in 1943, four US Army chaplains died while helping to save lives and calm fears after the ship they were on was torpedoed in the Northern Atlantic. Below is a clip of Michelle Bachman commerating the day on the floor of Congress last year.

T.D.I.M. - Feb 2, 2000

The number one song on this date in 2000 was I Knew I Loved You by Savage Garden. The duo took their name from a line in an Anne Rice book. The song is a little syrupy, but sometimes you need some syrup. I've definitely heard worse......

T.D.I.H. - Feb 2

Today is Groundhog Day! Groundhog Day was first celebrated in 1887 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Now normally I wouldn't care about this, however one of my favorite movies is based on this day. Groundhog Day stars Bill Murray and Andie McDowell. In my opinion this movie is very under appreciated. I also think Bill Murray is a very under appreciated actor. This movie offers the best piece of advice I've ever gotten from a movie..."Don't drive angry!"

T.D.I.M. - Feb 1, 1990

Believe it or not, but the number one song on this date continued to be How Am I Supposed To Live Without You by Michael Bolton. Below is a clip of him singing his version of a classic opera song, Nessun Dorma. I think he actually does a pretty good job, if not that of a classic tenor. I have also embedded my favorite version of the song by Andrea Bocelli.

T.D.I.H. - Feb 1

On this date in 1968, General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan summarily executed a Viet Cong terrorist named Nguyễn Văn Lém during the Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War. The general was filmed and photographed as he shot the prisoner with his personal weapon. This image was widely used by the Left and the anti-war forces to discredit our South Vietnamese allies . No one ever mentioned that the terrorist and his death squad had just murdered the entire families of several policemen. The terrorist was not in uniform, and did not fight according to the articles of war, so he was not a POW. The execution was both legal and justified.

A deeper question is the fact that the photo was printed at all in a time of war. Could you possible imagine a US newspaper in 1944 or 1918 printing a similar picture? Because there were plenty of summary executions by our allies in both of those wars.