Super Bowl Results

The Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers, 24 to 10.

The Broncos dominated throughout.

One link

The New England Deflatriots

We might as well give the team a new name since it is embroiled in scandal over those footballs during last Sunday's playoff game.

You have thought Lance Armstrong had part ownership of the team.

News, Etc.

With all of the talk about Ronald Reagan's presidency now that his centennial is this month, it might be important to look at the record:

As the media repackages history to serve the purposes of the ruling elite, no mention is made of the fact that the 1980s was the decade that witnessed the most bitter episodes of class struggle in the United States since the 1940s. The actions taken by the Reagan administration during its first year in office—the slashing of federal funding for vital social programs and the firing of nearly 12,000 air traffic controllers who went out on strike in August 1981—outraged millions of workers. The social philosophy of the new administration found its most poignant expression in the redefinition of ketchup as a vegetable in order to justify the cutting of federal funds for school lunch programs. In September 1981, nearly three quarters of a million workers demonstrated in Washington to protest budget cuts and the destruction of PATCO, the union of the air traffic controllers. An even larger demonstration took place in Washington in 1983. Virtually every industry was shaken by bitter and often violent strikes as workers fought back against the class-war policies of the Reagan administration.

But that history has no place in the ongoing eulogies to the dead president. These tributes to Reagan are, in essence, a celebration of the services he rendered to the rich. The overriding goal of his administration was the removal of all legal restraints on the accumulation of personal wealth. The motto of the Reagan administration, like that of the notoriously corrupt government of King Louis-Philippe in 19th century France, was “Enrich yourself.” The slashing of the tax rate for the wealthy—from 70 percent to 28 percent—earned for the president the boundless affection of the grateful rich. This massive cut in taxes laid the foundations for the environment of social debauchery and orgiastic celebration of wealth that characterized the 1980s. It was the decade of Michael Milken, Ivan Boesky, Donald Trump (who is now making a comeback), and, of course, the fictional Gordon Gekko, who so famously proclaimed, “Greed is good!”

Nobody writes obituaries quite like WSWS. You're really better off dead.
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The game itself was far, far better than the halftime show.

At least they didn't perform "My Humps."

News and Misc

I am not sure why Sarah Palin is going around the country pretending to be a candidate for president in 2012. She doesn't have much chance in getting the GOP nomination.

Of course, it's also quite lucrative to go the speech circuit.
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You better believe it CCR is the greatest rock band of all time. The best music came out of the 1960s (with the 1950s right behind it), and there were many great, influential bands, but this one was the absolute best.

The Beatles were the most influential, the Rolling Stones almost as influential and their live act is beyond reproach, although they haven't made a top-flight album in nearly 40 years. There was the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Led Zeppelin, the Beach Boys, and other highly influential groups, but CCR's work holds beautifully and the best of all after all these years.

This list of the "best" rock bands from a few years ago is so off the wall, it can't be taken seriously. At least six or seven of these "picks" don't even belong on the list.
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I don't have television to speak of, but just to note the New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in today's Super Bowl. The NYT:

The Saints are Super Bowl champions and will bring the title back to New Orleans, which is surely ready for a raucous celebration. Tracy Porter’s 74-yard interception return for a touchdown sealed the victory for the Saints, but Drew Brees was the star throughout. He finished 32 of 39 passing for 288 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. The 32 completions ties a Super Bowl record held by Tom Brady.

NOLA:

The New Orleans Saints have won Super Bowl XLIV.

They beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 here at Sun Life Stadium in South Florida.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees was 32-o-39 for 288 yards and two touchdowns.

But it was the big 75-yard interception return for a touchdown by cornerback Tracy Porter that sealed the deal.

"I studied and knew their tendencies," Porter said. "I just jumped around and the ball went right into my hands."

Porter's teammate Darren Sharper, who was on the Green Bay Packers as a rookie when they lost to Denver, said this was a game that nobody had faith in the team except for the team.

"Man this is unbelievable," Sharper said. "I don't know of anyone who gave us a chance, but when you get here, anyone can win."

Miscellaneous Whatever

In his inaugural address in 1961, JFK talked about a torch being passed on to a new generation. Well, the Caroline Kennedy debacle goes to show that a torch can burn one to a crisp.
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Today's Super Bowl was a rare one in that it was exciting. The Steelers eked out a victory over the Cardinals, 27-23.

With no television to speak of, I couldn't watch the damned thing.
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Links

here, here, and here.

Unlike most Super Bowls, this one was a hell of a game.

It Looks Like

New England got beat in this year's Super Bowl. The Giants just scored a touchdown, and now the score is NYG 17, NE 14. There is just 39 seconds left in the game.

It's over. New England's chance to repeat the Miami Dolphins' undefeated season in 1973, including the Super Bowl, has come up short.