The Good:

1. This team is very good and playing at an extremely high level.

2. Favre continues to have one of his best years.

3. Sidney Rice will catch anything you throw at him.

4. You cannot run on this defense.  Just ask Matt Forte. Or Ryan Grant. Or Steven Jackson. Or any running back they have faced this year.

5. Just how dominating was the defense today?  As Chicago Sun-Times writer, Brad Biggs pointed out “The Bears ran 12 plays in the second half.  They gained 2 yards.“

6. 3rd down conversions? No problem.  3rd and long? No problem.  Today the Vikings were 12 of 18 on third down.

7. If you want more of the good, just take a look at the game statistics.

The Bad: (and they really aren’t that bad)

1. Why was Adrian Peterson playing at the end of the game?  Wasn’t he hurt this week? I sometimes get the feeling that Chilly loses focus of what is important and forgets what he’s doing in the middle of the game.

2. Penalties: 10 of them to be exact.

3. Adrian Peterson putting the ball on the turf.  Just ask Bushytop how he feels about that.

4. Brett Favre threw the ball 48 times.  That’s a lot.  It will be interesting to see how the end of the season plays out when the Vikings secure their playoff spot home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

5.  The play of the special teams was not very good, just ask the folks over at The Viking Age.

Overall:

This is a great team.  The offense seems to be able to score at will, and the defense is dominating. Perhaps most impressive is that the defense is doing all of this without one of their best players: Antoine Winfield.  Finally, you know that something special is going on if Prince is coming to your games.

Could this be the year for the Vikings?  Let me know what you think in the comment section.

The recent Tiger Woods’ driving “incident” at his Florida estate has sparked quite the discourse among friends in the law enforcement, investigative and legal professions, focusing on:

Are celebrity offenders treated differently from the “average Jane/Joe” offenders? If so, how and why?

There was a general consensus (Congress: take note) amongst us that celebrity offenders are treated differently.  Weaving this agreement, with the how and why,  is no more a perfect example than the  past Friday Tiger Woods incident.  The facts, as we know them to be at this time, are:

1. Tiger Woods was driving his Lincoln Escalade SUV on his property at approx. 2:35 a.m. Friday and somehow hit a fire hydrant and his neighbor’s tree.  His wife, swinging a handy golf club, smashed out the vehicle’s window(s) to, purportedly, rescue her husband.

2. Although police arrived on the scene shortly after the incident, as reported by the Associated Press,  Florida State Troopers have been denied follow-up access to Mr. Woods three times, thus far.

3. At 2:00 p.m. today, via Twitter and his Web site, Mr. Woods, vaguely commented that he had embarrassed his family and “it” would never happen again.

4. His privately retained attorney, Mark NeJame, stated that Mr. Woods had complied with Florida requirements for this type of incident, which calls only for the presentation for review by police of the driver’s license, vehicle’s registration and proof of insurance.

Points 1, 2 and 3, while curious indulgences, don’t raise the questions that Point 4 smacks one over the head with.  I.e.  a) The tree was not on Mr. Woods’ property; the damage, thusly,  was to another’s property.   Did the neighbor simply accept the loss?  b) The on scene police investigation yielded that Mr. Woods was in serious condition and at times unconscious.  An RMA was obviously accepted by police, then why has the follow-up investigation by FSP not been allowed? (We may do things a bit differently here in NY but even as a CYA measure, a detective would have gotten a sign off on that issue.)  and c) Can a private citizen own a fire hydrant in Florida? If not, can Mr. Woods simply blow off the Florida State Police when municipal property is involved?

The voyeuristic appeal of the Tiger Woods case aside, it comes down to a call for fairness.  Had you or your neighbor or your son’s teacher, presumably all “average Joes and Janes”, crashed a vehicle into someone else’s property and taken out a fire hydrant, on the busiest news day, a local field reporter, shivering in her network provided strappy heels, would be busy earning a day’s salary hunting down an articulate neighbor to interview on camera.  On a really slow, uneventful day, she might even be on the scene with police still present, pointedly ignoring her questions.  The camera guy would have, at least once, panned over the offender’s mailbox or front door; wherever the (alleged) defendant’s address is posted. 

So why the difference in treatment?  I don’t think we, and certainly not the Florida State Police, will be satisfied until a complete investigation has resolved the matter.

Perhaps Mr. NeJame is preparing Mrs. Woods with the Bullwinkle defense.  That would certainly explain the club-wielding glass party.  Judge me guilty now, but I would have done the same under similar circumstances.

In the meanwhile, we’re sure the local crime reporters will continue to listen in to police radios, especially in celebrity enclaves. Well, we, along with celebrity news reporter, TMZ,  might as well all understand what is being transmitted.  Below are commonly used (generally) nationwide police 10 codes:

* 10-1 poor reception
* 10-2 good reception
* 10-3 stop transmitting
* 10-4 message received, affirmative, ok
* 10-5 relay this information to ___.
* 10-6 busy
* 10-7 out of service
* 10-8 in service
* 10-9 please repeat your message
* 10-10 negative
* 10-12 standby
* 10-13 civilians present and listening
* 10-15 en route to station with suspect
* 10-18 urgent
* 10-19 return to station
* 10-20 specify location/my location is ___.
* 10-21 place a phone call to ___.
* 10-22 disregard
* 10-23 stand by on this frequency (also “On scene” in some areas)
* 10-27 vehicle registration request
* 10-28 arrests/warrants on driver’s license
* 10-29 arrests/ warrants on the vehicle
* 10-32 gun
* 10-33 emergency traffic follows, hold routine messages
* 10-34 frequency open (cancels 10-33)
* 10-36 what is the correct time of day?
* 10-39 false alarm, premises was occupied
* 10-40 false alarm, no activity, premises appears secure
* 10-41 begin watch
* 10-42 end watch
* 10-45 fueling vehicle
* 10-49 en route to assignment
* 10-50 accident
* 10-51 tow truck needed
* 10-52 ambulance needed
* 10-53 road blocked at ___.
* 10-54 animals on highway
* 10-55 security check
* 10-57 hit-and-run accident
* 10-58 direct traffic
* 10-59 escort
* 10-60 squad in vicinity, lock-out
* 10-61 personnel in area
* 10-62 reply to message
* 10-63 clear to copy info?
* 10-64 message for delivery
* 10-65 net message assignment
* 10-66 net message cancellation
* 10-67 person calling for help
* 10-68 dispatch message
* 10-69 message received
* 10-70 prowler, fire alarm
* 10-71 gun involved, advise nature of fire
* 10-72 shooting, fire progress report
* 10-73 smoke report
* 10-74 negative
* 10-75 in contact with ___.
* 10-76 en route
* 10-77 ETA ___.
* 10-78 need assistance
* 10-79 bomb threat, coroner’s case
* 10-80 bomb has exploded
* 10-81 breathalyzer report
* 10-82 reserve lodging
* 10-83 work school crossing at ___.
* 10-84 if meeting ___, advise ETA
* 10-85 delay due to ___.
* 10-86 officer on-duty
* 10-87 pickup
* 10-88 present phone number of ___.
* 10-89 bomb threat
* 10-90 bank alarm at ___.
* 10-91 pick up prisoner
* 10-92 improperly parked vehicle
* 10-93 blockage
* 10-94 drag racing
* 10-95 prisoner/subject in custody
* 10-96 psych patient
* 10-97 check signal (“On Scene” in CA and other areas)
* 10-98 prison/jail break
* 10-99 wanted/stolen record
* 10-100 dead body
* 10-200 alarm

Bulletin’s site of the week: gizmodo.com. Best tech site online.

BNI Investigators: Street smart; Web savvy.

As always, stay safe.

Nel 2004 Il Vicepresidente del Consiglio della Difesa ha autorizzato la realizzazione di un sistema di viaggio di difesa per l'Esercito, Marina, Marina e Air-viaggiatori vigore. In collaborazione con l'industria e le altre agenzie federali, la Defense Travel System (DTS) è un sistema centralizzato per il viaggio commerciale che non è a differenza dei sistemi di viaggio civili tuttavia offre scontati e aria assegnati, autobus e altri sistemi di trasporto che consente di risparmiare denaro, crea meccanismi di sostegno per il viaggiatore,riduce gli errori e ha un end-to-end in atto un processo che consente di viaggiare destinazione multipla, i cambiamenti a breve preavviso e immediato rimborso delle spese. Questo sistema usa viaggio The City Pair Program (CPPS), che è un programma compagnia aerea che fornisce il trasporto aereo per il Dipartimento della Difesa per i suoi viaggiatori registrati che è completamente integrato, automatico, elettronica e end-to-end utilizzando il trasporto delle compagnie aeree a tariffe scontate e disponibilità last-minute. Ilrisparmi sui costi è significativa, ci sono meno errori, e la non-viaggiatore civile ha a disposizione i servizi che i requisiti di loro speciale tuta, un facile accesso alle informazioni, prenotazioni e affidabili per i piani di viaggio che può essere soggetto a modifiche in rotta e la destinazione.

La Defense Travel System (DTA), può essere user-solo-di supporto e assistenza, con la definizione di problemi incontrati, rispondendo alle domande e la definizione di diritti, si può essere altro supporto, tramite help desk oOrganizzativi per la difesa Travel Agents (ODTA) 's per l'assistenza. Un pacchetto software viene utilizzato. Lì con le carte di accesso comune, che vengono utilizzati e individuali login PIN consentire l'accesso ai conti individuali e di risoluzione dei problemi. Maggior parte degli errori con il sistema sono dovuti al non corretto set-up iniziale di informazioni errate o log-in. Si consiglia di controllare il viaggiatore nel sistema inizialmente per verificare eventuali errori di fatto e di controllare a lungo in errori locanda caso di rifiuto di unarichiesta. Electronic rimborsi delle spese è conveniente in quanto è fatto in un unico luogo. Se il voucher è perduto, il suo stato può essere monitorato e verificato la firma elettronica. L'utente autorizzato può anche richiedere il pagamento parziale, il voucher e possono aggiungere le ricevute per il buono in qualsiasi momento.

Difesa Travel Systems (DTS), le politiche e le classi di viaggio sono disponibili on-line in una classe online chiamato E-Collab Online. Questa classe fornisce 1) Classi di viaggio; 2)Approvazione modalità di accesso a prendere lezioni ufficiale; classi DTA e diverse classi delle Finanze, compresa la gestione del debito. Le classi di viaggio sono i seguenti:

– Orientamento
– Elaborazione testi
– Travel Planning
– Cancellazione Processi
– Itinerario Adeguamenti
– Routing

Detrattori hanno affermato che il sistema non è a regime, nonostante il fatto che la difesa ha speso 30 milioni per il progetto. Sviluppo e la sperimentazione non è sono traccia e l'uso èinferiore al previsto. Ora sotto la gestione del Business Transformation Agenzia, DTS dedica una piccola percentuale di sforzo e le spese di viaggio e di più sui sistemi di contabilità e di servizi che consentono di raccolta dei dati a negoziare hotel, noleggio auto e altri servizi per ospitare le attività dei lavoratori del governo attraverso questo mezzo cambiamento di viaggio per il servizio armato e altro personale di governo connessi.

See Also : Revolution Helmets Faucet Filter Faucet Filter boris-halolas Cristinas talk about health

How to Make a Butt Bomb: Al Qaeda Training Video (Rated X)

On the heels of a half-assed attempt at assassination of a Saudi official by an al-Qaeda operative who had a pound of explosives stuck up his rectum, comes this latest al-Qaeda training video: GET LUCKY WITH A BOMB UP YOUR BUTT

Full transcript at http://www.thepeoplescube.com.

More fact than fiction?? These Islamic nutjobs are as resourceful as Wiley Coyote chasing Roadrunner. Just more despicable because there are no bounds as to where they will sink to terrorize, destroy and murder. Obumble and his crowd act like it’s a board game and want to make up rules to give them an equal advantage therefore limiting our ability to defend ourselves. WTF.

Information Week is reporting that the United States Air Force  will be purchasing 2,200 PlayStation 3 consoles to install in fighter jets allowing pilots to set their air planes on autopilot and sit back and enjoy a good match of Modern Warfare 2.

Okay, I made that entire reason up, but the U.S. Air Force are going to use the 2,200 PS3s to form a cluster of supercomputers to aid in conducting supercomputer research. The Air Force already owns 336 PS3s for research purposes. This comes as no surprise considering just how powerful a PS3 is. The Cell processor is capable of crunching a lot of data at once. From the start, Sony has been keen that the PS3 should not be looked at as just a video console. It is a supercomputer and when applied properly could lead to other innovations.

At just $299 and deals everywhere shaving nearly $50 off, the PS3’s supercomputing processors are pretty cheap. Sounds like a cheap buy to me.

Information Week

The United States under Barack Obama look like a ship of fools captained by the grand fool.  The only question is whether Iran made Americans look like fools, or whether Obama made Americans look like fools.

I submit that the latter is the case.  Because any fool knew what game Iran was playing.  And yet Obama – out of arrogance, ignorance, and naivete – utterly failed to understand.  And continues to fail to understand.

A full month ago Iran reneged on an apparent deal to provide its nuclear fuel to France to process it for them.  Even had Iran fulfilled the deal, it was based on a fools’ premise; that premise being that Iran had not secretly processed any other uranium.

Iran’s negotiators have toughened their stance on the nuclear programme, signalling that Tehran will refuse to go ahead with an agreement to hand over 75 per cent of its enriched uranium. . .

Iran has amassed at least 1.4 tons of low-enriched uranium inside its underground plant in Natanz. If this was further enriched to weapons-grade level – a lengthy process – it would be enough for one nuclear weapon.

But Iran agreed to export 75 per cent of this stockpile to Russia and then France, where it would have been converted into fuel rods for use in a civilian research reactor in Tehran. This would have been a significant step towards containing Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Before talks, however, Iranian officials signalled they would renege. “Iran wants to directly buy highly-enriched uranium without sending its own low-level uranium out of the country,” reported a state television channel.

What kind of people continue to negotiate with a country that has already said it would renege on whatever deal they subsequently make?  Does the word “fools” not seem in order here?

Three weeks ago we learned that Iran had secretly tested an advanced nuclear warhead design – a strange thing for a country that isn’t attempting to build nuclear weapons to do, one would think.

The UN’s nuclear watchdog has asked Iran to explain evidence suggesting that Iranian scientists have experimented with an advanced nuclear warhead design, the Guardian has learned.

The very existence of the technology, known as a “two-point implosion” device, is officially secret in both the US and Britain, but according to previously unpublished documentation in a dossier compiled by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iranian scientists may have tested high-explosive components of the design. The development was today described by nuclear experts as “breathtaking” and has added urgency to the effort to find a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear crisis.

No harm, no foul.  And certainly no rush.  Remember, we’re fools.

Now the SAME IAEA which only a few weeks ago was saying, “Nothing to see here, folks,” is now saying that Iran has been systematically covering up what is very obviously a nuclear weapons program.

The outgoing head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Thursday his probe of Iran’s nuclear program is at “a dead end” and that trust in Tehran’s credibility is shrinking after its belated revelation that it was secretly building a nuclear facility.

Mohamed ElBaradei’s blunt criticism of the Islamic Republic — four days before he leaves office — was notable in representing a broad convergence with Washington’s opinion, which for years was critical of the IAEA chief for what it perceived as his softness on Iran.

Six years of constant stonewalling all made up for by issuing one pitiful statement before leaving office.  Good job, ElBaradeid, you dirtbag.

If Iran does not comply this time, you can bet a politely-worded letter will surely follow.

JERUSALEM, Israel November 24, 2009
John Bolton Was Right After All

(CBS)   Richard Grenell served as the spokesman for the last four U.S. Ambassadors to the United Nations: Zalmay Khalilzad, John Bolton, John Danforth and John Negroponte.
I certainly don’t expect the New York Times to admit that one of their greatest bogeymen turned out to be correct about Iran’s nuclear game-playing. However, the Times Editorial Board did once say “John Bolton is right.  Kofi Annan is wrong.”

Unfortunately it wasn’t about the Iran nuclear issue they were talking about – it was about his opposition to the UN’s ineffective Human Rights Council.

Nevertheless, someone needs to say it now. John Bolton was right.

When the Obama Administration proclaimed victory on October 1st by announcing that a break-through had been reached in Geneva and that Iran had committed to shipping 2,600 pounds of fuel to Russia, expert Iran watchers were appropriately cynical. Bolton cautioned, yet again, that the Iranians had used some of the same diplomatic nuances they had been using for years to successfully buy more time to continue enriching uranium and fake cooperation with the international community.

Usually, the Europeans were the first to take the bait but this time the Obama Administration got hooked first. Bolton, however, was the first to stand up and call the Iranian pronouncement a sham – and he did it within hours of the announcement.

But as Obama officials were rushing to pat themselves on the back and the New York Times was proclaiming atop the paper “Iran Agrees to Send Enriched Uranium to Russia,” Iranian officials were telling reporters that they had not committed to anything. The Iranians called it “an agreement in principle” – code words for “we’d like to but…”

The Times’ reporter in Geneva, however, was taking what the Obama officials were saying and running wildly with the incredible news. Surprisingly, or maybe not, the Times had either not checked with Iranian officials or ignored their warnings in favor of the Obama Administration’s good news. Roughly a month later, the Iranian official statements confirmed the fact that the Obama Administration had been duped. The Times subsequently inched its way back to reality through multiple follow-up stories that increasingly showed skepticism in the Victory claims culminating with October 30th’s headline “Tehran Rejects Nuclear Accord.”

Today, while the Iranians reprocess more fuel, the Obama team continues to compromise and offer even more incentives to them. No wonder Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is waiting – the deal keeps getting sweeter. President Obama has offered the Iranians more time, more sites to place their illegal fuel, more personal correspondence with the Ayatollah, more excuses as to what happened to the original deal they announced and no Chinese and Russian arm-twisting. The Obama team also keeps claiming that if Iran ships 2600 pounds of fuel out to Russia for re-processing then Iran will be unable to pose a nuclear threat for at least a year.

This often told claim is a dangerous calculation based on an assumption that Iran doesn’t have more hidden fuel (we just found out about another reprocessing plant in September) and can’t quickly convert what would remain if the plan had been accepted. Additionally, the low enriched uranium in question was produced in violation of UN Security Council resolutions so any deal to help Iran convert illegal fuel undermines Security Council credibility. The naivety of President Obama could be chalked up to hope and inexperience in foreign policy matters if it wasn’t routinely and consistently happening.

Bolton should know. No American Ambassador has produced more Security Council Resolutions on the issue of Iran than John Bolton. Bolton was able to produce three UN Security Council resolutions on Iran, two with the increasing pressure of sanctions. The deadlines in the resolutions that Bolton insisted upon were kept mainly because he held his counterparts to their word.

When Iran tried to manipulate the process by asking for more time, more talks or giving empty and last minute commitments, Bolton enforced the deadlines. Bolton was incredibly patient and willing to have round the clock negotiations but in the end forced a vote of the Security Council to the dismay of the Europeans and the consternation of Russian and China. It’s true that John Bolton would not win the most popular Ambassador award at the UN but being popular shouldn’t be the priority.

I hope that the Obama team can now see that being popular at the UN doesn’t get us support from the Europeans on sanctions resolutions or an affirmative vote from Russia and China. If it did, President Obama would have passed another Security Council Resolution on Iran, North Korea and Sudan by now. Obama is so popular in foreign countries that one begins to wonder who is happier. But being popular only means you aren’t asking Countries to do anything different.

This month, the world is seeing the pressure turned down on Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. France’s Foreign Minister has signaled their refusal to block shipments of refined fuel to Iran, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov called sanctions “counterproductive when there are talks underway” and China needs Iran’s oil so badly that it not only is refusing to consider further sanctions but is cutting new energy deals with Iran.

Where is the Obama Administration’s pressure on Iran to stop enriching uranium? Sadly, the Americans are getting hoodwinked by Iran and Europe is happy that they don’t have to vote for more sanctions or enforce the ones that are in place now. While the President gives up our missile shield to Russia, relaxes financial restrictions on Cuba, allows North Korea to violate their signed agreements and breaks campaign promises on a Sudan no-fly zone, the world applauds the most popular American President in history.

And here at home, Fareed Zakaria continues to call for more American compromises and more talk while characterizing Conservatives as unwilling to talk. It isn’t that Conservatives think speaking to Russia about Iran is bad, a claim Fareed Zakaria erroneously tries to tag Conservatives with, it’s that giving something without getting something in return is foolish and naïve. Zakaria and the other elites blinded by Obama’s global reset button want America to compromise and negotiate but fail to expect the same from the other side. Zakaria is that typical internationalist that views diplomatic success as merely sitting down to talk. Talking is the goal for them.

And if America needs to compromise in order to ensure that there are more talks, well, then so be it. Talking is success, right?

What I find almost as laughable as Obama’s never-failing ignorance and naivete is his weakness.

There’s that whole, “Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me” thing.  How many times does Obama have to be fooled?

How did Obama get China to sign on to the meaningless IAEA censure that doesn’t offer any sort of call to actual action at all?

The Sniveller-in-Chief says that – unlike gutless ObamAmerica – Israel will actually do something if Iran continues its nuclear program.  Get a load of the headline:

‘US warned China that Israel could bomb Iran’
By JPOST.COM STAFF AND AP

Two senior officials from the White House, Dennis Ross and Jeffrey Bader, made a trip to China on a “special mission” to garner support in Beijing over the Iranian nuclear program, according to a Thursday report in The Washington Post. The officials visited China two weeks before US President Barack Obama arrived in Beijing.

The officials reportedly carried the message that if China would not support the US on the issue, Israel would be likely to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities. The paper quoted the officials as saying that Israel saw the issue as “an existential issue,” and that “countries that have an existential issue don’t listen to other countries.”

They stressed that were Israel to bomb Iran, the consequences for the region would be severe.

Here is Obama, leader of the free world, telling communist Iran that they’d better do what he says or big tough Israel will fight.

Just gag me.

At least Obama understands something, though.  Obama himself is a gargantuan fool and a pathetic weakling, but he does at least have a clue that genuinely strong and courageous people won’t just sit idly by and allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons.  And Obama thought he’d better warn China.  Because that’s just the sort of stand-up guy he is [HURL!].

I have one thing to differ with Richard Grenell over: the story isn’t that John Bolton is right.  The story is that Barack Obama is as wrong as he has always been.

Iran will have nuclear weapons soon.  And Obama will ensure that outcome – every bit as much as Neville Chamberlain ensured that Adolf Hitler would invade Czechoslovakia followed by Poland.

Whether you carry a gun or have one in your home for self defense, if you are ever involved in a shooting below is some good advice to keep you out of the pokey after the fact.  Even if you are completely in the right, your words, whether written or spoken, need to be chosen very carefully.  Shooting your mouth off when you are still pumped full of adrenaline is NEVER a good idea.  Venting your emotions about the attack or the individual who attacked you to others isn’t a good idea either, as it could put them in a position of having to make statements that might not look so good for you.

Just remember, even though you are in the right, the liberals and self-proclaimed victims are out to get you.  They will twist ANYTHING you say to portray you as the bad guy.

Summary:  Shut up and lawyer-up.

It Doesn’t Have to Make Sense: It’s Just the Law – Statements

“…Written statement: a VERY BAD idea! ….”
BY K.L. JAMISON

In 1996, an unhappy consumer attacked the City Marshal of Lancaster, Missouri with a hammer.(1) The Marshal defended himself and later vented his adrenaline to the responding Sheriff stating, “I hope the son-of-a-bitch is dead.” This led to the Marshal’s conviction for involuntary manslaughter and a sentence of seven years in prison.(2) The story had a happy ending, but a story four years and tens of thousands of dollars in the making, and not a story the Marshal enjoyed very much. The Marshal might have avoided the worst part of the story had he not confused his right to remain silent with the right of free speech.

In the movie, Under Pressure, a woman tried to explain the stalking and implied threats of a neighbor. After a disorganized and unconvincing recitation of ambiguous events she lamely concludes, “I’m not a very good story teller.” Most people tell stories badly. In the aftermath of self-defense there can be a giddy stream of consciousness statement which has more to do with the effects of adrenaline than reality. The basic legal advice is “DON’T.”

The first question is, “What is a statement?” In a nation which counts exotic dancing as freedom of speech, a statement is also broadly construed. In 1996, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that a suspect’s refusal to uncross his legs during questioning could be taken as a statement when later charged with murder.(3) In a separate death penalty case, the court found that the defendant had purchased a used car which sported the bumper sticker, “I’m the person your mother warned you about.” At trial the prosecution argued that the fact he did not remove this bumper sticker revealed something about his character. The Missouri Supreme Court ruled that it was perfectly acceptable for the state to kill this man, in part, because of his failure to remove the bumper sticker.(4) One can imagine the effect of bumper stickers bought in jest such as, “Keep Honking, I’m Reloading.” If this case does not also inspire a re-evaluation of one’s T-shirt collection, nothing will.

There is also the problem of nicknames. As of this writing, a rapper who rejoices in the stage name “C-Murder” is on trial for murder. If I were asked to defend a man named “Murder” or any variation thereof, I would charge more. Massad Ayoob testified in favor of a police officer who had killed a felon nicknamed “Snake.” Captain Ayoob slipped the nickname into his testimony which seems to have had an effect on the jury.

Written statement, a VERY BAD idea!

There is a cynical defense attorney saying: “Anything you say will be misquoted and used against you.” In the movie, My Cousin Vinnie, two, unfortunate Yankees are suspected of murder and during questioning are accused of shooting a clerk. One incredulously asked, “I shot the clerk?” This is taken down and read in court as a confession. Theater audiences laughed, defense attorneys smiled and nodded. There have even been cases where comments by other persons have been attributed to the defendant, and used against him; complete silence is the only bulwark against these mistakes.

The first statement is the 911 call. These calls are recorded and if the call sounds bad for the defendant, it will be played over and over again at trial. In one case, a man cocked his double-action revolver and went after a person who was shooting out windows. When he caught up with the threat he extended his revolver and in the process tripped the light single action trigger pull; arguably an accidental discharge. His 911 call records him saying that he thought he had just shot someone. The 911 operator, trained to keep him on the line and keep him talking, asked why he thought he had shot someone. The man replied, “Lady, I think I’m a pretty good shot.” This callous-sounding statement took accident off the table and the man had to live or die with a self-defense case. This all important introduction to law enforcement must be planned in advance.

The first words out of the caller’s mouth should be the location of the incident. If the battery then dies, or the minutes run out, or some other technological catastrophe occurs the authorities will know that something of interest is at that location, and the caller’s cell phone records can prove that he or she made the call. The next statement is the caller’s name. The core of the 911 call consists of three sentences:

“He tried to kill me.”
“I was never so scared in my life.”
“Send an ambulance.”(5)

The first sentence serves to introduce the roles of the parties, the caller is the victim, the other person the attacker. Being in reasonable fear of life or limb is a prerequisite to acting in self-defense. The phrase “I was never so scared…” is to preclude the prosecutor from claiming that the citizen never said he was scared “until he talked to a lawyer.”(6) The phrase “Send an ambulance” says that the caller does not want anyone to die.

When the police arrive, they will want a more elaborate statement; this should consist only of:

1. He attacked me.
2. I will sign a complaint.
3. There is the evidence.
4. I WANT A LAWYER.

Good Advice.

This restates part of the 911 call and points out critical evidence. One cannot expect the “CSI” team to be called out to pick up every fiber and hair. If a real forensic team routinely conducted the investigations shown on television, its budget would last about a week.

The demand for a lawyer is both the best thing one can do, and a damaging statement. Anyone who is questioned by police has the right to a lawyer; this includes victims. The problem is that the police, and potential jurors, take a demand for a lawyer as evidence of something to hide. To compound the problem, the victim’s decision to remain silent and demand for a lawyer can be used again him or her in court. In the criminal system, one does not have rights, until arrested; it doesn’t have to make sense, it’s just the law. It is a left-handed fortune that people who act in self-defense are routinely arrested. It may be called something else such as “detained” or given the “Alice in Wonderland” explanation “You’re being handcuffed for your own protection.” Whenever a person is not allowed to leave, he is placed under arrest regardless of descriptive terms. If one is arrested, generations of TV shows advise us to remain silent.

Western Missouri Shooters Alliance President Sheila Stokes-Begley employs a cell phone and CZ75 compact.

If the circumstances are ambivalent, simply state a fear of being sued, and demand a lawyer to protect against frivolous litigation. Bernard Goetz was acquitted of criminal charges in the shooting of four thugs on the subway, but was sued for $43 million and lost. Police are frequently sued by criminals and the explanation is likely to ring a bell.

Self-defense cases bring out the curious, the media in the forefront. Comments to friends will be confused and used against you, comments to family will be mistaken and used against you. Both family and friends can be subpoenaed and forced to testify against you. Comments to the media will be sensationalized and this is never good. The New York City prosecutor’s office had determined not to charge Bernard Goetz, until he made unwise remarks to the news media. At some point a statement must be made. The impression is that the earlier a statement is made, the more reliable it is. In reality, the earlier a statement is made, the less reliable it is. The effects of stress will confuse the statement and even cause temporary amnesia. Inaccuracies in the initial statement will convince authorities that the survivor is both a liar and a murderer. A lawyer must be immediately engaged to organize the statement.

A lawyer is a professional storyteller. He will not tell the client how to lie, he will tell him how to tell the truth, a more complicated process than most imagine. The statement must contain facts which track the elements of self-defense. In the case of defense of home or defense of other persons, there may be other elements as well. Knowledge of the assailant’s reputation for violence would certainly be relevant. The most important element to include is fear. A police statement is no place for macho posturing. One cannot use violence against another person unless in fear of life or limb. The survivor must go over every detail of why he or she was terrified, weak-kneed, pants-pissing afraid. If one does foul one’s pants, a not uncommon event, make sure that goes into the statement. No matter how ineffective a storyteller the survivor might be, the jury is sure to believe that.

(1)1 A City Marshal is a law enforcement officer position used in Third and Fourth Class towns in Missouri.
(2) State v Beeler, 12 S.W.3d 294 (Mo. 2000) at 296.
(3) State v Kinder, 942 S.W.2d 313 (Mo en banc 1996) at 325.
(4) State v Six, 805 S.W.2d 159 (Mo. Ban. 1991) at 167.
(5) Taken from the Western Missouri Shooters Alliance “Stay Out of Jail” card, see www.WMSA.net.
(6) A claim I have heard, even when false.

Kevin L. Jamison is an attorney in the Kansas City Missouri area concentrating in the area of weapons and self-defense.

This information is for legal information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. For specific questions you should consult a qualified attorney.

Dear Mr. President,
It has become obvious that you are going to politicize the war in Afghanistan rather than let loose the military to do their jobs. Your decision to make the announcement at West Point shows that this is a political decision. You believe the American people are dumb, but we see what you are doing for what it is.
When going to war, you choose the best military leaders you have, then you turn them loose to conduct the war. You selected Gen. McChrystal to lead the war effort in Afghanistan, but then you restrict his authority by not heading his advice. No General can win a war when he is hobbled by politicians. We only have to look back to Vietnam to see that is true.
So I beg you Mr. President, if you’re not going to fight this war to win, please bring our troops home. Fighting to win with everything we have is the only righteous way to wage war. Anything less will simply get a lot of American soldiers killed, before we leave with our tail between our legs.
Fight to win our get out of the fight. Since it’s clear you are too Politically Correct to fight to win you must, in all good conscience, bring our troops home!
Respectfully,
The Conservative Biker.

There’s been a lot of chatter lately over the increasing presence of the military in civilian circles by way of the Northcom military command and their participation with local law enforcement agencies. Recently, a major disaster training event was held, Vibrant Response, and I am betting that at least some of the jump the gun survivalists are fearing that this exercise is a stepping stone to suspension of our constitution. I won’t disagree that the potential for abuse exists with this command, but I’m also betting that when it gets down to the wire, the majority of these soldiers care more about the constitution than they do getting reamed by their commanding officers.

There is of lot of distrust and resentment against the feds in the world of the anti new world order, small gov. crowd, and there is reason to be suspicious, but come on folks, these things need to take place if training is to be effective. After all, you can read a dozen textbooks on how to repair the brakes on your car, but until you get the toolbox out and actually change those brakes, you’ve never changed them. Consequently, you have no real experience with that exercise, and when you are down and out, and your brakes need repairing, what are you going to do? Stumble through the job and make mistakes when you can least afford to?

That analogy goes for disaster preparedness as well. The military is best suited to respond to a major catastrophe as they have the logistics, supplies and equipment in place and ready to go. These exercises train these men in what and how to do the things they need to do to be effective and minimize loss. We’ve always used the military by way of the National Guard etc. to help out in emergencies, so don’t second guess and come to rash conclusions when these types of events occur. The military voluntarily, for the most part, places their lives on the line in order to protect us and keep our borders secure. The dipsticks in Washington are another problem altogether, and there is no escape from that quarter, and that is where our distrust and complaints should be directed. Soldiers are soldiers and not politicians, and that’s the way it should be.

From some of the commentary I have read over this training exercise I gather there are many in the far right community that would rather rake in the mud than play in the grass and that’s too bad. I believe we would be much better off if we were to start to put some of the extremism to the side and start working together to bring true conservatism back to this nation. Socialism has been 100 years coming to this nation, let’s hope it doesn’t take 100 years to get rid of it.

I have included here a couple of press releases from Northcom regarding the Vibrant Response exercise, which was to be a practice for a nuclear strike on a local level.

Inter-agency exercise prepares all for national emergency

Nov. 11, 2009
By T. D. Jackson, Camp Atterbury Public Affairs

BUTLERVILLE, Ind. – With an exercise the magnitude of Vibrant Response comes the need for inter-agency communication, team/unit cohesion and quick reaction time.  Vibrant Response, an exercise that simulates a terrorist nuclear attack in the United States, implements those three tenets in order to accomplish the mission at hand – working together to help save lives. 

More than 4,000 military and civilian participants converged on Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Muscatatuck Urban Training Center and its surrounding communities Nov. 5 – 12 to participate in a training exercise that would put their capabilities to the test. 

Air Force Gen. Victor E. “Gene” Renuart Jr., the commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, explained how when attacks of this nature surpass the capability of first responders, there are people in place who are trained specifically for such an occasion.   

“When an event like this occurs,” he said, “absolutely the first people on the scene are going to be the local first responders…”   

“But as you could imagine, an event like a nuclear detonation will rapidly grow beyond the capacity of certainly the local first responders and maybe state and potentially national responders,” he said.  “And so what we’ve tried to approximate in this scenario is that those first responders have arrived, they have conducted those initial searches, and we’ve asked for the civil support teams from within the state to come and assess for chemical, biological and nuclear conditions and help us understand what would be required to respond to this.” 

On Friday and Saturday that assessment team was the Ohio Chemical Enhanced Force Protection Package, or Ohio CERFP, chemical and engineering Soldiers and Air Force medics pulled together from the Ohio Army and Air National Guard.   

Army Maj. David Mason, Ohio CERFP commander, said the benefit of having the team is that it is set up to be on stand-by alert. 

“When looking at a major incident, your initial first responders can only do so much in a certain time frame,” he said.  “When the FEMA assistance comes in [there can be] a lapse in that response.  We’re here to fill in the gap.  We have the ability to arrive on site within 12 hours of call up.” 

The team got their trial-by-fire Saturday during the second simulated nuclear attack on a city.  The once peaceful neighborhood soon erupted like a volcano: smoke spewed from building windows, fire engulfed wrecked cars and trucks and dazed citizens – bloodied and battered – poured into the streets shouting for medical attention.  Some could not be consoled. 

“Where is my daughter?” a woman cried.  “I’m not leaving without my daughter!” 

Bloodcurdling screams and thunderous pounding erupted from the city jail as “prisoners” were determined to not be left behind.  Feeling angry and forgotten, they rattled and shook their jail cell bars yelling for someone to help them. 

 ”Why isn’t anyone coming?” they cried to one another. 

But someone was coming.  Outside, the Ohio CERFP members were performing land surveys to identify the damage, erecting triage centers and setting up decontamination sites.  The “decon team” then moved out to rescue the people in need.

 Army Cpl. Jaime Ramirez, a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear explosives specialist with the 379th Chemical Company headquartered in Chicago said the scenario was as real as it gets.

 ”It was exciting the second we got in the gate,” he said.  “The simulated town and wreckage everywhere, role players with simulated injuries… It seems really well thought out.”

 In fact, every burning car, every trash heap and rubble pile was put in place so people who come to train at Muscatatuck are immersed in the most realistic scenario possible.

Lt. Gen. Tom Turner, commander of U.S. Army North and the Vibrant Response director, describes Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck as second to none.

 ”This should be a national treasure,” Turner said.  “I really think it is a perfect place to do the integration of inter-agency training.  It is an incredible piece of terrain,” he said, adding that Muscatatuck provides “great opportunities and great realism.”

 ”You can see over the next few days this is going to be a very realistic battlefield and [the Indiana National Guard] has really done a heck of a lot to facilitate it so I can’t thank them enough,” he said.

 Turner said training in an exercise such as Vibrant Response helps the participants work through any kinks that would otherwise manifest at an inopportune time.

 ”When you show up at an incident of this magnitude, that is not the time to start meeting the players that are going to be involved in this kind of effort,” Turner said.

 ”Everyone will get training in their own task that they perform but they’ll also go away with a much better understanding of how the pieces fit together, how federal, local and state folks get integrated to conduct this mission,” he said.

 The same nuclear attack was carried out on Monday, this time with Marine Corps responders from the Chemical-Biological Incident Response Force, or CBIRF, out of Indian Head, Md.

 Brig. Gen. Clif Tooley, commander of the Camp Atterbury-Muscatatuck Center for Complex Operations, said that he was honored to support U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Army North in their execution of this year’s exercise, Vibrant Response.

 ”The size and scope of this event will showcase our unique capability to support large-scale live training of Department of Defense forces missioned to provide support to civil authorities in consequence management,” Tooley said.  “The Joint-Interagency-intergovernmental team participating in this experience will undoubtedly leave better prepared to perform their mission should they be called upon to do so.”

Vibrant Response brings realistic disaster training close to home

Nov. 11, 2009
By Spc. John Crosby, Camp Atterbury Public Affairs

EDINBURGH, Ind. – Smoke billowing from buildings, the beating of helicopter blades and constant radio chatter echo over ground zero; the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in Butlerville, Ind., on November 9.

The scenario is unimaginable to many; a nuclear weapon detonates over a large U.S. city. The catastrophe calls on our nation’s military and first responders. The Army and Air National Guard answer the call. The training event is dubbed Vibrant Response.

Over the years, the tragedies of the tsunami in Indonesia, Hurricane Katrina and the attacks on September 11, make training for an event of this magnitude seem necessary.

“Some would say it’s not a question of if but when there’s going to be another large scale catastrophic attack on our nation,” said Lt. Gen. Tom Turner, U.S. Army North commander.

Training for such a catastrophe has been deemed mandatory by U.S. military officials.

“It is an extraordinary training opportunity for a nation’s capability,” said Gen. Victor E. “Gene” Renuart Jr., commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command. “The kinds of scenarios that you see throughout this training venue allow us to practice not only the individual skills but the organizational skills necessary to respond to this type of an event.”

The training event, commanded by Army North, involved more than 4,000 people. Muscatatuck’s layout of 120-plus buildings, nine miles of roads and underground tunnel systems proved an excellent venue to create such a scenario.

“It hits all of the major training venues that you would find in an urban area,” said Lt. Col. Chris Kelsey, Muscatatuck commander. “It should really task all of these units to really use their full spectrum of tools to get the job done.”

Casualties, rubble piles and emergency sirens added to the event’s realism.

“It was exciting the second we got in the gate,” said Army Sgt. Mathew Morgan, 379th Chemical Company headquartered in Chicago. “The simulated town and wreckage everywhere, role players with simulated injuries… It seems really well thought out.”

The Army and Air Guard units operated with a full spectrum of components necessary to respond to the mock nuclear attack. First, identifier teams roved the wreckage taking radiation tests ensuring the levels were safe enough for servicemembers to begin work.

Next, search and rescue teams extracted civilians and casualties from the affected areas. The affected people were decontaminated and then triaged and given medical care according to priority of injuries. Several echelons of care operated by several units of different military branches all operated as one.

“It gives them an assessment of their capability, gives them an assessment of their level of physical fitness and their endurance,” said Jeff Taylor, operations and medical and analytical evaluator. “It helps you to understand just how much you actually can do and how hard you can push yourself.”

Valuable lessons are learned each day during Vibrant Response including communication, logistical and coordination issues.

 ”I’d like to see them gain confidence in their equipment, confidence in their team and confidence to do the job they need to do anywhere in the United States or anywhere else in the world if they were called,” said Kelsey.

Beyond the challenges of working in the mass-casualty situation and the chaos of the aftermath of the mock nuclear blast, the Guard units faced the challenges of working with other units, other branches of the military and civilian authorities.

“That’s what we’re focusing on today is the evacuation piece and the integration of units that don’t normally work together,” said Taylor. “I think they learned a great deal.”

As Vibrant Response draws to a close, plans for future events such as this are discussed, possibly a smaller quarterly event in conjunction with a yearly training scenario according to Kelsey.

“I would say without a doubt that the quality of this force that we have is as good as anywhere in the world,” said Turner. “I think that we as a nation have come to realize that the threat is real and we have to be prepared for that. Is the nation prepared to respond? Yes. Do we need to grow that capability further? Yes. That’s what these exercises are designed to do.”

Military.com: posted CNN video of security companies and new defense mechanisms set to aggressively combat pirates.

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Avis n° 102 (2009-2010) de M. Didier BOULAUD, fait au nom de la commission des affaires étrangères, déposé le 19 novembre 2009

L’action « recherche et exploitation du renseignement intéressant la sécurité de la France » regroupe les activités de la direction générale de la sécurité extérieure (DGSE), comptabilisées dans la sous-action « renseignement extérieur » et de la direction de la protection et de la sécurité de la défense (DPSD), figurant pour leur part dans la sous-action « renseignement de sécurité de défense ».

Ainsi que votre rapporteur l’a souligné les années passées, le troisième service de renseignement du ministère de la défense, la direction du renseignement militaire (DRM), relève quant à lui, pour ses personnels et ses effectifs, du programme 178 « préparation et emploi des forces », les équipements qu’elle exploite étant financés par le programme 146 « équipement des forces ».  …/…

Disponible au format Acrobat (213 Koctets)

I found this fascinating quote today:

Fritz Wenzel of Wenzel Strategies said one of the most shocking findings of his recent polling on the subject was that 65 percent are expecting an attack within six months.

“Some of the communication between Fort Hood shooter Hasan and al-Qaida figures included discussion of such attacks inside the United States, and it has been a common form of violence in the Middle East for years,” he said. “Now, Americans appear resigned to the fact that these attacks will soon come to our shores.”

He asked a series of questions in a WorldNetDaily/Wenzel Strategies survey regarding the recent Fort Hood attack, allegedly carried out by Muslim Maj. Nidal Hasan. The survey, Nov. 13-16, used an automated telephone technology calling a random sampling of listed telephone numbers nationwide. The survey has 95 percent confidence interval. It included 806 adult respondents and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

“More than one-third of respondents – 36 percent – said they think it is ‘very likely’ that such an attack will take place in the next six months, while another 29 percent said it is ’somewhat likely,’” he reported.

via Source.

Harold, Americans Expect Islamic Terror Strike Within 6 Months, Nov 2009

You should read the whole article.

I found this fascinating quote today:

A year ago tomorrow, millions of people worldwide began watching a terror attack play out live for three days in Mumbai. Ten gunmen staving off the police, special forces, and army troops captured world attention while slaughtering 173 people and wounding more than 300.

As the Mumbai victims are remembered this week, federal terrorism intelligence experts have quietly embarked on a campaign to help some major metropolitan police forces in the U.S. learn the lessons of Mumbai. Two weeks ago, I was the first journalist allowed to sit in on a two-hour briefing conducted by John Miller, the assistant deputy director of intelligence analysis for the Office of Director of National Intelligence, to 200 top Miami police officers, SWAT team leaders, and leaders from the fire department. The briefing, conducted at the Miami Police Department’s headquarters, was a sobering PowerPoint presentation. Miami was the third city, after Los Angeles and Boston, to get Miller’s briefing.

In the exercise set up for Miami, a Mumbai-type attack meant the first shooting was along the business district in Coconut Grove. Less than 30 minutes later, a car bomb went off in crowded Little Havana.

“Mumbai signaled a turn in terror operations,” says Miller, the former co-anchor of ABC’s 20/20, best known for his 1998 cave interview of Osama bin Laden, who has worked with the government on the terror front since 2001. “With al Qaeda being hit hard, less centralized and having more trouble raising money, Mumbai is the format for the future: low tech, low cost and high yield. It was a strategic and technical success that got them the biggest bang for the buck, creating a lot of fear while getting great media attention.”

Read Full Article

nationalterroralert.com, Could A Mumbai Style Terror Attack Happen Here, Nov 2009

You should read the whole article.

Knowing When to Call an Audible in Life!

An audible is when a change is made to an original plan.  In life we should have the ability to change a plan spontaneously when needed.

Click the following Link for Scott Epp’s Video Column on “Knowing when to call an audible.”  For all the football fans out there I think you’ll enjoy the football footage and the example I use from the quarterback’s perspective.

done

Here are 4 examples of audible:

1) You are in a marketing job and have a plan to mail out thousands of copies of your advertisement but just before you send them out you find that your competition has mailed out an advertisement that is very similar.  By staying with the plan you risk producing something that may look like a copy to your potential clients and it may backfire on you.  You may want to “Call an Audible” and change your advertisement or make a new plan.

2) You and your spouse may be camping in the wilderness and while you are there you are told that a grizzly bear is in the area.  You may want to “Call an Audible” and change your plan and find a new camping spot or even continue your vacation somewhere else.

3) You have a big sale at your store on the weekend and your delivery company has made a mistake and your stock will not be at the store for the sale.  You may want to “Call an Audible” and change your sales structure and advertise other products or you may be able to creatively find a way to still advertise your product even though it will not be delivered until a future date.

4) In football quarterbacks will have a play that they’ve called in the huddle.  Sometimes he will get a gut feeling, see the way the defense is lined up, sense the defense will blitz him (rush him) so he may want to ”Call an audible” and change his plan.  The quarter back will have a sign or an audible command that he shouts out so his team mates know there is a change in the plan.  The quarterback may run with the ball when he originally planned to throw it or he may hand off the ball to the right instead of to the left etc. Some of the best plays in football are when the quarterback “Calls and Audible” and makes a spontaneous play that allows his team to score.  If he had not called the audible he may have lost the ball, thrown an interception or got sacked (defense tackled him behind the line of scrimmage.)

This Weeks Reflect and Apply

Reflect on a plan that you have now.  Think about some of the challenges that you are facing around your plan.  What are some possible audible that you can call?  Now think of some of the ways that you can “Call an Audible?” Are there ways that you can change your plan.

The loss of Al Harris and Aaron Kampman is going to hurt the Packers’ defense.  Things are going to look a lot different the rest of the way.  With that said, here is my analysis of the defense without the two Pro Bowlers.

Tramon Williams will replace Harris, and Kampman will be replaced by a combination of Brad Jones and Brady Poppinga.  Moreover, we should FINALLY see Jeremy Thompson after injuries have left him not activated for most of the season.  On paper, it’s simple, but on the field, it creates a ripple effect within the defensive personnel.  Let’s start by looking at the secondary.

With Tramon Williams starting, Jarrett Bush comes on the field in the nickel and Brandon Underwood, a rookie 6^th round draft pick, in the dime.  To avoid exposing our lack of experience in the secondary, we will probably see more base personnel from Dom Capers.  Conversely, teams we play will try to force us into our nickel and dime packages by lining up with 3 and 4 receiver sets.  Capers has been around the block a few times and should be able to rise to the challenge.

Also in the secondary, Charles Woodson is going to have to return to being a more “traditional” cornerback.  Meaning there will be less of him blitzing and hovering around the line of scrimmage.  Perhaps more importantly, Woodson will no longer be matching up with the opposing team’s tight end; he will be on their number one receiver (a job Al Harris has done extremely well all season).  Woodson is one of our best players, but he can’t guard every receiver/tight end at the same time.  We all saw what happened when Woodson stopped covering Vernon Davis in the 49ers game, and I would count on opposing defenses to notice as well.

The outside linebacker position is less worrisome.  We have seen Brad Jones and Brady Poppinga.  My guess is that we’ll see Poppinga play running downs and Jones play passing downs.  We don’t know what Jeremy Thompson will give us, but hopefully he’ll be the player that coaches were raving about in training camp.  Speaking of training camp, it seems a long time ago, doesn’t it?  How quickly NFL life goes by…

The bottom line is Dom Capers will be forced to alter his defensive schemes, he will have fewer options with the personnel packages, and he will surely blitz less.  The defense will manage more games, as opposed to win them.  Offense, that’s your cue to step it up.  This Thursday, we will see a different defense without these two Pro Bowlers on the field.  How the Packers answer the call remains to be seen.  Let’s hope for a Happy Thanksgiving.

Packer Update pointed out a (possible) silver lining to all of this. Follow this link if you’re interested. Hint: It involves a safety and a game of “tag”.

Posted: November 25, 2009

I’ll take another round turkey, a heaping pile of mashed potatoes and a mound of stuffing.  I’ll go for seconds, maybe thirds, on yams and cranberry.  I’ll make room for a slice of pie or three, and then it’s on to dessert and a plate full of Sleepers for Week 12:

QUARTERBACK

Alex Smith (San Francisco) vs. Jacksonville – Projection: 21-35, 220 yards, 2 TD
Smith didn’t look great on Sunday against Green Bay, but still threw for 227 yards and 3 TD.  Jacksonville ranks 25th versus the pass, so another solid performance is a high probability.

Vince Young (Tennessee) vs. Arizona – Projection: 13-21, 155 yards, 1 TD, 5-35 rushing
Young is not an exciting fantasy option, but it’s surprising how little it takes to get double-digit fantasy points from the guy.  With just 116 passing yards in Week 11, Young was still good for 14 fantasy points thanks to 73 rushing yards and a passing TD.

RUNNING BACK

Justin Forsett (Seattle) @ St. Louis – Projection: 13-71 rushing, 5-31 receiving, 1 TD
Even if Julius Jones returns from his bruised lung, Forsett has more than proven his worth in Seattle, and will get his touches.  The Rams are 28th in the league against the run, so this will probably be the last week Forsett qualifies as a “Sleeper”.

Jamaal Charles (Kansas City) @ San Diego – Projection: 14-65 rushing, 3-11 receiving, 1 TD
Against a tough Pittsburgh D, Charles still found a way to be a viable fantasy option by catching a 2-yard touchdown pass from Matt Cassel and returning a kickoff for 6.  San Diego is 21st against the run, so Charles could have another solid day.

Danny Ware (New York Giants) @ Denver – Projection: 9-51 rushing, 3-24 receiving
When the Giants travel to Denver for a Thanksgiving night showdown with the Broncos, Ahmad Bradshaw (ankle) will not make the trip.  With Brandon Jacobs (leg) a bit hobbled, the door could swing open for the Giants’ number three back.

WIDE RECEIVER

Antonio Bryant (Tampa Bay) @ Atlanta – Projection: 5-67 receiving, 1 TD
Bryant had 1248 yards and 7 TD just one season ago.  After battling injuries for much of this year, he’s healthy and could start to build a rapport with Tampa Bay rookie gunslinger, Josh Freeman.  It doesn’t hurt that Atlanta is 29th against the pass.

Earl Bennett (Chicago) @ Minnesota – Projection: 7-84 receiving
Over the past 3 weeks, Chicago’s leading ypc receiver (12.8) has a modest 15 grabs for 177 yards.  Not exactly a trend that would suggest a big game versus Minnesota, but here we go again, putting up the bucks for a guy who always fails to deliver a TD.  This could be the week…

Pierre Garcon (Indianapolis) @ Houston – Projection: 5-72 receiving
Over the past 3 weeks, Garcon is tied with Roddy White for 13th in the NFL in WR targets (28).  Over that span, he has 14 catches, 218 yards and 1 TD, including 108 yards last week.  By the way, he has Peyton Manning throwing him the ball.

TIGHT END

Jermichael Finley (Green Bay) @ Detroit – Projection: 4-39 receiving, 1 TD
How can I not go with Finley (again)?  He’s owned in less than 20% of fantasy leagues, yet, per game, is outperforming Jason Witten, Jeremy Shockey and John Carlson, all of whom are owned in more than 75% of leagues!  Plus, here comes Detroit.

KICKER

Dan Carpenter (Miami) @ Buffalo – Projection: 2 FG, 2 PAT (1 FG 40+)
It’s time to see if Carpenter can be a cold weather kicker.  Safe bet, the Montana alum will be fine, and the Dolphins will get him into range at least twice against the Bills.  Carpenter has scored 74 (real life) points thus far in 2009, and has a big leg.

DEFENSE

Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay – Projection: 17 points allowed, 2 sacks, 1 Int, 1 fumble recovery
The Buccaneers have shown flashes of ability on offense, and there could be some again on Sunday.  That said, Atlanta is averaging 2 sacks and nearly 2 takeaways per game, and Tampa will really be no match at home.