V-I-L-M-A

After what seems like a lifetime, Jonathan Vilma returned to play with the Saints today (October 22, 2012) while fighting the evil Roger Goodell's fines.

And from what I can tell he did good. I say that because I was banned from watching the game by hubby after I witnessed the 1st quarter debacle. Seems when I left the room they did better

.

I'll let WWL's description cover what happened here and will just say WHODAT!!!!!

TAMPA, Fla. — For the first time in nearly nine months, Jonathan Vilma stood at a locker in an NFL stadium, getting dressed as reporters and cameramen waited for him to snap the last button through its hole in his brown plaid shirt.
And it likely felt glorious for the embattled New Orleans Saints linebacker, especially after a 35-28 win over Tampa Bay.
Vilma, who played in his first game of the 2012 after coming of the Physically Unable to Perform list, wouldn’t let his emotions get him, however.
Just like this past week.
“It was one of those where I tried to not let my emotions get the best of me,” Vilma said. “I didn’t want to put myself in a situation where I was hurting the team by being over excited and there was really a lot to prepare for. So I would much rather focus on the preparation going into the game and when I was out there, let the emotions go.”
While some didn’t expect Vilma to ever play this season, he never lost hope.
“I did. Most people didn’t,” he said. “It was a long, drawn out process and for good or bad, it ended up this way and I was able to be back on the field with my teammates and that was a great feeling.”
Yet, Vilma was still showered with questions about the bounty scandal he’s embroiled in. On Friday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell recused himself from overseeing the bounty scandal, naming former NFL honcho Paul Tagliabue as the man to take over.
While he didn’t speak Friday about the move, Vilma did Sunday, saying he hopes the move makes the process a little fairer.
“I think it’s a good first step for Paul to be the neutral arbitrator,” Vilma said. “We expect him to do things in a neutral capacity, which would be to cross examine some of the witnesses, allow us to see the evidence if there is more evidence and be able to have a fair hearing.”
The linebacker, who was suspended for the entire season but is allowed to play while the appeal is pending, said he was easily able to focus this week on football.
“That part is not the hard part, being able to block things out,” Vilma said. “During the week it’s easy. We put in 10-12 hour days. It’s easy to get lost in football and the other team and how to defend them.”
Vilma played a disruptive role early against the Buccaneers, batting one pass down and recording a quarterback hurry.
He appeared active and didn’t show any signs wear and tear of the knee injury that kept him on PUP for the first six games of the season.
And with both Scott Shanle and Jonathan Casillas having to leave the game for periods, having Vilma helped deepen the unit.
“Having him back, just emotionally, really made a difference in this game,” interim head coach Aaron Kromer said. “We were trying to get him in certain packages and we had a couple of linebackers go down early in the game, so we were able to do that for the most part.”

REAL Beauty

A little levity

Some good laughs in these clips. Enjoy

Windows Wednesday

LOTS of windows at the Aquarium of Americas in New Orleans.

Here it is, all the information you wanted about the Romney-Ryan tax plan laid out before you.

Check it out here

Scuzzbucket of the Week

I realized I haven't had a scuzzbucket of the week for a while now, but I PROMISE to be more consistent after the 25th when I am laid-off/retire from Lockheed Martin at the Michoud Assembly Facility.

The winner this week is none other than that obnoxious Louisiana native Terry Bradshaw.



While perusing social media I came across this and it made me want to spit (something I don't usually do). Check it out:
Taken from WWL radio website:

Former NFL quarterback and Fox Sports commentator Terry Bradshaw has some pointed words about Drew Brees breaking the 52-year Johnny Unitas TD-passing record.

Speaking to WFAN radio in New York, Bradshaw said he wasn't impressed by the clamor over Brees throwing a touchdown in 48 games in a row.

“That didn’t blow me away...I’m not much on that stuff … I’m not into records, fellas. I’m just into winning football games. (The Saints) hadn’t won a game … I’m not into records, I’m into winning Super Bowls."

And Bradshaw had stronger comments about Brees getting permission from the NFL to allow Sean Payton to be in the Superdome to see his star QB break the record.

“I was a little upset that he went to the NFL to get Payton and everybody back to watch him break a record,” Bradshaw said. “I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ I never would have gone and asked for them back."

Bradshaw say it was "disrespectful" to the San Diego Chargers and the family of Johnny Unitas to have Payton back in the Superdome to see Brees break the record.

"So break it, go ahead. Hell, you’re throwing it 50 times a game, break it. I love the Saints, I'm from Louisiana...I’m just against stuff like that."

Click HERE to listen to the audio of Bradshaw's conversation with WFAN's Evan Roberts and Joe Benigno. (The comments about Brees start at about the 6:30 minute mark.)

Debunking The 7 Biggest Lies About The Economy

Thank you Robert Reich

Windows Wednesday

It's been a while since I've done a Windows Wednesday post. The reasons for missing my weekly post range from Hurricane Isaac, hospitalization, sick/dying cat, no electricity for a week, sick dog, etc.

But I'm back and have windows to show!

This was taken from the parking garage at the Westin Hotel at the foot of Canal Street

Taken from the same spot, a nice shot of the edge of the French Quarter

DREW BREES!!!!!

The Inequality Report Card

From The Institute for Policy Studies the "Inequality Report Card".

This interactive website allows you to click on your state/parish (county) to see which representative is related to a that section of your state. When you click on it, a pop-up pops-up, giving you information about contacting the person via telephone/Twitter/Facebook, etc. I think this website makes it extremely easy for people to get involved. But I guess only people who usually get involved will use this website. Kudos to IPS for putting this together!

From their site:

Members of Congress have the capacity to make sure that all Americans, not just a privileged few, share in the wealth that we all together create. This first IPS “inequality report card” evaluates current members on how well they are exercising this power.

The report card is based on 40 legislative actions taken over the past two years that relate to inequality. The bills range from legislation to establish a “Buffett Rule” minimum tax rate that all wealthy Americans must pay to a measure that would raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation.

Check it out!

Jarvis DeBerry to GOP: Wrong "Gotcha"

So there's this tape out. It's the right wing's rebuttal to the secretly recorded video that caught Mitt Romney writing off 47 percent of America as unworthy of his attention and the federal government's support. What does this June 2007 video "catch" then-candidate Barack Obama doing? Asking a gathering of black clergy in Hampton, Va., how come post-Katrina New Orleans was being asked to put up money for its recovery when post-9/11 New York was not.

Sen. Obama says early in the speech that he'd been asked if the Bush administration delayed help for New Orleans because most of its residents were black. "I say, 'Well, naw, this administration was colorblind in its incompetence.'" Still, the right-wing partisans touting the release of the video say it's proof Obama is a racial radical when he's speaking to mostly black crowds.

It's fair to point out that Obama sounds a lot more down home at Hampton than he typically does, especially since his birthplace in Hawaii is nowhere near down home. It's kind of silly to expect an orator to always sound the same, irrespective of audience, but if the president's critics want to make that their complaint, so be it.

But some offer a far more dishonest analysis. They insist that the candidate was lying, that New Orleans was given more grace than New York City. That's not just an attack on Obama. It's an attack on the truth - and on us.

The Stafford Act requires that, after a disaster, a community put up 10 percent toward its rebuilding costs. New York had its contribution waived, Obama pointed out. New Orleans did not. How do his critics respond? With a non-response. Tucker Carlson, editor-in-chief at dailycaller.com, which published the video, writes: "By January of 2007, six months before Obama's Hampton speech, the federal government had sent at least $110 billion to areas damaged by Katrina. Compare this to the mere $20 billion that the Bush administration pledged to New York City after Sept. 11."

The attacks on the Twin Towers damaged or destroyed 30 million square feet of office space in Manhattan, that is, slightly more than a square mile. About 145 square miles of previously dry land was under water in New Orleans alone after Hurricane Katrina. Altogether, Hurricane Katrina damaged 92,000 square miles of property. We did not receive 92,000 times more money.

And, for the most part, we did not have our share of recovery costs waived. The New York Times questioned that sudden stinginess in a February 2007 editorial. The federal government, it noted, waived Florida's match when 1992's Hurricane Andrew caused damage that came out to $139 per Floridian. The government waived New York's match when the 2001 terrorist attacks caused damage that worked out to $390 per New Yorker. Katrina and Rita damaged Louisiana to the tune of $6,700 per capita. We - and that we includes The Times-Picayune's editorial page and the Louisiana congressional delegation - begged Washington for mercy. We were repeatedly told no.

Yes, there was a waiver extended for debris removal and some emergency services, but in no way does that invalidate Obama's argument.

The Bush administration contended it had fronted us the money for the match, a curious case of accounting that was typical for the administration post-Katrina. For example, the $110 billion included money that had been sent to five states for recovery from three hurricanes: Katrina, Rita and Wilma. Sixteen billion dollars had been paid out by the National Flood Insurance Program. We'd paid premiums for that. So why was it counted as a gift?

This really steams me up. This isn't in the prepared remarks." -- Then-candidate Barack Obama in June 2007
"This really steams me up," Obama says when begins to talk about Washington's requirement that we put up $1 for every $10 received. "This isn't in the prepared remarks." He mentions the forgiveness shown New York and Florida, which he argues communicated, "We're not going to wait for you to scratch it together - because you're a part of the American family."

"What's happening down in New Orleans? 'Where's your dollar? Where's your Stafford Act money?' Makes no sense....Tells me somehow the people down in New Orleans, they don't care about as much."

They didn't care as much. And few people down here, regardless of race, are likely to argue otherwise. That's why the video of Obama's speech fails so spectacularly as an attack. He's speaking up for people who have a legitimate claim to the government's money and not, like his current opponent, turning his back on those desperately in need.

Jarvis DeBerry can be reached at jdeberry@nola.com and at 504.826.3355. Follow him at http://connect.nola.com/user/jdeberry/posts.html and at twitter.com/jarvisdeberrytp.