Happy holidays from Katie and me

As Christmas Day approaches, I turned to my favorite felines to wish everyone a merry one. 

Tempted to get Katie a playmate like the ones in this video.

Then, maybe not. One litter box is enough. 

An afternoon with Dickie V.

Dick Vitale, the mouth that roared about basketball, was the color commentator for Texas's 103-90 victory over North Carolina today at Cowboy Stadium. My ears are still ringing, and I'm left wondering why I heard much of what I heard from a very vigorous Vitale.

This from the humble commentator's "Dickie V. Newsletter." Check out the jazzy background music.

"Vitale, a college basketball analyst and considered by many to be the sports biggest ambassador, joined ESPN during the 1979-80 season — just after the network’s September 1979 launch — following a successful college and pro coaching career.  He recently extended his contract with ESPN through 2013.

"His thorough knowledge of the game is brought forth in an enthusiastic, passionate, sometimes controversial — but never boring — style.

"His knowledge of the game is brought forth in an enthusiastic, passionate, sometimes controversial — but never boring — style.  In February 2004 and 2006, Vitale was named a finalist for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor.

"Vitale called ESPN’s first-ever NCAA basketball game – Wisconsin at DePaul on Dec. 5, 1979 (a 90-77 DePaul win).  Since then, he’s called close to a thousand games, including NBA contests for ESPN during the 1983 and ’84 seasons."

Vitale keeps up a steady and loud stream of flotsam and jetsam — sometimes about the game, but usually about  peripheral topics. For example, we heard on today's telecast that he once sat in a box with George W. Bush at a Texas Rangers baseball game. Ho hum. He recently was featured (if you were looking at him) in a commercial for Hooters. A happy Dickie V.

He has a magazine, does speaking engagements and has written books on hoops.

Dickie V. is loud and tiresome occasionally, and he's a shameless self-promoter, but he seems to be sincerely interested in the game and he has encyclopedic knowledge of its history. I'll give him credit for that.

But chill, BABY!

A funny slap at Joe Lieberman

Senator Joe Lieberman continues to draw barbs from opponents.

The Connecticut Democrat-turned Independent has become the butt of many Democrat jokes, including this one:

The race for Texas' top GOP spot

The Republican primary governor's race should be a doozy.

Gov. Rick "Good Hair" Perry vs. Kay Bailey "The Cheerleader" Hutchison promises name calling at its best.

Perry will draw upon his support from Aggies and potty-mouthed rock 'n' roll has-been Ted Nugent, while Hutchison has former Vice President Dick Cheney on board.

Their war chests will be gigantic and their conservative credentials are just about even. So, what will be the difference?

Perry will probably get more votes from the Religious Right, and Hutchison seems to have support from the Neo-cons. Both groups have clout and can throw mud like crazy.

Wow. I can hardly wait for the blood bath.

MoveOn.org is after Joe

After my post on "Loyal" Lieberman below, I received this e-mail from MoveOn.org.

First, Joe Lieberman helped President Bush invade Iraq, and the Democrats in Washington forgave him. Then, he endorsed John McCain, and they forgave him again. Then, he personally attacked Barack Obama at the Republican National Convention, and still the Democrats forgave him.

Now, Joe Lieberman is single-handedly gutting health care reform. The time for forgiveness is over. It's time to hold Senator Lieberman accountable.

First, we're going to launch a huge ad campaign to make sure every last Connecticut voter knows that Senator Lieberman is blocking strong reforms. Then, we'll push Senate leaders to strip him of his chairmanship and seniority. Finally, we'll work to defeat him in his next election.

Our goal is to raise $400,000 in the next 24 hours, to send a deafeningly loud message that we've had enough of Joe Lieberman.

Then, they pitch for me to send $20. I'm not sure why $400,000 is needed.  Sounds fishy.

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Lieberman switches. Wonder why?

Lieberman's revenge - is the Connecticut senator fighting health care bill to get back at liberals? asks an interesting question.

Senator Joe Lieberman represents a state owned by insurance companies.

Could that be the answer?
The Connecticut lawmaker shocked his former colleagues on the weekend by declaring opposition to a plan that would see U.S. Medicare benefits made available to all Americans aged 55 and older.

Of course, pretty much the only people in America surprised that Lieberman is balking at the latest Senate health care compromise are Senator Harry Reid and other Democratic leaders.

Lieberman insists his opposition is driven by concerns about the cost of expanding Medicare.

“It will add taxpayers costs. It will add to the deficit. It's unnecessary,” he told CBS’ Face the Nation. “We don't need to keep adding onto the back of this horse or we're going to break the horse's back and get nothing done.”

Fair enough. But it turns out Lieberman was for the Medicare buy-in before he was against it.

Video surfaced Monday afternoon from an interview Lieberman did with the Connecticut Post in September, in which he explicitly supports allowing people who are “post-50 or maybe post-55” to have the “option to buy into Medicare early.”

C'mon Joe, what's the real reason for switching sides?

Another former coach may help?

Gene Chizik, a 23-year coaching veteran, was Auburn University's defensive coordinator from 2002-04, where he helped guide the Tigers to a 13-0 season in 2004 while earning the Frank Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach.

He also served as the assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator at Texas from 2005-06 where he helped the Longhorns to a perfect season and national championship in 2005.

This year, his Auburn team barely lost 26-21 to Alabama and held Heisman winner Mark Ingram to 30 yards rushing, his lowest production of the year.

Any suggestions, Coach Chizik?

McCoy gets hat trick in awards

Colt McCoy capped a big awards night Thursday on ESPN, winning the Maxwell Award honoring the nation's best all-around player.

Along with that prestigious award, McCoy won the Walter Camp Football Foundation's player-of-the-year award for the second straight year and the Davey O'Brien Award, given to the nation's best quarterback.

If anyone else had hogged the spotlight, I would be worried about an enlarging head. But McCoy has one more accomplishment to achieve: the national championship.

Also honored as All-Americans were Jason Shipley and Earl Thomas.

The small-town athlete turned big-time quarterback showed humility as well as a bit of hero worship as he sat next to Dallas Cowboys great Troy Aikman and confessed he always wore a No. 8 Cowboys jersey as a kid.