Rich Rod Just Doesn't Get It

Forget Michigan's abysmal record the last two years for a moment (yeah, I know -- 8-16 is hard to forget but work with me for a second here). And ignore that fact that the team seemed to get worse as each of those first two seasons progressed. And then, erase the memory of the impending NCAA sanctions.

Done? Good.

Now that your mind has been totally cleansed of anything that has passed for (so-called) Michigan football the last two years, I think I was just as horrified by something Rich Rob said this week in an interview with Free Press columnist Mitch Albom as I was by any of the above . In the Q&A, Albom asked Rich Rod his thoughts on moving the Michigan-Ohio State game. Here is Rodriguez's response:

"I like it at the end of the season. From a tradition standpoint, the environment. But as long as we're playing 'em, it's not the end of the world. I don't think it'll be the first game of the year. It'll probably be toward the end somewhere."

WTF?!

I'm sorry, I must have read that wrong. I thought Mitch Albom just asked the head coach at the University of Michigan what he thought about the yearly showdown his team plays each November that many consider the greatest rivalry game in all of college football, not what his favorite sandwich is on the new $5 Subway menu. Or which of the SAW movies he liked best.

That's such a clueless, pussy answer by Rich Rod on so many levels, I'm not even sure where to begin. But let me take a whack at it:

First, the lack of passion about The Game, the lack of understanding of its history, is so evident in Rodriguez's answer, it almost feels like Rich Rod misheard Albom. Maybe he thought Albom said Purdue, not Ohio State. Not the rivalry that spawned The Snow Ball, Bo vs. Woody, The Ten Year War, #1 vs. #2 in 2006, its own HBO documentary, is known simply at The Game and on and on and on.

Does he really not understand? Or does he simply not care?

Because Rich Rod's answer is the one I'd expect the coach of Markley's 5th Van Tyne IM football squad to give when asked about playing 1st Reeves. Not the head coach of the winningest program in college football history when asked about destroying the traditional season ending showdown with his team's arch rival.

Second, it's an ass-kiss answer if I ever heard one. Rich Rod's boss, Michigan AD Dave Brandon has already made it clear he's okay with moving the game as long as we play OSU each year. Rich Rod's response is the answer the dude at the insurance convention in Des Moines gives at the yearly company retreat because his job is in jeopardy. Then he tops it off by laughing extra hard at the boss's joke at the Happy Hour get together in the hotel lounge which just makes him look like an even bigger douchebag.

For cryin' out loud, Rich, have some fucking stones and give YOUR opinion, one you actually care about. Don't think Michigan-Ohio State is a big deal? Then say it and defend that position. But don't regurgitate the same thing your boss has been saying and be all wishy-washy when talking about THE MOST IMPORTANT GAME ON YOUR TEAM'S SCHEDULE.

Heck, I think I'm going to do the same here on this blog post. I'm going ot show the same level of committment. I was gonna spell check, put up a proper-sized picture with this rant, maybe have Benny do a Photoshop on it, but screw it. As long as I get this post up and it's here, it's not the end of the world.

EVERYBODY is against moving Michigan and Ohio State

And I mean everybody...

Hitler Reacts to OSU and Michigan in different divisions @ Yahoo! Video

Yeah, yeah, I know -- "Uh, Yost, these vid mash-ups were overdone when you stopped blogging 2+ years ago." True. But these things are now almost the comedy equivalent of that Hey Ya! song: When it first came out, you liked it. Then you hoped it was on when you turned on the radio. Then after hearing it 6,000 times a day for two straight weeks, it was, "Not the goddamn Hey Ya! song again! SON OF A BITCH!" which segued into, "I'm going to shoot myself in the colon if that *&^% song comes on again!"

But now when you hear it? It's like, "Oh, wow, the Hey Ya! song, I used to really like that."

PS No, I have no idea how one shoots himself in the colon either.

HT: DC

You Want Some Of This?

"Truth is handsomer than the affectation of love. Your goodness must have some edge to it, else it is none."

(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

The Final Climb

(Photo:AFP/CyclingNews)

Even though he was French...and one of the main rivals of Mongo's boy, Greg Lemond, I always admired Laurent Fignon. A two-time Tour de France winner, he was the thinking man's racer, and he wasn't shady like another French rider of the era whose name rhymes with Bernard Hinault.

"Nothing is over until we decide it is!"

Ladies and gentlemen, it has been less than 24 hours since I, your humble blogger, have returned to the front lines as a grave and growing menace threatens The Game. In these dark and desperate days, now and forever more to be known as These Dark and Desperate Days, or The Evils, or Jim Delany Can Suck My Big Hairy Nut Sack, some have said that our noble cause is already lost. That the decision has been made and it's only the timing of the announcement that is still left to be decided.

But in the immortal words of John Blutarsky:

So while the odds may be against us, neither Bo nor Woody would quit so, screw it, I'm all in, too. Not as long as there is still a chance. A quick check of them there Intertubes reveals several things you can do before the clock strikes midnight and all we can do is bitch on blogs and message boards:

Write to the both Michigan and Ohio State's athletic directors and presidents. Those emails are:

Dave Brandon (U-M AD): DABran@umich.edu

Gene Smith (OSU AD): Smith.5407@osu.edu

Mary Sue Coleman (U-M President): PresOff@umich.edu

Gordon Gee (OSU President): Gordon.Gee@osu.edu

Write to the Big 10:

Lord Vader Jim Delany (Big 10 Commissioner): JDelany@bigten.org

But when you do, be respectful. Leave the childish "Go fuck a squirrel, Delany!" rants to even more childish bloggers on the website he'll never see. Emailing that to him, or saying it to his assistant, won't help the cause (no, don't say that to Gee or Coleman either, even if you do change "squirrel" to "garden weasel").

If you're in Ann Arbor or Columbus this week for the games, be loud and be proud. Several Facebook pages (here and here) are promoting fan protests/chants at Michigan and Ohio State's home openers. Make some noise! (But if I see one person use their &^%$ keys to do it...)

Call into your local radio shows. Keep the pressure on Brandon, Smith, Delany, etc.

Be creative! Is there something you can think of to draw attention to this fight before it's too late? Let's hear it.

Most of all, spread the word. Get as many U-M and Ohio State fans involved as you can.

Okay, Buckeyes, you take Utah; Wolverines, take Omaha. I'll see you on the beach!

Las manos de la novia

Una novia no solo debe tener un vestido ideal, un peinado genial, zapatos perfectos y un gran maquillaje, sino que ademas de todo tiene que cuidar un detalle tan importante como lo es cuidar el estado de sus manos.

Unas manos bonitas, cuidadas y bien tratadas para el dia de la boda son sumamente importantes, dado que las manos delicadas son sin duda una excelente carta de presentacion, un simbolo concreto de feminidad que no podemos dejar de atender.

Entre las cosas para hacer los dias antes de tu boda, una de ellas sera hacerte las manos, primeramente exfoliando la piel de las mismas, sobre todo el dorso, humedeciendolas y frotandolas suavemente durante unos minutos con algun producto adecuado, y luego enjuagando con agua fresca, para descongestionar.

El segundo paso es el de reparacion, si tus manos se sienten resecas o cuentan con manchas oscuras, se pueden meter por unos minutos en agua templada con algunas gotas de extracto de almendra dulce. Posteriormente solo hace falta aplicar alguna crema nutritiva, y la piel de las manos quedaran lisas y suaves en un abrir y cerrar de ojos.

Por ultimo, en lo que respecta a la piel de las manos, debemos protegerlas, ya que estan en permanente exposición a los elementos, por eso, algunas semanas antes de la boda, hay que usar guantes tanto para las tareas de la casa como para protegerlas del frio. No hay que olvidar aplicar cada noche una buena crema nutritiva, solo así procuraras un estado genial a tus manos para tu gran dia de bodas.

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Invitación con calendario

¿Ya has pensado en las invitaciones de boda que vas a enviar? La verdad es que hay muchas ideas y muy originales con las que puedes sorprender a tus invitados.

Por ejemplo, como esta, que tengo que reconocerlo: me ha encantado.

Se trata de una invitación más alargada de lo normal, en la que hay un árbol a la izquierda con un corazón con los nombres de los novios y al lado, la invitación. El tono de la invitación es más bien informal, de hecho, el tipo de letra va en esa línea.

Además, incorpora un pequeño calendario en el que aparece el mes en el que se va a celebrar la boda y el día rodeado en un círculo. Es una idea muy divertida, que puede quedar muy bien.

A lo mejor encuentras algo en esta línea ya diseñado, pero si no, puedes encargar las invitaciones con el diseño que tí elijas, seguro que encuentras dónde te las pueden hacer sin ningún tipo de problema.

¿Qué te parece la idea? ¡A mí me encanta! De hecho, estoy empezando a pensar en algo así para mi boda… Aunque seguro que aún cambiaré de idea más veces…

Foto de intimate weddings

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Bouquets muy diferentes: Alternativas

Hoy te muestro diferentes alternativas para el bouquet para la novia. Si eres una novia que te gusta las novedades, esto te puede ser útil.

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What The Hell Is Special Purpose?

Mongo doesn't like to blow his own horn...Ok, maybe I do...but tonight I had one of my best rides of the entire year...and no one was there to revel in my awesomeness.

I had a twenty minute head start on the rest of the 23/2300 Hammerfest peloton, but I rode like they were always thirty seconds behind me. Mongo always rides faster when I'm being chased rather than chasing someone, so I never let up for the entire circuit.

I fully expected to be caught eventually, with all the steep climbs and the fact that I was on a 24 pound mountain bike with a power-sucking front fork, but it never happened. In fact, I waited at the rendezvous point for "over" twenty minutes before pedaling home solo.

I don't quite know what this all means, probably nothing, but I really enjoyed the challenge and the effort.

I wish...

Driving back home from Orcas Island last week, I found myself thinking out loud as I tried to make sense of certain conversations, observations and a writing exercise I participated in.

I listened as not one but two hitchhikers I picked up -- both seasonal workers at the hippie-ish Doe Bay Resort -- talked about their adventures moving from state to state and job to job in pursuit of their interests. I listened as a dozen or more aspiring writers at a Saturday workshop on memoir described people and places and experiences unknown to me. And I guess you could say I had a minor epiphany, which I voiced to Lori as we were pounding down I-5 toward home: I wish I had more time.

I don't mean it in any fatalistic kind of way. Rather, it's more a comment on how fast a day and a week can go by. No matter how efficient I might be, no matter what priorities I might set, I'm always running short on time. There are just so many things I want to do and experience, and even if I were awake 24/7 I still don't think I'd get around to everything.

Understand, I feel my blessed in so many ways. A long and loving marriage. Three healthy and happy adult children. An interesting career and job. Good health, good friends and the good fortune to own a condo and a getaway cabin. What more could a guy want? Call me selfish but...

I wish I had more time to spend outdoors. On a bike. On a hike. In the woods. On the water.

I wish I had more time to read. More novels. More non-fiction. More online and magazine articles.  More new authors.

I wish I had more time for play. Golf. Pool. Poker. Movies. Volleyball at the Y.

I wish I had more time to write. Beyond endless work e-mails, memos and editor's notes. Beyond these inadequate and increasingly rambling blog posts. A chance to really think and put into practice some of the concepts I've picked up at various workshops.


I wish I had more time with my wife. For day trips. For spontaneous outings. For snuggling and more.

I wish I had more time for friends. In person. Online. Doesn't matter as long as it's one-on-one and sincere.

I wish I had more time for myself. To grow new multimedia skills. To connect the dots in my life. To break out of my calm, conservative, cautious persona a little more frequently.


And, boy, do I wish I were more eloquent. Words can be so powerful and yet sometimes so inadequate.

Image: http://photobucket.com/images/stars/

Harleigh Who?

There is one beating heart at Chateau Gahan who has loved the transition to empty nest. With Harleigh no longer here to take Gideon out in the afternoon, we now have a dog walker. Gideon is in heaven. Jennifer goes to my church and has a dog walking business. She squeezed me into her rotation and now Giddy has an hour a day in the afternoon for walking and play time. But the best part is that Miss Jennifer often brings over other dogs she walks for play dates. Gideon especially loves Sam the Portuguese Water Dog and Bullet the 12-pound Pug mix rescue pup.

Yesterday Jennifer was babysitting Bullet and asked if she could bring her over to show me how much they adore each other. My boy, gotta admit, is a gentle giant. Their play was sweet and tiring in the afternoon heat. They both plopped down, pooped, after running, and Gideon proceeded to put his paw on top of hers. OK, so not intentional, but it had a Lady and the Tramp feel to it.

Every day Jennifer leaves me a cute note about what they did. Being a mom to a child is no different than being mom to your dog . . . it warms your heart to hear good things about your "child."

The Sunday Ride: Haiku

Took it to the trail

Rolling on my seven speed

Doing time sublime

I can stay silent no more!

WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!?!

When we last chatted here on this site some 2+ years ago, I was bidding you all adieu. I had burned out and, truth be told, it was time to move out of mom's basement and spend some of the Internet millions I made as Colin Cowherd's comedy ghost writer. Plus, I wanted to start dating a few of the hotties who were constantly throwing themselves at yours truly, as women are want to do with famous bloggers (I'm looking at you, Title IX).

So, I went out for one last beer with my blogging cohort and the MZone's resident Photoshop guru, Benny, then moved to a small, undisclosed island in the Bahamas. And all was good. As you can well imagine, it was days of sun, surf and babes ("You used to run the MZone? Take me!"). I cut off all contact with the outside world, save for the occasional trip to Miami for a little nightlife or to catch one of the TWILIGHT films (Team Edward. Busted).

Now, at this small, undisclosed island in the Bahamas, I got to be known as quite the party animal. You know when Jimmy Buffet is screaming in your face, "Yost, put down the fucking margarita!" you're over doing it.

But last week I thought I'd hit rock bottom. Thought I was starting to hallucinate. Because I looked up from the floor and standing in the doorway were not the two naked Playmates from the night before but what I thought was the Ghost of Benny. And he was talking gibberish. Crazy, outlandish shit: Saying that Michigan was coming off back-to-back losing seasons, including a 3-9 campaign in which they were Toledo's bitch. And then following that disaster up with a 5-7 suck-fest where they topped the previous year by making Ron Zook look like he could coach for a half.

I laughed at this Ghost of Benny. But he didn't. He said it was true.

I quickly set down the bottle of Glenlivit in my right hand.

Still he didn't stop. The nightmare was only beginning. For Benny next launched into a story that was so outlandish, so bat-shit crazy, it caused me to wonder exactly when I had become a crystal meth addict. As I lay there in a puddle of my own vomit and someone else's urine, Benny claimed that the Big 10 had added a team, was splitting into divisions and -- -- and I can barely type the words --they were going to do away with the traditional season-ending game between Michigan and Ohio State.

Once again, I laughed. Once again, Benny did not.

I quickly set down the bottle of Boone's Farm in my left hand.

"Surely," I bellowed (between vurps), "Michigan's President and AD -- as well as those of Ohio State -- will never let this happen!" That's when Benny dropped the bombshell: They support it.

I looked up, waiting for the bright light we all hear about when death is upon us. Then I began to recite the Michigan Man's Prayer: "Our Schembechler, who art in Heaven..." But all I got was the cold smack of Benny's hand, "Yost, it's even worse -- the only people rising up to stop it are..." Benny started to cry, like that time when I told him we were never going to finish the Blog Co-Ed Showdown. "What, Benny? Speak, old friend!" He composed himself enough to continue. "The...the only people rising up to stop it are...Michigan and Ohio State fans. Banding together as one."

The next smack was me hitting Benny. "Blasphemy!" Here I thought it was me with the drug problem. Yet it was Benny. Dear old Benny. Too many hours working on Photoshopped pictures of half-naked Arizona-State-cheerleaders-turned-porn-stars had finally pushed him over the edge.

But he pulled out his iPhone -- surprising us both when he actually was able to get a signal on this small, undisclosed island in the Bahamas -- and he proved it to me. Showing me news stories and blog posts. Facebook pages and Internet petitions.

It was true.

We now lived in a world in which Buckeyes and Wolverines had joined forces to defeat a greater evil. It must have been how Roosevelt felt teaming up with the Russians. But Benny explained that there was no other way. The very fate of The Game hung in the balance.

I checked outside for locusts as surely the End Times were upon us. Seeing nothing but the empty 12-packs of Red, White and Blue Light littering my lawn, I knew I could stay away no longer.

I hopped on the next flight with Benny (when the fuck did they start charging for luggage?!) and returned home. I returned to the musty basement in the Midwest that I thought I had left behind forever. Mom gave me a tearful hug, a "Welcome home" and the unfinished box of Twinkies I'd left in the closest next to my giant stack of old CHARLES IN CHARGE VHS tapes.

I then descended the stairs and took a seat in front of my trusty-but-now-dusty Dell 486. After somehow cleaning the computer virus off the hard-drive, the one I got clicking on a link while Googling "USC Song Girl Home Movie" for strictly "research purposes," I sat and began to type the words you read today.

Even now, wearing pants during daylight hours for the first time in months, I sometimes wish Benny was just a giant alcohol-fueled mirage that day. A figment of my maize and blue imagination. But he was a call to duty. To raise yet one more voice in protest against those trying to destroy the greatest college football game in America. The Game. The Game that instilled the lifelong passion for Michigan or Ohio State football deep inside of many of us to begin with. The Game -- at the END of the season -- that Wolverines and Buckeyes agree, with one voice, must preserved at all costs.

God Save The Game!

That I even have to come back and write this post stuns and saddens me. It points to bigger problems with college football and those who now run it. But that's for another discussion. For some reason, with the 2010 season just days away, we must instead turn our attention to saving the very rivalry that built the Big 10.

WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!?!

When Life Gives You Lemons...Make An Arnold Palmer

This is what LPE would look like if she was a sleek Italian vixen. This super-rare Colnago was going for about seven G's on Ebay...I'll take five hundy, right now, for LPE.

Moving on...

Mongo has a plan lined up for the 23/2300 Hammerfest tomorrow night. Since there's no way I could keep up with the peloton on LPE, I have initiated a challenge to the rest of the group. Mongo will have a twenty minute head start...and everyone will try to catch me. Even with that lead, I have my doubts on whether I'll make it to the end without being caught.

Under The Lights: It's The Vuelta

(Photo:Sirotti/CyclingNews)

Mongo needs to get his Pro Cycling juices flowing again. I've been in a bit of a funk since the Tour de France. After all, the Vuelta a Espana is a Grand Tour...isn't it? Of course it is, I think, although it would probably be considered the red-headed stepchild of the three.

All the big guns are here except Contador, Evans, and The Shack, and the less-severe climbs should bring more riders into the picture for GC contention. That being said, Mongo would be very surprised if the podium didn't look something like this.

1...Frank/Andy Schleck 2...Someone from Liquigas 3...Menchov/Rodriguez/Van Garderen

Putting faith into action

For someone who seldom attends church and continues to wrestle with questions of religion and spirituality, it may seem odd that I keep returning to the topic. However, I've come across two more instances where I've got to tip my hat to people who are finding constructive ways to act on their values.

Tonight, a group of women who call themselves Scarlet Cord are holding a designer rummage sale, silent auction and fashion show as part of a fundraising event in support of their efforts to assist young girls and women who are sexually exploited.

A family friend / fellow blogger named Kristen is involved with the group. I admire her commitment and recommend her blog for further reading: "The Dragonflies in My Net"

Meanwhile, yesterday's front page of The Oregonian has a story ("A Christian initiative at a Gresham apartment complex bears fruit") about folks taking it one step further.

Two young guys actually moved into Barberry Village, a low-income housing complex in a sketchy part of Gresham, a couple years ago, wanting to host community meals, get to know their neighbors and bring in local churches. Reporter Steve Beaven writes:

"So far, as part of their grass-roots project, roughly a dozen young Christian men and women have made Barberry Village their home. Their goal: Create a sense of community in a chaotic neighborhood overrun with drugs, prostitution and gangs.


"Their work mirrors, in some ways, the “new monasticism” movement, in which Christians move into urban or rural areas to work with the poor."

The organizers, David Knepprath and Josh Guisinger, both in their early 20s, were looking for a way to create a ministry that went beyond church walls, fully aware they were "outsiders, college students and young professionals with day jobs who could live in almost any neighborhood they chose," Beaven writes. "They were also Christians who wanted to talk about their faith. But they had to strike a delicate balance; they didn’t want to come on too strong and alienate their neighbors."

It's not been easy and their work is far from finished, but they do have some successes to show for their efforts. Good for them.

Photograph: Benjamin Brink, The Oregonian

That Was Fun: The Friday Night Ride

It looks like Mongo is going to get a new frame, "gratis", from the great Specialized Bicycle Company...so I'm pretty happy about that. In the mean time, I'm down with LPE.

It was a strong turnout tonight at the SBFNR. Most of the usual suspects were there plus a dude on a Masi with a rear fender and a Brooks saddle. The pace was moderate on the way out and fast on the way home...with several attacks reeled in before the final sprint. Mongo was in the mix most of the way but I didn't have the legs to cover the final move and faded down the stretch.

Garmin-Cervelo...The Perfect Storm Of Douchey

Mongo is already looking forward to the potential world-class smugness that is sure to emanate from "Preppy McSideburns" and "Baldy McCanadian" next year as these two teams combine forces. As much as I like Haussler and Hushovd, and would love to see them on an American team, the idea of VDV riding a Cervelo just ain't right.

Venta de vestidos de novia en Madrid

Para aquellas novias que están próximas a casarse y aún no han comprado o mandado hacer su vestido, les contamos que el próximo mes de octubre la marca de Jesús del Pozo organizará un "outlet de novias", con descuentos exclusivos para novias.

El Atelier de Jesús del Pozo pondrán a la venta quince diseños diferentes en la talla cuarenta, son modelos de anteriores colecciones que, sin embargo, los mismos llevan elementos que no pasan de moda como los drapeados, las formas vaporosas y ricas mezclas de textura en organzas y sedas. Vestidos de novia únicos confeccionados en el atelier de la marca con el fin de ofrecer propuestas personales a una mujer que no quiere perder su propio estilo, un día tan especial.

Si deseas asistir debes solicitar una cita previa en la tienda ubicada en Calle del Almirante (Madrid), llamando al siguiente número de teléfono: 915 31 36 46. El horario de atención al cliente es de 11:00 a 2:00 y de 17.30 a 20:30. Puedes visitar la página Web: www.jesusdelpozo.com si deseas mayor información. Suerte!

Fuente: www.jesusdelpozo.com

Tags Blogalaxia: Boda, Novia, Jesús del Pozo, Outlet Novias, Venta de vestidos de novias, vestidos de novia 2011 Vestidos de Novia

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Tiara de Swarovski: El complemento perfecto para tu peinado de novia

Que mejor manera de complementar un peinado de novia que con una joya. La firma swakovski ha diseñado una colección de tiaras y bandas de novia. Su precio oscila entre los 97€ y los 290€. La puedes comprar on line o en un establecimiento de esta firma.
Si duda brillaras con una de sus tiaras!

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Velos retro para novias

Los velos de estilo años 20 y aire retro están mas de moda que nunca. Añaden un toque de estilo y glamour a tu peinado, sobretodo si has optado por uno sencillo.

Como ejemplo de lo actuales que están, Oscar de la Renta presento su colección en la Bridal week de Nueva York a todas sus modelos con tocados y velos de este estilo.

Además son la alternativa perfecta si no te gustan los velos largos clásicos o si tu vestido de novia es de corte moderno. También son perfectos para bodas civiles.

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Gingrich in 2012?

Gingrich in his office, 2001

Although Esquire leans left, one thing I've appreciated over the years is the great job the magazine's writers do in crafting political profiles of key members of the Republican Party. Through deep reporting and bold analysis, I've learned more about John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Rush Limbaugh and Tim Pawlenty -- and what makes them tick -- than from other sources. Now comes another warts-and-all piece from John H. Richardson about Newt Gingrich.

And who better than a chain-smoking ex-wife-- Marianne, spouse No. 2 of Newt's three -- to provide commentary and insight on the naked ambitions, personal foibles and contradictions of her former husband? Make no mistake, though. This isn't a hatchet job. It's a well-rounded piece, featuring revealing scenes where Gingrich meets with supporters as well as the one-on-one interview in the former House Speaker's office on K Street on Washington's Lobbyist Row.

As much as the GOP talks about family values and the sanctity of marriage, I'd forgotten about  Gingrich's story: That he married his high school geometry teacher as a teenager and divorced her while she was recovering from uterine cancer; that he married Marianne, then divorced her in order to marry his present wife, a congressional aide 23 years younger than him.

At 65, he's risen from the depths -- he quit his job as Speaker and resigned from Congress while having an affair with now-Wife No. 3 -- to become the "philosopher king of the conservative movement" and apparent front-runner for the GOP nomination in 2012, based on early polls and the fact he's raised more money this year than Romney, Pawlenty, Palin and Huckabee combined.

"At a moment of doctrinal crisis in the Republican party, Newt Gingrich is the only major figure in his party who is both insurgent and gray eminence," Richardson writes. "That is why twelve years after his career ended — twelve years after any other man in his position would have disappeared from view — he is ascendant."

Two passages in the piece stood out for me:

He's the first person you've ever met who speaks in bullet points. In fact, he sometimes more resembles a collection of studied gestures than a mere mortal, so much so that he gives the impression that everything about him is calculated, including the impression that everything about him is calculated. Which can make him seem like a Big Thinker but also like a complete phony — an unsettling combination.

The failure of the Republican leadership under George W. Bush created an opening for him, he says. Obama's "radicalism" made that opening wider. Now a lot of Republicans are starting to ask, What Would Newt Do?

Or, he puts it another way: "The underlying thematics are beginning to be universalizable in a way that has taken years of work."

Whatever that means...

And then there's this from a fellow Republican:

"I've known Newt now for thirty years almost," says former [Oklahoma] congressman Mickey Edwards . "But I wouldn't be able to describe what his real principles are. I never felt that he had any sort of a real compass about what he believed except for the pursuit of power."

I'm certain that Sarah Palin cannot and will not be nominated in 2012. I haven't a clue who the Republicans might cough up, but after reading this piece on an astonishing political resurrection I won't be surprised if it's Gingrich who takes on Obama two years from now. Read the piece here.

Photograph: Congressional Quarterly/Getty Images

Luna de Miel en Punta Cana

Playa Bávaro es sin duda una de las playas más famosas y valoradas de la República Dominicana y del mundo. Bañada por las aguas cristalinas color turquesa del Mar Caribe, playa Bávaro posee una arena fina y blanca y en la línea de costa se encuentran numerosas hileras de cocoteros. Sin duda, el paraíso soñado. Los hoteles y chiringuitos (la mayoría españoles) permiten disfrutar de las frutas y bebidas tropicales y de la comida criolla. Aparte de la belleza mencionada anteriormente, la oferta hotelera de playa Bávaro nos permitirá disfrutar de numerosas actividades como por ejemplo navegar en catamaranes, bucear, practicar snorkel…

Playa Bávaro fue declarada por la UNESCO como una de las mejores playas del mundo debido sobre todo a su blanquisima y fina arena y a sus cristalinas aguas. Junto con otras playas próximas forma parte de lo que se ha denominado La Costa del Coco, que se extiende en cuarenta kilómetros ininterrumpidos de arena blanca.

Excursiones desde Punta Cana

• La Excursión de Punta Cana a isla Saona es una de las más realizadas por los turistas por su enorme belleza natural y sus impresionantes kilómetros de playa de aguas cristalinas color turquesa y arena blanca. Si a ello le unimos la inmensa fiesta que se origina en los catamaranes que te llevan de Punta Cana a Isla Saona, a ritmo de ron, merengue y bachata…

• Isla Catalina es una pequeña isla completamente despoblada, perfecta para practicar todo tipo de deportes acuáticos como el snorkel y el buceo, admirando sus hermosos fondos coralinos y sus diferentes especies marinas, en unas aguas completamente cristalinas.
• Una de las Excursionesmás impactantes que se pueden realizar en Punta Cana es a Marinarium, un excelente parque marino que ofrece la posibilidad de nadar junto a rayas y tiburones.
• Excursión Safari Jeep, un hermoso paseo en 4×4 donde podrás recorrer los campos de Punta Cana, sus plantaciones de cacao y café, los inmensos campos de cañas de azúcar, visitar los pequeños pueblos de los cortadores de caña haitianos entrando en contacto con los nativos y observando la dura vida de los campesines.

Mas datos de interés:
Mas información de viaje a Punta Cana
Viajes outlet a Punta Cana
Ofertas a Punta Cana

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