As for Newt, a picture says a thousand words. This one speaks volumes.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen more and more candidates invoke the memory of President Ronald Reagan. I don’t blame them for admiring Reagan’s accomplishments, but I do often question their sincerity. Are these candidates simply sharing thoughts about their fondness for Reagan, or is it solely a transparent method of trying to ride the coattails of a man they may not really identify with?

This has been going on a while, but it has been Newt Gingrich’s frequent mentions of Reagan during debates that have annoyed me. To hear Gingrich tell it, he and Reagan were rather close, and shared credit for some of the accomplishments of the Reagan Presidency.

Upon hearing Gingrich’s boasts for the first time, I was taken by surprise. How would a fairly young Congressman with little seniority actually gain so much power in the Reagan Administration? Well, it turns out he didn’t.

Since Newt Gingrich’s win in South Carolina, members of the Reagan Administration have come forward to refute Gingrich’s wild claims. Others have pointed to times where Gingrich criticized Reagan on several occassions.

When it comes to flip-flopping and getting creative with the truth, Newt’s only competitor might be Mitt Romney.

Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, two of the greatest players of all-time, never reached 3,000 hits

I know people are tripping over themselves in an effort to heap accolades on the New York Yankees Derek Jeter after his 3,000th hit. The worst part was the tendency for the media to constantly point out that he’s the only Yankee to ever attain 3,000 hits. Let me just point out one thing: 3,000 hits or not, Jeter isn’t in the same class as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, or Mickey Mantle.

After Jeter’s accomplishment, I checked out the list of career hit leaders. Here’s a list of the 28 men who reached 3,000 hits:

1. Pete Rose 4256
2. Ty Cobb 4189
3. Hank Aaron 3771
4. Stan Musial 3630
5. Tris Speaker 3514
6. Cap Anson 3435
7. Honus Wagner 3420
8. Carl Yastrzemski 3419
9. Paul Molitor 3319
10. Eddie Collins 3315
11. Willie Mays 3283
12. Eddie Murray 3255
13. Nap Lajoie 3242
14. Cal Ripken 3184
15. George Brett 3154
16. Paul Waner 3152
17. Robin Yount 3142
18. Tony Gwynn 3141
19. Dave Winfield 3110
20. Craig Biggio 3060
21. Rickey Henderson 3055
22. Rod Carew 3053
23. Lou Brock 3023
24. Rafael Palmeiro 3020
25. Wade Boggs 3010
26. Al Kaline 3007
27. Derek Jeter 3003
28. Roberto Clemente 3000

When you look at that list, are you surprised? There are some great players on that list, but there are some players that I wouldn’t consider among the greats. Excellent player, but not great players. In that list, I would include, George Brett, Robin Yount, Al Kaline, Craig Biggio, Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs, Paul Molitor, and Derek Jeter. For many, 3,000 hits was the result of longevity mixed in with some strong years, not greatness.

If you think I’m wrong, then consider that Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, and Ted Williams are not on that list. Are the members of the 3,000 hit club somehow superior? I don’t think so, especially when you consider that some players missed substantial at-bats. For example, Babe Ruth was a pitcher who had limited at-bats early in his career, while Ted Williams missed a few years while serving our country as a fighter pilot.

Remember: Round numbers like 3,000 don’t always tell the whole story.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo

Finally, New York voted to legalize gay marriage yesterday. It’s a development that has been a long time coming, and should further embolden those who are seeking marriage equality.

“We made a powerful statement. This state is at its finest when it is a beacon of social justice,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Of course, not everyone agreed. Here are some words of wisdom from the Catholic Bishops of New York:

“We always treat our homosexual brothers and sisters with respect, dignity and love,” the bishops said Friday. “We worry that both marriage and the family will be undermined by this tragic presumption of government in passing this legislation that attempts to redefine these cornerstones of civilization.”

Marriage and family will be undermined? Redefining the cornerstones of civilization? I might be wrong, but marriage is a social construction. When society changes, isn’t it normal for its institutions to also change in order to accommodate new view points? In essence, the Catholic Church is arguing that marriage should be limited to men and women because that’s the way it has always been. That seems rather simplistic to me.

At one point, interracial marriage was illegal in many places. Does the Catholic Church have a problem with this? After all, they don’t like making changes. It could “undermine” society and damage the “cornerstones of civilization.”

Here’s my view: If you don’t agree with gay marriage, then don’t marry someone of the same sex. Just because your opposed doesn’t mean other individuals should suffer. After all, will two men or two women getting married affect your life? I don’t think so.

I wonder if the Kool Aid man eats Deep Fried Kool Aid?

Just when you thought you’ve seen everything, you get surprised again. It seems like everyone is talking about Deep Fried Kool-Aid. That’s right, Kool-Aid! A man named Chicken Charlie invented the new culinary delight, which he began selling at county fairs. I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll pass.

American Silver Eagle

In the past two or three years, there have been a lot of events that should have served as wake-up calls for politicians and public officials. Another one of these events happened recently when Utah passed a law to encourage individuals to accept U.S. gold and silver bullion coins for their weights, rather than their nominal value. For example, the American Silver Eagle is a one dollar coin, but with the current spot price of silver at $38 per ounce, it is also worth $38.

There are a lot of people concerned about the economy, from survivalists who are waiting for a complete economic collapse, to those expecting slightly greater than usual inflation. Personally, I’m not expecting a massive collapse, but I am expecting increasing inflation and an erosion of the dollar’s value as the presses keep rolling. Making it more convenient to use gold and silver is a good thing which might encourages individuals to diversify their wealth.

In a recent Gallup poll, 53% of Americans support gay marriage in 2011, up from 44% in 2010.

For the first time, a Gallup poll indicates that a majority of Americans support gay marriage. 53% support gay marriage in this year’s Gallup poll, compared to just 44% last year.

As a registered Republican who supports gay marriage, I’m disappointed and a bit surprised that only 28% of those in the G.O.P. support same-sex marriage. For those who think of the Republican party as a bastion of social conservatism, it makes perfect sense. Still, I find troubling inconsistencies.

In recent years, groups like the Tea Party have pushed for small government and found many Americans who are sympathetic. I’m one of those people who support limited government, but unlike many Republicans, I go beyond taxation. I respect personal beliefs of what’s right and wrong, but I disagree with using those beliefs to limit individual liberty.

If you’re an advocate of small government, spend some time looking for inconsistencies in your thinking. Just like you might support restricting someone’s liberty today, someone else may try to do the same to you in the future.

Omar Bin Laden, one of Osama Bin Laden's sons

Omar Bin Laden, one of Osama Bin Laden’s sons, is thinking about taking legal action against the United States for his murder, and for his burial at sea. Here is an excerpt from a letter reportedly attributed to Omar Bin Laden:

‘We hold the American President (Barack) Obama legally responsible to clarify the fate of our father, Osama Bin Laden, for it is unacceptable, humanely and religiously, to dispose of a person with such importance and status among his people, by throwing his body into the sea in that way, which demeans and humiliates his family and his supporters and which challenges religious provisions and feelings of hundreds of millions of Muslims.’

So, someone who has killed thousands of people deserved better? I don’t think so. As far as his funeral service, he received much better treatment than I would have provided. Omar Bin Laden complains that his burial at sea “challenges religious provisions.” Many religions look down on cremation, but isn’t that exactly what happened to thousands of people on September 11, 2001? Did those people have a choice? Did their families?

Osama Bin Laden was evil, and was treated far better, and more respectfully than he deserved. As for his “importance and status among his people” which number in the “hundred of millions,” those with common sense shouldn’t care. I really don’t care about the feelings of a person who idolizes one of the most evil men to ever walk the face of the Earth.

Osama Bin Laden's son Omar Bin Laden and his wife Zaina Bin Laden

Many of those who are protesting Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s attempt to reign in state spending should be ashamed of themselves.

So many teachers have called in sick, that several cities and towns had to close their schools. Since there are tens of thousands of union protesters complaining outside the state capital, it’s pretty easy to figure out where those teachers are spending their days. Ideally, these teachers would be fired. Of course, they won’t be. As a matter of fact, there’s allegedly a doctor outside the capital giving teacher’s notes to excuse them for being out of work due to their “illnesses.”

Throughout this spectacle, we’ve heard a lot of talk about the hard working labor unions, and calls for democracy. These calls are rather inconsistent with the situation being created by organized labor and their supporters. After all, many members are calling out of work to protest. That doesn’t seem like someone with a strong work ethic, or someone who cares about their students. As for Senate Democrats, they left Wisconsin. How can Democracy work if the people elected to do a job refuse to do it? Voters chose the Senators and Representatives they wanted in November. Ladies and gentleman, democracy will occur if the Democrats get back to the work they swore they would do.

The union members and Democrats won’t accomplish anything of note. All they are doing is delaying the inevitable. If they come back the bill will be introduced. If they don’t, the legislative process will grind to a halt and nothing at all will be accomplished. That just goes to show how much power the unions have in Wisconsin.

Finally, fire the teachers, recall the Senators, and take the doctor’s licenses away.

Lara Logan of CBS News discusses her experience covering the demonstrations in Egypt.