He Are The World

And thus the world was healed. Famine ended. Wars ceased to exist. Disease came to an end. Flowers bloomed everywhere. Still couldn't get rid of Castro, but look at all of the other miracles.

The Road to Ruin...

It has been almost a month since I last posted. No big deal but I always seem to write them in my head and never get down to the mechanics of it. Like with many things in life, follow through is the only measurement that matters. My intentions don't mean shit.
For example, did this guy really intend for famine, flood and...well Four Horsemen kinda shit to happen when he did his Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution, etc?
Well, maybe he did. I would initially guess not.
So were all of those who agreed with Chamberlain and his pact with Hitler responsible for Poland, Czechoslovakia etc. being seized by the Nazis. How about those 6 million Jews?
Did Chamberlain's heart in the right place turn out okay?
This list get kinda long and repetitious.
I just got invited to join a group who want to create a cabinet position and new office e of Peace or some such horseshit.
I just get bowled over sometimes by boulder-sized naivete.
Just because some folks were raised in the warm embrace of a loving intact family; raised in a love-preaching kinda religious environment; knowing that freedom and choice are your right as citizens; and so on and so on, doesn't mean the rest of the world has been, or even wants to be. It just ain't so. It comes down to biological imperative and our own human weaknesses. Recognize our place in the food chain first, then tackle the issues at hand. As Lao Tsu once pointed out (I'll paraphrase) "Recognize your place in the food chain first, then tackle the issues at hand." I said I was gonna paraphrase.
What is this all about? It is about all of the "Now the world will get fixed once He becomes the president." It is about "Gee, isn't Hugo Chavez wonderful giving all that aid to the poor?" It is about "Cuba has the best doctors in the world. It beats the U.S. system hands down." It is about "The rich do not pay their fair share. If they did, there would be no financial crisis." It is about" The problem with our education system is it is underfunded."
Once again, the list goes on forever and gets repetitious. The bottom line is - RESULTS MATTER. INTENTIONS DON'T MEAN SHIT! So if the cult of personality which has been hitting our shores like a Third World tidal wave these past few years is any indication, I'd invest in a helmet if I were you.

Government Cheese

It is morning in America. We can all breathe again. It is even better than Clinton. Oh boy, I can ride my motorcycle without a helmet. Nothing will ever go wrong now.

I bet I'm not even diabetic anymore.

I heard Obama cures cancer.

There will probably be no need for money anymore.

The government will provide everything I could ever possibly want. Racism is over. Wait, white people are still racist. Nobody else is though.

Hillary will be Secretary of State so there will be no more war. Biological imperative is the old way. We are a new America. We are Sovie...er, sovereign.

Now which line do I get in so I can get mine?

cinema verite

Hey Tovarisch, er, Comrade! Just got a letter from a buddy of mine who laments that paradigmatic train wreck that he thinks is before us.

He feels bad because the USSA, er, America is about to become socialized. Think about it. Don't you think that "social" people are nicer? Aren't they more thoughtful? More caring?

Why not let Uncle take care of you? You're not really capable of doing it on your own anyway. You're just not that good at being an adult. Who wouldn't want to go back to being a child anyway? Ah, those carefree days. Remember them?

Face it. You're just not capable or responsible enough. Besides, you'll miss "The View" if you got a job. If it was a night job, "Desperate Housewives" would have to wait.

I know what you're saying - "I have cable and TiVo so I'll catch all my shows regardless." But hey. Who has the time to do both?

Yup. Evil Corporations. I know you have parents and grandparents that say "It is my 401K!" But remember, those retirement accounts are invested heavily with Evil Corporations (aka "the Man"). Don't buy their argument. Anyways, Uncle will take care of them.

Have you ever watched crabs in a boiling pot? No, because that is unusual punishment and crabs are people too. But...if you have, you'll notice that any crab that is close to getting out will be pulled down by the other crabs stuck in the pot. Hey, it's only fair. Why should one get out of the mess. Every single crab should be in the same boat (or hot water). That is all the government wants to do - everyone should suffer equally. It's the American way. It is so universal that we should have people from every shithole, er, nation of significant superior, nature-loving people to come here, legal or not, and join the bandwagon of crabs in the pot. It will be a party.

But here is the bottom line: If you do not vote for Him, you're a racist. No, no, no. I can hear you arguing that he's has "questionable" affiliations. Whether it is a Palestinian terror supporter who wants to destroy Israel or a true-blue(state) American bomber who has blood on his hands, he was a kid when that hap... okay so he supported the Palestinian guy was while in the Senate, who cares? He didn't set any bombs. He just thinks that is must be okay. Free speech, ya know.

It doesn't matter if you're against socialism, you're a racist. You don't like th...you're a racist. The tax issu...you're a racist. You 're bla...you're a rac...Tom.

Remember, we're watching.

What Color is He?

Alrighty then. Joe the Plumber is now a racist. If you vote against this or that, you're a racist. I've heard it from kids next to my job site - "Are you voting for Obama?" My response was "I don't think so." Their response was "Then you're a racist."
That's it. 'Nuff said. It is either or.
Does color matter? Yes. But not because Obama is black. It is because he is as red as Trotsky. Big government will slowly (or not so slowly) creep toward being "Big Brother." I mean that in the Orwellian sense for those who will condemn that comment as racist.
Read Plato. What happens in the Republic? Ah...

Can You Spare Some Change?

Ah. The boys.

The big guys.

Compadre.

Tovarisch.

Comrade.

Change I Can Ogle

what is the difference between Barack Obama and a bloody Bolshevik?









Lipstick

Late to the Party

Well I am several weeks behind schedule and it bothers me. In the middle of what has turned out to be the most exciting political season in my lifetime and I've been mostly silent and on the sidelines. Long story (and aren't they all?)
If you go by the populist rhetoric out there, the race is this: We have the old white guy and the man riding into Jerusalem, er, Washington on an ass, er, the Democratic donkey. The fact that the one candidate is a black man doesn't matter. He has transcended race. So much so that the race is just about 50-50 in a country that is predominantly white with a mere 13 percent of the populace being black. Do not, however, put anything into the fact that more than 90 percent of the black vote will be for Obama. Race doesn't have anything to do with it. Oh, and by the way, if you don't vote for Obama, you're a racist.
Did I get that right?
Listen folks, it is about a Bolshevik versus a liberal Republican. Put all the tasty topping on this that you like, it still socialism on the horizon..

The Morning After

And there is a morning after

Now Ain't That a Woman

Sarah Heath Palin

Isn't It Ironic?

I love the way that David Letterman summarized Obama's VP choice of Sen. Joe Biden. He said "Nothing says Change like a guy who has been in the Senate for 35 years."
Hey. I must admit that the speech given by Michelle Obama at the Dem's was nice. She looked pretty hot too. Sophisticated women always did me in. Don't completely buy the content however.
Then there was "The Great Liberal Lion." Personally, I liked him better in the Wizard of Oz. I feel for his family. I also feel for his victim from decades ago. Never understood how he got away scot free.
Funny. When it comes to this year's election cycle, the Wizard of Oz becomes more and more appropriate an analogy.
Where are my red shoes?

In the End - Gold.

Nuff Said.

We're Number One

Another Reason I Love Being a Man

Never watched the Olympics much. Well I did watch when it was in Mexico but I was just a wee laddie.

Now I am all grown up and loving volleyball.

U S A! U S A! U S A!

Reasons to Happy About...

being an American.

1# Miss Felix, if you please.

I feel pretty good about being a man too. Is this proof there is a God?

Wish This Was Me

Circumstance and Flux

Weeks blow by...
Yeah it has been a few weeks. Got pretty good at being regular at this.
Circumstance and Flux. So much of life is circumstance and flux.
I had just gotten to a point where I had a reasonable schedule going for myself. Cannot say that it was a very productive schedule but it was mine.
Now it is back to the aforementioned circumstance and flux. Good name for a band.
Well I have my agenda set but now the implementation is in my way. Gotta get my gear catalogued, photographed and sold. Then I can move on.
Serendipity is an asset if you can adjust quickly.
Stability can be a curse since it has a pair of nasty sisters. You may know them by their stage names - Stagnation and Serenity.
Yeah, I said it - Serenity. She can be a bitch. She definitely has teeth. Everybody wants her. Nobody really knows her. People have given their lives for her. People has taken lives in her name. She flirts shamelessly with everyone.
And make no mistake about it - she will leave you.
Everybody expects Stagnation to be bad. Well, to be brutally frank, she kills her host. Just like in nature. People seek her out anyway. But Serenity has many stalkers.
I will take Serendipity over Serenity any day. Another thing is, Serendipity doesn't leave. She does hide sometimes...

Gettin Razzed

Like most mornings of my life, I got razzed up by the news of the day. Often times, it is the way the media portrays the news or parses the news that troubles me so. The reactions are often that of incredulity.
How can these assholes get paid for doing this?
or
Do people really buy this shit?
It is rhetorical because the answers are plain as day - bias.
The purpose of this morning's rant is simple. As long as John McCaine was seen as a foil for the Republican Party, he was cool. That guy is the best of "that fetid lot."
Now that he is the presumptive nominee for the party, he is the heir to the Anti-christ. Wait. Can't use that because any reference to Christianity will cause more global warming to befall us all. Ironic, no?
Anyhoo... the media is sending all the old stalwart lions and new darlings on the upcoming Obamanation tour. I wonder if they will all continue to play drums.
Another thing I'm curious about would be the opening act. Hmmmm. May I suggest Madonna?

Belief-O-Matic

That is right. Belief-O-Matic -- "A personality quiz about your religious and spiritual beliefs."
You can find this oh so-very interesting quiz at: http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html
Now I have been pretty sure about my choice of faith for quite some time. In fact, mine is more of a return to my theistic roots, if you like. Imagine my surprise when my results were matching me elsewhere.
If nothing else, this is a challenging enterprise (as long as you answer honestly).
Good luck.

Doing Dutch

Peace (through strength).

Trust (but verify)

Don't fuck with the Gipper.

Happy 4th of July!

Bully!

Have a helluva 4th. Don't drive drunk or I'll come back and kick your ass.

Spread Some Holiday Cheer

As we come closer to the holiday on which American Independence is celebrated, a good thought to keep close to your heart is warranted.

So Up with Free Market Capitalism and Up Yours Commie Bastards.

Cheers!

East Infection

Now I cannot seem to decide. I've been toying with taking an English teacher gig overseas but there are a lot of choices. Narrowing them down has not been so simple.


Korea is an easy choice. Used to live there. Love the food. Broads are gorgeous. Urban life is is pretty good. Good remuneration. The photo is Samgachi near where I lived in Seoul. I would catch the subway there. "Chigum... Tangogae."
Japan is a good choice as well. I've spent a bit of time there and must admit to having an historic love affair with the place. In fact, I would not mind living there long-term. Their remuneration , while fair, is modest for such a high-cost country. I would need to be already be there to position myself for the best deal.
China is all over the charts. There are so many opportunities there that it is mind-numbing. Remuneration is also all over the place. But this is also a place that has fascinated me since I was just a kid.
I remember asking my father about China when I was just about 7 or 8 and her told me American could not go there. After all, it was the 1960s and the Cultural Revolution was rocking the country. I am firmly convinced that if you tell any American kid he/she is not allowed to do something, they'll spend the rest of their days with that particular thing in their mind.

Then there is Taiwan, Republic of China - the little engine that could. They'll fly me there and pay me fair and square. As the saying goes: Never been there. They tell me it's nice. The remuneration package is pretty nice.

I have not mentioned all of the other places in the offering. Jeez, there are so many. I just need to sell all my shit and go.

Para-Sonia

Hey, hey Sonia.

This woman, Sonia Deol, can do more with a "hello" than any female I've ever listened to. Really yummy voice and turns of phrase.

Why mention her here? Well I got turned on to her quite by accident several years ago after my first return from India. I heard her say something rather saucy and clever on some BBC program or another and said I need to hear more of this.

I subsequently found out that she had a program on the BBC Asian Network. She does both UK television and radio programming.

I found her radio program and was soon streaming her program via my computer. I fell in love with her morning music and chat show and became a regular listener.

I even responded to something humorous she had said and sent her an email. Sonia read it on-air which, as a writer, I found extremely delicious.

I continued to stream her program while back in Bangalore and introduced her to my Indian colleagues and friends.

I returned to the US and she was suddenly gone. It was announced by the network that she left the show by mutual consent. I was not satisfied by her replacement and have not listened very much since. In fact, it has been several months.

Out of the blue, I pulled up the still bookmarked Asian Network on my PC and checked for programs and Voila! Sonia Deol had just returned (days prior) to the network to fill in for someone else. Which strangely was the methodology of her departure.

She is supposed to remain at this post for only a few weeks more. That part sucks. I missed having her voice in my day. I'll relish it while I can.

Yeah, for many not familiar with the BBC and its various incarnations, Sonia Deol may be an unknown quantity. Well let's do something about that: http://www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork/nihal/

Jesus Hussein Christ - Dan Brown's Next Novel

Alrighty then... I begin this morning like many, I catch the tube news. I do this now more than ever before. It is due in part to the absence of certain radio attractions (like a show) that I'd like to begin my days with. I'd also have to admit that the dulcet tones put forth by Ann Curry are rather nice in the a.m. Maggie Rod has also got a rockin bod.

Now, the thing that kinda drives me crazy in the morning is the media notion that Barack Obama is pretty much the return of the Christ child. Yup. Jesus H(ussein) Christ.

Everybody is America loves him. The rest of the world loves him. You will too if only you drink this now. C'mon drink it. ISAIDDRINKIT!!!

Just to set a few notes here. I could care less if his middle name was Osama. I don't care enough about who the rest of the world thinks should run my country. I have to admit my curiosity for it however.

Certain radical groups may consider Obama's "Muslim" background an issue - fundamentalists of both the Muslim and Christian varietals. I, personally, don't a shit. I would, however, give a shit if he was leading services. I mean, look at the ones he was already attending. Oh right. Affiliation matters. Or is it race? I get so confused these days. Never mind.

Well, here is the deal. The polls are divided in half, give or take 5-points. So Obama is the choice for half. Wait. Obama-Clinton was equally divided (more or less) but was bitter. So that means he only got a 25-percent Christ-like following. Hmmmm.

My only plea is to judge this on the merits - Obama is a fucking left-wing ideologue who is running against a liberal Republican. There is no conservative in the race.

We will have change no matter what. I just do not want to be stuck with only pocket change. So let us take this democrat out of the manger or pray that he surrounds himself with at least three wise men.

I like being a guy

Humor Enters Puberty

I was a newly minted teen in 1972, all about building models and reading comic books. I had just recently purchased my first LP - Edgar Winter's "They Only Come Out at Night." Incidentally, his was the first concert I attended.

It was after school and I was on my way over to my friend Alphonso's house. We built models and listened to 45s and comedy albums. Alphonso was a funny guy, not just jokes, but really funny. We would often try to out-funny each other.

Well this one day was going to change things. I arrived at his house and we headed up to his room and closed the door. He had an album he was anxious for me to hear. It was called "Class Clown." It changed a lot of things. Comedy was never the same. I could argue that the country changed that year, in part, due to this man named George Carlin.

Well the man is gone now.

I fell asleep with the radio on last night and was awakened, for whatever reason, to an announcement that George Carlin had died at 71. I was not able to rest for the remainder of the night. I do not know how to put this into words but to say that part of my youth has just died with him.

Knowing full well the irony involved, I say Godspeed George.

K-Pop and Roll

There is always something new to post. There is always something I can (at the very least) pontificate about if I am feeling overly righteous. I get there, I really do.
Much of the time, I want these interludes to be more like exclamations. A declarative sentence will get punctuated with an image, I will add a dash of the delicate phrase or, more likely, something a bit pithy. The cherry on top (for me at least) is the play on words - the too clever for this shirt kinda tag at the top.
Voila! a blog entry.
The trick is to try not to be too full of yourself since nobody is looking, so to speak. Well, there is posterity amongst the cobwebs...
Sometime I am just too freaking distracted, pressed or lazy to take the full weight of an issue to task. Then there is the fact that few will keep going to the end if it is overly long, ergo, the bite-size entry. Si. Not unlike a sound-bite.
Then there is just something I just wanna share. Just for the hell of it.
This is one of those times. I've been trolling for some tunes I remember from the mid-90s when I was living in Seoul, Korea. I found much of what I was looking for. This particular band is called Roo'ra (pronounced roola). The song is "100 days." Many believe they were the best band to come out of Korea that decade. They were my personal favorite. N-Joy.

His collar, not his blood, was blue

It was like losing a member of the family - one that you looked up to and actually liked.

Tim Russert has died at 58. His intellectual honesty in a town known for its sopping insincerity was rare and will be sorely missed.

Today is Sunday and it was, as usual Meet the Press time at 9 this morning. Today, as usual, is my talking heads day and Russert's voice was noticeably absent. There was a tangible element in his discourse that let you knowhis was not bullshitting with you. This was true for either side of the aisle too. I respected the man very much for that.

A lot has been said about his passing. A lot more shall be forthcoming, I'm sure.

For me, a guy in his audience, looked to him because he asked the right questions. His friends looked to him for the things that all friends want from each other - for them to still be there.

This comes from Andrea Mitchell, one of his friends. It actually made me well up.

Siempre...

It was true then...

Kinda how I feel...

Some days more than others

Politics is show business for ugly people...

The Manchurian Candidate

Well it is as official as it can get until the convention - Barack Obama is the Democrat's standard bearer this year. I couldn't be more proud. The Democrats, after an entire lifetime of giving lip service to minorities and women, have actually put forth a candidate that was not a former member of the Ku Klux Klan, accused serial rapist or even an elitist...er. well two out of three.
Well actually, the party didn't do it. The voters did it. Well, actually, the super-delegates...
Historically, if you wanted minorities of any stripe appointed to positions of any significance, you're more apt (believe it or not) to find them in a Republican administration.
If that sounds crazy to you, look at the current one. Also remember that the Republicans have always been the party of Civil Rights. It was the Democrats that put up the American aparteid walll in the south. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a proud Republican. Frederick Douglass was a co-founder of the party.
I do not want to come off as majorly pro-Republican. It isn't that. I am a proud registered independant who just happens to be really anti-Democrat.
Having said all of that, a black American is running for the highest office in the land as the candidate of a major party. Too damned bad he is a left wing nutbag. He is a well spoken nutbag to be sure, but his policies put him virtually in the socialist camp. Alas, that is where the Democrats have been heading for quite some time now. I can just hear the inaugural speech now: "Ask what you can do for your country. Not!"
That is not a place I want to be.

It would be really interesting to read the foreign opinion makers if Obama wins. Very few believed it would be possible. They really have few clues as to how we think intuitively. When they get it right, it always amuses me.

His candidacy is historic. I'll even own up that I kinda like the guy. I don't much care for the missus, albeit she is smokin hot. I just wish he were more J.C. Watts and less J.C. Superstar.

Reading Is Fundamental

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Now that's what I call a hearty breakfast!

And in this corner, wearing a blue pantsuit...

Sunday is one of those days that ends before I even know it hit mid stride. It is usually a heavy political day -talking head shows; a heavy reading day - local and New York Times. I also do some heavy net browsing, letting my fingers do the talking as Ma Bell used to say.

Let me begin this by first mentioning Gina Carano beat the living snot out of Kaitlin Young last night on CBS's EliteXC Saturday Night Fights - an extreme fighting program that has hit the free airwaves. Finally, a reality show I can really enjoy guilt-free. This is one beautiful Italian juggernaut. If people want to see real American Gladiators, watch these fights.

If you go by the match up analysis - www.sportsline.com/.../headtohead/cbs_exc_53108, 3 out of 5 analysts predicted Young to win. One guy simply said that "Nobody named Kaitlin can beat Gina Carano, that's for damn sure."

Speaking of fights, today was another primary fight and that other gladiator, Hillary Clinton, won in Puerto Rico. Yesterday's fight over the Florida and Michigan delegates didn't go over as well. She got her Florida count, well half of them. I thought 3/5ths of a man was considered passe' when it came to voting. Live and learn.

I can still hear it off in the distance... "every vote matters." Remember that bit of bullshit the Democrats were shrieking when Al Gore lost in his bid for the White House? That was about Florida too.

The irony doesn't stop there - Hillary has actually won more votes than Obama, yet the superdelagates will more than likely back Obama making him the nominee "selected" and not elected. I had to bring out that old Democrat gem out of its lock box.

Hmm, where to from here? Next stop Supreme Court.

Tom Dashole was on with Tim Russert this morning and came up with such a quotable phrase. I know I'll keep mentioning it. When asked by Russert if it will be a problem that Hillary actually scored more votes, he casually responded with "It is time to put that behind us."

Wow. Like that'll happen.

The Michigan delegates outcome, on the other hand, was arbitrary in its entirety. Hillary got the lioness' share but her reps are crying foul over Obama getting any. It ain't just sour grapes considering he wasn't on the ballot at all and didn't campaign there.

It could still go to the convention.

Maybe Hillary should announce that Carano would be a great running mate for her. She wouldn't have to worry about Bill giving her a hard time. Harass would turn into his ass.

But first on the agenda would have to be choke out Nancy Pelosi.

Saudi Arabia's Next Top Model

"Pull my finger."

Happy 60th

There are few nations on Earth which get as much respect from me as the state of Israel.
Now we're talking heartfelt and deep respect. These are a tough, scrappy, resilient people who have had the history of the world dump on them and they clean themselves off and drive on.
I thought my Irish antecedents were tough having Great Britian shit on them for 800 years. How does 800 years stand up to forever?
So Happy Birthday Israel. I don't agree with everything (topic for another day), but I always respect you. You also have such smokin hot women in uniform. Just a reminder of what you're fighting for. I'll salute to that.

Amazing New Diet Solves Developing World's Hunger Crisis and Helps Make Democrats Feel Good About America Again

Hayden takes a bite out of global hunger..
It took teams of doctors, engineers, scientists, and liberal politicians to come close to a working formula to eradicate world hunger. It took the Hollywood intelligentsia and other progressives to make it real through their "feelings."

The solution? Eat the children of the developing world. It cuts down on starving children; Hollywood is in the spotlight by feeling their pain; food stocks do not diminish as rapidly. The best part is the tax and gratuity owed at the end of this meal. They both go toward the fuel surcharge and carbon tax for having the children flown in while they're still fresh. It isn't cheap and only the very well-paid and Hollywood types can afford it so far.
One unnamed Washington spokesman was quoted as saying "this is a very green solution to a global conundrum. And no plastic is involved."
Yes we can!

This Year's Model

Just a silly follow-up to yesterday's blushing adoration of Gina Carano, a.k.a. Crush of American Gladiator fame. Helluva broad.
Today's edition features Monica Carlson, a.k.a. Jet. She was last year's female champion on same said program. Like I mentioned yesterday, I initially perused the program for the flesh.
I caught this American Gladiator revival last summer because I do the rabbit-ears thing. Cable is just an excuse to watch television 24-7 if you're a news junkie (of which I'm guilty). I got this channel rock solid so...
Anyway, there were adorable pixies, loudmouth honeys and buff wannabe-gladiator slayers. Of them all, this pretty lassie, with the stunning profile, kicked major ass. I googled her bio and was not surprised by what I'd found. She really does kick ass. Not just figuratively. I mean that quite literally. Beautiful, intelligent, exquisitely feminine AND brawny.
This one takes the whole MILF concept into the stratosphere.
Sign me up. I'm a believer.
God, I love women. They give us poor men a reason for being.

Sweet Dish

I'll admit to it. I think this Texas broad is smokin hot. It is that kinda sweet, innocent beauty with enough physical power to crush you widdle haid like a grape.

If you have an addiction to attractive women, you may own up to watching one news program over another by sheer virtue of pulchritude presented. Deliver it up but make me slobber while you do it. Fair, right?

It is also true when it comes to the mindless pablum we watch. If one of the programs I like is not available and I just have to watch the brain-suck machine, I choose something dishy of the distaff varietal.

Wellllll.... yesterday I had to get a glimpse of this on American Gladiators. I didn't really care for the show the first time it came around (quite a few years back). I must say that some aspects have not improved much. Other aspects (see above) make me want to grab a glass of bourbon and a sack of onion rings.

MAD COW! MAD COW!

Such a lovely lassie.
Well the judge in the McCartney divorce proceedings just released a preliminary divorce decree.
The shrieking bit.. er, Mills, gets a settlement of $47.5 million and retains custody of their 4-year-old daughter, Beatrice.
Alas, her reputation is in the toilet thanks to her rather disturbing televised outbursts against McCartney. She really is a nasty bit of work. Mills, lost her left leg below the knee after a 1993 motorcycle accident. Who could have known that that was where she kept her decency and dignity.
McCartney gets to keep the bulk of his assets. The court estimated it to be worth approximately $880 million. We all know he is worth every penny. He is a paradigmatic figure.
Living a rather rural life for so long perhaps explains his choice of a second wife. He should have gone for a minx instead of a ruminant,

Whooda Man?

If only...

The Trains Ran on Time

I sat and shuddered. The chill ran up my spine at breakneck speed. It was a moment of satori.
Racism is cool again.
WTF? you're asking. Yup. It seems that a great deal of pundits, prognosticators and letters to the editor are all about the truth to power of Right Rev. Wright and how Obama needs to get a pass on this diatribe issue.
One pundit, a lovely lass from North Carolina stated that "smart, educated people" aren't paying any attention to this when they pull the lever. But there is no elitism here, hmmm?
Another pundit from Indiana was saying how this really doesn't matter in the long run because voters are concerned about the cost of gasoline.
It does not matter that this Right Rev. is a total fucking loon. I've got to admit, I do appreciate the guidance he gave at the National Press Club to those of us who wish to learn Arabic. Snappy expressions and proper pronunciation makes the whole world sing.
Then there was the whole Bell Curve kinda bullshit that he spewed. It would be parody if not for some of the supporters that came out from under their rocks (where they belong) and spewed even more vile rhetoric. For examples of what I'm talking about here, read some of the comments written in response to articles on the subject at hand. Check out some blogs.
It is scary out there.
Now I do not think that Obama is a radical Bell Curve kinda racist. That is the Right Rev's territory. However I think he threw the wrong person under the bus in Philly.
I think Obama has a bias from his life experience just like everybody else. His story is a great American story and it was a struggle that led to success. But his story also should be enough to refute the slapstick, conspiracy theory being bandied about by the Right Rev, his crowd and his ilk.
Obama does need to address this issue because it does matter. Racism is fucked up. It does not matter who is doing the hating. Fucked up. Period.
The man who was raised by his white grandmother and had no problem calling her onto the carpet for her "typical white" fear of black men, needs to call out the ranting, raving and anti-white conspiracy too.
I'll admit. It does bother me some that he was in attendance for all those years and found little to fault. It does bother me some that he claimed that he really didn't know this man was like that until the Right Rev dropped a stink bomb on him. It does bother me some that he brought his children to listen to this hatemonger.
What bothers me greatly is that all the while this talk about the Right Rev and his snappy banter being "taken out of context" was merely a piss-poor ruse. The Rev's soundbites were a pretty accurate portrayal of how he thinks and feels.
What bothers me most was the response of his congregants after the Right Rev says something completely Anti-American and blatantly racist. This is the behavior you'd expect to hear about in a neo-Nazi rally or a Klan march. Those folks think they're all about liberation too.
It was the hooting and hollering of those God-fearing citizens that made me angry. Anti-American political speech should not be met with roaring approval in a church. This is especially true when the comments are about how "the chickens have come home to roost" in that terrorist nation called America - the Sunday after Sept. 11, 2001.
What is worse - the scene of Palestinians in Gaza celebrating en masse on Sept. 11, 2001, or the scene from the pews facing Wright? That shithead has the right to free speech but associating with him should come with a cost.
If Obama wishes to unite Americans, he needs to throw assholes like that under the bus and then drive the damn bus himself.

"...when you say nothing at all."

Not Over the Hill Yet

What the Dilly, Philly!

I guess Pa. voters needed to get their Clinton on yesterday. The distaff Clinton posted even better numbers than the pundits prognosticated. She sprinted to the finish with a 10-point gap.

Hillary sure has shown her grit these past few months. Faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, she fights on. She had been a punching bag for so long, she can take it witout flinching. Her callouses must have callouses.

She reminds me of a toy from way back - "Weebles wobble but they don't fall down."

I've grown in my respect for her political will. She does not have the pathological need to be loved like her hubby does, but that doesn't stop her from parading her disingenuous "woman of the people" b.s. In the end, it it most often determination, not talent, that wins. She has got that in spades. I don't know that it will be enough.

In any event, she will be able to say "You should see the other guy."

It is too bad that her policies suck so badly. I've really learned to admire that steely conviction of hers.

I was watching Charlie Rose last night. I try not to miss the program if I can. There was a bevy of journos and Doris Kearns-Goodwin discussing Tuesday's events. One of them, a New York Times reporter, asked the if anyone on the panel could describe either the Obama or Clinton economics/job creation plan. You heard crickets. Then some mild amusement.

Why?

Because there is none, other than raising taxes and getting rid of the capital gains tax exemption. That is, with the exception of ending NAFTA.

If we ended NAFTA, we'd have to renegotiate our oil agreements with Canada, our #1 supplier. You want to see some happy oil people? End NAFTA.

I have to speak plainly here - protectionism is stupid. Utter idiocy. Between the neo-luddites trying to keep us in last century's industries and the anti-growth/government programs folks, we have our hands pretty damn full here. You want there to be, as Ross Perot put it, a great big sucking sound of jobs leaving America, get all protectionist. Sure, we'd have secure industries for a few years. Then competition put those companies out of business and where do you look for jobs then? Not in this country.

Some of this is beneath basics. Economics 101. However, when it isn't something people want to hear...

So party on Garth!. Party on Hill!

Barack Obhangra

Here is the cause of one of the biggest grins I've had in a while. Really smart.

All thanks go to the wonderful folks at Sepia Mutiny (http://www.sepiamutiny.com/). Thanks guys for the always entertaining material. For those of you who are heretofore unaware, Anna is a total dish.

You Gotta Look Sharpe

Say it ain't so, Joe.
That man of the people, former Newark Mayor Sharpe James along with his former mistress, were just convicted of corruption. He faced five charges, to include fraud and conspiracy. She faced 13 - the aforementioned, plus tax evasion and fraudulently obtaining government subsidized housing assistance.
Oh no! Real estate deals? Government fraud? I can't believe it. The guy who was mayor for so long, I cannot remember his predecessor, was caught with his fingers (well, not just his fingers) in the till.
I remember, while attending nearby Seton Hall University, James ran against the current mayor Cory Booker. All of the cronies were out in full force saying the most disgusting things about Booker. Booker, a decent man, lost and the man who wouldn't even pay his own bus fare (a hilarious anecdote in its own right) kept his position as corrupter-in-chief.
I've said it before - "This is what you want. This is what you get."
Now the disgraced former mayor, after 20 years of greasing palms, can assume a new position in the State of New Jersey and keep right on working it.

Rice Matters

www.freerice.com

This is, perhaps, one of the smartest sites I've ever seen. Sheer brilliance!

It is a game that has you test and improve your English vocabulary. It also donates 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food program for each word you guess correctly.

With each answer, you are informed whether or not you are correct. If you are right, it will increase the difficulty level for the next word.

The rice is purchased by advertisers who pay per word page. As you play, advertisements are at the bottom of the screen. The money from these advertisements is what buys the rice. So if you play, you pay for the rice donated to hungry people.

It is that simple. God, I love capitalistic ingenuity.

So go forth my friends and fill up your mind and others bellies. Put your money where somebody else's mouth is.

Liberal Tolerance and Manliness

What a display of manliness by the "New Progressive Male." Wish I could be like him. They are so much more civilized in San Francisco.

Remember, these are the same people who hate the military because of its aggressive nature.

(putz)

Stay tuned next week for more displays of correct behavior by those who know what is best for everyone.

"If I could teach the world to sing... in perfect harmony..."

An Elite Ideal

Yes, it is true. "Ordinary" people can make a difference, all the while "clinging" to their guns and their faith in a "bitter" attempt to deal with their economic misfortune. So if you are an "average white person," Obama's got the Wright stuff.

This is especially the case if you are an elitist snob who knows what is best for everyone.

I will own up to the fact that I'm loving this political season. I get to see the Clinton campaign implode with its deceit coming to the fore. Bill's legacy is coming apart at the seams. The rats are leaving the ship in droves. I almost feel bad.

Ah, no I don't.

The party of domestic imperialism is continuing its evolution into a party of upper echelon elitists. Being a Democrat means turning your back on free trade (Bill's big success). It means being in love with the cotton candy messiah. He is sugary sweet and no substance. All of his credentials make for a great social worker and, perhaps, a fine mayor. However, he is but an extremely liberal neophyte.

Do not get me wrong. I love the idea of Obama. I love the fact that he is probably going to be the standard bearer for the Democratic party for president. I would say that few are batting an eye in regards to his mixed heritage. This is the (delayed) promise of America. More and more, the notions of ethnicity matter less than the content of someone's character. Got it. Down with that.

My problem is I that I wish it were J.C. Watts instead.

I love the idea of Hillary. Sorta. Well, I love the idea of a woman running for the top American job. But this is not a new idea for those old enough to remember that Shirley Chisolm ran against Richard Nixon, Hubert Humphrey and George Wallace for the top spot in the 1960s.

Let us not forget that Shirley Chisolm was a black woman. She broke barriers 40 years ago but, unfortunately, did not live to see this year's conclusion. I am saddened that she has not been a prominent figure mentioned in the current debate. She sure made an impact on me as a boy.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, the Democratic Party I grew up in is dead. It is in the ground in an unmarked and unhallowed grave. It was unceremoniously dumped in the middle of the night back when Sam Nunn left government service.

Want proof? Look how the party shit all over Joe Lieberman. He was Al Gore's running mate, then the party nominated someone else for his Senate seat in the next cycle. He won another term as an independent.

I, too, am an independent. Proudly so. But in the end, ya gotta choose.

This cycle is not dissimilar to riding the most frightening roller coaster. It is scaring the living bejuzzus outta me but I relish the ride regardless. I hope the bludgeoning that is going on between the democrats continues long enough for someone out there to recognize that giving away the store does not equal a platform.

Hillary, the born-again populist, said to some voters before an early primary "When elected, here is what I am going to give you."

Excuse me! Who said anything was yours to give? I'm sorry. I forgot. Can I have another spoonful of bullshit please?

Given my druthers, if I had to choose between the Dems, I'd choose the she-devil. As the saying goes: "Better the devil you know..."

If I were to take the rhetoric from the conservative factions to heart, I guess I could vote Democrat by making my mark for McCain. Remember all those Democrats who said "I'd vote for McCain" in the last 8 years? We'll see.

Today's Democratic Party has become the Entitlement Party. They increase entitlements from the public coffers and feel entitled to become president...all the while dodging sniper fire at a welcoming ceremony whenever they visit the Balkans.

In the end, it kinda reminds me of Plato's Republic. The free thinking, poets and artists take over,blah, blah. Then they form a dictatorship, blah, blah, of poets and artists, blah, blah. Yup, a dictatorship.

I'm more of a Leviathan kinda thinker. As they say - life can be nasty, brutish and short (that is, if you don't take some responsibility for your life).

So as I continue to watch the election season build up to its crescendo, I'll clean my guns, maybe go to church and try to be as ordinary as I wanna be. After all, I am an average white person, albeit not a bitter one.

“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse.”
- John Stuart Mill

Democrat's Wide Ethical Stance

Hooray for New Jersey!

Not to be outdone by the news of New York's days old new gov announcing that both he and his wife were stepping out all over the place, Jersey Dems can be proud once again. Not to be belittled by the scandal that caused Client Number 9 to leave his office, former NJ Gov. Mc Skeevy rears his head. No pun intended.

According to that purveyor the good life, the New York Post, it appears that Mr. and Mrs. McG loved the tripod life even prior to marriage. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Their driver - no pun intended - who used to engage gears regularly with the couple, blurted out the info . Now McG seems to love the fact that they have been outed. I guess that he feels it puts him in a better light.

Last year, McG, a professor of ETHICS at Kean University, was working on said lighting already. The already divine one was accepted into a Doctor of Divinity program (attempting to make being divine official). He also adopted the Episcopal faith and was pursuing becoming a priest. Insert all the possible jokes, puns and double meanings here!

This is the joke that keeps on giving. It is now the spitter v. Spitzer. When will happen to this man in the end?

http://www.politickernj.com/mcgreevey-one-ups-spitzer - for a follow on.

The reson I love to jab these pols so much is that I was raised in a typical northeast Democrat family. Hey, we're Irish for God's sake. What else would we be? For Democrats in New Jersey, it almost doesn't matter what you promise, not promise, lie about, whose baby you get caught eating on videotape or when you died. You're gonna get elected with few exceptions.

Just look at that old bastard Frank L. Look back to Gov. Florio. Gov. Cor(ox). Jeez. I gotta take a shower just to wash the slick, glossy sheen offa me.

When it comes to Jersey politics, they keep coming and keep getting elected. I am often reminded of that poetic line by John Lydon: "This is what you want. This is what you get."

I just love seein the paper in the mornin.

London outbreak of Mad Cow

more than 10 minutes of bitchy ranting to the press. she gets mega millions. she already has mega millions in assets. she bitched about the amount of money SHE would get for her child's annual maintenance - more than an average joe's annual sum. the kid, she feared, would have to travel less than 1st class!

my heart goes out for her.