So sayeth Ann Coulter in an interview with the New York Observer in 2007. Essentially the main feature that was re-published by Media Matters and bouncing along the Twitter and Facebook world is her comment: If women weren't allowed to vote, we'd never have to worry about electing another Democratic President."
Disingenuous to publish archived rantings from a very imbalanced person. But, there it was, she DID say it and millions of people have their "hating on Ann Coulter" hats on today. I don't like the re-parsing of idiotic comments by anybody. Heaven knows the right wing dredges up all it can find and does the same whup up to their base.
I can tell that the weather is really starting to break people down. Because of the snow drifts, parking lots of public places are not parker friendly. It's below zero, it has been and will be for a while longer and that eventually wears on people's coping mechanisms.
I parked legally and because the snow has negated many other parking spaces, An OWG pulled up and parked his Yukon behind ME, parking me in. I was leaving- he clearly saw that and still thought he could get away with his maneuver. As I passed him, on the way to my car, I simply said, "I'm leaving now. You can have my space." Big sourpuss faces- about 12 of them, gets all red faced, still can't conceive that he will get a legal space if he pulls out and waits 30 seconds. He "harrumphs" and gives me the death stare. I say, "you can make all the faces you want. I'm parked legally and you ain't." Gives me the finger and pulls out and parks 50 feet further from the Starbucks than he wanted to walk. Wind is howling, it's fucking cold. I get that.Keep your finger in your pocket. Caffeine clearly isn't going to calm YOU down.
He must have read the Coulter interview and agreed wholeheartedly that if only women were denied the vote, this country wouldn't have elected Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton and 9/11 never would have happened. Bye Bye Ann. CeeUNextThursday. So what else can we give away to soccer Moms to get them to vote for the evil empires.
We're going to brave whatever weather we face tonight and we're going to park legally and go see Pittsburgh's beloved Rusted Root. Also on the bill is one of our favorite dance bands, Donna The Buffalo. I too am on old white guy, but I'm young at heart and I feel like dancing and smiling. So, fuck it. That's my plan.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Le stupide du jour
It's French Friday and we pay tribute to stupid shit people said yesterday.
Ah, it's a rich landscape of 'uh, what I meant to say was....'. So let's start with:
1. Susan Atanus a potential challenger in Illinois 9th Congressional District who feels that God is angry with the United States and has sent scourges like autism and dementia to punish the American people (Source- Chicago Daily Herald). Was she channeling Pat Robertson?
2. Mike Huckabee, speaking to the Republican National Committee's winter meeting, decided to weigh in on the "war on women" debate. When your own brethren comments on your comments are,
"I wouldn't have said it that way." or "I would have talked about the economy." you might think you didn't have a good day at the lectern. So when you see the words libido or Uncle Sugar at least you'll have some context. Was it stupide? Is "Huck" running for President? (source: any news show you watched yesterday.)
3. John Boehner, my "guy" spoke candidly on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno yesterday: "I like to play golf, I like to cut my own grass. I do drink red wine. I smoke cigarettes. And I'm not giving that up to be president of the United States." In defining his multilateral role as Speaker, he allowed that to get consensus with his caucus, "with some of them, I have to be Gestapo." WWMD?** (source Politico)
I also am a frequent flier on the Dumb Things Democrats Say website. I just think Republicans are better at it and they are like One A Day vitamins. You can count on them to say something sketchy just about every day. So, Charlie Rangel, when you're not getting adversely involved with property tax irregularities on your vacation home(s), you're referring to the Tea Party as a newer version of Jim Crow "white crackers." By the way, you're a hack whose time has long passed and you should either step down or certainly, not run for reelection.
Fair and Balanced? No, but like the man says, "don't hate the player, hate the game." But since calling for the President of the United States to be lynched, Joshua Black, a Florida political hopeful needed to get a visit from the Secret Service.
I am humming Earth Wind and Fire's Sing A Song. I played electric piano on that song in 1976.
Seriously? You believed that?
**What would Heinrich Mueller do?
Ah, it's a rich landscape of 'uh, what I meant to say was....'. So let's start with:
1. Susan Atanus a potential challenger in Illinois 9th Congressional District who feels that God is angry with the United States and has sent scourges like autism and dementia to punish the American people (Source- Chicago Daily Herald). Was she channeling Pat Robertson?
2. Mike Huckabee, speaking to the Republican National Committee's winter meeting, decided to weigh in on the "war on women" debate. When your own brethren comments on your comments are,
"I wouldn't have said it that way." or "I would have talked about the economy." you might think you didn't have a good day at the lectern. So when you see the words libido or Uncle Sugar at least you'll have some context. Was it stupide? Is "Huck" running for President? (source: any news show you watched yesterday.)
3. John Boehner, my "guy" spoke candidly on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno yesterday: "I like to play golf, I like to cut my own grass. I do drink red wine. I smoke cigarettes. And I'm not giving that up to be president of the United States." In defining his multilateral role as Speaker, he allowed that to get consensus with his caucus, "with some of them, I have to be Gestapo." WWMD?** (source Politico)
I also am a frequent flier on the Dumb Things Democrats Say website. I just think Republicans are better at it and they are like One A Day vitamins. You can count on them to say something sketchy just about every day. So, Charlie Rangel, when you're not getting adversely involved with property tax irregularities on your vacation home(s), you're referring to the Tea Party as a newer version of Jim Crow "white crackers." By the way, you're a hack whose time has long passed and you should either step down or certainly, not run for reelection.
Fair and Balanced? No, but like the man says, "don't hate the player, hate the game." But since calling for the President of the United States to be lynched, Joshua Black, a Florida political hopeful needed to get a visit from the Secret Service.
I am humming Earth Wind and Fire's Sing A Song. I played electric piano on that song in 1976.
Seriously? You believed that?
**What would Heinrich Mueller do?
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Me 'n the Speaker
I regularly communicate with the honorable John Boehner, speaker of the House of Representatives. I also exchange niceties with Eric Cantor, the Majority Leader of the same body. Them fellers and I don't agree on very much- they're millionaires and I'm not. They still subscribe to trickle down economics and I don't. They want to shrink the size of government and I do as well. But they consistently vote to defund the needy and I'm not down with that. There are many other reasons to tell them they're full of shit, so I try to tell them every day- Nicely, of course.
Every day, I boycott Georgia Pacific Consumer products such as Dixie brand paper plates and Brawny paper towels. I have no influence over the behavior of Charles and David Koch. I can't call them up and ask them why they behave the way they do. My only recourse is to deny them the resources they would routinely receive, in part from me. I hope you will take some time to read about these men, and many others who have been very busy subverting the very tenets of our society that we think we hold dear. See where their (bordering on) evil reach goes and perhaps you will join me in denying them the very thing that funds their behavior. Stepping down from soapbox now.
The ASU Sun Devils chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon held a mock Martin Luther King celebration earlier this week. Only 80,483 people have witnessed our future leaders' behavior in action. Just click on You Tube and give it a visit. Wonder what the water cooler chatter is at the companies their parents work at? Better yet, could this be included as a tangible part of their children's resumes?
All of the above people's behavior is learned, taught or inherited. Yet, these very people utilize these advantages to--- wait---- I want to use a word I saw the Speaker of the House use in a tweet yesterday---- PROMULGATE exclusionary policies that are strangely friendly to a very small group of people.
So today's humstle is a tribute to Billie Holliday and Charles Herzog- God Bless The Child.
Until tomorrow. Stay Classy. You too #25.
Every day, I boycott Georgia Pacific Consumer products such as Dixie brand paper plates and Brawny paper towels. I have no influence over the behavior of Charles and David Koch. I can't call them up and ask them why they behave the way they do. My only recourse is to deny them the resources they would routinely receive, in part from me. I hope you will take some time to read about these men, and many others who have been very busy subverting the very tenets of our society that we think we hold dear. See where their (bordering on) evil reach goes and perhaps you will join me in denying them the very thing that funds their behavior. Stepping down from soapbox now.
The ASU Sun Devils chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon held a mock Martin Luther King celebration earlier this week. Only 80,483 people have witnessed our future leaders' behavior in action. Just click on You Tube and give it a visit. Wonder what the water cooler chatter is at the companies their parents work at? Better yet, could this be included as a tangible part of their children's resumes?
All of the above people's behavior is learned, taught or inherited. Yet, these very people utilize these advantages to--- wait---- I want to use a word I saw the Speaker of the House use in a tweet yesterday---- PROMULGATE exclusionary policies that are strangely friendly to a very small group of people.
So today's humstle is a tribute to Billie Holliday and Charles Herzog- God Bless The Child.
Until tomorrow. Stay Classy. You too #25.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Almost Famous
All this shit is new to me. I have spent several years eschewing the social media. As I watched friends of mine make bacon and eggs and photograph and post them, I thought to myself, huh ? Why would I do this? It became like the Peggy Lee song, Is That All There Is? No that is not today's humstle.
So, I joined Linkedin because I am a professional business person, joined Facebook, because I had 500 regular friends who posted every 12 minutes or so. And I joined Twitter because I talk too damned much and needed to condense my thoughts into 140 characters or less. And I started this blog because I don't need to photograph my recipes. there was an awful lot of basic stuff I knew nothing about and probably still don't.
I'm already immersed in the all of the aspects that make belonging to these entities viable, so I figured I would have stuff to say. When I talk to friends in person or on the phone, they seem to laugh at things I say or shake their heads and go hmmm, 'that was interesting- have you ever thought of joining' yadda yadda and so forth. So I did. And to my surprise, it's been fun. In addition to my real life, I get a little taste of a virtual life, still try my shit out on a much larger group of people and it's still a thrill if something I've said gets favorited or retweeted. I guess that's an example of having proven one can pitch in the major leagues.
So yesterday, I'm cruising through the people I follow and there was NBC's Chuck Todd. I watch the Daily Rundown on MSNBC most mornings and I like Todd. Chuck was commenting on the indictments of Virginia Governor and Mrs. Bob McDonnell and was "stunned" that Governor Ultrasound thought he could get away with some of the things for which he was being indicted. I tweeted back that 'nobody should be stunned about anything that happens in politics, especially someone who reports on the utter bullshit that politics is'-- and to my shock, got a return tweet from Todd. He said he always holds out hope that bullshit wasn't the norm and that he thought 90% of politicians, left and right were honest. I guess he should know. He does this for a living. I do know that the Twittersphere doesn't think that at all. And I think they let him know that. Not a notable event, for sure, but for a change, I was in the photobomb version of a tweet, with a guy who has a following of nearly half a million people. Or was it a notable event? Yeah it was. For me at least.
The great thing was that my phone, I Pad and accounts went fucking berserk, with retweets and favoriting and "you were mentioned". Now I've only been doing this since November. True. From a dead ass nothing to now and I have a small following that reads my blog (thank you) and a growing number of people who react to some of the crazy shit I say and are starting to----do I dare say this? --- take some notice. Anyway, my comment reached nearly 100,000 people yesterday. I'm not an older and male version of Penny Lane and Chuck Todd isn't the TV political pundit's version of the Band Stillwater. Also, I know that when Katy Perry farts she gets 250 million hits.
But let me enjoy my "almost famous" moment and hope there's more. What['s the worst thing you can say? That I'm self absorbed? Everybody gets that chance once in a while.
But I thought I would share that because some days, I think I write great stuff and on others, perhaps some hot salty garbage. Everybody can use a positive affirmation
Thanks Chuck!
So, I joined Linkedin because I am a professional business person, joined Facebook, because I had 500 regular friends who posted every 12 minutes or so. And I joined Twitter because I talk too damned much and needed to condense my thoughts into 140 characters or less. And I started this blog because I don't need to photograph my recipes. there was an awful lot of basic stuff I knew nothing about and probably still don't.
I'm already immersed in the all of the aspects that make belonging to these entities viable, so I figured I would have stuff to say. When I talk to friends in person or on the phone, they seem to laugh at things I say or shake their heads and go hmmm, 'that was interesting- have you ever thought of joining' yadda yadda and so forth. So I did. And to my surprise, it's been fun. In addition to my real life, I get a little taste of a virtual life, still try my shit out on a much larger group of people and it's still a thrill if something I've said gets favorited or retweeted. I guess that's an example of having proven one can pitch in the major leagues.
So yesterday, I'm cruising through the people I follow and there was NBC's Chuck Todd. I watch the Daily Rundown on MSNBC most mornings and I like Todd. Chuck was commenting on the indictments of Virginia Governor and Mrs. Bob McDonnell and was "stunned" that Governor Ultrasound thought he could get away with some of the things for which he was being indicted. I tweeted back that 'nobody should be stunned about anything that happens in politics, especially someone who reports on the utter bullshit that politics is'-- and to my shock, got a return tweet from Todd. He said he always holds out hope that bullshit wasn't the norm and that he thought 90% of politicians, left and right were honest. I guess he should know. He does this for a living. I do know that the Twittersphere doesn't think that at all. And I think they let him know that. Not a notable event, for sure, but for a change, I was in the photobomb version of a tweet, with a guy who has a following of nearly half a million people. Or was it a notable event? Yeah it was. For me at least.
The great thing was that my phone, I Pad and accounts went fucking berserk, with retweets and favoriting and "you were mentioned". Now I've only been doing this since November. True. From a dead ass nothing to now and I have a small following that reads my blog (thank you) and a growing number of people who react to some of the crazy shit I say and are starting to----do I dare say this? --- take some notice. Anyway, my comment reached nearly 100,000 people yesterday. I'm not an older and male version of Penny Lane and Chuck Todd isn't the TV political pundit's version of the Band Stillwater. Also, I know that when Katy Perry farts she gets 250 million hits.
But let me enjoy my "almost famous" moment and hope there's more. What['s the worst thing you can say? That I'm self absorbed? Everybody gets that chance once in a while.
But I thought I would share that because some days, I think I write great stuff and on others, perhaps some hot salty garbage. Everybody can use a positive affirmation
Thanks Chuck!
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
No control
We have seen the quote. Especially, when it's told by a sports figure whose name is being shopped around in a trade. But its specifics pertain to many things that confuse us and piss us off. Because there are few things that make us more uncomfortable than not having control.
I understand that this is a business. I can only control what I do on the field (court, ice etc.) Otherwise, I have no control over the business aspect of it.
Powerful corporate interests are pushing the U.S. Congress to pass the Fast Track portion of the TPP or Trans Pacific Partnership. As with many international agreements we sign, it appears to benefit everybody but US as citizens. After all, why should we pay attention to it? It appears that implementation of this bill will not spur productivity, create more good paying jobs in this country or benefit workers in any tangible way. I believe the North American Free Trade Agreement in the 90's (NAFTA) was promised to be such a boon but clearly, has not met that expectation.
So, when we talk about job creation, job enhancement, increased revenues and strategic partnerships, trust your gut: where there's a smell, there's bullshit.
New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie's inauguration is going to be covered by the cable news networks, who have chosen sides and are invested in droning on and on about both the GWB story and now, the allegations by Dawn Zimmer, mayor of Hoboken, that she was pressured by two Christie administration officials to approve a commercial project in order to receive promised relief funds to abate the damage done to Hoboken by Hurricane Sandy. What a continuing bore! I think I'm washing my hair at the time of the inauguration so unfortunately, will miss it.
Couldn't sleep last night and found myself practicing the line from The Godfather, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." Because I love politics, (but I don't really know why), I find it essential to keep my enemies closer. So I found myself watching portions of O'Reilly, The Independents and Hannity. On occasion, when I am truly masochistic, I also watch The Five. That's where my in laws get all their news, so it's important to know what Rush Limbaugh is thinking. The Independents is an unbelievable show in terms of content.
As a younger man, I had a terrible crush on Martha Quinn when she was hosting her MTV show. I also watched Kennedy (Lisa Kennedy Montgomery). She also had a hip show that catered to the Music TV generation. I think Kennedy had Martha rubbed out or something- not that I watch MTV as much as I used to, but when I see the antics of Kennedy and her panel and the way they cover "news" in their "fair and balanced way", I get a little sick. I was always much more interested in Martha telling me how much damage Rod Stewart did to his hotel room, but I digress. I can only take these people in very short doses. Just let me be the head of the FTC for a short time. I will clean up Dodge. By the way, a note to Kimberly Guilfoyle and Kennedy, the Obamas paid for Michelle's birthday bash out of their own pockets. Just like Nancy Reagan did when she spent $210,000 dollars for a party for 220 people in the 1980's. Adjusted for inflation, the cost would be over $400,000.00 today. OH, wait, she didn't pay for it? NO? The taxpayers did? OOPS.
Richard Sherman is a lion and therefore, a lion has no use for the opinions of lambs. I'm paraphrasing.
Just add the Cubs' selection of Clark, the new mascot and you can see why it's always the cherry that weighs down the cake.
And what were we talking about today??? CONTROL???
I understand that this is a business. I can only control what I do on the field (court, ice etc.) Otherwise, I have no control over the business aspect of it.
Powerful corporate interests are pushing the U.S. Congress to pass the Fast Track portion of the TPP or Trans Pacific Partnership. As with many international agreements we sign, it appears to benefit everybody but US as citizens. After all, why should we pay attention to it? It appears that implementation of this bill will not spur productivity, create more good paying jobs in this country or benefit workers in any tangible way. I believe the North American Free Trade Agreement in the 90's (NAFTA) was promised to be such a boon but clearly, has not met that expectation.
So, when we talk about job creation, job enhancement, increased revenues and strategic partnerships, trust your gut: where there's a smell, there's bullshit.
New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie's inauguration is going to be covered by the cable news networks, who have chosen sides and are invested in droning on and on about both the GWB story and now, the allegations by Dawn Zimmer, mayor of Hoboken, that she was pressured by two Christie administration officials to approve a commercial project in order to receive promised relief funds to abate the damage done to Hoboken by Hurricane Sandy. What a continuing bore! I think I'm washing my hair at the time of the inauguration so unfortunately, will miss it.
Couldn't sleep last night and found myself practicing the line from The Godfather, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." Because I love politics, (but I don't really know why), I find it essential to keep my enemies closer. So I found myself watching portions of O'Reilly, The Independents and Hannity. On occasion, when I am truly masochistic, I also watch The Five. That's where my in laws get all their news, so it's important to know what Rush Limbaugh is thinking. The Independents is an unbelievable show in terms of content.
As a younger man, I had a terrible crush on Martha Quinn when she was hosting her MTV show. I also watched Kennedy (Lisa Kennedy Montgomery). She also had a hip show that catered to the Music TV generation. I think Kennedy had Martha rubbed out or something- not that I watch MTV as much as I used to, but when I see the antics of Kennedy and her panel and the way they cover "news" in their "fair and balanced way", I get a little sick. I was always much more interested in Martha telling me how much damage Rod Stewart did to his hotel room, but I digress. I can only take these people in very short doses. Just let me be the head of the FTC for a short time. I will clean up Dodge. By the way, a note to Kimberly Guilfoyle and Kennedy, the Obamas paid for Michelle's birthday bash out of their own pockets. Just like Nancy Reagan did when she spent $210,000 dollars for a party for 220 people in the 1980's. Adjusted for inflation, the cost would be over $400,000.00 today. OH, wait, she didn't pay for it? NO? The taxpayers did? OOPS.
Richard Sherman is a lion and therefore, a lion has no use for the opinions of lambs. I'm paraphrasing.
Just add the Cubs' selection of Clark, the new mascot and you can see why it's always the cherry that weighs down the cake.
And what were we talking about today??? CONTROL???
Monday, January 20, 2014
A sports weekend worth watching (by me at least)
By now you may surmise I live in the Chicago area. This past weekend and upcoming week, ahead of the winter Olympics, was and is important to my "boys" the Chicago Blackhawks. They beat the hottest team in the world on Friday, the Anaheim Ducks and in a rematch of last spring's Stanley Cup Finals, beat the Boston Bruins yesterday in double overtime, sometimes referred to as the "shootout." This week, two road games, one in "Hockeytown" against the Red Wings and then on to Minnesota to face the Wild. It's the mid season doldrums and the Hawks had been less than their usual. This week will give the boys a good perspective as they enter the second half of the season. I may be mistaken, but Hockey is still the least tainted of the major sports. ANd I think that's why I appreciate the ethos of it.
Football was also very much worth watching. Peyton Manning and the Broncos beat the Pats in a game where Manning was really good. I'm not crazy about the Mannings, but for football enthusiasts, his performance was one more step in getting the icing on the cake and tying his brother Eli for Super Bowl championships. Rumors are that he will retire at the end of this season. I think that's a good idea for someone who may be one of the best quarterbacks they game has seen, but more important than that, so that he can turn his head ninety degrees when he's driving Buicks and wants to change lanes 10 years from now, when he's no longer famous. He has undergone and continues to have neck problems and while the glow of fame burns bright, we need to remember that football is a violent game that exacts a great toll upon the human body.
And in Seattle, last minute end zone breakup ( and tipped interception) of a Colin Kaepernick pass to Michael Crabtree gave Seahawk cornerback Richard Sherman an opportunity to vent on national TV. I'm really tired of players who get stupid, go off on national TV and blame it on adrenaline. Sherman is a great player and reportedly a good guy in the community, as well as a good team mate. But his rant is symbolic of a society that reacts and doesn't think before speaking (only one of many behavioral choices that are made) and then figures he'll come back when he's calmed down to lower the boiling water a little. I enjoyed his play yesterday, but didn't feel the same about his mouth.
And I'm glad a judge deemed the settlement reached between the NFL and the Players Association too small a payout. It's just another case of the owners letting their lawyers do their bidding against an aggrieved but important party, the players. Shirts vs Skins, 1% vs the 99% (even though they make a lot of money), oligarchs vs the worker bees. This whole economic "justice" notion really pisses the haves off. But until the have nots are treated better, don't expect the conversation to end.
So shortly we'll watch the whole money go round thing with SB48. The less things change, the more they stay the same. And you can print that.
Football was also very much worth watching. Peyton Manning and the Broncos beat the Pats in a game where Manning was really good. I'm not crazy about the Mannings, but for football enthusiasts, his performance was one more step in getting the icing on the cake and tying his brother Eli for Super Bowl championships. Rumors are that he will retire at the end of this season. I think that's a good idea for someone who may be one of the best quarterbacks they game has seen, but more important than that, so that he can turn his head ninety degrees when he's driving Buicks and wants to change lanes 10 years from now, when he's no longer famous. He has undergone and continues to have neck problems and while the glow of fame burns bright, we need to remember that football is a violent game that exacts a great toll upon the human body.
And in Seattle, last minute end zone breakup ( and tipped interception) of a Colin Kaepernick pass to Michael Crabtree gave Seahawk cornerback Richard Sherman an opportunity to vent on national TV. I'm really tired of players who get stupid, go off on national TV and blame it on adrenaline. Sherman is a great player and reportedly a good guy in the community, as well as a good team mate. But his rant is symbolic of a society that reacts and doesn't think before speaking (only one of many behavioral choices that are made) and then figures he'll come back when he's calmed down to lower the boiling water a little. I enjoyed his play yesterday, but didn't feel the same about his mouth.
And I'm glad a judge deemed the settlement reached between the NFL and the Players Association too small a payout. It's just another case of the owners letting their lawyers do their bidding against an aggrieved but important party, the players. Shirts vs Skins, 1% vs the 99% (even though they make a lot of money), oligarchs vs the worker bees. This whole economic "justice" notion really pisses the haves off. But until the have nots are treated better, don't expect the conversation to end.
So shortly we'll watch the whole money go round thing with SB48. The less things change, the more they stay the same. And you can print that.
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