We Will Get Fooled Again (Apologies to Pete Townsend)!

I'm sitting in this coffee shop in Portland Maine (vacationing). And right at the table next to mine I hear a guy who's just loving Obama to pieces. In fact, he's spouting to his buddies that the President is literally "saving us". "The only reason we HAVEN'T had a great depression is because of Obama's stimulus/the bail-outs. If it wasn't for him, man, we'd be in really big trouble."....................................................................................Some interesting analysis, wouldn't you say? Of course, it would have been even more interesting to see how he would have responded to a couple of facts related to this; 1) the fact that a lot of the spending in the stimulus package, instead of actually being stimulative, is more along the lines of pet-project spending and 2) even if it was stimulative, only a small fraction of the money has actually been spent (most of it will probably be spent in the out-years, after the recession is over). I mean, think about it. Unless the stimulus bill was able to create a sort of psychological boost to us/our economy, it's really hard to see how less than 100 billion could have prevented a 1930s type depression.................................................................................And then, of course, there are all of the potential consequences of such a big spending strategy. First of all, what does all of this spending do in terms of debt accumulation. What, too, does it mean in terms of inflation (the constant printing and borrowing of such large sums of money)? And, yes, folks, what about the Chinese? What if those folks ultimately decide to stick it to us?........................................................................................As for those of you say that it was Bush and the Republicans who actually started this deficit spending spiral - BILLSEYE!! You won't get an argument here, me-buckos. I mean, really; pre-emptive wars, corporate bail-outs, pork-barrell spending, Medicare part D. Absolutely the Republicans set a bad precedent. But that doesn't mean that Obama and the Democrats have to continue it....P.S. Now they're talking about yet another surge in Afghanistan. Ca-ching ca-ching.

And the Loser Isssss........

Hey, Jamie Foxx, buddy. You're an Academy Award winner. Do you have ANY idea how special that is, what an extraordinary honor it is, etc.? Well, let me tell you something there, my friend. It's pretty damn special. Greta Garbo - she never won one. Montgomery Clift never won one, either. Ditto, Deborah Kerr. In fact, this is just an abbreviated list of the extraordinary actors and actresses who've NEVER been honored in the manner that you've just so graciously been; Irene Dunne, William Powell, Rosalind Russell, Richard Burton, Barbara Stanwyck (perhaps the biggest injustice of all), Natalie Wood, Charlie Chaplin, Peter O'Toole, and Charles Boyer. A pretty impressive list, wouldn't you say?.....................................................................................Well, how 'bout this for a suggestion? In an attempt to honor these great actors and actresses, you, as an Academy Award WINNER, stop "acting" the part of an damn fool/ass-hole? I mean, yes, I know that you've already (sort of) apologized for that radio rant against Miley Cyrus and all. But, really, bro, you're supposedly a grown-up and, what, you're going around dissing 16 year-old kids now? I don't know, bro, I think that it just might be time for you to 1) grow up and 2) show at least a semblance of dignity here. And like I said before, me-bucko, if you wish not to do it for yourself....this time, then, yeah, do it for Charles Boyer.........................................................................................P.S. This, of course, isn't meant to imply that all of these non-winners were model citizens themselves. Clift and Burton, in particular, had some serious and life-long issues. But at least it was themselves that they tended to bring down, not young adolescent actresses.

Note

To all of you brave gay-Americans who wish to serve your country in the military, please, take heed. President Obama has officially decided to put you/your civil rights onto his very important "to do" list. The only thing he asks is that you, yes, simply be a little bit more patient with him. He'll get to it. He promises....P.S. He won't be inserting any more lobbyists into his administration, either. He'll soon be promising that, too.

More on Teddy

To me, folks, the most impressive thing about Senator Kennedy wasn't his far-ranging legislative accomplishments. It was more the fact that this particular Senator constantly went out of his way to help INDIVIDUALS. I mean, seriously here, if I even had (as little as) a dime for every story I've been hearing about people coming to Kennedy....for help and, yes, this same Senator actually providing that help, I'm telling you, straight-up, me-buckos, I'd probably be a wealthy man by now. Such was THIS man's generosity................................................................................Now, clearly, he wasn't a perfect man. Chappaquiddick, for one, was a very dark period - an incident, frankly, that we'll probably never know the real truth of. And, yes, me-buckos, the way that he made poor Jimmy Carter chase him around the stage at the 1980 Democratic convention. That, I'm afraid to say, was extremely selfish. Ii's like, come on. He barely even acknowledged Carter, for Christ (never mind, stopping to raise his hand in victory). But, yes, over-all, I'm saying, I think it's fair to say that his heart was generally in the right place. And, really, isn't that the most important thing of all?

Montgomery Clift's Personal Summation

"I've been knifed."

The Underrated Part of Teddy's Legacy

Laura Ingraham made what I felt was a hugely erroneous comment last night (8/25/09). It happened on The O'Reilly Factor and, yes, it pertained to one Senator Ted Kennedy. She said that Senator Kennedy WASN'T a compromiser, that he DIDN'T have a penchant to reach across the aisle. I mean, talk about being wrong on both counts. On virtually EVERY ONE of his major legislative initiatives, Senator Kennedy not only sought out but FOUND Republican co-sponsors (Dan Quayle, for Christ sakes!). He was always trying to work across the aisle....................................................................................Now, this isn't to say that Kennedy's overall emphasis wasn't a liberal/partisan one. It probably was. But, really, to say that this was a man who didn't look to compromise is ludicrous. Laura Ingraham should absolutely make a correction here.

No Prompting Necessary

You don't have to completely agree with somebody to respect them. Bear witness to that recent footage of Senators Graham and McCain coming out of an office building. They spot Senator Kennedy in car and immediately stop dead in their tracks. They both give him some "thumbs up" and after that saluted them. It was, I'm telling you, as moving a piece of video as I've ever seen (they didn't know that they were being filmed). And, yes, folks, so, too, does it represent the better part of our system; President Truman bringing Hoover back to the White House, etc..

Worse Than AWOL

As funny as it might be watching this fellow twist in the wind a little longer, I'm really starting to think that it's time/past time. Yeah, that's right, folks, I'm talking about Governor Sanford. The fellow needs to step down. And he needs to step down NOW! He's a disgrace and an embarrassment. And, no, I'm not even necessarily talking about his philandering (though, yes, this is clearly troublesome, too). I'm talking about the fact that he left his post....and didn't even tell anybody!! He basically walked off the job, for Christ!! It's inexcusable and, yes, in virtually every part of the real world that I'm familiar with, it's something that'll get you fired, too. Quickly.

Dear Mr. O'Reilly

While I've clearly commended you for your not quite being the paranoid stooge you used to be, I also think it's fair to say that you're not exacly out of the woods yet, either. Take, for example, this latest charge of yours that President Obama is actually waging some sort of war against Fox News. I mean, Bill, I know how you like to put yourself at the center of the universe and all but, come on, this in fact sounds extremely peculiar. It's like, what, the President makes a handful of criticisms (mostly legitimate ones; Sean Hannity, Glen Beck, Fox and Friends, etc.) pertaining to Fox and, boom, this constitutes some sort of big news story? I mean, I don't know how the rest of the people feel about this but, me - I think you may in fact be on the verge of losing it again. You really need to know the symptoms, my friend. You really and truly need to know them.

Intensive Medicare

Medicare is a classic example of one of those "there are two sides to every issue" issues. This, in that, while, yes, it continues to be a popular program with relatively low administrative costs, it's also a program with some serious deficiencies.................................................................................For one thing, while it may in fact be popular with patients, it isn't even remotely popular with providers. The reason for this, folks, is that Medicare, flat-out, is a free-loader. It has consistently been underpaying service providers for years. Now, clearly, this may not be a big thing when patients have secondary insurance (Medigap). BUT when they don't, a lot of times doctors and hospitals end up eating the difference. Or....they end up raising prices overall, passing the rates on to those of us with better insurance. Seen from this perspective, private insurance companies have actually been picking up the tab for Medicare..................................................................................As for these relatively low administrative costs of Medicare, that, too, is utterly misleading. For example, the last time that there was a formal report on Medicare fraud....WAS 1996! And, yes, during that time, the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services estimated that Medicare made approximately 23 billion worth of improper payments (over 10% of Medicare costs for that year). So, sure, the administrative costs are low. But, so, too, is the frigging oversight!..................................................................................Of course, the most shocking aspect to this story is that increasingly more and more physicians aren't even accepting Medicare anymore. Not that it's yet anywhere near as bad as Medicaid is (where damn near close to 50% of doctors refuse to participate), mind you, but, still...............................................................................And don't even get me going on the extreme paucity of cost controls with Medicare. This, I'm saying, in that, while, yes, they do in fact undercut the medical community on basic care, they also do NOTHING in terms of comparative analysis. For example, say that there are two medical procedures, equally effective, one that costs $5,000 and another that costs $20,000. Medicare consistently will cover the more expensive one (though, yes, they obviously will under-reimburse as well). This, while the system is clearly heading for bankruptcy. It makes no sense, I'm telling you.......................................................................................P.S. This admittedly strong critique of Medicare is in no way an attempt to glorify/support private insurance companies. Clearly, they do not in any way have a spotless record, either. My only goal here was to throw a little perspective into the mix, put forth a strong counter to the liberal mantra that Medicare is peachy-keen, etc..

Bottom Line/Take a Letter, Obama

The U.S Post Office lost a grand-total of 2.8 billion dollars last year. And this year they're on a pace to lose 6-7 billion more. Not, mind you, that that's necessarily a shocking thing in this day and age - a big business of sorts NOT being profitable. But, still, I do think it's sufficient to give us all at least a little pause here - this, on whether or not we can even trust the government to run such an operation. And on, yes, whether or not they could possibly run some other things, too.

Little Diva

As far as I'm concerned, you can keep the Beatles. You can keep the Stones, as well. Hell, folks, I'd even be willing to throw in Dylan and Springsteen - just to finish the formula. As long as I can keep my little Maria McKee on the player, I AM GOOD............................................................................For those of you who don't know the story here, Maria first burst onto the scene back in '85, as lead-singer for the band, Lone Justice. It was a group that lasted only two years/two recordings but man, man oh man, talk about a huge explosion. Their first record, in particular, is seminal. It includes such Maria standards as "Working Late", "After the Flood", "Ways to be Wicked (penned by Tom Petty and Mike Campbell)", and, yes, folks, my personal favorite, "Wait til We Get Home".................................................................................Of course, so, too, it wasn't until her solo career started in 1989 that this seamless mixture of rock, folk, and country really broke loose. From the drunken scat/screaming guitars on "This Property is Condemned" to the oddly affecting gospel rapture on "My Girlhood Among the Outlaws", McKee seriously pushed the envelope from 1989 to 1995. Most of the songs she penned herself, but even on the covers it was magic. Her rendition, for example, of the undeservedly obscure Van Morrison song, "My Lonely Sad Eyes", is as good as rock and roll gets - period.............................................................................Now, admittedly, her career since then has been a tad less raucus. But, still, even on these more reflective folksy works of hers, the fire - it still frigging burns/simmers. I mean, it sure as hell wipes the floor with Shania Twain. That I don't have a problem saying.

MSNBScreed

Rachel Maddow (who, granted, is far more civilized than most of the cable-news partsans) is now referring to the town hall protesters as individuals opposed to "health reform". She's apparently no longer saying that they're simply opposed to the Democratic plans/proposals in Congress. That (she's apparently concluded) would be a much too excusable/understandable mindset. No. Miss Maddow instead wants to paint with a different brush, a broader brush, a brush that clearly makes ALL of these individuals seem like extremists.............................................................................I mean, sure, there probably are some folks at these protests who've been "means-tested"/co-opted by powerful interests. And, yes, there are no doubt many more who are clearly misinformed. But to continue to imply that ALL of this orchestrated by these special interests (as Maddow and Olbermann repeatedly do, night after night), and that these protesters are GENERICALLY opposed to ALL types of "health reform", to me, that's a little too much in terms of partisanship. Questions? Comments?

Equivalence Shmiquivalence

The 1948 incident at Deir Yassin has constantly been cited by critics of Israel as an example of "moral equivalence". Some have even gone as far as to call it a massacre. I'm sorry, folks, but this is something that I simply cannot allow. First of all, as bad as Deir Yassin was for the Arabs, it was nothing compared to the Arab massacres (real massacres) of Jews at Hebron, Kfar, Etzion, Safad, etc., etc.. It especially paled in comparison to the Arab retaliation for it. Yes, me-buckos, I'm referring to the PLANNED Arab attack on a civilian convoy of doctors, nurses, medical school staff, and patients. All 77 of these folks were flat-out murdered.....................................................................................A secondary problem with the way that people have pointed to this tragedy is the cursory way in which it's been treated. Point number one - Arab snipers were clearly shooting from civilian areas. Point number two - The Irgun forces (who nobody is arguing here were choir boys) allowed for an escape corridor that allowed for at least 200 Arab civilians to escape (not exactly what one would call a "let's massacre 'em" strategy). Point number three - Jewish officials not only apologized for the loss of civilian life, they actually went the whole nine yards and banned these paramilitary groups. Point number four - Arab fighters literally went as far as to dress like women to fool the Jewish attackers (undoubtedly a main reason why so many women perished that day). Point number five - The New York Times, which immediately covered the story, never once used the term, massacre. Point number six - ALL allegations of rape by Jews of Arab women have been totally proven false. And on and on....................................................................................Now, clearly, there were in fact some yahoos involved in this event. There may even have been some murders as well. But in no way, shape, or form can an argument for moral equivalence be made here. I mean, simply the way that the Jews responded to the event (apologizing, disbanding the militias, etc.) - isn't that alone a gigantic distinction; the Arabs purposefully targeting Jewish civilians, their celebrating wildly when they die, etc.?

Oh, the Nausea

I hate to say it, folks. But all of that righteous indignation in the blogosphere is starting to get to me. This, of course, isn't to say that talk-radio and cable-"news" is appreciably better (CNN in my mind, the exception). But at least these guys scan be traced, have sponsors, bosses, etc. and, because of that, there's at least the possibility of a filter. These clowns who act as independent bloggers, seriously, we're talking pretty much anything and everything (Obama's a racist, McCain's a racist, Obama's not an American, McCain has Alzheimer's) goes..............................................................................And it isn't just the mean-spiritedness, either. This, I'm saying, in that, YOUZA!, these frigging clowns are as partisan as they come. And, yes, me-buckos, the liberals are just as bad (can you say, Cliffy?) as the conservatives. I mean, I don't know about you folks, but I've always associated liberalism with open-mindedness, a strong penchant NOT to stereotype, label, categorize, etc.. I've certainly never associated it with this frigging bull-crap.............................................................................Of course, I'd be very remiss if I didn't mention as well their extreme lack of fire-power, intellectually. These idiots basically see everything as either liberal-good, conservative bad or vice versa. No nuance. Zero! And no common ground, either. THAT, I'm afraid to say, is a total non-starter. A sign of weakness, too, apparently.

Missing Easy Targets

I don't particularly want to get into the habit of defending Nancy Pelosi. Specifically speaking, I find the woman to be far more partisan than she is intelligent and, yes, I'm telling you also, I'm not quite sure that I trust her, either. But, yes, she, just like anybody else, doesn't deserve to be lied about. Sean Hannity, in one of his typical rants against the left, accused Ms. Pelosi of saying that those who protest against the Democratic health-care proposal are "anti-American". She said nothing of the sort. She said that shouting people down at town meetings is anti-American. Kind of a big difference, no?...............................................................................This, of course, isn't to say that the use of the term, anti-American, was prudent/a good choice. Clearly, anti-American is a highly loaded term that she probably should have avoided. But, still, if Mr. Hannity hopes to jump in and score some political points here, then, yes, he really ought to take the time to get his facts straight, too. I mean, he is sort of a journalist, right?

Last Last Call

I'm telling you, folks. If it had been up to Retch, and Retch alone, they'd have closed down Sassy's long ago. And even though that pitter-pattering of his own heart had once/twice been force-fed there, so, too, there probably have been some dynamite involved. I mean, just look at his nostrils flaring, for Christ, all those frigging pencil-necks, etc.. Shouldn't THOSE be telling us something?

Sean, Sean, Sean

I get such a kick out of Sean Hannity's "great, great, great" American panel. Just the other night (8/12/09), for example, the panel consisted of Hannity himself, Ann Coulter, a Republican strategist (never saw her before), and Democratic strategist, Pat Caddell. It was three against one, in other words. And when you take into account the fact that Mr. Caddell hasn't said a good about his own party for going on five years now, it was basically unanimous.............................................................................P.S. Not that any of this should be surprising, mind you. Fox, in general, and Mr. Hannity, in particular, are very good at creating these Harlem Globetrotters/Washington Generals type scenarios. And, so, too, is Mr. Hannity very selective in picking out his liberal cohorts, adversaries, punching-bags/lackeys. I mean, he did pick Alan Colmes, didn't he?

Missed Information

I don't know how the rest of you folks feel. But, in my opinion, President Obama is a fundamentally decent man/solid citizen. And, yes, I think that he's coming from a fundamentally good place, too. But I'm also telling you 'all, that when the President went in front of that town hall and admonished his critics for spreading "misinformation", only to do the same thing himself (saying that the AARP was endorsing the Congress's plan, when in fact they hadn't), he really ended up mortgaging some credibility.............................................................................And, yes, when you end up coupling that with all of the fumbling and bumbling that his press-secretary (an increasingly hapless Robert Gibbs) had to do in terms of damage control, it was in fact a setback for the President. Who knows, folks, maybe there is a reason for that teleprompter after all.................................................................................P.S. It also appears that there may have been a planted question at that town hall meeting. That little girl who asked the President that extremely hospitable question, it seems as if her mother is a strong supporter of Mr. Obama. This little scenario isn't going to help the administration, either.

Fibrous Hatred

"Arise o sons of Arabia. Fight for your sacred rights. Slaughter Jews wherever you find them. Their spilled blood pleases Allah, our history and religion. That will save our honor."....Haj Amin al-Husseini (The Grand Mufti) 1944...........................................................................Nah, there's no deep-seeded hatred of the Jews by the Palestinians. Not at all..................................................................................Oh, and to those of you think that this little ditty wasn't/isn't representative, get a load of this, me-bucks. Subsequently (in 1948), the National Palestinian Council actually saw fit to elect this SOB as its president. And, yes, get this, too. At that time he was a wanted/despicable war criminal(declared so at Nuremberg) living in exile in Egypt. It appears, folks, that Mr. Husseini was actually complicit with Hitler/the Nazis during the war years....................................................................................And not only was this lunatic popular in the 40s. He continued to be popular with subsequent generations of Arab/Palestinian leaders. Frigging Arafat himself practically kissed the ground that this shit-head traversed upon. Youza, huh?..........................................................................................P.S. And, really, this is the mind-set that the civilized world has to negotiate with? Lottsa luck with that, me-buckos.

Here We Go Again

I've recently been advised that Mr. Limbaugh is now comparing Obama/his administration to Hitler/Nazi Germany. "It is them who are the fascists" - this, he apparently utters with gusto to his listeners............................................................................Now, please, don't get me wrong. Mr. Limbaugh is certainly entitled to this opinion and others but, yes, so, too, are we (on the listening end) free and clear to condemn him for it. I mean, I don't know about you folks, but, in my opinion, Hitler comparisons are never, EVER, justified (I didn't even like it when Hussein got compared to Hitler). All they frigging do is cheapen the political dialogue/the very acts of Hitler themselves..............................................................................As to those of you who say that Mr. Limbaugh has himself been on the receiving end of similar such nasty comparisons, six little words of wisdom here; two wrongs never make a right.

Mobs, Slobs, and Partisan Fools

I totally agree with Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow that the protesters at these town hall meetings need to be more respectful/act dignified, that they shouldn't be shouting people down, etc.. And, yes, I also tend to agree with them that a lot of what's going on at these events (certainly not all of it, maybe not even most of it, but certainly some of it) is canned/organized, promoted by corporate special interests. But what I don't agree with is this notion of theirs that the rudeness and incivility that's out there is purely and strictly a conservative thing. It isn't...............................................................................I mean, I literally feel like asking them, "Folks, where in the hell were you when the "Minutemen" were getting shouted down at Columbia, when conservative commentator (oh, alright, firebrand) Ann Coutler faced a largely similar situation at UConn?.................................................................................And, yes, even on these secondary charge that the anti-Obama protests are "organized", seriously, couldn't this very same charge be leveled against the left (Code Pink, the AFL-CIO, etc.)? I mean, come on, folks, let's face it here. We've got a shitload of people working off of playbooks in Washington. It isn't even remotely a partisan thing, period!....................................................................................P.S. You do see what I'm saying here, right; different yard-sticks for different interest groups/agendas? And, yes, me-buckos, clearly, the Republicans are just as frigging slippery/hypocritical up the poop-shoot as the Democrats. That is definitely NOT an issue.

My New Favorite Quote

"Whoever could make two ears of corn grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together." Jonathan Swift....Wow, huh? Talk about a swift (no pun intended) kick in the butt to all of those self-righteous bastards on both sides of the aisle. A full-fledged frigging bulls-eye - period!!

A Future Classic

Has anybody had the chance to see that recent Paul Krugman video (on youtube)? The guy (who was evidently attending some conference that was pro single-payer health care) turns to the audience and asks them, "So, how many of you folks are Canadian?" The audience (seemingly anxious to reply) quickly provided Professor Krugman seven raise hands. He then asked these same individuals, "How many of you folks think that the Canadian health-care system is lousy?" Their response? Well, let's just say that those same seven people continued to keep their hands up. Oops!...............................................................................Now, of course, this is entirely anecdotal. It takes more than seven homogeneous people at one location to construct a valid study. But, still, it was embarrassing/more than sufficient enough to put a fair amount of egg on good Mr. Krugman's face. Look before you leap, I guess.

Bonfire of the Partisans

You want to try something hilarious, folks? Between 9 and 10 o'clock at night, take that clicker of yours, and, yes, go back and forth between Fox (Hannity) and MSNBC (The Rachel Maddow Show). I am strongly telling you here, YOU WILL LAUGH!....................................................................................For those of you who haven't seen these individuals, it's absolutely night and day. Hannity does nothing but constantly lambaste the President - literally. Maddow- she, on the other hand, almost always defends him (though, yes, she does hold his feet to the fire on "don't ask-don't tell")/lambastes Republicans. Pure partisanship, clear up the poop-shoot here - both of them! And, yes, when in fact you take that clicker and force toward your senses these quick/unrelenting juxtapositions....Well, let's just call it farcical.

Classic Nonsense

Let me see if I have this straight, folks. If a person wanted to, they could literally buy all three seasons of Gilligan's Island on DVD? This they would have zero trouble doing up? But they still, to this day, couldn't purchase a U.S. formatted version of Elia Kazan's Wild River (a little seen but potent gem starring Montgomery Clift and Lee Remick)? Gee, that seems entirely fair....NOT!! And it isn't just that movie, folks. So, too, you still can't get My Foolish Heart (a Susan Hayward classic that absolutely shines) or Viva Zapata (a film in which Anthony Quinn wins his first of two Oscars). I'm telling you, the whole situation is absolutely maddening.................................................................................And the thing is, folks, these movies WOULD sell. I mean, think about it here. All that they'd really have to do would be to make a deal with TCM. The online demand alone would be far more than adequate. Not that they could necessarily compete with Ginger and Mary Ann, mind you, but, hey, it's more than worth a shot. Don't you think?