Miscellaneous 43

1) I'm pretty sure that Bill O'Reilly was full of garbage last night. When Alan Colmes pointed out (correctly so, in my opinion) to him that the right didn't seem to care very much when Valerie Plame's identity got leaked by the Bush administration, O'Reilly countered this by saying that it did in fact bother him....Hm. I mean, I'll admit that I haven't seen every single minute of every single show, but I do know FOR A FACT that I personally have never seen Mr. O'Reilly express one iota of outrage over this whole blowing of Valerie Plame's cover....Now, if anybody out there has any footage of this, I'd be more than happy to check it out....And, yes, if need be, I will in fact stand corrected.............2) I'm telling you, if there's anybody out there who is more out of touch than Newt Gingrich, I FEEL SORRY FOR THEM. I do. This guy - he goes on "Hannity" tonight and says that there really isn't anything of an emergency nature that this lame-duck session of Congress needs to address and that, yes, it would in fact be a much better thing for the country if they just adjourned and went home. Yeah, huh? I mean, what here - we got close two million people who's unemployment insurance is about to run out and THAT'S NOT AN EMERGENCY? Talk about an SOB.............3) Now, this isn't to say that the Republicans don't make a good point in saying that the extension of these benefits should in fact be paid for. They probably SHOULD be paid for/off-set. But for this increasingly loathsome Gingrich character to so cavalierly say that there "aren't any emergencies out there" - that is really, really low.

Note to Mr. Olbermann

It did NOT, Mr. Olbermann, take (former head of Reagan's OMB) David Stockman 28 years to realize that Mr. Reagan's economic policy was flawed - deeply so. He said so in his memoir - you know, the one that he wrote....back in 1986!!! And the thing is, dude, you didn't even really need to read the book to realize this. All that you really needed to do was read the title of it; "The Triumph of Politics: Why the Reagan Revolution Failed". No?

I've Heard of Losing Money in Reno, But This is Ridiculous

You want to know just how bad major intercollegiate athletics has gotten these days? I'll tell you how bad it's gotten. The University of Nevada (at Reno) just pulled off one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of their athletic department. Yeah, that's right, I'm talking about their football team's thrilling upset victory of heretofore undefeated and 4th ranked Boise State (34-31 in overtime). Hm, what, pray tell, could possibly be wrong with that, you ask? I'll tell you what - one point nine million. Yep, that's how much money the university probably ended up losing by their winning of this football game. How so? It's a little something called revenue sharing. Boise State, had they in fact defeated Nevada, were poised to play in a BCS (Bowl Championship Series) post-season bowl game (one of the bigger ones, in other words) - a scenario that clearly would have ended up bringing in a lot of cash, not just to Boise State University but to the entire WAC (the Western Athletic Conference - a non BCS automatic qualifying conference). Nevada's cut of that particular pie would have been, yep, you got it, 1.9 million dollars....Talk about raining on somebody's parade.

My First Question to Senator McCain Would Probably Be....

At what point, Senator, did you ultimately conclude that Chairman Mullen and Secretary Gates were NOT the leaders of the Military (this, obviously in reference to the Senator's once having said that if in fact the leaders of the military concluded that "don't ask/don't tell" was no longer necessary, HE, Mr. McCain, would no longer support it....and now his having flip-flopped again)?

"Paul Bunyan's Axe"

What would be my answer to the question, "So, of all of these college football rivalry trophies (this one going to the winner of the annual Minnesota/Wisconsin game), which of them, in your opinion, is the coolest one?".......................................................................................................P.S. A close second would have to be the "Keg of Nails" (this one to the annual winner of the Louisville/Cincinnati game).

The Battle-Lines are Being Somethinged

To those of you who think that all of the invective comes from the right, this I share. "I have good news to report; Glenn Beck appears closer to suicide - I'm hoping that he does it on camera; suicide is rampant in his family, and given his alcoholism and his tendencies toward self-destruction, I am only hoping that when Glenn Beck does put a gun to his head and pulls the trigger, that it will be on television, because somebody will capture it on YouTube and it will be the most popular video for months."...This little ditty, folks, comes courtesy of left-wing radio host, Mike Malloy....So......

Enhanced Demonization

I have never been a supporter George W. Bush OR water-boarding. Hell, folks, I wouldn't even mind a fact-finding investigation that ended up with Mr. Cheney (especially) being "cuffed" for a while. But, please, can we at least have a little perspective here? During WW2, Churchill and Roosevelt ROUTINELY targeted major population centers in Germany, Italy, and Japan. According to MIT's John Dower, possibly up to 1.2 million civilians were slaughtered during these attacks (and, no, this doesn't even include Hiroshima and Nagasaki). So, yeah/no/I don't know, this sounds a hell of a lot more like a war-crime than Bush Inc. water-boarding a bevy of lunk-heads (and, no/again, I'm not in any way excusing it).

Man WHAT?

This, folks, from the recently defeated Tea Party candidate, Christine O'Donnell (excerpted from an interview with right-wing radio host, Mark Levin, and taking place during her Republican primary run against Mike Castle): "You know, these are the kind of cheap, underhanded, unmanly tactics that we've come to expect from Obama's favorite Republican, Mike Castle....You know, I released a statement today, saying, 'Mike this is not a bake-off, get your man-pants on'." Wow, huh? Talk about sleazy. And it's not like this was the only homophobic parley that was directed toward Castle. O'Donnell backers had on several previous occasions implied (not to mention, spread rumors and innuendo) that the former Congressman and Governor was gay. And to think that there are still people out there who were caught off guard when the woman got routed in the "general"...................................................................................................Of course, it wasn't just O'Donnell who was spouting this crap. You also had Palin (saying that President Obama didn't have "cajones") and the barely sentient Angle (telling Harry Reid to "man up") spewing similarly. And, really, think about it here for a second. What if the frigging shoe were on the other foot; male candidates telling female candidates to act 'like a lady"? I'm thinking that we'd all be going majorly ballistic...............................................................................................P.S. Oh, and, yeah, for the record, it was this triumvirate, Palin, O'Donnell, and Angle, who were more-so showing the cowardice; Palin quitting the Governorship and all of them avoiding the media (Angle literally running from it). They, folks, were the ones who really needed to "man-up".

Ralph Towner (guitar, piano), Jan Garbarek (saxes, flute), Eberhard Weber (bass, cello), Jon Christensen (drums, percussion)

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what, in your opinion, was the greatest European jazz quartet ever?"

Miscellaneous 42 (Murkowski, Olbermann, Hannity)

1) Looking for one Republican who isn't afraid of Sarah Palin? You needn't look any further than Mrs. Palin's own back-yard. Yeah, that's right, folks, I'm talking about Lisa Murkowski. According to the current (and, yes, I'll say it, future) Senator, "I just do not think that she (Mrs. Palin) has those leadership qualities, that intellectual curiosity that allows for building good and great policies.....I want somebody that goes to bed at night and wakes up in the morning thinking about how we're going to deal with our national security issues, how we're going to deal with our economy, how we're going to deal with providing better education or peace in the Middle East."...Ouch, huh? Oh and, yes, here's to hoping that this is just the beginning. I mean, seriously here, don't the Democrats deserve a Republican that does to fellow Republicans what Senator Lieberman has been doing to them? It's only frigging fair, no?............2) Edward R. Murrow covered the London blitzkrieg in 1940 - out on those very same London city streets, day after day after day. What, folks, has Mr. Olbermann ever covered (other than his ass, I'm saying)? I mean, seriously here, has he ever even been out of the studio?...That, me-buckos, is at least one major distinction between these two news "reporters".............3) And then, of course, there's also Mr. Hannity. I mean, have you seen this guy lately? He's suddenly become this strongly principled libertarian dude. "How dare those miserable TSA workers take to violating our privacy (I'm paraphrasing here)." It's like, where in the hell did this come from? I certainly don't remember him being concerned about civil liberties during the Bush administration; warrantless wire-taps, etc.....Oh well, so much for this mamby-pamb/blankety blank being a principled conservative.

Kenny Wheeler

What would be my answer to the question, "So, who, in your opinion, is the most underrated jazz trumpet player ever?"

Miscellaneous 41

1) The programming commercial for tonight's' "O'Reilly Factor" was one that heavily promoted/promised its viewers a stellar, "all-star lineup". Of course, it then proceeded to tell us who these individuals were. The lineup specifically consisted of Brit Hume, Glenn Beck, Bernard Goldberg, Mary Katharine Ham, Juan Williams, and John Stossel (five conservatives and one moderate/exceedingly tame liberal, in other words). Now don't get me wrong here. Those are some fairly decent guests (Mr. Beck, possibly excepted). But collectively, NO, it doesn't even remotely resemble a fair and balanced itinerary (something, I'm sure, that even Mr. O'Reilly himself would have to admit - you know, after a couple of brewskis or so).............2) Mr. O'Reilly also refrained from showing that tape in which Barbara Bush states how she wishes that Sarah Palin would simply "go back to Alaska". His excuse for this was that he didn't know the "context" and proceeded to give some boneheaded reason pertaining to how he didn't want to get "burned again" after that whole Shirley Sherrod episode....He lied, in other words.............3) I mean, come on, let's face it here. The real reason that Mr. O'Reilly didn't show that tape was the same reason that Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity didn't show it. He didn't want to embarrass a fellow conservative (a co-worker, no less). It's as simple as that, folks.............4) Speaking of Sarah Palin, if I were an Obamaite, not only would I be rooting for her (to get the Republican nomination in '012), I'd be frigging campaigning for her (undercover, obviously). I mean, come on, think about it. Of all the prospective Republican nominees, who has a lesser appeal among moderates and independents than Sarah Palin? And even if the economy doesn't get any better in the next two years, I don't know, I just can't see the electorate of this country making that woman President....Let's just call it the Sharron Angle/Christine O'Donnell Syndrome.

My New Favorite Old Expression

"A politician uses history the same way that a drunk uses a lamp-post; for support, not illumination."......While I'm not entirely sure who initially coined the phrase, I can give MIT history professor, John Dower, a shout-out for sharing it with C-Span's audience tonight. Thanks a lot Professor Dower.

What Obama's "Green Jobs Czar", Van Jones, Probably Should Have Said

"Alright, here's the deal - straight up. Yes, folks, I'll admit it, I have been a rabble-rouser in the past. I've associated with some radical people, entertained some ridiculous notions, and said some inflammatory things. But that was the past, OK? I am a much different person now. I'm older, more mature, and, yes, I've finally recognized that I can make a much more constructive difference by working inside the system. I also strongly believe in President Obama and I definitely think that my extensive knowledge relative to climate change, the environment, technology, and green jobs can be a big help to him and his administration. So, yes, I'm asking of you, the American people, to focus on me NOW, on what I've become as a person AND as a professional, and to give me this chance. I promise not let you/the President down. Thank you.......Alright, now let's go to work here."

Miscellaneous 40

1) No offense to Mr. Bush, but don't you think that it would have been far better for him (not to mention the country) had he, rather than seeking his foreign policy advice from a supposed "higher father", learned the difference between a Sunni and a Shia first? I'm just asking here.............2) And while we're at it, what about those WMD? Why didn't this higher power tell the former President that there wasn't any? That's a little something else that needs to be answered.............3) To those of you out there who think that the right has overreacted to the civilian trial/verdict of Mr. Ghailani, I'd probably have to agree with you. I mean, the guy did get 20 years and maybe life. But I can also understand the consternation to this degree. The guy, in addition to his being found guilty on that one conspiracy charge, was also exonerated on the other 280-something other charges. I can absolutely see how that might stick in the craw of certain people; the victims, especially (those folks undoubtedly having an interest beyond the number of years).............4) And on this same topic, I have another question. If, as Mr. Olbermann and others have pointed out recently, this Ghailani character WOULD NOT have been released had in fact a "not guilty" verdict been rendered, then what, pray tell, was the trial itself for? Was it just a show? I don't get it.............5) Speaking of terrorist trials, it appears as if Mr. Obama has decided to kick the KSM one down the road for a while. Hm, could it be that the President is afraid of offending somebody (the right if he decides to have a civilian trial in New York City, the left if he opts instead for a military one)? I mean, that's what it looks like to me.............6) And, yes, folks, that's exactly why I like Mayor Bloomberg. That frigging guy doesn't give a shit! He'll do/say whatever he thinks is right and the hell with these opinion polls....Well, that and Mr. Hannity doesn't like him.

Moderately Entertaining, Exceedingly Weird/Paranoid

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what's your overall assessment of Glenn Beck?"

The Bigger the Fish, The Smellier it Tends Toward

The way that I see it, folks, there are at least two forms of active deception that partisan cable/radio hosts have been utilizing of late; a) bald-faced lies and b) ridiculous/asinine hyperbole (cherry-picking I consider to be much more along the lines of a passive/border-line unconscious phenomenon). Lying is obviously the more egregious of the two offenses (and, yes, let us hope, too, the lesser utilized) and, yes, it needs to be castigated whenever in fact its detected. But, I also have to admit it to you here, folks, all of this hyperbole is really starting to get to me, too................................................................................................Take, for example, this little (very little, actually) kernel of "truth" from my brand-new best bud, Rachel Maddow. Maddow, in characterizing the career of soon to be retiring Senator Evan Bayh, referred to the fellow as a person with NO legislative record, and a dude who has also, since he announced his retirement, done "nothing" but "bash" his fellow Democrats. It was an absolutely ludicrous statement/accusation. But, because it also happens to be her perception of things, you can't really call it a lie................................................................................................And, please, don't get me wrong here. I am not in any way saying that this a tactic specific to Maddow only....or even to all of these partisans in general. Not at all. Hell, folks, we ALL do it from time to time. All that I'm saying that they seem to do it more so - to the point of it being a staple, I'm saying....................................................................................................P.S. Just for the record, some of Mr. Bayh's legislative accomplishments include a) the first ever property tax deduction for home-owners who do not itemize, b) a new federal enforcement network to crack down on foreign competitors who are stealing American innovations through piracy and counterfeiting, c) trade adjustment assistance for workers who have lost jobs when U.S. companies move operations overseas and/or close do to foreign competition, and d) a bill to improve pediatric health-care. He has also been a strong voice against pork-barrel spending....Why don't we just face it here, folks. Mr. Bayh is a dreaded moderate, and that's the reason why Ms. Maddow unloaded upon him - purely and simply.

Uneducated, Pushing 60 (And Looking Every Inch of It), and Gruff

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what do you remember most about that battle-axe, Corrine?"

Miscellaneous 39

"False equivalence" is one of those phrases that Olbermann and Maddow have been utilizing a lot lately. They especially like to use it against people like me - people, folks, who've taken their criticizing, not only Fox for it's increasingly divisive/partisan presentation but to MSNBC for its (indiscretions). Olbermann and Maddow feel that we have unfairly lumped the two cable news stations together and that there is literally NO comparison. They're the good network, the network of truth, a network that, even though it does in fact have a viewpoint, is an operation that is solely determined by facts. Fox, they on the other hand, are strictly a propaganda wing of the Republican Party that a) lies profusely and b) engages in character assassination. There isn't, in other words, any equivalence...................................................................................................Of course, it is getting harder for them. This, folks, in that, not only have Jon Stewart and the folks at "Saturday Night Live" taken them, MSNBC, to task but, so, too, have such journalistic stalwarts as Campbell Brown, David Zurawick, Howard Kurtz, and Ted Koppel. Hell, folks, even Senator Jay Rockefeller has taken note of their mean-spiritedness and called them on it. It's like, what, all of them are full of bull-crap, too?......................................................................................................And, really, what if they're at least partially right about Fox being worse than them, more depraved, etc., does that in any way signify that they've been good? Of course, it doesn't. It doesn't, for instance, change one iota the character assassinations that Mr. Olbermann perpetrated on David Zurawick, Senator Brown, etc., the bald faced lies that he told about Major Jacobs, Joe the (admittedly mentally challenged) Plumber, etc.. And it certainly doesn't change the absolutely bald-faced lie that Maddow recently told about Congressman Stockman (her saying that he had received advance notice that the Oklahoma City bombings were going to happen)......................................................................................................How 'bout this for a compromise, folks? On a scale of 1-10, Fox is a 2, MSNBC, a 3.5.

A Break From the Chatter

I saw Rachel Maddow's interview with Jon Stewart the other day. And, yes, I have to admit it here, it was an extremely good one. Ms. Maddow (still evidently put off by Stewart's having lumped MSNBC and Fox together) was very gracious and her questions fair. She also let Mr. Stewart talk and fully explain himself (take a lesson, Mr. O'Reilly)............................................................................................As for Stewart himself, so, too, does he, the guest, deserve some credit. This, in that, rather than being taken in by Ms. Maddow's charm (which, I'll admit, can be palpable at times) and cow-towing to her, he gave it to her straight - pointing out that MSNBC has in fact heightened the dialogue to a very troubling degree. But, yes, me-buckos, so, too, was he civil...............................................................................................Overall, I'd have to say that it was a very good example of what cable-news CAN BE, if in fact it wants to.

Ann Miller and Cyd Charisse (Circa 1953) 2

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what (or, in this case, who) are you thinking about right now?"

There's MoreThan One Way to Skin a Critic

The increasingly thin-skinned Olbermann is at it YET AGAIN. This time, though, it's Ted Koppel who's apparently pissed Mr. Prima Donna off. Yes, folks, I'm pointing specifically here to the fact that Olbermann didn't at all appreciate Koppel's op-ed column in the Washington Post - a piece, evidently, in which Koppel had the unmitigated audacity to criticize Olbermann's shameless advocacy/preaching to the choir form of journalism. But this time, instead of simply slapping Koppel on the wrist (as he did to John Stewart for a similar criticism), or adding him onto his worst person's list (as he did to Campbell Brown for ditto), Mr. Olbermann put forth an entire special comments segment - not only criticizing Koppel's criticism, but hammering the venerable journalist as well (even going as far as to blame him for his not being able to uncover, a priori, the Bush administration's "lies" about WMD). I'm telling you here, folks, it was actually quite creepy - the entirety of it! I mean, he even took a pot-shot at Anderson Cooper, too....Collateral damage, I gather.

Open Mouth - Open Mind

Looking for another reason to NOT lump Chris Matthews in with Olbermann and Maddow? Hows about look no further than to Mr. Matthews' reaction to that just released report from Obama's deficit commission. Instead of immediately dismissing it as being cruel, extreme, heartless, etc. (basically what his colleagues, Maddow and Olbermann, did), Mr. Matthews praised it for being balanced and helpful. It seems, folks, that, yes, in spite of that sometimes partisan outer-skin of his, this fellow is at least willing to consider ideas and approaches that fail to pass muster with a rigid ideology. Who knows - maybe that crazy son of a bitch SHOULD have run for the Senate this year. I mean, really, could he have been any worse....

YOU'RE MOTHER WAS RIGHT, YOU COULD NEVER COMPETE WITH LLOYD BRAUN!!!

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what's your all-time favorite verbal rampage from Frank Costanza?"

By Hook or by Schnook

Sean Hannity is either a bald-faced lying fool....or he's delusional (a person of supreme idiocy is no doubt also a possibility). When characterizing the fact that the Democrats are currently opposed to people making over $250,000 a year getting a tax-cut extension, this fellow literally utters, "small business owners, in other words." I mean, COME ON, I thought that everybody in his right mind knew by now that a scant 2-3% of small business owners make a quarter of a million a year? But, NOOOOOOO, continue to perpetuate this Republican talking point...................................................................................................Look, folks, I thought that I had put forth a reasonably good compromise. Yes, extend the middle-class tax-cuts (a reasonable thing to do during a recession). But this time raise the threshold to 300-400 thousand a year. This way you basically hit ALL small businesses and, yes, better yet, you take a way the talking-point (forcing them to use the class-warfare one instead). I'm thinking that the Democrats should put this forward and dare the Republicans to reject it.That way we can see if THOSE individuals have some "cajones" (palinologically speaking).

Maria McKee

What would be my answer to the question, "So, who, in your opinion, is the greatest folk/country singer of all time?"

Maria McKee

What would be my answer to the question, "So, who, in your opinion, is the greatest rock and roll singer of all time?"

Note to Joe Miller

Dude, ya' lost. And you've apparently lost decidedly, too. Don't you think that maybe it's about time that you, you know, "manned up"....and accepted it?....For the will of the people (a central tenet of the Tea Party - no?), I'm saying..................................................................................................P.S. Sorry to spell it out for you like this....Get it - "spell it out" for you? LOL

Ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

What has been the general response of the Republicans to the question, "So, what, specifically, do you plan to cut?"

"Can I Get Back to You on This One?"

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what do you find more irritating; Sarah Palin's inane and often divisive 'commentary', or the smarmy/'holier than thou' critiques of this commentary by left-wing radio and cable hosts?"

Fitting the Bill/Bull

I can't believe it. The right is STILL trying to tar Mr. Obama with this whole Bill Ayers thing. Yes, folks, I cite specifically that same old bromide that Mr. Obama launched his political career in the living room of Mr. Ayers, unrepentant terrorist, yada yada. It's bullshit. And, yes, anybody who's taken the time to research this topic knows that it's bullshit.......................................................................................................First of all, Mr. Obama (in his quest to be a state Senator) was the hand-picked replacement of his predecessor, Alice Palmer. Secondly, Mr. Obama made his official announcement (that he was running) at the Hyde Park Ramada Inn on 9/19/95. Thirdly, Mr. Obama's initial "coffee" was NOT at the home of Bill Ayers but at the home of local rabbi. Yes, folks, there ultimately was a coffee at the Ayers house but it was supposedly for Palmer and not for Mr. Obama (though, yes, the future President was introduced to those in attendance)..................................................................................................In my opinion, this whole mess has been ginned up by the right in an effort to marginalize/demonize Mr. Obama....He served on a board. So what! There were a lot of Republicans who served on that same board and some of them even praised Mr. Ayers's contribution to local education. But, no, focus in on this one individual in an effort to bring him down. It's extremely sad, I think........................................................................................................P.S. And as far as this whole "I wish I had done more" comment attributed to Mr. Ayers, so, too, has that been gussied up. Ayers was talking in a general sense (he wishes that he had done more to opposed the Vietnam War). He wasn't saying that he wishes that he had blown up more property........................................................................................................."Palling around with terrorists", my ass.

On Why I Don't Consider President Obama to be a Radical

1) The health care plan of President Obama (while obviously flawed) is essentially the same as Mitt Romney's MA plan, the bipartisan Wyden-Bennett plan (a plan that as many as 9 Republican co-sponsors), and the 1993 Republican alternative to Hillary-care. It did NOT contain a public option and, yes, actually gave more power to the insurance companies.............2) The TARP bailout program that Mr. Obama supported was also supported by President Bush and dozens of Republican Senators.............3) The stimulus package (which I've freely admitted here to be flawed) contained in it some 300 billion dollars in TAX CUTS (a concept that the Republicans usually warmly embrace).............4) The President has sent 30,000 additional troops to the Afghan theater.............5) The President has seriously amped up the drone attacks into Northern Pakistan.............6) The President continues to use rendition, warrentless wire-tapping, and GITMO.............7) The President has shown virtually zero leadership in getting rid of don't-ask/don't-tell.............8) The President has actually INCREASED defense spending.............9) Etc., etc....................................................................................................I mean, don't get me wrong here. President Obama no doubt IS a liberal. But he really doesn't seem appreciably different than a lot of the other mainstream Dems. At least he doesn't seem to be from what is my essentially centrist perspective.

"I Don't Know, It Would Probably Be a Toss-Up Between Betty Grable and Jayne Mansfield"

What would be my answer to the question, "So, who, in your opinion, is the most overrated sex symbol in history?"............P.S. I was going to say Pia Zadora, but I'm not entirely sure if most people ever really thought of her as a sex symbol (the normal ones, I'm saying).

"It's About Time That Those Mother Effers Ate a Little Crow"

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what's your reaction to those Texas Longhorns being only 4-5 so far this year?"

Miscellaneous 38

1) Just for the sake of argument here, let's just say that the global-warming deniers are right; that there isn't global-warming, and/or if in fact there is, it isn't in any way caused by human activity. Does that then mean that we shouldn't in any way curb pollution, or that we shouldn't at all conserve? I'm just asking here. I mean, it just seems like we're constantly getting involved in all of these preposterous either-or/black-and-white free for alls and, yes, constantly missing the enormous areas of common ground. Seriously, shouldn't we ALL want to curb air pollution (this, to cut down on lung cancer, asthma, etc.)/preserve our natural resources. Granted, we would want to do it in a way that wouldn't totally disrupt the economy. But that's where the compromise and negotiation come in - you know, all of that good stuff that LBJ and Everett Dirksen used to do, the stuff that Reagan and Tip O'Neal used to do.............2) There's this blogger out there who's constantly trying to convince me that tax rates and economic activity are completely unrelated, and that most of our economic activity is strictly dependent upon other factors; demographics, interest rates, etc.. My response to him has always been that, while, yes, there may in fact be a whole host of other factors involved, there has to be at least some interrelationship between taxes and economic growth. For instance/I would ask him, if a person and/or business has been paying X taxes in state/country A, would there not be at least a semblance of a chance that that individual/business would move to state/country B if the taxes in that state/country were say X/2? Yes, of course, there may in fact be other factors such as education and productivity to consider but, in addition to those, I'm saying....Needless to say, I haven't had a lot of success in convincing him.

Donna Reed (The Pre "Donna Reed Show" Era)

What would be my answer to the question, "So, who, in your opinion, is the most underrated sex symbol in history?"

Jon Stewart NAILING IT!!

"You can't defeat Fox by becoming what they say you are. The only way you can defeat them is by an earned credibility, not an earned partisanship. They're (MSNBC) making a mistake by becoming an equivalent to Fox rather than a brand new journalistic organization."

Miscellaneous 37

1) Michele Bachman, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, and, yes, a whole host of others, have recently hit the airwaves with this little ditty. They're claiming that President Obama's upcoming trip to Asia will ultimately cost the American tax-payers 200 million dollars PER DAY....Seriously, folks, this is what they're saying (now, please, keep in mind here, President Obama's 30,000 soldier troop surge in Afghanistan is "only" costing the tax-payers 82 billion a day - the "Christin Science Monitor"). Hm, it kinda sounds like bullshit, doesn't it?............2) Add me to the list of people who's really starting to like Meghan McCain. I mean, sure, she does sound a little like a "Valley Girl" and all but, damn it, I really am starting to like that spunkiness (I, of course, especially liked it when she took on Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham SIMULTANEOUSLY!)....While this is probably not a fair and/or apt analogy (this, in that the woman is still quite young and inexperienced), the way that this McCain has taken on the right-wing of today's Republican party/movement, to me anyway, seems at least somewhat reminiscent of the way that Margaret Chase Smith took on Joe McCarthy in the 50s/Lowell Weicker took on the Nixon administration during Watergate. One, me-buckos, can only hope that this is a portent of more good things to come.............3) Fox's election coverage was obviously biased. Yes, they did have more than the one (nominally) liberal commentator, Ed Schoen (so, yeah, you're right, Mr. O'Reilly, Dana Milbank in fact DID lie about that) but, still, it wasn't nearly enough. a) They continued to have far more conservative commentators. b) The liberals/Democrats that they did have on were either pseudo-liberals (Schoen and Pat Caddell) and/or ineffectual (Alan Colmes, Kirsten Powers). c) The narrative was continuously one of always having the Dems on the defensive....But, yes, I'm telling you here, as bad as it was over at Fox, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as that absolute stench that their competition, MSNBC, had. That network, folks, featured 6 of their most virulently partisan ramrods (Olbermann, Schultz, Maddow, Matthews, Lawrence O'Donnell, and Eugene Robinson), not only doing the commentary but the moderation part as well....Worse than even that, though, they had ZERO conservatives on - no fairness/balance whatsoever. Bottom line, it had to be one of the all-time worst displays of propaganda journalism ever. Whoever the person in charge of that network is should be deeply ashamed.

The Specifics of Nothing

I have no idea how effective the new Republican Congress will ultimately be. As a patriotic American citizen, I'm hoping that they're extremely effective (I, unlike Mr. Limbaugh, root for the country to do well whoever is in charge). But, I also have tell you here, if the Republican Party is in any way typified by Kentucky Congresswoman, Marsha Blackburn, then, yeah, we could definitely be in for a rough go of it. Blackburn, folks, went on national television last night and tried to argue that we could majorly reduce the budget deficit solely by reducing discretionary spending (something less than 10% of the Federal budget). It was (IMO) absurd!..........................................................................................Look, folks, I know that the old-style/rank and file/moderate Republican of the past is highly out of style these days. But at least those mellow fellows (Howard Baker, Bob Michael, Gerry Ford, etc.) could count. They could count. You know what I'm sayin'?

Note to Jim Demint

Dude, no offense here, but you beat a frigging tree-trunk tonight. Did you really, REALLY, need a victory speech/celebration to punctuate it? I mean, come on. Alright? Enough.

Beauty, Talent, Style, Class, And Fitness

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what are the top 5 things that you like (as in most turn you on) about Ann Miller and Cyd Charisse (circa 1948-1957)?"