Calling Ji Ji Jimmy Stewart

If I could be the benevolent dictator of America for several months or so, one of the things that I would definitely do would be filibuster reform. I just think that it's unconscionable that 41 Senators (and in certain instances, just one) can literally hold the entire nation's business hostage. I mean, yes, I understand that one of the Senate's functions is to serve as slow/cool things down a tad but, in my opinion, 60 is much, much, too strong of a threshold. I would a) lower that threshold to 55 and b) actually require that a filibuster BE A FILIBUSTER (yes, folks, I would actually make them talk!). That way, you know, things in Washington....might actually get done!.................................................................................................P.S. Yes, I understand. The filibuster has been a part of our political system since the country's inception. I get it and I appreciate it. But the fact that it has recently been used so casually has really soured me on it. A little bit of inertia at times - yes. A constant and never ending stalemate/flood of it - not so much.

Yet Another Moronic Stab at the President's Patriotism and Commitment to Defend this Country

I have long considered Monica Crowley amongst the most divisive pundits on the far-right (on a par with Limbaugh and Coulter, quite frankly). But what the woman said on "Hannity" (she was actually on subbing for the dude) tonight was frigging nasty, even for her! Upon learning that the Holder Justice Department was investigaing the death of several detainees during the Bush administration, she uttered something to the effect that Mr. Obama was pursuing the good guys (the C.I.A., in this instance) with a lot more vigor than he has been the terrorists. Yeah, that's right, folks, Mr. Obama, a guy who's been bombing the hell out of Northern Pakistan, who in 2009 surged an extra 30,000 troops into Afghanistan (and whose current exit strategy from that theater is hardly robust), who continues to hold detainees indefinitely, who continues to use rendition, and who just frigging obliterated Osama bin Laden - that guy is going after the C.I.A. more vigorously than he is the terrorists. Give me a frigging break here.

Miscellaneous 87

1) My suspicion is that if you put Obama, Reid, and Boehner into a room together, the three of them could probably hammer out a decent budget deal fairly quickly. Unfortunately, Mr. Boehner is presently residing in a straight-jacket. So frigging fearful of offending the tea party is he that brinkmanship is probably the BEST that the fellow can do - unfortunately.............2) As for Congresswoman Bachmann, while I don't doubt for a second that she's a nice individual (anybody who raises 25 foster kids has got to have at least a decent heart), HER lack of statesmanship here is palpable. In fact, people, I have prediction for you here. Unless this upcoming compromise (and, trust me, there WILL be a compromise - there has to be!) contains in it something like eliminating Obamacare (something totally unrealistic, in other words), she will unequivocally vote NO. I guarantee it. Watch.............3) I consider myself a fairly sturdy pro-choice voter. But I also like to consider myself a person who respects the pro-life position/a person who strives to locate common ground especially......So, how does a person like me try to cope with somebody like Laura Ingraham; a rabid/over-the-top pro-lifer who NEVER compromises and who purely sees the pro-choice position as morally repugnant, Satanic even? The simple answer - I don't! I mean, seriously, how can you? Last night, for instance, while subbing for the intrepid one (i.e., O'Reilly), she asked a woman's rights advocate, "So, do you think that abortion has been a "good thing" for woman?" When the woman answered her by saying that women having choices is always a good thing, Ms. Ingraham snorted back with, "Yeah, but was it a good thing for all of the females who ended up getting aborted?"....You see what I'm saying here, right; the stupidity? The females who were aborted never got a chance to be sentient human beings. Ergo, they never knew what they missed. And, besides, a lot of these pregnancies were terminated because the mother didn't have the means to raise these children. When, folks, was the last time that Laura Ingraham showed an interest in poor LIVING kids?............4) The Republicans are obviously playing games with the debt-ceiling (save for Bachmann - that blankety blank is dead serious). But to say that this is something that's entirely new isn't exactly accurate, either. In fact, folks, a certain Democratic Senator from Illinois actually DID vote "no" on raising the debt-ceiling in 2006 (he didn't even show up to vote in 2007 and 2008). Granted, he probably knew that it was going to pass anyway but, still, a game is a game is a game, damn it!............5) Oh, and, yes, the debt-ceiling - it's absolutely going to get raised. It has to get raised. Everything; the Ryan Plan included, is contingent upon it.

The Indecency of Extremism

Only in the farthest fetters of far-left (i.e., progressive) la-la land would the "defending" of Sarah Palin against slurs such as "worthless piece of excrement", "media whore", and "trailer trash" (a group, ironically, that the progressives supposedly want to help) be considered as "defending Sarah Palin"...It's insane, folks - totally insane.....................................................................................................And this is far from the only time that this has happened to me. Three years ago on Lydia Cornell's site, one of her contributors wrote a post (hit-piece, actually) that basically accused John McCain of being a North Vietnamese collaborator. When I challenged (vociferously) this ridiculous charge, yep, you got it, I was shamelessly, moronically, and paranoiacally labeled as some sort of staunch supporter of McCain (never mind the fact I had repeatedly referred to Mr. McCain as "Bush on steroids", and was majorly leaning toward Senator Obama....OVER BARR! - I had zero intention of ever supporting Mr. McCain in 2008)........................................................................................................Here's another example. On that very same blog-site, one of the more infantile associates there (Mike/Bradley Hadley) tried to say that the McCain plane that that was blown up by friendly fire (the plane was on a destroyer waiting to take off when an errant missile struck it, McCain barely escaping with his life) constituted one of the planes "lost" by Mr. McCain (it was Mr. McCain's fault, in other words). Again, I defended the Senator and, again, I was accused of being a supporter of the man....It's like, don't these people realize that you can defend somebody......simply because it's the right thing to do and NOT because of political considerations? It really doesn't seem that they do.

You Don't Always Have to Like and/or Agree With the Messenger

Peter Schweizer isn't a liar. He's a well-respected conservative author and research fellow at the Hoover Institution (a part of Stanford University). The man has a bachelor's degree from George Washington University and a master's in philosophy from Oxford. He's been a consultant for NBC News, written numerous books, and has had his work appear in such varied publications as the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the L.A. Times, USA Today, the National Review, and Foreign Affairs. YES, he IS a conservative. But, at least as far as I know, that still isn't a crime in this country.......................................................................................................As for Mr. Schweizer having told a lie about Nancy Pelosi, THAT IS A LIE! Mr. Schweizer correctly reported that the workers at the former speaker's vineyard were NOT union employees. And as far as that radio station (KGO in, yeah, you guessed it, San Francisco!!) trying to spin for Mrs. Pelosi, that is quite literally the only thing that they were doing. They specifically cited the 1975 Agricultural Relations Act of 1975 which states that Pelosi would have been prevented from assisting her workers to form a union - a totally irrelevant point. The act didn't, in other words, prevent Mrs. Pelosi from hiring unions worker (UFW) right from the very get go.......................................................................................................... And this isn't the only example of the Congresswoman NOT hiring union workers. She and her husband also own a large stake in several hotels/resorts and restaurants. None of these particular businesses hire union employees, either. I guess, folks, that the Congresswoman's relationship with union labor consists of only TAKING their money.

Don't Run Jon, Don't Run

By every estimation, Jon Huntsman appears to be, not just a reasonable guy but a very decent man as well. His record as Governor of Utah, the fact that he seems to be respected by people from both sides of the aisle, his recent words of respect, conciliation, and civility for Mr. Obama - all of these things are in fact what a person SHOULD look for in a political candidate, I think...................................................................................................So, the problem? The problem, folks, is that he's such a nice and reasonable guy, I was actually kind of hoping that he WOULDN'T run....Think about it, for Christ. The only way that a guy like this could ever win the Republican nomination is if he transforms himself; if he outRomneys Romney, outMcCains McCain, etc.. I mean, I don't know about the rest of you good folks, but me - I have had more than my fair share of THAT type of politician.

Miscellaneous 86

1) This whole Kabuki dance that Mr. Obama is doing with gay-marriage is silly. I mean, he obviously agrees with the premise that gays should be able to marry (as do I). BUUUUUUUT, because he doesn't want to sound like he's overly gun ho about it (and risk looking like a hand-maiden, I guess), he's doing this whole, "I'm evolving on it" bullshit. Again, he's cutting the frigging difference - trying to say enough of the right things, but not...quite...all of them. Too bad he couldn't be more like Mayor Bloomberg. That son of a bitch will say exactly what he means, and the hell with what the pollsters say.............2) If Michele Bachmann had ANY integrity, she would immediately cut the U.S. Treasury a check for $260,000. Yep, folks, that's exactly how much that the Congresswoman received in federal farm subsidies. AND since the woman is soooooooo against a) government waste and b) socialism, does in fact she really have an option here (and still retain that integrity, I'm saying)? I personally don't think that she does.............3) At the same time that Al Gore was filming "An Inconvenient Truth", the former VP's mansion in Tennessee was contributing extraordinarily TO IT! Yeah, that's right, folks. The Gore homestead in Rocky Top used 191,000 kilowatt hours (all in the form of fossil fuel) in 2006. That was almost 13 times, 13 TIMES, the amount of the average home near Nashville. Now, to be fair, Mr. Gore ultimately did make some changes to reduce his "carbon footprint". But, even with those changes, the energy usage only went down 11%. Couple that with the fact he also went on to buy a second mansion in California, still uses expensive jets to fly back and forth between his mansions and, yeah, you really DO indeed have to wonder about this guy. I wonder about him anyway.............4) And what's with this whole buying a house several blocks from the ocean bullshit? Isn't he worried about the sea levels, for Christ?

The Time For Brinksmanship is OVER!

Where are the statesmen these days; the Everett Dirksens, the Howard Bakers, the Lee Hamiltons, the Warren Rudmans, the William Proxmires? I mean, I know that I sometimes have a tendency to glorify the past, and that the past, in and of itself, wasn't always so hunky dory but, COME ON! Remember back when Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill got together and majorly extended Social Security? If those two stubborn individuals could get together and solve a major problem, are you telling me that Mr.s Obama and Boehner can't (Boehner especially needs to step it up, confront the Republican base, and lead)?....................................................................................................I'm telling you, folks, my buddy and I (a couple of self-described "blue-dogs") got together a couple of weeks ago, pen and paper in hand, and we, the two of us, were able to come up with nearly 300 BILLION in deficit reduction. And, while, no, I don't want to say that it was easy (we had to raise SOME taxes and cut SOME programs), it wasn't exactly rocket-science, either (I mean, do we really need a military base in Aruba?). You'd have to think that if he and I could do it, those pinheads down in Washington.......

"Bouts" Part One

Lana Turner vs. Ava Gardner....... Hedy Lamarr vs. Vivien Leigh....... Greta Garbo vs. Marlene Dietrich....... Gene Tierney vs. Rita Hayworth....... Raquel Welch vs. Ann Margret....... Grace Kelly vs. Eva Marie Saint....... Jane Russell vs. Jayne Mansfield (billed as the battle of the big uns)....... Jane Fonda vs. Faye Dunaway....... Doris Day vs. Kim Novak....... Olivia de Havilland vs. Joan Fontaine (SISTERS!!)....... Elizabeth Taylor vs. Natalie Wood....... Deborah Kerr vs. Greer Garson....... Ginger vs. Mary Ann....... Wilma vs. Betty....... Ann Miller vs. Cyd Charisse....... Joan Crawford vs. Bette Davis....... Jennifer Love Hewitt vs. Sarah Michelle Gellar....... Marcia vs. Jan (sorry, no Cindy)....... Donna Reed vs. Mary Tyler Moore....... Glenn Close vs. Meryl Streep...... Kristin Scott Thomas vs. Helena Bonham Carter....... Halle Berry vs. JLo....... Lucy Liu vs. Lisa Ling....... Lois Lane vs. Mary Jane Watson....... Eleanor Roosevelt vs. Lady Bird Johnson....... Claudette Colbert vs. Carol Lombard....... Jody Foster vs. Helen Hunt....... Phyllis Diller vs. Imogene Coca....... Aint Bea vs. Gladys Kravitz....... Elizabeth Montgomery vs. Barbara Eden....... Lily vs. Morticia....... Loretta Lynn vs. Tammy Wynette....... Naomi Campbell vs. Tyra Banks....... Elle MacPherson vs. Heidi Klum....... Tina Fey vs. Ashleigh Banfield (battle of the bespectacled)....... Diane Lane vs. Ashley Judd....... Shania Twain vs. Martina McBride....... Courteney Cox vs. Bridget Fonda....... Julianne Moore vs. Vanessa Williams....... Demi Moore vs. Rob Lowe (post surgery, I'm saying)....... Naomi Watts vs. Winona Ryder....... Kate Smith vs. Ethel Merman.......Wonder Woman vs. the Catwoman (AKA Linda Carter vs. Julie Newmar)....... Ginger Rogers vs. Eleanor Powell....... Rosanne Barr vs. the Fabulous Moolah....... Beverly Sills vs. Roberta Peters....... Chrissie Hynde vs. Deborah Harry....... Linda Ronstadt vs. Stevie Nicks (their pre-dirigible eras)....... Sarah Palin vs. Michele Bachmann....... 34B vs. 36C....... Audrey Hepburn vs. Julie Andrews....... Jennifer Aniston vs. Christina Applegate....... Granny vs. Mrs. Drysdale and Mrs. Howell (a handicapped match)....... Beverly Johnson vs. Iman....... Billy Joe vs. Bobby Joe vs. Betty Joe (a three women over the top battle royal).......Linda Evans vs. Stephanie Powers....... Rosie O'Donnell vs. Donald Trump....... Felicia vs. Carissa (a couple of bitches that I'm presently working with)....... Debbie Wasserman Schultz vs. Angelina Jolie (clearly some intoxication needed on this one)....... Christie Brinkly vs. Cheryl Tiegs.......

Look What I Just Did, Ma!

Maurice Prendergast is one of those artists whose popularity, with the public and critics alike, I've never quite been able to fathom. For instance, I just ran into a couple of his specimens at the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester and, as much as I hate to be cruel here, they looked like a couple of "works" that a grammar schooler could have polished off, and polished off in haste. But, hey, what do I know, right - the frigging guy's stuff goes for millions now?...............................................................................................P.S. Please, this is in now way a knock on the Cape Ann Museum. The frigging place is awesome. In addition to Mr. Prendergast, the museum's permanent collection also includes paintings/etchings by Childe Hassam, Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, Charles Hopkinson, Joseph Solmon, John Sloan, and Margaret Fitzhugh Browne (amongst the finest portrait artists of the 20th century). Seriously, if you ever do make it up to Cape Ann, you really ought to check it out. Eight bucks - and it's good for the entire day.

Newt Galento?

Can somebody please explain to me why Newt Gingrich is still in the race? I mean, seriously. The dude's campaign is in total shambles. And he never really had a chance anyway!!! I, personally, only think of two possibilities here. One is that the guy is completely delusional. The other is that, while, yes, he may in fact BE delusional, he also looks around him and sees that there aren't really any other majorly strong contenders. He's thinking in terms of a puncher's chance, in other words. Me - I'm kind of leaning toward the former.

A Favor, Folks

As I said in a previous post, Ann Coulter is now saying that our main goals in Afghanistan were completed in six months, and that we never should have engaged in any form of nation-building over there. Please/I'm imploring, if any of you out there can find something, ANYTHING, in which she said something similar to this when Mr. Bush was in office, share it with me, O.K. (me - I can't seem to remember a blessed thing)? I'd really/truly like to be stood corrected on this.

Love Over Hate (You Had to See the Movie)

Whenever the topic of film masterpieces comes up, the titles that usually get mentioned (deservedly so, frankly) are "The Godfather", "Casablanca", "Gone With the Wind", "Lawrence of Arabia", "The Graduate", "The Grapes of Wrath", "The Maltese Falcon", "On the Waterfront", "Schindler's List", "One Flew Over the Cucko's Nest", "Citizen Kane", "Sunset Boulevard", "Caddyshack" (alright, yes, I'm pulling your leg on that one), etc.. The one title that almost never gets mentioned is Charles Laughton's brilliant film, "The Night of the Hunter"..................................................................................................To say that Mr. Laughton pushed the envelope on this movie is an understatement. Shelley Winters's dead body floating at the bottom of the lake, the Robert Mitchum and Lillian Gish characters (the villain and the heroine) singing that gospel song in harmony, all of those little kids singing the hangman song purely in an effort to torment, Lillian Gish marching back and forth with her shotgun - all of these things no doubt left the viewers a little uneasy. And, seriously, where in the hell did that performance from Bob Mitchum come from? I mean, yeah, the guy was a reliable leading man and all but, youza, this was the performance of a frigging lifetime (the "Academy's" snubbing of not just Mitchum but of the entire film was disgraceful, I thought)! It was a complete and total shame that this great movie fell through the cracks, IMHO.

Miscellaneous 86

1) On tonight's broadcast, Rachel Maddow immediately started making fun of Jon Huntsman's campaign announcement. She ultimately did gathered herself and stated quite frankly, "I really don't mean to be making fun of Mr. Huntsman's presentation here." Twenty additional minutes of mock/ridicule followed....Thank the Lord that these MSNBC people aren't agenda-driven, huh?............2) I finally found something that I agree with Ann Coulter on. On the "O'Reilly Factor" tonight, she told the intrepid one that we had basically accomplished our mission in Afghanistan in six months (Me - I was willing to give it to 2003) and that the Obama surge was a mistake. Wow, huh? Of course, this analysis of hers could all be abominable bullshit. I mean, come on, did you ever (in those final 5-6 years of the Bush administration) hear her talk about these evils of nation-building in a Muslim country before. I sure as hell never heard it.............3) In the mean-time, Sean Hannity continues with HIS highly inflammatory/delusional rhetoric. Yes, folks, once again he referred to the President's socialistic and "redistributive" (probably the first five syllable word that he's ever used) policies. And it's always, "Dude, what has he redistributed so far. He hasn't raised anybody's frigging taxes, for Christ. I mean, yeah, he ultimately wants to raise the top rates back to the Clinton era level but, come on, socialistic? And, besides, it wasn't it your frigging President, Bush, who started this whole deficit spending bullshit; his open-ended bad-assed wars and social spending?"............4) What are up to now, folks; 20-30,000 Syrian refugees - all of them running/fearing for the lives? What I want to know is WHY is it that we never hear anything from leftist clowns like Noam Chomsky and Cornell West about stuff like this? I mean, is it simply because the Americans (or, in Chomsky's case, the Israelis) aren't perpetrating it? Me, I can't think of another reason. Can you?............5) I just thought of another part of my "agenda" that the rich folks aren't going to like. I'm also for lowering the amount of mortgage interest that an individual can deduct from the current cap of $1,000,000 to $500,000. Let's just call it yet another part of my corporatist mindset.

*^#@$#%&)&*^%#!@!$%^&*(-+#(!^*$#%&*(@!!

Vitriol, when it's constant, simply becomes noise.

At Least She Ain't Got Locusts

While it may be true that Sarah Palin is a dullard, at least the woman/her supporters can say that she never, EVER, refused to support an anti-lynching bill because she thought that it would cost her votes in the South. They can also say that she never interned tens of thousands of innocent American civilians, attempted to pack the Supreme Court, used the IRS as a weapon against her political opponents, or came up with a policy that was so flagrantly unconstitutional (the NRA) that it was voted down 9-0. Nope, folks, none of that stuff was even remotely Sarah Palin. Hm, I guess that the woman just flat-out isn't progressive enough.

Miscellaneous 85

1) The Honda Gold Wing has been a superior cycle for nearly 40 years now. But, come on here, wasn't it (style-wise) essentially just a knockoff of the Harley Davidson Electra Glide (granted, yes, a smoother, faster, and more reliable version)? I mean, seriously.............2) Honda Rebel or Harley Davidson Sportster? Me - I'll take one of each!............3) I have to admit it here. I liked the old Bill Maher much better (you know, before he started drinking the Kool-Aid). But he did say something on his most recent show that I agree with TOTALLY. He pointed out how Dick Cheney once killed 73 pheasants in some ridiculously short period of time, and that that was, in his opinion, one whole hell of a lot more psychotic than ANYTHING that Congressman Weiner did. He's right, IMO.............4) Rachel Maddow asked this rhetorical question tonight (at the end of Lawrence O'Donnell's broadcast), "Come on, who doesn't think that 'South Park' is funny?" Rachel Maddow, wd. wd, Rachel Maddow.............5) I hate to say this, but I am really and truly starting to dislike Laura Ingraham. So much so, in fact, that if her and Rachel Maddow ever got into a fistfight, I would probably have to root for Maddow. And THAT, my friends, is saying A LOT.............6) I simply can't understand why the left is constantly trying to resurrect Jimmy Carter. a) He wasn't a very good President (or leader). b) He wasn't even a liberal (most of his legislative accomplishments were done in tandem with Howard Baker and Bob Michael - this, folks, ACCORDING TO MR. CARTER HIMSELF!). And c) you never see Republicans trying to rehabilitate guys like Hoover and Nixon. I mean, yes, he was in fact a good and decent man but, come on. Enough already!

Miscellaneous 84

1) Just for the sake of argument, let's just say that Congresswoman Bachmann DOES win the GOP's nomination. How many of those rank and file Republicans (sane Republicans, in other words) who SAY (and/or tell pollsters) that they're going to vote for her, when it literally comes down to it (when they're all alone in that voting booth), actually will. I don't know, folks. I'm thinking that there might be a few of 'em (common sense eventually taking hold of them) who don't.............2) And don't get me wrong here. I am in no way saying that Obama is perfect. That man is FAR from perfect. But, come on! If this woman doesn't scare the be-Jesus out of you (her votes, her statements),then nothing will! Thankfully, folks, this scenario is quite unlikely.............3) Can you see it, though? At the same time that she's conducting an investigation on un-American activities among the Democrats, she's also vetoing an increase in the debt-ceiling. Palin on frigging steroids, for Christ!............4) And on the other side of the craziness divide, you've got all of these progressive bloggers somehow trying to pin the breakup of the black family on, yep, you got it, REAGAN!!!!! Never mind the fact that this phenomenon started occurring well before Mr. Reagan ever got to Washington. Yeah, that's right, folks, the black family was essentially intact prior to the 1960s. Did its dissolution then occur BECAUSE of the 60s (the sexual revolution, the fact that the Great Society may in fact have created at least some dependency)? I don't know. These are correlations. And as we all know, correlations can never prove causality. It is, however, interesting, no?............5) While there may have been a lot of good things to come out of the Great Society, one of its policies, in particular, may not have been quite so good. When they started allowing female welfare recipients to live with their boyfriends and not lose any of their benefits - that, I'm afraid, is something that may have sent the wrong message. Thankfully (I believe), it appears that society has gotten a lot tougher with these guys/serial impregnaters.

David Cronenberg's Eerily Gripping "A History of Violence"

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what's your favorite movie of the 21st Century so far?"

Leo Green's Squealin' Feelin' at the End of Van Morrison's "Rough God Goes Riding"

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what's your all-time favorite fade-out to a rock and roll/blues number?"

Miscellaneous 83

1) Julian Assange - yes, he's paranoid. But that doesn't mean that people AREN'T after him. Just sayin'.............2) I hate to say it, folks, but what happened to Congressman Weiner was basically a bums-rush. I mean, think about it. The guy didn't face any sort of charges. No proceedings or procedures ever took place. He just got frigging ganged up on and hung/left, and all over a few frigging pictures! It's all kind of disgusting, in my opinion.............3) And, yes, I understand, he, Weiner, lied to the leadership. I totally get that. But, so, too, did Bill Clinton (that blankety blank lied under damned oath, for Christ!). And none of the Democrats EVER called for him to step aside. I mean, I know that Mr. Weiner isn't popular and all but, damn, a little consistency, please!............4) Question - can the Obama Presidency be saved? Answer (mine) - I sure as hell hope so....Not that I'm always/necessarily a cheerleader of Mr. Obama, mind you, but, come on! The President does well, the country does well. You gotta root for him a little bit, no?

Miscellaneous 82

1) People often ask me, "So, why do you like Lawrence O'Donnell and NOT like Keith Olbermann (the implication here being that they're pretty much the same)?" It's a question, quite frankly, that perplexes me. I mean, yeah, they're probably pretty similar in their political views. But, really, is that the only thing that we base our assessments on lately; POLITICS? I like O'Donnell's personality, the fact that he tends to be at least reasonably fair (he had a guy on who wrote a positive article on Sarah Palin's stint as Governor, admitted that there was at one point a reasonable Dick Cheney, and just recently credited Senator Coburn for standing up to Grover Nordquist), unpredictable, etc.. But, probably more than anything, I like the fact that when he does do a "special comment", a) the person that he skewers generally deserves it and b) he keeps the hysterics, histrionics, and hyperbole to minimum/manageable level (he's not a frigging lunatic/cartoon, in other words).............2) I always find it interesting that the African-American family was able to survive slavery, Jim Crow, and lynching, but it couldn't survive the 1960s. Is it possible here, folks, the we killed it, that entire institution, with kindness?............3) I have no problem admitting that Fox News is biased (hell, folks, it was one of the reasons that I started blogging in the first place). I do, however, think that some of their critics are essentially on automatic pilot now. Take, for instance, that first Republican debate that Fox took part in. Progressives bloggers are spouting off on just how easy the questions were, how the moderators were flat-out biased, yada yada. And it was like, no, that's not how it was at all. The questions were challenging and the presentation fair. And if you don't believe me, just ask Howard Kurtz. Howard Kurtz, folks, is generally considered the Rolls Royce of media criticism and he said that Fox did a decent job. Look, don't you think that maybe we need to be a little more surgical in our criticisms here? I mean, I know that it's human nature to slime stuff with a broad brush and all but, come on! This intellectually lazy construct of saying that every minute of every hour of every show of every employee at Fox somehow represents the devil/evil, I don't know, folks....Cartoon theater, maybe, both sides?

Miscellaneous 81

1) There are two things that absolutely need to happen. a) The far-right needs to stop using the word, "government", as if it were a dirty word and b) the far-left needs to stop using the phrase, "private enterprise", as if in fact IT were a a swear word. Until those two essential things happen, we will NEVER, EVER, EVER, get out of this - EVER!!!!!............2) Martin Bashir reported on an interesting finding today. It said that children growing up in families without a father present are five times more likely to live in poverty, nine times more likely to drop out of school, and 20 times more likely to end up in prison....I hate to bring it up, folks, but remember how Dan Quayle brought up this issue, and how literally everybody (myself probably included) ridiculed the fellow? Yeah, huh? Well, save for the seemingly awkward and doltish presentation of it, it looks as if the beleaguered Mr. Quayle wasn't entirely wet after all (and, no, I'm not implying here that this isn't a complex issue, only that the fellow wasn't TOTALLY wrong).............3) It's absolutely clear where FDR stood on collective bargaining for government employees. HE FRIGGING WAS AGAINST IT!...Now, is it possible that he might have a different position today (were he in fact still alive)? I don't know. My suspicion is that, yes, he possibly might have a different position (not necessarily out of principle, mind you, but out of political expediency - the man was as bald-faced a cynical politician as Nixon and Clinton COMBINED!!) now. But to say that he always had that pro-collective bargaining position, even 75 years ago, is ludicrous - ludicrous and totally desperate, too.

The First Crush is Always the Greatest

Luscious Liz Montgomery - Imagine this bearin' down on ya' round about midnight? Youza, huh?

Michael Landon's Performance as the Albino in "God's Little Acre"

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what would get your vote as the worst performance in cinematic history?"

Systems Ahoy!

To those who cite the statistic which shows that more Americans leave the country for health-care than foreigners come to America for it, I respond here with the following. One, I never said that the U.S. health-care system was perfect. In fact (and, please, forgive me for repeating myself), I've said on many occasions that I'm for junking it entirely and replacing it with Dr. Emanuel's Healthcare Guaranteed model of insurance vouchers and health boards...........................................................................................................Secondly, statistics, in and of themselves, are meaningless. Yes, more Americans leave the country (for health-care) than foreigners enter it, but why? One possible reason is that Americans are far more mobile (more discretionary income) than foreigners. Another is that a lot of these people are getting these procedures while they're on vacation. You go to India for vacation (to see the Taj Mahal, etc.) and, yes, while you're at it, you get a hair transplant, angioplasty, whatever. And, finally, a lot of these procedures simply aren't available in the U.S. - not because we don't have the technology for them, but because the F.D.A. hasn't approved them yet (they're considered experimental, in other words)....You have to look at all of these mitigating factors, I guess is what I'm saying....................................................................................................P.S. The only reason that I entered this debate in the first place was for perspective. You've got people on both sides saying that the other fellow's policies are going to kill people, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE! And, yes, me-buckos, nothing ever gets done here because of it. Look, if my progressive friends want to say that Republicans are worse when it comes to this idiocy, fine. They're worse! But, please, the rhetoric on your side hasn't exactly productive, either.....Oh, and did you know that those 96 million deaths due the banning of DDT is more than the deaths caused by Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, the Hamids, and Saddam Hussein COMBINED!! Just for some additional perspective, I'm saying.

Larger Than Effing Life!

I'm serious, folks. Mr. Lancaster's performances in "Elmer Gantry", "Birdman of Alcatraz", "From Here to Eternity", "Sweet Smell of Success", "Seven Days in May", "Atlantic City", and, yes, even "The Rainmaker", are as mesmerizing as acting can get....If only the stars of our generation could fill up the screen like that....You might even get me to the movies!

The People's Choice/Degenerate

For somebody who didn't want to talk about Weiner, huh?....Seriously, though, I still can't comprehend why we're singling this fellow out. Gary Studds skated. Barney Frank skated. David Vitter skated. Larry Craig skated. Hell, folks, even that miserable piece of trash, Ensign, skated for a while. Why, pray tell, do we have to throw this poor sap's carcass to the wolves all of a sudden?.........................................................................................................Actually, folks, Chris Matthews probably came up with the best suggestion. Yes, have Mr. Weiner resign. But then, allow him to enter the special election that Governor Cuomo will presumably have to call for. That way, it WILL BE up to his constituents (this, I'm saying, as opposed to Pelosi, Cantor, the media, etc.). Democracy - I mean, come on, isn't that how we're supposed to settle these things? God!

Look Who's Coughing Now

It's over, folks. The Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat in game 6 (and, yes, hence, the series as well, 4-2) of the NBA playoffs, 105-95. Can you people frigging say, karma?

It's Not Like He Screwed Anybody

I don't mean it to sound like I'm defending Mr. Weiner. I just don't understand why the fellow has to resign. I mean, yeah, I know, he done some creepy things lately. But, come on here. We're talking the United States Congress and Senate. Those two frigging chambers are flat-out loaded with miscreants; guys who've frequented hookers, dude's with dirty, filthy money in their freezers, for Christ. Until somebody can prove to me that Mr. Weiner did something illegal, I will continue to say what I've always said: this is entirely between Weiner, his wife, and his constituents, period..............................................................................................Oh, and, while we're at it, yes, some of what Mr. Weiner did WAS disgusting. But you know what I find even more disgusting? Rat-finks. Yeah, I'm talking about people like Pelosi and company sticking their fingers in the air and throwing Mr. Weiner overboard. I mean, you expect the Republicans to screw the dude - they're the frigging opposing party, but his friends(?)/Democratic colleagues. I'm telling you here, folks, if I were Mr. Weiner (and I'm obviously glad that I'm not - given the circumstances), I would frigging tell 'em all, ALL OF 'EM (from soup to nuts to Cantor to Pelosi), "Piss off, chumps!! I ain't going squat!!"

A Second Round TKO

What would be my answer to the question, "So, how would you best characterize a boxing match between Hershey's Special Dark and Ghirardelli's 60% Cocoa (with the latter option obviously victorious)?"

Hands Off, Abdullah

I was listening to Carrie Newcomer (one of my top 3 female singer-songwriters; her, Neko Case, and Patty Griffin) today, and there was this one lyric, in particular, that floored me. It was from a great a song entitled, "Where You Been" (from an equally great album called "The Geography of Light"). In it, the woman puts forth a scenario in which "Muhammad was feeding popcorn to the pigeons and the sparrows" and which "all of us crazy, holy, hungry, ones were looking for something better."..........................................................................................................You see where I'm going with this, right? Yep, all that I could frigging think of was "what if the extremists ever heard this (in fairness, she was also challenging other forms of present-day dogma and, yes, also referred to Jesus and Buddha - not that the extremists would necessarily notice this, mind you)"? Man, would they ever be pissed. I guess that it's a good thing sometimes to be obscure/to put forth an art-form that the masses, en masse, simply can't comprehend.............................................................................................................P.S. Just for the record (no pun intended) here, folks. If the extremist ever did try something with Ms. Newcomer, they had better take this fellow out as well. Jihad? I will give them Jihad.

Miscellaneous 80

1) Bob Gates said something to NATO this week that no American official has had the guts to say before. He essentially told the leaders of these countries, "Enough" and that they were going to have to start paying for their own defense (some of it anyway)/contribute significantly more to these supposedly multilateral missions. It was a much needed admonition and, yes, hopefully his successors, whether they be Democrat or Republican, follow it through..............2) Just for the record, folks, I wouldn't want MY teenage daughter in the same room with Vitter OR Weiner. Hell no! I mean, I know that it's sport these days on partisan blogs and radio - who's worse; Vitter or Weiner, but, to me, a creep is a creep, and it doesn't matter one iota whether it's a D or an R on his/her forehead.............3) President Parry? Are you frigging kidding me? I mean, I know that President Obama hasn't exactly been a Rushmore candidate and all (and, neither, probably, would a President Romney) but, please, this Parry fellow is bonkers (either that or he's trying to court Palin/Bachmann). Surely the Republicans can do better than him.............4) It (a President Parry) would almost be funny if it weren't such a stark possibility. Another fundamentalist Texas governor as President/leader of the free world - yikes, huh?

Steve Jobs

What would be my answer to the question, "So, if you could clone just one American citizen, who would it be?"

Perceptions on the Weiner

By Fox's standards, Bill O'Reilly can sometimes come across as reasonable. On other occasions, though, he clearly isn't. Take, for instance, some of those recent comments of his pertaining to Mr. Weiner. He actually said in one of his "talking points memos" that the "mainstream media" was trying hard to protect Weiner. I mean, I don't know what programs that Mr. O'Reilly is referring to here, but the one that this viewer saw was CNN's Dana Bash practically ripping Mr. Weiner a new one. And she wasn't alone. Her colleague, Wolf Blitzer, was also driving pretty strong to the hoop. Would those people be going even stronger if the person in question was a Republican? I don't know, maybe, maybe not (most assuredly not in Bash's case). But, that really isn't the question here, now is it?.....................................................................................................P.S. Needless to say, Rachel Maddow is also bellowing foul. According to her, the media is being too HARD (no pun intended) on Weiner. "They're hammering Weiner and leaving and leaving David Vitter alone (never mind the fact that HIS scandal was, what, four years ago/the actual hooker situation itself longer?)". It seems as if the media simply can't win for losing these days.

Final Score - Mavericks 112 Heat 103 Dallas Leads 3-2

WHAT A FUCKING SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Miscellaneous 79

1) If I ever got into a debate with Ann Coulter, she'd frigging run circles around me. a) She's quick on her feet (I'm not) and b) she's witty (I can be, but mostly tend to crumble under pressure). But I'm telling you here, folks, I could have put up a little more resistance than that "the lights are on but nobody's home" stumble-bum, Joy Behar. I mean, did you see The View today? Coulter was going on and on about the virtues of Reaganism; the fact that revenues went up and that, even though the budget deficits also went up, that was the fault of the Democratic Congress. It was almost like, "Ms. Behar, please, tell her that, yes, revenues in fact did go up in the 90s, but that they also went up in basically every other decade except for the 30s. And, yes, while you're at it, you could also inform the woman that, while the Democrats absolutely did send the President these huge bloated budgets, the great legend, Mr. Reagan, put his nice little John Hancock on every one of them. Of course, if you also wanted to put a little icing on the cake, you could also tell her that this "clear-cut dichotomies between good and evil" schtick of hers, while it may have been uproarious for a while, is really starting to grate on us - BIG TIME!............2) Among the many things that people consider George Soros to be, philanthropist would probably be amongst the most prominent ones. And, yes, he has in fact given away a lot. But, I have to tell you here, as I peruse my way through some of this stuff, some of it's at least a little perplexing. A lot of you probably already know that Soros is huge supporter of legalizing drugs. Well, he's also apparently willing to put his money where his mouth is. In fact, he's given millions and millions to pro-legalization "charities". Youza, huh? And don't get me wrong here. I myself have long been a proponent of legalizing marijuana and, yes, possibly decriminalizing other substances. But, come on. Wouldn't have all that money been a little better served by going to, I don't know, say, Habitat for Humanity, Wounded Warriors, the American Cancer Society, Easter Seals, me? Alright, I was kidding about the last one but you know what I mean, right?............3) Oh, and did I mention that Mr. Soros also helped to fund the Andean Council on Coca Leaf producers? Just for the record, I'm saying.

Miscellaneous 78

1) What in the flip happened to Lebron James Tuesday? Man, oh, man! I mean, I know that the frigging guy is human and all but, DAMN! The ONLY possible upside here is that James gets another bite at the apple tonight. And, yes, he sure as hell better show up big...OR ELSE.....I mean, it's almost af of he's trying to make Vince Carter look like he's Jordan or something.............2) I hate to be blunt here, folks, but Sean Hannity and Rachel Maddow are children. They're a little boy and a little girl fighting over which pile of toys is superior. I mean, just take look at their respective "coverage" of the Anthony Weiner saga. The ONLY thing that Mr. Hannity is focusing on is Weiner, the loathsomeness of his actions, the fact that he should probably resign, etc.. And the ONLY thing that Maddow is focusing on is the Republican Party's hypocrisy on the matter. There's nothing, zilch, that's even remotely nuanced about these two knuckleheads. It'd almost be comical if wasn't even more-so, scary.

The First Republican Presidential (Or Even Senatorial) Candidate Who Bitch-Slaps Grover Nordquist

What would be my answer to the question, "So, who would garner your vote for the most inspiring and courageous U.S. citizen?"

Quenching My Thirst For Knowledge

I have two questions, folks - one for my conservative colleagues, and one for my liberal colleagues. First the conservatives; How, pray-tell, could the President's/Democratic health-care legislation be considered a "take over of the American health-care system" when all that it is is basically a replica of the Republican plan from 1993 and the bipartisan Bennett-Wyden plan from 2007?......Alright, now the liberals; How, people, can the recently passed Affordable Care Act possibly work when there have already been 1,200-1,300 exemptions already allowed for it?......That's it. Thanks.

Objectively BSing

Rachel Maddow has said in the past that she doesn't have an "agenda". She said so in one of her commercials in fact. Ya' buyin' it? I'm not buyin' it. I mean, COME ON, the hard-core story-lines alone, for Christ; the incessant way in which she frames these issues, the Republicans always on the defensive side, etc.............................................................................................Of course, if you're one of those folks who's constantly in need of additional proof, how's about this; the woman's MOST RECENT COMMERCIALS? I mean, have you seen them? They have her standing in a frigging hard-hat, next to all of these mega public-works projects. "This is what our fore-fathers have given us. What are we giving to our kids?" Her AGENDA here is obviously that we need to spend more on infrastructure spending..............................................................................................Now, this isn't to say that I totally disagree with her, mind you. We in fact DO have bridges, schools, etc. that are "under code". And, yes, folks, infrastructure spending, done wisely, CAN stimulate our economy (we probably should have had MORE of it in the stimulus and less in terms of tax-cuts). But to answer her question here, "Hm, let's see. Well, we HAVE given them the "big dig", the "bridge to nowhere" (thank you, Senator Murkowski), all of those West Virginia roads that basically lead to nowhere (thank you, Senator Byrd). And what about all of that money that constantly gets pumped into the Transportation Department, all of those state and federal gas taxes that we pay. Surely, Ms. Maddow, we must be building something out there."........................................................................................You see what I'm saying here? And, yes, this is what precisely bugs me about Maddow. She's supposed to be this towering intellectual figure, right? And all that the woman ever does is drop these sugar-coated positions and, zero, NADA, in terms of point/counterpoint (wasteful/pork-barrel spending, for instance) or cost-benefit analysis. At the very least, folks, it makes for some very boring television....................................................................................................P.S. Some people are probably going to ask me, "So, why do you pick on Rachel Maddow more than you do Sean Hannity?" And, yes, folks, that in fact WOULD be a fair question. I'm harder on Maddow BECAUSE, not only does she profess to be smarter, SHE FRIGGING IS SMARTER! The woman should totally know that a lot of what she claims on her show to be the end of the discussion, is just the beginning of the discussion and that, while, no, the answer isn't always in the middle, a little honest give and take usually does help.

"Atlantic City" (From "Nebraska")

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what's you all-time favorite Bruce Springsteen number?"

When She Threw those 9/11 Widows Under the Bus/Referred to Them Collectively as "Harpies"

What would be my answer to the question. "So, in your estimation, when did Ann Coulter OFFICIALLY 'jump the shark'?"

Miscellaneous 77

1) There's a rumor out there that certain football coaches from the Southeastern Conference, when they're trying to recruit a youngster to play at their colleges, will actually slam a Calculus book on the table and tell that kid, "You know that you're actually going to have to open that book if you go to Georgia Tech, right?" Is it true? Probably not. But I wouldn't be surprised if it was. Go Tech! Go ACC!............2) I saw Mitt Romney on CNN tonight. He was asked yet again to explain his "conversion" on abortion rights....and yet again he looked like an absolutely disingenuous/slippery lunk-head....I don't know, folks, I'm actually starting to feel sorry for the guy - for him to flat-out want to be President THAT desperately.............3) I have a question for House Majority leader, Eric Cantor: "Dude, have you ever heard of videotape (or whatever it is that they refer to it now)? It's like, come on here, fella'. Less than two years ago you were saying that it was up to the people of Nevada as to whether or not they wanted to keep John Ensign in office (you do remember saying that, right?). And now you're saying just the opposite with this Weiner guy. Do you have ANY idea how brazenly partisan that that makes you look right now? You want my advice here? Ignore Weiner and concentrate on your own frigging repairs. I mean, seriously/Christ, why don't you just wrap this up in a bow and HAND IT to Rachel Maddow?"

The Classiest, Most Beautiful Woman On Earth, IMHO

Kristin Scott Thomas, ladies and gentlemen.

The Case Against Lengthy Disclosures

There's one thing that most politicians never seem to learn. Namely, "IT'S THE GOD-DAMNED COVER-UP, STUPID!!!!!"....I mean, really, somebody ought to take these frigging imbeciles aside and tell them, "Dudes (Weiner, etc.), whenever you end up doing something that's either wrong, embarrassing, or both, admit it. Tell the frigging truth and do it immediately. I mean, we're probably going to find out eventually anyway. And it'll be to your advantage, most likely. a) You'll be doing a significant amount of damage control (not to mention, the right thing) and b) you'll probably be more likely to sleep better at night.".....................................................................................................As for Mr. Weiner, unless the fellow lied to the Capitol Police and/or the FBI, he's probably going to be OK. I mean, it doesn't sound like he broke the law (texting provocative images to strangers could be dicey) to me. Couple that with the fact that he runs in an extremely safe district. The only really difficult situation would be in a primary (he might get challenged by a nonperverted progressive, perhaps) challenge.

It's a Toss-Up Between Judith Sheindlin (AKA Judge Judy) and Nancy (I Constantly Treat My Guests LIke Bullcrap) Grace

What would be my answer to the question, "So, who, in your opinion, is the biggest female prick on television?"

Miscellaneous 76

1) Of all the criticisms that one could levy against Sarah Palin, the fact that her teen-age daughter, Willow, parties - that, in my opinion, would no probably have to be pretty far down the rankings. First of all, even when a parent does EVERYTHING right, a kid can sometimes go off course - significantly off course, sometimes (you can't be with them every frigging second, right, the myriad of negative influences, etc.?). And, second of all, have you even seen the statistics lately? According to Alcoholics Anonymous, 87% of high school seniors used alcohol at least once. And 50% of them have used it in the last month. I don't know, folks. I'm not so sure that I'd want to throw Palin under the bus on this one. I would much rather tag her for something like the "Bridge to Nowhere lie that she told. I mean, it's a lot more pertinent, no?............2) This, from George Will, "Liberals are situational ethicists regarding Presidential war-making. Imagine their comportment if Obama's predecessor - who got Congressional authorization for his uses of force - had behaved as Obama is doing regarding Libya."....He makes a good point, doesn't he (to be fair about it, Congressman Kucinich IS being consistent - going as far as to mention impeachment for Obama)? But, as good as it is, couldn't Mr. Will have also said basically the same thing about Republicans/their seemingly situational ethics regarding conflict? I mean, I don't know about you folks, but I've seen more than a few of these Republicans throw around terms such as "exit strategy" and "vital national interest". It seems to me that there's more than enough "situational" hypocrisy on both sides....And a hell of a massive budget deficit, too.............3) FDR's internment of tens of thousands of innocent American citizens has always been an issue with me. It (along with some of the more boneheaded components of the New Deal and his court-packing scheme) was one of the main reasons why I've always considered him as overrated. But, NOW, I have to say that his most underhanded move, period, was that cold, hard calculation to NOT endorse the 1934 anti-lynching law. What Mr. Roosevelt essentially did here was trade in his soul for a spate of southern electoral votes. Not a very "progressive" decision in my book.

Piling On the Pounder

Governor Christie has obviously made a gigantic error in judgment here. To have spent thousands of dollars in taxpayers' money to ferry off in some private helicopter, AND THEN to have compounded that by having a limousine drive him the length of a frigging football field (all during a time of tight budgetary restraints, mind you) - what, pray tell, was this blankety blank of a blank thinking? Christie, folks, deserves to be criticized - absolutely!..................................................................................................But, again, and like with Palin and the intellect thing, how in the hell many ways can you call this sucker fat? I mean, enough already? His heft had nothing to do with it....Well, unless, that is, he was thinking about food and that distracted him from just how stupid......Nooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Miscellaneous 75

1) I get a kick out of these Bill O'Reilly interviewing Charles Krauthammer segments. I mean, no disrespect to Mr. O'Reilly but, come on, you gotta admit it here. There is more than a small intellectual discrepancy. Hell, folks, it almost kind of reminds you of an Eddie Haskell interviewing William F. Buckley type of interview. "Nothin', nothin', I was just tellin' Charles Krauthammer what a good lookin' kid he's gettin' to be."............2) Why is it, folks, that whenever a Republican speaks the truth (or at the very least says what he TRULY feels), he then has to beg for forgiveness with Rush Limbaugh? I just don't get it here. Is Mr. Limbaugh THAT powerful (with the base)? I mean, yes, this is just my sole opinion here. But I don't have a damn problem with what Mr. Gingrich said (on Meet the Press). IN FACT, I would have thought a whole lot better of him HAD he dug his boots in, stuck to his guns, etc.. Of course, I won't be voting in a Republican primary any time soon, now will I?............3) Comebacks in the NBA are basically common-place. You literally can see one every week. But what happened two nights ago in Miami was ONE FOR THE AGES. The Dallas Mavericks were down by 15 points, on the road with six minutes remaining. And, not only that, THEY WERE PLAYING BADLY. The vast majority of people on this planet (myself included) would have folded tents. The Mavericks, though, didn't. They frigging came back and won the son of a bitch. It was such a miracle comeback that even Chris Matthews talked about it at the end of his show in "Let Me Finish"....Hm, what was it that former N.C. State basketball coach, Jim Valvano, once said (as he was dying of cancer), "Don't give up. Don't ever give up." That, me-buckos, appears to be the gosh-darn moral here. I'm gathering.

The Man With the Midas (On Steroids) Touch

You can say what you want about George Soros (the far-right hates him, the far-left loves him). But you definitely have to give him credit in this respect. The fellow is a flat-out genius in terms of making cash. He basically took a couple of million in spare change and turned it into a fund (the Quantum Fund) that is currently worth over TEN BILLION DOLLARS!!!! That, in my mindset, makes him a genius....I'm telling you, folks. If this Soros guy ever wants to hang around with me, I ain't sayin' no. And I don't think that you would, either.

She Could Have Read From a Menu

Two time Academy Award winner, Olivia de Havilland. Her performance in "The Heiress" stands as one of the finest in cinematic history, IMHO. And, yes, me-buckos, the woman's still amongst us - 95 and kicking!

Miscellaneous 74

1) The President always gets too much credit when things are going good (Reagan, Clinton), and too much blame when things are going lousy (Carter, Bush 1). Remember how people were hammering Mr. Obama for the rising gas prices earlier? Hm, well now these same prices seem to be coming down (25-30 cents in Connecticut) again. Do you think that those same people will now give President Obama credit? Probably not, huh?............2) I remember when I was a kid. I had these neighbors who also had kids. And man, were those little youngsters ever mean. They used to capture live butterflies and pull the wings off. Whatever happened to those kids? I'm not entirely sure. I'll bet, though, that at least a few of them grew up to be bloggers. I might even bet you money on it.............3) Just for the record, folks, if I ever had the opportunity to talk with Markos M. and Keith Olbermann, I would be completely civil to them, too. In fact, I would do to Mr. Olbermann the same exact thing that I would do to Bill O'Reilly and/or Ann Coulter (a fellow Cornell alum - remember that little scrum?). I'd try to pull him aside and say, "Dude, look, it's just the two of us here. What do you really think?"............4) I'm on the record here, folks. My top three favorite Presidents of the twentieth century are Truman, Ike, and JFK (not necessarily in that precise order). For those of you out there who tend to keep tallies/cherry-pick (and you know who you are), that works out to be two Democrats and one Republican who, if in fact he were alive today, would probably also be a Democrat (or at the very least a Colin Powell/Lincoln Chaffee Republican). I ask you, does that sound like the itinerary of a Reich/Rush-sucking-winger?............5) As for Mr. Reagan, most historians (as well as others who make these lists) seem to have him somewhere in the top ten. I....DO NOT. In fact, folks, I've said it over and over again that Mr. Reagan was a probably an overrated President (I even might put Gerry Ford ahead of him). I really want to stress this factor as well.............6) Look, folks, I hate to sound like I'm being persecuted here. It's just that when you have such a swath of miscreants consistently misrepresenting your record, impugning your motivation, etc., it's exceedingly tough NOT to retaliate....I find it hard anyway.

Kent Conrad

What would be my answer to the question, "So, if you had the chops, acumen, and desire to be a United States Senator, which present-day Senator would you most like to emulate?"

Calling Mr. Whoopee

Mitt Romney, TO HIS BONE, is infinitely closer to President Obama than he ever in fact will be to Bachmann, Palin, etc.. And he knows it....He...frigging...knows it. But, instead of being that person, that competent and reasonable (albeit boring, too) person - there he is, folks, out there doing that imbecilic Kabuki theater. It's ludicrous! Buuuuuuuuut, I guess that he kind of has to, huh?.....................................................................................................And the saddest thing of all is that 40-50 years ago, he wouldn't have had to pull this stupid stunt. Nelson Rockefeller, Henry Cabot Lodge, Gerry Ford (hell, folks, even President Nixon!) - guys like that used to run for President all the time - sometimes even proudly. Now, NOW, they can't even run for dog-catcher in Vermont, Rhode Island, or Pennsylvania.

On Sarah Palin Being a Classless Piece of Excrement

The debate (between me and this small contingent of progressives) isn't about whether Sarah Palin (still not in spell-check, btw) is qualified to be President (she isn't), or whether Sarah Palin has been divisive (she has been), or whether Sarah Palin lacks intellectual curiosity (she does), or whether Sarah Palin is overexposed (she is), or whether Sarah Palin is irritating (she is), or whether Sarah Palin ran a lousy campaign in 2008 (she did), or whether Sarah Palin would be a strong Presidential candidate in 2012 (she wouldn't), or whether Sarah Palin is opportunistic (she is), or whether Sarah Palin constantly plays the victim (she does), etc., Etc., ETC., ETC.. Not at all, folks. It's about the weeds. It's about how low people apparently have to go to feel superior. Sarah Palin's an idiot? Fine (I've been reminded that I myself have said it), she's an idiot. But how many different ways do we have to say it? How many different pejoratives are there, FOR CHRIST?........................................................................................................Look, folks, I'm sure that there are conservative blogs out there that are equally vile toward the President (and, please, if you find them, let me know - I'd be more than happy to eviscerate them). But, as of now, I haven't seen a single one....I will keep looking, though.

Look, They Got ME on a Palin Kick Now!

Another thing that I noticed about Palin is that, instead of making lemonade out of lemons, she makes lemons out of lemonade. Let me give you some examples here. Remember when David Letterman made that smug/vile/idiotic joke about Palin's daughter getting knocked up by A-Rod? Yeah, huh? Well, THAT, folks, in my opinion, would have been a grand opportunity for her to show some class/restraint. But she couldn't frigging do it!! She had to respond with bazookas; basically implying that Mr. Letterman was a child predator....Me here, damn - I was practically yelling at the boob-tube, telling her to "SHUT UP!!".........................................................................................................And then there were the Arizona shootings. In my opinion, Mrs. Palin had every right to be mad at people like Paul Krugman and Markos Moulitsas (what a stoogely gem he is, huh?) for implying that she was in any way responsible (weapons metaphors are bad but profane female metaphors aren't - nice, huh?) for this atrocity. But, yet again, instead of toning it down and trying to be statesmanlike, SHE MADE IT ALL ABOUT HERSELF! I mean, really, did she simply not know that there were grieving families out there? Dumb, dumb, exceedingly dumb........................................................................................................I guess what I'm trying to say here, folks, is that Palin quickly needs to learn that you don't/shouldn't swing for the fences with EVERY SINGLE PLATE APPEARANCE. Sometimes, yes, it AOK to simply move the runner.

Miscellaneous 73

1) I don't think that I've ever seen anybody who could jump the gun quite as quickly as this Breitbart guy. He did it with ACORN. He did it with Shirley Sherrard. And now he's doing it with Congressman Weiner (yeah, there ARE questions, but Breitbart was basically sliming Weiner the other night). When, folks, are the Media going to wise up and finally smother this fellow? Enough already!!............2) Look out, "Jersey Shore", the "Mob Wives" are closing in on you....Seriously, though, have you seen this crap? Ugh. I mean, no, it's not quite as titillating as "Jeresy Shore" but, STILL, the stupidity and shamelessness of it, MAN! It's almost as if I'm listening to some douche-bag telling me, "I'm flat-out embarrassed to be human, for Christ!" Seriously!!............3) I don't mean to be judgmental, folks, and, no, unless you actually walk in the shoes of that person, you really CAN'T judge them. But, still, Paris Hilton's parents, Lindsay Lohan's parents (the father especially is a piece of work), Britney Spears's parents, don't you think that maybe, just maybe, they could have done a little better? I mean, I know that there are a lot of factors that "shape" us and all, and that it ISN'T always the fault of the parents but, come on here! Have you seen some of these "parental figures"? Robert Young in "Father Knows Best" or Bill Cosby in "The Cosby Show", THEY AIN'T!!!!!............4) How 'bout this, folks? Instead of "media whore", you use "blatant opportunist"? That way, you a) get your point across and b) basically retain your own integrity. Win-win!

What Would I Tell Sarah Palin?

Lay low for a while (not disappear, necessarily).......You've made enough money.......You've made enough enemies.......The country is divided enough already.......You're never going to be President.......Go back to school (like O'Reilly did - not that it necessarily helped him, mind you).......Read some books on history, political science, etc. (Reagan was an avid reader).......Get involved in the community but don't tell the media - just do it, no cameras.......Don't take the slights against you so seriously (yeah, I know, easier said than done).......Pick your battles and, please, don't respond disproportionately.......Be statesmanlike and occasionally look for common ground.......Stay away from the slogans and bromides.......Reinvent yourself at some point.......A talk show, perhaps?......Go for it.............P.S. Maybe a voice coach, too.