Saturday, September 29, 2012

My Thoughts on Samuel L. Jackson's Political Opinions

More palpably disinterested, I could not be.

Fail to Factor

I was astonished to see how ill-prepared that Ted Koppel was when he appeared on "The Factor" last week. He actually allowed Mr. O'Reilly to bamboozle him into thinking that Fox News was far more fair and balanced during the day-time. I couldn't frigging believe it.............................................................................................I mean, does Mr. Koppel simply not do his homework anymore? "Fox and Friends" (3 conservatives and no liberals), "The Five" (4 conservatives and 1 liberal), "Cavuto on Business" (Mr. Cavuto is clearly a conservative - an affable conservative but a conservative nonetheless), and even the supposedly straight news (except, of course, for Shepard Smith) with people like Megan Kelly and Bill Hemmer are all constantly, 24/7, putting Obama and the Democrats on the defensive. The fact that a journalist the caliber of Ted Koppel wasn't just able to rattle this stuff off was hugely disappointing to me........................................................................................As for Fox News in general, I think that I've been pretty darn fair to those folks. a) I've praised them when they hire decent people (Chris Wallace, Ed Henry, and John Roberts, for instance) and b) I've commended them for doing a very good job of covering most non-political stories. But for O'Reilly to try and say that they're non-ideological in the day-time is demonstrably ridiculous, I think.

West Virginia Quarterback, Geno Smith's, Final Stat-Line

45 for 51, 656 yards, 8 touchdowns (more touchdowns than incompletions), 0 interceptions. Yeah, I would probably have to say that he's the clear Heisman front-runner.

Friday, September 28, 2012

On How I Would Like to Remember John McCain

Him, not just standing up to Louis Farrakhan and Al Sharpton but to douche-bags Robertson and Falwell, too.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Ambrose Bierce - The Trey Parker of His Generation?

I've posted this comment before but, because of the idiocy of this year's Presidential campaign, I just had to do it again. I had to............."Conservative - a statesman who is enamored of existing evils, as distinguished from a liberal, who wishes to replace then with others."............That does pretty much size it up, no?

On These Two Corrupting Ramrods


a) I find them both revulsive (though, yes, the gal can sometimes be amusing) and b) I find it utterly dispiriting that there are actually folks out there who think that these are their only options. Heaven help us, please.

Not a Normal Curve

Is it not at least a little curious that, at the very same time that African-Americans were making their greatest strides economically AND politically, all of the wheels pertaining to family structure and criminality also started coming apart? I mean, think about it. The Civil Rights Act passed in 1964. The Voting Rights Act passed in 1965. And in 1968, the black unemployment rate in Detroit Michigan was 3.4% (as Thomas Sowell has pointed out, the exodus of businesses from the inner-city happened AFTER the riots and not before them). Yes, I understand that Martin Luther King was assassinated also in '68 but you cannot tell me that that alone was justification enough for the riots that followed it....................................................................................................Look, I'm not saying in any sort of declarative manner that the Great Society and welfare state single-handedly caused the disintegration of the black family and an increase in black incarceration. I couldn't, folks, even if I wanted to (the limitations of correlational research, etc.). But to somehow go from that to saying that it's sacrilege to simply ask the liberals to do a modicum of soul-searching themselves, I'm sorry but no.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Priorities Astray

President Obama gave a speech at the U.N. the other day and, instead of doing what literally every other President (himself included) has previously done and meet one on one with world leaders afterwards, the fellow immediately hopped on a plane and headed toward "The View".........................................................................................This story that was first reported the other day on CNN and no less a group of level-headed individuals than Anderson Cooper, Fareed Zakaria, and David Gergen (none of whom are particularly prone to go off on President Obama absent a sufficient reason) were all thoroughly flabbergasted. Gergen, in particular, was instructive (pointing out the importance of relationship-building, the building of trust, etc.). I mean, I know that the dude has to campaign and all BUT "THE VIEW"?! 

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

The True/Legitimate Anti-War, Anti-Torture Candidate

Please, feel free and try and refute this.

On the "60 Minutes" Interviews of Romney and Obama

I didn't see either one of them but I did see several clips; a) Romney giving yet another tortured explanation (the umteenth by my count) as to where he stands on health care and b) Obama trotting out that Democratic talking-point and bald-faced falsehood that President Bush somehow deregulated the economy. They were more than enough for this guy. NEXT!

Monday, September 24, 2012

On Tammy Bruce's Characterization of President Obama as a "Dumb, Jew-Hating, Racist Bastard Who Closely Resembles Urkel"

Really? REALLY?...I mean, don't get me wrong here. I'm as much of a free-speech proponent as anybody. And more politically incorrect, I could not be. But can we at least have a modicum of respect for the office at least?...Too much to ask?

Friendly Hire

Here's a perfect example of why I so detest Keith Olbermann. A few years back he was interviewing one of those "99ers" (people who couldn't find work for 99 weeks and who wanted an extension on their unemployment benefits) on his old "Countdown" program and he asked the woman if she would ultimately be willing to take "any job". The woman responded by saying, "Yes", but then she paused for a moment and added, "yes, if it was in my field.".......................................................................................Now, any other interviewer worth his keep would have obviously salivated/pounced on such a caveat, "What do you mean, if it was in your field? Folks have to change fields all the time. You can't?" Keith Olbermann - not so much. He just flat-out let it go, completely UNchallenged. Can you people say, complete and total shamelessness?

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Wilson Pickett!!

What would be my answer to the question, "So, who would get your vote as the most under-appreciated soul singer ever?" 

Note to CNN

FIRE THIS WOMAN!! a) She's an imbecile (who clearly needed her producer to spoon-feed her the definition of "Critical Race Theory" during an interview that was clearly heading southward for her) and b) she's almost single-handedly destroying your brand as a fair and unbiased news organization (which for the most part I think that you are)......................................................................................I mean, I know that you're in a life and death ratings struggle with Fox and MSNBC, and this woman does create fireworks on occasion. But her bias in favor of President Obama (spinning for him on Medicare, Critical Race Theory, the Fast and the Furious, etc.) has literally become quite uncomfortable to watch....Hey, maybe you could trade the gal for Chris Jansing (one of the few people over at MSNBC who's actually retained a modicum of professionalism). Win, win, no?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X_-QDmzxPA

Still don't think that MSNBC lies like Fox?

Friday, September 21, 2012

Word Association Volume 3

Experience, integrity, principled, freedom, empowerment, sensibility, unimpeachable.

Word Association Volume 2

Disingenuous/phony, chameleon/malleable, awkward, uninspiring, secretive, excruciating (as in for those who have to listen to him), vacuous.

Word Association Volume 1

Verbose, chutzpah, governmental, bullshit, pander, gullible, ideological.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Torture, What, Me?

I mean, yeah, the dude got rid of water-boarding (actually Bush got rid of it first, much to the chagrin of Mr. Cheney) but he's continued with President Bush's rendition policy....So, it's like, what, as long WE don't torture 'em, it's OK?......I am so relieved that I don't have to vote for this amateur pol again. Gary Johnson - experience and integrity, that's the fellow who I'll be voting for.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Miscellaneous 141

1) Sean Hannity is all smug/"I told you so" on the Muslim Brotherhood now. But I really want to ask him here, "What, pray tell, did you want President Obama to do? Continue to back that douche-bag, Mubarek? Invalidate the damned elections?"...I mean, I know that he doesn't care for Obama and all but there are certain things that aren't the President's fault and many more that are well beyond his control. An occasional acknowledgement of this reality I seriously doubt would hamper him.............2) I really wish that the Reform Party had taken and that Ross Perot wasn't such a total crazy person (what a lunatic creates, a lunatic often destroys as well). I mean, think about it here. a) The system desperately needs reform (defense, entitlements, campaign finance, etc.) and b) a lot of individuals (many of them to the right of center on the economy but to the left of center on social issues and foreign policy) feel that the two major parties are highly corrupt/unacceptable (crony capitalism, gross special interests, etc.). Other frigging nations are able to accommodate multiple parties. We can't?............3) Romney's a crappy candidate. I get it, and I fully understand not wanting to vote for him. But, come on, people, don't you think that the vitriol has gotten a little out of hand? I mean, yes, the fellow put the dog on the roof of his car and all and that was a major duh. But it's not like he ever drove drunk and killed a woman like frigging Ted Kennedy did. A modicum of damned perspective, maybe?

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Note to the New Boston College Athletic Director (The Position Remains Vacant btw)

Three little words; 1) fire, 2) Spaziani, 3) now.

I Sincerely Wish that I Had Written this

"......that the values of Islam trump anyone else's - which is what any follower of Islam does assume, just as any follower of any religion believes that theirs is the sole way, truth and light. If people wish to love a 7th century preacher more than their own families, that's up to them, but nobody else is obliged to take it seriously......If any of you clowns are right about anything, the cartoonists are going to hell anyway - won't that do? In the meantime, if you want to get excited about affronts to Muslims, read the Amnesty International reports on Syria and Saudi Arabia."............British journalist, Andrew Mueller 2006, in response to the outlandish reaction by Islamic extremists to those Danish cartoons that supposedly portrayed the prophet, Muhammad, in an unfavorable light.

Stacking the Decades 2

It's true. The income of the top 1% went up markedly between 1979 and 2007 (some 277%). And, yes, so, too, did the discrepancy between the top 1% and the rest of us. But what is frequently not mentioned (and, gee, I wounder why) is that the income of all groups went up during this time period and even the bottom quintile's income went up 18-25% (depending on whether you use the CPI or the PCE Deflator ). To say that the poor are continuously getting poorer is factually inaccurate....................................................................................Still not convinced? Try taking a look at consumption levels. Consumption as a percentage of income in the bottom quintile (according to the CBO) has grown from 112% in 1961 to 198% in 2007 (data from the Department of Labor - http://www.hoover.org/publications/policy-review/article/123566). Clearly (and undoubtedly due to such things as transfer payments, the underground economy, etc.), between the increases in income and consumption levels, the debate seems to be more one of bringing the rich down at this point......................................................................................Speaking of which, after the stock market crash of 2008, the top 1%'s after-tax share of the country's total income went from 17.3% in 2007 to 11.5% in 2009 (according to the CBO - http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/the-cbo-on-falling-incomes-and-rising-tax-shares-of-the-top-1/) . Happy?

Saturday, September 15, 2012

The Shrewdness/Luck of the Irish

Notre Dame is joining the ACC in all sports but football (and hockey). In exchange for this, Notre Dame has agreed to play at least 5 ACC teams in football each year AND they must play all 14 teams at least once every 3 years. It's a deal that probably benefits both parties but I still can't help but think that Notre Dame got the best of it..........................................................................................a) The conference is allowing Notre Dame an even bigger inroad into their recruiting territory. b) They've allowed the Fighting Irish to participate in the conference's bowl package (a move that could ultimately rob one of their full-time members a bowl). c) Notre Dame still gets to keep its exclusive television contract with NBC. And d) Notre Dame basketball gets a major shot in the arm (more, I'm saying, than ACC football does).............................................................................................I mean, yeah, the ACC can probably go back to ESPN and get a bigger contract and maybe, MAYBE, get into that same vicinity as the SEC, Big 12, and Big 10. And MAYBE Notre Dame will ultimately decide to join the conference as a full-time member...but, so, too, Linda Ronstadt and Stevie Nicks might get skinny again.

Spice Nirvana - FINALLY!

Coriander, fresh dill, fenugreek, fresh minced garlic, turmeric, onion powder, black pepper, and a couple of drops of yellow mustard. Trust me. On this I am an expert.

Note to those "Kids" from the "Twilight" Trilogy

Enjoy it while you can, youngsters. 'Cause, I'm telling you, 10 to 15 years from now, there's a damn good chance (especially you, the chick) that you'll be doing Lifetime and TNT movies. I mean, yeah, every once in a while you'll get a Tom Cruise or a Jodie Foster who'll stick for a career, but you guys, I don't know, I'm not necessarily sensing longevity.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Chuck Wepner on Knocking Down (Some Call it a Slip, Others, a Trip) Ali

"It just pissed Ali off."

Note to Islamic Fundamentalists

Dudes....It's a film. That's all that the sucker is. It has absolutely nothing to do with the American government and the vast, VAST, percentage of the American people don't even know who this character is....But even if we did, and we subscribed to it, it's just a frigging opinion, you fools. You don't frigging kill people over a damned opinion. I mean, I know that you're all frigging thin-skinned when it comes to this type of pure bullshit and all but, come on, you really gotta stop with this killing people, O.K.?

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

A Something Wrapped in Something Wrapped in I Don't Know What

This Bachmann gal really perplexes me. The woman has an advanced law degree from William and Mary (William and frigging Mary, for Christ), but when she talks out loud she only sounds marginally more intelligent than Sarah Palin. The only thing that I can think of is that this is yet another example of compartmentalizing. The woman was so focused on what she did exceptionally (tax law and foster children), that she essentially didn't take the time to learn anything else (relying instead on literal interpretations of the Bible). Not a problem...until, that is, the woman ran for and got elected to Congress. THUD!

Monday, September 10, 2012

Spend a Little Time on This - Addendum

This is in no way meant as an exoneration of Bush. That dude spent like a typical politician, too. And the fact that a lot of the spending went to fighting wars that ultimately became far too expansive (de-Ba'athification, counter-insurgency, nation-building, long occupations, etc.) especially sticks in  my craw. But just because Bush was irresponsible doesn't mean that we have to give the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue a freebie....Or at least it doesn't in my book.

Spend a Little Time on This

President Obama has a lot of enemies - no doubt. But the fellow also has a lot of friends. And perhaps his greatest friend is Market Watch's Rex Nutting. Earlier this year, Mr. Nutting came out with an article entitled, "Obama, Smallest Spender Since Eisenhower". The only problem with it is that it's total bullshit......................................................................................a) Mr. Nutting attributed the entire 2009 budget to Bush - even though Obama had larded the thing up with over $400 billion in additional spending, most of which Bush had opposed. b) The 2009 budget included massive amounts of TARP spending that then Senator Obama also strongly supported. c) Obama proceeded to use this inflated 2009 budget as his benchmark and has (happily) stuck to this newly inflated level of spending. d) Spending under Obama would have been even more gratuitous had it not been for a Republican congress holding him back in 2011 and 2012. And d), spending under Obama has averaged 24.3% of GDP (as opposed to 19.8% under Clinton and 19.6% under Bush) - one of the highest levels in U.S. history. To even insinuate that this President hasn't been a major spender is insane......................................................................................Needless to say, NONE of this has made an iota's worth of difference to the folks over at MSNBC. Martin Bashir, Ed Schultz, Lawrence O'Donnell, and Rachel Maddow have all taken turns in promoting Mr. Nutting's "analysis" as if it were gospel. Anything to make the occupant of the White House look solid, I'm gathering.

On Sarah Borges

In my opinion, a female rocker on the same level as Chrissie Hynde, Lucinda Williams, and early Bonnie Raitt. Her first album, "Silver City", is an absolute tour de force and I recommend it highly.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Before, And Even After the Fall


While Montgomery Clift isn't quite the icon that Marlon Brando and James Dean clearly are, in my little part of the blogosphere, this individual rules. a) His filmography from 1948-1953 is as stellar as any; "The Search", "Red River", "The Heiress", "I Confess", "A Place in the Sun, and, of course, "From Here to Eternity". b) Even after his car accident and drug addiction, he continued to pound out very memorable roles in "Suddenly Last Summer", "Wild River" (an exceedingly under-appreciated Elia Kazan gem), "The Misfits", "Raintree County", "Judgment at Nuremberg" (one of the greatest cameos in cinematic history - right up there with Anthony Quinn's in "Lust for Life"), etc.. And c) if it hadn't have been for Mr. Clift, Brando and Dean might not have ever existed (at least not in the way that they did; brooding, dripping with angst, vulnerability, etc.)..................................................................Look, I'm not saying here that Brando and Dean weren't sensational. They were, and completely. But to not include Montgomery Clift as a part of this conversation (rebels/dark side of the moon type actors), that I cannot abide by.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Clarification on "Massholes"

I did not mean to imply from that post that I have disdain for EVERY Democrat or EVERY Republican. I didn't even mean it as a condemnation of every Democratic or Republican politician. My beef is strictly with those hard-core hero-worshipping idiots who show up every four years and eerily resemble all of those young girls in the Ed Sullivan audience freaking out to John, Paul, George, and Ringo. It's THAT that I'm condemning. And soundly.

Sometimes Hertz Tries Harder

Over the past 12 months or so, Fox News has hired Ed Henry and John Roberts (yes, THE John Roberts). That's not too shabby. And, while, no, it doesn't in any way negate the hard-core bias of Sean Hannity and Fox and Friends (or even the soft-core bias of a fellow like Cavuto), it does lead me to think that Fox is at least trying to be credible. TRYING. This, I'm saying, as opposed to MSNBC.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Please, Please, Pleeeeeeeease, Listen to This

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avljgLu5I_Q&feature=fvwrel  - I'm laughing so hard that it hurts. Seriously.

A Job for Dennis Franz, Perhaps

I like the fact that Mr. Romney wants to reform the tax-code (a la Simpson-Bowles, a la Rivlin-Domenici, a la the Gang of Six). I DON'T like the fact that he isn't telling us how. I mean, I know that candidates generally don't like to tip their hand before an election and all, but something. HE NEEDS TO GIVE US SOMETHING.........................................................................................He also needs to be more specific on foreign policy. I mean, yes, I can gather that he's hawkish (he accused Mr. Huntsman of wanting to "cut and run" in Afghanistan) and, yes, that bothers me. But would bother me even more if I knew that he was going to surround himself with people like Paul Wolfowitz, John Bolton, Richard Perle (perhaps the slimiest Scoop Jackson protege of all), Elliot Abrams, etc.....I don't know. Do Jim Baker and Brent Scowcroft have any sons and daughters?

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Miscellaneous 140

1) That poor bastard who lost his wife to cancer and who blamed it on Romney in the commercial - that steel mill was set to go under in 1993. Bain Capital took it over and kept the place going for an additional EIGHT YEARS. For this guy to have apparently done nothing to make himself more marketable and blame Romney (for his wife's death THIRTEEN YEARS LATER) when literally everybody knew that a) Bain had taken the place over and b) the facility was on exceedingly shaky ground is major-league chutzpah, in my opinion.............2) We've been doing demand-push stimulus for the better part of five years now; Bush's stimulus, Obama's massive stimulus, Obama's omnibus, the bailout of the auto industry (which I wasn't opposed to, btw), the bailout of Fannie and Freddie (which I DID oppose), multiple extensions of unemployment benefits, Cash for Clunkers, a major expansion of the food stamp program, two lengthy payroll tax holidays, the FED flooding the market with currency and keeping the interest rates artificially low, etc., etc. (never minding the fact that we've been in a continuous state of war as well). Couple that with the fact that the federal budget has gone from 1.8 trillion in 2000 to 2.7 trillion in 2007 to 3.8 trillion in 2012 and it really is a tough sell to say that we haven't been stimulating ENOUGH.............3) Early in 2001, Richard Clarke was praising President Bush. It was only after 9/11 that he started doing this Kabuki dance/damsel in distress routine. I personally don't trust him and firmly believe that he's simply covering his ass.

The Most Hazardous Occupation in America?

I would probably have to go with "being married to Drew Peterson" at this point.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Massholes

What do I see when I look out at those crowds at the Democratic and Republican conventions? I see a bunch of happy idiots (interspersed with a bunch of angry idiots). I see a bunch of boot-lickers. I see a bunch of lackeys and yes-men. I see the herd. I see a bunch of people who seemingly can't think for themselves. I see a bunch of true-believers and escapers from freedom. I see a bunch of glorifiers of the particular. I see a plethora of blindness...and hate...and bald misery....Wake me when it's over, would ya'?

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Non-Forcible Rape?

I'm really racking my head on this one, folks. The ONLY thing that I could come up with is a 20 year-old having consensual sex with a 17 1/2 year old, some borderline statutory rape type of situation. I really think that Mr.s Ryan and Akin need to take a minute and flush this bad boy out a little. Agreed?

On the Cable News Coverage of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions


One part blueplate, one part boilerplate, one part straight out of central-casting. In the words of Dave Moss from "Glengarry Glen Ross", "I think I'll pass."

Monday, September 3, 2012

The Anatomy of Intellectual Dishonesty

a) An inconsistent application of moral principles.......b) The playing with of language in order to win an argument.......c) Twisting/misrepresenting and/or omitting/cherry-picking evidence in an effort to buttress one's viewpoint.......d) No concessions, ever (a dogmatism that borders on paranoia) .......e) An extreme paucity of critical thinking.......f) A delusional belief that the other side is always wrong and that your side is always right.......g) A total lack of respect for the other side.......h) A penchant for hyperbole and imbecilic extrapolation (always inflammatory, never nuanced).......i) An incapacity/unwillingness to comprehend the limits of human understanding.......j) The discounting of evidence that a vast percentage of sane individuals would clearly accept (the National Journal's conservative and liberal ratings, for example).

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Oh What Might Have Probably Wouldn't

This whole notion that a President Gore would have been able to somehow prevent 9/11 is thoroughly amusing. I mean, come on here, folks. Was the Clinton-Gore team able to prevent the first attack on the WTC? The attack on the USS Cole? The bombing of the U.S. embassies in Africa?  And the fact that these fellows had numerous opportunities to kill Osama bin Laden (as opposed, I'm saying, to simply blowing up aspirin factories and a bunch of empty tents) and didn't makes them look even more ineffectual.............................................................................................Look, I'm not saying here that Mr. Bush shouldn't be held accountable. There are more than likely a shit-load of dots that fellow didn't connect and/or respond to. But to go from there and say that some Democrat (disregarding that Democrat's record, especially), simply due to the fact that he IS a Democrat, would have been able to foresee such a calamity and prevent it nothing short of rank partisanship. Thankfully, dumb opinions such as this tend to be confined.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Frederick Hayek on the Buffoonishness of Central Planning

"The curious task of economics is to teach men how little they know about what they imagine they can design."............I would simply add that it's also a difficult task, and especially so when it comes to educating the bureaucrat/politician/ideologue.

My Top 15 Favorite Coffee and Tea Places in New England

15) Beach Rose Cafe - Wickford, RI.......14) Essex Coffee and Tea Company - Essex, CT.......13) Woodland Coffee and Tea - New Haven, CT.......12) Fuel - Great Barrington, MA.......11) Passiflora's Tea Room - New Hartford, CT.......10) Cakewalk Cafe - Lee, MA.......9) Jojo's Coffee and Tea - New Haven, CT.......8) Mocha Joe's - Brattleboro, VT.......7) Front Street Coffeehouse - Salem, MA.......6) Pleasant Street Tea Company - Gloucester, MA.......5) Prime Roast Coffee - Keene, NH.......4) Mornings in Paris - Portland, ME.......3) Lone Gull Coffeehouse - Gloucester, MA.......2) Empire Coffee and Tea - Newport, RI.......1) Haymarket Cafe - Northampton, MA.............Marcus, please comment. I know that you've been to at least 5 of these (and #2 hopefully in November).

A Quick Synopsis on the Tax Policy Center's Study of Romney's Plan

1) The authors made certain critical assumptions; namely, that Mr. Romney would never do away with the deductions for municipal bond and life insurance savings interest and that he WOULD do away with the deduction for mortgage interest even for the middle-class (this, ostensibly, to make Mr. Romney look preposterous). 2) Mr. Romney has never spoken of or affirmed any of this.

The Ghost of Labor Day Weekend Envious

There's this vascular surgeon and he makes $280,000 a year. "Wow, that's a lot of money", say the practitioners of resentment and jealousy....And they proceed to say that this (1%) individual needs to pay more to the federal government in taxes.........................................................................................Of course what these same practitioners neglect or refuse to tell you is that this person had to also undergo 11-12 years of education (often involving massive student loans), internship, and residence (often involving 70-80 hours a week) even to become this surgeon, and that he or she had to flat-out work numerous years more in order to build a viable practice. Nope, they want you to think that these people were hatched or that the system (which they maintained is rigged) somehow made it easy for them....Gee, maybe if they actually tried to accomplish something themselves they'd at least have an appreciation for it.