trick or treat...
you've been mooned...
we do not stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing.
Never Be The First To Get Old!!!!!
31 October 2008
weekender...
you've been mooned...
we do not stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing.
Never Be The First To Get Old!!!!!
30 October 2008
finally...
some news about Bugatti Veyron. it's been a little dry for a long time. rumor has it that next year will be the last year of production for the Veyron, so everyone is anxious to find out what they will do next. a sedan? a rocket engine? it's anyone's guess.
but today Autoblog.com reported that there is going to be a new Veyron model early next year. well, actually, the combining of two of the existing models - my two favorites.
the Gran Sport
and
the Sang Noir
you can read the story here: Bugatti developing Veyron Grand Sport Sang Noir edition! woot! woot!
one of my close friends lives right around the corner from the dealer in Chicago that handles Bugatti sales. there has been a Sang Noir in the the window for a few weeks now.
and yes... it makes me moist every time i see it. the Sang Noir is my top favorite.
but today Autoblog.com reported that there is going to be a new Veyron model early next year. well, actually, the combining of two of the existing models - my two favorites.
the Gran Sport
and
the Sang Noir
you can read the story here: Bugatti developing Veyron Grand Sport Sang Noir edition! woot! woot!
one of my close friends lives right around the corner from the dealer in Chicago that handles Bugatti sales. there has been a Sang Noir in the the window for a few weeks now.
and yes... it makes me moist every time i see it. the Sang Noir is my top favorite.
secession back in the picture?
Dear Red States:
To sum up briefly:
We get Hollywood and Yosemite. Thank you.
Finally, we're taking the good pot, too.
You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico...
Peace out,
The Blue States
wow, an argument that finally makes the decision difficult...
nahhhhhhhhh...
maybe they'll secede and save us all the trouble.
hmmm? maybe we lost the Civil War after all...
If you manage to steal this election too we've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the country of New California.
To sum up briefly:
You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states...
We get stem cell research and the best beaches...
We get the Statue of Liberty...
You get Dollywood...
We get Intel and Microsoft...
You get WorldCom...
We get Harvard...
You get Ole' Miss...
We get 85% of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs...
You get Alabama...
We get two-thirds of the tax revenue...
You get to make the red states pay their fair share...
Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22% lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families...
You get a bunch of single moms...
Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home. We do wish you success in?Iraq?, and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire.
With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80% of the country's fresh water, more than 90% of the pineapple and lettuce, 92% of the nation's fresh fruit, 95% of America's quality wines, 90% of all cheese, 90% of the high tech industry, 95% of the corn and soybeans (thanks Iowa!), most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT.
With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88% of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92% of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100% of the tornadoes, 90% of the hurricanes, 99% of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100% of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia.
We get Hollywood and Yosemite. Thank you.
Additionally, 38% of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62% believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the war, the death penalty or gun laws, 44% say that evolution is only a theory, 53% believe that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61% of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals then we lefties.
Finally, we're taking the good pot, too.
You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico...
Peace out,
The Blue States
wow, an argument that finally makes the decision difficult...
nahhhhhhhhh...
maybe they'll secede and save us all the trouble.
hmmm? maybe we lost the Civil War after all...
29 October 2008
decided to take advantage of the early voting option in Illinois. Tomorrow is the last day. with my back problems getting worse rather than better after surgery six months ago, i decided i probably wouldn't be able to stand in line on Tuesday. voting at city hall i guessed there would be chairs (there were) or at least i'd be able to sit on the stairs.
most of the people there were older. there were only about 4-5 younger people. i wondered what the votes would be like and tried to imagine by playing a little game in my head. sadly, i think most of the older people probably were voting for Mcpain.
i heard some of the young people say that they thought their vote wouldn't count. i was sad to hear that. i told them that their votes did count and no matter what the excuse they were using to think it didn't, it wasn't true. every vote counts. if you think it's because who you want to win doesn't, then you're the reason s/he didn't get into office. they hadn't thought about it that way before.
i have only missed voting in one election since turning 21. it was because i was out of the country and totally forgot to do an absentee ballot. i never did that again and never will. there is no good reason or acceptable excuse not to vote.
this year more than any other election in which i've participated...
some men (and women) and NOT more equal than others...
In the Constitution of the United States, as in the Declaration of Independence, there are references to equality.
the U.S. Constitution:
the Declaration of Independence:
[note: the words all in bold are my highlighting for emphasis.]
sadly, there has been a struggle in this country to secure the equality of all men - the Civil War, Women's right to vote, the ERA to name those that have been the biggest struggles (still the ERA has yet to be passed. you just have to note the inequity of pay between men and women for the same jobs.)
one of the most vocal fights of inequality for the last couple of decades has been against the LGBT community, most notably through the anti-marriage amendments that keep sprouting up in various states. right now the fights are focused in Arizona, in Florida, and, most viciously, in California.
Arizona seems to be a given, even though the state legislature and courts are in favor of equal rights but without the word marriage. Florida looks as if the Amendment 2 is not going to pass, but probably the biggest reason for that, rather than being LGBT focused, is that it would forbid rights for straight people who live together, usually the elderly in Florida, who could lose benefits they already have.
Proposition 8 in California is the most contentious. The state Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex marriage is a denial of rights provided for in the California Constitution. of course, the wingers and christianists in the state know that the only way to overthrow the court's ruling is to change the state Constitution. Proposition 8 is meant to do just that.
there have been many reports of vitriolic speech and physical altercations being used by those who like to deny rights to others in the state; of the Mormon church funding a major push for the proposition's adoption; and with the fear that is being used to spread the lies and innuendo. the rhetoric is monumental.
again, throughout our history, there have been those, and they are the ones usually in political power, who think that some people are more equal than others. they believe that if the definition of marriage is open to all, their own marriages will be diminished. yet, in those states and countries that allow same-sex marriage, research has shown that it has had no effect whatsoever on the institution of marriage as it has existed for centuries. no straight couple has become less committed because of same-sex marriage; no relationship between a man and a woman has been diminished; and, maybe most important, the divorce rate in opposite sex marriages has still maintained its 50%+ level.
the fight against Proposition 8 in California is being monitored closely. other states are looking to see that, if it is passed, it can give them the nod to spread the inequality to their own states. the conservative base of the fundamentalists in the Republican party are in the last throws of maintaining the influence and political clout they've had for the last several years. their agenda has fallen apart in almost all areas. they are being turned back by the U.S. electorate. the emphasis on Proposition 8 almost seems like a last ditch effort to keep a hold on something. there is one problem with their logic.
the most used argument by the christianists and wingers is Leviticus 18:22
however, they forget what is 26 lines following it in Leviticus 19:18
yes, most christianists believe that Jesus said this. they fail to understand that he quoted from the Torah, being the devout Rabbi that he was. his use of the message of Leviticus 19:18 cannot be denied nor ignored.
and, by it's words, it conveys that all men are created equal. no one is more equal than anyone else.
if i was a California resident, i would vote NO on Proposition 8. if you live in California, please prove to the rest of the country that all men are created equal by voting NO on Proposition 8...
the U.S. Constitution:
Amendment XIV
Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
the Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
[note: the words all in bold are my highlighting for emphasis.]
sadly, there has been a struggle in this country to secure the equality of all men - the Civil War, Women's right to vote, the ERA to name those that have been the biggest struggles (still the ERA has yet to be passed. you just have to note the inequity of pay between men and women for the same jobs.)
one of the most vocal fights of inequality for the last couple of decades has been against the LGBT community, most notably through the anti-marriage amendments that keep sprouting up in various states. right now the fights are focused in Arizona, in Florida, and, most viciously, in California.
Arizona seems to be a given, even though the state legislature and courts are in favor of equal rights but without the word marriage. Florida looks as if the Amendment 2 is not going to pass, but probably the biggest reason for that, rather than being LGBT focused, is that it would forbid rights for straight people who live together, usually the elderly in Florida, who could lose benefits they already have.
Proposition 8 in California is the most contentious. The state Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex marriage is a denial of rights provided for in the California Constitution. of course, the wingers and christianists in the state know that the only way to overthrow the court's ruling is to change the state Constitution. Proposition 8 is meant to do just that.
there have been many reports of vitriolic speech and physical altercations being used by those who like to deny rights to others in the state; of the Mormon church funding a major push for the proposition's adoption; and with the fear that is being used to spread the lies and innuendo. the rhetoric is monumental.
again, throughout our history, there have been those, and they are the ones usually in political power, who think that some people are more equal than others. they believe that if the definition of marriage is open to all, their own marriages will be diminished. yet, in those states and countries that allow same-sex marriage, research has shown that it has had no effect whatsoever on the institution of marriage as it has existed for centuries. no straight couple has become less committed because of same-sex marriage; no relationship between a man and a woman has been diminished; and, maybe most important, the divorce rate in opposite sex marriages has still maintained its 50%+ level.
the fight against Proposition 8 in California is being monitored closely. other states are looking to see that, if it is passed, it can give them the nod to spread the inequality to their own states. the conservative base of the fundamentalists in the Republican party are in the last throws of maintaining the influence and political clout they've had for the last several years. their agenda has fallen apart in almost all areas. they are being turned back by the U.S. electorate. the emphasis on Proposition 8 almost seems like a last ditch effort to keep a hold on something. there is one problem with their logic.
the most used argument by the christianists and wingers is Leviticus 18:22
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
however, they forget what is 26 lines following it in Leviticus 19:18
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
yes, most christianists believe that Jesus said this. they fail to understand that he quoted from the Torah, being the devout Rabbi that he was. his use of the message of Leviticus 19:18 cannot be denied nor ignored.
and, by it's words, it conveys that all men are created equal. no one is more equal than anyone else.
if i was a California resident, i would vote NO on Proposition 8. if you live in California, please prove to the rest of the country that all men are created equal by voting NO on Proposition 8...
28 October 2008
the age of aquarius...
i want to believe that the hope and dreams we carried and believed during the 1960's have a chance to be reignited next Tuesday.
the kids today, though they don't realize it and would probably deny it, are actually influenced in their hope for a better and brighter future by the ground that was laid with the battles of the 1968 Democratic Convention and the protestations against a dirty little war in Southeast Asia.
i want to believe. i hear the words in the change that Barack Obama wants to bring about. it has been a recurring dream for centuries of many men and women - the Martin Luthers, the Martin Luther Kings, the John XXII's, the Abraham Lincolns, the Susan B. Anthony's - only to be dashed by those afraid of loosing control and, most important, power. sadly, the power they fear loosing, they really don't have. no one really does...
the kids today, though they don't realize it and would probably deny it, are actually influenced in their hope for a better and brighter future by the ground that was laid with the battles of the 1968 Democratic Convention and the protestations against a dirty little war in Southeast Asia.
i want to believe. i hear the words in the change that Barack Obama wants to bring about. it has been a recurring dream for centuries of many men and women - the Martin Luthers, the Martin Luther Kings, the John XXII's, the Abraham Lincolns, the Susan B. Anthony's - only to be dashed by those afraid of loosing control and, most important, power. sadly, the power they fear loosing, they really don't have. no one really does...
Age of Aquarius
from the movie version - Hair
When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars
This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius
The age of Aquarius
Aquarius!
Aquarius!
Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revalation
And the mind's true liberation
Aquarius!
Aquarius!
When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars
This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius
The age of Aquarius
Aquarius!
Aquarius!
what exactly is the Age of Aquarius? check it out at Wikipedia - HERE.
cross-posted at macarthur park, one of my other sites.
27 October 2008
monday (evening) mayhem...
to quote John McCain, "I screwed up." i forgot to put together a weekly mayhem. i have excuses but you don't care...
and, really, neither do i. i just forgot...
Don’t you just hate it when your dog steals that one proud moment!
and just who do you think is having more fun?
honest, this is true...
As a new, young MD doing his residency in OB, I was quite embarrassed when performing female pelvic exams. To cover my embarrassment, I had unconsciously formed a habit of whistling softly.
The middle-aged lady upon whom I was performing this exam suddenly burst out laughing and further embarrassing me. I looked up from my work and sheepishly said, 'I'm sorry.
Was I tickling you?' She replied, 'No doctor, but the song you were whistling was, 'I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Wiener.'
please note: the doctor wouldn't submit his name for this little story. (Can't blame him!)
now, the tune is stuck in your head. isn't it? will you fall asleep with it there?
TURPENTINE VS HOLY WATER...
A little boy was sitting on the curb with a gallon of turpentine, shaking it up and watching all the bubbles.
A while later a Priest came along and asked the little boy what he had.
The little boy replied, 'This is the most powerful liquid in the world, it's called turpentine.'
The Priest said, 'No, the most powerful liquid in the world is Holy Water. If you take some of this Holy Water and rub it on a pregnant woman's belly, she'll pass a healthy baby.'
The little boy replied, 'You take some of this turpentine and rub it on a cat's ass, he'll pass a Harley Davidson.'
yep, it is what you think it is...
and, really, neither do i. i just forgot...
Don’t you just hate it when your dog steals that one proud moment!
and just who do you think is having more fun?
honest, this is true...
As a new, young MD doing his residency in OB, I was quite embarrassed when performing female pelvic exams. To cover my embarrassment, I had unconsciously formed a habit of whistling softly.
The middle-aged lady upon whom I was performing this exam suddenly burst out laughing and further embarrassing me. I looked up from my work and sheepishly said, 'I'm sorry.
Was I tickling you?' She replied, 'No doctor, but the song you were whistling was, 'I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Wiener.'
please note: the doctor wouldn't submit his name for this little story. (Can't blame him!)
now, the tune is stuck in your head. isn't it? will you fall asleep with it there?
TURPENTINE VS HOLY WATER...
A little boy was sitting on the curb with a gallon of turpentine, shaking it up and watching all the bubbles.
A while later a Priest came along and asked the little boy what he had.
The little boy replied, 'This is the most powerful liquid in the world, it's called turpentine.'
The Priest said, 'No, the most powerful liquid in the world is Holy Water. If you take some of this Holy Water and rub it on a pregnant woman's belly, she'll pass a healthy baby.'
The little boy replied, 'You take some of this turpentine and rub it on a cat's ass, he'll pass a Harley Davidson.'
yep, it is what you think it is...
25 October 2008
24 October 2008
and now the New York Times...
Hyperbole is the currency of presidential campaigns, but this year the nation’s future truly hangs in the balance.
The United States is battered and drifting after eight years of President Bush’s failed leadership. He is saddling his successor with two wars, a scarred global image and a government systematically stripped of its ability to protect and help its citizens — whether they are fleeing a hurricane’s floodwaters, searching for affordable health care or struggling to hold on to their homes, jobs, savings and pensions in the midst of a financial crisis that was foretold and preventable.
As tough as the times are, the selection of a new president is easy. After nearly two years of a grueling and ugly campaign, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois has proved that he is the right choice to be the 44th president of the United States.
The Times lays out a very logical and step-by-step explanation of the endorsement. It is worth reading the entire editorial. (just click on the link above)
The last three paragraphs sum it up succinctly:
Mr. Obama has withstood some of the toughest campaign attacks ever mounted against a candidate. He’s been called un-American and accused of hiding a secret Islamic faith. The Republicans have linked him to domestic terrorists and questioned his wife’s love of her country. Ms. Palin has also questioned millions of Americans’ patriotism, calling Republican-leaning states “pro-America.”
This politics of fear, division and character assassination helped Mr. Bush drive Mr. McCain from the 2000 Republican primaries and defeat Senator John Kerry in 2004. It has been the dominant theme of his failed presidency.
The nation’s problems are simply too grave to be reduced to slashing “robo-calls” and negative ads. This country needs sensible leadership, compassionate leadership, honest leadership and strong leadership. Barack Obama has shown that he has all of those qualities.
of course, now remember, this paper is in one of the two elitist cities that Mr. McCain talked about - McCain: Washington D.C. and NYC = Fake America - in an interview he and Palin just did with Brian Williams of NBC.
oh, yeah. The Washington Post endorsed Mr. Obama.
those damn elitists...
weekender...
Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs - almost a tragedy...
The seven dwarfs always left to go work in the mine early each morning.
As always, Snow White stayed home doing her domestic chores.
As lunchtime approached, she would prepare their lunch and carry it to the mine.
One day as she arrived at the mine with the lunch, she saw that there had been a terrible cave-in. Tearfully, and fearing the worst, Snow White began calling out, hoping against hope that the dwarfs had somehow survived.
'Hello!...Hello!' she shouted. 'Can anyone hear me? Hello!'
For a long while, there was no answer. Losing hope, Snow White again shouted, 'Hello! Is anyone down there?'
Just as she was about to give up all hope, she heard a faint voice from deep within the mine, singing....
'Vote for McCain/Palin! - Vote for McCain/Palin!'
Snow White fell to her knees, crossed herself and prayed.....
'Oh, thank you, God! At least Dopey is still alive!'
hey! i liked Dopey. this is unfair...
and we used to think that this guy way dopey....
The seven dwarfs always left to go work in the mine early each morning.
As always, Snow White stayed home doing her domestic chores.
As lunchtime approached, she would prepare their lunch and carry it to the mine.
One day as she arrived at the mine with the lunch, she saw that there had been a terrible cave-in. Tearfully, and fearing the worst, Snow White began calling out, hoping against hope that the dwarfs had somehow survived.
'Hello!...Hello!' she shouted. 'Can anyone hear me? Hello!'
For a long while, there was no answer. Losing hope, Snow White again shouted, 'Hello! Is anyone down there?'
Just as she was about to give up all hope, she heard a faint voice from deep within the mine, singing....
'Vote for McCain/Palin! - Vote for McCain/Palin!'
Snow White fell to her knees, crossed herself and prayed.....
'Oh, thank you, God! At least Dopey is still alive!'
hey! i liked Dopey. this is unfair...
and we used to think that this guy way dopey....
23 October 2008
it IS about race - part 10...
In New McCain Robocall, Rudy Giuliani Suggests Obama Opposes Jailing Murderers And Rapist
Shades of Willie Horton again.
The problem with the call is one of omission. What Obama is opposed to is specific mandatory minimum sentences and that's left out of the robocall.
Here we are hitting the fear factor again - rape, murder, drugs - add to the welfare comparisons the last couple of days and it is the old tactics updated with new target words that leave out the explicitness and transparency by couching terms in PC phrasing.
Shades of Willie Horton again.
Giuliani has recorded a new McCain robocall in which he suggests, in effect, that Barack Obama doesn't think sex offenders, drug dealers and murders should have to go to jail, according to Jennifer Henderson, a stay-at-home mom in Maine who tells us she received the call.Oct. 23, 2008, TPM Election Central
The problem with the call is one of omission. What Obama is opposed to is specific mandatory minimum sentences and that's left out of the robocall.
Here we are hitting the fear factor again - rape, murder, drugs - add to the welfare comparisons the last couple of days and it is the old tactics updated with new target words that leave out the explicitness and transparency by couching terms in PC phrasing.
22 October 2008
the Divine has spoken and said ...
"Vote for Obama"
i hope you didn't think it was Mr. Dobson's divine!
the Divine Ms. M, of course...
if Bette says you gotta vote for Obama, who am i to question her, even if i have a get out of hell free card.
Bette, i will vote for Obama. i promise.
thanks for the heads-up on this from Towleroad. love ya, Andy, for always looking out for us.
i wonder if Obama could do something about getting rid of those Cialis and Viagra commercials? they drive me more nuts than commercials for yeast infections. and can someone please explain why the couple is always in bathtubs? on the beach? separate ones! if he's using Cialis, shouldn't they be in the same bath tub?
i mean, i'm just asking...
will they link this to Obama?
Chicago has had an on-going police scandal since the 1980's. It deals with members of the Chicago Police force using torture techniques as an interrogation technique and a few other spurious behaviours.
The latest barrage in the case has U.S. District Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald [yes that Patrick Fitzgerald] filing charges of perjury against retired police Commander Jon Burge since the statute of limitations has run out on the alleged crime itself. Though it's BIG headlines for the Chicago papers, and even the New York Times has a story today, most people in greater Chicagoland just shrug our shoulders. We go through this a lot. We are pretty cynical about city politics, but we also live in the City that Works. I would have to say it does.
The case had a special result in that it force a former Republican governor, who by the way is in prison for corruption right now, to suspend all capital punishment making world-wide headlines and also had the effect in some convicted murderers actually being released not only from death row but from prison.
If you read the stories and look into the scenario, you will discover that it is a conservative's and right-winger's dream. Liberals at their worst; government run amok; a victory for the bleeding hearts; and democracy being attacked. Of course, there is also the unspoken angle that the vast majority of the prisoners released were African-American.
so, i'm just wondering how long it will take the Mcpains, the Limbaugh's, and other wingers to somehow connect this all to Senator Obama? you know, like they did Bill Ayers, Jeremiah Wright...
i'm just asking...
The latest barrage in the case has U.S. District Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald [yes that Patrick Fitzgerald] filing charges of perjury against retired police Commander Jon Burge since the statute of limitations has run out on the alleged crime itself. Though it's BIG headlines for the Chicago papers, and even the New York Times has a story today, most people in greater Chicagoland just shrug our shoulders. We go through this a lot. We are pretty cynical about city politics, but we also live in the City that Works. I would have to say it does.
The case had a special result in that it force a former Republican governor, who by the way is in prison for corruption right now, to suspend all capital punishment making world-wide headlines and also had the effect in some convicted murderers actually being released not only from death row but from prison.
If you read the stories and look into the scenario, you will discover that it is a conservative's and right-winger's dream. Liberals at their worst; government run amok; a victory for the bleeding hearts; and democracy being attacked. Of course, there is also the unspoken angle that the vast majority of the prisoners released were African-American.
so, i'm just wondering how long it will take the Mcpains, the Limbaugh's, and other wingers to somehow connect this all to Senator Obama? you know, like they did Bill Ayers, Jeremiah Wright...
i'm just asking...
best explanation of our economic problems...
Once upon a time, in a village, a man appeared and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each.
The villagers seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest, and started catching them. The man bought thousands at $10 and as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort. He further announced that he would now buy at $20. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again.
Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms. The offer increased to $25 each and the supply of monkeys became so little that it was an effort to even see a monkey, let alone catch it! The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now buy on behalf of him.
In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers. "Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at $35 and when the man returns from the city, you can sell them to him for $50 each." The villagers rounded up with all their savings and bought all the monkeys. Then they never saw the man nor his assistant, only monkeys everywhere!
Now you have a better understanding of how the mortgage crisis, credit problem and the stock market work.
any questions? no? i think that pretty much sums it all up...
The villagers seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest, and started catching them. The man bought thousands at $10 and as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort. He further announced that he would now buy at $20. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again.
Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms. The offer increased to $25 each and the supply of monkeys became so little that it was an effort to even see a monkey, let alone catch it! The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now buy on behalf of him.
In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers. "Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at $35 and when the man returns from the city, you can sell them to him for $50 each." The villagers rounded up with all their savings and bought all the monkeys. Then they never saw the man nor his assistant, only monkeys everywhere!
Now you have a better understanding of how the mortgage crisis, credit problem and the stock market work.
any questions? no? i think that pretty much sums it all up...
wednesday waner...
two more days, two more days, two more days...
An old Italian man lived alone in the country. He wanted to dig his tomato garden, but it was very hard work as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:
A few days later he received a letter from his son:
At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. That same day he received another letter from his son:
hmmm? this would be something my family....
no wait, someone may be reading this.
i should also add thirteen more days, thirteen more days, thirteen more days...
and to help you through to Friday with a little perspective on your job...
An old Italian man lived alone in the country. He wanted to dig his tomato garden, but it was very hard work as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:
Dear Vincent,
I am feeling pretty badly because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year.
I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me.
Love,
Dad
A few days later he received a letter from his son:
Dear Dad,
Don't dig up that garden. That's where I buried the bodies.
Love,
Vinnie
At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. That same day he received another letter from his son:
Dear Dad,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances.
Love ya,
Vinnie
hmmm? this would be something my family....
no wait, someone may be reading this.
i should also add thirteen more days, thirteen more days, thirteen more days...
and to help you through to Friday with a little perspective on your job...
21 October 2008
economic definitions revisited...
Due to today's rapidly changing stock market and the financial conditions in industry, the following terms have had to be revised for investors in order to more clearly reflect today's economic market place:
CEO -- Chief Embezzlement Officer.
CFO -- Corporate Fraud Officer.
BULL MARKET -- A random market movement causing an investor to mistake himself for a financial genius.
BEAR MARKET -- A 6 to 18 month period when the kids get no allowance, the wife gets no jewelry, and the husband gets no sex.
VALUE INVESTING -- The art of buying low and selling lower.
P/E RATIO -- The percentage of investors wetting their pants as the market keeps crashing.
BROKER -- What my broker has made me.
STANDARD & POOR -- Your life in a nutshell.
STOCK ANALYST -- Idiot who just downgraded your stock.
STOCK SPLIT -- When your ex-wife and her lawyer split your assets equally between themselves.
FINANCIAL PLANNER -- A guy whose phone has been disconnected.
MARKET CORRECTION -- The day after you buy stocks.
CASH FLOW -- The movement your money makes as it disappears down the toilet.
YAHOO -- What you yell after selling it to some poor sucker for $240 per share.
WINDOWS 2000 -- What you jump out of when you're the sucker who bought Yahoo @ $240 per share.
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR -- A past year investor who's now locked up in a nuthouse.
PROFIT -- an archaic word no longer in use.
what can i say? it's the truth thanks to the Tzar.
now tell me, in hindsight, wasn't a sex scandal better? at the least it was more entertaining and scintillating...
CEO -- Chief Embezzlement Officer.
CFO -- Corporate Fraud Officer.
BULL MARKET -- A random market movement causing an investor to mistake himself for a financial genius.
BEAR MARKET -- A 6 to 18 month period when the kids get no allowance, the wife gets no jewelry, and the husband gets no sex.
VALUE INVESTING -- The art of buying low and selling lower.
P/E RATIO -- The percentage of investors wetting their pants as the market keeps crashing.
BROKER -- What my broker has made me.
STANDARD & POOR -- Your life in a nutshell.
STOCK ANALYST -- Idiot who just downgraded your stock.
STOCK SPLIT -- When your ex-wife and her lawyer split your assets equally between themselves.
FINANCIAL PLANNER -- A guy whose phone has been disconnected.
MARKET CORRECTION -- The day after you buy stocks.
CASH FLOW -- The movement your money makes as it disappears down the toilet.
YAHOO -- What you yell after selling it to some poor sucker for $240 per share.
WINDOWS 2000 -- What you jump out of when you're the sucker who bought Yahoo @ $240 per share.
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR -- A past year investor who's now locked up in a nuthouse.
PROFIT -- an archaic word no longer in use.
what can i say? it's the truth thanks to the Tzar.
now tell me, in hindsight, wasn't a sex scandal better? at the least it was more entertaining and scintillating...
you have got to see this, in order to believe it...
FOX News "hate site" bashes Obama over dying grandmother , AmericaBlog.com, Oct. 20, 2008
Here is just one of the comments posted on the Fox News website -
check out more on the Fox website here - Obama to Leave Campaign Trail to Visit Sick Grandmother
Oh, and they are connecting it to the Obama detractor Andy Martin, who filed a suit in Hawaii to release what he thinks is the real Obama birth certificate that will show that he is not an U.S. citizen.
People in Chicago know this Martin guy well. He was refused admittance to the Illinois Bar for “moderately severe character defect manifested by well-documented ideation with a paranoid flavor and a grandiose character.” Click on Martin's name link to discover just what the man has done. He was even barred by a federal court once from filing lawsuits unless the court gave him permission. He sues everybody.
where is the outrage? where is the anger?
misplaced?
Here is just one of the comments posted on the Fox News website -
by joebridges[Oct 20, 2008 10:07:16 PM]
What a bunch of c*ap. Another sympathy move by Omamma to garner votes. Next there'll [sic] be a mock funeral for "grandma" a day or two before the election. The old biddy's probably been dead for years.
check out more on the Fox website here - Obama to Leave Campaign Trail to Visit Sick Grandmother
Oh, and they are connecting it to the Obama detractor Andy Martin, who filed a suit in Hawaii to release what he thinks is the real Obama birth certificate that will show that he is not an U.S. citizen.
People in Chicago know this Martin guy well. He was refused admittance to the Illinois Bar for “moderately severe character defect manifested by well-documented ideation with a paranoid flavor and a grandiose character.” Click on Martin's name link to discover just what the man has done. He was even barred by a federal court once from filing lawsuits unless the court gave him permission. He sues everybody.
where is the outrage? where is the anger?
misplaced?
the "anti-America"...
Keith Olbermann apologizes for another special comment so soon after the last one. He states that he does not want it to become a regular spot on Countdown but senses that in this, the last two weeks of the 2008 election, it might become more frequent. So, he apologizes.
Last night's comment brought up an old bone of contention for me. The special comment first:
I have mentioned in passing with different posts that I was, to an extent, involved with anti-Vietnam war activities, feelings and protests. This is not something with which I am sorry. Rather, it is something in which I have pride.
At the time, the tenor of the country was if you were anti-war, you were anti-American. I couldn't be more opposed to that line of thinking. I believe the opposite.
At the time, the country was involved in what some, and I include myself, was an illegal war. It was not in the best interest of the country; it was a purely ideological conflict. It was a holdover from the McCarthy era. The fear of Communism was great; U.S. politicians feared that it would dominate the world; patriots believed that the U.S. was in danger of an assault by Communism, i.e. the USSR. Of course, history finally proved that there was nothing to fear and Communism fell.
I am using the word Communism with a big C because it is not the same as the social and economic communism philosophized by Karl Marx and his associates. The big C Communism was a form of government created and fostered by Lenin, Stalin, and other Soviet Union leaders as a form of big brother government that controlled all aspects of the country - thought, behaviour, beliefs, etc. If we were fighting against this in Vietnam, I think there is a case for the conflict.
I question if a small country in Southeast Asia was the place to make the stand though. A country that historically was always in conflict with the West because of imperialistic takeover and control. A French colony that France finally saw as a losing proposition and got out.
I also am reminded of what President Eisenhower warned against in his farewell address: the military-industrial complex.
The last eight years has shown the rise of misplaced power. I'm sure that it would not please Mr. Eisenhower if he knew the extent to which his predictions have materialized. Sadly, it was President Eisenhower and his administration that increased the aid to Vietnam under the pretext of the belief at the time that if Vietnam falls, so falls the rest of Southeast Asia.
I mention these things as a little background to my thought process about anti-America.
At the time, in listening to the Vietnam anti-war leaders and the prevailing thought against the conflict, I don't believe that we believed that we were being anti-America. Just the opposite.
My take is that I, along with others, believed that we were being tremendously pro-America. We were questioning, in legal ways to the great extent, the efficacy of the government's actions and exercising what the Constitution guaranteed as a right to disagree with the government.
I discount those that acted violently. They were in the minority and actually worked against the non-violent stance of the majority of anti-war protesters and actions. The purpose of the movement was based primarily on belief in non-violence being the means and best way of action. I have always thought that groups that called for and committed acts of violence were actually counterproductive to the anti-war movement.
Now, knowing that this will ruffle feathers of patriots with narrow mindedness and who believe that there is only one right way to be pro-American, I have to restate that I believed that Daniel & Philip Berrigan, Steven Spiro, and, as it was brought out during the last presidential election, John Kerry considered themselves pro-America because they were working for what they believed to be a just cause that would strengthen the country.
I am as proud of these people as I am proud of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Harry Truman, Keith Olbermann, and many others who work to make the U.S. greater and more inclusive of all thoughts as is guaranteed by the First Amendment. Something that self-identified patriots, and I include Mrs. Palin in this group, would control by using it themselves to speak their distaste for dialogue and inclusion.
ironic, i think...
Last night's comment brought up an old bone of contention for me. The special comment first:
I have mentioned in passing with different posts that I was, to an extent, involved with anti-Vietnam war activities, feelings and protests. This is not something with which I am sorry. Rather, it is something in which I have pride.
At the time, the tenor of the country was if you were anti-war, you were anti-American. I couldn't be more opposed to that line of thinking. I believe the opposite.
At the time, the country was involved in what some, and I include myself, was an illegal war. It was not in the best interest of the country; it was a purely ideological conflict. It was a holdover from the McCarthy era. The fear of Communism was great; U.S. politicians feared that it would dominate the world; patriots believed that the U.S. was in danger of an assault by Communism, i.e. the USSR. Of course, history finally proved that there was nothing to fear and Communism fell.
I am using the word Communism with a big C because it is not the same as the social and economic communism philosophized by Karl Marx and his associates. The big C Communism was a form of government created and fostered by Lenin, Stalin, and other Soviet Union leaders as a form of big brother government that controlled all aspects of the country - thought, behaviour, beliefs, etc. If we were fighting against this in Vietnam, I think there is a case for the conflict.
I question if a small country in Southeast Asia was the place to make the stand though. A country that historically was always in conflict with the West because of imperialistic takeover and control. A French colony that France finally saw as a losing proposition and got out.
I also am reminded of what President Eisenhower warned against in his farewell address: the military-industrial complex.
This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.
In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
The last eight years has shown the rise of misplaced power. I'm sure that it would not please Mr. Eisenhower if he knew the extent to which his predictions have materialized. Sadly, it was President Eisenhower and his administration that increased the aid to Vietnam under the pretext of the belief at the time that if Vietnam falls, so falls the rest of Southeast Asia.
I mention these things as a little background to my thought process about anti-America.
At the time, in listening to the Vietnam anti-war leaders and the prevailing thought against the conflict, I don't believe that we believed that we were being anti-America. Just the opposite.
My take is that I, along with others, believed that we were being tremendously pro-America. We were questioning, in legal ways to the great extent, the efficacy of the government's actions and exercising what the Constitution guaranteed as a right to disagree with the government.
I discount those that acted violently. They were in the minority and actually worked against the non-violent stance of the majority of anti-war protesters and actions. The purpose of the movement was based primarily on belief in non-violence being the means and best way of action. I have always thought that groups that called for and committed acts of violence were actually counterproductive to the anti-war movement.
Now, knowing that this will ruffle feathers of patriots with narrow mindedness and who believe that there is only one right way to be pro-American, I have to restate that I believed that Daniel & Philip Berrigan, Steven Spiro, and, as it was brought out during the last presidential election, John Kerry considered themselves pro-America because they were working for what they believed to be a just cause that would strengthen the country.
I am as proud of these people as I am proud of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Harry Truman, Keith Olbermann, and many others who work to make the U.S. greater and more inclusive of all thoughts as is guaranteed by the First Amendment. Something that self-identified patriots, and I include Mrs. Palin in this group, would control by using it themselves to speak their distaste for dialogue and inclusion.
ironic, i think...
20 October 2008
socialism...
She [Sarah Palin] quickly went after opponent Barack Obama, saying his economic plan would raise taxes and equating it with socialism.
Regulators give banks until mid-November to apply for stock sale to Treasury
Mr. McCain did vote for the rescue, didn't he?
This is state ownership, isn't it?
so, what is the difference? i'm confused.
I've traveled in some so-called socialist countries - Canada, France, Great Britain, Italy.... There is one thing that I can personally comment that I observed: I don't remember potholes in their roads; I have never read about bridges collapsing during rush hour; I visited schools that were not falling down and met life safety codes; and I remember that no one was ever turned away from getting care if they were ill.
These socialist countries also have free enterprise and capitalistic working alongside it. See, they have a view of government that they learned from a revolution and a civil war. It's called government by the people, for the people and these countries believe that government is supposed to make the people's lives better and is to work for them.
I wonder where they got that idea?
just asking...
Gov. Palin holds rally in Noblesville, MSNBC, Fri., Oct. 17, 2008
socialism |ˈsō sh əˌlizəm|
noun
1. a political theory advocating state ownership of industry
Regulators give banks until mid-November to apply for stock sale to Treasury
WASHINGTON (Thomson Financial) - US banks will have until the middle of next month to apply for the right to participate in the Treasury Department's new capital purchase program, under which banks will sell billions of dollars worth of preferred stock to Treasury in return for much-needed liquidity, according to guidelines released today by key financial regulators.Forbes.com, 10.20.08, 1:03 PM ET
Mr. McCain did vote for the rescue, didn't he?
This is state ownership, isn't it?
so, what is the difference? i'm confused.
I've traveled in some so-called socialist countries - Canada, France, Great Britain, Italy.... There is one thing that I can personally comment that I observed: I don't remember potholes in their roads; I have never read about bridges collapsing during rush hour; I visited schools that were not falling down and met life safety codes; and I remember that no one was ever turned away from getting care if they were ill.
These socialist countries also have free enterprise and capitalistic working alongside it. See, they have a view of government that they learned from a revolution and a civil war. It's called government by the people, for the people and these countries believe that government is supposed to make the people's lives better and is to work for them.
I wonder where they got that idea?
just asking...
monday morning mayhem...
No one believes seniors...
Everyone thinks they are senile.
An Elderly couple was celebrating their sixtieth anniversary. The couple had married as childhood sweethearts and had moved back to their old neighborhood after they retired.
Holding hands they walked back to their old school. It was not locked, so they entered, and found the old desk they'd shared, where Andy had carved "I love you, Sally."
On their way back home, a bag of money fell out of an armored car, practically landing at their feet Sally quickly picked it up, but not sure what to do with it, they took it home. There, she counted the money-- fifty-thousand dollars.
Andy said, "We've got to give it back."
Sally said, "Finders keepers." She put the money back in the bag and hid it in their attic.
The next day, two FBI men were canvassing the neighborhood looking for the money, and knocked on the door.
"Pardon me, but did either of you find a bag that fell out of an armored car yesterday?"
Sally said, "No."
Andy said, "She's lying. She hid it up in the attic."
Sally said, "Don't believe him, he's getting senile."
The agents turn to Andy and began to question him.
One says: "Tell us the story from the beginning"
Andy said, "Well, when Sally and I were walking home from school yesterday... "
The first FBI guy turns to his partner and says, "We're outta here."
if you worked at one of these places, how would you answer the phone?
me? i wouldn't answer the phone. i'd only do fax or email...
Good news and bad news...
First, the bad news:
We're about to be invaded by Martians.
And now, the good news:
They eat politicians and pee gasoline.
there may be hope after all...
16 more days. let's hope they go by as fast as we want the work week...
Everyone thinks they are senile.
An Elderly couple was celebrating their sixtieth anniversary. The couple had married as childhood sweethearts and had moved back to their old neighborhood after they retired.
Holding hands they walked back to their old school. It was not locked, so they entered, and found the old desk they'd shared, where Andy had carved "I love you, Sally."
On their way back home, a bag of money fell out of an armored car, practically landing at their feet Sally quickly picked it up, but not sure what to do with it, they took it home. There, she counted the money-- fifty-thousand dollars.
Andy said, "We've got to give it back."
Sally said, "Finders keepers." She put the money back in the bag and hid it in their attic.
The next day, two FBI men were canvassing the neighborhood looking for the money, and knocked on the door.
"Pardon me, but did either of you find a bag that fell out of an armored car yesterday?"
Sally said, "No."
Andy said, "She's lying. She hid it up in the attic."
Sally said, "Don't believe him, he's getting senile."
The agents turn to Andy and began to question him.
One says: "Tell us the story from the beginning"
Andy said, "Well, when Sally and I were walking home from school yesterday... "
The first FBI guy turns to his partner and says, "We're outta here."
if you worked at one of these places, how would you answer the phone?
me? i wouldn't answer the phone. i'd only do fax or email...
Good news and bad news...
First, the bad news:
We're about to be invaded by Martians.
And now, the good news:
They eat politicians and pee gasoline.
there may be hope after all...
16 more days. let's hope they go by as fast as we want the work week...
19 October 2008
definiton - "rot gut" whisky...
During the 1800's using actual human bodies for training doctors in anatomy classes was illegal and against the current ethical and religious standards.
Medical schools hid that they were actually using human cadavers and the only way they could obtain them was through grave robbers who followed funerals to the cemetery to know where to dig.
However, they really didn't dig up an entire casket. What they did was dig a hole above the tombstone down to the coffin, broke off the end, and pulled the body out.
To transport the body to the medical school, they often placed it in barrels of whisky that would not only preserve the body but look like they were transporting alcohol.
After delivering the body, the grave robbers would then sell the whisky to the medical students, some of whom were actually engaged in grave robbing themselves....
So you can see that though this is really disgusting, it is etymologically possible that is where the term rot gut came from.
Of course another possible way the term came about is what whisky can do to your innards.
that's why i drink gin...
it only rots your brain.
Medical schools hid that they were actually using human cadavers and the only way they could obtain them was through grave robbers who followed funerals to the cemetery to know where to dig.
However, they really didn't dig up an entire casket. What they did was dig a hole above the tombstone down to the coffin, broke off the end, and pulled the body out.
To transport the body to the medical school, they often placed it in barrels of whisky that would not only preserve the body but look like they were transporting alcohol.
After delivering the body, the grave robbers would then sell the whisky to the medical students, some of whom were actually engaged in grave robbing themselves....
So you can see that though this is really disgusting, it is etymologically possible that is where the term rot gut came from.
Of course another possible way the term came about is what whisky can do to your innards.
that's why i drink gin...
it only rots your brain.
18 October 2008
your culture will adapt to serve as us...
this photo comparison has been around for the last eight years or so.
it sort of explains a lot, don't you think?
but have you seen this one?
it sort of explains a lot, don't you think?
We are the Borg.
You will be assimilated...
You will be assimilated...
17 October 2008
the cascade may be starting...
Barack Obama for President - Washington Post
Barack Obama for president - The Los Angeles Times
Post editorial board endorses Obama - The Denver Post
Obama is the choice - The Atlanta Journal Constitution
and the next will be...
There are few public figures we have respected more over the years than Sen. John McCain. Yet it is without ambivalence that we endorse Sen. Barack Obama for president.
Barack Obama for president - The Los Angeles Times
The Times without hesitation endorses Barack Obama for president.
Post editorial board endorses Obama - The Denver Post
The Post thinks Obama is "better equipped to lead America back to a prosperous future."
Obama is the choice - The Atlanta Journal Constitution
Leading the country in such a time will require someone of intellect, creativity, honesty and passion for those traits that have made America great. That person is U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.
and the next will be...
the Chicago Tribune does something it has never done before...
This endorsement makes some history for the Chicago Tribune. This is the first time the newspaper has endorsed the Democratic Party's nominee for president.
In Chicago, this is a very big deal. No one would have expected the Tribune to break with its history of endorsing Republican presidential candidates, even with a the new owner, Sam Zell.
The Tribune in its earliest days took up the abolition of slavery and linked itself to a powerful force for that cause--the Republican Party. The Tribune's first great leader, Joseph Medill, was a founder of the GOP. The editorial page has been a proponent of conservative principles. It believes that government has to serve people honestly and efficiently.To highlight the paper's reasoning:
The Republican Party, the party of limited government, has lost its way....
We might have counted on John McCain to correct his party's course....
It is, though, hard to figure John McCain these days. He argued that President Bush's tax cuts were fiscally irresponsible, but he now supports them....
McCain failed in his most important executive decision.... Having called Obama not ready to lead, McCain chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin....
We do, though, think Obama would govern as much more of a pragmatic centrist than many people expect.
And to end the endorsement:
It may have seemed audacious for Obama to start his campaign in Springfield, invoking Lincoln. We think, given the opportunity to hold this nation's most powerful office, he will prove it wasn't so audacious after all. We are proud to add Barack Obama's name to Lincoln's in the list of people the Tribune has endorsed for president of the United States.
i still have hope...
oh, and the Chicago Sun-Times endorsed Senator Obama also. We would not be surprised about this in the city:
read both editorials. just click on the headline links...
25th anniversary...
Motorola introduced the first cell phone 25 years ago today. I think I'd be hard pressed to say if the computer or the cell phone has had the biggest effect on civilization. The cell phone may be more prevalent and has a more immediate effect. Maybe sometime down the road history books will compare it the Gutenberg printing press for how much it changed the world.
My first phone? a Motorola bag phone -
The phone I have now?
quite a difference? huh?
My first phone? a Motorola bag phone -
The phone I have now?
quite a difference? huh?
weekender...
Luther is back tormenting his teacher...
/fas*cin*ate/
Mrs. Turner, a grade school teacher in Kentucky, asked her students to use the word 'fascinate' in a sentence.
Molly put up her hand and said, 'My family went to my granddad's farm, and we all saw his sheep. It was fascinating.'
The teacher said, 'That was good, but I wanted you to use the word 'fascinate,' not 'fascinating.'
Sally raised her hand. She said, 'My family went to see Rock City , and I was fascinated.'
The teacher said, 'Well, that was good Sally, but, again, I wanted you to only use the word 'fascinate.'
Little Luther raised his hand. Mrs. Turner hesitated because she had been burned by Little Luther many times before. She thought about it and finally decided there was no way he could twist the word 'fascinate,' so she called on him.
Little Luther said, 'My sister Wanda has a sweater with ten buttons, but her boobs are so big she can only fasten eight'.
Mrs. Turner just sat and cried...
/fas*cin*ate/
Mrs. Turner, a grade school teacher in Kentucky, asked her students to use the word 'fascinate' in a sentence.
Molly put up her hand and said, 'My family went to my granddad's farm, and we all saw his sheep. It was fascinating.'
The teacher said, 'That was good, but I wanted you to use the word 'fascinate,' not 'fascinating.'
Sally raised her hand. She said, 'My family went to see Rock City , and I was fascinated.'
The teacher said, 'Well, that was good Sally, but, again, I wanted you to only use the word 'fascinate.'
Little Luther raised his hand. Mrs. Turner hesitated because she had been burned by Little Luther many times before. She thought about it and finally decided there was no way he could twist the word 'fascinate,' so she called on him.
Little Luther said, 'My sister Wanda has a sweater with ten buttons, but her boobs are so big she can only fasten eight'.
Mrs. Turner just sat and cried...
15 October 2008
it is about race - part 9...
from the mouth of the dittoheads' "dear leader"...
In the video dear leader brings up Stanley Kurzt. Kurtz had a post on NROonline yesterday entitled Wright 101: Obama funded extremist Afrocentrists who shared Rev. Wright’s anti-Americanism
. His post used an Afro-centric history/social/emotional growth program as an illustration of what dear leader thinks was a example of making Black youth angry. The progam was one of the grants that Senator Obama & Bill Ayers, working on with Annenberg Foundation* in Chicago funded for around $200,000 out of the millions that the Foundation granted. Both Kurtz and Limbaugh used it to fire up the base against Senator Obams and increase the alleged influence Bill Ayers had.
I was involved personally with the grant and this program, as well as many others through the Annenberg Foundation. It was something that was done to increase awareness of the contributions African cultures added to the world's civilization. The content of the program was excellent. The instructional techniques were lacking because the writers did not have a solid background in education. We modified as we went along, and I learned a lot of things I never knew. Things that, at the time, I personally questioned why they were not part of the regular Social Science curriculum. I most also add that because of the problems delivery was difficult and it was abandoned in less than two years, maybe even one.
The things that were in the program were kept. The facts and histories were solid. Fortunately, a lot of the content is now part of the regular curriculum. AND I never saw one child with whom I was working ever get angry. What I saw were children discovering that they had the potential to contribute and to become whatever they wanted as successful persons.
I question if Kurtz and Limbaugh are consciously aware that they are keeping their biased views under the radar. By using things that they are slanted as facts but are not supported they are not representing both sides of the coin. Of course, the coins they use only have the heads on them.
oh, what a silly question... of course they are aware! it's their nom de guerre...
i probably will be posting more about the Kurtz article later today or this evening. i was livid when i read it. you might want to check out a post on Citizen Crain entitled Hate and Fear. one of the comments had me p***** beyond belief and i had to retort.
*Some history of the Annenberg Foundation: it was founded by Walter Annenberg, a very conservative Republican and close personal friend of Ronald Reagan. It's focus was to aid in the improvement of inner city schools with many aspects. It was pre-NCLB and already encompassed many of the things that NCLB wants to do. The main difference? It provided the money to do it and train staff and parents. Something NCLB requires but does not follow through. one of the comments after my initial response gives a great factual account of the Foundation.
In the video dear leader brings up Stanley Kurzt. Kurtz had a post on NROonline yesterday entitled Wright 101: Obama funded extremist Afrocentrists who shared Rev. Wright’s anti-Americanism
. His post used an Afro-centric history/social/emotional growth program as an illustration of what dear leader thinks was a example of making Black youth angry. The progam was one of the grants that Senator Obama & Bill Ayers, working on with Annenberg Foundation* in Chicago funded for around $200,000 out of the millions that the Foundation granted. Both Kurtz and Limbaugh used it to fire up the base against Senator Obams and increase the alleged influence Bill Ayers had.
I was involved personally with the grant and this program, as well as many others through the Annenberg Foundation. It was something that was done to increase awareness of the contributions African cultures added to the world's civilization. The content of the program was excellent. The instructional techniques were lacking because the writers did not have a solid background in education. We modified as we went along, and I learned a lot of things I never knew. Things that, at the time, I personally questioned why they were not part of the regular Social Science curriculum. I most also add that because of the problems delivery was difficult and it was abandoned in less than two years, maybe even one.
The things that were in the program were kept. The facts and histories were solid. Fortunately, a lot of the content is now part of the regular curriculum. AND I never saw one child with whom I was working ever get angry. What I saw were children discovering that they had the potential to contribute and to become whatever they wanted as successful persons.
I question if Kurtz and Limbaugh are consciously aware that they are keeping their biased views under the radar. By using things that they are slanted as facts but are not supported they are not representing both sides of the coin. Of course, the coins they use only have the heads on them.
oh, what a silly question... of course they are aware! it's their nom de guerre...
i probably will be posting more about the Kurtz article later today or this evening. i was livid when i read it. you might want to check out a post on Citizen Crain entitled Hate and Fear. one of the comments had me p***** beyond belief and i had to retort.
*Some history of the Annenberg Foundation: it was founded by Walter Annenberg, a very conservative Republican and close personal friend of Ronald Reagan. It's focus was to aid in the improvement of inner city schools with many aspects. It was pre-NCLB and already encompassed many of the things that NCLB wants to do. The main difference? It provided the money to do it and train staff and parents. Something NCLB requires but does not follow through. one of the comments after my initial response gives a great factual account of the Foundation.
14 October 2008
i have a confession to make...
months and months ago, i stopped reading Andrew Sullivan's The Daily Dish.
He was making me crazy. At every turn during the Democratic Primaries he did nothing but dis the Clintons, and sometimes what he wrote was like nails on a chalkboard to me.
So, my confession is that I have started reading him again. He has stopped berating Bill and Hillary and has taken a stand for Obama and reports objectively on the hypocrisies of the GOP and the Mcpains. Though, I still disagree with him on many things and I don't read him closely, I'm back to reading, or at least scanning him, on a daily basis.
I had to make this confession because he posted something today with which I completely agree: Clintonites for Obama
Though I still believe that Hillary would be the better president for addressing the problems we're in right now, I certainly have shown my support for Senator Obama, and not just because he is the lesser of two evils. In comparison, there is very little different between he and Hillary when it comes to issues. I just think she would be stronger for many reasons.
Back to the post Andrew wrote that I mentioned above. He quotes a story in the Washington Post [Hillary Clinton for Supreme Court?]
Sullivan writes that he has been pushing this idea for years.
I wholeheartedly agree. She would be a logical choice and a brilliant addition to SCOTUS. She has the background and experience. She would be a great replacement for John Paul Stevens, who has gone above and beyond the call of duty. [I might add he's a great man. I met him in the 1990's and was completely won over to his accomplishments and history after listening to him for five minutes, and it was a social event.]
Politically, it would be a brilliant stroke for Obama. If Hillary is on the court, he wouldn't have to worry about any future contest with her.
Let's wait and see what happens. First, of course, Senator Obama has to be elected. My cynicism prevents me from saying he is the shoo-in that many are prophesizing. I don't actually trust the American electorate to do what is right. I have run into too many people who say the right thing, but they do the opposite. They don't want to be discovered for the hypocrites they are, and I still think this election IS about race when you get right down to it to many of these voters.
this is soooo sad to me...
He was making me crazy. At every turn during the Democratic Primaries he did nothing but dis the Clintons, and sometimes what he wrote was like nails on a chalkboard to me.
So, my confession is that I have started reading him again. He has stopped berating Bill and Hillary and has taken a stand for Obama and reports objectively on the hypocrisies of the GOP and the Mcpains. Though, I still disagree with him on many things and I don't read him closely, I'm back to reading, or at least scanning him, on a daily basis.
I had to make this confession because he posted something today with which I completely agree: Clintonites for Obama
Though I still believe that Hillary would be the better president for addressing the problems we're in right now, I certainly have shown my support for Senator Obama, and not just because he is the lesser of two evils. In comparison, there is very little different between he and Hillary when it comes to issues. I just think she would be stronger for many reasons.
Back to the post Andrew wrote that I mentioned above. He quotes a story in the Washington Post [Hillary Clinton for Supreme Court?]
Voters attending Mrs. Clinton's homecoming rally, a campaign event for her one-time rival, said they will now back Mr. Obama, and most of them, unprompted, told The Washington Times they want him to choose their former first lady for the high court.
Sullivan writes that he has been pushing this idea for years.
I wholeheartedly agree. She would be a logical choice and a brilliant addition to SCOTUS. She has the background and experience. She would be a great replacement for John Paul Stevens, who has gone above and beyond the call of duty. [I might add he's a great man. I met him in the 1990's and was completely won over to his accomplishments and history after listening to him for five minutes, and it was a social event.]
Politically, it would be a brilliant stroke for Obama. If Hillary is on the court, he wouldn't have to worry about any future contest with her.
Let's wait and see what happens. First, of course, Senator Obama has to be elected. My cynicism prevents me from saying he is the shoo-in that many are prophesizing. I don't actually trust the American electorate to do what is right. I have run into too many people who say the right thing, but they do the opposite. They don't want to be discovered for the hypocrites they are, and I still think this election IS about race when you get right down to it to many of these voters.
this is soooo sad to me...
could this be the dreaded "October Surprise" the Republicans are known for?
McCain Transition Chief Aided Saddam In Lobbying Effort
if it is, i think they got it wrong this time...
read the entire story at Huffpost.
William Timmons, the Washington lobbyist who John McCain has named to head his presidential transition team, aided an influence effort on behalf of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to ease international sanctions against his regime.
The two lobbyists who Timmons worked closely with over a five year period on the lobbying campaign later either pleaded guilty to or were convicted of federal criminal charges that they had acted as unregistered agents of Saddam Hussein's government.Murray Waas, Huffington Post, 2:49 pm EDT, 10/14/08
if it is, i think they got it wrong this time...
read the entire story at Huffpost.
a Republican joke...
Bambi, a Republican in her fourth year as a UCLA Freshman, sat in her US Government class. The professor asked Bambi if she knew what Roe versus. Wade was about.
Bambi pondered the question; then, finally, said, 'That was the decision George Washington had to make before he crossed the Delaware.'
yeah, i know. it's supposed to be a blonde joke, but this makes more sense given the GOP/mcpain campaign.
hey..., it's funny.
Bambi pondered the question; then, finally, said, 'That was the decision George Washington had to make before he crossed the Delaware.'
yeah, i know. it's supposed to be a blonde joke, but this makes more sense given the GOP/mcpain campaign.
hey..., it's funny.
13 October 2008
anti-Palin rally...
Keith Olbermann was just covering the story of Sarah Palin throwing out the puck at the season opener for the Philly Flyers. She was being booed roundly but choose to ignore it.
Keith summed up the story this way -
They went to an anti-Palin rally and a hockey game broke out.
well, he was a sportscaster before starting Countdown.... he should know.
Keith summed up the story this way -
They went to an anti-Palin rally and a hockey game broke out.
well, he was a sportscaster before starting Countdown.... he should know.
it is about race - part 8...
of course, the guy who posted it immediately took it down from his website with explanation, i mean an excuse:
I never, ever wished any harm come to Obama, at all. I was simply making a point and doing exactly what the left is doing to Sarah Palin. That is all, nothing more to see, move along...Thank you to Pam's House Blend for bringing this to people's attention. read the entire post here: This bigot wanted to own it - Obama and a noose
there is no comment necessary about this ad. it is vile and detestable. it would make Abraham Lincoln, the Republican, not just turn in his grave but make him sick.
if McCain makes no comment about it, i should say state in no uncertain terms that it is despicable, he not only does not deserve to be president, he deserves to be considered for dismissal from the human species.
this sort of thing really pisses me off...
Frod + GM + Chrysler...
there are reasons they are all in trouble and they may be in talks for merging with one or the other or the other...
i don't think Henry Ford himself could have foreseen these problems.
Here is something you car buffs probably didn't know.
The 3 Goldberg brothers, Norman, Hiram, and Maxwell invented and developed the first automobile air-conditioner. Didn't know that, did ya...
On July 17th, 1946, the temperature in Detroit was 97. The 3 brothers walked into old man Henry Ford's office and sweet-talked his secretary into telling him that three gentlemen were there with the most exciting innovation in the auto industry since the electric starter.
Henry was curious and invited them into his office. They refused and instead asked that he come out to the parking lot to their car.
They persuaded him to get into the car which was about 130 - turned on the air-conditioner and cooled the car off immediately.
The old man got very excited and invited them back to the office, where he offered them 3 million dollars for the patent.
The brothers refused, saying they would settle for 2 million but they wanted the recognition by having a label 'The Goldberg Air-Conditioner' on the dashboard of each car that it was installed in.
Now old man Ford was more than just a little bit Anti-Semitic, and there was no way he was going to put the Goldbergs' name on 2 million Ford cars.
They haggled back and forth for about 2 hours and finally agreed on 4 million dollars and that just their first names would be shown.
And so, even today, all Ford air-conditioners show on the controls the names 'Norm, Hi, & Max'.
There, now ya know it.... See, you're never too old to learn. So keep cool!!!
i don't know about the truth of this story, but ingenuity is something U.S. automakers have been missing for years.
i don't think Henry Ford himself could have foreseen these problems.
Here is something you car buffs probably didn't know.
The 3 Goldberg brothers, Norman, Hiram, and Maxwell invented and developed the first automobile air-conditioner. Didn't know that, did ya...
On July 17th, 1946, the temperature in Detroit was 97. The 3 brothers walked into old man Henry Ford's office and sweet-talked his secretary into telling him that three gentlemen were there with the most exciting innovation in the auto industry since the electric starter.
Henry was curious and invited them into his office. They refused and instead asked that he come out to the parking lot to their car.
They persuaded him to get into the car which was about 130 - turned on the air-conditioner and cooled the car off immediately.
The old man got very excited and invited them back to the office, where he offered them 3 million dollars for the patent.
The brothers refused, saying they would settle for 2 million but they wanted the recognition by having a label 'The Goldberg Air-Conditioner' on the dashboard of each car that it was installed in.
Now old man Ford was more than just a little bit Anti-Semitic, and there was no way he was going to put the Goldbergs' name on 2 million Ford cars.
They haggled back and forth for about 2 hours and finally agreed on 4 million dollars and that just their first names would be shown.
And so, even today, all Ford air-conditioners show on the controls the names 'Norm, Hi, & Max'.
There, now ya know it.... See, you're never too old to learn. So keep cool!!!
i don't know about the truth of this story, but ingenuity is something U.S. automakers have been missing for years.
monday morning mayhem...
great stock pick...
I received this advice from a great friend who is in the financial field. I am just passing it on for your info.
Normally I avoid discussing any advice regarding buying or selling of stocks, but I felt this is important enough to share and warn you since this explosive situation might prove to be yet another ENRON. Please review any holdings you might have in the following stocks:
American Can, Interstate Water, National Gas Company, Northern Tissue Company. Due to uncertain market conditions, I advise you to sit tight on your American Can, hold your Water, and let go of your Gas. You may be interested to know that Northern Tissue touched a new bottom today, and millions were wiped clean. It's a tough market out there. Be careful!
i think that pretty well sums up the market these days...
smoke and fire alarms...
it's coming up on time to change batteries in your detectors. October is Fire Prevention Month.
some people have it easier than others though...
other people would call this a redneck fire alarm...
world's worst job?
now, before you start the week as you do sometimes, complaining you have the world's worst job, let's put it in perspective...
kinda puts a new perspective on things, huh?
only 22 more days until the insanity either ends or begins...
I received this advice from a great friend who is in the financial field. I am just passing it on for your info.
Normally I avoid discussing any advice regarding buying or selling of stocks, but I felt this is important enough to share and warn you since this explosive situation might prove to be yet another ENRON. Please review any holdings you might have in the following stocks:
American Can, Interstate Water, National Gas Company, Northern Tissue Company. Due to uncertain market conditions, I advise you to sit tight on your American Can, hold your Water, and let go of your Gas. You may be interested to know that Northern Tissue touched a new bottom today, and millions were wiped clean. It's a tough market out there. Be careful!
i think that pretty well sums up the market these days...
smoke and fire alarms...
it's coming up on time to change batteries in your detectors. October is Fire Prevention Month.
some people have it easier than others though...
other people would call this a redneck fire alarm...
world's worst job?
now, before you start the week as you do sometimes, complaining you have the world's worst job, let's put it in perspective...
kinda puts a new perspective on things, huh?
only 22 more days until the insanity either ends or begins...
12 October 2008
a very scary thought...
what if, in one or two years time, we discover that Dick Cheney was actually not the driving force behind the hard rhetoric and hawkish stances of the Bush Administration but was actually the one reining the Tsar in all along the way?
that is a scary thought... don't you think?
that is a scary thought... don't you think?
it is about race - part 7...
Palin Supporter Brings Racist Monkey "Obama" Doll to Rally
from YouTube.com
no comment...
the truth is just too obvious.
turnabout = fairplay?
after decades of the U.S. bailing out the rest of the world, wouldn't it be fair that the rest of the world come together and help out in this financial crisis? sort of like a Marshall Plan in reverse?
i'm just asking...
i'm just asking...
11 October 2008
this is what you got when gas was 15¢ a gallon...
The attendant spotted you immediately as you pulled into the station and inquired, "Can I help you?
"Yes, I will have 7 gallons of regular gas for $1.05 and the free gift tumbler (glass*) you show on the sign plus the green trading stamps."
The attendant unscrewed the gas cap and put 7 gallons of gas into the fuel tank. He checked the oil and showed the customer the dip stick. If oil was needed, he removed the cap on the engine and poured the oil into the motor.
Next, he checked the radiator for anti-freeze, followed by a check of the tires and the spare for the proper amount of air pressure.
He wasn't finished. There remained the washing of the windows.
Finally, he collected the $1.05 plus 15¢ for the quart of oil, hurried into the station for change, returned with the change, gift tumbler, green stamps and a polite "Thank You."
Now, at the low current price of $3.77/gallon, you get to pump the gas yourself, wash your own windows, check you own oil, monitor the air pressure yourself, and as far as getting anything free, the only thing that seems free is the receipt!
and we wonder why the oil companies are making the highest profit margin of any industry!
i found this little story in a free publication that is sent to my father, who has been dead for 17 years now, called the "Keenager". it's a monthly sent out by Catholic Charities. and i don't have the faintest idea why my father would be getting something from them. my mother was Catholic but my father was high Anglican! (Episcopalians to those of you who are thoroughly vetted as Americans.) i guess i should cancel it, but these stories and some of the jokes are funny. i guess i am getting old...
*i had to put glass in parentheses with this note because I wasn't sure if younger people would know that a tumbler is more than a guy doing somersaults at the circus or gymnastics meet. i contemplated doing the same for green stamps and dip stick but decided they can do some investigating on their own.
ciao...
"Yes, I will have 7 gallons of regular gas for $1.05 and the free gift tumbler (glass*) you show on the sign plus the green trading stamps."
The attendant unscrewed the gas cap and put 7 gallons of gas into the fuel tank. He checked the oil and showed the customer the dip stick. If oil was needed, he removed the cap on the engine and poured the oil into the motor.
Next, he checked the radiator for anti-freeze, followed by a check of the tires and the spare for the proper amount of air pressure.
He wasn't finished. There remained the washing of the windows.
Finally, he collected the $1.05 plus 15¢ for the quart of oil, hurried into the station for change, returned with the change, gift tumbler, green stamps and a polite "Thank You."
Now, at the low current price of $3.77/gallon, you get to pump the gas yourself, wash your own windows, check you own oil, monitor the air pressure yourself, and as far as getting anything free, the only thing that seems free is the receipt!
and we wonder why the oil companies are making the highest profit margin of any industry!
i found this little story in a free publication that is sent to my father, who has been dead for 17 years now, called the "Keenager". it's a monthly sent out by Catholic Charities. and i don't have the faintest idea why my father would be getting something from them. my mother was Catholic but my father was high Anglican! (Episcopalians to those of you who are thoroughly vetted as Americans.) i guess i should cancel it, but these stories and some of the jokes are funny. i guess i am getting old...
*i had to put glass in parentheses with this note because I wasn't sure if younger people would know that a tumbler is more than a guy doing somersaults at the circus or gymnastics meet. i contemplated doing the same for green stamps and dip stick but decided they can do some investigating on their own.
ciao...
10 October 2008
it is about race - part 6: with ANOTHER reason why it shouldn't be...
My friend's mother sent me this and I made sure I sent it to all my Black friends. I know they had a great chuckle with it. It is ANOTHER reason why this election should not be about race - this in a cute, funny way...
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye...
This was written by a black gentleman in Texas years ago and is so funny. What a great sense of humor. And creativity!!!
When I was born, I was BLACK ,
When I grew up, I was BLACK ,
When I went in the sun, I stayed BLACK,
When I got cold, I was BLACK ,
When I was scared, I was BLACK ,
When I was sick, I was BLACK ,
And when I die, I'll still be BLACK .
NOW, You 'white' folks....
When you're born, you're PINK,
When you grow-up, you're WHITE ,
When you go in the sun, you get RED,
When you're cold, you turn BLUE,
When you're scared, you're YELLOW,
When you get sick, you're GREEN,
When you bruise, you turn PURPLE ,
And when you die, you look GRAY.
So who y'all callin' COLORED folks?
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye...
This was written by a black gentleman in Texas years ago and is so funny. What a great sense of humor. And creativity!!!
When I was born, I was BLACK ,
When I grew up, I was BLACK ,
When I went in the sun, I stayed BLACK,
When I got cold, I was BLACK ,
When I was scared, I was BLACK ,
When I was sick, I was BLACK ,
And when I die, I'll still be BLACK .
NOW, You 'white' folks....
When you're born, you're PINK,
When you grow-up, you're WHITE ,
When you go in the sun, you get RED,
When you're cold, you turn BLUE,
When you're scared, you're YELLOW,
When you get sick, you're GREEN,
When you bruise, you turn PURPLE ,
And when you die, you look GRAY.
So who y'all callin' COLORED folks?
a bite of the Apple...
away from campaign insanity...
The Inquistr is reporting today, well, read their headline: EXCLUSIVE: Apple to launch $800 laptop
Bad news for Microsoft? Additional market share for Apple? The move on which Mr. Jobs has been working? Lots of questions.
What I know, since I have had AAPL stock for many, many years, is that while the market is down 324.50, AAPL is up 4.45.
From the story:
now... if they could just do something about the ******* problems with Safari, i'd be happy...
The Inquistr is reporting today, well, read their headline: EXCLUSIVE: Apple to launch $800 laptop
Bad news for Microsoft? Additional market share for Apple? The move on which Mr. Jobs has been working? Lots of questions.
What I know, since I have had AAPL stock for many, many years, is that while the market is down 324.50, AAPL is up 4.45.
From the story:
According to the source, Apple retail stores have been given price sheets that list 12 price points for the new range, with prices between $800-$3100. Current lines only have 8 price points, 3 Macbooks starting at $1099, 3 Macbook Pros and 2 Macbook Airs. According to the source, retail outlets usually get the price lists 10 days before products hit the market. Technical specs for the new laptops were not included on the price sheet.
now... if they could just do something about the ******* problems with Safari, i'd be happy...
Obama and Clinton and Ayers...
Here is what Hillary actually said and Barack's response...
Senator Clinton:
Now that doesn't seem at all what John McCain is claiming Hillary said. As a matter of fact, if you look closely, she is attacking and predicting what the Mcpains would and are doing! She took the same stand that Obama did against the actions of Bill Ayers.
Obama also pointed out that President Clinton pardoned two members of the Weather Underground. Obama's words: "...which I think is a more significant act than me serving on a board, uh, with somebody with action that he did forty years ago." I would wonder how McCain would respond to his dealing with Charles Keating? He had actual meetings with the man about the savings and loan problem and was criticized by the Senate Ethics Committee for having "exercised 'poor judgment'".
At the end of the video, Senator Obama states,
Today, Hillary's spokesperson, Kathleen Strand, responded to McCain's posture invoking Senator Clinton in his attacks using Bill Ayers against Obama.
who needs Tarot Cards? Mcpain is unbelievably predictable.
i just wish the outcome of the election would be as inevitable. the American electorate does have a history of, well, shortsightness...
Senator Clinton:
"I think, again, that it is an issue that people will be asking about. And I have no doubt, I know Senator Obama is a good man and I respect him greatly, but I think this is an issue that certainly the Republicans will be raising. And it goes to this larger set of concerns of how we are going to run against John McCain. You know I wish that the Republicans would apologize for the disaster of the Bush/Cheney years and not run anybody. Just say that it's time for the Democrats to go back to the White House. Unfortunately, they don't seem to be wanting to do that. We know that they're going to be out there full force and, you know, I've been in this arena for a long time. Uh, I have a lot of baggage and everybody has rummaged through it for years and so, therefore, I have, you know, an opportunity to come to this campaign with a very strong feeling and conviction that I will able to withstand whatever the Republicans send our way."
Now that doesn't seem at all what John McCain is claiming Hillary said. As a matter of fact, if you look closely, she is attacking and predicting what the Mcpains would and are doing! She took the same stand that Obama did against the actions of Bill Ayers.
Obama also pointed out that President Clinton pardoned two members of the Weather Underground. Obama's words: "...which I think is a more significant act than me serving on a board, uh, with somebody with action that he did forty years ago." I would wonder how McCain would respond to his dealing with Charles Keating? He had actual meetings with the man about the savings and loan problem and was criticized by the Senate Ethics Committee for having "exercised 'poor judgment'".
At the end of the video, Senator Obama states,
"Look. There is no doubt that the Republicans will attack either of us. What I've been able to display during the course of this primary is that I can take a punch. I've taken some pretty [good ones already] and I don't begrudge her that. That's what the political contest is about. I am looking forward to having a debate with John McCain and I think that every poll indicates that I am doing just as well, if not better, in pulling together the coalition that will defeat John McCain. And, ah, when it comes to November, and people are going into the polling place, they're going to be asking, 'Are we going to be going thourgh four more years of George Bush economic policies? Are we going to go through four more years of George Bush foreign policy? And, if we as Democrats and if I as the nominee, have put forward a clear vision of how we are going to move the country forward, deal with issues like energy dependence, lower gas prices, provide health care, get our troops out of Iraq, that is a debate that I am happy to have and a debate that I am confident I can win."
Today, Hillary's spokesperson, Kathleen Strand, responded to McCain's posture invoking Senator Clinton in his attacks using Bill Ayers against Obama.
As Hillary Clinton has criss-crossed the country for Barack Obama, she has said to anyone who will listen that we can't trust John McCain and the Republicans to fix this economy and turn our country around. Funny, John McCain isn't using those words.So, again, it appears to me, that all Hillary did was predict, presciently, what was going to happen.from TPMelectioncentral
who needs Tarot Cards? Mcpain is unbelievably predictable.
i just wish the outcome of the election would be as inevitable. the American electorate does have a history of, well, shortsightness...
weekender...
if you go out to dinner this weekend, make sure you're prepared for any choking emergency...
Two hillbillies walk into a retaurant. They are having a shot of whisky when, suddenly, a woman at a nearby table, who is eating a sandwich, begins to cough.
After a minute or so, it becomes apparent that she is in genuine distress.
One of the hillbillies looks at her and says, "Kin ya swaller?"
The woman shakes her head no.
Then he asks, "Kin ya breathe?"
Beginning to turn blue, she and shakes her head no.
The hillbilly walks over to the woman, lifts up her dress, yanks down her drawers and quickly gives her right butt cheek a lick with his tongue. The woman is so shocked that she has a violent spasm and the obstructing piece of food flies out of her mouth. As she begins to breathe again, the hillbilly walks slowly back to the bar.
His friend says, "Ya know, I'd heered of that there 'Hind Lick Maneuver' but I ain't never seed nobody do it!"
i hope he gargled afterward...
Two hillbillies walk into a retaurant. They are having a shot of whisky when, suddenly, a woman at a nearby table, who is eating a sandwich, begins to cough.
After a minute or so, it becomes apparent that she is in genuine distress.
One of the hillbillies looks at her and says, "Kin ya swaller?"
The woman shakes her head no.
Then he asks, "Kin ya breathe?"
Beginning to turn blue, she and shakes her head no.
The hillbilly walks over to the woman, lifts up her dress, yanks down her drawers and quickly gives her right butt cheek a lick with his tongue. The woman is so shocked that she has a violent spasm and the obstructing piece of food flies out of her mouth. As she begins to breathe again, the hillbilly walks slowly back to the bar.
His friend says, "Ya know, I'd heered of that there 'Hind Lick Maneuver' but I ain't never seed nobody do it!"
i hope he gargled afterward...
09 October 2008
i guess i'm guilty too...
if the mcpains are saying that you can't trust Obama because of his past work relationships, connections and donors, i'm in trouble with the mcpains also.
i spent time in the late 1960's not only supporting the anti-Vietnam War movement, but spent time with the brothers Daniel and Phillip Berrigan, who were Jesuit priests at the time, at a national Newman Center's convention in 1967. the Berrigans are the ones who led a lot of the anti-war protests and Phillip even poured blood (his own and animal) on files from a draft center.
oh, my...
one of the biggest regrets in my life is that i wasn't in Chicago for the 1968 Democratic Convention to help. i was at the 1968 Newman convention at Rutger's University that week. we watched television coverage screaming, swearing and hollering at it. the nuns and priests with us said nothing about our behaviour. they just prayed a lot extra for us - and to end the war...
as far as my personal thoughts on Bill Ayers? he was involved with the anti-war movement; something with which i sympathized and supported in various ways. i did not and do not now agree with his tactics. i spent too much time with a philosophy professor who studied and worked with Ghandi and with others who believed in non-violent protesting.
non-violence, in my mind, is the best way to make lasting change. don't get me wrong though. anger is allowed; violence is not.
i spent time in the late 1960's not only supporting the anti-Vietnam War movement, but spent time with the brothers Daniel and Phillip Berrigan, who were Jesuit priests at the time, at a national Newman Center's convention in 1967. the Berrigans are the ones who led a lot of the anti-war protests and Phillip even poured blood (his own and animal) on files from a draft center.
oh, my...
one of the biggest regrets in my life is that i wasn't in Chicago for the 1968 Democratic Convention to help. i was at the 1968 Newman convention at Rutger's University that week. we watched television coverage screaming, swearing and hollering at it. the nuns and priests with us said nothing about our behaviour. they just prayed a lot extra for us - and to end the war...
as far as my personal thoughts on Bill Ayers? he was involved with the anti-war movement; something with which i sympathized and supported in various ways. i did not and do not now agree with his tactics. i spent too much time with a philosophy professor who studied and worked with Ghandi and with others who believed in non-violent protesting.
non-violence, in my mind, is the best way to make lasting change. don't get me wrong though. anger is allowed; violence is not.
- 678.91...
The stock widget on my Mac won't even work, it's so bad.
This is the third large drop this week.
Dan Harris on ABC World News just reported on the reason behind it: the large drops have been at the end of the day because mutual funds are selling big in order to pay off the people who are pulling out their money in droves from the funds.
I have three mutual funds. One has gone from a 52-week high of 143.93 to today's 83.84; the second has dropped from 43.43 to 22.20; and the third has gone from 21.70 to 12.40.
Oh, I forgot my IRA. it went from a 52-week high of 32.03 to today's 52-week low of 17.07. [I have to say, right from the beginning I didn't like the idea of opening a Roth IRA.]
I am going to ride it out. Actually, analyst's are saying that if you have some extra cash (right now, that may be an oxymoron) it's a great time to buy because everything is a bargain. The question is, "What can we trust to buy?"
one good thing i noticed when i drove by the gas station today is that premium was down to $3.79 a gallon. i thought about stopping and taking a picture with the iPhone to prove it. gas below $4! what a concept...
This is the third large drop this week.
Dan Harris on ABC World News just reported on the reason behind it: the large drops have been at the end of the day because mutual funds are selling big in order to pay off the people who are pulling out their money in droves from the funds.
I have three mutual funds. One has gone from a 52-week high of 143.93 to today's 83.84; the second has dropped from 43.43 to 22.20; and the third has gone from 21.70 to 12.40.
Oh, I forgot my IRA. it went from a 52-week high of 32.03 to today's 52-week low of 17.07. [I have to say, right from the beginning I didn't like the idea of opening a Roth IRA.]
I am going to ride it out. Actually, analyst's are saying that if you have some extra cash (right now, that may be an oxymoron) it's a great time to buy because everything is a bargain. The question is, "What can we trust to buy?"
one good thing i noticed when i drove by the gas station today is that premium was down to $3.79 a gallon. i thought about stopping and taking a picture with the iPhone to prove it. gas below $4! what a concept...
it IS about race - part 5...
I wanted to post this in case anyone missed it.
from The Smoking Gun
you can see pictures of the man if you click on the link to Smoking Gun
The man is blatant and more honest than McCain and Palin are. They are trying subtly to objectify Senator Obama. They are pandering to the fact that people in this day and age know that it is not acceptable to say out loud what they think when it comes to prejudice, whether it be racial, ethnic, feminist, sexual orientation, or others.
Though I despise what Wade Williams said, he was honest. Mcpain is not, and what they are doing to hide it is attack Obama for his honesty, trust and past. It's a tried and true practice that goes back millenia.
ask Socrates...
from The Smoking Gun
"Keep The N*gger Out Of Office"
Cops: Man threatened voter officials over tardy registration card
OCTOBER 8--Angered by a delay in the receipt of his voter registration card, a Louisiana man today threatened election officials, claiming that he urgently needed to cast a ballot to "keep the nigger out of office," according to police. Wade Williams, 75, was arrested this morning on a felony terrorizing charge after allegedly calling the Registrar of Voters and warning that he would come to the state office and empty his shotgun unless he got his registration card. Using profanity and racial slurs, Williams told a state official "about needing to vote to 'keep the nigger out of office," according to an Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office affidavit, a copy of which you'll find here. Though the document does not name the candidate to which Williams is so violently opposed, it seems likely he was referring to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. After being arrested at his Monroe home, Williams was booked into the Ouachita Correctional Center, where the below mug shot was snapped. En route to the jail, he "continued his 'tirade' about niggers and also stated that he had a shotgun, but had it hidden at his residence," reported Lt. Michael Judd.
you can see pictures of the man if you click on the link to Smoking Gun
The man is blatant and more honest than McCain and Palin are. They are trying subtly to objectify Senator Obama. They are pandering to the fact that people in this day and age know that it is not acceptable to say out loud what they think when it comes to prejudice, whether it be racial, ethnic, feminist, sexual orientation, or others.
Though I despise what Wade Williams said, he was honest. Mcpain is not, and what they are doing to hide it is attack Obama for his honesty, trust and past. It's a tried and true practice that goes back millenia.
ask Socrates...
John McCain + George Bush = Al Gore + Bill Clinton...
just before falling asleep last night the similarity hit me.
in 2000 the ever-moral Al Gore basically refused to allow Bill Clinton to campaign for him. [a very large mistake in my opinion.]
in 2008 John McCain is not letting George Bush campaign for him.
both men fear/feared the influence of a negative slant their campaigns might have/had by using help from Bush and Clinton.
to not use two of the most successful politicians in recent history was a shame in former case and for the best in the present case.
let's hope that this helps McCain from being elected.
in 2000 the ever-moral Al Gore basically refused to allow Bill Clinton to campaign for him. [a very large mistake in my opinion.]
in 2008 John McCain is not letting George Bush campaign for him.
both men fear/feared the influence of a negative slant their campaigns might have/had by using help from Bush and Clinton.
to not use two of the most successful politicians in recent history was a shame in former case and for the best in the present case.
let's hope that this helps McCain from being elected.
is mcpain trying to make William Ayers the new Willie Horton?
just asking...
it is a curious question. don't you think?
it is a curious question. don't you think?
08 October 2008
McCain's mortgage shopping spree...
So, I've been looking around most of the day to get a definitive explanation of the new mortgage plan that Mr. McCain touted last night. [He says he said it first, but it is part of the Tsar's just passed rescue, and Obama talked about it a couple of weeks ago as well as others - both Republicans and Democrats.]
When you go to the Mcpain website it's like walking one of the old British maze gardens to find something other than give us money in it. The Washington Post, the New York Times, and many other media members had stories. They were all fairly accurate but not that easy to understand.
I finally found something over at MSNBC.com that is not just fairly accurate buy also uses one of McCain's main economic advisers as a source.
McCain wants to buy the mortgages for the amount that the bank or lending agency holds it, determine the new value of the house, and give the homeowner a new loan at the new home value.
ummmm... there's a little problem here. Who is really, really reaping the reward?
yep... the bank or lending agency. They made the big mistake of financing properties that they actually knew were inflated but wanted to get rich by playing all kinds of games and reselling and refinancing with each other. Mr. McCain wants them to get all of their money, thereby enriching the bosses even more.
What I think would be fair is to first determine the actual current value of a property and then tell the bank, "This is how much we are going to give you: the actual worth of the house. We are not going to be responsible for your bad investments. Take it or leave it. Eat your losses and pay the consequences with your investors."
Why should you and I pay for the mistakes? Where is Mr. McCain planning on getting the money? Should we just start using Chinese yaun (¥)? Won't he have to raise taxes to pay for it?
there are just too many questions, and i'm just asking...
UPDATE - 10/9/08: Jared Bernstein and Gene Sperling over at Huffington posted this today - Ouch! McCain's Housing Solution Is a Gift from Taxpayers to Banks.
the money quote [pun intended]
When you go to the Mcpain website it's like walking one of the old British maze gardens to find something other than give us money in it. The Washington Post, the New York Times, and many other media members had stories. They were all fairly accurate but not that easy to understand.
I finally found something over at MSNBC.com that is not just fairly accurate buy also uses one of McCain's main economic advisers as a source.
Under McCain's plan, the government would spend $300 billion to purchase distressed loans and provide new, fixed-rate mortgages. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the Arizona senator's economic adviser, said the plan would help stabilize the plunging values of mortgage-backed securities that are at the heart of the crisis in the financial markets.Ok, do you understand what he is saying?
To do so, the government would pay the full face-value of the distressed mortgages, Holtz-Eakin said.
Under that scenario, the government could buy a $200,000 subprime mortgage on a home now worth just $100,000, give the homeowner a 30-year, $90,000 loan with a 5 percent interest rate, and essentially eat the $110,000 differenceExperts skeptical about McCain mortgage plan, MSNBC.com
McCain wants to buy the mortgages for the amount that the bank or lending agency holds it, determine the new value of the house, and give the homeowner a new loan at the new home value.
ummmm... there's a little problem here. Who is really, really reaping the reward?
yep... the bank or lending agency. They made the big mistake of financing properties that they actually knew were inflated but wanted to get rich by playing all kinds of games and reselling and refinancing with each other. Mr. McCain wants them to get all of their money, thereby enriching the bosses even more.
What I think would be fair is to first determine the actual current value of a property and then tell the bank, "This is how much we are going to give you: the actual worth of the house. We are not going to be responsible for your bad investments. Take it or leave it. Eat your losses and pay the consequences with your investors."
Why should you and I pay for the mistakes? Where is Mr. McCain planning on getting the money? Should we just start using Chinese yaun (¥)? Won't he have to raise taxes to pay for it?
there are just too many questions, and i'm just asking...
UPDATE - 10/9/08: Jared Bernstein and Gene Sperling over at Huffington posted this today - Ouch! McCain's Housing Solution Is a Gift from Taxpayers to Banks.
the money quote [pun intended]
That's right folks...it's private profits and social losses. Instead of an effort to safeguard taxpayers as Senator Obama has called for and the Frank-Dodd bill goes to great lengths to do, this plan takes from taxpayers to provide unjustifiable subsidies to financial institutions - even those who engaged in deceptive or outright fraudulent practices to induce people into homes they could not afford.helloooooooooo...
the debate moderators...
There has been a lot of talk around the web about the roles of Jim Lehrer, Tom Brokaw and Gwen Ifill during the last three debates and that they did not really ask clarifying questions after the candidates' answers and remarks.
It was obvious, but I wonder if this is NOT part of the agreement that is supposed to be page after page in length.
I also wonder that most of the restrictions in the document came from the Mcpains. They have a history of telling people that it's my way or no way. Palin is not going to do any more interviews, according to the campaign, and will not do a press conference, because the media picks on her and skews her image.
Why do I wonder?
Wasn't it the Mcpains that forced MSNBC to withdraw Keith Olberman and Tim Matthews as its anchors for the debate coverage? Weren't the two men told to tone down their rhetoric? There was talk that it really came from the old-school reporters who said that the two were taking things too far, but it certainly wasn't any farther than what Fox News does.
i mean, i'm just asking...
oh, and as far as skewing Plain's image, i still like this image the best...
sorry [no i'm not[, i couldn't resist...
It was obvious, but I wonder if this is NOT part of the agreement that is supposed to be page after page in length.
I also wonder that most of the restrictions in the document came from the Mcpains. They have a history of telling people that it's my way or no way. Palin is not going to do any more interviews, according to the campaign, and will not do a press conference, because the media picks on her and skews her image.
Why do I wonder?
Wasn't it the Mcpains that forced MSNBC to withdraw Keith Olberman and Tim Matthews as its anchors for the debate coverage? Weren't the two men told to tone down their rhetoric? There was talk that it really came from the old-school reporters who said that the two were taking things too far, but it certainly wasn't any farther than what Fox News does.
i mean, i'm just asking...
oh, and as far as skewing Plain's image, i still like this image the best...
sorry [no i'm not[, i couldn't resist...
it is about race - part 4: don't let it be...
I have had a political crush on Donna Brazile for a long time. She is forward thinking, open and honest in what she reports and comments. She is not afraid to say things as they are and this is an example of how race cannot be part of the 2008 election.
The video below is from a panel discussion the New Yorker Magazine held last Saturday, October 4, 2008, moderated by Jeffrey Toobin. It is the part with Ms. Brazile pointedly saying that the election has to get down to the issues and she puts things into a real perspective making it as obvious as she can that this election is one of the most important in U.S. history.
Here is the corresponding story on the New Yorker website: DONNA BRAZILE: “IF I WERE RUNNING THIS CAMPAIGN” where you can view the video of the entire panel discussion.
It frightens me that we could go backwards as she implies explicitly and not just on race.
An idea that has been rolling around in my head for the last couple of weeks is a comparison of the McCain campaign to the all out-fight the Catholic church waged in the Middle Ages against the Guttenberg Printing Press. The church wanted to keep people ignorant so that they could keep control of their thoughts, their lives, and their money - complete enslavement.
The church fought to keep the invention of Gutenberg's printing press under wraps, because if people could easily get printed material, more would want to learn how to read. If people know how to read, their minds can be open to new ideas that others have and form their own ideas as well. The church realized that knowledge was dangerous to their control.
Sadly, this still goes on in some places in the world, e.g. the Taliban in Afghanistan, and other groups, even in this country, struggle to control what people think by feeding on their fears, by trying to stifle the media through intimidation and innuendo, and by pushing fundamentalism on the country.
i'm sure Jefferson, Madison, Adams et. al. are somewhere shaking their heads at what they are seeing...
The video below is from a panel discussion the New Yorker Magazine held last Saturday, October 4, 2008, moderated by Jeffrey Toobin. It is the part with Ms. Brazile pointedly saying that the election has to get down to the issues and she puts things into a real perspective making it as obvious as she can that this election is one of the most important in U.S. history.
Here is the corresponding story on the New Yorker website: DONNA BRAZILE: “IF I WERE RUNNING THIS CAMPAIGN” where you can view the video of the entire panel discussion.
It frightens me that we could go backwards as she implies explicitly and not just on race.
An idea that has been rolling around in my head for the last couple of weeks is a comparison of the McCain campaign to the all out-fight the Catholic church waged in the Middle Ages against the Guttenberg Printing Press. The church wanted to keep people ignorant so that they could keep control of their thoughts, their lives, and their money - complete enslavement.
The church fought to keep the invention of Gutenberg's printing press under wraps, because if people could easily get printed material, more would want to learn how to read. If people know how to read, their minds can be open to new ideas that others have and form their own ideas as well. The church realized that knowledge was dangerous to their control.
Sadly, this still goes on in some places in the world, e.g. the Taliban in Afghanistan, and other groups, even in this country, struggle to control what people think by feeding on their fears, by trying to stifle the media through intimidation and innuendo, and by pushing fundamentalism on the country.
i'm sure Jefferson, Madison, Adams et. al. are somewhere shaking their heads at what they are seeing...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)