I consider myself fortunate to live in the state of Washington. Sure, it gets gloomy in the winter… and sometimes the fall… and the spring can be a little wet too. But the summers are awesome and the people incredibly laid back. Too laid back sometimes. The driving lacks an aggression I grew up with in New York. But for the most part, laid back is good. So where did this guy come from?
On Monday, April 5th, charges were filed against a Washington man named Charles Alan Wilson for threatening a federal official. The charge was based on a series of voicemails left for Senator Patty Murray. Mr. Wilson was apparently displeased with the outcome of the vote on healthcare. I thought it might be fun to list them and offer my interpretation of what exactly they mean. The text of the messages was taken directly from the court filings. That’s right, this shit is real.
Two things immediately came to mind (a whole bunch of stuff gradually came to mind but I’ll stick to the immediate things). First, this is an example of the people that were so very much against the health care bill. Based on what I’ve read and observed, it’s not really an anomaly. There are a lot of these nut jobs out there. The second thing, and this is really scary, is that this guy is packing heat! Yeah, you can read the court filing in its entirety (here it is http://www.seattlepi.com/dayart/20100406/Murray_threats.pdf ) and see for yourself. At the end they confirm that the guy has a permit to carry. It also explains how they caught Dr. Einstein… I mean Mr. Wilson. First they subpoenaed phone company records to determine incoming calls to the Senator’s office. Then they matched up times with the voicemail messages. Finally, posing as a member of an organization attempting to repeal the bill, an undercover FBI agent phoned Mr. Wilson and asked if they could record a call and Wilson agreed they could. He then went on to use much of the same language, analogies, and descriptive phrases he used in the voicemails. That, combined with the fact that the voices matched exactly, proved to be Wilson’s undoing.
Now, before we begin, I want to point out that I was displeased with my congressman’s vote. He voted against the bill as did the rest of his party. I did exactly what Mr. Wilson did. I called his office. There are two differences however. I pointed out I was disappointed and would not be voting for the congressman again and I did not get into the detail that Mr. Wilson did. And I only called once. Wilson called sixteen times!
Please be advised that Mr. Wilson uses language that makes me look like a Disney character. He even uses a word that I find to be so vile and offensive that I have probably only uttered it a handful of times in my entire life… and every time I have it’s made me shudder with self loathing. I didn’t spell that one out. So, off we go!
Message #1.
“I hope you realize there’s a target on your back now. There are many people out there that want you dead. Just remember that as you are politicking for your re-election. It only takes one piece of lead…. Kill the fucking senator! Kill the fucking senator! I’ll donate the lead…. Now that you’ve passed your health-care bill, let the violence begin. Let the violence begin. There’s people gonna get hurt over this son of a bitch. We, the people, will not subside, succumb to socialism. Let the violence begin. You will find out and you will actually really pay. You have awakened a sleeping giant. The American people will not put up with it. We are not a country of cowards, as one of the high ranking people of this administration says. You’ll find out how fucking cowardly we really are, my dear. Better get under your desk, get on your (unintelligible).”
Translation.
I’m a moron and I own a gun.
Message #2
“With the passing of your health-care bill, it is living proof now that this great country that believes in God and guns. Since you’ve done this, there’s going to be some bigger targets on your fucking back…. I hope somebody kills you, and I hope somebody kills [the President]. Yes, die, dead. You’re signing my death warrant, so I want to sign yours, fucking bitch.”
Translation
I have trouble speaking English, I voted for McCain, and I’m a moron.
Message #3
“As you grow older you are going to have a target on your back forever, for voting in socialism into this country with your health-care bill and your cap’n tax. You’re gonna have a target on your back for the rest of your life. How long do you think you can hide? Yes, for the rest of your life. And there is going to be-it could be a senior citizen, could be a veteran, could be a mad momma, an upset momma. By your attempts to overtake this country with socialism, somebody’s gonna get to you one way or another and blow your fucking brains out, and I hope it does happen. If I have the chance, I would do it. You have created a hatred in this country against socialism, and you low-life backstabbing, lying, cheating, politicians are going to be held accountable. And hopefully it is with your life. I hope it’s with your life. I hope somebody takes your fucking fat ass fucking out, I really do. And it’s just my belief. I’m not a tea party bagger. I’m an independent U.S. voter. I’m neither Republican nor Democrat. I hope you fucking die. I want to fucking kill you. I hope somebody fucking hangs you, blows your fucking brains out. We will not be socialized, you fucking c..t. Get it through your fucking brains head. You have – you are a marked person for the rest of your fucking life, you fucking slut.”
Translation
My mad momma hates me and I killed small animals as a child. AND I really, really, really, like the target on your back analogy. Oh, and I’m not a “tea party bagger”… I’m a moron….. and I think you sleep around.
Message # 4
“Kill the fucking Senator! Hang the fucking Senator! I hope somebody puts a bullet between your fucking eyes. Far left liberal socialist democratic bitch. You mother-fucker. You sold the fucking people of the country out for socialism. I hope somebody fucking erasers your fucking life. Yes, I hope somebody assassinates you, you fucking bitch.”
Translation
I like to use the f word more that that liberal fucking blogger Common Sense! I’d like to save one bullet for the space between that rat bastards eyes. And I like sentence fragments. And I find socialism irritating. And I think “erasers your fucking life” is a fun way of saying “kills you”.
Message #5
“In watching how this government works, this is not a striking and what you’re doing to this country, I surely hope somebody puts a fucking bullet through your fucking brain. I hope they blow your fucking brain all over the fucking wall. Yes, I hope somebody assassinates you. I wish Somebody would kill you…. I wish somebody would blow your ass off the face of the fucking earth. Yes, assassinate you. I wish somebody would blow your fucking brains out…. Not only do I say ‘Kill the bill!’ I say ‘Kill the fucking Senator! Hang the fucking bitch! Hang that mother-fucking bitch from a fucking gallows! Kill the bill, kill the Senator too.”
Translation
You know that King Crimson group that does that prog rock shit? They do a song that goes “ I repeat myself when I’m distressed, I repeat myself when I’m distressed, I repeat…” They’re talking about me!!!! And I still have trouble with English. And I’d like to kick the shit out of that asshole Common Sense! Kill the blogger! Kill the fucking blogger!
Message #6
“I do believe that every one of you mother-fucking socialist democratic progressive mother-fuckers need to be taken out. Put in front of a fucking firing squad and shot between the fucking eyes. Assassinated, you fucking low-life. There is a growing hatred, my dear, for you progressive socialist democrats. Socialism will not work. There is a growing hatred. And guess who caused it? You, you! My hatred is coming from you, you fucking slut. Since you are going to put my life at risk, and some bureaucrat is going to determine my health-care, your life is at risk, dear. Yes, your life is at risk. There are a lot more of us. There are a lot of crazy people out there, and your security may stay with you for a long time, but somebody will get through. You never know. Your life is in danger, since you’re putting my life in danger. Turn about’s fair play.”
Translation
I have anger issues and still wear a diaper. And I’d vote for Sarah Palin in a heartbeat! I hear she can put a bullet between the eyes of a “mother-fucking socialist democratic progressive mother-fucker” with a slingshot at two hundred yards! And I’m not just a moron… I’m a CRAZY moron amongst other CRAZY morons! Fuckity fuck fuck!
Message #7
“Fuck you socialists up the ass. You’re dead fucking meat, Murray! You’re dead fucking meat! Baby killer, Murray. I hope somebody gets through your security and blows your fucking brains out, you fucking baby killing fucking bitch. Yeah, you fucking spineless fucking whore. You Pike Street fucking whore. I hope sombody gets through your security and blows your fucking brains out, you fucking baby killer. Blows your fucking brains out. We will not be socialized, you fuking c…t. Get it through your fucking head. You have – You are a marked person for the rest of your fucking life, you fucking slut.
Translation
I am having a homo-erotic fantasy about socialists. And it suddenly strikes me you might be a baby killer! Somebody call the cops! Oh, and you turn tricks on Pike Street… and I repeat myself when I’m distressed, I repeat myself when I’m distressed, …… did I mention I’m a moron?
Message #8
“Senator, you just got done fucking the people of this state, the senior citizens of this country and most everybody else, to satisfy your idealogical ideas. We are going to fuck you up. We are going to fuck you up as bad as we can. Yes, the independents. The real people of this country, not you spineless fucking socialists. You better watch your fucking back, baby, because there’s people gonna come after you with fucking both fucking barrles, bitch. You fucking Pike Street whore.”
Translation
I’m fucking, you’re fucking, everybody’s fucking! And where the hell did I come up with Pike Street whore? What am I… nuts?
Message #9
“Somebody is eventually gonna get through your security and put a fucking gun to your head, and hopefully I will be able to watch somebody blow your fucking brains out. You’re so fucking ignorant. I would actually pay to help that person, you fucking sleeze-ball fucking c..t. You are ruining this country. You have awakened a sleeping giant and we are coming after you. Yes, we the people. As you trash our Constitution, you tried to lead us into a socialistic nation, we’re gonna fuck you up. We’re gonna fuck you up so fucking bad, you’re gonna be fucking….. I hope somebody gets through your security and blows your fucking brains out. Yes, I truly, really, with all my heart, hopefull somebody does that.”
Translation
So, to rehash my sentiments for the umpteenth time… fucking, fucking, fucking, fucking…..
Message #10
“The old saying goes, my dear, all’s fair in love and war. This is war, so everything is fair. Cover your back. You better have eyes in the back of your head. Cover your back, all’s fair in love and war. Nobody comes out a winner. You may think you’re a winner now. You’re gonna be the biggest fucking loser. Youhave a horrendous amount of people that dislike you and your policies, and since we are, you have declared war on the American citizens, and we are declaring war upon you. Watch your back.”
Translation
Wise men saaaay only fools rush innnnn…..
But I can't help, falling in love with yoooooou……
Message #11
“Now that you have finally screwed the people of this State and helped screw the people of this country, I hope that you are very, very proud of yourself. You’ll go down in the annals of time as one of the most fantastic Pike Street whores that Washington has ever had. I want to thank you so much for ruining my life and yes, for killing babies. Voting on a bill that kills babies, you ought to be very, very proud of yourself. That’s what you should run on from this Fall as you run around town in your sneaker shoes. Yes, uh, it’s not that I hate you. I’ve never met you. But your policies and your ideals suck. Yes. In your dying days, I hope it turns around and bites you in the fucking ass so fucking hard, you fucking c..t.”
Translation
I’m still fucking, you’re still fucking, even the Pike Street whores are still fucking! We’re just a bunch of fucking fucks! Fuckin’ Aaaaaaaay! Did I really say “sneaker shoes”?
Message #12
“I hope we shove this health-care bill so far down your throat. You shoved it down our throat, we’re gonna shove it up your ass. Yes, we’re gonna shove it right up your ass. We’re gonna take your ass out of office. That way, you cannot harm us any more. Maybe I will not have to go to the end-of-life classes that you have planned for us. Because you’re gonna be there some day, too, yourself. So you better study up, my dear.”
Translation
You shove the health-care in, you shove the health care out, you shove the health care in, and you shake it all about… do the hokey pokey as you shove it down your throat…no wait, your ass, yeah, your ass…. That’s what it’s all about! Now excuse me. I’m late for Sarah Palin’s lecture on death panels.
Message # 13
Yes Patty, I hope you choke on your health-care bill. We’re choking on it. Yes, me are a senior citizen on social security and medicare. I want to thank you so much, very very much, for signing my death warrant. You, you have given me so much in your career, I don’t know how to thank you. Oh, gee, thank you so much. I, I just love this new health-care bill. I’m glad I finally got to state that I need to go pass away when I have out-lived my usefulness you, you. Yes, that makes me so glad. At least I know that I will be taken care of, you know, in the after-life….. It’s sad to say, but uh, we won’t go down without a fight. A big fight, and it can hurt people. You’re already hurting me, so when I’m hurt, I want to hurt back. And I think that turn-about’s fair play…. Thank you so much for signing my death warrant. Too bad It’s not yours.
Translation
Me are a senior citizen on social security and medicare. Gooby gooby gagga woo woo yaka yaka weeeeeeeee!
Message #14
“Senator….. Fuck you. You are fired. You are 86’ed. Fuck you, you Pike Street fucking whore. You fucking slut. Come over to Yakima and list-Come on down to Grandview and get some more spit dick there, you old fucking c..t.”
Translation
Hey! I think I’m Donald Trump! Gotta go buy me one of them thar fancy hair pieces! And has anyone seen my little “spit dick”? I was going to use that next time I went down to Pike Street!
Message #15
“Fuck you liberals. We’re gonna take you out, Murray. We’re gonna take you out. Fuck you, God damn liberals.”
Translation
Might I interest you in dinner and a movie?
Message #16
“Oh, you were in Yakima last week. How come you didn’t give a big speech to the people outside waiting to see you? Yeah, we were outside waiting for you, hopefully you would come out and explain to us how come this health-care bill that you railed on so highly is going to create the biggest drain in American history. It’s going to cause so much pain and suffering. I would like to thank you so much, for robbing from me and putting on my childrens’ plate the most ridiculous, underhanded, back-door lying, cheating, unconstitutional. Fuck you, you fucking slut, you fucking c..t. I wish you the fucking pain I am going through. I wish it upon you. I hope you had the worst fucking Easter of your entire fucking life. We are coming after you , bitch, taking you out of fucking office. We are going to remove you from doing any more damage to the people that you are supposed to represent, not rule. Fuck you c..t, you fucking Pike Street fucking slut.”
Translation
Tonight for dinner, me and the kids are having a heaping helping of “ridiculous, underhanded,back-door lying, cheating, unconstitutional” with a side of “fucking slut”. When you get a minute, could you let me know your thoughts on whether or not I used the words fucking and fuck enough? I’d count them… but golly there’s a passle of ‘em… and you know?... I have that moron thing going….. Oh! Happy Easter!
So there you have it. The saga of Charles Alan Wilson, the fucking, mother-fucking, fucky, fuck fuck and his fucking brilliant orations on that fucking health bill and that fucking fuck of a fucking Pike Street fucking whore. Fucking brings a fucking, mother-fucking, fucking slut fucking tear to your fucking eye doesn’t it? Fuck yeah it fucking does. Let’s hope the fucker gets twenty fucking years to find out just how fucking fucky fucking prison can fucking be! He’ll be fucking singing the fucking praises of fucking Murray and that fucking health care bill after his first visit to the fucking proctologist!
Peace,
Common Sense
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Three, Three, Three Blogs in One!
I’ve been pretty quiet of late but in view of the health care cluster fuck and it’s eventual passing I feel a good venting is in order. What the hell is it going to take for the Republican party to see how self destructive they have become? I have said before that the Republicans, as we know them, are dead. I base this on their behavior, their tactics, and the extremely large percentage of their membership base that believes Obama wasn’t born in the USA, that the new health plan will kill off their aging relatives, and that Sarah Palin is actually qualified to run this country (or, as I prefer to call them… morons).
I gleefully read three articles recently that were extremely supportive of my position. One from a blogger named Russell King who, like me, used to actually BE a Republican (did you know that about me?...). A quick word about that. When I think of myself as I was back then, it is very easy to place myself in the selfish category (as opposed to the misguided or ignorant category). If I didn’t know you AND like you I basically didn’t give a shit about you. I hated paying taxes (MY MONEY). I thought people who needed assistance were totally at fault for their plight (some are… but most aren’t). Basically, I was an arrogant prick. Sound familiar? But back to the blogger!
It’s a lengthy piece but well worth the read. He chastises the party for a myriad of faults and links his accusations to proof that he’s right! Now, I didn’t click on every link…. But I clicked on enough to validate the dude. He’s done his homework. He breaks down their transgressions into four basic categories. These are hypocrisy, hyperbole, historical inaccuracy, and hatred. Then he proceeds to tee off on their sorry asses in a way that just made me feel warm all over. I wish I’d done it. He fucking skewers them. You can read it for yourself here.
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/a/m/americandad/2010/03/an-open-letter-to-conservative.php
If you are a Democrat you are going to love it. Trust me. If you are a Republican, read it and weep. And I don’t want to hear your whining, juvenile, baseless, responses. For once in your pathetic, right dwelling, low life existences, shut the fuck up and take your medicine. You deserve it. You’ve been acting like third graders for far too long and it’s time you faced the music.
The second piece is written by a liberal named Bob Herbert. You’ve probably heard of him. He does an Op-Ed column for the NY Times. Has also had a lot of face time on local NY TV and national news as well. He goes after what he calls an “absence of class” in the GOP. He makes his case by citing multiple examples (all easily verified) including the recent protesters that first mocked, then threw dollar bills at a guy with Parkinson’s. If you haven’t seen the video, Google it. One would hope this incident would turn many right thinking Americans away from the party but there’s more. He speaks to the protesters that hurled out vitriolic and hateful slurs and one that actually spit on a black Congressman. This is the “Grand Old Party”? And the truly disgusting reality is that prior to being slapped around in the media, the GOP didn’t say dick about it. I’m convinced that deep down, maybe even the good ones (if there are any left… Colin Powell comes to mind) are willing to tolerate it because it riles up the morons and garners votes. It’s pretty sick shit. You can read Bob’s column here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/opinion/23herbert.html
Lefties might not be as “amused” by this one because the behavior covered is nothing less than disgusting. My mind becomes flooded with fantasies when I read it. And they aren’t pretty. I’m thinking huge mob that attacks and beats beats these assholes to within an inch of their pathetic, ignorant lives. But I immediately realize that like behavior isn’t the answer. The answer is a continued ass kicking at the polling places.
The third article is my favorite. I mean Russell and Bob make great points. And there really is no rational argument that can dispute those points. I think I’ve mentioned my conservative “friend” from college. You know, the one who ultimately “DE-friended” me on Facebook? He actually argued that Russell was irrelevant and Bob was a “libtard” so their positions are meaningless. I love it when he or others on the right use that term. As I pointed out to him, in trying to discount me he actually validates my position when he employs a term that you could consider denigrating to both liberals (tolerable) and those that suffer a handicap (not tolerable). I refer to GW as THE MORON (yes, I capitalize it) but that’s because he is one. I do NOT liken him to the disadvantaged. But I’m off point….
The third article is written by a conservative. In fact,he’s a prominent conservative. David Frum is a former speech writer for THE MORON. My “de-friended” friend discounts him because he hails from Canada. I guess people from Canada aren’t allowed to have opinions. I believe his rationale on this one was that Frum’s mind had become fallow, basting in the socialism that is the Canadian Government. Wow… some really sound arguments don’t you think? He’s made me realize that not only is there a large percentage of morons in the Republican Party, but that being a member can actually turn you into a moron! I mean this guy used to be quite intelligent. What the fuck happened? It’s one thing to have an opinion. But it certainly gives one pause when that opinion is argued by taking a page from the playbook of the village idiot (and my heartfelt apologies to all the village idiots out there…. No offense intended). But AGAIN I’m off point….
SO, David just lambastes the shit out of the party. Wow is it ever fun to read. He says it with vigor (that was for you PJ)! He speaks to the health care passage as the Republican’s “most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s.” He says it’s “hard to exaggerate the magnitude of the disaster” (I love that). He states the GOP’s position as one of no compromise, and no negotiating and then states they went for “all the marbles and got NOTHING” (I love that too). He then goes on (and I commend him for it… apparently one of the few honest Republicans left) to explain that what was passed was not very different from the Republican proposals when Clinton pushed health care. Read that again…. Not much difference between what we have and what was proposed by the right. And there’s more…. He points out that attempts to repeal this thing are pipe dreams. It ain’t going to happen. And MORE… he explains how following the most radical voices in the party led them all to this crushing slaughter. This is beautiful stuff made even more so because it’s a conservative saying it.
Then, he states that there were those in the party that might have been willing to make a deal. That, however, was rendered impossible by the nut jobs on FOX and their ilk. Read the last two paragraphs of the piece and giggle like a school girl (if you're a Democrat... if you're a Republican you won't have anything resembling an urge to giggle). Boy does he ever nail it. A huge defeat for the party… but a big win for those that make their living preying on those aforementioned morons. Read it here…
http://www.frumforum.com/waterloo
I took the time this week to call my Congressman (they probably have a file on me by now) who is a Republican and who I voted for (just couldn’t bring myself to vote for the Democrat in this one. No experience and a little too “eager”. Like I said, I’m really a left leaning centrist and this guy seemed to have potential to lead and not follow. Back in the day he was the Sheriff/lead detective in the Green River Serial Killer case). I politely explained that I was incredibly disappointed in his vote. I pointed out that I found it very hard to believe that not one… again, NOT ONE single Republican found the bill worthy of a yea. I asked his aide if he or the Congressman didn’t see how that might be considered partisan politics. After all, not every single Democrat voted yea. Some voted nay. How is it possible that every single Republican was truly against this bill. I mean there must be some, somewhere, hiding maybe, but there, that supported it. Or at least saw some merit. But every single Republican voted nay. Anyway, I explained to the aide that I would not be voting for the Congressman again. I will vote for the Green River Killer if he runs against him as a Democrat. I’m done with this spineless shithead. Fuck him.
Now I joke around a lot but here’s the tragedy of this. Like it or not, we are a two party system. Yeah, the occasional free spirit gets elected but for the most part, this country is run by Republicans and Democrats. When one of those parties becomes as fucked up as the GOP is right now, we can get lopsided. There’s no balance. As a left leaning centrist this concerns me almost as much as a strong GOP (not AS much mind you). The next year or two could prove to be very interesting. Will the Republican Party wake up and throw all the bottom feeders they’ve been collecting overboard? Will they move towards the center? Or will they come up with a new strategy that accumulates a new set of “intellectually challenged” dolts that vote in direct opposition to their own best interest. Will the Democrats kick MAJOR ass over the next few years and force the right to examine what has become of them? I don’t think we will see any major failures of the new health care system born of this landmark legislation. Sure, there will be positives and negatives. But when the American people see benefits, one would think that undercurrent of rage and distrust would disseminate or be rejected out of hand by the right’s less radical thinkers. One would think this would be fertile ground for change. But when the more vocal elements of your party include “birthers”, folks that believe in “death panels”, and Sarah Palin, I’m not sure change is possible. Time will tell.
Peace,
Common Sense
I gleefully read three articles recently that were extremely supportive of my position. One from a blogger named Russell King who, like me, used to actually BE a Republican (did you know that about me?...). A quick word about that. When I think of myself as I was back then, it is very easy to place myself in the selfish category (as opposed to the misguided or ignorant category). If I didn’t know you AND like you I basically didn’t give a shit about you. I hated paying taxes (MY MONEY). I thought people who needed assistance were totally at fault for their plight (some are… but most aren’t). Basically, I was an arrogant prick. Sound familiar? But back to the blogger!
It’s a lengthy piece but well worth the read. He chastises the party for a myriad of faults and links his accusations to proof that he’s right! Now, I didn’t click on every link…. But I clicked on enough to validate the dude. He’s done his homework. He breaks down their transgressions into four basic categories. These are hypocrisy, hyperbole, historical inaccuracy, and hatred. Then he proceeds to tee off on their sorry asses in a way that just made me feel warm all over. I wish I’d done it. He fucking skewers them. You can read it for yourself here.
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/a/m/americandad/2010/03/an-open-letter-to-conservative.php
If you are a Democrat you are going to love it. Trust me. If you are a Republican, read it and weep. And I don’t want to hear your whining, juvenile, baseless, responses. For once in your pathetic, right dwelling, low life existences, shut the fuck up and take your medicine. You deserve it. You’ve been acting like third graders for far too long and it’s time you faced the music.
The second piece is written by a liberal named Bob Herbert. You’ve probably heard of him. He does an Op-Ed column for the NY Times. Has also had a lot of face time on local NY TV and national news as well. He goes after what he calls an “absence of class” in the GOP. He makes his case by citing multiple examples (all easily verified) including the recent protesters that first mocked, then threw dollar bills at a guy with Parkinson’s. If you haven’t seen the video, Google it. One would hope this incident would turn many right thinking Americans away from the party but there’s more. He speaks to the protesters that hurled out vitriolic and hateful slurs and one that actually spit on a black Congressman. This is the “Grand Old Party”? And the truly disgusting reality is that prior to being slapped around in the media, the GOP didn’t say dick about it. I’m convinced that deep down, maybe even the good ones (if there are any left… Colin Powell comes to mind) are willing to tolerate it because it riles up the morons and garners votes. It’s pretty sick shit. You can read Bob’s column here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/opinion/23herbert.html
Lefties might not be as “amused” by this one because the behavior covered is nothing less than disgusting. My mind becomes flooded with fantasies when I read it. And they aren’t pretty. I’m thinking huge mob that attacks and beats beats these assholes to within an inch of their pathetic, ignorant lives. But I immediately realize that like behavior isn’t the answer. The answer is a continued ass kicking at the polling places.
The third article is my favorite. I mean Russell and Bob make great points. And there really is no rational argument that can dispute those points. I think I’ve mentioned my conservative “friend” from college. You know, the one who ultimately “DE-friended” me on Facebook? He actually argued that Russell was irrelevant and Bob was a “libtard” so their positions are meaningless. I love it when he or others on the right use that term. As I pointed out to him, in trying to discount me he actually validates my position when he employs a term that you could consider denigrating to both liberals (tolerable) and those that suffer a handicap (not tolerable). I refer to GW as THE MORON (yes, I capitalize it) but that’s because he is one. I do NOT liken him to the disadvantaged. But I’m off point….
The third article is written by a conservative. In fact,he’s a prominent conservative. David Frum is a former speech writer for THE MORON. My “de-friended” friend discounts him because he hails from Canada. I guess people from Canada aren’t allowed to have opinions. I believe his rationale on this one was that Frum’s mind had become fallow, basting in the socialism that is the Canadian Government. Wow… some really sound arguments don’t you think? He’s made me realize that not only is there a large percentage of morons in the Republican Party, but that being a member can actually turn you into a moron! I mean this guy used to be quite intelligent. What the fuck happened? It’s one thing to have an opinion. But it certainly gives one pause when that opinion is argued by taking a page from the playbook of the village idiot (and my heartfelt apologies to all the village idiots out there…. No offense intended). But AGAIN I’m off point….
SO, David just lambastes the shit out of the party. Wow is it ever fun to read. He says it with vigor (that was for you PJ)! He speaks to the health care passage as the Republican’s “most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s.” He says it’s “hard to exaggerate the magnitude of the disaster” (I love that). He states the GOP’s position as one of no compromise, and no negotiating and then states they went for “all the marbles and got NOTHING” (I love that too). He then goes on (and I commend him for it… apparently one of the few honest Republicans left) to explain that what was passed was not very different from the Republican proposals when Clinton pushed health care. Read that again…. Not much difference between what we have and what was proposed by the right. And there’s more…. He points out that attempts to repeal this thing are pipe dreams. It ain’t going to happen. And MORE… he explains how following the most radical voices in the party led them all to this crushing slaughter. This is beautiful stuff made even more so because it’s a conservative saying it.
Then, he states that there were those in the party that might have been willing to make a deal. That, however, was rendered impossible by the nut jobs on FOX and their ilk. Read the last two paragraphs of the piece and giggle like a school girl (if you're a Democrat... if you're a Republican you won't have anything resembling an urge to giggle). Boy does he ever nail it. A huge defeat for the party… but a big win for those that make their living preying on those aforementioned morons. Read it here…
http://www.frumforum.com/waterloo
I took the time this week to call my Congressman (they probably have a file on me by now) who is a Republican and who I voted for (just couldn’t bring myself to vote for the Democrat in this one. No experience and a little too “eager”. Like I said, I’m really a left leaning centrist and this guy seemed to have potential to lead and not follow. Back in the day he was the Sheriff/lead detective in the Green River Serial Killer case). I politely explained that I was incredibly disappointed in his vote. I pointed out that I found it very hard to believe that not one… again, NOT ONE single Republican found the bill worthy of a yea. I asked his aide if he or the Congressman didn’t see how that might be considered partisan politics. After all, not every single Democrat voted yea. Some voted nay. How is it possible that every single Republican was truly against this bill. I mean there must be some, somewhere, hiding maybe, but there, that supported it. Or at least saw some merit. But every single Republican voted nay. Anyway, I explained to the aide that I would not be voting for the Congressman again. I will vote for the Green River Killer if he runs against him as a Democrat. I’m done with this spineless shithead. Fuck him.
Now I joke around a lot but here’s the tragedy of this. Like it or not, we are a two party system. Yeah, the occasional free spirit gets elected but for the most part, this country is run by Republicans and Democrats. When one of those parties becomes as fucked up as the GOP is right now, we can get lopsided. There’s no balance. As a left leaning centrist this concerns me almost as much as a strong GOP (not AS much mind you). The next year or two could prove to be very interesting. Will the Republican Party wake up and throw all the bottom feeders they’ve been collecting overboard? Will they move towards the center? Or will they come up with a new strategy that accumulates a new set of “intellectually challenged” dolts that vote in direct opposition to their own best interest. Will the Democrats kick MAJOR ass over the next few years and force the right to examine what has become of them? I don’t think we will see any major failures of the new health care system born of this landmark legislation. Sure, there will be positives and negatives. But when the American people see benefits, one would think that undercurrent of rage and distrust would disseminate or be rejected out of hand by the right’s less radical thinkers. One would think this would be fertile ground for change. But when the more vocal elements of your party include “birthers”, folks that believe in “death panels”, and Sarah Palin, I’m not sure change is possible. Time will tell.
Peace,
Common Sense
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Scooby Doo, Where Are You?
I’ve been absent for awhile but this was too good to ignore. The RNC put together a fund raising presentation that, as stated by Steve Pendlebury of AOL News, “lays out a strategy to fan fears that President Barack Obama is moving the country towards socialism”. Now, this really isn’t a surprise. I’ve been ranting and raving about the use of fear mongering and misinformation on the part of the Republican Party for a long, long time. What this does however, is confirm that I’m right. And it’s not a third party confirmation. It’s confirmation by none other than the perpetrators of these actions. It’s really too good to be true. Except of course that the right leaning target audience will remain too stupid to understand what’s happening so little will likely change. But it’s a start.
They split the donor base into two main categories. One is major donors, further defined by “calculated giving”. Among these are “ego driven”, “peer to peer pressure”, “networking opportunities”, “wall of fame”. What does it all mean? Sounds to me like a bunch of rich guys with egos sitting around in a perverse contest of sorts to see who’s the biggest, baddest, republican in town. Could these be those selfish rich folks I’ve been talking about that make up the controlling segment of the party? There are probably some of the misguided ones as well who think they are with the right team. But this isn’t the good part….
The good part is the segment under Direct Marketing. This is further defined by “visceral giving”. Keep in mind that these are contributions based on instinctive “feelings” or reactions. This is not in any way tied to intellect. And the party knows it. They labeled it visceral. Included under visceral giving is “fear”, “extreme negative feeling towards existing administration”, “reactionary”, “issue/circumstantially oriented”. In other words… morons. OK, maybe I’m overstating and oversimplifying. So to be fair, you define them (but I’m sticking with morons).
Now, that’s not all. There’s a great slide that portrays the “Evil Empire”. It’s headed by two of the artistically interpreted (blue and red) photos of Obama that became so famous, one with hope, the other with progress emblazoned below the photo. Surrounding these are; the now infamous shot of Obama as the Joker (Batman) emblazoned with socialism, Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” (which we, as a society, seem to have a lot of fun playing around with) with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid’s faces photo shopped in, a caricature portraying Pelosi as Cruella DeVille (their spelling, not mine), and then Harry Reid as none other than Scooby Doo. Have I not likened the ravings of the Republican Party to what you might hear in an elementary school yard? Scooby Doo? Really? Scooby Doo?
So there you have it. The Republican Party has now gone on record that they are very willing to exploit fear, prey on lack of intellect, turn fundraising into an egomaniacal art form, and best of all, actually use the name Scooby Doo in an official fundraising presentation. Scooby Doo? I’m still a dizzy from laughing so hard. Scooby Doo? There’s a bumper sticker I’m fond of. It says “What would Scooby Doo?” Well, it begs the question… “Just what WOULD Scooby Doo if he could vote?” You tell me…..
Peace,
Common Sense
They split the donor base into two main categories. One is major donors, further defined by “calculated giving”. Among these are “ego driven”, “peer to peer pressure”, “networking opportunities”, “wall of fame”. What does it all mean? Sounds to me like a bunch of rich guys with egos sitting around in a perverse contest of sorts to see who’s the biggest, baddest, republican in town. Could these be those selfish rich folks I’ve been talking about that make up the controlling segment of the party? There are probably some of the misguided ones as well who think they are with the right team. But this isn’t the good part….
The good part is the segment under Direct Marketing. This is further defined by “visceral giving”. Keep in mind that these are contributions based on instinctive “feelings” or reactions. This is not in any way tied to intellect. And the party knows it. They labeled it visceral. Included under visceral giving is “fear”, “extreme negative feeling towards existing administration”, “reactionary”, “issue/circumstantially oriented”. In other words… morons. OK, maybe I’m overstating and oversimplifying. So to be fair, you define them (but I’m sticking with morons).
Now, that’s not all. There’s a great slide that portrays the “Evil Empire”. It’s headed by two of the artistically interpreted (blue and red) photos of Obama that became so famous, one with hope, the other with progress emblazoned below the photo. Surrounding these are; the now infamous shot of Obama as the Joker (Batman) emblazoned with socialism, Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” (which we, as a society, seem to have a lot of fun playing around with) with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid’s faces photo shopped in, a caricature portraying Pelosi as Cruella DeVille (their spelling, not mine), and then Harry Reid as none other than Scooby Doo. Have I not likened the ravings of the Republican Party to what you might hear in an elementary school yard? Scooby Doo? Really? Scooby Doo?
So there you have it. The Republican Party has now gone on record that they are very willing to exploit fear, prey on lack of intellect, turn fundraising into an egomaniacal art form, and best of all, actually use the name Scooby Doo in an official fundraising presentation. Scooby Doo? I’m still a dizzy from laughing so hard. Scooby Doo? There’s a bumper sticker I’m fond of. It says “What would Scooby Doo?” Well, it begs the question… “Just what WOULD Scooby Doo if he could vote?” You tell me…..
Peace,
Common Sense
Saturday, January 23, 2010
There Will Be Expletives
OK, it’s been awhile and I apologize for that. I’ve been busy vacationing, parenting, working, doing the holidays, etc…. But I’m now pissed off enough to make time. As the title states, there will be expletives so if that offends you get out now. Of course, now that I think of it, there usually are expletives so shit, you knew that when you started reading.
First Massachusetts. What the fuck were they thinking? Now I don’t live there. I also don’t know enough about the candidates to really be firm in my stance on this. What I do know is that we, as a country, have the collective memory of a mentally handicapped goldfish. Now I will never expect Republicans as a whole to acknowledge that they got us into this mess. But some of them do. When a guy like Pat Robertson (now there’s a good topic to blog on) is on record stating that THE MORON is a fuck up there has got to be SOME truth to it right? Of course most of them don’t know the meaning of the word accountability but when a guy takes over the country with no deficit and an unemployment rate of around 4 percent and leaves office with a huge deficit and an unemployment rate over 7 percent there was obviously a problem. Throw in the stock market tanking while we watch our 401Ks and college funds going in the toilet and I’d say it was a pretty dismal performance. In fact, I recently sent an email to the guys in that forum I participate in pointing out that unemployment escalated at a greater rate under THE MORON than it has under Obama. He’s put the brakes on. You know those big ships? When traveling at full speed it takes them an amazingly long time to come to a full stop. Depending on the size of the ship and the speed it’s traveling it can take miles! I’ve read estimates that approach 45 minutes! That seems like a lot to me but the point is the United States of America is not a little pleasure craft. It’s a fucking aircraft carrier! People are pissed that unemployment has hit 10 percent but what they fail to notice is that the escalation rate has slowed. And it will soon start to get better.
So what happened in Massachusetts? Here’s my theory. People are sick and tired of the conditions in this country. They want the economy to improve and they want it to happen now. Yeah, unemployment is now at or just over 10%. And they suffer from that goldfish memory thing. People say that Obama isn’t delivering on his promised change. But congress and the senate aren’t exactly cooperating. And the reason they aren’t cooperating is due to the fact that politicians are only marginally concerned with our interests (most of them anyway). What they are REALLY focused on is their ability to get elected or stay in office. So they bull shit you. They are scared that if that promised change backfires they will lose their cushy jobs. So, little gets done and it gets done slowly. Now, watch what happens. If you thought things were moving slowly before you ain’t seen nothing yet. People allowed THE MORON to screw us for eight years. Now they want Obama to heal us in twelve months. So they elected a Republican. People are impatient and far too often … well…. Stupid.
I could go on and on about change and stagnation and ineptitude but I must move on because as pissed off as I am about the lack of movement on health care reform (which is what I’m most focused on and what is so desperately needed in this country) that is not really what motivated me to start writing again. What did was the Supreme Court decision on corporate campaign spending. Let’s throw this new influence into that political mix.
For years, I have been ranting and raving about this. There is no way a corporation can contribute substantial money to a politician’s campaign and not leave that politician beholden to them. If I were king of the world, politicians would be granted a set amount of campaign funds to be equally divided amongst them. Some form of system would need to be in place to establish the candidate’s viability. If you want a proposition to get on a ballot you collect signatures. Perhaps that’s one way. Garner enough signatures and you become a viable primary candidate. Win a primary and you become a viable candidate for office. But all candidates from day one should have equal resources. If they don’t it’s not an election. It’s a marketing campaign. Ron Popeil has made a fortune but do you want him running the country?
Now, the Supreme Court, in their infinite conservative wisdom, have decided that corporations and labor unions should be allowed to pump MORE money into a candidate. I’m sorry, but if this doesn’t piss you off something is wrong. This is the most blatantly partisan decision since the “appointment” of THE MORON to the Presidency! I don’t like absolutes as I believe it’s hard to be one hundred percent sure about anything but I’m absolutely sure this was NOT the vision our founding fathers had in mind. It says “We the people”, not “We the corporate entities”. This is NOT a ruling consistent with the ideals of a democratic republic. This is consistent with a corrupt, manipulative, communist regime. This promotes propaganda as a means to power. This enables big business to buy the favor of our politicians. Corporate America is about financial profit. The lust for profit is far too likely to breed exploitation and it should not be allowed to influence political outcomes. This blatantly screams that we are not in fact run by our government but by the most powerful, cash rich, corporations throughout the country. This should not be tolerated.
I was born in 1955. I remember the protests against the war in Viet Nam. I remember women burning their bras and men burning their draft cards. I remember when “we the people” got off our collective asses and screamed bloody murder when opposed to policy or dated tradition. Well, it’s time. This country needs to send a message that we are fucking fed up. What are YOU doing about it? I have an acquaintance who says he refuses to vote for the “lesser of two evils” so he doesn’t vote. Well, he’s part of the problem. Frankly, I think voting should be a requirement of citizenship. If you don’t want to vote, get the fuck out. You’re not helping us or yourself.
What are YOU doing about it? I’ll say it again… What are YOU doing about it? I’m blogging about it. I’m also calling my Congressman and my Senators. And I’m doing it more and more regularly as I get more and more fed up. The conservatives had their stupid “Tea Baggers” (more like Douche Baggers”) thing going. I think it’s time we started a movement and we should call it “We The People”. Here’s another thing I will guarantee. Corporate money will do nothing for “we the people”. Corporate money will enhance the power and profitability of “them the corporation”.
It’s hard to express how pissed off I am about this. I’m seething. We can make this convenient. To be a member of “We The People” you don’t have to march on Washington. You don’t have to stand on a street corner with a megaphone. You don’t have to circulate literature around your neighborhoods. You don’t have to plan and attend meetings. You don’t even have to contribute money (although every penny counts… especially now…. I try to donate what I can to the candidates and party of my choice). All you have to do is participate. Send a message by promising yourself you will do the necessary research and vote in every election. And CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES when you question policy or procedure. It is easy as hell to do and there are no excuses not to. Almost all of us have cell phones and many of those offer unlimited long distance. Many traditional landline phone plans offer it too. And there are toll free alternatives. And local offices with local numbers (although I like to call Washington… it just feels like it has more impact). But it’s EASY. Just “Google” your representatives and you will get their contact info. It will provide you with phone numbers. It will also allow you to send an email if you prefer to write. And if you are so apathetic that you don’t know who your congressman is (you have one) or your senators are (you have two) you can Google that too. Google US Congressman with your home town. Google US Senators with your home state. You can even Google “how do I find my congressman/senator”. Just do it and contact them. You think it’s bad now? Just wait. I won’t get into whether or not you want to see off-shore drilling but do you want Exxon-Mobile making the decision? What about interest rates? Would you like to see the banking industry having a hand in determining those? Health insurance? You want insurance companies legislating that? How about the AFL-CIO determining wage levels? Although I will say that in my humble opinion pitting unions against corporations is like bringing a knife to a gun fight. Who’s got more money? The UAW or Ford? In fact, I’m guessing the five conservative justices included unions to justify the ruling. It’s like saying we’re going to let mining companies AND the Jones family prospect in Yellowstone. Never mind that the Jones family will be digging with table spoons.
Wake up people. If we don’t act, nothing will get done. Think of it this way (I like extreme analogies because it makes even the most narcoleptic audience wake up). If I’m a politician soliciting campaign funds from the banking industry and I promise them I will do everything I possibly can do to decriminalize fraud by that industry are they going to give me money? You bet your ass they will. How much money am I going to get if I promise to do everything I can to put a leash on the bastards and stop them from ripping off the American people? Nada. Is this how you want your future decided? Pick up the fucking phone.
Peace,
Common Sense
First Massachusetts. What the fuck were they thinking? Now I don’t live there. I also don’t know enough about the candidates to really be firm in my stance on this. What I do know is that we, as a country, have the collective memory of a mentally handicapped goldfish. Now I will never expect Republicans as a whole to acknowledge that they got us into this mess. But some of them do. When a guy like Pat Robertson (now there’s a good topic to blog on) is on record stating that THE MORON is a fuck up there has got to be SOME truth to it right? Of course most of them don’t know the meaning of the word accountability but when a guy takes over the country with no deficit and an unemployment rate of around 4 percent and leaves office with a huge deficit and an unemployment rate over 7 percent there was obviously a problem. Throw in the stock market tanking while we watch our 401Ks and college funds going in the toilet and I’d say it was a pretty dismal performance. In fact, I recently sent an email to the guys in that forum I participate in pointing out that unemployment escalated at a greater rate under THE MORON than it has under Obama. He’s put the brakes on. You know those big ships? When traveling at full speed it takes them an amazingly long time to come to a full stop. Depending on the size of the ship and the speed it’s traveling it can take miles! I’ve read estimates that approach 45 minutes! That seems like a lot to me but the point is the United States of America is not a little pleasure craft. It’s a fucking aircraft carrier! People are pissed that unemployment has hit 10 percent but what they fail to notice is that the escalation rate has slowed. And it will soon start to get better.
So what happened in Massachusetts? Here’s my theory. People are sick and tired of the conditions in this country. They want the economy to improve and they want it to happen now. Yeah, unemployment is now at or just over 10%. And they suffer from that goldfish memory thing. People say that Obama isn’t delivering on his promised change. But congress and the senate aren’t exactly cooperating. And the reason they aren’t cooperating is due to the fact that politicians are only marginally concerned with our interests (most of them anyway). What they are REALLY focused on is their ability to get elected or stay in office. So they bull shit you. They are scared that if that promised change backfires they will lose their cushy jobs. So, little gets done and it gets done slowly. Now, watch what happens. If you thought things were moving slowly before you ain’t seen nothing yet. People allowed THE MORON to screw us for eight years. Now they want Obama to heal us in twelve months. So they elected a Republican. People are impatient and far too often … well…. Stupid.
I could go on and on about change and stagnation and ineptitude but I must move on because as pissed off as I am about the lack of movement on health care reform (which is what I’m most focused on and what is so desperately needed in this country) that is not really what motivated me to start writing again. What did was the Supreme Court decision on corporate campaign spending. Let’s throw this new influence into that political mix.
For years, I have been ranting and raving about this. There is no way a corporation can contribute substantial money to a politician’s campaign and not leave that politician beholden to them. If I were king of the world, politicians would be granted a set amount of campaign funds to be equally divided amongst them. Some form of system would need to be in place to establish the candidate’s viability. If you want a proposition to get on a ballot you collect signatures. Perhaps that’s one way. Garner enough signatures and you become a viable primary candidate. Win a primary and you become a viable candidate for office. But all candidates from day one should have equal resources. If they don’t it’s not an election. It’s a marketing campaign. Ron Popeil has made a fortune but do you want him running the country?
Now, the Supreme Court, in their infinite conservative wisdom, have decided that corporations and labor unions should be allowed to pump MORE money into a candidate. I’m sorry, but if this doesn’t piss you off something is wrong. This is the most blatantly partisan decision since the “appointment” of THE MORON to the Presidency! I don’t like absolutes as I believe it’s hard to be one hundred percent sure about anything but I’m absolutely sure this was NOT the vision our founding fathers had in mind. It says “We the people”, not “We the corporate entities”. This is NOT a ruling consistent with the ideals of a democratic republic. This is consistent with a corrupt, manipulative, communist regime. This promotes propaganda as a means to power. This enables big business to buy the favor of our politicians. Corporate America is about financial profit. The lust for profit is far too likely to breed exploitation and it should not be allowed to influence political outcomes. This blatantly screams that we are not in fact run by our government but by the most powerful, cash rich, corporations throughout the country. This should not be tolerated.
I was born in 1955. I remember the protests against the war in Viet Nam. I remember women burning their bras and men burning their draft cards. I remember when “we the people” got off our collective asses and screamed bloody murder when opposed to policy or dated tradition. Well, it’s time. This country needs to send a message that we are fucking fed up. What are YOU doing about it? I have an acquaintance who says he refuses to vote for the “lesser of two evils” so he doesn’t vote. Well, he’s part of the problem. Frankly, I think voting should be a requirement of citizenship. If you don’t want to vote, get the fuck out. You’re not helping us or yourself.
What are YOU doing about it? I’ll say it again… What are YOU doing about it? I’m blogging about it. I’m also calling my Congressman and my Senators. And I’m doing it more and more regularly as I get more and more fed up. The conservatives had their stupid “Tea Baggers” (more like Douche Baggers”) thing going. I think it’s time we started a movement and we should call it “We The People”. Here’s another thing I will guarantee. Corporate money will do nothing for “we the people”. Corporate money will enhance the power and profitability of “them the corporation”.
It’s hard to express how pissed off I am about this. I’m seething. We can make this convenient. To be a member of “We The People” you don’t have to march on Washington. You don’t have to stand on a street corner with a megaphone. You don’t have to circulate literature around your neighborhoods. You don’t have to plan and attend meetings. You don’t even have to contribute money (although every penny counts… especially now…. I try to donate what I can to the candidates and party of my choice). All you have to do is participate. Send a message by promising yourself you will do the necessary research and vote in every election. And CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES when you question policy or procedure. It is easy as hell to do and there are no excuses not to. Almost all of us have cell phones and many of those offer unlimited long distance. Many traditional landline phone plans offer it too. And there are toll free alternatives. And local offices with local numbers (although I like to call Washington… it just feels like it has more impact). But it’s EASY. Just “Google” your representatives and you will get their contact info. It will provide you with phone numbers. It will also allow you to send an email if you prefer to write. And if you are so apathetic that you don’t know who your congressman is (you have one) or your senators are (you have two) you can Google that too. Google US Congressman with your home town. Google US Senators with your home state. You can even Google “how do I find my congressman/senator”. Just do it and contact them. You think it’s bad now? Just wait. I won’t get into whether or not you want to see off-shore drilling but do you want Exxon-Mobile making the decision? What about interest rates? Would you like to see the banking industry having a hand in determining those? Health insurance? You want insurance companies legislating that? How about the AFL-CIO determining wage levels? Although I will say that in my humble opinion pitting unions against corporations is like bringing a knife to a gun fight. Who’s got more money? The UAW or Ford? In fact, I’m guessing the five conservative justices included unions to justify the ruling. It’s like saying we’re going to let mining companies AND the Jones family prospect in Yellowstone. Never mind that the Jones family will be digging with table spoons.
Wake up people. If we don’t act, nothing will get done. Think of it this way (I like extreme analogies because it makes even the most narcoleptic audience wake up). If I’m a politician soliciting campaign funds from the banking industry and I promise them I will do everything I possibly can do to decriminalize fraud by that industry are they going to give me money? You bet your ass they will. How much money am I going to get if I promise to do everything I can to put a leash on the bastards and stop them from ripping off the American people? Nada. Is this how you want your future decided? Pick up the fucking phone.
Peace,
Common Sense
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
The Wandering Eye of the Tiger…
OK, I just have to comment on this whole Tiger Woods thing. Now, I’m not going to render judgment. We are all human beings subject to our personal faults, foibles, and demons. I heard a great saying once. “I’m a perfect human being. I make mistakes, therefore I am a perfect human being”. We all do it. Some of them are bigger than others but we all make our share of mistakes (although I will say… 13 women? And we may not be done counting! WTF was he thinking?).
What I do want to talk about is how fed up I am with the arrogance of these athletes and celebrities. When Tiger first got busted, he made some lame ass apology and then chided the media for not affording him any privacy. Well, excuse the hell out of us Tiger. I was of the impression that those billion dollars you have banked were a direct result of the public’s interest in you. I don’t think any of those sponsors would be coughing up the big bucks for ME to endorse their products (not yet anyway… but who knows?). I’m not convinced you can have it both ways. If you’re going to garner all that attention, then you can’t shut us out when the going gets tough.
These excessively rich celebrities have gotten a tad out of control don’t you think? They have all this money because we, as consumers, are willing to spend on their movies, their sporting events, and the products they endorse. Without our interest (money) they would be making an average wage. So if we want to know just how many women Tiger is boning I think we have a right to know. We have a right to know if Barry Bonds is juicing. We have a right to know if Tom Cruise is nuts. This right to know is generated by our financing of their multi-million dollar life styles. If they don’t like the negative attention that goes along with the positive attention they should quit and find jobs with a lower profile.
Another thing that’s been bugging me… what’s up with the Escalade smashing into the fire hydrant? If you or I had done that, would there not have been an immediate test for impairment? How did Tiger get out of a breathalyzer? Why did the prosecutor decide there was not enough “evidence” to pursue the issue? Is driving your car into a hydrant, THEN a tree not evidence enough? I don’t think sober people do that! I mean, I can see the hydrant OR the tree… but both? Come on!
It’s our fault. We have allowed this to happen by supporting these industries. Are you going to tell me that Jennifer Anniston has more value to society than the men and women who teach our children? Police officers? Members of the armed forces? Is an athlete who barely maintains the necessary GPA to graduate worth the millions of dollars they will rake in over their careers? Are you telling me Kobe Bryant deserves to be paid more than a soldier on the front lines defending our freedom? There really is something perverse about that. I have no respect for Kobe the person. I respect his ability but is it worth millions?
These people who make their fortunes from our adulation of them, or the industries they work in need to take a long hard look at themselves. Where is the gratitude? I was at a Sonics game once and Brett Boone, the former Mariner was sitting in front of us. We had GREAT seats positioned right on the rail behind the courtside seats (which is of course where he was). Well, at halftime, there was a line extending all the way up to the entrance to the section of people wanting his autograph. He stood there in front of us and signed each and every one of them with a smile on his face. I was chatting with him and mentioned that he was showing some serious class by accommodating all those people. His response was something like “they buy tickets so I see this as part of the gig”. Of course there was later suspicion cast on his use of steroids so he too had his issues. But at least he seemed to “get it”. He wasn’t arrogant.
Frankly, I’m sick of these guys. There are people, GOOD people, starving in our country and arrogant, ungrateful, assholes are living in mansions because they are good at a game or look good in front of a camera. Where is the logic in that? Yeah, I understand. We live in a free market economy so you charge what the market will bear. So it’s really our fault. We cultivated this culture of arrogance and disdain by those we strive to emulate and follow. It’s up to us to stop it. But we won’t. Because we love our leisure time and are constantly looking for ways to fill it. Movies and sports are part of that. But it sucks. And so does Tiger.
This Tiger scandal isn’t just about Tiger and his family. This arrogant SOB’s actions will have a huge ripple effect that emanates outward from Tiger, through his family and friends, the world of golf, corporate America, and ultimately, the fans and CHILDREN who followed his incredible feats on the golf course. Tiger didn’t just let his family down. He spit in the face of America, the place that afforded him this amazing opportunity. His actions will affect the sizes of tournament purses, the ability to obtain sponsors for tournaments, his fellow golf professionals, the revenues of the companies he endorsed, the perceptions of fans towards athletes, and sends a message to the youth of America that it’s OK to act like an asshole. Yeah, we all make mistakes, but this one was HUGE. You know who I really feel sorry for? Tiger’s mother. She must be devastated. I feel sorry for Elin and the kids too. But they will walk away with millions. A mother is attached through blood and emotion for life.
But here’s the real rub. Tiger will be back if he wants to be. And when he comes back he will win again. And society will tolerate it because we always do. I tell my kids that they are going to screw up. And they will be judged in part by those screw ups. But they will be judged even more by how they recover from them. When we screw up, we need to own up to it. We need to apologize. We need to prove through our actions that we are genuinely sorry for what we did and not just for getting caught. We need to use our mistakes as tools that make us better people. It will be interesting to see what Tiger does in the months to come. I read a piece by Jay Mariotti today in which he opines that Tiger will NOT be able to recover from this. I tend to agree. Not because it isn’t possible but because I don’t think Tiger possesses the humility necessary for a recovery from a screw up of this magnitude. Tiger has made himself a target for ridicule. He doesn’t like being a target. But he’d better get used to it.
Peace,
Common Sense
What I do want to talk about is how fed up I am with the arrogance of these athletes and celebrities. When Tiger first got busted, he made some lame ass apology and then chided the media for not affording him any privacy. Well, excuse the hell out of us Tiger. I was of the impression that those billion dollars you have banked were a direct result of the public’s interest in you. I don’t think any of those sponsors would be coughing up the big bucks for ME to endorse their products (not yet anyway… but who knows?). I’m not convinced you can have it both ways. If you’re going to garner all that attention, then you can’t shut us out when the going gets tough.
These excessively rich celebrities have gotten a tad out of control don’t you think? They have all this money because we, as consumers, are willing to spend on their movies, their sporting events, and the products they endorse. Without our interest (money) they would be making an average wage. So if we want to know just how many women Tiger is boning I think we have a right to know. We have a right to know if Barry Bonds is juicing. We have a right to know if Tom Cruise is nuts. This right to know is generated by our financing of their multi-million dollar life styles. If they don’t like the negative attention that goes along with the positive attention they should quit and find jobs with a lower profile.
Another thing that’s been bugging me… what’s up with the Escalade smashing into the fire hydrant? If you or I had done that, would there not have been an immediate test for impairment? How did Tiger get out of a breathalyzer? Why did the prosecutor decide there was not enough “evidence” to pursue the issue? Is driving your car into a hydrant, THEN a tree not evidence enough? I don’t think sober people do that! I mean, I can see the hydrant OR the tree… but both? Come on!
It’s our fault. We have allowed this to happen by supporting these industries. Are you going to tell me that Jennifer Anniston has more value to society than the men and women who teach our children? Police officers? Members of the armed forces? Is an athlete who barely maintains the necessary GPA to graduate worth the millions of dollars they will rake in over their careers? Are you telling me Kobe Bryant deserves to be paid more than a soldier on the front lines defending our freedom? There really is something perverse about that. I have no respect for Kobe the person. I respect his ability but is it worth millions?
These people who make their fortunes from our adulation of them, or the industries they work in need to take a long hard look at themselves. Where is the gratitude? I was at a Sonics game once and Brett Boone, the former Mariner was sitting in front of us. We had GREAT seats positioned right on the rail behind the courtside seats (which is of course where he was). Well, at halftime, there was a line extending all the way up to the entrance to the section of people wanting his autograph. He stood there in front of us and signed each and every one of them with a smile on his face. I was chatting with him and mentioned that he was showing some serious class by accommodating all those people. His response was something like “they buy tickets so I see this as part of the gig”. Of course there was later suspicion cast on his use of steroids so he too had his issues. But at least he seemed to “get it”. He wasn’t arrogant.
Frankly, I’m sick of these guys. There are people, GOOD people, starving in our country and arrogant, ungrateful, assholes are living in mansions because they are good at a game or look good in front of a camera. Where is the logic in that? Yeah, I understand. We live in a free market economy so you charge what the market will bear. So it’s really our fault. We cultivated this culture of arrogance and disdain by those we strive to emulate and follow. It’s up to us to stop it. But we won’t. Because we love our leisure time and are constantly looking for ways to fill it. Movies and sports are part of that. But it sucks. And so does Tiger.
This Tiger scandal isn’t just about Tiger and his family. This arrogant SOB’s actions will have a huge ripple effect that emanates outward from Tiger, through his family and friends, the world of golf, corporate America, and ultimately, the fans and CHILDREN who followed his incredible feats on the golf course. Tiger didn’t just let his family down. He spit in the face of America, the place that afforded him this amazing opportunity. His actions will affect the sizes of tournament purses, the ability to obtain sponsors for tournaments, his fellow golf professionals, the revenues of the companies he endorsed, the perceptions of fans towards athletes, and sends a message to the youth of America that it’s OK to act like an asshole. Yeah, we all make mistakes, but this one was HUGE. You know who I really feel sorry for? Tiger’s mother. She must be devastated. I feel sorry for Elin and the kids too. But they will walk away with millions. A mother is attached through blood and emotion for life.
But here’s the real rub. Tiger will be back if he wants to be. And when he comes back he will win again. And society will tolerate it because we always do. I tell my kids that they are going to screw up. And they will be judged in part by those screw ups. But they will be judged even more by how they recover from them. When we screw up, we need to own up to it. We need to apologize. We need to prove through our actions that we are genuinely sorry for what we did and not just for getting caught. We need to use our mistakes as tools that make us better people. It will be interesting to see what Tiger does in the months to come. I read a piece by Jay Mariotti today in which he opines that Tiger will NOT be able to recover from this. I tend to agree. Not because it isn’t possible but because I don’t think Tiger possesses the humility necessary for a recovery from a screw up of this magnitude. Tiger has made himself a target for ridicule. He doesn’t like being a target. But he’d better get used to it.
Peace,
Common Sense
Monday, November 30, 2009
Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?
A close friend of mine sent me an interesting article today (thank you Young Tim… even though you ain’t that young anymore…). Yes, it’s an op-ed piece. But it’s written by a gentleman named Paul Krugman. You can read up on Paul here http://topics.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/paulkrugman/index.html?inline=nyt-per but among other things he is a Nobel Prize winner in economics. He also has a PhD from MIT. His academic achievements and proof of his overall intelligence are well documented in the brief bio referenced above. In short, he is a brilliant man and I am very proud to say that the article sent by Young Tim validates what I have stated here before. Of course, Dr. Krugman is more articulate and less emotional in his discourse but his message is the same. The Republican Party has degenerated into an immature pack of whining juveniles who will stop at nothing to get their toys back.
Here is a link to the piece in its entirety. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/opinion/05krugman.html What Dr. Krugman basically states is that the GOP will utilize lies and deception to regain power. He tells how this is bad for America because they will oppose sound policy just because it comes from the left and a win from the left is a loss to the right (even if it’s a win for America). The tragedy is that it used to be what he refers to as “one of our great political parties”. But its downfall is a direct result of its domination by “radicals”. Where have we heard this before? Why, here of course! I have ranted and raved that the party is imploding from within. I recently stated that although I knew several delusional radical right wingers, I couldn’t think of one that I personally knew on the left side of the fulcrum. I’ve stated point blank that the health care debate is no longer about what’s good for us, but about the right wing desperately fighting Obama in an attempt to discredit HIM, not support what’s good for US. But Dr. Krugman is far more eloquent than I could ever be so read what he says about this and then come back here and we’ll finish up!
OK. Are you back? Good. Then I can continue….
First, let’s talk about immaturity. Frankly, I love it. My favorite saying is that I can do nothing about growing old but I can choose to remain immature forever. I’ve been saying that for a long time but I recently learned that it was attributable to someone of note but I can’t recall who (Oscar Wilde maybe). I don’t want to lay claim to the quote. But I use it regularly. Immaturity keeps me young. And the guys I hang out with tend to be on the immature side. We tease each other about the most juvenile things. “You’re ugly”. “You’re weak”. “You’re stupid”. “Nice car. My grandma had one”. “You have a tiny penis”. It goes on and on, sometimes to the point where an outsider would think we are a bunch of fifth graders. So how can I use immaturity as a club against conservatism you ask? Well let me tell you!
The people I hang with are RESPONSIBLE. If they are in a business meeting with their boss, and the boss wants them to do something that they recognize is good for the company but might not be good for their personal ideology they don’t tell the boss that implementation of that plan will result in the employees developing explosive diarrhea that they will rub all over the bosses office. If one of us faces a personal problem with our children my friends will offer what they consider to be sound advice, not jump up and down chanting “my kids are smarter than yoooour kids” while gloating over their superior child rearing abilities. If one of our dogs dies we aren’t “consoled” with wise cracks like “I didn’t like that leg humpin’ mongrel anyway”. Yes, we are immature. But we are not immature when immaturity would be inappropriate. This is what differentiates us from the GOP.
What else does this article validate? Well, it goes a long way towards bolstering my observation that the most intelligent people I know tend to be Democrats. Dr. Krugman didn’t earn a PhD from MIT by telling his professors that his penis was bigger than their penes (yes, that’s the plural… look it up). Shit, you don’t get into MIT unless you’re smarter than the average Joe. Earning your PhD there must be brutal! Now just to go on record, I don’t know for sure that Dr. Krugman is in fact a democrat. For all I know he might be a conservative who is concerned about how his party has de-evolved. But having read his article I think it’s a safe bet that he’s left of center don’t you?
Now please recognize that I do not, nor have I ever stated that all conservatives are stupid. It’s not true. I will reiterate that I place conservatives into three categories. Those that truly believe that the party’s tenets are better for America and believe it based on fact. I feel they are wrong. I feel they are disillusioned. Possibly misled. But they aren’t stupid. However, it has been my experience that they are “business smart”. They know how to make a buck. They know how to run a business. They do not necessarily know the arts, science, philosophy, etc. But they aren’t stupid.
Then there are the greedy sons of bitches who just want to maximize their own wealth and well being. They don’t give a shit about anyone else, other than those that can contribute to that wealth and well being (other greedy sons of bitches). They don’t really give a shit if other Americans are starving, homeless, or dropping dead for lack of health care. The ends justify the means so as long as the ends includes a continuation of their preferred life style the rest of us can go fuck ourselves.
What’s left is the majority of Republicans. They are the morons. I’ve addressed them before but basically, they have consumed the Kool-Aid and continue to vote against their own best interest. This is where Republicans have historically outflanked Democrats. They have a superior propaganda machine and they are far more willing to lie as long as it gets them what they want. “Death Panels” is the penultimate example. The Republicans are willing to claim their proposed existence and the morons of the party believe it. ‘Nuff said.
This is getting long so let me tell you what about Dr. Krugman most excites me (and to my friends, let me jump ahead of you by stating up front that it isn’t the size of his testicles). What most excites me is that Dr. Krugman earned his PhD and Nobel Prize in economics. It sends a message that not all of those business savvy individuals are on the right side of the political spectrum. And through that message we can all garner hope that the GOP as we know it will continue to destroy itself without any help from the rest of us and that America will still survive because we won’t forfeit our economic wisdom. There will still be people available with the knowledge to guide us in that arena who are also willing to care for ALL of our citizens, not just the rich and powerful. In closing, I know for a fact that Rush, Coulter, Beck, and Hannity do NOT hold a PhD from MIT. But I suspect they hold each others' itty bitty wieners (especially Coulter’s).
Peace,
Common Sense
Here is a link to the piece in its entirety. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/opinion/05krugman.html What Dr. Krugman basically states is that the GOP will utilize lies and deception to regain power. He tells how this is bad for America because they will oppose sound policy just because it comes from the left and a win from the left is a loss to the right (even if it’s a win for America). The tragedy is that it used to be what he refers to as “one of our great political parties”. But its downfall is a direct result of its domination by “radicals”. Where have we heard this before? Why, here of course! I have ranted and raved that the party is imploding from within. I recently stated that although I knew several delusional radical right wingers, I couldn’t think of one that I personally knew on the left side of the fulcrum. I’ve stated point blank that the health care debate is no longer about what’s good for us, but about the right wing desperately fighting Obama in an attempt to discredit HIM, not support what’s good for US. But Dr. Krugman is far more eloquent than I could ever be so read what he says about this and then come back here and we’ll finish up!
OK. Are you back? Good. Then I can continue….
First, let’s talk about immaturity. Frankly, I love it. My favorite saying is that I can do nothing about growing old but I can choose to remain immature forever. I’ve been saying that for a long time but I recently learned that it was attributable to someone of note but I can’t recall who (Oscar Wilde maybe). I don’t want to lay claim to the quote. But I use it regularly. Immaturity keeps me young. And the guys I hang out with tend to be on the immature side. We tease each other about the most juvenile things. “You’re ugly”. “You’re weak”. “You’re stupid”. “Nice car. My grandma had one”. “You have a tiny penis”. It goes on and on, sometimes to the point where an outsider would think we are a bunch of fifth graders. So how can I use immaturity as a club against conservatism you ask? Well let me tell you!
The people I hang with are RESPONSIBLE. If they are in a business meeting with their boss, and the boss wants them to do something that they recognize is good for the company but might not be good for their personal ideology they don’t tell the boss that implementation of that plan will result in the employees developing explosive diarrhea that they will rub all over the bosses office. If one of us faces a personal problem with our children my friends will offer what they consider to be sound advice, not jump up and down chanting “my kids are smarter than yoooour kids” while gloating over their superior child rearing abilities. If one of our dogs dies we aren’t “consoled” with wise cracks like “I didn’t like that leg humpin’ mongrel anyway”. Yes, we are immature. But we are not immature when immaturity would be inappropriate. This is what differentiates us from the GOP.
What else does this article validate? Well, it goes a long way towards bolstering my observation that the most intelligent people I know tend to be Democrats. Dr. Krugman didn’t earn a PhD from MIT by telling his professors that his penis was bigger than their penes (yes, that’s the plural… look it up). Shit, you don’t get into MIT unless you’re smarter than the average Joe. Earning your PhD there must be brutal! Now just to go on record, I don’t know for sure that Dr. Krugman is in fact a democrat. For all I know he might be a conservative who is concerned about how his party has de-evolved. But having read his article I think it’s a safe bet that he’s left of center don’t you?
Now please recognize that I do not, nor have I ever stated that all conservatives are stupid. It’s not true. I will reiterate that I place conservatives into three categories. Those that truly believe that the party’s tenets are better for America and believe it based on fact. I feel they are wrong. I feel they are disillusioned. Possibly misled. But they aren’t stupid. However, it has been my experience that they are “business smart”. They know how to make a buck. They know how to run a business. They do not necessarily know the arts, science, philosophy, etc. But they aren’t stupid.
Then there are the greedy sons of bitches who just want to maximize their own wealth and well being. They don’t give a shit about anyone else, other than those that can contribute to that wealth and well being (other greedy sons of bitches). They don’t really give a shit if other Americans are starving, homeless, or dropping dead for lack of health care. The ends justify the means so as long as the ends includes a continuation of their preferred life style the rest of us can go fuck ourselves.
What’s left is the majority of Republicans. They are the morons. I’ve addressed them before but basically, they have consumed the Kool-Aid and continue to vote against their own best interest. This is where Republicans have historically outflanked Democrats. They have a superior propaganda machine and they are far more willing to lie as long as it gets them what they want. “Death Panels” is the penultimate example. The Republicans are willing to claim their proposed existence and the morons of the party believe it. ‘Nuff said.
This is getting long so let me tell you what about Dr. Krugman most excites me (and to my friends, let me jump ahead of you by stating up front that it isn’t the size of his testicles). What most excites me is that Dr. Krugman earned his PhD and Nobel Prize in economics. It sends a message that not all of those business savvy individuals are on the right side of the political spectrum. And through that message we can all garner hope that the GOP as we know it will continue to destroy itself without any help from the rest of us and that America will still survive because we won’t forfeit our economic wisdom. There will still be people available with the knowledge to guide us in that arena who are also willing to care for ALL of our citizens, not just the rich and powerful. In closing, I know for a fact that Rush, Coulter, Beck, and Hannity do NOT hold a PhD from MIT. But I suspect they hold each others' itty bitty wieners (especially Coulter’s).
Peace,
Common Sense
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Beware The Dreaded Scales of Doom….And the Semi Naked Baristas Too
Some things just amaze me. I was watching the 11:00 news tonight and they were sensationalizing two problems that appear to have absolutely no effect on anyone. It both amused and annoyed the hell out of me. They had devoted two segments of time to nothing. I mean nothing. It fits right in with my post on FOX yesterday. But it wasn’t FOX. It was KOMO News 4. What did they cover you ask? Well let me tell you…
Some consumer advocate reporter guy went to Sea-Tac airport to expose the inaccuracies of the scales used to weigh your baggage. They are apparently regulated by the state Board Of Weights And Measures. The board however says that they are supposed to be notified if any scales show inaccuracies or don’t reset to zero. Plus, any malfunctioning scales should immediately be taken out of service. So of course, I’m expecting to see the uncovering of a huge rip off. As you all know, airlines are charging for checked baggage now. There is a 50 pound limit on each bag and if you go over you pay extra. The fee ranged from 39 bucks (either Northwest or Southwest, I don’t recall) to a whopping 125 bucks charged by those “friendly” skies of United.
So, Consumer Advocate Guy goes to “Chief Scale Guy” at the Board of Weights and Measures. They rig a bag with dumbbells and socks (yeah, dumbbells and socks… and I think a teddy bear… I didn’t get it either) so it weighs 50 pounds. Then Consumer Advocate Guy goes to the airport and starts checking on scales. To everyone’s horror there are a big bunch of scales that don’t reset to zero. These scales are supposed to be reported and taken out of service remember. But shame on the airlines. They haven’t followed procedure and have left those thieving monstrosities in operation. In almost every case, the number they reset to was the difference in the registered weight. In other words, if the scale reset to 1.5 pounds, the bag weighed in at 51.5 pounds. Reset to 2 pounds and the bag weighed in at 52 pounds. In some cases, the scales reset to a negative. But there too, if it reset to -1 pound, the bag weighed in at 49 pounds. You get the picture. It’s like a set up! A huge conspiracy to rip us off even more than the charge of the checked bag fee.
Except it didn’t happen. In fact, Consumer Advocate Guy even stated that there were NO instances where the airline was going to charge. He even tried to goad someone into charging him. The scale reset to 2.5, the bag weighed in at 52.5, and he point blank stated “Uh oh… you’re going to charge me aren’t you”. The ticket agent said “Nah, 52.5 is OK”. It was like watching a poorly scripted comedy skit. WTF is KOMO thinking? Are they ripping a page from the FOX News playbook and trying to inflame the masses with this huge problem of inaccurate measures at the airport? This is news? “Hey everybody! The airlines are putting themselves into a position where they could rip you off…. If they wanted to… but apparently they don’t want to… so they’re not ripping you off”! Is this pathetic or what?
So, on to the next item. There was a coffee stand that operated not far from my son’s high school. My daughter is in middle school now but when she was in elementary, it was right on the way when I dropped her off. It was an independent drive through that sat in a gas station lot. I like independents. They represent the American way. The little guy trying to take down Starbucks a few notches. Plus, I’m boycotting Starbucks since their head honcho Howard Schultz sold our Sonics to a scumbag from Oklahoma City and to no ones amazement they moved the team to Oklahoma City (they’re the Thunder now). Well, it either went under or they sold it because suddenly it became a framework of 2x4’s. But it was there for quite awhile. My wife and I bought quite a few lattes there when we took the kids to school. It operated for years without any apparent problems and no one batted an eye.
Well, it’s back. But it’s changed hands. Ironically, I actually saw it today because I had to attend a meeting at my son’s school and drove right by. It’s now “Knotty Bodies Espresso”. The baristas (one who makes and serves coffee drinks for you non Seattle people… I think we drink more coffee here that the entire population of Columbia) are attractive young women in bikini tops and thongs. Well, the locals are up in arms! The news covered the story and showed the throngs at City Hall threatening to boycott the place and the gas station it sits in. And you guessed it… there are suddenly “permitting problems” that might hamper its operation. They are saying it isn’t even legal to drive through and get coffee! You need to walk through. Funny how the last place didn’t have any permitting problems isn’t it? It’s the same shack with a different exterior in the same location. I guess the last one got lucky and operated illegally for 5 or more years.
But here’s the fun part. When I drove by, there was a guy with a camera who I assumed was taking promo shots for the grand opening or something. Wrong. Some genius had the idea that it would discourage people to frequent the place if there was a threat that their picture might suddenly pop up on the Internet buying coffee from some babe in a bikini. Is this person living in an alternative universe? Shit, I’ve been really laying off the coffee lately but I plan on cruising through the place tomorrow on the off chance that I may become an Internet sensation. I’ll even wave at the camera! I might even wave more than one finger!
So what we have here is a classic example of the media fueling the moronic masses into a frenzy over what isn’t really news at all. The last time I checked public nudity laws didn’t cover bikinis. They covered nudity. Here’s a suggestion. If you don’t want to buy your coffee from a babe in a bikini…. STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM THE PLACE! Oh yeah, they are trying to bolster their case because the gas station, and therefore the bikini babes, sits near a park. Of course the only window to the joint is facing away from the direction of the park. And it’s a little window (even though some wimpy Mama’s boy who likely was wearing a pocket protector referred to it as a “fish bowl”… trust me, it’s not). So of course anyone under the age of 18 who happens to catch a glimpse of these bikini babes is destined to a life of sexual perversion. Why? Because they aren’t at the beach! It’s common knowledge that seeing a bikini babe at the beach is OK but that if you remove the bikini babe from the beach she becomes a Medusa that drives our youth into a life of crime and debauchery. You didn’t know that? Just ask Rush Limbaugh. He’ll explain it to you if he isn’t too wasted on Oxy. This kind of stuff drives me nuts!
Look for me on the Internet. I’ll be holding a quad grande non-fat latte and sporting a “shit eatin’ grin”. Oh, I might have a finger up too.
Peace,
Common Sense
Some consumer advocate reporter guy went to Sea-Tac airport to expose the inaccuracies of the scales used to weigh your baggage. They are apparently regulated by the state Board Of Weights And Measures. The board however says that they are supposed to be notified if any scales show inaccuracies or don’t reset to zero. Plus, any malfunctioning scales should immediately be taken out of service. So of course, I’m expecting to see the uncovering of a huge rip off. As you all know, airlines are charging for checked baggage now. There is a 50 pound limit on each bag and if you go over you pay extra. The fee ranged from 39 bucks (either Northwest or Southwest, I don’t recall) to a whopping 125 bucks charged by those “friendly” skies of United.
So, Consumer Advocate Guy goes to “Chief Scale Guy” at the Board of Weights and Measures. They rig a bag with dumbbells and socks (yeah, dumbbells and socks… and I think a teddy bear… I didn’t get it either) so it weighs 50 pounds. Then Consumer Advocate Guy goes to the airport and starts checking on scales. To everyone’s horror there are a big bunch of scales that don’t reset to zero. These scales are supposed to be reported and taken out of service remember. But shame on the airlines. They haven’t followed procedure and have left those thieving monstrosities in operation. In almost every case, the number they reset to was the difference in the registered weight. In other words, if the scale reset to 1.5 pounds, the bag weighed in at 51.5 pounds. Reset to 2 pounds and the bag weighed in at 52 pounds. In some cases, the scales reset to a negative. But there too, if it reset to -1 pound, the bag weighed in at 49 pounds. You get the picture. It’s like a set up! A huge conspiracy to rip us off even more than the charge of the checked bag fee.
Except it didn’t happen. In fact, Consumer Advocate Guy even stated that there were NO instances where the airline was going to charge. He even tried to goad someone into charging him. The scale reset to 2.5, the bag weighed in at 52.5, and he point blank stated “Uh oh… you’re going to charge me aren’t you”. The ticket agent said “Nah, 52.5 is OK”. It was like watching a poorly scripted comedy skit. WTF is KOMO thinking? Are they ripping a page from the FOX News playbook and trying to inflame the masses with this huge problem of inaccurate measures at the airport? This is news? “Hey everybody! The airlines are putting themselves into a position where they could rip you off…. If they wanted to… but apparently they don’t want to… so they’re not ripping you off”! Is this pathetic or what?
So, on to the next item. There was a coffee stand that operated not far from my son’s high school. My daughter is in middle school now but when she was in elementary, it was right on the way when I dropped her off. It was an independent drive through that sat in a gas station lot. I like independents. They represent the American way. The little guy trying to take down Starbucks a few notches. Plus, I’m boycotting Starbucks since their head honcho Howard Schultz sold our Sonics to a scumbag from Oklahoma City and to no ones amazement they moved the team to Oklahoma City (they’re the Thunder now). Well, it either went under or they sold it because suddenly it became a framework of 2x4’s. But it was there for quite awhile. My wife and I bought quite a few lattes there when we took the kids to school. It operated for years without any apparent problems and no one batted an eye.
Well, it’s back. But it’s changed hands. Ironically, I actually saw it today because I had to attend a meeting at my son’s school and drove right by. It’s now “Knotty Bodies Espresso”. The baristas (one who makes and serves coffee drinks for you non Seattle people… I think we drink more coffee here that the entire population of Columbia) are attractive young women in bikini tops and thongs. Well, the locals are up in arms! The news covered the story and showed the throngs at City Hall threatening to boycott the place and the gas station it sits in. And you guessed it… there are suddenly “permitting problems” that might hamper its operation. They are saying it isn’t even legal to drive through and get coffee! You need to walk through. Funny how the last place didn’t have any permitting problems isn’t it? It’s the same shack with a different exterior in the same location. I guess the last one got lucky and operated illegally for 5 or more years.
But here’s the fun part. When I drove by, there was a guy with a camera who I assumed was taking promo shots for the grand opening or something. Wrong. Some genius had the idea that it would discourage people to frequent the place if there was a threat that their picture might suddenly pop up on the Internet buying coffee from some babe in a bikini. Is this person living in an alternative universe? Shit, I’ve been really laying off the coffee lately but I plan on cruising through the place tomorrow on the off chance that I may become an Internet sensation. I’ll even wave at the camera! I might even wave more than one finger!
So what we have here is a classic example of the media fueling the moronic masses into a frenzy over what isn’t really news at all. The last time I checked public nudity laws didn’t cover bikinis. They covered nudity. Here’s a suggestion. If you don’t want to buy your coffee from a babe in a bikini…. STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM THE PLACE! Oh yeah, they are trying to bolster their case because the gas station, and therefore the bikini babes, sits near a park. Of course the only window to the joint is facing away from the direction of the park. And it’s a little window (even though some wimpy Mama’s boy who likely was wearing a pocket protector referred to it as a “fish bowl”… trust me, it’s not). So of course anyone under the age of 18 who happens to catch a glimpse of these bikini babes is destined to a life of sexual perversion. Why? Because they aren’t at the beach! It’s common knowledge that seeing a bikini babe at the beach is OK but that if you remove the bikini babe from the beach she becomes a Medusa that drives our youth into a life of crime and debauchery. You didn’t know that? Just ask Rush Limbaugh. He’ll explain it to you if he isn’t too wasted on Oxy. This kind of stuff drives me nuts!
Look for me on the Internet. I’ll be holding a quad grande non-fat latte and sporting a “shit eatin’ grin”. Oh, I might have a finger up too.
Peace,
Common Sense
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