Joe Biden Says…………
April 30, 2009
Filed under Media, Politics
Tags: Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Louis Caldera, Robert Gibbs, Today Show, TOTUS
Our favorite talking Democrat is at it again. Vice-President Joe Biden has taken it upon himself to give advice regarding the “swine flu” epidemic. And what pearls of wisdom did he share? Speaking on the Today Show , he shard the advice that he had given his family. Avoid the subway, commercial air travel etc. Within an hour his office issued a clarification or something and Press Secretary Robert Gibbs issued an apology.
Now, giving old Joe the benefit of the doubt, it may not be bad advice for his family but th share such info with potentially millions is somewhat unnecessary and could even prove to be economically damaging. Remember, follow the carpenter’s axiom. Measure twice, cut once. Think twice or thrice , Mr Vice- President and maybe speak once.
Or to quote TOTUS’ blog,” I don’t know what’s worse, that the man has an attention span of a gnat, or his incurable case of foot n mouth disease. “
Maybe Joe needs to take a long trip somewhere quiet, but not on a commercial airline of course. Think Obama was mad, betcha he was indeed. That makes at least twice this week that we know about. Mr Biden, meet Mr Louis Caldera.
Limitless Choices For Information- Bad?
April 29, 2009
Filed under Media, Technology
Tags: Barack Obama, Cass Sunstein, Internet, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, University of Chicago Law School
In the never ending quest to control what you see, hear, write, etc, the powers that be have unveiled a relatively new target, the Internet. Yes, folks, the world wide web needs to be controlled. Perhaps someone thought it was the wild, wild west and it needed to be tamed. No matter because Mr Obama has a potential new appointee of whom we should all be wary. His name is Cass Sunsteinand he is an Obama buddy from the University of Chicago Law School. He has been nominated to be the head of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Mr Sunstein has been quite a prolific writer and not at all bashful about expressing his opinions. Let us take a look at just a few.
- 2007- Ban on hunting in the US
- 2008- Angry emails should be technologically prevented from being sent for a 24 hour cooling off period
- The Internet is anti-democratic, i.e. too many choices . He said that limitless individual choices as far as communications are concerned is not necessarily in the best interest of citizenship and self-government
Think about that last one while you ponder another Sunstein concept, discussed in 2004, that animals should have the ” right to sue with human beings as their representatives”. Let me get this straight. Too much info is bad for good citizenship but your dog could be allowed to bring a lawsuit? Should this guy be allowed to regulate anything, much less the Internet?
Cass Sunstein
Cass Sunstein, ladies and gentlemen, another Obamite from Chicago.
Oops, They Did It Again
April 28, 2009
Filed under Politics
Tags: Barack Obama, Charles Schumer, DHS, FAA, James Johnson, Janet Napolitano, John McCain, Louis Caldera, Michael Bloomberg, New York City, Secret Service, Statue of Liberty
By now, you have probably heard of the photo-op flyover that took place in New York City yesterday. Predictably, New Yorkers went into something of a panic. You know, Air Force One being trailed by a fighter jet , buzzing the Statue Of Liberty and nobody fessing up as to what was happening.
Now, everybody who is anybody is angry. Senator Schumer, Senator McCain, Mayor Bloomberg and President Obama who did not know what was going on but promised it would never happen again. You gotta wonder, what were these folks thinking. Start with the FAA boss, James Johnson, who knew that there might be some” public concern ” but demanded total secrecy from a number of agencies and threatened federal sanctions if word got out. How about the guy who approved this thing- joy ride? His name is Louis Caldera, head( for now ) of the White House Military Office. He has apologized, wow.
Oh yes, back to the FAA. Among the agaencies that were threatened with federal sanctions if word got out, the Secret Service. May I reiterate that the President did not know about this in advance . Maybe he should talk to some of his people about what did or did not happen. Have you noticed that he never knows about these things( remember the DHS memo and Secretary Napolitano?) Better batten down those hatches fellows. The ride may get a bit bumpy.
Looks Like A Duck, Sounds Like A Duck, So…
April 27, 2009
Filed under Media, Politics
Tags: AFLAC, Barack Obama, Denzel Washington, Franklin Roosevelt, George Bush, Harry Reid, Joe Biden, Kathleen Sebelius, swine flu, TOTUS
My apologies to the AFLAC duck and my neighborhood friend, Henry the Duck. But the analogy just fits quite well. We are speaking now in presidential terms. Since Mr Obama looks presidential and sounds presidential(except when he and TOTUS are not in harmony) he must be presidential, right?
A bit more evidence, OK. Our friend Joe(Blue collar) Biden says Obama is a cross between Denzel Washington and Franklin Roosevelt. Furthermore, he, Biden, knew a couple of years ago that Obama was a genius.
Now, we have Harry Reid quoting Obama after reid praised him for a speech some 2+ years ago;” I have a gift”.
Well, is he as Biden says or as Reid says he said? Think it may be a bit early but if the broadcast media has its way, who knows.
Think on this, Obama was golfing yesterday, nothing wrong with that, of course. The comment was made by a spokesman that he was receiving hourly updates on the growing swine flu problem. Imagine Bush doing the same( fyi- there is already a group blaming senate republicans for aggravating the flu problem by not confirming Kathleen Sebelius) and the imagine the response.
Ahhh>
How Far Will It Go?
April 26, 2009
Filed under Christianity, Culture, Politics
Tags: Barack Obama, Charles Chaput, Denver, Michael D'Antuono, New York, Toronto
During his campaign and now into his Presidency, Barack Obama has received what some might call an inordinate or even unseemly amount of praise and adulation. In fact, on February 23 of this year, there was a speech made in Toronto by Denver archbishop Charles Chaput. He warned against ” a spirit of adulation bordering on servility” towards the Obama administration. His speech made a number of positive comments about the President, calling him a ” gifted man” but reminding his audience that in America we elect “public servants” not ” messiahs”.
I think that the Denver Archbishop’s words can take on even more meaning when we examine some recent developments. For example try out this painting from artist Michael D’ Antuono which will be unveiled on April 29 at New York City’s Union Square. Now even without comment this is a striking image sure to generate reaction.
The artist has even chosen a somewhat provocative title, ” The Truth” for his work. Now, hear some comments from the artist. He says that the painting “is a politically, religiously, and socially-charged statement on our nation’s current political climate and deep partisan divide that is sure to create a dialogue” . I will agree most assuredly with the latter part of that phrase. He goes on to invite emails from the public, answering the question, ” What’s your truth” ?
Michael D'Antuono
The Penguins
April 25, 2009
Filed under Media
Tags: Bronx Zoo, cartoons, Madagascar, Nickelodeon, Rocky and Bullwinkle
If you don’t know them, you should. They began with bit parts in the movie Madagascar and now are certified, uh, certified, well, that’s hard to day. But they are quite entertaining, whether you are little people or an old codger like myself. They have appeared in another movie and now have their own show on Nickelodeon. I must confess, I who cares for almost none of today’s cartoons, really enjoy these guys.
Brief historical interlude. Real cartoons were George of the Jungle, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Top Cat etc.
Now back to the dapper ones. Skipper is the boss, Kowalski is planning among other things, Rico is demolition and Private really tries hard and Skipper keeps working with him. They have several memorable phrases. Among them are, ” progress report”, “just smile and wave, boys (reserved for unsuspecting tourists at their home in the Bronx Zoo). These two are spoken often by the scale model Skipper that sits on my computer. Another good one is “cute and cuddly” which is debatable but Skipper said it.
One of the best descriptions I read was that they are psychotic, another Navy Seal commando types . Either one works.Ahh, it almost takes me back to the days of Wile E Coyote who just needed another supplier besides Acme.
Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private
Meet Rosa Brooks
April 22, 2009
Filed under Media, Politics
Tags: Afghanistan, Al-Qaida, Barack Obama, CIA, Constitution, Defense Department, George Bush, George Soros, Georgetown University, Iran, Israel, L A Times, Michele Flournoy, Pakistan, Pentagon, Rosa Brooks
Never heard of her? Neither had I until a day or two ago. Rest assured that the Israeli government has heard of her and they are probably not her biggest fans. Ms Brooks has just been appointed as an adviser to Michelle Flournoy, undersecretary of Defense for Policy(wonder what that means) , a position that heavily impacts U S policy in Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. Sounds a little like the NAMESTAN desk at the CIA, doesn’t it?
Rosa Brooks
Now, when you learn a bit about Ms Brooks, you might wonder why the Defense Department at all. But of course, she is quite anti George Bush as many of her L A Times articles will attest. She thinks little of Al-Qaida(aren’t they glad) as a force, saying in 2007 that we turned them into an international threat. Seems like there were issues with these guys as far back as 1998, but I digress. She was a law professor at Georgetown and among other things , a special counsel at George Soros’ Open Society Institute. Now,, if you were not concerned about any of this, may I offer one more item. Her final column at the L A Times argues for more” direct government support for public media” and government licensing of the news. Think about that last phrase and compare it to the first amendment to the Constitution. Oh yes, she also says that Obama will not be likely to ” blindlessly and mindlessly” support Israel. Welcome to the Pentagon, Ms Brooks.
Congress Took A Pay Cut?
April 21, 2009
Filed under Politics
Tags: Congress, Michael Bloomberg, Parade, Representatives, Senators
No, not really, just doing an attention span check. And then again, they probably think they did. A word of explanation. Sunday’s Parade magazine had a reader question about what members of Congress might be doing during this time of economic difficulty. I can almost see the column editor smiling as he mentioned their automatic pay raise that took effect in January. But he hastened to add that their pay is frozen for 2010. Not to worry, the perks remain in effect; free this and that, trips around the world and the best health care imaginable.
Now, is it okay for Congress to get a raise, uh, maybe. In fact, many of them are already quite wealthy and have no need of such. Perhaps a better question would be , did any of them return or refuse said raise? Wonder if they did or even know that’s possible?
Try this though on for size. Ever heard of a Senator or Representative working for free? Mayor Bloomberg of New York, who is quite well-off, works for a $1 annually. How about it congresspeople, wanna set a good example for the voters, show some empathy, actually put our money where your mouth is? Try returning your raise, we’ll all feel better.
TOTUS
April 20, 2009
Filed under Politics
Tags: Barack Obama, Blackberry, CIA, Leo Panetta, Michele Obama
The above title refers to the newest link on my blogroll. For the as yet unenlightened, TOTUS stands for teleprompter of the united states as potus refers to President of the United States. It is doubtless one of the funniest political blogs I have seen and is just a treat to read. I heartily commend its creator and his skill at using humor to comment on the political process. You are encouraged to visit the site and enjoy. But, just a taste of what you will discover.
The blog intros itself as” reflections from the hard drive of the machine that enables the voice of the Leader of the free world” . Modesty is in short supply as you will see. Obama is referred to as Big Guy or Big O and his wife as Michelle or Lady M. Other various and sundry White House characters come and go.
On e of today’s posts referred to Obama’s visit to CIA headquarters where he and CIA Director Leon Panetta did a little motivating. TOTUS referred to Panetta as a hobbitt, referencing his stature versus Obama. So, the humor is out there for certain.
Stay the course TOTUS but beware the Blackberry! Perhaps we can all be FOTs or friends of totus.
It Hasn’t Gone As They Planned
April 18, 2009
Filed under Sports
Tags: Anthony Claggett, Babe Ruth, Barack Obama, Baseball, Chien-Ming-Wang, Hugo Chavez, New York Yankees, Yankee Stadium, Yogi Berra
Planning is a good thing in most cases. After all, it has been said that those who fail to plan, plan to fail. I suppose this is a generally accepted statement. But in the world of sports, perhaps as nowhere else, plans oftentimes do not go according to plan.
Latest case in point concerns the opening games at the new Yankee Stadium, built right across 161st street from its 86 year old predecessor. Brief history lesson. The Yankees won the first game in the old Stadium with a fellow named Ruth hitting a home run. For a variety of reasons, the old ballpark became universally known as the house that Ruth Built.
On Thursday, April 16, the Yankees opened their new home with much pomp and circumstance and Yankee heroes from the past, including Yogi Berra. They then proceeded to lose 10-2, awful, terrible, right. They followed this up with a win before Black Saturday arrived.
Yes ,it was bad, 22-4 bad with negative records being set for really negative things. Yankees.com did not shut down or fade to black and all of the comments were not negative- amazing, is it not?
The good things about baseball is that there is another game and one loss is only one loss. For Chien-Ming- Wang and rookie Anthony Claggett it will alas, be a day to remember for all the wrong reasons. I am certainly glad I don’t get as vexed as I used to, otherwise the vex meter would have blown a gasket.
Cheer up, all is not bleak in the world. I hear that Obama is making nice with Hugo Chavez, really? Did he plan that?
