Another sanctimonious Republican "tees himself up"...

For Ms. Maureen Dowd:

Link to 6/27/09 NYT column: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/opinion/28dowd.html?_r=1


Oh....And of course, Mr. Soak-the-State Sanctimonious isn't quitting. (Just crying.) Like so many others, he'll have to be dragged out....

Cleveland's Burning River No More

6/27/09 Update: And then this happens.....

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/06/cuyahoga_river_littered_with_d.html

Earlier post:

Congratulations to all on the great progress described here: "Cleaner Water Celebrated..."
(There's also a recent NY Times article available.)

I think that many people know about the improvement, but many probably still don't. You know, the old-timers who still bring it up when (derisively) speaking about Cleveland. The ones who were happy to have a new car made from steel plants near the same river back then. Not that anything excuses the industrial sewer that the final portion of the river once was....

Credit: United Press International

They used to have a cruise boat that went up the (man-made) mouth of the river in Cleveland back in the 1960's. We were kids, but the adults with us warned us in advance that we were going to see the worst body of water you'll ever see. And it was pretty bad: I never saw so many strange, unnatural colors and other things floating in a river, before or since. Smells to match, too. You could actually watch the various discharges coming in from pipes near the plants, etc.

They've done a good job. E.g., I read recently that a deer was photographed swimming in the river right in the old industrial area.

Poem made up for neighbor with noisy vehicle (early)

Connecticut and it's towns have ordinances about noise, loud vehicles, etc. But are they really enforced? NO.

Clearly hearing a motorcycle or other often-purposely loud vehicle from inside your house, when it's still several blocks or streets away....is a quality-of-life violation that affects many...every day. It's not getting any "better", and it's getting really tempting to consider taking the law into our own hands about this. (Especially early morning/late night knuckleheads. That means you too, early newspaper delivery ("grown-up") drivin' "boys"....Habla Englais?) Many local police, towns, condo associations, etc. will do nothing (or next to...). ("Manpower." Couldn't a tiny fraction of Obama's money have gone toward improving this (re local police)??) In fact, you're sometimes looked upon as "the problem" if you even ask them.

Try politely communicating with an offender first, if you feel safe enough to. (At your own risk.) Some people are (still) decent enough.... if you ask nicely.

I had a person down the street who left for work before 5am every day in a purposely noisy truck. Leaving a copy of this fractured verse on his windshield one night seemed to actually work (though not right away). It ain't great, but I made it up in a hurry...

"Asleep we are at dawn's first light

Work is later; it's still late night

'Fore 5am, from down the street

A noisy truck rumbles us out of sleep

"It's him AGAIN", we mumble surly

Another night; we're awakened early

We leave this note to make you aware

That neighbors will complain to someone who cares

About a noisy vehicle that wakes people up around 4:45-5am every weekday!"


Trick is, finding someone with authority....who cares. Sometimes a town council (person) might help, as the people with shiny badges supposedly have to listen to them.

Sportsbreak/Crimebreak: Donte Stallworth

6/18 update: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspends Donte Stallworth indefinitely without pay. The story's not done yet (a "final determination on discipline" is forthcoming), but good job by the NFL in taking this action.

Earlier post:

Everyone else has a comment about Cleveland Browns receiver Donte Stallworth's 30-day prison sentence (plus community service, house arrest, etc.) for DUI manslaughter. In essence, here's mine: Please see yesterday's post.

Stories keep referring to how Stallworth is considered to be a "man" for actually stopping after he ran over the person, and allowing himself to be tested/arrested/charged. And that he really feels bad about all of this.

Please. If you or I got into our Bentley (not) at .126 or whatever alcohol level, then ran over some guy - jaywalking or not; our former life, livelihood, etc. etc. would be over right there. And no one would be patting us on the back for being a man about stopping the car. And, of course, most of us would have no celebrity's option to unleash our wallets, paying the victim's family (a lot), and possibly helping influence a lesser prison sentence.

It was an unfortunate accident, involving excess with alcohol. I believe that Donte Stallworth is very sorry and he has said so. But, if Eric Mangini and the Browns are serious about having quality individuals on the team going forward, he's cut, and soon. In other words: This is a test (of/for that approach).

That said: Donte Stallworth will likely be suspended from play for around eight games or so by the NFL commissioner. I think that Mr. Stallworth may then be brought back by the Browns, at least for the rest of the '09 season. This may be a financial (salary cap hit) decision. After 2009 all bets are off, but I wager that it still would be mainly a football and money decision.

The appropriate public "tut-tutting" about the "seriousness of the charges" has already begun by the Browns. But it's pro sports. It's a business...about trying to win. Serious and not-so-serious crimes happen all of the time with the wealthy pawns players. Ref.: St Louis' handing of Leonard Little's 1998 DUI manslaughter.

So, we'll see...

Note: Mr. Little, though acquitted of the more serious charges in a 2004 incident, has experienced further problems after 1998.

Guzzling SUV-ers: The trend isn't your friend

Volatile oil prices are here to stay. Oh, but you're still doing your part to help weaken U.S. national security...?? Etc, etc....?

McCain/Palin drilling won't "save you" any time soon, either (if ever). (And: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/opinion/12friedman.html)

Maybe this program might help a few of you....(But "The Party of No" keeps trying to kill it.)


A link to 6/17/o9 article with Fritz Henderson, GM CEO follows. That company may now be bankrupt (thanks in part to years of questionable decisions re types of vehicles to make/sell), but that also forces them to (at last) move toward the forefront of "what's next", at least in the U.S. Even Fritz knows about energy prices...
.http://www.wfsb.com/automotive/19779645/detail.html

(Photos used are considered to be in the public domain.)

Corrupt-icut redux: 'IF' my conduct was inappropriate??

Link to 6/17/09 Hartford Courant article re another CT official's DUI: http://www.courant.com/community/news/ec/hc-glastonbury-dui-arrest-0617.artjun17,0,4276121.story Please enjoy this woman's performance with the poor officers, whose salary "she approves"...in case they were unclear about that. That wastebasket they gave her was really meant for her career. Or, at least that would be true for the "rest of us"(little people), given similar circumstances.

Another humble Connecticut public official who still "doesn't get it". (Please check her "apology" in the article.) She'll likely get a slap on the wrist, too. And then be re-elected, so that she may carry on largely unhindered, via her all-powerful position....

When might these paragons of virtue ever wake up: There's no excuse for DUI. By anyone. None. If you've got a problem, find some help.

Oh....Some of the comments to the Courant's online story are pretty good. This person's got it right:

From "Jamie":

"She apologizes "IF" any of her behavior was inappropriate? IF??

Boy, that's big of her.

Jerk. "

Scary article, and an accurate one

Congratulations to Mr. Frank Rich for describing a deteriorating situation in the U.S. (better than I ever could). And don't overlook his paragraph about easy access to guns for any "nutjob".

Link to his 6/13/09 NYT article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/opinion/14rich.html?em


1. I thought that the recent national election provided some hope, but, no; this (still) is not the "United" States anymore. Not at the current time. Divisiveness mainly for the sake of divisiveness -- or audience ratings -- weakens the union.

1a. Leadership is required to defuse (or perhaps try to better integrate?) the present minority of "haters", secessionists, reactionaries, and demagogues. Otherwise, with poorly controlled access to guns in this country, it's "Pandora's Box" open wider. As pointed out over and over here, with millions of people or all kinds and temperaments, and little weapons control, media "fanning of flames" is the last thing most Americans want or need. And spreading misinformation and half-truths is unpatriotic. It can be a form of hating and disparaging your country.

Oh. And just how inaccurate were the following, much-reviled comments from candidate Obama awhile back? It was a divisive thing to say and it uses stereotypes, so I don't support it. But take a minute to think about it again anyway:

Re: Lone "gunmen": Don't forget the gun part

Guns don't usually pull their own triggers, but relatively easy access to them in the U.S. is part of the predicament of gun-violence plaguing this country. "Pandora's Box" is wide open.

Link to AP article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090613/ap_on_go_ot/us_lone_wolf_terrorists_4