Word. Maybe a laff or 2. ....A point of view blog....(Off-site web links are in light blue.) NOTE: Website is NO longer updated. (Much of it was produced in 2009-11..) A July, 2021 note: This (former) blog was sharply critical of Vice Pres. Dick Cheney. HOWEVER, Rep. Liz Cheney, his eldest daughter, happens to be a current HERO of mine as she stands up for the U.S. Constitution (..and sanity in general..), and stands up to Donald Trump and his liars/sycophants/insurrectionists
Easy prediction (given current developments): Get ready for more, (organized) citizen actions such as this↓; ref. the (2014) video below. Those represented below -- plus many more -- have not "gone away". Nor will they...
Post-U.S. presidential election, 2016:Three items to (try to) keep front-and-center (article links below), if/when a U.S. administration generally hostile to the environment takes form. Off-site article links, no affiliation. New windows open:
5/16: Hey...way, way more people check in with Jimmy Kimmel than this tiny blog. So, pls. have a listen (if you can get past Sarah...(Unnecessary bad language near the end of the video)):
3/16: Wake-up call ...yet another. ((If such projections are bolstered via add'l research:) Kids! 'Let's play pack-up and move to higher ground' (someday).):
10/2015: 'Surprise'...Exxon understood about climate change -- through their own research -- back in the 1970s; supported misinformation about the concept for years after. Off-site 10/26/15 article link:
- "I'm not sure what the 'height of insanity' might be, but this seems a candidate: Modern, advanced societies ignoring - or deliberately distorting - principal findings of climate scientists -- who the same civilizations train and educate to become experts ..." (P.S. If it needs stating, we know what one of the 'rea$on$' (i.e., for denying) is...)
- "...I have a better idea: do something, Congress. Do anything to help working Americans. Join the rest of the country. Join me, I'm looking forward to working with you...." --- President Barack Obama (7/2014)
Link to 2/23/11 Jason Linkins (Huffington Post) report about Wisconsin Tea Party dupeScott Walker unwittingly revealing "his" strategies to undermine public employee unions, to Buffalo Beast editor Ian Murphy. Who successfully reached (call dodger) Walker by posing via a Skype call as "conservative" billionaire (read: Tea Party agenda major supporter/funder) David Koch. (The Exec.VP of Koch Industries, second largest privately-held company in America. No public shareholders to answer to... "...(O)ver my dead body" (re ever offering public shares), one of the Koch brothers is attributed to have said.))
If it wasn't already painfully clear before the call, make no mistake: Koch - and his brother Charles - are Scott Walker's bosses....bankrollers....prime constituents...masters....divine leaders.... -- you name it.
Thanks for that, Tea Party chumps/voters. The individuals mentioned above - and those like them - care about one exclusive group: Obscenely compensated CEO money men, and other privileged, wealthy clients .
Not you. Not me. Not most Americans....
(screen cap, also a link to the website ...."The World's Only Website")
Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine:"Governors and others in state houses across this country on the Republican side have decided what they want to do is wage a war against their own employees," Kaine said (Saturday night). "Against public employees who are teaching our kids, who are caring for our parents in nursing homes, who are patrolling our neighborhoods."
Screen graphic recently seen on CNBC as their anchors push the panic button over Libya's oil disruptions:
"Can OPEC come to the rescue?"
Just go ahead and add (to that) : "So spoiled Americans (many) can still gas up their humongous SUVs and pickups, the vast majority of which are not regularly used for their (alleged) utilitarian purpose(s)."
OPEC/terrorist oil-dependent America is weak and vulnerable. And even if the U.S. extracts more of its own oil, it will still be subject to repeated shocks/cartel whims in the global oil market.
Author: IFCAR "I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide."
I didn't say this, the former director of the CIA did: "I have a bumper sticker on the back of my Prius that reads, 'Bin Laden hates this car.'"
If we want to beat Bin Laden and oil-owning regimes (generally) hostile to the U.S., it's our patriotic duty to drive fuel-efficient vehicles. To better insulate, and wean (convert) our houses from heating oil....ETC.
Part of a subsequent statement from the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police:
"Police officers in Ohio already do difficult and dangerous work, so it doesn't help when the governor calls an officer doing his job and protecting the public an 'idiot,' " said Ohio Fraternal Order of Police president Jay McDonald.
Another state worker-hatin', union hatin' Republican, it appears. And he launched his weird tirade in front of a group of Ohio state agency employees. (The Ohio EPA -- I'm sure Kasich just loves them, also...)
This is leadership?? It's like he's lecturing a bunch of wayward first-graders or something (per the video segment) -- and then Mr. Governor careens straight off the deep end. All by himself...
First off, unless you're a corporate sponsor, steroid-abusing celebrity athlete, lobbyist, oil baron (or their favorite former president) -- you probably weren't at the actual event. (Though many at Cowboys Stadium watched on TV screens, too... when they bothered to interrupt their drinking and/or smoozing....(If some got to their seats at all....))
As The Onion reminds us (link, new window): Regular football fans? Barely tolerated. (Oh, BTW: The real bottom-line:(link) "Super Bowl sets viewership record".(No-culture pop culture entryway exhibit ; pls. see below for more...))
From yesterday's (2/6/11) New York Times article, "Singing, Aguilera Trips O'er Ramparts", take a look at some of the reader comments below the article. Many cogent ones, but I'll re-copy this one, which sums it up well for me and those who watched the spectacle with me:
"What so proudly we watched at the twilight’s last... REAMING???”
For anyone who would argue that our popular culture isn't completely, utterly unsalvageable, I rest my case."
- from Stretch Ledford, Richmond, VA
No-culture pop culture exhibit #1: For those brave/crazy enough to view it (again), embedding Christina Aguilera's TRAIN WRECK of a national anthem (at Super Bowl XLV, via YouTube, below). A disgrace, and dishonor to America and all Americans.
As many have pointed out, it was hardly just the messing up of the words, but her painfully drawn out, caterwauling attempt at turning the anthem into some kind of five-minute, R and B "soul" effort.....Just sing the (damn) song properly, as it was intended! The national anthem is not some kind of "showcase" for marginal talent. It ain't about YOU, Christina Whoever-You-Think-You-Are. One thing that you are certainly not: A professional singer...That was made very clear to just about everyone witnessing last night's ordeal. (Apologizing afterward does nothing to undo the affront. If the bungled singing was some kind of bizarre "publicity stunt" (or cry for help?) in some way, few are sympathetic.)
For any defenders of this singer and/or that pathetic rendition: Human beings can and do make mistakes. But this is an extremely well-paid, (alleged) professional singer stepping onto the world stage to sing a nation's anthem. I.e., to do (part of) her "job". That sorry attempt wasn't merely a "mistake"....Train wreck. Disaster. A garish one.A professional must perform better than that at such a moment. (Perhaps she was having a medical problem....Or a possibly a little too much 'medicine' beforehand...??)
Any defenders of that performance and/or the performer, a quotation for you:
"Beware the lollipop of mediocrity; lick it once and you'll suck forever. "
-- Brian Wilson
(Actually it's being much too charitable to refer to Christina's rendition as "mediocre", in any way.... Can anyone imagine a top-notch, professional singer like, for example; Barbra Streisand. Ray Charles, or Aretha Franklin messing up (the national anthem, at a major event) like this woman did..?? )
Update: Yes, Christina is entitled to a chance at redemption (she'll get many, link to current story). However, for those indoctrinated via the best - like Aretha - it's not difficult to predict that Christina may do better, but will likely fall short IF she attempts to cover a song by that acclaimed singer. We will see - those who watch the Grammy's anymore. P.S. Barbra Streisand will also perform at them. Perhaps I will watch....
2/13/11 - Grammy awards show update:(Before starting...Why is the feed for this post disabled at the moment??) The five singers who paid tribute to Aretha Franklin at the show's start did pretty well, we thought. Especially Jennifer Hudson who came closest to sounding a bit like the lady herself. Ms. Aguilera performed better this time out, with songs closer to what she apparently tries to (often) imitate. But there was still too much yelling and drawn-out embellishment in her performance. (An interesting article to read (link): "...The Hideous Cult of Oversouling", by John Eskow.) Here are links to two early takes that include comments re the Grammy show effort: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110214/ap_en_tv/us_grammys_review and, http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/02/aretha-franklin-grammy-awards-christina-aguilera.html
Christina deserves some credit for promptly getting back out on a big-time stage....(Though she apparently almost fell off of it.)
(Continuing with the previously posted entry here): No-culture pop culture exhibit 1a: Whoever this LA Times fashion blog writer is decides floundering Christina's outfit is praiseworthy, but bashes the singer who properly performed (though still a bit over-embellished) "America the Beautiful"... about her pants.)
Whatever that halftime show was, it wasn't music, nor was it entertaining. (Unless you crave being yelled at/pointed at repeatedly, etc.) Enjoy the various comments reprinted in the linked article. No-culture pop culture exhibit #3: It figures that convicted felon Martha Stewart was the Twitter-er who liked it.....
No-culture pop culture exhibit #4 through infinity: Almost every aired TV commercial last night. (And every night...) Not that this fan of actual football cares one bit. Other than they help destroy any continuity to the actual game....
Former V.P. Dick Cheney....Secret Service code name 'Angler'. He's still monitoring each one of you. To help secure everyone's #@!*% FREEDOM. He knows best, so don't ask (and don't tell)....
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