Madoff Gets 150 Years!

U.S. District Judge Denny Chin said Madoff's breach of trust was massive, and that he lied to investors and to the SEC to buy homes, yachts and pay country club fees. He called the maximum sentence symbolic to those who might imitate the fraud and to the victims seeking relief.

"Here the message must be sent that Mr. Madoff's crimes were extraordinarily evil and that this kind of manipulation of the system is not just a bloodless crime that takes place on paper, but one instead that takes a staggering toll," Chin said.

"Not a single letter was submitted in support of Madoff," Chin said. "Not friends, not family. That is telling."

Too bad no one else on Wall Street, etc. is being sued for fraud, damn it. I'd like to see more prison sentences for those that forced Americans to have to fork over tax dollars just to pay for their salaries and bonuses.

Ed, Farrah And Michael - May They Be In A Better Place

(heads up - there is a music podcast unrelated to this post, so if you want the music to STOP, just scroll down to player and pause it!)

Two icons in one day. One we were prepared for, and one we weren't.

Lots of YouTube on Michael, but of course, it's embedded so you can't post. But this fabulous piece is available.



Solo's by Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, James Ingram, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Willie Nelson, Al Jarreau, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, Steve Perry, Daryl Hall, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Kim Carnes, Bob Dylan and Ray Charles. Others performing in the background are Dan Aykroyd, Harry Belavonte, Lindsey Buckingham, The News, Sheila E., Bob Geldof, Jackie Jackson, LaToya Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Randy Jackson, Tito Jackson, Waylon Jennings, Bette Midler, John Oates, Jeffrey Osborne, The Pointer Sisters and Smokey Robinson.

That's sone fucking impressive line-up.

The amazing performance was recorded in January 1985 after the American Music Awards.

I was surprised by how many reader comments on the AMERICAblog site were full of vitriol and really stupid statements. I love reading the blog, but damn, most of the people that comment on John's site are idiots, really no better than the rethug trolls that have to say something idiotic about political posts.

The man was a musical icon, no IFS, ANDS OR BUTS. And his death was sudden and unexpected. To make fun of the fans that are obviously distraught is just plain ignorant. Personally, I'm having my evening rum and coke and BLASTING all of my Michael and Jackson 5 songs.

Rock on, dude. And say hi to Elvis for me.

Now, as for Farrah, she was an icon in her own right. I mean, girls wanted to do their hair like her, and that bathing suit poster adorned every male's wall regardless of their age! And her rocky relationship with Ryan O'Neal, who adored her, was constant fodder for tabloids and the like. However, we all knew she was dying, and so although she passed today, and we mourn her, it was not unexpected.

Ed, Farrah and Michael, RIP. You all are missed.

RIP, Ed

(heads up - there is a music podcast unrelated to this post, so if you want the music to STOP, just scroll down to player and pause it!)

Carson obviously owns every thing he did on The Tonight Show, which is probably all the blogs only have this video of Ed.

I don't really want to use it, but I am tired of trying to find something more original. But then again, I know when I am on the lost cause quest.




RIP, Ed. Johnny was never able to do it all on his own.

Nobody Listens, Nobody Cares

The Neda video.



I mourn for my brothers and sisters in Iran. As a Baha'i, Persia has a personal place hisorically for me in my life, and I have been surrounded by Persians and their culture for over 40 years.

Obama Administration Really Pissing Off GLBT Community And Their Advocates

I am not sure how many of my readers have been following the outcry from the GLBT community over the Obama Administration's DOJ brief filed in support (yes, you read that correctly, SUPPORT) of the DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act), the action of congress that Obama campaigned he would repeal (among other GLBT issues he campaigned on as opposing and vowing to repeal and/or end), but AMERICAblog has been all over it, here, and here, for starters.

I actually work in the same building and am on the same floor as the West Coast office of Lambda Legal. I've been out sick for a few days, but I will most definitely talk to my friends across the hall and get their take, as well as current updates on what they are doing, and will post what I can.

Stay tuned.

Obama Administration Fears Becoming "Fodder" For Comics!

I have heard some idiotic excuses that came from the Bush Administration, but this one from the Obama Administration takes the cake.

Justice Department lawyers told the judge that future presidents and vice presidents may not cooperate with criminal investigations if they know what they say could become available to their political opponents and late-night comics who would ridicule them.

"If we become a fact-finder for political enemies, they aren't going to cooperate," Justice Department attorney Jeffrey Smith said during a 90-minute hearing. "I don't want a future vice president to say, `I'm not going to cooperate with you because I don't want to be fodder for 'The Daily Show.'"

Comics have been lambasting politicians since comics and politicians first existed!

I am afraid we have actually elected another asshole for president. We need to get out our Xanax and Valium and numb ourselves while America as we know it drives itself off the cliff and into extinction.

"In Your Eyes"

I know my blog is supposed to be primarily political. I am so disappointed by this new Bush Dark president, I don't even want to post.

I turn to music.

Enjoy.

This One's For The BF (LOL)

Ok, after having put up an Eydie Gorme video, time to pander to the "BF" in my life. Of course, he probably never got the Gorme video, but I'm sure he gets this one!

Eydie Gorme "As Long As He Needs Me"

Not sure if I need to do an introduction to this piece.

New Underwear

I don't know about the rest of America, but I am buying new underwear this weekend, and no, it had nothing to do with this piece!

During a recession, underwear is among the first things that people stop buying—because hardly anybody actually sees them. This creates pent-up demand, and so when underwear sales level off and increase, it should signal an uptick in consumer demand.

Obama's Get Out Of School Pass!

I know I post a lot about my disappointment in Obama as a president, but this caught my eye, and I thought it was pretty cool.

And, as the dad asked his question, which dealt with how long it will take the U.S. to implement changes to the health care system, the president wrote out a note. And as he began to answer, Obama walked over to the little girl and said, “Here you go, Kennedy.”

“To Kennedy’s teacher–Please excuse Kennedy’s absence… She’s with me,” he wrote, and signed his name.

No doubt, she was excused without penalty.

David Carradine, RIP

I have wanted to do this tribute and RIP piece on David Carradine for a while now, but I have been flabbergasted how everyone on the "left" side of the political spectrum have just been silent on his death. I mean, if it is true that a huge percentage of bloggers (yes, it is true) are people like me, in the 40-60 age range, then we ALL have been affected by David's performance as Kwai Chang Caine in the television series Kung Fu.

Now, while I realize that there are circumstances surrounding his death that bring it into the sexual arena, and to the extreme level of weirdness of sex, but STILL, dudes and dudettes, this is the actor that brought us the famous term "grasshopper!"

Anyway, here are a few videos, and may you enjoy the experience.



Grasshopper



What I have found most interesting as that, yes, David Carradine was acting. At the time he did this series, he was not a practitioner of martial arts, or any other eastern philosophy ... he was, by all definition ... ACTING!

"Grasshopper, do you find mystery in the fire?"


RIP, David.

RIP Air France Flight 447

Dedicated to those aboard Air France Flight 447.



As many of you may know, John liked to fly, and he even built his own planes. John lost his life on October 12, 1997, while in his homebuilt plane, flying "high as the eagle." I know his soul is there with those that perished in that crash in the ocean.

Don't Stop Believing - Go Red Wings!

Stanley Cup tribute.

First off, Journey had many incarnations, even before Steven Perry sang lead. Still, he's my favorite lead of this band.

Go WINGS!!!!! Even if there is no South Detroit (grins).