Zaire's Christmas List

I'll translate: $1,000 dollars, a new video game, a trip to Hawai'i, new Lego Power Miner, IPod, and ICarly "Big Foot" (whatever that is).

hmmmmmmm. Holy shit, it's Christmas!

Do You Have Enough Candy?

Scary sounds:






My grandson is with me for Halloween, and because he was suspended from school for playing a prank on his teacher, part of his personal punishment was that he could not go trick or treating this year.

So, I bought a little pumpkin and we carved it, and I pulled out just two things I had that were Halloween themed. I bought him a costume (actually two), not really for trick or treating, but because he has a lot of swords and likes to play ninja, so he now has two different kinds of costumes to play with at home.

I bought some candy. Since I live in an area that is predominately adults and all of our apartments are security coded, in my 15 years here, no one has ever come to my door. The candy is for Zaire. I told him that when it gets dark, he can put on his costume and he can go out in the hall, and come and knock on my door and yell "Trick Or Treat," and I will give him some candy.



Hope all of you have a safe and fun holiday!

P.S. they sure jacked up the prices for candy this year. Sheesh!

What Is A Lawmaker Elected To Do If Not Enact Laws?

This has got to be the stupidest statement by a "lawmaker" ever.

TANCREDO: It is an attitude that you see all the time. Yes, I spent 10 years in Congress. I could certainly see it there. There is a sort of an elitist idea that seeps into the head of a lot of people who get elected. And they begin to think of themselves as, really, there for only one purpose and that is to make laws. And why would you make laws? Well, because you know, better than anybody else what to do.

As Think Progress has noted:

Why else would a lawmaker make laws? Because that’s exactly what they were elected to do. That’s why they’re called “lawmakers” — because they make laws. Indeed, Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “lawmaker” as “one who makes laws.”

In fact, it seems a lot of Tea Party-backed candidates don’t seem to think it would be in their job description to do much of anything. “Once again, Harry Reid: It’s not your job to create jobs,” Nevada GOP U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle regularly says on the campaign trail.

Similarly, many Republicans running for Congress are actively pushing the idea of a government shutdown if they don’t get what they want. Powerful Tea Party-allied Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) even said recently, “This idea that government has to do something is not a good idea. So I think the less we do, the better.”

So if Tancredo doesn’t think it would be his job as governor to make laws, what exactly does he think he would be doing?

My sentiments, exactly!

Obama Still On The Trail, Looking More Stumped Than Stumping

President Barack Obama implored voters on Saturday to resist a Republican tide, warning that if the GOP prevails in Tuesday's midterm elections all the progress of his first two years in office "can be rolled back."

I find that a tad disingenuous. All the progress of the first two years? I'm very tired of hearing about all the alleged things this president has done in the past two years. In all actuality, the majority of things that this president has accomplished in the first two years have benefited rich corporations and rich people at the expense of regular Americans. Seriously take a look at his record.

I doubt his last minute push (by last minute, I mean in the last month) will have much of an impact on those that are needed to sway the vote the way we did in 2008. The many broken promises have left us with a sour taste in our collective liberal mouths. But, to a certain extent, it is the way in which Obama has not only continued, but expanded, the Bush oriented foreign policies and the limitations on personal freedoms, all in the name of the "war on terror" that have concerned me the most. Obama, to me, will always just be a rhetorical president. Just as Bush is destined to go down in history as the worst president ever, Obama will most certainly be remembered as a president that failed to deliver, and likely to be the man at the helm when this country truly goes berserk.

Tidbit from the ever on point Glenn Greenwald:

Anyone who ran around hailing Barack Obama as a would-be champion of civil liberties and who has not by now retracted or at least severely qualified that claim is lacking in the Department of Intellectual Integrity, to put that about as mildly as I can consistent with accuracy.

Tim Profitt, No Pile Drive? Oh, My Back Hurts, LOL

So ..... what ..... is your story?

BK? Upside down mortgage? Fired and unemployed? Uninsured and afraid to go to a doctor lest you find out real problems?

There's not a whole lot I can contribute right now, in the political realm. I am still not going to vote (but if that changes, I will state such fact).

It's corporate money (the elite rich, do the research, it has been around for centuries and has always impacted life ... and the American revolution was a distancing of that way of life ...) that is dictating the path of America. Too bad, not enough real patriots are in there, fighting for what our constitution was all about.

Make sure your right to free speech is still guaranteed, despite those that think it's ok for a man to stomp a woman on the head just because she was attending a debate forum.

Politics aside, dudes, are you really for taking down a petite woman by a burly dude (who, ironically, blamed his foot stomp on the lady because he has back problems .. what, you were going to pile drive her if you didn't have a back problem???? dude????????)

Closing Out The Bar - Mavericks' Style (Free Cyber Shots For The Room)

All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down


Night, night!!!!!

A Hat Tip To Flaco!


Bonus Flaco feature.
Streets of Bakersfield

Meatloaf - Rocky Horror Meets Dashboard Lights

"I swore I would love you to the end of time. So now I am praying for the end of time."



I thought the Glee episode tonight infusing the Rocky Horror Picture Show into the theme was fabulous.

I saw the film back before it was on the midnight circuit, when people actually booed and walked out! It wasn't until a few years later everyone was wearing weird outfits, bringing newspapers, squirt guns, umbrellas, toilet paper, etc. to the shows, and doing live performance art to the damn show.

I also remember doing the Time Warp!



I actually have figurines of Riff Raff and Columbia (her with that hat!) on my desk at work.

I thought the episode tonight was great. Unfortunately, "Eddie" songs are not on YouTube ... so enjoy the music with the visuals.

Whatever Happened To Saturday Night

Counter to Rix's Laura Nyro post

Sweet Blindness

What Is Wrong With My Chargers????

I really don't understand the problems that the Chargers are having this season. The sacks, the fumbles, the blocked punts ... everything that is a football nightmare has happened to this team. They are down 2-4 in the standings, and are on the losing end of this game with New England, with sacks, botched kick-offs, and interceptions. And let's not get started on the overall penalties since the beginning of the season.

Yet, their stats in passing and some others, are rather phenomenal for a team that is sucking this bad thus far in the season.

Iran, Texas, The Difference Is?

And one can tell the difference, how? Iran:

Iran has imposed new restrictions on 12 university social sciences deemed to be based on Western schools of thought and therefore incompatible with Islamic teachings, state radio reported Sunday.

The list includes law, philosophy, management, psychology, political science and the two subjects that appear to cause the most concern among Iran's conservative leadership — women's studies and human rights.

"The content of the current courses in the 12 subjects is not in harmony with religious fundamentals and they are based on Western schools of thought," senior education official Abolfazl Hassani told state radio.

Sounds a little bit too close to this.

The Christian right is making a fresh push to force religion onto the school curriculum in Texas with the state's education board about to consider recommendations that children be taught that there would be no United States if it had not been for God.

Members of a panel of experts appointed by the board to revise the state's history curriculum, who include a Christian fundamentalist preacher who says he is fighting a war for America's moral soul, want lessons to emphasise the part played by Christianity in the founding of the US and that religion is a civic virtue.

[snip]

One of the panel, David Barton, founder of a Christian heritage group called WallBuilders, argues that the curriculum should reflect the fact that the US Constitution was written with God in mind including that "there is a fixed moral law derived from God and nature", that "there is a creator" and "government exists primarily to protect God-given rights to every individual".

Barton says children should be taught that Christianity is the key to "American exceptionalism" because the structure of its democratic system is a recognition that human beings are fallible, and that religion is at the heart of being a virtuous citizen.

Food for thought.

My Take On Why Carly And Meg Don't Stand A Chance In CA

Here in California, two very, very rich people are running for offices. One is Carly Fiorina and the other is Meg Whitman. Both made a gazillion dollars off of poorly running large corporations before they got booted. This is fairly common knowledge, the kind that simple Google/Yahoo searches can come up with. Californians as a whole are not a stupid bunch (even if they let Prop 19 go down in "flames"). 23 won't pass because Californians are very aware of who the backers are, and we pride ourselves in this state on the advances we have made (thanks, in no small part to a "governor moonbeam" that started the run in California with solar energy) concerning controlling emissions from the energy companies, among other things.

While other states may have to grapple with the rich guys/gals making it into Washington or into their state governments, I am rather confident that won't happen with Meg and Carly.

Brown, the Democratic attorney general and former governor, led Whitman 52% to 39% among likely voters, the poll found. His advantage has more than doubled since a Times/USC poll in September.

The abrupt movement in the race for governor came as Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer held onto her 8-point margin over Republican Carly Fiorina in the U.S. Senate contest. Boxer's 50% to 42% lead was statistically unchanged from September's 51% to 43% edge.

And while I am not particularly in favor of the professional government employee, i.e., one who spends most of their life in politics, I'm pretty sure the fact that Whitman never voted in her life until she decided, rather cavalierly, that she should be governor, is not lost on the electorate. Likewise, Fiorina's very rich elitest background and her actions to cut and offshore jobs resonates with those unemployed Californians!

Ramdom Thoughts As We Approach November Mid-Terms

These are the kind of nutty things being said by the Republican and teabagger candidates for various offices in the November 2010 races.

QUESTIONER: Given the salmonella outbreaks that we have seen every three weeks, with the chicken industry, with pesticides and what not that they put onto spinach in order to get the salmonella. We have rules and regulations. However there is no rule mandating that they be enforced. Is there some way when you’re in Congress that you’ll have a bill passed that says instead of having companies voluntarily change, mandate that they must change or give them the ability to shut ‘em down and that goes for mining companies or anyone who has hundreds of violations against ‘em.

KELLY: Here’s the thing with that point, that’s the first time I’ve ever had that question. Congratulations on being unique. First shot out of the box, no ma’am. I do not believe that what we’re lacking right now is a lack of regulations on business. [...] You could literally go spit on the grass and get arrested by the federal government if you wanted to right now. [...] More regulation, more federal control, giving Nancy Pelosi more power, is not the solution right now.

QUESTIONER: Who’s protecting us?

KELLY: That’s the thing, ma’am, it’s our job to protect ourselves. Because no one else is going to look out for your best interests except for you. [...]

Yeah, you heard/read that right. I find this particular comment just plain stupid considering I was sick from salmonella from the contaminated eggs that made it to my local supermarket, and not once, but three times, before I was able to figure out it was the eggs (after the recall gave the numbers of the cartons, and mine was one of those being recalled). How in the hell am I supposed to regulate myself? How does anyone know that the foods they are supposed to believe are safe when they go shopping just may kill them?

That man is just plain stupid.

Then there is this from a blogger after attending the President's speech at USC Friday.

Whatever your opinion of where we are and where we're going is, the choice on November 2nd falls to one between a Tea Party future where climate change is a lie and safety nets for citizens are unconstitutional, or a future where progress is imperfect, flawed and slow, but progress nevertheless. Is it all shiny like 2008? Not really. It's banged up like the metaphorical car in the ditch, but that car can still move forward. With help.

Please vote on November 2nd.

Yeah. I get it that the President's ability to "move" a crowd vis-a-vis a speech is dramatic in its presentation. But get over it. All he has accomplished, for the most part, is just give great speeches. I was taught a long, long, long, long time ago to not listen to the words, but look at the actions of a person if you want to believe in them. In this case, the words of Obama have always outshined his actions. In fact, his words are impossible to live up to at this point in time. Those words are what made the dramatic change in the make up of government in 2008. It is the actions and non-actions of those that ended up in the government thereafter that have concerned me, and others like me. I'm not gearing up to vote just because the President made a great speech! Fuck that.

If we couldn't get even 1/4 of our agenda passed in two years, with a complete domination of Washington, one has to stop, scratch their head, and ask themselves "what went wrong." When you ponder that question, and realize the answer lies square with the corporate control of both parties, you realize there is no value in your vote. It won't fucking matter.

The rich are giddy over the prospects of this election (not to be confused with regular Republican voters) because they realize they will be able to gut regulations, loot the American people's owned government finances to line their coffers, buy up those distressed mansions and hotels and the "everyman" home, with nary a care about what it will do to this country. The teabaggers are just the oddballs that will provide cover for the rich people. They will be blamed for gumming up the works, when in reality, it's the rich corporations that have been plotting this take over.

In 2006, Koch Industries owner Charles Koch revealed to the Wall Street Journal’s Stephen Moore that he coordinates the funding of the conservative infrastructure of front groups, political campaigns, think tanks, media outlets and other anti-government efforts through a twice annual meeting of wealthy right-wing donors. He also confided to Moore, who is funded through several of Koch’s ventures, that his true goal is to strengthen the “culture of prosperity” by eliminating “90%” of all laws and government regulations. Although it is difficult to quantify the exact amount Koch alone has funneled to right-wing fronts, some studies have pointed toward $50 million he has given alone to anti-environmental groups. Recently, fronts funded by Charles and his brother David have received scrutiny because they have played a pivotal role in the organizing of the anti-Obama Tea Parties and the promotion of virulent far right lawmakers like Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC). (David Koch praised DeMint and gave him a “Washington Award” shortly after the senator promised to “break” Obama by making health reform his “Waterloo.”)

First Bush v. Gore and now Citizens United v. FEC.

Money buys power; it always has. Campaign finance laws will be the only thing to stop the power grab. The teabaggers like to brand themselves the "party" of regular people, but that's been debunked so many times, I'm not going to waste my time on my blog preaching to the choir over this. Yeah, the candidates the rich people prop up under the banner of the teabagger party may be regular nut jobs, but they don't have a clue about government. They are just puppets of people like the Koch brothers. That's why they, as a whole, don't bother me, per se. I know that it's the corporate money controlling both parties that will doom the United States.

To paraphrase a cartoon character: Be afwaid. Be vewwy, veewwy afwaid.

Oh, Great, Drama Obama Is Going To Cause More Traffic Confusion Tomorrow

A shortsighted trip to L.A. to try to boost Boxer supporters, first doing something at USC, then going to an Hispanic (tv/radio - my bad, don't know) station after that, in Glendale.

At least this time he's staying east of me. That fundraiser in Hancock Park was definitely a pain in the ass insofar as traveling was concerned.

Hence, the television and other media info ahead of time. LAPD's excuse for the last fiasco was that secret service personnel did not communicate with the local police, hence, the experienced traffic problems.

So, Ladies, Would You Wear These?

Guess The Artists!

Ok, So Now I Am On An Annette Mood At The Bar

In this piece, as a dancer, you can clearly see that Annette is by far, a better ballet dancer. Her feet positions are exact, her turns perfect, her toe work strong ...

Tall Paul


Pineapple Princess


Beach Party Tonight

A Stroll Down Memory Lane - The Lennon Sisters

Picture courtesy of Welk Music Family.

My musical muse growing up, was the Lennon Sisters. Probably not by choice, but because with only one television for a large part of growing up, my grandparents owned Sunday night (I think it was then) which included The Lawrence Welk Show. (Well, I didn't mind much because one of the dancers used to be on The Mouseketeers, Bobby Burgess, and just like the boys had a crush on Annette, I had one on Bobby).



The four sisters sang sweetly and with brilliant harmonies, and as such, my two cousins and my sister and I were forced, (cough cough) encouraged to sing like them. I can remember many times being trotted out to their "cocktail parties" and having to sing. I could say a lot more, but most of those involved have long left this existence. I was a fan of Janet, of course, because she was the youngest, and thus I related to her, even though she was ten years older than me. I remember reading a book as a pre-teen that was either written by her, or was about her.

For those that have no clue what I am talking about ... enjoy!

Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)


Twilight Time


Banana Boat Song

Drama Obama Afraid To Visit Indian Temple - What An Ass We Have For A President

Any doubts NOW that Drama Obama is a chicken shit? On his trip to India he has nixed a visit to a world famous place of worship because, get this, he's to fucking afraid that the Americans will continue with their missperception that he is a Muslim. Mind you, this is a Sikh temple, distinguished from anything related to Islam. But this piece of shit we call our president is now so fucking afraid of the right wing nutjobs representing about 25% of the population that are still of the belief that Obama is a Muslim and was not born in Hawai'i that he will show a huge amount of disrespect to those in India just to placate the fringe Republicans.

And you really expect me to look up to this guy, admire him for his principles and believe he is doing what is best for this country?

Fuck me! Blow me. Not a prayer's chance in hell I will ever say anything nice about this president. In my opinion, he's worse than Bush II. Mind you, I don't believe the teabaggers' assertions, but I do not look up to or believe in spineless leaders, and as far as I can tell, Drama Obama is the most spineless President we have had in my entire memory of presidents. Hell, even Nixon had more balls than this piece of shit.

I'm done. Peace (well, not in Obama's world) OUT!

The Golden Temple, a sprawling and serene complex of gleaming gold and polished marble that is the spiritual center of the Sikh religion, is one of India’s most popular tourist attractions. Revered by Indians of all faiths, it is a cherished emblem of India’s religious diversity.

[snip]

But the United States has ruled out a Golden Temple visit, according to an American official involved in planning.

[snip]

But the plan appears to have foundered on the thorny question of how Mr. Obama would cover his head, as Sikh tradition requires, while visiting the temple.

“To come to golden temple he needs to cover his head,” said Dalmegh Singh, secretary of the committee that runs the temple. “That is our tradition.”

Mr. Obama, a Christian, has struggled to fend off persistent rumors that he is a Muslim, and Sikhs in the United States have often been mistaken for Muslims. Sikhism, which arose in the Punjab region in the 15th century, includes elements of Hinduism and Islam but forms a wholly distinct faith.

Good line from John Aravosis: "At some point, Obama needs to skip the intellectualizing, and be willing to punch someone in the face (other than a DFH)."

Got Me Some Iron And Wine!

Pint and Song for Arno!

Sunset Soon Forgotten


New video pretty cool!

Screw "Mike's Blog Round Up." Here Are My Reasons For NOT Voting.

So, on Crooks and Liars, "Mike's Blog Round Up" offered up blogs whose rants were all about "reasons" for the progressive and Democratic base to vote. New York Times has a piece up about Drama Obama and his administration's self-congratulatory slap on their collective backs for doing, as they claim, a great job the first two years, and how, in the New York Times' opinion, it's a piece of crap description. BP is suggesting in court that it will fold, run and hide behind the $75 million dollar cap, that they had first said they would waive, but have yet to do so. Drama Obama is still hedging his bet on DADT, despite a fucking court order to stop dismissing people from the military, and intends to continue to appeal the court's decision. Drama Obama and his team oppose all 50 states of this country's bank institutions' call to halt foreclosure proceedings to sort out the apparent fraud by the banks -- because it would hurt the banks.

I am sure you see the pattern here.

And all they can do is toss trash at those of us that have said a loud "fuck you" and we are not going to vote this time out. Get ready to blame it all on the voters who will be characterized by Drama Obama and his administration as whiners, and they will place the blame for their losses squarely on we, the little people, who have said "enough" by our refusal to vote. The rally cry is "don't let the crazies in to control things." But what Drama Obama's team doesn't GET is the crazies are already in control! For us regular folks, Drama Obama did absolutely zero. Yeah, some unemployed people got a few more weeks of crappy benefits, but the Administration hardly blinked while all the insurance companies gouged the potentially insured with unbelievable and unwarranted rate hikes. They lied about the oil spill, and now have lifted the moratorium on the off shore deep water drilling (but I don't see a particular congress lady lifting her singular hold on one of Drama Obama's nominees -- how'd that work out for you, Mr. Prez?). And you expect us to believe that things would be worse????? Worse than what? We've had eight years of worse, and we expected two years of better, and got two years of even worse worse!

We're not a demoralized base. We are a pissed off base. Make the distinction, Drama Queen Prez. I don't give a shit anymore. Vote the morons in, hell it might shake things up. Repeal all of the stuff Drama Queen passed; it hasn't really helped anyone but the rich corporations, so I don't care which group keeps trying to fuck we regular Americans. I just know all of them (well, except for maybe Al Franken and one or two others) don't believe they have to do what their job descriptions state they have to do. They only care that they keep getting elected. And now, with corporate money and foreign corporate money seeding this 2010 election ... why should any real people vote at all? It's not like our elected officials are out there fighting for our lives or anything. And it's not like our votes, when we do vote, count. The machines are rigged, and regularly hacked. Bucket loads of ballots are found in trash bags, not counted, and no one blinks an eye.

Drain the treasury, go ahead and scrap Social Security, Medicare, turn everything over to the already rich private industry, and see where that will get you with the regular people.

I'm not afraid of foreign terrorists. I'm not afraid of home grown terrorists. Hell, the teabaggers and their nut jobs don't scare me. Republicans don't scare me. Democrats don't scare me. What scares me are the rich people who feel the rest of us deserve to live in squalor and die so they can keep their money. I think they actually believe they get to take it with them when they die.

It will be regular people with nothing left that will take care of things in the end, and bring down the oligarchy that has replaced the democracy of this once great nation.

And there, my friends, are my reasons for no longer voting. I want no part of this country's lying bastard leaders and their helpers. At least I can keep my head held high and say I had no part in this crap. Or, I can keep it in the sand until the American people rise up en masse and take back control of their government and toss the robber barons out ... again.

How Did You Spend Your Day, Today?

Busy day.

Took Zaire to his fourth singing class. I got good feedback from the students and parents who used the CD I made to help in learning the songs. The teacher is adamant, it appears, in adding a fourth song. This is a five week course, and she's planning a "show." I gather the kids will sing all four songs, not very good, and not very well choreographed (yeah, she's put in dance moves). Again, if it were me, I would have concentrated on one song, and in the five weeks, would have taught the children not only how to sing it well, maybe with some harmony, but they would appear to their parents and others that would see the performance that they learned to do something, and do it well. [sigh]

After the class, we skipped our regular diner experience and went directly to the Grove. Had lunch at Johnny Rockets, where we haven't been on a Saturday in a month or so. Then we went to P.O. to mail out a ukulele to a friend. After that, we headed to the "Autumn Festival" at the Grove.

There was a petting zoo ...






a face painting booth ...




and a pumpkin patch!

Great, Grandson Got Suspended Pranking His Teacher

My grandson was suspended from third grade Wednesday because he placed a sharp object (paper clip unfolded) on the teacher's chair and she sat on it.

Now, after you stop laughing and remember that this is one of the most comm0n of pranks throughout most of our lives (except it was usually a thumbtack), in today's zero tolerance world, the kid got suspended. That's a permanent blot on his record that says at age eight, he had to be taken out of school because he was a threat of some sort.

That sad part about this is, I was the one responsible for this act. He was with me this weekend, and we watched a Disney ICarly episode that was about "pranking." After the show, my grandson asked me if I ever pulled pranks in school, and I responded "of course," and then recited a litany of shit I had done since seventh grade.

I actually called his principal this morning, not that it would make any difference in his suspension or on his record, but to at least let the principal know that the thought to "prank" his teacher just didn't emanate from his own mind ... there is a direct correlation to what he did and what we watched on TV and talked about later, much of which I have to be blamed for.

It made me think a lot about our different and restrictive generations. I mean, back when I was a kid and watching Tom and Jerry cartoons, it never occurred to me to strap a rocket on my sister's back and fire it so she'd be blown out of the window. But yet, for whatever reason, kids who are very young are emulating habits they see precisely on the television. It's like they are more plugged in and view the media as part of their bloodstream, and have a more carnal reaction to what they view, then we grandparents did, or even do now, for sure.

Fortunately, I was able to get a reprieve from my daughter that banished Zaire to outer planets for life. I bought him a two week restriction at home, including when he's with me, that encompasses no TV, DVD's or movies, and no Halloween trick-or-treating for him this month. I think that's better. He already wrote an apology to the teacher and he read it to me. I could tell he was really, really scared this time that he had done something really, really wrong.

I can't wait to see him tomorrow evening. I know he'll start crying as soon as he sees me because it was based on trying to be cool at school that he did this to make me (and of course, the rest of the kids in his class that watched him do it) laugh. I definitely have to work on that (and oh yeah, cuz I know my daughter will never read my blog - I'm taking him to this Halloween thing that's going to be where we generally go every time I have him anyway, and they'll have hay, pumpkins, and a petting zoo. So, I'll get to be "grandma" a little and give him a small treat he's not supposed to have.

(Smiling).

Oh, Shut The Fuck Up, Tony Perkins

If I hear or read the terms "activist justices" and "liberal social agenda" one more time, I will literally jump out of my skin, and in my ethereal state, hurt someone.

Those two phrases have got to be the most over used memes by the right wing nut jobs EVAHHH.

They are made up phrases meant to, oooohhhh, scare people into thinking that certain, ah, judges are forcing the American people into, uh, liberalism (the belief in the importance of individual liberty and equal rights) and socialism.

Every time there is a step forward these past ten years or so, the nut jobs pull out the phrase "liberal social agenda" to put a damper on the advancement, and try to scare people back into the dark ages. And then, of course, any judge that doesn't rule the way our current SCOTUS (the right leaning sons of bitches, pardon my language to the females on SCOTUS) that ruled for more and easy eminent domain, the erosion of individual rights over corporate rights, the disastrous Citizens United ruling, and all their other rulings that have been turning this country backwards, is then called an "activist judge" and the nut jobs go around advocating either recalling or killing the judge.

There is such a lack of connect with respect to the three branches of the government, why you'd almost think that these people never learned anything about government when they were in school! Which, is probably true, since as a country, we are turning out stupider and stupider graduates. I hate Jay Leno's show, and have rarely watched it, but when he first was on, the bit he did about asking people of the street just general knowledge questions, like how many moons orbit the earth, and he gets answers like "two, three" or "I don't know," while one laughs ... it's still proof of how stupid the general public really is.

And that's why those terms, "activist judges" and "liberal social agenda" gets such a rise out of these stupid people. Without these so called activist judges (many of whom are actually conservative, but just believe in JUSTICE) pushing a so called liberal social agenda (again, it's just JUSTICE), we would not have equal rights for people of color (we don't really, but we are supposed to), females would not have ever been given the right to vote, and a whole host of other rights that the nut jobs don't believe we should really have would not have been ORDERED.

So the next time you hear those phrases, do me a favor and slap the person silly. Show them your freedom of speech by slapping the shit out of them.

For the record, this rant is courtesy of the feigned outrage over the federal judge who finally ORDERED the Obama Administration to stop discharging our soldiers over DADT, and the ever crazy Tony Perkins' rant urging Obama's group to "appeal, appeal, appeal."

Such a move would carry risks, said Richard Socarides, who was an adviser to President Bill Clinton on gay rights issues. “There will be an increasingly high price to pay politically for enforcing a law which 70 percent of the American people oppose and a core Democratic constituency abhors,” he said.

Critics of the ruling include Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council and a proponent of the don’t ask, don’t tell law, who accused Judge Phillips of “playing politics with our national defense.”

In a statement, Mr. Perkins, a former Marine, said that “once again, an activist federal judge is using the military to advance a liberal social agenda,” and noted that there was still “strong opposition” to changing the law from military leaders.

First off, Mr. Socarides is incorrect in stating that 70% of the American public is against DADT. Once again, these nut jobs just say things that aren't true and our wonderful media just let's them do it. This has been going on for years now that it has replaced true journalism, and reduced it to "note taking and typing." We are like the last civilized (and I use that word ever so loosely) that has this kind of ban on gays serving in the military, and the fear mongering and boogey man theories are just not supported by the military of these other countries that have for years and years worked alongside gay and lesbian troops. In fact, our own military got along just fine before DADT became the law (thanks Clinton, for that piece of shit order), and it has only caused quality military personnel to be "outed" in all kinds of inane ways, and discharged. This is a voluntary military at the moment, involved in two major wars, and preparing to invade not one but probably two more countries in the future, and if that's the course our supposed leaders want to take, then they need every qualified volunteer. Weeding out the gays and lesbians does nothing to help the military. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. It's been so debunked, the "I don't want to be next to a gay person in the shower," or the "I don't want to be in a bunker next to a gay person," etc. comments and theories. They don't hold water.

Obama ran on repealing DADT and all his Administration has done is support not repealing it. High five to the "activist" judge that has ORDERED the President to stop discharging soldiers based on DADT.

UPDATE: I just read that the Obama Administration WILL appeal both the injunction and the ruling that DADT is essentially illegal. Nice going there, Mr. Drama Obama.

I really hope the powers that be force a change in congress so that the Drama man gets what he really wants ... an excuse for his do nothing Administration, and the falling into the abyss of craziness that the teabaggers will bring to this country, all of which I will lay at the feet of our (holding nose) President.

Closing Out The Night - Where Is The Love

"Where Is The Love?"

What's wrong with the world, mama
People livin' like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma
Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin'
In the USA, the big CIA
The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah
Madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love
The love, the love

It just ain't the same, always unchanged
New days are strange, is the world insane
If love and peace is so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong
Nations droppin' bombs
Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones
With ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young
So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone
So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong
In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin'
in
Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother
A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover
The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug
If you never know truth then you never know love
Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the love, y'all

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love, the love, the love?

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder
Most of us only care about money makin'
Selfishness got us followin' our wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema
Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality
Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down
There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under
Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found
Now ask yourself

Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love?

Sing wit me y'all:
One world, one world (We only got)
One world, one world (That's all we got)
One world, one world
And something's wrong wit it (Yeah)
Something's wrong wit it (Yeah)
Something's wrong wit the wo-wo-world, yeah
We only got
(One world, one world)
That's all we got
(One world, one world)

Happy Days Are Here Again? Maybe Only On TV

Obviously, with my background, I am a fan of the television show "Glee."

Lea Michele has one incredible voice, but this was the second week in a row she sang a Barbra Streisand song, and we all know in the world of singing ... do NOT do a Babs song!

Last week she did a song from the movie she did, "Yentl" entitled "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" and it was spot on perfect. I don't usually have praise for anyone who even remotely tries to sing Babs.

This evening she did a duet with Kurt (the token "gay" on the show) that had me in tears, literally, for about ten minutes. Enjoy the original.

Happy Days (with Judy Garland)

Cecilio and Kapono

For Arno (LOL): C&K were like Loggins & Messina, Hawai'ian style. They were never one of my favorite groups from that time, but hey, they were a pop Hawai'ian group.

Good Times Together

Obama Administration Not In Line With Moratorium On Foreclosures

What a stupid, pompous and Bush like stance, coming out of the White House.

White House senior adviser David Axelrod signaled Sunday that the Obama administration is opposed to a national moratorium on foreclosures, even as pressure from Congress, labor unions and consumer groups mounts for the federal government to take action.

Calling the growing evidence that lenders have used inaccurately prepared and even fraudulent documents to foreclose on homes a "serious problem," Axelrod said it had already "thrown a lot of uncertainty into the housing market that is already fragile."

"I'm not sure about a national moratorium, because there are, in fact, valid foreclosures that probably should go forward, and where the documentation and paperwork is proper," Axelrod said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Tell me again, why I should support this administration and vote this election?

[cricket sounds]

Even with the mounting evidence of bank fraud in foreclosures, and with several banks (BofA for one) completely putting a hold on all foreclosures in all 50 states, THIS ADMINISTRATION "is not sure" that is the best way to go? For whom? The banks, of course. This is an administration, to be sure, that has NOT GOT IT'S PRIORITIES set to help the people. Please, please, don't be caught up in the orations of the President. Don't get fooled because he can talk in complete sentences and Bush couldn't. Their goals are one and the same, and these past two years shows that ... in fact, it shows the Obama Administration taking Bush's position to the extreme. Government transparency? Check. Health care for all (with public option)? Check. I have repeated this shit over and over, so no need to go into the record again. We all know Obama and friends ain't all that.

UPDATE: From the great Glenn Greenwald:

"...there is no shortage of Democrats and progressives who hurled all sorts of accusatory rhetoric at Bush and Cheney for -- as Hayden put it -- "state secrets, targeted killings, indefinite detention, renditions, the opposition to extending the right of habeas corpus to prisoners," etc., yet now either turn a blind eye to or actively defend Obama as he does exactly the same thing, and sometimes worse."

Long piece, but precisely what is in my head that I can't bang out on the computer any better.

Classical ... ahhhhh

Georges Bizet "Habenero" from Carmen.



Closing out the night ... psst, Arno, just tuned the uke, gonna check on added packing material, and will send this week.

Burn, Baby, Burn

This is just one of the reasons I am not voting. With a majority and a Democratic President, we can't even give a cost of living increase for Social Security recipients (second year in a row - on Obama's watch), but we can bail out bankers, big oil, Wall Street, or anyone else with money.

As if voters don't have enough to be angry about this election year, the government is expected to announce this week that more than 58 million Social Security recipients will go through another year without an increase in their monthly benefits.

It would mark only the second year without an increase since automatic adjustments for inflation were adopted in 1975. The first year was this year.

Government, under Obama, fucking with the seniors who barely get enough to pay rent, their meds, and eat, but he cozies up with the rich. And I used to get upset when the rethugs called him elitist. Now, mind you, the rethugs don't want an increase either. In fact, they want to either eliminate Social Security altogether, or privatize it.

We know how well the privatizing worked when we remember the Cranicks' home burning down while firefighters just watched.

A small town fire company in Tennessee that responded to a house fire was ordered to let the structure burn down because the owner had not paid the $75 subscription fee. Fire fighters across East Tennessee expressed their anger over the fire department’s decision to let the double wide trailer burn down because dues had not been paid. Three dogs died in the fire.

And, of course, the teabaggers, and right wing nutjobs, all thought this was par for the course ... didn't pay your "dues" so fuck your entire house, and your pets. Look how proud all of them were all week tweeting, posting, giving interviews, etc. on how this was "proper" and all other kinds of garbage.

At least many other firefighters in Tennessee did not share the opinion of the South Fulton fire chief, or his employees.

Doug McClanahan said “Truly, a firefighter cannot stand by and watch something burn to the ground.” McClanahan, chief of the Blount County ire Department, said a fire fighter is trained to take care of and rescue people, and “He can’t stand by and not try to react to a fire or a rescue.” Steve Wheeler, chief of Vonore, Tennessee Fire Department, said “We don’t particularly care who’s paid his dues. If somebody needs help, we help and worry about everything else later.”

Chargers Not Off To Good Start

Ouch. The game today was a disaster. In under five minutes, the Raiders had 12 points, all created by the defense. Two punts were blocked, one for a safety, one run in for a touchdown. Then a field goal.

The team appears to not be doing well this season on the road, although it has been seven years since the Raiders beat the Chargers ...

The Lost American Democratic Way Of Life

The last two weeks in politics have been downright crazy, and by crazy, I mean it literally.

Here in California, the political ads are non-stop. Personally, you have to be an idiot to vote for these teabaggers, like Carly Fiorina or Meg Whitman. Rich former CEO's who off shored jobs and/or fired thousands, gave themselves millions of dollars in pay and other assorted work packages, and then they have the audacity to think people in California are stupid enough to elect them! We aren't the state that everyone makes fun of because we are conservative and run by conservative crazy ideas! We are at the forefront of of liberality, even in these "crazy" times.

As it stands, I am still sitting out this election, regardless of what happens. I feel bad, though, for other southern and Midwestern states that have a slate of fringe candidates running, who, if they actually get elected, will definitely disrupt the very core of what used to be called the American Democratic Way Of Life.

Still Not Impressed With Singing Teacher

More pictures from my new favorite diner, Cafe 50's.







Went to the third week of Zaire's singing class. Thus far, the teacher did not teach class one, but her "daughter" came in and taught (or attempted to teach) the children (ages 5-9) to sing "Hound Dog" by Elvis. Week two, teacher shows up, has hissy fit that parents either get to stay in room, or watch from outside with door open. She opts for open door policy. Still no words for the songs she's teaching, and she adds The Beatles "Octopus Garden" and "I'm A Yankee Doodle Dandy" (the Jimmy Cagney version) to the list.

Week three, and she only has the words for two songs. Actually, all she did was download and print traditional piano sheet music for the songs! I mean, come on! The kids only need the damn fucking words, not the entire proper piano musical score. Good grief. Then to top it off, she added another BEATLE song to the list, "When I'm 64." The woman must be obsessed with Ringo. She smelled of patchouli oil, which I love, but it definitely dated her.

On the off chance the "teacher" would forget stuff (and she did), I made a CD of the three songs and gave them to the parents, so the kids could actually hear what the song sounds like by the actual artist(s) that sang them. All of the parents thanked me, and I hope it helps.

On the fun side, I found ukulele chords to all three songs, although "Hound Dog" doesn't sound so great. However, the uke is great for the "Octopus Garden" song! "Yankee ..." is a tad harder and I'm working on learning it.

Anyway, going to the diner is the best part of the day!

Sorry For The Lack Of Posts ...

It's been a tough two weeks, first with my boss being out of the country and me handling the law office, and then his father passes away, while he is out of the country, so ...

A few more pictures from the memorial. From an IPhone, no less. Good to know my cheap ass phone plus my lack of photography skills isn't singular to me!





I am still not up to par, feeling overwhelmed in some fashion, but nothing I can't rise above. At least I didn't have to take any Valium today (although I am enjoying a few rum and cokes on my "day off" re drinking!).

Twinkle, Twinkle

Got back from a memorial service for the father of my boss of 10 years, who passed away late last week.

While I (and others of our office who are not Korean) had no clue what was said for about an hour, except "amen," I am sure many don't understand the Hawai'ian words in this song, until they get to the English part.

Twinkle, Twinkle (Hawai'ian style) - "Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky..."