I’ve been having a nasty run of bad luck with my cars lately.
If this keeps up, my next mode of transportation will need a saddle and bag of oats to get started in the morning.
It all started a few weeks ago when my Toyota Camry suddenly started imitating a Formula One race car.
I was driving on I-10 one day when I tromped the pedal to pass some old junker. To my horror, the gas pedal stuck and I was zooming along at 95 mph for nearly 10 miles! Fortunately, I didn’t get a speeding ticket because most other cars on I-10 were moving just as fast.
I quickly traded in that time-bomb for a spiffy Prius. Hey, they’re good cars and they’re green too. Al Gore would be proud of me!
Everything was fine until I hit the brake pedal one day while approaching a crowded intersection. Nothing happened!
What is worse, a Toyota with a broken accelerator or a Prius with a broken brake system? (Answer: It doesn’t matter.)
Shaken, but not stirred, I unloaded that death-trap for a nice safe Chevy Cobalt. It may not be the fanciest set of wheels out there, but it’s dependable and affordable.
Things were OK for a while until I tried to make a sudden turn one day. No dice. No matter how hard I turned the steering wheel, the wheels under the car didn’t budge.
This was not good! I didn’t even have to ponder that timeless philosophical question: What is worse, a Toyota with a stuck gas pedal, a Prius with a broken brake pedal, or a Cobalt with a broken steering wheel?
I’ve decided that the real problem is that modern cars are too complicated. The more gadgets and doo-dads you put on ‘em, the greater the chance that something will go wrong.
I’m going back to the basics. Anybody know where I can get a used East German Trabant?
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Auto anxiety
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Terminal condition
If you’re still in that dwindling band of Americans pushing for national health care – or at least the president’s version of it – these are tough times.
The latest problem? Well, the premier of the Canadian providence of Newfoundland … is coming to the U.S. for his heart surgery!
That’s right, reformers! Danny Williams is turning his back on Canada’s heavily regulated system for its free-enterprise counterpart south of the border. (Theirs, not ours. Otherwise we’d be talking about Mexico.)
This is going to be tough to explain away – and Danny Boy is not the first resident of the Great White North to look elsewhere for surgery ’n’ stitches. (Hey, that could be the name of a trendy new clinic!)
Bad as this is for the national health care crowd, it comes on the heels of Scott Brown’s shocking takeover of Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat in the People’s Republic of Massachusetts. (Unofficial state motto: We want more government!)
We shall see how it all shakes out. But if I was a doctor and the patient was national health care, I’d gently advise a review of the ol’ life insurance policy.
Monday, February 01, 2010
Profit problems
Reports of the recession’s end have been greatly exaggerated.
Exhibit A would be the shamefully embarrassing disclosure by Exxon-Mobil for 2009.
You may find this hard to believe, but the oil giant came out ahead by only … $19.3 billion!
I know what you’re thinking. When I saw that lame number, I too thought it had to be a misprint.
Sadly, it’s true.
That is only half of E-M's 2008 profit.
Oh, the humiliation!
Maybe some other nickel-and-dime companies on Wall Street would be satisfied with $19.3 bil, but that’s chump change to Exxon-Mobil. Heck, back in ’08, they cleared $14.8 billion in the third quarter alone!
The company has now seen decreases in each of the last five quarters. This was its lowest annual profit in seven years.
This simply can’t go on!
I don’t know how the CEO can show his face in public.
If he does, he should be immediately fired and replaced by someone who knows how to make some real money.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Edwards exposed
Dear John: (irony intended) What were you thinking?
Did you ever for a moment actually believe that your (ick) “sex tape” with Rielle Hunter would remain secret?
John Edwards is making mop-haired Rod Blagojevich look like Winston Churchill here. Worse, he's making horny Bill Clinton look like the pope.
Johnny Boy, you may recall, was the Democrats’ VP nominee in ’04 and a serious candidate for the top spot in ’08.
If the phenom called Barack Obama had decided to sit out that race and get a little seasoning, Edwards could be in the White House today (instead of his ex-wife’s doghouse).
Yet in 2006, when the race for the presidency was just getting going, John and Rielle decided to get it on before the camera.
Puh-lease! How could he not know that would eventually boomerang on him like a nuclear weapon? Wasn't he a super-smart lawyer?
And now the mixed-up mistress wants the tape back. Morals? Hardly. She probably realizes it’s worth big bucks. And what does that say about her I.Q. in letting this gold mine slip through her fingers?
What a seamy, stupid mess.
I used to think that Ross Perot was the looniest person who almost/maybe became president. John Edwards has now taken that trophy from him.
Let’s hope no one outdoes this stunt.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Ford rules!
Have you driven a Ford lately?
Apparently, lots of you folks have.
The Ford Motor Co. did something that no U.S. automaker has done in a long time.
It made a profit last year. A big one. $2.7 billion!
And Ford was the only one of the Big Three that didn’t have to beg Uncle Sam for bailout bucks when the recession was cranking up.
Yee haw! There may be hope for the U.S. auto industry yet. Or at least a third of it.
Critics used to sneer that F-O-R-D stood for Found On Road Dead.
Maybe now they’ll say it means Full Of Resilient Dominance. (OK, I am going to work on that acronym.)
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, GM says it will pay Toyota customers a thousand bucks if they will switch brands.
Now, I may not be one of those power-tie-wearin’ Wall Street financiers, but that doesn’t seem like a good way to make money – bribing people to buy your products.
Congress thought along those lines when it dreamed up the Cash for Clunkers program. But those clowns never had a lick of fiscal sense, so that scheme wasn’t surprising.
The suits at GM should know better. Then again, maybe that’s why GM is hanging on by its fingertips.
We shall see.
But it’s nice to think that you can still buy an extended warranty on at least one U.S. car and hope the company will be there in a few years.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The real State of the Union
Here is the real State of the Union, the speech that President Obama wanted to give but was talked out of at the last minute.
Through my extensive journalistic contacts in Washington, I have been able to obtain a rare transcript of the speech that officially does not exist:
“My fellow Americans: Thank you for taking the time to listen to me tonight, but I must warn you. This will not be your standard State of the Union bullride. I am going to level with you.
“The State of our Union is not good. In fact, if we were a company, we’d be holding a going-out-of-business sale, the pathetic kind where you even unload the office furniture.
“Basically, we’re a B&B. That’s the worst combination you can have – broke and borrowing.
“My health care plan is DOA, even though I still have to pretend I can resuscitate it. But if you want an alternative from the Republicans, you’ll be DOA before it happens.
“Congress has some good people, but also lots of posers, hacks and errand boys. My party has too many people who think government can do everything. The other party has too many people who think government can do nothing.
“But that’s OK, because many of their constituents don’t deserve better representation. You voters want us to keep cutting your taxes while giving you more government goodies. Do the math on that one, pinheads.
“The recession is not over, no matter what Bernanke says. (And he deserved Time’s Person of the Year like I deserved the Nobel Peace Prize.)
“Fact is, the recession is probably just taking a breather before it really nails us later this year. Hey, it’s so bad that even oil companies aren’t making money! And if you think there will be an American carmaker still operating in 10 years, you probably think reality shows are real.
“And that’s another thing: I couldn’t even give this damn speech when I wanted because it would clash with the premier of ‘Lost.’ What’s up with that? I ought to give away the ending and spoil it for you clowns.
“My Cabinet is doing a decent job, but Joe Biden still says something stupid every other day. Sometimes I wish I had chosen Hillary instead for VP, but Bill would have been over here all the time, trying to give me free advice on how he did it back in the good ol’ days. What a putz.
“I suppose we’ll muddle through somehow; we always do. But the chances of your kid wearing a paper hat instead of holding a sheepskin are pretty high, and soon we may start issuing IOUs instead of T-bills.
“In fact, I’d be real depressed if it weren’t for the fact that we’re going to have a good Super Bowl this year. If you take the Colts and give the points, you’ll have some extra spending money the next day. Just don’t forget to report your winnings on your tax return.
“So good night and God bless. And just remember, it could have been worse. John Edwards could’ve gotten this job instead.”
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Bum steer
Kiefer Sutherland is the latest rich guy to prove the old adage:
“A fool and his money are soon parted.”
He got taken for $869,000 by a con artist. And the scam is so bad you wonder how anyone could get suckered by it.
The scammer convinced Sutherland to give him a truckload of money so he could buy cattle in Mexico and resell them in the states for big bucks.
R U kidding?
You don’t even have to a rancher to see how shaky this one is.
There isn’t a big profit margin in beef as it is. And I don’t think U.S. consumers are clamoring for Mexican meat.
The scammer is lucky he snookered Sutherland and not his TV persona, Jack Bauer.
Ol’ Jack would have hung the bad guy by his wrists and made him, ahem, regret his misdeeds.
But of course there’s a difference between real life and make-believe.
It’s just like the difference between real business deals and scams.
Maybe Sutherland/Bauer knows that now.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Bungling burglar
It’s happened again.
Another pathetic criminal has revealed that this country is losing its edge.
In the latest affront, a 20-year-old burglar had to be driven to his target home … by his mommy!
That’s right, Mr. and Mrs. America. The little punk didn’t even have enough gumption to find his own ride – or Lord forbid, drive himself!
John Dillinger must be rolling over in his grave.
What is wrong with this once-great country of ours? We can’t even produce decent criminals.
How in the hell are we going to do something really hard, like putting a man on Mars or designing a mid-sized SUV that will get 20 miles to the gallon?
Somebody needs to sit this twerp down and level with him, as in:
“Listen up, Skippy! Mommy isn’t always going to be there to hold your widdle hand!
“You need to man up and start doing these jobs on your own. And that means all the way, from casing the joint, finding a point of entry, cutting the phone lines to managing a clean getaway. And yes, you have to fence your own loot too!
“Get with the program, loser. It’s called being an adult!”
Please tell me this clown didn’t ask for mommy to tuck him in at night at the jail.
Friday, January 22, 2010
How government works
This one came across e-mail the other day.
You may think it is funny. If you don't, you probably work for the government:
HOW GOVERNMENT WORKS
Once upon a time the government had a vast scrap yard in the middle of a desert. Congress said, "Someone may steal from it at night." So they created a night watchman's position and hired a person for the job.
Then Congress said, "How does the watchman do his job without instruction?" So they created a planning department and hired two people -- one person to write the instructions and one person to do time studies.
Then Congress said, "How will we know the night watchman is doing the tasks correctly?" So they created a Quality Control department and hired two people -- one to do the studies and one to write the reports.
Then Congress said, "How are these people going to get paid?" So they added a time keeper and a payroll officer.
Then Congress said, "Who will be accountable for all of these people?"
So they created an administrative section and hired three people -- an administrative officer, assistant administrative officer and a legal secretary.
Then Congress said, "We have had this department in operation for one year and we are $18,000 over budget. We must cut back."
So they laid off the night watchman.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Heavier than air
It’s about time: Air France is going to start charging double fare for “plus-sized” passengers who can’t fit into a single seat.
This is good news for everyone who weighs less than 400 pounds.
The rest of the copycat airline industry will probably adopt this rule within weeks.
When that magic day arrives, your chances of being scrunched between a massive collection of cellulite and the plane’s aluminum wall will be much smaller.
Organizations for the obese will squawk, of course, but let ‘em holler. After all, this is a safety issue too.
If your plane landed unexpectedly in, say, the Hudson River and you had to crawl over one of these mounds of pounds, let’s just say your heirs would be arguing over your will right about now.
And how would you like to be the pilot having to continually correct the flight path because the plane kept listing to one side?
No, my friends, some people were not meant to fly. And if they do insist on going airborne, they should be gently steered toward cargo carriers.
If any of this offends you, well, you’re probably one of those people who has to board and airplane with the assistance of a forklift.
Happy flying. And always remember, Wendy’s does have a salad bar too.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tiger hunting
I’m gonna go waaaay out on a limb here and guess that Tiger Woods is not a happy camper.
He’s just been “discovered” again, and like the last time, not in a good way.
The celeb Web site radaronline.com says the next issue of – what else? – the National Enquirer will have photos of Tiger at a rehab clinic in Mississippi.
Apparently, the rumors are true: The world’s top golfer is being treated for sexual addiction.
Yikes. It’s hard to remember anyone else who fell this far this fast.
But Tiger had to see this one coming since the bombshell burst. He can run but he can’t hide from all the cameras in the world.
He’s managed to stay in Howard Hughes-like seclusion for nearly two months. It’s a miracle he lasted that long, but of course the end was inevitable.
As annoyed as he may be at being outed here, he needs to get used to it.
It won’t end, unless …
Unless he sits down with Oprah or Larry King or somebody like that and address his little problems head on.
If he doesn’t, every other encounter with the media will circle back to, ahem, his private “ladies tour.”
If he does, he can smile – through gritted teeth – and say, “Sorry, guys, but I’ve already addressed that and I’m trying to move forward.”
What a mess he’s made of an incredible life.
Tiger needs to understand he can’t get a Mulligan here.
He needs to play this one where it landed, even if it’s in a truly icky place.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Star wars
Apparently our long national nightmare will be over soon.
No, I’m not talking about the health care debate or the war on terror.
I’m talking about the thing that that everyone has been talking about – the Jay Leno/Conan O’Brien clash on NBC.
Everyone has been feeling sorry for Conan and making Jay the villain, which is party understandable. Poor Conan is getting moved out of his dream job after just seven months.
But he was getting beat in the ratings by David Letterman. If he had been topping the gap-toothed one, NBC probably would have kept him where he was – and told Leno to take a hike.
Reason No. 2 not to feel too sorry for Conan is what he is getting to walk away: $40 million. That’s a lot of cabbage.
So it looks like Leno takes back the Tonight Show, and Conan sits out for a while and re-emerges on Fox.
Then those two and Letterman will be duking it out at 10:35 p.m. Talk about a Confluence of Comedy.
Now maybe we can go back to worrying about something more important, serious and meaningful. I hereby nominate the following topic:
“Is Tiger Woods a sex addict who needs rehab?”
Talk amongst yourselves.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Heene the Wienie
There ought to be a law.
A law against pleading guilty in court to get a light sentence ... and then taking it all back once you get the slap on the wrist!
That is the scam being pulled by Richard Heene, better known as the father of Balloon Boy.
Heene and his ditzy wife faced all kinds of charges after their October stunt, which it turns out was designed to help them snare a reality show gig.
In the shallow realm of what is loosely (and pathetically) called Reality TV, people like Heene can bluff, lie and spin at will. In fact, it’s almost a requirement.
In a court of law, however, that dog won’t hunt. So Heene had to face facts and admit the truth.
As a spokeswoman for the D.A. said, "The bottom line is he entered his plea in court and was advised fully by the judge and the evidence was pretty overwhelming."
So it’s settled, right? Hell no!
Soon after wiping away the fake tears he shed for the judge at sentencing, Heene started singing a different tune.
The incredibly ancient Larry King even gave him airtime to insist that the little balloon adventure was not a hoax and that he really thought his son was inside the homemade craft.
(Which I have thought all along looked like more of a shiny chef’s hat rather than a balloon, but I digress.)
Now Heene has even found a documentary film maker who will, well, make a documentary film about how he was framed and all.
What a waste.
Heene the Wienie ought to shut up. If he won’t do that, somebody ought to offer him a role in a remake of “Lost in Space.”
All he has to do is get in one of his goofy balloons ... and float away.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Don't just sympathize, donate
The scenes in Haiti defy belief. We wonder how we can help these people from our safe homes.
Here's a good way:
Below is a list of organizations responding to the earthquake and how to contact them. We are running this list on our Web site.
The experts say it's probably better to donate to an organization that already has a presence in Haiti instead of a group that has no experience there.
As always, be wary of e-mail scams. There has to be a special place in hell for creeps who look at a disaster like this and ask themselves, "How can I make some money off of it?"
Be generous, and be quick. Lives are at stake:
-- The American Red Cross: 1-800-REDCROSS, or in Spanish, 1-800-257-7575 or online at www.redcross.org
-- The Salvation Army: 1-800-SAL-ARMY or www.salvationarmyusa.org or by mail at The Salvation Army World Service Office, International Disaster Relief Fund, P.O. Box 630728 Baltimore, MD 21263-0728 or to your local Salvation Army Corps.
-- Haitian Multicultural Association: 9819 Bissonette Houston, Tx 77036 (713) 271-8988
-- International Rescue Committee: www.theirc.org
-- National Nurses United seeks nurse volunteers at www.nationalnursesunited.org
-- Doctors Without Borders: donate.doctorswithoutborders.org
-- Catholic Relief Services: www.crs.org
-- American Jewish World Services: ajws.org or (212) 792-2900
-- Haitian Education Project: haitianeducationproject@saintleo.edu or 800-334-5532
-- AT&T Wireless customers can donate $10 to Red Cross International by texting HAITI to 90999
-- Buckner International, a global ministry to orphans, vulnerable children and families, is providing humanitarian aid to earthquake victims in Haiti and is seeking cash donations to cover the cost of shipping for four containers (est. cost $5,000 each):
www.buckner.org
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Haiti aftershocks
What is it about a disaster that bring out the worst in people?
People like Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh.
The talkin’ televangelist said Haiti’s earthquake happened because when it was still a French colony its leaders “swore a pact to the devil” to get out from “under the heel of the French.”
Then he launched into a loopy story about how Haiti got its independence, complete the devil agreeing with the proposal by saying, "OK, it’s a deal.”
Sheesh.
Then rumblin’ Rush said the killer quake would be exploited by Obama to look “compassionate” and “humanitarian” while at the same time bolstering his popularity in both the “light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country.”
Puh-lease! Can’t we all get along?
Haiti was already one of the poorest nations on earth. Now it’s gone down several more notches, if that’s even possible.
Its long-suffering people need aid, and pronto.
The historical/geopolitical debate can wait.
That will also let the talking heads think twice about what they’re gonna say ... and maybe not say it.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Bank shot
You gotta hand it to those Wall Street bankers. Hounded by Congress and hated by millions of working stiffs, they are trying to make amends.
In fact, a bunch of them apologized Wednesday “for risky behavior that led to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.” Here is their official statement:
“Dear Suckers:
“Our lawyers told us we have to pretend to regret becoming mega-millionaires at your expense, so here goes.
“If we could have gotten filthy rich without stealing from you, we’d have done it. But it was easier to just fleece you, so we’re sure you will understand.
“Basically, we did it because we could. In fact, we’re going to do it again the next time you’re not looking.
"Please don't look so surprised when we tell you this. It will make us respect you less -- if that's possible.
“So let’s ‘move beyond’ the blame game and ‘let the healing process begin.’
"And pretty soon, too, because the recession we had a large part in causing has created some super real estate deals. We really want to snap them up.
“Thank you and have a nice day.”
Well, that’s better. Thanks, fellas.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
N B See TV
What a mess. NBC has too many late night comedians and not enough time slots for them.
Tsk, tsk. The Peacock Network should adopt the following rotating schedule to bring peace in our time:
Monday, Jay Leno at 10:30 p.m. (leading with the “headlines” bit, even though it often includes restaurant menus or product labels), followed by Conan O’Brien at 11:30 (with hot young actresses plugging current movies) and Jimmy Fallon at 12:30 (with rock bands you’ve never heard of).
Tuesday, Conan at 10:30, (featuring one of those of those bits where he goes into a goofy store and says goofy things), followed by Leno at 11:30 (with old male actors like Harrison Ford plugging current movies) and Jimmy Fallon at 12:30 (featuring one of those bits where he brings audience members onstage for hilarious competitions).
Wednesday, Jimmy Fallon leads off at 10:30 (with hot young singers plugging current albums), then Conan at 11:30 (featuring “In the Year 2000”) and then at 12:30 reruns of “The Best of Carson.”
Thursday, Jay Leno at 10:30 (featuring a Jaywalking bit), then Jimmy Fallon jumping up to 11:30 (with hot young actresses plugging current TV shows) and then Conan at 12:30 with a “serious” interview of a politician, but not someone old and boring like John McCain or Joe Biden.
Friday, Conan at 10:30 (with a bit where he takes over the Universal tour bus and does zany things), Leno at 11:30 (with an old rock band making a reunion tour) and then reruns of the Tom Snyder Show from the ‘70s with segments like that interview with a young George Bush (the first one, not the second one).
There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?
Monday, January 11, 2010
Big Mac's secret sauce
So Big Mac has come clean. Sort of.
Former home-run king Mark McGwire has admitted using steroids and human growth hormone when he was hitting all those moonshots.
Duh.
This one was as obvious as the snow on the North Pole.
Only the terminally stupid could be surprised by this “confession.”
Over the years, tons of evidence have emerged to show that McGwire and many other sluggers were heavily juiced in a period of baseball history now correctly referred to as “The Steroid Era.”
Yes, it’s good that Big Mac has finally dropped the pretense of pretending.
No, it’s not good that he is still hiding behind a couple of familiar lies:
No. 1: “I did this for health purposes. There’s no way I did this for any type of strength purposes.”
(Yeah, right. And Amy Winehouse gets sloshed to prevent dehydration.)
No. 2: Those darned drugs didn’t even help that much: “I had good years when I didn’t take any, and I had bad years when I didn’t take any. I had good years when I took steroids, and I had bad years when I took steroids.”
(Sure, Mark. Being able to hit the ball an extra 100 feet -- because you’re cheating -- probably would have no effect on a cleanup hitter.)
The real benefit of McGwire’s admission, lame as it is, is that the pressure is now turned up on other juicers to end their lies too.
Sammy, Barry, Roger, Rafael, etc., are you listening?
The fans will be waiting, and not so patiently.
And no, we won’t be fooled by your silly excuses and non-denials.
You can’t undo the damage you did to the game -- and to thousands of impressionable kids who harmed their bodies in countless ways.
But you can take some responsibility for this stinking mess, and that would be something.
Friday, January 08, 2010
Bowled over
Yeah, yeah, I know it didn't turn out as I predicted Thursday night at the Rose Bowl.
That's tough. But ...
Even getting past the loss of our QB in the opening minutes, the game still could have been won if Texas receivers had caught a few more passes (like that one in the end zone in the first half!) and better play-calling from the upstairs booth (like fooling around at the end of the first half instead of just kneeling down).
Oh, well, we'll get 'em next year. Hook 'em, Horns!
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Horns rule!
The so-called experts made 'Bama 4-point favorites in Thursday night's game against our Horns.
Shows what they know, which is not much.
The boys in Burnt Orange will do what they did in '05 -- win a national championship by upsetting the so-called favorites.
Final score: Texas 33, Alabama 24. You read it here first.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Unhappy hooker
Maria Mosterd is miffed.
A Dutch court just rejected her lawsuit against her former high school. She says it didn’t do enough to stop her from becoming a prostitute.
No, that is not a misprint.
Mixed-up Maria says the real cause of her unhappy career choice is that many pimps in the Netherlands hang around schools and look for vulnerable girls like her to exploit.
Maria’s mom even said, “This happens at many schools, and nobody takes responsibility for it. We hoped we would win to make the point that this is going on at schools.”
Mama mia, Maria!
Maybe the pimp problem is as bad as she says and something ought to be done about it. But the person who needs to “take responsibility” for her sleazy sideline would be ... none other than Maria herself!
Ya see, the job of schools is to teach readin’, writin’ and ‘rithmatic (curiously referred to as the 3 R’s even though only one of those words begins with an R).
Thank God one Dutch court struck a blow for common sense, even though common sense doesn’t always prevail in the halls of justice.
As for Maria the misfit, she and her moronic mom are in need of some further education.
I would suggest a remedial course in “It’s My Life 101.”
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Air scare
The feds have finally figured out that we were reeaally lucky on Christmas Day, when an al Qaida stooge tried to blow an airliner out of the sky.
And now they are trying to figure out how to stop the next attack -- and of course there will be a next attack.
The prez himself said, said, “We have to do better and we will do better and we have to do it quickly.”
So as the brain trust at Homeland Security, the FBI, the CIA, etc. try to conjure up how to "do better," here's my suggestion:
Let's do what we are already supposed to do.
As in, searching people or luggage that look suspicious.
Being alert for travelers who pay cash for one-way tickets with no luggage.
And putting people on watch lists when we get solid information that they should be on watch lists.
If we do these things -- basic precautions we were supposed to taking all along -- we'll be a lot safer.
If the experts want to dream up new tricks, I'm all for it.
But if the new regs are occasionally ignored like the old regs, our luck won't hold out.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Back in the Saddle II
The stay-cation is over, and I am ready to charge into this new year.
But first I have one burning question:
Will we call the new year "two thousand and ten" or "twenty ten"?
Just wondering.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Be back Jan. 4
It's time for one last "stay-cation" for '09.
I hope you had a blessed Christmas and will have a great new year. See you on Jan. 4
Until then, eat at least five servings of fruits or vegetables per day, perform at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise each day and floss rigorously every night. And drink plenty of water.
Unless you don't want to.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Silly Swedes
It’s one thing to be persistent. No one likes a quitter.
But sometimes, you gotta face facts and throw in the towel. Or in the case of Gavle, Sweden, throw in the goat.
In that Swedish town, a giant straw goat is built each year as a Christmas tradition.
Don’t ask me why. Hey, we have some strange Christmas traditions too – like big discounts on large-screen TVs.
But for 24 times since the first straw goat was set up in 1966, some idiot has burned it down. According to the news story, “It has also been smashed several times, run over by a car and had its legs cut off.”
In other words, it’s a moron magnet. Inevitably, a bunch of Swedish kids get drunk or stoned and say to each other one night in late December, “Hey, let’s go burn down the goat!”
(OK, they probably say it in Swedish, but you get my point.)
And my larger point is that it’s hopeless. The thing has been torched so many times – and the night blaze is probably pretty impressive – that it’s a wonder it makes it through any Christmas at all.
For a couple of years town officials doused it in fireproof chemicals. But that made it "look like a brown terrier instead of a yellow straw goat," so they stopped that. And the burning resumed.
The way I see it, the Gavle town council needs to either make the goat out of metal, so it won’t burn, or fill it with TNT so it will wipe out the arsonists.
Or give up the tradition altogether and start offering big discounts on large-screen TVs.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Athlete of the Year II?
In this space yesterday, a wise scholar opined eloquently about the AP’s choice for Male Athlete of the Year.
OK, it was me and I was just blogging, but the AP has done it again. It’s made a shaky choice for Female Athlete of the Year.
This time, the brain trust at the Associated Press chose Serena Williams as the leading lady of sports.
In terms of her accomplishments, she deserved it. Serena won two Grand Slams (Wimbledon and the Australian Open), and lost in the final of the other two. She and her sister Venus also won three Grand Slam doubles titles.
Unfortunately, it was Serena’s performance in one of the two individual Grand Slams that she lost that throws cold water on this choice. And that would be her crude, profanity-laced tirade at a lineswoman who dared to call a foot-fault on her.
For that little stunt, she got the biggest fine ever in women’s tennis and two years of probation at Grand Slam events. But it was not enough to deprive her of this title.
Apparently, if you’re a big enough sports star, the rules can be bent.
In fact, it’s hard to find a mega-jock who actually gets the punishment he/she deserves for various outbursts, embarrassments and crimes.
And, let’s be frank, it was a weak year for this competition.
How weak? Try this: The runner-up was a horse.
That’s right, No. 2 was Zenyatta, a 5-year-old who ended her 14-0 career by becoming the first filly to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
What a year in sports. A guy who sits throughout all of his competition won Male Athlete of the Year, and an animal came in second on the women’s side.
2010 has nowhere to go but up.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Athlete of the Year?
It’s been a bad year for awards. Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize without doing anything to deserve it. Ditto for Time naming Fed chief Ben Bernanke as Person of the Year.
And now a race-car driver has been named Male Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press.
Say it ain’t so, somebody.
Granted, Jimmie Johnson is a great race-car driver. He runs circles around the competition.
OK, I guess all NASCAR drivers run circles, but you know what I mean.
The problem with calling him an athlete is that he sits down while he’s doing his job.
Call me a traditionalist, but an athlete is someone who runs, jumps or does something with a ball.
A guy who does what a taxicab driver does is not an athlete – even if he does it really well.
Heck, I think golf and bowling barely qualify as truly athletic events, but I’ll let ’em in.
The real athlete of the year was Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who set amazing records that may never be equaled – and demolished the previous record times while doing so.
Bolt’s runs were something that happens once in a generation in his sport.
J.J. is the first race-car driver to win this award in its 78-year history.
Let’s hope he’s the last.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Tiger's troubles
When Tigergate broke, all the taking heads assured us it wouldn't affect Tiger Woods' "marketability" or his "brand."
That was a dozen bimbos ago.
This thing is getting raunchier than a bachelor party at a biker bar.
Every day seems to bring another trashy gal, another sordid twist, another tease about nude photos of Tiger or romps in his own home or God knows what.
If a fourth of this stuff turns out to be true, Tiger's image will not recover. Nor should it.
And keep in mind we are still in the early stages of this soap opera. The tell-all books, the revealing interviews, the divorce drama have not even begun. 2010 could be the real Year of the Tiger.
Well before this onslaught, it has slowly sunk in to John and Jane Q. Public that Tiger had a Jekyl and Hyde personality.
It is hard to remember any celebrity who had a bigger difference between his squeaky clean public persona and his nasty private life.
Some day Tiger will presumably go back to winning tournaments and cementing his reputation as the greatest golfer ever.
But it will never be the same.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Happy talk
Happy holidays. And I mean it.
Once again, federal employees trying heroically to burn through this glut of unspent cash that is choking our treasury, have come up with their annual happiness survey of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
And there are smiles all around. Well, in the “happy” states there are. In the “non-happy” states, there are mostly frowns.
The three happiest states are Louisiana, Hawaii and Florida.
No surprise there, unless you thought the Hawaiians should have been on top. I mean, all they do down there is sip fizzy drinks with umbrellas in them on while lazing on beautiful beaches as suntanned bodies cavort around them – with a peppy Don Ho tune in the background. If that doesn’t make you happy, you need to check your pulse.
As for Louisiana being No. 1, well, that’s not unexpected either. Louisianans are glad they are not in Mississippi and happy they are close to Texas. (We came out a respectable No. 15, so take that Oklahoma, No. 21.)
Floridians were in a good mood this year. If you survey them in a year when they have been creamed by several hurricanes, the rating would be a tad lower.
The three unhappiest states were Michigan, Connecticut and New York.
Michigan, I feel sorry for. Ten years ago, it was the car capital of America. Now it’s the bankruptcy and unemployment capital of America. Big difference.
But as for Connecticut and New York, serves ’em right.
How would you like to live in state that few people can spell?
And New Yorkers have finally figured out that the rest of the country does not envy them or want to live in their frozen, polluted, high-tax state.
Below is the entire list; read ’em and weep. Or smile, if your favorite state is near the top:
1. Louisiana
2. Hawaii
3. Florida
4. Tennessee
5. Arizona
6. South Carolina
7. Mississippi
8. Montana
9. Alabama
10. Maine
11. Wyoming
12. Alaska
13. North Carolina
14. South Dakota
15. Texas
16. Idaho
17. Vermont
18. Arkansas
19. Georgia
20. Utah
21. Oklahoma
22. Delaware
23. Colorado
24. New Mexico
25. North Dakota
26. Minnesota
27. Virginia
28. New Hampshire
29. Wisconsin
30. Oregon
31. Iowa
32. Kansas
33. Nebraska
34. West Virginia
35. Kentucky
36. Washington
37. District of Columbia
38. Missouri
39. Nevada
40. Maryland
41. Pennsylvania
42. Rhode Island
43. Ohio
44. Massachusetts
45. Illinois
46. California
47. New Jersey
48. Indiana
49. Michigan
50. Connecticut
51. New York
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Dead drunk
You gotta hand it to Chinese police captain Xie Feiyong and the family of the late traffic officer Chen Lusheng.
They gave it the old college try. They tried to get ol’ Chen honored as a police “martyr.” Instead the big shots found out that “Chugalug” Chen died from a drinking binge.
Oh, how our idols crumble.
The sordid truth is that Chen got dead drunk at a banquet after work, barfed, passed out on a couch and suffocated.
Not very glamorous.
But Chen’s captain knew that wouldn’t look good in The Official Report. And Chen’s family wanted a bigger payout for the loss of their loved one.
So they tried to say that Chen checked out in a work-related incident and was therefore some kind of hero. They basically blurred the lines between honoring the fallen and getting falling-down drunk.
Tsk, tsk.
Good thing the higher-ups wouldn’t play along. They preserved the glory of real heroes, and they didn’t waste The People’s taxes.
And they also don’t have to create a new badge featuring crossed shot glasses.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Casino battle royale
Say what you will about the French – and we all have – at least their judicial system still functions well.
For example, “A French court has split the jackpot from a casino slot machine between the woman who put in the money and the man who pulled the lever, ending months of argument between the two.”
Talk about your wisdom of Solomon. At least this is better than the court’s other option, which was seizing half the money for taxes and letting the peeved pair fight it out over the rest.
The duo should be satisfied with the decision. This way, each gets a million Euros, which is worth nearly $1.5 million in ’merican money.
Hey, they should be embarrassed to admit that it took two of them to operate a slot machine. … How do they handle cell phones or microwave ovens?
Next time they go casino-hopping, they should either draw up a detailed contract beforehand or simply split up with a handful of coins and head for different machines.
That’s the way a lot of couples do it on the boats across the river, under the theory that it “doubles their chances.”
Most times, it simply speeds up the emptying of their pockets, but I guess it wouldn’t be as much fun.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Panda matchmaking
Whatever happened to the good ol’ days, when visits by foreign leaders focused on trade, treaties and other “serious” subjects?
Now big shots from China and Australia are giving romantic advice to panda bears.
It's true; FDR and Churchill must be rolling over in their graves.
On a recent visit to the land Down Under, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Junsai dropped some heavy hints to a couple of pandas loaned from China to the Aussies.
"Who can rule out the possibility that the lucky girl will fall into the net of love and later have a lovely baby?" Zhang said. "This would be a great achievement of the joint Australia-China conservation program."
Pul-lease. Then the Aussie governor-general started sounding like Ann Landers, "Look after yourselves, keep healthy and active, eat your greens and maybe, when the time is right, think about starting a family,"
Hey, what about flossing after meals?
I say let Nature takes its course. If the pandas want to hear the pitter-patter of little claws around the den, they’ll make their move.
If not, well, there’s a new Duggar in this world every time you turn around.
… And by the way, who had the bright idea to name one of these pandas “Wang Wang”?
Friday, December 11, 2009
Hey 19
Those darned Duggars are at it again!
And by “it,” I mean that whole be-fruitful-and-multiply thing.
Mama Duggar has just given birth to her 19th (!) child. If this keeps up, their reality show will need a spinoff.
Gee whiz; haven’t these breeders ever seen the old TV show “Eight is Enough”? Guess not, as that was 11 kids ago.
You’d think that Mrs. D would be worn out by now.
She needs to tell hubby more often, “Not tonight, dear, I have a headache FROM TAKING CARE OF 19 KIDS!”
Santa needs to bring Mr. D a vasectomy for Christmas.
Having a large family is one thing.
Having your own Zip Code is taking the concept a little too far.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tattoo you
Just when you think you’ve heard it all, well, you haven’t.
Like the thugs in Florida who have convinced a gullible judge to hire a cosmetologist at up to $150 a day to apply makeup to cover up their thuggish tattoos during their murder trial.
Seems that if the thugs looked like thugs, with their tattoos of swastikas and cusswords standing out, well, jurors might be more inclined to convict them.
So somebody’s hard-earned tax dollars will be spent to prettify the thugs and give them that choir-boy look that goes over a lot better.
What a load of crapola.
If they didn’t want to look like scummy crooks, they shouldn’t have gotten tattoos in prominent places.
Since they did and now have buyer’s remorse, they can cover ‘em up with bandages – or slather on their own makeup!
And if that somehow violates their precious rights, which I’m sure it does, the judge could issue them the hoodies that lowlifes love to wear.
I hate to see where a precedent like this will lead, but it won’t be pretty.
Whatever happened to the phrase that thousands of judges and moms and bosses have used for years:
“You want what? Hell, no. Sit down and shut up.”
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Tarnished Tiger
There is one good thing to come out of the Tiger Woods/2:30 a.m. crash/mistress fiasco.
And that would be that a member of the U.S. House is abandoning his bizarre effort to bestow the Congressional Gold Medal on Tiger.
Yes, Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.) is finally conceding this bogey.
The star-struck rep is withdrawing the bill he had filed “To provide for the award of a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to Tiger Woods, in recognition of his service to the nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship, and in breaking barriers with grace and dignity by showing that golf is a sport for all people.”
Yikes. Doesn’t this clown have anything better to do? Doesn’t he have any shame? Doesn’t he understand that this prestigious award is meant for truly special humanitarians and heroes, not jocks?
Of course the answers to the above questions are “no,” “no” and “no.”
Wacky Baca should have been censured by his House colleagues for Extreme Stupidity when he proposed this nonsense.
Then again, if a congressman got censured every time he committed Extreme Stupidity, nothing would get done in the House or Senate. (Which might not be a bad thing.)
Oh, and upon further review, I’d like to amend my previous statement that this is the only good thing to come out of the Tiger Woods/2:30 a.m. crash/mistress fiasco.
Another good thing – if you’re not Tiger or his poor wife, that is – is that late-night comedians now have lots of juicy material to work with.
And Tiger will have to very careful at future press conferences on how he uses words like “stroke,” “ball” and “shaft.”
Hey, someone had to point that out.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Delay of game
You gotta give Anthony Pierce this:
He may be a low-life killer, but he’s pretty good at avoiding the consequences.
How good? Try this: He’s been on death row … for nearly 32 years!
That’s right, taxpayers. More than three decades after he was convicted of killing the manager of a fried chicken joint in Houston, Tenacious Tony is still hanging on.
Or our boneheaded legal system is letting him hang on. And it’s not over yet.
An appeals court is going to hear new arguments that he had poor legal help in the past and is mentally impaired.
Are they serious?
I think the record reflects that Pierce had pretty darned good legal help over the past 32 years. That would be because his legal help has kept him alive for the past 32 years.
And how many times do you think these exact same arguments have been hashed and rehashed over the past 32 years? This guy has had three separate trials!
Sheesh. Can this story get any crazier?
Well, yes it can.
Back in 1979, soon after arriving for what would be a very, very long stay on Death Row, Pierce fatally stabbed another inmate!
And he still avoids the death penalty, decade after decade.
What a farce. Whatever you call this, it isn’t justice.
Monday, December 07, 2009
Back in the saddle
Like "Dugout Doug," I have returned.
Only not to the Philippines, but to bloggery.
Speaking of time off, does this ever happen to you?
When you're getting ready for a "stay-cation," you wonder how you will fill the time.
When it's over, you wonder how it zipped by so fast and why you didn't get everything done.
Hmmm.
That's all for now.
Something profound and provocative will be posted later. I hope.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
See ya on Dec. 8
Taking some time off; I believe it's called a "stay-cation."
Will post then; be good.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The case of the felonious fiancée
So it turns out that Cristal (actual spelling) wasn’t in it for the money.
Or so she says.
Cristal Taylor, formerly the alleged fiancée of Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki, said in a jailhouse interview that she still loves the big guy “very, very much.”
Personally, I have my doubts. I think she was enamored of Dirk’s dough, but that’s just me.
Though it doesn’t matter what I or anyone thinks about this, because Cristal is going to be on the sidelines for a while instead of competing with Mark Cuban to be the most annoying person at a Mavs’ home game.
She facing a legal charge (or two), and she’s already a guest of Missouri taxpayers for the next five years due to a previous misunderstanding.
Poor Cristal. On the other hand (literally) she got to keep the $190K engagement ring that Dirk slipped on her finger one starry night.
That ain’t too shabby. And if Dirk is still burning the candle for her when she becomes a free woman, well, perhaps their love can blossom again like a long-dormant desert flower. Or something.
… You don’t think Dirk would be that dumb, do ya?
Monday, November 23, 2009
Bake the bird
You wanna know what’s wrong with this country? I’ll tell you what’s wrong with this country:
Some idiot in Massachusetts wants to spend $2,600 so her pet turkey can have cataract surgery.
Why? ‘Cause the turkey – she’s named it Jerry – can’t eat or go flying with his female turkey friend, which she has named Penelope.
Awwww.
So she posted an ad on Craigslist asking for donations to pay for cataract surgery for poor Jerry.
This is utter nonsense.
That $2,600 could provide real health care for a real human being in need, not some stupid bird.
Yeah, I know we all waste money in different ways. But treating pets like people in this extreme way is just flat out wrong.
There is no shortage of turkeys in this world – those with names or those without.
“Jerry” should be laid out on a wood block, separated from his head with a sharp cleaver and then plucked, gutted and stuffed.
Then he should be baked at 400 degrees with a delightful yet restrained array of seasonings until his white and dark meat are nicely done and separate from the bone with minimal effort.
If “Jerry” could take one for the team like this, he would make a real contribution to life as we know it.
Until then, he’s just making fertilizer we don’t need.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
No complaints here
OK, maybe Congress isn’t entirely worthless.
For example, at least we have Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver who is pushing to have the day before Thanksgiving declared the nation’s official “Complaint Free Wednesday.”
It’s about time.
Congress has declared special days/weeks/months for everything else imaginable. There’s even a National Rutabaga Appreciation Week.
OK, there isn’t. But there could be, ‘cause lots of other silly things get honored.
At least a Complaint Free day has some logic behind it.
For one blessed 24-hour span, you couldn’t carp about the recession, gas prices, global warming, instant replay, Snuggies, anyone named Kardashian, Starbucks, the Detroit Lions, vampire movies, the war of 1812, Vladimir Putin, sour milk, Henny Youngman jokes, twist-off bottle caps, hurricanes, Bigfoot, warranties that expire too soon, the European Union or the bitter dispute over the Florida recount in 2000 that seemed to last forever.
For one peaceful moment in the space/time continuum, we would be grateful for what is good and sweet and pure instead of resentful about what is bad and smelly and annoying.
And the kumbaya feeling would naturally carry over through Thanksgiving Day.
But on Friday morning, it would be open season again on anything and everything.
I can’t wait. … Did I mention that I can’t stand anyone named Kardashian?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Do the crime, do the time
I’ve mentioned this old joke before in this blog, but a current news item demands a replay.
(Hey, if TV can do it, why can’t I?)
The news blurb is that an elderly gentleman is robbing banks in the San Diego area.
The robber in question has been christened – what else? – the “Geezer Bandit.”
Gramps has knocked off five banks since the summer. Maybe he pulls a job when the Social Security check is late.
Whatever. The old joke goes like this:
A 90-year-old man robbed several banks but was eventually caught, tried and convicted. He was standing before the judge about to be sentenced.
“This is pretty serious,” the judge said as he went over the records. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to sentence you to 20 years in the state prison.”
The old thief was appalled.
“But judge,” he protested, “I’m 90 years old. I don’t think I can do 20 years!”
The judge, a thoughtful man in his own right, paused for a few second before replying:
“Well, then just do the best you can.”
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Un more time
It’s happened again! And by “again,” I mean for the second time (that I know of) since 2000.
A politician has “unconceded” an election.
Al Gore first plowed this embarrassing ground in 2000 when he conceded Florida and therefore the whole election to W.
Then he thought about it some more, and he unconceded. (Instantly cheesing off W., who was probably already starting to draft his inaugural speech.)
Sort of like Kerry in ’04, who voted for the bill before he voted against it.
Anyhoo, this time, it’s that darned 23rd House district in upstate New York.
On election night, Nov. 3, Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman conceded to Democrat Bill Owens.
Since then, however, Hoffman has realized that 10,000 absentee ballots remain to be counted, and he’s down by only 3,000 votes.
Hence his unconcession.
Who knows how this will play out. But what if Hoffman really does end up losing?
Will he concede again? Does he re-concede or just recede? Or un-unconcede?
Or just admit he’s a dumbass who jumped the gun?
I guess this is why “unfriend” was named the word of the year.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Army brat
I have a bad feeling about this one.
I fear that Army Spc. Alexis Hutchinson is going to come out of this one a hero or a victim, when the only person she can blame for this mess is herself.
Hutchinson is an Army cook and a single mom. Bad combination, especially since her unit was supposed to deploy to Afghanistan.
Hutchinson didn’t make the flight because she would have had to turn over her 10-month-old son to foster care. She didn't have anyone else who could take care of him -- like a husband.
In one sense, that bites. Who would want to give up his/her kid?
But, hey, Hutchinson didn’t work in just any job. She was in the military. As such, she should have known from Day One that having a baby without a husband could create some major problems.
But I guess we’re long past the days when you could lay down common-sense rules and expect people to follow them.
Today, everybody has a right to everything. If you deny anything to anyone, you’re the bad guy.
Sure, unwed births happen. But as much as possible, every child should grow up in a stable home with a mommy and a daddy.
That’s good for the woman, the man, and most importantly, the innocent child.
In this case, it's also good for the U.S. Army
FEEDBACK: Whaddya think? Does she deserve sympathy or a court martial?
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Flu & you
With so much going lately we sort of lost track of swine flu. But it’s still out there, getting stronger, waiting to drop the hammer on a nation already reeling from unemployment and terrorism (and the end of the baseball season).
Or is it?
The question remains: Will swine flu be big 'n' bad, or about the same as most flu strains?
So far, no one knows. And so far, swine flu has sickened nearly 22 million Americans and killed nearly 4,000.
That’s grim, but not as bad as what was predicted. And not much worse than a “normal” flu season.
The good news, sort of, is that most people who get swine flu become only mildly ill and don’t even need a doctor’s care.
But the numbers are expected to get worse as the winter drags on. And we still don’t have enough vaccine for those who want it. (Like me!)
I will keep trying to get the magic inoculation. With my luck, that might be April, when the epidemic is over.
But I do know this:
In recent years I have gotten flu shots and didn’t get the flu. But in earlier years I didn’t get flu shots … and didn’t get the flu either.
If Obamacare can solve those kinds of riddles, I’m all for it.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The sludge keeps flowing
What is this, dirtbag-o’-the-day?
We have the Fort Hood horror. We have the mastermind of the D.C. sniper attacks finally getting the needle. Now we have more lurid revelations about the Cleveland serial killer.
Sort of makes you nostalgic for Balloon Boy or Jon & Kate.
The Cleveland killer, Anthony Sowell, murdered at least 11 women and buried them in and around his home. The key words there are “at least.”
The toll is still being added up as bodies – and parts of bodies – are being found.
The latest development is that the stench around his home is growing stronger, which of course suggests more secrets remain to be uncovered.
And the cops are just starting to look into the abandoned house next door, which may hold other surprises.
Ick.
No telling how this one will play out.
But when Doctor Death from Fort Hood recovers from his wounds, the feds ought to stick him in the same cell with the creep from Cleveland.
That ought to make both guests of the taxpayers keep one eye open at night.
And if one of ’em tries to practice his specialty on the other, well, that’s the way the scales of justice tilt sometime.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
One down, one to go
Finally, the mastermind of the D.C. sniper attacks met the same fate he bestowed on 10 other people.
The victims of John Allen Muhammad were completely innocent, of course. He was guilty as hell, of course.
Two words: Good riddance.
Funny, but I can think of another mass killer with a Muslim name who’s been in the news lately.
I can’t say I’ll be happy if/when the Fort Hood coward meets the same end. Let’s call it grim satisfaction.
Muhammad got the needle only seven years after his killing spree. In this country, that’s warp speed.
Let’s see if we can take care of this one a little quicker.
Monday, November 09, 2009
Gorby & The Wall
Amidst all the gloom over the monstrous killings at Ford Hood, it’s hard to get too excited over anything else in this country or abroad.
But the fall of the Berlin Wall was truly one of the most wonderful days in modern history. It was worth a 20th birthday party on Monday.
Ironically, the current German chancellor, Angela Merkel, was one of the thousands of deliriously happy East Germans who poured through the gates that magical night.
She and the other dignitaries said a lot at Monday’s celebration. One of the things she said was that former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev deserved special praise for his role in bringing about the end of the hated wall.
"You made this possible — you courageously let things happen, and that was much more than we could expect," she said of him -- and to him, since he was there as well.
Fine. It was a big party, and everybody was in a good mood. Anybody who wasn’t named Josef Stalin probably would get something nice said about him.
But no one should ever forget that Gorby never wanted to end the Soviet Union and communism. He wanted to “perfect” it, to make it more humane.
Which of course is impossible, because that whole crappy system was built on denying people real liberty.
As soon as the mental and physical bonds were loosened a bit, East Europeans and Russians were not satisfied with a little freedom, a little justice, a little prosperity.
They understandably wanted it all, and that’s why the Evil Empire crumbled soon after the wall came tumbling down.
So say what you want about Gorby and the other socialist “reformers.” They were much better than the thugs they succeeded, but don’t put them on a pedestal.
In the end, they were simply useful idiots who helped get us from there to here.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Fort Hood horror
The facts are still trickling in on the wicked shootings at Fort Hood. There’s a lot we don’t know, and may never know.
Here’s something we do know: The person or persons responsible for this are the lowest of the low.
Sick haters like that are disgusting enough.
When you compare them to the decent, principled men and women who have sacrificed so much to serve our country, the gap between shooter and victim is beyond comprehension.
May God bless all those targeted by this cowardly attack.
The grief over this one extends far, far beyond Fort Hood.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Cash candidate
I guess the words “normal” and “Texas governor” just can’t seem to find themselves in the same sentence.
Don’t take my word for it; ask Farouk Shami.
He is, if you’ve been waiting for a white knight, the latest person/character/candidate to make a run for the governor’s mansion. (Which, if I recall correctly, is gutted, unoccupied and burned.)
Shami is described as a wealthy “hair care executive.” This is ironic because the current guv, Rick Perry, is sometimes called Gov. Goodhair.
Anyhoo, Shami says he will spend $10 million of his own money to oust Perry. With all that cash, you might think he’s an Elephant, but he will run under the Donkey banner.
Shami says he is “100 percent sure” he will be the next guv. I would put his odds a little lower. OK, a lot lower.
Let’s face it, the man does not have name recognition. And the name he has is not yer basic Texan.
When some Texans hear “Shami,” they’ll think “Shamwow.”
My advice would be to rethink this whole thing and save $10 mil. His kids will thank him for it.
At this rate, Kinky Friedman could end up as the most trustworthy candidate.
And you thought politics was boring.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Talk is cheap
As the World Series shifts to New York for crucial games 6 and maybe 7, millions of baseball fans are anxiously asking:
Will the Yankee’s catcher keep going out to the mound during the game and wasting so much danged time?
Yes, sports fan, it was not your imagination. The World Series games were dragging along at a languid pace – even more so than usual.
In Game 4, catcher Jorge Posada trotted out to chat with pitcher C.C. Sabathia a mind-boggling total of eight times in one inning.
Good grief. I have less contact with some of my family. (And that’s not a bad thing, but that’s another blog.)
Posada lamely defended his Dilbertian obsession with meetings: “It’s just part of the game. We want to talk with each other so we know what we’re doing.”
Jeez, Jorge, you’re playing a freakin’ game! Stop jawin’ and start throwin’.
And let’s face it, many of these meetings were simply not necessary.
Posada later confirmed that during some of the confabs, he and C.C. discussed whether they would have fish or chicken after the game, debated the science of global warming and kicked around some early Oscar picks.
The game is slow enough as it is. Slow it up even more and I believe time will stand still.
On the other hand, at least the endless meetings delay the inevitable Yankee victory and the endless crowing from their obnoxious fans on how great the team is.
New Yawkers really should be high-fiving the Steinbrenner family for writing all those big checks and buying a championship.
Wait’ll next year. Cards in six.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Cruisin' for a bruisin'
Sometimes, size does matter.
But if you’re going on a cruise ship for a week or so to get away from it all and relax, do you really wanna pick the world’s largest cruise ship?
Apparently, the brain trust at Royal Caribbean International thinks so. They have just launched the world’s largest cruiser, and it’s a monster.
How big? Try five times the size of the Titanic. It’s 40 percent larger than the next biggest cruise ship.
It can carry 6,300 passengers and has a crew of 2,100. The danged thing is 20 stories high!
And it has seven “neighborhoods,” a golf course and an ice-skating rink.
In other words, it’s like a lot of cities. Which I believe is what people go on cruise ships to get away from.
They named it Oasis of the Seas. I would have chosen Colossus of the Seas.
And I will not choose to book passage on it.
If I want to spend a lot of money and eat strange foods and be surrounded by tons of people, I’ll go to a pro football game like everybody else.
And I won’t get seasick.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Taking a bite out of crime
The stupidity of criminals never ceases to amaze. And when you throw in weird state laws to prosecute idiotic crooks, you’ve got a doozy of a tale.
Like the guy in Florida who tried to steal a ferret by shoving it in his pants and running out of the pet store.
Needless to say, the dumbass got bitten. In parts of the body where you don’t want to get bitten.
Uh, what did he expect? This has to be the worst possible combination of A) the animal chosen to be stolen, and B) the place to put it.
(A close second would be putting a boa constrictor around your neck and running out of the pet store.)
But wait, there’s more.
When a witness confronted said thief, he whipped out the ferret and shoved it in his face.
Which under Florida law, is classified as using the ferret as a “special weapon.” So he gets a shoplifting charge and a battery charge.
Can it get worse for this moron? You betcha!
You know he’s going to hear over and over in jail, “Hey, dude, is that a ferret in your pocket, or are you glad to see me?”
Serves him right. … Hope he gets community service at the animal shelter and has to clean out dozens of stinky dog cages. And maybe a ferret pen or two.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Food fight
Is there no end to the problems from the obesity epidemic that threatens to bury our fair nation beneath a mountain of blubber?
Now an accused killer in New Jersey (where else?) is claiming he was too fat to do the deed.
It’s true, calorie-counters.
Ed Ates (don’t you love that last name?) claims he was too tubby to run up a flight of stairs, pump a bunch of bullets into his son-in-law, bend over to pick up the shell casings, run back down the stairs and drive for 21 straight hours to his mom’s home in Louisiana!
For the record, he was packing 285 pounds of beef (and some flab) on his 5 foot 8 inch frame.
His lawyer claims Ates’ weight and other health problems should rule him out as Suspect No. 1.
"You look at Ed and you don't need to hear it from a doctor," the attorney said.
I dunno. When a person – even a fat person – is motivated enough, he can do some amazing things.
The judge ought to order a little test on big Eddie:
Make sure he misses a few meals in jail. Then let it casually slip out that three or four Big Macs, a couple of orders of fries and a large Coke are available on the second floor.
If fatso stays put and salivates, he just might be innocent.
But if he bounds up the stairs like an NFL lineman chasing Brett Favre, I say fry him.
… After sautéing him in a light butter sauce, of course.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Hoax busters
The Heenes of “Balloon Boy” fame are sweatin’ it out.
They are, of course, the Colorado clan that believes, “The family that fakes together stays together.”
Prosecutors are still trying to decide whether to indict the Mom & Pop Balloon Shop for that little distraction they caused recently.
Felony or misdemeanor? Multiple counts or one? The nation’s legal system – and “Larry King Live” – are waiting anxiously.
My inside sources say the charges could include any of the following:
1) Having weird names. “Heenes” rhymes with wienies. ‘Nuff said there. And the 6 year old who was supposedly floating up, up and away is named “Falcon.” Uh, are his brothers “Eagle” and “Hawk”?
2) Spilling the beans too quickly. If they had milked the scam a little longer, they could have pushed the World Series to the background and we wouldn’t have had to watch the Yankees gloat.
3) Failing to ask if they could go into some silly rehab program like all the other celebrity losers to beat the rap.
On the plus side, they have introduced the odd term “Balloon Boy” to the national lexicon and provided lots of kids with nifty ideas for Halloween costumes.
I say the judge should sentence them to 100 hours of community service and order them to make TV commercials warning impressionable youngsters not to do stupid things.
… Wait, the whole thing was designed to get them a reality show, wasn’t it? OK, then drop the TV commercials and assign them to litter pickup along a desolate stretch of highway.
And double the sentence if they claim to see Bigfoot while they are out there.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Silent partner
I guess you could call it reverse embezzlement.
A guy in New Jersey drew a paycheck for five years from a company he never worked for.
Sounds hard to believe, but apparently one Anthony Armatys, 35, of Palatine, Ill., benefited from some very sloppy bookkeeping.
Seems he was temporarily hired by a telecommunications company in the Garden State in 2002. But then he changed his mind and quit.
However, the company computer had his name in the system, so being a dumb computer, it kept sending paychecks to his bank account. To the tune of $470,000 over the years!
Sort of direct deposit-plus. Ca-ching!
Incredibly, the scheme went on for five years until “auditors” at the company wised up. I put “auditors” in quotation marks there because it took them five years to figure out they were paying a guy who never showed up. (And you thought some folks at your job were bad.)
If I was head of this company, I’d be too embarrassed to admit that I let something that dumb go on for that long.
And was it right that Absentee Andy had to plead guilty to one count of theft as part of a plea bargain?
He had a sweet deal drop into his lap, and all he said was nothin’.
At least they should have let him keep part of the loot.
For all anyone knew, he was a “consultant.”
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Clean 'n' mean
Hugo Chavez really is a tyrant.
Now he wants Venezuelans to take showers in 3 minutes.
Clearly, he’s all wet. He says if Venezuelans cut out the singing, they can get hosed down in 180 seconds.
“Three minutes is more than enough. I've counted, three minutes, and I don't stink," he claimed.
Well, on something like that, you can’t trust your own nose. You have to ask the person standing next to you. He or she might have a different opinion about your B.O. factor.
For most people, 3 minutes is just the warm-up phase of a shower. That’s barely enough time to get wet, find the shampoo and curse somebody for taking the loofa and not putting it back.
All of this is just another reason to be against commies and dictators, not to mention commie dictators, of which Chavez is both.
Remember that this moron dissed President Bush at the U.N. a few years ago, saying he could smell the devil’s sulfur after Bush spoke.
Hugo, there was a different fragrance in the air, and it came from you.
Maybe for his next bathing experience, ol’ Hugo could take a dip in a deep part of the Gulf of Mexico.
If he ended up as shark supper, everybody would be happy.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Cloudy future
Is nothing sacred?
Now the Weather Channel is going to show movies!
That’s right, barometer-breath. The Weather Channel wants to boost its ratings, so it is going Hollywood.
First up, of course, is “The Perfect Storm,” starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg. I would guess that would soon be followed by “Twister” starring Helen Hunt and “Purple Rain” starring Prince.
OK, maybe not that last one, but you know the list is endless.
This is not right. When I want to watch a movie, I flip to the American Movie Channel.
When I want to know what the weather is, I turn to the Weather Channel. (Sure, I could stick my head out the door and see if it’s raining, but sometimes that’s too much effort.)
If the Weather Channel is going to show movies, pretty soon it will be like all the other channels with sports, news, commercials and even reality shows. Which pretty much destroys the logic of a Weather Channel.
Granted, I never thought you could fill 24 hours with endless reports about weather, but the Weather Channel did – though lately more filler has been creeping in.
All I know is that the next time a hurricane is threatening, I don’t want to turn to the Weather Channel and see a message at the bottom of the screen that reads, “Stay tuned for reports on the killer storm that is homing in on you like a guided missile after this special broadcast of ‘A River Runs Through It’.”
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Curb your enthusiasm
I guess Evan Schuler’s dream of being a police officer has been stomped flatter ’n a pancake.
Like the opossum he took care of the other night.
You see, Eager Evan was on a “ride along” with a cop in Danville, Va. That is where a civilian sits alongside a cop or deputy to see the drama and glory of law enforcement up close and personal.
That’s what ol’ Evan was doing when he saw a possum on a fence. Faster than you could say “Miranda rights,” he got out of the car and proceeded to stomp the critter into a lifeless, mushy pulp.
Why, no one knows. This is like whipping out an Uzi to scare off a door-to-door salesman. Basically what the dictionary defines as “overkill.” Or “acting like an idiot.”
In fact, not only did the ride-along end abruptly for Evan, he was charged with animal cruelty.
Tsk, tsk. Any dreams he had of a career in law enforcement are pretty much crushed (like the possum's skull). I guess he could also rule out any jobs with the local zoo or animal shelter.
... Wonder if this guy eats roadkill or something?
Monday, October 19, 2009
Boomerang
So after several decades of sponsoring terrorism across the globe, Iran is suddenly ticked off that a few of its own crazies got taken out by a suicide bomber.
Pardon me if I don’t shed any tears. In fact, it’s hard to keep from jumping up and cheering.
The carnage in question occurred last week in an Iranian town near the Pakistani border. A dissident group of Sunnis is suspected, but whoever did it studied the Iranian playbook well.
The suicide bomber struck a high-level delegation of Revolutionary Guard commanders. Those are the real haters who run the country and make sure to crush anyone who might get uppity ideas about freedom.
The bomber hit the jackpot. He killed at least 42 people, including five senior Revolutionary Guard officers.
Yeah, I know, you’re not supposed to do the wave at times like this. But the Revolutionary Guard in Iran is responsible for thousands of deaths just like this via the terrorist groups it arms from Afghanistan to Algeria.
Finally, they got a taste of their own medicine.
Hope they choked on it.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Trust but verify
I haven’t been this stunned since I learned the truth about the Easter Bunny. Brace yourselves:
Tabloid newspapers print all kinds of crap that isn’t true.
You read that right. A British filmmaker has admitted duping tabloids by planting all kinds of fake stories.
He and his cohorts would phone in some nonsense — like Amy Winehouse’s beehive hairdo catching fire — and it would be in print the next morning.
Again and again they lobbed false information like grenades of deception over the walls of truth. Again and again it was printed and taken as gospel by the people who buy tabloids at checkout stands.
I feel violated. I’ve gone my whole life believing that Elvis appears now and then, that aliens abduct night fishermen, that secret machines are still being discovered in the pyramids and that Marilyn Monroe was killed by the CIA because she was in on a plot to kill JFK.
Now, apparently none of that is true. … Maybe the part about Marilyn Monroe, but not the rest.
What a sad day. Next you’ll be telling me that half the crap on the Internet is bogus too.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Mr. Big
This guy was a big criminal. Literally.
Stephon Turo, a drug dealer being sentenced in Auburn, N.Y., weighed about 600 pounds.
He was hauled to court on the back of a pickup truck. He was sentenced near the loading dock. Then he was loaded into an ambulance with the help of 10 people and shipped to prison.
Talk about your scales of justice. I think the judge was just happy to get rid of him before lunch.
The real question is, how could tubby Turo commit any crimes?
The news story said he “suffers from various staph and strep infections, kidney failure and can walk only a few feet, even with the assistance of other people.”
Still, prosecutors said he was selling prescription drugs from his home for nearly 10 years.
I’m guessing he didn’t mess with diet drugs.
The next question is, what do you do with a lump of lawbreakin' like that?
I don’t think he could share a cell with anyone. And you’d have to keep him on the ground floor.
On the plus side, if the prison had a football team he could play “offensive line.”
And I don’t think you’d have to worry about him tunneling to freedom.
Since he’s got a two-year sentence, the prison shouldn’t feed him until he gets out. That would get him down to normal size by his release date, and save taxpayers a few bucks too.
Just call it “weight management” if the ACLU squawks.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Pouting Polanski
Poor, poor Roman Polanski.
The brilliant director is said to be glum about his continued incarceration in Switzerland for that little incident way back in ’77 (the rape of a 13-year-old girl).
“I found him to be tired and depressed,” his lawyer said. He added that the Artistic Genius “was in an unsettled state of mind.”
That is, of course, unfortunate. No matter how much other Artistic Geniuses in Hollywood and Paris demand his immediate release, the petty Swiss seem determined to keep Polanski in the slammer.
Moreover, they will probably — gasp, horrors! — stick him on a plane for the states, where he will spend many, many more days behind bars.
They’re not even buying his solemn promises to stay in Switzerland if they let him out on bail!
Is that any way to treat an Artistic Genius!
Uh … yes.
Polanski has dodged justice on this one for 32 years. But the old man stupidly went to a country that will extradite him. So now he’s basically screwed, blued and tattooed.
How sweet it is.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Buffaloed
It was a truly senseless crime.
That would be, of course, the theft of a statue of Thurman Thomas.
You see, for some reason a wood carver in New York created a huge statue of the former Buffalo Bills running back. No one seems to know why.
The Bill and Thomas are only known, to the extent they are known at all, for losing four Super Bowls.
This is not the sort of thing one tends to memorialize. I mean, when was the last time you were in the William Jennings Bryan presidential library?
Even more absurd is that then someone stole the thing. And it was not easy, as it stood 8½ feet tall and weighed over half a ton.
And they took it the day after it was unveiled! Were they worried that another gang of thieves would beat them to it?
If that is the only thing worth stealing in Orchard Park, N.Y., that town is in serious trouble.
The only logical answer here is that someone wanted to stock up on firewood for the coming brutal winter in upstate New York.
Even then, if I was the owner and I got a ransom call, I'd tell the crooks, “We can discuss a price … but only if you pay me to take it off your hands?”
Friday, October 09, 2009
Three-time loser
If you’re gonna fiddle with homemade explosives, you really should be careful.
A crook named Ben Kuzelka wasn’t, but that’s no surprise. He already had a pot-growing operation at a home that was licensed by the state as a day care center.
Kuzelka’s hat trick of foolishness was uncovered this week in California when he blew off most of one hand. He told the emergency room doctors it was a gunshot wound, but they were suspicious.
To them, and anyone who didn’t have the benefit of medical school, it looked waaay more like the whole thing was darn near blown off.
So they called the cops, the cops searched his house, and they found the indoor pot farm right by the day care.
Maybe Kuzelka though it would be a selling point for hip parents: Drop off the kid, pick up a lid.
At any rate, he will now have a lot of time to think about the error of his ways … and why many idiots who fiddle with homemade explosives are often nicknamed “Stumpy.”
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Northern exposure
Like many of you, I was shocked at the news that the guy who almost married Sarah Palin’s daughter was going to pose nude for Playgirl magazine.
Who knew that Playgirl was still around? I though it fizzled out in the ’80s with other tacky rags like “Oui.”
Wait, there’s more; this story is disturbing on other levels as well.
Who on God’s earth wants to see Levi Johnston in the buff? His sole claim to fame is knocking up Palin’s daughter.
He couldn’t even complete the second half of the double play; he didn’t even get hitched to Bristol, whom I believe is named after a city in Connecticut. For that matter, I believe the father of her child is named after a brand of blue jeans.
Can this tale get worse? As Sarah would say, “You betcha!”
The news story said that “To get ready for his close-up, Johnston is training three hours a day, six nights a week at an Anchorage gym with a local body builder.”
In other words, instead of looking like the pudgy, untoned kid he is, he will look sort-of hunky for the photo shoot. Whatever happened to truth in advertising?
You know the day after the pics, he will go back to Ding Dongs and Dr Pepper.
Yet he will carry around copies of Playgirl and show them to impressionable girls in dingy Anchorage bars (yes, I know that is redundant), who will think they are getting the chance of a lifetime with Someone Glamorous.
Sad. Very sad.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Buccaneer’s luck
There must be a worldwide outbreak of stupid this week.
Now we have Somali pirates who attacked a French warship in the Indian Ocean because they thought it was an unarmed cargo vessel.
Not smart.
On one side, we have a handful of lightly armed pirates on two skiffs.
On the other side, we have an 525-foot naval vessel filled with dozens of French sailors.
You make the call.
Maybe the Somalis believed all that talk about the French being more inclined to surrender rather than fight.
As it is, one skiff got away in the skirmish and it took the French an hour to run down the other one.
Or maybe the French warship didn’t look like a warship because of that café on deck with a bunch of guys wearing berets and a bunch of gals in tight skirts drinking wine.
... OK, I made up that last part, but with the French, you never know.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Take the money and run II
In yesterday’s contribution to blogitude, we lamented the poor state of modern robbery.
After reading the tale of woe of a certain Susan Stanford, we can add that the art of divorce isn’t what it used to be either.
Susan is the former wife of disgraced billionaire R. Allen Stanford, who is facing many years in a small room with iron bars for a $7 billion (!) Ponzi scheme.
Because of that little problem with the law, R. Allen Stanford is now so broke he needs a court-appointed attorney.
Serves him right — and the same goes for Susie. You see, she stopped living with R. Allen 15 years ago. For some reason, she never got around to divorcing him. It could be because he agreed to keep writing laarrrge checks each month from the proceeds of his, uh, business venture.
Anyhoo, now that R. Allen is a non-billionaire, Susan is mighty cheesed off. She realizes she should have taken the money and run when R. Allen still had money to take.
In fact, she is now suing her former divorce lawyer for not telling her about an alleged $200 million offer that R. Allen dangled a few years ago.
Frankly, they deserve each other. The news account says that before the feds looked at the books, R. Allen “lived in the Caribbean with a series of younger women with whom he has fathered several children.”
Now, of course, both of them have pretty much nothin’. I think that’s what English teachers call “poetic justice.”
Monday, October 05, 2009
Take the money and run
Once again we return to a common theme of this blog:
Robbers or robbery victims who just can’t seem to get it right.
Previously, we have discussed robbers who are too lazy to get out of their cars in the drive-through lane — and use a knife! Or young robbers who get beat up by old victims.
The latest affront to Robbery Etiquette comes from Waterloo, Iowa. A crazy-looking man stumbled into a convenience store and started rambling as he held his hand in his pocket.
The jumpy clerks, having been knocked off twice in recent months, didn’t fool around. They knew it was another heist, so they started giving cash to the thug. In fact, they threw a bag of money at him.
One small problem. It wasn’t a robbery. The friendly neighborhood creep was just another drunk.
To prove it, he didn’t take the money and run. He just walked out, whereupon he was promptly arrested for “public intoxication, disorderly conduct and interference.”
I didn’t know that interference was a crime in Iowa. I know it’s a defensive foul in football that causes a first down, but a crime, no.
At any rate, this whole sordid mess just reinforces a lingering problem we have in this country these days: We can’t even have a proper robbery without one party or the other goofing up. What happened to the good ol’ days, when stickup men were men and frightened clerks were glad of it?
... I just hope Osama bin Laden isn’t watching.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Comrades not welcome at glorious people’s parade
The Red Chinese held a big ol’ parade on Thursday through the heart of Beijing. It was the 60th anniversary of the founding of their glorious people’s republic.
But there was a curious thing about the huge spectacle; no spectators were allowed.
That’s right, proletarian breath. As the AP said, “Most people in the capital could only watch the elaborate ceremony for the founding of the People’s Republic unfold on national television, as tight security excluded ordinary people from getting near the parade route through Tiananmen Square.”
Now whether you’re in Buna or Beaumont, you’re probably thinking, “What the heck is wrong with them darned Chinese? What good is a parade without parade-watchers?”
Well, my friend, the answer is that the one thing the commissars fear most in the people’s republic … is the people!
The Chi-Coms know full well that if they let average citizens assemble and speak out, they could have a nasty replay of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, when the ungrateful people started clamoring for freedom, democracy and other dangerous Western notions.
Even though the Chinese government is relatively loosey-goosey for your average commie dictatorship, it doesn’t want the people getting a bunch of uppity ideas. Public gatherings are tightly monitored and few organizations are allowed to exist outside the loving embrace of the Big Red Machine.
Hence the non-crowd at the big parade. I guess it's what you'd call a Communist party.
… On the bright side, if you were one of the few carefully screened guests allowed curbside, you probably got a whole bunch of candy from the nice lady throwing handfuls of it from the Tribute to Collective Farming float.
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