OK--so we are all going to continue our calmness, tolerance, and flexibility from two weeks ago. In the PBS series Downton Abbey (which I watch in order to spend time with Barbara--what's your excuse?), Lord Grantham ends up with a Catholic son-in-law and spends a lot of time moaning and groaning about the Papists and their "god" forsaken practices. So, this whole business of electing a new Pope would have sent him over the edge. I am only teetering on the edge and not because of the selection process; but because of the media coverage. As in--the Globe closed all its foreign bureaus and depends exclusively on wire services. But lo and behold, they did manage to send someone to the Vatican. As in--our local TV stations which normally stick to a diet of blood and disasters also managed to find the time to send a correspondent to the Vatican. As in--CNN actually had on its website a chimney cam so we could all be sure to see the white smoke. As in--all the locals were just wishing and hoping and praying (!) that our Cardinal would become Pope. Kind of like the sports guys hoping for a Super Bowl win. It bordered on the distasteful but surely shows us all who they believe is in their audience.
Gotta move on before my teetering tips me over. Roger Ailes calls the President lazy. OK, so he does not like the guy but they did lose the election and I wonder what people in other countries make of such comments. Lindsey Graham and John McCain hold up Brennan's nomination because of concerns regarding Ben Ghazi. I don't know if Brennan is good or bad (actually some of the stuff about drone use in this country is kind of scary)--but I do know those two guys are idiots and I do mean in a diminished intellectual way. Paul Ryan submits a budget which was identical to what he proposed in the campaign and is not embarrassed. Another loser but a bright one. And then the Mitter comes out of his shell and has no insight into his loss--blaming it on Obama pandering to "minorities". Not to worry, he already has himself on some boards and will shortly be making millions again. And then there is the ugly truth that Obama nominees across the judicial board are held up because the Dems do not have 60 votes in the Senate. They just don't get what happened last November and really dislike the person who happens to be President. One can only hope that they are so far off the mark, 2014 will be a debacle for them.
It is quite easy for Marissa Myers to require folks to work in their office and not at home. As part of her signing package, a room was added to her office for her baby. My partner in crime over here believes her nanny comes to work with her. Now I don't work in an office anymore and am not exactly sure about this tele-commute business. But I am sure, Marissa is not extending her benefits to others.
Victor Jara was a Chilean folk singer memorialized in a song by Arlo Guthrie. He was murdered by the gangsters associated with Pinochet. In the last few months, his murderers were arrested--25 years or so after his death. Terrific.
I don't want anyone to be homeless or lose their homes due to natural disasters. But the whining of those folks who built right on the waters edge up there in Plum Island is plain disgusting. They had million dollar homes and the bucks to live in them. Now they want the ocean to recede and be "normal". Hello.
Some odd ends: So far Penn Sate has spent 41 million on the Sandusky scandal and they are not done. Those are taxpayer dollars folks. A new law in South Dakota allows teacher to carry weapons because it will make schools safer. People really do scare me. Iran is going to sue someone over the movie "Argo". I am hoping Judge Judy gets the case. Jessica's friend Josh produced a terrific segment on the Today Show regarding a woman with ALS. Watch it with tissues nearby. Jacob Bernstein wrote a wonderful elegy to his mother Nora Ephron in a recent NY Times magazine--also a tearjerker but for different reasons.
And, finally, in the Tear Department, I saw the video "Bully". Now I happen to believe kids are mean to each other and especially in adolescence it can be ugly--but it is almost like a developmental step they go through. This documentary was totally disturbing because of the adults including the parents of the kids bullied. The adults made me want to puke.
SPORTS TALKS
Of course, we should be wringing our hands (and perhaps should have tissues nearby for this also) about Wes Welker. But I have to say I am not sure I care though I am very intrigued about how the Pats operate internally. For example, the owner is quoted as saying he wants Welker for life and then his staff lets him go. I would love to hear Kraft and Belichik chat about that. I would worry about cornerbacks though.
Watched Barcelona this week in the UEFA Champions League. I have said this before but their passing is so hard to believe--the scoring almost does not matter. Sure Messi can score at will but the team is so highly skilled, some of his goals are almost "easy".
I hear that point guards are the key during March madness games. Trey Burke out there in Ann Arbor is the best point guard in the country. But my Wolverines are woefully short in the height department (!) and a tad inconsistent. So I am not sure how far they will go.
Good luck with Big Papi, you Red Soxers.
To those who celebrate: Happy Passover and Easter.
Sayonara.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Saturday, March 2, 2013
"FISH CONTROL MY BRAIN"
Hah--I won't even tell you what other other animals are involved in controlling other parts of my body. But to be sure, I did not think of the title--just saw it on a bumper sticker and loved it. I would have preferred monkeys but you make do.
OK--so the first thing is be calm, tolerant, and quiet as I comment on one of the world's great religions.
I know very little about Catholicism but after all the Pope has resigned so there are things to say. First of all, I want to know if he gets to keep his red beanie which reminds me of what I wear when I enter a synagogue. Second, those red shoes are killer and I want to know if he gets to keep those. I also need to know about the Pope mobile--is it in the garage for service since obviously there is no one to use it. And, lastly, can we talk about the nuns who will be "serving" him. How do you get a job like that? Should I dare mention the British Cardinal who resigned over allegations in his Diocese about abuse or the LA Cardinal who has no business even voting for a new pope when he has been subpoenaed about abuse in his Diocese. Then, during our blizzard, our Cardinal was quick to let folks know they could skip Mass if it was too dangerous to go out. The same thing should have been said (and as quickly) by Cardinal Law during our sex abuse scandal. But nope. (A reminder about calmness, tolerance, and quiet!!)
A terrific article in the New Yorker about Hezbollah which essentially is running Lebanon and depends almost entirely on money and arms from Iran. That money and those weapons go through Syria. Which means Hezbollah is freaking out about the Syrian uprising and is providing men and advice to Assad. The Israelis meanwhile are also quite edgy that Assad might stay in power and further bolster Hezbollah which is way more proficient than Hamas. That whole Mid East scene is truly like a pot of stew which never ceases to simmer and often in fact boils over. Egypt is still totally unsettled.
Then we have the website called Christian Mingle which I identified in my last post. Seems as if many women using it have been raped by other so called "Christians"using the site as a trolling ground. It does boggle my mind how despicable many of our fellow humans are.
Like Lindsey Graham who continues to act like a plantation owner and has been blasted consistently by Jon Stewart. And John McCain who must be as old as Methuselah and still does not like the plans for immigration reform--Stewart is on to him as well. But the best Stewart sketch was about the Jewish holiday of Purim which is all about a nasty guy who (surprise) wants to get rid of the Jews. Stewart put on an African American comedienne who was called the "Senior Purim Correspondent". She was terrific and, to be balanced, really skewered some of my coreligionists paranoid thoughts about who is out to get us!! (remember what I said about calmness, tolerance, and quiet!!). By the way, Mississippi just officially abolished slavery--really and truly.
A few odds and ends though really more odd than anything. Only in Florida (or actually only in the South)--a man disappeared into a sinkhole which opened up under his house/bed while he was sleeping. Come on. Then we learned that Scottie might run for governor--actually I think it is a perfect job for him; a job where the damage he can do will be limited by a rather fractious and Democratic legislature. Patricia Cornwall wins bazillions from her investment firm and I say--who cares? An article in a recent NY Times mag about the technology used by the Republicans in the recent election and how it was overwhelmed by the technology used by the Dems. And how the younger members of the Republican party cannot get the old goats like Karl Rove to even listen to them about the technology gap.
Finally, plans are afoot to air drop food to the polar bears since the ice cap is shrinking so much. But climate change is a fantasy.
Colonoscopy prep has begun--nasty business that.
SPORTS TALK
They better sign Welker. Especially since Mr. Brady just made that major adjustment. And then sees Flacco get 20 million a year. Whoa.
Oscar P. is guilty as hell but here is a bet--he won't end up in jail. It would not even surprise me if he pulled a Whitey Bulger.
Michigan's BB team has two weaknesses--not enough size inside and too much reliance on Trey Burke who is very good but cannot carry them. I would be surprised if they get to the sweet 16. I think all those Big 10 teams except perhaps Indiana are beatable.
And the NFL is so far in the dark ages on "gay" issues that it is virtually medieval. The players say stuff that is ugly and management asks questions which are patently illegal. And are you telling me that out of 32 teams, each with 50 guys on the roster, no one is gay. Come on, man.
Sayonara
OK--so the first thing is be calm, tolerant, and quiet as I comment on one of the world's great religions.
I know very little about Catholicism but after all the Pope has resigned so there are things to say. First of all, I want to know if he gets to keep his red beanie which reminds me of what I wear when I enter a synagogue. Second, those red shoes are killer and I want to know if he gets to keep those. I also need to know about the Pope mobile--is it in the garage for service since obviously there is no one to use it. And, lastly, can we talk about the nuns who will be "serving" him. How do you get a job like that? Should I dare mention the British Cardinal who resigned over allegations in his Diocese about abuse or the LA Cardinal who has no business even voting for a new pope when he has been subpoenaed about abuse in his Diocese. Then, during our blizzard, our Cardinal was quick to let folks know they could skip Mass if it was too dangerous to go out. The same thing should have been said (and as quickly) by Cardinal Law during our sex abuse scandal. But nope. (A reminder about calmness, tolerance, and quiet!!)
A terrific article in the New Yorker about Hezbollah which essentially is running Lebanon and depends almost entirely on money and arms from Iran. That money and those weapons go through Syria. Which means Hezbollah is freaking out about the Syrian uprising and is providing men and advice to Assad. The Israelis meanwhile are also quite edgy that Assad might stay in power and further bolster Hezbollah which is way more proficient than Hamas. That whole Mid East scene is truly like a pot of stew which never ceases to simmer and often in fact boils over. Egypt is still totally unsettled.
Then we have the website called Christian Mingle which I identified in my last post. Seems as if many women using it have been raped by other so called "Christians"using the site as a trolling ground. It does boggle my mind how despicable many of our fellow humans are.
Like Lindsey Graham who continues to act like a plantation owner and has been blasted consistently by Jon Stewart. And John McCain who must be as old as Methuselah and still does not like the plans for immigration reform--Stewart is on to him as well. But the best Stewart sketch was about the Jewish holiday of Purim which is all about a nasty guy who (surprise) wants to get rid of the Jews. Stewart put on an African American comedienne who was called the "Senior Purim Correspondent". She was terrific and, to be balanced, really skewered some of my coreligionists paranoid thoughts about who is out to get us!! (remember what I said about calmness, tolerance, and quiet!!). By the way, Mississippi just officially abolished slavery--really and truly.
A few odds and ends though really more odd than anything. Only in Florida (or actually only in the South)--a man disappeared into a sinkhole which opened up under his house/bed while he was sleeping. Come on. Then we learned that Scottie might run for governor--actually I think it is a perfect job for him; a job where the damage he can do will be limited by a rather fractious and Democratic legislature. Patricia Cornwall wins bazillions from her investment firm and I say--who cares? An article in a recent NY Times mag about the technology used by the Republicans in the recent election and how it was overwhelmed by the technology used by the Dems. And how the younger members of the Republican party cannot get the old goats like Karl Rove to even listen to them about the technology gap.
Finally, plans are afoot to air drop food to the polar bears since the ice cap is shrinking so much. But climate change is a fantasy.
Colonoscopy prep has begun--nasty business that.
SPORTS TALK
They better sign Welker. Especially since Mr. Brady just made that major adjustment. And then sees Flacco get 20 million a year. Whoa.
Oscar P. is guilty as hell but here is a bet--he won't end up in jail. It would not even surprise me if he pulled a Whitey Bulger.
Michigan's BB team has two weaknesses--not enough size inside and too much reliance on Trey Burke who is very good but cannot carry them. I would be surprised if they get to the sweet 16. I think all those Big 10 teams except perhaps Indiana are beatable.
And the NFL is so far in the dark ages on "gay" issues that it is virtually medieval. The players say stuff that is ugly and management asks questions which are patently illegal. And are you telling me that out of 32 teams, each with 50 guys on the roster, no one is gay. Come on, man.
Sayonara
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