I know, I know. I can't give the guy a break. But it's so hard to watch the manipulation of the media by this guy's handlers and the way they are denied nothing by print, video, radio and cyberspace. (Of course I'm jealous. My ignorance of all things electronic in particular is almost insurmountable. All I can hope is that there are some conservatives out there who know how to reach these technophobes, if that's a word. All I want for Christmas is an even playing field.)
Anyway, my references today have to do with the photos of Mr. Obama released just as a movie studio press room in the old days. Remember the shot of Hillary and Bill dancing on the beach in their swim suits? We were supposed to think that all was forgiven and it was again a marriage made in heaven.
Well now we have all these pin-up type pics of Obama which will help us "get to know him" better resulting in our affection levels becoming closer rather than adoration from afar. (We know that the Secret Service would not allow anyone close enough to take these photos unless it was part of the publicity plan.)
The other shots on TV today were in a coffee shop, etc. where he performs what I call the "patronizing pat." Have you ever noticed when doing an interview where he is sitting face to face and leans over and pats the interviewer's knee or arm or hand? When in the coffee shop today he had to put his hand on the shoulder/back of a guy who just happened to be close as he was walking by. This happens over and over again. Are these folks supposed to be flattered by the gesture? I find it a bit condescending, but maybe it's my age. My mom taught me about personal space and being overly familiar with strangers or one's elders. There's something wrong with this picture.
Tomorrow I want to talk about the murder rate among black teens and where's the outrage.
See ya
ps-I'm not a golfer, but have many in the family and have watched a round now and then. I just want to say that if I had a chili dip like Obama I wouldn't want it put out there for all the world to see.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Weekend Newspaper item you may have missed
Didja see that a veterinary hospital in Akron, Ohio needs $300,000 to put in a sewer for the expansion of a facility employing 45 vets and 120 full time staff? The city ran out of money just before they reached the area. So they are getting in line for a govt bailout as an infrastructure expenditure and you wouldn't believe the list that goes on and on and on....... I have a thought. Why not have the Akron community do some fundraising? By my arithmetic it would take 30,000 donations of $10 to pay for it and there would be no payback of bonds or loans. Surely Akron has the population to take care of this.
Now, what follows is a litany of other projects in the Akron area such as the red brick sewer in a residential neighborhood which presently is known to flow into the Cuyahoga River which has been known to burn--Remember Lake Erie? As for the brick sewer the guy in charge says it was put in by the WPA in the 30s and it is only fitting that the government should come take it out to correct the mistakes they made then and now they can do it right.
Think we should have a contest to see who can come up with the most ridiculous use of public monies?
Meet the Press, now hosted by Mr. Gregory was a joke today. Poor guy from the National Review was the only conservative, flanked by a guy from Newsweek who spoke with an elegant English accent, an editor from Vanity Fair and a bag full of hot air from the Washington Post plus, of course, the host. They really believe in piling on.
Remember when we spoke of the Clinton Legacy a few days ago? Just remembered that one of the problems I had ten years ago was that so many of the folks who supported him in his stall for time effort ended up spending upwards of a hundred thousand dollars when called before the grand jury. I've always wondered if the Clintons ever reimbursed these people. We're talking folks who work for a paycheck such as his secretary and other staff people. Not nice, Bill and Hillary. It's not too late. Send them a check--you can afford it.
See ya
Now, what follows is a litany of other projects in the Akron area such as the red brick sewer in a residential neighborhood which presently is known to flow into the Cuyahoga River which has been known to burn--Remember Lake Erie? As for the brick sewer the guy in charge says it was put in by the WPA in the 30s and it is only fitting that the government should come take it out to correct the mistakes they made then and now they can do it right.
Think we should have a contest to see who can come up with the most ridiculous use of public monies?
Meet the Press, now hosted by Mr. Gregory was a joke today. Poor guy from the National Review was the only conservative, flanked by a guy from Newsweek who spoke with an elegant English accent, an editor from Vanity Fair and a bag full of hot air from the Washington Post plus, of course, the host. They really believe in piling on.
Remember when we spoke of the Clinton Legacy a few days ago? Just remembered that one of the problems I had ten years ago was that so many of the folks who supported him in his stall for time effort ended up spending upwards of a hundred thousand dollars when called before the grand jury. I've always wondered if the Clintons ever reimbursed these people. We're talking folks who work for a paycheck such as his secretary and other staff people. Not nice, Bill and Hillary. It's not too late. Send them a check--you can afford it.
See ya
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Ten Best, Ten Worst--How about Best Comparison?
1992
Clinton, 370 electoral votes
Dems: 258 House seats; 58 Senate seats
Govs: 33 then, 29 now
2008
Obama, 365 electoral votes
Dems: 258 House seats; 58 Senate seats without Minnesota
1994
Rep govs: 31 - up from 17
AND the
Contract with America!
The present recession is more serious than the 1992 situation. There are other obvious differences--terrorism for one--you can make your own list.
We have to do all the same things we did then plus the internet and rebuilding the base for both fund raising and philosophy. Most of this needs to be done at the state level, so let's get ready to go for it NOW, not later.
A few weeks ago I mentioned that Obama will probably be smarter than Clinton in that he won't alienate the independents so quickly. The country wasn't quite ready for HillaryCare. Rather than charging in to fulfill all his campaign promises he will space them out trusting it will lead to apathy. We, however, have history to learn from and so we have. Haley Barbour did it right the last time and I'm sure we will have a new RNC Chair and state party chairs who are chomping at the bit.
This will not be easy, but hopefully the electorate will be able to see that the rhetoric and the generalizations can't get the job done. The President-elect has talked the talk, walking the walk is something else.
See ya,
Clinton, 370 electoral votes
Dems: 258 House seats; 58 Senate seats
Govs: 33 then, 29 now
2008
Obama, 365 electoral votes
Dems: 258 House seats; 58 Senate seats without Minnesota
1994
Rep govs: 31 - up from 17
AND the
Contract with America!
The present recession is more serious than the 1992 situation. There are other obvious differences--terrorism for one--you can make your own list.
We have to do all the same things we did then plus the internet and rebuilding the base for both fund raising and philosophy. Most of this needs to be done at the state level, so let's get ready to go for it NOW, not later.
A few weeks ago I mentioned that Obama will probably be smarter than Clinton in that he won't alienate the independents so quickly. The country wasn't quite ready for HillaryCare. Rather than charging in to fulfill all his campaign promises he will space them out trusting it will lead to apathy. We, however, have history to learn from and so we have. Haley Barbour did it right the last time and I'm sure we will have a new RNC Chair and state party chairs who are chomping at the bit.
This will not be easy, but hopefully the electorate will be able to see that the rhetoric and the generalizations can't get the job done. The President-elect has talked the talk, walking the walk is something else.
See ya,
Friday, December 26, 2008
Bush-A Giant of a Man vs the small, mean, petty, rich white guy
Yes, through the last 8 years I have criticized our President--for not getting rid of Rumsfeld soon enough and making what I considered other mistakes in timing. Perhaps I've let my first impression of him in 1996 at the Midwest Leadership Conference in Indianapolis color my attitude toward him in other inconsequential ways. (I thought he gave a lousy speech.)
However, in the last couple of days I see a need for sticking up for the guy. Case in point: Jay Leno has made some of his gazillions of dollars at the President's expense. His monologues consistently poke fun in a very mean-spirited way at our President. We certainly can bet the farm that he will not make any such comments critical of Obama. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that his 10:00 time slot will be an excuse to become more "neutral."
What makes Bush great? We've always known about his humility and if we thought about it, everything about him points to his self-confidence. He is what defines a Republican: doing the right thing whether or not anyone is looking and doing it because it truly is the right thing to do.
Here's where Jay Leno comes in. Most of the comedians stock in trade these days starts with the President's stupidity. But he and Karl Rove have had a friendly rivalry going on for about 3 years. Rove mentioned wanting to read a book a week and Bush, apparently in his usual friendly but competitive fashion, figured they could "go for it." And since it's Rove's idea, he's game. The first year the score was 110 for Rove and 95 for Bush. 58 of Bush's were non-fiction, mostly on history and bigraphy with 8 on mostly Mideast current events and 6 on sports. In 2007 they slowed a bit with Rove leading again at 76-51. And this year the score is now 64 to 40. Most of the reading is pretty heavy going. I'll give Leno the benefit of the doubt, but I'll bet a lot of his reading is about cars. At any rate, this President is not stupid. He can make a joke about shoes thrown at him and makes no comment about the comedians, but it takes a big man to smile through it all.
Other evidence? (In the interests of honesty I need to tell you it would have cost over $1700 to quote an article from the WSJ entitled "The President Comforts a Marine Mom." I can't afford it so I'll just tell you about it.)
The Mom in question is Mrs. McPhillips whose son was killed in Iraq. They met in the Oval Office a few years ago and have exchanged letters, many written in the president's hand since. "Through the sadness that binds them together, they look eye to eye and let their hearts do the talking." and "....the brave young lieutenant who was born to one and laid down his life under the command of the other." They spent 45 minutes a couple of days ago talking about everything from Iraq, what he hoped to accomplish in the Middle East and their conversation was punctuated with words on the challenges and consolations of faith.
Lt. McPhillips sister and father were also present and when they left the President wrote a note to the sister's kindergarten class asking them to excuse her for missing class that day. They spoke further about faith and prayer and how to live a Christian life. He described men like the Lieutenant as the kind of man any parent would want to lead their son into battle or wait at the altar when a father walked his daughter down the aisle.
One more quote: "This Christmas, Mr. Bush's last as commander in chief, Mrs. McPhillips would like him to know how grateful they are that Brian served a president who was determined, at great cost to his own popularity, to ensure that their son's sacrifice would not be in vain."
"Mr. President, Brian was proud to be a Marine. And he carried within him the same light that you do--a faith in God, in America, and in the dignity and worth of every man, woman, and child on this earth. A blessed Christmas for you and your family, Mr. President."
And I hope, also, to all of you.
However, in the last couple of days I see a need for sticking up for the guy. Case in point: Jay Leno has made some of his gazillions of dollars at the President's expense. His monologues consistently poke fun in a very mean-spirited way at our President. We certainly can bet the farm that he will not make any such comments critical of Obama. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that his 10:00 time slot will be an excuse to become more "neutral."
What makes Bush great? We've always known about his humility and if we thought about it, everything about him points to his self-confidence. He is what defines a Republican: doing the right thing whether or not anyone is looking and doing it because it truly is the right thing to do.
Here's where Jay Leno comes in. Most of the comedians stock in trade these days starts with the President's stupidity. But he and Karl Rove have had a friendly rivalry going on for about 3 years. Rove mentioned wanting to read a book a week and Bush, apparently in his usual friendly but competitive fashion, figured they could "go for it." And since it's Rove's idea, he's game. The first year the score was 110 for Rove and 95 for Bush. 58 of Bush's were non-fiction, mostly on history and bigraphy with 8 on mostly Mideast current events and 6 on sports. In 2007 they slowed a bit with Rove leading again at 76-51. And this year the score is now 64 to 40. Most of the reading is pretty heavy going. I'll give Leno the benefit of the doubt, but I'll bet a lot of his reading is about cars. At any rate, this President is not stupid. He can make a joke about shoes thrown at him and makes no comment about the comedians, but it takes a big man to smile through it all.
Other evidence? (In the interests of honesty I need to tell you it would have cost over $1700 to quote an article from the WSJ entitled "The President Comforts a Marine Mom." I can't afford it so I'll just tell you about it.)
The Mom in question is Mrs. McPhillips whose son was killed in Iraq. They met in the Oval Office a few years ago and have exchanged letters, many written in the president's hand since. "Through the sadness that binds them together, they look eye to eye and let their hearts do the talking." and "....the brave young lieutenant who was born to one and laid down his life under the command of the other." They spent 45 minutes a couple of days ago talking about everything from Iraq, what he hoped to accomplish in the Middle East and their conversation was punctuated with words on the challenges and consolations of faith.
Lt. McPhillips sister and father were also present and when they left the President wrote a note to the sister's kindergarten class asking them to excuse her for missing class that day. They spoke further about faith and prayer and how to live a Christian life. He described men like the Lieutenant as the kind of man any parent would want to lead their son into battle or wait at the altar when a father walked his daughter down the aisle.
One more quote: "This Christmas, Mr. Bush's last as commander in chief, Mrs. McPhillips would like him to know how grateful they are that Brian served a president who was determined, at great cost to his own popularity, to ensure that their son's sacrifice would not be in vain."
"Mr. President, Brian was proud to be a Marine. And he carried within him the same light that you do--a faith in God, in America, and in the dignity and worth of every man, woman, and child on this earth. A blessed Christmas for you and your family, Mr. President."
And I hope, also, to all of you.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Christmas-Visions of Giving
It's difficult to write about anything that could be called negative, so we will try to give some time to its reality.
#1-How do you feel about giving through the IMF to prop up Russia's bad economy which was predicated on the high price of oil and no one apparently thought it could ever possibly go down, so they just continued on using up reserves to prop up segments of the economy. Following this, and with foreign investors leaving in droves, they devalued the currency and the stock market plunged 75%. Who puts the money into the IMF? And why should Russia be looking to repeat 1998, the last time they tapped the rest of the world.
#2-Nonprofits beginning to talk about getting a bailout. Whoa.......... When I think of nonprofits, I generally think of groups or organizations which benefit the public and are usually held in high esteem by those who send them a yearly stipend and sometimes, like Planned Parenthood, should be re-examined as to their need for any public monies other than those privately donated. Shouldn't the government be precluded from giving anything that could be construed as being labelled discretionary income on their balance sheets? Frankly, I think most of these should be funded by individuals. It should be pretty special to deserve public funding.
#3-from the NY Times: "....the financial ability to contribute to charity, and the willingness to do so, are strikingly unrelated. Amazing, the working poor, who have the least resources somehow manage to be more generous as a percentage of income than the middle class.
So, even in tough times, there are ways to help."
We all know that we have a culture which has givers and takers. And, we also should know that except under extraordinary circumstances, it certainly feels a lot more satisfying to give than take. At this time of year it is brought home in myriad ways that it is the season of giving and we should all enjoy the activity.
Merry Christmas!
#1-How do you feel about giving through the IMF to prop up Russia's bad economy which was predicated on the high price of oil and no one apparently thought it could ever possibly go down, so they just continued on using up reserves to prop up segments of the economy. Following this, and with foreign investors leaving in droves, they devalued the currency and the stock market plunged 75%. Who puts the money into the IMF? And why should Russia be looking to repeat 1998, the last time they tapped the rest of the world.
#2-Nonprofits beginning to talk about getting a bailout. Whoa.......... When I think of nonprofits, I generally think of groups or organizations which benefit the public and are usually held in high esteem by those who send them a yearly stipend and sometimes, like Planned Parenthood, should be re-examined as to their need for any public monies other than those privately donated. Shouldn't the government be precluded from giving anything that could be construed as being labelled discretionary income on their balance sheets? Frankly, I think most of these should be funded by individuals. It should be pretty special to deserve public funding.
#3-from the NY Times: "....the financial ability to contribute to charity, and the willingness to do so, are strikingly unrelated. Amazing, the working poor, who have the least resources somehow manage to be more generous as a percentage of income than the middle class.
So, even in tough times, there are ways to help."
We all know that we have a culture which has givers and takers. And, we also should know that except under extraordinary circumstances, it certainly feels a lot more satisfying to give than take. At this time of year it is brought home in myriad ways that it is the season of giving and we should all enjoy the activity.
Merry Christmas!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Blogspot Block
If "notmoved.blogspot.com" shows up on your recently used addresses or faorites or bookmark, delete it or just don't use it. For some reason it showed up as an "invited guest only" and I didn't do it.
Same old lolapete.blogspot.com get you here. Thanks
Same old lolapete.blogspot.com get you here. Thanks
Why are we blocked out?
I don't understand this any more than you do; will try to get to the bottom of it.
lp
lp
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