Morning Seditionists

I don’t normally stay up as late as I did last night, so I’m a little tired this morning. I also find myself totally uninterested in who’s on the stupid talking head shows. Apparently, the US hockey team is playing Canada for the gold medal later on today. I know this, because they said so on SportsCenter. They also said that the US team beat Canada for the gold medal exactly 50 years ago today, in 1960. I found this rather disconcerting, because 1960 happens to be the year I was born, and while I already knew I was pushing 50, it was still kinda weird to hear that ‘60 was 50 years ago. I’ll be damned – how did that happen? (more…)

Did you know that if you fool around on your wife – lots and lots and lots of times – both President Obama and former President Clinton will call and offer words of encouragement? Granted, they’re probably encouraging you in somewhat different ways, but still. I could’ve used a little encouragement while I was struggling to get the driveway shoveled in time to get to work yesterday. Actually, screw the encouragement. I have a couple extra shovels – I could’ve used some goddamn help. Fortunately it’s not too late – seems to be snowing again. Hell, I’ll even sit down and have a couple cold ones with ya (none of that Bud Light swill, either), and if you want, you can hang out and watch the game with me tonight. I’ll do up some wings and everything. I bet you wouldn’t get wings from Tiger. (more…)

I’m getting a bit of a late start this morning, having been up since 4:30 or so, shoveling snow. We’ve gotten about 18 inches, according to the weather geek. I’m not normally one to complain about the shoveling, but this is some of the heaviest snow I’ve seen in a while. In an hour and a half of shoveling the equivalent of wet sand, I barely managed to make enough of a path for us to get out of the driveway. Now I’m pooped. Not exactly how I wanted to start my day. I must be getting old. (more…)

Another East Coast snowstorm is on the way (actually, it’s already here), and this time it looks like we aren’t gonna luck out and miss it. On top of the five or so inches of snow we already have (Update: more like six or seven inches by the time I left the house, and it’s the heavy stuff, too; I guess I’ll be shoveling at lunch time), it looks like we can expect another foot to a foot and a half by tomorrow morning. What with the dearth of snow so far this year, all the schools have decided to go ahead and burn a snow day, which is good news for the morning commute. None of those goddamn school buses to deal with. (more…)

I keep thinking its Tuesday for some reason, but it’s not, so that’s cool. Anyhow, for those who don’t pay attention to sports-related things (and, no, I’m pretty sure a guy ice skating while wearing a pink and black sparkly outfit doesn’t qualify as sports – though he did look fabulous!), there’s a huge kerfuffle over at ESPN, which has resulted in the suspension of Tony Kornheiser “for some time.” Tony is a Long Island guy who used to be a sportswriter (he’s from Lynbrook, just like Raymond, who everybody loves), having worked at places like Newsday, the NYT, and the Washington Post. Anyhow, now he’s on a show called PTI on ESPN. At least he was, until he got himself suspended for the horrible offense of, um, making fun of the way Hannah Storm (another ESPN personality, or whatever you call those people) dresses. (more…)

The watered-down (but better than nothing, I guess) Senate jobs bill made it past a procedural vote last night, with opponents unable to sustain a filibuster by a 4-1 vote (that is, 4 Republicans – including brand new Senator, Scott Brown – voted to end cloture, while one “Democrat” – Ben Nelson – voted to continue debate). Not a good start for you Senator Brown. I foresee many teabags in your future (and not in a Larry Craig kinda way, either – though I wouldn’t rule that out, either). Meanwhile, the Kabuki Theater know as “health care reform” continues its unprecedented run (it’s almost like an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, only not quite as insipid; close, though). The big question now, of course, is whether or not Democrats have what it takes to use budget reconciliation to pass a) crappy reform and/or b) a crappy public option. From what Larry O’Donnell keeps saying, even with reconciliation, there are a lot of procedural hurdles along the way that require 60 votes to pass. I’m not sure anybody actually knows WTF the deal is, but if there’s a chance for Democrats to cave in and/or for Joe Lieberman, Max Baucus, et al., to torpedo the process, I’m pretty sure they’ll do it. (more…)

Jerry Ford’s cozy little cottage in Colorado is up for sale, if anybody’s interested. It’s only listed at $13 million, and from the photos, it looks like pretty nice digs. Makes me wonder what Jerry did for a living, though, to afford a place like that. I mean, wasn’t he a congressman for, like, ever, before he got the gig as Nixon’s VP (thanks to Spiro Agnew being a criminal)? And then he got to be President for a little while. Doesn’t seem like those jobs pay enough. But I suppose he wrote a book or something. (more…)

It’s gonna be a Governor kinda day out there in booblehead land today. For instance, on Press the Meat, it’s MN Guv, Tim Pawlenty. Also up, David Petraeus, plus a roundtable with Washington Post Columnist E.J. Dionne, Piggy Peggy Noonan, Indiana rethuglicanMike Pence, and Chris Van Hollen. (more…)

In the latest effort to close the $8.2 billion budget deficit here in NY, our Guv has now set his sights (now pun intended; well, OK, maybe a little bit intended) on the state’s parks system – the oldest in this country, and one of the few things I think everybody in the state actually thinks they do right around here. Blinky has proposed closing 55 of our state’s parks and historic sites. This would save an astounding $6.3 million, reducing the deficit by a whopping 7/100ths of one percent (and arguably reducing our quality of life by about a million percent). So, let’s close the schools, close the hospitals, and close the parks. You can go to work (assuming you still have a job), and then you can go home. On the weekend, iff you want nature and recreation, you can go to the fucking mall and look at the potted palm trees and watch the trapped sparrows fly around. I think I’d better head out to the park right now, while it’s still open.

I’m sure everybody’s heard about the big “Family Guy” kerfuffle, where a girl with Down Syndrome said “…my mother is the former Governor of Alaska.” Now, of course, poor, poor Sarah Palin is all inflamed with faux indignation at this horrible swipe at her. Interestingly enough, guess what? The actress who played the character (Andrea Fay Friedman) has Down Syndrome herself. She also seems to have a sense of humor. (more…)