It’s gonna be hot today. Hell, it’s already hot – 76 degrees before 5:00 this morning – and it’s gonna be in the upper 80s. Might even hit 90. This, of course, is too damn hot. The good news is that it won’t last long, as a cold front it supposed to come through and make for a nice cool day tomorrow (good day for playing with the tractor). The bad news is that a cold front means thunderstorms (and very unhappy doggies) tonight. Good thing I don’t sleep much these days anyway.
Eddie Fisher died. He was only 82. I say “only” because, while I certainly know his name (and that he was married to Debbie Reynolds – begetting daughter Carrie – Liz Taylor, and Connie Stevens – with whom he begot daughter Joely), I don’t actually remembering him being anything other than somebody who “used” to be famous. I guess at the time I was becoming aware of music – say, around 1964-65 or so – for me, it was the Beatles and the Stones, and the Kinks, and the Animals, et al. Oh, and Hermann’s Hermits, of course.
But Eddie Fisher? Not so much. I mean, he was no Perry Como (or even Andy Williams).
Polls are starting to show an unbelievably tight race here in NY for US Senate. They show Kirsten Gillibrand up by either only six points or – worse – just one, over Joe DioGuardi. I find this very hard to believe, because, as a person who likes to consider himself relatively aware of politics and current events, until I looked at this story, I couldn’t even have told you the name of the person running against her. I haven’t seen a single ad for this yo-yo on the teevee (I suppose that’s ‘cuz it’s early yet, and Gillibrand can afford to hit the airwaves, because she has a boatload of money), and I really hope this isn’t true. One of the few things to be proud about NY these days is that it’s at least solidly in the “blue” column.
Frankly, I put the blame quite squarely on Barack Obama and his Milquetoast presidencyand his Chamberlainesque handling of both the Republicans and the Blue Dog DINOs who have manipulated him (I’d have said “masterfully manipulated,” but I don’t think they’ve been masterful – I think he’s been pathetic).
Both Gillibrand and Andy Cuomo (in the NY Governor’s race) lead quite comfortably in polls of “registered” voters, but among self-described “likely” voters, their leads all but evaporate. This is because wingnuts and teabaggers are moist with anticipation, whereas Democrats are so pissed off and disappointed with Democrats – and the failed Obama presidency – that lots of them are apparently not interested in voting. This is bad news, ‘cuz while Obama and the Democrats might suck, we’re all really gonna suffer with these corrupt thugs back running the show.
I mean, WTF? It hasn’t been that long since they were screwing things up. Have you people forgotten already? Or are you just Bill Murray’s Arthur Denton to Steve Martin’s Orin Scrivello (or, if you want to go old-school, Jack Nicholson’s Wilbur Force to John Herman Shaner’s Phoebus Farb)?
Wake up, America! I can’t afford to move to Canada anymore, and when Republicans “take back” America, we’re the ones they’re taking it back from! Not that we actually ever had posession of it in the first place, but you know what I mean.
Oh well, time to get this week over with. Hard to believe it’s only three days ’til Monday.
Trying to reach out in the darkness, perhaps, but maybe all of this bad polling so early might shake some people sitting on their hands out of their haziness. When they really look at the choices creeping up maybe they will realize that we cannot afford their likes to take power because they can afford to buy an election or they have a small but vocal yet ignunt bag of nuts who are energized to swing a vote while the new ‘silent majority’ stares at the ground.
“I like football on a Saturday.”
Alaskans grew suspicious two years ago when a national organization called Americans for Job Security showed up and spent $1.6 million pushing a referendum to restrict development of a gold and copper mine at the headwaters of Bristol Bay.
snip
Alaskans grew suspicious two years ago when a national organization called Americans for Job Security showed up and spent $1.6 million pushing a referendum to restrict development of a gold and copper mine at the headwaters of Bristol Bay.
snip
An examination of Americans for Job Security — based on a review of its recent activities, as well as on interviews and previously unreleased documents from the Alaska case — provides a rare look inside the opaque world of these ascendant advocacy organizations. Its deep ties to a Republican consulting operation raise questions about whether, under cover of its tax-exempt mission “to promote a strong, job-creating economy,†the group is largely a funnel for anonymous donations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/24/us/politics/24donate.html
A federal judge ruled Friday that a decorated flight nurse discharged from the Air Force for being gay should be given her job back as soon as possible in the latest legal setback to the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
The decision by U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton came in a closely watched case as a tense debate has been playing out over the policy. Senate Republicans blocked an effort to lift the ban this week, but Leighton is now the second federal judge this month to deem the policy unconstitutional.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/24/margaret-witt-reinstated-dont-ask-dont-tell_n_737656.html
I think Colbert’s appearance was the worst idea, ever” ESPECIALLY if Pelosi was in on the ‘joke’. Does she think that everybody gets irony and satire all of a sudden?
Do they think that your average teabagger, let alone, MSMedia newsreader is ‘in’ on the joke?
I’d really like to know what MS’ers think.
I think it just make the dems look even more like the out-of-touch clowns that they already are. :fustrate:
Just beginning to watch the whole thing. I like it but I think you may be right. Way over a lot of heads and easy to attack.
He gets in some good points short of 4 minutes in but of course NBC only showed his opening remarks. what did they expect?
Still after watching the whole thing I wonder what Pelosi or whoever arranged this was thinking- and I question Colbert’s judgement.
It seems like it was Zoe Lofgren’s idea. I wish he would have just played it straight. Maybe a little humility might not hurt Colbert.
Rep, Steve King R-IA
:fu:
I thought Colbert was great, but I don’t think it matters one way or another whether he testified or not (other that maybe some obscure subcommittee hearing got a little bit of media attention that it otherwise would never have gotten).
It’s all a big dog and pony show, and our serious members of the media didn’t like it one bit, because Colbert only serves to remind them what a joke they are (much as they despised his performance at the correspondent’s dinner a few years back).
As for King, he’s an ass, who didn’t like being reminded what a “corn packer” is.
Maybe Colbert can bring some awareness to the issue, but I doubt it. Good god-fearing ‘mericans will never give a shit about migrant workers – except to hate them because they’re “illegal” – until they’re paying $10 for a head of lettuce and $50 for a bag of apples.
As for Colbert, it should only be good for his ratings (if that matters).
Having watched most of it, I still wish Colbert had done it straight. He could have still been the funny man. It just opened too much room for criticism. However, I will also say that taking the whole hearing and putting his appearance in context, it was and will be a lot different than how it gets portrayed by those who ‘disapprove’ or even just showing his statement. It is a tribute to SC and the fear he arouses how wildly Fux and others have been reacting to his appearance. They don’t spend that energy on just anyone or anything.
Conyers’ reaction was weird like he was totally clueless. That was indeed the problem with the whole thing. Too many people either won’t get it or twist themselves into a pretzel to act that way to ignore the underlying message. Need to keep that librul, celeb, union, elitist bashing and vilification alive.