Shame on Us!!!!



Are you scared, are you really scared, ARE YOU REALLY, REALLY SCARED???

 Wake up America!!! Look at the folks in Japan. They have sustained the 5th worst earthquake in recorded history. The ensuing tsunami caused unprecedented damage and loss of life would be much higher were it not for Japanese preparation. Every picture from Japan shows humanity at its best. Sure there are mother's weeping, but we don't see folks arguing, there's no looting, there's no "poor little me" interviews in front of TV cameras. Images of people working together are second only to the overwhelming sea of human suffering. The damage is widespread.Essentially, once one gets north of Tokyo, particularly on the east side of Japan,the scenery is horrible. Take a look at the picture above.

The tsunami whacked a four reactor nuclear power plant shutting down its cooling systems and causing the reactors to fail. Some radio activity has been released. Reliable information suggests that areas within 50 miles endured some contamination, but so far none of it appears lethal. There is much to learn. Take a look at the picture above.

The reactors could melt down, but the plants are designed to contain the damage. Given the special circumtances of this horror, the containment might not be completely successful. It won't be as bad as Chernobyl that laid to waist a huge piece of real estate in the Ukraine. More than 50 people died as a direct result of the reactor's explosion. How many died from the far reaching effects vary tremendously from those who try to minimize it to those who madly exploit it. Surely, somewhere in the low thousands sounds most realistic. Take a look at the picture above.

The worst case scenario in Japan would suggest a Chernobyl like experience is almost impossible. It's way too soon to talk about permanent damage or how bad this will be. By this time next week, much more will be known.Take a look at the picture above.

Even if things blew up like Chernobyl, damage would not travel across the Pacific Ocean and harm the United States. Sure there would be a radio-active cloud. Sure detection devices would indicate an increase in radiation. Almost certainly on television news some blonde anchor girl who has roasted herself in a tanning bed and is frequently seen with a cell phone pressing against her ear who peered into CRT monitors for years, will be asking frightening rhetorical questions about what does this really mean to us, How much should YOU be concerned about YOUR safety.Take a look at the picture above.

The news coverage is all about the nukes, the nukes, the nukes, the nukes, and more about the nukes. When will they explode? Just how bad are they? Folks fear they're not getting the whole story? What should YOU do to be prepared?

Fact; Iodine pills have all but vanished from US suppliers as scared to death Americans have rushed to the stores to grab pills "just in case." Just in case of WHAT?  We're probably much more likely to have one of our plants blowup and spew some radioactivity than anything resulting from Japan. Furthermore, folks who are ingesting iodine tablets, "just in case" are more likely to suffer severe harm from the Iodine tablets than any source of radiation. There's nothing that's going to expose anyone to what one would encounter with an x-ray or CAT scan. Folks gladly expose themselves to all kinds of radiation in pursuit of a lovely tan.

American local news has long specialized in "if it bleeds, it leads." Big fires, shootings, horrible accidents, and stuff blowing up gets the big lead story. Regardless of what happens, they have a tacky way of taking any story and then pretend to report -- so what does this mean to you? They can't come right out and say unless a person has friends or family in Japan, there's nothing to worry about.

Take a look at the picture above.



Alas, the media wants that image -- the atom, the mushroom cloud, the steaming nuke plant fixed in our minds. They want us anxious. They want us on the edge of our seats. They want us wondering what will happen next. Why? They know that's how they can get us to watch their sappy excuse for a newscast that spends more time on women's health issues than what's going on in the state legislature, local schools, or what the city or county government is wasting its money on.

The national news is doing much the same thing, but they'll also concern us whether Washington is doing all it can do. They'll get us all worked up whether Japan is being honest with us -- conspiracies get people worked up.

It's all about us -- terrible things are happening to the Japanese, wonderful people who work hard and have behaved themselves far beyond what Americans would achieve as witnessed by Hurricane Katrina. Things are horrible in the middle East. Qaddafi is killing his own people and now our planes are joining with other countries to enforce a no fly zone. Young men are killing other young men in our inner cities and low rent districts. The situation along the southwest border continues intolerable, and things are very scary in Juarez, Mexico. What's happening down there and how it is spilling into the United States where parts of Arizona are virtually occupied territory gets far too little press, but can that affect us? YOU BET IT CAN. Maryland is encouraging drawing the problem to the once called "Free State" -- well the Free State now offers in-state tuition to illegal immigrants. Real Maryland kids will get bumped out of real Maryland colleges. WHO'S SCARED ABOUT THAT?

The media has proven to be sensationalistic and off focus while the American people are acting smug, helpless, and worried to death. It's all about us, all about me, me, me, and absolutely ME, ME, ME!!!

How are the Japanese folks coping?  What do they need? Are kids getting food? Are old folk getting medical care? WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP OUT?

It's so screwed up right now, if a person from Japan just got off an airplane the yahoo-stupid American would be more likely to recoil in fear frightened that the Japanese visitor might be contaminated and could be contagious. Who'd walk up to that person, voice reassurance, "We're hear for you brother or sister?" and then wish that soul all the good fortune and blessings for him and his family.

2011 is off to a bad start. Terrible things are happening. However, how can the news report or hold up a big mirror that shows us just how ridiculous, petty, and narrow minded our public is as if we're all as thin skinned as Sarah Palin in some way or another. Speaking of the worst America has to offer, look who's off to the Middle East.

Big bad America is living up to its reputation no matter how many resources we've contributed to helping Japan. That's not sexy news and lots of folks don't want us spending our money on helping others ignorant that our best defense very well could be how well we treat our friends around the world.

Japan might be smouldering, but the United States is flaming out.


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2010 -- Ten Losers --- Ring 'em out with the old or ring their necks -- the less seen of them in 2011 would be a blessing!!!!

2010 Losers, Liars, Loafers, Loud-mouths…


2010 was a bumper crop year for idiots, lowlifes, liar, loud-mouths, losers, and generally maladjusted individuals to make their mark. While surely Barack Obama could top the list just has he has since his emergence in the public eye – what can we say about O-blunder that we haven’t said already. Whether it was publicly dressing down John McCain during a White House meeting on the economy, the countless sorties around the globe he and his Mrs. embarked upon, his failure to take seriously the day-to-day administrative roll of government demonstrating the incompetence borne of inexperience, his constant whining and finger pointing and lightly veiled efforts to push the republic ever closer to European style socialism, ol’ O-blunder deserves some kind of lifetime achievement award in the sphere of hateful politics.

Nancy Pelosi
Close behind Obama’s performance and surely one of the most despicable figures in recent American history would be Queen Nancy. Good old Nancy Pelosi, we needn’t list her many crimes here. We do allow ourselves a little schadenfreude that she will now be flying commercial stripped of the elegant military transport she demanded upon ascent to her Queen Bitch position. She best summed up the kind of arrogant idiot she is when addressing a supportive audience of special interest lackeys concerning Obama-care when she stated: “But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy….”

Sarah Palin
As if the previous two years weren’t long enough for Sarah Palin to wear out her welcome, her self-serving publicity gag about Momma Grizzlies is enough to elicit vomiting. Attempting to seize the Tea Party movement as the “Elect Palin in 2012” mob, her involvement in the mid-term elections turned something very good into great possibilities squandered. Her personal vendetta against the Murkowski family in Alaska saw Joe Miller defeat Murkowski in the primaries then to lose to her in the general election through write-in ballots. Nevada was well on its way to ridding itself of Harry the horrible with a strong field of challengers. Palin supported Sharon Angle, a nice lady but someone so hopelessly confused, she just wasn’t cut out to be a senator, thus, Harry Reid remains. The Republicans even had a rare chance to gain a Senate seat in Delaware filling what had been Joe Biden’s seat. Their incumbent congressman was poised to slaughter the democratic opposition. Enter Christine O’Donnell, a world class dip shit who many would see as Sarah Palin’s version of mini-me. Another Senate seat remained with the Democrats. Palin has unprecedented media access with Fox News who finds a spot or more for her just about every evening. How nauseating it is to hear a grown-up crying about the naughty boy sitting next to her trying to poke her eye out Her name calling, blame-storming and whining far exceed anything she has going for her. She dare not articulate policies as what little she says about US History or the Constitution wouldn’t reach a middle school level of achievement.


Brett Favre
Brett Favre should have known the party was over when the Vikings lost to the Saints in the NFC championship. That he was staying at his Deep South digs while the rest of the NFL players reported to camp and had to be coaxed into joining the Vikings when a cadre of team mates flew to Mississippi to bring him up north clearly indicated it was time to hang it up. From the very beginning his performance on the field was a disaster then came the charges of hanky-panks with a female member of the New York Jets from two seasons earlier. Finally, his Iron Man streak was over. He was no longer the Huck Finn lovable eternal boy wonder. He was a tired old fart over the hill.

Glenn Beck
Outside a handful of HNN viewers and hardcore devotees to right wing radio, Glenn Beck was a mere nobody two years ago. Like a sickly pestilence, his presence has oozed its way into the conservative voice and if rational folk with traditional values don’t start ostracizing this charlatan the credibility of American conservatism could take a severe hit. The man is a fraud, a fear monger, and a raving demagogue. Beneath the showmanship and wild raves, there is little credible substance but plenty which we find distorted, overstated and misrepresented.

Nothing could demonstrate how dangerous Glenn Beck is than the huge rally he hosted in Washington DC on August 28, 2010 at the Lincoln Memorial, the anniversary of the Martin Luther King “I Have a Dream” speech held on that spot 47 years earlier. To stage a rally dedicated to the whitest of white people couldn’t be a symbolic slap in the face to all who were engaged, liberated, or supportive of the civil rights struggle of that time.

While Beck speaks of the value of learning history and the Constitution, he is a master of neither showing an uncanny ability to selectively take things out of context weaving a quasi-religion that is fundamentalist Christianity at heart but where the disciples and lesser deities are the American founding fathers whose lives were so pure, their wisdom so brilliant, today’s society should stand in awe-struck unquestioning reverence of their contributions. Those who align themselves with those values, “traditional American” values are the good guys. Beck attempts to demonstrate how the world and the United States in particular are speeding like an out of control train toward inevitable destruction lead by a monolithic progressive movement which has been in the driver’s seat in America since Teddy Roosevelt paved the way and Woodrow Wilson got it moving full speed ahead. There are the outwardly obvious “progressives” who are not so thinly veiled communists and socialists such as Barrack Obama and major media and government sources, but there are creepy people he believes the public doesn’t know about such as billionaire financier George Soros who he describes as the puppet master.

Beck screams, cries, and pleads that his followers make a decision – there are but two choices, the traditionalists versus the progressives. History is rapidly moving to an apocalyptic showdown where one side or another will reign supreme after our culture is ravaged by economic collapse, moral decay, and other bad things promoted by progressives.

In preparing for the judgment day, Beck even goes as far as suggesting that his followers horde food and invest every spare dime they have in gold (gold sellers sponsor his show) so they will emerge secure when the rest of the world collapses.

Beck’s gift for extreme overstatement, misrepresentation, and all out pure emotionalism make him a most dangerous fellow attracting the fearful and anti-intellectuals who feel at odds with today’s political picture.

Alan Grayson
Thankfully, Alan Grayson will have a hard time making the list for 2011 since the Florida voters in the Orlando area had enough of his foolishness and voted him out.

Grayson shocked the country with the extreme anger and malicious mischaracterizations of his opponents. First, he did a poster board talk on the floor of the house where successive posters accompanying his narration indicated the Republican health plan were as follows: Don’t get sick. If you get sick, the Republicans want you to die.

In his campaign against Republican Daniel Webster, he ran a campaign ad taking clippings from a completely unrelated Webster speech attempting to establish Webster’s devote Christian faith to being akin to the Taliban that created a message that was in complete opposition to what Webster’s original speech had been about using the phrase, “submit to me” to characterize Webster’s attitude toward women. If there were ever a more mean spirited political ad, it would be hard to imagine what that ad would look like.

Julian Assange
The principle of WikeLeaks appointed himself as a one man arbiter of world order seeking to attempt to undermine American influence by releasing a series of classified government and military documents with threats to do the same for major US corporations including the banking industry. Charged with raping two women in Sweden, this loathsome scumbag has used the Internet as a tool of espionage consistent with the sense of anarchism which infects the radical left and which surfaces in every locale where world leaders gather for G-8 conferences. Interestingly enough, there are at least some connections between Assange and George Soros.

Meanwhile, Assange has become a celebrity of the highest order to some figures in the radical left including Michael Moore. Likewise some extreme right wingers who represent a warped sense of distorted libertarianism embrace his revelations as well.

Hopefully the world justice system will lead him to the United States where he’ll spend the rest of his days in a high security federal prison though Gitmo might be a better setting that Obama would never consider.

PFC Bradley Manning
We’ll soon discover how strict the code of military justice is in the new millennium. Army PFC Bradley Manning assigned to a support battalion with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division then based in Iraq gained access to the government’s Secret Internet Protocol Router Network. He copied the data onto CD or DVD media which he had labeled as a Lady Gaga recording. Working through middlemen, the material was transferred to Assange resulting in massive disclosure.

Perhaps the military should have engaged in more due diligence before assigning Manning to any operation involving intelligence. His biographical details indicate a young man who was defiant, rebellious, confrontational, and willing to defy authority.

Like Assange, Manning is being elevated to celebrity and hero status by the radical left who are attempting to create a furor claiming Manning is being mistreated in custody even imploring the United Nations to investigate. Michael Moore and others are raising money for his defense. Manning is also openly homosexual and has participated in “Gay Pride” events in defiance of the military’s archaic “don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy. For some he is being cast as a victim of an anti-gay military which is of course nonsense given the nature of his crime and that he can hardly be cited as the victim of being framed given the extent to which he has acknowledged his misdoings.

Ultimately, his crimes as a United States soldier constitute treason of the highest order for which he could be executed. Regardless, anything short of full acquittal which is highly unlikely, for the radical left, he will be made into some kind of martyr while rational society will seem him for what he is a treacherous criminal hell bent on damaging national security.

Christine O’Donnell
Just when she was starting to become a fading bad memory, Christine O’Donnell was thrown back in the media spotlight amidst allegations she misused campaign funds in her run for Senator of Delaware.

We can say one thing of Christine O’Donnell. She was not the most unqualified and stupid person to run for Senate in 2010. That award goes to Alvin Greene who ran for the Democrats in South Carolina with zero chance of defeating incumbent, Jim DeMint.

The Republicans had a rare opportunity in Delaware generally a very predictable liberal state. Joe Biden’s long held seat was open. Congressman Michael Castle, well-known state wide having also served as governor, looked like a shoe-in to be Delaware’s next senator, a most important net gain for the Republicans marching toward majority status. Far-left Democrat, Chris Coons, with a reputation for lavish spending and raising taxes, would offer but token opposition. Enter Sarah Palin and her ability to arouse the Tea Party sympathies while perhaps many voters would have seen it plausible Castle could be defeated, and suddenly a person with no meaningful experience and a closet full of personal, financial, and legal issues ripe for revelation, Christine O’Donnell won the state’s Republican Party. Almost immediately, now Coons looked like the shoe-in and O’Donnell the long shot. Perhaps her greatest accomplishment was organizing a political group SALT, “The Savior’s Alliance for Lifting the Truth.” Among topics O’Donnell would select for public speeches were naïve and highly doctrinaire views on human sexuality including sex out of wedlock and masturbation. All the while, her ability to manage her personal responsibilities proved elusive even having been sued for foreclosure and other debts. The IRS initiated a lien on her fiancés to recover $11,000 in unpaid taxes. On top of all that, her stated college credentials were not accurate.

One biographical detail showed where she apparently engaged in some kind of witchcraft ceremony as she revealed on an appearance on Bill Maher’s television show. This provided the ultimate source for all kinds of fun at the hands of political comedians. This led to the ultimate concise statement why Christine O’Donnell simply lacked any kind of political credibility when she appeared in a black dress against a black background for a campaign ad where she stated, “I am not a witch. I’m you.” That line would become the butt of many jokes through the campaign. At her best, she seemed like a shoddy Sarah Palin recreation, little wonder then, that Palin would find her attractive.

That she was defeated having received 40% of the vote that one would have to wonder how many of those votes were for her or were protest votes against the Democratic agenda, it appeared she would disappear from the headlines. Lo and behold, it would only stand to reason someone as inept as she would be likely to screw up using her campaign finances properly and in the closing days of 2010, headlines surfaced she was facing Federal grand jury investigation. Naturally, she claimed she was being setup and that Joe Biden was the instigator. What she fails to realize is she is most likely far too small a flea to be worthy of such.

The one transcendent good O’Donnell offers is that every bit of attention she draws helps demonstrate how unsuited for any roll in national politics Sarah Palin is worthy of. She and her Alaskan mentor are two of a kind to be sure – loud mouthed, naïve, and intellectually vapid.


LeBron James
LeBron James had it all, as one of the NBA’s top talents, he reached supreme stardom for his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, more recently, James indicated Akron was his hometown, and folks from Akron aren’t big fans of the larger Cleveland thinking that Clevelanders look down their nose at the lowly folks from Akron.

After a standout showing as one of the nation’s top high school players, James signed directly into the pros with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. It took little time for James to rise up as one of the league’s top stars possibly rivaling players like Kobe Bryant as the game’s top talent. Just as quickly as his star rose in the media so did his ability to attract controversy. While worthy of praise for his giving to charity, his lack of cooperation with teammates and others plus blatant self promotion quickly cast him as the poster child of the excessively indulgent overpaid star athlete completely devoid of any humility whatsoever right down to having a huge tattoo reading “Chosen 1.”

At the end of the 2010 season, LeBron James became a free agent and quickly sought to burn all bridges with the Cavaliers string them out while evaluating his options. As the ultimate expression of blind hubris, James announced that ESPN would provide him his own announcement program where he would announce the team for which he would play. To add insult to injury, he did not inform Cleveland of his decision to play for the Miami Heat until just moments before the broadcast.

Working in tandem with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, the threesome negotiated contracts with the Miami Heat to form the power nucleus that was supposed to ensure championships heading to the land of South Beach for years to come. To further the made publicity campaign, James, Wade, and Bosh arranged a huge coming out celebration where they would introduce themselves in a highly choreographed to hip-hop tastelessness show with multiple theatric gimmicks before an adoring crowd of screaming Miami fans.

The reaction in Cleveland, not the most mature sports fans in the nation, was swift and vicious supported by a wrathful open letter from the team’s owner bashing James for his decision. In some media circles the Cleveland fans were portrayed as something more than shunned lovers but as racist bigots infuriated by a young black man setting himself free from the plantation even getting Jesse Jackson involved.

Snooki and the Jersey Shore Gang
If anyone needs evidence that MTV is a sickly cancer eroding the moral fabric of America, we provide Snooki (Nicole Polizzi) and the rest of the ensemble of misfits, social dropouts, and dysfunctional youth elevated to cult hero status by this MTV “reality” program. The program follows these eight cretins horrible misrepresentations in many cases of Americans with Italian pedigree as they engage in their hedonistic, decadent lifestyles including Snooki’s addiction to exposure to ultraviolet rays as if there were some secret agenda to discover just how fast one can develop skin cancer in pursuit of a nauseating overdone tan. While perhaps too young to have a resume of failure akin to Christine O’Donnell this Chilean born, Italian raised train wreck aspires to be a veterinary technician but her greatest accomplishment would appear to be her July 30 arrest for public intoxication.

If pornography is material with absolutely no social redeeming value, “Jersey Shore,” is smut of the highest order. Like so many other MTV phenomenon of the past, we can only hope the ratings plummet only to see what the purveyors of puke will come of with next.

These ten figures by no means represent the complete list of scoundrels. Several others are worthy of attention including Nevada Senator Harry Reid, Washington Redskins coaching father and son combo, Mike and Kyle Shanahan, the ever present dufus face of the Obama administration, Robert Gibbs. Surely, Maryland Governor, Martin O’Malley, with his crass and dishonest reelection campaign for reelection loaded with boldfaced lies about Robert Ehrlich deserves notice. We’d also include wussy deluxe disposed coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Wade Wilson, but his situation involves greater villains than his meager ineptness. We fear that if such a list is composed for 2011, we might have to report on some Republican members of the 111th Congress who might squander the rewards granted by the voters. We went light on the media because while folks like Joy Behar deserve inclusion, where would we stop chronicling a parade of losers?

BETTER LUCK IN 2011 and may our top 10 find the obscurity and ridicule they deserve.





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PBS Boobs Ax "Sesame Street" Episode for Boobs

Our culture is heading down the tubes!!!  The horrors, pop sensation, Katy Perry, had a roll in a planned episode of PBS's long running program "Sesame Street" featuring the Muppets but t some point somebody realized her costume showing way too much cleavage was not suited for young children and the episode was axed.

Who approved such an outfit in the first place and how will that person be dealt with. Remember, PBS is, in part, American tax dollars at work!

Happy Birthday, Mick!

Sir Michael Philip Jagger of Dartford-Kent, England celebrates his 67th birthday born on July 26, 1943.

The recent re-release of the Rolling Stones' biggest, baddest album, Exile on Main Street, helped the world remember just how powerful the Rolling Stones' music could be. They didn't do rock operas. They didn't try to import exotic instruments. They rocked -- and probably will continue to do so. Their music rose up out of Blues and R&B with a hardy dose of Country.

When the Beatles sang "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You," the Rolling Stones had different intentions as noted by the title of a Muddy Waters' song that was a staple in their early song lineup, "I Just Want to Make Love to You."

While newer Stones albums don't cover new ground, there's not a Stones album out there that doesn't have at least a handful of great rockers that would knock the socks off of most bands at their best. There is no greater entertainment specticle than a Rolling Stones concert.

Who would have imagined when the Rolling Stones were peforming haunting numbers like "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Gimme Shelter" they'd still be a staple on rock radio well past 40 years later.

Somehow to say Mick Jagger has aged gracefully might miss the point. His last media event was appearing with his pal, Bill Clinton at the World Soccer Tournament in South Africa.

F-Bombs Galore -- No Way to Fight BP and the Miserable Response to the Gulf Oil Disaster

How can any rational, caring person not be mad as hell about what is happening in the Gulf of Mexico thanks to BP’s oil platform, one which was poorly managed, did not meet standards, and was not properly inspected, exploding gushing millions of gallons for 90 days into the water fouling vital sea resources, fishing areas, coastline and marshes from Texas to Florida? Fishermen, those who serve tourists, the seafood industry, oil rig employees and many other citizens have had their livelihoods interrupted or destroyed. The mess will cause damage that will last long enough it might as well be considered permanent.

BP has revealed itself to be the ultimate definition of a self-serving, irresponsible corporation with no regard for the environment and the consequences of its actions. The Federal Government, through the Obama administration, has not provided oversight or leadership preferring to cast blame and politic obviously reflecting on the total lack of leadership ability and lack of experience of Barack Obama himself.

The whole United States is suffering from pent-up anger, but surely, some means of expressing it even if such expression is supposed to support good causes goes too far.

We call attention to www.unfuckthegulf.com. They introduce themselves as “A CHARITY “F-BOMB-A-TON” CLEANING UP THE GULF… ONE DIRTY WORD AT A TIME.

Load up the website and be greeted with a video that is loaded with f-bombs, one character after another launching tirades loaded with f-bomb after f-bomb and other filthy words that could even make a New York cab driver blush. Two of the characters are children. One appears to be elementary school aged, the other probably in middle school. Great: it’s someone’s bright idea to show kids scream FUCK???

They then ask viewers to buy a $13 tea-shirt and choose a charity to get the profits including Greenpeace, Earthjustice, and others. They also sell one dollar pins and two dollar stickers with the “UNF—K THE GULF” message. Their “about us” reveals the site to be the work of Nate Guidas and Luke Montgomery. Guidas reports to be an environmental activist and educator who runs a website GreenGuyNate.com. Montgomery reports to be a fundraising and media strategist who works with non-profits who want “to make a bigger impact and change the world.” He runs a website GoodIdeasforGoodCauses.com.

Make no mistake, while BP is financially and morally responsible for correcting the damage done, there will be expenses the company will never touch. Folks will need all kinds of help. Those interested in helping must do their own due diligence to be sure their funds go to organizations that help the disaster victims and are not disguised as such but truly radical environmental and far-left advocacy groups.

We are offended by Unfuck the Gulf effort and are alarmed they’d find it acceptable to have f-bomb wielding children in their presentation. The events of recent weeks have helped demonstrate the deterioration of civility in our society, and folks who surf the web particularly social networking sites see how casually an abbreviation, WTF, as in “what the fuck” is used in regular Internet conversation.

Hopefully, our concerns will be heard and folks will show outrage. Way too often folks are quick to just let it slide. We have to be willing to take a stand when our sensibilities are outraged and Right-minded Fellow is outraged.

Are You Ready for ShakesPalin? Sarah-Speak 101

Head for cover - it's loaded!!!
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The Wench of Wasilla is at it again....
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Andy Warhol’s watch is either broken or somehow Sarah Palin sure got a hold of a lot of them. As if John McCain’s campaign for President wasn’t the 15 minutes of fame, Sarah Palin has come back again and again for another fifteen minute shot and another and another and another. Enough already. Her fifteen minutes must be biblical minutes or somebody’s helped her evade the rule. Sarah, honey, your fifteen minutes are up. We even gave you a nice going away present, GO AWAY!!!!

Message to Republicans, Independents, and T-Partiers, it’s time to refudiate Sarah Palin. You’re being sucked in. The press and the Democrats have a wicked fascination with her. They can’t get enough of her and like the bully in the schoolhouse who pulls the nerdy girl with big glasses’ pig tails; they can’t stop picking on her. Oh, they’re picking on poor little Sarah again. We’ve got to defend our girl.

Well is she our girl because she really amounts to something, or is it because we feel compelled to defend anyone who runs afoul of the Democrat far left big media machine? It’s almost like that Islamic thing – the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

If Ms. Palin is going to be (GULP) a national leader, can’t she please talk like a grown up and not the slut on the high school cheerleader’s squad? We can at least expect her to speak like someone who has gone to college – but jeez! Cool it with the “gonna’s,” the “you-betcha’s,” the “why-doncha’s,” and “gotcha’s.”

Now Sarah Palin has weighed in on plans to erect a mosque near “ground zero” in lower Manhattan, an Islamic statement of conquest within the shadow of where the twin towers once stood. The gal who hunts moose and blasts wolves and Bambi from a helicopter up in Alaska has come to New York’s defense (or is it offense since she’s so offensive), but she tweeted (is that using technology or is she just a bird brain – as Fox News would say, we report – you decide)…. "Ground Zero Mosque supporters: doesn't it stab you in the heart, as it does ours throughout the heartland? Peaceful Muslims, pls refudiate."

Okay you big ugly Muslims, she’s gotcha right? New York, don’t you feel safer now? Hold on, “refudiate” why does this word have the red underline from spellchecker? Ooops, it’s not in the dictionary either – at least not yet. Could she mean “repudiate?” Maybe she means “refute?” Maybe she’s such a lump she just doesn’t know one way or another. Sarah, sweetie, you got some ‘splainin’ to do.

The Sarah do-do bird tweets again. Wait aren’t do-do’s extinct? Wishful thinking for this subspecies, by golly. She twits or tweets again or is she just a tweet, but in her own words: (in place of the previous post), “""Refudiate," "misunderestimate," "wee-wee'd up." English is a living language. Shakespeare liked to coin new words too. Got to celebrate it!"

Sarah does it again. There’s now “#ShakesPalin” in Twitter’s trending topics and “@ShakesPalin,” a Twitter account.

This led us to think of Sarah Palin as a Shakespearean character. How about Lady Macbeth, Gertrude, my fair Kate, Ophelia, Desdemona, or even Cleopatra?? Cleopatra, she did some crazy things with snakes didn’t she? Hold on, Shakespeare’s characters are complex, multidimensional, and nuanced whether heroine of villainess. These ladies of lore are far too sophisticated for the Caribou Barbie. Maybe the nutty old nurse from Romeo and Juliet? She’s loud and shrill, a bit of a goof. Once again, we’d be shaming old Bill from Avon to make that association.

Shakespeare might come to the rescue after all, representing darkness (as in an Alaskan winter), chaos (what follows Ms. Palin everywhere she goes) and conflict (‘nuff said on that one), in Macbeth Act 1.1, we meet the witches or the three weird sisters. For some one as whacked out as Sarah Palin, we’d need a Shakespearean trio!!!

Well, “Bubble-bubble, toil and trouble, by gosh.” Does that now answer another question, why so many Americans have been duped into following this wonder from the northlands? They’re all under the spell of witchcraft.

Line up at the registrar now for fall courses. The campus English department is proud to offer “ShakesPalin Tragedies” and ShakesPalin Comedies” and could anyone please tell the difference. Meanwhile, the theater department is having trouble with their first attempt to perform ShakesPalin – something about the leading lady and trying to put lipstick on a pig.

NAACP Wants Neverland Ranch to be State Park?

What more craziness can come from this year's NAACP convention? First they attempted to coerce the Tea Party into admitting they have a problem with racist elements, now they propose Michael Jackson's mecca to child molestation, Neverland, should be a State Park. Gee, California has money for that don't they?

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California assembly representative Mike Davis has introduced legislation which the NAACP has passed a resolution in support of to make the property, a celebrtion of excess and the fantasies of a demented, tortured mind, a state park. Meanwhile, under California's self-induced budget crisis, the state is struggling to operate the parks already in service.

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While some will argue Michael Jackson has not been convicted of child molestation, there's no question that some families that could have pressed charges have become very wealthy for maintaining their silence.

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The NAACP is quickly becoming a totally irrelevant freak show with their recent actions. Clearly they must not be able to articulate any issues of substance when they're getting all excited about a palace for perverts.

Happy Birthday, Ringo!

Paul McCartney can no longer sing "When I'm 64" since he's past that age, but his bandmate on drums, Ringo Starr turned 70 years old. Hey "baby boomers" does that make you feel old?

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We salute the Beatles' drummer who got by with a little help from his friends, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison and "starred" in one of the greatest bands in musical history. May he ride joyfully on his yellow submarine to explore an octopus's garden to see what goes on.

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Elvis Statue Stolen from Diner Roof: Eastern Baltimore County Scandal!!!!

Elvis Statue Stolen

We can’t help but note the theft of a seven foot Elvis statue from the roof of the Happy Day Diner in Rosedale, Maryland, a blue collar neighborhood on Baltimore’s east side. We shall leave it to our readers to draw their own conclusions what this says of the state of our culture or how it fits in to the lore of Elvis-mania, but it leaves us feeling sad and angry folks can’t allow good old American tackiness to flourish or are so greedy they must attempt to have it all to themselves.

In the past year, the #8 statue honoring Cal Ripken in the Eutaw Street courtyard outside Orioles Park at Camden Yards was stolen only to be found in the bed of the crooks’ pickup truck. Somehow, the Elvis theft creates more for one to ponder. Just what, who knows?

Of course for years, folks joked that Elvis was alive and well working in a donut shop or gas station in Dundalk, Maryland, another east side suburb of Baltimore. Alas, the King would be 75 years old with the anniversary of his death coming up next month marking 33 years since his death – we feel sadly stuck in the Heartbreak Hotel for the moment.

Hot Dog!

So what was the biggest story of this year’s Independence Day weekend? Which fireworks display was the most spectacular? How about the racing at Daytona? Were there some awesome baseball games?

None of that seems to matter when the story of the weekend had to be the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest at Coney Island. Broadcast live on ESPN, the 95th annual event was won by reigning camp Joey Chestnut while his toughest competitor was not allowed to compete over a “contract dispute.” Gorging oneself is a profession?

International eating star, Kobayashi, was on hand and with crowds shouting his name, he attempted to jump on stage at the event’s close only to be led off by NYC police for such things as disorderly conduct, trespassing, and perhaps some other counts that amounted to exercising poor judgment.

While it’s all in good fun for the most part and the winner walks away with a $10,000 award, and yes as far as “tube steaks” go, Nathans are about as good as they come, something about a spectacle like this is a total gross out. Imagine consuming 54 hot dogs in ten minutes. Two would be plenty for most humans. Still, it’s a hot event on ESPN which posted 1.5 million viewers in 2006 with 30,000 fans present to witness the gross out.

Somewhere in this event is something that deserves commentary about the state of our society. This writer will not take a stab as such prospects but will offer this does not speak well of some aspects of the national psyche.

Sir Paul Pops Off On Global Warming

SHUT UP AND SING: When it comes to

politics, figures like Sir Paul McCartney

should just "Let it Be."

While few can write a catchy little ditty like Sir Paul McCartney, I defy anyone to demonstrate what his qualifications as a climatologist or environmental scientist might be. Alas, hot off of entertaining Barack and Michelle Obama at the White House and making unwelcomed insulting comments about former President George W. Bush, Sir Paul opines, “Some people don't believe in climate warning -- like those who don't believe there was a Holocaust."

Well, good day sunshine! It appears the former Beatle has trouble confusing a matter of fact versus a matter of theory, and that theory has been called into question by many who are far better qualified to render judgment than a bass playing singer-songwriter does.

As if that nonsense isn’t bad enough, Macca also weighed in on the Obama administration’s dreadful response to the Gulf oil disaster, stating, “I don’t accept the criticism of Barack over the oil spill.” Well, Sir Paul, how about a little trip down to the Bayou and talk to the people down there and see what they have to say and maybe drop a few quid to help them deal with their hardships.

As if Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Michael Stipe, Sting and Willie Nelson among many others haven’t added enough idiotic blather to the discussion of many important issues, it seems like Paul McCartney seeks his seat at the table of know-nothing entertainment blowhards.

Thankfully, he still has a long way to go to equal the political stupidity of his fellow songwriting partner, John Lennon.

Nanny State Nonsense at London University

Big Brother and the Nanny State versus enterprising pleasure seeking…

Right-Minded Fellow generally prefers to discuss substantive issues on higher education, but some are a rather interesting reflection on the state of western culture as this posting will be. A British student has been fined by his university for creating a match-making website for love connections between library patrons. There’s nothing particularly novel about his creation given the rise of the on-line social networking phenomenon. How many people don’t subscribe to Facebook as one example?

The site, FitFinder, became an instant sensation spreading from university to university during study time for final exams. Gee, wouldn’t students love the chance to blow off a little steam with a token mindless distraction during that stressful period?

In its first month, 30 universities were involved, but quickly some irate disenchants became quite vocal as some participants posted rather vulgar entries and taunts. University College London, through its office for the dean of pastoral care, a quaint British term for dean of students, fined the site’s founder, Richard Martell a student at the school for “bringing the college into disrepute."

Fearing reprisals that could interfere with his graduation, Martell suspended his site. He paid the 300 pound ($435) fine, the maximum penalty the university could assess. Almost immediately, more than 6,000 individuals signed a petition in support of Mr. Martell.

In addressing his situation, Martell noted, "I pulled it down on my own accord because I wanted to comply with them, but now it has worked against them and has angered people. This has almost brought them more into disrepute than I did in the first place."

While the United Kingdom does not have the guarantees of the First Amendment on freedom of speech and press, some aspects of British culture is every bit as permissive as what can be found in the United States. However, when it comes to a domineering nanny state and insane application of various principles of political correctness, perhaps the Brits are more sickly than the States.

Regardless, the onset of the 21st century finds western culture permeated with narcissism, hedonism, and slick mass media manipulation. A match-making service that gets a little bit tawdry is hardly alarming. Call it distasteful, call it naughty, call it obscene, the actions of the London University seem petty and stoically reactionary. Such moralistic knee-jerk behavior does not serve to hold up the mirror to a decadent society where it seems that instant gratification is the ultimate goal.

This episode so clearly illustrates both polarities of the kind of values and culture that illustrates the deterioration of constructive values. On one level, political correctness, the true realization of what George Orwell described as “newspeak” in his ominous novel, 1984, attempts to destroy the free expression of language limiting all dialogue into narrowly defined boundaries which must conform to the progressive elitists’ standards or be guilty of hate speech, sexism, racism, or some kind of exploitation aimed against their sacred victim groups and ideals. The other polarity is pure unrestrained vulgarity and self-glorification of the “me” generation oriented pop culture.

The fate of FitFinder is but one illustration where two ugly trends in modern culture come into conflict revealing what a completely morally bankrupt and intellectually shallow culture we live in. In terms of the crass opportunism that runs unchecked in the cesspool of a thoroughly decadent culture, Richard Martell’s little creation is but a mild example of other enterprises that push the boundaries of sensibility further and further out of shape.

Paul McCartney Plays the White House - Some Thoughts

Paul McCartney's performance in receipt of the Gershwin Award at the White House prompts two areas of thought -- why pop stars and politics don't mix, and that conservative pundits are wasting way too much time using McCartney's appearance as something significant to criticize Barack Obama.

When it comes to pop stars mouthing off about politics, I wish they would shut the hell up. There is nothing about writing love songs, singing, or playing guitar that gives a person any insight into the world of politics and global issues. Yet since the 1960's, pop culture and political culture is getting increasingly cozy in so far as the way-out unrealistic idealism of the flower children of the 60's has created sort of a hippie creed pop figures seem compelled to embrace while the Democratic party has been seized by the political positions of the most far out and anti-American sects of the hippie movement. Naturally, some of it goes all the way back to Woodie Guthrie, intimately involved in a very radical side of the labor movement. Who thinks he's a modern day Woody Gurthrie? Bruce Springsteen, of course. As such, it was very disappointing to hear Paul McCartney take a swipe at former President George W. Bush stating the current President, "...at least knows what a library is."

For some performers like Springsteen and John Mellencamp, it's getting harder and harder to separate their politics from their music. They are so outspoken and so wrong.

Conservative talkers are making a big issue of Paul McCartney performing at the White House. While it's disappointing to see someone as beloved at one of the Beatles sucking up to someone as detestable as Barack Obama, it goes with the territory. The President wines and dines many celebrities from all around the world. It goes with the turf. Suggesting that President Obama spends way too much time dedicating his time to leisure activities rather than rolling up his sleeves and working on the Gulf oil spill and the out of control boundary in Arizona is absolutely a legitimate criticism. Few would argue including prominent democrats and left-wing media mouths that Obama has been way too detached from the horrible mess in the Gulf of Mexico region. There are way too many things that require his approval and commitment that are just gathering dust. Going to Illinois and not honoring the unknown soldier in Washington, frequent golf outings, stories about "date nights," major musicians performing at the White House, and generally a President who appears to have plenty of time for leisure activity taken together show a President lacking the will to fully engage in the requirements of his job. While he never misses the opportunity to make politically oriented speeches to trash his opponents and enjoying the perks of being head-of-state, the day-to-day nuts and bolts running the government, the managerial function is woefully neglected. Looking at his experience prior to his election, that was a huge concern for those who bothered to examine his background.

Rock stars will be rock stars, but we would hope Presidents would be effective leaders. When it comes to effective, timely leadership, Barack Obama is shameful failure.

No Surprise: Smokers Have Lower IQ's than Nonsmokers

Who needs all the research to prove the obvious. Smoking is STUPID.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,587241,00.html

And for those of you who try to use some kind of libertarian "right to smoke" kind of nonsense complaining about all the places that don't allow smoking any longer: stores, restaurants, bars, sporting venues, shopping malls, and virtually all indoor common space, GO TO HELL!

It is you, Mr. Smoker, who is engaged in the intrusive behavior. The rest of us have a right to breathing clean air and not have our clothes stink of tobacco from being around you and your habit.

You do have the right to choose to die. You don't have the right to intrude on me with your bad habit.

EMI & Capitol Records -- Sunset in the Music Industry

EMI, better known for its American division Capitol records has been in trouble for a long time. However, after many shotgun marriages and misdirected attempts to rebuild, the once great label must come up with some serious cash by June 14, 2010 or the current investors will lose the company to Citigroup, the holder of its major debts. Since Terra Firma under the direction of Guy Hands took control of the floundering record label, many marquis names are gone including the Rolling Stones’ work from 1971 forward.

EMI includes Virgin records, the jazz and blues label, Blue Note, and Apple, the Beatles’ empire. Though an expensive project to painstakingly master from start to finish, the remastering of the Beatles complete recordings issued last September certainly was a huge success for the label, but what do they have in store for an encore?

Among their legacy artists, EMI has Frank Sinatra’s great work from the 1960’s, Nat King Cole, the Beach Boys, the Band, Tina Turner, and much of the Beatles’ solo material including now all of George Harrison’s material, most of John Lennon’s, and did have Paul McCartney’s collection until Paul bolted to Hear Music, a product of the newly vitalized Concord group. Today’s artists include Coldplay, Jay-Z, and Katy Perry. An examination of their roster will reflect numerous acts that have bolted for greener pastures.

Should EMI fold, there is much speculation what Citigroup might do with its property even though their current artists’ list may be eroding away to very little, their legacy artists, the Rudy Van Gelder jazz series, and classical holdings are tremendous assets.

Right now, well over 80% of the music industry is controlled by four giant international companies: Sony-BMG, Universal Music Group, and Warner Group are the big players who along with EMI dominate the world’s music sales. Warner and EMI were involved in merger talks in the past, but Universal Music Group assimilates record labels much like the Borg in Star Trek.

The impact of the consolidation of the music industry to what could be primarily three huge corporations in the near future does not speak well for the possibility of any bold or innovative great new music to gain much exposure. As our column has frequently pointed out, the music industry does not market the sonic counterpart to gourmet cuisine. Instead, their model is McDonalds where McMusic is bland, tasteless, consistent, and not very good for you.

The damage has already been done. Capitol records has not been a refuge for creativity for many years, but with each passing year, the way the big three are tossing around once venerated label names, we only see hints of those great innovators who brought so many great tunes to the world’s listeners from the dawn of recorded music to the dawn of the digital age. Warner Group hasn’t a clew how to apply once noble imprints like Atlantic and Elektra, one known for its jazz and R&B, the other for its folk and avant-guard pop in their infancy before embracing the classic rock explosion of the late sixties. Motown was once a distinctive sound from Detroit but now is nothing more than a marketing device for Universal Group for selling music to adult African Americans. Great names in music each of which had its own creative identity are getting frapped in the Universal blender – Island, A&M, Mercury, Decca, and London. Where these names are still applied may have little rhyme or reason compared to where they were originally applied yielding to a Johnny-Come-Lately (from the 1980’s) Geffen label to be the moniker for even Bing Crosby or just as ironically, the Who. Meanwhile, once RCA and Columbia were the great traditional leaders in America, fierce rivals where the great American symphonies were either an RCA orchestra or a Columbia orchestra, are now homogenized together under the Sony-BMG banner.

We will soon be morning the passing of EMI, one of the originators of recorded music around the world and consequently Capitol Records, Johnny Mercer’s brainchild establishing a major recording presence centered in Los Angeles as the progenitor of a fertile west coast music scene ever after. They will pass with a whimper, not a bang since EMI has had little impact on the recording scene since its Virgin label was hugely successful in the late 80’s and most of the 90’s. The music industry these days, frankly, lacks any great creative hubs from which quality music emerges.

Perhaps we are on the dawn of the collapse of the traditional record label completely as artists now can go directly to their listeners via the Internet making their product immediately available for download.

How Bad Are Things Going for Obama? ...Ask Obama Girl

Remember her? That's the Obama Girl. She's the gal who did that cutesy "I've Got a Crush on Obama" video that helped court the MTV generation's fancy to the Obama campaign.

Two years later and how things have changed. Amber Lee Ettinger has now appeared on both Sean Hannity's and Mike Huckabee's television programs announcing she's had some serious second thoughts about the President who was once the object of her affection.

As goes the Obama girl, so goes America, eh?

Intellectual Scum: The Conspiracy Mindset

We're probably not as evolved as we think
we are, and evolution doesn't explain
everything -- that's why it's called a THEORY!!!
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Hot on the heels of Danny Glover's and Pat Robertson's ridiculous assertions about the cause of the Haiti earthquakes is an ad on Fox television for its show, Bones. The subject, there had to be a second gunman in the Kennedy assassination.
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Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, dogs and cats, and intellectually curious banana slugs, let's make something perfectly clear.
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The Warren Commission told the truth. To look at the amount of research and the integrity of the members on the panel made it abundantly clear what happened on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas. That there might be a few things that aren't 100% crystal clear doesn't open the door to all the wacky theories on the subject. "The Government lied." so the ad says. We'd better worry about the real lies the government is pumping out right now on subjects like health care, terrorism, and the economy and get our minds of the idiot bullshit about JFK's death.
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Don't expect to know much if your source of the news is Jon Stewart and the late night talkers. Talk show hosts are first and foremost entertainers and some aren't very good at it. That there is some monolithic clearly articulated progressive movement as Glenn Beck explains it is cheap baloney.
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Yes, ten agents from Al Qaeda really did hijack four airliners, two of which crashed into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and the fourth into a field in Pennsylvania. What kind of stupid asshole would believe our government turned lose the hounds of hell on itself. If you believe that, you have no right to be taken seriously about anything.
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There is no Easter Bunny. Deal with it. Elvis died back on August 16, 1977.
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Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the moon on that memorable Saturday night, July, 1969.
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Pat Robertson is dead wrong, so is Danny Glover. The planet isn't perfect. Tectonic plates shift around in ways science hasn't fully mastered explaining. Science doesn't know everything. Rationalizing, that's the way God planned it doesn't explain everything. People who believe in mindless conspiracy theories have trouble dealing with the truth on just about everything.

There are the conspiracy theories that involve the "I know something the big important guys don't know" and those almost always involve the U.S. Government is the root of all evil. There's also the faith in something bigger ridiculous mindset...whether it's faith in a malicious murdering God or junk science. We're sure to hear that the "Swine" flu was created by the government for biological warfare. It's God's punishment or somehow the virus developed as a result of climate change allowing the little beasties to grow and develop in new and more threatening ways.
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While we're at it, there's no tooth fairy either. DEAL WITH IT.
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Michael Vick's Ed Bloch Award -- UPDATE

Friendly little guys like this beagle were

ripped apart as bait dogs by Michael Vick

to develop the killer instincts of his fighting

dogs.

For those who were hurt and disgusted by the horrible actions of Michael Vick, we need to speak up about a horrible situation promoted by his current football team, the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles selected Michael Vick as their choice for this year’s Ed Bloch Courage Award. We first made our feelings known about this on December 24th, and many have become aware of this outrage.

Let’s clarify something; the Ed Bloch Foundation is not responsible for this outrage. In creating the awards, they specified that honorees should be selected by each NFL team. The fund’s mission is to raise funds to help abused and neglected children since its inception through the Baltimore Colts in 1978. Each team’s nominee is supposed to one recognized by the team’s players who has exemplified the highest standards of community service. A look at the list of award winners features players well known and some lesser known figures who’ve done their part to help their community especially working with children.

We repeat again, what an insult it is to this heritage that Michael Vick would be so awarded. Sure Mr. Vick is spending much time on community service. He had no choice. The terms and conditions of his return and continuance in the NFL required it. That he is doing that which he was compelled to do deserves no award. He still is having trouble accepting his sinful conduct only saying, “What I let happen to those animals….”

That passive acceptance as if he were a detached observer who perhaps should have called 9-11 fails to take personal responsibility for anything!

Are we too blind to see what’s going on here?

For everyone who’s ever felt the warmth of a cold nose, the joys of a wagging tail, and all the joys dogs bring to their human companions, we are horribly outraged that the Philadelphia Eagles would dirty such a noble award the way they have.

We encourage that concerned groups organize demonstrations to take place around the venue of this year’s awards to be held on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at Martins West. The reception begins at 5:30 pm. Demonstrations should be directed at Michael Vick and his conduct addressing the issue of animal abuse AND NOT AT THE ED BLOCH FOUNDATION. Some support of the Foundation’s mission should likewise be encouraged. Those interested should make their plans clear to Philadelphia news media. Just 100 miles from Baltimore, this issue should gain media exposure there as well.

As we become aware of activities on potential events, we will publicize those who appear to be acting responsibly. We will also criticize any that misdirect their rage at the Ed Bloch Foundation who deserves tremendous respect and support.

Those Darn Commercials: Enough of the Allstate Guy

Television advertisements certainly are designed to influence what we think about companies, but the reverse consideration is perhaps more interesting, how a company pitches to the public tells a lot about what the company thinks about us. They think we're pretty dumb, don't they?

Think of the television ads you’ve seen recently. How do they attempt to reach you? What is their message?

1- Do the ads attempt to humor or entertain you?

2- Are they informative or deceiving and misleading?

3- Do they talk down to you or insult your intelligence?

4- What kind of view of society do they provide with the characters who they portray in their commercials? Are they patronizing? What kind of stereotypes do they create?

5- To what extent do they pander to obscene political correctness?

6- How many are just plain stupid?

January is a big television month starting with the college bowls then the NFL playoffs. The bigger the event, the more conspicuous and time consuming the ads appear to be.

Right Minded Fellow gives Allstate Insurance with the pompous holier than thou black pitchman as having the most offensive ads on television. The combination of message and messenger with obvious political overtones written as the perfect template for political correctness makes their ads the most obnoxious ads of all. Who do they think they are trying to lecture us on how we should live our lives, what are values should be, and then try to rip us off for auto insurance spoken by a pitchman who is so over-the-top in playing up the all-knowing authority figure is beyond contempt. There’s also a sickly manipulation of racial perceptions that is even more offensive.

How would this writer love to see their pitchman starting to deliver his sermon then get whacked upside the head with a big club swung by one of the GEICO cavemen and then get scolded by that idiot (talk about bad stereotypes) cashier from the Progressive insurance ads.

Okay, this blog is a little off our regular course, but after a month of seeing these ads, it was time to say something. Somehow even the late great Billy Mays couldn’t illicit such passion.

HALFTIME: Whatever Happened to the Spectacle?

It was nice to catch a little bit of the Alabama and Texas marching bands during the BCS championship games, but it was little more than just a teaser. Thinking of all the bowls this season and in recent years, so little is shown, but at least with the college bowls, the presentation remains grand, each school's band playing in time-honored form while working in some new numbers like "Seven Nations Army" by the White Stripes.

Especially with HDTV and enhanced audio, wouldn't it be nice to see more rather than listen to same old sports talking heads analyze every little nuance of the game?

For the NFL, halftime revolves completely around the television broadcasts where there really isn't much going on at the stadium except for the Super Bowl. Today's halftime events might include something like some local radio station's morning shock jocks hosting the finalists for the city's loudest belching contest or something equally cosmic. Once upon a time, it was a nice showcase for high school bands or other entertainers to excite the crowd.

Watching television though, the only halftime entertainment we see is for the Super Bowl. Who didn't quake and carefully follow orders last year when Bruce Springteen commanded that the audience put down its glacamole chip!

Finally after years of misery including those horrible "Up With People" presentations and those sweet little singing children in ethnic costumes singing "It's a Small World After All" through Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction," the aging baby boomers have gotten quite a show with the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Prince, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Springsteen.

Can't we at least have some real good old halftime showmanship for the college bowls?