Socks and Barney

Today's strip explains my last post to a tee.....click on the blog entry title to go to Steve Conley's page to see a bigger version.

Can you hear the record skipping???

Note: I have removed the ads from by Blog. I hope you are reading this Google.....running ads about "Obama's Half-Brother in Kenya" really pisses me off. It's some BS Russian paper and ads like that are precisely what I rant about in this Blog. No more ad space for you. Not yours.

Now to our regularly scheduled Blog. I can't wait for November 4th to get here. I'm so tired of the Repulican Record skipping over and over again. It's the proverbial broken record. The tune goes something like this: Marxist, Socialist, Spread the Wealth, More taxes, more spending, give aways to the poor, small businesses going under (really? Honestly they think this is the truth? If you are a small business and you NET not GROSS but NET over 250,000 a year, then you need to Incorporate or become an LLC because you are no longer a Small Business. Also you need a better accoutant...just saying...) oh and this is the best one I've read today..."a half hour infomercial is kinda creepy.....", The ONE, The Messiah........I can go on, but why. The GOP is doing a fine job of that themselves thank you very much.

I love how the GOP plants/spammers/bots are putting down Obama for his half-hour infomercial last night. You are the assholes saying "we don't know anything about your sekrit mooslim messiah...." so when he puts an all about his background program on TV all you can say is "kinda creepy"???? Really??? Let's face it, you will never vote for a Democrat, no matter who he/she is. Stop coming up with excuses. Just say it and be honest. Or better yet, why not come out and say "I won't vote for a black man" because that's really the reason isn't it? C'mon, be an honest bigot......


Enough already!!! Jeebus Crist STFU!!! Look, you know how you're voting and I know how I'm voting and if at this juncture you are still and "undecided" well then you are just stupid. Seriously stupid.

Help I'm surrounded by Morons.....

Tenneessee is one of the states that has early voting so my Wife and I took advantage of my Friday day off to go vote. I remember polling places back home, there were never any campaign signs even remotely close to the polling place nor where there any folks out campaigning. I believe the law states that you can't campaign within 100 feet of a polling place.....out here though, it happens all the time. You drive up to the polling place and there are folks out there holding signs and waving at you....no one tells you who to vote for, they just hold their sign and wave. They do seem to be far enough away, but it's still odd nonetheless. While waiting in line there was this motormouth who pretty much talked to this Rich, old White Dude non-stop. The ROWD (he had Republican written all over him) had made a comment.."as long as you pull the right lever...." which the other guy MM replied "as long as it's the Far Right one.....". Gee...I know Republicans in Tennessee.....say it ain't so?? Apparently that morning the Republican spammers decided to send out yet another "Obama is a sekrit mooslim beware!!!!" email which stated that Obama says he will be sworn in on the Koran. MM decides to discuss this with ROWD.... the conversation was something like this.....

MM:"I hear he's going to be sworn in on the Koran.....that's just unacceptable to me. That's an insult to our Christian Country..."

ROWD: mumbles something about "what do you expect from their kind"...

MM: "It is the Koran right? That's what those Muslims call their bible right??"

The picture explains my reaction perfectly........

I honestly just bite my tongue now......my Wife and I just looked at each other and laughed. I told her "ignorant people amuse me.......". I mean seriously folks.....every single news agency out there and independent Media source says and I will put it in big letters for the benefit of people like ROWD and MM

OBAMA IS NOT A MUSLIM.

Probably bears repeating

OBAMA IS NOT A MUSLIM.

Honestly though, there are morons like ROWD and MM who only believe it if it comes from Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity (talk about your obssessed assholes....give me a break with this guy....it's like he's made it his personal mission to bring Obama down......) it's not true.

Off topic for a sec here: (in my best Andy Rooney voice) Have you ever noticed how the 24/7 news channels just go over the same old crap again and again? I've stopped watching any of them because it's all the same crap. I guess when you don't have anything new to report on in a 24 hour period, you have to fill in the gaps somehow. Take Nancy Grace (please take her...far away....) for instance. Not only does she have the most obnoxious and annoying voice on TV, but she has the ability to talk about the same cases every single day and say the same crap but in a different manner. Seriously, do you need to discuss "where Kaylee is" every single freaking day. Anyway, now back to your regularly scheduled blog post.....

Like I was saying, the stupid is strong here in the South sometimes. People's ignorance astonishes me. All you have to do is Google the rumor "Obama is a Muslim" and you will get a crapload of results saying "You're and idiot"....okay they won't say that, but they will point you to numerous places that tell you that.

Few cool and funny things....

http://www.palinaspresident.us/

Click on the link to see what would happen if McCain was to be President and cack off.....it's quite funny...hint, click everywhere.......

Fans of Wil Wheaton or fans of Criminal Minds....or fans of both.....click on the link to Wil Wheaton's blog (last link on the left hand side Links section) for his insight into auditioning for the role of Evil, Perverted serial killer guy....and there's a bonus link to his Flikr page with behind the scenes on the set photos of the shoot. Fairly cool......

1. Apply Stick to Dead Horse 2. Repeat

Ah yes, this elections GOP point they love to pound into the ground.  Socialism.  Yep, just keep beating that dead horse boys and girls.  Socialism.  Barack Obama is a "Secret Mooslim" and wants to destroy us with Socialism.  Because he wants to give Billionaire Corporations a 3% tax increase and lower taxes for the Middle Class.  Yep, Socialism.  Honestly I'm a supporter of one lump tax; say 5% of your yearly income whatever that may be.  Or, to be completely fair, no income tax but a high sales tax...say 15%.  This way your gross income that looks real good before it gets the crap taxed out of it will be your net income......so if you make 4K a month (average gross income) you get to keep that money and you won't mind so much paying 15% sales tax on something.  And, I'm not talking taxing food here....no.  Groceries, meat, veggies....we're talking fresh stuff here, not canned or processed or pre-packaged.....should not be taxed.   Food is a necessity; we eat or we die, it's that simple.  These two options I believe would be a completely Fair Tax.   In the meantime, I will take a tax break so I can get my financial situation so that I'm not living paycheck to paycheck (like half the Country or more...).  Bush and Company believed that if you are nice to the Big Corps it encourages them to re-invest in our Country.   On paper that looks good....okay, Hell that doesn't even sound good on paper.  It's laughable.   Again I will tell you a Corporations driving force: Profit.  Enough profit to pay dividends to Preferred Stockholders and still have enough left for the CEO, CFO and all of the Board of Directors to purchase yet another Yacht or another Summer Home.  Meanwhile they, who could afford to pay taxes, get tax breaks.  Huh???  That's right, those who never have to worry about not paying one bill this month so they can buy groceries get to pay less in taxes.  Is that fair?  Oh, and of course they lobby the crap out of Congress and the Senate to pass new tax laws that give them the ability to have these breaks.  I have a co-worker who's opinion is that taxing the Corporations more is wrong because it's their investments that drive our economy.   I have to say she's mistaken on that.  This is a Capitalistic Society, and our economy is driven by You and Me and our ability to buy shit.  Simple.  Just look around.  Movie Theaters are wastelands, restaurants the same.  Places that sell "entertainment", like the aforementioned theaters and restaurants, are closing up.  Tourist destinations are recording less Americans visiting and more folks from the European Union Countries....gee perhaps it's because the Euro makes the Dollar look liked a beaten dog.....even State Parks are recording lower numbers of folks going camping...unless they live nearby.  All these places are suffering because You and I don't have the extra cash left over each month to spend.   See, WE drive the economy.   Retail establishments are saying that they are most likely not going to hire Christmas help this year because they don't expect a huge rush.   Think Rich Folks having more money to invest in Wall Street is going to fix that???  NO.  They will invest it in Oil and Foreign markets.   Oh yeah, and let's just see how much those Corporations care about the US Economy......look at the label in your clothes, on the food you buy, Hell most of the crap we buy......does that label say "Made in the USA"?  I highly doubt it.  I bet it says "Made in China" or "Hecho en Mexico" or "Made in Vietnam".  Yep, for every label that doesn't say "Made in the USA" that equates to shitloads of lost American jobs....but hey, Failin's hot so let's vote for her........or McCain is a POW and a real 'merkin because he's....well he's white.......yeah that's it.   What truly galls me is that I hear shitloads of people say Obama will turn us into a Socialist Country.  I have news for you, we already are.  Take this fabulous 700 billion dollar bailout for instance.  Right now, the US Government basically has become Majority Owner of craploads of Banks.  That's right, Nationally run banks...which is what you find in Socialist Countries.  Oh wait, not that's not Socialism......no.....raising taxes on hugely wealthy folks is because they are special.....and if you work hard Joe the Plumber and Edna the Lunch Lady and Cathy the Real Estate Agent and Lola the Single Mom who works retail...that's right if you work hard and pay more taxes than you really can truly afford to then you will become wealthy and special too.   Look folks, not everyone gets to be an Astronaut okay.  We need ditch diggers, and there are those who are happy to be ditch diggers.  Nothing wrong with that, it's hard work but productive and necessary.  All Dan Ditchdigger wants is to be able to afford a house for his family with access to good schools and a good neighborhood.  He wants to be able to afford to take his family to the Doctor when they get sick without having to take out a second mortgage to pay the bill.  He wants to be able to put food on the table, but give "the cook" a night off once in awhile and treat the family to a meal out.  So if voting for Obama makes me a Socialist and a Hater of America, so be it.  It's better than backing a senile Old man who thinks we need to keep spending 10 billion dollars a day sitting in a desert far far away playing target for nutjobs because we need a "victory".  Um, I thought Shrub said "mission accomplished" and isn't Saddam Hussein rotting in a grave now?   What exactly would you call that but a freaking Victory.   It's okay, because on 1/20/09 when President Barack Obama takes that oath of office I will try to not grin in your faces and say "who hates America now asshole??".  When you are enjoying having money to save and some extra to spend on nice things....like that Plasma TV....all because you have more of your paycheck each month because of Middle Class tax breaks, I will try hard not to point at you and say "how you liking this Socialism we're having?".  Or when you can afford to take your family to the doctor and they find that cancerous lump on you early and they are able to operate and get it out of you before it can spread because you were able to go to the Doctor more than just "when you are sick" and you end up being Cancer free for a good long while, I will try not to be too much of an Asshole when I say "Isn't that better than that 5K one time check McLame was going to give you???  How's that Socialism working out for you now?"  Or when the CEO of some huge Corporation cries because the extra 3% tax he has to pay won't let him buy yet another Ferrari (bbbbb but I wanted an even dozen....) I'll try hard not to laugh.   Or when all those Corporations are still happily in business and making profit even though they are paying an extra 3% I will really try hard not to say "Told ya so.....".  

Not Counting my chickens or anything but.....

It looks like this Country is finally waking up. Is it just me, or (in the immortal words of David Letterman) does John McCain look more and more like a retiree who can't remember where he parked his Buick??? Seriously John, you don't look good man. I guess pulling crap nuggets out of your ass and calling them "facts" is taking more of a toll on you than you first imagined. The McCain folks keep saying how Obama is going to raise takes for those that make 48K......even though the Man himself has said numerous times that he won't......then McCain himself says Obama is going to fine parents and small business owners who don't have insurance on their children or employees???? Where the Hell is this coming from? Honestly what is the basis for this crap nugget. Then we've got Sarah Failin who keeps on saying that Obama consorts with evil domestic terrorists.....even though in the last debate Obama laid out the facts of that affiliation. People change Caribou Barbie.....just look at your running mate. He went from true Maverick in 2000 to senile old fart in 2008 who would stoop to new lows to win. Oh, and by the way, for those of you that are still undecided.......time to make a decision. Seriously folks, if you haven't figured it out by now then you are full of shit and just an Attention Whore or you are truly clueless. I call BS on all of those "undecided" voters that Katie Couric interviewed....the ones that got to go to the debates because they were undecided. I think they just claimed to be undecided so they could get a free trip to a debate and get on TV. Did you see that one old bitty? She had rich, white Republican written all over her and of course she was "moved" by what McCain said. Lord help us. I could see which ones were Dems and which ones were Repubs right off the bat. Undecided my ass. I will tell you though, Obama better make good on what he says or he only gets one term out of me. I gave Clinton only one term because I just didn't see all the good he did the first time around. Yeah I know, I was a bit clueless but I wasn't married yet so I kinda didn't notice any differences. Ah well. Here's hoping we don't have a Bradley Effect (although from what I read its different this time around. The Bigots are being honest Bigots.). For those that don't know, the Bradley Effect refers to Tom Bradley's defeat to Deukmajien for Governor of California. He was leading in the polls, but it was determined that alot of the White folks that said they'd vote for him, just said that because they were afraid to admit they wouldn't vote for Bradley because he's black. This time around we actually have people saying they won't vote for Barack because they don't trust "his people"........

And she wonders why they all leave her.....

Is it just me, or is the rest of the Country sick of hearing about how much in love and how special Tony Romo is to Jessica Simpson? Seriously girl, who the Hell cares???? I'm glad you're happy, but Lord STFU already!!! This talentless hack is the epitome of an Attention Whore. She can't act, can't sing without a crapload of producing so basically what she is going to do is make herself hated by every single Cowboys fan in Dallas. It's okay though, they deserve each other. He's as big of an AW as she is. He sits out a game with a sprained pinky????? C'mon Dude, this is the NFL....guys have played with worse. I can see if it was your thumb, kind of hard to get a good grip on the ball to throw it when you can't grip it, but a pinky??? So your spirals aren't that good....as long as the ball gets to your intended receiver who cares how "nice" it looks. Back to Jessica, she's now on the cover of People with an apparent full blown interview of how "special" Tony is.....gaahhhhhhh Stop already.

Smishing???????

Heard a new term on the news last night: SMiShing........Yep...the spammers and con artists are at it again.  This time they are texting their scams to you.  Oh Joy!! For those that don't know, SMS is the technical term for texting.....you know the only form of communication that teenagers use nowadays.  It's very rare to see a group of Teens actually talk to each other using their vocal chords.   I know, I sound like my Father but hey....I'm 43 so get off of my Lawn!!!!   I also read today of a new scam of using the telephone to try and con Gradmas out of their cash.   This lady who has 13 Grandkids (HOLY CHRIST!!!  Let's just pause for a second and let that sink in.......if she has 13 Grandkids, just how many Children did she have??????  And if it's not a lot, then how many freaking kids did they have????) got a call from one of them which started out like this:

 

"Hey Grandma it's your Grandson."

"Which one?"

"It's me Grandma...." (this folks is your clue that this is a scam.......)

"Is that Jaime???"

"Yeah Grandma it's me Jaime....I need 5,000 because I'm in jail and need bail..." (clue #2 that this is a scam..)

 

So Grandma went to get the cash but, unlike most Seniors her age, the jist of the call started really bugging her.  Something wasn't right.  Before she got to the bank to get her money she called the Police Station her "Grandson Jaime" was supposedly at.  The Cops told her he wasn't there and it was a scam.  She called Jaime's Mother and found out he was right there at home.   Kudos to you Granny......good to see some intelligent people are still out there. 

 

Here's a few helpful hints to keep you from falling prey to these losers:

 

1. Your bank/credit card company already has all of your information.  Hell it's available to some minimum wage Customer Service Rep in Podunk, USA at the touch of a keystroke or available to someone that doesn't speak real good English in Bangalore, India.   Your bank/credit card company will not ask you for this information unsolicited.  In other words, your bank/CC isn't going to call you, email you, text you out of the blue and ask for this information.  The only time they will ask you to verify this info or for this info is if you call them.   So, if your bank sends you an email, leaves a message or texts you asking for this info; it's a scam.

 

2.  A British Barrister does not represent the exiled Prince of Nigeria, Nairobi, Somalia, nor does he have 100,000 to put in your bank account, nor does he have a check for you to cash for him.  All legal issues are handled via written document....the last holdouts on the whole "Paperless" thing.  Lawyers love paper....love it.  Try getting divorced sometime....I have a shoebox full of documents.  My Wife's shoebox is bigger....

 

3. There is no Yahoo ATM Sweepstakes (????????).  This is the lamest one yet.  If Yahoo, or anyone for that matter, runs a contest they advertise the shit out of it and have official rules, etc posted.  Most ATMs will only let you take out a couple of thousand dollars a day...these "ATM" cards say you can get up to 100,000 or something like that. 

 

4. No you don't need that cheap viagra and/or cialis from Mexico........

 

Seriously though folks, don't give out your info unless it's contact that you initiated.  If I call Comcast to order cable service, then yes I'm going to give them personal info because they need it for billing purposes and credit checks.  Same if I buy something online or over the phone...(call now....but wait there's more!!  Now how much would you pay??).  The best con-artists are friendly and clean cut looking.   They are likeable people that you just want to help.   Sorry, I'll call a tow truck for you or a cop if you're having car trouble, but I won't pay for it or give you a lift.   It's the least I can do and until people stop taking advantage of other people it's all I'm going to do.  I know, it doesn't sound like I'm a nice person, but you know what?  I'd rather be rude than dead.  Hitchhikers, I pass them by....too bad so sad.  Walk it's good for you.  Homeless folks, I might buy them a couple of burgers at McD's because I know they are hungry but I won't give them money.  It's a scam.  The money goes to further their habit which put them on the street in the first place.  Remember, the folks that are truly homeless and need help know where to get it and usually are there trying to get the assistance.  Not begging on the street.   The beggars are the junkies and winos.  Or street performers......just kidding.   Protect yourselves and you won't need to order things like Lifelock or Identity Theft insurance (yes our State Farm Agent is now selling Identity theft insurance.....).  I know you hear of customer info getting hacked or absolute Morons leaving laptops full of confidential material around to be stolen.......I bet this make the PerfectLine piss fire when this happens, if it happens on his watch.......but usually those instances are few and far between and those lawyers for those stores/agencies usually send out a letter (see there they go again.  More paper...I told you Lawyers love paper...) warning you and have been paying for a year's worth of credit report monitoring to see if there's any odd activity. 

 

So, remember, be safe and keep your private info just that....Private.

 

By the way, I have a check that needs to be cashed but I can't do it myself since I'm the Prince of Nigeria........no really I am.....

Rants, Ravings and Other Helpful Nuggets

Per the SuperGoober's request for another post, here it comes.   Going to be several (at least two) items in here so buckle up.

 

The Bailout.   Honestly I'm glad that Congress is taking it's sweet time hammering out a package that will not reward the greedy bastards on Wall Street for being kids in a Candy Store.   Seriously, these bastards whined and whined about too much Government interference with the free market.  When the Gov backs off, the Greedy and Unethical bastards ran rampant; not caring who or what was destroyed in the process.  Like a pack of freaking locusts they chased profit at whatever the cost.  Now these same greedy bastards are asking You and I the American Taxpayer to give them our money so they won't lose their 5 Yachts, 10 Multi-Million Dollar Homes, 12 Sports Cars, Limo Service, etc etc.    Nice huh?   They dupe Americans into taking loans they can't afford or really don't qualify for (yes Prof...I know, we should all know what we are getting into, but not everyone in this Country is the GoG......).  C'mon folks, yes these people should have read the fine print, but the lenders should have spelled it out in plain terms as well.  If these lenders would have said "well with this loan package you will end up paying more for your house than it's worth, but hey in today's market the price should increase so it's okay.  Then when you have enough equity in the house you can refinance to a standard mortgage.  Of course, if the housing market slumps, you will get stuck owing us more money than your house is worth and that could be financially ruining to you.  Still want this loan, or would you rather just rent for awhile and build up your credit?"  I know, in the Real World lenders won't tell you the whole truth.   It would be nice if they did.  Here's a helpful nugget of information.    Housing Markets rise and fall all the time.  Any loan with a variable rate can, and most of the times will, increase and cause your payments to get out of reach.   I have yet to see an instance where a variable rate loan goes below the starting interest rate, they are just not set up that way.  Normally if say the Prime is 5%, your rate on a variable is about 6-7% to start.   A few points higher, but definitely not at Prime.  If you could qualify for Prime, why the Hell would you get a variable rate loan???  Think about it.  Most loans are from anywhere between 5 and 30 years (cars, personal loans tend to be in the 5 range whereas Mortgages are longer), do you really think that in that 5 years you're going to get a better rate than Prime?   My Wife's car loan is at 2.9% fixed.  Notice the word fixed.....I'm not stupid to think that it's going to go lower.   My mortgage refied at 5.85% FIXED.  Notice the word again.  That's right FIXED for 30 years at almost 6%.   If the trend of the cost of living continues the way it has, which so far it has, then I've done good.   I'm not going to gamble my freaking HOUSE on the chance that the Prime interest rate could go down to 4% or lower.  Ain't. Happening. Period.   Gas is between 3.50 and 4.00 a gallon, 8 years ago it was just over a dollar.   Remember what it cost to get into a movie 8 years ago?  10 years ago?  It's a lot more now isn't it.   I honestly think Congress should let these companies fail, crash and burn.  Look this "crisis" isn't as bad as it seems.  The market lost over 700 points on Monday, then rallied on Tuesday.   I don't think we have to worry about Soup Lines or "hey Brother can you spare a dime (like that would get you anything anyway....)".   I seriously think we should just let these greedy bastards die a slow painful death.  Oh, BTW, did you notice amidst all this financial "crisis" the price of a barrel of oil drop 10 bucks.    Funny that.  The reality; this Financial Crisis doesn't just affect us.  It's Global.  China owes their economy largely to the US (I mean 95% of what we sell here is made there.).  Japan the same (who buys more Japanese electronics and cars besides the Japanese......).  Seriously, this is bad but not so bad that we have to basically reward greed and bad ethics with a bucket of money.

 

Singles.  Now I know some of my friends are single, and others in extremely long term relationships but aren't married.  None of the following applies to you.  You folks don't whine and complain about your situations or want to be treated special for it.   I read an article in the Chron the other day (sfgate.com) about National Singles week or something like that.  Apparently there are Single folks who feel like they are being treated like second class citizens.  WTF?????  Get the sand out you whiny bitches!!  If you don't like being Single, then remedy the situation.   If you don't want to do that, then STFU!  So what would you like exactly?  Your benefits where you work are cheaper than mine.  You just have you to pay for.  I have to pay for me, the Spouse and any dependent children.   You get no sympathy from me.  Oh wait, you want domestic partner benefits?  Okay, that I'll give you.  If you are in a committed relationship and you and your SO live together, it would be cheaper for one party to pay for the medical.  But guess what?  You will be paying what I pay.   Actually I don't pay because it's too damn expensive.   That's a legitimate beef.  See I'm fair.  But, you have to be committed to that person for at least a year for it to kick in.  Sorry, being married should still have it's benefits.  You see being married should be rewarded because it's a lifelong commitment as well as a second job.  Ask any of your buds that are married.   A good marriage takes work.  Seriously, it's like the band on the finger is a beacon.  Married guys get flirted with more often than Single guys.  I think it speaks to our baser natures.  The Male of the species is supposed to attract that perfect mate for life and the Female of the species is supposed to actively seek out that mate.   Of course that is, like I said, our basest instinct.  Like the base, primitive, Male instinct is to spread his seed to as many fertile Females as possible for the continuance of the species.  So Single Dudes, stop whining like little bitches.  You get to indulge your inner primitive.  You get to only think about you.  You don't have to worry about having cash set aside for school clothes, fees and you don't have to use your gas being a chauffer.  You don't have to "clear it with the boss" as some guys put it.  If you want to go, you go.  Even if you are a married couple with no children, there is still someone else's agenda/plans to take into account.  I'm not sure how these people get the feeling they are Second class citizens.   Look, your married friends aren't going to the wild Orgy Party down the street unless they and their spouses are into that kind of thing.  Most aren't.  The majority of the GoG is married or in such long term relationships that they might as well be with the others Single.  The Single folks go out and party it up while the Marrieds don't.  In between marriages I used to attend a rather wild party called the KoK with the Perfect Line and other members of the gang.   The Discourser and the Prof never went.  Why?  Married guys.  The KoK is not a place for married guys unless that guy and his Wife are into the whole open marriage thing.  The Craftsman got married; he stopped going.  Pretty much now it would be the Perfect Line and maybe the Mighty Mook going.  Do you hear them whining about the fact that we can't go.  Hell no.  Do you hear them whining because they wish we could go.  Hell no.  They laugh and point is what they do.   So please, if you're Single I don't want to hear a freaking peep out of you.  If being Single gives you feeling so loneliness and isolation, then fix it.  Re-evaluate what you want out of a relationship and stop jumping into one just because.   Yes, more and more couples aren't getting married nowadays, and I don't really understand why.  There's a couple on the new season of Amazing Race (yes I know, but it's really the only Reality Show I actually like on TV) who have been together for 4 years, have lived together for most of it and now she wants to get married and he's freaking out about it.   I guess it's levels of commitment.  A marriage means it's that person and that person only.  That person comes before anyone else. At least that's how I look at it.  Maybe others see it differently, but I really still don't understand how it changes anything.  Honestly, you love that person, have been with them a long time and have no desire to be with anyone else so why not reap the benefits of being married (taxed less, health benefits...a married couple can conceivably have double coverage on medical insurance which is a good thing....etc). 

Tennessee: Year 3

Yep, it's that time again.  Time for the annual report from a California transplant living in Tennessee.

 

As usual, there is a large contingent of people who still have no clue how to drive on a freeway.   The silver lining of this is that I do.  I have almost 30 years experience driving on San Francisco Bay Area freeways, and two of those were spent commuting from one side of the Bay Bridge to the other.  I may not be the best driver in the world, but compared to a large majority of folks out here I'm a bloody expert!!  I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the real reason this lack of driving skill exists is that this is by no means a freeway culture out here.  I-40 runs the entire East-West length of the State and the majority of the time that people use it is if they are traveling from one side to the other.  Usually going East to attend a UT game but I digress.  I do have an easier time of getting to work now as my company has allowed us to work 4 10's.  Nice.....at least at 6:30 am there's enough room for me to do several lane changes and pass the slow pokes and the carpool lane isn't in effect yet.  

 

Still happily married to Cathy.  Can't see that changing ever.  The kids are all doing great.  My oldest just had another baby....see the blog entry entitled Haley Madison.  The Boy is in college and about to attend the Appalachian Center for Art....he wants to do decorative Ironwork so he's taking Blacksmithing and he will be taking welding.  He wants to get into sculpting with metal.  The youngest is 14 now and in High School and is very serious about doing well and getting a scholarship so she can got to UT and get in the Veterinarian School there.  Hopefully she will score a lottery scholarship and get a full ride.  In advance I'd like to thank my fellow Tennesseans for playing the lottery and sending my child to college.  My Grandson is 5 now and a big ball of boy energy. 

 

Making headway on some of the outdoor projects we've been working on.  Bought an electric tiller, I love that thing!  We have these brick edgers around the outside of the house that hold in "flower beds"....although the previous owners planted nothing but ground cover and had two huge cypress bushes....the Perfect Line knows them well....he used to have a bunch outside of his house.  Out came the cypress bushes, and lo and behold it makes our house look bigger!!!  I've discovered, that having large, waist high shrubbery right up against your house makes it look smaller.  And yes, before you ask, the pond is still not done.  It is still a shallow depression in the ground. 

 

Still getting used to being surrounded by the "one issue" voters.  Actually I probably won't ever get used to it, so there you go.  I have co-workers that tell me that if we drill now we will be "self sufficient"....yeah right....sorry folks it won't happen and it won't lower the price of gas one iota.  I see a lot of clinging to guns and religion around me. 

 

Still have the same job, and it looks like the stupid that was strong with the finance and accounting department has vanished and been replaced with a more rational and realistic view of things.   They were trying to go to a new system where Project Managers would process their own invoices and we in Billing would basically be cut out of the loop.  Now anyone that works in an environment where they bill people's hours knows that Project Managers hate anything to do with financial paperwork, thus the reason billing departments exist.   One PM here basically told me, "If I wanted to be an accountant, I'd have gotten a different degree in college and then become a CPA and would be making a whole helluva lot more money than I am now."   What would have happened is the PM's would have ended up having the Admins do their invoices.....in other words they would have created another billing department.  So glad leveler heads prevailed. 

 

Cathy is still in Real Estate, but she has changed shops to Century 21.  She's a lot happier there, but the market still sucks.  Here's hoping President Obama makes things better.  Yeah, I went there.....

 

Haven't gone on any more vacations....who can?  I basically took a week off and stayed home and spent time with Cath.  It was nice, and no I won't use that stupid term "staycation"....like this is a new thing.   

 

That's the scoop for this year, not much to report.  Here's hoping next year brings you news of the POND!!! (Don't hold your breath....the problem with all these home improvement plans is they take money which is hard to keep around nowadays).

 

 

 

 

Haley Madison

Born this morning at 9:26 AM. My second Grandchild, little Haley Madison......she's adorable and Nanu plans to spoil the crap out of her in the years to come.

Wow you learn something every day!!

So apparently every single drop of gas that is sold in the US comes from refineries in Houston Texas.....did you realize that? I mean it must right? Every single station save a handful around middle Tennessee has no gas! So apparently all those other refineries in the other States just make rainbows and Unicorn Farts. Can you freaking believe this crap? Seriously, we need to find another way to power our damn vehicles now. I would truly love some other industry to come up with another fuel source so we can watch the Ivory Towers of Oil crumble to the ground. It is pretty messed up of us isn't it? The technology of our cars has grown in leaps and bounds since Henry Ford first pulled the lever on his first factory. I mean we don't have to change points and distributors and rotors when we do a tune up anymore (remember that???). Heck we don't even have to change the plugs in our cars until 120,000 miles now! Yet the only thing that hasn't changed about the engine; they still run on internal combustion. They still need gasoline to power the generation of torque, etc. STILL!!! After 1,000 years....c'mon! It's 2008 for Christsake!! Weren't we supposed to have flying cars by now???

The Undecided Voter

I made a special badge for the Undecided Voter. The Undecided Voter is that guy in line ahead of you at McD's looking at all his choices conviently packaged into numbered combos or an entire .99 cent value menu but still hems and haws and just can't make up his freaking mind! Meanwhile behind him are about 5,000 people who already knew what they wanted coming in (for Christsake it's McDonalds...they serve Hamburgers, Fish Fillet sandwiches and Chicken items plus fries, drinks, salads and other sides...oh and dessert. Not really hard to figure out what you want. Beef, Chicken or Fish, something to drink and a side or dessert if you feel like it.) or figured it out within 5 minutes of standing in line. The Undecided Voter is the lady at the grocery store who has a debit card, but insists on still writing a check!!! And of course she waits until the guy/gal is done ringing her up to fish for her check book in her purse, fish around again for a pen, slowly opens the book, starts to write check, asks for the total about a dozen times (even though it's right there on the cashier's screen....) then fumbles through her purse again to find her wallet so she can show her ID. Then takes approximately 12 years or so to pack everything back in the purse and slowly walks towards her cart and takes her crap out to her car. Meanwhile the line behind her is to the frozen food aisle near the back of the store!!! Or the guy/gal that when you are out to dinner and has looked at the menu about 50 times but still can't make a bloody decision!!! This clown asks "what are you having?" to each of his/her dining companions. For folks like that I always want to respond "I'm having a hard time keeping myself from taking this butter knife and jamming it in your eyeball is what I'm having...".

This is the Undecided Voter. So to the Attention Whore Undecided Voter I say this: November is 2 months away!! You will be called upon on November 4th (or somewhere around there) to make a decision that affects you and your fellow Americans. Heck, early voting is going to start in a week or so around here. Here's your choices, and they are really easy.

A man who's only claim to experience is that he was a Prisoner of War for 5 years in Nam. This same man has lots of experience in the Senate and at one time was a Centrist but in the past 8 years has sided with the bad decision making process of his Party's main stooge 95% of the time. A man who's answer to our ongoing fuel shortfall is to "drill baby drill!" and to take tax revenue away from each State to give you that "tax holiday" during the summer on your gas....which if you really thought about it would really screw up our State's big time. Folks forget that the money from fuel taxes goes to maintaining roads, salt trucks to de-ice said roads in the wintertime (what do you think the City/County/State just magically waves it's wand and poof there are salt trucks that mystically appear as if out of nowhere????) but hey it will lower gas prices right??? Don't bet on it. It will just put that much more profit into the pockets of the oil companies. (side note here: The Republican Party used to be strong on defense and all about smaller Government and very Pro Corporation. Now it seems like it's become the Jesus Party and the take away every Civil Liberty our Citizens have because we need to be safe from the Islamic Facists.) A man who wants to basically continue the failed policies of the last 8 years and drive our economy further into the ground and a man who's running mate talks about women breaking the glass ceiling but wants to deny a woman her choice of what to do with her body and wants to stop scientific advancement. A running mate who thinks that Global Industrialization has nothing to do with the Planet's Climate changing.

OR:

A man who has only had two terms as a Senator but before that was a Lawyer and a State Senator. A man who could have worked at some big Law Firm getting crooks and murderers off but instead worked at a smaller Firm. A man who is a Community Organizer, essentially a person who gives of themselves to help take back a Community from the degradation and corruption that have ruined it. (Word of note for Sarah Palin: Jesus Christ was a Community Organizer and Pontius Pilate was a Governor......just wondering, why does she hate Jesus?) A man who made the South Side of Chicago a better place to live and stopped it from becomming Detroit!! A man who's only mantra is Change we can believe in and Hope (you know the last thing in Pandora's Box that helped make all the evil's contained therein palatable). A man who has written down what he wants to do across Party lines to help this Country pull it's collective head out of it's collective ass. It may be a painful process folks, but isn't birth/metamorphosis always a bit painful. Ben Franklin said "No gain without pain" (yes Ben said it first...). There may be an increase in taxes, but how the Hell do you people think crap gets done? With Rainbows and Unicorn Farts?????? The once almighty dollar still talks, although it's a bit short of breath right now. Everyone bitches about "those damn Chinese taking over" but yet still shop at WalMart. I hear these same people say "why don't we make stuff here anymore?" Because the present Administration and the one before it, yes Bubba I'm looking at you and your dumbass NAFTA, made it so attractive to the Corps to manufacture everything cheaply that they didn't stop to think of the impact on the Economy of the Country their consumers live in. You can stop bitching and do something about it. Barack wants to give tax breaks to Corporations that stop outsourcing manufacturing jobs and start re-opening factories here in the US. Make it more attractive to the Corps to give the Middle Class jobs back. Look let's face it, some people's skill set and education level only allows them to work certain kinds of jobs. There's nothing wrong with that, the world needs ditchdiggers you know. What's wrong is those folks don't have a place to work anymore because a bunch of Chinese folks are doing their jobs in Beijing or Shanghai for 25 cents an hour. The way to change that will be to vote for Obama, not McCain. McCain will continue to encourage the Corps to do business as usual. Obama may not be able to do everything he wants to do, but dammit he at least wants to try. Honestly folks, how much worse can he make it? I do know that if the present trend continues our Country may not bounce back. Nothing we do is going to make gas prices come down. Not happening. The only thing we can do is continue to research, and I mean non-oil companies doing the research, alternate ways to get us from point A to Point B. Seriously people think about it. We get our television via Sattelites now. Civilians have freaking sattelite dishes on their houses!!! Land line phones have gone the way of the DoDo now. You can use cable lines to speak to each other now. Hell we have cellular technology. Portable/Mobile phones have gone from a large box in your car with external attennae to something the size of a pack of smokes to something that fits in the palm of your hand!!!! We have cars that used kinetic energy from braking to store power in a battery and that stop using gasoline when the engine is running under 40 mph!!!! We've had all these advances, except in the crap that makes your car go. In all this time we haven't found another method of internal combustion????? We've got freaking mechanical arms that do heart surgery now but we still use gas to make a car go. We've improved engine technology for cars but it's still the basic internal combustion engine. Something's seriously wrong with us if we can give that up.

So Undecided Voter again, in simple terms, here's your choice:

Business as usual (in the words of Dr. Phil, how's that working out for ya?)

or

An attempt to begin to fix the problem.

It's really not that hard.

Barack Obama 101

First let me correct a statement I made yesterday about Gov. Palin being a member of the organization that wants Alaska to suceed from the Union. She was briefly (probably thought it a bid idea considering she was probably running for Gov at the time) but isn't anymore. Her husband is though and she talks at their functions. Here's a link to a true false article about her....the truths are scary.. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/03/MN0012MQNM.DTL&hw=true+false+about+Palin&sn=001&sc=1000

Now for Gov. Palin and all the hard headed Repubs out there who still say "what is Barack Obama going to do...he hasn't said anything...". Well to use a Palin quote from last night, after he "Holds back the waters and heals the world" (you know it's funny, she said that last like it was a bad thing......not a real good sentiment from the Governor of Alaska....) he will do what he has laid out in this http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/ObamaBlueprintForChange.pdf . Now I know some of you Repubs (apparently Gov. Palin is one of these) are just figuring out how to navigate these here newfangled Interweb things, but if you click on the link and READ...oh that's right, it's not a book by Bill O'Reily or Man Coulter so I guess you won't bother....you will see, detailed, what the Senator wants to do for our Country as President. I love how some delegate told the news after Palin's speech last night "Biden better be scared...". Yeah right. Sorry Dude, but Biden has 35 years experience and will destroy the Pitbull with lipstick (well Palin did say the difference between a Hocky Mom and a Pitbull is the lipstick....) when it comes to foreign policy and life outside of the frozen tundra of Alaska. I can't wait for these debates.

Did you also notice that during the entire RNC, so far anyway, not a single speech has been about what the Repubs intend to do to help our economy, etc. Not a thing. All I've heard is "blah blah 9/11...blah blah blah defend our country blah blah Barack is EVIL blah blah blah stop the terrorists blah blah 9/11". Seriously! Giulianni was on his usual "Mayor of New York blah blah 9/11 blah blah" kick which was the reason he didn't get the nomination. And of course true to what Barak Obama said, I saw lot's of White Folks in the convention audience clinging to their guns and religion. See he was right after all.

I will try and contain myself.

I will let Ha Ha Guy make my snarky remark for me.....

Yes, you can all figure out what this is going to be about.....or can you? I know you are saying "go ahead Mr. Ranter, let's hear all about what a loser Bristol Palin is because she's 17 and preggers...."

Nay nay good readers, you do me a disservice. Bristol Palin is not running for office, and yes I believe that you are fair game but only when you are a certain age. Bristol is only 17 and she's not campaigning for Mom whereas Chelsea Clinton is in her 30's and was center stage stumping for Mom. Chelsea=fair game Bristol=leave the kid alone she has enough crap to deal with....especially because she is being forced to marry Levi her "f**in Redneck" boyfriend who "doesn't want kids". Too late Levi. So no, I'm not going to slam a teenager ill equiped to make an intelligent decision regarding birth control. Especially a teenager who was told to "just don't do it because it's a SIN!!!!!". Yeah, like that's going to stop raging hormones....... No dear reader, this is going to be about her Mom, Sarah Palin and the Ha Ha Guy is because of the hypocrisy of the Republican Party.

According to the Repubs, Obaman doesn't have the experience to lead. John McCain does because he flew a plane in the Navy in Nam and he got shot down and was a POW. Thanks for the Service John, but that doesn't make you leader caliber. Obama has been a Senator for 2 terms, McCain for a lot of years. Now we have Palin who Fred (dum dum....sorry had to throw the Law and Order thing in there.....) Thompson says "is qualified to lead this Country should she have to." Really? She was the Mayor of Podunk Alaska before becomming Governor and only serving.....a year!!!! Governor of a huge State with not a lot of population, also head of an organization who's goal was to have Alaska succeed from the Union! But you know McCain says "Country First".....I guess he forgot to as Sarah if she was for Country First or Alaska First.....it sounds to me like it's Alaska first. Yep folks, in her first interview after being picked as McCain's running mate she basically sad "I'm so happy with the things I can do for Alaska and Alaskans...." Ummmm I thought the President and Vice-President were supposed to be concerned with all 50 States and not just one? Sounds like she's still looking for that chance of succession.

I pause for one comment about the Bristol situation.....two things about her pregnancy that glaringly point out Mom's hypocrisy:

1. Just goes to show that "abstinence Only" education in schools is full of loads of Fail.

2. Proves that our Sex Offender laws can be way too strict. Levi is 18, Bristol is 17, according to the law he should be arrested and at least have to register as a sex offender for having sex with an underage girl. I think that 17 is one of those border line ages that should be viewed as if it was a crime by the age difference between the two parties involved. A 20 year old and a 17 year old...yeah he's a big perv. 18 year old and a 17 year old......pretty consenual if you ask me.

I also would like to point out that if Bristol was Obama's 17 year old daughter, the GOP wouldn't pull any punches and slam the crap out of the kid and it wouldn't be "a private matter".

Palin also was instrumental in getting funds for building a bridge to some island in Alaska that wasn't necessary to build a bridge to because no one went there. When the press got ahold of the truth and it was being called "The Bridge to NoWhere" she changed her mind and said she wasn't for it and it was a dumb idea. Did she give back the tax money? Hell no!!! This is a woman who like most Republicans think that the Government should be not so involved in our lives; unless you want to have an abortion or you want to take your Wife off of a life support system because it was her last wishes......then they can get up in your business. Or if they want to pull the 80 year old Granny out of line at the Airport because she could be a terrorist or listen in to your phone calls because it's their right because they are looking for terrorists. Yeah it's okay then. Apparently she is so Pro-Life that she thinks any form of birth control is abortion. Wow!!! Tell that to all those little 13 year old boys going through puberty. I guess all that choking of the chicken is abortion too.

Bbbb...but Obama has no experience and POW...9/11.....

Yeah right.....Ha Ha indeed.

New Link Added....

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/fightthesmearshome

From Senator Obama's website, the truth behind all the crap circling the drain of the Internet. Next time I get one of these stupid emails from Family/Friends (mostly Family) I will send them this link. Although over on the Professors blog some goof commented that even though there is a picture of Barack's birth certificate on his site it's "totally fake......". You know, honestly, give me a break here. It's jackasses like these that you can literally bring the actually document to the guy, put it in front of him, have him examine the water marks, etc and he'd still say it's fake. It's like the Creationists that believe Satan sprinkled fossils around to foll Mankind because if you go by the Bible the Earth is only 6,000 or so years old. By the way, did you catch Michelle Obama's speech last night? Wow. She did good. I think her and her husband need to do more of that kind of getting to know us stuff. I support the guy because I believe that the man means well and actually wants to do something with this Country other than widen the gap between the haves and the have nots and make the Corporations richer while shipping every single American job overseas. The John McCain of old I'd have voted for; the McCain of 2000 and earlier. This McCain, no chance in Hell. He's become the new mouthpiece for the Republicans. Politically he and Barack are Centrists. The problem is that when the Republican Nominee tries to go against the grain in the Party lines, he gets yanked back to the Right and told to straighten up. The Dems did that with Kerry, and they try with Barack but he won't let them.

The More Hate they spew...the more afraid they are...

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/obama.asp#anthem

When I first started navigating the seas of these here interwebs I, believing that I was helping out my fellow man, forwarded warnings of the dreaded Budweiser Frog virus.....you know the one that says a screen saver of the frogs saying "Bud....Wei....ser" would ruin your computer. As was pointed out by several folks I should look at a particular website called Snopes.com http://www.snopes.com/ who is an impartial group of folks who take every single one of these email warnings at face value and investigate it. What they find 95% of the time is that these emails are complete bunk. Now from the above link you can see every single Obama email that has circulated. All but 2-3 of them are false. I looked at all the McCain ones...there's about 5 total. So I guess the fact that Obama is the first candidate in a long time that might actually help out the people of this Country and not the 5% that hold all the wealth has got that 5% so scared that they are pulling BS out of their collective asses and trying to flood the internet with it. My extended family is guilty of not listening to me and passing this crap along. My Aunt in Florida took about 6 tries before she started checking before she forwarded.....its worked in the effect that her forwards are of the joke variety...usually about our Italian heritage. My Cousin, we will call her M, and her husband, we will call him T love to forward these things. I have referred them to http://www.snopes.com/ (notice a pattern here folks....it's a site worth bookmarking.) on numerous occassions. They haven't listened. Myself and a slew of other folks I don't know but are on their mailing list (well okay...two of the names were my Cousin's Mom my Aunt S and my Mother) just got forwarded the most recent Obama lie...how he wants to raise Capital Gains taxes and how McCain wants to make them 0%. Now mind you, even if this was true, and it's not, most of the people I know aren't selling their houses nor are they going to be able to get 500,000 dollars for them; not in this market anyway. But my Cousin is so worried, then again she tells me she's an independent but she's married to a right wing Repulican (and they're Catholic.....something wrong with that as the Right Wingers don't consider Catholics to be Christian.....that whole King James Version vs New Bible version thing...) who thinks that Michael Savage is God and that if it doesn't come from Fox News it's not News. He's also racist. Not openly but he is. When discussing sports with him and sports atheletes in particular one time his reply to me was, "Ah I don't care about those guys, I tend to only care about the White Guys." He's made other comments along those lines but that's one of the most telling. Not only did I reply with the Snopes link to the actually snopes report on the falsehoods contained in her email, but one of the other folks on the list did too and that person proceeded to lecture them on the spreading of lies about her chosen candidate and that they should learn a bit more about both candidates before spreading lies. My Cousin replied back to me with "aren't opinions great!! Choose wisely!!". Obviously she didn't read the link I sent her as the reports of the email being false isn't opinion but well researched fact. Even a sermon I heard on TV the other Sunday...yes I know, let me explain. We watch the Sunday morning version of the Today Show then proceed to get ourselves ready for the day, by the time we come back across the TV Cornerstone Baptist Church in Nashville has started or is in the middle of their Sunday Service broadcast which I usually turn off.....from a very Conservative Baptist Pastor (so Conservative that when Tennessee had a proposition on it's ballot one year to define Marriage as between a Man and a Woman or Person and a Person he purchased a 2 hour block of TV time to tell everyone how EVIL the gays are) who was talking about the candidates. He made a statement I agree with; if you can't take the time to educated yourselves on the candidates and at least know basic things about them you shouldn't be allowed to vote. Wow, I actually agreed with a sentiment from a Baptist Minister. Amazing I know. He said that in his travels he decided to ask folks what they knew about the Candidates. He discoverd that alot of folks believed the crap. Obama is a Muslim, being a POW makes McCain a good Candidate for President (I take it this Pastor is pro-Obama because his statment on this was "I don't think it qualifies McCain for President, I actually am not sure what does because we know nothing about his stance on things") that Obama is mixed-race (some Moron actually answered "His race is Democrat right?"). At least my Oldest Step-Daughter is honest about it. She tells me that she doesn't vote because she really doesn't care about Politics and that it's all the same. I'd love to smack her for that, but at least she doesn't waste a vote. It may not seem like it matters, but it does. There are people in other Countries who would be killed if they voted. People have died for the right to vote in many parts of the World, but yet here we are in the US with folks like my former Father-in-Law who told me "I vote for every Democrat and No on all propositions." Wow, thanks for participating. Then there are those that blindly vote Party lines. I voted for Clinton the first time around because he was the better choice. I ceased being a Democrat years ago because I noticed that both parties were interchangeable and really a True Dem and a True Repub didn't exist anymore. The second time around I voted for Ross Perot because Clinton had done nothing for me and kept beating the dead horse of Gays in the military to death. Look if you are Gay and want to serve in the Military, fine by me. Don't expect special treatment though, but do expect to be treated like everyone else. Along came the next election and Lo and Behold we had the Moron and Al "I invented the internet and I'm going to save the country from itself" Gore. I voted for Nader which I was told was "a vote for Bush".....no it was a vote for Nader. I didn't vote for Bush, I voted for Ralph Nader. What part of that did you not understand? I found out these friends "would have" voted for Nader but didn't think he stood a chance (apparently this was the attitude of a lot of Democrats....hmmm wonder if these "would haves" would have actually voted for Nader if he would have won????). The last election I was guilty of throwing away a vote. I wished the ticket would have been Edwards/Kerry not Kerry/Edwards (and yes I really don't care who a person has affairs with, it doesn't make them a bad/good President. It actually has no bearing whatsoever.) as I thought John Kerry was a dead fish who had no clue. I remember Obama then and thought he should have ran. My vote was basically one of those "Anyone but Bush" votes. Hell I'd have voted for Mickey Mouse if it got Shrub out. I am a big advocate of the "none of the above" option. Seriously, if neither Candidate can get it done you vote None of the above. Enough of those, and we get two new Candidates who have to tell us exactly what they will do, right now, at this minute. Might make people actually think about pulling that lever and what it means. I like how out here in Tennessee you don't have to register for a Party when you vote, you actually pick the ballot you want at the polling place. In closing, I'd just like to impart to you this little pearl of wisdom; please inform yourself about the candidates before you go making a decsion that will affect every Man, Woman and Child in the United States. Obama=a change for the better. A Candidate that admits when a choice he's made is incorrect and after hearing all the facts will publicly change his mind. Unlike Bush who still thinks there are WMD's in Iraq and stands by his decision to invade said Country. McCain=4 more years of business as usual. McCain used to be a Centrist, he really was. I've notice though that everytime he tries to go to the Center he's yanked back to the Right by the GOP. Bob Dole started off like that when he was running and I actually considered him, then it was like he had a Republican brainwashing session with Emperor Rove the evil Sith GOP Dark Jedi and started spouting right wing BS. McCain is doing the same thing. Read their websites, see what they believe in. Read the interviews, try and cut through the BS. It boils down to this: Obama wants to help the Middle Class (most of the folks reading this) and wants the term "made in America" to appear on more products sold in this Country (about 95% now say Made in China) whereas McCain wants to keep us in Iraq forever and still cater to the Corporations. Who has your best interest in mind? Obtain some knowledge please before you vote or stay the Hell away from the polls.

I guess it's working...

Have you noticed, gas prices are going down slightly. Isn't it funny how it takes 2 days to go up 1 dollar a gallon but 2 months to drop .19? The price of a barrel of oil is down now too. I guess the Repugs are right...all that drilling we've been doing is working......oh wait, we haven't done any additional drilling have we? Yeah I guess all that "those damn Liberals won't let us drill for our own oil so we can lower gas prices" morons are now, wait for it.....FREAKING WRONG!!!!! God I loved doing that!! I can't believe the thousands of folks who think that drilling is the answer. The experts all agree (you know Geologists, Market Analysists, etc) even if we were to drill right now off both coasts, the oil we pull out of the ground (if there's any down there) won't reach market or make a difference (if it does make a difference) until the year 2015. So how the Hell is that going to help us in the year 2008? Besides, its a well known fact that the Oil Companies have acres of land just sitting there that they have permission to drill on. Acres of the stuff that they are not touching. Hmmm....so we need to drill offshore again why? Why not make those Oil Jackasses drill where they've got land before we go spending more money and doing more damage to the seabed.

Movie Reviews and a Great Deal....

First the Great Deal.....Big Fish games http://www.bigfishgames.com/ makes interesting puzzle/seek and find/hidden clue types of games. Casual gaming at it's finest. I've downloaded their Demos a ton, but could never bring myself to pay 20 bucks for one of their games. Some people will like them enough to do so, but not me. Well they have one game called Azada that they are blowing out until August 15th for 0.99......a regularly 19.99 game for 19.00 off!!! I bought it and it's a great little game.....worth, in my opinion, 10 bucks but a steal a 0.99. Now for the movies....

The List....Don't bother....and something my Wife and I have vowed to do from now on read more than just the movie synopsis on the back of the box....... What could be so bad about this movie....it had Malcom McDowell (he who played Alex in Clockwork Orange and recently Linderman on Heroes...) who always plays a great villain. It had a Secret Society of Confederate Plantation Holders who combined their fortunes and swore a pact....it helped them survive the inevitable defeat of the Confederate Army.....it had a Young Heir to the fortune who was about to upset the balance.......Sounds good doesn't it? It was interesting to start of with, then everyone was praying and quoting scripture and fasting and studying the Bible and this is how the Dark Magic of the LIST was defeated........at this point I looked at the special features description on the back of the box....."DVD Bible study passages recommended by the Author, How the Power of Prayer can overcome everyday Evil".........<>......If I had read that I'd have skipped it.

The Bank Job.....Hey it's got Jason Statham (Snatch, The Transporter..) how can it be bad? It wasn't, it was actually good.

In Bruges.....such an odd little film but a good one. About as odd and bizarre as Run Lola Run.....Colin Farrel was actually good in this one, and he's not good in much he needs to do tough guy action roles and they need to stop making him this romantic, leading man guy....his acting chops aren't the best.

Sweeney Todd.....YAWN!!!! I guess I'm just not into musicals.....I like Burton's stuff, like Helena Bonham-Carter, like Depp but this movie was just....meh

10,000 BC......YAWN!!! Made it through 5 minutes of this plodder.....

I am Legend......Good movie, different from the original Omega Man. I liked that the "mutants" in the original were just disfigured humans who the virus made insane instead of mindless zombies like in the new one. Still, Will Smith does a great job.

Dragon Wars....Okay I expected it to be bad and cheesy....it's a Monster Movie the way a Monster Movie should be (not like that Cloverfield Crap) where the focus is on the Monster destroying the town not on how scared the people are (who cares about the people in a Monster movie.....I want to see monster crushing, crumbling and chomping I don't want to know or care if Suzy and Johnny escape in time.....)....but this one was really bad.....it was kind of lame actually although when the Chinese Dragon pops up at the end to kick some Butt...yeah it was good.

The Big Lebowski....Yes I know, a classic, but I've never seen it. I'm glad I did, it was surrealistic and funny in that old school funny (ala Fletch and After Hours and Into the Night).

Now, I've mentioned two films you may have never seen or heard of...actually 3...

Run Lola Run. It's a German film that was inspired by the filmmaker watchin a Woman running on a track one day. Just the motion of the Human body running, the rythmn the trance that runner's get into because of the concentration on the task at hand. The movie starts off with a frantic phone call from Lola's boyfriend Manni.....he works for a Mob boss of some kind and has lost his boss' 100,000 Marcs and needs help now because if Lola doesn't get to him in a hour or two he's going to be killed. Thus the tale begins as Lola busts out of her house running at full speed through the streets of a German City (probably Berlin but the City name is never really revealed). As Lola passes certain people a flash "forward" sequence happens as we see that person's future.......the strangeness (and coolness) of the film is that it is a series of Codas.....Lola gets to her goal, something happens, someone shouts "no!" then the movie goes back to the beginning but there are subtle differences.....the people she passed before are in different clothes or miss crossing her path by a second or two or the car that almost hits her stops before she gets to it and lets her pass......then she gets to her goal again, someone shouts "no!" and it's back to the beginning with different sets of circumstances for the people she passes, etc and ends with a great twist ending. The Techno/Trance music soundtrack helps the mood and atmosphere of the whole film. Give it a try (you will find it in the Foreign film section of most stores) it's really worth it.

After Hours. With Griffin Dunne and Linda Firoentino (she of MIB fame). A mediocre guy goes into New York's SoHo district well out of his comfort zone (he's a cube jockey) and ends up experiencing the most bizarre night of his life....it's like everything that could go wrong goes wrong. I think he ends up having half of SoHo wanting his head.

Into the Night. Like After Hours one of those bizarre 80's comedies. Stars Jeff Goldblum and a very young Michelle Pfeifer. Jeff can't sleep, he's got insomnia and his best friend at work Dan Akroyd tells him to take the red-eye flight to Vegas (from LA it's a half hour flight at most) and take in a show, gamble, get a hooker whatever. He goes home at lunch and finds his wife in bed with her business partner. He wakes up in the middle of the night (actually he never went to sleep, just lay in bed) and takes his friends advice. He gets to the airport parking lot, pauses, then decides he just can't go through with it. At that point he hears a scream and Michelle Pfeifer lands on his car screaming "they're going to kill me we've got to get out of here!"......thus begins a few days of surrealistic craziness all filmed by John Landis in the same tone as what Jeff Goldblum is feeling.....in other words you feel like an insomiac sleep walker. It's darkly funny with a bizarre cast of characters (Michelle Pfeifers brother is playec by Bruce McGill and he's a Gay Elvis Impersonator....need I say more). The Iranian death squad that is chasing them are deadly as well as bungling and add to the dark comedy of the movie (John Landis plays one of the hitmen). The cameos in the movie are great: Jim Henson and David Bowie are two of them. It's a very 80's movie but it's a great film althogether. A definite one to check out....

Bonus Movie I just thought of: Boondock Saints. I saw parts of this at the Discoursers house and he said it was brillant so I rented it and loved it to the point I bought it. It never hit theaters (really not sure why) and it's a cult classic (much like Donnie Darko....a movie I'm still trying to figure out....need to watch it again). It's about two Irish Brothers in Boston (gee ya think...) who decide to become Angels of Death by killing only "Evil Men" and reciting bible passages while doing it. They are being tracked by Wilem Dafoe (as weird as usual) who is a great FBI profiler. Lots of action and crazy little bits of comedy.


Oh I forgot to add one.....Jumper. Great premise, but not even Samuel L. Jackson saved this one from Hayden "I'm the greatest Jedi evar!!!" Christensen's horrible performance....oh wait that's normal for him.........I did like the British Jumper better and felt they should do a movie about him not Darth Whiner......

PharmCo's. Fear Mongering since 2001

Back in 2001 the FDA relaxed the protocols for advertising Pharmaceuticals direct to the consumer resulting in the PharmCo's coming up with the most annoying and obnoxious and prolific TV ads around.  Nothing like sitting down top dinner and watching the tube and hearing things like "lower all kinds of cholesterol...." or "an erection lasting more than 4 hours (this is a problem????)"......or seeing a bunch of middle age guys sing out joyously "Viva Viagra!!!!!".   We've become a scared and sterilized society now.  NeoSporin has an antiseptic spray that Soccer Mom's can carry in their purse in case little Johnny or Tiffany fall down running during their "playdate" in the park.....(let me go off topic here for a moment.  Is that term not the stupidest term  you have ever heard????  Playdate??? WTF????  Yeah let's set them up for rejection right off the bat...."Mom....Johnny won't go on a play date with me...."  What happened to taking your kids to the park so they could interact with other kids.....you have to set it up and screen their friends now?????  This whole idea is utter BS....seriously.  Now back to your regularly scheduled rant)...because God Forbid that little scraped knee is going to turn gangrenous and you will have to amputate Johnny's leg.  What happened to Mom's spitting in a hanky or tissue and wiping it all off.....or good old Bactine.   Hurt like Hell but fixed it right up.   Oh wait.....we don't want the experience to be unpleasant....I forgot.  Let's see, kids medicine tastes so good now that kids might think it's candy and drink it up.  My Grandson did this.  He got into the medicine chest and managed to get through the child safety cap...he's too smart for his own good.....he ended up in the ER with my oldest Step-Daughter freaking out.   Why did he drink it....because it tasted like grape Kool Aid.....wonderful.   Remember how medicine used to taste awful?   It made you not want to get sick, and you definitely weren't going to go drink some because it tasted so bad.

 

Back to big PharmCos.....they have been pitching their snake oil on TV since 2001, and have been using the best trick in the book; Fear.  Yep, those aches and pains you have....we have a name for it now and a pill to go with it!!  Just tell your Doctor that's what's wrong with you and that you need a prescription for our Pill...  And that's the problem; folks are being brainwashed into thinking they have a certain ailment and are bound and determined to tell their doctor they need this Pill.  Even though their doctor is well aware of all the new medicines out there....trust me they get so many damn samples in the mail it's not funny.   I'd say the professional physician....you know the Doctor that spent almost 20 years in school.....knows what the Hell he's talking about.  If he says you just have sore muscles then you have sore muscles....you don't have Fibromyalgia and you don't need Lyrica.   The one's that get me are the new vaccines that are coming out for crap that isn't all that widespread.  The newest one is for Meningitis...Meningococcal (sp???) Meningitis to be exact.  Get your Teen vaccinated from Meningitis because, as you know, all Teens are walking crocks of disease that can infect your child.  Yes, tell your Teen not to touch anyone, talk to anyone because they will get infected with horrible diseases!!!!  Cooties, apparently are real now and they have a vaccine.   Then there's the Guardasil commercials which is a vaccine for HPPV....essentially a Sexually Transmitted disease.  This confused me as to why they were advertising this to Mom's to get their daughter's vaccinated, and showing Pre-Teen girls in the commercial!?!!?  Apparently it needs to be done prior to becoming sexually active.   I can hear this conversation.....

 

Mom: Suzy I'm taking you to the Dr. to get this shot..

Suzy: Will it hurt (Suzy's 9 by the way)?

Mom: Probably....

Suzy: Do I need it?

Mom: Not yet....it's to prevent you from getting a sexually transmitted disease later on in life....

Suzy: Um....ewww....sex???  Mom that's disgusting......so I can get diseases from sex???  Well I'm not having sex ever then!!

Mom: Um....wow this is awkward.....well I just want you to be One Less like the commercial says.....

Suzy: Isn't there another way to protect against this?  In school they were talking about Birth Control...

Mom: What's your school teaching you!!!!

 

Yeah I can just hear it now.   Helpful hint from the pros....Girls, make your partner wear a condom and you won't get HPPV.......or Aids or anything else.   Hey a box only costs like 6-10 dollars and you can buy them when you are ready to make that decision.....not at 9 Freaking years old!!!!! 

 

What gets me too is that they can release this crap on the market with only the most basic of research.   Sidenote: Guardisil is being recalled as I write this because of some really nasty side effects.....

 

Speaking of side effects, ever notice the laundry list of side effects that can happen from taking some of these drugs?  You know, infection, slow breathing, heart failure, blindness, loss of hearing, bleeding, infection of the injection site (I love that one...) or irritation of the injection site (ya think???), and even death (oh I really like that one.....hey take out pill, it will fix what ails you by killing you!!!).   Makes you want to say..."you know what?  I think I will just pop a couple of Tylenol/Advil/Motrin/Bayer and that will deal with the pain...Hell if I take an Aleve in the morning it will last until noon!!!"  You don't need a prescription, there's no risk of death (well unless you down the whole bottle of 500 pills in one sitting.....then you will probably die....horribly too most likely) and hey you can get generic versions real cheap that do the SAME DAMN THING!!!  Seriously folks, Ibuprofen is Ibuprofen....whether it says Tylenol, Safeway, Kroger, Target, etc on the label.  The only difference, besides Tylenol making there's with holes or fancy colors or tasting like grape KoolAid, is the price.  

 

It's this increase in Fear Mongering that is driving the cost of Health Care through the roof.  Insurance Companies are having to pay out more for treating ailments that really didn't need treating with expensive medicine before.  Doctor's Malpractice insurance rates are going up because more brainwashed people insist they need Pill A even though their Doctor says No.  

 

What do we do Mr. Ranter you may ask?  I'll tell you.  Stop giving in to advertising.  Meningitis is a real nasty disease, but when was the last time you heard of kids at your Child's school getting it?????   Probably never, so do you think it's necessary to pay for an office visit plus the expense of a shot (that's probably not covered under you insurance) for your Child?  If you thought about it you would say Hell No!!  Isn't it easier to tell your Teens about birth control and not have to explain to your 9 year old daughter why she's getting a shot to protect her from "Evil Sexually Transmitted Diseases"........Do we really need to add that stress on top of every other stressor that has been placed on our Teens??   Break that cycle, teach your daughter's that sex is sex.....you hear of so many Teens who think that they aren't having sex because they just "did oral"....got news for you ...that's sex.  Or anal sex isn't sex.....uh huh....just ask any Gay Man.....he will tell you different I'm sure.  Stop making these PharmCo's wealthier than they already are.  Instead of coming up with Vaccine's for stuff that's avoidable, why not cure diabetes or cancer?   Work on those.....stop trying to invent the miracle cure for everything........you don't need Flu shots...you have a healthy immune system and some Nyquil...works every single time!! The more we try to vaccinate minor viruses, they smarter they get and then we will have the Penicillin problem where there are viruses now that are immune to it.  How did this happen?  Several Countries used Penicillin as a miracle drug and gave it to everyone for everything.  Put some faith in your Doctor...after all he/she is a professional.......