The Eyes Have It!

After chiding Imus for atacking based on physical attributes, I've decide there might be something to it!

Examples: Wife killer Stephen Grant & run-away bride Jennifer Wilbanks.



I know their actions aren't on par, but I might be on to something....

Hot X Buns?

Another piece of culture bites the dust. Easter wasn't the same in Dorset, England where patients had to forgo their annual treat in efforts of not offending non-Christians.

Some might say: "Don't move to a country with Christian heritage if your easily offended." I say, "Turn 'em sideways and enjoy Hot X buns!"

What dear tradition will be on the cutting room floor next as life is further censored.

The New 'N' Word!

When did 'Ho' become a word that could be used without impunity?

According to some, Hip/Hop & Rap introduced mainstream America to the word. That may be true, but only in its general form. If the word is applied to a identifiable person or group, then it is clear what is being conveyed.

Don Imus's comments were racist based on the fact that he dismissed the championship team for physical attributes, and used terms that historically & culturally have been associated with a particular race.

But, admittedly, I'm not sure he should be fired. Let the market decide. If his ratings sink as a result, or advertising dollars plummet, so be it. But his future should not be decided by PC pundits, some of whom have a checkered past of their own.

Lame Duck by Distraction

Interesting tactics are now in play to cripple the Bush's administration.

First the inquest over Gonzales and the firing of appointed attorneys.

Now the legal challenge of appointing Sam Fox as ambassador to Belgium.

In both cases why is there a challenge for activities have procedural process and precedents?

Simple - to bury the current adminstration in litigation and distraction since the new majority party have no other method of challenging Bush.

Completely missed is the need to appoint an ambassador to Belgium, the capital of the European Union. But it's more important to play politics at home than to address the need for working with Europe. I really can't completely fault the antics of democrats, after all most people don't even know where Belgium is!

Now if Pelosi would talk to Castro she would really earn my respect.

Pelosi in the Middle East:
“We have no illusions but we have great hope”

Bush in the Middle East:
“We have no hope but we have great illusions”

PC Makes A Right Turn

The same PC forces that bring down many a conservative politician were used to silence a pro-hunting & pro-gun ownership spokeperson Jim Zumbo. http://www.jimzumbo.com

Mr. Zumbo made the mistake of criticizing assault style weapons used for hunting, and he makes a good point. After all hunting with assault rifles is akin to fishing with dynamite. Where's the sport?

But the PC "All or nothing, with us or against us" mentality of the gun arena that brought him down.

It reminds me of the political stalemates we have in government, walk the line, whether left or right, but never somewhere in between.

I guess it's our own fault too, as voters, if someone isn't easy to label as left or right, we complain, "I just don't know where he stands!" Because it would be too much work to remember anything beyond the label.

Interesting perspective of a scientist regarding faith:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/03/collins.commentary/index.html

Fly in Peace!

FCC continues its ban on in-flight cell phone use!

Imagine being stuck next to a jawing sales creep for 8 hours!

I really don't care what reason the FCC has, just glad they did.

But I do wonder if there is a GPS - terrorist link.

The Obama Divide

It's not a tax hike, it's a rollback!

Double-speak by Obama, who claims we can provide services by rolling back Bush's tax cuts. Well, that's a tax hike no matter how you paint it.

But it's ok, because it's 'rich' people's money, or so he'd have you believe.
In liberal minds, wealthy people are any family earning over the median income, which in 2006 was $43K. Do the math - in money hungry gov't eyes LOTS of Americans are wealthy!

Brilliant to pit the have-nots against the haves, especially when the haves don't know they're the haves!

Similar to capital gains tax, most people don't realize what they've accumulated because of their poor savings. They fail to take into account their home equity, 401K, insurance, etc. - and don't see they've already passed the $1 million mark.

Taxes - we charge you more when you work hard - so others don't have to!

100 Years of Photo-Shop!

It's the hundred year anniversary of the first photo-shopper, an artist named Frida Kahlo of Mexico. Overlooking her communist leanings we can still appreciate her work and life's struggles.

Pity Vote!

Rather than a timely dignified announcement of his wife's cancer, presidential hopeful John Edwards decided on a dramatic press event to make the most of the potential exposure to breathe life into his ailing campaign. I won't use any allegories out of respect for his wife and her struggle, but indeed she is just a pawn in his goal - but is that any surprise from a trial lawyer?

I wish his wife Elizabeth the best in her struggle, may its conclusion be more private than its current state.

















RIP Calvert DeForest (July 23, 1921 - March 19, 2007), also known by his character Larry "Bud" Melman

Hats Off!

An example of pure genius!

This vidy clip demonstrates the power of the internet in a creative hand. Hillary Clinton is superimposed into a 1984 Apple commercial leaving the viewer with a not-so-warm feeling for her, then the closer: Apple's logo in the shape of an 'O' for Obama. Gotta love it! So many subtleties, for example a woman throwing the hammer of truth into the face of our first female candidate (remember Ferraro?).

We must recognize pure genius regardless of our affiliations!

Before the clip even finished Hillary denounced it as another example of the vast right wing conspiracy!

Has Bill Clinton ever seen 'Taming of the Shrew?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h3G-lMZxjo

Actual Censorship!

Spain definitely has a point with the Dolce & Gabbana ad, my first thought was gang-rape! But this is the first cry of censorship I've heard in a long time that actually is censorship - by Spain's government!

But that may be a prerogative in a country where uxoricide is more common that other countries.

This is an interesting debate because it pits those who oppose censorship against those who promote the protection of women - it just may leave the media speechless!

Omit the serious onlookers and your left with sexual submission, that can be evocative and not negatively provactive.

Multi-Culturism at its Best!?

As we celebrated St. Patrick's day at work today I once again shocked people by commenting that I was Irish. How can you be Irish, your name is French?!?

Their suprise is akin to people asking Shakira how she can be light complected and blonde when all our textbooks showed pictures of dark skinned indigenous people.

It all boils down to exposure, it's not unusual for Americans to be ignorant of other cultures because of the expanse of our country and people's limited experience outside their community. Americans are derided for this by many indignant immigrants. The same indignant immigrants who don't understand how I can be a European mutt (Euro-trash) because they came from relatively homogenous countries such as Mexico, Middle East, Japan, etc.

Anyone can argue the point, but it just shows me that people are the same all over the world; some are narrow, some are more open. That's all, no condemnation.

Reminds me of when I went to Brasil, everyone wanted to know about the beautiful topless women! Sorry, never saw a single topless woman in 17 beach-bound days....in Northern Brasil.

But the Hiring Was Political Too!

Why the big fury of the terminations of several US Attorney Generals by Bush's lackey Gonzales?

If they are polictal appointees, they serve the interests of the person who appointed them - G.W. Bush. If they no longer please him - out they go. In California we call it 'At Will' Employment.

If the appointing of attorney generals is wrong, then do away with the process, otherwise they get the same expectation of longevity that an ambassador would get.

By being appointees they are really hired guns who's goal is to target the other team.

This is why Clinton replaced ALL 93 when he was elected, to ensure they did his bidding, not his predecessor - Bush Sr.

Hillary's got an angle, the media loves it.... it's a yawner!

Stereotypes = Racism?

Another ethnic-theme party has resulted in the calls for expulsion of the students. There's something ironic about fostering a school environment that seeks expulsion rather than education when someone displays their ignorance!

www.racialicious.com/2007/02/22/santa-clara-university-students-mock-latinos-with-south-of-the-border-party

Regardless, is it really an issue? Is the hand-wringing really necessary? Would anyone speak up if it were a red-neck theme party, no wait that would be turned into a TV show.

There's not shortage of examples from which to draw stereotypes, but most won't admit the simple truth: "Stereotypes don't happen by accident". So are people drawing from TV or from actual - but limited experience? Due to the attention span of people and their disdain for analysis, we choose to draw conclusions from a single instance, whether positive of negative. How many times has someone you know come back from a foreign adventure and had the culture summed up in a few quick scenarios?

For every ignorant white person, there's an equally challenged non-white person asking the same dumb questions, or making the same dumb assertions.

Below is a pic from a Halloween party in 2006, this particular Latina chose to come as an unwed pregnant Mexican teen. Today she is 4 months pregnant - almost prescient?

Are these themed parties about the callousness of the the participants, or is the real issue the self-imposed weak constitutions of the ever expanding pool of victims?

You won't see this pic anywhere else!

Exploited - or Updated Image?

Much ado about Newsweek's placement of Marissa Strock on their cover since she didn't endure much suffering at Walter Reed, certainly in comparison to others.
But was she exploited, were readers exploited, or does it give a lift to the cause of vets?

Think about this, what is your image of a vet? Probably the Vietnam vet we once saw stumbling around shell-shocked, ragged, and perhaps inebriated. Am I generalizing? No. Am I being disrespectful? No. Put simply we remember shocking images and it allows us to be less concerned.

I've taken a 'lost' vet to the VA once or twice when I was a teen, it reminds me that the Vietnam vets were ill-treated by many and by the VA hospitals. I don't think Walter Reed is isolated or new.














Marissa puts a better face on what it means to be a proud vet, an American vet. It facilitates people rallying behind the rest of the vets, recognizing their contributions, suffering, and needs - regardless of how you view the war or Bush.

F-Word Coulter Style!

Howard Dean is wringing his hands, no - screaming, about Ann Coulter's indirect use of the word FAGGOT in reference to Democrat Presidential wannabe John Edwards.
Dean claims the rhetoric is out of bounds and the debate should be restricted to the issues. What debate? Ann is a writer who makes a living out of being outrageous, kind of like Al Franken in his pre-whining days.
When are pols gonna stop getting upset over what writers, celbs, DJ's say? Their only goal is attention as it translates into sales.

But where did she come up with FAGGOT anyway - you tell me?

Season of Hate

Rather than feign disgust, I'm more amused at the rantings of blogger Kenneth Eng. A published blogger, for some reason finding a home on http://news.asianweek.com.



Perhaps someone thought his periodic rants were humorous, akin to OCWeekly.com columnist Gustavo Arellano's tongue-in-cheek "Ask a Mexican".
http://www.ocweekly.com/columns/ask-a-mexican/ask-a-mexican/26750/

No, both AsianWeekly & Kenneth Eng fail miserably to contribute to race discussion or humor. I suppose if he had a single complete thought he might be provocative, nah, he's simply a moron.

Example 1: "Why I Hate Blacks: (reprint)
http://www.capaweb.org/awpetition/AsianAmerican_Leaders_Condemn_Racist_AW_Article.pdf

Example 2: "Proof that Whites Inherently Hate Us"
http://news.asianweek.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=33bdb64c5b346a69bab3a2d448603596

Example 3: "Why I Hate Asians"
http://news.asianweek.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=7db9bd5343504d52fa065fef122fc04d

Read enough? I rest my case.

Lady Liberty Revenge

I had to laugh at this float used in a Carnival celebration in Germany.

Do you know anyone who's civil liberties have declined, and I mean real civil liberties - not imagined. What's an imagined liberty? Well, when people perform a financial transaction, such as a purchase or phone call - what makes them think the details of this transaction are private? Was it because they used a public network, or a public company to do the deal? Just exactly when were we lulled into this false sense of what is entitled to privacy and what is not.

Privacy and Racism are probably the most misunderstood & abused terms today.

Iran Blame Game

Iran's secretive Quds Force has been behind numerous attacks in Iraq, the military first making the link asumed this elite force was working under the direction of the Irania gov't. Not an unreasonable, quick, conclusion. Bush refused to make this link, and rightly so.

Journalists in a feeding frenzy saw this difference of analysis as another example of faulty information - a feeble attempt to link this event to faulty pre-war intelligence gathering.

The media just can't help it, incapable of independent analysis, they can only absorb a story if it's likened to another - or is that just us, the reader?

An American Saint?

The National Jewish Democratic Council is upset with Mit Romney's decision to hold a presidential fund raider at the Henry Ford* Museum in Detroit. Because of Ford's anti-semitism he cannot be recognized for his other contributions to our culture and history.

So perhaps, instead Romney should have associated himself with an American saint who's character was beyond reproach. But then again, just being Catholic is an egregious offense.


Yeah, Ford was a wacko, can't even blame it on eccentricity, he simply was crazy enough to believe bizarre 'old-world' demonizations of Jews. Pretty ironic for a man who wanted immigrants from Europe to forget the 'old-world' ways and embrace the 'new worlds' approach.

Ford gave us a few things; automation, 8 hour work day, etc, but he did not give us anti-semitism.

I wonder, is Wagner was playing during Romney's event? Hmmm....

Interesting side note:

Here's a Confederate $2 bill featuring Judah Benjamin, a highly successful Louisiana** politician who found slavery an easy practice to support.










Do we not all have character flaws, some deeper than others?
Can we honestly judge the past with today's moral compass?


* Disclosure: I am a Ford stock holder.
** Disclosure: My father is from Louisiana.
I feel like I'm running for office!

I'm the Father of Anna's Baby!

Sure, why not, take a number!
Helps us forget that money-pit called Iraq!

Inspiration Found!

I always wondered who was Nick Park's inspiration for Wallace, now I know:

BidenGate - Time to Come Clean

Sen. Biden finds himself in hot water after calling Obama "The first mainstream African-American that is Clean & Articulate". Another case where truth gets one in trouble. Consider that the comparison is really to Jesse Jackson & Al Sharpton because the other black candidates were largely unknown, thus not mainstream.

Atriculate: Is this to say Jackson or Sharpton are not intelligent? No, simply that Jasckson is gutterral and Sharpton brash.

Clean: Lipstick on a pig is still a pig - Jackson and Sharpton are media whores that have their share of scandal - even if they wear suits when whoring.

This leaves Obama, simply put; he's GQ & well spoken - happy now?!?!?

Runway of Death

Recent New York Fashion show touted skinny models while Italy & Spain seek to ban them - and I agree.

The swimsuit model on the left is decidely too thin, but on the right is the exact image for which Karl Lagerfeld designs, and for which our model on the left diets.













No disrespect intended toward victims of the Holocaust; it's simply amazing how we have a whole industry dedicated to commemorating a physique that shocked the world only 70 years ago.

State of the Union

The State of the Union is as never before! Here we see the President and House Speaker settle their differences by arm wrestling. Note GW using an unsportsman-like leverage move.

Run Hillary Run!

Hillary has decided she can do more for America by returning Bill Clinton to the White House.

Her website gives you the opportunity to post and be selected to be the first post for her blog. Is that like winning and election and having the US Supreme Court decide who came in first?






















This message NOT Paid for by Hillary Clinton for President Exploratory Committee

America Destroyed from Within?

Who was the originator of that prognostication?
Was it Lincoln?

It seems less important to educate our children on what our school holidays mean. Who cares what Veterans day is about, or Thanksgiving. It's all irrelevant to the IPod generation anyway. Or is it irrelevant to our legislators and school administrators?

Regardless of their decisions, I'm sure Chavez & King day explanations will be legally bound!

http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/01/12/ignoring.holidays.ap/index.html

This weekend I went to Home Depot and was helped by a interesting young man who did a tour in Iraq. In my haste I thanked him for his time, but forgot to thank him for his service! It's been on my mind several times - I need to go back and thank him for serving in Iraq!

Favorite Pet!

As smart as Condi is, you have to wonder, is she using her intellect to defend Bush's policy or her loyalty to him? Clear vision - clouded mind!

Media Alignment

I found this cartoon to be a hoot, certainly better artwork than the Pelosi (Miss Kitty) hackjob below:

The House now has its Madame

Congress is no longer just a house, but a whorehouse - now that it has its first madame -Miss Kitty, I mean Ms. Pelosi!

Rather than a swearing in session with a bible or quran, it should look more like an auction: "And for this fine representative, we'll start the bidding at...."

Am I the first to call congress a whorehouse? No!
Do I think Democrats more corrupt than Republicans? No!

But the fact that the house now has a madame is just icing on the cake!

Opportunity Lost!!

I just returned from a very exciting Christmas adventure in Mexico and initially thought I'd expound on some issue or another, but I realized it was more important to describe my missed opportunity. Since I've been on the lazy man's program to learn Spanish - 25 years so far - I missed a genuine opportunity to listen to the ideas of two wonderful people who opened their home to me for Christmas dinner. And what a dinner it was! My hosts, a charming couple, are both specialists from a university. He a professor of Political Science, she a professor in Economics.
If only I could have forseen the honor of being in their home - perhaps I would have learned Spanish more earnestly.

RIP: Gerald Ford, James Brown, Valentin Elizalde, and Rebecca.