Wait For It

President Obama spoke today at a rally in Ft Meyers, Fl to pitch his stimulus package to the American people. Ft Meyers has been hit hard by foreclosures so the audience was filled with people in economic trouble.

He took questions and the woman at left, Henrietta Hughes, got up and told him how rough her life had been lately. I predict the right will pile on her like flies on shit in the next 48 hours. She is a perfect example of who they love to rip apart. Let's keep an eye out, shall we?

The Sad Return of a Monster

Well, Dick didn't waste anytime did he? Less than two weeks after leaving office, former Vice President Cheney said that there is a "high probability" that terrorists will attempt a catastrophic attack on US soil and the policies of President Obama will make it easier for them to do so.

Dipping deeply into the "fear and shit your pants" bag of old tricks, Dick specififed that the closing of Guantanomo Bay will lead to a nuclear attack on this country. Protecting the country’s security is “a tough, mean, dirty, nasty business,” he said. “These are evil people. And we’re not going to win this fight by turning the other cheek.” He went on to say that if these kind of policies continue, the United States will be at risk in more ways than we can possibly understand.

DUM DUM DA!!!

I don't mean to make light of something as serious as our national security but I'm sorry.....I laughed my fucking ass off when I read this. He sounds like a character from a cartoon for crying out loud. And highly simplistic and child like one at that. Thank God this fucker isn't in charge of anything anymore and we can finally get down to the business of stopping these guys.

Someone needs to ask the former vice president if he is so concerned about Al Qaeda, why are Osama bin Laden and Ayman El Zawahari, the men responsible for 9-11, still at large after SEVEN AND A HALF FUCKING YEARS! Why did he insist on invading Iraq and allow Al Qaeda to reconstitute itself as it has been fully proven in this NIE report. In fact, Dick should review this blog post and come back to reality.

As for the rest of us, in light of Dick's outburst, why don't we review what appeal to fear means.

Siimply Wonderful

So, where does my guy go when needs to "get out of the White House" for awhile?

A school, natch. It's so refreshing to have a president that relaxes by hanging out a school...the place where the future begins.

And anything can be fixed:)

Liberal Media Watch

There has been an awful lot of talk on all the major news networks regarding President Obama's cabinet picks and their failure to pay taxes. Actually, it's been wall to wall coverage and every day, it seems, a new appointee has come out with yet another sob story about "honest mistakes."

Hmm...what I am missing here?

I thought that the media was all liberally and soft and shit on Obama. Could it be that (gasp!) the media is actually more interested in ratings and profit than political leanings?

Nah, can't be.

The Most Liberal Agenda?

Conservatives have been trying since inauguration day to paint President Obama as pursuing the most liberal agenda in modern history. At first it just seemed silly what with our new president keeping on Robert Gates, appointing life long Republican James Jones to be National Security Advisor, and appointing Ray LaHood to be Secretary of Transportation.

Today, it will sound absolutely ludicrous.

In about an hour, President Obama will appoint Judd Gregg, yet another Republican, to be Commerce Secretary and serve in his cabinet. Gregg is a fiscal conservative and staunchly pro life. The American Conservative Union, which is THE congressional ratings association for Republicans, gives him a lifetime rating of 78 percent.

Now, how can our president be pursuing the most liberal agenda in our country's history and still have people like this on his team? Is it because, unlike my esteemed colleagues on the right, that my guy actually likes to listen to (gasp!) alternative viewpoints?

A Quick Goodbye Please

Alright, I know I am biased but Tom Daschle should withdraw his nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services. Geithner I can forgive because he has talents and skills we sorely need right now but Daschle does not have any such skills. In fact, I always cringed whenever he was on TV stumping for Obama. Why my guy made him the co-chair for his election is still a head scratcher for me.

Tom Daschle represents so many things that I loathe about the Democratic Party that I am hoping and praying that he goes away soon to a life of quiet rumination.

Show Me A Child

In his first ever interview on Arab TV (in an interview with Dubai based Al-Arabiya), President Obama told the Muslim world that the United States is not their enemy. He proposed immediate engagement with various Muslim leaders as well as a pledge to speak from a Muslim capital within his first 100 days. The balls on him...:)

The best bit though was when the interviewer asked about Al Qaeda and how they seemed nervous about the Obama era. Our new president responded by saying

They are nervous. They are nervous because they are going to see a changed America on my watch. No longer will they have a devil to point at and the world will see their ideas for what they are..completely bankrupt. Show me a child that Al Qaeda has helped during the last eight years. The only way they understand is violence.

My guy hits one out of the park...all the way past Waveland.

His First Mistake

President Obama, in a meeting with Congressional lawmakers on Friday, said to the Republican representatives "you can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done." While he was stating the obvious, he made a critical error.

By mentioning Limbaugh in a meeting regarding the stimulus package, our new president has now empowered him and elevated him to the status of having a seat at the table. Rush Limbaugh should have no such fucking seat at the table when it comes to anything related to the direction of our country. He is an entertainer and lacks, in just about every way, the intellectual and moral strength that it takes to run this country. Or any country for that matter.

Now, someone like myself (a fourth rate blogger who only has about 200 readers as opposed to Rush's 13.7 million listeners) can mention Rush and get away with it as it usually makes my page loads go up. The fact that President Obama lowered himself by mentioning Rush's name nauseates me. Rush's ideas regarding where this country should go are akin to a 5th grader who is on an eternal temper tantrum...never admitting fault...never shutting up....never, EVER being wrong.

I knew he'd make mistakes, and I think the economic stimulus is going to hold a big one for him, but I didn't think he would ever make a dumb one like this so early. Ah well, he is only human:)

Oh....no.

From rld in comments earlier this week

you are going to be in the same boat as Jon Stewart and Olberman, as in what are they going to talk about now?

Well....

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Changefest '09 - Obama's Inaugural Speech

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Oh...no. That's going to leave a mark:)

"I Hope He Fails"

These were the four words uttered by Rush Limbaugh on his radio program yesterday in regards to Obama's economic plans.

Setting aside the fact for just a moment that if President Obama does fail that will mean a worse economic situation than we have now, I think Rush is beginning to sound desperate. Odd, because he still gets around a 5 share which, in radio lingo, is pretty amazing in ratings . Obama HAS to fail because if he doesn't or even if he is marginally successful it proves that Rush and other conservatives are wrong (see: End Times).

It is absolutely unconscionable that Rush Limbaugh, in this truly challenging and uncertain time, wants the president of the United States to fail. Doesn't he have even the slightest sensitivity for the people in this country that are hurting right now? If he is the patriot he claims to be, he will set aside his own hubris and attempt to be helpful.

Think he'll do it?

Um...wow...

Well, I guess he didn't waste any time did he?

This is only a small clip of the whole speech which I heard on NPR today. If I find the full speech, I'll put it up. White House wages are being frozen, a stern reminder was handed out that government serves the people not the other way around, and then there was this secrecy thing...

Someone needs to check to see if mother (Dick Cheney) needs help going to the toilet today:)

44 is in the House!

Today

Today...means so much when you consider Tomorrow..

Happy Birthday, Dr. King!

The End and The Beginning

On Tuesday, Barack Hussein Obama will take the oath of office and become our nation's 44th President. I have to admit I am still in a state of disbelief.

If you would have asked me one year ago that the man I wanted to be president more than just about anyone else on the political scene was actually going to win, I would've told you that you were nuts. In fact, I probably would've chalked the whole idea up to a pipe dream. There is no way that a country that elected George W. Bush twice would vote for a man like Barack Obama. The last eight years have produced an America that is a three headed monster...a monster that would never elect a man like our next president. It's just not possible, is it?

Before we take a look at how it happened let's take a look at what we have become in the last eight years. What are the three heads...exactly?

1. Hate. For all of our talk of loving thy neighbor, we sure have done an awful lot of hating in this country. Turn on any right wing radio dick and you will hear what I am talking about. They will tell you of the traitors in this country that continually plot to ruin our way of life. These traitors are...well...our next president and anyone else that supports him. They are the media. They are the teachers. They are you and they are I.

Of course, the irony is that they will also tell you that it is the LEFT that is full of hate but I think we can all see, after their convention in my home state of Minnesota, that they should take a look in the fucking mirror. There is no doubt that there is hate on the left. It's just not as prevalent and well organized as it is in the current incarnation of the Republican Party. Even President Bush is appalled by it which is ironic because he helped to create it.

2. Fear. The right does a great job with this one. My eight year old daughter has been told by fellow classmates, whose parents are conservative, that Barack Obama, after he becomes president, is going to give guns to babies so they can kill each other thus leading to infant genocide. I suppose it's possible that something was lost in the translation but I think you get my point.

Bush, Rove, Cheney and minions have been extremely successful in making many people in this country so hysterical with fear that they truly believe that Barack Obama is going to destroy them. Their propaganda has been so effective that I have had people tell me that I "best purchase" a gun to fight off the liberals that are going to take my family away from me and put them in camps. Three people told me this. I am not fucking kidding. And I thought the "liberals are fascists" argument was loony. The cheese is just flying off the cracker now.

3. Ignorance. This one is key. Destroy the credibility of the media and education (e.g. all commie liberal traitors), and you can get #1 and #2 with ease. An ignorant population is easier to control. If twenty percent of this country believe that the media and public education are doling out biased information, where are they going to turn? Either to the Republican Party's various information outlets or nowhere. More than likely it's the latter.

It's not just enough to get people to tune out or follow the party line. They have to be happy about it. Somewhere along the line it became cool to be a fucking moron. We like smart doctors, elite athletes, and business savvy CEOs but when it comes to our government-specifically our president-we want someone with whom we can have beer. Being smart is the absolute last thing many of us seem to want in president. I offer as evidence of this Governor Sarah Palin who has broad support amongst many conservatives.

So, folks on the right have done a great job of crafting this three headed monster in order to essentially gut this country as the mob would bust a joint out that it has taken over. Take a look around you. Know anyone that has lost a job recently? I bet you do. Where did all the money go? It's pretty obvious...the people who are on their way out the door. And funny thing...they don't really care. They got what they wanted from a bunch of hateful, fearful, and ignorant people who STILL believe in them. I have a friend who works in the mortgage industry who is just about destitute and will not, under any circumstances, admit any fault on the part of any conservative. It's all Barney Frank's fault!

So, how is it possible that through all of this we elected a man like Barack Obama? There's the crappy economy, the failed policies in the Middle East, and the shit stained image of the United States in the world...all things that I'm sure helped contribute to the victory. I say it's something else.

When Barack Obama takes the oath of office on Tuesday morning, it will be because the good guys are finally starting to win. I want to be very VERY clear about this. The good guys are not just Democrats. They are Republicans and even far right conservatives. They are independents, socialists, communists, constitutionalists and everyone in between. The good guys are people exactly like our next president...people who have an infinite supply of intellectual and moral strength. People who are going to show those who have succumbed to the three headed monster the true meaning of patriotism.

And there were just enough of them to win an election.

Under The Weather

Hey folks, sorry it has been so long since the last post. School has been busy and my whole family got socked with the stomach flu.

Inauguration next week...the day after Dr. King's birthday...

Now That's What I Call A Bail Out!

Sometimes I wake up in the morning, read the news, and wonder what country I am living in. It seems that one of the many industries...pardon me while I stop for a moment to laugh my fucking ass off...that wants a bail out from the US government is.....THE PORN INDUSTRY.

Larry Flynt, of Hustler fame, and CEO of Girls Gone Wild Joe Francis are going to ask Congress for $5 billion to help them through these tough times. Spokesman for Flynt, Owen Moogan, says, "The porn industry has been hurt by the downturn like everyone else and they are going to ask for the $5 billion. Is it the most serious thing in the world? Is it going to make the lives of Americans better if it happens? It is not for them to determine.”

Most of you know that I do take my porn seriously but folks, c'mon, this is completely ludicrous. I know it's sad that people aren't spending as much money at lovemyass.com as they should be but aren't there more important things to be dealing with now?

Hmm...

A report is out that Vice President Dick Cheney has admitted to FBI investigators that he altered certain talking points to the press so Valarie Plame's name would come to light. Murray Waas is the reporter that somehow got access to the document, still highly classified, and wrote about what he saw.

Waas, you may recall, is an investigative journalist who helped break the Iran-Contra scandal. He has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and has won the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting, awarded by the Joan Shorenstein Barone Center on The Press. So the guy is no hack.

I'm going to wait until the report comes out before I completely believe Mr. Waas. I suspect it won't be out until later this year. If it is true, will we have enough balls to put Cheney in jail?

Happy New Year!

Thank the Lord that 2009 is here. There were some pretty rotten things that happened in 2008 in this country. The inauguration is less than three weeks away. Yea!

I wonder what is going to happen this year....

Best New Year's Present

Well, I got a nice end of the year gift with some great news. One of my all time favorite bands is getting back together...BLUR!!

That's right....Damon and Graham have buried the hatchet. They are going to rehearse in early 2009 and "see what happens." They scheduled a gig for Hyde Park in July that sold out in 2 minutes! So they added another one the day before. They have promise more tour dates (in America!) and possibly a new album.

Happy New Year!
I am a very happy man:)

BEST OF 2008

What a year. I have to say that when it comes to entertainment, 2008 was really mega. I saw many great bands, some really fantastic films, and a few really groovy TV shows. So, the following is a list of those artistic endeavors that really stood out in my mind in each of aforementioned categories. If you have any you would like to share please do so in comments at the end of this column. I would welcome them.

Without further adieu, here is my list...

BEST CD

A Tortured and Wonderful Howl From the Heart
In April of 2006, Billy Lunn, guitarist, singer, and songwriter for the Welwyn Garden City, Hertforshire, England trio The Subways, was diagnosed with nodules on his vocal chords. They canceled several appearances in support of their wonderful first album Young For Eternity, including one that I had tickets for here in Minneapolis. Doctors said that years of intense screaming during his songs may have damaged his voice permanently and it was entirely possible that he would never be able to sing again. His scream, in many ways, is one of the best in the history of rock and roll. It epitomizes that Janovian wail that only true disciples of the medium can capture and convey. An excellent example of its supremacy can be heard in the song "Rock & Roll Queen", from Young For Eternity, a high-octane, balls-to-labia shag tune that is a must for any playlist. Shortly after the diagnosis, Lunn and his girlfriend (and bass player in the band), Charlotte Cooper, broke up. The question of whether the band would even continue weighed pretty heavily on the trio. With the future of the group in doubt, Billy started writing.

And what we wrote has become the album of 2008: All Or Nothing.

In fact, it may be the album of the decade and is, without a doubt, in my top 25 records of all time. To borrow from the late Heath Ledger from Brokeback Mountain, I can’t quit this album. It is absolutely infectious on just about every level. As I listened to it the first few times, I could smell the beer, the smoke (if not illegal in your city), the vodka-Red Bulls, the sweat, the women, and the absolute human glory that is the CLUB. Every time I listen to it I get the urge to be body passed in a slimy, hoard of humanity…my Chucks flailing uncontrollably…as I revel in the majestic splendor of the pit. Clearly, Billy's voice got all better:)

Much of this feeling is due to the stellar production work of Butch Vig (of Garbage and Nirvana fame), and one really gets the sense that this is the next logical progression from Nevermind… Brit-Style. The first four songs are like Ali’s fucking fist (”Girls and Boys”, “Kalifornia”, “Alright”, and “Shake Shake”), pummeling you with such might that you are immediately brought to your knees in gratitude for hearing such great music. The next track, “Move to Newlyn”, is a wonderful travelogue that brings you on a journey of self discovery around the United Kingdom. We get back into the power with the title track, “I Won’t Let You Down” (his scream at the end…OMG!), “Turnaround”, and “Obsession”, the latter of which has a terribly haunting harmony vocal by Charlotte.

Then we get to the track of the album: “Strawberry Blonde”. To say that this song is gorgeous is the understatement of… history. It is three levels above gorgeous and there hasn’t been a word yet invented to define the truth and beauty of this instant top ten love song. I will say, like any great song, it reaches into my heart, pulls out a jumble of words, and puts them together to describe exactly how I feel. The album finishes with “Always Tomorrow” and “Lost Boy”, another shovel-to-the-head stunner of a track.

I have listened to this CD pretty much every day since I bought it last summer and still have not grown tired of it. You won’t either. No one will.

Because Billy approaches life like I do…fucking mega or fuck you…All or Nothing….and it is magnificent. Thank God.

BEST TRACK

From the moment I heard the opening seconds of it, I knew it was the song of the year. I also knew that there was a reason why I liked it but I couldn't figure out why. Then when I visited the Essex band Magistrates' web site and saw that their favorite two bands were Prince and The Talking Heads, I realized why I instantly fell in love with "Make This Work." Talk about a combination! I adore the Talking Heads and my hometown boy? Let's just say that Prince's super funk charged and deliciously dripping with sexuality music has made me a happy lover throughout the years...

Looking at it from this perspective, "Make This Work" is a fucking gorgeous gem that makes you believe that all romance and all love are possible in spite of the simple fact that most people are dicks. In all honesty, the hope of this song is something I really need right now and so should you!

BEST FILM

It is a rare thing when a film changes your life. My pick for 2008 Best Film changed certainly changed two lives as well as my own. Woody Allen's Vicky Christina Barcelona is an emotional gut wrencher in the most positive way you can imagine. The film reached into my heart, tore it open, and laid it bare for the whole world to see. Life, as the film states repeatedly, is lonely, dark, and often boring. This is why everyone needs to seize whatever moments of passion they can...regardless of how crazy it makes you...and cast aside conventional wisdom, and sometimes even emotional balance, to get to THAT place. For those of you who have been there, you know what I am talking about...:)

The story revolves around two women who visit Barcelona for the summer and how they each come to view romance, love, and passion through the events that unfold over the course of the narrative. What makes Allen's film so interesting is that it is not just about these two women. Every character in the film...even minor ones with only a few lines...convey very specific and wonderful ideas about the human condition as it relates to the female-male relationship. I found bits and pieces of myself in EVERY character in the film which lead to an enormous amount of self reflection after each viewing. I have seen the film three times and each time its impact on me grew, driving me to ask an amazingly intense question of my friends and of myself:

When faced with the choice of the comfort of boredom or the insanity of lust...which would you choose?

BEST TV SHOW

For the second year in a row, Mad Men is the best show on television. Honestly, I didn't think it was possible given how amazing the first season was. The second season was an absolute stunner. It picks up a little under two years after the end of the first season...the height of Kennedy era cool, which basically means I just jizzed in my pants.

So, Jack is president and women are either looked at as a Marilyn or a Jackie. Mega! Every episode was fucking incredible (mainly due to my girl, Christina Hendricks (left) and her amazing hips!) but the most interesting one was "The Jet Set" in which our hero, Don Draper, goes off the map on a David Lynchian experience in the wilds of California.

If you aren't watching this show, there is something seriously wrong with you and you need to get the first season on DVD immediately. The second season will be out in the first quarter of next year. If you do watch the show, can someone please tell me what the fuck Pete Campbell was doing with the shotgun at the end of the show?

Those are my picks for the year. What are yours? Leave comments below...