Pay Attention

Do you know what is gone?  Thought.  Contemplation.  Reason.  Andyes, most definitely perspective.  You accomplish nothing when you act like stuborn children.   And that is for BOTH sides.  But if the "new wave" of Republican reactionaries are to blame for a loss of the countries credit rating or a precipitous rise in interest rates, and if there is NO action to closing taxloopholes or reform entitlements, then THEY should pay the bill. 

Oh, and just ofr the record, Donald Trump is an idiot.
-----
Inflexible GOP should listen to Reagan on debt



By John Avlon, CNN Contributor   
July 28, 2011 1:59 p.m. EDT




(CNN) -- As the debt-ceiling deadline ticks closer, conservatives in Congress are fighting among themselves. The civil war is between responsible Republicans and extreme ideologues. The question is whether the collateral damage will include the American economy.


House Speaker John Boehner abruptly abandoned his attempt to negotiate a "grand bargain" on the deficit and the debt with President Barack Obama because of a lack of support among tea party members, and now he is struggling to keep support for his Plan B intact in the face of an open rebellion.


A senior staff member of the Republican Study Committee was found to have been e-mailing conservative activist groups, encouraging them to attack Boehner's late-inning option as being insufficiently radical. The all-or-nothing impulse makes enemies even of allies.


In the face of this political crisis masquerading as a fiscal crisis, it seems that no one can unite the Republican Party, let alone the nation. If far-right conservatives can't listen to reason, maybe they will listen to Ronald Reagan.


Because Reagan had stern words for Congress when it tried to play political games with the debt ceiling in 1987. They still ring true today.


I was at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, on Thursday to hear my wife, Margaret Hoover, speak in support of her new book, and I inquired about a Reagan quote that Obama referenced in his Monday night prime-time speech. Reagan offered this particular dose of common sense on September 26, 1987, in a national radio address. Here is the key part of the text:


"Unfortunately, Congress consistently brings the government to the edge of default before facing its responsibility. This brinkmanship threatens the holders of government bonds and those who rely on Social Security and veterans benefits. Interest markets would skyrocket. Instability would occur in financial markets and the federal deficit would soar.


"The United States has a special responsibility to itself and the world to meet its obligations. It means we have a well-earned reputation for reliability and credibility -- two things that set us apart in much of the world."


Congressional Republicans should read that paragraph out loud twice before going to vote on the debt ceiling in the next few days. It is essentially the same argument Obama has been making. But in our current hyper-partisan environment reason doesn't resonate across party lines. Instead, there is too often an overheated impulse to oppose Obama at any cost. Hearing the same argument from the Gipper might inspire a needed sense of perspective.


That loss of perspective is a key symptom of hyper-partisanship. It causes people to forget that the national interest comes before partisan interests. This affliction is epidemic at the moment. Whole segments of the GOP 2012 presidential field are debt-ceiling deniers, arguing that defaulting on our debt doesn't really matter.


Tim Pawlenty has said that he "hopes and prays" that the debt ceiling isn't lifted. Ron Paul made this approach the cornerstone of his first ads. Rep. Michele Bachmann says, nonsensically, that she doesn't believe the nation will default on August 2 but she'll vote against raising the debt ceiling anyway.


There are believed to be dozens of votes in the House Republican caucus who will also oppose any raising of the debt ceiling. They are like a person who refuses to pay a credit card bill after a spending spree and calls it a stand for fiscal responsibility.


The most insidious line of argument is one that encourages default for supposed political advantage.


This sentiment is most often articulated behind closed doors, but Donald Trump brought it out into the open, telling Fox News on Monday: "Unless Republicans get 100% of what they want -- and that may include getting rid of 'Obamacare,' which is a total disaster -- they should not make a deal other than a minor extension which would take you before the elections which would ensure that Obama doesn't get elected, which would be a great thing. ... The Republicans have the leverage. I don't care about polls. When it comes time to default, they're not going to remember any of the Republicans' names. They are going to remember in history books one name, and that's Obama."


What can you say about such a breathtakingly cynical and nihilistic approach to politics, other than it is the exact opposite of John McCain's 2008 campaign slogan, "Country First."


Responsible Republicans are beginning to understand that the conservative populist fires they have stoked to win elections can be the enemy of effective governance. Fiscal responsibility and fiscal conservatism have been effectively delinked. Even a conservative icon such as Reagan would not pass the litmus tests imposed today. After all, Reagan raised the debt ceiling successfully 17 times and increased the deficit during his term in office, a byproduct of his successful strategy to spend the Soviet Union into oblivion.


Most significantly, he closed dozens of tax loopholes as a means of lowering tax rates while still raising revenues -- the same approach that was labeled an unacceptable tax hike by anti-tax absolutists and killed the prospects for a grand bargain with Obama and Boehner.


Reagan governed effectively with a Congress controlled by Democrats. There were principled differences and heated debates, but in the end, the two sides were able to reason together and negotiate in good faith, understanding that all or nothing is not a practical option between fellow countrymen. By demonizing people we disagree with -- especially the president of the United States -- we demean our democracy.


We are playing a dangerous game right now. Republicans do not know what will happen in their own conference, let alone what plan might pass both the House and Senate. And even if we avoid default, this Kabuki theater could have the consequence of downgrading our credit rating. The alleged purpose of this fight has been essentially forgotten -- tax and entitlement reforms are not on the table right now. This will eventually be seen as a lost opportunity. We are just fighting to avoid default.


The dysfunctional debt-ceiling debate needs a dose of common sense before it is too late. Perhaps the unifying figure of Reagan will provide a reinforcement of reason. It's sad and stupid to have to say, but conservatives might accept an argument made by the Gipper, even as they ignore the same appeal made by the current president of the United States.

PISSED OFF

I am SICK and TIRED of the lying bullshit.  I loathe the political posturing and arrogant behavior being exhibited by people who have been elected to act like intelligent adults.
I am more than fed up with it.
I have been an Independent since the day I could vote.  I have voted conscientiously in every election since then.  I try to research as much as I can about the people and issues before casting my vote.  I don't give a rat's ass which party people are from because I want them to do the best job possible.  I am utterly tolerant that others have different opinions - and respect that, assuming they are based on logical principles and they can put forth some kind of intelligent argument for their position.
I have come to believe that the 2-party system is broken in today's America.  I firmly believe that the entire monetary lobbying system and profession should be illegal.  I disagree, but respect, the Supreme Court's ruling that corporations are equivalent to people. They are not.   I believe that so-called "think tanks" are detrimental to the process - AND that they are nothing more than money & influence-grubbing entities of little value.
I further believe that the narcissistic environment of today has done nothing but hurt our country and society.
The 24-hour cable "news" networks are ALL jokes.  I understand that media has had a long history of partisan behavior.  I also know that once there was an integrity to mass-access media outlets that attempted to provide unbiased journalism, respecting the intelligence of the viewer/reader in that they tried to present THE FACTS and the history of a given subject, and let those people form their own decisions and conclusions from that.  They would also have a CLEARLY stated area or time-slot that was OPINION.
We even AWARDED these entities for their attempts at this kind of behavior.
No more. That is gone. What remains is bullshit.
To Congress, I call bullshit.
To CNN, MSNBC and FOX, I call bullshit.
Grover Norquist is not an elected official.  Any idiotic pledge he elicits should hold no water.  Congress reports to ME...to US.  He should be sent on his way as irrelevant.

It has gone way beyond looking to persuade and move forward through the encouragement of intelligent discourse.  There is no respect for anyone. 

I agree with this opinion piece below.... Yes, it is opinion.
But I also KNOW that the stated facts are true, and I have a problem with people and media flat out lying.
It's not fun, nor is it funny any more. 
And mocking through satire loses its effect when people are to ignorant to get it for what it is - a request ofr changed behavior. 

Change is needed.  I still believe that a large, large portion of this country is made up of what was once called the silent majority..... people who understood the reality of the middle, of the give and take necessary to move the country in the right direction.  People who were more aware and sentient than the extreme, outspoken edges.
It is time for action from THESE people.
Everyone else?  Shut up.  You have done harm to the country and the system....and to actual people.  We will not let you hijack our country, politics, systems, education or anything else any more.

It's beyond the point regarding this subject where we say "If anything untoward happens....there will be hell to pay."  It's already too late.  The bullshit has reached the top.  There already NEEDS to be hell to pay.

I want sacrifice where it's needed.  I want people to do right, sane, logical, proper thing.  I want civility.

And I want the bullshit to end.  NOW.
-------

Still True Today: Frequently Forgotten Facts of the Debt Debate


By Michael Grunwald Wednesday, July 27, 2011


If the debt-limit debate had anything to do with reality, every story about it would include a few basic facts. Starting with: President Obama inherited a $1.2 trillion budget deficit. And: Republican leaders supported the tax cuts and wars that (along with the recession, another pre-Obama phenomenon) created that deficit. Also: Republicans engineered this crisis by attaching unprecedented ideological demands to a routine measure allowing the U.S. to pay its bills. Finally, Obama and the Democrats keep meeting those demands—for spending cuts, then for more spending cuts, and even for nothing but spending cuts—but Republicans keep holding out for more.
These are verifiable facts, not opinions. But since they aren’t new facts, and re-reporting them would make “GOP claims” about the crisis look, um, non-factual, they’re rarely mentioned, except as “Democratic claims.” This is a real problem for journalism in an era where—now this is an opinion—one of the major parties has abandoned its grip on reality. I understand why objective reporters aren’t encouraged to contradict political lies with historical truths, but this hostage drama is one of the prices of our era of amnesia.
Look, staying in opinion-land, I think this particular hostage drama could conceivably drive budget policy in a good direction. I’d love to see big cuts in spending on agriculture, housing and the military. We do need to restrain long-term Medicare and Medicaid costs, although there are better and worse ways to do that. There’s still a chance to eliminate ludicrous tax breaks for ethanol producers, private jet owners and hedge fund managers, maybe paired with an economy-boosting payroll tax cut to help Republicans honor their no-new-taxes pledges.
In other words, it’s at least possible that this crisis the Republicans created could have a beneficial effect. It’s also possible that this crisis the Republicans created could cripple the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, plunge the economy back into recession, and increase borrowing costs for just about everyone. But whatever happens, Republicans created this crisis. They blew up the debt. They refused to raise the debt ceiling without conditions. And because of their internal divisions, they can’t even decide what those conditions should be. They initially demanded a breakdown of 85% spending cuts and 15% revenue increases, before deciding the deal had to be 100% spending cuts. Some initially praised the bipartisan Gang of Six plan—until Obama endorsed it. Now Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has a proposal for 100% spending cuts, all of which Republicans had already endorsed –until, of course, Reid proposed them.


I remember back when I was at The Washington Post, a guy named Matt Miller (unsuccessfully) pitched my boss about running a daily front-page feature called “Still True Today,” to inform readers about important facts that didn’t happen to be newsworthy that day. Miller’s plan wouldn’t really address the problem of a major political party creating its own fact-free reality. And I don’t know how many minds would be changed by constant reminders that President Clinton left behind a substantial surplus, that President Bush vaporized it into a gigantic deficit, that President Obama’s health care reforms will actually reduce the deficit.
But it does seem to be worth pointing out that those facts are still true today. Not that they seem to matter.

The Young Adults Reunion ....

The Young Adults, "Complex World" from Jonathan Flynn on Vimeo.

 

A man named Sherwood Schwartz passed away the other day, on July 12th, 2011. He was the creator of many things in entertainment, most notably the creator of ‘Gilligan’s Island’ and ‘The Brady Bunch’. Being the age I am, many evenings and, later, afternoons were filled watching those shows. Classics of their time.  Corny, but as a kid you couldn't turn them off.....



Mr. Schwatrz left a letter, it seems. It was published the day after he died in The Hollywood Reporter, and it bears repeating here. Originality is key … wish I could be that creative.


Thanks for the laughs, Sherwood! RIP

--------

A Conversation at the Gates

One day in the not to distant future, I will find myself standing in front of the Pearly Gates.


I knock.


A pleasant voice calls out, “Who’s there?”


“Sherwood Schwartz,” I answer.


“One moment,” says the Voice. “I have lots of Schwartzes on my list. Did you say Sherwood?”


“Yes, Sherwood Schwartz. I was born November 14, 1916. My parents were Rose and Herman Schwartz.”


“Yes, yes, I have it right here. Your parents love you very much.”


“I loved them very much as well. I lived with them until I got married.”


“To Mildred, according to my records,” says the Voice.


“Yes. I never believed in love at first sight until I met Mildred. I always thought ‘Love at first sight’ was just poetic babble.”


“That’s what they all say until it happens to them.”


“I loved Mildred with all my heart for over sixty-nine years. I’m sure she loved me as much as I loved her.”


“She did,” says the Voice. “And you had four children, Donald, Lloyd, Ross, and Hope.”


“Four wonderful children,” I couldn’t help adding.


“All of them quite different, but all of them talented, and hard-working. I’m pleased I was able to watch each of them reach certain goals.”


“You sound very proud of them,” says the Voice.


“Mildred and I were always very proud. We took good care of them when we were young, and they took good care of us when we got old.”


“I see they each have two children; Donald two girls, Lloyd two boys, Ross two girls, and Hope two girls.”


“All of them talented and industrious, like their parents,” I say. “All well-educated in different professions: Medicine, Law, and Entertainment.”


“I see you also have four great grandchildren. Two great granddaughters, and two great grandsons.”


I say, “You keep very good records.”


“I have to,” says the Voice. “People keep coming and going all the time. You’ve been pretty busy yourself. After college you started writing and you never stopped.”


“That’s because writing isn’t a profession; it’s a disease. And it’s accompanied by a disease that’s even worse, rewriting.”


“I know all about that,” says the Voice. “You’re not the first writer to knock on my gate. But at least you were successful. Many writers are not.”


“That’s true. I’ve been well-rewarded with plenty of money for me, for my family, and for my many charities.”


“A good life I would say,” says the Voice, “With plenty of awards and honors.”


“And plenty of hard knocks from critics,” I reply.


“That comes with the territory,” says the Voice. “But you’ve had lots of compensation. Not just money; thousands of fan letters you’ve received from people all over the world, thanking you for entertaining them with words that brought them a smile or a laugh, sometimes when they needed it most.”


Then the Voice continues apologetically, “I didn’t mean to keep you waiting outside the gate. Go ahead: Ask.”


Ask what they all want to know when they knock at my gate: Am I going to heaven or not?”


“That’s what I was going to ask when I got here,” I say. “Then I suddenly realized something when we talked. Heaven is where I’ve been since the day I was born.”


A fond farewell,


SHERWOOD SCHWARTZ

See What Happens When You "Friggin' Smack It" ?!!!!!

If you didn't see this...watch this.  Yeah - it's soccer.  Shut up and watch it.
:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOAJn8h6VAI&feature=player_embedded

Best description of a play by an athlete ever goes to Megan Rapinoe of the US Women's National Team when asked about her kick to Abby Wambach in the 122nd minute of their game with Brazil:

"I just took a touch and friggin' smacked it with my left foot," Rapinoe said after the game,  "I don't think I've ever hit a ball like that with my left foot. I got it to the back post and that beast in the air just got a hold of it."

If you watch the replay over and over, you can just BARELY tell that Rapinoe could see Wambach's hand point towards the right goalpost.... and that's EXACTLY where the kick went...on what was to have been the last opportunity to even the score before going home in defeat.   And Wambach slammed it into the net with a perfect header....

A team with players that believe in themselves...and who know they can overcome just about any diversity.

GO USA !!!!!!    

And Now, a Pet Dog

He can sit, lie down and roll over. Try giving him a pet and watch how he responds. Keep him entertained by playing ball or giving him a bone. Reward him by giving him a treat. To get him to sit, double-click your mouse on the ground close to him. Double-click again to get him to lie down. Then hold your mouse button down and make a circular motion to tell him to roll over.

"This Just In...."

So I was getting a coffee this morning and the TV was turned to CNN HeadLine News – a complete JOKE of a channel, now.   It’s more like “The 24 hour TMZ” Channel.

HEADLINE LOSERS NETWORK

Case in point: Along the bottom of the screen is a bright red, bold banner: BREAKING NEWS!
And what is this “BREAKING NEWS”?

“Nothing heard yet from jury deliberating on Casey Anthony trial…”

That’s what it said. Their “BREAKING NEWS” was that they hadn’t heard anything.
There news was that there was no news.


Obviously they were SO focused on this that they missed some of the OTHER major BREAKING NEWS stories of the day.


“Sunrise Occurred Just Around Dawn this Morning!!!!”


“Fat Kids Love Cake!!!”


“Males Use Internet to View Porn!!”

Pure Jealousy!!!

So the Bruins went from the Stanley Cup Victory Parade in Boston last Saturday...to Foxwoods to, you know... DRINK.   And drink they did!  This is the bar tab.

I am impressed !!!

A Random Cylon

Thanks for Nothin'....!

From:  iO9.com 06/14/11

Doctors Raise False Hopes In Largest-Ever Study Of Beer’s Benefits For Athletes

 
Robert T. Gonzalez —Here's some bittersweet news from the world of beer. In the largest-ever study of its kind, research scientists have shown that the consumption of wheat beer has a positive effect on athletes' health, with one caveat: the study was conducted using non-alcoholic beer as the test beverage — a not-so-minor technicality decried by beer-enthusiasts the world over as "totally lame."

And in a corollary finding, it was found that all the ugly girls were left AT the bar at closing time.  Duh.

The Magical Mystery Tour

Shut up and go away you vapid, manipulative clown.
The media is a tool for still covering you.


What's Behind the Sarah Palin Rebranding Tour

Washington (CNN) -- by Gloria Borger -- 06/01/11
So Sarah Palin walks into a Pennsylvania coffee shop, virtually unannounced. She sits down with a bunch of guys, gets her picture taken and is asked whether she would declare her candidacy right there.
Palin's response: She needs to make up her mind first.
My response: Then do it already (if you're even actually thinking about running). No making-up-my-mind-road-trip-with-the-family necessary; no leathery motorcycle photo opps; no discovering-America-so-we-can-raise-money ventures. And, while we're at it, no more disingenuous cat-and-mouse games with the media, whom you know will follow you (because we can't resist). In fact, you actually wouldn't have it any other way, because that's what this is all about: free press coverage.
Welcome to the Sarah Palin Rebranding Tour.
After all, it's been tough for Palin lately. Seems as if the limelight had moved elsewhere -- to President Barack Obama, for killing Osama bin Laden, to Donald Trump, for making a fool of himself, even to Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney, actual GOP presidential candidates.
And try as she might to tweet her way into relevancy, it was getting hard. Here's a weighty Palin tweet about the serious matter of whether to release the photos of a dead bin Laden: Saw photo as warning to others seeking America's destruction. No pussy-footing around, no politicking, no drama; it's part of the mission.
Did she actually write "no politicking?" And "no drama?" Oh, the irony!
If you're a serious presidential candidate -- or even a serious presidential wannabe -- policy tweets on complex matters just don't cut it for the long haul. It's kind of like getting a medical degree through the mail: I suppose it can happen, but would I really want to hire you as my doc?
OK, so back to the "One Nation" tour -- which seems devoid of most things except a very big bus, and a maw around Palin as she steps off of it. Then we get to hear Palin speak, telling us what we already know: that this is a great, beautiful country with a glorious past. And we ought to appreciate it, and the tour is there to "remind Americans about our foundation -- our Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and our historical sites that should be a reminder every day to every American about how important it is to stand strong upon our foundation and build upon it." Not exactly a hard sell for most of us, who didn't need any reminding.
But this is not about America's history; it's about Sarah Palin's future. And if you look at the polls, it's clear that's pretty much up in the air. It's hard, for instance, to recover as a political force when your unfavorable ratings are at 59 percent, according to a recent CNN poll. Or when 61 percent of independent voters don't like you much.
Of course, if Palin were to run, she would have a far better reception among Republicans in any primary fight: 56 percent of them say they would be pleased or enthusiastic about her candidacy.
But here's what GOP voters want most of all: to win. And when the candidate has higher negative than positive ratings -- and independent voters don't like you -- it's gets harder to make the case that you're likely to beat Obama. "You can't win the Republican nomination by proving you are unelectable," says an unaffiliated Republican strategist. "You can't sell books that way, and you can't have a real influence on policy and politics."
Hence, the political rehab. For those of us who have seen Palin as too relentlessly negative to be ultimately successful, here's the new, improved, sunny version. Leadership, after all, is about taking voters somewhere, not just about echoing their resentments. "She's a mirror, not a light," says one Republican pollster. "And voters want to be lifted up."
Just ask Barack Obama about that.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gloria Borger.

"Call Me on the Line...Call Me, Call Me Any Time" ....

World Health Organization: Cell phone use can increase possible cancer risk

(CNN) -- Radiation from cell phones can possibly cause cancer, according to the World Health Organization. The agency now lists mobile phone use in the same "carcinogenic hazard" category as lead, engine exhaust and chloroform.



===============

Wait... chloroform????
Crap - NOW I have to completely change my dating methodology.  This sucks.

Terror Alert Levels

Purportedly written by John Cleese ~ and stolen by me from and email joke going around...Thanks Di!

TERROR ALERT LEVELS

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France 's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.


The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent events in Libya and have therefore raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.



The Scots have raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards." They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.


Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."



The Germans have increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbor" and "Lose."

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.



Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be alright, Mate." Two more escalation levels remain: "Crikey! I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!" and "The barbie is canceled." So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.


-- John Cleese - British writer, actor and tall person

ARMAGEDDON OUTTA HERE!!!

So according to the devout listeners of California's "FAMILY RADIO", the beginning of Judgement Day is next Saturday, May 21, 2011.

SHIT, I JUST renewed my AAA subscription.  WTF.
And, as one article said, it's already too late. So, like, don't even bother buying green bananas.






http://www.doonesbury.com/

RIP Harmon Killebrew - "Hittin' Home Runs for Me and You"

Tuesday May 17, 2011 12:04PM   SI.com   by Steve Rushin
Nobody had more wrong names than Harmon Killebrew, whose nickname --Killer -- always seemed ironic, in the way huge bikers are called Tiny, or sweet puppies are called Mad Dog. When Killebrew retired from baseball in 1975, having circled more bases with his head down than any player in baseball history, he became the first Killer on record to sell insurance in Boise, Idaho.

Harmon's first name was no better, as it always got shortened to Harm, an ill-fitting verb for a guy who -- 30 years after teammate Danny Thompson died of leukemia -- kept alive a golf tournament in memory of the Twins shortstop. Killebrew died of cancer Tuesday in Scottsdale, Ariz., at age 74.

Worse still was that surname, Kill-a-Brew, which inspired a college drinking game called Harmon Killebrew. Never mind that the Killer's beer of choice was the one he marketed: Killebrew Root Beer, a phrase underscored on bottles by the words "Old-Fashioned," which would complete the public perception of Killebrew -- Loyal Friend, Insurance Salesman, Root Beer Aficionado -- if he weren't also a Hall of Fame Slugger.

There was something Old-Fashioned about the 573 home runs he hit, the second most of any righthander in American League history, behind the decidedly New-Fashioned Alex Rodriguez, who admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs. Killebrew was Pez, not PEDs, square in body -- 5-foot-10, 213 pounds -- and square in spirit. Asked in a 1963 Sports Illustrated profile if he had any unusual hobbies, Killer replied: "Just washing the dishes, I guess."

"Killebrew is so quiet that sportswriters have given up trying to jazz up his image," Time magazine lamented the following season, in a brief, rare, never-to-be-repeated profile.

"There is nothing especially exciting or colorful about Harmon Clayton Killebrew," Baseball Digest concurred, the same summer, "except that he hits home runs farther and more frequently than any one else on the current scene." By then, Killebrew was averaging a homer every 12 at-bats, the best rate since Babe Ruth, and the nation's scribes could scarcely ignore him.

Though they both wore number 3, Killebrew was never going to be Ruth. He didn't go out, he didn't go ballistic, he didn't go anything but bald. And yard, of course. Killebrew went yard in ways that few hitters ever have. He was the first man to hit a ball over the leftfield roof at Tiger Stadium, three decks and 94 feet off the ground. He hit the longest home run in the history of Metropolitan Stadium, home of the Twins. When it finally landed in the bleachers, 520 feet from home plate, the Twins painted that seat red, which had the same effect on Killebrew's face.

In 1969, when he hit 49 home runs and drove in 140, Killebrew was at once the league's Most Valuable and Least Voluble player. He even led by silence. A simple glare from Killebrew conveyed to Twins teammates that they shouldn't throw their bats, or helmets, or comport themselves in any way that was -- the worst possible word -- unprofessional.

The ridiculously long home run, then, was his sole expression of immodesty. His very first homer, as an 18-year-old rookie with the Washington Senators in 1954, was literally a tape measure shot: The team's p.r. director measured it out the next day. The Senators were getting killed by the Tigers -- Washington would lose 18-7 -- and Detroit catcher Frank House told Killebrew, in what was likely an effort at reverse psychology: "We're going to throw you a fastball." It says much about the square-dealing young Harmon that he took the catcher at his word, and sat on Billy Hoeft's fastball, which he promptly hit 476 feet.

There would follow, over the next 22 seasons, 572 more home runs, 11th most in history. It's a happy coincidence that Killebrew grew up in Idaho to become synonymous with taters. He was born in Payette, the fourth child of Harmon, a housepainter, and his wife, Katherine, whose three boys often played baseball in the yard. When Katherine complained that they were tearing up the lawn, Killebrew's father told her: "We're raising boys not grass."

Killebrew was still a boy, just 17, when he signed with the Senators as a $30,000 bonus baby. In 1961, he moved with the team to Minnesota, to Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, where I grew up. By the time I was attending games at Met Stadium, Killebrew had retired, and so I remember him as an occasional Twins broadcaster, face framed by a fringe of white. I remember his soft voice, pronouncing the surname of Twins infielder Ron Washington as "Warshington."

Mostly I remember that the street leading to the stadium was renamed in his honor, so that I -- and a lot of other Minnesotans -- associate some of life's happiest memories with Killebrew Drive.

It is one of a handful of monuments in Minnesota to a man who -- without a bat in his hands -- never called attention to himself. There's a bronze statue of Killebrew outside the Twins' new home, Target Field, that is exactly what the 11-time All-Star never claimed to be: Larger-than-life. Killebrew knew, as he endured esophageal cancer, that life was larger than he, and released a statement on May 13 expressing his "profound sadness" that this "awful disease" had "progressed beyond my doctor's expectation of a cure."

In the end, that dignity and humility were what endeared Killebrew to Minnesotans. They will serve as his signature -- along with his actual signature, which was the cleanest in baseball. When he went into hospice care, several Twins and ex-Twins said Killebrew admonished them as young players for the sloppiness of their signatures. The fan that waits for a player's autograph, Killebrew believed, should be able to read it. And so the man with the imperfect name signed that name perfectly. Thanks to him, so do Joe Mauer and Torii Hunter and Justin Morneau. That legacy of class and quiet decency is the true measure of Killebrew's tape-measured life.

Which isn't to say that Minnesotans don't love the long ball. Of course we do. When the Met was razed, and replaced by the Mall of America, Killebrew's red bleacher seat was bolted high above the mall's central atrium, in roughly the same space it occupied at the ballpark. It is there to this day, a permanent testament to one man's baseball-crushing powers, on a street still called Killebrew Drive, now and forever a Boulevard of Broken Seams.

Back to the Future

Packers to Retire No. 4 -- Eventually
ESPN.com news services ~ Thursday, May 12, 2011
Green Bay Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy said Wednesday the team one day will retire Brett Favre's No. 4 jersey, but the team will wait a few years to make sure the quarterback is retired for good this time. "I think it's probably going to be a few years," Murphy told Packers fans during the team's Tailgate Tour, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "We made that mistake when he first retired after the 2007 season.




DATELINE:  September 1, 2051
Green Bay, WI.
Packers team officials announced today that the retirement ceremony for Brett Favre's #4, originally scheduled for the first game of this 2051-2 season has been cancelled.   Police reported yesterday that the former quarterback's grave has been found dug up and empty.
Speculation abounds that the new, secretively signed Oakland Raiders QB is a "dead ringer" for old #4.  
 
In an unrelated matter, 2 Raider's Cheerleaders have filed complaints with the local police regarding unsolicited holographic images of a wrinkled penis that was sent to their personal communicators.
 
 

Today on "Gas Price Justification" ... THE FLOOD!

Right - because the Mississippi has never flooded before.  And these refineries were just built there last week, so they've never had this problem before either.

Once again the fact that gas pricing here is based on market speculation instead of real pricing
allows these people to manipulate the market.  

Every day is more 'in-your-face" proof that this country needs to get the hell away from petroleum-based energy dependence.  Aside from it just being the right thing to do, we are being raked over the coals by forces that are unrelated to real supply & demand.

We are big, fat, stupid suckers. 

Of course, the price of a gallon of milk is, like, $3.70 .... So, hell, if we can make cars that run on milk, we're golden.




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NEW YORK (CNNMoney 05/11/11) -- Flooding along the Mississippi River is driving up gas prices over fears that refineries could become inundated in coming weeks, especially as the flood heads downriver for Louisiana.
"When we've had flood waters in this part of Louisiana before, it has closed up to 12 refineries," said Peter Beutel, analyst with energy risk management firm Cameron Hanover, referring to the impact of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. "The fear here is that we could see refineries close again."
Prices at the pump can vary widely among states due to a number of factors. More The nationwide average price for unleaded gasoline climbed 1.1 cents to $3.962 per gallon on Wednesday, according to motorist group AAA, reversing the downward trend of the previous five days.
"The concern is that the infrastructure could be dampened or knocked out for a while," said Joseph Stanislaw, an independent senior adviser at Deloitte LLP & Touche LLP.
Stanislaw said the impact is "both physical and psychological." The flood has already impacted some refineries, such as a Valero (VLO, Fortune 500) facility in Memphis, where the flood has already crested.
There are concerns that the flood will wash over refineries in New Orleans in the next two weeks, driving up gas prices further, he said.
He said that supply would be impacted as refineries either shut down or slow down production, going into "maintenance mode."
Valero spokesman Bill Day said the Memphis refinery is still operating, but barge access to and from the facility is limited, so the refinery has had to fall back on other means of shipping, such as pipelines.
The company is also bracing for flood-level waters at its refinery in St. Charles, La., located on the Mississippi River immediately upstream from New Orleans.
"We're taking precautions at that plant very similar to what we do during hurricane season," he said, explaining that the plant is protected by levees but workers are also moving electrical equipment to higher ground and stocking up on supplies. "We don't expect there will be any interruptions to production."
Some of the largest refineries in the U.S. are located next to the Mississippi River downstream from Memphis, which means they have yet to be impacted by the water. But flood-level waters are imminent as they head downstream.
The riverside refineries in Louisiana include ExxonMobil's (XOM, Fortune 500) facility in Baton Rouge, the second-largest U.S. refinery with a daily capacity of 504,500 barrels. The fourth-largest U.S. refinery, owned by Marathon Oil Corp., (MRO, Fortune 500) is located on the Mississippi River in Garyville and produces 436,000 barrels a day. ConocoPhillips (COP, Fortune 500) has a refinery next to the river in Belle Chasse, immediately downstream of New Orleans, with a daily production of 247,000 barrels.
"We're doing everything we can to protect our facility," said ExxonMobil spokesman Kevin Allexon, explaining that workers are sandbagging parts of the refinery complex and moving equipment to higher ground. "We're going to continue to operate as best we can."
Spokesmen Marathon and ConocoPhillips were not immediately available for comment.
Tom Kloza, the chief oil analyst for Oil Price Information Service, said that rival refineries will capitalize on the shut-downs.
"The notion of flood-inspired refinery problems had tones of the Epic of Gilgamesh yesterday," said Kloza, referring to an ancient Iraqi story that references a legendary flood. "The water poses logistical issues but there is incredible profit motive to run refineries everywhere else and take advantage of incredibly wide refining margins."
Were it not for the flood, gas prices would probably be headed lower, said Beutel. He said that wholesale gasoline prices, which typically lead retail prices, were down last week on a variety of economic factors.
This would include a recent plunge in oil prices. Last week, crude oil futures dropped nearly 15% in their biggest weekly decline since last 2008.

Getting a Lube Job...

“NEW YORK (CNNMoney) 05/06/11 -- Commodities remained under pressure Friday, with oil hovering below $100 a barrel and silver continuing to slide. A stronger-than-expected report on the labor market weighed on the dollar.



Oil slipped 66 cents to $99.14 a barrel following the report. Before the data came out, oil was 3% lower. On Thursday, crude sank nearly 9% -- the biggest one-day percentage drop in two years.


Crude prices neared $114 a barrel last month as fears about supplies took hold following escalating violence in Libya. But as investors got 'accustomed' to those concerns, oil prices became mired in a fairly tight range...until this week”



And yet… as the price went up, because it’s (heinously) based on speculation in the market, the price at the pump escalated sometimes more than once per day. Now explain this to me – do gas stations ORDER their supplies multiple times per day? No. Yet they raise their prices multiple times per week… and, as I’ve witnessed 1st hand, sometimes multiple times per day. And now that the crude price has dropped $15 per barrel – why is it not lowering at the pump in like fashion????


There is ALWAYS a different explanation. Most recently, it is that the actual price quoted in these articles is a specific type of crude, from a specific area/market…and that doesn’t reflect the price that most of the oil comes from. Umm.so why are they using this false indicator, then? You mean that they are speculating on an oil price that is false? Riiight.


What will be the reason TODAY for the price not going down?

Rhode Island Hospital and the Secret Link to Harry Potter

I keep finding things around here that are eerily coincidental.  Methinks perhaps there is an otherworldly link between this area and Harry Potter's world.  For example... I suddenly looked out the window today and amongst all the green there is this.... The Whomping Tree.

See???

Plus... on the Rhode Island Hospital campus...there is a VERY old building, and it's name? 

And another thing... until quite recently, one Emma Watson was "going to school" less than a mile away from the hospital campus.   Coincidence?   I think not!

Stay tuned .....

Facebook Never Lies

A Twit's Tweet



Sarah Palin tweeting about the President's decision NOT to release the death images of bin Laden:

"@SarahPalinUSA Show photo as warning to others seeking America's destruction. No pussy-footing around, no politicking, no drama;it's part of the mission"


 
And my response to this is:  Shut up. Go away. You don't know what you are talking about.  You and your attempts to garner popularity and personal relevance through comments such as these are ridiculous, insulting to actual thoughtful people and God-Awful annoying. 
 
I have zero respect for you based on your arrogance and woeful lack of knowledge.

...As you can tell, she aggravates the hell out of me.

Donald Trump ~ STFU

(CNN) - Donald Trump – who has a habit of picking personal fights with anyone who publicly challenges him – is now targeting legendary actor Robert De Niro, whom Trump says is "not the brightest bulb on the planet."

"I like his acting, but in terms of when I watch him doing interviews and various other things, we're not dealing with Albert Einstein," Trump said on Fox News Monday.
The comments follow recent remarks from De Niro to NBC News, during which the Academy Award-winning actor suggested Trump was acting "crazy."
"I won't mention names, but certain people in the news in the last couple weeks, just what are they doing? It's crazy. They're making statements about people that they don't even back up," he said in reference to Trump. "Go get the facts before you start saying things about people."
"It's like a big hustle. It's like being a car salesman," he added. "Don't go out there and say things unless you can back them up. How dare you? That's awful to do. To just go out and speak and say these terrible things? Unless you just want to get over and get the job. It's crazy."
Trumps harsh response follows a similarly vitriolic lash out at Jerry Seinfeld, after the comedian, citing Trump's birther claims against President Obama, canceled his performance at a charity event organized by Trump's son.
That prompted Trump to write a strongly worded letter to Seinfeld, in which the potential presidential candidate knocked Seinfeld's recently-cancelled show on NBC.
"What I do feel badly about is that I agreed to do, and did, your failed show, 'The Marriage Ref,' even though I thought it was absolutely terrible," Trump wrote. "Despite its poor ratings, I didn't cancel on you like you canceled on my son and St. Jude. I only wish I did."
Trump also took aim at Karl Rove last week after the former Bush strategist said it was unwise for the potential presidential candidate to question the president's citizenship:
"Karl Rove has a loser issue... [he] is the man that ran Bush into the ground," Trump responded. "Bush finished so weak that we ended up getting Obama. He ran the man into the ground."

It's All Over but the Shouting. And Screaming. And Burning.

Judgement Day  (The Sarah Connor Chronicles)

That's right, folks.  Last night, April 19, 2011, at 11:11pm Eastern time, it is told that the Skynet system went online, (at least according to the Terminator franchise.)

And ... Skynet first becomes self-aware tomorrow, April 21, 2011.

We are DOOMED!

Gunning for Power

"Administration Working To Forge Gun Control Compromise"

The Washington Post reports the White House "announced Monday that the administration is starting a series of sessions with leaders on both sides of the gun control issue to try to reach compromise on legislation to reduce gun violence." The meetings "come after President Obama called Sunday for greater enforcement of gun control laws and better background checks. ... Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group started by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is expected to be involved in the discussions, but administration officials will also reach out to groups generally opposed to tighter gun restrictions." ....

NRA Declines To Participate In White House Talks The New York Times says the National Rifle Association "is refusing to join the discussion - possibly dooming it from the start, given the lobby's clout with both parties in Congress."

======
And THAT is what's wrong with the system.

Statistically Doomed

This is despicable. It is wrong and aggravating and an example of EXACTLY what will happen all over the country. We will look back on this period of time in decades to come and mark it as a period of reactionary failure by those in charge of the system. Children of this era will in fact lose ground educationally.

No system will retain talented and competent teachers – because those that are in fact talented and competent, no matter how dedicated, will not stand for it. For all the abuses of the systems that have been put in place (and yes, there are many), you cannot avoid the “real” and ”practical” in favor of pure statistical analysis.

We have seen it, and are constantly arguing it in the area of health care quality measures. These companies rate entire hospitals and systems and services in statistically incorrect manners. Yet paint it as the end-all and be-all , with uber-complicated formulas and oversimplified pretty graphs…. And they sell it (for their own profit) as a tool for people to “choose” which hospital to go to. When pressed, they point to a one-line caveat in tiny print at the bottom of a web page that supposedly exonerates them from responsibility.

We also have seen it in baseball, where Moneyball originally was touted as the perfect way to quantify players’ performances. And over time, it has been proven that it does not work like that – that the accurate measurement of performance is NOT so clinically analyzed.

And because of politics & cronyism and bad appointments, the people that are put/elected into power are NOT knowledgeable in this area. These people are sometimes (often) NOT the sharpest tools in the shed. Add to that the fact that the citizenry is biased, reactionary, and over-emotional on the subject …. And mob mentality takes over.

We have set ourselves up to ruin the HELL out of the system & the kids who must go through it.

========

Evaluating New York Teachers, Perhaps the Numbers Do Lie

By MICHAEL WINERIP
Published: March 6, 2011 The New York times


No one at the Lab Middle School for Collaborative Studies works harder than Stacey Isaacson, a seventh-grade English and social studies teacher. She is out the door of her Queens home by 6:15 a.m., takes the E train into Manhattan and is standing out front when the school doors are unlocked, at 7. Nights, she leaves her classroom at 5:30.
Related in Opinion

Though her principal praised her work, Stacey Isaacson received a poor ranking in a statistical model used by New York City schools to evaluate teachers.
“She’s very dedicated,” said Tejal Bahtt, a fellow teacher. “She works way harder than I work. Yesterday I punched in at 7:10 and her time card was already there.”
Last year, when Ms. Isaacson was on maternity leave, she came in one full day a week for the entire school year for no pay and taught a peer leadership class.
Her principal, Megan Adams, has given her terrific reviews during the two and a half years Ms. Isaacson has been a teacher. “I know that this year had its moments of challenge — you always handled it with grace and presence,” the principal wrote on May 4, 2009. “You are a wonderful teacher.”
On the first day of this school year, the principal wrote, “I look forward to being in your classroom and seeing all the great work you do with your students,” and signed it with a smiley face.
The Lab School has selective admissions, and Ms. Isaacson’s students have excelled. Her first year teaching, 65 of 66 scored proficient on the state language arts test, meaning they got 3’s or 4’s; only one scored below grade level with a 2. More than two dozen students from her first two years teaching have gone on to Stuyvesant High School or Bronx High School of Science, the city’s most competitive high schools.
“Definitely one of a kind,” said Isabelle St. Clair, now a sophomore at Bard, another selective high school. “I’ve had lots of good teachers, but she stood out — I learned so much from her.”
You would think the Department of Education would want to replicate Ms. Isaacson — who has degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia — and sprinkle Ms. Isaacsons all over town. Instead, the department’s accountability experts have developed a complex formula to calculate how much academic progress a teacher’s students make in a year — the teacher’s value-added score — and that formula indicates that Ms. Isaacson is one of the city’s worst teachers.
According to the formula, Ms. Isaacson ranks in the 7th percentile among her teaching peers — meaning 93 per cent are better.
This may seem disconnected from reality, but it has real ramifications. Because of her 7th percentile, Ms. Isaacson was told in February that it was virtually certain that she would not be getting tenure this year. “My principal said that given the opportunity, she would advocate for me,” Ms. Isaacson said. “But she said don’t get your hopes up, with a 7th percentile, there wasn’t much she could do.”
That’s not the only problem Ms. Isaacson’s 7th percentile has caused. If the mayor and governor have their way, and layoffs are no longer based on seniority but instead are based on the city’s formulas that scientifically identify good teachers, Ms. Isaacson is pretty sure she’d be cooked.
She may leave anyway. She is 33 and had a successful career in advertising and finance before taking the teaching job, at half the pay.
“I love teaching,” she said. “I love my principal, I feel so lucky to work for her. But the people at the Department of Education — you feel demoralized.”
How could this happen to Ms. Isaacson? It took a lot of hard work by the accountability experts.
Everyone who teaches math or English has received a teacher data report. On the surface the report seems straightforward. Ms. Isaacson’s students had a prior proficiency score of 3.57. Her students were predicted to get a 3.69 — based on the scores of comparable students around the city. Her students actually scored 3.63. So Ms. Isaacson’s value added is 3.63-3.69.
What you would think this means is that Ms. Isaacson’s students averaged 3.57 on the test the year before; they were predicted to average 3.69 this year; they actually averaged 3.63, giving her a value added of 0.06 below zero.
Wrong.
These are not averages. For example, the department defines Ms. Isaacson’s 3.57 prior proficiency as “the average prior year proficiency rating of the students who contribute to a teacher’s value added score.”
Right.
The calculation for Ms. Isaacson’s 3.69 predicted score is even more daunting. It is based on 32 variables — including whether a student was “retained in grade before pretest year” and whether a student is “new to city in pretest or post-test year.”
Those 32 variables are plugged into a statistical model that looks like one of those equations that in “Good Will Hunting” only Matt Damon was capable of solving.
The process appears transparent, but it is clear as mud, even for smart lay people like teachers, principals and — I hesitate to say this — journalists.
Ms. Isaacson may have two Ivy League degrees, but she is lost. “I find this impossible to understand,” she said.
In plain English, Ms. Isaacson’s best guess about what the department is trying to tell her is: Even though 65 of her 66 students scored proficient on the state test, more of her 3s should have been 4s.
But that is only a guess.
Moreover, as the city indicates on the data reports, there is a large margin of error. So Ms. Isaacson’s 7th percentile could actually be as low as zero or as high as the 52nd percentile — a score that could have earned her tenure.
Teachers are eligible for tenure in their third year. To qualify, a teacher must be rated “effective” in three categories: instructional practices, including observations by the principal; contribution to the school community; and student achievement, including the teacher data report. Ms. Isaacson was rated effective on the first two.
The past chancellor, Joel I. Klein, imposed new policies to make tenure harder to earn.
In an e-mail, Matthew Mittenthal, a department spokesman said: “We are saying that a teacher’s tenure decision should simply be delayed (not denied) until that teacher has demonstrated effective practice for consecutive years in all three categories. The alternative is what we’ve had in the past — 90-plus percent of teachers who are up for tenure receive it. Do you think journalists deserve lifetime jobs after their third year in the business?”
The view seems to be gaining support.
However, the number of years that it should take to earn tenure does not get to the heart of the problem.
The tougher question, says Ms. Isaacson, is how to create a system that will fairly evaluate teachers, whether it is used to grant tenure or lay off teachers. “I don’t have a problem looking at teachers based on merit,” she said. “Every job I had, I was evaluated based on merit.”
Marya Friedman, a sophomore at Bronx Science, describes Ms. Isaacson as brimming over with merit. “I really liked how she’d incorporate what we were doing in history with what we did in English,” Marya said. “It was much easier to learn” — which, of course, is what great teachers strive for.