A Joke of a List

The Telegraph of London published a list of the ‘most influential US political pundits’.  I wonder if they just didn’t have anything better to publish, and apparently, they didn’t. 

Karl Rove as the #1 pundit?  Please.  Chris Matthews as #2!!!?????  Does anyone even watch or pay attention to him?  All I can say is Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

The comments section there at the Telegraph is pretty amusing, since it has broken out into an American fistfight on a British site.  Oh, the times we live in!  I have a list of my own, but I don’t feel like writing it now.

Alicia Keys, Conspiracy Theorist

Gangster Rap: Conspiracy To Kill Black People

This is utterly ridiculous!  For starters, it is assuming that the white man invented gangster rap in the first place.  Secondly, she is looking for excuses to sidestep the fact that gangster rap is like most music in the past 20 years: a cynical attempt to make money, nothing else.

I see that she claims the Black Panthers as inspiration.  This will not get noticed.  I wonder what the media reaction would be if Carrie Underwood claimed David Duke and the Klan as an inspiration.  Gotta love double standards.

New Age Gobbledygook

Deepak Chopra: Why We Need A New Jesus

How this reads: why don’t we just re-create Jesus in our own image to suit our whims?

Garnishing Wages…

…legalized theft.

If one, of his own free will, chooses not to have health insurance, then he needs to bear with the consequences of that.  Apparently, our Intellectual Superiors think otherwise.

More money taken = bigger state

End the Strike!

I understand that the writer is the most underappeciated part of any television show or movie, but some things concerning this strike are absolutely retarded.  Take this bit of information from a USA Today article:

“Still murky is what the hosts can do once they’re back. The union forbids them from performing any material, such as sketches or monologues, that ordinarily would be written by striking writers.”

Hmm…if I had a talk show that I owned (like Letterman), I would write my own material.  This is just stupid.  Why should an independent show be held hostage by this?  Another case in point – if I (or my brother – who is much better at this stuff than I am) were to submit a script for an episode of, say, The Office, it would automatically be tossed into the trash.  Why?  Because I am not part of the sacred Union. 

You know, I shouldn’t care about this, because I don’t watch network television anyway, save for football.  However, the circumstances are completely asinine.  I always wonder what keeps these guilds together – is it just because that’s ‘what we always did’, or is there really no reason.  Maybe it’s time for the industry to start dealing with people as free agents without some imposed outdated standard.

How Many Congressmen Does It Take to Screw In…

Congress passes ban on incandescent lightbulbs – Bush signs

It isn’t that I couldn’t see this coming, but I am still not too happy about it.  This was attached to the same bill that increased fuel standards – something I support.  I do not support the big bad government telling me that I have to use compact flourescent lightbulbs (CFL) by a certain date (2014).  I have 2 CFL’s in my home as it is (by choice), but being compelled to do so is absolutely ludicrous.  The way I see it, CFL’s are not feasible due to a) the cost and b) the lack of disposal methods. 

The argument typically made is that CFL’s will use less electricity and therefore help the ‘global warming crisis’.  Hmmm…well, as long as we are using coal-fired power plants, it won’t make one g-dd-mned difference that we use CFL’s, because if it is pollution one is concerned about, then the source ought to be tackled, not the medium. 

I like my incandescents and will continue to use them.  I am now waiting for some nutjob to demand that Christmas lights be flourescent, ushering in a new era of tackiness.  Until then:

Viva Thomas Edison!

Desperation on Global Warming

I think that the doomsayers about Global Warming climate change are starting to get desperate.  All one has to do is look at the recent burst of saturation media coverage on the issue and wonder – is this a final push, the ‘Battle of the Bulge’ of the movement?  Recently, we have been told that divorce and too many children cause global warming, that the polar bears and penguins could die, and that the only way to solve the problem is through more taxes.

I’m Sorry, Santa, But…

Don’t say ‘ho ho ho’…

Because it is offensive to women!

What’s next – the Hostess snack is going to be called “Ha Ha’s” instead?

Florida…and My Travails in Atlanta

I spent the weekend in Florida as the sponsor for my cousin as he made his Confirmation, and while that was nice, the real test of the trip was actually the first leg – getting there.  To give you the box score – this was my (alleged) itinerary:

Embarrasing Eagles and NBC’s Sanctimony

First of all, I was embarrassed to be an Eagles fan last night.  They played with no passion and no heart.  They are now 3-5 and are all but done for the season.  For more coverage, go to Bleeding Green Nation and Philly.com.

Now, I want to address NBC’s ‘Green Week’ nonsense.  I felt it was a bit over the top to put every logo in green as well as overly hype the fact that they have ‘gone green’.  Big whoop.  Some of us have done so without making a big fuss about it.  I think the sanctimony is what bothers me the most about the whole global warming climate change movement – that somehow those of us who aren’t ‘with the program’ are either evil or are out to destroy Mother Earth (a pagan idea, by the way).  I truly believe we are called to stewardship; I do not believe that stewardship necessarily entails purchasing indulgences carbon credits from a capitalistic entity, nor do I believe that all of us suddenly switching to hybrids is going to halt the emission of carbon dioxide. 

Did I Remember To Set My Clocks Back?

Yes.

 However, I still find the rationale ‘we extended Daylight Savings Time to save energy’ to be a complete crock of BS.  What is it really for?  Who actually knows?  I would venture it is some combination of:

Retail
Energy
Sports

The ‘saving energy’ bit is just as bad as ‘this is for the children’, which I maintain is the ‘crying wolf’ phrase of our generation.

Fast Food Service (and lack thereof)

Part of what has occurred to me in the past couple of years is the extraordinary depths to which fast food service has plunged.  Now, don’t get me wrong – I don’t have that high of expectations for what they are providing me for my money.  However, it isn’t really too much to ask to actually get the order right!