Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
G-20 memories
Last September I was shooting video of the G-20 protests in Pittsburgh. The second day of protests a group of photographers followed crowds of sometimes unruly protesters around the city as they chanted, yelled and marched. It was all pretty peaceful. Here is a video of some of the "action" when some protesters accused one person of being a police officer. What is interesting in this video is, well, me. I shot some footage of the harassed officer, who was never actually unmasked as a member of any police organization, as far as I know.
Later that night, at protests near the University of Pittsburgh a police officer savagely beat me to the ground, damaging both my body and my camera. What I found ironic was that during daylight hours I was impressed by the professionalism and restraint of the police, which was the exact opposite of their night time behavior, which was both chaotic and brutal.
Dear Ms. Kagen
I just wanted to write and let you know I forgive you. I know you want to be a Supreme Court justice. Heck, I want to become a Supreme Court justice myself and to be honest, I was a bit shocked that Vice Chancellor Obama did not select me as his choice. Mind you, I did lobby, but apparently I am not closeted enough, or whatever it is that he uses to make his choices.
Bottom line, you will be grilled by congress and I will be grilling burgers. Life goes on, or so the kids say.
I am writing you today to tell you up front that I forgive you. I expect you to get some serious questions thrown your way this week, some, will focus on your job as the head of Harvard, or whatever it was you did there. Some may be about your job at the White House under Bill Clinton. I'm sorry, did I say you worked in the White House under Bill Clinton? My lord, sloppy me. OK, you worked in the White House during the Clinton Administration.
Just to be honest, I would have worked under Bill Clinton.
Anyway, you are going to be asked a bunch of important questions by little men, men with issues. But you have to be nice, be sweet, deferential. And here is the important part, you have to lie your ass off. Honestly, I have no idea how you stand on issues from Abortion to campaign finance reform, and to be even more honest, I could care less. If you want this job, you will have to lie. When I say lie, I also mean you can not under any circumstance tell the truth.
Let's pretend for a second that you are all in favor of a woman's right to choose to end her pregnancy. OK, many people share this belief, but if a senator asks you a question about abortion, you must answer something to the effect that the supreme court has ruled on this and you refuse to comment on court rulings that you had no part in.
Brilliant.
Say you get asked about police brutality, now this is tricky and you have to dance on this one, and many others that deal with macho posturing, all the while appearing fair and balanced (oh for the record, use "fair and balanced as often as possible, it will be seen as secret code to the idiots who watch and believe Fox News). So, let's just pretend that you are asked about police beating protesters. First, ask the senator what sort of protest. This should illicit a laugh, and if the senator continues and says something about an international event that police use force to control protesters, say something like, "that would require a lot more information, what sort of protests, what sort of meeting, what sort of violence are the police trying to end..."
See what I am saying? I believe the word is obfuscate. Do not answer anything. Now, in the event that you have to answer something, feel free to lie. Feel free to say you would never vote on something, or you could never vote to change current law, or you would ever vote to change the scope of a law passed by congress. Laa dee dah, whatever, lie away honey, because here is the deal, you do whatever it takes to get to the court, then do whatever you want. Simple, right?
Go back and watch the recent supreme court nomination hearings before the senate. Liars all, my lord, those justices lied about everything. I did not know it until recently, but this started with Clarence Thomas, who lied about every single thing he testified to, from his views on women's rights to his actual name, which is not Clarence Thomas, but instead his birth name was Osteo Perulat, born to a prostitute and her over bearing pimp. Shocking, I know.
So go ahead, say whatever you want, because the bottom line is that everyone lies to the senate, and the best news, no one cares. No one will be watching the senate hearings, or fewer will watch than are currently watching the World Cup, which means, no one. The senators already know how they will vote, all the democrats will find you fabulous, even if you admit to being a serial killer, some republicans will be outraged and vote no, some republicans will bite their lip, say that while they disagree with some of the views you have, all in all, you seem like a nice lady. In the end, you will be on the court before the new term gets underway in October.
I just want you to know, I forgive you and I hope you and your long term partner have found a nice place in Washington to call home, after all, it's a lifetime appointment.
From the Associated Press:
"Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan pledged at her Senate confirmation hearing on Monday to show the "evenhandedness and impartiality" the Constitution demands if she is confirmed, and to offer proper deference to Congress and the laws it makes.
The court must ensure that "our government never oversteps its proper bounds or violates the rights of individuals," she said before a rapt Judiciary Committee and a nationwide television audience on the opening day of her hearing. "But the court must also recognize the limits on itself and respect the choices made by the American people."
The 50-year-old solicitor general and former Harvard Law School dean appeared on track for confirmation before the high court opens a new term in October as she delivered a brief statement at the end of a day of senatorial speechmaking.
Kagan stopped by the Oval Office of the White House to receive best wishes from President Barack Obama on her way to the hearing. A few moments and little more than a mile distant, she strode with a smile into the committee room and took her place at the witness table — where senatorial ritual then required her to sit for hours while lawmakers delivered prepared speeches from an elevated dais across the room.
Finally, at mid-afternoon, it was her turn. "I will listen hard, to every party before the court and to each of my colleagues. I will work hard. And I will do my best to consider every case impartially, modestly, with commitment to principle and in accordance with law," she said.
Kagan faces hours of questioning, both friendly and otherwise, when the panel meets on Tuesday, a grilling that she has spent hours preparing for under the tutelage of White House advisers."
Bottom line, you will be grilled by congress and I will be grilling burgers. Life goes on, or so the kids say.
I am writing you today to tell you up front that I forgive you. I expect you to get some serious questions thrown your way this week, some, will focus on your job as the head of Harvard, or whatever it was you did there. Some may be about your job at the White House under Bill Clinton. I'm sorry, did I say you worked in the White House under Bill Clinton? My lord, sloppy me. OK, you worked in the White House during the Clinton Administration.
Just to be honest, I would have worked under Bill Clinton.
Anyway, you are going to be asked a bunch of important questions by little men, men with issues. But you have to be nice, be sweet, deferential. And here is the important part, you have to lie your ass off. Honestly, I have no idea how you stand on issues from Abortion to campaign finance reform, and to be even more honest, I could care less. If you want this job, you will have to lie. When I say lie, I also mean you can not under any circumstance tell the truth.
Let's pretend for a second that you are all in favor of a woman's right to choose to end her pregnancy. OK, many people share this belief, but if a senator asks you a question about abortion, you must answer something to the effect that the supreme court has ruled on this and you refuse to comment on court rulings that you had no part in.
Brilliant.
Say you get asked about police brutality, now this is tricky and you have to dance on this one, and many others that deal with macho posturing, all the while appearing fair and balanced (oh for the record, use "fair and balanced as often as possible, it will be seen as secret code to the idiots who watch and believe Fox News). So, let's just pretend that you are asked about police beating protesters. First, ask the senator what sort of protest. This should illicit a laugh, and if the senator continues and says something about an international event that police use force to control protesters, say something like, "that would require a lot more information, what sort of protests, what sort of meeting, what sort of violence are the police trying to end..."
See what I am saying? I believe the word is obfuscate. Do not answer anything. Now, in the event that you have to answer something, feel free to lie. Feel free to say you would never vote on something, or you could never vote to change current law, or you would ever vote to change the scope of a law passed by congress. Laa dee dah, whatever, lie away honey, because here is the deal, you do whatever it takes to get to the court, then do whatever you want. Simple, right?
Go back and watch the recent supreme court nomination hearings before the senate. Liars all, my lord, those justices lied about everything. I did not know it until recently, but this started with Clarence Thomas, who lied about every single thing he testified to, from his views on women's rights to his actual name, which is not Clarence Thomas, but instead his birth name was Osteo Perulat, born to a prostitute and her over bearing pimp. Shocking, I know.
So go ahead, say whatever you want, because the bottom line is that everyone lies to the senate, and the best news, no one cares. No one will be watching the senate hearings, or fewer will watch than are currently watching the World Cup, which means, no one. The senators already know how they will vote, all the democrats will find you fabulous, even if you admit to being a serial killer, some republicans will be outraged and vote no, some republicans will bite their lip, say that while they disagree with some of the views you have, all in all, you seem like a nice lady. In the end, you will be on the court before the new term gets underway in October.
I just want you to know, I forgive you and I hope you and your long term partner have found a nice place in Washington to call home, after all, it's a lifetime appointment.
From the Associated Press:
"Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan pledged at her Senate confirmation hearing on Monday to show the "evenhandedness and impartiality" the Constitution demands if she is confirmed, and to offer proper deference to Congress and the laws it makes.
The court must ensure that "our government never oversteps its proper bounds or violates the rights of individuals," she said before a rapt Judiciary Committee and a nationwide television audience on the opening day of her hearing. "But the court must also recognize the limits on itself and respect the choices made by the American people."
The 50-year-old solicitor general and former Harvard Law School dean appeared on track for confirmation before the high court opens a new term in October as she delivered a brief statement at the end of a day of senatorial speechmaking.
Kagan stopped by the Oval Office of the White House to receive best wishes from President Barack Obama on her way to the hearing. A few moments and little more than a mile distant, she strode with a smile into the committee room and took her place at the witness table — where senatorial ritual then required her to sit for hours while lawmakers delivered prepared speeches from an elevated dais across the room.
Finally, at mid-afternoon, it was her turn. "I will listen hard, to every party before the court and to each of my colleagues. I will work hard. And I will do my best to consider every case impartially, modestly, with commitment to principle and in accordance with law," she said.
Kagan faces hours of questioning, both friendly and otherwise, when the panel meets on Tuesday, a grilling that she has spent hours preparing for under the tutelage of White House advisers."
Friday, June 25, 2010
Dearest readers
I was asked today to guest blog on an international dating site. Now, you may be asking yourself, what do I know about international dating, which would be a very stupid question, because, well, I have internationally dated quite a few times. In fact, depending on how you define success, I think I have successfully dated in more than, well, 10 countries.
I was going to pose a question to the readers of this blog, asking you, my dear bloggy types, what sort of blog post would be appropriate, fun, sexy or just blog worthy. Then again, I do get mail from some of the readers and judging from that, unless I was to focus on light bulb changing and killing rodents, the dating expertise would be limited, at best.
I will link to the blog post on the singles site when I am posted. In the meantime, check out their site, especially if you date, want to date, have dated or enjoy dates. They are here.
Here is an interesting development. I have a client who I have created quite a few films for over the past year or so, and recently she asked me if I could come up with something to submit to the Oprah Winfrey Network. Anyone who knows me would realize that I am not an Oprah person, nor do I watch my television, so even by accident I never really watch the big O. Apparently Oprah is starting an entire network of talking and cooking and complaining and all sorts of wonderful things that people will be able to tune into 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. My oh my.
Now, please understand, I really like the woman I have been creating films for. She is smart, beautiful, successful and she is all about healthy living. So we get along wonderfully and the short films I have done for her have been used on her site, as part of some email campaigns and on and on. Pat me on the back when you get a chance, you get the idea.
So I sat down and looked at some of the footage I had of her, thought about messages and talked with her about what sort of film she would like. I also researched the whole Oprah project and it seems that everyone and their brother was sending in films that basically show they can sit (or stand!) in front of a camera and talk. Quite honestly, I did not make it through a single film, which is kind of sad because they are required to be less than 3 minutes. Even someone like me, short attention span and all, should be able to sit through one of these gems.
There are literally thousands of short films on the site, some are interesting, or at least start out interesting, most are not.
Anyway, to get to the end of this story, it is Friday evening and I have been working and hustling and dancing on top of a roof for much of the day, so I am tired and my fingers are sore. The bottom line is the good doctors film is posted, and you may want to look it over, give her a vote if you see fit, check some others out (good luck with that) and get fascinated by the things people will do on the internet. The doctors film is here.
I was going to pose a question to the readers of this blog, asking you, my dear bloggy types, what sort of blog post would be appropriate, fun, sexy or just blog worthy. Then again, I do get mail from some of the readers and judging from that, unless I was to focus on light bulb changing and killing rodents, the dating expertise would be limited, at best.
I will link to the blog post on the singles site when I am posted. In the meantime, check out their site, especially if you date, want to date, have dated or enjoy dates. They are here.
Here is an interesting development. I have a client who I have created quite a few films for over the past year or so, and recently she asked me if I could come up with something to submit to the Oprah Winfrey Network. Anyone who knows me would realize that I am not an Oprah person, nor do I watch my television, so even by accident I never really watch the big O. Apparently Oprah is starting an entire network of talking and cooking and complaining and all sorts of wonderful things that people will be able to tune into 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. My oh my.
Now, please understand, I really like the woman I have been creating films for. She is smart, beautiful, successful and she is all about healthy living. So we get along wonderfully and the short films I have done for her have been used on her site, as part of some email campaigns and on and on. Pat me on the back when you get a chance, you get the idea.
So I sat down and looked at some of the footage I had of her, thought about messages and talked with her about what sort of film she would like. I also researched the whole Oprah project and it seems that everyone and their brother was sending in films that basically show they can sit (or stand!) in front of a camera and talk. Quite honestly, I did not make it through a single film, which is kind of sad because they are required to be less than 3 minutes. Even someone like me, short attention span and all, should be able to sit through one of these gems.
There are literally thousands of short films on the site, some are interesting, or at least start out interesting, most are not.
Anyway, to get to the end of this story, it is Friday evening and I have been working and hustling and dancing on top of a roof for much of the day, so I am tired and my fingers are sore. The bottom line is the good doctors film is posted, and you may want to look it over, give her a vote if you see fit, check some others out (good luck with that) and get fascinated by the things people will do on the internet. The doctors film is here.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Loud and large
Ahh, fireworks season officially came to my neighborhood tonight. I know this because my lesbian dog is freaked out and my incredibly angry and large neighbor is in an even stranger state of mind.
My lesbian dog is very laid back. She is loving and sweet and she laughs at my jokes, at least I think she does. Nothing really worries her, she has food, water, goes outside often, runs and barks at the mailman and has a long term relationship with Moma Kitty. Allis well, except for the whole fireworks thing.
Tonight some of those cheap fireworks were fired off close enough that we could hear them, no big deal. Then a large explosion was heard, the kind only an M-80 can make, which greatly upset my lesbian dog and even more so sent the large angry neighbor into a tizzy.
This is a woman who seems to enjoy the tizzy. She speaks loudly, seemed terminally pissed off and has a scowl on her face in a more or less permanent setting. I would say it was sad, but life is nothing if not a series of choices.
Anyway, the M-80 explosion set her off. She waddled to the back of her house and began a scream fest that lasted a good five minutes. Now think about that, screaming at the top of your lungs for more than 20-30 seconds takes a great deal of energy, and if there is one thing I have noted about my rotund neighbor it is that she lacks a lot of energy in almost every aspect of her life. So for her to trundle into the back yard and scream at some unknown and non-visible M-80 hoodlum, well, it was impressive.
So, for the fireworks people of the world, I salute you. Although to be honest, my lesbian dog would bite you if you got close enough.
My lesbian dog is very laid back. She is loving and sweet and she laughs at my jokes, at least I think she does. Nothing really worries her, she has food, water, goes outside often, runs and barks at the mailman and has a long term relationship with Moma Kitty. Allis well, except for the whole fireworks thing.
Tonight some of those cheap fireworks were fired off close enough that we could hear them, no big deal. Then a large explosion was heard, the kind only an M-80 can make, which greatly upset my lesbian dog and even more so sent the large angry neighbor into a tizzy.
This is a woman who seems to enjoy the tizzy. She speaks loudly, seemed terminally pissed off and has a scowl on her face in a more or less permanent setting. I would say it was sad, but life is nothing if not a series of choices.
Anyway, the M-80 explosion set her off. She waddled to the back of her house and began a scream fest that lasted a good five minutes. Now think about that, screaming at the top of your lungs for more than 20-30 seconds takes a great deal of energy, and if there is one thing I have noted about my rotund neighbor it is that she lacks a lot of energy in almost every aspect of her life. So for her to trundle into the back yard and scream at some unknown and non-visible M-80 hoodlum, well, it was impressive.
So, for the fireworks people of the world, I salute you. Although to be honest, my lesbian dog would bite you if you got close enough.
And god said "well hello furries..."
The Furry convention has opened in Pittsburgh. What is a furry you ask? Seriously? Where do you live that you don't know what a furry is?
A furry is someone who enjoys wearing a fur costume, think college mascot, and walk around, live their life and my favorite, do the furry nasty.
Now, I am all for sex, whether is be sex in a furry costume, sex with a friend or lover or, currently my obsession, sex while watching Real Housewives of New York on Hulu.
People are funny and strange, all people, including politicians, soccer players and people named Joe. Sex is something that should almost always be done in private, or private type places. Very few people should have sex in any place I can see conveniently. That is, sex is a private act, and one that is almost always uncomfortable to view.
Now, unfortunately I have actually seen myself engaging in sexual type behavior. It was not a pretty thing and if my own personal experience is anything that should be an example, do not ever view yourself having sex. I could care less if you are pretty, skinny, ugly, fat or Brad Pitt. Now, strangely enough, I have had sexual relations with Brad Pitt and I can tell you, it was not pretty.
That last statement may not be fully true.
Back to furries. My understanding is that some people in the Furry Community like to engage in sexual behavior. Now, I can not quite understand most peoples sexy-times, but I certainly have no way of understanding sexing it up with someone in a costume, or having sex in a costume. For me, it is hard enough to get all funky with it without clothing. Maybe it is because I am a furry jew type and so, I am almost always in some sort of god made furry costume.
I seem to be unable to focus. The Furries seem to like conventions in Pittsburgh. Last year the girls I live with and quite possibly am related to, accidentally stumbled upon the furry convention and I loved it. First, not enough people walk around with tails. Think about it, when was the last time you were walking down a public street and noticed the person in front of you had a tail? Hard to remember? Not for me, it was last year.
My sense is furry people are wonderful. I am all for costumes. I am all for sexing it up. I am all for conventions.
Hereis something to tie up this weeks leit motif, can two furries get married, legally? As my dear friend Sarah Palin might say, "you betcha". What is wonderful about furries is that they are just regular folk, normal in every way, except that whole sex with a costume thing, then again, like I said a few words ago, sex is almost always weird, so add a costume does not make it much different that people who have sex on tractors, politicians who have sex with their wives or people like me, blogging in my worn out French maids outfit.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Marriage for you and me and everyone
I have long been a supporter for marriage, having endured a marriage for 10 long long years, I felt uniquely qualified to argue that everyone should experience the particular pain of marriage and what happens when it fails. I know, not all marriages fail, but a bunch do, and those that do are something most people do not like to experience, ever again.
So, I was talking to my friend this past week and the subject of gay marriage came up, and I said, it really is simple, everyone adult should be allowed to marry whomever they fall in love. Enough with the divide, that someone like Brittany Spears can meet someone in Vegas and actually get married 10 minutes later. That is weird, but not wrong.
What is this fear of allowing gays to marry? Gays are everywhere, they serve in the military, they get elected to office, they hold strange and sometimes obscene parades and they work in parks, offices and medical facilities. Gays deserve to marry, at least as much as straight people. The problem is, voters are deciding what is right.
Voters are stupid and selfish.
Historically voters are stupid and selfish. Many decades ago laws were passed to allow women to vote and blacks to marry whites. Interestingly enough, polls at the time showed majorities did not support either law. Imagine that. If voters would have had a say, women would not be allowed to vote and my sister would never have married her Japanese husband. Just to be honest, my sister is not married to a Japanese man. She is married to an African man.
I'm sorry, that too was not reality. She is not married, but I am positive that given the chance she would marry either a Japanese or African man. Let's be clear, she would want to marry a man, which is legal and sweet and romantic. But what is she wanted to marry a hot sexy woman? Her state would not allow such a travesty. Why is that?
I have a solution. Let's just remove all those extra gifts that married people get. Tax breaks, insurance breaks and death benefits. Those could all be handled in some legal document and marriage would go back to being a religious festival. Then, guess what? Some religions would marry the gays and no one would care. Better yet, take a look at some of the states that have found it kind of fun to let gays marry. That argument that gay marriage will damage the foundation of our society seems to get tossed out when the gays marry and no one seems to care.
I mean, seriously, if your neighbor is gay married and you find yourself strangely attracted to that gay love, then you probably would have done so without them being married. I know it's silly, but gays are no more evil than straights. Yes, yes, yes, there are gay freaks who want to have sex with kids, or steal peoples money, or drive drunk. Just like there are straights who do exactly the same thing. It's bad, and illegal and punishment is on the books to deal with freaks of nature.
Bottom line time, I got married because I was in love. I could have cared less if the government gave me a perk, or smiled and allowed me a license or anything else. I was in love and I got married. When that love was gone, we got divorced, which is much worse for society, because children need two parents. Children seem to care less if those two parents are gay, straight or zebras, they just need duel opinions and love and respect and a decent meal.
It might be healthy that we are having this debate, much like our country debated women's right to vote and interracial couples right to marry, debate all you want, but get serious and stop being a dick. Gays will earn the right to marry, but only after the fanatics and bigots are shamed into being adults and shutting up. If you do not like gay marriage, then do not marry a gay.
So, I was talking to my friend this past week and the subject of gay marriage came up, and I said, it really is simple, everyone adult should be allowed to marry whomever they fall in love. Enough with the divide, that someone like Brittany Spears can meet someone in Vegas and actually get married 10 minutes later. That is weird, but not wrong.
What is this fear of allowing gays to marry? Gays are everywhere, they serve in the military, they get elected to office, they hold strange and sometimes obscene parades and they work in parks, offices and medical facilities. Gays deserve to marry, at least as much as straight people. The problem is, voters are deciding what is right.
Voters are stupid and selfish.
Historically voters are stupid and selfish. Many decades ago laws were passed to allow women to vote and blacks to marry whites. Interestingly enough, polls at the time showed majorities did not support either law. Imagine that. If voters would have had a say, women would not be allowed to vote and my sister would never have married her Japanese husband. Just to be honest, my sister is not married to a Japanese man. She is married to an African man.
I'm sorry, that too was not reality. She is not married, but I am positive that given the chance she would marry either a Japanese or African man. Let's be clear, she would want to marry a man, which is legal and sweet and romantic. But what is she wanted to marry a hot sexy woman? Her state would not allow such a travesty. Why is that?
I have a solution. Let's just remove all those extra gifts that married people get. Tax breaks, insurance breaks and death benefits. Those could all be handled in some legal document and marriage would go back to being a religious festival. Then, guess what? Some religions would marry the gays and no one would care. Better yet, take a look at some of the states that have found it kind of fun to let gays marry. That argument that gay marriage will damage the foundation of our society seems to get tossed out when the gays marry and no one seems to care.
I mean, seriously, if your neighbor is gay married and you find yourself strangely attracted to that gay love, then you probably would have done so without them being married. I know it's silly, but gays are no more evil than straights. Yes, yes, yes, there are gay freaks who want to have sex with kids, or steal peoples money, or drive drunk. Just like there are straights who do exactly the same thing. It's bad, and illegal and punishment is on the books to deal with freaks of nature.
Bottom line time, I got married because I was in love. I could have cared less if the government gave me a perk, or smiled and allowed me a license or anything else. I was in love and I got married. When that love was gone, we got divorced, which is much worse for society, because children need two parents. Children seem to care less if those two parents are gay, straight or zebras, they just need duel opinions and love and respect and a decent meal.
It might be healthy that we are having this debate, much like our country debated women's right to vote and interracial couples right to marry, debate all you want, but get serious and stop being a dick. Gays will earn the right to marry, but only after the fanatics and bigots are shamed into being adults and shutting up. If you do not like gay marriage, then do not marry a gay.
Spare Change is here
As some of you know, I have been working on a series of films and have been slow in the blogging department. Sad, but true, we all need to make a living.
I am planning to take more time in the next month or two and really focus on making this project something a bit more informative and I am also working with others. In fact, in July I am teaming with an internet film person to work on a series of short films for her. I will post links as they are available, but I think those will be a unique look at how others are finding audiences on the internet.
I am also traveling a lot and have been shooting footage as I get around. At some point, when I have the time, I will put together some beautiful shots of the various places I have been visiting.
Finally, I have requested another interview with the biggest Ponzi schemer in history, and while I am not expecting the interview to come easily, I do plan to keep pestering, for a couple reasons, first I do believe that Bernie Madoff would be a great addition to the Deregulating Greed film and second, there are many questions I need answered and he seems to be the gate keeper.
One more thing, I am hoping to guest blog in the near future, and if that happens, I will certainly keep you all posted.
I am planning to take more time in the next month or two and really focus on making this project something a bit more informative and I am also working with others. In fact, in July I am teaming with an internet film person to work on a series of short films for her. I will post links as they are available, but I think those will be a unique look at how others are finding audiences on the internet.
I am also traveling a lot and have been shooting footage as I get around. At some point, when I have the time, I will put together some beautiful shots of the various places I have been visiting.
Finally, I have requested another interview with the biggest Ponzi schemer in history, and while I am not expecting the interview to come easily, I do plan to keep pestering, for a couple reasons, first I do believe that Bernie Madoff would be a great addition to the Deregulating Greed film and second, there are many questions I need answered and he seems to be the gate keeper.
One more thing, I am hoping to guest blog in the near future, and if that happens, I will certainly keep you all posted.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Fans of Hitler
So, last night, our new neighbor stopped by because he was looking for another neighbor who happened to toss off a M-80 firework. So this kid, because I am guessing he was 19 or so, decides to share with us how he would catch the "nigger" and kill him. Mind you, this was because of a decent sized firework, tossed on a lawn, causing slight damage to some grass.
As we stood there, trying not to over react, he went on to mention that he wanted to join the Marines, travel to Germany and visit Hitlers bunker. Now, I am all for goals, especially ones that involve travel and investigating new cultures, but when racists ramble on about how they can't wait to kill people and lust after a tourist visit to Hitler anything, I get a little freaked out.
What I never understand about dumb people is their pride in their own stupidity. He could be studying, or reading, or volunteering to clean off oil stained animals, but instead, he's smoking some weed, drinking some beer, getting a few tattoos and looking to murder people and travel to Germany to visit Hitler stuff.
When people complain about the American education system, I am thinking our new neighbor is the poster child for the dummy in the back of the class, picking his nose and trying to pick up on stupid chicks.
We had trouble sleeping last night, just knowing that within pissing distance our new friend was festering with unabashed hate. Nice.
As we stood there, trying not to over react, he went on to mention that he wanted to join the Marines, travel to Germany and visit Hitlers bunker. Now, I am all for goals, especially ones that involve travel and investigating new cultures, but when racists ramble on about how they can't wait to kill people and lust after a tourist visit to Hitler anything, I get a little freaked out.
What I never understand about dumb people is their pride in their own stupidity. He could be studying, or reading, or volunteering to clean off oil stained animals, but instead, he's smoking some weed, drinking some beer, getting a few tattoos and looking to murder people and travel to Germany to visit Hitler stuff.
When people complain about the American education system, I am thinking our new neighbor is the poster child for the dummy in the back of the class, picking his nose and trying to pick up on stupid chicks.
We had trouble sleeping last night, just knowing that within pissing distance our new friend was festering with unabashed hate. Nice.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Hospitals
I was at my favorite hospital this afternoon, visiting with my second favorite doctor, an older woman I will call Alice, because I like the name Alice, although I think her real name is Eileen, which is not a name I like so much. I could go on and on about my super favorite doctor, because we are kind of magically in love with one another, but I want to keep focused on the important information I gleaned at the hospital.
When I was walking through the halls to Alice's office, I had to pass a few older Americans using walkers. At one point I thought to myself why are there so many old people with walkers? Seriously. There is a huge fat American woman in my neighborhood who has some sort of electric chair that she gobs around the neighborhood in. All fat and slow and disgusting, not her chair, but her. Why can't we get old people in chairs with some sort of power device, maybe even solar, how cool would that be? Then, let the fat woman walk for gods sake, I mean, seriously, she is probably 25 years old, maybe more, maybe less, hard to tell with all those layers.
Anyway, the doctors office was interesting today. First, outside the office were a couple of drug reps chatting it up. Seems like times are slow for the drug trade, which for my thinking is a good thing. Americans, both old and fat, take way too many legal drugs, and in my book, not nearly enough illegal ones. Here is how I see it, if my fat neighborhood electric seat driver would do some meth, she would be up and walking and scratching imaginary itches all over her face in no time. Instead, she is probably taking some diabetic medicine and heart medicine and blood medicine and god knows what else, although I am imagining some sort of cheeseburger drug that she is closing to ODing on.
Side note, a few weeks ago I was using my video camera for good and ended up talking with an old Jewish woman, who is dying of cancer. We talked about many things, because the medicine she is taking is the exact same one I was once taking and we both had the same reactions. I will not go into details, suffice to say, sometimes we did not make it to the toilet. Anyway, while we were talking, and I remind you, she is well over 70 years old, I mentioned to her that in her condition, it might be wise to smoke some pot. She looked at me and said, 3 older people have offered the same advice. In fact, at a recent wedding, the groom offered to go get high with her. Now, first, how come I do not get invited to these weddings? Second, she did not, but she does plan to start smoking pot, and third, she was an adorable older Jewish woman and I think I like her. I do have a thing for older Jewish women, and if you add pot smoking older Jewish women to that list, I get even more excited. I bet she would be a hoot with a buzz on and a garlic pizza set for delivery.
So, outside of the doctors office door are these two hotty drug peddlers, I mean big pharma reps, talking business, as I approached. I don't look like much, so instead if halting their intense business conversation, the just continued, not paying a bit of attention to the approach of the nosey Jew. What were they talking about? Both were lamenting the downturn in the drug pushing trade. Imagine how cool that is, less people employed, means fewer people with insurance, which means fewer people able to afford their "medicine". Both were very good looking, one a woman, younger, with legs one would kill for. The other, a nondescript male, not good looking, dark suit and boring expression on his face.
I went into the office. Sat down next to this healthy looking your man and grabbed a People Magazine. The office was almost full of, yes, you guessed it, old people. Most without walkers thank god, because today, nothing pisses me off more than old people with walkers. The door opened and in comes the hotty drug peddler, who sat in front of me, but not before I noticed she had these skinny skinny legs and a beautiful short dress. Right about then, I thanked the lord sweet jesus for global warming. Why not?
OK, so because the doctor was so busy, the drug woman gave up on waiting for a face to face meeting, threw a handful of free drugs to the receptionist and high tailed it out of there. The young, healthy looking man next to me put down his hand held video game for a second and said to me, "did you see her?" I said, yes, but I do not associate with drug dealers.
Side note, that is not always the case. I have a good friend in Seattle who sells illegal drugs, I think as a side business, but I am not sure. I called him on my way home and asked how business was. We had to speak in hushed tones and use phrases like, "how goes the landscaping business?" and he would say, "everything is green." Which means he has some good marijuana, I think. I asked him if the economy is causing him any "trouble" and he replied not at all, because more people have more time, which means party central. Good news, I guess.
Anyway, the young man next to me said he was lucky he was just there with his dad, because all the patients looked like they were dying. He asked me if I was there to pick up my mom, because I look super healthy and appear to be the type of person who would go to a doctors office to pick up an elderly and sick mother. I kind of let his question pass. He mentioned that he was 16 and his dad was 75. I smiled and said good for him, his father, because that means he was 59 and breeding, which is both disgusting and kind of amazing. I am no where near 59 and I am so tired of breeding I may have forgotten how.
One of the things I did accomplish today was get a green light to again take medication that completely fucks up my brain, which I took, and now I am at a loss for words to finish the point of this story.
When I was walking through the halls to Alice's office, I had to pass a few older Americans using walkers. At one point I thought to myself why are there so many old people with walkers? Seriously. There is a huge fat American woman in my neighborhood who has some sort of electric chair that she gobs around the neighborhood in. All fat and slow and disgusting, not her chair, but her. Why can't we get old people in chairs with some sort of power device, maybe even solar, how cool would that be? Then, let the fat woman walk for gods sake, I mean, seriously, she is probably 25 years old, maybe more, maybe less, hard to tell with all those layers.
Anyway, the doctors office was interesting today. First, outside the office were a couple of drug reps chatting it up. Seems like times are slow for the drug trade, which for my thinking is a good thing. Americans, both old and fat, take way too many legal drugs, and in my book, not nearly enough illegal ones. Here is how I see it, if my fat neighborhood electric seat driver would do some meth, she would be up and walking and scratching imaginary itches all over her face in no time. Instead, she is probably taking some diabetic medicine and heart medicine and blood medicine and god knows what else, although I am imagining some sort of cheeseburger drug that she is closing to ODing on.
Side note, a few weeks ago I was using my video camera for good and ended up talking with an old Jewish woman, who is dying of cancer. We talked about many things, because the medicine she is taking is the exact same one I was once taking and we both had the same reactions. I will not go into details, suffice to say, sometimes we did not make it to the toilet. Anyway, while we were talking, and I remind you, she is well over 70 years old, I mentioned to her that in her condition, it might be wise to smoke some pot. She looked at me and said, 3 older people have offered the same advice. In fact, at a recent wedding, the groom offered to go get high with her. Now, first, how come I do not get invited to these weddings? Second, she did not, but she does plan to start smoking pot, and third, she was an adorable older Jewish woman and I think I like her. I do have a thing for older Jewish women, and if you add pot smoking older Jewish women to that list, I get even more excited. I bet she would be a hoot with a buzz on and a garlic pizza set for delivery.
So, outside of the doctors office door are these two hotty drug peddlers, I mean big pharma reps, talking business, as I approached. I don't look like much, so instead if halting their intense business conversation, the just continued, not paying a bit of attention to the approach of the nosey Jew. What were they talking about? Both were lamenting the downturn in the drug pushing trade. Imagine how cool that is, less people employed, means fewer people with insurance, which means fewer people able to afford their "medicine". Both were very good looking, one a woman, younger, with legs one would kill for. The other, a nondescript male, not good looking, dark suit and boring expression on his face.
I went into the office. Sat down next to this healthy looking your man and grabbed a People Magazine. The office was almost full of, yes, you guessed it, old people. Most without walkers thank god, because today, nothing pisses me off more than old people with walkers. The door opened and in comes the hotty drug peddler, who sat in front of me, but not before I noticed she had these skinny skinny legs and a beautiful short dress. Right about then, I thanked the lord sweet jesus for global warming. Why not?
OK, so because the doctor was so busy, the drug woman gave up on waiting for a face to face meeting, threw a handful of free drugs to the receptionist and high tailed it out of there. The young, healthy looking man next to me put down his hand held video game for a second and said to me, "did you see her?" I said, yes, but I do not associate with drug dealers.
Side note, that is not always the case. I have a good friend in Seattle who sells illegal drugs, I think as a side business, but I am not sure. I called him on my way home and asked how business was. We had to speak in hushed tones and use phrases like, "how goes the landscaping business?" and he would say, "everything is green." Which means he has some good marijuana, I think. I asked him if the economy is causing him any "trouble" and he replied not at all, because more people have more time, which means party central. Good news, I guess.
Anyway, the young man next to me said he was lucky he was just there with his dad, because all the patients looked like they were dying. He asked me if I was there to pick up my mom, because I look super healthy and appear to be the type of person who would go to a doctors office to pick up an elderly and sick mother. I kind of let his question pass. He mentioned that he was 16 and his dad was 75. I smiled and said good for him, his father, because that means he was 59 and breeding, which is both disgusting and kind of amazing. I am no where near 59 and I am so tired of breeding I may have forgotten how.
One of the things I did accomplish today was get a green light to again take medication that completely fucks up my brain, which I took, and now I am at a loss for words to finish the point of this story.
Fabulous
Here is a short news story on a farm right down the road from where we lived for two years. These two guys are amazing and their farm is incredibly beautiful. Great memories and good people and the town of Sharon Springs is magical.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Oil spill
A few weeks ago, which is sad to write, I sent an email to BP, explaining my theory on how to stop the Gulf Coast oil spill. It was simple really, cart out tons of large rock, then tons of smaller rock, then tons of more rock, then add sand, soil, clay and regular dirt and send it all down to the bottom of the ocean and cover the leaking oil pipe with what is basically a mountain.
Today I got an email from the BP Horizon project thanking me for my idea and explaining that experts will be reviewing it.
Of course, all the while that the BP PR campaign is in full gear, nothing is really changing, except that massive amounts of oil is spilling up on shores from New Orleans to Florida. The president took to the airwaves tonight to do all sorts of things, but one of the key points he made was that it might be time to rethink our oil addiction and get off the crude.
Between car makes and oil pumpers we have heard the idea that now is the time to change the way we use petroleum and wean ourselves off of gas and oil and find news ways to energize our society. Years. I was a young teen when I first heard that new cars should get better gas mileage to avoid long lines at gas stations. That was over 35 years ago.
Nothing changes, because big business always trumps big ideas. It is just not in the big business best interest to change too much. They know they can make money selling gas powered cars. They realize that the people like to fill up their gas guzzlers with gas, not electricity. I don't know why.
Maybe people are just stupid. It does seem obvious, if there are cleaner ways to provide power to the things we need, why not do it? Why not power cars with electricity? Why not develop low cost solar for homes and business? What is the allure of gas and oil? How many spills and environmental hazards must we produce before we actually get motivated to do something, anything, to either cut pollution or stop dumping crap into our environment?
Monday, June 14, 2010
Business
During the production of Deregulating Greed, which is finished, until Bernie Madoff agrees to an interview, I often heard the term "that's just business".
When I started the film, I was witnessing such an excuse in a close friends business relationship. He and a platonic business partner had started a small greeting card company a few years back and things picked up quickly. My friend came up with designs, slogans, layout and found the printers who could do quality work in small batches. His partner was supposed to do the marketing and had "business contacts" that would land the new cards into speciality shops around the country.
They started with 5 different cards, I saw each one as they were developed and they were unique and beautiful. They quickly developed into a niche business and grew very quickly. My friend took on a marketing aspect to help grow the business, making calls, finding new places (airports!) to get the cards in front of new clients and after a year, things were heating up.
His partner, who had come into the venture as a 50/50 co-founder seemed lost. His connections did not pan out or lead to substantial return business. After that dried up, he was at a loss at how to grow the business or make it prosper in new markets. This, of course, did not stop him from collecting his share of the profits. Things continued to grow steadily for the next couple of years, but early in 2009 my friend, who was not involved in any aspect of the accounting side of the business wanted to know how a growing, thriving business, was not earning more in actual income. His partner said there were expenses he was unfamiliar with, and when my friend pushed, he found that his partner had hired an assistant who answered phones, handled basic bookkeeping and found a graphic designer for the business marketing packets.
My friend called me at some point and wondered what his partner was bringing to the table. He explained to me that the initial plan was to be the creative force, with his partner handling marketing, business connections and accounting. He had not done any background check on his business partner, but he felt as though he knew him and could trust him. As the months rolled past in 2009 my friend grew more concerned that not only was a lot of money being spent in areas that he had no knowledge of, but he also came to understand that his friend knew nothing of marketing or accounting. Two out of the three specialities his friend was supposed to be bringing to the table had to be farmed out to experts, costing the business about 30 percent of profits.
At some point my friend called me, upset and in a state of terror. His business partner had decided that my friend, a 50/50 business partner in this enterprise did not have the right to see the company books. My friend had a legal agreement with his business partner, one that, upon review, called for open accounting and teh ability for either partner to review the company books at any time. My friends partner refused.
At that time I was talking to my friend often, although once he realized what he was dealing with, he had cut ties to the business, moved on to another venture, and basically had to write off his creative effort and marketing skills as a lesson learned, because he could no longer get any money for all he had created and his partner was no longer taking his calls.
The final conversation ended with the business partner telling my friend, "this is just how business is done." This is a line I hear often, from crooks, hoodlums and convicted felons of all sorts. The cost of business, the way things are done or get done, and my personal favorite "it's just business."
All these statements are designed at the base to excuse some sort of shoddy work, some sort of theft, some sort of con. My friend was lied to and stolen from, and the justification was, "that's business." The great thing about almost any of these sorts of experiences is that the people who can create new businesses can almost always bounces back, because in business, it is important to be able to create something. People who talk and really have few if any real skills, will always be hustling for the next game, trying to con someone else. I have no clue what happened to my friends "partner" but what I do know is that my friend has created a new business, with a new business partner, one who was checked out, who actually had accomplished and succeeded. Lesson learned, I guess.
But I always find is distressing, this excuse of corruption, this simple line, the way it is done. It's such a crude way of excusing incompetence or theft, such a mob mentality.
As I sit here and hope that the biggest Ponzi Schemerer of all time will grant me an interview, I keep thinking about some of the statements Mr. Madoff has made, and one sticks in my mind, that the people he fleeced got what they deserved because they were greedy.
Amazing.
When I started the film, I was witnessing such an excuse in a close friends business relationship. He and a platonic business partner had started a small greeting card company a few years back and things picked up quickly. My friend came up with designs, slogans, layout and found the printers who could do quality work in small batches. His partner was supposed to do the marketing and had "business contacts" that would land the new cards into speciality shops around the country.
They started with 5 different cards, I saw each one as they were developed and they were unique and beautiful. They quickly developed into a niche business and grew very quickly. My friend took on a marketing aspect to help grow the business, making calls, finding new places (airports!) to get the cards in front of new clients and after a year, things were heating up.
His partner, who had come into the venture as a 50/50 co-founder seemed lost. His connections did not pan out or lead to substantial return business. After that dried up, he was at a loss at how to grow the business or make it prosper in new markets. This, of course, did not stop him from collecting his share of the profits. Things continued to grow steadily for the next couple of years, but early in 2009 my friend, who was not involved in any aspect of the accounting side of the business wanted to know how a growing, thriving business, was not earning more in actual income. His partner said there were expenses he was unfamiliar with, and when my friend pushed, he found that his partner had hired an assistant who answered phones, handled basic bookkeeping and found a graphic designer for the business marketing packets.
My friend called me at some point and wondered what his partner was bringing to the table. He explained to me that the initial plan was to be the creative force, with his partner handling marketing, business connections and accounting. He had not done any background check on his business partner, but he felt as though he knew him and could trust him. As the months rolled past in 2009 my friend grew more concerned that not only was a lot of money being spent in areas that he had no knowledge of, but he also came to understand that his friend knew nothing of marketing or accounting. Two out of the three specialities his friend was supposed to be bringing to the table had to be farmed out to experts, costing the business about 30 percent of profits.
At some point my friend called me, upset and in a state of terror. His business partner had decided that my friend, a 50/50 business partner in this enterprise did not have the right to see the company books. My friend had a legal agreement with his business partner, one that, upon review, called for open accounting and teh ability for either partner to review the company books at any time. My friends partner refused.
At that time I was talking to my friend often, although once he realized what he was dealing with, he had cut ties to the business, moved on to another venture, and basically had to write off his creative effort and marketing skills as a lesson learned, because he could no longer get any money for all he had created and his partner was no longer taking his calls.
The final conversation ended with the business partner telling my friend, "this is just how business is done." This is a line I hear often, from crooks, hoodlums and convicted felons of all sorts. The cost of business, the way things are done or get done, and my personal favorite "it's just business."
All these statements are designed at the base to excuse some sort of shoddy work, some sort of theft, some sort of con. My friend was lied to and stolen from, and the justification was, "that's business." The great thing about almost any of these sorts of experiences is that the people who can create new businesses can almost always bounces back, because in business, it is important to be able to create something. People who talk and really have few if any real skills, will always be hustling for the next game, trying to con someone else. I have no clue what happened to my friends "partner" but what I do know is that my friend has created a new business, with a new business partner, one who was checked out, who actually had accomplished and succeeded. Lesson learned, I guess.
But I always find is distressing, this excuse of corruption, this simple line, the way it is done. It's such a crude way of excusing incompetence or theft, such a mob mentality.
As I sit here and hope that the biggest Ponzi Schemerer of all time will grant me an interview, I keep thinking about some of the statements Mr. Madoff has made, and one sticks in my mind, that the people he fleeced got what they deserved because they were greedy.
Amazing.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Abortion
I hate abortion talk as much as the next right wing conservative dickhead. I do. In a perfect world, abortion would be unnecessary, but then, we hardly live in a perfect world.
I was walking to a meeting downtown yesterday. I ended up walking past the Planned Parenthood clinic and there were two older gentlemen standing outside with large posters of aborted babies and crosses and the like. I was in a hurry, otherwise I would have asked a couple of questions.
First, why is it almost always older white men who protest abortions? Do older white men hate abortion more than, say, younger black men? Or women in general?
Whats with the crosses? Do only catholic older white men hate abortion so much that they plant themselves in front of clinics?
The large posters, where do you get them? In my life I have never run across posters of this size in any other form, except the abortion people and the God Hates Fags loonies. Is there a special printer who only handles hate speech?
Finally, since older white men do not get pregnant, why do you care what others do to their bodies? For gods sake older white people, have you seen the tattoos of this younger generation? I am daily more disgusted by tattoos than I have ever been about abortions. In fact, from what I hear, an abortion can scare a woman for life, and so can a tattoo. How about deciding that on some days you protest at abortion clinics, and on others, tattoo parlors?
Mostly, I support both sides in this argument. Personally I have always been anti-abortion because I believe the life starts at ejaculation. I also strongly believe in an individuals right to choose what to do with their bodies, from aborting unwanted babies to tattooing the shit out of your body. I don't want to do either, so I don't.
What I do not understand from my older white male friends is why they are so passionate about a procedure they will not ever have to face? It's not like women are outside urologists offices demanding that no treatment be used for prostate cancer. Of course, that is not the same, because cancer surgery is different from abortions, because one saves a human life, the other ends one, or something.
I am all for freedom of choice in all forms, from drug use, to prostate play, to abortions. See, I am anti-abortion, but I will never get one, so I will never face that choice, which must come with some karmic consequences that are hard for men to fathom. Women know what is growing in them, they know that given the 9 months needed for a fertile egg to do it's thing, they would have a human life in their hands. They know ending that life is a terrible thing, but sometimes they must make that choice, which I am happy I never have to do.
My advice to older white men who have a need to tell women what to do with their bodies is this, think hard about what it is you wish for. This is a great country because we all get to make choices on who we date, what we eat, who we elect and what we want to do with our bodies. I have no tattoos, but I like the idea that others can pollute their bodies in any form they want, just don't force me to get one. I do not like abortions, but I do like that a woman has the right to decide if now is the right time to be bringing a baby into this chaotic world. I like that older white men can choose to protest and show disgusting pictures in public, I just wish they would choose something that would actually affect their lives, and not the lives of people they do not even know.
That old line always fits in this situation, if you don't like abortions so much, don't get one.
I was walking to a meeting downtown yesterday. I ended up walking past the Planned Parenthood clinic and there were two older gentlemen standing outside with large posters of aborted babies and crosses and the like. I was in a hurry, otherwise I would have asked a couple of questions.
First, why is it almost always older white men who protest abortions? Do older white men hate abortion more than, say, younger black men? Or women in general?
Whats with the crosses? Do only catholic older white men hate abortion so much that they plant themselves in front of clinics?
The large posters, where do you get them? In my life I have never run across posters of this size in any other form, except the abortion people and the God Hates Fags loonies. Is there a special printer who only handles hate speech?
Finally, since older white men do not get pregnant, why do you care what others do to their bodies? For gods sake older white people, have you seen the tattoos of this younger generation? I am daily more disgusted by tattoos than I have ever been about abortions. In fact, from what I hear, an abortion can scare a woman for life, and so can a tattoo. How about deciding that on some days you protest at abortion clinics, and on others, tattoo parlors?
Mostly, I support both sides in this argument. Personally I have always been anti-abortion because I believe the life starts at ejaculation. I also strongly believe in an individuals right to choose what to do with their bodies, from aborting unwanted babies to tattooing the shit out of your body. I don't want to do either, so I don't.
What I do not understand from my older white male friends is why they are so passionate about a procedure they will not ever have to face? It's not like women are outside urologists offices demanding that no treatment be used for prostate cancer. Of course, that is not the same, because cancer surgery is different from abortions, because one saves a human life, the other ends one, or something.
I am all for freedom of choice in all forms, from drug use, to prostate play, to abortions. See, I am anti-abortion, but I will never get one, so I will never face that choice, which must come with some karmic consequences that are hard for men to fathom. Women know what is growing in them, they know that given the 9 months needed for a fertile egg to do it's thing, they would have a human life in their hands. They know ending that life is a terrible thing, but sometimes they must make that choice, which I am happy I never have to do.
My advice to older white men who have a need to tell women what to do with their bodies is this, think hard about what it is you wish for. This is a great country because we all get to make choices on who we date, what we eat, who we elect and what we want to do with our bodies. I have no tattoos, but I like the idea that others can pollute their bodies in any form they want, just don't force me to get one. I do not like abortions, but I do like that a woman has the right to decide if now is the right time to be bringing a baby into this chaotic world. I like that older white men can choose to protest and show disgusting pictures in public, I just wish they would choose something that would actually affect their lives, and not the lives of people they do not even know.
That old line always fits in this situation, if you don't like abortions so much, don't get one.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Elections matter
I am far from political, mostly because I just do not understand the process. Rarely if ever do I toss my support out for a candidate to love it, use it and return it before the sun comes out, but I am about to change all that.
I grew up in California. I remember a little known bad actor getting elected governor, before he went on to run for higher office. I remember the son of a former governor getting elected, before going on to become mayor of Oakland (more on that in a separate paragraph) and of course, I actually lived through the removal of one governor so another bad actor could take office, garble his speeches and turn a once prosperous state into a bankrupt mess.
Ahh, California, my home state, and now, a complete clusterfuck. Who would want to even watch the election process of this once great state, much less endorse one or more of its insane candidates? Me, that's who.
Please readers of this blog, friends of mine, followers of my facebook ramblings and viewers of my short but sexy films, follow my lead and re-elect Jerry Brown governor of California. I do not throw my support to Brown just because his is the only name I know how to spell, nor is it because the woman running against him started Ebay, or something. Although, in recent news coverage, the woman whose name I can not spell, looked like one of the oompa loompas from Willy Wonka, which actually makes her more electable in my book. If I ever run for political office, it will be on the Oompa Loompa platform.
I ask you to consider Jerry Brown because he personally saved me from a lifetime of self hatred and depression. He personally did the most heroic act a civilian could do, and he did it without reward, fanfare of a single news story.
Jerry Brown saved my sons life.
That is true and wonderful and it is time the world knew.
The year was a while ago, I do not remember years, much less years in which a balding former governor saved my sons life, suffice to say, I was still married at the time, so it was pre-2000. We, my loving family, and I had landed at the Oakland Airport, on a trip to the Bay Area for something important. My young son, who was probably 5-6 at the time, was gregarious and loved people, he loved to walk up to strangers and say hello. It was all very sweet, until that terrifying night in Oakland, where he almost died, were it not for the quick actions of one former governor and soon to be governor again, Jerry Brown.
My son and I walked out of the main terminal, and while I turned behind to try and locate what was, at the time, the rest of my growing family, my son took it upon himself to begin to cross the street, in the midst of traffic of all sorts, from angry cabs driven by out of control, drugged up, illegal aliens, to the dangerous elderly, driving in circles because the malls had closed early that day. His life, hanging by a thread, a young boy, walking into the traffic that could easily kill him and leave him dead in the busy streets. That did not happen, not because of anything I did, but because of everything Jerry Brown did. Governor/Mayor Brown was standing on the sidewalk, no doubt welcoming people to his city, and noticed my young son, walking into traffic. Like a caring lion, he pounced into action, grabbing my sons arm and returning him to my side, unscathed and healthy.
When I saw what had happened, I tried to thank the Governor/Mayor for his lively gesture, but he just smiled, said not too worry, and quickly disappeared into the warm night, like a figment of my imagination, except this one saved my sons life, and saved me years of therapy and the emotional cost of having a child run over by the angry and insane drivers of the greater Oakland metro area.
I am almost always thankful for the good governor/mayors actions of that day. There was nothing in it for him, no press, no parades, not even a special handshake or deeply felt thanks from me.
Except now. I have literally millions of readers from California, who watch this blog for incisive commentary and stolen YouTube videos on almost a weekly basis. To those people, or at least the ones registered to vote in California, I ask you to give Jerry Brown your vote because, and I mean this, the next child he saves could be your own.
I grew up in California. I remember a little known bad actor getting elected governor, before he went on to run for higher office. I remember the son of a former governor getting elected, before going on to become mayor of Oakland (more on that in a separate paragraph) and of course, I actually lived through the removal of one governor so another bad actor could take office, garble his speeches and turn a once prosperous state into a bankrupt mess.
Ahh, California, my home state, and now, a complete clusterfuck. Who would want to even watch the election process of this once great state, much less endorse one or more of its insane candidates? Me, that's who.
Please readers of this blog, friends of mine, followers of my facebook ramblings and viewers of my short but sexy films, follow my lead and re-elect Jerry Brown governor of California. I do not throw my support to Brown just because his is the only name I know how to spell, nor is it because the woman running against him started Ebay, or something. Although, in recent news coverage, the woman whose name I can not spell, looked like one of the oompa loompas from Willy Wonka, which actually makes her more electable in my book. If I ever run for political office, it will be on the Oompa Loompa platform.
I ask you to consider Jerry Brown because he personally saved me from a lifetime of self hatred and depression. He personally did the most heroic act a civilian could do, and he did it without reward, fanfare of a single news story.
Jerry Brown saved my sons life.
That is true and wonderful and it is time the world knew.
The year was a while ago, I do not remember years, much less years in which a balding former governor saved my sons life, suffice to say, I was still married at the time, so it was pre-2000. We, my loving family, and I had landed at the Oakland Airport, on a trip to the Bay Area for something important. My young son, who was probably 5-6 at the time, was gregarious and loved people, he loved to walk up to strangers and say hello. It was all very sweet, until that terrifying night in Oakland, where he almost died, were it not for the quick actions of one former governor and soon to be governor again, Jerry Brown.
My son and I walked out of the main terminal, and while I turned behind to try and locate what was, at the time, the rest of my growing family, my son took it upon himself to begin to cross the street, in the midst of traffic of all sorts, from angry cabs driven by out of control, drugged up, illegal aliens, to the dangerous elderly, driving in circles because the malls had closed early that day. His life, hanging by a thread, a young boy, walking into the traffic that could easily kill him and leave him dead in the busy streets. That did not happen, not because of anything I did, but because of everything Jerry Brown did. Governor/Mayor Brown was standing on the sidewalk, no doubt welcoming people to his city, and noticed my young son, walking into traffic. Like a caring lion, he pounced into action, grabbing my sons arm and returning him to my side, unscathed and healthy.
When I saw what had happened, I tried to thank the Governor/Mayor for his lively gesture, but he just smiled, said not too worry, and quickly disappeared into the warm night, like a figment of my imagination, except this one saved my sons life, and saved me years of therapy and the emotional cost of having a child run over by the angry and insane drivers of the greater Oakland metro area.
I am almost always thankful for the good governor/mayors actions of that day. There was nothing in it for him, no press, no parades, not even a special handshake or deeply felt thanks from me.
Except now. I have literally millions of readers from California, who watch this blog for incisive commentary and stolen YouTube videos on almost a weekly basis. To those people, or at least the ones registered to vote in California, I ask you to give Jerry Brown your vote because, and I mean this, the next child he saves could be your own.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
I'm sorry
Oh my, first off, my long time hatred for Lance Armstrong continues.
Second, I am terribly sorry for this video, please forgive me.
Second, I am terribly sorry for this video, please forgive me.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Griffey retires
Before I reprint some article from a Seattle newspaper, let me just glance back at my own personal history and how it has intersected with both Ken Griffey junior and bicycles.
First, when I moved to Seattle many years ago I had a loft right across the street from the King Dome, which is where the Mariners played their home games. At the time the Mariners were a joke of a baseball team and tickets were easy toc ome by. How easy? The Boeing Company would purchase hundreds of tickets for each game, but since Boeing employees had yet to band wagon jump, a fat labor leader would position himself on a corner near the stadium and give away tickets. So friends and I would wander over, grab some tickets, drink some beer and scream stupid stuff in an almost empty dome.
Then Ken Griffey stated to play. Instead on nonsense, be began to chant "hit a home run" and often times, it seemed, he did.
Then Alex Rodriqguez showed up and Randy Johnson and the team started to win and the dome was imploded and a new outdoor stadium was built and the team continued to do well and all the band wagon jumpers made their move and no more free tickets could be found, ever.
Griffey moved on, as did Rodriqguez and Johnson and the team sometimes played well, but mostly they did not. Griffey returned in the twilight of his career a couple of years ago, and now he is retiring. Hold for the story I have stolen, because, first, bike riding.
One year my friend Glen and I somehow had opening day tickets and we were riding our bikes like crazy men down second avenue in Seattle, happily on our way to the big game when I crashed and faced it on the pavement. Blood dripping down my face, my shirt torn, my body sore, but we were blocks away from the golden land, so we walked it, got in, drank some beer, yelled for homeruns and the world seemed right.
Ken Giriffey is only a baseball player, he will never cure cancer or paint a beautiful picture. But he did have a sweet swing and a beautiful smile. Today, he retired from a game he has played his whole life. I have never met Ken Griffey, but I like the way he has played, the way he has carried himself and sometimes a team and that infectious smile that said, even though he was playing a game for millions of dollars, he knew, in the end, it was a game.
"Mariners star Ken Griffey Jr. announced his retirement Wednesday afternoon.
Griffey, 40, hit 630 home runs in a 22-year career that began with the Mariners as a 19-year-old in 1989.
"I've come to a decision today to retire from Major League Baseball as an active player," Griffey said in a statement released by the team.
Griffey was not at Safeco Field for the Mariners' game Wednesday against Minnesota.
"This has been on my mind recently, but it's not an easy decision to come by," Griffey said in the statement. "I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to have played Major League Baseball for so long and thankful for all of the friendships I have made, while also being proud of my accomplishments."
Griffey, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1987 draft, spent the first 11 years of his career with the Mariners. He was traded to Cincinnati after the 1999 season, and played with the Reds until spending the second half of the 2008 season with the Chicago White Sox.
Griffey returned to the Mariners last season and hit .214 with 19 home runs and 57 runs batted in. He was given credit for helping the Mariners rebound from a 101-loss season in 2008 to go 85-77 in 2009.
But Griffey had struggled at the plate this season, hitting just .184 in 98 at-bats. He had not hit a home run this season, and had seven RBI.
"I'd like to thank my family for all of the sacrifices they have made all of these years for me," Griffey said. "I'd like to thank the Seattle Mariners organization for allowing me to finish my playing career where it started. I look forward to a continued, meaningful relationship with them for many years to come.
"While I feel I am still able to make a contribution on the field, and nobody in the Mariners front office has asked me to retire, I told the Mariners when I met with them before the 2009 season and was invited back, that I will never allow myself to become a distraction. I feel that without enough occasional starts to be sharper coming off the bench, my continued presence as a player would be an unfair distraction to my teammates, and their success as team is what the ultimate goal should be."
Griffey ranks fifth all-time in home runs, trailing only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714) and Willie Mays (660).
Griffey was a 10-time American League All-Star and was the league's MVP in 1997. He also made three National League All-Star teams. He won 10 Gold Glove awards and seven Silver Sluggers.
"Ken is both the finest ballplayer I have ever known and one of the finest people I have ever known," Mariners president Chuck Armstrong said in a statement. "I consider myself unbelievably fortunate to have had the opportunity to watch a first-ballot Hall of Famer's career unfold in front of me, and in front of the great fans in Seattle."
Armstrong and Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln each credited Griffey with saving baseball in Seattle.
"Ken is truly the heart of soul of this franchise," Armstrong said. "Without his contributions there is little doubt that Safeco Field would not exist and, almost certainly, baseball would have left the Northwest.
"He always gave his all on the field, and quietly was a force for good in the community."
Lincoln called Griffey "the ballplayer most responsible for keeping Major League Baseball here in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest."
Lincoln continued: "For me, Ken Griffey is more than just a fabulous baseball player. He is a great man in every sense of the word. He is a wonderful family man; he is a man of deep compassion who has given generously to his fellow man; and he is a man who has played the game of life clean and with passion and conviction."
Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik called it a sad day for the Mariners.
"It is rare in this game when you get an opportunity to reunite a player and a team," Zduriencik said. "We feel honored that Ken was able to end his career where it began, here in Seattle. I'd like to wish Ken, Melissa and his family the very best."
Griffey said in the statement that he hoped his teammates could focus on baseball and "win a championship for themselves and for the great fans of Seattle, who so very much deserve one.
"Thanks to all of you for welcoming me back, and thanks again to everyone over the years who has played a part in the success of my career."
First, when I moved to Seattle many years ago I had a loft right across the street from the King Dome, which is where the Mariners played their home games. At the time the Mariners were a joke of a baseball team and tickets were easy toc ome by. How easy? The Boeing Company would purchase hundreds of tickets for each game, but since Boeing employees had yet to band wagon jump, a fat labor leader would position himself on a corner near the stadium and give away tickets. So friends and I would wander over, grab some tickets, drink some beer and scream stupid stuff in an almost empty dome.
Then Ken Griffey stated to play. Instead on nonsense, be began to chant "hit a home run" and often times, it seemed, he did.
Then Alex Rodriqguez showed up and Randy Johnson and the team started to win and the dome was imploded and a new outdoor stadium was built and the team continued to do well and all the band wagon jumpers made their move and no more free tickets could be found, ever.
Griffey moved on, as did Rodriqguez and Johnson and the team sometimes played well, but mostly they did not. Griffey returned in the twilight of his career a couple of years ago, and now he is retiring. Hold for the story I have stolen, because, first, bike riding.
One year my friend Glen and I somehow had opening day tickets and we were riding our bikes like crazy men down second avenue in Seattle, happily on our way to the big game when I crashed and faced it on the pavement. Blood dripping down my face, my shirt torn, my body sore, but we were blocks away from the golden land, so we walked it, got in, drank some beer, yelled for homeruns and the world seemed right.
Ken Giriffey is only a baseball player, he will never cure cancer or paint a beautiful picture. But he did have a sweet swing and a beautiful smile. Today, he retired from a game he has played his whole life. I have never met Ken Griffey, but I like the way he has played, the way he has carried himself and sometimes a team and that infectious smile that said, even though he was playing a game for millions of dollars, he knew, in the end, it was a game.
"Mariners star Ken Griffey Jr. announced his retirement Wednesday afternoon.
Griffey, 40, hit 630 home runs in a 22-year career that began with the Mariners as a 19-year-old in 1989.
"I've come to a decision today to retire from Major League Baseball as an active player," Griffey said in a statement released by the team.
Griffey was not at Safeco Field for the Mariners' game Wednesday against Minnesota.
"This has been on my mind recently, but it's not an easy decision to come by," Griffey said in the statement. "I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to have played Major League Baseball for so long and thankful for all of the friendships I have made, while also being proud of my accomplishments."
Griffey, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1987 draft, spent the first 11 years of his career with the Mariners. He was traded to Cincinnati after the 1999 season, and played with the Reds until spending the second half of the 2008 season with the Chicago White Sox.
Griffey returned to the Mariners last season and hit .214 with 19 home runs and 57 runs batted in. He was given credit for helping the Mariners rebound from a 101-loss season in 2008 to go 85-77 in 2009.
But Griffey had struggled at the plate this season, hitting just .184 in 98 at-bats. He had not hit a home run this season, and had seven RBI.
"I'd like to thank my family for all of the sacrifices they have made all of these years for me," Griffey said. "I'd like to thank the Seattle Mariners organization for allowing me to finish my playing career where it started. I look forward to a continued, meaningful relationship with them for many years to come.
"While I feel I am still able to make a contribution on the field, and nobody in the Mariners front office has asked me to retire, I told the Mariners when I met with them before the 2009 season and was invited back, that I will never allow myself to become a distraction. I feel that without enough occasional starts to be sharper coming off the bench, my continued presence as a player would be an unfair distraction to my teammates, and their success as team is what the ultimate goal should be."
Griffey ranks fifth all-time in home runs, trailing only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714) and Willie Mays (660).
Griffey was a 10-time American League All-Star and was the league's MVP in 1997. He also made three National League All-Star teams. He won 10 Gold Glove awards and seven Silver Sluggers.
"Ken is both the finest ballplayer I have ever known and one of the finest people I have ever known," Mariners president Chuck Armstrong said in a statement. "I consider myself unbelievably fortunate to have had the opportunity to watch a first-ballot Hall of Famer's career unfold in front of me, and in front of the great fans in Seattle."
Armstrong and Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln each credited Griffey with saving baseball in Seattle.
"Ken is truly the heart of soul of this franchise," Armstrong said. "Without his contributions there is little doubt that Safeco Field would not exist and, almost certainly, baseball would have left the Northwest.
"He always gave his all on the field, and quietly was a force for good in the community."
Lincoln called Griffey "the ballplayer most responsible for keeping Major League Baseball here in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest."
Lincoln continued: "For me, Ken Griffey is more than just a fabulous baseball player. He is a great man in every sense of the word. He is a wonderful family man; he is a man of deep compassion who has given generously to his fellow man; and he is a man who has played the game of life clean and with passion and conviction."
Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik called it a sad day for the Mariners.
"It is rare in this game when you get an opportunity to reunite a player and a team," Zduriencik said. "We feel honored that Ken was able to end his career where it began, here in Seattle. I'd like to wish Ken, Melissa and his family the very best."
Griffey said in the statement that he hoped his teammates could focus on baseball and "win a championship for themselves and for the great fans of Seattle, who so very much deserve one.
"Thanks to all of you for welcoming me back, and thanks again to everyone over the years who has played a part in the success of my career."
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
BP kind of evil?
Last week, the LA Times reported that local fishermen hired by BP to clean up the Gulf Coast spill had “become ill after working long hours near waters fouled with oil and dispersant.” Especially galling was the fact that one of the fishermen said that the company hadn’t provided them with any protective equipment, like gloves. Now, John Wunstell, Jr., one of the fishermen who became sick with “nosebleeds, an upset stomach, and aches,” is filing a restraining order against BP, citing the treatment he faced from the company after he went to the hospital:
“At West Jefferson, there were tents set up outside the hospital, where I was stripped of my clothing, washed with water and several showers, before I was allowed into the hospital,” Wunstell said. “When I asked for my clothing, I was told that BP had confiscated all of my clothing and it would not be returned.”
The restraining order requests that BP refrain from “altering, testing or destroying clothing or any other evidence or potential evidence” when workers become ill.
BP CEO Tony Hayward has tried to downplay the sicknesses, attributing them to food poisoning. However, Dr. Michael Osterholm, a professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, has said that Hayward’s explanation sounds fishy, explaining that the fishermens’ symptoms are more in line with a respiratory illness. On Friday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius called on BP to provide treatment for clean-up workers who become sick.
“At West Jefferson, there were tents set up outside the hospital, where I was stripped of my clothing, washed with water and several showers, before I was allowed into the hospital,” Wunstell said. “When I asked for my clothing, I was told that BP had confiscated all of my clothing and it would not be returned.”
The restraining order requests that BP refrain from “altering, testing or destroying clothing or any other evidence or potential evidence” when workers become ill.
BP CEO Tony Hayward has tried to downplay the sicknesses, attributing them to food poisoning. However, Dr. Michael Osterholm, a professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, has said that Hayward’s explanation sounds fishy, explaining that the fishermens’ symptoms are more in line with a respiratory illness. On Friday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius called on BP to provide treatment for clean-up workers who become sick.
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