Nobody 738

Sunday, March 30, 2008
Nobody # 738

Nobody Asked Me But:

DOWN The Bush/Chaney military machine for bringing more death than electricity to Iraq.

UP: The Bruins – three Final Fours in a row. They (and we) are off to San Antonio next weekend in search of college basketball’s Holy Grail – a national championship. (Pictures at bottom)

SIDEWAYS: The Reverend Jeremiah Wright (as filtered through The Onion) "For this land—the greatest on earth—is the land that I love, and may its song of liberty ring out from now until—what in the hell am I saying? This country and all its inhabitants can go take a flying **** for all I care."

Yes, he got carried away – but on the other hand, who among us has not said: You are the country I love, and at times you shame me?<<<

You taught me language, and my profit on't
Is I know how to curse. The red plague rid you For learning me your language! Shakespeare – The Tempest

And here’s an example of language learned:

“Over-egged the pudding.” That’s British for an extravagant claim.<<<

Forget the just before the dawn stuff. It’s always darkest when it is totally black.<<<

Here are the answers to last week’s questions

You have no doubt heard the expression “Wake up and smell the coffee!” If you could wake up every morning to the distinct smell of any one thing except coffee, what would you choose?

My first instinct was to say bacon, my second, plumeria. I’ll go with my first. I’m a reborn every day kind of person, and along with coffee, the smell of bacon reawakens the thought of possibilities.

Barb: “For me it would the fragrance of fresh-baked good – cinnamon, etc.”

Suppose you could buy stock in some famous individual rather than a company. In what particular person would you be most willing to invest a portion of your money? (Just as with a company’s stock, consider the future potential of the person in whom you are investing.)

I would invest in a Jrue Holliday. Jrue is only a senior in high school this year, so I may have to wait two or three years to get a return on my investment. He will play at UCLA next year and perhaps, but probably not, the following one. After that, its on to the NBA for this incredible athlete and the BIG bucks for him and his family, and big returns for me on my wise investment.<<<

Quotes of the week – three by Lupica: (Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News)

“Nice to see Dick Cheney out of the Federal Witness Protection Program this week.”

“No kidding, New York will soon be the first state in the union to have its own "Govs Gone Wild" DVD.”

“David Paterson apparently expects New York Democrats to start singing ‘Happy Days Are Here Again’ because he's the governor who didn't have to pay for it.”<<<

DOWN President Bill for being a dirtmeister – “I think it would be a great thing if we had an election year where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted to the interest of this country."

DOWN Hillary for claiming that - the former president was simply talking about the need to keep the race focused on issues, rather than falsely questioning any candidate's patriotism.

UP: “Lush Life” – Richard Price is a writer’s writer and this best seller is a trip disguised as a crime novel into New York’s Lower Eastside.

Sideways – “John Adams” – There are moments when I like this HBO histodrama and moments I am tempted to give it up as a big budget “You Are There” (without Walter Cronkite). Probably more of the latter than the former, but we shall see.

UP: Caribou coffee. When we were in Chapel Hill a couple of years ago, we had breakfast at a Caribou Coffee Shop. So imagine our surprise when Barb found Iced Caribou Coffee at Target last week. I had it one morning in place of my Starbucks and it was as good or better. (Sorry Starbuck’s!) And it came in a way cool container.

DOWN Elliot Spitzer, better known as the luv gov, for sex in his sox– if you are going to play, play all the way.

UP: CNN for reporting the truth about the failure of our government’s prevent defense against another terrorist attack from the sky. Only 1% of our planes fly with sky marshals.

I guess $720M doesn’t buy that much safety anymore.

DOWN: Billy Crystal for blowing his Yankee tryout by striking out. And I had him penciled in for the season to bat ahead of Jeter.

DOWN: Democratic divisiveness. Come on; pick a candidate (Obama) before McCain takes over the race.

DOWN - Joe Lieberman, for being McCain’s Sancho Panza, and for putting Israel’s interests before those of the United States.

UP: The smell of orange blossoms as we read on our patio.

UP: New Yorkers, for having the chutzpa to name the Red Sox as their fifth favorite professional team – behind, in order, Yankees, Mets, Giants and Bills.

Down: McCain – come on John, there is no Al Qaeda Iran. You know better than that. Al Qaeda is Sunni and Iran is Shi’ite.

DOWN: George Bush, for being the first president in history to veto a piece of anti-torture legislation.

Down: Me, for not being ready to start the baseball season with my annual predictions. But they will come within a few days. GO DODGERS!

DOWN: The press, for implying that Hillary is a liar. CAMERA SHOTS! She meant CAMERAS were shooting at her in Bosnia, not SNIPERS!

AND: Does anyone else feel that the Clintons are starting to make their critics look good?<<<

QUESTIONS FOR NEXT WEEK

If you had to come up with one question for a national opinion poll, what question would you most want to pose to the American public?

If you could reverse or rearrange the order of anything at all (i.e. the four seasons) what would you choose?

Nobody 737

Sunday, March 23, 2008
Nobody # 737

Nobody Asked Me But:


"I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slave owners - an inheritance we pass on to our precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins of every race and hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible." He said, "If we walk away now [from the subject of race], if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together." Barack Obama

He may or may not be elected president. He may not even get his party’s nomination, although he is looking good for it right now. But with this speech, Barack Obama became something more. Like those few who came before him, King, Lincoln, Frederick Douglas, Garrison, J.Q. Adams, he became America’s conscience.

My admiration has turned to awe.<<<

SPITZER EXPLAINED In a Time magazine profile, Eliot Spitzer recounts he "always had a complex relationship with authority" and once, his "fierce, demanding" father made him cry during a game of Monopoly.<<<

New York = Spitzer + Patterson. It has to be the water.<<<

And isn’t it delightful that the government employee who Patterson was bedding worked in the governor’s office of intergovernmental affairs? It’s true!<<<

Dolly Madison created a sensation when she served ice cream as a dessert in the White House at the second inaugural ball.

ON ICE CREAM

Fastest growing new flavor – Cookies ‘N Cream is also # 5 on best-seller list. Not to me. It is on my never buy list. My top three remain mocha almond fudge, butter pecan and fresh raspberry.

Top 11 ice cream consuming nations in the world.

1. United States
2. New Zealand
3. Denmark
4. Australia
5. Belgium/Luxenbourg
6. Sweden
7. Canada
8. Norway
9. Ireland
10. Switzerland
11. Turnerland<<<

The great Gestalt therapist, Fritz Perls, called it mind-fucking – the eternal why. Why was I born? Why am I living? Why did I do this or think that or feel something else? To Perls, whys were irrelevant - escape mechanisms that we use to avoid facing up to and living in the present.

I thought of Perls when I read this passage in “Lush Life.” The main cop character asks: “What good are answers when what’s done is done and something just like it, or worse, will happen tomorrow?”

I won’t go quite as far as Perls. I think that why’s are interesting and sometimes informative but dangerous when we use them not for growth, but for justification.<<<

Last week I wrote briefly on the subject of home schooling, questioning whether or not parents should be able to unilaterally choose this way to educate their children. My editor and my wife, actually my editor-wife asked me to expand upon this subject. So I will add three points.

Before any parent can choose the home schooling option he or she should be required to:

Prove that there is a compelling reason for the decision.
Prove that qualified teachers will teach the child an approved curriculum.
Be willing to have the child tested in all subject areas at regular interviews with agreed upon levels of progress.<<<

How quickly are the voters going to notice that McCain is a one-trick pony and most of them don’t even like the trick? Senator John has no domestic policy and his only foreign policy position seems to be “stay the course in Iraq, even if it takes 1000 years. Wake up voters. 4000 Americans have been killed in Iraq and countless Iraqis. Dr. Death should be polling 30% at best, not 46%.<<<

Did you know: that 501,000 Easter eggs were hidden last Easter in Cypress Garden Adventure Park in Winter Haven, Florida?<<<

Answers to last week’s questions

Which month of the year do you think would best describe your personality?

When I was young, June, with a little September mixed in. June was personal freedom, when school gave way to summer, a time of “no deeds to do.” September was another kind of excitement. Going back to teaching was a rebirth, a clean slate – new students, new ways to fine-tune the what and how of teaching.

Today, it is October – I can feel a slight chill in the air but my leaves are splendid.

George: I'd like to say April as the month that best describes my personality, because it is the month of spring, I'm really a December 21st or 22nd guy, the winter solctice, when days and light become longer than the nights and darkness. It's the wake-up call for me.

Suppose that you still lived in an age when Kings and Queens ruled the lands. If you were crowned an absolute monarch, what is the very first law you would impose on your kingdom?

Let’s assume that since I have written so much about the horrors of child abuse, I have already made that a capital crime – well, probably not capital, but it is tempting. So I will move on to my second action.

On a priority scale of importance, with 10 the highest, I would rate educating our children as a 20. Therefore, I would decree that schools get first call on all public funds.

However, I am aware that many administrators and some teachers take the money and run, i.e., are not dedicated to their task. For them my decree is “Off with their heads!”

Hugh: Visits to Starbuck's AND Coldstone's together, at least once a month, would be required by this monarch.

YOU GO HUGH

George: I would command that all people’s natural rights to life, liberty and property be respected so that my position as monarch no longer existed. An elected enforcer whose sole job it would be to protect these rights would replace me.

NICE IDEA GEORGE!<<<

And here is a late answer from my granddaughter Emily to the question about what she would like to have delivered to her doorstep every morning:

I would like a gift card to one of my favorite stores.

And the shopping beat goes on – from Barbara to Elizabeth to Emily.<<<


So, too, does the Bruin beat go on – if barely. Two more wins and we are San Antonio bound. (We being both the Bruins and the Turners)

Questions for next week

You have no doubt heard the expression “Wake up and smell the coffee!” If you could wake up every morning to the distinct smell of any one thing except coffee, what would you choose?

Suppose you could buy stock in some famous individual rather than a company. In what particular person would you be most willing to invest a portion of your money? (Just as with a company’s stock, consider the future potential of the person in whom you are investing.)

Nobody Final Four – 08

Thursday, March 20, 2008
Nobody Final Four – 08

Nobody Asked Me But:

BE WARNED! By reading this, you are surrendering the fun of being surprised for the satisfaction of knowing in advance how every game in the Tournament is going to turn out. If you use this information for gambling purposes, you may be prosecuted under the basketball section of the law banning insider-trading.

EAST REGION

Round One - North Carolina over Play-In, Arkansas over Indiana, Notre Dame over James Mason, Washington State over Winthrop, St Josephs over Oklahoma, Louisville over Boise State, Butler over South Alabama, Tennessee over American.

Round Two – North Carolina over Arkansas, Washington State over Notre Dame, Louisville over St. Josephs, Tennessee over Butler.

Sweet Sixteen – North Carolina over Washington State, Tennessee over Louisville.

Elite eight – Tennessee over North Carolina

MID-WEST REGION

Round One - Kansas over Portland State, UNLV over Kent State, Clemson over Villanova, Vanderbilt over Sienna, Kansas State over USC, Wisconsin over Cal. State, Fullerton, Davidson over Gonzaga, Georgetown over UMBC.

Round Two – Kansas over UNLV, Vanderbilt over Clemson, Wisconsin over Kansas State, Georgetown over Davidson.

Sweet Sixteen – Kansas over Vanderbilt, Wisconsin over Georgetown.

Elite Eight – Wisconsin over Kansas

SOUTH REGION

Round One - Memphis over Texas Arlington, Oregon over Mississippi State, Michigan State over Temple, Pitt. Over Oral Roberts, Marquette over Kentucky, Stanford over Cornell, St. Mary’s over Miami, Texas over Austin Peay

Round two – Memphis over Oregon, Pitt. Over Michigan State, Stanford over Marquette, Texas over St. Mary’s.

Sweet Sixteen – Memphis over Pitt., Texas over Stanford

Elite Eight - Memphis over Texas

WEST REGION

Round One - UCLA over Miss. Valley State, BYU over Texas A&M, Drake over Western Kentucky, UConn Over San Diego, Purdue over Baylor, Xavier over Georgia, West Virginia over Arizona, Duke over Belmont

Round Two – UCLA over BYU, Drake over UConn, Xavier over Purdue, Duke over West Virginia

Sweet Sixteen – UCLA over Drake, Xavier over Duke

Elite Eight – UCLA over Xavier

FINAL FOUR

UCLA over Memphis, Tennessee over Wisconsin

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

UCLA over Tennessee

Nobody 736

Sunday, March 16, 2008
Nobody 736

Nobody Asked Me But:

ADHD

Out of control
Prescribed medication
Just what you need
To achieve relaxation
Mental collapse
Insightful distortion
Taking its toll
The perfect proportion
Swallow the pill
Suppression of thought
Slowly calm down
Just what you bought

Children

The born infestation
Mini-van generation
The blind leading blind
Corrupting the mind
The gang of conformists
Numbers enormous
With each year that passes
They join the masses
Think that you’re old
You’re losing your hold
Kids so polite
Once so contrite
Now they have changed
Horribly deranged

Last minute change: I was going to write about educational reform, in the space above, but I would be repeating myself. Instead, I will use this space as a showcase for young writers; in this case 14-year-old poet/song writer Ryan Thomson - who just happens to be my 14-year-old grandson.

Home schooling – Governor Terminator says:

"Every California child deserves a quality education and parents should have the right to decide what's best for their children." And "Parents should not be penalized for acting in the best interests of their children's education.”

I say: Parents do not rule their children by divine right. Schooling is one of several areas where the government must act in loco parentis to see that the best interests of the children are protected.<<<

Here are the answers to last week’s questions.

What is something that you always used to love to do that during the last few years you feel like you have “outgrown” or simply lost interest in?

Clean and dust.

Get serious, Jim! I wouldn’t say lost interest but rather declining interest. My desire to go to fancy restaurants has diminished. I still like the experience once in a while, but most of the time I would rather go simple and familiar – a place where I know I will love the food.

What song has the power to bring you to tears faster than any other?

Edelweiss, from The Sound Of Music, although it is more the moment – when Captain Von Trapp is reunited with his children - than it is the song. Remember, he comes into a room where the children are singing and realizes that they need his love more than his stern discipline. And he needs theirs. His daughter hands him his guitar and he sings “Edelweiss, Edelweiss.” I have watched the scene many times and never without tearing up.

For a song alone, my answer is: “Yesterday when I was young.” The strange thing is that I am rarely nostalgic for yesterday except when I hear this song.

“Yesterday, when I was young,
The taste of life was sweet as rain upon my tongue,”

George: The one song that always brings me to tears, and did the first time I heard it, is "Nasun Dorma" the great opera aria by Puchini, especially the version by Pavoratti.<<< “

Virtually all of the windows facing Centennial Olympic Park on the Omni Hotel, which is attached to CNN Center, were shattered. One employee said visitors to the hotel were being evacuated.”

WOW! We were staying in one of these rooms and looking out its window just over a
year ago.<<<


PAC-10 champions! Pac-10 Tournament champions! 31-3! 19-2 against PAC-10 teams this year! Bring on the NCAA Tournament! GO BRUINS!<<<

From a Pew survey, did you know:

That among American immigrants, Hindus are Among the richest and best educated?

Which only goes to show that staying away from Ruth’s Chris Steakhouses can be good for you.<<<

Yes, there is a heaven. (see picture)

Barb just finished a series of British crime novels and took great pleasure in the frequent colloquialisms. I am finding the same thing in the excellent novel “Lush Life.” While hers national-regional, mine are regional-street smart – NYC version.

Example - “An Arab twenty-four hour”

CNN Headline: Girl seen in Clinton's '3 a.m.' ad supports Obama.

It seems she awoke and found that her choice might have to be Clinton or McCain and got scared.<<<

I was thrilled last week to read about the impulsive gambler who is suing the casino for not cutting her off. This opens up so many possibilities for me:

Sue the ice cream store.
Sue the tee-shirt department at Macy’s.
Sue Starbucks – actually only the mocha-maker.
Sue my wife (for too-large portions).<<<

AND DID YOU KNOW: That Wonder Woman turns 66 this year?<<<

THE YEAR OF LIVING BIBLICALLY: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible. A. J. Jacobs.

No, I haven’t read it, but I love the title. However, I would admire Jacobs more without the safety net, or as he describes it: “If I wanted to understand my forefathers, this year would let me live like they did, but with less leprosy.”<<<

Here’s Hillary the candidate:

“Every so often I just wish that it were a little more of an even playing field.”

Here’s petulant President Hillary:

“How come you’re not asking Ahmadinejad these questions first?”<<<

Here’s Hillary on November 10, 2000, on democracy vs. the Electoral College: "I believe strongly that in a democracy, we should respect the will of the people and to me, that means it's time to do away with the Electoral College and move to the popular election of our president."

Here’s Hillary in March, 2008 on the Electoral College vs. democracy (and I am paraphrasing without changing her meaning): I am winning the big states with the most electoral votes, so I deserve the nomination.”<<<

“Kansas woman sat on boyfriend's toilet for 2 years; didn't want to leave bathroom.”

Now do you see what I meant last week about Kansas?<<

Next week's questions

Which month of the year do you think would best describe your personality?

Suppose that you still lived in an age when Kings and Queens ruled the lands. If you were crowned an absolute monarch, what is the very first law you would impose on your kingdom?

Nobody 735

Sunday, March 9, 2008
Nobody # 735

Nobody Asked Me But:

The time is out of joint: Oh, cursed spite,
That ever I was born to set it right! Hamlet 1.5.193-198

ON THE WAR AGAINST DRUGS

About two weeks ago, Dan Rather had an excellent documentary on InSite, Vancouver’s experimental answer to drug abuse.

InSite is North America’s only supervised injection facility. In this pilot program, the city offers its (mostly) street people a safe haven where they can do their drugs in a supervised facility with clean needles. They also offer free, non- mandated support and counseling to those who want to break the habit. The program has not ended the city’s drug problem, but many feel it has made a dent into it. And it has, most certainly, saved lives.

And yet, the program is in danger. Like those of the United States, Canada’s drug laws are national, and Vancouver had to receive permission from Parliament in Ottawa to suspend the criminalization laws within the city. Now that the Conservatives have regained control of the government, there is a real chance that the dispensation will be terminated.

Many, including Mayor Sam Sullivan, hope for the opposite. They would like to provide free drugs, which they think would greatly reduce on-the-street market value for their illegal counterparts and dry up profits for the pushers. It would also reduce the danger of people harming or killing themselves with impure drugs.

If I were a betting man, I would bet that Ottawa says no to expanding the program and even to its continuation. Conservatives in Canada, like their American cousins, aren’t big on humanizing the drug problem. They would rather make war, not love.

I could even agree if there was any evidence that the drug war accomplishes anything other than filling prisons. You make war on enemies. Most users are not enemies. They are sick. We don’t put drinkers in prison for being alcoholics. We don’t even lock up their suppliers.

In the case of narcotics, I am all for locking up the suppliers, although, with a large share of their markets gone, many will be out of business anyway. But, by all means, catch those who remain, and then throw away the key.

At the same time, reach out to the users. Show that we can be compassionate society. Decriminalize use. Try a few InSite-like experiments. The war on drugs has two strikes against it. It was a bad idea and it doesn’t work. It is time for a called third strike. It is time to return to our better selves.<<<

ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK’S QUESTIONS

In what part of our country can you not even imagine having to live?

I would HATE to live in the Great Plains, Kansas specifically, where the wind sweeps coldly cross the plains, and seldom is heard an evolutionary word and immaculate creationism reigns supreme.

Hugh – “I suppose that Buffalo, NY would be the place that I could NEVER want to live in. Very nasty in the winter!”

Barb: “I would never want to live more than an hour, an hour-and-a-half at most, away from the ocean or a large body of water.”

If you were a songwriter drawing from recent experiences in your life as material for your next big hit, what would be the song’s title?

There is no Quee in K’bec

There is no Quee in K’bec
No T in Mon-real
And if you take French from French Fry
Then buddy, you’ve got Gaul.<<<

ON BASKETBALL

“The Bruins started poorly and got worse.” LA Times. How true! And it just made the overtime win Thursday over Stanford (77-67) that much sweeter. The victory, which came in one of the most exciting games I have seen in a very long time, clinched their third straight PAC-10 championship. These Bruins, on occasion, lose their offense, but rarely do they lose their toughness at game’s end.

Unbelievable! Yesterday, against California, the Bruins repeated their thrilling Thursday and actually upped the ante. Their 81-80 victory came on an off-balance 3 by Kevin Love, a steal and a behind the backboard floater by Josh Shipp with 1.5 seconds left.

And to show you what a difficult ticket UCLA has become, Jack Nicholson could not afford the type of courtside seat that he buys for Laker games. He had to settle for 5th row, directly across from us. He did look like he was getting his money’s worth in fun. (How about a donation, Jack, to redo Pauley?)

And here’s a huge salute to Bruin senior Lorenzo Mata-Real (picture)who played his last game at Pauley yesterday. He never stepped on the court without giving his best, and he is the epitome of a team player. This summer he will be the first person from his family to graduate from college. And now, on to the PAC-10 Tourney!!!<<<

On April 12th, in Portland, Oregon the ten-player high school U. S. Select Team will play the World Select team. Of the 10 players, 4 will be playing for the Bruins next year. Here are their pictures.

(Note: The other picture is of a center who was ready to sign a letter of intent but was rejected by the Bruins as being too political.)<<<

ON TUESDAY’S PRIMARIES

Make no mistake. The Texas and Ohio wins for Hillary were big. Much to my disappointment, she is right back in the race. I think Barack’s tactics in the weeks between his last win and Tuesday were all wrong. He placed too much emphasis on the Superdelegates, while letting Clinton to set the elections agenda. He allowed her to become the aggressor. To use a basketball analogy, Obama played not to lose rather than to win. In politics, as in other sports, she who sets the agenda has a large edge.

If Barack is going to win, he needs to take over the race again – to get his team into Pennsylvania and once more become the hungry candidate and not the contented one.

And, as Hugh points out, isn’t it strange that Hillary scored big in Ohio by opposing NAFTA, which she helped Bill create? That’s back to the old bit about fooling some of the voters all of the time and all of the voters some of the time.

What concerns me is that she could get the nomination just as I have learned to not like her much. She needs to lose, or I need to change.<<<

LA TIMES HEADLINE: Boy, 6, shot in head in Harbor Gateway area

I have written this before, but it is worth writing again. We don’t need the war in Iraq (or on drugs). We need one on gangs. We need to take back our cities and stop the drive-bys.<<<

Has anyone else noticed that the press has been more on Barack’s case the past few days? Could this have anything to do with Hillary’s charges that they favor Obama?

Of course not. To believe that is to believe that reporters are easily manipulated. That all you have to do is call them unfair and, true or not, you’ve got them.

That’s not our media……………………………..is it?<<<

I did something unusual – for me – last week. I stopped reading a book after 100 pages. (“Hunter’s Moon” by Randy Wayne White) I just didn’t like it much. Usually I am selective enough that this doesn’t happen, but when it does I stubbornly force myself to finish and then regret the wasted time.

Out of curiosity, I looked for a review of the book on Google to see if I was alone in my feelings and this is what I found:

“Unless you enjoy books with ridiculous plots, characters that are undefined and absurd, and a story that doesn't begin to do what little it does until well into the book, don't buy this book. I'm not familiar with other books by the author, and given my opinions of this one, I cannot imagine finding out. Boy, is this a bad book.”

I think I told you that I collect distinctive one-liners (sometimes two) out of all types of reviews. Here are a few of them.

Movie: “The Bucket List.”
“A travelogue of triteness.” Kevin Crust, LA Times.

Best Seller: “Liberal Fascism” by Jonah Goldberg.
“By the time I made it to the final pages, I was wishing that I had been invited instead to review a multi-volume history of farm subsidies. Michael Tomasky, The New Republic.”

Restaurant: Paperfish, a new Los Angeles seafood restaurant.
“served with braised winter greens and a lima bean purée that should have stayed in the kitchen.” S. Irene Virbila, LA Times.

One more review. An LA Times staffer wrote about the new DVD release of Sidney Lumet’s great courtroom drama, “12 Angry Men:”

“For one thing, its tidy, idealized depiction of the American justice system seems like a product of a more naïve time.”

Uh, buddy, it was a more naïve time.<<<

JOHN MCCAIN FLUNKED HIS HIGH SCHOOL MATH CLASS

At least I think he did. What else can explain his claim last Monday that a recent USA Today/Gallup poll shows that “the majority of Americans believe the surge is succeeding,” when, in fact, only 43% responded that it was?

And more bad news, John: 60% still call the war a mistake.<<<

ECO TERRORISTS BURN SEATTLE HOUSES

Terrorists are terrorists. They all claim “Holy” causes to justify their violence. They all deserve to go down.

AND DID YOU KNOW:

That employers take a $1.2B dollar loss each year while employees fill out their NCAA brackets?

NEXT WEEK’S QUESTIONS

What is something that you always used to love to do, that during the last few years you feel like you have “outgrown” or simply lost interest in?

What song has the power to bring you to tears faster than any other?

Nobody 734

Sunday, March 2, 2008
Nobody # 734

Nobody Asked Me But:

“Thou shalt not ration justice.” Learned Hand

I have four important announcements:

First, two days ago, on February 29, Elizabeth celebrated her 11th birthday. The fact that she is married and has an incredible family only makes this number all the more remarkable. So Happy Birthday and a Paul Simon reminder – “There will never be a father loves his daughter more than I love you.”



Second, my good and great friend Jim, (pictured here with his wife Vicki, Barbara and a glass of Cab standing in for me)along with a co-editor, has launched an Internet literary magazine, “Straiitjackets.” Trust me! It is way cool and well worth your checking it out at this address:

http://www.straitjacketsmagazine.com/support4/table.contents.feb2008.htm

Third, Jim also met an agent who is VERY interested in one of his novels. Congratulations, Jimmy.

Fourth, I wrote to you earlier this week about “Nobody” being “Goooglized.” You can find at least many of them by typing in Nobody: Nobody 697, or some other identifying number. The way I discovered this was also cool. Someone outside of our little group published a comment about “Vaginagate.”<<<

A rhetorical question I know but – is there no shame in politics?

Some conservatives are accusing Obama of lacking patriotism, because he once failed to put his hand over his heart while singing the national anthem.

Those who rip and tear at a person with twisted words are low and filthy and disgusting and STUPID. They are so vile as to be beneath contempt.

Just think what they will say about me when I run, BECAUSE:

1. I never place my hand over my heart at the playing of our national anthem. (Rote loses meaning.)
2. I refuse to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. (Rote again, plus “under God” has no place in the pledge nor in my vocabulary)
3. I am as quick to point out my country’s faults, as I am my own.
4. I AM A PATRIOT!<<<

Make me Barack’s campaign manager, and I would tell him to keep hanging Bush around McCain’s neck just as he does here:

"I honor and respect the service of John McCain. He is a genuine American hero and deserves our respect," Obama said Thursday while campaigning in Fort Worth, Texas.

"But John McCain, embraces -- almost whole hog -- George Bush's policies."<<<

ANSWERS OF THE WEEK

Suppose that everywhere you went, you had to carry a shoebox around with you, and in that shoebox you had to keep what you consider the most unusual or unique object you own. When people invariably ask you to show them what’s in the box, what item would be revealed?

It would have to be a Shaq-size shoebox, because my choice is my desk globe that rotates by the power of light. Of course, since the box is dark, I would have to take it out and sit it on its stand to show it off properly.

Runner’s up would be my Starbuck’s Christmas decorations – ceramic store and metal train, both of which light up.

Elizabeth - "Ok, for my most unusual or unique object...I have a few. One would be your SEA gavel that I have on my dresser. Everyone asks what it is, so I tell them it was from when you were president of the teachers union."

"The other might be this worn out, small plastic owl I have saved since I was a child. I used to pretend it was magic and flew around my room."

If you could have a home on the shore of any body of water in the world, which waterfront would you choose?

I would choose the north shore of Oahu. I could (carefully) play in the summer surf and in winter watch the humongous waves crash on the beach – but always recede before reaching my property.

My second choice would be to live on the Coronado side of San Diego Bay. There I would have not only the water view but the San Diego city view as well.

Tom would choose a riverside house in Ottawa, perhaps next door to the official residence of the Canadian prime minister.<<<

President Bush has spoken of the importance of preventing Iran from having "the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon."

The “knowledge” necessary: Does that mean he wants to bomb the brains out of them?<<<

THIS JUST IN ON ARIZONA’S CONTINUING BATTLE TO ARM TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

PHOENIX — A Senate panel voted Monday to let students and staff at community colleges and state universities arm themselves for protection, but not their counterparts at public schools.

The bill’s sponsor, Karen Johnson, R-Mesa, said that the bill falls far short of her ideal - "I still feel like our little kindergartners are sitting there as sitting ducks, defenseless if someone with a weapon burst into the classroom.”

You know that she is right. (Far right) If a killer knew that many of those kindergarten kids were “carrying,” he would never dare to invade their space.<<<

RATING THE DIFFERENCES

McCain wants to continue the Bush tax cuts, while the Democrats want to end them. (Selfish Jim gives the edge here to McCain. Wise Jim says Democrats. As much as I like lower taxes, we can’t have a great country “on the cheap.”)

McCain wants to continue the war in Iraq, while the Democrats have vowed to begin to end it. (We need a plan and a timetable to get out of a war we should have never started - huge edge to Democrats.)

McCain wants to deal with the healthcare crisis with tax cuts and inflation controls, while the Democrats both favor more government-directed efforts to expand health insurance coverage. (Health care without government involvement will always mean profits over patients - huge edge to Democrats.)

McCain says, “I'm a conservative Republican, and they're liberal Democrats.” (Huge edge for Democrats.)

Oh, and one more: McCain admires Henry Kissinger. (Huge edge for anybody who doesn’t.)<<<

Tuesday’s debate: I thought Hillary opened poorly with her complaints about being treated unfairly by the press (even Saturday Night Live??) but was effective after that. However, her admission that she was wrong to vote for the war is about 10 months too late for her campaign and 6 1/2 years too late for the country.

But even her decent debate can’t cancel the sense of desperation that permeates Clinton’s campaign. Criticizing Obama’s “funny” outfits" and implying that his wearing a Mali robe means he is soft on Islam – that is both dumb and low.

Incidentally, here’s Hil and Chelsea wearing hijabs on a Middle-eastern visit. Hypocrisy anyone?

Just wondering: If Hillary has the edge in experience, why has her campaign been so disorganized and shortsighted, almost to the point of being chaotic? And you can probably drop the almost.

One small example: After the Potomac primary wipeout, her chief strategist, Mark Penn declared that Mr. Obama hadn’t won in “any of the significant states” outside of his home state of Illinois.

At least one blogger calls this her “insult 40 states” strategy.

And finally, is Hillary now between Barack and a hard place?<<<

How deep would the ocean be if it contained no sponges? Just wondering?<<<

RE: The PACKISTANI ELECTION

Here’s President George: (see picture) "Democracy is the antidote to terrorism.”

Here’s President George on sodium pentothal: “Why didn’t the dumb bastards vote the way we wanted them to? Now we may have to reverse the election.”<<<

It is an understatement to say I was surprised by the earthquake in Great Britain last week. I thought British Common Law prohibited them. But upon further research I learned that:

The last big British earthquake was in 1990, when a 5.1 tremor hit Bishop’s Castle, Shropshire.

The largest earthquake recorded in Britain had a magnitude of 6.1 and struck offshore in the North Sea on June 7, 1931, about 75 miles northeast of Great Yarmouth.

Britain’s largest onshore tremor struck in Lleyn, North Wales, on July 19, 1984, with a magnitude of 5.4. It was felt over an area of about 240,000 sq km.

British earthquakes have killed 11 people since 1580. Six were killed by falling stones, two fell from upper floors, two died of shock and one committed suicide.<<<

Good-bye to William F. Buckley. I didn’t like his politics, but I admired his brain, wit and style. All three were on display when he was talked into running for mayor of NY City in 1965. He did not expect to win, (he didn’t) and when asked what he would do if he won, replied, “I’d demand a recount.”<<<

And while on epitaphs, could our president have a more fitting one than this quote on the possibility that gas prices may reach $4 per galleon?

“'That's interesting, I hadn't heard that.”

Get in the game George!<<<

Bush will never be King Lear because he does not “Have more than thou showest,” and it would be impossible for him to “Speak less than thou knowest.”<<<

Actually he is more King Hypocrite than Lear. How can a man who recognizes every despot in the world who is friendly to the U. S. have the gall to say of Obama’s willingness to meet Raul Castro – “to do so would grant great status to those who have suppressed human rights and human dignity?”<<<

A sad good-bye to Duttons bookstore in Brentwood. Barb and I have spent many happy hours at signings, buying books and Christmas presents and just browsing. We weren’t the only ones. Over the years we shared the store with Dustin Hoffman, George Raveling and others.

Another great independent bites the dust.<<<

QUESTIONS FOR NEXT WEEK

In what part of our country can you not even imagine having to live?

If you were a songwriter drawing from recent experiences in your life as material for your next big hit, what would be the song’s title?