Nobody 748

Sunday, December 21, 2008
Nobody # 748

Nobody Asked Me But:

“Principle is often pragmatism’s guardian.”

Here is my early New Year’s wish for all of you:

Since many or most of our life decisions are about choosing between WHY BOTHER and WHY NOT, I wish for each of you a year filled with WHY NOTS.<<<

JIM’S PERSON OF THE YEAR
Not much suspense here. From dominating the early primaries, to the question marks raised by his troubling defeats by Hillary in the blue-collar states, to his huge victory on election day, to the smooth and seamless way he has thus far handled his current status, Barack Obama has named the year as few others have recently.<<<

JIM’S PERSONS OF THE YEAR

Another easy choice. The American voters. I choke a bit with emotion as I remember the pride in nation I felt on Election Day and again yesterday when the polls showed almost 80% of the people strongly supporting our first black president-elect.<<<

JIM’S SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR

The Tiger man. But wait! He only competed for half the year. It doesn’t matter. And put COMPETE in capital letters. Tiger’s victory at the Open in a playoff, ON ONE LEG, was, for me, one of the greatest moments in sports history.<<<

And isn’t it remarkable in this land of ours, with all its glory and all its terrible history of racism, that arguably the two most respected people, our President-elect and Tiger Woods, are biracial?<<<

News item: The sponsors of Proposition 8 asked the California Supreme Court to nullify the marriages of the estimated 18,000 same-sex couples who exchanged vows before voters approved the ballot initiative that outlawed gay unions.

Reaction: I think they’re wrong, but people of good conscience can oppose gay marriage. But only people of mean spirit would try to undo these marriage vows taken in good faith and sanctified by the law as then constituted.

Oh, and by the way, mean spirits, I hope that ex post facto gets shoved up your … throats.<<<

Overrated – “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Underrated - “Mr. MaGoo’s Christmas Carol.”<<<

QUESTIONS FOR THE ANSWER MAN

Q: Do you think the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, should be closed?

A: No keep it open. Try those who are detained legally, release those who are not and open a wing for politically corrupt American politicians. Make the governor of Illinois the first guest.

Q: Are the Lakers the worst 21-3 (21-4) (21-5) team in NBA history?

A: History is a long time. Let’s just say the worst in the past 100 years.

Q: Should Governor Patterson appoint Caroline Kennedy to fill Hillary’s NY Senate seat?

A: Yes, unless he wants to incur Nobody’s wrath all over the Internet.

Q: Was the priest right that this Playboy cover is blasphemous in that it is supposed to represent the Virgin Mary?

A: Absolutely not. There are no virgins on Playboy covers.

Q: If they call a cookie a biscuit in the UK, then what do they call a biscuit?

A: They do not have any such animal “over there.” The closest thing is a scone.

Q: What should President Obama do if Senate Republicans try to block his programs?

A: He should Trumanize them, i.e. hang them with it. Their numbers will shrink more in 2010.

Q: Can you name one good thing that Newt Gingrich has ever done?

A: As a matter of fact, yes. Just the other day he criticized the Republican National Committee for trying to tie Obama to the Illinois scandal. (But don’t ask me to name two.)

Q: What do you think of Flame, the new Burger King Whopper Cologne for men? (It’s true; I don’t make these things up – at least not this time) A: I think it is a great gift for single men who want to meat lots of hungry girls.

Q: Ex-Bruin and current Laker Jordan Farmar seeks clarity about his role on the team. Can you provide this?

A: Certainly. Play better and you will play more.<<<

A swing and a miss, and it’s strike one on our President-elect. Why on earth did he choose a bigot, Rick Warren, to give the inaugural invocation?<<<

Recently I saw a CNN headline asking what Obama can learn from Bush. I linked to the article. It was blank.<<<

On the other hand, credit where credit is due: "I didn't know what the guy said, but I saw his sole." President Bush

Now that’s funny!<<<

I want you to know that I am no Johnny-come-lately to the Obama philosophy. When I was a kid I took pennies and nickels from my brother’s bank –even then I wanted change.<<<

Any bailout of the Detroit three must have stringent conditions, because they created the problem. For too long they have made cars that too many people did not want to buy.<<<


And do the kings of finance deserve the same criticisms that are raining down on the knights of manufacturing? Absolutely! More perhaps, as theirs were sins of commission rather than of omission.<<<

Airline oxymoron – customer service.<<<

No, they shouldn’t be a team of mavericks, I’ll leave that to the late, not so great Republican ticket, but they should be another oxymoron. Ten games into their season, what my Bruins need is a modest swagger. They need to be both sure of themselves and, at the same time, humble.<<< (picture is of the Bruin freshmen five)

Question of the week – this for President-elect Barack Obama: What can your administration do to give life to the moribund Israel/Palestine peace process?<<<

Here is the first of my “Surprise, it didn’t stink” awards for 2008. It goes to “American Wife.” You would think that a novel about Laura Bush, which included some pretty hot sex scenes, would be trashy, not classy. Surprise! Classy it is.<<<

Notes to myself or, on having a new TV, Blu-ray and speaker stand with 4 remotes and the danger of a mind/body meltdown.

Step 1 – Turn on the TV with DVR control.
Step 2 - Use speaker stand remote to turn on sound in speaker stand.
Step 3 – Use Blue-ray remote urn on the DVD player, then insert DVD
Step 4 – Use TV remote to change from mode 3 to mode 1. (To do this, press insert.)
Step 5 (I hope) – Watch DVD.<<<