Nobody 759

Sunday, March 8, 2009
Nobody # 759

Nobody Asked Me But:

“…a game of catch -- to this day, the best free activity the world has ever known.” Chris Erskine, LA Times

Ain’t it the truth! I grew up playing catch. And those times were simple and beautiful and true. Excuse me while I get my glove, wake up my wife and head out to the back yard.<<<

NO BAILOUTS WITHOUT STRICT REGULATION AND TIGHT OVERSIGHT!<<<

If, as the Right says, Obama and the Democrats are waging a war on Capitalism, then it seems to me that most of our banker and business capitalists are begging to be made prisoners of war.<<<

Diogenes and Obama - Both have dreamed the impossible dream: Diogenes, that he can find an honest man, Obama, that he can find a cabinet appointee who has paid his or her taxes.<<<

I see where another Republican leader (Republican National Committee, Michael Steele) has apologized to Rush Limbaugh. While I am no Republican, it is time that I, too, do my duty.

Rush, I’m sorry I called you an overweight, overwrought, bigoted, self-worshiping idiot. You are not as overweight as you used to be.<<<

All right. Now that I have had my fun, I think that I and my fellow Democrats should remember that Rush is simply a less talented and paler Cedric the Entertainer and ignore him.<<<

I take second to no one in my admiration for Princes Diane - except for the British, that is. In their poll of history’s 100 greatest Brits, the wondrous Di finished THIRD!

THEIR TOP 6

1. Sir Winston Churchill, (1874-1965)
2. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, (1806–1859) - engineer, creator of Great Western Railway and other significant works
3. Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997)
4. Charles Darwin (1809–1882)
5. William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
6. Sir Isaac Newton (1643–1727)

MY TOP 6

1. Queen Elizabeth I – England’s greatest monarch, she started England’s primacy which would last for over three centuries.
2. William Shakespeare- Did for the English language and English literature what Elizabeth did for English politics.
3. Sir Isaac Newton – Started the revolution in which science challenged God for authority.
4. Charles Darwin – Did for natural science that which Newton did for physical science.
5. Queen Victoria – Ruled long and well over England’s greatest days.
6. Winston Churchill – Kept Hitler at bay.<<<

And did you see where the once computer-challenged John McCain is doing a lot of tweeting these days? My guess that if Walt Disney were still alive he would probably call Senator John twitterpated.<<<

TWO MORE SPORTS RUSHMORES

New York – (uniquely, all are baseball players) Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio.

Boston – Ted Williams, Red Aurbach, Carl Yastrzemski, Bobby Orr (Note: Bill Russell would be here but was placed in Northern California instead).<<<

I was watching “30 Rock” on Hulu earlier this week. The show is hilarious. I loved this line in particular. Alec Baldwin is complaining to Tina Fey about how religious his girlfriend, Selma Hayek, is. Fey responds:

“If I had those knockers I’d be thanking God too.”<<<

This quote is from Dan Neil, but it could just as well have come from my wife: “I would rather quaff a flagon of turpentine than drink Pepsi.”<<<

I am sure that you have seen pictures of the two lions guarding the entrance to the New York Public Library. But did you know they have names? It was during the Great Depression when Mayor LaGuardia, the man who, during a newspaper strike, read the Sunday comics over the radio to the kids, christened them Patience and Fortitude.<<<

Another excellent quote, this from Washington Post columnist E. J. Dionne: “The central issue in American politics now is whether the country should reverse a three-decade-long trend of rising inequality in incomes and wealth.”

And another: “If a comet smashes into the earth tonight, there will at least be one positive side effect: The end of A.I.G.”: Henry Blodget – Clusterstock

Here are three more talked about changes in the California Constitution, with my reactions to each.

All statewide executive officials except for governor and lieutenant governor should be appointed and not elected. Agree. As in our national government, the executive functions should be exercised by the governor and his appointees. This fixes responsibility and increases efficiency.

Team candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, as we do for president and vice president. Agree. It makes no sense to have a governor from one party and the lieutenant governor from the opposition. Let the candidate choose his or her running mate.<<<

Operate the state on a two-year budget cycle. Disagree. Economic conditions and public needs can change to quickly. But make the budget passing a democratic process by eliminating the 2/3 requirement.<<<

In his column last Tuesday, David Brooks wrote that Obama’s budget takes the country too far, too fast.

I understand his concern, but I disagree. Every one of Obama’s dreams is legitimate, every fulfillment past due. If the president parcels out his plans over his years in office, many or most will fade as they have with past presidents. Better to go for them all now when the public is most receptive and get “The Moral Deal” started.<<<

And I love Brook’s conclusion - The only thing more scary than Obama’s experiment is the thought that it might fail and the political power will swing over to a Republican Party that is currently unfit to wield it.<<<

In a recent issue of Los Angeles magazine, six film reviewers were each asked four interesting questions. The seven (I’m jumping in here) will answer 1 per week.

Question 1 – What is the first movie you fell in love with?

Joe Morgenstern – Wall street Journal – Betty Boop

David Ansen - Newsweek – The African Queen

Manohla Dargis – New York Times – Jules and Jim

Todd McCarthy – Daily Variety – The Wizard of OZ

Ella Taylor – LA Weekly – Old Yeller

Kenneth Turan –LA Times – Lady and the Tramp

Jim Turner – Nobody (Kidding) - Like most kids I was fascinated by The Wizard of OZ, but the first film I fell in love with was Gunga Din. I laughed and screamed and gasped and grinned while watching this greatest adventure movie of them all.<<<

Did you know: that health problems are behind half the bankruptcies in this country, and three-quarters of those bankrupt people had health insurance when they got sick?

Tell me again that we don’t need health care reform – now! And urgently!

Last minute addition: Now we have congressional Democrats fighting to hold on to farm subsidies for farmers making more than $500,000 per year. Pardon me while I pause to cry.<<<