SOMEBODY NEEDS TO SAY IT!
Rumor on a Queer Ledger
Humor with a Gay Edger
A Legend in my own Grime
December 19, 2007
Patti LaBelle did it! The stage burst into flame when she sang with her group, on Clash of the Choirs, with her trademark style (a lot of melodic screaming) of a little (drag queen) ballad called “Over the Rainbow.” I think she and Barbara Streisand are the only living humans authorized to sing it. And I loved the way country boy Blake Shelton flirted with Nick Lachey during the judging. So, it’s official, I’m hooked.
I forgot to tell you about the shoe incident. Ms Thing kicked off her shoes at the end of the song, prompting the following contestants and stars to do the same. P.U. is all I’ve got to say. You heard me!
BBC World News was just herded into Guantanamo with cameras, believe it or not. Officers there told the newsman they withhold toilet paper from unruly prisoners, which is as mean as they supposedly get, although withholding T.P. is just plain unhealthy not to mention wrong. They also said they currently tube-feed several inmates who are fasting. I can’t wait ‘til that prison is a bad memory.
Gotta Luv Her Dept: Amy Winehouse was arrested in London yesterday, regarding her hubby’s witness-tampering problems (a whole ‘nuther story), but don’t get excited. They questioned and released her without charge. Being arrested has a different meaning in the UK. What, no rehab . . . again?
The Advocate reports 80% of gays voted in the last midterm elections. So, being 10% of the population and for the most part politically unified, we have the potential to wield enormous power.
I was shocked to discover Wal*Mart selling vibrating penis rings. What’s next? Dildos with smiley faces?
NBC’s Clash of the Choirs was as interesting on Mon as ABC’s Holiday with the Stars on Sun. I thought Patti LaBelle would save the show, but I couldn’t watch long enough to find out.
Whoever that blond Bacardi Limon model is on those holiday ads, please go home because I can’t take the torture of only looking, not touching. You make my pockets smile. Yeah, you heard me!
December 17, 2007
I’m sorry but one hour of Republican Contender Mitt (?) Romney on Meet the Press, Sun morning was about 55 minutes too long.
I was gonna say something good about ABC’s Sunday afternoon Holiday with the Stars, but then I remembered I’d rather forget.
Miley, we know you’re not a real drag queen! The jig is up!
When did Wayne Newton turn Chinese? Do he and Michael Jackson go out together? Why not?
Hey, Mannilow, Olivia called; she has risen from the dead and wants her cheeks back! I love ya, you know that, Barr. Did I spell that right?
I predict by next year’s end David Beckam will divorce “Posh,” Britain’s answer to Jessica Simpson. Anyone that gorgeous won’t be worn out but will surely have a pocketful of smiles leftover! And, no, I wasn’t talking about Jessy or Posh. You heard me!
I’m So Gay Dept: I fell short of breath when publishers told me they don’t allow fancy fonts.
“And the winning query excerpt is—“ or Queries that Worked: “Fearing he may have fingered the wrong man . . .” That one was mine and yes, it worked, but no, I really didn’t do it on purpose. The Happy Campers was the result, that’s all I know.
Pet Peeves Dept: Websites that say “Pardon our dust. We’re currently under construction,” and after wasting an hour on the links, you discover the sight hasn’t been updated since 2001.
December 15, 2007
You should have seen Queer Duck, the Movie last night on Logo’s Alien Space Camp. It was hilarious. But don’t worry. Logo will repeat it again . . . and again . . . and again.
Entertainment Tonight says 62-year old Liza Living Legend Minnelli passed out during her Swedish concert after the fourth song and is now back in the US getting “treatment.” Take some pain killers, Liza. We deserve them at our age! You heard me!
As for all the shocking talk about abandoning the t in glbt for gain today is wrong, Barney. There are no shortcuts to freedom. It’s not a percentage. GLBT or nada. Anything less is a waste of the gay conscience. People seem to forget trannies led the first Gay Revolution in 1969, both in San Francisco and New York City.
Misheard on the five o’clock news during the Oklahoma ice storm: “He’s taking the homeless pets to his home for kindling.” The reporter actually said, “ . . . kenneling.” Scared me for a sec.
December 12, 2007
Best Quote Ever Dept: “Volume 23 of anything is not a good sign.” ‘Til Death . . . last night . . . on Fox.
2nd Best Ever Quote Dept: “Oh, please. You were like a dingo in a baby ward.” Back to You (that Fox show with Kelsey Grammer and Raymond’s ex-wife actress) Wed night.
You’d think reporters would let Ike Turner lie in peace and not chastise him about his abuse of Tina. I mean, the man just died. He’s not going to hurt anybody, anymore. "Proud Mary" was no fluke, so give that tortured soul his dew. You heard me!
All bets are on Barak for Iowa. Should make it veeeery interesting. If it’s neck and neck, could be the gay vote will decide the outcome. One of the candidates, at least, should come out for gay marriage and sweep the elections due to her/his courage in this Age of Republican Hypocrisy. Think about it, Hillary . . . John . . . Barak . . .
Fascinating BBC World News report following Iraqis around Bagdad. Apparently, American soldiers are buying cooperation by paying the citizens cash. No wonder I’m broke, Oprah. They gave my disability insurance to the Iraqis.
I know it appears the Surge has purged or has it? You can’t have military brass on every street corner forever.
Those Republican debates showcase just how hodge-podge and kind-of-weird the GOP has become. I wouldn’t trust any of them to be inclusive of gays, women, or the poor.
I don’t understand why the media persists in calling Rudi 7/11 Giuliani “pro-gay” when he’s nothing of the sort, having publicly sided with the Pope, calling a gay sex act a sin. He only appeared pro-gay as the mayor of NYC because he didn’t dare insult such a huge segment of his base. Yeah, I said 7/11. Git it? He’s only open some of the time.
http://www.planetout.com/ says Researchers in Chicago have discovered a gene that identifies homosexuality in fruit flies, which can be turned on and off with drugs. Where can I get a vial?—of the gene, not the drug. It’s too late for drugs; they don’t work on me anymore. Whaaaat?
Barak Obama sported a new do on Conversations with Carlos Watson. I wonder how much it cost. Can’t say I like it parted in the middle. Maybe it’s a weeee bit short. And I’m fully aware it’s irrelevant, so calm down.
I tried again to watch October Road but it’s still too saccharin for me, which means it’s too sweet for most of America, because my threshold is fabulous.
December 10, 2007
When I was a child, I charged the neighbor kids five cents a whack for telling their fortunes. I said the same thing to each of them, in private—“What you want more than anything else in the world is a pony.” I can’t believe I was a successful con artist at age seven.
Al Gore picked up his Nobel Peace Prize today. Where’s yours, George?
CBS News on Logo reports that no less than eight gay men have come forward (and/or backward ) to report having had sex with Larry “I am not gay” Craig.
Gotta love the Beaver Café on Logo’s lesbian sitcom, Exes & Ohs. Speaking of lesbians, it was nice to see Laurie Metcalf (Roseanne) on The Big Bang Theory. She was brilliant!
Jodie Foster is to be commended for coming out of the closet. It has inspired me to write a novella called The Last Heterosexual on Earth, told in first person, present tense. Whaaaat?
McSteamy, a.k.a. Eric Dane, the handsome “blond” on Grey’s Anatomy, showed up on Oprah today. He is fine, isn’t he? OooooWEeeee!
Criss Angel, 2007 Illusionist of the Year, whatever that is, after watching him in a black tank on Oprah, I’ve concluded he’s either the brother of one of the Goo Goo Dolls or he’s gay as a goose. Yep, you heard me! He’s too cute to be straight. And somebody needs to tell him that his hairdresser put some funny highlights in his mop. And by tank I mean tank-top, not a submarine.
The saddest line ever: “They’re not coming back, you know.”—A Home at the End of the World (2004), Staring Colin Farrell, Robin Penn, Dallas Roberts
That Oprah-sponsored TV movie For One More Day dragged on too slowly. And it was a little too preachy, not to mention clichéd. I mean, really, a guy who dreamed of making it to the Major Leagues and then went downhill. Been done too many times already. It’s a Wonderful Life had more suspense. And either my TV is going out or they rushed it through editing, as the screen went to black for two seconds repeatedly throughout the evening. Maybe it was caused by a fluctuation in the main power grid from the reverberation of televisions clicking off around the country. Sorry, Oprah. I tried to like it. I really did.
The strike continues—The screenwriters and producers are still not getting along, damn it. Somebody needs to write an end to this crisis or “encore” (rerun) hell will continue. And I’m not sure I can survive winter without new shows. Have mercy!
The anything but two-big-zerO’s, Oprah and Obama, are drawing record crowds to their rallies in Iowa, South Carolina, and elsewhere. I know one thing: I’d be thrilled to have him as president or vice-president of the country. Of course, I can say the same about Hillary and John (Edwards). It’s a win, win, win situation. At least there’s no way America’s going to elect another lying, cheating, warmongering, hypocritical, homophobic conservative.
December 8, 2007
Those charges against Barry Bonds are unfair. The feds couldn’t prove he used steroids, so they charged him with lying, the same thing they did to Martha Stewart and Bill Clinton. Everybody knows athletes have been taking steroids for decades. You think Arnold’s muscles are natural? Come on! Be real! The side effects? Exaggerated, like everything else. Remember Reefer Madness?
As for the Best Boxer in the World title, Floyd Mayweather (US) and Ricky Hatton (UK) are busy publicizing their upcoming fight in Las Vegas. It wasn’t the fact that 6000 British paid to see them weigh in together in their skivvies that perked me up. It’s the fact it was an option that made it so delish. You heard me! Don’t you want to yell, “Get a room!” when they literally get into each other’s face on that TV promo? Who needs Internet porn when you get “Ebony and Ivory” for free?
CIA-destroyed 2002 tapes depicting torture in secret prisons “to protect our agents” proves the CIA should be subject to oversight. Funny how the president says he “can’t recall the tapes.”
After watching Oprah’s repeat episode about problems people develop with gastric bypass surgery, I got from the tone of her voice that she was trying to convince herself. Comprende?
Fans of openly gay reporter, Thomas Roberts, whose lips used to drive me crazy when he anchored the CNN News in the middle of the night, can find him working on the Insider in the middle of the day. I’ve had a crush on him for years now and he’s still worthy.
Olivia Newton John appeared on Good Morning America Thurs morning, looking smooth with her new cheekbones and classic voice.
According to PlanetOut, AARP just hired gay icon Martina Narvatilova as their health andfitness ambassador. Anyone who reads their magazine knows AARP has been gay friendly for some time. Smooth, huh?
Let’s all hope the Supreme Court rules that prisoners at Guantanamo Bay deserve fair and ethical treatment like any human being. There have already been terrible guffaws—innocent people being locked up for five years and more without even being charged, shamefully trashing our world reputation. Thank you, George W. Bush. Close the damned thing down, will ya?
December 5, 2007
Today (Wed) is the date Writers Guild representatives finally re-meet with TV producers. Good luck, writers! You deserve to be included in the profits from the Internet; it’s only fair.
ABC’s Eyewitness News 5 in Tulsa is to be commended for their coverage of a rally for a more inclusive Oklahoma hate crimes bill, one that will include gays. They made it their Big Story on the 6:00 and 10:00 broadcasts. Good for them! Good for us! Good for all! The station also had a poll going that was finding between 55 and 65% of their listeners support the inclusion, a sign that Oklahoma people are growing more understanding. Yippie Ki Yea!
Boston Legal with a Larry Craig spoof up against The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2007 with Heidi Klum and Spice Tues night? Can you not guess which one straight men tuned into? Most gay men watched Boston Legal. However, I have to admit I did check in on Victoria’s girls during commercials, but just to dis the clothes . . . what I saw looked like a drag queen coronation, over the top with head-dresses, beads, rhinestones, and wings. But it was a good thing, Martha!
Does anyone else remember Frederick’s of Hollywood? They had the market wrapped up on naughty lingerie catalogs way before Victoria stole the idea. My parents owned a trailer park at the time and I got to sort the mail. Invariably, the catalogs came to men.
Are Kathy Griffin and I the only ones who can’t stomach Dr. Phil? Once in a while he mixes it up, but usually he sets up an abusive husband and spends an hour berating and humiliating him.
You know you’re old when someone gives you one of those calculators with great big letters.
If the contestants on The Great Race were better-looking, I might watch it for more than five minutes when nothing else good is on. You heard me!
Did Ya Know Dept: Matthew Rhys, who plays Kevin, the cute gay lawyer on Brothers and Sisters, has a Welsh accent in real life . . . and he’s straight . . . damn it!
December 2, 2007
Apparently, Heather Mills (the ex-Mrs. McCartny) is still crazy after all these weeks. Graham Norton says Heather is recommending people drink dog and rat milk. Whaaaat? You heard me!
The Bush administration says the surge in Iraq has worked, so why don’t we declare victory and get out? It’s the best exit stratagem so far.
Favorite line from Torchwood last week: “I can think of a lot more interesting things to photograph than numbers. Do come again.”
2nd Time Around Dept: I just figured out the previous episode of Torchwood. Toshika and Captain Jack (the fake one) were in another dimension within a parallel universe where everyone is bisexual. Smooth!
Did Ya Know Dept: The Dr Who shows on BBC are new, not the ones of yore. And the episodes of The Graham Norton Show are current on the BBC, old on Logo. Comprende?
Speaking of the bitch, Graham’s guests last night were John Schneider, Tom Wopat, and Catherine Bach of the original Dukes of Hazard. They all look like they have a good surgeon, but I’ll have to admit John looked the most natural; he’s still got that fresh-faced smile. Delayshush! Catherine was beautiful in her new plus size; it suited her.
November 30, 2007
Chalk Up Another Atrocity to Religion: I cannot believe that people in Sudan are calling for Julian Gibbons’ death because she named a teddy bear "Mohammed." The fact that they have a law prohibiting such a thing is even sadder.
According to VH1’s Best Week Ever Amy Winehouse canceled her tour. I wonder if she’s going to rehab . . .
Remember the good ol’ days when words like “guarantee and clinically proven” meant something?
Don’t forget to watch Desperate Housewives Sunday. They’re promoting it as the best episode to date.
Did Ya Know Dept: I used to rub elbows with Janis Joplin and her girl friend at the gay bars in the Northbeach area of San Francisco in 1969. And that, my friend, is the varnished truth. You heard me!
That 16 year old French boy who complained to Dubai police that he was raped was nearly charged with being homosexual himself—before the French Embassy intervened. Naturally, the 3 guys that did it were never charged. It’s still illegal to be gay in many Middle Eastern countries, even the so-called “modern” ones.
The Screenwriter’s Guild members are going back to the negotiating table come Tuesday. I hope they get what they want . . . fast. We’re just about out of new TV episodes and I’m tired of all the “vintage” talk show repeats already. Come on, guys, work it out! I hope you hit the jackpot.
The students in Venezuela are rioting both for and against Chavez, their first elected Marxist President, who recently suspended elections. Interesting and scary.
Did Ya Know Dept: Bowie’s first wife once caught Bowie and Mick Jagger in bed together, even citing it in court when she divorced him?
Elton John said on My Night at the Grammies (a primetime special on CBS Friday) that Emenem, the rapper, had his manager ask Elton to do that infamous duet, not the other way around like we all thought. I’m proud to say I thought Elton did the right thing when it happened (the late 90s?). Did I ever tell you about my date with Elton John in 1972? EEEEEEEmail me if you want to know more. I might be coaxed.
Don’t forget to watch the Torchwood season finale Saturday, 8 pm, on BBC. I hear it’s a scorcher! After last week’s m/m kiss, I’m up for it, if ya know what I mean. Whaaaat?
Kenny Rogers appeared on Oprah today looking almost normal after his facelift had him stretched too tightly in the beginning—it was talk show fodder for at least a week last year.
That guy in Rochester NH with a “history of mental problems” who threatened Hillary’s campaigners with what he said was a bomb scared me at first. I thought he might be one of my exes and no, I’m not saying which one, thank you, Eddie.
Favorite lines from 30 Rock Thurs. night: “Where’d you two meet? Amber Alert?” and “You can’t be gay for just one person . . . unless it’s a lady . . . and her name is Emma.” The whole show was hilarious.
CBS News on Logo reports that an estimated 22 million have died from AIDS worldwide. They also said people with the disease are still denied entry into the United States.
I usually don’t care for Sarah Silverman’s bathroom humor, but last night’s show on the Comedy channel was a riot! She was in black face and she thought people were being mean to her because of her African-American "disguise.”
November 29, 2007
I tried to watch Bionic Woman and Chuck Wednesday night but was bored stiff both times.
I must say I was surprised and disappointed when singer/AIDS activist Annie Lennox revealed she is not gay while hosting NewNowNext videos on Logo. No word if she’s gay when not hosting.
David Letterman, if you’re listening, I’d like to be your Gay Okie correspondent. My first “live” broadcast would come from the boondocks in front of the sign next to our own Long George Creek. Of course, I’d be packing binoculars. The second show would originate from the world-renowned Henryetta House of Overalls. Naturally, I would be dressed appropriately but naked underneath. I could also feed you live video from my webcam, in case you’re too cheap to spring for real cameras. If you want to use my material, make sure the check is in the mail first. Oh, and please tell Oprah hello. Sincerely, Gale Chester Whittington, Gay Author: A Legend in my Own Grime PS I wouldn’t tell the Writers Guild you read this, were I you. Thanks.
A friend of mine who works at a bar says he wants his tombstone to say, “He died wanking off; he was so good at it!” because then people will say, “He must’ve been a master waiter. “
Note to self: Use master gator in a joke.
Did Ya Git it Dept: The good news is CBS News on Logo is now one-half hour of news instead of five minutes of news; the bad news is the news is only updated once a week even though the news is repeated daily. Whaaaat?
Religion is wishful thinking and that’s all.
Unvarnished truth rots; it’s best to varnish.
It Must’ve Been Good Stuff Dept: When you accidentally figure out the BIO channel is about people, not critters.
That Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency show on the Oxygen network is hot! They give us a whole hour of well-built guys running around in skimpy undershorts. Smooth! Smooth and delayshush!
November 27, 2007
Talk about bi-curious—I’m officially hooked on Torchwood. Sat. night’s episode was hot, hot, hot! That m/m kiss between two leading men (Captains) was almost as good as the hand-holding! Whaaaat? Ya schnooooze, Ya Lose! They can rerun that episode everyday for a week (You know they will) and I’ll watch it over and over. Really. It was that good! So smooth! It’s about time bisexuals got their dew. Whaaaaat? You heard me!
Did Ya Git it Dept: Last night, Richard Chamberlain played a man on Desperate Housewives who comes out, just like Richard did recently. Smooth!
I stopped watching Entertainment Tonight because they run the same stories daily for at least a week. I mean, how many times can you watch Marie Osmond faint?
It’s Just Wrong Dept: BBC World News says at least eighteen people have died after being tazered by police within the last five years.
November 24, 2007
The BBC World News also reports that, at least for now, a “secret Washington organization” will continue to control the Internet. My guess is it’s the CIA.
You Know It’s Good Stuff When: by the time you get everything ready to write on your blog, you’ve forgotten what you were going to say.
Deal or No Deal would be more PC and interesting for gay men and straight women if half the models were male. Maybe a spin-off?
Does anyone else wonder who the hell is the female judge, Mary Murphy, on So You Think You Can Dance? I’ve never heard of her. Now she’s pushing that stupid “Core Rhythms” CD on a very obnoxious commercial. And why did she steal Little Richard's squeal?
I have to say it: Bear Grylls on Man vs. Wild of the Discovery channel turns me on. I live for the times he washes his clothes (and gets half nekkid). I’d love to tell him, “Shut up and kiss me!”
There Is a God Dept: Good Morning America says tight jeans for men are coming back.
That’s Just Wrong Dept: People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive is Matt Damon? What about Mario Lopez?
Ugly Betty is campy if predictable. I guess that’s the point. This week’s favorite line from one of the women: “I knew Faye Summers. I once made out with Faye Summers. You, my friend, are no Faye Summers.” But the line, “Pink is the new green,” didn’t work for me. The only good pink is hot pink. Anything less is for punks.
You Know It’s Good Stuff When: Ugly Betty is better than Dancing With the Stars.
This season’s October Road on ABC was so sentimental I feared I was going to catch diabetes.
You Know You’re a Nerd When: Ugly Betty & DancingWith the Stars are your favorite programs.
The growing crisis in Lebanon is receiving a lot more concern in Europe. How many more Middle Eastern countries will suspend elections before democracy goes the way of the dinosaur?
You Know You’re Old When: feeding your tropical fish wears you out.
That new Marilyn Monroe bio running on the History channel pisses me off. They claim she was severely mentally ill. I don’t know about you but I prefer my stars ethereal. As the world’s first self-appointed spokesmodel for the mentally ill, I’d like to say, “I object.”
What? Dicko? On The Next Great American Band one of the judges name is Dicko. What?
Did You Know Dept: Planet Out reports “Over two dozen American universities now offer full-fledged minors in LGBT Studies.
It’s Just Wrong Dept: NBC keeps running a blurb at the end of their various shows saying, “Stay tuned for more, but all that comes on after the long-ass ads are the credits.
Does anyone remember Herb Caen from the SF Chronicle? I’d love to have a witty column like he had. The man was a legend within his own time, at least in San Francisco. And that’s something a writer like me prays for. Naturally, my psychiatrist says I may be suffering from Delusions of Grandeur. Well I could use more rhinestones on my crown . . . I did use to give him humorous tidbits that he actually printed. He always sent me thank you cards. Smooth, huh?
Saw the new rock band Queen on PBS Fri night. They were okay, just not the same without gay icon Freddie Mercury, I’m sorry to say.
I finally watched FX’s Nip/Tuck ‘cause Rosie O’Donnell was on it. A pretty wild show for basic cable. It was the first time I've heard the word “p---y” on regular TV. Crazy show but I was mesmerized!
Subscribing to Starz on DirectTV has taught me Hollywood makes a lot of mediocre movies.November 22, 2007
Sunday's VMAs were dreadfully ho-hum but for that clear, sultry, gospelly vocal by Queen Latifa.
BBC's World News reports there are over 7000 new cases of HIV everyday.
Those 41 million dollar Armani underwear ads David Beckham signed up for are set to air in January. Can you guess what I'll be Googling?
I am so over Rascal Flats. That duet they did with Jamie Fox on the CMAs sucked big time. I used to like them but lately all their songs sound the same.
Duran Duran is getting old . . . I should talk; I'll be 60 early next year
Two celebrities I'd like to see less of: Avril Levine, Mylie Cyrus, and the latter's dad, Billy Ray Cyrus. He used to be sexy but now he looks like a dork with long stringy hair
November 18, 2007
Linda Burke, that McCain supporter who called Hillary a name ("How do we take the bitch down?"), caused McCain more damage than good when his first response turned out to be laughter.
Sorry to hear about gay friendly rapper Kanye West's mother dying from botched plastic surgery by Dr. Jan Adams. What a rotten way to go. Kanye was very close to his mom and proud of it.
Friday's Oklahoma Centennial Spectacular broadcast live on OKC's PBS station was interesting, as it showcased the talents of over 100 OK natives who've made it big. Vince Gil wowed us with his "Oklahoma Rising." He sounded like he did before Amy Grant yanked him away from his first wife. Speaking of Amy, her song bombed; I couldn't understand the words. During the credits she was frowning but started clapping when she saw the camera was on her. Oh, well. Tit for tat!
Florence Henderson had too much vibrato for me, but looked terrific. It's as if she has the same plastic surgeon as many Hollywood blondes, cheekbones and all.
Good old Fred Willard (the original Bozo the Clown and Ronald McDonald--really) was refreshing in the overly classy show (It was as if they were trying to prove that Oklahomans aren't hicks) I love the way he laughs at his own jokes, even with his Oreo cookie gaff (He started talking about them when the screen showed a hundred year old black man with white palms).
Toby Keith did one of his ultra patriotic songs, too polarizing for my taste.
Patti Page ("Tennessee Waltz"), another legendary blonde, was in fine form. But I wasn't sure if her big cheeks were natural or a byproduct of her weight. Maybe she should change her name to Patti Pudge.
I've been watching Alien Boot Camp on Logo, the gay channel, for weeks now and still don't have a clue about what's going on, but I like it! Why do so many Japanese producers put names on their movies or shows that have nothing to do with the content?
November 15, 2007
Good news from Haworth Press! My manuscript, BEYOND NORMAL: The Birth of Gay Pride, is under review by the new owners, Taylor and Francis, a respected publisher of nonfiction. Their website says they like innovative books and since mine is written in the fairly new concept of "creative nonfiction," I just may have a chance.
David Beckham has signed a contract to promote Armani underwear. And they say God doesn't answer prayer!
I believe presidential candidate, John Edwards, made a fatal mistake saying he "wasn't there yet" when asked if he was for gay marriage. Even his wife and daughter disagree with him. Equal rights are equal rights. Period.
On the legal front, a lesbian was just awarded 4.4 million dollars from Goodyear Tire & Rubber for discrimination. Cool, huh? I live for the day when calling someone gay is no longer considered a slur.
I'll say it again: Kirstie Alley needs to lose another twenty pounds. Oprah gotten chubby, too, but she's off the hook because Dr. Oz told her she has a thyroid problem, which is being taken care of. We shall see!
A friend of mine told me that in Oklahoma, murder and possession of marijuana carry the same penalty--one year to life in prison. Is that ridiculous or what?
Everybody in France, from transit workers to opera singers, are going on strike to protest sweeping reforms by the new maverick president, Nicolas Sarkozy. A real shame because he has some great ideas.
According to BBC America World News, sanitation workers in NYC are paid so well that 30,000 people are on the waiting list for garbage men. Ever notice there never seem to be women in that line of work?
November 12, 2007
Saturday night's Dr. Who on BBC America was a real hoot. But I think you need to be stoned to know what's really going on. Favorite line: "Mmm . . . (she) tastes like chicken."
Irish boy band Westlife gave a sizzling rendition of Michael Buble's "Home." on the Graham Norton Show. The single and the album Back Home are number one in the UK. The four guys are absolutely delicious! You heard me!
Bobby Lee of Mad TV quote: "I always look at the genitals of all the creatures I see."
They say the surge in Iraq is working, but we can't have American soldiers on every street corner in Baghdad indefinitely, now can we?
November 10, 2007
I don't know the name of the busy Hollywood plastic surgeon all the stars are using, but if you do, please tell her/him to tone it down with the giant cheekbones. All the blondes, including Barry Mannilow and Heather Locklear, are starting to look alike!
Sorry that the deal for Rosie O'Donnell's prime time show on MSNBC went kablooie. It would have been fun.
Am I the only one who feels sorry for King Tut? It doesn't seem right that they have taken his 2000 year old resin-coated body from his tomb and placed it on display for the whole world to see.
Favorite lines from last weeks Desperate Housewives: "There was punch in that rum?" and "What happened to my rug?"
Exes & Ohs, the lesbian comedy on Logo, is hilarious. Here's a paraphrased quote: "Old lovers never die; they hang around for the sole purpose of making you miserable for the rest of your life"
Why all the fuss about Brad Pitt? He's not that pretty naked.
I fully support the Writers Guild of America strike, but don't understand why they and the TV executives are not negotiating.
I have to say that 30 Rock is the best written comedy on television, thanks in large part to Saturday Night alumni, Tina Fey, as creator and writer.
Dancing with the Stars would be much better if the guys wore less clothes. You heard me!You should have seen Josh Harnett on the BBC's Graham Norton Show last week. The actor is still drop-dead gorgeous. It's the eyes, guys!
John Waters and Jackie Colllins will be on the talk show tonight at 9 p.m. Central. Sounds like fun!
Volatile singer, Amy Winehouse, will be on Saturday Night Live soon but I haven't got the date yet. It's been postponed because of the writers' strike. I want to watch because you never know when someone that sensitive is going to burn out. I love her (in a gayway)!
Things I Wasn't Allowed to Do as a Child Dept: Dance or wear lipstick. Just ask my therapist!
November 4, 2007
Have you heard about the new weaker Tasers now being sold for $300 on the retail market in designer colors? A sad commentary on our civilization.
Speaking of which, I saw Mel Gibson's Apocolypto on Stars last night. Lots of eye candy, as it was about the final days of scantilly-clad Mayan warriers. Even though Mel says he used "all pre-European indiginous people," I thought it was interesting that most of the cast had Mexican surnames. Whatever, it worked, provided you like violence and subtitles.
The new Dr. Who on BBC America is campy as hell. The jury is still out on their new series, Torchwood, I'm trying to like it, but think it needs more sex, gay and otherwise.
Another series I'm trying to enjoy is Ugly Betty, but the same old plots (saving the magazine, etc.) are being rehashed way too much. Plus, I'm tired of looking at those braces. It's time for her to get a makeover and get her savvy on!
Luv the new gay couple on Honeysuckle Lane or whatever it is on Desperate Housewives. Nice claws!
Good news for Logo, one of the gay channels: Judie McGrath, CEO of MTV and Logo, says they have enjoyed a great embrace and virtually no blacklash. Over twenty-eight million homes now have access to the network.
As for those 300,000 American weapons missing in Iraq, it wouldn't be the first time we've inadvertantly armed the enemy. I can't believe the parade of scandals involving our occupation of that poor little country. They just keep coming and coming, the latest being Blackwater's civilian killings. The Bush Administration is truly lax with regard to its delegation of duties. Even a liberal like me is sick of the incompetence.
May 30, 2007
At the height of the Vietnam War we had 542,000 troops deployed and still lost. We have only 177,000 in Iraq and Afghanistan even after the so-called surge. Why do our so-called leaders ignore the lessons of Vietnam?
Now for something soooooooooooo important it can't wait. Enough with every acress in the world sporting hair extensions, from Carrie on The King of Queens to Paula of American Idol! They were cute in the beginning but now that everyone knows what they are, they are sooooooooooooooooo obvious.
I won't be watching The View anymore. It's soooooooooooooooooooo boring without Rosie! Unless Whoopie takes her place and is allowed to say whatever she thinks.
Are you planning to attend the annual Gay Farmers' Yam Festival? This year's theme: I Yam What I Yam!
Is it just me or does Kirstie Alley still look fat?
I was suprised to see '60's model Twiggy on Absolutely Fabulous (BBC America). Apparently she's a gay ikon in England. I had no idea she'd come out of the closet, let alone was still alive.
Senator Barok Obama says we are spending $275 million per day in Iraq and will probably top out at one trillion. I say bring the soldiers home to rebuild New Orleans and feed our own poor.
Whatever you do, don't upgrade to Windows Vista. I bought a new computer at Wal*Mart and have had problems galore, most of which couildn't be fixed without erasing new files and saved email messages. I hate it!
May 10, 2007
Bush says he will veto hate crime protection for women and gays (Employment Non-Discrimination Act) recently approved by Congress, even though a May 2006 poll shows 89% of Americans believe we should have equal rights. Am I the only one who remembers the Bush campaign promise to be compassionate and inclusive?
The Queen of England went home yesterday, having concluded her important work celebrating the founding of Jamestown and the running of the horses at the Kentucky Derby. I think I'd rather have no title if carrying it required I remained politically neutered (not a spelling error).
What a disappointment it was to see Alice Cooper on Last Call With Carson Daly bragging about being addicted to golf.
Celebrities I'd like to hear less about: Brittany, Anna Nicole''s baby, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Dr. Phil.
Celebrities I'd love to see more of: Mario Lopez, Mario Lopez, Mario Lopez!
MTV has gone too far with it's new series called Scarred. Who wants to see young people doing stunts that make them bloody? To me, that's not entertainment.
May 2, 2007
How sad was that photo opportunity the President had on American Idol yesterday. When he and his wife read from an "obvious script" (Barbara Walters words on The View) in an attempt to appear human via self-deprecating humor, I became nauseous. After all his lies and spin, I can barely look at the man.
Have you heard about the new chain of gay restaurants, called The Hard Rick Cafe?
April 26, 2007
Ready or not, I'm back. After nearly a year in hiatus, the urge to pick up a pen has returned. The capper on a run of bad luck included a publishing deal for my autobiography, BEYOND NORMAL: The Birth of Gay Pride, with Haworth Books gone bad when my assigned editor--Vern Bullough, author of Before Stonewall--died suddenly. Truly a talented man, may he rest in peace. Despite that and other disappointments, I feel recharged and have started writing again. As for this blog, I plan to enter blurbs more often while keeping them short if not sweet. The following are a few notes on news items of the past few weeks.
The saddest thing about Imus is he thought he was being cool. At least now we know Imus is short for Ignoramus.
What the hell happened to McCain? It's like he had a stroke and forgot he was a man with common sense and conviction.
All I have to say about Richard Gere's recent kissing faux pas of an Indian actress is: "Thank God he left the gerbils at home!"
Leave it to our President to state during one of the bloodiest weeks of the war that his surge in Iraq is working. Then he had the audacity to say that Gonzales gave "a very candid assessment" to Congress about the firing of US attorneys. When you match that against Gonzale saying "I don't recall" 71 times, it's impossible not to state the obvious: the President is still in denial.
British singer Josh Stone, who seems to be everywhere these days, is like a rich man's Janis Joplin, great voice and all but without the soul, sadly.
Why does Cheney always look like he's trying to suppress a fart and I don't mean the President?
June 10, 2006
It's been nearly two months since I've written anything for this blog. Why, you might ask? Well, besides the obvious--nobody seems to be reading it--I've been too depressed to write. Too depressed about Iraq, the price of gas, my love life, your love life, etc., but mainly I'm upset because the world is going to hell and people don't seem to care. In other words, writing about our problems doesn't seem to have any effect. The war continues, the oil barons are still screwing us silly, people the world over hate America's arrogance, etc. Perchance someone misses my rants, let me know via email. Otherwise, I'll continue to take some time off to coddle my poultry and wildflowers, for the sake of my sanity or insanity, whichever the case may be. I've lost track, ever since I forgot to collect my $200 when I passed "GO."
April 11, 2006
As the price of gas continues to insure our president's future and destroy ours, there is a boycott of Exxon-Mobil in the works. The theory is--if we take business away from just one Big Oil conglomerate, it will start a price war. My friends all say it won't work, but, hey, what's the harm in trying? We've gotta do something! Please join me in this boycott!
April 9, 2006
Today marks three years since Sadam's stubborn statue "fell" in Iraq. Our irresponsible Congress went on vacation today, without so much as an apology for allowing the war to continue under the direction of a dangerously inept and unsound president. I guess we're going to have to take to the streets with our "War is Not Healthy for Children and Other Living things" signs again before Congress understands how fed up the American public is. I'm angry and saddened and disillusioned, and mortified and sickened and fearful for humanity. How could we have allowed Vietnam to happen all over again?
April 5, 2006
LEAKERGATE! The dam’s about to blow! I can hear President George W. Bush now: “I am not a drip!”
Bush said he’d fire whoever leaked classified information. Thanks to Scooter Libby, we now have proof the president himself was the Leaker-in-Chief. Will he fire himself? Let’s hope Congress has the guts to do it for him (i.e. put him out of our misery). Maybe this will lead to a miracle--an end to the bloody, heartbreaking war Americans and Iraqis have been forced to endure, for the sole reason of saving Bush’s face.
April 4, 2006
Am I the only one not jumping for joy at those ads announcing SBC is the new AT&T? I’ll never forgive AT&T for their 1999 screwing of my father. They raised his ten cents per minute rate on his Oklahoma-based long-distance telephone service retroactive to the previous three months! No prior notice. No apologies. Sure enough, I discovered they had the right to do just that in the fine print of his contract. I will never give a penny to those SOBs at AT&T! Never! Why is the government allowing AT&T to swallow up its competition like this, anyway? What happened to the laws against monopolies? Oh, that’s right. Bush is in power.
Bush dealt the War on AIDS a dangerous setback the other day, thanks to another politically motivated, inappropriate appointment: Herbert Lusk to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. Lusk, a conservative Baptist minister with no background in HIV/AIDS policy, does fit the mold of Bush's conservative Christian, faith-based agenda.This is in keeping with Bush’s policy to appoint incompetent people to positions of power, as long as they support him, his dirty little war, and the conservative policies that are tearing this country apart, all while destroying our economy.
April 1, 2006
"Ye Gods! The day being April Fool's, I just had a weird thought, perhaps a revelation.What if we discover that Bush is really Osama Bin Laden after plastic surgery? Finally, the horrendous things Bush has done to our beloved country would make sense."
March 30, 2006
SO MANY BUSHY, BOLD-FACED LIES, SO LITTLE BANDWIDTH!
Truth be known, I have plenty of cyberspace, so here goes:
Lately, a lot of news people and so-called health “experts” have reported that chocolate doesn’t cause pimples, that it’s a folktale. Period! No more discussion. Well, I did my own study, which entailed removing the tasty commercial “alkaloid” prepared with sugar and ground roasted cacao beans from my diet for nine months. Presto! No more pimples in my earlobes, a scourge that had plagued me since puberty. So, don’t tell me it’s an old wives’ tale without offering proof, thank you very much!
Does anyone know why people who have one Caucasian and one African-American parent are considered black instead of white? Is it the same reason bisexuals are branded as gay, as if anything less is a sell-out?
I often wonder if the average man is aware that the tie is a phallic symbol. It’s weird how men have so few options when dressing up. Guess that’s why I like wearing cowboy clothes. A western guy can go a little wild with color and style and still be considered masculine. Suits can be sexy, but not all the time. I’ll never understand why men’s fashions have become so rigid. When people ask me if I'm a real cowboy, I always say, "Oh, yeah, but after I bought the clothes, I couldn't afford the cows!"
Andrea Mitchell of NBC News reported on March 27 2006: “(Written) in January 2003 . . . a secret memo now reveals (Bush and Blair) were determined to go to war six weeks before invading (Iraq). . . Taking notes at the meeting that day in the Oval Office (was) Blair's National Security Adviser David Manning, now Great Britain's ambassador in Washington.” The memo was recently published in the book Lawless World, by Philippe Sands. According to Sands, Manning wrote: “(T)he president had decided on war no matter what happened diplomatically, or whether inspectors found weapons of mass destruction . . . The decision had been taken." The memo also reportedly said, "The president talked about painting an American spy plane to look like a U.N. aircraft, hoping to provoke Saddam Hussein into firing and justify going to war.” Need I say I told you so?
I had to snicker the other day when FEMA said they sent 51,000 letters to people they'd erroneously given money to—over one hundred million dollars—and ordered them to pay it back within 30 days. Good Night! and Good Luck! with that, FEMA!
Charles Levinson of the Christian Science Monitor reported on Thursday, March 30, that American soldiers on the Iraqi front lines are “ . . . running out of patience. Most of the men they interviewed in the field echoed a recent Zogby poll of 944 military respondents throughout Iraq that found 72 percent of US troops favor withdrawal within the next year. For soldiers with years left on their contracts, for young fathers, and newlyweds, the prospect of the war dragging on is disconcerting,” the article continued. “Divorce rates in the Army have risen at least 25 percent since the war began.” Wow. How sad.
"We hate the Americans," said one of the women Levinson talked with. She called herself simply Om Omar, while keeping her eyes locked on the Iraqi children, who were busy grabbing the Beanie Babies and candy that our soldiers always offer (as bribes?). "They destroyed our country,” Om Omar continued. “They can't protect this country, can't provide electricity. Why'd they come here? It's a nightmare."
HOW US TROOPS SEE IRAQ
According to a Zogby poll of 944 US troops stationed in Iraq:
• 72% said the US should leave Iraq within one year.
• 29% said US forces should leave Iraq immediately.
• 58% said the US mission in Iraq is clear.• 85% believe the US invaded Iraq to retaliate for 9/11 attacks.
• 24% said a major reason for invading was to establish a model democracy.
Source: Zogby International, Jan. 18 - Feb. 14, 2006
Now that the fraud of Afganistan’s “liberated democracy” has been exposed for the rigid religious fundamentalist Muslim theocracy it truly is (via the publicizing of Afgan law requiring the beheading of “backslid” Muslims who become Christians). And now that the Palestinian democratic elections have brought Israel's terrorist enemies to power (a nightmare come to life), maybe our Prez will stop trying to spread you-know-what (democracy?) all over the earth’s crust. The failed rhetoric is already so thick, I can barely walk.
Richard Engel (above), NBC’s brave (and good-looking) reporter, has spent the last three years of his life in Iraq. Ruminating a couple of days ago, Richard had this to say: "I've seen so many ugly things, . . . so many memories and images that I'm not sure people are equipped to handle. Two weeks ago I was walking around Latifiya in the south of Baghdad. I was watching stray dogs eat a dead body and just picking it to pieces . . . As violence (has) increased, foreign reporters, like Iraqis, (have) adapted. Now, it's too dangerous to run on the streets, so we use a treadmill and a punching bag to relieve the tension that's hard to escape here.”
Speaking of the White House, the immigration thing brewing in the nation at the moment might prove to be the last straw to break the already weak backs of the few wobbly Republicans still supporting the Prez. Bush is at odds with the majority of his party, who want to send all illegal aliens south, pronto.
The recent uprising of Hispanics (500,000 in LA alone) shows the power of cinema. In case you missed it, HBO recently opened its broadcast to all cable and satellite subscribers, free of charge, when they aired their made-for-HBO movie, Walkout. It showcases the birth of the Chicano movement in the late sixties. The current walkouts are no coincidence. I think it's wonderful! I love to see proud people standing up for their rights!
March 20, 2006
Mad Money Matters: As the oil companies continue to rape us at the pump with ever-higher prices, Congress assists the violation by passing a nine-trillion dollar budget, which will compute to their spending three-hundred twenty-million dollars per day—most of it being money we don’t have. The United States’ deficit grew to nearly eight-hundred five-billion dollars in 2005, a new record, an increase of twenty per cent in just one year. Keep in mind that the budget doesn’t include the cost of the Iraq War, which MSNBC’s chief economist, Martin Wolk, reports will probably end up costing taxpayers over a trillion dollars, or two-million per day. Apparently, we’ve been borrowing money from China and other countries to keep afloat. Let’s hope they don’t call the mortgage in!
I nearly cried last week when I heard what Arizona Senator John McCain said to the Southern Republican Leadership Conference (SRLC) in Memphis. He actually defended our reigning president and called upon everyone to support the dirty little three-year old war that continues to maim and kill countless human beings for the sole purpose of saving face. Once upon a time, McCain was a maverick with a conscience and common sense. Now, he’s just a politician dancing for the Man—Big Money and Power, in order to get nominated for president. Sad.
I could kiss Jessica Simpson, however. Not a fan until now, I did a jig when I heard she refused to lobby the prez at a Republican fundraiser for her cause, Operation Smile—free surgery for the facially deformed poor abroad. Perhaps she’s not so stupid after all; she’s obviously aware that George W. Bush has lost his credibility and most of his influence in Washington.
March 19, 2006
Today marks three years of the bloody Iraq War, with no end in sight. Hell, our government can’t even keep the capital city of Bagdad safe, and I am decidedly disgusted by Bush and his enablers continually telling us there is progress. How stupid does he think we are? Dumb enough to re-elect him, I guess.
In their latest poll, the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press asked, "What one word best describes your impression of George W. Bush?" No options or suggestions were offered. The leading answer: "Incompetent."
TIME.com’s Brian Jallam exposed Operation Swarmer for what it was—a publicity “offensive” designed to up George W. Bush’s approval by faking the Iraqi Army’s improvement. Jallam reported from the center of what the Administration billed as a “major military operation”: “Operation Swarmer Fizzled. In fact, there were no airstrikes and no leading insurgents nabbed in an operation that some skeptical military analysts described as little more than a photo op. There were no shots fired and no resistance, according to U.S. and Iraqi commanders.” Apparently, the Bush advisors have abandoned substance and returned to spin as a way of serving up the war to the American public.
Remember the Swine Flu debacle? Our government appears to be retracing its steps as it deals with the so-called Bird Flu. Our “leaders” never seem to learn from past mistakes, whether it was invading other countries or screaming about diseases that weren’t really epidemics. The Bird Flu has yet to spread from person to person, so why are we overreacting? They’d better not come for my chickens, turkeys, and peafowl. Several years ago, during the Newcastle Disease chicken scare, the Dept. of Agriculture came for my parrots, killing them all without permission. Tests on their lifeless bodies (the birds', not the killers', I'm sorry to say) proved my beautiful parrot buddies were all healthy. Never again!
March 15, 2006
I had to pinch myself to make sure I hadn’t slipped into a parallel universe or some kind of weird flashback when I read this March 11 Associated Press headline: “KITE-FLYING BANNED IN PAKISTAN.” Upon further examination, I learned that the police in Lahore have arrested forty-four people for flying the evil kites during their annual Basant Festival. They’ve also taken eleven hundred people into custody since March 5th for selling or manufacturing kite string that—get this—is coated with glass or chemicals. Apparently, the Festival is about a contest so important that everyone tries to cut their competitors’ kites loose by any means necessary, by hook or by crooks' strings rubbing against other crooks' strings. The ban was instituted when a glass-infused string killed a young man by slicing his throat open. I’m still not sure I’m in the real world. How could something as carefree and innocent as kite-flying become so pernicious?
March 9, 2006
This headline in a Dubai newspaper, “BUSH NO LONGER IN CONTROL OF WASHINGTON,” was prompted by the gutsy, nonpartisan congressional showdown over who will control our ports. Thank God!
Now, let’s all pray Congress keeps up the momentum by working to get us out of Iraq! I fear the world will never forgive us for ravaging that poor country. George W. Bush has disgraced America’s reputation in just a few short years. It was broken before, mainly because of the CIA’s secret meddling in other country’s politics, but now it’s completely shattered. I doubt America can ever forgive him for not learning the lesson of Vietnam.
Another humiliating (for Bush) and frightening (for us) revelation today— NBC Nightly News investigated and reported that the Homeland Security building is not secure!
Ye Gods! What’s next? A discovery that Bush is really Osama Bin Laden with plastic surgery?
My home—Oklahoma—is the hungriest place in America. “‘The state that ranks No. 2 in winter wheat production, No. 3 in beef, No. 6 in peanuts and No. 8 in pork now ranks No. 1 in hunger,’ according to a United States Department of Agriculture report.
"More than one in 20 Oklahoma households qualified as hungry in the 2002-2004 period, compared with about one in 25 nationally. This figure translates into 236,000 hungry Oklahomans, many of whom are working poor.”—“Hungry? You Are Not Alone,” newsok.com, (November 20, 2005) Why can’t we feed our own people? I’ll never understand the priorities of those in power.
March 3, 2006
Has anyone else noticed how haggard the president looks lately? He sounds like a whiney broken-record parody of himself. He appears ready to fall apart. I didn’t think it could happen, but I actually feel sorry for him. Not a lot. But a little.
Ted Bridis, AP writer, reported this shocking news on 2-26-06--"President Bush, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, and even Treasury Secretary John Snow, who oversees the government committee that approved the (port security) deal, all say they did not know about the purchase until after it was finalized. The work was done mostly by assistant secretaries." As Hillary Clinton said, “It raises concern about who’s minding the store in Washington.” Could it be . . . oh, I don’t know . . . the Devil, a.k.a. Karl Rove?
Whatever happened to the concept of compassionate conservatism? According to a newsletter I receive from the United Church of Christ, “President (Bush’s budget) proposes cutting veterans' benefits 13%, or $10 billion.” Say what? There’s more! “(H)ousing, child care, home heating fuel support, and child nutrition programs (for the poor) are slated to be cut 13%, or $24 billion . . . (J)ob training and education are slated for a 13% cut, $53 billion between now and 2011. While the Pentagon budget has gone up 45% in the last five years under this President to a whopping $439 billion.” How can we save the world when we can't even save ourselves?
I would like to propose the Prez pull the troops from Iraq and deploy them to the Gulf Coast to clean and rebuild our own citizens' lives--at last. Those poor people have suffered too long. Their neglect is a real crime.
2-16-06
How many Cheneys does it take to shoot a Whittington? Five. One to pull the trigger, one to pick up the shell-casings, one to hide the shotgun, one to drag his foot, and another to say he would've done it the same way if he had to do it all over again.
Sunday, Andy Rooney told 60 Minutes viewers that America spends $100,000 per minute in Iraq. A recent poll said 80% of Iraqis don’t want us there. Talk about screwed up priorities!
The Associated Press reported on Tuesday, February 14, that “records . . . show (Abramoff’s) lobbying team logged nearly 200 meetings with the (George W. Bush) administration during its first 10 months in office,” Karl Rove being the key White House confidant. Something’s rotten and this time it’s not in Denmark.
2-12-06
Did you hear about the American Rifle Association’s new slogan? “GUNS DON'T SHOOT PEOPLE; VICE-PRESIDENTS DO!” It’s ironic that Dick Cheney accidentally shot a man named Whittington, because my brother (also a "dick," although his name is Ron) did the same to me (with a shotgun) in 1964, even though I'm not a "Hairy" Whittington. I lost my left thumb and, to this day, carry a bunch of lead buckshot around in my face.
2-8-06
Why do black people despise George W. Bush when he's gone out of his way to employ African-Americans? Because he doesn’t hire blacks (for their input or) to help them; rather he seeks out blacks (for their output) to make him look good by mouthing his conservative philosophy. Period. The same is true about Hispanics. He searches for those who like things the way they are, not those who seek to make conditions better, unless one believes curtailing civil liberties would improve our quality of living.
On January 18, 2006, Scott McClellan, the president’s press secretary, told reporters that Abramoff, the indicted lobbyist who specialized in bribery, not only met with President George W. Bush, the lobbyist attended White House Staff Meetings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! McClellan declined to elaborate, but then what more do we need to know? While admitting the White House possesses hundreds of photos of Bush and Abramoff together, the press secretary noted Bush has ordered officials not to release them. Say what? Impeachment is such an ugly but liberating word, is it not?
Lisa Myers of NBC News reported yesterday: “(T)he Pentagon has been spying on gay student groups. A ‘don't ask, don't tell’ protest at the University of California at Santa Cruz that featured a gay kiss-in was labeled by the Pentagon as a ‘credible threat’ of terrorism.” No wonder the prez wants to bypass the courts to wiretap. He hasn’t got a leg to stand on, just a fascist mentality.
It was beyond pathetic today when George W. Bush called upon Muslims to stop the violent protests over Danish cartoons depicting Mohammed as a suicide bomber. Pathetic because it showed that the prez actually thinks he has the ability to influence people in other countries. He can barely do that in the good ol’ USA these days. Sad, indeed.
2-1-06
Good news! I just received the first independent review of my book, The Happy Campers! Susan White of Coffee Time Romance called it “terrific,” and said she had a hard time putting it down until the last word. Read the entire piece here.
“Iraqi Insurgents launched 34,131 attacks last year, up 29% from 26,496 the year before," according to U.S. military figures released Sunday. Yet, our president says we are winning the war. Just another example of why nobody pays attention to his bullshit anymore.
Apparently, although Bush continues to force our military to work overtime in a misguided attempt to bring democracy to the world, free speech is not allowed in the "Mother Country." Cindy Sheehan was not only ejected from El Presidente’s State of the Divided Nation speech last night, she was actually ARRESTED for practicing her First Amendment rights--silently, on a T-shirt!! Never mind that charges were dropped today. Just think about the fact that the kind of atmosphere Bush fosters has altered the Washington scene so much that the police thought free speech had become illegal.
1-22-06
The Brookings Institute reports that an average of 30 Iraqis are kidnapped every day now. Since the US "liberated" Iraq, insurgents have kidnapped more than 240 foreigners and killed at least 39 of them, 10 of which have beenAmericans. Until now, the US has ignored these horrible actions. Now, don't misunderstand--I believe everything should be done to secure the release of Jill Carroll--but I can't help but wonder if the Bush administration is finally negotiating "around the clock" because she works for the "Christian" Science Monitor. You know? Does anybody besides me remember the good old days when our heroic soldiers would perform a "Mission Impossible," break into the kidnappers' lair, and free the victims? Nowadays, our clueless CIA doesn't even know where the kidnappers hang out. Sad and humiliating, if you ask me.
I must admit I did a little Victory Dance when I heard Google planned to defy Bush and Gonzales by refusing to let the government snoop around in their files. Hooray for co-founders Sergy and Larry! The Justice Department ought to stop wasting our tax dollars trying to get rid of porn, anyway. It's time they started fighting real crime. They should adopt Google's motto: "Don't Be Evil." That would be a refreshing change.
1-14-06
Shocker: Burned discs have a shelf-life of 2-5 yrs. Who knew?
So, it appears the CIA was mistaken when it ordered the bombing of three Pakistani homes yesterday. Where is the President's expression of regret for killing at least 18 innocent men, women, and children? What I don't understand is why the American people continue to put up with horrors of this nature, especially when these "errors" are solid proof the CIA still doesn't know what it's doing?
I predict that George W. Bush will resign in disgrace later this year when the extent of his domestic spying program is finally revealed.
“Only nine of the approximately 500 Guantanamo prisoners have been charged with crimes, and the legal advisor to the tribunals has said that probably no more than 50 to 75 ever will be.” Jane Sutton, Reuters, 1-11-06
Quote from an Associated Press article, 1-5-06: “The United States military does not track civilian deaths (in Iraq).” Shameful! Estimates are 180,000+, half of which are women and children.
Over 10,000 gays have been expelled from the military since the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was instituted. How can Congress and President George W. Bush allow such a cruel policy to continue?And what kind of president tours a hurricane-ravaged city, allowing his people to take him through areas untouched by the tragedy while he remarks about how well the reconstruction is going?
12-17-06
Why doesn't anybody bitch about the problems associated with all the various internet servers' spam filters? Most of them block legitimate emails, a serious flaw that demands correction. Writers Weekly, an online newsletter to which I subscribe, estimates that AOL blocks a whopping 20% of non-spam emails. Yet, all we ever hear are ads where these servers brag about how good they are for having these filters. There should be a law requiring disclosure of problems they cause. In fact, ISPs should be required to suspend any filters that purge legitimate messages. Why is everyone quiet about this? I don't understand.
Maybe, like I've been hoping, ebooks are the wave of the future!
RCA Chairman David Sarnoff, a pioneer in the development of radio and TV, figures that within 18 months, reading devices for ebooks could be as easy to use as the Apple iPod is for music. "Screen technology is about to get much better very quickly," he says.
As part of an information offensive in Iraq, the U.S. military continues to secretly pay Iraqi newspapers to publish stories written by American troops in an effort to burnish the image of the U.S. mission in Iraq. The articles, written by U.S. military "information operations" troops, are translated into Arabic and placed in Baghdad newspapers with the help of a defense contractor, according to military officials and documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times. Silly me! I thought bringing democracy to Iraq included allowing them to have a free press.
The Washington Post's Dana Priest reports: "The CIA, working with other intelligence agencies, has captured an estimated 3,000 people in other countries, including several key leaders of al Qaeda, in its campaign to dismantle terrorist networks. It is impossible to know, however, how many mistakes the CIA and its foreign partners have made . . . (T)here is no tribunal or judge to check the evidence against those picked up by the CIA. The same bureaucracy that decides to capture and transfer a suspect for interrogation--a process called 'rendition'--is also responsible for policing itself for errors . . . One (of these people) turned out to be an innocent college professor who had given the al Qaeda member a bad grade . . . In many, many cases there was only some vague association with terrorism, one CIA officer said." Many of these innocents have been imprisoned indefinitely without any civil rights whatsoever. All this means we have become just like the people we're fighting against. No wonder the US is hated the world over.
News that President George W. Bush authorized the National Security Agency to spy on Americans in the name of fighting terrorism showcases this dangerous, misguided man's disregard for basic civil rights, as well as his bankrupt belief that "the end justifies the means." Impeachment. That's all I have to say about it.
11-24-05
Well, guess what, folks! My ex called to tell me three things:
1. Congratulations for having The Happy Campers, my e-novel aboutprison, passion, and sunbathing, published by www.torquerepress.com.
2. That I should cut my hair.
3. That my ranting about the Prez all the time makes me sound like anut case. Since my ex (a blue-eyed Cherokee cousin of Pretty BoyFloyd, and just as handsome) may be correct about the last item, hishaving real personal expertise in crazy matters, I've decided tohonor the recommendation and rap about a couple of other thingsbefore I get to what I feel compelled to do for therapy--scream aboutthe deaths and maiming George W. Bush is responsible for, with hisreprehensible and ungodly war.
So, here goes: The unemployment rate for soldiers returning to civilian life from Iraqis three times higher than the national average, according to www.military.com, a pro-soldier website. Does that remind anyone of Vietnam? (Notice I didn't mention the Prez once!)
I can’t believe the nerve of the Oklahoma Tax Commission. They’re sending bills to people who purchased cigarettes over the internet. Isn't that going too far?
What kind of legal system allows Sadam (or anyone) to have 1500 defense lawyers? Even after 1100 quit in protest when two colleagues were assassinated, that leaves him with 400! I’d hate to taste that soup, let alone pay for it!
Remember the good old days, when Americans were the good guys? Not only is the phrase sexist and out of date, it’s no longer true—at least in the view of the rest of the world. Sad, indeed.
I can barely watch the evening news lately. Hardly a day goes bywithout something horrible being revealed about our government’s policies. Secret CIA prisons. Torture by placing plastic film on faces and pouring water over it until the prisoner almost suffocates (“waterboarding”). Torture by playing Eminem’s songs nonstop (These things are all true!). Forcing prisoners to stand forty hours naked infifty-degree temperature (One died of hypothermia). Using white phosphorous, despite international law against chemical warfare, to flush out insurgents, burning women and children to the bone instead. Using a new weapon called the SMAW-NE, a controversial“version of the standard USMC Shoulder Mounted Assault Weaponbut with a new warhead. Described as NE – ‘Novel Explosive’- it is a thermobaric mixture which ignites the air, producing a shockwave of unparalleled destructive power, especially against buildings,”according to http://www.defensetech.org/. It implodes buildings from within, brutally killing everyone inside, be they civilians, soldiers, or insurgents. No wonder the Iraq people hate us.
11-05-05
I am humiliated and saddened by President George W. Bush’s reception in Argentina. Ten thousand protesters carrying signs calling him a terrorist and fascist is no small number. It simply underscores how he has single handedly caused hatred of theUnited States to skyrocket around the world. His successor will have a lot of work to do. Repairing our reputation will be a monumental task, but must be done if we are to survive as a nation and a people.
Citizens should also be worried about President George W. Bush’s overreaction to the so-called threat of bird flu. He’s doing this to prove to the world that he’s back in touch with reality after his reprehensible conduct in the aftermath of Katrina. Unfortunately, his plans to deal with the avian "threat" also has little to do with reality.So far, this disease has not spread from human to human and there is no evidence that it ever will. Even if it does, the disease would beso mutated by that time, that the medicine being stockpiled for it would have little or no effect. Flu is normally species or genera-specific and rarely spreads from one kind of animal to another. ThePrez should be stopped before he’s allowed to spend millions of dollars on unnecessary and/or useless vaccine. We’re already in too much debt, thanks to his overzealous spending.
Revelations of CIA prisons hidden around the world come as no surprise, but the gall of Vice President Cheney shocked even me. In the wake of administrative scandals, he told Senator McCain he wants these prisons to be exempt from international laws on humane treatment, because he believes the war on terror needs every tool it can find. Such an attitude reeks of fascism—"the end justifying the means"—and underscores the threat to basic freedoms that our reigning administration wishes to suspend. How can our government claim to be bringing freedom to people in Iraq when our "secret police" practice the exact opposite—imprisoning people in covert prisons where they are tortured, without benefit of trial. Isn’t that what Sadam did?
10-22-05
I just saw a chilling documentary about the Mayans on the History Channel. Apparently, their calculation of time though astronomy was so accurate, their calendars hold true to this day, being off by only thirty seconds. What was truly scary, though, was their "determination" that Sunday, December 23, 20012 shall be the last day humans will exist on earth, a conclusion they reached after studying the solar system. It bothers me because scientists agree that the Mayans’ brilliance materialized light-years ahead of their/our time. Unfortunately, a Christian Spanish missionary burnt all but four of their textbooks, so the explanation of exactly how and why humans will cease to exist has gone up in smoke, lost forever—well,at least until December 23, 20012! Jeesh, I may have to stick around just to find out! But then, if I’m gone, what good would it do me?Hmm. Maybe, if I refuse to drink the Kool-Aid, I’ll survive!
When will George W. Bush git it? Scripted TV is out! I believe the U.S.public would be relieved if the Prez ever decided to go the reality
route. Nearly everything he does is designed to manipulate public perception of him and his ungodly little war. From his "Town Hall "conversations with "common folk," to his "chats" with the troops, the fakery of it all is hard to take. And there’s the matter of his paranoia, which has caused him to replace most federal officials with Republican loyalists, regardless of qualification—cronyism—which is why he’s surrounded by incompetence. The rest of his efforts appear to be spent directing his people to trash anyone who disagrees with his policies. Maybe if he used his office to do good works, he’d actually be a great president? Nah! Scratch that thought! It’s a pipe dream. He’s too wrapped up defending his policies to actually do positive things.
10-07-05
Could George W. Bush be Moses reincarnated? Although the White House denies it, the BBC is reporting that George W. Bush believesGod directed him to invade Iraq. Hmm, I wonder--Is insanity sufficient grounds for impeachment? Somebody needs to inform the Prez that you can only fit so many martyrs in a body bag before it rips and falls apart.
10-1-05
Breaking news! They finally found some WMDs—Weapons of MassDeception, that is! Turns out the office of the Prez has been secretly dispensing them all this time. The GAO (Government Accountability Office) made public their finding that Bush’s henchmen resorted toillegal “covert propaganda” in trying to sell its No Child Left Behind Law. They produced radio and TV programs pushing their agenda and paid sympathetic reporters to say positive things, presenting it all as unbiased news. This is proof of Bush’s desire to rule by any means necessary, even deception, and showcases his belief that "God’s people" are above the law.
9-28-05
"The percentage of past due credit card payments shot up to a record high in the second quarter as surging gasoline prices strained budgets and made it difficult for some people to pay their bills," according to this morning's Associated Press. Another clue that our economy is about to bust, just like I've been predicting.I do believe President George W. Bush's days leading this country down the road to poverty and war are numbered, as in the coming weeks, one by one, his policy-pushing cronies will be dethroned--exposed as corrupt politicians who believe their relationships with God elevate them about the law. (It's the old erroneous belief that "non-evil-doers" must "save" the world by any means necessary.)
Congress is about to give the Prez another blow to his uncompassionate heart. He is about to be investigated for giving government jobs repairing hurricane damage to those who love and honor his administration, right or wrong. They include a contract for $16 million involving Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root Services Inc. of Arlington, Va., a business already cited for overcharging the government for work in Iraq, but for which they have so-far gone unpunished. Another contractor about to beinvestigated is San-Francisco-based Bechtel Corp. Both companies have been spotted holding hands with the Bush administration in the dark of night on Castro Street.
Revlon has come up with yet another "revolutionary" product, called Age-Defying Makeup with Botafirm. Botafirm! Hmm. Must be like Botox! How stupid do they think women are? Pantene’s new adcampaign is also filled with outright lies. Their "Full and Thick" shampoo promises your hair will be 35 % thicker. Come on! 35%? Exactly? May I please see the scientific study?????????????
9-27-05
I just found out that Bush’s little plane trips to show the world his compassion are costing the taxpayers over $6000 per hour! And he has the nerve to tell us we should conserve gas by limiting ourtraveling. It’s also being blasted all over the news that the average home heating bill this winter will top $1000 per month, up over $400 from last year. If somebody doesn’t stop that from happening, there will be riots and chaos in this country that’ll make the damage from Katrina and Rita seem negligible. Most of us live from paycheck to paycheck and will be unable to pay that kind of a hike. SCREW free enterprise and market fluctuations! It’s time for price controls, because the people in charge of producing and selling fuelare obviously completely devoid of benevolence . . . and commonsense. And by price controls, I mean rollbacks--big ones!
Whatever happened to Condaleeza Rice? Did she go back on vacation—to finish her Ferragamo shoe shopping?
9-25-05
Watching George W. Bush fly all over the place to make it look like he cares about hurricane victims is just sad. Not only does it burn up tons of jet fuel, it makes no sense, except from a photo-op point of view. Cannot a person govern via the telephone, like in the old days?
Finally, Congress is talking about investigating the triple "windfall" profits oil companies are savoring, even with all the damage to their rigs. I doubt that Congress will probe far enough into the past, though. The American consumer has been getting screwed on gasoline prices for way more than three years.And still, our president remains quiet about the gouging, except for minor lip service. I guess that's what happens when one's family grows richer at the expense of those they govern.
9-18-05
I had to laugh (before crying) when Wanda Sykes told Leno that America shouldn't have been surprised when Bush took so long to react to the Katrina disaster "because we knew the man was slow when we re-elected his ass."
9-16-05
I just heard on the news that the Great Humanitarian, George W.Bush, told a reporter that "other" programs would be cut to pay for Katrina. Something tells me the money won't come from the War Nobody Desired (WND). Whata ya say we offer the poor man the direction he lacks? NOW is the time for Congress to show the world it has guts. As United States citizens, we must demand an end to theWar, a WND that has not only made Iraq unsafe for democracy, but has destroyed our reputation as a humanitarian nation. Our soulsand future depend on it!
And while we’re at it, Bush needs to be stopped from validating the continued hatred of gays, in this country and around the world. His policy against gay marriage, which is vocalized by his far right supporters while he stays mute (lately), has led to a frenzy of hate crimes against homosexuals. Iran has stepped up the hangings of gays, while high school bullies beat effeminate boys bloody in the good old US of A. Bush should be censured for lying during his campaign about “compassionate conservatism” and “inclusion.” In lieu of that, the states could simply vote to give complete equal rights to gays. That would stop the ultra-conservatives with their “abomination" labels and get the country going in the right, er I mean, correct direction again! Or we could just impeach the man and get somebody in office who'll at least try to fix the economy. Somebody who cares enough to scream "Bloody price-fixing!" at the oil companies instead of doing absolutely NOTHING!
9-15-05
The Republican-controlled congress has voted against a nindependent investigation into the federal response to Hurricane Katrina. Are we surprised? Hardly! Therefore, as a public service, I offer the results of my own research. Unlike a government-sponsored inquiry, mine won’t cost a billion dollars nor take six months to complete. To the contrary, it’s not only free, the results are already in! The conclusion is as follows: All branches of our government a reguilty of initial inaction, from the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana to the feds in Washington DC. It’s perfectly clear.
However, the paralysis at the federal level is the most frightening, for it comes from an administration whose main agenda was purported to be homeland security. It proves the Bush government is a big, fat failure in doing what it supposedly cherishes most.Why? Because Bush placed people in positions of power who were super loyal to him, even when they weren’t qualified for the jobs. Andnow, the “good ol’ boys” are giving all the rebuilding contracts toloyal Republican businesses. In my humble opinion, this kind of illegal payback, coupled with incompetence that puts our security atrisk is worthy of impeachment. What’s it gonna take, folks, for theAmerican public to see the light? Another attack that could’ve beenprevented?????
Not only is the Gulf Coast in ruins. So is our economy. George W.Bush did absolutely nothing as gas prices rose to dangerous levels during his administration. NOTHING! He went into office with a record thriving economy and quickly drove the country into a gigantic deficit thanks to a war he undertookagainst the wishes of the American people and the world.We need a government that is interested in protecting us, not one that spends all its resources to create the illusion that it's protectingus. Let’s get rid of Bush and return honesty to government! If we are to survive, we must impeach incompetence now! Let’s just do it!Period.
9-14-05
George W. Bush finally accepted "responsibility" for the slow federal response to Katrina’s destruction. So what? Do we forgive amurderer when he pleads guilty? Does confessing bring the deadback to life?Why are Republicans getting all the contracts for rebuilding New Orleans? In the old days, such palimony would’ve been considered felonious, officials would’ve been fired, and indictments would’vebeen forthcoming. This administration consistently horrifies me with its blatant payoffs to supporters, but even more frightening is how they get away with it.
"Let them eat cake!" Barbara Bush might as well have said that. Sent to Houston by her son the prez to rescue his reputation, she accidentally exposed the depth of the family’s compassion while trying to capture yet another Bush photo opportunity. One she thought would make her son look like he cared about poor people inNew Orleans. In other words, she was trying to show the world that the Bushes care about blacks who aren’t rich Republican "yes-people" like Condi. It backfired. What happened? She said the now homeless people in the Houston Astrodome were better off now than they ever were in New Orleans. Please, Barbara, stay in your multimillion-dollar mansions and keep your mouth shut! Thank you!
Senator Tom Coburn has embarrassed Oklahoma by doing crossword puzzles during the Supreme Court hearings, but this isn't the first time he has embarrassed his constituents. He's been quoted as saying that doctors who perform abortions should be given the death penalty and that the gay community is the biggest threat to the family today. Which is it, Tom? Do you think Oklahomans are really that stupid or is it just you?
9-11-05
Looks like FEMA’s Mr. Brown is finally getting the shaft, having been exposed as a big fat fraud. Hmm, I wonder if the same people who didn’t investigate his background are the same ones who didn’t really find Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq? Notice a pattern here?
Arnold from Austria (I can’t spell his last name and don't care enough about him to look it up) should be permanently expelled from Hollywood after failing to support California gays in their quest for the freedom to marry. He promises to veto the bill supporting that right, a measure that’s been a long time coming. Of course, anyone with common sense knows it’s not really about marriage. It’s about equal rights for all. Equal rights are equal rights. Period. His brain must be pickled from all those steroids that grew him into a champion bodybuilder. Even though I’m gay and love muscles, I must say his body always turned me off. It always looked fake, just like his compassion. Period.
9-8-05
I laughed out loud upon hearing George W. Bush state he plans to lead the investigation into the slow response to the hurricane disaster. That’d be like giving prison inmates custody of the keys. Guess you can’t blame him for trying. Of course, one can hardly fault him for thinking Congress is that stupid. In all fairness, I must confide I grew angry when the Democrats said their investigation would take until February. Come on! That’s ridiculous! How long does it take to read a memo or two from Mr. Brown, the FEMA mis-director?Anyway, it’s already clear what happened. The administration systematically replaced key leaders in FEMA with hardcore Bush supporters, even when they didn’t have experience managing emergencies or disasters. Their only qualification was their ability to make the prez look good. But guess what, they even failed at that—big time!
Speaking of which, even more info is coming out about Bush’s spin people pulling in disaster relief workers to cavort in the background for his TV appearances. This time it was firefighters—The Salt LakeTribune reports that FEMA put a team of 50 on a flight to Louisiana Monday morning. Their mission: Stand beside Bush as he toured the devastation.
Would someone please inform our president that this is real life and that fake shows—political or otherwise—are way out of fashion. The more I think about his pathetic manipulations to appear compassionate, the angrier I get.
9-6-05
Why haven't we heard about Big Oil donating money to help the Katrina Hurricane victims??????
9-4-05
I just learned why help came too late for many in the Gulf Coast communities raped by Katrina. Instead of cutting his vacation short,the president kept it going for two days after the hurricane hit. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice began her holiday right after Katrina came ashore and didn’t call it quits until a lady screamed ather for buying designer shoes while people were dying, two days later. The vice president was also on vacation, although I’m not sure he’s relevant anymore, as he never seems to do anything except defend the prez. May the world have mercy on George W. Bush’s photo-opportunistic soul . . . On second thought, why should they?
9-3-05
I’ve been perusing the nation’s newspapers. What I have to report is shocking, even to a veteran cynic like myself. It appears that our president is more concerned with “appearance” than “substance.”It’s called “spin”—looking busy for the cameras—a game great men do not play, at least during disasters of historic proportions.
First, George W. Bush’s people ordered helicopters to sit in the background during his press conference, when they should’ve been flying around saving lives.
Second, the same spin-doctors ordered an impressive array of equipment to the breached 17th Street levee to pretend to repair the break as the president flew over the area with Louisiana officials intow. The next day, all but one piece of equipment had been withdrawn.
Disgusted, Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu reportedthis in a press release, all but ignored by network television.Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice proved Kanye West correct when he said the prez doesn’t care about black people. During the beginning of the Katrina catastrophe, Ms. Rice exposed herself as a pin-up girl, chosen by Bush for show only, one who makes a careerout of saying, “Yes.” She looks black on paper, but flip the page overand you’ll find she’s not only whiter than Michael Jackson, she has sold her people down the storm surge river.If anyone disagrees, answer me this: Would a real—supposedly powerful—black leader continue her New York vacation, go to a Broadway comedy, Spamalot (Aug. 30), and spend two thousand dollars on Ferragamo shoes (Sept. 1), while poor blacks starve and die in New Orleans? And then, to counteract rapper Kanye, issue a statement for George saying race is not part of the equation? Can you say Auntie Tom?
Spin, spin, spin! I’m beginning to feel quite dizzy. As for the oil companies’ obscene earnings, I found the following figures issued by watchdog group Public Citizen: “Since GeorgeBush became president in 2001, the top five oil companies in the US have recorded profits of $254 billion: ExxonMobil: $89 billion, Shell: $60.7 billion, BP: $53 billion, ChevronTexaco: $31 billion, ConocoPhillips: $20 billion. The profit margin by U.S. oil refiners has shot up 79% from 1999 to 2004.” Excuse me while I go puke. Here’s one of many mind-boggling reports about the administration turning away offers of assistance. This excerpt comes from the Sept 3 Chicago Sun-times: “A visibly angry Mayor Daley said the city had offered emergency, medical and technical help to the federal government as early as Sunday to assist people in the areas stricken by Hurricane Katrina, but as of Friday (Sept. 2), the only things the feds said they wanted was a single tank truck.” When are the American people going to start holding this president accountable?
9-1-05
Man, what horror Hurricane Katrina caused in Louisiana and Mississippi! And what a lame response from the federal government! President Bush’s actions—to pledge ten billion dollars plus (as soon as congress approves it), does nothing for those dying for lack of medicine, food and water right now. His appeal for “patience” while relief efforts are aligned is horrendous. The man needs to issue an executive order sending in rescue planes and helicopters this second—en masse. Enough talk! And enough touring the devastation via air, as he says he will again tomorrow—unless he plans to personally drop food and water, which wouldn’t be a bad idea!
When a thousand people crushed each other to death in Iraq because they heard rumors of a suicide bomber in the crowd, it made me think about our brilliant president again and how his policies have made that poor pitiful country safe for democracy. How very sad it must be to live in Bagdad these days.
Ouch! Three and four dollars a gallon for gas? Sick: the oil companies using the hurricane for another excuse to raise prices??? Whatever happened to benevolence? The parent gas companies have been registering record profits and the worst of it is, the federal government has been letting them get away with it. And now, with the country reeling from this hurricane disaster, oil companies are still getting away with it! President George W. Bush needs to issue yet another executive order rolling back the price of gas to no less than $1.50 and he needs to do it now! I laugh when I hear the Prez warning gas stations not to gouge the public. What does he think Big Oil has been doing for the last year and a half?
I am amazed with the crap I hear on the news rationalizing sudden changes in retail gas prices. With a straight face, reporters tell us gas stations must raise the price on current stock to match the replacement price. Since when did retailers start selling today’s goods for the cost of tomorrow’s? That’s illogical and criminal!
8-26-05
I’m curious how many people agree with me when I say those Dr. Scholl’s commercials on “gellin’” are the corniest to come along in years. They make me want to take the Equate pads out of my shoes and kick the ad people in their callasses (sp).
When “superChristian” Pat Robertson called for the killing of Venezuela President Hugo Chavez a couple of days ago, it aggravated an open sore I’ve been nursing since our reigning President did the same thing in the heat of post 9-11. Please correctme if I’m wrong, but I believe George W. Bush is the first U.S. leader since the Dark Ages to call for the outright killing of "evil-doers." When Bush publicly appealed for the deaths of Saddam Heusen and Osama Bin laden, rather than their capture, he set an ugly president (sp). It’s another case of so-called “Christians” cherry-picking which Bible passages and commandments to ignore, much like anti-abortionists supporting the death penalty for the already born.
I’m not one who normally advocates name changes for public figures—although Pat Robertson would be well-advised to change his—but I will make an exception for CNN weekend anchor Judy Fortin. I mean, really! Her parent-given moniker is nearly as bad as faith healer/televangelist Peter Popoff’s name, although with him, it’s probably a moot point. His rise as a super Christian fell a couple of years ago when an earpiece (not God, as he had claimed) was discovered to be feeding him answers about the people he was preparing to “heal.” Needless to say, his congregation petered out after that.
The other day, a literary agent returned my query, upon which he’d scribbled a note declining to represent me. I mailed him a ream of paper with a note attached: “If your finances are so bad that you can't afford stationery, perhaps you should consider taking a chance on new talent such as mine.” Okay, I didn’t actually do it, but I wanted to!
Yesterday, I heard a McAlester radio station report that the Oklahoma State Prison facility located on the outskirts of town is now conducting interviews for one hundred new jobs. Then today, on the 5:00 Oklahoma City news, an TV newswoman announced the state prison system is suffering from a “funding crisis”! Huh?
8-24-05
The President visited Nampa, Idaho today, unfurling speeches to drum up support for his Iraqi war. Having spent a significant portion of my formative years in Nampa (1953-1962), I'm not surprised about the choice of locale. The 78% white population of 50,000 is mostly fundamentalist Nazarene. I doubt that a more conservative community exists. In my mind, preaching to the choir for the solepurpose of making it look like the majority of Americans support his policies is downright unsavory. It reminds me of his so-called “townmeetings,” wherein only supporters are allowed in, like in pre-liberated Russia.
For the life of me, I don’t understand how a militant administration like Bush’s can recommend closing military bases in the name of saving money, when it will put thousands of people out of work and devastate the economy of local dependent communities. What is going on in his mind, anyway????? This really scares me.
8-16-2005
Am I the only one aggravated by the sappy, over-sincerity of those car ads that say, “Welcome to the family. You pay what we pay, not a penny more”? Do you also feel sorry for the employees when you see what paltry discounts they get? The only good thing about the sale is they offer it up front, so the buyer doesn't have to go through the usual aggravating negotiations.
Why is it that the only time public television has anything good on is during pledge time? It happened to me again the other day. They were showing footage of Patsy Cline I'd never seen before. (I identify with anyone who sings about being "Crazy"!) Where are these shows hiding the rest of the year?
Remember when a risk-free guarantee meant something? Like the product was good—instead of “I’d better not get it because I’ll have to cancel the standing order I will inadvertently create to get my 'freetrial' or 'sample', even though the ads don't divulge the strings (a crime in itself, if you ask me!),” and/or “To cancel, I have to call the 800 number (which doesn’t necessarily start with 800 these days, so you never really know if it’s toll-free or not) and be forced to wait ten times longer than if I were placing an order (which should also be a crime).”
Wouldn't it make you feel better if the President at least complained to those responsible for the price of gas? When did the US lose its clout with Saudi Arabia and Shell Oil? And am I the only one livid over the record profits the oil companies are posting?
I don't know if Daylight Donuts has franchises in states besides Oklahoma, but they should, because they cook up some really good pastries. While shopping in Tulsa the other day, I needed gas, but decided to have one of Daylight's sugary treats first. When I emerged from the shop, a thirty-cent rise in the cost of gas slapped me in the face. Although I was shocked to see the $2.49 a gallon postings all over town, the thought of what this rip-off is going to do to the economy scared the Daylights out of me!
If prices don't come down soon, the cost of everything will skyrocket, devastating an already shaky economy. Not only do I see lower and middle income people suffering, I fear a horrific stock market crash, the severity of which has not been experienced since Hoover. Remember the good old days when Congress would launch an investigation into consumer-gouging and prices would "miraculously" drop?
