Friday, June 13, 2008

John McCain, Mr. Economy

To his credit, John McCain did admit that he was "not well versed" on economic issues. However, this seems to be a real bad, and I mean real bad, sign: According to The Hill, the potential first family of John and Cindy McCain reported over $100,000 in credit card debt.
The presidential candidate and his wife Cindy reported piling up debt on a charge card between $10,000 and $15,000. His wife’s solo charge card has between $100,000 and $250,000 in debt to American Express.

McCain's wife also has a second American Express charge card listed on the senator's financial disclosure that was carrying $100,000 to $250,000 in debt.

Another charge card with American Express, this one for a “dependent child,” is carrying debt in the range of $15,000 and $50,000.
Aristotle argued that managing a personal household is one of the most important tasks for a person. If you can't manage a household, then...

Of course, this just reflects the ability of current Republicans to manage the economy.

Rest in Peace Mr Russert


Tim Russert, moderator of Meet the Press, passed away this afternoon. He was 58.

This is a sad day for the Russert family, people in Buffalo, and for lovers of politics.

File this under: Who is in charge over there?

I logged on-line this morning to check out the weather in Boston, and I was greeted by this headline: "Fox refers to Michelle Obama as 'baby mama.'" The article questions whether this is just clueless on the part of Fox News, as it is an inaccurate use of the term, or racist (it doesn't question whether or not it is sexist, which I find a bit odd, as I would argue the term is both sexist and racist). I don't think stupidity can be an excuse for a major new network, but I'm sure that is what Fox News will plead.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Kiki is His Homegirl

This is for solon, who we've lost recently to the Liberty City crime brigade.

Cuddly Critters are Victims of Racism too?

I ran across this story on MSNBC.com and found it both humorous and disturbing. First of all, the campaign seems obviously tongue-in-cheek to me--perhaps I am insensitive. Second, I didn't realize that people were less likely to adopt black-coated animals. As the puppy parent to "Chocolate Thunder," who, while technically dark brown, looks black, I am particularly surprised. When we adopted Miss Chocolate, we were told that she hadn't been in any one foster home for longer than 8 weeks. I now know that this is because she is a high-maintenance little bitch (and I don't mean that in the "female dog" sense). As for her face: it's gorgeous. Her fur is always shiny, and she has giant dark brown eyes that make you forget (for a moment) that she just peed on your pillow.

Maybe racism has made her bitter. Maybe she was extra sweet and obliging young pup until she encountered the predjudices against dark-furred dogs. Maybe this is why she gets so mad when our lovely blonde lab mix and our light brown doxie are having fun tussling with each other. Maybe she barks to tell them that not all dogs have such cozy little lives. Maybe Miss Chocolate is an activist. Fight the power, girl!

Thank Goodness for J.Lo!

Jennifer Lopez met with Obama staffers recently "to discuss issues she is interested in, such as health care and education." Does anyone else find this story annoying?

A Tricky Situation

I was just heading to The Situation, and I accidentally forgot the "the" in the URL--and I stumbled upon a blog called "Rhetorical Situation." They do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...;)

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The meaning of the end or the end of meaning...

Every Monday morning during the last season of The Sopranos, I remember frequently, and quite compulsively, clicking every five (read 2, maybe 1.5) minutes at The House Next Door just to see if the writer would post the recap from the previous night's episode. Since the end of one of the best shows on television, I have not read the blog at all though the writing and criticism was very good. I suppose you can find recaps for all of the episodes in the blog's archives. But, I digress...

After a year of debate, another Sopranos' blog attempts to provide the definitive-- and I mean definitive-- coherence to our final moments with the Sopranos family. Here is the overview of the piece:
Part I will also discuss (and debunk) the other theories about the end including the “Tony always looking over his shoulder” interpretation. Part II, will concentrate on what Tony’s death means and how his death was thematically constructed throughout the final season. Part III will focus on the use of symbolism in Holsten’s. Part IV will focus on “The Godfather” influence on the final season and Tony’s death. Part V will focus on how the final episode and final scene are linked to America’s war on terrorism. Part VI will concentrate on the “fun stuff” created by Chase and his creative team to foreshadow Tony’s death. Finally Part VII will discuss the possible inspiration of two films on the ending of “The Sopranos”.
You can read the essay in full here. Enjoy as it helps ease the pain in our post-Sopranos world.

The McCain watch: Vetoing Beer?

Senator McCain will not be winning the working class white vote with comments like these:



Rumor has it that Chicken Wings, Pizza, and Bowling are also on his list. If you listen closely, the people in Buffalo are arming for a revolution.... what else will people do on Friday (and Saturday and Sunday and Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday) nights in the Nickel City.

Sunday, June 08, 2008

Sunday Song of the Day: "Missing the War"

A favorite song and a favorite performance of mine from Ben Folds Five. The clip is from Sessions at West 54th, which is available on DVD. I highly recommend it, especially if you like, as Ben Folds would say, "Punk Rock for Sissies."