This week for me was short but $hitacular - beyond all the depressing news that's dominated the airwaves recently. So, even though depressing news still dominates that'll be discussed, I am declaring tonight Silly Friday. Knock yourself out in posting any pictures or videos ("family - friendly," please!) or whatever that makes you smile or laugh! So...
And, in honor of the CUTE kittens I played with over my lunch hour but didn't bring home a single one (self - control? I haz it!),
And, in honor of an email from this morning that made me feel as good as what Armando Galarraga will feel when/if he gets his perfect game back,
I have just one "this day in history" item on the docket. On this date in 1992, the U.S. Postal Service announced the results of a nationwide vote on the Elvis Presley stamp, saying the "younger Elvis" design won. And, if you ever go to Graceland, you, like me, will quickly notice there are absolutely zip zero nada nil nein NO IMAGES around of the "later years" Elvis. And, if you're hoping to get a look at THE potty, forget it; it's not part of the tour. Guides make that real clear REAL fast.
This song makes me San Francisco sick, but I always feel that way, and it's GREAT to dance to!
Let's Countdown - 46 days since the explosion & sinking of the Deepwater Horizon off - shore oil facility in the Gulf of Mexico.
#5 "Oil Rigged" AKA "Under Pressure" - The beaches of the Florida panhandle have gotten some unwelcome guests – no, not ants at a picnic or jellyfish stings. The Gulf bubblin’ crude has gone to Florida for summer break! The broken oil well nearly a mile below the surface is still gushing oil; the top hat or cap or whatever the spark it’s being called is siphoning SOME of the oil. Around 1000 barrels are reaching the facility that’s supposed to be getting the oil. The chemical dispersants being used on the Gulf surface oil are making people sick. Didn’t we already know this was going to happen or that it was at least a possibility? Tony Hayward said the workers had food poisoning?! Now, I’m not discounting the "discomfort" of food poisoning. I’ve had food poisoning; I prayed for death because it was the absolute WORST I’d ever felt in my life.
But, Mr. Hayward, for good sparkin’ grief, couldn’t you come up with a fib that was a little more related to the work being done down there? Protestors gathered at BP/BS’s DC office. Oh, and about those underwater plumes of oil that Mr. Hayward said weren’t there, scientists have confirmed they are there. I’ll give y’all a moment or 2 to digest the shock that Mr. Hayward might have just fibbed to us AGAIN. {insert stalling music here} OK, we all set now? ;D President Obama was on the Gulf again today. He had some choice words for BP/BS today for spending $50 million on an ad campaign & paying out BILLIONS in dividends. Gov. Gilligan Jindal made nice with President Obama & attacked BP/BS? HUH?! OK, where did this alien come from, and where is the REAL Governor Gilligan? BP/BS has yet to get through half of the payouts to harmed businesses that is claimed to have made in the first month – much less sending any further coin to help those who so desperately need it.
Ezra Klein gets to talk political crude this Friday evening. OK, I had to do a double – take on Keith’s first question to Ezra. Are people really *itching about President Obama cancelling out on the Aussies & whoever else he was supposed to see again in favor of going to the Gulf? Are you $hitting me?! That decision kind of seems like a no – brainer to me! All right, if Australia is that pi$$ed, we’ll give Paul Hogan a Medal of Freedom or something. Will THAT make ‘em happy? And, I’ll tell Bart Simpson to stop making collect calls down there & committing fraud. ;D Look at all that yummy crawfish in front of President Obama; I hope it didn’t come from the Gulf! And, for Pete’s sake, I hope he ate it correctly! You pinch the tail & suck the head – really! Don’t peeve off the Louisiana locals by sparking THAT up; they’ve been through enough already. Senator Harry Reid’s said he wants energy legislation with off – shore drilling "reform" move through his chamber in July. Uh...Harry...HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHERE YOU WORK?!
The Senate is where legislation goes to die, dear. OK, I need to rant/vent a little here, and this is something that’s been on my mind since this afternoon when I heard NPR discuss the spill, and the tenor of Keith’s & Ezra’s dialogue in this segment reminded me how pi$$ed off I am about a pesky little detail that no one seems to be paying attention to. Both on NPR this afternoon and tonight on the show, people seem to be focusing on economic impact & environmental impact of this spill. I am not discounting the seriousness of those implications. But, 11 WORKERS LOST THEIR LIVES in that explosion. Can we get some discussion on the impact of THAT? And, how ‘bout some murder or negligent homicide charges along with the Clean Water Act & that other shtick?! All right...ranting over... Rick Steiner got to fly over the Gulf today to see the damage for himself – even the site where the Deepwater Horizon facility used to be. He saw oil on the sea surface as far as he could see in either direction. Most of the "boom" material isn’t working because they were installed incorrectly & not being monitored. Mr. Steiner thinks most of this disaster is long out of control even though the cap is catching SOME of the stuff, and SOME of the gas pressure is being burned off.
Since we had "Under Pressure" above, here is the video of one of my absolute favorite Queen songs.
#4 "Oil Rigged Part Deux" AKA "Engulfed" - We’re seeing pictures again to counteract the bull$hit spewed & spewing from Tony Hayward. YES! Keith mentioned the 11 lost lives – albeit a little too briefly. THANK YOU! Oye...I can’t relive this tonight.
** There are drunk parakeets in Australia? Well, at least they’re purty & colorful! "Nobody knows...how dry I am... {hiccup}..." And, how well do I "know" Keith that I KNEW that damn Python dead parrot shtick was going to come down the pike?! Germany has the KISS fever! O...M...G...Dustin Hoffman & Jason Bateman were playing kissy face at the Celtics – Lakers game! Mr. Bateman, you’re trying to seduce me! HA! **
In another spooky but fun coincidence of timing, I bought this movie today; I found it cheap & grabbed it! :D
#3 "We Tortured" AKA "The Torture President" - The military is absolutely terrified – as they should be – at the implications concerning the safety of our blood & treasure fighting for our safety overseas in light of continued boasting about torture from the previous occupants of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. There is a long history of concern along these lines, as Keith discussed. Retired General James Cullen had this to say in light of GWB’s bragging:
Americans not yet born are going to be prisoners of war...and our enemies are going to be able to point back to President Bush and Vice President Cheney saying that waterboarding is OK...It’s just shocking to me how he can be so flip about something that is so serious.
He’ll be a phony general in 5...4...3...2... Matthew Alexander’s back; he knows his interrogation stuff. He’s a former US military interrogator. Captured prisoners told their interrogators that our torture was being used as recruiting tools to help kill Americans.
WPITW – Some dude in New Zealand likes to crash funerals to get free vittles. BillO & his "producer" managed to equate gay people with AQ. YES! Keith finally got to the Governor of the "Show Me Your Papers" state fibbing about her dear ‘ol Dad’s death at Nazi hands! ‘BOUT DAMN TIME! ;D
Fridays With Thurber "Sex Ex Machina" YEA! I was hoping Keith would read this!! ;D I just read this one the other day & had a cow!