Words, a simple five letter word, that whether or not you are aware of it, has been a part of your entire life. You learn young what words are acceptable and what words are not. The first you learn not to say are the "dirty four-letter" words. Doesn't it strike you as strange that most of the bad words consist of only four letters?
Lately, though, there has been a seven letter word, that is in the news frequently, and somehow has even been granted "word of the year" status, despite it being dirtier in its own way than any four letter word previously coined. The word is bailout! I could think of several that could be used in its place- bonus, handout, giveaway, charity- you get the drift. This country is in really sad shape when it starts rewarding its failures- be they in business or government.
Cases in point, AIG bailed out- business as usual, with all the luxury perks like big salaries, bonuses, etc. Citigroup- still gets to sponsor big-time college football games and keep their $400 million deal to name the new stadium where the Mets will play, along with the big salaries and bonuses and so on and so forth.
Now the big three automakers want in on the giveaway and why not, its only taxpayer money! But most taxpayers don't make $28, $38, or $70 an hour, whichever number is being quoted more at the moment in the press. Even the low amount of $28 an hour is close to three times what the average worker gets an hour. These big executives fly to Washington in private jets, have limos waiting on them to go beg for money, and don't even bat an eye while doing so. Most people still have all they can do to keep gas in their car, even though it has dropped tremendously. While it has dipped, everything else has gone up. This column won't make a difference anywhere or in anything, but at least I was able to throw in two cents more than my share of the future bailouts.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Not just another Black Friday rant
So there I was, sitting in my living room, drinking my last bloody mary of the day, checking my Facebook page and watching a House rerun on USA. Rob Tinsley, a longtime friend of mine had updated his status to reflect his preparation to head out into the Black Friday shopping maelstrom, and having watched The Smoking Gun presents World's Dumbest Shoppers earlier in the evening, I sent a tongue-in-cheek reply to not wind up as a highlight on volume two. Then, after I woke up to begin my Friday, news had broken on the death of a Wal Mart worker in Long Island, New York after being trampled by idiot shoppers trying to get a bargain on a flat screen, a laptop, or whatever was apparently worth recreating the scene of third world residents trying to get to a relief package freshly airlifted by some humanitarian group.
The as-yet unidentified man, 34 years old, was working for Wal Mart through a temp service when the store opened this morning in a manner only less organized than a full-fledged riot, as a statement from Nassau County police said a group of slack-jawed morons "physically broke down the doors, knocking him to the ground." Jimmy Overby, a fellow Wal Mart employee, said the temp worker was "bum-rushed by 200 people...they took the doors off the hinges. He was trampled and killed in front of me. They took me down too ... I literally had to fight people off my back." The temp worker was pronounced dead at around 6 a.m. Eastern time this morning, an hour after the store opened.
While the police added that three other shoppers had received minor injuries and were transported to a local hospital for observation, reports were also surfacing that a 28 yr-old pregnant woman was knocked to the ground and had suffered a miscarriage. True to form, I suppose, shoppers continued to flood the store, going right around EMS workers attending to the woman and the temp worker. Remember the infamous story about the woman snapping a cell phone pic of the pregnant stabbing victim in a convenience store from a year or so ago? How is this any different? Although I guess we can say, as a small victory, we haven't as yet heard of any asshats emailing pics from this sickening display.
Shopper Kimberly Cribbs was quoted by news sources as saying "They're savages. It's sad. It's terrible." I would not go so far as to drag down the good name of savages by comparing them to this gaggle of low foreheads. Savages earn that name for a reason, but rational people, the same people who make transactions in stores everyday, do not trample people to save a couple of bucks on a fucking DVD player.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., in Bentonville, Ark., would not confirm the reports of a stampede during the day-after-Thanksgiving bargain hunting, but said a "medical emergency" caused them to close the store. Yeah, fucking right. At what point, when the cash register tape told them the day was a boom profit, or when the crime scene tape became an issue of aesthetics?
Not that this tragedy is the first indication that something needs to be done about Black Friday sales, but rather one of the more compelling. How hard can it be to operate businesses with a modicum of civil order 364 days a year, but allowing blind eyes all around the fucking day after Thanksgiving? The answers may not be all that clear, but they are there, not the least of which would be holding these retailers accountable for the chaos they inevitably engineer, in the name of making up the slow parts of their sales year.
I'm not much of a gambler, but I would put good money on the barrelhead that not a single person entering or leaving that Wal Mart had an ounce of guilt, even upon hearing the news. That may be "terrible," or "sad," as Cribbs put it, but those people could not truly give a damn, as they have already made a dent in their holiday shopping, and good for them. Hope there isn't a crowd in hell when they get there. I'd hate to think of the inconvenience these soulless idiots will encounter.
The as-yet unidentified man, 34 years old, was working for Wal Mart through a temp service when the store opened this morning in a manner only less organized than a full-fledged riot, as a statement from Nassau County police said a group of slack-jawed morons "physically broke down the doors, knocking him to the ground." Jimmy Overby, a fellow Wal Mart employee, said the temp worker was "bum-rushed by 200 people...they took the doors off the hinges. He was trampled and killed in front of me. They took me down too ... I literally had to fight people off my back." The temp worker was pronounced dead at around 6 a.m. Eastern time this morning, an hour after the store opened.
While the police added that three other shoppers had received minor injuries and were transported to a local hospital for observation, reports were also surfacing that a 28 yr-old pregnant woman was knocked to the ground and had suffered a miscarriage. True to form, I suppose, shoppers continued to flood the store, going right around EMS workers attending to the woman and the temp worker. Remember the infamous story about the woman snapping a cell phone pic of the pregnant stabbing victim in a convenience store from a year or so ago? How is this any different? Although I guess we can say, as a small victory, we haven't as yet heard of any asshats emailing pics from this sickening display.
Shopper Kimberly Cribbs was quoted by news sources as saying "They're savages. It's sad. It's terrible." I would not go so far as to drag down the good name of savages by comparing them to this gaggle of low foreheads. Savages earn that name for a reason, but rational people, the same people who make transactions in stores everyday, do not trample people to save a couple of bucks on a fucking DVD player.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., in Bentonville, Ark., would not confirm the reports of a stampede during the day-after-Thanksgiving bargain hunting, but said a "medical emergency" caused them to close the store. Yeah, fucking right. At what point, when the cash register tape told them the day was a boom profit, or when the crime scene tape became an issue of aesthetics?
Not that this tragedy is the first indication that something needs to be done about Black Friday sales, but rather one of the more compelling. How hard can it be to operate businesses with a modicum of civil order 364 days a year, but allowing blind eyes all around the fucking day after Thanksgiving? The answers may not be all that clear, but they are there, not the least of which would be holding these retailers accountable for the chaos they inevitably engineer, in the name of making up the slow parts of their sales year.
I'm not much of a gambler, but I would put good money on the barrelhead that not a single person entering or leaving that Wal Mart had an ounce of guilt, even upon hearing the news. That may be "terrible," or "sad," as Cribbs put it, but those people could not truly give a damn, as they have already made a dent in their holiday shopping, and good for them. Hope there isn't a crowd in hell when they get there. I'd hate to think of the inconvenience these soulless idiots will encounter.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
The Thanksgiving Breakdown
Wow, and here I was, thinking that the Detroit Lions was going to be the biggest disaster on turkey day...professional loudmouth Rosie O'Donnell's alledged variety show on NBC, Rosie Live, drew a simply pathetic 1.2 rating the night before, meaning more people were watching an informercial on male enhancement products than her latest attempt to hang on to the mainstream. Think that might be a little harsh? Nope. The show matched the ratings for Pushing Daisies, which ABC just cancelled. An equal to damn near greater number of people were watching a show they knew wouldn't be back, rather than witness you mooing your way through whatever it was your clusterfuck was trying to pull off.
Problem #1: O'Donnell singing a duet with Liza Minnelli. You know what's worse than Liza Minnelli singing? Rosie fucking O'Donnell trying to sing. Who can listen to her using her normal speaking voice, let alone cranking up the volume to sing? I'd rather listen to a busy day at the bolt gun shoot in a fucking slaughterhouse. I'd rather listen to three cats having an orgy in a potato sack being whacked with a bat jammed full of nails. I'd rather...well, you see where I'm going with this.
Problem #2: A skit with Alec Baldwin pasting Conan O'Brien with a pie. I dig Conan O'Brien, but come on, man...a pie in the face skit? Vaudeville is dead, so dead, still dead, and it ain't never coming back. The writers strike must have done more damage than we all thought.
Problem #3: A striptease by Jane Krakowski shilling White Caster sliders and Crest Whitestrips. Something tells me the mix of Krakowski stripping and sliders put together was more for O'Donnell's benefit than anything else. And that is one greasy bad mental image, no matter how cheap sliders are.
The final nail in Rosie's piano crate had to be the email from an exec at another network, opining that "There's a notion that the climate is right for the genre to make a comeback. I guess we now know what not to do, thanks to Rosie."
Indeed. Well put, sir or ma'am, as the case may be. Now can we get her dumb ass to do a reality show, in the hopes she can kill that genre too?
Problem #1: O'Donnell singing a duet with Liza Minnelli. You know what's worse than Liza Minnelli singing? Rosie fucking O'Donnell trying to sing. Who can listen to her using her normal speaking voice, let alone cranking up the volume to sing? I'd rather listen to a busy day at the bolt gun shoot in a fucking slaughterhouse. I'd rather listen to three cats having an orgy in a potato sack being whacked with a bat jammed full of nails. I'd rather...well, you see where I'm going with this.
Problem #2: A skit with Alec Baldwin pasting Conan O'Brien with a pie. I dig Conan O'Brien, but come on, man...a pie in the face skit? Vaudeville is dead, so dead, still dead, and it ain't never coming back. The writers strike must have done more damage than we all thought.
Problem #3: A striptease by Jane Krakowski shilling White Caster sliders and Crest Whitestrips. Something tells me the mix of Krakowski stripping and sliders put together was more for O'Donnell's benefit than anything else. And that is one greasy bad mental image, no matter how cheap sliders are.
The final nail in Rosie's piano crate had to be the email from an exec at another network, opining that "There's a notion that the climate is right for the genre to make a comeback. I guess we now know what not to do, thanks to Rosie."
Indeed. Well put, sir or ma'am, as the case may be. Now can we get her dumb ass to do a reality show, in the hopes she can kill that genre too?
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
In just 60 minutes on an all-new Probably Uncalled For...
Episode #76: Come join Dr. Thomas Keister and ppdingles on an all new Probably Uncalled For tonight, as they'll be covering Joe Lieberman's new found appreciation for ass kissing, more GOP fuckery, a bailout update, the Hogan divorce, a new chapter in the history of the lap dance, gender confusion in the animal planet, and all the other TBA you need right before you put yourself to sleep with the turkey tomorrow afternoon...
The Daily Breakdown - 11.26.08
In what has to be a performance sure to be nominated for Best Ass-Kissing in a supporting role, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) had this to say about the job President-elect Barack Obama has done thus far: "Everything that President-elect Obama has done since election night has been just about perfect, both in terms of a tone and also in terms of the strength of the names that have either been announced or are being discussed to fill his administration."
Wow. For a guy who just a couple months ago was saying we'd all wind up dead, more or less, if we elected Obama, the 180 degree turn couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact Obama helped out when it came time for the Democrats to slap Lieberman's wrist and take away the chairmanship of a b-level subcommittee, could it? I can appreciate the fact Obama is trying to bridge both sides of the aisle, but it would probably be a little less awkward for all parties concerned if Lieberman was slightly less obvious fumbling for our next president's zipper. Connecticut Dems are set to meet December 17 to determine whether or not to censure Lieberman for the bang-up job he did campaigning for the other guy during the nearly two year presidential campaign, although I expect them to simply smack the wrist the Democratic Caucus missed the first time around. If they do, should we brace for Lieberman lobbying the Catholic church to consider President-elect Obama for sainthood? I wouldn't rule it out, as this point...
Meanwhile, some more believable acting was taking place at Osaka University in Japan, as a Wakamaru robot, designed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industry as a domestic robot/companion for the elderly, appeared in Hataraku Watashi (I, Worker for those not fluent in the Japanese), a short play, alongside human actors. This is being called a first in robot-human artistic collaboration. The 3 foot tall, 66 pound robot didn't have any trouble with its lines, so I can clearly see the benefits. I mean, realistically, this is the precursor to Futurama's Calculon, so that in its own is pretty damn cool.
However, at the same time, I can also see trouble on the horizon. Not only do I have the mental image of hi-tech tentacle porn springing up in Japan in the future, just wait until acting robots start expressing a desire to adopt half the children of some third world toilet country, or flashing their mechanical junk climbing out of a car at the MTV Movie Awards. Then again, the damn things would probably think up better names than Bronx Mowgli for their offspring...
To wrap it up today, we also have a nominee for Worst Religious Defense. Felicia Johnson, of Marietta, Georgia, somehow came under the impression that her roommate's belongings were possessed, so she did what any...ahem...rational person would do. She set the shit on fire. Placing the items in two piles, one in the fireplace and the other on the balcony, Johnson then set the matches, or the bic lighter, or the torch she also uses to chase monsters from the kingdom to the stuff, causing minimal damage to the apartment. No word was given as to whether or not the "evil spirits" took the hint and got the fuck out of Dodge. Not surprisingly, Johnson was arrested and charged with first degree arson, and even less surprising, was taken to a local hospital for a mental evaluation. Maybe someone should have told her to just spend a couple of bucks and have an exorcism done instead. Sure, it's a little noisier, but the best part is, it probably will not affect your security deposit. I can see it now...next on PBS, This Old Exorcism, as today, we'll be clearing the devil from a pair of possessed end tables and a bathroom throw rug with some evil intentions.
Wow. For a guy who just a couple months ago was saying we'd all wind up dead, more or less, if we elected Obama, the 180 degree turn couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact Obama helped out when it came time for the Democrats to slap Lieberman's wrist and take away the chairmanship of a b-level subcommittee, could it? I can appreciate the fact Obama is trying to bridge both sides of the aisle, but it would probably be a little less awkward for all parties concerned if Lieberman was slightly less obvious fumbling for our next president's zipper. Connecticut Dems are set to meet December 17 to determine whether or not to censure Lieberman for the bang-up job he did campaigning for the other guy during the nearly two year presidential campaign, although I expect them to simply smack the wrist the Democratic Caucus missed the first time around. If they do, should we brace for Lieberman lobbying the Catholic church to consider President-elect Obama for sainthood? I wouldn't rule it out, as this point...
Meanwhile, some more believable acting was taking place at Osaka University in Japan, as a Wakamaru robot, designed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industry as a domestic robot/companion for the elderly, appeared in Hataraku Watashi (I, Worker for those not fluent in the Japanese), a short play, alongside human actors. This is being called a first in robot-human artistic collaboration. The 3 foot tall, 66 pound robot didn't have any trouble with its lines, so I can clearly see the benefits. I mean, realistically, this is the precursor to Futurama's Calculon, so that in its own is pretty damn cool.
However, at the same time, I can also see trouble on the horizon. Not only do I have the mental image of hi-tech tentacle porn springing up in Japan in the future, just wait until acting robots start expressing a desire to adopt half the children of some third world toilet country, or flashing their mechanical junk climbing out of a car at the MTV Movie Awards. Then again, the damn things would probably think up better names than Bronx Mowgli for their offspring...
To wrap it up today, we also have a nominee for Worst Religious Defense. Felicia Johnson, of Marietta, Georgia, somehow came under the impression that her roommate's belongings were possessed, so she did what any...ahem...rational person would do. She set the shit on fire. Placing the items in two piles, one in the fireplace and the other on the balcony, Johnson then set the matches, or the bic lighter, or the torch she also uses to chase monsters from the kingdom to the stuff, causing minimal damage to the apartment. No word was given as to whether or not the "evil spirits" took the hint and got the fuck out of Dodge. Not surprisingly, Johnson was arrested and charged with first degree arson, and even less surprising, was taken to a local hospital for a mental evaluation. Maybe someone should have told her to just spend a couple of bucks and have an exorcism done instead. Sure, it's a little noisier, but the best part is, it probably will not affect your security deposit. I can see it now...next on PBS, This Old Exorcism, as today, we'll be clearing the devil from a pair of possessed end tables and a bathroom throw rug with some evil intentions.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Worst keychain ever?
Holy damn! Some stories merely catch your eye...then there is this story...20 month old Nicholas Holderman, at home and playing with his two older brothers, wound up getting, of all things, his parents' car keys jammed into his freakin' brain! My first thought...what the fuck were they playing? I mean, lawn darts have long since wandered off into the sunset, even in Kentucky, where this went down.
Yep, that's one for the scrapbook
Alerted by the screams, his parents found him in that state, which I can only imagine aged them each ten to fifteen years in a matter of seconds. Dialing up the 911, the child was taken by helicopter to a hospital. Makes sense. I mean, how were the parents supposed to drive to the hospital? It's hard enough to keep a two-year-old still in a car anyway, let alone when he's dangling from the ignition. All kidding aside, the kid has since made a full recovery, so at least the story has a happy ending.
Alerted by the screams, his parents found him in that state, which I can only imagine aged them each ten to fifteen years in a matter of seconds. Dialing up the 911, the child was taken by helicopter to a hospital. Makes sense. I mean, how were the parents supposed to drive to the hospital? It's hard enough to keep a two-year-old still in a car anyway, let alone when he's dangling from the ignition. All kidding aside, the kid has since made a full recovery, so at least the story has a happy ending.
Monday, November 24, 2008
The Daily Breakdown - 11.24.08
Meanwhile, as the least surprising news of the year, that the Chinese Government has a problem with the new Guns N' Roses album, Chinese Democracy, was breaking...
Ever craved a ponytail sportin', zen philosophizin', martial arts master patrollin' a beat in New Orleans? Of course you have. Maybe you didn't know it, but you were. Naturally, there's only one guy to fit that description, and after spending much of the decade languishing in direct-to-dvd movies like the ones they marathon on Spike every couple of weeks or so, Steven Seagal is set to star in his first TV project, and predictably enough, it's a reality show.
A&E is set to debut Steven Seagal: Lawman sometime in later 2009. The latest in the never-ending stream of reality television projects will follow the Under Siege star as he presumably takes care of business as a deputy with the Jefferson Parish County Sheriff's Office. It has been reported that Seagal has put in time with the county sheriff's office off and on across two decades as a fully commissioned deputy, including assisting with recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina. But hey, as it's also a reality show, it can't all be Seagal handcuffing domestic violence suspects and taking on an entire bar full of stereotypical thugs, the show will also cover his musical and philanthropic pursuits while in the area.
A singing, ass-whooping lawman? Shit, this would have made a great western, if not for the whole ponytail thing and all...
Meanwhile, one again, we find proof that there isn't usually any dignity in death. Benjamin Collen, a 19-year-old Illinois Institute of Technology sophomore, was found dead in his fraternity house Saturday of asphyxia from inhaling nitrous oxide from a whipped cream container. Yeah. You read that right. Someone died from freaking whippets. Collen, a sophomore biomedical engineering major from Lincolnwood, was discovered Saturday night in a storage room in the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity house on campus, after being missing for eight days, with nitrous oxide cylinders found near his body.
Nitrous oxide, often called "laughing gas," is used as an anesthetic and as a foaming agent for whipped cream canisters. The IIT chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi was in good standing and no disciplinary action will be taken against the fraternity due to the accidental nature of Collen's death. I guess that storage room was not used for liquor, as there is no damn way it would have stayed unchecked for eight days.
Now, if someone would just do a few whippets, listen to Chinese Democracy, and pick a fight with Steven Seagal somewhere, I'd have a really awesome way to end this column today...
Ever craved a ponytail sportin', zen philosophizin', martial arts master patrollin' a beat in New Orleans? Of course you have. Maybe you didn't know it, but you were. Naturally, there's only one guy to fit that description, and after spending much of the decade languishing in direct-to-dvd movies like the ones they marathon on Spike every couple of weeks or so, Steven Seagal is set to star in his first TV project, and predictably enough, it's a reality show.
A&E is set to debut Steven Seagal: Lawman sometime in later 2009. The latest in the never-ending stream of reality television projects will follow the Under Siege star as he presumably takes care of business as a deputy with the Jefferson Parish County Sheriff's Office. It has been reported that Seagal has put in time with the county sheriff's office off and on across two decades as a fully commissioned deputy, including assisting with recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina. But hey, as it's also a reality show, it can't all be Seagal handcuffing domestic violence suspects and taking on an entire bar full of stereotypical thugs, the show will also cover his musical and philanthropic pursuits while in the area.
A singing, ass-whooping lawman? Shit, this would have made a great western, if not for the whole ponytail thing and all...
Meanwhile, one again, we find proof that there isn't usually any dignity in death. Benjamin Collen, a 19-year-old Illinois Institute of Technology sophomore, was found dead in his fraternity house Saturday of asphyxia from inhaling nitrous oxide from a whipped cream container. Yeah. You read that right. Someone died from freaking whippets. Collen, a sophomore biomedical engineering major from Lincolnwood, was discovered Saturday night in a storage room in the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity house on campus, after being missing for eight days, with nitrous oxide cylinders found near his body.
Nitrous oxide, often called "laughing gas," is used as an anesthetic and as a foaming agent for whipped cream canisters. The IIT chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi was in good standing and no disciplinary action will be taken against the fraternity due to the accidental nature of Collen's death. I guess that storage room was not used for liquor, as there is no damn way it would have stayed unchecked for eight days.
Now, if someone would just do a few whippets, listen to Chinese Democracy, and pick a fight with Steven Seagal somewhere, I'd have a really awesome way to end this column today...
This Week in Professional Wrestling History. November 24th - November 30th
11/24/1983 - Event - Starrcade '83, Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
11/24/1983 - Ric Flair defeated Harley Race for the NWA Heavyweight Wrestling title
11/24/1983 - Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood defeated Jack & Jerry Brisco for the NWA World Tag Team title
11/24/1988 - Event - Survivor Series, Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
11/24/1990 - Jeff Jarrett & Cody Michaels defeated Doug Gilbert & Tony Anthony for the USWA Tag Team title
11/24/1993 - Event - Survivor Series, Boston Garden, Boston MA
11/24/1993 - The Heavenly Bodies defeated the Rock n' Roll Express for the Smokey Mountain Tag Team title
11/24/1996 - Event - World War III, The Scope, Norfolk, VA
11/24/1997 - The New Age Outlaws defeated Legion of Doom for the WWF Tag Team title
11/24/1998 - Nick Dinsmore & Rob Conway defeated Vito & Guido for the Ohio Valley Southern Heavyweight Tag Title
11/25/1982 - Stagger Lee defeated Ted DiBiase for the Mid-South North American Heavyweight title
11/25/1985 - Fabulous Moolah (as the Spider Woman) defeated Wendi Richter for the WWF Women's title
11/25/1986 - Kareem Muhammad defeated Barry Windham for the Florida State Heavyweight title
11/25/1991 - Kamala defeated Jerry Lawler for the USWA Unified Heavyweight title
11/25/1991 - Robert Fuller & the Young Gun defeated Doug Masters & Bart Sawyer for the USWA Tag Team title
11/25/1992 - Event - Survivor Series, Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
11/25/1995 - Tommy Rich defeated Brad Armstrong for the Smokey Mountain Heavyweight title
11/26/1942 - Ed Strangler Lewis defeated Orville Brown for the MWA World Heavyweight title
11/26/1960 - Al Costello & Roy Heffernan defeated Johnny Valentine & Chief Big Heart for the WWWF Tag Team title
11/26/1976 - Jack Brisco defeated Bob Backlund for the Missouri State Heavyweight title
11/26/1987 - Event - Survivor Series, Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
11/26/1987 - Event - Starrcade '87, UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL
11/26/1987 - Ric Flair defeated Ronny Garvin for the NWA Heavyweight Wrestling title
11/26/1987 - Dusty Rhodes defeated Lex Luger for the NWA U.S. Heavyweight title
11/26/1992 - The Heavenly Bodies defeated the Rock n' Roll Express for the Smokey Mountain Tag Team title
11/26/1994 - Diesel defeated Bob Backlund for the WWF Heavyweight title
11/26/1995 - Event - World War III, The Scope, Norfolk, VA
11/26/1995 - Randy Savage won the WCW Heavyweight title in a 60 man battle royal
11/26/1995 - Smokey Mountain Wrestling ceased operation
11/26/1999 - Damien Steele eliminated Kronus in a battle royal to to become the first XPW Heavyweight Champion
11/26/2000 - Event - Mayhem, U.S. Cellular Arena, Milwaukee, WI
11/26/2000 - Scott Steiner defeated Booker T for the WCW Heavyweight title
11/26/2000 - Kevin Nash & Diamond Dallas Page defeated Chuck Palumbo & Sean Stasiak for the WCW Tag Team title
11/26/2000 - Gen. Rection defeated Lance Storm for the WCW US Heavyweight title
11/26/2003 - Johnny & Jason Riggs defeated Chad Collyer & Drew Johnson in a tournament final to win the vacant Heartland Wrestling Association Tag Team Titles
11/27/1942 - Bobby Managoff defeated Yvon Robert for the NWA Heavyweight Wrestling title
11/27/1970 - El Solitario defeated Rey Mendoza for the EMLL NWA Light Heavyweight title
11/27/1980 - Paul Jones & Masked Superstar defeated Ray Stevens & Jimmy Snuka for the NWA World Tag Team title
11/27/1986 - Tully Blanchard defeated Dusty Rhodes for the NWA Television title
11/27/1991 - Event - Survivor Series, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI
11/27/1991 - The Undertaker defeated Hulk Hogan for the WWF Heavyweight title
11/27/1992 - The Rock n' Roll Express defeated the Heavenly Bodies for the Smokey Mountain Tag Team title
11/27/1993 - PG-13 defeated Jeff Jarrett & Brian Christopher for the USWA Tag Team title
11/27/1994 - Bull Nakano defeated Alundra Blaze for the WWF Women's title
11/27/1997 - Terry Golden defeated Colorado Kid for the Music City North American Heavyweight title
11/27/1997 - Thrillbilly & Shane Eden defeated the Centerfolds for the Music City Southern Tag Team title
11/28/1963 - The Crusher defeated Verne Gagne for the AWA Heavyweight title
11/28/1985 - Event - Starrcade '85, Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC & The Omni, Atlanta, GA
11/28/1985 - Magnum T.A. defeated Tully Blanchard for the NWA U.S. Heavyweight title
11/28/1985 - Rick Morton & Robert Gibson defeated Ivan & Nikita Koloff for the NWA World Tag Team title
11/28/1985 - Buddy Landel defeated Terry Taylor for the Georgia National Heavyweight title
11/28/1986 - Event - Starrcade '86, Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC & The Omni, Atlanta, GA
11/28/1992 - The Heavenly Bodies defeated the Rock n' Roll Express for the Smokey Mountain Tag Team title
11/28/2001 - Leviathan defeated Doug Basham for the Ohio Valley Heavyweight title
11/29/1984 - Event - Starrcade '84, Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
11/29/1992 - The Rock n' Roll Express defeated the Heavenly bodies for the Smokey Mountain Tag Team title
11/29/1993 - Mike Anthony & Jeff Gaylord defeated PG-13 for the USWA Tag Team title
11/29/2003 - Mike Kruel defeated Crowbar for the vacant USA Pro-Wrestling U.S. Heavyweight Title
11/29/2003 - Los Lunatics defeated Trailer Park Trash, Elm Street Kids, & Rob Fury, Envy, & Jimmy Hustler for the USA Pro-Wrestling 6 Man Triad Title
11/30/1957 - Al Kashey awarded the EMLL NWA Light Heavyweight title
11/30/1991 - The Moondogs defeated Robert Fuller & the Young Gun for the USWA Tag Team title
11/30/1997 - Event - November to Remember, Golden Dome, Monaca, PA
11/30/1997 - Shane Douglas defeated Bam Bam Bigelow for the ECW Heavyweight title
11/30/1998 - Bret Hart defeated Diamond Dallas Page for the WCW US Heavyweight title
11/30/1998 - Konnan defeated Chris Jericho for the WCW Television title
11/30/1998 - Big Bossman defeated Mankind for the WWF Hardcore title
11/24/1983 - Ric Flair defeated Harley Race for the NWA Heavyweight Wrestling title
11/24/1983 - Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood defeated Jack & Jerry Brisco for the NWA World Tag Team title
11/24/1988 - Event - Survivor Series, Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
11/24/1990 - Jeff Jarrett & Cody Michaels defeated Doug Gilbert & Tony Anthony for the USWA Tag Team title
11/24/1993 - Event - Survivor Series, Boston Garden, Boston MA
11/24/1993 - The Heavenly Bodies defeated the Rock n' Roll Express for the Smokey Mountain Tag Team title
11/24/1996 - Event - World War III, The Scope, Norfolk, VA
11/24/1997 - The New Age Outlaws defeated Legion of Doom for the WWF Tag Team title
11/24/1998 - Nick Dinsmore & Rob Conway defeated Vito & Guido for the Ohio Valley Southern Heavyweight Tag Title
11/25/1982 - Stagger Lee defeated Ted DiBiase for the Mid-South North American Heavyweight title
11/25/1985 - Fabulous Moolah (as the Spider Woman) defeated Wendi Richter for the WWF Women's title
11/25/1986 - Kareem Muhammad defeated Barry Windham for the Florida State Heavyweight title
11/25/1991 - Kamala defeated Jerry Lawler for the USWA Unified Heavyweight title
11/25/1991 - Robert Fuller & the Young Gun defeated Doug Masters & Bart Sawyer for the USWA Tag Team title
11/25/1992 - Event - Survivor Series, Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
11/25/1995 - Tommy Rich defeated Brad Armstrong for the Smokey Mountain Heavyweight title
11/26/1942 - Ed Strangler Lewis defeated Orville Brown for the MWA World Heavyweight title
11/26/1960 - Al Costello & Roy Heffernan defeated Johnny Valentine & Chief Big Heart for the WWWF Tag Team title
11/26/1976 - Jack Brisco defeated Bob Backlund for the Missouri State Heavyweight title
11/26/1987 - Event - Survivor Series, Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
11/26/1987 - Event - Starrcade '87, UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL
11/26/1987 - Ric Flair defeated Ronny Garvin for the NWA Heavyweight Wrestling title
11/26/1987 - Dusty Rhodes defeated Lex Luger for the NWA U.S. Heavyweight title
11/26/1992 - The Heavenly Bodies defeated the Rock n' Roll Express for the Smokey Mountain Tag Team title
11/26/1994 - Diesel defeated Bob Backlund for the WWF Heavyweight title
11/26/1995 - Event - World War III, The Scope, Norfolk, VA
11/26/1995 - Randy Savage won the WCW Heavyweight title in a 60 man battle royal
11/26/1995 - Smokey Mountain Wrestling ceased operation
11/26/1999 - Damien Steele eliminated Kronus in a battle royal to to become the first XPW Heavyweight Champion
11/26/2000 - Event - Mayhem, U.S. Cellular Arena, Milwaukee, WI
11/26/2000 - Scott Steiner defeated Booker T for the WCW Heavyweight title
11/26/2000 - Kevin Nash & Diamond Dallas Page defeated Chuck Palumbo & Sean Stasiak for the WCW Tag Team title
11/26/2000 - Gen. Rection defeated Lance Storm for the WCW US Heavyweight title
11/26/2003 - Johnny & Jason Riggs defeated Chad Collyer & Drew Johnson in a tournament final to win the vacant Heartland Wrestling Association Tag Team Titles
11/27/1942 - Bobby Managoff defeated Yvon Robert for the NWA Heavyweight Wrestling title
11/27/1970 - El Solitario defeated Rey Mendoza for the EMLL NWA Light Heavyweight title
11/27/1980 - Paul Jones & Masked Superstar defeated Ray Stevens & Jimmy Snuka for the NWA World Tag Team title
11/27/1986 - Tully Blanchard defeated Dusty Rhodes for the NWA Television title
11/27/1991 - Event - Survivor Series, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI
11/27/1991 - The Undertaker defeated Hulk Hogan for the WWF Heavyweight title
11/27/1992 - The Rock n' Roll Express defeated the Heavenly Bodies for the Smokey Mountain Tag Team title
11/27/1993 - PG-13 defeated Jeff Jarrett & Brian Christopher for the USWA Tag Team title
11/27/1994 - Bull Nakano defeated Alundra Blaze for the WWF Women's title
11/27/1997 - Terry Golden defeated Colorado Kid for the Music City North American Heavyweight title
11/27/1997 - Thrillbilly & Shane Eden defeated the Centerfolds for the Music City Southern Tag Team title
11/28/1963 - The Crusher defeated Verne Gagne for the AWA Heavyweight title
11/28/1985 - Event - Starrcade '85, Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC & The Omni, Atlanta, GA
11/28/1985 - Magnum T.A. defeated Tully Blanchard for the NWA U.S. Heavyweight title
11/28/1985 - Rick Morton & Robert Gibson defeated Ivan & Nikita Koloff for the NWA World Tag Team title
11/28/1985 - Buddy Landel defeated Terry Taylor for the Georgia National Heavyweight title
11/28/1986 - Event - Starrcade '86, Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC & The Omni, Atlanta, GA
11/28/1992 - The Heavenly Bodies defeated the Rock n' Roll Express for the Smokey Mountain Tag Team title
11/28/2001 - Leviathan defeated Doug Basham for the Ohio Valley Heavyweight title
11/29/1984 - Event - Starrcade '84, Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
11/29/1992 - The Rock n' Roll Express defeated the Heavenly bodies for the Smokey Mountain Tag Team title
11/29/1993 - Mike Anthony & Jeff Gaylord defeated PG-13 for the USWA Tag Team title
11/29/2003 - Mike Kruel defeated Crowbar for the vacant USA Pro-Wrestling U.S. Heavyweight Title
11/29/2003 - Los Lunatics defeated Trailer Park Trash, Elm Street Kids, & Rob Fury, Envy, & Jimmy Hustler for the USA Pro-Wrestling 6 Man Triad Title
11/30/1957 - Al Kashey awarded the EMLL NWA Light Heavyweight title
11/30/1991 - The Moondogs defeated Robert Fuller & the Young Gun for the USWA Tag Team title
11/30/1997 - Event - November to Remember, Golden Dome, Monaca, PA
11/30/1997 - Shane Douglas defeated Bam Bam Bigelow for the ECW Heavyweight title
11/30/1998 - Bret Hart defeated Diamond Dallas Page for the WCW US Heavyweight title
11/30/1998 - Konnan defeated Chris Jericho for the WCW Television title
11/30/1998 - Big Bossman defeated Mankind for the WWF Hardcore title
Wrestling Milestones. November 24th - November 30th
11/24/1969 - Born - Jimmy Sharpe
11/24/2003 - Died - Richard "Dick" Hutton of natural causes at 80
11/25/1976 - Born - Torch
11/25/1992 - Died - WTBS announcer Freddy Miller of a heart attack at 65
11/26/1961 - Born - Ivory
11/26/1966 - Born - Brian Lee
11/26/1976 - Born - Maven, the first Tough Enough winner
11/27/1962 - Born - Davy Boy Smith aka the British Bulldog
11/27/1999 - Died - Hiro Matsuda of cancer at 62
11/28/1978 - Born - Rob Conway
11/29/1949 - Born - Jerry the King Lawler
11/29/1967 - Born - Bradshaw
11/29/2002 - Died - Jeff Peterson of cancer at 22
11/29/2003 - Died - Larry Lathman AKA Moondog Spot of a heart attack in the ring
11/30/1958 - Born - Tom Zenk
11/30/1971 - Born - Dr. Feelgood
11/30/1972 - Born - Rod Ramer
11/30/1973 - Born - Christian Cage AKA Christian
11/30/1998 - Died - Giant Haystacks of stomach cancer at 55
11/30/2002 - Died - "Mr. Wrestling" Tim Woods of a heart attack
11/24/2003 - Died - Richard "Dick" Hutton of natural causes at 80
11/25/1976 - Born - Torch
11/25/1992 - Died - WTBS announcer Freddy Miller of a heart attack at 65
11/26/1961 - Born - Ivory
11/26/1966 - Born - Brian Lee
11/26/1976 - Born - Maven, the first Tough Enough winner
11/27/1962 - Born - Davy Boy Smith aka the British Bulldog
11/27/1999 - Died - Hiro Matsuda of cancer at 62
11/28/1978 - Born - Rob Conway
11/29/1949 - Born - Jerry the King Lawler
11/29/1967 - Born - Bradshaw
11/29/2002 - Died - Jeff Peterson of cancer at 22
11/29/2003 - Died - Larry Lathman AKA Moondog Spot of a heart attack in the ring
11/30/1958 - Born - Tom Zenk
11/30/1971 - Born - Dr. Feelgood
11/30/1972 - Born - Rod Ramer
11/30/1973 - Born - Christian Cage AKA Christian
11/30/1998 - Died - Giant Haystacks of stomach cancer at 55
11/30/2002 - Died - "Mr. Wrestling" Tim Woods of a heart attack
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The Daily Breakdown - 11.23.08
What would a Sunday edition of the Breakdown be without some comment on the absolutely pisspoor job by my at-one-time beloved St. Louis Rams? Dropping a home game to the Chicago Bears 27-3, using all three quarterbacks to do it, and given the way this season has gone, it is hardly surprising. Zero rushing yards for the Rams until early in the 4th Quarter. Yeah...0 rushing yards, although they did manage to muster up 14 by the end of the game. 4th and 2, and Jim Hazlett can't figure out to go for it or try for a field goal? Good lord, man, no wonder you were on the coach's staff rather than running the team this year.
When I managed to tune into the game, Marc Bulger was riding the bench, and that is where he needs to stay for the remainder of the season, and yes, I know how much money the organization tossed down the crapper on him in his new contract. Ditto that for Steven Jackson, who has rewarded the club with more time on the sidelines in street clothes than on the field since holding out for more money. O-line has been absolutely pathetic this season. Not that backup QB Trent Green fared much better, other than going above and beyond to improve the Bears' sack and interception totals for the year before yielding to third-stringer Brock Berlin. Freakin' yarg...I would say wait until next year, but it may be more realistic to add two, at least three years to that...the way they are playing this year, I could hold the Rams to 9 points (all field goals) and gain three picks, and that is by my damn self. Wouldn't even need the rest of the team. Just me, baby.
Speaking of blind optimism, the Illinois State Police announced new measures covering the operation of cruisers by troopers in the wake of two big lawsuits filed in response to a high-speed crash last year that killed two teenage sisters and injured a couple in the resulting pileup. Former trooper Matt Mitchell, who was going 126 mph when the wreck occurred, has pled not guilty to two counts of reckless homicide in St. Clair County court, and will go to trial early next year. The changes include implementation of a four tier system, as announced by state police director Larry Trent, who added "The long-standing culture of response at all costs is no longer acceptable within the Illinois State Police." We'll see.
Among the changes: at the first tier, trooper are limited to following traffic laws, at the second and third levels, troopers can speed, but must get supervisor approval before going more than 20 mph over the speed limit, and only supervisors may call a "code red," which clears troopers to put the pedal to the floor. In addition, all code red calls will be reviewed by a committee. Additionally, troopers are now required to go hands-free with their cell phones, and are no longer allowed to shut off the dash cameras during emergency call responses. According to the state police, Illinois is now only the second state in the U.S. to restrict trooper speeds. Aren't cops supposed to obey traffic laws in the first fucking place? Secondly, why the hell would a cop shut off the dash cam during an emergency call? I mean, how are these reality "clip" shows to survive? I have a hard time seeing this really make a difference. Cops love to speed. Provable fact. They have, with few exceptions, the fastest cars on the road, taxpayer-funded gas, and most importantly, the law on their side. I still remember one day, coming across the Minton bridge from Indiana into Louisville, and not paying attention to my speed. The speed limit, a mere suggestion on that bridge, is 35 mph, and yet, despite the fact I was going 60, a Louisville Metro cruiser rolled past me like I was holding his ass up for a hot deal on day-olds at Kroger's or something. It's going to take a lot more tragic instances and multi-million dollar lawsuits for police officers by large to start driving like they have much sense to go with the guns and flashing lights that make them think they can get away with it.
Guess who else figured out D.A.R.E. doesn't really work all that well? In Newcastle, Australia, an anti-drug and alcohol program sponsored by the New South Wales government featured a helpful little brochure offering tips on speed, including:
"If you don't already have a reliable dealer, try to find one and stick with them."
"When you're using a new batch, only try a little at first ... you can always use the rest later if you need to."
In addition, users are urged to take breaks from using speed, allow time to "come down" so it doesn't interfere with work or study and to carry the phone number of a legal aid solicitor with them. The 35-page booklet, produced by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, was part of the drug literature displayed to up to 100 students and parents. Wonder if it had pictures of Amy Winehouse, as well.
Criticism was swift, as a yeshole for Attorney General John Hatzistergos said the Government did not condone the use of illegal drugs, and the AG's office was investigating the matter. Darren Marton, a guest speaker at the event, said the material should never have been seen by teenagers. "One lady who was helping out on the day was physically shaken and had to go outside in tears after reading the brochure." Oh, come the fuck on with that. If this lady was physically shaken and in tears after reading the brochure, I'm willing to bet she isn't stable enough to be allowed in public by herself. Life isn't a black-and-white TV show from the 1950s, and she should bloody well know that. Then again, from the sound of things, she probably gets light-headed at PG-13 movies. The added bonus came from Opposition education spokesman Andrew Stoner, who said a drugs guide was the last thing parents and their children needed. No, sir. Perhaps the last thing needed is someone named Stoner speaking out against drugs. The parody just writes itself at that point.
When I managed to tune into the game, Marc Bulger was riding the bench, and that is where he needs to stay for the remainder of the season, and yes, I know how much money the organization tossed down the crapper on him in his new contract. Ditto that for Steven Jackson, who has rewarded the club with more time on the sidelines in street clothes than on the field since holding out for more money. O-line has been absolutely pathetic this season. Not that backup QB Trent Green fared much better, other than going above and beyond to improve the Bears' sack and interception totals for the year before yielding to third-stringer Brock Berlin. Freakin' yarg...I would say wait until next year, but it may be more realistic to add two, at least three years to that...the way they are playing this year, I could hold the Rams to 9 points (all field goals) and gain three picks, and that is by my damn self. Wouldn't even need the rest of the team. Just me, baby.
Speaking of blind optimism, the Illinois State Police announced new measures covering the operation of cruisers by troopers in the wake of two big lawsuits filed in response to a high-speed crash last year that killed two teenage sisters and injured a couple in the resulting pileup. Former trooper Matt Mitchell, who was going 126 mph when the wreck occurred, has pled not guilty to two counts of reckless homicide in St. Clair County court, and will go to trial early next year. The changes include implementation of a four tier system, as announced by state police director Larry Trent, who added "The long-standing culture of response at all costs is no longer acceptable within the Illinois State Police." We'll see.
Among the changes: at the first tier, trooper are limited to following traffic laws, at the second and third levels, troopers can speed, but must get supervisor approval before going more than 20 mph over the speed limit, and only supervisors may call a "code red," which clears troopers to put the pedal to the floor. In addition, all code red calls will be reviewed by a committee. Additionally, troopers are now required to go hands-free with their cell phones, and are no longer allowed to shut off the dash cameras during emergency call responses. According to the state police, Illinois is now only the second state in the U.S. to restrict trooper speeds. Aren't cops supposed to obey traffic laws in the first fucking place? Secondly, why the hell would a cop shut off the dash cam during an emergency call? I mean, how are these reality "clip" shows to survive? I have a hard time seeing this really make a difference. Cops love to speed. Provable fact. They have, with few exceptions, the fastest cars on the road, taxpayer-funded gas, and most importantly, the law on their side. I still remember one day, coming across the Minton bridge from Indiana into Louisville, and not paying attention to my speed. The speed limit, a mere suggestion on that bridge, is 35 mph, and yet, despite the fact I was going 60, a Louisville Metro cruiser rolled past me like I was holding his ass up for a hot deal on day-olds at Kroger's or something. It's going to take a lot more tragic instances and multi-million dollar lawsuits for police officers by large to start driving like they have much sense to go with the guns and flashing lights that make them think they can get away with it.
Guess who else figured out D.A.R.E. doesn't really work all that well? In Newcastle, Australia, an anti-drug and alcohol program sponsored by the New South Wales government featured a helpful little brochure offering tips on speed, including:
"If you don't already have a reliable dealer, try to find one and stick with them."
"When you're using a new batch, only try a little at first ... you can always use the rest later if you need to."
In addition, users are urged to take breaks from using speed, allow time to "come down" so it doesn't interfere with work or study and to carry the phone number of a legal aid solicitor with them. The 35-page booklet, produced by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, was part of the drug literature displayed to up to 100 students and parents. Wonder if it had pictures of Amy Winehouse, as well.
Criticism was swift, as a yeshole for Attorney General John Hatzistergos said the Government did not condone the use of illegal drugs, and the AG's office was investigating the matter. Darren Marton, a guest speaker at the event, said the material should never have been seen by teenagers. "One lady who was helping out on the day was physically shaken and had to go outside in tears after reading the brochure." Oh, come the fuck on with that. If this lady was physically shaken and in tears after reading the brochure, I'm willing to bet she isn't stable enough to be allowed in public by herself. Life isn't a black-and-white TV show from the 1950s, and she should bloody well know that. Then again, from the sound of things, she probably gets light-headed at PG-13 movies. The added bonus came from Opposition education spokesman Andrew Stoner, who said a drugs guide was the last thing parents and their children needed. No, sir. Perhaps the last thing needed is someone named Stoner speaking out against drugs. The parody just writes itself at that point.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
If you can't beat them, join them? What a crock...
Some idiot has suggested that as a show of unity, we combine the red of the Republican party with the blue of the Democratic party to make, as we all know, purple.
What were they thinking?! Since biblical times, since the time of the Romans, the color purple has been the color of royalty. The last time I checked, contrary to what some of our leaders (won't name any names) want to believe, we have no royalty in America, so can we go ahead and just keep it that way!?
What were they thinking?! Since biblical times, since the time of the Romans, the color purple has been the color of royalty. The last time I checked, contrary to what some of our leaders (won't name any names) want to believe, we have no royalty in America, so can we go ahead and just keep it that way!?
The Daily Breakdown - 11.22.08
Interesting read, checking out Kerry Picket's post on NewsBusters.org on President-elect Obama's attorney general pick, Eric Holder. Holder, a former deputy AG during the Clinton administration, made the following remark after learning the Columbine High School shooters had learned bomb-making skills online: "The court has really struck down every government effort to try to regulate it. We tried with regard to pornography. It is gonna be a difficult thing, but it seems to me that if we can come up with reasonable restrictions, reasonable regulations in how people interact on the Internet, that is something that the Supreme Court and the courts ought to favorably look at."
Intriguing and a little unsettling. For a President-elect who used the Internet more effectively than any other political candidate since its integration into the mainstream, and more to the point supports net neutrality, this seems a little contradictory. Additionally, Holder has advocated for a federal hate crimes law, nothing wrong at all with that, but throw in an unfortunate "Sarah Palin" like moment, when asked in 1998 to name specific cases where states had not prosecuted hate crimes while testifying before Congress, he couldn't do it. Couldn't name one. Later, Holder did send written answers to Sen. Arlen Specter, listing three such cases, but the only problem was the defendants had all been acquitted in federal prosecutions.
I have sat back, waiting to see what the Obama administration accomplishes first before making any real comments about the fact it is shaping up to be a new administration with the entire Clinton White House staff on board, but I can't say I'm now overly impressed with this pick for Attorney General. I think the public is due an answer as to whether or not Eric Holder is going to tackle more pressing matters of law, or simply pick up an illogical crusade against the Internet. Time will tell, I guess...
You just have to love a country where a person can pretty much file a lawsuit for any damn reason, no matter how absolutely fucking asinine the reason. The case, set to be heard in a Collier County, Florida court, centers around a woman who was unsatisfied with the remedies to her, ahem, "problems" provided by Doris Palm & Card Reading. Eumanthe Dufrene, of Naples, Florida, said she was promised a money-back guarantee if she wasn't happy, but thus far has not received satisfaction, psychic or otherwise. The $13,200 paid out was to battle the forces of "evil," as well as "grave calamities," which were around Dufrene's family members. Yeah, while it would be more than fair to call me a skeptic, going beyond that, who the hell believes they are going to get a money-back guarantee from a freakin' palm reader. What lawyer, outside of those who practice from strip malls, takes cases like this? Theft? I don't think so, lady. You paid for these services. Deceptive trade practices? Maybe if you got something in writing on the money-back guarantee. Fraud? Lady, you went to a fucking psychic. Makes me wonder if the palm reader can countersue for legal costs in defending herself from someone that utterly fucking stupid to begin with. While I'm no master of predictions, or any of that other crystal ball bullshit, allow me to predict one of two things: either this is going to get tossed out for the waste of the court's time and taxpayer's money that it is, or Dufrene's lawsuit will ultimately be the fail it is at face value. And no, ladies and gentlemen, I do NOT offer a money-back guarantee on my prognostications of future-type events, so leave the shysters alone...
Taking out ad space on tests and exams? I can dig it. California teacher Tom Farber came up with the idea after seeing the usual ads on public buses and at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, and figured this would be an ideal way to bolster his budget for printing materials for his class, which had been recently cut by the Poway Unified School District. That has turned out to be the typical response from coast to coast, rather than cutting staff, the school districts have been putting the axe to materials and supplies. Sounds more like no faculty member left behind. The ads, which run $10 for a quiz, $20 for a chapter test, and $30 for a semester final, have allowed Farber to more than pay for the gap in his printing costs the budget cut left him, with the remainder going to the math department at his school, to help out the other teachers. The ads, which are usually local businesses or personal quotes, only appear on the front page of the quizzes and tests, and must be appropriate, so don't go thinking you can promote your hot amateur porn site through Farber's calculus tests. The damnedest thing of all about this idea? The students are actually checking out and paying attention to the ads. If you can get behind this idea, and you want to contact Farber regarding ad space, hit him up with an email at tfarber@powayusd.com
But on the other side of the country, there is the usual controversy brewing, this time over a cafeteria/playground aide at D'Ippolito Elementary. Louisa Tuck, the aide under fire, was once known as Crystal Gunns, an adult film star. In typical overreaction style, parents demanded the school district take some kind of measure against Tuck, and when the district looked into their options, their lawyers advised against doing anything, as Tuck had not done anything illegal. While some parents do not see this as a big issue, the school superintendent and the district are taking a closer look to see what their options are. What a load of shit. With all the yelling and screaming that was done over the last few months about our President-elect's past associations, such as they were, with William Ayers, the fact of the matter remains that Ayers is a teacher, and apparently a very good one at that. So how then, is a retired porn star that big a deal? For all their worries over a former adult movie actress, maybe the offended parents and district muckety mucks need to remove their heads from their asses. Bottom line, she has done nothing wrong, and to try and remove her from her job based on previous careers, sends the wrong message all the way around.
Intriguing and a little unsettling. For a President-elect who used the Internet more effectively than any other political candidate since its integration into the mainstream, and more to the point supports net neutrality, this seems a little contradictory. Additionally, Holder has advocated for a federal hate crimes law, nothing wrong at all with that, but throw in an unfortunate "Sarah Palin" like moment, when asked in 1998 to name specific cases where states had not prosecuted hate crimes while testifying before Congress, he couldn't do it. Couldn't name one. Later, Holder did send written answers to Sen. Arlen Specter, listing three such cases, but the only problem was the defendants had all been acquitted in federal prosecutions.
I have sat back, waiting to see what the Obama administration accomplishes first before making any real comments about the fact it is shaping up to be a new administration with the entire Clinton White House staff on board, but I can't say I'm now overly impressed with this pick for Attorney General. I think the public is due an answer as to whether or not Eric Holder is going to tackle more pressing matters of law, or simply pick up an illogical crusade against the Internet. Time will tell, I guess...
You just have to love a country where a person can pretty much file a lawsuit for any damn reason, no matter how absolutely fucking asinine the reason. The case, set to be heard in a Collier County, Florida court, centers around a woman who was unsatisfied with the remedies to her, ahem, "problems" provided by Doris Palm & Card Reading. Eumanthe Dufrene, of Naples, Florida, said she was promised a money-back guarantee if she wasn't happy, but thus far has not received satisfaction, psychic or otherwise. The $13,200 paid out was to battle the forces of "evil," as well as "grave calamities," which were around Dufrene's family members. Yeah, while it would be more than fair to call me a skeptic, going beyond that, who the hell believes they are going to get a money-back guarantee from a freakin' palm reader. What lawyer, outside of those who practice from strip malls, takes cases like this? Theft? I don't think so, lady. You paid for these services. Deceptive trade practices? Maybe if you got something in writing on the money-back guarantee. Fraud? Lady, you went to a fucking psychic. Makes me wonder if the palm reader can countersue for legal costs in defending herself from someone that utterly fucking stupid to begin with. While I'm no master of predictions, or any of that other crystal ball bullshit, allow me to predict one of two things: either this is going to get tossed out for the waste of the court's time and taxpayer's money that it is, or Dufrene's lawsuit will ultimately be the fail it is at face value. And no, ladies and gentlemen, I do NOT offer a money-back guarantee on my prognostications of future-type events, so leave the shysters alone...
Taking out ad space on tests and exams? I can dig it. California teacher Tom Farber came up with the idea after seeing the usual ads on public buses and at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, and figured this would be an ideal way to bolster his budget for printing materials for his class, which had been recently cut by the Poway Unified School District. That has turned out to be the typical response from coast to coast, rather than cutting staff, the school districts have been putting the axe to materials and supplies. Sounds more like no faculty member left behind. The ads, which run $10 for a quiz, $20 for a chapter test, and $30 for a semester final, have allowed Farber to more than pay for the gap in his printing costs the budget cut left him, with the remainder going to the math department at his school, to help out the other teachers. The ads, which are usually local businesses or personal quotes, only appear on the front page of the quizzes and tests, and must be appropriate, so don't go thinking you can promote your hot amateur porn site through Farber's calculus tests. The damnedest thing of all about this idea? The students are actually checking out and paying attention to the ads. If you can get behind this idea, and you want to contact Farber regarding ad space, hit him up with an email at tfarber@powayusd.com
But on the other side of the country, there is the usual controversy brewing, this time over a cafeteria/playground aide at D'Ippolito Elementary. Louisa Tuck, the aide under fire, was once known as Crystal Gunns, an adult film star. In typical overreaction style, parents demanded the school district take some kind of measure against Tuck, and when the district looked into their options, their lawyers advised against doing anything, as Tuck had not done anything illegal. While some parents do not see this as a big issue, the school superintendent and the district are taking a closer look to see what their options are. What a load of shit. With all the yelling and screaming that was done over the last few months about our President-elect's past associations, such as they were, with William Ayers, the fact of the matter remains that Ayers is a teacher, and apparently a very good one at that. So how then, is a retired porn star that big a deal? For all their worries over a former adult movie actress, maybe the offended parents and district muckety mucks need to remove their heads from their asses. Bottom line, she has done nothing wrong, and to try and remove her from her job based on previous careers, sends the wrong message all the way around.
Friday, November 21, 2008
The Daily Breakdown - 11.21.08
KISS co-founder and bassist Gene Simmons is a little pissed that once again, the band is not on the short list for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and honest to God, who can blame him? The band's been around since 1974, sold well over 100 million albums, and have influenced an untold number of bands. For crap's sake, even country artists have done covers of KISS hits from years' past. Yet, even Blondie is in the Hall of Fame and "The Hottest Band in the Land" isn't. I know there's a bit of stuff already heaped on President-elect Barack Obama's plate, but at the rate this is going, can we ask for an executive order, since apparently the hall of fame's foundation and it chair, Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner will consider any musical act on earth before they will consider KISS, and what a travesty. The inductees will be announced in January, with the induction ceremony in Cleveland on April 4. Simmons, while speaking at the recent Billboard Touring Conference, had this to say about the higher-ups in the hall of fame foundation, saying "A lot of those guys on the board can go and get my sandwich when I want, and I mean that in the nicest way." Not that I presume to be qualified to dish advice to Gene Simmons, but seeing how these guys apparently view your band, do you really want them handling your food?...
Since the subject of touring came up, here comes Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, whom you know as the band doing their level-headed best to reinvent the concept of "cookie-cutter" acts. Don't look at me that way. I like some of their songs, but overall, if you have one single by Nickelback on your mp3, you pretty much have the entire band's catalogue. Kroeger bemoaned the "lack of decent rock bands" in a recent interview, adding "Set down the 'Guitar Hero' learn how to play an actual guitar and start a band, because it's hard to find more bands to put a solid rock-and-roll package together." Um...yeah...sounds like someone's pissed cause more people aren't playing their songs on the game. Look, Chad, I can't help it I would much rather prefer to jam on Anarchy in the UK when I play Guitar Hero, but that's no reason to start shilling for a credit card company. Besides, lighten up...the way the music industry has apparently went, you'll be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before KISS, and again I say, what a travesty. Now shut up and go change the name of all your songs for a new album...
Meanwhile, in Switzerland, controversy is flaring, albeit in small doses, over new requirements for those being drafted by the Swiss army. Drinkers, pot smokers, and those used to rollin' on some phat X while waving glow sticks around like some real stupid motherfucker? Yeah, you're good, although no mention was made as to whether or not new conscripts had to bring enough for everybody. Who isn't the Swiss army looking for? Skinny motherfuckers and vegans. Yep, you read that right. Under the new rules, those who eat no animal products or weigh less than 8 stone (however much the fuck that is) are apparently not fit for service. Swiss politician Josef Lang weighted in by cracking that "half the male population will now become vegans.” Hey, why not? Hell of a lot easier than hightailing it to Canada. Also, what the fuck does the Swiss army even do, guard the pocket knifes, chocolates, and clocks? No, seriously...what do they do?...
And of course, what good would I be if I didn't chime in on the unfortunate Sarah Palin-Slaughterhouse interview debacle from the other day? As everyone on the fucking planet is aware of by now, utterly clueless Alaska Governor Sarah Palin took time from her busy schedule of planning Bristol's shotgun wedding and reading every publication printed in the known universe to "pardon" a turkey in her hometown of Wasilla. Funny, for someone who probably still doesn't know what the hell the Vice-President's job description is, she has the whole "pardon the turkey for Thanksgiving" thing down, just like she's practicing to be President herself one day, right? Wrong. After pardoning the gobbler, she proceeded to give an interview, because if there is anything Palin loves more than animals (she even called herself a "friend of all creatures," but did not elaborate if that included those you could shoot from a helicopter), it is the sound of her own voice. Ask her, and she'll even be the first to tell you, if she understands the question, that is. Damn media and such.
Only problem? The only people in Alaska that may be even less competent than Sarah Palin would appear to be her handlers. As Palin was gumbumping for the cameras, the scene right behind her was even more grisly, and that is a feat in its own. After pardoning the turkey, she went right on grinning as the also-rans were fed to the machine, bwah ha ha! Palin has since reverted to her second favorite activity, feigning ignorance, saying that she had no idea that was going on behind her, even though the much played video shows her at one point looking over at the guy taking care of future dinners across the state. Of course, that leaves the debate wide open as to whether or not she's feigning the ignorance, but I'll have to leave that for later.
While I'm not exactly counting anybody out of contention in 2012, I will say Sarah Palin is already on my short list for NOT having a shot at the White House in '12, but to be fair, she is also on my short list as having a really good shot at winning the Presidency in the crucial election the day after hell freezes right the fuck over.
Since the subject of touring came up, here comes Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, whom you know as the band doing their level-headed best to reinvent the concept of "cookie-cutter" acts. Don't look at me that way. I like some of their songs, but overall, if you have one single by Nickelback on your mp3, you pretty much have the entire band's catalogue. Kroeger bemoaned the "lack of decent rock bands" in a recent interview, adding "Set down the 'Guitar Hero' learn how to play an actual guitar and start a band, because it's hard to find more bands to put a solid rock-and-roll package together." Um...yeah...sounds like someone's pissed cause more people aren't playing their songs on the game. Look, Chad, I can't help it I would much rather prefer to jam on Anarchy in the UK when I play Guitar Hero, but that's no reason to start shilling for a credit card company. Besides, lighten up...the way the music industry has apparently went, you'll be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before KISS, and again I say, what a travesty. Now shut up and go change the name of all your songs for a new album...
Meanwhile, in Switzerland, controversy is flaring, albeit in small doses, over new requirements for those being drafted by the Swiss army. Drinkers, pot smokers, and those used to rollin' on some phat X while waving glow sticks around like some real stupid motherfucker? Yeah, you're good, although no mention was made as to whether or not new conscripts had to bring enough for everybody. Who isn't the Swiss army looking for? Skinny motherfuckers and vegans. Yep, you read that right. Under the new rules, those who eat no animal products or weigh less than 8 stone (however much the fuck that is) are apparently not fit for service. Swiss politician Josef Lang weighted in by cracking that "half the male population will now become vegans.” Hey, why not? Hell of a lot easier than hightailing it to Canada. Also, what the fuck does the Swiss army even do, guard the pocket knifes, chocolates, and clocks? No, seriously...what do they do?...
And of course, what good would I be if I didn't chime in on the unfortunate Sarah Palin-Slaughterhouse interview debacle from the other day? As everyone on the fucking planet is aware of by now, utterly clueless Alaska Governor Sarah Palin took time from her busy schedule of planning Bristol's shotgun wedding and reading every publication printed in the known universe to "pardon" a turkey in her hometown of Wasilla. Funny, for someone who probably still doesn't know what the hell the Vice-President's job description is, she has the whole "pardon the turkey for Thanksgiving" thing down, just like she's practicing to be President herself one day, right? Wrong. After pardoning the gobbler, she proceeded to give an interview, because if there is anything Palin loves more than animals (she even called herself a "friend of all creatures," but did not elaborate if that included those you could shoot from a helicopter), it is the sound of her own voice. Ask her, and she'll even be the first to tell you, if she understands the question, that is. Damn media and such.
Only problem? The only people in Alaska that may be even less competent than Sarah Palin would appear to be her handlers. As Palin was gumbumping for the cameras, the scene right behind her was even more grisly, and that is a feat in its own. After pardoning the turkey, she went right on grinning as the also-rans were fed to the machine, bwah ha ha! Palin has since reverted to her second favorite activity, feigning ignorance, saying that she had no idea that was going on behind her, even though the much played video shows her at one point looking over at the guy taking care of future dinners across the state. Of course, that leaves the debate wide open as to whether or not she's feigning the ignorance, but I'll have to leave that for later.
While I'm not exactly counting anybody out of contention in 2012, I will say Sarah Palin is already on my short list for NOT having a shot at the White House in '12, but to be fair, she is also on my short list as having a really good shot at winning the Presidency in the crucial election the day after hell freezes right the fuck over.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
The Daily Breakdown - 11.20.08
Wow. That's really all I can say at the moment. It has been a whirlwind two weeks and change since election day, and the history just keeps on coming. First African-American president elected, women running for both president and vice-president this time around, an expected first African-American attorney general, and now, on top of it all, the good people of Silverton, Oregon saw fit to elect Stu Rasmussen back into the mayor's office. Rasmussen, who served two terms as mayor after winning elections in 1988 and 1990, and had served the last four years on the city council, gained 52% of the vote to defeat incumbent mayor Ken Hector (39%), and in the process, became the first openly transgender mayor in the United States. Just waiting for the headline where Rasmussen becomes the first mayor in U.S. history to resign from office for sexually harassing himself...
Federal agents and local police raided three "tanning salons" and arrested at least five people in the Seattle area Tuesday as part of a two-year investigation into what they say were fronts for prostitution. The King County Sheriff's Department, Seattle Police, the Internal Revenue Service, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement coordinated raids on five homes and businesses, arresting the owners, who had been indicted on charges of conspiring to transport women for prostitution and conspiring to launder the proceeds of the alleged brothels. Uh, yeah...whoopty damn. Why did it take four agencies two fucking years to figure out whether or not these businesses were selling pussy along with unlimited tanning packages? Makes me wonder how many of the law enforcement personnel who labored on this, ahem, bust look like George Hamilton now? Guess there is a happy ending for sunburn after all. Just don't ask where the lotion was applied...
I'm loving this...McDonald's, in addition to actually applying for patents in the U.S. and UK, claiming that their sandwiches, and the production method thereof, is "intellectual property," is also crusading to create the image their food-type products are healthy. Notable hilarity in this effort includes a slaughterhouse visit, to not only show the humane way the chickens are treated before the ax comes down, but to prove the McChicken nuggets actually contain chicken! Even funnier, and slightly more awkward than that, McDonald's is trying to rehab the image of their fries as healthy. Yeah, the fries. The fries that contain 380 calories, 270 mg of sodium, and a color preservative. Oh my McFucking God...
As first mentioned by Wonkette.com, Wall Street Journal deputy editorial page editor and long past brain damaged jackhole Daniel Henninger had his two cents' worth as to the cause of the financial crisis our country is in: "This year we celebrate the desacralized “holidays” amid what is for many unprecedented economic ruin — fortunes halved, jobs lost, homes foreclosed. People wonder, What happened? One man’s theory: A nation whose people can’t say “Merry Christmas” is a nation capable of ruining its own economy." It's official. The Wall Street Journal needs to change their name, because if the best one of the low foreheads in charge of the opinion page can do is blame the so-called "war on Christmas" on the financial crisis, then the WSJ no longer has any business whatsoever covering Wall Street, or much of anything involving real reporter-type shit anymore. Ever. Period. Also, since it costs more to make a penny than it's actually worth, we have a more realistic take on what Dan Henninger's idiotic fucking ramblings are worth. Merry Christmas, you fucking moron. There, are you happy now, Henninger?
Federal agents and local police raided three "tanning salons" and arrested at least five people in the Seattle area Tuesday as part of a two-year investigation into what they say were fronts for prostitution. The King County Sheriff's Department, Seattle Police, the Internal Revenue Service, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement coordinated raids on five homes and businesses, arresting the owners, who had been indicted on charges of conspiring to transport women for prostitution and conspiring to launder the proceeds of the alleged brothels. Uh, yeah...whoopty damn. Why did it take four agencies two fucking years to figure out whether or not these businesses were selling pussy along with unlimited tanning packages? Makes me wonder how many of the law enforcement personnel who labored on this, ahem, bust look like George Hamilton now? Guess there is a happy ending for sunburn after all. Just don't ask where the lotion was applied...
I'm loving this...McDonald's, in addition to actually applying for patents in the U.S. and UK, claiming that their sandwiches, and the production method thereof, is "intellectual property," is also crusading to create the image their food-type products are healthy. Notable hilarity in this effort includes a slaughterhouse visit, to not only show the humane way the chickens are treated before the ax comes down, but to prove the McChicken nuggets actually contain chicken! Even funnier, and slightly more awkward than that, McDonald's is trying to rehab the image of their fries as healthy. Yeah, the fries. The fries that contain 380 calories, 270 mg of sodium, and a color preservative. Oh my McFucking God...
As first mentioned by Wonkette.com, Wall Street Journal deputy editorial page editor and long past brain damaged jackhole Daniel Henninger had his two cents' worth as to the cause of the financial crisis our country is in: "This year we celebrate the desacralized “holidays” amid what is for many unprecedented economic ruin — fortunes halved, jobs lost, homes foreclosed. People wonder, What happened? One man’s theory: A nation whose people can’t say “Merry Christmas” is a nation capable of ruining its own economy." It's official. The Wall Street Journal needs to change their name, because if the best one of the low foreheads in charge of the opinion page can do is blame the so-called "war on Christmas" on the financial crisis, then the WSJ no longer has any business whatsoever covering Wall Street, or much of anything involving real reporter-type shit anymore. Ever. Period. Also, since it costs more to make a penny than it's actually worth, we have a more realistic take on what Dan Henninger's idiotic fucking ramblings are worth. Merry Christmas, you fucking moron. There, are you happy now, Henninger?
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
In just one hour on an all-new Probably Uncalled For...
Come join Dr. Thomas Keister and ppdingles on an all-new episode tonight, as they'll be discussing the automaker bailout, Ted Stevens getting voted out of the U.S Senate, Joe Lieberman and the so-called "punishment," a thin but rewarding "Stupid Britain" segment, Sarah Palin, great moments in lesbianism, technology, and all the other topics TBA. Come find out what the world is listening to!!!
The ultimate in wasted government
It was with equal parts great interest and trepidation that I read 'A system's fatal flaws,' a very well-written article by the Houston Chronicle's Susan Carroll, the first part of a three-part series on the massive and outrageous failure of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement to do much of anything, apparently, in regards to their job. I would normally have waited until I had read all three segments to comment, but just the first third of the picture Carroll paints is disturbing enough. With all the slap on the wrist moves and blown second, third, fourth (or more) chances, I would have though I was reading about professional athletes in the justice system rather than the utter failure of government at any and all levels to do something so simple as enforce the laws in this country.
The article covers the Harris County Jail, in Houston, where out of over 3,500 inmates who told staff booking them into the jail they were in the country illegally, around 75 percent had no action taken over their illegal status, including some who were ordered deported decades ago. They were turned loose, back onto the streets of Houston, back onto the streets of the United States. And we're talking about child molesters, rapists and drug dealers, among others. Naturally, some stuck around to build on their criminal resumes, including more sex crimes against children and capital murder. Great. That'll teach them a lesson. While they may be going great guns, no pun intended, on the turnover rate on Texas' death row, the clear lesson in Houston is you apparently have nothing to fear of deportation- you aren't going anywhere. Hell, you'll wind up in a prison yard burial plot before you wind up back in the country from whence you came.
Now, out of the 3,500 inmates in the Chronicle's review, 11 percent had three or more convictions, some for violent crimes and some with outstanding deportation orders. I have this great mental image of a hardened criminal arguing with the staff at Harris County Jail..."how many time do I have to tell you I'm here illegally?" Even sadder yet, it probably does happen in real life, and more times than I want to think about.
Now, keep in mind people, the findings in the Chronicle article was based on documents filed from June 2007 - February 2008, the earliest immigration records available. No damn wonder nothing is getting done, apparently the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Houston has only been aware of this whole "illegal alien" problem for about a year and a half. How could they be expected to half-ass their way to a solution when the other side has that big a head start?
There actually are, if you can believe this, results nationwide on deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed 107,000 convicted criminals from the U.S. in the 2008 fiscal year, which ended in September, but sent home more than twice as many illegal immigrants without criminal records, which prompted criticism from some members of Congress. In Houston, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office set a record by removing 8,226 illegal immigrants with criminal records from Southeast Texas last year, an increase of about 7.5 percent from fiscal 2007. Notice how it doesn't say the Houston office removed them from the country, but rather from Southeast Texas. Are they actually being deported, or rather dropped off in another part of the state or the country, so it's another office's problem? With only 107,000 convicted criminals being deported, and the glaring inability of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to do something about the remainder, even when they volunteer the information they are in the country, I think it's not only a fair question, but one that needs an answer, not excuses or buck-passing masquerading as an answer.
The buck-passing and excuses from Houston begin with Kenneth Landgrebe, ICE's field office director for detention and removal for that city. "No agency has enough law enforcement officers to do the job the way they'd like. If you look at law enforcement in general — at Houston or New York City or Los Angeles police — do they apprehend every criminal that commits a crime? No. Do they arrest every person that speeds in a traffic zone? No. "We have to prioritize what we handle."
Yes, Landgrebe actually said this. Let me break it down for Ken, I think his head may be hurting from the attempted thought patterns he's trying to unloose upon us. No law enforcement agency anywhere arrests every criminal who commits a crime, and it is ludicrous to use that as a template for the failure of your agency, and notably the office he is in charge of. And are we to believe he is equating illegally entering the country with a speeding ticket? I have had three speeding tickets written to me in the 16 years I have had my driver's license, and the damnedest thing is, I have never been arrested for speeding. Not once. I will agree with Landgrebe on the prioritization of what his office handles, which is the issue at hand. The police departments in Houston, Los Angeles, and New York City have a wide variety of crimes for which to police. Mr. Landgrebe's office has one responsibility, and that is detention and removal of illegal aliens as it pertains to Immigration, and utterly nonsensical answers in addition to the usual whining about lack of staffing fails, and miserably, to answer why nothing is being done when the problem is dropped right in your lap. I understand tracking down illegal aliens and deporting them may not be that easy, but when they flat tell you they are illegal, and your office still fails to perform its duty, how much sympathy are we supposed to be able to muster?
Just when you thought, however, the soundbiting and yesholing had passed, here come the underlings! Matthew Baker, an assistant field office director for ICE in Houston, said agents try to screen out as many violent criminals as possible to avoid preventable crimes. Again, I think that may be blind optimism in the clothing traditionally worn by cloudy facts. Baker added "No one can measure the cases where we picked up and removed someone and prevented that carjacking or that drunk driving accident that kills a family. There are hundreds of thousands of incidents that we prevent every year; those are not measured because they don't happen."
Must be turning into a continuing theme here. Yes, Baker actually said this. If I may be so bold, perhaps the reason no one can measure those cases you mentioned is that there are not enough to make it worth counting. Maybe it's because the earliest records available only go back to June 2007, thereby meaning you haven't been attempting to attempt doing your jobs long enough. With the numbers I have seen in the course of writing this column, I find it hard to believe that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has prevented hundreds of thousands of anything period, let alone on a yearly basis. For all this talk of hundreds of thousands of acts prevented, why is it so hard to handle 3,500 cases in just one city? Out of those very 3,500 illegal aliens mentioned in Houston, Immigration and Customs Enforcement only filed paperwork to detain about 900, just over 25%. If only doing a quarter of your job results in "hundreds of thousands" of cases prevented, can you crunch some numbers and tell me what half, or 75% would get us? Not only would it start to satisfy Americans sick of runaway largess from Homeland Security and other federal agencies supposedly charged with and assisting in securing our nation's borders, but it would, if you can believe this, actually address and make headway on the issue at hand.
To further compound the problem, the Chronicle's review found that 43 percent of those arrested and admitting they were in the country illegally had no prior criminal records in Harris County, and were charged with misdemeanors. Okay, no criminal record in Harris County, but what about the rest of the country? What about any criminal records from their country of origin? Not only that, but they were charged with misdemeanors? What about the glaring omission of a federal charge, you know, for illegally entering the country? Is that just on the books for show? Immigrant advocates are quick to plea that one should not stereotype illegal aliens based on high-profile cases, but what, in their opinion, is less high-profile than committing a federal offense? I'm all for advocating immigration, but how in the hell does coddling illegal aliens fit into the scope of their efforts? These so-called advocates push for immigration reform, and that's all well and good, but reform should start with those willing to go through the legal process, rather than just walking across the border, doing whatever they feel like, and then either being smacked on the wrist or possibly offered amnesty somewhere on down the line.
Rep. David Price (D-NC), the chair of the House Homeland Security appropriations committee had some decidedly blunt remarks on the issue, saying that "the present situation is unacceptable," and that "the highest priority for ICE should be deporting people who have proven their ability and their willingness to do us harm. Immigration is a very, very contentious issue, but this seems to be one thing almost everyone agrees is a priority." For all the concerned-sounding rhetoric, wouldn't it be nice if the chairman actually started demanding some accountability for all the taxpayer dollars doled out on a yearly basis?
I have made the statement on more than one occasion that the only right illegal aliens should be afforded is the right to a moderately comfortable bus ride back across the border, or to wherever it was they came from in the first place. Compare the cost, for example, of transporting illegal aliens back to Mexico from Houston against the cost of putting them up in the county jail for a couple of weeks, only to turn them loose in the end? I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but last time I checked, isn't Texas bordered by Mexico? Seriously, how hard can this be? The abject failure at many levels in the operation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement has went beyond embarrassing, even for the administration we have been saddled with the last eight years. Rather than thump chests and cry for more money, or more staffing, it is high time people started collecting pink slips for not doing their jobs. I'm willing to bet there are people who would be tickled to have a cushy government job, and would endeavor to perform that job the way it should have been done all along, if the honest-to-God threat of being fired for not doing it was realistically on the table.
And this is a partisan issue, as government-as-usual has failed to act while billions of tax dollars have spiraled down the drain, and for something that should be easy enough to handle. This isn't like the wasteful failure of the war on drugs, or working to repair our tattered image internationally. This is supposedly securing our borders and making our country safer, something we have had crammed down our throats since the inception of Homeland Security, and it has neither been filling nor tasty. The solutions are clear, obvious, enactable, and a hell of a lot cheaper than piling on to the overcrowding problem that already plagues our nation. Use our National Guard the way it was intended, by their very creation, and deploy them to the southern border as a matter of national defense. Enforce the felony that is illegal entry into the country, and make a second offense punishable by permanently barring entry or citizenship. Make use of the E-Verify system mandatory across the board for any employer, regardless of size or whether or not they are working with federal contracts. Most importantly, end any and all public assistance to illegal aliens and their children, and that includes ending the birthright citizenship standard for children born to people illegally in the United States.
The best way to address concerns of an "entitlement society" is to kill the root and watch the plant wither. For a public-at-large that has grown tired of watching public assistance programs strain to the breaking point and beyond, the answer is clear. Quit treating a large criminal class better than the needy, yet lawful, citizens of your very nation. Not by throwing more money to be wasted on more jobs wasted by people with no ability or desire to do those very jobs, but by simply enforcing the laws as they stand.
The article covers the Harris County Jail, in Houston, where out of over 3,500 inmates who told staff booking them into the jail they were in the country illegally, around 75 percent had no action taken over their illegal status, including some who were ordered deported decades ago. They were turned loose, back onto the streets of Houston, back onto the streets of the United States. And we're talking about child molesters, rapists and drug dealers, among others. Naturally, some stuck around to build on their criminal resumes, including more sex crimes against children and capital murder. Great. That'll teach them a lesson. While they may be going great guns, no pun intended, on the turnover rate on Texas' death row, the clear lesson in Houston is you apparently have nothing to fear of deportation- you aren't going anywhere. Hell, you'll wind up in a prison yard burial plot before you wind up back in the country from whence you came.
Now, out of the 3,500 inmates in the Chronicle's review, 11 percent had three or more convictions, some for violent crimes and some with outstanding deportation orders. I have this great mental image of a hardened criminal arguing with the staff at Harris County Jail..."how many time do I have to tell you I'm here illegally?" Even sadder yet, it probably does happen in real life, and more times than I want to think about.
Now, keep in mind people, the findings in the Chronicle article was based on documents filed from June 2007 - February 2008, the earliest immigration records available. No damn wonder nothing is getting done, apparently the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Houston has only been aware of this whole "illegal alien" problem for about a year and a half. How could they be expected to half-ass their way to a solution when the other side has that big a head start?
There actually are, if you can believe this, results nationwide on deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed 107,000 convicted criminals from the U.S. in the 2008 fiscal year, which ended in September, but sent home more than twice as many illegal immigrants without criminal records, which prompted criticism from some members of Congress. In Houston, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office set a record by removing 8,226 illegal immigrants with criminal records from Southeast Texas last year, an increase of about 7.5 percent from fiscal 2007. Notice how it doesn't say the Houston office removed them from the country, but rather from Southeast Texas. Are they actually being deported, or rather dropped off in another part of the state or the country, so it's another office's problem? With only 107,000 convicted criminals being deported, and the glaring inability of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to do something about the remainder, even when they volunteer the information they are in the country, I think it's not only a fair question, but one that needs an answer, not excuses or buck-passing masquerading as an answer.
The buck-passing and excuses from Houston begin with Kenneth Landgrebe, ICE's field office director for detention and removal for that city. "No agency has enough law enforcement officers to do the job the way they'd like. If you look at law enforcement in general — at Houston or New York City or Los Angeles police — do they apprehend every criminal that commits a crime? No. Do they arrest every person that speeds in a traffic zone? No. "We have to prioritize what we handle."
Yes, Landgrebe actually said this. Let me break it down for Ken, I think his head may be hurting from the attempted thought patterns he's trying to unloose upon us. No law enforcement agency anywhere arrests every criminal who commits a crime, and it is ludicrous to use that as a template for the failure of your agency, and notably the office he is in charge of. And are we to believe he is equating illegally entering the country with a speeding ticket? I have had three speeding tickets written to me in the 16 years I have had my driver's license, and the damnedest thing is, I have never been arrested for speeding. Not once. I will agree with Landgrebe on the prioritization of what his office handles, which is the issue at hand. The police departments in Houston, Los Angeles, and New York City have a wide variety of crimes for which to police. Mr. Landgrebe's office has one responsibility, and that is detention and removal of illegal aliens as it pertains to Immigration, and utterly nonsensical answers in addition to the usual whining about lack of staffing fails, and miserably, to answer why nothing is being done when the problem is dropped right in your lap. I understand tracking down illegal aliens and deporting them may not be that easy, but when they flat tell you they are illegal, and your office still fails to perform its duty, how much sympathy are we supposed to be able to muster?
Just when you thought, however, the soundbiting and yesholing had passed, here come the underlings! Matthew Baker, an assistant field office director for ICE in Houston, said agents try to screen out as many violent criminals as possible to avoid preventable crimes. Again, I think that may be blind optimism in the clothing traditionally worn by cloudy facts. Baker added "No one can measure the cases where we picked up and removed someone and prevented that carjacking or that drunk driving accident that kills a family. There are hundreds of thousands of incidents that we prevent every year; those are not measured because they don't happen."
Must be turning into a continuing theme here. Yes, Baker actually said this. If I may be so bold, perhaps the reason no one can measure those cases you mentioned is that there are not enough to make it worth counting. Maybe it's because the earliest records available only go back to June 2007, thereby meaning you haven't been attempting to attempt doing your jobs long enough. With the numbers I have seen in the course of writing this column, I find it hard to believe that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has prevented hundreds of thousands of anything period, let alone on a yearly basis. For all this talk of hundreds of thousands of acts prevented, why is it so hard to handle 3,500 cases in just one city? Out of those very 3,500 illegal aliens mentioned in Houston, Immigration and Customs Enforcement only filed paperwork to detain about 900, just over 25%. If only doing a quarter of your job results in "hundreds of thousands" of cases prevented, can you crunch some numbers and tell me what half, or 75% would get us? Not only would it start to satisfy Americans sick of runaway largess from Homeland Security and other federal agencies supposedly charged with and assisting in securing our nation's borders, but it would, if you can believe this, actually address and make headway on the issue at hand.
To further compound the problem, the Chronicle's review found that 43 percent of those arrested and admitting they were in the country illegally had no prior criminal records in Harris County, and were charged with misdemeanors. Okay, no criminal record in Harris County, but what about the rest of the country? What about any criminal records from their country of origin? Not only that, but they were charged with misdemeanors? What about the glaring omission of a federal charge, you know, for illegally entering the country? Is that just on the books for show? Immigrant advocates are quick to plea that one should not stereotype illegal aliens based on high-profile cases, but what, in their opinion, is less high-profile than committing a federal offense? I'm all for advocating immigration, but how in the hell does coddling illegal aliens fit into the scope of their efforts? These so-called advocates push for immigration reform, and that's all well and good, but reform should start with those willing to go through the legal process, rather than just walking across the border, doing whatever they feel like, and then either being smacked on the wrist or possibly offered amnesty somewhere on down the line.
Rep. David Price (D-NC), the chair of the House Homeland Security appropriations committee had some decidedly blunt remarks on the issue, saying that "the present situation is unacceptable," and that "the highest priority for ICE should be deporting people who have proven their ability and their willingness to do us harm. Immigration is a very, very contentious issue, but this seems to be one thing almost everyone agrees is a priority." For all the concerned-sounding rhetoric, wouldn't it be nice if the chairman actually started demanding some accountability for all the taxpayer dollars doled out on a yearly basis?
I have made the statement on more than one occasion that the only right illegal aliens should be afforded is the right to a moderately comfortable bus ride back across the border, or to wherever it was they came from in the first place. Compare the cost, for example, of transporting illegal aliens back to Mexico from Houston against the cost of putting them up in the county jail for a couple of weeks, only to turn them loose in the end? I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but last time I checked, isn't Texas bordered by Mexico? Seriously, how hard can this be? The abject failure at many levels in the operation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement has went beyond embarrassing, even for the administration we have been saddled with the last eight years. Rather than thump chests and cry for more money, or more staffing, it is high time people started collecting pink slips for not doing their jobs. I'm willing to bet there are people who would be tickled to have a cushy government job, and would endeavor to perform that job the way it should have been done all along, if the honest-to-God threat of being fired for not doing it was realistically on the table.
And this is a partisan issue, as government-as-usual has failed to act while billions of tax dollars have spiraled down the drain, and for something that should be easy enough to handle. This isn't like the wasteful failure of the war on drugs, or working to repair our tattered image internationally. This is supposedly securing our borders and making our country safer, something we have had crammed down our throats since the inception of Homeland Security, and it has neither been filling nor tasty. The solutions are clear, obvious, enactable, and a hell of a lot cheaper than piling on to the overcrowding problem that already plagues our nation. Use our National Guard the way it was intended, by their very creation, and deploy them to the southern border as a matter of national defense. Enforce the felony that is illegal entry into the country, and make a second offense punishable by permanently barring entry or citizenship. Make use of the E-Verify system mandatory across the board for any employer, regardless of size or whether or not they are working with federal contracts. Most importantly, end any and all public assistance to illegal aliens and their children, and that includes ending the birthright citizenship standard for children born to people illegally in the United States.
The best way to address concerns of an "entitlement society" is to kill the root and watch the plant wither. For a public-at-large that has grown tired of watching public assistance programs strain to the breaking point and beyond, the answer is clear. Quit treating a large criminal class better than the needy, yet lawful, citizens of your very nation. Not by throwing more money to be wasted on more jobs wasted by people with no ability or desire to do those very jobs, but by simply enforcing the laws as they stand.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Wrestling Milestones. November 17th - November 23rd
11/18/1963 - Born - Brian Steele
11/18/1975 - Born - Taiyo Kea
11/18/1978 - Died - Eric the Red Hansen in a motor vehicle accident at 34
11/19/1971 - Born - Vince Austin
11/20/1997 - Died - Stanley Blackburn at 80
11/21/1964 - Born - Shane Douglas
11/21/1967 - Born - Chris Beniot
11/21/1969 - Born - Dynamite D
11/21/1970 - Born - "The Modern Day Cowboy" Chris Anthony
11/22/1954 - Died - Promoter Jess (Roderick) McMahon at 72
11/22/1967 - Born - Ron Powers
11/22/1970 - Born - Damien Storm
11/22/1976 - Born - Lash LaRoux
11/22/1978 - Born - Stevie Phillips
11/22/2000 - Died - Yoshihiro Momota at 54
11/22/2002 - Died - Billy Joe Travis of a heart attack
11/23/1994 - Died - Art Barr at 28 of drug related causes
11/18/1975 - Born - Taiyo Kea
11/18/1978 - Died - Eric the Red Hansen in a motor vehicle accident at 34
11/19/1971 - Born - Vince Austin
11/20/1997 - Died - Stanley Blackburn at 80
11/21/1964 - Born - Shane Douglas
11/21/1967 - Born - Chris Beniot
11/21/1969 - Born - Dynamite D
11/21/1970 - Born - "The Modern Day Cowboy" Chris Anthony
11/22/1954 - Died - Promoter Jess (Roderick) McMahon at 72
11/22/1967 - Born - Ron Powers
11/22/1970 - Born - Damien Storm
11/22/1976 - Born - Lash LaRoux
11/22/1978 - Born - Stevie Phillips
11/22/2000 - Died - Yoshihiro Momota at 54
11/22/2002 - Died - Billy Joe Travis of a heart attack
11/23/1994 - Died - Art Barr at 28 of drug related causes
This Week in Professional Wrestling History. November 17th - November 23rd
11/17/1994 - The Rat Pack won a one-night tournament for the SCW Tag Team title
11/17/1996 - Event - Survivor Series, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
11/17/1996 - Psycho Sid defeated Shawn Michaels for the WWF Heavyweight title
11/17/1997 - Iceman Chris Cannon stripped of the SCW Light Heavyweight title
11/17/1998 - Duane Gill (Gillberg) defeated Christian Cage for the WWF Light Heavyweight title
11/17/2000 - The Hit Squad defeated Don Montoya & Homicide for the Jersey All Pro Tag Team Titles
11/17/2002 - Event - Survivor Series, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
11/17/2002 - The Big Show defeated Brock Lesnar for the WWE Smackdown Heavyweight title
11/17/2002 - Shawn Michaels defeated Triple H, Kane, Chris Jericho, Booker T, and Rob Van Dam for the WWE Raw World title
11/17/2002 - Eddie & Chavo Guerrero defeated Edge & Rey Misterio, Jr. and Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit for the WWE Smackdown Tag Team title
11/17/2002 - Victoria defeated Trish Stratus for the WWE Women's title
11/17/2002 - Billy Kidman defeated Jamie Noble for the WWE Cruiserweight title
11/18/1938 - Jim Londos defeated Bronco Nagurski for the World Heavyweight title
11/18/1983 - Ted DiBiase defeated Brett Wayne for the Georgia National Heavyweight title
11/18/1992 - Event - Clash of the Champions XXI
11/18/1992 - Shane Douglas & Rick Steamboat defeated Dustin Rhodes & Barry Windham for the WCW World Tag Team title
11/18/1995 - Event - November to Remember, ECW Arena Philadelphia, PA
11/18/1996 - Brian Christopher defeated Macho Warrior Ric Hogan for the USWA Southern Heavyweight title
11/18/2000 - Homicide defeated Jay Lover for the vacant Jersey All Pro Heavyweight Title
11/18/2000 - Nick Berk defeated Trent Acid & Ric Blade to win the vacant for the Jersey All Pro Light-Heavyweight Title
11/18/2000 - Skinhead Ivan defeated Dr. Hurtz for the New Jersey State Title
11/18/2001 - Event - Survivor Series, Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro,NC
11/18/2001 - Edge defeated Test for the WWF Intercontinental title
11/18/2001 - Edge unified the WWF Intercontinental and WCW US Heavyweight titles
11/18/2001 - The Dudley Boyz defeated The Hardy Boyz for the WWF Tag Team title
11/18/2001 - The Dudley Boyz unified the WWF and WCW Tag Team titles
11/18/2001 - Trish Stratus defeated Ivory, Lita, Jazz, Molly and Jacqueline in a 6 Way Match for the vacant WWF Women's title
11/19/1960 - Johnny Valentine & Buddy Rogers defeated Al Costello & Roy Heffernan for the WWWF Tag Team title
11/19/1989 - Bill Dundee defeated Tony Anthony for the USWA Southern Heavyweight title
11/19/1990 - Curt Hennig defeated Kerry Von Erich for the WWF Intercontinental title
11/19/1991 - Event - Clash of the Champions XVII
11/19/1991 - Rick Rude defeated Sting for the WCW U.S. Heavyweight title
11/19/1991 - Dustin Rhodes & Rick Steamboat defeated Arn Anderson & Larry Zbyszko for the WCW World Tag Team title
11/19/1994 - Event - November to Remember, ECW Arena Philadelphia, PA
11/19/1994 - Chrs Candido defeated Tracy Smothers in a tournament final for the NWA Heavyweight title
11/19/1995 - Event - Survivor Series, US Air Arena, Landover, MD
11/19/1995 - Bret Hart defeated Diesel for the WWF Heavyweight title
11/19/2000 - Event - Survivor Series, Ice Palace, Tampa, FL
11/20/1990 - Event - Clash of the Champions XIII
11/20/1999 - John Zandig defeated Wife Beater for the Combat Zone World Heavyweight Title
11/20/1999 - Justice Pain defeated The Thrill Kill Kult in a handicap match for the vacant Combat Zone Wrestling Tag Team Titles
11/20/2000 - Chuck Palumbo & Sean Stasiak defeated Elis Skipper (substituting for an injured Disco) & Alex Wright for the WCW Tag Team title
11/20/2000 - Nate Hatred defeated Wife Beater for the Combat Zone World Ironman Title
11/20/2002 - JeffJarrett defeated Ron Killings for the NWA Heavyweight title
11/21/1978 - Tony Garea & Larry Zbyszko defeated The Yukon Lumberjacks for the WWWF Tag Team title
11/21/1980 - Ted DiBiase defeated Ken Patera for the Missouri State Heavyweight title
11/21/1999 - Event - Mayhem, Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
11/21/1999 - Breat Hart defeated Chris Benoit in a tournament final for the WCW Heavyweight title
11/21/1999 - Evan Karagias defeated Disco Inferno for the WCW Cruiserweight title
11/21/2000 - Billy Gunn defeated Eddie Guerrero for the WWF Intercontinental title
11/22/1990 - Event - Survivor Series, Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
11/22/1992 - Jeff Jarrett won a Battle Royal for the USWA Unified Heavyweight title
11/22/1993 - Buddy Landell defeated Jeff Jarrett for the USWA Southern Heavyweight title
11/22/1997 - Cueball Carmichael & C.W. Anderson defeated Death & Destruction for the SCW Tag Team title
11/22/1997 - Boris Dragoff defeated K.C. Thunder for the SCW North Carolina Heavyweight title
11/22/1997 - Joey Matthews defeated The Intruder for the SCW Light Heavyweight title
11/22/1998 - Event - World War III, The Palace, Auburn Hills, MI
11/22/1998 - Billy Kidman defeated Juventud Guerrera for the WCW Cruiserweight title
11/22/1999 - Creative control defeated Kidman & Konnan for the WCW Tag Team title
11/22/2000 - Scott Hall was arrested for traffic infractions following a two-car accident and found to be legally intoxicated
11/22/2002 - Sabu defeated The Sandman in a TLC Match for the vacant USA Pro-Wrestling Heavyweight Title
11/22/2002 - Wayne & The Trekkie defeated The Boogie Knights for the USA Pro-Wrestling Tag Team Titles
11/22/2002 - The Amazing Red defeated Quiet Storm, Deranged, & Reefer for the vacant USA Pro-Wrestling U.S. Heavyweight Title
11/22/2002 - Homicide defeated The Amazing Red for the USA Pro-Wrestling U.S. Heavyweight Title
11/22/2002 - Homicide defeated Xavier for the USA Pro-Wrestling X-Treme Title
11/23/1961 - Bob Geigel & Otto Von Krupp defeated Dale Lewis & Pat Kennedy for the AWA Tag Team title
11/23/1979 - Kevin Von Erich defeated Dick Murdoch for the Missouri State Heavyweight title
11/23/1981 - Pedro Morales defeated Magnificent Muraco for the WWWF Intercontinental title
11/23/1989 - Event - Survivor Series, Rosemont Horizon, Chicago, IL
11/23/1994 - Event - Survivor Series, Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, TX
11/23/1994 - Bob Backlund defeated Bret Hart for the WWF Heavyweight title
11/23/1994 - Shawn Michaels & Diesel split & abandoned the WWF Tag Team title
11/23/1995 - Brad Armstrong defeated Terry Gordy for the Smokey Mountain Heavyweight title
11/23/1996 - Justin St. John & Steve Flynn defeated Dan Cooley & Scott Sterling for the SSW Tag Team title
11/23/1996 - Gorgeous George III defeated Chris Stephenson for the SCW Heavweight title
11/23/1996 - Steven Dunn & Flash Flanagan defeated the Bruise Brothers for the USWA Tag Team title
11/23/1997 - Event - World War III, Palace, Auburn Hills, MI
11/23/1997 - Rip Rogers defeated Bill Dundee for the Ohio Valley Heavyweight title
11/17/1996 - Event - Survivor Series, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
11/17/1996 - Psycho Sid defeated Shawn Michaels for the WWF Heavyweight title
11/17/1997 - Iceman Chris Cannon stripped of the SCW Light Heavyweight title
11/17/1998 - Duane Gill (Gillberg) defeated Christian Cage for the WWF Light Heavyweight title
11/17/2000 - The Hit Squad defeated Don Montoya & Homicide for the Jersey All Pro Tag Team Titles
11/17/2002 - Event - Survivor Series, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
11/17/2002 - The Big Show defeated Brock Lesnar for the WWE Smackdown Heavyweight title
11/17/2002 - Shawn Michaels defeated Triple H, Kane, Chris Jericho, Booker T, and Rob Van Dam for the WWE Raw World title
11/17/2002 - Eddie & Chavo Guerrero defeated Edge & Rey Misterio, Jr. and Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit for the WWE Smackdown Tag Team title
11/17/2002 - Victoria defeated Trish Stratus for the WWE Women's title
11/17/2002 - Billy Kidman defeated Jamie Noble for the WWE Cruiserweight title
11/18/1938 - Jim Londos defeated Bronco Nagurski for the World Heavyweight title
11/18/1983 - Ted DiBiase defeated Brett Wayne for the Georgia National Heavyweight title
11/18/1992 - Event - Clash of the Champions XXI
11/18/1992 - Shane Douglas & Rick Steamboat defeated Dustin Rhodes & Barry Windham for the WCW World Tag Team title
11/18/1995 - Event - November to Remember, ECW Arena Philadelphia, PA
11/18/1996 - Brian Christopher defeated Macho Warrior Ric Hogan for the USWA Southern Heavyweight title
11/18/2000 - Homicide defeated Jay Lover for the vacant Jersey All Pro Heavyweight Title
11/18/2000 - Nick Berk defeated Trent Acid & Ric Blade to win the vacant for the Jersey All Pro Light-Heavyweight Title
11/18/2000 - Skinhead Ivan defeated Dr. Hurtz for the New Jersey State Title
11/18/2001 - Event - Survivor Series, Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro,NC
11/18/2001 - Edge defeated Test for the WWF Intercontinental title
11/18/2001 - Edge unified the WWF Intercontinental and WCW US Heavyweight titles
11/18/2001 - The Dudley Boyz defeated The Hardy Boyz for the WWF Tag Team title
11/18/2001 - The Dudley Boyz unified the WWF and WCW Tag Team titles
11/18/2001 - Trish Stratus defeated Ivory, Lita, Jazz, Molly and Jacqueline in a 6 Way Match for the vacant WWF Women's title
11/19/1960 - Johnny Valentine & Buddy Rogers defeated Al Costello & Roy Heffernan for the WWWF Tag Team title
11/19/1989 - Bill Dundee defeated Tony Anthony for the USWA Southern Heavyweight title
11/19/1990 - Curt Hennig defeated Kerry Von Erich for the WWF Intercontinental title
11/19/1991 - Event - Clash of the Champions XVII
11/19/1991 - Rick Rude defeated Sting for the WCW U.S. Heavyweight title
11/19/1991 - Dustin Rhodes & Rick Steamboat defeated Arn Anderson & Larry Zbyszko for the WCW World Tag Team title
11/19/1994 - Event - November to Remember, ECW Arena Philadelphia, PA
11/19/1994 - Chrs Candido defeated Tracy Smothers in a tournament final for the NWA Heavyweight title
11/19/1995 - Event - Survivor Series, US Air Arena, Landover, MD
11/19/1995 - Bret Hart defeated Diesel for the WWF Heavyweight title
11/19/2000 - Event - Survivor Series, Ice Palace, Tampa, FL
11/20/1990 - Event - Clash of the Champions XIII
11/20/1999 - John Zandig defeated Wife Beater for the Combat Zone World Heavyweight Title
11/20/1999 - Justice Pain defeated The Thrill Kill Kult in a handicap match for the vacant Combat Zone Wrestling Tag Team Titles
11/20/2000 - Chuck Palumbo & Sean Stasiak defeated Elis Skipper (substituting for an injured Disco) & Alex Wright for the WCW Tag Team title
11/20/2000 - Nate Hatred defeated Wife Beater for the Combat Zone World Ironman Title
11/20/2002 - JeffJarrett defeated Ron Killings for the NWA Heavyweight title
11/21/1978 - Tony Garea & Larry Zbyszko defeated The Yukon Lumberjacks for the WWWF Tag Team title
11/21/1980 - Ted DiBiase defeated Ken Patera for the Missouri State Heavyweight title
11/21/1999 - Event - Mayhem, Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
11/21/1999 - Breat Hart defeated Chris Benoit in a tournament final for the WCW Heavyweight title
11/21/1999 - Evan Karagias defeated Disco Inferno for the WCW Cruiserweight title
11/21/2000 - Billy Gunn defeated Eddie Guerrero for the WWF Intercontinental title
11/22/1990 - Event - Survivor Series, Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
11/22/1992 - Jeff Jarrett won a Battle Royal for the USWA Unified Heavyweight title
11/22/1993 - Buddy Landell defeated Jeff Jarrett for the USWA Southern Heavyweight title
11/22/1997 - Cueball Carmichael & C.W. Anderson defeated Death & Destruction for the SCW Tag Team title
11/22/1997 - Boris Dragoff defeated K.C. Thunder for the SCW North Carolina Heavyweight title
11/22/1997 - Joey Matthews defeated The Intruder for the SCW Light Heavyweight title
11/22/1998 - Event - World War III, The Palace, Auburn Hills, MI
11/22/1998 - Billy Kidman defeated Juventud Guerrera for the WCW Cruiserweight title
11/22/1999 - Creative control defeated Kidman & Konnan for the WCW Tag Team title
11/22/2000 - Scott Hall was arrested for traffic infractions following a two-car accident and found to be legally intoxicated
11/22/2002 - Sabu defeated The Sandman in a TLC Match for the vacant USA Pro-Wrestling Heavyweight Title
11/22/2002 - Wayne & The Trekkie defeated The Boogie Knights for the USA Pro-Wrestling Tag Team Titles
11/22/2002 - The Amazing Red defeated Quiet Storm, Deranged, & Reefer for the vacant USA Pro-Wrestling U.S. Heavyweight Title
11/22/2002 - Homicide defeated The Amazing Red for the USA Pro-Wrestling U.S. Heavyweight Title
11/22/2002 - Homicide defeated Xavier for the USA Pro-Wrestling X-Treme Title
11/23/1961 - Bob Geigel & Otto Von Krupp defeated Dale Lewis & Pat Kennedy for the AWA Tag Team title
11/23/1979 - Kevin Von Erich defeated Dick Murdoch for the Missouri State Heavyweight title
11/23/1981 - Pedro Morales defeated Magnificent Muraco for the WWWF Intercontinental title
11/23/1989 - Event - Survivor Series, Rosemont Horizon, Chicago, IL
11/23/1994 - Event - Survivor Series, Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, TX
11/23/1994 - Bob Backlund defeated Bret Hart for the WWF Heavyweight title
11/23/1994 - Shawn Michaels & Diesel split & abandoned the WWF Tag Team title
11/23/1995 - Brad Armstrong defeated Terry Gordy for the Smokey Mountain Heavyweight title
11/23/1996 - Justin St. John & Steve Flynn defeated Dan Cooley & Scott Sterling for the SSW Tag Team title
11/23/1996 - Gorgeous George III defeated Chris Stephenson for the SCW Heavweight title
11/23/1996 - Steven Dunn & Flash Flanagan defeated the Bruise Brothers for the USWA Tag Team title
11/23/1997 - Event - World War III, Palace, Auburn Hills, MI
11/23/1997 - Rip Rogers defeated Bill Dundee for the Ohio Valley Heavyweight title
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Look out! The marching band has escaped onto the field!
Ah, yes...the marching band takes the field. I was never a band geek in high school, more the writer type than anything else, but stories like this never fail to make me crack a smile. Down in San Antonio, Texas, the Churchill High marching band is under fire for the routine they have been performing as of late. The complaints started after the performance of their routine, "Symphonic Schizophrenia," at the recent University Interscholastic League state band competition, where it placed eighth out of thirty, by the way. The routine featured fake padded walls and some band members in strait jackets rambling around the field erratically.
Despite the fact this routine had been performed several times by the band at their schools' football games, the first complaints came after the state competition. I guess it would be kind of irritating for the kids at Dallas School for the Criminally Insane, you know, the only school in the Lone Star State with multiple personalities.
Ed Dickey, head of the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness said that he had received several calls from people upset over the performance, and that Churchill's band lacked sensitivity and were trivializing mental illness, adding "This is ignorance." Damn, and to think of all the times I have used the phrase "batshit crazy" in blog posts or on my radio show. What a shot to my ego, finding out a high school marching band has less sensitivity than I do.
Aw, come on Ed...how many other examples of insensitivity toward mental illness are out there, and you want to pick on a high school band? Have you had a sit-down with the composer of the piece they were performing, from which the band chose its theme? No, probably not. I'm just saying is all. Besides that, you have to give that band a hand for creativity. Honestly, you show me the kid who can play a trombone while in a strait jacket, and then tell me they only got eighth place. What the hell did the winning school do, freakin' levitate?
"We're taking a step back and looking at what we do here, and we're going to make some changes.""We don't want this to happen again," according to Laura Calderon, a yeshole for the Northeast Independent School District. "We don't want this to happen again." Calderon added that NISD will add an additional layer of review before allowing student to perform potentially controversial routines.
Some people may chalk this up to simple political correctness, but think about this story the next time you twirl your finger around your temple, or better yet, next time you have the urge to tell the cashier that the gas prices are crazy, keep it to yourself. While it's a perfectly valid opinion, you never know what crusade lurks around the corner.
Despite the fact this routine had been performed several times by the band at their schools' football games, the first complaints came after the state competition. I guess it would be kind of irritating for the kids at Dallas School for the Criminally Insane, you know, the only school in the Lone Star State with multiple personalities.
Ed Dickey, head of the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness said that he had received several calls from people upset over the performance, and that Churchill's band lacked sensitivity and were trivializing mental illness, adding "This is ignorance." Damn, and to think of all the times I have used the phrase "batshit crazy" in blog posts or on my radio show. What a shot to my ego, finding out a high school marching band has less sensitivity than I do.
Aw, come on Ed...how many other examples of insensitivity toward mental illness are out there, and you want to pick on a high school band? Have you had a sit-down with the composer of the piece they were performing, from which the band chose its theme? No, probably not. I'm just saying is all. Besides that, you have to give that band a hand for creativity. Honestly, you show me the kid who can play a trombone while in a strait jacket, and then tell me they only got eighth place. What the hell did the winning school do, freakin' levitate?
"We're taking a step back and looking at what we do here, and we're going to make some changes.""We don't want this to happen again," according to Laura Calderon, a yeshole for the Northeast Independent School District. "We don't want this to happen again." Calderon added that NISD will add an additional layer of review before allowing student to perform potentially controversial routines.
Some people may chalk this up to simple political correctness, but think about this story the next time you twirl your finger around your temple, or better yet, next time you have the urge to tell the cashier that the gas prices are crazy, keep it to yourself. While it's a perfectly valid opinion, you never know what crusade lurks around the corner.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Capitulation at its finest, people...
The more it changes...in an announcement yesterday, our intrepid HomeSec said it will go ahead with a new policy to crackdown on the hiring of illegal immigrants, only not so much. When the new policy goes into effect on January 15, instead of targeting companies with federal contracts as low as $3000, now the limit applies only to those contractors with deals over $100,000, and employers are now only required to check the work documents of those employees working on those specific projects. Yeah, I really feel as though the issue is being addressed now.
The changes would apply to solicitations or awards made after Jan. 15, and exempt workers who have already received security clearances, contracts for commercial, off-the-shelf items, and contracts lasting less than 120 days. Oh...well then. Why is it so hard for businesses in this country to accept that they have to check the ID of their employees before they hire them, and particularly if they are working on government contracts? I have never held a job where I didn't have to verify my legal status to work in the United States. It's common damn practice, not thumbscrews being tightened by an unreasonable government, and believe you me, folks, this is an administration that knows unreasonable.
Randel K. Johnson, vice president and yeshole for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said the administration "had been responsive to a substantial amount of business concerns," particularly by limiting the rule to large contractors, to new contracts and to workers on those contracts. That's cute, Mr. Johnson, as there is a world of difference between being responsive and fumbling for zippers in the dark over promises in your ear. To translate that, it sounds like the current administration either bent over and took it, or got some bruised knees in the process, cause businesses in this country got their way, and seemingly had their way with this new policy.
E-Verify, a system with which companies can check federal Social Security and immigration databases to determine whether an employee is authorized to work, only covers only 1 percent of an estimated 6 million U.S. employers and about 11 percent of annual hiring, at the present. Kind of makes you want to facepalm yourself, doesn't it? According to claims by the United States Chamber of Commerce, the implementation of the system would cost $10 billion. For something that companies and employers are already required to do? How in the fuck does that math add up?
The final nonsense in this isn't even the businesses that are wanting to buck the system, but rather the Department of Homeland Security. Even after all of this, federal officials predict the initiative will eventually cover more than 20 percent of U.S. hiring, DHS yeshole Laura Keehner said.
That's it? 20 fucking percent? That's our Department of Homeland Security for ya, doing a heckuva job since day one.
The changes would apply to solicitations or awards made after Jan. 15, and exempt workers who have already received security clearances, contracts for commercial, off-the-shelf items, and contracts lasting less than 120 days. Oh...well then. Why is it so hard for businesses in this country to accept that they have to check the ID of their employees before they hire them, and particularly if they are working on government contracts? I have never held a job where I didn't have to verify my legal status to work in the United States. It's common damn practice, not thumbscrews being tightened by an unreasonable government, and believe you me, folks, this is an administration that knows unreasonable.
Randel K. Johnson, vice president and yeshole for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said the administration "had been responsive to a substantial amount of business concerns," particularly by limiting the rule to large contractors, to new contracts and to workers on those contracts. That's cute, Mr. Johnson, as there is a world of difference between being responsive and fumbling for zippers in the dark over promises in your ear. To translate that, it sounds like the current administration either bent over and took it, or got some bruised knees in the process, cause businesses in this country got their way, and seemingly had their way with this new policy.
E-Verify, a system with which companies can check federal Social Security and immigration databases to determine whether an employee is authorized to work, only covers only 1 percent of an estimated 6 million U.S. employers and about 11 percent of annual hiring, at the present. Kind of makes you want to facepalm yourself, doesn't it? According to claims by the United States Chamber of Commerce, the implementation of the system would cost $10 billion. For something that companies and employers are already required to do? How in the fuck does that math add up?
The final nonsense in this isn't even the businesses that are wanting to buck the system, but rather the Department of Homeland Security. Even after all of this, federal officials predict the initiative will eventually cover more than 20 percent of U.S. hiring, DHS yeshole Laura Keehner said.
That's it? 20 fucking percent? That's our Department of Homeland Security for ya, doing a heckuva job since day one.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Probably Uncalled For Episode 74 recap
Man, had bad does your particular deity of choice have to have it in for you to kill you by slamming your newly deceased spouse's casket into the back of your head after a traffic accident? Not to mention, while I'm sure there are at least one or two funeral procession jokes out there, my original thought was how bad is the traffic situation in Brazil for something like this to happen? I mean, other third world toilets I can easily imagine this kind of stuff happening, cause you'd have to be half-suicidal to get in a taxi, let alone a hearse for a procession. However you want to look at it, there must have been some kind of karma involved, and apparently it was NOT the karma to fuck with...
...as much as I enjoy professional wrestling, and experience as a promoter aside, even I couldn't truck with the concept of bringing in Sarah Palin for an appearance at a pay-per-view, as TNA Wrestling is proposing for their Dec. 7 Final Resolution event in Orlando, Florida. I'm not disagreeing with the idea of donating $50,000 to charity as part of the deal, and I can't disagree entirely with TNA President Dixie Carter's reasoning behind it, how much more Sarah Palin are we going to be inflicted with? She is officially yesterday's news. Her ticket lost the election, and all she should have to look forward to is going back to Alaska and running that damn state. Enough with the Fox News, CNN, and the like. The ethics system in Alaska, by her design, let her off the hook for her ethics violations, and we all know that not damn thing one will be done over her wardrobe antics on the vice-presidential campaign trail, so can we all at least agree that fading back into the woodwork is the best fucking place for the original desperate housewife to go?...
...regarding the woman in Washington, suing a dentist who botched her breast reduction, why don't you smack your parents for not knowing any better than to take you to a dentist for a boob job, smack your damn self for not knowing any better not to question why you were at a dentist's office for a boob job, and then, in addition to filing suit against the so-called doctor, you need to file suit against the state medical and dental boards in Washington, because if this is the best two state boards can do in the service of protecting the public, then they should damn sure be held just as accountable for letting asshole wanna-be plastic surgeon Thomas Laney get away with his shit for so long...
...if you need any further proof that crime does not pay, just do the math. Stealing an $11 dollar hammer to steal a $9 bottle of wine? I was sad when I lost my train of thought, and then I read of the man who apparently could not think at all. This guy needed an IQ bailout...
...in a final note, I had become rather comfortable with our "Stupid Britain" segment, which has evolved from the occasional odd story about offbeat shit from the United Kingdom, notably Great Britain. From dumbass behavior to even more dumbass governing, the stories eventually became a regular segment. While it may appear otherwise, I really do respect the UK and their rich heritage and history, but seriously, when even the term "british" has been deemed offensive, we may have to actually change the name of the segment to "Stupidity in the UK" or something more inclusive, as God knows we don't want to hurt any feelings over here...you can't see it, but I'm rolling my eyes on that one...
Thanks to everyone for checking out the show this week, including The Debi Daly Show, whose host joined us in the chat room tonight, and we hope to see you back again next week for Probably Uncalled For, "Why Talk Radio Was Invented!"
...as much as I enjoy professional wrestling, and experience as a promoter aside, even I couldn't truck with the concept of bringing in Sarah Palin for an appearance at a pay-per-view, as TNA Wrestling is proposing for their Dec. 7 Final Resolution event in Orlando, Florida. I'm not disagreeing with the idea of donating $50,000 to charity as part of the deal, and I can't disagree entirely with TNA President Dixie Carter's reasoning behind it, how much more Sarah Palin are we going to be inflicted with? She is officially yesterday's news. Her ticket lost the election, and all she should have to look forward to is going back to Alaska and running that damn state. Enough with the Fox News, CNN, and the like. The ethics system in Alaska, by her design, let her off the hook for her ethics violations, and we all know that not damn thing one will be done over her wardrobe antics on the vice-presidential campaign trail, so can we all at least agree that fading back into the woodwork is the best fucking place for the original desperate housewife to go?...
...regarding the woman in Washington, suing a dentist who botched her breast reduction, why don't you smack your parents for not knowing any better than to take you to a dentist for a boob job, smack your damn self for not knowing any better not to question why you were at a dentist's office for a boob job, and then, in addition to filing suit against the so-called doctor, you need to file suit against the state medical and dental boards in Washington, because if this is the best two state boards can do in the service of protecting the public, then they should damn sure be held just as accountable for letting asshole wanna-be plastic surgeon Thomas Laney get away with his shit for so long...
...if you need any further proof that crime does not pay, just do the math. Stealing an $11 dollar hammer to steal a $9 bottle of wine? I was sad when I lost my train of thought, and then I read of the man who apparently could not think at all. This guy needed an IQ bailout...
...in a final note, I had become rather comfortable with our "Stupid Britain" segment, which has evolved from the occasional odd story about offbeat shit from the United Kingdom, notably Great Britain. From dumbass behavior to even more dumbass governing, the stories eventually became a regular segment. While it may appear otherwise, I really do respect the UK and their rich heritage and history, but seriously, when even the term "british" has been deemed offensive, we may have to actually change the name of the segment to "Stupidity in the UK" or something more inclusive, as God knows we don't want to hurt any feelings over here...you can't see it, but I'm rolling my eyes on that one...
Thanks to everyone for checking out the show this week, including The Debi Daly Show, whose host joined us in the chat room tonight, and we hope to see you back again next week for Probably Uncalled For, "Why Talk Radio Was Invented!"
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
In just one hour on an all-new Probably Uncalled For...
Join us tonight for another all-new episode of the award-nominated talk radio juggernaut! Tonight, we'll be discussing how you can tell you live in a bitter red state, more great moments in inebriation, an utterly epic "Stupid Britain" segment, how to tell you picked the wrong plastic surgeon, another potential TV exclusive for Sarah Palin, and the usual gaggle of topics TBA
Monday, November 10, 2008
Tonight on an all new Inside the Squared Circle
Inside the Squared Circle for Monday night November 10th, 2008
I will be discussing TNA Turning Point PPV Results, TNA beats ECW and more WWE Superstars go bye bye.
Plus Wrestling Tidbits, Weird News and My Question of the Week!
All this and more coming up on the show.
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CHECK THE SHOW OUT MONDAY NIGHT AT 7PM EASTERN TIME
JOIN ME AND OTHERS IN THE CHAT ROOM OR CALL IN DURING THE SHOW.
I will be discussing TNA Turning Point PPV Results, TNA beats ECW and more WWE Superstars go bye bye.
Plus Wrestling Tidbits, Weird News and My Question of the Week!
All this and more coming up on the show.
www.blogtalkradio.com/insidethesquaredcircle
Just click here for the shows homepage!!!
www.freereinmedia.com
Do your online shopping at our online Shopping Mall
Over 500,000 items to buy!!!
www.freereinmediastore.com
CHECK THE SHOW OUT MONDAY NIGHT AT 7PM EASTERN TIME
JOIN ME AND OTHERS IN THE CHAT ROOM OR CALL IN DURING THE SHOW.
Wrestling Milestones. November 10th - November 16th
11/10/1950 - Born - "Cowboy" Bob Orton Jr.
11/10/1964 - Born - Jushin "Thunder" Liger (Keiichi Yamada)
11/10/1966 - Born - Bill DeMott AKA Hugh Morris
11/10/1991 - Died - Dick the Bruiser of internal bleeding at 62
11/11/1964 - Born - Billy Gunn
11/11/1975 - Born - Rory Fox
11/11/1976 - Born - Jay Jalliet
11/12/1949 - Born - Jerry the King Lawler
11/12/1968 - Born - Disco Inferno
11/12/1980 - Born - Trent Acid
11/13/1966 - Born - Mike Anthony
11/13/1993 - Died - Rufus R. Jones of a heart attack at 60
11/13/1999 - Died - Tony Rumble of a heart attack at 43
11/14/1972 - Born - A-Train
11/15/1952 - Born - "Macho Man" Randy Savage (Randy Poffo)
11/15/1967 - Born - Michiyashi O'Haire
11/16/1962 - Born - Rick Deezel
11/10/1964 - Born - Jushin "Thunder" Liger (Keiichi Yamada)
11/10/1966 - Born - Bill DeMott AKA Hugh Morris
11/10/1991 - Died - Dick the Bruiser of internal bleeding at 62
11/11/1964 - Born - Billy Gunn
11/11/1975 - Born - Rory Fox
11/11/1976 - Born - Jay Jalliet
11/12/1949 - Born - Jerry the King Lawler
11/12/1968 - Born - Disco Inferno
11/12/1980 - Born - Trent Acid
11/13/1966 - Born - Mike Anthony
11/13/1993 - Died - Rufus R. Jones of a heart attack at 60
11/13/1999 - Died - Tony Rumble of a heart attack at 43
11/14/1972 - Born - A-Train
11/15/1952 - Born - "Macho Man" Randy Savage (Randy Poffo)
11/15/1967 - Born - Michiyashi O'Haire
11/16/1962 - Born - Rick Deezel
This Week in Professional Wrestling History. November 10th - November 16th
11/10/1967 - Pat O'Conner & Wilbur Snyder defeated Harley Race & Chris Markoff for the AWA Tag Team title
11/10/1993 - Event - Clash of the Champions XXV
11/10/1997 - Eddy Guerrero defeated Rey Misterio, Jr. for the WCW Cruiserweight title
11/10/1999 - Rico Constantino defeated Rob Conway for the Ohio Valley Heavyweight title
11/10/2000 - Lance Storm defeated Gen. Rection for the WCW US Heavyweight title
11/11/1965 - Mad Dog Vachon defeated the Crusher for the AWA Heavyweight title
11/12/1994 - Colorado Kid defeated Kit Carson for the Music City North American Heavyweight Title
11/12/2001 - The Hardy Boyz defeated Booker T & Test for the WWF Tag Team title
11/12/2001 - Edge defeated Kurt Angle for the WCW U.S. Heavyweight title
11/13/1992 - The Rock n' Roll Express defeated the Heavenly Bodies for the Smokey Mountain Tag Team title
11/13/1993 - Sabu defeated Terry Funk for the ECW Television title
11/13/1993 - Tommy Dreamer & Johnny Gunn defeated Tony Stetson & Johnny Hot Body for the ECW Tag Team title
11/13/1995 - Kensuke Sasaki defeated Sting for the WCW U.S. Heavyweight title
11/13/1993 - Event - November to Remember, ECW Arena Philadelphia, PA
11/13/1999 - Masato Tanaka defeated Kodo Fuyuki for the World Entertainment Wrestling Heavyweight title
11/13/2002 - Brian Lee & Slash defeated Chris Harris & James Storm for the NWa Tag Team title
11/13/2002 - The Hussla defeated Rory Fox for the Heartland Wrestling Association Cruiserweight Title
11/14/1957 - Dick Hutton defeated Lou Thesz for the NWA Heavyweight Wrestling title
11/14/1963 - Killer Kowalski & Gorilla Monsoon defeated Skull Murphy & Brute Bernard for the WWWF Tag Team title
11/14/1973 - Dean Ho & Tony Garea defeated Professor Tanaka & Mr. Fuji for the WWWF Tag Team title
11/14/1997 - Brooklyn Bad Boy #1 defeated Danny Christian for the SSW Appalachian title
11/14/1999 - Event - Survivor Series, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit MI
11/14/1999 - The Big Show defeated Triple-H for the WWF Heavyweight title
11/14/2000 - Sabu defeated Mike Rapada (Colorado Kid) for the NWA Heavyweight title
11/15/1983 - Tony Atlas & Rocky Johnson defeated the Samoans for the WWWF Tag Team title
11/15/1998 - Event - Survivor Series, Kiel Center, St. Louis, MO
11/15/1998 - Rocky Maivia defeated Mankind in a tournament final for the WWF World Heavyweight title
11/15/1998 - Sable defeated Jacquelyn for the WWF Women's title
11/15/2000 - Chris Michaels defeated The Masked Maniac for the USA Pro-Wrestling U.S. Heavyweight Title
11/16/1961 - Dale Lewis & Pat Kennedy defeated Hardboiled Haggerty & Bob Geigel for the AWA Tag Team title
11/16/1984 - Crusher Blackwell defeated Harley Race for the Missouri State Heavyweight title
11/16/1992 - The Sandman defeated Don Muraco for the ECW Heavyweight title
11/16/1994 - Event - Clash of the Champions XXIX
11/16/1994 - The Patriot & Marcus Bagwell defeated Paul Orndorff & Paul Roma for the WCW World Tag Team title
11/16/1996 - Event - November to Remember, ECW Arena Philadelphia, PA
11/16/1996 - Jerry Lawler defeated Colorado Kid for the USWA Unified Heavyweight title
11/16/1998 - Juventud Guerrera defeated Billy Kidman for the WCW Cruiserweight title
11/16/2000 - Disqo & Alex Wright defeated Mark Jindrak & Sean O'Haire for the WCW Tag Team title
11/16/2000 - Vince McMahon hired Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura as color man for the XFL broadcast team
11/10/1993 - Event - Clash of the Champions XXV
11/10/1997 - Eddy Guerrero defeated Rey Misterio, Jr. for the WCW Cruiserweight title
11/10/1999 - Rico Constantino defeated Rob Conway for the Ohio Valley Heavyweight title
11/10/2000 - Lance Storm defeated Gen. Rection for the WCW US Heavyweight title
11/11/1965 - Mad Dog Vachon defeated the Crusher for the AWA Heavyweight title
11/12/1994 - Colorado Kid defeated Kit Carson for the Music City North American Heavyweight Title
11/12/2001 - The Hardy Boyz defeated Booker T & Test for the WWF Tag Team title
11/12/2001 - Edge defeated Kurt Angle for the WCW U.S. Heavyweight title
11/13/1992 - The Rock n' Roll Express defeated the Heavenly Bodies for the Smokey Mountain Tag Team title
11/13/1993 - Sabu defeated Terry Funk for the ECW Television title
11/13/1993 - Tommy Dreamer & Johnny Gunn defeated Tony Stetson & Johnny Hot Body for the ECW Tag Team title
11/13/1995 - Kensuke Sasaki defeated Sting for the WCW U.S. Heavyweight title
11/13/1993 - Event - November to Remember, ECW Arena Philadelphia, PA
11/13/1999 - Masato Tanaka defeated Kodo Fuyuki for the World Entertainment Wrestling Heavyweight title
11/13/2002 - Brian Lee & Slash defeated Chris Harris & James Storm for the NWa Tag Team title
11/13/2002 - The Hussla defeated Rory Fox for the Heartland Wrestling Association Cruiserweight Title
11/14/1957 - Dick Hutton defeated Lou Thesz for the NWA Heavyweight Wrestling title
11/14/1963 - Killer Kowalski & Gorilla Monsoon defeated Skull Murphy & Brute Bernard for the WWWF Tag Team title
11/14/1973 - Dean Ho & Tony Garea defeated Professor Tanaka & Mr. Fuji for the WWWF Tag Team title
11/14/1997 - Brooklyn Bad Boy #1 defeated Danny Christian for the SSW Appalachian title
11/14/1999 - Event - Survivor Series, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit MI
11/14/1999 - The Big Show defeated Triple-H for the WWF Heavyweight title
11/14/2000 - Sabu defeated Mike Rapada (Colorado Kid) for the NWA Heavyweight title
11/15/1983 - Tony Atlas & Rocky Johnson defeated the Samoans for the WWWF Tag Team title
11/15/1998 - Event - Survivor Series, Kiel Center, St. Louis, MO
11/15/1998 - Rocky Maivia defeated Mankind in a tournament final for the WWF World Heavyweight title
11/15/1998 - Sable defeated Jacquelyn for the WWF Women's title
11/15/2000 - Chris Michaels defeated The Masked Maniac for the USA Pro-Wrestling U.S. Heavyweight Title
11/16/1961 - Dale Lewis & Pat Kennedy defeated Hardboiled Haggerty & Bob Geigel for the AWA Tag Team title
11/16/1984 - Crusher Blackwell defeated Harley Race for the Missouri State Heavyweight title
11/16/1992 - The Sandman defeated Don Muraco for the ECW Heavyweight title
11/16/1994 - Event - Clash of the Champions XXIX
11/16/1994 - The Patriot & Marcus Bagwell defeated Paul Orndorff & Paul Roma for the WCW World Tag Team title
11/16/1996 - Event - November to Remember, ECW Arena Philadelphia, PA
11/16/1996 - Jerry Lawler defeated Colorado Kid for the USWA Unified Heavyweight title
11/16/1998 - Juventud Guerrera defeated Billy Kidman for the WCW Cruiserweight title
11/16/2000 - Disqo & Alex Wright defeated Mark Jindrak & Sean O'Haire for the WCW Tag Team title
11/16/2000 - Vince McMahon hired Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura as color man for the XFL broadcast team
Your weekend in entertainment news: Could someone please repo Paris Hilton's SAG card?
Pop singer Pink, whose music I sort of consider a guilty pleasure, passed along the details of an alleged argument she had with alleged musician John Mayer recently, after the douchebag reportedly made the comment that he "only shags really stupid women." Really? Good fucking thing I had not previously confused Jessica Simpson and Cameron Diaz as intellectual beacons in the entertainment industry. And honestly..."shag?" I know Mayer's an insufferable schmuck and all, but don't you think one of the fabulous people he bends over a couch somewhere would bother telling him the whole "Austin Powers" thing has faded from the pop culture jargon here in the past few years? Seriously, can't this idiot die in a plane crash, or a drug overdose, or from rough sex gone bad in some hotel room with a flock of third world hustlers?
In her recent interview with Britain's The Sun, Pink went on to say she "doesn't believe him as much as he believes him." Not only is that fairly amusing, but pretty on the mark, given Mayer's reputation for having a much, read MUCH, higher opinion of himself than really anybody on the planet, other than his gaggle of douchebag fans. Only Dane Cook baffles me more for being famous with little to no discernible talent whatsoever. Then again, in fairness to Mayer, at least he writes his own material, which is more than I can say for a good portion of Cook's alleged stand-up routine.
In her recent interview with Britain's The Sun, Pink went on to say she "doesn't believe him as much as he believes him." Not only is that fairly amusing, but pretty on the mark, given Mayer's reputation for having a much, read MUCH, higher opinion of himself than really anybody on the planet, other than his gaggle of douchebag fans. Only Dane Cook baffles me more for being famous with little to no discernible talent whatsoever. Then again, in fairness to Mayer, at least he writes his own material, which is more than I can say for a good portion of Cook's alleged stand-up routine.
But what I would like to know, is how is Jennifer Aniston handling her new-found, and as rumored, recently regained status as one of the "really stupid women?" Guess we'll find out whenever a sex tape surfaces...
...Meanwhile, as Pink was dragging John Mayer's dumb ass through the mud for his supposed fuckery, Tara Reid reared her ugly from the neck down, commenting that she would never do Playboy, in an interview with People magazine. Has People run out of shit to write about? What in the name of holy damn is Tara Reid doing these days that would interest anybody, let alone the readers of People, despite the fact the readers of People would be fascinated by the bowel movement trends of celebrities even further down on the food chain that Tara Reid?
Reid, in the course of her interview, told the magazine that the only person who sees her naked is her boyfriend, who "thinks I'm sexy, and that's all I care about." Isn't that fucking special? The D-list celebrities always get the sweetest boyfriends, don't they? She'd better hope the royalties don't dry up anytime soon. I'm just saying. Not to mention, how is it that the people who have legitimately NO shot at gracing the pages of Playboy, unless fully clothed,are the first to insist they would NEVER pose for the legendary periodical? Last time I heard, and in the interest of full disclosure, I am a Playboy subscriber, they were most assuredly NOT interested in having her mangled ass do a spread. I would even be so bold as to suggest that even Penthouse and Hustler would not consider it, not even for a split second.
Go have another cocktail, hang out with that boyfriend who must dig you a lot more with the lights off, and leave the interviews off your list. I'm glad you know there are problems with your stomach. We're ALL glad you know that, cause quite frankly, we're tired as fuck of hearing about it, and especially seeing it. For someone who has a problem with the way her stomach looks, don't you think you could find a shirt that doesn't quite draw attention to your B-grade plastic surgery mishaps, which you call your "battle wounds." "Battle wounds?" Maybe that's what caused the problem. What the fuck, did you pick a fight with the plastic surgeon in the middle of the fucking procedure? Fucking dolt...
...Yeah, I hear ya. It has been a bit since I had anything nasty to write about busted-ass skidro Paris Hilton. Been a busy time for me, what with the election and everything. But rest soundly, my faithful readers...America's favorite cockstainer is back...AND WITH A NEW MOVIE!!! I'm sure you have been anticipating this as much as I have, if only to rip her on it, cause you know I have absolutely NO interest whatsoever in seeing it. More disclosure here, people: I have only sat through one Paris Hilton movie in its entirety, and that was House of Wax. Yes, to answer your first question, I do still feel it when it comes onto rain. To answer your second question, yes, I have seen parts of One Night in Paris, and no, I have not seen the infamous sex tape all the way through. I saw just enough, through web clips, to show that only with Paris Hilton could one become famous with a sex tape, and not even look like she knows how to suck a dick. Only in America, and only with Paris Hilton.
...Yeah, I hear ya. It has been a bit since I had anything nasty to write about busted-ass skidro Paris Hilton. Been a busy time for me, what with the election and everything. But rest soundly, my faithful readers...America's favorite cockstainer is back...AND WITH A NEW MOVIE!!! I'm sure you have been anticipating this as much as I have, if only to rip her on it, cause you know I have absolutely NO interest whatsoever in seeing it. More disclosure here, people: I have only sat through one Paris Hilton movie in its entirety, and that was House of Wax. Yes, to answer your first question, I do still feel it when it comes onto rain. To answer your second question, yes, I have seen parts of One Night in Paris, and no, I have not seen the infamous sex tape all the way through. I saw just enough, through web clips, to show that only with Paris Hilton could one become famous with a sex tape, and not even look like she knows how to suck a dick. Only in America, and only with Paris Hilton.
But now she's supposedly a singer, and an actress, and with Repo! The Genetic Opera, which opened this last Friday, now being inflicted upon unsuspecting theatergoers, the legacy continues. Early reviews are in, and unsurprisingly, they are less than kind. Why then, I wonder, do studios keep giving her a shot? Doesn't Repo! now hit the list as the second, third, or maybe even fourth movie Hilton has done that has been described as "easily one of the worst movies of the year, if not all time?" God knows I was just as curious as you were, so it was off to IMDB.com, which not only lists Hilton's other infamous movie from this year, The Hottie and the Nottie as the #15 worst movie of all-time (it was previously gracing the #1 spot until Disaster Movie came along) and her 2006 celluloid abortion Pledge This! (also known as National Lampoon's Pledge This!), which is currently listed as the 9th worst movie of all-time, but also her flick The Hillz (2004), which is currently racking up 24th worst movie honors. Three and now possibly a fourth mishap residing in the Bottom 100 movies of all-time? What a resume. We're talking about stuff ranked below Manos: The Hands of Fate, Glitter, Gigli, and even From Justin to Kelly. From Justin to Kelly, for fuck's sake!
I would say this is what the studios get for involving someone who wasn't even very convincing as an accidental porn actress, but then again, I'm not saying anything you don't already know. To further complicate matters, it seems as though the only reason she was in the movie was to piggyback it to notice, if not fame. LA Times critic Mark Olsen noted this, as he writes Hilton is "never glimpsed in anything but brief, fleeting shots and her hoarse bark of a singing voice is used as little as possible."
I, for one, will not lose any sleep over missing the experience of witnessing this steamer, in theaters, on DVD, or even on an airplane. Sometimes, there's a lot to be said for not liking to fly. That said, I'd rather be in a 747 plummeting to earth than waste a minute, a second, a dollar, or a dime on a Paris Hilton project.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Mississippi Burning II: Dumbass Boogaloo
What an absolute shock this story was when I found it. Not even a week after the presidential election, and already, the red states are showing their asses in small, yet remarkably unrefined ways. WLBT TV reports on officials at Puckett Attendance Center telling a woman's daughters that they were only allowed to mention President-elect Barack Obama in history class. Not in any other class, nor in the hallways, but only in history class. No word on whether or not this mysterious decision applies to the cafeteria, the buses, or the parking lot. Only in red state Mississippi, where yes, they did go for Sen. John McCain, could politics collide with limericks in just this fashion:
"There once was a school in Puckett,
that didn't like the election and said fuck it..."
I'm not exactly a poet laureate, so I'll allow you to finish it, if you can. Hell, email me your best shot, and I'll reprint it here.
Naturally, when the girls' mother called the school, rightfully so, with a little "what the hell?," no explanation was given, nor was any school official ready to speak with WLBT when they called for some answers. Personally, I don't think any explanation is needed. Mississippi is a state full of hicks, always has been, always will be, and you'd be hard pressed to argue, based on the actions of the apparently bitter muckety mucks at the Puckett Attendance Center.
"There once was a school in Puckett,
that didn't like the election and said fuck it..."
I'm not exactly a poet laureate, so I'll allow you to finish it, if you can. Hell, email me your best shot, and I'll reprint it here.
Naturally, when the girls' mother called the school, rightfully so, with a little "what the hell?," no explanation was given, nor was any school official ready to speak with WLBT when they called for some answers. Personally, I don't think any explanation is needed. Mississippi is a state full of hicks, always has been, always will be, and you'd be hard pressed to argue, based on the actions of the apparently bitter muckety mucks at the Puckett Attendance Center.
Now the questions begin
Well, I guess I put it off long enough. Then again, with scores of other writers and journalists weighing in on Tuesday's historic elections in today's Sunday newspapers, it's not like I'm waiting until February to really get started on dissecting Sen. Barack Obama's rise to become the President-elect of the United States.
It's fairly obvious to see how Obama won this election. Organization, fund-raising, staying on message, and avoiding the destructive attack tone of campaigning were points of order the Obama team clearly understood better than the slipshod McCain team. From the selection of an utterly unqualified and borderline incompetent running mate, to a stubborn insistence on attacking personal associations that McCain himself was just as close to, the Republicans could not have done a better job of laying down in the road as rush hour was beginning. The party's collapse into chaos has been striking, and more than a little fun to watch, as I haven't seen this much feeding upon itself than the time the four cannibals got caught at a REALLY long red light. If Sarah Palin is really being touted as the new face of the GOP, expect a lot more of the same four years from now. Whackjob, which is closer than most people understand, was more generous than I would have been, and is a lot more generous than I have, in fact been.
As for our new President-elect, the critics, bloggers, and journalists have been quick to start questioning whether or not change is really coming. Come on, people...it took a grand total of three days for me to see a commercial touting a Barack Obama commemorative coin. Made me wonder how many John McCain coins that company had to melt down on Wednesday morning, and how appropriate a term is melt down, considering how the last five or six weeks of the McCain-Palin, or Palin-Voices in her head campaigns went.
Granted, I can admit to a little skepticism. Some of the financial all-star team advising Obama throughout the campaign were already more than a little suspect, given their past roles in the deregulation of the financial industries that played a large part in getting us to the state we're in now. Paul Volcker? Robert Rubin? Larry freakin' Summers? I cannot argue against bringing in people with experience, but sometimes you simply need to hire new guards to work the room, not the guys who helped case the joint in the first place.
Much was made of President-elect Obama's first press conference last week, in which there was some fluff material about the selection of the new dog (or dogs, possibly) for the Obama children, and a humorous moment when Obama made an offhand joke about the reputed fondness for seances by former first lady Nancy Reagan, which Obama later said he called and apologized for. Me personally, I would not have done that. Not that I am entirely an unapologetic person, but let's get serious people, seances? I notice none of them included getting in touch with her husband's mind, after it went off to the great unknown during his second term.
As the first full week of the Obama-elect era winds down, I do find it promising that his transition advisers have compiled a substantial list of Bush administration moves that could be reversed, overturned, or simply tossed on the leaf fire out back. Key on this list are matters involving climate change, stem cell research, and reproductive rights. While I'm sure the religious nutcake factions of the right-wing are wringing hands, gnashing and weeping, and maybe even going to the Florida extent of praying and fasting on courthouse steps (we all saw how well that worked for those nimrods, in their hopes of getting an abortion opponent in the White House), the crucial matter is climate change. Anything our next president does in that neighborhood should start with tackling a repeal of the Clear Skies Act, and working with Congress to overturn the rollbacks enacted on the Clean Air Act.
I congratulate our new President, and I sincerely wish him the best of luck in the pursuit of his agenda, as most anything would be an improvement on the last eight years, just so long as he doesn't allow the ghosts of administrations past to whisper too loudly in his ear. We the people apparently craved change, as evidenced by the vote (for the record, I voted for neither Obama or McCain), but the bottom line for your next four years will be how you tread the very fine line between change we can believe in and just more of the business-as-usual politics this country settled for throughout this decade.
It's fairly obvious to see how Obama won this election. Organization, fund-raising, staying on message, and avoiding the destructive attack tone of campaigning were points of order the Obama team clearly understood better than the slipshod McCain team. From the selection of an utterly unqualified and borderline incompetent running mate, to a stubborn insistence on attacking personal associations that McCain himself was just as close to, the Republicans could not have done a better job of laying down in the road as rush hour was beginning. The party's collapse into chaos has been striking, and more than a little fun to watch, as I haven't seen this much feeding upon itself than the time the four cannibals got caught at a REALLY long red light. If Sarah Palin is really being touted as the new face of the GOP, expect a lot more of the same four years from now. Whackjob, which is closer than most people understand, was more generous than I would have been, and is a lot more generous than I have, in fact been.
As for our new President-elect, the critics, bloggers, and journalists have been quick to start questioning whether or not change is really coming. Come on, people...it took a grand total of three days for me to see a commercial touting a Barack Obama commemorative coin. Made me wonder how many John McCain coins that company had to melt down on Wednesday morning, and how appropriate a term is melt down, considering how the last five or six weeks of the McCain-Palin, or Palin-Voices in her head campaigns went.
Granted, I can admit to a little skepticism. Some of the financial all-star team advising Obama throughout the campaign were already more than a little suspect, given their past roles in the deregulation of the financial industries that played a large part in getting us to the state we're in now. Paul Volcker? Robert Rubin? Larry freakin' Summers? I cannot argue against bringing in people with experience, but sometimes you simply need to hire new guards to work the room, not the guys who helped case the joint in the first place.
Much was made of President-elect Obama's first press conference last week, in which there was some fluff material about the selection of the new dog (or dogs, possibly) for the Obama children, and a humorous moment when Obama made an offhand joke about the reputed fondness for seances by former first lady Nancy Reagan, which Obama later said he called and apologized for. Me personally, I would not have done that. Not that I am entirely an unapologetic person, but let's get serious people, seances? I notice none of them included getting in touch with her husband's mind, after it went off to the great unknown during his second term.
As the first full week of the Obama-elect era winds down, I do find it promising that his transition advisers have compiled a substantial list of Bush administration moves that could be reversed, overturned, or simply tossed on the leaf fire out back. Key on this list are matters involving climate change, stem cell research, and reproductive rights. While I'm sure the religious nutcake factions of the right-wing are wringing hands, gnashing and weeping, and maybe even going to the Florida extent of praying and fasting on courthouse steps (we all saw how well that worked for those nimrods, in their hopes of getting an abortion opponent in the White House), the crucial matter is climate change. Anything our next president does in that neighborhood should start with tackling a repeal of the Clear Skies Act, and working with Congress to overturn the rollbacks enacted on the Clean Air Act.
I congratulate our new President, and I sincerely wish him the best of luck in the pursuit of his agenda, as most anything would be an improvement on the last eight years, just so long as he doesn't allow the ghosts of administrations past to whisper too loudly in his ear. We the people apparently craved change, as evidenced by the vote (for the record, I voted for neither Obama or McCain), but the bottom line for your next four years will be how you tread the very fine line between change we can believe in and just more of the business-as-usual politics this country settled for throughout this decade.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
The possibility of Bush being impeached? Yeah, you wanna buy a bridge with that?
Talk about blind faith. In the latest issue of The Nation, John Nichols writes of potential trouble in the wings for the (thankfully) soon-to-be former President George W. Bush. As is traditional, the outgoing President will be winging a few pardons here and there, and that's where the supposed trouble starts.
Mentioning constitutional framer George Mason's beliefs that impeachment would "surely" be in order if a president attempted to stop inquiry and prevent detection of wrongdoing within his administration, and that impeachment would be in order if a president were to pardon crimes which were advised by himself, Nichols writes of the obligation of the House Judiciary Committee to demand that Bush explain himself, should he pardon the usual cast of characters we have seen over the course of his eight years in the White House, such as Karl Rove, Harriet Miers, Josh Bolton, and on and on, etc.
Nichols concludes the blurb-style piece with the statement that the House should challenge any refusal of explanation by Bush of questionable pardons with articles of impeachment. Man, wouldn't that be a beautiful world, if only it would actually happen? Are we supposed to believe that even now, with a stronger Democratic majority in the House and Senate, that Dubya will ever be in the same room with a serious intent to bring about impeachment proceedings? For all the extra-constitutional hi jinx and flat-out lying us into a long and damaging war in Iraq, among items on a veritable laundry list of reasons why he should have already been impeached by now, do you honestly think now, in the final waning weeks of the Bush administration, this will be the thing that pushes the right button? Waiting until the turd turns white to remove it from the carpet hardly does anything to fix the stain underneath, nor does it do much to bolster one's reputation as a housekeeper. The boat done sailed, folks, and as usual, we're the ones left to tread the water in its wake.
Mentioning constitutional framer George Mason's beliefs that impeachment would "surely" be in order if a president attempted to stop inquiry and prevent detection of wrongdoing within his administration, and that impeachment would be in order if a president were to pardon crimes which were advised by himself, Nichols writes of the obligation of the House Judiciary Committee to demand that Bush explain himself, should he pardon the usual cast of characters we have seen over the course of his eight years in the White House, such as Karl Rove, Harriet Miers, Josh Bolton, and on and on, etc.
Nichols concludes the blurb-style piece with the statement that the House should challenge any refusal of explanation by Bush of questionable pardons with articles of impeachment. Man, wouldn't that be a beautiful world, if only it would actually happen? Are we supposed to believe that even now, with a stronger Democratic majority in the House and Senate, that Dubya will ever be in the same room with a serious intent to bring about impeachment proceedings? For all the extra-constitutional hi jinx and flat-out lying us into a long and damaging war in Iraq, among items on a veritable laundry list of reasons why he should have already been impeached by now, do you honestly think now, in the final waning weeks of the Bush administration, this will be the thing that pushes the right button? Waiting until the turd turns white to remove it from the carpet hardly does anything to fix the stain underneath, nor does it do much to bolster one's reputation as a housekeeper. The boat done sailed, folks, and as usual, we're the ones left to tread the water in its wake.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Flat tires all around, and guess who's getting asked for a jack?
Well, I'm glad to see it's back to business as usual. Yesterday, the CEOs of General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, along with the president of the United Auto Workers met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to hold hands out for even more federal aid. General Motors, in a statement, said the effort was to help "the competitive U.S. auto industry contribute to our nation's economic revival." How very. It seems in recent months, the only competition the auto industry has had is seeing who can rack up bigger volumes of unsold (read low mileage) vehicles, due to the industry's inability to develop anything other than massive pick-ups and sport utility vehicles.
In addition to help in getting their mitts on federal bailout monies from the Treasury Department or the Federal Reserve, the auto industry is wanting $25 billion in federal loans, so they can pay future health care costs for retirees. Perfect. The industry makes a deal with the unions just over a year ago, and now they can't figure out how to pay for it. According to Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), the automakers will use the money to "invest in jobs and opportunities for American workers and American industry." Again, how very. General Motors, in particular, is burning through a billion dollars a month, and all of a sudden, they want two years of blow-through cash to invest in jobs and opportunities? Then why, I need to know, are Ford and GM planning job cuts, if they are getting ready to invest in jobs? Are these the same jobs the UAW helps price workers out of in a matter of years? Will Ford, GM, and Chrysler continue to operate in the exact same fashion, on the taxpayers' dime, or will they actually invest in fuel-efficient technologies and production capabilities to prevent these vehicles from costing $30 grand a piece?
If the new, stronger Democratic Congress and Senate wants to help the auto industry, then what they should do is wait the 100 days that GM says is so critical for the auto industry, see who is still standing, and then for clearer ideas of how exactly the bailout cash will be used for good. The last thing the American people need is the loss of these auto jobs, I grant you, but at the same stroke, not if it means coughing up bonus money for the ineffectual chief executives that helped steer the industry into the less-than-stellar shape they're in? Then again, we are talking about Nancy Pelosi, who never met a problem she couldn't throw a blank check at, so Lord only knows...
In addition to help in getting their mitts on federal bailout monies from the Treasury Department or the Federal Reserve, the auto industry is wanting $25 billion in federal loans, so they can pay future health care costs for retirees. Perfect. The industry makes a deal with the unions just over a year ago, and now they can't figure out how to pay for it. According to Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), the automakers will use the money to "invest in jobs and opportunities for American workers and American industry." Again, how very. General Motors, in particular, is burning through a billion dollars a month, and all of a sudden, they want two years of blow-through cash to invest in jobs and opportunities? Then why, I need to know, are Ford and GM planning job cuts, if they are getting ready to invest in jobs? Are these the same jobs the UAW helps price workers out of in a matter of years? Will Ford, GM, and Chrysler continue to operate in the exact same fashion, on the taxpayers' dime, or will they actually invest in fuel-efficient technologies and production capabilities to prevent these vehicles from costing $30 grand a piece?
If the new, stronger Democratic Congress and Senate wants to help the auto industry, then what they should do is wait the 100 days that GM says is so critical for the auto industry, see who is still standing, and then for clearer ideas of how exactly the bailout cash will be used for good. The last thing the American people need is the loss of these auto jobs, I grant you, but at the same stroke, not if it means coughing up bonus money for the ineffectual chief executives that helped steer the industry into the less-than-stellar shape they're in? Then again, we are talking about Nancy Pelosi, who never met a problem she couldn't throw a blank check at, so Lord only knows...
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