Shoeblossom
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| Friday, March 27th, 2009 | | 4:44 pm |
Children don't play anymore
Why don't kids play outside anymore? I'm not saying they can't play the video games, but when did that become THE THING. Certainly, I was a VERY non-athletic child. Eye-hand coordination problems, thick glasses,speech impediment...I should have been an outcast, but the other children in my neighborhood were wonderfully codependent, and I had a good time playing games badly. I'm actually quite glad that I wasn't exposed to video games til Pong in 1978, when I was twelve or thirteen...now of course I play Galaga on the Net like the geek I am, but it was good that I had a computer-less childhood. | | 4:37 pm |
And then there's orphanages
It's quite true that most orphanages are not like Spencer Tracy's Boy's town, but I'll say this--Newt Gingrich did have one good point about the orphanage idea... Some welfare mothers are responsible, some ain't, but in the orphanage, everyone is treated the same, and if it's a relatively good facility, every child will at least get, say a C- raising. Not an A, but not an F, either. My first wife was a secretary for a group called For Love of Children...God, there were some terrible people raising kids, and it was work getting the kids away from them! My favorite parents were a retarded couple, the Underwoods. Mrs. Underwood would have baby after baby, and not change or feed it, so the neighbors complained that the infant screamed all the time. The government would sweep in, give the Underwoods a "homemaker" to train the mother, she had no interest, and eventually, after the baby's IQ had dropped from no attention, and it had malnutrition,etc, the government would take the baby away, and then she'd have another one. What did MISTER Underwood do? He'd sell his food stamps to buy ready-made sandwiches and eat them while riding the bus all day long. Here's to Orphanages! | | 4:31 pm |
Pondering Abortion
What's profoundly sad about the abortion controversy is, the most articulate defenders of abortion are usually not the ones who get them. They're too well prepared! It's the other poor fools who get them... 15-25 year old ignoramuses (and the idiots that impregnate them) They take advantage of Roe vs. Wade, have the damn procedure and THEN, in a fit of guilt, condemn abortion because they've lost their baby--Norma McCorvey, the original Roe woman is convinced that she is a victim, and oh, God, there are so many other women who feel the same way...and it's just the doctor's fault. God, that's horrific reasoning! | | 12:13 am |
An Illiterate Governor?
David Paterson, governor of New York cannot read Braille, according to this link, and, since he has been blind since birth is illiterate...fascinating http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0209/Patersons_blindness.htmlAffirmative Action gone awry! Can you imagine, his aides can give him whatever they like for him to read, and he has to guess things... Of course, newspapers are not made in Braille, so if he could read Braille, he still would have trouble, but he has NEVER read anything in his life, unlike many blind people of the pre-computer era who, forced to read Braille, read and wrote on their own. It's truly sad. | | Wednesday, March 25th, 2009 | | 12:42 am |
Interesting news-item
The below 3 paragraphs were a news item: "...Nearly 65,000 people have signed an online petition protesting President Obama's scheduled May 17 commencement address at the University of Notre Dame, saying the president's views on abortion and stem cell research "directly contradict" Roman Catholic teachings. "It is an outrage and a scandal that 'Our Lady's University,' one of the premier Catholic universities in the United States, would bestow such an honor on President Obama given his clear support for policies and laws that directly contradict fundamental Catholic teachings on life and marriage," the petition at notredamescandal.com reads. The Cardinal Newman Society, an advocacy group for strengthening ideals at the nation's 224 Catholic colleges and universities, created the Web site to end what it calls the "travesty" of Obama's selection. The petition, which had garnered 64,051 signatures as of midday Tuesday, asserts that thousands of other "accomplished leaders" in business, law or education would have been more appropriate selections. The group says it is sending the list to an independent firm Wednesday to ensure that there are no duplicate names..." I am not pro-life, though if my mother had had the benefits of a sonogram and abortion laws in 1965--she might have seen my cleft palate--and it might have been over for me. So I have some sympathy for those who believe that the fetus is a living thing.After all, when a woman WANTS her child, she doesn't refer to the contents of her womb as "the fetus" but as "the baby"...Certainly if babies were being killed after being born we'd all be up in arms--not that I'm saying that's the case with abortion,but you might be a bit more broad-minded...or are you only allowed to be broad minded if you're a liberal? The good people at Notre Dame have as much right to object (non-violently) to Obama speaking there as anyone has to cheer him,right? I approve of civil disobedience on the right as well as the left, as well as the protest of a peaceful petition. Rock on, Cardinal Newman Society! | | Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 | | 2:41 pm |
| | Monday, March 23rd, 2009 | | 3:41 pm |
HBO is trying too hard to be "Real Life"
I was watching HBO's "Lucky Louie" on Netflix last night--they've got all the curses in there, the F word, whatever, also dick and pussy and all that--noticed this in Nip/Tuck as well. I will admit I do enjoy a more lively program then what is put out on network TV, but for some reason all the cursing kind of puts me off...I curse quite a bit, so who knows why I find it tiresome on television. Do I want a linguistic escape? One of those questions. Though I am a bit of a porn fiend, I recall the first time I saw a girl's bare butt on "NYPD Blue" and I thought "What the hell's happened to the FCC?" I felt this way also when I heard the Divynl's song "I touch myself" So maybe I'm just an old fogey...or I just can't keep up. Whatever. | | Sunday, March 22nd, 2009 | | 5:50 pm |
Abortions are unavoidable,
I really think that abortion is murder, but here is more evidence that it must stay legal http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92186According to this article, young farm girls are taking poisons meant for cattle to kill their illegitimate progeny. If this doesn't take us back to the wire hanger days, I don't know what does. As I see it, there never will be a society that values unborn life over social disapproval, the discomfort of having an abortion, and of course, not having money to go through the whole business. It would be interesting if guys had to carry the fetus, really...would there be so much "let's take the chance, baby," then? Shoeblossom wonders | | 5:45 pm |
| | 5:32 pm |
Sarah Palin released this little gem after Obama's gaffe about his bowling like someone from the "Special Olympics" She says--“I was shocked to learn of the comment made by President Obama about Special Olympics. This was a degrading remark about our world’s most precious and unique people, coming from the most powerful position in the world. These athletes overcome more challenges, discrimination and adversity than most of us ever will. By the way, these athletes can outperform many of us and we should be proud of them. I hope President Obama’s comments do not reflect how he truly feels about the special-needs community.” Apparently the conservatives are getting their own back, using the liberal weapons...a friend of my wife's, a right-winger who believes Obama is Hitler, has contacted her company's Human Resources division because an obese, African American salesgirl was promoted to buyer. This woman feels that Caucasian employees are being discriminated against, and besides, fat women shouldn't be allowed to choose what clothes customers should choose from! What's so sad about this is the conservatives are the non-complainers, say what you like and don't get blamed for it. It's all about individual effort. Apparently not--you'd think a woman like the moose-killing Palin would,despite having a Downs Syndrome child, would realize that people say stupid things like "I bowled like a Special Olympian." Ronald Reagan's wife once said, "It's so nice to see so many white people here" at a Chicago gathering, and apologized for that...now Obama had to apologize to Nancy Reagan for another inappropriate remark.. http://blogs.bet.com/news/newsyoushouldknow/obama-apologizes-to-nancy-reagan/Truthfully, Obama is not a funny guy. He shouldn't make jokes, probably. But don't you just love the right wing running to tattle? | | Sunday, September 14th, 2008 | | 9:37 am |
Lawyers on Speed
The link below discusses a DC judge who sued a small dry cleaning shop for misplacing a pair of his pants. $67 million! And, after ruining the poor bastards that run the stores, he is appealing, what bizaare nonsense. I don't think even Ally McBeal would have dared to do something this ridiculous [www.wjla.com] | | 9:15 am |
Telemarketing, the last refuge of scoundrels
I did telemarketing some years back, mostly trying to get people to re-subscribe to horrible old saws like "TV Guide" and "Smithsonian". A lot of people had only taken the subscriptions initially as alternatives to free air miles, or something, and hadn't found the magazines that interesting. The most depressing was "Diabetic Forecast" Many of the people I was calling to re-subscribe wouldn't, because they had gone blind (from diabetes, of course) The most corrupt in magazine re-subscription today is those companies that take your credit card via e-mail and then re-subscribe you every year or so, while you're not watching...it's quite revolting! I am ashamed to admit that for one week I was once employed selling over-priced light bulbs over the phone to mostly old people. At this curious firm, they ENCOURAGED you to lie or misrepresent yourself as disabled or somehow needing of help, and my fellow phoners were incredible! One said he was "handicap" (not handicapped, you understand, that would be too much effort. Another woman caller said she was a member of the Air Force, and had been asked by the US government to ask for help in raising money for crisis of some sort, and you got the light bulbs in return. What was especially bizaare about this firm was that it was in the back storeroom of a cell phone store, and the owner ran both firms. Other than kicking a dog once when I was an idiot twenty year old, there is nothing that makes me more ashamed than lasting a whole five days at this. However, I was a terrible salesperson! | | 9:13 am |
Insurance, anyone?
The insurance biz is a mixed bag. I must admit that I would prefer to have Blue Cross or Cygna than government insurance, but the poor bastards who have neither are truly living in a stacked deck. A friend of mine has been taking care of an obese elderly woman who fell out of bed the other night. My pal had to pull her back into bed. (Later he learned that the rule of thumb is to call 911 so he can get help) My friend pulled his back, and now his right leg is numb, but getting better with physical therapy. But the rich obese woman doesn't want to pay for his damn therapy! Even though she's the cause, and of course he is uninsured. And also no workman's comp. She has been paying him a straight hundred a day to look after her, and at first it was quite an easy job, but since she's declined, it's really been bad. In the question of car insurance, you can either insure yourself privately, or take government insurance, but you don't go without any...shame we couldn't have some sort of deal like that with health, eh? | | 9:09 am |
McDonaldland, the Feudal nightmare
I have been having trouble getting to sleep thinking of the world of McDonaldland. Do you ever think that the Hamburglar may have begun his crime spree because of his apparent cleft palate, or whatever it is that causes him to babble unintelligbly as he runs about in that freaky Spy Vs. Spy knockoff with the bumblebee shirt? My vague memory of the Hamburglar was that he was unstoppable from stealing hamburgers because the head cop in town was this freak-show with a Big Mac for a head and a constable's outfit. The constable got his job, apparently through a relative, the burger-headed Mayor McCheese which, though giving great credit for employment for the obviously disabled, creates great questions about gubernatorial corruption in McDonaldland. Why wasn't RONALD elected mayor of McDonaldland? Perhaps he was like the, um, ruling feudal lord or something. Or, maybe it's because he liked spending so much time, um, with the kids. John Wayne Gacy, call your office! It was distressing in McDonaldland that although hamburgers were bought and sold (and stolen by the Hamburglar) they were initially grown in fields, and were actually alive little burgers, that perhaps screamed "Don't pick me! Don't slaughter me! I want to grow up to get a nepotism job in government!" The Grimace's role in McDonaldland was also confusing, though I imagine he was what the Elephant Man would have been like on speed. And what about those little dancing mop head things? I don't understand the horror of children's television. It was just too much for me. Little dancing mop heads, screaming little fields of hamburgers, and these were just the freakin' commercials. McDonaldland was debatably some sort of nuclear reactor thingie gone bad, but what about wherever it was that H.R. Pufinstuf lived? Do you remember the horrible ordeal that the English kid that played the Artful Dodger on "Oliver" went through, dude? He wound up on the Island with a talking flute in his pocket...(Though I can imagine the flute being helpful when he was on a date "Grab her tit now, Jimmy") Witchie-Poo was always chasing Jimmy and the talking Flute and then Jimmy was assisted by good old H.R., who had a big yellow head that made one think of a Six Million Dollar Lemon. Then of course, there was Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, and the teenage airheaded version of Jody Davis from "Family Affair." Guess his living situation with Uncle Bill and his jocker Mister French just wasn't gory enough...remember, Buffy O.D'd and Cissie ended up making horrible furniture commercials! | | 9:08 am |
Ailin' for Palin
I find my emotions seem to be on the Sarah Palin thing in a way that I've observed in others. She is cute, and I like seeing pictures of her...and I remember women telling me that they thought Bill Clinton was cute (though I thought always looked like he was drooling) and there was a good deal of enthusiasm over his charm, ignoring his ideas. In the 80's this was true also of Ronald Reagan. Many people enjoyed Ronald Reagan's witticisms, although much of what he said was drivel, such as when he told us that we shouldn't worry about pollution since most of it came from trees in the fall. Still, he was very charming, sorta like Liberace, and many people enthusiastically campagined for him, twice. Even at George Bush I's initial Republican convention, the entire crowd just kind of patiently waited until Reagan was allowed to speak and then they went nuts! Ludicrous posters with "Reagan for VP" were bounced about, in ignorance of the Twenty-second Amendment, which prohibits Presidents from having more that 2 terms. I understand that both Reagan and Clinton were opposed to the 22nd, they, like Roosevelt, wanted to just stay there forever. But I have become a weird Palin airhead. She is cute, and I suspect without the glasses, rather charismatically vacuous...I just want her to be VP so there will be lots of Google Images of her and I can see pictures of her in tight clothes. America is in ruins with people like me. Thankfully, I don't vote! | | Thursday, May 10th, 2007 | | 9:47 pm |
What's in my best interests?
I am on Abilify now...what a medication. It has great properties, and is an amazing mood stabilizer, but it keeps me feeling restless all the time, and has other (sexual) side-effects that, combined with the Paxil I take, are awful. I think I want to quit taking Abilify, but the wife really thinks it's making me better...I have been more energetic, and have been helping her with her dog-walking business. But I can't concentrate as well as I should, and the only thing I seem to look forward to is getting Netflix in the mail...that's not too good, is it? But perhaps it's because I don't look for things to concentrate on...what a mess I am. | | Monday, April 30th, 2007 | | 10:38 pm |
I have an Ipod now
IT's really something...much easier to deal with than a Discman and carrying around CDs...but God, it's so high tech! I see them on everyone now...we're turning into some kinda Orwellian nightmare. No one is listening to the birds chirp anymore...everyone is into Eminem...oh well. | | Friday, April 27th, 2007 | | 11:42 pm |
"Grey's Anatomy" again
Unbelievably, in addition to the three black doctors in charge of the hospital, they have ANOTHER black doctor (expert specialist, of course) who is beamed in by satellite to advise on an operation. I cannot friggin' believe that whoever writes this show imagines that this is a typical hospital situation. I am sure there are many black doctors, but that there would be four of them running a crew of all white interns just seems a bit ludicrous. Ofcourse, who is the fool who watches the show? Me. | | 4:06 am |
"Grey's Anatomy"
Wait...I'm watching this show and all the HEAD doctors are black and they talk like they grew up in the ghetto...and the interns are all white...what the fuck is Hollywood trying to sell me...you really should see it-- HEAD SURGEON-"What the hell you think you doin' Don't 'chall know how to fix a suture?" INTERN: "Oh gosh I'm so sorry...I'm not doing well here at the hospital. Please don't be too hard on me sir." "Grey's Anatomy" is a fantasy Al Sharpton has when he masturbates | | Sunday, April 22nd, 2007 | | 10:41 pm |
What happens to me in the springtime?
Although I value the married life, and am lucky to have Mrs. Shoeblossom to care for me...something happens in the spring. I start wondering why I'm not socializing more...and the cute little things wandering about ages 17-40 or so tend to make me a bit aware... On the other hand, I realize that being a man is normally filled with temptation and distraction...and other than the chicklets, I rather like sitting about in my bed...lingering...I guess that's what old age is all about. I should be happy that I am well fed and some what amused. I think part of my restlessness this spring is my medication...what else can I do though? Live with being alive... |
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