Friday, August 31, 2012

Who would have predicted this? (hint - everyone)

Shaoyang
I had never heard of Shaoyang, China.  It is one of the many many giant cities in China that we don't hear about.  Shaoyang has a population of about 7.6 million people.
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And they have some real quality of life problems like many big cities world-wide; too much air pollution, to many cars, rude drivers, illegal shops, etc.  AND, Shaoyang doesn't have the funds to keep up with needed infrastructure changes.
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But Shaoyang devised a simple solution.
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The deputized thousands of "Neighborhood Watch Committees" (quoting from the article, "the omnipresent retired army of people" who used to check for 1 child families and distribute Party Policy) to write tickets for traffic and commercial misdemeanors.  AND, the ticket writer gets 80% of the fine.
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What happened?  They have gone crazy.  Apparently at stop signs they descend on motorcycles and cars.  No helmet - 100 Yuan.  Not caring your license 600 Yuan.  No insurance 1000 Yuan.  Motorcycles now have to dodge retired people with their ticket books and red arm bands.
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Who would have guessed?  Cranky old people who get to scold AND make money.  Hell, where do I sign up?
Party HQ - where you try to sign up!

Bain Capital "Small Business"

I wish I lived in Mitt Romney's world.  This IS NOT jealousy, but a little explanation of Mitt's wording so we little people have a sense of scale.
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Last night Mittens, in his "regular Joe" acceptance speech said he started a "small business, Bain Capital."  Normally, when actual Americans talk about starting a "small business" - we think of a shop or two.  Maybe we think of a franchise, and compare it against the average family income ($69,301).
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Of course, what we need to start a business varies wildly.  From $15,000 to start a neighborhood book store to $500,000 purchase a MacDonald's Franchise and build the store.
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Which is why Mitt's "small business" story with Bain Capital confuses me.   His he lying?  Or is he so rich that $37 Million dollars ($37,000,000.00) really is "small business" start up money?
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That $37,000,000.00 represents that Average American Family income for 533.9 years.

That is three times longer than it has been since Joseph Smith found Golden Plates in Rochester New York and was spoken to by the Angel Moroni to start the Mormon Church.  That is a long time to save.
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Mittens, Small Business Man.

The one speech I am sorry I missed

Well, obviously I didn't watch the monkeys dance and throw feces in Tampa.  Apparently, however, I missed the crazy old man talk by not seeing Clint Eastwood's speech.  Yes, for those of you outside the USA - a 82 year old nice guy gave his best Dirty Harry again.  They even had a Dirty Harry picture up behind him.
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I am given to understand that Clint Eastwood (conservative movie star) lectured an Empty Chair - assuming that the blue screen people would simply fill in Barak Obama at some future point.
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This was my favorite set of lines (with notations below);

I know you were against the war in Iraq, and that’s okay (sm*1). But you thought the war in Afghanistan was OK. You know, I mean — you thought that was something worth doing. We didn’t check with the Russians to see how did it — they did there for 10 years (sm*2).
But we did it, and it is something to be thought about, and I think that, when we get to maybe — I think you’ve mentioned something about having a target date for bringing everybody home (sm*3). You gave that target date, and I think Mr. Romney asked the only sensible question, you know, he says, “Why are you giving the date out now? Why don’t you just bring them home tomorrow morning?”(sm*4)

I added the notes:
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*1 : I think not going into Iraq was a smart decision.
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*2: It would have been good to check with the Russians - except that was Bush the Younger, not Obama.
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*3: Um, the end date was given to the Afghanistan forces as an inducement to get their act together.  And was suggested by the generals - those guys Republicans always tell us to listen to.
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*4: Romney would leave Afghanistan NOW?  Well, that might actually be a reason to vote for him... except Mittens doesn't believe that  and his aids hastened to correct you.
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It was well summed up by this tweet.

Was it pretty? No. Was it a win? YES

Was it pretty - of course not.  It was the first game of the year, played in 94 degree weather with 56% humidity.  That, ladies and germs, is like playing inside a sauna.
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But we won.  We won 49 - 24.  But no matter how much TJ Simers wants to rain on my parade (LINK), I say Yay!
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Brett Hundley running 72 yards for a TD on play #1 for the Bruins!
Think about the good things.  We scored on our first 3 drives.  Our Freshman Quarterback ran 72 yards for a Touchdown on his first college snap.  He threw TD passes.  Our defense was very good against the wishbone, which is not a PAC 12 offense.
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Sure, we weren't great against the Wishbone.  And sure, our special teams should be riding the special bus.  But it is game 1 - you have to expect some jitters.
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We scored 49 points.  Our highest scoring game last year as 45 points.
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We had 7 sacks last night.  In all of 2011 we had 14 (108th best in the nation).
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After a half time adjustment we held Rice to 66 yards and 0 points in the second half.
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So YAY!  Go Bruins.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Props to Fox News (when they deserve it)

I don't usually have good things to say about Fox News, but...
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http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/08/30/paul-ryans-speech-in-three-words/

Thank you CBS Sports

Thank you Verizon Fios for carrying CBS Sports who will show my Bruins tonight at 7:30 EDT.
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Here we go Bruins!

Vistors & Open News

Allen, Katherine and Me on the Highline
Well, my old work compadre, Katherine, was here with her new boyfriend, Allen.  They came to see the city in general, and the US Open in particular.  Allen played college tennis at CSU Stanislaus (I thing that was it).
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Allen was a great guy, and I am thrilled for Katherine.
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Lleyton on Court 13 yesterday.
They were here for a few days and left Wednesday.
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Today I saw my old boss from Thomson Reuters (Eddie gave him and his wife a tour).  And on the tour (which I went on too), we saw Lleyton Hewitt off court.  I contained myself and didn't take a picture.
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Speaking of Lleyton, his win yesterday (which I saw) was his first at the US Open in 3 years.  He won in 2001, but has had a lot of problems since, including a brand new metal brace in big toe and trouble moving.
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Marty Fish on Center Court
Today I watched Marty Fish play, coming back from arrhythmia surgery this year.  It was a crack up, because a couple of really drunk women showed up starting in Set#4 and were just screaming idiotic things.  Like "That's a Big Fish!" "Great Shot Marty" after the opponent double faulted.   It was funny and a little embarrassing.  There answer to someone who sushed them?  "You should hear us at a football game!"

Ed and I differ in our adherence to Bounce

I don't know why, but I think Bounce (fabric softening dryer sheet) is, at best, a misguided use of time and money and, at worst, a rip-off invited by ad men.
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Ed, on the other hand, likes them.
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But, here is where the bizarre comes in.  Ed purchases laundry supplies via Fresh Direct, but I do the actual laundry.  And so we have a fairly big backlog of unused dryer sheets, and a growing backlog unopened boxes.  Since I put the stuff away and I don't really care about Bounce, the boxes tend to be haphazardly thrown into the pantry.  And when Ed wants one, he finds a box - usually unopened.  So he opens it and...
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Well, we have a growing backlog of opened Bounce Boxes with 1 or 2 dryer sheets used.

Well...it was well delivered

You know, I was happy they nominated Paul Ryan.  I was hoping for a discussion of ideas - because that is who Paul Ryan is.
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Was.
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Paul Ryan gave a feisty anti-Obama speech that will have fact-checkers working for days. His most brazen lie accused President Obama of “raiding” Medicare by taking the exact same $716 billion that Ryan and the House GOP notoriously voted to slash. It was stunning.
But that’s not all. He attacked Obama for failing to keep open a Janesville GM plant that closed under Bush in 2008. He hit him for a credit-rating downgrade that S&P essentially blamed on GOP intransigence. He claimed that all taxpayers got from the 2009 stimulus was “more debt,” when most got a tax cut (and the stimulus is known to have saved between 1.4 and 3.3 million jobs). He derided the president for walking away from the Simpson Bowles commission deficit-cutting recommendations when Ryan himself, a commission member, voted against those recommendations.
He blamed Obama for a deficit mostly created by programs he himself voted for – from two wars, tax cuts, new Medicare benefits and TARP.
And of course, he riffed on the tired central lie of the GOP convention: that the president said “government gets the credit” for small businesses, not the business owners themselves.
Other than that, it was a great speech.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Sherapova at the Night Session

We ate at the President's Suite and then watched Maria Sharapova - then Andy Murray.  It was a kick.

Llyton Hewit

This is Lleyton with his first US Open win in the first room in the last 3 years.

You know, when I heard this I thought the same thing....

Seriously, if my head doesn't explode by November, it is a small miracle.
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I heard Paul Ryan say those words - "result of misguided policy" and I was honestly flabbergasted.  He boted for every stupid ass thing George Bush requested.  Even though the Republicans bitch now, they got a budget in SURPLUS and screwed the pooch.  (The pooch on the roof - get it..., yeah, not funny.)
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To imply that these "misguided policies" are Obama's is to insult the intelligence.  And it will work.
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It reminds me of the right-wing freak show decades ago about the "Black Hawk Down" incident in Somalia.  My father - a liar, but not generally a stupid man - was arguing with me about how Clinton screwed up going into Somalia.
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I said, "George Bush put Americans in Somalia."  (I didn't specify which one because back then no one thought we would be assholes enough to elect a second).
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He stopped and said, "I don't think so."
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To which I replied, "Check it out and then bitch about Clinton."  He never brought it up again.  He felt stupid that he bought into propaganda without thinking.  The only difference now is that people no longer feel stupid about buying into propaganda - they just ignore facts.
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Hat tip to Perron.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Djokovic on Ashe

We got to watch Djokovic tonight.  He was killer.

I liked "Heartless" better than most other people

Gary Cole & Julianne Nicholson in Heartless
Usually with the Signature Theater, I am the odd man out in NOT liking a show.  This time, the opposite.
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I liked Sam Shepard's new play, Heartless, more than most.  I think it is all rather more "LA" than anyone in New York understands or enjoys.
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I liked it a lot.
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My Review..

Where's This Generation's USSR?


The good Bad Guys
The country today needs the USSR, metaphorically speaking, not actually.  Who knew that when Mr. Gorbachev DID, in fact, tear down this wall - we would be so screwed.
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Without a big enemy, the country doesn't seem to have much of a sense of purpose.  I think that might have been the real reason behind Manifest Destiny.  As long as we were all committed to the future, then we could work amongst ourselves.  Without an enemy (that we all agree on), we have been reduced to fighting among ourselves.
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China would, at first glance, fit the bill nicely.  But, China owns way too much of our debt.  You never saw Stalin or Kruschev buying long term T-Bills.
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Plus, China fights unfairly - they don't care about political leanings, but profit.  Which sounds like a US goal, but isn't.  For example, Zambia is probably our ally, but China exploits all their resources.  China doesn't care about bases or votes in the UN, just about making money.
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Humm..  Some people have tried to make it about follows of Islam, but that doesn't work.  To many of these countries are our allies to make it a monolithic enemy.  You can't be enemies of all of Islam, but the work with Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, India and Nigeria.
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Hard to take the Axis of Evil seriously after this
Remember when George Bush (the good - not the younger) pulled a world wide coalition to attack Iraq after they invaded Kuwait.
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THAT was a good war.  Between the Pentagon and the Media, they build Iraq's army into the "World's Fifth Greatest Fighting Power" - after US, Russia, China and Britain (Britain tested better then, you remember - right after the Falklands War).
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Turns out, not so much - apparently there was a huge ass gap between 4th and 5th.
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Bush the Younger tried to line up Iraq, Iran and North Korea (remember the "axis of evil" not to be confused with the "Trilogy of Terror").  Well, we ignored North Korea after the South Park parody, we wandered into the swamp of Bagdad only to find nothing of importance - and now the Bushies are screaming from the sideline it's time to attack Iran.  Please Trey & Matt, make a Iran parody move so we can all move on.
Now Karen Black - that was scary


Monday, August 27, 2012

Wonky Interest Item

So the Texas Republican delegation to the Republican convention is fighting the rules committee.  Apparently a late change was made that allows for future conventions so that the Presidential Campaign (of the winner) can veto any delegates and assign different delegates to the convention.
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For Texas - and a few other delegations - this has raised an ugly specter, grass roots workers and delegates could be veto'ed and replaced with big donors.  Which, given the race for money, actually is a sensible worry.
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The Texas delegation is trying to bring this up but they need 28% of convention to agree and the Romney campaign (and Republican Leadership in general) don't want any floor fight.
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STORY

Court 17 N.Li


Well, the matches were fun, but then the rain hit.  Friends all stayed, but I left after an hour of downpour.  It was some heavy rain.
I enjoyed watching this.  Na Li is a big star in China, so there were lots of Chinese Media and Chinese visitors watching.

The MNs from Mankato and us

 
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These are Ed's parents next-door neighbors and 2 of their 4 daughters.  We had dinner with them right after they saw Newsies.  Eddie took them on a little tour of the Tennis Center today, I missed them, but hopefully they stayed through the rain.

Friday, August 24, 2012

I Don't Know if anyone is watched the new Project Runway...

.. but if you are, and you saw last night's episode. Ven Budha is an asshole.
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Once again I am reminded my puppy isn't built for endurance.

Went out for errands today and since there were no food stores involved, I took Trevor.  It's New York and he can go into most everything else else, included BLUE (for undershirts) and Staples.
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Well, we walked up and back, it's a total of about 18 blocks.
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Dog-tired isn't just an expression with Trevor.

"No one ever asked to see my Birth Certificate."

Per Romney.
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True, but we have asked to see your tax returns.  Har har.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Not to pick the nits, but...

I saw Heartless last night.  It is the new Sam Shephard play - and I liked it and all...
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...but...
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It was set in the Hollywood Hills overlooking the Valley (and the ocean - which is possible, but really rare).  And they had 2 palms on the set.
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In the Hollywood Hills, 2 King Palms.  Which is just silly.  Mexican Fan Palms, yes.  California Palms, yes.  Even the occasional Queen Palm around the pool - but a King Palm on Mullholland.  I think it not.
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The King Palm is more of a Florida Palm.  Maybe Palm Springs - but not the Hollywood Hills.

Question: Do People Actually Believe this BS

So in Texas (where else?) a County Judge said the following on air.  (Link to local Fox News Story).  My question is, does this guy really believe this, because - if so - where the hell is he getting this from?  Seriously?
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Judge Head
Lubbock County Judge Tom Head and Commissioner Mark Heinrich went into great detail Monday night on FOX 34 News @ Nine about why it is necessary to raise the tax rate by 1.7 cents the next fiscal year. 

An across-the-board pay increase is needed for the attorneys on the DA's staff to keep them from being poached by higher-paying counties, and the sheriff needs to expand his staff by seven deputies to reduce call response times, minimize officer fatigue and reduce the turnaround time for investigations. 

Judge Head said he and the county must be prepared for many contingencies, one that he particularly fears, is if President Obama is reelected.

“He's going to try to hand over the sovereignty of the United States to the UN, and what is going to happen when that happens?,” Head asked.
 
“I'm thinking the worst. Civil unrest, civil disobedience, civil war maybe. And we're not just talking a few riots here and demonstrations, we're talking Lexington, Concord, take up arms and get rid of the guy.

"Now what's going to happen if we do that, if the public decides to do that? He's going to send in U.N. troops. I don't want 'em in Lubbock County. OK. So I'm going to stand in front of their armored personnel carrier and say 'you're not coming in here'. 

"And the sheriff, I've already asked him, I said 'you gonna back me' he said, 'yeah, I'll back you'. Well, I don't want a bunch of rookies back there. I want trained, equipped, seasoned veteran officers to back me."

Yes - But with me it is planned

I read the opinion section of the New York Times (actually any paper I get) because I think the mood of the professional journalist class is always interesting.
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I am struck by two things today, both of which are trends about which I can no longer stay quiet (as if I ever could).
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The first is a hideous tendency to overshare inappropriately.
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Perchance this seems an odd accusation coming from me - a professional overshare-er.  But you see, that is the key.  I am a professional at this.  I chose to start oversharing years ago - and I have perfected it into, if not art, at least something above scribbles.  I overshare across the board, the good and the bad, the daily ups and downs. And, being slightly bi-polar, but ups and downs can be entertaining.  Over the past 12 years (hard to believe, but yeah, I've had a blog for over a decade) a reader has been able to know me.  The good, the bad, the insecure and the uncomfortable.
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But today... well too many people think any old, one BIG moment or  one DEEP emotion should be foder for a column.  And then the writers disappear.  Kids... we might be interested in the size of your big toe, or what little Johnny felt like his first day at camp, or how you feel when your daughter first goes to college - if we had known you for more than a paragraph.  In the absence of any emotional connection, you are just an attention johnny-come-lately, hogging column inches that should rightfully be delivered to TomKat's divorce or Prince Harry's family jewels.
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The second is something that - I admit - might be New York centric.  It turns out that "finance" movers and shakers are the biggest whiners possible.  Today's boo-de-hoo is penned by William B. Harrison Jr. - yes that is how he requested the byline - the (and I have to quote here) "... architect of the 2000 merger that created JPMorgan Chase and was the bank's chairman and chief executive.  He retired in 2006."  In New York speak that is "Really Big F'ing Deal".  Or it was before Jimmy Diamond admitted that screwed up trading lost the company somewhere between $2 and $5 Billion dollars of investor money - that $3Billion difference is pocket change to Jimmy Diamond.  By the by, Jimmy Diamond could be the character name for a big bad banker right out of some bad novel, only no one would believe it.
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Mr. Jr. Big Ass Bankier proceeds to layout a defense of Big Banks, and why - instead of being mean to them - we should all be kissing his large, white, retired ass.  He actually says (as his second point) that the "Big Banks are faulted for helping to cause the crash of 2008, but none of them fell - not like Countrywide, IndyMac," etc.
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Where to start on this nincompoopery?  Perhaps, just perhaps, it was because the American people bailed the Big Bank's asses out, because they were too big to fail.
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Dumbshit.
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Note here, this isn't about Romney or Obama.  You will read that Wall Street money is backing Romney instead of Obama.  What you hear in New York - all the time - is the why.  Because Obama has asked them to take part of the blame for the crash.  Honestly!  Wall Street Money Men are turning on Obama not because of any legislation (because there hasn't been any legislation put into effect since the crash - it is all still tied up) but because he hoit der feewings.  President Obama has said that banks are partially to blame, and on top of that, President Obama won't always pose with pictures with them at fund raisers.  He leaves too quickly.  So they are giving their money to Romney to teach him a lesson.  "$872,000,000,000.00 in tax-payer money is okay ($872 Billion), but it doesn't make up for you leaving before I get a picture."  OFFS

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

NY Times Today

This was in the New York Times today.  Two thousand men and women have been killed in Afghanistan, most since we started the surge.
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I disagree with the continuation of this war, I think we have accomplished the objective of removing the Taliban. But I salute the men and women that are fighting for our country.  They are committed to a better world, and I am humbled by them.

I think we all know ...

I think we all know I have a little crush on Lleyton.
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So, my husband sends me this note, just to set me off.
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"Hi Honey.  Just ran into leyley"
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Can't wait for next week!!!!!

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ps - I do want everyone to remember that when my honey had a crush on Nick Adams - I introduced them and took a picture of them both.

Nincompoopery of the highest order

Poor Republican Kevin Yoder (Kansas).
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I honestly don't know how this became a big deal.  If you aren't in America (with our fascination of Israel and our slightly puritanical views on nudity) you might not have heard of this "scandal".  It is, as nakid scandals go, hardly worth it.  But it involves a Representative from one of our most conservative states, and so it has blown up. (Because there is no real news, or war in Afghanistan or economic problems to report on...).
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image by Getty
One Kevin Yoder, conservative Republican, was on a Congressional Junket to Israel.  Not really doing business or fact finding, just hanging out and getting some free grub and a trip, along with other Congressmen (both Republican and Democratic) and their wives.  At a dinner on the Sea of Galilee, a bunch of guys got drunk and decided to go for a dip.  Kev didn't have his suit, so he skinny dipped.
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That's it.
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That's the "scandal".
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Now in Kansas he has committed two sins.  The first is showing that he had a penis and wasn't flat like a Ken doll.  I mean they know that in Kansas - but you don't ever show it.  The second (and one assumes, bigger) sin was doing this on the very same body of water that Jesus walked on 2,000 years ago.  Apparently taking a dip in this water is honorable, taking a dip in the water without the extra yard of fabric is sacrilegious.  FYI - this happened a year ago, so one assumes that if God was pissed off, he would have let someone know.
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And we in American have been talking about this now for days.  Quelle Scandel.  Oye vey.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

UCLA has two new practice fields

UCLA has never had an very good place to practice football.  We used to play at the Coliseum across the street from USC, and now play at the Rose Bowl nearly 20 miles away in Pasadena.
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There is a great Track and Field facility - but the center is used for field training, not for football.  We practice on a field built over the roadway and it isn't great.
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But Pauley Pavilion was redone this year, and they took the time to redo the practice fields as well (they are right next to Pauley).  Apparently they leveled it all,  and rebuilt the fields, one with grass and one with astroturf.
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Very cool.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Sweet: A Nice Middle of the Road Magazine rips Niall Ferguson a new one

Newsweek Magazine, now helmed by Tina Brown, decided to run a decidedly asinine article by Niall Ferguson, a British Historian I like as a historian but do not respect as a opinion writer.  I tired to read it, but my blood pressure hit the danger mark quickly into the piece.
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It is a big giant turd of an article in Newsweek.  I won't link to it, because it is truly crap.  So much so, that Atlantic Magazine, a non-partisan, middle of the road periodical, decided to run a full fact check on Mr. Ferguson.
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Here is it, in it's entirety (or you can go to the Atlantic itself)....

A Full Fact-Check of Niall Ferguson's Very Bad Argument Against Obama



Share2AUG 20 2012, 12:51 PM ET 127
A counterfactual history of the past four years.

NF.png
(Wikimedia Commons)

Celebrity historian Niall Ferguson doesn't like President Obama, and doesn't think you should either.

That's perfectly fine. There are plenty of legitimate reasons to disapprove of the president. Here's the big one: 8.3 percent. That's the current unemployment rate, fully three years on from the official end of the Great Recession. But rather than make this straightforward case against the current administration, Ferguson delves into a fantasy world of incorrect and tendentious facts. He simply gets things wrong, again and again and again. (A point my colleague James Fallows makes as well in a must-read.)

Here's a tour of some of the more factually challenged sections of Ferguson's piece.

"Certainly, the stock market is well up (by 74 percent) relative to the close on Inauguration Day 2009. But the total number of private-sector jobs is still 4.3 million below the January 2008 peak."

Did you catch that little switcheroo? Ferguson concedes that stocks have done very well since January 2009, but then says that private sector payrolls have not since January 2008. Notice now? Ferguson blames Obama for job losses that happened a full year before he took office. The private sector has actually added jobs since Obama was sworn in -- 427,000 of them, to be exact. For context, remember that the private sector lost 170,000 jobs during George W. Bush's eight years.

PrivateSectorPayrolls3.png

Of course, it's not really fair to blame Obama -- or Bush -- for jobs lost in their first few months before their policies took effect. If we more sensibly look at private sector payrolls after their first six months in office, then Obama has created 3.1 million jobs and Bush created 967,000 jobs.

Want to know something funny about Todd Akin

You know Todd Akin, the guy who said "legitimate rape" doesn't cause pregnancies, want to know something funny about him?
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He is in the House of Representatives today.  He is one of the Republican Representatives on the House Science Committee.  Isn't that a hoot!
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I mean joke is on us all - of course, but still, kind of funny.  This man is making National Science policy.
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He takes millions in donations to say that he doesn't believe in Global Climate Change.  He actually said "“In Missouri when we go from winter to spring, that’s a good climate change. I don’t want to stop that climate change you know. Who in the world wants to put politicians in charge of the weather anyways?”  
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Apparently he is unclear on the difference between "climate change" and "seasons" - but hey, that is one of the Science Committee members so maybe I am the drooling idiot.
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Isn't that just funny.  Ha ha.  The more you know, the worse you feel.

Phyllis Diller: Funny Back When... Rest In Peace



I used to love this in the bar.  She just don't stop.  Five + minutes of mother in law jokes.

More Religious States give more to the Poor

I think Religion can be a great thing - and it gets a lot of knocks for always being anti..  Anti-gay, anti-birth control, anti-science.  But that isn't what Religion should be about.
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A new study (link and article from Salon here) show that the more Religious states, particularly in the South, give more to Charity than less Religious states.  Giving to charity is something we all should do when we can.  And kudos to those Religions that stress that.
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It is easier to harp on what institutions get wrong than what they get right.  Donating time, money and emotion to charity is one thing that Religion gets very very right.  Time to congratulate the Religious institutions for that.

Rand and Ryan

I like to think of myself as fair - I may not always be, but I like to think of myself that way.  And so, in the interest of fairness, I think we should give Paul Ryan a "youthful indiscretion" pass on Ayn Rand.
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I mean, Atlas Shrugged is fine propaganda, wrapped in terrible prose that seems life-changing if you read it right after college.  I read it, I loved it, but luckily I was in Europe with a E-rail pass and saw first hand what a collaborative community could do.  My brain-washing was stopped in it's tracks by early twenties lust for foreigners.  Had I been sitting in Janesville WS - I might have decided it was gospel as well.
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Paul Ryan, good catholic young man, couldn't channel all that freedom into sex - so he read it not as a sexual parable, but as an economic blueprint.
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To hold it against Mr. Ryan now isn't fair.  Particularly since the life changing book, Atlas Shrugged, doesn't mention her anti-religion fanaticism - or her bitter failure in popular culture.  It is a book that celebrates the individual - and most kids read it right as their own individuality is being smuushed (technical term).  It was like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas for kids that didn't get high, or Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance for kids that were turned off by the word Zen.
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But try to watch the movie now.  Really! It's on Netflix.  You won't make it pass the 15 minute mark before you can't stand it and turn off the propaganda.  And you think, the book can't possible be this bad - and you reread it - and it is.

Tony Scott killed himself

Tony Scott killed himself yesterday.  I actually knew Tony, not as well as his wife, but I had meet him quite a few times.
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Donna & Tony Scott and the twins
yes - he always wore a hat
Tony's wife (Donna) was very good friends with Mark, Lynn & Bradley.  I had been to their homes in Malibu and then in Beverly Hills - as well as Tony's office in West Hollywood (in the 1990s).  I haven't kept in touch much after Mark passed away, but they were lovely people.  Tony met Donna on the set of Days of Thunder (same movie where Tom Cruise met Nicole Kidman)
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It's a shock.  He was successful professionally, but I guess you can't know what goes on in someone's head.  If you think that is the only way out - that is terrible.
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My best memory of Tony was a dinner once at the Reel Inn in Malibu.  Tony was working on a movie The Last Boy Scout - with the same Art Director as he used on The Hunger (you know, the Vampire movie where Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon make out while the curtains billow in the breeze). And I was introduced to the Product Designer Brian Morris.
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At the time I was a big fan of Production Design (one of the good influences of Greg) and Brian and I were rambling on and on.  Tony came over and we all talked about the curtains and The Hunger and how it influenced movies although it didn't do well at the box office.  I found out later, The Hunger was Tony's first movie and he was annoyed it never was seen by more people.
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Not long after that he was back on top (with critics for True Romance and with audiences for Crimson Tide).
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Things must be really screwed up to leave your family.  I feel for them.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

The leading candidate from Missouri

Wondering what our next Senators will be like?
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Well, this Republican (leading the race for the Missouri) is Todd Akin.  He totally understands women. In fact, he understands that in legitimate rape (his words)  - as opposed to when a woman lies - the female body shuts down and conception can't happen.  So there shouldn't be an exception for abortion in the case of rape - all abortions should be outlawed.
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Of course, should he consult experts (which Tea Party people proudly never do) he would find (and I am pulling here from the source) ...
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"A 1996 study by the American Journal of Obstetricians and Gynecologists found “rape-related pregnancy occurs with significant frequency” and is “a cause of many unwanted pregnancies” — an estimated “32,101 pregnancies result from rape each year.”"
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Oh kids - our next Senate is going to be even smarter than this one.  FYI - why 1996 - because if one was done since it would show the same, so the Republicans won't authorize one.  (full source with Video interview)

Lester was giving an award today. I'll check nbc news tonight

At the Intrepid today when we went to see the shuttle we happened to pass a presentation of some type of award.  And giving the presentation was Lestor Holt!

Visiting Enterprise with Eddie

So we wait in a short line to get into the Museum because Eddie was smart enough to buy tickets online - then a second line to get into see the shuttle.  It was very very cool.  But then there was a line (as you can see leading up to the cockpit - which we waited in.
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We should have checked end of the line first.  Turns out, you see the nose of the plane - not inside the cockpit or anything.  It was a long line without a good result.  But it was still very cooll.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Who is losing / gaining jobs

While the recession was tough, it was particularly tough (and remains tough) for those that don't have a college degree.
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(from Georgetown Report)
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Me & Becks


 

This statue of David Beckham is based on his new underwear ad (hence the prominent underwear placement).  If you took a picture and sent it to H & M you were entered into drawing for a free shopping spree.
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It was right in front of the Apple Store.

Substantive Issue: Medicare

One of the substantive issues in the upcoming election is Medicare - and it's changes.  Neither Candidate proposes leaving it as it was under George Bush the Younger.  And yes, like everything else Bush the Younger fucked this up - he added a massive new prescription medicines program without paying for it.  Thank you Georgie and the Republican government!
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Medicare gets a lot of notice in our budget because the cost is growing faster than inflation, and eating up more and more of the budget.  For our non-American friends - Medicare is the Federal Costs of Health Care for older Americans (those over 65 plus some extra-ordinary conditions of those under 65).  Medicare costs are rising because Health Costs rise faster than inflation - particularly as new procedures are developed.
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For example, when it was created in 1965 open heart surgery was just beginning - now we have robotic surgery.  So it's not just that medical costs rise, but the available options (most of them more expensive) are now available.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

The more we learn about the world, the more we realize we didn't know much....

Take "shaking off the water"...
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Of Course I trust him.. Trust, but Verify

I know it seems petty of me to question his veracity - but did he pay his 13% retroactively, like he "retired" from Bain?
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Ronald Reagan once said that trust is important.  But more important is trust, but verify.  I think there is a simple way to verify this statement - if only I could figure out what it was?  What could it be?  Any ideas gang?

Justin and Justina had a Baby Boy

He was a little early - but I think he wanted to be a Leo.
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Baby Boy: 6lbs. 14oz
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They'll probably name him Justice... (jok)

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Humm.... Romney's Plan is like Ryan's AND like Simpson-Bowels.. Really?

In the past week Mittens has said that his economic plan is like Paul Ryan's Plan AND like the Simpson-Bowels plan.
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One has to say, what?
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Paul Ryan's plan lowers all taxes.  Simpson-Bowels raises 2 Trillion dollars in taxes over 10 years.
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Paul Ryan plan removes all taxes on Capital Gains (dropping Mittens tax rate to less than 2%).  Simpson-Bowels evens the Captial Gains tax rate to normal income rates.
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Paul Ryan's plan increases the Defense budget above both current growth rate and the inflation rate.  Simpson-Bowles reduces the Defense budget rate of growth from its present rate.
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He is stupid, a liar, or just think the little people are stupid?  I mean a man that hasn't paid taxes in years can certainly figure out the details (or have his lawyers do it for him).
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Expand if you want the details.
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http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/08/13/romney-on-same-page-with-ryan-budget-plan/

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/us/politics/obama-mocks-romneys-tax-cut-plan.html?_r=1