I was more than a little surprised the other day when I heard and read about Sen. Bunning's one-man embargo of a much-needed funding legislation. The appropriation from that legislation was earmarked to cover, among other things, unemployment benefits and COBRA benefits to those in need. Bunning's issue with the legislation was not because he was being a heartless curmudgeon, but rather because he was unhappy with the way the legislation would be funded -- per Standard Operation Procedure, the funding was to be added to the deficit. Bunning and supporters wanted the bill to be funded by unused stimulus dollars. The POTUS would have no part of that option because that's his own special fund that is to be applied to, in my opinon, "hero"-like matching appropriations, natch. Previous discussions between political party teams were met with very little net progress, and in the end, they were at an impasse. The consensus was that the POTUS administration and/or Senate majority was expecting the Senator from Kentucky to blink, yet he stared them down until they did. In the interim, certain mechanisms ground to a halt, and many Federal employees were furloughed because of the loss of appropriated funds expected to be there from the legislation.
The perception from the average citizen was that of another crusty old Republican Senator that has no clue how average America lives -- another elitest reigning high from his ivory tower. Dems pounced at the opportunity to show Bunning as a modern-day Potter, insensitive to the needs of thousands of Americans who cannot make ends meet because they will not be receiving their unemployment checks. As one that has personally experienced the anxiousness and stress involved with living paycheck to paycheck (and even unemployment check to unemployment check), this is not a pleasant feeling to experience. One wonders if Bunning has ever been in those shoes -- if he had, he would not have forgotten the feeling and would have a different perspective on how his actions affect the welfare of thousands. I appreciate his strong convictions to stand his ground to make his case, but I object to him doing it at the expense of those much less fortunate than he. Surely there must be a better way to make his point. Surely there must be a better way to conduct the business of America's fiscal management. Surely there must be a way to present the issues to the people for all to understand and accept -- most of us who are living on a budget while trying to provide as parents of teenage children can relate (albeit on a much smaller scale) -- we understand how easy it can lead to trouble if we "rob Peter to pay Paul", and how it would be so much easier to swallow if we decided we would pay the bill by using the "rainy day" money we've already set aside instead of ringing up more debt. Tell us ahead of time, let us know what's going on, tell us your frustrations, and most likely we'll change our perspective on the issue.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Strange Parade
Am I the only one that's noticed how our "also-ran" politicians are constantly in the media spotlight, whether as prognosticators or quasi-comedians? Mitt Romney is pushing his new book (always a valid excuse to get on the air) and took the opportunity while on Morning Joe to add his two cents' worth about why he believes Obama could have used better judgement. Meanwhile, Anchorage Barbie a/k/a Sarah Palin was seen on Jay Leno the other night, doing a weak stand-up impression as only, well, Sarah Palin can. I wonder who we'll see next? Harry Reid on SportsCenter? Nancy Pelosi on American Idol? If nothing else, these pols know one thing: always stay in front of American people, one way, shape or form. It used to be the exception to the rule whenever national politicians showed up on mainstream tv, but in this day and age of uber-competitive one-upmanship, any and all talk shows are grasping at straws to gain an advantage. I, for one, don't mind the extra exposure of these pols, just don't pull an ABC and over-do it like they did with Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, and kill the goose that laid the golden egg. I gotta run -- I heard that Dick Cheney is going to pile-drive Jon Stewart...can't wait!
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
too strange to understand
I've been meaning to write this for several days now, but just haven't wanted to, for some reason. It's only about a TV show -- more like a storyline within a TV show -- but it hit me hard enough to haunt my mind for what I expect will be the rest of my life. The show in question is HBO's "Big Love", and if you haven't seen it, you're missing a treat. Granted, the topic of the show is not for everyone, and I even didn't give it much thought when it first came on air because I wasn't ready to accept the premise, but after a couple of episodes of the first season had aired, I decided to give it a shot one night during an HBO marathon, and I've been hooked ever since.
"Big Love" is the story of a Fundamentalist Mormon man (Bill Hendrickson) and his 3 wives (Barb, Nikki, and Margene), living in a typical suburban Utah town. You would know the actors from other shows they've done, so right away I was curious to see just what drew them to this project. The writing is spot on, and the acting is very entertaining. I know more than a little bit about the Mormon faith -- having lived over 20 years in Phoenix, Arizona, I've come across more than my fair share of Mormon rhetoric, including a one-week stay in Salt Lake City, courtesy of Mormon hosts that were all too eager to satisfy my thirst for knowledge of their history and culture. Polygamy was banned by the Mormon church many years ago, but like an old blood stain on worn carpet, it still won't go away from the mainstream. Fundamentalist Mormons continue to practice Polygamy to this day, even though it is illegal by law and not accepted by church doctrine. It is the foundation behind this devotion to polygamy that drives the show's storyline in general, and the main characters in particular.
One such character is a controversial young church sect leader that has taken over his recently deceased father's followers; Alby is a vile, juvenile and malicious person masquerading as a devout family man, married to a wife that has wicked ambitions of her own -- they seem made for each other. What the wife doesn't realize is that Alby is a latent homosexual and has been hiding his secret successfully for years. Lately, Alby has been sharing clandestine time with another man, also Mormon and very married with his own wife and kids staked out in a beautiful home in suburbia. Dale, the new man in Alby's life has a job as state-appointed trustee of the church sect's funds, but has been finding it difficult to do his job because of his inner desires for Alby's companionship and love. The two men find the time to meet in secret whenever they can; they both cannot ever admit their relationship to their families and followers because homosexuality is considered a sin to the church and they will be outcast from their rightful place in their eternal home in heaven next to Almighty Father (the most prized goal for all Mormons). Alby is so taken by Dale that he gets a secret apartment that they both can share and to be free from the shackles of the outside world.
In the episode that moved me, Alby believes he has finally found his kindred spirit in Dale, but politics and jealousy from Alby's wife come out of nowhere and the men are threatened with exposure. We see Dale trying desperately to reason with church leaders, talking about how he had done all they asked of him while going through "detox" at BYU, and how he would get physically sick from being forced to watch heterosexual porn. Dales cries out for help because he has constant "set-backs" that he cannot control, but the church leaders continue to insist he pray harder and try harder to drive the evil spirit out of him. Pressure also comes to Dale from other fronts that tell him that this inappropriate behavior cannot be tolerated any longer, given what's at stake politically. Dale is torn between what his job requires vs. what his heart desires, and he hurts because he's been hiding this urge all his life, for the sake of others and for his church. Alby's wife, in a fit of despair, is shown going to Dale's house and outing Dale to his wife and kids, behind closed doors. The last scene shows Alby heading to the apartment, trying to contact Dale by cell phone, and you can tell from the conversation that this is not the first time he's called him, but Dale is not calling back. Alby has a huge smile on his face as he opens the door to their apartment, their place to get away from it all, only to be shocked in horror to find Dale hanging dead from the rafters. Alby is beside himself, lying on the floor crying uncontrollably, as the scene fades to black.
What immediately came to my mind is the question of just how many times has a scene like this unfolded this year? Last year? Ever? How many lives have been shattered by the ultimate selfish sacrifice because this world is not tolerant enough to allow all people to live openly in their own lifestyle? And how can one carry on, knowing that the kindred spirit they've been searching their whole life for is suddenly gone forever, leaving their partner behind to pick up the shattered pieces? How can a church be so two-faced as to not accept Dale and Alby for what they are, yet still condone plural marriages and non-consenting unions between very old men and very young submissive girls, barely out of middle school? The hypocrisy is boggling my mind, and is one of the reasons why I cannot accept organized religion as being anything more than a pox on humanity because of all the wars (small and large, menial and global) fought in the name of "God". It is sad and strange indeed. I hope my children will see a more tolerant world than I have.
"Big Love" is the story of a Fundamentalist Mormon man (Bill Hendrickson) and his 3 wives (Barb, Nikki, and Margene), living in a typical suburban Utah town. You would know the actors from other shows they've done, so right away I was curious to see just what drew them to this project. The writing is spot on, and the acting is very entertaining. I know more than a little bit about the Mormon faith -- having lived over 20 years in Phoenix, Arizona, I've come across more than my fair share of Mormon rhetoric, including a one-week stay in Salt Lake City, courtesy of Mormon hosts that were all too eager to satisfy my thirst for knowledge of their history and culture. Polygamy was banned by the Mormon church many years ago, but like an old blood stain on worn carpet, it still won't go away from the mainstream. Fundamentalist Mormons continue to practice Polygamy to this day, even though it is illegal by law and not accepted by church doctrine. It is the foundation behind this devotion to polygamy that drives the show's storyline in general, and the main characters in particular.
One such character is a controversial young church sect leader that has taken over his recently deceased father's followers; Alby is a vile, juvenile and malicious person masquerading as a devout family man, married to a wife that has wicked ambitions of her own -- they seem made for each other. What the wife doesn't realize is that Alby is a latent homosexual and has been hiding his secret successfully for years. Lately, Alby has been sharing clandestine time with another man, also Mormon and very married with his own wife and kids staked out in a beautiful home in suburbia. Dale, the new man in Alby's life has a job as state-appointed trustee of the church sect's funds, but has been finding it difficult to do his job because of his inner desires for Alby's companionship and love. The two men find the time to meet in secret whenever they can; they both cannot ever admit their relationship to their families and followers because homosexuality is considered a sin to the church and they will be outcast from their rightful place in their eternal home in heaven next to Almighty Father (the most prized goal for all Mormons). Alby is so taken by Dale that he gets a secret apartment that they both can share and to be free from the shackles of the outside world.
In the episode that moved me, Alby believes he has finally found his kindred spirit in Dale, but politics and jealousy from Alby's wife come out of nowhere and the men are threatened with exposure. We see Dale trying desperately to reason with church leaders, talking about how he had done all they asked of him while going through "detox" at BYU, and how he would get physically sick from being forced to watch heterosexual porn. Dales cries out for help because he has constant "set-backs" that he cannot control, but the church leaders continue to insist he pray harder and try harder to drive the evil spirit out of him. Pressure also comes to Dale from other fronts that tell him that this inappropriate behavior cannot be tolerated any longer, given what's at stake politically. Dale is torn between what his job requires vs. what his heart desires, and he hurts because he's been hiding this urge all his life, for the sake of others and for his church. Alby's wife, in a fit of despair, is shown going to Dale's house and outing Dale to his wife and kids, behind closed doors. The last scene shows Alby heading to the apartment, trying to contact Dale by cell phone, and you can tell from the conversation that this is not the first time he's called him, but Dale is not calling back. Alby has a huge smile on his face as he opens the door to their apartment, their place to get away from it all, only to be shocked in horror to find Dale hanging dead from the rafters. Alby is beside himself, lying on the floor crying uncontrollably, as the scene fades to black.
What immediately came to my mind is the question of just how many times has a scene like this unfolded this year? Last year? Ever? How many lives have been shattered by the ultimate selfish sacrifice because this world is not tolerant enough to allow all people to live openly in their own lifestyle? And how can one carry on, knowing that the kindred spirit they've been searching their whole life for is suddenly gone forever, leaving their partner behind to pick up the shattered pieces? How can a church be so two-faced as to not accept Dale and Alby for what they are, yet still condone plural marriages and non-consenting unions between very old men and very young submissive girls, barely out of middle school? The hypocrisy is boggling my mind, and is one of the reasons why I cannot accept organized religion as being anything more than a pox on humanity because of all the wars (small and large, menial and global) fought in the name of "God". It is sad and strange indeed. I hope my children will see a more tolerant world than I have.
Monday, March 01, 2010
STRANGE games
yo, IS ANYBODY ALIVE OUT THERE??
1) Oh-lympic Hockey. Wow, what a great couple of games! Some, like Wilbon, call the Olympic hockey matches the greatest hockey tournament ever. More people watched last night's Gold Medal game (between Canada and USA) than any game of the last World Series between the Yankees and Phillies. More than Game Four of the NBA Finals between the Lakers and Magic. What does that tell you? Well, I think MadDog got it right by saying it has a lot to do with the games being on this side of the globe, whereas in 2014 in Russia, it will be (as the kids say nowadays) an Epic Fail. The great thing was the spirit of nationalism -- do we hate Canada? No -- they may be a pain in the arse, but I know they are harmless, just like my neighbor with her weird ill-timed questions about yardwork improvement (usually just after I finished my 4th beer in 10 minutes). Are they the villain like the old Soviet Union? No, it would be like saying your little brother is as much a menace to society as the High School drop-out gang leader in your old neighborhood -- it just doesn't correlate. And in the end, even though we were all pulling for the Good Guys, the Kid slipped on 5-hole past Ryan "I'm standing on my head here!" Miller to win the Gold Medal on home soil -- the first time since...since...gee, when was that again? And who did that then? We only heard about it, oh, EVERY DAY. Hey, I'm cool with Can-ah-Dah winning, it's no biggie to me, it's their national sport, fer chrissakes! And don't give me that lacrosse argument! It would be like if the USA lost the Olympic Basketball tournament on home soil -- it just can't happen (do NOT talk to me about Munich 1972 -- those cheaters are burning in hell for what they did to us. 2 Do-Overs of the last 3 seconds of the game? WTF). Would have loved to see our girls take the Women's tournament, especially since we had the much HOTTER girls on our team -- Good grief, there was not ONE Canadian girl on that team that was even remotely attractive! C'mon, now! No wonder they drank so much after the game -- they sure didn't have any where else to go, same as any other weekend night, I sure!
EXIT QUESTION: Did the 4-on-4 OT rule "cheapen" the win? Lots of smak talk on that issue -- why not have the best of the best go 5-on-5 in Sudden Death OT? Luongo was shaky at best, Crosby would have been double-teamed like he was all game (Crosby actually sucked most of the tournament, but all is forgotten with that GWing goal). What say you?
2) Curling. Didn't know what I loved more -- the tantalizing matches or the reactions of all the newbies to the sport watching it for the very first time and who had no friggin' idea what it was all about. Actually, I take that back -- the matches were fun to watch, whereas the haters and head-scratching viewers were just annoying. Didn't the matches compel you to watch, like a roadside accident you just couldn't look away from? Couple of comments -- {a} our men's team SUCKED out loud. I heard they were all full of themselves before the tournament, thinking they would be serious contenders. Then the so-called captain of the team outright Doinked on the last throw of several matches in a row, resulting in unexpected losses, and just like that, game over. Real Smooth, frat boy. Thanks for nothing. {b} if I never see another up close shot of Canadian women's captain CHERYL BERNARD, it will be too soon. Uh, NBC, this just in: there are other women on the team besides CHERYL BERNARD. I have a question for you (oh, there are SO MANY QUESTIONS for NBC and their coverage, or lack of it, but I digress): where were all these close-ups when the Danish or other Euro women were curling? Those girls came out with a fundraising calendar, and, well, let me just say, it's on my Christmas list from now on. See deadspin.com if you want to know more. Now, if CHERYL BERNARD (capitalized just in case you forgot her name) and her mates posed like "that" in their own calendar, I'll take back all I said.
EXIT QUESTION: If Curling had a televised league match every weekend like bowling or poker, would you watch it? Co-ed maybe? What Say You?
3) Ice Dancing. Now here's an event that I used to go out of my way to purposely run from, any chance I got. Yours Truly, Mr. Traditionalist, would not accept this event as legitimate over Pairs Skating (cuz, you know, I participated in Pairs Skating in my HS Senior Year Winter Carnival, with the fair L. Sinclair, so I'm a veteran! Doesn't matter that we barely could stay on our skates, let alone in sequence -- we were a part of it, dammit! And her hair smelled so good...I think we finished last, but I blame it on the biased wannbe-Russian judges). But then I was introduced to Tanith Belbin. Sounds like: Soft Porn. Holy Moley, who is THAT and where can I get more of it?? I hope you caught the Ice Dancing prelims -- the couples would panto-mine lust even as they got into position before the friggin' start of their routine! It was awesome! The key to scoring, on the ice, besides the synchronicity, is to stay as close to each other's waist as possible, all while twisting and twirling and gyrating on and around each other. My girl Tanith finished Fourth -- she and her "partner" were too overhyped and underestimated the competition. Between the costumes and the acrobatic grab-ass -- and did I mention the subtle soft porn imagery? -- it was incredible to behold. Sign me up for next time around -- I'm sure in 2014 it will get real dirty in Euro-World!
EXIT QUESTION: Will Tanith Belbin please consider a female partner next time? If that happens, the world will surely end. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'....
4) Half Pipe -- dude, like, that was so, like, righteous, man. Funny to watch all the pretenders take turns trying their best, then Shawn White comes over and NOT ONLY wins it easily, he adds another routine that still has people shaking their heads.
EXIT QUESTION: Does any snowboarder remember what he/she had for breakfast yesterday morning?
5) Lindsey Vonn -- how can I finish without props to America's favorite ski bunny? Hey, she nutted up and not only raced, but she pulled a Tiger and won the Gold easily in downhill, on one leg -- she almost lost it at the end, too, she was on one ski just as she crossed the finish line. Talk about balls to the wall. And Julie Mancuso is no sloppy seconds, either. Props to Bode Miller -- thank you for making up for that disastrous choke job in Turin. He's a winner all around -- sure, he let the nation down in 2006, but he got to party like a God in Italy, then he atoned himself with his performance in Vancouver. That ain't workin', that's the way to do it....
6) Sucks that the Luge dude died -- but really, Vancouver? Who was the mental midget that designed that track? "Hey, lets put up exposed steel beams with no padding just as you come out of a hair-raising turn!" Someone needs to be held accountable. I think I'm entitled to answers! I want the truth!
7) Bonus: how would you like to be that Dutch coach that got his skater DQ'ed because he made him switch lanes at the wrong time? That's what happens when you party all night with the Danish Women's Curling team the night before...hey, now that you mention it...
1) Oh-lympic Hockey. Wow, what a great couple of games! Some, like Wilbon, call the Olympic hockey matches the greatest hockey tournament ever. More people watched last night's Gold Medal game (between Canada and USA) than any game of the last World Series between the Yankees and Phillies. More than Game Four of the NBA Finals between the Lakers and Magic. What does that tell you? Well, I think MadDog got it right by saying it has a lot to do with the games being on this side of the globe, whereas in 2014 in Russia, it will be (as the kids say nowadays) an Epic Fail. The great thing was the spirit of nationalism -- do we hate Canada? No -- they may be a pain in the arse, but I know they are harmless, just like my neighbor with her weird ill-timed questions about yardwork improvement (usually just after I finished my 4th beer in 10 minutes). Are they the villain like the old Soviet Union? No, it would be like saying your little brother is as much a menace to society as the High School drop-out gang leader in your old neighborhood -- it just doesn't correlate. And in the end, even though we were all pulling for the Good Guys, the Kid slipped on 5-hole past Ryan "I'm standing on my head here!" Miller to win the Gold Medal on home soil -- the first time since...since...gee, when was that again? And who did that then? We only heard about it, oh, EVERY DAY. Hey, I'm cool with Can-ah-Dah winning, it's no biggie to me, it's their national sport, fer chrissakes! And don't give me that lacrosse argument! It would be like if the USA lost the Olympic Basketball tournament on home soil -- it just can't happen (do NOT talk to me about Munich 1972 -- those cheaters are burning in hell for what they did to us. 2 Do-Overs of the last 3 seconds of the game? WTF). Would have loved to see our girls take the Women's tournament, especially since we had the much HOTTER girls on our team -- Good grief, there was not ONE Canadian girl on that team that was even remotely attractive! C'mon, now! No wonder they drank so much after the game -- they sure didn't have any where else to go, same as any other weekend night, I sure!
EXIT QUESTION: Did the 4-on-4 OT rule "cheapen" the win? Lots of smak talk on that issue -- why not have the best of the best go 5-on-5 in Sudden Death OT? Luongo was shaky at best, Crosby would have been double-teamed like he was all game (Crosby actually sucked most of the tournament, but all is forgotten with that GWing goal). What say you?
2) Curling. Didn't know what I loved more -- the tantalizing matches or the reactions of all the newbies to the sport watching it for the very first time and who had no friggin' idea what it was all about. Actually, I take that back -- the matches were fun to watch, whereas the haters and head-scratching viewers were just annoying. Didn't the matches compel you to watch, like a roadside accident you just couldn't look away from? Couple of comments -- {a} our men's team SUCKED out loud. I heard they were all full of themselves before the tournament, thinking they would be serious contenders. Then the so-called captain of the team outright Doinked on the last throw of several matches in a row, resulting in unexpected losses, and just like that, game over. Real Smooth, frat boy. Thanks for nothing. {b} if I never see another up close shot of Canadian women's captain CHERYL BERNARD, it will be too soon. Uh, NBC, this just in: there are other women on the team besides CHERYL BERNARD. I have a question for you (oh, there are SO MANY QUESTIONS for NBC and their coverage, or lack of it, but I digress): where were all these close-ups when the Danish or other Euro women were curling? Those girls came out with a fundraising calendar, and, well, let me just say, it's on my Christmas list from now on. See deadspin.com if you want to know more. Now, if CHERYL BERNARD (capitalized just in case you forgot her name) and her mates posed like "that" in their own calendar, I'll take back all I said.
EXIT QUESTION: If Curling had a televised league match every weekend like bowling or poker, would you watch it? Co-ed maybe? What Say You?
3) Ice Dancing. Now here's an event that I used to go out of my way to purposely run from, any chance I got. Yours Truly, Mr. Traditionalist, would not accept this event as legitimate over Pairs Skating (cuz, you know, I participated in Pairs Skating in my HS Senior Year Winter Carnival, with the fair L. Sinclair, so I'm a veteran! Doesn't matter that we barely could stay on our skates, let alone in sequence -- we were a part of it, dammit! And her hair smelled so good...I think we finished last, but I blame it on the biased wannbe-Russian judges). But then I was introduced to Tanith Belbin. Sounds like: Soft Porn. Holy Moley, who is THAT and where can I get more of it?? I hope you caught the Ice Dancing prelims -- the couples would panto-mine lust even as they got into position before the friggin' start of their routine! It was awesome! The key to scoring, on the ice, besides the synchronicity, is to stay as close to each other's waist as possible, all while twisting and twirling and gyrating on and around each other. My girl Tanith finished Fourth -- she and her "partner" were too overhyped and underestimated the competition. Between the costumes and the acrobatic grab-ass -- and did I mention the subtle soft porn imagery? -- it was incredible to behold. Sign me up for next time around -- I'm sure in 2014 it will get real dirty in Euro-World!
EXIT QUESTION: Will Tanith Belbin please consider a female partner next time? If that happens, the world will surely end. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'....
4) Half Pipe -- dude, like, that was so, like, righteous, man. Funny to watch all the pretenders take turns trying their best, then Shawn White comes over and NOT ONLY wins it easily, he adds another routine that still has people shaking their heads.
EXIT QUESTION: Does any snowboarder remember what he/she had for breakfast yesterday morning?
5) Lindsey Vonn -- how can I finish without props to America's favorite ski bunny? Hey, she nutted up and not only raced, but she pulled a Tiger and won the Gold easily in downhill, on one leg -- she almost lost it at the end, too, she was on one ski just as she crossed the finish line. Talk about balls to the wall. And Julie Mancuso is no sloppy seconds, either. Props to Bode Miller -- thank you for making up for that disastrous choke job in Turin. He's a winner all around -- sure, he let the nation down in 2006, but he got to party like a God in Italy, then he atoned himself with his performance in Vancouver. That ain't workin', that's the way to do it....
6) Sucks that the Luge dude died -- but really, Vancouver? Who was the mental midget that designed that track? "Hey, lets put up exposed steel beams with no padding just as you come out of a hair-raising turn!" Someone needs to be held accountable. I think I'm entitled to answers! I want the truth!
7) Bonus: how would you like to be that Dutch coach that got his skater DQ'ed because he made him switch lanes at the wrong time? That's what happens when you party all night with the Danish Women's Curling team the night before...hey, now that you mention it...
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