Dec 10 2010

Let’s Make A Deal

From The Washington Post:

Charles Krauthammerr: Barack Obama won the great tax-cut showdown of 2010 – and House Democrats don’t have a clue that he did. In the deal struck this week, the president negotiated the biggest stimulus in American history, larger than his $814 billion 2009 stimulus package. It will pump a trillion borrowed Chinese dollars into the U.S. economy over the next two years – which just happen to be the two years of the run-up to the next presidential election. This is a defeat?

Everything about this deal disgusts me and validates my belief that ALL the politicians are two-faced, hypocritical, party-first, damn-the-electorate-full-spend-ahead-whatever-it-takes-to-get-reelected jerks.

This “deal” gets us:

  • Tax cuts (well, not really cuts, but a halt to the imminent increase)
  • Spending increases

What a deal! At a time when our total debt (including unfunded mandates) is roughly $75 TRILLION (that’s right, not the paltry $15 trillion or so that you’ve heard about) we’re gonna add, rather than subtract from that total. I guess it’s that in a world of insanity, it’s the sane man that watches it all go down the tube and shrugs with atlas.

What happened to the great “victory” of the fiscal conservative tea-party republicans? It’s in the same hole as Rangel’s ethics, buried, covered with the feces of our one party government.

Not that I have any strong feelings on the matter.

 

Nov 17 2010

Really Governor?

Take a look at this story from today’s Boston Globe front page:

From The Boston Globe:

Patrick vows to work to change immigration laws – The Boston Globe: [Governor Patrick] said he wants to implement all 131 recommendations contained in an administration report last year, which includes controversial measures such as in-state tuition at public colleges and driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants

That’s right, people of Massachusetts, your governor, the one that YOU elected (I didn’t vote for him) wants to give people that are here by virtue of breaking our laws the same benefits that you work and pay taxes for… which is bad enough… but he wants to do it when the state is facing a $2.5 BILLION shortfall.

Massachusetts had tried several years ago to pass a law granting in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students, saying it would bring in $2.5 million in revenue a year if 600 students enrolled. But the measure failed in the House.

Excuse me? But aren’t all the state universities and colleges already fully enrolled, and in fact over-enrolled? If these 600 people were to gain admission, 600 people from legal residents (including citizens, and legal immigrants) would not be allowed to attend.

The implications of this go well beyond driving and education (when you get a driver’s license, you can register to vote and use it for identification when voting, as an example).

Just as a reminder, the last governor to do the right thing on this issue was Romney, who worked out a deal with the federal government to allow state police arrest illegal immigrants and turn them over to federal authorities… an order rescinded immediately by Governor Patrick.

Think about it people, especially the next time you vote for governor. It really does matter.

 

Oct 6 2010

Are you smart enough to teach grade school?

From Roger Ebert’s Journal :

Are you smart enough to teach grade school?: This is a certification examination for prospective teachers, prepared by the Examiners of Teachers for the Public Schools in Zanesville, Ohio, in the late 1870s:

Uh…. after looking at those questions, I know I’m not smart enough. But what’s of more interest to me is that I’m willing to bet money that most of our teachers today would fail the test too. Certainly some of the questions are archaic, but many aren’t. Here’s an example:

6. Give rule for forming plural of nouns ending in “y,” with examples. Give plurals of staff, radius, miasma, Miss White, rendezvous, talisman, loaf, grief, seraph, Mussulman, forceps, spoonful, who, beef, s, x, 6, and madam. Also give the singulars of kine, ashes, banditi, swine, animalcula.

Yikes! That’s basic stuff… knowing the plural form of various nouns that don’t follow the rules. How many teachers could get the correct answers for the whole question? Can you?

How about this one:

9. Write the past tense and past participle of these verbs:

Lay, Seek, Sit, Get, Dare,Thrive, Lie, Set, Light, Loose, Fly, Flee, Chide, Overflow, Catch, Lose, Swim, Climb, Drink, Stay, Leap, Quit, Swell, Burst, Eat.

Do you remember what a past participle is? If I asked my high school and college kids what it is, would they?

Is this part of the dumbing down of America, or is it the evolution of the language?


Oct 5 2010

YEAH!!! PJ is almost set to direct The Hobbit

From TheOneRing.net:

Peter Jackson Close to Deal to Direct ‘The Hobbit’ | Hobbit Movie News and Rumors | TheOneRing.net™: Now his deal is all but complete, according to individuals close to the project. Both Jackson’s directing fee and percentage of the gross have been settled, though a number of lesser deal points remain outstanding.

This is great news! Now if we can just get past the threatened actors strike and MGM’s financial woes, this project might actually happen!

Sep 29 2010

The Tenth Inning, Part 1

Last night I watched the first part of Ken Burns followup to Bsaeball, The Tenth Inning. Overall it was fantastic, just as the original documentary was. There was one part that stuck out for me though. Much of the show, as expected, was either covertly or overtly about steroids and how it affected the game. At one point, the speaker was the genius comedian Chris Rock, and he said (paraphrasing from memory), “who wouldn’t take a pill to make more money at their job? You would [motioning to Ken Burns off camera]. If you could take a pill to get paid like Steven Spielberg, you’d take it, everyone would.” Ouch! I’d never thought of it in those terms, and if I dig deep, I’d have to admit, reluctantly, that I would. This does not excuse what all the juicers did for all those years, but it makes it more understandable. Thoughts?

Aug 31 2010

100 Great Moments in the Movies

From Roger Ebert:

100 Great Moments in the Movies – Roger Ebert’s Journal: For the centennial of cinema, 100 great moments from the movies…

Some that he forgot:

  • “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.” — Brody to Quint in Jaws
  • “Hey Dad… wanna have a catch?” — Roy Kinsella to his father at the end of Field of Dreams
  • “… we few, we happy few…” — Kenneth Branaugh’s Henry V
  • Alex’s eyes at the end of A Clockwork Orange
  • “… you have offended my family…” — Bruce Lee, Enter the Dragon
  • “I’ll be back.” — The Terminator
  • “I see dead people” — The Sixth Sense
  • The liquid water tentacle in The Abyss
  • Toy Story
  • “My friends… you bow to no one.” Aragorn as he bows to the Hobbits — The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
  • King Kong
  • The jump to light speed — Star Wars: A New Hope
  • “Nice knockers…” — Young Frankenstein
  • The space ship responds — Close Encounters of the Third Kind
  • “What we have here, is a failure to communicate.” — Cool Hand Luke
  • Robert Redford opens his eye at the end of The Sting
  • D-Day — Saving Private Ryan
  • “Who’s on First” — Abbott and Costello, The Naughty Nineties
  • “FREEDOM!” — William Wallace, Braveheart

Any others???

Jun 25 2010

Some Questions for Kagan

From The Washington Post:

George F. Will – A few ‘vapid’ questions for Kagan: Given Elena Kagan’s aversion to “vapid and hollow” confirmation hearings devoid of “legal analysis,” beginning Monday she might relish answering these questions:

As we get ready for another Supreme Court confirmation hearing, George proposes several extremely insightful questions to be asked of the nominee Kagan. Can you think of any more?

Jun 1 2010

YEAH! PJ May Direct The Hobbit

From TheOneRing.net :

PJ ‘may direct The Hobbit’: Sir Peter Jackson says he will step into the breach and direct The Hobbit himself if it becomes the only way to ensure the US$150 million (NZ$219m) film is made after the sudden departure of director Guillermo del Toro.

Well, that’s something I guess. I’ve also read that he can’t because of contractual issues with other movie companies. Someone I read recommended Alfonso Cuaron…. now THAT could be interesting too. Keep your fingers crossed.