Thursday, December 24, 2009

Christmas

Boy, Christmas is much easier when your kids are older. My daughter, who's, Autistic is 21 and totally focused on the WWE (Autistics get focused on something for a while, and it's their whole life) was easy to shop for. I long for the days when she would obsess about, "The X Files". Wrestling? Really? Your parents went to college and we don't live in a trailer. Wrestling? Whatever.

My son is 13, and video games on line with his soccer team buddies is all that's important if they are not actually, playing soccer. And he's old enough to not have to bother with the whole, "Santa Myth". Which is a lot like the whole, "Jesus Myth" which is the, "reason for the season" for religious nuts.

I was born on December 25, 1958. I share a birthday with a, "Deity". Jimmy Buffett. And a lot of people's imaginary friend, "Jesus".

I've SEEN, Jimmy Buffett. Many times, in person. Jesus? Not so much.

Have a happy holiday season, no matter what holiday you like. And to all, a Good Night.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Bowl Games

BYU embarrassed, Oregon State. Wyoming, who was picked to be last in the Mountain West Conference, beats, Perennial, "winner", Fresno State. Utah kicks the crap out of, CS Berkley, who was not ranked (the Utes were ranked 23rd in the Country by the BCS) and Cal was a THREE POINT FAVORITE? WTF?

How bad is the, "BCS Bias"? It's TERRIBLE! It's all about the, East Coast Time Zone. And the, BCS. CAL is better than, Utah? Really? Bullshit.

The BCS sucks, and we need to destroy it, and have a playoff. 16 teams. Until you do, anyone who claims to be, "National Champs" is a jerk off, joke. The BCS sucks.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Health Care, sort of...

I'll go along with, Klugman on this. We had to hold our nose, and vote for it. He's a lot smarter than me. So, it PASSED! It's good. But it's not ALL good. I still need a public option. As does my daughter, and my wife. But it's a start.

Reconciliation, with the majority being smart (meaning, Democrats) could be the answer. I hope so. We have the votes to override the ignorant, rich, self serving, working people hating, "R's". So this COULD happen.

If everything works out right? We might, actually have, a Public Option/Single Payer Health Plan in THIS country, in OUR life time! Like they do in the REST of the civilized world!

WHOO-HOO!

Too much to ask for? I think not. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and, Civil Rights were all passed while we were alive (I'm talking to you, "MHS 77" folks). So it's NOT too much to ask for! It works in France, and, Canada, and, Mexico, and, England, and, Mexico, and, Cuba and I've been to ALL of those countries, and SEEN it work.

Trust me, we need it here. This is a good start. But not an end.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Health Care REFORM

So, it's come to this. We have to kill the bill to save it. Sounds like, Viet Nam when someone said, "We had to destroy the village to save it". MI Ly, I think it was?

The Democrats in this Administration don't have the balls to do the right thing! Pass a public option, a single payer system, a National Health Care program, Medicare for EVERYONE! Call it what you will. And they let a loser, like the moron, Joe Lieberman do this to them? He doesn't like you, he left the party! Why is he still a committee chairman? WTF!

OK, here's the question I have to ask all the, Dem's in congress? HAVE YOU PAID NO ATTENTION TO THE LAST EIGHT YEARS!? When you have the majority, you do what you want! In YOUR case, it's the right thing. In the last eight years, it was the WRONG thing! Just vote down the bill, bring it back through, "reconciliation" from the House, and put in all the stuff above.

Oh, and remove the requirement that people purchase health insurance from the corrupt, and evil health insurance companies! I'm rich, and it would bankrupt ME! It's a bad idea. Don't' do it!

Every other nation in the, "First World" has a national health care system. Why do we have insurance company's running ours? Our health care system isn't the best in the world. We have the best facility's, the best machines, the best care. No question. But MOST of our citizens can't access it!

"Droopy Dog", Lieberman fucked this up for all of us! Why do YOU in the Senate listen to this jerk? Kick him to the curb, vote the bill down, and let it start again in the House. Reconcile this thing through. And don't count, Lieberman as a, Dem. He's an idiot, so he's an, "R" vote. Fuck him. Only the, "R's" are this stupid.

The rest of America WANTS a public option, so cram it down the, "R's" throat. Like they did, Iraq to you. Destroy the Health Insurance Industry, and give everyone in this country health care. We don't need them. They were forced on us.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Health care

How is it, that with a majority in both the House and Senate, the Dem's don't have the guts to tell, Joe (Sheriff Droopy Dog) Lieberman, to take a hike, and pass a bill with a public option? I know, I know, they don't want a filibuster. But would it matter if they did filibuster? Don't' we have the votes to pass it when it was over? Are they going to drag out debate for three more years? Or are they just waiting until after the first of the year, so they don't miss any Christmas vacation?

"God" (every, Republican's, "imaginary friend") only knows.

Glenn Beck is advising his following of mouth breathers who only buy books at Costco, to buy gold. Good advice. Two years ago! Gold is at record high prices right now, and the company's who sponsor his show and sell, you guessed it, gold, are charging a 40% retail markup for THEIR gold. He has a, "3 G's plan": God, Gold, and Guns. Yeah, that will help you through the bad economy that, "W" left us to help his oil/banking/pharmaceutical buddies. As, Stephen Colbert said tonight, he probably has another plan as well. One with, "3 K's in it". Ever seen a, Black guy at a teabag/9-12 rally on TV? Didn't think so.


I went downtown today, which I rarely do since I quit working. My wife likes to take some, "care packages" if you will to the children at, The Road Home every Christmas. She enjoys putting them together, and I put on a concealed weapon, since I arrested a lot of people in that area of town over the last 20 years, and I take her. I'm a Grinch. I can't help it.

I was struck by all the men standing around outside. No where to go, no jobs, and they can't just stay in the shelter all day, I know the rules, as much time as I spent in there as a Probation/Parole Agent for 23 years. And it made me think of something my mother told me about when I was a kid.

She grew up in West Virginia in the, Great Depression. Her father was an, Engineer on the B&O. Died climbing into his locomotive in the 1960's. A railroad man all his life. And during the depression, President Roosevelt created the, Public Works Administration, known as the, "PWA". My mom says the letters stood for, "Papa Works Again" around her house. She had three brothers and a sister.

My wife talks about her father's stories of, PWA work, long before she was born.

It made me wonder, have we made a mistake by bailing out the banks, when we should have just put people to work rebuilding our infrastructure, or improving our National Parks like they did in the 30's and 40's?

Was it the right decision to save the banks that issued the bad mortgages instead of employing the folks who lost their houses, so they could PAY those mortgages? There by saving their house, and the banks at the SAME time?

I'm not an economist, and I admit, I might have NO idea how this really works. And right now, I'm rich, and don't need to work, and my investments are making it so I can stay retired, and not have to go back to work.

But I don't manage them. I pay a guy who knows about this stuff, to do it for me. And four times a year, I meet with him, and do what he tells me. And he does it for a fee of 3/4 of 1% of my money. So If I make money, he makes money. It's a win/win for the both of us.

And, all signs of every previous recession/depression in this country's history shows that unemployment peaks, and sometimes at REALLY high numbers, just as the recovery starts, so it's started now.

But, wouldn't have putting people back to work lowered the unemployment rate, AND saved the banks since people could pay their mortgages? I'm asking, not asserting. I really don't know. And when, Paul Krugman and Thomas Friedman read this (I bought their books, so I'm SURE they read my blog. Right?) maybe they can answer the question.

If anyone knows, Joe Lieberman personally, please tell him the only Democrat in Utah thinks he sucks.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Public Option

Democrats have a majority in the House, and Senate, and they still can't pass a bill with a, Public Option? WTF? I NEED a PUBLIC OPTION! My wife is going blind, and my 21 year old, Autistic daughter takes $300 worth of drugs each month just to function.

And the Republican's in the Utah Legislature took away my retirement health care a few years ago. After promising it to me for 20 years. But they kept it for themselves.

Serve 20 years in the meth labs, and prisons of Utah, in Law Enforcement? You get nothing. Serve a few years in the Legislature? You get lifetime PEHP for you and your family.

Republicans suck ass. And if you work for the State, and vote for any of them? You're an idiot. They hate you. And they will keep screwing you.

And, Ki Willis is the dumbest person in the world, because he works for the state., and he's a, Republican. It's because he didn't really go to college. A total Moron.

If you WORK for a living, you're a, Democrat. Even if you don't knonw it.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Bullshit Championship Series

OH! How much does the BCS suck? So much, that it's worse than Global Warming!


TCU is playing, Boise State, in the Fiesta Bowl. Really? Well that get's the BCS schools out of having to PLAY them! Because they would embarass the BCS school's like, Boise did to Oklahoma and, Utah has done TWICE . To, Pitt. And, Alabama last year.


And last year's embarassment of, Alabama, by, Utah is the whole reason they rigged the system to put, Cinncinatti ahead of TCU, even though, CU barely won over a mediocure, Pitt team yesterday.


TCU is the best football team in the country this year. As, Utah was last year. But the BCS won't let us play for the championship. It's RIGGED!


Texas sucks. And they play in a lousy conference. Iowa State? Any school in Kansas? Baylor? And always, perennial overatted, Iowa and Missouri, who will lose to, "Troy State" in the second or third week of the season. Oklahoma State? Really? They have all the money in the world, and still can't compete.


The BCS sucks, and they say we won't do well against their teams? Well, PLAY us, assholes! You refuse to play us in a, home and home deal! The BCS sucks. And Oklahoma? They suck the most, becasue they can't win the big one, and they lost this year to a MWC team. They wouldn't finish in the top half of the MWC. They stink on ice! Total losers.


Hey, Michigan! Would you like to play, Utah again? In a home and home series? No? Well, I thought so. Notre Dame, we're coming to your place next year. You want to return the favor? Nope? Thought so.


Pitt, you have some balls to play us home and home next year and the next. Good for you.


Hey, Florida! You want to play us home and home? You want to play us at ALL? Nope? Figures.


Yoh! Alabama. You want to play us? No one is returning the call.


Yeah, the BCS says we don't play, "any one".


"Bullshit Championship Series". Again

OK, Texas did WIN, but it was shady. Alabama, despite the fact that their fans were total jerks in New Orleans last, January, kicked ass. But do they belong in the, "National Title Game" (it's a joke, too)? I think not.

I think not, because, I think, Texas sucks, and they play in a lousy Conference. THEIR Conference includes perennial bottom feeders like, Baylor; Both schools from Kansas, and Iowa State; and constantly overrated members (at the start of every year), Missouri and Iowa.

Oh, and I almost forgot! Oklahoma, who couldn't beat, BYU from OUR Conference this year.

TCU is the team that should be playing, "Bama" in the title game. Texas should have to prove themselves against, Boise State in the, "Fiesta Bowl".

But it's not going to happen. The BCS schools, and more importantly, the BCS/East Coast Time Zone media/Disney/ESPN/Fox will decide the Bowl games and this is how it's going to shake out.

Rose Bowl, already decided. Oregon vs. Ohio State. Orange Bowl? Cincinnati vs. Georgia Tech, because it's close for both of their fans, and nobody else in the country cares. Two shitty Conference's who couldn't compete for a good Bowl if it were not for the BCS. TCU will get to play, Florida in the, Sugar Bowl since they are both schools who are within, "Shouting" distance of, New Orleans. Enjoy it, TCU fans, it's a great town. We did last year, when we kicked, Alabama to the curb.

The, Fiesta Bowl is a bit of a mystery. Maybe, Boise State, since they are close by, and some of their fans will travel. But not as many as the 70K, Utah brought in 2005. And some other, 'Also Ran" from one of the, Bullshit Championship Schools, like, Iowa.

Every year, Iowa and, Missouri are ranked in the top 20 to start the season. And every year, without fail, one of them loses to, Troy State, or some other team they schedule for a, "payday" victory. Same with, Iowa State.

Hey, Cyclones? When did you last beat, UNLV?

I just checked, CBSsports.com for their, Bowl predictions. They have, Utah going to BOTH the Las Vegas Bowl, AND the Poinsettia Bowl. I don't think that can happen. But it would piss off the, BYU fans! So I'm all for it.

And if anyone from the, Macco Bowl at Las Vegas is looking at this (I doubt it), are you sure you want, "But You're Uneducated" in your game for the fifth, or fourth, or third, whatever, year in a row? Really? Mormons don't drink or gamble. And they stay with relatives, and eat at, "The Ward House". They don't spend any MONEY in Las Vegas!

Lavelle Edwards said, years ago (and I'm paraphrasing here) that, BYU fans go to, Las Vegas with an, Honor Code and a $20 Bill, and they don't break either one! I think he was right.

If you want to do right by Las Vegas' dealers, strippers, waitresses, waiters, you want to take the Utes. I've already reserved my time share condo for the game. I'd have to cancel the reservation if we end up in San Diego.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Ranting about a restauraunt

It's, Deb's 55th birthday today, so we all went out to dinner. She wanted, Italian.

Being from, Murray, I'm thinking, Italian Village! Not so much on her part.

We went to, Lugano in the Millcreek area. We've been there before. It's awesome.

My son, ordered the mussels. He saw them in Paris a few years ago, and loved them, and orders them all the time he can now.

My, Autistic daughter ordered Pinne. As usual. But she said it's awesome.

Dinner was awesome, and we had the best waitress in the world. Her name was, Rose, and she's great!

Awesome beat salad, great wine that, Rose suggested, totally a great meal. And, Rose was awesome. I hope I tipped her enough at the $120 bill and tipped her $25. That's better than 15% isn't it? I hope so.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Tiger

Has every guy in the world gone to bed thinking, "I wish I'd wake up in the morning and be, Tiger Woods"? Well, not THIS morning! Boy. He's got some, "Splainin' to do" in Florida.

You make your living playing golf. You get over $100M every year just for letting Nike and other company's use your name and wearing their stuff. You married a Swedish Model, who is drop dead beautiful. You are the most recognized, and popular athlete in the WORLD, like, Muhammad Ali was in the 60's. You live in a mansion in, Florida. You went to, Stanford, so you're not a dumb ass, but you did some really dumb ass stuff. WTF, Tiger?

If you are so so unhappy that you will bed any waitress/hostess/club manager who will sleep with you (and it's not just because you're a good looking guy. See the paragraph above for the reasons they want to sleep with you) what is it, exactly, that your life is lacking? And how do the rest of us, "Mortals" possibly resist the temptations of the flesh in our own, shallow, lives? If you can't do it when you have everything, how does the guy who gets a wink from the checker at the local 7-11 keep from hitting on her!

You ask for privacy to solve your family situation. Fair enough. If you want privacy, don't be the most popular man in the world, and then cheat on you wife, crash your car at 0225 in the morning, and not explain it, and tell the Cops who show up to investigate to, "take a hike" for three days.

YOU tossed, PRIVATE out of this story. You have to step up, admit your guilt, and make it right with you family, and the world. Because the world is your fan base. And your, "apology" today on your web sight? WTF? You kidding me? You have to have at least one PR guy in your employ who told you that was bullshit. You have to do better.

John Lennon once said something to the effect of, any one who thinks they would like to be rich and famous should try being rich first. Because famous isn't that great. Well, Tiger, I guess you just proved his point.

Rich people have affairs, and screw up all the time. They have to deal with their family and the people they have wronged. Rich and FAMOUS people have to deal with the whole world.

And even when you do this, it's not over. One of these women will tell her story and sell her pictures to, Penthouse magazine for way more than you should pay her to shut up about it. Your wife has been hurt. Your kids have to take the heat when they are older.

I can't say I wouldn't do what you did in the same situation you were in, but I like to THINK I wouldn't jeopardize everything YOU have. I do understand it on a, "guy" level. We can NEVER have enough women, no matter HOW beautiful our woman at home is. But I'm a retired Cop, been married to the same woman for 25 years, and have enough money to be real comfortable. I'm not pretty any more, if I ever was. But you have a lot more to lose, and a lot more to be comfortable with. What were you thinking?

I can't wait for your side to come out, because the women you cheated with will have their side come out soon. Very soon. In, US magazine, People, the tabloids, on TV, and oh, I hate to think what could happen here, but the Internet!

I'm sure this is going to get uglier before it gets better.