Boomer Cultural Icon Death Alert

Monkees Singer Davy Jones Dead at 66

Davy Jones of the Monkees has died of an apparent heart attack at age 66. The singer – who had been on a solo tour this month - complained of chest pains last evening and was admitted to a hospital this morning in Stuart, Florida.

What a shame.  RIP.

Who'd have thought that Davy Jones would be dead at 66 and Keith Richards would still be alive at 68?  The vagaries of genes and nature are indeed......vague.

Is "prudence" REALLY worth the cost of a nuclear armed Iran?

US, Britain urge Israel not to attack Iran's nuclear program

The age-old question comes to mind; "if not now, when? If not us, who?". While an attack on Iran for the purpose of destroying their nuclear capabilities is most certainly risky, to say the least, is it ant more risky that allowing an unstable and apocalyptic minded regime like Iran acquire the most destructive weapon known to man?

There was a time when the West had the courage of its convictions and could distinguish between good and evil. Granted, during the years leading up to World War II, the West was slow to act upon the blatant evil that was the Third Reich. I'll not defend the foot-dragging that resulted in the murders of untold numbers of Eastern Jews and other targets of the Holocaust, but once roused, the evil of Nazi Germany was revealed for all to see and the commitment to its destruction was absolute. One would think that horrible lesson would span the generations. One would think that the horror of 9/11 would have renewed Western civilization's commitment to the elimination of the barbarism and ignorance that were at the root of that horrible September morning.

It would appear that one would be wrong on all of those counts. We seem to believe that we can negotiate with evil, that "sanctions" can eliminate more than a millennium of benighted, violent ignorance. We seem so certain of these misbegotten ideals that we're apparently willing to risk one of the most dangerous regimes in history obtaining the most destructive weapon ever developed.

This is folly on a scale heretofore unknown by virtue of the cost alone.

"Social Media" and the Adolescentization of America

MA Congessional candidate, SEAN BIELAT's people "defriended" me on Facebook and deleted my comments. Why? Because I dared to call in to account the utter shallowness of accumulating Facebook "friends". I was deleted not for profanity, but simply for my criticism of a lame post trying to drum up 10K "Facebook Friends".

Last night, before I was deleted, I was essentially told to 'either DONATE or go away'. I took exception to its nakedly cynical tone, and even stated that he's a good candidate who's ill-served by such antics. This morning I found I had been "deleted".

No matter, I don't live in MA anyway. The point I was making was the immaturity and lack of seriousness of a post, NOT TOUTING POLICIES, but accumulating "Facebook Friends". SEAN BIELAT's Facebook staff clearly doesn't care for dissent and has achieved the emotional development of a teen-aged girl so I can only assume that my dissent was right on target.

I wish Mr. Biielat the best of luck in his campaign, and When his Facebook staff gets through that annoying puberty thing, I'm sure they'll turn out just fine.

Today in History, The Beatles on Ed Sullivan

On February 9, 1964, The Beatles made their first appearance on American TV on The Ed Sullivan Show. Just three months before, President Kennedy was slain in Dallas; prior to 9/11, that was the seminal historical even of my life. America desperately needed to sing, and the Beatles were more than happy to give us the songs:



I was 10 years old and, along with most of America, I was in front of the old Black and White witnessing history, once again, unfolding in front of me. Even at that young age, I knew I was seeing something very, very special. RIP, John Lennon and George Harrison, you're missed more than you know.

As for popular music, it's still something of an echo of Elvis and the Beatles. You young folk can argue that point all you like, but it's true. All Hail Rock and Roll!

Does the Administration LOOK for ways to annoy Great Britain?

Britain had to plead with US to take part in Iran flotilla

Defence sources have revealed that the Americans only relented and allowed a Royal Navy frigate to join the mission following an intervention from Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president.

The revelation that US defence chiefs saw little military value in UK participation will raise new questions about Britain’s international clout after Coalition defence cuts.

Britain's rich naval history predates the founding of our country by centuries and is a source of British pride. To treat our friends so shabbily and callously is unforgivable, yet is, alas, becoming part of this Administration's policy trademark.

Some women simply do not understand the concept of "Team"

Top among them; Brazilian Supermodels who should be seen and not heard.

Gisele rips Patriots receivers for husband Brady's Super Bowl loss 

NDIANAPOLIS -- Gisele Bundchen ripped into the Patriots receivers for the failed plays she believes cost her quarterback husband Tom Brady a fourth Super Bowl ring 

The Brazilian supermodel was caught on camera lambasting No. 12's teammates after Sunday's game in Indianapolis as she angrily defended taunts against her husband by Giants fans. 

Fans can be heard yelling "Eli rules!" and "Eli owns your husband" as she made her way through Lucas Oil Stadium following the Patriots' 21-17 defeat, the second time Giants quarterback Eli Manning has bettered three-time winner Brady on the Super Bowl stage. 

The comments riled Bundchen, judging by video obtained by online gossip site "The Insider," with the model making it quite clear to those around her who she thought was to blame for Brady's failure to land the win. 

"You [need] to catch the ball when you're supposed to catch the ball," she is heard saying. "My husband cannot [expletive] throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can't believe they dropped the ball so many times."

Maybe Tom will teach her the meaning of "STFU" during the off-season.

Actually, Yes.

Does this fall under the "Not Watching Sausage Being Made" rule?

Yeah, I think it does, and are we supposed to see this as good news?

McDonald’s confirms that it’s no longer using ‘pink slime’ chemical in hamburgers 

McDonald's announced last week that, as of last August, is has stopped using ammonium hydroxide in the production of its hamburgers. MSNBC reports that the chemical, used in fertilizers, household cleaners and even homemade explosives, was also used to prepare McDonalds' hamburger meat. 

And while the announcement is making headlines, you may (or may not) want to know about some other unusual chemicals being used in the production of some of our most-popular foods:

Actually, no, I'd prefer not to know.  If you would like to know, however, please follow the link.  I'll admit that my guilty pleasure was a periodic trip to McDonald's but as I've gotten older, the craving has been less frequent as it just made me feel like crap for the rest of the day.

That this is a chemical used in homemade explosives may explain.........oh, never mind

The United Nations: Constantly Redefining Ludicrous Since 1946

The organization that gives equal voice to despots as well as statesmen and practitioners of genocide as well as champions of freedom and self-determination has the world economy now in its sights.

Does anyone with at least one functioning synapse trust the UN with "retooling the world economy"?   It's like giving Bernie Madoff your 401K to play with in his spare time in prison or having Michael Moore watch your lunch while you go to the rest room.

UN panel says retool world economy for sustainability 

The world can no longer afford to ignore the environmental cost of economic growth and must redefine the very concept of national wealth, a UN panel of heads of state and environment ministers said Monday. 

The panel challenged leaders to recognise that "current global development is unsustainable."
"We need to chart a new, more sustainable course for the future, one that strengthens equality and economic growth while protecting our planet," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in Addis Ababa to mark the release of the panel's report, which outlines more than 50 policy recommendations.

By 2030, the report warned, the planet will need at least 50 percent more food, 45 percent more energy and 30 percent more water. 

These needs are emerging "at a time when environmental boundaries are throwing up new limits to supply," it said. 

Continuing along the same path as today risks "irreversible damage to both ecosystems and human communities." 

Entitled "Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing," the 100-page report seeks to shape in broad strokes the agenda for the Rio+20 summit this summer.

It sounds a lot to me like UN-Speak for "looting and kneecapping the productive First World in order to bestow that loot on the Third World".

I care not if you "like" me on Facebook

I drove by a bank branch the over day and on their electronic message board it said; "Like us on Facebook!"

Why? I know there are some pretty insecure people out there that obsess about how many Facebook "friends" they have (even at the expense of actually, you know, making real friends), but banks? I know that banks aren't the most popular institutions these days, but have they unraveled to the point that their emotional stability is that of a teen-age girl?


The truth is, if most of your "Facebook friends" are essentially strangers, you may want to reevaluate how you're spending your time (you know, you only get so much) and look up "shallow" in the dictionary.


Why can't I dislike something on Facebook?

Oh, and about Warren Buffet and his Secretary

I wonder if Buffet pays Ms. Bosanek a "Demagogue Bonus"? With effective unemployment in this country northward of 10% and people losing their homes, trotting out a billionaire and his $200K+ secretary with two homes as examples of anything, much less the nebulous concept of "fair share" is insulting. 


Look, I'm all about capitalism; make all the money the law allows. That said, casting Berkshire-Hathaway and Warren Buffet as heroic and Bain Capital and Mitt Romney as villainous strains credulity. 


Let's face facts: increasing Capital Gains Taxes and spurring investment in innovation are mutually exclusive.

Is this beginning of the much antiipated "Newt Implosion"?

Gingrich Campaign: Debate Audience Stacked For Romney 

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich rode a strong performance and crowd enthusiasm at a debate in South Carolina to victory in that state’s primary, but the crowds at two debates in Florida this week haven’t been as wild for Gingrich. Now his campaign is claiming that rival Mitt Romney’s campaign stacked the audience at Thursday’s debate with its supporters to shift the energy toward Romney, the Huffington Post reported. 

“They definitely packed the room," Kevin Kellems, a Gingrich adviser, told the Post. 

But that’s not the case, according to both the Florida Republican Party and the Romney campaign. The party, which doled out 900 of the 1,200 tickets, says most of them went to “rank and file” Republicans.

Gingrich professes shock at Romney’s ‘dishonest’ debate performance 

MIAMI —Former House speaker Newt Gingrich said Friday that the reason he seemed less combative during Thursday’s televised debate was that he was shocked by what he described as rival Mitt Romney’s “totally dishonest” replies to several questions. 

In a telephone interview, Gingrich cited Romney’s remarks on immigration, his vote for Democrat Paul Tsongas in 1992 and whether he knew about an ad his campaign is running against Gingrich. 

“I think it’s the most blatantly dishonest performance by a presidential candidate I’ve ever seen,” Gingrich said. At several moments during the debate, Gingrich simply leaned away from his lectern and looked down at his feet because he was so stunned by some of Romney’s statements, he said. He didn’t engage Romney at the time, he said, because “I wanted to fact check. I wanted to make sure he was as totally dishonest as I thought he was." 

Gingrich spoke as a new poll from Quinnipiac University showed Romney back on top in Florida’s high-stakes Republican primary, adding to the momentum for the former Massachusetts governor following a strong debate performance Thursday night.

This clears this primary quandary quite nicely

President John Tyler’s grandson says Newt Gingrich is a 'jerk'

President John Tyler’s grandson Harrison Tyler, 84, says he’s not impressed with the state of politics today and particularly thinks Newt Gingrich is a “big jerk” for his three marriages.

Incredibly, President Tyler, who was born in 1790 and became the 10th president in 1841, has two grandchildren still alive today. His grandson, Harrison Ruffin Tyler, currently maintains the Tyler presidential home, Sherwood Forest Plantation Foundation in Charles City, Va.

The ancestral wisdom of Mr. Tyler may not have taken into consideration that the elimination of "jerks" would seriously limit the available pool of Presidential Candidates.

Alas, an unfortunate unintended circumstance of Mr. Tyler's assertion is that Googling John Tyler Jerk produces some 921,000 results, as of now. I'm sure President Tyler would gratified to be recognized in our modern world. No one really understood "Tippecanoe and Tyler too", anyway.

That's an odd way to bolster confidence, Mr. President

'I make a mistake, every hour, every day': Obama admits his presidency has been flawed... but claims economy is stronger

Barack Obama said he makes mistakes on an hourly basis as President but stood firmly behind his administration's work in bolstering the U.S. economy and jobs market.

The President was in Las Vegas to champion investment in clean energy, declaring the U.S. 'the Saudia Arabia of natural gas' in a speech to UPS workers.

However in an interview with ABC News' Diane Sawyer last night, he said: 'I second-guess constantly… I make a mistake, you know, every hour, every day.'

I have to say, that explains a lot. One does wish this would have come out in the job interview...hell, I wish there would have been a job interview!

David Cameron: UK Rock Star

Well, perhaps that's a bit overblown, but he seems to be one of the few European (forgive me for including Great Britain in that sorry lot) leaders with the courage to speak uncomfortable truths. Kudos for that!



Why is that here, in the cradle of modern capitalism, the points he put forth not accepted fact instead of topics for debate?

Well, I guess it's glad we have this, er, recovery thing going...

US new-home sales fell in Dec., finish dismal 2011

The Commerce Department says new-home sales fell last month to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 307,000. The pace is less than half the 700,000 that economists say must be sold in a healthy economy.

Total sales last year were less than the 323,000 sold in 2010, making it the worst year on records dating back to 1963.

The median sales prices for new homes dropped in December, as builders continued to slash prices. It fell 2.5 percent to $210,300.

The decline in sales comes as other signs suggest the depressed housing market is starting to recover. Construction picked up, sales of previously occupied homes are rising, and builders are slightly more confident.

Is This an Example of "Bad Optics"?

Actually, arrogance may be more like it.

36 Obama aides owe $833,000 in back taxes

Photo Via 

How embarrassing this must be for President Obama, whose major speech theme so far this campaign season has been that every single American, no matter how rich, should pay their "fair share" of taxes. 

Because how unfair -- indeed, un-American -- it is for an office worker like, say, Warren Buffet's secretary to dutifully pay her taxes, while some well-to-do people with better educations and higher incomes end up paying a much smaller tax rate. 

Or, worse, skipping their taxes altogether. 

A new report just out from the Internal Revenue Service reveals that 36 of President Obama's executive office staff owe the country $833,970 in back taxes. These people working for Mr. Fair Share apparently haven't paid any share, let alone their fair share.
Previous reports have shown how well-paid Obama's White House staff is, with 457 aides pulling down more than $37 million last year. That's up seven workers and nearly $4 million from the Bush administration's last year.
Nearly one-third of Obama's aides make more than $100,000 with 21 being paid the top White House salary of $172,200, each.

Someone needs to follow up and see if there's actually anything done about this. For those of you too young to remember, that's why the press used to do.

Bravo Blogmocracy!

A very thoughtful piece and reasoned discussion with regard to a piece in the Washington Post entitled "Four ways Republicans can win Hispanics back" by Jeb Bush.

So far (30+ comments in), the discussion hasn't evolved into a "Bush Bashing" session. Credit where credit is due - KUDOS!

Pick Newt and You'll Likely Get More of This

As I've said before, Newt's quite good at "off the cuff" answers and turning negatives into positives.  Alas, it's far more impressive when an "off the cuff" answer that's used to throttle the questioner is, in fact, true.  While I hate to post a CNN video, facts are facts.


For the video impaired, from Politico:

After nearly a week on the defensive, CNN's John King reports tonight that Newt Gingrich'sclaim about offering witnesses to ABC News in his defense — to rebut the network's interview with his second wife, Marianne Gingrich — was not true.
"Tonight, after persistent questioning by our staff, the Gingrich campaign concedes now Speaker Gingrich was wrong — both in his debate answer, and in our interview yesterday," King said on tonight's edition of John King USA. "Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond says the only people the Gingrich campaign offered to ABC were his two daughters from his first marriage." 

An important victory for John King in his ongoing effort to justify last Thursday's confrontation.

I applaud anyone who beats the press at their own game, but I detest it when it's done with a lie. Sorry, this isn't the stuff that'll beat Obama; it's the stuff that'll make laughing stock out of Newt and anyone who supports him.

Aw, C'mon Blogmocracy, Get a Grip!

What a great site with an equally great problem!

Today, at the ever-tightening circle, we have the discussion: Is Fox News Heading Left? with a smattering of Drudge being a co-conspirator with the GOP establishment to sink Newt.  To Speranza's credit he/she noted that Newt was doing a pretty good job of sinking himself.

The fact is that the stories emerging about Newt are really just the beginning.  He's had a storied, yet checkered career in politics; he's a soaring rhetorician whose flaws and failings simply cannot be ignored and any news organization that would could legitimately be called a "tool".

If the stories are false, prove it.  If they're true, deal with it.  For God's sake, though, the GOP Establishment/Saudi Conspiracy thing is wearing a bit thin.  Well, at least Birtherism is, to their credit, rejected.