Friday, October 8, 2010

"S&#@" Mr. Robinson wrote, if he remembers

"Make a Hole, Make it Wide"

In a past blog, Big Poppa was talking about how today's candidates cannot use "taken out of context" of something they wrote or spoke in the years past, using Ms. Christine O'Donnell as an example. However, Big Poppa thinks he found someone even more profane in their "out of context" words then Ms. O'Donnell's witchcraft history.

After watching the his favorite hockey team lose in their home opener and a few green bottle Heineken's tossed away (yes I recycle), Big Poppa turned on the Rachel Maddow Show.

I admit, I turn on Maddow's TV show for about 10 minutes nightly, as I do with Hannity, O'Reilly and Lawrence O'Donnell. Sorry folks, I never liked Olberman, not even when he was on ESPN. Although I do belief CNN's needs to revive Crossfire and I do miss Scarborough Country, even though I watch good 'ol Joe every morning.

Sorry got off track, where was I... Oh yes, Rachel Maddow (has she ever thanked the Bow tie Tucker Carlson for the TV spot?)

So Maddow had a guest on by the name of Art Robinson. Mr. Robinson is running as the GOP candidate in Oregon. Now I admit, I stumbled upon the interview 1/4 of the way thru, dang(!) it, I wished I saw the beginning.

These two went at it, Mr. Robinson kept saying Maddow was being sarcastic and interrupting him during his answers, yet he did the same to her. How Maddow didn't pull a FOXNews Meghan Kelly and have his mic pulled is beyond me.

Maddow, trying to understand Mr. Robinson as the viewing audience, asked him about his past writings to which Mr. Robinson called her interview a "smear campaign." What I got out of this interview was; Mr. Robinson is a Scientist, teaches at the local University, and he's not a politician. I also got that he performed one too many experiments on himself.

Maddow printed off some his writings, in a newsletter he publishes, with his thoughts of: AIDS was a government experiment and a little radiation won't hurt anyone.

See this is what Big Poppa was talking about, if you're gonna run for office, you better know what you said in the past.

The radiation thing got me. According to Mr. Robinson, the best way to get rid of nuclear waste is a process called "hormesis" which he is basically taking the nuclear radiation down to the smallest ion and then spread it out over the ocean and even into the air above the United States. Because according to Mr. Robinson's writing a little radiation is good for everyone!

But that was all we were able to learn about it, because he wouldn't admit he wrote about it and that Maddow was taking it out of context.

Better explanation would've helped his cause.

Like I said, I watch maybe 10 minutes of her show, but the train I saw and how she handled it was classic. You can her annoyance, once banging her head against her desk plus how uncomfortable Mr. Robinson was by spinning side to side in his chair.

That was much better then "S&^* my father says" on CBS

"I'm not witch, but played on TV"

"Make a Hole, Make it Wide"

Big Poppa's still trying to fathom the thought of "How stupid do political candidates think the public is?"

We live in an age when anyone can google anything they want, especially those running for government. Take this blog for instance, if Big Poppa decided to run for public office, anyone could just google my name and read all my past thoughts on political topic and attempt to use those words against.

But we live in the world of YouTube as well, so if I made a video diary of those thoughts as well, well how could I dispute them? Answer is, I couldn't.

Anything that is put on the web or in print over the past 10-15 years is easily accessiable with a few typed keywords, so how do these candidates get around it, they say they were taken out of context! How insane is that. "Well yes I was talking about skinning a cat out in the bayou, but that was taken out of context" Even though the video may show other, like say a skinned cat.

So what am I really getting at, well over the past few weeks, some of these candidates, from both sides of the aisle, still think they can get away with "out of context" situations. Some cannot and must face the evidence.

Take Ms. Christine O'Donnell for example. Now I've watch Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect show way back when (geez talk about showing ones age) and she had been a guest about 15 times or more. Bill Maher owns all the rights to that show, so he has all the video. So M.s O'Donnell back in the day states she had dabbled in other religions from Christianity to Hinuism to Buddism and even Witchcraft on one episode. And in another she said she went one date with someone who was part of the Witchcraft religion. Yet there is other video from her on MTV years past talking about her Christian faith and all.

Ms. O'Donnell's campaign team realized a pathetically made commercial where she states "I am not a Witch" which fine, but her campaign staff should be fired. The sad background and dark clothing made it drab and easy to poke fun of. Add some color, she's a cheerful person for Pete's sake. If they were smart, they should've let her talk about her past, wanting to learn about other religions in comparison to her faith in Christianity. By doing that, it makes her more well-rounded, more intuitive of a person. Afterall, in this day when people are attacking others about their religions, it gives Ms. O'Donnell a more "worldly" appearance, as in she knows about these religions, as opposed to those who hear a bad thing about one religion and start a crusade against it.

I give her Democratic opponent, Chris Coons, credit. During their debates, he has only debated policy and not character, which in itself is a breathe of fresh air in these volatile political times

Monday, September 20, 2010

It's 2009 and "W" is still affecting us

"Make a Hole, Make it Wide"

Gotta steal the "you betcha" from Sarah Palin. Everyone knows Bush Tax Cuts are set to expire on Dec 31, 2010, yet the Media and the candidates are portraying as if they are expiring on election day. Wise up America.

Everyone loves the term "Tax Cut," who doesn't? I remember when President "W" Bush took office and his usage of the term "Stimulus" had people running to their mailboxes looking for a check in 2001 & 2003. Congress has forgotten that to impose "tax cuts" there must be offsets in other funding from education to the military to even their own agendas.

Gotta give President "W" Bush credit, he was smart on putting "end dates" on legislation. He's timing of the Afghanistan/Iraq war funding was off the books until 2006. His tax cuts set to expire in 2010. Great timing why? Election cycle.

Under President Bush, however, whose tax plan Senator John McCain wants to make permanent, only 4.8 million jobs were created. President Clinton, however, created 23million jobs after raising income taxes and investing at home.

You simply cannot keep the Fed at Zero percent, keep the Bush Tax Cuts and want to cut spending.

The abyss between the far Right and far Left keeps growing.

Both parties worked together with Reagan, Bush I and Clinton. Everyone could disagree but come to a respectable conclusion in the end. All that ended in 2000 and now, we the American public is paying the price for the abyss.

Minority leader John Boehner keeps talking about taking spending back to 2008 numbers. But why 2008? Why not 1998 or 1996? The Republican answer is not the best nor is the Democrat answer. Face it, neither party has the absolute perfect answer, only the answer people want to hear.

Best example: Everyone knows about the housing burst a few years back and Republicans were quick to blame President Clinton and Rep Barney Frank for the meltdown. But if Republicans knew for so long that there was to be a meltdown, why did they run on the notion "under a Republican led Congress and White House, American home ownership has sored to incredible numbers" as they did from 2002 thru 2006? Part if President Bush's re-election campaign in 2004 was that statement. Yet they did nothing to fix the problem, brushed it under the carpet and prayed for the best and as soon as the bubble exploded, they immediately pointed fingers to the opposite aisle for the problem, never once answering why they never fixed it when they could.

Simple answer, they didn't want to take peoples chances of home ownership away or to lessen ones chances. And because they didn't want to, they let the system collapse.

With an every growing deficit, something, anything must be down, we cannot afford to run this deficit higher, it's obvious neither party wants to work with the other during this great partisan abyss and we suffer.

Now, there are people calling for the Federal Government to do more than impose sactions on Iran, but how? We can't afford any more War. President "W" Bush made that possible.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Stay the Celebrity Sarah

"make a hole, make it wide"

Quick, pour Big Poppa a double and pass the extra peanut bowl.

Here's a question: If, indeed, Sarah Palin does run for President in 2012, which Sarah Palin will run; Sarah the cliche Celebrity or Sarah the cliche Politician?

When she does decide, she really needs to decide which personality it shall be. The public has gotten used to Sarah the Celebrity since November 2008 and to run for President she needs to revert back to Sarah the Politician.

Currently, Sarah the Celebrity has been able to call all the shots in the Media. When she is engaged on the lecture circuit, she controls who is in attendance, how long people are allowed to record her statements, where she will speak, and which questions she will accept to answer ahead of time. This won't cut it for the political arena. If she keeps that regimen, she will look more elitist, will have more political attacks against her of being outside the mainstream. If she keeps the Media to minimum, she'll be able to rent the "Short Bus" for those reporters.

As every Monday, the weekend polls were released and it showed that President Obama was ahead of Sarah Palin if the two are to square off in 2012 Presidential campaign. Even in these bad times and his approval numbers hovering around 47%, President Obama had 43% of the poll compared to Palin's 31%, with a +/- of 3%. Does this prove that America just doesn't trust Sarah Palin?

Palin talks about how she ran Alaska as governor and even took on "twitter" fight with California's Gov Swarzenegger, talking about how fiscal Alaska government was. Here's the hidden fact, Alaska is #1 in receiving federal funds to operate. And when you compare the population between Alaska and California, Alaskans should be considered a "welfare" state. So for someone who talks about taking the federal government out of the state process, how would Alaska fare? Well they would be one of the poorest states in the nation.

Keeping herself to FOX News only, albeit it will be her choice, can be devastating. She needs to be seen more (I can't believe I said that) if she does indeed run. She needs to take the hard edge questions, no powderpuff softball questions will do. She'll have no excuses if she answers incorrectly this time around.

Also what will happen to her "endorsed" candidates of 2010? Will they follow her, win or lose this midterm, around the nation, kissing babies, gladhanding, etc.

There are only so many "you betcha" moments people will stomach during an election and around the World.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Let the implosion begin.. Big Poppa needs to take control

"Make a Hole, Make it Wide"

My oh my, how the implosion has begun. What on Earth is going on with the Republican Party? They really have gotten away from the "Grand 'Ol Party" mantra now haven't they.

The Republican Party has been given a gift with the entrance of Tea Party nationwide. No matter how many Tea Parties are formed in one state or another, they all have the belief in the hatred for the Democratic Party. There might be the smallest of factions that might support a Democrat, but that is a rare breed. But still, they will side with the Republican Party as the lesser of two evils.

So the Tea Party candidate this midterm has taken 7 prominent seats away from the Republican choice or incumbent, yet even though the Tea Party candidate will bring in both Republican and Independent votes alike, the Republican Party cannot find it in their hearts to truly back that candidate. And even better the loser of the Republican Primary, be it Tea Party or Republican, has yet to endorse the winner. Bad blood is flowing.

This brings Big Poppa to the latest primary where Tea Party candidate Christine O'Donnell has beaten incumbent Mike Castle in Delaware. Ms. O'Donnell won by a mere 4,000 votes, but a victory is a victory. And even though the very next day, the state branch of Delaware Republican Party gave her a $42,000 donation, they can't say the words of endorsement.

Big Poppa is also wondering how much crediablity Karl Rove actually has in the GOP? Many have backed Rove's attack on Ms. O'Donnell's personal debt ranging from college to home bills to some of her past statements. Yet, this attack makes Rove and others look more elitist then the Liberals they war against.

Rove is still wondering how he was wrong in 2006 to which Democrats massively won and many still hold his ignorance in that election year against him.

Ms. O'Donnell is the Republican "wet dream" to win in Delaware, the home state of VP Joe Biden. She's got religion, she's been in a political scene fighting for abstinance since her early teen years, and she's proof at that there needs to be economical change and that current policies over the last 15 years need corrected. Maybe that's the issue, maybe she's too picturesque of the current times.

We've seen politicians in office who have some sort of personal issue, whether it be not claiming income from rental property (Rangel {D}), claiming awards not won (Mark Kirk {R}), or even extra marital affiars (too many to list)and even out of character statements. Yet many of these politicians were given a pass by their constituents and even their party at one time or another. Why not Ms. O'Donnell?

I don't care if Ms. O'Donnell was endorsed by Sara Palin. Palin's endorsement came one week before the primary and Palin's endorsement was half-assed to begin with. So now Palin is battling Rove, Opinionator is battling Opinionator, and all the Democrats need to do is sit back, point to the infighting, make their points, choose their words lightly and victory can be had in November. Why does that seem easier to say then believe that Democrats can stay on message?

One last note for Ms. O'Donnell, your campaign manager needs to capitalize on Rove's and others attack on her personal character. Honestly, this is a great example of how the Tea Party can rock the establishment, whether it be the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. Now I am not defending nor endorsing Ms. O'Donnell in anyway, however, I am saying that her personal conflicts with outstanding personal debt and beliefs make her look even more of a "common" person amongst the political elite masses. A great reason as to why a Tea Party was formed, to hit the politicians and their political machines in the jaw and say "look who we are, have you forgotten about us?" If Ms. O'Donnell's campaign manager does not use this gift to her advantage, then I say fire him and Big Poppa will run her campaign for free.

Seriously, Ms. O'Donnell needs to be in the Media, not just FOX, but everyone who will let her voice be heard, let her speak her mind on the topics, let her express her financial hardships, as her hardships are what many Americans are experiencing right now. The attacks on her from the Republican Party only prove more how out of mainstream the Republican Party currently is.

So sayeth Big Poppa.... So sayeth the Pub!

Pass the peanuts

Monday, September 13, 2010

How I spent my 9/11 rememberance

It is rather disgusting that anyone would hold a political rally on a date like 9/11. A day to remember the tragedy that happened upon our country, yet in this day, age, and media coverage people find it easier to hold politic rallies on such a sacred day.

I was fortunate this year to spend time with my family, like 130,000 of my fellow Pittsburghers, and spend the day at the Pittsburgh Airshow. We walked among the many members of our Armed Services, watching some our finest military vehicles show their powerful display in the sky above. Being able to let my 4 year old son, see up close the military might that we have. That very military might that protects us and our freedoms. Handshakes and "thank yous" were said by many to all in uniform. There was no politics spoken on this day, at least not in Pittsburgh.

There were many, countrywide, holding some sort of observance in 9/11, whether it was a trip to Ground Zero or a bike ride to Shanksville, Pa or even a trip to Washington D.C. Most Americans gathered in spots to hear the names of those fallen or pay respects in one form or another. Many remember what they were doing on 9/11 some nine years ago. But I find it disgraceful that some people would hold a political rally on such a day.

What happened on 9/11 is an American tragedy, not a blame game on an administration of that day or prior, yet some feel that it must be done. I am not talking about Pastor Terry Jones, a man I believe is no man of the cloth yet just another Snake oil salesman stoking a fear of ignorance.

Why don't we hold a huge rally on Dec 7 as well? Seriously, many Americans, both military ans civilian died on that day as well. But we hold moments of remembrance of those who choose to protect our values. There are no demonstrations, no rallies, only respect and peace.

As 9/11 is this century's version of Dec.7, people are engaged differently in remembrance. People like Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin hold a political rally on 9/11 in Wasilla, Alaska not in remembrance, but in fear. All I have read about their rally, makes me wonder "is there nothing people will not do for money and attention?"

Glenn Beck talks about how everyone felt on 9/12, the patriotism that fell upon us, everyone no matter their religious belief, no matter the color of their skin, everyone on 9/12 felt a larger commitment to their love of this country. And now, people want to capitalize on it.

Charging $65 to $225 a ticket to hear Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin speak on this day is simply disgusting. Was there merchandise on sale as well? A booth to buy another Glenn Beck book? There was no coincidence that Beck/Palin held a rally on 9/11, if you believe so, then you are blind.

Having a alcohol and non-alcohol section at a 9/11 rally is disgusting. Why must there be alcohol at all? I don't see anyone doing such on Dec 7. I don't see people lined up at the USS Arizona Memorial Budweiser stand. Why? Because there isn't one. Don't people know how to pay homage to those who lost their lives without a beer in hand?

In excerpts from her 5 minute speech, Sarah Palin mentioned "that our government has become complacent since 9/11." Really? Complacent?

According to Sarah Palin, our government has become self satisfied with its actions after 9/11? How do you feel about feeling complacent, self satisfied with not completing the task of bringing Osama bin Laden to justice? How do you feel after 9 years in Afghanistan and many soldiers loves lost, knowing that al Qaeda and the Taliban are making a return to the region to which our brave soldiers removed them from? If our government was to "eager to please" in its complacency, then why didn't we bring home our soldiers after the Taliban government's fall?

9/11 should be a day to put all things political aside. We celebrate our Declaration of Independence on July 4 with fireworks and patriotism and we should celebrate 9/11 in memory of the many innocents that were lost and remember the heroics of those that day. But not with drink or fireworks, but with solence, faith and kindness.

Back in September 2005, Glenn Beck once said "it took me about a year to start hating the 9/11 families." Close to a year later, Conservative author Ann Coulter attacked 9/11 widows saying "I've never seen people enjoy their husbands' deaths so much." Rather heartless by the two, yet neither has apologized for those statements.

Yet on 9/11/10, Glenn Beck and Sara Palin decided to hold a rally. They are blind to remembrance as they are ignorant that for one day they cannot be political in their actions and the love of attention. 9/12 was about being together as one nation, patriotism against a cowardliness foe that has disdain for us about our values and principles. Somehow, somewhere at sometime, that 912 feeling lost its soul after and has become just another corporate sponsored political rally.

Glenn Beck has become blind to himself and deaf to his own words when speaking of restoring "9 principles and 12 values" in America. Beck once talked of how America came together the after the 9/11 attacks. I guess a $32 million dollar empire will let you say whatever you want and feel you have no responsibility for its outcome.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Re-debate the Bush Tax Cuts

OK so President "O" has decided to once again use federal money to boost job creation. A new $50 billion infrastructure plan, call it Recovery Act Junior, since its planned price is far less then the original. It took about 15 seconds for the GOP establishment to sink their teeth into the plan and tear it apart.

Now Big Poppa is not agreeing with President "O" and latest plan, but it's a plan and not the same mantra the GOP regurgitates every time anyone questions the Economy and Job Creation.

But let's be clear on who is paying for half of President "O's" junior plan, the Gas and Oil Industry. Companies that make billions off the consumer, yet keep their tax shelters in Europe and Asia. We consume the second largest amount of gas and oil on Earth, yet we get stuck with large rate increases every year. Sure they, the Gas and Oil Companies, say the rate increases are to help pay for new equipment and such, yet where is that equipment? Sure you might see a new company vehicle, but they get those on discount. Ford ain't #1 in truck sales due to sales to regular joe's, no they sell those beasts at a large discount to these companies. You pay $24,000 for that sweet F150, they pay $13,000 for it. (Note: I am not knocking Ford, I love Ford vehicles).

More tax cuts cannot happen in this day and age. On paper, it's looks awesome, the math sounds awesome, but reality is, when you bring in less money and the bills keep rising, you gotta find a way to bring in the cash. Sure making spending cuts help, but that's short term.

My idea, let the Bush Tax cuts expire for everyone. Wait wait, don't go burning my house yet. Since those wonderful elected officials that love to see their faces on tv all the time can't agree on the Bush Tax Cuts, let them expire and start fresh.

I know it's crazy, but when the Healthcare Plan was being debated in 2009, how many times did the GOP ask to scrap the plan and start from scratch? All the freakin' time. So why not now? Simple answer, because the Bush Tax Cuts were a GOP idea and they don't like to renegotiate their ideas.

Taxpayers have been paying for 2 wars, both of which were off the books till 2008 (wonder why?), a disastrous Medicare Plan B plan (that GOP officials said they had no idea how to pay for), natural disasters, replenish our military (equipment and soldiers), and the much needed healthcare of our returning soldiers (of which President "W" tried to cut in half). No wonder our deficit was close to $10 trillion dollars by the end of 2008.

Neither party has the answers to all of our ills, spills and shrills, but it seems like the GOP likes to tell taxpayers they have the playbook for success, but never offers a nuggett of their thoughts. Come on Republicans, give us a flash of something other then taxcuts for the rich and controlled spending, because you guys sucked at controlling spending for over a decade!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

A smidgen of correctfulness

"Make a Hole Make it Wide"

Well Big Poppa's sitting in his usual spot at the end of the bar, listening to the multitude of conversations, man can people complain without even taking a moment to breathe. Conversations about Glenn Beck's "Revival" get together to Obama screwed everything to Bristol Palin's appearance on Dancing with the Stars all got their notaration from many. Meanwhile, their frosty brews suffer the indiginity of not being drank. Have people no compassion for their brew?!

Ok, so "It's all Obama's fault for everything going downhill in this country!" is a statement I find hard to swallow. I can agree that his presidency has not been the best and all those talk "opinionators" admit that even McCain or Hillary would've not faired as well as Obama so far. But you'll never here that from those the regurgitate the venom of their favorite talk "opinionator."

Yes, we have a record debt at $13 Trillion according to ZFacts.com and since 2007 it has risen by $4.16 Billion daily.

So now that President Obama has declared Iraq a success and gave some credit to President Bush, one needs to go back and look at the total cost of the War in Iraq. There's one problem with that, there really is no real accounting for the War in Iraq since, until 2007, that war cost was off the books. Then in 2007, the cost finally started to be added and our debt goes up. And of course, since Democrats were in charge they get the blame.

Remember this, VP Dick Cheney making his daily Sunday news rounds, boasting (somewhat like a used car salesman) that we would be greeted with rose petals thrown at our soldiers combat boots and the cost would be a mere $200-$300 billion dollars. WOW!, who gave him those projections, they were only off by a smidge of nearly $700 billion!

Meanwhile, 9 years later, in a mountainous bunker somewhere on the Pakistan border, Osama bin Laden sits, albeit not as powerful as he once was, but still not brought to justice as we at home argue over a Mosque that will sit 6 blocks from Ground Zero. (Note: there's already a mosque there and it's 4 blocks away)

It is also fact that under the Clinton Administration, our debt dropped and rose again at the beginning of the Bush term. Hm, I recall something about a Surplus under Clinton, what happened to it? Oh yes, Bush kept his campaign promise and gave everyone a STIMULUS Check between $150 to $300, depending on if you were single or married.

There are many, oncew again "opinionators" and those that regurgitate their words, who say that Clinton's Surplus was actually never there and was an accounting error. So my response to them is; So then President Bush had a whole lot of bad checks written out to Americans at our own expense." No one ever answers that when it's asked. Wonder why? Because they have no answer, they just want to say Clinton was a bad president.

Is it pure hatred to be against another political party here in the US? Or is it just the person in charge? I was not a fan of President Bush, but he was still my president in a country I love dearly. You don't have to chest thump for every move a president does, Teddy Roosevelt was hated by many in hos own party because he did what he felt was right, not because the Party told him to.

Do people really believe 100% of what their politcal party believes or, once again, is it pure hatred of the other political party? Seriously, if you beleive 100% with your party, then you are not listening. Neither party has 100% of the answers, neither party is 100% perfect either. Both want your votes, both want to be in power and both will use you and whatever grassroots Tea Party or Coffee Party you want to belong to until Election Day. Then after that, you become a phone number on a bathroom stall somewhere in middle Nebraska.

A great example is that people blame President Clinton for destroying our military but "laying off" soldiers. Yet it's proven that the idea to "downsize" our military came under President George H.W. Bush's term. And who was the genuis of that calamity, Defense Secretary Dick Cheney. In Bush's final year, more soldiers were let go due to downsizing then in any under Clinton. Clinton can be blamed for poor military morale and extremely taking to long to decide, but he did help modernize our military further then his predecessor.

OK, well somehow my frosty cold brew has gone flat and I need to help the economy by ordering another.

Pass that bowl of stale peanuts, go light up and pay your political tab.

Big Poppa's out

Monday, August 23, 2010

Yellow journalism Fox style

"Make a Hole Make it Wide"

Big Poppa's gotta apologize for last week's post. I must've still been stuck in vacation mode, because there was no intro or ending to the post!

Sunday morning came and the Sunday paper hadn't arrived yet, so I turned on the news for background noise as the coffee brewed. I didn't even know what I was listening to until I heard all this whining about other network coverage of this or that event. I checked the cable guide and it's some sad show on Fox called "Fox Media Watch."

"Why did NBC get to ride with the Stryker Brigrade?" "No one else did and that's this White House's usage of the Media for their own posturing." Really? Seriously? I guess 8 years of "Exclusive" White House coverage has turned you guys into the ignorant bratty kid on the Media block. We had 8 years of VP Dick Cheney at your studios while the door was slammed in the other Medias face.

There's a simple answer as to why NBC got the ride-along. THEY ASKED FOR IT!According to the Pentagon, no one from CBS, ABC, and so on never asked!

And then FMW's round table of whiners start to downplay the event by stating "well there are still 50,000 combat troops left, so why the exclusive on the Stryker Brigade?" Um, simple, those troops that are left, while stilling being combat ready are more for training and support services. This now begins the end of U.S. taxpayer funded administrations of Iraq operations. Or simply "it's time for Iraq to out on their big boy pants (or whatever they wear).

"Plus all the civilian corporations still working. Why no exclusive there?" Here's a thought, does the Media report on every corporation working in foreign lands? No, because that's not an exclusive, unless it's something awesome like restoring the oil fields. Oh wait no one did that, not even Fox. Or how about that story about the Coca-Cola driver in Bombay who saved the Pepsi driver from that horde of Muslim Soccer Moms? Oh wait, no one reported that either. Wonder why?

Heck the Media doesn't even report exclusives on corporations that do business with countries that are evil like say Halliburton and Iran! Oh no, that gets buried under some lame ass story about pigs with wings at the Iowa State Fair. Why?

If Iran is complete evil why are we not reporting on these companies? I sure as hell wouldn't want to be buying anything from a company that contracts with a country that supports our destruction. But most people don't care because they see it as business as usual.

The point is, the Media reports on whatever it can sensationalize, including Fox. Yellow journalism was running wild when Fox and others jumped all over the Sharon Sherrod story like rabid dogs, sensationalizing the story. As soon as story started to turn, Fox jumped off and blamed everyone else for false reporting, neglecting their own false reporting.

And the other whiney report that made me spit out my Starbucks! Morning Joe blend was how the other Media outlets reported on Media Corps (Fox News' corporate owner) $1 million donation to the GOP.

Media Corps has a history of reporting such actions of their fellow Media and when the table is turn, they try to portray themselves as a victim.

Big corporations contribute to political campaigns, everyone knows it, it's not a mystery. General Electric which owns NBC has the right to do so and the Supreme Court just validated it as so. Maybe, you guys at Fox Media Watch should've turned the story around and talked about how Media Corps CEO Rupert Murdoch contributed to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

Just like Imam Rauf, Fox forgets its reporting history. They praised Imam Rauf's PR work in the Muslim World after 9/11 and his work with the Bush Administration. Just as late as Dec 2009, Laura Ingram praise his wife during an interview for her work trying to get the Cultural Center started, even at it's current (now disputed) location.

And speaking more of the Ground Zero Mosque and Fox, over at the Sunday version of Fox and Friends, they had some nitwit NYV Construction worker on. Ok I shouldn't use the term nitwit, as I understand this gentleman lost friends at Ground Zero. But by stating "I'm all for them having a prayer mosque, just renovate the current building or rebuild it no higher then the current building." So wait, you're ok with them having a prayer mosque at Ground Zero, as long as it is no higher then 10 stories! And this guy was one of the organizers for the Sunday portest rally.

Oh look, the paperboy arrived, maybe the comics will be more educational.

Pay your political tab, vote this November

Monday, August 16, 2010

Pork, Sand, Mosques and Eisenhower?

1. Obama cowers on "ground zero" mosque-
People annoy me with their rants of "keep the federal government out of local and state issues." This is a great issue for not getting federal government involved.

Obama was correct in not getting the federal gov involved and stated it was a NYC issue. Also by using the "religious belief" of the US Constitution was the right move. Ever since he was elected people have stated Obama was out to destroy our Constitution, but even FOX News has backed him on this issue.

NYC Mayor Bloomberg has already stated he is not crazy about the idea, but as long as they follow all city codes, they can build there. That my friends is a weasel move.

Sure, it is morally wrong to allow the Mosque built so close, afterall there are 2 pray areas within 8 and 12 blocks of Ground Zero already. Both are too small and unlike the proposed "GZ" Mosque, they offer only pray area. The new Mosque is too be a YMCA model.

As ABC News has reported, Ground Zero is hallowed ground, but also has 2 Adult stores, 1 Betting Parlor, and 4 Strip Clubs within 5 blocks, should they not also be asked to move elsewhere. Times Square was once a sespool of filth and it took strong arm politics, emminent domain suits and such to clean it up. Imagine if a Strip club opened next to the Smithsonian, would people not be in disgust? Or Riverboat gambling rolled by the Jefferson Monument every hour, would people not protest for a different river traffic pattern?

Newt Gingrinch stated "Nazi can't put swatzikas at the Holocaust Museum..." True they cannot only because the Holocaust Musuem is on federal land. The "GZ" mosque is on private property, therefore not a federal issue.

One can compare this to people wanting Pres GW bush to get involved in the Terri Shiavo case some 4 or 5 years ago. Pres Bush was smart to stay away and say it was a state issue, especially during an election year. Thise that were up for re-election like Pa's Rick Santorum and others made their way to Florida to show "support" for Terry Shiavo, but it was merely a publicity stunt to save their job.

Just like Shiavo was a state issue, so is the "GZ" Mosque.


2. Pork Barrel thoughts-
Every year, my family and others take a trip down South to the beautiful Outer Banks, this year we ventured East to the wonderful beaches of Delaware. I lost count of all the Obama/Biden stickers in the parking lots. But walking along the beach, I overheard a few people grumbling about "sand dredging and pork barrel money."

By the time your feet hit the sand, it's usually a good 70 feet till you touch the first wave at both Bethany Beach and the Outer Banks, wonder why?
Sand dredging is the answer. Umm, many of the stateside beaches we as Americans enjoy visiting are all sand dredged to build them up for visitors and as storm barriers. So if you wanna complain about it, don't go and learn to pitch a tent in one of our beautiful state and federal campgrounds. Use that SUV for something.

3. Gates has the right idea-
Sec of Defense has the right idea and I applaud him for stepping up while others only talk about cutting deficits.

Eisenhower cut defense spending in his first term as President and moved the money to "Social" projects like a highway system that we use daily today. It was a risk, the Atomic Age was underway, Korea was at war, the French lost Vietnam, children were being taught to hide under their classroom desks, etc. But America was in need of an overhaul and Eisenhower knew it.

Much like today, we have rogue countries vying for Nuclear arsenals, our military needs replenished due to the cost of 2 wars and many "Social" projects are needed. But for the past 10 years, Congress has been a runaway truck of spending. Sure, up until 2008, the cost of those 2 wars were never on the books and now everyone sees the cost when the deficit is mentioned.

I give Sec gates credited for coming forth with his deficit proposals. Do we really need 2 engines for America's latest jet fighter? No, but you damn well every Senator/Representative is going to keep that 2nd engine alive, since it's parts are being built throughout 9 states!!

But neither side of the aisle has a true answer to cut spending. Each likes to point to the other and talk a big game, but never ever mentions which program they would cut to save the money.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Tantrum Part 2

Tantrum Part 2

Speaking more on the misleading Media......... how can anyone believe the polls the Media loves so much to report. I don't care about polls and people need to stop caring for them as well. 100 or 1,000 people polled do not speak for the nation of 300+ million!! I do not see the "landslide victory" for the GOP this November as the experts are predicting, but I do see some gains. The one gain the GOP had and stumbled on is in Nevada.

If you personally know me, then you know from day one that when Pelosi/Reid became Speaker and Majority leader I said "Democrats couldn't have picked worse people." Heck, my own mother called BigPoppa a sexist pig for talking ill of Pelosi (she now agrees with BigPoppa). However, the GOP has let Nevada slip through their oil slick fingers.

Seriously, I think if Harry Reid were to unfortunately pass away within the next few months, Sharon Angle would still lose (kinda like John Ashcroft in Missouri 2000).

Since she won the primary, Angle has made me gaffes then VP Biden could in one week.

July 12- Said she opposed MGM's City Center Resort because it recieved Stimulus Funds. The fact is the project never did

July 8- Said "Rape victims should use their pregnancies as a way to turn lemons into lemonade." I guess it was her way of saying two wrongs don't make a right. So a 12 year old girl, who is raped by an Aides pedophile and becomes pregnant, should turn the situation into a right? Hmm, abortion is a touchy subject to begin with, but seriously she believes a 12 year old should give birth?

July 8- Like many, believes BP's $20 billion escrow account is Un-American and a slush fund. Apparently it's good she's running in Louisiana

June 30- Stated "unemployed americans are spoiled" and "there are plenty of jobs out there." Well I can admit there are plenty of jobs, but as San Francisco Chronicle's Kathleen Pender writes "there are 5 times as many unemployed as there are jobs." So 5 people for every job opening. Yet companies are still not hiring, no matter how many tax breaks companies are given, they are not spending the money and turning those tax breaks into the profit margin so people will buy more stock.

June 28- Deregulate the Mining, Oil & Petroluem Industries. Guess she hasn't been watching the news over the past year.

June 15- Personalize, not privatize Social Security. It's the same thing. Yes Social Security needs fixed, but by Personalizing or Privatizing Social Security, you are actually going to expand federal government!! You get your 6%, but a federal liason to help you invest that 6% into the stock market, but you have no personal control over that investment. It's the same rebranded idea Pres Bush had in 2004-2005. So any collapse in the stock market, like in 2008, you would have lost your investment, just like your 4o1K and other investments. In turn, screaming louder at the Federal government for more help.

Even the National Rifle Association is endorsing Harry Reid this November. Guess there are some Democrats that aren't that bad

Answer to last poll: The Federal Reserve system of banks and other US intragovernmental holdings account for a stunning $5.259 trillion in US Treasury debt. They rank #1, China ranked #6

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Tantrum Part 1

"Make a Hole, Make it Wide"

Well BigPoppa's back again. So much has happened in the past week, so this is going to be a 2 part blog. So grab the frosty cold one, but make sure it's an American company owned.

Part 1.

First I hate jumping to conclusions and I, like many that followed or heard the story over the weekend pulled the trigger fast on Georgia USDA official Shirley Sherrod. I saw the video and immediately said she needs to resign.

I should've paid more attention to whom broke the story and released the video, Andrew Breitbart and his BigGovernment.com website. Breitbart is trying to regain some of the lost credibility he had since last year's ACORN Pimp fiasco.

Fiasco BigPoppa? Yes, fiasco. Many remember how James O'Keefe shot video of himself costumed as a Pimp and a female friend as a Prostitute looking for help from ACORN. ACORN was already in trouble with many Opinionators (Beck, Hannity, etc.) so this video was the golden ticket for O'Keefe and Breitbart's struggling BigGovernment.com. Many went crazy and ACORN disbanded, losing millions in federal money.

Well 6 months later, turns out Breitbart admits O'Keefe fooled him by never watching the entire video and only viewing the Pimp scenes. Never seeing that O'Keefe and accomplice were not in costume but in normal casual clothing when talking to ACORN officials.

So now Breitbart is back 6 months later with the Ms. Sherrod/NAACP video. Now only showing 25 minutes of 45 minute speech given at the NAACP March event. Yes, NAACP members in attendance were wrong in their cheers of glee for Ms. Sherrod's accounts of that day, 25 years ago, when she met Roger Spooner to discuss Farmer's aid. To date the both have become great friends, with Mr. Spooner and family coming to her side these passed few days.

This is another case of misleading media causing a frenzied stir in an already black/white climate.

Reading many Facebook comments, people are hoping Ms. Sherrod has "lawyered up" and sues the federal government for forcing her to resign. That can be agreed upon, but I would like to see Ms. Sherrod take a stand against Breitbart and the misleading Media, trying to make a story out of video excerpts. I give credit to MSNBC's Joe Scarborough for not jumping like so many, waited, researched, and reported the truth on this matter.

Speaking more on the misleading Media..... (on to Tantrum Part 2)

Update: On Thursday July 22, Ms. Sherrod stated on CNN's American Morning show that she would like an apology from Breitbart and retraction of the incident placed on his BigGovernment.com website

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

YouCut, WeCut, call the whole thing off

"Make a Hole Make it Wide"

Big Poppa's kinda laughing this week at a topic he'd made fun of a few weeks back, that being Minority Leader Eric Cantor's "YouCut" idea.

The idea is simple and good by using American Idol/Dancing with the Stars style of text/Internet voting to get rid of certain legislation that costs taxpayers "X" amount of money by telling the voter how much can be saved(over a gross amount of years) in a NCAA March Madness style bracket system. Five pieces of legislation go up every week and the winner moves on till there's one winner that will be presented by Mr. Cantor to the House to be voted upon.

So far, it's another shell game that's losing it's luster. The "YouCut" program is not producing the results as expected and even the CATO Institute is even panning it as a dud. I was shocked to hear the CATO Institute give negative reviews of a Republican idea, as they have usually backed a large majority of their ideals.

CATO's Tad DeHaven points out how those proposed "YouCut" propositions lead to nothing but minuscule cuts or "chump change" of only 0.017% of an already $10 trillion debt.

But Big Poppa also noticed that the majority of the legislation bracketed on "YouCut" are either Democratic or Bipartisan pieces of legislation. And those proposed of Republican nature are minuscule in monetary value.

For instance, June 22's "YouCut" installment, the National Drug Intelligence Center was listed, a program of duplicity to 1974's El Paso Intelligence Center. NDIC's birth was brought forth by President George H.W. Bush in 1989, was highly regarded by many but no one wanted it. Pennsylvania's John Murtha simply added it to the Department of Defense Appropriation Act of 1993, yet the Defense Department had no control over it.

Neither EPIC or NDIC have truly lived up to their potential, but no one truly wants to kill the programs either. Proof, in 2005 President George W. Bush listed NDIC to be disbanded, yet no one touched it, even though Republicans had total control of government. Instead, Congress voted to slash it's yearly funding from $40 million to $17 million

Now Mr. Cantor's "YouCut" states by killing the program $440 million will be saved over a 10 year period.

Rep. Thadues McCotter (R-MI) is coming out against Mr. Cantor and the so called status quo of "United Republicans in Congress." Rep. McCotter was on FOX News this past week, explaining his disbelief in "YouCut."

Rep. McCotter, who heads the Republican Policy Committee, said his committee should be disbanded, for it costs the taxpayers over $350,000 yearly. As well as slash other Republican backed funding by saying "....We spend over a million on the whip’s office; we spend millions on the leader’s office. We can make a small, significant step to return it."

So in the words of legendary wrestler Ric Flair "if you talk the talk, you better walk the walk bucko.. Woooo!"

Over the past year, Republicans have given into gimmicks (Mount Vernon Statement) to draw interest from the public that they are the party of "Savings" and true Conservatives. Yet there are only 10 Republicans that are complete Conservatives.

The Contract with America was successful in 1994 even though it never lived up to it's full potential, but it had a (full) Conservative youth movement in Congress that pushed it. The freshmen Republican class of 1994 were the ones that pushed the Contract, they were the true full Conservatives in Congress.

By 1996, either Social Conservatives like Pennsylvania's Rick Santorum or Fiscal Conservatives like E. Clay Shaw, Jr. were splitting ideals of Conservatism.

Simply kill the side show gimmicks and game show theatrics. If you want to get the people involved in the process, do your job right and stop the shell games.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Incoherent Rudy G and other dribble

"Make a Hole Make it Wide"

Big Poppa took a few days off to enjoy the summer humidity and a few tall cool ones these past few days. During that time, my DVR exploded with recorded shows and my email hit maximum overload.

1. Spam Political Email
How lazy have people become on their "FWD: Political Spam" lately? Extremely lazy. Have people lost any original thought on conspiracy or controversy to put into a Spam email? I think many have or Glenn Beck has sucked the thoughts out of peoples head like Jim Carrey's version of the Riddler.

I have received so much FWD: Political Spam and have gotten tired of debunking the issues. Yes, people feel it's their American duty to forward on these emails, some believing them as truth because "Aunt Millie wouldn't lie to me" or "Well Tom is very political savvy so it must be true" or maybe some just feel the need to keep the crap going.

The latest was titled "Lee Iacocco's 'Where have all the Leaders gone?'" and is just a recycled piece from 2007. Excerpts from his then latest book and his attack on the Bush Administration have turned into recycled FWD: Political Spam with people cut/pasting the Obama Administration. Come on people, get some original thought.


2. "If I was in office..."
Speaking of original thought, or lack there of, what up with Mayor Rudy G. last week?

Mayor Rudy G. visited the set of MSNBC's Morning Joe (Big Poppa's fav morning show) and spewed such inarticulate nonsense. Word to Mayor Rudy G. "You had no original thought in the 2008 election, so please don't say 'Well if I was in office...'" Woulda coulda shoulda doesn't get the oil spill contained and cleaned.

Big Poppa is getting tired of all these retread politicians talking about how they would fix it or who they spoke to, but never mentioning who these oil experts are that they spoke too. Is it a secret? If so, why a secret? Because you spoke to no one or someone who is insignificant to the matter. I give co-host Mika Brezinzki credit for questioning Mayor Rudy G on "his experts" and "what would you do?" action which turned out incoherent.

Mayor Rudy G., thank you for your actions during 9/11, but if you didn't live in the past, you may have won a Presidential Primary


3. Oil Skimmers
Every political and celebrity talkie seems to love to say "Get the skimmers down there!!" or "Where are the skimmers?" or "We need more oil bouys!," yet do any of these talkies have a clue.

Oil bouys can only contain what is on the surface! Oil can float under the oil bouys, there for the containment is minimal.

The beloved Oil Skimmer boats are a minimal containment issue as well. One of the Oil Skimmers we've seen on tv is a Weir Skimmer, which let's the water flow thru, but contains the oil. Problem being the Weir Skimmer can only hold about 1,500 gallons, working for about 3 hours. Yet, the Oil Spill flow is estimated at 60,000 gallons a day. So even if 40 Weir Skimmers were in place, there are still theplumes rising to the surface. So even if they ran 24 hours, they would still be doing little until the flow stops!

4. Where's the Shamwoo! guy at?
I like how CNN and FOX are having a frenzy of people on set saying they know how to clean up the Oil Spill. Don't get Big Poppa wrong, I think it's incredible how this disaster has given people inspiration to be creative. But there's a difference between Crude oil and Mobil 1 motor oil from Pep Boys. So all these inventions are using a product that is lighter then the Crude we see on tv. It may work the first time, but not the second.

Well that's enough incoherent dribble from Big Poppa. The peanut bowl was taken away to help skim some oil from the deep fryer in the back room and no one paid the political tab. Cheapskates!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Quick thought: 6 degrees of Gore and "W"

"Make a Hole Make it Wide"

After watching England vs. USA in the World Cup today and maybe a few too many Sam Adams Longshots, Big Poppa came to a "6 degrees" conclusion

OK, so the rumors ran mad the other week when the Gore's announced their divorce after 40 years. There was even an email running around blaming Pres George W Bush for causing the Gore's divorce. Many however write the notion off as crazy. However, yes, Big Poppa has figured it all out.

11/7/2000 - George W. Bush defeats Al Gore is the Presidential Election

1/4/2006 - George W Bush's favorite college team, Texas Longhorns, defeats the USC Trojans in the Rose Bowl to be the #1 college team in the nation. Texas starting QB Vince Young goes on to be the #1 draft pick of the Tennessee Titans.

Al Gore born and raised in Tennessee and still lives there

6/2/2010- Al and Tipper Gore announce their seperation after 40 years of marriage

6/10/2010- National Enquirer and other media outlets realize news that Al Gore is dating a 23 year old Tennessee Titans cheerleader named Lesslye Perry. And has been for about 5 months or so...

There ya' go... Pay the political tab and fill the damn peanut bowl deadbeats!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

A few thoughts for June 9, 2010

"Make a Hole Make it Wide"

Big Poppa's taking notes today, maybe because he's waiting to see how buoyant his plastic water bottle raft will be due to all this rain in his home town!!!

1. "Clean Election">Arizona's Governor Jan Brewer is in another fight this week. This time it's a federal judge on the 9th Supreme Court circuit. Arizona's "Clean Election" law was taken to the Supreme Court and the Court ruled against it.

The law sounds pretty simple, those candidates that use publicly funded campaign money will receive payments to help their campaign match dollar for dollar against privately or self funded candidates. At this time Gov Brewer was looking for a public transaction close to $2 million to help her campaign, but the Supreme Court put a hold on that transaction.

Her opponent, Buzz Mills, has spent close to $2.3 million to date. Many privately/self funded candidates are saying the "Clean Election" law limits their voice, due to the fact if they spend more then their publicly funded opponent will receive more public assistance, therefore forcing them to spend less for their voice to be heard.

So Gov Brewer is getting the shaft until the Supreme Court decides to hear the case come this August.So until then, Gov Brewer is gonna have to prove even harder through her work as the current Governor to make her case for re-election.

Who says we don't need Election Finance Reform, whether it be state or federal?

2. Drill Babies turn silent
Funny how the "Drill Baby Drill" voices are now calling for more Federal Government intrusion into oil company corruption.

Former Gov Palin, spoke many times during the 2008 campaign on how safe offshore drilling was, is leading the verbal charge to clean up "oily corruption." And others that led the "Drill Baby Drill" mantra have silenced themselves as well.

And many of these "D.B.D's" who fought against intrusive federal government into big business are calling for the federal government to do the opposite and go after these companies.

Florida Senate Candidate Marco Rubio & Louisana Gov Bobby Jindall, once the darlings of the "Smaller Less Intrusive Fed Government" are calling for the opposite. As Gov Jindall said last week "well this is when we need big government to get involved" and Minnesota's Michelle Bachmann calling for Pres Obama to "use his executive authority to “commandeer” boats in the Gulf region to “deal with that oil plume as it was coming up in the water.”

It always amazes me how those who were once against something are for it once they see an opportunity for free press exposure.

3. Plumes what plumes?
Speaking of opportunities, it's nice to see BP trying to save face and hiring some 8,000+ residents of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida on temporary "Ready Alert Clean Up" status. These folks are being hired as temporary workers for $18/hour to be ready to go clean up the beaches, marches, etc. in their areas. Talk about a Public Relations move.

Now BP admits there might be plumes of oil underneath the waters. Really? Seriously?
BP's new cap is taking in only 14,000 gallons of oil, but that's only 20% of what is escaping from the leaking head. BP's trying to capture more,so it can sell it, but the fines from the Government could be close to $4,300/barrel lost!! That's somewhere near $10 billion to date owed in fines. Not to mention the lawsuits to come and clean up bills. But don't worry, BP will survive this catastrophe as they have done since the Prudhoe Bay & Texas City accidents over the past 10 years.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Guf beaches are fine & Limbaugh gets married?

"Make a Hole, Make it Wide"

Well Big Poppa's happy to get his two bar stools back. Al Gore would be proud, got the bar stools retrofitted so that the heat from my double wide butt can be generated into energy to keep the beer ice cold. My little contribution to Mother Nature or as I call her "Al's Mistress"

1. Come to Alabama & get a free tar ball t-shirt

Oh Gov. Haley Barbour, you my friend are not a good PR person for your state. Now don't get Big Poppa wrong, I like Gov. Barbour enough that I thought he had a strong chance to run for President in 2008. I guess he likes to be one of those "behind the scene" types, but McCain/Barbour 2008 sounded good to me.

So on Sunday, good 'ol Haley hit the talk show circus and visited Fox News, where he proclaimed "Alabama's beaches are fine and the tar balls are no big deal." WTF? Haley you been sipping the moonshine again?

There's an oil slick the size of Florida a mile off Alabama's coastline and Haley states the beaches are fine. Didn't Mayor Vaughn say the same thing about the giant great white shark to Sheriff Brody in the movie Jaws?

As Haley said "you can pick the tar balls up and throw them in a bag" is a great way to get people to the beach and wear those t-shirts "all I got was this lousy t-shirt and a bag of tar balls."

As the governors of Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida met with Pres. Obama to discuss clean up efforts, Haley decided to stay home and do some PR work to get bodies into his state. This is not the first time Haley skipped out on Pres Obama. Haley does make the concerted effort to attend the daily conference call on the oil spill with BP and the Coast Guard.

I think Haley has been listening to Limbaugh to long. Limbaugh stated "it's not a disaster and the Gulf will clean itself up." Can anyone tell me the last time Limbaugh made a trip to Prince William Sound since the Exxon Valdez disaster?

To date, they are still finding pockets of Exxon Valdez oil as far as 450 miles away. I do believe Limbaugh has a sweet palace next to the water in Miami, what will happen when the BP oil comes around and hits his beach. Will Limbaugh claim it doesn't exist?

Projections show that the oil spill will eventually wrap around Florida and move up the Atlantic coastline, with some of it making it's way to "Jolly 'ol England" as well. How fitting if it finds the BP execs mansion some how.

2. The World has flipped
Ok, I'm confused.. The Gore's split after 40 years together, the Clinton's are still together and Rush Limbaugh married for the 4th time. It's like a trivial political Bermuda triangle.

The Gore's split has everyone running for a conspiracy theory. Did someone cheat? Was John Edwards involved? Some are even blaming Pres "W" on the divorce.

Statistics show many baby boomers are divorcing well into their early 60's, more for the fact that many of those couples had been together since their Senior years in high school.

Talking with old friends about the divorce, many joked that "you know Al invented divorce before the Internet" which was funny. I reminded everyone about how Tipper brought us the PMRC in the mid-80's to fight over song lyrics in heavy metal music. Thanks to Tipper, many bands sold millions more albums and became millionaires, but I blame her for bringing then Twisted Sister's Dee Snyder to capital hill. Since then, Dee Snyder hasn't shut up, won't go away and Ted Nugent became a political force.

Oh! good luck Rush on #4... wait for every 10 years the Gore's were together, Rush had a divorce. And to quote Bill Maher "the asked not to throw rice at the Limbaugh wedding but Viagra instead"

3. Jon Stewart mixes fact
Now I like the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He is able to point out the obvious as too what many are thinking and not be partisan. He hits both sides, but his attack on Pres Obama and how he is handling the BP Oil Spill is off mark.

Yes, everyone has heard Pres Obama state the BP Oil Spill is a major priority, but business of the President cannot come to a halt for this matter. There are presidential duties that must be done, yet Stewart put a montage of clips together that made it seem as if Pres Obama doesn't care.

Yes, Pres Obama should be worried and concerned about the Oil Spill, but business cannot stop for any President. President Bush still worked all his priorities along side handling the days after 9/11. A business does not shut down when one shipment does not arrive when there are other shipments to work through.

Everyone wants to see Pres Obama stand up, kick and scream, through a tantrum, but why? I do not recall any of the past four presidents do any of that during a crisis. Pres Bush was calm when he he visited Ground Zero. Pres Bush was calm when speaking to the workers at Ground Zero. He didn't yell and blurt explenatives. He remained posed and presidential, as is Pres Obama during this crisis.

All of this sounds like a rambling blog this day and I apologize. I think the heat generating from the retrofitted bar stools has caused my carbon footprint to cloud the bar. Fill the tire recycled peanut bowl and pay the political tab.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Political Controversy makes Americans happy

"Make a Hole, Make it Wide"

Big Poppa's sitting back this Memorial Day weekend, resting his sunburned bald head and enjoying some Sam Adams Longshot brew. Plus the two bar stools I use to prop my rather large behind up at the bar are in for serious modification.

So as I sit back and thank those who serve our great nation for letting me be able to do so, I was dumb enough to turn on the television and watch my relaxation turn to that infamous "WTF?" moment many of us stumble upon.

1. Why must this country have controversy every day?

Monday, May 31 is Memorial Day. A day dedicated to our troops, past and present, for their unselfish volunteerism in the defense of our country and the freedom we love so much. Yet, people gotta have controversy on this day and complain that President Obama will not be attending the Arlington National Cemetery wreath dedication to our soldiers. President Obama is not the first President not to attend the Arlington Ceremony and he probably won't be the last either.

History shows tells us (unless it's 2011 and Texas History books have hit the market) that the idea of Memorial Day came from Civil War Major General John A. Logan, he called it "Decoration Day" way back on May 5, 1868. It was then celebrated a few weeks later on May 30 at Arlington National Cemetery. Why May 30? Well more for the fact that flowers would be in full bloom at the cemetery, giving more reverence to the 260,000 graves of those soldiers who gave their lives.

Since that day back 1868, Presidential visits to Arlington National Cemetery have been sporadic. Memorial Day did not even become a national holiday until 1971 under Pres. Richard Nixon. Until that day, cities and states celebrated individually.

President Reagan missed a day, he gave a speech at West Point. In his four years as President, George H.W. Bush never attended a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington, sending VP Dan Quayle instead. President Bill Clinton attended all eight ceremonies as president and President George W. Bush did not attend until 2003. As a matter of fact, both President Bushes did not attend any ceremonies of any sort in respect, except play golf. So why the fuss over President Obama?

President Obama skipped the Arlington Memorial Day service, but he paid respect to our fallen soldiers at another cemetery near Chicago. I understand the symbolism of Arlington and Memorial Day, but are these people that have railed against him saying that those who served that are not laid to rest at Arlington not as worthy?

Both my grandfathers served in World War II, one is buried in Pittsburgh and the other is buried in Cleveland. My mother served in the military during the Vietnam War and served as a Reservist in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. She'll probably be buried next to my grandfather in Pittsburgh when her time comes. Are these detractors saying my family is not worthy of having a President, present or future, honor them at their resting place on Memorial Day? That a President should only pay Memorial Day respects at Arlington?

A president should be allowed to pay his respect to our soldiers anywhere he or she shall want to. People should be angered about the commercialization of Memorial Day by car dealerships, food chains, and retail merchants.


2. BP's intelligence comes from ACME

The other story that should really have people thumping is the moronic upper management of BP. I swear it's like watching Looney Tunes and Wyl E. Coyote (Super Genius) every time I hear BP Executive Tony Hayworth speak.

We've had nicknames of operations called "Top Kill," "Top Hat," "Junk shot," and now "Marine Cap." Is there an Executive bubble gum dispenser with nicknames they pull these out of?

I love the people who want big government out of state and private business until now. The federal government cannot take over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, even though the 1990 Oil Pollution Act and 2005 National Response Framework give it the power to do so. However, it's the lack of resources that have kept the federal government from taking control. If the federal government had the equipment, I'm sure they would, but at this point if they took over, the federal government basically would have to lease the equipment from BP. So it becomes a new version of "Let's Make a Deal."

However, the federal and state governments should take over the cleanup efforts. Louisiana has already been doing so at their various barrier islands and wetlands, but they need help. I'm sure there a few bodies watching porn on their government computer for eight hours that could be shipped down to the Gulf.

I've already seen a few emails from people stating that President Obama caused the BP/Deepwater Horizon accident to cancel all future oil drilling projects. These people are just as bad as the Michael Moore worshippers that believe President George W Bush was behind September 11, 2001 attacks.

And where is Kevin Costner's project? Wasn't it supposed to be tested three weeks ago? Sometimes I think the Europeans have it right on certain matters. On Nuclear Reactor facilities, they use only two styles of buildings and have heavy regulations. On Oil drilling, they make the companies drill a relief well simultaneously.

All kidding aside, BP and all the other actors involved need to get this cleaned up and face all the legal battles that are soon to follow. Raise the liability limit from %75 million to $500 million or more. You caused the damage, you gotta pay for it. I'm surprised they haven't starting charging for people to view the oil spew webcam on their website yet.

That's it, the peanut bowl was used by BP's Junk Shot and the Longshot case was empty when I asked Kevin Costner to rescue the Gulf. Now I gotta go build a kid's swing set.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Open Letter to the NFL: Move the NFL Pro Bowl

"Make a Hole Make it Wide"

Big Poppa's having a "No Politics" kinda day, I can't even muster up the gentleman thing to do and buy Senator Arlen Specter a beer, but hey I voted against him anyways, so buy your own damn beer Arlen.

As I flip through the Comcast TV schedule, I notice that tonight is NASCAR's All Star race in Charlotte, NC. A huge event for race fans, corporate sponsors and the SPEED Network. As I look down the empty Sam Adam's Boston Lager I so much enjoy, I wondered why doesn't the NFL be true to their fans and hold their All Star game mid-season like the rest of the American Professional sports world?

A quick NFL Pro Bowl history will show you that from 1950 through 1972, the game was held at the Los Angeles Coliseum. After 1972, the game was moved around until 1980 when it landed at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. It's been there ever since, with this past year as the exception. The 2010 Pro Bowl was held at Sun Life Stadium in sunny Miami, Florida. The game returns to Honolulu for the next two years.

Miami reaped the benefits have hosting both the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl this year and fans attending both in glorious fashion.

The NFL Pro Bowl is usually held the week after the Super Bowl, however the NFL moved the game to the week prior to the Super Bowl. Fans came in droves for the Pro Bowl and/or the Super Bowl, both the city of Miami and the NFL prospered from it.

Aloha Stadium only holds a mere 50,000 people, but Sun Life Stadium can hold up to 75,000+ football loving fans. So profits went up but that was not the only thing, so was the viewing audiences at home as ratings shot up 40%.

The one thing about the All Star games of the NHL, NBA and MLB is the venue changes each season and the fans get to enjoy the hospitality of that city. My town of Pittsburgh has hosted the NHL All Star game and two MLB All Star games and the town benefited from those events. So why not move the NFL Pro Bowl, and not just the city, but also the schedule?

The NFL already makes billions of dollars and with Player contracts rising every year, I'm positive the NFL wouldn't mind making some extra scratch, especially these days with the Collective Bargaining Agreement coming to an end this season.

The NFL takes pride in their "Bye week" system. Having 4-6 teams off for one week starting from week 4 through week 9, is supposedly to help teams recuperate injuries and get a breather, so they can make a run for the playoffs. This is bogus, it's really to extend the season by another week. If the NFL wanted teams to make a run for the playoffs, they should move the Pro Bowl to the end of October, half way through like the other Pro Sports.

If the NFL took the final two weeks of October, say the first weekend for the Pro Bowl, and then the second week give the league an entire break to rest. This would give teams two full weeks to recuperate injuries, fix roster positions, maybe make a trade, etc. Then everyone has a shot to make the second half of the season more exciting as everyone, including the Cleveland Browns, would have a shot at the playoffs.

Face it, many NFL Players skip out of the Pro Bowl anyway, due to injury or in the 2010 case, they are to play in the Super Bowl the following week. Fans got to see players like Peyton Manning and Drew Brees introduced, but not play. Many fans felt cheated, but those players still got the Pro Bowl contracted money, stuck around till half time and left.

And those NFL players that are injured and skip out, well the NHL has the best policy for that. No matter what, unless you're in a hospital, you will be in attendance for the fans, meet/greet, sign autographs, all that stuff, because if it wasn't for the fans, you might be playing in Southwest Russia.

Yes, the players were upset that the venue and date changed. Many Pro Bowl players take their families or other teammates along with them, like a mini vacation for a long season. But it's the fans that vote, it's the fans that buy the merchandise, and no matter what NY Jets Wide Receiver Santonio Holmes says, it is the fans the pay your salary. Without the fan support, many of the NFL players might be playing in the Canadian Football League. Even Donald Trump realized that once you lose the fans, you lose the league (After all, Trump killed the USFL in the 1980's).

Also the fact that many of the Pro Bowl tickets go to corporations like Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Reebok, Nike, and else, many fans do not travel to Honolulu to watch the game.
A round trip flight from the East Coast to Honolulu can cost around $850 for one person, not to mention hotel, food, and the cheapest Pro Bowl ticket for 2011 is roughly $125 dollars. It could cost one person an easy $1,500 for the weekend.

Aloha Stadium only holds 50,000 people. But say the game is moved to Fed Ex Field, home of the Washington Redskins? That stadium holds 91, 704 screaming fans. So if you live in Cleveland, Ohio, a flight from Hopkins Airport is roughly $134 for the end of October, Pro Bowl ticket cost at $125 dollars, food, hotel, etc.. and you could save about $800. Of course this is all for one fan.

The NFL could get more people to attend, the cities would make some much needed money in these dreary days as well. For example, Honolulu rakes in roughly $28 million for the NFL Pro Bowl weekend.

Charlotte, North Carolina is the home for this year's NASCAR All Star race. The Lowe's Motor Speedway holds 165,000 seats, plus room for another 40,000 infield seats and tickets range from $39 to $75. A round trip plane ticket costs roughly $139, plus hotel, food, and merchandise total cost for one person is roughly $400. In this one weekend, Charlotte can make around $75 million for an All Star event!

Cities pay large money to become hosts of big league events and other convention entities, why not spread the NFL wealth Mr. Commissioner and move the Pro Bowl so fans from all over can enjoy it up close and personal

Monday, May 17, 2010

Fast 4: Obama, Kagan, Perry, Cantor.. Oh My!

"Make a Hole Make it Wide"

That's right, Big Poppa is back and that's only because my double wide butt got turned away at the Arizona border for having a legal driver's license and a bottle of Arizona Tea. So grab a tall frosty one, because Big Poppa's got the "Fast 4" for this blog.

Fast 4:
1. Elena Kagan softball picture worth a headache?
So if your daughter plays softball one can than have the belief that she's a lesbian. Or your unmarried successful daughter might be a lesbian as well.

On May 13th, the Wall Street Journal released a photo from 1993 of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan playing softball. Immediately some people linked that photo to her being a lesbian.

Fox's Greta Van Strussen asked former Gov. Sarah Palin about the photo. I can't believe I'm agreeing with Gov. Palin on this, but as she stated on 5/14 show, ".. that picture means nothing. I played softball when I was a teenager and I'm normal. Let's talk judicial thought instead." Exactly Governor.

The American Family Association reasoning for calling Ms. Kagan a lesbian is simply "because she's a successful 50 something single woman." Really? That's all it takes to declare someone as a lesbian. Wow! Ok, then here's a shot at the AFA's theory, would they say the same for former National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice? Like that of Ms. Kagan, very little is known of Ms. Rice's personal life.

I am not calling Ms. Rice a lesbian, I have respect for her and her accomplishments, but if you go by AFA terminology then she must be. I think Mr. Rice did a excellent job for our country and she's a sports fan! She has even gone on record stating she would love to be commissioner of the National Football League.

Ok, so Ms. Kagan does not have the judicial background. Well here is today's history lesson, neither did Justice Rehnquist, as well as Warren, White, Goldberg, Powell, and Fortas. Last I checked, Rehnquist served from 1986 to 2005. 36% of our Supreme Court justices lacked judicial experience.

Also as Kagan's Princeton History thesis is titled "To the Final Conflict: Socialism in New York City, 1900-1933," you have to remember it's a history paper.
No different then John Robert's Harvard History thesis titled
"Marxism and Bolshevism: Theory and Practice” and “Old and New Liberalism: The British Liberal Party's Approach to the Social Problem"

Does that make Roberts a Marxist? No more than Kagan is a Socialist.

2. President Obama recruits LeBron James
Cleveland's hopes of a NBA Championship in over 45 years came to an end last week when "King" LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers got bounced out of the NBA playoffs by the Boston Celtics. Now there is word that President Obama wants to talk LeBron James into playing for his beloved Chicago Bulls. Does anyone really care?

Lebron James is the coveted trophy to get now in Free Agency, from Coast to Coast the teams that can afford him are going to make a play, even Cleveland wants to keep him and they can afford it the most.

But listening to the local sports talkers, they are making a big deal over President Obama's wishes. OK, everyone knows our 44th president is a sports fanatic, just like Pres. "W" loves his Texas Rangers baseball and University of Texas Longhorn football. Like most people, Obama likes to kick back after a stressfull day and watch ESPN and maybe have a beer (hint: Obama, I'm waiting for my beer invite).

But is it news, that Obama wants him to play for his beloved Chicago Bulls? No. I want Drew Brees under center for the Steelers and Derek Jeter to play shortstop for the Pirates, but so do many other Pittsburgh sports fans. Is that news? No.

ESPN has taken much liberty in the fact Obama is a sports fan, but then again they already started their "Bret Favre" retirement clock two minutes after this year's Super Bowl. Another story people just don't care about.

3. Eric Cantor of Virginia come on down...
So House Minority Whip Eric Cantor wants to turn his party's responsibilities into an "American Idol-esque" roadshow, called YouCut. My understanding of the gameplan, each week they'll post 5 government funded programs, explain their purpose (good or bad), how much it costs taxpayers and then have America vote on which one to get rid off. Cantor and House Republicans will give that progam an "up or down vote."

Now Cantor gave some examples such as: $260 million dollar presidential election fund and $2.5 billion in welfare. And the total savings of the 5 programs over 5 years is .16% of the budget

I can see getting rid of the $260 million dollar presidential election fund. My accountant asks me every year if I want to give to it, which I respond "not a chance." I've never given to that fund and never plan to. But that number of $260 million is over a five year span according to Cantor's website. But it's a start.

I am more curious about the $2.6 billion spent on Community Development Block Grants. Created to help improve economic development in lower income communites, much of this fund is dispersed to higher income communities as well. So why not fix this program so the moneyy goes to the right places as it was intended to do.

Why not fix the programs and have them work as they are intended to do and get rid of the archaic ones that have no meaning?

I spoke to a few people about YouCut, some laughed and some questioned it. But many responded "isn't this why we vote people into federal office to do? Why are we doing half their job and not getting paid for it?"

Not to mention, you gotta vote by "text." Text charges will apply depending on your plan. I guess people would've responded better if the story was released on the "Game Show" network by Bob Barker.


4. Rick Perry's rental crib
Speaking of game shows, I read that Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been renting a posh-crib for $10,0000/monthly while the governor's mansion is being renovated after fire back in 2007. Oh and the Texas state budget is already $11 billion short this coming year and the following year, plus all those new History books they have to buy.

Gov. Perry has been telling state departments to cut their budgets by 5%, which is perfectly fine, but now they are about to ask state workers to take furloughs to help with the budget. If I was a Texan (thankfully I am not), I'd be telling Gov. Perry it's time to relocate and save some cash.

According to records, Gov Perry's rental-crib is on the market for $1.85 million, with that you get three acres of land and over 6,500 square feet of living space.
The Governor's Mansion, ownened and operated by Texas taxpayers is over 9,900 sq ft, but unfortunatly only 2,750 of that is useable since the rest is dedicated to historic relics and those pesky tourists. By comparison, www.zillow.com lists the White House at a steal for a cool $277 million with 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 3 elevators. (http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1600-Pennsylvania-Ave-NW-Washington-DC-20006/84074482_zpid/)

Texans are picking up the tab and everything from the maintenance on the heated pool to lawn care. Gov Perry's campaign fund pays for the food and drinks, through the "Mansion Fund." However, there are now a team of Ethnics lawyers looking into whether Gov Perry is violating campaign finance laws since they list receipts as "Mansion Expenditures" without listing what is what or even who got paid what.

That's an argument that many brought up concerning donations by unnamed persons during President Obama's 2008 campaign. People wanted to know who was who. So will these people say the same for Gov Perry? It was only last year that Gov Perry stood in front of a Texas Tea Party rally demanding federal spending accountability. I say Gov Perry, where's your state spending accountability for your tax payers?

Chew on those nugggets for a bit. The peanut bowl was empty on #3 and I gotta write my farwell card to Pa Senator Arlen Specter.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37343.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7720820/Elena-Kagan-outed-as-lesbian-by-Wall-Street-Journal-softball-picture.html
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nba/news/story?id=5189274
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/right-now/2010/05/cantor_lets_activists_vote_on.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100517/ap_on_re_us/us_texas_governor_temporary_mansion

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Please protest correctly

Until recently, the professional athlete and professional sports ownership have kept low key on their political belief. However in the past decade, many have come out to support what they feel is politically right, whether or not it would hurt their professional image or team image.

Fans are what keeps the sports world intact. Fans help pay the high salaries of the star players. Fans buy the merchandise, no matter the design, it's a shield of honor to display their favorite team insignia.

But what happens when your favorite player or favorite team enters the political arena and you find yourself in disagreement with them? Do you cast aside your political opposition for the love of the player/team? Or maybe you agree with them wholeheartedly, would you buy more merchandise in support?

What if your favorite player/team gets involved in moral difference? Would you protest the player to be traded, burn their jersey in the fireplace? Would you turn your back on the team and find a new favorite?

Over the past decade, fan favorites like former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, San Diego Chargers owner Alex Spanos, Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, and Robert Sarver of the Phoenix Suns have moved into the political arena. Their moves have split their fans and leaving some scratching their heads wondering what to do?

Curt Schilling helped campaign for President George W Bush in 2004. Since then, Mr. Schilling has kept campaigning around Massachusetts. He's a favorite at FOX News and the Massachusetts's Republican Party even considered having the Schilling run for the late Ted Kennedy's Senate seat. How many have turned on Mr. Schilling in the last six years?

Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney bucked his long time Republican political belief and campaigned for then Senator Barrack Obama, after which President Obama selected Mr. Rooney to be the new Ambassador to Ireland. Many fans felt Mr. Rooney should have kept his political beliefs to himself. How many fans left Steelers Nation over Mr. Rooney's political fallout?

On May 5Th, 2010, the Phoenix Suns received some national attention but not for being in the playoffs. The Phoenix Suns were pulling a political and marketing ploy in the wake of the controversial Arizona Immigration Law. It was Cinco de Mayo and the Suns decided to wear a special jersey for the day, one that read "Los Suns."

Phoenix Suns managing partner Robert Sarver gave the reasoning for the special jersey as "Our players and organization felt that wearing our 'Los Suns' jerseys on Cinco de Mayo was a way for our team and our organization to honor our Latino community and the diversity of our league, the State of Arizona, and our nation. We are proud that 400 players from 36 countries compete in the NBA."

FOX & Friends host Brian Kilmeade suggested that Phoenix Suns ownership forced their players to be used "as billboards" to protest the Arizona immigrant law. Mr. Sarver quickly responded to the accusation by saying "We left it up to the players and they unanimously vote to wear them." Star player Steve Nash backed up Mr. Sarver's words as well as the rest of the locker room.

The Phoenix Suns ownership has been verbally against the new Arizona Immigration law as well as some of current and former players. But Mr. Sarver is not the only managing partner of a pro team to voice his opinion the state against the law. The Arizona Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick has gone on record stating he is personally against the law, however the team itself does take a political stand. Yet with that, people having been traveling across the country, protesting at whatever venue the D'Backs are playing.

The D'Backs were in Chicago to play the White Sox a few days after the Immigration Law was signed, and protesters were waiting for them. Why? Because they are called the "Arizona" Diamondbacks.

And while we are at it; Arizona Tea is made in New York and Arizona Jeans are made in the Philippines! So please stop protesting them just because of the name.

Pittsburgh Steelers fans are well aware that there will be some sort of protest outside Heinz Field during the 2010 season in response to the rape accusations of their star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger off field actions. Steelers Nation has been split on the response of Steelers ownership to keep Roethliseberger as well. Some called for the team trade the star player during the NFL Draft, some thank the Steelers for keeping him and giving him a second chance, ala Michael Vick in Philadelphia.

However, Pennsylvania is now considering their own version of the Arizona Immigration Law, will people protest all the pro sports teams from Pennsylvania as well? Or is it the name recognition game, since none of those teams use "Pennsylvania" in their name?

Should people then protest the "Pennsylvania Water Company" instead? Stop paying your water bill in protest to the law if it's passed?

How about residents in any state that decided to pass a similar law? Should people from Ohio stop routing for the Ohio State Buckeyes or the Ohio Bearcats.

How about people start protesting Outback Steakhouse for false advertisement, since the restaurant chain has nothing other than it's name in dealing with Australia. It is originally from Tampa, Florida!

Nowadays people will protest anything and everything, from celebrities with a political view to sports apparel companies, soldier funerals, farmville requests, and pro sports franchises. But if you are gonna protest something, make sure you have the facts straight first.

Sidenote: Cinco de Mayo was not created by the Corona Beer Company. Cinco de Mayo is a holiday to commemorate Mexico's defeat of the French Army at the Battle of Pueblo in 1862. The Mexican state of Pueblo celebrates this piece of history and those along the U.S./Mexican border. Commercialism in the United States of beer and Mexican food promotion have given it a different meaning to those outside Hispanic decent. Kinda like "Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day" themes

Sunday, May 2, 2010

If deported, who'll care for the golf course?

On April 23, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed SB-1070 into law, the Arizona anti-immigration bill. One week later, on April 30, Gov. Brewer signed the first revision of that bill. Gov. Brewer has stated that "Arizona has been under a terroristic state because of the influx of illegal immigrants" yet if she felt that way, why the quick change in law?

Previously under the law, a police officer would have been allowed to asked anyone for proof of U.S. citizenship if they suspected that person was in the U.S. illegally. You need no tot be doing anything wrong, just a simple question at any time, basically a judgment call by the police officer. Now, however, under the revision, you must have done something to warrant the question.

Whether if you are pulled over for a traffic violation or walking outside the crosswalk, then and only then can the police officer ask for legal documentation of U.S. citizenship. So you gotta do something wrong to be asked, kind of like immigration's version of "don't ask don't tell." Yet the revision does not take place till July 2010.

With all the fuss over the Arizona law, the thought of a National I.D. has come to surface. Ever since 9/11, Republicans have told us that they are the true defenders of the United States and the Democrats will allow more attacks to happen. So why is there very little Republican support in Congress for the new National Immigration law?

Under the proposed law, Democrats are calling for immigration overhaul with ideas of; National I.D. card, increased money for border patrol agents, helicopters and unmanned drones to patrol the border. The proposal would also seek out companies the hire illegal immigrants or "undocumented workers." Is that the politically correct term these days?

The law pushes many ideas to tighten the borders, to stiffen prosecution of drug smugglers, to hiring more department agents in: Border, Immigration & Customs, Arraignment officers, Deportation officers, even the Coast Guard would get a bump in surplus.

President George W Bush signed the Secure Fence Act in October 2006 and to this day only about 50 miles of that fence for 700 miles requested was built along the Mexican border. Estimated cost of $9 million/mile, the fence is not moving due to geography and unhappy land owners fighting that the fence would split their pink flamingos in their yard. Not to mention that in December 2006 after the law was signed, the Golden State Fence Company was contracted to work on the fence line outside of San Diego. Golden State was found guilty of hiring illegal, or "undocumented workers" to build that fence. And it wasn't the first time Golden State got busted for using "undocumented workers."

Now if 54 Republicans and 26 Democrats eagerly helped pass President Bush's silly fence bill, why is there no Republican support for the current major immigration overhaul that is on the Congressional calendar?

National I.D. cards are nothing new. Many suggested the idea to President Bush shortly after 9/11 and he waved off the idea. One could consider your Social Security number as one form of National I.D., since we are asked for our Social Security numbers from job interviews to college administration forms to credit cards application.

There was the REAL ID Act of 2005, which became a joke from the get-go. Many panned it as illegal, since it basically turned state Department of Motor Vehicle workers into federal Immigration workers. The cost to implement the technology became bloated and the timeframe for implementation went from January 2008 to January 2017. Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff once said "..embracing REAL ID would mean it would be used to "cash a check, hire a baby sitter, board a plane or engage in countless other activities. This is a description of a national identification system, which is illegal in the United States."

For the longest time, we as Americans have been Pavlov's dog of sorts in stereotyping people by race, religion, etc.. "No Irish Need Apply" was a common advertisement in 1800's America, forcing many Irishmen to take to manual labor jobs, sometimes causing race riots with African Americans trying to get that very same job.

After 9/11, many Americans stereotyped all Muslims as terrorists, while forgetting Timothy McVeigh was still considered a "red blooded" American on April 19, 1995 in Oklahoma City. And many Americans praise Andrew Joseph Stack as an American hero for flying his propeller plane into the Austin, Texas IRS building, killing two federal employees and injuring others.

No one can identify a terrorist nor an illegal immigrant, even Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has stated "I couldn't identify an illegal immigrant if I saw one." Through television and movies, for decades, we have seen image after image that an illegal immigrant is Hispanic. Thoughts of the movie "Born in East L.A." come to mind when Cheech Marin's character gets deported because he left his wallet at home and could not show proof of citizenship. Through constant imagery and repeated rotation, we assume all illegal immigrants are Hispanic and all terrorists are of Muslim decent.


After the May Day parades and anti-Arizona immigration rallies held coast to coast this past weekend, probably one incident will somehow turn into a "6 degrees of illegal immigrants" game.


As many of us now know, Times Square was sent into a frenzy as a T-Shirt (and former Vietnam Veteran)vendor spotted an unattended smoking(!) SUV in the area. The vendor immediately rushed to the nearest police officer. Quick thinking by the vendor and quicker response from New York finest, Times Square was evacuated for a possible car bomb plot. Luckily, those who designed the bomb failed in all their attempts to cause chaos as the car bomb never went off. But one can be positive that come Monday morning, that some media source, whether it be a respected journalist or an opinionator, will have tried to link this terrorist act to illegal immigration.


To truly get a grasp of the issues of national security, illegal immigration, terrorism, we as Americans need to remove the blinders that have been placed upon our faces. We need to look at all and not look at one whether it be religion, race or political party. Not all terrorists are Muslim and not all illegal immigrants are Hispanic.

But then again, if all the illegal immigrants are deported, who will care for all those pristine country club golf courses so many of us jet off to play on in south western America?

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

A modern day scarlett letter for illegal immigrants

"Make a Hole Make it Wide"

Big Poppa's sitting at the end of the bar, looking around at all the patrons and is wondering "are they all here legally?" And I ain't talking about their age!

On April 23, 2010 Arizona's Governor Jan Brewer signed a new tough illegal immigration law, a law designed to help identify, prosecute and deport illegal immigrants in the "Grand Canyon" state. To date there are about 20 million illegal immigrants in the United States, but would you know an illegal immigrant if you saw one?

The law states police officers are to detain an individual they suspect as illegal in the state or detain an individual if they are not carrying immigration papers. But what does an illegal immigrant look like? Are they all Hispanic? What about those that are illegally here from Sweden? They do not look Hispanic, as a matter of fact many from Sweden look like Elin Nordegren, the wife of Tiger Woods.

What about those that are illegally here from Canada? They do not look Hispanic, many look look like Sidney Crosby or Tom Hanks or Alanis Morrisette.

What about those of Hispanic decent that are natural born citizens of the United States. Hypothetically one day , an individual runs out of the house, forgetting their wallet and is pulled over by a police officer for a busted taillight. Could the police officer detain that individual on suspicion of being in the United States illegally even though that person speaks perfect English? Yes the officer could, depending on his/her judgment, since the individual has no identification, they can be detained. Then of course after the fact, proper identification is produced, the individual loses a days pay, blah blah and that person could file a lawsuit for the detainment. The Arizona law could produce more headaches then warranted.

But there's a person out there with a vision, a person in Iowa with a vision to help the citizens of the United States and the police officer identify an illegal immigrant. Pat Bertroche is a congressional candidate this coming election and he wants to put a micro chip in anyone caught in the United States illegally. In his words "I actually support micro-chipping them. I can micro-chip my dog so I can find it. Why can’t I micro-chip an illegal?" Now that is an interesting concept and according to research it costs roughly $30 to micro chip good 'ol "Snoopy," so why not Pedro or Hans or whomever cannot produce the proper papers! It could be a whole new version of "Cops." Quick call Steven Segal or Jeff Probst.

So according to plan, local police officers can detain an "illegal" if there is no evidence that the individual is in the United States legally. They then call up the local US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services to send an agent over. The agent arrive (give an hour to 24 hours for arrival) does the necessary paperwork and sticks a needle in the back of the individual with a micro chip. Finally the newly micro chipped individual gets an air conditioned ride the border and is set free, "Run Pedro Run." But which border? Where would you drop off someone here illegally from Sweden? Maybe their respected Embassy.

However a micro chip does not really help the naked eye, unless everyone watches them on a GPS. If you can look up sex offenders in your neighborhood on the Internet, then you should be able to follow the path of an illegal immigrant.

So why not use a radio frequency identification tag on the illegal immigrant in the ear like an animal researcher would do on a grizzly bear or a whitetail deer? Think about it, document the illegal individual and then tag with the bright yellow RFID tag transmitter on their earlobe, kinda like a modern day Scarlett letter. Bristol University has been experimenting with smaller version of RFID's for years on ants, but these need to be visible for every red blooded law abiding American to see and call the proper authorities.

Ok, it is lunacy from both myself and Mr. Bertroche to even think of such an inhumane way to track and locate those here illegally. After all, Hitler used tattoo prison numbers on those in concentration camps and those were permanent. The illegal could always pay to have the earlobe cut off.

Outside of Arizona and California, the states of Illinois, Idaho and Utah have the largest illegal immigration growth. So how does someone know if you are here legally or illegally without knowing what to look for? The Media has focused on those of Hispanic decent, more for the fact that Arizona and Mexico share an open border, but what about our neighbors to the North? What happens if Montana or Vermont decide they have an open border issue with Canada? After all, they have cheap prescription drugs in Canada and in some areas, Canada is only across the street.

We focus to much on the overwhelming obvious stereotypical illegal immigrants, those of Hispanic decent, yet illegals do not all come from the Southern Hemisphere. The Arizona law has more open holes in it then does our open borders with Canada and Mexico, but then again, it took Arizona seven years to observe Martin Luther King Jr Day after it became a national holiday.

Fill the peanut bowl, poor a cold frosty one, and of course pay the political tab