So what's new in the fantasy world of politics?
What is it with these guys who get a whiff of fame (and probably fortune) and go haywire with unacceptable social behavior? (If they lived in France nobody would care - but they've lived long enough in our puritanical society to understand what's ok or not!) Weiner wants forgiveness? So he can do other stupid things? Fageddaboutit! Right now he's just a hindrance to the Democratic party.
Gingrich has brains - but they're encased in a goyischer kup. No sympathy for this misdirected man.
Palin - oy - hope she's "enjoying" her bus vacation; I am too - since every time she opens her mouth to answer a question out comes a bundle of laughs. Maybe she should try standup comedy? She doesn't like the press and yet does everything possible to garner more attention. What's her game? Surely she can't think she's presidential material.
And my Governor Perry - hoping to pray the state to economic recovery -OY!!!! This is politics Texas Republican style: honey, you all gotta pray to the good lord for good times. Ignore the education budget cuts - gerrymander districts - but make sure you get a parent signature if a kid wants an abortion. Better still - ban all abortions. Then the Mafia or other cartels can get into the business - with hefty payoffs to the pols. Abortions have been part of society since ancient times - and will continue - no matter what.
And something to kvell about - my granddaughters attend Montgomery County, MD schools. The school system has the highest graduation rate in the country. Yeah!!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Shades of McCarthyism?
Sorry to promote Peter King by mentioning his name - but it sure seems like he's the new McCarthy. Now that we don't see communists under the beds and in dark corners - and the prospects of them "taking over our country" we need a new "cause". Ta-da - here comes Kingism: Muslims are lurking in every corner - itching to take over the country or annihilate us.
A perfect example of what's wrong with education in this country today: a big chunk of society that doesn't know how to think, evaluate or understand the stuff in print online or TV. Truth? Does that matter when you're promoting a cause? And when a newscaster is caught in a flagrant lie - oops - is the answer. Until the next batch of lies.
Oh yes - can't resist a comment about the moral high-ground ethos of Mr. Gingrich. In his oh-so contrite voice about his past marital shenanigans we're supposed to say "boys will be boys"? Goes along with other macho red-neck happenings disguised as "family values". And this guy wants to be president? OY!
A perfect example of what's wrong with education in this country today: a big chunk of society that doesn't know how to think, evaluate or understand the stuff in print online or TV. Truth? Does that matter when you're promoting a cause? And when a newscaster is caught in a flagrant lie - oops - is the answer. Until the next batch of lies.
Oh yes - can't resist a comment about the moral high-ground ethos of Mr. Gingrich. In his oh-so contrite voice about his past marital shenanigans we're supposed to say "boys will be boys"? Goes along with other macho red-neck happenings disguised as "family values". And this guy wants to be president? OY!
Friday, February 25, 2011
About budget cuts or ideology?
OK - so we have all these politicians ranting about less spending - saving money, etc. Note where they hit first: school enrichment programs, loans for higher education, family planning,collective bargaining for public employees (wow - that really will make a dent in our spending!) and more - get the picture?
Funny - I don't hear anyone suggesting we get out of Afghanistan where most of our money goes - poured into a sack of holes.
It's the ideology game - politicians get bigger headlines for "moral" crusades and more money from organizations worried about prayer in schools and what people do in the privacy of their bedrooms than what's really good for society.
What is there about a society that can't see/understand the connection between overpopulation (read: unwanted children) and inadequate education. Although schools can use more funding, the real problem lies with parent(s) who didn't want these kids in the first place, and obviously don't get involved in their kids' education. Cut music/art, gifted child programs? And then we wonder why we're lagging in creative breakthroughs compared to the rest of the world. Teaching today centers on test taking instead of developing the powers of THINKING and HOW TO LEARN!(and if you live in my state, Texas, you have to suffer the indignity of politicians rewriting history in the textbooks!)
Too many complacent people, unhappy with this country's shift to politics as spewed by a network that presents fictional news, do nothing except complain; they don't write letters or contact their pols.
There's no better place than the USA - but that doesn't mean it can't stand a bit of tweaking!
Funny - I don't hear anyone suggesting we get out of Afghanistan where most of our money goes - poured into a sack of holes.
It's the ideology game - politicians get bigger headlines for "moral" crusades and more money from organizations worried about prayer in schools and what people do in the privacy of their bedrooms than what's really good for society.
What is there about a society that can't see/understand the connection between overpopulation (read: unwanted children) and inadequate education. Although schools can use more funding, the real problem lies with parent(s) who didn't want these kids in the first place, and obviously don't get involved in their kids' education. Cut music/art, gifted child programs? And then we wonder why we're lagging in creative breakthroughs compared to the rest of the world. Teaching today centers on test taking instead of developing the powers of THINKING and HOW TO LEARN!(and if you live in my state, Texas, you have to suffer the indignity of politicians rewriting history in the textbooks!)
Too many complacent people, unhappy with this country's shift to politics as spewed by a network that presents fictional news, do nothing except complain; they don't write letters or contact their pols.
There's no better place than the USA - but that doesn't mean it can't stand a bit of tweaking!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Brothers Koch
With abject apologies to Russian literature - these brothers are the scariest to date.
The past D.C. weekend demo for Fox hero Beck - (financed in great part by the Brothers Koch) promoting JC, Christianity, prayer in schools and more of the same smack of early Hitler days. Popular orator using catch phrases whipping up public support....all based on ideas/concepts against everything this country was created for.
Everyone said what happened in Germany could never happen here....really? All you need is big bucks, media outlets, strong orators and off we go.
Main line Republicans are mysteriously quiet and the pathetic Democratic party - do I hear a peep?
Read more in Frank Rich's column - Sunday's NY Times (Aug. 29, 2010) and the Aug. 30 issue of New Yorker - Jane Mayer's story on the K. Brothers.
OY!!!
The past D.C. weekend demo for Fox hero Beck - (financed in great part by the Brothers Koch) promoting JC, Christianity, prayer in schools and more of the same smack of early Hitler days. Popular orator using catch phrases whipping up public support....all based on ideas/concepts against everything this country was created for.
Everyone said what happened in Germany could never happen here....really? All you need is big bucks, media outlets, strong orators and off we go.
Main line Republicans are mysteriously quiet and the pathetic Democratic party - do I hear a peep?
Read more in Frank Rich's column - Sunday's NY Times (Aug. 29, 2010) and the Aug. 30 issue of New Yorker - Jane Mayer's story on the K. Brothers.
OY!!!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Scanning Hypocrisy
El Paso Airport, along with other cities, now has body scanners to check us out before we board our planes - a little extra radiation to add to our "well-being". Do I hear any howls out there from the public that was so worried about government in the health care business? They screamed bloody murder when debates waged on health care reform; implying we could not trust the government to run a health program.
So - now we can trust the government? The TSA makes pronouncements on how little radiation is emitted - (from the TSA medical school? TSA Graduate School of Physics?) And the TSA is monitoring these scanners? Just how much radiation are they giving off - how well calibrated are they, etc. Heaven help us.
Sure, we're bombarded with radiation all the time and even more so when we fly at high altitudes. What's the tipping point? Who decides that something is harmless now? Ten years down the road when illness due to that extra "tiny" bit of radiation strikes - will the TSA say oops?
Oh yes - check out financial/consulting interest in scanning equipment company - a client of former Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff. It's that good old axiom again: follow the money.
I'll give TSA a cheap thrill and let them pat me down, thank you.
So - now we can trust the government? The TSA makes pronouncements on how little radiation is emitted - (from the TSA medical school? TSA Graduate School of Physics?) And the TSA is monitoring these scanners? Just how much radiation are they giving off - how well calibrated are they, etc. Heaven help us.
Sure, we're bombarded with radiation all the time and even more so when we fly at high altitudes. What's the tipping point? Who decides that something is harmless now? Ten years down the road when illness due to that extra "tiny" bit of radiation strikes - will the TSA say oops?
Oh yes - check out financial/consulting interest in scanning equipment company - a client of former Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff. It's that good old axiom again: follow the money.
I'll give TSA a cheap thrill and let them pat me down, thank you.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Texas Republicans - are they for real?
Just saw bits of the 2010 State Republican Party Platform of Texas and cringed. A follow-up to the Texas School Board's selection of school textbooks for the next ten years?
Samples of their ideology: "urge Congress to withhold Supreme Court jurisdiction in cases involving religious freedom, abortion and the Bill of Rights", homosexuality "tears at the fabric of our society, contributes to the breakdown of the family unit and leads to the spread of dangerous communicable diseases"
Spread of diseases doesn't happen with heterosexuals? Breakdown of family unit? No divorces, broken marriages in this country? No jurisdiction for religious freedom cases? Yeah - Mel Gibson should like that one.
What planet are these guys living on?
Watch out world - things like this were promulgated by the well-known Austrian painter with a mustache in the late 1920's and early 1930's. Always starts with a few crazies and it grows if it isn't stopped early on.
Samples of their ideology: "urge Congress to withhold Supreme Court jurisdiction in cases involving religious freedom, abortion and the Bill of Rights", homosexuality "tears at the fabric of our society, contributes to the breakdown of the family unit and leads to the spread of dangerous communicable diseases"
Spread of diseases doesn't happen with heterosexuals? Breakdown of family unit? No divorces, broken marriages in this country? No jurisdiction for religious freedom cases? Yeah - Mel Gibson should like that one.
What planet are these guys living on?
Watch out world - things like this were promulgated by the well-known Austrian painter with a mustache in the late 1920's and early 1930's. Always starts with a few crazies and it grows if it isn't stopped early on.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
A bit of kvetching and one kvell
Airline kvetching:
I pay for an airline seat; if I must make a change - I have to shell out big bucks. Any changes the airline makes (whether it inconveniences me or not): "tough!" They usually don't alert you to the change, say sorry, or offer any kind of compensation.
Ever been in a coach (economy) seat on a full plane - and the back bathrooms are occupied - you walk up to the front where 8 to 12 (or less) people share one bathroom, it's unoccupied, and the flight attendant says - sorry this is for first class only?
Who designs planes where the aisle seats in economy have almost no room for storage under the seat in front? Airbus seats are fine fine - but the Boeing designers probably all fly first class so what would they know?
Small regional jets - CRJ 900 (used by United) has room in the overhead for a standard 21 inch rollaboard; Embraer, (used by Continental) requires gate checking; why not use colored tags denoting close connections and need to offload these bags first?
Super market kvetching:
Why do they water the produce so much and then charge us for it? (it's sold by the pound and the water makes it heavier!)
Why do they sell veggies by the pound when half or more has to be discarded - like leeks,fennel, etc.?
Kvell:
Big smile on my face when 9 year old granddaughter Miriam called - all excited about her cooking class - "it was so much fun, nana!"
I pay for an airline seat; if I must make a change - I have to shell out big bucks. Any changes the airline makes (whether it inconveniences me or not): "tough!" They usually don't alert you to the change, say sorry, or offer any kind of compensation.
Ever been in a coach (economy) seat on a full plane - and the back bathrooms are occupied - you walk up to the front where 8 to 12 (or less) people share one bathroom, it's unoccupied, and the flight attendant says - sorry this is for first class only?
Who designs planes where the aisle seats in economy have almost no room for storage under the seat in front? Airbus seats are fine fine - but the Boeing designers probably all fly first class so what would they know?
Small regional jets - CRJ 900 (used by United) has room in the overhead for a standard 21 inch rollaboard; Embraer, (used by Continental) requires gate checking; why not use colored tags denoting close connections and need to offload these bags first?
Super market kvetching:
Why do they water the produce so much and then charge us for it? (it's sold by the pound and the water makes it heavier!)
Why do they sell veggies by the pound when half or more has to be discarded - like leeks,fennel, etc.?
Kvell:
Big smile on my face when 9 year old granddaughter Miriam called - all excited about her cooking class - "it was so much fun, nana!"
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