Inane Inanities - Political Edition

I usually do not delve into politics.  I don't even like talking about it in this poisonous era.  It leads to hurt feelings and discussion never results in any positives.  Minds don't change, so why do it?  Having said that, today's post is 80% politics.  DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE EASILY UPSET, RILED OR GIVEN TO THE VAPORS WITH POLITICAL DISCUSSION.  For the purpose of this post I will reveal that I am a moderate Independent:  I judge the issue, and the candidate.  And I'm pretty well pissed at both parties. I voted once for Bush, and once for Obama.  Looks like I'm a free agent for November's election. 


DO NOT GO ANY FURTHER IF YOU ARE EASILY UPSET BY POLITICAL VIEWS, NEWS, OPINIONS OR COMMENTARY.  

1.  Tampa Convention officials said that water guns would not be allowed this summer during the GOP convention but handguns would.  Hey, sounds good to me.

2.  A new program in prisons is "Felines for Felons".  A match made in heaven: the cats get a soul mate, and the felons get harsher time.

3.  I see Congress has a 13% approval rate.  Who the Hell are those people and shouldn't we find them and put them back in the institution they escaped from?

4.  I am amazed at Obama.  He is not a leader: a leader doesn't need to check polls or spin info to make him more popular.  A real leader leads and damns the polls, and lets the chips fall where they may.  After Biden stated his comfortability about gay unions, Obama had to check the prevailing winds and then say he will deal with it AFTER the election.  Then, seeing he was boxed in politically, he decided to embrace gay marriage. What a bum.  In a recent survey, it was determined the majority of Americans are in favor of gay unions.  Obama is not a leader, he is an equivocator, a scaredy-cat more worried about being re-elected than taking a stand.

5.  As long as we are talking about Obama, I liked his bail-out of Detroit, but not his bailout of the big banks and his subsequent cozying up of Wall Street.  Obama is a semi-Republican so either way the upcoming election will rubber-stamp 4 more conservative years.

 6. Concealed gun laws are sprouting all over the country.  Florida has concealed gun law and Illinois is thinking about it.  As the nation further becomes more addicted to guns be sure to get your grave plots purchased.  its going to be open season for anyone with a chip on their shoulder.  With stupid people standing behind the trigger of a gun more people will die in places of work, schools, picnics and homes than we can even imagine.  Anyone who is pissed off and angry about being laid off, or mad at their spouses or neighbors are going to take matters in their own hands and the nation will become a killing field.  The good news is that we are already becoming numb to work-place violence, school-violence, and similar atrocities so that we will not even notice.  But don't take my guns away, cause I'm a real 'merican.

7.  Interesting that within a couple weeks of my bullying essay we learn that Romney bullied in high school.

8.  Could TV be any more boring?  Most shows that are boilerplate, uninspired, predictable, routine, common and safe.  When the Chick-Fil-A commercials are funnier than your usual sleep-inducing sitcom, you know we are talking empty landscape.  Actually I sound like I see these shows.  I don't. I rarely see any TV except for a movie and baseball.  But I have seen bits when I walk through the room and that is all I need to know.  Like Wal-Mart I have pretty much tossed it out of my existence, and like God herself said, "It is Good."

9.

Guess who's going to be at Ruth Eckerd Hall on August 15?  This will be my 3rd time seeing Meat and about the only person I'd care to see in concert.  The cost, the crowds, and the audience screamers ain't what I like in my myopic world of music, unless its at a Meat concert.

10.  Ever hear of the Unrealistic Dumbass Foil Formula?  Probably not, because I just made it up.  Unrealistic as in behaving way over-the-top for cheap juvenile laughs in TV shows and films.  Dumbass, as in a character saying or doing things you will never ever see anyone do in real life.  Foil, as in one who contrasts with another character to highlight the differences, usually the protagonist.

Remember Frank Burns in M*A*S*H?  He was so supremely stupid and unaware that it made Hawkeye and Co all the more brilliant and reasonable.  It is a technique in fiction that dates back to Shakespeare.  Probably farther if I did some research, which I will not do on this lame subject.   Glee has that one lady (Jane Lynch) who is so over the top as to make her totally unbelievable as a real character.  I have never seen this show, but I can tell you this with certitude from the commercials.  Since I seldom watch TV I can't tell you other shows with this writing technique, but suffice to day they are out there, to be sure.

All this to say I expect it from TV shows since there is a basic formula of comedy (and drama) and the Dumbass Foil Syndrome is as basic as the stage light.  But I don't expect it from serious dramatic movies.  Which is why when I saw I Bought A Zoo I was instantly shocked by the antics and unreality of the government inspector, Mr. Ferris.    The lowbrow-TV-esqueness of it all really dampened my enthusiasm for the movie.  His perverse dislikeability was so over the top that for a few minutes I thought I was watching Three's CompanyUDFT writing component.

The good news is that the movie was able to overcome its deathly need to be funny and liked and its awful handling of Mr. Ferris to be a somewhat touching, and well-written flick.  Fast forward through Mr. Ferris and I think you'll find your two hours somewhat rewarded.

11.  Did you know that a Parisian movie house played  Mr. Smith Goes To Washington around the clock for a month to packed crowds as the Nazi's were poised to march into town?  You need to see this if you haven't for awhile and wistfully dream of its American ideals long since difficult to see.

12.  This is a picture of a 5 gallon bucket.  Inside the bucket is a rather large sea bass and a couple of snappers.  We went deep sea fishing last weekend and this was our haul after about 3 minutes.  Our incredible trip will be featured soon.  Just wanted to thank Drew and Mackenzie for setting it up.  Payment for taking care of a wee little kid, I guess.   Fish fry next weekend.       


13.    “I’m not familiar precisely with exactly what I said, but I stand by what I said whatever it was.”

Willard Romney responding to  a reporter’s question about something he said to Sean Hannity.


14.  The Ron Paul 5-Minute Rule:  He and his followers sound reasonable and kind of knowing for the first 5 minutes.  Then all of a sudden, the train flies off the tracks and  you start thinking these guys are bat-shit crazy.


15.  And if you don't buy the secret society that runs this country, word is 
out that Facebook earnings were cut by Morgan Stanley but only conveyed to a select few rich fat cats.


Now remember kids, don't watch the news or read the papers or watch the talk shows on Sunday morning.  They are all liars, prevaricators, and skunks. And they run the country.


And finally, that's Nelson Rockefeller above giving the finger to members of the conservative branch of the Republican party in 1976.  It's hard to think that there was once a liberal wing of the  the GOP, but times have changed.  Rockefeller was a leading liberal member and the conservative wing had just forced him out as Vice President.  Guess he was pissed.


Addendum:  On June 5th, the GOP in the senate killed a Democratic sponsored bill called the Pay Equity BIll.  It is true that EVERYONE is for equitable pay between women and men, but the ONLY reason the GOP killed the bill is because the Democrats were FOR it.  So, if you are a woman and are planning to vote Republican, then you support a party that has vetoed your chance for equal pay.  


A woman today makes 77 cents to a man's $1.00.  Passage of the bill would have not have resulted in any increase in debt, but would have simply insisted on pay equality for the sexes.  Further proof that Washington is broke and will not be fixed anytime soon.  


I guess I just don't understand why any woman would embrace a party that denies them wage equality.