The apple doesn't fall. . .

. . . far from the tree.

from Factcheck.org. . .

". . . Liz (daughter of former U.S. Non-Apologetic, Vice Torture-Monger & Marksman, Dick Cheney) Cheney's group quotes U.S. military leaders out of context to attack President Obama's Afghanistan policy. Keep America Safe, which is headed by the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, is airing a TV ad that uses brief video clips of congressional testimony given by Gen. David Petraeus and Adm. Mike Mullen to support its claim that Obama's plan to reduce troop levels in Afghanistan will put U.S. soldiers at greater risk. It's true that both military leaders recommended maintaining higher troop levels. But they supported the president's decision, and their full congressional testimony shows they believe the risk is manageable and won't jeopardize the mission.

The title of the ad — "More Risk" — comes from Mullen's testimony before the House Armed Services Committee on June 23. Mullen, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, was asked about the president's decision to withdraw 33,000 troops from Afghanistan by the end of next summer, including 10,000 of them by the end of this year. The ad quotes Mullen as saying, "It was more aggressive and it has more risk than I recommended." But the full context of his remarks shows that Mullen also said the plan is "well within reason."

Mullen, June 23: I think it’s well within reason for us to be able to do this. As I said in my opening statement, it was more aggressive and it has more risk than, you know, I was originally prepared to — than I — than I recommended. That said, in totality, it’s within the ability to sustain the mission, focus on the objectives and execute. "



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Slowly. . .

. . . my musical development moved closer to the area in which my peers were located. My love for Chicago (Transit Authority) and some of the 'pop' favs at the time (I listened to the radio and was exposed to such delights as KNOCK THREE TIMES by Tony Orlando and Dawn - which I openly admitted to enjoying [how UNCOOL!]), along with my musical appetite, tastes and scope continued to grow. So now, I wasn't a total freak for being a fan of Sonny James and Charles Magnante because I also like Jethro Tull and Three Dog Night.

My good friend Joe, now being of driving age, was more involved with cars than his old American Flyer. He wasn't a mechanic though. He was enamored with the aesthetics, internal and external, of the automobile with his favorites being those manufactured by the Chrysler Corporation. And if one is an afficionado of the sleek lines and contours of the fine, automotive form, what better way to enjoy it than with some. . . MUSIC?!

Joe was a fiend when it came to high-end sound in his cars. The more speakers, Joe theorized, the better the sound. (Joe's Mother once joked that Joe should install two-way speakers in the car seats so that if someone broke wind, everyone else in the car could hear it.) The source of all this wonderful aural confection was an 8-track tape player. And the sounds Joe liked to pump through those speakers included Rare Earth; Blood Sweat & Tears, The Ides of March and Neil Diamond. And just about one, short city block away from Joe, my buddies Michael and Gus were grooving (although in not-nearly as high fidelity as Joe) to Tull, Bloodrock, (more) Chicago and some Jesus Christ Superstar thrown in.



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You never want to hear. . .

. . . another word from me again. Never wanna have to see my face at your door. If there's so much as the mention of my name, you can feel an uncontrollable fit of pain. I'm the one that you said you would love til the bitter end. This must really be, this must really be the end. Nothing could be fitter. This must really be, this must really be the end. Make no mistake, it's bitter.

You never want us to be seen again in public places. Can't explain it to another friend how it goes. You say there's torment that you feel inside from many things. I can tell you that I still don't know what that means. Long ago we were friends far removed from the bitter end. This must really be, this must really be the end. Nothing could be fitter. This must really be, this must really be the end. Make no mistake, it's bitter.

There's no candy coating to make it go down easier; not so simple to digest; no bright colors and no exotic flavors sweetening.
What you see is what you get.

You never want to have to hear a word from me again. If there's so much as the mention of my name, you can feel an uncontrollable fit of pain. With one fell swoop you sent me direct to the bitter end. This must really be, this must really be the end. Nothing could be fitter. This must really be, this must really be the end. Make no mistake, it's bitter.


THE BITTER END from "Chromatose"
©2003 Raymond M. Jozwiak



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Will somebody. . .

. . . please bitchslap house speaker John Boehner and explain to him the theory behind the term 'balance'?

From Carla Fried
The Daily Money July 6th. . .
"When the Joe Biden-led negotiations broke down. . . it was reportedly due in part to the Republicans’ refusal to accept a deficit reduction plan that generated about 80 percent of savings through spending cuts and 20 percent through increased tax revenue. That’s 80-20, not 50-50.

if you tax capital gains at ordinary income tax rates, higher-income folks will probably think twice about realizing gains. But at a time when the rhetoric and politics are flying over how to deal with the deficit, it’s important to recognize that federal spending isn’t simply a function of what we appropriate to various programs. It’s also what is spent on all the tax breaks embedded in the tax code. Without raising income tax rates, trimming some tax expenditures is one more way we could address the deficit."





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An honest candidate. . .

. . . is an educated candidate, who desires to SERVE her/his constituency. . . so I conclude there's no need to worry about this candidate becoming president. IS THERE????

On Republican candidate Michele Bachmann, factcheck.org reported:

"Bachmann falsely claimed that she and her husband "have never gotten a penny" from a family farm that received federal subsidies. But she reported income from the farm in 2006, 2008 and 2009 — the most recent year available — on her congressional financial disclosure statements.

She claimed she had been "faithful" to her pledge not to request federal earmarks. But she requested $40 million in transportation earmarks in the 2009 fiscal year budget after taking the pledge, later claiming such projects should not be subjected to her promise. She withdrew her requests after the House Republicans took a party position in 2010 not to seek earmarks.

Bachmann wrongly blamed President Obama for increasing the number of federal transportation workers who earn more than $170,000 from one to 1,690 during the recession. At least two-thirds of those employees were receiving more than $170,000 before Obama took office.

She criticized the president for a 73 percent increase in government "limousines." But one department accounted for the increase, and it had a long-term plan, pre-dating Obama, to add armored vehicles. The term "limousine" includes armored vehicles and sedans, not just actual limos.

She claimed government money received by her husband's counseling clinics did not benefit the business, because the funds paid for employee training. It's true the clinics received $24,041 for training, but the business received thousands more in government funds, including money for treating crime victims.

The three-term congresswoman repeated — on two Sunday shows — the false claim that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the federal health care law will "cost the economy 800,000 jobs." The CBO never said that. It said there will be a "small" impact on jobs."




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You are. . .

. . . the company you keep.

Keeping company on a beautiful day, playing India Arie's IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY with some of the best company I know.




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There was a time. . .

. . . when I had hoped to be a journalist.

That's right, a journalist. Possibly writing for a newspaper or magazine or another media outlet of some iteration. Of course, fate would not have it and I am what I am. My awareness of, and level of emotional involvement in, certain social and political issues, has changed (read increased) with the years. Like my journalism professor in college, and many bright and better-read peers of mine who criticized the media (which has evolved drastically since then) for various transgressions of which I, at the time, gave very little thought, I now see, more clearly every day, how the media, primarily the news media, fail us each and every day.

Take, for example, my 'beloved' Baltimore Sun, who printed these little gems the other day following violence at the Baltimore Inner Harbor 4th of July celebration. . .

"Child shot at harbor says he would punch gunman in the face
Police still seeking person who fired random shot after fireworks
A stick-on bandage is the only thing covering Kavin Benson's dime-size bullet wound.
It hasn't stopped the rambunctious 4-year-old, who was shot moments after the July 4 fireworks ended at the Inner Harbor, from dancing, jumping and climbing all over his family's Brooklyn apartment. And it hasn't stopped the child, sporting a red T-shirt and Dr. Seuss shoes, from seeking revenge. . ."

and. . .
"Calo, of Opelika, Ala., got into a shoving match with a group of men, Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III said Tuesday. Calo "re-engaged" the suspect later and was stabbed in the neck with a broken bottle, he said.
"He was a really good father, and we miss him," Reilly said. "There's a little girl that's going to grow up without a father because someone felt the need to be big and tough and use a deadly weapon instead of his fists like a real man."'

No doubt the latter is a tragedy, the former an unsettling coincidence. And whoever thought shooting a firearm in a crowd of thousands in celebration of Independence Day was a good idea could certainly use some education and possibly rehabilitation. But what bothers me are the 'revenge' statements (I'm not so sure the kid wouldn't use a firearm for THAT if he could get his hands on one [too many Mel Gibson movies?]) and the "instead of [using] his fists like a real man" quote, after all (pertaining to the latter) the victim did "re-engage" the suspect after the initial 'shoving' encounter.

I take four lessons from these 4th of July tragedies:
** LET'S BE CIVIL
Some people are dumber than others. Revenge won't make them smart. In fact, calling for revenge in such a case places
us on a comparable level with the perpretrator.
** DON'T RE-ENGAGE
This act is the non-vehicular equivalent of Road-Rage. Let it go, man. And there's no need to fight "like a man" or
a woman or a child for that matter.
** DON'T READ THE NEWSPAPER
Or at least don't let it scare you unnecessarily. The Baltimore Sun claims now that Baltimore isn't as dangerous as some
people perceive it to be, but they are your outlet of choice to read about every crime, no matter how small, petty or
'inbred' , in order to make you think that 'this could happen to you.'
** LET'S PLAY SOME MUSIC. . .



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