Wrong?. . . No argument there, Mittster. If the implication is that you could have done it, even after the mess your teammates made. . . you're dead wrong. . .
(from MSNBC.com)
". . . Mitt Romney emerged from debate rehearsals in Vermont today to pick
up some pizzas, and to deliver his own analysis of the first night of
the Democratic National Convention, which he said could not make the
claim Americans were better off after President Obama's first term.
"You've
heard no one stand up and say that people are better off than they were
four years ago," Romney told reporters traveling with him as he picked
up several extra large pies at a pizza joint here. "They really can't
say that. They can't say it in all honesty. Particularly with the news
that has come out this week.". . . "
Maybe if we all lived in the land of make-believe. . .
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(by David Horsey)
"It is not too much of a stretch to say the National Rifle Association profits from mass killings like the slaughter at the theater in Aurora, Colo., and the killings at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis. The NRA is, after all, a fundraising machine that runs on fear and a sense of crisis, even when the fear is false and the crisis manufactured.
A former Republican lawmaker has made public a four-page fundraising letter from the NRA's executive vice-president, Wayne LaPierre, that was sent out to gun enthusiasts just three days after a young man styling himself as the Joker turned a showing of the new Batman movie into a bloody massacre. The Republican whistleblower apparently found the timing of the solicitation just a bit unseemly. At the same time, he insisted on anonymity. Even an ex-officeholder does not want to end up on the NRA's hit list.
In the NRA's defense, such mailings for money generally take weeks to prepare, so it is highly unlikely the letter was sent in response to the Aurora incident. Still, it was convenient timing. In the days after the Joker went wild, sales of firearms and ammunition boomed. The gun-loving populace, it seems, has been convinced by years of NRA propaganda that any mass shooting will be used as an excuse for government agents to start confiscating firearms, so they rushed to stock up before the feds came to their door.
Mr. LaPierre's fundraising missive was yet another example of this fear mongering. In the letter, the NRA leader says President Barack Obama's re-election would lead to "confiscation of our firearms" and, potentially, a "ban on semi-automatic weapons."
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"The future of your Second Amendment rights will be at stake," writes Mr. LaPierre. "And nothing less than the future of our country and our freedom will be at stake."
The truth, of course, is that most Democrats have given up the fight to restrict guns, and Mr. Obama has shown no inclination whatsoever to renew that battle. Nevertheless, the NRA needs money, and the money will not come if gun owners do not think they need the lobbying power of the NRA to protect their right to keep and bear arms. In recent years, revenue from NRA membership dues has dropped, as has total income for the organization. So, increasingly, Mr. LaPierre and company have come to depend on contributions from freaked-out gun nuts.
One steady stream of NRA dollars comes from an interesting source. A 1986 law erased the ban on interstate sales of ammunition. Since then, consumers have been encouraged to add a little extra to the total when they buy their bullets online or by mail order. That tip goes to the NRA. Since 1992, these nifty gratuities have reportedly brought in $9.3 million to the organization. That means that every time there is a run on ammo in the wake of a mass shooting, Mr. LaPierre's budget gets a nice boost.
There is a sick symbiosis between the deranged acts of the lone gunmen and the revenue stream of the NRA. In no way can the NRA be blamed for the actions of the shooters, of course, but it sure would be nice to see Mr. LaPierre take a day off from stoking the fear and raising the dough, at least while families mourn the dead."
[Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner David Horsey is a political commentator for the Los Angeles Times. Go to latimes.com/news/politics/topoftheticket/ to see more of his work]
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Another ra-ra session from another political party, this time the Democrats in Charlotte. Seems to me that all the money spent on political conventions could be more wisely spent without having to exert too many brain cells. Furthermore, modern political conventions have become more showbiz than substance. See what I mean. . .
". . . The aspect of the convention [Phil; formerly of NBC News] Alongi seems most proud of is the 13
screen back drop for the podium. The set allowed him to personalize the
look of the stage for each speaker without physically moving anything.
When Jeb Bush made his speech Thursday night, Alongi and his team
anticipated the former Florida Governor would talk about education – so
they prepared elements that complimented his subject. Behind Bush
stretched giant ruled notebook paper as he said “lets talk a little
about our kids, and education.”
The RNC also played a 10 minute “Introduction” to Mitt Romney that
played across the 13 different screens. Different aspects of the short
film were highlighted in the different sizes and shapes of screens
surrounding the podium.
Although some pundits have complained that the conventions are
over-hyped and drawn out, Alongi told CNN he thinks they play an
essential role. Alongi says he loves that for four days all the
attention is on the candidates, and it’s not up to journalists to decide
whether it’s worthwhile.
For Alongi the real challenge may have been that the stars of his
show didn’t have the same draw. Sarah Palin drew 37.2 million viewers
the night of her speech at the 2008 RNC, whereas Paul Ryan’s speech
Wednesday drew 21.9 million. And John McCain’s acceptance of the
Republican nomination in 2008 pulled 38.9 million viewers, while
Romney’s speech Thursday got 25.3 million.
But, regardless of ratings, Alongi strived to create something that put the candidate, and his ideas, center stage.
He told CNN, “If you learn something about the candidates and what
they stand for, you’ve learned something when you go to the voting booth
and push the lever. It’s a chance for people to learn what these guys
really stand for.”. . . "
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(from "It's Even Worse Than It Looks; How The American Constitutional System Collided With The New Politics of Extremism" by Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein)
". . . Help your readers, listeners, and viewers recognize and understand asymmetric polarization. The [political] Parties are different in many important respects. . . Document those differences, report on them, and consider the implications of those differences for ordinary citizens.
A balanced treatment of an unbalanced phenomenon is a distortion of reality and a disservice to your consumers. . . media should report the truth. Both sides in politics are no more necessarily equally responsible than a hit-and-run driver and a victim; reporters don't treat them as equivalent, and neither should they reflexively treat the parties that way. . . don't seek professional safety through the unfiltered presentation of opposing views. What's the real story? Who's telling the truth? Who is taking hostages at what risks and to what ends?
Fact checks are important contributions to contemporary journalism. What treat them all as equally important and bury them in the back pages? Move them into the body of news stories and onto the lead, and repeat them when politicians continue to repeat falsities despite the fact check.
Stop lending legitimacy to Senate filibusters by treating a sixty-vote hurdle as routine. The framers certainly didn't intend that. Your consumers should be better informed of the costs associated with it. Report individual senators' abusive use of holds and clearly identify every time a minority party uses a filibuster to kill a bill or nomination with majority support. Do not say or write that Congress of the Senate killed a bill or stopped a nomination if a majority in both houses voted for the bill or the individual-say or write the truth, that the bill or person was blocked despite majority support, by the use of a filibuster. This is especially true, as with the example of the DISCLOSE Act on campaign finance, when all the members of one party (in that case, fifty-nine) support a bill and all the members of the minority vote against. It was not Congress that blocked disclosure-it was one political party via the filibuster.
Your highest priority should be to clarify the choices voters face and the likely consequences of those choices after the election. How would they govern? What could they accomplish? What differences can people expect from a unified Republican or Democratic government or one divided between the parties? The "how would they govern?" story is always important, but more so now than ever. . . "
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—A simple child,
That lightly draws its breath,
And feels its life in every limb,
What should it know of death?
I met a little cottage girl:
She was eight years old, she said;
Her hair was thick with many a curl
That clustered round her head.
She had a rustic, woodland air,
And she was wildly clad;
Her eyes were fair, and very fair;
—Her beauty made me glad.
"Sisters and brothers, little maid,
How many may you be?"
"How many? Seven in all," she said,
And wondering looked at me.
"And where are they? I pray you tell."
She answered, "Seven are we;
And two of us at Conway dwell,
And two are gone to sea.
"Two of us in the churchyard lie,
My sister and my brother;
And in the churchyard cottage, I
Dwell near them with my mother."
"You say that two at Conway dwell,
And two are gone to sea,
Yet ye are seven! — I pray you tell,
Sweet maid, how this may be."
Then did the little maid reply,
"Seven boys and girls are we;
Two of us in the churchyard lie,
Beneath the churchyard tree."
"You run about, my little maid,
Your limbs they are alive;
If two are in the churchyard laid,
Then ye are only five."
"Their graves are green, they may be seen,"
The little maid replied,
"Twelve steps or more from my mother's door,
And they are side by side.
"My stockings there I often knit,
My kerchief there I hem;
And there upon the ground I sit,
And sing a song to them.
"And often after sunset, sir,
When it is light and fair,
I take my little porringer,
And eat my supper there.
"The first that died was sister Jane;
In bed she moaning lay,
Till God released her of her pain;
And then she went away.
"So in the churchyard she was laid;
And, when the grass was dry,
Together round her grave we played,
My brother John and I.
"And when the ground was white with snow,
And I could run and slide,
My brother John was forced to go,
And he lies by her side."
"How many are you, then," said I,
"If they two are in heaven?"
Quick was the little maid's reply,
"O master! we are seven."
"But they are dead; those two are dead!
Their spirits are in heaven!"
'T was throwing words away; for still
The little maid would have her will,
And say, "Nay, we are seven!"
(We Are Seven, by William Wordsworth)
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Romney's misrepresenting Obama's welfare plan. The need for fact-checkers. Serious and terminal illness, helplessness and grief. Willful ignorance. Political polarization. The approaching end of summer. Droning, monotone, musically elementary folk singers who are hugely popular. Office politics. Lack of leadership. Bad poetry. Higher prices. Senseless killing. Theistic religions with archaic tenets. Endless, mindless drivel from the media about stupid people who have money but no sense.
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at Bread & Circuses Bistro. Friday with Oho and. . .
Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano
Saturday, September 1, 2012
6:00 til 9:00PM at
Bread & Circuses Bistro
27 E. Chesapeake Avenue
Towson, MD 21286
410-337-5282
http://bandcbistro.com/
(from http://www.dougalanwilcox.com)
". . . I'd like to promote some coolness scheduled to happen in the Spring of next year.
As many of you know, I've dabbled in numerous genres of music over the course of my career - more than once jumping into material with a decidedly jazz-influenced bend. During one of those periods, I polished up some bits and pieces of a song I'd started years ago called "Distraction". Fast forward to more recently and bring into play my friend, pianist Ray Jozwiak. In the course of our working together a few times, Ray came to arrange an instrumental version of Distraction heavily flavored with his own unique style. Well, I've just been informed that the song will appear on Ray's new CD "Black and White Then Back", scheduled to be released in April 2013. I'm highly honored by all this and urge lovers of instrumental jazz piano to look up this new disc when it's released to the world next Spring. Thanks Ray! . . . "
Thanks Doug.
Check out Doug (one of the finest vocalists you'll ever hear) at http://www.dougalanwilcox.com.
