Blame It On The Bloggers

Check This out.Conditions in Egypt continue to unravel, with at least 45 people across the country dead in related violence since Friday, according to health ministry officials. President Hosni Mubarak's desperate attempt to hold onto power by firing his cabinet -- but not himself -- didn't cut it with the thousands of protesters who have flooded the streets of Cairo and other cities demanding an end to his 30-year rule. Poverty, government corruption and human rights abuses are among the conditions demonstrators want to see ended.

President Obama voiced support for the protesters' goals yesterday, but Mubarak has been a longtime-ally of the U.S. Given the fact that Egypt is home to the Suez canal, a key transit point for oil and fuel shipments between the Persian Gulf and the Western hemisphere, how far will the U.S. be willing to go to support the Egyptian people's desire for change?

Guess Who the Egyptian Government blames for a lot of this uproar? Drum roll please...Bloggers, Facebook users , Twitter users and You Tube!! Not the fact that you have college educated young people who can't find jobs and have been un-employed for awhile.

It used to be...You could shut down or take control of the newspapers and television stations and radio stations and control the news or at least quiet the news..but now of days, everybody is carrying a smart phone an ipod, an ipad, an android, a blackberry....a netbook, a laptop...People are communicating with each other on trains, in coffee shops, in the streets in apartments, et al
and over state and international lines.

Damn shame...Everybody's phone has a camera...Even a video camera in some cases....This is truly the information age and you can't police or corral everybody...So guess what? naturally, the
Egyptian government wants to do what they did in Iran about a year ago when they were having trouble.. Block Facebook, Twitter and youtube. Shut down the internet.

Internet and cell phone data services were disrupted across Egypt as authorities used extreme measures to hamper protesters from organizing mass rallies after noon prayers Friday as part of the biggest challenge to the government in decades.

In response to the threat, Egypt apparently has done what many technologists thought was unthinkable for any country with a major Internet economy: cutting itself off from the Web to try to silence protesters. ("Yeah, that'll quiet the bloody bastards")


Withholding the Internet in Egypt is relatively easy, compared with other more democratic countries. For one thing, there are only four major ISPs, each of which has relatively few routers connecting them to the outside world. By comparison, anyone who wanted to shut down the Internet in the United States would have to deal with many different companies. And while Egypt can legally disable telecom companies by executive decree, American companies might fall under various regulatory umbrellas that limit the government's power to disrupt communication channels.

Members of our own Congress have proposed creating a "kill switch" that would shut down the Internet at the push of a button in the case of a "cyber security emergency," but erecting such a blockade would be logistically difficult. It would also be kind of unconstitutional too...but that's just me saying that.

I'll however say this about all of that...There were revolutions before we had the internet...before we had the computer as we know it today...before we had telephones and the telegraph...Cutting off the internet won't stop people from standing up to a corrupt government that isn't serving their basic needs....How bout cleaning up the corruption? How bout creating some jobs, straightening out the economy?, How about bending to the will of the people?? (Am I talking about Egypt or America???? I'm getting carried away here!)

Nahh...That's too much like right...It's easier to kill the internet!

Weekend Humor

A guy walks into a bar and sits down. He starts dialing numbers like there's a telephone in his hand, then puts his palm up against his cheek and begins talking.

Suspicious, the bartender walks over and tells him-" Hey look pal, this here is a very tough neighborhood and I don't want any trouble here from you actin all weird and all, see?."

The guy says, " You got me all wrong mack,you don't understand, see, I'm a very hi-tech kind of guy. I had a phone installed in my hand because I was tired of carrying the cellular."

The bartender says "Phone in ya hand eh? Prove it."

The guy dials up a number and hands his hand to the bartender. The bartender talks into the hand and carries on a conversation. "That's incredible!" says the bartender. "I would never have believed it!" "Yeah", said the guy, "I can keep in touch with my broker, my wife, you name it.

By the way, where is the men's room in this joint?" The bartender directs him to the men's room.

The guy goes in and 5, 10, 20 minutes go by and he doesn't return. Fearing the worst given the neighborhood, the bartender goes into the men's room to check on the guy.

The guy is spread-eagled up against the wall. His pants are pulled down and he has a roll of toilet paper up his butt.



"Oh my god!" said the bartender. "Did they rob you? Are you okay?"

The guy turns and says: "No, no, I'm cool. I'm just waiting for a fax."

An Idea For Date Night!

As I write this...I know I should be focusing on the more serious aspect of President Obama's state of the Union address tonight..His first since the Republicans & their Tea Party took the House, but I can't help but think that this would be a great time for a date! Yeah ,you heard me..a date! I kind of got the idea from one of my Facebook friends and some people on Twitter. They were debating whether to go out to see the state of the union address or top have some friends over! Imagine that?

I have to say....No other President in my lifetime, Not Clinton, Not Bush ,Not Reagon even has inspired this kind of talk. Going out..presumably to a Bar or Club to see the State of the Union Address?? ,Having people over to watch it? With cold cuts?? Chips, Frito Lays, Beer?? Are we talking about a sporting event or the State of the Union address?? Chalk that up to President Obama...The only President who has created this kind of interest (amongst folks in my circle) for this kind of thing.. Maybe it's because we are all older and more serious.. Yeah, maybe! LOL!

Why not use this as a chance to get to know that girl or guy who shares a different political viewpoint from you? Especially if you plan on going out...I hear that during the speech, The Democrats and The Republicans are going to be practicing some serious social civility. Social civility...Do you like that? That was one of my originals...


Im serious, the push to mix Republicans and Democrats throughout the audience of President Barack Obama's televised State of the Union address spread across Capitol Hill yesterday, fueled by signals that Americans want to see more cooperation among the nation's leaders. Social Civilty indeed!

This plot was hatched last week by Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., The idea caught fire over the weekend after a poll showed a big majority of the public wanting lawmakers of both parties to sit together at the presidential address. A spirited round of private phone calls and e-mails among lawmakers followed, and by Monday at least five dozen House members and senators had announced they had bipartisan dates for the big dance.

The result from this could be helpful to President Obama as he delivers what is effectively the first speech of his re-election campaign. Rather than serving the traditional visual of the president's party popping up on one side of the chamber for dozens of standing ovations, the applause will be more evenly spread, perhaps giving the illusion of wider acceptance.

Surprisingly, many Republicans accept the basic intent of the new seating plan. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., told reporters that he would be more than happy to sit with his Democratic counterpart, Steny Hoyer of Maryland.(Steny? Really?) He suggested that if working more productively together is everyone's goal, "maybe the sitting thing is a first step." Yeah,Maybe.

"If nothing else, it shows we are trying," said Rep. Paul Gosar, a freshman Republican from Arizona who will be sitting next to Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md. "That's a gesture that the American people really want to see."

It may be fleeting. Good manners for an hour on television carry no guarantees for the political battles that loom over health care and federal spending during the two-year presidential election cycle that effectively kicks off with President Obama's speech from the well of the House. You can believe that even though the kiddies will make nice tonight as I write this...by the time you read this...they will be back to hand to hand combat!

All jokes aside ,many members of Congress are more than civil to each other in private, regardless of party affiliation. They play football and softball together.(For real, they do!) They travel to exotic locales and war zones in "codels," or congressional delegations. They have similar work lives as elected members of Congress, which for many means spending days or weeks at a time away from home.

So it's not much of a stretch for most to sit elbow-to-elbow with people who are members of the other party. Even so, the sprinkling of Republicans and Democrats across the chamber Tuesday night will be a carefully calibrated affairs, more like prom dates than political marriages.

Which brings me back to my main point...If members of this contentious congress can sit together, Why can't guys find a republican girl to sit next to in the bar or club and have a decent political debate with over a few beers or a couple of cups of coffee and say a flaming steak fajita?

Or young ladies, invite a couple of guys over to someone's home and rather than debate...watch and learn....Chat and Chew....Who knows where it can lead?....If the Congress can do it...So can you!.

A Different kind of Public service message from the Maverick of Love!

Rude Awakening

Well, The Republicans can't say that I didn't tell them so...The members of this present House of Represenatives got elected on the promise that they were going to roll back, repeal if you will the dreaded "Obamacare" Last week , a few of my friends on Facebook and Twitter were upset about the fact that the House voted to repeal it. I told them all not to worry...I even joked about it..I said that my Philadelphia 76ers had a better chance of winning an NBA title than they had of repealing that bill. Presently the facts are baring me out.


You see This whole health-care thing isn't quite working out the way Republicans planned. I personally think that they'll soon try to change the subject (Gay Marriage, Flag Burning, Immigration...The Red Peril!!!)-- but I'm afraid they're already in too deep. Voters remember....Oh who am I kidding?

Last Wednesday's vote to repeal President Obama's health insurance reform law was supposed to be their crowning acheivement. Oh, we heard confident GOP predictions that morale depleted Democrats would defect to their side in droves, generating an unstoppable momentum that would force the Senate to obey "the will of the people" and follow suit. The Democrats' biggest domestic accomplishment would be in tatters and President Obama's political clout and standing would be damaged, perhaps irreparably.

What actually happened, though, is that the Republican majority managed to win the votes of just three Democrats, Just three and all of them were so called" Blue Dogs" who have been consistent opponents of the reform package anyway.(I think in the 1960s, these Blue doggies would have been called Dixiecrats.) In terms of actual defectors, meaning Democrats who changed sides on the issue, there were none. No not one. They call this , momentum?


This unimpressive vote came at a moment when "the will of the people" on health care is coming into sharper focus. Most polls that offer a very simple choice -- Do you like the "Obamacare" law or not ?-- show that the reforms remain narrowly unpopular. Yet a significant fraction of those who are unhappy complain not that the reform law went too far but that it didn't go far enough. I think of these people as the "public option" crowd of which I am one. People in the public option crowd are not people who would have voted republican.

A recent Associated Press poll found that 41 percent of those surveyed opposed the reform law and 40 percent supported it. But when asked what Congress should do, 43 percent said the law should be modified so that it does more to change the health-care system. Another 19 percent said it should be left as it is.

More troubling for the GOP, the AP poll found that just 26 percent of respondents wanted Congress to repeal the reform law completely. A recent Washington Post poll found support for outright repeal at 18 percent; a Marist poll pegged it at 30 percent. In other words, what House Republicans just voted to do may be the will of the Tea Party, but it's certainly not "the will of the people."

It seems to me that all of these freshmen Tea Party represenatives are going to get a rude awakening as to just how the game is played (by both parties in D.C.) The game is rigged...I tried to tell em. Won't just be Glenn Beck crying...House Speaker John Boehner will be crying right about now too!

Birth Right

Okay....I have received news that President Barack Obama is actually an American citizen...Yes..It's true....Now can we push what was a silly internet rumor aside and get on with our lives?

Hawaii's outspoken governor, Neil Abercrombie, knew Barack Obama's parents, lived on the island when he was born in 1961 and has thus been very offended by the relentless "Birther Movement," which hinges on the conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was not born in this country and is therefore ineligible to be President of the United States. They've been proven wrong -- with Obama's Certification of Live Birth -- but many insist the evidence is fake. But of course they would...This would mean of course that that nutty Army officer would actually have to go back to active duty and face getting his you know what shot off...Which is what he's really afraid of. This would be one less thing for Glenn Beck and whatever is left of his public to talk about wouldn't it?

Last month, he vowed to find another official record of President Obama's birth in the state's archives, and find it he did. On Tuesday, he announced that they found documentation that "actually exists in the archives, written down." Will this stop the Birthers? Of course not they must have their fantasy. Without it...well, what reason have they got to live? But it was kind of cool of Governor Abercrombie to try.

The fact still remains that officials in Hawaii have tracked down papers indicating that the president was indeed born in their state. Some believe his Certification of Live Birth is fake and he was really born somewhere in Kenya , while others argue that President Obama is a citizen of either Indonesia or the United Kingdom. Go figure. Most ofn these ridiculous theories have been dismissed by many in public office and the media,( Even some Republicans) and have been found to be misleading or generally untrue, yet these conspiracy theory nuts continue on with this foolishness. They are just wasting their time...but...what else have they got to do?

The ironic thing to all of this is that many of the birthers couldn't prove to me that they are in fact American citizens or for that matter citizens of Planet Earth...Many of them seem as if they are from Mars...

Mid Winter Warm Thoughts

I am so ready to be on a beach somewhere with a short sleeve shirt on and a cold drink of any kind in my hands...Spring will be here before you know it!

Saturday Seven (7 things 2 do if you're snowed in)

Seven Things
to do if you're snowed in that doesn't involve status updates or tweeting!

1.Read A Good Book- May I suggest 'The Hot Box" by Zane?

2. Listen To A Classic Album - "What's Goin On" by Marvin Gaye , "Songs In The Key of Life" by Stevie Wonder, "Kinda Blue"by Miles Davis, "It Takes A Nation Of Millions" by Public Enemy all come to mind. (Yes ,you can use an Ipod dock!)

3. Have A Glass Of Wine -Now is as good a time as any to put that bottle you've been saving on ice and have pour yourself a glass.

4. View A Movie You've Always Wanted To See -If it's not on demand...I hope you already rented it through Netflix or Redbox!

5.Eat Something You Know You're Not Supposed To Have - Go ahead...just once, listen to your inner child....Have those cookies...Throw that steak on the grill.

6. Make Love To Your Significant Other- Should be self explanatory!

7. You Can Always Catch Up On Your Sleep!- Again...That is self explanatory.

Weekend Humor

Hakim had asked Tyrone to help him out with the deck after work, so Tyrone just went straight over to Hakim's place. When they got to the door, Hakim went straight to his wife, gave her a hug and told her how beautiful she was and how much he had missed her at work. When it was time for supper, he complimented his wife on her cooking, kissed her and told her how much he loved her.

Once they were working on the deck, Tyrone told Hakim that he was surprised that he fussed so much over his wife. Hakim said that he'd started this about six months ago, it had revived their marriage, and things couldn't be better. Tyrone thought he'd give it a go. When he got home, he gave his wife a massive hug, kissed her and told her that he loved her. His wife burst into tears. "Ohhhhh Lawdddd jesussss." she wailed.

Tyrone was confused and asked why she was crying. She said, "This is the worst day of my life. First, Tyrone Junior fell off his bike and twisted his ankle. Then, the washing machine broke and flooded the basement. And now, you done come home drunk!"

Another Day in The Life

A Day In the Life (John Lennon & Paul McCartney)

I read the news today oh boy About a lucky man who made the grave And though the news was rather sad Well I just had to laugh I saw the photograph He blew his mind out in a car He didn't notice that the lights had changed A crowd of people stood and stared They'd seen his face before Nobody was really sure If he was from the House of Lords.

I saw a film today oh boy The English Army had just won the war A crowd of people turned away but I just had to look Having read the book I'd love to turn you on

Woke up, fell out of bed, Dragged a comb across my head Found my way downstairs and drank a cup, And looking up I noticed I was late. Found my coat and grabbed my hat Made the bus in second splat Found my way upstairs and had a smoke, and Somebody spoke and I went into a dream
I read the news today oh boy Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire And though the holes were rather small They had to count them all Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall. I'd love to turn you on

*****************************************************************

So let's see..What happened yesterday? Well, the good news...Glenn Beck's radio show got canceled here in Philadelphia (and in New York City)Proving that there is a God after all. What does the crybaby do?..He trashes the city he once lived and worked in.. Or at least he tried to. Instead of criticizing Philly about issues that are relevant — and let’s face it, we’ve got plenty here in paradise as I call it — Beck went on and on about how unsafe he feels around Independence Hall at six o’clock at night. This is what former PA. Governor (and Philadelphia Mayor), Ed Rendell would call wussification.

I could call it something else...but I'll be nice. Truth of the matter, Independence Hall and that area of the city is probably the safest area of Philadelphia...Millions of cops everywhere you turn. If I were a criminal that area would be the last area I'd try to pull anything. The U.S. Courthouse is across the street from Independence Hall and so is the headquarters of the Philadelphia branch of the FBI! You have cops galore and the Feds up and down the streets...What "Killing ground" is Beck talking about?

This just goes to show that Glenn Beck doesn't know what he's talking about most of the time and only the people who listen to his show and watch him on television are more delusional than him. It also goes to show that Glenn Beck is a big fat liar. He lived here for close to ten years, He worked here...He knows that area he talked about on his radio show quite well...But he knows that he's not on the radio here anymore and not likely to be challenged by any real Philadelphian.
Ahhh, who cares anyway?

II-

In other news , The newly seated Republican house voted to repeal "Obamacare' as they like to call it. They don't have enough votes in the Senate for that to pass (and they know it!) and even if by chance it did...President Obama could and would veto it. (They know that too..This is all smoke and mirrors..) The Philadelphia 76ers have a better chance of winning an NBA title this year than the Republicans have of repealing the Health care initiative.Everybody likes a good show though don't they?

III-

The police ,acting on a tip caught up with our resident serial killer, The Kensington Strangler...
22 year old Antonio Rodriguez was arrested and has allegedly confessed to the rape and murder of three young women last summer and several other sexual assaults....This means that people in that part of the city need only fear the drug dealers beefing over corners now and not a serial killer.


And how is your world people?

Ophiuchus

Okay....another slow news day...Another fluff piece...but you know I have to talk about this... Since I have started this blog I have big upped my astrological sign..Aries the Ram. Since I could read it has been a known fact that my sign starts on March 21st and ends on April 19th. Most of my charactoristics and general personality traits and quirks co-incide with my astrological sign's traits. This was apparent before I ever read a horoscope. Needless to say..I like my sign...It is me.

Last week, while on Facebook and Twitter, I began to hear rumblings about the discovery of a 13th sun sign called Ophiuchus.( I can't even pronounce it.) This sign is somewhere between Scorpio and Saggitarius. This means that my brother ,who has always thought he was a Saggitarius is really Ophiuchus, the new sign. ( I don't know how he feels about this...I haven't asked him.) It also means that all of the other signs dates have shifted and that you may not be the sign you thought you were!!

I have suddenly become a Pisces! Nothing against Pisces..I know some beautiful people born under that sign....But it's not me!! It doesn't match my personality at all!! It means my wife is a Leo....Not hardly..... Facebook and Twitter are still ablaze with rumblings about this...I mean...it's not really that deep...but I don't recognize Ophiuchus....I have read from some astrologers that you don't have to. They have known about this constellation for centuries.. Western Astrologers have just refused to recognize it. If they can, So can I..Now!

Just Who is this Ophiuchus anyway? Well according to my astrologer friend, Ophiuchus is a large constellation located around the celestial equator. Its name is from the Greek word meaning "serpent-bearer", and it is commonly represented as a man grasping the snake that is represented by the constellation Serpens. Ophiuchus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the second-century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. It was formerly referred to as Serpentarius, a Latin word meaning the same as its current name.

It is located between Aquila, Serpens and Hercules, northwest of the center of the Milky Way. The southern part lies between Scorpius to the west and Sagittarius to the east. It is best visible in the northern summer and located opposite Orion in the sky. Ophiuchus is depicted as a man grasping a serpent; the interposition of his body divides the snake constellation Serpens into two parts, Serpens Caput and Serpens Cauda, which are nonetheless counted as one constellation. I know...(This space talk confuses me too..I told him to make it plain.!)

Ophiuchus is not included in standard astrological zodiacs, which divide the ecliptic into abstract 30-degree segments (for twelve equal signs). There have however been several suggestions for alternative systems of zodiacal signs in modern western astrology since 1970.

So there!...I am choosing to stick with the current twelve sign/ tweleve month set up...I am still defiantly an Aries...Which goes with natives of my sign...Defiant and rebellious! See...I am nothing like a Pisces.

Day of Service Projects

On this observance of Martin Luther King's birthday, the best way to honor this man is to volunteer your time and support to some type of social service in which you are helping others. It could be anything from volunteering to cook and/or serve meals to the homeless or giving your support in another way.

Two social services that I support are Easter Seals and The Center for Autism. I wanted to take this opportunity to give a much needed plug for both of them... Easter Seals for all that they do for people with various disabilities and the Center for Autism for all that they do for people with autism.

The Center for Autism is the oldest specialized autism treatment center in the nation. Founded by Bertram A. Ruttenberg, M.D., it is a private, non-profit organization that focuses on treating individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Since 1955, it has served as an industry model and helped thousands of individuals and their families. It offers year-round comprehensive evaluation, treatment, and training services to children, adults, and families throughout the Delaware Valley (Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs).

Their team of specialists translates and incorporates new research findings into daily programming and treatment. In a warm, caring environment, they tailor treatment options to each individual. As they move forward with the expansion of their services, they continue to focus on creating better outcomes for life for those with autism. The Center for Autism is located in a section of the city that close to my home and also has a satellite facility in Northeast Philadelphia.

Those are two social services that I support. How about you? If you really want to honor the memory of the great humanitarian, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., volunteer your time and support in a way that actually helps your fellow human being.

Keepin it Real For MLK!

Once again...it is the observance of Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday....The national holiday that was signed into law by as unlikely a President as Ronald Reagon and with the activism of R&B superstar, Stevie Wonder. With that said....What does it mean to you personally? You don't have to tell me anything about Dr. King...I was growing up during his hey day in public...I remember him ,when he was alive, going to jail...marching for civil rights in the south, being hosed down by racist lawmen...and sadly becoming passe amongst his own people near the end of his life after feeling as though change was taking too long...The words of Malcolm X and The Black Panther Party were beginning to become vogue in Black America by 1968...The year he died.

I'm afraid that a lot of people still don't appreciate the man or understand that he was more radical and frightening to the power structure than one might imagine. Malcolm X and his Muslims frightened the powers that be and The Black Panther Party terrified the powers that be...but Dr. King was actually persuading lawmakers to change laws...Dr. King was actually about to teach poor whites that they had more in common with Black people than they did with the conservative power structure that really wasn't serving their class interests....Read some of his last speeches...He wasn't just talking about civil rights...He was talking about empowerment, Economic empowerment, the sharing of wealth.... He was doing this before Huey Newton, Bobby Seale, Eldridge Cleaver, Angela Davis, H.Rap Brown and Stokely Carmaichel started preaching the same thing a little later....

You can google and you tube all of this. If you're old school..There are still some of his books available in bookstores and libraries that will bare me out. I'm not, but some people might even call Dr. King a socialist....oh heaven forbid...a curse word! Most of the wingnuts who accuse President Obama of being a socialist can't even spell the word, so I don't worry about them. I just feel that too many people worship Malcolm X (who I love, don't get it twisted!) and mis-understand Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was in his own way, just as much of a revolutionary as Malcolm X..The two men just had different ideas on how to achieve essentially the same goal...Black self determination (Freedom) and basically Economic and Social justice for all human beings.

While you are at it...Check out Malcolm X's last speeches too..You'll find that he and Martin were almost on the same page...Almost. Unfortunately..both of these brilliant men died at a young age (They both were 39 years old when they died)before they had fully developed their total ideologies.

In closing, as you observe this day in honor of Dr. King...At least read up on the man...go past the soundbites and videobites that show the obvious and overstated visions of him. He was far more than just a crusader for "civil rights."

Weekend Humor

On their wedding night, the young bride approached her new husband and asked For $20.00 for their first lovemaking encounter. In his highly aroused state, her husband readily agreed. This scenario was repeated each time they made love, for more than 40 years, with him thinking that it was a cute way for her to afford new clothes and other incidentals that She needed.

Arriving home around noon one day, she was surprised to find her husband in a very drunken state. During the next few minutes, he explained that his employer was going through a process of corporate downsizing, and he had been let go.


It was unlikely that, at the age of 59, he'd be able to find another position that paid anywhere near what He'd been earning, and therefore, they were financially ruined. Calmly, his wife handed him a bank book which Showed more than forty years of steady deposits and interest totaling Nearly $1 million. Then she showed him certificates of deposits issued By the bank which were worth over $2 million, And informed him that they Were one of the largest depositors in the bank.

She explained that for more than three decades she had 'charged' him for sex,
These holdings had multiplied and these were the results of her savings and investments. Faced with evidence of cash and investments worth over $3 million, her husband was so astounded he could barely speak, but finally he found his voice and blurted out,

"Damnn,If I'd had any idea what you were doing, I would have given you all my business!"

That's when she shot him. You know, sometimes, people just don't know when
to keep their mouths shut.

Cry Me A River

You know, Let me start by saying that I write this blog nearly everyday..as well as two others and I know that my posts go from the brilliant and imaginative to very,very bad...but occassionally I do get it right...And my statements a few days ago about the need for both sides of the political spectrum to temper their speech and rhetoric, need they stir up yet another nut job seems to have hit a sore spot with some on the right. The tea party set.

That lets me know that I was right. They are now screaming that it was irresponsible to blame the tragic events of Saturday, January 8th on their hateful and dangerous rhetoric. It really gauls me that the main person responsible for a lot of this dialouge, Sarah Palin, the queen of the Tea Party is yelling and screaming foul the loudest.

Sarah Palin is the type of person that would scream "Fire" in a crowded theatre and then offer her "sincere condolences" to everybody that got trampled to death. Sarah Palin is also the one who came up with the term "Death Panels" and who showed a photo of Garielle Gifford's district with a gunsight on it. Can you say Hypocrite Mrs. "Don't retreat, reload"?

Yesterday Sarah Palin posted a nearly eight-minute video on her Facebook page condemning those who blame political rhetoric for the Arizona shooting that gravely wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Last spring,Sarah Palin targeted Gabrielle Giffords' district as one of 20 that should be "taken back". Palin has been criticized for marking each district with the cross hairs of a gun sight.

In the video posted Wednesday, the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate said vigorous debates are a cherished tradition. But she said after the election, both sides find common ground, even though they disagree.

But Sarah Palin said that especially as a tragedy unfolds, journalists and pundits should not manufacture what she called a "blood libel" that incites hatred and violence. Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?

Sarah Palin said she had "listened at first puzzled, then with concern and now with sadness to the irresponsible statements from people attempting to apportion blame for this terrible event." Awwww, really Sarah?

She even quoted former President Ronald Reagan as saying that "we must reject the idea that every time a law is broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker.

"It's time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions," she continued, still quoting the "great communicator", Ronald Reagan.

"Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own," she added. "They begin and end with the criminals who commit them, not collectively with all the citizens of the state, not with those who listen to talk radio, not with maps of swing districts used by both sides of the aisle, not with law-abiding citizens who respectably exercise their First Amendment rights at campaign rallies, not with those who proudly voted in the last election." she continued.

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik got it right though. Dupnik told the TODAY show Monday that political rhetoric may have contributed to Loughner's actions. "I think the tone of rhetoric that's occurred in this country over the past couple of years affects troubled personalities," he said, which I concur.

Sarah Palin countered that and similar assertions, noting the "peaceful transition of power" when President Barack Obama took office and following the 2008 and 2010 elections, and pointing out that "vigorous and spirited public debates" are part of the process before candidates "shake hands and we get back to work, and often both sides find common ground back in DC and elsewhere."

"But, especially within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence that they purport to condemn," she added. "That is reprehensible. There are those who claim political rhetoric is to blame for the despicable act of this deranged — apparently apolitical — criminal."

You know...as much as I hate to admit it...She does have a valid point in this case...but only partially. One...I place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the shooter, who appeared to have acted alone and also appears to be disturbed somewhat... But he was not apolitical as she says and he was greatly influenced by all of the nutty conspiracy theories (ie-lies) that Sarah and her Tea Party associates and Fox News pundits irresponsibly fostered over the past two years...And while I don't hold them personally responsible..They didn't tell him or anyone to go shoot people...Their colorful language certainly inspired him to do just that.

So for the time being Sarah...Take your crying act somewhere else..This time...I nailed it..This time..I got it right.

The Redemption of Ted Williams

We walk by ,I don't know...Thousands of homeless people everyday...A lot of them appear to be out of their minds...Some are smelly, some are hustlers trying to hustle a few bucks to score some drugs, some liquor or food..Mostly we ignore them and keep it moving. The thought never occurs to us that all of them have a story...That none of them started life out that way and that more important...Any one of us who is walking by them, or walking past them , ignoring them as if they don't exist (Myself included) could be right where they are if not for the grace and mercy of God and a turn of fate....

I first saw his name on the MSN website....I thought they were talking about the late Baseball player, Ted Williams..Maybe his goofy children had decided whether to cremate his remains or try to thaw him out and see if he comes back to life! A further review of the story revealed that this was a black homeless man with a "golden voice" who had gotten a second chance at life.

Ted Williams, a Brooklyn native who panhandled near the corner of I-71 and Hudson Street in Cleveland, had become an Internet sensation after Columbus Dispatch reporter Kevin Joy posted a clip of Williams demonstrating that God given golden voice by the side of the road.

In a YouTube clip,Ted Williams, wearing an Army fatigue jacket and sporting a shaggy mane of hair, is seen carrrying a cardboard sign that reads:

"I HAVE A GOD GIVEN GIFT OF VOICE. I'M AN EX-RADIO ANNOUNCER WHO HAS FALLEN ON HARD TIMES. PLEASE! ANY HELP WILL BE GREATEFULLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU!"

Kevin Joy and a Dispatch videographer then pulled the car alongside Williams and said, "We're going to make you work for your dollar."

Ted Williams, without pause, smiled and said in a voice as smooth as Casey Kasem's,

"When you're listening to nothing but the best of oldies, you're listening to Magic 98.9. And we'll be back for more right after these words."

The clip has generated interest from Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, whose team has extended an offer to Mr. Williams to do voiceover work.

"He hasn't accepted the offer," Cavs spokesman Garin Narain said, "but there is a lot of voiceover work needed at Quicken Loans Arena."

And now he's making the rounds of the morning TV shows.He did the CBS "Early Show” Wednesday and is set to appear on NBC's "Today” show Thursday. NBC is flying him in to New York Wednesday and he'll repoprtedly stay up at the posh Essex House.

Asked on the Early Show how he felt about becoming a virtual overnight success, he said: "It's sensational for one thing; overwhelming for another ... It's just amazing."

Williams told the "Early Show" he was going to be reunited with his mother in New York.

"I'm getting a little emotional. I haven't seen my mom in a great deal of time," he said. "She doesn't believe (what's been happening to me). She's 92. She lives in Brooklyn. I was born and raised in Brooklyn.

"One of my biggest prayers that I sent out was that she would live long enough for me to see me rebound or whatever, and I guess God kept her around and kept my pipes around to maybe just have one more shot that I would be able to say, 'Mom, I did do it before, ... I might pass away before her or whatever. My dad didn't get a chance to see this. But God is good."

Yes he is (ALL THE TIME!)...and I am so happy for this guy....He was born on September 22,1957 in New York City. According to his mother, his father named him after the all-star baseball player of the same name who was his favorite player at the time. He is a father to nine children: seven girls and two boys. Mr. Williams served three years in the United States Army, was honorably discharged, and attended school for voice acting. His inspiration to become a radio announcer came from a field trip at age 14, when he found that a radio announcer who he had heard looked nothing like what he had imagined.Mr. Williams had experience as a radio disc jockey before. He worked some overnight shifts for WVKO (AM) in Columbus when the station played soul music.Ted Williams stated that around 1993, cocaine, crack and alcohol abuse complicated his career and led to his then-current state of homelessness. He says he has been clean and sober since mid-2008.

Good for him, I hope to hear good things about this guy. His story makes me take a second look at the homeless people I pass by on the streets, In the subways and what have you....but for the grace of God!

"Make My Day"

The Republican /Tea Party House has been seated and they have wasted no time in pushing their main agenda..."Repeal Obamacare" ...The breif honeymoon, if there really was one appears to be over. They appear to be serious about doing this. The Democrats in the House and the Senate should get Clint Eastwood on them and say- "Go ahead...make my day."

Just so we are clear, there's no chance in hell that a bill repealing the landmark health care overhaul could make it through Congress and be signed into law. Even if Republicans managed to hold together their new majority in the House(which by some accounts is already splintered), they would face the inconvenient fact that Democrats still control the Senate. And even if a repeal measure somehow sneaked through the Senate, President Obama would veto the thing faster than you can say "pre-existing conditions."

So this little exercise of theirs in tilting at windmills can't even be described as quixotic, since that would imply some expectation of success, however delusional. The whole thing is purely theatrical -- and woefully ill-advised.

Yet These Republicans promise to stage a vote on repeal before President Obama delivers his State of the Union address, expected later this month. "If we pass this bill with a sizable vote, and I think that we will, it will put enormous pressure on the Senate to do perhaps the same thing," Rep. Fred Upton, who will be chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said on Fox News Sunday. "But then, after that, we're going to go after this bill piece by piece." Oh yeah? Keep dreaming!

This sounds fine, until you actually look at the pieces. Already in effect are parts of the reform package that no self-interested politician is going to vote to take away.Not if he or she wants to be re-elected!

No child can be denied insurance coverage because of a pre-existing condition. Coverage can no longer be canceled when the policyholder gets sick. Insurance companies can no longer impose annual or lifetime limits on payments for care. Adult children can remain on their parents' policies until they turn 26. Policyholders cannot be charged extra for seeking urgent care at an emergency room that is not in the insurance company's approved network of providers.

Those measures alreaady took effect this past September. Another set of provisions became law last Saturday: requirements that insurance companies spend a certain percentage of the premiums they collect on care; a discount on prescription drugs for some seniors covered by Medicare; a rule that gives seniors free screening for cancer and other diseases.

Republican leaders aren't dumb enough to explicitly propose taking all these benefits away.(Or Are they?) But Democrats can, and should, force them to have that debate.

To take another quote from Clint Eastwood- "Hey punk...you feelin lucky tonight?"

They Shoot Democrats Don't they?

Saturday, I got the shocking news that a congresswoman from Arizona was shot down in yet another act of senseless violence. When I found out that it was Democratic congresswoman, Gabrielle Gifford from Arizona...the first thing I and everyone else thought was...Mad Tea Party supporter. That may not be the case..All of the facts aren't in. The point is...Politics have become so partisan in this country and so bitter..that that type of thing is not far from plausible.

Here is what I know did happen. Represenative Gabrielle Giffords is in critical condition as I write this as investigators attempt to understand what motivated a gunman's shooting rampage that killed six and as investigators asked for the public's help in finding a possible accomplice who is still at large.

University Medical Center spokeswoman Darci Slaten told The Associated Press that Giffords remained sedated after undergoing a two-hour surgery Saturday and has not been conscious since the shooting. She said more information will be released at a news conference in which one of the doctors who operated on Giffords plans to speak.

Outside of the hospital, candles flickered at a makeshift memorial. Signs read "Peace + love are stronger," "God bless America and "We love you, Gabrielle." People also laid down bouquets of flowers, American flags and pictures of Mrs.Giffords.

Authorities said that Gabrielle Gifford, 40, was targeted at a public gathering by a man with a semiautomatic weapon around 10 a.m. Saturday outside a busy Tucson supermarket. Arizona's chief federal judge and five others were killed and 13 people were wounded, including the Democrat lawmaker.

He also fired at her district director and shot indiscriminately at staffers and others standing in line to talk to the congresswoman, said Mark Kimble, a communications staffer for Mrs. Giffords.

"He was not more than three or four feet from the congresswoman and the district director," Kimble said, describing the scene as "just complete chaos, people screaming, crying."

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said the rampage ended only after two people tackled the gunman."He was definitely on a mission," said Villec, a former Giffords intern.Police say the shooter was in custody, and was identified by people familiar with the investigation as Jared Loughner, 22. U.S. officials who provided his name to the AP spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release it publicly.

The Shooter could be a deranged loner..a nut job....but here is something to think about.. Sarah Palin and members of the Tea Party have made a number of inflammatory statements such as "Don't retreat, Reload.." and created posters with President Obama and others who they differ with politically with gunsights on them. I am not saying that they are personally promoting assasinations or violence...This is just colorful dramatic language.....But to the person just slightly off the edge...this is a call to arms. I think all of us...on the right and on the left need to temper our speech. We need to calm the hell down too...That goes for you Rush...You too Glenn and you too Sean and especially, Ann Coulter, who is the most guilty of hateful inflammatory speech..

I should remind them all...Nuts with guns are on both sides of the political spectrum...Next time they might be aiming in the other direction.. Nobody wants to see that. That makes America no better than some third world dictatorship.

Weekend Humor

Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Person asked a young Engineer fresh out of Howard University, "And what starting salary were you looking for?"

The Engineer said, "Oh I'm thinkin somewhere in the neighborhood of oh say $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package."

The interviewer said, "Well, what would you say to a package of 5 weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, a company matching retirement fund for 50% of your salary, and a company car leased every 2 years -- say, a Bentley?

" The Engineer sat up straight and said, "Wow! Are you kidding me?" And the interviewer replied, "Yeah, I damn sure am,but you started it."

Not So Sweet

I had a typical Philadelphia lunch today. Well, I guess I should say yesterday since by the time anyone other than me sees this...It will be Friday Morning. Yesterday, I went to Lee's Hoagie shop and had an Italian Hoagie with the works, Bottled water and a Tastycake. My hoagie was made on that good thick bread that is only made in the southeastern area of this state...And then there was my Tastycake.

If you're not from Philadelphia, you don't have any inkling of what I'm talking about. Tastycake is the logo used by the Tasty Baking Company. This company has been around longer than I have. If you were born and raised here..you know about their pies and their cakes and their jelly krimpets and their coconut juniors...Sure you do...Every Philadelphian...regardless of race, religion, gender, gender preference or economic standing knows what a Tastycake was. Yesterday I got the shocking news that the company is in financial straits.

The Tasty Baking Company was founded in 1914 (See ,I told you it's been around way longer than I have.) and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is one of the country’s leading bakers of snack cakes, pies, cookies, and donuts with manufacturing facilities in Philadelphia and Oxford, Pennsylvania. Tasty Baking Company offers more than 100 products under the Tastykake brand name. So what happened?


Charlie P. Pizzi, president and CEO of Tasty Baking Company, says they experienced a shaky fourth quarter last year.Mr. Pizzi blames financial problems on unexpected production difficulties at its new bakery facility in South Philadelphia’s Naval Business Center. He cited other factors such as the impact of the bankruptcy filing by A&P, and the sharp rise in commodity costs.

Tasty Baking Company is said to be discussing various alternatives to solve its problems with their financial lenders group led by Citizens Bank, the possibility of a potential merger, or the complete sale of the baking company. Tasty has also retained Janney Montgomery Scott to evaluate various possible financial and strategic options including refinancing long term debt due in September 2012.

During the process, the company will continue to operate its two modern bakeries and produce, distribute and sell Tastykake products to its customers and consumers. Pizzi concluded, “While this has been a challenging period for us operationally, we remain focused on growing the business. To that end we continue to partner with new grocery and convenience store customers within our core markets, increase penetration with key customers, and launch new products into the marketplace. Finally, despite the challenges we have faced, we have continued to outpace the category and grow our overall market share.” Economic talk for -"We are in trouble"

Philadelphia Mayor and personal friend of mine, Mike Nutter is optimistic about Tastycake's future...If you ask him , he'll tell you so. Mayor Nutter says he was fully briefed on the financial woes of Tastykake by Charles Pizzi, and Mayor Nutter is optimistic that the firm will get through this.

“I think they have certainly plans in place. They’re still selling products. There are no issues in terms of folks getting their Krimpets and Tastykakes,” said Mayor Nutter.

Mayor Nutter said Charles Pizzi did not raise the issue of the need for any sort of tax relief from the city, though their value to the city, he stressed, is huge. “Tastykake is an institution in Philadelphia. It is a part of the fabric of the city,” said Mayor Nutter.

Indeed it is. Just so you know....I did my part to help keep Tastycake solvent....I bought some Jelly Krimpets too...To eat later.

What I've Learned

1. All People are flawed in some basic way..Most don't know it!

2. It would be great if people never got mad at someone for doing something they've done themselves.

3.The Older I get , the more I appreciate children and their innocent outlook on life.

4.Hatred is a raging infection.

5.I don't have a set of rules for anything. Every situation in life is different.

6.Never let your emotions get in the way of your common sense.

7."No Guts, No Glory" That's always been my motto.

8.I like writing short and meaningful sentences....I guess that's why I've taken to Facebook and Twitter....Those two mediums force you to say what you have to say in short breif sentences.

9.Ask someone from 40 - 50 years old what their favorite song is and I'll bet it's a song that was out when they were 16 or 17 years old.

10. I was never the toughest kid on the block, but you can best believe that I was amongst the smartest!

Where's The Beef ?

You know...I could chalk writing this post up to a slow news day or just plain boredom...or simply having nothing of any consequence to write today...but still...I'm going to speak on this. Is it me or are we in the age of beef?

Being a human being and having had a number of beefs with different people myself in a lifetime..I know that people aren't always going to get along...but my thing is..Why has having a beef or dis agreement or feud with someone (for the unhip who might be reading this) become a fad...The in thing to do now of days? It seems like in the world of celebrities...you aren't someone until you've had a public feud with someone else. I don't ever remember beefs being particularly comfortable or cool. It was always something I tried to avoid.

It is Biggie and Tupac's fault! Yup....They started it.. They had the first great public celebrity beef back in the 90's. Everybody remembers that...The Great "East Coast-West Coast'' rap war that resulted in the deaths of both men...about six months apart. Since then, we've had Jay Z vs. Nas, Lauryn Hill vs. Wyclef , Guru VS. D.J. Premeire, 50 Cent Vs. Kanye West, Beyonce VS. Rhianna.. and god knows how many more. I don't think it's even about anything..it's just the hip thing to do now. Where I grew up , beefs could get somebody hurt or worse, killed.

When I started blogging, I discovered "blogger beef"...One blogger commented in a dis-respectful way on another blogger's post...and then said Blogger went to the other blogger's blog and responded..People took sides and boom...an electronic war of words. I even saw a case of blogger sexual harrassment a few years ago...No joking.

With the event of the social networking sites there has been Facebook beef. Now you got to figure...If there is Facebook beef....The two people must be "friends" or they couldn't even see each others comments. How silly. Today...I have found out that there is something called "twitter beef...no, make that..."Celebrity twitter beef..."

R&B singer Chris Brown is in the hot seat again, this time for making what some are calling homophobic comments against Raz B, former member of the music group B2K,(Does anybody even remember them?) who has recently claimed that a fellow group member and relative molested him during his time in the group. Raz B made a comment on Twitter about how he didn't understand how men like Chris Brown and Eric Benet could mistreat women like Rihanna and Halle Berry.(I don't understand it either!) Chris Brown then took to Twitter, calling him the n-word and chiding him about the sexual molestation.Low blow man...(No pun intended.)

Apparently C-Breezy is still throwing his well noted temper tantrums.Raz B's brother Ricky Romance (Yeah...that's his name!)subsequently issued a "death threat"(Oh come on, really? Is it that deep?) to Chris Brown via Twitter. C-Breezy retaliated again and then issued an apology after fans and pundits began calling him on his homophobic comments.

Chris Brown told TMZ, "Yesterday was an unfortunate lack in judgment sparked by public Twitter attacks from Raz B, who was bent on getting attention. "Words cannot begin to express how sorry and frustrated I am over what transpired publicly on Twitter." Brown continued, "I have learned over the past few years to not condone or represent acts of violence against anyone. Molestation and victims of such acts are not to be taken lightly; and for my comments I apologize -- from the bottom of my heart." Here we go again...Another "from the bottom of my heart apology."

You know...In the case of the Rhianna beat down...I chalked up C-Breezy's actions to the misdeeds of "passionate youth" but now it appears to be just sheer stupidity. How do you get engaged in this kind of foolishness just two weeks after being praised by a judge for adhering to court requirements and completing a domestic violence course? Violence and anger seem to be the order of the day for Chris Brown and Ricky Romance.(Yeah, that's his name) This incident proves that C-Breezy is far from healed and has a whole lot of growing up to do.

This incident proves that we all have a lot of growing up to do for feeding into this craziness ...and that includes me..for even writing about it and wasting your time when you could be watching the Real Housewives of Atlanta or something else equally educational. Thanks for patronizing me today! Deuces!

Mississippi, Goddam!

Well it's a new year and what a way to start it. I must admit...I had heard the outrageous story of the Scott sisters about two months ago on the Michael Baisden Show. I couldn't believe that in this day and time...such a miscarriage of justice could take place....Then I found out that this miscarriage of justice took place in the great State of Mississippi and all of a sudden ,it didn't seem so very unlikely...

If you don't know about the Scott Sisters...Let me enlighten you...The Scott Sisters,Jamie and Gladys are two African-American women who have been in prison for the past 16 years. Jamie, now 38, is seriously ill. Both of her kidneys have failed. Keeping the two of them locked up any longer is unconscionable, grotesquely inhumane.

The Scott sisters were accused of luring two men to a spot outside the rural town of Forest, Miss., in 1993, where the men were robbed by three teenagers, one of whom had a shotgun. The Scott sisters knew the boys. The evidence of the sisters’ involvement has always been ambiguous, at best. The teenagers pleaded guilty to the crime, served two years in prison and were released. All were obliged by the authorities, as part of their plea deals, to implicate the sisters.

No explanation has ever emerged as to why Jamie and Gladys Scott were treated so severely. I can think of a few...but you should be able to figure that out without me further elaborating.

Recently Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour,pardoned the Scott Sisters. As I write this..They have probably been released from Prison. Old Haley Barbour, Mississippi's governor, wants everyone to believe he is the good guy in the case of these two black women who have spent nearly 20 years in prison because of an $11 robbery that they may or may not have even committed.

He's one sly old dog...That Haley fella, see old Haley Barbour is not only a governor; he is the former national chair of the Republican Party and heads the GOP Governors Association. He clearly has his eyes on the 2012 race against President Barack Obama or whoever is the Democratic candidate by then. So he's counting on black folks giving him some love -- and votes of course -- for releasing Gladys and Jamie Scott.

Haley Barbour generously decided that they should be released on the condition that one donates a kidney to the other. New York Times columnist Bob Herbert wrote in October about the cascading pleas for mercy: "This should be an easy call for a law-and-order governor who has, nevertheless, displayed a willingness to set free individuals convicted of far more serious crimes. Mr. Barbour has already pardoned four killers and suspended the life sentence of a fifth."

All five of the killers that were set free by Barbour pardons were signed to some program in which they did work around the governors mansion...There was no doubt about these men's guilt and all had committed a far more serious crime than the $11.00 stick up these two girls may or may not have been involved in. Under those conditions, He just ought to have pardoned the Scott Sisters.

If Nina Simone was still alive, what would she say? You know, She left this country,
never to live here again, because she was sick and tired of the lynchings and the segregation in the "old" south. She wrote a song called "Mississippi Goddamn" about such conditions.

The judge who essentially sentenced the Scott sisters, Jamie and Gladys, to life in prison was downright lenient in 2005 when it came to sentencing one of the ringleaders of the lynching of three civil rights workers in Mississippi in 1964 -- Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney. That despicable peice of human excretement was given 60 years -- (20 years for each murder?) -- but left free while appealing his conviction.

The NAACP, which has pushed hard for the release of the Scott Sisters, is grateful that Jamie and Gladys are about to be freed (the process may take 45 days), but the NAACP and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, as well as other civil rights organizations -- and especially individual lawyers like Chokwe Lumumba -- want this kind of miscarriage of justice to never happen again.

Come on...This is Post Racial America....This isn't supposed to be happening still...Mississippi has put a black eye on racial progress....Mississippi, Goddamn!

Saturday Seven

I don't make resolutions....but say I did...here's seven things I might do this year.

1. Have Internet Free Weekends...(no blogging, Facebook, twitter, etc.) Yeah Okay..Good luck with that!

2. Join a Gym, There is one within walking distance of me. The operative word here is walking!

3. Buy myself a Bike and start riding again for fun and exercise. The operative word here is of course, exercising.

4. Buy myself an IPAD as an early birthday present (My birthday is in March, hint, hint) so I can download Facebook, Twitter and my blogs and access them while I'm having coffee and danish on the weekends.... (Yeah, And I said I might have internet free weekends?? I'm a walking contradiction aren't I?)

5.Find Myself a new group of friends and a new place to hang out at. (I really need a social life !)

6.Rent a car and take a short trip somewhere for the weekend....

7. See a Sixers game in the new Wells Fargo Center..... I've been to our new Baseball field, Football season is over so I've got to go to an NBA game before April.

That's All I got.....Happy New Years!

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

Hope yours is a good one!