Weekend Humor

Bill was embarking on a long trip and decides his wife should wear a locked steel panties so that she wouldn't cheat on him. He locks the panties and gives the key to his best friend Ed saying, "Bro, if I don't come back in 4 weeks, set her free".

Bill was only 30 minutes into his journey when he sees a cloud of dust behind him. It was Edward running after him.  

"What's wrong?" Bill asked.

Edward, still panting says, "You gave me the wrong key!"

Everybody have a super groovy weekend.

Marissa's Thanksgiving Wish!

When I heard the news I jumped for joy.... Marissa Alexander was freed a few nights ago...Just in time for Thanksgiving...I'm so glad that people are looking at her situation and in the post Trayvon Martin trial drama,not just forgetting a young African-American woman who is just as much a victim of Florida's 'Stand Your Ground "Law as young Trayvon Martin was.

As I said above..Marissa Alexander is free from jail in time to spend Thanksgiving with family she has not seen for much of the last three years.


The Florida woman – who had been serving a 20-year sentence for firing what she described as a warning shot at her abusive husband – was released from jail Wednesday night, according to a report from First Coast News. Her bond was set at $200,009.

Although no one was injured in the incident, a jury convicted Marissa Alexander of multiple counts of aggravated assault with a firearm in 2012, requiring a 20 year sentence thanks to Florida’s “10-20-Life” law, which sets mandatory minimum sentences for crimes committed with a gun. Her conviction was overturned in September when a judge ordered a retrial after finding that the jury instructions in her original trial were erroneous and had unfairly put the burden on Alexander to prove that she had fired her shot in self-defense.

Marissa Alexander has spent more than 1,000 days behind bars, according to her lawyers’ count, keeping her away from her youngest child for most of the first three years of her life.

The organizers behind the Free Marissa Now Mobilization Campaign cheered her release in a statement Thursday on the group’s Facebook page.

“We are thrilled that Ms. Alexander will be able to prepare for her new trial amid the support and love of her children and family from whom she has been separated far too long,” the statement read.

“The Free Marissa Now Mobilization Campaign is more determined than ever to win complete exoneration for Marissa Alexander.”

Her new trial is set to begin March 31, 2014.

It's a small victory...but I'll take it, as I'm sure Ms. Alexander will.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Even The Pope Weighs In On Right Wing Fantasies...

Yesterday Pope Francis sharply criticized growing economic inequality and unfettered markets in a lengthy paper outlining a populist philosophy that he says will guide his papacy as he pushes the Catholic Church to reach out more, particularly to the disenfranchised.

 Using sharply worded phrases, Francis decried an “idolatry of money” and warned it would lead to “a new tyranny.” And he invoked language with particular resonance in the United States, attacking an economic theory that discourages taxation and regulation and which most affiliate with conservatives.


“Some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world,” Francis wrote in the papal statement. “This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naive trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system.”
“Meanwhile,” he added, “the excluded are still waiting.”


While Pope Francis has raised concerns before about the growing gap between the wealthy and poor since becoming pontiff in March, his direct reference to “trickle-down” economic theory in the English translation of his 50,000-word statement was striking.

The phrase has often been used derisively to describe a popular version of conservative or Republican economic philosophy that argues that allowing the wealthy to run their businesses unencumbered by regulation or taxation bears economic benefits that lead to more jobs and income for the rest of society. Liberals and Democratic officials have rejected the theory, saying it is contradicted by economic evidence.
The papal statement, known formally as an apostolic exhortation, is the first to be written entirely by Francis and discusses a wide range of topics, including the need for “broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the Church.” 

Pope Francis, who was elected to lead the church in March after the resignation of Pope Benedict, hailed from Buenos Aires and became the first non-European to lead the church in more than a millennium.


Since then, he has been the subject of fascination and attention among many Catholics, political leaders and people all over the world as he has taken a decidedly more populist approach to the papacy.

He has adopted a softer tone toward gay people, eschewed lavish features of the papal lifestyle, washed the feet of convicts and repeatedly urged greater effort to lift up the world’s poor.

Pope Francis’s focus on the subject is especially notable given dramatic changes in the world economy.
Many of the world’s richest countries are experiencing historic levels of income inequality, with the quality of the life for workers in the middle no longer improving.

Then again...I've said this before...All of this...

And even in the developing world, there are emerging concerns about inequality and whether workers will benefit from their countries’ increasing prosperity. In China, for instance, officials have made repeated promises to tackle the country’s widening income gap.

For my part... my mouth is hanging at Pope Francis' denounciation of bogus "trickle down" economic policies. I'm amazed and impressed.Now Fox News...Run and tell that!

D-Rose's Blues

It must hurt to be a Chicago Bulls fan right about now....I mean ,it must really hurt...I can imagine that this franchise had such hopes for the upcoming season....They're superstar was back and he looked good...Moving seemingly faster than ever before ....Explosive...side to side...Hitting shots....and now...
well....

Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose is out for the remainder of the season....Again!

The team said that  D-Rose had successful surgery Monday morning in Chicago to repair a torn medial meniscus in his right knee. He was hurt Friday night at Portland.

The 2011 NBA MVP missed all of last season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Chicago's 2012 playoff opener against Philadelphia. He has played in just 50 NBA games - 49 in the regular season and that lone playoff game - since the Bulls' run to the Eastern Conference finals during his MVP season.

The latest injury occurred in the third quarter against the Trail Blazers.
He lost his footing while trying to change direction to get back on defense when Nicolas Batum stole a pass from Joakim Noah and started the other way. Rose limped across the court and couldn't put any weight on his knee. After the Blazers scored, he came out of the game during a timeout.


 It didn't appear there was any contact on the play. D- Rose was unable to return and was on crutches afterward.

With D-Rose back, the Bulls were expected to challenge LeBron James and the Miami Heat for supremacy in the Eastern Conference and contend for their first championship since the Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen era. Instead, they're in a familiar spot - trying to get by without their cornerstone player.

''We, of course, feel very badly for Derrick. He's in good spirits, about as well as can be expected under the circumstances, and he's already thinking about his rehab,'' coach Tom Thibodeau said Sunday, before the team announced their star was gone for the season. ''Typical Derrick. He's concerned about his team, his teammates.''

The top-seeded Bulls bowed out in the first round of the playoffs in 2012 against my Philadelphia  76ers after Derrick Rose went down and fell into a season-long holding pattern without him last year, waiting for a return that didn't happen.

His recovery took on a circus-like feel. Fans saw him shooting and dunking before games last season and wondered why he wasn't playing, particularly as the Bulls fought through injuries and illnesses down the stretch. Adidas released videos documenting his progress, but Rose mostly stayed in the background, saying little about his recovery. That changed midway through the season.

There was also speculation that D-Rose's camp was advising him to sit out last season and that there was a rift with the organization, particularly after older brother Reggie Rose ripped management for standing pat at the trade deadline. But Derrick Rose denied all of that.

All of that faded into the background he came  back this season - and insisting he could regain his MVP form.

He was off to an up-and-down start. He was averaging 15.9 points and was shooting just over 35 percent.
He was looking a little better in his last two games, with 19 points in a loss at Denver and 20 against Portland.

Without Rose in their line up, veteran Kirk Hinrich figures to start with second-year pro Marquis Teague backing him up.

''I think we have an understanding of what we need to do,''  Coach Thibodeau said. ''We can't feel sorry for ourselves. We have to circle the wagons, and then get out there and get the job done.''

 It must hurt to be a Chicago Bulls fan right about now....I mean ,it must really hurt...

Keith's Favorite Quotations

Weekend Humor -(Short and Corny)

Q. What do you have when only one line dancer comes to your party? A. A One Liner!

Q. What do you call two line dancers doing the dance Shoot the Rooster? A. A Pair of Shoot (parachute)

Q. What do you call a one legged linedancer? A. Eileen (I Lean)

Q. Where do tired linedancers go for Breakfast? A. Ihop

What's a vampire's favorite dance? The Fang Tango.

Q. Where can you dance in California? A. San Fran-disco

Q. Why did the line dancer cross the dance floor? A. To get to the other (Electric) Slide!

Two fonts walk into a line dance club. The barman says to them, "Get out. We don't serve your type here."

How do they dance in Arabia? Sheik-to-sheik (cheek).

HAVE A GROOVY WEEKEND EVERYBODY!

What Do George Zimmerman's Defenders Think Of Him NoW?

Oh George...I get tired of writing about you...but you give me so much to write about. I can't believe that you're in trouble with the law yet again.....Today...you aimed your shotgun at your pregnant girlfriend...

George Zimmerman, acquitted in July in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, was arrested Monday afternoon for allegedly pointing a shotgun at his girlfriend and pushing her out of her house as he packed to move out, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said.

George Zimmerman barricaded himself in the house Samantha Scheibe rented in Apopka, which he had shared with her since around August, Chief Deputy Dennis Lemma said at a news conference. She gave deputies a key, and they pushed aside furniture he had piled against the door.

George Zimmerman was unarmed and offered no resistance when he was arrested about 1 p.m. Lemma said investigators believe two weapons are in the home -- a shotgun and an assault rifle -- and are seeking a search warrant. The arrest report said Zimmerman had apparently locked up the shotgun before deputies arrived.

George Zimmerman, 30, was booked for aggravated assault with a weapon, a felony, in addition to misdemeanor battery-domestic violence and criminal mischief. Scheibe was not injured.


He is being held without bail pending an initial court appearance at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, which is customary in domestic violence arrests. Lemma said the sheriff will ask the judge to impose electronic monitoring if bail is granted, which is also standard in such cases.

The argument between Zimmerman and Scheibe, 27, involved "some kind of separation in their relationship," Lemma said.

According to the arrest report, after Scheibe told George Zimmerman to pack his things, he "cocked the shotgun" before putting the two guns in one case. She told deputies he then became upset as she carried his belongings out and he took out the shotgun. Scheibe said she was going to call police, and George Zimmerman pointed the weapon at her for a minute and "asked her if she really wanted to do that."
George Zimmerman then smashed a glass-top coffee table with the gun butt and ordered Sheibe out, she told deputies. He pushed her out and locked the door.


George Zimmerman was a neighborhood watch volunteer in a gated community in Sanford, Fla., when he shot Trayvon Martin, 17, on Feb. 26, 2012. Trayvon was black, Zimmerman is Latino. The shooting of Trayvon, who was unarmed, touched off protests across the nation. Some of the wrath targeted the state's "stand your ground" statute, although  George Zimmerman's lawyers opted to rely on a more standard self-defense argument at trial.

George  Zimmerman has had several involvements with authorities since his acquittal.
George Zimmerman's wife, Shellie, moved out of their house and filed for divorce in September. She and her father accused him of threatening them with a gun as they moved her belongings out of their Lake Mary home. Police handcuffed Zimmerman but later let him go.

Lake Mary police closed the case last week, saying that his wife declined to press charges and that there was no firm evidence Zimmerman had broken any laws.

He also has been pulled over three times for minor traffic incidents, twice receiving warnings and once issued a speeding ticket.

I'll tell you one thing... George Zimmerman is going to get the black experience finally as he is now forced to use a public defender....just like the brothers..

Its amazing that when a black boy was shot and killed by this man.. Millions of dollars poured in to defend him...He had a high powered legal team and FOX News pundits on his side...

.... That is until he messes with a white women... Now he gotta fend for himself with a public defender...just like the brothers.....I'm shaking my damn head!

America.
America.
God shed his grace on thee.....

More Monday Randomness

I'm not going to roll this out every Monday, but it's another Monday and I don't have a really big topic, just some general thoughts...

1.Taking a page out of the Tea Party playbook. The House voted for the Upton Bill which should dismantle so called Obamacare. The Affordable Care Act.  Fortunately ,I know and we all know that this Bill is dead on arrival when it hits the Senate. But so far 33 or 34 Democrats voted for it. Surprisingly only 3 Republicans voted against it.

HOWEVER... I need to find out which Democrats voted for it and list them. They need to be ousted from congress.

The Republicans and their bastard children, The Tea Party may all be a pack of liars and crooks but they remain united in being a pack of  liars and crooks. Its time the weak links in the Democratic Party not be given an opportunity to basically turn their backs on the folks who put them in office.

I'm going to find out who these turncoat Democrats are and talk about they mamas!

2.These mainstream media types never ceases to amaze me  on how they report news in order to get ratings instead of reporting  full and objective truth. They harp on this Healthcare website without stating how it has absolutely nothing to do  with the law. I recall that when Apple first rolled out the iPhone 4,with all of its errors, People complained mightily. I wonder how many of people who shelled out that $500.00 returned theirs and went back to using a Blackberry? Go ahead tell me.....I'll wait..........


(Crickets......)

Yeah..That's what I thought!

3.Then CNN and Fox are reporting that  President Obama now has a 39% approval rating...but say little to nothing about how the Congress in that same poll  has a 9%,approval rating. NINE PERCENT!!!! That's the lowest of all time isn't it?

 Congress is the tool any President needs to have a successful administration. And you expect President  Obama to work with THIS bunch of nuts? I know not one mainstream media "journalist" who has had a Congressional Republican on their program ask that Republican.to name the legislation they would replace so called Obamacare with. Not one. They give John  Boehner a pass each time he states that Obamacare needs to be repealed and  they never ask him to give the Republican alternative. Know why??  Because there is none, that's why...and that's what I've been saying for two years now!~

4.Food for thought... Dont you find it strange that at President Obamas lowest point,,Republican approval is still at a record low and hasn't increased ONE POINT since the shutdown?

This all ends when these clowns are voted out of Congress.

Obama's Mea Culpa

I have a feeling that this still will not be good enough for those on the right who have a knee jerk reaction to any and everything Obama and others gullible enough to believe the lies put out about the affordable care act..

Saying "we did fumble the ball," President Barack Obama announced a fix to the vexing problem of canceled health insurance policies Thursday. He told insurers they don’t have to cancel plans next year just because of the Affordable Care Act.
Insurers can continue the plans for 2014 on two conditions — they have to tell people what their plans don’t cover, and they have to let people know they do have the option of going onto the health insurance exchanges to buy new plans with federal government subsidies and perhaps go onto Medicaid.

"Insurers can extend current plans that otherwise would have been canceled in 2014," President Obama said.

The President also apologized for the messy rollout of the health insurance exchanges. "We should have done a better job of getting this right on Day One," President Obama told an hour-long White House news conference.

 "We did fumble the ball on it and one of the things I am going to do is make sure we get it fixed."

Critics of the health reform law, known widely as Obamacare, have made hay with reports that tens of thousands of people have been getting cancellation notices from their insurance companies, despite President  Obama’s repeated promises that people who like their insurance plans can keep them.

It had been reported that the White House knew the cancellations were coming.

"This is something I deeply regret because it's scary getting a cancellation notice," President Obama said at the news conference.

 "It’s on me. Those who got cancellation notices do deserve better and they received an apology from me. But they deserve more than words."

With this mea culpa ,he's miles ahead of most public officials who never apologize for anything or take responsibility for anything...but the Fox news crowd and the Tea Party will never see that.

One main goal of  so called  Obamacare  (I swear,I said I was going to stop calling it that!)was to get rid of what the White House says are the worst abuses of the insurance industry -- caps on coverage, policies that charged women three to five times what a similar man was charged, policies that didn’t pay for cancer screening.

Some of the policies that have been canceled were very inexpensive, part of the reason for the outrage. But insurance and health industry experts say it’s because they were so bare-bones, they wouldn’t have paid for much if they were ever needed. The White House keeps stressing that the new rules level the playing field a little bit, and offer most people much more in terms of coverage.

"A lot of people think, 'I've got pretty good health insurance', until they get sick," President Obama said. "If you received one of those letters, I encourage you to look at the marketplace."

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has also pointed out that the policies being canceled are mostly individual policies, not the big group policies offered by employers that cover most Americans. Those policies often change every year anyway, HHS says.

According to America’s Health Insurance Plans, the industry’s group, 19 million Americans have individual plans.

Of course this is not explained to the masses...Don't look for Fox News or anybody in the Republican party to tell you this.

Weekend Humor

Woman:
Do you drink beer?

Man: yes
Woman:
How many beers a day?...

Man:
Usually about 3

Woman:
How much do you pay per beer?

Man: $5.00 which includes a tip

(This is where it gets scary !)

Woman:
And how long have you been drinking?

Man:
About 20 years, I suppose

Woman:
So a beer costs $5 and you have 3 beers a day which puts your spending each month at $450. In one year, it would be approximately $5400 …correct?

Man  Correct!

Woman:
If in 1 year you spend $5400, not accounting for inflation, the past
20 years puts your spending at $108,000, correct?

Man:
 Yeah!

Woman:
Do you know that if you didn't drink so much beer, that money could have been put in a step-up interest savings account and after accounting for compound interest for the past 20 years, you could have now bought a Ferrari?

Man:
Do you drink beer?

Woman:
No

Man:
Well, Where's your Ferrari?

Everybody have a super groovy weekend!

The Fight For Marissa Must Continue

This is from the "I can't believe it" department....But after all it's Florida... I have been high lighting the Marissa Alexander case  on my blog, just as I highlighted the Trayvon Martin case a year earlier and most of this year.

Marissa Alexander, the woman who was given 20 years in prison for a warning shot against her abusive husband, has received some bad news.

Judge James Daniel not only denied bail for the woman, he also put off Alexander’s motion for a bond hearing until January 15, 2014. Alexander will have to wait two months to learn if she will be granted bond before her retrial.

The state’s argument is that there was no new evidence in the case, meaning that bail was not necessary for her case. Rather than making a decision about bail, the judge decided to avoid the decision altogether, keeping  Ms.Alexander behind bars. What a coward!

Ms.Alexander has continued to proclaim her innocence and  said that she only fired the gun in self-defense.  Marissa Alexander says that her ex-husband, Rico Gray, had a history of abuse, and that she was using the gun to defend herself.

Part of the reason for Marissa Alexander’s sentence is that her two sons were in the room when she fired at her husband, leading the court to declare that she’d put them in danger.

Marissa Alexander did win a major victory by getting the state to give her a new trial in March 13, 2013.  Advocates are claiming that her sentence was excessive, particularly given that it occurred at the same time, in the same state, that George Zimmerman was acquitted after admittedly killing an unarmed teen, Trayvon Martin.

They still have not explained that to my satisfaction.

Dr. Boyce Watkins, who advocates for equity in the criminal justice system, says that the Alexander case is typical.

“This case shows us two things,” says Dr. Watkins, who worked with Russell Simmons to get 175 celebrities to sign a letter to President Obama about mass incarceration.

“First, it shows that black people are not given justice in this system.  Secondly, it shows that we still do not take domestic violence seriously in this country and millions of women are harmed as a result.”

The fight against injustice goes on!   Free Marissa Alexander!

I Normally Wouldn't Comment on This Kind of Thing But....

I normally wouldn't comment on this type of thing, but....I am just surprised that the winner of this lotto wasn't some old white guy in Kansas who was already rich, Like it usually is....Even if George the Cable Guy had won, I would have felt better...

So..from what I understand ,It’s been eight months since Pedro Quezada (pictured above, right) got lucky by winning the fourth-largest lottery pot in history at a whopping $338 million. Now Quezada is being sued by his former 10-year live-in girlfriend, Inez Sanchez (pictured on the left), for reportedly not sharing his wealth because, in his eyes, they were never legally married.

Now when Pedro Quezada collected his winnings, he actually told reporters at a press conference last March that he would buy Ms.Sanchez “whatever she wants.” He said then...They were still together.

But now ,There is always a  but now in these stories...The script has been flipped: According to Quezada’s attorneys, his live-in love of 10 years and the Mother of at least one of his children is not deserving of a red cent because she is not his wife.

My grandmother used to say when poverty slips in the window...Love walks out the door.. In this case..Money is in his pockets and his girlfriend is out he door..

Ms.Sanchez’s attorneys totally disagree with Quezada’s alleged penny-pinching ways and argue that he and their client purchased the winning ticket with their earnings as a couple.

In 2006. the then-couple opened up a bodega in Passaic, New Jersey, which was run by Quezada’s son. After the feds took their huge chunk out of Quezada’s winnings, he was left with a whopping $152 million. Last Friday, during a court proceeding, a judge decided not to throw out the Sanchez lawsuit but she did decided not to freeze his monies as was requested by the complainant’s legal team.

Instead, the Superior Court Chancery Judge Margaret Mary McVeigh acknowledged the relationship between Sanchez and Quezada and their shared contributions to their former household. Legally, however, the judge could not freeze Quezada’s assets.

“That’s what money does to people: It changes positive relationships into bad ones,” McVeigh stated. “It doesn’t always enhance a relationship, or bring out people’s better qualities. Her [Sanchez’s] life has been up-ended by this winning ticket…But I am a judge. I don’t create the law. I have to follow it.”

 Either way, Quezada’s attorneys contend that a major portion of his winnings are gone: $57 million was sent to Quezada’s homeland of the Dominican Republic, $5 million was given away, $300,000 was used to purchase a Clifton, N.J., home, and $20 million has reportedly just poofed into air. How can $20 million just disappear?

Answer- It didn't....But he'll be damned if she's going to have any of it!


What was that my grandmother said about when Poverty slips in the window...Love walks out the door?

All God's Chillin Should Have Health Care

I've recently had a serious surgical operation to repair my left rotator cuff...While they say the operation was a sucess..I am wracked with pain on a constant basis and have to run back and forth to the doctor, therapy sessions after work et al...

I got to thinking...What would I do if I didn't have health care?   I have an employer which provides a pretty decent plan...but what about people who are not as fortunate...
I can't imagine how I would have gotten along with this type of injury without some type of medical relief...

I say that to say that one, I'm glad I have health care...and two..I am pretty much satisfied with the current plan I have...I have been hearing that last week ,some people who had health care received cancellation notices....I can imagine in my current state that would be devestating...

I took more than a mild interest in what former President Bill Clinton said in an interview yesterday...

"President Barack Obama should consider changes to his health care law to honor his pledge to allow consumers to keep their health care plans if they so desire." the former president said.

Former President Clinton went on to say-that the implementation of the Affordable Care Act has been, on balance, a good thing. "The big lesson is that we're better off with this law than without it," Clinton said. But he also lent some credence to GOP attacks on the law.

"I personally believe, even if it takes a change in the law, the president should honor the commitment the federal government made to those people and let them keep what they got,"

The former president was referencing the pledge President Obama made repeatedly during his sales job of the health care law that if individuals liked their current health care plan, they could keep it. In an interview with NBC News last week the president apologized for cancellations many individual policy holders are receiving and said his administration is looking at ways to change that part of the law.

"The president has tasked his team with looking at a range of options, as he said, to make sure that nobody is put in a position where their plans have been canceled and they can't afford a better plan, even though they'd like to have a better plan," White House press secretary Jay Carney said in response to Clinton. Carney also noted Clinton's praise for the underlying law.

Republicans have seized upon instances in which consumers have had their health plans canceled since the opening of the new insurance exchanges on Oct. 1, which effectively forces those consumers into new plans, either with their current insurers or the government exchanges. Those impacted are Americans who purchase their own insurance, accounting for about five percent of Americans. Those who receive their insurance through their employers are not impacted by that part of the law. Of course Fox News and the Republicans failed to mention that!  Of course!

"These comments signify a growing recognition that Americans were misled when they were promised that they could keep their coverage under President Obama's health care law," House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in a statement.

 "That's why all Democrats concerned about the president's broken promise should join Republicans in voting to pass the Keep Your Health Plan Act when it comes before the House later this week. President Clinton understood that governing in a divided Washington requires a focus on common ground, and I hope President Obama will follow the former president's lead."he said.

Ohhhh shut up John Boehner....This just shows that the Republicans will jump on any thing, any half truth to try and discredit the affordable care act which gives health insurance to people who previously did not have it....Boehner and all of those knuckleheads that almost shut the government down have great health care....The best plan (tax payers)money can buy...It appalls me that they are fighting with the president to keep the average citizen from even having the most minimal plan... Imagine how
smooth this would all be running if everybody was on the board with this...

Was it mentioned that  the price tag for consumers forced to buy new plans has varied. For consumers eligible for subsidies under the law, the total cost of the new insurance plan might actually be lower, and they get broader coverage.

For some consumers, though, the cost to them will be higher.

This Friday, the House is set to vote to approve legislation that would allow consumers to keep their health care plans if they so wished, even though those plans are regarded as substandard under current law.

I'm sure the opponents of the affordable health care plan will have something to say about that too.

No Laughing Matter, Not!

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've no doubt heard about the case where a football player, Jonathan Martin for the Miami Dophins quit the team amid charges of severe bullying that appeared to get racial.

It depends on who and what you believe...The alleged bully, Richard Incognito swears to all who will listen that he is not a bully and that in fact...He was "Martin's best friend" and that this was all a misunderstanding...

His Black teammates back him up...They say that Richie Incognito was an "Honorary Black man" and that he and Martin did appear to be tight...His white team mates tell the same story...

This could be  acase of verbal abuse that got out of hand and hurtful.....The Average person does not understand how men who play sports, men who go to war et al talk to each other...Being a man, I can tell you that the language is often unprintable...

Regardless...The Miami Dolphins have become the laughing stock of Florida...a state that is already under enough scrutiny..After all....George Zimmerman is from this state.

In a state where the two other NFL teams are in last place, the Miami Dolphins are the biggest laughingstock of all.

They've become the butt of jokes by late-night comedians, a bad sign for an already floundering franchise. Such quipsters as Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert weighed in on Comedy Central after the Dolphins' bullying scandal struck a national nerve.

While the NFL is serious about investigating tackle Jonathan Martin's allegations of daily harassment by teammates, including Incognito, others are laughing at the dysfunctional Dolphins like never before. That's saying something for a team that has endured four consecutive losing seasons and hasn't won a playoff game since 2000.
Even Spirit Airlines poked fun on its website.

"Don't be bullied by high fares. Fly Incognito out of Florida or any place for that matter," read an advertisement by the South Florida-based business.
Give Dolphins players credit: They can take a joke.

"So I see Spirit Airline got jokes lol," tackle Bryant McKinnie tweeted.
This is no laughing matter.Jonathan Martin will meet late this week with the NFL's special investigator to discuss the allegations.

Jonathan Martin is with his family in California to undergo counseling for emotional issues,(Oh give me a break!) while Richie Incognito is suspended indefinitely. The special investigator will determine whether Mr. Incognito harassed Jonathan Martin, and whether the Dolphins mishandled the matter.

It has all made for a tense atmosphere at the team complex, and even stoic coach Joe Philbin attempted to lighten the mood. He allowed himself a slight smile watching a throng of media scramble into position for his daily post-practice news conference.

"I hope the Dolphins aren't liable for any of those hamstrings that all you guys pulled on the way over here," Philbin said. The comment drew a few chuckles.

The Dolphins (4-4) were to play for the first time since the scandal broke Monday night at Tampa Bay (0-8). While the Buccaneers sought their first victory, and while the Jacksonville Jaguars are 1-8, it's the Dolphins drawing the most guffaws in the Sunshine State.

Jon Stewart and  Steven Colbert both joked about the name of Miami's Pro Bowl guard turned national villain.

"Has there ever been a less apt name for a person than Incognito?" Stewart said on "The Daily Show."

"The Colbert Report" noted a lunchroom prank by Martin's teammates that he took as a last straw, prompting him to leave the club two weeks ago.
"I bet they also made fun of him for wearing clothes with dolphins on them," Colbert said.

Colbert also quoted the now-notorious voicemail Incognito left for Martin in which he used a racist term, threatened to kill his teammate and threatened to slap Martin's mother. But Colbert described Incognito as the victim in the situation because he has "been pushed around by kindness cabal."

"If only he had a way to hide his identity," Colbert said.

Dolphins tackle Tyson Clabo didn't watch either show but was told he made "The Daily Show" in a locker room video clip.

"I was on Jon Stewart, which is huge," Clabo said. "I heard it's a good thing I have a sense of humor, because I heard I wasn't portrayed the best. But we can all laugh."

And why not? In America...There is no such thing as bad publicity!

Monday Randomness

It's Monday and oddly enough I don't have a lot to talk about today.....Though that may change by tomorrow....

I suppose I'll use this time to list things I'm thankful for!

1. Had a great sermon in church yesterday...It kind of lifted my spirits since I hadn't been to church or talked to God much in awhile...

2.Had a great meal at Soul to Sole in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia....(They have a great all you can eat soul food buffet for $19.99...(Guess I should save this for my food blog,Good Foodie,huh?)

3. Eagles Won!!!!! Yes...For the second week in a row...The Eagles won!!!! No, Foles didn't throw seven touchdowns again....but he didn't need to...

Purely...I can't ask for a better start to a week than this!

Keith's Music Spotlight

One of my wife and I's favorite movies of the 90's or the early part of the millennial..I'm not sure what year it was that this movie was released was Director, Malcolm D, Lee's (Spike Lee's cousin) movie, "The Best Man"....

Now after all this time...The sequel is being released....The missus and I plan to see it next week when it comes out...but in the meanwhile, here is some music from the movie's soundtrack...A winner from Uncle Charlie Wilson...Enjoy it!

Weekend Humor-Shorties

A guy goes to the store to buy condoms.
''Do you want a bag?'', the cashier asks
''No'', the guy says, ''She's not that ugly''

Q: How does a woman scare a gynecologist?
A: By becoming a ventriloquist!

Q: What does it mean when someone is in your bed gasping for breath and calling your name?
A: You didn't hold the pillow down long enough.

Last one-

A turkey was chatting with a bull.

''I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy..' '

 ''Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients.''
...
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.

The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.

Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.

He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Moral of the story:
Bull Shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there..

 


BA...BUMP BUMP...

Everyone have a groovy weekend!!

The Party May Not Be Over ,But Two O'clock is very close..

Two days ago...American voters...always a mercurial bunch...sent The Tea Party and the extreme right nut case wing of the Republican Party a message... It's almost 2:00...
You don't have to go home, but you have to get the hell out of here....

Things haven't been good for those guys lately...They're fresh off of a loss to President Obama who refused to blink at high noon and allowed them to risk sending the country off the financial cliff....They were forced to blink and back down without winning a single concession...

Largely because of that...They got shalacked again , two nights ago during the elections..

In Virginia, Terry McAuliffe, a flawed Democratic candidate who had some issues within his own party held off a late charge by Republican /Tea Party candidate Ken Cuccinelli in a polarizing campaign that exposed liabilities that could drag down both parties next year: President Barack Obama's health care overhaul for Democrats and a partial government shutdown for Republicans. This was an election that everybody said was Cuccinelli's to win...Turns out...It was his to lose.

Terry McAuliffe is a longtime friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton, giving the former secretary of state an important ally should she seek the White House again.

In Republican-friendly Alabama, Bradley Byrne, a lawyer backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, defeated Tea Party-backed candidate Dean Young in a special GOP primary to succeed retiring Rep. Jo Bonner, R-Ala. Byrne will be the heavy favorite in December to hold onto the congressional seat and gives business groups a victory over the Tea party. I spoke of this tred two weeks ago.

This was a predictably low turnout voting day....Far from the intensity of a presidential campaign, the low-turnout elections don't offer a greater meaning into the nation's political psyche. But Virginia and New Jersey often give parties clues to the electorate's mood heading into congressional elections.

The backdrop was a partial government shutdown triggered partly by Tea Party demands and a clunky rollout by the Obama administration of the health care law.

In Virginia, exit polls showed that about a third of voters said they were personally affected by the government shutdown, and those who were broke for Terry McAuliffe by nearly 20 points. But Ken Cuccinelli held a narrow edge among those who said health care was their top issue and 53 percent of all Virginia voters said they opposed the health care overhaul passed in 2010.

Tea party leaders and social conservatives said the state attorney general's vociferous opposition to the health care law narrowed the gap — even though it didn't overcome a fundraising disadvantage.

"This has got to be a real wakeup call for the Obama White House and Democrats in general," said Ralph Reed, chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition. "If the tail of the Obamacare meltdown could have this kind of impact ... then I think they need to be really concerned about the red state Democratic seats" in the 2014 Senate elections.
A perfect example of what comedian Bill Mahr says is the far right's refusal to face reality and desire to live in a bubble..

Both New Jersey and Virginia offered overtones for the 2016 presidential race.
Chris Christie's advisers were quick to point out that the governor won a majority of women and boosted his support among black and Latino voters, showing that he could compete for voters who comprise Barack Obama's coalition.  In New Jersey maybe...but in the rest of the country that has never heard of him...that's a big hmmmmmmmmmm!

For  the Democrats, the election may make some wonder if  Barbara Buono , who lost in a lop sided race against Chris Christie is this year's version of Garry Mauro, the Texas Democrat who lost to George W. Bush in another seemingly lopsided governor's race in 1998. 

Some Democrats regretted not competing more aggressively against Bush, who captured the GOP nomination and won the White House in 2000.

Still it remains to be seen if Chris Christie's conservative-yet-pragmatic approach can win over Republicans in places like Iowa and South Carolina, where party loyalists may be skeptical of his post-superstorm Sandy alliance with President Obama and his commitment to conservatives on social issues.They jokingly refer to Chris Christie as
RINO..."Republican in Name Only" in Tea Party circles.

The Democrats' win in Virginia gives a boost to the Clinton campaign model of attracting moderates and business-oriented voters while driving turnout among women.

 TerryMcAuliffe's narrow victory rested on a 9-point edge among women and could offer Democratic candidates in 2014 a model for winning in swing-voting territory — especially if President Obama's support is weakened.

Both Chris Christie and Terry McAuliffe  outspent their opponents by large margins and aired tough TV ads months before the election to negatively define their opponents, stealing a page from President Obama's playbook against Republican Mitt Romney. No matter the election, the tactics matter.

"We shouldn't lose focus on the fundamentals," said Republican strategist Martin Baker, a former adviser to Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign. He said the races are "textbook examples that money and mechanics remain critical to a successful campaign."

Well We knew that....

If you want my honest assesment of what I saw... Is that people don't want  to swing too far left or right...and that they are looking for sensible,pragmatic people who can work with a cross section of people...

Democratic wins in New York City and Boston's Mayoral race as well as Cory Booker's Senate win send positive messages also....

No...The Tea Party isn't over yet....but 2:00 am looms!

Did You Vote?

My wife and I voted yesterday.....Except for District Attorney Seth Williams...I didn't know any of those people on the ballet, Republican or Democrat....They were mostly Judges......So I did something I have never done before...I had to ask somebody at the polls to tell me who these folks were...These people could have told me anything ,because after all..I didn't know who these judges were...Next time I will know...But...At least I voted...Did You?

I've often told the story about how a judge cut me some slack years ago...In a civil case in which I stood to lose a small amount of money....He saw that I had inferior representation and  he tossed my case out..Turns out it was a judge I had voted for in a prior election...

Every election and every vote counts...I can't say that enough...I hope everyone reading this voted.

What I've Learned

1.Pain is Mind over matter, take it out of your mind and soon it won't matter.

2.I finally understand that a Bird in one hand is truly worth two in the bush.

3.I was alone a lot when I was a child....Probably why I have such an imagination and appreciation for a good story!

4.We've let the concept of the Renaissance man die out. We don't really tell the kids that it's okay to bounce around the world, work odd jobs, and do six different things when they are still young and single.

5. I’ve always liked the idea of walking into a  party where there are all kinds of different people and finding some connection with almost everybody in the room..That's the essence of who I really am. "Mr. Personality", one of my teachers used to call me.

6.My Mother taught me a value that I treasure to this day....To work smart and not waste time..

7.If God has given you a gift...It's an insult to act as though it's your achievement!

8.Marriage has taught me how to fight...I mean...People who live together get into arguments. When you're younger, those arguments tend to escalate, or there's not any wisdom that overrides the argument to keep things in perspective. Shit tends to get out of hand. When you're older, you realize, "Well, this argument will pass. We may not agree, but this is not the end of the world." Experience comes into play then...For the record....I don't argue with my wife!  I was just saying...

9.It's a devine accident that any of us are on this Earth...Living and existing at this time....I'm humbled when I think of it all!

10. I've made a lot of mistakes in life...Some on purpose...but I don't live in my past...Who I was is not who I am today!


Peace!

 

Weekend Update

The World's Greatest Toy Store

We took our grandchildren and our daughter to New York City This past weekend...We went to the Headquarters of Toy R Us...which the kids naturally loved...As you'll see in these photos...A Good time was had by all.