At Home On Piety Hill

Brad Pitt told Esquire magazine:

Angie and I will consider tying the knot when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able.

Brad and Angelina Jolie seem to be serious in their convictions that polygamy and other taboo forms of marriage should be legalized in the US. As of today, moral crusaders have seen to it that brothers cannot legally marry their sisters, the man convicted of bestiality cannot wed his horse and, despite the howling of social liberals, older men are not even allowed to date ten year olds, let alone tie the not. The country doesn’t seem ready for such progressive redefinition of the longstanding tradition of one man and one woman, so I suppose Brangelina will have to put off their nuptials for quite some time. Regardless, this is a bold and courageous move by one of Hollywood’s brightest activist couples!

Young People Flock To Second-Tier Sites Amid Shifting Tastes

This is welcome news, as far as I’m concerned. I just signed up on Facebook and the interface was noticeably less cluttered and usable. I’m not a huge fan of these new-fangled social networking sites, but from a design perspective things are starting to look up. As I pointed out when Ditty Talk rolled out, the MySpace design is just plain ugly and whenever someone adds a photo or video to their page, it gets pushed all out of shape and the user ends up scrolling in all directions.

These new contenders have some neat features that MySpace lacks:

Among the new social-networking sites is one called XuQa.com, run by San Francisco start-up business iVentster Inc., which lets users play games against their online friends and offers awards to the top scorers. Hi5.com, operated by San Francisco company Hi5 Networks Inc., comes with a built-in music player. Piczo, meanwhile, is similar to MySpace and Facebook Inc. in that it lets its mostly teenage users create personal Web pages filled with photos, video and lists of their online friends.

Best of all, they just look a lot better and seem to conform to web standards.

One of the most amazing political shifts in modern times has occurred during my lifetime and I wonder how things will play out in the future. Here in the United States we have a President, George W. Bush, who is practically the raj’ah or the return of John F. Kennedy. Following Kennedy’s example, Bush cuts taxes to stimulate economic growth and prosperity, projects the power of the US military and State Department to spread democracy and he showers billions of dollars in aid over the world to combat AIDS, poverty and illiteracy. Like JFK, he preaches volunteerism and compassion, takes a strong stand against fascism and looks out for the interests of American citizens and business abroad, while protecting Europe, Japan and others. This frees up capital from many nations’ military budgets, so they can share in our prosperity and count on us to protect their interests abroad. JFK inaugurated the Pax Americana, and Presidents like Carter, Reagan, Clinton and now, Bush, have expanded upon it.

Yet, the once altruistic and optimistic generation, which practically idolized JFK – the young people he inspired to join the Peace Corps, serve in the military, go to college and carry the torch of American style democracy to the rest of the world, have become a cynical, hate-filled bunch of petulant 60-something adolescents. They stomp around, pestering the responsible adults who go about the daily work of ensuring the freedoms, opportunities and prosperity these older Americans seem to take for granted.

Bush is practically a clone of JFK and is considered a “conservative” by today’s definition, but he would have been slotted in with the liberals during the early 60’s. If JFK were alive today, his views would be labeled “right wing” and he would be the target of progressive intolerance and hate. So, what’s the deal? Has there been a huge a shift in American politics and thought over the past 50 years? Possibly. But, I think there may be a better explanation.

Those young idealists… that generation that had so much more lavished upon them than any other generation never lived up to their potential… they failed to grow up into the kind of adults JFK urged them to be. Instead, all the doting, all the educational opportunities, all the hard-earned advantages they were handed by their parents plunged them instead into what scientists label psychological neoteny or the Peter Pan syndrome.

The dreams of JFK are still alive, but not in his former followers, numbered among the progressives and liberals today. Ironically, his ideals are to be found in the hearts and minds of young people in the conservative movement.

Tea-Bag mail Protest Worries Post Office

Illinois’ lieutenant governor is urging people to mail tea bags to two electric utilities to protest rate increases — an idea that leaves the post office cold. The Postal Service on Wednesday encouraged people to make their point instead with empty tea bags, saying lumpy bags could harm its equipment and create security scares by leaking brown residue.

It’s about time Wal-Mart takes the gloves off! I’ve got a hankerin’ for some office products and sundries to help the left’s pariah fight bigotry and injustice!

Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest employer, is planning to launch a voter registration and education campaign this fall targeted at its 1.3 million employees in an effort to combat growing criticism from Democrats and labor unions.

The company’s decision appears to be a response to several high-profile Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and four 2008 Democratic presidential hopefuls, who participated in a labor-organized anti-Wal-Mart campaign this summer.

George Will nailed it.

There was a lot of screaming about Senator Barak Obama’s (D-Illinois) green hypocrisy a while back. It seems he was playing the perennial Democrat global warming panic and fear card to a town hall meeting, preaching on the eeeevills of the SUV and was seen leaving the scene of his scolding sermon in one of those humungous gas-guzzlers. His handlers attempted to deflect criticism by lamely pointing out that the vehicle burns a an e85 blend. But, that hardly cools the controversy or the atmosphere, for that matter.

Then you have this editorial exposing Al Gore’s (D-Planet) appetite. Sure, these guys are hypocrites but that’s not really the issue… you can find plenty of double-dealing in politics, religion, the office, the classroom… I wish these guys were that benign.

What really bugs me in all of this is their Animal Farm approach to foist a radical green revolution upon the rest of us. You see, Mr. Gore (let’s think of him as the Napoleon character in the book) has discovered that the planet is being destroyed by human prosperity and consumption. He acts as though he made this discovery, in much the same way that he claims to have been a pioneer in the formation of the information superhighway (just like the appropriation of Snowball’s plan for building a windmill in the story). He assures us in his Green Seven Commandments that we are all equal and we are all forbidden to drive gas-guzzling SUVs (on the Animal Farm, “all animals are equal”).

In the end, Al and Barack’s green revolutionary society looks more and more like an environmentally friendly version of Animal Farm, in which “all citizens of the planet are equal, but some are more equal than others.” Those privileged few are free to drive or fly whatever to wherever they please, while the rest of are forced to buy the type of vehicle they decide suits our needs and station in life. You see, Barack and Al fancy themselves responsible global citizens, who possess knowledge and sophistication the rest of us commoners lack. They put these “bad” machines to good purpose, while the rest of would only squander precious fuel and resources in the vehicles of our choice.

These sham environmental crusaders will do whatever they can, legislatively and culturally, to deny us choice in the kind of vehicle we buy, as they herd us into the mode of transportation that suits their utopian ideals. But, if that comes to pass, it will only happen because we ceded that power to the pigs in Washington. And, I doubt these elitist, finger-wagging, moralizing hogs will stop at deciding merely what type of car is appropriate for us.

Denise and I don’t get commercial TV in our home (missed Katie’s big splash), but I heard about a mini-series I’d love to see: The Path To 9/11 on ABC, starring Harvey Keitel. We’ll either watch it when it comes out on DVD or perhaps a friend will invite us over when it airs (hint).

Evidently, the mini-series not only makes the Bush administration look bad, but makes out Madeleine Albright and Sandy Berger (the guy who steals classified documents in his clothing) to be incompetent cowards. For those accustomed to hagiographical portrayals of the Clinton administration from the entertainment industry, this docudrama evidently crosses the line and troubles the faithful.

I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews from people who have actually seen it from start to finish, but the bete noir bloggers and enemies of free speech on the left have reportedly tried to get ABC to edit it, because of “lies and half-truths.” All the clips I’ve heard and the in-depth reviews lead me to believe that it’s substantially accurate. But, even if it isn’t, since when are lies and half-truths a sin in the infotainment industry? Leave it to the “tolerance and diversity” crowd to impose their morality on the rest of us.

For my prog-lib friends, I would suggest that you watch The Path To 9/11 for the entertainment value first and historical accuracy second. I think that’s the way one would normally view other works of the genre, such as Fahrenheit 9/11, Who Killed The Electric Car, Bush’s Brain, Triumph of the Will, etc..

I saw a couple of paintings by Shane Grammer at The Underground Cafe… we were there to see Mike Roe perform (Kendall Payne was the headliner and she was very good, too). I checked out the website and was a bit intimidated, but ultimately inspired. He is not only a painter and illustrator, but designs spaces, as well. Amazing. Check out shanegrammer.com

What kind of hate am I listening to? Another news and opinion source I go to regularly is National Public Radio. How much hate do they generate? That depends upon the host or the feature, I suppose. I’ll comment on various NPR programs in later posts. One thing I do know: actions speak louder than words and hateful acts are much more unpleasant and intolerable than hate speech. I learned this first hand when our local NPR affiliate, Capitol Public Radio, broadcast two interviews by Steve Inskeep during the presidential campaign of 2004 and I expressed my negative opinion to “the staff and the management.” The result? A member services rep sent me a threatening email message from his personal Yahoo! Mail account. He told me, through a personalized and bizarre literary device, that I should be very concerned for my family’s safety, because he knew my phone number and address.

He wrote it under a pseydonym and thought it was coming to me anonymously. Fortunately, I was able to follow the path and found that he had sent it to me through his personal account, from a Cap Radio computer, while he was on the clock, over the California State University Sacramento network. He and his managers stonewalled me for a few days until I contacted the CSUS system administrator, who referred me to the legal staff in the President’s office. The staff member apologized immediately.

I don’t think that NPR, for the most part, is bigoted or hateful but evidently some of their local affiliates could benefit from some sensitivity training… perhaps a lesson or two in common courtesy and appreciation for or tolerance of diverse ideas and lifestyles.

What kind of hate am I listening to? That was the question I posed and answered in an earlier post. I listen to Rush Limbaugh regularly and I wouldn’t consider his program to be hateful unless sarcasm, analysis of current events, critique of opposing views, parody and the expression of strongly held opinions constitutes “hate.” If that were the case, Rush would be numbered among such notable haters as Garrison Keillor, Mark Twain, Al Franken and Will Rogers. The Simpsons, South Park and Saturday Night Live would be justly condemned as vehicles of bigotry, if Rush’s show is judged to be offensive. Why do I listen to Rush?

First, his show comes on at just the right time, while my hands are busy and my ears and mind are free. He’s the most professional talk-show host out there, regardless of ideology, and he’s generally funnier than the rest of the pack. The fact that Al Franken has enjoyed phenomenal success as a comic writer does not seem to translate to laughs on his radio show, while Rush is much funnier on air than he is in print. Go figure.

I started listening before the Web existed and I tuned in to hear him read news and comment on articles or opinion pieces in publications like the New York Times, Washington Post, The New Republic, The Nation and others. If anything captured my attention, I would go to the library and check out other literature on the subject. His show was a catalyst for me and it still is. He seems to have a real knack for identifying issues and trends which resonate with a vast number of Americans, across a wide spectrum of political or social viewpoints.

Child molestation cases involving Catholic priests have been all over the news since the 1990’s, pointing to serious sexual abuse among clergy of all faiths and denominations. What makes this such a powerful story is the fact that priests had built a solid reputation as trustworthy advocates for children over the years, yet that has all been undone now. When someone my age thinks of children and priests, we are immediately reminded of Father Flanagan and Boy’s Town. But, a relative few betrayed that trust and robbed so many children of their sexual innocense, plunging the Roman Catholic church into one of the most costly and devastating crises in its entire history.

What is more frightening is that these sexual abuse cases are relatively small in number and scope, when compared to the hundreds of thousands of children in the United States, who have been or are being sexually abused by professional educators over a similar time period. A study conducted for the Department of Education, Educator Sexual Misconduct, found that about 10% of all school children will be the target of some sort of physical sexual misconduct by a teacher during their K-12 grade education. Carol Shakeshaft, who authored the study, points out that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops found that about 10, 667 children had been victimized by priests between 1950 and 2002. Based upon numerous studies which she has worked with, Shakeshaft extrapolated the number of school children suffering abuse by professional educators to about ten times that of the clergy!

One study of 225 cases of admitted sexual abuse in New York found that none of the cases had been reported to police and only 1 person lost their teaching license. Often the offenders in these cases are let off with a slap on the wrist. I wonder why that is. Perhaps it has something to do with the behemoth NEA, the teacher’s union that is so solicitous in having parents turn over their children to the “professionals,” when it comes to instilling morals and teaching about sexuality!

I noticed this trend about a year ago and have found a few local news stories, but rarely a national expose´or serious article on this disturbing, almost universal assault on our kids. There are stories of female teachers initiating sexual relations with young men, young women, kids with special needs and one teacher who molested 9 year olds, then slashed her wrists in front of the class. It’s about time for the progressive media get this story out across the country and, perhaps, save a few children some life-long trauma.

The other day at work, I was following my usual routine… performing menial labor, while I listen to talk or opinion on the radio. One of my customers, who would probably consider herself progressive, tolerant and erudite, came to the counter and asked, “how can you listen to so much hate?” I was taken aback and then responded, “man, you should have heard the hate I was listening to this morning driving up here. I had NPR on the radio!” Then, it was her turn to look surprised.

So, I thought it might be a good idea to reflect on what I listen to and why; then blog about it. I don’t watch commercial television and what little time I do have to enjoy video, I try to spend watching good films or something educational. But, I have hours every day when I am commuting or doing production work, so I listen to a very specific, well-rounded mix of radio and spoken word.

Now, before I start blogging about what I’m listening to, you may be wondering if I was serious about National Public Radio (NPR) and “hate?” Well, “yes” and “no.” You see, I am an amateur media analyst… I love watching how art, film and communication media are employed to educate, sell, persuade and manipulate people’s thinking. And, I’m equally fascinated by people’s response, when they are “getting worked.” But, I don’t see this process as necessarily bad and I’m not using the term “worked” as a pejorative, nor do I think all propaganda is bad. However, I do think there is such a thing as what Francis Schaeffer called “true truth.” And, I actually enjoy the challenge and the excitement of “drilling down” through what’s presented to me throughout the day and sorting out “what’s really going on.” It’s something of a hobby for me.

NPR is one of my staples… it’s one of my main sources of news, opinion and entertainment and I wish them success, even though I’m always urging Congress to cut their funding and make the private Corporation For Public Broadcasting earn their keep and compete on a level playing field with their commercial counterparts! I think, by and large, they do a good job, but they lean left and I find it amusing that there are actually folks who think that NPR or the BBC are “objective.” Face it folks, no news or opinion source is objective and I really don’t expect them to be. If NPR had to compete for listeners ($$$), I think they would be more diverse and cover a broader range of cultural and political perspectives in their programming.

When we are talking about “hate,” as defined by my customer, we are actually talking about critical opinion, parody, sarcasm, downright ridicule, etc.. So, do I hear that on NPR? By her definition, sure! I’ve heard some of the most narrow, bigoted, hateful language and opinion from NPR’s most vaunted personalities: Terry Gross, Garrison Keillor, Daniel Schorr and Steve Inskeep. But, more on them later… I suppose what I’m saying is that “hate” is a loaded word and its definition often depends upon which side of the opinion you’re on. Your sense of humor and ability to laugh at yourself and the absurdity of some of your deeply held opinions, along with the discipline it takes to be objective (when news organizations are not) will play a part in ones idea of what qualifies as “hate.” A rudimentary grasp of history can also be helpful, in putting things into perspective.

I really enjoyed this television movie starring Don Rickles, Keke Palmer, Catherine O’Hara and one of my all-time favorites, William Macy. I believe he won a Golden Globe award for this film. It’s based on Jackie Gleason’s classic, Gigot, and it is a real upbeat PG-13 with some rough language and themes. On the other hand, we trudged through the Monkee’s highly-recommended psychedelic art film, Head. It was dreadful.

Now, this is blogging! No more long posts. I simply let others more qualified raise an issue, then I get to come in with am emotional, unedited, spontaneous comment or two revealing what I really think. The Zombieslayer is one of the most rational and winsome bloggers on the scene and he had a great post about whiners. So, if you would like to know why I think Democrats don’t win any longer and Rush Limbaugh is on top, check out the post and comments. By the way, I still maintain that if the hardcore wing of the Democrat Party had held their noses and nominated Joe Lieberman for President in 2004, he would have beaten Bush by about 8 points.

Published November 17, 2005

For decades, Republicans have struggled to reach out to black Americans. But now in Orange County, the GOP has to reach no further than the NAACP. As of this week, Derrick Wallace, head of Orange County’s NAACP, has switched parties — to become a Republican. “I’ve thought about this for two years,’ Wallace said Tuesday afternoon, just a few hours after returning from the elections office. ‘This is not a decision I made yesterday.” It is, however, a decision that rang out like a shot among political circles.

Man, wait until the house slaves at the DNC hear about this guy. You know… the Democrats… the ones who fought to preserve slavery during the “war of seccession” and voted against the 1964 Civil Rights Act. If Mr. Wallace continues to act all uppity, he may get the same treatment that Michael Steele is getting from those thoughtful, tolerant progressives in Maryland.

Sorry kid, but you’re out of a job! Time to fire up a blog!

BREITBART.com /Nov 13 9:53 AM US/Eastern :
Dark days are ahead for American newspapers, as sales tumble, a warp-speed news culture leaves lumbering dailies behind and scandals over flawed reporting taint heavyweight titles. US papers are battling an explosion in online information, a news agenda powered by bloggers and 24-hour cable news, and they can’t seem to connect with young readers. Credibility questions hang over several papers and journalists are under more scrutiny than ever in the highly polarised US political climate. Doomsayers say changes in modern lifestyles mean the days when American homeowners open their front door every morning and haul in a thick multi-section paper may be numbered. Latest figures released by the Audit Bureau of Circulations found a 2.6 percent drop in circulation for 786 newspapers across the country in the six months to September — meaning that 1.2 million people deserted their paper… Several US newspaper giants suffered heavy circulation drops — figures which mirror the declining readership across the globe…. In a survey last year, the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found only 23 percent of people under 30 read a daily newspaper, compared with 60 percent of older people. (emphasis mine)

This is certainly good news and I’ve looked forward to this day since I became aware in the mid-80’s that the glory days of “objective journalism” were over and the dawn of the tabloid, masquerading as news, was upon us. As a new generation comes into adulthood without being tainted by the media wing of the American Fabian Society, there is some cause for hope. When you couple these statistics with the rise of private and homeschooling, plus the fact that so-called progressives are opting to have fewer children or none at all, perhaps we oldsters will see a return to sanity in our lifetime. Sure, the radicals still control the university, but it’s amazing how quickly a few months on a real job or caring for someone other than one’s self, can wipe away four to six years of indoctrination in victimhood, hedonism, socialist economics and disdain for western civilization.

The girls and I were returning from our drive in the country, flying down NC Hwy 421, loaded down with apples and keeping our eyes peeled for barbecue joints (down by the lake? T Bone Burnett, anyone?) A sign caught my eye: “Books 75% Off.” It was hoisted prominently over the 421 Flea Market.
This flea market (or “swap meet” in southern California vernacular) was deceptively ginormous. There were tables and pickup trucks laid out over a large field, selling used treasures from clothes to martial arts weapons and country home décor to GUNS! What appeared to be storage or industrial buildings at the rear of the property housed the actual flea market! There were hundreds of stalls displaying the tackiest junk I’ve ever seen. I didn’t know such junk existed.
Emma was understandably mortified and we could barely walk the rows, alternating between uproarious laughter and stunned disbelief. It was beyond any caricature of the south I have ever seen or heard. I think we were literally in shock for the first ten minutes before I regained my composure and began snapping these photos.
My favorite vendors were Appalachia’s answer to Restoration Hardware, Garris Gifts (did someone drop the H?) and the hillbilly chiropractor… very professional, indeed. The Hispanic community represented here was the largest I’ve seen since my youth in East Los Angeles… who would have known that I would have to go across the country to the hollows of North Carolina to find myself at home.
I’ll let the photos speak for themselves and will be happy to field any questions or comments concerning the objects d’arts on display.

We’re on the road in North Carolina, visiting Emma and sampling a little bit of Carolina barbecue.

bar·be·cue Pronunciation Key (bärb-ky) n.
1. A grill, pit, or outdoor fireplace for roasting meat.
2. A whole animal carcass or section thereof roasted or broiled over an open fire or on a spit.
3. A social gathering, usually held outdoors, at which food is cooked over an open flame.

The term itself comes from Haiti: “1657, from Amer.Sp. barbacoa, from Arawakan (Haiti) barbakoa “framework of sticks,” the raised wooden structure the Indians used to either sleep on or cure meat. Originally “meal of roasted meat or fish,” modern popular noun sense of “grill for cooking over an open fire” is 1931.”

Emma’s friend Jumon insisted that, if we want some Carolina barbecue, we should start with the best: Bullock’s in Durham NC.

I had the chopped barbecue, which is the traditional spicy sauce, heavy on the vinegar. The battle over red slaw vs. white slaw was settled long ago at Bullocks and I loved their mayonaise-based slaw: sweet and diced fine. The french fries were wonderful and the service was superb. I had sweettea (all one word), but I must admit… it’s too sweet for me and that’s saying something.

Let’s move away from the closeup and you can see Emma’s choice of Brunswick Stew. It was the best with all sorts of beans and distinctive flavors.

Denise had the sliced barbecue, which is pork in a sweet sauce. Every table is served as many hushpuppies as you like and they were by far the best we’ve ever had. They weren’t too dry or too moist, but just right. Onion was up front, but not overpowering.

Denise and Emma couldn’t put those hushpuppies down. Carolina barbecue is different than the barbecue we are used to. Here are a few examples…

In Sacramento, we like Sandra Dee’s the best. It’s hot/sweet with excellent side dishes and desserts. I like the corn with jalapenos and cornbread.
In August, we spent a week with Denise’s brother, sisters and nephews in South Lake Tahoe, where we found a Texas syle barbecue worth mentioning, Womack’s. The meat was expertly smoked and fell right off the bone. The sweet potato pie was killer.

Both the Short and Salisbury families grew up on Chris-n-Pitt’s barbecue, a chain of restaurants true enough — but, as the photo demonstrates, a force to be reckoned with in the universe of American cauterized cuisine.

The Times October 07, 2005
No dancing and no gays if Hamas gets its way
By Stephen Farrell

A VISION of an Islamic society that bans mixed dancing and sternly disapproves of homosexuality has been given by Mahmoud Zahar, the most senior leader of Hamas in Gaza. After controversies when a Hamas-led council halted a dance festival and Islamist gunmen stopped a rap band performing in Gaza, Dr Zahar defended the enforcement of a strict interpretation of Islam.

“A man holds a woman by the hand and dances with her in front of everyone. Does that serve the national interest?” Dr Zahar said on the Arabic website Elaph. “If so, why have the phenomena of corruption and prostitution become pervasive in recent years?”

Well, I hope all you progressives are happy about recent events in Gaza! You were ecstatic at the images of synagogues reduced to rubble and anti-Jewish demonstrations. The American flag burnings and the christophobic slogans thrilled your souls, as you witnessed the triumph of social justice for an oppressed people. But, then it happened. As in other socio-politico revolutions, when the victory is sealed the true face of the movement emerges and, in the case of Hamas, it is particularly ugly.

NO MORE DANCING. I hope you are satisfied, because now the genie of chorophobia is out of the bottle, these traditional mainstream Muslims will not rest until every disco is boarded up and every contra dance in every Grange Hall across America is silenced. When this Palestinian brand of Islam comes to America, no dancer (amateur or pro) will be safe except in their closet. Speech codes will be strictly enforced banning any talk of dance from the foxtrot to the robot. Swing dancers will be forced into the back alley.

Of all the phobias out there, chorophobia is perhaps the cruelest because it denies a human’s inborn, primal yearning to gambol with ones partner or in the language of the common man — to strut one’s stuff, y’all.