Well…another night of crappy sleep and it is starting to get really old…just like me I guess…but that goes unsaid…or is supposed to…I am a little excited this morning since it is a lunch day with T and it will give me something to do other than coffee and working out…I did get three out yesterday and I only need three more to get to 60 for the month..it has just been too slow of a news cycle for the last couple of weeks and I haven’t felt that creative…not much to do today…I may get a haircut this morning after coffee but I’m not sure…it was finally yesterday that I finished up the rib roast from last sat and I am looking forward to other food..will probably not do that for another year….I hope it does get into the 40’s today, if it does, I’m going to take the bike out to take a look and see if the trails are melted off yet….for sure tomorrow since it’s supposed to be almost 50….you bored yet? Yep, I am so I’ll stop…more later…
All posts by James DeVol
Manny, Manny, Manny….
Well…I just have to comment on the column done by one of my favorite idiots that write for the Detroit News, Manny lopez…in his column today, he takes Governor Granholm to task for a puff piece that was done to “revise history” as Manny puts it. He goes on and on about how big of a failure the Granholm administration was and that it is the height of hubris for her to try to put a positive spin on what I agree has been a terrible 8 years here. But, I think he is serious when he finds fault with this type thing when he was one of the biggest cheerleaders of the failed Bush presidency, and then completely agrees with the revising of history that the repubs have made an art form…as evidenced by the new Bush memoir that again plays fast and loose with the facts. Now, what is it Manny? Are you a faith based person or do you belong to those of us that believe that facts are facts; and no amount of spin changes them?
This egregious changing of facts is now reaching a fever pitch with the repubs, led by commentators like Manny and abetted by politicians like Haley Barbour who, last week, said that the civil rights struggle in his home state of Mississippi was “not that bad” and that local governments of the time prevented discrimination….anyone with even a little knowledge knows that that is just not true. it took the federal government to break down the institutional racism that was the south of the time. Nice try Haley…
But, these are just miniscule attempts by small politicians compared to the wholesale attempts to re-write the reasons for the civil war that are taking place in Virginia and other southern states to closely match the new repub talking point of “states rights” and remove the continuation of slavery as the real reason for the war. So, Manny…if you are going to bitch about revising history…take your own party to task first…they are the experts at it after all. Geez…
Hypocrisy, hypocrisy, hypocrisy…
Well…if you’ve read any of these, you’ve see the well documented hypocrisy that runs through the repubs in the federal government on almost any issue, freedom, equality, taxes…you name it and they have been hypocrites…I think it’s in their DNA and that bad batch of DNA and it’s resultant hypocrisy has now made it’s way into our state of Michigan. Following politics here over the last 8 years, you have undoubtedly seen the consistent repub opposition to raising taxes of any kind..even when the budget deficit hit almost 2 billion dollars..even to mention that it would be fiscally responsible to do so always came with a loud cry from the repubs that socialism was taking over the state and comrade Granholm was leading the charge.
But now, when the repub governor elect mentions that there would have to be tax increases along with spending cuts to balance the budget, the repubs are praising him as a pragmatic leader who is making the hard choices to get the state moving again. If these choices are so good now, where were the repubs when the very same things were proposed last year and the year before? If there is one thing I can’t stand it’s politicians who put their party ahead of the citizens of our state…and stand there with a smile as the hypocrisy drips from them…but I think most of them are too dumb to see it…or just don’t care…
December 29th
Well….up and down all night and just couldn’t lay there anymore so I’ve be up since 5:15…but don’t feel as bad as I should, though, after the Ada trip…I won at pool but it came down to the last game….I’ve had this question running through my head for a few days now…why does it take all summer and 2200 miles on the bike to lose 20 pounds but then only takes about a month of not riding to put 10 of it back on? I’m just so tired of worrying about my weight and not looking how I want to…oh, well…I’ll stop whining now…not much to do today…might have to go out for supplies or a haircut but I’m not sure if I may just want to do a total veg today and get a few of these out…I do want to get to 60 for the month but I don’t want to just put out crap..Okay, if you’ve read some of these they can be crap at times…but I try..more later…
December 28th
Well…a short night out with G…ran into T at Peppino’s which was kind of odd…but I was not a good boy after I got home and feel like crap today…I still think I have a bug because I have a slight temp and I’ll stick to that story….it was cool that the Wings won for Ozzie last night….in OT but we’ll take a win any way we can…and it was his 400th which puts him 10th all time in wins for a goalie…pretty good…not much to do today…can’t get the onion smell out of my hands after cutting one last night…yeah, that really doesn’t mean anything but just thought I’d share…if I don’t feel better, I may skip coffee and pool today….more later….
Okay…I’m back for a few and I do feel quite a bit better after working out, so it looks like Ada is a go…had to fix my cue again and now Tom is bringing one of his since all of the good ones at Victory Club are broken…and I do like my stick better anyway….I am a little excited that the Mega is up to 200 million….so, If you don’t see any new posts tomorrow, I won’t be back…I’ll be on a beach somewhere doing what I was made to do…relax…but, I am going to try to buckle down and get another one out today…maybe…
The TSA…again…
Well….there have been developments in the TSA scanner mess that I felt I had to comment on….the more you hear about this great boondoggle of these multi-million dollar machines, the more you just want to say “what good is the TSA?” First, let’s start with the fact that the owners of the companies that make the machines have been spending million of dollars lobbying for their installation across the US…why do they have to lobby if these things are so wonderful and do what they are sold to do? I have a problem with any company making profit on fear that leads Americans to gradually lose their freedom….and with the latest revelation that the machines will only detect explosive material if it is in a block shape; not if it is shaped into anything resembling body parts…or into flat shapes that can then be taped to the body. Yep, that’s right folks..you have given up your freedom and dignity for a technology that does not work…oh, you’ll hear the TSA say it does because they’ve found small amounts of marijuana and a few “sharp objects”….but don’t say what those sharp objects were…a child’s hair comb? When was the last time anyone brought down a plane with marijuana? And, as shown on the show “Mythbusters”, you can just saturate clothing with odorless explosives and then make them explode…what’s next, do we all have to wear a TSA mandated jumpsuit that we are given before we can board an aircraft?
Now…in the last week or so…we’ve seen the unchecked power of the TSA being turned on the pilot that expressed his first amendment rights to criticize the agency by an “investigation” being started into his background and everything else in his life. If that is not terrorism, what is? These kind of tactics are not even done in supposedly backward countries anymore…
Let’s get down to the bottom line, even if you don’t think the 4th amendment violations are enough to justify removal of these imagers, the plain, true fact is that we are being taken again by that wonderful repub combo of big money and fear…just like they did in the last election…aren’t we tired of that yet?
December 27th
Well…you know, it hard to come up with topics when the congress is not in session…but, I guess I don’t have to write about politics all the time…I’ll start branching out today and come up with at least a couple so you’ll keep coming back…I did mention that December 26th used to be my favorite day of the year didn’t I? You know the day…everything is done for the holidays…not more presents, no more trips to relative’s houses….just screwing around until I had to go back to work after the new year. I still kind of feel that way…not about the work part but no more christmas commercials and everything will be open…enough about that, it was kind of a boring day yesterday…skipped SF since I was feeling like I have a little bug…started thurs and I still feel like I have a slight temp…coughing, too, so it might be the first cold of the year….so, I stayed in and watched the Lions win….yeah, the Lions won their third in a row and I am still in shock…it is fun to have them have a chance every week now….and a comeback from 10 down? Pretty cool…and then the Wings won in convincing fashion but they still look slow…it will be interesting to see how they do in the back to back against Colorado tonight….not much else to do today….I am a little excited that I may be able to take the bike out Friday..it’s supposed to be 47 degrees but raining….if there is any way…I’m going to go out for a short one anyway. oh, back to today…just the normal stuff I guess….I do have to go out for supplies either today or tomorrow…but I’ll just play that by ear…should go wash the car since I can’t see out the windows anymore…more later…
December 26th
Well…another night of okay sleep last night but the combo of wine with dinner and the couple of mans last night has left me kind of logy this morning…go ahead look up logy, I’ll wait….the dinner came out great but I don’t know if it’s anything I did…the rosemary and garlic made a nice crust on the outside of the prime rib, though, and that WAS my idea…I still feel full this morning. Waiting for the coffee to get done so I can retire to the couch with the paper and then back here for more of this. Not much to do today…might have a SF today with K but I’m not sure yet..it’s only 8:30 after all…and I will have to watch the Lions today to see if they can make it a 3 game winning streak…yeah, I can’t believe it either…and then there are the Wings at 7 so there will be some boredom killers today….more later….
Happy December 26th!
December 25th
Well…I wanted to title this one happy Saturday but then I decided to stay consistent….since this is just another day to us non-believers serving out our forced exile….okay, that’s a little harsh…especially after seeing “A Christmas Story” this morning…one of the funniest movies ever made and one that distilled what Christmas was like when I was growing up; what life was like when I was growing up. It made me think of the path that got me to here; how the little kid that used to be is now the old guy….and the simpler times that were. Oh, well…not going to wallow in that today….had a nice night last night with movies, a few cocktails, and slept okay….well…I do feel a little slow but that’s to be expected. Not much to do today…I’ve already told you that I’m making a rib roast today…32 bucks of great looking beef that I’m going to cook bleeding and then add glazed carrots and baked potatoes with fresh baked bread and au jus….yeah, I know…it’s inconsistent that I’m cooking a special dinner on just a Saturday… but it’s been so long since I’ve had red meat that I just had to…don’t know if any of the boys are coming over but that’s okay…just going to veg all day and watch some tv…might get another one out later…
A War on Christmas?
Well…going through the newspapers this morning, I found this little nugget from Frank Beckmann in the Detroit News where he is still rolling out the old chestnut that there is a “war” on christmas still going on today…haven’t we tired of the majority religion in this country still casting itself as the aggrieved victim of some sort of conspiracy? He cites all of the same old stuff…no nativity scenes on public property, no religious carols at high school choir concerts…etc, etc, etc,….as the evidence that if christians don’t battle against change everyday,there will only be a secular holiday left and the ACLU and government will take away the christmas tree in his house. How does he think the jews, muslims, and non-believers feel when we are constantly told by the majority that we just have to be quiet and take it when we are bombarded with non-stop christmas for months and are forced to observe the holiday by the fact that everything is closed? Even as a non-believer, I wouldn’t want christmas displays to go away…it just brings too much joy to the believers and even makes me smile…I just want the christians to understand that we live here, too, and to live their principles of love and peace.
He then goes on to use a friends experience in China as a harbinger of what christmas will be here in the US if the forces of evil are allowed to continue their dastardly plan. But the kicker to me, was when he finishes his rant against the forces of darkness and reason; filled with hate, he goes on to say his article is in the “true spirit of the season”…well, I can see why people are turning away from religion if this is what it expresses….but, I know this is not the spirit that most christians share this season….even we non-believers can appreciate that most people are smiling this time of the year…and whatever the reason, the world can always use more of those….