Imagine If Palin Said This

I would link to the YouTube statement from Sarah Palin claiming that she can see Russia from her porch…but…um…she never said it so I can’t. So here’s the Democrat equivalent…the only difference…Martha Coakley actually said this…it’s not a parody. (Full disclosure: I will vote for Scott Brown.)

Can Obama Do This?

Introducing Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper with cellist Yo Yo Ma, National Arts Centre, Ottawa, October 3, 2009:

Your Cartoon for the Day

H/T: Big Hollywood.com

Way To Go Westport!

You folks from Wesport must be so proud of your Representative on Beacon Hill! Not only did he vote IN FAVOR of the increased sales tax, including keeping the excise tax on alcohol (love the double tax on that product), he buys his liquor, not in your town, but in New Hampshire! So sorry you packy stores on Route 6 and Lee’s Market on Main Road.

That's Michael Rodrigues' sedan with the House plate.

Here’s the low-down.

Ted

I met Senator Ted Kennedy in 2000 when I was working at MassComm College (now called AI New England). It was an election year and Kennedy was stopping by the college to talk about communication issues and press the flesh. (I don’t remember if he ran unopposed that year.) Pre 9/11 I leaned more to the left than I do today. (I voted for Nader that year. Doh!)

I was excited to meet him because of his brothers. This was the brother of JFK and RFK! Chappaquiddick never entered my head.

Kennedy arrived around noon and the college had a luncheon spread for him and the staff. The one thing that struck me was that he never looked anyone in the eye. It was strange. Even if you were standing face to face, he always looked off to the left or right, never straight on. He started his speech and I could tell he was on auto pilot. The opening was a quick few lines about the importance of modern communication technologies but the rest of the speech was a canned stump speech.

His staffers kept looking at their watches to make sure sure he wasn’t running behind on his schedule. Besides this wasn’t Harvard or MIT, MassComm was just a small 2-year school. After his speech, Kennedy posed with staff for a few pictures and then he was escorted back to his tinted-windowed sedan.

At the time, I was not anti-Kennedy but I remember being disappointed. He seemed a shell of a man. Goodness knows what was going on with his health or in his personal life. Since that encounter whenever I noticed him on t.v., I watched to see if he was looking at the person he was talking to or away.

It was hit or miss.

Are You Kidding Me?

The next time someone accuses me of being a partisan hack because I’m critical of the whole Obama/Messiah vibe, I’ll point them to this. (Hint: All your Obama chotchki needs in one place.)

Hold the Nannyism

Today I read this in Hannaford Supermarket’s Organic & Natural (free) magazine:

The driving force behind to ban trans fats, WalterWillett, MD, chairman of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, had turned his attention to another dietary concern. He wants the government to force manufacturers of packaged  and processed foods to reduce the amount of salt they use, and he’s sending his recommendations to President Obama along with a suggestion to impose a hefty tax on soda and candy. “An unregulated market is doing to human health what it has done to the U.S. economy,” warned Sr. Willett in the Boston Globe.

Should the government tell us how to eat? IS that the function of government? My Mom taught me how to eat. I don’t need a centralized government punishing me if I want to eat a Snickers. What else is the government telling me what I can or can not eat? Do? Speak? Think?

Tea Party

I attended my first political protest! Yes…I was one of those right-wing nuts who took part in a tea party. This one was in Worcester, MA. I wasn’t sure how many would show up. Would I be one of five waving our little signs outside the Auditorium? About a block away I heard amplified voices and when I arrived at Lincoln Square a strong crowd had gathered.

I took a spot along the street and held my sign which read, “I’m the angry tax-paying citizen Homeland Security warned you about.” There were a line-up of speakers but I just wanted to hang out by the street and watch the reactions of the drivers.

Many cars honked in agreement with the 1,500 protesters of all ages. Bus drivers. Ambulance drivers. Worcester policemen. Small business owners driving their courier vans and pick-up trucks. The 18 wheelers making all feel like kids when they pulled the whistle.

There were a few drivers exercising their first amendment rights.

• A woman who yelled out, “Why do you hate black people so much?” (She missed the African American dude standing not too far from me.) Classic ruse to shut down any argument – you are racist.
• A college-aged man who screamed, “F**k You! F**k You!” as he drove past the crowd. Unfortunately he had the green light so he couldn’t stop and defend his position.
• A young woman gave the finger. Or was she picking her nose? Again, too bad she had the green light.

Overall, there was way more support from passerbys than not. Around 6 pm the tea party was wrapping up and it was getting chilly. I clapped the sign under my arm and walked back to the Matrix. Not bad for my first protest. I’d do it again.

Honk

A few days back I received this bumper sticker in the mail:

On the way to Sunday Mass, I was waiting at a red light. I heard a honk behind me. It was a white pick-up truck with two guys (I’d say late 50s/early 60s) laughing. I nodded my head and gave them a big ol’ smile.

At the green light, I went straight and the pick-up turned left. But the smile stayed on for hours.

Who does that remind me of?

I love this photo of The One on the front page of the February 5, 2009 issue of The Toronto Star:

The photo reminded me of someone else…who could that be…Oh, I know…how could I forget:

How could I possibly forget!