Watch Out, We're In Flotown This Weekend !!
Just a quick note to warn you that we had a bit of a family emergency this week, and we've had to take a day off to come back to Florence. Sorry for not warning you, but trust us, this is not a pleasure trip - it's a quick hit, and we need to get back to Yankeeville on Sunday night. We'll try to visit the usual crew (a Four Horsemen full quorum is a very real possibility), but time is short..
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Drones and Dinners? 'Leveling the Field' Not The American Way..
After realizing that simply knocking out Moammar Gaddhafi's power plants and other minor complements were not allowing the rebels to keep from getting their asses kicked, the Obama Administration decided to up the ante... just a tad. To us, this is Un-American...
Yeah, they dropped $25 million on humanitarian aid, and made arrangements to fly drone missions on Libya. Aside from a buddy of mine who owns a Halal Food Store, we don't see much benefit from the continued nickel and diming of assistance to the rebels. As my Dad said, 'Shit or Get Off the Pot!!' No, public speaking is not his forte, but in this case, it makes sense.
Yeah, we get it.... We're trying to NOT push too much on this, but this is not how we do things .... ever. Leveling the field to give the rebels a chance is not the American Way. We have a long history of stacking the deck, and making sure that whatever our interests are, that is the end result.... We don't 'give the other guy a chance' .... we sit on his/her face until he/she taps out like a sissy in a MMA Cage Match! Especially with a dictator like Gaddhafi.. Why make it look like he deserves any hope of staying?
If Reagan were President today, he'd send in the entire 82nd Airborne in, complete with Lee Marvin and Chuck Norris, and flatten Libya like a pancake. Luckily for Gaddhafi, he never had to tangle with Reagan. Wait...... Oh yeah. Forgot about that. Guess 25 years does make a difference. Maybe Obama is waiting out Gaddhafi to die, then make a move. Could happen, but we doubt it. War is like Poker - you don't bet to maybe win. You either bet to win, or you pull your chips from the table. Bluffing rarely wins.....
Just ask Chris Ferguson... Glad to see he got a gig after the Black Crowes broke up.
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The Dogfight For Our Next Head Shows No Clear Leader ...
In the coming weeks, Republicans in the Palmetto State will head to Columbia to drink their asses off, schmooze, get their pictures taken, raise money - oh yeah, and select a new Chairman, along with passing any changes to the party platform. In that order....
Much to everyone's disappointment, i will not be attending the SCGOP Silver Elephant Dinner or the Convention - AWWWWWWWW!!!!! You'll have to trudge on without me. I went to three of these as a candidate and delegate, so I can see the difference between the ones I went to. Katon Dawson ran unopposed on the first two, and the last one appeared ready to be a tight battle - that is, until Kevin Hall dropped out due to health issues, clearing the path for a realtively easy win for Karen Floyd.
We don't see this ging on in 2011.... Now, we haven't been tracking Straw Polls for SCGOP Chair with a fine toothed comb, but we have read a bunch of them as they've come in, and to us, there is no clear winner. Barring a dropout of one of the two leaders will mean we will be heading for a long, multivote battle for our next leader.
Each candidate has won a poll, with Bill Connor and Chad Connelly showing the best overall results. Stephen Brown won Charleston handily (hometown vote?), but lagged elsewhere, and Ben Kinlaw had trailed as well. This has made things interesting. Kinlaw and/or Brown dropping out will not change much, with the exception of swaying Charleston one way or the other. The odd part is that Connelly and Connor were tied to each other during Connor's Lt. Governor run, so they are essentially splitting their own vote. If either drops out, then the race is over - the other wins. But, that appears slim...
The Number Three candidate generally has the power in these types of races, and that appears to be Brown. He might make a deal to pull his supporters either way - if he can - in exchange for some type of concessions. if I were Brown, that's what I'd do. Even then,it might not turn the tide. Connor waited so long , and his opening statement was so odd that it made delegates wonder how much thought he did put into this race, and he's paying for the delay. A month or so earlier, and this race would be his. Instead, he's running against his buddy Connelly. It could be messy, and it often is. Eventually, the smoke will clear, and we'll have a leader. Maybe not one with a clear, strong consensus, but a leader nonetheless...
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"To cherish and stimulate the activity of the human mind, by multiplying the objects of enterprise, is not among the least considerable of the expedients, by which the wealth of a nation may be promoted."
- Alexander Hamilton, 1791.
Absolutely, letting people be active in their imaginations and productivity helps create and grow a country. Meanwhile, Desislava stimulates us as well.. To pull off a singular name, you gotta be hot...
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Yeah, it's been almost 2 weeks since we last posted, and we're kind or cramming these ones in here as well. It's been very hectic here, but rest assured, it's good times here.
The major catastrophes have pretty much ended or leveled off, and we're back to a wide variety of topics for the cartoonists to pick on... As one who appreciates his break time nap, we went for the newest PATCO member..
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Old Fart Band Refuses to Give Up, So You Might As Well Come and Enjoy Yourself...
After practice for a few months to tighten up and learn some new material (aka, stuff before 1996) , local legends in their own minds, Narcdog, will once again play live. the show will be this Saturday night, April 16, 2011 at Katie's on Middle Country Rd in Smithtown, NY - right next to the Smithtown train station.
We've been playing together on/off since 1988, so delusions of fame have long since passed for us. But, we still like jamming, and apparently so do most people who see us play at least once. We'll be giving away free Narcdog t-shirts and playing everyone's favorite game, Narcdog Trivia, where the titel of King or Queen of Narcdog Trivia will be given away (it's a Burger King Crown). No cover charge either. Nothing in life is free or easy, except us apparently..... Hope to see you there.
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He May Be Almost 70, But He's Still Kicking Ass !!
Old rockers are a funny tribe. It used to be when you turned 40, you were too old to rock. Maybe even 30.. Anyway, old rockers never die - they just write shitty material. Not Paul Simon... A music stalwart the past 45 years, Simon releases a new album on Tuesday. Judging from the first two tracks we've heard, he shows no signs of slowing down from writing inventive and funny music. The guy is just damned good, adn even at this age , he is still two steps ahead of you and I.....
Today, we give you an unofficial clip of his newest release, 'The Afterlife'. Like the title infers, it's about passing through the Gates of Heaven - only to find that - much like the DMV - getting in is a series of lines, bureuacracy and traffic jams. It never ends.... Enjoy the clip!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLDQZYQYFiQ
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Last year, a prostitute ran up to a house in Oak Beach, Long Island frentically asking for assistance, when she ran away - and was never seen again. A search was made for her in the nearby beachline, where five female bodies were found. None were her. Last week, another search was made, and three more prostitutes who worked on Craigslist were located. Again, none of them were the girl from last year. So, the search continues this week....
The thing that makes this case different is the area where the bodies have been found: Ocean Parkway, just a mile or two from where I worked my summer job at Robert Moses. Ocean Parkway is a 12 mile two lane road between Captree Island and Jones Beach on a strip of barrier island no wider than a couple hundred yards - so thin that hurricanes often blow across the road.. It might seem impossible for someone to bury 8 bodies on the roadside dunes without anyone seeing something, but as busy as the road is during the day, at night it is pretty desolate.
The cops seem to have an idea of who the killer is, but they're not outright saying it yet. One would think it's a local from either nearby Oak Beach, Gilgo Beach or Captree. Between the three, there couldn't be more than 1000 residents in the pricey area. Finding the local kook or sociopath souldn't be tough - not as tough as getting the hard proof needed to convict whoever he/she is...
The westbound (Inlet Side) lanes of Ocean Parkway will be closed again tomorrow all day, as police in Nassau and Suffolk Counties comb the dunes for more evidence, and possibly more bodies. Where this all leads to, no one knows for sure yet. Hopefully it end with an arrest and conviction, and the area will be a haven for fun... like I remember it.
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In the effort to stem gun violence, without actually resorting to taking guns away from law abiding citizens, law enforcement agencies, particularly in cities, are turning to technology. One of them is called Shot Stopper. While it does not actually stop a gunshot, it can aid cops in catching the offender, without the necessity of citizens naming names. Whether these initially were proven they actually worked was unsure. But now, data shows they do.... A lot.
The Shot Stopper sensors are placed in selected high crime areas, where they can detect numerous different data from a gunshot. They not only detect where the shot came from, but how many shots were fired, and what type of gun the used, based on the sound. Knowing that if you fire a gun in this area will almost ensure you'll be caught has had a great effect. In Nassau County up here, they were placed in high crime areas in Uniondale and Roosevelt. In these areas 134 shots were fired the previous year. This year, with Shot Stopper in place, it dropped to 8. Think having a 94% less chance of being shot is proof you're safer? You bet....
From what I know, this technology is being used in higher crime areas in Flotown as well, and I'd like to see what effect it has had there. Unless a person is total uncaring, wants to get caught, or is a retard, he/she will think twice about firing a gun in town, knowing the Eye in the Sky is watching....
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It's been a strange ten days or so. Perhaps it's because a good part of it was to be expected, but when other new things come along, it seems to magnify things even more, and you wonder when things will get better....
I kind of refer to the week between March 31 and April 5 as Death Week. The 31st was the 1st anniversary of the passing of my good buddy, Loisann, and the 5th was the 20th anniversary of my Mom's dying. The combination of old and new made this year a bit more to deal with. The group of friends that Lois had made her loss easier, but there is really no one who understands on it... Then, the real news got bad..... Fast.
Joe's best friend and college roommate, Rick, got appendicitis, and it has become a worst case scenario. Rick is a hulk of a guy, who lives life a bit to excess. Personalitywise, he's a laid back, easygoing guy, but he loves to eat and drink. When the internal pain got so bad, they took him to hospital, where they had reservations about opening him up. But, his appendix burst. Then, it got really bad...
After cleaning up all the toxins internally, they had him under, where he bit down on his breathing tube, where he went into cardiac arrest, and was offically dead for 16 minutes. Were it not for the doctor not giving up on him, he'd be dead. They put him on ice for 2 days to keep brain swelling down a week ago, but since then, it hasn't gotten much better. He now has pneumonia. His kidneys have shut down. He's on a breathing tube. Essentially, his body has shut down...
Rick's a tough guy, but once these things happen, how tough you might be go right out the window. Joe is a bit of a wreck, and Carol's pretty down too... All I can do is to support my friends, and be there for them when they want to talk, babysit Stevie if they need it, and maybe distract them when they are down. As for you guys, I have one request: pray for Rick. He's only in his 40's, and no one knows, even if he does recover, what his life will be like. We could use a miracle.
The one good thing for me? Where last week is filled with what seems to be everybody's passing, next week is when it seems when all my friends and families have birthdays. Guess it all evens out, doesn't it?
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But, not all things were bad this week.... Yesterday, Sarah recieved her first communion. It was a perfect day at Sts. Philip and James Church in St. James, NY - not a cloud in the sky, and maybe 60 degrees. More importantly, it was great to see lots of kids becoming closer to and understanding God and the sacrifices made for them.
First communions are great, in part because seeing 50-60 7 and 8 year olds dressed to a T, taking their first Eucharist and 'wine', representing the body and blood of Christ. It was my first service in a Catholic church in some time, and things have changed. I remember Catholic services being quite dull and rigid - each service was the same- and the priests were pretty shy and dull. I think the message that The Church needs to 'sell' itself has sunk in. It wasn't a Broadway show, but I'd equate it with a Baptist service. Sorry, no snakes or speaking in tongues....
I'll be very honest here on one part: during the service, watching all the kids and their parents, the thought that I missed out on all the great small and big things in life sunk in. Except for Ben, who seemingly could care less, all of my friends have kids or are married and planning on it. Yeah, it was all great watching someone so close to me do this, but the thought that this should have been 'my kid' was not lost on me. It took me about 2 hours and three glasses of wine at the reception to drag myself out of the funk.
Speaking of which, as usual, Joe and Carol threw a great reception afterwards, succeeded by the afterparty at the house. I had to make TWO beer runs, and they requested at third when I finally put my foot down, and went home at 2:00am. Word is, a few of them are a bit under the weather. But, overall it was a great day. Congrats, Sarah!
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Today, we continue our look back at the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War - as it happens chronologically. This week is the date of the actual start of the war, and a great item of importance to many South Carolinians: the taking of Fort Sumter.
A month earlier, the Federal Government was faced with the question of what to do with Fort Sumter. A small battery located in the heart of Charleston Harbor, surrounded on all sides by five other batteries, the thought of abandoning Sumter was on the table. However, the North decided they would not leave any post, even one as vulnerable as Fort Sumter. It was just a matter of time..
On April 11, 1861, South Carolina officially demanded that the US surrender Fort Sumter. Capt. Robert Anderson, commander of the fort, declined to leave. With the troops dug in, Anderson and his men waited as the deadline expired that midnight. They didn't have to wait long...
At 4:30 am on the 12th, cadets from The Citadel, led by Gen. PGT Beauregard, fired the first salvos into Sumter, and continued for the next 24 hours. While the battery looked like it was nearly flattened, there was not a single casualty on the attack - a bloodless first fight in what became our bloodiest war ever...
Finally, on the 13th, Anderson surrendered, leaving Fort Sumter in the hands of the Condfederacy.. The Civil War was on. Those states that waited on the sidelines had to choose. Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina all finally seceeded. Then, the race to gather troops, and to supply build and train armies began.. Not all of it was glamourous: citizens in Baltimore rioted in the streets, but most volunteered to take part in the Great War - which most thought would only last a few weeks. There would be plenty of time to fight.... The only thing not known yet was when and where the North would move to put down the insurgency. It would be much harder than they thought...
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"The first and governing maxim in the interpretation of a statute is to discover the meaning of those who made it."
- James Wilson, Study of Law in the United States, 1790.
Meaning, or more correctly, the motivation, is paramount to determining whether laws or legislation are worthy. On the other hand, discovering more about Mugdha Godse would be worthy of our time...
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We zigged where others zagged this week. While the majority of cartoons were about the budget battle and impending shutdown, most of the cartoons were cliche'... So, we decided to post this one instead. Maybe if the employees spent more time fixing the planes, rather than shoot trash talking commercials, this might have been avoided....
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Congress: Making the Easy Things In Life Much More Difficult Than It Needs To Be....
So, it's April 9th, and we finally have a 2011 budget. Yeah people, the whole budget battle that's been going on is for THIS YEAR'S budget, not next year. This budget's due date was October 1st, 2010. We find it all pretty funny to see Representatives and Senators cram like Med Students the night before Final Exams - only to find out that the exam was actually six months ago..... At least they know the info now, right?
Secondly, they somehow picked, prodded and investigated every nook and cranny in the budget..... and got a whole $38 billion. Please note the sarcasm here.... How much is $38 billion? All of 1%. It's easy for Congress to jack up discretionary spending 84% in 2 years, but cutting 10% it TOUGH. It's heartless, and it'll ruin the economy. Bullshit.... The only people who bitch that any spending cuts will make people homeless or destitute are the ones who have made a living by ripping off the government. Everyone else makes due and gets by. Need proof? We take you back to 1946.... Forward the clip to exactly 6:00, then watch the last minute...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu2uJWSZkck&feature=related
Yeah, the first guy was a typical government prick. He was an asshole, and got his $242.00 - go choke on it. Notice he was the one bitching the most and loudest. But, everyone else was sensible and honest. They didn't need everythign they had, they just asked for a little of it, and everyone got by, and in the end, they were all better off. Sound familiar?
Maybe Congress can get a hold of this clip before they start negotiating for 2012's bill, which is already halfway to being due - again. 2012 will be the serious budget battle, because Congress only had six weeks to work on this. Next year's budget is open season, and it needs to be. If we can add $787 billion - and it doesn't affect the economy either way - then we can cut $200 billion on the bullshit, and the same result will happen. Of course, neither side will go that far. Maybe half that. It's a start...... but can they finish? That won't be so easy.
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Which One Is the Democrat, And Which Is the Republican? We're Not Sure ......
In the perfect fashion that makes us wonder if DC can ever do anything of measure, the House resolved the annual budget crisis.......... by passing a One Week Band-Aid Bill. Praise be to God! Seriously, we are really wondering what the hell is going on there...
We'll have either of two things occur: the two sides are close enough to pass something laetr this week, and they can then get on to other matters. Or, we will see a government shutdown. Can Congress do anything? Will Obama finally stop watching from the sidelines, and tell both parties where the compromise will be? Really that is all any number will be - a compromise. Unless they can make a balanced budget - HAHAHA !! - there will be no winner. We all lose. We should be used to it by now....
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Yeah, We've Got a Couple Questions About Connor's Run..
As we notice the trend that the SCGOP Chairmanship seems to now go to the best known statewide candidate who didn't win, we'll say this: If Lt. Governor hopeful Bill Connor does become the next leader of the party, he'll be fine. Maybe not great, but fine.
Yeah, we'll admit that Karen Floyd did an even better job than we thought she might. The 6th District local meeting fiasco aside, the SCGOP did a lot to be more open and accessible, and they raised an assload of cash. Whoever takes over has some sizable stiletto pumps to fill...
For a while, there was a lot of doubt of who that just might be. Honestly, we needed a program to figure out who was who. There was a little settling of who might be the front runners .... then the landscape shifted a bit. Within a few days, the rumor and recruiting of Bill Connor to run for SCGOP Chair turned into an actual candidacy.
First off, therein lies the first problem: Connor's true motivation and wanting to be Chair. Like any office, running for Chair is planned well ahead of time. Maybe Connor felt that running 15 months showed overkill, and this time, he'd do it the easier way. Or that this race will be just that - easy. He might be surprised at how much harder it could be. Lots of endorsements have been made already, and most people recognize the late timing on this. No, he'll have to work for it - just not 15 months!
If Connor does win, we see a few significant events:
1. The Tea Party Now Runs the GOP. Connor was their favorite candidate in SC last year, and he didn't work amicably with them - he was one of the few to encourage them, even at the expense of the Republican Party.
2. GOP Power Will Drop. This happens no matter who wins. After the strong ties that Katon Dawson and Floyd had, the drop to the next Chair will be precipitous. Connor was not a big fundraiser, and the SCGOP thrived on that. Maybe Floyd can give him her Rolodex...
3. Ken Ard has no office in HQ Anymore. This should be interesting... Though I never heard a bad word from Ard or Connor about the other, their supporters went apeshit all of 2010. Last year, neither had clout. A 2011 with both having standout roles in the party will be fun to watch.
No, nothing is set in stone yet. These things do take money, and we're not sure if Connor has any left. He has the name recognition Chad Connelly and the others lack, but SCGOP members don't view the gig as a figurehead role. There is work to be done, although Connor's work ethic is above question. However, we always ask why so late? Those who fail to plan......
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That's 21 THOUSAND, Folks!
Just a quick note to gloat a bit, and to say thank you for making March the second best readership month ever - 21,200 page views, just 600 short of an all-time high. Considering that it was October - right on a midterm election - to almost top it when politics is pretty much out of fashion, isn't that bad.
We're not sure why exactly. We've been pretty preoccupied with work and something we wish we could bring up, but can't. Sorry, I've learned to keep my mouth shut... Whatever it is, we'd like to say thanks again. Maybe we'll fien those other readers in April...
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"If we resort for a criterion to the different principles on which different forms of government are established, we may define a republic to be, or at least may bestow that name on, a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people, and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure for a limited period, or during good behavior."
- James Madison.
We agree, as far as government, all things need to be equal. Women however, are not always equal. Ask the boobilicious Kelli Garner.....
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Japan seems to have made a sudden exit from the political cartoon world, which proves that even the worst of disasters has a shelf life... Instead , we found the start of baseball season, Michele Bachmann (who we don't really need running for President), and the sexual bias lawsuit against Wal-Mart. That one was the funniest one to us..
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Although he hasn't offficially announced it yet, it appears that Donald Trump has already gotten his first supporter to be President - The Daily Show's Lewis Black. No, it's not an endorsement for all the right reasons, but that doesn't matter.... Is he really running? Maybe, although we like his devious use of Fox News to get his name out once a week to millions before he runs. Can't do that once you do make it official.... Anyway, here's why we love Black, even if we disagree with him a lot.
www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-march-22-2011/back-in-black---trump-2012
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