The other day

April 4th, 2009 by Max

a bad thing happened in near here the other day. I hope it doesn’t become the only story of Binghamton that people know.

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Home alone?

March 25th, 2009 by Max

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtC7b05mBGg&feature=player_embedded

I swear its real.

This dude just comes into David Prager’s house, goes into the bathroom.  Comes out with his pants around his ankles and falls on the bed.  He ushers/talks the dude out of the house and he just hangs around.

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New pictures from my long day yesterday

March 24th, 2009 by Max

The Great Blue Heron is a great blue heron.  I kinda like this picture.  But the thing that surpised me was that I’d never seen this kind of white goose before.  And there must have been a thousand of them.  They took off and circled like WWII planes stacking up before a long mission.  It was beautiful watching them bank into the sunlight.

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What’s for dinner?

February 26th, 2009 by Max

If you haven’t seen this … and to lighten the mood … here is Christian the lion!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiGKWoJi5qM

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Politics (as usual)

February 21st, 2009 by Max

So Mr Obama has closed (or is closing Gitmo) but rendition isn’t ruled out?

The Chicago Times: “”Under limited circumstances, there is a legitimate place” for renditions, said Tom Malinowski, the Washington advocacy director for Human Rights Watch. “What I heard loud and clear from the president’s order was that they want to design a system that doesn’t result in people being sent to foreign dungeons to be tortured.”

In his executive order on lawful interrogations, Obama created a task force to re-examine renditions to make sure that they “do not result in the transfer of individuals to other nations to face torture” or otherwise circumvent human-rights laws and treaties.”

Hmm.  I dunno.  Right now I’m willing to give my fearless leader the benefit of the doubt.   There ARE bad guys out there.   This is not paying poor people to point out strangers and people they don’t like and having the Americans scoop up a thousand to put in prison permanently.  However.  It must not happen to American Citizens and it should be rare and they should be guilty.

But, you say, if they’re guilty, why not just put them on trial?

Hmm.

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Special Report

February 9th, 2009 by Max

I’m sitting here watching President Obama’s 1st press conference and a couple things jump to mind.

First, is that it must be the job.  What was once a most eloquent orator, is now someone who gets stuck or at least slowed down in finding just the right word in the press conference.

The second item I’ve noticed, is that while occaisionally getting stuck, Barack Obama, gets going by speaking with complete sentences, concise choices of words, and both composure and emotion.

He’s both passionate and careful.

Its wonderful.  For the last 3 months I’ve said that we’ve elected the smartest kid in the class.  I still think it.  I now think he’s both forceful and effective as an advocate for both his positions and for the American people.

Irrespective of what the correct answers are, at least we have a leader of which we can be proud.  And I happen to think he’s right.

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Ok. Blogo and Burris

January 16th, 2009 by Max

Shouldn’t the Dem’s have just allowed Burris to become the 2 year US Senator from Illinois?

And how is it, that this guy Rush?  Bobby Rush?  Hints that denying Blogo’s pick would be a lynching?   How did the Democrats let Blagojevich usurp racism as his issue?  This is nuts.

Hairman becomes the defender of Black America?   Really?

If Blagojevich gets his man in, Burris, who has not enough pride to say no to a tainted appointment – so what?  He’s legal.  Its legal.   He’s screwed the Democrats (remember he IS a Democrat).  Now what?  He gets impeached.  Removed from office.  Indicted.  Convicted.  And his man is a US senator for 2 years.

Does it suck?  Yep.  Did Harry Reid make it worse?

Shit…

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Old friends

November 14th, 2008 by Max

I talked to an old friend tonight.  It had been too long since we’d talked.  Its the second old friend I’ve reconnected with in a short few weeks.  Once again it just felt great to speak with these people from years ago.  And its not trying to get the old days back, its knowing they enjoy reconnecting – that something that was there is different now, but still there.

Yay Brian

Yay Gesele

Yay me.  Its nice to feel connected.

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Vote Obama

October 31st, 2008 by Max

I was planning to write here, expressing my thoughts on why I must see this particular Democrat in the White House, when I heard of this column from Peggy Noonan.  I really like the way she writes, and while I won’t be adding the McCain parts, I will add a link to the essay in case you want to read the rest of it:

• 

• OCTOBER 31, 2008

Obama and the Runaway Train

The race, the case, a hope for grace.

• By PEGGY NOONAN

The case for Barack Obama, in broad strokes:

He has within him the possibility to change the direction and tone of American foreign policy, which need changing; his rise will serve as a practical rebuke to the past five years, which need rebuking; his victory would provide a fresh start in a nation in which a fresh start would come as a national relief. He climbed steep stairs, born off the continent with no father to guide, a dreamy, abandoning mother, mixed race, no connections. He rose with guts and gifts. He is steady, calm, and, in terms of the execution of his political ascent, still the primary and almost only area in which his executive abilities can be discerned, he shows good judgment in terms of whom to hire and consult, what steps to take and moves to make. We witnessed from him this year something unique in American politics: He took down a political machine without raising his voice.

Ken Fallin

A great moment: When the press was hitting hard on the pregnancy of Sarah Palin’s 17-year-old daughter, he did not respond with a politically shrewd “I have no comment,” or “We shouldn’t judge.” Instead he said, “My mother had me when she was 18,” which shamed the press and others into silence. He showed grace when he didn’t have to.

There is something else. On Feb. 5, Super Tuesday, Mr. Obama won the Alabama primary with 56% to Hillary Clinton’s 42%. That evening, a friend watched the victory speech on TV in his suburban den. His 10-year-old daughter walked in, saw on the screen “Obama Wins” and “Alabama.” She said, “Daddy, we saw a documentary on Martin Luther King Day in school.” She said, “That’s where they used the hoses.” Suddenly my friend saw it new. Birmingham, 1963, and the water hoses used against the civil rights demonstrators. And now look, the black man thanking Alabama for his victory.

This means nothing? This means a great deal.

…

But let’s be frank. Something new is happening in America. It is the imminent arrival of a new liberal moment. History happens, it makes its turns, you hold on for dear life. Life moves.

http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html

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Vote Obama

October 31st, 2008 by Max

Still working for a new calculation in the Google Ad.

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Morning tv

October 22nd, 2008 by Max

Recently, I resubscribed to cable tv, after watching morning tv on free tv.  Yikes!

On another subject, I’ve been paying attention to commercials lately.  There are a couple that I would like to comment on.  The first is the new Budwieser advertising slogan.  “Drinkability”?  Really?  The best thing that you can say about Bud is that it is potable?  Drinkable?  Really?  Its capable of being consumed?  I think Bud’s new masters in Belgium think so little of the product that all that they can say about it is that it WILL go down.

I LOVE the AT&T commercial where the mother tell’s her kids to use the “minutes” even though they supposedly have milk spilled on them.  She says her sister’s family would love to have those milky minutes.  So the husband asks if her sister is lactose intolerant.  The kids snicker and then comes the best part.  The mom, who doesn’t speak again in the commercial, starts to speak, and then just wags her finger.  I think the actress is spot on and really subtle and funny and just perfect with her finger, and communicates so much, without even saying a word.  I always watch that commercial.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgFw7o5hQtc Its a great spot.

And finally we come to the propaganda add.  From “Energy Tomorrow .org”  These ads talk about how 60% of our oil and natural gas come from “North America” and that we have enough energy to heat our homes for the next 60 years.  These are misleading claims.  Oil AND natural gas, are not “oil”.   And “North Amercia” is not The United States.  There IS a lot of natural gas in Alaska (and a lot of hot air and yes, despite Todd Palin it is still part of the US) and Canada’s oil shale has become a major resource of “friendly” oil.

But we still produce just 3% of our oil and these commercials are terribly misleading.

What I don’t understand is why?

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Round 1

September 28th, 2008 by Max

Debates.

I know most people cheer for their side.  I too watched the debates not to be convinced, but rather to see how convincing my guy was.   I watched the debates as a fan.  Here’s my take.

Honestly.  I was disappointed.  McSame seemed to dominate the debate.  My guy seemed to hesitate and stutter.  Now its true that O’man counterpunched effectively, but I learned in HS that you don’t make a persuasive case starting with the words “Ya know”.  It felt like that Johnny Mac talked more and when Jim Lerher told them they were even on time half way through, I couldn’t believe it.

As a fan of Barry Obama, I was frustrated.  I assume that means the fans of John McCain must think he won.

After a week where he seemed truely out of touch, and downright confused it felt like McCain took it to Obama.  If agression is the criteria, McCain won.

But there was this weird thing too.  And I don’t know what to make of it.  If it was a tactic, it was briliant, if it was an accident, it was bizzare.  SO I don’t know what to make of the fact that McCain never looked at Obama.  Never.

I suspect it was a tactic to not treat him as an equal.  Like when he kept saying Obama doesn’t understand, I think his never acknowledging Obama was meant to dismiss him as not an equal.  I have no idea how that will play in Peroria~

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Fair is fair

September 25th, 2008 by Max

My friend KC was chiding me, months ago, for support Obama because he wasn’t sure the big O was tough enough to stand up to Republican cheap shots.

Now its not Obama in this first case.  Some 527 ran an ad I saw this morning about McCain and the big C.  Cancer.  That’s tough.

When I found this article in the Washington Post, I figured it was about McCain.  Turns out, its Obama that’s stretching the truth beyond credulity.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/21/AR2008092101207.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

“Obama has been furthest out of line, however, on Social Security, stooping to the kind of scare tactics he once derided.

Obama said Saturday as he campaigned in that retiree-heavy state. “Millions of families would’ve been scrambling to figure out how to give their mothers and fathers, their grandmothers and grandfathers, the secure retirement that every American deserves.” This is simply false

To Democrats who worry about whether their nominee is willing to do whatever it takes to win: You can calm down.”

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Ooops

September 6th, 2008 by Max

We’re having some techinical difficulties with the blog.  Please hang with us.

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So how will the religous handle the hurricane?

August 30th, 2008 by Max

Gustave.  Category 4 right now.  Having left Cuba, it’s regaining strength.  Tropical storm Hannah nears Florida.

Now I’m not rooting for this to destroy New Orleans, even if it would reinforce just how bad the Republicans have been at taking care of the American people.  There are many many off shore drilling rigs.  This will cause gasoline prices to go back up.

All because of speculators.  I’ll bitch about them again later.

Right now what I want to know is how the Religious people will interpret, what is simply an act of nature – albeit revved up by the hand of man.  [Yes, that means global warming.  The warmer the water, the stronger the hurricane.  But man has no control of the direction of the storm nor where it will make landfall.]

Will they see the hand of God in Gustav?

Will they look at this as a second chance, from God, to apply lessons learned.

Punishment?  The Republican Convention starts right about the time this Hurricane Gustav will make landfall.

No.  They’ll see it as a chance to praise God.

My friend The Fabulous Penguin always asks whether something is irony or poetic justice.  I think this is poetic justice.  As they prepare to tell the the country, why Republicanism is right for America… Nature reminds us of their greatest failure.

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Dumb, not so dumb?

August 9th, 2008 by Max

The campaign is getting kinda stupid huh?  Does that mean McCain is winning?

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Odd comments

August 2nd, 2008 by Max

I just heard a woman anchor on CNN say that despite “the media’s liberal bias” Barak Obama hadn’t gained any ground on his well covered travels. Isn’t CNN supposedly part of the liberal media?

Earlier this week I heard a guy on Fox News say that John McCain had supported an increase in Social Security taxes, before he was suddenly against them. He called it a ‘notable inconsistency’ (I’m pretty sure that was the phrase).

But that’s like … honesty. And while it must have pained him … fair!

The world is all topsy turvey now!

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Who plays the ukelele anymore?

July 10th, 2008 by Max

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avxpn_MsPYs&NR=1

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Who’s that hiding in my Fox knows logo?

July 10th, 2008 by Max

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSAOQuLxSdY&NR=1

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John McCain called his wife … a “trollop”!

July 6th, 2008 by Max

Yes.  I know.  How nasty is that!  But after doing some research, apparently its true!!!

Please.  Please.  I beg of you.  Don’t listen to this next clip…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBALqvp08Vk&NR=1

Or this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cxuSXgKv7A&NR=1

Source:

“The Real McCain by Cliff Schecter, which will arrive in bookstores next month, reports an angry exchange between McCain and his wife that happened in full view of aides and reporters during a 1992 campaign stop. An advance copy of the book was obtained by RAW STORY.”

Three reporters from Arizona, on the condition of anonymity, also let me in on another incident involving McCain’s intemperateness. In his 1992 Senate bid, McCain was joined on the campaign trail by his wife, Cindy, as well as campaign aide Doug Cole and consultant Wes Gullett. At one point, Cindy playfully twirled McCain’s hair and said, ‘You’re getting a little thin up there.’ McCain’s face reddened, and he responded, ‘At least I don’t plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt.’ McCain’s excuse was that it had been a long day. If elected president of the United States, McCain would have many long days.

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