deja vu all over again

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So, I always wondered about that...I guess history does repeat itself!

just because you can, doesn't mean you should

Ann Romney wore this outfit
 on the Jay Leno show Wednesday night...

Clearly, she's trying to prove
 she can be one of the cool kids.
(The cool kids who live on the Jersey Shore)
 What's next? Tattoos?

word week, day three

The power of words, continued...

Would you buy a used car from this man?

good enough for government work?

Yesterday I read an article in the paper about the 2010 Census, and how the country is gearing up for another official head count in the next few months. I thought it might be a good employment opportunity, so I set up an appointment to take the test for Field Employee positions this morning. Last night I took the practice test provided online to familiarize myself with the kinds of questions that would be asked.

They're about what you'd expect from a government document. Here's a sample:

(The instructions tell you to refer to a provided outline of a chapter from a census procedures manual in order to answer this question.)

23. Which section of the manual tells how supplies such as pencils, erasers, and paper clips should be stored?

A 2.D2

B 2.D3

C 2.D5

D 2.H2

The correct answer is 2.D3, the section on "Storing small items".

Yup. It's government work all right.

No detail escapes attention.

There are even Official 2010 Census Government Pencils (No. 2 1/2) to use on the test.

Clearly, being a Census Enumerator is a Very Important Job.

I scored a 95 this morning...I'll let you know if that's good enough for government work.

let the wild rumpus continue!

drawing by Maurice Sendak, from Where the Wild Things Are

The big debate over health care reform has turned into a wild rumpus. Republicans (yeah, I'm talking about you, Sarah Palin) are whipping the easily-led masses into a frightened frenzy with crazy talk about "death panels," and painting melodramatic scenes that could have come straight out of a cheesy 1970s sci fi flick.

But seriously, everyone I talk to in this country has a story about receiving bad health care or has experienced insurance company nightmares, or knows someone who went broke trying to pay medical bills, or died because they couldn't afford treatment. So why are we only hearing stories about problems in other countries, like England and Canada? It's because those countries, along with most others in the developed world, have some sort of universal health coverage for all their citizens. Things are out of control here, and we need to take drastic measures to ensure equitable and affordable medical care for all, not just those who can afford it.

Yesterday, I heard an interview with former presidential candidate, Ron Paul, (a doctor himself) in which he commented that he did not believe that medical care is a right. I'm guessing he believes in the survival of the richest fittest. Those are some reassuring bedside manners you've got there, Dr. Paul.

I'm getting tired of listening to tirades against everything President Obama is trying to do to fix long-broken and corrupt programs and institutions in this country. We need to initiate genuine and necessary change. What we don't need is to waste our time wading through a smoke screen of knee-jerk opposition based on idiotic rhetoric, and listening to bozos call the president a liar. (I'm talking about you, Joe Wilson)

This is a free country. Everyone's entitled to an opinion. We just need to make sure our opinions are well-reasoned ones based on facts, and not on fear, half-truths and innuendo. There's a lot at stake here...let's not screw it up by being too lazy to check our facts before we open our mouths, okay?



Otherwise, we may end up living in a Groucho Marxist state instead of a Democracy.

damn yankees

I know I'm gonna get a lot of heat for this, but...I'm saying it anyway: The Yankees suck.

And here's why.

Sheesh! As if I needed another reason to hate the Yankees- that overbearing, money-bloated, pseudo patriotic, holier than thou symbol of everything baseball isn't...

On Tuesday night, during the Yankees vs. Red Sox game in the Bronx, a Yankee fan attempting to leave his seat to go to the restroom (during the 7th inning stretch, for God's sake) was stopped by two of New York's finest, who told him he'd have to wait until after the cheesy recording of Kate Smith singing "God Bless America" was over. He replied that he didn't care about the song, he just had to use the restroom. The cops then reached over and pinned his arms behind his back, escorted him downstairs and shoved him out the front gate of the stadium, telling him to get out of the country if he didn't like it. WTF?!

As it turns out, Yankee Stadium has an actual regulation requiring that fans be held captive during the singing of patriotic songs. I kid you not!

A spokesperson for the NY Civil Liberties Union said this is a violation of constitutional rights. For its part, the NYPD's official statement said "The officers observed a male standing on his seat, cursing, using inappropriate language and acting in a disorderly manner while reeking of alcohol...".

Ever been to a game at Yankee Stadium? I have. Let's just say that statement describes about 40% of the fans on any given night. (60% if you're in the bleachers.)

But this poor schlub just needed to pee.

So there you have it.

Patriotism by force. Is that really the American Way?

That's why I hate the Yankees.

Also because my mother was born and raised in the Bronx, my father was from Massachussetts, and I grew up in Flushing, Queens. Everybody knows you can't be a Yankee fan and a Red Sox fan... so I say:

Let's go Mets!

P.S. To quote Crash Davis from the movie Bull Durham: "...I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter."

Yeah.