Damned If He Does, Damned If He Doesn't

                                           Tonight, The Blog "shared" this cartoon on Facebook.

A "conservative" friend responded quickly and thusly...

And, I responded...

Pay close attention, John.

Obama has disappointed me on numerous subjects.

In the spirit of "reaching across the aisle," he has become a doormat for the right-wing.

A noble effort, but one that he should have given up years ago.

I am disappointed that he caved to the right on health insurance reform. Taking "single payer" and "universal" healthcare off the table was a betrayal. The AFA is a right-wing, Heritage Foundation bill. Always was. Conservatives seem to have forgotten that.

Because, if Obama is for it, the right-wing is against it. Even if it was their own idea.

But, it's a start, and better than nothing.

And, in the case of Syria, as Obama has taken us to the eve of extricating ourselves  from both of Dubbya's illegal and insane wars, he gets all hawkish. Because, as this post points out, he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

Convince me that I am wrong about that.

The first time I voted for Obama, it was the first time, in my adult life, that I voted "for" a presidential candidate, instead of voting against a candidate that I could not support.

I was raised as an Eisenhower Republican. (My dad is a life-long Democrat, but kept his mouth shut at home for the sake of peace.) When I came of voting age, I registered as a Republican. And then, they nominated Ronald Reagan. I voted for John Anderson (Even though I knew he didn't stand a chance,) because I could not vote, in good conscience, for Reagan or Carter.

Today, both my mom and dad are outspoken liberals who vote Democratic.

To paraphrase RR, my mom didn't leave the party, the party left her.

I would have been okay with the 2000 version of John McCain. But, McCain v.2.0 aka: McCain/Palin was a horrifying option. The "maverick" McCain sold out to the far right.

There is no way I would ever support that ticket.

And, I would not and will never support a Bush.

You say that your "hardcore liberal friends have finally had enough." Some of your liberal friends are, also, mine. When they say they have, "had enough," it doesn't mean that they have suddenly become Ayn Rand, tea-baggers. It means that they are doubling down on supporting true progressive, liberals and, like me, are disappointed in Obama's capitulating to the far right.

But, until the next election, he is all that we have got.

I'm looking forward to a trouncing of Tea Party conservatives in 2014.

Maybe then, the POTUS will grow a pair and get some shit done.

Meanwhile, you seem to take great pleasure in criticizing my opinions, without offering any actual facts. I have already hit the "plonk" button on your boy Dan D. because he crossed a serious line with me and I will not put up with his shit any longer. Are you going to be next? 

Random Sh*t: 8/29/13 Edition

                                                              Ernest Hemingway said...

"Write drunk. Proofread sober."

At least, I think it was Ernest Hemingway. It might have been his forgotten brother, Sidney Hemingway.

Or someone else all together.

Feel free to Google it yourselves. I can't be bothered.

Full disclosure... Some of my best posts have been written while under the influence of moderately priced scotch.

And while scotch was involved in last night's post, it was not one of my best.

Oh, it started out okay.

A love letter to the satire magazines of my youth.

Followed by a glowing endorsement of my new favorite satire web site.

But, somewhere around the last third of the post, it all went balls up.

The post degenerated into utter gibberish, unforgivable typos and a link that wasn't linked to.

When I re-read the post this morning, my only thought was...

"Holy Shit! I must have been totally plowed, last night!"

Because, "What the fuck was that?"

Which is funny, because I functioned well, today. Hangover free.

But, my bottle of "Scoresby Very Rare" scotch,

So "rare" that is resides in a plastic, gallon jug...

Which makes it the whiskey equivalent of box wine...

Was nearly empty, tonight.

Which leads your Uncle Blog to conclude that, yes, he drank way too much, last night.

I thought about leaving the post be, to stand as a cautionary reminder of what can happen when one blogs under the influence.

But, The PC is a Virgo.

And, while we Virgos don't believe in astrology, my superstitious friends who do believe that the position of the stars and planets on the date of our births have any baring on our personality traits, will tell you that, as a Virgo, I cannot let imperfection slide by.

And, for better or worse, they are correct.

I went back and edited last night's post.

It's still not my best post, by a long shot, but it's better than it was last night.

                             ______________________________________________

How about some good news, for a change?

A while back, The Blog posted about his morning spent with Valerie Harper.

At the time, Valerie had been given a prognosis of three or four months to live.


A rare brain cancer, you know?

The PC got pretty emotional about it.

But, six months later, "America's Girlfriend" is not only still alive and kicking...

She is starring in a new TV movie and, rumor has it, is one of the newest contestants on "Dancing With the Stars."

Her doc has told the media that Valerie's cancer is, virtually, in remission.

He says that the cancer is still terminal. Not a question of "if" but "when."

But, she is still keeping on keeping on.

At this point, it seems realistic that Valerie will live long enough to celebrate Christmas.

Which is good, no, great news.
                                    ______________________________________

Finally...

While the world is full of strife and shit...

Fast food employees are, rightfully, striking for higher wages...

We may be on the verge of war with Syria...

And, what the fuck is Mylie Cyrus' damage?

The serious question is this....

Henry Cavil vs. Ben Affleck in "Superman vs. Batman."

                                                       This graphic gave me a chuckle.

What is going to happen here?

Some Things That I Like

Back in The Blog's youth, there were two mainstream satire magazines.

Okay, there were, actually three, but National Lampoon was over this 10-year-old's head...

On the plus side, National Lampoon, occasionally featured nudity.

                                                                   So, there was that.

Where was I?

Oh, yeah.

The preeminent satire publication was...

                                                                      Mad Magazine.

And the young bloggling was a fan.

I credit the "usual gang of idiots" at Mad, not only for my advanced vocabulary, when, in the sixth grade, I tested with a college level vocabulary and reading comprehension.

Not that I am bragging, but...

Boo Yah!

Thanks to today's social media, I am "friended" with several of the original geniuses at "Mad,"

                                                                    Like Dick DeBartolo.

Which I think is pretty cool.

But back in those days, there was another magazine called...

                                                                           "Cracked"

And, while in those days...

Mad Magazine could be had for 40¢ "cheap..."

"Cracked" was the "poor man's" cheaper, paler, lamer, imitation.

Fast forward to today.

Mad Magazine is still available on newsstands and on the internets.

In the meantime, Cracked.com has become one of the internet's funniest, satire based sites.

Cracked.com has become one of The PC's favorite sites.

Not just humor and satire...

But, also, dead on observations about pop culture.

Cracked.com's take on the Mylie Cyrus train wreck at the VMAs, for instance, feels true.

Cracked is just brilliant.

Without a Hint of Irony

Suspended "Chief" Mark Kessler calls "Eric" (Holder, I presume,) a "flaming libtard." He calls "Eric" a "tyrant" who likes to "strong arm" and "threaten" people.


He waves his big guns and tiny penis at a gub'nit official.

In this new video.

Without a hint of irony.

Around the 4.30 mark, Cheese and Rice, Got all muddy, Mr. Kessler, learn to fucking edit.

When he gets past his minute or so of dead air, he proceeds shoot the shit out of the target he calls "Eric."

The fact that Mr. Kessler has not been fired from his job to "protect and serve," and has not been whisked away to Gitmo...

And, oh my fucking God, again, at 8.00,

What an idiot!

Thoroughly debunks his own paranoid fantasy.

Kessler keeps his job, albeit, under suspension...

His first and second ammendment rights go unchallenged.

"Chief" Kessler is a frightening psychopath who should be relieved of his duties, permanently.

And, for the love of God, he needs to be taken off of the grid.

Ben as Batman?

The Blog doesn't have a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page.

The truth is, no one asks The Blog questions frequently enough to warrant a FAQ page.

He would love it if his blogglitts did ask questions.

One of The Blog's blogging idols, Ken Levine gets so many questions from his readers that he dedicates his Friday posts to answering questions.

But, I'm not going to beg.

But, outside of this blog, the real world me gets asked lots of questions.

And, over the last couple of days, I have been asked a question, so frequently, that if it had been asked here in this space, would have earned the right to be called The Blog's first "FAQ."

And, it goes like this...

"Ben Affleck as Batman. What do you think?"

I'll be honest, my initial, knee-jerk reaction was less than enthusiastic.

My answer was, "I'm okay with it, I guess."

Or, as the kids say, these days...

"Meh."

I like Ben's work. He is talented, handsome and likable.

But can he cut it as The Batman?

I wasn't sold.

Affleck might be too affable, (yes, I said that,) to be a proper Batman.

Especially after three genius turns by "American Psycho" Christian Bale.

The first thing that popped into my head upon learning of Ben's casting was...

                                                                   George Clooney.

I don't blame George for the awfulness of "Batman & Robin."

The fact is, he was perfect for a lighthearted, cartoonish Batman.

George was a high budget, A-List, Adam West.

I blame the writer and director for nearly killing the franchise.

                                                               Because, Bat-Nipples.

But, back to Ben...

Yeah, I wasn't enthused about the idea of Ben as Batman.

But, then, I wasn't crazy about the casting of Michael Keaton, back in the day. But, that worked out pretty well.

One problem I had was that Ben had already played a costumed, comic book, hero.

                                                                   Marvel's Daredevil


Daredevil wasn't a great movie, but it wasn't awful.

Again, I don't blame the actor for the movie's deficiencies.

Ben rocked the blind super-hero role.

If Daredevil failed, it was the fault, like Batman & Robin, of the writer and director.

The thing that has been the genius of the "Dark Knight" director and EP of the new "Man of Steel" movies is that his casting choices are never the obvious ones.

Pretty boy Heath Ledger as The Joker? "Girl next door" Anne Hathaway as Catwoman? Michael Cain as Alfred Pennyworth?

Virtual unknown, Henry Cavil as Superman?

Fucking brilliant!

And then came Ben Affleck.

Ironically, or coincidentally, I'm never sure.

*Damn you, Alanis Morissette!*

Two things happened last night that have convinced me that Ben Affleck is the right choice for the new Batman.

Thanks to the TWC blackout of CBS, The Blog watched the Ben Affleck movie, "Jersey Girl" on STARZ Kids and Family, last night.

"Jersey Girl" is one of the few Kevin Smith movies that I have never seen before last night.


*Note to Warner Bros.*

Give the next Batman movie to Kevin Smith, because he is a movie making god.

*End Note*




In "Jersey Girl," Ben delivered a performance that was full of pathos and humor, and several "Batmobile" references.

Everything that the next Batman story arc needs.

Also, AMC Theaters posted this poster...

I don't know if this is an official Warner Bros. poster, or a Photoshopped™ fantasy...

But a grizzled Affleck chin under an angular Batman cowl, works for me.

So, let's see how it goes.
                            _________________________________________________
 

And, if Ben Affleck is the new Batman...

                                              Maybe these guys should be the new villains.

Just kidding.

A Disgruntled Customer and a Bonus Post

Damn! The PC is exhausted!

After three months of enforced leisure...

Or, as we call it in the television business, "hiatus."

Or, as people in the normal world call it, "unemployment..."

Getting back to work, full time, takes some adjustment.

So, because your Uncle PC is nearly paralyzed, physically and mentally...

*And a good two ounces over his maximum nightly requirement of cheap scotch...*

And, it's only 10:45.

The Blog is going to get lazy and share something he saw today, on the internets.

Thanks to postgradproblems.com for this open letter to Time Warner Cable.

Dear Time Warner Cable,

How awesome was last night’s episode of Dexter? Oh that’s right. You cut off Showtime, because you’re the worst cable provider in the history of television. Shit, you might be the worst company in the history of organized business. The first caveman to sell the secret of fire to other cavemen did a better job of providing customer service than you morons.

I’ve spent countless nights lying awake in bed, imagination swimming with wild theories on what could possible be happening in the world of Dexter. For all I know, Mr. Morgan was killed off weeks ago in a brutal murder-suicide executed by Debra, and now the show’s plot revolves around Angel Batista’s love life.
By the way, my bill this month was $198.05 for cable and internet. Why? I have no fucking idea. I would access my account online to find out how I’m being charged over $50 more than usual when not even receiving Showtime, but my “TWC ID is no longer active,” so I can’t sign in. How convenient.

I could probably call, belittle one of your soulless employees, threaten to cancel my account, and promptly receive a discount for next month, but would it be worth the excruciating 45-minute phone call? I’m fairly certain that when you evil bastards give a discount, you make a note on that account to recover your losses a few months later with a totally random raise in rates.

I would’ve switched to a different provider years ago, but you’re the only one available in my area. You were the only one available at my previous residence as well. I hate you so much, you monopolistic sons of bitches. You are everything that is wrong with America. I blame you exclusively for 9/11, the recession, and male pattern baldness.

It must be glorious to have AT&T U-verse. I bet they have impeccable service, free NFL RedZone, maybe even some awesome porn channels that I don’t even know about.
Fuck you, Time Warner Cable. Fuck you twice.

Sincerely,
Every Customer You’ve Ever Had

One new thought on this topic...

A few posts back, I pointed out that most of CBS' highest rated shows are produced by Warner Bros., a subsidiary of Time Warner Communications.

And, I predicted that, because of that alliance, the dispute will have to be settled before the new season begins.

The Blog had another epiphany, just today.

Time Warner (or CBS, depending on which side you believe,) is blocking all of the CBS owned "secondary" stations in their major markets.

Here in Los Angeles, that would be Channel 9.

Check your local listings.

Which led me to a stunning realization...

About a decade ago, the struggling Viacom (the parent company of CBS) owned network "UPN" merged with the struggling Time Warner owned network, "The WB," to become...

"C" is for CBS.

"W" is for Warner Bros.

So, while TWC and CBS play chicken, they are both shooting their respective eyes out.

Because, those "secondary" channels are owned, in partnership, by Time Warner and CBS.

Until the dispute is resolved, the snake is swallowing it's own tail.

                             _______________________________________________

One more thing, just because The Blog has to purge it from his own brain.

Fuck "Sharknado."

Fuck "Sharktopus," twice.

*WARNING!!!!*

DO NOT CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK IF YOU PLAN ON SLEEPING IN THE NEXT WEEK. OR MONTH. OR YEAR. OR, EVER AGAIN.

*DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU.*

Thanks a whole fucking lot to MentalFloss.com for alerting The Blog of the existence of the following H.R. Geiger nightmare.

Not just a "WTF?" moment.

Rather a "jesusmotherfuckingchristwhatthefuckisthatmakeitstop!!!!!!" moment.

I swear to dog, when I saw this, I climbed up the back of my desk chair and peed in my p.j.s, a little bit.

Brace yourself and, if you must...

Meet the Goblin Shark.

You watched it, didn't you?

I told you so.

Mental Floss provides this explanation..

Mitsukurina owstoni, also known as the goblin shark, doesn't look like any shark you've seen before. These deep sea denizens can grow up to 13 feet and have a pinkish-gray coloration and a long, flattened snout. And when they feed, they become scarier than any Great White. 

Normally, the M. owstoni's jaws -- which are lined with sharp, needle-like teeth -- sit flush with the underside of its head. But to capture its prey, the shark thrusts its jaw forward, almost to the end of its snout, like a deep sea version of Hungry Hungry Hippos. Based on the seven specimens retrieved with identifiable stomach contents, as well as the slender shape of its mouth, scientists think the shark's diet probably includes teleost or finned fish, squid, and crabs. 

Since it was first discovered in 1898 off of Yokohama, Japan, fewer than 50 goblin shark specimens have been found. (One shark, captured alive in 2007, was exhibited at an aquarium in Japan for a short time before it died.) Scientists believe M. owstoni lives at depths from 130 feet to 4,265 feet -- which means they probably won't be coming to a beach near you anytime soon.

As if that will help. 

Pleasant dreams, my blogglitts.

Smoking With the Stars: Part 1

*Disclaimer*

Hey kids! Smoking is bad. It is a filthy, smelly, expensive, dangerous habit. If you smoke, your teeth will turn brown, your breath will smell, your lungs will turn black and shrivel up, and the terrorists will have won. If you smoke, quit. If you don't smoke, don't start. Now, get off of my lawn, go to your room and watch this educational PSA from the 1960s.

*End Disclaimer*

Are the kids gone?

Good.

Here we go...

Your Uncle PC is a smoker. No apologies.

I always say, "Everyone is allowed one vice. Most of us have two or three."

I don't smoke cigarettes. I have, on occasion. But, my nicotine delivery system of choice is the age old vehicle made from the stately briar, the coveted meerschaum or the lowly corncob...

                                                                              The pipe.

Which inspires The Blog to write a future post dedicated, specifically to the subject of pipe smoking.

(Note to self.)

For the moment, here is my favorite quotation about pipe smoking...

“The pipe draws wisdom from the lips of the philosopher, and shuts up the mouth of the foolish; it generates a style of conversation, contemplative, thoughtful, benevolent, and unaffected.” -- William Makepeace Thackeray

But now, on to my intended topic...

Even though The Blog lives in the Greater Los Angeles area and works in Hollywood...

And most of that working time is on the lot of a major movie and television studio...

And, in the line of business, he has encountered many Hollywood stars...

He rarely has random encounters with Hollywood celebrities. So rare, in fact, that when it happens, this boy from Cleveland still thinks those encounters are pretty cool. 

*Dumping the "third person" narrative now, because I am irritating myself. And, since it's my blog, I can do that.*

The odds are higher of my running into celebs on the TV/movie lot where I work, than they are out in public. And, there, I can count on my fingers the number.

Henry Winkler, Daniel Craig, Chevy Chase, and most of the cast of "Rizzoli & Isles" come to mind, but that's about it.

I once ran into Dustin Hoffman in a grocery store in Malibu at a ridiculously early hour on a Sunday morning. Probably a story for another time.

I once saw the Singer siblings, (Eric and Lori) at a movie theater. (If you don't know who the Singer siblings are, you don't remember the '80s.)

And, I once saw Jerry "Beaver Cleaver" Mathers pulling into the CBS/Television City lot, in his car.

But, that's about it.

I feel like I'm rambling here. What am I talking about?

Oh, right.

So, it's the spring of the year 2002.

I am in New York City for the "up-fronts" for some cable network or another, (SpikeTV, maybe?) that is carrying the reruns of my soon to be cancelled action comedy series.

I am there to take care of my cast members for the festivities.

After six hours on a plane, an hour + in a taxi to the wrong Trump hotel, another 45 minutes in another cab to the right Trump hotel...

                                                                     The Trump International Tower, NYC

Finally checked in and settled...

I want... no... need... to smoke.

I ride the elevator down to the lobby and step outside.

The Trump is surrounded by a platform that, if this were a small town house, would be called a porch. I don't know what it would be called when attached to a monstrosity like Trump Tower.

Whatever it's called, it's outside. Which means, I can finally light up.

As I take my first drag, I am aware of someone joining me, less than a foot away.

I hear the "snick" of a lighter, followed by a gravelly voice.

"For what we are paying to stay in this dump," the voice says, "You would think we could smoke in our own fucking rooms."

I didn't even have to turn and look.

That voice was unmistakable.

Death deprived me of ever sharing a cigar with George Burns. And Hugh Hefner had quit his trademarked pipe by the time I got to know him.

But on that evening, I got to scratch one smoking experience off of my bucket list.

On that night, my smoking companion for the next twenty minutes was none other than...

                                                                       Dennis Leary.

Pretty cool.

Right?

Early Mornings, Long Days, Weird Food

The alarm goes of at a time when some are just getting to bed.

Maybe not most people. But, "some."

Lindsey Lohan or Justin Beiber may be "some people."

Pop a K-Cup™ into the coffee maker and a couple of Pop Tarts™ into the toaster.

"Shit, shower and shave," as they say.

(Whoever "they" are.)

Now I'm exaggerating.

My heart still pounding and nerves jangling from the rude rousting by the alarm clock, I'm far to clenched to shit. And, at this hour, dragging a sharp instrument across my neck seems like a bad idea. Even if, or maybe because, Hamlet's quandary is running through my head.

"To be, or not to be..."

So, shower.

Dress.

Collect up coffee and junk food breakfast.

Kiss Mrs. Blog "goodbye,"

A long, freeway drive, in the dark, to a distant location.

Start working as the sun begins to rise.

12, 14, 18 hours later...

Make the long, freeway drive, in the dark, back home.

Sleep for four hours, then do it again.

The PC thought he was done with that "glamorous" show business lifestyle when he moved from the world of feature film and episodic television into the civilized world of daytime TV.

But, every now and then, like yesterday and today, I have to return to that life.

I'm not as young as I used to be.

And I am beat.

So tonight, just one short story, if only to purge it from the front of my consciousness.

When I was just a little bloggling, my tastes in food were very narrow.

Nothing more exotic than mustard and ketchup on burgers, hot dogs and bologna sandwiches.

In my adulthood, as a world traveller, I made up for lost time by becoming adventurous in my culinary experimentation.

Because, as the saying goes...

"When in Sweden, try the reindeer."

Over the years, the weirder the food, the more likely I would take eating it as a personal dare.



Garlic, Raspberry Cheesecake? Also, in Sweden. Check.

Alligator in South Florida? Check.

Conch in the Caribbean? Check.

Whale steak in Iceland? Check. (When prepared right, delicious. When not prepared right, not so much.)

Mystery meat from a grill in a suspiciously stray feline free alley in Moscow? Check.

Even when I settled down at home and started working on a TV show that, occasionally, featured strange foods, I was game to try it.

Breast milk ice cream? Check.

Chocolate covered crickets and roasted cricket salsa? Check and check.

A steaming hot cup of Kopi Luwak? Yep.

Gluten free desserts? Yuck!

You get the idea.

Which brings me to today.

On the craft service table, amid the usual assortment of crap and token healthy stuff....

The newest flavor of Lays™ Potato Chips...

                                                                Chicken and Waffles.


Now, The Blog loves him some soul food.

Fried Chicken, collard greens, sweet potatoes, bean pie, washed down with "red" Kool-Aid™.

Yum!

But, I have never understood the popularity of chicken and waffles. And even though there are many places in Los Angeles to dine on this odd combination, I have never been tempted to try it.

But, there it was on the CS table. Daring me.

"Double Dog Daring me."

So, I tore open the bag and popped a chip into my mouth.

My taste buds were flooded with flavors.

Potato and salt, of course. Herbs and spices. (Not The Colonels patented 7, but a few of them.) A hint of maple syrup. Some sweetness like a waffle...

And the distinctive flavor of chicken.

Congrats, Lay's™! You nailed it!

But, for all of the adventurous flavors that The Blog's taste buds have encountered...

Some, surprisingly delicious...

Some, meh...

Some, pretty bad...

This was the first time The PC ever reacted to a flavor with...

WHAT THE FUCK??????!!!!!!!!!!!

The Blog predicts that Lay's™ Chicken and Waffles Chips will soon go the way of Ben & Jerry's Schweddy Balls Ice Cream.

Back to a normal work schedule tomorrow. And, hopefully a normal blogging schedule, as well.

Good night, all.

Another Damned Eulogy: Lee Thompson Young

I got this news early today.

I'm not just a fan of "Rizzoli & Isles."

They film on the Paramount lot, not a football field length away from the stages where I work.

 I see the "Boston Police Department" and Jane Rizzoli's brownstone condo, everyday as I walk through the lot.

 I have run into Lee numerous times and he has always been friendly and gracious, happily signing autographs and posing for pics with the tourists.

We have often greeted each other with "Good Mornings" as we passed.

And, I am an "R&I" fan.

As a deep down nerd, I have always gotten a kick out of the episode when Lee's character, Detective Barry Frost, buys Jane's brother Frank's  "Shogun Warrior" style action figure from Mom Angela Rizzoli's yard sale, to Franks dismay. Then, in every episode since, proudly displays it on his office desk. 

I cannot wrap my head around the idea that this happy, gracious, positive person had demons that would lead him to taking his own life. I am just stunned beyond words.

The Case For and Against Henry Ford

A couple of nights ago, The PC shared a meme on Facebook.

                                                                              This.

One of his Conservative friends had this to say...

So as not to repeat myself, I will respond here, then post the link to the Facebook thread.



Your assessment of Ford as a person is absolutely correct. I believe that I mentioned his bigotry and anti-semitism in a response to one of your posts a few weeks ago. And yes, his general treatment of workers necessitated the rise of the UAW.

But the point of this post was not humanitarianism vs. profit. It was about business savvy vs. dunder-headedness. Ford understood the economics of "supply and demand" well enough to get that a company can't be successful if it's own employees can't afford to buy the product they produce. Today's large employers seem to have forgotten this, to their detriment. And to the detriment of our economy.

In this case, specifically, but not exclusively, Wal-Mart has been killing higher paying jobs by putting other retailers out of business or forcing other retailers to make changes to their business model that winds up screwing their employees and forcing we, the taxpayers, to pick up the slack via Food Stamps and Medicaid.

Where I will call you out on this is your statement that, "today our "average" car is the highest priced in the world," (That is not even close to true,) and has the lowest consumer rating satisfaction."

That was true a decade ago, but in the last few years, the American auto brands have enjoyed a major resurgence. I grew up in a town where Ford employed a whole lot of it's residents. A much larger Ford plant in neighboring Lorain, Ohio employed an even larger number of county residents. I have family in two Ohio cities that were major GM towns.

All of those cities economies suffered during the first decade of the 21st Century. But, today, they are all recovering.

Your comments about Edison are also true, up to a point. Edison's practice of stealing and monopolizing patents are well known. He destroyed the French magician/film pioneer Georges Mélliés and along with Guglielmo Marconi, did the same to Nikola Tesla.

(I am sure that you don't do it on purpose, but sometimes, you respond to my remarks as if I am some naive, uneducated, air-head. I can assure you that when I pontificate, I do so knowing that I know what I am talking about.  I, too, enjoy reading the biographies of successful people. A common thread in those stories is the lack of empathy and a lack of moral compass exhibited by so many successful people. And on the topic of Hollywood filmmaking, you are on my home court, now.)

There may be a grain of truth in your claim that filmmakers moved to Cali to escape Edison's iron fist, but mostly, no.

The fact is that filmmakers left New York for Cali, led by Charles Chaplin, for the moderate climate and sunshine.

Modern, electric movie lighting didn't exist in the early 1900s.

Chaplin built the first Hollywood studio. Roofless stages that rotated to follow the sun.

The first solar powered movie stages, one might say.

That studio still stands on La Brea Blvd. Now with roofs.

I drive past it every day on my way to work.

For many decades, after Charlie Chaplin, the studio was the home of Herb Alpert's "A&M Records."

                              Today, it is the home of Henson Productions "Muppet Studios."


Let's get back to the subject of American cars vs. foreign cars.

Every (average) foreign car sold in the US is manufactured in the US. Honda makes their cars in Ohio. Nissan and Toyota are in Tennessee and South Carolina. Their American headquarters are still in my own neighborhood, Los Angeles' South Bay. The profits don't stay in America, and that is a bad thing, but their manufacture is here in the USA. All of their employees are members of the UAW and the companies are subject to US regulation.

My Mazda Tribute was manufactured by Ford. It is a Ford Escape, with a couple of cosmetic differences.

100% American made.

Finally...

Yes, Henry Ford was a bigot and a Democrat.

Thank you for pointing that out.

The ideologies of both parties have flipped over the last hundred years or less.

As the Democrats embraced civil rights in the 1960s, The Nixon Republicans took advantage of the shift and embraced the "Southern Democrats" racism. Converting southern, racist, Dems to the Republican side. They called it the "Southern Strategy."

Abe Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Ike Eisenhower and Barry Goldwater must be spinning in their graves.

Nixon and Reagan would not recognize their TEA Party highjacked party, today.

So, yes, Henry Ford was a Democrat and an anti-semetic bigot.

Applying that fact to modern politics is disingenuous.

No Post of Any Substance, Tonight

As The Blog has spent the past few nights teasing...

Tonight, The Blog and Mrs. Blog, along with The Blog's sister and bro-in-law enjoyed an evening with the official lefty, folk singing, political satirist of The PC Blog, Roy Zimmerman.

A great time was had by all.

And, The PC got to get a photo op, "grip-and-grin" with Roy.

So, that's cool.

Thanks to the chaos that is the Los Angeles freeway system...

The drive home took almost three hours.

Instead of the usual one hour.

A portion of the 405 freeway was closed, diverting traffic to the 110.

So it is now, almost, 3:00 AM.

And, here I am, posting on the blog.

But, goddamn it's late.

The PC plans to seep till noon.

Good night, all.

The Truth is Out There

Have you ever seen a magic trick that just blew your mind? Something so amazing that it seemed impossible? A trick so amazing that it haunted you for years?

And then, one day, someone shows you how it was done?

And you think, "Shit. Is that all?"

And, instead of feeling elated to have, finally, learned the secret...

You feel sad and disappointed, and maybe, even a little bit of resentment towards the magical whistle-blower for stealing that little bit of wonder from you.

The Blog knows about this, first hand.

Many years ago, I won a bet with the guy who designed David Copperfield's greatest illusion.

                                                 Making the Statue of Liberty disappear.

You see, as a recovering magician, I had the trick figured out, mostly. But, I knew that I was missing one crucial piece of the puzzle.

So, when I was introduced to the evil genius who came up with the stunt, I was compelled to pick his brain.

Of course, he was not about to explain it to me.

But, he offered a bet.

(Big mistake. HUGE! The PC is not, by nature, a betting man. So, when he takes a bet, it is because he knows that he has already won.)

"Tell me what you think you know," he said. "If you have figured out every step but one, and no more than one... And you are right about all of those steps... I will fill in the blank."

As I said, I won the bet.

I got the piece I was looking for.

And I thought, "Shit. Is that all?"

The missing piece was so simple and so obvious, that I may have actually slapped my head.

To be honest, the illusion was so cool, so well executed, that even knowing how it was done, I still harbor a bit of awe for it's, well, awesomeness.

And, no. I am not going to tell you how it was done.

If you feel a compelling need to know...

A decade after The PC learned the secret, a thing called the internet came along. And then came Google.

The truth is out there, if you feel the need to find it.

And that is all I have to say about that.

So what's my point?

Oh. Right!

The world is full of mysteries that fuel our imaginations and tease our sense of wonder.

                                                       Bigfoot, Nessie, El Chupacabra.


And, Liberal Republicans.

In our guts, we know that these are merely legends.

But, we also know, that without proof, pro or con, even the most skeptical among us can entertain and enjoy the fantasy that they may, possibly, be real.

And then, there is the topic of...

                                                            Extraterrestrial Aliens


Which brings us to today's news.

A whole pile of news sources, like this one, are reporting that the CIA has declassified the formerly "Top Secret" documents regarding the Air Force base known as Area 51.

Area 51 has long been the subject of conspiracy minded speculation, as the place where the government has been secretly storing the remains of a "flying saucer" mishap.

The, newly, declassified documents reveal that Area 51 was the secret testing grounds for the government spy planes, U-2 and OXCART.

"Shit. Is that all?"

Or...

Maybe that's just what they want us to believe.

*Cue the "X-Files" theme*

                            ____________________________________________

Apropos of nothing above...

(But counting the hours until his show in Newbury Park, CA.)

Two more numbers...

Two of The Blog's favorites...

From the Clark Kent of folk music...

Roy Zimmerman.
"This Machine."

And...

"Hope, Struggle and Change."

The Blog has shared these before. But they bare re-sharing.

Enjoy.

Real Americans

It has been a while since The Blog had a really choice bumper sticker to share with you. But, I ran across this little number the other day, attached to the back of a big-ass pick-up truck.

(Why are they always on pick-up trucks?)

Oh, snap!

Right-wing humor at it's best.

And we are breaking it down...

First, set up a bullshit, straw-man assertion...

"Liberals are offended by the display of the American flag."

Okay, how many liberals, out there, are offended by the flag?  Let me see a show of left hands.

                                                                               Yeah.

Next, follow it up with a hip, witty, modern variation of the old school right-wing battle cry...

Ironically, it seems like it's the right-wing that doesn't like today's America, what with it's government regulations and taxes and such.

The Blog humbly suggests that there are a few countries that the wing-nuts might prefer to live in.

Countries with no taxes, no regulations, no government backed infra-structure or social services.

                                                              Somalia comes to mind.


In case you think I am playing the victim card by assuming that this sticker's message is aimed at liberals...

Take a close look at the fine print on the bottom, left hand corner of the sticker.

It is so small that The PC didn't notice it until he uploaded the photo to his Mac™.

It's hard to read. So allow The PC to transcribe it, here...

"For you liberal idjots (sic) out there, this is not a real phone number."

 Thank you, kind tea-bagger, for explaining your subtle and nuanced satire.

As a liberal "idjiot," I might have tried to call that 15 digit phone number.

And why "idjiot?" Why not embrace actual, literate English?

Are you intentionally broadcasting the redness of your neck, by eschewing proper spelling as elitist  academia?

If that is the case...

Well, played Sir. You sure showed us.

Finally, commit your witty riposte to a bumper sticker, probably screen-printed in a downtown Los Angels sweatshop by an undocumented, Mexican immigrant, piecework, wage slave. Then slap it on the bumper of your gas guzzling truck.

That is The PC's long answer to this "real American."

Here is the short answer...

"No, ass-hat. Your flag does not offend me. The chip on your shoulder does."

                              __________________________________________

Speaking of "real Americans..."

The Blog is less than 48 hours away from attending a performance by his favorite lefty, political satirist, folk singer. Roy Zimmerman.

Roy has got your "Real America," right here.

The PC is counting the minutes.

Mrs. Blog and I have seen him perform, before.

On Saturday night, The Blog's youngest sister and her husband are taking us to see him in their neighborhood.

A double date, if you will.

So, tonight, in anticipation of that show...

The PC is going to back the satire truck up, and share an ass-load of Roy's YouTube™ videos with you, tonight.

Enjoy.

"Eine Kleine Barackmusik"

"Socialist!"

"2nd Amendment Sing-A-Long"

"Ingles"

And, one of his few, totally, non-political numbers...

"What If The Beatles Were Irish."

The Blog is saving Roy's best for last.

Wave your Bic lighters (or cell phone lighter apps) in the air for tomorrow night's Roy Zimmerman encore.

See you then.

You're Getting Sleepy (And I'm Getting Tired)

The following advertisement showed up in The Blog's email inbox, today.

Read it and be SHOCKED!

                                                                          (It goes on, but you get the idea.)
HOLY SHIT!!!!!

Fort Knox is empty!!!!

All the gold is gone!!!!!

Nothing is backing the dollar but faith!!!!

Why isn't the Liberal, Lame-stream Media reporting this?

As a "concerned American" I demand answers!!!

I blame Obama!!!!

(aaannnd, scene!)

This ad came from Townhall Spotlight, the marketing wing of the right-wing vomitorium  Townhall.com.

Advertisers, running the gamut from the "Newt 2012" campaign to investment newsletters to "Miracle!" fat burning supplements, pay Townhall a fee to send out advertising on their behalf.

It's genius on Townhall's part, really. Rather than sell their mailing list, (that they poached from unsuspecting right-wing bloggers,) to other marketeers, they take a fee for each ad they send out. All while doing an end run around a "privacy policy" that promises not to sell subscriber's addresses.

And the advertisers are willing to pay, because they know that Townhall reaches subscribers who, for the most part, will buy any ridiculous shit that carries the Townhall seal of approval.

In past posts, The Blog has ranted about one of THS' best customers...

The NRA and other gun propagandists have been pushing their UN small arms treaty batshit for nearly six years, now.

You can get the facts on that, here.

But this "Fort Knox/Missing Gold" thing is a new one.

And it's a hoot!

Let's break it down, shall we?

First, let's get this out of the way...

The "letter" is an ad for "Wall Street Daily," an investment newsletter/web site that traffics in right-wing talking points and conspiracy theories. I'm not going to link to it. You may check it out at your own peril.

Now, to the claims...

For about a century and a half, the US economy was backed by gold and other precious metals. Private ownership of gold was highly regulated by the government and was limited to jewelry and coin collections. The rest was owned by the United Sates government. And for most The Blog's young life, that gold was protected at Fort Knox.

The name "Fort Knox" was synonymous a vault of the highest security.

*Usage- "Check out that Tea-bagger! His mind is locked down as tight as Fort Knox!"*

Anyone who was conscious of anything beyond the shit in their diaper or the new Partridge Family album in 1971 knows that, in that year, The United States, under President Nixon, abandoned the economic policy known as "The Gold Standard"

The young Bloggling was in the 5th grade in 1971, (and was all about the new Partridge Family album.) At the ripe young age of 12, the Bloggling understood that gold had become irrelevant to the value of the American dollar.

In 1971, private ownership of gold was deregulated and, from that point on, "faith" was the only thing backing the value of the dollar.



Read about the facts about Fort Knox, here.

FYI... This is why the value of the dollar is now, largely, dependent on credit ratings from the likes of Standard & Poors, and why last year's debt ceiling hostage crisis caused a downgrade (aka: loss of faith).

*BTW... The US rating has recently been upgraded back to the highest rating. You won't find that being reported by Fox "News" or the "liberal" media, but it's a fact. Some GOP members of The House seem to be hell-bent on undoing that improvement, soon.*

"Whispers are swirling around Capitol Hill..."

"Some say..."

Nearly a billion dollars worth of 'Merican gold has been shipped out of the country to China and South Africa. "Some say."

The Blog spent an hour of his life that he will never get back, attempting to verify this claim.

He found hundreds of links to blogs and propaganda sites that tell this story.

But, not one reliable, unbiased news source.

And, when The Blog queried the U.S. Census Bureau's "foreign trade division" on the subject, they replied, "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Well, maybe not in so many words.

But, you get the point.

The ad goes on to post a side bar banner.

"Is Fort Knox Empty?"

"Click on "Yes" or "No."

There is some serious journalism for you.

Poll readers who know fuck all about the actual subject.

Then post the results as actual "journalism."

This sort of propaganda appeals to the low information voters, who will never question the veracity of this paid advertisement. And, to the ideologues who don't give a shit whether it is true or not.

                                      __________________________________________

This brings me to the original purpose of this post.

Something weird is going on.

Something freaky.

The Blog's liberal friends are, and always will be, liberal.

The Blog has conservative friends...

The people who voted for Bush.

Twice.

The 27% who approved of Dubbya, even in the summer of 2008, when the Bush economy went sideways.

We have our ideologies, on either side, and we are sticking with them.

What worries The PC are his self-proclaimed "non-political" friends, coworkers and acquaintances.

For some, it began slowly and subtly way back in the summer of 2008, when it became evident that Barak Obama stood a good chance of becoming POTUS.

For others, it has, literally, happened in the last month or so.

These decent, intelligent people seem to have checked their brains at the door.

They believe that they are thinking for themselves. But, their eyes have developed the trademarked Ronald Reagan glaze, as they trade in critical thought for right-wing talking points.

What the fuck?

Mass hypnosis?

Brainwashing?

                                                  I'm thinking body snatching pod people.


I had to "unfriend" a Facebook friend, today.

Her name is Susan Olsen.

I don't usually name names in cases like this. But, you will understand, shortly.

Not a big deal.

I do not know Susan, personally.

We became "friended" because we have a few mutual friends and she had a fluffy, mindless radio talk show in KLSX about 20 years ago, that I enjoyed listening to while I ate my lunch.

And, besides, how campy, kitschy,  hipster cool would it be to be Facebook "friended" with...

                                                                 Little Cindy Brady?


Over the last year or so, her status posts consisted, mostly, of cute puppy and kitten memes, pet adoption notifications, and the occasional witty observations about current events.

But, about a month ago, Susan's posts shifted to hate mongering, islamophobic, Obama Derangement Syndrome fueled posts.

I feel bad about "unfriending" her. No apologies for not tolerating her hate, anymore.

I feel bad because I had to "unfriend" her on her birthday.

Happy Birthday, Susan! Now, go away.

Now, what do I do about my other friends who divide their posts between Christian affirmations, gluttonous bacon and cheese intensive food porn recipes, and hateful, slanderous, anti-Obama, anti-liberal propaganda?

The Blog is feeling a housecleaning coming on.

It feels, kind of, liberating.

Back to the question of the cause...

Of course, alien, body snatching pod people are the stuff of sci-fi silliness.

Brainwashing, mass hypnosis, via television, radio and internet propaganda is far more plausible.

                                   ____________________________________________



Which, as luck would have it...

Brings me to tonight's Roy Zimmerman video...

"Vote Republican" is a song that is very much about the days or months leading up to the 2008 election.



This was the YouTube™ post that made a fan of The Blog.

Republican hypnosis for the low information masses.

But, here in 2013, the song is dated, but, still funny and true.

*Heads up!*

There are 50, count 'em, 50 sequels to the original "Vote Republican."

One for every state of the union.

And, they are all on YouTube™.

Check them out.

Multitasking: Part One

As The Blog types this...

(Is the act of entering text onto a computer still called "typing?" I can never be sure. I still call C.D.s and full catalog iTunes™ downloads "records" and "albums." I still "dial" my telephone and "tape" TV shows on my DVR. Even though I am fully aware that that is not accurate. I'm pretty sure that I have never called a refrigerator an "icebox." And, I only call aluminum foil "tin foil" when describing the hats worn by Tea Baggers.)

Wait! What was I talking about?

Sorry, I'm doing six things at once right now, so I'm a little distracted.

Oh! Right!

As The Blog types this...

The Blog is multitasking.

There are two printers grinding away, printing worksheets, attendance forms, photos and such that Mrs. Blog requires for her classroom, tomorrow.

There is a batch of "Chex Mix™" in the oven, (stir every 15 minutes for 1 and a half hours @ 250 degrees.)

A pot of tea is boiling for tomorrow's pitcher of iced tea.

A business email requires an "urgent" response.

As does the messages via Facebook from an old friend.

And, any minute now, Mrs. Blog, who suffers from a painful and debilitating illness, will wake up moaning, needing her legs and back massaged.

And, I am having my evening smoke and evening dram of scotch. Which might not count on a multitasking list.

So, multitasking.

The PC feels like he does that a lot.

But, he doesn't feel like he is very good at it.

And, The Blog has some thoughts about multitasking. But, tonight, he has reached his limit.

He can only handle so much multitasking .

The kids, today, seem to be really good at multitasking.

So maybe it's a generational thing.

Maybe The PC is just to old to keep up.

Or...

Maybe, that isn't the problem.

The timer is going off. I've got to go stir the Chex Mix™ and pour the tea.

*BRB*

Okay, I'm back. Where was I?

Shit.

It will come to me. Probably as I am falling asleep.

Until then...

It seems appropriate that tonight's Roy Zimmerman song should be one of his rare, non-political numbers.

A commentary on the aging of my generation.

So, join with me, will you?

Turn on.

Tune in.

Drop Prilosec.

And groove to...

"Psychedelic Relic."

PSST!

Gather close and listen carefully. The Blog has a secret to share with you.

I will be speaking in code. No names. No specifics.

You're all smart people. You'll figure it out.

No, the NSA isn't spying on us. Get over it. But, a couple of other three letter words have been waging a cold war against each other, (read back a few posts,) and it seems that they have been using search engines to figure out what we are playing at.

The PC told you, a few nights ago, how to access a certain place to catch up with certain things. 24 hours later, *poof* "access denied."

Now The Blog doesn't really believe that he was the leak that they found. But, maybe one of them.

So, I'm trying to make this post a little bit google-proof.

*Just to catch you up...*

The one giant company that promised to send a tech guy to fix our little problem arrived as promised. Then, no surprise, told us there was nothing he could do. We would have to go buy some new equipment from another source and fix it ourselves.

*More customer no service.*

Now, come closer.

If you are having the same problem that we are, The PC has found a new fix. At least, for now.

The Blog has found another web thingie that will get you to the place you want to go.

I'm not going to post a link. I'm not even going to type the URL as text.

Instead, The Blog is going to play their game and show you an image that will tell you where to go.

You know what to do from here.

I can't guarantee that they won't catch on. But as of 10:00 PM tonight, it did the trick.

__________________________________________________

Speaking of the NSA, here is tonight's ditty from the official, lefty, blah, blah, blah of The PC Blog, Roy Zimmerman.

"Hello, NSA."