Where Are My Keys?

Blaming the victim..

Here in Denver, we had a dramatic rescue the other day.  A dog fell through some ice on a local lake, and couldn't get out.  Fire and Rescue showed up, and was able to pluck the pooch from the icy water.  The local NBC affiliate, 9 News, had the owner, the pooch, and the fireman that rescued him on the morning news yesterday to celebrate the happy ending.

As the anchor got out of her chair, kneeling on the floor next to the dog, she got up in his face a little, and got a bite to her face.  The fireman jumped right in, gave her first aid, and got her to the hospital.  She had surgery, and is recovering from a bite to the lip.

 

The owner of the dog was then cited for not having the dog on a leash, and the dog is now quarantined for 10 days to observe for any signs of rabies.

This poor dog was obviously still traumatized by the initial incident, and is then placed in a television studio, a place full of unfamiliar sights and sounds.  Then a stranger gets too close, and he reacts in defense.

And now the owner gets a citation, and loses his dog for 10 days.  The dog, still recovering from a terrible experience in a frozen lake, is now forced to be away from home and his owner for 10 days, probably scared and confused as to what is happening around him.

I feel for the anchor getting bit, but doesn't every parent teach their child to use caution around strange animals?

Obama hates jobs and tax cuts..

Congressional Republicans offered a plan to extend the Obama Payroll Tax Cuts by cutting spending, and adding jobs.  Naturally, the White House didn't like it:

 The White House rejected on Friday the latest proposal from Republicans in Congress on a payroll tax cut, saying its costs needed to be offset in a balanced away and not with budget cuts exempting the rich.

"We are open to looking at other ways to pay for this, but they have to be economically responsible and fair," White House spokesman Jay Carney said. "It is important that the overall package meet the standards the president has set."

Republicans have proposed that the payroll tax cut be paid for with an extension of a pay freeze for federal workers, changes to civilian federal retiree benefits and other reforms, including gradual increases in Medicare health premiums for the elderly and a clampdown on assistance to illegal immigrants.

They have also sought to tie the payroll tax extension - a key component of President Barack Obama's $447 billion set of proposals to boost hiring - to the approval of TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport Canadian oil to Texas.

It's funny.  I see that one guy on MSNBC talking about how America used to dare to build big, National projects, yet when an actual big, National project is available-building a pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico-Democrats starting averting their eyes, and pick pieces of invisible lint off their pants.

 

I'll never understand why this ALWAYS happens..

Regardless of where you sit politically, why put something out there that will alienate half of your potential client base?  While I don't think Maroon 5 will suffer the same fate as the Dixie Chicks, did the lead singer learn nothing from that episode?

More Governorship goodness from California..

The Governor has decided that it's okay for the police to search your cell phone and its contents without a warrant.

What is especially interesting is that the State Legislature voted for this bill 70-0, and Governor Brown took the side of the Justices, and not the lawmakers.  The Senate voted 32-4.

I'm sure money, politics, and a re-election bid had nothing to do with the decision by Brown.

Think Progress is stupid..

I know, I know.

They have a piece explaining how the NFL is so awesome, because thy follow "progressive" principles.

As the NFL begins a new season this weekend, America will celebrate the sport not just as a wonderful national pastime, but also as a prime example of progressive policies in action. We’ve cataloged seven unique ways in which the NFL is strengthened by its progressive approach to the sport, including equality, fairness, and diversity.

They go on to list the following seven items:

1. Revenue sharing
2. Salary cap
3. Strong unions
4. Affirmative action
5. Progressive draft system
6. Schedule equalizing
7. Socialistic Super Bowl Champion

On the surface, and to Libs that don't know much about the NFL, the items sound awesome and Utopian.  But how many of these seven bits of Progressive amazingness benefits the players ("workers", if you will), and how many help the owners ("Corporations")?

Revenue sharing is in place to help the small market teams (like Kansas City) compete with the big market teams like New York.  This helps keep a level playing field.  For the Owners.  (Workers 0, Corporations 1)

Salary cap decrees that eachteam has the same pool of money to spend on total team salaries.  This way, NFL teams in big markets can't "buy" all the best players (like the Yankees do in baseball).  So the overall worth a player (worker) has is limited.  The Owner only has a finite amount of money to work with, limiting the player's earning potential.  (Workers 0, Corporations 2)

Strong Unions exist on both sides.  The average player lasts about three seasons in the NFL.  The average owner passes the team down to family members (Rooney's, Mara's, etc).  The NFL doesn't have guaranteed contracts.  Player can sign a $100 million contract today, get cut tomorrow, and there is no money there.  Contrast that with the NBA, where money in guaranteed, and many over-priced athletes are sitting at the end of the bench getting paid).  The players were able to extract better long-term health care from the owners in this last negotiation, The owners were able to get concessions as well.  Call this one a draw.  (Workers 1, Corporations 3)

Affirmative action sounds like a great idea on its face-Teams are required to interview minority coaches when there is a head coach opening.  And then they go ahead and hire the white guy anyway.  It's a dog and pony show, and everyone knows it.  Think I'm lying?  Then explain how Wade Phillips continues to get head coaching jobs in this league.  (Workers 1, Corporations 4)

A Progressive draft system makes perfect sense.  The worst team gets the first pick.  This benefits the Owners 100%, as bad teams are able to rebuild quicker (on the backs of the better workers from College).  This benefits the Corporation 100%.  (Workers 1, Corporations 5)

Schedule equalizing allows the bad teams to play bad teams (along with the regular Division games that happen every year).  Makes sense, as the fans who buy the tickets want to see their team win a few games.  If the Team doesn't win, the tickets don't get sold.  And then the Owners don't make any money.  Another program that benefits the Corporation.  (Workers 1, Corporations 6)

Socialistic Super Bowl Champions refers to the Green Bay Packers, last year's winners.  They are the only Pro team (in any league: NHL, MLB, NBA, NFL) in the USA that is owned by the public.  They won their last Championship back in the mid-90's, when Bret Favre was 43.  It's not like they do this every year, like the Patriots used to do.  This one doesn't really favor the Workers or the Corporations directly, so neither side gets a point.  (Workers 1, Corporations 6)

In reality, the NFL is driven by one thing.  Money.  And the policies that Think Progress holds up so highly reward the Corporation many times more than the Worker.

I hope Soros is happy with his "investment", 'cause those guys are really wasting his money with this crap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not angry about who made the list..

But more curious about why someone thought having a list of the "Worst People of All Time" was an appropriate thing to put in a middle school yearbook in the first place.

Aren't yearbooks supposed to have things like "Top 5 songs of 2010", and who won the Super Bowl?

Those Lefties just can't let it go with Bush, can they?

Worst. Movie. Ever.

There was nothing on TV last night, so I dialed up the Adam Sandler movie Grown Ups.  Figured there would be some chemistry between the guys on-screen, as they are buddies in real life.  There were a few good one liners and "burns", but the movie was otherwise awful.  There was one saving grace, the scene in which the daughter of one the characters is trying to fix her broken car.  I'll save you 100 minutes of torture, and give you the goods.

 

 

Even in "retirement", he's lame..

Earlier today, I tweeted about Gil Meche and Keith Olbermann.  If you are not familiar with Meche, he is the Kansas City Royals pitcher that was due to earn $12 million this year.  All he had to do was show up at Spring Training, toss a few pitches, and retire.  At that point he would have received the full salary he was due to make from his contract.

Instead, Meche did something incredible.

He chose not to show up and collect his paycheck.  He felt that he wasn't producing what he was being paid to do, so he did the honorable thing, and saved the Royals $12 million.

Think about that for a second. 

Dude could have shown up, gone through the motions, and walked away with $12 million in his pocket.

Anyway, it made me think of another person that hadn't been pulling his weight recently.  I tweeted this message earlier this afternoon:

@WAMK Madeline's Dad

Gil Meche gave back $12 mil 2 his boss cause his job perf was awful as of late. Why didn't @KeithOlbermanndo the same when he left MSNBC?

6 hours ago via Twitter for Android  Favorite  Reply  Delete

What's the best retort the highest rated former host at MSNBC could come back with?

@KeithOlbermannKeith Olbermann

@WAMK Really - you procreated? Why?

4 hours ago via web  Favorite  Retweet  Reply

Pitiful. 

I guess this is where I could make a comment telling Mr. Olbermann that I procreated to bring something beautiful into this World, but he probably wouldn't understand.  He does seem to have issues with successful, strong, beautiful women (like my daughter).  For some reason, (at least) one of them had to almost had to get a restraining order against his advances.

I could try and explain to Mr. Olbermann that I procreated to teach my young daughter about ethics, and character, and doing the right thing, but as he reportedly let his staff know of his show ending at the same time his viewers learned of it, he probably wouldn't understand.

In closing, I could make the attempt to let Mr. Olbermann know that the fetching Mrs. P and I decided to bring this perfect child into this world to help make it a better place.  My daughter is smart, polite, sensitive, caring, and has a heart as big as the ocean is deep.  Every day I spend on this planet is better than the one before it, thanks to her.  But since all Olbermann has is a shoebox full of old baseball cards and pink slips, he probably wouldn't get it.

I can understand that he is upset.  He lost a great job at ESPN, got booted off Football Night in America, and now lost his job as the highest-rated host on any Network not named FOX.  But if he expects to get a decent job in the near future, dude has to work on something better than that as a comeback.

Good night, and good riddance.

 

TPaw just removed himself from a Presidential run..

Don't waste your time in Iowa, Mr. Pawlenty.

Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty this morning added to the political debate about the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords by taking exception to Sarah Palin's use of cross hairs on a 2010 election map.

A map on a Palin website about lawmakers targeted for defeat depicted cross hairs over the Arizona district of Giffords and 19 others in swing districts. Rebecca Mansour, an aide to Palin, dismissed criticism that the imagery was intended to provoke violence.

Pawlenty, who could find himself running against Palin in the 2012 GOP presidential primaries, said "it wouldn't have been my style to put the cross hairs on there" in an interview on ABC's Good Morning America.

He then added: "But again there is no evidence to suggest that it had anything to do with this mentally unstable person's rage and senseless act in Arizona."

Pawlenty is promoting his memoir on talk shows and other appearances. He has said he'll decide this spring if he will run for the White House next year.

34 warships? +++UPDATED+++

WTF?

I can't recall any President ever travelling with this kind of armament.  Raises a few questions in my mind:

1. If it is that dangerous to travel someplace that it requires an escort of 34 warships, WHY ARE YOU GOING THERE?  Why is he putting himself in a position of danger?  FOR WHAT?
2. Has anyone asked the Secret Service if they recommend the President make this trip?
3. Why are they removing coconuts from the trees?
4. What is the purpose of his trip, and what do the U.S. Taxpayers getting for their money?
5. 3,000 people in the entourage?  Why am I paying for this trip?

The fetching Mrs. P got freaked out today that I am running at 6 a.m., and it is still dark out (come on, Daylight Savings!).  She's worried I'll get clipped by a half-asleep driver that isn't paying attention.  The President is travelling to a Country that is so unsafe that it requires an escort of 34 warships.  He's not going to a Global Summit on Peace.  He's going to check out the festival of lights.  To go see the Gandhi museum.  I can only imagine how the First Lady feels about this trip.

What is the upside for making this trip?

 +++UPDATE+++

It appears the Indian Press has taken some liberties with the facts.