Seems Tom Daschle, nominated to run the Department of Health and Human Services, "forgot" to pay well over $100,000 in taxes on services rendered. Kind of like Tim Geithner, now the Treasury Secretary "forgot" to pay some taxes as well.
How is it that these rich and/or powerful people "forget" to pay their taxes? They must subscribe to the Steve Martin Theory of Tax Paying. In one of his bits from the '70s, Martin came up with an idea on how to be a millionaire and never pay taxes. First, his theory went, get a million dollars. Then, don't pay any taxes. And when you're arrested, and brought to court, and the judge asks you, "Why didn't you pay any taxes?" you simply use two words, two simple words in the English language: "I forgot."
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Final Thoughts (for now) on Blago
Ding dong, the wicked governor is dead. At least his career is.
Of course there are second acts in American life, despite rumors to the contrary. Richard Nixon came back from the political dead to become president. Kurt Warner comes back from the football dead tomorrow, after a number of years of injuries, backing up, and ineffectiveness, to QB the Arizona Cardinals in a Super Bowl.
But WWBD - What Would Blago Do? I think the political sphere is truly lost to him, certainly in the state of Illinois, where he can no longer legally hold office. Perhaps once he gets out of prison, and he will do time eventually, he could become a television preacher. He's got the hair for it.
Jon Kass wrote an interesting column in the Chicago Tribune, suggesting that Blagojevich, an avid runner, should run himself right downtown to the Federal Building, home of federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, and start talking.
But what has Blago got to talk about? Blagos self-centered arrogance alienated him from many of the big players in Illinois the last few years, and those who still talked to him and did business with him, like power broker/contractor Bill Cellini, or Anton Reszko, are already indicted, and quite possibly doing some talking themselves. Unless Blago has something on President Obama, he's got nothing. He certainly doesn't have anything on Richard II, King of Chicago. The late King Richard I was a Master of Puppetry; he knew how to pull the strings on thousands of puppets without anyone being able to see where the strings led. Richard I taught his son well, and odds are there will never be someone named Daley indicted in the state of Illinois.
The only possibility for Blago is to do something nice for his wife. Patty Blagojevich, holder of a real estate license, is under investigation by Fitzgerald's office for business dealings. Rod could plead guilty and save the wife from prosecution. Of course, there is very little, especially recently, in the long and stupid saga of Rod Blagojevich that shows he is a stand up guy. From my perspective, Rod is the kind of guy who will throw his wife under the bus if he can gain something from it. The Blago Saga will drag out, and it will be an ugly spectacle.
Of course there are second acts in American life, despite rumors to the contrary. Richard Nixon came back from the political dead to become president. Kurt Warner comes back from the football dead tomorrow, after a number of years of injuries, backing up, and ineffectiveness, to QB the Arizona Cardinals in a Super Bowl.
But WWBD - What Would Blago Do? I think the political sphere is truly lost to him, certainly in the state of Illinois, where he can no longer legally hold office. Perhaps once he gets out of prison, and he will do time eventually, he could become a television preacher. He's got the hair for it.
Jon Kass wrote an interesting column in the Chicago Tribune, suggesting that Blagojevich, an avid runner, should run himself right downtown to the Federal Building, home of federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, and start talking.
But what has Blago got to talk about? Blagos self-centered arrogance alienated him from many of the big players in Illinois the last few years, and those who still talked to him and did business with him, like power broker/contractor Bill Cellini, or Anton Reszko, are already indicted, and quite possibly doing some talking themselves. Unless Blago has something on President Obama, he's got nothing. He certainly doesn't have anything on Richard II, King of Chicago. The late King Richard I was a Master of Puppetry; he knew how to pull the strings on thousands of puppets without anyone being able to see where the strings led. Richard I taught his son well, and odds are there will never be someone named Daley indicted in the state of Illinois.
The only possibility for Blago is to do something nice for his wife. Patty Blagojevich, holder of a real estate license, is under investigation by Fitzgerald's office for business dealings. Rod could plead guilty and save the wife from prosecution. Of course, there is very little, especially recently, in the long and stupid saga of Rod Blagojevich that shows he is a stand up guy. From my perspective, Rod is the kind of guy who will throw his wife under the bus if he can gain something from it. The Blago Saga will drag out, and it will be an ugly spectacle.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Pond Scum To Visit Springfield
Governor Pond Scum has decided to grace the Illinois capital city with his presence tomorrow, and will even appear before the state senate that will impeach him. He's refused to appear before this "kangaroo court" until now. What changed his mind?
Will he filibuster the senate so that they can't take a vote on removing him from office? Will he speak, as did the Jimmy Stewart character in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," until he is horse, then faint and fall to the floor?
Or will he spend the 9o minutes he's asked for shouting obscenities at his enemies and giving the Senate the finger? Now that would be interesting.
Or will he recite poems?
One never knows with this guy what he will do. I spend my time trying to figure out if Pond Scum is intelligent or crazy or both. Maybe deep down, he really does believe he's done nothing wrong and this whole thing has been a merry mix-up. Maybe Pond Scum is seriously, deeply OJ kind of delusional.
Whatever. The Pond Scum show, at least as far as his time as governor is concerned, is at an end.
Will he filibuster the senate so that they can't take a vote on removing him from office? Will he speak, as did the Jimmy Stewart character in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," until he is horse, then faint and fall to the floor?
Or will he spend the 9o minutes he's asked for shouting obscenities at his enemies and giving the Senate the finger? Now that would be interesting.
Or will he recite poems?
One never knows with this guy what he will do. I spend my time trying to figure out if Pond Scum is intelligent or crazy or both. Maybe deep down, he really does believe he's done nothing wrong and this whole thing has been a merry mix-up. Maybe Pond Scum is seriously, deeply OJ kind of delusional.
Whatever. The Pond Scum show, at least as far as his time as governor is concerned, is at an end.
Obama Watch: Ha Ha, Mr. Geithner
Timothy Geithner was sworn in as Treasury Secretary. A guy who "forgot" to pay some taxes once. Tens of thousands of dollars in taxes. This makes him qualified to be Treasury Secretary?
Obama Watch: Yes, Virginia, There Is a Liberal Media Bias
So, I was skimming an article in The Huffington Post. In it, the author referred to President Obama's "mandate for change." I'll agree, there were enough people fed up with Bush and the Republicans to insure a Democratic president. But, a "mandate for change"? Please. Obama got 53% of the popular vote. That's not exactly overwhelming, not exactly what I would call a "mandate."
But with 53% of the vote, Obamaniacs in the media think the One is a uniter, but when Bush got 51% of the vote in 2004, they called him a divider. Why, yes, Virginia, there is a liberal media bias.
But with 53% of the vote, Obamaniacs in the media think the One is a uniter, but when Bush got 51% of the vote in 2004, they called him a divider. Why, yes, Virginia, there is a liberal media bias.
I Sit Corrected: Blago Will Not Resign
I assumed (and you know, when you assume, you...) that an impeached governor would not receive his pension. Ho ho, how silly of me to think that. Governor Pond Scum (D-IL) will indeed receive a pension when (not if) he is impeached. Only being convicted in a federal court will cause the gov to lose his pension, so I guess that means he will lose it eventually. This is why Pond Scum has not resigned yet, nor will he.
Nice gig, where you can be the most corrupt, insane governor ever, the first ever to be impeached, and you still get to keep your pension. I need me a job like that. Of course, I still have a shred of dignity and I'm not a sociopath, so maybe I just don't have what it takes to rule the great state of Illinois.
Nice gig, where you can be the most corrupt, insane governor ever, the first ever to be impeached, and you still get to keep your pension. I need me a job like that. Of course, I still have a shred of dignity and I'm not a sociopath, so maybe I just don't have what it takes to rule the great state of Illinois.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Obama the Hypocrite, Part One
Read this article, and you will see why the Obama administration will be one of great ideals and great hypocrisy. This will be the first of what I'm sure will be many instances of rampant Obama hypocrisy. To those of you who are staunch supporters of The One, let me know when the time comes and you finally break down and realize The One is Just Another Politician. I'm looking forward to hearing from you, if you're honest enough to come to that conclusion over time.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
We now return to our irregular programming
The greatest metal band (if, indeed, that's what they are) pays tribute to the greatest punk band.
How about this shit? The Ramones doing "Judy Is a Punk" at CBGB's in 1974, two years before their first album came out. Now, 3/4 of the Ramones are dead, and CBGB's is no more.
The Ramones, in one of their last performances, with Rancid, doing my favorite Ramones song, "53rd and 3rd."
How about this shit? The Ramones doing "Judy Is a Punk" at CBGB's in 1974, two years before their first album came out. Now, 3/4 of the Ramones are dead, and CBGB's is no more.
The Ramones, in one of their last performances, with Rancid, doing my favorite Ramones song, "53rd and 3rd."
Prediction: Torture Will Continue
Torture will continue under the Obama administration, and I'm not talking about having to hear the song "At Last" another million times before Obama leaves office. Nice song, but enough already.
Torture is successful. Sucks to say that, but it is. Goes against normal human nature, or at least "the better angels of our nature," to come out in favor of torture, but we must, for the safety of our nation, come to an intellectual understanding that torture works.
There has not been another terrorist attack on American soil since September 11, 2001, and other attacks have been thwarted, because key players in the terrorist world were detained and "coerced" into giving up information about imminent or future attacks.
Barack Obama has proven time and again that he is a practical man. He may speak poetically of change, but he will do what he thinks necessary to successfully achieve his goals, and right now, Obama's goals are to have a terror-free first term and be re-elected in 2012.
To achieve these goals, there will continue to be what some call torture. It will not officially or publicly be condoned by the White House, but the message through back channels to those who need to know, will be to do whatever it takes to keep US safe.
Change, in this case, and I'll bet many times in the future with President Obama, will be superficial. And in this case, that's not all that bad.
Torture is successful. Sucks to say that, but it is. Goes against normal human nature, or at least "the better angels of our nature," to come out in favor of torture, but we must, for the safety of our nation, come to an intellectual understanding that torture works.
There has not been another terrorist attack on American soil since September 11, 2001, and other attacks have been thwarted, because key players in the terrorist world were detained and "coerced" into giving up information about imminent or future attacks.
Barack Obama has proven time and again that he is a practical man. He may speak poetically of change, but he will do what he thinks necessary to successfully achieve his goals, and right now, Obama's goals are to have a terror-free first term and be re-elected in 2012.
To achieve these goals, there will continue to be what some call torture. It will not officially or publicly be condoned by the White House, but the message through back channels to those who need to know, will be to do whatever it takes to keep US safe.
Change, in this case, and I'll bet many times in the future with President Obama, will be superficial. And in this case, that's not all that bad.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
WBGO Studio Session: Robert Glasper Trio "Enoch's (Inaugural) Meditation"
I am not an Obamaniac high on hopium, but I do dig what these cats are layin' down.
Can you dig it?
I knew that you could.
Can you dig it?
I knew that you could.
Yesterday (and Today): The Inaugural and the Day After
January 20, 2009 was a good day for America. Inauguration Day is always a good day, I think, no matter one's opinion of the President. I enjoy pomp and circumstance once in a while, and Americans do that best on the day of the Inaugural. The proceedings are fancy, formal and dignified, but done in democratically American way, with the center of attention being someone who is elected to the office, not a king or a queen.
And it is an especially good day when we have yet another peaceful transition of power. We've been doing that for over 200 years now. No other country can claim that kind of success. The United States really is a unique creature.
Our inauguration day is when we shine. America looks good, and it really looked good yesterday, with the bright sun beaming down on the festivities in Washington, DC, all the political types dressed up in their finery and the masses of people in front of the Capitol, the masses of ordinary Americans, waiting to see the new man (and it has, alas, always been a man) give his first speech as President.
And this new president is an indicator of where we are as a country. In case you hadn't heard, Barack Obama is the first black president, and he's got a name unlike any of the 43 white men that preceded him. The United States has come a long way in a short time, we are maturing, and, to a certain extent, we are just now fully living up to the promise of our Founding Fathers.
January 21, 2009 was a day when, briefly, every American could feel proud.
But that was yesterday. Today the honeymoon is over, Mr. President. You had a free pass for a day, now you enter the real world. Don't forget to duck when the shoes are thrown. Say what you will about George W. Bush, but he is quick and nimble.
As for Barack Obama's inaugural speech, it was alright. There was no one outstanding moment, no one line that will live on, like "...nothing to fear but fear itself," or "With malice toward none, with charity for all," but it was a good speech overall. Mostly, I think it was just...nice. It was particularly nice to see a thoughtful, intelligent president who could speak English clearly and use real words (don't misunderestimate the ability of presidents to be grammatically creative) to form sentences.
Like many of Obama's speeches, it was blandly inspirational. One could listen to it, and feel good about Obama, or the future of the country, but not really know why one feels good.
The most interesting section of the speech for me was when Obama was speaking about the US being in the midst of a crisis and how there has been a "collective failure to make hard choices and prepare for a new age." Superficially, one would think, a dig at the Bush administration. But it could also be a dig at the American people themselves who, like Bush, have long been spending money they don't have and taking out loans they can't afford to pay back.
Much of speech was a very subtle, fancifully dressed way of telling the American public that times are tough, they're going to be tough for a possibly a long time, and it they don't get fixed in four years, don't hold it against him, because he warned you things would be bad for awhile.
As I said, the honeymoon is over. Obama isn't running for anything anymore, he has to lead and attempt to play nice with others. Like both Bushes before him, and Clinton, Obama may turn out to be a guy who can get elected, he just doesn't know what to do once he has the job.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Chesley?
The media was, justifiably, fascinated, with the crash of US Airways flight 1549. And I for one am glad they were fascinated with it.
Normally the media, especially television, will focus, in the case of a disaster like a plane crash, on wreckage and death. Other stories the media focuses on, and quite a bit lately because there's been so much of it, will be tales of the corruption of elected officials (are you reading this, Rod?) and the egomania of those seeking public office (are you reading this, Roland?)
The US Airways story is the complete opposite. It is a story of good news, of people acting with intelligence and bravery, of helping those who desperately need help, in some cases, like those of the ferry operators, when it's not necessarily your job to help in a crisis. It is a story of "the better angels of our nature," of people doing what people should do, rather than what they shouldn't.
My favorite part of the story involves the pilot, for two reasons. Granted, it was way cool of him to walk up and down the aisle of the plane to make sure everyone had gotten off safely. Not once but twice did he do this. This was a Captain of the Old School, going down with his ship, if, God forbid, it went down.
Even more impressive to me was the thought process he must have gone through after finding out both engines of his plane were out of commission. He had to be thinking about possible landing sites - back to La Guardia? can I make it to Teterboro? if I don't make it to either one I may go down in a densely populated neighborhood, I better make a water landing on the Hudson. Wow. That's a lot to think about, and very quickly too.
Know what's even better? The pilots name is Chesley. Who the heck names their kid Chesley? What kind of name is that? I've never heard of it before. He had to be tough to get through his early life with a name like Chesley. Maybe that's why he became a pilot. And thank God for all those 150-plus people on board that plane that he did become a pilot.
It's a great feel good story. Makes you proud to be part of the human race. Focus on it. The Huffington Post has a nice array of the coverage.
Normally the media, especially television, will focus, in the case of a disaster like a plane crash, on wreckage and death. Other stories the media focuses on, and quite a bit lately because there's been so much of it, will be tales of the corruption of elected officials (are you reading this, Rod?) and the egomania of those seeking public office (are you reading this, Roland?)
The US Airways story is the complete opposite. It is a story of good news, of people acting with intelligence and bravery, of helping those who desperately need help, in some cases, like those of the ferry operators, when it's not necessarily your job to help in a crisis. It is a story of "the better angels of our nature," of people doing what people should do, rather than what they shouldn't.
My favorite part of the story involves the pilot, for two reasons. Granted, it was way cool of him to walk up and down the aisle of the plane to make sure everyone had gotten off safely. Not once but twice did he do this. This was a Captain of the Old School, going down with his ship, if, God forbid, it went down.
Even more impressive to me was the thought process he must have gone through after finding out both engines of his plane were out of commission. He had to be thinking about possible landing sites - back to La Guardia? can I make it to Teterboro? if I don't make it to either one I may go down in a densely populated neighborhood, I better make a water landing on the Hudson. Wow. That's a lot to think about, and very quickly too.
Know what's even better? The pilots name is Chesley. Who the heck names their kid Chesley? What kind of name is that? I've never heard of it before. He had to be tough to get through his early life with a name like Chesley. Maybe that's why he became a pilot. And thank God for all those 150-plus people on board that plane that he did become a pilot.
It's a great feel good story. Makes you proud to be part of the human race. Focus on it. The Huffington Post has a nice array of the coverage.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
O, Christmas Tree
I like to have a real tree at Christmas. It's still up in the living room, even though it's January 10. Got another week or so here, I'd say. When you get up close to it, you can still get that Christmas tree aroma. Sometimes, when no one's looking, of course, I rub one of it's evergreen branches between my fingers and smell the sweet smell of Christmas tree on my hands. Better than any cologne or perfume you could buy.
Friday, January 9, 2009
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