Obama, do something, would ya?

Well, I'm not exactly what one might call, a democrat. Nor am I really republican, but that's a whole different post. We'll stick with, not being a democrat, for the sake of argument today. See, I'm watching this whole thing go down in the gulf and I'm as appalled as anyone about the blame game being played between BP, Transocean and Cheney Inc...I mean Haliburton. I am by no means defending any of them. But I've got to step in an defend Mr. President on this one. If I hear one more person say "Obama should have done more!" or "Why hasn't Obama accomplished more in stopping this spill?" or "Shit, this Obama dude just let all us people and animals down here suffer." I swear, I will eat a baby seal.

People, what do you expect Obama to do? Swim down to the bottom of the ocean dressed as Aquaman, call all his fishy friends to help him plug the well?



Or maybe he could have personally taken over the role of BP's disaster management team and use his vast knowledge of off-shore oil well engineering, obtained at University of Hawaii, to devise a plan that would stop the leak!



I know, call the BP executives three times a day every day asking for an update, then he could have held the BP executive's families hostage until there was a resolution!



Or maybe fine BP an additional baggillion dollars a day for every day the hole is still leaking!

Ok, I think you get the picture. My point is, his hands are tied. Is there really something he can do, other than continue to publicly hold BP accountable for their actions, delays, and errors. Was his schedule supposed to stop because there's an oil spill? Did the wars, economy and unemployment all suddenly get resolved so that he can stand on the Louisiana coast to keep a watchful eye out over the shore line?

Grow up people.

-JB

Strange Goings On...

Nothing that happens in this city will ever really surprise me, any of you that have ever lived in a real city will understand this. When you take 3 million people and pack them into a geographic area at the rate of 12,000 +/- per mile you're bound to get the strangest of the strange taking place.

This weekend was no exception, in fact some of the random events happened not only in my neighborhood, but on my block! I think it all really started Friday; this city has an energy like no other, it's got a mood that hangs in the air, and if you listen to it you can sense it, you can feel it's mood and you get drawn in. It's powerful, it's beautiful! It can be uplifting or it can be dark. On this particular Friday it was an upbeat energy that put a smile on my face as I walked home in the wind. It was a goofy smile, the wind was bringing a storm but the sky was blue. I couldn't help but notice that the energy was happy and high, but a little off.

So, I have a few post-work cocktails at home, and I get tired, it had been a long week, and I was sick and whatever...so I go to bed. Sometime around 4 or 4:30 am I wake up to sirens. Not really normal for sirens to wake me up, they go by all night every night, you learn to sleep through them. So, they wake me up but go quiet right away so I fall back asleep. A second later I hear more, and they go quiet again. Now, if you know anything about the usage of sirens, they're on while in route but turned off while on scene. Well, since I didn't hear them off in the distance moving away I quickly determined that they must be on scene, near by. So I looked out the window and BOOM there they are. Right in front of my building. A fire truck and 4 cop cars. Being that it's 4am and I have neither the desire to get dressed nor be the guy interviewed by the news crew wearing boxers and a Van Halen t-shirt who says something like "Well, what had happen' was that I heard this big crash and then like the sirens come flashin' down the street. So I came out to see what was goin' on ya know"; I went back to sleep.

In the morning I took the dog out and BLAM there it was...the Ford Candy Red Metallic color glistening in the sun...the front bumper of a Mustang...in the garbage can. I headed the half block west to Morgan and as I turned south car parts were everywhere. Foam inserts, fiberglass panels, headlamp assemblies, front grills. Then I saw what ha' happen...two parked cars looked like they had been involved in a 40mph t-bone. Broken rocker arms, pieces of red fiberglass sticking out of the aluminium body panels of the Jaguar. Swooping tire tracks all over the street told the rest of the story; Allegedly, two drunk asses, driving a rear-wheel drive sports car in the ran, way too fast had lost control and fishtailed into the two parked cars. The red mustang spun at least once in the street coming to a complete stop just short of the intersection, but facing the wrong direction. The vehicle occupants fled the scene on foot, most likely heading east bound on Madison.

After viewing the tragic aftermath I kinda wish I had gone running outside to be on scene and snap cell phone pics! Oh, well. Next time.

So then, as Dakota and I continue on our walk I met a new person!! I always get excited to meet new people. To lead into this chance meeting I need to give you a little background on my 'hood. My neighborhood's fame began in 1886 after the events that unfolded during the Haymarket Massacre, it continued to be a very rough industrial neighborhood until as recent as 6 years ago when yuppie condos started popping up in all the old brick warehouses. Now that the yuppies have all moved in, the streets are pretty clean, for the most part. One issue we still face is the fact we are wedged between the cities West Side (very rough) and the business district (where all the bums go beg).

Now most the bums in our area are very transient, they're basically moving from the ghetto to collection points around the city, we just happen to be the buffer between the two. So as Dakota and I make the turn from Aberdeen to Adams, I see this sweet little old lady packing up her "bed" into her grocery cart. Ruby seems like a nice lady, over the course of the weekend I saw here sitting on a milk crate in front of Starbucks, then enjoying the sun in the empty lot across the street, then bedding down for the night in the alley on the block west of Morgan. She's quiet, doesn't cuss or yell at newspaper boxes so no complaints.

So as it turns out there was also an immigration reform march that afternoon as well. An three-mile long march down Washington street from Union Park to Daley Plaza (That's where they got that Picasso!!). Now this was no surprise, as it happens every May 1st, what came as the surprise was the dramatic and visible increase in police presence over the previous years. In reaction to the law passed in Arizona the police were ready for a potentially more vocal and aggressive group this year. What really got my attention thought, was the Illinois State Police marching down Madison (a block south of Washington) in full riot gear. Made you think about the riots going on in Bangkok, the riots in Greece and the reaction many other anti-government actions receive around the world. This kind of police presence can be a daily event in most other nations, and nearly every rally by the people draws this kind of attention by the authorities. There are frequent protests and rallies in this city. All draw special attention from the city police, as they should, but never have I had the state police march into my city with batons and shields, ready for action...

This all leaves me to ask one question.

Militia

I've discussed this before, and am doing so again for two reasons. First, it is something that I feel strongly about. Second, it has come back into the forefront of the news and it is again being handled irresponsibly by the media. I'll start with this:

Amendment II
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.



This is a very powerful right. We, as free citizens of this nation, have the Constitutional right to maintain a well regulated militia and have the right to responsibly own guns. The intention of these rights was to allow the People the ability to protect themselves from foreign or domestic threats.

Scenario #1: Think about this, a boat lands on the North Carolina coast in the middle of the night. 1500 foreign troops quietly move into the sleepy little town of Duck. They take control of the town and use it as a staging point for an all out attack on American soil. Far fetched, yes, but possible. On September 9th, 2001, how likely was it that people could hijack 4 planes and fly them into buildings?

Scenario #2: President Obama pulls out his birth certificate and it's Malaysian. At that same moment he declares himself all powerful Dictator B. Hussein Obama, and his loyal troops move into Congress and massacre the elected officials.

Scenario #3: Scenario #1 or #2 play out. The American People take up their arms and take their country back. That is why we have militias at the ready at all times. They are not proactive assholes waiting to attack a representative of the American government. One more time for my Hutaree readers...A MILITIA IS NOT PROACTIVE, it is defensive. If it was proactive, why didn't Dick Cheney and Karl Rove employ them as a means to keep the office for the Evil Empire they had worked so hard on?

Terrorist organizations like Hutaree have ruined the perception of what a militia is or should be. Many American look at militias as dangerous, scary hillbillies playing dueling banjos
, the truth is a militia is just a group of red blooded Americans that enjoy their freedoms enough to be ready to defend them at times of distress.



As a gun owning (see photo, 4 more not pictured), freedom loving, government questioning, blue collar, rednecked, American...all I ask is that you educate yourself about the true meaning of a militia (not an extremist "christian" militia) before you judge. And I'll promise you the same!

-JB

Are we really this stupid?

Quite frankly I’m disappointed in this countries short sightedness. I get that we are a live for the moment society where we’re more than willing to spend $150 on a night out with friends, but can’t muster the energy to throw $100 each month into a retirement account. And long term planning isn’t about leaving money for your kids; it’s about eating after you quit working. However, this post isn’t about retirement or financial goals, so I won’t dwell on it. It’s about the stupidity that runs rampant in this great nation of ours and our willingness to consciously overlook the bigger picture if it means we’re right in the present.

Let me first touch on something I really don’t want to spend a lot of time with, but need to address. Guess what people, it’s February. It’s winter in North America. And that means snow. It always has and always will. Now, I get that the snow in D.C. broke a 110 year record, and it’s expected to snow in Hot-lanta and Mobile, Alabama. But all this means is that it’s winter time. This has nothing to do with disproving global warming. Let me say this again, just because it’s snowing record amounts and in place it doesn’t normally happen, does not mean that global warming is false. In fact, it proves it.

These wack-job jaggoffs in D.C. that think they can use the snow as a political tool to shoot down climate bills and “embarrass” the current administration are the same assholes that you voted into office, over and over again. These clowns are exactly what is wrong with our nation’s government and anyone that believes a word this faulkers say is exactly what is wrong with our country.
No, I’m no tree-huggin’, green party, Al Gore worshiping asshole that smoked too much dank in college to know my ass from a hole in the ground, but I do believe that there is this thing called science. And if we take two seconds to understand it, we’ll get what’s going on. And you won’t need a meteorology degree to grasp this…

First, one storm proves nothing. Yes, an extremely rare, intense snowstorm dumped feet on a region that barely gets a dusting. But did you also hear that Vancouver is trucking in and making snow for the winter Olympics? How does that play into you scheme? Or does it not count ‘cause they’re Canadian?

Next, there is this little thing that you may or may not have heard of called…El Niño (Spanish for “the niño). Here’s how this works…the surface of the Pacific Ocean warms up, causing a shift in the jet stream, developing and redirecting winter weather systems south of their typical paths. Now the intensity of this shift and size of the systems it brings increase in direct correlation with the temperature change. Meaning the warmer the surface of the ocean, the more intense the systems are. So, what this means…if we are experiencing a general warming of the earth’s climate, that would mean that the temperature of the Pacific Ocean’s surface would also increase…bringing more intense winter weather to southern regions of the country that don’t typically see more than a light flurry.

look! the northwest is hot while the southeast is cold?

One more time for Glenn Beck…global climate shift (commonly known as global warming) has caused the temperature of the earth’s surface to increase (which includes the Pacific Ocean). The warming of the ocean’s surface has and will always cause a shift in the jet stream which brings winter weather into the United States. The warmer the temperature, the more intense the weather systems…they kind we haven’t seen in 110 years, because our overall global surface temperature has increased to levels never recorded in human history due to…global climate shift (or Global Warming). Taa-Daa!!! This ain’t magic kids, it’s called science! I know you right-wing creationist don’t believe that science exists and that “God” personally controls every single thing that happens on this earth, but that’s just your own insecurities in your ability to make your own decisions and your desire to push the accountability onto something other than yourself.

Tomorrow we discuss the rise and fall of Toyota and why it shouldn’t be a surprise.

-JB

Thank You Canada!

"China isn't putting up the money, and Mexico isn't putting up the money," said Tony Clement, Canada's Minister of Industry. "But if we're putting up the money, just as the Americans are, then we have the right to protect our production capacity."

This says it all. Our administration is pushing GM into bankrupcy (not a problem, I get that, that's what happens when you take the feds money) and GM wants to ship factories over seas?? YOU ARE OWNED BY THE TAXPAYER!!!!! Give them jobs. I don't even care if they are crap jobs with no heathcare, a job is a job! Obama, take a cue from the Canadians and tell GM no american jobs, no taxpayer dollars. I don't want to be in the hook for a company that manufactures their product overseas. If GM wants to ship their labor to China and Mexico then they should lose all access to bailout funds and be allowed to collapse under their own weight!

The First Amendment...

Please, use this amendment wisely. I am a strong supporter of the Bill of Rights. I believe they are all important and still relevant today, but please use them wisely...especially the first amendment.

Lets take a look at it:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Part 1: "...no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof:" They can't tell you what to believe or how to practice it. As long as your religion and the practice thereof does not harm, impede or contradict the rights of others. So you can't kill someone cause your religion says to. Part 1...easy.

Part 2: "...or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;" This gives you the write to speak out against the government, tell them what you think, tell your neighbor or produce an article calling the president/senator/governor a goof with out getting arrested or killed and stuff. It does not give you the right to be a fuckin' prick or be disrespectful (that is your right as a human) so don't cite "your 1st amendment rights" when you tell your buddy to ... and there is an eight year old and her mom sitting next to you on the train. That just reduces the value of the actually meaning of the amendment.

Part 3: "...or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Ok, this one is kind of a hot button right now. The whole "Tea Party" today got me thinking and spurred this entire post. YES, you have the right to peaceably assemble, protest, fight for what you believe in. And intelligence is not a pre-requisite. But think about what you put on that sharpie sign you made. I saw someone at the "Tea Party" in Chicago today it read: "Don't Spread My Wealth, Spread My Work Ethic." Here is my issue with this, IF YOU HAVE THIS AMAZING WORK ETHIC THAT WILL SAVE THE ECONOMY WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU AT A PROTEST ON A WEDNESDAY AT 10AM??? Should you be working? Really, come on now.

Anyway, that's all I had to say. One last bit of food for thought...

"I disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it." Voltaire 1694-1778 (or maybe said by someone later about Voltaire's attitude)

Letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

Ok, so not sure how this works. I haven't needed to ask for anything in a long time, but I really need to this time. So my dad found out last week that he is losing his job in January and I am really worried that he won't be able to find a new job (you see a lot of people don't like him all that much). He has had this job for 8 years now, and we thought he would be all set because my grandpa got it for him. But for some reason they don't want him back anymore. When he heard this he tried to get the job for a friend of his so that he could still hang around and maybe they would let him help out, but his friend is kinda old and crazy so they didn't want him to have the job. Anyway, what I really want is a new dog. You see our dog bit someone the other day, he's old and cranky and the guy got in his face and it...whatever. Plus, the dog likes my sister more, so I want my own. Besides, his name is stupid, she named him after that retarded dinosaur from tv when we were little.
Oh and I almost forgot, we are moving in January so for next year I will need to send you our new address. Not sure where we'll be, probably back in podunk Texas. Thanks in advance for the puppy Santa.

Jenna Bush

Most Recent Sex Scandal

By now Eliot Spitzer and his $84,000 Girl Gone Wild is old news. Headlines of David Paterson's evenings at the Days Inn has come and gone. And The Hip-Hop Mayor Kilpatrick's case is just beginning to unfold.

But this is hot off the press...these pics have just surfaced!!!!!

White House aides have denied any "relationship" between Mr. President and Ms. Bunny exists and they were discussing environmental issues. But an anonymous source stated these photos were taken moments before they escaped to the confines of the White House and "...went at it like rabbits!"