Saturday, June 19, 2010
Colorado bound...
This time next week, I'll be in Denver, Colorado...actually, Aurora, Colorado, to be more specific. My daughter's softball team will be participating in the Colorado Sparkler, a ten-day softball extravaganza, including tournaments, showcases, clinics, camps, even all-star games. What for? Well, for the "opportunity" to compete with thousands of other teenage girls for potential spots on college softball teams...and with that, perhaps financial assistance to go along with it.
"Hey, if you've got money for competitive softball (and all it entails), including traveling ALL the way to Colorado...geez, you must be rich." Wait a minute, is that you, Jack? Oh, it's Barack, well, I guess YOU might say I'm rich...but no, I'm not "rich." Simply because I choose to help keep my daughter motivated in her formative years, by way of supporting her in "her" choice of sport, activity, etc., doesn't mean it's all about the dollar bill...but again, I digress...
Speaking of sports, the Sacramento Kings NBA basketball team completed another blockbuster trade. Apparently, the Kings just moved a couple of lightweights, specifically 22-year old Spencer Hawes, a 7-1 center averaging 10 points, 6 rebounds and a little over a block a game and Andres Nocioni, a 30 year old 6-7 forward averaging less. In exchange, the Kings take on Philadelphia 76er problem child Samuel Dalembert, a 29 year old 6-11 center whose most redeeming quality appears to be that he wanted out of Philadelphia. Well, if trades from the recent past are any indication, this might work out well...for Hawes.
Speaking of Kings, former inmate, er, I mean, forward Ron Artest finally got his World Championship ring with the Los Angeles Lakers. Naturally, he thanked those responsible for his success, including (can you believe it?) his psychiatrist. Actually, considering his mental illness, that was probably a good call. But I sort of wish he would have thanked me...since word is that upon leaving the Sacramento area, he stuck area taxpayers with a short sale bill of over three quarter of a million dollars...yeah, I know, it's not personal...but I'm still "stuck" with MY house...
Yes, the Lakers won again...Kobe (and Tiger too) made deals with the devil, for sure...and NO, I'm not a Kings fan, per se...why is it that Lakers' fans automatically assume we must be Kings' fans. Why can't we just hate So Cal? They always have to say that we're just upset because of Robert Horry's last minute game winning shot in game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference finals. I have news for Laker fan...Robert Horry's shot didn't keep the Kings from a World Title...it only kept Jason Kidd and the New Jersey Nets from THEIR first championship...think about it...
Lastly, I was going to "pen" my first editorial cartoon...it would've been beautiful. I've heard about the hypocrisy of modern day cartoonist (uh, Garry Trudeau, are you listening?)...but then, I guess it's not different than Sean Hannity or Bill O'Reilly blaming the country's woes on the left wing media. Anyway, MY cartoon will have two frames, one with a "Mission Accomplished," banner in the background and two pundits (one dressed as Groucho Marx) saying, "oh my God...how arrogant!" Then, the next frame would have a presidential press conference setting, with the same two pundits present, the president saying, "hey, I can't dive down and plug the leak...or suck up the leak with a straw," with Groucho exclaiming, "oh my God...how poignant!"
"Hey, if you've got money for competitive softball (and all it entails), including traveling ALL the way to Colorado...geez, you must be rich." Wait a minute, is that you, Jack? Oh, it's Barack, well, I guess YOU might say I'm rich...but no, I'm not "rich." Simply because I choose to help keep my daughter motivated in her formative years, by way of supporting her in "her" choice of sport, activity, etc., doesn't mean it's all about the dollar bill...but again, I digress...
Speaking of sports, the Sacramento Kings NBA basketball team completed another blockbuster trade. Apparently, the Kings just moved a couple of lightweights, specifically 22-year old Spencer Hawes, a 7-1 center averaging 10 points, 6 rebounds and a little over a block a game and Andres Nocioni, a 30 year old 6-7 forward averaging less. In exchange, the Kings take on Philadelphia 76er problem child Samuel Dalembert, a 29 year old 6-11 center whose most redeeming quality appears to be that he wanted out of Philadelphia. Well, if trades from the recent past are any indication, this might work out well...for Hawes.
Speaking of Kings, former inmate, er, I mean, forward Ron Artest finally got his World Championship ring with the Los Angeles Lakers. Naturally, he thanked those responsible for his success, including (can you believe it?) his psychiatrist. Actually, considering his mental illness, that was probably a good call. But I sort of wish he would have thanked me...since word is that upon leaving the Sacramento area, he stuck area taxpayers with a short sale bill of over three quarter of a million dollars...yeah, I know, it's not personal...but I'm still "stuck" with MY house...
Yes, the Lakers won again...Kobe (and Tiger too) made deals with the devil, for sure...and NO, I'm not a Kings fan, per se...why is it that Lakers' fans automatically assume we must be Kings' fans. Why can't we just hate So Cal? They always have to say that we're just upset because of Robert Horry's last minute game winning shot in game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference finals. I have news for Laker fan...Robert Horry's shot didn't keep the Kings from a World Title...it only kept Jason Kidd and the New Jersey Nets from THEIR first championship...think about it...
Lastly, I was going to "pen" my first editorial cartoon...it would've been beautiful. I've heard about the hypocrisy of modern day cartoonist (uh, Garry Trudeau, are you listening?)...but then, I guess it's not different than Sean Hannity or Bill O'Reilly blaming the country's woes on the left wing media. Anyway, MY cartoon will have two frames, one with a "Mission Accomplished," banner in the background and two pundits (one dressed as Groucho Marx) saying, "oh my God...how arrogant!" Then, the next frame would have a presidential press conference setting, with the same two pundits present, the president saying, "hey, I can't dive down and plug the leak...or suck up the leak with a straw," with Groucho exclaiming, "oh my God...how poignant!"
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Commitment to Mediocrity
Get used to it...I am...you don't NEED to win everything, you know? Just be in the game, play a good game...and that should be good enough. "What the hell are you friggin' talkin' about?" Oh, hello Jack...thanks for chiming in...for those of you joining us late, "Jack" would be my new alter ego, Jack Armstrong of the award-winning radio program, "The Armstrong and Getty Show." I wasn't sure it was Jack initially...that is, until his voice cracked. Anyway, let me 'splain...
Yes, I decided to join the majority of the world...not the majority of the country, mind you, but the majority of the world...in watching the FIFA World Cup (Soccer for you Yanks who haven't a clue about anything outside your own borders)...game between England and the USA. Yes, that would be ninety (that's 90) fun-filled minutes (not counting extra time to make up for time outs, etc.) of action. Yes, this is what we've come (to)...but it's not that bad.
Except for a few brief naps, I watched the entire game. I kept wondering throughout, were the Americans playing with fewer players on the field...it appeared the Brits were simply toying with the Yanks. But, you know what? The game ended in a 1-1 tie. Now wait, don't get too excited. Like I said, it appeared England was just going through the motions (oh, I don't know, so as to maintain "Western interest" in the World Cup?).
"Oh, for crying out loud. What is your freakin' problem? It's just a lousy soccer game." Now, now, Jack...look at the bigger picture, just for a moment. Isn't this what we've been searching for? I mean, if we can keep this up...and ALL of us get on board, the world might start to like us again. Being the world's superpower had it's perks, sure, but along with it, came much, MUCH hatred, not to mention responsibility, both dirty words in present day America. Now, if we could all just get along...and tie (be equal)...the world would be a happier place.
The analogy being drawn, Jack (if you must know), is that we've always gotten along well in the soccer world...because we've been mediocre...nothing wrong with that...and I believe, the way to get along well in the real world...is to embrace mediocrity...and we're well on our way...hey, if it's good enough for England...and South Africa...and Greece...well, we're no better, right?
Yes, I decided to join the majority of the world...not the majority of the country, mind you, but the majority of the world...in watching the FIFA World Cup (Soccer for you Yanks who haven't a clue about anything outside your own borders)...game between England and the USA. Yes, that would be ninety (that's 90) fun-filled minutes (not counting extra time to make up for time outs, etc.) of action. Yes, this is what we've come (to)...but it's not that bad.
Except for a few brief naps, I watched the entire game. I kept wondering throughout, were the Americans playing with fewer players on the field...it appeared the Brits were simply toying with the Yanks. But, you know what? The game ended in a 1-1 tie. Now wait, don't get too excited. Like I said, it appeared England was just going through the motions (oh, I don't know, so as to maintain "Western interest" in the World Cup?).
"Oh, for crying out loud. What is your freakin' problem? It's just a lousy soccer game." Now, now, Jack...look at the bigger picture, just for a moment. Isn't this what we've been searching for? I mean, if we can keep this up...and ALL of us get on board, the world might start to like us again. Being the world's superpower had it's perks, sure, but along with it, came much, MUCH hatred, not to mention responsibility, both dirty words in present day America. Now, if we could all just get along...and tie (be equal)...the world would be a happier place.
The analogy being drawn, Jack (if you must know), is that we've always gotten along well in the soccer world...because we've been mediocre...nothing wrong with that...and I believe, the way to get along well in the real world...is to embrace mediocrity...and we're well on our way...hey, if it's good enough for England...and South Africa...and Greece...well, we're no better, right?
Sunday, June 6, 2010
It's time to end politics as usual
Yes, it took time to think of a topic this week...well, actually to "narrow down" a topic this week as there are SO many...I mean, ANOTHER perfect game in Major League Baseball (the last one "taken away" by a bad call), thus stirring up more calls for instant replay...but seriously, my last post, the Tower of Power "Only so much oil," is soon to become a classic and I wanted to give the masses a few more days to check it out. Yeah, right...
Anyway, it's election day on Tuesday and one of the Sheriff candidates here in Sacramento County has a slogan which says, "it's time to end politics as usual...vote for Scott Jones," uh, as endorsed by retiring Sheriff John McGuiness...who was "hand picked" for the job by former Sheriff Lou Blanas...who came on the heels of former Sheriff Duane Lowe...hell, even one term former Sheriff Robbie Waters (hick!) became a city councilman in Sacramento.
When are we gonna learn? We keep electing the same bozos...and then whine that things never change. We have an excellent candidate for Sheriff here in Sacto...Jim Cooper...who has 25 years of "actual" law enforcement experience...yeah, STREET experience...patrols, jails, gangs, drugs, undercover...does he have a chance? Not if history is any lesson...
During my (pathetic?) lifetime, we've been maintaining the status quo for so long...you know, the masses v. the elites...and neither the two shall meet. If you've been around long enough, you remember "Nixon's the one," or even "I like Ike." How about Ed Muskie breaking down in New Hampshire...or Thomas Eagleton, he of the "brief" 1972 George McGovern ticket, just plain breaking down and being replaced by Sargent Shriver...
...and don't get me started about Shriver, a member of the Kennedy clan, from Joe Kennedy on down to John (JKF) Kennedy, Bobby (RFK) Kennedy, and Edward (hick!) Kennedy to Patrick Kennedy, Bobby (Jr.) Kennedy, even Caroline (Schlossberg) Kennedy. You wanna talk about "All in the Family." Geez, Edith (Bunker)...where's meathead?
Even Hollywood and former actor Ronald Reagan had his George Bush (talk about government insider)...and Alexander Haig (thus lending more credence to the military/industrial complexion of the US government)...and Donald Rumsfeld (yes, even back then). "Outsider" Jimmy Carter had his own Walter Mondale and (Energy Secretary) James Schlessinger, uh, to get us "off" of foreign oil, and National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski...
It doesn't end there!! Never had there been more of an "insider's outsider" than Bill Clinton, he of Rhodes Scholar fame. Clinton surrounded himself with outsiders like Texan Lloyd Benson (Treasury), a four term US Senator who even ran for Veep alongside Michael Dukakis, as well as Bruce Babbitt (Interior), former Arizona governor, and Bill Richardson (Energy...again!), future (and current) New Mexico governor...
Please, don't get me started on the South...pseudo home (if you don't count Maine) of George W. Bush. Plus DICK CHENEY...need I say more? I mean, wow!! When it comes right down to it, they're ALL "insiders," and it's ALL politics as usual. Well, except now we DO have an outsider in the White House. We FINALLY did something right and elected a group from outside the beltway. Yes, Barack Hussein Obama!!
Hmmm...maybe we should vote for Scott Jones and politics as usual...
Anyway, it's election day on Tuesday and one of the Sheriff candidates here in Sacramento County has a slogan which says, "it's time to end politics as usual...vote for Scott Jones," uh, as endorsed by retiring Sheriff John McGuiness...who was "hand picked" for the job by former Sheriff Lou Blanas...who came on the heels of former Sheriff Duane Lowe...hell, even one term former Sheriff Robbie Waters (hick!) became a city councilman in Sacramento.
When are we gonna learn? We keep electing the same bozos...and then whine that things never change. We have an excellent candidate for Sheriff here in Sacto...Jim Cooper...who has 25 years of "actual" law enforcement experience...yeah, STREET experience...patrols, jails, gangs, drugs, undercover...does he have a chance? Not if history is any lesson...
During my (pathetic?) lifetime, we've been maintaining the status quo for so long...you know, the masses v. the elites...and neither the two shall meet. If you've been around long enough, you remember "Nixon's the one," or even "I like Ike." How about Ed Muskie breaking down in New Hampshire...or Thomas Eagleton, he of the "brief" 1972 George McGovern ticket, just plain breaking down and being replaced by Sargent Shriver...
...and don't get me started about Shriver, a member of the Kennedy clan, from Joe Kennedy on down to John (JKF) Kennedy, Bobby (RFK) Kennedy, and Edward (hick!) Kennedy to Patrick Kennedy, Bobby (Jr.) Kennedy, even Caroline (Schlossberg) Kennedy. You wanna talk about "All in the Family." Geez, Edith (Bunker)...where's meathead?
Even Hollywood and former actor Ronald Reagan had his George Bush (talk about government insider)...and Alexander Haig (thus lending more credence to the military/industrial complexion of the US government)...and Donald Rumsfeld (yes, even back then). "Outsider" Jimmy Carter had his own Walter Mondale and (Energy Secretary) James Schlessinger, uh, to get us "off" of foreign oil, and National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski...
It doesn't end there!! Never had there been more of an "insider's outsider" than Bill Clinton, he of Rhodes Scholar fame. Clinton surrounded himself with outsiders like Texan Lloyd Benson (Treasury), a four term US Senator who even ran for Veep alongside Michael Dukakis, as well as Bruce Babbitt (Interior), former Arizona governor, and Bill Richardson (Energy...again!), future (and current) New Mexico governor...
Please, don't get me started on the South...pseudo home (if you don't count Maine) of George W. Bush. Plus DICK CHENEY...need I say more? I mean, wow!! When it comes right down to it, they're ALL "insiders," and it's ALL politics as usual. Well, except now we DO have an outsider in the White House. We FINALLY did something right and elected a group from outside the beltway. Yes, Barack Hussein Obama!!
Hmmm...maybe we should vote for Scott Jones and politics as usual...
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