If only...
Despite the fact that I do indeed like various Fox network TV shows, part of me wishes that Time Warner Cable and Fox had NOT made their deal and Fox ended up no longer on even basic cable. Then, perhaps, some of those FoxNews watchers would somehow force themselves to watch public television, or something more moderate like CNN...and then perhaps
The Daily Show. They might scream at the television at first, but then, slowly but surely, they might just end up listening...and perhpas think about what they heard...mull it over...realize that Glenn Beck is a bigoted freak - you know, stuff like that...
A girl can dream can't she?
Particularly after seeing a friend's post on Facebook about how when visiting his family in Missouri, he saw signs around the area about how Obama's out to "take our guns!"; or having my mother tell me how, when listening to a talk radio show discussing the Massachusetts Senate race, some guy said he was voting for Scott Brown [the republican candidate] as he didn't want to vote for a "socialist" [that would be Democratic and Kennedy family-endorsed candidate
Martha Coakley]...I mean come on people!!! You're drinkin' the Kool-Aid! Kool-Aid mixed by Gleen Beck and Rush Limbaugh and Brit Hume - that much hate makes it mighty bitter and most likely the color of puse, but, like drinking that mystery college bath tub punch, they are drinking it anyway...
Now mind you, Rush and his ilk joke that progressives have been drinking the Kool-Aid as well - and that Chris Dodd and *Byron Dorgan decided they'd had enough and were leaving, but, not surprisingly, they did not focus on the real reason these gentleman are
retiring. They are not tired of the "Obama Kool-Aid". They are tired of the extreme partisanship from which they cannot seem to escape, particularly now that Ted Kennedy - who could work with everybody - is no longer there as a buffer. Rush and Glenn and the rest of them can chortle over the Dems faltering, but what GOOD is such GOP pompousness actually going to elad to. It's not like they are doing this for the people. They are doing this because they can't stand the fact that they lost power. Like a cult leader trying to hold to his dwindling flock, they are going to extremes...and asking their most devout to aid them in poisoning the well water.
Luckily, should one of those most devout actually turn on - I was going say the Leher News Hour but that may be too elitist for them...start with The Daily Show...it's funny and more to the point. So say, that one of these tea Party Devotees turns on The Daily Show and actually listens to how Bush waited six days and remained on vacation when Richard Reed tried to blow up a plane (let alone wasted far too much time the morning of 9/11), and learns that conservative criticism of Obama's waiting 72 hours to respond -
while at the White House and talking to all the folks who could give him the information that woudl allow him to make a proper assessment - to the Detroit incident is actually kind of childish...petty...peevish even. The Daily Show is also a great start for the Glenn Beck Devotee as not only is it funny, it teases BOTH SIDES, unlike the majority of FoxNews programming.
The honeymoon with Obama may be over - he has comprimised a bit too much this first year in office - but, you know what? He has at least TRIED to work with the Republicans. He has TRIED to be reasonable and consider all parties. But like with many a dysfunctional office relationship, the Republicans remain the stubborn and unreasonable crazy ex you still have work with, who would rather make your life miserable than find a mature way to deal with the situation (like not doing anything about the mess they left in the office you are taking over).
Keep paying attention, people. And like all girls learn when they first go bar hopping, don't accept a drink you haven't seen poured.
Peace --Alex
*I didn't want to mention it earlier, but doesn't Byron Dorgans's name sound like part of the first part of the Def Leopard song "Photograph"? I know you heard it...
A running start into 2010...
(here's hoping I don't trip!)
So far, focus has been with me...I just hope it sticks around for the rest of the year...or heck at least for the next 6 months...it would be nice.
I can honestly say I broke in the New Year with two performances. New Year's Eve, I performed a bit of post-fireworks fire poi at our friend's dinner party. (Gotta love a woman with an Upper East Side penthouse complete with deck wide enough for me to spin). I sadly will not be able to start the year with continuing lessons, but I'll be practicing as I will need to play catch up in the summer.
New Year's Day, I got to test out some new material for
Single What? Female... at Eric Vetter's
No Name special New Year's Open Mic. A great thing about No Name and a Bag of Chips as it truly is a friendly environment at which one can comfortably test out new stuff without being heckled or have things thrown at them. I am so glad that I've been able to try things out there and will hopefully be there again in February or March with more new stuff.
Sunday, I checked out the Salon, formerly at the Algonquin and now at the BNO venue of Etcetera, Etc. I was only there the first half of the night, but had a lovely time - Julie Reyburn just rocks my socks - AND got to take the opportunity to pencil
Big Night Out in for 2/18. We may be on haitus for January, but we will be coming back big for February!
Yesterday was a big day for emailing and meeting arranging - Big Night Out AND a recital coming up! - laundry, decluttifying and I even made it to the GYM! SO nice to work out after a month of NOT. I joined the fab
Planet Fitness last month (cheap and three blocks away-how could I not?), went twice, and then...didn't while doing the Christmas show; nor during the holidays. Yesterday, I was back, and plan on being back there as regularly as possible.
Today, back at the day job, doing more meeting arranging, audition checking and figuring out where the heck I am going to get a new suitcase.
The man and I are hitting ITALY in a number of DAYS and there is nothing like realizing that the suitcase that I rolled behind me on countless trips back and forth to Boston, that survived a cross-country road trip AND Burning Man, has succumbed not only to wheel damage, but kitty puke and hairballs. I figure I could give it a final scrub, but may have to replace a wheel nonetheless. In the latest LOLcats book, there is a kitty sitting atop a suitcase basically saying to its "hooman" that it's not going anywhere. I like to suppose that out kitties have essentially declared the same thing by marking it, but I think at least one of them will be happy to have us out of her house (because, of course, it's not OUR place).
IN THE MEANTIME...the laptop will be coming with us and I will do my best to blog and see if the Italians think I'm Italian. We will be visiting my Mother-in-law as well as various cousins and seeing Italy their way.(thank you MIL for your frequent flyer miles...) I am ridiculously excited as it has been YEARS since I have been out of the country and have wanted to get back to Italy since we did a family trip when I was 17. We will be in Naples and Rome primarily with a couple of side trips to see couins as well as one layover in Amsterdam. We also do have a layover in Paris, but due to the heightened security, we may not see more than the airport. Was it wrong of me to have my first thought be, after hearing about a stifled terrorist attack Christmas Day, "DAMN YOU, TERRORIST! Charles de Gaulle is a b*tch enough to get out of and around and now we won't be able to LEAVE 'cuz of you!" We have an eight hour layover. Due to Charles de Gaulle airport being one of the most tedious airports to get around and out of, we figured we had a good four hours-maybe-in Paris itself. Since the thwarted attack (which happened on a plane coming from our other layover stop, Amsterdam), Paris authorities have said security will be beefed up enough that it is suggested that passengers heading to the states arrive up to THREE HOURS in advance of their flights. I figure we have time to get lunch at a cafe. Maybe. Otherwise, mmmmm...eight hours in an airport.
Outside of that, I really should be thinking about two things: a) security was obviously not what it should have been. Intelligence was not properly shared and this guy was able to get on a plane with bomb stuff strapped to his leg and IN HIS UNDERWEAR! and b) it is true that if a person wants to get at us badly enough, they are going to get there - and we can hope that there will be forward thinking passengers ready to tackle and thwart said person's plan.
I could also go on a rant that if we hadn't gone into Iraq and had actually gotten Osama Bin laden, we might not have to worry so much about all this nonsense, but I won't...not now...'cuz it's not going to change what's happening NOW. Nor is it going to make my airport experience any better. I'm just going to stick to focusing on what's going to be happening IN BETWEEN airports! Woo hoo!
KEEP PAYING ATTENTION!
Peace --Alex
