Thank you Bonnie…well stated post.  Emergencies (like found lumps) are priorities.

Heather…you just nailed (inadvertantly) yourself.

The very fact that your friend with prostrate cancer was ‘shot to the head of the line’ speaks volumes to the level of care in Canada.  THERE SHOULD BE NO LINE!!!  Get it?  If you need care…you get care…like in the US right now.  Not waiting in some beauracratic induced queue.

Nancy Pelosi pushed ‘HealthCare’ Reform (there…I didn’t use the term ObamaCare) late on a Saturday night.  2200 plus pages were rammed thru as changes were made up to the very last minute prior to the vote…which went strictly upon party lines…with the exception of one LA congressman (who later ‘joked’ he really is a Democrat anyways).

Now, Harry Reid, is ramming thru, on a late Saturday night (prior to the Thanksgiving Holiday break) yet another, ‘modified’ version of HealthCare reform.  If you started reading right now, it would take 35 hours to read the entire bill.  That is 35 straight hours of reading…no eating or bathroom breaks.  Deals HAVE been incorporated like this one involving Mary Landrieau of (again!!!) LA:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2009/11/the-100-million-health-care-vote.html

Yet…this is such an ‘honorable’ peice of legislation….one that will be voted on upon straight party lines.  It may NOT be ‘ObamaCare’ but it is an Obamination. 

Sunday morning…one sixth of our economy will be under total and complete government control. 

So you think this mamography issue is a hot point today?  How about when it is YOUR elderly mom (too old…per Robert Reich…time to take the pain pill and get ready to die); or your child (transplant? too costly).

 Liz…every week you hit the nail on the head; every week a few us (here) post YES!!!  Liz get it!!!  Every week the apologists swope down…this one won’t be and different…other than the profound magnitude to each of us.

Now you don’t think a *wink* would be appreciated (or a profound icebreaker) with Mr. Putin?  I mean…how many winks has any former KGB had in their lifetime?

I agree with you about teaching grammar and (my words) the ‘dumbing down’ of our public conversation.  You will never believe me I know, but I really do admire President Obama for his verbal skills, pronunciation and style (its his ‘substance’ I take issue with). 

I fear the ‘dumbing down’ will proceed even further, as the next generation ‘talks’ in txt speak.

Belinda…funny, funny post.  But…even though, your tongue is firmly planted in your cheek…and your fingers might be crossed as you typed that…the in the irony lies in well…the irony.  That you can even begin to joke about Obama is a start. 

You’ll startle yourself the first time you utter ‘you betcha…’

WOW…Liz…I can see the ‘fine’ tradition of the WOWOW choice of a ‘wonky’ photo of any and all conservatives (kind like a subtle version of the Newsweak ‘runner’ cover).  The ‘staring up; looking pensive; must be a hard one to find…because, whether the cyber eds want to admit it or not…there are not alot of ‘bad’ photos of the former Alaskan Governor…

I am finding the media reaction to a pretty standard book drop to be hysterical.  Not funny…no.  Hysterical as in all sensiblities have been lost…Norah O’Donnell was dispatched by MSNBC to the mall in Michigan where Palin appeared yesterday.  O’Donnell, with a display of ‘journalism’ lost upon the White House Press Corps, verbally assailed a 15 year old girl…question (yes questioning) the 15 year old girl of Palin’s position on TARP.  On McCain’s position on TARP (when Palin was his running mate)…she kept it up for about two minutes (O’Donnell that is).  The young girl not only held her own…but pretty muched schooled the ‘trained—don’t try this at home’ journalist.   It was ugly…yet not surprising.  AndreaMitchellNBCNews was also at the same mall mingling with the hoi poloi…I wonder if the ‘pros’ all met up at the Food Court?

If Palin is such a non-story, such a joke…why the media blitz?  Why not let those ‘poor’ misguided 15 year olds (and their parents) stand in line; get their books autographed and go about their business.

The ‘fear’ of Palin (and her supporters) was palpable by the on air media.  Which brings me to question more about the media than about those in line or Palin.

I am finding a unity (strangely) here today.  I think we all are seeing the same outcome (if thru different colored glasses).

Politicians, on both sides of the aisle ARE NOT LISTENING.  The polls say…a majority of American’s don’t want a health care takeover by the Government…yet…they are ramming it thru.

New Yorkers are saying we don’t want more of a bullseye…NO TRIAL of KSM in NYC…yet listening to Holder yesterday it is a ‘done deal.’ 

I wonder if, with the 2010 midterms, a wholesale change happens.  People on both sides, (the left who feels they have been lied to, and the right that feels it isn’t being represented) just throw the vast majority of ‘them’ out.  And, if either a terrorist attack (due to the politicizing of KSM) that Obama will be ‘out’ (Impeached) for ‘High Crimes and Misdemeanors.’  Honest. 

We are an impatient people, true.  But we also are a people used to a certain level of comfort.  Comfort levels disappear when unemployment dips, taxes rise, prices rise…the perfect storm of discontent that could be aimed at those who made alllll of those promises (broken).

What a barometer this thread is…all but a handful of the comments are about the former Alaskan Governor, Sarah Palin.  Kind of substantiates the polling data.

 

Ouch.

 

Hopefully Palin’s people will learn one lesson from Obama…too much media is…exactly that…too much media.  Saturation point, equals familiarity that breeds contempt.  When the frenzy of the book drop subsides…and it will…a savvy campaign will start a slight to middle pull back…something that didn’t happen with all Obama all the time.

Ahhhh, Mr. Wow, ‘Newsweak’ stepped into a trap?  How about a fiasco of their own making.

Surely, even the left leaning publication that Newsweek has become, has lawyers who dot the i’s and cross the t’s…the photo was NOT for use of any other publication other than Runners’ World;  either the photographer lied (and N didn’t check out the ownership) or they ‘thought’ they had the ‘gotcha’ photo of the political world (darn, darn, darn…that flag as bikini replete with shotgun really was photoshopped) and still didn’t check out the ownership, publishing rights.

 Not a trap…an insanely contrived, stupid, stupid depiction.

The media trashing of Sarah she has brought on herself???  Ok…ELEVEN AP reporters, like a SWAT team of vetters, descended upon a copy of Going Rogue.  Why?  Tell me Mr. Wow…were either of President Obama’s tomes ‘fact checked’ like that?  How about Pelosi’s (I’ll volunteer to pick a copy at the Dollar Store for ya!).  Sorry…it doesn’t fly.  She inspires a formerly dormant population…and it (as you admit) you find it scary.

 So…400 pages, 11 ‘journalists’ six arguable syntax anomolies.

Looks like THAT was the trap that the media fell into…

You Betcha!

There is a visceral ‘high’ you get when ‘your’ team wins.  How do I know this?  I live in Pittsburgh…(the Steel Buckle of the Rust Belt).  When our economy was tanking (its on a slow upswing now) the Stillerz; the Penguins (and even our long suffering) Pirates were a rallying point.

I look at the Yankees and see ‘whats wrong’ with professional sports.  I look at the Steelers (the Rooney’s) and see ‘what is right.’  They build from within; they look for quaility coaches (only three in 40 plus years!); same with the Pens…Mario Lemieux forgave money owed to him to buy the team (and keept it in town).  In a metro area of less than 2million the Burgh routinely turns out over 500k for victory parades (with no arrests or riots—but then…we have had practice…).

Sports (here) have kept ties (alot have moved away—ever been to a city that doesn’t have a ‘Steeler Bar?’) and kept up spirits.

Now…if we can only turn our Buccos around…

So, Phyllis, a peaceful gathering of Americans, exercising their First Amendment Rights is a “shameful,stupid and horrific???” So free assembly and the voicing of any Aerican’s differing opinion IS not permitted under an Obama Administration. Did you call the protesters who took to the Mall in DC under the Bush Administration “shameful, stupid and horrific?” Because in a free society you CANNOT have it both ways. How can you villify the Free Speech?

Mr. Wow…Limbaugh cannot change the political landscape…he merely reflects it.  Like the curiosity that made Jon and Kate Plus Eight a ‘hit’ (it found an audience that wanted to watch it), Limbaugh has found an audience that wants to listen to him.  He doesn’t make people think a certain way…he preaches to an ever growing choir.

I don’t think the elected Republicans cower necessarily before him…so much as they fear his demographic.  What, legitmately is the difference between Limbaugh and Olberman (other than probably about a 20 million plus surplus listener base for Limbaugh)…both are ideologogues.  Right?  Could it be that one delivers a message ‘wanted’ by a larger audience???

And bowling ball?  Come on…whateveh happened to retro ingenue?

Mr. WoW…pretty obvious you don’t like Limbaugh (your perogative); pretty obvious you also don’t have much use for media mom Kate Gosselin…fair enough.  Both are public figures.  Not elected to any office; they have no responsibility or part in our culture other than that extended to them by their respective audiences.  If anybody doesn’t like them…well, don’t listen or watch.

Oddly, both Limbaugh and Gosselin have been asked tough, probing questions on their relationships; their substance issues (in Limbaugh’s case)…and again…they have no power to change or shape our culture.  Yet you decry ‘softball’ questions tossed Rush’s way (boot licking???), and snarkily posture the lighting of Mrs. G…all the while…

We have a President who routinely is asked, ahhh…ummm…basically nothing.  He just kinda gets air time and talks and smiles; and then the Gibbster fills in (makes up) the rest of the missing answers (not on the teleprompter)…but the media problems you see are in radio show hosts/reality mavens public confessionals?  Come on…

 And for what it is worth, I like Kate’s hair.  Its low maintenance for a woman who (even with a SWAT team of help) still has eight kids.

Joan, thank you for the wonderful childhood memories you have given two generations! 

But, as a ‘Contrarian’ I have to ask…where is the homage to Oscar???  Come on…he is kind of our fellow Contrary ones green, gnarly, grumpy patron!!!

PS…the Count too was awesome.  Who hasn’t seen a preschooler ‘Count’ replete with sound affects??? 

Mr. Wow…I didn’t post wasteful or too glam…too flaunted by an all adoring media. Over exposure (familiarity) breeds contempt (ridicule). Comics won’t touch them, but do we really think every woman who sees yet another “glowing” Michelle (she’s so glam!!) magazine cover in the grocery store (at $4.95 a pop) doesn’t get a gut punch (I can’t buy the same items I could afford last year to feed my family—but I am being told I should admire a fashionista!?!?) and maybe the thought of the ‘hope and change’ her husband promised rings hollow. Unlike a darling Hollywood couple (who can become annoying in their media omnipresence—think the early days of Brangelina or even reality TV’s Gosslins) the President trully affects our lives. Media over hype, over exposure can really ramp that public perception of “I am really weary of these two, what has he done?” Less is more…but the Obama handlers don’t seem to grasp that. So they put them on every cover, every show (do we really believe the last thing Michelle asks Barrack at is about the WH trash as she “disclosed” to Leno?). Media saturation fails… The year long media blitz needs to step back (as te economy worsens) or there will be a public “backlash.”. That is what I meant by my post to you.