On The Very Bad Year

"Obama had a lousy year" - that's kinda the theme for 2013.  Bullshit, says I.

"The Left" - for want of a better descriptor - has acquired a kind of self esteem problem. God forbid they do or say anything that might leave them open to being criticized for supporting Obama even when he does something they don't agree with.

So we get lots of Obama slagging - Hippie Punching if you prefer.  The best way to inoculate yourself from being tagged as an ObamaBot is to shit on Obama's head whenever you get the chance.

Anyway - cutting to the chase:  Turns out that Obama's a politician who disappoints us once in a while.  Wow - now there's a revelation.

He's not the god-sent messiah everybody on "The Right" is saying everybody on "The Left" is saying he is.  But y'know, he is actually healing the sick (ACA) and he did manage to raise the dead (GM), so hey - maybe we should just chill a little and give him a hand now and then, and just wait to see if he's got something else up his sleeve for us.

We're still here; we've got another war winding down; we're not in default; the economy sputters a lot but it's moving in a generally upward direction (while the deficit continues downward); we have something that resembles an actual budget in place; and considering the Cocktail of Clusterfuck he has to deal with every fuckin' day, I think it's pretty remarkable the Prez still gets up every morning and heads into the office to see if he can get something done.

Here's to hoping for an even better year in 2014.

What It Ain't

This is not entitlement:

This is entitlement:

Putting The Lie To It

"Liberal Bias in the Media".  We hear it all the time, and once in a while, somebody comes up with something that should be considered proof that there's no such thing - that the truth is exactly the opposite - and still, we just can't seem to break thru.  I wonder why that is.

Here's a little chart from a post at MSNBC by Steve Benen:

The above chart shows every political figure who made 10 or more Sunday show appearances this year, with red columns representing Republicans and blue columns representing Democrats. For 2013, the race wasn’t especially close – House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) easily came out on top, making 27 appearances this year. That works out to an average of one appearance every 1.9 weeks (or 2.25 Sunday show appearances a month, every month for a year).

And just in case you're inclined to think NBC is booking these guys in order to grill 'em a little - to hold their feet to the fire - uh uh.  Watch a few of these weekly circle jerks, and then try to tell me the main point of the enterprise isn't about coin-operated politicians selling us a box full of fog.

Ray And Bonnie

Do I Ever Cross Your Mind? --Ray Charles and Bonnie Raitt



A year ago today.

Haiku You

The Rude Pundit has opened his annual(?) Kaiku Contest thingie - submit a Haiku and get it published on the interwebs!  Woohoo!

His example for today:

Soul-free GOP
Shits on the souls of Newtown,
Fellates NRA.

You can email your entries to: rudepundit@yahoo.com

One Day It Called To You

The Summer Wind --Sinatra

Running A Little Contrary

The 12 Days After Christmas --Julia Murney



The first day after Christmas my true love and I had a fight.
And so I chopped the pear tree down and burned it just for spite.
Then with a single cartridge, I shot that blasted partridge,
My true love, my true love, my true love gave to me.

The second day after Christmas, I pulled on the old rubber gloves.
And very gently wrung the necks of both the turtle doves,
My true love, my true love, my true love gave to me.

The third day after Christmas, my mother caught the croup.
I had to use the three Frech hens to make some chicken soup.

The four calling birds were a big mistake, for their language was obscene.
The five gold rings were completely fake and they turned my fingers green .

The sixth day after Christmas, the six laying geese wouldn't lay.
I gave the whole darn gaggle to the A.S.P.C.A.

On the seventh day what a mess I found.
All seven of the swimming swans had drowned,
My true love, my true love, my true love gave to me.

The eighth day after Christmas, before they could suspect,
I bundled up the eight maids a milking,
nine pipers piping,
ten ladies dancing,
'leven lords a leaping,
twelve drummers drumming - actually, I kept one of the drummers -

and sent them back collect.

I wrote my true love, "We are through, love",
and I said in so many words,
"Furthermore your Christmas gifts were for the birds!"

Deep In The Heart Of Me

I've Got You Under My Skin --Sinatra (Live At The Sands)

Today's Quote

Every new & successful example therefore of a perfect separation between ecclesiastical and civil matters, is of importance. And I have no doubt that every new example, will succeed, as every past one has done, in shewing that religion & Govt. will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together.

-- James Madison to Edward Livingston, July 10, 1822.

hat tip = Charlie Pierce

Happy Newtonmas, Everybody