Happy New Year
It is time to wave goodbye to the year 2008 and welcome in the New Year of 2009! They say time waits for no one but it seems like just yesterday we were welcoming 2008. Sigh! So whether you plan on celebrating by gazing at tonight’s New Years celestial wonder celebration, then taking a long nap or plan on bringing in the New Years with a more bodacious and energetic festival or maybe both –> Party Safely and Have a Happy New Year!
His holiness Pope Barack Obama the first has went on record saying that Rod Blagojevich’s selection of Roland Burris, despite Obama acknowledging Burris as a worthy candidate, should not be allowed to be seated into the Obama vacated Senate seat. Oops 
how embarrassing for Pope Obama –> the Mr Hopey-Feely-Changey candidate that ran his whole campaign informing the voting public that they should pay no attention to those creepy crawler Obama political connections when deciding to cast a vote for the “Holy Obama”. I guess what is good for the goose is not always good for the gander. We were to forget all the creepy crawler Obama connections, but though Obama admits Burris is politically clean and worthy of the position –> the State of Ilinois, the US Senate and all the “good 
little Illinois politicians” rushing to block the Burris selection should blackball Burris because he is associated with and appointed by the “bad little governor” Roddy Blagodabitch. Politcs as usual from Barack “Hypocrite” Obama.
Okay I am one of those that is currently thinking that a special election is probably the only way that the State of Illinois can hope to reduce the stench that will surround anyone taking over the vacated Obama Senate seat. But that is not why Obama and the Illinois Democrat Politburo is attempting to block the Burris selection. They do not want an election. They could lose an election. Who knows an election might see a third-party candidate step-up and surf the current State corruption waves into the Governorship! The legislative hypocrisy is that if Blagodabitch had not selected Burris, Burris could have been a darkhorse candidate from prospects to replace our current governor. He would not have been my choice but he certainly has the credentials. But the Illinois Democrat Politburo wants to hand select a political puppet they can guarantee control of while using a ruse of fairness in the selection. The person they would want is also a candidate that they can market and is a lock in as a re-electable incumbent in the next election. That would be similar to the process they used to put Phil Hare in to office when Lane Evans was too sick to continues his 17th district of Illinois House of Representatives position. A selected, not elected, Senate candidate, whether by Blago, Pat Quinn or the Illinois legislation will still have that scandal smell. Welcome to the World of Illinois politics.
Defying his many critics, Federal/State legislators and any possible legislative hurdles he faces: Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has appointed former Illinois AG Roland Burris to fill the Senate seat being vacated by President-elect Barack Obama. Illinois State legislators have been looking for avenues to keep Blago from appointing a new Senator since the scandal broke where Blago is caught on tape playing Lets-Make-a-Deal for the vacant Senate seat. They have continuously asked for Blagojevich’s resignation and are attempting to proceed with impeachment measures against the Governor. Mostly they are just looking to save face from the embarrassment Blago has brought on the State and the Illinois Democrat Politburo. They hope to appoint their own political puppet into the Senate seat and avoid allowing the public to choose Obama’s replacement. US Senate Leader Harry Reid has threatened not to seat anyone Blago nominates to the position. Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White has also threatened to attempt to block any nomination for the Senate Seat by Blago. This could be a difficult appointment for anyone to challenge. Burris is from downstate Illinois and has at least a small measure of separation from the Richard Daley Chicago Thug Political Machine. He is African-American and no major scandal currently enveloping the man. No Current Major Scandal 
shoot for an Illinois politician that is almost Mother Teresa credentials. Any type of challenge by the state legislators will reek of Chicago Bully tactics. Any type of Federal challenge will also be a black-eye on the Democrat Party considering this is the party that cheered and clapped for William Jefferson following his legal issues. Burris is probably as clean of a politician that Illinois has to offer. Even cleaner than Prez-elect Obama. Like him or hate him -Blagojevich has always had a stubborn Maverick quality when making political decisions. I think it is a coy move that will put State and Federal legislators in tough political positions if they try and stop the selection. This is an interesting choice by Blagojevich. How the events progress should make for an interesting New Year.
Israel is claiming the current Gaza assault is – “War to the Bitter End.” I suppose “the bitter end” is adaptable to whatever the two sides eventually determine what those words define. And despite the facts that this battle is just a reflection of a much longer and larger never-ending conflict for the whole region, the stories coming out of the area are tragic reading and viewing. A fact of war and violence is that tragedy happens to both participants. Until the conflict is settled there will be cross-contaminating hatred, violence and death. And in this case even after a settlement there will eventually be more cross-contaminated hatred – leading to more violence and death. Neither side can expect much help in settling the dispute. Their best hope should be the United Nations. But that organization is as useless as teats on a boar at their best efforts. The only way this event will calm down is when one or both sides of the equation have satiated their blood lust. Of course if the citizens in Gaza that are crying foul about the violence were anything other than sheep, they would remove the harm. Ideally a trip to the bargaining table would be the best option for both groups. But as long as they allow Hamas to launch explosives over the Israeli border, they risk Israel retaliating with aggressive retaliation. Nor will that get Israel to the bargaining table. Personally since Hamas seems to think launching weapon across the border is the only bargaining chip they have, I feel Israel is within its rights by retaliating in return. The citizens in Gaza only have three real options left at this point. They can band together and stop the Hamas attacks -then deal with Israel diplomatically. They can band together and move away from the violence leaving Hamas exposed to face the retaliation like warriors, as Hamas and Israel compete in battle. Or they can choose option three, which is what they seem to be doing, allow Hamas to hide among the citizenry, like girlymen, risking their family’s lives as Hamas and Israel battle. But as long as they allow groups like Hamas roam free and unchecked to attack Israel this will be the result- more violence and bloodshed. But that seems to have become normalcy for the Middle East. To quote the philosopher -Forrest Gump- –> “Stupid is – as stupid does.”
I suppose I am like a lot of Internet users in that I read a lot of my news from one or more of my local new services. I generally spend my news reading time at Quad City Online’s or over at the Quad City Time’s website. Like many others I enjoy reading and exchanging comments by/with other local readers concerning the articles posted on line. Some of the people that post messages about the articles are not even locals. I leave comments on one site or the other very regularly. A few months back the Quad City Times switched over to a system where you had to register a name and an e-mail address with the site in order to post comments. Then you would just sing in under whatever the name you chose for signing in along with a password. I found myself posting less and less on their site. It seemed that was the case with others also. Then they switched over to some setup they called Quadsville which allowed you to use your signin name and password to access the new site. The more I read Quadsville the more it read like mostly the same individuals that liked to flame other readers was doing most of the posting. It was even more cliquish than it had been before. I found myself spending even less time at the Quad City Times site than I had before. It was not because I thought it an unfair idea that users should need a name and password. It has probably become something of a necessity to keep the various cliques that visit the site from using each others chosen identities as many of the liberal and conservative regulars prefer to flame each other than actually discuss issues. I am sure that they caused a lot of extra work for the site editors. So I started spending more time over at the Quad City Online comments sections. Last week they also decided to require an e-mail address, signin name and password to make comments on their articles. Once again I do not really blame them for the decision. I am sure it cut backs on a lot of editorial work. However I did not make one comment on an article after they put their new system into operation. I have not even bothered to signup for any of the names I used when posting. I have not yet decided if I will signup for the comments interaction. Why? I do not like to use password signins. I do not mind posting a name and e-mail address like you do for blogs. But I do not like using a system where I have to remember a password. I have not reduced my visits to the QC Online site as much as I have my visits to the QC Times site, but I have reduced my clicks on their stories and comments section considerably. I wish them luck on their new system but I just do not see me signing up where I have to use a password to make a comment. I already have all the passwords I care to remember. I do not even do that with blogs I post on. If I need a name and password to sign in, I just don’t post on a site. I guess I am just saying -No- to password requiring systems!
I took the last few days off from the blogging world. I hope everyone had the best Christmas they could. My Christmas was not an oil gusher but it was better and more fun than past Christmas’s since my mothers death a few years ago. The only downside was one person did not make it in and that is okay with me, considering all the bad weather we had. Better safe than sorry. I also hope everyone that was having a good Christmas holiday took the time out to do something for others that do not have the chance to have a good holiday. It is the Good Samaritan thing to do. It is also very healthful for your soul. I get more enjoyment out of giving gifts to others, than all the gifts I could possibly receive.
The New Year is just days away. The continuing Blagodabitch/Obama scandals assures some early New Year political soap opera blogging. 
With the new incoming Chicago Thug politically connected administration, political blogging should be interesting for at least four years. I am sure all of the Scoundrelly –>Democrat, Republican and pick-a-party Scalawag candidates are already filling out their notebooks with greedy ideas to fleece the voting sheep of the USA. They will huff and puff until they blow the house down then move to the next building. Of course if huffing and puffing don’t do the job theses guys will just use the political and legal system to make their power play dreams come true! Sigh!!
Though I have not blogged about it, I am still very angry at the Chicago Cubs for forcing Kerry Wood to another team for the next baseball season. He was a quality dedicated team-loyal Cub player. This move makes me even less of a Jim Hendry fan, if that is even possible. The rest of the off-season management moves have also left me underwhelmed. I am attributing most of these lack of moves to the unknown ownership situation. The good old boy hierarchy inside MLB’s attempt to control the purchase is also having it’s effect on player signing developments. I dislike Bud Selig even more than I do Jim Hendry. And our pay-for-play Governor Roddy Blagodabitch had his hand stuck out for payola concerning the ball clubs future. Arghh!
I have not blogged much about Da Bears season, but really there has not been that much positive to blog about. They have looked mediocre at best this year on both sides of the line. The few highlights have been rookie Matt Forte’s running the ball and Orton’s early season passing game, up until he got injured. Since then he has been just getting by. If by some miracle they make it into the playoffs, my expectation meter is set at low. My recommendation for the 2009 Bears: Draft a lot of big mean ugly Offensive and Defensive lineman on draft day Lovey. The kind that think it is funny when someone hits them.
It worked well last year so this year I am once again making only one New Years Eve Resolution. It is the same one I made last year. So my New Years Resolution is –> to not make any New Years Resolution other than not to make any New Years resolutions. Ya can’t go wrong with that choice – All I have to do is not make any crazy resolutions I am not going to keep anyway.
Have a Happy New Year!
Newly elected VP Joey Biden has declared that the Obamadroid created report on the who, where and what the Obama aids new about Rod Blagojevich’s attempt to sell off the Obama Senate seat to the highest bidder – is ready and awaiting to be released. Joey claims that the report will exonerate all the Obama hand picked flunkies. Of course it will and all the mesmerized of the newspaper journalists(cough-cough)/groupies will fly to press with stories to protect their chosen Messiah, Barack Obama. Did anyone think an internal report created by Obamadroids would say anything different than – all is well among the Obama’s disciples!! An Obama type Santa’s Checklist on who’s been naughty and nice internally created by Obamadroids. What else could it say? Oh the Obamadroid created report might say Rhamykins was a little naughty in his Blagojevich dealings, but instead of the 2009 Rolls-Royce Phantom he was probably expecting as his Christmas present from Prez-Elect Obamakins he will have to instead probably settle for getting a 2008 Rolls-Royce Phantom. They can discuss the 2009 model later in the year after Obama’s press groupies makes the Blagojevich scandal disappear from the Obama wardrobe. It will give Rhamykins time to look for a proper English Butler to assure quality service during the ride.
Ho-Ho-Ho
What do infertile couples, homosexuals, grieving families and financial investors all have in common? Well they are the advertising targets of a company started in 1997 with connected with a UFO group called the Raëlian movement. The group advocates cloning as the path to immortality. That company is called Clonaid. The company specializes in animal and human cloning projects. Their reproductive human cloning operations are banned in most of the world. Yet they claim on their website to have been responsible for several birthed human clones, at a cost that could be as high as $200,000 each. Though they have never offered any positive DNA proof that the babies in question were actual clones. They also offer a service of storing your genetic material for future therapeutic or reproductive cloning purposes. Their website maintains their human cloning service is of great benefit to those groups unable to reproduce plus a financial opportunity for investors willing to finance their experiments.
Okay I am not a big fan in the idea of reproductive cloning. It reeks of incestuous reproduction. It is a process that will limit the genetic pool as people reuse the exact same human DNA. It is also an idea where society pressure decides the choices of what looks and characteristics a baby will have. Before long, inside and out, you have a planet of Ken and Barbie dolls. Then eventually everyone is cloned/bred into a perfect replication of what society thinks Ken and Barbie should think and act like. They can then be factory designed to match whatever job and/or position of life society predetermined them to perform. Smells like a Brave New World concept to me.
I have lost track of the times I have seen Arnold Schwarzenegger and other Hollyweird celebrities sweet-talking TV viewers/potential tourists to come to California and fall in love with the State. I have never been there but it must be a great place since their dairy advertisements keep telling me happy cows and great cheese- only come from California. After a recent California court ruling – I am not so sure I ever want to visit and find out. The California Courts system has created another in a long line of Crazy Court rulings coming out of the Golden State. They have ruled that individuals involved in accidents can now sue Good Samaritan rescuers for possible injury claims. According to the California Courts, if you save someone’s life after an accident and the hurt individual feels the Good Samaritan is responsible for part of the injury, the injured party can sue the person that saved their life. The Court deems it is better to wait for the professional rescue team to get there. That may sound idea like a good idea in a practice, though I am not sure if my life were in danger, that I would want to wait for the professional cavalry to arrive before exiting the vehicle. I guess the bystanders should just drive by and wave or stop and offer up some good cheer, old time stories, funny jokes or maybe just some condolences upon their imminent demise. It seems that in California it is better to stand and watch someone die in an accident rather than help out. I suppose that the idea of suing the hero for saving your life should not surprise me from the land run by Hollweirdos.
Where Intellectuals and Rednecks foregather.
Skulking Down the Dirt Roads of Life
Skulking Down the Dirt Roads of Life
Skulking Down the Dirt Roads of Life
blogging gobbledygook and such
Fragments of Expatriate Life
investigate*record*agitate
