CAMPAIGN AND PROTEST SONGS

Songs used by politicians to support their campaigns have been around for a long time.

In the Depression ravaged early 1930’s, Franklin Roosevelt used a previously written song which easily conveyed his campaign hopes, “Happy Days are here Again”.  Who wouldn’t fall for these lyrics when the country was down and out?

Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
Let us sing a song of cheer again
Happy days are here again.

One of the most effective tunes was used by Harry Truman when he ran for president in the late 1940’s.  Appropriately, it was “I’m Just Wild about Harry” which was written in 1921 for a Broadway show hence, it didn’t have the stigma of being trumped up just for Truman’s campaign.  Harry was behind in the polls against Dewey for much of the campaign but won anyway so maybe the song really did make people wild about Harry.

Then there is pop music which helps liberal candidates more than conservatives because it aims at the younger crowds who are more vulnerable and always dissatisfied with the status quo.  While the conservatives may rely primarily on patriotic themes the liberals will usually tie into a popular group or person bent on change with their definition of change including taking from the rich to give to the poor.  To them that is an easy solution regardless of whether many of the poor are deserving to take from those who have earned their way.

Bob Dylan, c. 1965

I was first eligible to vote in 1962 when most of the protest folk songs were beginning their popularity.  There was no FM radio to speak of then so the AM airwaves were packed with complaints about our government, war, etc. by acts like Peter Paul and Mary, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, and to a lesser extent The Kingston Trio and Pete Seeger.

I’m sure they meant well but I don’t remember ever hearing of them giving the profits from their million selling discs to the needy.   Does anyone really think that Joan Baez and Peter Paul and Mary would have made it big without the anti war liberal rants?  Many of the youth of that era fell right into their hands while the rest of us rocked to the “Peppermint Twist” and “Runaround Sue” as we voted Republican. 

We were mostly military guys in an era of the mandatory draft while the “anti” gang was college kids mostly straight out of high school who thought they could solve the world’s problems after taking a course in politics from some liberal college professor who never served a day.  

It’s carried on to today as groups like Crosby, Stills, and Nash are bald and aging but still are fighting the establishment.  Starting in the late 1970’s the punk rock movement joined the crowd espousing left wing and anti-establishment philosophies.  Most of these bands look like their members are twelve years old and just want to be “in” on something.  By the time they are thirty and driving a Honda they will probably wonder what the hell they were thinking all those years ago.

A member of The New Christy Minstrels (Barry McGuire) had a big anti war hit in September of 1965. I especially remember it because that’s the month I got out of the USAF and met my future wife.

Interesting note on Bob Dylan: In 1965 he changed to an electric guitar which infuriated most of his fans. Did he change because by then the protest era was fading and he felt he needed to move on or were his fans being unrealistic in their expectations of him? I think it was the former. The coffee house mentality was waning and fans wanted to hear more stuff on the cutting edge. Plus, the British Invasion was arriving and Bob had to eat like everyone else. To make matters worse disco was just around the corner. Sometimes a guy has to swallow his pride. Anyone remember "Lay Lady Lay"?

ALFRED HITCHCOCK, AUGUST 13, 1899 - APRIL 29,1980

I doubt if there is anyone reading this who has not heard of Alfred Hitchcock.  Later this month on April 29, 2013 it will be thirty-three years since the master of movie and television suspense died at age 80.

Hitchcock was born in London, England in 1899 and by 1920 had developed an interest in the film business through his skill as an accomplished artist.  During the 1920s he met his future wife and collaborator Alma Reville.  They were married in 1927 and became the parents of daughter Pat who was born in July of 1928.

The year 1927 was a big one for Hitchcock as he not only got married but he directed his first film, The Lodger. 

In the UK throughout the 1930’s until 1939, Hitch churned out many films with the best ones, in my opinion, being the original The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) with Peter Lorre, The 39 Steps (1935), and a personal favorite, The Lady Vanishes (1938).  After Jamaica Inn in 1939, he moved to America where he would gain his biggest fame.

His first film after arriving in the U. S. was Rebecca which won the Oscar for best picture of 1940.  He went on to do such favorites over the years as Strangers on a Train (1951), Rear Window, (1954), Vertigo (1958), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963).   His 67 directorial credits also include his half hour TV show which ran from 1955-1961, Alfred Hitchcock Presents.  That Sunday night show produced many memorable programs.  He also did The Alfred Hitchcock Hour in 1962.

The above gives you a quick resume of Alfred Hitchcock’s life and major accomplishments in the UK and America but what kind of a guy was he and why were most of his works successful?

As a follower of vintage film productions, I was rarely bored with a Hitchcock film.  That’s not to say I liked them all.  I never could get into Torn Curtain (1966) even though I was drawn to see it because of the Hitchcock touch and that it starred Paul Newman and Julie Andrews.  Another clunker to me was probably one of his most successful films, The Birds (1963).

The fun things about Hitchcock’s films were his ability to create suspense and a feeling of anxiety that kept the viewers on the edge of their seats through various twists and turns.  He liked icy female characters, preferably blondes, to inhabit his films (Eva Marie Saint, Kim Novak, Tippi Hedren, Priscilla Lane, Janet Leigh, etc.).  He also liked the excitement of someone being on the run like Cary Grant in North by Northwest (1959), Robert Cummings in Saboteur (1942), or Robert Donat in The 39 Steps (1935), etc.

He also always had a plot device that made the whole thing work referred to as the “Macguffin.”  Combined with the music scores of Bernard Herrmann for many of the films, it made for an enjoyable couple hours.

Hitchcock also liked to tease his audiences with his cameo appearances.  Here is all of them.  Some I remember, some I don't.  I think the best is the one with his picture in the newspaper in Lifeboat (1944) advertising a weight reduction product.  Watch carefully for it.

I wish we had more Alfred Hitchcocks in Hollywood today.

(For more on Hitchcock, Psycho, and Phoenix, click here.  For a complete list of his movies, click here.)

DAY DREAMING ON A SATURDAY MORNING.......

Odds and ends…..This morning’s Real Clear Politics poll shows Obama’s approval at 47.8% and disapproval of 47.1%.  That’s a 0.7 difference in his favor; not very good but why should it be?.....Here is a great idea that never made it to reality probably because no one has to parallel park anymore.

I remember having to parallel park for my driver’s test when I was 16 and I always took pride in being good at it.  A co-worker once told me they thought I could parallel park in a space smaller than a car.  It’s a lost art just like shifting the gears of “three on a tree.”

Does anyone remember one speed vacuum windshield wipers that stopped when you hit the gas?  How about the high beam headlight button on the floor or the old Chevys with the vacuum stick shift?  Anyone ever fixed a flat in an old time tube tire?  Do I dare mention two piece windshields?......In a recent column on the AZ Republic’s  Politics blog I mentioned how I don’t think a mayor is needed in the council-manager form of city government and I cited Phoenix mayor Greg Stanton as a good example.  He keeps reinforcing what I said about him a few weeks ago:  He is just a glorified ribbon cutter for new supermarkets. The city manager runs the show while Stanton lies during his campaign about removing the tax on food in Phoenix.  That’s right; a tax on FOOD during hard times!  Robert Robb said it all in a recent column in the Republic where he mentioned there were ways such as cutting out big raises to city employees which could have canceled the food tax.   However, Stanton seems more interested in endorsing a silly buyback of guns which is nothing but a political stunt.

Charles Barkley; he is never at a loss 

for words.

 Speaking of gun buybacks, it’s a drop in the bucket but Obama has to love it as it will be fewer guns for the feds to pick up when Obama decides to make all of us turn in our guns.  Politicians like Stanton and others are like followers of the Pied Piper that are being led into the river……I love the candid attitude of Charles Barkley and he showed it this week on a broadcast during the NCAA Basketball Tournament. 

Doug Gottlieb, an ex-player and a white guy, was on a panel including Barkley and three other black guys when Gottlieb joked that he was there “to bring diversity to the set; kind of the white man’s perspective.”   Wow! The liberal Twitter freaks went crazy blasting Gottlieb for his joking statement.  Barkley had the best reply of anyone to those no-life, over sensitive losers:   "I want to say something about Doug Gottlieb,” Barkley said. “He made a joke earlier tonight and people are going crazy. All those idiots on Twitter, which I would never ever do, all you people at home who have got no life and are talking bad about Doug Gottlieb, get a life. It’s over with. It’s no big deal.” 

Go Charles!  You can always count on Barkley to express his feelings and he is right on this one.

CRUISIN' AND PERUSIN' THE NEWS

Welcome to America:  I just read about a local guy who said that he recently applied for employment at a large home improvement chain.  I assume it has to be Lowe’s or Home Depot.

The guy has 25 years experience in the construction business and has dealt with the public the entire time.  Needless to say, he probably got the job, right?  Wrong, Kemo Sabe.

During the interview, he was asked if he was bi-lingual since the store was looking for someone to deal with foreign speaking customers.  Being an American, his answer was “No”.  He didn’t get the job or two others at similar companies.

What is the mystique that foreign countries seem to have over us these days?  It used to be that those who came here had to learn OUR language, not the other way around.  No wonder Rosetta  Stone runs so many TV commercials!

I’ve always like Senator Rob Portman of Ohio as a good conservative Republican.  However, with his 21 year old son’s recent admission that he is gay, Portman has suddenly gone into reverse and now supports gays.

It’s a head scratcher for sure but I have to agree with the following opinion from the “Daily Caller”:

But if the sole reason for Portman’s switch is that he discovered he has a gay son, well that makes me wonder how deeply he thought through the issue to begin with, because, honestly, it shouldn’t matter.  He could love his son and still oppose gay marriage. Or he could be childless and still support it. His familial circumstances ought to be irrelevant. Has he not heard of thought exercises like the “veil of ignorance” or the “moral spectator”? Progressives aren’t the only ones who should be skeptical of Portman’s reversal. This makes me wonder about his commitment to other issues. What if another family member had an unplanned pregnancy? Would he then change his position on abortion and the right to life?  

The latest Real Clear Politics poll shows that Obama’s approval rating is now only +0.6 above his disapproval rating.  A couple months ago he was at +10.1; that’s quite a drop to be sure. This means it’s about 50-50.  I can’t say he hasn’t earned it.

Jennifer Capriati is in trouble again

Most of us remember the much heralded teen tennis star from the 90s, Jennifer Capriati.  She was winning matches against highly ranked players at age 13 and seemed destined for immortality in tennis.  Unfortunately, she took a wrong turn along the way and has gotten in a few scrapes involving drugs plus other problems.

I remember when she was at her peak and even then she seemed to have an attitude unlike the bubbly and popular 1990s teen player Monica Seles.   Capriati had a drug bust a couple years later along with shoplifting charges and recently at age 36 is in more trouble on stalking and battery charges against her ex-boyfriend.

I guess The Beatles were right:  Money can’t buy you love.

Honors Night cancelled.  More liberal nonsense from a high school principal in Massachusetts who called off an Honors Night saying it could be “devastating to the students who worked hard, but fell short of the grades.”  

What a clueless jerk!  I have news for him:  Some kids are smarter or work harder than others and they deserve the recognition for their efforts.  He is applying the typical liberal mentality that everyone is equal and it’s important that no one’s feelings are hurt.  I feel sorry for his students when they arrive in the real world where having your poor feelings hurt can be a daily experience. 

Mel Blanc with Jack Benny - Classic Sy sketch.avi

AROUND THE ENTERTAINMENT HORN

Are you sick of all the liberal entertainment business phonies who follow Obama around like little puppies following their master?  Fortunately, not all of them are members of that category.

Let’s take a look at some conservative entertainers who have the brains to not fall for the Obama mystique as so many others have:

Rapper 50 Cent:  Yes, there is a Black rapper who is conservative.  He has even said:  “I actually like Bush.  In some ways I am the George W. Bush of hip hop.  Nobody likes me but I’m still gonna run it for the next four years.”

Other entertainers who support conservatism:  Adam Sandler, Phoenix native Alice Cooper, Bo Derek of “10” fame,  the smiling coach of the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick, tennis great Chris Evert, FOX News regular Dennis Miller, and many others. 

We bought our first television in 1950.  It was a 16” black and white “National” floor model and even with the antenna strapped to our chimney; the reception wasn’t very good; especially when planes flew overhead or when it was stormy.

Mel Blanc, (c.1959) 

None of those inconveniences bothered us as we had TV even if it did broadcast only from 5:00 p.m. until midnight.  It seemed so incomprehensible at the time that we could hear a show AND see it at the same time.  It was quite an entertainment center and it hastened the end of network radio by September 30, 1962 when the last radio network show, “Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar” signed off for the last time.

 

I enjoy great quotes and radio and television sure supplied many of them over the years.  Mel Blanc (1908-1989) was the voice of Bugs Bunny and many other cartoon characters besides being a regular on the Jack Benny radio show which was great listening in the 1940s and 50s.

Mel was also known as the Los Angeles train station announcer on Benny’s show when he would call the boarding of the "Train leaving on Track 5 for Anaheim, Azusa and Cuuuu-ca-mon-gaaa!"  I don’t know of anyone who ever got tired of that bit in the 15 years Blanc did it from 1950-1965.

In the fall of 1970 “The Mary Tyler Moore” debuted on CBS starring Mary and Ed Asner as Lou Grant, her crusty boss in the newsroom of WJM-TV in Minneapolis. 

Mary played an ambitious newcomer.  Noticing that, cantankerous Lou says, “Mary!  You’ve got spunk!”  Taking that as a compliment, Mary says, “Really?  Thanks Mr. Grant.”  Lou quickly replies, “I hate spunk!”

Other great ones include one of my favorites said by Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden to Audrey Meadows on “The Honeymooners”:  “Baby, you’re the greatest!”

How about Dan Ackroyd’s line to Jane Curtin in the early days of “Saturday Night Live”:  “Jane, you ignorant slut!” or Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx) on “Sanford and Son” as he grasps his chest “Elizabeth!  I’m comin’!"

Who could forget William Sanderson’s line from “Newhart” (1982-1990) as he introduced himself and his brothers: “I’m Larry; this is my brother Darryl and my other brother Darryl.”

The other day, I read an article lamenting the end of ten TV shows that have had long runs in recent years.  Television has gotten so bad lately that I didn’t know any of those shows.  I much prefer Turner Classic Movies and vintage TV.

NO BARRY, THE SKY ISN"T FALLING

I had to post this Benson cartoon from March 3rd since it isn’t often he draws anything that would be the least bit injurious to his liberal following.

This cartoon shows Obama’s lack of understanding the American public.  It’s a takeoff on the children’s Story Teller’s Book written in 1912 by Alice O’Grady.

It’s called “Chicken Licken” and I’m sure most of you have heard the story, especially in your youth. 

Chicken Licken has a pea fall from a vine hitting her on the tail and immediately thinks that the sky is falling and that she must immediately go tell the king.

As she runs off she encounters her friends Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, Cocky Locky, and Turkey Lurkey who join in the mad scramble to tell the king that the sky is falling.

When they reach the woods, they meet Foxy Loxy and tell him they need directions to the king.  He says he knows the way as he smiles and lures them into his cavern.  He later emerges from the cavern but those foolish birds were never heard from again.

Fortunately for the guy in Benson’s cartoon who represents the enlightened public, he is ignoring the ever present warnings from Chicken Licken Obama about the sky falling.  After all, how many times must we hear his broken record pronouncements of another crisis if we don’t follow his rules? Now we shrug and yawn and go back to sleep in the comfort of our hammocks.

The latest Gallup Poll shows Obama’s approval rating at 47%; pretty poor considering his recent election.  Real Clear Politics shows his approval rating down to 5.9% after recently being almost 9.  The stock market doesn’t seem too frightened either.

First, it was the “fiscal cliff” early this year when the Republicans unfortunately caved and gave Obama his tax increase on the wealthy; an increase that wasn’t a heavy revenue producer but allowed him to feed his ego by claiming a win over a group he detests.

Then came the 2% increase to paychecks; an increase that many weren’t prepared for or happy about.  With the sequester, he wanted ANOTHER tax increase on those dreaded rich people.  The Republicans said “No!” so now the threats begin with the release of illegal immigrants for starters and who knows what other imagined catastrophe he will dream up next to try and fool the public.

Some may think that now that the sequester is in effect, that is the end of it.  Not so mes amis!  On March 27, the current continuing resolution that funds the government’s operations ends. Either a new resolution must be approved by the House and Senate, or a broader budget must be approved.  If Congress can’t reach a budget deal by March 27, all nonessential federal government operations stop. 

So when does this stop?  I’ve been breathing since a year after FDR won his fourth term in 1940 and I have never seen such a maelstrom of nonsense in the federal government.   Are we actually paying this guy money to screw up this country?

(Here is a good takeoff on the sequester from SNL, (4:25) courtesy of Middy) 

REMEMBERING AZ CENTRAL BLOGS (2006-2012)

One of my favorite bloggers is Glo.  She has been around almost as long as this blog has.  She and CJ were the first female bloggers I had after the AZ Central blogs launched on December 6, 2006.  I think their first entries appeared about a month or two later in early 2007.  They have both followed me to this blog which I did as a secondary item until AZ Central got ruined in 2011 with the arrival of the Facebook requirement for comments.

In a way, Facebook was a blessing.  Before it was required, I would get 50 or 60 comments on a blog story.  One of my favorites was something I did on how soda pop was referred to in different parts of the country.  I called it “Soda, Pop, or Coke” and never thought that something so mundane would get many hits.  It wound up with 74 comments by 44 readers; some of them from far away.  When I re-printed it in February of 2009 on my Google blog, it drew another 36 comments.  It just goes to show that one never knows what will work when doing a piece.

A large percentage of my AZ Central blogs still exist in my Google blog archives and I enjoy checking them out now and then for nostalgic reasons if nothing else.  AZ Central was a good thing that eventually scared the Arizona Republic when some of the comments became a bit overwrought over their political preferences.  I didn’t do that much in the way of politics so I got swept aside when the Facebook nonsense became effective and I refused to be a part of it.

In the first paragraph, I mentioned Glo and Cj but I mustn’t forget others like Middy, Mike, Proud, Sam, native, Allen, Ken, AHG, Lynda, John W., Doc John, Larry, DG, Steve, Kevin, Lynda, rettajim, stealth, blue, Niagara Dave, and the irrepressible Rick.   There are others I may not have named but do appreciate.

Speaking of Glo and Middy, I have found in my Shorpy archives a couple of vintage photos that apply to the part of the country where they lived before becoming dues paying members of Arizona.

This is a photo of some ladies enjoying a night of bowling in Glo’s home state of Connecticut in 1942.  They are playing the eastern game of duck pin bowling hence, the smaller balls.  The lanes they are using are located in the basement of the fire station in Bantam, Connecticut.  Could the lady throwing the ball possibly be Glo’s mom?

Since Middy grew up in the panhandle of Texas, I thought a good old fashioned dust storm photo would bring back memories of those years.  The photo was taken in Amarillo, Texas in 1936 during one of the dust storms.  Residents of that area have said that a windsock to them was a “brick welded to a chain.”

That sounds about right.  I had the honor of being stationed in Amarillo for a couple months in 1961 and some of the wind I experienced probably wouldn’t move the brick!

PHIL MICKELSON, A CHAMPION IN GOLF AND LIFE

Professional golfer and ASU grad Phil Mickelson has recently spoken about his combined tax hit from the federal government and the State of California going into the 60% to 63% range.  Understandably, Phil is unhappy about such a situation and is considering leaving the golden state.

Mickelson has always come across as one of the really good guys in sports.  He is mannerly, a good family man, and a fan favorite who has had his share of heartaches over his wife’s and mother’s battles with breast cancer.  Through it all, he has smiled, never brushed off autograph seekers, given balls to and gloves to kids, and helped charities.

Phil shows his trophy received for winning the 

2000 Buick Invitational

As expected, the day after Phil declared his unhappiness with the tax situation, the $1.98 an hour liberals started coming out of the woodwork calling his statements “controversial” and criticizing him as being a greedy athlete.  Being the guy he is, he actually apologized unnecessarily for his comments about moving from tax heavy California.

On another blog I do (AZC Voices, Politics) one of the fiery female liberal loudmouth contributors took issue with Phil trying to point out that with all the money he makes, he should be glad to pay the higher taxes and that even after paying up would still have more than most people.  It’s as if she is the one who should decide how much money Mickelson should make and how much he deserves to keep.  One of the favorite statements from liberals is:  “Gosh, how much do you need?”  My answer is “None of your damned business”.

This is the classic liberal mentality that we have to put up with today.  They believe that taking more than half of someone’s income is only right because it is their supposed “fair share”.  Of course, with the above mentioned female blogger who derogatorily referred to Mr. Mickelson as “dear sweet Phil”, she loves looking at successful people as needing to pay more taxes to prop up the almost 50% who don’t pay any taxes.  Maybe if she tried to play golf, she would realize what an impossible game it is and give guys like Mickelson the respect they deserve.

Actually, she wouldn’t because that is not the way liberals think.  They don’t want a wealthy class; they want everyone equal with the rich doing the heavy lifting and giving more to those beneath them.  That’s the type of mentality that saps initiative away from the makers of the world and why we have a liberal president who wants job killing items like a $9 per hour minimum wage while squandering millions to losers like Solyndra and Tesla.

The good news is that his approval ratings have slipped in a couple of important polls.  Maybe America is finally seeing the light.

Meanwhile, Phil Mickelson is doing well this weekend in the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles.  I would love to see him win it and pocket another million bucks.

POLITICALLY CORRECT NONSENSE AND TIRESOME EXPRESSIONS

Remember when someone would be considered “fat” if they were short and weighed 400 pounds?  How about someone who refused to work and sponged off others being called a “bum.”  Let’s not forget the guy who would pick up your trash as the “garbage man” and guys like George Washington, Jefferson, Adams, etc. being known as the “Founding Fathers.”

Forget all that as we are now in the idiotic world of political correctness and are not supposed to use those terms.  I say “we” are in that world but in reality I am not a member of the political correctness society and I’m sure many of you aren’t either.

Today, in our liberal society that dreads the remotest possibility that someone may have their feelings hurt, that 400 pound guy would be referred to as having “an enlarged physical condition caused by a completely natural genetically induced hormone imbalance.”  To those of us who are from the old school he still is “fat”.  The “bum” is now a “homeless person” and the “Founding Fathers” are “The Founders”.  We can’t risk offending women of the 18^th century who might have pitched in!  As for the “garbage man” he is now a “sanitation engineer.”

I wonder where this "sanitation engineer" from the 
1950s received his degree.  Yale?  Harvard?

It’s all nonsense brought about by a clueless group of today that has no sense of reality.  I remember a few years ago when Tiger Woods hit a bad shot, the microphone picked up his voice muttering “I hit that like a retard!”  He caught hell over that even though not too many years’ earlier “retard” or “retarded” were common terms for someone with a mental disability.  Another no-no was from Barack himself when he proved on the bowling lanes that he has no athletic ability whatsoever and exclaimed that he looked like he was a member of the Special Olympics.

Philip Atkinson, author of A Study of Our Decline, says it best: "Political Correctness is merely the resentment of spoiled children directed against their parent’s values." 

It’s not just political correctness that is annoying today.  How about some of the popular expressions we have to hear continuously.  What better place to start on those than from Barack himself.  This guy is more repetitive than a Thompson machine gun but far less effective.  How many times have we heard him say “…but I won” and “It’s a problem that I inherited.”  My favorites are “Make no mistake.”  “Change isn't easy.”  “Let me be clear.”

Remember a few years ago when there wasn’t a teen age girl in captivity that didn’t utter “Whatever!” at least a hundred times a day?  It’s still around but like “awesome” and “dude”, is not as popular as it once was.

Our buddy Barack gets to take credit again for the term “fair share” as in “I want to raise taxes on the rich so they pay their “fair share” to support the bums on welfare.”

Then there is “not a problem” (what happened to O.K.?), home invasion (it sounds less crude than “break in”), “my bad” (sounds stupid even from a kid), “hone in” (are people so dumb they don’t know its “home in”) and many others of which I’m sure you are familiar.

Be patient; I’m sure more inanity is on the way.

THE GROWTH OF NARCISSISM

Psychiatrist Dr. Keith Ablow says that we are raising a generation of deluded narcissists:  “A new analysis of the American Freshman Survey, which has accumulated data for the past 47 years from 9 million young adults, reveals that college students are more likely than ever to call themselves gifted and driven to succeed, even though their test scores and time spent studying are decreasing.”

Dr. Ablow sees a tendency toward narcissism that has developed over the past thirty years.  He sees a “toxic psychological impact of media and technology on children, adolescents and young adults, particularly as it regards turning them into faux celebrities—the equivalent of lead actors in their own fictionalized life stories.”

Where does all this narcissism originate?  Dr. Ablow cites Facebook, Twitter, computer games, and MTV as four sources.

On Facebook, one can claim hundreds of “friends” while feeling they are actually connected to celebrities that they “like.”

With Twitter, the ego is aroused by the feeling that they actually have a “following” that cares what they do even if they have to explain it in 140 characters.

When playing computer games one “can pretend they are Olympians, Formula 1 drivers, rock stars or sharpshooters while “ they are really in dens and playrooms on side streets around America; that is after their hearts have raced and heads have swelled with false pride for being something they are not.”

I have a neighbor who is 60 years old.  She knows that I used to be a 200+ average bowler so one day she excitedly told me how her daughter in law had bowled a 298 game.  Needless to say I was impressed!  A 298 is only two pins away from a perfect 300.  When I asked what kind of ball she threw, I was informed that the score had been accomplished on a video game!

I didn’t know whether to laugh or shake my head in disgust so I just smiled and told her “good game.”  It was just another example of how people want fame the easy way.  It’s kind of like phony awards being given to losing teams and individuals in the never ending quest for someone to try and get their 15 minutes of fame although by false methods.

The original "veejays" on MTV in 1981.  L-R, Nina

Blackwood, Alan Hunter, Martha Quinn, J. J. Jackson,

(back) Mark Goodman

MTV shows kids on “reality” TV shows like "Jersey Shore" that are not even close to real life but kids suck it up and portray themselves in the same manner as people like Snooki and her friends.   

Does anyone remember when MTV came on the air in 1981 with “veejays” Martha Quinn, J. J. Jackson, and Mark Goodman?  Do you remember the first song they played?  (Click here for answer)  It was a great music network then.  Now, they do “Jersey Shore.”

I have said it before and will repeat it now:  I think a lot of the false ego trips and artificiality of younger people today, especially males, is that they never had to serve in the military.  Dropping the draft in 1973 was a huge mistake.  The military turned a lot of boys into men; much more than the young lifestyles of today where "responsibility" is just another word they can’t spell.

THE PHONINESS OF LIBERALISM

Middy was kind enough yesterday to post the clip of Michelle Obama wearing her new Walmart inspired 1968 Diana Ross wig while she stuffed her face at the inauguration.  In case you missed it, click here.  

She reminded me of some of the guys I knew in the Air Force who would eat like it was going out of style.  Meanwhile, she thinks school kids should starve on her idiotic diet.  When I say “school kids”, I am omitting her kids who eat hearty meals at their private school.

We now find out that Beyonce faked the National Anthem with lip synchronization.  That’s pretty gutless; I guess she hasn't the voice she thought she had.  Yes, Beyonce, you would have no career without electronic assistance.

My wife Barb taught elementary school for 22 years and draws an interesting analogy of how liberals might like to apply their philosophy to student grades.  Obama would probably applaud this method using his tired statement of how “It’s only fair” just like “it’s only fair that the rich pay a little more.”

The liberal grading system:  Child number one studies his butt off to get an “A”.  Child number two does nothing and gets an “F”.  Fear not, child number two!  We will take half of child number one’s “A” and give you a “C” so you can pass.  The other half of child number one’s “A” also becomes a “C” which he retains so he can also pass.

That's OK kid, have a nice nap, the good
students will cover for you.  Maybe!

What is the lesson learned?  The “A” student now realizes that no matter how many “A’s” he gets, he will lose half his grade to the loser kids who do nothing.  He now figures, “Hell, if I get an “A” I will only lose half of it to that kid sleeping at the desk next to me.  Like him, I’m going to do nothing and take my guaranteed “C”.

The “F” student loves this system.  He can sleep in class every day and still pass with a “C”.  Even if he decides to better himself by studying hard and getting an “A”, he knows he will only lose half of it to some other loser like himself so why bother?

The above is a good example of what Obama would love to have you think “is only fair.”  To him fairness is for someone to take risks, work long hours, become successful, and then give a large amount of what they earned to those without the same ambition.  It’s a wonder that anyone has initiative anymore.

In case you are someone who has initiative and is feverishly looking for a job in the still bad economy, I would advise you to take your resume very seriously.  If ever the term “watch your p’s and q’s” was in effect it is on a resume.  Bad grammar can get you tossed in the trash in a hurry.

With the number of resumes flooding employers, they have to be narrowed down somehow and grammatical errors are one way to do that according to CareerBuilder.

Checklist:  Know your homophones!  Those are words that are spelled differently but sound the same.  Too, to, and two are good examples.  I see a lot of writing where people don’t know what to do with “too.”

Keep tenses correct, proofread, and proofread again.  This is something I always do with the blogs.  If you find a mistake, it isn't because I'm not TRYING to get it right.

(Click here to read my latest blog on the AZC Politics blog from the Republic.  Thanks!)

ANOTHER LESSON LEARNED THE HARD WAY

The following story illustrates the importance of gun ownership and the need to have your weapon ready if the situation warrants it.  It’s too bad that being armed has become a necessity but that is the lifestyle we now face in the United States of America.

The headlines in the “Valley and State” section of the Arizona Republic shouted yesterday (January 14) that “17 YEAR OLD FATALLY SHOT IN FIGHT”.

The story goes as follows:  The 17 year old was shot to death at about 11:15 p. m. Saturday outside an apartment complex at 17^th Street and Indian School Road.

Responding officers found that the 17 year olds’ two 18 year old brothers were throwing large river rocks into an apartment occupied by a 19 year old guy, his girlfriend, and child.  One of the rocks had hit the 19 year old requiring medical attention.

Investigators determined that the 17 year old and his two brothers had been drinking and gotten into an argument with the 19 year old.  The 19 year old walked away and went into his apartment and shut the door. At that time the 17 year old went into his apartment and retrieved two knives.

When he returned with the knives, he and his brothers tried to force their way into the 19 year olds’ apartment while hollering threats.

The 19 year old repeatedly told them to leave and that he had a gun.  Fearing for his life and the lives of his girlfriend and baby, he shot the 17 year old dead.  The brothers retreated and began throwing the river rocks through the apartment window.

When push comes

to shove........

 When the police arrived, they arrested the two brothers.  The 19 year old guy was released on a self defense claim.

I wonder how many times a day this situation is re-enacted in the United States.  I wonder how many times the person being attacked doesn’t have a gun and winds up on the unfortunate end of the stick.

In this case, the guy had a gun and protected his family while the bad guy suffered death.  It seems only appropriate that it should be that way yet there are those who think all our guns should be taken away.

I never thought that I would have to carry a gun with me but I now go nowhere without it.  I like the above story in the sense that three guys were breaking into an apartment with a guy, his girl, and their baby and they were thwarted by firepower.

Maybe a few crooks will hear about it and think twice before attacking someone.

(I also write a weekly blog at http://azcvoices.com/politics/author/jimmcallister/.  Check it out!)

IN RETROSPECT, YESTERDAY IS LIKE A DREAM

It seems like the good old USA we used to know is coming apart at the seams.

We now have a president whose ego is bigger than all outdoors and suddenly people are coming out of the woodwork with guns ambushing kids in classrooms.

The president wants higher taxes to feed his welfare state as we have now gone through two or three generations of people who have never considered working any harder than to lift a free check.

The free enterprise system that made this country successful is being taxed more so a spend happy federal government can become a bigger yet unneeded and unwanted device to fleece the makers in favor of the takers under the guise of "I think it is better when the wealth is spread around."  Surprisingly, many have been gullible enough to believe such nonsense.

They are getting a course in reality lately though as there is quite a bit of ire concerning the rise in social security taxes.  Suddenly, losing about $70 per paycheck is not so pleasant.  Did they actually think that spreading the wealth around would not include contributions from them? (More on my blog at "azcvoices")

Let's take a moment and look back to a time when things made a bit more sense.  I'm not talking Huckleberry Finn times but more like things were when many of us were younger.

Can you identify the items from the past in the following photos?  Good luck!

What is it?

Any idea what these are?

Have you used one of these lately?













It's not a midieval torture device.  What is
it?












What is that contraption next to
Lucy and Ethel?















Remember these?  Very heavy!

What is grandma doing?


                                     

















What is this area on the house below called?                                                         

                                                                       

                        What are these two items?

      

THIS AND THAT TO START THE NEW YEAR

I watched a great film last night; one that I have seen many times but I never tire of it.  It was

“The Asphalt Jungle” from 1950 and starred many popular stars from that era like Sam Jaffe, James Whitmore, Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, and in a small part, a beautiful 24 year old unknown blond named Marilyn Monroe.

Two long ago policemen stand by their 1949 Ford 

I love classic films like “The Asphalt Jungle” not only for the better actors in general and the character actors in particular, but for the miscellaneous pieces of the past that I remember well as a kid and their value as examples of film noir art.  For example, the opening scene shows a 1949 Ford police car cruising the waterfront of a large unnamed Midwestern city.  I was a real car buff in that era of my young life and loved 1949-50 Fords for their sleek styling and design over the boxier 1948 and previous Fords of that era.

The Republicans have lost again to Obama but I don’t think they had much choice if they wanted to retain even a shred of viability for the future.  By allowing the cliff they have survived to fight another day while allowing it would have finished them in 2014.  It probably will anyway as giving up $660 billion in revenue for $62 billion in cuts doesn’t make much sense. 

Three pieces of good news though:  1. Many of the ones who supported this nonsense are going to see higher taxes anyway and jobs lost.  2. The public reaction in general contains a lot of anger toward Obama according to comments this morning in various news stories.  3. The best story is about last Friday when John Boehner told Harry Reid to “Go f-ck yourself!” not once but twice.

He will probably get overruled but a U. S. District Judge has ruled in favor of Domino’s Pizza tycoon Tom Monaghan who has protested having to cover the mandatory morning after pill part of Obamacare because of his religious beliefs.

Hobby Lobby has also sued for the same reasons.  If nothing else, these cases may arouse some public awareness.  It amazes me that any government in the USA would make employers pay for a morning after pill but that is the mentality we now live under.

Syndicated writer Kathleen Parker wrote a piece this morning that echoes and updates what I wrote in 2008 about the demise of hard copy newspapers.  When I wrote my piece in 2008, Twitter, Smartphones, and texting were in their infancy.  The biggest fear of the hard copy papers was readers going to their desk top computers to read the paper.

Now, there are so many other sources for news that many papers like the Arizona Republic have resorted to paid subscriptions to their online editions.  We’ll see how that goes at $10 a month cost.  I bought in but barely use it since I am stubborn and like the hard copy.

I think there is still a certain romance to waddling out to the driveway to get the paper in the morning then snapping it open next to a cup of Joe to see the headlines.

There is also a lot more excitement with the hard copy if you have a column printed in it.  Knowing that about 300,000 people all over Phoenix have a copy of something you wrote is exciting stuff; a lot more exciting than seeing it on a computer screen and wondering how many see it.

I hope the Smartphone people are not holding their breath waiting for me to buy one.  Ain’t gonna happen!

Happy New Year.........2013

Thanks for making 2012 a great blogging year.
See you after January 1.

JIM

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Another year, another Christmas.  They seem to come quicker as we get older!

Thanks to everyone for making this blog a success.  Although I have been writing it since 2005, the five year period between December 2006 and December 2011 was the AZ Central era where I met most of you loyal readers.

Unfortunately, AZ Central decided to be edited by Facebook at the end of 2011 and that essentially ended the blogs as we knew them.

As most of you know, I have continued doing blogs the same way I did them before AZ Central got involved.   To my delight, the blog has grown in popularity more than I believed it could.

By writing about several subjects over the years, I have received hits from around the world.  There aren't many key words that go into Google that won't send people my way.  If I had to name the blog that gets the most hits, it would have to be the one I did in November, 2008 about kids growing up too fast.  Number two would probably be the one about Alfred Hitchcock and the making of Psycho in 1959.

I now average well over 100 comments per blog. I thank everyone for their participation and wish Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all as we head into 2013.

PERUSING DRUDGE, 12-15-2012

A good enough response by Obama to the Newtown killings but he blew it with the fake tears.  C’mon, BO, you can do better than that.  You should have had stooge Carney wave an onion in front of you to get some real tears.  Your face was as dry as the AZ desert in July. 

Maybe since BO accepted border guard Brian Terry’s death without tears a couple years ago and thousands of abortions do not bother him, his PR guys felt he better try to look a bit more emotional this time even if it meant imaginary tears.

The founder of Domino's Pizza is suing the federal government over mandatory contraception coverage in the new health care law:

FROM THE AP:  Tom Monaghan, a devout Roman Catholic, says contraception is not health care and instead is a "gravely immoral" practice. He's a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court, along with his Domino's Farms, which runs an office park near Ann Arbor.

Monaghan offers health insurance that excludes contraception and abortion for employees. The new law requires employers to offer insurance that includes contraception coverage or risk fines. The government says the contraception mandate benefits women and their role in society. There are similar lawsuits pending across the country.

This is really stupid.  Is the cost of contraception so expensive that it has to be covered by insurance?  How much can birth control pills and rubbers cost?  Also, “the contraception mandate benefits women and their role in society.”  What kind of phony liberal nonsense thought that up?  Women will be better citizens if insurance money pays for their sexual adventures?  Please tell me this foolishness is not happening in what used to be the greatest country on earth.  Good luck to Mr. Monaghan.

This has to be the quote of the week:  Tiny Mission College in California (where else?) has added a 50 year old, 6 foot 6 inch, 220 pound transsexual to its woman's basketball team comprised of girls 18, 19, and 20.  

Gabrielle Ludwig wants to be the first person to play college basketball as a man and a woman.

Needless to say, there has been a lot of controversy over this as one would expect except maybe Gabrielle who commented:  “I don’t want to be a distraction to the team.”  What?  Do you mean that this is not an every day event in basketball?  Well, maybe in California.

The Washington Redskins of the NFL have a great black quarterback in Robert Griffin III.  I watched him against the NY Giants a couple weeks ago and the guy can run like Emmett Smith and throw like Aaron Rodgers.  He also is not interested in being referred to by the color of his skin.  He wants to be defined by his work ethic.

That sounds like a real stand up guy to me.  Unfortunately some second string  columnist named Rob Parker does not agree with Griffin’s ideology.  Parker, who is black, wants to know if Griffin is a “brother” or just a “cornball brother”, whatever that means.

Parker teeters back and forth evaluating how “black” Griffin is and whether he is “not really down with the cause” or “not one of us”.   He says “We all know he has a white fiancé and there was this talk that he is a Republican.”

Oh, my God!  Griffin might be a Republican and have a white fiancé?  Mr. Parker  is clueless and is an embarrassment.      
                                Finally, a well dressed shopper in an Alaska Walmart!
                                (photo courtesy Ed Brown)

COLLEGE BOWL GAMES HAVE BECOME A SHAM

We live in a soft society where kids are taught that everyone is a winner.  Kid’s soccer teams don’t keep score because it might be “hurtful” to be on the losing team.  Everybody gets a trophy just for participating and everyone goes home feeling special.

Unfortunately, that type of thinking is not reality.  There are always going to be winners and losers.  Someone will always be better than the others regardless of how kids are coddled into thinking otherwise.  My advice is to deal with it.

A good example of receiving undeserved rewards is the college football bowl lineup for this year.  It used to be that a team had to have a good record of wins over losses to earn a coveted spot in a bowl.  Today? Not so much.

In the case of college sports it is more a case of greed than worrying about feelings.  The players are old enough to realize that all the coddling nonsense they got as kids about everyone being equal is silly.  Now, it’s a case of putting on a bloated show for someone to make a buck.

I remember when if a team lost more than two games they could forget about being bowl bound. But, in those days there were  not 34 bowls like there are now. 

The A-list bowls were the Orange, Cotton, Sugar, and Rose.  There were a few secondary bowls:  The Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, and the Sun bowl in El Paso.   Even those bowls usually required schools to have no more than three losses.

This year’s bowl lineup shows that teams can be actually awarded for ineptitude.  There is some justice though that some of these schools are being sent to bowls with names like The Belk Bowl, whatever that is.

Zurlon Tipton scores for Central Michigan as 

fans disguised as seats look on.

The Belk Bowl will match my old alma mater, Cincinnati (9-3) vs. the mighty Duke Blue Devils who boast a 6-6 record that includes losses by scores of 50-13, 41-20, 48-7, 56-20, 42-24, and 52-45.  It seems like the toilet bowl would be more suitable for Duke.

There are ten other teams with 6-6 records that will be going to bowls with names like the Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl in Detroit, the Russell Athletic Bowl, the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl in Tempe, and the Heart of Dallas Bowl.

I wonder if I can still get tickets to that Little Caesar’s Bowl.  I have always wanted to see Central Michigan (6-6) play Western Kentucky (7-5) on the day after Christmas in a garden spot like Detroit in winter.   Let’s see; where did I put my .38?

ASU and U of A are both 7-5 and going to insignificant bowls.  With their records they certainly have as much right to a bowl as the 6-6 guys but when I watched Oregon beat ASU 43-21 in a game that could have been 100-0, I wonder how good these guys are.  It was men against boys that night.

The same goes for U of A:  They lost to Oregon 49-0 and UCLA 66-10.  Are those the kind of games that earn a bowl trip?  It will be interesting to see how many trudge to Albuquerque on December 19 to watch them play the mighty Nevada Wolf Pack.

What is my favorite bowl game?  It has to be the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama where Pittsburgh (6-6) plays Mississippi (6-6).   The only appropriate score of that one should be 0-0.

OBAMA DOESN'T WANT TO BARGAIN? REPUBS SHOULD CALL HIS BLUFF!

So, now the left and the right are slugging it out over the “fiscal cliff”.

President Obama and a good chunk of Democrats want to raise taxes on the nation’s highest earners even though the increase wouldn't amount to a hill of beans. Though the president says he also wants to have a conversation about reforming entitlements, he hasn’t put any type of proposal on paper. Nor is the president or his party interested in serious spending cuts, aside from cuts to the Department of Defense, something Republicans argue would hurt our national security muscle in a time when we need it the most.  Charles Krauthammer says it all with “Robert E. Lee was offered easier terms at Appomattox, and he lost the Civil War.” 

At the same time, Republicans have put forth plans to tackle the biggest driver of our debt—entitlements—and even had a presidential ticket that ran on those reforms. The House of Representatives has passed some version of these plans and Speaker John Boehner has adopted a Mitt Romney idea to eliminate certain deductions in order to raise revenue to pay down our debt. Raising taxes, however—on anyone—is not an option, they say. Unless one side caves, we’re slated to dive off the so-called "cliff" in December.

So why don’t Republicans just get out of the way and let it happen? It sounds crazy, but there is a case to be made.

Let Democrats bring a bill to increase spending on what Obama calls a second stimulus, raise taxes on high earners (including many small businesses) without doing a thing to fix Medicare and Social Security for current and future generations. Republicans can take a page of Obama’s playbook and vote present as he did when he was a senator. When the nation falls off the fiscal cliff, he can own it.

The tax increases that happen will be the Obama tax increases. When spending spikes, it can be the Obama tax and spend plan. And if we slide into recession with 9% unemployment and millions more out of work, as the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) predicts will happen, it will be the Obama recession. In other words, it's time for the right to call Obama's bluff.  Is he so hard headed as to risk his legacy because of his bloated ego?

Many who voted for Obama, especially low income people, would be hit the hardest.  A single unemployed person making $10,000 per year would see a tax hike of 55.2%.  An average married couple making $20,000 to $30,000 per year would see their taxes go from a $15 refund to paying $1,408.

If a majority of the country elected Obama to four more years in the White House, then let them have it their way without GOP support.  Perhaps our nation needs to dive off the cliff in order to realize how dire our debt problem really is.  Then maybe they'll support real change.

Plus, Republicans will get blamed anyway and probably get swept in 2014. The president’s current public relations tour across country on the fiscal cliff is designed for that exact purpose. It’s much easier than leading.

So, when January 2 arrives bringing whatever changes it may bring, Obama has plans to be in Hawaii vacationing for three weeks at a cost to taxpayers of $4 million.  This will be interesting.

Portions of the above courtesy of Andrea Tantaros