Totally Twisted Quote Tuesday 5/31/11

The True Meaning of Memorial Day

Memorial Day barbecues are fun, and there are great sales to be found at Macy’s. I’m thankful to get a much needed day off. Let’s not forget what this day is about – honoring those who died in service to our country. Thank you to those who have served. For those who didn’t make it back, this day is especially for you.

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The True Meaning of Memorial Day, posted with vodpod

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding

This was one of the most popular and controversial shows in the UK. It’s now on TLC. What a trip. Here’s a great place to talk and learn about the show. A lot of the forum members provide links so you can learn more about the Roma and Irish Traveller communities: Television without Pity: My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding Forum

Roma and English/Irish Travellers have such interesting cultures. With the Travellers, the wedding and First Holy Communion dresses are over-the-top. Some of the wedding gowns weigh 70 lbs. They can hardly walk in them.

What struck me the most is their constant battle with the UK government. People don’t want gypsies living near their communities. When they find land, they buy it and set up their trailer camps. They live with fellow gypsies. They’re not allowed to build on this land, even though it’s theirs. They just settle in anyway and the fight to stay there goes on for years. Of course, the government wins. They refuse to go, and the bulldozers come and tear down their trailers. They’re evicted with no place to go.

If they buy the land, why can’t they stay and build? Just leave them alone. Outside of work, they are not into mixing with cultures outside their own. I don’t know. I hope the exposure they received through the show will help their fight to be able to stay on their own land. That doesn’t even sound right. Not being able to stay on the land you own.

Hardball with Chris Matthews: High School Student Takes on Administration

I am impressed with this young guy’s passion. He’s challenging a 2008 Louisiana law that he feels is a way to get Creationism taught in public school science classes. I am a theistic evolutionist myself. Despite my belief in God, I think Creationism should not be taught in a science class. Religion does not belong there.

Enjoy! 🙂

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High School Student Takes on Administration, posted with vodpod

Ed Schultz, Accountability, and Freedom

Ed Schultz Apologizes: Laura Ingraham Comments ‘Vile And Inappropriate’

I’m glad he owned it and apologized. As a Liberal, it was really disappointing and embarrassing. He’s taking his medicine by apologizing on the show and is suspended for a week without pay.

Now, this is what I’ve been thinking about since this story surfaced. Ed Schultz works directly for a network – NBC. Of course, they don’t want his words to reflect negatively on them. So, they make him apologize and suspend him.

Rush Limbaugh has a nationally syndicated radio show. Over the millenia that he’s been on the air (feels like it), he has spouted the nastiest comments. Racist, sexist, whatever-ist, he’s said it. He’s apologized here and there. People have apologized for him. Yet, there’s no real accountability. Is he afraid that radio stations will drop his program? Hell no. His popularity ratings are off-the-charts. No radio station would drop the program and the advertising revenue that comes with having a solid following.

To be clear, pointing this is out does not mean I am condoning Ed Schultz’s behavior. It was totally classless. “Slut” may be colloquial nowadays, but it’s still sexist and rude. I wish there was punishment for Rush Limbaugh, too, though. It’s pretty much, “Sorry I said Michael J. Fox was faking his Parkinson’s Disease. Now, back to those evil Liberals.” To me, that really sucks.

If there are two levels of accountability, suspension and sorry, I say forget the whole standards thing. Let them all say what they want to say. Do or do not apologize. Let the viewers and listeners decide whether or not they want to continue watching and listening.

Is that the answer? Should we have unregulated freedom on radio and TV? I have no problem with that, actually. People should be able to decide what they want to listen to and watch. Popularity and ratings could dictate what stays and goes. As far as children being exposed, that’s why they have parents.

I know there are those who have a huge problem with that. Considering the outrage after Janet Jackson’s peek-a-boobie during the Superbowl, this is not in the foreseeable future. I guess we’ll continue as we have.

Anyway, this is what I do know for sure. I don’t like that when Ed says something “vile and inappropriate,” there are serious repercussions. However, Rush can say something equally “vile and inappropriate” and nothing happens.

Miss Manners, Please Meet Rep. Patrick McHenry

I think there must have been a weird alignment of the planets lately that have been adversely affecting the GOP – more so than usual.

1. Rob Woodall pulled out the Tea Party playbook and lectured a constituent to stop relying on others to take care of her.

2. Eric Cantor wanted to use disaster relief money for Joplin’s devastation from a Cat 5 tornado as leverage to get more spending cuts.

I thought that would be the end of it. Hell, those were depressing enough. Maybe bad things really do come in threes.

3. Representative Patrick McHenry of North Carolina accuses Elizabeth Warren, Obama’s consumer protection advisor, of lying.

There was some kind of mix-up with the scheduled hearing. Warren said there was an agreement about the time being limited to an hour. McHenry says there was no agreement and told her, “You’re making this up.” Lovely. He took a scheduling conflict as an opportunity to attack Elizabeth Warren’s character.

Message to McHenry: It’s pretty sad when a member of your subcommittee has to call you out on your behavior. Not exactly becoming of a Congressman, let alone a Chairman. Are you related to Joe “You Lie!” Wilson?

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Chairman McHenry Calls Elizabeth Warren a Liar …, posted with vodpod

Rep. Rob Woodall’s “Good Luck with All That” Medicare Plan

Hey, are you a senior citizen who worked and paid taxes all your life but could use some help paying for your insulin? If he had his way, GOP Representative Rob Woodall of Georgia would wish you well with your diabetes.

“Hear yourself, ma’am. Hear yourself. You want the government to take care of you, because your employer decided not to take care of you. My question is, ‘When do I decide I’m going to take care of me?'”

He has huge cojones to say this to his constituent. He works for the government. The government is taking care of him. His future pension and health plan ensures he will never have to worry about having to choose between food and medicine.

On the clip, people were cheering when he said that. Pretty easy when you’re younger and can still work. I wonder how they’ll feel when they’re older and on a fixed income.

Watch the clip, and you’ll also hear this gem:

“If you want a socialized health care program, there are lots of places to find that. But, for your children’s sake, I beg you: There aren’t many places to find the freedom to succeed by the sweat of your brow like we have here.”

Not only would he wish you well, you can move if you don’t like how things work here. What a guy.

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Woodall Grilled Over GOP Medicare Reform Plan, posted with vodpod

Totally Twisted Quote Tuesday 5/24/11

A Weird and Wonderful Weekend

Even if your weekends are as boring as mine, this past weekend was a tad more interesting for all of us. After all, we did avert the apocalypse.

The rapture was supposed to happen at 6:00 PM on Saturday according to Harold Camping, a Christian radio host on Family Radio. I don’t know what time zone, so I figure people would be lifted up into heaven at 6:00 PM their time.

I cleaned the house and gave Diggy a bath, as I always do on Saturdays. I was really tired, so I napped. Since I had a late start on cleaning, I fell asleep around 5:30. I woke up around 7:30. I slept through the rapture. Around 8:30, I went downstairs and was about to head out the door for my Saturday night burger and fries. My partner told me there was a fight. Crap! I totally forgot, and I saw the interview the night before. Hopkins vs. Pascal. I’ve seen Bernard Hopkins fight live in Vegas. He’s definitely not one of my favorites, but I wanted to watch. If he won, he would be the oldest fighter (46) to win a title. 46. He would beat George Foreman’s record. He was 45 when he knocked out Moorer in 1994. Crazy.

I knew this was going to go the full 12. Hopkins usually doesn’t get warmed up until the later rounds. I settled in. I wanted my burger, but I wasn’t going to miss him breaking a record. What a great fight. B-Hop did it. 12 rounds, unanimous decision. He beat the younger, faster Jean Pascal. He’s not one of my favorites, but since 46 is ancient for a fighter, he definitely has my respect.

I made it out to In ‘n Out burger. There were a ton of people, even at almost 10:00 PM. Did they miss the rapture too? I brought the food home and devoured it. I woke up on Sunday, and saw an e-mail from my sister. She and my parents are devout Christians, so I know the rapture didn’t happen.

While I am so very disappointed that the end of the world didn’t happen, what a great weekend. The house is clean, I got to see a historic fight, and I got my burger and fries.

Message to Harold Camping: You were wrong in 1994, so you might want to give it up. 0 for 2. And even I, not 1/10th as knowledgeable about the Bible as you are, still remember Matthew 24:36. “But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” I am considering suing you for emotional pain and suffering from extreme disappointment.

You Drive, Girl!

This woman has bolas the size of the Kingdom. There is no law preventing women from driving in the KSA. However, those wacky Wahhabi imams proclaimed it a no no. She was detained, and I’m wondering how this will affect her “movement” to get women driving. I totally admire her. I’d be scared sh*tless to do anything that defiant there.

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Saudi woman campaigns for right to drive, posted with vodpod