Sarah Palin’s Response to Charlie Gibson

Sarah Palin’s recent interview with Charile Gibson on ABC has received a lot of press and comments.  Many people feel like Charlie gave her a little bit of a rough, prosecutorial-like ride whereas some wish he’d gone further.  Here’s a video of how I wish she would have responded.  It would’ve been great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUXRpjHxxD0

So I’m Right Again – Don’t Eat Your Veggies!

I’ve been saying it for years now.  I don’t like vegetables.  Well, I’ll eat fried okra, green beans, corn, salad or onions – that’s pretty much it.  But all those cruciferous vegetables and squash and butter beans and spinach?  And turnip greens?   Yuck!  I’ve been married 18 years now and my wife still can’t choke that stuff down for me.  My routine answer is, “That (fill in vegetable) is bad for you.  Haven’t you heard it causes (fill in a disease).”  Otherwise, the closest I come to vegetables is super supreme pizza – after years, I’ve finally convinced myself that is okay to eat.

Well, science has finally proven me right.  This article here, says that eating veggies shrinks your brain.  Well, that’s just added ammunition for me.  I need all the brainpower I can get.  It’s a complex world we live in and I can’t really afford for somebody to be swiping my neurons.  All those connections are important and though those connections would theoretically be closer in a shrunken brain state, surely they can’t fire off as well.

So, I stand firm.  Don’t eat your veggies.  Who knows what else they’ll find that they do to you.  My only question is, I wonder if eating that super supreme pizza shrinks my brain?

Lipstick, Old Time Religion, Color and Sex

How Race, Religion, Gender and Sex Are Stealing This Year’s Election

Hold on to your breeches, it’s gonna be a wild ride to the finish.  If you haven’t gotten caught up in the election this year, one side or the other, you’re doing good.  Me?  I have to admit, with the emergence of Sarah Palin on the scene, I’ve gone from seeing McCain as a stale, boring old man to feeling a bit of excitement about this year’s election for the first time in a while, purely because of Palin.  Am I wrong for that?  Democrats might say yes and Republicans would say no.  But no one can argue that this election has a certain dynamic that is really unprecedented.

This year’s election is different from all the others.  Oh it’s the same, in that you have both parties claiming they’re the agents of change that will finally set the country straight and on a path to restoration and greatness, the likes of which we haven’t known for a long time.  Both parties adamantly declare they are what America needs to cure what ails us though they’ve appeared the same old status quo political machines they have always been.  For the most part, the issues that most Americans worry about, the economy, national security, immigration, welfare and healthcare are all pretty much the same and the parties’ responses predictable. 

But there’s one problem.  This year, it seems like the election is getting hijacked by lipstick, old-time religion, color and sex.  Okay, make that four problems.  Or nicely said, four  things are dominating the election news this year.  Gender, religion, racism and procreation are stealing the show and taking our eyes off the main issues.  But is that bad?  At least highlighting these four issues nonstop seems to have put it all out on the table with regard to what the politicians really think, people’s personalities and deeply or shallowly held beliefs.  But even so, we are held captive to an intriguing quartet of distinctions.

Woo Pig Sooey! 

Here we go.  Ever since Sarah Palin said in her convention speech that the only difference between hockey moms and pitbulls is lipstick, the nation has gone crazy, energized for or against the high-heeled sweet-but-sharp talking barracuda from Wasilla, Alaska.  What once was a race with three men in a man’s world, and probably a fourth, turned into a contest finally involving both genders.  Since naming Palin his running mate, McCain has seen an infusion of energy and money into his campaign that no one saw coming.  Palin now has dolls made in her image and the Democrats are scratching their heads about how to respond.  Add to that the appearance that they’re being shown up by a female and all you-know-what seems to be breaking loose. 

Now, gender of the candidates, for the first time, has really become a driving force in this election.  Not taking anything away from Geraldine Ferraro who began tapping on that glass ceiling a few decades ago, or Hillary Clinton whose voters added 18 Million more cracks, but how do you handle a woman in this election?  Well, it’s clear you shouldn’t say, “you can put lipstick on a pig, but you still have a pig,” as Obama did recently.  The backlash, warranted or not, has been pretty stiff.  You can’t question a mother running for V.P. and you can’t talk about teen pregnancy or disabled children without thinking really carefully about what and how you say it, fearing the oversized media maelstrom it creates.  You sure don’t want to refer to a V.P. candidate as a pig, intentionally or not.

Old Time Religion

Fairly or not, Obama can’t seem to escape the dogged innuendo and rumors about his religious preferences.  I’m sure most of you have seen the pictures of Obama in a Muslim outfit that created such a stir and caused many to people to wonder if Obama really is or was or might be Muslim.  There has been “proof” that has been “proven” false.  There have been pictures, emails, school records and questions to the extent that Obama’s alleged Muslim past is still an issue for many people, regardless of the truthfullness of said “evidence.”  The issue with many folks goes straight back to the Bible.  It seems it is an age-old issue between two world religions,  Islam and Christianity.

And can anyone forget the right (make that left) Reverend Jeremiah Wright and his inflammatory remarks that pummelled Obama earlier this year, and continue to leave their mark well after the primaries?  With his Black Liberation Theology, the pot has been stirred and seems to be swirling still as many question, “If Obama is not Muslim, does he espouse Black Liberation Theology?”  Throw in Sarah Palin’s Pentecostal roots and reports on CNN of speaking in tongues and there is still more fodder for the religious right and the liberal left and anyone else willing to jump in the melee.  An army of 30 lawyers and investigators has apparently invaded Alaska and I’m convinced Palin’s religion will be near the top of their investigative list.

Religion has been injected, for better or worse, into this race like no other in my lifetime.  Religion has been important to Americans ever since the first ship left the homeland in search of religious freedom.  We have religious freedom now but we’re sort of held hostage to all those folks, especially on the web, that throw around all kind of information, misinformation and disinformation. 

Funny Looking Man

It’s obvious that Obama has darker skin than my pale easy-to-burn fair skin.  But just in case, he’s reminded America on several occasions, warning them to be wary of the Republicans who will constantly remind us of what we can already see.  Not that the Republicans have reminded anyone, mind you.  Why should they when Obama does so whenever he can?  Oh, he’s got a funny sounding name, too, but that’s not the same as the man that look’s different than all those guys that pose on all of our money.  Which brings me again to the obvious.  Those other three in the race all happen to look more like me than Obama. 

Just like gender and religion, it looks like the issue of race in this election has also staked its tent and is here to stay until Wolf Blitzer calls the election.  Even so, who can deny that many people will be pulling the handle for Obama or McCain based on race alone?  From those white bigots that will refuse to vote for a man with darker skin to those of color who will turn out in droves to vote for a man solely on the basis of race, the issue of color in this race will remain on the table.

Hanky Panky

Sarah Palin paraded her family in front of the camera, much to the joy of Republicans and much to the glee of Democrats.  Huh?  Unity between the parties?  Not so fast my friend, as Lee Corso would say.  When word got out that Sarah Palin’s daughter Bristol got pregnant, the boxing gloves came off.  Republicans rushed to back up their newly promoted beauty queen as vicious attacks, rumors and innuendo cluttered the cable and network news and Democrats gloated that the abstinence-promoting goodie-twoshoes couldn’t manage her own household. 

It really started earlier when bloggers accused the Palin’s Down Syndrome baby, Trig, of really being teen Bristol’s baby.  Of course, that’s pretty much been proven false.  But still, hanky panky never seems to go away in any election and it looks like there’s plenty to think about this time around.  I doubt it will go away anytime soon in this cycle, either as rumors and tabloids hint at an affair by the right’s new posterchild for all it’s held dear.  And that’s not to mention Obama kissing Biden’s wife on the lips and McCain with those “fatherly hugs” of his veep candidate.

Obama Versus Palin

When it comes down to it, those issues that are hijacking this election and taking us by the neck, gender, religion, race, and sex are the very issues that have to a great extent determined the course America has followed over the last couple of hundred years and molded us into the country we are today.  What makes it intriguing is the stark contrast between two candidates.  Obama, the Democratic candidate for president and Palin, the Republican candidate for vice-president.  We’ve almost all but pushed McCain and Biden aside as we put our attention squarely on the faces of Palin (and her lipstick) and Obama (and the color of his skin).  This election seems to come down to a contest between a white female, Palin, and her religion and a black male, Obama, and his religion.  You almost couldn’t get anymore polar opposite if you had tried. 

Maybe the tickets should be Obama/Palin vs. McCain/Biden.  Now that would be a funny turn of events and that would be a change from the partisan politics and divisive rancor we’ve seen and of which some of us have even partaken.

The Blog Police

Well, I’ve been blogging now for two months today and there’s something I’ve noticed. I guess it’s that there are blogger “personalities”. For me, it starts with the blog policeman. As I thought about it more, and as I read more blogs, I found other blogger personalities. Some of these I’ve experienced, others I have not.

Blog Police – These are the ones who come to your blog, your neighbor’s blog and anyone else’s blogs unexpectedly. They think their role is to correct everyone’s misstatements, misspellings and lack of journalistic accumen in a legalistic sort of way. They tell you all the things bloggers are supposed to do and all those things they are not supposed to do, where and what and why and how to post. They kind of threaten to throw you in blog prison if you don’t blog correctly. They are the Blog Police and they’re coming to your blog.

Blog Bullies – These are kind of like the Blog Police but there are some key differences. For one, they are more sinister and aren’t legalistic in their mindset. These are the ones who come to blogs in search of a fight. Then when they get to fighting, they type loud and argue, accuse and name-call. They like to take the fight to other blogs or sites and demean other bloggers. It really comes down to that fundamental characteristic of all bullies – they are generally already unloved and are crying for attention.

Blog Clowns – I love to be a clown in real life though I wouldn’t say I’m a blog clown. I’ve seen these clowns and you have too. There’s hardly anything serious that they say. They’re all fun, they’ve got funny blogs, funny sites, funny pictures. They live and blog to make the world funny and lighter and don’t seem to have a care in the world.

Blog Leeches – These seem to be fairly rare but I’ve seen them a time or two. These guys like to go to other sites, suck out what’s good and then take it back to their site for their own nourishing blog. You know what I mean. One site has something original and then the blog leech-copycat comes along and takes what gives one blog life and tries to live off of it on their own site.

Blog Reporters – These are those investigative type bloggers who take a story and they look into it. They investigate, they summarize and they report. Like all reporters, some are good and some are bad. Some are biased and some are balanced. Some are fair and some are unfair. I know you’ve seen them though, they love to report about anything.

Blog Preachers – Almost as common as reporters, there are blog preachers. They are not necessarily all the religious type that the name connotes, however. Certainly there are several religious Blog Preachers, and some great ones at that, but there are many other blog preachers that “preach” what they believe to be true. They are a little bit more and deeper than a reporter. They are more dogmatic in their blog as opposed to “just the facts.”

Blog Performers – You can’t miss the Blog Performers. They are the ones who exist to put on a show. They are very creative and can take their blogs to where no man (or woman) has ever been before. Some of them, of course, are rotten, but some are just really great and you find yourselves going back, pressing rewind, over and over and over again because their blog is such a great “performance.” Some are egotistical, some are prideful, some are humble, but they’re all Blog Performers.

I think that there are probably lots more blog personalities. I just may be at the tip of the iceberg. Just remember, the Blog Police are out there, look out.

Mississippi Redneck Chili

After seeing some of the food recipes on other blogs, I thought I’d share my own recipe for a great chili common here in my part of backwoods Mississippi. I’m a little overwhelmed with the complexity of some of the recipes I’ve seen on the web but this recipe is downright easy for most folk.  Y’all ain’t gonna  need no high-fallutin’ education to follow this easy recipe.

1 Big Can of Hormel Chili (I prefer no beans version)
1/2 Bag of Frito’s Corn Chips
1/2 Block of Extra Sharp Cheese (May substitute MSU Edam cheese)
1 Large Onion chopped up (peel first and discard skins)

Heat chili in the microwave (don’t use a metal stove pot – been there done that – wife got to hollerin’) until hot, popping and splattering. Pour into a big pot with handle (make sure handle is not loose). Throw as many frito’s in there as you’d like. Grate a good portion of the cheese and put on top. Add chopped onions to taste. Mix it up. Get a tablespoon, sit in the recliner, kick back, turn the window unit on, adjust the rabbit ears and enjoy a college football game.

(Health and Legal Disclaimer: You may require one drop of bean-o periodically for two days afterward. No guarantees are made as to what health outcome you might experience. I cannot be held responsible for the consequences of eating like a Mississippian but this might give you an idea of what could happen.  Valid in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Guam.)