Months ago I saw this performance on the Late Show. I told people that this song would be #1. I was wrong, it never went anywhere, but I still like it. Someone called her Roy Orbison as a chick. The YouTube version is not nearly as crisp as the TV broadcast, but give it a try...
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Obama: history will not be kind
The Telegraph wants feedback on how Barack Obama has done in his first 100 days. I will keep mine under 150 words as requested.
Obama should win American Idol. He’d make a good preacher. He’s ambitious, photogenic, and communicates well. He has a nice family and seems to be a solid character. He’s doing what he said he would do.
And that’s the whole problem.
His vision of the world is not mine. He’s never had a real job. He wants to share the wealth when history shows all you do is spread misery. His anti-business policies delay the recovery and undermine investor confidence.
His choice of advisors is pathetic. They put our national security and economic future in jeopardy.
I wonder why so many Americans continue to support Obama and the media still get all tingly over him. Coolness must last more than 100 days, but surely substance will eventually conquer form.
As far as I’m concerned, the guy is all hat and no cattle.
Obama should win American Idol. He’d make a good preacher. He’s ambitious, photogenic, and communicates well. He has a nice family and seems to be a solid character. He’s doing what he said he would do.
And that’s the whole problem.
His vision of the world is not mine. He’s never had a real job. He wants to share the wealth when history shows all you do is spread misery. His anti-business policies delay the recovery and undermine investor confidence.
His choice of advisors is pathetic. They put our national security and economic future in jeopardy.
I wonder why so many Americans continue to support Obama and the media still get all tingly over him. Coolness must last more than 100 days, but surely substance will eventually conquer form.
As far as I’m concerned, the guy is all hat and no cattle.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Gutting the distribution of power
One major contributor to the success of America is the distribution of power. Communities share power with states who share power with Washington. The legislative, executive and judicial branches keep one another in check. Industry generates the resources while churches and non-profits do good in the community. The press independently pokes around for abuses among the very subscribers and advertisers who pay their bills.
This uniquely American distribution of power, messy at times, is man’s greatest creation and a model for the world. I thought the system was rock solid. Now I’m not so sure.
For decades, power has been ratcheting in one direction, moving steadily toward Washington. The Obama administration, the biggest advocates of a central state to ever occupy the White House, is accelerating the flow, and has the Congress, judiciary and media eating out of its hand. The states have no choice but to give up power to get funding because only the Feds can print money. Six brave governors who have told the Feds to stick their funding are getting slammed by the press.
Not only is the centralization of power gaining speed, but it’s jerking left. Only half the people are paying income taxes, a clear tipping point. Washington is now led by people who believe that government is the solution for everything, that money grows on trees and that we can negotiate with those who want to destroy us.
If we can survive until 2012, I believe that the country will wake up and elect new leaders who will use these recently distended central powers to restore the balance and unwind the damage.
What goes around comes around.
This uniquely American distribution of power, messy at times, is man’s greatest creation and a model for the world. I thought the system was rock solid. Now I’m not so sure.
For decades, power has been ratcheting in one direction, moving steadily toward Washington. The Obama administration, the biggest advocates of a central state to ever occupy the White House, is accelerating the flow, and has the Congress, judiciary and media eating out of its hand. The states have no choice but to give up power to get funding because only the Feds can print money. Six brave governors who have told the Feds to stick their funding are getting slammed by the press.
Not only is the centralization of power gaining speed, but it’s jerking left. Only half the people are paying income taxes, a clear tipping point. Washington is now led by people who believe that government is the solution for everything, that money grows on trees and that we can negotiate with those who want to destroy us.
If we can survive until 2012, I believe that the country will wake up and elect new leaders who will use these recently distended central powers to restore the balance and unwind the damage.
What goes around comes around.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Grisham’s “The Appeal” – hyperbole, cliché… a sellout
Say what you want about Grisham, the guy can sink a hook and make you late for whatever you were supposed to be doing instead of reading. I want to be a page-turning writer just like John when I grow up.
But overall I was disappointed with “The Appeal”. The style is can’t-put-it-down, but the story was can’t-keep-what–I-last-ate-down.
You’ve heard this story formula before – big, evil, corrupt corporation intentionally poisons the town’s water supply and tries to manipulate its way out of helping the defenseless citizens. Just when you think Grisham will peek into the complexities of balancing the rights of the little guy with the sins of lawsuit abuse, he falls back into blinding shades of black and white, good versus evil.
The characters are just too over-the-top. Could the litigators have been any sweeter and all-things-nice? Could the corporate executive have been any more greedy and nasty?
My experience is that trial lawyers and corporate executives are generally good, hard-working people. They all have their faults and there are jerks among both groups. But Grisham joins the herd of Hollywood writers in making corporate leaders the clear enemy.
No wonder we elected an anti-business president and congress. The herd has been shepherded by the same misinformed media for decades.
If you read “The Appeal”, make mooing sounds between chapters to remind yourself that it’s a heap of hyperbole.
But overall I was disappointed with “The Appeal”. The style is can’t-put-it-down, but the story was can’t-keep-what–I-last-ate-down.
You’ve heard this story formula before – big, evil, corrupt corporation intentionally poisons the town’s water supply and tries to manipulate its way out of helping the defenseless citizens. Just when you think Grisham will peek into the complexities of balancing the rights of the little guy with the sins of lawsuit abuse, he falls back into blinding shades of black and white, good versus evil.
The characters are just too over-the-top. Could the litigators have been any sweeter and all-things-nice? Could the corporate executive have been any more greedy and nasty?
My experience is that trial lawyers and corporate executives are generally good, hard-working people. They all have their faults and there are jerks among both groups. But Grisham joins the herd of Hollywood writers in making corporate leaders the clear enemy.
No wonder we elected an anti-business president and congress. The herd has been shepherded by the same misinformed media for decades.
If you read “The Appeal”, make mooing sounds between chapters to remind yourself that it’s a heap of hyperbole.
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