Today a news network I watch from time to time...when there is no suitable test pattern to stare at...covered the Senate hearings on the Mitchell report and Mr. Roger Clements. Did he or did he not use steroids during his time as a professional baseball player?
Well folks, in the great scheme of things....I don't give a damn!
Now follow me here. Professional sports are no more than a segment of the Entertainment industry and for those of you who think it is all about the game, well I have some ocean front property in Missouri I will sell you. Now having said this, why are we so upset if Clements DID take the dang drugs? If we hold hearings in Washington on this subject, then by God we ought to hold similar hearings on other drug use by movie stars and singers....same thing. Some of those stars will even tell you that the drugs "help" their performance. Of course they are full of crap, but they do use that excuse sometimes.
Before you get all upset and yell about the example professional athletes are setting for our kids, think about the rest of the entertainment industry and the example they set every day for our kids...what's the difference.
As for as that goes, think about the example we as parents have set for our children. Why do we get so upset about athletes cheating when everyday we cheat on our taxes, cheat on our spouses, and cheat and take short cuts on OUR job to get ahead. What kind of damn example do WE set for our children.
Before we get up on our collective soapboxes and rail against pro athelets who try to cheat for an edge in their job, maybe we better look at ourselves. Personally I could care less if one of these guys want to cheat for better stats during their career. All they are really doing is ruining their health in later years. They are the ones who will pay the ultimate price for any fleeting popularity which their enhanced preformance brings them. I really hope you don't believe this is a new problem because ever since there have been pro sports, there have been people willing to cheat and get an edge and win no matter what the cost.
Finally, the thing that really bugs me is having Congress messed up in this silly, finger-pointing, affair. Having Congress judge Clements on whether or not he cheated is a lot like a group of foxes sitting in judgement of a skunk that got into a henhouse. They need to clean up their own house before sitting in judgement of anyone else.
As far as I am conserned, Pro sports is simply a mirror reflecting the attitudes of the rest of the American ethics so if you want to judge them, judge yourself first.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Political Correct Crap
At what point did our language change, did I miss the memo on this? When exactly did we stop saying what we mean and start policing our words so closely?
For example, how many times have you watched the news on TV and listened to some police spokesman saying: "Yes, we are now looking for Mr. John Doe as a 'person of interest'."
Person of Interest? Now they have eyewitness reports of Mr. Doe leaving the scene of the murder, covered in the blood of the victim, and holding a large, bloody knife. Add to that the fact that the victim was Doe's ex-wife and she had died as the direct result of 73 knife wounds and they now call Mr. Doe a 'Person of Interest'?
What the hell is up with that?
I know he is a suspect, you know he is a suspect...Hell even his old aunt Mary who is 102 and senile, knows the man is a SUSPECT. So why the hell can't we just call the man a suspect? Well that's simple. Even though the man has, in all probability, just stabbed his ex-wife 73 times, God forbid we should hurt his feelings by calling him a suspect. He might just suffer some great trauma by being called a damn suspect.
Politically Correct...it is the bane of the English language. Not only that, but it serves to make wussies of us all. We are no longer allowed to say what we mean. My friends, if you think I am fat, do me a favor...call me fat and don't refer to me as Caloricly Challenged. You just might make me decide to get off my fat ass and lose some weight by being honest with me.
Not long ago, in a cafe in Austrlia, I believe, a waiter refused to serve a man who asked for a cup of "Black Coffee". The waiter felt that the term: 'Black Coffee' was racist. At a meeting of a large company's excutives about a year ago, they were trying to come up with some new ideas for their product. It was referred to as a "brainstorming" session. Of course, some dim-bulb took exception to the word "brainstorm" and suggested that instead, it should be called a "Thought shower" so as not to insult anyone who may suffer from seizures or other brain maladies.
A few other examples of how low we have sunk...
1. Misunderstood Criminals instead of Terrorist
2.Deferred Success instead of Failure
3. Womyn instead of Women...so as to distance the word from "men"
4. And my personal favorite.....Nondiscretionary Frangrance instead of Body Odor.
It seems that suddenly, or at least over the past ten years or so, someone has decided that the fact that a person might somehow be insulted is a crime against humanity. I, personally do not ascribe that that particular point of view.
Folks, like I said, if I am fat, call me fat. If I am a bum, call me a bum and not a "Displaced Homeowner". Call it like you see it and have the courage to stand behind your words. Oh and as for that "Person of Interest" thing....well if you see Mr. Doe, call the cops and tell them where they can find their SUSPECT. But, don't you dare call him a person of interest, because to me, Anglina Jolie in a thong is a "Person of Interest", not John Doe holding a bloody knife!
For example, how many times have you watched the news on TV and listened to some police spokesman saying: "Yes, we are now looking for Mr. John Doe as a 'person of interest'."
Person of Interest? Now they have eyewitness reports of Mr. Doe leaving the scene of the murder, covered in the blood of the victim, and holding a large, bloody knife. Add to that the fact that the victim was Doe's ex-wife and she had died as the direct result of 73 knife wounds and they now call Mr. Doe a 'Person of Interest'?
What the hell is up with that?
I know he is a suspect, you know he is a suspect...Hell even his old aunt Mary who is 102 and senile, knows the man is a SUSPECT. So why the hell can't we just call the man a suspect? Well that's simple. Even though the man has, in all probability, just stabbed his ex-wife 73 times, God forbid we should hurt his feelings by calling him a suspect. He might just suffer some great trauma by being called a damn suspect.
Politically Correct...it is the bane of the English language. Not only that, but it serves to make wussies of us all. We are no longer allowed to say what we mean. My friends, if you think I am fat, do me a favor...call me fat and don't refer to me as Caloricly Challenged. You just might make me decide to get off my fat ass and lose some weight by being honest with me.
Not long ago, in a cafe in Austrlia, I believe, a waiter refused to serve a man who asked for a cup of "Black Coffee". The waiter felt that the term: 'Black Coffee' was racist. At a meeting of a large company's excutives about a year ago, they were trying to come up with some new ideas for their product. It was referred to as a "brainstorming" session. Of course, some dim-bulb took exception to the word "brainstorm" and suggested that instead, it should be called a "Thought shower" so as not to insult anyone who may suffer from seizures or other brain maladies.
A few other examples of how low we have sunk...
1. Misunderstood Criminals instead of Terrorist
2.Deferred Success instead of Failure
3. Womyn instead of Women...so as to distance the word from "men"
4. And my personal favorite.....Nondiscretionary Frangrance instead of Body Odor.
It seems that suddenly, or at least over the past ten years or so, someone has decided that the fact that a person might somehow be insulted is a crime against humanity. I, personally do not ascribe that that particular point of view.
Folks, like I said, if I am fat, call me fat. If I am a bum, call me a bum and not a "Displaced Homeowner". Call it like you see it and have the courage to stand behind your words. Oh and as for that "Person of Interest" thing....well if you see Mr. Doe, call the cops and tell them where they can find their SUSPECT. But, don't you dare call him a person of interest, because to me, Anglina Jolie in a thong is a "Person of Interest", not John Doe holding a bloody knife!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Super Tuesday?
So here we are....Super Tuesday is upon us and the Media, both print and television, are all geared up to pander to the lowest common denominator and to explain to all of us what is happening and why. They do this as a public service, don't you know, because everyone knows we are just too stupid to reach our own conclusions.
I love how they do that, have you ever watched a debate between the candidates and then had to sit through another half hour of the talking heads explaining to us what we heard...like we are just too stupid to have picked up on things on our own. I love it that they try to take care of us like this, lord knows what kind of mistakes we would make if we didn't have them to tell us what to think.
Super Tuesday, the day when a large portion of states will go to the polls and vote, both Democratic and Republican, for who they want to see in the final Two-Horse Race. This time around the popular catch-phrase is "Change". Candidates on both sides are touting change as their battle cry but my only question is: What specific changes are we talking about?
Has anyone actually come right out and TOLD us what changes they want to make? "The devil is in the detail" as they say and with these candidates there is a lot of that "devil" hidden within those unspoken details.
Now I have my own thoughts, being just an ignorant country boy like I am. I truly believe that the only "change" any of these current candidates have given any serious thought to is the change-of-address cards they may get to fill out so that their mail will arrive at 1600 Pennsylvania avenue. Beyond that, I firmly believe that it will be business as usual. In other words, they will adhere to their party lines and never venture anything that could be mildly construed as revolutionary change in the fundamental way that the government works.
As for the People's Republic of California and the East Coast Liberals, they have already embraced the fact that the Democrats, no matter who they chose, are going to make history with this election....The first woman president or the first Black president...either way, the liberals of both these areas of the country are about to orgasm with the mere thought of making history. Never mind that neither of these candidates offer anything remotely like a well thought through plan to better our country, they are gonna make history!
If either Obama or Clinton are elected their foreign policy will most closely resemble that of Chamberlain prior to WW2 while their domestic policy will be bigger government, more welfare, and higher taxes to pay for all of it. They will strip our military and begin a program of appeasement around the world.
If the Republicans, by some miracle that would rival the parting of the Red Sea, manage to get elected, they would continue to rape the environment, give tax breaks to Big Business, and cut Social programs to pay for it.
Personally....I don't care for either one of them. I have to wonder....being a country boy and all....How would the talking heads explain it t0 us if they gave an election and NO BODY showed up?
Now that would be "Change" wouldn't it!
I love how they do that, have you ever watched a debate between the candidates and then had to sit through another half hour of the talking heads explaining to us what we heard...like we are just too stupid to have picked up on things on our own. I love it that they try to take care of us like this, lord knows what kind of mistakes we would make if we didn't have them to tell us what to think.
Super Tuesday, the day when a large portion of states will go to the polls and vote, both Democratic and Republican, for who they want to see in the final Two-Horse Race. This time around the popular catch-phrase is "Change". Candidates on both sides are touting change as their battle cry but my only question is: What specific changes are we talking about?
Has anyone actually come right out and TOLD us what changes they want to make? "The devil is in the detail" as they say and with these candidates there is a lot of that "devil" hidden within those unspoken details.
Now I have my own thoughts, being just an ignorant country boy like I am. I truly believe that the only "change" any of these current candidates have given any serious thought to is the change-of-address cards they may get to fill out so that their mail will arrive at 1600 Pennsylvania avenue. Beyond that, I firmly believe that it will be business as usual. In other words, they will adhere to their party lines and never venture anything that could be mildly construed as revolutionary change in the fundamental way that the government works.
As for the People's Republic of California and the East Coast Liberals, they have already embraced the fact that the Democrats, no matter who they chose, are going to make history with this election....The first woman president or the first Black president...either way, the liberals of both these areas of the country are about to orgasm with the mere thought of making history. Never mind that neither of these candidates offer anything remotely like a well thought through plan to better our country, they are gonna make history!
If either Obama or Clinton are elected their foreign policy will most closely resemble that of Chamberlain prior to WW2 while their domestic policy will be bigger government, more welfare, and higher taxes to pay for all of it. They will strip our military and begin a program of appeasement around the world.
If the Republicans, by some miracle that would rival the parting of the Red Sea, manage to get elected, they would continue to rape the environment, give tax breaks to Big Business, and cut Social programs to pay for it.
Personally....I don't care for either one of them. I have to wonder....being a country boy and all....How would the talking heads explain it t0 us if they gave an election and NO BODY showed up?
Now that would be "Change" wouldn't it!
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