Apparently, there are some people upset that President-Elect Barack Obama was on a beach in Hawaii with no shirt on! Oh the humanity! Children, avert your eyes. Here's the picture:
Some are concerned that it's not very becoming for the next leader of the free world to show some skin. Are you @#$% kidding?!
First of all, Obama is buff. If he had a big beer belly hanging down, maybe it would be a problem. Maybe.
Secondly, what should he be wearing? Would a skin tight t-shirt that says "Hang Loose Hawaii" be better?
Was it better when we had video of Bush clearly shrubs on his ranch in Texas? Is that Presidental?
How about video of Bubba (Clinton) going for a jog?
How about Nixon bowling in the White House?
Eisenhower used to play golf on the front lawn of the White House. Is that more Presidental or did that make Ike seem like he was not in touch with the common man?
If Obama was playing beach volleyball in Hawaii and spiking the ball into Sasha and Malia's faces, that would be bad. However, a man who's young and healthy is on vacation and not wearing a shirt.Â
Check out his suit. At least it wasn't a Speedo. Actually, I think he could pull of a Speedo.
Did you hear what moment President Bush said made him the most anxious during his eight years as President?! The interview is in People magazine. I know, People magazine is basically a rag, but I do also subscribe to The New Yorker so I feel the two balance each other out.
Anyway, back to the quote. Bush was asked which moments from the last eight years do you revisit most often? Here was his answer:
I definitely think about the families I've met of the fallen soldiers--about the compassion, love and determination of the families, to make sure that the Commander-inChief hears their stories and know their pride.
That part is okay, but here's what he said next:
I think about throwing out that pitch at the World Series on [Oct. 30] 2001. My heart was racing when I got to the mound. Didn't want to bounce it. Didn't want to let the fans down. My heart was pumping so hard, I wasn't sure if I could lift my arm. I never felt that anxious any other time during my presidency, curiously enough.
So this was his most anxious moment:
Not this:
Or perhaps these Hurricane Katrina victims:
Maybe this?
Come on, not even this?!
Goodbye, George. What a glorious eight years.
Apparently things aren't going too well on those talks regarding raising the debt ceiling in Washington. I read one news story today that mentioned that there were disagreements early on, in the middle, and at the end of a meeting between President Obama, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, and others. Some reports even said Obama stormed out of the meeting.
I've got some simple solutions that I think will help things out greatly.
1)They need a little aromatherapy. Pipe in some lavender essential oil and that will help calm tensions right from the start.
2)Chair massages. I am sure there are some starving massage therapists that could use the work. Who can fight when some one is working out that tight spot in their shoulder. "There...no there. Aah, that' s it! What was that about the debt ceiling? Oh who cares. This feels incredible..."
3)Certain foods might help the politicians unwind. First I thought pizza would be great, but then got concerned fights would break out over what toppings would be included. So I've decided to give up something that has been sitting in the Triple M studio since my birthday. That's right, my precious Lazy Cake relaxation brownie. I haven't cracked it open yet, because our show is already sleep inducing enough. I think I'll send a case of them to the White House. Who wants to help me pay for postage?
I'll admit I don't understand the intricacies of the court ruling made yesterday that allowed that union-busting bill to move forward and become law. But here's what it seems like to me..there is a law that says that governments must give adequate notice when they're going to make laws or set public policy..but that the state legislature doesn't have to follow that law.
That seems like dangerous territory to me, and I'm concerned this could lead to even more power grabs by the state legislature.
Here are some of the things we can look forward to in the not-so-distant future.
1. All Democratic lawmakers will be required to wear monitoring bracelets so they can easily be located and be brought to the capitol at any time. That way they can be ignored by Republicans who are "doing what's best for the state of Wisconsin."
2. Any one caught rolling their eyes during a legislative hearing or floor session will be immediately shot.
3. Gov. Walker will ask for federal money to build a playground outside the capitol. That way when lawmakers are on recess..they're actually experiencing recess. Democrats will never be allowed to use the teeter totter or the tether ball.
4. In order to save money needed to implement the Voter ID law, henceforth all elections will be canceled, and the current lawmakers will be lawmakers-for-life.
5. The state motto will be changed to "Suck It, Middle Class."
State lawmakers are debating a very serious question today. If you guessed it has something to do with the rights of public workers, you'd be WRONG!
They are debating adding a new item to the list of official state symbols. Spurred on by some future constituents (4th graders), lawmakers are weighing the pros and cons of making the Cream Puff the Official State Dessert.
Now, having been a politico with my fingers on the pulse of state government for more than two decades, I'm able to provide a little perspective here.
Back in the 1980's, the legislature disappointed 4th graders all over the state when it decided NOT to name the cranberry muffin the official state muffin, despite the fact that cranberries are a major state product. One state lawmaker said the idea was half-baked and that legislators risk looking foolish when they spend time on such items.
Lawmakers looking foolish?
I don't think the current legislature has a problem with that.
I'm sure we'll see the cream puff right next to the robin (official bird) and Antigo Silt Loam (official soil) in the Wisconsin Blue Book very, very soon. (Complete list of state symbols here, in case you have nothing else to do right now.)
With all the political shenanigans, tomfoolery and downright evilness going on, I decided I had two options to preserve my sanity.
1. Curl up in a little ball and cry myself to sleep.
2. Regress to the safe, warm, comforting days of my childhood.
I know I'll have to resume fighting the fight or my conscience will bug me, but for now, I choose #2.
And I've gone off to the la-la land of fave childhood cartoons. I bet I can remember some you haven't thought of in a while.
Kitty's Top Cartoons She Bets You Forgot
1. Huckleberry Hound
2. Pixie and Dixie (and Jinks the Cat)
3. Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy
4. Go Go Gophers
5. Snagglepuss
And for your viewing/regression pleasure--enjoy this Snagglepuss snippet that features some classic lines.
With crank phone calls in the news this week, I've been reflecting on some of the excellent calls I made back in my younger days.
Most kids resort to calling and asking for Prince Albert in a can..or come up with something worn out like "is your refrigerator running?"
Mine may have been even more stupid.
"Excuse me, but what kind of peanut butter do you use?" (The response was "the same kind the Dunns use." My friend dialed his own house and his sister answered the phone and recognized my voice.)
Another time a friend and I called a house where we knew a bunch of the children. When a boy answered we sang "we'll have a blue Christmas without you."
And we even called a really old guy named Henry Winkler whose name we found in the phone book... and imitated the Fonz.
I guess we weren't really ready to be political commandos.
A lot of people, including me, are disappointed in the way the election turned out last night. A lot of people are angry. How will we possibly get through this?
Like the hippies used to say...just keep on keepin' on.
This is certainly not the first time I've been disappointed in the outcome of an election, and it won't be the last. I grew up in a very political family. My dad was a big grass roots campaigner. We always had yard signs all over our front yard. My dad would even put a car top sign on the top of his van. I'm surprised he didn't also have a loudspeaker to play rabble rousing songs and implore people to vote for his current favorite..be it Mo Udall or Marty Schreiber or Ed Garvey.
My dad always picked the ones who rooted for the little guy. And his candidates almost always lost.
So I lived through the disappointment of the re-election of Richard Nixon and the trouncing of George McGovern. I used old Marty Schreiber stationery for scratch paper. I screamed and shouted when Ronald Reagan was elected president (and found out later my dad marched through downtown Stevens Point yelling "Reagan sucks" with a bunch of drunk college students). I nearly threw up when Newt Gingrich became speaker of the house.
In fact, I never voted for a winning president until Bill Clinton. And I wasn't too thrilled every time my candidate lost to Tommy Thompson.
But I got through it. Yes, there was eye rolling and indignation. But the world didn't stop spinning. And I think it will take more than a few hundred idiots in Washington (or the state capitol) to bring about the ruin of modern civilization. At least that's what my last two optimistic molecules are hoping.
"Shut up and rock!" That's what you'll hear from the crowd when rock stars start shooting off their mouths about politics. But they're not always going to do what we say, are they?
Whether they think they have an influence or not, some musicians are known for spouting their political beliefs. How well do you know your favorite star's political leanings?
Match the rock star to their political quote. Answers below...no peeking.
[gallery]
1. "You see, idealism detached from action is just a dream. But idealism allied with pragmatism, with rolling up your sleeves and making the world bend a bit, is very exciting. It's very real. It's very strong."
2.âBlind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get you killed.â
3.âWhen the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.â
4. "I fear that our true motivation is about oil and our own flailing economy; about the failure to destroy Al Qaeda and about revenge."
5. "We're not a political band. We don't want to tell people what to do or what to think. We just want to tell them to think."
Answers:
1. Bono 2. Bruce Springsteen 3. Jimi Hendrix 4. Dave Matthews 5. Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day)
President Obama is coming to Madison next week...for a big political pep rally designed to help out Democrats in advance of the November 2nd election. I'm sure Russ Feingold, Tammy Baldwin and Tom Barrett will all be there too. And if that's not enough excitement for you, Ben Harper will also be there to play a few tunes.
I used to get so psyched for stuff like this...but I just don't know if I'll go this time around. Maybe it's the parking hassles, maybe it's political burnout...I'm not sure. This attitude would be pretty pitiful to my late father..who was a local Democratic rabble-rouser up in Stevens Point. What's wrong with me?
If you're going..I do have the info you'll need. They'll start letting you into the Library Mall area Tuesday at 3:30pm, and the program is supposed to start at 4:45. No tickets are required, but the Obama folks would like you to RSVP. Click here to make your intentions known.
And the university released more specifics about road closures, impact on classes, and what you can and can't take into the area. Read that here.
And here's Ben Harper. I bet you a million bucks* he will do this song at the rally.
*A bet is not a bet unless we shake on it. Just so you know.
I'm not sure why Pete Yorn decided to name his new music project after a European cave dwelling aquatic salamander, but if he stops by to play us some songs in Studio M, we'll have to ask him.
The Olms is a collaboration between Pete Yorn and...
Today's song was written by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary. It was inspired by the 1957 novel Doctor Zhivago. No one was inspired by the song this morning. It was rejected by almost all the listeners.
Today is World Goth Day, a day to celebrate the post-punk, anti-establishment, dark clothes-wearing subculture.
I'm pretty sure I was a Goth for at least for little while, for two reasons.
1) I almost hardly ever wear pastels.
2) I used to...
Hello to all from Nfusion. Another round of challenges has moved beyond us all. Congrats to those of us lucky enough to have survived to this point. Sad to see the others eliminated as they were all very creative and talented. Good Bye to our new friends...
This morning it seemed like just about everyone was in the mood for some Funky Cold Medina...except Kitty. This ridiculous song made it all the way to number 3 in 1989. Jonathan says any song that references advertising dogs from the 80's has got...
Madison's summer music festival season kicks off this weekend with Brat Fest at Willow Island, where there are more bands than you can shake a bratwurst at! Check out the Brat Fest website to plan your itinerary.
Next up is the Marquette...
John Fogerty is making the talk show rounds this week, stopping in to see David Letterman Tuesday and Wednesday, and the ladies of "The View" on Thursday.
He's promoting his new album, "Wrote a Song For Everyone" which comes out next Tuesday...
It's a miracle that both Jonathan and KItty wanted to hear Barry Manilow this morning. They were not alone. Plenty of Fanilow's called in to vote yes. One caller claimed to have seen Manilow in concert 25 times!
Some are concerned that it's not very becoming for the next leader of the free world to show some skin. Are you @#$% kidding?!
First of all, Obama is buff. If he had a big beer belly hanging down, maybe it would be a problem. Maybe.
Secondly, what should he be wearing? Would a skin tight t-shirt that says "Hang Loose Hawaii" be better?
Was it better when we had video of Bush clearly shrubs on his ranch in Texas? Is that Presidental?
How about video of Bubba (Clinton) going for a jog?
How about Nixon bowling in the White House?
Eisenhower used to play golf on the front lawn of the White House. Is that more Presidental or did that make Ike seem like he was not in touch with the common man?
If Obama was playing beach volleyball in Hawaii and spiking the ball into Sasha and Malia's faces, that would be bad. However, a man who's young and healthy is on vacation and not wearing a shirt.Â
Check out his suit. At least it wasn't a Speedo. Actually, I think he could pull of a Speedo.
Not this:
Or perhaps these Hurricane Katrina victims:
Maybe this?
Come on, not even this?!
Goodbye, George. What a glorious eight years.
