Recycling an old favorite from my Photobucket account:
SInce it appears I'm doomeddelighted to regularly have Friday TC's diary, I've been trying to come up with a cutesy title. At the moment, rant-dump seems appropriate for what follows.
Someone should definitely block Oprah's new network from John Boeher's television sets. No, not 'cause she's a democrat likely to pooh-pooh the Speaker's agenda. No, it should be blocked because it's a frigging tissue fest over there and he'll get dehydrated! I mean, three out of five shows are going to make you cry - I bet it's part of the network's in-house evaluation: 'Did you make the viewers weep? Just once? You're so lazy. Step it up...!'
Oprah / OWN is for those who look good crying and don't mind doing it. Even on cue. Heh, especially on cue.
Case in point? Peter Walsh and 'Enough Already' - Peter's old show on TLC was called Clean Sweep and I used to like it. He's a clutter-fighter who's declared war on messy homes. But on OWN he's targetting the emotionally scarred and/or physically wounded as well. Take the featured family the other day - father has fought 13 years against lieukemia and the end appears to be coming and soon. His wife quit putting or throwing anything away apparently a day after the initial diagnosis (although she did manage to get the trash out to the curb). Their two daughters, both living elsewhere now, reject any connection to their own piles of stuff they'd left behind. After Peter works on them for a day-and-a-half, the girls tearfully admit that their childhood was miserable due to dad's illness and they see the house and its content as reminders of that. Hooray - everyone is crying on cue. As the credits roll, the father sits down in the cleared-and-cleansed living room and smiles. And, as we all know, he'll soon die in that chair because he's waited so, so, too long to sit there and his energy has give out. Ready for some tissue? Yep, I thought you'd be about ready.
Oprah looks great when her tears well up and she's damn well known it from the begining. It's been one of her TV strengths. I can't cry (paxil) so Oprah's OWN is kinda fun - I think of it as a science-project - how many hours of OWN does it take to fully depress my antidepressant? Or suppress my antidepr...? Whatever.
Altruism as a spectator sport. Only in America. Sucks, doesn't it?
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And don't get me started on Gayle King. I know she's Oprah's BFF but the girl is NOT ready for primetime. I tried to watch her new show once and ouch, it was painful. This show must have came out of some late-night boozy pajama party, I bet, and should have stayed just a 'nice idea.' She's fine to look at though and may just need a co-host. Like, um, Anderson Cooper? Or this could be Piers Morgan's next gig. He is Oprah's OTHER BFF, you know.
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Ever been to the website The Christian Post? I got lost earlier today and somehow ended up there. Who needs lions when alleged Christians eat each other so often? Pass the steak sauce, please.
The message board there drips with rhetorical sanctimony but it can be fun reading. One 'true conservative' says "... it is our duty to purge the government from this nation and destroy all opposition ..." and the next less-orthodax poster writes: "Only the elimination of all conservative Christians will allow all Americans to be free and the world to no longer have to live in fear of the U.S.A.'s imperialist, terrorist holy war. ..." and the poo starts flinging. I say, where's the love?
Wait. I was in a diary today where DKos-ers seemed 'bout that pissed off. Hmmm. It was a progressive/liberal circlar smackdown: (paraphrased) 'Well, I'm a progressive Democrat but I'm not sure that YOU are.' Well, I know that I'm the real Democrat - you're just wearing off-the-rack and drinking draft beer.' 'So bite my ass.' And they flinged poo like frisbees. What diary was that?
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Locally, deep in Appalachian Virginia, folks are agitating for a new VA Coal Heritage Trail. Yep. No joke.
Sigh. It's about economic development, you see, and we have a new Republican governor who believes that the sparsely located motels, restaurants, indoor flea markets, and corporate 'museums' who might be patronized if a tourist drives by. Oy.
Let me make it easy. Want to follow the black-dusted road? From either Interstate 81 or 40 or 26 or even 64/75, put '24293' in the GPS finder, listen to the little voice and do what it tells you to do. Prepare to meet coal trucks. Caution! At first sign, you just fall in behind the coal trucks and follow until a security guard stops you. Rinse and repeat.
In some states these are covered trucks. But not all. Cover-laws are a states-rights issue and thus, we have a patchwork of laws on that as well as on guns, gays, sex, and booze. BYOB. And other medicinals (it can get really 'dry' around here, wink).
Carry concealed if you must but be permitted in your own state at least. It might help to decrease bail if you accidentally shoot another tourist. Or the room cleaning hillbilly. Or her sister who waits tables across the street. But do be sure to ask any of them about their family's heritage of coal. Key words/concepts to listen for: the black lung, the check Papaw got (for the black lung), how many years he waited for it, how many days (maybe months. rarely more years than one) did he live after the check finally came. Suddenly, stop them and exclaim gleefully, 'I sure hope your Mamaw used his check to party in Myrtle Beach and took you with her!' I guarantee the tears dry up and a story unfolds. A good story but melancholy.
I'll join in the coal heritage hooplah if they promise to mark the Trail to note the archaeological evidence of indigenous occupation that got erased before it could be catalogued. Or if they elevate organized labor to the top of things worth celebrating. But the drag-line waits for no arrowhead or burial ground or the once-bloodied UMWA.
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Why is everyone suddenly bent on ignoring Sarah Palin? What? And lose the entertainment value in watching Rachel or Keith try to keep a straight face? I think that teachers especially should avidly follow Palin's rhetorical excesses to find the 'teachable moments.' I mean, seriously - the opportunity to discuss 'blood libel' for what it really means?! That's good as assigning Anne Frank's diary,
Or an occasion to teach about the relevance of newspapers in history and why it's important to know a few mastheads in case Katie Couric drops by. Even the NRA could get into the act: 'Palin's is not the way to kill an elk. Don't try this at home.'
Oh, and the geography lessons we could have! And the essay questions -priceless. Like, 'If Sarah can see Russia from her backyard, from Appalachia we should be able to look out that window and see the bends of the Mississippi River. Discuss: 'can she?' 'can we?' 'how do you know?' From there, it's an easy segue to 'what is 'hyperbole'?' and 'how to distinguish 'hyperbole' from boilerplate boosterism in the marketplace of ideas and truth(s).'
We've been looking at Palin wrong - she's OUR Village Idiot to show to our young people. Yet she remains so earnest and steadfast in her own anachronistic flagpinned style. Look for her soon on The Barbie Channel (yes, there is one.) But follow her at your own peril. Me? I'm taking notes for a course in 'Contemporary History: Bullshit 101'.
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One more? Ok...
You may want to disagree with me but it's GOT to be said. Pima Community College messed up. Bigtime.
There. I said it.
As more info comes out about Jared Loughner's antics there, it's clear to me (as a former college administrator) that ample 'just cause' existed to have him detained while a judge considered a motion for psychiatric evaluation, if they had done so before suspending him. In fact, since Virginia Tech, more and more institutions are fine-tuning their procedures and processes for dealing with problem students like Cho and Loughner. They've also conferred with legal staff to determine how to effect a positive outcome without incurring a lawsuit like this one against VA Tech that has advanced steadily despite the school's attempts to have it dismissed.
I'm just saying that if I were an administrator at Pima, I would have trouble sleeping. The college could have intervened in a stronger, more intuitive fashion that didn't deprive him of his civil liverties for more than a few hours if he were indeed competent. Instead, they took the coward's path: out of sight, out of mind. They should have to face the parents, children, spouses of Loughner's victims. A lot.
(LAST word on Tucson - I promise) The mother of 9yo Christina must have mental health insurance. Everytime she was on TV, I'd think, she has to be medicinally calmed but just enough to leave her coherent. Which is good. But her bland facial expressions and lack of affect startled me again and again. A lot of benevolent pharmaceuticals could have made that happen and I, for one, am grateful that she had access, if she did. Hope it lasts - she may well need a lifetime supply. RIP, Christina.
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ON TO TOP COMMENTS! WTF? Yeah, it's why we're here, fool!
A few people sent their nominations to the Top Comments mailbox by the 9:30pm Eastern Time deadline. The address of our mailbox for top comments submissions remains:
TopComments AT gmail DOT com
(change " AT " to "@" and " DOT " to ".")
Anyone can send great comments to our address. Be sure to include the direct link to a comment—the URL—which is available from that comment's date/time; we need that to find your choice. Please always include your Daily Kos user name in the body of your message, so we can credit you properly. If you send a writeup with the link, we are able to include that, too, though we reserve the right to edit. written by sardonyx
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From bronte17:
Mike Elk explains the "blurred lines of reporting" circumstances surrounding his work at/with/for HuffPo wherein HuffPo was taking great credit for the reporting and highlighting it frequently in their HuffPo Newsletter yet HuffPo has banned Mike from blogging there because the banks complained... full story in H-Post Editor Bows to Bankers and CUTS TIES to Reporter Who Helped Expose Them by PaulVA.
[Backstory that I submitted to Top Comments a couple days ago is here.
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From kestrell9000:
We like it when someone has an epiphany. And in today's bonus RKBA diary, it looks like ontheleftcoast had one. I hope to see additional epiphanizations with increasing frequentializing.
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From Julie Gulden:
{On} listening to Michelle Bachman with her Tea Party
SOTU rebuttal, mattman has the key to make it painless
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From Andrew C. White:
[in] response to a Republican conspiracy theory actually rooted in reality... from the front page: THAT agenda accomplished.
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My own picks:
Remember that raucous diary that I mentioned earlier? Well, this comment by Ivan is the only one I rec'ced. I think. The flung poo piles up and ripens.
I really treasured this mini-economics lesson from shpilk.
Well, when coffeetalk started, it was a comment disagreeing with the diary's author about Scalia and the DOJ but it would make a good diary itself: This is not a conflict.
After dauphin's comment here, Laughing Planet added bedmates to the discussion. Badabing.
If grannydoc leaves Dkos, maybe GrannyOPhilly will rock me on her front porch. Gotta appreciate her here: Oh the Irony. Merriment ensues. Then highfive knocks me outta the park.
Mothermags introduced me to potty-poking aka 'Facebook on the can.' Seriously.
And Tonight's 'Begin the Poo-Flinging' Trophy goes to (drumroll, please) citizen k.
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ON TO TOP MOJO - thanks bronte17!
Finally, we have today's top mojo using the revision of the cskendrick/sardonyx-devised mojo-to-Excel process.
First, Top Mojo excluding Cheers and Jeers, miscellaneous cute animals, search-identifiable tip jars, and first diary comments:
Top Mojo (cskendrick/sardonyx-style) excluding search-identifiable tip jars, first diary comments, Cheers and Jeers, various pooties, and Mojo Friday:
1) sternly worded letters all around... by Dood Abides — 165
2) I keep saying the President should run on the GOP by Alumbrados — 110
3) Corporate Welfare=ok,..Social Welfare=NO,NO, NO by ladypockt — 86
4) CEOs of major multi-nationals are not by inclusiveheart — 77
5) most people had no idea by Laurence Lewis — 76
6) I am watching by Delilah — 72
7) My dear, EVERYONE should post a diary on this! by bobswern — 71
8) And most people feel that they have the right by inclusiveheart — 71
9) You made Our Corporate Overlords by Pluto — 70
10) What these elites by slinkerwink — 68
11) outrageous by MartyM — 65
12) I had to rec it by david mizner — 64
13) Everyday, I wake up thinking this must be by Colorado is the Shiznit — 62
14) Sohail Mohammed on '24' by Scarce — 62
15) The funny thing about people who are nuts on by Robobagpiper — 61
16) Thank you by Gov Howard Dean MD — 60
17) On the rare occasion by joanneleon — 60
18) Rush entertains and enlightens those among us by daliscar — 59
19) Obama is not "center-left" by TheOtherMaven — 59
20) I can't deal with this right now. by 4CasandChlo — 59
21) I had an interesting by Im with Rosey — 59
22) Maybe but this guy from GE is the worst. by ChiTownDenny — 58
23) Thanks for posting by ctsteve — 58
24) You're right. by JesseCW — 58
25) He validates the assholes among us. by MaikeH — 57
26) LMAO at this : by LaurenMonica — 57
27) Not I. I think the diarist just itches to bitch by My Philosophy — 57
28) I disagree. by Lucy2009 — 56
29) The 50 state strategy by Gov Howard Dean MD — 54
30) and your goal by Laurence Lewis — 54
Top Mojo with No Exclusions:
1) Our Supreme Court has become an ethical sewer by Lefty Coaster — 431
2) Tip jar for having to endure... by BruinKid — 286
3) Tip Jar by bobswern — 276
4) Tip Jar by zenbassoon — 270
5) Tip Jar by joanneleon — 231
6) Tip Jar by Democrats Ramshield — 190
7) Tip Jar by dagnome — 189
8) sternly worded letters all around... by Dood Abides — 165
9) A two-day work week... by rserven — 157
10) Scritchie Jar by triciawyse — 127
11) Tip Jar by Clarknt67 — 113
12) I keep saying the President should run on the GOP by Alumbrados — 110
13) Tip Jar by OdiousMonk — 105
14) Mojo Mug by TexDem — 104
15) Tip Jar by BFSkinner — 95
16) Friday Tip Jar............... by Bill in Portland Maine — 87
17) Corporate Welfare=ok,..Social Welfare=NO,NO, NO by ladypockt — 86
18) CC Is Watching by TexDem — 85
19) Mojo Friday Wants You by TexDem — 85
20) No More Excuses by TexDem — 84
21) The Lounge Is Open by TexDem — 84
22) Mornin'! by Floja Roja — 83
23) Tip Jar by ThisIsMyTime — 83
24) Uh, Keith Never Said He Was Kidding!!!!! by CityLightsLover — 82
25) Thanks For Stopping By by TexDem — 80
26) Mornin' Flo! by TexDem — 78
27) CEOs of major multi-nationals are not by inclusiveheart — 77
28) Welcome to the Front Porch by Black Kos — 75
29) More by TexDem — 74
30) o edscan, where art thou? by bubbanomics — 73
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Use the space below argue with me or to dump your own rant - you know, the one you've been itching to say but haven't found the right audience? THIS IS THE PLACE. In fact I feel a lot better now - it's cathartic and good practice for WYFP.
Always the mountains,
va dare