Trouble During the Sabbath

A curious thing happened on the way home from another delicious meal at the missus and my favorite local haunt...

A hefty fellow wearing a yarmulke was seated seemingly comfortably in the middle of a crosswalk on a small residential intersection. It had rained a little, so his ass must've been getting wet.

Nearby, a younger fellow, also in a yarmulke, stood between the man and the random turning vehicle.

Also, a group of about a half dozen concerned women wearing hijabs (and a few children) stood around the man, making casual conversation.

Concerned Woman in Hijab 1: You should get up.

Man on Ass: It's the Sabbath, and I can't make a call, so I guess I'll just hope that a policeman comes along.

Woman in Hijab 2: But you can't just sit here.

The situation was clearly under control, so the missus and I kept walking.

I love New York.

"Stimulus Package" Has a Better Ring

Whenever it was that the Obama administration got the stimulus package passed with support from three Republican Senators and zero House Republicans, he sent out an email thanking his massive list for its support and announcing Recovery.gov.

What struck me about this email back then (even if I'm just getting to writing about it now) is that the bill-turned-law (refer back to "I'm just a bill, yeah, I'm only a bill, and I'm sittin' here on Capitol Hill") is called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

I understand that this is a law and not a campaign slogan, but these are the people who brought us HOPE CHANGE HOPE CHANGE HOPE CHANGE. They could do better.

What do we call this thing for short? ARARA?

Should've stuck with Stimulus Package. Or 2009 Stimulus Package. It's got zing. It's easy to remember. It feels just a little dirty. It's a much better name than Arara.

Arara sounds like a phone system. Or a dog howling at the Northern Lights. Or a stalled engine.

Gimme a Stimulus Package. Hubba-hubba.

Bobby the Page

I saw neither Obama's Not-Quite-the-State-of-the-Union speech last night, nor its rebuttal by Governor Bobby Jindal, but I've glanced around at some of the discussion in the epilogue. Apparently President Barack Obama gives a fine speech. And apparently Bobby Jindal gives one that's a whole lot less than fine.

But one of the ideas that's really taken off today is the Holy-shit!-Bobby-Jindal-is Kenneth-the-Page! comparison.

For those of you who don't watch 30 Rock (which I enjoy from time-to-time), it's Tina Fey's sitcom about a variety show. In the show, Kenneth the Page works for NBC, giving tours and running errands. He's a lovable, naive simpleton, sort of an update of Gomer Pyle.

And I have to admit that the comparisons are uncanny and entertaining. Governor Jindal really does sound like Kenneth the Page. HuffPo has several postings on its website about it, including this one, which links to my favorite of the day, Jindal's face morphing repeatedly into Kenneth's face.

We should probably consider this dead horse beaten now. We liberal snobs are, well, liberal snobs, and making fun of a southern governor because he sounds like the lovable simpleton on a Hollywood/New York City culturally elite sitcom... Well, let's face it: it's a little obnoxious, and it confirms what the Republican Party has been saying about liberals for decades now. We're snobs.

Still, the shit is funny today. Pass the latte, please.

Xady Watch - Frozen Assets

Once again, B&E reprises the old Xady Watch feature, because Xavier "Who?" Nady is in the news again. Unfortunately for Who, the news isn't baseball-related.

Who and fellow Yankee Johnny Damon had indirect investments with the Stanford Group. Allen Stanford is another billionaire financier accused of fraud (TPMMuckraker has fine coverage if you're interested). Who and Damon currently have their assets frozen.

Damon will pull down $13 million this year, and Who will be making just over half that amount. So it's not like they're going to be destitute or anything, but Who is trying to buy a damned New York City apartment at the moment, and good luck getting through a co-op board when you don't even have use of your credit cards.

Co-op Board Member: So tell the co-op board a little about yourself.
Xady: I'm Xavier Nady, outfielder for the New York Yankees.
Co-op Board Member: I'm sorry, Who?

Good luck with the frozen assets and apartment hunt, Who. We're all pulling for you.

Bringing Back the Niekro Knuckler

Sometimes my general love for baseball and the stories therein outweigh a particular team fandom, and that includes my beloved Mets.

A little more than two years ago, one of my favorite pitchers of all time, Joe Niekro, passed away. I love the knuckleball today because of Joe.

Joe's son Lance made his Major League debut a few years back, and I was a bit disappointed to learn that he was a position player, a first baseman who could hit pretty well.

Lance has largely been an average player, and since his father died, he's been even less than average, which resulted in his release by the Astros last season, giving Lance an early retirement at age 30.

But Joe taught his boy how to throw a knuckleball, and Lance would often entertain his teammates (and "kneecap" them) with it. Lance's uncle Phil (Joe's knuckleballing Hall of Fame brother) works in the Atlanta Braves organization. Phil is honing Lance's knuckleball skills, and Lance is hoping to kick off a new pitching career with the Braves, following in his father's footsteps.

Because I'm a Mets fan, rooting against the Braves in just about any situation comes naturally for me (although recently it's been more fun to root against the Phillies, not that it's been working particularly well).

The sentimentalist in me, however, wants Lance to succeed, and I'll be rooting for him when he's on the mound. I just love a goddamn knuckleball, and I loved watching Joe pitch. I always hope that Tim Wakefield has a good outing when he's pitching on national TV, and I'm not remotely the biggest Red Sox fan.

The knuckleball is a dying art in baseball. Pitching coaches don't know how to coach it, and catchers hate to catch it. It either completely baffles hitters, or it's the equivalent of lobbing a softball in there. It's exciting and unpredictable and makes for fantastic baseball.

More knuckleballers, please. Best of luck to you, Lance Niekro. Make papa proud.

Origami. The Answer Is Always Origami.

Trolling other people's messaging boards is not usually something I do or recommend, but this conversation offers valuable information for us all to live by. I've edited the material down and, of course, removed the names to protect those unaware I was looking in. (Based on their experience, which you will read below, it would be unfair to call them innocent.)

Subject: pencils for psychiatric patients
------------------------

From: Forum Starter
Date: Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 8:56 AM
To: Group

A quick question: I'm starting a journaling program on an acute inpatient unit and was wondering if anyone knew of any resources where I could order pencils or other writing utensils that would be realitively safe for patients to use independently (if they are not judged a suicide or assault risk), I'd appreciate it.

----------
From: Responder 1
Date: Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 9:38 AM
To: Group

Just a suggestion.....consider using any felt tip markers instead of pencils. They are less likely to pierce skin or contribute to serious self injury. They also won't require a sharpener. It is difficult to predict behaviors of in-patient populations.
Good luck.

----------
From: Responder 2
Date: Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 10:14 AM
To: Group

What is your concern about pencil safety? I use pencils with children all the time.

----------
From: Responder 3
Date: Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 10:30 AM
To: Group

I currently provide services for individuals diagnosed with a severe and persistent mental illness and I have never had any problems with providing them with pencils. If you have a concern, which you really shouldn't, incorporate and educational segment into your group demonstrating the proper use of pencils.

----------
From: Responder 4
Date: Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 10:40 AM
To: Group

I treated a boy who did in fact stab other children and adults with pencils and did kill his cat with one. Your instincts are right to be concerned regarding inpatient treatment, pencils and safety.

----------
From: Responder 5
Date: Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 11:00 AM
To: Group

Although I don't know where to find them, special small flexible pens are available. They have been used inside the max prisons. I have seen them in prisons I have worked in. They are supposed to be safer because they bend under the slight pressure. I have used them and the flexible and the small size can be annoying and takes a bit of getting used to. If you feel concerned about supplying regular pens or pencils, these may be an option.

Here is a tongue-in-cheek article that actually has a link to where one can purchase these pens. However, at $10 each, I doubt any Dept of Correction is paying that much. Maybe try calling prisons to request more information about this. Good Luck.

----------
From: Responder 6
Date: Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 11:02 AM
To: Group

Hi may I suggest offering oil pastels as an alternative for your patients to use independently. That way you'll sleep better!

----------
From: Responder 7
Date: Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 11:17 AM
To: Group

I am aware of an woman who stabbed herself with a pencil and another woman who rubbed her skin raw with the eraser; scars remained. Both were inpatient at the time. If you are working with folks who self-harm, some will find most any way to self-injure.

----------
From: Responder 8
Date: Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 11:22 AM
To: Group

I think Responder 1 & Responder 6 have some good suggestions, as this is a valid safety concern on an inpatient unit... Soft Pastel pencils, may also be an additonal option to consider.......

----------
From: Responder 9
Date: Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 12:53 PM
To: Group

I worked with inpatient children and adolescents and this was always a concern. Before and after group sessions, I always counted my pencils to make sure no patient took one. They were only allowed to use them during structured group with supervision. A fellow staff member was stabbed with a pen, and adolescents had stolen pencils in the past to cut themselves with the metal that held the eraser. You can NEVER be too cautious on an in-patient unit. Always yield on the side of safety.

------------------------------
To: Group
From: Responder 1
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:38:43 +0000

Just a suggestion.....consider using any felt tip markers instead of pencils. They are less likely to pierce skin or contribute to serious self injury. They also won't require a sharpener. It is difficult to predict behaviors of in-patient populations. Good luck.

----------
From: Responder 10
Date: Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 2:27 PM
To: Group

We use the small miniature golf pencils on our psych units because a previous patient stabbed a dr. in the ear w/ a regular pencil. I will give the pts., crayola markers (fat ones) as they are not sharp and wash off the walls w/ soap and water; pencils and crayons do not.

----------
From: Responder 11
Date: Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 4:21 PM
To: Group

I understand the concern, but I do end up using regular pencils. Another option is golf pencils, kind of too short for really effective stabbing and without the metal at the end that could be removed and potentially used for cutting.

----------
From: Responder 12
Date: Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 4:25 PM
To: Group

You might try woodless pencils if you are looking for something erasable. You can get them at the art supply store near the drawing pencils. They might be a little thick for writing, but there is no metal or wood. It might not be ideal, but they can be sharpened enough just by rubbing the side of the pencil on the paper. If you broke them in half they would be pretty safe.

----------
From: Responder 13
Date: Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 11:43 PM
To: Group

Just a quick side note regarding giving patients markers vs. pencils. We once discovered that a pt was given markers to use in his room unsupervised and later discovered that the pt put a marker in his anus. I do not allow pts to have anything unsupervised with the exception of golf pencils. However, having said this, I have never had such an experience like this before or after this particular incident.

----------
From: Responder 14
Date: Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 7:22 AM
To: Group

THanks for everyone's ideas about the pencils. I am enjoying this
conversation about materials.

What's so special about golf pencils? I believe you could put one in one's anus or stab someone with them. I often work with drawing materials. For drawing I tend to use markers, oil pastels, charcoal, or crayons, regular or super fat for kids. I suppose in a hospital setting, almost anything is possible to use for some abusive purpose to self or others.

I've been wondering for some time how to safely use fingerpaints, even in a private practice setting, without ending up with a huge mess - thrown paint comes to my mind. (My space has a carpeted floor.) Maybe it has to be used in a space where a water based clean-up of EVERYTHING is easy.

THanks again to all for their input and ideas.

----------
From: Responder 15
Date: Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 5:20 PM
To: Group

One thing to consider regardless of the art tools used is that if there is a real concern with a patient using them then you should get the psychiatrist to write an order allowing the use of such tools. That way the doctor, and hopefully the treatment team, would be aware of what you're doing. Plus it would probably get you off the hook if something were to happen.

---------
From: Responder 16
Date: Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 5:54 PM
To: Group

Markers... patients in psych setting will swallow them. It does a real number on them too. I really love those peeling crayon pencils. I think in the catalogue they are listed as crayons, you could also get grease pencils. Stay away from the charcoal, the noise would drive you nuts. For journaling the golf pencil might be the least frustrating for them.

----------
From: Responder 11
Date: Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 6:23 PM
To: Group

it's only that golf pencils are short, and this makes it harder to grip them as one would have to in order to use them as a stabbing weapon it's true, if there is a will, there is a way...one can make weapons of many things

----------
From: Responder 17
Date: Sat, Feb 21, 2009 at 6:36 AM
To: Group

I noticed that so many people responded to Forum Starter's questions, which I found very important. I have been working for adult psychiatric inpatients for a while. Thus Forum Starter's question is not foreign to me. My experience resonate with some of your responses as well.

There are few things that I consider when I pick art materials for acute, psychotic patients with unpredictable behavior. Of course we can not work with them unless their doctor believes that person is ready for therapeutic activities and treatment. It may depend on where you work.
1. How many people in your group or individual?
2. Functioning level of the person in your group, individual session?
3. Is there any system for calling for assistance? Do you work with another staff member or assistant?
4. Combination of group members. (What kind of unpredictable behavior may happen?)
5. Facility policy on safety. (Only use of nontoxic materials ...)
6. What material you find comfortable to use?
7. My ultimate suggestion is just use paper, which people might swallow, or get paper cut but less hazardous comparing traditional art materials. etc.

I found it useful to use Origami as a tool for my patients which may not suit you and your population. It seems, touching colorful paper has soothing effect also. If only you know how to fold origami and you are comfortable presenting...

I'm not sure that origami is ideal for journaling, which was what Forum Starter was initially asking about, but Responder 17's heart is in the right place.

What's amazing to me about this exchange is that these are legitimate, professional concerns for some people in the world. At my job, I sometimes wonder if I've brought enough food for lunch. Occasionally, clients aren't crazy about what I've written for them. My computer crashed last week, and I've felt a bit discombobulated this week, while we worked toward a solution.

I never - never - look at my Slinky full of pens and wonder if I should stab a cat or shove one up my anus (although now it'll be hard for me to resist thinking of those things, even if I still have no desire to actually do them). If I did, I'm not sure my colleagues would be equipped to handle it like the fine professionals above.

But I finally understand why they use golf pencils at country clubs around the nation: they keep stabbings to a minimum.

Gee, That's Too Bad

Because the missus hails from Scotland, we're having a constant discussion about when we might move there. It's a "when" conversation, not an "if" conversation, but the "when" does a lot of shifting about depending on our lives here, the economy, her family, my family, etc. And even though winding up there seems inevitable, we often speak of the pros and cons in general of the move across the Atlantic.

Fred Phelps has been a topic here on B&E before, and as someone who formerly lived in Topeka, I try to do as the Topekans do and ignore him as much as possible. There could be, and I'd guess that there is somewhere, a daily report on the evildoings of Fred.

Those of you not in the know, Fred Phelps is the pastor of Westboro Baptist Church, a.k.a. God Hates Fags. You've probably heard about them protesting military funerals, funerals for gay people, and just about any funeral in Topeka.

So I always like a bit of good news about Fred, and it appears that he and his daughter Sheila (and God Hates Fags spokesperson) got themselves barred from entering the United Kingdom. Apparently, they were on their way to protest/harass a college production of The Laramie Project (about the murder of Matthew Shephard) in Hampshire.

Alas, the Phelpses announced their plans on their website, and the Border Police decided that the Wesboro Baptist Church is an extremist hate group that doesn't deserve entry. Well done, Border Police. That I'd never have to see Fred Phelps and his cultish family again is a major "pro" for moving to Scotland.

But think about it, Fred. If you're not being granted access to protest this particular play, maybe God's telling you you're wrong. Maybe God hates you, you Dickheaded asshat.

[Thanks to my lesbian ex-girlfriend for the link.]

I Feel Terrible For You. Terrible.

The venerable New York Times has a story today that's got my boxer-briefs in a twist. It's about how bonus cuts hurt those beyond Wall Street.

I was naively expecting to read a little something about how, perhaps, nonprofit organizations, particularly in places like New York City, will see their individual giving reduced by enormous amounts this year. People who work in finance will often balance those giant bonuses with the tax breaks that accompany donations to nonprofits. Perhaps in turn, those donations aren't trickling down to the soup kitchens that feed so many homeless people.

Not so much.

Instead, it's about people who make a lot of money in cities other than New York who are used to getting bonuses larger than most salaries. This year, the poor bastards will have to make do with bonuses of $25,000 instead. The horror! THE HORROR!

Bonuses are rewards for a job particularly well done, I thought. If it's expected money at the end of the year, like it's some sort of regular thing, the company should really be paying it out as part of your salary.

Even if his bonus isn't as irresponsible as the millions doled out by insolvent international banking conglomerates, I find it very hard to empathize with some dude because he'll have to buy a cheaper new car this year, especially when he also says that the bonus money goes to "lifestyle maintenance" and not "frivolity."

My friend, your lifestyle maintenance is frivolity. It's very hard to care about your "plight" when so many people have real problems.

Broke States

California is about to layoff 20,000 state employees, facing a $4 billion shortfall. Kansas is delaying mailing tax refund checks and may not be able to make payroll this week. My Kansas friends' Facebook statuses have been almost all something along the lines of "[name] hopes to receive a paycheck on Friday." My mom gets her pension from the state, too, so I hope she's not about to get hosed.

Meanwhile, in New York and countless other states (well, not countless, as there are only 47 others) governors and mayors are planning major cuts in government services because of an utter lack of cash.

I believe in paying taxes. I don't think government is the enemy, at least it's not supposed to be. The government is supposed to provide public services, and I believe that there is a fair way for the public to help pay for these services, which should be provided at no profit to the government. Maybe it's that my dad was a minister, but I very much have a "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar" attitude toward taxes. Jesus said that, people. It's literally Gospel.

So this whole government-is-the-enemy-lower-taxes-at-all-costs attitude of the Republican Party (and - let's face it - many in the Democratic Party, too) drives me up a wall.

We're now seeing so-called pragmatic Republican governors such as Florida's Charlie Crist (an h short of Christ) and California's Arnold Schwarzeneggar (no letters short of anything) get behind Obama's stimulus package because they'll get some much-needed money on the local level. Apparently, most Senate and all House Republicans don't give a shit about their localities.

Taxes have been getting lowered, particularly for rich people and corporations, for decades. Um... I know I'm not an economist, but could it possibly be that the United States runs on deficits and cities and states are now totally broke because of this crazy anti-tax ideology that's taken over the policymakers at all levels of government?

Jesus hates you all.

Greed in Privatization? No Way!

I've been meaning to get to this little story since last week because it's really grossly offensive. The short of it:

A couple of judges pleaded guilty to taking millions of dollars in kickbacks from privately run juvenile detention centers in Pennsylvania. In other words, they threw kids in prison for cash. Well done, justices, you unbelievable pricks.

But while the focus is on these corrupt Dickhead (now Shitbird) judges, maybe we should take a bit of a timeout and remember that the privately run juvenile detention centers in Pennsylvania gave a couple of judges millions of dollars. You see, the privately run juvenile detention centers get paid per head by the state of Pennsylvania, so they need bodies. What better way to get bodies than to pay off the people who decide what bodies go there?

Kids who did little more than deserve perhaps an at-home suspension ended up spending months in freakin' juvie.

Call it a few bad apples, they got caught, and blah blah blah. The fact is privatization in prisons is a breeding ground for corruption.

I know this is America, but seriously, not everything here should be for-profit. Prisons - especially prisons for kids - shouldn't be for-profit. Come on, privatizers. That's enough.

Paramilitary Aggression, Rebranded

If your company produces a crappy operating system that the public largely rejects, you can either fix the operating system, which is really hard, or you can create a marketing campaign to convince people that there is no problem with the operating system. This is hard, too, but perhaps not as hard as making a better operating system.

If you're a soft drink company with flagging sales, you could either come up with a drink that tastes good and doesn't cause diabetes, which is really hard, or you could spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a new brand identity. This is hard, too, but perhaps not as hard as making a better beverage.

So naturally, if you're Blackwater, known around the world as a brutal, merciless, and violent military contractor, you can change the culture and approach of your work (or get out of private warfare altogether), which is hard, or you can give your brand a complete overhaul. This is hard, too, but perhaps not as hard as stopping the killing.


This above is the until-recently logo. This logo was "refined" in late 2007 from an earlier version that was even more obvious in its cross-hair approach. The refinement apparently didn't have the desired effect, since it didn't change their reputation as an unaccountable killing machine.

So the next logical step is to change everything. Remember Phillip Morris? They created a parent organization called Altria to give the company a friendlier face to investors who didn't necessarily want to hold shares in a company producing cancer sticks.

Blackwater is now Xe (pronounced like the letter z in America, not like zed in Britain). And because the new State Department says it will not renew its contracts with Blackwater, Xe will also be shifting its focus away from "private security."

Xe will be the parent brand for all of Blackwater's sub-brands, none of which will include "Blackwater" in the name.

I can't seem to find the new logo online yet, but if it's still in progress I've got some ideas. I'm envisioning a family of dogs, riddled with bullets, puppies bleeding profusely. Underneath, the name and tagline: "Xe: the softer side of private warfare" or something along those lines. I'll keep working on it, but I think I'm onto something...

Pitchers and Catchers Tomorrow!

Oh, it's almost time for spring training, B&E readers/baseball fans! And there's been a lot of baseball news of late, if you consider drug use "baseball news."

Performance-enhancing drugs keep making headlines. A-Rod admitted using them back when he was young and stupid, like only 26, but you know, it was all just the culture at the time, and I felt all this pressure, and excuse excuse excuse excuse, and he's totally a clean Yankee and always has been a clean Yankee. Nothing to see here, folks, except my hairless pectoral muscles and exceptional ball-playing abilities unless it's October.

Speaking of performance-enhancers, Miguel Tejada put in his guilty plea for lying to Congressional investigators about a teammate's use of drugs. How the hell did Miguel think he'd get away with that? It's not like he's a member of the Bush administration or something. So in his plea Miguel says that he was once given a shot of human growth hormone, and he threw it away without using it. I totally believe him about that. Totally. Totally.

And then of course there was the revelation that yes, Virginia, Barry Bonds did test positive for steroids. As evidence in his trial those tests might get chucked, but that doesn't really matter anymore, does it? He's an asshole everyone dislikes immensely, and now it OK to publicly call him a liar.

Players on steroids. Meh. It's not that I don't care. I want baseball to be clean. I like pitchers' duels, small ball, and low-scoring games. I just particularly hate that the buck stops with the players. Owners and management are culpable too, and in fact profited from the monster home runs more than anyone, but no one's going after those guys, who awarded the giant contracts to the big hitters.

Then, unrelated to steroids, there's this little story, first broken by the New York Daily News. Roberto Alomar was an All-Star second baseman, and some would probably say that he was one of of the all-time great second basemen. He played for the New York Mets for a couple of seasons and was an unmitigated disaster. He suddenly stopped hitting, he made boneheaded plays in the field, and he became one of the Mets fans' favorite scapegoats.

My expert punditry about this story: shit is fucked up. Robby's ex-girlfriend has filed a lawsuit that accuses him of making him have unprotected sex with her even though he has full-blown AIDS. See what I mean? This shit, true or untrue, is seriously fucked up.

Robby's lawyer says the lawsuit is frivolous and, "He's healthy and would like to keep his health status private." Excuse me, Mr. Lawyer, but if you want to keep his health status private, you shouldn't announce that he's healthy. I mean, you just publicized that he's healthy, so his health status is no longer private. I'm confused.

A bunch of other media outlets have picked up the story now, but buried deep in the Daily News article and not mentioned by others is that Robby told his girlfriend that when he was 17, after playing a game in a Southwestern state, he was raped by two Mexican men.

Shit. Is. Fucked. Up.

When NY1 reported on the Roberto Alomar lawsuit yesterday morning, to accompany the story they played clips of his many mishaps on the field at Shea Stadium - double plays, strikeouts, errors, etc. The editor of the piece was clearly a Mets fan, still resentful of Robby's meltdown. That shit is fucked up, too.

But starting tomorrow, there's actual spring training baseball happening. There's even some unofficial spring training baseball happening already. I can't wait to read about baseball again and not all this fucked up shit.

Because that all that shit is fucked up.

Another Belated Comment

A semi-regular and odd occurrence takes place here at B&E: someone finds an old post while doing some zealous Googling and then leaves a comment. I get my alert and am occasionally disappointed that the rest of my (six) readers don't get to enjoy the brilliance therein.

Yes, it's happened again. Long-time readers may recall that the missus and I took a fantastic vacation back in 2007 to a place called Sweden. It's in Northern Europe, in an area sometimes referred to as Scandinavia.

In one of my vacation reports I discussed the shocking number of dreadlocks to be found on this nearly exclusive white population. I'm not a fan of dreadlocks on white people, as I wrote back then.

It seems that my report ruffled the feathers of a certain Will (if that is indeed his name)...

Wow both of yous are close minded fucking losers.. Stop looking at
other men and judging them if you dont like their hair and get a life,
out of all the things u probably saw you pick out peoples hair haha

"haha" indeed, Will. Good one.

There's much to respond to in Will's insightful comment, of course, from punctuation to spelling and back again, but I think that rather than get into all of that sort of snobbery, I shall instead leave it at this:

Cut off your dreadlocks, Will, if that is indeed your name. They don't look as good as you think they do.

Just For Men Gone Wrong

This morning at my place of work, I saw a well-dressed man with a cane walking down the hallway. Under his hat, little tufts of gray hair were poking out. He had a pencil thin mustache that was jet black. Jarringly so.

This is a man who really trusts Keith Hernandez, Walt Frazier, and Emmett Smith when they say, "No play for Mister Gray."

Someone should tell him that, if he's making the commitment to dye his facial hair, he should really do the same with his head hair. It's like the male equivalent of the carpet matching the drapes.

Now I'm thinking about this old guy's carpet, which I really don't want to do. Dear Lord, save me.

I Can't Even Bitch Right

It figures that when I rail against the Grammy Awards cool people like Robert Plant and Alison Krauss win big.

Stupid Grammy Awards. Stupid me.

Stupid.

Where's the Good Music At?

The Grammy Awards are on television tonight. Is there a less relevant awards show on the planet? I mean, the Emmy Awards lose a lot of credibility for ignoring The Wire for five years, but at least some of the other winners and nominations are related to shows that are, well, good. Milli Vanilli won a Grammy, for crying out loud. They were crap before people knew they were complete fakes.

Even just the idea that the Grammy Awards are on television is getting under my skin today.

Grrrr...

Let 'Em Fail

No, I'm not an economist, so I don't know what would happen if the government didn't bail out the likes of Citigroup or JP Morgan or Bank of America. But when I read a story like this, I very much feel these companies should not only be allowed to fail, but we should actively put them out of business.

I'll just highlight the same part of the conversation that TPMMuckraker highlights in the article above:

Paul Kelleher: Yes, I'm calling to inform you that my mom died on the 24th of January.

Bank of America Estates representative: I'm sorry. Oh, it looks like she never even missed a payment. That's too bad. Well, how are you planning to take care of her balance?

PK: I'm not going to. She has no estate to speak of, but you should feel free to just go through the standard probate procedure. I'm certainly not legally obligated to pay for her.

BOA: You mean you're not going to help her out?

PK: I wouldn't be helping her out -- she's dead. I'd be helping you out.

BOA: Oh, that's really not the way to look at it. I know that if it were my mother, I'd pay it. That's why we're in the banking crisis we're in: banks having to write off defaulted loans.

At what point, do we politely interrupt their business model, and say, "No, no, no. Fuck you"?

Never Underestimate the Democrats' Ability to Blow It

So President Obama comes into office with higher approval ratings than Ronald Reagan and almost the highest ever (just shy of JFK). Our economy is in the crapper, and the masses have given the new president a mandate to do something - and do something big - about it.

As he promised, Barack Obama has "reached across the aisle" for Republican input, and continues to do so. What seems pretty clear to me, though, is that the Pubes have been in power so long with a our-way-or-no-way attitude toward governing that they don't understand what it means to negotiate anymore.

This is to be expected. What in the past eight years has demonstrated that they would behave differently?

But the Pubes are superb at PR. Soundbites. Lowest common denominators. Dumbing shit down. Black and white. Right and wrong. Simplicity is easy to remember and easy to believe.

So Rush and Fox News and right-wing Senators and Congress members are attacking. More tax cuts! Less spending! It's a handout! Pork! Some of the information is wrong, but it doesn't matter. The message is getting out. A poll (yes, I know, polls) out today actually shows that more people oppose than support the stimulus package.

The economy is in free fall, and once again, the Democrats can't get their shit together. Maybe it's Obama's role as party leader, but I tend to think that his job is to keep schmoozing. People really do want to see the President work in partnership.

During the House negotiation, Obama met with Republicans and actually said in a very nice way, "I hear you, but I debated these issues with John McCain throughout the campaign, and I won." That is, the people actually prefer his approach to the economy over the approach that's caused this meltdown in the first place.

Hear that? You fucking won! So where the hell are the attack dogs? Yo, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid! Dick Durbin! Other Democratic leaders, particularly in the Senate! Speak up! Tell the Republicans to get the hell out of the way if they just want a Republican-looking bill. The Democratic Party approach is preferred by a majority of voters. Governors are desperate for the money, and even Republican Governors support the stimulus package.

I say call for a vote. If the Republicans threaten to filibuster, make them actually filibuster. Make them read from the fucking phonebook to demonstrate what they're willing to do to keep the economy in the crapper. Make them show the American people how far they'll go to kill more jobs, foreclose on more homes, bankrupt more cities and states.

Grow some balls, you feckless Democrats. The people of this country are on your side, even if they don't know it. Stop dicking around and pass this fucking thing.

You guys are an embarrassment.

Citi Is Shiti

Well, we saw this coming. After so much bad publicity (or in this case, publiCiti), Citigroup is thinking of backing out of its $400 million marketing deal with the New York Mets which, as we all know, includes naming rights to the new stadium, still currently called CitiField.

Imagine that: you're a large part of the reason the economy is in the crapper, you're totally insolvent, you receive billions in bailout funds, and you're surprised that people aren't buying the argument, "But it's not the same money!"

Man, I hate these Citiguys.

It's been a rough financial off-season for the Mets' owners, the Wilpon family. First, they lose a bundle in the Madoff scam. Now, their corporate sponsor might be pulling its millions out.

How in the hell are they expected to sign Manny Ramirez if they keep losing money at this rate? Oh, Wilpons. You poor, rich people.

Braddock

The Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl. For the people of Braddock, Pennsylvania, I don't know if it'll do much besides raise their spirits.

It's not as if the New York Times needs particular plugging, but this story on Braddock (along with the multimedia feature, which I also recommend) is fascinating and outstanding.

Braddock is twenty minutes from Pittsburgh. Depressed by the decline of the steel industry, it's mostly abandoned. But it also has a visionary mayor who's looking to turn it around. The mayor is also 6'8" and over 300 pounds. Visionary and noticeable.

The missus and I have been aware of Braddock for a couple of years. The whole thing is a very slow moving urban renewal project.

A friend of ours does some unofficial consulting for the mayor's office around tree planting, community gardens, and urban farming. He's even thinking of moving there (once his research trips in the rain forest are done) to start an urban organic farm that can serve the community. The mayor's right-hand man once called him with an urgent request: they found the means to get their hands on many, many trees for very, very cheap. And our friend told him what he should buy and where and how to plant them.

I've got absolutely no point to this posting except to say that you should check out the story and the video. It's absolutely fascinating.

And the name of the town rhymes with a delicious North Atlantic fish sometimes served breaded and fried with chips.