U.S.: Random thoughts on the passing scene

I thought I'd borrow a header from Thomas Sowell, conservative economist who's living proof that if black kids would apply themselves to study they would have no need of affirmative action. Come to think of it, Condi Rice is younger and living proof of that, too.

Was reading Buzz Machine a while back, and commenting on Jarvis' assertion that "we" Americans are the targets of Islamic terrorists. Jarvis almost died on 9/11, and he still lives with the after-effects of the environmental disasster caused by the collapse of the towers. Jeff Jarvis is a liberal, admittedly, and I don't agree with a lot of what he says, but I read him to hear what the other side is thinking. That's always good to know. Anyway, some chick commented on the post calling GWB "Chimpski" and demanding that the Feds spoon-feed her life-saving info. How utterly dumb. So the feds publish an evacuation plan for Brooklyn, say; what's to stop terrorists from using the Fed evacuation plan to maximize their murders? All they'd have to do is get the ball a-rolling with a strike in Williamsburg, say; then, while the masses are heading out of Brooklyn via the Verrazano Narrows, for example, guess what? Some dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks homicide bomber in a car tricked out with hundreds of pounds of plastique or some other kind of explosives. Maximize the kill. What was noteworthy was Annie.Elk, or whatever her name was, dependence on the government to do things for her. Classic Democrat. Government as sugar diaddy providing everything; the citizen not exercising any initiative to do anything.

Sean "P. Diddy" Coombs doing his bit to get people voting. Says he's welcoming both Democrats and Republicans. Coombs says he'll encourage minority youth not to squander their vote on the Democrats but to hear what policies are devised to deal with urban issues. Amazing. Coombs is sounding remarkably like he's restating GWB's questions to the Urban League on Thursday.

Fox News has been asking people what they think about Whoopi Goldberg's totally declassé remarks about President Bush. It's astonighing how many people are affecting sudden deafness, as a dodge. "I didn't hear it." That's Coombs excuse in response to Rita Cosby's question. Neat dodge. Here's why it's a dodge. To have "heard" it, one would have had to be there or to have seen or heard a tape of the event. Inasmuch as Democrats refuse to release any tapes of the event, then the reports carried by the media are no more than heresay, a second hand account of what Whoopi actually said. Since neither Whoopi Goldberg nor the Democrats have filed suit against any of the media outlets which carried the story, and since Goldberg lost a lucrative spokeswoman contract with SlimFast over her coarse comments, then it is safe to say that the media reports accurately depicted her remarks. Since there was so much media coverage of the Goldberg's remarks and there were a lot of Hollywood empty heads at the event, then it is unlikely that Hollywood types have not become familiar with Goldberg's crudities via either tv, print, web, or gossip. A good reporter, confronted with the "I haven't heard it" response, ihas to follow up with a paraphrase of Goldberg's gutter-speak in order to get any kind of answer. Dodge, pure dodge.

I've not begun to get ready for the China trip yet. Ready in terms of packing up the house, I mean. The only things I'll keep are my books and electronics. The rest is to be given away. I've got a stuffed Lion called Bubba. Mattel put him out about five or so years ago, and he talks and says all manner of fun things. Well, about two Christmases ago, somebody broke into my Mazda Protege and stole Bubba from his throne in the back seat of the car. You've got to understand the importance of Bubba in my life. Nobody who has kids wants to hear Bubba. Few people like Bubba, except young kids and me. That's cuz Bubba's motion sensitive so he never stops talking, and that drives people nuts. Me, I have no kids. So, hearing Bubba say, from the back seat of the car, "are we there yet?", is my attempt to simulate the grumpy-kid-in-the-back-seat experience. Anyway, this past Christmas, one of my buds ebayed me a Bubba as a gift. So, Bubba goes to China with me.