Rich Old People Need To Die: Part One

Rich, old people need to die. Why? Because research indicates wealthy rich people live longer and suck up more of everything - from money to natural resources -  from the taxpayer. MSN.com:

The richest people in the U.S. aren’t just getting several years of extra life, they’re also reaping a financial reward for their longevity – courtesy of the U.S. taxpayer.

Is anyone really surprised that the wealthy use more natural resources and have access to the very best medical care, and they are living longer? It's time many wealthy and/or aging-wealthy folks set an example and cease living. It's for the Earth...Mother Earth! It's For the Children, Dear god, think of the Children.

These folks seem to have overstayed their welcome.

Michael Bloomberg  75 years old and $47.5 BILLION.

Robert Redford "only" $ 170 Million. But he's 80! And Rich!

Ted Turner, $2.2 Billion. 78 years old. Gotta go Ted. You said yourself in 2012 that world population must be reduced by 5 billion. Be a Leader, show us what it takes. Take a dose of your own medicine, Ted. Are there any high, dangerous bridges near where you live? Any nearby electrical power substations you could grab onto some high voltage coils? At age 78, I just want to be helpful to Ted.

Jeff Bezos.  $76 Billion. Makes Bloomberg look lower middle class, huh? Only 53 but in his case age nullified by extreme wealthiness. Jeff, time to go bye bye.

Warren Buffet, $ 75 Billion. AGE 86! Buffet has exhausted his "fair use" of oxygen and all other natural resources. And with $ 75 Billion?  Warren, seek the Exit Sign.

Another Warren...Beatty. $ 70 Million. And 80 years old.
Need I say more?

Huh, so far all of these are Liberals. Hmmmm.

To be Continued...

NHL Picks Continues

These posts, those on the NHL - solely for my purpose of record-keeping. I don't play fantasy football or speculate on any other sport or event other than the NHL. So it's fine if you don't read these posts. If you're a hockey fan, add a comment, what teams are your picks?

I've been Away From Keyboard, nothing major going on - just taking care of business before blogging.

I don't know where I stand on my picks as how many I've gotten right / wrong or final scores or how many games in a particular series. At this point it seems like an awful lot of math for me. And in case you don't know this: Nothing good can come from math. Nothing. (I may do a tally later.)

I did think the Sharks would win their series against Edmonton but they didn't.

I expected Pittsburgh beating Washington {EDIT: The Blue Jackets] and they did.

Washington beat Toronto. I had picked Boston as a Wild Card but they were eliminated by Ottawa.

My Western Conference "Wild" Card is St. Louis and they beat the MN Wild (damn them...), but they're playing Nashville who seem...unstoppable. Like a machine that grinds up everything in its path and just chucks it aside. More on them below.

The Ducks beat Calgary in a 4-0 series sweep

Nashville is the only other team, thus far, to have a 4-0 series sweep and that was against Chicago. Will the long rest Nashville had hurt their game? Not so far, as they lead their series against St. Louis 1-0.

Ottawa leads 1-0 against the N.Y. Rangers.

Pittsburgh 1-0 against the Washington Capitals.

Edmonton ahead of the Ducks, 1-0.

"And...we're off...":

I think Nashville will sweep St. Louis 4-0. They've been animals on the ice. Who can stop them from entering the next bracket ? The Ducks? Edmonton? Maybe Edmonton?

I don't see Washington beating the Penguins. This match-up will either play out to a seventh game or the Penguins will take it 4-0...maybe 4-1. The way the Caps have been playing, they're a team that manages to capitalize (no pun intended initially, but then...of course), on those key moments that make the difference between who continues in the playoffs and who doesn't.

The Ducks and the Oilers. The Ducks and the Oilers. The Ducks and the Oilers. The Ducks and the Oilers. The Ducks and the Oilers. The Ducks and the Oilers. The Ducks and the Oilers. The Ducks and the Oilers. The Ducks and the Oilers.
I honestly don't know.

Ottawa and N.Y ? Again - wow - like the Ducks and Oilers - I just don't know.

Jump To The Cup:

Well, who plays for the Cup absolves me of my inability to pick winners in the Ducks - Oilers and the Rangers - Ottawa games.

I'm getting ahead of myself but...barring any major player injury, the two teams I see destined playing for The Stanley Cup:  The Penguins vs Nashville.

There, apologies if you found this boring.

Again, you're a hockey fan or other, add a comment of what teams are your picks?

Disclaimer: The above is purely guesswork on my part and is not in any way to be taken as advice on sports betting or engaging in gambling or wagering; legal, illegal or other.

Publish time 2:22PM MST.
Item updated 5-3-2017

Emmanuel Macron vs Marine Le Pen For French Presidency

It's Marcon vs Le Pen for France's presidential election. From The Telegraph:

Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen will fight for the French presidency after the country's two main parties crashed out of the first round for the first time since the founding of the Fifth Republic in 1958.

In a seismic shift in French politics, estimations from partial results put Mr Macron, an independent centrist, top on 24 per cent, with Ms Le Pen, the far-Right Front National leader, just behind on just under 22 per cent.
[.]
The Socialist Party's official candidate Benoît Hamon came sixth with a paltry 6.2 per cent of the vote[.]

Ha! Hamon is France's version of Bernie Sanders!

"The French, they love me like they love Jerry Lewis - I tell ya!"

Globalization is over, is Le Pen's vision.  ABC News:

 "The French must take advantage of this historical opportunity offered to them, because what is at stake here is the wild type of globalization endangering our civilization."  

NHL Cup Playoff Picks Continues

NHL Playoffs Continue!

I have not made a "prediction" on the outcome of every game being played during the NHL Playoffs. This is due to life requiring me away from the keyboard.

Here's where I'm at with those I have picked and the actual results:

April 15:
Washington v Toronto -Pick:  Winner: Washington; Score 2-1  /  Result: Winner Toronto;  Score: 3 in 2OT

Chicago Blackhawks v Nashville Predators -Pick: Blackhawks 2 - 1  /  Result:  Winner:  Nashville,  Score 5-0.
Nashville won the next two games and won this match-up in 4 straight. I don't know what happened to Chicago in the playoffs, but they were brutalized by Nashville and I don't think anyone expected Nashville to take this series, let alone playing the high caliber game they've been playing. Could they steamroll the other teams they''ll play and bring The Cup to Nashville? You bet they could.

Calgary v Ducks - Pick:  Winner: Ducks;  Score 3- 2  /  Result:  Ducks 3; Calgary 2.  I nailed this one. This is the only one correct prediction I made for games on the 15th.

April 16:
NY Rangers v Montreal - Pick: Winner: Rangers; Score 3 - 1  /  Result: Montreal 3 - 1
Rangers took this series 4-2 by winning the next 3 games.

Penguins v Columbus - Pick: Winner: Penguins; Score 1 - 0  /  Result:  Pittsburgh 5 - 4 in OT
The Penguins beat the Blue Jackets 4 - 1  and win this series. The Penguins, like Nashville, may indeed be the team to take Stanley home and if so, it would be two Cups in a row for the Penguins. Penguins v Nashville could end up being the two teams competing for The Cup.

MN Wild v St. Louis Blues - Pick. Wild 3 - 1 /  Result:  St. Louis 3 -1
The Blues closed the series Saturday the 22nd with a 4-3 win in OT
My prognostication:  St. Louis is good, but not good enough to make to the finals.  Cross them off the list of competing for Stanley. Very sad for the Wild - they rebounded in playing, but it was too late.

Edmonton Oilers v San Jose Sharks - Pick: Sharks 2-1 in OT  /  Result: Oilers 1-0

Late game Saturday night between Oilers 3 and Sharks 1.

The Western Conference winners are: St. Louis, Nashville, Anaheim and OILERS OR SHARKS

The Eastern Conference winners are: N.Y. Rangers and the Penguins.

As of the publishing of this post, two series play today, Sunday the 23rd:  Ottawa is at Boston and Washington plays at Toronto.  Both Washington and Ottawa lead their series by 3-2.

 Sunday the 23rd Predictions:

Boston is on home ice.  They tie the series up 3-3 with a 4-3 win in one OT.

Maple Leafs are on home ice.  They also tie their series 3-3 with a  3-2 win in one OT.

Correct predictions:

For the Western Conference games, the only one I got right - and I nailed it exactly - was the 3-2 win by the Ducks over Calgary.

For the Eastern Conference: games, again, I picked only one game correctly, Pittsburgh beating the Columbus Blue Jackets. My predicted outcome of this game was the Penguins winning 1-0, however, the actual score was 5-.4.

Conference Playoff Picks:

Western Conference:  Nashville vs The Ducks.

WILD CARD:   St. Louis; they may have that unknown and undefinable "Cup Fever" that propels them against all opponents even though above I said to cross them off the list. That's why they're a Wild Card.

Eastern Conference:  The Penguins vs The Rangers.

WILD CARD:  Boston.  Why? I never underestimate the Bruins ability in turning into an unbeatable team when push comes to shove.

[EDIT]: as I publish this the Senators have 2, Boston 1 - with one minute remaining.]

I'll add up how well (or badly) I'm doing with my Pick offline and hopefully will publish an update on Monday.

[EDIT]: Ottawa won 2-1; Ottawa leads series 3-2.

Boston plays at Ottawa next on April 23.
Pick:  Ottawa;  Score 4-3 in OT

Washington plays in Toronto (I think) in a late game tonight.
Washington leads series 3-2.
Pick: Toronto (if they're on home ice);  Score: 4-3 in OT.

Punctuation fixed 5-3-2017

Patrick Kennedy In Desperate Attempt To Make His Life Relevent

Oh...this is Rich! This is so very, very rich. Creamy chocolate, nougat infused, caramel covered with both whipping and ice cream on top Rich! Cherry optional.

The title says it all.  Patrick Kennedy trying to make his life relevant by preaching an Anti-Marijuana agenda.

Talk. About. Hypocrisy. And Double Standards.

Patrick is the son of famous chauffeur, swimmer and Senator, the deceased Ted Kennedy, Democrat, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts.

Is there any drug that, during his life to date, Patrick Kennedy didn't drink, inhale, snort or other?

From USA MacPaper:

Patrick Kennedy is a former congressman and an honorary board member of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (Project SAM).

Oh..."SAM", you gotta love the acronym; those clever, anti-marijuanaists.

Of course, the SAM Agenda is, as Patrick Kennedy so dutifully writes, "FOR THE CHILDREN."

Written by Patrick Kennedy, and again, USA MacPaper:

"There has been a lot of talk about pot lately.
[.]
But one issue got completely lost: the developing brains of our children.

It's about time we start focusing on the rights of our kids, not pot smokers.
[.]

As states rush unwisely to legalize marijuana, will this [present] the commercialization of a new, legal drug that threatens healthy brain development and the mental health of our children.
[.]
Already, candies, cookies, and lollipops high in THC adorn legal marijuana stores in Colorado and Washington."

Ahh, THE CHILDREN...the last card - that of vestige - played by any Liberal.

First of all, it is not Patrick Kennedy's decision whether states "rush unwisely to legalize marijuana," - that is his subjective opinion. He may speak his opinion as any other private citizen but he has no legal authority to do anything about it. Beyond that, we've seen a degree of leniency from both the past Obama Admin and the current Trump Admin in having a hands-off approach with states that are doing their own thing with MJ, and, this is a good thing. This is a State issue and State issue only. As a country, we DO NOT need to make MJ into Roe vs Weed.

Second, it's LEGAL IN COLORADO AND WASHINGTON TO SELL MJ AS CANDY, COOKIES AND LOLLIPOPS.  Have you ever heard of States' Rights, Mister Kennedy, Mister former Congressman, Mister recovering (or otherwise) booze hound, pill popper and who knows what else Patrick Kennedy smoked, snorted or other.

Patrick, try to sell your anti-MJ Agenda to AIDS patients who use medicinal marijuana that will induce an appetite and, as in cancer patients, is found to keep nausea at bay. Sell your agenda to aging baby-boomers who light up every day and find MJ provides relief from physical  pain relief that we all feel as we get older, or who use it to medicate depression. Please update us on the prosperity in selling your agenda.

Patrick, would you prefer a 12 year old cancer patient puking their guts out from the chemo, or give them a medicinally approve lollipop that negates the puking and gives them an appetite?

Patrick Kennedy, Poster Boy for being Drug Free

It was 2006 when Patrick Kennedy crashed his car into a Capitol Hill barrier hopped up on Ambien . He tried to explain it that he thought he was needed to cast a vote in the House. At 2:45AM. Yeah...a vote.

Whether you partake in MJ or not, you'd have to be blind not to see the double standard, irony and absurdity of Patrick Kennedy involved with an anti-MJ agenda. Actually, Patrick Kennedy involved with any anti-drug organization is the pinnacle of comical hypocrisy and absurdity.  Kind of like if his boozer daddy Ted had made a public service announcement for Alcoholics Anonymous while he was alive.

In 2006, Patrick entered into one of many Rehabs.

Pew Research shows that  nearly three-quarters of Americans (73%) say they favor their state allowing the sale and use of marijuana for medical purposes if it is prescribed by a doctor, while 23% are opposed.

Here Patrick, read about how medicinal marijuana can save lives.

Numerous studies by legit colleges and institutions  show MJ as an alternative to addictive opioid pain relievers. (And EVERYONE is jumping on this falsely promoted idea that the U.S. has an "epidemic opioid problem." No - we don't. But that's another post).

Back to Patrick Kennedy, who apparently has a halo around his head now. He states in USA MacPaper:    "There is no reason to believe marijuana will pay for itself, either."

Typical Liberal Illogic, Patrick. Here, pick a story, any story:

One Year of Legal MJ generated $70 Million in Washington State.

From USA MacPaper:

If all 50 states legalized cannabis today, they’d be collectively raking in more than $3 billion a year in taxes.

I think the revenue would exceed $3 Billion a year.

This Study sees nationwide legalization of MJ bringing in $28 Billion annually.

CNBC: Legal pot sales in 2015 top $5.4 Billion:

"You won't find another industry growing at that kind of clip": ArcView Group CEO.

 Over 10,000 studies show benefits from cannabis: 

A comprehensive research review examining 10,000 studies has found conclusive evidence that cannabis and cannabinoids are beneficial for treating symptoms like chronic pain, nausea and vomiting, and spasticity.
[.]
The nonprofit National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) summarized the past 16 years of research on the efficacy of medical marijuana in its report, “The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids.”
[.]
The rigorous and weighty 395-page report is based on the findings of more than 10,700 studies published in peer-review journals since 1999.

Clearly, Patrick Kennedy, has not done his due diligence and knows nothing of which he speaks. You cannot even say that he's "misinformed."  He's so far off base what he writes is fictional.

And it speaks volumes that "Project SAM" has an agenda other than that of compassion and empathy for those who find medicinal and recreational use of MJ beneficial and pleasant.

Patrick Kennedy is desperately trying to make his life relevant. To whom, other than himself, I do not know.

Famous Drinker and sailing enthusiast Ted Kennedy.

4/23/2017, typos and grammar errors fixed to the best of my proofreading ability.

You Hope for Blah..but mostly it's Blah. And Blah, Blah, Blah.

I do not know You Tube member Browyn Smith, but I DO want to thank her for the below video clip. It is among those she has uploaded on her You Tube Channel.

Had I not found that she uploaded this clip, I would have had to excise this 48 second gem myself. I like it so much, it's written so well and delivered perfectly by actor Justin Kirk. 

From the wonderful series, "Weeds".

We're Never Going To Stop Hearing about Them

I saw a headline that they were on some super luxury yacht?  Who?  Them.  Yeah, that guy born in Kenya and his "wife" (The Beard ).

The famous couple who "looked out for societies most needy" vacation and cruise on a Super Yacht. Wow. Nice work, if you can get it.

No, I'm not going to mention their names or link to a story about them.  After eight-plus years of them and their Cultists, I've heard, read and seen all I want to hear, read or see of them.

Unfortunately, the Fakestream™ Media will never cease in their breathless coverage of them.

One Hit Tech News

The 4th Industrial Revolution will be robots clogging our streets. From Technocracy:

When there are hundreds of delivery robots competing for sidewalk space, they won’t be so ‘cute’ anymore.

- - -

Extreme Tech explains the Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb :

American forces dropped the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb on an ISIS cave complex...
[.]
The MOAB device bears a charge of 18,700 lbs (8500 kg), composed mostly of H6, which is itself made of RDX. H6 is a standard-issue plastic explosive used by the American military for general-purpose bombs.

- - -

North Korea may not yet be able to strike the U.S.  Wired:

One of the country’s biggest stumbling blocks has been securing enough fissile material to build bombs. Until recently, it found the stuff hard to come buy.[sic]

NHL Playoffs Continue

I love me my NHL. I'm writing this on April 15 with a publishing date of April 16.

As we left off last time...

... not that anyone cares but me, but for my own tracking sake, here's how I stand on my NHL Playoff picks to date. Note: So far, the only predictions (which I never make. I don't make predictions. Nor is this intended as any manner of gambling, betting or wagering advice, legal gambling or otherwise), I've made were for games played April 12.

Pick: NY Ranger vs Canadians:  NY Rangers win by 1.
RESULT: Rangers won 2. Montreal 0.
Winner right, score not.

Pick: Bruins vs Senators: A Boston win by 2.
RESULT: Boston 2; Senators 1.
Winner right; score not.

Pick: Columbus vs Pittsburgh: Penguins win by 2.
RESULT: Penguins 3; Blue Jackets 1.
Winner and Score point difference picked.

Pick: St.  Louis vs MN Wild:  Wild win by 1.
RESULTS:  Blues 2; Wild 1.  (A shame. Ditto game 2.)
Winner wrong; score wrong.

Pick: Sharks vs Oilers: Edmonton by 1.
RESULT: Sharks 3; Oilers 2
Winner wrong; score wrong.

Right winner picks: 3
Incorrect picks: 2

Score Right: 1
Score Wrong: 4
- - -

My Picks for April 15 and 16:

April 15:
Washington v Toronto - Capitals lead series 1-0
Winner: Washington; Score 2-1

Chicago Blackhawks v Nashville Predators - Predators lead 1-0
Winner: Blackhawks because it's the last of the first two games on home ice. Next two games are in Nashville, so Chicago will have to win tonight.
Score: 2 - 1

Calgary v Ducks - Ducks lead series 1- 0
Winner: Ducks (on home ice then move to Calgary for game 3).
Score: Both teams put up good defense in game 1. This is a tough call. I'll say a repeat score of game 1:  Ducks 3; Calgary 2

April 16:
NY Rangers v Montreal - series tied 1 - 1
Winner: Rangers (they're on home ice). Score: 3 - 1

Penguins v Columbus - Penguins lead series 2 - 0
Winner: Columbus; they're on home ice and will be fired up. Although, I honestly think the Pengs will sweep this series 4 - 0.
Score: 1- 0

MN Wild v St. Louis Blues - Blues lead series 2 - 0
Winner: Wild. They HAVE to win this third game which is St. Louis' first game of the series at home. So Blues fans and the stadium will be rocking - but, the Wild have to win this one and they will.
Score: 3 - 1

Edmonton Oilers v San Jose Sharks - series tied 1 - 1
Winner: Game 3 (and 4) both on home ice for the Sharks, and they will win.
Score: 2 - 1 in OT

Any NHL-"head" reading this, please leave comments on your predictions on the games.

Commercialized Christian Holidays

Is it just me, or are Christian holy days the only ones that are uber-commercialized?

You did catch the "Hop In For These Great Deals", right? "Hop In"? I bet they paid big money to an advertising agency for that gem.

I've never seen advertisements for "Super-Savings Big-Discount on all Pools and Spas" during Purim.

I don't see sales of "Buy One, Get One Free" commercializing Passover.

"Mattress Liquidation Sale During Ramadan."  I've never read that.

"Oy Vey! It's A Rosh Hashanah Blow Out Discount Weekend!  Everything Must Go!" Big discounts on yarmulkes and Tzitzits , maybe?  It's just a thought.

And why exclude Atheists? Add an Atheist holiday to the calendar.  "40% Off on Everything, Including Sale Items during Atheist Event Week!"

Why are there no Muhammad Peeps?

It seems a large part of a target market is being excluded. I wonder why?

Have a Blessed Easter.

Dr. David Dao Has Owies and an Attorney

Dr. David Dao, the screaming and tantrum throwing United Airlines passenger has some Owies that require plastic surgery. MSN.com:

Dao, [.] Wednesday and will need reconstructive surgery, [his attorney Thomas] Demetrio said.

And:

[Dao has become] a poster child for the mistreatment passengers suffer at the hands of the airline industry.

A "poster child for mistreatment..." yadda, yadda, blah.

Pu-lease. Dao would be injury free if he had simply walked off the plane, OR, had he acted like an adult, OR had he rationally attempted to explain he is a Doctor and has patients to see the next day. But no. He threw a childish temper tantrum.

Dao being dragged down the aisle.

Dao now has legal representation. Hey - who didn't see this coming.

Famous cartoon lawyer.

I think United Airlines Public Relations Department missed the boat here. UA should have stood their ground stating that they did adhere to airline guidelines for removing a difficult passenger.

I HATE being redundant, BUT...he easily could have:

A) explained he is a Dr. and has patients to see the next day,
B) discussed the issue in an adult manner, with a sincere disposition,
C) before leaving his seat, asking to speak to someone higher up in the chain of command,
D) where was the Pilot in all of this?
E) thrown a tantrum, acting like a spoiled child yelling, screaming and stomping his feet.

Dao, NOT and an un-educated man (the guy made through medical school), selected "E".  He has no one but himself to blame for his current situation.

---
Grammatical error fixed 4/15/2017

What if Assad Didn't Gas Anyone?

I'm rethinking the accusation that Bashar al-Assad gassed anyone last week.

I don't think this happened.

Is Syria another excuse for neocons like John McCain to beat the War Machine?

President Donald Trump can't possibly think that the U.S. can have any type of Military confrontations simultaneously with Syria, North Korea and all the other Mideast countries that are a mess due to Barack Obama's failed foreign policy.

I don't believe - at least I don't want to believe - that we are on the precipice of World War III.

Trump, who I supported, explicitly stated we have no business in Syria and then turned a 180 and ushered in U.S. involvement with Syria.

How will his supporters know, from this point on, whether to believe Trump or not?

Trump does not need to poke the bear of North Korea and bring them into play with what so far, looks like a very amateur performance of Trump Foreign Policy.

It is the Bill Clinton presidency that brought us to where we are with North Korea:

Under the final terms of the Agreed Framework approved in October 1994, Clinton agreed to provide the “Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea” (DPRK) with two light water nuclear reactors and a massive allotment of oil.  The U.S. agreed to ship 500,000 metric tons of oil annually in response to the North’s pretense that the energy-starved backwater had developed the nuclear facility to generate power.  These shipments have cost taxpayers more than $800 million to date — a bargain compared with the $6 billion spent on constructing the nuclear reactors, which now empower North Korea to produce 100 nuclear bombs each year.

All these measures failed to quell the North’s atom-lust.

Clinton gave in to every one of North Korea's demands.

I'll hold Trump's feet to the fire, and apply the same standards to him that I did with Obama, W. Bush and Bubba Clinton. I'm not cutting any slack for Trump just because he's not Hillary Clinton.

The U.S. needs to disengage from Syria and North Korea immediately.

Assad protected Christians in Syria, search and seek for yourselves:

This should not be - this is not - and I hope not -  a question of who is better for starting World War III; Trump or Clinton.

NHL Playoffs: The Puck Drops Tonight

The NHL Playoffs are here!

Tonight, among other games, the Minnesota Wild faces Columbus St. Louis in game one in beautiful downtown St. Paul.

The Wild have a fantastic season this year and if they keep playing as they have been - thorugout the playoffs - Minnesota could easily see The Stanley Cup as a new resident.

The playoff coverage is, obviously, found at NHL.com.

The Wild. Bring home The Cup! They have the momentum and this is THEIR YEAR!

The Playoff schedule is listed here.

Five games begin tonight! :

NY Ranger vs Canadians:  NY Rangers win by 1.

Bruins vs Senators: A Boston win by 2.

Columbus vs Pittsburgh: Penguins win by 2.

Blues vs MN Wild:  Wild win by 1.

Sharks vs Oilers: Edmonton by 1.

The above is not intended as any type of gambling or wagering advice. Simply my guess as who wins. I'll be keeping track of my accuracy.

Charlie Murphy, dead at 57 (And David Letterman's Mom passes away)

This is too much. "They" say death comes in "threes" and if that's true, well - it's accurate since Don Rickles died last Friday, J. Geils died and now word that Charlie Murphy has died. NY Daily News:

Charlie Murphy, the beloved comedian, writer and older brother of Eddie Murphy, has died after a battle with leukemia.

He was 57.

The funnyman passed away Wednesday morning at a New York City hospital, TMZ reported, citing his manager. He had been undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

His work on Dave Chappelle's Show was absolutely bone-crunchingly funny.

And...condolences to David Letterman on the passing of his mother.

Dorothy Mengering, David Letterman's mom and a correspondent on The Late Show With David Letterman, died at home in Indianapolis. She was 95.

Mengering rose to unexpected fame after she appeared on her son's late-night show during the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway (1994), Nagano, Japan (1998) and Salt Lake City, Utah. Fans grew to love her sweet demeanor[.]

J. Geils, Dead at 71 (And belated Good bye to Don Rickles)

This is a shame.  Guitarist J. Geils of the eponymous "J. Geils Band" has died at the age of 71. CNN:

Police came to Geils' home for a well-being check, police Chief Donald Palma said. The 71-year-old was found unresponsive and was declared dead at the scene.

Police are investigating the death as a standard procedure. Foul play was not suspected and a preliminary investigation suggests Geils died of natural causes, Palma said.

I didn't make time to publish a post on the late, great Don Rickles who died last week. He was the Godfather of Insult Comedy. 

The J. Geils band was fantastic. Their ability to invent and reinvent themselves and continue being relevant to music over several decades is a testament to their talent and to their wide range of musical accomplishments and contributions.

Rest in peace  "J".  And Don. Thanks for the memories - they will live on.

"Freeze Frame":   Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this is the ONLY music video with an appearance by Mister Potato Head as some sort of therapist or psychiatrist. And he writes the word "Memories" on a notepad.

15 Seconds More Fame for Dr. David Dao

See the post immediately below for the point of this post.

I was asked by a friend, what would I do if an airline asked me to relinquish my seat once I had boarded the plane.

 If I had to get somewhere for someone in a life and death matter, I would explain that and ask that they please find someone else - BUT - if they couldn't, yes, I would exit in a polite manner without the DRAMA of Dr. David Dao. In other words, I would act as an adult instead of throwing a tantrum. Really...Dao's behavior is pathetic.

NO (for my friend) --- if I were passenger on that plane and witnessed the forcible procedure of which Doa was pulled down the center aisle floor, I would not be thinking that the airline is out of place. I would be thinking, "I DON'T WANT THAT GUY ON ANY FLIGHT I'M ON.

15 seconds is up.

Dr. David Dao Gets His 15 Minutes of Fame

Dr. David Dao had his Fifteen Minutes of Fame after being forcibly dragged off a United Airlines flight to Kentucky.

No...I'm not going to cut and paste the video of his removal from the airplane. It can be found everywhere...except here.

All I want to contribute is how much I think Dr. Dao is a whiny a$$hat. Would YOU want this screaming, tantrum-throwing crybaby as YOUR DOCTOR?

Oh - he's quite the character, Doctor Dao is. TMZ:

Dr. David Dao was charged in 2005 with 98 felony drug counts for illegally prescribing and trafficking painkillers. Prosecutors claimed Dao fraudulently filled prescriptions for hydrocodone, Oxycontin and Percocet.

Dr. Dao was also convicted on 6 felony counts of obtaining drugs by fraud and deceit and in 2005 was given 5 years probation.

Dao was also convicted for writing prescriptions and checks to a patient in exchange for sex.
[.]
Last year, the medical board imposed even more restrictions -- now he can only practice internal medicine in an outpatient facility one day a week.

And no - I'm not saying I support or am sticking up for UA's manner of removing him from the airplane. I have no personal investment in UA or any other airline. (We can all open the can of worms on airlines overbooking flights - yes, I know they do it, it sucks but it happens).

[EDIT: UA states flight NOT overbooked.]

I'm kind of glad UA dragged him off the plane. Why does Dao think he's any more or less important to have a seat on that plane than anyone else; anyone whose title is not "Doctor"?

He screamed like a hog-tied bitch being dragged on the aisle floor. What a pansy.

Sometimes, life can be inconvenient. Have you ever been inconvenienced? Did you get over it? So will Dr. Dao.

Mmm Mmm  Good!

 

 

Doctors used to be respected, held to a higher standard, were the ones who were thought of to be the first to volunteer for something others refused, to render aid and comfort when others refused.

Doctors like Doctor David Dao is one reason the title "Doctor" means so little today.

I wonder if he'll write me a 'scrip for some Perco's?

Syria A Mess? Blame Albright and Clinton. Same for North Korea.

Albright and her "friendly toast" to Tyrant Kimmy.

I can't repeat this often enough. Along with EX president Barack "Big Ears" Obama turning a blind eye to the behavior of Bashar al-Assad, we can place direct blame of both Syria and North Korea on EX president Bill Clinton and EX Secretary of State Madeleine "Butcher of Kosovo" Albright.

From the hardly right-wing NY Times, October 24, 2000:

Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright plunged into Communist North Korea today, meeting with the nation's mysterious leader, Kim Jong Il, and attending a gargantuan spectacle of about 100,000 performers that celebrated the cult of her host.
[.]
...Dr. Albright, [.] enthusiastically applauded the 90-minute authoritarian display of choreography and chorus.
[.]
Dr. Albright responded to Mr. Kim's hospitality with a friendly toast tonight, saying as he sat next to her at a dinner table in a government guest house: ''America's symbol is the eagle, a bird that soars, and Korea's pride is mountains that scrape the sky. There is no obstacle we cannot overcome if we make the strategic decision to do so together.''

I guess if the strategic decision is the policy of placating and deferring action for the next Administration to deal with, the Butcher of Kosovo is correct.

Pffft! "Doctor" Albright. Whether she has an actual PhD or it's honorary, she's no doctor. "The Doctor of Death in Kosovo," maybe.

Albright: Should be under arrest for War Crimes.

In 1997, Albright met with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad (father of Syria's current Tyrant Bashar al-Assad):

...Ms. Albright is also interested in taking the measure of Mr. Assad, and to attempt to restart suspended peace negotiations between Syria and Israel[.]
[.]
But peace with Syria is key to a comprehensive settlement in the Middle East, and Israeli officials acknowledge that it cannot happen without the help and mediation of the United States. Ms. Albright also wants to discuss the Syrian role in Lebanon and press Mr. Assad to stop support for terrorism in the region.

Well. A lot of good that 1997 trip to Syria did for us, eh "Doctor Butcher"?

Back to North Korea:

I'm sure the letter from Clinton to Kimmy really convinced Kimmy and his generals to adopt a more Kumbaya attitude:

Albright gave Kim a letter from President Bill Clinton dealing with Clinton's expectations of how to further develop relations between the two countries.

He said Kim and Albright were expected to meet again on Tuesday because "they have more to talk about."

During their meeting Monday afternoon, Kim and Albright focused their discussions on issues of how to improve ties between the two countries and Clinton's possible visit to Pyongyang in the near future.

Well - - -  so much for "diplomacy Vis-à-vis a letter". Perhaps Kimmy disliked the font chosen by Bubba. Maybe if Bubba would have drawn a smiley face on the the letter, Kimmy would have been more amenable?

Bubba appeases Kimmy on behalf of Obama in 2009.

 


And from The Economist, that "globalist, New World Order" publication (who the hell subscribes to it, anyway?), Bill Clinton's 2009 meeting with Kimmy (on the issue of the two American journalists imprisoned in North Korea) carried with it the Democrat Foreign Policy of Appeasement:

Mr Kim is an ace non-smiler.
[.]
Whether the normally affable Mr Clinton managed to stay poker-faced through the three hours and 15 minutes he and Mr Kim spent in each other's company[.]
[.]
North Korea says Mr Clinton apologised [sic] fulsomely for the actions of the two journalists who had strayed across its border from China. American officials deny any such apology was given. They also denied reports as news of the visit broke that Mr Clinton had brought a conciliatory message from President Barack Obama.

I can read Obama's letter to Kimmy, delivered to him by Bubba:

"Dear Kimmy, please wait until after my term is over until you decide to threaten the U.S. and others on the global stage."

Sincerely and Best Always,
Barack Hussein Obama, Appeaser-In-Chief.

Kimmy Jong Un. What's with the haircut?

2009: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warns North Korea on missile launching.

2016: Obama warns North Korea regarding missile launches.

And for yucks and giggles, in 2014 the North Korean government referred to Secretary of State John Kerry not just as a "LANTERN JAW," but as a HIDEOUS Lantern Jaw.

HIDEOUS Lantern Jaw.

We at least know that North Korea has a sense of humor and the ability of conceiving insult humor.

Clearly, none of these "verbal warnings" from the Democrat Appeasers had any impact on North Korea or Syria.

This is the textbook example of Democrat Foreign Policy. It doesn't exist.

---
Punctuation and grammar corrections 4/9/2017.

Trump Orders Syrian Airstrikes

Syria. I have to think most everyone is aware of the U.S. airstrikes ordered by President Donald Trump in response to Syrian Despot and Leader, Bashar al-Assad, using the chemical weapon of toxic gas against his own people.

There is nothing I can write that others haven't already written about the deaths of the Syrian people.

Trump's response of missile attacks? Entirely appropriate.

The sad part is, Russia offered a solution to oust Assad:

...the Russian offer in 2012 to end the growing civil war in Syria by forcing the country's dictator, Bashar al-Assad, to leave power. The Russian proposal went before the UN Security Council, but the United States, Britain and France were so convinced that Assad was about to fall anyway that they turned it down. Why let the Russians take the credit?

The gassing, deaths and injured Syrian people squarely rests on the heads of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John Kerry and other Democrats whose entire foreign policy consists of ignoring and/or appeasement of tyrants.

They HAD the opportunity in 2012...but to quote the above story excerpt, "why let the Russians take the credit?" Indeed.

Albright & Kimmy, October 23 / 24, 2000. Topic:
Appeasement.

Bill Clinton, when president, did NOTHING about North Korea other than to appease Kim Jong Il.

Then Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright described Kim Jong Il as "rational and pragmatic." She added while he is isolated, he is not uninformed.

And Clinton and Company did zero other than appease North Korea. And fairly, either did George W. Bush. And WE KNOW Obama and Company did less than Clinton and Albright.

By the way, did you know that the U.S. still has Soldiers on the ground in Kosovo? Yeah, this dates back to Clinton and Company. How about that?

The Democrat Foreign Policy Playbook. One chapter, one page. And it's blank.
---
Grammatical typos fixed 4/08/17

Water skiing...with Oasis Cigarettes because Smokers Who Know Smoke The Big O

...because if you're not smoking while water skiing...well, you're missing out on the entire "experience".

I love how the skiers can smoke, hold the tow rope with one hand and hold a conversation side-to-side. Who says "multi-tasking" is something recent?

Syria; A return to chemical weapons?

March 2011 calls Assad a "reformer."

CNN Reports chemical gas weapon killing dozens in Syria:

At least 70 people, including at least 10 children, have been killed in what is suspected to be one of the deadliest chemical attacks in Syria in years, activist groups say.

In December, 2015, the so very charismatic and charming Secretary of State John Kerry said he saw no reason for regime change in Syria.

"The United States and our partners are not seeking so-called regime change," Kerry said in reference to the US's preferred outcome to the Syrian civil war, according to The Associated Press.
[.]
 US officials, including US President Barack Obama, have insisted since August 18, 2011, that embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad step down from power.

But the US has also hoped that Assad could be "eased out" as part of a Russian-brokered political transition since mid-2012. And the US has done little to actually affect regime change.

Despots like Assad don't allow themselves to be "eased out." Who did Obama and Kerry think they were fooling? Obama and Company continued the Democrat foreign policy of appeasement. They didn't want to deal with it and ignored it which brings us where we are today. Thank you Messrs Obama and Kerry.

Then, in May of 2016, Kerry said there are several proposals to bring a cease fire and peace to Syria:

[Kerry] did not say what the proposals were...

Did he ever get around to telling us the proposals?

Assad and Kerry discuss Pachinko.

In March, 2011, Hillary Clinton called Bashar al-Assad a "reformer, and that...

... Many of the members of Congress of both parties who have gone to Syria in recent months have said they believe he’s a reformer.”

In October, 2015, Barack Obama and his Administration tossed in the towel and gave up on U.S. efforts to train Syrians against ISIS [and anti-Assad rebels].

The Russians were right about Assad and Syria all along:

"The Russians had a more realistic analysis of the situation than practically anybody else," said Lakhdar Brahimi, the former United Nations Special Envoy to Syria. "Everyone should have listened to the Russians a little bit more than they did."

Brahimi was referring to the Russian offer in 2012 to end the growing civil war in Syria by forcing the country's dictator, Bashar al-Assad, to leave power. The Russian proposal went before the UN Security Council, but the United States, Britain and France were so convinced that Assad was about to fall anyway that they turned it down. Why let the Russians take the credit?

Another incident where Obama's ego was placed ahead of some very astute speculation on the part of Russia. Obama allowing himself to be upstaged by Putin? Not on your life.

And just before the U.S. gave up on efforts to train Syrians, John Kerry came to the realization that "Assad must go...eventually."

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has to go – but the timing is negotiable, Secretary of State John Kerry said Saturday.

2009 dinner; the Kerrys and the Assads; Kerry: "Please pass the endangered Tree Snails."

Kerry: "...the timing is negotiable." This is a Despot we're talking about, not the golden parachute of a CEO whose time to exit the office is long overdue.

The Democrat Foreign Policy: Placate and Ignore Until Out of Office; Let Next Administration Deal With It.

- Grammatical corrections April 5, 2017