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January 01, 2005
Happy New Year!
Did you have a good New Year's Eve? How many resolutions are you planning to abandon today? ;-)
Rather than New Year resolutions, Dennis Prager and LaShawn Barber offer up some New Year wishes. And some really good ones, too. Inspired by both (and after watching stuff like Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve last night) I'd like to offer some wishes of my own for 2005 (no particular order.)
1. Can Regis Philbin please retire? That man just plain annoys me. And let his retirement be as of Johnny Carson's ... we don't see him ever again.
2. People may rightfully sneer and cackle at the fashion faux pas of the 70's, but I don't ever recall guys in the 70's having to hold up their five-times-too-big pants from falling to the ground. What is so effin' sexy about these mounds of dull colored cloth shapelessly flapping and slouching off of guys who will, when they hit their 50's, wonder what happened the washboard abs and tight buns they are now hiding under gangbanger "inspired" male burkas? Watching the Dick Clark show last night when some yawn inspiring rapper group performed I was just struck again by how basically ugly and contemptuous of others this "fashion" is.
3. a post-script to #2: guys? especially those of you in places like So. California, Florida and other climes with average winter temps in the 50's ... lose the ski caps. For crissakes, I don't think I've seen any thing as ridiculous since the "style" of male mallrats wearing baby pacifiers around their necks or pinned to their oversized and layered t-shirts.
4. Parents, if you have prepubescent kidlets and you're wanting to go out and see the latest R or PG-13 rated movie, I have one word for you .... BABYSITTER ... get one.
5. In addition to number 4, when hubby and I go to a really nice restaurant, you know the ones -- with linen table cloths and a wine list that comes in a bound leather book that weighs more than most Dicken's novels -- we really don't want to see you savoring your dinner and making goo-goo eyes at your spouse while your six and four year olds are running up and down the restaurant. Either make your kids behave in this adult setting or leave 'em home.
6. On a political note, to those really wishing for an American defeat in Iraq, please stop using the phrase "I support our troops but...." The "but" gives you away and you aren't fooling anyone.
Posted by Darleen at January 1, 2005 09:11 AM
Comments
Amen to number 6!
Posted by: Digger at January 1, 2005 11:15 AM
Last year I was a Philosophy TA at the University of Texas. In the middle of the semester, one of my students set up an appointment with me and said that I wouldn't be seeing him in class anymore. He had been called up to Iraq as a supply clerk in the Army. We talked for about a half hour after that about the situation in Iraq and the work he'd be doing.
I don't know what's become of him since then. I've googled various permutations of his name to see if there's any news of him, and there isn't, and that seems good because if there was news it'd probably be bad news. I hope he's doing well and that he comes back to America unharmed.
At the same time, I'm absolutely disgusted with the administration's conduct of the mission. Vehicles aren't properly armored more than two years after we started planning the war, 380 tons of explosives fell into terrorist hands and were used to blow up our soldiers, there was no plan to do basic things like providing security in summer 2003 which could have changed the whole situation, guys from right-wing think tanks with no real knowledge about third world problems were hired to disburse funds, and Abu Ghraib drove moderate Moslems all over the world away from us and towards some absolutely vicious people. What the soldiers spill blood for, the administration fritters away with its incompetence.
There are people who might infer, from my caring about soldiers who are there, that my positive attitudes extend to support of the administration. "I support our soldiers, but..." seems like a reasonable way to begin a sentence aimed at dispelling this perception.
Posted by: Ethical Werewolf at January 3, 2005 10:15 AM
The tons of explosives fell into terrorist hands and were used to blow up our soldiers is a myth. Why do you buy into it?
Posted by: Darleen at January 3, 2005 05:38 PM
Just to get clear on this, which part are you saying is a myth?
1. Tons of explosives fell into terrorist hands
2. Terrorists used them to blow up our soldiers
Posted by: Ethical Werewolf at January 4, 2005 12:55 AM
Oh, Wolf? You're now backing away from the very specific "380 tons fell into terrorist hands"?
Good. Glad to see you recognizing the perfidy rampant by those trying to see an American defeat (and an Iraqi defeat) in Iraq.
Just as the criticism of the US response to the tsunami is blatant anti-Americanism.
Posted by: Darleen at January 4, 2005 12:21 PM
- I have not a doubt in my mind that if President Bush single handidly iradicated all desease's on his own tomorrow morning the dipstick AssHats would screech it was all a plot by BushHitler and the neocons to give Halliburton the opportunity to collect greater profits by extending everyones liftimes of enslavement.....(That is when ever they felt at least secure enough to get down off their hobby horses long enough to say anything...)
Posted by: Big Bang Hunter at January 4, 2005 10:34 PM
I remain committed to the 380 ton number. But I see that you're not interested in discussing this further.
Posted by: Ethical Werewolf at January 5, 2005 07:15 AM