I confess....well, I guess I've already confessed
I have written before in this blog about the fact that I actually pay a small fee annually to watch the annual offering of WrestleMania from the WWE. Truthfully, it makes no sense to call it the WWE since the acronym now stands for World Wrestling Entertainment so there is no need to call it "the." But I digress.
WrestleMania 31 is scheduled for March 29th of this year and I will take off from work an hour or so early in order to drive to the venue for the annual viewing. Someone recently asked me why I watch wrestling when I know the matches are completely scripted, the outcome decided by writers who must follow the storylines created and closely watched by the McMahon family. Anyone who thinks Vincent Kennedy McMahon isn't firmly in control is mistaken.
I'd love to poll the fans who paid high prices for tickets to see a live WWE event if they are aware everything they will see is scripted. I'm convinced some of them think wrestling is a real competition. In a way it is, but not as some might think. The competition isn't in the "matches" we see on television or in the arenas. It is between the so-called "superstars" as they try to move up the ladder to get into the main events. To be part of the story when it comes to the "championships."
Considering that the venture of the WWE in creating its own "network" has been such a resounding flop that it caused Mr. McMahon to fall from the ranks of billionaires back into the more ordinary multi-millionaire ranks, it might be more interesting to look at the story in the boardroom rather than in the squared circle.
* * *
Until now I've always felt it was wrong for a baker to refuse to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. Now I'm being forced to reconsider that belief because of something that happened in Denver. A customer asked a baker to write anti-gay messages on two cakes shaped like Bibles. The client also wanted a visual representation of a male same-sex couple holding hands with a big red X drawn over it.
I've tossed this around in my mind and I can't come up with a reason why the baker who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding is doing anything differently than the person who refuses to make the cakes described above.
Either we have the right to refuse service to anyone or we don't. Either we have the right to discriminate or we don't. Since we should not have the right to discriminate as set forth in our civil rights laws, we have a problem.
One possible solution is that we allow bakers and other businesses the right to refuse to provide their products or services when doing so is promulgating "hate" speech. What do you think?
* * *
Random ponderings:
Michael Moore didn't mention "American Sniper" in his comments about how snipers are cowards. Seth Rogen's criticism of the movie was more direct, but still nowhere near what Bill Maher said when he labeled Chris Kyle as a "psychopath patriot." All three of them should be grateful they will never be called upon to defend our nation. I'm certainly grateful they won't be responsible for defending me. Colonel Nathan R. Jessup, Commander Ground Forces Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has a message for all three.
I'm actually grateful that Donald Trump continues to float trial balloons about running for the presidency. The notion of him having even a snowball's chance in hell of ever gaining the nomination of a major party is almost as funny as the "campaigns" of the late Pat Paulsen.
Considering that Sarah Palin couldn't get elected dog catcher unless only her family was allowed to vote in the election, her chances of being considered a serious candidate died long ago.
If Mitt Romney does run for president in 2016, his slogan should be "I am "green," as evidenced by my relief in recycling failed political campaigns."
John Wayne's son Patrick had to deal with cops after he and his much younger wife got into an argument over a car he had purchased for her. Apparently, while they're breaking up, he bought her a C class Mercedes and she felt she deserved at least an E class version. Since footage of his acting in "The Green Berets" isn't easily available, here is one of his finest performances.
When you live in a community property state and you haven't hit it big before you marry, why have a prenuptial agreement? The income earned during the marriage is community property.
If Robert Redford can't find a distributor for a film at Sundance, the film festival he co-founded, maybe he should just bankroll distribution himself. He has the money. I guess I should be grateful he didn't create a Kickstarter campaign to raise the money for distribution. If you're an artist and you have the resources already, don't ask others to finance your projects.
I just discovered a much better open letter to Michael Moore than the one I posted recently, so I'll share it: http://www.westernjournalism.com/green-beret-sniper-pens-scathing-open-letter-michael-moore/ This is the same guy who took Gwyneth Paltrow to task for comparing cyber-bullying to war.
WrestleMania 31 is scheduled for March 29th of this year and I will take off from work an hour or so early in order to drive to the venue for the annual viewing. Someone recently asked me why I watch wrestling when I know the matches are completely scripted, the outcome decided by writers who must follow the storylines created and closely watched by the McMahon family. Anyone who thinks Vincent Kennedy McMahon isn't firmly in control is mistaken.
I'd love to poll the fans who paid high prices for tickets to see a live WWE event if they are aware everything they will see is scripted. I'm convinced some of them think wrestling is a real competition. In a way it is, but not as some might think. The competition isn't in the "matches" we see on television or in the arenas. It is between the so-called "superstars" as they try to move up the ladder to get into the main events. To be part of the story when it comes to the "championships."
Considering that the venture of the WWE in creating its own "network" has been such a resounding flop that it caused Mr. McMahon to fall from the ranks of billionaires back into the more ordinary multi-millionaire ranks, it might be more interesting to look at the story in the boardroom rather than in the squared circle.
* * *
Until now I've always felt it was wrong for a baker to refuse to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. Now I'm being forced to reconsider that belief because of something that happened in Denver. A customer asked a baker to write anti-gay messages on two cakes shaped like Bibles. The client also wanted a visual representation of a male same-sex couple holding hands with a big red X drawn over it.
I've tossed this around in my mind and I can't come up with a reason why the baker who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding is doing anything differently than the person who refuses to make the cakes described above.
Either we have the right to refuse service to anyone or we don't. Either we have the right to discriminate or we don't. Since we should not have the right to discriminate as set forth in our civil rights laws, we have a problem.
One possible solution is that we allow bakers and other businesses the right to refuse to provide their products or services when doing so is promulgating "hate" speech. What do you think?
* * *
Random ponderings:
Michael Moore didn't mention "American Sniper" in his comments about how snipers are cowards. Seth Rogen's criticism of the movie was more direct, but still nowhere near what Bill Maher said when he labeled Chris Kyle as a "psychopath patriot." All three of them should be grateful they will never be called upon to defend our nation. I'm certainly grateful they won't be responsible for defending me. Colonel Nathan R. Jessup, Commander Ground Forces Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has a message for all three.
I'm actually grateful that Donald Trump continues to float trial balloons about running for the presidency. The notion of him having even a snowball's chance in hell of ever gaining the nomination of a major party is almost as funny as the "campaigns" of the late Pat Paulsen.
Considering that Sarah Palin couldn't get elected dog catcher unless only her family was allowed to vote in the election, her chances of being considered a serious candidate died long ago.
If Mitt Romney does run for president in 2016, his slogan should be "I am "green," as evidenced by my relief in recycling failed political campaigns."
John Wayne's son Patrick had to deal with cops after he and his much younger wife got into an argument over a car he had purchased for her. Apparently, while they're breaking up, he bought her a C class Mercedes and she felt she deserved at least an E class version. Since footage of his acting in "The Green Berets" isn't easily available, here is one of his finest performances.
When you live in a community property state and you haven't hit it big before you marry, why have a prenuptial agreement? The income earned during the marriage is community property.
If Robert Redford can't find a distributor for a film at Sundance, the film festival he co-founded, maybe he should just bankroll distribution himself. He has the money. I guess I should be grateful he didn't create a Kickstarter campaign to raise the money for distribution. If you're an artist and you have the resources already, don't ask others to finance your projects.
I just discovered a much better open letter to Michael Moore than the one I posted recently, so I'll share it: http://www.westernjournalism.com/green-beret-sniper-pens-scathing-open-letter-michael-moore/ This is the same guy who took Gwyneth Paltrow to task for comparing cyber-bullying to war.
posted by me at 5:03 AM
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