A restful Sunday spent pondering
Kudos to Jim Carrey. I don't know how long his relationship with Cathriona lasted or any of its specifics. I do know he paid to fly her parents from Ireland to the U.S. to take her body back to Ireland. He paid for the transportation of the casket. And he served as a pallbearer at her funeral. Big thumbs up to him for being a stand-up guy.
* * *
Okay, who is surprised that a congressional staffer who was fired from his position on the committee to investigate Benghazi is claiming the Republic-dominated committee is engaging in a targeted investigation designed to make Hillary Clinton look bad? This isn't a surprise.
* * *
I am a lifelong Dodgers fan. I love my Dodgers. Did Chase Utley actually slide into Ruben Tejada? Look at this video and compare what Utley did in 2010 and what he did last night.
Sure looks to me like the slide doesn't start in last night's game until Utley had already reached the bag. Illegal according to the rules of baseball? I don't think so. A dirty play? Maybe. Should he have been called out for attempting to injure? Not in my opinion.
* * *
When disabled veterans and Social Security recipients get no Cost of Living Allowance (COLA)
increase this coming year, one of the culprits that will be blamed is lower prices for gasoline. The annual increase is calculated based on the government's measure of inflation and it seems very likely that the inflation rate is so low that there will be no increase in benefits. The problem with this is that the cost for the Medicare premiums deducted from Social Security benefits will increase and since some recipients are protected from those increases, the rest of the recipients pay more. They should find a way to ensure that people who receive these benefits don't see any net increase in the amount of their benefits from year to year due to the lack of a COLA and a Medicare premium increase.
* * *
The movie Bloodsport is playing right now on cable. Everytime I see it, I'm reminded of this L. A. Times Article. Frank Dux article. I've met the man. He is clearly a warrior in the way he moves and carries himself. Is he a fake? Decide for yourselves.
* * *
They arrested Randy Quaid and his wife when they attempted to sneak into the U. S. from Canada. They are being held on $500,000 bail stemming from a 2010 arrest in California. Randy Quaid today:
Randy Quaid as I prefer to remember him, from one of the best performances he ever delivered (in my opinion):
That is from the 1994 film The Paper. And one we all remember:
I hope he gets his act together.
* * *
Would a man really react in this manner if he discovered he'd been washing himself with a product made for cleansing a "...woman's V?"
* * *
Apparently Facebook doesn't want us posting the phrase "everyone will know" without adding other words to it. I wonder why.
* * *
Someone in Bel Air is using up water at an average rate of 1,300 gallons an hour and Steve Lopez of the L. A. Times is on a mission to identify them. Funny how we shouldn't shame members of some groups, but when the media consensus is that something is bad, it's okay to shame people doing that particular something.
* * *
The U. S. Army officer who presided over the Article 32 hearing to determine if sufficient evidence exists for SGT Bowe Bergdahl to face a general court-martial has recommended only a special court-martial. He has also recommended that Bergdahl not receive prison time or a punitive discharge from the military. I'm not sure I can agree with that call. I think a general court-martial is appropriate and his fate should be decided by a court-martial board.
* * *
Maybe when the Gubinator takes over the hosting duties of The Celebrity Apprentice, this should be what he says when people are being booted off the program:
Just kidding.
* * *
Dylan Matthews writes on Vox.com a response to a question posed to the New York Times Magazine Ethicist column. You can read the question, the response and Matthews' thoughts at this link Question link. The portion of what Matthews wrote that I have a problem with is this: "US immigration law is extremely unjust and not worthy of being obeyed."
One can certainly choose to commit civil disobedience to protest what they consider an injustice. In doing so, the protester must accept the consequences of their action. However, in a nation of laws, we cannot simply pick and choose which we will obey and which we will refuse to obey because they are "not worthy" of being obeyed. People who commit tax fraud rationalize their actions by claiming the tax code is unjust. Insurance fraud is justified by those who engage in it because they feel the insurance companies won't miss the money and they're ripping us all off anyway.
Like it or not, the current immigration laws are legal and enforceable. If the neighbor feels compelled to report the author of the question, that is indeed morally permissible.
* * *
The estate of the late Jimi Hendrix is suing the owner of a guitar store in Tuscon, AZ to force him to return a guitar once owned by the man rated as one of the best guitar players ever. Valued at more than $750,000, the Black Widow acoustic guitar is currently in the possession of Harvey Moltz. Moltz claims to have bought the guitar from someone who bought it from former Earth, Wind and Fire member, Sheldon Reynolds. Reynolds is the ex-husband of the adopted sister of Hendrix and the estate's attorney says Reynold stole the guitar.
Moltz's attorney argues that his client acted in good faith and had no knowledge the ownership of the guitar is in question. I think stolen property belongs to the original owner, without regard as to how those who wind up with possession of it acted. Mr. Moltz should seek to recover the purchase price fro the person he bought the guitar from.
* * *
A few belated entries to the list of famous folk whose sex life we're describing with a movie title:
Marilyn Monroe - The American President
Anne Heche during her romance with Ellen DeGeneres - Boys on the Side
Eddie Murphy
USC football coach Steve Sarkisian - Days of Wine and No Rose Bowls
Hugh Grant - Our Divine Miss Brown
* * *
I am so glad I did not get caught up in the freeway traffic nightmare caused yesterday by the Dodgers playoff game, the USA vs Mexico soccer match at the Rose Bowl, the visit of President Obama and a concert at the Hollywood Bowl all happening at the same hour.
* * *
Okay, who is surprised that a congressional staffer who was fired from his position on the committee to investigate Benghazi is claiming the Republic-dominated committee is engaging in a targeted investigation designed to make Hillary Clinton look bad? This isn't a surprise.
* * *
I am a lifelong Dodgers fan. I love my Dodgers. Did Chase Utley actually slide into Ruben Tejada? Look at this video and compare what Utley did in 2010 and what he did last night.
Sure looks to me like the slide doesn't start in last night's game until Utley had already reached the bag. Illegal according to the rules of baseball? I don't think so. A dirty play? Maybe. Should he have been called out for attempting to injure? Not in my opinion.
* * *
When disabled veterans and Social Security recipients get no Cost of Living Allowance (COLA)
increase this coming year, one of the culprits that will be blamed is lower prices for gasoline. The annual increase is calculated based on the government's measure of inflation and it seems very likely that the inflation rate is so low that there will be no increase in benefits. The problem with this is that the cost for the Medicare premiums deducted from Social Security benefits will increase and since some recipients are protected from those increases, the rest of the recipients pay more. They should find a way to ensure that people who receive these benefits don't see any net increase in the amount of their benefits from year to year due to the lack of a COLA and a Medicare premium increase.
* * *
The movie Bloodsport is playing right now on cable. Everytime I see it, I'm reminded of this L. A. Times Article. Frank Dux article. I've met the man. He is clearly a warrior in the way he moves and carries himself. Is he a fake? Decide for yourselves.
* * *
They arrested Randy Quaid and his wife when they attempted to sneak into the U. S. from Canada. They are being held on $500,000 bail stemming from a 2010 arrest in California. Randy Quaid today:
Randy Quaid as I prefer to remember him, from one of the best performances he ever delivered (in my opinion):
That is from the 1994 film The Paper. And one we all remember:
I hope he gets his act together.
* * *
Would a man really react in this manner if he discovered he'd been washing himself with a product made for cleansing a "...woman's V?"
* * *
Apparently Facebook doesn't want us posting the phrase "everyone will know" without adding other words to it. I wonder why.
* * *
Someone in Bel Air is using up water at an average rate of 1,300 gallons an hour and Steve Lopez of the L. A. Times is on a mission to identify them. Funny how we shouldn't shame members of some groups, but when the media consensus is that something is bad, it's okay to shame people doing that particular something.
* * *
The U. S. Army officer who presided over the Article 32 hearing to determine if sufficient evidence exists for SGT Bowe Bergdahl to face a general court-martial has recommended only a special court-martial. He has also recommended that Bergdahl not receive prison time or a punitive discharge from the military. I'm not sure I can agree with that call. I think a general court-martial is appropriate and his fate should be decided by a court-martial board.
* * *
Maybe when the Gubinator takes over the hosting duties of The Celebrity Apprentice, this should be what he says when people are being booted off the program:
Just kidding.
* * *
Dylan Matthews writes on Vox.com a response to a question posed to the New York Times Magazine Ethicist column. You can read the question, the response and Matthews' thoughts at this link Question link. The portion of what Matthews wrote that I have a problem with is this: "US immigration law is extremely unjust and not worthy of being obeyed."
One can certainly choose to commit civil disobedience to protest what they consider an injustice. In doing so, the protester must accept the consequences of their action. However, in a nation of laws, we cannot simply pick and choose which we will obey and which we will refuse to obey because they are "not worthy" of being obeyed. People who commit tax fraud rationalize their actions by claiming the tax code is unjust. Insurance fraud is justified by those who engage in it because they feel the insurance companies won't miss the money and they're ripping us all off anyway.
Like it or not, the current immigration laws are legal and enforceable. If the neighbor feels compelled to report the author of the question, that is indeed morally permissible.
* * *
The estate of the late Jimi Hendrix is suing the owner of a guitar store in Tuscon, AZ to force him to return a guitar once owned by the man rated as one of the best guitar players ever. Valued at more than $750,000, the Black Widow acoustic guitar is currently in the possession of Harvey Moltz. Moltz claims to have bought the guitar from someone who bought it from former Earth, Wind and Fire member, Sheldon Reynolds. Reynolds is the ex-husband of the adopted sister of Hendrix and the estate's attorney says Reynold stole the guitar.
Moltz's attorney argues that his client acted in good faith and had no knowledge the ownership of the guitar is in question. I think stolen property belongs to the original owner, without regard as to how those who wind up with possession of it acted. Mr. Moltz should seek to recover the purchase price fro the person he bought the guitar from.
* * *
A few belated entries to the list of famous folk whose sex life we're describing with a movie title:
Marilyn Monroe - The American President
Anne Heche during her romance with Ellen DeGeneres - Boys on the Side
Eddie Murphy
USC football coach Steve Sarkisian - Days of Wine and No Rose Bowls
Hugh Grant - Our Divine Miss Brown
* * *
I am so glad I did not get caught up in the freeway traffic nightmare caused yesterday by the Dodgers playoff game, the USA vs Mexico soccer match at the Rose Bowl, the visit of President Obama and a concert at the Hollywood Bowl all happening at the same hour.
posted by me at 3:36 PM
<< Home