Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 8380
Location: Central CA
| Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 1:16 am Post subject: Our priorities | |
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Got this email this afternoon. Raises some interesting questions about priorities.
[list]A short quiz Ed McMahon died this week. He was a great entertainer, but prior to his stage accomplishments he was a distinguished Marine Corps fighter pilot in WWII earning six Air Medals. He was discharged in 1946 and volunteered to fly again in the Korean War. He joined the CA Air National Guard and was later promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. Farrah Fawcett died this week after a long career in Hollywood as an actress. After she was diagnosed with cancer, she became an activist for cancer treatment and devoted her last remaining years encouraging people to seek treatment. She documented her plight on film and used it to encourage others to stay positive and upbeat despite their diagnosis and suffering. Karl Malden died this week after a long career in Hollywood as an actor. He also served in the US Air Force during WWII and also served on the US Postal Service committee to review and recommend commemorative stamps. In 2005, the US House of Representatives authorized the US Postal Service to rename a Los Angeles post office the Karl Malden Postal Station. Michael Jackson died this week. He was perhaps one of the greatest pop singers/dancers of modern time. He will also be remembered for his eccentric lifestyle that included sleeping with a chimpanzee, living in a carnival-like atmosphere at Neverland, his fascination with Peter Pan, and his numerous masks and costumes. He also admitted to finding pleasure sleeping with young boys, paying out millions of dollars in settlements to the families of these boys despite being acquitted by a court on one allegation of sexual molestation. QUESTION 1) - Which of the above did the House of Representatives declare a moment of silence for today? (Hint - It wasn't any of the first three) QUESTION 2) - Which of the above's family received a personal note of condolence from President Obama? \ (Hint - It wasn't any of the first three) Need we say more?? |
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Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Posts: 6309
| Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 2:33 am Post subject: Tragic Train Wreck -=AGAIN | |
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Talk about lost in the schuffle . As tragic or sad Mr Jackson's demise may be those who really deserved to be HONORED got overshadowed by a pop star and that's about it .
And let us not forget Iraq and Afgahnistan had been pretty quite as far as fatalities but late last week and this week end we lost 10 soldiers . There is one of the biggest ground offensives of the Afgahn war going on . The North Koreans launched and tested more missles and nukes . The Isrealies want a piece of Iran . The ECONOMY SUCKs even more according to the stats . And several bills were being pushed speeded and rammed through the congress and senate. You have a governor making trips to a foreign country at taxpayers expense for an affair. But that's the point- there were alot of stories over the last week . And what do the sheeple want ? -all the lucivious details of another dead junkie pop star . I'll admit there are alot of angles to this story and there are lessons to be learned and investigations to be completed but come on . How many pop stars and celebrities have met this same demise over the decades and no seems to learn or wants to learn -it's almost if they are using the fame and fortune to make up for something. One of the most outstanding things is that Malden and McMahon served their country in wartime . They actually were multi faceted multi talented people . I found it tragic that McMahon- a veteran AND successfull civilian had some nasty financial near the end and they all wanted to rag him for loosing it all -which he did. But other than that he didn't go down in flames . As much as we rag those rich corporate millionare you can't tell me it's not life changing to loose it all . But Ed went through the process and started living again - you didn't find him in a gutter with a bottle or needle. He didn't have 20 docs getting him through a normal day . He lived as Ed McMahon to the end . |
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Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 2110
| Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:57 am Post subject: | |
Nofs, it goes to show where America's priorities and morals lay. Sad, sad, sad. 
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Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 464
| Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 2:31 pm Post subject: | |||
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Not only that but take a look at this!!!
Honoring an American legend and musical icon. (Introduced in House)
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Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 8380
Location: Central CA
| Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 4:49 pm Post subject: | |||||
Yeah, I saw that yesterday. I guess that's her version of the Medal of Freedom or something. |
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Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 8380
Location: Central CA
| Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 7:18 pm Post subject: | |
| Nancy Pelosi came out basically against it for some very good reasons that have nothing to do with whether or not he was actually guilty of the crime(s) for which he was acquitted. | |
Joined: 22 Dec 2007
Posts: 461
| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:22 am Post subject: | |
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Reguardless of what he did or didn't do....does it really have to be on my tv nearly a week and a half after his death?
Ok he's passed...move on.. The last thing I remember being longer was the OJ trial (nearly what a half year?) |
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Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 8380
Location: Central CA
| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 3:15 am Post subject: | |
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As long as we're mentioning OJ... OJ didn't get what was coming to him until last year... when he at least got part of it. The man was living proof that if you had enough money you could get away with murder in this country even if you were black.
Has anyone ever figured out how Mark Furman was able to buy a million dollar ranch in Wyoming.... Montana... can't remember which state but it was a huge purchase considering he retired on an LAPD detective's pay not long after the acquittal and played an instrumental part IN the acquittal with both sloppy CSI technique and racist screeds. I have never bought into the notion that a veteran police officer could or would be so stupid as to compromise a case the way he did that one. |
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Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Posts: 6309
| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 3:57 am Post subject: marking their tre | |
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Half the talking heads on the cable tv news shows in particular made their bones during OJ as will some during this MJ story. Geraldo and that Greta Vansustren are some that come to mind.One infamous individual that initiated his " comeback " during OJ I believe was one of doctors I think 'botched' the JFK medical records and autopsy after the assasination and that Dr Boden guy( I think it's him anyway ) /FOX expert is the same person . But should we use the word botch if there was a gun to his head.
Mark Furman started writing books after the OJ trial to proove he was still a cop at heart . Started doing the talk show circut and Fox started using him as an expert commentator. I think after this MJ fiasco some of these TV docs will wind up with their 15 minutes AND a more prominent career . Doctors out the whazoo on this one. And yet it was their brethren that enabled MJs demise. |
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Joined: 22 Dec 2007
Posts: 461
| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:58 pm Post subject: | |
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An odd thing about Fuhrman is he wrote a book about the Martha Moxley case. Mike Skakle is related to the kennedy family and the case was just crazy. You talk about shady and arrogant bastards and this was it...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Moxley No one in the north east thought this guy would be found guilty. Given the money the family has and influence and the fact it was decades before charges were brought up... It was like the anti oj trial. Every little thing they tried to discredit the evidence was thrown out. They even tried to say it should be in a juvailine court! A fair amount thought it was bad karma coming back from the Chappaquiddick incident. |
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Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 8380
Location: Central CA
| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:41 pm Post subject: | |||||||
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This might bring it a little closer to home for some of us.
Mayor's office: Michael Jackson memorial cost L.A. $1.4 million
So all you Michael Jackson fans who got in my face for saying that if they wanted a million plus person memorial service they should find someway to finance it rather than dumping it on the taxpayers... Go Cheney yourselves. If you absolutely have to have your goddamned bread and circuses while the world goes to hell in a corporate hand basket, that's fine. Just flipping pay for it up fricking front and out of YOUR pocket. I can't afford your screaming, fan boy/girl adoration of people who are being packaged and marketed by the same corporations that have brought us two shooting wars that are going nowhere, the big bank bailouts, Halliburton and KBR rip offs, taxpayer ownership of a not so major any more car company, a totally fracked up mainstream media, mountain top removal coal mining, pollution of every damned thing we need to stay alive, a whole new awareness of the dangers of salmonella and E Coli, and a health care system that only the wealthy can afford... amongst dozens of other examples. You want to put a million bucks into memorializing a fricking pop star as if they had made some major contribution to our society simply by having made themselves and the corporations who marketed them millionaires many times over... in response for your overwhelming desire to be entertained instead of sustained... you go right ahead... as long as it's YOUR money and not mine. I fricking lost interest when they set up the T-shirt and glove concessions three days ahead of the main event. |
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Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 464
| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 9:55 pm Post subject: | |||
When I saw this the other day, I had to laugh. But it wasn't one of those funny (HA-HA) kind of laughs, more like one of those (Huh? What? You've got to be joking.) kind... |
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Joined: 22 Dec 2007
Posts: 461
| Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:27 am Post subject: | |
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I'd probably lose it if that stuff was in front of me. All the celebraties around here end up on Marthas Vineyard or nantucket. I'd say the thing that is the most annoying that's always on tv is the weather. Changes all the time.
That also reminds me...maybe it's just here but I always thought that if you have a funeral with a detail that whoever is paying for the funeral is supposed to pay for the detail... |
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Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Posts: 6309
| Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:54 am Post subject: another dead junkie | |
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On one hand MJ was very talented and popular but so were/are alot of teachers,preists,mailmen/women,repairmen,cops etc . Just another dead junkie to me . Murder or not did he really deserved to be HONORED at the taxpayers expense -NOOooooO
The only thing I agree with is that there had to police present and road probably blocked for safety but if you or I wanted to throw a block party or something wouldn't we have had to apply for a permit/pay a fee to block streets etc . The article also noted about the Lakers and private contributions paying for the victory celebration . It's about time. Where the frack are all these politicians when these billionare/millionare sports teams owners cry & whine to their local city give us money or we'll move -fine move,get the F out-I'll help you pack. I don't see the tax dollars or alledgedly associated jobs with a sport teams keeping a city afloat. Do the government tax payer contributions really exceed the revenue gained from a new stadium ??? . I pisses me off that our politcal time was WASTED even considering this crap but since this crew like ramming legislation through at light speed I guess all the pols have spare time since they don't bother to read half the legislation . On a good note I heard hotel capacity was maxed out so hopefully the tax dollars from those spenders comes back . |
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Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 8380
Location: Central CA
| Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:56 am Post subject: | |
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But when the dead celebrity ranks higher in the eyes of the public than the last three presidents combined, I guess it it makes a difference.
Hopefully the city made some of it back in hotel and motel and sales taxes and the like but I'm guessing that no matter how many donations they get and how much they took in from the tourists, they're never going to make up more than a minor fraction of it. |
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Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Posts: 6309
| Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 2:29 am Post subject: steriod hall of fame -DRUGS and CHEATING | |
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One of things that this might be best compared to is the steroid abusing baseball players who broke records and won titles while perportedly on the juice . Even though Baseball sanctioned steroid use at the time unless you had prescription from a doctor you HAD/have no business with a DEA controlled substance/steroids .
Simple: should these steroid using liars in many cases be 'honored' by getting into the Hall of Fame ? And just like the baseball players/cheaters isn't MJs drug abuse the same . Even though he seemed to have gotten it from doctors and/or lying staff getting it for him isn't that similar to the ' sanctioned ' use by Major League Baseball . But isn't 'sanctioned by' or 'prescribed by' the same thing . Isn't getting pumped on drugs to get on stage the same as getting pumped up on drugs to play a game ? - Granted there is alot at stake but is that an excuse to break the law or ABUSE drugs & certain rights . Last edited by dictators_rule on Sat Jul 11, 2009 2:43 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 8380
Location: Central CA
| Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 2:42 am Post subject: | |
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I dunno what to tell you DR... we have a governor in our state that very likely would never have been in this country in the first place, VERY likely never would have become a famous movie star based on any talent he had as an actor, and therefore never would have become Governor of California... if he hadn't used steroids... which he himself admits to by the way.
Actually, my opinion in answer to YOUR question, hell no!!! They do NOT belong in the Hall of Fame. If they can reject Pete Rose for gambling on games, they should damned well reject anybody who used performance enhancing drugs in order to beat records set by people who didn't. Let the poppers have their own damned Hall of Fame but let's leave the real one for people who made it there honestly and on their own ability unenhanced by chemical means. |
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Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Posts: 6309
| Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 2:47 am Post subject: after the fact | |
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Funny how all these famous steroid users and abusers eventually wind up admitting to their use AFTER THE FACT- after they have completed their careers - after they are not under the jurisdiction of their sports/organizations governing body - pun intended .
You nailed the chain of events and what ifs perfectly |
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