Volume 1 Issue 16

December 5, 2002

The Madness Continues

Let it Snow, Rich Republicans at it again, and bricks at security...

So today there is a forecast of snow this evening and tomorrow in the DC Area, producing around 4 inches, a decent amount I suppose. Now, those of you not from or in the DC area must learn about how the people here are nuts when it comes to snow. I thought it was bad growing up in the Philadelphia area, but Philadelphia seems like the North Pole compared to the people down here. Hearing the forecast on the radio, I decided to do my weekly grocery shopping last evening, instead of fighting everyone at the stores tonight. Whoops. When David and I got there at 8:30, the place had already been cleaned out. A rack at the front of the store promising road salt was empty, I was able to get the last gallon of milk, and most of the shelves were bare. But the real fun will come tomorrow, when everything will close at the first inch of snow, or even better, this afternoon, when schools will begin to close because snow is merely FORECASTED. These are the people who get the weather wrong almost 75% of the time, and they close schools based on them!?!?! Sorry, that was long, but that's not even today's rant :) (BTW, the idiots, I mean weathermen, are already backing off their forecasts, we're down to 2 inches in some of them now...though I'm sure that's wrong too, its either going to rain, or we'll get 10.) A note that if the federal government closes (an unlikely event) or if the weather is actually bad, tomorrow's missive may be delayed until Friday, which is unfortunate since it's our Strom Thurmond's 100th Birthday Spectacular!

OK, so the voting continues. We are now moving to a 2nd round of voting, I have eliminated the 2 lowest vote-getting titles (actually one of them was a no-vote getting title), leaving 2. But, we have received some late entries that are a bit wacky, but what the hell, I'll throw a few out there. Here's the new list, you may now all vote again. Oh, also, those of you reading this forwarded on, please vote as well, and if you send in your email to greggadren@hotmail.com, you too can get this direct to your mailbox at 3pm almost everyday!

1. From the Swamp
2. The World According to Greg
3. Mysterious Squiggly Lines
4. Belligerent Ramblings
5. And they Call that News
6. Start the Insanity!
7. Ranting without moving

Bayou news: So the newest "scandal" in the La. Senate race is: Suzanne Turrell may have wrongly performed the coin toss at a high school football game! Independent Counsel! Independent Counsel! -

http://www.nola.com/elections/index.ssf?/newsstory/t_salmen0 4.html

Post has a good article on the race as well, and Bush's stake in it -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5699-2002Dec3.html

Look Who's Running For President: Slate has a good article on Gore's chances, as they relate to defeated candidates running again 4 years later. The Resurgence Continues! -

http://slate.msn.com/?id=2074794

Look Who's Running For President 2: Tony Blankley doesn't like Bob Kerry either, though he does like his hair -
http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/blankley.htm

Look Who's Running For President 3: Gary Hart apparently jokingly started a speech last week a college in Denver with the "I'm running for President" line, but of course he was joking. Is he? Hart also told The Hill that the Democrats need a better defense and security policy, and that he will help develop one. Hmm...stay tuned. Perhaps another resurgence?

Oh, to be rich and Republican: So George W. Bush is at it again. He has decided to roll back planned federal pay increases (and to those of you out there looking for conflicts, I'm not GS, so I don't get these anyway), citing a need for employees to help "sacrifice" to fight the War on Terror. Hmm...guess those businesses and rich people you gave tax cuts too don't need to sacrifice any George, just the poor federal workers FIGHTING THE GODDAMNED WAR! David Broder is pissed too, and makes good points about key war failures of not only Bush, but of all in Congress -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5920-2002Dec3.html

Oh, to be rich and Republican 2: Of course, if you're a political appointee of Bush's, that whole lower raise thing doesn't apply to you. You don't need to make any sacrifices. I mean, even Clinton didn't give these bonus' to Schedule C people, but what the hell, we're not Clinton! -

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/04/politics/04BONU.html

The End of the "Old Grey Lady"? It looks like the New York Times has officially fallen from its zenith as the national paper of record, no longer being "All the News That's Fit to Print." I'd have to agree, that while the Times still has great news coverage, it now is more along the lines of the Washington Post then in a class by itself. Latest evidence is that editors there killed two columns by regular columnists that disagreed with the paper's crusade against the Augusta National Golf Club's exclusion of women. What do readers think? Is the Times now just another big city paper, albeit one with fantastic coverage? If so, what is the new "paper of record", or isn't there one anymore? -

http://www.nydailynews.com/business/story/40542p-38284c.html

Airport Security Update: No words like the truth: "During Thanksgiving weekend, security screeners seized 15,982 pocketknives, 98 box cutters, 6 guns, and a brick." BTW, why would one carry a box cutter with them? What do people really need them for? Oh, and the brick attempt was at National Airport in DC, but then someone tried to bring a cannon onto a plane in Chicago... -

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/04/national/04AIRP.html

But the whole plane thing may not be safe: United Airlines (soon to be owned and operated by the US Government!) has been fined by the FAA. For fixing a broken part of a wing. With tape. Come fly the friendly skies -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5484-2002Dec3.html

Rant of the day: Christmas music. Ok. So, all the stations are playing Christmas music now, which I don't have a problem with, it being the season and all. I do however wonder about things that are declared "Christmas" music that have nothing whatsoever to do with Christmas. Basically, we can break Christmas songs down into 2 groups. First, the "religious" type songs, that deal with the Birth of Christ (i.e. Adeste Fideles, Joy to the World, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, etc..). Secondly, the "secular" songs that deal with the other aspects of the holiday, such as Santa Claus, Christmas Trees, the Weather etc. (i.e. White Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or any newer pop song). There is some overlap here, but basically these 2 groups work. Then, there's this bastard 3rd class - songs that have absolutely nothing to do with Christmas, yet are only played at Christmas time. For instance, Let it Snow. This is a love song about snow. No Christmas, no Baby Jesus or Santa Claus or drunk family members involved. Same for other "classics" like Jingle Bells, Winter Wonderland, Frosty the Snowman, and so on. Why do we only play these at Christmas time? Wouldn't Let it Snow be more appropriate simply when snow was in the forecast? Or, ok, maybe they remind people of winter, and Christmas, great. Why do we never then hear them outside of Christmas? And, in advance, I will rant that it annoys me how we get saturated with the Christmas music now, but then BOOM, at midnight on the 26th, there's not a song to be heard, even though people are still off, still in the "Christmas spirit", and oh, the holiday doesn't end for 12 MORE DAYS! I doubt we'll be getting Christmas music through January 6, but would some on the 26th be so hard for the damn superduopolies (a real term!) that run the radio stations!?!?

Making a list: Santa Claus is coming to town, make sure you leave a fifth of whiskey for him! -
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1202/64851.html

Watch out for them Ivy Leaguers: Looks like some Penn students have gotten a little too much West Philly in them -
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/Northeast/12/03/ivy.league.brawl. ap/index.html

Michael Jackson is nuts update: He told famous lawyer Gloria Allred to "Go to hell" -
http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/News/12/04/michael.jackson.a llred/index.html

Well, stay warm, and have a great Wednesday!

Gregory S. Gadren