Chamblee54

Neal Boortz was discussing a man who raises funds for Barack Obama today.
The man in question is Hatem El-Hady. He was involved with an organization called “Kindhearts“. Mr. El-Hady says his group provides assistance to those in need. The U.S. Government says he is a fund raiser for terrorism, and shut down the group.
Mr. El-Hady has a “dedicated page on Barack Obama’s official website”. I clicked on the link to this page, and saw where Mr. El-Hady has raised $60 for the campaign.
Sixty Dollars.
A few thoughts are in order:
1- Mr. Boortz is quick to mock government when it involves education or the environment. However, when it suits his needs, he believes what they say without question.
A regular feature on his show is the “Government Outrage of the Day”. To this reporter, the biggest outrage in recent memory is the deployment of 160k troops eight time zones away. This is destroying our economy and has rendered us more vulnerable to terrorism.
2- Those who condemn Islamic Terrorism seldom make the distinction between Sunni and Shiite. This division is real and important. Al Queda is Sunni, and considers Shia to be more of an enemy than the United States.
Could it be that a Shia rival of Kindhearts ratted them out as terrorists?
3- In the wake of 9-11, the Government went into full terror hunt mode. Is it possible that legitimate charities were swept into this dragnet?
4- To be totally fair, it is possible that the Government is telling the truth and that Mr. El-Hady is a terrible person. In this case Mr. Obama should return the Sixty Dollars.

It is a feminist saying that Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did. Only, she did it backwards and wearing high heels.
What they don’t say is that she rehearsed her routines backwards and in high heels. That was dancing to her. If she had to lead in flat shoes she would have been lost.
I saw Ginger Rogers make a personal appearance once. I was working on the mall maintenance crew at Northlake Mall. Ms. Rogers made an appearance to promote Gaymode Panty hose. Fred Astaire was not there to lead, and she did not speak backwards.
Someone asked how old she was, and the inevitable answer was “That is none of your business”.

What a great, honest answer. To me, the high point of this wretched political mudbath was when someone revealed his lack of class by asking Chelsea Clinton about her daddy’s bimbo problem. To which the former (and possibly future) first daughter replied “That is none of your business”.

There is one other saying that is appropriate for all occasions. The story goes that a Persian king asked his men what he could say that would always be so. The wise men thought and drank and fought, consulted sages and prostitutes, and finally gave the king his message. These things too shall pass away.

Happy Earth Day ya’ll.
To me, it is just another working day. I drive a white truck around town, pumping lots of CO2 into the air. I suspect that this is damaging the overall balance of the atmosphere, but we are living in Babylon ( while fighting a war in Babylon, but that is a somewhat connected story).
Lets just say that my feelings about global warming are similar to my ideas about G-d. I suspect both exist, but cannot prove it. In the case of GW, the naysayers are close to convincing me that GW is real. Every time I hear Neal Boortz mock GW, I believe Al Gore a bit more.
 I was on my way to the King Building, and Mr. Boortz was saying that environmentalists were anti capitalists who didn’t have communism to shelter them anymore. Or something to that effect, I turned off the radio before too long. When I get to the King Building, the driveway to the front is blocked, because of an earth day celebration. I have to park in the deck, tote my stuff upstairs, and then decide to check out the festivities.
It is morning, and the tables are still setting up. A truck from WSB radio is there, and I told the man that Neal Boortz ( who plays on that station) was trashing the environmental movement.”
The next table was a lady who recycles cell phone batteries. She was happy to talk to someone. She gave me a pamphlet, a lanyard, and an ink pen. I bent back the clip on the ink pen and broke it off.
The next table gave me a chicobag. A reusable shopping bag, with its own stuff sack, the chicobag is a marvel of petrochemical indulgence.
At this point I decided to take no more freebies unless forced to. Georgia Power company had a folder of information on how to save energy, but the man did not force me to take it.
Before long, it was time to go get the truck out of the deck. This deck, like so many others, is a lot easier to get into than to get out of. Is gasoline wasted by the endless wandering that parking decks entail?
Today, I tried a different route, and was out after only one ramp down, one flat ramp, and a ramp up. Back out into the sunshine and aggressive speeding vehicles on i285.

There was this image on the computer at work. I had worked on it off and on since October, and finally decided to bring it home. A weekend later, it is ready to go. There is no substitute for having your belly against the keyboard/drawing board…spending time on a project, be it manual or digital, verbal or visual, musical or hard core.
The image was two heads, who were not enjoying the company of the other. It was encased in a border made of “s” tiles. By the time I went to bed Saturday the S had become a Z. This is also known as liberal and conservative…if the bottom of the tile goes right, it is conservative. If the bottom of the tile goes left, it is liberal. When I go into final production, most of my work is done on a reverse reading image, where liberal lines define a conservative image. There is a poetic statement about current events in that.

Oh, and happy 420 y’all Even though I am three years plus into detox, it is that day. With the combination of a full moon last night and the day of tragic magic numbers today, which add up to 6 no matter how many zeros you use. Except if you add 08 or 2008, in which case it is 14 or 16, which is a happy sum when you consider all those zeros.
So my friend calls, and says lets go do dinner at the Picadilly on Peachtree Industrial. When I get there, I see that the street address is 5647. If they had moved the four to the front, it would have been 5467. Only problem with that is the building is in the 5600 block, and if it was 4500 it would have been a little ways east, where it is Peachtree Road instead of Peachtree Industrial.
Getting back to the picture, there is a motif here that unifies the image and gives a positive meaning to a word I have always disliked. The three tiles in four corners are partitioned off by a curvy line. I started calling that combination a widget, and even began thinking that the picture had been widgetized.
I used to work for a man, who said I had a negative attitude. He would go to these management seminars where they would talk about widgets. At the time, widget was an imaginary unit of production, which was handy for managers and bean counters but confusing to a production person. At the time, I was operating a blueline machine, complete with ammonia, cranky customers , and ornery associates. The originals were uneven in size, condition and material, and I was supposed to deliver a usable product in time. It was not “ shoving widgets”.
It occurs to me that this is one reason American industry is in trouble. The producers are not respected, and the managers see a profitable chore as “shoving widgets”. It betrays a great lack of understanding of how those convention golf tournaments are paid for.
Me and the man parted company, only to be reunited by a merger. He was still talking about widgets. One day, a sales rep walked up to me, and said with a smile “shoving widgets”. My reply was “ I have never shoved a widget in my life”.

The story of the two campaign rallies says a lot about the two elections.
In February 1992, Bill Clinton was the little known Governor of Arkansas running for President. I had a little baby sitting job in a Downtown Atlanta office. Mr. Clinton had a rally at the CNN center, and I walked the five blocks to attend. A few years before this, the CNN center site had been some empty air over the railroad tracks. Some things never change.
When you got there, you saw crowds, bands, and the reality that this was the designated candidate of the party machinery. After the introduction by Governor Zell Miller , the tape of the theme song “Twist and Shout” was heard, and the candidate took the stage.
I was unimpressed. Ross Perot split the Repub vote and Slick Willie was elected. He even won Georgia.
Fast forward 16 years, and there was an announcement that Mr. Clinton would be speaking at Kennesaw State University on the Friday before the Georgia Primary.
Instead of a five block walk to attend, it would be a twenty five mile drive through heavy traffic.
Instead of the fresh faced unknown, it was the wife of a President who had been denounced as much as any public figure in recent years. Some of the anger was justified.
A great deal of the mud aimed at the former President had stuck to his wife. Dynasty fatigue was a reality.
Not only did I not want to drive twenty five miles in horrid traffic, I was no longer interested in Slick Willie.
Spell check suggestions for this feature:
Zell- Zeal, fell, sell
Repub- repel, repay, repot, brewpub, Reuben, rape, ripe

bacon sandwich
so, ungreg, what cholesterol-laden breakfast are you cooking us today? :-)
bacon and eggs
what? no sausage and hashbrowns ?
no
grits
eww
come to think of it, isnt all breakfast food cholesterol laden?
honey pie
cereals aren’t
hot or cold
coffee isn’t
except the butter you add to your grits
yuck
well, you dislike lots of the stuff I eat :-)
ew
does the whole wheat bread help?
steel cut oats make better oatmeal if you want to try them
I dont eat breakfast, period
me either
I can’t survive without breakfast, comma
ramen noodles with leftover salsa here
yuck
gross
my stomach can’t take that at this hour
but it can take a chatroom
always the iconoclast, mr piers
breakfast is best served at a decent hour
say around noon
well, the chatroom doesn’t give me ulcers
yeah like 6 pm
that would be brunch
or 2 am drunk and at the waffle house

Is Annette Kesting her own promoter?
Ms. Kesting is the first African American elected to the Cobb County Board of Commissioners. She came into the news recently as reports emerged about a speech she gave in a church. I suspect she was the one bringing this speech to the attention of the press.
In her February 17 speech at Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church, she said some things.

“I love my enemies. I pray every day with my enemies because I have to go up on the third floor and work with white women,” “”You would be amazed seeing the people I work with at the county. They are not Christian people”

A few years ago, my representative in the State Legislature was a lady named Cathy Steinberg. During a heated moment on the floor, one of the other legislators described her as

“An acknowledged non christian”

I don’t think it as intended as a compliment in either case.
Back to Ms. Kesting. After the speech got some attention, some comments were made about Ms. Kesting’s problems with taxes and her performance as a landlady. For the most part, after her fifteen minutes were over, most observers went back to the death and taxes realities of everyday life, and forgot about the commission lady.
At this point, Ms. Kesting had a press conference. Why, you might ask, did she hold a press conference when most people had forgotten about her? That may be a question which provides its own answer.
The press conference is a hoot. Neal Boortz put a link to the video at his website, and crashed the server that was carrying the link.
The MDJ link requires a flash player, which not everybody has on his or her computer. Not to worry, there is now the Annette Kesting you tube channel.
Yes, the same press conference is available on youtube, apparently placed there by Annette Kesting. This is a different video from the MDJ, and the camera operator apparently did not use a tripod. Do not watch this with a full stomach.
The video is not complimentary to Ms.Kesting. She gives the impression of being a poorly educated woman. One wonders why she is going to this much trouble to let people see her behaving in a foolish manner.
Spell check suggestions for this feature:
Kesting- Keating, Questing, Jesting, Besting, Testing, Casting, Resting, Nesting, Vesting, Kissing

The APWBWGTTD website is back. YAYYYY!
The unwieldy acronym is Atlanta People with Blogs who get together to Drink.
This refers to the eponymous event, where the Bloggers (and anyone else who cares to join) meet at a local facility and contribute to the prosperity of a server.
I have only been to one of these. It was last September, in a Barbeque jernt near little five points. The crowd is a good bit younger and more hetero than this reporter, but they didn’t seem to mind my hanging in the shadows and listening.
There was a gathering at the Rusty Nail on Buford Hiway, but I had a headache that night I didn’t feel up to it.
There are lots of people who added to the old site, who I suspect never made it to an in person get together. I think that is common for these computer groups that attempt meeting in public. A lot of people just get along better with a keyboard/mouse than a real human being. The technology that was supposed to connect is frequently having the opposite effect.
The old site was a delight, and the new site shows every sign of being the same. The latest post from a collection of (mostly) local blogs is added to the brew, in the order that the feed arrives. This can cause some amusing arrangements. My first post of 2008 was about a college in North Michigan who annually presents a list of words that are overused and tacky. I was stumped for something to say, and printed this unbearably trivial item to break the block. The next post was a lady modeling a ring, as a way of announcing her engagement.
APWB…as the shortcut is abbreviated…allows me to follow a collection of local blogs with one click. MP3 downloads, political rants, the adventures of a mother with very young children were regular features. It was a daily stop before, and probably will be again.
I hope this is a technicality, but I am a retired drunk. I try not to be obnoxious about it (this post notwithstanding), but I have found that life without alcohol is a lot simpler. I would hope that this is not a serious issue, but if it is then so be it.

“You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothings replaced them…And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not.
“And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

Unless you live under Iraq a rock, or have right wing ideas on permanent brain block, you have heard about that comment from BHO. Quite possibly, you have heard more than you appreciate, unless you are looking for a reason not to like BHO, unless you haven’t heard enough. Well, if you are in the first category, just scroll through the text and enjoy the pictures. If you are in the second group, you might not like what I am going to say. You can still like the pictures.
1- This was a secretly recorded speech made at a fundraiser. The fatcat party was in San Francisco, a factoid that delights the hate-O crowd. What sort of person donates to a campaign ( using possibly another person’s money), so he can go to the pig party and secretly record his comments? And then take the “snippet” and release it to the shocked internet.
2- My first reaction when I read this was that the smalltown folk have felt that way for a long long time. They loved guns and Jesus back when the factories and steelmills were wide open.
3- It is not just small town Pennsylvania that is “bitter”. ( Folks seem to have a special problem with the word bitter. One “consultant” was quoted as saying it would have been better if BHO had said frustrated.) ( I write this in Georgia, where the tea is sweet and the people are bitter) What about the guys that did a high five behind Jeremiah Wright when he screamed “G-d Damn America”? If anyone has a right to be bitter, it is the folks on the south side of Chicago, or any ghetto in America. And yes, they do cling to Jesus and Guns, as well as other nasty things.
4- It is not just America that is bitter and turning to religion. The people of Palestine and Iraq are in the same boat. They feel like forces are working against them, and they just might be right. They are turning to religion and violence as an answer to their anguish. They are being led down that wretched path by cynical clerics who exploit their unhappiness, and offer a solution through G-d. Of course these clerics seldom strap on a suicide vest, just like Jeremiah Wright does not live in a housing project.
5- This is not going to hurt BHO that much. The people who are upset are not going to support him anyway. A lot of people see the truth in what he says, and just might appreciate the fact that he was unslick enough to say something with a rough edge. He just might have known that Judas with a tape recorder was in the house.
6- Batter Better Bitter Botter Butter. The only vowel that doesn’t work in that progression is O.

Once again, when I don’t have anything to say, there is an online quiz. Today, the subject is “What year do you belong in”?
Thanks to Homo Sweet Alabama and Shirley Heezgay for steering me onto this. When there is a contest for best blog name… the current titleholder is “Glitter for Brains“… you will both be considered.
HSA belongs in 1950, and SH should stay in 1988.
Since I have the time and inclination, I am going to repeat the quiz here, with my comments following.

 
 


What TV show are you most likely to veg out to? Family Ties, I Love Lucy, Mork & Mindy, The Brady Bunch, 90210

The only one of the five I have ever seen is I Love Lucy.

When you think of a classically beautiful woman, you would have to choose: Marilyn Monroe, Cheryl Tiegs, Cindy Crawford, Twiggy, Christy Brinkley

The only one I can see in my mind is Marilyn. On the blogthings home page, there is a picture of Albert Einstein. Mr. E was a boyfriend of Miss Monroe, according to Shelly Winters.

And the coolest guy: Dennis Hopper, John Travolta, Cary Grant, Brad Pitt, David Hasselhoff

You wind up going for the least offensive selection a lot in this quiz. I picked Dennis Hopper, and try to ignore “Blue Velvet”.

What is your pet cause? Fair Trade, Women’s rights, the environment, Peace, Hygiene

Hygiene? I once took a friend to a party, and was reprimanded by the host about his body odor.
As someone who came of age during Vietnam I would say Peace, even though I was late for that party.

Favorite Movie: The Godfather, Casablanca, Say Anything, The Graduate, Forrest Gump

I picked Casablanca. I am shocked, simply shocked, that a manipulative piece of drivel like Forrest Gump is on the list. I only saw part of The Godfather and The Graduate, although Dustin and Mrs. Robinson is on my yardsale video shelf, and I have every intention of seeing it. I have no idea what Say Anything is about.

What type of music do you prefer?: Swing, Alternative, Pop, Oldies, Classic Rock

This is another fuzzy choice. I am not sure what Alternative is, so I picked it. It sounds like something that Fundies would not like.

What’s your ideal first date?: Hanging out at the lastest dance club, all dressed up, skipping the date and going straight to the hookup, dinner and a movie-dutch, taking off to a rock festival, sharing a milkshake and fries at a diner.

I think that is a typo in the first choice. As out of it as I am, lastest may be the hip compliment of choice.
I opt for going DIRECTLY to the hook up.

You’re cruising down the coastal highway…what car are you driving? A bitchin’ Camaro, A classic Caddy, A convertible BMW, A new model VW Beetle, A sweet cherry red Mustang

Good Grief. Just as long as it doesn’t break down on the south side of town. I chose the Camaro, but pass on “bitchin'” as a modifier. It is rather unfair to mama dogs.

What is your favorite comfort food? Meatloaf, Pop Tarts, Mac N Cheese, Red Bull and Vodka, Fondue

I go through phases of missing mom. Bad. She made the best Meatloaf, and it has been 1988 since I ate any. I had knee surgery, and spent a couple of days at the house recovering. She made this meatloaf, which used dried onion soup.

Finally, how was this quiz? All that and a bag of chips, what a trip!, awesome, far out, a total blast.

I sure am glad that is the last question. All of those phrases are tiresome, with the exception of awesome. The use of awesome should be punishable by death.
I don’t remember which one I chose.
Spellcheck suggestions for this feature:
zcbyrnes- byrne, soberness, clearness, barnes
heezgay- wheezy, wheezily, wheeze
mork- cork, dork, pork, fork, work, bork, york, mark, monk, more, mort
Tiegs- ties, tings, tiers
blogthings- playthings, somethings,underclothings, nothings, underthings
Travolta- Voltaire, gigavolt, megavolt, voltage, votaic
Hasselhoff- Tallahassee
Gump- ump, sump, rump, lump. dump, pump hump, dump,grump, gum, gimp, gulp,
Fundies- undies, funnies
camaro- calamari, amrgo, camacho, cameron,

You Belong in 1955

You’re fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in!