Putting the 'fun' in dysfunctional! Postings for January 2005
WE ACT LIKE WE DO NOT WANT TO WIN THE WAR IN IRAQ...
Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2005
The US armed forces are following policies which make their position untenable, and the war unwinnable, with many more flag-draped coffins being sent home with our government covering this up.
The insurgents (most of whom aren't Iraqis) pour through the borders of Iraq, and the madrassas are still teaching the young Muslims to hate us. Of the world's 1.7 billion Muslims, roughly 10% are fundamentalists. What that means is that the equivalent of the adult population of the USA, worldwide, wants to kill us, and is fanatical about it.
Of the armed comflicts in the world right now, only a handful do NOT involve Muslims vs. someone else. We have struck a hornet's nest with a stick by going after Iraq. Afghanistan was not even close to finished, and we cancelled all of our alliances and burned all of our bridges to begin the attack on Iraq.
The Saudis have one of the most repressive regimes in the Arab world, and are a known sponsor of terrorism and the royals are proponents of the extremist Wahabi sect of Islam, but the USA hasn't gone after them. Why?
We are a nation divided. In the 2004 election, nearly half of America voted for a Democrat whose message was largely left unstated. No one seemed to know what Kerry stood for, yet we voted for him in droves.
This part is my opinion:
I hate the war in Iraq, and wish we never got into there.
However liberal my views are, I must admit that there are individuals where the world becomes a better place without them in it.
The only solution I can see is if we become as brutal as the ones we are trying to vanquish.
If we really want to win the war in Iraq, we need to run a campaign as terrible as the one waged against Germany during WW II. Dresden, a civilian target, was firebombed, because the factories were supplying the Nazi war machine. Germany's attitude radically changed toward the US at this point, because they realized that the US meant BUSINESS. Giving a deadline and then turning key trouble spots in the Sunni triangle into the surface of the moon will perhaps send the same message to the insurgents.
Based on our intelligence, we should rescind the Ford administration ruling on ending political assassinations, and target and kill the worst leaders, their lieutenants, and detain their families permanently. The numbers only range from 6-10 thousand worldwide, but precision targeting is antithetical to current US policy.
Likewise, we should take advantage of the chaos of the tsunami, and locate and destroy extremist groups in the Pacific.
We should really begin looking at Middle Eastern males between ages 20-40 in airports, not strip-search old women and force a young mother to drink her own breastmilk. Target the ones who fit the profile.
Both Japan and Germany once had regiemes that were both repressive, and fanatical, with both using desperate suicide attacks. Both were defeated only after the US showed them that they were willing to do what it took to win, no matter how terrible it was to the enemy nation. By no means has the US demonstrated this to the insurgents in Iraq.
The example of Israel comes to mind. If a known terrorist leader attacks, and then holes up in a building, the Israelis destroy the whole building, and everyone in it. Israel is hated in that part of the world, but their decisive action is respected.
ASHLEE SIMPSON: NOBODY LIKES YOU.
Posted: Friday, January 21, 2005
Ashlee Simpson Caught Lip-synching on Saturday Night Live:
Best. Screwup. Ever.
For those that haven’t seen the video yet, Ashlee Simpson was the musical guest on SNL. She was to have performed two songs. Her first went off without a hitch, but there was something wrong when the second song was played. I don’t say “the band played the second song,” because the music started early, and everyone heard the vocals from the first song played BEFORE Ashlee’s mouth was anywhere near the microphone! The song faded down, and Ashlee had the best deer-in-the-headlights look ever. Then, the band all looked at each other, and sheepishly tried to play along, doubtless thinking what this debacle is doing to their careers. At the same time, Ashlee started doing a little jig, stopped for a second, looked horrified, then did a few more steps, then ran off the stage.
This is where you knew that her mic wasn't even plugged in, because she could have said, "guys! We're playing the wrong song." Instead, she did that awkward Lord of the Dance jig, and then blamed the band, who are probably making scale. I'm sure that these guys are f-ing thrilled that they studied music for years, only to embarrass themselves on a career-launching major TV show.
From what I read, she pulled a huffy prima-donna act backstage, and ticked off a lot of people.
They shouldn't have cut away as she ran backstage, though. They should have kept the cameras running, following Ashlee to backstage and her tearful breakdown, and her resentful, angry phone call to her stage parents for forcing her into show biz in the first place. They cut to commercial. She came out at the end of the show and apologized for the band’s mistake at playing the wrong song, and that she didn’t know what else to do, so she did a “hoedown.” The guest host, Jude Law, looked over at her awkwardly, put his arm around her, and shouted, “Ashlee Simpson!” Polite applause ensued. Let’s hope that this hoe is down for good.
No, Mom and Dad Simpson, lightning DIDN'T strike twice. Be happy with Jessica!
Ashlee has been very outspoken against lipsynching, and she got busted doing it. The best part is that later she came out and said that she didn’t feel up to singing that day. Thank God it wasn’t something important, like a nationally televised live show seen by millions. This statement of hers reminds me of the women who used to show up on “The People’s Court” with their hair in curlers. Where were they going later that was more important than a national TV show?
New Year’s Eve showed the American public the cluelessness of the media bigwigs who make the decisions. “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” hosted by Dick Clark, has been a mainstay on ABC for decades. This year, however, Dick was sidelined by a minor stroke. The show must go on, of course, so a replacement host had to be found. Who, in their infinite wisdom, did ABC execs get to replace Clark? Someone with some rock and roll chops; like a popular veteran rocker like Steven Tyler, or even Little Richard? Nope. The powers-that-be at ABC picked Regis Philbin, who had no idea who any of the music acts were at all. His West Coast Co-Host in this arse-up was, you guessed it—Ashlee Simpson. How and why did this happen? It is like having an interior designer who was born blind.
Her most recent foray into entertaining the masses came just this past week at the Orange Bowl. During the halftime show, Ashlee Simpson performed her single, “La La,” without the benefit of a backing track, and boy was it ever obvious how badly she needs one! As she finished the song, repeating “you make me wanna…you make me wanna…SCREAM” in a wildly off-key manner, the boos began. A collective of 72,000 voices raised in disgust, it was truly glorious. The people have spoken, not just against Ashlee Simpson, but it also seemed like they were voicing their outrage against the pre-packaged, mediocre garbage that the major music labels have been cramming down our throats for years.
With a little bit of luck, perhaps this will be the end of a “career” of dumbed-down faux alternative rock drivel. Maybe people are wising up and finally taking a stand against corporate rock swill. Then again, look at “The People’s Choice Awards.”
Ecch.
DANZA'S MESSAGE BOARD IS STILL DOWN!
Posted: Thursday, January 13, 2005
The morning after the last time O&A pranked the Tony Danza Show, I signed up as Sue_Smith_Driving_School, posted twice on some recipe threads, then the board was closed. As of this morning, it is still down! O&A army-mission accomplished!
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