Holiday reflections, or, annoying things that people say (an offshoot of “that’s the shit that got me mad”)

It’s Thanksgiving day, and I’m at work.  I always wondered about the people that had to work on major holidays, and now I can finally truly empathize; it sucks.  It did, however, get me thinking about annoying things that people say, both during the holidays and in normal conversation.  And since I am often annoyed with others’ abuse of the English language, perhaps this will become a new regular segment of mine.

“Happy Turkey Day”

I thought I’d start off with what I consider to be the most annoying Thanksgiving-related phrase.  Who are these morons that must find their “own” (as if they haven’t heard a million simpletons before them use this same phrase), idiotic and  childish way to wish someone a Happy Thanksgiving?  Seriously, I want to know so that I might line them all up and push them in front of a train (I recognize that I have some friends who may choose to employ this terminology.  I’m not saying that you are stupid, just that the  words that come out of your mouth are often stupid). While the consumption of turkey has somehow become synonymous with a Thanksgiving meal, many households across the continent, and, interestingly enough, in the Netherlands (yes, it is a holiday only celebrated in the Western World, you god-damned cultural imperialists) don’t even prepare turkey for the meal.  In fact, evidence seems to suggest that the primary meat served at the “original” Thanksgiving meal between early European settlers (not necessarily even Puritans from England, but I digress) and Native Americans (I don’t have the energy today to get into the fact that our tainted historical understanding of Thanksgiving may actually be a celebration of mass slaughter and theft – the cartoon at the top will have to suffice) was, in fact, venison.  So perhaps “Happy Deer Day” would be more historically accurate.  For more myths about this holiday, check out George Mason University’s History News Network.

Beyond the fact that the phrase over-generalizes the eating habits of, literally, millions of people, it distracts us from the set of values that the evolution of the holiday was designed to espouse.  The act of giving thanks should be a humbling, thought provoking process.  Thanksgiving is a day to reflect on the favorable things that we have in our lives, to recognize how blessed so many of us are to have the love of family and friends.  And, perhaps more importantly, to think positive, hopeful thoughts about those living around the world who don’t have the good fortune to spend a day with those they love.  Replacing the portion of the phrase that actually gives meaning to this reflective process is so typically American that it makes me sick.  Sure, some of you out there actually possess some modicum of compassion and appreciation for the people who help shape your happy little lives, but, sadly, most of you are simply imbeciles who would much rather celebrate an excuse to stuff your fat faces (as if obesity isn’t already one of the largest problems in this country).    Instead of pouring gravy into your veins, try going for a jog or eating some vegetables (and no, those green beans you’re having aren’t healthy when you mix them with two pounds of bacon bits).  Too often Thanksgiving is used as an excuse to overindulge, when, in my opinion, the spirit of the holiday should be the exact opposite.  Embrace and give thanks for what you have EVERY day.  Show that appreciation by going out to lend a helping hand to those who may not live life in the easy fashion that must of us take for granted every day.  Instead of just giving thanks, why not take the next step and actually give?  At the barest of bare minimums,  have the courtesy and intelligence to reference the holiday in a way that still allows the derivation of some greater moral meaning.  Give the day some substance (a substance greater than the amorphous blob that will surely be camped in your stomach for days to come).  Saying “Happy Turkey Day” just makes you sound ignorant.  And that’s the shit that gets me mad.

How NOT to be a Player: Orly Taitz, Leader of the “Birther Movement” loses it on MSNBC

People will not leave president Obama alone and just allow him to govern.  First and foremost, let me wish our President a Happy Birthday! The 2 old crew wants to wish the first black man a proper b-day.   We will gift wrap a 40 oz. and some newports

But seriously, Here is your gift… Orly Taitz, your biggest annoyance, wanted to wish you a happy birthday as well.  She wanted to send a gift to brighten your mood.

Get someone better at photoshop while you are at it… After all this, if that is the best you can do, you have lost before it began….

2009 BET Awards…Why it will always be BLACK TV/That’s the SHIT that got me MAD #4

See Black people, they are laughing AT YOU, not with you. It's your appearance and the things that you do that they find funny...

You know Black is the codeword for nigger, right?  The show is about keeping coonery (yeah, I am making this word up) alive.

The modern day minstrel show (also the name of one of my favorite Little Brother albums)

that masquerades as an Awards show should be an affront to people of all races.  This is exactly the kind of thing that you wouldn’t see  other races (read whites) doing on mainstream TV.

I am down with the tribute to the King of Pop though...

The awards show, hosted by Jamie Foxx and held in Los Angeles, also included numerous tributes to the recently-departed King of Pop, Michael Jackson, by Foxx and some of the other performers. The gala event included Soulja Bit— I mean Soulja Boy doing the insipid “Turn My Swag On’ record; Jay-Z doing the damn anti-autotune song; his wife Beyonce performing “Ave Maria”; Keyshia Cole and Monica performing together; an assortment of old-school ’80s and ’90s artists including Guy, a 6-man New Edition (including Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, BBD and Ralph Tresvant), and Keith Sweat; and Keri Hilson. But people have dismissed the whole show as sophomoric and class-less.

But the disappointing Wayne-and-Drake performance was more offensive to most of us than any of the lousy jokes that littered the show.

Now, we rep Drake at the blog and I personally hate on Lil Wayne.  But the issue here is the message.  I can synthesize and distill the messages that are a part of the music.  Drake and Lil Wayne preformed the song “Every Girl” at the awards show.  The radio is playing the piss out of the song currently, so you might have heard it.  But if you have not, here are a sampling of the lyrics.  Here is how Lil Wayne opens up.

[Verse 1 - Lil' Wayne]
Uh, I like a long hair thick red-bone
open up her legs to filet mignon that pussy
I’ma get in an’ out that pussy
if she let me in, i’ma own that pussy
go on’ throw it back and bust it open like
you ‘posed to

Now, I didn’t even need to get through the rest of the bars to tell you that this isn’t the song you want them preforming on stage.  Yes, there is a slightly edited version, but the context is the same.  Here is the chorus…

[Chorus: Lil' Wayne]
‘Cause we like her and we like her too
and we like her and we like her too
and we like her and we like her too
and we like her and she like us too
and ooooooh…

i wish i could fuck every girl in the world
i wish i could fuck every girl in the world
i wish i could fuck every girl in the world

In context, that is a male and some females fantasy.  But, an adult fantasy.  This piece is not about being political correct, because we violate that from time to time.  This is about knowing place and space.

Now, what if I were to tell you that Lil Wayne lives out his words on this song? I would think that you would not be surprised.  He is a rap star and there are groupies out there.  But,  he spits it, like he lives it.

She got the bizness...(think the rest of the song...) Ms. Lauren London

Lil Wayne, who I thought didn’t like women…

Now be honest...if you are a guy, have you ever kissed a guy like that? If you have, then you are gay, or have gay tendencies. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but just admit it....

but, apparently he does.

Usually a pregnancy is something to be celebrated. Not however if the father of the baby is the world renowned “Pussy Monster” a.k.a. Lil Wayne! Lauren London is now six months pregnant with Lil Wayne’s son.

Now, those are the words of 24hourhiphip.com, not mine, but the main point we agree on.  Now, forgetting for a moment that Brian “Baby” Williams looks more like a child molester than Michael Jackson (R.I.P.) Lil Wayne does not fit the mold of father material.  But, maybe the cover doesn’t adequately tell the true story.  The story continues…

It was just announced last week that Nivea is also now two months pregnant with Wayne’s son. It was said before that Lauren initially did not want to have the baby with Wayne but decided to keep it, fearing what impact an abortion would have on her career. It looked like things were as good as they can be between Lauren and Wayne until the bombshell about Nivea dropped, to which Lauren had to find out about through the internet gossip sites!

Girl, what is up on the color of your hair? Also, he is probably sippin on the sizzurp...damn shame

Now it is coming out that Lauren is seriously pissed and is about to go into war mode as soon as she drops the junior martian. Friends of Lauren say she plans on not letting Wayne have anything to do with the birth and plans on going hard when it comes to custody and child support. Wayne has made it clear in the past few months that he wants nothing to do with Lauren on the romantic tip but apparently has been supportive of the pregnancy so far.

The last sentence is the only redeeming thing for Lil Wayne.  It’s not manly to have two women carrying your child at the same time.  You are not Mormon, this is not some weird cult.

This is Tom “Lil Wayne” Green, his five wives and his 29 children, enough to have a football, basketball or baseball team, with plenty of reserves and people to work concessions….

You knew it was wrong…if you didn’t then you are not very smart

Now, that is not the reason to think that the show was misplaced in allowing that song to be played.  The biggest mistake is that they had 12 year old girls running out to the song on stage and dancing with Drake and Lil Wayne.  WTF?  If I had a daughter ( and Mini-Me Lil Wayne does and she ran out there too) there no chance in hell that I would allow her on stage to that song. (The same would go if I had a son…There is a time and place for sex and its not 12) Now, I am not going to lecture about woman’s rights, but DAMN…you didn’t need them running out to that song.  You could have used something else, or just not had them come on stage.  Learn to distinguish laugh with you and at you…

Sarah Palin PLEASE GIVE IT A REST! IT’S A JOKE!

I think that I am finally tired of hearing about David Letterman and Sarah Palin.  There are some quick housekeeping things to get out of the way right now, before we go any further on this topic.

1) Apologies.  How does someone know intent? How do you measure it?  Well, according to our favorite kooks on the blog, they have a device that measures whether your apology is sincere or not.  According to them, the apology is not sincere.

See, that is what you get when you make an apology that you didn’t need to make.  It was and still is a joke.  It was not in the best taste, but political figures are always up for lambasting.  The “Off-Limits” quote that Sarah and the others who feel outrage at this joke fees the need to throw around was directed AT THE OTHER CANDIDATES, not the media, and CERTAINLY NOT COMEDIANS.  That is the price you pay to be in the media spotlight.  Good thing that most of the haters feel this isn’t an apology, so we give him a pass.

2) Willow/Bristol Palin and “Rape” joke.  If you had not seen the Top 10 show (and I find that funny that so many people who express outrage are the same people who are claiming that they never watch him, or that they stopped decades ago, since he stopped being funny.  Really? Then who is watching him?  I mean he is finalizing another large contract extension and clearly, they wouldn’t sign him if nobody is watching?) then you would have thought that Letterman said that a group of baseball players should hold her down and forcibly rape her.

Here is a section of the Chicago Tribune that is asking for an apology.  Note that they state what Letterman said…

Until he does, the Alaska governor and her husband, Todd, have parental rights, even a duty, to press Letterman on the main point: that his jokes Tuesday night about the Palins’ visit to New York and Yankee Stadium — “There was one awkward moment during the seventh-inning stretch; her daughter was knocked up by [Yankee player] Alex Rodriguez” and “The hardest part of her trip was keeping [former New York Gov.] Eliot Spitzer away from her daughter” — were in terrible taste. (emphasis mine to highlight the joke(s) told)

So, the first part of the outrage is that he made a joke about AROD and one of the Palin daughters having ARODS baby.  I think that I missed the rape part of the joke right there.  See, that is a joke… Seriously, where can we insinuate that David Letterman is suggesting that AROD rape her daughter?  Wait for it… I dont think that you can.  Here is what the offended will say about it

But, it’s Willow Palin that he is talking about and she is 14!

First, before answering that, IF he is talking about Bristol, then case closed, you have no right to be offended or outraged, as she already has carnal knowledge, and like Levi stated, they sometimes didn’t practice safe sex and they had a kid.  She is 18, and that is an adult in every state.

That is getting knocked up.  Consensual sex without practicing safe sex, or the Ronin pull-out, can lead to having a child.  How can you get mad at that?  Where is the rape?  Where is the joke about rape?  That only leaves Willow as the possible “victim” of the “verbal rape” perpetrated by Dave Letterman.

So, let’s assume you don’t believe his statements about the joke.

Letterman, on Wednesday’s show, stepped up to the edge of an apology but did not get there. He defended himself by saying that he was joking about 18-year-old Bristol Palin, mother of a child out of wedlock, not 14-year-old Willow, the daughter who accompanied Sarah and Todd Palin to New York.

But he acknowledged that “I can’t really defend the joke. I agree: unpleasant, ugly.” And: “Do I regret having told them? Well, I think I probably do.”

Then why would you still call it rape?  Age is just a number right?  Where is all your outrage here?

In case you forgot, she is 15 and dude is 20...fight against that!

But there is not any here, because it’s Hollyweird, and she is somewhat famous because of her skillset as an actor/singer, so it’s okay.  Condemn it in all areas…

But, back to Willow.  The best argument that they have is that for Willow to get knocked up, she would have to fall victim to “statutory rape.”  To actually figure that out, lets turn to Sandra Norman-Eady,  Christopher Reinhart and Peter Martino for some answers

Most states do not refer specifically to statutory rape; instead they use designations such as sexual assault and sexual abuse to identify prohibited activity. Regardless of the designation, these crimes are based on the premise that until a person reaches a certain age, he is legally incapable of consenting to sexual intercourse. Thus, instead of including force as a criminal element, theses crimes make it illegal for anyone to engage in sexual intercourse with anyone below a certain age, other than his spouse. The age of consent varies by state, with most states, including Connecticut, setting it at age 16. The age of consent in other states ranges from ages 14 to 18.

You might want to save your faux-outrage for women/men who are actually being violated and not just made fun of. For basic research, the authors continue to lay out what the law has in mind.

First-degree sexual abuse of a minor for someone age 16 or older to engage in sexual penetration with someone under age 13.

Second-degree sexual abuse of a minor for someone age 16 or older to engage in sexual penetration with someone who is age 13, 14, or 15 and at least three years younger than the offender.

Fourth-degree sexual abuse of a minor for someone under age 16 to engage in sexual penetration with someone under age 13 and at least three years younger.

So, your best argument is that he made (allegedly) a joke that IF IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, would be considered a sexual assault.   Which is flimsy.  I found the end of the Chicago Trib article interesting, in that it made a point that rings true…

But instead of apologizing — and he didn’t Thursday, either — he labeled them two of many bad jokes told over the years for “cheap laughs.”

That’s no excuse for careless wording and thinking, especially when minors are involved. Calling any teenager in the public eye promiscuous is, indeed, ugly.

And while Palin trying to play the incident to political advantage, casting it as, yawn, Hollywood vs. America, isn’t exactly pretty, she has every right to press her advantage until Letterman says the magic words: I’m sorry. (emphasis mine)

Here is the HuffPo on the same subject

Letterman said so in a nine-minute chat with the audience on The Late Show the following night, reiterating that, whether the joke was dumb or even tasteless, it was Bristol he was talking about, and that she was eighteen and therefore a legal adult. He repeated, almost too much for me — I didn’t think he had to — that he would never make fun of a fourteen-year-old girl in a sexual context. And I think most sensible people believed him.

Focus on most sensible people. Fanatics trying to promote their causes  or trying to make amends for previous sexist comments are usually not sensible.  We get it My1/2IQ, you are sensitive and you have reformed your sinner ways.  Congrats for that.  But, you take your recently found pulpit too far. As for Sarah, quit trying to continue to ham for the camera.  Enough of you trying to make issues that can keep you in the limelight.  Yes, you are trying to position yourself for 2012.  You need to worry about your own party and get that house in order, before trying to “clean” Hollywood’s house.  The Huffington Post catches Sarah at her game and makes an apt comparison to Dan Quayle

The woman was a flash in the pan, invented by John McCain’s handlers to spark interest in his flagging campaign. With all the competent women he could have chosen, he picked a fly by night governor of one of our smallest states, who’d only served a year and a half and yet was expected to inspire confidence she might lead the free world.Okay, enough said. That’s the recap. The election’s over. However, there are still conservative — make that right wing — diehards who’d love Palin to bring about resurgence to the Republican Party. In their dreams they believe she should be president. And while some might remind me similar jokes were made about Ronald Reagan’s chances for the White House, at least he was a two-term governor of our largest state and before that had built a nationally prominent nice-guy reputation as a popular actor in movies and television.

Sarah Palin is a lightweight, desperate not to fade away, as happened to Dan Quayle, and he was actually an elected vice president. And with her audience generally limited to fringe groups, she recently seized upon some silly patter on a late night talk show, and with the Media’s help has turned it into a cause celebre.

EXACTLY!  Don’t fade away, just continue to govern your state.  Get some practical experience and run your race in 2012.  You hamming it up for the cameras and attempting to make a campaign issue is not going to work.  And the calls for Letterman to be fired?  Only in your dreams, where Hillary Clinton won the election.

Woman Voter, on June 12th, 2009 at 1:39 pm Said:

Don’t know if you have this in any other threads, but I found a site called “Fire David Leterman”

http://www.firedavidletterman.com/
Anthony | Homepage | 06.12.09 – 12:20 pm | #

I guess people are not all buying the ‘pretend’ statement that some are calling an apology.

I think that most sensible people bought it, since you really can’t measure intent, and I am glad that he didn’t apologize, just clarified what his statements were about.  What people forget is that Dave Letterman would have to know which daughter attended the game with her.  I think the “knocked up” part was lost on people trying to condemn him for joking about a serious issue in rape.  Too bad your straw man fell the fuck hell apart.  The HuffPo continues…

So, what’s the beef? Earlier this week, Letterman had a dumb joke about Palin in his top ten list: “Bought makeup at Bloomingdale’s to update her slutty flight attendant look.” I wasn’t offended. It just wasn’t that incredibly funny. What was intriguing was Palin didn’t take note of another joke, which had her involved with a kilo of crack.

Being a slut, not okay, slingling a kilo of crack GOOD TIMES!

So, why does the author of the HuffPo get it, but others can’t?

Palin sensed an opportunity and accused Letterman of promoting date rape of her fourteen-year-old daughter Willow. As it turned out, she was the daughter who attended the game with her parents, but there’s not a doubt in my mind that most of the viewers watching the show reacted to the joke with the vivid image of Palin’s older daughter Bristol, who had gotten “knocked up” by her high school sweetheart.

The author gives her two barrels (and the rest of the media) for pushing a meme that is a flat out lie.

Sarah Palin is simply a Media hog, hypocritical and ruthless as it gets. Was it a coincidence that it was only after the campaign ended that Levi Johnston was summarily banished, no longer needed and later decried by Palin and her husband for cashing in on the family name. As if they hadn’t used him as well?

Reprehensibly, the Media lapped all this up and went about it as if they were chasing an ambulance. Many replayed Palin’s accusations or interviewed her, and she repeated what was now a lie — because she knew better — that Letterman had somehow violated her daughter. And worse, many of the Media journalists didn’t follow up her comments with the fact that Letterman insisted he was talking about Bristol.

3) Hypocrisy

Here is what I continue to not get about groups like PUMAS. They sit and complain about things when it suits them, but they are not consistent about them.  My1/2IQ makes a rash of sexist statements, then apologizes for them and we are supposed to forget them.  Jon Favreau makes a gesture THAT IS INTERPRETED as he is groping Hillary Clinton at a party.  he makes an apology, the SOS accepts it, but he is forever known as a sexist in the eyes of PUMAS everywhere.  Why doesn’t it work both ways?  Convenience is the only answer.

She further described David Letterman as a “so-called” comedian, a description that might better be associated with her political future. She also referred to him as a 62-year-old to somehow make the comment appear smarmier, as if he were an old lecher flashing young girls at the local middle school.

Exactly.  Either words have power and can hurt ( classic hate speech rhetoric and theory) or they don’t.  Her use of his age was calculated to draw a highlight between the disparity in ages of her daughters and the comedian.  To make it seems like Letterman is the new Chester the Molester.

again, its a joke. I dont see the outrage about Catholic priests and touching young kids...

This, too, was disgusting on her part, because it was ageist and uncalled for. Would the joke have been less offensive if Letterman were 35 or 40?

Then the biggest point of her hypocrisy is that she turned down his offer to appear on the show and discuss the comment.  This is the first time I have ever seen her turn down a chance to promote herself.  This site has video of her at the I Kill a Dog races with her husband, but the Tonight Show, with a bigger audience, she turned down.  Did she forget youtube and SNL?

She then refused his offer to have her come on his show saying that she didn’t want to help his ratings. This, from a woman who has been gallivanting around the broadcast Media with her false depiction of Letterman, an American treasure. A woman who appeared on Saturday Night Live last fall, a show in which Tina Fey frequently made Palin appear like an idiot, in a desperate attempt to appear cool and bolster the doomed campaign of her and her running mate.

Sarah, you want some coverage, Too Old will happily grant your desires…

Finally, with all this, here is comedy at its finest, no apologies needed.

What is wrong with PUMAS? Missing the forest because of the trees…

Hate will make you do crazy things.  Getting up to the level of hate is a tremendous task.  PUMAS and their offspring have done that.  Their blind alliance to everything NOT Obama is fascinating as a case study.  If President Obama says that it’s Tuesday, June 2nd, they will either claim that he magically and mysteriously fixed the time (with his bat-phone to God) or that he paid someone off to make it so.

Now, I told you that I read the Confluence, because it makes a good read in the morning to give me something to write about immediately upon sitting at the keyboard.  Today, as I was reading through and scanning the comments, I was struck by one of the links about GM.  As I read the original WSJ link, I remembered reading a bunch of sky is falling, look what Obama did type comments, so I went back and researched and found one in particular, that was interesting, because the person has a Phd…

bostonboomer, on May 23rd, 2009 at 7:30 pm Said: This is horrible. This whole situation is just killing Indiana. I spent my whole life until adulthood in very small towns. Some of the richest people in the town I grew up in Indiana were the car dealers. It makes me sick that Obama is destroying what is left of this country when we had so much hope that we could reverse the damage Bush did. Obama is worse than Bush ever was.

I don’t know if this country can be saved now. We are headed for tyranny. I never really believed Bush would leave, then it seemed he would, but now we have someone who wants those dictatorial powers so much more than Bush did. I’m crying for my country tonight. Our economy is destroyed and our government is run by torturers, murderers, and thieves.

Now, the article is in regards to the auto industry and how that is hurting small towns.  The author waxes poetically about how things used to be.  Coupled with the comments, lets just blame Obama for this.

Obama caused the bird flu as well...

But, then a funny thing happened on the way to the keyboard.  The economy is starting to show signs of light amid the darkness that has been hovering around.

The GM mess, which wasn’t Obama’s in the first place has been managed pretty well.  The PUMAS usually say that HRC or JMac would have handled it better, but how would they? And more importantly how do you know without wither being in the situation or doling out a position on the issue?  When looking at the future and the past of GM, this author claims that the issue was a pre-existing mess and that the President has done a good job.

When looking at quals, who do you trust?  That is going to be the big issue in evaluation of the truth.  Today, lets quote Mr. Paul Ingrassia in the WSJ.  You might wonder what he has done. Well, he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1993 for covering the last crisis at GM.   I think that he probably has a better understanding of the situation at hand than commentors or frontpagers.

This fate could have been avoided with better foresight and less hubris, but by 18 months ago bankruptcy was inevitable. GM’s U.S. market share had declined to 22% from 52% in the early 1960s. There were too many brands, too much debt, a cumbersome union contract as big as a phone book, and an enormous dealer network built for the glory years of yesterday instead of the market share of today.

The question for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama was whether to stand by and watch, or instead to use the public purse to shape the bankruptcies of both Chrysler and GM to mitigate the damage to a shaky U.S. economy. They intervened, which was the unpleasant but correct decision.

By and large, Mr. Obama’s automotive task force has done its job pretty well, forcing the companies and the UAW to make difficult decisions that they should have made themselves long ago. GM will shed four of its eight U.S. brands — Saab, Saturn, Pontiac and Hummer — thousands of dealers, 11 factories, and much of its debt. It is no small irony that a Democratic administration brought in a bunch of private-equity types to impose rational management on big business.

So, Obama made the corect decision, and has managed to execute the plan pretty well.  But, let’s see the left couldn’t write about that, because it doesn’t fit within their playbook of “ignore reality and focus only on the mistakes.”  You can focus on the mistakes, but have the ability to be self reflective about what you wrote and what you said.

It’s not all peaches and cream and he states that we are not out of the woods yet.

That said, a couple of aspects of the GM and Chrysler bailouts could come back to haunt U.S. taxpayers and the Obama administration.

The company that controls Chrysler, Italy’s Fiat, is getting a special government incentive — a potential increase in its Chrysler ownership stake — to build a small car in America that will get 40 miles per gallon. General Motors made a similar decision to build a high-mileage small car in the U.S. of its own accord, but certainly with an eye toward current political “realities.”

Both moves fit the green agenda of Mr. Obama and congressional Democrats. They’re also egregious examples of mission creep. GM and Chrysler should get just one marching order from the government: Earn enough money so taxpayers will recover as much as their investment as possible. If the new small cars flop because gas prices drop, the result will be more losses and, potentially, Bailout II.

The other questionable call is the government’s big ownership stake in both companies — 60% of General Motors and a much smaller share of Chrysler. The rationale is reasonable. The government is providing the $50 billion of financing needed to restructure GM so taxpayers might as well get something for their money. But this relegates unsecured lenders to the back of the line behind the government and the union. More worrisome, it invokes the question famously asked before the U.S. invasion of Iraq: You can go in, but can you get out?

What they (PUMAS and other random assorted haters and Republicans) will state is that we will never be able to get out of the quagmire that is GM.  We should wait and see if that will be the case, but to the ending point of BB comment above is that Obama does care and made the one move to gamble on ingenuity and hard work of American autoworkers.  The one BIG issue that the romanticists fail to point out is that this is largely an issue that they created.  The UAW deserves its share of the blame for the problem as well.  This is one of the reasons that they stuck for…

Decades of dumb decisions helped send General Motors to a bankruptcy court yesterday, but one stands out.

The year was 1998, and the United Auto Workers was striking at two factories in Flint, Mich., that made components critical to every GM assembly plant in the country. The union was defending production quotas that workers could fill in five or six hours, after which they would get overtime pay or just, you know, go home.

What about working your eight hour shift and then going home?  Or what about you taking pay for 6 hours?  I mean, YES, would I want to get paid for eight hours and only have to work  six? ABSOL freakin LUTELY!  But, realize the external pressures that puts on the rest of the biosphere.  I am sincerely hoping that the NFL and the NFLPA recognize that and don’t do anything to jeopardize what is a 7-10 billion dollar a year industry that I get great pleasure from watching every Sunday.

(not my favorite musical accompaniment, but I support the Silver and Black)

Dumb Niggas: William Roberts finds a way to win with the help of XXL magazine….AGAIN!

I disagree William, I think that you do have a credibility problem and the sooner you address it, the quicker you can continue becoming not relevant

William,

This is an open letter to you.  You need help and we here at Too Old are here to help in any way we possibly can.  I know that you need attention.  Who doesn’t crave it?  But the way that you are going about it will only hurt in the end.

50 already killed you…it might be best if you just stayed hidden or better yet dead.  I mean with lyrics like these

SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!! We don’t wanna hear your mafia tough talk
That fake fuck boy shit don’t fly in New York…

its better to keep quiet and have people think that you are ignorant, than to open your mouth and prove them right.  50 lyrically destroyed you and whatever is left, Tia is going to get.

At least you have been honest about one thing.  The deposition records that 50 got a hold of seem to be true upon further reflection..  When you were telling them that you were not spending all that money, you were right.  You were buying your family bootleg gear.

Now, comes the letter that XXL received and put on their website to put you on blast.  When will it end?  It will end whenever you want it to, but you can’t go around trying to floss if you don’t have it.  I looked at the Forbes list for richest African Americans, and I didn’t see you on it.

When 50 Cent isn’t taking baby mothers shopping at the Gucci store, and cleverly assassinating the character of Florida rapper Rick Ross, he’s making trips to the bank.

According to Forbes magazine, Curtis Jackson is the second highest-earning African-American superstar, with an estimated earning of $150 million. This places him behind Oprah Winfrey and in front of movie mogul Tyler Perry.

Most of the rapper’s earnings were raked up by the $100 million sale of Vitamin water. Last year he outearned your favorite rapper on Forbes “Hip Hop Rich List” with a whopping $100 million. Jay-Z came in second with $82 million. Diddy came in third with $35 million.

Then, the XXL Editors received this letter from Louis Vuitton concerning the May 2009 cover of Rick Ross.

Dear Editor:

We were dismayed to see the cover of the May 2009 issue of XXL Magazine, which features a photo of Rick Ross wearing a pair of sunglasses prominently featuring counterfeit Louis Vuitton trademarks. Because the photo has generated considerable confusion among your readers and Louis Vuitton customers among others, we feel it is important to clarify several points.

The first is that the sunglasses Mr. Ross is wearing were not made by Louis Vuitton, and in fact, are counterfeit. Louis Vuitton did not grant permission to Mr. Ross or to whoever did make the sunglasses to use our trademarks. The second is that no affiliation, sponsorship or association exists between Rick Ross or XXL and Louis Vuitton. The third is that counterfeiting is illegal.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to correct the confusion.

Sincerely,

Michael D. Pantalony, Esq.
Louis Vuitton Malletier

P.S.  Have a nice day!  William, they are killing you.  Hopefully this will get to you in time for you to make some changes in your life.  If we can do something to help, please, just let us know…

Sincerely,
The Management of Too Old

Dumb Niggas…A Weekly Expose

One of the new features that I am going to debut is a category called Dumb Niggas.  Now, I am going to have to defend the use of the term and I am okay with it’s usage.  A Nigga is just a stupid indivual.  If you use the entire term N I G G E R, then you are looking to get your ass whooped.  Some of you white people might wonder when can you use it.  I have attached an instructional video for you to watch..

If you are wondering who that character is in the picture at the top of the story, wonder no more. This is Jim Jones.  Besides being a rapper, he also has an extensive rap sheet.  While you might say, “Duh Steve, he is a rapper…don’t all rappers have a rap sheet?”  I would tell you that this rapper is dumber the most, which was the beginning of this category.

Jim Jones played three roles on Tuesday: defendant, rapper and actor. The head of Harlem’s Dipset crew pleaded not guilty to assault charges in criminal court, then topped off the evening with a performance of his play, “The Hip Hop Monologues.” The rapper, best known for his single “Flying High,” was charged with assaulting Ne-Yo’s manager, Jayvon Smith, in December. “Court was humbling,” he told us. “It was another message to me to reevaluate the things I’ve been doing and how I’ve been handling situations.”

Now, I know that judges like to hear this type of contrition.  But, they are also looking for remorse over your actions and when you hear what he did, you will question whether or not he really learned his lesson…

Jones’ play features scenes in which he apologizes for many of his past mistakes, like his involvement with drugs. But has he learned his lesson? The rapper tweeted on Twitter during his trial, “I’m late 4 court wit marajuana eyes” and “sittin in court wit a pocket full of weed.” No wonder Jim told us after his show, “I’m feeling good. I gotta smile.”

Dumb Nigga.  Yeah, again, I said it.  You really are going to advertise that you are coming to court, after just smoking a blunt?  And, you are going to cop to having a bag of weed IN THE COURTROOM?  That is a nigga with no common sense.  But, it gets better.  Check out Jim Jones in an interview…

I recently interviewed Jimmy about the play while sitting on the lip of the stage, and toward the end of our talk, I asked him how he felt about Obama’s victory. Since Election Day, every conversation I have eventually turns to Barack Obama and our emotional reactions to this American epiphany. Jim confessed that the election inspired him to drop the word “nigga” from his vocabulary—where it was a nearly ubiquitous presence—and replace it with “Obama.” He gave me a few examples: “What up, my Obama?” “Yo, did you see them Obamas last night?” “Now that’s a real Obama.”

“Now that’s a real Obama.”

This is why niggas Obamas can’t have something nice, because other niggas Obamas wil fuck itup for everyone.  Really?  This is what took us so long to have our first black president and Jim Jones and the like will be the reason it will take a long time to have another one.  I know people are just laughing at him and you should too…

Happy Kwanzaa!

Happy Kwanzaa Too Old for Maxim READERS!

Sitting around after the more traditional holidays got me started on how Kwanzaa was started. I have not really dived into the creation of the holiday and seeing as this is a holiday to represent the culture of many African Americans, I decided to get involved in the learning.

The Baltimore Sun gets into the meaning of the holiday

Yesterday was the second day of Kwanzaa, a seven-day holiday that honors African-American people, history and culture. The celebration of the holiday starts Dec. 26 and ends Jan. 1.

Established in 1966 by Ron Karenga, a professor of black and ethnic studies at University of California, Los Angeles, the holiday features seven principles. Translated from Swahili, those principles are: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. Observers light candles to represent each principle of Kwanzaa. The holiday has become a tradition for many African-Americans.

“It is very important to learn about your history,” Fitzgerald said. Children “need to know about their culture.”

The event featured drummers, storytellers, arts and crafts focused on African culture and Kwanzaa traditions, several dance and vocal performances, and vendors selling African products.

The museum’s celebration differs from some other Kwanzaa-related events because it takes place during the holiday, said Mirma Johnson, director of education at the museum.

“It’s very important to stick with the traditions of Kwanzaa,” Johnson said.

Johnson is pleased with the growth of the holiday. She said she has noticed a better understanding of the tradition by the public.

“Kids come in knowing about the holiday,” she said. “Even if they do not celebrate it in their house, they know that this is about them.”

One of the most popular activities during the celebration was an African dance lesson.

Natalie Jones laughed as she watched her husband, Stanley Jenkins, and two children, Najja, 7, and Asseff, 10, sway from side to side as they attempted to keep up with the pace of instructor Sallah Jenkins.

“It’s important to understand your culture so that you know about yourself,” said Jones, a teacher specialist with the Anne Arundel public schools. “It helps build identity.”

Meanwhile, Asseff stood in the middle of cheering supporters as he mixed breakdancing with some of the African dance steps he learned for an impromptu freestyle dance. He trotted over to his father and made him dance, which made Jones burst out with laughter.

“We are just trying to teach the kids more about Kwanzaa,” she said as she snapped a picture with a small digital camera.

Ruby Shaw, owner of Mahogany Exchange in Baltimore, was one of the 17 vendors selling products at the event. Shaw sold books and other publications by African-American authors.

She said African-American youth need more events that teach them about their history and culture.

“This is the only exposure some of them actually get,” Shaw said. “We need to become more aware.”

Erin Maultsby, a math teacher in Baltimore, was attracted to the event after hearing about it on television. She spent the day watching dance performances. She participated in the African dance lesson. And she purchased a pair of silver earrings from West Africa.

“I’m celebrating the richness of our culture,” she said.

This is the creator that the article talks about, Dr. Maulana Karenga. The first thought that I have about the holiday is that it shares a lot with this holiday. But, they both stress principles that regardless of your faith, you should attempt to model and emulate. So, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa share a similar path in the celebration of the previous gifts that life has blessed onto you.

In the holiday spirit, Huey Freeman has a take on Christmas that is hilarious that ties the holidays.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls1ynNXlBkU

or whatever holiday you celebrate…

The Hatred of Michelle Obama by jealous PUMAS…Haters fall back

Some people are just haters. I love haters and personally we love them here at Too Old. But, our standard for hating is that you have a point, you can defend your point and then be able to articulate what you are hating on.

We make fun of this other blog, the Confluence. They are filled with hate over the fact that Obama won the election. It keeps me warm at night knowing that they are still steamed and are going to be devastated in four years with a re-election. You should have read their blog. It was as if someone very close to them had suddenly died.  They might have been the only ones not to read the tea leaves to see that beatdown happening. The only thing that they have going for them is that they don’t hate for the color of his skin, they just hate the game and that’s okay. But, occasionally, they need to be reigned in on their haterade drinking. I hate liberals who talk out both sides of their mouth. They will espouse freedoms for all and then censor a comment, since they got played. (Ed. note we dont have a need to censor your comments.  We are funnier than most of you, like 99.9% and will have fun answering your comments)

The most recent hate comes from Angie, who is a frequent commenter on the blog, but usually has little to say of substance. If you are pro-Obama, to her, you must be an idiot. First, a pre-empt, since I already know where you are going…

Their favorite argument is, “What has Obama done?” The Huffington Post crushes this argument out

No doubt, Watson — and anyone acting as an Obama campaign surrogate — should be able to rapidly list the important issues that the Illinois Senator has championed. This includes the Lugar-Obama legislation that has helped decrease the threat of old nuclear, biological, and chemical weapon in the former Soviet Union and the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 which Obama co-authored and that led to USAspending.gov, which keeps Americans better informed on government spending.

So, the Confluence would act like this piece of legislation never happened.

Obama has also been very active in legislation to end the Iraq war and the much-heralded Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act, which passed in July of 2007 and addressed the hideous treatment received by Veterans under the Bush administration, began its legislative life as the Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act, introduced by Obama earlier in the year.

I would challenge the Confluence to point to legislation that Hillary Clinton got passed during the same two years that they were in the Senate. The HRC definitely has some age and more “time” in the Senate, but this is an important piece of bi-partisan legislation. So, don’t act like he hasn’t done anything in his three years in the Senate. They also act like he isn’t educated, but please. Among the top of the class in law school, lecturer at a law school, enough said, especially considering the Ivy connection. The rest of the article slays this tired line that the Confluence and other haters attempt to roll with

But here’s the thing that any person going on television to represent Obama should repeat without end — and that should also be a part of the Obama campaign’s standard playbook: No Democrat, including Senator Hillary Clinton has been able to do one hell of a lot that meets the accomplishment benchmark of “passed legislation” in a time of unending, record-setting Republican obstructionism.

Obama has been in the Senate for three years, two of which were spent with a Republican majority that would not even let legislation sponsored by Democrats reach the floor for a vote and, on the few occasions where Bill Frist granted such a luxury, Republicans shot down most Democratic initiatives with extreme prejudice.

In the current (110th) Congress, the Republican minority has blocked everything but the Senate chaplain’s morning prayer and is on pace by a wide margin to filibuster more legislation than any Senate in U.S. history.

Game, set, match…

Their hatred doesn’t only cause them to talk reckless about Barack, they drag their haterade and throw in Michelle’s way.

Recently, they hate on the story of Michelle getting Lobster and caviar. They talk about calling her bougsie (short for Bourgeoisie (RP /ˌbʊ.ʒwɑːˈzi/ or /ˌbɔː.ʒwɑːˈzi/, GA /ˌbʊ(r).ʒwɑˈzi/) [1] is a classification used in analyzing human societies to describe a social class of people. The bourgeoisie are members of the upper or merchant class, whose status or power comes from employment, education, and wealth. They are distinguished from those whose power comes from being born into an aristocratic family.

Anytime you see brotha and sistas climb the ladder and get some shine, you hate on them.  Biggie had it right, Mo Money, Mo Problems…

Again, the problem is that the story is not true. There have been several retractions of the story. The NY Post is one of the places that the retraction happened.

October 21, 2008 –

THE source who told us last week about Michelle
Obama getting lobster and caviar delivered to her room at the Waldorf-Astoria must have been under the influence of a mind-altering drug. She was not even staying at the Waldorf. We regret the mistake, and our former source is going to regret it, too. Bread and water would be too good for such disinformation.

Now, the issue is the ring. The 30K ring that is awesome. It might not be for all, but you can’t hate on the ring. Maybe they are mad that no one is dropping skrilla on them like that, but, I digress. Lets look at some of the comments from totally ignorant, sexist when it suits them fools.

Without question that ring is straight fire! Look for it to be the next new hot item for rappers to floss with! Platinum is so played out compared to this!

FACT CHECK: Michelle Obama won’t get pricey ring

1 day ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Looks like Michelle Obama won’t be setting aside her fake pearls in favor of a $30,000 thank you ring from her husband.

London tabloids reported that President-elect Barack Obama was buying a pricey rhodium ring from Italian designer Giovanni Bosco for his wife. But there’s no truth to the report, said Obama spokesman Dan Pfeiffer.

The rumor began overseas and made the rounds of American blogs, including the Drudge Report.

The office of Giovanni Bosco, reached in northern Italy, also said the reports were incorrect.

angienc, on December 3rd, 2008 at 1:01 pm Said:

Briana — FACT CHECK my @ss — I expected these bs denials just like they did with the caviar & lobster story at the Waldorf — I fully believe he bought that ring, just like I fully believe MEchelle ate that lunch. I don’t care what FACT CHECK denials are issued. The press will pretend he didn’t buy the ring just like they pretended their wasn’t any fraud or voter intimidation during the primary.

Here is the problem AngieNC, you don’t get to have it both ways. Do you believe the media, or not believe the media?

1) Why believe the media now? The ring story is continued in cyberspace by blogs and Drudge. So, you are saying you agree with him now that it is convenient since its against a sworn enemy? You hate on Drudge all the time, why stop now?

2) Both the designer who was alleged to have crafted the ring and the Obamas deny the story. It doesn’t fit with the carefully crafted narrative that we have been exposed to. Why break ranks now?

3) Angie, why believe the caviar and lobster story when MOST in the blogsphere don’t believe that story. Is it just hate that drives these beliefs or actual facts?

It’s okay to hate the game, and even hate the player, but at least admit its hate and not facts that drive the engine

Finally, the money that was spent in the election and the Palin wardrobe situation is the same thing that I saw you rail against, but you seemingly have no problem using it against the Obama crowd. It seems that the 30% solution that is espoused is only (and again this is just my perspective that I gathered over the last couple of days with the Condy Rice and some of the vitriol spewed there) that is only women that are white. I know that this isn’t the case, but that is how it has sounded the last few days.

When you take shots at women and what they wear or what they look like, then you take away from what is important, which is what they stand for and what they are about are the questions you should concern yourself with. Like Palin campaigning for Chambliss and the fact that people and PUMAS are willing to overlook her governance for her gender…

Sarah Palin on October 18th at a campaign rally in Lancaster, Pennsylvania:

Hulk, you got nothing on me! Palinmanics are going to run wild on you!

Your pythons still need some work girl…

Game Over... You are crushed out!

campaigning for Chambliss Dec 1st

Damn, I love this coat! Q: Do you think that they will miss it it I keep it? A: Yes, we will...

Now, if I start talking about the fact that she seemingly lied when she and the campaign said that all the clothes went back to the designers or the stores, (or donated…to Gov. Palins closet, her favorite place to shop…) would she be lying then, or now?

McCain: 1/3 Palin Clothes Already Returned

WATERLOO, Iowa, Oct. 26, 2008

---

(CBS/AP) Republican John McCain said Sunday that one-third of the $150,000 that the GOP spent on clothing and accessories for his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, and her family, “is given back.”

McCain strategist Mark Salter said “about a third of it was returned immediately” because they were the wrong size, or for other reasons.

Salter’s explanation was the first time the campaign has said any of the items had been returned.

Last week after the purchases at such high-end department stores as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus appeared in campaign spending reports filed with the government, McCain and his aides repeatedly said the clothes would be donated to charity after the election.

News of such expensive clothes offered a stark contrast to Palin’s image as an average “hockey mom.”

Tracey Schmitt, Palin’s campaign spokeswoman, said some of the clothing was returned after the Republican National Convention in September. The governor generally wears her own outfits on the campaign trail, Schmitt said.

“A third was returned post-convention,” she said. “Many of the remaining clothes have never been worn.”

Schmitt said Palin intended to donate the items she has worn to charity.

“Regardless, what wasn’t returned will go to charity after Election Day,” said Schmitt.

Asked about Palin as he was interviewed on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” McCain rejected the notion that Palin is unqualified to be president and that she is hurting is campaign for the presidency. He also was questioned about the clothing purchases.

“Look, she lives a frugal life. She and her family are not wealthy. She and her family were thrust into this, and there was some – and some third of that money is given back, the rest will be donated to charity,” he said.

“Americans right now care about whether they’re going to stay in their homes, whether they’re going to have a job, whether they’re going to be able to keep their health insurance, if we’re going to come out of this ditch that we’re in,” McCain added. “They want change. They want reform. She is a role model to millions and millions and millions of Americans.”

Meanwhile, on the trail in Florida on Sunday, Palin had a pointed message for Barack Obama: This thing isn’t over yet.

Speaking in Tampa, Fla., Palin sharply criticized Obama for acting as if he’s already won the election.

Palin mentioned reports that the Democratic presidential nominee, who is leading in the polls, has already written his inaugural speech. That drew boos from the crowd of more than 5,000 gathered for a rally at the Tampa convention center.

Palin said Obama’s campaign “thinks this whole election thing is just a formality.”

With just nine days to go before the Nov. 4 election, Palin was making another push in the swing state of Florida, where most polls show Obama leading McCain.

Oh, Sarah? It was a mere formality. You were just a bug on the Obama train windshield. Thanks for playing. You are done here….

Eenee, Meenee, Mainee, Mo! Catch a Kardashian by the…?

Eenee, Meenee, Mainee, Mo!

Catch a nigger by the toe!

If he hollers let him go!

Eenee, Meenee. Mainee, Mo!

Can you believe that it was acceptable to talk like this and consider it mainstream? Rudyard Kipling popularized this catchy nursery rhyme (its got a great beat to dance to, I give it a 9.5…) in 1923. It was sanitized with the replacement of tiger instead of nigger, but PETA and other animal rights groups came out and protested that usage, claiming it demeaned tigers everywhere, not just here in the U.S. So, we went back to the original written word in expressing the timeless freestyle beat.

Speaking of freestyle beats, Curtis “50, fiddy, fat joe slayer” Jackson appears at an MTV awards show

With a KARDASHIAN on each arm — KIM (left) and KHLOE (right) — 50 CENT arrives at the MTV Australia Awards in style on Saturday.

Now, we here at Too Old will not descend into the pits of speculation about the alleged threesome between the sisters (and sistah, since she has a ghetto booty) and the rapper, but how would you choose to get down with them? What part do you catch?