No pleasure philosophy, no sensuality, no place nor power, no material success can for a moment give such inner satisfaction as the sense of living for good purposes, for maintenance of integrity, for the preservation of self-approval.
Minot Simons
Culture of Corruption: Barney Frank Needs to Go
There are a handful of House races that I'm closely following: my old Congressional district, currently represented by Mark Kirk, in a tight race to win
Part of my interest deals with the fact that Barney Frank's district touches Fall River (although I think most of my relatives live in adjoining areas represented by Jim McGovern, whom on his own demerits is a poster child for progressives run amuck). The current kerfuffle deals with the fact that Frank accepted a free private plane ride to a vacation resort, by a hedge fund operator whom received millions in payouts from a taxpayer bailed-out AIG. I'll give you 10 seconds to figure out the progressive response to this kerfuffle. (Progressives are so predictable...) Can I see a show of hands for everyone thinking the progressives are going to argue that conservatives are being hypocritical? Don't you just love how all these financial service executives and professionals largely favor Democrats (e.g., George Soros), but yet the populists blame the GOP for bank failures?
The point here is, it's not a question of whether there was, in fact, a quid pro quo for Franks' backing of crony capitalistic entities like the GSE's (keep rolling those dice, Barney!) and AIG. It's the appearance of impropriety, and it's a matter of professional ethics. As chairman, Frank is not even your typical Congressman; he is subject to a higher standard. Even if the House rules aren't that detailed, you know it was wrong, Congressman. Stop making excuses and admit it was bad judgment. There's no such thing as a "free lunch"--or a "free junket".
Kathleen Edward: How Can People Be So Heartless to This Beautiful Angel?
It's horrible enough for a young 7-year-old girl to lose her mother last year to such a terrible disease... almost unbearable that she herself is currently dying of Huntington's disease. But for petty neighbors to be mocking the deaths of the mother and daughter on social networking sites reaches far beyond the limits of civil behavior! God bless you and keep you, sweet angel girl; my prayers and thoughts are with you always.. Listen to one of my favorite songs from Three Dog Night...
Bonus Video: Three Dog Night, "Easy to be Hard"
Political Humor
"The Nobel Prize in the fiction category went to Christine O'Donnell's resume." –David Letterman
[No, that went to Richard Blumenthal's autobiography, My Vietnam War Stories.]
"The White House is becoming like 'Dancing With the Stars.' Every week, someone is voted off." –Jay Leno
[The finale is election day 2012.]
Musical Interlude: The "British Invasion" of the 1960s Series
Manfred Mann, "Do Wah Diddy"
