When a person can no longer laugh at himself,
it is time for others to laugh at him.
Thomas Szasz
No, Mr. Bernanke: Making the Government Sustainable
DOES NOT HARM THE ECONOMY:
How About Rebuking "
"All-Tax, No-Spending-Cut"
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| Courtesy of Cafe Press and rightwingstuff |
You know as well as I do that money is fungible, that almost $2T in regulations on our economy is like carrying a 500-lb man on your back, we have the highest business tax rates among the major economies, there's over a trillion in waste in government spending that doesn't add one widget to this economy; retaining bloated budgets, massive redundancy, etc. serves no useful purpose beyond lining the pockets of unproductive government employees and contractors and crony business parasites, volunteering the utilization of future tax receipts.
You're pathetic, Mr. Bernanke. Are you so desperate for reappointment by a spendthrift that you would sell your very soul?
Entertainment Potpourri
- WWE, Jack Swagger, and Glenn Beck. I wrote a recent commentary over the Colter/Swagger angle. Swagger (Hager) was arrested (as reported by TMZ) after a recent Mississippi event based on erratic driving; he was charged with DUI and possession of marijuana. The Mississippi event was in the aftermath of Swagger, an unexpected scripted victor in a recent PPV, winning the right to face babyface (good guy) Mexican aristocrat champion Alberto Del Rio (a former heel/bad guy). Now, to be honest, WWE, a once regional (Northeast) promotion, has featured a number of Canadian-born wrestlers/characters (the Hart brothers, Jericho, Edge, Christian, Benoit, and the Mounties, for example), although I don't remember WWE playing a job-stealing immigrant storyline, which I think is playing with fire. I read rumors that WWE Creative was scrambling in the aftermath of the Hager arrest; Hager had lost his push, in part to his limited promo talent (which explains the Colter character), a former champion whom had been booked into a long string of losses and basically off television recently. But when I saw the latest two television shows (Smackdown and Raw), it was clear that WWE was doubling down on the angle, even looking to make Beck's public attacks on WWE an angle.
Beck feels it's making the Tea Party out to be racist; I disagree: The immigration debate stems from at least 2007, not 2009-2010, when the Tea Party movement caught fire; it is true that scapegoating immigrants for job stealing is a right-wing populist theme, not just in the US but France and elsewhere. The Tea Party is more of a response to the tyranny of Big Government; the right wing is not necessarily against the "right" Big Government (e.g., Big Defense and Big INS). The only "Tea Party" thing about the promo is the prominent display of the Gadsden flag. I was listening for the crowd reaction yesterday, and the crowd seemed largely indifferent. Del Rio cut an "America: Land of Opportunity" promo to a flat response; I think Del Rio is not a convincing babyface. Swagger has put wrestling icon Hulk Hogan's "Real American" persona on its head. The "We the People" tagline works better when you're a babyface character.
The reason I'm embedding the video below is because it's probably the most unusual wrestling promo I've ever seen. The two characters break kayfabe (go out of character to assume their real identities in the middle of the promo, e.g., look, I'm not a real doctor: I just play one on TV.) As for the scripted nonsense, it's like fingernails scratching the blackboard: it makes me cringe. I now think they've committed to the storyline building to their upcoming signature Wrestlemania PPV. Will they simply have Swagger job (lose) to Del Rio? I don't see this storyline going beyond 3 or 4 other Latino characters. I think a more plausible angle is getting them to join forces with the vigilante group the Shield, also getting a monster push. A generalized Minutemen gimmick would make for a good storyline convergence. I could easily see a Sheriff Jack and his deputies roaming the WWE to establish justice. But that would need to be booked before Wrestlemania, and they would then have to book Swagger to beat Del Rio. A lot depends on WWE Chairman McMahon. The marijuana thing flies in the face of their wellness policy. But given a first offense, McMahon could protect his investment in Swagger and keep him on a short leash. I think in a different gimmick the Colter and Swagger angle can work. I think if they put Swagger over Del Rio they need to broaden his character now, building future feuds (e.g., having Colter guest commentate on a US champ Cesaro match and trash-talk the condescending Swiss character).
- Off the Wall Offensive. I have not tuned in to SNL for years. There have been a few inspired bits over the years--I remember one spoofing some wealthy liberal lenders whom had offered gimmick terms during the housing bubble. But this one imagining a vengeful Rambo-like resurrected Christ is wildly offensive. We believe in a forgiving Jesus, one Whom argued that let only he without sin cast the first stone, Whom rebuked Peter for drawing his sword during the Passion, Whom taught His followers to love one's enemies, Whom preached "Blessed are the peacemakers"... Of course, this is hypocrisy of the first order; fundamentalist Muslims would have issued fatwas if the comedy spoofed the Prophet in a similar fashion. (I believe civility requires a respectful depiction of religious figures.) I hesitate to give oxygen to such pathetic contrived, unoriginal, cheap pops, vulgar humor. I know: these sophomoric "humorists" get off on overreactions, yanking the chains of social conservatives; I'm not going to scream about blasphemy here--that's a given; I'm here to say that you NY writers are a bunch of untalented hacks whom, like other overrated comics, have to resort to vulgarities because you lack any genuine creative spark. What your next skit: Resurrection 3.0?
Political Cartoon
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| Courtesy of Steve Breen and Townhall |
Musical Interlude: My Favorite Groups
Aerosmith, "Remember Walking in the Sand"
