Strollerderby : hunting

Morning News - Rush Angers His Own People

Brett Singer — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Rush Limbaugh angers a lot of people, but usually hunters are not in that group. But not anymore. The Washington Times reports that Rush has several groups of "sportsmen", specifically hunters (isn't "sportsmen" too generic a term?) all fired up because he's been working with the Humane Society. Why? Well, because gun owners hate puppies! OK, OK, I'm being silly. The real reason is because the Humane Society "is in fact an organization that opposes hunting, fishing, and trapping." So by hanging with them, Rush is now in the dog house with groups like Ducks Unlimited. (Better hope they're unlimited since you keep shooting at them! Get it? G'night, ladies and germs.)

We hear a lot about taxes. Ever wonder which companies pay the most -- or the least? Business Week has a surprising list. Some companies pay next to nothing. Yes -- almost NOTHING. Here's the list of those who pay the least, and the poor schnooks who pay the most.

Speaking of Republicans, Jeb Bush (remember him?) and of his fellow Republicans think that it's "time to leave Reagan behind." That would be interesting, since Reagan has kind of been the patron saint of all things Conservative and Republican since, like, forever. Or at least the last twenty or thirty years. Maybe the next guru of the past will be Nixon?

And speaking of Republicans and taxes, Jack Kemp died. I always thought Kemp got kind of a raw deal when he ran for Vice-President with Bob Dole. I guess it wasn't that bad, but that race was against Bill Clinton at the height of his popularity, and whoever ran on the Republican ticket was probably destined for failure. His legacy appears to be not as a Vice-Presidential loser but as an early champion of "supply-side" economics and Republican tax cuts. (I'm over-simplifying both for space and because I don't really understand economics. So if anyone wants to fill in the gaps, feel free to do so. You even have my permission to call me a dummy. It's OK. My kids do it all the time.) Kemp was 73 and died of cancer. Sad.

This isn't that new a story, but its pretty funny. Two people were caught, um, doing it, on the lawn in front of Windsor Castle. Yep -- that's the Queen's lawn. This sentence is as clasically British and Shakespeare: "Ignoring signs asking visitors to Please Keep Off The Grass, the man and woman, said to be in their early 30, selected a spot near the castle's Garter Tower and stripped off in full view of hotels, pubs and shops." Yes, because the real problem is that they were on the grass.

Oh, and let's not forget swine flu. Apparently there have been more cases reported, but it's not exactly Bubonic Plague. Yet. Here are some stats to scare ya into sanitizing your hands and those of your children. In the U.S. of A., 30 states are reporting swine flu cases. 19 countries. 800 people total, mostly in North America, with Colombia being the first in South America. (What an honor.) In Europe, Spain has the most cases, with 44. 30 people have been hospitalized. Yeah, it's a real party in the world these days.

If you'll excuse me, I have to go wash my hands. Again. See you tomorrow.

Image: s0rethumbs

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Boy Accidentally Shoots Self With Forgotten Gun

Brett Singer — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Before I say anything else, let me point out the most important thing, which is that the boy is in stable condition, according to CNN.

Here's what the CNN story says:

12-year-old Jacob Larsen found a ".25-caliber European semi-automatic handgun" in the closet. The gun had been stored there by Jacob's parents when they moved a few years ago, and they had forgotten about it. The mother, Tracy Newman, told police that the gun was a gift from a "former employer." Jacob found the gun and accidentally shot himself in the head. He was discovered by his stepfather, who called 911.

Again, the most important detail is that the boy is, for now, alive. Hopefully he will recover. But it's worth pointing out something that is often skipped over in debates about gun control.

Guns are dangerous.

Why do people keep guns at home? For protection. Or maybe because they hunt. That assumes some active involvement in the ownership of a gun, which is a dangerous weapon. Whenever "the right to bear arms" is discussed, we hear about "responsible gun owners." And I'm sure there are many.

But then you have a situation like this. Local police told CNN that when she received the gun "The mother never checked it, never fired it." How do you not know that you have a loaded firearm in your house? If someone gave me a gun as a gift, the first thing I would do is check if it was loaded. Wouldn't you? And I know next to nothing about guns. (OK, I know what I see in movies and on TV, and I do read 'The Punisher.' The occasional Ludlum novel. But that's not real life.)

Interestingly, the CNN story focuses on the legality of the incident. Apparently "Florida law prohibits a person from leaving a loaded firearm where a minor might have access to it. Prosecutors do have some discretion, and depending on what happens with the gun, charges ranging from a misdemeanor to a felony can be filed in the event of death or serious injury." Chief Assistant State Attorney Bruce Bartlett is quoted as saying that "Sometimes, the injury of a child is more severe from a punishment standpoint than any kind of criminal charge…those parents will blame themselves from here out, and you have to look at things real close to see if it warrants any enforcement from our end."

Fair enough. And I can't say enough that I sincerely hope the boy comes out of this safely. But how can anyone defend unrestricted gun ownership when something like this occurs?

Source: CNN

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Stroller As Gun Rack

Brett Singer — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 21:00:00 GMT

I'm not a hunter, so I'd never heard of a "shooting cart" before. At first glance, my reaction to this was similar to that of Internet entrepreneur Jason Calcanis, who seems amazed by its very existence. Or one of his commenters, who says, "ha, ha...you know you're a redneck when...."

Looking more closely, though, it seems that this is not an uncommon item. From another commenter: "I actually know several people that have these. They are used for 3 gun competitions because it is very hard to safely carry 3 guns around a shooting range. They are built from the ground up as a shooting cart. This is not a stroller it just looks like one." Greg at DaddyTypes also points out that this is a normal looking item – if you hunt.

Despite the fact that it's not really a stroller, I do think it would be fun if our favorite soldier mom who gave birth in her barracks used this to transport her budle of joy. I mean, come on. We all need a good chuckle these days.

Initial commie-pinko-liberal reaction aside ("OMG HOW CAN YOU PUT A BABY IN THAT THING THATS SO WRONG LOL"), I have to admit that as my younger son rapidly outgrows his stroller, I'd been wondering what to do with it. Maybe I can start hunting, or just look like I am. Rolling this down Second Avenue would definitely get me attention in Manhattan.

Source: Jason Calcanis via DaddyTypes

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Michigan Hunter Shoots Into Daycare Center, Wounds Two Kids

Kate Tuttle — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:04:00 GMT

Along with fishing, hunting is big in Northern Michigan, both as a hobby and lifestyle and, increasingly in bad economic times, as a way to provide meat for one's family. Up in Cheboygan County, where my family has a summer cabin, gun shops and taxidermy studios are as common as rare-book stores and coffee shops are near my year-round home. It's just part of the culture. So when hunter Crystal Sherwood accidentally shot up a daycare center last November, inflicting minor wounds on two young children, the local reaction was, "accidents happen!"

According to the Cheboygan Daily Tribune, the Benton Township resident was firing at a deer when her bullets pierced the daycare. Sherwood now faces charges for discharging a firearm in or at a building, two counts of careless discharge of a firearm and felony firearm. Free on bail, she has already surrendered her hunting rifle. If convicted, she could face up to six years' jail time.

Reading, online, the newspaper we all consume over coffee on chilly summer mornings up at the lake, it occurred to me how very different things are from here. I live outside Boston, where guns and hunting are seen as pretty low-rent and even bizarre, certainly as dangerous and even immoral. And obviously it's a horrible thing that children were injured, just as it's horrible when children in the city are injured in firearm violence or accidents. Yet the comments on the Tribune site point to a different, and maybe more reasonable, reaction from the citizens Up North. Repeatedly, they stress that this was an accident, that Sherwood has given up her gun, that her guilt over the incident is undoubtedly worse than any judicial punishment. Then they speak as taxpayers, wishing to avoid paying for someone they regard as "not a criminal" to spend time in jail at taxpayer expense. Then they speak as fellow hunters, suggesting she should take up fishing instead, or take a safety class, or be mandated to speak about the incident at local schools or sporting clubs.

Look, if one of my kids were hit by a stray bullet from any source whatsoever, I'd be thinking of murdering someone. But I'm fascinated at the responses of the northwoods crowd -- fair, measured, critical, sympathetic -- and it makes me wish sometimes that my tony Massachusetts suburb had a little more of what they have up there (including the venison).

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Cop, Gun Dealers Indicted in Boy's Uzi Death

Kate Tuttle — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:57:00 GMT

Who was to blame when 8-year-old Christopher Bizilj accidentally shot himself in the head while firing a mini Uzi at a Massachusetts gun show? Was it the gun club owner, a small-town police chief? Was it the gun dealers who brought a lightweight automatic weapon, not made for hunting but instead manufactured for use by the Israeli army? Was it the 15-year-old who was supervising the boy's shoot? Was it his father, who brought him to the show and allowed him to pick up a gun even professionals say is notoriously hard to handle?

Prosecutors have won indictments for the gun club owner, Pelham (MA) Police Chief Edward Fleury, and the two Connecticut-based gun dealers, Carl Guiffre and Domenico Spano, who brought the Uzi. They are not charging the teenager or the boy's father, whose punishment, we can only imagine, will be lifelong and far worse than anything the courts could hand down.

Knee-jerk anti-gun folks sometimes make me mad; I come from a family that has included fishing and occasionally hunting among its pursuits, and I have a lot of respect for hunters. I grew up taking riflery courses at my summer camp, and loved testing my skills on the rifle range (and I have the NRA-sponsored medals and patches to prove it). But knee-jerk pro-gun folks make me even madder: this was no hunting rifle, no gun that anybody had any business shooting for fun, particularly not a child. With any luck, those indicted this week will serve some jail time -- the penalties for each charge of involuntary manslaughter can range from probation to twenty years imprisonment, plus fines -- but more important, gun shows such as the one that killed Christopher Bizilj will be regulated for improved safety or shut down altogether. Because then at least this hideous, unbearably sad death won't be totally pointless.

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Photo: AP Photo/The Republican, Christopher Evans

Hunter Shoots Through Trailer Wall, Kills Toddler

JeanneSager — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:01:00 GMT

She was sitting in her grandparents' house, doing what toddlers do. The next second, a bullet tore through the wall in an otherwise quiet rural neighborhood. Charly Skala was gone.The hunter whose high-powered hunting rifle claimed the sixteen-month-old's life is sitting in jail.

Despite my politics and my strictly vegetarian diet, a childhood spent in rural America has made me fairly tolerant of guns. I grew up with people who hunted to survive. End of story. But the story I shared with readers of my local newspaper has been hitting the news across the globe, and the reaction has only highlighted the vast difference between the right to bear arms afforded the average American and the need to tote a high-powered weapon.

It's not fear-mongering to say this could have happened to any family in America. Skala's family was sitting inside their trailer when the bullet burst through the wall. They were gathered to watch a football game. It hardly gets more all American.This hunter - according to officials - was just four hundred feet from the home and pointing straight at it. The .300 magnum could easily shoot more than a mile if nothing got in the way. According to the upstate New York assistant district attorney, hunter Edward Taibi of Queens, brought an "elephant gun" to go deer hunting.

Now a little girl is dead, and a hunter (who police said is extremely remorseful) is awaiting a trial on manslaughter charges. Is this merely a case of a horrible accident to get past? Or is this evidence that some guns just don't belong in the hands of the general public?

Image: Sullivan County Democrat

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They Say: Lead Bullets Make Game Risk for Pregnant Women, Kids

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They Say: Lead Bullets Make Game Risk for Pregnant Women, Kids

JeanneSager — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:33:00 GMT

Just when you thought pregnancy cravings were a as good a reason as any to sink your teeth into a big ol' juicy side of venison, they come out with another thing you can't do when you're pregnant. Or a little kid, for that matter. The State of North Dakota has come out with a warning for all pregnant women and parents of young children to avoid wild game shot with lead bullets.

A study of the lead levels of state residents, done in concert with researchers from the CDC, showed a marked difference in the lead levels of those who eat wild game. Heightened levels of lead have been linked to learning problems and convulsions in kids, sometimes even brain damage and death. The CDC epedimiologist who worked on the study says none of the levels were actually high enough to cause a problem, and none of the people who tested above "normal" were sick. It's simply "a concern," he said.

Warnings have already been issued for food pantries to throw out donated venison in North Dakota, and it's possible the scare will extend to other states. Which begs the question, what happens to the families who depend on wild game for food - especially in light of the economic downturn? Is the state overreacting or just playing it safe?

Image: AllGreen.com

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They say: Obama Wins

Brett Singer — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:11:00 GMT

CNN, The New York Times, and even Fox News have called the Presidential race for Barack Obama. (UPDATE: so has everyone else.)

Amazing to think that it's almost all over after so much campaigning.

Not much to say. I'm still going to watch the news for awhile; I'm like Yogi Berra – it ain't over 'til it's over, y'know? Then again, McCain just conceded. Wow. (Classy speech too, for what it's worth.)

UPDATE: I'm watching Barack's speech now. I can't imagine what must be going through his mind. Think about where he was in 2004. Wow. I know I should have something more articulate to say but "wow" is going to have to do. (It's late.)

My kids don't seem to care that much, which was actually sort of nice in a way. No matter who wins, they get up, go to school, eat lunch, run around, jump on my ribs – a typical day. Eventually I'll talk to them about this election, but not right now.

What about you – how do you feel?

image: me waiting to vote today

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Brett Singer — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:15:00 GMT

So the United States is picking a President today. But there are other candidates, and also many ballot measures in play today.

A quick round-up:

ARIZONA:
- Ban same-sex marriage.
- Require that any initiative involving spending or tax hikes be approved by majority of all registered voters, not just those casting ballots.

ARKANSAS:
- Create state lottery.
- Ban unmarried couples from adopting or being foster parents.

CALIFORNIA:
- Ban same-sex marriage.
- Authorize high-speed rail project.
- Require parental notification for a minor's abortion.
- Create 14-member commission to draw state legislative districts.
- Require all utilities to generate 20 percent of their power from renewable energy by 2010.
- Ban cramped metal cages for egg-laying hens.

I think I'm noticing a trend here.

Several states are voting on ballot measures to "ban same-sex marriage." Personally, I find this bizarre. Isn't it already banned? Are people that freaked out at the possibility of two men or two women marrying each other that they need to put it on double secret probation? (For the record, I think if gay people are crazy enough to want to be married, it's fine. Go for it.)

Looking at the article on MiamiHerald.com, it looks like the to-do of an insane person. Authorize slot machine gambling, check. Allow state's first casino, check. Ban abortion and dog racing, check. Ban cramped metal cages for egg-laying hens, check. (Those are all from different states, not the same one.) That's not to say that all of the measures are insane, it's just funny to think about them out of context. "Let's see, today...Prohibit mandatory union membership and mandatory union dues, authorize slot-machine gambling, and make English the official language of government proceedings. Got it." Busy day.

Sources: Miami Herald, MTV

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109 Year Old Daughter Of Slave Votes For Obama

Brett Singer — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:45:00 GMT

The line to vote for President and other stuff today might be kind of long. If you get cranky, here's an inspiring story to keep you a little bit sane.

From the Austin American Statesman:

Amanda Jones, 109, the daughter of a man born into slavery, has lived a life long enough to touch three centuries. And after voting consistently as a Democrat for 70 years, she has voted early for the country's first black presidential nominee.
…
Jones' father herded sheep as a slave until he was 12, according to the family, and once he was freed, he was a farmer who raised cows, hogs and turkeys on land he owned. Her mother was born right after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, Joyce Jones said. The family owned more than 100 acres of land in Cedar Creek at one point, she said.
Amanda Jones' father urged her to exercise her right to vote, despite discriminatory practices at the polls and poll taxes meant to keep black and poor people from voting. Those practices were outlawed for federal elections with the 24th Amendment in 1964, but not for state and local races in Texas until 1966.

First of all, the fact that anyone lived to be 109 is cool. More importantly, though, is her story. I can't imagine what it must have felt like for Amanda to cast her vote in this Presidential election.

Source/Image: Statesman.com

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Why Monday Night Football Is Important To This Election

Brett Singer — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:00:00 GMT

You probably think that a football game has no bearing on tomorrow's election.

Silly voter!

First: both Barack Obama and John McCain will appear tonight on Monday Night Football. They will be interviewed by Chris Berman, a man whose idea of humor is referring to quarterback Jack Delhomme as "Daylight Come And You've Gotta Delhomme." (Get it? "Go home?" "Delhomme?" It's even funnier when he says it every single week.) According to media reports, "The interviews will give both candidates a last major chance to appeal to Americans during a coveted spot on prime-time television. Monday Night Football has averaged 12.2 million viewers this season." That's better than the typical halftime show, although I doubt Janet Jackson will show up and offer a wardrobe malfunction. And while I would personally love it if Obama quoted Chris Rock and said, "Redskins? That's racist! That's like having a team called the New York Ni**ers," I'm guessing he won't say that. But maybe McCain will? Nah. Wouldn't be prudent, you know?

Second: if the Redskins win the game, the incumbent party – the Republicans, in case you've forgotten – wins the election. This has been true since 1948, except for once. In 2004, the 'Skins lost and George W. Bush won. Obviously this isn't a lock. Still, this is one of those weird little things that make you believe in a higher power that has a sense of humor.

The predictions I've seen generally favor the Steelers tonight, but it should be close. So if you want to start obsessing a day early, you can stay up late tonight and watch the game.

Also of interest: Obama was on Monday Night Football back in 2006 to announce… that he was a Chicago Bears fan. Here's the video.

Sources: WSJ, CBC (also image), Sporting News

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Sarah Palin Gets Pranked By Canadian Radio Hosts – Video

Brett Singer — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 02:07:00 GMT

When you were a kid, did you ever make prank calls? Call a bar and ask to speak to Dick Hertz? Dial 867 5309 and ask for Jenny? Or "is your refrigerator running? Well, you'd better go and catch it!" (That last one is way old school, dude.)

Some lucky grown-ups actually make a living doing that sort of thing. And Sarah Palin is their latest victim.

Marc-Antoine Audette and Sebastien Trudel, two Canadian radio performers who go by the name The Masked Avengers, have made calls to numerous celebrities and government officials, including Britney Spears (she's a celebrity, not a government official – just wanted to clarify that.) Now Alaska's governor can add her name to the ranks of the pranked. The Canuck comedians got through to Sarah Palin herself on Saturday and convinced her – for five minutes – that she was speaking to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The remarkable thing is how easily they get through. Sure, one would think that Palin would have figured out this wasn't actually the French Prez when he says that he loved the "documentary" that Hustler made about her, "Nailin' Palin." But the really sad part is the staffer who puts her right on the phone. No, "Are we expecting a call from the President of France?" Nothing.

Another good line: "We have the equivalent of Joe the Plumber in France. It's called Marcel, the guy with bread under his armpit."

The campaign released the following statement: "Governor Palin was mildly amused to learn that she had joined the ranks of heads of state, including President Sarkozy and other celebrities, in being targeted by these pranksters. C'est la vie."

So I guess if you catch your children on the phone asking some stranger if they have Prince Albert in a Can (let him out! Ha ha!), maybe you should encourage them? OK, not really.

Here's the entire Sarah Palin prank call for your listening pleasure.

Source: miamiherald.com, huffingtonpost.com

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Jon Stewart says: Ted Stevens is a Cheap Date

Brett Singer — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:00:00 GMT

By now you probably now that Senator Ted Stevens has been found guilty of lying about campaign gifts. But what WERE those gifts? Must have been some spectacular stuff to be worth risking his political career and legacy for. Right?

Eh, no.

Howard Stern has been talking about this for awhile now – basically, Stevens sold his soul for, like, a barbecue grill. (But a really NICE one.) Jon Stewart weighed in last night (if the video doesn't work, try clicking here):

Personally, I prefer my corruption big. If you're going to go to jail for something, shouldn't it be something really huge? And if you're going to completely sell out to special interests, shouldn't you get better stuff than that crappy fish sculpture?

The details are just too wacky to be true, except that they are. From the Miami Herald:

Stevens maintained throughout his own testimony that he didn't want the things he was given — a grill, a fish sculpture, a generator, furniture, a high-tech massage chair, free labor — and that he never received bills for some of the work done on his home, even though he asked for invoices. He also continued to place much of the blame on his wife, Catherine, saying repeatedly that she was responsible for overseeing the renovations that led, in part, to his federal indictment. He simply was unaware of all renovation-related expenses, Stevens testified.

Let's review. He didn't want the stuff. He asked for bills and never got them. (Funny how that NEVER happens to me. Or anyone else on the planet.) He's blaming his wife. (Nice.) And it gets better:

But jurors are unlikely to regard some of his assertions as credible, including Stevens' claim that a $2,695 massage chair was a loan, not a gift, from his friend Robert Persons in 2001.
The lead Justice Department prosecutor, Brenda Morris, read from an e-mail in which Stevens told Persons "the chair arrived and it's great," but added that he couldn't accept it as a gift, just as a loan. If it's a loan, Morris asked Stevens, why then is the chair still in his Washington, D.C., home more than seven years later?
"I told him I would not accept is as a gift," Stevens said. "We have lots of things in our house that do not belong with us."

If you could hear me, you would know that I am laughing. Out loud. "We have lots of things in our house that do not belong with us." What can one say about that? Imagine you are in your child's room and you notice a toy that looks unfamiliar. You ask them where they got it. "It's not mine. I have lots of things that aren't mine." Oh! OK.

And one more thing: Madeline points out in Morning News that Sarah Palin has asked Stevens to resign his Senate seat. Some have the audacity to suggest that Palin might be eyeing his job. Or as Madeline puts it: "Is Palin looking out for Alaska's best interest? If by Alaska, you mean Sarah Palin, then some say the answer is 'yes!'"

Oy.

Source: Miami Herald, hulu

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N-Word Flies at Palin Rally

Brett Singer — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:00:00 GMT

This is really ugly.

I hope that whomever you happen to be voting for, this isn't something you can condone.

As the blog We Are Respectable Negroes (the name comes from the Forty Acres and a Mule document) puts it: "It seems that Barack Obama was finally called a 'nigger' at a recent Republican presidential rally."

Palin will get a lot of flack for not responding, and while I can't argue otherwise, I don't know what she should have said. (In a Palin voice: "Oh, come on now! That's a bad thing to say!") Then again, how do you stand in front of a crowd that screams out something like that?

Michelle Malkin is claiming that the person was actually shouting, "Redistributor!"

Yes, of course. I make that mistake all the time.

(Aside: in case anyone is planning to leave a comment along the lines of, "What about that Sarah Palin hanging effigy? Why aren't you railing against that?" It's terrible and should be taken down immediately.)

I'll ask you -- what do you think you heard? I actually closed my eyes so I couldn't see the captioning on the video. Send the kids out of the room and tell us what you think was said.

Source: We Are Respectable Negroes, MichelleMalkin.com

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Brett Singer — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Kim Mance breaks down some of the key points in the Obama and McCain health care plans. I have a few thoughts to add.

I didn't realize this, but the debate about a national health care system goes back much further than when Bill Clinton attempted to implement one when he was first elected way back in 1992. "Both Roosevelt and Truman called for health care to be an 'economic right.' Truman then proposed a single-payer health program to cover all Americans. But it was called a 'Communist plot' by a House subcommittee after the American Medical Association denounced it." Funny (not ha-ha funny) how one of the current digs at Obama is that he's a "socialist". I guess socialist is the new communist.

A key difference between their proposals is, "how to ensure that all Americans have access to health insurance. Both want there to be no 'state lines' as there are now, so families can shop around for the best plan. However, Obama will regulate and require insurance companies to cover patients regardless of pre-existing conditions, and McCain will not. McCain will instead work with Governors on (fifty separate) plans to optimize access to health care within each individual state."

One thing that I find very interesting, and encouraging, is that at least both sides are talking about getting more people covered. Back in the 1990's, it was much more of an "us against them" situation, with the Democrats wanting a national health care system and the Republicans wanting everything to stay the same.

To me, a sign that the McCampaign is out of touch on this particular issue is the notion that a family can purchase health coverage for $5,000, or even that they can purchase it at all. First, as Mance points out in her Babble article, $5,000 covers less than half of the typical family's yearly health insurance bill. Obama says that the cost is $12,000, Mance cites a study that puts the number at $12,680. Second, as someone who has run a small business and offered health insurance to employees, I can tell you that it is not that simple to just go buy a plan the way McCain says it is. For an individual, it is significantly more difficult. Health insurers simply don't want to talk to individuals about coverage, they prefer to deal with "groups", meaning employers. So while it sounds nice to say, "hey, here's five grand, you can buy whatever health plan works best for you", it's just not that simple.

There are more details discussed in Mance's article, which is very much worth a read. The bottom line? It's hard to tell what will happen no matter who gets elected, but they agree that the current system isn't good enough. "Neither presidential candidate's health care plan brings us anywhere near a true socialized medicine or single-payer system. But they do both point out the many ways our own health care structure can be improved." That's at least something.

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Palin Speaks Out On Special Needs Trusts

Brett Singer — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin gave a speech in Pittsburgh on Friday where she discussed the challenges facing children with special needs.

Here is a video clip with a few choice digs at the Obama-Biden tax plan:

If the clip does not appear, try clicking here to see it.

And a couple of pertinent lines from the speech:

As families across America know, the care of special-needs children requires long-term planning, and especially financial planning. A common practice among these families is to establish financial trusts. These are known as special needs trusts, covering years of medical and other costs, and for parents they bring invaluable comfort.
Understandably, then, many families with special-needs children or dependent adults are concerned that our opponent in this election plans to raise taxes on precisely those kinds of financial arrangements. They fear that Senator Obama's tax increase will have serious and harmful consequences -- and they are right. The burden that his plan would impose upon these families is just one more example of how many plans can be disrupted, how many futures can be placed at risk, and how many people can suffer when the power to tax is misused.

I’m unfamiliar with special needs trusts, but it sounds to me like something only someone with money can do. That is, if a family lives paycheck to paycheck, how much financial planning can they really do? Like most political rhetoric, what Palin says is short on specifics and long on fear mongering. (That's true of both sides; lack of details is non-partisan.) Also, "the power to tax"? Oy vey. You would think no Republican administration had ever raised taxes, or that the tax cuts in recent years actually worked. (That's another conversation, but really. Oy vey.)

She also makes this claim:

In a McCain-Palin administration, we will put the educational choices for special needs children in the right hands their parents'. Under reforms that I will lead as vice president, the parents and caretakers of children with physical or mental disabilities will be able to send that boy or girl to the school of their choice -- public or private.

Just like that? Come on. We're not electing a Supreme Ruler; we're electing a President. And anyone who thinks that a school voucher law like the one that Sarah Palin describes (I know that may be an oversimplification, but hey, I can do it too!) will get passed quickly and easily is at best naïve.

A commenter on the nationaljournal.com article says it pretty well:

I find all these promises far too vague and general to mean much of anything. … What about health insurance? … Sorry, I don't need a 'friend' -- I need someone with a plan that does more than 'hope' that 'market forces' will allow me to afford insurance for my child.

I will say that I think it's interesting to hear this much talk about autism/special needs children during an election year. It's possible that this issue was front and center in the past, but if so, I didn't notice.

Text of the full speech is here if you want to read it.

If anyone has more direct experience with special needs trusts, or any of the other issues Palin raised in her speech, I'd be curious to hear your take on what she had to say.

sources: MSNBC, National Journal

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Flip Flopping on Palin's Kids

Brett Singer — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 21:00:00 GMT

I was all set to write something about how I didn't really care if Sarah Palin put her children in the public eye. It's part of running for office, especially national office, and hey, this is her job. People rarely complain about men doing it with their kids. Why should it be different for a woman?

But then this story about Piper and her (fake) Louis Vuitton bag popped up, and I had a change of heart.

Is it really fair to put your kids through that sort of scrutiny? Let's review: We had Piper Palin, on video, spitting on Trig's hair.

Then Palin the Candidate brought Piper and Willow (Piper seems to be getting the most screen time, no?) out to a Philadelphia Flyers game. She thought that Philly fans would NEVER stoop so low as to boo her little girl. (Um, Philly fans would probably boo the second coming of Elvis if he was there to give them each a million dollars, but that's another story.)

These are two of many examples where Palin uses the kids as a bit of a shield. Or if "shield" is too strong a word, I think we can all agree that she's "putting them out there," which means what they do will be scrutinized. Unlike her youngest children (Trig for example), the older kids know enough to realize what's going on and hear the insults being hurled their way. Would I want to subject my child to that sort of thing?

The Presidential couple that did the best job of keeping their kids – actually, kid – out of the news was Bill and Hillary Clinton. For all of his obvious failings, Bill (with Hillary's help, of course) told the press every chance he had that Chelsea was off limits. For the most part the media respected that. Now, that was a different time. Clinton left the White House in 2000, which was before the rise of TMZ, Gawker and the constant barrage of celebrity news programs and web sites that track every move the famous make. Still, I doubt that most mainstream media outlets would have "gone after" Palin's children if they were home in Alaska going to school rather than out dropping pucks on the campaign trail.

Of course, if they were in Alaska, Palin would be separated from her kids for quite a long period of time. But how many hours could she possibly be spending with them anyway? Wouldn't they be better off away from all of this nonsense?

Then again (Live! Flip-flopping in action!) what business is it of ours? Since we don't want Sarah Palin to tell us what to do with our kids, how can we tell her what to do with hers? BUT (flip) doesn't it say something about her judgment that she has no problem pulling her kids out of school whenever it suits the campaign, taking them away from their friends? HOWEVER (flop) don't they benefit from her high profile? Am I judging her differently because she's woman?

And so on. You know what the bottom line is, I think? It's not important. What happens to Sarah Palin and her family is important to Sarah Palin and her family. I disagree with her on virtually every issue she has an opinion on, and I think her behavior at campaign rallies has been reprehensible. (Colin Powell said it much better than I ever could.) That's what matters. Her kids? While I can't say I agree with the decisions she appears to be making, they're her decisions. She'll have to live with them. Right?

What do you think?

Photo: MSNBC.com, via Morning News

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30 Rock Premiere Online A Week Early

Brett Singer — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 06:00:00 GMT

If you can't wait to see the season premiere of '30 Rock' -- well, you don't have to.

NBC has posted the entire episode online at Hulu.com. Actually, it's embedded in this web page. Right here. Who needs a TV?

Liz is trying to adopt, so the episode actually has a lot to do with parenting and stuff. Megan Mullally plays Bev, the woman from the adoption agency, and all sorts of weird crap happens when she comes to the office to see if Liz would make a good parent. (Will Arnett also guest stars. Every time he opens his mouth, it's funny.)

How is it? It's good. A few good lines:

"She touched me in my swimsuit area."
"Is it so wrong that I just want to have one of these to grow up and resent me?"
"I'm Fred, Rick is the other black guy."

For me, the weird thing about '30 Rock' is that I don't mind watching it on the computer. Obviously I watch all sorts of short clips on YouTube and everywhere else, but there's something about this show that lends itself to Internet viewing. Also, while every time I've watched '30 Rock' I enjoy it, I somehow don't feel compelled to ever watch it again. Then at some point, like now, I see another episode, and I like it. And, then it's forgotten again. I don't know why. I'm not the only one; despite the tremendous amount of media attention the show and Tina Fey have gotten, '30 Rock' is described as 'ratings challenged' even by Ms. Fey. Maybe this adoption storyline is going to heat up, and that'll draw people in. There's also that whole Sarah Palin impression that has helped Saturday Night Live get its highest ratings in a decade. Might be some spillover from that as well.

Anyway, Tina Fey is the new Empress of Show Business. You heard it here first.

Source: Hulu

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Brett Singer — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:30:00 GMT

TMZ is reporting that Saturday Night Live will bring back cast member Maya Rudolph – or as they put it, "Maya Rudolph Goes Barack to SNL." She'll play Michelle Obama and also "will once again co-star with Amy Poehler in their 'Bronx Beat' skit. Oh my gawd!"

What's interesting about this is that SNL has no African-American women in the cast, and it probably wouldn't look too good to put Kenan Thompson in a dress to play the possible First Lady To Be. (Although it could be pretty funny – remember Tracy Morgan playing Star Jones?)

I've always been intrigued by SNL casting when it comes to persons of color. For example, the show initially took some heat for casting Fred Armisen as Michelle Obama's husband. While Lorne Michaels said that, "Fred just had best take on Obama," and that's why he was cast, I wonder if the fact that he is "of white and Asian heritage" (according to the Washington Post) had anything to do with it. That is, maybe Michaels was concerned that if he cast Whitey McWhitebread in the role of the first African-American Presidential candidate, people would get up in arms. (Or up in ARMISEN - get it? Oh, that was bad.)

Of course, as the same Washington Post article points out, Billy Crystal played Sammy Davis Jr. (and Muhammad Ali in the highly underrated "Kate and Ali" sketch) and no one complained. Nor do they mind when Darrell Hammond does his Rev. Jesse Jackson impression. (Which, for what it's worth, is brilliant.)

Casting Rudolph says, to me, that the powers that be at SNL do feel some pressure to have not-100%-white actors play prominent Black characters. Not all the time, but in this case, it's appropriate. I think I agree, but it's interesting that there seems to be some need to deny that.

Source: TMZ and Washington Post

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Is Sarah Palin the next Oprah?

Brett Singer — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:45:00 GMT

This story from the Hollywood Reporter is making the rounds. It's very odd.

According to HR, "as more and more polls cast doubt on the McCain-Palin ticket, producers and agents across the entertainment world are discussing possibilities for capitalizing on her fame, ranging from an Oprah-style syndicated talk show to a Sean Hannity-like perch in cable news or on radio."

I suppose I could see a Fox News-style show. But Oprah? Come on.

I'm not a big Oprah fan. I think she promotes some questionable stuff, is highly materialistic, and never gets criticized even when her actions might warrant it (she really made some big mistakes with that school she started, for instance). But there's no denying that she is the most successful television host in history, and someone whom millions of people adore. She is also somebody who can say, "I like this book" or "I like this movie" and suddenly that book or movie is number one. (Howard Stern Show producer Gary Dell'Abate told a story on the air about how he tried to get his wife to watch the movie 'Crash' with him. She wouldn't even consider it. Then Oprah said it was great. They watched it that night.) Again, it's not my thing, but Oprah clearly connects with a broad range of people. Sarah Palin is an extremely divisive figure. While that sort of thing plays really well on Fox News and right-wing radio, it doesn't usually work on network or syndicated television. (Anyone remember Rush Limbaugh's late night TV show? I thought so.)

Also, I think Palin has more political aspirations. That's pure speculation on my part, since Sarah and I haven't talked lately. (Actually, we haven't talked ever.) But I'm not the only one who thinks she might want to move into the White House on her own.

Would you watch a show called "Sarah!" starring Palin?

Source: Hollywood Reporter

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Will Ferrell Returns to SNL

Brett Singer — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Will Ferrell made his triumphant return to Saturday Night Live last night; actually, the official title is "Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update Thursday" which is so clunky it sounds like a Bushism.

The bit is too long, as usual, but has some good lines. Bush is in the Oval Office to offer his endorsement to the McCain-Palin ticket; he refers to the upcoming election as a contest between, “the hot lady and the Tiger Woods guy.” Tina Fey as Palin (I guess we're done seeing the real thing, although with the ratings Saturday's show got, who knows) pops in to the Oval Office to see Bush: “So nice to meet you Mr. President, I've seen you on TV.”

She gets more good lines, saying that she and John have been “Travelin' the country, talkin' about change, and energy independence, and William Ayers... Doin' a little shopping...”

Of course, McCain doesn't want the endorsement, ha ha. Todd eventually tracks him down; I like Jason Sudeikis, the guy who they have playing Todd Palin, although the snow suit does most of the acting.

I can't decide if Tina Fey is getting tired of playing Palin or if the discomfort is part of her performance. Either way, I think she is now officially Head of Show Business. I can't recall a comedienne/writer/actress/whatever you want to call her who became this popular, especially without a blockbuster film or highly rated TV show. I think she's hilarious, and it's a great impression. Maybe sometimes talent does matter.

David Zurawik in the Baltimore Sun says that SNL is providing a “profound service” with their political satire. I don't know if I'd go that far, but it definitely has gotten people to watch the stupid show again. This sketch does get a little more pointed than some of the others, with Ferrell as Bush saying, “When you go in the voting booth to vote for McCain, remember this face,” and points to his own. It's a lot more bluntly left-wing than the Amy Poehler rap from last week. (I thought the rap was funnier, though.)

Here's the clip:

Source: Hulu
Image: Baltimore Sun

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UPDATE: Jon Stewart says "F*** All Y'All"

Brett Singer — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:15:00 GMT

On The Daily Show, Jon Stewart clarified the remarks he made at Northeastern University a few days ago (source - HuffPo):

Original post is below:

Speaking at a homecoming event at Northeastern University, Jon Stewart had this to say about Sarah Palin and her recent comments:

"She said that small towns, that's the part of the country she really likes going to because that's the pro-America part of the country. You know, I just want to say to her, just very quickly: f**k you."

The video is very low quality (cell-phone I think) and not that easy for my aging ears to understand. The zinger is pretty clear, though, so don't watch this at work. Here you go:

I'm almost surprised that Palin's comment isn't getting more attention. Not that it's been ignored, but what a terrible thing to say. It does, however, feed right into how a lot of people in this country feel (as this video shows pretty clearly).

To paraphrase Stewart, Palin's supporters love this country. They just hate half of the people in it.

source: HuffPo

image: Wikipedia

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Brett Singer — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:44:00 GMT

This video is from July, but Anya Strzemien at Huffington Post dug it up in the wake of the Sarah Palin's clothesgate.

The video is from Access Hollywood, so don't expect hard-hitting journalism. That said, both Barack and Michelle come across as very normal. Plus you get a really cute moment about 1 minute in when one of the Obama kids says, "But mommy IS important!"

As for the photo, according to Strzemien, that dress costs $34.95. As for Barack, he "hates to shop" and his shoes have holes in them. As someone who goes shopping once a year, and even that is under protest, I can relate.

Here's the video:

Source: HuffPo

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Brett Singer — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:10:00 GMT

So it really happened. I kind of thought that maybe it wouldn't, that they were just teasing us, but there she was in all her GOP VP candidate glory.

There were two segments - the first, the opening, seems to have gotten more attention. After Tina Fey, as Palin, explains which parts of the country are less Pro-America than others. Cut to backstage, where Lorne Michaels is standing with the real Palin. Then Mark Wahlberg shows up to pretend to beat up Andy Samberg because he didn't like some sketch last week. Alec Baldwin arrives and thinks Sarah is really Tina, etc. Gawker describes it as "awkward", which I think is accurate. What do you think? Here's the clip; watch for what one Gawker commenter calls "the best bit...the glance Feylin gave each other as they passed- TOTAL F***NG MUTUAL HATRED...":

The second bit, from the Weekend Update segment, has a pregnant Amy Poehler performing a rap that Palin says she now thinks she shouldn't do. It's sort of funny, although I have to admit that lately I sometimes think that SNL is only as funny as the funnier amateur stuff on YouTube.

Palin actually proves herself to be a fairly comfortable actress, which isn't really a surprise since she has a media background (sportscaster, beauty pageants, etc.)

Now, for no reason other than I think I can get away with it in this post, here is my Sarah Palin song parody - Rock Me, Sarah Palin (remember Falco? Rock Me Amadeus? Big hit in the 80's). I admit that the video portion is fairly simplistic, but hey, I don't have NBC money. Feel free to ignore it for the network comedy clips featured above.

Now, I have a question. Is SNL lame for having the real Palin appear on the show? As another Gawker commenter puts it, is it, "all fun and games until someone loses her reproductive rights"? Obviously SNL wants ratings, and this show will probably bring them in. But doesn't it dilute whatever they might be doing satirically by having the object of their ridicule on the show? Or does it not matter?

image: Gawker
source: Hulu/NBC

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They say: no one with a uterus should vote for McCain

Brett Singer — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:30:00 GMT

The actual title of this post over at the blog A Little Pregnant is "Why no one with a uterus should vote for John McCain." Despite the fact that I am someone who is without a uterus, I still felt that this argument needed to be shared with Babble readers.

Here is the opening salvo of the strongly but calmly worded argument against the Republican vice-Presidential candidate:

Senator John McCain, Republican candidate for president, on late-term abortions, and whether they should remain legal when the health of the mother is at stake:

"Health for the mother." You know, that's been stretched by the pro-abortion movement in America to mean almost anything. That's the extreme pro-abortion position, quote, "health."

For purposes of my argument, it doesn't matter how you feel about abortion. Forget your own feelings about abortion. My own are rather liberal, offputtingly so to many people, so forget those, too. Forget your disappointment, if you feel it as I do, in hearing Senator Obama use the anti-choice movement's buzzwords, "partial-birth abortion," without busting out an angry McCainish sneer.

Focus instead on the air quotes McCain used, the belittling wiggle of his fingers as he summarily dismissed women facing what's possibly the ultimate lose-lose situation: your baby or your life.

Here is the video the author is referring to:

This line is also worth quoting:

Not only is John McCain saying we shouldn't have the right to terminate a pregnancy in the event that our lives are at stake, he's telling us he's skeptical that that happens at all.

We know better.

Actually, the whole thing is worth reading, and its not that long. Go check it out.

Source: alittlepregnant.com