claptrap

claptrap clap·trap [klap-trap] noun

1. pretentious but insincere or empty language: His speeches seem erudite but analysis reveals them to be mere claptrap.

2. any artifice or expedient for winning applause or impressing the public.

---

For a visual definition, watch C-Span. 30 seconds oughta do the trick.

ugsome

ugsome ug·some [uhg-suhm] adjective Scot. and North England

horrid; loathsome

---

Not sure where I had seen it, but I was familiar with this word; I don't think I've ever used it, however.

It should be stencilled on Nancy Pelosi's mirror, though.

misoneism

misoneism mis·o·ne·ism [mis-oh-nee-iz-uhm, mahy-soh-] noun

hatred or dislike of what is new or represents change.

---

I wasn't familiar with this word, but definitely am familiar with the definition. I'm one of those people who resist change, but it's basically with websites or operating systems or the layouts of my favorite stores (especially when products I often buy are put somewhere else!).  When I get used to something, it's hard for me to change over to the new system...but I eventually do.  What annoys me the most is when I don't see the upside to the change and think that it's just change for changes sake.

I've never seen this term applied to them, but many conservatives get accused of a hatred of change, but in most cases, that's not true or deserved.  I can't speak for other conservatives, but as for me, I don't generally dislike the change after I get used to it, but I don't like things to be changed just to be changed.   If the change is good...and doesn't cost a ton of money...then I'm all for it.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.   Dallas Cowboys, why in the world did you abandon the run when it was working so well?  The conservative approach was winning the ball game.

I'm Ashamed To Be a Fan

I saw that posted on the Facebook and other Dallas Cowboy fan sites today after the blowout loss by the 'Boys Monday night against "da Bears".  I also saw "I'm embarrassed by them!"

I was disappointed, sure; a win would have kept them tied with the Eagles at the top of the division, but embarrassed?  Ashamed?  No, of course not.  I slept like a baby last night and only got annoyed today when turning to a sports show on TV or on the radio where I had to watch/listen to so-called experts who list all the things wrong with the team or what they would have done differently. 

Sure, it's easy to look back with 20-20 hindsight and say what should have been done, but if they're so smart, then why are they not coaching an NFL team instead of calling in to a radio or TV show (or hosting one) and griping? It's one thing to have a former player or coach critique the team's play, but for some schmuck on the couch to pretend to be an expert...well, that's too much.  Those armchair quarterbacks upset me more than how the Cowboys play.

Look, if you're ashamed of your team, then maybe it's time to root for another one;  I know I would.  Then again, I know I have absolutely nothing to do with the Cowboy's success OR failure.  Wearing a Dallas jersey and screaming at the TV doesn't help, no matter how loud you yell.

Embarrassed by the team?  Not me;  I get embarrassed when I accidentally pull out in front of someone while driving, or look down after I've been into a half dozen public places and see that my fly is unzipped.  (so THAT'S why people were giggling!) If you're embarrassed by one or more of your friends - who root for other teams - making fun of your team...well then, you really need new friends.  Both your and their priorities are in the wrong place.

I used to get upset when I was a kid and Dallas would lose...then again, I was 12 yrs. old and they were an important part of my life - along with many other things I now wonder why I set so much store in when I was that age.  I was immature, and I think that's the problem with a lot of these "ashamed" and "embarrassed" fans. 

Grow up.  It's just a game.  At the end of the season, only one team's fans will be happy, that's the way it works.   If you really want to be upset by games, then watch C-Span and the games our politicians play.  Now THAT'S something that should make you embarrassed and ashamed.

pol

pol [pol] noun Informal

a politician, especially one experienced in making political deals, exchanging political favors, etc.

---

Or, for about 97% of them: scum, dirtbag, whale poop, snake belly, crook, thief, liar, moocher, leech, idiot and a bunch more that aren't fit for print.

Stop Watching Us

Great video...on the surface. These Hollywood celebs bring up Nixon, yet say absolutely nothing about the person they were, in a large part, directly responsible for putting into office. You screamed about Bush and the Patriot Act, but are silent about this administration, the one that has vastly expanded these domestic spying programs?

Hypocrites.

snollygoster

snollygoster snol·ly·gos·ter [snol-ee-gos-ter] noun Slang
a clever, unscrupulous person.

---

I never had heard or seen this word used, but I sure can think of quite a few people to which it could refer.

We've elected many.

Two Minutes of Hate

From the 1984 British dystopian film Nineteen Eighty-Four (also known by the name 1984), based upon the iconic novel of the same name by George Orwell.


That scene reminds me of the current discourse amongst Americans these days, getting all riled up in forums and on message boards over some so-called "controversial" issue, all while ignoring the things our "leaders" are doing while we're distracted.

Gerald Ford Trivia

Did you know Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States, was originally named Leslie Lynch King, Jr. when he was born? He was also the only President not to be elected by the Electoral College, having been appointed to the Vice Presidency when Spiro Agnew resigned, then becoming President upon the resignation of Richard Nixon.

Ford was also a star football player for Michigan and in 1934, against the University of Chicago, "became the only future U.S. president to tackle a future Heisman Trophy winner when he brought down running back Jay Berwanger, who would win the first Heisman the following year."

Mr. Speaker to Mr. President

James K. Polk was the only former Speaker of the House (1835-1838) who also served as President. (1845-1849) Photographs of him are the earliest surviving taken of any President while in office.

A Pair of Abigails

There have been quite a few U.S. Presidents with the same first name; there have been three Georges: Washington, H.W. Bush and W. Bush.

The names John and William tie for second with four apiece;  John: Adams, John Quincy, Tyler and Kennedy. The four Williams are Harrison, McKinley, Taft and Clinton.

The most common name for Amercian presidents is James; Monroe, Madison, Polk, Buchanan, Garfield and Carter.

Yet, there have been only two First Ladies with the same first name: Abigail Adams, wife of John (on the left, below) and Abigail Fillmore, wife of Millard. (on the right)

Marx Man Missed Mark

Did you know the FBI once listed Groucho Marx as a potential threat to the life of Richard Nixon? Marx was listed as a threat when he joked in 1971 "I think the only hope for this country is Nixon's assassination."
	Not many found it funny, least of all Nixon and the FBI.

Images courtesy of

terpsichorean

Word of the Day

terpsichorean \turp-si-kuh-REE-uhn\ , adjective:

1. Pertaining to dancing.

---

Apt word for these times, seeing as how more people care about Dancing with the Stars than they do about our politicians dancing around the issues...and stepping on our toes while they're at it.

Victory!

Of the Pyrrhic sort.

national debt

Since the election was called for Obama several hours ago, I've been doing a little research on the national debt, the most pressing issue facing our country and the next term of the President. I won't give links or explain my math - I'm tired from the tension of following the returns, plus if you want to double-check the figures, you can look 'em up yourself, but from what I could find out, each single U.S. citizen owes over $50 thousand as our share of the national debt.

That figure is staggering, but the figure that's alarming is that Americans under the age of 18 inherit over 200 thousand as their share of the national debt.

That's what's so distressing about the election results. I saw people gloating over Obama's win, but I don't think they realize the implications. I'm not saying a Romney presidency would've been any better; he has a history of being a big govt. politician, too.

I wouldn't have been overjoyed if Romney had won; to me, he was the lesser of two evils. I don't understand the celebrating, esp. by those people with children. Thanks to the last half-dozen presidents (actually more than that), we've saddled the next several generations w/ a mountain of debt and if Obama's first term is any indication, it will only get worse.

The National Debt has continued to increase an average of $3.86 billion per day. Let that sink in;  nearly four billion a day increase. (or will be four billion very soon) Listening to a radio show just now, I heard that our debt is over 30% more than Greece's...and they're on the verge of collapse.

The only way to even begin digging our way out of this crushing debt is by raising taxes...not just on the rich, but on the main body of taxpayers, the middle class. Sure, corporations can have (and probably will have) their taxes raised, but anyone with even the most basic understanding of economics should know that cost is passed along to the consumer. From there it becomes a vicious circle - taxes go up, prices go up, the consumer has less money to spend on other things, other industries suffer, etc. and so forth.

Just raising taxes won't cut it, however. The military budget can be cut, but I don't see that helping much, so...that leaves only benefits to be pared and who thinks that will be done?  History shows it won't.  So, that puts the burden on the taxpayer and it will be impossible to retire this debt in ours or our children's lifetime...and in fact, the debt will even grow larger until our economy collapses.

So, celebrate while you can, "congratulations" on your "win". Eat, drink, and be merry, fiddle while Rome burns. The bar tab will come due sooner than you think.

I think I'll go on to bed.  I'm sure the sun will come up tomorrow and the world won't end on Dec. 22.*  I just hope my country can survive the people we've elected and the fools that elect them.

What I'm really afraid of is when the Chinese come to collect on the I.O.U.'s we've been giving them.

*Edit to add:  That's the Mayan calendar date the world is supposed to end.  The official Inauguration Day is January 20th. However, as that date falls on a Sunday in 2013, the public swearing-in ceremony will be held on Monday, January 21, 2013.

Sorry for any confusion.  I just woke up after a few hours of fitful sleep.  I thought I'd feel better after resting.   I don't.

Candidate Match Game

Candidate Match Game II

Play USA TODAY's Candidate Match Game II to find out which candidate -- Barack Obama or Mitt Romney -- you agree with most on the key issues of the day. And as you take the quiz, learn more about their positions on the issues.



As you select your answers, the graphic slides more to the candidate whose views are most like your own. As I answered the questions, I was surprised to see the percentage ebb and flow from one candidate to the other. In the end, however, my score was 76% in favor of Romney.

Still, I thought that the real outcome of the test should have been the likenesses morphing into a single image. That's what politics has become, after all...two sides of the same coin:  a plugged nickel.

Candidate Match Game II

palter

From our Word of the Day module

---

palter pal·ter [pawl-ter]

verb (used without object)

1. to talk or act insincerely or deceitfully; lie or use trickery.
2. to bargain with; haggle.
3. to act carelessly; trifle.

---

That would describe just about anything coming out of a politician's mouth.

cacology

cacology ca·col·o·gy [ka-kol-uh-jee, kuh-]; noun

defectively produced speech; socially unacceptable diction.

---

Close Encounter For the Third Time

Close Encounters of the Third Kind was on earlier, so that accounts for the "alien" theme today.  It's one of my favorite movies, plus I was annoyed at some political posts I read on Facebook. Some people's thought processes truly are alien.

I kinda get carried away with something at times. I think I'll get off the 'net for a while, because my very favorite sci-fi movie is on now: Blade Runner. While I am sometimes prone to argue over politics, I think arguing about movies is silly. The only thing I'd want to discuss about Blade Runner is if you think Deckard is a Replicant or not.

Government Explained

An inquisitive alien visits the planet to check on our progress as a species, and gets into a conversation with the first person he meets. The alien discovers that we live under the rule of a thing called "government", and wants to understand more about what "government" is, what it does, and why it exists.




If you don't want to sit through the entire 9 1/2 minutes of the video, then you can read the transcript.

I Side With

I saw a link to ISideWith.com on Facebook earlier and decided to take their test. Most of the regular readers of this blog (all six of you) already know I am a Ron Paul supporter, but I wanted to see if this survey would validate my choice.

It did.

I try to not get too involved in politics here;  I don't care to debate them and have always wanted my blog to be light hearted and educational if possible. Still, this was an interesting thing to do.

Click graphic for larger view.

I was a little surprised that it was "only" 93%, but that might have been due to a few of my choices where I put I didn't think the federal govt. should be involved, whereas Paul's stance would have been leave it up to the states. A minor difference to me, but perhaps not to him. Another difference was that maybe I didn't attach enough significance to certain issues, such as gay marriage or attaching the most as I did with gun control.   I expect that if I waited a while and took the test again, the numbers might skew a few points one way or the other.  That doesn't mean I'm wishy-washy, just that I might feel a little stronger towards some issues after a while and deeper reflection and less so on others afterwards.

I think the most pressing concern to us is economics;  none of the rest of the issues will matter if we don't get our debt under control and unemployment down to a minimum.   I'm also for change in regards to our immigration policy and that of the war on drugs because our current policies aren't working. 

I was a little surprised that it showed me to have that much in common with the Republican party.  The way they've treated Ron Paul and we libertarian-minded conservatives has driven many of us away from the GOP.   I think both they and the Democrats have morphed into two sides of the same coin - a plugged nickel.

I think my libertarian viewpoints mirror my Texas upbringing, namely that it's an innate thing for most Texans to want to mind our own business, to allow others to do as they like just as long as it doesn't affect us in a dangerous  or overly annoying manner.

---

Edit to add: While watching the live NASA feed of the control room monitoring the Curiosity as it touched down on Mars, it dawned on me one of the reasons that I didn't mesh up with Ron Paul more than I did; I am in favor of govt. funding for space exploration, at least I have been. I doubt we would have already landed on the moon if it were not for the massive funding of the space program. However, it looks like private space projects are now in the works..

I'd also like to clarify that I do not belong to the Libertarian Party. I agree with most of their platform, but not all. I consider myself a "small L" libertarian.