The Second to Last Word

Seriously.

It is beside the point that I couldn’t get where I needed to today because of the traffic on the Los Angeles area freeways.  I just don’t care that Michael Jackson is dead.  There I said it.  I don’t care.

I think people should have taken the position of Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Ross and Justin Timberlake; stay quiet.

It strikes me as ironic and proves (IMHO) how inconsistent the media is.  I remember when the media made the effort to “prove” in the court of public opinion that Michael Jackson was a pedophile.   They  were convincing us over and over again…

Jesus Juice

Children with sheets over their heads

Dangling baby out of hotel windows

Inappropriate sleep overs

Wacko Jacko

The same people who vilified Michael Jackson were celebrating him.  It seemed like that was the only news today.  I think celebrities need to die every day as nothing else matters on the day we celebrate their lives.  Seems like nothing was going on in the world except traffic and a memorial.  I beg to differ.

Did you know that around 204,000 people have fled their homes in the Somali capital of Mogadishu as a result of a militant offensive against government forces?  Yeah, that was today.

U.S. President Barack Obama said that The United States is “absolutely not” giving Israel a green light to attack Iran.  Israel is going to Nuke Iran?  We said, No?  That was today?

How about this bit of scary news…Plainclothes investigators sent to test security at federal buildings in four U.S. cities were successful in smuggling bomb components through guard posts at all 10 of the sites they visited.  Yawp.  Seems kind of important, don’t you?

Indonesians vote for only the second time in their brief history (3rd largest democracy in the world)…

All of this is going on…but nothing seems to be more important than a memorial.  Right?

Seems wrong.  Seems wrong to hear “We are the World” while poor Somalians are fleeing a place they call home.

I couldn’t help but wonder if the “friends” that performed were trying to get a few extra sales…

Mariah Carey – New Album in 48 days

AKON – New Album out in stores

Lionel Richie – New album out in stores

Brooke Shields – Still trying to save her TV career?

John Mayer/Jennifer Hudson – Grammy votes?

I am so cynical, I know.  I just wonder how quickly AEG will be cashing in on the DVD/BLU-RAY of the memorial?

UPDATE:

Of course you have the final word…

What is the deal with all this god talk recently? I have been noticing more and more the people are discussing religion in one form or another. I hear it on the radio, TV, newspapers, magazines…

Is this because Angels and Demons just came out in theaters and raked in $48 million bucks?

Is it because Christopher Hitchens’ book “God is not Great” hit the paperback section of the local mega-book store?

I recently read that the Gallup people released results of a poll last week regarding “Pro-Choice” or “Pro-Life” and found that a majority of people are now “Pro-Life” for the first time since 1995 when Gallup first started asking this question. An interesting point is made here about the “sample”, but… click it and read it!

The Pew Research finds the same thing.

Are people moving toward the usually religious association of Pro-Life because there is a democrat is in the White House? Is it just that people “like” going against the grain? I don’t know. I am not a statistician. I don’t pretend to understand these polls. I do question whether a sample of 1,000+ Americans is large enough sample whose results can then be transposed on ALL AMERICANS.

I will gladly admit that I have changed my mind on Abortion. I am Pro-Choice. I do not think that the government should stick their nose in what a woman wants to do with her body. If you remove the availability of the “choice” it seems kind of less American don’t you? Religion aside, if that is even a possible position for some to take, can you really tell me that a choice woman makes should be legislated?

Okay. So, based on these polls, does it seem that we are are becoming a more “conservative” (read “religious”) country when I hear that the fastest growing minority are atheists and agnostics (and those who fall somewhere in between)? If this anti-religious club is growing are they more likely to side with “Pro-Life”?  I am a little confused and I hope someone can explain this phenomenon to me!

I would like to know why the Gallup people never call me. Or the Pew Research Center for that matter. Is it because I live in Los Angeles?

I heard an argument on the radio today that these numbers could be “blamed” on the increase of immigrants who are a growing number in this country. It was said that they “tend to be more conservative”. This then begs the question, as far as I am concerned, where the people polled legal American citizens? Is is fair to lump those into the mix? Yes, I know, they are here so that is enough, right? It’s not like the people conducting the polls called Mexico or Vietnam or Romania to ask how Americans feel about certain issues, right? I hope not!

Then, Obama shows up to give the commencement address at a Catholic University! Great timing, right? Here is a Catholic school where students as well as local bishops are boycotting the graduation ceremony because they have invited someone who has a different point of view. Isn’t that the point of higher education to be inclusive and to hear BOTH sides of an issue that allows people to make decisions based on all sides of an argument? I guess those at Notre Dame don’t study anything other than the Bible. I wonder if the student body skips some of their Biology courses or Geology courses. Do they not talk or discuss dinosaurs? If they do, do students stay home that day and blow off the exam or reading assignments because they are against or at least on the surface contradict the concept of a 7,000 year old planet? Just curious.

Regardless of my political leanings I would still want to meet the damn president of the United States. Wouldn’t you?  If anything to give him an ear-full or not.  I would probably chicken out.  Or not.  Who knows.  It’s not like I will be meeting the President of the United States of America any time soon.  It’s not like Hitler was being asked to speak at Notre Dame.  Or the King of North Korea.  I might understand that a little more.

So, is the USA leaning towards religion now that George W. Bush is out of office?  Did the mention of Atheists in Obama’s inauguration speech scare people?  I know that  original Bush, BushI, is believed to have said that Atheists shouldn’t even be considered Americans.  And now, the new president, mentions Atheists during the inauguration?  Leaps and bounds my friend.  Leaps and bounds.  Maybe this scares people into thinking that Atheists are all about KILLING PEOPLE and KILLING IDEAS and other nonsense.

It seems to me that the more religious we become, the less tolerant we become and the more ignorant we become.  That should scare people more than anything else.  We don’t like the Fundamentalist Muslims, right?  Why not?

You have the last word!

Holy cow! You have got to check this out.

The Italians are outraged by their PM Berlusconi and have started a website geared to let those around the world know that PM Berlusconi does not REPRESENT them or SPEAK for them!

This all stems from the comment Berlusconi made last week about Obama being “nicely bronzed” (suntanned).

Jeesh!

Go check it out

Here is the photo I submitted:

Here is one from a friend of mine:

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

The image I submitted a few days ago was finally posted!

NOW YOU GET THE LAST WORD!