Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Poor NBC...
They tossed Conan O'Brien under the wheels of the bus, and kept Keith Olbermann...
It's going to cost NBC $40,000,000 to make Conan go away.
Keith, on the other hand, will just stay on to keep poisoning the well.
Don'tcha know the folks at Comcast, who just bought NBC, are just gleeful?
$6.5 billion in cash on the table, and they get Keith Olbermann...
Shareholder meeting should be interesting this year!
It's going to cost NBC $40,000,000 to make Conan go away.
Keith, on the other hand, will just stay on to keep poisoning the well.
Don'tcha know the folks at Comcast, who just bought NBC, are just gleeful?
$6.5 billion in cash on the table, and they get Keith Olbermann...
Shareholder meeting should be interesting this year!
O Heavens, OldSouth Underestimated The Spin!
Just a few posts ago, OldSouth speculated on the list of parties who would be blamed were Scott Brown to win the Senate special election in Massachusetts.
It's the racists.
It's the teabaggers.
It's Rush and the radioheads.
It's the homophobe pro-lifer fascist zealots.
It's Bush's fault(always a favorite...).
It's Martha Coakley's fault.
It's the voters' fault--they were all duped into voting for the wrong person--we must repeat the election.
It really wasn't a legal election, 'cuz a Democrat didn't win. (Therefore he can't be seated.)
Along comes Keith Olbermann, MSNBC's pet attack dog, with this rant that hits most of the points on the list.
Really, OldSouth was attempting (lamely, it appears) to be a bit tongue-in-cheek.
Along comes Olbermann, unbidden and unrehearsed.
To quote the great Jeff Foxworthy: 'Folks, I just can't make this stuff up!'
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Can You Say 'Out of Touch'?--'I Knew You Could!'
Ah, yes, for decades Fred Rogers would don that comfy cardigan and lead his TV audience of tykes on another gentle journey through Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. He would carefully explain new ideas unfamiliar words with the phrase, 'Can you say...? I knew you could!' He was also painstakingly careful to let children know when he was talking about real things or make-believe things, because young kids sometimes can't make the distinction. It's something grown-ups are supposed to do with ease.
Which leads us to the musicians of the Cleveland Orchestra, who are supposed to be grown-ups.
The city of Cleveland has not fared well these past few years, which is a reality the musicians seem to have overlooked. The massive wealth the city built has in great part melted away, and no new industries have arisen to carry the city forward.
The city is depopulating. ('Can you say 'depopulate'? That means more people are moving out than moving in. The city gets smaller and poorer when that happens, boys and girls.')
The orchestra has been running $4,000,000 deficits annually for years. ('Can you say 'deficit'? That means more money is being spent than is being taken in, boys and girls.')
The management has laid off staff and taken pay cuts, and asked the musicians to take a 5% cut in salary this year, with a return to par next year, and a modest raise in two years.
Themusicians children chose to strike instead. Right before the lucrative tour that makes or breaks the orchestra's finances.
The New York Times tells the tale:
The Cleveland players’ minimum salary stood at $115,000, seventh in the nation, but most earn more through additional payments; principal players can earn two or three times that amount.
As the musicians see it, losing further ground will make it tougher to attract the absolute best players, and to keep them, threatening the orchestra’s greatness. “Continuity and stability have been the backbone of this orchestra,” said Michael Sachs, the principal trumpeter.
Before the settlement, Mr. Hanson, the executive director, dismissed these arguments. “The proposal that we’re making is fair and reasonable and will not cause any artistic impact such as they’re predicting,” he said. Though the orchestra has been toward the bottom of the elite orchestra pay scale for a decade, he added, virtually no member has defected.
Defected?!!! Every opening announced opens the floodgate of stellar one-page resumes, hundreds of them. The management could start over, advertise the positions starting at 75k and staff the equivalent of two orchestras, with never a worry about quality of employee.
Remember when the Major League Baseball players went out on strike in 1994, and the World Series was cancelled? What happened next season? The fans stayed away in droves, and television ratings sank.
Did it occur to the children that no one in the Land of Reality sympathizes with people who make high incomes, doing really pleasant work, who decide to go on strike? Especially in industries that exist to entertain the rest of society?
The Cleveland Orchestra departs for Miami tomorrow for their winter concert season there. Here's hoping the good people of Miami stay home and donate their ticket money to people with real problems, like the injured and starving of Haiti.
Audiences and donors can strike, as well.
Which leads us to the musicians of the Cleveland Orchestra, who are supposed to be grown-ups.
The city of Cleveland has not fared well these past few years, which is a reality the musicians seem to have overlooked. The massive wealth the city built has in great part melted away, and no new industries have arisen to carry the city forward.
The city is depopulating. ('Can you say 'depopulate'? That means more people are moving out than moving in. The city gets smaller and poorer when that happens, boys and girls.')
The orchestra has been running $4,000,000 deficits annually for years. ('Can you say 'deficit'? That means more money is being spent than is being taken in, boys and girls.')
The management has laid off staff and taken pay cuts, and asked the musicians to take a 5% cut in salary this year, with a return to par next year, and a modest raise in two years.
The
The New York Times tells the tale:
The Cleveland players’ minimum salary stood at $115,000, seventh in the nation, but most earn more through additional payments; principal players can earn two or three times that amount.
As the musicians see it, losing further ground will make it tougher to attract the absolute best players, and to keep them, threatening the orchestra’s greatness. “Continuity and stability have been the backbone of this orchestra,” said Michael Sachs, the principal trumpeter.
Before the settlement, Mr. Hanson, the executive director, dismissed these arguments. “The proposal that we’re making is fair and reasonable and will not cause any artistic impact such as they’re predicting,” he said. Though the orchestra has been toward the bottom of the elite orchestra pay scale for a decade, he added, virtually no member has defected.
Defected?!!! Every opening announced opens the floodgate of stellar one-page resumes, hundreds of them. The management could start over, advertise the positions starting at 75k and staff the equivalent of two orchestras, with never a worry about quality of employee.
Remember when the Major League Baseball players went out on strike in 1994, and the World Series was cancelled? What happened next season? The fans stayed away in droves, and television ratings sank.
Did it occur to the children that no one in the Land of Reality sympathizes with people who make high incomes, doing really pleasant work, who decide to go on strike? Especially in industries that exist to entertain the rest of society?
The Cleveland Orchestra departs for Miami tomorrow for their winter concert season there. Here's hoping the good people of Miami stay home and donate their ticket money to people with real problems, like the injured and starving of Haiti.
Audiences and donors can strike, as well.
They're Thugs, But it's OK, They're Obama's Thugs
Remember the scene at that Philadelphia polling station in November 2008?
From today's Washington Times:
The undisputed facts on Election Day 2008:
Two members of the New Black Panther Party, wearing black berets, black combat boots, black dress shirts and black jackets with military-style markings, were videotaped at a Philadelphia polling place as one brandished a 2-foot-long nightstick. Multiple witnesses complained that they felt intimidated, and several filed affidavits attesting as much. One witness said that one Black Panther told a white man, "Cracker, you are about to be ruled by a black man." A Justice Department memo also says that a black couple, both Republican poll watchers, told authorities they were concerned for their safety when leaving the polling place at day's end because the Black Panthers accused them of being "race traitors."
...and later...
The New Black Panther Party has been identified as a "hate group" even by left-wing organizations and also has been denounced by the remnants of the original Black Panther Party. Yet at one point in 2008, the official Obama campaign Web site proudly featured a Web page highlighting the New Black Panther Party endorsement. One of the Black Panthers originally charged in the voter-intimidation case, Mr. Jackson, was an elected member of Philadelphia's 14th Ward Democratic Committee and was credentialed to be an official Democratic Party poll watcher. The case against him was dropped just four days before municipal elections in Philadelphia - just in time for him again to serve as an official Democratic poll watcher.
All attempts to bring these thugs to justice apparently were quashed by Obama political appointees.
This smells of Argentina in the 1940's, and Obama increasingly looks and smells like Juan Peron. That country has yet to recover from Peronism.
OldSouth's concerns about today's Massachusetts election, and violence at that polls this fall, are not unfounded. The Obama campaign, and the White House, are complicit with this thuggery.
But that's OK, 'cuz they're thuggin' for HopeAndChange, right?
Is this what Dr. King devoted his life's work for? Anyone out there who decried the use of dogs and batons against the Selma marchers willing to speak up against Obama's thugs?
(Sound of crickets chirping...)
From today's Washington Times:
The undisputed facts on Election Day 2008:
Two members of the New Black Panther Party, wearing black berets, black combat boots, black dress shirts and black jackets with military-style markings, were videotaped at a Philadelphia polling place as one brandished a 2-foot-long nightstick. Multiple witnesses complained that they felt intimidated, and several filed affidavits attesting as much. One witness said that one Black Panther told a white man, "Cracker, you are about to be ruled by a black man." A Justice Department memo also says that a black couple, both Republican poll watchers, told authorities they were concerned for their safety when leaving the polling place at day's end because the Black Panthers accused them of being "race traitors."
...and later...
The New Black Panther Party has been identified as a "hate group" even by left-wing organizations and also has been denounced by the remnants of the original Black Panther Party. Yet at one point in 2008, the official Obama campaign Web site proudly featured a Web page highlighting the New Black Panther Party endorsement. One of the Black Panthers originally charged in the voter-intimidation case, Mr. Jackson, was an elected member of Philadelphia's 14th Ward Democratic Committee and was credentialed to be an official Democratic Party poll watcher. The case against him was dropped just four days before municipal elections in Philadelphia - just in time for him again to serve as an official Democratic poll watcher.
All attempts to bring these thugs to justice apparently were quashed by Obama political appointees.
This smells of Argentina in the 1940's, and Obama increasingly looks and smells like Juan Peron. That country has yet to recover from Peronism.
OldSouth's concerns about today's Massachusetts election, and violence at that polls this fall, are not unfounded. The Obama campaign, and the White House, are complicit with this thuggery.
But that's OK, 'cuz they're thuggin' for HopeAndChange, right?
Is this what Dr. King devoted his life's work for? Anyone out there who decried the use of dogs and batons against the Selma marchers willing to speak up against Obama's thugs?
(Sound of crickets chirping...)
If Brown Wins, How Will The White House and MSM Explain It?
The chart tells a dramatic story.
Scott Brown was 30 points behind in November, 17 behind at the New Year.
He's polling about 10 points ahead in some polls today.
Of course, only the real one counts, the one done tomorrow.
But, if he wins, by a distinct margin, to claim the seat vacated by Ted Kennedy, what will Hopey-Changey's people say? How will they spin this?
First and foremost:
There is always an explanation, some way of making certain it is never interpreted as a rejection of Obama or his governance.
It's the racists.
It's the teabaggers.
It's Rush and the radioheads.
It's the homophobe pro-lifer fascist zealots.
It's Bush's fault(always a favorite...).
It's Martha Coakley's fault.
It's the voters' fault--they were all duped into voting for the wrong person--we must repeat the election.
It really wasn't a legal election, 'cuz a Democrat didn't win. (Therefore he can't be seated.)
If he wins big, the exodus of Democrat incumbents headed to retirement will pick up steam.
But don't worry, the White House will assure one and all, and the MSM will echo the refrain:
It has nothing to do with Obama, and if you disagree, you must obviously be a homophobe, prolifer, teabagging, radiohead, racist Bush-lover.
It's not his fault.
It's yours.
Chin-straps on. Tomorrow will likely be ugly.
Scott Brown was 30 points behind in November, 17 behind at the New Year.
He's polling about 10 points ahead in some polls today.
Of course, only the real one counts, the one done tomorrow.
But, if he wins, by a distinct margin, to claim the seat vacated by Ted Kennedy, what will Hopey-Changey's people say? How will they spin this?
First and foremost:
There is always an explanation, some way of making certain it is never interpreted as a rejection of Obama or his governance.
It's the racists.
It's the teabaggers.
It's Rush and the radioheads.
It's the homophobe pro-lifer fascist zealots.
It's Bush's fault(always a favorite...).
It's Martha Coakley's fault.
It's the voters' fault--they were all duped into voting for the wrong person--we must repeat the election.
It really wasn't a legal election, 'cuz a Democrat didn't win. (Therefore he can't be seated.)
If he wins big, the exodus of Democrat incumbents headed to retirement will pick up steam.
But don't worry, the White House will assure one and all, and the MSM will echo the refrain:
It has nothing to do with Obama, and if you disagree, you must obviously be a homophobe, prolifer, teabagging, radiohead, racist Bush-lover.
It's not his fault.
It's yours.
Chin-straps on. Tomorrow will likely be ugly.
Monday, January 18, 2010
A Warning Shot Across The Bow, From Across The Pond
Burning Our Money has been informing us on how the UK fared during the recent snows.
The tale has not been pretty.
Snow comes, snow melts.
Incompetent governments, sadly, show up, and are loathe to melt away.
Here in the US, we haven't reached this stage. Yet. But we are not too far from it, and 2010's cash crunch on local and state governments will begin to take hold.
The tale has not been pretty.
Snow comes, snow melts.
Incompetent governments, sadly, show up, and are loathe to melt away.
Here in the US, we haven't reached this stage. Yet. But we are not too far from it, and 2010's cash crunch on local and state governments will begin to take hold.
Two Local Views On The Senate Race In Massachusetts
Boston Globe
Boston Herald
This is beginning to look like one of those memorable events that only the US can conjure up:
Brown was serenaded by his daughter, former “American Idol” semi-finalist Ayla Brown, backslapped by Red Sox [team stats] ace pitcher Curt Schilling [stats], and pumped up by former “Cheers” know-it-all John Ratzenberger during the electric rally.
“This to me feels like the clubhouse on the morning of Game Seven,” said Schilling. “We know we’re going to win, but we have to play the game anyway . . . Rarely do we feel like we get a chance to make a difference. This is one of those times and we cannot miss this opportunity.”
Schilling and Ratzenberger, for OldSouth's friends from across the pond, are major local heroes, in the 'walk-on-water' category. Especially Schilling, as the Red Sox fans refer to themselves as 'Red Sox Nation'--think Liverpool or Manchester United with a Yankee twang.
On the other hand, Obama showed up to rally what troops remain, and couldn't fill an auditorium. Brown's supporters line the streets and overflow his rallies. It has become about Obama, the Health Care Bill That Nobody Wants, the spending, the corruption, the banksters, and Wall Street crushing Main Street.
A member of the Kennedy clan turned up to help out, but couldn't seem to remember the Democrat candidate's name:
Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), speaking with a gaggle of reporters after the event, said that while state Sen. Scott Brown (R) offers voters a quick fix, in reality, the problems created by "George Bush and his cronies" are not so easily solved.
"If you think there's magic out there and things can be turned around overnight, then you would vote for someone who could promise you that, like Scott Brown," Kennedy said. "If you don't, if you know that it takes eight years for George Bush and his cronies to put our country into this hole ... then you know we have a lot of digging to do, but some work needs to be done and this president's in the process of doing it and we need to get Marcia Coakley to help him to do that."
It wasn't a misprint--Kennedy referred to Martha Coakley as 'Marcia' repeatedly. Truly a ringing endorsement...
There are a lot of motivated and angry voters out there. The lines will be long at the polls, and the Democrat machine already has lawsuits to file, ACORN thugs to intimidate voters, and any manner of electoral shenanigans to engage in. Think Florida 2000 on steroids. Hanging chads, anyone?
OldSouth's take: Even if Brown loses, it will be a most narrow loss, and will be much like the iceberg that sank the Titanic. At first, nothing seemed amiss. A few hours later, the lifeboats were over the sides. If Brown wins, Katie bar the door. The Dems in the Senate will walk over hot coals to prevent him being seated.
It will be very, very ugly.
Boston Herald
This is beginning to look like one of those memorable events that only the US can conjure up:
Brown was serenaded by his daughter, former “American Idol” semi-finalist Ayla Brown, backslapped by Red Sox [team stats] ace pitcher Curt Schilling [stats], and pumped up by former “Cheers” know-it-all John Ratzenberger during the electric rally.
“This to me feels like the clubhouse on the morning of Game Seven,” said Schilling. “We know we’re going to win, but we have to play the game anyway . . . Rarely do we feel like we get a chance to make a difference. This is one of those times and we cannot miss this opportunity.”
Schilling and Ratzenberger, for OldSouth's friends from across the pond, are major local heroes, in the 'walk-on-water' category. Especially Schilling, as the Red Sox fans refer to themselves as 'Red Sox Nation'--think Liverpool or Manchester United with a Yankee twang.
On the other hand, Obama showed up to rally what troops remain, and couldn't fill an auditorium. Brown's supporters line the streets and overflow his rallies. It has become about Obama, the Health Care Bill That Nobody Wants, the spending, the corruption, the banksters, and Wall Street crushing Main Street.
A member of the Kennedy clan turned up to help out, but couldn't seem to remember the Democrat candidate's name:
Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), speaking with a gaggle of reporters after the event, said that while state Sen. Scott Brown (R) offers voters a quick fix, in reality, the problems created by "George Bush and his cronies" are not so easily solved.
"If you think there's magic out there and things can be turned around overnight, then you would vote for someone who could promise you that, like Scott Brown," Kennedy said. "If you don't, if you know that it takes eight years for George Bush and his cronies to put our country into this hole ... then you know we have a lot of digging to do, but some work needs to be done and this president's in the process of doing it and we need to get Marcia Coakley to help him to do that."
It wasn't a misprint--Kennedy referred to Martha Coakley as 'Marcia' repeatedly. Truly a ringing endorsement...
There are a lot of motivated and angry voters out there. The lines will be long at the polls, and the Democrat machine already has lawsuits to file, ACORN thugs to intimidate voters, and any manner of electoral shenanigans to engage in. Think Florida 2000 on steroids. Hanging chads, anyone?
OldSouth's take: Even if Brown loses, it will be a most narrow loss, and will be much like the iceberg that sank the Titanic. At first, nothing seemed amiss. A few hours later, the lifeboats were over the sides. If Brown wins, Katie bar the door. The Dems in the Senate will walk over hot coals to prevent him being seated.
It will be very, very ugly.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
A Bit Of (Black) Humor From Our Friends In The UK
From Rantin'Rab:
The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588 when threatened by the Spanish Armada.
The Scots raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards". They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.
The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide". The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralysing the country's military capability. It's not only the French who are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout loudly and excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."
The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose".
Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.
The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.
Americans meanwhile and as usual are carrying out pre-emptive strikes, on all of their allies, just in case.
And in the southern hemisphere...
New Zealand has also raised its security levels - from "baaa" to "BAAAA!". Due to continuing defense cutbacks (the air force being a squadron of spotty teenagers flying paper aeroplanes and the navy some toy boats in the Prime Minister's bath), New Zealand only has one more level of escalation, which is "I hope Australia will come and rescue us".
Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be right, mate". Three more escalation levels remain: "Crikey!', "I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend" and "The barbie is cancelled". So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.
The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588 when threatened by the Spanish Armada.
The Scots raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards". They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.
The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide". The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralysing the country's military capability. It's not only the French who are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout loudly and excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."
The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose".
Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.
The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.
Americans meanwhile and as usual are carrying out pre-emptive strikes, on all of their allies, just in case.
And in the southern hemisphere...
New Zealand has also raised its security levels - from "baaa" to "BAAAA!". Due to continuing defense cutbacks (the air force being a squadron of spotty teenagers flying paper aeroplanes and the navy some toy boats in the Prime Minister's bath), New Zealand only has one more level of escalation, which is "I hope Australia will come and rescue us".
Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be right, mate". Three more escalation levels remain: "Crikey!', "I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend" and "The barbie is cancelled". So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.
Climategate, American Style
Watching the Saints disassemble the Cardinals in front of an approving crowd in New Orleans, and surfed across this article from the UK Guardian.
James Delingpole of the Guardian has been doing his homework.
It seems the activist 'scientists' have been cooking the database books over here as well! It's easy to make the temperatures appear to rise if you systematically exclude all the temperature readings from higher elevations and northern climes.
Just a local example: Nashville, Tennessee sits in a large depression, ringed by mountainous terrain in all directions. OldSouth's house sits in the pastures and woods about three hundred feet in elevation above downtown Nashville, a concrete jungle. It's almost always two or three degrees cooler here. Jackson and Memphis, in the Mississippi River Delta to the west of us, is always three to five degrees warmer. Johnson City, on the Virginia border, in the mountains, is almost always five degrees cooler than Nashville, ten cooler than Memphis.
Easy-peasy! Let's just ignore Johnson City and the towns around Nashville! OMG! Tennessee is going to single-handedly destroy the remaining polar bears!
Al Gore is a moron. That's why his home state of Tennessee voted against him 57-43 in the 2000 Presidential race. It wasn't even close. Why anyone, anywhere gives him a moment's serious attention eludes all of us here who watched him grow up.
Global warming is a fraud, cooked up by people who have figured out that taxing carbon is the greatest foolproof scam ever invented.
The quote from the Guardian worth noting:
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