“A James Cagney love scene is one where he lets the other guy live.“   — Bob Hope

(A true, red white and blue blooded American!) —   YUR

Visual Description:  Lady programmer at the shoe store.

JOANB  =  BANJO,  PAKKO  =  KAPOK,  MEEDER  =  REDEEM,  SUTTOM  =  UTMOST   —   Giving us:  BORETO

Clue/Question:  Why the computer whiz went to the shoe store.

Answer:  TO  “REBOOT“

(I’m not about to reprint the letter.  If you’re reading this you’ve probably already read it.  If not, then feel free to Google: The Letter Everyone is Talking About!)

A lot of things bother me about this letter.  I find it to be very disingenuous.  I also see a lot of not so thinly veiled racism in it.

1.  A lifelong Democrat switching her allegiance to the Republican party in the very year that the Democrats run a Black/African-American Presidential candidate??? (I don’t think I buy the notion that she was supporting a “native son”, or that she was a disgruntled Hillary supporter.)

2.  Leading off this diatribe with the complaint about illegal immigration – any time someone feels they have to state: “I’m not a racist” very often means (not always, mind you) that they are.  (Although, I personally DO believe that there has long been a big problem with illegal immigration in the US.)

3.  Jumping all over ACORN.  The things I’ve read about the ACORN “scandal” point more to individual misdeeds than to any systemic issue/problems.  ACORN has become one the right-wing’s favorite whipping boys, for a quite a while now.

Things that make me doubt the veracity of this letter:

Complaining about “buzzwords” when most of her letter is filled the currently popular right-wing buzzwords (and phrases):  Czar, states rights, redistribution of wealth, speed-reading (or not reading) bills, politically correct, and we have the best health care system in the world.  What does this tell you about the writer?

It’s pretty clear that she does NOT believe in global warming, and that she is AGAINST real health care reform.

Insinuating that TARP and the Stimulus Bill were all Obama’s ideas, when this whole mess started before the 2008 election took place.  Sure, Obama voted for TARP, so did McCain, and almost everybody else in Congress.  (I personally thought it was a huge mistake, back in October of ‘08, and I wrote so on my blog, on more than one occasion.)  But, that was only phase one.  We all knew that phase two would come late winter/early spring of ‘09.  How was Obama supposed to renege on what had already been decided?

The general timing of her letter is very questionable.  And why to Glenn Beck?  Of the FOX News network???  They just happened to be the only network to air this?  Just about everything she cites screams of conservatism, and not of someone who was (supposedly) a lifelong Democrat.  Saying that she no longer feels the Republican Party represents her views is just a ruse, in my opinion.  I think the entire letter was carefully crafted to paint the Obama administration, and the so-called Democratic congress (it’s a very simple majority really), in a very negative light.  These tea-baggers, and health care reform opponents, and congressional bashers (what-have-you) are the furthest thing from being grassroots movements.  They are well funded, and managed, by conservative republican interests.  These highly organized obstructionist tactics are only delaying our economic recovery, and fostering increased divisiveness.  I don’t see how this kind of negativity can be viewed as constructive.

If this letter arrives in your e-mail I suggest deleting it, as opposed to forwarding it.  It’s neither productive, nor healthy.

YUR

“Among individuals as among nations, the respect to other people’s rights is peace.“   — Benito Juarez

(That’s one reason why he is known as Mexico’s greatest and most beloved leader!) —   YUR

Visual Description:  Sadsack getting the axe.

ILETT  =  TITLE,  ARBSS  =  BRASS,  CHABER  =  BREACH,  ILDUIQ  =  LIQUID   —   Giving us:  TEBSEHLU

Clue/Question:  What a pink slip will give you.

Answer:  THE BLUES

(Thanks, guys.  Just what we need.  Yet another reminder of how bad the economy/job market is.  What’s your next puzzle going to be on?  Debtor’s prison?) —   YUR

“Joy lies in the fight, in the attempt, in the suffering involved, not in the victory itself.“   — Mahatma Gandhi

(Unusual choice of words for a pacifist, no?) —   YUR

Visual Description:  A failed batter, upset with the catcher’s suggestion.

YOOTS  =  SOOTY,  INVEX  =  VIXEN,  INBENG  =  BENIGN,  PROAND  =  PARDON —   Giving us:  OTYVIENGADN

Clue/Question:  This can be a good piece of advice.

Answer:  DON‘T GIVE ANY

(This ump is a little redundant/over-the-top with his gestures.  Yeah, I know . . . picky, picky, picky!) —   YUR

Old flame:

I just recently found out that an old girl friend of mine was actually a contestant – and winner – on the popular game show, Jeopardy!  I’m feeling the mixed emotions of pride, jealousy and bemusement.  I’ve always said that I’m only truly attracted to intelligent girls/women, so there’s the pride angle.  I’ve always wanted to be on Jeopardy, myself!  I know I’d give that twerp, Ken Jennings, a run for his $$$!  (Jealousy)  And, if you only knew what my buddies nick-named this poor girl, after she had left her purse at a restaurant, you’d really see my source of bemusement.  She actually adopted the four initials of the nick-name, as a humorous and self-deprecating sign-off, for a while.  She certainly was NO dummy.  LDDF, I think of you from time to time, kid.

Stupid Cathy!:

Against my better judgment, I always read the comic strip “Cathy”, by Cathy Guisewite.  I find it to be THE most annoying comic strip of ALL time, but I can’t help but read it.  Maybe it’s the simple drawings, or maybe I just like to read it and get angry – I don’t know.  Even my kids would refer to it as Stupid Cathy, because that’s how I would read it to them, when they were little.  She’s kind of like the Howard Stern of the comics page.  She takes one joke, usually a small and often unfunny joke, and just runs it into the friggin’ ground!  I’m celebrating because she just recently got off of a 3 week jag on women’s boots!  I can’t imagine even the most shoe obsessed female finding this amusing after the first week or so.  Thankfully, she’s moved on to a Thanksgiving/cooking theme.  So far, it’s not funny either, but I continue to read it!

Interesting quote:

Yesterday’s Thought for Today, in the newspaper was:  “Education is a private matter between the person and the world of knowledge and experience, and has little to do with school or college.“   — Lillian Smith Think of it.  Some of the brightest and most successful people in the world did not attend college, and some were even high school drop-outs.  Now, I would never encourage anybody NOT to get as good an education as possible/practical, but we need to get over this glorification – and perverse fascination – of an education pedigree.  Some of the most narrow-minded and boring dolts have some kind of letters following their names, while some of the most interesting people could be fixing your plumbing, installing your cable . . . or raising chickens.

That’s all for today, kids!

YUR

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.“   — Lewis Carroll

Visual Description:  A showing at a film makers class.

RATYR  =  TARRY,  CEPEA  =  PEACE,  DAMNET  =  TANDEM,  EXFRIP  =  PREFIX —   Giving us:  TRRECTADEIX

Clue/Question:  What the film student received when he appeared in the movie.

Answer:  “EXTRA” CREDIT