HOMELESS KIDS

My heart is hurting. After watching the 60 Minutes program on homeless kids in Florida, I was so so sad. To think that we have these kids who have no place to lay their heads, other than a truck, a car, and if they are lucky, a dingy motel.  Heart Breaking. Philosophically, we know that people (adults) often make decisions which may bring them to where they are. Or, they find themselves where they are through no fault of their own. But, the bottom line is kids ought be playing ball, shooting marbles, playing with friends, drawing pictures, Barbees; whatever kids do now days, not worrying about their safety, living in cars, motels. What in the hell is this? "Sixty Minutes" profiled several but two stuck out. The Metzgers: dad, an out of work carpenter, Mom dead. Their uncertainty in living the life they had too was simply overwhelming. The attitude of these kids--the cute little daughter wants to be a lawyer, serious, had ambitions and an incredibly positive attitude. What the hay, I wanted to run out and adopt them.  If some wealthy American who has big bucks and doesn't get on this, I am going to not only be disappointed but reinforced in the idea that we have become greedy sorry MFers. Most of our kids and Grandkids should be so aware as this youngster, saying something like, "it isn't so bad, education is everything to us." She was born "forty years old." Her younger brother is not far behind in attitude. Don't disappoint me America. We made black Friday the biggest shopping spree in history, the least we can do is get a home for the Metzgers and get him a job. And then there was this African American family. Super attitude too. I wish so many of these f..king racists, mostly Republicans, could see this family: guy finally gets a job hustling around trash cans. His comment:  "so happy just to have a job." 

THE CHANGE I BELIEVE IN

I've never heard of Katrina Vanden Heuvel but she is speaking my language. Her book, "The Change I Believe In," is one I'm going to believe in. She has the best critique of the President I've read. Some disappointment but a realization that he is at heart, a "reform president domestically, committed to improving people's lives and to the renewal and reconstruction of America." I believe that and have viewed the president as discovering the running of a country is a hell of a lot different than campaigning. He has tried to reach out to Republicans and they have chew his hand off. Here's where he could have taken a note from Hillary. She never doubted the Republicans hated her and that good will was as illusive as a "straight" man in San Fran's Castro. The president would have served himself and us better if from the beginning he had said, "f..k you very much."

Vanden Heuvel's outlook is a little different from mine. But not much. Where she is somewhat tempered in her view, I am less so. For me, the Republicans have been a recalcitrant bunch of sorry MFers who, with their racist views, announced from day one that they had only one goal: bring down the President. The choir was led by Mitch McConnell, a KY racist who is minority leader of the Senate. In fact, the f..ker announced it publically--One goal, defeat the president. She mentions but a little too academic and not forceful enough for my taste that Democrats, which she spells with a "little d" need more patience. My idea: listen you sorry ass Dems of any label, left wing, right wing, moderate, progressive, where the f..k are you going to go, you sure as hell better wake up and smell the roses or you are going to wake up one morning and the roses will be replaced by some big ass self interest that the Repubs have dreamed up.

The description of Vanden Heuvel's book sounds more than promising. I'm not quite as optimistic. But, then again, I don't know s..t! Greed is going to have to be overcome and that is a hell of a proposition.

GREED

My good friend and his wife met me at this little cafe in North Beach in
San Fran. His wife and I talked a little politics until she said, "I  don't want to talk about it anymore." She is a right wing Republican. I am always simply amazed at how this happens: a smart intelligent person in today's environment who has bought into the bullshit of mostly the Republicans that all our social programs have to be dismantled  to solve our problems. Beats the hell out of me how people get this way. Forget the BS of Repubs and Demos, just think of the 25 million kids who are homeless. This is scandalous considering the wealth of this country. These f..king idealogical positions will not fill a stomach. Politics is not for s..t but it is what we have and we can do better. Unfortunately, I have little faith that we will. As a country we are just too damn greedy. 

MICHELLE BACHMAN

Listening to Michelle Bachman interviewed by Robert Segal on NPR, my first reaction is, "you've got to be s..ting me. She has written a book. Probably the "Tea Partiers" will run out and scarf it up. F..king non thinkers. I have lots of thoughts but here is the basic one by way of illustration. Stay with me now: These old guys I hang out with use to go to this little restaurant where we got to know our little waitress. We bonded. She was cute as a bug, spoke English really well. We generously tipped. Bought her flowers on her birthday. She was probably illegal. We really had a philosophy about immigration but it went to hell and in our often rattled minds did not apply to our little waitress. She works about three jobs, goes to school. We are proud of her. We affirm her constantly. She has a boyfriend who surely doesn't seem worthy of her. By her own admission, he has cheated on her, lied, etc. Sorry f..ker should have his arsh kicked until his nose bleeds. Here's the grand finale. One morning she announces she is 3 months pregnant. Our mouths drop open. She is happy about it. Her mother is coming from Equador to help. We are aghast. What about her college plans, her future? We are tortured. It is like our grand daughter announcing this catastrophy. What about a termination, other options. She wants none. Too Catholic. What the f..k!!!!  In our view, her future goes to hell in a hand basket.  What was she thinking. Fast forward back to Michell Bachman. She brags about her own five kids and the 23 foster kids she's raised--something, while laudable, makes me want to say to our little waitress and to Bachman, Why? And F..kkkk

THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. So much for which to be grateful. I am always reminded of those less fortunate Americans who, for whatever reason, find themselves suffering. But, on this Thanksgiving, Americans everywhere are helping ease the burden. My daughter is out delivering meals; there are food banks, turkeys--scores of Americans everywhere are out there on the firing line. And let's celebrate that. I am about f..king tired of the news media talking doom and gloom. Hell yeah, the world, the country have dug themselves holes but for America in particular, we might need to do a little retrenchment. Who knows! And, I for one, think it is about time, we cut out the media's negative approach to most everything. As my buddy Tino says, f..kkkk!!!!

NEWT

Newt is the latest front runner for Republicans. Personally, I don't give a flying f..k who the flavor of the moment is for those mostly "half truthers." Fact checkers should have a field day with their facts just from their debates. They wouldn't know the "complete" truth if it ran over them. Unfortunately, in my thinking what makes them relevant is my lack of belief in voters. When you have only 50% of Americans who vote and you have a f..king bunch of zealots on one side whose mantra is, "don't confuse me with facts, I have my mind made up" and on the other, you have apathy (Democrats). Do the math. I could give a s..t less but why a president is important is the f..ker can send you to war. We are fighting one and trying to extract ourselves from the other because a President's ego became more important than American lives.

A DO OVER

David Brooks on the "News Hour" the other night said that in 10 years we would be like Greece. I would like to think not but based on current things, maybe and before. We are in a f..king mess anyway you look at it. 400 super rich Americans have more that 150 million low to middle class Americans. A protest movement who, if they don't know all the answers, know they are the 99%. Congress is a f..king bunch of "do nothings" who don't give a s..t nor have to answer to anybody. And, whose fault is that. OURS. Mine and yours asshole/MFers. It is our fault. We keep voting the same people into office. They go to Washinhton and enrich themselves and then come home and act like they give a s..t. Wake up and smell the roses. What we need is a "do over." get rid of them all. Start over. It is our only chance. Will we do it? Of course not, we are stupid and we are f..ked

TEENAGE ANGST

Jackie and I saw this movie last night that I thought was the best at showing the angst of teenagers that I've seen. What was absolutely amazing to me is that it was so well done, given the fact that there were no real stars in the movie. Well, Mare Willingham (I think is her name) was the only one. Kids dealing with parents who are unbeliably dysfunctional, peer pressure, drugs, suicide, etc. Check it out. Very thoughtful movie. Jackie don't like it at all. 

Hope all is well. 

{{{{{{{Jerry}}}}}} 

CONGRESSIONAL CROOKS

I have often wondered how a person could be elected to Congress as simply an average "Joe or Jane" of average means and a few years later leave as a multimillionaire. Well, after Watching "Sixty Minutes" last night we know: INSIDER TRADING. 

While stock brokers and other corporate types, many who maybe should be in jail but aren't, can and do, on occasion get caught and go to prison. But, get this: "not Congress," they aren't subject to the same laws as the rest of us on "insider trading." Consequenly, they can use insider information and trade on it and get rich and they do. Some guy and several students, I think at the Hoover Institute, did a study on Congress and who did, in fact, "line their pockets."  It is appalling. Steve Kroft of "Sixty Minites" confronted several, some guy from Alabama who make beaucoup bucks on "Insider" trading. Bachus was his name. This asshole bought some sort of derivities or something which made him big bucks because the country was basically headed into a recession. I don't understand it all but he basically  profited off the misfortune of the country. Sorry MFer. Most of the confronted Congressmen/women were smart and wouldn't talk to him. He nailed Nancy Pelosi in a news conference with something like, "it doesn't bother you that you have information that the general public doesn't have and can make stock purchases which enrich you." She stumbles, "I haven't done anything wrong." Oh yeah, one answer from a public source says she apparently bought $1 million to $5 million of Visa stock and then thwarte serious credit card reform for two years, and then watched her investment skyrocket 203%.
HELLO! 

Pelosi is not the only one for sure. The crooks in Congress are more the rule than the exception. They always have an answer. But, here is the discouraging thing. It won't make a f..king bit of difference. It really is the voter's fault. We keep voting them in year after year. They will never produce reform because it means reforming themselves. Let's face it, our system is broken. Revelations like these keep coming but it doesn't make for s..t. Even master lobbyist and crook Jack Abramhof, just out of prison, which most Americans won't even know, when asked something like, "is Congress less corrupt now than before you went to prison for helping them be corrupt." His simple answer, "No, Congress is more corrupt." Congress can have an approval rating of zilch, total disdain by the people surveyed--doesn't make for s..t of difference. Do we think in the long run, the revelation that Nancy Pelisi that I voted for twice will make any real difference and she'll get pitched our. F ..k no. 

TIDBITS

I'm still blown away by these three old codgers in Georgia, charged with terrorism. These old f..kers should have been hanging out with their Grandkids. I usually try to avoid GA, SC, AL as they have more nuts than the average bear but this about takes the cake: ignorance, stupid, uneducated. 

GREECE. I am about over this. The Greeks, unti they change their culture, forget it: good old fashion graft is the name if the game. A Greek buddy of mine calls it the "small envelope and the big envelope". You want a doctor's appointment. If you can wait a couple of days, it is the small envelope. If you are really sick and need to see the doc, the big envelope, stuffed with, "guess what." Everybody knows this but nobody talks about it. Give me a f..king break! 

Afghanistan. The only people who seem to not "get it" are the generals and the Ambassador. There is no chance in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a failed state. We are stupid. There's no other way to explain it. What we are counting on at this late date isn't working. Corrupt police, tribalism, fifteen young soldiers died in one incident recently and nobody seems to give a s..t!!! 

Mississippi wants to vote on when life begins. Oh yeah, that is a worthy topic. The debate has been going on forever but some idiot politicians in MS think they know. Conception. No, A fetus may begin in the back seat of a 49 Ford Coup but it is a long stretch until birth. Here's what I think. Conception begins when the fetus can live outside the womb.  

CONDALEEZA RICE. I saw the interview on PBS. I like her and will probably leaf through her book. She, like those before, justify their decisions. Nobody ever says, I/we f..ked up. Why is this? Human nature I guess. But, Condi, you guys f..ked it up. We are leaving Iraq and what did we get out of it? Not even a "break on the oil." What in the hell ever happened to that idea that Iraqi oil was going yo pick up the tab for the war. Asked some Mom who lost her son in that sorry ass war and see what she says about all you Bushites justifying what you did. To me, it is a f..king national disgrace. 