General Fun Stuff … and the DOC says -- make that RANTS!

Amici:

Preview Review … We’re reading the Talented Miss Highsmith by Joan Schenkar and finding it absolutely fascinating. With three of Ms. Highsmith’s non-Ripley books on deck (“Strangers on a Train”, “Deep Water” and “The Price of Salt”), we’re going to postpone a few other reviews scheduled here for another few weeks. Highsmith was a list-maker, religious, horribly anti-Semitic (unless she needed someone sexually or for her career who happened to be Jewish), equally racist, sometimes petty and always thinking in terms of the next piece of writing. Her mother-daughter issues and purposeful deception of character are both scary and intriguing, as is her attempt to “cure” herself of her homosexuality. She also wrote for a number of comic books (for years, although she tried desperately to hide it), jumped from bed to bed (woman to woman and sometimes tossed in a man just to test “it” out) ... and she refused to learn how to type from fear of becoming a secretary. She had self esteem issues that ranged from delusional to self loathing. She was religious and often read the Bible before bed. She felt her lack of success (there was never enough for Ms. Highsmith) artistically and financially was punishment for her being a drinker and a lesbian.

She was tough and gruff and cheap and vindictive and above all else, extremely talented. Her story, albeit not very nice, is fascinating. This is a very tough book to put down. After reading the Ripley series (and loving 4 of the 5), it is easy to see some of the author in her most famous character. Seriously, amici, this is a GREAT read.

Upcoming Reviews: a few more by Highsmith interspersed with Sandra Ruttan's Lullaby for the Nameless and David Zeltserman's Killer.


Christmas Spirit … the son (Charles, not Charlie) sent me this: "This makes me angry when I think of the bitter cold sweeping the East." Click on the link here: Huffington Post reports: Amid the recession and the cold winter months, Cynthia Magnus made a shocking discovery at the H&M in Manhattan's Herald Square. It wasn't a sale on the season's hottest trends--it was garbage bags upon garbage bags of unsold merchandise, most of it slashed with razors to ensure that no one would ever wear or sell it, the New York Times reports.

Unbelievable. These stores would do Ayn Rand proud. If we can’t sell it, we’ll destroy it and those in the cold be damned. I guess it works … it would certainly help decrease the surplus population.

Next time we go to Walmart is never.

Jon Stewart on Terrorism 2.0 ... Funny, funny stuff and he doesn’t let Bush or the Republicans off the hook either.




One for O’Reilly ... The babbling baboon (and world class buffoon to boot) makes a point. The other day he ranted about the hypocrisy of treating terrorists like criminals. The buffoon argued, rightly (probably for all the wrong reasons): Why is it okay to use predator drones on terrorists/criminals to kill them without providing the due process we’re so willing to give them here (after they try to kill us)? Would we have taken out KSM if we could have with a drone? If so, why are we giving him a criminal trial? Or, to be more absurd about it, why aren’t we giving all those we kill over there with drone strikes trials first? And what about all the collateral damage we do using predator drones? Do the innocent killed in such bombings from the sky enhance our system of democracy to those we’re so anxious to befriend in the Middle East or does it also provide poster fodder for future Taliban and Al Qaeda recruiting?

Hey, it’s a valid argument. Knucksline prefers whacking them with drones and putting them through military tribunals but we understand the desire to use criminal courts. We politely disagree with the idea of due process when dealing with terrorists. We don’t think foreign nationals automatically deserve what we provide American citizens through the court system. Sometimes you have to suspend the constitution when dealing with an emergency and/or a crisis situation. Lincoln suspended Habeas Corpus during the Civil War and Grant did the same in three states against the KKK (certainly a terrorist organization). We doubt either would have had a problem suspending certain constitutional rights to foreigners caught in the act of attempted murder (much less those who planned the murders).

Still, if we’re going to kill them willy-nilly over there (and too bad for the collateral damage), why are we dicking around with criminal trials here? It is as absurd as those on the left demanding criminal trials so we can “convict and then kill them.” Might that be a rush to judgment or are we to believe everything the government (any administration) tells us is true?

For some polite conversation with a guy who got me to change my mind about feeling "safer" if KSM was tried anywhere but New York (although I still have selfish reasons to wish otherwise), check From The Home Office out ... a left wing blog that doesn't spit at you for disagreeing.


Jobless Claims ... Oooops, they’re still climbing ... while we very justly lay the blame for the financial crisis at the doorstep of Bush and his incompetent administration, there’s no ignoring the fact that after giving the store away to Wall Street once in office, the Obama administration hasn’t done a thing yet to correct the mistakes that brought the crisis on (where's the missing oversight regulation?); Obama took care of Wall Street at our expense. But that just leads to the next segment ...


The New Smart ... makes a lot of noise (in the form of never-ending hissy fits), expresses violence (“It makes me want to punch someone in the face.”), which is actually pretty laughable, but it is mostly just sarcastic and arrogant; if you don’t agree with the politics of denial, you’re not smart enough to warrant politeness.

We here at TK have nothing more against the Democrats than we do the Republicans. We don’t think there’s enough of a difference to support either party. While some might say Ralph Nader cost Gore the election in 2000 and thus gave us a war in Iraq we really didn’t want (and they may be right), they neglect to acknowledge the support the Democratic Party gave to that war at the time (including the current Secretary of State, who was too busy to read the intelligence reports before voting for the war). We think both parties are a sham to the American public (taxpayers and illegal’s alike) and that so long as there is blind support of either party (for whatever reason--lesser of two evils, etc.), nothing really changes. It is a rigged deck against the American worker and the sooner people abandon both parties at the voting booth, the quicker genuine change will come.

But President Obama is so much smarter than the last guy, you might say. Maybe, but the boring facts are pretty hard to deny ...

Corporate Welfare: Bush was for it before he was against it. Obama was for it … again and again and again. Who benefits? Wall Street, et al.

Tax Breaks for the Wealthy: Bush was unashamedly for it. Obama was against it (before he gave those who borrowed OUR TARP money a $38 billion tax break). Who benefits? Those who borrowed OUR TARP Money (Wall Street, et al).

Financial Regulation (a/k/a Fiscal Oversight): Bush was against it. Obama was for it but hasn’t done a thing about it. Who benefits? Wall Street, et al.

Gay marriage: Bush was against it. So is Obama. Who benefits? Those against it.

National Health Insurance: Bush was against it. Obama was for it (before he was against it). Who benefits? The Insurance Companies, pharmaceutical companies, etc.

Blackwater: Bush was for them. Obama is even more for them (gave them a bigger budget). Who benefits? Blackwater.

Iraq: Bush was for it. Obama was against it (but we’re still there).
Who benefits? Halliburton.

Afghanistan: Bush was for it. Obama is for it (with extreme prejudice). Who benefits? One of life’s mysteries.

Guantanamo: Bush was for it. Obama is against it (but it isn’t closed yet). Who benefits? According to Democrats, terrorism.

Criminalizing Terrorism: Bush was against it. Obama is for it. Who benefits? We think terrorists (but we could be wrong).

Outsourcing: Bush was for it. Obama was against it before his legislation ignored it. Who benefits? Wall Street, et al.


So, yous tell us ... is this the change we were all waiting for or just more of the same old same old?

It isn't that we're picking on Obama and his Dems ... but unless we're mistakenly naive (as opposed to not smart), they are the ones driving the car right now.

Not to worry about voicing your opinions to us via email, amici, we won’t curse you out if you disagree. Hell, we honor everybody's opinion here at TK ... even that wild and crazy DOC.

Write us at Knucksline@gmail.com

—Knucks

And the DOC RANTS ...

Geez Chaz,

Six freaking pages! What happened? Did JD Rhoades kick you off his blogsite again?

I’m going to keep this short, because I have to go out and shovel more Global Warming snow.

Ms. Highsmith:

If she wasn’t such a talented writer she could have been head of Homeland Security having met the stringent qualifications. You know... being a lesbian with no background in security.

Walmart:

Is not the devil. Instead of making more efficient nuclear bombs, Walmart keeps China and India busy competing to make the best $3 dress shirt.

...and no, they shouldn’t be destroying clothes, but I’m sure there are a lot of homeless people who wouldn’t wear Walmart fashion.

Jon Stewart (does not let Bush off the hook):

Jon Stewart will barely admit that Bush is not president anymore. Personally, I’m getting tired of the excuse of “the incompetency of the past eight years”. That worked in February, maybe March. It’s now a year into the Immaculate Conception and things are worse. What will be the excuse in 2011? “The incompetency of the past 11 years minus 3”?

Fredo... there is a reason there is a desk in the oval office. Sit at it and read something besides the issue of GQ with your mug on the cover.

O’Reilly:

He’s a little too fair and balanced for my taste, but at least he features some of my favorite progressive thinkers like Laura Ingraham and Dennis Miller. I think the use of the predator drones should be enhanced. I would like to see their range expanded to San Francisco, Seattle, DC, the upper west side and any Starbucks in their field of view.

If the war is worth winning, there will be collateral damage and that is why you permit “Stars and Stripes” to cover the war and not the New York Times.

Now for the rapid fire...

Corporate Welfare:

Right now Ford should be raking in the dough (and paying major taxes), but we’re propping up two losers. Why? Once a car company has “bankrupt” attached to their logo they’re finished. Who wants a 5 year warranty with a company that could be dead in 6 months.

Tax breaks for the wealthy:

About 50% of American citizens don’t pay any taxes at all, so who are you going to give tax breaks to? Everybody should pay something, even if it’s only $100. That way, when a politician suggests a tax increase it affects everybody. It’s too easy to vote for tax increases when it won’t affect you. Every citizen should have skin in the game.

Gay marriage:

We don’t begrudge you the rights...Just don’t call it marriage and don’t forget that alimony is also part of marriage.

National Health Insurance:

We wasted a year on it already and if we get it prices go up. Is this what you wanted? How about you pay out of your pocket for your whiny “I have a sore throat” doctor visits and we have insurance for catastrophic events.

Blackwater and Halliburton:

These guys have particular skill sets that are not found just anywhere. We tried using AccounTemps in Iraq and we’re still receiving the body parts by mail.

Iraq:

We’re a “cowboy” nation in the best sense of the word. We don’t think “rape rooms” are funny. We kill you for that, but we don’t need boots on the ground. You’ve got 17 palaces? Well, next week you’ve got 16 and the week after that you’ve got 15 and the bombs just keep getting bigger. You let us know when you’re ready to talk.

Afghanistan:

Fredo said there are 100 Al Qaeda members and we now have 100,000 troops? At this point we need a scalpel. The Army is a broadsword. I’d even let the Bamster declare victory and pull everybody out. Imagine the party he would throw for that.

Guantanamo:

Jihad is tough. These guys need a place to relax. The NY Times has already assured them that we are not going to actually harm them. We used to scare them, but it seems that even scaring them is considered too cruel. It will be in the 70s tomorrow in Cuba. How is it by you?

Criminalizing Terrorism:

It’s not my first choice, but we might be able to make it work. HOWEVER, I want them to be in General Population.

“Mohammed, this is Bubba... he’s your date for the prom.”

I’ve heard that Attica is nice this time of year.


Happy New Year
Doc

REVIEWS, MISCELLANEOUS, SPORTS …

Amici:

KNUCKSLINE REVIEWS ...

Fires ... Raymond Carver’s collection of essays, poems and short stories is a must have for not only Carver fans but anyone into modern literary fiction. A master of open endings, Carver’s short stories are nothing less than a Tristan Chord for lovers of short fiction; notes that leave his audience in desperate anticipation of resolutions that never come. It is precisely because there is no resolution that open endings work so well (at least for this reader) and this collection, like the other Carver stories, are pitch perfect in their presentation of some of life’s everyday noir. The essays that preceded this collection were interesting reads as the author’s background was presented through information he provided about his home life as a young man through his maturing under the influences of bad economic times, his father’s several illnesses (to include alcohol that would also darken the author's life) and some general unhappiness that often accompanies decisions to follow what one believes is his purpose.

Carver’s poetry was a genuine triumph to me since I was able to appreciate much (not all) of it. There was nothing lofty about Carver’s life or how he presented his views of it in his writings. The short stories included in this collection are as masterful as always and the one I recognized immediately (So Much Water So Close To Home) after starting to read has to do with the film discussed below.

In 1993, Robert Altman put some of Carver’s short stories and one poem to film in Short Cuts. The cast is loaded with as much talent (see below) as the stories required and the result, although some liberties were taken with the intersecting of some stories, was brilliant. There is a lot of genre noir floating around these days ... but nobody portrayed life’s noir as well as Raymond Carver.



How’s this for a cast:
Fred Ward - Stuart Kane
Anne Archer - Claire Kane
Andie MacDowell - Ann Finnigan
Bruce Davison - Howard Finnigan
Zane Cassidy - Casey Finnigan
Jack Lemmon - Paul Finnigan
Madeleine Stowe - Sherri Shepard
Tim Robbins - Gene Shepard
Julianne Moore - Marian Wyman
Matthew Modine - Dr. Ralph Wyman
Jennifer Jason Leigh - Lois Kaiser
Christopher Penn - Jerry Kaiser
Lili Taylor - Honey Bush
Robert Downey Jr. - Bill Bush
Tom Waits - Earl Piggot
Lily Tomlin - Doreen Piggot
Frances McDormand - Betty Weathers
Peter Gallagher - Stormy Weathers
Jarrett Lennon - Chad Weathers
Annie Ross - Tess Trainer
Lori Singer - Zoe Trainer
Lyle Lovett - Andy Bitkower
Buck Henry - Gordon Johnson
Huey Lewis - Vern Miller
Dirk Blocker - Diner Customer

Whatever Works ... Woody Allen directed Larry David in this somewhat of an offshoot of Larry David being Larry David (at least as he portrays himself on Curb Your Enthusiasm). For fans of LD, there’s no denying Whatever Works will work just fine, but those who aren’t thrilled with David’s sometimes abrasive style of humor probably won’t feel the same way. The wife, for one, who does like the HBO show, didn’t enjoy Whatever Works. Me, I thought it was funny … but the highlight wasn’t LD being LD … it was Even Rachel Wood being nothing short of fantastic. I had thought her role in The Wrestler was good but somewhat over hyped because she just wasn’t on screen long enough to get crazy about her, but in Whatever Works she is the movie. You know what, for $4.99 On Demand, it is definitely worth the price of admission.


KNUCKSLINE MISCELLANEOUS ...

The Zen is gone ... over at one of the “liberal” blog spots a recent flirtation with all things ZEN seems to have disappeared in what Knucksline has to admit would’ve been the UNDER in a hypothetical OVER/UNDER (were we of mind to offer one, which we were, but didn’t). The anger is robust once again as those who voice contrary comments are verbally abused for disagreeing with management. We’re wondering if it’s a new addition to the old formula of: starting sarcastic, upgrading to cursing, then throwing hissy fits and quitting because the pressure to blog is too great ... or is it defending an indefensible Presidency that continues to ignore all things left of George W. Bush? This year they started with a new policy, a sort of “and kindness for all” ... but the UNDERS have it with three days into the new year before someone is told they had their “head up their ass.” We would’ve set the O/U on that blog at 10 days. The other “liberal” blog we used to frequent is doing much better (at least during home games). If we were going to offer an OVER/UNDER there, it might be the 2010 Congressional elections.

Grasshopper(s), that ain’t right.

We suggest the following (borrowed from one blog and intended for the other blog):

"There is always a bit of pleasure in indulging in negative emotion. It allows us to feel superior to others and exalt ourselves towards what we perceive as ignorance.

We cannot hope to uncondition these emotions by ignoring them. But we cannot indulge these emotions by validating them. See them and understand them, and navigate the waters mindfully.

Who is hurt by craving and clinging to negative emotions other than ourselves. How can we diminish the negative energy of others if we give credence and power to them, by responding in kind?"

Dead Terrorists ... Obama-Bush III has been active in having terrorists whacked of late ... lists of the dead bad guys are showing up everywhere ... I seem to remember a lot of jokes being poked at all those dead terrorist lists (the #4 guy, #3 guy, #4 guy again ... #3 guy again, etc.) during Bush terms I & II (i.e., how come we can’t get #’s 1&2 and/or, how many #3&4 guys are there, etc.?), but suddenly some Democratic blind faith loyalists feel a need to defend Obama-Bush III’s pursuit of bad guys. No need here, amici. We believe all Presidents, even Slick Willy back in the day, are/were sincere when they were chasing the bad guys. We may not agree with their methodology of pursuit (we don’t think the FBI can catch a cold), but we don’t for a second doubt our President(s) mean what they say when it comes to catching terrorists. We commend Obama-Bush III’s efforts in going after the bad guys and wish him the very best of success. We hope he manages to kill all of the bad guys. So far OBL has us beat FOUR presidential terms to ZERO (Clinton’s two and Bush’s two both came up empty) and OBL is still causing us angst around the world.

That said, we wouldn’t get too excited (one way or the other) regarding this President’s pursuit of terrorists ... but since much of the success has to do with predator drones, maybe it’s time to get our troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan and let the predators take the unnecessary hits.


In a nutshell ... Bob Herbert has become Temporary Knucksline’s Temporary Hero … here it is in a nutshell.


KNUCKSLINE SPORTS ...

The Tournament ... the NFL’s final week of the season featured previews of 3 of the 4 first round playoff games as the Eaglettes return to Dallas to replay the Cowgirls … the Favre beanless Packerless replay the Cardinals by way of St. Louis and Arizona and the Y-E-T-S, Yets, Yets, Yets replay the Bengalis of Cincinnati. We like the same results in 2 of the 3 games, but the Eaglettes will ruin Tony Romo’s ribs in that big dopey theatre they call a stadium.


Goodell ... NFL commissioner Roger Goodell seemed to have egg on his face when he was answering a few questions regarding teams “giving up” in the latter stages of the season to either protect themselves and/or avoid certain teams and/or lose for a better draft pick. One of the things he said struck Knucksline as odd. Regarding teams that sit starters for the sake of potential injury, Goodell said, “We certainly have to alert the public ...”

And why is that? So they know who to bet on?

We’re shocked ... shocked we tell yous.

Go Bills ... so what we were playing their cheerleaders? We won, end of story. 30-7 against the best team in the NFL. Use heavy Russian accent here: “We crushed them like toy clown car.” In a beautiful snowstorm, the kind we give away once a year to play in a dome so Canadian Bills fans can have a “home game” (don’t we give those people enough by letting them cross the border?), we destroyed what would’ve been Peyton Manning’s offense had he been on the field. Hey, you know what? If President Obama can lay claim for “reforming health care” with that giveaway to insurance companies, we’ll accept the same level of watered down victory against the Colts.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rame
Rama Rama Hare Hare

Oy vey, I’m dizzy ...


—Knucks

REVIEWS … POLITICS … HAPPY NEW YEAR! ... DOC says ...

Amici:

KNUCKSLINE REVIEWS ...

Murder in Four Parts ... The town of Clearview has more than its share of nuisance police calls but every once in a while the real stuff goes down and Sheriff Dan Rhodes is the one who has to take care of it, including an alligator eating chicken(s), a disgruntled divorcee determined to streak his way to revenge (and a strange sense of justice) and the never-ending squabbles among and between neighbors. In Murder in Four Parts (#16 by my count in the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series), a local florist is found dead, his head caved in and there are any number of suspects. His shop is one of a few different stores located in a strip shopping center that is feeling the pinch of bad economic times and the bigger nearby competition. There’s a gambling joint there that figures into the mix as well as some of the seedy characters frequenting it. Rhodes’ sidekicks, Hack and Lawton (these guys are great and I’ve known several such BB’s in my day) have a way of inviting frustration for the good Sheriff with each new discussion (business or otherwise); they are well skilled in the art of ball-breaking. Dan does his best to play off these two. It isn’t easy but it is always enjoyable for the reader.

Aside from local squabbles between neighbors and such, the town of Clearview also has its fair share of curmudgeons and short tempered types. Dan is forced to deal with those characters on their terms a time or two (including a pretty funny fight involving paint) but he’s become a master of dealing with the people he knows so well in a more reserved manner. There are twists and turns aplenty. There is also a reference to an old flame of mine (not that she knew it) ... Adrienne (rackem’ if you got’em) Barbeau.

Swamp Thing ... one of the greatest movies of all time.

Ultimately, what makes the Sherriff Dan Rhodes series so enjoyable are the characters; we all know people just like them; we all know of the kinds of squabbles Rhodes has to wade his way through and we all wish we had a guy like Rhodes to keep things cool while those around him are blowing their gaskets. A couple of women have written a book based on Sheriff Dan and it has become quite the big seller (with a movie based on the book to boot). Rhodes insists it has nothing to do with reality, except for his looking like Brat Pitt.

Still, not all the problems of Clearview are resolved with talk alone. A scary train chase involves some acrobatics and gymnastics before it is over and pits Rhodes against the bad guy. Does Sheriff Rhodes join the Barbershop Quartet (a no spoiler moment here, folks)? Well, I’m not sure, but somehow I see Annette O’Toole looming large in his future.

We don’t provide spoilers at Temporary Knucksline and prefer yous to read, amici. Like Ed Gorman, Bill Crider has been in the business for more than a gazillion books/short stories and novel series. You can read up about the author here (it is pretty amazing how much this man has accomplished and continues to accomplish).

Murder in Four Parts is a very enjoyable read about a Sheriff and his town and a few characters that will make you smile from beginning to end.

Next Knucksline review will be on Raymond Carver’s Fires (essays, poems and stories).

Mammoth ... Gael García Bernal (Y tu mamá también) stars in this movie about a young well-to-do family that seemingly has it all juxtaposed against the lives of their live-in maid and her two sons back home in the Philippines. Bernal is a genius at designing video games and is about to sign a multi-million dollar contract but has to travel to Thailand to do so. Of course he gets stuck there, leaving behind his wife (a very busy surgeon) and daughter. The girl is being taken care of by a Philippine live-in maid who has two boys of her own across the world. The story lines intersect and break apart. It’s a good movie, but a new release I had to spend $7.99 for. Waiting until it’s cheaper On Demand might be the way to go.


KNUCKSLINE POLITICS ...

WTF ... is Dick Cheney really tossing verbal bricks about Obama-Bush III’s response to terrorism? Look, we at Knucksline would like to see military tribunals and then very quick executions for the guilty, but the last person we want to hear from on any of this is the guy who led us (and the moron he worked for) into a war with Iraq for no good reason. He really has become more despicable than he already was and the fact this Mr. Braveheart chose deferments, five of them, rather than show the patriotism he so often brandishes in his offensive rhetoric says it all. Hawk that Cheney is, he’s never done much of anything aside from proposing wars, sending young people to their deaths and shooting a friend in the face. He’s no doubt rooting for something terrible to happen during Obama-Bush III for the sake of his legacy and party, but we here at Knucksline would prefer it if he just went home to Wyoming and focused on improving his shooting skills. He had his chance, 8 years to get OBL and what he gave us instead we’ll be reeling from for decades.


The bomber ... the DOC was upset we didn’t spend more time on this clown because we refuse to take those “agencies” serious. So long as Whitey Bulger continues to outwit the FBI while the Justice Department deals away serial murderers for the sake of single prosecutions, we can’t be bothered with the lack of communication and dissemination of information between the several federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. We’re sure most FBI (and other law enforcement agents and officers) are as pissed off as we are that the Justice Department time and again finds it necessary to let murderers (of as many as 21 people) start a new life under a new name in some unknowing community, but so long as they go along with business as usual rather than stand up and publicly decry what I read about in Playboy’s last issue (an article about a DEA agent that is probably more par for the course than otherwise), we’re not going to jump on this (or any) President about who slips through the cracks because of incompetence or lack of effort in the relevant department agencies. The Justice Department continues to let home grown murderers they know are guilty go free … why should they bother catching ones that “might be” guilty?

And if you don’t think the practice of deal making exists on the terrorist level, you probably were waiting near the fireplace to take Santa’s picture last week.

In the meantime, this guy seriously deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.


Blackwater ... for those who think America’s image around the world is enhanced because we hold criminal prosecutions at home for alleged terrorist criminals, the Federal Courts may have just turned that theory on its head. From the Washington Post: A federal judge on Thursday threw out charges against five Blackwater Worldwide security guards accused of killing 14 people in a 2007 shooting in downtown Baghdad.

Does anybody really think this decision will be considered justice outside of this country? Does anyone think the trial of any of the terrorists/criminals will be regarded as fair outside of this country? Use any excuse to permit those charged with the crimes a day in court, but please give up on our image around the world already. Like Sonny in a Bronx Tale said, “Nobody cares.”

Maureen ... feeling somewhat less indifferent to Knucksline’s take on the bomber, Ms. Dowd delivers a Bushism aimed at Obama … or was it the other way around? Click here.


Afghanistan ... oh, boy ... here we go again ... Click here. Word is all those Americans killed and injured worked for the CIA.

And then there’s this from the LA Times ...

Heck of a job Barry, indeed.

Necessary war my ass.

Happy New Year!


How 'bout those Buffalo Jills!

—Knucks

And the DOC says ...

And a happy New Year to you too, Knuckster.

Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I'm just not myself when the bamster is on vacation. I miss him not being on TV 4-5 times a week, constantly showing up on my favorite shows...Meet the Press, David Letterman, Rachel Ray, American Chopper. Now, the attention whore is golfing his way across Hawaii after his nearly successful attempt at poisoning Rush Limbaugh.

I even miss that weird speech pattern of his. The only thing that comes close to it is the chick in my GPS.

Cheney's deferments? Come on, Chaz. Deferments in Washington are like assholes. Everybody's got one. ... except G.W. He flew jet fighters and it's a bitch flying one of those things with a hangover (that should get those veins exploding in your head).

It's probably not such a good idea for you to be bad-mouthing Blackwater. Many of the Bamster's "saved or created" jobs are in that very organization.

You also seem particularly down about Obama's "Necessary" war... Afghanistan. A country with virtually no natural resources. No oil. No trees. No grass. No wildlife except for spiders the size of Smart cars. It seems the only thing that will grow in Afghanistan is opium. Next year I'm going to plant my whole garden with poppies. If those suckers will grow in that shithole, they have got to be some bad-ass, hard-to-kill flowers.

Now, you might ask why the hell would we want Afghanistan?

Numero uno... moon landing pictures. If we ever have to fake moon landings again we won't have to build Hollywood sets. We've got Afghanistan.

Numero secondo... rocks. When the Bamster has spent all the money in the country, what will be the new currency... rocks. Afghanistan's got them.

Numero thirdo... tourism. When the jet set finds out that Afghanis are even more rude than the French... Kabul will be the new Paris.

Now, Maureen Dowd turning on Fredo is a whole other thing. That's Betty turning on Archie. That's Grace turning on Will. That's Mrs. Woods chasing Tiger down the driveway with a 9 iron. That's all the amicis skipping the Knuckster's party because of snow flurries.

What is this world coming to?

Come back BO. I miss you.
Doc

Reviews … Politics … Sports … Dieting … DOC says ...

Amici:


KNUCKSLINE REVIEWS ...

Ticket to Ride ... “He was going to torch Ringo” ... it’s one of my favorite lines in Ed Gorman’s latest Sam McCain novel, Ticket to Ride. The year is 1965. The Beatles are big, Vietnam has started to become the ultimate downer it would prove to be and the division between those against the war and those supporting it has begun to sprout violence. A former colonel who served in WWII and Korea (and had recently lost a son in Vietnam) is found murdered shortly after attending and interrupting a war protest our protagonist (Sam McCain) fully supports. Sam is asked by a former girlfriend to defend the suspected murderer (a loud mouth bragger nobody, including Sam, can much stand). Sam’s investigation triggers reactions from guilty parties going back to another suspected murder that had been ruled an accidental death by fire. No spoilers here, except to say the author is a master at offering several potential guilty parties and then pulling the rug out from under your feet.

What makes this particular series so much fun to read is the protagonist, Sam McCain; he isn’t a stereotypical bad ass PI/Lawyer who spends half the book lying drunk in the gutter. Instead, he’s a loveable guy who not only knows and accepts his limits, he can relate his flaws in a poignant and humorous fashion. For one thing, McCain doesn’t see a hawk going crazy when the colonel breaks down crying at the war protest. He sees a man who has lost a son. Likewise, throughout the novel (and the series), McCain realizes when he’s being snobbish over a former athlete (something he wasn’t) showing signs of intelligence and or admits that even his ongoing battle with the grumpy, conservative (and good looking) judge Whitney (who continues to nail him with rubber bands) can be fair (a Republican portrayed as fair by a Democrat?). It’s what makes the Sam McCain series fun to read. The back and forth between McCain and the usual cast of characters in Black River Falls, Iowa is an absolute pleasure.

The other thing I enjoy with this series is the nostalgia. 1965 was probably the last good year for my family; I was nine and we were all together. I didn’t know what divorces or a cheating spouse was about yet. I had my Mets to root for and our grandparents (my mother’s parents) lived with us. Color television was the biggest innovation to behold and we couldn’t afford one. The McCain series brings that home to me; the better memories of a family that would disintegrate and go through some very difficult emotional times (probably like most families).

For those who aren’t familiar with the author, Ed Gorman has a few books to his resume. In a business where many are falling by the wayside for a variety of reasons [none of them a good reflection on our society (lack of reading and/or the economy)], Ed has managed the toughest thing for any writer—to be consistently on top of his game over and over again, year in and year out.

He’s also one of the nicest guys in the business and/or on the planet.

Next on the Knucksline Review block is from another author (with a HUGE resume) who has managed to stay alive in a dying business. Bill Crider's Murder in Four Parts.

Andrzej Pityski's Katyń Memorial, sitting at Montgomery Street at Exchange Place in Jersey City, honors the victims of the Katyn Massacre.

Katyń ... a Polish film directed by the son of a victim of the massacre that took place in 1940 in the Katyń forest in Russia. The nearly 22,000 victims of the Soviet army were Polish intelligentsia and Polish military officers. The film documents how the massacre became a political football of propaganda as the Russians blamed the Germans and the Germans blamed the Russians. In the end, it was determined that the massacre was a Russian war crime that went unpunished. The film is riveting and graphic but very well done and was a best foreign film nominee at the 80th Academy Awards.



Eddie Coyle ... One of the Dons (Kirkendall) over at Men Reading Books received the new DVD of The Friends of Eddie Coyle from his kids for Christmas and pointed out to me that Entertainment Weekly praised the new DVD. The DVD has some commentary by director Peter Yates Don felt was “probably the best I've ever heard”.



KNUCKSLINE POLITICS ...

Janet Napolitano ... All we can say is “heck of a job, Janet”.

At this point, after the Obama-Bush III administration pardoned CitiGroup from paying back $38 BILLION in taxes (our money the administration volunteered to GIVE to CitiGroup from fear it wouldn’t be able to pay back its TARP loan), Knucksline is no longer surprised at this administration’s similarity to the last administration. So when Ms. Napolitano had her “Brownie moment”, we considered it par for the course. Republicans and Democrats alike have been FUCKING SILENT on this and if that doesn't tell you the game is rigged, nothing will.

Health Care ... well, considering it was a sellout to Insurance Companies and Obama-Bush III intends to take "credit" (certainly the insurance companies were happy with it) for something he hardly had anything to do with it (his absence of arm twisting on behalf of single payer was pretty predictable given his 131 “present” votes while in the Illinois Senate), what can Knucksline say but remember the last few things Congress rammed through without reading … and in case you have trouble remembering beyond the insane bailouts, it goes back to the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time. That was considered better than doing nothing too.


KNUCKSLINE SPORTS ...

Coltless ... I’m not sure I’d blame Jim Caldwell for pulling his starters in a meaningless game. While I’m not a fan of slacking off, there’s no denying the risk factors of playing a few meaningless games to starters who would make or break any team's chances of winning it all. Peyton Manning goes down and the Coltless are out of it, pure and simple. Pulling all the starters at least shows respect to the rest of his team. I like that move rather than pulling just Manning.

Bills ... what can we say? Our Beloved New York State Buffalo Bills suck. Everybody knows it and there’s nothing much we can do until an asteroid takes out the planet and we get to start over again.

Moonachie Giants ... a GIANT disappointment. One can only assume they're still living off the greatest upset in history from a few years ago when they ruined the cheaterfaces perfect season (although to all Bills fans, the cheaterfaces going 18-1 will always be the perfect season).

Moonachie Jets ... should they make it to the tournament, an easy one and done come January.

Conference Predictions ... Eaglettes v. Aints and the Coltless v. the Wes Cravens.

Rock of the Week … the Wes Cravens ruin the Oakland Raiderettes and are in.

KNUCKSLINE DIETING ...

My second cousin Jason and I visited Antietam battlefield this past Sunday and had a great time. Jason drives a Cadillac but opted for the version without the moveable passenger seat so the ugly one had a tough time getting in and out of said automobile. In fact, I fractured two ribs, pulled several muscles and came to realize the nurse party that wasn’t (because of the snowstorm two weeks ago) has added something like 10 pounds to my girth (there were, like, 7 trays of lasagna waiting to be consumed).

Climbing the observation tower alongside the Bloody Lane (above) was particularly tough (who knew it was 26 stories high--see very deceptive picture above?). It took me about 20 minutes to control my breathing and then we headed off to one of the most picturesque scenes I’ve ever witnessed (Burnside’s Bridge below). With the snow on the ground and the sun shining brightly it was truly a beautiful scene to take in. The carnage that took place there is another story, but standing on the bridge and looking up the steep hill the confederates of a Georgia brigade (400-500 men in total) were shooting down from makes it very clear that a direct assault on the bridge was a real bad decision.

Gordo v. the scale ...

Jason has taken control of my diet … he’s the coach and we’re starting over (I can hear DOC now) ... the new starting weight is 333.0 … the goal is 299 for April 1, 2010 and the publication of Johnny Porno. There’s a power lifting meet on January 30, 2010 I was considering lifting in but that will be determined by how much strength I lose over the next few weeks. The day before we left for Antietam, I lifted very well but that had much more to do with the extra weight I had gained (I’m sure) than anything to do with genuine strength gains.

Or maybe it was because I shaved my back ... who knows.


—Knucks

And the DOC says ...

Geez Chaz,

You just can’t get over that $38 Billion, can you? Perhaps your background in Street Finance is shading your judgment.

Once a guy with a cigarette asked me for a light. I gave him my book of matches. When he offered to give them back I said, “You keep them.”

This is the same thing. I had another book of matches in my jacket and Fredo has a printing press.

Now, onto the BVD bomber:

“All we can say is “heck of a job, Janet”. (Knucksline 12/29/09)

Wow! In-depth coverage of another burning issue of the day, Chaz. Meanwhile the Bills get their customary 500 words.

I’m already hearing words like “alleged” and “suspect” being applied to this terrorist. Let me give you a news flash, Janet. Anybody who got off that jet with a char-broiled talleywhacker is your bomber. He is not an “alleged” anything. Granted, this is surely not one of Janet’s areas of expertise, but then again, neither is homeland security.

How the hell did she get this job anyway? Wasn’t she the governor of Arizona? A state with so many illegal aliens you have to press “2” for English.

Several days later, the bamster halts his Hawaiian vacation to announce. “We will not rest until these plotters are brought to justice.”

Then he ambles off to the golf course.

News flash for Fredo... once the bomb goes off they’re not “plotters” anymore. They’re terrorists. This particular terrorist just happens to have a very high voice, as of late. To add insult to injury, we can’t use the excellent guest facilities at Club Gitmo anymore. We’ll have to provide the weiner-bomber a staff of traitorous ACLU lawyers.

Imagine the scene, Chaz. The bomb goes off. Umar goes up to heaven. Allah presents him with his 72 virgins. Umar smiles lustfully, then suddenly realizes he just blasted his love puppet into the overhead luggage compartment.

Bummer, dude!

What about those Buffalo Bills!
Doc

Antietam … Knucklespeare … Merry Christmas!

Amici:

Antietam ... It was the bloodiest day of the Civil War. By days end September 17, 1862, the union would suffer 12,410 casualties; the south, 13,724. Because the two combatants named the battles differently, the battle of Antietam (a creek), as it was called by the North, is also known in the South as the battle of Sharpsburg (the town).

Special Order 191 ... Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s direct order for the movement of the Army of Northern Virginia was either lost or stolen in the Maryland countryside. A union trooper found it and before long General George McClellan was able to stop Lee’s invasion.

My cousin Jason and I are headed to the Antietam battlefield this Sunday. American Civil War history ... some guys can’t get enough.


Knucklespeare ...

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house;
Spartacus threw a party for a couple thousand mouse(s);
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care;
the rats ate Santa’s cookies, drank his milk, then his beer.

The children were nestled all snug in a rug;
Somethin’ bit me on the ass, but it wasn’t a bug.
I said to the Wife: "Was that you, you crazy broad?"
She looked at me once and then I was floored.
When out on the lawn there arose such a noise,
I crawled up to see Spartacus and his boys;
Walking the lasagna out in its trays;
“Quick, wife, stop them!” I says.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow;
Seemed dim in comparison to the sudden great glow;
Of the wife with her flamer thrower out on the lawn;
Roasting our guests from dusk until dawn.

And what to my wondering eyes did appear,
but a miniature sleigh, and eight roasted mouse reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
Spartacus was gone before you could say St Nick;
He brought his complaints to me in the flesh;
And said, “Do something about that psycho or else!”

More rapid than eagles his relatives returned,
Except for those left behind dead and burned.
He whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
And left me with the wife for the duration to explain;
How they were moving back in and would appreciate,
Leaving the fridge open or installing an easy access gate.

Then he sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a thumbs up,
As they marched off with the dessert and my best coffee cup;
But I heard Spartacus yell as he drove out of sight,
"Thanks for the grub, fatty, merry Christmas and good-night!"

—Knucklespeare


Merry Christmas ... to all yous amici.



—Knucks

Atlas Shrugged; Knucks Drank … DOC says ...

Amici:

The undertaking was long and tedious, but I had a game plan; 100 pages a day between Monday-Friday (and whatever I could get in on the weekends). The goal was to finish it within 14 days. I started making notes after 400 pages, disbanded those and began again at 780 pages. I used Google and Wikipedia and watched a couple of videos of the author (see below); one with Mike Wallace from 1959 and another with Phil Donahue twenty years later. I had read The Fountainhead about a month ago and did a brief review of it here at Knucksline. Now that I’ve finished Atlas Shrugged, as Rand would have it, I owe myself some happiness and intend to drink until I fall down.


Wallace and Rand, 1959; Part I

Ayn Rand’s novels profess her philosophy of objectivism; the concept that reality exists as an objective absolute; man needs a rational morality (morality based on reason) to guide him in his quest for happiness.


Donahue and Rand, 1979; Part II

Her controversial novel, Atlas Shrugged, is way too big to recount here. Essentially, however, it is one story told over and over (and over); a novel 700 pages too long featuring writing as melodramatic as it gets. After a while, at 400-500 pages, say, it became torturous. I found it incredibly dishonest, but suspect that Ayn Rand wasn’t trying to convince me (or my ilk) of anything she had to say. It is aimed at a particular crowd; one that buys her shtick; that greed is good and altruism is evil.

The author portrays altruism as phony, weak and ultimately how society will collapse. She also makes no bones about what she doesn’t like. The characters she paints as the bad guys (those espousing altruistic views) are vapid, lazy, ignorant or badly intentioned; they are mindless leeches and followers of those seeking power and/or those seeking power at the expense of the truly deserving. She goes further, however and almost always gives them unattractive physical attributes; they are ugly, fleshy, fat, graceless, etc.

On the other hand, her heroes and heroines are supermen/superwomen who are physically beautiful, geniuses in their own right and the hardest working, most single-minded existentialists you’ll ever come across. Their only flaw, if they have any, is some seemingly inherent subservience of women to men (although I suspect Rand or her followers wouldn’t see it this way, even the apparently welcomed rapes). Dagny Taggart, the heroine in Atlas Shrugged, much like Dominique, the heroine in The Fountainhead, doesn’t mind being slapped, raped, inclining her head subserviently or sitting at the feet of the supermen in her life.

The men, of course, have no flaws to speak of.

The evil of a society that enforces equality for all was much more succinctly (and interestingly) dealt with by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. in his wonderful short story, Harrison Bergeron. I doubt, however, that Mr. Vonnegut would subscribe to Rand’s hypothesis that any attempt at leveling the playing field (as opposed to actually handicapping the intellectually, creatively and/or physically gifted) is self destructive in itself and if successful would lead to the end of society as we know it. In her attempt to paint altruism as evil, Rand conveniently ignores the achievements of those who reject her theory and live by a more humane moral code (i.e. Mozart, Albert Schweitzer … Lech Wałęsa to name a very few). None of these people (or their types) existed in her novel.

John Galt is her übber hero and the first 700 pages of the novel are peppered with the phrase “Who is John Galt?” As I said, this is far too big a novel to summarize, except to say that altruism has made it impossible for those with the brains and balls to achieve from achieving further. Welfare has become so rampant that the brains and workhorses behind the scenes (the producers—who also happen to be the owners of the means of production—the Galt’s of the world) have decided to stop the motor of the world from running. They have created their own society of like-minded people where gold has become the standard monetary value and all take an oath: “I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man nor ask another man to live for mine.” This place (Galt’s Gulch) has permitted them to escape the “looters” (the bulk of society that had been content to live off of others abilities). Galt delivers a LONG speech (70+ pages worth) at the end of the novel explaining Rand’s philosophy (so feel free to skip the first 900+ pages). He praises individual achievement and enlightened self-interest.

One of the things I couldn’t help but notice (especially after being dumbfounded by the rape in The Fountainhead), was the lack of women in Galt’s new society. There were very few we actually meet. This made me wonder if the author was suggesting her heroine had multiple rapes to look forward to.

Yes, I became that cynical of the absurdity.

Like Aristotle, Rand believes the universe does not permit contradictions; contradictions do not exist. If an egg is egg it cannot also be a brick. If man is inherently corrupt, then a society formed of men cannot exist without corruption. Liberty is man’s most precious right. To inhibit liberty is to create slaves. Capitalism is the only method by which man can achieve his true potential. Life demands man’s rational selfishness; reason is man’s basic survival tool.

It is an arrogant philosophy, no doubt, but it does have its followers. It also flies in the face of reality itself. Not all those with an opposite view of life and morality are lazy, incompetent, weak (or unattractive). Man, in fact, does co-exist within structured (governed) societies. Greed, as we recently learned from our Rand-like society of bankers, isn’t necessarily good.



I suspect Ayn Rand upchucked her caviar at the point in Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol when Jacob Marley bemoans: “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”

A constant flaw I find in the arguments of those who subscribe to Rand’s philosophy is the use of “morality” to justify much of their motivation. I don’t believe in an objective definition of morality (if there is one). Rand claims that man’s highest moral purpose is the achievement of his own happiness. I say what is moral to one man may be immoral to another (talk about contradictions co-existing); one might read Rand’s take on morality as hedonism gone wild. I sure would.

Those who adhere to Rand believe that to take from one man (i.e., a tax) to give to another (welfare) is immoral; that unless it is a charitable contribution an individual makes of his own free will for another’s benefit, it is looting and therefore evil. “Why take from what I have earned to give to another who hasn’t earned it?”

It is a valid argument, except it assumes all those who might need the benefits of such a tax (i.e., the unemployed) are in bad shape of their own free will; that all have had an equal opportunity to “make good” and that those who don’t have made their own poor choice. Strict followers of Rand go one further and claim that even if one has a legitimate need, why should others be forced to provide whatever it is?

I’ve gone back and forth over these types of arguments over and over at a conservative political site where I’m one of a few outsiders (or looters, if you will), but that is not to suggest the people there aren’t bright, polite and just as passionate about the discourse they engage in. Yes, there were/are some heated exchanges, as always happens in political discussions of any nature, but it is mostly polite and a place to understand some of the contrary opinions out there. I was challenged to read Ayn Rand and I did so because what do I have to lose (besides time)? I'm glad I did read her work, but I won't read more.

A couple of the left wing blogs I used to visit (or torture, depending on how you took me) apparently took so much exception to contrary opinions they posted hissy fits and shut down. The nastiest thing I’ve been called at the conservative site was a “savage” but I later learned (from reading Rand’s novels) that “savage” is part of the author’s lexicon. There is something to learn ...

I suspect those at the conservative site won’t agree with my analysis of Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, but we do come from different starting points. I am one of those who believe that man in the state of nature wasn’t to be trusted; that without a social contract, he would do what he had to do to survive and it wouldn’t be pretty. Governments were formed for the betterment of mankind and that those which have been bastardized (dictorships, fascism, etc.) have more to do with time and circumstance than the nature of greater mankind. No matter how contradictory that is to the Rand philosophy, I do believe that men (inherently greedy alone) created social contracts to protect themselves.

While I don’t believe in an absolute welfare state, I no longer believe that capitalism works (at least not for the greater good). The gap between the richest 1% and the rest of us is too great and unnecessary. Nobody needs to earn $192 million a year, but everybody needs to eat, have shelter, health insurance and a job. It isn’t something easily attainable, nor does it have to be at the absolute expense of the fat cats on Wall Street, but the fat cats on Wall Street (and that 1% of the wealthiest) don’t need what they “earn” either. The “sweat of my brow” argument, it seems to me, only applies to those who actual sweat for what they earn; not those sitting on piles of cash and investments either gifted through inheritance or “earned” through some windfall that involves 90% luck and 10% actual work.

The problem with Galt’s Gulch in Atlas Shrugged is that sooner or later, assuming Rand’s model was correct and the world of the looters would come to a standstill, those same looters would get hungry enough to look for food. By sheer numbers alone they would overrun Galt and Company to sustain their lives. And if rational selfishness is what it’s all about, savages or not, they’d be the ones who survived ... and to that end, social Darwinists wouldn’t have much to complain about.

There aren’t exact formulas for solving the problems of society. Rand believes there is a basic one, but her position is arrogant and like most arrogance (including the arrogance of some on the left who dare call their counterparts stupid), it looks down its nose and refuses to see the possibility that it is wrong. So be it. Pride goeth before a fall.

My challenge back to those on the right (at the conservative site I visit) will be for some of them to read George Bernard Shaw’s, The Intelligent Woman’s Guide to Socialism and Capitalism. I don’t expect them to be converts, as I suspect they didn't think Atlas Shrugged would turn me into a Randite, but The Guide is an interesting read.

—Knucks

And DOC, on a potentially snowed-out nurses Christmas party at casa Stella this fine Saturday evening:

I was thinking you should do a dramatic reading of "The Night Before Christmas": Rudolph, with no expression on his face, said to Santa, "I can get you some toys."

Doc

And the DOC says (Sunday morning--he made it to the party ... it was us and him) ...

My dear Chaz,

That was an incredibly insightful and informative multi-media review of "Atlas Shrugged". I would consider it perfect if it did not conflict with one of my personal tenets of book reviews (i.e., The book review should never be longer than the actual book).

I've set aside March and April to read your review of the Bamster's 2,000 page Health Care plan.

Your pal,
Doc

And then there are these nuts …

Amici:


The last few days we spent relaying the FACTS of President Fredo’s administration, but let us not forget these nuts …

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Some of yous ask why bother calling for a third party (whether it be Ralph Nader, Ron Paul, socialists, communists, John Birch, etc.)? We say because between the inept Democrats (who can’t get anything done) and the lunatic Republicans (above), Knucksline says we better have another choice or else.

Curmudgeons in 2012 … because “they’re so cranky, they’ll annoy the inept and the whackos into making the changes we seek.”

Have a great weekend!


—Knucks