Keeper of the Clown Bell

I'm sort of a political junkie so I really enjoy watching the Conventions of both major political parties (I even tune in to C-SPAN to catch the Libertarian and other minor party conventions) but I'm finding this Democrat Convention in Denver hard to watch. Not simply because I disagree with their platform and rhetoric, or the staging and to be honest, just as in years past, I find myself very entertained just viewing the odd-balls who make up the sea of Democrat delegates - much funnier looking people on average than the Republicans. No, the problem is that there is a strange energy emanating from Denver, a boredom and flatness which is palpable to anyone watching or listening at home. And it's the same old crap, with the same old speakers - a point that is perfectly articulated in this New York Sun editorial - that is throwing a wet blanket over the entire proceeding. The Republicans have a very low bar to get over next week in order to appear the more coherent, energet...

Universal Health care is touted as the next thing Democrats want to inflict on the USA - who knows what it will look like when they get finished crafting all the bills or amendments to the constitution or whatever it's going to take to get it done. Looking at the Democrats tonight at their convention and listening to Teddy Kennedy talk about his life long dream of a government controlled health care bureaucracy I thought to myself - "How can Ted be for this crazy plan while suffering with a (probably terminal) brain tumor?" His vow to stay alive until January to see Barack sworn in as President and watch his dream of Socialized medicine become a reality was like telling the audience "I'm going to reap the benefits of the greatest health care system on earth that I might stay alive long enough to destroy that same system next January" (cue cheers and tears) "thank you my gullible comrades and may the government bestow its manifold blessings upon you now ...

Up until tonight I thought the most painful hour of television ever produced was an hour long 20/20 episode where Geraldo Rivera interviewed Barbara Streisand about making her film Yentl. But tonight I have been listening to Larry King interview Bill Maher on the subject of religion. It is impossible to convey just how stupid these two people are, but here's a sample: KING: Is there evil? MAHER: Is there evil? And what should we do about it? So Obama gives a very nuanced answer, and again this is why I do like this guy. He sort of can't win for -- lose with the winning. I mean, he's damned if he does and he's damned if he doesn't. He gives a nuanced answer, which I like, and he loses the crowd. He said, "Yes, we should be aware of evil, but we should be humble about evil." And what he was trying to say, I think, was you know what? It's easy to sit back in America and go, "Well, we're the good people. That's common knowledg...

From Wikipedia - " Dwight Schrute is a salesman at the Scranton branch of the paper-goods distribution company Dunder Mifflin. Dwight formally held the title of "Assistant to the Regional Manager" but constantly refers to himself as "Assistant Regional Manager," attempting to elevate himself to second-in-command to Michael Scott. Dwight craves authority over others and relishes any minor task that Michael or anyone else gives him. Though Dwight acts like a know-it-all, he is actually quite gullible and naïve. For this reason, he is easily tricked and tormented by his desk-mate and fellow salesman Jim Halpert. Dwight speaks in a halting, dramatic manner, even in casual conversations." Make a few changes and you get - Joe Biden is a Senator born in Scranton, PA but now representing the tiny state of Delaware. Joe formally held the title of Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee but constantly refers to himself as "Future Vice Preside...

Mike Vaccaro is a clown for mocking the Modern Pentathlon as a silly sport. The fact is that the Modern Pentathalon is one of the greatest competitions of the Olympics. Forget synchronized swimming and the floor routines in gymnastics - the Modern Pentathlon is the real deal. Vaccaro's observation is that no one watches the Modern Pentathlon - but they do watch gymnastics and softball so those are the sports we should devote our attentions to and forget sublime sports like the Modern Pentathlon. How pathetic and sad - he probably watched all of the interminable Beach Volleyball that NBC subjected its viewing audience to over the past week. Created by Baron Pierre de Coubertin as the ultimate test of well rounded athleticism it is certainly one of my favorite Olympic sports. The people who run the Olympic games should exalt in the wonders of this complex competition. They should also reduce the number of events in the Olympics and force all competitors to perform all their event...

I have been dismayed to see the rise of B H Obama in the US national politics this past year, but I always figured that he was winning because so many Democrats simply wanted anyone but Hillary Clampett as their parties nominee for President. But reading the IBD report on Barack's Dad has me gasping for air and shaking my head once again at the stupidity of the Democratic party. How the hell do you nominate the son of an unrepentant Marxist to be your parties nominee for President of the United States of America? I just don't understand what these people are thinking. It would be forgivable if the year were 1908 and none of this Marxist/Socialist nonsense had been implemented and tested on its hapless victims - but this is 2008 and we've had almost 100 years of experimenting with Marxist theory in real life governments and societies. The result is always the same - When fully implemented the destruction of civil society and emergence of a terror state or when partially i...

Tonight on Keith Olbermann's hour long rant he had the audacity to tell John McCain to "grow up" because the McCain campaign had sent a letter to NBC "news" complaining about the obvious Probama slant to the networks coverage of the 2008 Presidential race. To hear someone as juvenile as Olbermann demand that a man with the life experience and responsibility of John McCain "grow up" makes me want to vomit. Anyone who looks at the resume and life experience of a Keith Olbermann will quickly surmise that he's a nerd who figured out he could scold all the cool guys in class by getting behind a microphone - and there he has stayed all these many years. May he broadcast forever - oblivious to his foolishness and pitiful nature.