2008- The Year in Brief

2008. What a year. What craziness. What fun.

We've been through the best of times, and the worst of times. Boom times gave way to busts as financial institutions and Wall Street fell victim to thew subprime mortgage mess, and gas prices.

And then, there's our crazy ass political season- and boy, what a season it was! On both the Republican and Democrat sides, there was mudslinging a-plenty. But when it was all said and done, two- of many- politicos came out victorious, and history was made in Washington, DC, and here in Portland, Oregon (where this blog originates).

We'll remember the personalities who passed on- including the sultry Eartha Kitt, who died Christmas day; Paul Newman, the actor and philanthropist; and many others.

So, let's take this ride as we look back at the year that was. The year 2008.

We begin with January- and the presidential campaign race is afoot. There are six Democrats- US senators Hillary Clinton of New York; Barack Obama of Illinois; former South Carolina senator John Edwards (more on him later); former Cleveland, Ohio mayor Dennis 'the Menace' Kucinich; former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson; Delaware Senator Joe Biden; Christopher Dodd; and Mike Gravel out of some state I'll mention later. On the Republicans' side, former Massachusetts governor Willard 'Mitt' Romney; former Arkansas governor Michael Huckabee; Arizona senator John McCain; former actor-turned-senator-turned actor again Fred Thompson; Texas senator Ron Paul; former New York mayor Rudolph Guiliani; and Duncan Hunter out of Texas.

Huckabee and Obama came out first from the start, but by the end of January, Hillary Clinton came out on top for the Democrats, and for the Republicans, Romney and McCain were virtually neck to neck. Edwards drops out of the Democratic race on January 30, as does Guiliani on the Republican side. Other causalities include Richardson, Dodd, and Biden, all Democrats. California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger endorses McCain. Obama wins South Carolina; Iowa, while Clinton wins Michigan; New Hampshire and south Carolina. McCain wins Michigan; south Carolina; and New Hampshire.

But while the presidential fracas went on, there was another in the Motor City. Kwame Kilpatrick, mayor of Detroit, Michigan found himself embroiled in a sex scandal. Apparently, he and his Chief of Staff Christine Beatty had a little love thing going on. Only that love thing reportedly involved the firing of a few police officers who were investigating Kilpatrick.


bkjournalism/Detroit Free Press/You Tube.

Later on, I'll reveal the aftermath of this case.

Moving on to February, here in the Beaver State, after a delay- brought on by Bible thumping morons- Oregon's Domestic partnership law goes into effect February 2. Speaking of Bible Thumpers Anonymous members, John McCain, who- at this point on February 4, leads in the Republican primaries with 97 delegates- gets no love from the friend of the gays, lesbians, blacks, Latinos, and atheists. I'm talking about none other than the head of Focus on the family, Dr. James Dobson. Now, you'd have to ask why Jimmy boy would spurn a 'pro-life, anti-gay, gun-lovin'' candidate like John Sidney McCain III. Well it appears that ol'Johnny Boy didn't support a federal marriage amendment, and that pissed off the good doctor.

James Dobson, you are so NOT invited to my wedding!

At Northern Illinois University, Steven Phillip Kazmierczak, 27, and a graduate of NIU walked into a classroom at the university's Cole Hall- where an oceanography class took place. He opened up a guitar case, and began firing at students. 24 students were shot, with six fatalities, including Kazmierczak, who later shot himself. Kazmierczak reportedly stopped taking medication for mental illnesses. The strange thing about this shooting was that Kazmierczak was regarded as a 'fairly normal' and 'unstressed' student, who took classes on Arabic and even was a vice president of the NIU chapter of the American correctional Association. At the time of the shooting, authorities found three books, including The Antichrist by Friedrich Nietzsche, and a textbook on serial killers.

This shooting was the fourth deadliest school shooting ion history, and happened less than a year after Seung Cho killed 32 of his peers and teachers before taking his own life at Virginia Tech University.

In the summer of 2007, Jessie Davis, 26, was reported missing from her home near Canton, Ohio. Her body was found weeks later in a field near Akron. She was involved with a canton police officer, Robert Cutts, Jr., who was considered a suspect in her disappearance and murder. On February 27, Cutts was sentenced to 57 years without parole for aggravated murder; trespassing; purposely causing the death of an unborn child- named Chloe- two counts of gross abuse of a corpse; and a count of child endangering for leaving Jessie's son Blake unattended at home. He was acquitted on the aggravated murder charge of purposely causing Davis' death, but was convicted on a lesser charge of murder.

March was a month of ups and downs in the political world. On March 4, John McCain clinched the Republican nomination, surpassing the required 1,191 delegates needed. His closest opponent, Mike Huckabee had only 247.

When New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer ran for governor in 2006, he pledged to clean up Albany and New York politics in general. One little problem: he forgot to include himself. On March 10, Spitzer admitted that he was the infamous 'client# 9' in a prostitution ring.

On March 12, he turned in his resignation. His lieutenant governor David A. Paterson took the oath of office on St. Patrick's Day.


petulamtrumble/CNN/YouTube

Not long after, we found out who the hooker he did the nasty with. her name: Ashley Alexandra Dupre. according to a 47-page document, Spitzer met Ashley (no need for aliases anymore) at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC on Valentine's Day, and the day before, and paid her $4300 in cash. Spitzer faced federal charges on money laundering; tax evasion; and violation of the Mann Act (interstate transport of prostitutes), however, last month, federal prosecutors decided not to charge him.

He may have dodged a bullet on his fucking and making Ashley scream deal, but he still has to live with Silda, his wife, for apparently, as of press time, they're still together and are in couples therapy.

Moving on to April, we return to the world of cults. No, not Scientology (don't you dare call you a cult, or they'll come after you and torture you til death), but the Fundamental Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ- an offshoot of the Latter Day Saints, or Morons...er, Mormons. Let me give you what little I know about them. They're into polygamy, and are particularly into allowing 50 year old men marrying and fucking 14 year old girls (might work in Mexico, but here in the States, eh-eh!). Oh, given that I happen to be a black blogger, I'm really a white sinner cursed with a permanent suntan. I need to spend a lot less time at those tanning booths in the Pearl District (Portland's answer to San Francisco's SoMa).

Oh, one more thing: this cult...um, faith, had a leader named Warren Steed Jeffs, who was convicted last year of charges ranging from incest (don't you love that the FLDS is also into inbreeding?) and sexual conduct with minors (all girls no doubt. They don't allow queers into the fold...or do they?).

So, having said this, April 8, Texas authorities raided a FLDS compound in Eldorado, and took over 400 women and children into protective custody. This after a sixteen year old girl had tipped off authorities about an underage marriage. However, the suspect, Dale Barlow, 51, said that the girl was full of hooey, and said that he didn't know the girl. This despite the fact that he's a convicted sex offender who was spent 45 days in Arizona on conspiracy to commit sexual conduct on a minor. But, Barlow's probation officer confirmed that Barlow was still in Arizona the day after the raid.

Confused? So am I, but this story's still too juicy to pass up, so I'll finish.

However, the Texas supreme court ruled in June that the raid- which cost Texas taxpayers $14 million- wasn't justified.



Associated Press/YouTube

Persecution on religion. Where did I hear that before? at any rate, if the FLDS feels like their rights to racist, misogynist, and- dare I say, pedophilia and corrupting the morals of minors- beliefs are under attack, fine. But that doesn't mean that I have to like it. do you what you want- just not in my community.

In May, three shooting suspects were beaten by fifteen Philadelphia police officers after a car chase.


iknowthesecret/MSNBC/YouTube

Now here's the rub: shortly before this, a Philly officer, Sergeant Stephen Liczbinski, was gunned to death in the line of duty, so whether they were taking their frustrations out on the three suspects, or the three were acting like hooligans, that's not known. But both the police commissioner and mayor say that race was not a factor in the apprehension of all three African-American suspects.

Moving down to the Big D...hey, Darren, play that 'Big D' song, will ya?...don't have it?...sorry, folks...at any rate, in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, a man and a woman rock a pickup truck- and you know what happens when the truck rocks. So, the truck is parked in front of the house, and someone comes up to the truck and catches the couple. So, the woman says she's being raped, the man- now revealed as her husband- goes upstairs, gets a .44, and shoots the rapist.

Except for one thing: the woman wasn't being raped. She was cheating on hubby.

Tracy Robertson could've just told her husband, Darrell that she didn't love him anymore. But instead, she cries 'rape', and an innocent victim, Devin LaSalle, pays with his life.

Now Tracy is serving a 30 month sentence in a Texas prison.

But two big news happened in May. First off, Deborah Jean Palfrey, 52, ran an escort service called Pamela Martin and Associates. Although she said that her operations were legal, she was convicted on April 15 of racketeering, using mail for illegal purposes, and money laundering. She had reportedly used an university's newpaper to recruit escorts, and the agency allegedly had 10,000 to 15,000 clients. Among the alleged clients: Ambassador Randall Tobias from the US State Department, and Washington Times columnist and creator of 'shock and awe', Harlan Ullman (The washington Times is the conservative counterpart to The Washington Post).

Two weeks after her conviction, on May 1, the woman dubbed the 'DC Madam' hung herself. She faced five to six years in prison. In her suicide note, she noted that she did not want to go back to prison.

May 15 was the day that gays and lesbians would celebrate. In a 4-3 ruling, Calfornia's supreme court overturned Proposition 22, which was passed in 2000 to ban same sex marriages. When June 15 rolled around, approximately 18,000 same sex couples signed up for licenses.

But the evangelists and other people who were against same sex marriage were far from done. Shortly after the ruling, Proposition 8 would be born.

On May 12, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck the southern Chines province of Sichuan. The Wenchuan earthquake was centered 50 miles west-northwest of the city of Chengdu, the provincial capital, and was felt as far away as Beijing and Shanghai. The official death count was at around 69,230, with another 374,174 injured, and 18,000 missing.

Here in Portland, Oregon, there was a mayoral primary to replace retiring mayor Tom Potter. Potter has decided not to seek a second term, so one of his commissioners, Sam Adams, decided to throw his hit in the ring. Facing Adams was businessman Sho Dozono, the owner of many entities, mainly Azumano Travel (which his locations throughout the Northwest). Both candidates are civil leaders, and have strong support for civil rights- including gay rights- and education. Dozono was dogged with debts he owed the city of Portland- in the neighborhood of $18,000. Adams was once investigated for a seemingly platonic relationship with a then-17 year old boy (the investigation found no wrongdoing on Adams part).

On May 20- the day of the Oregon primaries, Portland voters made their choice, and at midnight tonight, Sam Adams will be sworn in as Portland's mayor. What makes this story more significant- if you will- is that Adams is openly gay, and will be the first openly gay mayor of a major US city 500,000 or above (Portland's population within corporate limits is around 576,000. The total metro area- including Vancouver, Washington- is about 1.6 million). Now if we could control those nutjobs from Westboro, Kansas...

It took awhile, but Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama had reached the finish line, but he finally reached surpassed the 2,025 required electoral votes :

oliverwillis/MSNBC/YouTube

So the die is now cast. Barack Obama for the Democrats, and John McCain for the Republicans.

On June 26, a decade-old gun ban was overturned by the US Supreme court


maikelgomez/National Rifle Association/YouTube

More about Mr. Heston later.

The court, in a 5-4 ruling stated that Washington, DC had violated the Second amendment rights of its residents.

When Hurricane Dolly came knocking on the South Texas coast on July 23, the residents of South Padre Island- in the storm's path- weren't exactly singing
Hello, Dolly. she had already killed 17 in Mexico, and would take about four more before it was all said and done. Dolly came ashore that day, and caused $1.52 billion (USD) in damage with her 100 mph/155 km/h winds.

August was definitely busy. What with the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, China; the Democratic National Convention; and more, the eighth month had been one hell of a ride.

So let's begin with the presidential campaign. As I have mentioned, the stage is pretty much set with Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. and John Sidney McCain III in their respective corners. And no sooner than when Obama beat Hillary Clinton to the finish line in the delegate vote, John McCain begins firing:


TwistTelly/McCain 2008/YouTube

Sure, Barry's a rock star and he may- or may not raise our taxes, but that's neither here nor there, John. What we found out shortly after you ran the Britney loves Paris loves Barack spot, we find out about this little pearl: HE GOT A $4600 CONTRIBUTION FROM NONE OTHER THAN THE HILTON FAMILY! YES! THE ONE WITH THE SPOILED BRAT HEIRESS (with a singing voice filled with helium) WHO'S WORKING HARD TO GET OFF OF WHAT DARREN ALEXANDER CALLS THE HOLLYWOOD AXIS OF EVIL! WOW!

(sorry, about that, kids...any hoot...)

So, let me set up the picture...so, Arizona senator John McCain goes to the Hilton family, they give him $4600 in contributions and cash...later that night, he goes to, say, Whisky A Go Go; or 1160 Bar, or...even Forbidden City with Paris. They go to the VIP section, where they meet Brits and LiLo- pre DJ Sam, of course- do a little cuddling. Next thing you know, John's bottle of Cialis, Viagra, or Levitra mysteriously turn up empty, Cindy's waiting with a frying pan (filled with lava hot oil, no doubt- just like someone I'll mention in a moment), and...what's that?...what do you mean John didn't fuck Paris. Come on, this is a man who said the word 'cunt' in a speech (don't believe me? Just watch below...)


TsquaredMM/YouTube/MSNBC

"Rates were 'cunt' in the Bush years." Cunt. Bush...mighty nice cunt hidden in the bush, Paris and Britney (LiLo was busy exploring the bush of DJ Sam...). Or, "President Bush is the biggest cunt on the planet."

Let me get back on track- I'm having way too much fun here, and I've only started on the August segment.

Anyway, the celebrity ad, and the subsequent revelation of Paris' parents giving to John made for great late night talk show fodder, no doubt. Even Paris herself got into the act.

Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Ad by Paris Hilton

Moving on- and I'll talk more about this in The Trash Bash when I review entertainment of 2008 (coming this weekend)- Morgan Freeman gets in a serious car crash in his home state of Mississippi- he broke his elbow, and bruised his neck and shoulder. Otherwise, he's pretty much okay.

On a more serious note, actress Christina Applegate reveals that she has breast cancer, but it's not considered life threatening, given that it was detected early.

Remember at the top when I mentioned that Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his Chief of Staff Christine Beatty was embroiled in a lovers' hornets nest? Well, on August 7, Kilpatrick took a trip to Canada- whether that's across the river into Windsor, Ontario, or a bit further...I don't know. But any hoot- without permission from the 36th District court. and now, he's in jail. Enjoying a different kind of love, no doubt. He gets to be Christine now.

John Edwards left the presidential campaign earlier in the year, mainly because he wsas lagging in the delegate vote count. What he forgot to mention was that while running for the Democratic nomimation, he was sleeping with the filmmaker that was filming his campaign. That was, until both the National Enquirer and the filmmaker, Rielle Hunter, 45, mentioned that there's a baby involved. Then, on August 8, he fessed up.

Oh, did I mention that Johnny Reid Edwards porked Rielle, all while his dear wife Liz was- and still is- battling the breast cancer that made a return.

Now, what's more fucked up about this is the fact that he made this confession on the eve of the Democratic National Convention. Just picture him getting the Democratic nomination. Perhaps the election results would've turned out differently.

Edwards denied that the baby was his.

Beijing, China spent years preparing for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad- cleaning the air, improving the transportation infrastructure, even teaching the concierge multiple languages and building up for the great opening.

So, it's the opening ceremony, and this lovely young lady- named Yang Peiyi, all of a precocious seven years of age- sings Ode to the Motherland:


gougouwu/YouTube

Only, they forgot to mention the fact that they threw in a substitute:


AldrinceCatt/YouTube

Because the cute angel faced Yang missed a couple of chompers, they decided to bring in nine year old Lin Maio Ke to fill in the role as singing Ode to the Motherland. Only, Lin din't actually sing- she pulled an Ashlee Simpson...or was it a Milli Vanilli? At any rate, the fault's not Lin's, but China has this obsession with beauty.

If that wasn't enough, there were plenty of controversies during the games. Such as this:

alut2301/YouTube

Abrahamian latyer was stripped of the medal and disqualified. Talk about a sore loser!

Then came this little controversy about the Chinese women gymnastics team. Some of the members were apparently underaged- one of them, at least 14.

All controversies aside, one US athlete went on to surpass another. Michael Phelps sought to pass Mark Spitz's 1972 record of gold medals won- and succeeded, winning the 200 meter freestyle; 100 and 200 meter butterfly; 200 meter individual medley; 400m individual medley; 4x100 and 4x200m freestyle; and 4x100m medley relays. a total of eight medals. The US won 110 medals altogether, with 36 gold. China, the host country, however won 51 gold, but trailed the US in the total medal count by 10. Russia came in third with 72 medals, 23 of them gold.

August 23, Barack Obama chose Delaware senator Joe Biden as his running mate. Biden has the one thing Obama lacks- foreign policy experience. Plus, he's been a major thorn in the Republicans' asses. He dropped out of this year's Democratic primaries after gaining less than 1% of the Iowa caucus vote.

Two days later, the Democratic National Convention began in Denver. On August 28, amidst a crowd of 76,000 at the Invesco Field, Obama made a stirring speech as he accepted the party's nomination.


C-SPAN/YouTube

But the next day, seeking to steal the thunder from Obama- and in an effort to woo pissed off Clinton supporters, the Republican presumptive candidate, John McCain- on his 72nd birthday- chose Alaska governor Sarah Louise Heath Palin, 44, at Wright State University's Edwin Nutter Center Arena in Dayton, Ohio.


C-SPAN/YouTube

But, as we will see, this pick was ripe for plenty of fodder. But before I start on that, I personally thought that he'd pick Connecticut independent senator Joseph Lieberman. After all, Lieberman often times voted with McCain on key votes, and even though Liberman is actually a Democrat, he acts more like a Republican. But, no, McCain had to choose...her. We'll get back to the McCain- Palin ticket momentarily, but first, there's a storm brewing out in the Gulf- and he could make 2005's Katrina look like a bitch who's been through some severe S&M.

When Hurricane Gustav hit the Gulf of Mexico on August 30, winds were up to about 150miles per hour, which would be around a high category 4. Now, when Katrina hit southeast Louisiana and southeast Mississippi in 2005, she came in as a high 3. Gustav was slated to reach landfall as a 4, or even a 5. New Orleans, having gone through Katrina, took Gustav very seriously and evacuated. He made landfall near Cocodrie, in Terrebonne Parish on September 1.

When all was said and done, Gustav took 138 lives- 101 directly- and affected parts of New Orleans; Baton Rouge; and Mississippi, Alabama; other parts of Louisiana; and Arkansas.

The Republican National Convention decided to postpone its opening ceremonies due to Gustav.

Speaking of Republicans, and the convention in St. Paul, there was another storm that would threaten to spoil the party. This one, however, was not caused by mother nature- well, kind of, sort of.

You know that Republicans consider themselves pro-life and abstinence-only Christian folk. You know, God's chosen people. But, what happened is they neglected to mention what I would call Wasilla family values. You know, the ones that are pretty much identical to the GOP's. So, now-running mate Sarah Palin here, as mentioned is the governor of Alaska. She cut funding for teen moms; backed abstinence-only programs, and is reportedly even on record as opposing abortion even in the case of rape and/or incest.

Must've worked, because this brings us to one of her daughters, Bristol. You see, thanks to momma Sarah cutting off funds to utilize alternative forms of birth control- you know, condoms; the morning after pill (RU-486, etc); and even Planned Parenthood- Bristol got knocked up by her boyfriend, Levi Johnston and
became preggers!

How 'bout them Wasilla family values? "Gee! Thanks, mom!," says Bristol.

Bristol gave birth to a boy- Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston- on December 28. She plans to marry Levi in 2009.

But let's go back to St. Paul, okay?

McCain and Palin gave their acceptance speeches. We'll just watch John's (Sarah's put me to sleep).


TPMtv/C-SPAN/YouTube

So, the game's afoot. Three presidential debates ahead, and one vice presidential debate.

But first, Houston...you have a problem. A BIG PROBLEM!

Gustav gave several areas in the Gulf South grief just days before, but now there's Ike- and not many people like him. Ike formed around the Cape Verde islands on September 1, and by the time he had reached the United States, he had already taken 74 lives in Haiti, and seven in Cuba. But, Houston/Galveston was in his crosshairs.
September 13, Ike made landfall on Galveston Island, then made his way to Houston. Once in Houston, Reliant Stadium was damaged, and windows from the high rise towers were blown out. He affected several sports events- the Astros were forced to move their matchup against the Chicago Cubs to Millwaukee's Miller Parrk. The NFL Texans were forced to move their matchup against the Baltimore Ravens to November. When all was said and done, 164 people had died, and 202 were reported missing. The damage estimate was at around $31 billion (USD), and was third costliest hurricane in US history.

Last year, O.J. Simpson and some of his pals decided to try and get the Juice's items back from a collector who had bought them. Of course, the sale was part of the $33 million judgment against Simpson in a civil case regarding the murders of hhis former wife and a friend. He may have gotten away with murder, but he didn't get away with this robbery. Simpson was convicted of kidnapping, robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon. The aftermath of this conviction will be revealed a bit later.

But first, there was a much larger storm on the countryside- and this storm would cause great grief to the US economy. This fall, the stock market took a free fall. For years, the Dow Jines Industrials rode high, going as high as 14,000 points in October 2007. Now, the stocks are above 8,000- and probably barely that.

On September 7, US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson announced that two of the biggest mortgage giants, Fannie Mae and freddie Mac, would go into conservatorship (which is basically legal control of another entity by court order), which would be run by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).

CBS/YouTube

A week later, financial services giant Lehman Brothers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after the Federal Reserve declined to rescue it.. On September 16, London-based Barclays PLC, agreed to buy Lehman (subject to US regulatory approval). Bank of America expressed interest in acquiring stock firm Merrill Lynch. shareholders of both companies approved the sale on December 5, 2008.

American International Group (AIG) got into a big credit fix, which caused the Fed to rescue it with $85 million (USD)

On September 26, US banking giant, Seattle-based Washington Mutual collapsed over bad loans and mortgages, and became the largest bank to fail. Another US banking giant, JP Morgan Chase, bought the troubled bank.

October 1, after debate in the US Senate and House, the 2008 Emergency Economic Stablization Act was passed, which allows the Treasury to spend $700 million (USD) to bail out troubled financial institutions.

And then, there's the Big Three, who begged for money this fall. Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors went to Congress, and asked for $25 billion to bail them out.

They got it, but with strings attached.

The housing market fell, and until recently, the price of filling up the petrol tank cost more than probably the mortgage. No wonder many say that we're in a severe recession.

The presidential campaign got a lot weirder.

Joe Wurzelbacher, 34, a plumber in the Toledo, Ohio area, confronted Barack Obama over the tax plan Obama is proposing. Wurzelbacher had planned to make over $250,000- the cut off point for the tax cut- and buy his plumbing business.

KNOWwhoUvote4/YouTube

Mr. Wurzelbacher became 'Joe the Plumber', and in the October 15 presidential debate, 'Joe the Plumber' was mentioned 26 times, and as a metaphor for the US middle class. Republicans embraced the name, and perhaps even the man. But here's the complicated part about this. Some sources say that Wurzelbacher is actually a relative- distant, perhaps- of Charles Keating, of the Keating Five fame. Whether that's true or no, one could decide for themselves. What's not so complicated, however, is the fact that he may run for Ohio's 9th Congressional District, going up against the Democratic incumbent Marcy Kaptur. But until then, this unlicensed plumber is selling digital converter boxes, and has a memoir coming out.

October 19, a prominent Republican made his endorsement for Obama- and boy, are his fellow GOP comrades pissed. On NBC's Meet the Press, Colin Powell told Tom Brokaw this:


TPMtv/NBC News/YouTube

The former Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff under President Bush, the elder, and former Secretary of State under the current President Bush, the younger, said that Obama would be a great leader. Fellow Republican John McCain called this endorsement a "slap in the face."

Nothing personal, John, but the Republicans haven't gotten things right over the past six years. Just the price of being under a very unpopular president. Over the course of the campaign, McCain's numbers were sagging, and Obama won just about every debate. But, leave it up to good ol' Sarah Palin to boost the mood up. Late in October, she talked with the chief cunt of Focus On the Family, Dr. James Dobson. She is quoted as saying, "God's going to do the right thing on Election Day." Well, she was right about that...but we'll wait until we reach the Election Day part. In the meantime... while I'm still in the 49th state, the 84-year-old US senator , Theodore Stevens was found guilty of all seven counts of corruption. Apparently, Stevens schemed to conceal more than $250,000 in home renovations and other gifts from an Alaska oil industry contractor. How much time he'll serve...probably not a day. And I'm willing to bet that Teddy will get pardoned by that (not-so) sweet piece of ass in Juneau, and the Dolt...um, President before January 20, 2009.

October 28, Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was sentenced to a 120 day sentence for violating bail in his trip to Canada, and for attempting to cover up his affair with his Chief of Staff, Christine Beatty.

Moving to November, it's a bittersweet month for everybody. First, let's go to the Election Day.


BarackObamadotcom/YouTube

Barack Obama became the President-Elect after surpassing the required 270 electoral votes needed, with 365 compared to John McCain's 173. Obama becomes the first African-American to become President.

John McCain took the loss. His supporters, on the other hand...


C-SPAN/YouTube

Sore losers, those McCain supporters.

Speaking of sore losers, remember Proposition 8, the ballot measure to ban same sex marriage in California? It took several days, but it passed by a 52-48 margin. But don't think that those gays and lesbians who got married in May are going to take this sitting down.


Mango77774/KTTV-TV Los Angeles/YouTube.

One star even came out- and note those latter two words- to rally the troops in Las Vegas. First, let's look at comedienne/actress Wanda Sykes at one of her stand up concerts. She touches upon the subject of smae sex marriage:


cijferr/YouTube

But in Las Vegas, she really endeared herself to her gay and lesbian fans when she did this:


joecoolnv/YouTube

We love you, Wanda!

If there is any consolation in all of this, Connecticut did become the second state in the Union- after Massachusetts- to allow same sex marriage. I guess it's "as it goes in Connecticut, so goes the rest of the nation." It's just going very slowly at this point.

When the state of Nebraska put its child safe haven law on the books, they obviously had infants in mind. The Cornhusker state fashioned its law after that of Florida's. But what happened instead was that children- from infancy up to age 18- were being dropped off at hospitals, police and fire stations, and other places (One parent even dropped off his/her 10 kids at one point). So lawmakers, in November, amended the law to accomodate newborns less than 3 days old, and up to a month old.

For years in Amsterdam, a person could light up- in a coffee house, or even out in the open- a marijuana joint without much trouble from the authorities. One could go to marijuana shops, and get plenty of weed to enjoy. Recently, however, Amsterdam decided to close one-fifth of the city's marijuana shops, with the fact that they're too close to schools being cited. By 2011, 43 must be closed. The Netherlands, although allowing the use of illicit drugs, are working to discourage their use.

On October 20, in Little Rock, Arkansas, the morning anchor of KATV-TV, Anne Pressley, 26, was found beaten in her home. She later died of her injuries. On November 28, Curtis Lavell Vance, 28, and a primary suspect in the murder, was arrested on rape and burglary charges after reportedly assaulting a 32-year-old schoolteacher.

November 26, the Indian financial capital of Mumbai was struck by a series of bomb blasts. Over a three day period, eight of the attacks happened in south Mumbai- at the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower; Cama Hospital; Orthodox-Jedwish owned Nariman House; and others. Pakistani terrorists from the group Lashkar-e-Toiba used hand grenades and automatic weapons to kill at least 164; and injure 308. Nine of the ten terrorists were killed.

The attacks were condemned by the US, India, and much of the rest of the world.

Finally, here in December, the state of Washington hates Christmas, and Christians in general. At least, Bill O'Reilly thinks so.


ThinkNowPeople/Fox News/YouTube

At the rotunda at the Capitol in Olympia, a display put up by the Madison, Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation drew the ire of Christians. The doisplay was placed just feet from a nativity scene, so those Christians called Fox and Bill, and Bill told his viewers- basically- that Christian values were under attack.

What he forgets is that the building the display is in is a government building. Not St. Peter's Bascillica.

Earlier, I mentioned that NFL legend- and unconvicted wife killer- O.J. Simpson was convicted on kidnapping and armed robbery charges. On December 5, he faced the music. Before sentence was pronounced, Orenthal went into this pathetic speech in his plead for leniency:



Simpson was sentenced 15- and up to 33- years for the charges. He'll spend at nine before he's eligible for parole. His co-conspirator, Clarence 'C.J.' Stewart was also sentenced.

Over a two week period, the Pacific Northwest- including here in Portland- suffered through a series of Arctic blasts. Temperatures dipped to around the teens west of the cascades, while east of them, the usual subzero temperatures. Here in Portland, a record 18 inches total fell, and the result was roads that were virtually unpassable, schools closed, and- when the snow finally melted- minor flooding (particularly around the coast). Mount Hood had blizzard conditions- much to the delight of skiers and ski resorts, which had delayed openings due to too little snow earlier in the season.

President Bush went to Iraq to deliver a 'farewell' speech. Someone gave him a nice send off:




Many are probably applauding the courage of the journalist, Muntadhar al-Zaidi, while others- likely Republicans and conservatives- are probably calling for his head. In Iraq, throwing shoes at someone is considered an insult (I'm picturing a pissed off wife throwing shoes at her husband...but that's a different animal for another time). I'm thinking, "You go, boy!"

ON December 12, Bernard Madoff, of Madoff Investment Securities, was arrested for running a $50 billion (USD) 'Ponzi scheme", which is a swindle offering unusally high returns, with early investors paid off with money from later investors.
Madoff was charged with one charge of securities fraud, and faces 20 years, and a fine of $5 million. Among the alleged victims: actors (and spouses) Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick.

Closure was found in at least two child killing cases this year.

On December 16, America's Most Wanted host John Walsh got his when authorities had determined that Ottis Toole, a convicted pedophile, was responsible for Adam Walsh's killing. adam was reported missing in the summer of 1981, with the six year old's decapitated head found two weeks later. Toole reportedly confessed, but later recanted. Toole died in prison in 1996 at 49.

Orlando, Florida toddler Caylee Anthony was reported missing over the spring and summer. It was suspected that her mother, Casey Anthony, 22, had killed the girl and hidden the body. On December 11, skeletal remains were found, and later were confirmed as Caylee's.

Casey now faces numerous charges, includiong first-degree murder.

In Covina, California- outside Los Angeles- a family was enjoying Christmas with a party. But when an eight year old girl answered the door, a man, dressed as Santa Claus shot her in the face, and began shooting others. 45-year-old Bruce Pardo shot his ex-wife Sylvia Ortega, 43; her parents Jospeh, 80, and Alicia, 70, and five others before burning down the house. Three of the shooting victims- a 16 year old woman and another woman, as well as the eight year old victim- escaped. Later, Pardo went to his brother's home, and committed suicide.




Mr. Pardo and Ms. Ortega had went through a bitter divorce.

When Barack Obama became President-elect, the US senate seat he held became vacant. So, apprently, Illinos governor Rod Blagojevich decided to sell Obama's seat. Federal officials charged him this month. Calls for his resignation have, thus far, only gotten a defiant response from Blagojevich.

On December 30, Blagojevich appointed former Illinois attroney general Ronald Burris, 71. Many, however, say that Blagojevich is playing the 'race card'- Burris, like Obama, is black. The governor, however, says that he's just doing his job. and that he's innocent of those charges that he put Obama's seat on the auctioning block.

We had some notable passages in 2008. Among those are these personalities:
Brad Renfro, January 15, 25, actor known for roles in The Client (1994), and opposite Brad Pitt in Sleepers (1996)
suzanne Pleshette, January 19, 70, of lung cancer. Husky-voiced comedienne known for her role as Bob Newhart's wife Emily in The Bob Newhart Show
Heath Ledger, January 22, 28, of an accidental drug overdose, Australian-born actor with memorable roles such as a gay cowboy Ennis in Brokeback Mountain (2005), and this year's
The Dark Knight, where he played a more darker version of Batman's nemesis Joker.
Roy Scheider, February 10, 75, known for his role as police chief Brody in Jaws
(1975), who battled a great white shark off a New England coastal town.
William F. Buckley, Jr., February 27, 82, of emphysema and diabetes. Conservative commentator and National Review founder


proverbs13i16/PBS/YouTube

For years, on PBS, Buckley hosted The Firing Line, which featured civil debate against liberal thinkers and lawmakers- such as Noam Chomsky in the clip above.
Arthur C. Clarke, March 19, 90. Sci-fi author of numerous titles, most notably
2001: A Space Odyssey, which was made into a film in 1968.
Richard Widmark, March 24, 93, after a long illness
Sean Levert, March 30, 39, American R&B singer.
Gib Shanley, April 6, 76, Cleveland, Ohio radio and television sportscaster. was the voice of the original AFL (and later NFL) Cleveland Browns. Sports anchor for WEWS-TV and WUAB-TV in Cleveland.
Jim Bosley, April 6, 73, congestive heart failure. Longtime Meterologist from 1962 to 2000 for KATU-TV, Portland, Oregon. Nicknamed 'The Boz', Bosley co-hosted the long-running local morning program AM Northwest
Charlton Heston, April 6, 84, complications from Alzheimer's Disease. Legendary actor and gun rights activist. Forever immortalized for his role as Moses in The Ten Commandments (1956) and as a stranded astronaut in Planet of the Ages (1968). Heston became president of the gun rights group national Rifle Association in 1998, and served until 2003. .

Harvey Korman, May 29, 81, complications from adominal anerysum. One fifth of the cast of CBS' long running variety-comedy series The Carol Burnett Show. Korman also kept audiences in stitches in movies such as Blazing Saddles (1974)


staciadutton/CBS/YouTube



pfn/Warner Bros./YouTube

Yves Saint Laurent, June 1, 71, brain cancer. French fashion designer and founder of clothing brand that bears his name.
Bo Diddley, June 2, 79, heart failure. Rock and roll and blues singer, best known for hits such as Who Do You Love


LuLuRenee97/YouTube

Jim McKay, June 7, 86, natural causes. Longtime host of ABC's Wide World of Sports. Won a Emmy for reporting on terrorist attack on Israeli team members at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.
Tim Russert, June 13, 58, heart attack.


style6919/NBC News/YouTube

Tim Russert may have been a bulldog in a suit and tie. But the way he did it, however, was none like any other:



dingoboy66/NBC News/YouTube

He was tough, yet fair. He disarmed the politicos and other personalities by just making them feel at home, then going for the juggular. for 17 years, he held fort at Meet the Press, and the NBC News Washington Bureau. Colleagues, friends, and even nemesises alive respected him. But as much as he loved doing MTP, he loved family even more. A devoted husband to Vanity Fair writer maureen Orth and loving father to Luke, he was extremely close to his father, Timothy 'Big Russ' Russert, Sr. He wrote two books about this tight bond, with the first, Big Russ and Me, a rapid riser on the New York Times Bestseller list when it was released in 2004. The book had such an impact on readers, that a second book, Wisdom From Our Fathers: Letters From Daughters and Sons, was released in 2005.

He also had an affection for his hometown Buffalo, New York.

Cyd Charisse, June 17, 86, heart attack. Dancer and actress known for roles in Singin' in the Rain, and other films.

George Carlin, June 21, 71, heart failure. Counterculture comedian, largely known for comedy routine that featured seven words you can't say on broadcast TV

HBO/YouTube/mansonssecretluvr


Don S. Davis, June 29, 65, heart attack. Character actor. Known for roles in Twin Peaks, and Stargate SG-1.



Tony Snow, July 12, 53, cancer. Political commentator and White House Press secretary for President George W. Bush, and speechwwriter for President George H.W. Bush. He worked for the Fox News Channel and had a syndicated radio show with Fox News Radio.
Joe Beck, July 22, 62, lung cancer. Jazz guitarist who worked with Miles Davis; Herbie Hancock, and others.
Estelle Getty, July 22, 84, complications from dementia. Known as feisty Sophia Petrillo on NBC sitcom The Golden Girls

Skip Caray, August 3, 68, bronchitis. Atlanta Braves play by play announcer. Son of legendary Chicago Cubs announcer Harry Caray.
Bernie Mac, August 9, 50, complications from pneumonia. Comedian and actor. Mac- born Bernard McCullogh- was one of the original 'Kings of Comedy', and had a successful Fox TV sitcom, The Bernie Mac Show


Paramount Pictures/mcpacrule/YouTube

Issac Hayes, August 10, 65, complications from stroke. Singer, composer, and actor. Hayes was a founding memeber of Memphis' Stax records, and composed the theme from Shaft (1971), for which he won both Grammy and Academy Awards.

MGM/UA/Sony Pictures/funkycoconut/YouTube

Pervis Jackson, August 18, 70, cancer. Bass singer for Motown group The Spinners.
Kevin Duckworth, August 25, 44, hypertropic cardiomyopathy. NBA center for Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs.
Del Martin, August 27, 87, complications from bone fracture. Lesbian activist and co-founder of organization Daughters of Bilitis. Married longtime companion Phyllis Lyon in May.
Jerry Reed, August 31, 71, complications from emphysema. Country and actor known for hits such as When You're Hot, You're Hot


ALLEN0955YouTube

Don LaFontaine, September 1, 68, collapsed lung. Voiceover artist for movie trailers.
Paul Newman, September 26, 82, complications from lung cancer. Actor, producer, and philantropist. Best known for numerous roles, including Fast Eddie in The Hustler (1961), opposite Jackie Gleason. and as Hud Bannon in 1962's Hud


chuy93a/Paramount Pictures/YouTube

House Peters, Jr., October 1, 92, pneumonia. Mr. Clean in Procter and Gamble's Mr. Clean commercial.
Edie Adams, October 15, 83, cancer and pneumonia. Actress and singer. Widow of comedian-actor Ernie Kovacs.
Levi Stubbs, October 17, 72, complications from stroke and cancer. Vocalist for Motown group The Four Tops.
Ben Weider, October 17, 85, cause unknown. along with older brother Joe, created bodybuilding empire. He was also an expert in Napoleonic history.
Dee Dee Warwick, October 18, 63, after long illness. Singer and younger sister of singer Dionne Warwick.
Richard Blackwell, October 19, 86, intestinal infection. Acerbic fashion critic.
Anne Pressley, October 25, 26, murdered during home invasion. KATV-TV, Little Rock, Arkansas reporter and anchor.
Thomas Moody, October 30, 78, natural causes. Republican Mayor of Columbus, Ohio from 1972 to 1984. Responsible for desegregating the city's school district, and expansion of the skyline. In the early 1980s, Moody was stopped by police on Interstae 71, on suspicion of drunk driving. His response: "I'm not drunk. I'm inspecting the city."
Studs Turkel, October 31, 96, complications from fall. American author and broadcaster. Author of numerous books, including Giants of Jazz (1957); Race: What Blacks and Whites Think and Feel About the American Obsession (1992); and the just-released P.S. Further Thoughts from a Lifetime of Listening.

Heather Pick, November 7, 38, breast cancer, WBNS-TV, Columbus, Ohio reporter and anchor
Eric Breed, November 22, 37,kidney failure. Michigan-based rapper known as MC breed.

Paul Benedict, December 1, 70. Known as quirky English neighbor Harry Bentley on CBS sitcom The Jeffersons and the Number Painter on PBS children's series Sesame Street.
Sunny von Bulow, December 6, 76, heart attack. Heiress was in a 28-year coma. Her husband, Klaus, was accused of poisoning her.
Michael Bell, December 14, 37, unknown causes. WWE wrestler.
Sam Buttons, December 16, 53, gliboblastoma multiforme (rare brain tumor). Younger brother of actor Timothy Bottoms. actor and producer. Noted for role as gunner's mate in Apocalypse Now (1979)
Majel Barrett Roddenberry, December 18, 76, leukemia. Widow of
Star Trek creator gene Roddenberry. Nurse Christine Chapel in original Star Trek series, and Lwaxana Troi in sequel series Star Trek: The Next Generation; computer voice in all five Star Trek series. At time of death, she had completed voice work for forthcoming motion picture Star Trek (2009).

Original series star Bill Shatner remembers Majel in a touching tribute:


William Shatner/The Shatner Project/YouTube

W. Mark Felt, 95, heart failure. 'Deep Throat' in Watergate scandal
Robert Mulligan, December 20, 83, heart disease. Director of film adaptation of
To Kill a Mockingbird
Eartha Kitt, December 25, 81, colon cancer. Over a 60 year career, Kitt has graced film, stage, and television. she had hits such as Santa Baby


privatedancer74/YouTube

Even at 79, she looked as hot as ever.

But she will also be immortalized as the role she took over from Julie Newmar on the campy 1960s ABC sitcom based upon one of the popular DC Comics characters- Batman.


FanOfBats/20th Century Fox/ABC/YouTube

Ann Savage, December 25, 87, complications from stroke, actress.

Finally, the just concluded political season has given us some fun- and some not so fun- rides. As usual, the political ads featured all of the mud slinging and bitch slapping (figuratively, anyway) we soap-crazy Americans can muster.

Veracifier/YouTube/Huckabee campaign.

Here in Oregon, Mike Erickson- who hails from Lake Oswego, not too far down the road from Portland- called himself a fiscal conservative. He ran against- and lost to Democrat opponent Kurt schrader for the Oregon 5th congressional seat, which was being vacated by retiring Democrat Darlene Hooley.

EricksonForCongress/YouTube

But his campaign hit turbulence when it was reported that Erickson had sex with a young woman some years back, and paid for her abortion. And furthermore, he went to Cuba 'on business'. I guess partying with the brothers Castro counts, right?

So, let's close out '08 on a very positive note. Our outgoing president George Walker Bush did a lot of wacky things during the eight year tenure at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW...
knowledge742/youtube

As you can see, he said a lot of them, too. So, as he leaves office on January 20, 2009, perhaps he'll jump right into his next career- country music:

WBAL-TV, Baltimore, Maryland/YouTube

Well, that's another year in the books. What will 2009 reveal?

The journey has just begun. Have a proserous and safe 2009.

(C) 2008 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Next, They'll Say That We Can't Smoke In Our Own Homes and Cars-Chapter Two, Beware January 1, 2009, Oregon

Saturday, I talked about the proposed outdoor smoking ban in San Luis Obispo, California. The city council wants to ban smoking on city streets and parks.

What I had neglected to mention in the entry was that Portland, Oregon- where this blog originates- already has a law on the books. Well, sort of.

Last year, Portland passed a resolution that banned smoking in city parks- and that included the square that's referred to as 'Portland's Living Room', Pioneer Courthouse Square. If you want to smoke that Camel�, you'll have to go across the street- SW 6th, on the east sidewalk; SW Yamhill, south walk, SW Morrison, north walk, and SW Broadway, west walk. The more unique thing about this is the fact that there are light rail stations on Morrison and Yamhill.

Speaking of light rail stations, you can't smoke at any of the light rail or bus stops of TriMet (Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District), which serves Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties in Oregon.

And to add salt to the wounds, come January 1, 2009, smoking is banned in all Oregon bars and taverns- which means that I can't light up my American Spirits at the Yamhill Pub or Yuri's (two of my favorite bars here in Portland). Exceptions are made to cigar bars and smoke shops, and 25% of hotel/motel rooms.

Further proof that smokers' rights are being eroded. The anti-smoking lobbyists, in their efforts to save approximately 490,000 lives, are doing more harm than good. They say it's for the protection of the bar workers, but what they're forgetting is that the majority of us who light up are adults. Adults who are capable of making our own choices, and if we choose to risk our lives lighting up or drink to excess, we have that right. Would I like to see zero smoking-related deaths? Sure. But the reality is that we choose to take that risk. Some of us win, others lose.

If the workers knew that the bars would be smoky, then they should've looked for different jobs. Of course, some of those workers smoked themselves, and some of them quit- and still work in those bars. True, they needed the money to support their families (I'll hand them that), but many of them had the choice to change careers.

But now, come January 1, they get to stay at those bars- and we smokers have to go out in the rain to light up. Nice work, anti-smokers. You've taken away one of the last places smokers feel safe (some of us can't smoke in our homes thanks to family members). And when you look at it, smoking and bars go hand in hand. Now, here in Oregon, they'll go through a forced divorce.

(C) 2008 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Next, They'll Say That We Can't Smoke In Our Own Homes and Cars

An outdoor smoking ban is considered in San Luis Obispo, California. This is in addition to an idoor smoking ban that affected bars and public buildings that passed in 1990. But now, the city council want to ban smoking in parks, and on city streets, citing butts trashing the streets.

Not surprisingly, there are folks who don't cotton to this impending ban. and me, myself, I think that the city needs to, um, BUTT OUT! Smoking, however seemingly dangerous to our lives, is still a personal freedom. And a lot of us who light up would protest this.

The full story is available at http://www.ksby.com/Global/story.asp?S=9552235

it seems to me that communities, such as San Luis Obispo, or even here in Portland, Oregon, want to play the nanny state role. They're trying to save us from ourselves- or so it seems anyway. But, to me, that's doing more harm than good. We're held accountable for ourselves, and if we choose to risk our lives by overeating, smoking, or excess drinking, we have that choice. But our government wants to play 'big brother'.

And to me, that's a 'big bother'.

(C) 2008 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

2008's Dumb Criminals

In 2008, we've had some real dumbasses- can anybody say 'Orenthal James Simpson'?

But, these take the cake. So, thanks to The Smoking Gun and this blog's news partner CNN, you get to take a good look at these characters.

(though, for those of you jokers who wear the Obama gear, better pay the man up...).

I'll have more criminal jackassery for you later.

(C) 2008 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.
Report (C) 2008 Cable News Network.

Caylee's Remains Found

The skeletal remains found in a wooded area on December 11 are those of the missing Orlando, Florida toddler Caylee Anthony. The FBI, along with the Orange County, Florida examiner's office confirmed this today at a news conference.

The mother, Casey Anthony, 22, now faces numerous charges, including first degree murder.

Caylee's remains were found just a half mile from Casey Anthony's parents' home.

The full story can be found at the WESH-TV website, which link you can go to by clicking on the title, and also this blog's news partner CNN by clicking on the widget.

(I have an identical entry on this at my Wordpress blog, The DWA Musings. Go to http://www.dwalex09.wordpress.com ).

(C) 2008 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Caylee's Remains Found

The skeletal remains found in a wooded area on December 11 are those of the missing Orlando, Florida toddler Caylee Anthony. The FBI, along with Orange County, Florida examiner's office confirmed this today at a news conference.

The mother, Casey Anthony, 22, now faces numerous charges, including first degree murder.

Caylee's remains were found just a half mile from Casey Anthony's home.

The full story can be found at: http://www.wesh.com/news/18318021/detail.html

� 2008 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Another Voice For the Separation of Church and Country Music

For years- about ninety, to be exact- country music has given its fans tales of lyin', cheatin', lovin', and a little bit of fightin'. In the same vein, some gospel elements have come into play, and some great country hits had indeed gospel roots.

But as of late, country radio has began to sound more like Christian radio, with songs such as Jesus Take the Wheel, by American Idol winner Carrie Underwood; The Long Black Train, by Josh Turner; and several others. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, aren't country music and Christian contemporary music two different genres?

If that's the case, then why is the line between the two being increasingly blurred?

Bob Wire, of the blog New West, wrote a great entry last week about this blurring. You can read this by just clicking the title for the link.

But the point is that I agree with Bob when he says that if he wants to hear Christian music, he'll seek it out. The same goes for me- though personally, I don't care too much for constant droning about how Jesus saves the great unwashed, such as myself (though, I supposedly gotten saved at an Atlanta mega church 21 years ago). I get the message!

Just like Mr. Wire, I'm fine with country artists wearing their Christianity on their sleeves. Just when you sing about Jesus, please consider moving the songs to Christian music radio. I hear there's plenty of room there.

Now listen to the late Paul Newman sing about his plastic Christ in Cool Hand Luke

YouTube/Warner Bros./Miksterious

Let's keep Christian music out of country radio. To be honest, I prefer to hear more fightin', cheatin', lovin' til the morning songs on the two country stations here in Portland, KUPL 98.7 and KWJJ 99.5 The Wolf.

(C) 2008 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Melissa Vs. Elizabeth

YouTube/ABC/lester94111

I must thank The Young Turks- who air daily on Air America radio- for their response to Liz Hasslebeck, of ABC's The View.
YouTube/The Young Turks

Melissa Etheridge, Grammy and Oscar winning singer, came on the show Tuesday to talk about one of her new songs. Melissa, being the activist that she is, talked about the passage of California's Proposition 8, which effectively banned same sex marriage in California. Liz, as you see in both clips above (the first from The View in its' entirety; the second with the two cents contributed by The Young Turks) does her best to dodge the fact that she wished that she was in California to vote for Prop 8.

The way I see this, Liz Hasslebeck is just Ann Coulter in training- only, Ann is the epitome of a wet dream Adolf Hitler probably had over sixty years ago. You know, blond, Aryan hottie. Perfect example of the 'master race that would last a millennium (if not more. Don't you just love Eugenics?...)
Paramount/YouTube/anzrage27

Picture Liz's face in place of Bill Shatner's and you get the picture.

But seriously, folks, if Elizabeth doesn't like the fact that same sex marriage is a human right, and not what the evangelical and conservative bases call 'special rights', then first off, she has that right not to like it. And second, she's still a bitch.

One I'd still fuck- just bring plenty of Trojans or Durexes. I don't want any of her hate juices.

(C) 2008 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Life is Not a Romantic Comedy Movie

You're at the movie theater, watching a romantic comedy film- say, the current hit Four Christmases with Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, or if you're at home, a DVD or Blu-Ray of the 1989 classic When Harry Met Sally. Either place, you cuddle up to your significant other, and even make a bit of whoopie (though if you're at the movie theater, you may want to be a bit more quiet- and pray that the theater's empty). So later, you both go home, you get naked (or if you're already there, you're already that) and fuck like rabbits. And, of course, you live happily ever after, right?

Wrong, according to Scottish relationship experts.

These experts at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, say that romantic comedies give people unrealistic ideas about love and sex, and cause them to "fail to communicate with their partner. Dr. Bjarne Holmes, of the university says that "Marriage counselors often see couples who believe that sex should always be perfect..." Which probably means that the man has to have a well hung penis, the sex is earth-shattering; and the partner is screaming in ecstasy. And you have a cigarette afterward.

But those happy endings in the movies, as we all know, rarely happen in real life. After all, many romantic comedies don't include screaming kids and- with the exception of last year's riotous hit Knocked Up- rarely include women in labor.

The full article can be seen on the website Buzzsugar, the link you can get to by simply clicking on the title.

(C) 2008, by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Adam Walsh Case Brings Closure

Twenty-seven years ago, young Adam Walsh was kidnapped and killed by a then-mysterious person. His father, John Walsh, began a quest to find the killer, and bring him to justice.

Now, twenty-seven years after the six year old's death, police and other investigators have determined that a convicted pedophile, Ottis Toole- who has long been the prime suspect in Adam's kidnapping and killing- was the person indeed who took his life. Toole died in 1996, at age 49. He reportedly confessed to Adam's killing, but then recanted. Adam went missing in late July 1981, and his severed head was found two weeks later.

John Walsh asked, "Who could kill a six-year-old?"

A monster, John. A really creepy monster who has wanton disregard for human life. That's who.

The Walshes say that this isn't about revenge or even closure. But I'm led to believe that it puts the rest a 27-year-old pain. Sure, the Walsh will never fully get over the loss of Adam, but at least they're channeling that into helping others. since then, they formed the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and twenty years ago, John co-created Fox's
America's Most Wanted, which still airs.

(C) 2008, by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Throw More Shoes at Bush

In Iraq, throwing shoes at someone is considered an insult.


But this time, I think many of the Iraqi people are thanking the shoe-throwing journalist for having the balls to aim at the outgoing US crime boss. After all, the journalist blamed Bush for tearing Iraq to shreds, and if he could, he'd have more people do it. Hell, I'd be more than happy to do this, since he's gotten us in this war in the first place, then sabotaged the economy by sending many manufacturing jobs overseas.

Oh, and then there's that marriage amendment he tried to stick in our faces.

Now, if that was an American soldier who did that, he'd likely face court-martial. But then again, who knows? He or she probably did America a favor.

(C) 2008 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Pinup Queen Betty Page Dead at 85

She drove guys crazy with her sultry looks, and there weren't many guys in the 1940s and 1950s that didn't have calendars bearing her sexy poses (of course, that would be different if some of those said guys were married. Damn, those jealous wives!)

But now, she's gone.

Born Betty Mae Page on April 22, 1923, Page altered her first name to 'Bettie'. She was a schoolteacher before becoming the bondage queen that guys- from the 1940s, even up to this present day- would drool over. She also had roles in films and TV. But, she'll forever be immortalized as one of the most sultriest women ever to grace the planet, and one of the earliest Playboy Playmates.

Page died Thursday, in Los Angeles, from pneumonia. She was 85.

You can click on the title for the full story from NFTHE's news partner CNN, or if you're reading this at press time, you can also click at the CNN widget for the story.



(C) 2008 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Let Obama Light Up

It's a well known fact that our president-elect, Barack Obama smokes. But give him credit for working on kicking the habit, after all, smoking's not good for you. And as I can tell you firsthand, it's addictive (for me, it's been a 30-year addiction).

So, if Obama is tempted to light up while dealing with some international crisis, one hopes that he doesn't reach for the Marlboro Reds. But I'll forgive him if I see one lit. You know how hard it is to quit? Very hard! And I'm sure that he'll light up a few more times before he finally quits for good.

We, the American people, can give him all the encouragement he can use. But in the meantime, let him smoke. If that what it takes to calm him down, then so be it.

Okay...next item.

Brrr, Baby. It's Gonna Be a Cold One!: An Arctic blast is barreling down toward the Pacific Northwest, and is expected to bring snow to the Seattle/Tacoma and Portland/Vancouver/Salem metro areas this weekend. It's raining now in Portland, but come Sunday, snow could reach the Willamette Valley floor. Temperatures will dip down to the lower to mid 20s by Sunday night, and further into the teens Monday night (yes, Seattle, we'll be much colder than you. Break out the swimsuits, and swim in the Puget Sound).

Up in the Mount Hood area- just east of Portland- there are already reports of blizzard conditions (click here for the report from KGW-TV/DT: http://www.kgw.com/video/index.html?nvid=312816&shu=1 ).

So I'll be well bundled up this weekend, and much of next week. Stay warm. And if our president-elect needs a smoke, don't hesitiate to float him one.

(C) 2008, by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

O.J. Simpson Sentenced

Today, Orenthal James Simpson faced the music, and was sentenced fifteen years, and up to thirty-three in state prison- but he could be out in nine. Not surprisingly, Simpson's lawyers are appealing the sentence.

Simpson and a co-defendant, Clarence 'C.J.' Stewart were convicted on October for armed robbery and kidnapping a couple of sports memorabilia collectors. Those collectors bought some of Simpson's items, proceeds of the sales going to the families of the late Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Simpson was acquitted of their murders in 1995, but was found civilly liable in their deaths. The families won a $33 million suit again Simpson.



Last year, Simpson, Stewart and several others went to a Las Vegas area hotel, and reported planned to rob collectors Bruce Frommong and Al Beardsley. However, the robbery was botched. Two of Simpson's co-defendants, Walter Alexander and Michael McClinton struck deals with prosecutors in exchange for testimony against Simpson, who was reportedly the ringleader of the robbery.

Simpson apologized for his act of jackassery. However, just like Las Vegas District Court Judge Jackie Glass, who sentenced Simpson and Stewart today, I'm not buying it.



This is the end of what could have been a storied life. Sure, he'll be do the jailhouse rock until 2017- if he's lucky, otherwise, we're talking 2023, when he's 76 and probably suffering from Alzheimer's. That is if he's lucky enough to live that long. Sure, he'll be in solitary confinement, which is a pity on the account that, one, his star got tarnished the day Nicole and Ronald were killed- of course, many say the day he was acquitted of the murders, he got away with killing them. So, with his star forever tarnished, two, he should be out there with the rest of the prison population. Solitary confinement is way too easy on this guy.

And then, there's the sentence itself. Fifteen years is not enough time for this asshole. He faced life in prison, and to be quite honest, judge Glass was much too lenient on Orenthal. Sure, he's 61, but when he gets out as early as 2017, he could very well still be healthy as a house. A life sentence would've been better, in my opinion. I guess he had to kill the collectors to get that- or the death sentence had he killed them.

This may bring closure to many, but for the Goldman and Brown families, there will never be closure.



But at least the monster won't be running amok anytime soon.

You could look at the full story from this blog's news partner, CNN.

(C) 2008 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Washington State Hates Christmas (Okay, O'Reilly Says So...)

Uh-oh, somebody has gotten Bill O'Reilly mad. But then again, who- or what hasn't?

Whether it's calling the Christmas tree a 'holiday' tree, or some Islamic celebration, if Bill O'Reilly of the Fox News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor and Westwood One's The Radio Factor doesn't like it, he'll tell you about it.

Which is fine and dandy to your brother Darren here.

That said, the latest subject of his ire is the atheist display, which is a few feet from the Nativity scene at the Washington state capitol building in Olympia. You can look at the story on the KING 5 TV website, which you can get to by clicking on the title.

But, at the risk of wasting precious storage space on this loon, here's Mr. O'Reilly's gripe fest- in its' entirety:


jbranstetter04/YouTube/Fox News

Mr. O'Reilly calls it "political correction gone mad." That "there's no reason to post an anti-religion sign next to a Christmas display." He goes on to call the Democratic governor Christine Gregoire a "weak and confused leader." Gregoire and the state Attorney General Rob McKenna site that the group who put up the display, the Madison, Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (http://www.ffrf.org/ ) went through the submission process- just like those who put up the Nativity scene- and was approved.

O'Really, Bill? (Sorry, couldn't pass up the chance to do a play on Bill's last name). The last time I checked, the Washington state capitol was a government facility, not a place of worship! But, apparently, William James O'Reilly, Jr. differs with me. O'Kay (there's that play on his name again). Fine with me.

Now, if a church allowed an atheist display, would that church be any less Christian or even Jewish? I think not. After all, if a church allows such a display, even if it disagrees with the atheist's beliefs, to me it shows open-mindedness on the church's part. Same goes for performing same sex marriages in churches that may disagree with such, but still allows it.

Look, there will be people who will do anything to burn the atheist sign in the Capitol rotunda. But then, they'd be hurting themselves in the end, because it would infringe on the atheist group's First Amendment rights. So, those of you who feel that Christianity is an endangered species- though I (being Christian myself) have my doubts, I ask you this: why even worry about some atheist or agnostic display or belief? Why are you letting it get to you? Don't you believe the First Amendment applies to them, too? At the risk of straying a bit, myself being black, I don't like what white supremacists say, but all in the same, they have the right to express their views- albeit, hopefully in a civil manner.

So, it goes with the atheist views, only, there are times when I feel that they're right about some of us Christians being a bit intolerant.

Ah, the First Amendment:

chefdices/YouTube/Live Leak

I'm sorry that you feel that way, Bill. But I'm siding with the atheists here.

(C) 2008 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

The Sex Lottery

It just seems like I can't get away from my hometown of Columbus, Ohio, can I?

Even as I'm about 2500 miles to the north and west in my adopted hometown (of almost 12 years) Portland, Oregon, I still have a place in my heart for good ol' Cowtown. after all, my family's still there, as are many people I grew up with.

So this being said, there's one thing that Columbus can't get away from: SIN!

Oh, yes, I remember vividly when Donald 'Buz' Lukens had sex with a then-sixteen year-old girl. WSYX, the ABC affiliate in Columbus, secretly
Lukens got convicted on misdemeanor charges of delinquency of a minor. And then, there was a story up the road in Cleveland about some sex scandal that happened in that neck of the woods.

So, it hardly surprises me that the city of my birth has found itself- yet again- in another sex scandal. This time, it involves a faculty advisor from Ohio State University; a realtor, and a caseworker from Franklin County Children Services (the local DFS agency). And, they used that tool criminals seem to love as of late: Craigslist!

OSU nursing advisor Chris Johnson created a sex chat line over the summer, and advertised a monthly raffle while the realtor, Rusty Blades used his house for the brothel in the Brewery District, just south of the city center and west of the historic German Village district. For $10, the lucky players competed for the chance to win the ultimate prize: an hour with FCCS case worker Vanise Dunn. Only, you couldn't bring the snotrags with you (of course, if you did, you'd probably get charged extra for babysitting).

And now Dunn is charged with prostitution, with Blades and Johnson facing charges on promoting prostitution.

The politics of sex. How fun can that be?

Copyright (C) 2008, by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

� 2008, by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.