LARRY ROIBAL

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I’ve never watched the Glen Beck Show, but I’ve seen clips of his program and understand he’s a conservative talk show host. Last week he called for Christians to leave their churches if they heard the words social or economic justice coming from the pulpit, saying they were code words for Communism and Nazism. I’m not shocked by the stupid things people say on TV anymore. What floors me is that Beck has had five books on the New York Times best-sellers list and his cable news show draws more viewers in his time slot than CNN, MSNBC and CNBC combined. Why are so many people interested in what this guy thinks? H.L. Mencken was right when he said “Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.”

Forbes reported Becks income for last year at $23 million.

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The leader of the House Appropriations Committee David Obey announced a new ban on earmarks to private business. If the Senate follows suit, it would bar the end run around the merit-based or competitive allocation processes and the means legislators use to slip pork and no-bid contracts into bills. The ban does not include not-for-profits.

It’s a start.

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New York Congressman Eric Massa claimed the Obama administration pushed him out of congress with trumped up ethics violations to help pass health care reform. After 24 hours in the spotlight, it’s become clear, this guy needed no help in destroying his political career. Bizarre.

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Yesterday Obama got passionate about health care, but do Americans share his passion?

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Best Picture: The Hurt Locker

Directing: The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow

Actor in a Leading Role: Jeff Bridges

Actress in a Leading Role: Sandra Bullock

Actor in a Supporting Role: Christoph Waltz

Actress in a Supporting Role: Mo’Nique

Film Editing: The Hurt Locker,Bob Murawski and Chris Innis

Art Direction: Avatar

Cinematography: Avatar

Animated Feature Film: Up

Documentary Feature: The Cove

Costume Design: The Young Victoria, Sandy Powell

Documentary Short: Music by Prudence

Foreign Language Film: The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)

Makeup: Star … Continue Reading

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The Academy Awards are on this Sunday. Any predictions?

Okay, I’ll start. Best Actor, for his portrayal of the down-and-out- country singer, Jeff Bridges.

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With ethics violations swirling around the powerful chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, the twenty term congressman from Harlem read a statement temporarily relinquishing his chairmanship. He took no questions.

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Forty years after his death, Hendrix is still a legend with an ax. Look for a CD release to commemorate the rock icon.

Watch him do his Voodoo

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Here in the North East we has another huge snow storm. Actually, it was two storms which joined forces and dropped snow for over thirty hours. Both the Times and the Ledger’s delivery took a snow day while I spent another day shoveling heavy snow. Today both Friday and Saturday papers were delivered. I’m a fan of the seasons, but it seems like I’ve shoveled a lifetime of snow this winter and I’m longing for baseball and the boys of summer.

Oh yeah, this is John Podesta, U.S. contracts, higher wages, Center for American Progress, yada, yada, yada.

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On my cable provider C-SPAN-3 is located at 105, check your local listings.

Ball point pen on todays newsprint

“I am deeply sorry for any accident that any Toyota drivers have experienced,” said Toyota President Akio Toyoda. When you consider the thousands of complaints and 39 deaths attributed to faulty Toyota accelerators, Akio, the grandson of Toyota’s founder, hardly fell on his sword before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

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Speaking about the six hour televised forum on health care reform, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell doubts the President and Congressional Democrats are acting in good faith. “We will be at the meeting on Thursday and anxious to participate in the discussion, but it appears the administration has already made up their mind.”

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Yes, for all those under forty, there was once a championship team that played at Madison Square Garden. Last night they celebrated the 40th anniversary of the first Knick championship. That great team led by Hall of Famers, Willis Reed, Walt “Clyde” Frazier and “Dollar” Bill Bradley went on to win one more in 73. And although Ewing, Starks, Oakley, Jackson, Johnson, Mason, Houston and Spewell provided some excitement along the way it’s been a long drought at the Garden for Knick fans.

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RIP Fran Lee. Everyone who walks in New York owes pioneer consumer advocate Fran Lee our gratitude for making dog owners clean up after their pets.

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I am a lover of good food and a fan of the Food Network. It’s owners, Scripps Networks will debut an all new Cooking Channel this May 31st. The company has announced six new series starring Rachel Ray, Emeril Lagasse, Chuch Hughes, Laura Calder, Roger Mooking and the owner/chef of Mesa Grill, Bobby Flay.

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Yesterday Chinese Americans rallied in Washington to show support for the meeting between President Obama and the Dalai Lama.

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Yesterday the new head of the International Atomic Energy Agency issued a troubling report on Iran’s undisclosed activities to develope a nuclear warhead. Stay tuned.

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Roger Ebert has battled cancer since 2003. At 67, he’s be no means giving up, but has ruled out further surgeries. Perhaps the greatest compliment I could give any journalist is that they help inform my life decisions. It’s true whether they are writing a review or covering a campaign. It seems odd to say I’m a fan of a critic, but I am a fan of making good use of my time and for years I’ve trusted Roger Ebert to steer me towards worthy entertainment choices. Even now, though he’s no longer able to talk, or eat or drink, he continues to write and inform my decisions. Bravo!

Read Esquire article
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“Leave me, just for a bit.” When the doctor had gone: “I picked up the pillow and smothered him until he was dead. The doctor came back and I said: ‘He’s gone.’ Nothing more was ever said.”
Ray Gosling described how he euthanized his lover who was dying from AIDS. He has since been arrested on suspicion of murder.

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President Hugo Chavez is tightening his inner circle, using his secret police to detain magnates previously loyal to him.
interesting article in todays NYT
Stay tuned.

Sharpie on today’s newsprint

Faced with a bankrupt state government, New Jersey’s new governor, Chris Christie is serving up some tough love.

Happy Valentines Day!

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Retired Gen. Frederick C. Weyand passed away on February 10th. Weyand served as the final commander of American forces in South Vietnam and as Army chief of staff in the waning days of the Vietnam War, even though he was convinced victory in Vietnam was beyond reach. Read the interesting obit in todays NYT. He was 93.

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On the 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandels’s release from prison, the dichotomy between the end of apartheid, the hopes for the future of South Africa and the current realities of the Zuma administration, couldn’t be more stark.

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With seven days until pitchers and catchers report for spring training, it’s a good time to read James S. Hirsch’s new book, “Willie Mays: The Life, the Legend”

From todays NYT

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….go marching in
When the Saints go marching in
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the Saints go marching in!

Congratulations to Super Bowl 44 MVP, Drew Brees for leading his New Orleans Saint to victory over the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17. The win marks the Saints first Super Bowl victory.

Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, the last day of carnival before Ash Wednesday, falls on February 16th this year. That gives New Orleans eight days to celebrate.

Watch Louis Armrtong play the “When The Saints Go Marching In”

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All eyes are on the European Union. Mounting debt in some small member countries like Greece and Portugal are threatening the Union and causing European markets to free fall…Stay tuned.

Doodled from top to bottom: President of Greece Karolos Papoulias and President of Portugal Aníbal António Cavaco

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An upset Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero postponed the United States - European Union Summit, scheduled to take place in Madrid because of Obama’s decision not to show.

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President Obama plans to ignore China’s warning and meet with the Dalai Lama. Officials did not say what actions China would take if Obama did so. Sure, it’s the right thing to do, but it might be prudent to get our financial house in order before we bite the hand that feeds US.

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The Deficit for the coming year is eleven percent of GDP and the most optimistic of forecasts project unsustainable debt for at least ten more years.

Translation: A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.

I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken,
indeed.

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Taylor Swift won four Grammy Awards last night, including Album of the Year for her second album Fearless. On the red carpet, the twenty year old was gorgeous and composed beyond her years, but I thought her live performance was less than stellar. Not only did she sound off key, but someone forgot to tell Swift that duet etiquette required she be quiet for a verse so we could hear the other singer - poor Stevie Nicks, reduced to singing backup - hmph.

Note to producers: More singing acrobats please.

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Written by Guest blogger Alyssa Roibal

Holden Caulfield is a character most high school teens were relieved to meet. He was different from previous characters we read about like Elizabeth Bennet, who girls looked up to. Or Atticus Finch, the definition of a good father, and a man every boy hopes to become. Caulfield is a high school student (or expelled prep school student) we could relate to. We wanted to be that kids friend, or at least have a conversation with him, even if our parents might not have wanted us to. The Catcher in the Rye is rebellious, witty and filled cover to cover with teen angst. Most either love or despise it, and the same goes for its narrator and main character Holden Caulfield. He doesn’t tip toe around anything. He speaks his mind freely, starting with the opening line of the novel:

“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.”

J.D. Salinger, made a point to stay out of the public eye. His novels - by contrast, were in your face and charming. Students who previously wouldn’t be caught dead admitting to liking a book were participating in class discussions and commenting on funny things they had read the night before. Turning a non-reader into a book lover, even if it’s only of one book, may be J.D. Salinger’s greatest legacy. He was 91.

About todays guest blogger: Alyssa Roibal is a student at Rutgers University and writes for the on-line indie music magazine Praise For Wallflower

Doodles by dad

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The stock market thinks the new iPad will make a lot of money for Apple and AT&T with both companies share prices rising yesterday. What’s still questionable is whether it will add to the bottom line of the struggling newspaper industry. I hope so, but I have my doubts.

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45 percent of the population in Haiti are children. Many tens of thousands have lost their parents, homes, and schools.

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Two weeks after the quake, humanitarian groups are prioritizing and tending to the most needy, but thousands of children are sleeping on the streets, foraging for food and suffering nightmares.

UNICEF: Visit unicefusa.org/haitiquake or call (800)4UNICEF
Red Cross: Visit redcross.org or call (800REDCROSS
World Vision: Visit worldvision.org or call (888)511-6598
Americares: Visit americares.org or call (800)486-4357

Doctors Without Borders

Partners in Health

CARE

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Future wars are more likely to be fought over information than land or oil. Last week Secretary of State Clinton used her strongest language to date warning potential adversaries that cyber-attacks will not be ignored.

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The Obama administration has created a new cyber-military force for the Department of Defense. Melissa Hathaway began work on cyber-security under President George W. Bush and was asked to lead a study to develop a US cyber-deterence strategy for the Obama administration.

From todays NYT

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From lost elections and failed health care, to unemployment and discontent on Main Street. These guys are sitting center stage.

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Yesterdays 5 to 4 Supreme Court ruling opens the flood gates of cooperate money to influence elections. Justice Stevens contributed 90 pages to the 180 page dissent, saying the majority had committed a grave error in treating corporate speech the same as that of human beings.

I can’t speak to the law, but it seems that cooperations already have extraordinary influence on our political system. Now they seek to have same on our thinking.