Bend over. . .

You will probably not see the story in the state-run media, but at a recent meeting of leaders of Hispanic persuasion, President Obama actually urged them to vote to punish those with whom they disagree. When I heard him say "punish" again, chills ran up my spine.

What is this, the age of punishment? Fines and imprisonment for not buying health insurance? Heavy extortion of BP? Curtailing earned bonuses for private industry executives? Intimidation of citizens by census workers? Interference in the banks' mortgage business? The list never ends.

Make it stop. . . please.

FOR TV TODAY: Obviously, we can't actually go to Mars, so it would be embarrassing to have people "coming back," and confirming it. For enough money and relocation to a spot on Earth with the perfect climate, I would gladly fly off, and become a whole different person with a new name who thinks Mars is only a candy bar.

Juan for the road

Many years ago, I had occasion to fly 3-4 hours across the country. Seated next to me was a young man who had the words "Born to raise Hell" tattooed on his arm. It so happened that only a few days earlier, somewhere in America, a viscious, alleged serial killer with a similar body adornment had been arrested. Could he have escaped or been released on bail? I breathed easier only after inebriation caused my seatmate to doze off.

Soon after 9/11, we were cautioned to be wary when taking public transportation. Everyone knew that the enemy had dark skin, wore characteristic costumes, and might act suspiciously. So, when Juan Williams of NPR said he was nervous in the presence of such persons, I could certainly understand. And when his employers, who profess to be fair and unbiased, fired him for acknowledging his fear, they put their gross hypocrisy on display.

Don't misunderstand, I seldom agree with anything Juan Williams says, but he is unusual for a liberal, in that he seems to be a nice person, and lacks the meanness so many of his political persuasion exhibit. I have actually seen him smile, and I would defend to the death his right to speak his mind as he sees fit.

As seen on TV today

Representative Barney Frank, and the House Financial Services Committee he chairs, encouraged mortgage lenders to give home loans to people whom they knew could not repay them, and he and anyone else who thought that was sound fiscal policy is to blame for all the economic problems of today.

STILL PUZZLED: I don't understand the concept of "openly gay," as mentioned in reference to military recruiting. As a heterosexual, I have never felt the need to announce than I am "openly straight," an action I consider irrelevant. With whom one chooses to have sex is nobody else's business, be it a man, a woman, or even a sheep. (Stop bleating, Fluffy; those days were over the first time you left me.)

Does it mean anything?

Yesterday, in a senior moment, I put my sweatshirt on backwards, and went off to a pleasurable family dinner. No one made mention of my gaffe, which I discovered at bedtime when I removed the garment.

Three explanations come to mind: 1) no one noticed, 2) anyone who noticed was too polite to bring it up, or 3) no one cared, because I am extraneous. I pray #3 is not true.

Argh. . .

My pharmacy may inadvertantly be trying to kill me. Although neither I nor my personal shopper asked for the automatic refill option, I was informed by the electronic voice on the phone, that my prescription was ready. I have to assume that the scrip to which they refer is one for warfarin, my blood thinner, because it was last refilled 90 days ago. However, because I only take 1/2 tablet per day, the pharmacy has jumped the gun, and what looks like a three-month supply will last me significantly longer.

Because warfarin is the killing ingredient in rat poison, overdosing by me could be fatal. Fortunately, I have my blood tested regularly, and, thank God, my mind is still intact and apparently more attentive to my needs than the folks down at the drug store.

He's a pretty gray, too

His name is Hi and Goodbye, and he just won his second consecutive race. The purse was 50% more than the first one. Earlier, there was a $4,000 offer to buy him. What will it be now?

Keeping him will spawn dreams of more prestigious tracks and greater glory. And again, some big-time trainer may want to buy him for some rich guy. What to do?

I wrote this while watching Charlie Rose interview the cast of "Secretariat." He was more of a red color.

The devil makes him do it?

The Sacramento Bee regularly publishes long, rambling misinformed articles by self-proclaimed celebrities who are invited and/or paid to bloviate about some liberal cause that the paper supports. The last two times I wrote letters to the editor dissenting, The Bee ignored me, so the only place you will see my critique of their latest nonsense will be here.

Bobby Caina Calvan, who says he "covers the health care industry for The Bee," wrote almost a full page, whining about his recent brush with a hospital emergency room. Apparently, he paid $1,990, which was 18% of the total charge, but even less than the 20% his health insurance had guaranteed him. Boo, hoo, things are expensive nowadays.

I never earned as much as $20,000 in any year of my life, but at no time did I lack having at least $2,000 available in case of emergency, because it would be foolish not to. In today's world, paying what Calvan did was chump change, and his grousing about it annoyed me.

However, I was most stunned by one sentence which was tucked into the middle of the thousands of words for which Calvan was probably paid by count. Standing alone, acting like a paragraph, it said, "And for a moment, my thoughts focused on whether I was responsible for my own failing health."

Who the hell does he think is responsible? Me? You? The cigarettes he shouldn't have smoked? The government? America? Darwin? God?

Actually, one of those last two seems to be the answer. For anyone who is conscientiously trying to keep up with the constantly changing proscriptions of science, bad health would seem to be attributable either to genetics or circumstance of birth. I guess that means Darwin and/or God make Calvan sick.

Titanic

The rats are abandoning the sinking ship. The chief Obama rodent, Rahm Emanuel, is going back to Chicago the join his other gangster buddies. I saw him interviewed once by Charlie Rose. The questions weren't particularly hardball, because Charlie's in the bag, but Emanuel with his shit-eatin' grin and sliminess, managed to avoid saying anything of substance.

He follows several other resigned Obama weasels who didn't want to be around when and if the party loses the election. Add cowardice to all those other undesirable liberal qualities.

FYI: This week's "Outlaw" was disappointing. The baby was left in the hot car and died, but nobody was punished. Yo. . . someone's dead here.

RIP: Stephen J. Cannell ("Rockford," et.al.)