Archive for April, 2008
What Makes A Pirate A Pirate?
I don’t have cable, and I don’t want it. It’s too expensive, I don’t like the hassle that I get from them, and I havean internet connection, so I can pretty much get whatever shows I want without the commercials, and whatever I can’t find online I just rent and plug it into the DVD […]
29Apr2008 | bryan | Comments Off on What Makes A Pirate A Pirate? | Continued
My Stimulus Check Stimulates Me
Here is what I am going to do. Plain and simple. I am going to spend my gov’ment stimulus check to help the economy. I have a whole list of things that I am gonna do. Here it is. Right off, I am going to pay my car insurance for a year – then I […]
27Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on My Stimulus Check Stimulates Me | Continued
Media Pendulum Swings Right
The phenomenon of the American Media is in full swing. The mass of opportunity is driven by the gravitational pull of pollsters. With the inertia growing, it seems improbable that we will see any shift to professional journalism in the near future. The throttle is open for the pendulum to swing far right. The value […]
26Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Media Pendulum Swings Right | Continued
Christianity Is Not a Religion
At a motivational seminar that I attended last week, I noticed that a lot of the motivational speaking crowd are Christian speakers. Many of them, in fact, have started mega churches for mega rich parishioners in mega cities (that crowd doesn’t do small scale stuff). Many of the pastors of large churches, actually, would fall […]
25Apr2008 | bryan | 1 comment | Continued
Copycatery – By Steven Colbert
There is no one like Steven Colbert to pound an issue home. The Colbert Report hosted both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama last week. Clinton had inked the deal before Obama – so – imagine this, The Clinton campaign is accusing Obama of being a copycat. We are reaching for new lows in this Presidential […]
24Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Copycatery – By Steven Colbert | Continued
Marines’ Hymn
I am an amateur piano player – I play late at night, and just for myself. I am told that I have a ‘swing style’ – but I don’t know what that means. One of the first songs that I learned on a piano was the Marines’ Hymn. This inspiring march music is relatively easy […]
24Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Marines’ Hymn | Continued
Obama, Clinton, ABC debate, 4-16-2008
6:40 PM: Here we go again. These debates are tiring – but very necessary. There are undecided voters out there who want information. They want to make a good decision – they know that bad decisions in the past two Presidential Elections have proved disastrous for our country and for the world. Clinton has been […]
17Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Jon Stewart: The Fiber in Your Media Diet
There are some things that we, as a culture, cannot do without. Oil. Television. Wal-Mart. Cell Phones. Media Punditry. In order for these things to exist, we have to continually evaluate them and to find ways of curbing our dependence on them. Otherwise, we become slaves to our devices. Oil, for instance, needs investigation into […]
17Apr2008 | bryan | Comments Off on Jon Stewart: The Fiber in Your Media Diet | Continued
smoking bans: a look at freedom, liberty and autonomy
There is an understanding in our free society that we can exercise our personal autonomy as long as we do not interfere with the rights and liberties of others. The true nature of government is to build and maitain infrastructure and to make and enforce laws that protect the rights and liberties of the people. […]
16Apr2008 | bryan | 2 comments | Continued
esprit de corps and elitism
When people suffer anxiety and fear, whether from physical insecurity, economic strife, or terrorism, they form what Robert Muchembled calls social solidarities. These systems of survival come in a variety of forms. Many folks form loose confraternities around causes: Global Warming, Abortion, Guns, Political Parties, Civil Rights, Feminism, Gay-Lesbian Rights, and even around faith based […]
16Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 3 comments | Continued
Meet the Reverend, Fred Phelps
The ‘Reverend’ Fred Phelps is an example of religion gone haywire. He is a man much like Osama Bin Laden, using a legitimate faith to justify his hate. But is he really so unusual in America? Christianity is blasphemed by people who use that brand of faith as justification for separating and dividing people. The […]
15Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Pope in America
Bill Maher is on a role in this video. Maher directly takes the Pope and the Catholic Church to task. Referring to Pope Benedict as John Paul’s Dick Cheney, Maher hits this nail right on the head. The value of comedic interpretation of current events is never more evident than it is in this monologue […]
15Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Pope in America | Continued
Addiction Humor
So what is funny about getting drunk or high on drugs? Just about everything – if you are observing someone else. These two comedians, Robin Williams and Bill Cosby, are very funny because they are so accurate in their depictions of people on drugs. We laugh because we recognize ourselves and others in their comedy […]
15Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Addiction Humor | Continued
Does President Bush Drink?
I don’t know what to think. This video is on youtube. Has it been doctored? Slowed down? Check for yourself: [wp_youtube]lHSiqQpg7Uc[/wp_youtube]
15Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Does President Bush Drink? | Continued
Robin Williams on Golf
Caution to readers – this Robin Williams is hilarious – but he uses strong language to punctuate his message. Williams pulls every trick out of his big bag of humor to make this work. He is animated, uses slang, stresses ethnic accent, and adds to the humor by throwing in a drunk Scotsman. This is […]
15Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Robin Williams on Golf | Continued
Fox News – Bush’s Last Lap
Fox News has become the embarrassment of professional journalism. Ranking beneath bloggers in factual reporting and fair commentary, the only success of Fox has been to lower the bar of media expectations. Fortunately for all Americans, we can depend on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Intelligent reporting that is clearly unbiased may seem boring […]
12Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Fox News – Bush’s Last Lap | Continued
My Nephew Joe in Iowa
The guy in this video walks and talks and looks like my nephew Joe who lives in Iowa. [wp_youtube]PkGDrV_2ehI[/wp_youtube]
11Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Ring of Fire – and Walk the Line Videos
Johnny Cash sings “Ring of Fire” 1963 [wp_youtube]gRlj5vjp3Ko[/wp_youtube] Here is Joaquin Pheonix with his impersonation of Johnny Cash “Ring of Fire, along with a moving moment from the movie ‘Walk the Line.’ [wp_youtube]fMdoyh4NjSE[/wp_youtube] And here are more of the songs from ‘Walk the Line’ [wp_youtube]b9qTCP-tZms[/wp_youtube] And here is Johnny Cash singing ‘I Walk The Line’ […]
11Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Obama, More Perfect Union speech
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11Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Obama, More Perfect Union speech | Continued
Robin Williams on American Idol, 4/2008
One has to listen closely and quickly to catch all of the humor offered by Robin Williams. Every time I seen this great talent I try to imagine anyone else in the role and I find there is no one to compare with Robin Williams.. Enjoy.
11Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
The Conundrum of Humanity and Religion
One great irony of the human experience is the conflict between religion and science. The ‘human experience’ is essentially the act of awareness. The act of awareness allows us to explore our universe, to ask why and how, to speak in metaphor and allegory. But the human experience is also primal, seeking first to survive. […]
10Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on The Conundrum of Humanity and Religion | Continued
New Al Gore video on climate change
Al Gore says this better than I.
8Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Iraq in Context – April 8, 2008
I am listening at this moment to the Senate hearings featuring testimony by General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. These are impressive men who are in a tough spot. They believe in their mission. They testify that their work is not only effective but also necessary to improving American security. But this: Even if what they […]
8Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Narrative lives of McCain, Obama, McBride
Each of us is a product of our environment. We do not know the secrets of epigenetic study – that mystery of our DNA that is shaped by influence of nurture. So we are left to speak in terms of biography. Biography is termed ‘narrative history.’ Narrative, by it’s nature is anecdotal. Written about famous […]
4Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Narrative lives of McCain, Obama, McBride | Continued
Diplomatic Gutter Balls
There were two major news developments in the past few days. The President of the United States was in Europe on a diplomatic mission and a Senator from Illinois was bowling in Pennsylvania. Can you guess which received the most media attention? BUCHAREST, Romania — President Bush suffered a painful diplomatic setback Wednesday when NATO […]
3Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
The Obama Mystique
MSNBC’s David Gregory is doing well on his new program. What is inside the Obama mystique, he asks: His panel answers:
3Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on The Obama Mystique | Continued
Al Gore in Obama Administration
What role might Al Gore play in the upcoming Barack Obama Presidential Administration. Here is a good discussion on MSNBC:
3Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Al Gore in Obama Administration | Continued
Obama on Hardball, 4-2-2008
Barack Obama is the guest on Hardball’s College tour. I’ll give some summary comments. Matthews: “How do we know you are tough enough?” Omaba: “…I am leading in a contest with a very powerful political Clinton machine – I think I have proved I am tough…” Matthews, “Can you ignore public opinion to do the […]
3Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
hunting for the ethical purchase
As consumers, we vote with our pocketbook. There is plenty of complaining about the impact of Wal-Mart, but they are winning the campaign of the free market because they they are, in fact, cheap. Everyone loves a bargain, and these days the way to get one is to invest your time and money into supporting […]
2Apr2008 | bryan | Comments Off on hunting for the ethical purchase | Continued
“Take a Listen to this”
The mainstream media is driving me nuts. People who work in journalism, even bloggers, have some duty to try to use proper grammar. I make mistakes – because I am not an authority on proper English. Was I supposed to capitalize English? The point is that I try to ask myself questions of propriety. I […]
2Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Olberman on WalMart, O’Reilly, and Dobson
Keith Olberman is at his best on his own show. He falters when paired with a co-host on political programs – but his sense of humor, his intellect, and his willingness to confront immorality shines when he is on his own. Here is Olberman taking it to WalMart.
2Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Olberman on WalMart, O’Reilly, and Dobson | Continued
Urban Gardening
My neighborhood is called ‘midtown.’ There is the north side, south side, east side – and midtown. Midtown is composed of homes a little over 100 years old. The lots are generally about 75 feet wide and about 150 feet deep. We have alleys. None of the homes are ‘ranch style.’ And the garages were […]
2Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Thirty Years – Grief does not end
Son, I have five brothers, four living. My younger brother David was killed in a motorcycle accident thirty years ago this week. Thirty years. And I still think of him. David was probably the most witty and clever of the bunch. Even as a young child he had the most developed sense of humor. Most […]
1Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Obama with Ann Curry, 4-2008
Two people that I admire and respect, Ann Curry and Barack Obama. Both of these folks have disarming personalities – but Obama is careful. Curry asks if he is just being courteous or polite or something, Obama quickly qualifies his position. The cat and mouse game is subtle and these are two masters.
1Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Anecdote – Stoking Flames of Conversation
The Fireside often presents reason in the form of anecdote. We are not alone. Anecdotes are the parables of modern discourse. They are not scientific, not products of statistical analysis. Anecdotes offer insight by personalizing issues. Anecdotes are used to wrench the gut, to appeal to the human emotion, to define issues in terms of […]
1Apr2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Anecdote – Stoking Flames of Conversation | Continued