Can we talk?

As Joan Rivers used to say, Can we talk because all I'm hearing is the shouting.  I'm serious.  We have a failure to communicate in this country.  And, we're in serious, serious trouble.


Our National debt in over 13 trillion dollars.  That's a lot of money we owe.  That's over $42,000 per U.S. citizen, according to the U.S. Debt Clock.  We really need to do something about this debt.  We need to have a serious discussion about it and we need to lower it before the people to whom we owe the money come looking for it.


Our National deficit to date is roughly 1.4 trillion dollars.  There are only two ways to cut our deficit: Cut our spending or raise taxes.


It is simple math, people.  The last Presidential Candidate who said quite honestly, "We're going to have to raise taxes." didn't become President.  That was Walter Mondale.


That leaves cut spending.  What should the government cut?  What programs?  


We're fighting two wars which have added billions to our debt, so we can't cut military spending - at least not for our troops.


We have 24 million people unemployed in this country, so cutting unemployment benefits isn't a wise thing to do.


I'm not sure just what spending we should cut, but as Americans, we need to have this serious discussion.  We not only need to cut our spending, but we need to pay pay down our debt.


I'd like to hear some discussion -- real discussion, not this ballyhoo and crap that's been going on for the past sixteen years.


So, the topic is National Debt and how we're going to reduce it - Discuss.


God Bless

H.R. 5175 - Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections (DISCLOSE) Act

Time and time again, I have said that Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh really and truly do not care about our nation.  And, time and time again, they prove it - as Rush has by being against the bill H.R. 5175 - Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections.

I cannot understand how Limbaugh could come out against this bill, which passed the House 219 to 209 with 8 not voting.
Our Supreme Court lost its collective mind not long ago and declared that Corporations had the same rights as individuals.  This meant that the Campaign reform laws that were passed were essentially knocked down.  How could anyone think for one moment that a Corporation should have the same rights as an individual in this country?
Here's the deal:  Lawmakers should have to tell us under whose bed their boots are.  We should have the right to know to whom they are grateful when they are propelled to public office.  Maybe, this is isn't what our founding fathers had in mind, but they couldn't possibly conceive that we would one day be a country of over 300 million people.  They couldn't possibly conceive that a candidate for president would have to get his or her (they certainly couldn't have conceived a woman president) message out to everyone and it would take a ridiculous amount of money to do so.
And, from where does that money come?
You, me, corporations, lobbyist groups, etc. etc.
Don't we have a right to know?  I believe we do.
Apparently, Rush Limbaugh doesn't think so, neither does Paul Ryan - he was one of the 3 nay votes from Wisconsin - and neither does our other 2 Republican Representatives from Wisconsin.
You should think about that when you go to the polls this coming November.  Think about who wants you to know what's happening and who doesn't.
God Bless America - she needs it!

I just sent the following email to my state Senator and my state Representative. If you live in WI, I suggest you read it, steal it and send it to your Wisconsin State Representatives. Let's get this changed. I took out the Senator's name before posting it here. Make sure you fill in your Representative's name and information. Also, if you don't know who they are, go to this site, enter your address and your Representatives will appear. http://www.legis.wisconsin.gov/w3asp/waml/waml.aspx

Feel free to make any changes to the below text. Also, if you don't live in WI, investigate your state's laws.

---

Dear Senator/Representative,

I hope this email finds you quite well.

Recently, it has come to my attention that Wisconsin's laws regarding pepper spray leave much to be desired. Currently, our state law requires the following:

1. Have a total weight on not less than 15 grams nor more than 60 grams (According to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

2. Cannot contain UV dye

I propose that we change both of these requirements. Allow me to explain.

Why are we determining how little a canister may hold? Wouldn't it be best for the consumer to be allowed to carry a canister much smaller than the 15 grams required by law? Most carriers of pepper spray are women and if they could carry a canister on a key chain, it would most likely do them much more good than to carry the canister on a belt or have it be buried in the bottom of their purse.

Regarding point 2, if a person defending themselves sprays someone with pepper spray that contains a non-toxic UV dye, doesn't this make it easier for police to catch the suspect? They can simply shine a black light on the offender and identify him or her.

I would hope, Senator/Representative, that you or your staff will research this matter and, perhaps, work to change the law as it is now in effect.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you regarding this matter.

Sincerely,

Pot, Sarah Palin and Me

In my wildest dreams, I never thought this day would come.  Today, while reading the latest Newsweek magazine, I learned the Sarah Palin and I actually agree on something.  Before I tell you just what it is, I want you to ponder that for a moment.  If Sarah and I can agree on something, then it must be something that should be done.  If two polar opposites are on the same side, something good should come out of it.
I know, you're wondering, what the heck could it possibly be?
Pot.  We agree on pot.
On page 20 of the Newsweek dated June 28 & July 5, Sarah Palin is quoted as saying, "If somebody's gonna smoke a joint n their house and not do anybody any harm, then perhaps there are other things our cops should be looking at."
It is unfortunate that I don't know when she said or what the context of the statement was or know what else she said.  I wish I did.  But, what I do know is she's right - mark that on your calendars, I said Sarah Palin is right (but only on this particular instance).
We spend billions of dollars patrolling our borders, not only for illegal immigrants, but for pot smugglers (and, yes, other drugs).  Perhaps, we could put that money to better use.  Perhaps - and I don't know if Sarah agrees with this - we should end the legal status of marijuana.  (In the interest of full disclosure, I have tried pot on two occasions and have never been a regular user of any illegal drug.  I barely drink.)
Even though we still would spend money to defend our borders, if we legalized marijuana, we could do three things that would be good for the economy:

• Tax it.  I believe that California has all ready earn $80 million in taxes for their new prescription marijuana.  One article has estimated 1.2 billion dollars if they completely legalize it.  Over the full nation with federal and state taxes, we could make a mint!
• Regulate it. Only safe marijuana would be on the market.
• Put people to work in our fields.  Instead of subsidizing farmers to not grow food, we could have each one put in a pot field and let them earn some cold, hard cash.

I don't know why more states on jumping on California's bandwagon.

God Bless

Skywalker's Last Ride

Today, we took our beautiful 13 year old American Eskimo Dog, Skywalker, for one last ride.  Sky, as we called him, has been going steadily downhill for a year and became worst this past weekend.  We knew it was time.


Both Cheryl and I were able to spend most of his last day with him.  We hugged him, laid on the floor next to him and showed him a lot of love and affection.  When it was time to go to the vet, I lead him outside.  The sun shone brightly, as Sky walked out onto the patio.  He stood there for a moment and looked around with his silly grin on his face.  He sniffed the air and then followed me to the car.  It looked like he was pausing to take one last look around.  It was like he knew he wouldn't be coming home again.


After I loaded him into the backseat, Cheryl and I got into the car.  Cheryl cried the whole way to the vet.  Her heart was, and still is, breaking.  Sky settled down in the backseat and kept his head up.  I took County V to the vet.  I wanted his last car ride to be filled with pretty countryside views and not the views of the highway.


At the vet, I filled out the paperwork and paid the bill, before the three of us were lead down the hall to a room.  Sky just followed like a little trooper, without us having to even hold his leash.  Even to the end, he was an excellent little dog.  We were left alone to say goodbye for quite a while.  Sky laid on the floor next to Cheryl.  When it was time, they didn't put him on the table -- he hated those tables.  I sat on the floor in front of him, so his last sight was me.  He had been my dog for so long, I didn't want him seeing anything else.  They gave him the two shots and he was gone.  His little eyes half closed.  His head lying between his paws.  He looked so sweet.  Cheryl and I were sobbing uncontrollably.  It was the hardest thing I've ever done.


Good night, sweet Skywalker.  I know I'll never have a dog as good as you.


God Bless

Sound Bites

Ronald Reagan, God rest his soul, left this country a lot of things; old movies, his cowboy image, the beginning of deregulation and sound bites.  No, Reagan didn't invent them, but he knew how to use them better than anyone that came before him in our history.  Who can forget the 1980 election when Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan were neck and neck heading for the November 4th election day?  And, then, they had one last debate.  Carter, armed with facts, finished answering a question about healthcare in his Georgian drawl.  The moderator said, "Governor?" to Reagan and our country changed forever.  Reagan's response, "There you go again."

Four words, that's all Reagan said and the politics in the nation, the debates on things that mattered were no longer the same.

I'm sure Reagan couldn't have known that thirty years later his "There you go again" would have set a very scary precedence.  We no longer get facts in our debates.  Candidates come up with catch phrases to win (and sometimes lose) elections and influence us.  From Reagan's "Morning in America" to Bush I's "thousand points of light" to Clinton's "It's the economy, stupid" and beyond, we've become a nation of sound bites.  We, as a people, don't really know what's going on anymore.  We pay attention to the sound bites and to the commentators that have risen up in this 24 hour news nation like dandelions on my front lawn.  We follow the loudest voices, like Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin, to the edge of nothingness like lemmings.

But, what has this cost us?  What price have we paid?

We've lost some civility.  We've lost a lot of common sense.  People were surprised to find out that a lot of believers in the Tea Party are well-off, well educated people.  I wasn't.  I have met enough well educated people who believe the most ridiculous things, like the trickle down theory actually works, to know that education doesn't necessarily equate smarts and common sense.  

Further, no one bothers to check the facts anymore.  They just believe the commentator that best represents them.  If they agree with Bill O'Reily 85% of the time, then whatever O'Reily says becomes Gospel to them.  The same goes for a follower of Rachael Maddow or Keith whatever his last name is.

I could go on forever about this.  I'll probably write about this again.  Our country is in real trouble because of our inability to get to the facts and make wise decisions. Today is Super Tuesday. Before you go out and vote, try to get to the facts to make a wise decision. Don't vote for someone because of a soundbite.

God Bless

Political America

America is not a true democracy.  We are democracy, mixed with republic with a bit of socialism and a pinch of libertarian.  The sad thing about this is that a great deal of Americans don't even understand this - even the ones with college degrees.

Sad, isn't it?

Now, the big thing is that Obama is a socialist and we're going to become this giant socialist nation and all of our rights will be taken away.  Sad thing is, we've had socialism in our society for well over 60 years and, in some cases, since almost the beginning.

Being the libertarian that I am, I say, let's get rid of all of the socialistic programs.  This is the only way to make our federal government smaller: (these are MY ideas and not necessarily the ideas of the libertarian party)

Socialistic Programs to Cancel
Social Security	Bank Regulations
Farm Subsidies	School lunch programs
Public Schools	Head start
Corporate Welfare	Welfare
Medicaid	Medicare
VA Benefits	Labor Laws

I would support a tea party candidate.  I wholeheartedly support libertarianism.  My problem with them is that they want to be libertarians with a huge amount of right-wing Christianity mixed in.  The whole idea of libertarianism is NO government interference and individual liberties.  The problem with the tea party is they want NO government interference and only those individual liberties THEY support.  They aren't what they seem to be.  Most of them are just Republicans in sheep's clothing. 

Let's change our government mix into a libertarian one. To find out just where you fall on the political spectrum, take this quiz.

You might be surprised.

God Bless

Memorial Day - Shake a Vet's hand, tell them thank you

Today is the day that we honor the men and women who gave the absolute sacrifice for their country.  Without these men and women, our country would be very different than it is today.  We wouldn't be free, the majority of us wouldn't speak English and we wouldn't be the amazing country we are today.

But, I wonder about those men and women who have survive.  I wonder, do we do enough for them?  Do we show our gratitude often enough?  Do we give them our thanks?

So, here's what I purpose for anyone reading this article - starting today - every time you see a vet, tell him or her, thanks.  

It doesn't matter where you are when you do so.  If you see a soldier, Marine or sailor in uniform, shake their hand, look them in the eye and thank them for their service.  If you see someone in a hat that says veteran on it, do the same thing.  These men and women put their lives on the line for us.  They serve their country with honor and for very little pay and benefits. Their families live with the separation of war and service and they're rarely thanked.

If you can read this, thank a teacher.  If you can read this in English, thank a vet.

God Bless our vets and God Bless America.

Protect Drug Addicts?

There's a Milwaukee Journal Times editorial calling for a better law to protect people from abusing prescription drugs and, quite frankly, I don't think we need the law at all.  When will we stop allowing the government to protect us from ourselves.  If you want to ruin your life or even die by taking prescription drugs, oh, well.  If you're that stupid, we didn't need you in the gene pool anyway.

If this was a matter of the government making sure a company didn't put a drug on the market that was known to kill one out of every 10 users, then I'd be for it.  But, frankly, I don't need the government to protect me from me.  If I want to run around town, convincing doctors that I need that prescription drug, so be it.

If I have a brain cell left, then I know there are plenty of programs that will put me on the straight and narrow path from drug addiction.  Is it easy - no, it isn't.  But, that which does not kill us, makes us stronger.

I've been on pain medication and I realize that the soothing effects are quite addicting.  I do have an addictive personality, if I didn't, I would've quit smoking for good years ago.  But, despite my stupidity for still being a smoker, I do have enough good sense to know that when I crave the drug for the effect and not the pain in my leg, it was time to stop taking the drug.  Three days after my knee surgery, I was done with the vicodin.


Enough is enough.  It is time we expected everyone to take care of themselves and if they can't, and they die, that's just a sad fact of life.  It may be a little harsh, but only the strong survive and if you're not strong enough, well, they you're out of the gene pool.

Social Security, Medicare and the Tea Party

I've been reading that the Tea Party wants smaller government.  And, Republicans want to privatize Social Security.  And, the country wants less government interference in their health care.  Add to this a soaring debt that most Americans want paid down, plus Corporations want to pay less in taxes (even though they're the lowest since the 1950's), as do most Americans (even though they're the lowest since the 1950's).

Well, I've got a plan.  You ready for it...

Let's get rid of Social Security and Medicare.  Just like that, let's stop both programs in their tracks.  Now, I know what you're thinking, we can't do that -- we have thousands of retirees depending on their Social Security checks and their Medicare!  Well, I have a plan.

I say that starting January 1, 2011, no one in this country pays anymore Social Security and Medicare taxes.  Period.  Those people who are 65 and over on 1/1/2011, get to use up the rest of the money in the pot.  Once the last of them die, those of us who aren't on either program would get an amount of any remainder, based on how much we paid in and how old we are.  I think if you're 64 on 1/1/2011, you should get back at least as much as you put in.  I don't think there would be any left, but we should plan just in case.

Then, all of us, would get to keep the approx. 8% we put into Social Security every year.  It would be up to us to figure out how to invest it.  And, our employers who pay another 8% would get to keep that money to use however they wish.  If they choose to put it in our 401ks, well, that would be a bonus and I say no tax on that money for the employee and employer.  If they choose to keep it in the company coffers, well, Corporations work hard for their money and they should get to keep it, but tax it as profit.

If you invest wisely between now and the time you retire, you should have a nice little nest egg.  I mean, you know better how to take care of your money than the government, right?  You're on time with your bills, you pay your mortgage.  You made a good deal when you purchased your new car, so you must know what you're doing, right?

But, I don't believe in Government safety nets.  I've really had it with bailouts so, if you don't invest wisely, well, that's just too damn bad.  You're on your own.  Oh, and we should enact a mandatory retirement age of 65.  We can't have people hanging on to their jobs in order to make ends meet.  We need the next generation to get out there, work and save for their retirement.

So, who's with me?  Anyone?  Let's write our Congressmen and Senators and let them know - No More Social Security and Medicare.  Let's start standing on our own two feet!  Come on, America!  Let's get together and push this through!

God Bless!

Twisted Headlines

Yesterday on facebook, a co-worker of mine posted the following: "Obama skipping Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. 'He'll be on vacation in Chicago'"  You would think a comment like that couldn't possibly start any trouble, could you?


Well, it went on and on.  There are actual news articles and blogs calling Obama out for sending Joe Biden in his place.  As it turns out, President Obama will be at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.  It's not like, in the words of my co-worker, he's spending the day at a waterpark.


You're probably wondering why I am posting about a post from facebook and here's why.  It bugged the heck out of me.  I couldn't find much in the way of Presidents attending the Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington.  But, I did find out that Obama isn't the first President to miss it.  When I pointed out that Bush II had missed to be in Normandy, France.  A person stated, "And it always goes back to Bush II for some reason....very interesting. The hatred for him knows no bounds"  And, proceeded to post Bush's Normandy comments.  


Here's what bugs me:  Yes, I thought President George W. Bush was a bad President and, yes, I voted for Obama and I will be voting for Obama in 2012.  But, I don't pull out something Bush had done and necessarily mean it was a bad thing.  And, can't people say anything about Bush and not be accused of hating him? 

In fact, I don't even care that Bush went to Normandy, I was merely pointing out that this Presidential tradition had been broken before.  In fact, later in the day, I learned that Reagan missed in 1983 to attend an economic summit and Bush I missed to speak at an American Legion and then play golf.


So, I was thinking, Are we really that bad in this country that we infer or project how we think a person feels because we label them?  Some people think I'm a radical liberal -- far from the truth -- but does that mean that no matter what I say, they hear a radical liberal response?


Does that mean that we have stopped paying attention to each other?  I realize our pundits have completely lost their minds and stopped listening, but have the rest of us?  And, if we have, isn't that the saddest thing ever?  How can we solve our country's problems if we when hear an idea, we only agree if they're a Conservative Republican or a Liberal Democrat?  Why are we so polarized when, except when driving a car, the middle of the road is usually the best place to be?


God Bless

Arizona's Immigration Law Part II

It isn't often that I change my mind about something. It happens even less often that I make a turn around in such a short period of time.

I just found some new information that in fact the AZ immigration law doesn't give police officers the right to stop someone because they think he's an illegal immigrant. They have to have pulled the person over for some other reason, like a traffic violation.

To me, that makes all the difference.

I see no harm in asking to see id -- police do that all the time.

God Bless

The new AZ law

Quick note: Kiss your freedom goodbye in AZ. The police have the right to stop and question you if they have a "reasonable suspicion" that you are an illegal immigrant. How do you NOT look like an illegal immigrant? Okay, I'm a very white woman, but I can pass for Italian or Russian or Irish. I'm not saying a police officer would do this, but he or she could stop me because they suspect I might be an illegal immigrant from Ireland or one from Russia.

Granted, I probably won't be stopped in AZ, but it could happen. Walk down the street and speak with an accent and police officer could decide to check your citizenship papers. And, what if you've forgotten your driver's license that day? You better hope someone is at home to get it for you and bring it down to the police station.

I realize we have an illegal immigrant issue in this nation, but removing freedoms is not the answer. I don't think this law will stand up in court, but it might.

The law gives every police officer in the state of AZ the right to stop anyone at any time. All he or she has to say is: "I thought they might be illegal."

God Bless America

Rep. Jeffrey Wood

Rep. Jeffrey Wood needs to be removed from the Wisconsin Legislature. End of discussion. A three-time loser in the drunk driving race does not deserve to be a state representative. End of discussion. For our state Democrats to hold a early morning vote while Rep. Nass is attending his mother's funeral is not only wrong, but unethical and immoral. For Rep. Colon to suggest Nass miss his mother's funeral to attend this ridiculous vote is heartbreaking.

I can't condone nor defend the behavior of the Democrats involved in this mess. Do they not realize that they represent me and others like me? We do not need the Republicans to overtake our state legislature again. Look what happened the last time. Behavior such as this does nothing to help the overall cause.

Jerks!

God Bless Representative Nass and my thoughts and prayers are with him and his loved ones during this very difficult time.

See story here.

Net Neutrality and the Right Wing

The rest of my interview with Steve Hofstetter will be posted soon.  Before the end of the day -- I promise -- I'm still transcribing it.

BUT, I just received a message from Media Matters regarding the Right Wing and Net Neutrality.  Apparently, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh suffer from Obama Derangement Syndrome.  They both have a serious case of it, because they are convinced that Net Neutrality is a BAD thing and that is simply not true.

The big communications companies don't want Net Neutrality.  They want to charge me more in order to have their customers come visit my blog and they want to charge consumers more for reading my blog.  And, my blog is just a sample.  Beck and Limbaugh will be heard because they have big contracts and a lot of money backing them.  People like me will not be heard, because I can't afford to pay Comcast, AT&T and Verizon more money to obtain readers.  I'm not that dedicated as a blogger to charge for content and I happen to believe that free speech means it should be FREE.

This is one of those few issues where the Christian Coalition and the ACLU actually AGREE.  They both know that if someone decides to put up roadblocks to sites, democracy will be in trouble.

Maybe, you don't agree with one blog I've ever posted.  Maybe, you hate my guts, as I know at least two people out there do.  Maybe, you think I should die a horrible and terrifying death -- and, maybe, you're right.  Maybe, I'm the awful person YOU think I am, but the First Amendment guarantees me the right to free speech.  I pay for the hosting of this website.  I pay for my Internet access.  I shouldn't have to pay YOUR Internet provider to have my blog come up in search engines or have people visit.

YOU shouldn't have to pay to have YOUR blog read, either.

That is what Net Neutrality defends against.

Don't listen to Glenn and Rush on this issue -- Contact the FCC and let them know YOU support Net Neutrality.  Read up on it on your own. 

You can start here:  http://free.convio.net/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=437

God Bless America!

Interview with Steve Hofstetter - Part I

Steve Hofstetter, in case you don't know, is a comedian from New York. He's been a professional comic since graduating college eight years ago. His comedy is both funny and thought provoking, which is a fine line to walk. He does an excellent job of it. If you haven't heard of Steve, then you should take this opportunity to download his album for free – yes, I said for free.

I had the opportunity to interview Steve about his giving away his album, “The Dark Side of the Room”. Instead of a self-promoting, fast interview that I was expecting, the experience turned out to be more of a conversation between two people who have just met (one of which is recording it). Truth be told, this has made for a long transcript. I don't want to sell Steve short by picking and choosing what I post here and what I don't, because he struck me as a funny comedian when I listened to his album, he truly struck me as a very intelligent young man during this interview.

However; this is a blog and my interview with him ran for forty minutes. So, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to post my interview with him in two separate posts. One today and one tomorrow. I'm just splitting the interview in half.

Without further delay, here is Part I of my interview with Steve Hofstetter.

I called Steve and caught him at home in New York. He didn't have an appearance Saturday night, so he was free. He does have an appearance scheduled for the Bob & Tom Show on 4/5/2010.

After the initial hi, I want to interview you, I jumped right into the really tough question: Is this a new album or an old album? (I'm sure I'm in line for the Pulitzer.)

Steve: No, this is my most recent one with material. I released one since then but that one was 100% ad lib. This is the one with the material from my act.

Me: What made you decide to release this one and let everyone download it for free?

Steve: You know it started as a pay as you want album. And, it was a huge success. A lot of people still paid the $9.99 they used to on iTunes. Some people paid more and some people paid less. But, I am preparing for a new album. I figured you know what, I'm going to let a million people have this one. Because if they like this one, they'll probably get the next one.

– This is where I gushed embarrassingly and admitted that I would be buying the next album.

Me: I really enjoyed listening to it and so, I've got to ask, Did you really make your mom buy the Penthouse?

Steve: Well, I didn't force her to, but I didn't send her a copy. She told me that she went to three or four different newsstands. And, I was like that's even better, because that means she had to ask for it that many times. That means she had to be like, “Can I have a Penthouse?”. Because even if the guy gives her a weird look, what is she going to say? “My son's in it.” That just makes it worse.

Me: I don't think my mom would do that. She'd be like have the publisher send me a copy or I'm not reading it.

Steve: You know what, my mom is great and super supportive of my career. As private as she is that her love for me trumps that so she'll go out and buy a copy of Penthouse because her son is in it.

Me: That's really nice. So, were you a comedian as a kid? Were you the class clown?

Steve: Not even close. I was a little bit of a troublemaker when I wouldn't get in trouble for it. I definitely liked to stir the pot to prevent myself from being bored. I wasn't entertaining at a young age. I started during improv when I was 13. When I was in class, I was trying to fit in and not be beat up.

Me: Is this what you always wanted to do?

Steve: No, not even close. I wanted to be a journalist. I was on my way to doing that and I became disenchanted with it. There are bad things about every profession. But, journalism today is not what it should be or could be.

Me: So, you talking about about the days of Edward Morrow...

Steve: There's always been some form of infotainment that's part of journalism going back to Hearst. There's always been polemics, but there was money in truth. It seems to be now that people don't care about truth as long as there entertained. That's gone away.

There was actually a phenomenal point on the Daily Show the other day... when they were talking about CNN's ratings and how they lost 50% of their viewers in the last year and the idea that there is so much room for them right now with MSNBC to the left and FOX to the right. There's a lot of room for a news organization to become the news organization that holds the others accountable. It's amazing that instead of doing that they try to play the same stupid games that everyone else is playing.

Me: Because that's what going to make money instead of what America really needs.

Steve: It's not about just what America needs because it is a business, I understand that, they have to make money. I can't say it's the journalists' fault by themselves because the consumers are clearly driving the demand for garbage. But, I really do believe that people rise to the level that they are presented. And, it's amazing how many people who are the presenters decide to go for the easy buck instead of the right thing to do on the long term investment.
Me: Wow, this is an entirely different conversation than I thought I would be having. You're a very intelligent young man.

Steve: I would hope you would get that from my comedy.

Me: I did get that. I thought that, I was really thinking about …

(I should note that Steve has a section on his album regarding marijuana and legalization. This next section refers to that.)

I heard the same thing you heard growing up that marijuana is a gateway drug and I was like, cool. And, the funny thing is that I've never really smoked pot. I mean, I've tried it, and I would stand in line to vote to legalize it, because this is ridiculous.

Steve: You know, I've never even tried it. And, it's funny, because of that bit and the widespread attention that bit in particular has gotten – I did it on Ferguson. I've kind of almost became a champion for the cause, reluctantly. And, it is something should be legalized. The amount of resources that we're wasting to keep a pot dealer in jail while a rapist goes free. The amount of money were losing in our economy. What the illegal nature of pot does for the cartels. If pot were legal, the murderous, murderous cartels would be out of business. Our economy would bounce back, practically overnight. It's just amazing to see. We're so used to accepting what's all ready part of our laws. Forgetting that they change constantly. I remember fifteen years ago, you couldn't find a casino outside of Vegas or Atlantic City. Then, ten years ago, you couldn't find a casino outside of Vegas, Atlantic City or Indian land and now, you can't go ten yards without seeing a casino. And, that's a pretty quick transition when you consider how long it takes to build one of them.

Me: You're right, I drive past a casino everyday on my way to work.

Steve: And, it used to be that we were saying, “Oh, these are wrong and they'll hurt our children and how dare we.” And, then someone went, wait, we can make money off of this and suddenly, the view changed. Imagine what we can do if we legalized pot and have dealers pay a tax that goes to education.

Me: Well, they'd never had to hold another bake sale.

Steve: Exactly, well, I guess you could combine the brownies. It would be a much different bake sale.

Me: I read somewhere and I don't remember where, that California has 80 million dollars in taxes off of the fact that they have legalized marijuana.

Steve: Yeah and that's just for medicinal purposes. I think the vote is coming up (to legalize it). Federal law trumps state law. That'll be an interesting exercise in states' rights. It floors me that we're able to pick and choose what we're offended by and this is the root of my comedy. We're offended by drugs whereas we drink while we're offended by drugs. You can't show a nipple on screen because that's dirty, but at the same time on everyday prime time hospital shows, they show people just mutilated. And, that's not even talking about what's on the news. The fact that the news can show a dead body, but at one in the morning, you can't say the word shit. It amazes me. That's kind of what I try to do with my comedy. The root of the phrase Comedy without apology. That's the name of my new tour. That to me is what we need. We need to stop apologizing and start having a conversation instead.

Me: So, what do you think about all these stars like Tiger Woods and Sandra Bullock's husband, now. All these guys are acting like pigs and then they apologize and that's supposed to make it all better. Do you think they owe us an apology? Do you think they should say I did this, oh, well, get over it?

And, you can read Steve's answer in the second half of our interview tomorrow!

This blog has moved

This blog is now located at http://topofmyhead2.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://topofmyhead2.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Steve Hofstetter

I just got off the phone with Steve Hofstetter. He is a very funny comedian and I was interviewing him. I'm writing up the interview now, which was really more like a conversation with a friend. Steve is giving away one million copies of his album, "The Dark Side of the Room." I've listened to it and it is very funny. I suggest that all my readers download the album and come back tomorrow to read the interview!

God Bless!

Julie

Dairyland Race Track in Kenosha...

The Dairyland Race Track in Kenosha, Wisconsin will be closing on December 31, 2009. 900 Greyhounds need to be adopted or they will be euthanized. Please help me get the word out; there is only 4 weeks to get this task done. Contact Joanne Kehoe Operations Director P: 312.559.0887 Or Dairyland Race Track Adoption Center direct at (262) 612-8256.

Wouldn't it be nice this holiday season to give a beautiful dog a new loving home?

God Bless

The Country

Every time I hear someone say that Obama is going to turn this nation into a socialist country or that government interference is always bad, I get angry. Because the person who is saying it is usually someone who doesn't know what socialist means. Further, they usually only get involved with politics when they think something they have is being affected. A friend said that if it isn't going to save him any money, then he doesn't pay any attention.

This kind of individual selfishness is why our nation is in the mess it is in. We have lessened the government regulations over the past twenty-nine and look where we are right now. Our banks have grabbed all that they can until they are practically falling apart under bad debt and poor business decisions. 40 million plus Americans don't have healthcare. We're in a very deep Recession (I think we're in a depression). Companies pollute our air and water. Other companies are hemorrhaging employees, even though they might be turning a profit -- it isn't high enough to keep people working. But, let's all fear our government.

I suggest you read this article. It'll make you think.

http://blogcritics.org/politics/article/ayn-rand-lives/

God Bless