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The rivalry between Wal-Mart and Costco also extends to national politics.The next time you get in your car to do the "big weekend shopping trip," the direction you head in may be more important than you realize.
Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, you should send this info* to everyone you know in the world.
"......but what is their policy on previously worn pantyhose?"
-Xenalyte
*Right-Wing web site
"Reporting for duty, Ma'am!"
It takes a year to load, but this is another one everybody will be sending you this week
"Next time you're in a movie theater and one of those "Please turn off your cell phone" requests appears on the screen, DO IT! A Florida couple chose to ignore that advice and ended up...."
All right- who posted this?
Cut the s____t, whoever did this.
As we get closer to the election, and the far right sees the possibility of a loss in November, they are going to bring out all the guns. The shooting is going to get louder, faster, more frequent and more scattered- panic shots that know no bounds nor conscience) If you follow the news and the media blitzes, you know the Xtremie's have already started their volleys. (The Boston Herald has always been to the right, but the paper is going over the top with its insinuating accusations, purposely hand-picked bad Convention photos and distorted quotes- first sign of a very afraid entity.)
If you're like me, (or not like me, and on the fence) you sometimes feel overwhelmed and flummoxed by these constant barrages from the very powerful forces of the radical right- both on the radio, the tabloid press and on TV. (Even in the products you buy!)
Here's a great and all-encompassing primer to will help you separate the facts from the myths. (You may want to save this site and use it as a "reality-checker" whenever the occasion arises).
Enjoy.
George Bush: "Condoleeza! Nice to see you. What's happening?"
Condoleeza Rice: "Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China."
George: "Great. Lay it on me."
Condoleeza: "'Hu is the new leader of China."
George: "That's what I want to know."
Condoleeza: "That's what I'm telling you."
George: "That's what I'm asking you. Who is the new leader of China?"
Condoleeza: "Yes."
George: "I mean the fellow's name..."
Condoleeza: "Hu."
George: "...The guy in China."
Condoleeza: "Hu."
George: "The new leader of China."
Condoleeza: "...Hu."
George: "The Chinaman!"
Condoleeza: "Hu is leading China."
George: "Now whaddya' asking me for?"
Condoleeza: "I'm telling you, Hu is leading China."
George: "Well, I'm asking you; Who is leading China?"
Condoleeza: "...That's the man's name."
George: "That's whose name?"
Condoleeza: "Yes."
George: "Will you or will you not tell me the name of the
new leader of China?"
Condoleeza: "Yes, sir."
George: "Yassir? Yassir Arafat is in China? I thought he was in the Middle East?"
Condoleeza: "That's correct."
George: "Then who is in China?"
Condoleeza: "...Yes, sir."
George: "Yassir is in China?"
Condoleeza: "...No, sir."
George: "Then who is?"
Condoleeza: "Yes, sir."
George: "Yassir?"
Condoleeza: "No, sir."
George: "Look, Condoleeza. I need to know the name of the
new leader of China. Get me the Secretary General of the
U.N. on the phone."
Condoleeza: "Kofi, Sir?"
George: "No, thanks."
Condoleeza: "No, I mean, you want Kofi?"
George: "...No."
Condoleeza: "You DON'T want Kofi?"
George: "No. But now that you mention it, I could use a
glass of milk. And then get me the guy at the U.N."
Condoleeza: "Yes, sir."
George: "Not Yassir! The guy at the U.N.!"
Condoleeza: "Kofi, sir!!"
George: "...Milk, dammit! Will you PLEASE make the call?!"
Condoleeza: "And call who?"
George: "WHO is the guy at the U.N?"
Condoleeza: "Hu is the guy in China."
George: "Will you stay out of China?!"
Condoleeza: "Yes, SIR!"
George: "And STAY out of the Middle East! Just get me the guy at the U.N.!"
Condoleeza: ..."Kofi..."
George: "ALL RIGHT!... With cream and two sugars. Now, GET on
the phone."
and he also may be just a bit looney, as well
Ten people will have sent you this before the week is over.
Let the Conventions begin... (High Speed Only!)
Not Work-Friendly! THE COMMITMENTS
Coming soon
to a theater 
near you. 
First blog ever posted on this site! (unedited)
(February 20, 2003)
George W. Bush is in deep shit. He thought he could just go forward with impunity and bomb Iraq. The Congress (Republicans and Democrats) thought they could read the minds and hearts of America. They were all wrong.... dead wrong. The media is behind the war- Congress is behind the war- and that's where any solid support ends. Voices of reason around the world are rising up to stand united against this insane move: A pre-emptive strike against a country, based solely on the fact that the country (like so many others) has the ability to cause terror, will not succeed in the 21st century. People are coming forward from all walks of life to say "No" to this new and aggressive American policy.
As the, "not-THIS-war" movement grows, the Bush administration will be pushed further and further against the wall. The decision to bomb Iraq had already been made months ago- no matter what Iraq did or did not do to save itself. Now America is in a no-win situation. Within a short time, the movement will be overwhelming, regardless of the name-calling and rhetoric from the conservative Right and from the "moderate-at-best" media.
Bush has sealed his fate for a one-term presidency. Now we can only watch as the bombs fall, and as America trembles from within. We can only hope that by November of 2004, there will still be enough left of this proud and mighty country to gather and to repair- and then we can return to our original goal: Find and destroy Osama Bin Laden, along with all those directly connected to Al Qaeda and to the horrors of 9/11. Let America stand tall once again as the most powerful nation on earth, looked up to- not scorned by- the rest of the world; and revered in history as an example of how democracy, peace, resolve, and intelligent policy-making all can work together for generations to come.
Every once in a while I like to get in touch with my "sensitive side" and post something fun- and kind of touching.
I know internet jokes are a dime a dozen, but I got a kick out of this and thought you might also.
Please click below:
Here's a heartwarming story about the lesson learned by a little girl and
construction workers that makes you believe that we CAN make a difference
when we give a child the gift of our attention,
A young family moved into a house next to a vacant lot.
Soon after, a construction crew came and began building a house on the
empty lot.
The young family's 5-year-old daughter naturally took an interest in all
the activity going on next door and spent much of each day observing the
workers.
Eventually the construction crew, more or less adopted her as a kind of
project mascot. First, they chatted with her, and she would sit with them
while they had their coffee and lunch breaks. Soon they got her a little
construction hard-hat and gave her little jobs to do around the site to make
her feel she was part of the crew.
At the end of the first week they were so taken with her bubbly enthusiasm
that they presented her with a pay envelope containing a five-dollar check
as encouragement.
The little girl proudly showed her pay check to her mother, who said all
the appropriate words of admiration and encouragement and, to further the
lesson, suggested that they take her check to the bank and start a savings
account.
At the bank the next day, the teller was equally impressed and asked the
little girl how she had come by her very own pay check at such a young age.
The little girl proudly replied, "I worked last week with the crew
building the house next door to us."
My goodness gracious," said the teller, "And will you be working on the
house again this week, too?"
The little girl replied, "I will if those assholes at Home Depot ever
deliver the fucking sheet rock."
But I still laugh every few years when it re-surfaces.
With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the
moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very
important person, which almost went unnoticed last week.
Larry La Prise, the man who wrote "The Hokey Pokey," died
peacefully at age 93. The most traumatic part for his
family was getting him into the coffin.
They put his left leg in; and then the trouble started.
...but maybe it was Brother Ray's time to go.
<
...and when he does die in jail, all the newspapers who are so silent now, all the columnists who are not mentioning his name anymore- They will all come out with eulogies (mostly positive) about the man who stood for a cause that no one else would dare take up- except for the "Doctor of Death."
I've always felt that two of the huge-est mistakes made by President Clinton during his final days in the oval office were:
1. Not signing the anti-landmine treaty (Remember Princess Diana?) and,
2. Granting executive pardons to all of his political cronies, while at the same time leaving Dr. Kervorkian (Remember him?) to ROT IN JAIL.
Speaking of the "right to die" question, check out this interesting article which appeared in the N.Y. Times a while back.
The Right to Die-with-dignity movement is not going to go away, no matter how many Kervorkians are put behind bars. In response to the lame arguments that Kervorkian was a kook, an unqualified eccentric and a publicity-seeking psycho, let's take a brief look at the history of all controversial political movements:
"Those baastards!!"
As with every political struggle, the first "wave" is always the unpopular one- the extreme wave. Moderates and conservatives alike have always complained that the extreme wave "hurts their own cause". But, would anyone even notice if the protested issue was not magnified, highlighted on the daily news and made into a force to be reckoned with? From those "coo-coo, commie integrationist marchers" in the early 60's, to that "wacky Abbie Hoffman and the Yippies" a decade later, to those "gross, faggot marchers ruining the St Pattie's Day parade", and, of course, the "crazy bastard anti-Globalization demonstrators" making headlines more recently- the extremers are always the first to hit the front lines; and (as always) the majority of right thinking Americans are disgusted by it all. It usually turns out that- after the "despicable freaks" go away and the dust settles- the moderates come in, take up the very same cause in a more "socially acceptable" way, and get the changes legalized or implemented. But, who started the ball rolling in the first place?
Speaking of "despicable", I can't think of anything more despicable than a group which supposedly stands for individual rights, promoting legislation which prevents a terminally ill human being, (who is of sound mind and experiencing excruciating pain) from making his/her own decision to die with dignity. This is another reason the Conservative Right are not only my political opponents-- some of them are truly the "enemy."
(My liberal side says it's a bad thing, with bad karma, but the extreme side of me sometimes wishes that the ambitious prosecutor who had Kervorkian locked up, (and those who agree with him) should all be forced to live in dire pain, while dying a long, slow death from a terminal illness- without dignity). But of course, I would never wish that on anybody- I leave that up to those on "the dark side."
In the meantime, it's Happy Valley website for Dr. K (at least he makes it seem that way)
CURRENT INTERNET ATTACKS FROM THE RIGHT FLANK
(with Kerry "responses" in italics)
RESIDENCE: He has 7 mansions, including Washington DC- worth multimillions.
"A man who has no desperate need for money has a better chance of staying true to his beliefs... Didn't someone once say that about G.W.'s wealth? "
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
1. Law Enforcement:
He voted to cut every law enforcement, CIA and defense bill in his career as a US Senator.
"And, boy- they really show us how well they put that extra money to work! "
He ordered Boston to remove a fire hydrant in front of his mansion, thereby endangering his neighbors in the event of fire.
"My bad. I guess you shouldn't vote for me after all"
2. Military:
He used three minor injuries to get an early discharge from the military and service in Nam. He then returned to the US, joined Jane Fonda in protesting the war, and insulted returning Vietnam
vets, claiming they committed atrocities and were baby killers. He
threw his medals, ribbons, or something away in protest. His book "Vietnam Veterans Against the War: The New Soldier" shows how he truly feels about the military.
" And of course, I can safely assume that you've all read it; so you really know what you're talking about here, and can be your old, objective selves."
3. College:
He graduated from Yale University with a low C average. Unlike his counterpart George Bush, he has no higher education and he did not get admitted to Harvard, nor graduate with an M.B.A
"Er... Run that one by me again please...?" (stonefaced as usual, but trying not to giggle here)
PAST WORK EXPERIENCE:
He ran for US Congress, and has been there ever since. He has no real world experience, except marrying rich women and running HJ Heinz vicariously through his wife, Teresa.
" Oh yeah? Well just let's see who can run a ketchup company better- me or that cowgirl on the right. Bring it On!"
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS U.S. SENATOR:
He set the record for the most liberal voting record, exceeding even Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton.
"I'm thinkin' that might not be such a bad thing anymore.... Let's see if anyone agrees in November."
He has consistently failed to support our military and CIA by voting against budgets, thus
gutting our country's ability to defend itself.
" See my response to #1 above"
Although he voted for the Iraq War, now he is against it, and refuses to admit that he voted for it.
"Ummm.. Didn't we all agree that I got snookered, because I believed at the time that our president was telling the truth? This just proves, I think, that under conditions of real danger, I would not hesitate to take us to war, if necessary."
He voted for every liberal piece of legislation.
"We've been doing it the "other " way for a long, long time...Maybe it's time to stop placing the word "liberal" in the ba-a-a-d column. Or is that too much of a stretch?"
He has no plan to help this country, but intends to raise taxes significantly if he is elected.
"I can't respond to non-sequitors, except to say that I see no proof of either conjecture."
His wealth so far exceeds that of his counterpart, George Bush, that G W will never catch up. He makes no or little charitable contributions and Kerry has never agreed to pay any voluntary excess taxes in MA, despite family wealth in excess of $700 million. In the past few days the media is claiming Kerry's wealth somewhere between one and three billion, that is with a B.
"To quote a colleague, 'There you go again' And, once more- My bad. Based on these criteria, vote for my buddy Harry Winkler from Watertown- he's got shit- but he's a super guy!."
Although he claims to be in favor of alternative energy sources, Ted Kennedy and he oppose windmills off Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, as it might spoil their view of the ocean as they cruise on their yachts.
"That's called, 'Thinking globally, Acting locally'! Actually, Ted and I didn't like the windmill colors. Windmills should have more character.. Sepia and battleship gray just don't get it."
NIMBY. RECORDS AND REFERENCES: None.
"What's a NIMBY?"
PERSONAL:
He rides a Serotta Bike. His Gulfstream V Jet he calls "The FlyingSquirrel" He calls his $850,000 42 foot Hinckley twin diesel yacht the"Scarmouche." He is fascinated by rap and hip-hop- and 'you had better listen to it, as it reflects our real culture'. He owns several
SUVs, including one parked at his Nantucket summer mansion, though he is against large polluting inefficient vehicles.. and he blames George Bush for the energy problems.
"These hypocritical accusations coming from the elite Right would be incredibly funny, but, unfortunately, another four years of the Bush administration would be far, far, far from funny."
PLEASE CONSIDER HIS EXPERIENCE WHEN VOTING IN 2004.
But things aren't always as they seem.
This is a sweet little piece, but if you cannot get it to work, please email me and let me know what kind of computer you have, and which browser you use.
(Also, you may want to get yourself a K-lite pack (for PC's only) and see if that works for you.
It took him a long time and a bunch of false alarm emails, with blanks instead of attachments- but Bill W finally got it together for today's TT.
I'll tell you how you can get one of these for your very own.
(If you have high speed, please go up to the menu, and open this same page in a new window.Then click here in the new window. David and Trent will keep you aurally entertained as you read through all the blah blah blah in this window.)
So, I'm talking to this right-wing friend of mine (Don't we all have them?) the other day, and, you know how you sometimes get with your close buddies? You kind of don't want to get into the "same old same old" political arguments again- so you avoid those subjects that may be "red flag" subjects; and you sometimes even agree to outlandish statements he or she will make, just for the sake of being non-confrontational?
So, I'm talking to this buddy of mine, and we have just come from seeing the movie, Fahrenheit 9/11- and he liked it! Not for the politics, of course, but for the entertainment value. (He was always pretty good at picking out those wacky films that go to DVD in three weeks, but end up eventually either being huge cult-movies, or getting an academy award for one reason or another).
So I'm talking to my friend, and somehow we get on the subject of the academy-award winning, Robert McNamara docu-flick, the Fog of War. Anyway, McNamara said in the pic that he was certain JFK was going to pull us out of the Vietnam mess that he had gotten us into. Then, I, inadvertently (Sorry about using that new buzz-word, by the way) mentioned that I thought Kennedy would have become one of our greatest presidents if he hadnt been murdered. Well....! You'd think I just told the funniest blonde joke of the 21st century! My buddy starts laughing his ass off, saying Kennedy was a this and a that, and going on and on about what a loser and a joke JFK was. I am still trying to keep the peace here, so I casually ask him who he thought were the greatest American presidents.
"Franklin Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan and.." at that point I cut him off, because I couldn't believe my ears.
Ronald fucking Reagan!! I said, "Did you really just say that Reagan was one of America's greatest presidents!!? And that John F. Kennedy was a joke??"
So, I'm talking to this guy who was once my friend, -just kidding! (kinda) and I decided that it wasn't only him. It was a billion people just like him- from college nerds, to businessmen and women, to housewives, and musicians, and scientists; and, of course, all those news-media lapdogs, who were all getting sucked into the big Reagan Myth. So, I decided to end this bullshit right away- to nip it in the bud.
Check out this article by a fairly competent, up-and-coming journalist/writer, and maybe you will no longer be part of the de-ranged, misinformed masses of morons who pollute the human race with an embarrassing lack of information and perspecti- (Oh- wait. One of my friends might be reading this. Don't want to be confrontational here....)
Anyway, read this article. (Or stay a dope.) Your choice.
Marion Jones failed to qualify for the US Olympic team in the 100m on Saturday night, losing out on a chance to defend her gold medal in her signature event at the Athens Games.
Jones started quickly but seemed to struggle as the race progressed and finished fifth in the final at the US Olympic trials. The top three finishers automatically make the team.
Jones, who won five medals at the 2000 Sydney Games, still can make the Olympic team if she qualifies in the 200m or long jump. Or she could be picked for a relay team.
"Okay, so I tried it without "the Clear", so what's your point?"
The defeat comes at a difficult time for perhaps the biggest US Olympic star. She is under investigation by the US Anti-Doping Agency, although she has repeatedly denied using drugs and has not been charged by USADA.
"I've asked myself
How much do you commit yourself?
It's only a blog...
Don't you forget
It's my life
It never ends
(don't you forget)
Caught in the crowd
Shut it down-go for the swim.."
A few people have inquired as to whatever became of the original web site I had during the Big Mattress Show, (which we called the Charles Laquidara Radio Hour) back in the late 90's. I am happy to say that the page is still alive, and sometimes even kicking.
It is mostly archives now, but Web Master Dave Struffolino is still the curator who occasionally posts updates and other little niceties. See the icon above, (which Davey just posted), pointing Big Mattress Show browsers back in this direction. (It was nicely drawn and created by Mary Mattison, a long-time listener and a great illustrator from the Boston area).
Amazing balls! If the Clinton administration had ever done this, the cries for impeachment would have been deafening. This is all turning into a bad B movie, with a script which no one would say is credible, and which no studio would ever buy.
Want to vent? Click here only if you have high speed! (This is a brilliant production)
Enter here and join the fray;
This is where the big boys play.
Rule 1: Always begin your entry comment by explaining which blog you are referring to, otherwise readers might not know what you are talking about.
(For example, "re: the Top Ten Ways You Can Tell a Republican- First of all, Democrats suck worse as drivers!! Second of all, I love the Daily Show.
Signed,
-Irritated.")
Rule 2: (See Rule 1)
"Hey, Comrade- Can I borrow the jar 'til Monday?"
A visitor checks out Rasputin, displayed at a Russian museum in St. Petersburg.
Al Qaeda plans a large-scale attack on the United States "in an effort to disrupt the democratic process" before November's elections, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said. 
"There will be a possible al Qaeda attack to influence U.S. elections", administration officials tell CNN.
Question of the week:
If you were the al Qaeda, who would you want to win the November election?
(Not so fast, Keemasahbee!) Think about it before commenting....
I SWEAR- a woman forwarded this to me
If you're a guy, and over 30, reading this article* will probably extend (or maybe even save) your life.
*Remember, the Boston Globe and most major newspapers require you to fill out a short form before they will allow you to free-read their articles. It only takes a moment, and they do not give out the information to other companies
"I could buy and sell all you peons...Martha, beatch! What goes with stripes, babe?"
- Former Enron Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Kenneth Lay on Thursday is to surrender to face criminal charges related to his leadership..
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is now officially smoke-free.*
''It's in the atmosphere. You walk into the place and it's how it's always been. No smoking is like cookies without milk. Never been in a place without smoke hanging in the air."
-a non-smoking patron of the Piccadilly Pub Restaurant in Worcester.
Don Brennan, manager of the Gold Star Mothers' Infirmary in Quincy, enjoyed a cigar yesterday. The new bill allows smoking in social clubs, tobacco stores and nursing homes.
"Not everything is about choice. Where is the choice when I walk down the sidewalk and get smoke blown into my face? Where is the choice when a 6-year-old is forced to sith through a meal at Bickfords as their parents chainsmoke over a Big Apple? In these instances, choice is taken away. The Massachusetts legislature exercised their perogative and chose to ban smoking. I wish I could just choose to date Victoria Secrets models; unfortunately, I don't have that choice."
- Wayne from Bahston
*Remember, the Boston Globe and most major newspapers require you to fill out a short form before they will allow you to free-read their articles. It only takes a minute, and they do not give out the information to other companies
"I just had a great thought. Edwards was a practicing tort lawyer, right? He's gonna get to cross examine Cheney on (the Witness Stand known as) the National Debates. He can ask him questions about Halliburton, the Saudis, even his relationship with Scalia and conflict of interest. If he plays his hand right, we could see Fahrenheit, the Sequel for free on the Network Channels.
Even if we don't get truth out of Cheney, at least WE get to see him lie.
This debate could be like the last 15 minutes of Perry Mason."
-h of Framingham MA
Liar liar. Pants on Fire. Is Today a Special Day in Your Life?
Volume up, please.
A group called the Polyphonic Spree has put together this interactive adventure, and it is a challenging little ditty to keep you occupied for a few years. They are asking if you can help the three lost members reunite with the rest of their group by guiding them through three different environments. Apparently you will be rewarded. With what, I know not- as my IQ is only 120... (most likely a copy of their CD)
So, go get yourself a big fatty, get comfortable, and go for the Quest for the Rest.
If you start to get postal, there are some hints available. Click below, loser:
Page one: Click on the cactus knobs three times to drop the fruit - the turtle eats the fruit click on the guy at the back of the turtles wagon he blows up the balloon and the three people take off.
Page two: Click on the tube worm to get the green bubble, and the fish will eat that ; and the octopus will eat the fish and get sick
Page three: How do I get the submarine to move?
(Are the three people in it yet?)
Yes?
(They are waiting for you to click on the sub's top door ...)
(o.k. here's the secret of these pages ... move your mouse pointer around, whenever it turns to a finger pointer click ... sometimes nothing happens, sometimes everything happens, or sometimes the thing that happens is kinda out of sequence and it is up to you to figure the correct sequence.)
All I get out of this is a song? Not even a CD?
(click away on the finger pointer ... you are on your way to a big sing-a-long ) :-)
I just got a 120. Does that mean I am smarter than you? Dumber has to vote for the "other" guy.. Take the test here, (and be honest, or your cat will choke to death on a fishbone).
Test takes about 20 minutes. Please write down your score in the comment section below.
David Brudnoy: Intelligent, often elitist and patronizing, far-right conservative Boston broadcaster and film critic, who likes to call himself a "Libertarian."
Because of his two media jobs, David has lots of clout in this city. When he's not talking politics, I personally like him (platonically speaking, of course).
This is Brudnoy's totally unbiased and objective review of Fahrenheit 9/11:
"Michael Moore's predictable slam at George W. Bush and the Bushies,
especially concerning the Iraq War, offers a few tidbits of interest, mainly
derived from Craig Unger's "House of Bush, House of Saud," while the bulk of
the tendentious thing is cheap-shot smirking at the awkward "W" and his
power-hungry honchos, as if Bush is uniquely silly, awkward, flawed. A huge
hit in Old Europe and soon to be a fave of the routinely lefty American film
critic cadre, the film is ideological screed, deceptive and bitterly unfair.
Its main sin, however, is that it is yawn-inducingly boring."
(Graded=D)
-David Brudnoy
Listen while you read (high-speed only!)
".......And for all its flaws, "Fahrenheit 9/11" performs an essential service. It
would be a better movie if it didn't promote a few unproven conspiracy
theories, but those theories aren't the reason why millions of people who
aren't die-hard Bush-haters are flocking to see it. These people see the
film to learn true stories they should have heard elsewhere, but didn't. Mr.
Moore may not be considered respectable, but his film is a hit because the
respectable media haven't been doing their job....."
Here's the whole article, (remember, most newspapers ask you to fill out a short form before they will allow you to read their columns): http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/02/opinion/02KRUG.html?th
Click here to see how Newsweek blew it
Enter here and join the fray;
This is where the big boys play.
Rule 1: Always begin your entry comment by explaining which blog you are referring to, otherwise readers might not know what you are talking about.
(For example, "re: the Top Ten Ways You Can Tell a Republican- First of all, Democrats suck worse as drivers!! Second of all, I love the Daily Show.
Signed,
-Irritated.")
Rule 2: (See Rule 1)
