"May the odds ever be with you!"

Yes, my three youngest talked me into seeing Hunger Games with them today. Since we live 35 miles from the nearest theater, I decided to engage them in a discussion of the film on the way home. Ten-year-old Greg, who sees things very literally, vehemently objected when I said I thought there was a lot of satire in the film.  The people in the Capital were thoroughly entertained by the powerful people's idea of fun: sacrificing talented young people. My favorite character was the t.v. interviewer played by Stanley Tucci. He was deliciously trite and shallow, and his hair alone should get him an Academy Award nomination. Other than upsetting Greg because I laughed at inappropriate times during the movie, it was a fun time and a good movie. I only had to put my hands over Sarah's eyes about ten times.

What the feminist movement needed: someone with balls!

The Onion usually makes fun of traditional American values; thus, it usually attacks positions held dear by conservatives. Nevertheless, I never fail to pick up a copy when I am walking by a news stand in downtown Denver, because I like to laugh, and I love satire.

Yesterday I picked one up when I was downtown shooting pool and going to an NBA game with my sons.  I found this headline on the front page: Man Finally Put In Charge of Struggling Feminist Movement. The article made fun of both men and women, thus qualifying in my mind as a good piece of satire.  A fictional man named Peter "Buck" McGowan brought his "ambition, experience, and no-nonsense attitude to his new role as the nation's top feminist."

"All the feminist movement needed to do was bring on someone who had the balls to do something about this glass ceiling business," said McGowan. After following McGowan to the golf course and other scenes where he wheels and deals, the article concludes with some speculation about McGowan's future. "McGowan has vehemently denied rumors that he will leave the feminist movement to head up the struggle for gay rights." "The wife would kill me if I took on any more hours. I'm sure those fellows know how that goes."

Personally, I prefer the humor of my conservative blogging buddies, but I will still read The Onion. My favorite article in this week's The Onion was the advice column. A woman advises her male friend that he should not get serious about her, because it would ruin their "friendship," in which she asks him to do things, and he does them. Here are the last two paragraphs:

"Anyway, you would totally hate me as your girlfriend. I'd be all needy and dramatic and slowly growing to love you. If I was your girlfriend, I would never be able to tell you all about the other asshole guys I date and pretend I don't see how much it crushes you. Let's never lose that. That's what makes us us."

"Don't worry, you're so funny and smart and amazing, any girl but me would be lucky to date you. You'll find someone, I know it. And when you do, I'll be right by your side to suddenly become all flirty and affectionate with you in front of her, until she grows jealous and won't believe it when you say we're just friends. But when she dumps you, that's just what we'll be. Best friends. Friends forever." 

It may not be a good idea to text while walking

How the U.S. labor market is becoming like Europe's

http://blog.american.com/2012/04/makers-vs-takers-stunning-chart-show-how-u-s-labor-market-becoming-like-europes/

The coming "Taxmageddon"

James Pethokoukis writes: "If you combine all the other tax increases from 1980-1993, they add up to 3.3% of GDP, according to the brilliant budget team at Strategas Research. The coming “taxmageddon” of 2013 surpasses all those tax hikes combined! How could the Obama White House even toy with the idea, which it has, of letting them happen?"
 Click on the graph to see it better.
http://blog.american.com/2012/04/heres-how-big-the-potential-2013-tax-hikes-would-be/

Iran gets what it wants

Was the Obama administration "humiliated" by Iran in last Saturday's talks? This blogger thinks so, and tells us why here: http://blog.american.com/2012/04/obama-plays-irans-game/

A story that needed to be told

I just finished reading The Help by Kathyrn Stockett. It is everything everybody said it was! Now I am reading Douglas Brinkley's historical examination of the life and times of Rosa Parks, another woman of quiet dignity and courage.

Backing off

I looked at Globe Magazine today in the superstore. It featured an article in which a Hollywood producer is interviewed saying she heard Bill Clinton refer to Obama as not meeting the citizenship requirements of the Presidency. Then, the Clintons' close friend, who was chairman of the Arkansas Democrat Party, was murdered, and the Clintons scrapped plans to reveal what they knew about Obama being ineligible. Go ahead and laugh at me for reading the Globe. The story just rang true to me. Check it out this week while waiting in line.

Wings of Blue

Members of the U.S. Air Force Academy jump team, Wings of Blue, set a world collegiate skydiving record when 46 jumpers linked together March 31, 2012, at Gila Bend Auxilliary Field, Ariz. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Joseph Valente)
via  http://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/20120413231543.aspx

I thought Europe was the one in trouble!

via http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/

L.A. government absurdity: No paper or plastic!

L.A. is moving forward with plans to ban both plastic and paper bags. People will be asked to use reusable bags that, of course, contaminate food, because they are laden with bacteria. How many people do you suppose wash their bags before they come back to the grocery store? http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bag-ban-20120405,0,2360183.story
Read this story at Breitbart.com for more information on the harmful effects of the proposed bans:  http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/04/12/no-paper-or-plastic-la-bids-bags-goodbye
 

Will they break decades of silence?

Time is running out. Not only for American veterans of World War II, but also for Germans, Austrians, and Japanese. While the Japanese and Austrians prefer not to talk about it, Germans are more willing. Read more here: http://sigmundcarlandalfred.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/the-holocaust-is-german-family-history-book-urges-germans-to-quiz-dying-nazi-generation/

Funny how that works!

Click on image to see it better.
Cartoon found here: http://sigmundcarlandalfred.wordpress.com/