Maxine 's Radio Weblog

Thu, 15 May 2008 20:51:52 GMT

aol; update update update update update update....do what you are paid for for a change!

Thu, 15 May 2008 17:10:35 GMT

....Sitting heads of state cannot be prosecuted for war crimes. Power is not entirely the incentive that prompts many of them--down through the years--to cling to their high offices, despite their lack of credibility and, the literal hatred of the public, and every kind of demonization imaginable, all of which they so rightly deserve. Nixon was able to save a shred of his self respect only because his main crime--violation of the Boland Act--was not considered criminal. The public of course quickly lost interest in the Contra affair, so he escaped our wrath, and waved farewell to us from Airforce One.

New thought: Remember how Dwight Eisenhower warned us to be watchful of the "industrial/military complex?" Money spent by the military, money showered on the Pentagon, agitating other countries, fomenting wars, designing and building aircraft that belongs on a set for Star Wars, and will never be of use in today's bloody mess. Selling expensive war toys to other countries means money and jobs. The military is our new undustry, and a big part of what is keeping this country afloat. That, and the Chinese, heavily invested in the U.S. One wonders how long they can keep it up, in view of their recent tragedy. If the Chinese stopped subsidizing the U.S., it would bring us to the edge of bankruptcy.

Thu, 08 May 2008 16:49:02 GMT

MEN WON’T VOTE FOR MOMMY

The failure of Hillary Clinton to win the Democratic nomination for President proves what I believed from the get-go.

It has little to do with the stand taken by either candidate on real

issues—a malevolent war, a collapsing economy, people dying for lack of a doctor’s care—all of this is beside the point. The point

is: there are more misogynists than racial bigots in our country.

Men who believe that women are the “second sex,” not brainy enough, not tough enough, not aggressive enough and…well…not crafty enough to run a country as big and rich and powerful as ours did not vote for Hillary, and yet the two candidates held near-similar views.

Hillary did the best a woman could do wearing her pants suit and “playing man” without coming off as unattractively

hard-nosed… or even gay. “Not that there’s anything wrong

with that” as Seinfeld so memorably said. But if some men won’t vote

for a woman, they certainly will not vote for a gay as President

of a country where so many men—even men in bespoke suits-- wear imaginary hard-hats and spit in the gutter.

I am amazed that Hillary Clinton did as well as she did. No, astounded is the word. It suggests that one distant day before the sun blazes out women may achieve real equality with men.

Just as young men in a position to hire someone will pass over a qualified woman for a qualified or, perhaps, even less qualified man. Too many men don’t want to work with women as peers or near-peers.

If the female applicant is older than the man behind the desk, she is already half way out the door. Men took orders from Mommy long enough. Now they are calling the shots.

“I’ll call you again on Sunday, Mom.”

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:27:14 GMT

Perhaps the bigots would vote for Barack Obama if he promised to serve only half a term.

Perhaps the misogynists would vote for Hillary Clinton if she would, just once, show up in a pink party dress and strappy sandals. Instead of her usual pants suit by Mao's designer.

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:34:56 GMT

...We need a mechanic, not a Pied Piper. That's why we need Hillary Clinton.

She knows the machine. She is, in fact, a part of the machine. Right now,

Democrats need machine politics more than uplifting eloquence. A graceful turn of

a phrase, or the merest whiff of a superior intellect perceived by a white

working stiff can spell doom. Yet some of us are so starved for reasoned speech,

and grammar and workable altruism and complete sentences that need not

be parsed in order to divine their meaning, that we will vote for words and thoughts

that soar, even knowing it is risky. If you are old enough, think Adlai

Stevenson; his brains were his worst enemy.

Hillary Clinton is a tried and true member of the Boy's Club, also known

as American politics. She knows what buttons to push, where the fire alarm

is, who the "go to guy" is. She knows what words will soften the hearts of

angry, resentful young white men, who, in our last election, voted aginst

their own best interests simply to have a "regular guy" in the White House

Which is not to say Hillary Clinton is not smart, and sometimes too

smart for her own good. Be that as it may, we need her as our maintenance

man or, if you will, a custodian to put our house in

order--sweep up the place, clean out the files, find the bugs real and

installed, and to throw the bums out and our bums in.

Once we have wrested our country away from the neos and their

paid lackeys, we can then consider someone like Barack Obama, a

deep thinker and communicator, but far too lofty for many of our

young Archie Bunkers.

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:41:22 GMT

"He's just not into you." "Hey, it's only our first date!"

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:18:17 GMT

"The Mannequins" M.Daley B.Lochner

HE: "I could use a change." SHE:"Great! what

kinda change?" HE: "A sex change."

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:03:16 GMT

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:36:30 GMT

The Mannequins, M.Daley B.Lochner

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:34:50 GMT

"She literally remade the dofus, had his hair restyled. got him buffed up by her

personal trainer, new wardrobe, and how did he thank her? He came out of the closet."

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:08:57 GMT

SPEAKING TRUTH TO IDIOTS...A REPRINT, MY 3 READERS AGREE

THOUGH THEY PREFER TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS.....

What Stanley Tookie Williams did was bestial. What the State did was also bestial.

Is it too much to expect the State, or the country, to behave in a sane manner

and not indulge in killing? We are not Stanley Williams We are supposed to be

possessed of good reasoning powers…a fair, compassionate and God-fearing people, or at least that’s how we bill ourselves.

Like Stanley Williams, prisoners often wait a quarter of century with the threat of death hanging over their heads. Oh yes, some will say. “Well, he’s the one who dragged it out with his Appeals.” The nerve of the man trying to save his own skin. If you had killed, I’m sure that you’d ask for immediate death in return, wouldn’t you?

But stay with us, you’ll soon be rewarded with news of a 75 year old, legally blind man in a wheel chair going to his death.

We have the distinction of sharing the Death Penalty with just one other country. A bloodthirsty mideastern country, I think, Iran.

One has to remind our devout, church-going, prayerful Christians that “Vengeance is Mine,” sayeth the Lord. Well, perhaps they will find out one day how their God feels about the vengeance they carry in their souls, and how they act it out in His name.

An aside: The new Bush has taken on the look of a preacher. He sits with hands folded in front of him with a benign, fatherly mien, as calm and detached as the Buddha.. This man is being coached to give up the smirk and the swagger.

It hasn't worked so far.

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:21:41 GMT

MY PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE CAT.

You think your cat is your friend, don't you? You poor fool.

Every time some homeless, cute, furry, creature staggers by my door, I feed him, and my doom is sealed.

Which is why a woman of advanced age, such as myself, can be found stumbling around in the winter dark morning trying to pull herself together without the current live in suck up--whose name is Thayer-- finding out that she is on her feet. Of course, Thayer insisted on going out in the cool, dark night, and joining his friends in their revels and killings of small moving things. So, ever alert to his needs, I free him from the house. About 5 A.M., he will cry at my bedroom window which is also a door. After he's back in, I must fill his plate with Fancy Feast or Friskies, making certain to alternate flavors every day, empty his bowl of dry cat food and refill it with fresh, and throw out yesterday's bowl of water and refill it with fresh water from Arrowhead. Water from the kitchen faucet is not acceptable.. Throughout all of his food preparation, he swirls about my feet, threatening to trip me and cause a major injury, such as the breaking of a brittle bone. Finally, I am allowed to make coffee. After eating, he doesn't want a friendly pat, or a good morning from me. He stalks off without a backward glance.

Being a cat, he sleeps his life away. Which is just fine with me. But when he hears pots clanging in the kitchen in the evening, he strolls forth, and the whole feeding ritual begins again, the letting out and the letting back in begin. I am a doorman for a cat.

However, my servitude to a cat is not over. Now it is time for the nightly brushing and combing. He tangos around my feet in a threatening little dance until he sees the brush and comb in my hand. If I shut my bedroom door and go to bed without the ritual grooming, he will avoid me for several days, and throw me some dirty looks too. That's also fine with me.

I gave this miserable little animal food and shelter.

No good deed goes unpunished.

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:50:16 GMT

REPRINTED FROM TWO YEARS AGO

Al Gore won the popular vote by one half million. So we can only hope those 500,000 Americans are ready to give it another go, even if they are in the wrong states. Meanwhile, who is still lining up behind Mr. Bush and why? (Added 4.14.’08: Bush is the box McCain came in.)

Young white males who think war is a masculine "rite of passage."

Young white males as much aroused by violence as by sex.

Young males of all colors who are out of work and out of patience and eager to strike out against anything and anybody. For them, killing is "payback time" for the way life is treating them.

Desperately poor and hungry men and women who need a place to eat and lay their heads, even if it is an army cot and a government-issue blanket.

Southern rednecks who will back anyone who feeds their inner rage.

Christian cultists hoping a bonfire in the mideast will bring on Armageddon. They will have their 15 minutes of fame--read Rapture--by God, one way or another.

Manufacturers of goods and services that profit from war.

Men and women who have scratched together a little money and, by God, no Liberal administration is going to take it away from them and give it to poor people and tree huggers.

The Power seekers and power brokers in and out of politics.

The very rich who know war can't touch them, and are not adverse to "thinning the herd."

Women who dutifully vote the way hubby wants.

Fervent Christians more interested in spreading Christianity than democracy.

People who believe that since we haven't been attacked on our soil since 9/11 that Mr. Bush, and his "staying the course" polemics have prevented it.

People who think that Iraqis and other Mid-eastern people are bloody barbarians who deserve to be destroyed. If not by us, by each other.

People who are happy that terrorists have been attracted to an ever growing far away battleground. "Let the blood flow so long as it isn't flowing in

my neighborhood," is their rallying cry.

The mentally challenged.

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:31:45 GMT

REPRINT FROM WELL OVER A YEAR AGO…..

WINNING BY LOSING

Mr. Bush continues to talk about “winning” and “victory.”

“Winning what? Victory over what?

What, in fact, were we trying to win in the first place? What was the Victory

to be all about? Finding WMD that the inspectors had missed? . Discovering that Hussein was in league with Al Queda? Finding and killing Hussein? Winning over the hearts and minds of Iraqis? Changing the power structure of a sovereign nation ages older than our own with many sectarian divisions, and only held together by the slimmest of threads—the gut fear of a dictator. What, or who made us think we were up to that? Yes, going in was deceptively easy just as Hussein said it would be. But he also told us that the real war would be fought in the streets. Wasn’t anybody paying attention?

What victory are we seeking? A democracy in a country where three different factions hate each other. What are we after? Their oil as some have suggested?

Why have we built an expensive sprawling compound--larger than the Pentagon--fortified and impenetrable if we don’t intend to stay in that country indefinitely? Why doesn’t anybody talk about it?

We were told that if civil war broke out, Americans would not be left in the middle of it.

So now it is not referred to as a civil war, it’s “on the verge of” or it is “at the tipping point.” Why can’t the men (and they are mainly men) in government and in the military speak truth to the power of the people? Are American kids dying, losing arms and legs, and eyesight, and Iraqis dying like cattle herded into the killing lot? Is this to save somebody’s face. Why is this permitted to go on?

Remember the halcyon days when Mr. Bush arrived on the aircraft carrier with a large banner unfurled behind him that announced, “Mission Accomplished?”

And he was carefully costumed so we couldn't miss his manliness in the nether regions.

What exactly was the mission? Does anyone know? Does anyone remember?. The war lords, who are still in charge of this country, rely on our collective lack of memory for any event older than a week.

I guess the “mission” was to get into Baghdad. Was it the nation’s mission or George Bush’s personal mission—aided by burnt out warriors who wanted a second chance to be heroes--to show up his father for not taking it all the way, a pullback for which we should thank God.

Days and weeks of killings and kidnappings and blood and crying children and wailing women and still the men talk, and talk, and talk. Every day, every hour more meetings are held for more talk, all of which is repeated by more men on television,

They are blah blah blahing us to death.

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:53:33 GMT

REPRINTED FROM OLD BLOG..WE NEVER CLOSE

…Stephen Spielberg and Mel Gibson are consummate filmmakers, both wildly talented and dedicated to their art.

That said, money must be made. These two professionals know that violence and sex mean box office and box office means money. And they know what their core audience likes too. Men and boys 15 to 24 like sex and violence, pretty much in that order. Romance and ”happily ever after,” well, that’s fluff for girls, and these stories rarely send viewers reeling from the theatre.

In my opinion, Spielberg and Gibson choose violence because they don’t like to do sex, and yet they still are in business to make money. Where’s the sex in a Spielberg movie? Occasional fantasy, yes, I’ll give you that. But violence prevails.(And for some, it is a substitute for sex.) In the case of “Saving Private Ryan,” a reviewer for the New York Times said the violence in the first fifteen minutes of the film approached pornography. At one point, Spielberg even invented a violent scene in which a German soldier whispers in the ear of an American as he slowly slips a knife between the man’s ribs. I heard the director was proud enough of this scene to actually brag about it.

Mel Gibson’s last two movies—The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto

would have made Vlad The Impaler proud. Even Caligula would agree that Mel was no slouch when it came to exquisite agony and loads of yummy blood. Although I am happy to read that Mel’s current appeasement of the Gods of the Movies—young males—failed to appease like the former. Of course, “The Passion of the Christ” drew Christians of all stripes as well as pubescents which contributed to box office.

The unbearable torture of Jesus Christ in Mel’s “The Passion” causes some of us to wonder about the God that Christians worship.

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:04:21 GMT

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:40:55 GMT

DON'T THINK WE'LL BE LEAVING SOON.

....They will do anything, short of sending two plainclothesmen to my spot under the bridge to stop a photo of the new

American embassy in Iraq from appearing on this subversive old lady's blog.

For the two readers left who haven't Googled the Monster in the Desert, here are some

stats: The U.S.Ambassdor's residence (or palace), housed in the compound--as a bit of an

afterthought--measures 16,000 square feet. The compound intself covers 104 acres, not including

palm trees, surrounding swimming pools and jogging trails. The so-called embassy is six times

larger than the UN compound, larger than the Vatican, but not quite as large as the "decider"

twit's ego. And on and on.

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 22:16:15 GMT

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:49:39 GMT

McCain is the new Bush.

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:58:31 GMT

THE MAN'S MAN

Yeah, he was our man. We had chosen well and chosen true. There he stood looking like Coop in High Noon. A man made of granite standing all alone on a dusty street in a dusty town, calm, capable hands steady in the air just above his holster, but you could

feel the tension. Yeah, our guy was ready to cut the bad guy down like a rattler and make boots out of him.. The guy looked the part all right. Ready and

able to grind baddies into the dust, with shirt sleeves rolled up past his elbows and with a slight, “come and get me you bastard” smile on his face. Instead of guns our guy had a bullhorn and was telling ordinary folks to get the hell out of Dodge for their own sake. When he spoke, he sounded like us, made a few small errors such as mixing up words and whole sentences, but who wouldn’t under such ornery circumstances. Our guy was nothing like the other sheriff, Kerry, who used big, show-off words and even spoke French and told us boring stuff we didn’t want to hear. What we wanted to hear was from a guy who would protect us from the towel heads. Our choice had the look of a protector, small eyes that squeezed into pee holes in the snow when he was angry, a face reddened and bleached out hair in front from the hot Texas sun. You could tell this guy whacked more Texas brush before noon than a brush fire could lick up in a week.

We didn’t know a hell of a lot about him. But we liked the cut of his custom jeans, and the way he wore plain old Tony Lamas that nobody ever wore anymore.. We admired the way he walked out on the rubble, never looking down or stumbling on shards and body parts and he.told us that we had found a protector in him.. Fancy words don’t keep terrorists off your land he told us..You got to take it to them, and here was a guy who could do it. Or so we thought. He didn’t turn out quite as well we expected, but he was a man’s man and that’s enough for most of us. So we just kept our fingers crossed.

Now that he’s leaving his post, what have we got? A good looking young kid with words that roll out of his mouth like honey on hot toast. He knows them all, and what’s more he

got a lotta info.. It’s hot out here in the sun, and this kid is ticking off every friggin’ problem our fine country has, and we don’t want to hear about those headaches, not when the temp is 104 and we’re standing body to body in a bandstand not as big as my front porch. True, we don’t know much about him. He could be an actor for all we know. We also got ourselves a lady who wants to be president of the US, and she talks to us as if we had been hauled into the principal’s office at school. Or as if we had just learned English as a second language. And we know more about her than we want to know.

Us guys loved that man with crinkles from the sun around his eyes. And what have we got running for prez now? A man who knows so many words and has so many heavy thoughts, it makes you want to go lie down in the shade somewhere, and a woman who wishes she could send us all to our rooms.

This new guy talks about “change” just like the one we had. But “change” from what?

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:28:01 GMT

No Country for Smart Women

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:41:11 GMT

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:20:57 GMT

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:33:18 GMT

We Liberals have a choice between The Pied Piper and The School Principal.

BRING ME AL GORE! NOW!

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:05:32 GMT

"Did the career thing for years and years..held off having

the kid....so now we wear matching diapers. Cute?"