CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN

Cuellar 202-225-1640 Rm 336
Gonzalez 202-225-3236 Rm 303
Rodriguez 202-225-4511 Rm 2351
Smith 202-225-4236 Rm 2409

posted by Jack @ 7:06 AM 1 Comments

THANKS FOR PROTECTING AMERICA

Former president George W. Bush leaves behind a mixed report card, but the most salient achievement has to be the prevention of any further attacks on the U.S. homeland since 9/11/01.

Now with just a click, you can thank him for that.

posted by Jack @ 6:22 AM 0 Comments

DAY ONE

Here it comes:

I am responding to your Monday comment concerning all people that voted for Obama is an idiot. It is obvious that you are the idiot since most of the country voted for Obama. He can't be any worst than the administration from the past eight years. You obviously don't keep up with current events. Bush admitted his wrongs and mistakes at his press conferences with the reporters (thats straight from the horses mouth, you idiot). Of course, I know you are really doing this for your paycheck. You are probably an Obama supporter (maybe even voted for him .how would we know), but controversy brings job security..lol..lol..lol (laugh out loud)



Dear Mitchbenj,
Besides the fact that I never said that, and your puerile name calling, what stands out most in your little rant is how you ignore the fact that, after every presidential election, there are tens of millions of people who did not vote for the victor. They may respect and wish the winner well, but they also reserve their opinions and values which are different from his. Are there going to be loyalty oaths? I haven't heard. Finally, congrats on repeating the old canard that the guy on the radio, with whom you disagree, must only be differing with you for ratings or profit. For your information, I've worked in radio for 25 years, playing music, announcing sports and conducting various talk shows. I didn't need Obama-bashing to make it in the first 25, and I won't need it now.
By the way, what I did say (that a lot of the vote for President Obama was born of ignorance) is constantly proven by every caller who cannot articulate one specific past accomplishment of the former Illinois politician or one specific policy objective of the new administration. When pressed, they will even sometimes attribute positions from the Bush years, or promises offered up by Sen. McCain, as Obama doctrine, reminding one of a game show contestant taking a wild guess before the buzzer. Like Diogenes with his lamp, I remain in search of the Obama voter who actually knows exactly what he is getting.

Jack

posted by Jack @ 8:28 PM 3 Comments

JACK'S BEST READS OF 2008

From one book lover to another, here's my annual list of the best books I read this past year. It's not a typical "year-end" list in that it's personal and subjective, and these are not all books published in 2008 (six are new, four are from my library). I read a lot, all of it for pleasure, and these are the books that gave me the most reading pleasure (and may be worth trying out)

1.) "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini (2007)...by the author of "The Kite Runner", another, even better novel set in his native Afghanistan. An instant classic.

2.) "Killing Rommel" by Steven Pressfield (2008)...a master historical novelist uses North African desert maneuvres between Rommel and the Brits for a blend of fictional and real characters and events. You will like it and learn from it even if you aren't a WW2 buff.

3.) "Dark Horse" by Ralph Reed (2008)...Following the maxim of "write about what you know", Religious Right leader Reed weaves a tale of a near-future presidential election contested by a Democrat, a Republican, and a popular independent candidate undergoing a stunning personal and political transformation. Rarely is a book this inspirational AND suspenseful.

4.) "The Book of Lies" by Brad Meltzer (2008)...As with #2, a tale of empathetic fictional characters mixing it up with the mythology of one of America's best loved superheroes. If you or someone you know loves comic books, get this one.

5.) "China Mountain Zhang" by Maureen McHugh (1992)...I've had this book for sixteen years and never got around to reading it. To think I almost missed out on maybe the best sci-fi novel I've ever encountered. My gold standard for sci-fi: I think this stuff could really happen.

6.) "Willie Nelson: An Epic Life" by Joe Nick Patoski (2008)...I'm not really a fan of Willie's music, but he's had a fascinating, frustrating life and Patoski's the best in the business at covering the biography of popular music.

7.) "Sins of the Assassin" by Robert Ferrigno (2008)...Second installment of a hybrid political thriller/science fiction series imagining the US as fractured into a large Islamic republic, a Christian theocracy and large areas uninhabitable due to nuclear fallout. It's a marriage of what I loved about #3 and #5, although Ferrigno demands that you have a vivid imagination.

8.) "The Devil We Know" by Robert Baer (2008)...You don't have to agree with the conclusions drawn by the CIA's former top operative in the Middle East (I often don't) to appreciate the clarity of his analysis. He makes you think and you're better off for it. Hope this one is kicking around the White House.

9.) "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer (2005)...An unforgettable young boy deals with unspeakable loss in the 9/11 attacks by going on an epic adventure. Here comes the cliche: you will laugh, you will cry, you will beg your friends to read it too so you can have someone to talk it over with.

10.) "When Trumpets Call" by Patricia O'Toole (2004)...Ever notice how presidential biographies seem to end when the man exits the White House? In the case of Teddy Roosevelt, his amazing life story takes on even more poignancy and human interest its final, post-presidential decade. It's a great ride and the author is a terrific raconteur.

I hope you will share your questions, comments and reviews with me---and if any of these books hits the mark for you, feel free to recommend one right back!

jack

posted by Jack @ 6:49 PM 0 Comments