You Know Things Are Bad for Congressional Dems When Even Old Battle Ax Political Fatcats Like Missouri's Ike Skelton Are in Real Trouble This November

As Obama & The Dems have lost Independents in waves over the past year as a result of their far left policies and incessant reprehensible conduct of governance, a number of long-considered "safe" congressional seats are even in danger of being lost in the November midterm elections (as reported today in TheLedger.com, first link below). Prominent among such seats is the one held since 1977 (can you say term limits now) by Missouri representative Ike Skelton (pictured above with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi). Skelton holds the very powerful position of running the House Armed Services Committee.

In recent days, I have noticed Skelton's woes being documented twice -- in TheLedger.com's story today and in the past few days in a post on midwest political blog The Source (second link below). TheLedger.com reports that Skelton "has been warned by party leaders to step up the intensity of [his] campaign to help preserve the Democratic majority" in the U.S. House. Meantime, The Source reports that Skelton's seat "is now rated by RealClearPolitics as a 'toss-up.'" The Source further posits that the danger to Skelton's seat "may be a testament to his extraordinary devotion to Nancy Pelosi (95%+ voting record)."

I tried to warn Obama & The Dems in this space (as if they ever listen to anyone except themselves) that ram-rodding into law the massive health care monstrosity against the clear will of the American people would be the absolute last straw for so many Independents such as myself. I honestly can't recall the last time I voted for a republican. To the best of my recollection, it was in the mid-1990's in a couple of the local elections in mid-Missouri (when I lived in Columbia). Since the mid-to-late-90's, I have consistently refused to vote for candidates from either of these two extreme-controlled parties who do not represent the majority of this country in any way, shape or form. Instead, if I vote, I vote for third-party candidates as a protest vote (as I did in the 2008 presidential election).

But as I pledged in this space on Sunday Bloody Sunday, I will be voting republican in my U.S. House and Senate races this November here in JoCo Kansas since some measure of balance of power must be restored in Washington (although I do intend to stick to my third-party voting principles in the state and local races). And while I do very much look forward to voting against the wife of the absolutely pathetic outgoing dem congressman Dennis Moore here in my district (yes, he's running for the hills but stuck his wife in to run for his seat), there's a small part of me who wishes I still lived within the Missouri congressional district in which I grew up -- i.e. Skelton's district. Because much like Missouri republican senator and career politician Porky Bond, Ike Skelton has way outstayed his welcome in DC. I kind of wish I had the opportunity to join in kicking his butt to the curb in November. But I guess I'll just have to settle for the Moore family here in JoCo. See ya in November, Stephene Moore (or however it is that you spell your first name -- does it really matter?).

http://www.theledger.com/article/20100424/NEWS/4245042?p=1&tc=pg&tc=ar

http://thesource.typepad.com/thesource/2010/04/-generic-congressional-ballot-gap-widens-trouble-for-missouri-dems.html

Kickball League? People Still Play Kickball? And Where Can I Sign Up?

I would have thought that kickball was one of those kids' games buried somewhere in the distant past, but apparently not. A 2500-member league known as "BigBalls Kickball League" is in the news this week in St. Louis (link below). It seems that BigBalls has been kicked to the curb by the park in which the league has played since 2007. So why in the world would the park want to do something like that?

Well, in defending the park's ouster of BigBalls (which allows drinking during games and has many teams using "sexually suggestive names and logos"), the park director cited "frequent complaints of public urination, drinking and nudity" by BigBalls participants (who are shown in the second picture above). The park director also pointed to the ongoing nature of such alleged behavior: "The overall condition of very loud, raucous behavior, lewd profane language, disrespect for [park] rangers, public nudity, and public intoxication continue unabated." In short, he described it as a "pattern of trouble" and a "drinking club . . . not a kickball league."

Things apparently reached their boiling point last weekend, when -- according to the park director -- "one BigBalls member cursed out a park ranger and another [member] drove a dune buggy-type vehicle onto the fields." But the BigBalls League President says that BigBalls immediately expelled the member who cussed out the park ranger. Also in BigBalls' defense, the President says the events described by the park director were isolated and that BigBalls has tried to work with the park to resolve past problems. But the park's decision has been made and now BigBalls is apparently struggling to find a new park in which to party, errrrrrr, play.

On that front, based on my limited knowledge of the St. Louis metro area, I might have a few suggestions for BigBalls. The league could try to take their kickballs to one of the ghost towns in and around that area. I know of at least two of them. First, you've got Kinloch right by the airport -- a town that largely disappeared in the 1980's after the City of St. Louis bought up block after block of residential neighborhoods there (only the lots, trees and old city streets still remain today). Second, down south you've got Route 66 State Park on the site of the former Times Beach -- a town that disappeared in the 1980's after the EPA found dangerous dioxin levels in the soil (yes, the soil there is safe today). Now, would either the City of Kinloch or the State Park welcome BigBalls with outstretched hands and open arms? I have no idea, but it can't hurt BigBalls to ask.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/807CE5B276FDB70F8625770C0062074C?OpenDocument

Two Wrongs Make a Right: Dem Steny Hoyer "Blasts Republican 'Hypocrisy'" on Pork-Barrel Spending.

(Link below to story from today's Politico.com). Hoyer, the House Majority leader (previous picture with Pelosi above), today spoke in opposition to a republican effort to push a floor vote on a resolution that would declare that earmarks should be banned. Before giving some lip service to his contention that eliminating earmarks would "cede too much authority to the White House," Hoyer first rolled out his primary talking point, i.e. classic democrat/republican "two wrongs make a right" rhethoric. That is, politicians in both these parties absolutely love to ignore or pay scant attention to the substance of the issue, and instead rely on an implied "hey, you guys did it and so we can too" justification through cries of "HYPOCRISY!"

Of course, if one is able to divorce oneself from party loyalties for just one second of one's life (assuming you have any party loyalties), it is undeniable that such an argument is absolutely mindless and anti-intellectual. In short, it's third-grade stuff. Like the third-grader at recess who sees a classmate throwing a rock at a passing car and then tries to justify doing the same thing by spouting, "little Willie was doing it too!" It's so completely frustrating for me to watch these politicians in both parties get away with this silliness on a daily basis -- most often without anyone in the entire media spectrum so much as batting an eye. Although, it does make it fun to be an Independent, because every time a progressive or a conservative tries to hit me with a "yeah, but you guys did it too" blast, I simply ask: Precisely what "guys" are you referring to?

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/36204.html

Who Says Larry King Has No Viewers? His Wife Loves to Watch Him While She Bangs Their Boys' Little League Coach (Allegedly).

(Story linked below). What's with some of these little league coaches? It reminds of Walter Matthau's Coach Buttermaker character (pictured immediately above) from the original "Bad News Bears." He would get falling down drunk while throwing batting practice to the kids and supplied them with beer after they almost won the big championship game. That brings us to the Larry King story. There, the little league coach (31-year-old Hector Penate) -- whose team includes the two sons of Larry King and his 51-year-old wife Shawn Southwick (pictured above) -- alleges that he (Penate) had a torrid affair with Southwick that often included the two of them gettin' it on in King's own bed. Said Penate: "We had sex in Larry's bed -- a lot. I had sex with Shawn while Larry was on TV. Our sex life was real good."

But before you feel too sorry for old Larry (whose now 76): Penate claims that King didn't really care that Penate was bangin' King's wife since King was more focused on his own affair with his wife's sister, 45-year-old Shannon Engemann! King's alleged indifference, according to Penate, even manifested itself in the form of King co-signing for Penate on an apartment lease. "She [wife Southwick] controlled him," Penate said. "He just sat there and signed it."

The real mystery here: Why in the hell are King and Southwick still married (heck, why did they even get married in the first place, since King allegedly really wanted the sister, and Southwick allegedly likes her men to be 45 years younger than King)? The story reports that while the couple was headed towards divorce as of last week, now the divorce is on hold! Maybe King's afraid of losing that one loyal viewer (actually make it two) that he still has?

http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/kings_coach_reached_home_a4bhwuc2r7apdAJjiWQ6BL

"Do You Want to Come Up Here"?!

Consistent with being the most thin-skinned and criticism-loathing president of my lifetime (topping even Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon in that regard), Obama last night actually tried to verbally engage gay rights hecklers who were shouting at him at a dem fundraiser for Sen. Barbara Boxer (links below). Gay rights proponents are upset that Obama's administration has drug its feet on his campaign pledge to repeal the 1993 military policy often referred to as "don't ask, don't tell."

Obama's initial mistake here was even giving these hecklers the time of day in the first place. As noted above -- not Presidential. And if he really felt it necessary to respond to these hecklers at all, then the tone of such response should have been light-hearted and respectful. Instead of that, Obama gives them a "do you want to come up here" blast. What the hell is that? Just imagine the uproar if that fool W had made such a statement to a heckler. I expect that sort of thing from Vince McMahon on Monday nights, but certainly not from the President of the United States. If ever there was a top political figure who could use a chill pill and a humility lesson, it would be Obama.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts1697
http://video.foxnews.com/v/4158626/obama-do-you-want-to-come-up-here/?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a4:g4:r2:c0.000000:b0:z5

Lucy in the Ground? I've Heard of Hunting for Buried Treasure, But This Is Ridiculous.

Fans of late rock music legend John Lennon have been searching for something that (legend has it) is buried in the yard of one of his old homes. Money? Treasure? A long-lost song he wrote? A Paul McCartney voodoo doll? Nope, none of those things. Instead: An LSD stash! And a group of fans claims it found the stash this week (link below).

So what the hell would Lennon have been doing burying LSD in his garden? Perhaps his home was being raided by police, or perhaps he had just become convinced of LSD's secondary utility as an effective fertilizer? Nothing like that. According to the linked story, the legend goes that he and his fellow Beatles decided to give up LSD in 1967 when they endeavored to become practitioners of transcendental meditation. But rather than tossing his stash in the rubbish, Lennon is said to have buried it out in the yard.

And it gets weirder. The legend also goes that Lennon later changed his mind about his LSD cessation, and so he started grubbing around in his yard looking for the buried stash -- which he was never able to find. You know, it was always said that McCartney wrote the song "Hey Jude" to console John's son, Julian. But I'm starting to think he actually wrote it to console John for that large LSD stash that got away out in the yard (allegedly).

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272631395.shtml?ref=rss

Episode 2 Tonight of "What Chilli Wants" on VH-1! Where to Start?...

(If you're not familiar with this show, try this primer: http://independentrage.blogspot.com/2010/04/new-reality-show-what-chilli-wants.html)

Bottom line nutshell: Tonight Tionna Smalls (pictured immediately above) interviews a bunch of men, applies the Chilli Checklist, and makes her best effort to match up Chilli (first pictured above) with a guy -- but the results simply do not work. But alas, it really is a lot more complex than that:

Segment 1 (the longest and most loaded segment of the episode): Tionna, in an effort to get Chilli "out of her safety zone," has Chilli throw out the first pitch at an Atlanta Braves game, and then has the PA announcer say that anyone who might be interested in dating Chilli should head to a certain luxury box. Little do the responding dudes know that visiting such box puts them face-to-face with Tionna for a good old-fashioned grilling. And as you might expect, Tionna was on a roll! Her questions to the dudes included (keep in mind that she was simply trying to apply the Chilli Checklist): "Are you well endowed?"; "Have you ever done porn before?"; "Are you a citizen?"; "How you like fake hair?". Funniest thing in this segment: Tionna asks some dude to divulge the funkiest thing he's ever done. His response: "Having sex in a dumpster." Classic. Sorry, that gets me rolling over here! Tionna also comments, "you're 6-3? 6-3 is sexy -- I like it." (I just mention that b/c The Independent Rage is 6-3, and so I thought that was cool). So let's get down to brass tacks: Finally, Tionna interviews this dude named Dolvette or Dalvette (they didn't put the spelling on the screen, and so I'm just doing my best phonetically -- I'll go with Dolvette). He meets a lot of Chilli's criteria from her Checklist (Tionna describes him as a "good piece of chocolate man"), and so Tionna sends him on to meet Chilli.

Segment 1 Endgame: So Dolvette heads up to meet Chilli and several of Chilli's old friends (in a different luxury box). Chilli and friends don't like the dude from the beginning. Chilli comments that he's not her type and that it seems like Tionna served him up like "meat on a platter." Tionna is shocked and frankly a bit put off by the very quick dismissals of Chilli and her friends. Says Tionna, "Trying to come at me! But I'm from Brooklyn. I don't play that!"

Segment 2: This was a real short segment in which Chilli's "so far just friends" dude Floyd Mayweather (yes, the great boxer) is apparently in The ATL and takes Chilli out rollerskating. Tionna describes Floyd as "Chilli's comfort", which I think is a great description since I think Chilli views him as being attractive, a fellow celebrity, and someone she gets along with -- nevermind that he seems most interested in just keeping their relationship at friends. So anyway, nothing overly romantic occurs, and Chilli and Floyd resolve to meet up in Vegas (where Floyd lives) when TLC performs an upcoming show there.

Segment 3: Despite her negative first impression, Chilli goes on a date with Dolvette. This thing runs off the tracks from the beginning, with Chilli being turned off at every turn. First, Chilli is turned off by the fact that he doesn't talk to his son (over whom he doesn't have primary custody) on a daily basis. Second, Chilli is turned off by his alleged "1-900" voice. Third, dude pushes her against her will to participate in this high-off-the-ground outdoor thing. HERE, as a dude (just like Chilli) whose primary fear in the world is a fear of heights, I totally agree with Chilli: Dude should have layed the hell off when she expressed how uncomfortable she was with this situation. But he just kept pushing. Chilli really has a point on that one. Fourth, dude started talking about seeing Chilli's son Tron and called him by his short name ("T"), which was also very off-putting to Chilli since he's never met the young man. After the date, Chilli said that she will not go on another date with Dolvette again, that she found him to be egotistical, that she's adding "no egos" to her Chilli Checklist, and that she officially "enjoyed not one moment of that."

Final Segment: Dolvette has a similar take on the date with Chilli: He says it was one the hardest dates of his life and that Chilli was "guarded, defensive, and judgmental." Then Chilli invites Tionna over to meet up with Chilli's friends again (since the meeting at the Braves' stadium didn't go so well). Chilli promptly rolls in a muscle-bound male stripper known as Luscious. Chilli indicated that Luscious was her kind of guy, but Tionna was the one who really enjoyed him -- "Lord Have Mercy!" and "He went and picked my big ass up!". Actually, that was the second-funniest moment in the episode, as this stripper raises Tionna up the air on his shoulders as she plasters dollar bills all over his cranium! The episode ends after the stripper party, with Chilli admitting that, "Yeah, I could see myself with Floyd."

Upcoming episodes: Chilli goes on a second date with Christian "Chris" Harrington (frankly, I thought it was a bit of a mistake to not have anything about that dude in the Second Episode after he and Chilli had such an obvious connection in Episode 1). Plus Chilli performs with TLC in Vegas and meets up again with Floyd.

Final impressions: I don't think there should be any animosity or distrust between Chilli and Tionna as a result of the events of this episode. Tionna did her best to apply the Chilli Checklist and send a dude Chilli's way. The dude did not work out. Well guess what, in the dating world, most people don't work out! So both of them need to just to move on to the endeavor of looking for the next guy for Chilli. Move on to the next one!

Crist Almighty! Florida Governor Mulls Becoming an Independent in 2010 U.S. Senate Race.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist is widely considered to be a "moderate" republican (i.e. one who does not mindlessly agree with conservatives on every single issue). He is running for the U.S. Senate, but -- in the current volatile political climate in which the "tea party" seeks to run all "moderate" republicans out of the republican party -- Crist currently trails republican primary challenger and conservative golden boy Marco Rubio by a whopping 20-30 points in the polls (depending on which one you look at). Put another way, Crist (a very popular political figure in Florida) likely will not be able to beat Rubio in the GOP primary this year in the Senate race. However, polls are showing that he could very well beat Rubio and democrat Kendrick Meek in the general election if Crist runs as an Independent. And that's precisely what Crist is considering doing at this moment (link below).

Not that I generally care at all about Florida politics, but I would love to see Crist run as an Independent down there. Independents need viable candidates to start running for more offices, and the precedent that Crist would set by running as an Independent would be awesome. He is getting a lot of pressure from republicans -- including some of his own top fundraisers -- not to turn Independent. But I say, go for it, Charlie! Screw a republican party that obviously does not want you! It's your only possible way to win, and do you really want to continue to hang out in a party whose base despises you? Run, baby, Run -- Run as an Independent!

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35937.html

Isn't He Getting Too Old For This $hit?

Actor Danny Glover gets arrested this week in Maryland for trespassing during a labor union protest at the headquarters of a food service company. He does really seem to be enjoying himself, however. Isn't this sort of thing -- coupled with his recent visit to see Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez -- that which is sometimes referred to as an old person "acting out"? It is entertaining, nevertheless.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iBGeYiKYHTFKmxB6CvAUEfFO6JXwD9F4DSNO0

WaPo Column: Dems Can Avoid November Bloodbath Through Fiscal Discipline. Right! Like That's Ever Happenin'.

Today's Washington Post column is from former dem pollsters and so-called "moderate" democrats Doug Schoen and Pat Caddell (the far left really hates these guys, BTW). They speak of the importance of Independent swing voters in November and how Obama & The Dems had better do some drastic refocusing lest they wish to face massive losses in the November midterm elections. Here's two excerpts:

"The swing voters, who are key to the fate of the Democratic Party, care most about three things: reigniting the economy, reducing the deficit and creating jobs. These voters are outraged by the seeming indifference of the Obama administration and congressional Democrats, who they believe wasted a year on health-care reform. These voters will not tolerate more diversion from their pressing economic concerns. They view the Obama administration as working systematically to protect the interests of public-sector employees and organized labor -- by offering specific benefits such as pension protection and tax reductions at the expense of all taxpayers."

"Winning over swing voters will require a bold, new focus from the president and his party. They must adopt an agenda aimed at reducing the debt, with an emphasis on tax cuts, while implementing carefully crafted initiatives to stimulate and encourage job creation. This is the agenda that largely motivated the Clinton administration from 1995 through 2000 and that led to a balanced budget and welfare reform. It promoted a modest degree of social welfare spending. This agenda is enormously popular with the electorate and could eventually turn around Democratic fortunes. Democrats can avoid the electoral bloodbath we predicted before passage of the health-care bill, but in one way: through a bold commitment to fiscal discipline and targeted fiscal stimulus of the private sector and entrepreneurship."

Schoen and Caddell make some great points, but I think that trying to give advice to the tone deaf is always going to be a futile endeavor. "Fiscal discipline"? Sorry, but I'll believe that when I see it -- frankly, from either party.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/15/AR2010041504131.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

BREAKING NEWS: Republican Porn Star Stormy Daniels Announces She Will NOT Run for U.S. Senate!

This came out within an hour or so of my previous post (I guess some other candidate will have to pick up on the "formaldehyde fight"). Actually, this is fairly surprising. Who schedules (well in advance) a press conference for Tax Day (of all days) to announce whether he/she is running for office and then says, "Nope, I'm not runnin'"? Obviously, it was just huge publicity stunt (is that so wrong?), but given the circumstances listed above, I still find it surprising that she's not running. And it's disappointing, too, because it could have been so entertaining to follow!

But Daniels -- who cited the monetary expense of running as her reason for not running -- did vow to continue to "fight" for whatever it is that she stands for (I was never able to quite tell what that was). In her own parting words: "We will keep fighting so that one day the voices of the dishwashers, cashiers, bus drivers and porn stars will be heard just as loudly as those of the lawyer, the banker and the insurance company executive. This is my pledge. This is our fight."

http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1004/daniels_will_not_run_for_senate.html

"Fighting For Formaldehyde"? With an Opponent Making That Type of Headline, Porn Star Stormy Daniels Might Just Have a Chance in Louisiana!

This whole story reminds me of infamous funeral parlor owner and professional wrestling manager Paul Bearer (pictured holding the urn above), who formerly managed The Undertaker. Bearer was once accused by the late Road Warrior Hawk of using the embalming liquid formaldehyde as aftershave based on the nature of Bearer's alleged stench. But I digress.

The linked story below describes how incumbent Senator David Vitter (R-La.) (who will be opposed by the pictured porn star republican Stormy Daniels in the GOP primary this year) is fighting on behalf of the formaldehyde industry against the EPA changing its official assessment of formaldehyde from "probable" carcinogen to "known" carcinogen. Vitter is "fighting for formaldehyde" even despite "three major scientific reviews [that] now link it to leukemia and strengthen its ties to other forms of cancer."

If I was Daniels, I would batter Vitter over the head with this one come primary time. I can even think of a potential talking point for her: "I used to jump in bed to make a living, and now I'm out to change the way business is done in Washington -- And what we don't need is someone who jumps in bed with special interests to fight for formaldehyde, which the old way of doing business in DC!"

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35834.html

Charlie Sheen Allegedly Dons Fake Cheesy Mustache, Sneaks Out of Rehab, For a Rendezvous With Angelina!?

No, not Angelina Jolie, but rather Angelina Tracy. In Touch Weekly is reporting that Sheen recently has repeatedly sported this ridiculous disguise and scurried away from rehab in order to carry on an affair with Tracy, a lingerie model who moonlights as a $3000/hour escort operating under the professional name of "Nina" (story linked below). (BTW, Sheen is, of course, currently married to Brooke Mueller).

Was Sheen really dumb enough to think that this nutty fake 'stache (which one could probably obtain for a buck at the local five-and-dime) was going to fool the paparazzi? Or is all of this really just a cry for help, meaning he wanted to get caught? Or, there's a third possibility: When I saw this pic, I busted out laughing -- so maybe Sheen has a real sick sense of humor and is doing all of this just to entertain us? If so, I give him some credit. But if not, dude has some real issues.

http://www.intouchweekly.com/2010/04/in_touch_exclusive_photos_char.php

OK, Early Predictions Time for the November Midterm Elections.

These are subject to change, of course, as news and events unfold in the months to come. First, I am going to go ahead and predict that the repubs will seize a majority in the House. Is it entirely possible that such will not occur? Certainly, but I think the GOP will be able to pull that one off. Second, I do not think the repubs will win a majority in the Senate (where only one-third of the seats are up for election in November). It's possible they could, but I think it's a real longshot. Let me put it this way: I think the chances of the repubs winning neither the House nor Senate are greater than the chances of the repubs winning both. I'll also throw in one other prediction: Look for dems in October (as well as after the elections) to claim huge victory in only losing the House. I mean, if Nancy Pelosi can claim victory after the dems' gubernatorial defeats in NJ and VA last year, I think these dems will claim victory in just about anything.

So what do I want to see happen in November? Well, the outcome that I'm predicting (repubs win the House but not the Senate) would be just fine with me because it would restore some balance of power to DC. I never again want to see either of these two parties in complete control of the presidency, House and Senate, which is what we saw in 2009 and which is what we still have, save the end of the dems' supermajority in the Senate following Scott Brown's victory. I think we've seen that the results can be fairly scary when we permit either of these two parties to have complete control of our federal government, and I very much want to see a big dent put in the DC dems' power come November.

Holy Merde! She Just Keeps 'A Changin'!

Hills reality star Heidi Montag shows up in Vegas this week to let people gawk at the results of her most recent plastic surgeries (pic above/link below). But if you couldn't make it, don't worry: Since she plans to continue to tinker with the tools through more surgeries (she says she's not entirely satisfied yet), the current Heidi is not yet a final draft, and so you'll be able to catch that later. Her top priority? Well, she's not satisfied with the size of her breasts and actually wants to keep adding on! (She claims she currently has the largest fake boobs allowed by law -- although I had never known before that there was any such limit!)

But alas, all is not completely rosey in this bizarre picture. It seems that all of the changes have left Heidi a bit out of sorts. She claims she's unable to jog anymore and is reluctant to receive hugs from others. "I'm very fragile," she says. It must be nice to be her husband, Spencer Pratt, as I can only imagine some of the things she must be telling him these days (e.g., "Get Your Meat Hooks Off a Me! -- I'm Fragile, Damn You!"). Good grief.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1265319/Heidi-Montag-unveils-new-look-bikini-body---10-surgeries-shes-happy-it.html

New Reality Show "What Chilli Wants" Premieres Tonight on VH-1! I'm Hooked!

The show features TLC's Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas (first pictured above) in her search for the right man, with renowned relationship specialist and blogger Tionna Smalls (second picture above) trying to help Chilli find that perfect dude. (BTW, Tionna has actually visited and commented on this blog before, which was very cool!) Some observations from this inaugural episode:

First, Chilli has this wild-ass and extensive "Chilli checklist" (which frustrates Tionna to no end) of attributes that her potential beau must have in order to be a bona fide candidate for her hand. Here's a non-exhaustive list (everything I can recall) of the criteria: (1) No drinking; (2) No smoking; (3) No eating pork; (4) Must love God; (5) Must be gorgeous; (6) Must have a washboard stomach (at least a 4-pack, because Chilli says we can work on the other 2); (7) Must love kids; (8) Must have no more than 2 baby mamas; (9) Must ultimately want marriage and to have a kid; (10) Must be sensitive and charming; and (11) Last, but certainly not least (this appears to be very important to Chilli), the dude must be LARGE where it counts! So let's just get this out of the way real quick: How does The Independent Rage stack up with the Chilli Checklist? Well, about all I can say about that is -- If Chilli is willing to compromise on just a few things, I can officially say that I have never smoked! Translation: I'm Out.

Second, the question becomes, what's are Chilli's prospects going forward given the two men currently in her life based on the first episode: (1) Christian "Chris" Harrington (which I hope I'm spelling correctly), a cool, charismatic dude who's with an ATL engineering firm and whom Chilli met at a social function for ATL mayor Kasim Reed; and (2) Floyd Mayweather (yes, THAT Floyd Mayweather, perhaps the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world today), with whom Chilli has been close friends for 3 years.

I have to say, there's some real chemistry between Chilli and Chris. Chilli was absolutely blushing and having trouble putting together a coherent sentence the first time she met him: That's huge. That sort of thing is like straight outta Godfather (Part One) when Michael is struck by a lightning bolt upon his first sight of the gorgeous Apollonia Vitelli over in Sicily. I've known that same feeling before myself, and it's not to be underestimated. During their first date thereafter, the dude even divulged that he eats pork, and it wasn't a deal-breaker for Chilli (she gave him a a pass and is definitely interested in a second date)! (BTW, most dudes, apart from Samuel L Jackson's character in Pulp Fiction, eat pork, which makes that perhaps her most stringent item on Chilli's Checklist -- I'm glad to see she gave Chris a pass). Bottom line, I see some real potential between Chilli and Chris.

As for Floyd: My gut impression is that it just ain't ever happenin'. I think Chilli would be interested in taking their friendship to a new level, but I don't see it from Floyd. He as much as said so tonight. I just view that as a dead end in terms of a more-than-friends relationship, although it's great that they have developed such a close and real friendship.

And just to whet our appetites for more, the scenes from upcoming episodes included these highlights: (1) Tionna reaching her full boiling point with Chilli, storming off at one point, and also shouting, "I'm trying to help you -- I can take my ass back to Brooklyn!"; and (2) Chilli proclaiming, in best The Nature Boy Ric Flair spirit, "The way God built me, I'm supposed to be some guy's wife!" -- I love that kind of over-the-top talk! So check in again next Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. central time. I know I'll be!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0zJSgHDnpw

1 Year & Counting for The Independent Rage! And the Fun's Only Begun!

On today's one-year anniversary of this space, let me just say that it's been such a pleasure over the past year blasting the far left and far right and keeping a close eye on the ruling Obama & The Dems in Washington DC. So much so, in fact, that I think I'm just gonna have to keep it up! Besides, I think the next seven months counting down to the November midterm elections are going to make the last eight months since the August of Discontent look like a church picnic.

It's definitely no time to be asleep at the wheel, folks. Keep your eyes wide open and, for goodness sakes, vote in November! In the meantime, to all you loony left-wingers and deranged right-wingers, I and others like me are not going anywhere anytime soon, and always remember: We Independents always decide your elections and, therefore, your political fate.

Two Boys For Every Girl? And We're Not Talking About Some Strange Jan & Dean "Surf City" Bizarro World Over Here...

Instead it's a reference to what's being described as a despicable, systematic and ongoing culture of "gendercide" in "The People's Republic" of China -- which, BTW, is by far the largest holder of American debt from among the world's nations. From a column by Peter Hitchens (younger brother of writer Christopher Hitchens) appearing in today's Daily Mail of Britain:

“Gendercide: China's shameful massacre of unborn girls means there will soon be 30m more men than women -- In the cruel old China, baby girls were often left to die in the gutters. In the cruel modern China, they are aborted by the tens of millions, using all the latest technology. There is an ugly new word for this mass slaughter: gendercide. Thanks to a state policy which has limited many families to one child since 1979, combined with an ancient and ruthless prejudice in favour of sons, the world's new superpower is beginning the century of its supremacy with an alarming surplus of males. By the year 2020, there will be 30 million more men than women of marriageable age in this giant empire, so large and so different (its current population is 1,336,410,000) that it often feels more like a separate planet than just another country. Nothing like this has ever happened to any civilisation before.”

Read the full Hitchens column: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1265068/China-The-worlds-new-superpower-beginning-century-supremacy-alarming-surplus-males.html

Share the Road -- Or Else! "Psycho Cycler" Allegedly Goes Ape, Takes His Revenge, in the Big Apple.

Don't mess with the cyclists. First, they have a right to be out on the road. Second, they might just kick your ass, as allegedly occurred in New York City yesterday. The linked New York Post item tells the story of the alleged "psycho cyclist" -- 20-year-old Perzeus Forte (pictured above) -- who is also variously described as the "raging cyclist," "the belligerent biker," and the "bike messenger-gone-wild" (you have to love The Post!). The cycler, who claimed he was grazed by a limo on a Manhattan street, allegedly "flipped out, ditching his wheels and sprinting 100 yards" after the limo (BTW, wouldn't it have been faster to chase the limo on the bike?). And that's when business really started to pick up, as a "savage road rage attack" allegedly ensued.

It's alleged that the cycler, once he caught up with the limo, threw himself upon the hood and screamed, "I'm going to kill you, mother f---er!" Apparently that was no idle threat, as the cyclist then allegedly proceeded to batter the windshield with his bare fists until the windshield was smashed to bits. Then he allegedly tore out the front passenger window and went after the driver -- 49-year-old Darr Mohammed -- and "clocked him right in the face." Just for good measure, it's alleged, the cyclist then tried to tear the driver's shirt off, ripping "the breast pocket of his blue dress shirt" (the shirt's color being a particularly relevant fact).

Following the incident, the limo driver said he was just glad to be alive. He claimed that during the attack, he was "socked in left eye," resulting in a black eye. Plus, the blue shirt's ruined. All in all, the limo driver estimates that he's about 1000 bucks out-of-pocket. But he's relieved, since he thought was a goner: "He was running like he was possessed . . . I swear to God I thought I was a dead man."

The cyclist, to his credit, didn't run away. After "fellow bikers peddled up and calmed him down before he could do further damage," the cyclist "turned his attention to his blood-soaked hands, plucking out shards of glass while waiting for the cops." He's been charged with misdemeanor assault and harassment. But what about the property damage, particularly the tattered blue shirt? No word yet, apparently.

http://www.newyorkpost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/psycho_cycler_revenge_ldcv38M2qbZUHVU5MXvSPJ

How About This Lineup OfDeranged Right-Wingers!?

Topping the Million-Hits-A-Day DrudgeReport tonight is this silly string of right-winger utterances:

"GINGRICH: Obama 'most radical president ever'...
LIMBAUGH: Obama 'living his life of royalty... inflicting untold damage on this great country'...
PALIN: Obama's Nuke Stance Like Kid Who Says 'Punch Me in Face'...
LIZ CHENEY: Obama Putting America on 'Path to Decline'...
SAVAGE: 'Obama The Destroyer'..."

Not sure what Drudge is trying to accomplish here. When many Independents such as myself see such a motley crew of ultra-conservatives conglomerated in one place, it tends to be a bit off-putting (OK, more than just "a bit").

But let's get down to brass tacks: Is Obama the most left-wing president of my lifetime? Without question. Are Obama & The Dems and their far left progressive powerbrokers trying to force the country in an ultra-left-wing direction that an overwelming majority of the country does not want? Indisputable. But frankly, I don't need the Rush Slimebaughs and Michael Savages of the world to point these things out to me. I have two eyes, after all.

Why You, I Oughta!"The Angriest Electorate in Decades"

That's a headline today on Politico.com (link below). What was that again, Obama & The Dems? Something about everything being rosey in November "now that health care has passed." I would accuse you of being delusional, but in this instance I don't think even you folks believe those words as they come out of your own mouths. Excerpt from Politico's story:

"The upcoming midterm elections will feature the angriest electorate in at least two decades, according to a new Gallup Poll, an ominous sign for the Democratic Party as it attempts to retain control of Congress. The poll shows that only 49 percent of voters would vote to reelect their own member of Congress, with 40 percent saying they don’t deserve to be reelected. Those are the worst numbers for incumbents in the 18 years that Gallup has asked that question including the period prior to the historic 1994 Republican sweep, and the 2006 midterms when Democrats regained control of Congress . . . A whopping 65 percent of respondents also said that most members of Congress, in general, don’t deserve to be reelected — by far the highest number in the last 18 years. The previous high was 58 percent in March 1992."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35548.html

"NICE LADY"?!?

"Nice lady" was one of the famous catchphrases of Jackie Gleason's Buford T. Justice character in the old film Smokey & The Bandit (first link below), and now it's being used by conservative Senator Tom Coburn (R-Ok.) to describe House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (second link below) -- and yes, he's being serious. In the same comments (which Coburn made in a recent town hall meeting), Coburn tells constituents that they should not get their news solely from FoxNews (suggesting also CNN, for example). The right-wing talking heads are UP IN ARMS over these comments today, while left-wingers must be having a field day.

I'm largely inclined to stay out of this one and let the right and left have one of their little pi$$ing matches. So I have just a few comments here: (1) Is it good advice that people should look to a variety of sources for their news and information, and not just FoxNews? Absolutely. (2) Is Nancy Pelosi a "nice lady"? Irrelevant. Who cares? All I know is that I have found many of her words and actions completely repulsive over the past year, topping things off by ram-rodding into law a health care monstrosity against the clear will of the American people. I really couldn't care less whether, on a face-to-face personal level, she's a "nice lady."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jTz9Ldia18
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35446.html

Dem Minions & All of Their Money & Resources Are Currently Secretly Slinking Into PA & Hawaii to Avoid More Embarrassing Dem Special Election Losses..

...next month. As usual, dems say one thing ("we have real momentum now that health care has passed") and do another (i.e. know full well that such statements are complete and utter bull$hit and therefore pour all of their massive resources from without into local election races -- not that the GOP, admittedly, acts much differently). But one thing's for sure: Independents will decide both of these elections, just as they decide all elections. That fact must constantly irk the far-leftist and right-winger powerbrokers in these two parties to NO END! Which does my heart good on a daily basis! Anyway, Politico.com (the best and most even-handed political website out there) was all over this story today. Read more at this link:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/35422.html

Please Allow Me to Introduce the Newest Member of the Republican Party: Porn Star Stormy Daniels!

As discussed previously in this space, Daniels has all but made if official that she will run for U.S. Senate this fall against incumbent David Vitter (D-La.). The only mystery remaining was whether she would run as democrat, republican or Independent. Well today she made it official: She's joining the GOP! (Link at bottom).

But the embarrassment doesn't end there for the republicans, as Daniels today indicated that the recent republican Voyeur West Hollywood nightclub scandal played no small role in her decision to join up! Of course, that was the incident where a republican donor was reimbursed almost $2000 by the republican national committee for the tab that the donor ran up at the "lesbian bondage-themed" nightclub. I've gotta think that RNC Chairman Michael Steele's days are numbered, since every conservative in the country wants him fired and today's news will only add fuel to the far-right's fire. For example, just wait until they read some of today's quotes straight from the horse's (errrr, porn star's) mouth:

"As someone who has worked extensively in both the club and film side of the adult entertainment industry, I know from experience that a mere $1,900 outlay at a club with the reputation of Voyeur is a clear indication of a frugal investment with a keen eye toward maximum return . . . I have been a registered Democrat throughout my life. But now I cannot help but recognize that over time my libertarian values regarding both money and sex and the legal use of one for the other [are] now best espoused by the Republican Party." Ouch.

http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1004/stormy_daniels_switches_teams.html