Newscoma

It’s been two years.

I think the government should give me a bunch of money to build a time machine. Yeah, that would be cool and it would have a keg and David Tennant on board, who would entertain me by pointing out all the cool things in history that I probably have forgotten. Here’s my first post.

In my time machine that the government will pay for because they sho’ do like spending money, I will head back to 1960 and have a groovy dirty martini as I contemplate the next 48 years and how funny looking Richard Nixon was (or is, I wonder). As I wasn’t even a sperm then, I might just spy on my parents, but then that would be gross. Or, I could head back to the nineties, when I made more money and was not as saucy as I am now.

Or, I could just tip up a lovely Bass beer today and celebrate myself. (No one else will, so I have to do it.)

Man, I haven’t changed much, have I since day one, have I?

So thanks. It’s been swell. I’ve enjoyed you guys more than you will ever know. Thanks for lifting a beer with me on occasion, sending me nice emails and even having a friendly debate from time to time.

Blogging. Yeah, it’s fun. Keeps me sane.

Do you get Blog Birthday presents?

No, you say.

Damn.

Anyway, happy day to you.

I’ve been on the scene of car wrecks and fires that still haunt me. But photo journalist John Moore’s photo essay and comments of the last moments of Benazir Bhutto’s last moments and the scene after the assassination is absolutely haunting to watch.

Not for the faint of heart, I assure you.

H/T to Yikes 101 

Whupped. Beat. Tired.

Yeah, I’m either observant or whiny depending on what you read in today’s horoscope for Libras. (It’s what it said. I’m not making this up.)

But, with that said, all is well in Comaland.

But I’m not getting this. Not at all. Could someone explain?

And I hadn’t heard this either recently, but then again, I’ve heard it for a few years as well usually in juke joints in west Tennessee where there is Pabst Blue Ribbon available for a buck. I still think Bill Richardson is in the running for VP, but one never knows.

KAG asks a good question. Why would Wal-Mart sell used merchandise as new? Pondering, pondering.

Oh, yeah, Stephen King is right. Again.

Finally, my new favorite word is douchenozzle.

As I’m suffering through an unreasonable, and very unexpected, bout of insomnia, I’m watching the news as I sometimes do. My bed is currently my enemy and I’ve fought with my sheets for several hours. I imagine I will be asleep very early on a Friday evening.

I wish I was now, but I digress.

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto is dominating CNN, and I’m pleased to say that’s it’s not a Larry King repeat or a rehash of a five-hour old Anderson Cooper broadcast.

It’s actually news as it’s happening.

The network is playing CNN International and it’s been very informative about the life of Bhutto. The entire Bhutto family are like the Kennedys when you think about it, wrought with tragedy from a well off political family where death apparently was always on the horizon, sitting on the sidelines, waiting and watching. Her father was hung, one brother allegedly poisoned, another brother killed by gunfire and then Bhutto’s assassination yesterday. They’ve determined that she was shot in the throat and chest first, then the suicide bombing occurred and you know the rest.

Probably my biggest dilemma as I look toward my schedule later today is meeting with a Verizon manager who gave me a $700 phone bill this holiday season (which I’m not happy about) because some dimwit didn’t transfer my service to a new package (no worries, I have the documentation and it’s nothing more than just a hassle).

“I don’t fear death…I don’t think it can happen unless God wants it to happen because so many people have tried to kill me.”

Times Online quote from Bhutto

And then I have to put into perspective that I don’t have people trying to murder me all the time. In watching the interviews from the former prime minister, I honestly don’t know how Bhutto dealt with constant threats on her life and the deaths of her father and siblings. If you look at her history, she was human. She made mistakes. She was no saint. I mean, who is.

But today, she is the current face of a political martyr.

And, in times when the darkness surrounds me as it does at this moment except for the images on my small television, I wonder what it’s like to live with a mission and to know you will most likely die for your beliefs.

And I sit and wonder about the ramifications that will happen in the long run. None of this bodes well for the Middle East.

Or for the United States. We are a global community.

Actions always have reactions.

Personally, I think they deserve a drink, but that’s just me. Being New Year’s Eve, everyone losing their job and all.

Yeah, I think having a hit of hooch would be just fine.

(I took the question mark off the title if this shows up in your feedburner. It’s confirmed.)

CNN is reporting that Benazir Bhutto was killed at a rally. Right now media outlets are being very cautious about the news. It’s still not confirmed.

The reports are conflicting citing she was injured in a suicide bombing and other reports are saying she was shot.

This will dominate the news throughout the day, I’m sure. CNN is reporting yes. MSNBC is not making the call yet.

No, they are saying that she has died as well.

Still watching.

Still no independent confirmation.

Bhutto has been assassinated.

As I was getting my PBS on last night, I was watching the special about Bob Newhart, who I have loved forever. I didn’t realize he was slyly political in his early days (nearly 50 years ago) and I enjoyed it.

SQ reminded me that I should have remembered that he sold the albums and that he had his politics going on back when comedy albums had a chance and won a Grammy.

Hell, I can’t remember everything. I know that Jonas Grumby was the Skipper’s real name on Gilligan’s Island.

What more do you people require of me? **sigh**

No, I didn’t remember, but I did remember that Suzanne Pleshette is one of the hottest women of all time and should be honored as such.

And, I remembered one of my first crushes on a television star.

Ohh, David Steinberg, how I loved you. When other people were crushing on David Cassidy and the Bay City Rollers (blech), I adored you.

Now, my boomerness is coming out here, I admit. If you don’t know, David Steinberg was the bomb.

He was on the Smothers Brothers, on Johnny Carson and about a million other shows. I can remember hogging the television set when I knew he was going to be on.

I liked him. He made me all tingly in my tween years, back before the word tween was a word and I was just a little snot-faced kid.

At 10, I thought he was just about the cutest thing ever, and he was smart. I didn’t know why I knew he was smart because I was just a goofy tow-headed child, but I knew he was my future ex-husband (yeah, I grew up in the 70’s, this was a given) and that he was just about the grooviest thing I’d ever seen.

So, I loved The Bob Newhart Show (Newhart, not so much although I thought Larry, Darryl and Darryl was absolutely inspired.)

And I got that funky tingle/true love adoration for David Steinberg, who was on the American Masters series last night talking about his buddy, Newhart.

Brad Pitt, you ain’t got nothing on David Steinberg. I love odd yet funny men. They are the best.

The primary season is making me, in a word, yawn.

Let me ask a couple of questions. First of all, how different are the candidates in the Democratic Party? How much different are the candidates in the Republican party? Seriously, I’d like to know the difference. I mean we know Mitt Romney is a Mormon, we know Mike Huckabee seems nice enough, we know Rudy Guiliani is friends with Bernard Kerik which speaks volumes to me at least. We know Ron Paul, of all people, is getting the hipster attention. We know Fred Thompson isn’t the fireball we thought he’d be.

Heck, if I was a Republican, I’d be watching John McCain but I’m not voting Republican anyway, so it doesn’t matter.

As for the Democrats, I said months ago that these folks needed to be talking to people like me. Knock me out, impress me.

Instead, you are making me want a nap.

I see John Edwards as the most electable of the candidates, quite frankly, but mainstream media is banging on the Obama and Clinton gongs so loud who can hear the Richardsons and the Dodds?

You know, our elected officials just gave President Bush a huge Christmas present.

Yeah, Harry Reid and crew are blocking appointments, which in the long run is probably a good thing.

A nine-second session gaveled in and out by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., prevented Bush from appointing as an assistant attorney general a nominee roundly rejected by majority Democrats. Without the pro forma session, the Senate would be technically adjourned, allowing the president to install officials without Senate confirmation.

The business of blocking Bush’s recess appointments was serious. It represents an institutional standoff between Congress and the president that could repeat itself during Congress’ vacations for the remainder of Bush’s presidency.

Nine seconds is better than nothing.

We are going to work today on a benefit for The Stewman. He knows about it, it will be Jan. 14th and should be fun. With the help of some awesome people in our community, we are hoping the benefit will help him and Sugarface through some rough times. I haven’t called him in a few days and am going to do that today.

I’ve been keeping up with his blog. We should have some T-shirts for sell in about ten days, so if you are interested in buying one once we get the design work done, let me know. Squirrel Queen is designing it, so it should be good.

If you live in Nashville or Memphis, let me know and you will have it delivered, uh-hum, personally around mid-January. 

If you are interested in coming to the benefit, which will be held at The Opera House in Martin, come on down. There will be a cash bar, a benefit and open donations. Skyhawk Talk (a show about UT Martin sports) will be broadcast live from the event and there will be a small auction as well as Pay-For karaoke. Which means, you donate for someone to sing.

I expect I will make ones of dollars on the karaoke singing but still.

Stewman will be able to see everything, if he’s not up for coming, on a webcam and we will be taking video.

Just a friendly reminder. Thanks ahead of time.

Dear Squirrel Queen,

After a very trying morning where I wanted to seriously throw myself into a hole, I went home with my new present that you gave me.

I downloaded a ton of songs. I’ve gone from Joni Mitchell’s “Court and Spark” to Joan Osborne’s “Mother Theresa”, from the Scissor Sisters “Music is the Victim” to Elvis Costello’s “Pump It Up”. I’ve smiled all afternoon. I even threw in some Buffalo Springfield “What’s It’s Worth” and Bob Dylan “Tangled Up in Blue” in for good measure.

After a really ass rotten day, you made it better.

And “Eleanor Rigby” …. I’m in heaven.

I knew that music always made me smile, but you see, I’d forgotten.

I had forgotten.

I’m shaking my butt right now to Justin Timberlake. (Now, just shut up. He will make you shake your hiney and you know it.)

Thanks, SQ.

You are the best,

Newscoma

WANT!!!

Man, seriously, I do.

I took a couple of days off and hung with the family. It was cool, there is no doubt, and I realized how blessed I am.

Not everything was wine and roses, mind you. We are talking about spending time with our families. There is usually that one comment that sends you over the edge, and then you realize it is YOUR family so you give them a pass and realize they aren’t acting out of character.

I received some really nice presents that I know I don’t deserve but it was really cool nonetheless. As Squirrel Queen has never had her own camera, I gave her one hoping she will participate in 365 whole-heartedly this year. Her cameras are used for her job. Sometimes, you just need to have one of your own. She seemed to like it.

I think the most beautiful part of the Christmas holiday was the kids, Homer smiling a lot, Squeegee Monkey having a couple of cocktails and talking incessantly. He does that. He’s usually very quiet but you get a glass of Jura scotch in him and he goes on a marathon. The twins at Harris were given motorbikes. I, of course not understanding that going a million miles an hour on a small yet dangerous looking motorcycle thingamabob, don’t understand the whimsy of being a boy and almost had a heart attack. But then again, I pine for a turquiose colored Vespa, so I realized I needed to just watch them do their X-treme thing with a bit of hesitation and wonder.

Being nine-years-old without fear is really something. Of course, at this age, they don’t realize about odd things such as mortality and being reckless can sometimes come and bite you in your ass.

A Wii was found and played by everyone but me. I was too tired, there wasn’t a controller available and it looks suspiciously like hard work.

Cuppa will be happy to know I got a Buffy comic book. Woot. Smiley, of course, will make fun of me for my excitement of this.

The movie “Hairspray” is also now in my home. I had not seen the movie although I did see the stage production in Memphis a few years ago, and the nieces seem quite smitten with it. Of course, my love of Christopher Walken was evident, which the nieces called him an old dude. I, of course, received Kung Fu Hustle. Woot. I’ll watch it later when the kiddies are away. I also received an I-Pod Shuffle. It’s green. I have no idea how to use it but I’ll learn.

The nice thing is giving folks stuff. Squirrel Queen’s mother is an outdoor sort of person and Santa left her a copper fire pit in her backyard. You would have thought we had just given her a Tiffany diamond. I mean, Santa gave her one. Whoops.

Also, the hardest thing is the youngest niece is figuring out about Santa. I noticed the whole thing displayed on her face. She whispered to her mother. She went from a look of recognition to sadness to resignation. It was heartbreaking.

As for me, back to work. I had a few days off (of course I received bookoos of phone calls. Does that count as a vacation day? I think not, but what the hell) and I’m looking forward to getting back into my regular routine of work and job hunting.

But, with all of it said I have two lines of thought. The first one is that it’s really nice to be with family and friends that understand you. It really is. One the other hand, I’m kinda glad it’s over.