Christmas Memories Pt 3: The Triangle

Sometime around first grade we all begin our careers as guinea pigs for the elementary school Christmas concert and/or play. "Up on the Housetop" is the most vivid memory for me and my brief musical presentation with the triangle.

Yep, the triangle.

The kids and I always joke and enjoy the SNL sketch with Christopher Watkins. The "Don't Fear the Reaper" presentation as part of a VH1 Behind the Music spoof in which Will Ferrell bangs on the cowbell.

"I got a fever! And the only prescription.. is more cowbell!"

Only fitting since my minimal musical skills were captured on the triangle. I've reflected that I never had an affinity for playing in a band or playing an instrument. It all started (and ended with) first grade: no drum, no horn, not even the tambourine....nope, the triangle.

I was THAT kid.

Christmas plays were tragic enough, but to be subject to the not-so-subtle discrimination of the having to play the triangle...how did I survive?

CNN scrutinzes Obama SNL Skit for accuracy?

The news isn't, or shouldn't be, that the President was spoofed on Saturday Night Live, but to CNN's Wolf Blitzer, the news is a "Fact check" of their accuracy as SNL portrays the President as a "do nothing President", not living up to campaign promises.

The skit portray President Obama as a man who made a lot of promises but hasn't fulfill many, if any, of campaign pledges: including closing Gitmo, combating global warming, allowing openly gay people to serve in the military, withdrawing from Iraq, improving the status of the fight in Afghanistan, reforming health care and several others.

CNN Analysis:


KAREEN WYNTER, ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: While some observers say, sure, we are just talking comedy here, but that on many points, "SNL" couldn't have been more off the mark.

Ed Rollins of CNN wrote: "Humor with some truth in it is always dangerous. Make no mistake, a drumbeat of belittlement can damage a president."

President Gerald Ford, a gifted athlete, could never overcome the image of a bumbling, clumsy man who banged his head constantly after the hilarious portrayal of him by Chevy Chase. The senior Bush, George H.W., was brilliantly played by Dana Carvey, and more viewers remember our 41st president as the goofy, inarticulate caricature than as a serious man who served his country in many positions.

The CNN Fack Check goes on and on, bringing in Bill Adair editor of PolitiFact.com, introduced by Wynter as "a non-partisan fact-checking website that rates the statements of elected officials" -- this is while they are FACT CHECKING a SNL SKIT!

ADAIR: I think SNL tended to kind of gloss over what is a- a fair amount of progress by this administration- about sending two additional brigades to Afghanistan. We rated that had a promise kept. On Iraq, Saturday Night Live said not done and, of course, that’s true- they’re not done, but they hadn’t promised to be done by now.

Later he adds:

ADAIR: This is not a fair portrayal of- of how Obama’s done. But it’s comedy- it doesn’t have to be fair.

BUT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT IT ON CNN!

What we really learned is that the liberals at CNN felt it necessary to scrutinize how the President is being portrayed on a comedy show. Pathetic.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7x-dzXVcOw&feature=player_embedded