Tonight is the night…the debut of the Teleprompter in Indian Parliament sponsored by US taxpayers

A new precedent for President Barack Obama today as he will break the barriers and be the first to use a teleprompter in Indian Parliament.

Indian reports say: “Obama’s reliance on the teleprompter is unusual–not only because he is famous for his oratory, but because no other president has used one so consistently and at so many events, large and small.”

Well, here in America, we’ve gotten used to the fact that our President needs a crutch. After President Bush’s series of bumbles and gaffes, most Americans look the other way or naively praise his oratory skills.

The authorities are also leaving no stone unturned to give a red carpet welcome to Obama.

There have been wild rumors about the trip costing $200 or even $300 million per day — EACH DAY!

“The numbers reported in this article have no basis in reality,” said White House spokesman Tommy Vietor. “Due to security concerns, we are unable to outline details associated with security procedures and costs, but it’s safe to say these numbers are wildly inflated.”

So how much will it cost?

If security is such a HUGE issue – why is Michelle and the girls joining the President on the trip? Wouldn’t that be a greater risk, more to protect and again, more expensive?

Daily Mail reports:

“…the trip involves 40 planes, including Air Force One, and six heavily armored cars.
The president will be driven around in a Cadillac which has a built-in communications center. The car has the U.S. launch codes and the nuclear switch for the president. It can withstand a chemical, germ warfare or bomb attack.
The president’s entourage has booked the entire Taj Mahal Hotel for two days of his three-day visit, and the property will be a no-go area for non-hotel staff while he is staying there.
A heavy security cordon will surround the hotel. The Secret Service will have two command posts in Delhi and Mumbai for communications purposes. They will eye all movement by the president with real time satellite monitoring. Thirty dogs have been put in service to boost security arrangements during the visit.”

Well, it’s easy to see how a price tag in the millions came to be.

One reported comment by a staff member at the Parliament: “Thank god they won’t eat anything or have tea or coffee from our canteen. We would have to go through a tough security drill otherwise.”

Yes indeed.

Historic trip trip – yes. Maybe it’s not the most expensive trip ever, but it should be a nice vacation for the family as the President licks his wounds from the midterm elections.

If nothing else, he’ll have his faithful teleprompter there for comfort.

 Read on www.DeskofBrian.com: http://deskofbrian.com/2010/11/tonight-is-the-night-the-debut-of-the-teleprompter-in-parliament/

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_teleprompter-to-make-its-debut-in-parliament-when-obama-speaks_1456549
http://www.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2010/11/obamas-india-trip—-not-as-expensive-as-you-may-have-heard/1

30 Stupidest “Star Wars” characters – you decide

Simon Kinnear over at TotalFilm.com delivered an interesting list entitled: “30 Stupidest Star Wars” characters and there might be some surprises for the Fanboys.

C-3Po, Greedo, Boss Nass join the half dressed Oola near the bottom of the list with interesting arguments before we get to a controversial entry: Mace Windu.

Mace Windu: “Controversial choice, but for bad-ass Jackson to be hoodwinked by Palpatine (who couldn’t have be more obviously evil if he stopped mid-scene to kick a passing Ewok) shows serious lapse in the cleverness stakes.”

So, this is not so much a “Stupid” character, but a reflection of how idiotic Mace’s death scene transpired.

A hysterial is Jaxxon. Who is Jaxxon? I’ll let TotalFilm speak for themselves.

 

Jaxxon

The Character: A Lepi smuggler and associate of Han Solo, introduced in Star Wars 8 comic.
Why So Stupid? Look at him.  It’s another rabbit.  Star Wars seems to have a bizarre obsession with giving heroes floppy ears, fluffy tails (and, for all we know, rampant libidos).  Sadly, Jaxxon isn’t the last such creature on this list.

I remember being a kid and looking perplexed at my Marvel “Star Wars” comic at the rabbit fighting alongside Han Solo and somehow pressed on. Little did we know the Jar Jar Binks was rolling around in George Lucas’ noggin, so Jaxxon isn’t as shocking now as it was 30 years ago.
I let you browse the list via the link below, but it’s filled with several characters from the comics and books – quite a let down.

What is NOT a let down and rather controversial is the appearance of General Grievous.

TF: “Why So Stupid? Grievous is the anti-Darth Maul, an alleged bad-ass who is easy to defeat (Kenobi slices off two arms almost immediately) and who fails to heed Maul’s credo that silence is golden, given a cough that’s as irritating for us as it must be for him.”

Cough – stupid. Four lightsabers – awesome. Losing to Obi-Wan (like Darth Maul I might add) – for from stupid.

I loved the date with my kids about Walrusman, Greedo, Anakin himself and yes, Jar Jar Binks.

Have fun Fanboys.

 

 Read the original post on www.deskofbrian.com: http://deskofbrian.com/2010/11/30-stupidest-star-wars-characters-you-decide/

Election Exhaustion and Voter Apathy

It will soon be over.

With the vote today I expect to hear the GOP exaggerate their victories, Democrats to cry “fraud” or “recounts” and voters to shake their heads.

Just as  President Obama was revealed to be another political ideologue, so it will be revealed that this midterm election will effect little other than deepen the wedge between the two sides and give credence to ignoring third party options.

There is a chasm between the far left and far right and that’s how our political leaders want it to remain. President Obama made a reference to Republicans as “enemies” (Read this and more of the President’s gems) and Sean Hannity’s condescending attitude bleeds down my TV screen if I wander onto FOX news.
If you’ve tried to follow the political races then your wading boots are covered in mud from the leeches slinging insults at one instead of discussing solutions. Alan Grayson for example felt it was acceptable to refer to his opponent as a terrorist and a draft dodger. (Read the article here) Republicans want us to ignore the years of spending and ignoring their electorate under Bush and empower them again.

Our media continues to fail us as they focus more on Christine O’Donnell’s dating habits nearly 20 years ago than our Floridians will pay for a high speed rail system.

So what’s new? Nothing.

In Winnipeg, this candidate attacks the incumbent, Sam Katz, for kicking children in the  face (accidentally during a soccer game) — “nice” (Canadian attack ad – kicking child in the face)

So it’s everywhere.

Some districts will report the low voter turnout or report on the frustrations and apathy of voters.
Ashame they’ll never seek out “Why” or offer solutions by fairly covering third party candidates.
We will return to a daily grind, a struggle in today’s economy with a background of instance news, lies, deceit – until they need us to vote again in two years.

Don’t get me wrong, I hold the power to vote as sacred and a responsibility but I feel your pain and I’m exhausted from the campaigning.

Let’s take a deep breath and start anew tomorrow knowing that the cycle is about to start over.

Read State of the Nation at www.DeskofBrian.com are this article here: http://deskofbrian.com/2010/11/election-exhaustion-political-apathy/

Michelle Obama's speech divides right from left

Michelle Obama’s stump speech for Harry Reid really reveals the emotional drive of the left and how separated the right is from those on the left. While her husband calls the opposition the “enemy” and horribly articulates a metaphor of “driving the car into a ditch” and “drinking a Slupee” (Read many of the President’s quotes: here)

We are not just here because of an election. We are not just here because we support Harry, and we do. We are here to renew that promise. We are here to restore that dream. We are here because we believe in some simple truths, that no child’s future should be limited because of the neighborhood they are born in. We believe that if you get sick in America, you should be able to see a doctor.
We believe that if you work hard you should make a decent wage and have a secure retirement. We believe that if you fulfill your responsibilities every day you should be able to provide for your family, just like our folks did.

 ”We believe” — insinuating the other guys, those “enemies” don’t share these beliefs?

I disagree Madam. Most Americans, right and left, share many of those beliefs, but we differ in application, means and the role of the Federal Government as the executor of these “beliefs.”

What dream is being restored?

One minute the Obamas are fundamentally “changing” America and then the next, they are “restoring” something. Which is it?

The talking points are all here:

• Insinuate that Americans can’t see a doctor (presumably without Obamacare) but we have illegal immigrants in emergency rooms.
• Insinuate that the “other side” doesn’t care about the future of those poor kids.
• Insinuate that the Republicans don’t care about your retirement or your prosperity.

So Mrs. Obama can even wave a finger, lecture American voters, but all she is really conveying is that the Obamas are ideologues….far leftists….statists.

The means to insurance, prosperity and life style are simply defined in our Constitution: life, libery and the pursuit of happiness. “Pursuit” offers no guarantees of outcomes (an issue illustrated through guilt on the left) and the solution is simple: Big Government or Less Government.

This dates back to Andrew Hamilton versus Thomas Jefferson.

“We believe” in many of the same things, but we disagree on “HOW” to get there.

Read here on DeskofBrian.com: http://deskofbrian.com/2010/11/michelle-obama-helps-us-understand-right-vs-left/

Michelle Obama quote page on DOB: http://deskofbrian.com/2010/10/michelle-obama-quotes/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/michelle-obama/8104042/Midterms-2010-Michelle-Obama-makes-last-ditch-attempt-to-save-Democrats.html

Joy Behar's mental comments reveal liberal hypocrisy

So Joy Behar doesn’t like Sharron Angle.  The right-wing opponent of Harry Reid has infuriated Behar to the point of screaming that Angle is “going to hell” calling her a “bitch” and proclaiming her to be evil. Read and watch video here.

Meanwhile, on another show, Juan Williams explains he gets uncomfortable and nervous seeing fully garbed Muslims on a plane – Juan was fired.


So why the incredible double standard?

I’ve read the left-wing bloggers excusing Joy’s rants because she’s an “entertainer” but these are the same folks crucifying every talk radio blowhard from Glenn Beck to Rush Limbaugh.
The firing of Juan Williams by NPR has set off a firestorm to stop taxpayer funds from fueling this hypocritical agenda. Jim DeMint has led the charge to end the federal funding of NPR.

NPR received $4 billion in federal money since 2001 and will get $430 million in the 2011. Republican Minority Whip Eric Cantor and nearly every Republican running for office this year promised to seek an end to taxpayer subsidies for NPR and public television.

I seldom agree with Brit Hume’s narrow perspective, but Brit said: ”And I think it is simply this, that in the culture of NPR, appearing on Fox is a sin. And in the culture of NPR, for an African American man like Juan, regardless of his extraordinary stature, to be there and be kind of a Bill Cosby liberal, not a down-the-line liberal, is a sin as well.

A Bill Cosby liberal.

The progressives will tolerate the unhinged behavior of Joy Behar as long as the target is an enemy of the agenda. This is agenda is narrowly constructed that a slight misstep, one belief too close to Cosby or Williams and you can be banished from their playground.

Modern liberalism: intolerant, bigoted, mean spirited and most dangerous of all, without accountability.

Read "State of the Nation" at www.deskofbrian.com or this article at: http://deskofbrian.com/2010/10/behars-psychotic-name-calling-is-ok-but-juan-feels-nervous-and-hes-fired/ 

Joy Behar Quotes on Desk of Brian, DOB: http://deskofbrian.com/2010/07/joy-behar-quotes/

http://blog.nj.com/njv_john_atlas/2010/10/missing_from_the_juan_williams.html

Bill Mahers offers Democrats advice to win

Bill Maher wrote a column for the Huffington Post slamming Christine O’Donnell and offering this amazing wisdom:

“Which brings me to the one succinct phrase that could keep the Democrats in power in 2012: “We’ll legalize pot.” I’m not saying this just to get cheap applause. I’m saying it because reliable surveys tell us that there’s only one thing that will rouse our precious youth to the polls the way Jackass in 3D got them out to the theaters, and that’s pot. It’s the unwritten second half of Obama’s slogan. “Yes We Can…Get High at the Mall.”

Read all of the gems from Bill Maher on DOB’s quote page Read it here.

The motivation is simple: Bill wants everyone to get high. He’d probably be funnier if the audience was stoned out of their minds, but Maher drives home another motivation:

Bill Maher has been using current events — particularly politics — as comedic fodder for more than a dozen years. Earlier this month, the comedian made his Internet television debut with "Amazon Fishbowl with Bill Maher," a 30-minute weekly program on Amazon.com. Bill Maher has been using current events — particularly politics — as comedic fodder for more than a dozen years. Earlier this month, the comedian made his Internet television debut with "Amazon Fishbowl with Bill Maher," a 30-minute weekly program on Amazon.com.Bill Maher has been using current events — particularly politics — as comedic fodder for more than a dozen years. Earlier this month, the comedian made his Internet television debut with "Amazon Fishbowl with Bill Maher," a 30-minute weekly program on Amazon.com. AP/Damian Dovarganes

In the legalization of marijuana, the Democrats finally could have something they’ve always wanted: a wedge issue. Remember wedge issues? Things like gay marriage and prayer in school and other bulls**t that Republicans used for years to get hillbillies to the polls? That’s how Bush got elected in 2004 — Karl Rove put gay marriage on the ballot in eleven key states, knowing that all the Christian s**t-kickers would come out against boys kissing and stick around to pull the lever for Bungles the Clown.”
Like most on the Left, Maher thrives on the opportunity to rail on the right, especially the Christian right. To Maher and the leftists on Capitol Hill, we’re all just a bunch of ignorant “hillbillies” who can’t think for ourselves and it was all just a grand conspiracy by Karl Rove to strike down gay marriage initiatives.
I wish I could ask Bill how that worked in California where 70 % of the Obama supporters, who were also Black, voted down gay marriage.

Read here: http://deskofbrian.com/2010/10/bill-maher-tells-dems-secret-to-victory-legalize-pot/

Virgina Ironside: Abortion is Kindness

Virginia Ironside: If I were the mother of a suffering child I mean a deeply suffering child I would be the first to want to put a pillow over its face If it was a child I really loved, who was in agony, I think any good mother would.
When I heard about this interview, I expected a screaming match, a miscue or a comment which would be followed by a retraction and an apology.
In fact, the others on the panel give Ms. Ironside an “out” and she refuses. “Abortion is the act of a loving mother” -  I was shocked.

“If a baby’s going to be severely disabled or totally unwanted, surely an abortion is the act of a loving mother. Life is only a gift if the person living it feels cherished, loved and wanted and sadly, the world is full of unwanted children. To go ahead and have a baby, knowing that you can’t give it some kind of stable upbringing seems to me to be cruel.
“There is an argument that parents will love a severely disabled child and that a fatherless child will get all the love it needs from its mother, and some argue that the parents of a disadvantaged child will become better people. We all love the feeling of doing good, but to create a child who may well be going to suffer all its life is very, very unfair and no good parent, and no good mother, would want to impose that suffering on a child.”

The arrogance and condescending attitude isn’t really new, but is no less shocking and difficult to digest. Virginia Ironside almost drifts into citing Hitler with her visions of absolutes and having all of the answers.

Read State of the Nation at  www.deskofbrian.com

This article here at: http://deskofbrian.com/2010/10/virginia-ironside-on-bbc-abortion-is-kindess-as-most-are-unfit/