The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies.

Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that “˜the buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.

Senator Barack Obama, March 16, 2006.

The Audacity of Assholery.

Here is a nifty quiz that, based on your answers, will tell you what kind of accent, if any, you have.

People have told me that I speak with a New Jersey accent, and the results of this test are in agreement with those people.

Obviously those people and this test are insane.

Swiped from Denny.

While the country is being “fundamentally transformed” straight into the toilet, I think four minutes and forty seconds of Feelgood is a good idea.

Thanks to my pal, Brian, the Air Force Vet.

Remember back in March of last year I wrote about getting together with the guys with whom I played in a band in the sixties, and that, to my surprise, we would be playing publicly. If you don’t remember any of the back story, you can go HERE to refresh your recollection (and keep me from telling the story again). It’s OK; I’ll wait.

As some of you know, the planned two-night gig at the Maya Cove Restaurant in Fort Collins, Colorado had to be canceled, due to medical issues one of the guys was dealing with. We all agreed that it would be but a mere postponement, as long as the place was willing to tolerate us in the future.

Well, the future is now. The Colorado Caper is back on.

We will be playing at the Maya Cove in Fort Collins, Colorado on Friday and Saturday, August 5th and 6th. Based on my lousy math, I figure that it will be the first time we played publicly in damned near 44 years. Zoiks! I’ll be playing drums and, I suspect, a bit of guitar as well and, of course, singing (if you can call it that) some tunes.

The gig has taken on a new significance beyond that of the public’s opportunity to see five old farts doing their best to avoid musical train wrecks. We will be the music part of the special two-night event (sponsored by the Fort Collins Japanese Bible Fellowship) to raise money for the survivors of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

For those who are (or will be) in the Fort Collins area on those dates, the details relating to the fundraiser are here. (pdf)

Needless to say, I’m excited by it all (including the prospect of touring the Fort Collins Area breweries), but, at the same time, I’m fearful that we might wind up being targets for half-eaten produce.

Maybe I should wear a helmet. Naaah, that would screw up my great farookin’ hair. Instead, I’ll just practice ducking.

I’ll keep youse guys posted.

Hint: Maya Cove

Too tired tonight. More tomorrow.

The White House has released its 2011 Annual Report to Congress on White House Staff.

In addition to providing the title and salary details of White House Employees, the report also “contains the title and salary details of administration officials who work at the Office of Policy Development, including the Domestic Policy Council and the National Economic Council”¦ .”

There are a total of 454 people/positions listed.

Check it out HERE. You can expand it to full screen size, which enables you to read all of the titles, some of which are very long, some of which are somewhat comical and some of which range from puzzling to unsettling.

Here are a few that caught my eye, each preceded by the position number in the list:

37 Deputy Director of Public Engagement Public Engagement?

51 Coordinator There are quite a few of these. Apparently lots of things need coordinating.

77 Media Monitor Professional TV Watcher? Sounds a bit scary to me

88 Presidential Support Specialist Something to do with the Presidential jock strap?

103 Deputy Director and Hotel Program Manager Hotel Programs? Huh?

102 Policy Assistant, Urban Policy and Mobility and Opportunity The title could use a few more “ands.”

111 Assistant Counsel of Ethics Probably not much going on there.

112 Special Assistant to the President and Director of Events and Protocol I wonder if this is the person who told The One how to toast the Queen of England.

117 Deputy Director of Advance and Trip Director for the First Lady Now there’s a very busy guy.

206 Deputy Assistant Director of Broadcast Media Another one that sounds a bit unsettling

222 Director of Progressive Media and Online Response What?

230 Director of African American Media WTF?

234 Associate Director of Online Engagement I guess this is different than the “Online Response” gig

240 Special Assistant to the President and Personal Aide to the President This is Reggie Love, The One’s basketball buddy and body man.

268 Special Assistant to the President for Manufacturing Policy Probably should read, “Anti-Manufacturing Policy”

270 Director of Hispanic Media Seriously

303 Assistant Supervisor of Classification Classification of what?

312 Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Digital Strategy Yet another scary one

333 Ethics Advisor He probably plays solitaire all day.

350 Director of Online Engagement Remember, this is not the same as Online Response.

305 Deputy Director of Digital Content I assume this person works closely with the “Digital Strategy” person. Oy!

372 Deputy Assistant to the President and Director, Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation. WTF? Must be a community organizing thing.

394 New Media Creative Director I kid you not.

420 Deputy Director for Energy and Climate Change Rumor has it that this person owns a real unicorn.

Enjoy the day, and take a minute or two to reflect on its significance.

The text is here.

Via iOTW

Over the years, I have enjoyed many blended whiskeys (e.g. Seagram’s, Four Roses, etc.), but I had never gotten around to drinking some genuine “Rye Whiskey,” an American tradition. I recently remedied that by purchasing a bottle of Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey.

There was never any question about just how I would drink the rye whiskey. I would drink it like it was drunk in the Old West ““ from a shot glass. Toss it back and slam the glass down on the bar ““ that’s the ticket. The bottle comes with a cork, not a screw top, so I think for my next drink I’ll pull the cork out with my teeth and tell the imaginary barkeep, “Leave the bottle here.”

The stuff makes me feel like Wild Bill Hickok (except, of course, the part where he’s shot to death).

If you are not a brown whiskey fan, you probably will not care for this 100 proof punch in the face, but I love it.

I’ll be careful to try not to shoot the piano player.

I’ve seen this once before a while back, but it’s worth sharing, because it’s twoo! It’s twoo!

Heaven is Where:
The Police are British,
The Chefs are Italian,
The Mechanics are German,
The Lovers are French
and
It’s all organized by the Swiss.

Hell is Where:
The Police are German,
The Chefs are British,
The Mechanics are French,
The Lovers are Swiss
and
It’s all organized by the Italians.