E. Michael Harrington

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GREAT NEWS FOR DETROIT - their crooked mayor is pleading guilty and resigning immediately.

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SARAH PALIN's sarcasm helps prove she is a pit bull with lipstick (to quote her own quoting of a well-known joke). But her remark that Republicans will shrink government?!?!!?! Republicans had complete run of the Executive, House, Senate (and U. S. Supreme Court) for 6 of the last 8 years. Bush increased the size of government at almost every opportunity, the worst by starting the Office of Religious Affairs, and the bloated money-sucking ineffectual Department of Homeland Security.

And the economy is great, there is no war or deficit or debt and we are all happy, except for the "whiners," as John McCain's ex-finance guy, Phil Gramm, stated.

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Posted by EMH at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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In honest, unspun, unguarded and off-camera moments, this is what two prominent Republicans said about Sarah Palin. This is supposed to be John McCain's most important decision.

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The Red Sox keep winning. The Yankees keep winning, but their wins are too little too late and really cruel to their fans who might still hold out some hope. Such heartbreak - I feel sorry for some of the Yankees' fans as they did not choose where they were born and raised and what bad teams would be within proximity.

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Posted by EMH at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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BILL, THANKS FOR SENDING THIS VIDEO. Thanks to the addition of captions, I realize that Joe Cocker, in this unique Woodstock 1969 performance, must be Nostradamus with his Ellen & Ann comment, and more. This is what we lived through in the late 1960's. Such good times, such clarity, such chemicals....

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THIS IS DAY 1 of professoring for me at William Paterson.

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CNN did a little funny piece on John McCain's roving eyes. It seems many have noticed McCain noticing Palin.

The VOICE of the Narrator (Andrea Mitchell ?) on this video states, "John McCain only met her once? They didn't know each other. This was not a carefully vetted personal decision."

I bet it wasn't careful but he must have liked what he saw.

It might be a good thing to vote for President Palin. It would be alliteration, and hopefully she and her family could bring sex scandals back to the White House. Sex scandals have gone to Congress (those easy-going Republicans, Larry "Take A Wide Stance" Craig and David Vitter) and state houses lately. It's time sex scandals are brought back to The Executive Branch.

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Posted by EMH at 08:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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HARVEY BROOKS

I'VE JUST DISCOVERED Harvey Brooks' website and video blog. I learned a lot as a young kid from Harvey Brooks, bass player/musician extraordinaire, who played on so many of my favorite records. (I felt like using an ancient term - "records." It seems as old as "britches" or "Lusitania" or "Titanic.")

Harvey played on The Doors' "Soft Parade" (I worshiped at the feet of all the Doors' albums and especially loved the Doors' experimentation with that album - it came out at a time when I was learning how to write for orchestra and big band), Miles Davis "Bitches Brew," Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited," Super Session's "Super Session" (Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield, Stephen Stills), was a member of the Electric Flag, produced Quicksilver Messenger Service, and did much more. What a hell of a life - to be involved in such historic stuff and to play that well. And then for me came the great pleasure of being able to hear and watch Harvey recount details of those recordings.... Fantastic! I highly recommend visiting his site and re-hearing/re-studying/re-playing along with these albums.

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The SARAH PALIN

I LOOK FORWARD TO the release of PROVOCATIVE PHOTOS of the woman who will likely become Vice President, i.e., the beauty queen who paraded around for the enjoyment of so many men (isn't that the primary part of being a beauty contestant?). If they aren't provocative enough, I'm sure a little Photoshop will happen, not to mention YouTube! I am, of course, referring to Governor Sarah Palin.

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THE WAY HE LOOKS AT HER! As we say in France, "ooh la LA!"

I WAS EMBARRASSED TO SEE THE WAY Sen. John McCain was looking at Gov. Palin after he introduced her. His eyes focused on her backside, especially at the areas lower then her shoulders - south of the waist, actually. He reminded me of the junior high school boy at the beginning of the film, THIS IS SPINAL TAP, who stares at the blond groupie who is being interviewed about Spinal Tap. (She's the one who says, "The guys in the band.. you become like one with the music..." and a few other Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison-like gems. In SPINAL TAP, the boy is licking his lips and being a quieter version of Beavis. At least John McCain, yesterday, did not lick his lips.)

I THINK CINDY McCAIN will spend more time than ever on the campaign trail, and will always situate herself between her very old husband and the SECOND BEAUTY QUEEN in McCain's life. (If I had the time, I'd check out YouTube for a clip of this.)

Thank God for politics. I still don't need to ever go to a comedy club!

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Posted by EMH at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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LIKE MOST PEOPLE, I WATCHED BARACK OBAMA'S fantastic acceptance speech last night - excellent speech in terms of content and delivery. Obama would be a fantastic president if only he could get elected. But in a country that is this racist, I don't expect him to be elected. After all, the country voted for G. W. Bush twice (any voting irregularities or cheating aside, both elections were, ashamedly, close).

McCain needed to pick someone younger than he. That narrowed down his choice to a mere 260 million U. S. citizens. He also badly needed to get the press and the public to stop talking about Obama and his brilliance, and the Democratic Convention events as soon as possible. By choosing a woman (who votes like a right wing man), he has succeeded.

John McCain is showing just how daring and maverick he can be, and also just how desperate the Republicans are right now with their blandness and severely wounded Republican brand. Governor SARAH PALIN of Alaska is his beauty queen/NRA member choice to be Vice President. She is a woman who falls in line with men who believe abortion should never be a woman's choice.

I think one of the Republicans' lines now will be: "Governor SARAH PALIN - if you don't like the fact that Obama did not pick Hillary Clinton, then vote for John "Women Cannot Be Allowed To Choose For Themselves" McCain."

"John McCain: He Tells Offensive Jokes, But Some Of His Best Friends Are Women."

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Referring to Governor Sarah Palin:

"Anyone's who had five children, has had a woman's experience." Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX-R) on CNN, 10:40 AM, Friday, August 29, 2008.

With Republicans like her, the viewing public should have a Republican convention filled with (unintentional) laughs. Archie Bunker or George Walker Bush couldn't have uttered a funnier one. Someday I hope to be able to write lines as clever.

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Two predictions:

1. Hurricane Gustav will not help the Republicans and their convention next week (oil rigs, oil, New Orleans, insensitivity to the poor and the environment, etc.). Those who prayed for God to rain on Obama's outdoor speech may have their prayers answered in a different way.

2. The price of gas will drop below $3/gallon in the next 6 weeks. It is so important for The Powers to keep the White House Republican that the price will drop this much in order to take away one of the most important issues for Democrats. I expect the price of gas to be $6/gallon 9 months from now.

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I GET TO OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT today and buy more shelves at Ikea. My New Jersey roots are getting deeper.

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But I need to still ponder the fact that "Anyone's who had five children has had a woman's experience."

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Posted by EMH at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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THE INITIAL PART OF THE MOVE IS OVER! I am in my great apartment surrounded by great neighbors, one who wants to give me lots of food she cooks (YEA!), and all of them asking what they can do to help me out. I actually got be helpful by helping a guy start his car (my Acura's battery was the hero in this scene).

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I was interviewed on CNN Radio on Friday about John McCain's campaign using the music of Jackson Browne without permission. The interview was aired nationally and internationally later that day and Saturday.

The phone rang as I was carrying boxes into my apartment. I was stressed, dirty and impatient and did not want the phone to ring as it is usually one of many moving companies wanting my business. I had to ask the woman to repeat what she had said as I could not hear her. After I found out that it was CNN Radio and not CBN Radio or Nationwide Movers or ServileMagic or MayITakeAllOfYourMoney.com. MyLateNigerianHusbandWantsYouToBeRich.com or something else, I decided to be myself and be polite, submissive and rant-ful and answer her questions and let her record the interview. I've heard that I did not sound stupid (actually, a few friends and strangers sent their good reviews).

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I'm in Boston this week to play tour guide to my friends who are visiting, see family and friends and take care of fun matters.

More later......

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Posted by EMH at 09:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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MY UBER-EMOTIONAL RUN KEEPS ON RUNNIN' as we get ready to down some coffee, attach my car to its dolly and attach the whole thing to the Penske truck. If things go right, we end up in Harrisburg, PA at a hotel and then to the Firehouse Restaurant, or that other one I like a lot (by then I'll remember its name).

Yesterday, the 16 ft. truck got packed completely as did my car. It is very difficult to leave here - surprisingly or not it was very hard to leave my house and neighborhood. Of course it is has been difficult to leave friends here as well.

From now until maybe Friday, I'll be as primitive as can be without Internet. Cablevision is scheduled to come to my place between 11AM - 2 PM on Friday. Hopefully we'll be there before they are.

Now it's time for a road/I-40/I-81 road adventures. Annuit Coeptis.....

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Posted by EMH at 08:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)