Blogs

Let's remember what the word Regulated means...

Care of Henry E. Schaffer:

"The debate between the collectivist and the individualist
interpretations of the 2nd has often focused on the meaning of "well
regulated" in the opening phrase "well regulated Militia". The
collectivists claim this this refers to a Militia which is tightly
controlled by the government, deducing this from the etymology of
"regulated" which relates to "ruled". However, this ignores the usage
of the word "regulate" in which the "rule" refers to the proper
operations of a device rather than to man-made laws. We still see this

It's perfect weather for a movie night! And tonight is the one-time-only screening of "Cleophas and His Own" at the Kendall Square theater in Cambridge.
WBUR's Adrienne LaFrance writes:

"Those looking to expand their horizons on art and narrative should make the time for “Cleophas and His Own: A North Atlantic Tragedy,” a very (nearly three hours) long but equally rewarding debut from director Michael Maglaras, who also stars in the film."

As seen on PRrag.com!After 50 years on television, 35 years worth of Showcase Showdowns, one Adam Sandler throwdown and a plethora of cameos and appearances, Bob Barker is set to unplug his signature pencil-shaped microphone and call it quits from "The Price is Right" this summer.

The 6'1" television legend will turn 83 on Dec. 12 according to a CNN report. Barker's television career began when he served as emcee for the game show "Truth or Consequences" starting in 1956. He hosted tie 1976 Miss Universe pageant and made appearances on numerous television shows. He made his big screen debut in 1996's Happy Gilmore where he played himself and beat the hell out of Adam Sandler's character. Surprisingly, also played his first non-self acting role in 1996 in NBC's short-lived "Something So Right."

At TellHimFred.com, Nathan (aka Barry Freed) has written to the Miller Brewing Company to express his interest in selling out to Miller Lite. Think of it as a love story....only about beer.

Well, it's October and the Red Sox are NOT in the post season.
WGBH is in the midst of its Fall Radio Pledge and they are beating the bushes.

Tonight has been up and down. There was a flurry of activity as the Matching Pledge Challenge wound down. We are half way into our 25 call goal for this program.

Eric Jackson has been spinning some great music-right now he is playing something from nice from Shirley Horn.

We have one volunteer who is one of those bordering on obnoxious missionary Caucasoids who work with "minority" children and talk about "saving them" while flaunting their education. This one works for the BELL-a great organization that does great work. A donor called into pledge and she was chatting him up to donate to the foundation, which while technically not terrible was a bit of bad form by my way of thinking, since she was doing the soft press. I cringed at bits because she sounded so condescending when she spoke about the children.

Tune in to WERS all this week for your chance to win tickets to see Jolie Holland live! WERS will be presenting her show on Thursday, October 17th at the Paradise Rock Club! If you want to win tickets, listen to win!

For the benefit of those who are neither on the Patrick mailing list nor readers of Blue Mass Group:

The Deval Patrick and Tim Murray Rally for Change will be held Sunday, October 15, 2:30pm at the Boston Common Bandstand near Tremont Street.

Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought.

To be led by a coward is to be controlled by all that the coward fears.

To be led by a fool is to be led by the opportunists who control the fool.

To be led by a thief is to offer up your most precious treasures to be stolen.

To be led by a liar is to ask to be lied to.

To be led by a tyrant is to sell yourself and those you love into slavery.

-Octavia Butler

Right now I am listening to WBUR's broadcast of the president's news conference concerning North Korea and Iraq.
I try to listen objectively to his addresses to the nation but it is hard. I am always left with the image of a comedian who is just not very good but insists on trying to keep the audience's attention. I don't know that this is better than the typical image I have of him, which is as the teenage son who tries really hard to do adult things but ultimately needs his dad, usually in the form of Mike Brady, to bail him out.

Apparently we are working really hard in Iraq and while the news broadcasts are terrible, we have to stay the course. As to North Korea, while we are not pleased with what they have done, [nuclear testing] we will work with them diplomatically to resolve the issue.

This evening I found myself sitting in a mexican restaurant in Selden NY enjoying a really great dinner with my sister and her husband. Much sangria was consumed over the course of a couple of hours.

When I looked up and the Yankees were losing 7 to nothing, I thought that was awesome. When they lost the game entirely, complete with shots of Jeter in dugout pouting and biting his lower lip, that was even sweeter.

And when it dawned on me that the Yankees were eliminated, that was the icing on the metaphorical cake.

What I really loved though, above everything else, was watching the entire Tigers lineup come out of their locker room, bottles of champagne in each hand, and running around the stadium high-fiving the fans. When they jumped up into the crowed and showered them with champagne hoses (even showering the cops assinged to protect them from the rabid fans) I had to sit and laugh out loud.

As seen on PRrag.com!

A lot of people have been pressing me to write an article about some of the implications of the Mark Foley sandal.

I'm not going to.

This public relations guy prefers not to dive into the pool of swarming political tigers and mass media birds of prey vying for a piece of this guy as they carve their way through Washington, people's lives and the upcoming elections. I wish not to wait on line with liberals who are ordered up taking turns firing at the Republican party as they smell blood. Or with the conservatives who dig defensive trenches and draw a line down the aisle among the "other issues."

It has become the question to ask this week, from family, friends, and strangers.

“Who are you voting for?”

Do you like this one? Do you trust that one? Is he serious about that promise? I know politics is a blood sport here in Massachusetts. Right up there with revenge, and bitching about sports. I should be able to get up a little bit of interest, maybe not the blood boil level of my past, but something, anything? But I can't not a whiff of anger, not a hint of interest. Not over the can dates, not even to vote for the lesser of four evils.

I have read the web pages, reviewed the platforms, watched the debates. The only emotion any of them brings to mind is boredom. Is this the best Massachusetts can do. In this entire state, home of the first blow for freedom from England. The bluest of the blue states, this is the best we can do!

As seen on PRrag.com!

In New England, the Major League Baseball season ended yesterday with a Red Sox bittersweet, rain-shortened 9-0 victory over Baltimore.

The season started out well for Boston, who dominated the rival New York Yankees early on, only to be swept in a five-game series later in the summer. This caused the Sox to permanently slip out of first place in the American League East Division and quickly lose sight of the postseason.

Injuries came in waves throughout the season. Pitcher Matt Clement was lost for the season in June, and any hope of his return was lost July 30 when he was placed on the 60-day disabled list. Lenny DiNardo went down with a neck strain in May and did not return until late August. Tim Wakefeld was also lost in late-July and would not return until September. The wheels fell off Aug. 1 when captain/catcher Jason Varitek went on the disabled list. News would come later that promising rookie pitcher, John Lester, had cancer.