Item:
While we were worrying about China taking over America by buying us up, the Vietnamese apparently beat them to it, literally buying an entire US town. Granted, they purchased Buford, Wyoming, Population 1 but that's how it starts.
Next up, Detroit!
~~~
Item:
Here's some food for thought.
Back in the day, bigger kids beat up littler kids on a pretty regular basis.
Now the little kid would go home crying to his parents and one of several things would happen:
--His parents would teach him how to fight
--His parents would say, "stay away from that kid"
--His parents, in exceptionally egregious cases, would talk to the other kid's parents or the school (which again, was rare, lest the kid get his ass kicked AND be a rat).
--Or the parents would be of no use whatsoever and the kid had to learn to improvise, which often involved some mixture of evasion, bluff and enlistment of a protector.
By and large, one of these four things resolved the situation. The littler kid didn't go home and kill himself. He didn't go get a gun and come back blasting. He realized that, although it sucked, it was part of growing up. And most of those kids -- or kids like them -- really are now in positions of professional authority over the former bullies.
Thing is, the kids who were bullied learned a valuable lesson -- that sometimes in life, there is no one there to have your back -- you need to figure shit out on your own.
So what is different now? Sure there is the internet and cell phones and all other manner of ways in which bullying can be more prevalent. Kids have many more avenues of torment to utilize. But most of them aren't even real!
The whole concept of cyber bullying is, to us, ridiculous. Someone posts something on your Facebook? Who cares?!? Delete it. Delete them.
Someone is harassing you via your cell phone? Block them, Change your number -- then don't give it out!
Sticks and stones, people!
We blame the parents. Facebook is not an inalienable right. Neither is popularity. The first thing you hear when one of these cyber bullying cases in the news is the parent bitching to high heaven about how their poor little darling is being treated horribly online. Well, either teach your kid some self esteem or tell them to delete their account. Bam! Problem solved. Trust me, your little darling will survive without Facebook until they are old enough to stand up for his or herself.
Therein lies the problem. The parent will argue that their child shouldn't have to close their Facebook account. Well, it's a pretty basic choice -- teach your kid some self esteem, shut down their account or be the reason something much worse happens.
Wanting to protect your child from the bad stuff is admirable but they have to have a realistic picture of the world around them. Not all adults are popular. Not all adults are smart. Not all adults are attractive. And the world most certainly treats adults differently based on their level of popularity, intelligence and attractiveness. In addition to that, while hard work and clean living are generally rewarded, the world is not a strict meritocracy. Life is not fair. Never has been, never will be. Hard workers will get screwed on occasion. Idiots will succeed. Liars and cheats will get the girl while the nice guy will, despite his best efforts, occasionally finish last.
And sometimes, people will pick on you. Undeservedly. Relentlessly. And sometimes, you just have to suck it up and get through it.
Teaching your children differently is a disservice to them.
~~~
Fare thee well, Jim Marshall, we'll see you on the Other Side. Save us an amp.
~~~
Item:
In this crazy 99%, Occupy Earth, "us against them" day and age, we found this to be an exceptionally well-written, balanced take on the state of current class warfare.
~~~
Quote of the Week:
“Frank McCourt is usually vilified as a terrible owner, but was he really? In the eight seasons he owned the Dodgers, Los Angeles played in the NLCS two times, won the NL West three times and reached the postseason four times. The Dodgers also got their first postseason series win since the 1988 World Series. Even in his final year with bankruptcy hovering over the team, the Dodgers had a winning record. Magic Johnson may be a far more appealing person, but after investing $2 billion in a team many analysts believed was barely worth half that, his ownership group will be fortunate to win as often as McCourt did. ."
--espn.com's Jim Caple, reiterating something we've been saying for months.
~~~
Internet Video of the Week:
Could it really be anything other than this? That was about 10 miles from the casa.
~~~
Ridiculous Story That Actually Appeared in a Publication of the Week:
Here.
Umm, dude -- you bought your tickets with a credit card. They could have simply reissued them to you.
~~~
Idiot Criminal of the Week:
Timothy Moll of Emmaus, Pennsylvania.
Here's why.
Sexting with a 16 year-old girl? Nothing bad can come from that, right?
~~~
Vintage Album Review of the Week:
Whitney Houston
Whitney
1987
I Wanna Dance with Somebody - (4:51)*
Just the Lonely Talking Again - (5:32)
Love Will Save the Day - (5:21)*
Didn't We Almost Have It All - (5:05)*
So Emotional - (4:36)*
Where You Are - (4:10)
Love is a Contact Sport - (4:19)
You're Still My Man - (4:16)
For the Love of You - (5:31)
Where Do Broken Hearts Go - (4:37)*
I Know Him So Well - (4:30)
-(5:11)
* - singles
It's hard to slam a record that debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 Albums chart, had four consecutive Number 1 singles and made a mockery of the alleged Sophomore Slump jinx. But I think we're kinda going to.
Whitney Houston's eponymous 1985 debut album changed music -- it was that relevant. Anita Baker never happens without that album. Nor do Toni Braxton, Sade or any other number of singers see anywhere close to the level of success they do if that album does not get recorded.
Whitney Houston was the perfect vehicle for soul music's next progression: pretty, clean, fresh-faced and blessed with an amazing voice. The fact that everything was pretty much handed to her probably had a lot to do with how her story ended. But in 1987, coming off the biggest debut album of all time, she released her second, entitled Whitney.
As we said, it exploded from the gate and made Whitney Houston a worldwide superstar. Filled with familiar hooks and pristine production, it was the epitome of a late 80's slick set.
But that was the problem with it. It was too slick, too clean. Soul music has its roots in a true, honest, emotional base. While this album in fact featured a single named So Emotional, the record itself lacked that every element. It was a clean, professional set, delivered as is by rote. And for that we blame the producers, most-notably Narada Michael Walden who, instead of taking Whitney to new places, rather than maximizing that incredible voice, simply returned her to verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus -- CRESCENDO!!!!!!!, fade -- basically the exact same pattern of every Whitney Houston song you remember. Sure the formula works. That doesn't mean it's not crap.
The record company didn't help, either, as some of the songs that actually seemed to breath a little and slip a bit outside the "formula", never made it to the radio. The O'Kelly and Marvin Isley-penned For the Love of You, in particular is a pleasant, not-over-produced song that is one of the better tunes Whitney ever recorded.
In the end, this album is a microcosm of Whitney Houston's life and career. Having Dionne Warwick as a cousin and Clive Davis as a benefactor, she never had to really work for the success she achieved. Now, that's not a disparagement of her; it's just how it was. When given a chance to expand upon her talent, to challenge herself and become something greater, she either didn't want to or didn't know how to make her producers let her. So while Whitney is a great example of late-1980's pop, it could have been so much more.
Where may see a multi-platinum smash album, we see an opportunity lost and the high water mark of an artist's career and, sadly, life.
Music: 3 (of 5)
Lyrics: 3 (of 5)
Authorship: 0 (of 4)
Production: 2 (of 3)
Packaging: 2 (of 2)
First Blush: 2 (of 2)
Aging: 2 (of 3)
Videos: 1 (of 1)
Total: 15 Stars: 3.0 (of 5)
~~~
Parting shots:
We're still on sabbatical as regards political commentary for a few more days, as we gave it up for Lent. Be glad, because many of you are being jackasses -- on both sides of the aisle...The coolest thing about MLB expanding the playoff field by one more team in each league? The fact that while they pleased the masses who want more teams, by making the Wild Card a one-and-done, truly win or go home scenario, they have returned winning the division to its previous place of importance. Think about it -- if you're in the Wild Card, you have to throw your ace, right? Then if you win, you have to go on the road the next day and throw your number 2 guy against the opponent's ace. It's gonna make for some cool strategy decisions...And Finally, big props to Connecticut, for becoming the fifth state in the last five years to abolish capital punishment.
And with that, we bid you adieu.
Until next time,
Keep the Faith
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