13 Talking Points
1. I like to keep at least one toy in my pocketbook. For some reason it makes me feel prepared.
2. Working my laptop touch pad is like eating noodles with chopsticks. I’d rather use a fork and mouse.
3. I feel like THIS more and more often. It’s worth a whole listen.
4. I thought I recognized THAT guy. I used to have a crush on him and heard him sing at the South Shore Music Circus in the 70’s. Here’s a BEFORE and AFTER video of him and THIS one, dedicated to my sister Sherry. (Thanks to Marion for starting this sentimental journey by emailing me the first video, unaware of what she’d stir up.)
5. It’s a fun idea for a S-C-R-A-B-B-L-E lover like me but I don’t think I’d have to guts to have a tombstone like THIS. More unusual tombstones are HERE.
6. I thought the Drill Baby Drill refrain that the crowd chanted and Giuliani joined in on at the RNC sounded like a bunch of drunken sailors and was as bad as Bush’s Bring ‘em on.
7. Pulitzer Prize winning author and New York Times columnist Tom Friedman said during an interview with Fresh Air’s Terry Gross that chanting Drill Baby Drill refrain at the RNC is like the equivalent of chanting “IBM typewriters … IBM typewriters” at the onset of the computer age. He also said he thought Obama was the only green candidate left. More HERE.
8. My Terry Gross is young, has long straight blonde hair, looks a little like the actress Laura Linney, and doesn’t wear glasses. This Terry Gross – the real one who produces and hosts National Public Radio’s interview talk show “Fresh Air” – is petite to the point of looking like Mary Martin playing the role of Peter Pan. She has short cropped hair, wears glasses, and is in her late 50s. ~ Read about the time I got interviewed by Terry Gross (sort of) HERE.
9. Last week I wondered when saying “God Bless America” by each politician after each speech given became required. Here’s what I found from the Washington Post: The omnipresence of “God bless America” as a political slogan is an entirely recent phenomenon. We know because we’ve run the numbers. Analysis of more than 15,000 public communications by political leaders from Franklin Roosevelt’s election in 1932 — the beginning of the modern presidency — through six years of George W. Bush’s administration revealed that prior to Ronald Reagan taking office in 1981, the phrase had passed a modern president’s lips only once in a major address: Richard Nixon used it to conclude a 1973 speech about Watergate.
10. Ripped from the pages of my journal: Republicans and Democrats are like Fords and Chevys. Like the Yankees and the Red Sox, they have an almost irrational need to take sides.
11. How did the left come to refer to liberal and the right conservative? This apparently arose from the use of the terms in the parliaments of foreign countries; the parts of the parliamentary chambers located to the right and left of the presiding officers accordingly representing conservative and liberal elements respectively. More HERE.
12. I never liked the symbol of the donkey for the Democratic Party. The Republican elephant is only a little better. Seems neither party chose their mascot symbols. They got stuck with them after a series of cartoons by Thomas Nast that first appeared in Harper’s Weekly in 1874. More on that HERE.
13. If Republicans are from Mars and Liberals are from Venus, where are Independents from?
Thursday headquarters is here. My other 13’s are here. View more 13 Thursday’s here.
September 10th, 2008 11:16 pm
What a great TT. You don’t want my opinion of where Independents come from!
SJR
The Pink Flamingo
September 10th, 2008 11:20 pm
Thanks for sharing this most interesting of TT’s. I can relate to number 2 especially. But I did eventually get used to my touch pad.
My TT is up here.
September 10th, 2008 11:29 pm
1. so what kind of toy
2.I sure hope the Red Sox are the dems
September 10th, 2008 11:33 pm
Right now it’s bubbles. Usually it’s a kaleidoscope or a top. In my scenario, the Red Sox are the Democrats and the pin stripped suited Yankees the Republicans.
September 10th, 2008 11:57 pm
I love your TT stream. It’s like having a cup of coffee or going to dessert with you. I never know what will be here but I always enjoy it.
September 11th, 2008 4:43 am
12 is funny–maybe they were chosen so the good old boys wouldn’t get too full of themselves.
I can think of an independent from Connecticut, and he drives me nuts.
Way with you on 2!
September 11th, 2008 7:11 am
5. I think that headstone is so you! You really should consider it 🙂
6. Sometimes Republicans remind me of rabid dogs. In any event, they certainly like to fight!
9. I found this tidbit very interesting…the history buff that I am. I did know that “under God” was only added to the pledge in the 1950s in response to the red aka atheist fear going on.
11. I did know this.
Great 13!
12. And this too. Learned about it when I did a Friday Fact on it once.
September 11th, 2008 7:54 am
I’m a Scrabble addict, but I think the headstone is a bit much lol Happy T13!
September 11th, 2008 8:00 am
Loved the “God Bless” information – it’s a good way to pinpoint certain elements of change in the political spectrum.
Great TT.
September 11th, 2008 8:33 am
every piece of this post was interesting, as usual, and your old “crushee” still has the same hair, albeit of a different color. i like his music. did he know about your crush?
i just wrote a note to a friend saying i hope we can all survive whatever happens in this election. palin scares me about as much as an extremist terrorist might. i am so over the lying and dramatics. as often as mccain has said the lipstick/pig line himself on tape and witnessed by my own eyes and ears, the very idea that he would pitch such a fit for any other reason than to distract americans from the real issues our country faces is impossible to believe. i have lost so much respect for him during the past few weeks.
September 11th, 2008 9:28 am
I hated the lipstick/pig quote when McCain said it and still don’t like it. I guess lipstick is now synonymous with Palin now.
Tom Rush was out of my league. He was famous, especially around our parts (from New Hampshire but went to school in Boston) and ten years older than me. I never had a chance, but I had all his albums.
September 11th, 2008 9:54 am
remember Tom Rush’s song, Kids These Days? Great song!
Independents, of course, are from the unbiased middle and vote the person, not the party 🙂
I posted a video of Craig Ferguson today, talking about voting for the first time as an new American citizen. Interesting stuff!
September 11th, 2008 10:17 am
I am a registered Independent. And I think that Independents are from America, which just so happens to be the greatest human civilization in the history of the world. Because, at least up until 2000, America was a bastian of hope, human rights, ingenuity, and progress. As Americans, we used to choose our actions because they were simply the right things to do.
That almost 50% of my compatriots will likely vote out of fear and ignorance, rather than hope and knowledge, is at once deeply saddening, sickening, and terrifying.
September 11th, 2008 11:38 am
I always love your posts. The video (I forget the name) was most funny.
September 11th, 2008 1:08 pm
I loved #3. I may have to put it into my own blog. So funny! And the tombstones were strange. Especially the huge one with the statues in it. Cool post.
Happy TT!
September 11th, 2008 2:57 pm
Finally finished mine for TT. Luv u
September 11th, 2008 6:15 pm
I do love catching up with your ‘off the top of your head’ T-13s … but methinks what I’ll remember most from today’s post are #10 … (How sad that there seems to be no way to build bridges and engage in real discourse w/o casting stones) … and #13 too ;–)
Hugs and blessings,
September 11th, 2008 8:25 pm
That song sure brings back a lot of memories!!
I love you! xo
September 12th, 2008 12:28 am
In Europe we leave religion completely out of politics and that is right. If the president where muslim would it be “Allah bless America” ?? I don’t even know if our politicians are religious or not, lol !
September 12th, 2008 10:51 am
I envy you, Gattina. I don’t like religious infused politics.
September 12th, 2008 4:20 pm
Is it possible that Independents are from Planet Earth?
September 12th, 2008 5:56 pm
Makes sense. I was thinking of Pluto myself. It’s so big.
September 13th, 2008 9:01 pm
Loved the Tom Rush on wallets and car keys. Brought my husband in to hear it too. We could sooooo relate.
September 15th, 2008 12:51 pm
I think Independents are from Earth.
September 22nd, 2008 2:03 pm
Very funny song. Made me laugh.
I enjoyed the political tidbits, esp. learning about when “God Bless America” became part of political speeches. I think it’s in direct proportion to the timeline of religious contributions and participation in politics as well.
I think Independents are from Mercury…. it’s much smaller and faster and closer to the source of life and well-being (the sun).
~S
September 22nd, 2008 2:09 pm
Love Gore’s comment.
And the Scrabble tombstone is just amazing.
~S