LiveBlog for Friday, June 26, 2009
Hey everyone! Hal Sparks will be filling in for Steph today, but the mooks are still here! Also, John 
Fugelsang will be joining us in studio in Hour 3.
Of course, the big topic of the morning will be Michael Jackson’s death, but we will also touch on Farrah Fawcett’s death, and weave a little Iran and Mark Sanford in there. Enjoy!
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Tags: Farrah Fawcett, Hal Sparks, Iran, John Fugelsang, Mark Sanford, Michael Jackson
This entry was posted on Friday, June 26th, 2009 at 3:41 am and is filed under liveblog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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Gooood Frideee morning all.
I guess if you’re going to be bumped from the Ed Show, might as well be a whopper of a story. Even bumped Ed off entirely.
My wife and I are perfecting are “Anniversary Death Ray”. Last year my family took us out for our 25th and on that day George Carlin died. This year my wife and I just went out for a simple dinner and when we get back, MJ’s dead. We’ll start taking requests starting next June.
Gah…knew I should have had some coffee. The 2nd are = our.
So the NY Times reported this morning that Governor Sanford used South Carolina state money for his personal stimulus package!
Of course, it’s OK when they do it.
#1 That’s sad, and a bit creepy, Paul. I’d hate to have our anniversary (Aug 15, BTW) tied to the passing of such notables. Of course, there’s only 365 days… somebody’s gonna die sometime.
However, the passing of two cultural/entertainment icons from my generation (on the heels of Ed McMahon death a few days ago) really makes me feel old. Cripes, MJ was two years my junior! We practically grew up together.
I’ve said it before… I understand what my parents have been feeling (for a while) when a giant from their generation passes. Having the records, movies, video etc. gives the illusion of immortality, but that person is gone and will no longer add to their legacy.
g’morning, Paul, shaf and drbill.
I thought I’d put the TV on this morning. My bloggo friends watch stuff of tv int he morning. I put on CNN and in 30 seconds I heard a blatant error and two grammar mistakes. I shut the TV off and thus confirmed my prior experience, TV sucks.
“MJ is willing the beatle songs to Paul McCartney to heal the rift between them. They sang that song together after all, Ebony and Ivory.”
cue oh, ooooh, OHHHHHHHHH!
poor Michael.
In spite of his money, talent and success, he was an unhappy boy.
and boy, could he dance! I loved to watch him dance. Wow, could he move.
RIP, Michael.
Shaf, at first I thought it was the restaurant we went to that was causing the “death ray”. Because of the distance from us, we don’t go to it very often, just for big family occasions. The last time we had a big family dinner at this restaruant (I forget what for, I think my parents just wanted to get us all together), Dale Earnhardt died. So you can see it was many years before we went again, and that was the day Carlin died.
The restaurant my wife and I went to last night was just a small 50′s style diner.
Happy anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Rabbit.
ps, a WHOLE year since Carlin died? yikes. went fast.
#7 I heard that MJ’s father (his nemesis) was with him yesterday morning, and didn’t call 911 right away. The report I heard said he had been dead two hours before the call came.
I was walking to the cafeteria this morning for breakfast and there was a TV in the lobby set to HLN so I got to see Nancy Grace “interviewing” MJ’s doctor(?) saying it was all the prescripition drugs that killed him.
Bleh. The cable sleaze will be feeding off this for months.
I suppose if have lunch in the caf for the forseeable future I’m going to be subjected to MJ this, MJ that, rather than the usual Jon & Kate and Slutney drivel.
and the other thing I have to say this morning is,
Hello, John Fugelsang! yummy breakfast treat.
#11, lol, Paul, agreed.
Carol, there’s this strange yellow thing in the sky. You see it too?
wow! anderson Cooper remembers going to Studio 54 with MJ.
“When I was 10, for some odd reason, I went to Studio 54 with Michael Jackson and a bunch of people and I had no idea who he was and I saw him dance and I was like, Oh, that guy is a really good dancer.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/25/anderson-cooper-remembers_n_221256.html
#14, yes, and it is casting disorienting shadows around the yard.
6: as randi rhodes pointed out, the weird deal that was famously colluded between dubya and tony blair was the most vile collaboration between an american and a brit since “ebony and ivory”. however, we have a full week (that’s 8 days) to have all kinds of cookie-jar abusing fun with our good pal danny bonaduce from “the brady queers” or something like that. not sure about the details…. but these celebrity deaths really do happen in threes. when DAVID CARRADINE and ALI AKBAR KHAN both shuffled, the remainder of te triad was destined to be a celebrity of top magnitude only. – with much respect and condolence for the tragic life and sudden death of michael jackson, i must say i’m glad that the reaper didnt select the other obvious choice, our pal danny bonaduce.
#15 It must have been tough being Gloria Vanderbilt’s kid.
Oh, and good morning live blogospherians. I’m here for an abbreviated session this morning…gotta travel to Indiana for a jazz festival amidst the corn.
#17 Wouldn’t that make the deaths come either in a two or a three or a five?
A two and a three or a five
Less than 24 hrs. have passed and I’m already about done thinking about MJ. I suppose if one could somehow separate his music from his persona, then his triumphs loom large. But the image I can’t get out of my head is carloads of little boys being dropped off at Neverland by their parents.
neurological factoid. – about a week ago, whilst showing each other what supreme weirdities we had found on the youtubes (a series of wires netted together on the intertube), the topic of “smooth criminal” came up. – the whole family watched, absolutely transfixed. – i wondered aloud why it was that even thoe it’s video, as opposed to a live performance, MJ was dancing even better than the last time i watched. – my brilliant paramour instantly recognized the phenomenon: MJ’s dancing is so good that the human brain is not equipped to store how good it is i the memory; thus, when one watches it again, it is compared with a lesser version of itself, and it appears to have improved.
#18, Hi Left, I saw an explanation in the comments of the HuffPo afrticle – his mom worked on WIZ and he was included for the Premiere.
Indiana? I grew up in Dayton with much family in Indiana. Where is the festival?
I love the smell of the corn. cornfields are beautiful.
20: since many folks die every day, it necessarily goes by magnitude, so this round was DAVID CARRADINE / ALI AKBAR KHAN / MICHAEL JACKSON – and yes, i was in the right place at the right time, so i went ahead and registered “www.thejacksonfour.com/org/net”. ALI U AKBAR !!
I’m I the only one who will slowly be driven insane by the unending coverage of Michael Jackson/Farrah Fawcett’s death?
They are dead. They will be dead all day. And tomorrow. And after.
I liked Michael Jackson, but sheeesh. Enough.
#23, now I understand. Thanks, cuz I noticed that, too. Every time I watched, say Thriller, I would be amazed anew.
#22, MJ was an abused child.
#24 Good morning Carol. Thanks for the info. The jazz festival is in beautiful downtown Elkhart. I like corn, too. Heck, the school I teach at is surrounded by cornfields.
24: you dont need an excuse with us; we understand your yearnings to be with orville redenbacher. just go for it. – but watch out for that really cool grandson of his. very smooth talker.
#19 Left – who’s performing?
Morning, all. Well, today, we’re going to pay for the two gorgeous days we just had in the DC area. They are predicting boomers in the afternoon, with some of them being severe! Good thing I got my bike ride in yesterday, huh?
This week, we’ve lost Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson. I blogged about it at Fallen Icons of My Childhood
I also blogged about how I believe the pundits who say the Fed is going to unleash hyperinflation are wrong at Pundits Say Inflation is Coming: Are they Right?
As always, comments and clicks are welcomed!
And now I will go and hop in the shower and see you when the show kicks off. I will not be able to stay for very long today.
I remember thinking after 9-11 that a powerful resource for fighting the taliban was our cultural resources, especially Mohammad Ali and Michael Jackson, because they are so wildly popular in those corners of the world.
Never heard Cheney or Bush think of that.
#29, flom, I am occupied this morningm, see #12.
woo-woo!
Steph must be devestated by the death of Michael Jackson. Now, she’ll have to spend her vacation in Argentina with Ryan O’Neal instead.
Wild Thang
Having Hal Sparks as our babysitter is going to be awesome. We get to eat nothing but junk food, and stay up way past our bedtime.
Of course, any New England Patriots fans owes a special debt of gratitude to MJ. Were it not for former owner Chuck Sullivan driving himself to bankruptcy financing the Victory Tour (forcing him to sell the team), who knows who would be owning the Pats’ now, or if they would still be in FoxboroUGH?
26: some of you already know, and for the folks too young to recognize “back when SNL was funny…”, here’s a history lesson: for um, about 40 years, generalissimo franco (his middle name was francisco) was on the verge of getting dead, and it was always in the news. we got bored with it and went ahead and died right about the time SNL was launchng. – so “news” of generalissimo francisco franco was embedded as auditory screen saver. one would just accept that it was there and tune it out. so when GFF finally shuffled, SNL gave chase to this “development” (it had already been anticlimactic for the last 23 years or so), and what chase said specifically, on SNL’s mock newscast the following week was “generalissimo francisco franco… is still dead”. – and that’s wht the world was like, back “when SNL was funny”.
Health Care: The Public Plan Option
These Democratic Senators have NOT agreed to support it:
Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
Senator Tom Carper (D-DE)
Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC)
Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)
Thanks Mr. Press
#30 Sorry for the delay. There are over 100 musicians performing, none really upper echelon. A lot of players from Chicago, Vince Giordano from NYC: http://www.elkhartjazzfestival.com
morning all
one of the songs that through the years reminds me of why I do what I do… especially when times are dark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zpTQCQEFhg
Bah, this getting old thing sucks. I never had this much trouble typing without stupid errors creeping in.
34: is ryan oneal going to be watching stephy’s strip act on pay-per-moon?
It’s Sparks Time!
Ka-Bong!
Walking on Sunshine with Hal Sparks!!!
#42 I’ll tell you what really sucks about getting old: I threw out my back this morning turning over in bed.
Hal Sparks is soooooooooooo dreamy!
when I heard Farrah died my first response was “They didn’t get to marry”
42: “stupid errors creeping in”? – sir, i happen to have here my invitation from our babysitter hal bonaduce. i most certainly did not “creep in”. [harumppphhh!]
I remember the Steve Martin bit: “…and after all those nights I held up your (Farrah’s) poster with one hand!”.
#1—TRabbit, that is a sacriligious post but I like it.
So shocking and sad about MJ’s death huh? I think it makes us all feel like we have lost a bit of our youth.
Happy Friday all!
1. Maybe you forgot – I haven’t. Michael Jackson, Thank You!
47: that’ll be my official alibi for having you in so many of my dreams.
Jacqueline Smith was the hottest “Angel”.
Jim and Hal, I heard it reported that Jackson was not feeling well last week either and that he moved from rehearsing from the Forum to the Staples center ’cause he said the Forum was cold.
Coldness can be a symptom of poor circulation and poor circulation can be a symptom of heart problems.
I am not a fan of energy drinks. Dangerous stuff!
2. A Dismembered Soul
50: and MJ had one glove… coincidence ? … closet heterosexual ?
I won’t allow those drinks in my house
#55 Agreed. And Kate Jackson wasn’t in the same ballpark as her and Farah.
someone on cnn had it, i think…
as an entertainer, jackson was amazing, as a human being, he was a bit of a failure.
as far i am concerned, its one less pedophile in the world.
flame on.
I was a Kate Jackson fan. I always go for the cute brainy types.
#6—you should write to the news channels and tell them about their bad grammar.
well he was trying to get back his childhood the fame and his father took away from him
Yep, MJ is a classic case of arrested development.
I agree Hal. I think Jackson was frozen in childhood in many ways, forever grieving its loss and never really getting healed over that loss.
Hal is really, really good as host.
(26 year-old nose wasn’t THAT bad)
55- i was always partial to cheryl ladd
Don’t look into his (Prince’s) eyes, man!
Prince Rulz!!!
#10—I dunno about that, but I did hear that they called Jackson’s personal doctor first (paranoid) and then they finally called 911.
Only the super-paranoid would call their doctor first and not 911.
modest conspiracy theory: lou ferrigno was spotting MJ’s bench press. ferrigno got distracted. MJ experienced abrupt and complete muscle failure. the barbell asphyxiated michael. ferrigno couldnt administer CPR deeply enuff swiftly enuff. the fact that the barbell weighed 65 pounds was too embarrassing to mention. result: cover-up.
quote from Jamie Fox
I was a Kate Jackson fan. I always go for the cute brainy types.
———————————————————————
She was hot, too.
#73 I knew a guy who died like that.
#75 But not in the same ballpark as Farrah and Jaclyn Smith.
#72 Possibly, MJ’s personal physician could get to his home quicker than EMS.
73
Probably takes him a lot longer to transform to the Incredible Hulk (or is it Bulk now) than it used to.
64: got thems right. doing a correctful grammar rocks! i can haz syntaxation?
Ah….Cheryl Ladd. She still looks good.
take the picture, damn it
Hal is on point, very nicely and thoughtfully done.
3. Rush Limbaugh: Mark Sanford’s Affair Is Obama’s Fault
#24–I read Cooper’s post on the AC360 blog last night. His mom did not work on The Wiz. She was friends with the director.
Gloria Vanderbilt working on The Wiz? She was a fashion icon/designer/businesswoman, not a theater or film techie.
3. (now with link) Rush Limbaugh: Mark Sanford’s Affair Is Obama’s Fault
I can embed links, but not pictures? Okay, here we go
Cheryl Ladd
#39—do we know why these Democrats are so completely ignorant as to not favor a public option???
88
$$$ makes some people really “ignorant”
79: “sham-on… i can do this, …. i can…. i can…. gut hulk hogan helping me here …. going to be like one of hogan’s heroes…. come on, i can do it. i know i can… i can get this lift… just got to push this barbell to a higher aarrrreeeaaa… oooh! all this gravitational pull is just devilish!… got to do this, or else it’s gonna make me angry… and you mean racist people wouldnt like me when i’m angry…EEE-hee !
#88 In several cases: In bed with insurance and/or pharmaceutical companies.
I just heard an add for BoostUp.org. I used to think that must be a great thing. Then I read it is sponsored by the US Army and I realized the Army just wants more poor kids to graduate so they can recruit more poor kids to join the Army.
God we live in a sick world.
Andrew Sullivan on Michael Jackson
God killed Michael Jackson to deflect attention from Mark Sanford.
Are you looking for the Gov. Sanford package for vacation? Then here are some possible places for your vacation plans:
http://www.rei.com/adventures/trips/latin/wra.html
http://www.rei.com/adventures/trips/latin/argentina.html
Going back to Indiana
Rush is Right! We need to indulge in maximum hedonism!
(What a maroon!)
86: i couldnt stop thinking, where do you find a reinforced donkey?
I’m beginning to think my late brother was right. Rush really IS a Democrat. He’s doing a pretty fair job of destroying the Republican Party.
At least, Sanford doesn’t go to foreign countries to rape little boys, Rush.
LOL .. my 13 yo is listening and just said “Why is he [Rush Limbaugh] such an idiot?”
Wow, Steph really did start vacation a day early.
87: thank you. the one on the top, far right, is straight out of shakespearean sonnet 17.
#89—I’ll send them each a dollar then. I’ll say, “Since the insurance companies have bought your ***, just the way a john would buy you, I’m offering $1 so I can buy a public option plan from you.”
How do you think that would go over?
Hey, Maria could be a transsexual. There’s supposedly a large subculture of them in Argentina and Brazil.
That’s right, SCREW IT or a HOT Argentinian Chick.
Dear President Obama #158: “ABC … 1, 2, 3 …”
101—teach the children well Cindy. What did you say?
What a strange world we live in, eh? Mark Sanford does that rambling press conference, which is a gold fine for comics. Then a distraction comes along. Well, actually Sanford was a distraction. Maybe the right wing nutjobs told him to take one of the team?
I’m beginning to think my late brother was right. Rush really IS a Democrat. He’s doing a pretty fair job of destroying the Republican Party.
———————————————————————
He’s a Manchurin talk show host, and he’s been activated by Barack Obama.
I’m in favor of maximum hedonism. I think we are probably screwed regardless of who is in power.
4. If this were a Craiglist ad…
WTF Rush, Sanford’s affair is all Obama’s fault? Whaaaat?
100—lol. So is that the new standard for moral leadership??
I can see the new governor’s application now:
Have you ever traveled to a foreign country to trade drugs or rape children? Circle one:
Yes No
Every time I hear Peter Coyote I see Henry Fonda in my mind.
#97, I was invited, in theory, to “hike the Appalachian trail” myself the other day. Should I actually do so in fact, who do I get to blame?
#116 Rush, of course.
#114 Like I said in a tweet the other day… Just when you think GOPers can’t sink any lower, they manage to drop the bar lower another notch.
It depends on whether the trail you are invited to hike has a lot of bush that needs to be trimmed or not.
LH Smurf…you may be right…maybe he has more “I’m sick of being a watercarrier” moments subconsciously and works it out…
108 Spiffy I just laughed and said “I don’t know” … guess I should have said “because he’s a neo-conservative fake scoflaw in the closest hater who makes his money by being a hateful, divisive, dumbing down jerk.”
but that just came to me
113—he was stressed! It was stress!
I heard someone say yesterday—oh, it was Thom Hartmann—that testosterone simply makes men insane. That’s not an excuse but it does explain a lot in human history.
92: two all-time favorite glaring admissions of what a complete waste of space the public “school” system has become:
1: a couple of decades ago, the military recruitment jingle, essentially aknollijing that languishing about in public school is equivalent to merely spinning one’s wheels, went “army/navy/air force/marines… what a great place, what a great place to START!!!”
2: there’s a high school that allowed ex whitehouse occupant dubya into a speaking engagement.
I think I have work to do, which is odd for a Fridee. Will try to be back later.
what I always hated about that clip was what about what girls feel when boys do that
121—Maybe you can say all that when he’s 15.
“Bleeding granola”! Love it!
OH for gawds sakes HAL ASK STEPH OUT!
HAL ASK STEPH OUT!
HAL ASK STEPH OUT!
HAL ASK STEPH OUT!
HAL ASK STEPH OUT!
HAL ASK STEPH OUT!
HAL ASK STEPH OUT!
HAL ASK STEPH OUT!
Hartmann lives in a tent in the woods.
Tom Hartman doesn’t have a pony tail, like Limbaugh says that all male liiiibrals do.
116—blame the Live Blog or Steph and the Mooks. I’m sure we’re both corrupting forces.
If you’re a Christian you can blame Satan.
Saddam walked around with a slingshot in his back pocket.
Hal just covered the entomology of the phrase “shooting the wad”.
HAL ASK STEPH OUT!
noooo better analogy is :
a guy with a teeny tiny penis bragging that he’s bigger than John Holmes
122: that cant possibly be it. but i can relate to the narrator’s line in “skullcrusher mountain” by johnathan coulton, “even my henchmen think i’m crazy”.
#133, muzzle-loaders have also given us other phrases like “going off half-cocked” and “flash in the pan”.
/own three
//one is actually a matchlock
You are cordially invited to the wedding of Stephanie Miller and Hal Harry Magee Spark III.
That’s wrickkittti wreck yo self, Wu Tang.
And in Kentucky, they know about shooting rock salt!
TMZ is the definition of sleazy.
Caller’s not quite right – it’s pan, charge, ball (no wad for a smoothbore; if using a paper cartridge, paper goes with the ball). If shooting shot, IIRC, it’s charge, wad, card, shot, another smaller wad.
138: that’s provocative. got me wondering: if it’s proper to check oneself, before one wrecks oneself, does it follow that one ott chickroll oneself, as a pre-emptive alternative to rickrolling oneself?
#141 Thanks, PeterW. Proving again that the Live Bloggers are the smartest kids in class!
HAL ASK STEPH OUT!
“You are literally encouraging their murder.”
140: TMZ is not the definition; for the definition, you google “flombaye”; perhaps you meant TMZ is the paragon.
HAL ASK STEPH OUT!
5. Clinton impeachment manager: GOP should lose “stinking rot of self-righteousness”
144: duncan hunter must be a fan of christopher titus.
“you are literally encouraging their murder.”
“AND….???”
140—I agree. I do not understand how anyone can watch that show.
OMG, Bill Maher is going to have a field day on his show tonight about the news that happened this week.
HALL ASK STEPH OUT!
6. Sanford’s original plan: 10 days, AWOL
Oh, wait, I think he’s off for a couple of weeks.
149: meanwhile, marlin perkins will have a studio day.
Oh he was such great performer/singer/producer
I thought Maher was on break today?
HAL ASK STEPH OUT!
(yeah I know I made a mistake on 150)
ohhhhh I lovbe this MJ song!
ProducerChris is just the product of loveliness.
#150 The answer to my question is in that blog: Sanford purchased the tickets on June 10. That kind of blows his, “I thought about hiking the Appalachian Trail but changed my mind” alibi.
Late start this morning. Had to turn off the news cause it was making me cry!
I totally agree Hal. I could sing along with Jackson a lot. I just ignored the hes and shes. It’s all about the song.
140: TMZ is not the definition; for the definition, you google “flombaye”; perhaps you meant TMZ is the paragon
———————————————————————
TMZ is just plain sleazy.
#109 – I got a couple of right winger hoax emails about Pelosi and the 757 last night. Figured it was supposed to be a distraction from the Sanford announcement. They don’t know what to say so they send out crap hoping it will stick. Unfortunately for some folks it still works.
Well, here’s the lyrics (to PYT):
[1st Verse]
Where Did You Come From Lady
And Ooh Won’t You Take Me There
Right Away Won’t You Baby
Tendoroni You’ve Got To Be
Spark My Nature
Sugar Fly With Me
Don’t You Know Now
Is The Perfect Time
We Can Make It Right
Hit The City Lights
Then Tonight Ease The Lovin’ Pain
Let Me Take You To The Max
[Chorus]
I Want To Love You (P.Y.T.)
Pretty Young Thing
You Need Some Lovin’ (T.L.C.)
Tender Lovin’ Care
And I’ll Take You There
I Want To Love You (P.Y.T.)
Pretty Young Thing
You Need Some Lovin’ (T.L.C.)
Tender Lovin’ Care
I’ll Shake You There
[Background]
Anywhere You Wanna Go
[2nd Verse]
Nothin’ Can Stop This Burnin’
Desire To Be With You
Gotta Get To You Baby
Won’t You Come, It’s Emergency
Cool My Fire Yearnin’
Honey, Come Set Me Free
Don’t You Know Now Is The Perfect Time
We Can Dim The Lights
Just To Make It Right
In The Night
Hit The Lovin’ Spot
I’ll Give You All That I’ve Got
[Chorus]
Breakdown
Pretty Young Things, Repeat After Me
[Michael] I Said Na Na Na
[P.Y.T.'S] Na Na Na
[Michael] Na Na Na Na
[P.Y.T.'S] Na Na Na Na
[Michael] Na Na Na
[P.Y.T.'S] Na Na Na
[Michael] I Said Na Na Na Na Na
[P.Y.T.'S] Na Na Na Na Na
[Michael] I’ll Take You There
[Chorus]
That’s why Michael had the bandage on his arm for a while. Somebody shook his hand a little too hard.
Actually I read in the LA Times this a.m. that his father teased him about his nose and his acne. And we can all see what Michael did about it can’t we?
He supposedly looked the most like his father and he hated his dad so it was said that he wanted to alter his looks to get away from people comparing him to his dad. Who knows? He was a guy with some issues for sure. As he starting bleaching his skin, changing his features, etc., a friend of mine who is black would always say…”that poor child has lost his mind”.
161 – me too…bet they got a million of ‘em stored up. They release that…and then a Michelle Bachmann rant to distract
Justin and Brittany has a lot to do with gender too.
HAL ASK STEPH OUT!
Leave Me Alone (Video)
The biggest difference between Michael Jackson and Timberlake. Timberlake has no talent.
Cool it with the MJ jokes for the weekend, then go to town on him Monday.
Ron Jeremy in HD? *shivers*
Keith Richards lives on human brains.
169 – Timberlake has more color.
#166 – well luckily they are easy to debunk. I always send the link to the correct information and then I dont’ hear anything back. I doubt they read it anyway, but I want them to know that I know it’s b.s.
Keith Richards is undead.
Never mind Keith Richards, even Liz Taylor has outlived her friend MJ. She must be in shock.
well Liberal Michael thought Justin had talent because Justin did one of MJ’s songs and he(michael) did the choreography for the song
Bah, second false start today. Back to lb’ing for now. Where were we? Oh yeah, maybe I’ll join in.
HAL, ASK STEPH OUT!!
68 – Of course, there’s something to being TOO GOOD a fill in. Now if Hal were to actually show up here during the show, as opposed to Stephanie…..
Cool it with the MJ jokes for the weekend, then go to town on him Monday.
———————————————————————
The scummy tabloids are going to.
It’s good that Fawcett died on the same day as MJ. The media hype over her death is completely subsumed.
Ah, the toilet ad.
165—a very troubled guy. I think that’s why so many people are sad about him dying so young. I think some were hoping he’d not only have a come back but also reach some kind of normalcy and happiness.
I was looking forward to hearing about whether or not his 50 shows in London would work out well. He was only 50. He could have kept recording for another 10 or 20 years.
#176 PJ I said the same thing yesterday
and
HAL ASK STEPH OUT!
(my new campaign, join me won’t you!)
#177 – Michael was raised a Jehovah’s Witness so don’t know how liberal he was, although it appears by his lifestyle that he did move away from the church (Jesus juice anyone?).
178—you guys, I think Steph and Hal are grown ups and they can work out their relationship without our help.
183
I already did
HAL, ASK STEPH OUT!!
hey good morning
gotta hit and run here
actually doing something this morn.
That Hussy Steph, done run off on us. Galavanting around.
Har-umph.
#186 Paul … I saw that … YAY! two of us, come on everybody! Maybe we can reach critical mass!
HAL, ASK STEPH OUT!
Keith Richards ‘conquered death” a long time ago! After all you can only die once!
Apologies if this has been covered already (or is verboten), but what happened to Fridays with Frangela? And how come they’re not filling in for Steph? Don’t get me wrong, ITA that Sparks is dreamy, but I love me some Frangela! I miss “Mama y los Mookies con Frrrrrrrrrrangela!”
185 Spiffy — even grown ups sometimes require a push
HAL, ASK STEPH OUT!
Wild Thang 2
#190 I think Steph said several days ago (maybe last week) that Frangela had other commitments.
Okay, folks, peace out cub scouts! Have a good weekend, and do visit my blog if you get bored.
#193 Thanks – I figured I missed something…
185 Spiffy — even grown ups sometimes require a push
———————————————————————
It could be just part of her persona, but Steph comes across as very gun shy when it comes to dating. I couldn’t even begin to guess about Hal.
If Michael was given a large enough dose of morphine, it would have sent him into respiratory arrest followed by cardiac arrest. Morphine is usually what they give dying people because it depresses their automatic reflex to breathe.
Why is Steph and Jim MIA? Know she didn’t show on Ed because…
#109: so MJ’s death was to distract us from Sanford, Sanford was to distract us from Ensign, Ensign was to distract us from …?
What I’m loving about this is that I keep seeing my real first name being told to ask Stephanie out. So Steph, will you go out with me?
More Walking on Sunshine with Hal Sparks!!!
OH….vacation time.
Jim – I WAS IN THE POOL!
they is what they is and they is Mooks!!
And we Live Bloggers are e-mooks!
198
Well, we knew yesterday Steph was starting her vaca early. Jim though… maybe they’re in Argentina
HAL, ASK STEPH OUT!
Spiffy, today I’m just going to indulge in being a nosy busybody. So not me.
200: leftcenter is really “bonaduce”? – that explains why those two would be happy together. just tell steph “i think i love you”, and i’ll point you in the direction of albuquerque for a lovely vacation package.
pasta la pizza.
205: I’ll take that with pride!
Well the GOP is the party of the dinosaurs – literally.
Charlie Wilson
Sherrod Brown
George Voinovich (Retiring soon. Thank the gods.)
#198 Deb, Jim is here with Chris and Hal. Only Mama es no en casa.
gas is already going back up here in new england
#212 Here in the great midwest, it has dropped a bit over the past week or so.
#210 Amen, on Voinovich retiring. I’m tired of him claiming to be moderate, yet constantly selling out to the neocons.
212: 2.69/gal in Portland…OMG
That’s right, Hal. Leave the thinking to Hartmann. You stick to the fart jokes.
212
It’s July 4th coming up, what would you expect?
oh and
HAL, ASK STEPH OUT!
#215 It’s about $2.75 or so per gallon here in Joliet, IL.
He looked great during thriller. Should have stopped there…
219: Damn!
196—but guys, it’s radio. We know nothing about their personal lives in real life just as they know nothing about ours in real life.
Sheesh for all we know Hal is married and Steph is off on a romantic weekend with her BF who she never mentions on the air because she has promised him she wouldn’t.
I’m just sayin’… this could be the case.
Well that leaves Steph out. She had a nose job.
#136: “keep your powder dry” also associated with muzzle-loaders?
I said to my friend yesterday “I wish he hadn’t mutilated his face”… I always thought him beautiful until he went too far
This explains why Hal won’t ask Steph out. Steph has a small nose.
OK Hal, you’re weird. I don’t think it’s the size of the nose that matters but the shape of a fixture sometimes makes a difference.
But most really big noses don’t look so great on women. Men carry them better, IMO.
#212 What I don’t understand is people making a long-term purchase decision (a vehicle) based on the short-term cost of a commodity (fuel).
I loved Jen Grey’s God-given nose (platonicly, of course)
What’s Hal’s Facebook again?
#211 – yeah, here Mr. Jim chime in
Speaking of noses…it’s cool that Barbara Streisand never altered her nose. She was afraid to because she didn’t want it to change her vocal sound in anyway.
http://www.celebrityplasticpics.com/grey.htm
226—See? It could be any number of things.
hal, please! jennifer grey is certainly a beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful woman… but a “beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful” woman? – actually, …. yeah, i guess i see your point.
okay. pasta la pizza even more.
Meant “heard” Mr. Jim…and I’ve had coffee. Oy.
#224 You are correct!
#167, I think it has a lot to do with Britney’s crazy-ass mother too.
229: I think he said “h.sparks”
I thought he said hal.sparks
http://www.findmysurgeon.com/blog/nose-job/jennifer-grey-nose-job/
http://www.jennifergreynosejobs.com/
#225—He looked great on the cover of Off the Wall. I sure wish someone could have convinced him of that.
I’m waiting for the MJ autopsy because, on an unrelated note, has anyone seen Diana Ross recently?
And then the Jacksons went all blue with the album where they brought on Samuel L.
Every time I think of Michael Jackson’s voice I think “Walter Tetley.”
Didn’t Jesse Jackson sing on that album?
#242 That reminds me of a joke I heard somebody tell years ago, “Michael Jackson’s idea of a good looking man is Diana Ross.”
I think Andrew Jackson sang on that album.
sooooooooooooooooo why shouldn’t we have universal health care to deal with all that
The show is definitely testosterone-rich today. When Fugelsang shows up, it’ll esplode!
222
Yes, there is that. We have no way of knowing and it’s better that way.
Which is why I’d never consider emailing something like that to either her or Hal. We’ll just keep up with the “persona” here.
#222 Good point. We only know about Mama and the Mooks, Hal (and each other, for that matter) what they/we choose to put out on airwaves and the internets.
“Scream” great duet with Janet.
Scream (video)
Scream lyrics:
(Michael)
Tired of injustice
Tired of the schemes
Kinda disgusted
So what does this mean?
Kicking me down(and i)
I got to get up
As jacked as it sounds
The whole system sucks (dammit)
(Janet)
Peek in the shadow
Come into the light
You tell me I’m wrong
Then you better prove you’re right
You’re sellin out souls but
I care about mine
I’ve got to get stronger
And I won’t give up the fight
(Michael)
With such confusions don’t it make you wanna scream
Your bash abusin victimize within the scheme
(Janet)
You try to cope with every lie they scrutinize
(Both)
Somebody please have mercy
Cause I just can’t take it
Stop pressurin me
Just stop pressurin me
Stop pressurin me
Make me wanna scream
Stop pressurin me
Just stop pressurin me
Stop pressurin me
Make you just wanna scream
(Michael)
Tired of you tellin the story your way
It’s causin confusion
You think it’s okay
(Janet)
You Keep changin the rules
While I keep playin the game
I can’t take it much longer
I think I might go insane
(Michael)
With such confusion don’t it make you wanna scream
Your bash abusin victimize within the scheme
(Janet)
You find your pleasure scandalizin every lie
(Both)
Oh father, please have mercy cause I just can’t take it
Stop pressurin me
Just stop pressurin me
Stop pressurin me
Make me wanna scream
Stop pressurin me
Just stop pressurin me
Stop fuckin with me
Make me wanna scream
(Janet)
“Oh my God, can’t believe what I saw
As I turned on the TV this evening
I was disgusted by all the injustice
All the injustice”
(Michael)
“All the injustice”
(News Man)
“A man has been brutally beaten to death by
Police after being wrongly identified as a
Robbery suspect. The man was
An 18 year old black male…”
(Michael)
With such collusions don’t it make you wanna scream
Your bash abusin’ victimize within the scheme
(Janet)
You try to cope with every lie they scrutinize
(Both)
Oh brother please have mercy’Cause I just can’t take it
Stop pressurin meJust stop pressurin’ me
Stop pressurin meMake me wanna scream
Stop pressurin meJust stop pressurin’ me
Stop pressurin meMake me wanna scream
Stop pressurin meJust stop pressurin’ me
Stop pressurin meMake me wanna scream
Stop pressurin meJust stop pressurin’ me
Stop pressurin meMake me wanna scream
Here’s a documentary about what Monsanto is doing to the food supply:
http://www.twilightearth.com/2009/05/the-world-according-to-monsanto-full-documentary/
Brain swelling…hmmmmm. So that’s my problem!
Hyperbolic chamber = Apocryphal But True
Fast approaching sparta
#255 – It’s creepy. Monsanto also makes carpeting…chemicals, etc. It’s like the tobacco companies owning Nabisco and Kraft. Yuck.
Michael Jackson – Black Or White (video)
That’s it for me today … gotta let someone else on the computer .. have a good weekend everyone!
Bye Cindy! Have a great weekend.
Have a great weekend Cindy!
The “Practicaly Posh” woman needs to shut up. Vigorous exercise isn’t a substitute for anti-depressants.
Holy crap, double Sparta’s a possibility.
Smooth Criminal was one of his best videos.
#255 I’m convinced Monsanto will have it’s own wing in hell, half-filled with the genetic engineers who tried to fool Mother Nature and half-filled with the bigwigs that patented and trademarked every type of seed and herbicide to screw everyone out of their last dollars.
And BTW I’m a farmer!
Your right Hal. Think Michael was trying to tell us something without you know, actually telling us something.
Wow, I’m finally really listening to the lyrics. Thanks, Hal!
266—if you’re a farmer you would know more about them than the rest of us. I believe you.
#266 Agreed. And, I’m the son of a farmer.
Hal has Adam Lambert’s back. No wonder Steph can’t get a date.
#264 I think it would be the first Steph free double Sparta.
Sparta coming up fast.
#263 – also telling people to eat organic food but then telling them to go buy commercially produced cotton bedding which is loaded with an unbelievable amount of chemicals doesn’t make sense.
Cry baby line 1.
Madonna dominates the man. That’s why men are afraid her, and try to knock her down.
another reason we should get heirlooms seeds and have our own Vicotry OVer Monsanto gardens
People in my office are in mourning for MJ. Personally, I think his kids are better off, especially the boys.
True fans know the good, the bad and the ugly.
Prince in a raincoat and underwear. There’s an image I don’t need in mind head.
“Won’t somebody please think of the children.”
I guess Hal Sparks doesn’t have access to Mama’s (sound) box.
#279 Yep, you can’t isolate the Music from the Madness. It’s all part of the complex nature of the performer and the person.
Joe Jackson doesn’t need to raise anymore kids.
281
And it’s not in Chris’ box.
#283 Joe Jackson probably should never have raised kids in the first place.
Oh caller—you have never been in the family law system in L.A.! While I am certain Debbie whats-her-name married MJ for the money, I do know that she fought for time with her kids but MJ could KILL her in court with tens of milions of dollars in lawyer fees and she could hire what? Some lawyer from Whittier or Van Nuys or something.
Debbie gave up. She made her deal with the devil and I’m sure she knew it. She came to the hospital anyway yesterday, probably to get in there early and tell the Jacksons she wants her kids back.
It’s like Madonna. She gets on my nerves and I’ve never been a fan but I can’t deny that she has done a lot of good things with her money and she’s a good business woman.
BTW, as this starts to be discussed in the coming weeks—the kids—people need to keep in mind that L.A. family law courts are full of corruption. Just ask Alec Baldwin.
Here comes Sparta
#285 I was watching footage from the Jackson Five Victory tour on the news last night. Watching them do the choregraphy, I was thinking “That’s the kind of dancing you get when you beat kids for missing a step.”
He may have been a terrible father, but Joe Jackson knew how to make a successful boy band.
I think I learned yesterday via Al Sharpton was that MJ did some gratis fund-raising appearances for the Democratic Party.
Oh, also BTW, in L.A. Family Law courts the rule is, whoever can spend the most money on lawyers, wins.
#290 – think Dad had some issues as well. Mom just seemed to stay in the background and not say too much.
Hiya, bloggistas, Happy Fridee!
Great listening to Hal & the Mooks riffing on the news – I dreaded watching the Michael Jackson story, albeit tragic, bump more important news off the cycle, it’s great getting a smart take on it.
Sparta, anyone?
Sparta on the horizon
285—Perhaps. Or he needed some anger managment training. Or some serious therapy about his issues from his own childhood. He was probably beaten as a kid too.
Sparta
SPARTA
Depressing sparta.
I’m looking at the SPARTA in the mirror
I’m asking SPARTA to change his ways . . .
Sparta!
SPARTA!!
Tonight we dine in hell…. Denny’s! SPARTA!
See?
Sparks Sparta!
Congrats scooter!
scooter scores sparta!!!
Well Sparta’d, Scooter! Congrats! (Hope you were moonwalking as you typed that)
Yay Scooter! A Happy Fridee Sparta to you! *bows*
298 / 302 = SPARTA!!!!!
oh…… congrats scooter
When you look at Jackson’s life don’t you sometimes think he was groomed early on to simply be the one to “save” and support the whole family? I do.
Smooth Criminal!!!
Hal does a gReat MJ scat!
Y2J
Sparta came fast. Congrats Scooter!
What are the lyrics to this song? Is it “Annie are you OK?”
Resucitation Annie. Step 1, shake and shout. My brother was training to be an EMT when that song came out, they got a kick out of the song.
Please hang up on this bitch, Hal.
#316 The song is Smooth Criminal.
Annie are you ok…you’ve been hit by a smooth criminal.
Unfortunately, our CPR class no longer uses Resusci-Annie. So a pop culture reference will be lost.
290—well many people will do things perfectly if they are beaten. Look at the slaves who harvested the cotton. They did a great job under duress.
People also came after him, because he was wealthy.
Now that Michael Jackson’s gone, I expect to hear a lot more from his alleged victims. I’m sure his staff had to sign a secrecy clause, maybe it expired when Michael Jackson did?
Here you go (Smooth Criminal lyrics):
As He Came Into The Window
It Was The Sound Of A Crescendo
He Came Into Her Apartment
He Left The Bloodstains On The Carpet
She Ran Underneath The Table
He Could See She Was Unable
So She Ran Into The Bedroom
She Was Struck Down, It Was Her Doom
Annie Are You OK?
So, Annie Are You OK
Are You OK, Annie
Annie Are You OK?
So, Annie Are You OK
Are You OK, Annie
Annie Are You OK?
So, Annie Are You OK?
Are You OK, Annie?
Annie Are You OK?
So, Annie Are You Ok, Are You Ok, Annie?
(Annie Are You OK?)
(Will You Tell Us That You’re OK?)
(There’s A Sign In The Window)
(That He Struck You – A Crescendo Annie)
(He Came Into Your Apartment)
(He Left The Bloodstains On The Carpet)
(Then You Ran Into The Bedroom)
(You Were Struck Down)
(It Was Your Doom)
Annie Are You OK?
So, Annie Are You OK?
Are You OK Annie?
Annie Are You OK?
So, Annie Are You OK?
Are You OK Annie?
Annie Are You OK?
So, Annie Are You OK?
Are You OK Annie?
You’ve Been Hit By
You’ve Been Hit By -v A Smooth Criminal
So They Came Into The Outway
It Was Sunday – What A Black Day
Mouth To Mouth Resus – Citation
Sounding Heartbeats – Intimidations
Annie Are You OK?
So, Annie Are You OK?
Are You OK Annie?
Annie Are You OK?
So, Annie Are You OK?
Are You OK Annie?
Annie Are You OK?
So, Annie Are You OK?
Are You OK Annie?
Annie Are You OK?
So, Annie Are You OK
Are You OK Annie?
(Annie Are You OK?)
(Will You Tell Us That You’re OK?)
(There’s A Sign In The Window)
(That He Struck You – A Crescendo Annie)
(He Came Into Your Apartment)
(He Left The Bloodstains On The Carpet)
(Then You Ran Into The Bedroom)
(You Were Struck Down)
(It Was Your Doom)
(Annie Are You OK?)
(So, Annie Are You OK?)
(Are You OK Annie?)
(You’ve Been Hit By)
(You’ve Been Struck By -
A Smooth Criminal)
Okay, I Want Everybody To Clear The Area Right Now!
Aaow!
(Annie Are You OK?)
I Don’t Know!
(Will You Tell Us, That You’re OK?)
I Don’t Know!
(There’s A Sign In The Window)
I Don’t Know!
(That He Struck You – A Crescendo Annie)
I Don’t Know!
(He Came Into Your Apartment)
I Don’t Know!
(Left Bloodstains On The Carpet)
I Don’t Know Why Baby!
(Then You Ran Into The Bedroom)
I Don’t Know!
(You Were Struck Down)
(It Was Your Doom – Annie!)
(Annie Are You OK?)
Dad Gone It – Baby!
(Will You Tell Us, That You’re OK?)
Dad Gone It – Baby!
(There’s A Sign In The Window)
Dad Gone It – Baby!
(That He Struck You – A Crescendo Annie)
Hoo! Hoo!
(He Came Into Your Apartment)
Dad Gone It!
(Left Bloodstains On The Carpet)
Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
(Then You Ran Into The Bedroom)
Dad Gone It!
(You Were Struck Down)
(It Was Your Doom-Annie!)
Aaow!!!
Actually Hal, I was watching some recent documentaries on MSNBC and My Space and Craig’s List are where cops all over the country go now to track down pedophiles.
There were always rumors about Michael being ‘odd’ so those parents who let their kids ‘hang out’ with him have nobody to blame but themselves. They wanted their kids to be famous by being around him.
#321 That was kind of my point. If Joe Jackson had been a loving, caring father, instead of a man movitated by his sons’ success, the Jackson 5 may not have been the megastars they were.
Thanks for the Sparta kudos all!
As I said way upthread, I was never much of a MJ fan. But after the show take a sec to watch the following goose-bumpy vid which IMHO was the apex of his career:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zpTQCQEFhg
All-Time favorite: Madonna
Hal missed a pop culture reference (Joni Mitchel)? Zounds!
There’s a woman in my office wearing a single black, lacy (very 80s) glove. I’m pretty sure it’s in tribute to Jackson.
She also wants to buy her own “January 20, 2009, the End of an Error” shirt, which I happened to be wearing today.
Now that Michael Jackson’s gone, I expect to hear a lot more from his alleged victims. I’m sure his staff had to sign a secrecy clause, maybe it expired when Michael Jackson did?
———————————————————————
People will probably try to grab a piece of his estate by claiming he molested them. Disgusting.
Living off beaver can last for so long.
I had no emotional reaction whatsoever to MJ’s death.
I loved Thriller, it was a big part of my being 13 and enjoyed some of the stuff thereafter. I remember still liking his stuff after top 40 radio decided he was no longer cool.
But between the allegations, the bizarre behavior, and his overwhelming sense of self-importance, he lost me in the ’90s.
Ali Akhbar Khan, now there was a loss.
Gov. Sandford sounded more like the Unibomber with the description of his backwoods activity.
None of them live up to because they figure if they put a lot of energy into spinning the reality then they can go on and live their lives because they assume the rest of the country are sheeples like their base.
#334 MTV owes it’s early success to MJ and others who turned music videos into must-see extravaganzas.
Yesterday I actually heard a Fixed Noise anchotrobot apologize for putting a (D) after Sanford’s name on Wednesday.
#332 Probably. But I don’t think there’s much of an estate left. That’s why he was planning the 50 concerts, MJ had bills to pay. I’m hoping he had good life insurance, that should take care of his kids.
9 people were killed on the Metro in DC on Monday, and the first lawsuit has been filed – by the family of a boy with a broken leg. SHouldn’t he have to get in line behind the dead people?
I see a trend in RW blogs… they are romanticizing the Sanford thing. At least their guy, they say, wasn’t slutty and getting blown in the White House or making videos with a staffer…he is truly in love…sigh.
I heard that when the police searched MJ’s house the found a life size, anatomically correct doll of a 10 year old boy (think Real Doll tm). Yeah, that’s disgusting, but it tells me that he recognized he was attracted to boys, and found a way to deal with it without actually hurting children. I think that’s a good thing.
#337 it’s = its (pronoun trouble!)
#340 Next they’re going to say Sanford wasn’t a hypocrit for going after Clinton. In 1998, when Sanford was denouncing Clinton for infidelity, he was still with his wife. Since he didn’t have this Argentinian affair until the 2000s, he wasn’t being a hypocrit going after Clinton in the 90s.
Logic in Right Wing World. It’s a scary place.
The problem with conservative moralizing is that the conservative rank-and-file sees adherence to their moral values by the powerful as less important to the preaching.
To us, we see people who make strong moral demands of people on irrelevant matters, who then don’t bother to live up to them.
But to the conservative rank and file, they see fallen people speaking a needed message against deadly sins which is proven to be even more relevant each time one of its adherents is caught sinning.
This is why the right-wing callers can not see any hypocrisy in Sanford’s statement. They don’t see the moralizing as coming from these flawed men, but from God Himself, through fallen messengers who need the message as much as anyone else in society.
So we can harp on their hypocrisy all we want, but much of the conservative rank and file will see the hypocrisy as proving the need for the moralizing, not discrediting it.
327—I think he loved his kids but since he never learned any other way to raise them and was obsessed with making them and himself famous, that ruled his thinking.
When my girls were little and so beautiful I had a couple of friends tell me I should get them into acting and commercials. But I went to high school with a former child star and saw what all that pressure did to him and his family so I banished that idea from my head. Acting and performing is WORK. IMO, the only work a kid should have to do, unless they initiate and choose something else, is school.
#340 Next they’re going to say Sanford wasn’t a hypocrit for going after Clinton. In 1998, when Sanford was denouncing Clinton for infidelity, he was still with his wife. Since he didn’t have this Argentinian affair until the 2000s, he wasn’t being a hypocrit going after Clinton in the 90s.
That would be right, he became a hypocrite when he had the Argentinian affair after denouncing Clinton.
Wild Thang 3
#344 It’s sad, but that “logic” makes sense to them.
Of course, it was Spock who said, “Logic is little tweeting bird chirping in meadow. Logic is wreath of pretty flowers that smell bad.”
Back to Walking on Sunshine with Hal Sparks.
Thanks for the reference info, Hal!
#328—I love “Man in the Mirror”. Awesome song and producing.
Well, I’ve got to leave for work, walking in the rain. See you all tomorrow.
Do it for MJ! Call your congress rep to support health care and climate change bill!
332—Possibly. Oh the after death legal haggling is a blood sport in Hollywood!
From what I heard on the conservative radio this morning, you can’t get through to Congress. The phone lines are jammed, Pelosi’s office has a recording. And of course, Cap and Trade will destroy the economy and possibly the world.
That’s what we want, Hal. We want you to beat around the bush.
The Fugelsang
That’s not a real web site? We’ll see about that…
#348, the social conservatives see moralizing about sex and the like not unlike moralizing about drunk driving. Just because a spokesperson against drunk driving gets caught doing it doesn’t mean drunk driving is a good idea, and that people shouldn’t be punished for doing it.
That’s the problem with trying to reason with these people.
Did you know DC has an Air America affiliate again? Probably not, because they aren’t advertising, but am 1050 went from being a rebroadcast of WTOP to Air America. However, they don’t have Stephanie Miller in the morning, so it’s not the wonderful news it could be.
Just beat it Hal.
Look! http://www.sausagefest.com/
Hal’s a little afraid of Stephanie’s box.
Box jokes! Yeah, Baby!
360 – Randi mentioned it, they may carry her show.
Steph’s box to Hal: “Not there! Here! Aw, you’re doing it wrong!”
Well my dad had to wait 9 months for hearing aids from the Veterans hospital but it was because they were understaffed and underfunded.
#365 If they don’t already, that’s another reason it’s not wonderful news.
Socialist! Government-run! French! Scary clowns!
#355—fax them!! Fax your congressperson!
Well, time to get ready to head to Indiana. See everybody Monday!
Health Care reform, ideally, will happen with two prongs:
1) Public option – to break the private insurer’s monopoly and give an option not bloated by 30% overhead
2) Subsidies for those who can’t afford it – for whatever insurance you want
3) Employer mandates (just like FICA)
#372, THREE! Three prongs!
Sparks AAANNNNDDD Fugelsang?!?! My heart is going to splode!!!
Jesus was just lazy. He was living off the system, didn’t get himself a place of his own, was always sleeping at friends’ places.
What a loser!
Jesus: Get your bread here and fish here. Discount prices.
Tell your conservative family and friends to get and read “Jesus was A Liberal” by Rev. Scotty McLennan!
I did and have not heard anything back. Hmmmm….
http://www.tropicthunder.com/bootysweat/feature.php?recipientId=CzwCMFJpBzVdMg__
371—by LeftCenter! Have fun in the Midwest!
WWJC — What Would Jesus Charge?
#372 Speaking of FICA, we’ve got to remove the salary cap (on FICA contributions) so that the rich pay their fair share into the system. Single quickest way to insure solvency of the system.
LOL, that would be awesome. Fax your senator thusly:
“I love Michael Jackson and I just know he would want me to tell you we need a public option in health care!”
The Lisa Marie period was uber-creepy.
Some folks felt that he married Pressley to get ahold of the Elvis musical catalog $$$
#382 Excellent idea!
It was the same with actor James Dean. People forget the person and remember their art.
Sanford Tha Playa——> http://www.tropicthunder.com/bootysweat/feature.php?recipientId=BTIGNFRvBDYKZA__
383—that whole thing leaves nothing but questions for me. Questions for both of them.
Make that change!
#375: and don’t forget what a rabble-rouser He was.
The Burning Bed. She was great in that.
Yeah, but most women don’t grab their crotches in public (unless they are really, really, drunk)
I agree that separating art from the artist is a good policy. Debauchery and art are like peas and carrots.
Grabbing my crotch right now in solemn memoriam.
Time for lunch so I’m off.
Have a great weekend all. Enjoy your vaca ProducerChris & Jim!!
#395 Bye, trojanrabbit. Have a great weekend!
I really hated it when MJ started grabbing his crotch. I still see no real need for it other than to get attention.
What if Beyonce, Madonna, Celine Dion and all other lady singers grabbed their breasts for every upbeat song? Wouldn’t that be kind of weird after a while?
Maddy would have grabbed her, anyway. But having MJ do it first made it a little easier.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Sanford_disappearance_and_extramarital_affair
Left out the word crotch.
#395–by TR. Happy weekend to you.
Oh cripes! Could we move on? MJ died. NEXT TOPIC!?!?!
#390—yup. Jesus was nothing but trouble, walking around, preaching truth. How did He catch on anyway?
#402 He was “the King of Pop”. People were leaving flowers on the wrong Walk of Fame star. Ed McMahon and Farah Fawcett will be quickly ignored, it’s all about MJ.
The tabloids and the media loved this guy, they’re are going to milk his death for every story possible.
392: “Yeah, but most women don’t grab their crotches in public (unless they are really, really, drunk)”
or Roseanne Barr, right after mangling the national anthem.
#381, I think you’re completely wrong on that. The rich do pay their fair share into FICA – because their benefits are capped too.
What the rich don’t pay enough is income tax. Raise that, not the FICA cap. FICA is not a tax, it is an insurance premium.
Stop raising general revenue funds on the back of Social Security.
I’ve always said anyone can walk on water if it’s cold enough.
The morphing in the “Black or White” video was ground-breaking.
When my girls and I would sing to Jackson songs in the car we’d all try very hard to do the “yows!” on cue and on pitch. We cracked each other up.
MJ sang in a girl’s range. We than him for that.
#381, and it’s a lie that there is a danger with Social Security being insolvent. A complete lie. It’s the general treasury that’s having the long-term solvency problems, as it will have to pay back the money it borrowed from SS. Another reason it needs to be an income tax raise, not a lifting of the FICA cap.
407—lol, I think that’s cheating, lol.
Women don’t really need to grab themselves, men do it for them.
Maybe it’s a feminist statement: I don’t need a man to grab my crotch, I can do it myself!
#406 Well, I agree that we’ve got to stop raiding the Social Security lockbox.
RIP Michael Jackson. You turned your pain into beautiful art and gave it to the world. Well-done.
412-Amy! Shocking, but true.
I’d like to believe that Farrah Fawcett’s story will inspire people to get tested for cancer on a regular basis. Probably too much to hope for.
#413, there never was a Social Security lockbox. That’s not how it works.
Because FICA – from the raising of rates in the ’80s until a few years from now – took more in than it paid out in benefits, it put the rest into treasuries. The goverment *had* to spend the SS money in the treasuries by law. IMO, the raising of FICA by Reagan/Greenspan/Moynahan was a bad idea, since FICA is supposed to be pay-as-you go, but that’s the way it was.
When the SS trust fund is depleted (as it was always supposed to be), it will return to being pay-as-you go. “Solvency” is a red herring – that’s not how the program works. The trust fund was always supposed to be burned through.
I’ve been thinking a lot about Farah Fawcett. Her last years were hard fought. I hope she is in Paradise, if Paradise exists. And I hope Michael Jackson is finally free of his demons.
Rock With You
#405 – right! Forgot about that!
Argentina, Chris?
ProducerChris is going to have a real vacation. Just stay at home and do nothing.
I’ve decided that Hal Sparks reminds me of Steve Allen?
Funny, smart, amazingly multi-talented yet he seems like a decent guy.
Anyone else see the similarity?
I really must go. Thanks for the laughs Bloggers, Guest Mooks and Mooks. Have a glorious weekend.
If anyone is looking for something to do Saturday, Organizing for America is having health care service projects all over the country. Go join in and learn how to harass your congresspeople even more effectively! http://www.barackobama.com/index.php
Argentina, Chris?
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With Mark Sanford’s wife?
I used to love th Jackson 5 cartoons on Saturday morning.
I’m a Hal Sparks fan.
I think Jim was right about Ryan though. If it was all so great, romantic, etc., why didn’t he marry her earlier rather than saying he was going to right before she died. Don’t think it happened though….
Has Lee Majors made a statement, yet? They were married, after all.
What’s that little rat he had, Ben was his name.
#417 I meant “lockbox” as a reference to Al Gore’s campaign pledge. I know there’s never been (or will ever be) a lockbox of SS funds.
The Burning Bed
#418—Farah Fawcett—fantastic actress who could hardly get work. Another sad story. And all actresses suffer simply from the sin of aging.
Right on, John! The lucky ones get to have an old age.
428-I think she wasn’t interested in marrying again. She said as much in Alana Stewart’s documentary.
“Ben” was a guilty pleasure of mine, even though I was just a kid.
I like the original movie — was it called Willard? But I remember “Ben” as being a disappointment. Still, the song was good in a smaltzy way.
#422 They call it a staycation.
#406 Well, I agree that we’ve got to stop raiding the Social Security lockbox.
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They keep raiding social security, and they say the program is going broke. How ’bout you stop stealing from it. Then it won’t go broke.
Monkey love
#423 Yeah, I can see that. Hal is much more than just being a funny guy. He’s very smart and a great conversationalist. Kudos!
Michael Jackson’s death must be Barack Obama’s fault. Isn’t everything Barack Obama’s fault?
You know how we all snigger a bit when celebrities get hospitalized for “exhaustion”?
I wonder if that actually was a serious issue with Jackson?
Our gay mayor here in Portland was tangled in a sex scandal within about a week in office. So, it’s not just a hetero thang.
Redacted e-mails. They must have been discussing national security.
443-But he wasn’t with a woman!
Here’s the latest on the elusive Maria Belén Chapur:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009386077_sanford26.html
Yay! Substance!!!!!
#431, Al Gore and Obama have been playing into the same misconceptions about SS as everyone else in Washington.
Washington has become used to SS subsidizing the general treasury – the fact that the flow of money is about to reverse terrifies Dem and Repub alike. But Gore’s talk of the “lock box” was deceptive.
The fact that Obama’s proposal to remove the FICA cap requires a “hole” between 100k and 250k tells you something’s up. The correct solution is to increase income taxes on the 250k+ income bracket by 7.6%, rather than removing the FICA cap. It’s the same amount of money, but it’s more honest. But Obama has never had the political courage to say that – he only had enough courage to say “let Bush’s tax cuts expire”.
But by talking up “fixing Social Security” as the coward’s way of fixing general revenue shortfalls of the future, Obama, like Gore and everyone else in Washington (regardless of party) is feeding the very dangerous – and false – meme that Social Security is in trouble, and won’t be there for us when it’s our turn. The SS Trustees’ reports prove that to be false.
It’s kind of suspect that playa Sanford is staying away from pronouns, I think that he is scared s**tless for the real truth to come out and it will.
Bye all have a great weekend!
>> shāf says:
>> #423 Yeah, I can see that. Hal is much more than just being a funny guy. He’s very smart and a great conversationalist. Kudos!
I thought someone else might see the similarity. There are differences, of course. Allen didn’t act much, did he? Does Sparks write books?
As a kid, I idealized Steve Allen. He was so witty and self-confident.
Hal Sparks is Bad!!
#441: Rush will say MJ didn’t want to live to see the government take over his healthcare.
>> PeterW the Robobagpiper says:
>> #431, Al Gore and Obama have been playing into the same misconceptions about SS as everyone else in Washington.
>> Washington has become used to SS subsidizing the general treasury – the fact that the flow of money is about to reverse terrifies Dem and Repub alike. But Gore’s talk of the “lock box” was deceptive.
Didn’t Al Gore’s “lock box” plan exactly address that problem?
He got mocked for that, but he seemed to see the problem coming long before most politicians. That’s leadership, IMHO.
For those people who think Michael Jackson took himself too seriously, he was always happy to have “Weird Al” spoof him.
Everyone should have the healthcare that the rest of us federal employees have, including Congress and the Supreme Court.
I was at a party one-time with Ed McMan. I didn’t talk with him but he seemed like a decent guy.
I believe it was In Living Color that had a great “Black or White” parody. They had someone as Michael Jackson smashing up the taxi cab and grabbing himself, then the cops came. Michael Jackson said “Tell me officer, am I black or white?” The officer replied with “You’re under arrest.” So Michael said “Oh, I guess I am black.”
#441: Rush will say MJ didn’t want to live to see the government take over his healthcare.
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And Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcett decided to die for the same reason.
John’s a trooper!
Health insurance through the federal goverment. Like FEp(federal Employees) Blue, for example.
Hal, you rawk AND your’re pretty and have a political conscience! (swoon)
Thank you for getting the word out Hal, John, and Chris!
Let’s bug our Congresspeople!
The Repubs want to privatize everything including the post office and the military.
#458 Wasn’t it Mad TV that did the Black or White parody?
This?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W32-rr-rj0
#465 Probably. Thanks to some coworker abusing resources, youtube doesn’t work on this computer.
Hal and Chris sittin’ in a studio…
>> Liberal Hussein Smurf says:
>> The Repubs want to privatize everything including the post office and the military.
They damn-near HAVE privatized the military — there are more mercenaries in IRaq than US soldiers.
I am so happy they haven’t succeeded with the Post Office. It is a tremendous service — on time, affordable, dependable.
It’s so bad here, that I think even Disney site are block at my work place.
Killer John Kerry joke, John!
I voted for John Kerry. Then I wanted to send him back to Vietnam.
Happy weekend, Guys & Gals.
Well, Hal did great for a first-timer. I expected he would.
He needs to cut-down on the preaching a little bit and control the topics a little more but that’s no big deal.
Will there be a live blog next week, ProducerChris?
#468 I agree about the post office. You know how when you get a bill, they provide an envelope? Where the stamp goes, it used to say something like “post office will not deliver without postage”. Now a lot of them say “save time and money, pay online.”
I prefer to pay my bills by mail so that when I need to send a package, the post office will still be in business.
Have a great week off, Chris, Jim and Mama (in absentia).
Hal, looking forward to hearing you next week. As my departed mother-in-law was fond of saying, “You did good!”
Al Gore was my first-choice for president — that hardly ever happens.
But John Kerry wasn’t even in my top-ten. A decent guy, I’m sure, and WAY better than Bush. But not my kind of president.
The Republicans think that Kerry looks too French, that’s why it was easier for them to attack him.
Amy,
Yeah, another Post Office fan! How old school of us!
I get Netflix and you can exactly track the mail. I get two to three DVDs a week, for two years.
ONE — yes, only ONE, has been late. By one day! (And it’s not even 100% that’s the Post Office’s fault.)
I doubt FedEx or UPS could beat that and they would charge a fortune.
I like someone for president who can see a problem coming long before the rest of us. I like them to see the BIG issues and come up with real solutions.
That was Al Gore, for sure. I thought John Edwards had that quality.
Sometimes I THINK Obama has it. Sometimes I doubt him.
Well, I seem to be alone here! Bye eMooks. Have a great weekend.
As with the rumor that Obama is weakening on a public option there is a rumor being spread that Kerry is “pushing for triggers” That undocumented story sounds like a lie. I live in Mass and call Kerry, Kennedy and Tierney’s offices every couple of weeks because the situation is fluid. All three are ALWAYS for a robust public option. Lots of rumor noise going on to divide public option supporters. Please dont take the bait.