Oh No They Didn't!

Have you heard?  The uniforms for U.S. Olympic athletes were made in China?

WHAT?

Finally the Democrats and Republicans have something they agree on.  Both agree that the U.S. Olympic Committee derision to dress the U.S. team in Chinese manufactured berets, blazers and pants while the American textile industry struggles economically with many U.S. workers desperate for jobs.

WHAT?

Is Mitt "The Liar" Romney still heading the U.S. Olympic Committee and still outsourcing jobs to China.  Even if Mittsy was heading up the U.S. Olympic Committee, he's so secretive he would never tell us or lie about it.  He's good at lying but I digress.  I'll get on Mittsy's lying ways in another post.

So who came up with this brain dead idea that CHINA should make the U.S. Olympic athletes uniforms?

I heard on the news this morning that Ralph Lauren (real name "Ralph Lifshitz", no wonder he changed his name) DOESN'T HAVE MANUFACTURING PLANTS IN THE U.S.! Well folks, GET SOMEONE ELSE!  Ralph Lifshitz Lauren makes enough money anyway with his obscenely overpriced jeans.  Hey, it's not like he needs the money.  He's already worth 7.5 billion dollars, largely as a result of cheap Chinese labor.  God forbid he should use the U. S. labor force to make his overpriced duds.  He probably has accounts in the Cayman Islands and a few Swiss bank accounts too.  Seems that the self important mucky mucks who are entangled with the U.S. Olympics always come out ahead money wise.  Mittsy (Mitt "The Liar" Romney) seems to have done very well but I digress.

WHAT?

And what's with the berets?  I HATE BERETS!  No, it's not because they're SO FRENCH but they're just stupid looking.  Thank God when I was in the Army there were NO BERETS.  And I'm gay! To me wearing a beret looks like you're wearing your sister's panties on your head at an angle.

WHAT?

Here is what Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader said in response to the news that our Olympic team will be wearing Ralph Lifshitz Lauren duds are the opening ceremonies:


"I am so upset. I think the Olympic committee should be ashamed of themselves. I think they should be embarrassed. I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again," 

Hey Harry!  I agree with you!  Burn the rags.  Charge it all to the personal accounts of the mucky mucks on the U.S. Olympic Committee and Ralph Lifshitz Lauren.

Nancy Pelosi told reporters at a her weekly news conferencethat she's proud of the nation's Olympic athletes, but "they should be wearing uniforms that are made in America."


And fasten your seat belts folks, even House Speaker John Boehner said simply of the USOC 
"You'd think they'd know better."

Precisely!

Of course the U.S. Olympic Committee circled the wagons and defended the choice of designer Ralph Lifshitz Lauren and responded in indigent outrage:

"Unlike most Olympic teams around the world, the U.S. Olympic Team is privately funded and we're grateful for the support of our sponsors," USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said in a statement. "We're proud of our partnership with Ralph Lauren, an iconic American company, and excited to watch America's finest athletes compete at the upcoming Games in London."


What other response would we expect from the folks in power?  Of course they DID NOTHING WRONG.  Think they would take responsibility for making a BIG MISTAKE?  Oh no.  Well, big shots on the U.S. Olympic Committee, you're going to lose on this one.  


By the way, I couldn't care less out the U.S. Olympics.  All those pampered athletes.  Who wants to see our professional basketball players win another  gold medal?  


BORING!


Who wants to see Michael Phelps, the swimmer with the LONG torso and short legs (built for swimming folks) and the twisted mouth win more gold medals?


BORING!


And who wants to see all those commercials on the television coverage?  


BORING!


Years ago I used to love watching the Olympics but the Olympics lost their luster and interest with me when they went professional.


BORING!


But even if I don't watch the Olympics I do think that AT LEAST the uniforms that our "team" should wear U.S. made uniforms to the Olympics.


What do you think?

Ralph Lifshitz Lauren fouls the Olympics with his name

P.S.


I just say a news report that Ralph Lifshitz Lauren will be paid almost a million bucks by the U.S. Olympic Committee for his Made in China uniforms.  Are you kidding me?  He's not DONATING the uniforms to the athletes?  This man who is worth 7.5 billion dollars?  What's wrong with this picture?

Too Darn Hot!

The temps have lightened up a bit but it is still TOO DARN HOT!  This is Texas weather mother!

Fall, where are thy cool breezes to caress my wrinkled visage?

Last night, during a break in our current heat wave, Bill mowed the lawn and I did the trimming.  I was a couple weeks behind the trimming, the long grass was starting to go to seed.  Bill and I have discussed about letting the backyard go "au naturale" but I don't think the neighbors would like it.  We don't want to be one of THOSE neighbors.

Today I go to work.  We had a problem last week cooling down the VIP suite because of the 100 degree plus heat.  Had to comp the room.  I hated to do it but we have to keep the guest happy and they don't spend that kind of money for a hot room.  I agreed to check in the guest early.  My mistake.  That won't happen again.  Apparently I was supposed to know to turn on the air conditioning the night  before.  Something I didn't know but I do now.  No more hot rooms for hotel guests.  No more checking in early either.  Lesson learned.

Thank goodness our electricity is on and air conditioning working.  We keep the temperature at 78 degrees in Casa Tipton-Kelly.  Sounds warm but when we come in from the sauna outside, it feels like we stepped into a walk-in freezer.

I can't do too much outside unless I want to have two and three shower days.  Last week I had a couple of three shower days.  Every peel off a T-shirt that is soaked?  Lovely.

Alright Repugs, how come I don't hear you all whining about the hoax of global warming?  All I hear is silence (crickets chirping).  Same as with I don't hear anything about blaming Obama for the high gas prices.  Oh wait, the gas prices have fallen.  Crickets chirping.  I guess the Repugs are too busy voting again to repeal Obama Care....for the 31st time.

How did I degenerate into a political rant?  Sometimes I just can't help myself because it is:

TOO DARN HOT!

Madmen Cast Review - Part 2

Joan in the office of "Madmen"

Part duex of my "Madmen" cast/character review.  I'm expecting my new DVD's from Netflix to arrive in the mail today.  Oh man am I ever addicted to this show.  I'm in year 2010, halfway through the series.  I haven't met Don Draper's new wife yet.  Gee, I wonder who it could be with all the babes he's porking and yet he calls his wife "a whore" because she LOOKS at another guy.  Oh so sure with the horn dog guys in our culture.

Here is the balance of my review of the cast of characters and actors on "Madmen."

Peter Campbell - smug and arrogant and pushy.  Any of us who have worked in the business world know this type.  Unfortunately he has some talent so he gets away with his selfishness and arrogance.  Oh wait a minute, Mitt Romney?

Ken Cosgrove - earnest, straight laced and also talented but without the selfishness and meanness of Pete Campbell.  A good man, the type that I befriended when I was in the business world.

Harry Crane - the Office Nerd.  Who hasn't worked in the business world that didn't have a "Harry Crane" in the office?  Harry is talented but oh so reluctant to take a risk.  Haven't we all known a "Harry Crane"?

Lane Pryce - the executive from the company that brought out the ad agency.  Originally he eliminated jobs and then discovered that his job would be eliminated.  Been there, done that.  Lane decides to screw corporate headquarters and side with those eliminated and start a new company.  Not sure if his British accent is legit.

Henry Francis - Betty Draper's new husband.  First of all, I think this actor is way more sexy than Jon Hamm who plays Don Draper.  I think he's a better actor too.  Plus, I also like that the characters in "Madmen" have real names like "Henry" instead of those phony soap opera names like "Chase" or "Liam".  I like this character and actor.  

Sally Crane - the daughter of Don and Betty Draper.  Yet another child actor who can't act.  Watching this "actress" act is actually painful.  She must be the daughter of one of the creators of the show.  

Megan Draper - Don Draper's new wife.  I'm not far enough along in watching the DVD's of "Madmen" to know where she comes in so I don't have an opinion of her except that she looks a like like half the other women Don Draper has been plugging.  

There you go folks.  There are a lot of other characters but I won't review them here. I will say though that the most despicable character is "Glenn".  Is is the "little boy" next door who is an adult pervert in the making.  He makes my skin crawl.  Don't only for his lizard like appearance but that the actor who portrays him is so God awful.

Joan the Office Manager in "Madmen" - talk about an office distraction

Madmen Cast Review - Part I

All folks, if  you're not already a fan of "Madmen", as I am, you might want to skip this blog posting.  This is my review of the cast of characters of this human drama that takes place in the Fabulous Sixties, which was MY TIME that I started out in the business world.  I wasn't in the advertising business but I was in the banking business.  The cast of human characters and situations were much the same where I worked.  The excessive smoking was the same (hard to believe now when I look back), but the drinking, at least in the office wasn't the same.  That was about the only difference.  And oh yes, the sexual activity was about the same.  I should know. :)

Here you go folks, I know I will probably make some of my readers angry and I might lose a few more followers but hey, that's life.

Don Draper - major Horn Dog and central character.  Sexy yes, but I don't like his character  Uses people and can't keep his pants on. He's a partner in the firm and the designated star of  "Madmen" but I think the lady below is the real star.

Peggy Olson.  Oh yes, perhaps my favorite character along with Joan Harris.  I LOVE PEGGY! Peggy is the secretary that become a copywriter because of her inherent talent.  I like her character and I like the actress that plays her.  I would love to see Elizabeth Moss in a major movie.  The kind that Bette Davis that used to make.

Roger Sterling - partner in the firm and another major Horn Dog.  I like the actor but not the character.  He is an arrogant a-hole.

Betty Draper Francis, former wife of Don Draper that divorced him because of his horn dog way.  Grace Kelly beautiful, she is turning out to be a major bitch.  I like her and her character.

Joan Harris - office manager of the Jayne Mansfield boobs.  Not only is she beautiful (and she is), I love this actress and her character.  I'm gay but I can't take my eyes off of her (or her boobs) when she is on the screen.  More of Joan!

Bertram "Bert" Cooper.  One of the founding partners in the ad agency.  The veteran Broadway actor Robert "Bobby" Morse plays this character with delicious perfection.  Bobby Morse starred in "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" half a century ago.  He is living proof that TV executives should hire more veteran actors like Mr. Morse because they are perfection.  Many of the young no name actors on todays television series could learn a lot from watching Mr. Morse perform with such perfection.  Bert Cooper isn't on the screen long enough for me.

More tomorrow folks!

Deep Sleep

A man sleeping.  Not me (don't I wish I looked like this?)

What's going on?  The past few weeks I have been sleeping really deep.  I've never had a problem sleeping like some.  Bill is a light sleeper.  He's often told me that I could sleep through a bombing attack. In fact, last week we had a terrific thunderstorm with the BOOMS and rain pelting the house sideways but I sleep through the whole thing!  I'm telling you folks, I sleep like the dead.

However, lately I've really been OUT.  I mean BIG TIME OUT.  This morning I was having a troubling dream (which of course I can't remember the details) and I was trying to wake up.  Yes folks, sometimes I know I'm sleeping and I want to wake up just to get away from whatever it is I'm dreaming about.

I couldn't wake up this morning!


I felt like I was holding onto the edge of a cliff with my fingertips and I was slipping.  And yet I knew I was dreaming and I wanted to wake up to save myself!  I pulled and pulled and finally got to a groggy, semi-awake state.  


I still wasn't awake.  I tried and tried some more and finally my eyes opened.  I tried to think of where I was.  I literally did not know where I was.  I didn't even know how I was positioned on my bed.  As it turned out I was somewhat sideways (11 am and 4 pm) on my bed.  This is also unusual because when I sleep I almost always wake up in the same position (I sleep on my right side) that I go to sleep.  Not this morning.  I must have been thrashing around trying to wake up.


When I was awake enough to realize I was back on earth I still didn't know where I was or what time of day it was.  This is probably because I almost always take an afternoon nap of at least a hour.  Even those naps are DEEP.  I am completely knocked out.


Lying on the bed, I slowly realized that this was a summer Tuesday morning and I was in my bed here in our house in a Ryan Homes development in southern Delaware, near the coast.  RON HAS LANDED!

Man oh man, what is going on?

Heat Wave Breaks (Sort of)

Well folks, we finally got a break today.  The temperatures dropped ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 87 today.  A veritable cold snap. I better get out my sweater.

The video I took this morning.  A batch (or two) of baby Purple Martins made their entrance into the outside world yesterday.  They're still hanging around the house where they were born a few weeks ago but they will soon be taking off for South America.

This is probably the last batch of Purple Martins this season.  In a few weeks all will be quiet out in the Back Forty.  That's when I know summer is coming to an end.  Every year it seems like they leave too early but it is a long journey to Brazil and points south, so I guess the Purples want to get an early start.  I would love to know how many of them come back to this same bird house next year.  One of my joys of summer, watching the birds in our backyard raise a new batch of younguns.

I hear thunder in the distance.  Hey, maybe rain is on the way!  God knows the farmers down here in lower coastal Delaware could use some rain on their cornfields.  The poor corn stalks are drying up.  It seems every year the corn crop struggles to survive.  I washed my car yesterday specifically in insure that we would have rain.

I would have taken my daily evening walk in the development behind me but didn't because when the weather is this hot and humid I usually come back covered with bugs that look like ants with wings.  I don't feel like dealing with that tonight.  I miss my daily walks though.

The thunder is getting closer.  I better take my shower down and wash off the stink of the day before I settle down in my bedroom before my 60 inch Samsung TV with surround sound and watch my latest episodes of "Mad Men."  Oh how I love that show!  My favorite character (and there are so many) has to be Peggy Olsen.  Jon Hamm as Don Draper is hot, good-looking and sexy and all that but man is he a horn dog pig.  Not that people like that don't exist.  I have known my share of horn-dogs, gay and straight.  I'm not one of them.  Yes, I'm bragging and not ashamed to admit it.

Maybe tomorrow I'll get back to one of those thought provoking, controversial blogs that I usually specialize in.  This hot weather has just got be beaten down.  I don't have the energy to work up a blog entry scintillates and tantalizes. The old Ron will be back soon, do not worry.

How Birds Beat the Heat

This is how the birds beat the heat in my backyard.  I took this video with my iPhone this morning from my bedroom window right after I got up (even before I shaved)!  I had to be VERY careful not to spook the birds with movement at my bedroom window while taking this video.  Their eyesight is very good.

This is what gives me GREAT pleasure, providing a backyard sanctuary for wildlife.  This unusually hot weather also affect our critter friends as much if not more than it does us.  Birds cannot sweat thus when the weather is this hot, they literally open their beaks and pant.  I am so thankful that I can provide some respite and even save some of our feathered friends.  Lord knows they have helped me this year because I don't have ANY Japanese beetles chewing away at my knockout rose bushes or even the crepe myrtle trees, both of which you see are right outside my bedroom window.

Excuse me now while I go out and change the water again in the three birdbaths and five saucers that I have out in my planter oval.  I think the birds understand what I'm doing for them because they're in those birdbaths before I even make it back into the house.