Beck, Palins, Obamas

Glenn Beck is on the cover of the new Forbes Magazine. My boss set the magazine down on my desk, waiting for my response.
What could I say?
"Hey. Glenn Beck is Glenn Beck," I said, laughing, thinking I knew what she was up to, thinking she was stirring things up, baiting me for fun. But turns out I didn't know.
"Dr. K, I admire Steve Forbes but I neither like nor dislike Glenn Beck. I'm neither a fan, nor not a fan. He is what he is and who he is."
Her turn to laugh, adding "I don't hate him any more. I don't hate anyone any more," she said.
"That's a big step forward for you, Boss."
We both laughed and then she said: "Big step?"
I said "Yeah. No need to be a hater.
Then she sat and spoke to me, of me, and how I'm so, so very conservative and she's so liberal but she likeloves me anyway. I'm not like all those other conservatives.
I didn't pull a Kemp '96, RIP, nope. I didn't thank her for noticing that I'm not raaaaacist-bigot-homophoby while all the rest of the conservatives are. Nope.
I said "Hey, I'm typical. Everyone I know who's conservative is like me. And many you know who are like me are conservative.
We're open hearted. Open minded. Open homed. Open armed. Open-pursed and generous of time and spirit and thought. One oughtn't believe the pinched-brains like Jon Stewart, even if he makes you laugh late at night."
That's not happy laughter anyway, those chuckles summoned by the spiritual miser.
Stop believing the clown-eunuchs.
Believe your own eyes.

Then we spoke of her son, who I know to be conservative/libertarian/Ron-Pauly.
She's still sorely disappointed at raising a non-liberal son.
Her daughter? Kind of liberal, but like me, open to everyone. "Some of her better friends are conservatives. And like you, she doesn't judge or close people out because of political stances."
Yep, and she's happy and beautiful, inside and out, boss. That's your daughter. Watch her and learn what we're like and how to be. What's the point in hating anyway? It's just a philosophical difference between us, for the most part, anyway.
You liberals are merely wrong, not evil -- for the most part anyway.
Would that you would think that of us.
I had to reiterate:
I am typical.
And guys like me are not as rare as you think, we just keep quiet because we're surrounded and we like to work. Plus we're not nearly as bitter-mean as liberals. We know better, think better, feel better and live better. Pay attention to that.
We're also happier; and laugh more. And give more to charity. You could look it up.
***

Recently when I posted another appealing picture -- is there any other kind? -- of Sarah and Todd Palin, Sarah in an ARMY shirt under her jacket, Todd at her side, like always, when I posted that pic, of the two of them, husband and wife, parents of five, Army Mom and Army Dad, grandparents, clean and beautiful, together, guileless, standing in a bakery, choosing some sweets, an online friend commented on the post, saying:

I love Sarah and Todd. I love how they keep on being themselves despite the odd obsession the left has with attacking them.

My response was circumscribed, self-censored, lest I sound what? possessed of the devil myself:

Yes. I'd say it's a loony obsession, to match your odd, but it appears beyond that, beyond oddness or looniness. Sarah and Todd Palin keep on being themselves. It's that simple. They are still normal, in a good way. Or maybe it's that they are still good, in a normal way. It's compelling to witness.

And that's what took me to Searchlight. I wanted to see for myself.
But what I wanted to say to her in response is that it's not odd or loony, or not merely that; rather it is demonic. That's not too strong of a word. And I choose it carefully. The obsessive, daily, endless attack against Mr. and Mrs. Palin is rooted in an unclean spirit. That's the sulfur stink we're gettin' around here -- even from our friends who think feel "she belongs on another planet." What a dark fetish. Even our beloveds are just not paying attention. Not to reality. Not to their own inner workings. Not to the workings of the creepy, lesser, vulgar, power-ravenous creepy elite wannabe culture.
***
The Obama family? Pleasing to look at, to be sure. And I'm not entirely opposed to their role -- the symbolic one anyway. And I've said good things about them here and there. But I'm not seeing any lasting or true goodness emmanating from the outward workings of that odd coupling.
***
And Beck? I've heard him a few times on the radio. Mostly when on vacation, I think. Liked him enough to recall hearing him. I'm a radio guy. Since about second grade. Thanks, Dad. But my radio is full already. In no particular order:

William Bennett. Peter Tilden. Laura Ingraham. Tammy Bruce. Rush Limbaugh. Dennis Prager. Michael Medved. Sean Hannity. Mark Levin. Dennis Miller. Jerry Doyle. Roy Masters. Rusty Humphries. The Elite Mike Church. Michael Savage. Don Imus. Tim Conway, Jr. Hugh Hewitt. Howard Stern. Cigar Dave. Reggaeton.

Who's got time for it all?
Beck used to be on CNN. Is that forgivable?
Dr. Bennett gets a pass for being on CNN.
Not that it matters to Beck what I think, but I haven't granted him the same CNN indulgence as Bennett -- though around here being currently sober and formerly a rodeo clown both count in Beck's plus column.
***
I'm including here a bonus Beck pic, a pic of a Beck fan, snapped by yours truly, in Searchlight, March 27th, while awaiting our Governor Mrs. Todd Palin. What a great day in the desert.
***
Don't be hatin', peeps.

Holy Tax Day, Pay Up Sheeple -- It's Patriotic

First posted here, a few weeks ago. Still like it.
Other previously posted pics taken at Searchlight here, here and here. Still like them too.
Hey, it's memory penny lane day today.
And don't forget, it was that intellctual giant Plugs Biden who told us paying taxes is the super-highest form of patriotism.
What the heck, some Beatles:

Searchlight -- Yes, I Gambled

Slot Machine Pays For My Trip To See Sarah and Todd Palin

When the Henderson check-in guy, unbidden, offered me a Sunday late check-out time at my hotel -- how'd he know? Holiday Inn corporate must keep a record of my usual requests -- I said sure, thanks, but knew I should get out of Vegas early on a Sunday. I've seen that weekend traffic heading back to California and I don't much like it.
Yet I dawdled.
Southwestward traffic on the I-15 was so bad Sunday afternoon that it was more its typical parking lot than a freeway. What's a Searchlight sojourner to do?
This is Nevada, so, asked and answered. I stopped at the first exit with a casino, parked in the shade, to take a nap or read or have some lunch out of my cooler. Let's be honest for once: I parked at a casino. I knew that I'd enter that smoky den of iniquity and: Gamble.
My high-roller friend JMax laughs at me when I sit at the penny slots. I bear her scorn like a frugal gamesman, confident, knowing my spot. My style is to bet like she does but in my own low-roller style. Who's got money to burn? Well, she may, but I don't.
I put in my twenty dollar bill and max-betted it up to two-hundred and fifty bucks. I was hitting, so I had to spin a few more times. I cashed out at $200.00. One-eighty for twenty. Not bad.
These slots may have loosened up since Obama cracked on Vegas, telling us not to go there. Is he an economic idiot, or what?
I can't remember the name of the casino where I hit, but it was an oldish one, one where the quarters still drop out of some of the slots -- love that sound -- and you put them in the plastic cups and take them to the cashier booth to change them for dollars. This casino was old enough that even on the newer machines you have to call an attendant for your payout.
I trusted the lady with her strollered baby and her mom -- three generations at the penny slots -- to watch my machine while I found an attendant.
Friendly, hard-working, weary, seen-it-all Rose said she'd meet me at my Wheel of Fortune and give up the two-hundred. When she handed me the two hundred dollar bills she looked up and said "Now take this, save it, don't spend it."
I said "I'm walking outta here right now."
Rose laughed, and said, with her cool (Cajun?) accent, "Good for you, dear, now go."
We both laughed.
Grateful, I was thinking that we all have sweet caring mothers everywhere, all around us, thank God, if we just listen for them.
Best to listen and obey.

Searchlight -- Signs'n'Stuff We Liked

Team Durbin:

You Can't Fix Stupid

But You Can Vote It Out!

God Bless This Gold Star Family:

Searchlight -- Skywriting -- No New Taxes

Hey. Yeah, I have Tea Party/Searchlight stories to tell. But, until I get to it, every picture tells a story story, ain't it?
Other Searchlight pics here: Palins.

Searchlight -- Pictures of Palins

Pictures now, commentary later. Enjoy.

Shabbat Shalom -- Searchlight Tonight

Searchlight Tonight, Sarah Palin tomorrow.
Yes that's the Israeli flag in Our Governor Mrs. Todd Palin's office.