One-Liner: Sarah Palin
July 3, 2009
First it’s Billy Mays, now Sarah Palin. It seems like we’re losing a lot of TV-friendly folks who like to peddle crap.
–WKW
Alexis Arguello dead of apparent suicide
July 2, 2009
The brilliant Nicaraguan boxer Alexis Arguello has died of an apparent suicide. From ESPN:
MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Alexis Arguello, who fought in one of boxing’s most classic brawls and reigned supreme at 130 pounds, was found dead at his home early Wednesday.
Coroners were conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Sandanista Party’s Radio Ya and other local media were reporting it appeared to be a suicide.
The La Prensa newspaper reported that Arguello — elected mayor of Nicaragua’s capital last year — was found with a gunshot wound to the chest.
The 57-year-old Arguello retired in 1995 with a record of 82-8 with 65 knockouts and was a champion in three weight divisions. He was perhaps best known for two thrilling battles with Aaron Pryor and fights with Ray Mancini, Bobby Chacon and Ruben Olivares.
“I’m kind of in a daze right now,” Pryor told The Associated Press. “Those were great fights we had. This was a great champion.”
Nicknamed “The Explosive Thin Man,” Arguello was inducted in 1992 into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, where flags were flying at half-staff in his honor Wednesday.
Hundreds of people lined up to say goodbye to Arguello Wednesday night at a memorial service at the Palace of Culture in the capital of Nicaragua.
In a two-week stretch that has seen a spate of celebrity deaths, the death of Arguello is the only one that has left me with an ache in the pit of my stomach. While I often credit Sugar Ray Leonard as the man who drew me in to boxing, it was Arguello who truly made me love the sport.
The 1980s was a high time for boxing, as all three major networks featured amazing boxing matches every weekend. And no boxer was more of a deserved darling of these boxing shows than Arguello. His boxing style imitated his personal style – pure class. And his right cross was one of the most beautiful and devastating punches the sport ever witnessed. Arguello beat several respected champions throughout his stellar career, including Ruben Olivares, Bobby Chacon, Rafael Limon and Ray Mancini.
It was the victory over Mancini that truly showed many U.S. fans the brilliance and class of Arguello. Mancini was a huge fan favorite, and even though he was brutally dispatched by Arguello in a tough fight, the respect and caring Arguello showed Mancini and his family was unprecedented. Arguello went on to fight two amazing – albeit losing – battles with the mercurial Aaron Pryor, but showed the same strength of character in losing as he did winning.
More than just a boxer, Arguello long battled political corruption and civil strife in his beloved Nicaragua, and at the time of his death was the mayor of Managua. Despite the fact that his nation had stolen his life earnings and made his life hell, Arguello – who literally battled the Contras alongside his fellow Nicaraguans – was one of Nicaragua’s most respected ambassadors.
Alexis Arguello was a champion in nearly every way a man can be a champion. He was a gentleman who was a credit to boxing, and to Nicaragua. Arguello always fought the good fight, and the world is a better place for his being part of it.
–WKW
Gates, Obama offer up DATGDT – “Don’t Act Too Gay, Don’t Tell”
July 1, 2009
Hoping to ease the concerns of leading gay and lesbian groups regarding his inconsistent policies on gay civil rights, President Barack Obama has today taken a bold step to alter the U.S. Military’s controversial “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy.
“After hours of research, we believe we have come up with a plan that should give the gay community the security they need to have a career in the U.S. military,” said Obama. “We have met the opposition on this issue half way, now all we require is that members of the U.S. military keep their gayness to a minimum.”
Among the things the new DATGDT policy will require gay males to avoid: Flouncing, Traipsing, Gossiping and 12-pack abs. For lesbians, the new policy only requires women to “Act like the character Casey Seeger from the film ‘Officer and a Gentleman.’”
Obama said that DATGDT may be confusing to many at first, there were simple ways to make it more understandable.
“Take the show ‘Will & Grace,’ for example,” said Obama. “If you are male and act like Will, you’re fine. If you act like Jack, you’re fired.”
Obama added that lesbian members of the military should do their best to act like former “Sex and the City” star Cynthia Nixon. “Should gay and lesbian recruits be unable to follow these simple straight-friendly rules, they will be summarily and publicly terminated,” the new policy reads.
Gates said that while he’d really, really like to end DADT, it’s based on federal laws and the Executive Branch is never, ever allowed to break the law, lest they surely be impeached and convicted.
“What we have is a law — be it a policy or a regulation — and as I discovered when I got into it, it’s a very prescriptive law. It doesn’t leave much to the imagination for a lot of flexibility. And so one of the things we’re looking at — is there flexibility in how we apply this law?” said Gates.
Obama said that he believed that his non-partisan approach to fixing DADT would make everyone happy in the end.
“While promoting equal rights is vital to my presidency, we must keep in mind this is a diverse nation,” said Obama. “Many will only accept gays and lesbians in the military as long as they don’t act too gay or lesbiany.”
Gates and Obama confirmed that the new DATGDT policy will take affect some time following the 2012 presidential elections.
–WKW
QOTD: Only Osama bin Laden can save us now
July 1, 2009
“The only chance we have as a country right now is for Osama bin Laden to deploy and detonate a major weapon in the United States. Because it’s gonna take a grass roots, bottom up pressure. Because these politicians prize their office, prize the praise of the media and the Europeans… Only Osama can execute an attack which will force Americans to demand that their government protect them effectively, consistently, and with as much violence as necessary.”
– Former CIA analyst Michael Scheuer to an agreeable Glenn Beck.
–WKW
