Annabelle Bucar, Part II

More on Annabelle Bucar
From Clairton Bear to Russian Bear

Annabelle stays in the spotlight: In the early '60s a radio program called "Moscow Mailbag" was broadcast throughout the United States on the “Voice of Russia,” the Soviet answer to Voice of America. The show was hosted by Joe Adamov (In Russian that was Иосиф Адамов) and featured a female newsreader spoke with a Western Pennsylvania accent. Adamov interviewed many Americans on his program including President Eisenhower, Eleanor Roosevelt, Walter Cronkite, and Larry King. The woman who read the news and sometimes the questions to this program was Annabelle Bucar, who came from Clairton, Pennsylvania. In 2000 Adamov described her as, “A fine woman if ever there was one. She was a person everyone loved. And I'm not saying this just because she passed away over a year ago. After the war, she worked at the U.S. Embassy, married a singer from the operetta theater and soon joined our staff. (Her family) in the States are pretty well off. She visited her home only a few years before she died. When she first came to us, she was always accompanied by a bodyguard. Many years later, she told me, ‘I don't know whether they were guarding me, or seeing to it that I did nothing wrong; in other words, keeping a 24-hour eye on me.’” That description was a glimpse into the adult life of Clairton-born Annabelle Bucar.

Her family in the Clairton had been a large one. One sister, Emily, moved to California. Another, Barbara, had moved to Florida. A third sister, Eleanor, stayed in the area, in Baldwin. Each of those sisters, like Annabelle, lived into their eighties. Other siblings are still alive, but I purposely have not named them.

Prior to her marriage Annabelle was an Assistant Information Officer of the magazine America while serving in the American Embassy in Moscow. During her stint in the Embassy she saw what she believed to be a culture of anti-Soviet paranoia among members of the Diplomatic corps, who by definition were supposed to have been unbiased. Her disdain for fellow Embassy employees who, in her eyes were at least “Ugly Americans” for not bothering to master the language of the people in whose country they served, or appreciate the culture. At worst, she alleges that many were spies instead of diplomats, and worse yet, that many enriched themselves illegally by purchasing items on the black market, shipping them back under diplomatic cover, then converting the items for many times their value. Several excerpts from her book follow:

Charles Bohlen, Embassy chief, “Did everything he could to undermine President Roosevelt’s policies toward the Soviet Union.”

Frederick Reinhardt: “He is one of the most obnoxious of this group of obnoxious people.”

John Davies: “He will do anything to further his career no matter how low he has to stoop… Davies, furthermore is greatly influenced by his wife who is no less clever than he and just as interested in his career… Davies has the mentality of a stooge.”

“Another officer, Wallace by name, was expelled from Moscow by Embassy Staff after getting into a drunken brawl and nearly fracturing his skull.”

“All the strategic positions in the Embassy… have been for many years in the hands of the State Department anti-Soviet clique, namely Kennan, Durbrow, Bohlen, Reinhardt, et.al.”

“(Durbrow) is an exhibitionist among his other talents. He once showed up at a cocktail party dressed as a circus strongman with close-fitting tights inscribed with lipstick… This “expert” in Russian Affairs who does not know enough Russian language to sufficiently explain to his cook what he wants for dinner, and knows almost nothing about the Soviet Union, finds a willing audience in Washington for “reporting.”

“A security guard at the Embassy regularly made rounds of the offices after hours. Twice he found Durbrow’s safe open and unguarded and reported it to the State Department. Shortly thereafter the guard went on vacation and was quickly and unexpectedly transferred to another post.”

“Freddy” Reinhardt is most at home at diplomatic receptions and cocktail parties which somebody else pays for. Reinhardt is a ladies’ man who works the art of charming the wives of men helpful to his diplomatic career. He received much of his schooling, even elementary, in Western Europe. He speaks French, German, Italian, and Russian fluently. He knows practically nothing about America and probably cares less. He is pro Hitler, pro-Germany, and anti Russian.”

Regarding former Major in the U.S. Intelligence Service, Louise Luke, Bucar tells of a supposedly pleasure trip Luke took on the Trans-Siberian Railway. “When she returned to Moscow Louise Luke wrote a detailed report of what she had seen and heard during her trip...Luke herself admitted to me that she had invented many of the facts because en route she had met a pleasant couple with whom she spent most of the time drinking and playing cards.”

Bucar also accuses former chief of the information bureau, Elizabeth Egan, of returning to the U.S. and writing a long story in Coronet magazine which highlighted her many love affairs with Russian men and the facts she was able to glean. All such facts, says Bucar, were sheer imagination.

Government waste: Annabelle might have been considered one of the first whistleblowers. Her assignment in the Embassy included the Russian language magazine Amerika. The purpose was to provide a glimpse of America to the Soviet people. The magazine was reported to be self sustaining in the Embassy budget. This was done, according to Bucar, by not including the cost of editors, writers, and other personnel whjo worked on the magazine. Further, she alleges, the 50,000 copies per printing rarely found their way into the hands of Russians, leaving the U.S. taxpayer to foot the bill.

Other allegations of corruption: In chapter 6 of her book Bucar takes to task those employees of the Embassy who are speculators and war profiteers. This is done by trading cigarettes and even American cash for valuable heirlooms that can be resold in America for huge profits. An investigation into speculation was done at the Embassy and headed by previously mentioned Counselor Durbrow. She alleges that he himself had traveled to Moscow through Warsaw where he bought Russian rubles at one-tenth their value, then brought them to Moscow under the protection of diplomatic immunity, and resold the rubels at obscene profits. The investigation named one dentist’s assistant and a couple of low level workers and sent them home. Every person of diplomatic rank was exonerated.

Summary: Annabelle Bucar, it appears, was a bright, principled person who saw first hand the seamy underbelly of politics by virtue of working at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow during an historic time. Her allegations of bumbling incompetency within the federal government would hardly bring a yawn today as such incompetence is offered daily by cable TV. Her allegations of corruption within the ranks and a few lower level employees taking the fall have been repeated in instances such as the Abu Ghraib prison torture allegations. That her book created such a stir in the late 1940s and early 1950s probably had more to do with three factors: first, she happened to make those allegations in the height of the Cold War and McCarthy communism hysteria, second she chose to forsake her country of birth and live in Russia, America’s antithesis at the time – an unforgivable sin in the eyes of many patriotic Americans, and third her book attacked only American foibles and corruption without comparing them to those within the Russian government. The fact remains, however, that she was one of Clairton’s most famous, if not infamous, citizens.

A little blogging music, Maestro: America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee) played by John Phillip Souza.

Dr. Forgot,

http://drforgot.com

More than one Bear

Annabelle Bucar – Clairton’s Mata Hari?
Or “Just another Woman in Love?”
Clairton Bear to Russian Bear

From a CIA memo: A memorandum in the files of the Central Intelligence Agency written by Leslie D. Weir and approved for release September 22, 1993, speaks to the book written by Clairton native Annabelle Bucar. It states in part, “The Soviets see verification of the relationship between diplomacy and espionage in such facts as General Smith's having been posted, after his tenure as Ambassador to the USSR, first to CIA and then to State, in Admiral Kirk's position in Naval Intelligence prior to his assignment as Ambassador to Moscow and his subsequent chairmanship of the American Committee for Liberation, and of course in the teaming of the Dulles brothers at the head of the twin foreign affairs agencies. Over the past eight years Soviet spokesmen have frequently quoted Annabelle Bucar's The Truth about American Diplomats, particularly the examples she gives to show that "intelligence agents are sent to the USSR under various guises: as counselors, second and third secretaries, attachés, and even ordinary clerks." Khrushchev's 9 May 1960 remark at the Czechoslovak Embassy exculpating Ambassador Thompson of complicity in the U-2 incident was a benign exception to the general view that there is no cleavage between U.S. diplomats and U.S. espionage.”

Story of a Clairton girl: Annabelle Bucar was born to Clairton resident Ivan Bucar in 1915. He had more than a dozen children most of whom became educated including Annabelle who graduated from Pitt and went into government service. She was sent to the American Embassy in Moscow in 1947 where she worked as a clerk. During her stint in Moscow she met and fell in love with Konstantin Lapshin, a singer in the Opera. They married and had one son. The son tragically was killed in an auto accident. Annabelle and Konstantin lived in Russia together for more than a half century. According to a Clairton resident who spoke to her by phone a decade ago – shortly before her death, she lived in a nice apartment overlooking Red Square. Annabelle lived to age 83. She lost her son to an auto accident long before her death and her husband predeceased her. According to another Clairton resident who lived near the Bucars, Ivan, the father who had immigrated from Croatia, near the Slovene border, had about 8 children when his wife became ill. He brought a girl to the U.S. from Croatia to nurse Mrs. Bucar, but she did not recover and passed away. Ivan married the nurse who had cared for his wife and had more children before his own death. The second wife still lives on and operates the Bucar farm.

Love is a many splendored thing: Although several Clairton residents remember the Bucar family – some remember Annabelle as well, the common reaction I received was, “What a shame she turned against her country.” Others spoke to Annabelle on her few trips back to the States and Clairton. They paint a picture of a girl who fell in love and perhaps followed her heart instead of her head. The policy in Russia at the time was to grant travel visas to only one family member at a time to insure that one would return, knowing that their family might face harm if they did not. Annabelle reportedly purchased items not available in the Soviet Union when she visited her hometown, particularly blue jeans for her son.

The not-so-liberal media: The press of the day excoriated Annabelle. She was accused of being a communist sympathizer if not a communist herself. Keep in mind that those were the days (late 1940s and early 1950s) of the beginning of the Cold War. McCarthyism ran rampant and anybody with a Slavic sounding name was suspect. To have chosen to live in the USSR was a sin the media and many Clairtonians were unable to forgive. If she had found sympathy among a few for being a foolish girl in love, that sympathy was dashed when her book was released. Although nobody to whom I spoke had actually read the book, all seemed to agree that it was nothing but communist propaganda probably written by the KGB. I was most curious about the book so I located a copy in England. It was a most interesting read.

“The Truth about American Diplomats” by Annabelle Bucar. The book is an easy read, only 174 pages in eight chapters. The last two chapters do read as though they might have been written by somebody on the staff of the Ministry of Propaganda within the USSR, but the rest of the book reads like that of an idealistic but disillusioned American State Department worker who was embarrassed and ashamed of the chicanery she witnessed within the American embassy at Moscow. She names names. Boy, does she name names. Loy Henderson, whom she describes as a WW-I draft dodger, was appointed as head of the Embassy. He was given three trainees, George Kennan, Charles Bohlen, and Edward Page as his anti-Soviet lackeys and underlings. After betting (wrongly) that Germany would overrun the Russian troops, Henderson was banished to Iraq, according to Bucar. She also names the following agents as either anti-Soviet or corrupt: Eldbridge Dubrow, Charles Thayer, Frederick Reinhardt, Francis Stevens, Richard Davis, Llewellyn Thompson and John Davies. They are described as bunglers who knew little and spoke poor Russian, rarely left the Embassy, and enriched themselves by buying rubles, gold, and Russian artifacts on the black market then reselling them at obscene profits.

Annabelle is not so naïve to think the OSS (forerunner to the CIA) did not serve a legitimate purpose. She recognizes the value of intelligence work. Her issue was with the State Department and diplomatic agencies that were supposed to have served as diplomats but who were so top heavy with spies and other intelligence workers that diplomacy became a joke. She claims that a core of anti-Soviet holdovers from WW-II formed a clique that ran the American Embassy in Moscow.

Anabelle also praised the free education system of the Soviet Union that rewarded academically inclined students with free education. She reflects on her struggles working and paying her own way through the University of Pittsburgh. She also lauds the medical care she received before, during and after the birth of her son.

Ms. Bucar is now gone, as is her son and her husband and most of those named in her book as corrupt. We will never know if her assessment was accurate or skewed by her love of her adopted country. One thing is sure, however, Annabelle Bucar is one Clairtonian who left her indelible mark on the world.

Thank you and hvala: Some of the Clairtonians who provided insights for this post include Jennie Peterson, Effie Batenich Liptak, Tom Nixon, and Kathy George. Thank you for your efforts in helping to piece together the story of this fascinating woman.

A little blogging music Maestro… “Back in the U.S.S.R.” by The Beatles.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

Helping With the Language Barrier

G-20 Summit to be held in Pittsburgh
(Em guys gonna meet in Pixburg n-at)

A public Service Announcement: Next weekend the so-called G-20 Summit, more formally known as the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, is scheduled to meet in Pittsburgh, PA. The summit will not only have an impact on the city itself but on surrounding communities, known as the Greater Pittsburgh Area. Many residents of the GPA speak colloquially. Therefore, in the interest of Political Correctness, today’s blog will attempt to guide residents of the GPA through some of the vernacular used by outsiders. Today’s blog will translate, paragraph by paragraph, news about the G-20 into Pittsburghese. So if you’re from Pittsburgh, Aspinwall, Baldwin, Beaver, Castle Shannon, Clairton, Crafton, Duquesne, Rankin, Moon, Mars, Swissvale, Coraopolis, Perryopolis or any other GPA location, this post could help you understand the foreigners – both international and New Yorkers - who will invade your Burgh.

Announcement and Press Release: The G-20 has announced it will hold this year’s Summit in the beautiful City of Pittsburgh. The downtown area is located at confluence of the Ohio, Monongahela, and Allegheny Rivers. Weather can be tricky in Pittsburgh this time of year so invitees are encouraged to pack attire appropriate for a sudden chill or a sprinkle of rain. Participants are encouraged to sample the excellent local repast and beverages. Merchants will often prepare sack lunches filled with local delicacies for later consumption.

Da Suits are comin’: A whole bunch of foreign fellas is gonna flap their gums dahn by Point Park, along the Mon, the Ahia, n the Alley-gainey. If yinz go to see ‘em, bring yer babushkas cause it might get chilly er slippy. If the forners ain’t et (jeet yet?) air prolly gonna go ta Pimantis fer a sammich n a Arn City er some pop. Some of ‘em ‘ll buy a chipped ham sammich in a poke fer later.

More information from the G-20 Press Release: Visitors to this area, one of the most beautiful in Pennsylvania, are encouraged to explore. Visit the sights. The South Side is an area of interest with neat homes and unique businesses. The East Liberty area has some fine Italian restaurants. The Strip District with its wholesale area is a local’s delight. As you pass through surrounding communities you might see some local residents sitting on their front porches enjoying life.

If you are fortunate enough to be invited to a home of one of the locals from Moon, Turtle Creek, Slippery Rock, et. al. you might enjoy a local delicacy of skewered pork and veal cubes breaded and fried like chicken, or even a backyard barbecue. Locals drink tap water, not seltzer, and after dinner, plates and utensils are immediately washed. Local pantries are usually well stocked. But don’t just drop in without an invitation or you may be in trouble.

What else the foners ‘ll do: Most of ‘em ain’t been in Pensivania and they’re gonna be nebby. They’ll drive around tahn ‘n at. They’re gonna go see da Sahside, so be sure to redd up. They’re gonna go to Sliberty fer some sgetti. Er they might go dahn by the docks to da Strip. Sit aht on yer stoop to see da strangers.

If you meet one of these ferign fellas, bring him home fer some city chicken er a cookaht in the backyard. Give ‘em water straight from the spiket, n use yer warshrag to redd up the dishes after supper. Show ‘em the food in yer cubbert. But if they try to just pop in, they could be up a crik cause maybe you dittent go ta Foodland or Jynt Iggle yet.

Other highlights of Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh was once known as the Steel City. Their football team is named “Steelers,” even though U.S. Steel, J and L Steel, etc. are gone or now only shadows of their former selves. Take a ride on the streetcars for an hour or so. Be prompt though for if you’re running late, they won’t wait for you. Keep the tickets in a rubber band as souvenirs. Pittsburgh is a safe city. It is not pretentious. The most common dog breed is a mongrel.

More stuff ‘bout the Burgh: Piksburgh still has da Stillers, but Jaynell n at closed dahn. Go on da streecar fer an ahr er so, but if yer late they won’t wait on ya. Put a gummband around the tickets. Don’t be ascared in Picksburg. It ain’t uppity. Most dogs are Heinz 57 n at.

Final note to locals: As you can see, there’s gonna be a whole bunch a strangers in tahn next week – maybe a hunnert thousan. They’ll be driving rented Chiys n at, so be careful if ur on the Bulvard Dallies or da Parkway er in Carnaygee. Use ur blinkers n be as careful as if ur drivin a baby buggy. Don’t be ignernt to em er a jagoff n at. Get some kranz an make some “Welcome” signs. If ur in the park share the sliding board with em. If they sit at ur table in the park, skootch over for em. Maybe even buy em a sno-cone. And don’t let them know you feel sorry for them ‘cause when they get back home they won’t have Klondikes, jumbo sammiches, lightning bugs, jagger bushes, er a decent caach to sit on. They don’t know who Marn Cope was or da Bus and probly never saw Bill Caher coach da Stillers. Listen to yer Mum when she tells you to be nice or you’ll get a lickin. Make sure all da forners go home with good memories. Dats it. Fort Pitt.

A little blogging music Maestro... “Pennsylvania Polka” by Frankie Yankovic.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

A Political Editorial

A POLITICAL STATEMENT
How can you tell when a politician is lying?
His lips are moving

Today we will depart from our usual format and write an editorial about the sad state of our country. I do not profess to be a political scientist. Perhaps I am naïve regarding the give-and-take of political gamesmanship. I was shocked a decade ago when voters of my country elected a president that in my mind was an ex-drunk, ex druggie, millionaire playboy who had accomplished little in his lifetime. Leaders with such qualities are elected in banana republics but not in America, or so I thought. When our country was attacked we lost all reason. Had the administration said we should drop 99 hydrogen bombs on every country east of Germany, they would have had a 99% approval rating. Congressmen from both parties stumbled over themselves to get to vote “Yea” for anything that was proposed in the euphoria that followed the attacks on the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers. So we attacked a sovereign country who had never attacked us, was not a part of the bombing in New York City, and whose vaunted “Republican Guard” spent most of its time with its hands in the air – not giving thanks, but surrendering.

The Administration had no plan, no exit strategy, and not much of a standing army to invade. Thus with grossly inadequate numbers in our standing military our National Guard and Reserve Army were pressed into service. Of those two entities the Guard is designed to help with domestic crises like floods, tornado cleanup and such, and the Reserves are former active duty soldiers on standby. Both groups are weekend warriors with lives far removed from formal military action. Several months later a made-for-TV ad complete with the president flying a fighter jet onto an aircraft carrier and a “Mission Accomplished” banner welcomed him. Yet our troops continued dying and being crippled and our country continued spending billions of dollars into that military black hole for nigh a decade.

The hope of change came with a bright young man not soiled by years in politics who came suddenly on the scene and pledged to counter everything the “ins” were doing wrong. He would focus on the future, not the past, bring our troops home, get rid of the vermin in the nation’s capital who call themselves lobbyists, improve job numbers, and save the nation’s economy, bringing it back from the brink of ruin. Although members of the opposition followed the path that Karl Rove and hatemonger TV and radio pundits blazed, the fresh young voice of hope prevailed and a new leader was elected.

It is now nine months since the election and the new president has accomplished some things. His first 100-day report card showed improvements at Health Care Reform, more open communication, the Department of Transportation approved 2,500 highway projects, a $2,500 tax credit for those seeking a college education was passed as well as energy stimulus and funding for anti-gang initiatives. He engaged world leaders and their populations in an effort for peace, and made strides toward reduction of greenhouse gasses. Those are all good things, of course, but the specter of politics has begun to raise its ugly head.

An astute scholar such as the president should have learned from the blunder of one of his predecessors whose famous line, “Read my lips. No new taxes,” came back to bite him on the buttocks. During the campaign he hammered his opponent on taxing health care benefits but it appears he’ll have to do that, he seems to be backtracking on his anti-NAFTA stance, his pledge of openness and transparency is becoming blurred, and pork barrel projects continue to slip into legislation as easily as before his election. Lobbyists still rule their addicts by keeping them hooked with money. Some of his faux pas might be the politics of survival but no matter how pretty you dress up a pig, teach it to sing or to dance it is still, after all a pig.

I love my country. I’m not one of these ultra-right wingers who say, “My country, right or wrong!” And I’m not one of the blindly fanatic groups that considers themselves ultra-patriotic and claim the U.S.A. is the best country in the world. Quite simply, we aren’t (pause for gasps from the right). From a recent newspaper report: "U.S. Teens Trail Peers Around World on Math-Science Test." Of 30 industrial countries we ranked 16th behind Finland, Japan, Canada, and Korea among others.

The U.S. ranks 34th in infant mortality behind Croatia, Poland, Cuba, and Estonia among others.

Of the world’s 30 richest nations we have the highest percentage of children living in poverty and the most people in prison. We have 5% of the world's population but 24% of the world's prison population.

Overall life expectancy in America ranks behind Australia New Zealand, Canada, Japan, all Western European countries as well as Israel, Greece, Singapore, Costa Rica, and South Korea. We spend twice as much money on health care as any of the 41 countries ahead of us but live shorter lives.

The World Health Organization ranked the U.S. 37th in the world in overall performance of our health care system behind (in order) France, Italy, San Marino, Andorra, Malta, Singapore, Spain, Oman, Austria, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Monaco, Greece, Iceland, Luxemburg, Netherlands, UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden Columbia, Cypress, Germany, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Republics, Israel, Morocco, Finland, Canada, Australia, Chile, Denmark, Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.

We rank 39th in Environmental Performance, 31st in gender gap economic performance, 46th in suicides. We rank behind Denmark and Sweden in technology.

We are not a perfect country. Our leaders have made mistakes and there is no shame in apologizing for those mistakes. I do not purport to be able to solve all our problems, but to my mind this would be a start:

1. Recall all U.S. troops from around the world. The Middle East, Europe, Asia.... bring them all home. The military budget has nearly doubled since 1991 to just under $ 1 TRILLION!
2. Increase the size of the Peace Corps. Export peace around the world instead of war. It is cheaper, more effective, and teaches young people values and thrift as they lead by example.
3. Put the world on notice that we will adopt an Israeli-style defense plan. If Americans anywhere in the world are molested, abused, imprisoned, or tortured, the offending group or country will have 72 hours to make things right or we will unleash a force that will obliterate them. It matters not if the offending country is Iraq, N. Korea, China, Russia, or Mexico. Our goal is peace, but inside our velvet glove is an iron fist with a nuclear warhead.
4. The days of ground troops fighting are behind us. We need to develop more drones that will patrol our interests abroad.

Today we are a country divided and on the brink of bankruptcy. But with a few adjustments we can be on the road to recovery.

A little blogging music Maestro... “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

Don't Cry for me Argentina

“The only vice which cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy. The repentance of a hypocrite is itself hypocrisy.” (Hazlitt)

Do as I say, not as I do: So often life can be summed up in a twisted homily. Do unto others, but do it first… Many are called but few are chosen, many are cold but few are frozen. But there are actual homilies that include Alexander Pope’s, “To err is human, to forgive divine” which is tempered by Mahatma Gandhi’s “Hypocrisy and distortion are passing currents under the name of religion.” What brings these quotes and misquotes to mind today is the recent activities of some elected officials, namely Senator John Ensign and Governor John Sanford and their fellow legislators.

Ensign's designs, Sanford and Sin: First things first. Politicians have a long history of infidelity. In 1884 Grover Cleveland had been elected President when the opposing party developed a motto that underlined an affair that had produced an out-of-wedlock child, “Ma, Ma, where’s my Pa? Gone to the White House, ha, ha, ha.” More recently the same could have been said about presidential hopeful John Edwards who had nearly been nominated but not elected. Bill Clinton’s dalliances provided headlines for months, Idaho Senator Larry Craig is banned from airport bathrooms, Bob Livingston was scheduled to replace Newt Gingrich as Speaker of the House when he was forced to withdraw after being exposed. Newt himself made headlines when he went to the hospital where his wife was recovering from cancer surgery to get her to sign divorce papers so he could marry his mistress. David Vitter’s name was among the list of services provided by a hooker.

Sex lives and private lives: If Newt wants to dilly dally, Vitter prefers hookers, Craig taps to the beat of a different drummer, and Smokin’ Willie has a roving eye, what business is it of ours or any other American as long as these guys do their jobs as elected officials? As far as I’m concerned it isn’t our business unless they’ve broken the law while breaking their vows. But to some who consider themselves the moral police of the world, it seems to make a difference. John Ensign chastised others who have strayed, made an overt vow to honor the sanctity of his marriage including a pledge to never be alone with another woman, and blasted his fellow politicians who have strayed. Ditto Mark Sanford who was the first to call for Bob Livingston’s resignation and that of others who stumbles.

Hypocrisy Caucus: Former Republican senator from Idaho Larry Craig, was embroiled in an airport sex sting operation; Nevada Senator John Ensign suggested if he were in a similar position, “resigning is what I would do” (he lied). When the stain of infidelity marked President Clinton, Ensign was the first member of the Nevada delegation to call for Clinton’s resignation. Florida congressman Mark Foley engaged in inappropriate conduct toward a 16 year-old, male congressional page. Soon, other accusations surfaced and Foley resigned in shame. Oh yes, he also chaired the Congressional Caucus for Missing and Exploited Children. The man who replaced Foley was eventually derailed by his OWN sex scandal. Democrats John Edwards, Elliot Spitzer, and Bill Clinton were each engaged in sex scandals, but they did not devote the better part of their careers claiming moral status above everyone else. In the aftermath of the Lewinsky scandal, Bob Livingston was chosen to replace Newt Gingrich as speaker. But he instead admitted an affair and stepped down. Archconservative Idaho congresswoman Helen Chenoweth who blasted Bill Clinton's infidelity, copped to a six-year affair with a married rancher from her home state. Dan Burton admitted to having an extramarital affair and fathering a child out of wedlock after reporters said they were set to report on it. When confronted by a reporter, former House Judiciary Committee chairman Henry Hyde admitted to having had an extramarital affair. Gary Condit’s affair with an intern became exposed after the girl, Chandra Levy, disappeared. Levy was eventually found dead in a DC’s Rock Creek Park and someone else was charged her murder.

The sharpest dresser in New York: There was no greater New York tabloid story than former cross-dressing New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s high-profile divorce from wife Donna Hanover. She accused him of “notorious adultery,” and Giuliani married girlfriend Judith Nathan. The married-with-children former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevy -- with his wife by his side -- resigned as governor after admitting that he was having a gay affair. Spokane mayor James West who long opposed gay rights bills, was recalled from office after a gay Internet sex scandal and more were revealed. Pennsylvania congressman Don Sherwood lost his House seat after it was revealed that he’d had an extramarital affair with a woman 35 years his junior. She’s called 911 from a closet claiming that he’d choked her. He said he was just giving her a back rub. She won a $500,000 settlement.

Sex oozes from both sides of the aisle: As he was weighing a 2008 presidential run, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich acknowledged an extra-marital affair to the Christian conservative group Focus on the Family. Married San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsome admitted to sleeping with the wife of a top aide. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa admitted to having a secret affair with a TV reporter. Married Louisiana senator David Vitter got caught up in the DC Madam prostitution scandal. Eliot Spitzer who will be remembered as “Client No. 9,” saw the meteoric rise of his career come crashing down after it was revealed he’d spent tens of thousands of dollars on hookers. Soon after assuming office, the man who replaced Spitzer acknowledged that both he and his wife had slept with people other than each other. One-time Democratic shooting star John Edwards admitted to sleeping with a woman his campaign hired to shoot Web videos despite his wife’s very public bout with cancer and his 2008 presidential run. Married former congressman from Staten Island, Vito Fossella, who had three children with his wife, admitted he’d had a secret affair and children with a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel from Virginia. Finally, Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick ended up in jail after he was convicted of lying about a text message/sex scandal.

A little blogging music Maestro... “I Don’t Ever Wanna See You Again” by Uncle Sam.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

Happy Pappy Day

My Computer Can Beat Me At Chess, But Not Kickboxing;
Misc. News

Happy Father’s Day, from your issue: Father’s Day is celebrated in 52 countries and in the U.S. on the third Sunday in June. The first observance of Father's Day is believed to have been held on July 5, 1908 in a church located in Fairmont, West Virginia. However it was not proclaimed a national holiday in the U.S. until 1966. Mother’s Day predates Father’s Day and was also started in West Virginia. In fact, by most accounts, a woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of celebrating Father’s Day while listening to a sermon on Mother’s Day. There are plenty of quotes about fathers but one of my favorites is, "My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." -- Clarence Budington Kelland

Not another Tehranian Square: We Americans are so ego-centric. One reason is probably because our country is so vast but few differences exist amongst us. Compared to differences that exist among residents of say, Russia or China we're almost homogenous. We consider ourselves to be a melting pot but many others around the world see us a homogenous. Our President gave a speech in Cairo recently. Soon after that speech Lebanon elected a western-leaning government. The media immediately began to call the election a result of the “Cairo effect.” Shortly after that Iran had elections and young people protested the announced results. More Cairo effect. President Obama has taken the position that the internal strife in Iran must be handled internally. Many Republicans reacted that we needed to take action and help tilt the election back in the “right direction.” Of course, Iran president Ahmadinejad already accuses the U.S. and other western countries of meddling. An active American reaction would be just the reason needed to send tanks into the street and mimic the tragedy of Tiananmen Square. Our history in that area is not stellar. Memo to those loudmouths calling for U. S. intervention: SHUT UP!

On the other hand, what if: CNN reports: “A 19-year-old woman who was wounded by Iranian paramilitary forces with clubs escaped with her camera and shared her photos with CNN -- after tricking a paramilitary soldier into thinking she had given him the images on a disk.” Fox News reports: “Gunfire Erupts at Iranian Pro-Reform Protests, At Least 1 Killed” Other international news sources have similar reports. But wait! Iran has expelled nearly all journalists and muzzled others. So where do these reports originate? The newest buzzwords on the lips of every news junkie are Facebook, Youtube, Flickr, and Twitter. The media sources all express caution that “these events cannot be verified, but all continue a steady stream of such reporting. Most of it is probably accurate, but what if it isn’t? What if the news from Iran is a well orchestrated hoax perpetrated by young computer geeks? It could happen.

Dumb and dumber – maybe dumbest: A Lincoln Park, Illinois man by the name of Victor Delfi found himself a little short in the cash department. His hastily-laid out plan took him to a local store where he shoplifted a pair of panty hose and pulled them over his head. He then proceeded into the local bank, simulated a gun, demanded and received cash. But the accompanying dye package exploded as he sprinted along his merry way, coating the cash with indelible red ink, making it unspendable. Thus, Victor did not spend it but deposited it into his bank accounts. BUSTED! Another dumb criminal is Floridian James Robert Chapman who deals with child pornography. He works at a hospital where he used the company copy machine to duplicate some child porn then left the originals in the machine. BUSTED. The third police bust is enough to make you say “Son of a Mitsubishi!” Buddies Anthony Gossett and Nicholas Houston dozed off in their car in Athens TN. The officers who happened upon them noticed a good sized bag of some sort of weed on the seat between them. After awakening the two sleeping beauties, the officers searched their car and discovered 26 bags of wacky tobbaccy worth about a grand. BUSTED!

All Nevada news is NOT about gambling: Ok, let’s see if we can get this one done without punning the reader to death. Senator John Ensign (R-NV) is a veterinarian by trade so I guess he could be foxy. His campaign ads always show him hugging puppies, not his own. He has been considered to be a, uh, rising star in GOP national politics. But let’s be affair about this, any human can stumble once – although his quickie romance lasted nine months. As the famous Vegas philosopher Francis Albert Sinatra once said, “The higher the top, the longer the drop.” It seems that the senator and a woman (thank goodness, as he is as anti gay as Idaho Senator Larry Craig) had been carrying on. They were married. Good. Not to each other. Not so good. The well tanned Senator, a Promise Keeper, had once vowed not to be alone with a woman in a car, and who said of the Senator Craig affair that if he were ever in a similar situation, he’d resign. He was. He didn’t. The object of his affection, who had been on his staff saw her hemline and salary rise as the affair continued. Two things that have fallen in this instance are his ego and his approval ratings.

Green with envy: Finally, from the “everybody must do their part” department comes the story of Vermont dairy farmers Tim Maikshilo and Kristen Dellert. In an effort to reduce their cow’s greenhouse gas emissions they added a diet that includes flaxseed, alfalfa, and grasses high in Omega 3 fatty acids. The diet reduces the amount of methane gas that is emitted from the cows when they, uh, expel gas. We will NOT conclude this segment by saying the cow’s carbon footprint is a kick in the...

A little blogging music Maestro... “Price of Gas” by Bloc Party

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

Week on the Beach

ATTENTION INVESTORS AND GARDNERS: What goes down must come up

401K to 201K to #%&K: We are in the beginning of a recession – or is it a depression? Or are we in the middle – or closing in on the end? Remember the recession of the 1980s when the light at the end of the tunnel seemed to be a train coming toward you? So many reports about the health of the economy. So many experts. Of course one sage once said that an ex is a has-been and a spurt is a drip under pressure, so draw your own “expert conclusions. Moody’s Investment Services recently said that despite the burgeoning debt of the USA, we still retain the highest possible credit rating –“AAA.” That means that there seems to be a very good chance that the U.S will be able to pay off its debts eventually. AAA also means that if one of your car’s tires goes flat a guy will come out to change it, so that seems to be a good thing all the way around.

GM now stands for Government Motors: Remember the cry, “Save your Confederate money boys, the South will rise again?” Well the same might be said for stock in General Motors as it has sunk below Bambi’s Daddy. That would be a buck. The wild ride, or parachuting of the GM stock began in 2000 when it climbed close to a Franklin per share (that’s a hundred bucks) but began to swan dive shortly thereafter. However it did a Mexican jumping bean dance for the next several years and finished above $ 40 per share in late 2007. But since then GM seems to have gone the way of roll up side windows and tumbled to a low of 85 cents. Now might be a good time to pick up some of the GM stock, especially if the adage at thee top of the blog holds true.

1,2,3,4 Will they confirm Sotomayor?: Supreme court nominee Sotomayor seems to have been both a needed selection and a brilliant move on the part of President Obama. Although we have looked askance at some of his recent decisions, this one seems to have been right on the money. Of course the nominee is a Latina woman but her credentials are impeccable. In every political decision there must be vetting and opposition – that is how the system works. But political pundits and talking heads from the other party seem to make themselves look ridiculous as they attack phantom issues in an effort to show some level of opposition. We predict that not only Judge Sotomayor be confirmed she will have a distinctive run as Supreme Court Justice.

Maps of Afghanistan are sandpaper: The national bird call in Afghanistan is “Duck.” US soldiers reported killing 34 insurgents in East Afghanistan yesterday. The president says our presence is needed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and many other stans in the neighborhood. Across the globe, the Nut Case of North Korea, Little Kim continues to rattle his bottle rockets scaring the Hell out of his neighbors. One must wonder, “Why are we the only ones upset enough over these world activities to send troops?” We currently have 28,000 troops stationed in South Korea and it is reported that they are preparing for war if needed. Am I the only one who wonders why other superpowers don’t look after their own ‘hoods? Hello! China! Can you hear me? The little nut case poses more a problem to YOU and his Asian neighbors than to the US. Hello! Russia! I know you had the good sense to get out of Afghanistan with your tail between your legs but is this not closer to your neighborhood than to ours?

The future isn’t what it used to be: Future 1 - Football. Tom Brady throws a mean missile and is a Patriot. The New England quarterback’s future however will be determined by how well he recovers from that most dreaded of all football diseases, knee-monia. He missed the entire season last year after a devastating knee injury during the first game. After surgery an infection threatened to end his football career but Brady has a bunch of courage and has returned to practice with teammates. During his glory days he dated the most beautiful models in the world and made a little Brady, but during his rehab he married. Guess it was too hard to run around on one leg.

The future isn’t what it used to be: Future 2 - politics. Its as easy as ABC; All ‘Bout Chicago. Illinois guv Blogo saw the curtain falling on his career about the same time he was to appoint a replacement to finish the Senatorial term of the Barackster. But Babbling Blogo bamboozled Burris to be top banana among a backdrop of balderdash and bluster. A backlash resulted because some saw this as backhanded but Blogo would not budge and Burris would not back down. Burris bade Blogo goodbye and boogied to the badlands of DC faster than a bad check could become a bad debt. Blogo the half-baked bumpkin was left to battle the big boys in his own bailiwick. But unbeknownst to Burris, the FBI was in the basement and with a barrage of double talk they heard him barter and bequeath buckets of bucks to Blogo’s brother. Busted!

The future isn’t what it used to be: Future 3 – Sci Fi. Although we are surrounded by the wonders of technology more or less predicted by Jules Verne, Dick Tracy, and Star Trek, some shortcomings still exist. Namely, traffic free cities, pollution free environments and Jet Packs have yet to appear on the scene. The patent office does not yet need to close for those who imagine items of the future still have plenty to work on including teleporting (Beam me up, Scotty), clean renewable energy, and that doggone jet pack. Live long and prosper.

A little blogging music Maestro… “Another Day in Paradise” by Phil Collins.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

A Flood of Tears and Dollars

A Tale of Two Cities – Clairton and Johnstown

It was the best of times, it is the worst of times: With apologies to Charles Dickens, let me tell you about my hometown; Clairton, PA. As you browse through past posts about Clairton you will see that it has a rich history. The area was originally settled by various Indian tribes, and then farmed under patents from the British and was later the site of the Whisky Rebellion. Industry began to creep in during the latter 19th century with a piano factory, a baling wire factory, a glass factory and other manufacturing plants. Since Clairton sits on the Monongahela River it was an attractive location for factories to receive their raw materials and ship their finished products using the nation’s original interstate highway system – the rivers of the area. In the early 20th century the steel industry discovered Clairton and surrounding communities and giant steel mills were built along the rivers. Clairton grew and thrived. Fortunes were made by a few and a good life was enjoyed by many as the mills paid the bulk of local taxes. The City of Clairton had state-of-the-art police and fire equipment and the schools generated first-generation Americans, African Americans, and Anglo Americans who went on to college and made their marks on the world. Many have been highlighted in earlier posts.

The Worst of times: With the decline of the steel industry Clairton began to not only lose jobs and its tax base from the mills, but many of those bright, promising young people who left for college and the military, opted to not return. As the older generation began to die off the hopelessness of a poor economy enticed younger ones with the usual sinister issues of substance abuse, crime, and more feelings of hopelessness. Downtown business closed and a thriving community that once boasted as many as 12 new car dealerships, three movie theaters, and some of the most elegant homes in the area began to crumble – literally. A few hearty souls continue to try to restore Clairton to some semblance of its former glory, but it has been a difficult task. But then there came a glimmer of hope!

Pennsylvania Turnpike Highway Route 43: Route 43 is often referred to as the Mon-Fayette Expressway although it is officially named the James J. Manderino Highway. It was named after the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, who died in 1989. Route 43 is a 66 mile leg of the Pennsylvania Turnpike system that is designed to go from I-68 near Morgantown WVA to I-376 in Pittsburgh. The highway has been mostly completed up to Route 51 in Jefferson Hills near the edge of Clairton, but the funding for the last segment seems to have dried up. The reason that final leg is so important to Clairton residents is that once that it is completed, Clairton becomes attractive as a bedroom community to young professionals who work in Pittsburgh. The 20-30 minute commute will offer the low taxes and unbelievably low housing prices. Clairton is a place where a home can be purchased for less than the price of a car! Where might those funds have gone? Let’s look 85 miles to the east.

The Great Johnstown Flood: In a few days the village of Johnstown, PA, 85 miles east of Clairton, will mark the 120th anniversary of the Great Johnstown Flood. That flood killed more than 2,000 people and caused $ 17 million in property damage. The more recent flood came as the result of a powerful politician by the name of John Murtha – but this time the area became awash in dollars rather than floodwaters. Murtha, a powerful Democrat from Johnstown decided his community needed an airport upgrade and did he ever get one! Using ten times the amount of money caused by damage from the Great Johnstown Flood, Murtha, known as “The King of earmarks” was able to upgrade the sleepy Cambria County airport – which was recently renamed the John Murtha Johnstown Cambria County Airport. (The sign in front of the airport shows the Murtha name much larger than the airport name)

A Study in Earmark Money: The Murtha airport is located about 2 hours by car, or 12 minutes by commercial jet from the Greater Pittsburgh International Airport. If a Hertz car rental is needed at Murtha, one must phone the agent in Johnstown, who will deliver the keys. In the past decade the airport has received over $150 million including money for a $7 million control tower (staffed by FAA controllers of course), a $14 million hangar that mostly sits empty, and an $18 million reinforced runway that can accommodate any commercial plane that flies America’s skies.

A place to explore: At 10 a.m. on a recent morning, one of the busiest times at most airports, not a passenger could be found at Murtha. Sometime later four passengers wandered in and passed easily through the seven-person TSA security line en route to board one of the three daily flights – all to Washington D.C. Each passenger’s ticket price is subsidized with matching funds. An average of 20 people per day cost the government about $2,000 daily for those subsidies. A recent Washington Post article reported, “Inside the terminal on a recent weekday, four passengers lined up to board a flight, outnumbered by seven security staff members and supervisors, all suited up in gloves and uniforms to screen six pieces of luggage. For three hours that day, no commercial or private planes took off or landed. Three commercial flights leave the airport on weekdays, all bound for Dulles International Airport.” Oh, by the way, in case you wonder where some of your stimulus money is going, $800,000 of it went to pave a backup runway at Murtha’s airport.

Highways vs. Skyways: Rep. Murtha uses the airport frequently during his campaign jaunts between home and Washington. It must be important to him to have high tech radar, the type of which is usually only placed in international airports, inside the brand new state-of-the-art tower. He is a large man, so perhaps it is important to have a restaurant in that new terminal, a full contingent of security guards, supervisors, carousels and related luggage equipment. Communities such as Clairton and others along the proposed Route 43 continue to languish without funds for the completion of their highway. They come to the table in sackcloth and ashes and like the orphan Oliver Twist they beg for just a little more. Meanwhile, 85 miles away, some 20 passengers per day walk through a luxurious, fully staffed airport and select one of three nearly empty airliners with leather seats and full amenities that will take them to the Nation’s Capital. Johnstown got the pork. Clairton got the beans

A little blogging music Maestro.... “Pork and Beans” by Weezer.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

Open Letter to President Obama

A partial Solution to the Budget/Economic Crisis

Dear President Obama:

I’m not as smart as many of your current appointees but I may be a little smarter than some from the previous administration. I’m just an American, grandson of four immigrants whose legacy helped build this country and whose sons and grandsons fought to protect it, bled for it, and worked to improve it.

Somehow, sometime after the Korean conflict, we seemed to have lost our way in America. A cancer began to creep into our culture. People lauded the Great Society but did not realize that with greatness comes responsibility. We began to expect things – social security was designed as a supplement but became the primary source of income for many retirees. Welfare programs designed to give people a temporary boost became the primary source of income for multiple generations. As the government began to assist people, too many started to feel entitled to the help and many churches and benevolent organizations pulled away from their responsibility to help their fellow man. We as a nation grew to be less dependent on each other and to feel less responsibility for each other. The era of responsibility continued to slide until we no longer took responsibility for our own needs.

The wealthy felt entitled to tax cuts. Businessmen felt entitled to government contracts. Suppliers of goods and services felt entitled to top dollar regardless of quality. The middle class felt entitled to rich work contracts complete with lifetime health benefits and guaranteed retirement funding. The poor felt entitled to the various forms of welfare to which they had become addicted. Everybody felt entitled. Nobody felt responsible. The recipe for financial disaster had been written and needed only time to run up huge mortgage Ponzi schemes, housing bubbles, stock market returns built on what corporations refer to as “blue sky,” and hospitals that charged hundreds of dollars for a single aspirin or other items available for pennies in a regular grocery store.

The Health care system became bloated. Doctors ceased to become physicians and became corporations who limited the time with patients according to insurance company dictates and cut corners for maximum profits. Health care became a misnomer, for only the tiniest portion of manpower and time was devoted to patient care. The vast majority was spent filling out insurance forms, meeting with drug salespeople, and taking part in outside business enterprises. The patient became the least of the concern of the medical profession, inc.

Schools which once produced students who were the envy of the world now have dropout rates that often surpass 50% and those who do complete their education rank at the bottom among graduates from so-called first-world countries. Parents sue teachers because their children are entitled to “A” grades regardless of the level at which they achieve. Teachers are pressured to have their students score at certain levels on standardized tests regardless of abilities, lest the school fail to meet “Adequate Yearly Progress.” Disruptive students are required to attend class with their peers who want to learn. Classrooms are bursting at the seams with overcrowding and budget cuts threaten to exacerbate the situation.

Much noise has been made of the billions of dollars that have been spent in support of a war that has been fought largely by the 21st century equivalent of Hessian soldiers; that is, “security forces” such as those supplied by Blackwater and other favored corporations, often with no-bid contracts and frequently with little oversight of either where money is spent or the behavior of the non-military combat security.

So here you are Mr. President. A few months into your term and so many problems dumped into your lap. You have offered plans which have been lauded by some and attacked by others. However it must be noted that those who would attack your plans do not offer viable alternatives. You have asked the public as well as some of the greatest minds in the country to offer suggestions. I cannot offer a panacea to the problems or even a plan for more than one issue at a time, so I will take a stab at how we might jump help the economy.

According to globalsecurity.org, U.S. troops are located in nearly 130 countries around the world. Some of the deployments have lasted 50 years or so. More than 150,000 American troops are posted in Germany, South Korea, and Japan. Another 25,000 or so are stationed in Italy and Britain and miscellaneous other countries for a total of about 200,000 troops in Europe and Asia and another 200,000 or so in Iraq. Our “peacetime” budget for American troops, mostly abroad, exceeds half a trillion dollars per year. In case you are unable to grasp that figure, let me write it out: 500,000,000,000.

Every troop worldwide must be fed, clothed, and housed. Local foreign economies worldwide thrive on the commerce brought to them by our troops and of course, ultimately the taxpayers. During WW-II soldiers cooked, cleaned, and were generally self sufficient. No longer. Nearly everything needed to support a large contingency of soldiers is outsourced, with contracts often going to favored companies and many times with no competitive bid required. When all contingencies are added in the half-trillion dollars spent annually increases dramatically.

According to a Heritage Foundation blurb, “Many of our installations in Germany and South Korea are remnants from a bygone era. For example, Yongsan Army Garrison in downtown Seoul was built by the colonial Japanese army long before World War II. Tank and artillery ranges where our forces train in Germany were first used by the Bavarian army more than 100 years ago. Today, these training areas are wholly inadequate to accommodate the extended reach of our current generation of weapons and the rapid pace of modern maneuver warfare.”

Many foreign bases do not support our mission and some countries are openly hostile to our troops being stationed in their country. Imagine how you would feel if Chinese or Russian troops were posted on our soil. But costs do not end with the keeping of bases on foreign soil. For those in combat, additional costs are incurred for material and arms destroyed, soldier deaths, and injuries which often require treatment for the rest of the life of the afflicted veteran.

So Mr. President, my suggestion is to start by reviewing all the antiquated policies. Your G-20 trip might be a good time to start. Just because U.S. troops “have always been there” does not mean they must always be there. We are the most powerful nation in the world, but not the only one. We must maintain a strong army on alert in the event of attack, but we are not the world’s policemen. Bring home most of our men and women from around the world. End the U.S. combat involvement in Iraq and if you must do so temporarily, keep the required number of non-combat troops in Afghanistan. Those actions alone would pay for upgrading our education system and infrastructure. Continue to rework the moribund health system, and to the persistent naysayers, who go off hourly like a cuckoo clock, ignore them.

I’ll close with a musical suggestion:

A little blogging music Maestro… “Time to Say Goodbye,” by Andrea Bocelli

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

Of Hometowns, Politics, and Basketball

A Weekend Wasted isn’t a Wasted Weekend

Clairton Bits of Tid: We have written about our hometown in the past, mostly about the heyday of the 1950s when the steel mills paid hefty property taxes which in turn allowed the community to thrive and prosper and pretend they were uppity, although they knew they were humble. Then as every boom turns to bust so did the steel making industry in the U.S. With the property taxes from the mill no longer a source of income personal property taxes were unable to fill the gap. Civil services were sliced and diced until at one point Clairton could not even maintain its own police force and the county assumed those duties. The brain trust that left to attend college settled elsewhere in jobs nad professions not sustainable in Clairton. The City withered.

Some chose to stay and fight: Many second, third, and even fourth generation Clairtonians stood valiantly against the coming times as business closed and population dwindled. But the pride of the Clairton Bears and its athletic teams continued to fight on as though the ghost of Ken Stilley, Jim Kelly, Andy Berchock, Judge Dickson, and the many other football stars cheered them on. The team overcame odds as CHS repeatedly whipped opponents whose schools were larger. Their economy might be dying but their hearts are strong. But that damn economy!

Few bad mortgages here: As the housing bubble burst in other parts of the country, toxic mortgage loans in Clairton were nearly nonexistent for their values had sunk to prices considerably less than the price of a new car years earlier. My good friend and former CHS classmate Dr. Ron recently sent me a newspaper clipping that summarized housing values in Clairton and surrounding communities. In 2007 Elizabeth Borough and Glassport, just across the river from Clairton the median price for homes were $ 54,000 and $ 38,000 respectively, while the mean price of a home in Clairton was $ 19,000. In 2008 Elizabeth Borough median housing price rose to $ 58,000 while Clairton’s median price dropped to $ 16,500, or 25% less than a used Honda. With housing at such levels, and some beautiful, well kept homes in Clairton, I would not be surprised for a renaissance in housing as the economy grows.

Ah, March Madness: This was a near-perfect weekend. Plenty of good college basketball filled the television screen. We celebrated my goddaughter’s fortieth birthday, a good friend’s sixtieth, and a neighbor’s eightieth. Most of those near and dear to my heart have employment, and college basketball dominated the weekend. Of course all my teams did not win thus I didn’t win any pools, but the weather was nice. And, oh yes, my federal income taxes have been filed. My 401K sucks. Probably should have invested my money in a Ponzi scheme. But life is good overall. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Wrath of Basketball Gods: March Madness is a phrase that probably very few jocks or basketball fans know is borrowed from the Bard. That’s Shakespeare’s Hamlet for those of you who were absent that day. Not to be confused with his Julius Caesar who was told to “Beware of the Ides of March.” That refers to March 15, 44 B.C. the date Caesar was murdered. So Sunday was the 2,053nd anniversary of his death. But for fans today is the last day for amateur bracketologists to try to figure out which teams will advance to the NCAA Big Dance. As usual the cigar-chewing fat and pompous cats from the NCAA loaded up on conference favorites – as many as 7 per, and largely ignored those who happen to be out of the Eastern Standard time slot. Also, with all the talk about saving money and energy by keeping teams close to their home campus.... not so much.

Need some new material: The past eight years have been heaven for talk show hosts, pundits, and others that make fun of politicians. One of the lines about former President Bush was that he received a memo that 2 Brazilian soldiers were injured in a skirmish. His response was, “How many is a Brazillion?” Well, the never-ending circulation of opposition emails by the Bushies has taken a page from that spoof and decided to attribute it to President Obama. The joke was that Obama didn’t know the difference between a trillion and a Brazilian. It had something to do with the bailout but the joke fell flat. Let’s face it; Democrats are better at partying, joking and having a good time and Republicans are better at being corporate. When they try to invade each others territory neither does it well.

Material for the Republican jokesters: Ok, let me try to help the Republicans out: AIG was able to justify the $ 165 million in bonuses because they just made $ 170 billion – in bailout money. Iowa Senator suggested AIG execs should follow the Japanese model and either resign and apologize or commit hara-kiri (suicide). Fellow Republicans thought he’d given them too many choices. AIG promised to use some of the bailout money for a public works project. They plan to build a big toilet to flush the rest of the money down. After several setbacks for Cabinet appointments, Obama is going for a safe bet to head the Food and Drug Administration; Rush Limbaugh. The hardcore Southern Conservative Republicans are said to be searching their grandfather’s trunks for confederate money. There is talk that the cost of books in the George W. Bush library could exceed $ 30.President Bush has made the transition to ranch smoothly but Dick Cheney is having a hard time not being president any longer. AIG is changing its name to AICG fos “All I can Get.” Nancy Pelosi and J. Edgar Hoover wear the same style of dress. America now has its first minority president and first vice president with hair plugs.

Before today’s curtain drops: I have a friend who boasts that he was living with a cute girl for several months – until she realized he was there. Reader Sandra admits she has a short fuse. She wonders if you choke a smurf, what color will it become? Then there was my friend Pete who was such a sadist he refused to beat a masochist. Ok, ok, that’s enough for today.

A little blogging music Maestro... “Basketball Jones,” featuring Tyrone Shoelaces.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

Where Have All the Republicans Gone?

Fair and Balanced

We have frequently discussed the issue of partisanship in politics and the importance of setting it aside to give the president a chance to heal the country. Pastor and author Frank Shaeffer, a former lock step Republican, has written a letter to his peers. I was so moved that I offer it to you:

An open letter to Republicans from Frank Schaeffer:

"You Republicans are the arsonists who burned down our national home. You combined the failed ideologies of the Religious Right, so-called free market deregulation and the Neoconservative love of war to light a fire that has consumed America. Now you have the nerve to criticize the "architect" America just hired -- President Obama -- to rebuild from the ashes. You do nothing constructive, just try to hinder the one person willing and able to fix the mess you created.

I used to be one of you. As recently as 2000 I worked to get Senator McCain elected in that year's primary. (McCain and Gen. Tommy Franks wrote glowing endorsements regarding my book about military service, AWOL.). I have a file of handwritten thank you notes from Presidents Ford, Reagan, Bush I and II. In the 1970s and early 80s I hung out with Jack Kemp and bought into his "supply side" myth and even wrote a book he endorsed pushing his ideas.) There's more, but take it from me; my parents (evangelical leaders Francis and Edith Schaeffer) and I were about as tight with -- and useful to -- the Republican Party as anyone. We played a big part creating the Religious Right.

In the mid 1980s I left the Religious Right, after I realized just how very anti-American they are, (the theme I explore in my book Crazy For God). They wanted America to fail in order to prove they were right about America's "moral decline." Soon after McCain lost in 2000 I re-registered as an independent in disgust with W. Bush. But I still respected many Republicans. Not today.

How can anyone who loves our country support the Republicans now? Barry Goldwater, William F. Buckley and Ronald Reagan defined the modern conservatism that used to be what the Republican Party I belonged to was about. Today no actual conservative can be a Republican. Reagan would despise today's wholly negative Republican Party. And can you picture the gentlemanly and always polite Ronald Reagan, endorsing a radio hate-jock slob who crudely mocked a man with Parkinson's and who now says he wants an American president to fail?!

With people like Limbaugh as the loudmouth image of the Republican Party -- you need no enemies. But something far more serious has happened than an image problem: the Republican Party has become the party of obstruction at just the time when all Americans should be pulling together for the good of our country. Instead, Republicans are today's fifth column sabotaging American renewal.

President Obama has been in office barely 45 days and the Republican Party has the nerve to blame him for the economic and military cataclysm he inherited. I say economic and military cataclysm because without the needless war in Iraq you all backed we would not be in the economic mess we're in today. If that money had been spent here at home on renovating our infrastructure, taking us toward a green economy, putting our health-care system in order we'd be a very different situation.
As the father of a Marine who served in George W. Bush's misbegotten wars let me say this: if President Obama's strategy to repair our economy, infrastructure and healthcare fails that will put our troops at far greater risk because the world will become a far more dangerous place. So for all you flag-waving Republicans who are trying to undermine the President at home -- if you succeed more of our troops will be killed abroad.

When your new leader Rush Limbaugh calls for President Obama to fail he's calling for more flag-draped coffins. Limbaugh is the new "Hanoi Jane."

For the party that created our crises of misbegotten war, mismanaged economy, the lack of regulation of our banking industry, handing our country to rich crooks... to obstruct the one person who is trying to repair the damage is obscene.

Just imagine where America would be today if the 14 to 20 million voters -- "the rube base" who slavishly follow the likes of Limbaugh -- had not voted as a block year after year thus empowering the Republican fiasco. We would have a regulated banking industry and would have avoided our current financial crisis; some 4000 of our killed military men and women would be alive; over to 35,000 wounded Americans would be whole; we would have been leaders in the environmental movement; we would be in the middle of a green technology boom fueling a huge expansion of our economy and stopping our dependence on foreign oil, and our health-care system would be reformed.

After Obama was elected, you Republican leaders had a unique last chance to send a patriotic message of unity to the world -- and to all Americans. You could have backed our president's economic recovery plan. Since we all know that half of our problem is one of lost confidence and perception, nothing would have done more to calm the markets and project resolve and confidence than if you had been big enough to take Obama's offered hand and had work with him -- even if you disagreed ideologically. You had the chance to put our country first. You utterly failed to rise to the occasion.

The worsening economic situation is your fault and your fault alone. The Republicans created this mess through 8 years of backing the worst president in our history and now, because you put partisan ideology ahead of the good of our country, you have blown your last chance to redeem yourselves. You deserve the banishment to the political wilderness that awaits all traitors."

Frank Schaeffer is the author of CRAZY FOR GOD-How I Grew Up As One Of The Elect, Helped Found The Religious Right, And Lived To Take All (Or Almost All) Of It Back.

A little blogging music Maestro, "Wake Up Little Suzie" by the Everly Brothers.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

Look Before You Leap

Your Hard-Earned Money

Buddy can you spare a dime: There is no question that we are living in troubled financial times. Everybody is hurting including charities. Everybody is looking for ways to enhance their dwindling income stream so it is not unusual to see a plethora of advertisements in both snail mail and your inbox as well as requests for donations to charities that you may or may not have heard of. The question becomes not only, “Do I still have discretionary income to share?” but also, “Where is my hard earned money going and how well will it be used?” My good friend and regular kibitzer Myron forwarded me a copy of a list of charities and their ratings. In the interest of community service I offer the information to my blog readers with a thank you to Myron.

Read and Learn: The American Institute of Philanthropy, a leading charity watchdog, issued a report card for 29 veterans and military charities. Letter grades were based largely on the charities' fundraising costs and the percentage of money raised that was spent on charitable activities. The charities that received failing grades are preceded by an asterisk (*).

Air Force Aid Society (A+)

*American Ex-Prisoners of War Service Foundation (F)

*American Veterans Coalition (F)

*American Veterans Relief Foundation (F)

*AMVETS National Service Foundation (F)

Armed Services YMCA of the USA (A-)

Army Emergency Relief (A+)

Blinded Veterans Association (D)

Disabled American Veterans (D)

*Disabled Veterans Association (F)

Fisher House Foundation (A+)

*Freedom Alliance (F)

*Help Hospitalized Veterans/Coalition to Salute America's Heroes (F)

Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (A+)

*Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation (F)

National Military Family Association (A)

*National Veterans Services Fund (F)

National Vietnam Veterans Committee (D)

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (A+)

*NCOA National Defense Foundation (F)

*Paralyzed Veterans of America (F)

Soldiers' Angels (D)

United Spinal Association' s Wounded Warrior Project (D)

USO (United Service Organization) (C+)

Veterans of Foreign Wars and Foundation (C-)

Veterans of the Vietnam War & the Veterans Coalition (D)

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (D)

*VietNow National Headquarters (F)

World War II Veterans Committee (D)

Additional information is available at: http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/veterans.html

Congressional Hearings on the matter: In a statement before congress, Daniel Borochoff, President, American Institute of Philanthropy, Chicago, Illinois testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Hearing on Veterans Charities. His remarks can be found at the following web site along with the ratings: http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20071213131834.pdf

Among other things, the rating chart shows fund raising costs per $100 raised for each charity.

Americans gave millions of dollars in the past year to veterans charities designed to help troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, but several of the groups spent relatively little money on the wounded, according to a leading watchdog organization and federal tax filings.

Eight veterans charities, including some of the nation's largest, gave less than a third of the money raised to the causes they champion, far below the recommended standard, the American Institute of Philanthropy says in a report. One group passed along 1 cent for every dollar raised, the report says. Another paid its founder and his wife a combined $540,000 in compensation and benefits last year, a Washington Post analysis of tax filings showed.

Richard H. Esau Jr., executive director of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation, based in Annandale , said the cost of fundraising limits how much his group can spend on charitable causes. 'Do you have any idea how much money it costs to advertise? It's unbelievable the amount of money it takes to advertise in the print and electronic media,' he said. 'I'm very proud of what we do, and we certainly do look after everybody. The point is we do the right thing by veterans.'

Borochoff said many veterans charities are 'woefully inefficient, ' spending large sums on costly direct-mail advertising. 'They over-solicit. They love to send out a lot of trinkets and stickers and greeting cards and flags and things that waste a lot of money that they get little return on,' said Borochoff, who plans to testify before Congress today.

The philanthropy institute gave F's to 12 of the 29 military charities
reviewed and D's to eight. Five were awarded A-pluses, including the Fisher House Foundation in Rockville, which the institute says directs more than 90 percent of its income to charitable causes.

One group received an A, and one received an A-minus.

Jim Weiskopf, spokesman for Fisher House, said the charity does not use direct-mail advertising. 'As soon as you do direct mail, your fundraising expenses go up astronomically, ' he said.

One egregious example, Borochoff said, is Help Hospitalized Veterans, which was founded in 1971 by Roger Chapin, a veteran of the Army Finance Corps and a San Diego real estate developer. The charity, which provides therapeutic arts and crafts kits to hospitalized veterans, reported income of $71.3 million last year and spent about one-third of that money on charitable work, the philanthropy institute said.

In its tax filings, Help Hospitalized Veterans reported paying more than $4 million to direct-mail fundraising consultants. The group also has run television advertisements featuring several celebrities.

Our military service people are considered the most hallowed of nearly any profession in America. Many are called, some volunteer, but they all serve their country, often placed in harm’s way. The numbers who sacrifice their lives is tragic, but the numbers who return home in need of medical services and rehabilitation is staggering. Many of the organizations listed above began with good intentions but too often as small groups become successful they turn into bureaucracies, often becoming unwieldy and top heavy with administrative costs. The reprint of the above information is an effort to encourage continued giving to worthy charities, but also to do your due diligence before giving away money to organizations that would use it for purposes other than those you intended.

A little blogging music Maestro... “Battle Hymn of the Republic” played by John Phillip Sousa.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

Stand Together or Hang Separately

The Party of NO! A Nation of Can’t

A brief presidential history: Whether or not it is deserved the pundits who make their living reporting and commenting on politics have tagged the Republican Party with the moniker, “The Party of No.” It is true that currently the Republican Party is in disarray. Like any culture the American culture is a living, breathing entity that grows and changes as it matures. When I travel through Europe, the Middle East and Asia I see paintings, buildings and artifacts that are older than our country. In modern America – that is, the America many of us living here can remember, the post World War was given Hell by Harry then decided that they liked Ike who campaigned on a platform of “Korea, Communism, and Corruption.” Ike coasted to a second victory in 1956. Ike’s heir apparent and vice president Tricky Dick lost a squeaker to young, brash Jack Kennedy. In ’64 the country went all the way with LBJ and in ’68 Nixon was the one to dump the Hump.

More on presidents: Nixon won in ’72 and by his side was VP Agnew. Nixon’s liberal economic policies and Watergate plumbers stopped him up in ’74. He drove away leaving a Ford behind. Mr. Peanut removed the Ford from office in ’76 and The Gipper returned the favor in 1980 then stomped on Wally’s world in ’84. In 1988 GHWB continued the stomping, but in 1992 Willie slickly slid into home and stayed there in ’96. “W” or as his opponent’s called him, “King George II” held the next two terms until the current president changed the complexion of politics.

To change or not to change, that is the question: While the Democrats were taking a thrashing on the national scene the Republicans were riding high. Their nerdy brain trust discovered strategies that worked. White males, who had dominated the party, discovered strength in electing politicians from the buckle of the Bible Belt. The Republicans were like big American cars with powerful engines that arrogantly kicked aside all comers. They became NASCAR both literally and figuratively. They were untouchable – until they were touched.

Desperately Seeking Swagger: Democrats tried to rip a page from their opponent’s book by running a Tennessee Stud in Al Gore. He didn’t even carry his home state. Then they tried running a war hero but he was shot down in flames by the nerdy brain trust. Finally, almost by accident they nominated a candidate who was right for the time. But the new president inherited social and economic problems on a scale not seen in this country since before World War II. The problems are reflected in countries worldwide and the president has put forth plans designed to address them. As the old country and western song says, “That’s where your heartaches begin.”

Blood, toil, sweat, and tears: Our country is young but it has been faced with many crises in its brief history. The very birth of our nation was a struggle of overwhelming odds with England – the world’s foremost power of the day – determined to keep America as one of her colonies. “The sun never sets on the English Empire” was the slogan of the day and she wanted to keep it that way. But the Americans stood side by side and fought seemingly insurmountable odds before earning the young country’s first victory. From Independence to the War of 1812 the new Americans struggled with their identity. They feared contamination from the old world and proceeded with cautious optimism. All parties stood as one and shaped this great country. When Britain became heavy handed with the young country, the United States of America declared war on Britain in 1812. Once again the odds favored Britain but once again Americans stood united and defeated their foe. The country threatened to implode over the slavery issue in the mid-19th century and the civil war saw the nation hang by a thread, but again America overcame the crisis and in the mix a coast-to-coast railroad was built.

Our country has weathered many other crises. The economic collapse of the late 19th century, World Wars I and II, the Great Depression, and the 9/11 attacks to name a few. But each time the country emerged stronger than it had been before the crisis and each time it had done so because Americans stood side by side and, to paraphrase a line from our president’s campaign speeches, we did so not because we had a red America and a blue America, but we did so as the United States of America.

All we are saying is give him a chance: We must once again become Americans first and Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and other political parties second. The president has put forth a plan to try to repair the damage and heal the ills that have accumulated over the past decades of excesses. The plan put forth may or may not work, but it stands even less a chance of being successful with so many Americans spewing vitriol rather than constructive criticism.

The secretary of State is currently on a world tour trying, among other goals, to get nations to lay down their arms against other nations and attempt to talk productively. That very philosophy must be applied to our own backyard if we are to survive this economic crisis, healthcare crisis, home mortgage crisis, energy crisis, and related crises. To hear Hannity, Maher, Limbaugh, Olberlin, O’Reilly et. al. spew forth daily with their half truths, and propaganda without ever offering a constructive alternative plan is divisive, not uniting. To see Republicans vote in a solid bloc, 100% no without reviewing, digesting, and offering viable alternatives is to push the goal of mending this country’s crises farther away.

Unite, but don’t become a zealot: The nation is in a peril the magnitude of which has been rarely seen in our country’s history. However, each time we have faced crises in the past we have stood together as Americans and overcome them. That is the constant – unity. We must stand together in these troubled times if we are to overcome them. We must support our country’s leaders and make it work as we have in the past. We must not attack the ideas put forth simply because they come from members of “the other” political party. But neither should we blindly follow. Just as success requires unity so does it require checks and balances. Our president is a brilliant man with a good heart, but he is not, as some might say, the messiah nor is he infallible. I implore those on both sides of the aisle to review and offer constructive suggestions and criticisms where they are merited. But the Hatfield and McCoy type sniping must stop. Only then do we have a chance to remain “One nation under God indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

A little blogging music Maestro... “This is My Country” with words by Don Raye and music by Al Jacobs.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

A Nation of Snipers

WE’VE BECOME A NATION OF SNIPERS

What’s wrong with America: We have become a nation of snipers, whiners, and bellyachers. How quickly we have fallen from the America that stood together as one after the 9/11 attacks on our country. We stood tall in that great time of crisis with strangers helping strangers and the good of the country placed ahead of the need of individuals. Heroes came forward on some of the doomed flights and on the ground. We helped our neighbors who were harmed or even inconvenienced by the tragedy. We rallied behind our president and leaders. Before that during the 1950s we banded together to become the champions of the world in everything. Seems that everybody with any entrepreneurial spirit fought, clawed, or swam their way to the greatest country in the world.

Before that it was the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor that awakened that giant of American knowhow summed up in the Navy Seabees motto, “Can do.” But that was before cable television, and talk radio and Rupert Murdoch style journalism that discovered the disease of “demean and attack and they (listeners and viewers) will come.” Examples of what is wrong with America are legion.

Strasburg, Illinois: Strasburg has been hit hard by the recent economic turmoil. So when their school district needed a new electric sign the booster club raised funds to buy it and local volunteers erected it at no cost to the school district. So why is that wrong? Seems the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) are charged with enforcing the state’s Prevailing Wage Act which states, “laborers, workers and mechanics employed on public works construction projects [must be paid] no less than the general prevailing rate of wages (consisting of hourly cash wages plus fringe benefits) for work of a similar character in the county where the work is performed.” That means those who volunteered their time, including members of the sign company, were lawbreakers? Makes one wonder how the volunteer programs that are part of President Obama’s recovery plan will work in Illinois.

The opinions expressed here…: From the floor of the stock exchange CNBC reporter Rick Santelli went on a rant that included the following statements, “The government is promoting bad behavior,” as well as “How many of you people want to pay for your neighbor's mortgage that has an extra bathroom and can't pay their bills?” This was followed by a floor trader who yelled, “How 'bout we all stop paying our mortgage? It's a moral hazard.”

Talk show host Rush Limbaugh recently stated, “Trying to understand (a member from the opposing party) is like trying to understand a murderer or rapist.” Time’s magazine listed 25 people to blame for the Financial Crisis.” Columnist Ann Coulter stated that talk show host Chris Matthews, “…wants to have sex with (President) Obama.” Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann claimed that Barack Obama and his wife Michelle held anti-American views and couldn't be trusted in the White House.

Right to free speech: Of course the very rants, raves, off-the-wall expressions, and hate comments expressed above, along with hundreds of others are protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution and that is how it should be. Thus my opinion that we have become a nation of crybabies and whiners, ala Sean Hanity and his ilk, and bullies, ala Bill O’Reilly and his ilk, is equally protected. It is not even that those mentioned above say the things they do, as much of it is shtick and designed to gain market share among listeners. But what concerns me is the million of sheep-like followers who proudly, as in the case of Limbaugh, even refer to themselves as “Dittoheads.” In other words, they do not bother thinking for themselves, but simply parrot the words of the loudest, most outrageous comments made by their icon. As an undergraduate student at one of America’s most conservative universities nearly a half century ago I used to listen in amazement as we were repeatedly told that “There will be wars and rumors of wars…” (Okay, that is so at any period in history and in any country in the world, so that was an easy one), and “…the constitution will hang by a thread,” (I’m still not sure what that one means), and “…the country will collapse without a shot being fired,” (that one seems to be the scariest of the homilies).

What’s right with America: One of the very liberties that we enjoy in this country, perhaps the one I hold most dear, is our right to free expression. So unlike those on the far right of the political continuum I count freedom of speech and expression as two of the most sacred issues that are among those that are right with America. In my previous post I cited areas in which the U.S. of A. is not the champion of the world. But despite the economic collapse – which is worldwide, not just within our chores, our economy is almost as big as the next four largest economies on Earth - Japan, Germany, China and Great Britain combined! If California were a country, its economy would rival that of France. Illinois has the same GDP as all of Mexico. New York matches the entire GDP of Brazil. Florida's economy is as large as South Korea's. Texas has a GDP roughly equal to Canada's. Michigan's economy is as large as the entire country of Argentina.

Many of our colleges and universities have open enrollment and others offer scholarships for the best and brightest. Political connections are not required. We spend more on health care per person than Switzerland, Germany, or Canada. Peaceful transfer of power is what is right about America. In January 2009, Barack Hussein Obama became the 44th president of the United States. Essayist Michael Lind opines, “Barring catastrophes, the US in 2050 will be much more racially integrated; will remain culturally and linguistically quite homogeneous; and will be much richer, easily able to afford to pay for social security and decent healthcare. And partly as a result of this unity and prosperity, the US will continue to be a major power, though not a solitary hegemon.”

So What is an American to do?: We can disagree without being disagreeable. The genius of our founding fathers is that they set up a government that allowed for healthy debate. Challenge what sounds off key to you but draw your own conclusions – don’t blindly follow the loudest voice and don’t quake with fear at the most intimidating voice. If a view or philosophy differs from your own challenge the philosophy. Don’t simply echo. Don’t simply take opposition because an opinion was voiced from the other party. Don’t blindly follow simply because the position stated was a member of your own team.

Our leaders are fallible. To blindly follow means to also be fallible. That includes blindly forwarding hate emails without first checking out their veracity. To blindly follow is to also become fallible. Challenge but think.


A little blogging Maestro… “Thinking Man” by Eddie Cash

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com