"'If history teaches us anything, it
    teaches that simple-minded
    appeasement or wishful thinking
    about our adversaries is folly. It
    means the betrayal of our past, the
    squandering of our freedom.'"
   
               President Reagan delivered those
             words in Orlando, Fla., on March 3,
             1983.

44 responses total.

Sure had some good speechwriters, didn't he, ol' emptyhead?

looks like some folks could take a history lesson

Indeed.  So many so-called conservatives seem completely ignorant of how
Reagan wrecked our economy in the 80's.

his obvious synaptic misfiring noggin aside...

The economy was wrecked before Reagan even got elected.
I ought to know. I was there.

Pretty nefarious, how Reagan caused the gas shortage during Carter's years,
just so he could become President and ruin the economy some more.

Oh, quit giving Carter credit for Nixon's fuckups, brighn.

Another ink-blot item, Beady?  And while you're at it, how about
titles for this item and #42?

Why?  Does it bother you when there are no titles?  Why do
you think that is?

#7> Yeah, like Johnson was a saint. Pshaw.
 
In all seriousness, one favorite editorial cartoon of mine was soon after Bush
II became president. It showed Greenspan in a car marked "Economy," with Bush
in a booster seat in the back, with a toy steering wheel, saying something
like "Whee! This is fun!"

#10>  I think the quote was, "Whee!  Me driving."

Yeah, that sounds right. =}

Say what you like about Reagan, at least he was a talented orator.  I haven't
heard a public figure since then that I actually enjoyed listening to, except
maybe Alan Keyes, and that's not quite the same.  :)

He was.  He also had this amazing ability to utterly fabricate things 
on the spot, or make totally inept arguments, and not get called on it, 
because he seemed so sincere and friendly.

One of my favorite examples happened when a reporter commented on 
Reagan's stands on motorcycle helmet laws (against) and marijuana 
prohibition (for, "because there's evidence it cases brain damage.")   
The reporter pointed out that this seemed logically inconsistant, 
because there's also evidence that hitting your head on the pavement at 
60 mph causes brain damage.  Reagan's response was something 
like, "Well, if I got on a plane, and the pilot had been drinking, I'd 
be able to tell.  If I got on a plane, and the pilot had been smoking 
pot, I might not."

I have a boss like that.  He gets this expression on his face that I have
learned means "Hmm, this person won't stop arguing and just do what I want.
Time for the snow job."  His eyelids close about halfway, he tilts his head 
back slightly, and opens his mouth.  He can then proceed to talk for an 
arbitrary length of time (I've seen it last an hour), seemingly without 
breath, until the other person just gives up arguing.  Then, after five 
minutes more just to send a message, his phone magically rings and he 
leaves in mid-sentence to answer it.  I've never figured out how he 
pulls that part off.  He rarely loses arguments.  

re13: being a talented orator puts him right in league
with hitler, but hitler was smarter...unfortunately.

i bet reagan can't tell when i've been smoking ..

hahahah!! then again he prolly can't tell when he shits in his pants.

re #16 ... now i think i understand happyboy. until now i'd given him
the benefit of doubt. that's gone.

*disembodied spirit of chuck pariso punches your chest*

You knew Chuck Parisho?  I guess that figures.  Now I'm curious to meet you.

partied with him a cupple times...good guy.

        I also partied with him (and happyboy) a cupple times...good guy.
Wish I had more time around him.  Saddened to see someone piss on his
grave.

I used to work with him quite a bit at Performance Network.  I miss 
seeing him on that old beater beemer of his, cruising down the road 
looking like Santa Claus on the way home from the German front in WWII...

he could spin a good tale.

re23: who pissed on his grave?

re resp:25: TS Taylor made several gleeful postings about Chuck's death
after I announced it on Grex.  I have not spoken to TS since.  The whole
conversation is probably still preserved on Grex somewhere, in one of
the 1998 or 1999 Agoras.

I vaguely remember that, though I didn't know the man.  I thought it was
strange.

re26:  i remember.

Ah.  I remember that now too, now that you mention it.  

i guess it's kinda a shame that i never met this guy you knew.
  
this same chuck parisho attacked me with a death threat (which was
reduced to two bruised ribs ans one cracked rib) , stomped on
teh mother  (beth) of his kid (james, if yuo care),  and generally
screwed up a few other lives in and around ann arbor.
  
i *guess* that was before he was properly medicated. and cmh's
medications seem to be  abut the only relief available.
  
this was befoer other came to the performance network, contemporaneous
with all the help adn friendship void enjoyed tehn and since 
(she seems not to uderstand spouse abuse when it's convenient) and that's 
teh short history.
  
so, yes, i was relieved when he 'left.' and i'm not the least bit
apologetic , nor are my ribs or teh doctor bills, nor is beth,
(ambivalent) and james ws too young to know. 
  
i had helped beth a *lot* including getting her HS diploma
rather tahn a GED (a couple years after dropping out), went
to several internal family celebrations , worked on developing her
*real* wedding later (and did the video).
  
we are stil in touch adn james appears t be turning out
well enough, all things considerred (so far). beth is
a darn good mother, imnsho - if you care.

and not for one second can any other person who knew the 
'medicated' parisho claim i ever let *them* down - LEAST of 
all void - or harrassed them for who they knew or didn't knwo
or under what circumstances., i simply stayed as far away from
the batterer and assaulter who cracked my ribs (and i never found
out why nor do i give a rat's ass ...) as was avaiable. 
  
your mileage varied and i;'ve never held that agianst anyone.
reciprocal consideration(s) WOULD seem to be in order. 

void, you still have that shotgun shell i gave you at denny's?
how many cars did i help yu fix 'just because?' what about
the midnight rides when you were a cabbie just to chase away
those depressing hours? and teh occassional talks about yur
family ( never to be disclosed, ever - even if accompanied by
a death threat and/or cracked ribs). 
  
and i havent teh faintest idea where happyboy is coming from.
  
 
and now you know ..... the rest of the story.

Good grief.  So is this the dark side of Grex, or just some obscure 
skeleton in the closet for a few people?

re30:  "the rest of the story"  *hic*

so why did he punch you in the chest that time, up against the
wall of the a2 civic theater...did he talk to you about anything
first? 

re #31 The latter.  It is concidental that some persons involved are also 
Grexers.

The Chuck Parisho I knew was a very different man from the one you 
describe, TS.  That's all I have to go on.  I'm sorry for the pain you 
had because of who and what he was to you.  But whatever he WAS, he is 
dead now, and to hold a grudge (as you seem to be doing) only reflects 
that YOU have some unresolved problems.  The rest is past, dead and 
buried.

I wish you luck with whatever those demons are that still haunt you.

I've never understood why we're supposed to pretend someone had no flaws and
was a perfect human being once they die.

"i knew an old lady, who swallowed a fly..."

re #34: That would be because they have friends and loved ones, who 
would prefer to remember them at their best, rather than their worst.  
If possible, let those people have their memories.

So TS expects me to believe him and assume that everyone else I ever met
who knew Chuck Parisho was either a liar or ignorant of Chuck's past. 
Hmmm.  What was it I said in another item about something thinking he's
the only sane one in a world gone mad?

TS, you did help me out on a number of occasions, as I helped you out
when you were hospitalized (to name one occasion).  I thanked you each
and every time you rendered assistance or shotgunned in my cab. 
However, publicly announcing your desire to dance on someone's grave
told me more about you than I ever wanted to know.

I have nothing more to say on this subject.

TMI

Oh hell yeah.  Here is not the place.

- Backtalk version 1.3.30 - Copyright 1996-2006, Jan Wolter and Steve Weiss