tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21156341397710837712024-03-20T06:19:44.594-07:00THE BLISS INDEXA look at politics, society, culture and anything else on the radar...JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.comBlogger753125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-3084045106465915612015-04-12T11:33:00.002-07:002015-04-12T11:33:40.589-07:00The return of "1984"<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Team Obama's take on Hillary back in '08.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">True then. </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">True today.</i></span><br />
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<br />JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-70148855780539548142015-01-21T18:12:00.000-08:002015-01-21T18:12:10.443-08:00The real American Sniper<b><span style="font-size: large;">In his own words...</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">From the <a href="http://www.ijreview.com/2015/01/236568-conan-obrien-interview-shows-reason-many-loved-chris-kyle-american-sniper-fame-part/">Independent Journal Review</a>:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>This exchange, three years ago, between comedian and talk show host Conan O’Brien and Chris Kyle shows why the retired Navy SEAL was so beloved. At the time of the interview, Kyle was touring to publicize his book, <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">American Sniper. </em></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>In the nearly-five minute interview, Kyle admits that he wished he had tried out for SEAL Team 6. Considering Kyle was the best sniper in American military history, that comes as a surprise to many.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Conan gets the good-natured Kyle to laugh throughout, asking him about the more than mile-long kill shot Kyle touted in his book. Kyle, in his usual humble way, says he was just a ‘monkey on a gun,’ a suggestion at which O’Brien scoffs.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>In a striking show of respect, after Kyle repeatedly addessess Conan as ‘sir’, O’Brien says:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>You don’t have to call me, sir. I’m just a talk show host. You’re up here and I’m down here.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>The three-year-old interview is a refreshing change from the kind of <a href="http://www.ijreview.com/2015/01/234863-documentary-film-maker-michael-moore-slams-american-sniper-twitter-slams-back/" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0e769d; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">attention</a> that Kyle has been getting since the movie version of <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">American Sniper</em> hit the screen. Hollywood and media critics have taken pot shots at both Kyle personally, and the movie itself.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Despite criticism, <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">American Sniper</em> continues to <a href="http://www.ijreview.com/2015/01/234777-twitter-reactions-long-lines-see-american-sniper-huge-opening-weekend/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0e769d; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">shatter</a> box office records. A remarkable, and earned, <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2015/01/21/american-sniper-the-girl-on-the-train-dean-koontz-usa-today-best-selling-books-list/22107071/" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0e769d; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">success</a> that the proud military veteran and humble author deserves.</b></span></div>
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JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-9425125449650484272015-01-09T16:12:00.001-08:002015-01-09T16:12:51.842-08:00I'm one of your biggest fans<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Really.</span></b><br />
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<br />JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-87768961808871942272014-10-20T18:03:00.000-07:002014-10-20T18:03:06.338-07:00Every Republican running in this next election should thank President Obama...<b><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">...for this pre-election soundbite/gift:</span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>From <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/10/20/obama-giftwraps-another-sound-bite-for-republicans/">the Washington Post</a>:</b> "A couple weeks ago, President Obama declared that, while he wasn't on the Nov. 4 ballot, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/10/02/28-words-that-democrats-really-wish-president-obama-didnt-say-today/">his policies were</a>. And just about every GOP candidate in a red or swing state <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/10/20/obamas-policies-are-on-the-ballot-here-there-and-everywhere/">soon launched an ad using that comment</a> to tie his or her Democratic opponent to Obama...While it's the second time Obama has gone down this road, this
comment probably stings more than the last one for Democrats running in
key Senate races -- almost all of which are in red or swing states where
Obama is quite unpopular...While Obama's previous comment
suggested the election was indeed something of a referendum on him,
these comments suggest not only that, but that Democratic candidates are
actually on-board with him -- something most of them have made pains to
argue is not the case...Obama's comments are the kind of thing Democrats might privately say to assure donors, but wouldn't really say in public."</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Just a few more weeks...</span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-7112526761894420612014-10-02T17:27:00.000-07:002014-10-02T17:28:20.970-07:00Devastating<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Finally, someone gets <i>it</i>...</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>And that person</b> is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elbert_Guillory">Elbert Guillory</a>, a Louisiana State Senator and <a href="http://www.kltv.com/story/22523054/surprise-candidates-emerge-for-office-of-lt-governor-in-2015">candidate</a> for Lt. Governor in 2015 who <a href="http://blog.chron.com/texassparkle/2013/06/louisiana-senator-elbert-guillory-explains-why-he-became-a-republican/">famously switched</a> to being a Republican. Currently, he's giving U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu a run for her money -- which is no small thing, considering Louisiana is a solidly blue state.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>As the respected blog</b> <a href="http://legalinsurrection.com/2014/10/devastating-video-free-at-last-of-mary-landrieu/">Legal Insurrection</a> points out, "This ad is brilliant, and every strategist needs to get on its level immediately. <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2014/senate/la/louisiana_senate_cassidy_vs_landrieu-3670.html">Real Clear Politics has the Louisiana Senate Race listed as a toss up,</a>
and the last thing a candidate like Landrieu needs is an ad contrasting
her life of relative privilege with life on Academy Street. The winning message for 2014 isn’t 'Democrats are bad.' The winning
message is, “these things that are happening to you are bad, and I know
how to fix it.' This ad is what that messaging looks like."</span></span><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Indeed.</span></span></b></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">(h/t: Legal Insurrection)</span> </span></span><br />
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<br />JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-64419734461976417852014-09-24T20:50:00.000-07:002014-09-24T20:50:01.686-07:00‘Sure Sounds Like Cheney’...<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b>Fox News’ Shep Smith</b> quizzed State Department press secretary</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 17px;"> Jen Psaki Wednesday afternoon over the legality of the U.S. airstrikes in Syria, saying “it sure sounds like” former Vice President Dick Cheney’s doctrine of preemptive war.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><b><i>That grilled to perfection...</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-57857394745088266952014-09-24T16:05:00.000-07:002014-09-24T16:05:34.866-07:00Susan Rice: When Obama repeatedly boasted about defeating al Qaeda...<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>...he didn’t mean <i>all of al Qaeda.</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>In an interview</b> with NBC's Matt
Lauer, </span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">National Security Adviser Susan Rice was</span></span> asked, "What happened to the days when the
administration was able to say it felt confident that we had dealt a
crippling blow to al Qaeda and Islamic militants?" Lauer also wondered about the President
boasting that al Qaeda was "on the run" and "decimated" during the 2012
campaign. Rice said the administration
was only referring to its actions against "al Qaeda core" in Afghanistan
and Pakistan, and that al Qaeda "has metastasized" "to places like the
Arabian Peninsula, Yemen, parts of Africa, Somalia," Mali and Syria.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Glad she cleared that up... </b></span></span></div>
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<br />JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-87695661129170174532014-09-23T14:13:00.000-07:002014-09-23T14:13:17.242-07:00Why Your Plan Was Cancelled: Health Insurance and the Affordable Care Act <span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>There's a bizarre reason</b> why millions of Americans saw their health
plans cancelled in 2013 and, as explained in a new video featuring
Robert Graboyes of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University,
millions more will lose their plans in years to come.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"If you like your plan..."</i> </b></span></span><br />
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<br />JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-45400167973751630172014-09-22T12:48:00.002-07:002014-09-22T12:48:09.572-07:00"This isn't about him -- it's about us."<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ouch.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"He's great ...<i> at promises</i>."</b></span> <br />
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<br />JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-29457412520646851252014-09-21T19:53:00.003-07:002014-09-21T19:53:51.193-07:00"What we saw at the People's Climate March"<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>If you thought</b> the '60s, the silly protests, the Commies & Socialists, and all of the other "fringe elements" had disappeared...well, you're wrong.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>From <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0uVZd8N7FfIZnPu0y7o95A">Reason TV</a>:</b> "Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets of New York City today to call for more action to combat global warming, in what organizers are calling the largest climate change march in history. Kmele Foster, co-host of Fox Business' <i>The Independents</i>, was on the scene for Reason TV talking to the participants."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span>JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-49870307960468786102014-09-06T20:32:00.000-07:002014-09-06T20:32:07.487-07:00On high alert<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Here's the latest</b> from friend and radio colleague <a href="http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/about-the-authors/">Larry Johnson</a>, who is posting from Europe. (As previously noted, Larry was formerly employed by the CIA and the State Department; today he's consultant and frequently quoted on counterterrorism, intel and international matters.) This appeared on his blog, <a href="http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/77440/paris-on-high-alert-but-baghdad-the-target/#more-77440">No Quarter</a>. A seasoned and reasonable observer/commentator, Larry discovered something -- unreported elsewhere -- while in Paris.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/77440/paris-on-high-alert-but-baghdad-the-target/" rel="bookmark" style="font-family: georgia, times, 'times new roman', serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Permanent Link to Paris on High Alert, But Baghdad the Target"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><b>Paris on High Alert, But Baghdad the Target</b></span></a><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">B</span><span style="color: blue; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">y</span><span style="color: blue; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="color: blue; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Larry Johnson</a><span style="color: blue; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> </span><span style="color: blue; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">on September 6, 2014 at 6:55 PM </span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Something is going on in Paris, at least last night. Police were out in massive numbers surrounding the U.S. Embassy and the British Embassy. No public warning was issued, however.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I happened to be walking with the wife along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées on the Champs Elysee last night heading towards Place de La Concorde. Couple of blocks west of Place de la Concorde we ran into a gauntlet of police. Vehicles parked bumper to bumper. Officers kitted out, some with body armor and automatic weapons.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But the real concern is with the Americans still in Baghdad. The first tell was Obama finally authorizing the deployment last week of an additional 350 troops to the Green Zone. The threat from ISIS is not abating. Chatter is hot and heavy about something happening on the anniversary of 11 September.<span id="more-77440"></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I am not enjoying the delicious irony of Mr. Nobel Peace Prize Obama (granted that prize for simply being a nice looking black man with no accomplishments) conducting more drone strikes than George W. Bush and reversing course on carrying out military operations in Iraq. It is just the reality. Unfortunately, Obama is worried more about managing the domestic political consequences of taking action against ISIS than he is in crafting a genuine strategy to deal with the menace.</span></div>
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<br />JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-56504384934714537642014-08-31T21:47:00.001-07:002014-09-01T16:54:41.481-07:00On leadership...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>A lot has been said</b> during these last few weeks about our president...and his feckless foreign policy.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A lot.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The "back story":</span></b><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Across the Pacific,</b> the Chinese are "<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/china-says-us-plane-intercept-was-professional/2014/08/23/40b4e3f0-2b39-11e4-8b10-7db129976abb_story.html">projecting power</a>" with their growing blue water navy, harassing neighboring nations and threatening expansion. The ChiComms are being so aggressive that Vietnam is turning to its old nemesis, Japan, for aid; and Japan, no friend of nuclear weapons, is giving serious thought to changing its constitution to allow its military to have nukes. (The wild North Koreans also figure into the equation.)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>In Eastern Europe,</b> Vlad Putin is doing his best to restore some bizarro version of old Imperial Russia. First, it was Crimea (now a wholly owned subsidiary of Moscow); and now, Ukraine is seeing its sovereign territory nibbled away...daily. <i>Next up: Lithuania? Can we get a Estonia? Latvia? How about Poland?</i> (<a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/08/31/russia-practically-in-a-state-of-war-against-europe-over-ukraine-eu-leaders-warn/">And you thought the Cold War had ended</a>.)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>The worst</b> appears in the guise of a rogue bunch of "non-state actors," who are tearing-up the Middle East and threatening everyone else. Known as ISIL, ISIS or "those bat-sh** crazy bastards," the group (once called the "jayvee" team by President Barack Obama), has now swelled to more than 20,000 strong. Nerves were further rattled when, last week, <a href="http://wapo.st/1lzUv9z">Obama said he had "no strategy"</a> in place to deal with ISIL/ISIS...a group that has been steadily menacing for close to a year. (<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/08/29/why-obamas-we-dont-have-a-strategy-gaffe-stings/">Even The Washington Post's editorial board took notice!</a>)</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Which brings us</b> to the following. Below is a perfect dissection of the problems at hand...chief among them: a lack of leadership -- on the part of our president.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>This piece is by Kevin Elliott,</b> a Bay Area public relations professional who knows a thing or two about leadership, strategy and communication. The White House would be smart to follow his lead(s) here. But then, that's probably expecting <i>waaaaay</i> to much.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>The Bliss Index</b> gives you Kevin Elliott:</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>I've been trolling the news this morning and it is interesting to see how ideology colors pronouncements by various news outlets. Various outlets that are either balanced or conservative in their editorial policy point to the British Prime Minister -- the man with a plan -- as the example of leadership. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>The same outlets reflect the frustration of the nation at the President's announcement that he doesn't have a plan to deal with the growing threat that his defense secretary has called, "unlike anything we've ever seen." </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Enter the other side... The Huffington Post is beside itself that American conservatives are praising David Cameron's no-nonsense tough talk. HuffPo points out that at least we are bombing the terrorists. And then they go on to lament the daily cost of the military action on the Islamic State. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>In Britain, the left opposition is answering Cameron with a call for (wait for it) mandatory programs for <i>deradicalization</i> for young jihadi wanna-bees. Okay, so if some nut wants to run off and fight for the terrorists, the Labor Party wants to send them to a mandatory government program. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Great. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Where is Abraham Lincoln or Winston Churchill? Okay, at least the British have their clear leader... But why is it wrong for us to ask -- no, demand -- clear and unambiguous leadership? </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>President Obama has made his position clear repeatedly. The threats against our country are of our own making, he believes. They are the result of generations of exploitation at home and abroad. He was elected, he believes, to get us out of foreign conflicts and he has declared those wars in the Levant and Afghanistan to be over. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>We will not get a firm, clear word from the White House that we are committed to defeating or destroying the Islamic State. It's not his style and doesn't fit his narrative. So, instead, we will have an election this year...and another in 2016. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>And if anyone doesn't believe that elections have consequences, you need look no further than this week...either here in the US or over in the UK.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Spot-on.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Bonus add: </b>Dilbert gets it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-66601813462804472842014-08-05T15:08:00.000-07:002014-08-05T15:08:07.853-07:00Joe Biden: Gaffe Machine<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Oops, he did it again... </i></b></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Open mouth...insert gaffe.</span></span></b><br />
<br />JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-68725622941752414052014-07-22T12:46:00.000-07:002014-07-22T12:46:15.642-07:00That crazy Kim Jong Un!<b><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">North Korea is mad! Dance video features Kim Jong Un</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">From <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/07/21/333771446/north-korea-is-not-pleased-dance-video-features-kim-jong-un">NPR</a>:</span></span></b><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">He grins, he fumes, he fights — and through it all, North Korean
leader Kim Jong Un dances his way in and out of preposterous situations.
That's the premise of a video that has become popular in China and
reportedly sparked a protest from North Korea.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Citing "a source in China," the
reports that "the North feels the clip, which shows Kim dancing and
Kung-Fu fighting, 'seriously compromises Kim's dignity and authority.'"</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The newspaper says that after North Korea asked China to stop the video from spreading, "Beijing was unable to oblige."</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In
the video, Kim's face is superimposed onto a kitchen sink's worth of
videos, in scenes taken from everything from viral dance videos and TV
shows to the vaudevillian action film <i>Kung Fu Hustle</i>. In
one segment, Kim pirouettes in a dance studio — before being hit with a
kick delivered by President Obama. Other world leaders also make
appearances, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japan's
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And while a couple of sequences make
fun of Kim's fascination with weaponry, we'll note that the video
doesn't accuse the North Korean leader of not having rhythm.</span></span></span><br />
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<br />JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-68511344036822090542014-07-16T06:29:00.000-07:002014-07-16T06:29:44.913-07:00Every Obama speech. Ever.<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>It's like he's scripted or something...</b></span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">...or something.</span></i></b>JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-54508492206218930482014-07-15T10:19:00.000-07:002014-07-15T10:19:18.079-07:00A long list of everything going wrong with Obama's foreign policy<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Wait...he's got a "foreign policy?"</b></span></span><br />
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<br />JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-51858233180473966132014-07-07T14:24:00.001-07:002014-07-07T14:24:23.493-07:00Welcome to "The Obamacare Care-nival!"<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>"Something Creepy This Way Comes"...</b></span></span><br />
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JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-85014420186607356892014-06-13T13:03:00.000-07:002014-06-13T13:08:38.126-07:00Some thoughts on "the Beautiful Game"... and America <h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
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June 30, 1994</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Why Americans Will Never Love Soccer</span></b></span></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></b>By Jeff Bliss</div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>DESPITE THE MEDIA-DRIVEN FAUX EXCITEMENT,</b>
we Americans will never go crazy about the game of soccer. And without
sounding too much like Joe McCarthy, I have to say soccer is
un-American.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Let me explain.</b> Soccer is
not about anything Americans appreciate. The very fact that it's called
football elsewhere enrages enough red meat gridiron fans to keep soccer
from ever being popular here. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>First, </b>real
football players must weigh as much as an Army tank and wear twice as
much protective armor. Soccer players run around in little more than
their underwear. Americans like equipment: first-baseman's mitts,
helmets, and menacing face masks. Soccer has precious little of this. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Second,</b>
we didn't invent the game...so that means it can't be all that great. OK, you think you're smart because you know
about baseball's ties to cricket and American football's ties to rugby.
The truth is we took these games and improved them. Soccer, on the
other hand, belongs to the world (<i>like the metric system</i>). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Suggestions from the United States</b>
to modify soccer, such as allowing eye gouging and body slams, have
been largely ignored. If it ain't ours and if it can't hurt you, we
don't want it. (Suggestions to return the game to its pre-Columbian
roots, with the losing team facing execution, have also been dismissed.)
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Third,</b>
and most importantly, sports symbolize a people. As an example, let us
compare baseball and soccer. Soccer is the perfect metaphor for the rest
of the world. Baseball,
our national pastime, is the story of individuals banding together for a
common goal. Everyone has the same chance to be a hero or a goat, and
every player has a specialized skill used for the good of the team. Additional examples, like baseball statistics, go on <i>ad nauseam</i>. Believe me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Soccer, on the other hand,</b>
is about a bunch of guys who wander around a field chasing a ball. It's a game of turnovers: <i>I've got the ball. No, now you've got the ball.
No, I have the ball. No, you have the ball. No, he has the ball</i>. . . well, you get the idea. We don't
like that in a sport or anything else in our lives. We want stability. Also, there's "diving" (falling to the turf and pretending to be grievously fouled). Actually, there's a lot of diving. <i>A lot.</i> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As soon as their team gains an advantage, the</span></span> "injured" players always make a speedy recovery (the quickness rivals any faith healer's powers). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>One more thing.</b> Soccer, played
on a field only slightly smaller than the continent of Asia, is
ridiculously low-scoring and tie games are not unusual.
We like scoring. We like it so much, we made touchdowns worth six
points. A total of six points in a soccer game is usually regarded as
scandalous (no one ever worries about a juiced-up ball in soccer). I
know what I'm talking about. During my short-lived career as a high
school and college soccer player, I scored a total of one goal -- just a
few short of what most pro players score during their entire careers. <i>OK, so</i> <i>it was against my own team</i> . . . </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>And please don't mention youth soccer.</b>
I acknowledge its popularity -- I played it. But the
secret is youth soccer is a conspiracy of parents across the
nation: get those youngsters out there running their heads off for an
hour or more on Saturday mornings and they're less likely to raise hell
around the house the rest of the weekend. Why do you think I made my kids play? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>All kidding</b> aside, soccer is a great game.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>It's just not <i>our</i> game.</b></span></span></div>
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(<b>Note:</b> I wrote this piece when the U.S. hosted the World Cup in
1994. A few minor alterations have been made.)</div>
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JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-14158343624623126212014-06-13T00:10:00.000-07:002014-06-13T00:10:32.298-07:00Casting doubt...<b><span style="font-size: large;">Doubt is never hard to come by when you're talking about the Obama Administration's foreign policy. (Bonus doubt points: White House spokeshole Jay Carney lies about it with a straight face.)</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Riiiiiight.</span></b><br />
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<br />JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-33654332745055106902014-06-12T12:09:00.000-07:002014-06-12T12:10:01.286-07:00Tingles speaks up for the Tea Party...<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Who thought this day would ever come?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Even a broken clock is right twice a day... </b></span></span>JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-45142226861432137562014-06-06T21:36:00.004-07:002014-06-06T21:36:46.840-07:00Forward! Forward! Forward!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijY8Wp0RzUVKeFKerk5_tA4zlBE7UUsfo48P-1CINFyrlGwf7C91sfRqWkwFrmtNkJSgZWwokmE83-Q6jn3ME7VbVAqscZb0tCiyjxX8sGLTnJtiGOrvg2xJe_4k5DbrAI_mLrUm37YA4/s1600/10352751_10202237612401667_5284167585709169932_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijY8Wp0RzUVKeFKerk5_tA4zlBE7UUsfo48P-1CINFyrlGwf7C91sfRqWkwFrmtNkJSgZWwokmE83-Q6jn3ME7VbVAqscZb0tCiyjxX8sGLTnJtiGOrvg2xJe_4k5DbrAI_mLrUm37YA4/s1600/10352751_10202237612401667_5284167585709169932_n.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 18px;">The men, most recently boys, </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 18px;">clamber into small boats.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 18px;">Swells, towering above open tops,</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; line-height: 18px;"><br />fill craft with water and doubt.<br /><br />Packed in cold, wet misery<br />they stand, shoulder-to-shoulder<br />struggle against a roiled ocean,<br />reality and the unknowns.<br /><br />Floating boxes, filled with hopes,<br />cast away from mother ships.<br />Certain death now within arm's reach.<br />Curses, prayers and cries offered up.<br /><br />A boat tips, they go into the water<br />nothing can be done<br />except to witness final battles,<br />as this one drives to sand – and hell.<br /><br />Still untouched, yet already scarred.<br />Bullets scream overhead (and everywhere else),<br />their trajectories always mysterious.<br />The common plea: “Let this be done.”<br /><br />Finally, all-stop…for the vessel.<br />The ramp, once a shield, falls in expectation.<br />The next order unneeded:<br />Forward! Forward! Forward!<br /><br />Noise, noise everywhere – deafening beyond words.<br />Brothers float by, borne on reddened surf.<br />From above, “saws” rip the multitudes.<br />No rescue or sanctuary – the boat is gone.<br /><br />Onward, half-swimming, half-crawling<br />through the wire, traps and humanity.<br />A singular thought: “To land” –<br />even if just for final rest.<br /><br />Ordered chaos swirls and cloaks.<br />The way ahead: the only way.<br />Fighting with backs to the sea.<br />There is no return. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><i>– Jeff Bliss</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-41581206380289383332014-06-03T20:50:00.000-07:002014-06-03T20:50:14.751-07:00Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) put on the spot...by a teenager<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Doing the job "professional" journalists can't / don't / won't do...</b></span><br />
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<br />JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-53054498158865000202014-05-05T21:00:00.000-07:002014-05-05T21:00:39.124-07:00It's not racism if MSNBC does it, right?<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Right.</span></i></b><br />
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<br />JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-49594573980157276882014-05-04T19:41:00.001-07:002014-05-04T19:41:19.419-07:00Yes...we do.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhk9MXS2CmfaeHnw-QrHmlKC9cAsIWlakDfloSFmSvMv_dF7DdEYlgt9Shsz1nNSQBiVwGWQjnnW5uVu4OEVwY-LQtgb0GVDnwDPM0TNQRXDHAIj_XLn_wSnhVZixulUM96ty3-WtlvyM/s1600/billboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhk9MXS2CmfaeHnw-QrHmlKC9cAsIWlakDfloSFmSvMv_dF7DdEYlgt9Shsz1nNSQBiVwGWQjnnW5uVu4OEVwY-LQtgb0GVDnwDPM0TNQRXDHAIj_XLn_wSnhVZixulUM96ty3-WtlvyM/s1600/billboard.jpg" height="301" width="400" /></a><br />
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<br />JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115634139771083771.post-87810028374671303432014-04-16T17:59:00.003-07:002014-04-16T17:59:57.991-07:00‘Crappy’ Tax Day Parody of Pharrell’s Hit Song ‘Happy’ Nails Absurdity of IRS...<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Perfect.</b></span></span><br />
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<b>(h/t: <a href="http://www.reason.com/">Reason</a>)</b><br />
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<br />JC Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03016415665157142776noreply@blogger.com0