J. R. Martinez Wins Dancing with the Starts Mirrorball Trophy

J. R. Martinez poses with his Mirrorball trophy as partner Karina Smirnoff beams a smile after their Season 13 win on Dancing with the Stars last night.  Following ten weeks of drama, Ham on Wry applauds the choice of Martinez and Smirnoff, but confesses that the blog has issues with DWTS previously revealed in a past blog.  I watched the first three seasons of the show intermittently and then found the whole process flawed.  This season offered no exception.  Contestant Nancy Grace did not live up to her name, as her performances lacked grace and style.  The only reason she remained so long was her over-the-top, incessant demand for votes.  Therein, lies the show's biggest failing.  It has morphed into just a popularity contest.

Rob Kardashian and his partner Cheryl Burke won second place, which illustrates another weakness in the process by which contestants remain on the show.  The Kardashian family, Kim especially, took shameful advantage of the hype that surrounded her wedding to solicit votes for her brother.  To his credit, he  improved during the season, but his hand and arm movements still appear somewhat mechanical.  Ham on Wry has grown weary of all things Kardashian.  Please, no more!

By far, the best performance from the three finalists came from Ricki Lake and her partner Derek Hough when they reprised their Psycho tango from week four.  Lake and Hough had accumulated the most points of any of the finalists, yet they wound up in third place.  It defies logic that Kardashian should have topped Lake.  "How do you know all this since you don't watch the show?", a reader might wonder.  I can cut all the ads and blather by viewing performances on YouTube, much preferable to watching a show that runs for two hours but could be cut to one.  Lake stole the show last night, which makers her a winner, even though she didn't take home the trophy.  Don't send slings and arrows my way, Martinez fans.  Martinez displayed dazzling footwork and style, so his win was well deserved.


Ham on Wry's final comment on Dancing with the Stars is really a plea.  Clean up the process, DWTS.  Change the title of the show, if you're not going to distinguish between stardom and fame. The terms are not synonymous.  Judges need to be more than window dressing.  They have the expertise, and their opinion should count for more.  Judges, tone down the histrionics and stick to professional assessments.  Choose stars who show some glimmer of talent as contestants.  And please, .reduce the number of drawn-out pauses when announcing who stays and who goes!

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University of California Davis Use of Pepper Spray Spawns Further Protests

Demonstrators at UC Davis Monday   Paul Sakuma/AP photo

Last Friday, students at UC Davis staged a non-violent protest against the massive rise in tuition costs that have doubled since the 2003-2004 session and are projected to increase from 8%-16% from 2012-2016 under the latest plan presented by administrators.  Readers have most likely seen the video depicted in the placard a student holds in the photo above.  The video showed campus police in full-fledged riot gear taking a stance similar to those seen in violent demonstrations in many countries earlier this year.  When two of the officers leaned down and used full-strength pepper spray aimed at the faces of several students sitting peacefully on the sidewalk, it defied any form of defense later offered by UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza who told reporters Saturday that the decision to use the pepper spray was made at the scene.  Is that supposed to explain an unwarranted violent action against demonstrators who  quietly sat on the ground with no defense?

The two officers who used pepper spray were placed on administrative leave with pay following the backlash from the video that blasted across the world.  Finally, the administration placed the police chief on leave Monday.  The number of officers that arrived at Friday's demonstration made it appear that they expected extreme violence at the scene, although no evidence of that existed there.

Yesterday, over a thousand protesters erected an encampment after UCD"s Chancellor, Linda Katehi's attempt to apologize was met with boos and cries of outrage.  At best, the chancellor is sadly out of touch with student unrest on the campus, and, at worst, she has ignored the signs, thus allowing for the over-the-top campus police response.  Why did it take so long for her to issue an apology?  That should have occurred immediately with the kind of evidence available on video.

If anything, this abhorrent situation should shine a light on the need for restraint from both police and demonstrators.  Students are facing a world awash with economic concerns and dim job prospects. When politicians like Newt Gingrich say, "Get a job!", it trivializes a movement that reflects the anger in our society.  No simple answers exist to place our country on a positive track and sound bite rhetoric does nothing to help, so stifle your stupidity, Newt!  America needs a thoughtful dialogue absent the political grandstanding.  Ham on Wry doesn't see much hope of that happening with the current offering of candidates.

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Grover Norquist's Alarming Control of the Republican Party

Photo from www.welt.de

Ham on Wry has been tracking information about Grover Norquist for a future blog, and the time has come to write it.  To use a favorite sentence typing teachers used for student practice, "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country."  Norquist has headed Americans for Tax Reform since 1986, but Grover Norquist's Quest for Aggrandizement Support would be more a more apt name for the group.

Norquist's mission should send the American public into a state of panic, and two situations arose this week to make that case.  The first occurred, Wednesday, November 16th, when Patriotic Millionaires visited Capitol Hill to advocate for a tax hike on those earning over $1 million.  Norquist gave them the following advice: "If you think the federal government can spend your money better than you can, then by all means pay more in taxes than you owe. The IRS should have a little line on the form where people can donate money to the government, just like the tip line on a restaurant receipt.” His smug, sarcastic comments typify his supercilious attitude toward anyone he feels beneath his level of intelligence, which pretty much means everyone except Grover Norquist.

The second occasion spurred Ham on Wry to move this post to critical status.  60 Minutes aired a segment last night in which Steve Kroft interviewed Norquist.  That interview should sound a wake-up call to all sentient citizens.  Norquist has successfully badgered almost every Republican member of Congress, 279 in all, to sign a pledge stating that they will never vote to raise taxes on anyone, under any circumstances.  The Speaker of the House, the Senate Minority Leader, and the six Republican Members of the Super Committee have all signed that pledge.  Never?  Ham on Wry deplores that pledge and the man who conceived it.  He'd like us to return to the beginning of the 20th Century with respect to taxes.  No wonder the Super Committee can't do its job.

What we have here is a megalomaniac who wields a level of power akin to that of a dictator.  If Republicans either rescind their signature or fail to sign the pledge, Norquist will gather his forces to make certain that they don't survive a re-election effort.  His insufferable smile depicts the self-satisfied, superior attitude of a man who has become "a legend in his own mind."  Republicans who buckle to his pressure are wimps and not worthy of making laws for this country.  Norquist spoke of weakening the Republican brand if total agreement to the pledge doesn't happen.  Ham on Wry grows weary of the term branding.  He really means that it weakens their targeted manipulation of voters and his power to control the Republican Party.  Political parties should comprise a range of beliefs, not a single-minded effort to achieve something that makes little sense, unless you have great wealth and want more at the expense of the majority of the country's citizens.  Norquist has revealed himself to be entirely self-serving.  He hides behind his non-profit and demands of others what he won't do himself.  He will not reveal the list of contributors to his organization.  I wonder why?  I leave readers to draw their own conclusions.

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Check Your Adobe Acrobat and Update It -- ASAP!

Almost every computer that uses the Internet has a version of Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on it.  You need to check your PC and make sure that your version of Adobe Reader is Version 9 or above.  If it isn't, you have a significant risk of your PC being infected by a virus.  You should uninstall whatever version of Adobe Reader you are using, then go to adobe.com and install the latest (free) version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.  NOTE:  Watch out for the opt-out or it may install another unwanted toolbar on your Internet browser!   "Read more" for further details.

About two years ago, hackers discovered huge security holes in Adobe products.  This lead to a major wave of virus infections in computers.  Since Adobe is a huge economic power in the IT industry, they were able to squelch most of the bad publicity about their gross negligence. 

Since this debacle came and went years ago, I haven't included it in this blog -- until now -- because I've realized that there are still many users out there who still are using the old, Swiss-Cheese versions of Adobe software.

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Super Committee Predicts Failure to Agree

Members of the Super Committee/Democrats above Republicans below

Ham on Wry truly believed that the twelve Congressional members pictured above would leave partisan politics at the door and. as the Super Committee, forge some kind of agreement before Wednesday's looming deadline.  Given the consequences attached to the failure to do so, it seemed that the American public could count on some degree of success.  With comments made by members of the Super Committee on today's political talk shows, it appears little hope remains that they will start behaving like adults.

With the most recent polls showing an approval rating for members of Congress at 9%, this will most likely call the Grim Reaper forth on their political careers.  Years ago, I taught junior high and witnessed some of the most ridiculous posturing and name calling one could imagine; however, this debacle shows that just because someone ages in years, doesn't mean that wisdom accompanies the chronological changes.  Woe will fall on the vast majority of this country's citizens, as a result of the Super Committee's juvenile behavior.  There's no "throwing the baby out with the bath water" in this situation.  Everyone needs to go!  Instead of seeking compromise, both parties entrench themselves in political ideology.  Guess what?  That doesn't increase revenue, promote a fair and reasonable tax system, or fund critical program.

Now what happens?  That seems to depend on which expert one consults.  Sadly, if the Super Committee fails, a sequester will occur that forces them to cut $1.2 trillion from the budget, half from defense spending and half from other programs.  No matter how I study the issue, the picture looks dim for education of all types and programs for the disadvantaged.  Entitlement programs will surely fall under the ax as well.  Ham on Wry suggests that readers conduct their own research, rather than relying solely on that done by the blog.

Ham on Wry leaves this post with a warning for all Americans and for citizens of every county on the globe.  If the lack of leadership and initiative continues, our economy will do anything but thrive.  Citizens must exercise their right to vote in an informed fashion, and that probably means eschewing all TV and radio ads and relying solely on good, old-fashioned reading from a variety of sources and points of view.  A large part of this mess can be attributed to citizen apathy.  This years has shown the dawn of a major awakening regarding the failures we have experienced economically and politically.  No one is waiting in the wings to ride to our rescue.  We must save ourselves and that means taking action.  Do it now, or regret it later!

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Ham on Wry Award-Investigation into Natalie Wood's Death Reopened After 30 Years

Almost thirty years after Natalie Wood drowned November 29, 1981, police are again investigating the circumstances of her demise based on evidence that has recently come to light.  Dennis Davern served as the captain of  the yacht Splendour, owned by Wood and her husband Robert Wagner. The couple and guest Christopher Walken were cruising off Catalina Island over Thanksgiving weekend, and Davern alleged that Robert Wagner actually bears responsibility for Wood's death, during an interview with David Gregory on the Today Show this morning.  He further stated that Wagner nixed his suggestions to call the Coast Guard and turn on the search lights to try to locate Wood.

dailymall.co.uk photo

Davern insisted that he has been telling his story for many years, but no one took him seriously.  Finally, he detailed his account in a 2009 book, Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour, authored by Marti Rulli.  Wood’s sister Lana has joined Davern in calling for further investigation into her sister’s death.  Davern’s account of the incident differs dramatically from Wagner’s and feeds into doubts she has long harbored

The LA County Sheriff's Department is considering information that recently came to light as well as poring over documents from the original investigation in trying to determine the actual cause of Wood's death.  Detectives will rule out anyone who is attempting to profit from the 30-year anniversary of her drowning in determining the facts.

Wagner claimed that Wood had returned to her stateroom alone after consuming several glasses of wine, but Davern said he heard them arguing loudly on the deck.  Rumors of a love triangle have surfaced several times over the course of the last three decades.  In response, Wagner did explain a few years ago that he and Walken had argued when they returned to the yacht after dinner, but it was professional and not personal in nature.

Ham on Wry draws no specific conclusions from all this, except that the original investigation left a few holes. Wood expressed fear of dark waters, and her sister has always believed it unlikely that Wood would have taken a dinghy to cool off from an argument.  Further, Rulli has doubts about the coroner's conclusion that the red down jacket Wood wore would have caused her death by weighing her down in a struggle to stay afloat  Ham on Wry will post updates as they occur

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Would-be Assassin Arrested in Attempt to Kill President Obama

AP Photo

Last Thursday on Veteran/s Day, an Idaho man drove by the White House and discharged several shots at the building, with at least two hitting their mark. Oscar Ramirez Ortega-Hernandez believes he is Jesus Christ and that President Obama is the anti-Christ, the reason for the assassination attempt  He was obsessed with 11/11/11, according to his father, and purposely chose that day because it was preordained that he should.  Ortega-Hernandez also holds to the prediction that the world will end in 2012, when the Mayan calendar ends, although he recently focused on November 11, 2011 as the possible end of the world, giving him further incentive to kill the president that day.

Ortega-Hernandez evidently didn't check the president's schedule for Thursday because he and wife Michelle were on a trip to Hawaii without Sasha and Malia.  The attack occurred around 9 pm as reported to the Secret Service.  One of the bullets hit a bulletproof glass window located in the residential section of the building.  The other bullet hit in a another unspecified location.

A desk clerk at a hotel in Indiana, PA, recognized Ortega, who was a registered guest there, and called police.  Ortega was arrested and appeared before a magistrate at the federal court in Pittsburgh and will now return to Washington, DC to face charges there.

His mother insists he never showed signs of mental illness prior to his abrupt departure from Idaho Falls to kill the president, although others who knew him saw evidence of his dissembling. One person said he insisted that the federal government was involved in a conspiracy against him and his behavior changed quite dramatically.

Ham on Wry suggests that the law change so that a plea of guilty but insane could be brought against a suspect.  It would certainly cut down on the amount of expert witness testimony.  It could be used in this case as well as against Jarrod Lee Loughner, who shot Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in the head in January.  A person who commits a crime and uses an insanity defense still committed the crime.

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