Thursday, February 5, 2009

What's Wrong with America, Part I.

In 50 words or less. (And two pictures.)

"South Carolina authorities in the county where Michael Phelps was spotted smoking from a marijuana bong say they are considering a criminal charge against the Olympic superstar." -AP


"Madoff hasn't been indicted. He's being held under house arrest at his multimillion-dollar penthouse." -AP

Or as I've said before: go here to see it.

25 comments:

Decorina said...

Yes, pot as a gateway drug. War on drugs. Um, yeah, sure.

I've used your line many times; everyone who hears it knows exactly what I'm talking about. It is succinct, to the point and says it all.

Now, excuse me, I've lost track of my paraphenalia...er one hitter, huh? Did you say something? No, I think I'll go look in the kitchen for some brownies.

Pigtown*Design said...

Just assinine! I can't believe that they haven't chucked Bernie Madoff into jail. I think that we've just seen the tip of the iceburg.

Stay warm today!

Anonymous said...

You nailed it.

Can't believe that jerkoff Madoff is getting the kid glove treatment, while Phelpsie is just a kid! Although I'm afeared Phelps may be a douchebag in training... it was the goatee that tipped me off.

Designers' Brew said...

Can you post some more photo illustrations regarding the first half of your argument, please? I'm not sure that I totally understand the point you are making, and I feel confident that some more visual evidence would make it all clear. I'm a Visual Person, you know.

(plus also there was that whole part where you volunteered to assume the mantle.)

hello gorgeous said...

DB - Ha! You've got it bad, woman.

I just can't get over the fact that Madoff has absolutely bilked hundreds or thousands of people out of billions and he's at home lollygagging and Phelps is being threatened with jail for a picture of him alledgedly :-) smoking some weed.

What is wrong with our system of justice?

P-D - Do you mean by the tip of the iceberg that others appear to be involved (as being reported today).

lucitebox said...

I thought smoking pot was supposed to make you slow.

Hmmmm...

Michelle Parks McCourt said...

oh so true!

hmstrjam said...

unfortunately a strong sense of morality and good judgment are not required for the acquisition of olympic medals...

good nutella recipe---
actually no recipe required, Euro-spas are now offering new colonblast nutella, twenty grams of health giving fiber in every tablespoon full!

...bwah bwah

Pigtown*Design said...

Hello... I think that there are a lot of funds that had money with Madoff and they're not disclosing yet. Especially foreign funds.

As for our boy Phelpsie... I am sure that there are tons of things that he didn't do because of training for 2004 and 2008 Olympics, so he's just making up for lost time.

I just heard that he bought a place in my old 'hood in Baltimore because the house be bought this summer was too "unprotected" and there were groupies hanging out there all of the time.

Anonymous said...

Madoff gets to stay home because they want him to stay alive long enough to become a government consultant and help with the coming prosecutions of the many mini Madoffs. Phew.

The authoritays are making jail noises about Phelps because he's an Olympic athlete and there's still a tinge of idealism that we attach to that particular bit cultural iconography. If he were a football player, it would be a blip on the evening news and then only if he were black.

Anonymous said...

Actually, if Phelps were black, he'd already be charged and in jail - or out on bail. The entire reason they are considering pressing charges is because if they don't, they'll look like huge hypocrites the next time they go to arrest some black pot users. Comparing Madoff to Phelps really is apples to oranges (though he should be arrested, no doubt). But to 'leave Phelps' alone when you've got so many minority youths serving time for doing the same thing Phelps did would be just as hypocritical as the scenario you've posited with Madoff and Phelps.

I love Michael Phelps too - I really don't want to see him end up in jail - but at the same time, he shouldn't get special treatment just because he's the golden boy.

hello gorgeous said...

I don't disagree with your point, Anon, but I don't think it should be illegal. I don't even smoke pot and I think it should be legalized, regulated and taxed, etc., just like the hippies do. :-)

I've read that the liquor industry lobbies heavily (if I recall correctly, beginning around the time just after Prohibition) against its legalization because it has the most to lose. That makes sense to me. It compares completely to alcohol, in my opinion. I mean, you can buy moonshine, overproof rum and grain alcohol but not small amounts of pot. It would also take the (organized) crime element out of it to legalize it. Not to mention the enormous tax savings not having to enforce those laws and the economic benefits to areas who would grow it (an economist in Hawaii has published a paper on exactly that to the tune of $33 million in cost savings and tax benefits for the state).

Meg, the fact that many foreign funds invested with him is understood. What I've read today is that many other people may have been complicit in the fraud.

Anonymous said...

Well, don't look now, but he was just suspended from swimming over this.

Madoff can still swim, so there's that...

Designers' Brew said...

nah... I just like hot guys.

Greta said...

I love the way you think Gorgeous. It is gorgeous.

Rachel said...

I think it may be different if Phelps was actually CAUGHT with the pot in hand, while smoking it. But to arrest him over a picture??? I mean, neither Kate Moss nor Lindsay Lohan were arrested for their pictures. It does, unfortunately, come down to the fact that there is a bit of a double standard because he's an Olympic athlete.
I can understand the swimming suspension, and even the loss of some endorsement deals, but jail?? It's silly and stupid. It's somebody wanting to make an example out of him.

And Madoff?? I just can't get over the irony of his name! What an ass. And now we're hearing that the SEC overlooked tips that came in years ago that he was running a Ponzi scheme. Ugh.

*moggit girls said...

Seriously?!

Anonymous said...

Would somebody just drop-kick Madoff off of a high-flying plane already?!?!

And after watching Obama's fear mongering speech last night I feel like calling up Phelps so we can smoke out of him, um, glass tobacco pipe ;)

Anonymous said...

pure FOOLISHNESS! seriously!

hello gorgeous said...

Honestly. This is all harshing my mellow.

Anonymous said...

The most hilarious part about the Michael Phelps scandal is how everyone is like "ohhhh what a shame his future swimming career is now over"

I mean I get that he's young and could potentially swim a lot more but I mean the guy won 14 GOLD MEDALS when 99.99% of the planet wouldn't even qualify for the olympics. Michael Phelps could bite the head off of a kitten every day for the rest of his life and he will still be an American hero. There isn't anything he can do to downplay his amazing accomplishments.

Let me know if you ever want to blaze, Mikey.

Anonymous said...

Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds have had to deal with a fair share of criticism as well due to the steroid scandals. Look at Marion Jones, she went to jail for 6 months for lying to a grand jury. Charles Barkley said it best, if we indicted politicians the way we indict athletes, the world would be a much better place. Great post!

Anonymous said...

Hell, in my opinion, the person that should go to jail is the one who snapped the cellphone picture of him and then sold it!

TJK_HAYWOOD said...

If he was shooting Steroids I'd be disapointed. But smoking a little reefer? Big Deal he deserves it, the media should pat him on the back and leave him alone.

Decorina said...

BTW, HG, I have a joke about MP posted on my blog. Regrettably that idiot troll, "richard" has posted a reply, but thought you might like the joke.

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