You can now listen to Just Talking It Up 46 in the player on the left sidebar of the blog, or on iTunes! For those that are subscribed, it will automatically download next time you open iTunes!

Join our hosts Janet and Crash as they deliberate the latest political upheaval in MassaTOOsis…MaCHECHEWsit…Massachusetts! What does it mean to the Presidents overall agenda?…. What about the GOP? Crash is practically giddy over the election of Scott Brown to fill the late Senator Ted Kennedy’s vacant seat! Nancy Pelosi, according to Janet, is as manipulative as EVER in her public statements regarding the doomed Health-Care proposal, spinning herself and the bills fate as victims to the evil right wing. It is entirely possible that the current grass roots ‘Tea Party’ movement will force the creation of a powerful third party if the GOP doesn’t wake up with a jolt. What are your thoughts about the election results?

Thanks for listening, and please send your opinion to feedback@justalkingitup.com!!

No Big Orange fan, of which am one,  felt comfortable when Lane Kiffin was announced as Head Coach of the Tennessee Volunteers in December of 2008.  Many, including me, were very happy to see Phil Fulmer go.  He had let the program slide into virtual oblivion and few singers of Rocky Top were excited about what the ensuing years would be under his continued tutelage.  Fulmer exited with his head held high and exuding tremendous class.  His replacement entered completely devoid of same.

Kiffin spent much of the press conference, called to announce his hiring, talking about what a bad guy Al Davis was.  Davis is the owner of the Oakland Raiders who had fired him after a brief tenure.  The reasons seemed to be that Kiffin was an arrogant, narcissistic flake.  Davis should know, he’s not much different…..but he signs the paychecks.  Tennessee should have talked with Davis before hiring this “narrow Lane”…..they might, as a result, have continued their search beyond Kiffin. Tennessee fans cringed, saying “this guy may know a lot of X’s and O’s, but he seems to be terribly deficient in the class category.”  Our worst fears were soon realized.

Over the next weeks and months Kiffin proceeded to offend most coaches in the S.E.C., the hierarchy at the NCAA and skiddish Vol fans alike with his out of control mouth.  He also came under fire for potential recruiting violations.  This issue might still be an open one…..only time will tell.  I must admit that as the 2009 season went on I never lost my concern that orange blood, I mean the beautiful Tennessee Orange, was not coursing through his veins.  I was, however, smitten by the revitalization that he seemed to bring to the Vol football program and despite the good ole “yard dog whippin’” that Virginia Tech put on us in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, I thought that Tennessee might be up-ticking in the football market.  It was not to be…..at least for about 80 hours.

When Pete Carroll left as head coach of U.S.C. for the NFL, Kiffin bolted Knoxville for the vacated position.  Some of his assistants who also departed in lockstep with him, proceeded to back track and try to talk recruits they had rushed so strongly for the previous weeks into changing their minds and follow them to Trojan country.  It may have worked…we will see.

All of this was a severe body blow to Tennessee, the football program, fans and players.  But after 3 days of whirlwind activity by the U.T Athletic Department, tons of cyber ink and wasted work time by Tennessee faithful, and speculation by the college football world, Tennessee announced on Friday that Derek Dooley had been named as Tennessee’s 22nd football Coach.  WHO????  Derek Dooley….son of the extremely successful Georgia Bulldog Coach and A.D..   The initial fears of the Tennessee faithful were and for many may still be that U.T. made a panic move and picked quickly so as to not lose the recruiting battle that will rage over the next 2-3 weeks.   I must admit to have been one of the skeptics.

Well my brother called me this morning and said, “do you remember how we said we felt when Ronald Reagan spoke the day after he was elected…..proud to be an American and excited about the future.”   He urged me to listen the Dooley’s news conference and see if I had a similar feeling with this hiring.  I did and am sold……and I’m not an easy sell.  Only time will tell whether Dooley will return Tennessee to top 5 -10 status in NCAA division one football.  I think he has all the ingredients to be successful….7 years as an assistant with Nick Saban, a fabulous football heritage, great recruiting skills, a brilliant mind, the consummate work ethic and is a fiercely independent thinker.  But the real thing that makes me a convert and makes me feel that I will not be embarrassed by an off the rails coach is that this is a man of conviction and class.

I also watched Kiffin’s introductory news conference at U.S.C……..what a difference between Dooley’s obvious character and Kiffin’s lack of same.  Kiffin still doesn’t get it in terms of his self centered worldview.  As I watched I wondered what he is teaching his children and what kind of reflection it is on his father and his upbringing.  Stupid me….his father went with him to U.S.C..  Commitment and honor be damned….take the best deal you can get, shake the dust from your feet and leave the broken promises and carnage behind.

Tennessee may have taken a severe body blow, but we have dodged a major bullet.  If you have to deal with a cancer, do so early before it grows.  Thanks Lane and good riddance!  Let’s go Dooley!!!!

Well the “House of Ill Repute” we know as Congress is up to their old tricks again….pun fully intended.   Typical of the transaction discussion between the prostitute and the potential john, where the outcome has been determined and they are simply haggling over price,  Harry Reid and his thieving henchmen have negotiated price with some of their fellow tricksters to insure the passage of the economy wrecking health care plan.

Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) held back on her vote until Reid used $300 million of  OUR MONEY to pay for her vote.  Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) stuck us where the sun doesn’t shine with his similar transaction.  Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Max Baucus (D-MT)  negotiated sweet deals for their states in trade for their votes.  Vermont, Massachusetts and other states likewise obtained largess from our pockets for their services….sic.

But the real culprit that confirms the use of the name prostitute for these Senators is Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) who held his vote ostensibly because of a strongly held position against abortion language in the proposed bill.   Reid simply negotiated the going rate for “Corn-Shucker” Nelson’s vote and the trick was done….so to speak.  Trading of the vote for concessions his State has since said they do not want is bad enough.  Using the killing of defenseless humans as his currency of trade is the ultimate in filthy actions.

If you think the words used here are too strong, consider this.

Prostitution is defined as; “the act of offering or devoting one’s talent to an unworthy use or cause.”   Pimping is defined as; “the act of soliciting or  procuring the services of prostitutes.” A Principle is defined as; “a personal rule for right conduct.”

Given these definitions,  it is clear that Ben Nelson, violated principles of conduct for which he swore on the Bible to uphold when he negotiated with Reid who solicited Nelson’s use of his position in an unworthy manner. Many of his fellow Senators followed suit.

Seems pretty clear to me!  If it quacks like a duck, and if it walks like a ……..well, you know the rest!

An article in yesterday’s Washington Post clearly shows the gap between the RESPONSIBILITY our government has and the ACCOUNTABILITY or lack of accountability to which they are held.  The article  confirms  that the I.R.S. expects  to answer only 71.2% of the calls made to the agency in 2010.  They are elated that the number is up from 70% in 2009.  Further, of the calls that are answered it will take 11 minutes and 38 seconds to actually get someone on the phone.  This is an increase of almost three minutes over the ridiculous time required in  2009.  Also, the I.R.S. is not responsible for the answers given by their agents over the phone.  It is estimated that as many as 40% of the answers to questions asked of the employees on these calls is incorrect and could cause serious problems to the individual if they use this inaccurate information in filing their return.

Now let me understand……upon calling the I.R.S. I have only a 2 in 3 chance the call will answered…..after a wait of almost a quarter of an hour and the answer to my query will likely be wrong!  Imagine how long your company would stay in business with this standard of performance.

The standard in my company is that every call will be answered on the first or second ring, by a live person, with a pleasant voice that indicates to the caller that we are pleased that they called us.  Further, their problem will be solved in some way as quickly as possible.  And we are held accountable for the answers we give.   If we did not  conduct business in this manner we would not be in business long.   The key is that individually and collectively we take RESPONSIBILITY and we are ACCOUNTABLE.   Our very existence depends on it.

With the government there is no accountability at any level.  When was the last time you heard of a government worker….I mean employee….and there is both a difference and a distinction between the two…..getting fired.   Today we see even  President BO’s actions illustrate that he can say what he needs to in order to get what he wants and then do as he wishes…in total disregard to his promises.  It is beyond frustrating that government is allowed to continue to be sub-mediocre in performance without punishment.

The situation is getting worse.  Government is the only sector that has grown during this recession…in both numbers and salary levels.   Add to this the fact that only half of eligible taxpayers actually pay taxes  (this represents 1/3 of all US citizens) leaving the burden to the other half…..of which you and I are a part. You can easily see the problem we face.   Bigger government plus fewer taxpayers equals a snowball of disaster rolling downhill and gaining speed.  The time to solve the problem is getting shorter and the hurdles increasing.  We better wake up as a Nation or we are doomed……if it is not too late already.