The Worst President in History?

Here's another one of those pathetic writing crutches that Bernie, the writing critic, uses in damn near half of all his posts.

Look the writing critic's posts over...and see how often he starts his drivel with the words, "I am very much afraid..."!

It is hilarious.

Like reading a book that not only begins with the words, "It was a dark and stormy night...", but which has each chapter beginning with "It was a dark and stormy night."

This is a guy who writes like a fifth grader, laughingly, criticizing someone who writes infinitely better than he.

Ahhh...but perhaps he is, like Ti, attempting to bring laughter into our lives.

If so, he is succeeding better than he dreams.

And to send back some joy to those sending it to me...

...a link.

http://www.able2know.com/forums/posting.php

Here's another:

http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=80104&highlight=

Here's the first link. The one I supplied apparently doesn't work:

http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=80103&highlight=

And for my part:

A Jewish grandma and her grandson are at the beach. He is playing in the water and she is standing on the shore not wanting to get her feet wet, when all of a sudden, a huge wave appears from nowhere and crashes directly onto the spot where the boy is wading.

The water recedes and the boy is no longer there. Swept away.

She raises her hands to the sky as she screams and cries, "Lord, how could you? Haven't I been a wonderful grandmother? Haven't I been a wonderful mother? Haven't I kept a kosher home? Haven't I given to B'nai B'rith? Haven't I given to Hadassah? Haven't I lit candles every Friday night? Haven't I tried my very best to live a life that you would be proud of?" A voice booms from the sky, "Okay, okay!"

A few minutes later, another huge wave appears out of nowhere and crashes on the beach. As the water recedes, the boy is standing there, smiling and splashing around as if nothing had ever happened.

The voice booms again. "I have returned your grandson. Are you satisfied?"

She says, "He had a hat."

Now, there's a joke I've told dozens of times. Most of them to jewish friends. It's a great joke (I read it first from Calvin Trillin, who proferred it as an example of an ethnic joke that addresses cultural uniqueness).

The key aspect which I find so delicious is that wonderful quality in jewish tradition of speaking to god as something like an equal.

Frank,

I've tried without success to locate your letters to the editors of Newsweek, Time and the NY Times. I never was able to find the NY Times archives, and the Newsweek archives don't go back beyond 1993. You aren't listed in the incomplete archival materials for 1994. The 1984 letters didn't show up either because they are so far into the past.

Usually when we are talking about publishing we mean something more substantial than an letter to the editor of a newspaper or popular magazine. Have you published any books, or been included in an anthology? Have you had any articles published in scholarly, or important specialist periodicals where there is a rigorous peer review? So far it seems that your assertions of intellectual worthiness rest entirely upon a few very old letters to the editors of newspapers and popular magazines.

Publishing isn't really important to establish your bona fides, but it helps. If your writing hasn't been "really" published, then could you give us an 1000, or so word example of your insights and comprehension of some field of knowledge? What career or profession has been your life's work? Write us a brief summation of what you learned in your professional life. How about a short story, or an essay on the Constitutional Convention?

You repeatedly sneer at and insult other folks, calling them stupid, ignorant, moronic, etc. Your assertion that your own intellectual stature is so high that it would be unworthy to address us mere mortals on an intellectual level. "Put up or shut up"

Actually, I'm hopeful that you will oblige us by giving us something to read that is meaty and full of novel insights. I look forward to reading lively prose that is clear and engaging. Don't let us down.

Asherman...I couldn't give a rat's ass what you think of my style or abilities. I think you are one of the most pompous, boring writers I've personally ever encountered.

I was rebutting someone else mocking my writing abilities...which is the only reason any of this stuff has come up.

I have done dozens of short stories...and I've written two books (neither was published)...but I am not here to please you or to convice you of my abilities.

I know that editors have shown lots of interest in my op ed submissions...and that is a hell of a lot more important than what a boring poster on A2K thinks of my abilities.

I guess that means we won't be reading any of Frank's writings any time soon.

We get the honor of reading Franks writting every day! Then, we get to judge it for what it is.

I will be writing every day!

If you don't want to read it...no problem.

Deal with the "honor"...or do the judging. Matters not one iota to me. I write what I think...and I post what I write.

I was referring to the "good stuff," of course.

Everything I write is "good stuff", Ti.

When you finally realize that...you will profit from it.

Just happened to find this essay, which was used as an Op Ed piece in the Star-Ledger (New Jersey's largest newspaper) several years back. I had it saved on my hard-drive. Thought it might satisfy some of your curiosity...although I have no idea of why you folks are this curious about my writing abilities. (I'll see if I can find any others.)



Law shouldn't get out of joint over medical marijuana: by Frank Apisa


I've just begun chemotherapy at the VA Hospital in East Orange. Doctors there did a biopsy on a swollen lymph node taken from my neck and found an aggressive cancer -- a lymphoma. They are now shooting an exotic cocktail of chemicals into my veins (radiation will follow) in hopes of curing the disease. Obviously, I wish them the best of luck. (Editors note: So do we.)

Having written dozens of letters to the editor over the last several years about legalizing marijuana, it would be foolish of me not to take the opportunity -- much as I would like to have passed up the honor -- of discussing the use of marijuana during chemotherapy from this newfound perspective.

In the past, my contention has been that we spend way too much of our drug war resources (some say 90 percent) chasing after pot smokers. Pot smokers are not major players in our nation's drug abuse problem. Certainly they contribute to some degree, but no more than, say, alcohol users. Granted, both groups have their fair share of abusers and members of both groups sometimes allow their particular pleasures to lead them to worse poisons. But for the most part, pot smokers and alcohol drinkers are responsible, non-compulsive people who never move on to anything else.

I strongly feel that the enjoyment of either pot or alcohol falls into the category of "I don't want the government telling me what time I have to go to bed."

Use during chemotherapy is another kettle of fish altogether.

One of the unique features of a VA hospital is that it's specialty clinics allow you access to many healthcare providers -- all of whom seem willing to discuss problems and help you through whatever difficulties you are having. Because of that, I've been able to ask several professionals about the pros and cons of using marijuana as an adjunct to whatever else is prescribed for dealing with the formidable side effects of chemotherapy.

Most of them, quite honestly, showed reservation in discussing the subject. Obviously it is an area that can be daunting to someone who needs a state-issued license to practice his/her profession. But I got answers -- and they resolved into variations of:

1) Whatever gets you past the graveyard.

The efficacy of all medical treatment depends, in part, on the mindset of the patient; having confidence in one's doctor and his/her treatment is as important to the cure as any medicine prescribed. Attitude is so important that if you think a garland of garlic helps get you through the rigors of chemotherapy, wear a garland of garlic; if you think prayer helps, pray; and if you think pot would help...

2) Anything that stimulates appetite during chemotherapy is a plus, and pot certainly does that.

3) We have a drug that can be prescribed. It's marijuana, but in a pill form that passes muster with the doctors in Congress.

I didn't find one doctor or nurse willing to warn me against using pot if I thought it would help -- and the drug in pill form made eminent sense to several.

I am 61 and I am a decent citizen -- a dependable husband, neighbor, and friend. I'm active in community affairs, volunteer lots of time to my town, vote in every election, and write letters to the editor. My personal habits are moderate; I drink almost no coffee or tea, smoke no tobacco, and my annual consumption of alcohol wouldn't satisfy a sot for even one night. I use no tranquilizers, cold medicines or sleeping pills and take less than six aspirins a year. I exercise regularly and weigh the same now as I did when discharged from the Air Force 40 years ago.

Yet I could be put in jail if I decided to use pot to help me through this crisis!

Folks, that is so bizarre I feel embarrassed commenting on it, but here goes:

Any legislature in any state of our great Union that is not seriously on its way to passing legislation that permits the use of marijuana under these conditions ought to stand down and allow for the election of a legislative body with enough guts and insight to deal with this kind of situation.

And any society that allows craven politicians the space to be so ineffective, unfeeling, and inappropriately intrusive deserves the kind of governance we're all stuck with right now.

Thank you Frank for posting a short piece that demonstrates that you can present a clear argument in standard English prose. The piece does not represent any special insights or innovative thought, but is a strong personal opinion well stated. There is nothing in it to support your arrogant supposition that you are more intelligent, better educated, or more insightful than any other frequent A2K poster. Unpublished books don't count, half the people here have a closet full of rejected manuscripts. Letters to the Editor don't count any more than a posting on this thread. Editors of periodicals are more concerned with filling space than with only publishing thoughtful gems.

Your posts here are almost entirely short sneering insults directed at anyone who doesn't entirely endorse your own unsupported opinions. Even whackos like F4F and Pachebelle offer something (mostly foolish twaddle about conspiracies), while from your supposedly superior intellect we get, "anyone who supports the President is a bigger fuk'n moron than he is." Of course, I'm paraphrasing and writing a much more complex sentence than we've come to expect from you.

Now that we know you can if you take just a bit of time write something that contains an idea and not just the rant one might expect from a teenaged graffiti artist, why not use that vaunted intellect to compose postings that have some miinimal sustance? Hey, I might even read some of your stuff, and it wouldn't hurt you to read the opinions of those you disagree with once in a great while.

The only arrogance is your writing, ashman. Get over yourself.

It's clear the mentality that Frank's postings most appeal to. Certainly in stark contrast to Asherman's.

Hey Frank, if you write something to disparage the jews right now, I'll bet you a dollar F4F will bend down and worship you properly.

I agree with you here, Ti.

My postings appeal to the intelligent, discerning, open-minded folks in A2K...while Asherman's appeals mostly to the retards of the extreme right.



I do not ever disparage the Jews...(obviously you do not have enough respect for them to capitalize the word)...and in fact, have offered the opinion that most of the anti-Jewish sentiment arises from begrudging admiration gone apeshyt in the form of jealously out of control.

Jews are achievers.

That bothers some people.

If thats the type of expression you believe in, to each his own. Asherman, thanks for calling out Frank. I think Frank has shown everyone here of which he is made. Frank's vacuous name calling vs the substantive and well reasoned Asherman. Thanks Asherman.