The Fink File

Far be it from me to be a "product blogger" but I'm really en fuego about this:

In December 2005, Poppa Fink purchased a very nice Panasonic HDTV as a housewarming gift for me and Mrs. Fink.  Ah! The Panasonic th37phd8uk sure was a sweet set up.  Was… is the operative term.  After less than 3 years on the job, it developed some weird bars and lines on the screen (simulated above).  I called the great folks at Advisory Radio & TV repair.  They quickly diagnosed the issue.  This week they came back with the estimate to fix the problem. At a price tag north of TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS, they suggested it was time for a new TV at the Finktroplex. 

So, that's what I did.  New HDTV, thy name is SAMSUNG. Not Panasonic. Why? Because Panasonic sucks because they can't make a TV that lasts for more that 2 1/2 years. F Panasonic. 

Anyone want an HDTV that will cost a ton of cash to fix? Let me know.

To stimulate the minds here at the Fink File, we've recently gotten back into playing chess.  Fink was a legendarily awful player at JHS 125 in Queens back in the day. We're sure that Chess Club teacher Mr. Cunningham, fresh from a stint in 'Nam would have rather gone back to the front than watch another "masterful" Fink gambit.  Hopefully there'll be some 21st Century redemption coming soon.

Anywhoo, check out NYC chess hustler/FIDE Master Asa Hoffman.  He once beat chess legend/anti-Semite Bobby Fischer.

Carlin was the last sane voice in comedy, unless you count Pat Cooper which probably means that you're INSANE.  Rest well George, we'll miss you. 

My Sunday mornings haven't really been the same since David Brinkley died so many years ago.  But I grew to really like Russert.  He died today of a heart attack at the NBC Washington Bureau.  He was only 58.

Everyone has an opinion on who should be Barack Obama's running mate.  Bill Richardson seems to be the best choice to us, but what would happen if Obama took one of our out of the box suggestions:

Jackie Chan: The man can kick some ass and that can always come in handy.  Plus America loves the black guy/Asian sidekick set up.  No brainer.

Farnsworth Bentley: Kept P. Diddy looking dapper and would surely ensure that anyone in the Cabinet is a "gent" and not a "G".  Mr. Bentley would be the perfect VP/valet.

Jesse "The Body/Governor" Ventura: Jesse would be AWESOME as VP and he speaks slow enough for folks in Red States to understand.  Would totally have Obama's back in government and in any tag team matches that might pop up. 

John McCain: Same plane? Heck how about the same ticket and let's just have a BBQ instead of an election.

Miley Cyrus: Do we need to explain?

Korman…Dead!

Sidney Pollack… Dead!!

Bo Diddley… Dead!!!

Yves Saint Laurent!!!! 

The recent graduation stunt by “streaker” Will Lopez at NYU’s Yankee Stadium commencement ceremony gives me hope for the generation folks are calling “millennials“. For a while there I thought that they were just going to be a bunch of namby pamby spoiled rotten self righteous hipster doofuses. Read the rest of this entry »

Rest well Dick, we hardly knew ye.

This is a song I would have played back to back for an hour back in the day.  Of course her cover of Cobrastyle is no slouch either:

Not to mention the original… which in my typical oblivious fashion I've just noticed features radio pal Jed the Fish:

When it comes to pontificating on political pundits, I'm no Olbermann.  Heck, I'm no Scales or Instaputz. But the events this week in the conservative world are pretty fascinating indeed.

William F. Buckley Jr. , the King of All Conservatives, died this week at 82.  He's the man who basically invented the modern conservative pundit platform when he created The National Review in 1955. Those were the days when conservatives were basically of the "small government, fiscal responsibility" variety. 

However the world that Buckley came up in, that of Goldwater who beget Reagan, has gone off the rails of the Crazy Train.  Buckley was nothing if not a gentleman, but today's neo-cons love to throw barbs and make outrageous statements (i.e. Bill Cunningham, Ann Coulter). Even today certain conservatives are questioning John McCain's CITIZENSHIP. 

Coulter is not worth my time to explain how she's just a hate monger.   Cincinnati radio host Cunningham (pictured) is impressive in his destructiveness - not only did he put the future Republican nominee in a bad situation by hammering home Barack Obama's middle name when introducing McCain but he's also made anyone who's ever made a living in radio look like a complete tool. 

In Robert Semple's obit of Buckley he writes that he "hated most of what the liberals stood for. He didn’t hate them." That's a powerful statement. Every college frosh loves to throw around Voltaire's famous quote about free speech when the issue of uncivilized discourse is brought up.  But with every overused example there lies a certain truth. Disagree yes, be disrespectful, no. And there's no way you can convince me that Buckley was the least bit satisfied with his offspring: Limbaugh, Cunningham, Hannity, Fox News, Coulter et al. 

Hateful attacks, smears, rumor mongering these are the weapons of today's conservative. Hardly the legacy Mr. Buckley thought he'd leave behind.