Foxy Friday, Politician of the Year, and the End of the Kennedys…

It’s Foxy Friday, folks, so read on to see both the Fox of the Week and the Bohunk’s 2010 Politician of the Year…Odds are they are NOT the same person…

First, we tackle some current issues. Should the lame-duck sessions of Congress pack up and head home today, it will be the end of a 63 year long era. A Kennedy has been in the US Congress at all times since 1947 when John F. Kennedy became the a sitting Congressman from the state of Massachusetts. Patrick Kennedy, a Representative from Rhode Island, lost his re-election bid in November, leaving the US without a Kennedy representing any portion of it. Many see it as a dramatic fall from grace, reflective of the slow and regrettable decline of liberalism in these United States. After Ted Kennedy died last year, many pundits claimed it was the end of the “Lion” Liberal era, though the Bohunk views these changes differently. What other family can claim to be integrally involved in democratic politics for the past six decades? The Bush dynasty extends back only to the mid 1960’s and is represented by only two Bushes; the Kennedy’s had 6 elected office. The fact that their politics were that familiar and important for such a long time speaks volumes about the needs and views of the American public. Congrats, Pat Kennedy, on serving your nation as MOST of your family had done before you….

A quick mention to the Cleveland Indians’ pitching great Bob Feller who died Wednesday at the age of 92. One of the hardest-throwing pitchers in the history of the Big Leagues, Bob left Cleveland just after the bombing of Pearl Harbor to enlist in the Navy, giving up four years of his career (and roughly $100,000, big bucks in the ‘40’s) to fight on a gunship in the South Pacific. He served with the Navy as a gun captain, firing a 40 mm quad gun at enemy planes. “I knew then, and I know today, that winning World War II was the most important thing to happen to this country in the last 100 years. I’m just glad I was a part of it. I was only a gun captain on the battleship Alabama for 34 months. People have called me a hero for that, but I’ll tell you this — heroes don’t come home. Survivors come home.” In his first game back in the league, after practicing for only 2 days with the squad, Feller threw a four hit game that the Indians won against Detroit, 4-2. Hats off, Bob…

Bob Feller, the ‘Merican Hero…

Trouble in Ivory Coast as security forces open fire on demonstrators protesting President Laurent Gbagbo’s refusal to leave officed. The death toll is estimated to be any where from 6 to 32 people in widely differing reports from Amnesty International and eye-witness accounts. An election held in November resulted in Alassaane Ouatarra winning by a healthy margin over Gbagbo but Gbagbo has refused to leave office and has used the country’s state-run television to control the population’s information. The UN, US, EU and African Union all declared Ouatarra the winner on December 2, but the Congressional Council of Ivory Coast, a close ally to Gbagbo, threw out huge numbers of votes from the northern provinces citing “irregularities”, which led to Gbagbo also claiming victory. Gbagbo has held office for the past decade, the last five years illegally without elections until just this past month. Neither side shows any sign of giving up; many protesters are forming ranks as a part of a nation-wide militia. A full blown civil war is imminent…Neither the US, UN, EU or any other political body commented on the shootings this morning…

As promised, the Bohunk is proud to present very British actress and Fox Sienna Miller as the Fox of the Week. Sienna first opened eyes as a model in 2001. Her most famous role came in the film Factory Girl playing Andy Warhol’s muse, Edie Sedgwick, which released in 2006. She played The Baroness in 2009’s G.I. Joe blockbuster, though she prefers small budget indie films. Frankly, Sienna, we prefer any film you are in…

The beautiful and talented Sienna Miller…

You patience is about the be rewarded….Hold thine thundering heart, for here is the 2010 Bohunk Politician of the Year! The fictional award goes to former Senator John Edwards! The most important quality of a politician is to be unabashedly ballsy, and you sir, have proven yourself to be a true and seam-busting sack full. First, we found out this year that you had a child out-of-wedlock (while married to someone else) and denied it for two whole years. You even let your friend claim that it was his! That, sir, is ballsy. Even so, believe it or not, it is not the worst aspect of the affair. Edward’s wife, Elizabeth, had been battling cancer all through 2008, when John’s affair was at its steamiest. Elizabeth travelled the country by his side, stopping only to receive chemotherapy. As noted in the Update, Elizabeth died of her cancer this month, after legally separated from John, who now has custody of their two young children. For your sheer, terrible ballsiness, you, John Edwards, win Politician of the Year…. and Worst Human in the US Congress…So Far…Award.

John Edwards: Asshole.

(You had to assume this Award was going to satirical)

Since President Calderon declared “war” on Mexican drug cartels in 2006, more than 30,000 people have died as a result of the violence. Just this past year, 12,456 Mexican citizens have died in what the government calls “drug related violence.” These numbers leave out the hundreds of thousands of kids orphaned, working for cartels, and/or homeless. Calderon’s administration claims to have captured $11.2 billion in drugs since he took office. Experts in organized crime say that by taking down the bosses, Calderon has created a deadly power vacuum that warring cartels are scrambling to fill. A gap in a specific region or town due to imprisoned cartel leaders makes other gangs kill, fight, ransom and terrorize the neighborhood until they have taken it. For example, over 3,000 people have died in Cuidad Juarez in the past year, over ten times the murder rate just a few years ago. This is a situation that has a growing likelihood of spilling into US towns in Texas and Arizona. We shall, be assured, keep an eye on it….

In a final note, Google and Harvard have teamed up to look at word usage. Compiling digitized books that represent 4% of all works ever created (actually a massive number, trust me) lets researchers see how words go in and out of style. For example, use of the word “God” peaked in 1830, representing 12 of every 10,000 words used. Now, it is only mentioned twice per 10,000 words. An interesting battle is that between “men” and “women”; the word “women” is now used over twice as much as the word “men” in print. You go, girl.

Thanks for reading, check back tomorrow for the Top Post of the Week redone, and the Bohunk will be back Monday from the comforts of TC and a very soft couch.