Heh, one more

F	Flamboyant
I	Important
X	X-Rated
E	Eccentric
R	Rounded

Name / Username:

Name Acronym Generator
From Go-Quiz.com

I think I'm going to declare a moratorium with regard to these stupid things. At least with regard to posting 'em. Oy! Thanks, once more, to Cmdr. Sue.

Don't ask

I just got a wild hair.

Update: 21:55:

Tami's a kindred spirit.

Short, sweet, wonderful Truth

Spoken by Jayinbmore at RUFNKM:

. . . Sin is the essential mechanism to create artificial demand for the Church. Or did I misread that?

[. . .]

The Right Wing knows it too.

Your tax dollars . . . never mind

DemVet isn't surprised:

[. . .]

Imagine that. CheneyBurton overbilling 42% of their contract amount. Well, being connected has always paid off. Literally. I guess that all that you know, math and accounting and stuff could be some kind of objectively pro-terrarist™ "fuzzy" liberal-think made up to embarras the gawd-fearin' 1600 Crew.

[. . .]

Hey, it ain't their money, is it now?

Handcuffs?

Morrigan asks a question about the litttle 5 year old girl in Florida who was handcuffed by police. Go answer it.

Responsibility and Culpability

Via Today in Iraq from WaPo:

An Army inspector general's report has cleared senior Army officers of wrongdoing in the abuse of military prisoners in Iraq and elsewhere, government officials familiar with the findings said yesterday.

The only Army general officer recommended for punishment for the failures that led to abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison and other facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan is Brig. Gen. Janis L. Karpinski, who was in charge of U.S. prison facilities in Iraq as commander of the 800th Military Police Brigade in late 2003 and early 2004. Several sources said Karpinski is expected to receive an administrative reprimand for dereliction of duty. [my emphasis]

[. . .]

Not excusing them, but only the grunts get jail time? What about the 'private contractors'? What about the officers? Yup, a few 'bad apples'. None of this would have happened unless the officers let it happen.

Filibuster

Pudentilla sums it up nicely:

[. . .]

As Senator Leahy has noted, Republicans wouldn’t be able to use filibusters to block democratic economic legislation, health care reform, bills to protect unions from corporate use of scabs as they did in 1993 and 1994.

[. . .]

Even that brownnose McCain knows the Democrats will be in power again one day (I hope). If the Repubs succeed with the 'nuclear option', I hope the Dems fuck their asses until they choke when we have the majority again. What goes around, comes around, assholes.

Surprises

From our little troll:

(New York-WABC, April 22, 2005) — We told you yesterday the mayor is launching a $3 million program to reduce unintended pregnancies by pushing emergency contraception.

[. . .]

The two pills of Plan B run $30 at a drugstore. The mayor has just announced that they will be free to any girl or woman of reproductive age at city clinics and hospitals.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg: "Ninety-thousand abortions is an outrage. We should recognize this as a problem."

Kelli Conlin, NARAL Pro-Choice NY: "People use it - they say 'whew' - saved the day for me and now I'm going to be more responsible."

[. . .]

No matter what side you're on the numbers are pretty amazing. Every single year in the city there are 215,000 pregnancies and 60 percent of them are unintentional and result in 90,000 abortions.

[. . .]

I am very pro-choice, but I'm not a big fan of abortion, especially as a treatment for chronic pregnancy. What bothers me more than seeing 90,000 abortions is 90,000 unwanted children born with two strikes against them. Take a ride up to Attica, Sing Sing, or Rikers Island and see the wreckage of our society.

Now, we have our own wingnut assholes here in New York. To wit:

[. . .]

Michael Long, NY State Conservative Party Chairman: "I don't think that's what tax dollars should be used for.

Michael Long with the Conservative Party says there are simply other ways to deal with the problem.

Michael Long: "If you make a mistake you have to be accountable and you have to understand the fact that you have an obligation - that's a human being."

[. . .]

You know, it's one thing being held accountable for your mistakes. You speed, get a ticket, you steal, get arrested, fuck up at work, you get fired, but do you really think it's a good thing to hold a young girl accountable for having sex (think about that) by forcing her to birth a child she doesn't want? Should the life of a newborn be used as an ankle bracelet to hold its mother accountable? The mother and child are both losers if the wingnuts get their way. A baby should be born into the loving arms of parents who want it, not as a ball and chain for a teenage girl.

My hat's off to the little dwarf on this one. It seems like a good compromise between Right and Left without penalizing an infant for being born to a disinterested mother. The New York Conservative Party and its Chairman should shut the fuck up, buncha assholes. 90,000 kids won't be aborted and only a few cells will be flushed from the mother's body only hours after fertilization, even before the fertilized zygote begins to grow. I don't mind paying for this, unlike some of the other fool shit they shake me down for, and I certainly wouldn't mind paying for free contraception for anyone who wants it.

Like I said, every so often Mayor Bloomberg does something smart and he should be commended. This is one of those times. Now, if only he could get the trains to run regularly . . .

Killin' Time

I've been taking these silly quizzes for an hour. Addicting, it is. Some of 'em are so far off it's comical, others nail you to the wall. Some are just dumb. Some are so flattering you know people will think you jimmied it yourself. F'rinstance:

It's Not Sex. It's ... : Gord and Fixer are back, ladies! Drop the drape and trot out fer a lineup. These guys are hornier'n a five peckered goat! Supermen, they are! Rich an' good-lookin' too!

Get your own Sex Name

Of course, I would never do anything like that, now would I? Now that might produce some real creative fun. A colossal waste of time. And my point is?

A whole lot more bullshit

You Are 55% Normal (Somewhat Normal)

While some of your behavior is quite normal... Other things you do are downright strange You've got a little of your freak going on But you mostly keep your weirdness to yourself

How Normal Are You?

Pretty close.

Update: 18:15:

I'm doing these with the Mrs. next to me. I took this one and her first words were, 'they know you'.

You May Be a Bit Schizotypal ...

A bit odd and socially isolated. You couldn't care less of what others think. And some of your beliefs are a little weird. Like that time you thought you were Jesus.

What Personality Disorder Are You?

Even More Bullshit

Slow news days are fun. Enjoy 'em while ya can.

Your Linguistic Profile:

70% General American English

10% Dixie

10% Upper Midwestern

10% Yankee

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

That site's got a lot of silly tests.

Update: I went and took The Amazing Meganame Generator. I won't bore you with the details, but I wanted to share this one:

Your punk rock band name is The Happy Dildo

Holy crap.

More bullshit

Your Linguistic Profile:

40% General American English

40% Yankee

15% Dixie

5% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Thanks to Windy City Lefty.

Backdoor coup

Personally, I thought is was when that woman I was dating finally let me . . . never mind. Glen sees it happening and he has a good point.

Unless you have been in a persistent vegetative state for the past few weeks, you've been aware of the Republicans' assault on one of the foundations of any democracy that does not require quotes: an independent judiciary. DeLay and Cornyn have come just short of endorsing ending judges' terms with extreme prejudice. Tammany Tom the Bugman has called for reorganizing the government, no doubt in his own image: call it the City Upon the Slag Heap (small, unmarked bills, please). Then there's the most frightening (to me) DeLay quote: "The reason we had a right to privacy is because Congress didn't stop them [the courts]." Obviously, we've go to do something about that.

Scared enough? Probably not. This morning, Avedon Carol gave me a jolt better than a caffeine IV.

[. . .]

Health care

I'm not a big fan of socialized medicine. I've seen it in action. My Shaivo-esqe nephew is the result of medical malpractice and there was little recourse through the system. He's 14 now and has to be carried, fed, and is still in diapers. As I say this, I read this from The Talent Show, complete with a fancy graph so simpletons like me can understand it.

[. . .]

That's right, we spend more than twice as much as most of our friends, yet we cover a much lower percentage of our people and have a higher rates of illness and death for preventable diseases . . .

Our system is shot, ladies and gents. We need something different before it, and all of us, go bankrupt trying to fix ourselves and support the pharmaceutical industry.

Thanks to Ezra for the link.

Update: 17:25:

Jeff at The American Street has more.

Passover

To all my Jewish friends and my beautiful wife. Happy Passover. Travis has some excellent accessories for the holiday. Seder at our house tomorrow night by the way.

Colin grows a set

I know I'm piling on along with Gord, but I love Jane's writing:

[. . .]

Do you suppose Colin is feeling a smidge guilty about his own disingenuous performance before the UN that mislead the world about the situation in Iraq, and wants to make it up to them by keeping them from being saddled with an arrogant horse's ass? Or is he still just touchy because he was replaced with congenital liar Condaleezza Rice after he scrapped with Big Dick Cheney, and wants to deliver a little payback to the VP by sacking his boy Bolton?

[. . .]

She has a link to a Laura Rozen post you should follow too.

We only have one

Via Rox, Earth Day Republican style.

Pic courtesy of Relentlessly Optimistic.

Update: 15:15:

Riggsveda:

So it's another Earth Day, and the House celebrates by passing a big ol' mess o' corporate welfare disguised as an "Energy Bill". I mean, who else in this country is more deserving of massive tax breaks and general obsequiousness than the largest, richest, most powerful cartel of industrial greedsters in the world? . . .

Powell advising senators on Bolton

From MSNBC News:

Former secretary of state Colin L. Powell is emerging as a behind-the-scenes player in the battle over John R. Bolton's nomination as ambassador to the United Nations, privately telling at least two key Republican lawmaker that Bolton is a smart but very problematic government official, according to Republican sources.

Those who know Powell best said two recent events provide insight into his thinking. Powell did not sign a letter from seven other former U.S. secretaries of state or defense supporting Bolton, and his former chief of staff, Lawrence B. Wilkerson, recently told the New York Times that Bolton would be an "abysmal ambassador."

"On two occasions, he has let it be known that the Bolton nomination is a bad one, to put it mildly," a Democratic congressional aide said. "It would be great to have Powell on the record speaking for himself, but he's unlikely to do it."

Bolton is the guy who insisted on the Iraq/nuclear connection language for Powell's ill-fated speech to the U.N. Powell's been a "good soldier" for this administration but he knows he got screwed. I wish he'd say something directly as he's got a lot to make up for in my opinion, but this'll have to do for now. Maybe he's still got a pair after all.

Democrats must change everything

James Carville and Paul Begala are two of my favorite pundits, as those things go. They have written this Op-Ed in USA Today:

"Houston, we have a problem." With those words, spoken with a calm that masked the gravity of the situation, astronaut Jim Lovell informed NASA that Apollo 13 was running out of oxygen.
The skinny guys with skinny ties back in Houston, and the crew-cut crew in space, acted. They didn't argue. They didn't second-guess. They didn't blame each other. They acted. And most important, they didn't deny that they had a problem.

But today, too many leading Democratic strategists deny that the party we love has a problem. When you lose to an unpopular president with a soft economy and a disastrous occupation in Iraq — a man who lost all three debates and who, when he's trying to complete a sentence, is like a drunk man trying to cross an icy street — you most definitely have a problem.

Let's be clear what the problem is — and is not.

Read it in its entirety Below The Fold.

He got me again!

Fixer hooked me like a trout. Again. My lip hurts.

Your Inner European is Irish!

Sprited and boisterous! You drink everyone under the table.

Who's Your Inner European?

Irish is the last nationality I would have guessed for myself seeing as how I don't drink. I'd be under constant suspicion as a traitor. Maybe English or Polish. How much stock can you put in a quiz that misspells "Ferrari" anyway?

Piss 'em off some more

Our Canadian neighbors, that is. Cathie's annoyed with Newt, for good reason:

[. . .]

Now, even I read the 911 commission report and know where those terrorists came from. So how stupid is it that Newt Gingrich, who pretends to be a knowledgeable politician and still gives speeches about US foreign policy, actually hasn't bothered to learn about the actual events of the 911 attacks.

[. . .]

You know, it's one thing when your own people know you're a moron. Why must you boadcast it outside our borders and embarass us before the rest of the world?

The dollar . . . again

Froggy:

The story is that China is looking at no longer pegging its currency to the US dollar, which has such enormous implications for our economy it is hard to comprehend. For one thing, the Chinese could very easily ruin the dollar and make it a marginal currency. Don't know what that means to you in your day-to-day life? Figure it out, baby. My fortune cookie says: "Life-style may encounter a significant change." . . .

Read Froggy's post before going to the article.

Blogger sucks wet monkey ass again.

My inner Euro

Another one of these. This time courtesy of Rox:

Your Inner European is French!

Smart and sophisticated. You have the best of everything - at least, *you* think so.

Who's Your Inner European?

More Melanie

She's got a new project:

Welcome to Judging the Future, a project of Bump in the Beltway productions and a progressive, independent voice on judicial nominations issues. All opinions expressed here are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of any sponsors unless otherwise noted.

This site is for activists: when we raise an issue, we'll give you something to do far beyond wringing your hands. Come on in, and let's have a little fun taking our country back from the neo-cons and right-wing radicals in Congress.

[. . .]

Go see the preview.

Lemon laws

TCF is talking my language.

[. . .]

Therefore, the sales pitch currently coming from this band of arrogant hucksters on the President’s Energy Bill, assumes they can hoodwink a still credulous constituency.

In TCF’s mind, House Speaker, Republican Denny Hastert is the Marge Schott of politics. He has one face, and it’s not a poker face. It’s incapable of showing credibility, and any sense of integrity fades when standing next to Tom DeLay or Bill Frist.

[. . .]

We should be able to trade this bunch of losers in for something that works.

Left behind

Melanie goes into the newest court challenge to Bush's stupid No Child Left Behind education policy.

[. . .]

This is a legitimate ground for criticism of this lousy law, but no one has really gone into the real core problems with this law. It is mandated federal testing, when control of the schools are supposed to be a state and local affair. It is also just another test to teach to. Wanna know why kids arrive in college with absolutely no critical thinking skills? Mandatory testing. Teachers break up information into little test-sized bits. None of the information is presented holistically, without any sense that there are connections within a discipline much less that there are connections between disciplines. This isn't education, it's atomized information.

[. . .]

This has been the dumbest thing since the stupid tracking experiments they did with us in the '60s here in NY. I was in the advanced track and for two years, they put us in with the special ed kids. They figured we'd learn from each other. I learned to understand the difficulties folks with disabilities have, but I'm afraid we left them in the dust. I doubt they got anything out of the experience but feelings of inadequacy.

I have quite a few teachers as customers, and a kid who used to work for us is now a principal. None, and I mean none, of 'em have anything nice to say about NCLB. It failed in Houston and it's failing nationwide. NCLB is doing our children a great disservice.

Good neighbors

Connecticut is a beautiful state. I lived there for about a year. I've hiked the Appalachian Trail through there, from the New York line to Vermont many times and never failed to be enthralled by it's natural beauty. The people have an overly-high opinion of themselves, but I can live with that. They're good neighbors, even if they don't want us to put an electric cable across Long Island Sound. They've become even better neighbors last evening.

The last couple days, I've been starting off my morning rants by praising Republicans. I'm doing it today as well. Republican Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell, good on ya:

(Hartford-AP, April 20, 2005) — Connecticut is now the second state to recognize same-sex civil unions, and the first to do so without court pressure.

Governor Jodi Rell signed the bill about an hour after the state Senate sent the legislation to her desk. The law will allow thousands of gay and lesbian couples in Connecticut to be given the same rights and obligations as heterosexual couples, but not an actual marriage license.

Vermont has approved civil unions and neighboring Massachusetts has gay marriage, but those changes came about only after same-sex couples won court battles.

[. . .]

I know Pam will tell me a civil union isn't the same thing, and the equivalent of the 'separate-but-equal' doctrine toward the blacks in the middle of the last century, but it's a good start. The Legislators and Governor did this on their own (without pressure from a court order from 'activist judges') and deserve to be commended. Ship the Governor off an email or letter, or make a call, telling her how much you appreciate her ability to compromise on legislation long overdue:

Mailing Address

Governor M. Jodi Rell
Executive Office of the Governor
State Capitol
210 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, Connecticut 06106

Telephone

Greater Hartford Area: 860-566-4840
Toll Free: 800-406-1527
TDD: 860-524-7397

E-Mail

Governor.Rell@po.state.ct.us

Note: I just stopped by Pam's to see how she feels about this and she took it better than I thought she would.

Why do I let Fixer sucker me into this shit?

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Second Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Very Low
Level 2 (Lustful)	High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	Moderate
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Moderate
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	High
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Moderate
Level 7 (Violent)	Moderate
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	High
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	High

Take the Dante Inferno Hell Test

I like these things too. They're basically a crock with the result pretty much predetermined by their sponsors, but who cares?

Blanket Ass Wisdom

I get a lot of mail from various American Indian schools and foundations and such. Lemme tell ya, you send just one of 'em three bucks and they tell each other about you. They send me bookmarks, return address labels, and stuff like that. Anyway, I was just reading my e-mail and came across this in the latest attempt by St. Joseph's Indian School to garnishee my wallet:

In Lakota (Sioux) culture, we are all related. Each of us was created and brought together by Wakan Tanka - the Great Spirit.

Because of our universal relation, it is our duty to care for and teach one another ... just as the Creator intended.

What a concept! The oh-so-Godly right would probably call that an anti-American Liberal manifesto.

I'm a bad man

Yeah, I got suckered again, this time by Cmdr. Sue. I love these fucking things. Here's my score:

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Second Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Moderate
Level 2 (Lustful)	Very High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	Low
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Moderate
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Very High
Level 7 (Violent)	Very High
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	High
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	High

Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test

Wolcott on Joey Rats

Wolcott's a pissah!

His brain warm with Stove-Top Stuffing, Goodwin is one of those phony Sensible Moderates in the Glenn Reynolds/Mort Kondracke mold (and I do mean mold) who is always pretending to lecture and advise liberals for their own good. Forever telling Democrats to tone down their rhetoric, moderate their message, lose Michael Moore, embrace family values, act more hawkish, etc.

Today Goodwin ventures into theology without a map or a clue, treating the Catholic Church as if it were the Bush Doctrine in liturgical vestments.

"When our hearts sink because beloved baseball players are discovered to be chemical freaks or admired merchant princes turn out to be crooks, we can count on the Pope. He will be steady, consistent, unshakable."

I was raised Catholic, and even we never believed anything that moony. We loved Pope John XXIII, but we knew he had a lot of predecessors that didn't trail glory through the record books. The slightest acquaintance with Catholic history turns up popes who were as shady and crafty as the "merchant princes" Goodwin fancies still rustle among us.

So if Pope Benedict XVI continues to stigmatize homosexuals and condemns condom use, resulting in the further spread of AIDS in Africa and elsewhere, he's cool with that? He'd prefer consistency and message discipline over sanity and compassion?

Why am I even bothering to raise the questions? Of course, he would. Floodwaters could engulf both coasts, and Michael Goodwin, wearing a snorkel, would applaud Bush and Cheney for remaining steadfast in denying the existence of global warming.

I have no comment other than Wolcott should be on everybody's "daily read" tour.

What's good?

Re: My post below.

Ol' Yelladog has a great post up and it's something we can (have to) push:

That title is a bit facetious, but seriously... Roxanne recently had a great thread recently titled "What's so great about America?" and I read it with great interest.

[. . .]

The belief in the struggle for justice is deeply ingrained in the American character. Look at Abbie Hoffman, Cyrstal Lee Sutton, Karen Silkwood, John Brown, W.E.B. duBois, Mitch Snyder...

Every one of these people has touched your life. The Right would prefer that we forget all of them, and fall to our knees in abject deification of Nelson Rockefeller, Prescott Bush, Donald Trump and the fat oligarchs that run the country now. It kinda bothers me that no one saw fit to mention that rowdy and rebellious streak that typifies the thorniness of the American Left of the past 100 years.

That's our legacy, folks. That's the mantle we need to pick up and teach each other. They're not going to teach it to our kids in school

[. . .]

Let's get back to our roots. Let's hold up our icons, the agitators, the ethical, and the principled, the fair, and the good. The Republicans can't match our roster, because all their guys wear suits and only care about the bottom line. The Left cares about people and we have a Murderers Row of Hall of Famers to back it up. The Dems, and those farther left, have to remind the reg'ler folks the good that has been done for the common man. Who're ya gonna believe, the Party of Parks and King or the Party of God and Money?

A ray of sunshine, perhaps...

Go read this. It'll make you feel better. By Stewart Nusbaumer.

There are times when happiness, regardless of ugly circumstances, cannot be denied. This morning is one of those times.

I won't bore you with the body of the article. It's good. Go bore yourself. You'll thank me.

So ignore the lousy weather, the political sun is shinning. Block out that pomp and pomposity on your television, that’s not America. The Bush Administration is crumbling; the dream to destroy America is imploding. The saboteurs are desperate -- their gang is locked in the cellar. Dismiss those tigers gnawing on your toes, they're only kittens. Have a drink. When the White House and Congress are recaptured, there will again be sanity in America. The agenda will again include justice. The price of Jim Beam will again be reasonable. Hallelujah. Have two drinks. The house of Bush is collapsing. The Mother of America will survive.

Lemme hear a Hallelujah!, brothers and sisters!

Do I hate Christians?

Just this kind. From John:

[. . .]

We’re seeing something very similar in the equation of attacks on the Dobsons and Santorums of the world with attacks on Christianity itself. The logical error is that the form of rigid rule-based, Pharisee Christianity practiced by Ayatollah Dobson is merely a particular manifestation (or subset) of Christianity proper. One can be at peace with a whole range of Christian interpretations and soundly reject the anti-Enlightenment, anti-woman, anti-privacy, anti-freedom, anti-science, anti-homosexuality, anti-everything-that-doesn’t-look-and-think-just-like-me version of Christianity.

Exactly. As he also notes, they've done the same thing with the war on Iraq, too. Anyone that didn't support the war, doesn't support defending America from terrorism. They've even taken it a step further so that anytime someone criticizes something our government does, it automatically means they hate America. It's the faultiest of logic, but it works.

[. . .]

Go read his post.

And shave off that silly mustache...

As we know, the vote on Bolton has been delayed indefinitely due to that rarest of occurrences, an attack of conscience by Senator Voinovich (R-OH). Imagine that!

"My conscience got me," he said after the stormy two-hour session. He said he had gone to the meeting planning to vote for Mr. Bolton, but changed his mind after hearing the case against the nominee made by Senators Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware and Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, both Democrats.

"I wanted more information about this individual, and I didn't feel comfortable voting for him," Mr. Voinovich said.

A Republican with a conscience? How'd he get past the screening committee?

They're gonna try to make him pay. From Move America Forward (Warning! Wingnut site - ed.):

As a result, Ohio U.S. Senator George Voinovich will be the target of radio ads criticizing Senator Voinovich for his obstructionist conduct in today’s Bolton confirmation hearings.

What a bunch of assholes.

The LATimes offers both a reasoned opinion:

President Bush's nomination of John Bolton to become United Nations ambassador began as an embarrassment and is ending as a disgrace. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee was right to delay a scheduled vote and resist being railroaded by the administration into approving him.

And the perfect solution:

Bolton surely can't want the job now, with the world on notice that even the Republican Senate has its misgivings about his nomination. Bush may find it hard to back down, so Bolton should do him and his country a favor and step aside. Maybe there is a consolation prize the White House could offer him. How about ambassador to France?

Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!! That'd fix him! France will get over it eventually, I'm sure, and may have some serious fun with that jerk. I certainly don't want to see his petard that he'd be hoisted from! I'm very proud today to be from L.A.

"Joey Rats" Helped Bush Defeat Kerry

From AFP in Truthout:

German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (aka "Joey Rats" according to Jon Stewart - ed.), the Vatican theologian who was elected Pope Benedict XVI, intervened in the 2004 US election campaign ordering bishops to deny communion to abortion rights supporters including presidential candidate John Kerry.

Sharply divided on the issue, the bishops decided to leave the decision on granting or denying communion to the individual priest. Kerry later received communion several times from sympathetic priests.

Nevertheless, in the November election, a majority of Catholic voters, who traditionally supported Democratic Party candidates, shifted their votes to Republican and eventual winner George W. Bush.

No wonder Bush broke tradition and went to John Paul II's funeral. He knew, as did the smart money, that Joey Rats was the prime candidate to be the capo di tutti capi of the Roman Catholic Mafia Church. He owed the new guy. Or maybe Bush wants to get some pointers on how to control a tremendous number of people by telling 'em what God wants and threatening them with everlasting damnation if they don't do it. Bush would love to be able to do that. Popes make presidents look like pikers in that department.

I fell away from the Church many years ago when I realized what a fuckin' racket it is. Possessed of untold wealth, it allows many of its sheep to starve. It conflates its own self-serving traditions with the desires of the Almighty and gets it to stick. Its blind rituals cause a lot of people to feel guilt and suffer over things that are beyond their control and aren't spiritually important anyway.

Butting into U.S. politics where it doesn't belong is one more reason I was right to drop out. The Church is a medieval organization that got the power it has during the Dark Ages and would like nothing better than to return the world to those times when it had unlimited power and the Hell with the rest of us. Pun intended.

Conscience

WASHINGTON, April 19 - A surprise last-minute defection by an Ohio Republican forced the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to postpone a vote that had been scheduled for Tuesday on the nomination of John R. Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations.

The chairman of the panel, Richard G. Lugar, Republican of Indiana, reluctantly agreed to put off any vote until next month to allow a review of what Democrats portrayed as troubling new accusations that cast doubt on Mr. Bolton's temperament and credibility.

[. . .]

"My conscience got me," he [Sen George Voinovich, R-OH] said after the stormy two-hour session. He said he had gone to the meeting planning to vote for Mr. Bolton, but changed his mind after hearing the case against the nominee made by Senators Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware and Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, both Democrats.

"I wanted more information about this individual, and I didn't feel comfortable voting for him," Mr. Voinovich said. [my emphases]

[. . .]

Tell (politely, please) Senator Voinovich that you appreciate his attack of conscience and the fact he is setting an example for other Repubs to follow:

Voinovich, George - (R - OH)
524 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3353

Bolton is a certified madman and should be living in a room with rubber wallpaper, not representing this nation at the U.N. Jo says it best:

John Bolton no more deserves to be the UN Ambassador than the man-in-the-moon. M-O-O-N spells Snivelling Lackey. (apologies to Mssr. King, but what's up with all the self-referential stuff in DT VII?)...anyhow back to the latest incompetent up for promotion by the 1600 Crew (latest in a long line, no?)

[. . .]

Call, write, and email everyone you can and insist they vote against Bolton's appointment.

Update: 06:00:

Via Glen, more Repub dirty tricks in the effort to get this shithouse rat confirmed.

Public service

From Glen:

The American Family Association attests that I "took action on an AFA-sponsored poll, petition, or action alert." It's possible; but I swear that I only did it to tell them to go pound salt up their butts. (And this, my children, is how spam is born.) Nonetheless, I am now on their mailing list and I have been asked to forward this to my "family and friends." Far be it for me to refuse such a reasonable request.

[. . .]

The Party of God at work.

The Pope

This is probably the last I'll say about this. All you progressive Catholics who are optimistically waiting for reform? Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Did you actually think things would change?

Please

Get a fucking life.

Yeesh

The State Department decided to stop publishing an annual report on international terrorism after the government's top terrorism center concluded that there were more terrorist attacks in 2004 than in any year since 1985, the first year the publication covered.

Go read the Sister.

Skank Central

As we all know, Time magazine, which I have subscribed to for over thirty years and my family for thirty years before that, finally took leave of its senses and made Ann Coulter, the exemplar of white trash and all that is currently wrong with the American media, its cover girl (shudder). Hitler, OK. Idi Amin, fine. Manson, sure. Bush, well, everybody fucks up. Howsomever, this one takes the cake.

Cursor has thoughtfully provided a page with links to quite a few folks who have something to say about Time's losing its mind and putting that ____ (nasty four-letter word that I don't like to use; rhymes with "blunt") on the cover. Go read. Fun.

Update: Go read Wolcott on this subject. Scroll down a little.

ToDay's DeLay Part II

Damn, this DeLay shit's comin' fast and furious. It's getting hard to keep up. I fuckin' love it! I hope to be the first to bring you the tar-and-feather conclusion sooner rather than later, but for now here's Molly Ivins:

Tom DeLay, of all people, recently issued a fatwa on the need for good manners, a concept so bizarre there is no appropriate comparison. Let's reserve it as a future simile: "... as weird as the time Tom DeLay gave us all a lecture on manners."

In his new role as the Emily Post of politics, DeLay informed us, "It is unfortunate in our electoral system, exacerbated by our adversarial media culture, that political discourse has to get so overheated, that it's not just arguments, but motives are questioned." Did someone question his motive in taking an all-expenses-paid vacation from a lobbyist?

This would be the same Tom DeLay who said, "Screw the Senate," when he learned Bob Dole had cut a deal with Clinton to end the government shutdown caused by Newt Gingrich.

"We're in charge. We don't have to negotiate with the Senate." Same as above.

There is much more from DeLay that is unprintable in a newspaper. For some rich samples, try "The Hammer" by Lou DuBose, my sometime writing partner.

As to DeLay's claim of a vast left-wing conspiracy out to destroy the conservative movement, nonsense. I like conservatives. They're opposed to all questionable adventures abroad and for fiscal prudence and responsibility. It's right-wing nuts I can't stand.

Never thought I'd say this, but Amen to that. A good old-fashioned asshole conservative would look pretty good right about now.

Who's Yer Daddy?

Ratzinger got elected Pope. Finally. OK, media, on to the next clusterfuck.

Damn, I hope he doesn't like to take pictures of celebrities: he'd be a Pope-a-ratzi. That was too easy.

Maybe Half Vast

Go see Tom Tomorrow on the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy. Since I'm about done with The Great Unraveling by Paul Krugman, I thought it was apropos. It feels good to belong on the correct side.

ToDay's DeLay

This is from an article by Hendik Hertzberg in the New Yorker. It's about the "DeLay must stay" movement which both Democrats and Republicans buy into, albeit for way different reasons. Read, you'll see. Anyway, the last coupla paragraphs all by themselves were worth reading just for one sentence by DeLay which I have emphasized.

[..]

But when asked who is to blame for “activist judges,” he was jaw-droppingly candid:

"I blame Congress over the last fifty to a hundred years for not standing up and taking its responsibility given to it by the Constitution. The reason the judiciary has been able to impose a separation of church and state that’s nowhere in the Constitution is that Congress didn’t stop them. The reason we had judicial review is because Congress didn’t stop them. The reason we had a right to privacy is because Congress didn’t stop them."


So there you have it, the DeLay agenda: no separation of church and state, no judicial review, no right to privacy. Next to this, the President’s effort to repeal the New Deal social contract by phasing out Social Security is the mewing of a kitten. DeLay may stay or DeLay may go. But the real danger is not DeLay himself. It’s DeLay’s agenda. It’s his vision. It’s his “values.”

I think DeLay should stay in D.C. Hanging from a lamppost. Now.

ANWR FUBAR

Or at least it's on its way to FUBAR.

George Bush is a decisive man of action. The fact that he has been 100% wrong doesn't even break his stride.

[. . .]

Go read Granny. I swear, Chimpy & Co better be held accountable for all the shit they've fucked up when they get out of office . . . maybe before. As Michael Jackson should go to Folsom, Bush and his administration should be making big ones into little ones at Leavenworth. Motherfuckers.

Well said

I missed Lambert Strether while I was gone. (No, TCF, it wasn't the Betty Ford Clinic. Remember, reality is just a crutch for people who can't handle drugs.):

[. . .]

No, but seriously, folks—Doesn't Bush remind you of one of those guys you read about in The Metro? The kind who claims you can make money at home in your pajamas if you just follow his few easy steps? And take his course or buy his software? "I'm President Bush! And I'm known for my bold and daring challenges!"

[. . .]

I watched President Dicknose on TV yesterday. If he were selling cars, he'd be out of business in a week. Bush couldn't sell ice water in Hell when it comes to Social Security 'refrorm'. Bush's last bold challenge was Iraq, and even the Jesus-freaks see how he's fucked that beond recognition, though they'll never admit it. 'Hey, kill other peoples' kids, but you ain't fucking up my Social Security.'

And, regarding Bush's falling job approval ratings, how come all these fucking people are waking up now? 51% of you voted for this asshole last Novenmber. Did you actually think he'd get better, you idiots?

A few things

Lance Armstrong: Armstrong says he'll retire after Tour de France. Good, let somebody else win, you nutless wonder. I'm sick of seeing your ass. Way to go with Cheryl Crowe though.

Tom DeLay: DeLay ducks ethics controversy in NRA speech. I used to be an NRA member. I used to be a Republican too. As far as I'm concerned, both of them have gotten away with far too much for far too long. DeLay is the epitome of what has happened to the Republican Party over the past twenty-five years and the NRA has turned into a distorted, perverted caricature of itself. Both of them should go the way of the dinosaur.

The Pope: No white smoke yet. Yeesh! See Lance Armstrong above. I'm sick of hearing about the fucking Pope. Maybe, if the Catholic Church ever found itself in the same century as the rest of the fucking world, I could get on the bandwagon. But when you have celibate men giving advice on marriage and relationships, when you have a problem with Africans using condoms to halt the spread of AIDS that's killing them by the millions, when you preach abstinence over birth control, you're irrelevant and out of touch in my book. Shut the fuck up about the Cardinals and get off my fucking TV.

Michael Jackson: Just fucking die, please. Anything so you get OFF my fucking TV, you mutant fuck. I hope they put you in General Population in Folsom and some big, hung-like-a-horse brother makes you his wife. You know how they love white women.

Now I feel a lot better.

Innocent Victims

The victims of Bush's bullshit war in Iraq are not always human.

Via DemVet:

HINESVILLE, Ga. - The 32 dogs look up with sad eyes or wag their tails as animal control officer Linda Cordry walks the row of chain-link cages toward a door concealing a gas chamber. "These guys are mine," Cordry says with weary resignation. "These are basically on Death Row."

Liberty County Animal Control and the humane shelter that shares its small cinderblock building have been crammed to capacity with dogs and cats since Army troops from neighboring Fort Stewart deployed to Iraq. Both agencies say it's no coincidence.

"I would say 95 percent of these animals come from military homes," says Beate Hall, who runs the humane shelter where dozens of soldiers and Army spouses began dumping pets during the holidays.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have prompted national efforts to alert deploying soldiers to alternatives to abandoning animals when they leave for war. But the hundreds of unwanted pets turning up in this southeast Georgia military town indicate many aren't getting the message.

[. . .]

If you can, try and help your local shelter one way or another. Our furry pals can't vote, so keep them in mind when you do.

Update: 15:45:

New York State has a pretty cool way to support pet education and show it:



50% of the annual fee goes to Animal Population Control Fund. New Yorkers, find out about other good causes you can support this way by clicking here.

Jesus-freak, hypocrite bastids

Roll Call (Sub Only) via Kos:

[. . .]

Sources say the Senator [Mel Martinez, R-FL] does not plan to make any more staff changes beyond that of Martinez's counsel, Brian Darling, who left the office. Darling belatedly admitted circulating a memo that urged Republicans to get involved in the Terri Schiavo case, in part because it could yield political benefits. [my emphasis]

[. . .]

Aren't these the pious Christians? Aren't these the kind, caring, doing all they can to protect life Christains? Don't give me this peace, love, and goodwill to men shit when the only reason you're in it is for the political payoff. After what these Jesus-freaks put that poor woman through, Jeb and the lot of them should be swinging from the end of a rope. These people have no souls, that's what Jesus would say, you motherfuckers.

Yuck DeLay

For some good DeLay jokes, go read The Hamster.

"Friends say that each day President Bush spends two hours playing video games. Now let's think about this -- there's a war in Iraq, gas prices have never been higher and what is he working on? Getting Spiderman to the third level. ...Yeah George loves video games. His favorite? Grand Theft Election." David Letterman

Scroll down for cartoons.

Nickel Dick

In amongst all the minor problems facing our country, like Bush's War, global warming, peak oil, and the rise of the retardiligious right, BeatBush has come up with one that makes them pale in comparison:

Buffalo porn

I am shocked and appalled. The United States Mint recently released a new buffalo nickel into circulation. (They call it the "American bison nickel.") The nickel shows the buffalo's penis. What does John Ashcroft think about this? Why has Reverend Dobson been silent? How can the family values Bush-and-Dick administration expose our children to this filth?

For many links to help you cope, and a really good photo of the offending member, click on it. May be work safe.

Back in the saddle

Okay, no applause, just throw money. Seriously, this hiatus worked out very well, ending with a wonderful weekend spent with the Mrs. It was her birthday this past Friday and I actually surprised her with a gift. Something extremely difficult to do, since she knows me so well after all these years, she can tell when I'm hiding something. Saturday evening we had an excellent dinner at Restaurant Mirabelle, one of our favorite haunts. Don't ask about yesterday, that's classified. In all, a very hedonistic weekend but a lot of fun.

I was very productive this past month as well. Technocracy is on its way to the publisher and I'll be resuming installments of Empires over at creativity beginning next weekend. Some serious productivity went on and I'm happy to say, mission accomplished. Unlike our shitbag (p)resident, I ain't lying.

With that in mind, I have to thank my blog partners Gordon and KR for doing a masterful job picking up my slack. From the bottom of my heart, guys, thank you very much. For their contributions, even as they had some serious technical difficulties with their site, Philippe and Dianne from Pourquoi Pas have my eternal thanks. They are a couple good folks who didn't know me from a hole in the ground when I asked them to guest blog here and stepped right up. Let me know if I can return the favor sometime.

To all the other bloggers whom I read and comment to regularly, I'm sorry for my absence. The only blog I've looked at over the past month was this one, just to see if there were any technical difficulties. the only news I got was from MSNBC and the local New York ABC affiliate. That's gonna get back to normal today too, so you'll see bullshit under my byline again in your comments.

So, it's off to the shop now but I'll be back this afternoon. I got a month's worth of bitching to make up for. Thanks again to everybody here for allowing me this month to get my shit together.

Scumbag Central

"Hot Tub Tommy" is darn hard to keep up with. This oughta help: Tom DeLay's House Of Scandal. Hopefully, a real time saver.