I'm so sure you've heard about the little puddle-jumper that invaded D.C. that I'm not even going to bother linking to it, but I have some thoughts on the incident. Duh.
Bush was in more danger from his fuckin' bicycle, which he was off ridin' in the park instead of being at work (that's "at work" as opposed to "working", which he has shown no inclination of doing as yet), than from the air assault. He's the only guy I've heard of that somehow managed to fall off a Segway, fer Christ's sake! Years of drinkin' and druggin' can wreak havoc on yer balance, so I'm told.
I think the upshot of this deal is that the Feds overreacted as usual, inconveniencing maybe 35,000 people and spending millions of our dollars, unnecessarily no doubt. Those are what they do best and, hey, ya gotta go with whatcha know.
The poor slobs who caused this mess are in deep guacamole. They were on their way from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. I looked at a map. The straight shot goes right over D.C. The FAA has put out the word in no uncertain terms NOT to fly there, but somehow these rocket scientists missed it. If the authorities are makin' the Runaway Bride pay for the public outlay in her case, and they apply that criterion to these clowns, they'll be eatin' rice 'n beans forever. If they're lucky, that is.
I have a certain amount of empathy for these guys, tho'. I got to thinking the same thing could happen to me 'n Fixer. Or to any of us. Picture this: you're on a road trip. You decide to enjoy it, so you turn off the C.B., crank up the tunes, pop a cold one, light a fatty, and put the hammer down while dancin' with your left foot and generally jokin' around. At the same time as a chemical plant explodes ten miles away. If you somehow miss the ensuing sea of red lights and sirens...well, you get my drift.
My advice to the gummint? Them F-16's are too fast for this kinda work. Dust off some P-47 Thunderbolts or F4U5A Corsairs. They're plenty fast enough to catch a Cessna and a lot cheaper to run. Them big round motors sound good, too.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
"The Note" on media and the news
It's a media kind of day. Following up on my previous post, go see "The Note" at ABC News.
What follows is an extensive report on stuff & things. If they'd put "The Note" on the air it would improve television news coverage immensely. Fat chance.
A comment on the above from Sirotablog:
Disgusting and criminal, too.
Brides gotta run, planes gotta stray, and cable news networks gotta find a way to fill a lot of programming hours as cheaply as possible. (CNBC gets to talk about the booming April retail sales numbers, and the NRA's television network will replay the Secretary of State on Larry King over and over.
We say with all the genuine apolitical and non-partisan human concern that we can muster that the death and carnage in Iraq is truly staggering.
And/but we are sort of resigned to the Notion that it simply isn't going to break through to American news organizations, or, for the most part, Americans.
Democrats are so thoroughly spooked by John Kerry's loss —- and Republicans so inspired by their stay-the-course Commander in Chief —- that what is hands down the biggest story every day in the world will get almost no coverage. No conflict at home = no coverage.
What follows is an extensive report on stuff & things. If they'd put "The Note" on the air it would improve television news coverage immensely. Fat chance.
A comment on the above from Sirotablog:
Let me reiterate how unbelievable this actually is: A MAJOR AMERICAN MEDIA OUTLET HAS NOW DECLARED THAT THEY SIMPLY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN LETTING THE CARNAGE IN IRAQ "BREAK THROUGH" IN THEIR NEWS COVERAGE - AS IF IT IS SIMPLY NOT NEWSWORTHY. You can just imagine the pathetic newsroom attitude: we don't cover cats getting stuck in trees, we don't birthday parties at the local McDonalds, and we don't cover America's multi-billion dollar war in the Mideast.
Sorry America, the insulated, out-of-touch, Washington media is simply uninterested in providing any real coverage about the war. Because remember, the media has to be "very deferential" because "no one want[s] to get into an argument with the president at this very serious time."
Truly nauseating.
Disgusting and criminal, too.
All the news they think is fit for you to know...
William Rivers Pitt on the media and what they want you to hear v. what's actually happening. Via Truthout.
He goes into a lot more detail, of course. Please read.
So picture this moment. There I was, trying to drive down one of the worst roads in Cambridge with a cell phone the size of a gallon of milk stuck to my ear, and I have this MSNBC producer telling me that if I go on the show, I have to dump all over the inspectors who at that time had been in-country about a week. Coincidentally, that was exactly the same line of rhetoric being pushed by the White House at exactly that time. I'm sure the look on my face was priceless, and I'm lucky me, the car and the giant cell phone didn't wind up in the Charles River.
I asked her if she knew who she was talking to. She didn't understand. My book, I told her, says there are no weapons of mass destruction and therefore no reason to go to war there. I'm the last person on the planet, therefore, who is going to haul water for the idea that there are weapons in Iraq. Furthermore, I said, I don't know where you get off trying to gin up resentment against the inspectors. They just got there, and if they can finish their work without getting derailed by nonsense like this, it'll hopefully keep a lot of people from getting killed. The MSNBC producer laughed quietly - that's the part I will never forget, how she laughed - and hung up.
If this MSNBC producer is an appropriate example - and I think she is, because she was asking me to basically be yet another Bush administration mouthpiece - the fictions they create do not merely soothe and placate the populace. They kill. They kill in large numbers, and a few people (who coincidentally own large chunks of the corporate news media) get paid handsomely for that killing.
Speaking of the pleasant fiction, have you heard about that leaked secret British intelligence memo? Have you seen it covered on the TV news? I haven't. I haven't even seen mention of it in the print realm. It must not be important.
In my humble opinion, we need two exit strategies: one to get our forces out of Iraq, and another to get George W. Bush out of the White House and into a cellblock in The Hague. Save a bunk for Mr. Blair, too. Criminals belong in prison.
But this doesn't fit the fiction, it grates against the consensus, and it also by the way would cut significantly into media profits if they were no longer able to sell fear and war. CNN's viewership went up 500% after September 11. Have you any idea the advertising dollar-value a ratings boost like that brings along? They aren't dumb. Fear sells. Soul-scorching fear sells really well.
What we in the alternate media need to do, and what you media activists need to do, is advocate hard in your own communities for the providing of computers and internet access to poor and rural communities. In other words, we need to wire up the people who need this information, who get lied to by their televisions every day, who send their sons and daughters off to die so Halliburton and Exxon can line their pockets. I know this stuff, you know it, but too many others don't even have access to it. That has to change.
I have this dream. In my dream, I turn on my TV and CNN is on. Some talking head is there to do the top of the hour report. In my dream, the talking head says, "Today in Iraq, the 26,000 liters of anthrax, the 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin, the 500 tons which is one million pounds of sarin, mustard and VX gas, the 30,000 munitions to deliver these agents, the mobile biological weapons labs, the uranium from Niger and the robust nuclear weapons program that George W. Bush told us about in his January 2003 State of the Union address were, once again, not found anywhere. Now here's Flappy with the weather."
He goes into a lot more detail, of course. Please read.
un-Real ID
Lambert has more:
Internal passport controls? What is this, Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia? Am I gonna need papers to cross the George Washington Bridge into Jersey? I hope they realize I won't put up with that. You have been warned.
[. . .]
Besides setting up a national ID system, placing every American's identity at risk of theft, and laying the groundwork for a RFID-enabled system of internal passport controls, the RealID sets a precedent for the executive branch overiding any law without judicial review: [my emphasis]
[. . .]
Internal passport controls? What is this, Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia? Am I gonna need papers to cross the George Washington Bridge into Jersey? I hope they realize I won't put up with that. You have been warned.
The stench of hypocrisy 7
W. David Hager is a physician. He's also on the advisory panel of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and an outspoken evangelical wingnut. Now he has decided to take the credit for the failure of Plan B, which would have allowed over-the-counter sales of the so-called morning-after contraceptive pill. The story is unusual, because the FDA has a habit of following the recommendations of its advisory panel, yet it decided to go against the panel's advice in this particular case. Hager explains this as follows:
[. . .]
The wingnuts like Dr. Hager don't like Plan B because it might encourage unsafe sexual behavior. Thus, it comes as a teeny surprise that Dr. Hager himself has been accused of unsafe sexual behavior. His ex-wife, Linda Carruth Davis, has this to say about Dr. Hager:
[. . .]
Echidne goes in-depth on this asshole. Why is it that the folks who scream loudest against birth control, homosexuals, sodomy, and abortion are the ones who are the most fucked up when it comes to sex?
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Gunmen Erupt in L.A.
As you may have heard, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has stepped on its dick again, big time. From the LATimes (whose site has a nice new look, by the way):
Compton, for those of you unfamiliar with L.A. neighborhoods, is predominately Afro-American, and the original home of the Crips and Bloods. Not that the ethnicity of the area would have anything to do with this story, perish the thought, but I can't see this happening in Beverly Hills.
Keeps folks off the street and out of trouble, though.
Wow. 120 rounds? I never use more than eight to retaliate against motorized boom boxes. That's all my Garand holds. But then, I have to pay for ammo with my own money.
Ten deputies fired 120 rounds, for an average of twelve rounds each, and scored four hits on the poor bastard, as well as a lot of collateral damage to the 'hood. If I'da done that poorly, my Primary Marksmanship Instructor would've hung me by my 'nads, which is exactly what oughta happen to these fool deputies, and not all because of their aim.
I was always taught that you should never point a firearm at anything unless you intended to shoot it. What the hell were those idiots thinking? Don't they know guns can kill people? Do they just plain not care what happens to folks in Compton?
Cops have in their job description the power to kill. I think they either need to have the serious nature of that explained to them before they are let out in public, and not to use potential deadly force lightly, or be disarmed, shitcanned, and told to go forth and sin no more against the people who pay their salaries. Preferably the latter.
The damage is done in this instance, however, and thank God nobody was killed. I'm sure some heads will roll, but probably not those of the higher-ups who let those idiots out on the street with a badge and a gun.
Training? Discipline? Communication? Planning? Marksmanship? Brains and/or common sense? Leadership? LACoSD? Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Compton officials today joined a chorus of protest over the weekend shooting of an unarmed motorist by 10 sheriff's deputies who fired 120 times, striking the suspect, an officer, and the homes of five residents.
Compton, for those of you unfamiliar with L.A. neighborhoods, is predominately Afro-American, and the original home of the Crips and Bloods. Not that the ethnicity of the area would have anything to do with this story, perish the thought, but I can't see this happening in Beverly Hills.
"The overriding objective of every police operation is to protect the public. However, 120 rounds sprayed along a narrow residential street is not in the interest of public safety," Hall said.
Keeps folks off the street and out of trouble, though.
The shooting came after Hayes had been driving around the neighborhood for several hours playing loud music.
Wow. 120 rounds? I never use more than eight to retaliate against motorized boom boxes. That's all my Garand holds. But then, I have to pay for ammo with my own money.
Ten deputies fired 120 rounds, for an average of twelve rounds each, and scored four hits on the poor bastard, as well as a lot of collateral damage to the 'hood. If I'da done that poorly, my Primary Marksmanship Instructor would've hung me by my 'nads, which is exactly what oughta happen to these fool deputies, and not all because of their aim.
I was always taught that you should never point a firearm at anything unless you intended to shoot it. What the hell were those idiots thinking? Don't they know guns can kill people? Do they just plain not care what happens to folks in Compton?
Cops have in their job description the power to kill. I think they either need to have the serious nature of that explained to them before they are let out in public, and not to use potential deadly force lightly, or be disarmed, shitcanned, and told to go forth and sin no more against the people who pay their salaries. Preferably the latter.
The damage is done in this instance, however, and thank God nobody was killed. I'm sure some heads will roll, but probably not those of the higher-ups who let those idiots out on the street with a badge and a gun.
Training? Discipline? Communication? Planning? Marksmanship? Brains and/or common sense? Leadership? LACoSD? Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Duh
Sisyphus Shrugged:
The Bush administration periodically put the USA on high alert for terrorist attacks even though then-Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge argued there was only flimsy evidence to justify raising the threat level, Ridge now says.
[. . .]
Bend over
And grab your ankles:
We should have let the major airlines go under after 9/11. We wouldn't be bailing them out again. Trust me, we wouldn't have been any more inconvenienced than we were for the time it would take regional carriers to fill the vacuum. This is the age we birthed in 2000. The 21st Century, the Age of Broken Promises. Stupid, stupid Republicans.
CHICAGO May 11, 2005 — United Airlines gained a significant financial victory with court approval to dump its four pension plans but faces a tough challenge to win back the support of angry employees.
While smoothing the path toward a targeted exit from Chapter 11 bankruptcy later this year, Tuesday's ruling in U.S. Bankruptcy Court inflamed United's unions, with some hinting at the possibility of strikes or other disruptive actions.
It also prompted a renewed warning from some members of Congress that taxpayers may someday have to bail out the deficit-riddled government pension agency, which now will assume an additional $5 billion in pension obligations from United. [my emphasis]
[. . .]
We should have let the major airlines go under after 9/11. We wouldn't be bailing them out again. Trust me, we wouldn't have been any more inconvenienced than we were for the time it would take regional carriers to fill the vacuum. This is the age we birthed in 2000. The 21st Century, the Age of Broken Promises. Stupid, stupid Republicans.
Awwww
"You picked a fine time to leave me, loose wheel." - Darrell Waltrip
From the Lady of the Lake:
[nelson muntz] Ha-ha! [/nelson muntz] The wheels are coming off. Heh.
From the Lady of the Lake:
[. . .]
For the past six consecutive months, Fox News Channel's ratings in the all-important 25-54 age group (the ones most likely to buy whatever Fox advertisers are selling) have declined versus the previous month. Fox defenders were quick to leap to O'Reilly's defense today, saying everyone's ratings peaked around election time and then went down again. But in April 2005, FNC's weekday primetime demo average decreased 25% compared to the same time period a year ago. CNN's, on the other hand, increased 27%. Only on a network well-versed in promulgating the war in Iraq as an unqualified success could these numbers be smeared with lipstick and sold as a "triumph."
[. . .]
[nelson muntz] Ha-ha! [/nelson muntz] The wheels are coming off. Heh.
Breathe
"Breathe in the air,
Don't be afraid to care." - Breathe - Pink Floyd
"Breathe deep the gathering gloom,
Watch lights fade from every room." - Late Lament - Moody Blues
From the Sister:
Who cares, the NY Metro Area is in blue states. That's why Cheyenne, Wyoming gets more Homeland Security money per person than NYC does.
Don't be afraid to care." - Breathe - Pink Floyd
"Breathe deep the gathering gloom,
Watch lights fade from every room." - Late Lament - Moody Blues
From the Sister:
[. . .]
It is the deadliest target in a swath of industrial northern New Jersey that terrorism experts call the most dangerous two miles in America: a chemical plant that processes chlorine gas, so close to Manhattan that the Empire State Building seems to rise up behind its storage tanks.
According to federal Environmental Protection Agency records, the plant poses a potentially lethal threat to 12 million people who live within a 14-mile radius.
[. . .]
[. . .]
What’s unbearably annoying is that on the same day I’m reading about such a huge security gap, questions about which directed to the administration would no doubt be met with excuses about funding, . . .
Who cares, the NY Metro Area is in blue states. That's why Cheyenne, Wyoming gets more Homeland Security money per person than NYC does.
Heh . . . see yas!
Pam:
Well some of the founding members of the congregation came to their senses and put pressure on this dickhead to leave.
Amen, brother.
We posted a couple of days ago about the dumb*ss pastor of East Waynesville Baptist Church, you know, the knucklehead that "excommunicated" followers with "Democratic tendencies" if they didn't vote for Chimpy (since a vote for Kerry was a vote for abortion and support of homos).
[. . .]
Well some of the founding members of the congregation came to their senses and put pressure on this dickhead to leave.
Frank Lowe, one of the nine asked to leave, said Tuesday: "I think his duty was to preach God's word and let the people sort out what they want to do."
Amen, brother.
Warblogger Appreciation Month
God, how'd I miss this? From the Penguin, snark and all:
Not that I have anything against masturbation (30 seconds and I don't break a sweat), but jeez, it's no substitute . . .
The Culture Kitchen reminds us that May is the month set aside in commemoration of the brave men of the 101st Fighting Keyboarders, that pasty-faced flabby-bicep'ed division who, from the front lines of their parents' basements, fight for truth, justice, and Mom's apple pie (of which they regularly over-indulge, thus their penguin-like figures). Yes, May is Masturbation Month, in honor of the only sex that the 101st Fighting Keyboarders ever have!
[. . .]
Not that I have anything against masturbation (30 seconds and I don't break a sweat), but jeez, it's no substitute . . .
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Hillaryphobia
Go read the Moose via RUFNKM.
Let 'er buck, I say. I wonder why all the "horse" references lately?
The ugly truth is that if Jesus of Nazareth himself returned and dared to run on the Democratic line the righteous right would tar him as a bleeding heart vagabond who couldn't hold a job and that he needed a shave. No doubt a Galilee Fishingboat Veterans for Truth outfit would call into question Jesus' miracle claims - financed with lavish funding from Rove's buddies in Texas and maximum exposure on Fox News. Just imagine the book - "Unfit to Save".
Let 'er buck, I say. I wonder why all the "horse" references lately?
Don't miss this one...
From the Niagara Falls Reporter.
I am not only happy to help in a small way to expose the bastards, it's my civic duty, whatever the outcome.
Those quotes are the beginning and the end of the piece. There's a lot in between. Hie thyself yonder and read.
When historians write about our times, they'll shake their heads and wonder how so many people could believe so many lies for so long. They might actually write two parallel books -- one describing the cascading lies and deceptions George W. Bush and the Republicans sold and the other telling the truth.
We're told, in effect, that trampling on civil liberties and eroding freedom are a sure way to protect us from terrorists who envy our freedom. That colossal lie will be one of the lasting stains on this era, and I fear the day coming when the Busheviks or their political heirs, gripped in fascist fever, will silence those who expose the fraud.
I am not only happy to help in a small way to expose the bastards, it's my civic duty, whatever the outcome.
George W. Bush lied to the world when he said he sought peace in Iraq and war was a "last resort." That's what historians will write and they now have a document proving it.
Journalism is often called the first draft of history. For the most part, America's big corporate media's first draft of Bush's war has been devoted to his propagating lies. That's very dangerous in a fragile democracy.
Those quotes are the beginning and the end of the piece. There's a lot in between. Hie thyself yonder and read.
Are Bush supporters literally insane?
That must be it. It would certainly help us understand why so many otherwise good Americans support that criminal fucking moron. Go read Slate's take on it.
Asleep at the switch
Telegraph:
How? WTF?
A review of security at a major British naval base has been carried out after an alleged intruder was found on board a visiting American aircraft carrier.
The alleged trespasser was discovered on board the USS Harry S Truman, anchored off Stokes Bay, Gosport, on Saturday night during a week-long visit to Portsmouth Naval Base.
[. . .]
How? WTF?
GOP Plan to 'Fix' the Democrats
Damn, it hurts just thinking about it! By E.J. Dionne in the WaPo.
Lots about DeLay in the Op-Ed as well. Go read.
The stakes in politics are about to get a lot higher.
Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform and a leading figure in both the DeLay and Bush political operations, chose more colorful post-election language to describe the future. "Once the minority of House and Senate are comfortable in their minority status, they will have no problem socializing with the Republicans," he told Richard Leiby of The Post. "Any farmer will tell you that certain animals run around and are unpleasant. But when they've been 'fixed,' then they are happy and sedate. They are contented and cheerful."
If you wonder in the coming weeks why Democrats are so reluctant to give ground, remember Norquist's jocular reference to neutering the opposition party. Democrats are neither contented nor cheerful over the prospect of being "fixed." Should that surprise anyone?
Lots about DeLay in the Op-Ed as well. Go read.
This Day in History
On May 10, 1869, a golden spike was driven at Promontory, Utah, marking the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States.
It runs along about a half mile from where I'm sitting.
Since the builders were getting paid by the mile, and Big Business being what it is, the crews coming from both east and west actually built the lines right past each other for a few miles before they got reined in.
Also, since they got paid more for mountain miles than for flatland miles, and since nobody in Washington DC knows shit from shinola, the Sierra Nevada range got extended west to about Sacramento for billing purposes.
You can read about this major milestone in "Nothing Like It In The World" by Stephen Ambrose. A wonderful read.
It runs along about a half mile from where I'm sitting.
Since the builders were getting paid by the mile, and Big Business being what it is, the crews coming from both east and west actually built the lines right past each other for a few miles before they got reined in.
Also, since they got paid more for mountain miles than for flatland miles, and since nobody in Washington DC knows shit from shinola, the Sierra Nevada range got extended west to about Sacramento for billing purposes.
You can read about this major milestone in "Nothing Like It In The World" by Stephen Ambrose. A wonderful read.
Taking Earth's Pulse
In light of the wonderful, caring way that Preznit Horse Cranker is taking care of the planet, I think this article in the NYTimes is very interesting.
I hereby volunteer to take a bunch of the largest probes they got and go to Washington D.C.. Believe me, I know right where to stick 'em for maximum effect.
In the wilds of the San Jacinto Mountains, along a steep canyon, scientists are turning 30 acres of pines and hardwoods in California into a futuristic vision of environmental study.
"It's a sea change across a whole range of fields," said Dr. Robert S. Detrick, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod. "The objective is long-term investigation of temporal, climate or human impact. It's a big change."
"It's the largest undertaking in the history of geoscience," said Dr. Gregory E. van der Vink, project director of EarthScope, which is based in Washington. "It's about instrumenting North America."
The scientists say the nation should press ahead because the opportunities are so great and the stakes so high.
"It's a paradigm shift," Dr. William J. Kaiser of the Center for Embedded Network Sensing said of innovative new ways of monitoring the environment. "It's going to change the way we think."
I hereby volunteer to take a bunch of the largest probes they got and go to Washington D.C.. Believe me, I know right where to stick 'em for maximum effect.
Causes
If ya can spare a couple bucks. From Suburban Guerrilla:
Operation Truth, the Iraqi war vets organization, is going to Washington next week to meet with Congress.
They need a few bucks to cover expenses. If you want to really support the troops, click here.
No surprise
From Leah at the Blog of 8:
Does this come as a surprise to anyone? Four months of falling recruiting totals and we're gonna have to do something. The recruiters are desperate and the brass is probably crawling all over 'em. Remember, the recruiters are mere enlisted weenies. They're being told by their officers to say anything to meet the monthly quotas.
[. . .]
The story they have to tell is about the circumstances under which the was "recruited" into the National Guard, in which he is still serving. Those circumstances involve intense pressure, on both the son, who was seventeen at the time of his recruitment and the mother, (who had to give permission for her son to enter the Guard), lies told, promises broken, and more. It's a story that is disturbing and heart-breaking.
[. . .]
Does this come as a surprise to anyone? Four months of falling recruiting totals and we're gonna have to do something. The recruiters are desperate and the brass is probably crawling all over 'em. Remember, the recruiters are mere enlisted weenies. They're being told by their officers to say anything to meet the monthly quotas.
More 'pearls'
One of these days, I have to meet Jayinbmore for a drink. He comes off with some deep stuff and I'd love to spend a couple hours or so swapping ideas. His newest, stolen fully and completely:
Thoughts from Kansas sums up the story so far, with links. The thing that drives me batty, continually, is that even very smart people don't directly address the really serious issue, although TfK gets at it. Yes, the war is on "naturalism". But rarely is the question asked: who benefits from the war, and who benefits if "naturalism" is destroyed? There's only one group of people who benefit from the enforced ignorance of the general population, and that group of people doesn't have the general population's best interest at heart.
Tin Ear Man Gets Tapped
Ol' Yelladog got me too. He saved me from volunteering.
First, let me tell you about my musical acumen. I'm good at listening, but playing and singing, not so much. I may be the only guy in history to have this happen to me:
Once upon a time, many years ago (I can't remember that decade, exactly, or even which one it was) I went to see The Rolling Stones at Anaheim Stadium. Sixty thousand people in the crowd, yellin' an' screamin'. Mick Jagger comes struttin' out like a banty rooster, his scrawny chest stuck out nearly as far as his lips, one arm pointed at the sky. The crowd got wilder. You couldn't hear yourself think. Jagger grabbed a microphone (they still used them in those days), pointed at the crowd and yelled, "Thank you all for coming." Then, he pointed directly at me and said, "Gordon, don't clap. It throws our drummer off!"
As far as singing, I'm best in a group. Whenever I sing on a clear night, no problem. Dogs 'n frogs join in from miles around.
Here we go.
A. Top Five Lyrics that Move Your Heart:
"The Marine's Hymn" goes without saying.
1."Night Rider's Lament" - Nanci Griffith on "Other Voices, Other Rooms"
Tell me, why do you ride for your money, and why do you rope for short pay?
You ain't gettin' nowhere an' you're losing your share,
Oh, you must have gone crazy out there.
Well, they've never seen the Northern Lights,
never seen a hawk on the wing.
They've never seen Spring hit the Great Divide
Or heard ol' camp cookie sing.
2. "You Don't Miss Your Water" - Kathy Kallick on "Good Ol' Persons: Good and Live"
In the beginning you really loved me,
but I was blind and I could not see.
I was a playgirl, I could not be true.
I could not believe I really loved you.
But when you left me,
Oh, how I cried.
You don't miss your water
'Til your well runs dry.
3. "She's More To Be Pitied" - The Stanley Brothers and The Clinch Mountain Boys
She's there at the bar every evenin'
Face powdered and cheeks painted red.
Her beauty has faded too early
Brought on by the fast life she's led.
She's more to be pitied than scolded,
She needs to be loved, not despised.
Too much beer and wine, too many good times.
The lure of the honky-tonk has wrecked her young life.
4. "Joe's Last Train" - The Country Gentlemen
Standin' by the railroad track, his chin down on his chest,
The old man couldn't catch the train, although he tried his best.
A sleepin' roll, a coffee pot, a jug half full of wine,
He threw inside the boxcar that went on down the line.
Poor ol' Joe's too old to catch the train,
But somethin' keeps him tryin' just the same.
Old soldiers and old sailors have a place to go,
But no one helps a railroad bum like poor ol' Hobo Joe.
5. "Gypsies in the Palace" - Jimmy Buffett
-- spoken:
In days of old, when knights were bold,
And journeyed from their castles,
Trusty men were left behind,
Knights needed not the hassles.
They helped themselves to pig and peach,
And drank from king’s own chalice.
Oh, it was a stirring sight
These gypsies in the palace.
And some things never change. hit it boys!
So long boss, knock ’em dead, don’t worry ’bout a thing
Wish that we could come along, we’d love to hear you sing
Limo’s here, your bags are packed, the list is by the phone
Me and snake will watch your place and treat it like our own
Look at all this liquor
Look at all this food
It’s only gonna go to waste
We’re not really being rude
But the good stuff’s in his closet, I swear he wouldn’t mind
Hell we’ll just shoot the lock off, I do it all the time.
He’s the greatest guy to work for, man he’s really cool
Hey snake this party’s gettin’ dull, throw someone in the pool
Hey let’s all take our clothes off and form a conga line
Watch out for that broken glass, hey snake we need more wine
We’re gypsies in the palace, there ain’t no wrong or right
We’re gypsies in the palace, and we’re raisin’ hell tonight
Hey
Oh hi there boss, what’s goin’ on
You say you’re coming when?
I’ll send snake out to pick you up tomorrow night at ten, okay!
Everybody outta here, this joint is closin’ down
We gotta find someone to clean this up, he’s comin’ back to town
Hi there boss we waxed your cars, we raked and mowed your lawn
We couldn’t find enough to do in the short time you were gone
Man it sure is peaceful here, you’ve really got it all
If you ever hit the road again, give me and snake a call!
-- spoken:
Hey, jimmy, it’s glenn
Glenn, how ya doin’?
Fine man, I’m goin’ on the road.
Do you know anybody who could possibly house-sit for me?
I got these two great guys that look after my place.
Man, they’re the best!
B. Top 5 Instrumentals:
1. "Walk, Don't Run" - The Ventures
2. Any of the selections on CLARENCE WHITE: 33 ACOUSTIC GUITAR INSTRUMENTALS
3. "Dixie Breakdown" - The Dillards
4. "Thus Sprach Zarathustra" from "2001: A Space Odyssey"
5. Any selection from TUT & CLARENCE FLATPICKING
C. Top 5 Live Musical Experiences:
1. Smoking a joint with Doug Dillard in the back room of The Palomino Club in North Hollywood in the '70s. He told me I had a nice grin. If you've ever seen his shit-eatin' grin, you'd know that was like Jesus telling you you're a good person.
2. Malibu Mountains Bluegrass Festival, 1976. 100,000 people for a one-day event. Closed down the Ventura Freeway, ten miles away. Rode there with Joe Gastwirt, a mastering engineer and fellow motorcycle mechanic from Brooklyn who had just learned to drive and really shouldn't have been on the L.A. Freeway. I don't scare easy, but I made an exception that day. We had to carry a lot of water to get his load of an overheatin' Fairlane there and back. The music was good, but the whole day was one-of-a-kind.
3. Getting my friends "The Saddlerash Bluegrass Band" their first gig at the Pastime Club, aka The Knife n' Gun Club, in Truckee in the late '80s. They're from North Lake Tahoe, 12 miles away, and had never played that far from home before. Also, they were scared of Truckee's reputation as a tough town. It used to be. They had a great time and are still playing, and have become much more professional with time. Hey, ya gotta take it outta town sometime.
4. Seeing Emmylou Harris and The Hot Band at the Palomino Club in the '70s with Ricky Skaggs as her guitar player. We got to sit right in front. They got three bucks for a Bud so I snuck in a six-pack in the pockets of an English motorcycle jacket. The waitress kept checking my beer to see if I needed a fresh one but I never did. I think she musta thought I got pretty gooned on one bottle. Hell, I'm a cheap date.
5. I sang an old country tune, Freddy Hart's "The Wall", a cappella to a dorm full of youngsters in the county jail once and got applause. Yes, it was a captive audience but, trust me, these were not country fans. And just what was I doing in jail, you ask? Thirty days.
D. Top Five Artists You Think More People Should Listen To:
1. Kathy Kallick, solo, with "Good Ol' Persons" or anybody else.
2. Allison Krauss and Union Station
3. The Fox Family
4. The Seldom Scene - Bluegrass band from the D.C. area.
5. Bryan Bowers - Probably the best autoharp player in the world. He can play at least six parts of a song with one hand. I don't even know if it's been recorded but his "Hash Eatin' Song From Virginia" is not to be missed.
E. Top Five Albums You Must Hear From Start to Finish:
1. Emmylou Harris - "Quarter Moon In A Ten-Cent Town"
2. Mary McCaslin & Jim Ringer - "Bramble and the Rose"
3. Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris - "Trio"
4. Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen - "Bakersfield Bound"
5. Jimmy Buffett - "Meet Me In Margaritaville"
F. Top Five Musical Heroes:
1. Doug Dillard - World's best 5-string banjo player. I have never heard anyone play while they were sober with better speed and precision than he could while dead drunk and/or stoned on his ass. His band,"The Dillards", played "The Darlings" on the Andy Griffith Show.
2. Emmylou Harris, for her entire body of work.
3. Jimmy Buffett, just 'cuz he's Jimmy Buffett.
4. Woody Guthrie. He wrote and sang about hard times, and tried to make a difference.
5. Alan Lomax, for preserving an awful lot of American and world music.
This was fun but actually kinda hard, not just the research and typing but choosing from all the wonderful music and brilliant writers and performers. Since the whole thing is sorta mood-driven, the whole shootin' match could come up different on any given day. There's other categories that should be included too, but I'm tired.
Do this to me again 'dog and I'll...do it again.
First, let me tell you about my musical acumen. I'm good at listening, but playing and singing, not so much. I may be the only guy in history to have this happen to me:
Once upon a time, many years ago (I can't remember that decade, exactly, or even which one it was) I went to see The Rolling Stones at Anaheim Stadium. Sixty thousand people in the crowd, yellin' an' screamin'. Mick Jagger comes struttin' out like a banty rooster, his scrawny chest stuck out nearly as far as his lips, one arm pointed at the sky. The crowd got wilder. You couldn't hear yourself think. Jagger grabbed a microphone (they still used them in those days), pointed at the crowd and yelled, "Thank you all for coming." Then, he pointed directly at me and said, "Gordon, don't clap. It throws our drummer off!"
As far as singing, I'm best in a group. Whenever I sing on a clear night, no problem. Dogs 'n frogs join in from miles around.
Here we go.
A. Top Five Lyrics that Move Your Heart:
"The Marine's Hymn" goes without saying.
1."Night Rider's Lament" - Nanci Griffith on "Other Voices, Other Rooms"
Tell me, why do you ride for your money, and why do you rope for short pay?
You ain't gettin' nowhere an' you're losing your share,
Oh, you must have gone crazy out there.
Well, they've never seen the Northern Lights,
never seen a hawk on the wing.
They've never seen Spring hit the Great Divide
Or heard ol' camp cookie sing.
2. "You Don't Miss Your Water" - Kathy Kallick on "Good Ol' Persons: Good and Live"
In the beginning you really loved me,
but I was blind and I could not see.
I was a playgirl, I could not be true.
I could not believe I really loved you.
But when you left me,
Oh, how I cried.
You don't miss your water
'Til your well runs dry.
3. "She's More To Be Pitied" - The Stanley Brothers and The Clinch Mountain Boys
She's there at the bar every evenin'
Face powdered and cheeks painted red.
Her beauty has faded too early
Brought on by the fast life she's led.
She's more to be pitied than scolded,
She needs to be loved, not despised.
Too much beer and wine, too many good times.
The lure of the honky-tonk has wrecked her young life.
4. "Joe's Last Train" - The Country Gentlemen
Standin' by the railroad track, his chin down on his chest,
The old man couldn't catch the train, although he tried his best.
A sleepin' roll, a coffee pot, a jug half full of wine,
He threw inside the boxcar that went on down the line.
Poor ol' Joe's too old to catch the train,
But somethin' keeps him tryin' just the same.
Old soldiers and old sailors have a place to go,
But no one helps a railroad bum like poor ol' Hobo Joe.
5. "Gypsies in the Palace" - Jimmy Buffett
-- spoken:
In days of old, when knights were bold,
And journeyed from their castles,
Trusty men were left behind,
Knights needed not the hassles.
They helped themselves to pig and peach,
And drank from king’s own chalice.
Oh, it was a stirring sight
These gypsies in the palace.
And some things never change. hit it boys!
So long boss, knock ’em dead, don’t worry ’bout a thing
Wish that we could come along, we’d love to hear you sing
Limo’s here, your bags are packed, the list is by the phone
Me and snake will watch your place and treat it like our own
Look at all this liquor
Look at all this food
It’s only gonna go to waste
We’re not really being rude
But the good stuff’s in his closet, I swear he wouldn’t mind
Hell we’ll just shoot the lock off, I do it all the time.
He’s the greatest guy to work for, man he’s really cool
Hey snake this party’s gettin’ dull, throw someone in the pool
Hey let’s all take our clothes off and form a conga line
Watch out for that broken glass, hey snake we need more wine
We’re gypsies in the palace, there ain’t no wrong or right
We’re gypsies in the palace, and we’re raisin’ hell tonight
Hey
Oh hi there boss, what’s goin’ on
You say you’re coming when?
I’ll send snake out to pick you up tomorrow night at ten, okay!
Everybody outta here, this joint is closin’ down
We gotta find someone to clean this up, he’s comin’ back to town
Hi there boss we waxed your cars, we raked and mowed your lawn
We couldn’t find enough to do in the short time you were gone
Man it sure is peaceful here, you’ve really got it all
If you ever hit the road again, give me and snake a call!
-- spoken:
Hey, jimmy, it’s glenn
Glenn, how ya doin’?
Fine man, I’m goin’ on the road.
Do you know anybody who could possibly house-sit for me?
I got these two great guys that look after my place.
Man, they’re the best!
B. Top 5 Instrumentals:
1. "Walk, Don't Run" - The Ventures
2. Any of the selections on CLARENCE WHITE: 33 ACOUSTIC GUITAR INSTRUMENTALS
3. "Dixie Breakdown" - The Dillards
4. "Thus Sprach Zarathustra" from "2001: A Space Odyssey"
5. Any selection from TUT & CLARENCE FLATPICKING
C. Top 5 Live Musical Experiences:
1. Smoking a joint with Doug Dillard in the back room of The Palomino Club in North Hollywood in the '70s. He told me I had a nice grin. If you've ever seen his shit-eatin' grin, you'd know that was like Jesus telling you you're a good person.
2. Malibu Mountains Bluegrass Festival, 1976. 100,000 people for a one-day event. Closed down the Ventura Freeway, ten miles away. Rode there with Joe Gastwirt, a mastering engineer and fellow motorcycle mechanic from Brooklyn who had just learned to drive and really shouldn't have been on the L.A. Freeway. I don't scare easy, but I made an exception that day. We had to carry a lot of water to get his load of an overheatin' Fairlane there and back. The music was good, but the whole day was one-of-a-kind.
3. Getting my friends "The Saddlerash Bluegrass Band" their first gig at the Pastime Club, aka The Knife n' Gun Club, in Truckee in the late '80s. They're from North Lake Tahoe, 12 miles away, and had never played that far from home before. Also, they were scared of Truckee's reputation as a tough town. It used to be. They had a great time and are still playing, and have become much more professional with time. Hey, ya gotta take it outta town sometime.
4. Seeing Emmylou Harris and The Hot Band at the Palomino Club in the '70s with Ricky Skaggs as her guitar player. We got to sit right in front. They got three bucks for a Bud so I snuck in a six-pack in the pockets of an English motorcycle jacket. The waitress kept checking my beer to see if I needed a fresh one but I never did. I think she musta thought I got pretty gooned on one bottle. Hell, I'm a cheap date.
5. I sang an old country tune, Freddy Hart's "The Wall", a cappella to a dorm full of youngsters in the county jail once and got applause. Yes, it was a captive audience but, trust me, these were not country fans. And just what was I doing in jail, you ask? Thirty days.
D. Top Five Artists You Think More People Should Listen To:
1. Kathy Kallick, solo, with "Good Ol' Persons" or anybody else.
2. Allison Krauss and Union Station
3. The Fox Family
4. The Seldom Scene - Bluegrass band from the D.C. area.
5. Bryan Bowers - Probably the best autoharp player in the world. He can play at least six parts of a song with one hand. I don't even know if it's been recorded but his "Hash Eatin' Song From Virginia" is not to be missed.
E. Top Five Albums You Must Hear From Start to Finish:
1. Emmylou Harris - "Quarter Moon In A Ten-Cent Town"
2. Mary McCaslin & Jim Ringer - "Bramble and the Rose"
3. Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris - "Trio"
4. Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen - "Bakersfield Bound"
5. Jimmy Buffett - "Meet Me In Margaritaville"
F. Top Five Musical Heroes:
1. Doug Dillard - World's best 5-string banjo player. I have never heard anyone play while they were sober with better speed and precision than he could while dead drunk and/or stoned on his ass. His band,"The Dillards", played "The Darlings" on the Andy Griffith Show.
2. Emmylou Harris, for her entire body of work.
3. Jimmy Buffett, just 'cuz he's Jimmy Buffett.
4. Woody Guthrie. He wrote and sang about hard times, and tried to make a difference.
5. Alan Lomax, for preserving an awful lot of American and world music.
This was fun but actually kinda hard, not just the research and typing but choosing from all the wonderful music and brilliant writers and performers. Since the whole thing is sorta mood-driven, the whole shootin' match could come up different on any given day. There's other categories that should be included too, but I'm tired.
Do this to me again 'dog and I'll...do it again.
Monday, May 9, 2005
Tagged and snagged
I was trying to lay low, but Ol' Yella snagged me.
A. Top Five Lyrics that Move Your Heart:
"You're my castle, you're my cabin, you're my instant pleasure dome
I need you in my house 'cause you're my home" - You're My Home - Billy Joel
"If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you
Mountains crumble to the sea, but there will still be you and me" - Thank You -Led Zepplelin (Our wedding song, by the way)
"I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride
I'm wanted dead or alive, Wanted dead or alive" - Wanted, Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi (My old squadron song, by the way)
"But with any other beat I got left in my heart, You know I’d rather be damned with you
If I gotta be damned you know I wanna be damned, Dancing through the night with you" - Bat out of Hell - Meat Loaf
"O'er the land of the Free
and the home of the Brave" - Star Spangled Banner - Francis Scott Key
Honorable Mention: "I met a gin-soaked barroom queen in Memphis" -Tumblin' Dice - Rolling Stones
B. Top 5 Instrumentals:
Moby Dick - Led Zeppelin
Jessica - Allman Bros.
On The Run - Pink Floyd
Fanfare for the Common Man - Aaron Copeland
1812 Overture - Piotr Iliych Tchaikovskiy
C. Top 5 Live Musical Experiences:
Grateful Dead - Radio City Music Hall, NYC - 1978
Crosby, Stills, and Nash - Lake Compounce, Bristol CT - 1986
AC/DC - Market Garden Arena, Indianapolis IN - 1984
Meat Loaf - Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale NY - 1995
Billy Joel - Reunion Arena, Dallas TX - 1984
D. Top Five Artists You Think More People Should Listen To:
Unicorn - A German band out of Kaiserslautern
Frank Zappa
Bond
4 Non Blondes
Van Morrison
E. Top Five Albums You Must Hear From Start to Finish:
Apostrophe - Frank Zappa
Bat out of Hell - Meat Loaf
Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends, ladies and gentlemen, Emerson Lake and Palmer - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer
Supernatural - Santana
Zofo - Led Zeppelin
F. Top Five Musical Heroes:
Jon Entwistle - The Who
Mick Jagger - Rolling Stones
Frank Zappa - FZ
Jimmy Page - Led Zeppelin
Kieth Moon - The Who/Bono - U2
A. Top Five Lyrics that Move Your Heart:
"You're my castle, you're my cabin, you're my instant pleasure dome
I need you in my house 'cause you're my home" - You're My Home - Billy Joel
"If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you
Mountains crumble to the sea, but there will still be you and me" - Thank You -Led Zepplelin (Our wedding song, by the way)
"I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride
I'm wanted dead or alive, Wanted dead or alive" - Wanted, Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi (My old squadron song, by the way)
"But with any other beat I got left in my heart, You know I’d rather be damned with you
If I gotta be damned you know I wanna be damned, Dancing through the night with you" - Bat out of Hell - Meat Loaf
"O'er the land of the Free
and the home of the Brave" - Star Spangled Banner - Francis Scott Key
Honorable Mention: "I met a gin-soaked barroom queen in Memphis" -Tumblin' Dice - Rolling Stones
B. Top 5 Instrumentals:
Moby Dick - Led Zeppelin
Jessica - Allman Bros.
On The Run - Pink Floyd
Fanfare for the Common Man - Aaron Copeland
1812 Overture - Piotr Iliych Tchaikovskiy
C. Top 5 Live Musical Experiences:
Grateful Dead - Radio City Music Hall, NYC - 1978
Crosby, Stills, and Nash - Lake Compounce, Bristol CT - 1986
AC/DC - Market Garden Arena, Indianapolis IN - 1984
Meat Loaf - Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale NY - 1995
Billy Joel - Reunion Arena, Dallas TX - 1984
D. Top Five Artists You Think More People Should Listen To:
Unicorn - A German band out of Kaiserslautern
Frank Zappa
Bond
4 Non Blondes
Van Morrison
E. Top Five Albums You Must Hear From Start to Finish:
Apostrophe - Frank Zappa
Bat out of Hell - Meat Loaf
Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends, ladies and gentlemen, Emerson Lake and Palmer - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer
Supernatural - Santana
Zofo - Led Zeppelin
F. Top Five Musical Heroes:
Jon Entwistle - The Who
Mick Jagger - Rolling Stones
Frank Zappa - FZ
Jimmy Page - Led Zeppelin
Kieth Moon - The Who/Bono - U2
Truth, DeLay, and Rectal Bleeding
Took me a while to quit rolling on the floor, unwrap the wires from around my head, wipe off the keyboard and screen, and steal this from Yelladog:
You could always read during the actual programs, I guess.
Perhaps I am the last person in America to give a damn, but why are our elected officials using the corporate jets of the likes of Enron as personal taxis? Shouldn't they be required to disclose this sort of largesse? Is there any way we can force them to disclose these things?
Imagine how that would play in a campaign commercial- something like those monotonic flurries of information at the end of pharmaceutical commercials, where the voiceover announces that the product may have certain side effects, like baldness, hairy palms, headache, dry mouth and rectal bleeding.
"Tom DeLay is not for everyone. Tom DeLay may have certain side effects, including theocracy, homophobia, complete obeisance to corporate interests, higher energy prices, pointless wars and rectal bleeding. In the past, Tom DeLay has flown on the Enron jet 47 times, watched the Superbowl from Jack Abramoff's skybox eight times, played golf on Russia's dime X times, blahblahblah..."
In a world where campaign commercials were forced into full disclosure, I know that I would watch more television.
You could always read during the actual programs, I guess.
Haben Sie deine Führerschein, bitte?
RealID is real now. Make zertain you haff your papers. Paul the Spud blogging at the Sister:
Call me paranoid, and I've said this before, but we're inches away from tattooed barcodes.
Yeah, Yeah, I know... it's to fight terrorism. Well, bullshit. It's making our police force and millitary into the SS. How is "show me your "Real ID" different than "Papers, please," when you get down to brass tacks?
[. . .]
Today in History
From Working for Change:
Things that happened on this day that you never had to memorize in school:
Things that happened on this day that you never had to memorize in school:
1432: Charges of witchcraft dismissed against Margery Jourdemain, John Virley, and John Ashwell, in England. They're executed for littering instead.
1933: First Nazi-inspired mass public book-burning, Germany.
1967: Muhammed Ali stripped of world heavyweight boxing title for refusing military draft.
1974: Congress begins impeachment hearings of President Richard M. Nixon.
The Redhead and Her Friends
Arianna Huffington has opened her new blog, "The Huffington Post" today. Check it out.
Bush Gets Tough Queries From Youths in Holland
From the LATimes:
Might not have passed muster? They probably would have been arrested. Going off script by asking an actual question is at least a misdemeanor in Bushworld. I wonder if Bush thought those kids wouldn't speak English so the interpreter could ask the pre-planned questions and pass along the pre-planned compliments. I'll bet he was amazed they weren't wearing wooden shoes, too.
I guess the "Free Press" is only "Free" to go along with the program of lies and deceptions. Any chance of actual reporting seems to be off the table.
MAASTRICHT, Netherlands — At home, President Bush regularly travels the nation for "conversations" with hand-picked audiences who routinely shower him and his policies with praise. But abroad on Sunday, some youths in Holland had a rare, unscripted opportunity to ask questions that some Americans might want to pose if given the chance.
Based on the questions asked in the first half-hour, before reporters were ushered from the room (my emphasis), this group of students might not have passed muster at a typical White House event.
Might not have passed muster? They probably would have been arrested. Going off script by asking an actual question is at least a misdemeanor in Bushworld. I wonder if Bush thought those kids wouldn't speak English so the interpreter could ask the pre-planned questions and pass along the pre-planned compliments. I'll bet he was amazed they weren't wearing wooden shoes, too.
I guess the "Free Press" is only "Free" to go along with the program of lies and deceptions. Any chance of actual reporting seems to be off the table.
Sunday, May 8, 2005
Sunday Stupids
I was just watching Jack Welch on Little George. Am I the only one who thinks this guy is completely out of touch? I'm surprised Chimpy doesn't have him working at 1600. And don't even get me started on George Will. And I don't care what anybody says. I like Sam Donaldson.
Update: 16:45:
I'm sending you to Jane for more.
Update: 16:45:
I'm sending you to Jane for more.
Nothing's changed
We went to war in Iraq, got close to 1600 Americans killed so far, 30,000 - 40,000 wounded, and probably a hundred thousand Iraqis dead. For all of that, nothing has changed. Swerve Left:
Mission accomplished.
Recruitment's down; high-ranking military officers themselves admit that American military readiness has been compromised; worldwide terrorist incidents are the highest they've been in two decades; Iraq once more has convicted felons and known killers occupying key government posts . . .
Mission accomplished.
More reefer madness
Jane says it far better than I could. That's 'cause she's not an old pothead like me.
Northwest pedophiles
I linked to this earlier in the week, but JJ from Big Brass Balls, . . . er Blog has more . . . much more on this group of sickos.
Saturday, May 7, 2005
"Healthy Forests"
Yeah, right.
May 5 (Bloomberg) -- The Bush administration issued rules today that could open up as many as 58.5 million acres of U.S. forestland to road building, logging, mining and other commercial purposes, clearing the last remnants of a ban imposed in 2001.
The U.S. Forest Service can begin allowing 34.3 million acres of national lands to be opened to road building as early as next week, and the rule gives state governors the option to request use for an additional 24.2 million acres. The Agriculture Department said states had 18 months to protest the changes.
[. . .]
"Mushroom clouds"
SEOUL — As North Korea accelerates the pace of its nuclear weapons program, the United States and its allies have limited options to prevent one of the world's poorest and most erratic nations from becoming a nuclear power.
[. . .]
I know I talk about this a lot, basically because the press has decided not to . . . until that little lunatic in North Korea does something to get their attention. I spent three years of my life in South Korea, not far from the DMZ. I love and respect the Korean people, and I look back on my time spent with them with fondess. It's an area rich in history and culture, and the last thing I want to see is this land become the blast point of the next regional conflict. They went through enough earlier this century.
More below the fold . . .
Thanks a lot
Now shut the fuck up. Via Skippy, vets write letters to our leaders:
my husband, ramey evans, jr. passed away a few weeks ago knowing what the government thought about him and his service in the korean war. he was denied enrollment because he had saved a little too much money to live on in his retirement years, along with his social security. it didn't matter that he had earned the right to have help with his medicine, he didn't get it. he put off going to the va for help because he would have to travel so far. . .
dear mrs. bush, i have written to your husband regarding this issue but also wanted to write you. given that you are a mother you will probably be more sympathetic to my particular situation and the impact that insufficient va funding has on it. i have 2 children, a 9 year-old daughter a a 15 month-old son. i have a service-connected disability, my back, and have had great difficulty in receiving treatment. the va doctors tell me things like "don't pick up your child". Iim sure you can realize that as a mother it is literally impossible not to pick up a baby. since an injury in january my back has been very bad. it took me until monday, may 2,05 to get the va to do a ct scan. this scan shows that i have a significant bulge on one of my discs. i believe that it has taken so long to get any progress on treatment because the va finds itself out of money. . .
Coolness
Found this while rooting around over at Cmdr. Sue's place. Good links, good info, and pretty Cool Government.
Friday, May 6, 2005
Today's Wolcott
Found this gem in James Wolcott's post on George Galloway who got re-elected to Parliament in the UK and had a few things to say to Mr. Blair.
Sic 'em, Jimmy.
But at least in this country we're thrashing out vital issues in the meantime, such as steroids in sports, the of disposition of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube, if the Ten Commandments belong in every washroom, and whether or not convicted sex offenders should be forced to drive with pink license plates in the state of Ohio. We'll have those culture-war controversies all nice and tidy by the time the earth begins to bake and Bush has chain-sawed the last standing tree.
Sic 'em, Jimmy.
Kick rocks, ye sinners Democrats!
From DailyKos:
Looks like the Retardiligious Right has learned something from gays: they're starting to come out of the closet.
Go read. Many links to reports on these nutjobs.
For those that thought that there has not been a full scale war lanched against liberals; for those who didn't take the radical right's promise to "eradicate liberals" seriously, I present to you, Exhibit A: East Waynesville Baptist Church has just kicked out all its Democratic members.
Yes. You read that right. If you didn't vote for Bush, you had to "repent your sin". And finally, they figured why deal with the liberal sinners at all..
Looks like the Retardiligious Right has learned something from gays: they're starting to come out of the closet.
Go read. Many links to reports on these nutjobs.
Bomb Scare
Just so you folks don't think us hicks up hyar in the hills are behind the times, I offer this from the Sierra Sun web site:
It seems anymore that the latest terror weapon is the well-placed laundry bag, cleverly designed to shut down the commerce of the nation. I wonder if "leaving a suitcase full of clothes where it scares the crap out of big, tough law enforcement types and causes them to massively over-react and make everybody leave Happy Hour and call bomb dogs from miles away" is: A) a felony; B) Chargeable to the owner for law enforcement expense; or C) Covered by Homeland Security funds?
If ya wanta see the bus & train station (Truckee Intermodal Transportation Terminal - TITT) that woulda been splinters if the clothes had gone off, see the Truckee Web Cam. If it's pointed at a gas station, try again later.
If I wanted 'em to evacuate anything I'da left my laundry inside. Whee-eww!
A suspected bomb at the downtown Truckee Amtrak station was determined to be a false alarm Thursday night, but not before the historic main street area was evacuated for several hours.
The discovery of a black leather brief case placed near a gas meter at the Amtrak depot on Truckee’s historic Commercial Row forced the evacuation of the area at about 5:15 p.m. and closed down the Union Pacific Railroad’s main route over the Sierra Nevada for approximately four hours.
After the Placer County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad reported to the scene at approximately 8 p.m., officers X-rayed the brief case and then fired a water cannon at it. The luggage failed to explode. Officers then opened the bag at about 9:15 p.m. to discover clothing items, according to Alex Terrazas, the Town of Truckee’s assistant to town manager.
“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Terrazas said.
The discovery of the suspicious brief case came after Amtrak officials contacted the Town of Truckee earlier in the week during routine communications to be on the lookout for suspicious activity, Terrazas said.
It seems anymore that the latest terror weapon is the well-placed laundry bag, cleverly designed to shut down the commerce of the nation. I wonder if "leaving a suitcase full of clothes where it scares the crap out of big, tough law enforcement types and causes them to massively over-react and make everybody leave Happy Hour and call bomb dogs from miles away" is: A) a felony; B) Chargeable to the owner for law enforcement expense; or C) Covered by Homeland Security funds?
If ya wanta see the bus & train station (Truckee Intermodal Transportation Terminal - TITT) that woulda been splinters if the clothes had gone off, see the Truckee Web Cam. If it's pointed at a gas station, try again later.
If I wanted 'em to evacuate anything I'da left my laundry inside. Whee-eww!
Pauly writes
To John Kerry:
[. . .]
Now, however, your website plans to run an ad in Tuesday's USA Today. And you're asking for donations. More money. Again. Lord, I don't understand...
Call me disrespectful, Senator, but I really don't think it's asking too much of you to, just one friggin' time, solicit Theresa for the necessary funds before you come panhandling to that portion of your 55 million plus still willing to lend you a goddamned ear. Precious few of us are sitting on family fortunes, in case you were unaware...
[. . .]
F-man's music
On the CD changer in my truck this week:
1. Showbiz Kids - Disc 1 - Steely Dan
2. Showbiz Kids - Disc 2 - Steely Dan
3. Back in the High Life - Steve Winwood
4. Joe's Garage - Vol. 1 - Frank Zappa
5. The Very Best of Van Morrison
6. Collected works for the Organ - J.S. Bach
1. Showbiz Kids - Disc 1 - Steely Dan
2. Showbiz Kids - Disc 2 - Steely Dan
3. Back in the High Life - Steve Winwood
4. Joe's Garage - Vol. 1 - Frank Zappa
5. The Very Best of Van Morrison
6. Collected works for the Organ - J.S. Bach
Intelligent [cough] Design
From the Lady of the Lake:
I give damn what people believe. If ya want to believe the Earth is flat and 6000 years old, have a nut. But don't force the state to teach my kid your bullshit. If you want your kid to learn this silliness, send him to a Christian school.
Update: 14:25:
Incertus has something related:
[. . .]
The need of fundamentalists and others to have the details of the Bible accepted as empirical fact has always puzzled me. My minister Dad always used to say that if you can prove it, then it's no longer faith. Buddhists, for example, subject their faith to no such demands -- Buddhist teachers throughout the millennia have made up stories about the life of the Buddha to demonstrate their teachings. But Buddhists have a much more fluid notion of "reality" than the fundies, and nobody is going to take to the streets protesting the veracity of these stories, or lack thereof.
[. . .]
I give damn what people believe. If ya want to believe the Earth is flat and 6000 years old, have a nut. But don't force the state to teach my kid your bullshit. If you want your kid to learn this silliness, send him to a Christian school.
Update: 14:25:
Incertus has something related:
I swear to god, the next time someone tries to pull that "christianity is under attack in America" bullshit again, I'm gonna pop 'em right in the fucking mouth. You want to know just how much of a vise grip christianity has on the nuts of this nation? Check this story out.
Thursday, May 5, 2005
Support Our Troops...But not at our church
You'd think that most Southern Californians would know what a Marine looks like, being that Camp Pendleton is located here. But apparently not. Churchgoers in Rancho Cucamonga called the police on three Marines after they attended their church for the second time, thinking they were skinheads.
Note to Jesus: If you make an appearance at this church during your second coming, make sure your locks are long, boy, or you'll be cuffed and stuffed and driven downtown.
Note to Jesus: If you make an appearance at this church during your second coming, make sure your locks are long, boy, or you'll be cuffed and stuffed and driven downtown.
Dry, and with sandpaper too...
Thanks (I think) to John Howard via Shakespeare's Sister for this awful thought!
[Link is not work-safe - F-man]
The stench of hypocrisy 6
JJ at Big Brass Blog:
The self-hating gays sicken me as much as the self-hating blacks. Anyone who allows themselves to be used as a tool to the detriment of their own interests turns my stomach.
Well here it is! In my home town of Spokane WA, Republican, homophobe, Mayor Jim West has been using his office to lure boys.
[. . .]
The self-hating gays sicken me as much as the self-hating blacks. Anyone who allows themselves to be used as a tool to the detriment of their own interests turns my stomach.
On the De-lurking bandwagon
The Sister has a good idea:
If you lurk through here, leave a comment today. Just say hi if you can't manage a sentence. Besides, I need some new people to bitch to. Just kiddin'.
Elise at After School Snack has declared this De-Lurking Week. So, if there are any silent but loyal Shakers out there, speak up, leave a comment, and reveal yourselves (if you dare)!
[. . .]
If you lurk through here, leave a comment today. Just say hi if you can't manage a sentence. Besides, I need some new people to bitch to. Just kiddin'.
Activist Judges Indeed!
From Paperwight's Fair Shot:
I guess this means our Santeria friends can quit gussyin' up them chickens in preparation for the City Council meeting.
We continue the long, bruising slide toward a Republican Fundamentalist state. From the ABA Journal by way of ACSBlog:
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled a Virginia county can refuse to let a witch give the invocation at its meetings by limiting the privilege to clergy representing Judeo-Christian monotheism.
I guess this means our Santeria friends can quit gussyin' up them chickens in preparation for the City Council meeting.
Spend, spend, spend
Washington - The House on Wednesday approved an $81.4 billion emergency spending package for combat and reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan, which would push the total cost of the wars beyond $300 billion.
By a 388-43 vote, the House gave President Bush most of the money he had requested, with strong support from both Republicans and Democrats. The Senate will consider its version in April.
The legislation is the fifth emergency spending plan Bush has sent to Congress for wars since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. It provides $76.8 billion for defense-related expenses and, overall, is roughly $500 million less than the president's request. [my emphases]
[. . .]
But we have to cut taxes for the rich folks too. And we have to pass an energy bill that gives the oil companies billions in tax breaks. Yet we underfund No Child Left Behind by 24 Billion. I'm getting sick of carrying the water for these assholes.
Link via RDF.
New Republican message on Iraq?
Ah, zee truth, she may be starting to emerge. From the Sacramento News & Review:
There's many a slip 'twixt Iraq and the gas cap. For this congressman to let that language go out over his name shows that Bush's true reasons for committing us to this criminal war are getting closer to the surface every day. They can't hide it from us much longer at any rate and perhaps aren't trying as hard to do so. Good. Let's get it out in the open. And start building gallows frames on the White House lawn.
Al Eaton was all set to toss Dan Lungren’s letter in the trash when he noticed something that amazed him. The Rio Vista resident already had no idea why Sacramento’s Republican congressman would be sending him a “reply” for “contacting” his office, given that Eaton had never written to him in the first place. But apparently, Lungren had something to say to the retired high-school teacher and liberal Democrat.
The letter, dated April 4, 2005, starts off by defending the Republican Congress’ push of House Resolution 6, energy legislation that allows drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). While critics say the oil in ANWR would last only six months, Lungren argues that it could last 25 years by being used to “supplement rather than replace our need for foreign oil.” (Congress passed the bill on April 21.)
But it’s what comes next that caught Eaton’s attention. While discussing the nation’s dependency on foreign oil, Lungren writes, “I feel quite strongly that as long as we have our military in the Middle East fighting so that we can continue to purchase oil from that region (my emphasis), we have an obligation to find alternatives to foreign oil. It is difficult to justify the death of even one soldier when we are not doing everything in our power to explore options for oil within our country.”
But was this really a slip in judgment or a sign that Republican leaders are shifting the rhetoric on Iraq one more time?
Ironically, polls are beginning to suggest the public may be psychologically prepared for a shift in rhetoric from the war on terrorism to a battle for oil. According to Editor & Publisher last week, the Gallup Poll shows that half of all Americans now say the Bush administration deliberately misled Americans about whether Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, a 20-percent increase from 2003.
Still, even if there is truth behind Lungren’s apparent rhetorical slip, not everyone is pleased to hear it. After hearing Lungren’s remarks, California Democratic Party spokesman Bob Mulholland characterized the letter as a “tragic” example of Republican hypocrisy.
“Lungren was a 220-pound football player that avoided serving in Vietnam by using a knee injury as an excuse not to go,” countered Mulholland. “He consistently avoided the military. Now that he gets to use it, it won’t be him or his kids that go overseas to die.”
There's many a slip 'twixt Iraq and the gas cap. For this congressman to let that language go out over his name shows that Bush's true reasons for committing us to this criminal war are getting closer to the surface every day. They can't hide it from us much longer at any rate and perhaps aren't trying as hard to do so. Good. Let's get it out in the open. And start building gallows frames on the White House lawn.
-42%
From Yahoo News:
Yeah, right. Flippin' burgers is lookin' a lot better than becoming one yourself for no good reason, ain't it? Kids today must be smarter than I gave them credit for.
I have no doubt the Army will come up with some solution. Can you say "Stop Loss"? Can you say "Fixer 'n Gordon, fall in!"?
The U.S. Army missed its April recruiting goal by a whopping 42 percent and the Army Reserve fell short by 37 percent, officials said on Tuesday, showing the depth of the military's wartime recruiting woes.
Military recruiters have said potential recruits and their parents were expressing wariness about enlisting during the Iraq war. They said improving civilian job opportunities also were affecting recruiting.
Yeah, right. Flippin' burgers is lookin' a lot better than becoming one yourself for no good reason, ain't it? Kids today must be smarter than I gave them credit for.
I have no doubt the Army will come up with some solution. Can you say "Stop Loss"? Can you say "Fixer 'n Gordon, fall in!"?
Cinco de Mayo
A short history of Cinco de Mayo (Note: Site is a trifle wingnutty, but not too bad):
The day has become a marketing opportunity as well. Let's just say that the same folks who become Irish for St. Patrick's Day become Mexicans on Cinco de Mayo.
For those who indulge too mightily in the Spirit of Independence and wake up on Seis de Mayo feeling like they consumed the cactus in its unrefined form, here's a fine hangover remedy. If you survive the cure, you'll be OK.
Saludos, Amigos.
The 5th of May is not Mexican Independence Day, but it should be! And Cinco de Mayo is not an American holiday, but it should be. Mexico declared its independence from mother Spain on midnight, the 15th of September, 1810. And it took 11 years before the first Spanish soldiers were told and forced to leave Mexico.
So, why Cinco de Mayo? And why should Americans savor this day as well? Because 4,000 Mexican soldiers smashed the French and traitor Mexican army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico, 100 miles east of Mexico City on the morning of May 5, 1862.
The day has become a marketing opportunity as well. Let's just say that the same folks who become Irish for St. Patrick's Day become Mexicans on Cinco de Mayo.
For those who indulge too mightily in the Spirit of Independence and wake up on Seis de Mayo feeling like they consumed the cactus in its unrefined form, here's a fine hangover remedy. If you survive the cure, you'll be OK.
Saludos, Amigos.
Only in New York
(New York -WABC, May 4, 2005) — There are major changes tonight for the Freedom Tower. As we first reported at five, the state is tossing out the current design because of security concerns - and starting all over.
[. . .]
You're building the biggest live-fire target in history and you didn't think to consult the NYPD? Fucking idiots.
Wonderful
------------------------------------------------------
MSNBC Breaking News
------------------------------------------------------
Blasts outside U.K. consulate in NYC -
Two explosions were reported early Thursday outside the building that houses the British Consulate in New York, NBC affiliate WNBC-TV reported early Thursday. No injuries were reported.
And I just put my wife on a train to NYC. Is my ass puckered or what?
And as I sit here thinking: If they managed to get two devices in (hand grenades at this time) to the British Embassy, what's to stop 'em from getting a truck next to Empire State? Uh, hel-lo, McFly? Homeland Security? Anybody there?
I'll go one better
In fact, since I like to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak. (Not literaly, have you ever tasted money? Blech.) Anyway, I was thinking about my post yesterday and Gord's comment on the post:
I'll go these warmongers one better. If Jonah Goldberg makes the attempt to enlist, so will I. I'll dust off my DD Form 214 and head down to the recruiters the same day. Regardless of the fact I already served this country for 8 years (6 active, 2 reserve), I'll go back if the man who said he'd serve (if he didn't have a family and a job) gave it his best shot. Come on, Jonah, let's sign up as buddies. Lotsa guys did it when I went in. If you go, I'll go with ya. And I even promise not to kill ya, even if the opportunity presents itself. If ya signed up, I'd have too much respect for you to want to snap your soft spine with my bare hands. So here's the deal. If Jonah goes, I'll go too. Whaddaya say, Lardass? Are ya man enough to take me up on it? Let me know.
When pigs fly. Hell, if they drafted those ying-yangs, they'd take their doctors with 'em to get out of it . . .
I'll go these warmongers one better. If Jonah Goldberg makes the attempt to enlist, so will I. I'll dust off my DD Form 214 and head down to the recruiters the same day. Regardless of the fact I already served this country for 8 years (6 active, 2 reserve), I'll go back if the man who said he'd serve (if he didn't have a family and a job) gave it his best shot. Come on, Jonah, let's sign up as buddies. Lotsa guys did it when I went in. If you go, I'll go with ya. And I even promise not to kill ya, even if the opportunity presents itself. If ya signed up, I'd have too much respect for you to want to snap your soft spine with my bare hands. So here's the deal. If Jonah goes, I'll go too. Whaddaya say, Lardass? Are ya man enough to take me up on it? Let me know.
Fearless Leader? Ha!
I got my new issue of Leatherneck: Magazine of the Marines in today's mail. I just had to share this letter to the editor in the Sound Off section from an eagle-eyed old salt, and the editor's response:
And the response:
The other day I accused Tom DeLay of insulting a Marine, but this tops that by orders of magnitude. Bush has managed to insult every Marine that ever lived. If anybody had tried to get at the president, those Marines would have fallen all over themselves trying to protect his chickenshit ass, working rifles or no. What is the president afraid of? If he's afraid of his own Marines, he's doing more wrong than we ever thought.
How do you think those Marines must have felt, knowing their own Commander-in-Chief had so little faith in them that he took away their stock in trade lest they turn on him?
I got news for you, Chimp: If they'da wanted your ass dead, you'd be dead. Just be glad no one who really wishes you harm realized at the time that you had disarmed your ceremonial guard.
What a fuckin' coward. I have never liked him, but this time I'm ashamed of him.
Why doesn't the Commandant trust his Marines?
I'm a bit embarrassed to ask this. In the March 2005 issue of Leatherneck, page 20 includes a photo of Company B marching in the Presidential Inaugural Parade. The Marines didn't have bolts in their M1 rifles. Nor did the color guard on page 21.
The rifles are not cleared with the bolts locked in the rear of the receivers; they are missing. The operating rod is forward and the follower is exposed.
What gives?
SgtMaj Thomas R. Jablonicky USMC (Ret)
Colby, Wis.
And the response:
Our readers don't miss a thing.The nation is at war and, consequently, security at the inauguration and related events was high. According to Lance Corporal Earnest J. Barnes, Public Affairs Office, Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., the bolts were removed from the rifles carried by Marines in the inaugural parade for security purposes by order of the Secret Service. Gunnery Sergeant David Dunaway, USMC (Ret) of Shoreline, Wash., and Joseph Berthelot of Syracuse, N.Y., also took notice. - Sound Off Ed.
The other day I accused Tom DeLay of insulting a Marine, but this tops that by orders of magnitude. Bush has managed to insult every Marine that ever lived. If anybody had tried to get at the president, those Marines would have fallen all over themselves trying to protect his chickenshit ass, working rifles or no. What is the president afraid of? If he's afraid of his own Marines, he's doing more wrong than we ever thought.
How do you think those Marines must have felt, knowing their own Commander-in-Chief had so little faith in them that he took away their stock in trade lest they turn on him?
I got news for you, Chimp: If they'da wanted your ass dead, you'd be dead. Just be glad no one who really wishes you harm realized at the time that you had disarmed your ceremonial guard.
What a fuckin' coward. I have never liked him, but this time I'm ashamed of him.
Wednesday, May 4, 2005
Recruiting
Since recruiting is totally fucked . . . experiencing a downward trend, the Mighty Atrios makes a suggestion. Why don't that doughy load of santorum Jonah Golberg and the lot of the One-oh-worst Fighting Keyboarders head down to the local recruiting office and sign up? Your country needs you, boys and girls. Jonah, Instashithead, the Assrocket, Michelle 'The Business Girl' and the Big Schwanz, we're waiting for you to set the example. Call Faux News and have the cameras there when you take the oath. Your sacrifice should be an example to all those young kids with bright futures who are debating signing up. Come on, guys, repeat after me: "Over there, over there . . ."
Sweet Leaf
Since this is a subject near and dear to my heart. From Riggsveda:
Ain't nobody ever overdosed on marijuana. Smoke too much, fall asleep. When they crack down on the potheads, somebody's trying to win votes.
Everyone from NPR to the Houston Chronicle is abuzz about the study, "The War on Marijuana; The Transformation of the War on Drugs in the 1990s", done by The Sentencing Project, which shows that a renewed focus on low-level marijuana users resulted in arrests rising from 28% to 45% of total drug arrests from 1992 to 2002. Of the rise in total drug arrests, 80% of the increase came from marijuana arrests of mostly small, recreational users. The price for this is high: the report estimates about $4 billion a year is spent on arresting and prosecution. Think of the health insurance or decent housing that could buy!
[. . .]
Ain't nobody ever overdosed on marijuana. Smoke too much, fall asleep. When they crack down on the potheads, somebody's trying to win votes.
Blue states
Still trying to find a link to a new Zogby poll that says 49% of New Jerseyans would vote for Jim McGreevey for Governor again if he decided to run. Only 6% said his gayness would put them off. I'd say that's pretty open minded of 'em. Good on yas.
Link here . . . finally.
Link here . . . finally.
Tuesday, May 3, 2005
Victory in Europe
This week is the sixtieth anniversary of the defeat of Hitler's Third Reich and there's no dearth of TV programming about it. The History Channel is having VE Week and there's stuff on the end of WWII all over the place. If you're a military history buff like myself, this week's the tall cotton, boys.
Since the demise of the Soviet Union there seems to be a lot of new footage, no doubt due to the fact that the German film was warehoused in Berlin in East Germany and has just lately become available. The Germans are inveterate documentarians and fine camera makers, and they filmed everything. There's quite a bit of Soviet footage as well. A lot of it is propaganda of course, on both sides, but there's a lot that isn't, and it's fascinating.
Last night was a coupla hours of the German invasion of Russia and the ensuing battle that killed millions. There were accounts by vets and citizens from both sides. There was a lot of footage of General Winter and graveyards, mostly German, although in the early days, Russian casualties, military and civilian both, far outnumbered those of the Germans. The tide turned, however, and we've been living with the results ever since.
There's more of this stuff tonight and the rest of the week. It's fascinating to me, but absolutely chilling and horrible in the scope of the human suffering on both sides. It's damn sure something to think about, not only for history's sake but in light of the warlike nature of certain modern leaders (hint, hint...).
Also, I found an interview in The Guardian with a German nurse in the last days in the Fuhrerbunker. I wonder if she had to take Hitler's temperature? Shudder!
The History channel also has an encyclopedic short history of WWII that can get you up to speed on all this stuff.
Since the demise of the Soviet Union there seems to be a lot of new footage, no doubt due to the fact that the German film was warehoused in Berlin in East Germany and has just lately become available. The Germans are inveterate documentarians and fine camera makers, and they filmed everything. There's quite a bit of Soviet footage as well. A lot of it is propaganda of course, on both sides, but there's a lot that isn't, and it's fascinating.
Last night was a coupla hours of the German invasion of Russia and the ensuing battle that killed millions. There were accounts by vets and citizens from both sides. There was a lot of footage of General Winter and graveyards, mostly German, although in the early days, Russian casualties, military and civilian both, far outnumbered those of the Germans. The tide turned, however, and we've been living with the results ever since.
There's more of this stuff tonight and the rest of the week. It's fascinating to me, but absolutely chilling and horrible in the scope of the human suffering on both sides. It's damn sure something to think about, not only for history's sake but in light of the warlike nature of certain modern leaders (hint, hint...).
Also, I found an interview in The Guardian with a German nurse in the last days in the Fuhrerbunker. I wonder if she had to take Hitler's temperature? Shudder!
The History channel also has an encyclopedic short history of WWII that can get you up to speed on all this stuff.
Move over, yuppie
See what happens when you lower the bar. It starts at the top. Missouri Mule:
I was giggling my ass off.
I'm not sure when it happened but white trash is in. I just read it in a national magazine and all I could say was, "Well shit fire and save the matches."
You don't have to be Southern to be white trash, but it helps, mostly because Southerners know the beauty of potted meat and mayonnaise sandwich better than most. As a sort of on-the-bubble white trash girl myself (I've never, technically, had what car dealers describe as "bruised credit"). I'm feeling downright giddy. Why is white trash chic now? Maybe it's just natural backlash to decades of greed and consumption. Whatever the reason, there's much to learn and I can coach even the snobbiest of y'all on how to be WT.
[. . .]
I was giggling my ass off.
Get serious
If Bush were serious about compromise on SSI, he'd consider doing away with some of the tax cuts, especially the ones who benefit the least amount of people. From the most lovable rod . . . er, marsupial in Blogtopia (y!sctp!)*:
Update: 16:30:
Congrats to Skippy for being quoted on CNN's Inside the Blogs
mainly, if awol is so concerned about social security shortfalls, he should repeal the tax cuts on the upper 1% of the wealthy in this country, and reinstate the entitlement tax.
(the tax formerly known as the "death tax," aka the inheritance tax. it's not a tax on the person who died. it's a tax on the greedy little heirs who think they are entitled to that estate without working for it. an entitlement tax.)
[. . .]
Update: 16:30:
Congrats to Skippy for being quoted on CNN's Inside the Blogs
*yes! skippy coined that phrase!
More on who knew what and when...
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI), obviously a regular reader of the Brain, is circulating a letter calling for a further inquiry into a secret U.S.-UK agreement to attack Iraq, no doubt due to recognizing the geschmokinge pistole (Damn! F-Man's got me brain-fartin' in Deutsche today) found in my posts here and here. From Raw Story.
The integrity of your own Administration. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! Yo, Johnny! That's a good one! Ha!
It's a good letter. Mr. Conyers asks direct questions, not that we're likely to get direct answers. Please go read it for yourself. This deal is far from over.
In a statement, Conyers says he is disappointed the mainstream media has not touched the revelations.
"Unfortunately, the mainstream media in the United States was too busy with wall-to-wall coverage of a "runaway bride" to cover a bombshell report out of the British newspapers."
Dear Mr. President:
We write because of troubling revelations in the Sunday London Times apparently confirming that the United States and Great Britain had secretly agreed to attack Iraq in the summer of 2002, well before the invasion and before you even sought Congressional authority to engage in military action. While various individuals have asserted this to be the case before, including Paul O'Neill, former U.S. Treasury Secretary, and Richard Clarke, a former National Security Council official, they have been previously dismissed by your Administration. However, when this story was divulged last weekend, Prime Minister Blair's representative claimed the document contained "nothing new." If the disclosure is accurate, it raises troubling new questions regarding the legal justifications for the war as well as the integrity of your own Administration.
The integrity of your own Administration. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! Yo, Johnny! That's a good one! Ha!
It's a good letter. Mr. Conyers asks direct questions, not that we're likely to get direct answers. Please go read it for yourself. This deal is far from over.
My old aunt
She always says, 'alles ist besser in Deutschland' [everything is better in Germany]. A little ethnocentric perhaps, but she's an old farm woman who lives in a little town, 4500 feet up in the Wasgau mountains. Some things are better, like their progressive attitude. For a culture that is over two millennia old, they're very open minded. Even my old aunt looks at Americans as prudish and reactionary and she's considered conservative by German standards. From the inimitable Dave Johnson:
Angry Bear compares the pensions given in different countries. In Luxembourg workers get 102% of ther average pay. In Austria, Hungary, Spain and Turkey you get 75%.
We get 36-38%.
In parts of Europe the workweek is 35 hours. ("In 2001, France’s national planning agency found “indisputable” evidence that work-time reduction was creating vast numbers of new jobs, helping to bring unemployment down from 12.5 percent in 1997 to an eighteen-year low of 8.6 percent.")
[. . .]
Wishful thinking
Or rose colored Glasses. Only the Repubs thought it would turn out well. John:
[. . .]
According to the New York Times, Iraq's oil is flowing at a rate less than before the war, which means the American taxpayers have been covering all of the financial burden, including billions of dollars in unforeseen (if you're a blind ideologue, or a liar) expenses.
[. . .]
Playbooks
Shows where you're coming from. From the Farmer:
What have I been saying for the last year? Rummy wants to be the next Hermann Goering. The American Blitzkrieg in Iraq. Oy! Shows you how much history they understand. Hitler had the same problem, manpower. Why is it that when despots have a well equipped air force,they think they don't need ground troops? Hitler made that mistake [little Germany trying to occupy Europe, Africa, and Russia, a joke], and we're making it in the Mid East. Bush's folly will end like Hitler's, in defeat.
[. . .]
DONALD RUMSFELD: Well, I think when you say "that different," it's important to understand that you can - when the Germans transformed their armed forces into the Blitzkrieg, they transformed only about 5 or 10 percent of their force. Everything else was the same, but they transformed the way they used it, the connectivity between aircraft and forces on the ground, the concentration of it in a specific portion of the line, and it - one would not want to transform 100 percent of your forces. You only need to transform a portion. [my emphasis]
[. . .]
What have I been saying for the last year? Rummy wants to be the next Hermann Goering. The American Blitzkrieg in Iraq. Oy! Shows you how much history they understand. Hitler had the same problem, manpower. Why is it that when despots have a well equipped air force,they think they don't need ground troops? Hitler made that mistake [little Germany trying to occupy Europe, Africa, and Russia, a joke], and we're making it in the Mid East. Bush's folly will end like Hitler's, in defeat.
Monday, May 2, 2005
To do or not to do
Atrios says do nothing:
[. . .]
The only thing "to do" about Social Security is to improve its long run solvency. The only reasonable way to improve its long run solvency is to pre-fund the Trust Fund. But, we have a president running around claiming the trust fund is just a file cabinet, and a bunch of Republicans in Congress who agree. So, throwing more money into the "file cabinet" is just a way to throw more money at tax cuts for the rich. That is, in fact, what the president has told us.
[. . .]
Fifi knew, and "El Supremo" too...
The other day I posted this on Brit PM Tony "Fifi" Blair knowing ahead of time that the fix was in on crafting policy and intel to fit Bush's desire to invade Iraq.
Wolcott has more on this.
When you get back, click on this piece about the diplomatic reception our Chimp-in-Chief gave Hugo Chavez, or just go to JayDub's home page and read both.
Wolcott has more on this.
When you get back, click on this piece about the diplomatic reception our Chimp-in-Chief gave Hugo Chavez, or just go to JayDub's home page and read both.
Fuckups 2
Frenchie at Pouquoi Pas:
I'm glad we're at the cutting edge of information security. I wonder how much more we've compromised without even knowing it. Yeesh. Read Frenchie's post and find out how we blamed the Italians for everything. Yourinept fuckups government at work.
A Greek medical student at Bologna University who was surfing the web early on Sunday found that with two simple clicks of his computer mouse he could restore censored portions of a 43-page US military inquiry (pdf) into the killing of Italian agent, Nicola Calipari, November 2004, in Baghdad. [my emphasis]
[. . .]
I'm glad we're at the cutting edge of information security. I wonder how much more we've compromised without even knowing it. Yeesh. Read Frenchie's post and find out how we blamed the Italians for everything. Your
The Bureau of Rush's Butt
Looks like today is comedy Monday, but of course always with a message. Geov Parrish interviews Al Franken about Air America, political talk radio, and, of course, Rush's brain butt.
Satan's Filibuster
Lemme hear a "Hallelujah" fer Will Durst and what "Justice Sunday" meant to him.
Go read. It's funny and maybe hits a little too close for comfort.
Hey, you crazy faithful, how 'bout a hand for the Doctor Senator Reverend Indian Chief Bill Frist. Could that guy sweet talk the chrome off the bumper of a '57 Ford or what?
Go read. It's funny and maybe hits a little too close for comfort.
The "Old Ay-rab" Speaks
For a pretty good take on the media's collective failure to hold the Bush administration accountable for its actions, go read what Helen Thomas has to say.
Sunday, May 1, 2005
Open Letter to DeLay
There's been a lot in tne news and the blogs about you and your sleazeball associates, the ones who paid illegally for your "fact-finding" trips to $800 a night hotels and fancy golf courses, your christo-fascist bully-boy strong-arm demeanor, and your total lack of ethics when it comes to changing the rules so you won't have to answer for any of it. Kid stuff. You finally did something even worse and it pissed me off so bad I can't see straight and I'm going to tell you about it.
I was watching the news and saw you following Bush down the stairs of Flyin' SUV One upon your return from kissin' Prince Raghead's ass down in Texas. At the bottom of the ladder stood a young Sergeant of Marines who, as custom and regulations require, rendered a hand salute to his Commander-in-Chief. Bush returned the salute, also required. I'm not crazy about that, but he is the Commander-in-Chief and thus in that Marine's chain of command. I can live with that.
Here's what pissed me off: YOU then saluted this Marine your own damn self just like your little tin-pot leader! And a half-assed excuse for a salute at that. You fucking dickhead. You ain't a pimple on a Marine's ass, or even that of a Doggie, a Squid, or an Air Force Weenie! You've never done a damn thing in your miserable, worthless life to rate the privilege of returning a Marine NCO's salute, or that of a fuckin' Private for that matter! If that Sergeant wasn't imbued with solid Marine discipline, he'd have been entirely justified to knock you on your ass for insulting him. It insulted me too.
Knock off the cheap shit, Tommy, me boy-o. Some of us notice this shit. Some of us who aren't afraid of you have outgrown the discipline and would just love to knock you on your ass if we got the chance. If my prayers are answered it will come to pass.
I was watching the news and saw you following Bush down the stairs of Flyin' SUV One upon your return from kissin' Prince Raghead's ass down in Texas. At the bottom of the ladder stood a young Sergeant of Marines who, as custom and regulations require, rendered a hand salute to his Commander-in-Chief. Bush returned the salute, also required. I'm not crazy about that, but he is the Commander-in-Chief and thus in that Marine's chain of command. I can live with that.
Here's what pissed me off: YOU then saluted this Marine your own damn self just like your little tin-pot leader! And a half-assed excuse for a salute at that. You fucking dickhead. You ain't a pimple on a Marine's ass, or even that of a Doggie, a Squid, or an Air Force Weenie! You've never done a damn thing in your miserable, worthless life to rate the privilege of returning a Marine NCO's salute, or that of a fuckin' Private for that matter! If that Sergeant wasn't imbued with solid Marine discipline, he'd have been entirely justified to knock you on your ass for insulting him. It insulted me too.
Knock off the cheap shit, Tommy, me boy-o. Some of us notice this shit. Some of us who aren't afraid of you have outgrown the discipline and would just love to knock you on your ass if we got the chance. If my prayers are answered it will come to pass.
Laura rocked, sorta...
For our big Saturday night blow-out, me 'n Mrs. G watched the White House correspondents Association dinner on C-Span. What's that you say? Get a life? No thanks. Been there, done that. It sucks. Anyway, it was fair ta middlin' light entertainment. The WHCA gives scholarships, so that's good. That annual dinner is supposed to be the hottest ticket in D.C. They need to get a life. From the WaPo:
Here's the joke the WaPo didn't print.
Mrs. Bush says, "One night, I, Lynne, Condi, and Karen snuck out and went to Chippendale's. We weren't going to tell, but Ruth Ginsberg and Sandra Day O'Connor saw us there. As a result of that evening, Lynne Cheney's got a new Secret Service nickname: Dollar Bill!"
Cedric the Entertainer was good, but he really couldn't top her. His best stuff was about Condi, something like, "There's two of 'em. ya know There's Connie who is smart, talks well, and tries to be a diplomat. Then there's Deleeza, who sits around with her hair up, in a wore out bathrobe, suckin' on a forty and watchin' BET."
Go read. There's a lot of stuff about celebs that's really important to the conduct of the White House Correspondents. Yeesh.
The president takes the podium in the ballroom and begins to tell a joke about cows.
"Not that old joke!" cries a heckler at the head table. Who turns out to be the first lady. She gestures for her husband to take his seat. "I've been attending these dinners for years, just quietly sitting there," Mrs. Bush says. "Now I've got a few things to say."
"I'm proud of George," she told the ballroom. "He's learned a lot about ranching since that first year he tried to milk a horse." Pause. "It was a male horse." Pandemonium ensued in a room filled with tough acts to follow.
"At 9 p.m. Mr. Excitement here is asleep and I'm watching 'Desperate Housewives.' Ladies and gentlemen, I'm a desperate housewife!"
The first lady on her in-laws: "First prize is a three-day vacation with the Bush family. Second prize is 10 days."
Here's the joke the WaPo didn't print.
Mrs. Bush says, "One night, I, Lynne, Condi, and Karen snuck out and went to Chippendale's. We weren't going to tell, but Ruth Ginsberg and Sandra Day O'Connor saw us there. As a result of that evening, Lynne Cheney's got a new Secret Service nickname: Dollar Bill!"
Cedric the Entertainer was good, but he really couldn't top her. His best stuff was about Condi, something like, "There's two of 'em. ya know There's Connie who is smart, talks well, and tries to be a diplomat. Then there's Deleeza, who sits around with her hair up, in a wore out bathrobe, suckin' on a forty and watchin' BET."
Go read. There's a lot of stuff about celebs that's really important to the conduct of the White House Correspondents. Yeesh.
Big time
Congrats to our esteemed colleague South Knox Bubba, who's just recorded his millionth visitor. He's one of the first blogs I found when I started and it's where I met my partners Gordon and KR. All the best from the crew at the Brain for your continued success.
Pot calls Kettle Black
On the theory that "Irony is where you find it", here's a good one from the WaPo:
Sounds like the "Twin Kims", Jong Il and Bush, are reading out of the same playbook, huh?
The last sentence makes up for the previous one, in my opinion. Bush has never had to work as hard as the cowboys I've known, and, as my dad used to say "wouldn't know a steer from a heifer twenty feet away." He'da been out on his ass and ridin' the grub line. He's like the Cartwright boys on Bonanza: Daddy owned the joint and the help did all the work so the kids had the time and money to get in all the trouble they wanted knowin' Pa would bail 'em out. Ah, them furriners think we're all cowboys anyway.
As far as pissin' contests go, my dictator's got bigger bombs than your dictator! Neener-fuckin'-neener!
North Korea Labels Bush a 'Dictator'
North Korea lashed out at President Bush yesterday for comments he made about the country's leader, Kim Jong Il, at a news conference Thursday, asserting that the North Korean nuclear impasse will never be resolved while Bush remains in office.
Bush is "a half-baked man in terms of morality and a philistine whom we can never deal with," (couldn'ta said it better myself-G) a Foreign Ministry spokesman said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. The statement described Bush as the "world's dictator," who as president had "turned the world into a sea of blood."
"We can no longer tolerate and wait for a shift in the [U.S.] policy," the North Korean statement concluded. "Quite just is the path chosen by us, and we will proceed straight and square along that path."
Sounds like the "Twin Kims", Jong Il and Bush, are reading out of the same playbook, huh?
Kim is considered almost a deity in his country, and the North Korean statement said it could not ignore such "slandering and cursing remarks." The statement noted that "no one can expect to hear reasonable words from Bush, once a cowboy at a ranch in Texas. His remarks often stun audiences as they reveal his utter ignorance."
The last sentence makes up for the previous one, in my opinion. Bush has never had to work as hard as the cowboys I've known, and, as my dad used to say "wouldn't know a steer from a heifer twenty feet away." He'da been out on his ass and ridin' the grub line. He's like the Cartwright boys on Bonanza: Daddy owned the joint and the help did all the work so the kids had the time and money to get in all the trouble they wanted knowin' Pa would bail 'em out. Ah, them furriners think we're all cowboys anyway.
As far as pissin' contests go, my dictator's got bigger bombs than your dictator! Neener-fuckin'-neener!
Lock up your daughters
The Wingnuts aren't happy with marginalizing gays. They're going for your daughter now.
Update: Something related from Granny.
Update: Something related from Granny.
New York, just like I pictured it*
I'd like to welcome my new neighbor (sort of) to New York. John at Blogenlust just moved into a GREAT neighborhood (Greenwich Village) from S.F. Now, repeat after me. "Ahm a Noo Yawka". That's it, you can do it.
*Hat tip to Richard Pryor
Now what?
Developing . . .
Breaking, as of 07:05 EDT. Reports coming in that NK just launched a missile over the Sea of Japan. More as it comes in.
Good thing we made sure Saddam didn't have WMD. Inept assholes.
Update: 10:10:
Finally found a link:
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea needs to conduct a test to see if the vast sums it spent to develop atomic weapons have produced a working bomb, analysts say, but the political fall-out from such a blast could paralyze its already crippled economy.
The nuclear card overwhelms all other cards the reclusive state possesses. Six-party talks aimed at ending its nuclear ambitions have been stalled for almost a year, but that did not stop Pyongyang from boasting in February it had nuclear weapons.
[. . .]
Breaking, as of 07:05 EDT. Reports coming in that NK just launched a missile over the Sea of Japan. More as it comes in.
Good thing we made sure Saddam didn't have WMD. Inept assholes.
Update: 10:10:
Finally found a link:
TOKYO - The U.S. military informed Japan that North Korea may have fired a short-range missile toward the Sea of Japan on Sunday morning, Kyodo News service and national broadcaster NHK reported.
The reports quoted unidentified government sources as saying that the U.S. military informed Japan’s Defense Agency of the possible missile launch. The government was attempting to confirm the information, the reports said.
[. . .]
Regulars know that I don't promote my books on the blog. But this time it's a special occasion. I wrote Special Operations in '98 and it was published in '02. All I have to say is: I TOLD YOU SO!
Is it getting warm?
From the King:
The end of oil may not be the largest problem we have to face in the next few decades. New research indicates that, when it comes to the impact of climate change on worldwide food production, the most pessimistic forecasts to date are not pessimistic enough:
[. . .]
Blair knew facts were shaped around desire for war
Went to see Sis's post about The Fixer & Gordon's birthday and stole this right out of her "Comments". From The Independent via John of Trust me, you have no idea how much I hate Bush -- and Dick isn't that great, either, which is Down Under. Thanks, mate.
I think we all know that. I hope these papers can prove it. They're fixin' to have elections in the UK in a few days and this could be some "Swift Boat Liars"-type shit. Be skeptical, but stay tuned.
Tony Blair had resolved to send British troops into action alongside US forces eight months before the Iraq War began, despite a clear warning from the Foreign Office that the conflict could be illegal.
A damning minute leaked to a Sunday newspaper reveals that in July 2002, a few weeks after meeting George Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, Mr Blair summoned his closest aides for what amounted to a council of war. The minute reveals the head of British intelligence reported that President Bush had firmly made up his mind to invade Iraq and overthrow Saddam Hussein, adding that "the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy" (my emphasis).
I think we all know that. I hope these papers can prove it. They're fixin' to have elections in the UK in a few days and this could be some "Swift Boat Liars"-type shit. Be skeptical, but stay tuned.
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