Hey,Nostradumbass...
Shut the FUCK up already.In the name of all that is holy(and many things that aren't),re-god damned-tire.You sound like a mentally ill person off their meds.See a doctor,play some golf,and shut up.Call an escort service too,or something,regularly.But PLEASE,I don't want to hear about it or see you,anymore.I'm pissed I even know who you are.
You add NOTHING to the meaning of life,all you do is take.There's not one redeeming quality you have left Bill,you're a phony,an arrogant liar and a shill,and you and I both know it.And we're not the only ones.
Everytime I hear your voice and see your face I think of this guy I knew in high school. His name was Don,and Don had issues with women,minorites and pretty much anyone else who didn't agree with him,which as it turned out,was practically everybody who had morals and sanity.And poor Don,he asked girl after girl out on dates,to the prom,or wherever and none of us would accept because he was A MAJOR LEAGUE ASSHOLE,BIG TIME.And so,Don decided we were all feminsts,lesbians,or lesbian feminists.Who still wanted his manlyness,we just"couldn't handle it".Oh eww.Just fucking EWWWW.He also couldn't take no for an answer,unless another guy told him to knock it off.A bully bordering on molester,eww.The way this dude looked at any girl was creepy enough,eww,and you give off that vibe buddy.Did I mention...EWWW?
I sort of followed Don's life,for awhile,from a distance(we knew some of the same people) til I moved out of that particular part of the country,and I swear Bill,you guys had to have been separated at birth. Don,like you,actually ended up with a pretty solid gig,with all the perks.His longest marriage(out of 4 tries,last I heard)lasted 18 months,the wifey getting wind of hooker usage was a factor in at least 2 of those marriages ending rather quickly.He had every big boy toy one could think of,cars,custom mototcycles,a nice ass boat,a really lovely home,and still,he was a miserable,evil,nasty,smarmy little worm.It never once occured to him that he was lonely because he was willfully stupid,rude,and obnoxious.No,it was everyone else who was fucked up,he was just misunderstood and always right,that's all.And god was this loser bloodthirsty,but he'd run from a fight,unless the person was smaller and weaker.I suppose Michelle Malkin likes that sort of thing,or certainly Ann Coulter,but real women who love men aren't attracted to that kind of guy.You're old man in a trench coat creepy Bill,it's past time to pack it in.Take your toys and go the hell home.
I figure you never got over being rejected in high school,so someone's gotta pay.Anyone who says there's a War on Christianity knowing full well he's the author of a poorly written soft core porn novel containing a scene of a crack dealer having sex with teenage girls is deserving of derision and public shaming.What you did to Andrea Mackris should have put you in your place the second that info loofahed and falafeled it's way into the public record,but nooooo,you're still here running your mouth and taking America down the shitter with you and your ilk.Well,the rest of us don't wanna go where you're headed.Because we aren't stupid.And we won't let you win,just so ya know.You need medical attention,surely Fox or Westwood One Radio has health insurance,avail yourself,dear god,please,do it for the children.
Nothing,and I mean nothing,is stopping you from taking your money,and finding a lovely place on a beach someplace to write bad detective novels or something.Develop a main character and shoot for a series,maybe even a made for TV movie.Or find a house on a nice golf course,whatever works for you.Think of it as a community service,duty to your country for the first time.Or maybe you can't retire,because of some dirty secret habit,and those are never cheap.Still,I would think you have something tucked away for the future,right wingers are hoarders by nature,you can't be THAT broke.
Because Bill,you might be successful, but people still laugh at you,think you're losing your mind,and it's only a matter of time before you completely jump the shark in such a spectacular flame out that no one will be able to ignore it,and then your livelihood will be gone.And you'll be nothing but persona non grata,kinda like OJ,without the charm.Your prom days are over,get the fuck over it. Buy a tux and go dancing,get it out of your system and leave the rest of the nation in peace,from you at least.Throw your own retirement bash,go out with your head held a little high. I suggest gardening as a possible hobby too,it's quite calming,even if it is work.Stop and smell the roses,literally.
Now I know this has been a bit harsh,but in my family,when people reach a certain age,we watch out for signs they can't handle the things they used to.Like when we had to take Grandma's car away from her.We didn't want to,but it had to happen,for her safety as well as the community's.We let her do it with her dignity in tact,and it was tough,I won't deny it.For her and all of us.You dignity Bill is of course decreasing at an exponential rate,but you have a chance to take one for the team and bow out gracefully before it's too late.You're looking a little tired anyway,you're needing more and more makeup on TV these days,it's getting kinda like Tammy Faye without the mascara.
I think,had you not Forrest Gumped your way into a career,you'd be a bitter old guy who throws beer cans at kids who walk across his yard.That's kinda what Don's doing these days,or was last I heard.His gravy train job got outsourced,he had to sell off alot of those toys,and he lives(alone) off his little savings and pension,drinks too much and revs up his Harley at 2 am til a neighbor tells him to shut up or they're calling the cops.It's not pretty Bill,and that will be you,pretty soon.Think about it.
Going out of my way to never have to see or hear you again,
AOB
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
The dictionary definition...
Of chicken shit.
They look like they're going to puke. Imagine if they were really taking ground fire. Didn't they tell these guys to sit on their helmets when they're going low and slow?
They look like they're going to puke. Imagine if they were really taking ground fire. Didn't they tell these guys to sit on their helmets when they're going low and slow?
Pic from Maru with our thanks.
Warm up the virgins...
In this short clip David Letterman is baffled by a recent 'New York Post' cover featuring the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
In answer to the question he poses: "Candy's dandy, but liquor's quicker".
That New York Post is sure a classy paper, huh?
In answer to the question he poses: "Candy's dandy, but liquor's quicker".
That New York Post is sure a classy paper, huh?
Solution for Iraq War? Start new political war
Palm Beach Post, in toto, without comment, no quotes to save space:
So, President Bush's Camp David summit on Iraq wasn't a policy-and-planning event. It was a ruse, so the president could make Tuesday's surprise visit to Baghdad. That follows the pattern. Deal with the political problem, not the real problem.
With rotten poll numbers because of Iraq, and midterm elections five months away, Karl Rove pounced on the death of terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi to declare that an administration run by "cut-and-run" Democrats never could have gotten him. This fresh attack comes from the political brain of the administration that turned Zarqawi into a terrorist star. If President Bush had not chosen the wrong war and invaded without a plan, Zarqawi probably would have remained the bit terrorism player, unaffiliated with Al-Qaeda, that he was before Mr. Bush's mistake turned Iraq into a recruiting outpost for terrorists and a source of terrorism.
Although the administration claims that Mr. Bush's trip was planned before Zarqawi's death, the president's sudden appearance is about as subtle as posing with the corpse. The president supposedly went to Baghdad to show his support for new Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki now that the Iraqi leader finally has completed his Cabinet appointments. Mr. Maliki, who thought he was to participate in a teleconference from Camp David, found out that President Bush was in Baghdad five minutes before their first face-to-face meeting.
Two things are interesting about that. How in-charge is Mr. Maliki if a foreign leader can show up in Iraq without his knowledge or permission? Second, how in-charge is anybody when Mr. Bush, like other U.S. dignitaries who have visited Baghdad recently, has to come to the country in secret and confine his activities to the Green Zone and U.S. bases? Many in the president's entourage, The Associated Press reported, wore 25-pound flak jackets during the six-minute helicopter flight from the airstrip where they landed to the Green Zone.
President Bush told Prime Minister Maliki that he had "come to tell you that when America gives its word, it keeps its word," on turning Iraq into a peaceful democracy and stabilizing influence in the Middle East. Problem is, this administration does not know how to keep its word. Even as he seemed to be promising to stay the course, President Bush shifted the burden onto Iraq.
"I have expressed our country's desire to work with you, but I appreciate you recognize the fact that the future of the country is in your hands," he told Mr. Maliki. "The decisions you and your Cabinet make will determine as to whether or not your country succeeds." That lays the groundwork for something that, were Democrats to do it, Mr. Rove would label "cut-and-run."
The U.S. has been fighting the Iraq War almost as long as we fought World War II, yet Mr. Bush still can't define victory, let alone explain to Americans how he will achieve it. So he has chosen to take on an old enemy he knows how to defeat: the Democratic Party.
So, President Bush's Camp David summit on Iraq wasn't a policy-and-planning event. It was a ruse, so the president could make Tuesday's surprise visit to Baghdad. That follows the pattern. Deal with the political problem, not the real problem.
With rotten poll numbers because of Iraq, and midterm elections five months away, Karl Rove pounced on the death of terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi to declare that an administration run by "cut-and-run" Democrats never could have gotten him. This fresh attack comes from the political brain of the administration that turned Zarqawi into a terrorist star. If President Bush had not chosen the wrong war and invaded without a plan, Zarqawi probably would have remained the bit terrorism player, unaffiliated with Al-Qaeda, that he was before Mr. Bush's mistake turned Iraq into a recruiting outpost for terrorists and a source of terrorism.
Although the administration claims that Mr. Bush's trip was planned before Zarqawi's death, the president's sudden appearance is about as subtle as posing with the corpse. The president supposedly went to Baghdad to show his support for new Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki now that the Iraqi leader finally has completed his Cabinet appointments. Mr. Maliki, who thought he was to participate in a teleconference from Camp David, found out that President Bush was in Baghdad five minutes before their first face-to-face meeting.
Two things are interesting about that. How in-charge is Mr. Maliki if a foreign leader can show up in Iraq without his knowledge or permission? Second, how in-charge is anybody when Mr. Bush, like other U.S. dignitaries who have visited Baghdad recently, has to come to the country in secret and confine his activities to the Green Zone and U.S. bases? Many in the president's entourage, The Associated Press reported, wore 25-pound flak jackets during the six-minute helicopter flight from the airstrip where they landed to the Green Zone.
President Bush told Prime Minister Maliki that he had "come to tell you that when America gives its word, it keeps its word," on turning Iraq into a peaceful democracy and stabilizing influence in the Middle East. Problem is, this administration does not know how to keep its word. Even as he seemed to be promising to stay the course, President Bush shifted the burden onto Iraq.
"I have expressed our country's desire to work with you, but I appreciate you recognize the fact that the future of the country is in your hands," he told Mr. Maliki. "The decisions you and your Cabinet make will determine as to whether or not your country succeeds." That lays the groundwork for something that, were Democrats to do it, Mr. Rove would label "cut-and-run."
The U.S. has been fighting the Iraq War almost as long as we fought World War II, yet Mr. Bush still can't define victory, let alone explain to Americans how he will achieve it. So he has chosen to take on an old enemy he knows how to defeat: the Democratic Party.
"Back, you people! Back, I say!"
Robert Donner, a character actor who specialized in playing eccentrics, including the crazed prophet Exidor on the popular sitcom "Mork & Mindy," has died. He was 75.
I always took the name 'Exidor' to be a clever take on 'Exit Door', which in England is called the 'Way Out'. He certainly was.
So long, pal. You made me laugh and gave me a role model.
Bistec con queso
LATimes
Yum!
Given those customs, and the Philly butchering of the language, I probably wouldn't be allowed to order one either in my un-accented West Coast English.
I guess I'd just have to spend my money someplace else.
PHILADELPHIA - The sign contains just eight words and is hardly big enough to wrap around a cheesesteak. But here in South Philadelphia, home of the cheesesteak, the sign that Joey Vento posted at Geno's Steaks speaks volumes.
It reads: "This Is America. When Ordering Please Speak English."
For the uninitiated, a cheesesteak is a cholesterol-delivery device consisting of grilled strips of beef, melted cheese, onions and peppers on an Italian roll.
Yum!
It is sometimes difficult for outsiders to order at Geno's or other local cheesesteak emporiums because of an unspoken code that requires ordering "wid" or "widout," meaning with or without onions. (One newcomer once asked "Wid what?" and was told, "Wid cheese, stoopid!") One must also specify the cheese - Cheez Wiz or provolone, as in "Cheez Wiz wid."
Given those customs, ordering a "bistec con queso" is not likely to elicit cooperation.
Given those customs, and the Philly butchering of the language, I probably wouldn't be allowed to order one either in my un-accented West Coast English.
I guess I'd just have to spend my money someplace else.
"Morale, my ass"
Such language from Molly Ivins! I'm shocked, shocked, I tell you! She's right again. Subject is Iraq, Zarqawi, the Gitmo suicides.
I have said this many times to many people in many situations. I'll say it again: "Fuckin' A, lady!"
Now it seems to me one might have any number of reactions to news of suicides at Guantanamo, but righteous indignation is not one of them. Most of these prisoners have been held for four years now without possibility of charge, trial or parole. I should think they would be suicidal.
I'm sorry we failed to prevent it, but I'm not sure that's possible. "They hid their plans to die?" Gee, the sneaks.
If I wanted to win a global war on terror, I'd sure be concerned about what they think. I would hope the right would at least be concerned over the damage being done to the American military by this war.
Morale, my ass. Excuse me, but our government doesn't even seem to be able to pay these people on time. Not to mention stretching them past the breaking point in Iraq, leaving them without adequate mental care when they come home, endlessly extending their tours, bribing them to re-up, and so forth and so on. Then, of course, something like Haditha happens, and they all get a black eye out of it.
I think it's time the antiwar side in this country started using a few threats of its own -- specifically, about who's going to take the blame for this when it's over.
Forget the liberal tradition of forgiveness. I say, hold this grudge. (my em)
I have said this many times to many people in many situations. I'll say it again: "Fuckin' A, lady!"
You can't quote the truth if the wrong guy said it...
WIS10 (Columbia SC)
Easy one to miss. Could have been attributed to the Republican playbook.
A New York high school is apologizing for Adolf Hitler quotations appearing in its yearbook.
Two students at Northport High chose quotes from Hitler's book "Mein Kampf" to appear under their senior pictures. One says "Strength lies not in defense, but in attack." The other reads "The great masses of people...will more easily fall victims to a big lie than to a small one."
The principal says the school "failed miserably" in not catching the quotes.
Easy one to miss. Could have been attributed to the Republican playbook.
"Squeal like a pig, boy!"
From Raw Story:
And just what the fuck does he know about it? For a guy who got several 2S student deferments during Vietnam, including one after he quit school, using war metaphors is worse than arrogant. I guess that's what we've come to expect from that asshole.
Porcine political operative! I like it! He looks like a pig, too - he's got more chins than a Chinese phone book.
Right now, Rove thinks he's king of the hill and his shit don't stink. I think his sense of smell is gone from wallowing in it too long.
A spokesman for Senator John Kerry (D-MA) has launched an unusually personal attack on presidential adviser Karl Rove, RAW STORY has learned.
The move comes one day after Rove called plans to exit Iraq proposed by Senator Kerry and Representative John Murtha (D-PA) "profoundly wrong" "cut and run" strategies. "They may be with you for the first few bullets," Rove said, "but they won't be there for the last tough battles."
And just what the fuck does he know about it? For a guy who got several 2S student deferments during Vietnam, including one after he quit school, using war metaphors is worse than arrogant. I guess that's what we've come to expect from that asshole.
"The closest Karl Rove ever came to combat," said Kerry spokesman David Wade, "was these last months spent worrying his cellmates might rough him up in prison. This porcine political operative can't cut and run from the truth any longer."
Porcine political operative! I like it! He looks like a pig, too - he's got more chins than a Chinese phone book.
Right now, Rove thinks he's king of the hill and his shit don't stink. I think his sense of smell is gone from wallowing in it too long.
We own him...
I've been saying this for a while. People in other countries gave us a pass with Bush when he won (you know what I mean) in 2000. When we reelected him in '04, the rest of the world stopped making the distinction between the 'people' and the 'government'. Now we're all assholes.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
The Broad Band
Clever name for a group of girl singers with a particular purpose, eh? Go hear "God Save the Internet".
Thanks again to Crooks and Liars.
Let's roll!
CNN:
Ad hoc engineering AKA 'field expedients' or, more coarsely, 'Mexineering' can only go so far. According to the Law of Equivalent Exchange:
I learned about that in Alchemy 101 way back in school. Change one thing, change everything. The soldiers are still dying, but it's way more palatable for the Pentagon to say they died in a traffic accident than to say they got blown to bits.
Humvees were supposed to be transportation, scout cars, etc., not armored cars. Who'daever thunk an enemy would use explosives against the largest mechanized army in history? Obviously not the rocket scientists at the Department of Defense.
See also: TANSTAAFL.
Thousands of pounds of armor added to military Humvees, intended to protect U.S. troops, have made the vehicles more likely to roll over, killing and injuring soldiers in Iraq, a newspaper reported.
"I believe the up-armoring has caused more deaths than it has saved," said Scott Badenoch, a former Delphi Corp. vehicle dynamics expert told the Dayton Daily News for Sunday editions.
An analysis of the Army's ground accident database, which includes records from March 2003 through November 2005, found that 60 of the 85 soldiers who died in Humvee accidents in Iraq -- or 70 percent -- were killed when the vehicle rolled, the newspaper reported. Of the 337 injuries, 149 occurred in rollovers.
Ad hoc engineering AKA 'field expedients' or, more coarsely, 'Mexineering' can only go so far. According to the Law of Equivalent Exchange:
"Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only, truth." - Alphonse Elric, from Fullmetal Alchemist.
I learned about that in Alchemy 101 way back in school. Change one thing, change everything. The soldiers are still dying, but it's way more palatable for the Pentagon to say they died in a traffic accident than to say they got blown to bits.
Humvees were supposed to be transportation, scout cars, etc., not armored cars. Who'daever thunk an enemy would use explosives against the largest mechanized army in history? Obviously not the rocket scientists at the Department of Defense.
See also: TANSTAAFL.
It ain't over 'til it's over
From the Libby Defense Fund:
I hope they sue the livin' crap out of him. All that would be left is a grease spot, and Barney could lick that up.
Statement of Christopher Wolf, Proskauer Rose LLP, Counsel for Ambassador Joseph Wilson and Valerie Plame Wilson:
We have become aware of the communication between Mr. Fitzgerald and Mr. Luskin concerning Karl. Rove's status in the criminal investigation. We have no first-hand knowledge of the reason for the communication or what further developments in the criminal investigation it may signal. While it appears that Mr. Rove will not be called to answer in criminal court for his participation in the wrongful disclosure of Valerie Wilson's classified employment status at the CIA in retaliation against Joe Wilson for questioning the rationale for war in Iraq, that obviously does not end the matter. The day still may come when Mr. Rove and others are called to account in a court of law for their attacks on the Wilsons.
End of Statement
I hope they sue the livin' crap out of him. All that would be left is a grease spot, and Barney could lick that up.
Smells like somethin' crept in, crapt, and crept out...
As we all know, Bush skulked snuck made a short unannounced trip to Iraq.
For once, I don't blame him! Who knows what some four-tour U.S. Army AAA gunner, demolitions engineer, or grunt who has lost everything at home due to constant deployment might do?
Whaddya wanta bet Rummy's next trip to Iraq is announced weeks ahead of time for the same reasons?
For once, I don't blame him! Who knows what some four-tour U.S. Army AAA gunner, demolitions engineer, or grunt who has lost everything at home due to constant deployment might do?
Whaddya wanta bet Rummy's next trip to Iraq is announced weeks ahead of time for the same reasons?
My ox is not to be gored. That's what yours is for...
Go see
over at i speak dog.
Many more, including some in 'Comments'. Go.
Common oversights by close minded people living in fear
over at i speak dog.
4. Personal Responsibility: A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multinational corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.
5. Religious Hypocrites: Jesus loves you, and he shares your mindless pointless hatred of homosexuals (which in reality is actually self loathing).
6. Support Our Troops: The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay, and by putting stickers on your car while never actually thinking about them, and by wearing yellow ribbons that mean nothing while denying the truth and not paying benefits to over 7,000 families of US troops.
7. Sex Education: If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex. (Ignore the problem and it will go away)
Many more, including some in 'Comments'. Go.
Tooting my own horn-just a little,you know,because I rock,and stuff.
Awhile back I wrote a post here called Living Democracy.Kind of a book summary of Frances Moore Lappe's book Democracy's Edge with my own riff.Remember that one?
A couple days ago Fixer forwarded me an email from Jess at the Small Planet Institute wanting to use my post for their Democracy's Edge website. I just got off the phone with Jess,she's way cool,btw.My post is now in it's entirety on their site with a link back to the Brain,if you wanna go peek. Scroll down the page a bit to find their link back to the Brain to the original.
I know,I also promised a series out of this whole thing,but life keeps messing with me.Still dealing with a certain 12 yr old boy's broken teeth(3.5 ish hours at the dentist AGAIN yesterday,with one more appt to go for a total of FIVE mega sessions).For some reason yet to be determined I've broken out in hives(itch,scratch,ouch,itch,scratch,ouch) on my legs and the inside of my elbows.Then I find out this morning my daughter is pregnant with baby #3(which while I love babies and love her,I'm pissed,she was supposed to go to college this fall.I was trying to help her find grant money to go to tech school because that's the only option in that area to get her off welfare and into a paying job.She's known she was pregnant for a few weeks now and decided to fess up this morning.I should have just kept my nose out of her business or she should have just told me to.CRAP!),which is a blessing-it's a baby after all,but the timing sucks.She's not even 24,by the time she is 24 she will have 3 kids ages 4,18 months and brand new.School ain't gonna happen,neither is a job.It's probably a good thing she's in Ohio and I'm in Georgia so I don't go to her place and smack her upside the melonhead.I'll come around,these are my grandbabies and my own big baby after all,but I'm annoyed,to put it mildly.She's young though,she'll probably be like me and get her clue later in life.(((sigh)))And I'm only 46,should I have this many grandkids yet?So now I'm mad because she's making me old before my time too.(ok,not really,I'm being snarky).
A couple days ago Fixer forwarded me an email from Jess at the Small Planet Institute wanting to use my post for their Democracy's Edge website. I just got off the phone with Jess,she's way cool,btw.My post is now in it's entirety on their site with a link back to the Brain,if you wanna go peek. Scroll down the page a bit to find their link back to the Brain to the original.
I know,I also promised a series out of this whole thing,but life keeps messing with me.Still dealing with a certain 12 yr old boy's broken teeth(3.5 ish hours at the dentist AGAIN yesterday,with one more appt to go for a total of FIVE mega sessions).For some reason yet to be determined I've broken out in hives(itch,scratch,ouch,itch,scratch,ouch) on my legs and the inside of my elbows.Then I find out this morning my daughter is pregnant with baby #3(which while I love babies and love her,I'm pissed,she was supposed to go to college this fall.I was trying to help her find grant money to go to tech school because that's the only option in that area to get her off welfare and into a paying job.She's known she was pregnant for a few weeks now and decided to fess up this morning.I should have just kept my nose out of her business or she should have just told me to.CRAP!),which is a blessing-it's a baby after all,but the timing sucks.She's not even 24,by the time she is 24 she will have 3 kids ages 4,18 months and brand new.School ain't gonna happen,neither is a job.It's probably a good thing she's in Ohio and I'm in Georgia so I don't go to her place and smack her upside the melonhead.I'll come around,these are my grandbabies and my own big baby after all,but I'm annoyed,to put it mildly.She's young though,she'll probably be like me and get her clue later in life.(((sigh)))And I'm only 46,should I have this many grandkids yet?So now I'm mad because she's making me old before my time too.(ok,not really,I'm being snarky).
An observation
Mrs. F was watching the news this morning and Guvnah Jeb was on, making a speech about Florida's preparedness for Hurricane Alberto (Good luck, folks, serously) and there was the lady translating into sign language standing next to him.
Mrs. F: "I wonder if she's really signing 'this guy's an asshole'."
Mrs. F: "I wonder if she's really signing 'this guy's an asshole'."
Ass fucking
Or, dissin' thems that brung ya. The lovely Jane on Wonkette*:
...
Her previous career may have been launched by a wilingness to coarsen political discourse by talking about the things she inserted into her rectum, but at Time she seems to have changed positions. TBogg alerts us this morning that her new stint seems to be on her knees:
...
*Gitcher minds out the gutter...
Monday, June 12, 2006
Centrists
Avedon Carol has an excellent piece on Dem 'centrists'.
...
Hm, sounds like "the center" is actually a creature called "corporate interests". I think most people in America would be awfully surprised to hear it.
Then again:
...
Grrrrrrrr
Just got back from having an abcessed gum lanced. I do not recommend having it done without novocaine but it was an emergency. The infection started Saturday and I figured rinsing my mouth alternating Listerine and salt water would fix it. I woke up this morning and my eye was swollen shut. Shoulda had the root canal done before vacation in Paris last year but noooo...didn't have time. Getting it done tomorrow night whether I have the time or not. I'm usually not one to neglect dental care and it came back to bite me in the ass. Let that be a lesson to ya.
And just a note, it didn't make me feel much better watching our soccer team getting their asses handed to them. I've seen high school varsity teams play better.
And just a note, it didn't make me feel much better watching our soccer team getting their asses handed to them. I've seen high school varsity teams play better.
Now they've done it...
The Islamists have gone too far this time! From YahooNews:
Or until they shoot him. TV bad, shooting for Allah OK, I guess.
Can you imagine what would happen here if nutzoid religionists tried to stop folks from watching the Super Bowl? There'd be blood in the streets that would make Mogadishu look like a day at the beach!
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Islamist militiamen shot in the air to disperse hundreds of Somalis protesting early on Saturday against moves by sharia courts to stop them watching the World Cup in the capital Mogadishu, residents said.
Similar moves by Islamist militia to close cinemas and video stores in Mogadishu last November triggered heavy fighting that killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 20.
Leaders of the capital's influential Islamic courts oppose Western and Indian films which they say promote immorality in the mainly Muslim nation of 10 million people.
However, the World Cup ban stirred resentment among locals, already weary of the fighting in Mogadishu that has killed 350 people in three months.
"The residents of this area are very sorry about the way the Islamic militia is behaving toward the people at a time when our society needs peace and stability," said Moallim Hussein Abdi, a teacher.
One teenager was defiant.
"We do not accept the Islamic militia stopping us from watching the World Cup," Ahmed Yusuf, 19, said. "We'll continue demonstrating until they relent."
Or until they shoot him. TV bad, shooting for Allah OK, I guess.
Can you imagine what would happen here if nutzoid religionists tried to stop folks from watching the Super Bowl? There'd be blood in the streets that would make Mogadishu look like a day at the beach!
MoDo on YearlyKos
Maureen Dowd at Donkey O.D.
If I were Kos I'd watch my back. Those guys are deader than a coupla carps!
I don't think blogs and bloggers need to 'replace' the old media. If we could wheedle, cajole, or shame them into doing what they're supposed to do, I'd be happier than a pig in shit. At least the blogosphere is finally on their radar as a force that needs to be recognized instead of pooh-poohed. That the MSM sent a lot of people to cover this convention shows that.
I did, however, detect a very slight odor of disdain and maybe a little sour grapes coming from my favorite b-t Irish redhead. Never fear, darlin', we still need ya.
Maybe when the Blogger Party takes the helm, she'd like to intern for the Secretary of the Interior...
If I had to be relegated to the Dustbin of History, I'm glad it was in Vegas.
I, Old Media, came here to attend a New Media convention of progressive political bloggers aiming for a technological revolution that would dispatch mainstream media to the tumbrels. It was the journalistic equivalent of mingling with your own pod replicant in "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."
Old media and new circled each other "like kids at a seventh-grade dance," said Jennifer Palmieri, a Democratic operative.
Technology has enabled the not-meek to inherit the earth, and Democrats and others who refuse to drink the cyber-Kool-Aid will, Mr. Moulitsas said, go into the old "dustbin of history."
The fast-talking former Army artillery scout with the boyish demeanor and dark brown buggy eyes is no one to take lightly. Some may think the Internet messiah who put Mr. Dean on the map in 2003 is "a fame hound, a loudmouth nerd at the back of the room," as The Washington Monthly wrote. But others, including adoring conventioneers who called the scene at the debut YearlyKos gathering "magic" and "a rock concert," see him the way Ana Marie Cox, nee Wonkette, described him this week in Time.com: "He's the left's own Kurt Cobain and Che Guevara rolled into one."
If I were Kos I'd watch my back. Those guys are deader than a coupla carps!
Mr. Moulitsas assured me he didn't see himself as a journalist, only a Democratic activist. "I don't plan on doing any original reporting - screw that. I need people like you," he said, agreeing that since he still often had to pivot off the reporting of the inadequate mainstream media to form his inflammatory opinions, our relationship was, by necessity, "symbiotic."
Were the revolutionaries simply eager to be co-opted? Mr. Moulitsas grinned. "Traditionally it was hard to get your job," he said. "Now regular people can score your job."
Fine. I'll be at the Cleopatra slot machine pondering a career in blogging, which will set me up to get back into mainstream media someday.
I don't think blogs and bloggers need to 'replace' the old media. If we could wheedle, cajole, or shame them into doing what they're supposed to do, I'd be happier than a pig in shit. At least the blogosphere is finally on their radar as a force that needs to be recognized instead of pooh-poohed. That the MSM sent a lot of people to cover this convention shows that.
I did, however, detect a very slight odor of disdain and maybe a little sour grapes coming from my favorite b-t Irish redhead. Never fear, darlin', we still need ya.
Maybe when the Blogger Party takes the helm, she'd like to intern for the Secretary of the Interior...
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Want ads
Bob Higgins:
Great ad.
If you are an American citizen with skills and expertise in any field relevant to the operation of the legislative, judicial or executive branches of the American government Uncle Sam wants you.
The People are currently seeking men and women with talent and competence in any area who are willing to work forty eight weeks a year at the People's business, keep their hands out of the cookie jar and themselves out of the beds of those who would corrupt the government to serve their own interests.
...
Great ad.
The Zarqawi Invitation
Today's recommended "must read". Greg Palast:
Those quotes are the beginning and end of the article. Like a sandwich, the good stuff's in the middle. Please read.
Thanks, Old White Lady.
They got him -- the big, bad, beheading berserker in Iraq. But, something's gone unreported in all the glee over getting Zarqawi...who invited him into Iraq in the first place?
If you prefer your fairy tales unsoiled by facts, read no further. If you want the uncomfortable truth, begin with this: A phone call to Baghdad to Saddam's Palace on the night of April 21, 2003. It was Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on a secure line from Washington to General Jay Garner.
The General had arrives in Baghdad just hours before to take charge of the newly occupied nation. The message from Rumsfeld was not a heartwarming welcome. Rummy told Garner, Don't unpack, Jack -- you're fired.
What had Garner done? The many-starred general had been sent by the President himself to take charge of a deeply dangerous mission. Iraq was tense but relatively peaceful. Garner's job was to keep the peace and bring democracy.
Unfortunately for the general, he took the President at his word. But the general was wrong. "Peace" and "Democracy" were the slogans.
"My preference," Garner told me in his understated manner, "was to put the Iraqis in charge as soon as we can and do it in some form of elections."
But elections were not in The Plan.
The Plan was a 101-page document to guide the long-term future of the land we'd just conquered. There was nothing in it about democracy or elections or safety. There was, rather, a detailed schedule for selling off "all [Iraq's] state assets" -- and Iraq, that's just about everything -- "especially," said The Plan, "the oil and supporting industries." Especially the oil.
General Garner, watching the insurgency unfold from the occupation authority's provocations, told me, in his understated manner, "I'm a believer that you don't want to end the day with more enemies than you started with."
But you can't have a war president without a war. And you can't have a war without enemies. "Bring 'em on," our Commander-in-Chief said. And Zarqawi answered the call.
Those quotes are the beginning and end of the article. Like a sandwich, the good stuff's in the middle. Please read.
Thanks, Old White Lady.
Yeah, what about it?
Atrios has a good idea. Think it'll happen before Election Day?
Yeah, me neither. It would take character.
Interview with Ned over at My Left Nutmeg.
If I were a potential presidential candidate looking for a way to jump start my campaign, get a bit of news, and get a bit of blogger support what I would do is be the first big name to endorse Ned Lamont.
...
Yeah, me neither. It would take character.
Interview with Ned over at My Left Nutmeg.
It's us...
If you were wondering if we're making a difference here in Blogtopia (y!sctp!) and not just shouting into the wilderness, this should give you some peace of mind:
What you're seeing are our cumulative voices being heard by the Average Joe or Jane who've been coming to us to get some truth, what they can't get from the 'MSM'.
A surge in small, individual contributions is lifting Democratic campaigns this year and is helping close a Republican fundraising advantage that has existed for years in national politics, according to Federal Election Commission data.
Democratic House and Senate candidates and their two major campaign committees are enjoying stronger grass-roots support than at any time since the GOP took over both chambers of Congress in the 1994 elections, according to strategists from both parties who have reviewed the most recent FEC data released this spring.
...
What you're seeing are our cumulative voices being heard by the Average Joe or Jane who've been coming to us to get some truth, what they can't get from the 'MSM'.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Blogger Party
Since I was kidding around with Shakes the other day about my being King of the World, or at least just of the United States, and I got to thinking. What if I were President, elected from the 'Blogger Party'? How would I arrange my cabinet? I picked bloggers I read regularly (generally at least once a day) and I think would rise to the occasion, even if they aren't necessarily an expert in the subject.
Vice President - Pam Spaulding
Secretary of State - Michael J.W. Stickings
Secretary of the Treasury - Brad DeLong
Attorney General - Christy Hardin Smith
Secretary of the Interior - Gordon
Secretary of Agriculture - Radical Russ
Secretary of Commerce - Mrs. Fixer
Secretary of Labor - DBK (Froggy)
Secretary of Defense - Cdr. Jeff Huber
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development - Scout Prime
Secretary of Transportation - 42
Secretary of Energy - Michael Hawkins
Secretary of Health and Human Services - Shakespeare's Sister
Secretary of Education - PZ Myers
Secretary of Veterans Affairs - Jo Fish
Secretary of Homeland Security - Larry C. Johnson
Press Secretary - Jane Hamsher
Ambassador to the U.N. - Roxanne
Advisers to the President:
For the Arts and Humanities - Mimus Pauly/Patrick
For High Technology - Badtux the Geeky Penguin
For International Relations - Eponymous/Juan Cole
For Womens Issues - Blondie (Blondsense Liz)/AOB
For Racial Issues - Steve Gilliard
For LGBT Issues - Genia Stevens
For Religious Issues - The Green Knight
On the Environment - Grannyinsanity
Now that's a progressive White House. Whatever you think, I'll betcha we do a better job than the bunch that's in there now.
Vice President - Pam Spaulding
Secretary of State - Michael J.W. Stickings
Secretary of the Treasury - Brad DeLong
Attorney General - Christy Hardin Smith
Secretary of the Interior - Gordon
Secretary of Agriculture - Radical Russ
Secretary of Commerce - Mrs. Fixer
Secretary of Labor - DBK (Froggy)
Secretary of Defense - Cdr. Jeff Huber
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development - Scout Prime
Secretary of Transportation - 42
Secretary of Energy - Michael Hawkins
Secretary of Health and Human Services - Shakespeare's Sister
Secretary of Education - PZ Myers
Secretary of Veterans Affairs - Jo Fish
Secretary of Homeland Security - Larry C. Johnson
Press Secretary - Jane Hamsher
Ambassador to the U.N. - Roxanne
Advisers to the President:
For the Arts and Humanities - Mimus Pauly/Patrick
For High Technology - Badtux the Geeky Penguin
For International Relations - Eponymous/Juan Cole
For Womens Issues - Blondie (Blondsense Liz)/AOB
For Racial Issues - Steve Gilliard
For LGBT Issues - Genia Stevens
For Religious Issues - The Green Knight
On the Environment - Grannyinsanity
Now that's a progressive White House. Whatever you think, I'll betcha we do a better job than the bunch that's in there now.
The DeLay Principle
Paul Krugman on the estate tax, war, and politics.
Gotta take care of the Sugar Daddy so he'll keep takin' care of them, the whores.
So a more precise statement of the DeLay Principle would be that nothing is more important in the face of a war than cutting taxes for very, very wealthy people, like the tiny minority of Americans who are heirs to really big estates.
Americans from an earlier era might have been puzzled by the DeLay Principle. They still believed in the principle enunciated by Theodore Roosevelt, who called for an inheritance tax in 1906: "The man of great wealth," said T.R., "owes a peculiar obligation to the state."
But the DeLay Principle isn't really that hard to understand: it's just like the Roosevelt Principle, but the other way around. These days, the state - or rather, the political coalition that controls the state, and depends on campaign contributions to maintain that control - owes a peculiar obligation to men of great wealth. And nothing is more important than cutting these men's taxes, even in the face of a war.
Gotta take care of the Sugar Daddy so he'll keep takin' care of them, the whores.
A tip o' the Brain to Rozius.
More al-Z
I know I was a bit glib and cynical in my post about al-Zarqawi's deletion. Our good friend Lurch makes the point far better:
Al-Zarqawi was our creation, just as Osama bin-Forgotten was. My unit helped deliver weapons and advisers into Pakistan 20 years ago to support Osama and the Mujaheddin in their war against the Soviets in Afghanistan (I was only on one operation in that mission). At least I can understand our helping Osama at the time, though we should have killed the lot of them once the Russians left.
Al-Zarqawi, like Osama, was a product of his environment, created to fight a proxy war with an occupying army. Were it not for the Soviets in the '80s, Osama would be just another rich Saudi. Were it not for Bush and Cheney and their imperialistic misadventures, al-Zarqawi would be just another Jordanian. They are our Frankenstein's monsters.
That said, believing anything that comes out of Iraq or is related to the 'War on Terra' is difficult for me. There has been so much lying, disinformation, and ineptitude that taking anything at face value is naive and gullible. Not when everything about this war has been used (though not very successfully) to Bush's political advantage. Yeah, I'm cynical, but that isn't a slight of the troops who put their butts on the line to get this guy. The thing that really gets me is, they wouldn't be in the position in the first place were it not for the lies and deception perpetrated by this White House.
...
Interestingly enough, the alleged leader, A. M. al-Zarqawi was little known throughout the world until Bu$hCo suddenly proclaimed him the leader of a-Q in Iraq, which in fact had never been heard of before Bu$hCo and CENTCOM, imitating Col Tom Parker said, "C'mere, cat. Ah'm gonna make you a star" a la Bobby Bare. Needing to explain their inability to control Iraq after the short-sheet conquest, and bearing in mind that the next stop was Iran, it was necessary to introduce the concept of "foreign fighters" early and often.
Thus was born the legend of A. M. al-Zarqawi, the deadliest one-legged terrorist/assassin in the Middle East. We got to hear a lot about him for three years. Every audacious attack, each outrageous atrocity was blamed on him. Bombings, beheadings, exploding trucks at embassies, spoiled whipped cream at Carvels and Dairy Queens - all was chalked up to al-Zarqawi.
...
Al-Zarqawi was our creation, just as Osama bin-Forgotten was. My unit helped deliver weapons and advisers into Pakistan 20 years ago to support Osama and the Mujaheddin in their war against the Soviets in Afghanistan (I was only on one operation in that mission). At least I can understand our helping Osama at the time, though we should have killed the lot of them once the Russians left.
Al-Zarqawi, like Osama, was a product of his environment, created to fight a proxy war with an occupying army. Were it not for the Soviets in the '80s, Osama would be just another rich Saudi. Were it not for Bush and Cheney and their imperialistic misadventures, al-Zarqawi would be just another Jordanian. They are our Frankenstein's monsters.
That said, believing anything that comes out of Iraq or is related to the 'War on Terra' is difficult for me. There has been so much lying, disinformation, and ineptitude that taking anything at face value is naive and gullible. Not when everything about this war has been used (though not very successfully) to Bush's political advantage. Yeah, I'm cynical, but that isn't a slight of the troops who put their butts on the line to get this guy. The thing that really gets me is, they wouldn't be in the position in the first place were it not for the lies and deception perpetrated by this White House.
He gets my vote
If I could...
Remember when I said we need leadership at the top? I would follow Murtha into Hell any day. Sorry, Nancy, but you're no John Murtha. Hate to say it though, but this talk might be a bit premature. The Rethugs might have this election all 'fixed up' already.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rep. John Murtha, an outspoken opponent of the war in Iraq, unexpectedly announced on Friday he will run for the No. 2 leadership post in the U.S. House of Representatives if Democrats regain control of that chamber in elections this fall.
"If we prevail as I hope and know we will and return to the majority this next Congress, I have decided to run for the open seat of the majority leader," Murtha, a Pennsylvanian, said in a letter sent to House Democrats.
...
Remember when I said we need leadership at the top? I would follow Murtha into Hell any day. Sorry, Nancy, but you're no John Murtha. Hate to say it though, but this talk might be a bit premature. The Rethugs might have this election all 'fixed up' already.
Why bother...
With a Congress anyway? Are they just there to give token opposition to the Preznit for a couple days before they cave in to the White House wishes? Arlen Specter is the worst of them because he talks a good line before rolling over. He gets out there and yells and screams and then turns around and gives the WH cover. Glenn Greenwald gets in depth:
I don't expect folks in Kansas (Pat Roberts is cut from the same cloth as Specter) to come to their senses anytime soon, but you folks in PA better wake up and get Arlen out of there.
...
The idea that the President's allies in Congress would enact legislation which expressly shields government officials, including the President, from criminal liability for past lawbreaking is so reprehensible that it is difficult to describe. To my knowledge, none of the other proposed bills -- including those from the most loyal Bush followers in the Senate -- contained this protective provision. And without knowing anywhere near as much as I would need to know in order to form a definitive opinion, the legality of this provision seems questionable at best. It's really the equivalent of a pardon, a power which the Constitutional preserves for the President. Can Congress act as a court and simply exonerate citizens from criminal conduct?
...
What makes this proposed amnesty so particularly indefensible is that Specter himself has spent the last two months loudly complaining about the fact that he -- along with the rest of the country -- has been denied any information about how this illegal, secret eavesdropping has been conducted. Has that power been abused? Has it been exercised for political, rather than national security, reasons? Before one even considers shielding those responsible for this lawbreaking from liability, wouldn't one have to at least know the answer to those questions? [my em]
...
I don't expect folks in Kansas (Pat Roberts is cut from the same cloth as Specter) to come to their senses anytime soon, but you folks in PA better wake up and get Arlen out of there.
Friday, June 9, 2006
Reminder
Just reminding folks about the survey in the left sidebar. If you haven't already, please take the time to complete it. Think of the children, dammit!
And I'd like to thank the bloggers who've helped me out in this endeavor. I really appreciate the space you've given to highlight this.
I know I'm harping but it's my blog, fer cryin' out loud. I'm not asking for money, just 5-7 minutes of your time.
And I'd like to thank the bloggers who've helped me out in this endeavor. I really appreciate the space you've given to highlight this.
I know I'm harping but it's my blog, fer cryin' out loud. I'm not asking for money, just 5-7 minutes of your time.
So much for 'net neutrality'
Democracy Now
The Telecoms ain't makin' much money off of us, and we're a thorn in Congress' side, and since the Telecoms own Congress, and neither one of 'em likes us very much, they done fucked us over. It won't be the last time.
Enjoy the free Internets while they last, folks.
The House voted on legislation yesterday that could determine the future of the internet and public access television in this country. In a vote of 321 to 101, the House voted to pass the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act, known as the COPE bill. This controversial telecommunications legislation would permit phone and cable companies to operate Internet and other digital communications service as private networks, free of policy safeguards or governmental oversight. The bill would effectively end what is known as "net neutrality" which is the concept that that everyone, everywhere, should have free, universal and non-discriminatory access to the Internet. The bill would also cut back the obligation of cable TV companies to devote channels to public access and fund the facilities to run them. And the COPE bill would replace local cable franchises with national franchises.
The Telecoms ain't makin' much money off of us, and we're a thorn in Congress' side, and since the Telecoms own Congress, and neither one of 'em likes us very much, they done fucked us over. It won't be the last time.
Enjoy the free Internets while they last, folks.
Double-take
I saw this headline:
It's about an old national security case that's still screwing us, but I had to read it twice. The first time I saw it I swear I thought it read:
Heh.
Security or coverup? How a murky case became precedent.
It's about an old national security case that's still screwing us, but I had to read it twice. The first time I saw it I swear I thought it read:
Security or coverup? How a monkey case became president.
Heh.
Quinoa
This is just FYI. All you New Age lefty hippies are probably way ahead of me on this, but I like the shit. You can find it a lot cheaper.
Officer says he ain't gonna go
Sarah Olson at Truthout
I am not, repeat not, encouraging anyone to desert the armed forces or otherwise resist being sent to Iraq, other than through normal channels such as resigning or not re-enlisting. They joined, they go where they're sent, unless they can pull some kind of strings. I didn't support draft resisters going to Canada during Vietnam either, but I understood why they did it.
It's a personal decision. I don't blame anyone who doesn't want to go, for all the reasons Lt. Watada stated. It takes balls, and he'll pay the price. He knew that before he went public with it. He probably hasn't been in long enough to resign, so this was his only choice. Right, wrong, or indifferent, his decision will follow him for the rest of his life.
Quite a few enlisted men have split the scene rather than go to Iraq, but they have mostly just done it and been quiet about it. This is first I have heard in public of an officer doing it.
Bush's War is criminal and unnecessary, but it will take many, many more soldiers refusing to go to make a difference.
When 27-year-old US Army First Lieutenant Ehren Watada announced his refusal to deploy to Iraq yesterday, he did so surrounded by veterans, military family members, and members of the religious and anti-war communities. News of Watada's intent to refuse his orders to deploy to Iraq has galvanized anti-war communities around the country, many of which are already calling for a series of demonstrations in support of Watada's actions. And others they hope will be inspired to refuse deployment to Iraq as well.
At a press conference in Tacoma, Washington, Watada announced his view that the war in Iraq is immoral and illegal, and his intent was to refuse to deploy to fight that war. Watada said, "It is my duty as a commissioned officer of the United States Army to speak out against grave injustices. I stand before you today because it is my job to serve and protect soldiers, the American people and innocent Iraqis with no voice." Watada went on to say that his participation in the Iraq war would make him party to grave moral injustice and war crimes.
While Watada may face a court martial for his decision to refuse to deploy to Iraq, he has also received significant support from veterans' organizations. Members of Iraq Veterans Against the War, the War Resisters League, and many chapters of Veterans for Peace have all come to Watada's defense.
Family and friends of Lieutenant Watada have launched a national campaign to support his actions and to encourage other military personnel to do the same. Anti-war activists are planning coordinated national actions set to begin at the end of June in support of Watada's anticipated refusal to deploy to Iraq. For more information, visit the web site: http://www.thankyoult.org.
I am not, repeat not, encouraging anyone to desert the armed forces or otherwise resist being sent to Iraq, other than through normal channels such as resigning or not re-enlisting. They joined, they go where they're sent, unless they can pull some kind of strings. I didn't support draft resisters going to Canada during Vietnam either, but I understood why they did it.
It's a personal decision. I don't blame anyone who doesn't want to go, for all the reasons Lt. Watada stated. It takes balls, and he'll pay the price. He knew that before he went public with it. He probably hasn't been in long enough to resign, so this was his only choice. Right, wrong, or indifferent, his decision will follow him for the rest of his life.
Quite a few enlisted men have split the scene rather than go to Iraq, but they have mostly just done it and been quiet about it. This is first I have heard in public of an officer doing it.
Bush's War is criminal and unnecessary, but it will take many, many more soldiers refusing to go to make a difference.
I hope Paris Hilton's gotta cough up a bundle...
NYTimes
Well, folks, take it from me: it's fair now, but it didn't used to be that way. Time was, if you inherited anything over about 40 grand, you paid estate tax. I inherited an estate valued at $150,000 a little over thirty years ago. It consisted of $900 cash, that's 'hundred', a house, and some personal effects. I had to dispose of the house to pay $40,000 estate tax. That was more money then than it is now, if you figure a car cost three or four thousand dollars back then.
It didn't actually cost me jack shit. It was 'third party' money. I just got to put less in my pocket. Real estate brokers and probate lawyers did OK off me, too. I still made out like a bandit.
They raised the limit a little while later, mostly due to inflation. The tax was starting to hurt smaller inheritors because the money got worth less so the numbers went up. More and more people had to pay the tax that shouldn't have had to. Sort of like the AMT now.
I think anybody who inherits the $2,000,000 necessary to qualify for the tax should thank their lucky stars for the over $1mil they get to keep cuz Auntie croaked and pay up with a smile. It's free money and it wasn't theirs to begin with. They didn't work for it or earn it.
To them I say: Count your blessings for being smart enough to pick the right family to be born into. Pay your share, you lucky bastards, take what you get and be happy with it.
Update:
Bush to tour mansions ravaged by estate tax.
Senate Republicans failed on Thursday to muster the votes needed to abolish the estate tax on inherited wealth, but supporters of a compromise held out hope for a deal this year that could attract enough Democrats to pass.
Few tax measures have generated as much passion. The estate tax currently affects less than 1 percent of families, and it is the most progressive tax in the country because its impact is almost entirely on the nation's richest families.
Well, folks, take it from me: it's fair now, but it didn't used to be that way. Time was, if you inherited anything over about 40 grand, you paid estate tax. I inherited an estate valued at $150,000 a little over thirty years ago. It consisted of $900 cash, that's 'hundred', a house, and some personal effects. I had to dispose of the house to pay $40,000 estate tax. That was more money then than it is now, if you figure a car cost three or four thousand dollars back then.
It didn't actually cost me jack shit. It was 'third party' money. I just got to put less in my pocket. Real estate brokers and probate lawyers did OK off me, too. I still made out like a bandit.
They raised the limit a little while later, mostly due to inflation. The tax was starting to hurt smaller inheritors because the money got worth less so the numbers went up. More and more people had to pay the tax that shouldn't have had to. Sort of like the AMT now.
I think anybody who inherits the $2,000,000 necessary to qualify for the tax should thank their lucky stars for the over $1mil they get to keep cuz Auntie croaked and pay up with a smile. It's free money and it wasn't theirs to begin with. They didn't work for it or earn it.
To them I say: Count your blessings for being smart enough to pick the right family to be born into. Pay your share, you lucky bastards, take what you get and be happy with it.
Update:
Bush to tour mansions ravaged by estate tax.
I'm ba-ack...
Well, I got the new set up an' runnin'. It had its moments, but was less trouble than I expected. Didn't hafta call Bangalore, not even once. That means they got this shit pretty well idiot-proofed, although I did hafta pull my head out of my rear end a few times, but that's normal.
It's a Dementia 510 with 2.8 Gaggin' Floozies (my favorite kind!) and a 19" flat screen monitor. It's kinda like being at a drive-in movie! Everything looks slightly different, more like my laptop than my old monitor. This thing is faster than greased lightning compared to my previous one, which was plenty fast enough for me. I guess that's progress. Kinda reminds me of the ol' 'sickle tramp talkin' about his bike: "Yep, she had a set o' Chattanooga Rattlers an' a speed sprocket. Never knew how fast I wuz goin' cuz she'd twist the speedo cable off at a buck-twenty an' I couldn't afford a new one very often..."
My peripherals all plugged right in, although I still have to load a lot of software. Later. I got dial-up, DSL, Firefox, and a printer. And Zuma, of course! That's like havin' wheels, an engine, and handlebars - enough to getcha down the road. I'll worry about the brakes when I have to stop!
I got all my files, photos, etc., transferred OK, but my Firefox Bookmarks stayed with the old machine. I got most of the ones I use here back from The Best Blogroll and Sidebars In The Business. Thanks, Fixer.
It's time to crank this puppy up and go spray some gravel at the Republicans and other meanies. See ya on the trail.
It's a Dementia 510 with 2.8 Gaggin' Floozies (my favorite kind!) and a 19" flat screen monitor. It's kinda like being at a drive-in movie! Everything looks slightly different, more like my laptop than my old monitor. This thing is faster than greased lightning compared to my previous one, which was plenty fast enough for me. I guess that's progress. Kinda reminds me of the ol' 'sickle tramp talkin' about his bike: "Yep, she had a set o' Chattanooga Rattlers an' a speed sprocket. Never knew how fast I wuz goin' cuz she'd twist the speedo cable off at a buck-twenty an' I couldn't afford a new one very often..."
My peripherals all plugged right in, although I still have to load a lot of software. Later. I got dial-up, DSL, Firefox, and a printer. And Zuma, of course! That's like havin' wheels, an engine, and handlebars - enough to getcha down the road. I'll worry about the brakes when I have to stop!
I got all my files, photos, etc., transferred OK, but my Firefox Bookmarks stayed with the old machine. I got most of the ones I use here back from The Best Blogroll and Sidebars In The Business. Thanks, Fixer.
It's time to crank this puppy up and go spray some gravel at the Republicans and other meanies. See ya on the trail.
On 'outing'
Shakes pointed it out this morning:
Now, I understand the reasons for people wanting to remain anonymous while blogging. There are a lot of nuts out there, as well as the pressures of business situations (one of the reasons Mrs F doesn't blog or leave many comments here). I use a pseudonym (I thought it would lend an air of mystery when I first began blogging) but two clicks from this page will reveal my identity.
What I'm saying is, I don't have an expectation of anonymity. If I'm out here, spouting off at the mouth about what I think is wrong with this country, I expect there will be people who go try to figure out as much as they can about me, figure out if I'm somewhat credible or just a nut. If I want to remain anonymous, I wouldn't blog, wouldn't try to set my voice above the din, wouldn't draw attention to myself. It's part of the payback for having people consider your opinion. It's like celebrities, who want the stardom and big bucks, but get bent out of shape at the paprazzi. You knew when you began, they were part of the package.
In Armando's case in particular, I think Seth puts it best:
If you want to remain anonymous on the Interwebs, you've gotta work at it. Stop crying and either blog or don't.
Yesterday, the rightwing National Review Online "outed" Daily Kos front-pager Armando. (Won't link; you can head on over and search for it if you like. There's the main post and then a follow-up.) They revealed his real name and employer...
Now, I understand the reasons for people wanting to remain anonymous while blogging. There are a lot of nuts out there, as well as the pressures of business situations (one of the reasons Mrs F doesn't blog or leave many comments here). I use a pseudonym (I thought it would lend an air of mystery when I first began blogging) but two clicks from this page will reveal my identity.
What I'm saying is, I don't have an expectation of anonymity. If I'm out here, spouting off at the mouth about what I think is wrong with this country, I expect there will be people who go try to figure out as much as they can about me, figure out if I'm somewhat credible or just a nut. If I want to remain anonymous, I wouldn't blog, wouldn't try to set my voice above the din, wouldn't draw attention to myself. It's part of the payback for having people consider your opinion. It's like celebrities, who want the stardom and big bucks, but get bent out of shape at the paprazzi. You knew when you began, they were part of the package.
In Armando's case in particular, I think Seth puts it best:
...
We're of two minds on the matter- if one wants to remain anonymous while blogging, one should be able to. Of course, one should then probably avoid using one's own first name, or identifiable characteristics about one's profession (Digby, for instance, is still anonymous to all except those who know her/him). [my em]
...
If you want to remain anonymous on the Interwebs, you've gotta work at it. Stop crying and either blog or don't.
Friday Cattle Dog Blogging
Princess Shayna is bored with all the administration rhetoric regarding Iraq. "Tony Snow is a lying cracker, just like Snot McClellan," she said before going back to sleep.
Weltmeisterschaft '06
The World Cup starts today. Needless to say, my family (and everyone else in Germany) is glued to their TVs. I just hope they replay the game after I get home from work. Looks like I'm gonna miss it live. Yes, I root for the Germans because they're my peeps and I've been a fan since Beckenbauer was playing. If you like soccer, you're gonna see the best in the world play over the next few weeks.
MUNICH, June 8 (SW) - Germany will be set to impress during the 2006 World Cup opening match against Costa Rica on Friday.
The action kicks off in Munich, where hosts Germany face Costa Rica in a Group A clash. Jurgen Klinsmann's side are favorites but their opponents will aim to surprise, as has happened before in opening matches.
...
Thursday, June 8, 2006
I volunteer...
Shakes thinks:
I've been bugged over the past few years to run for elected office and always dismissed it, but being King...now you're talking. I promise to be benevolent and respect rights, but boy would that be great, not having to watch polls, or have to deal with a belligerent Congress, or be above the law...anyway I think the Mrs. and I would be far better choices for King and Queen* than Shakes' choices.
*Mrs. F would be in charge anyway so you wouldn't have to worry about me doing really stupid shit.
So, the GOP sucks, the Dems suck, the electoral college sucks, and the party-line Congressional districting that all but guarantees 99% of incumbents reelection sucks. I'm thinking, let's just scrap this whole thing and go back to a monarchy...
I've been bugged over the past few years to run for elected office and always dismissed it, but being King...now you're talking. I promise to be benevolent and respect rights, but boy would that be great, not having to watch polls, or have to deal with a belligerent Congress, or be above the law...anyway I think the Mrs. and I would be far better choices for King and Queen* than Shakes' choices.
*Mrs. F would be in charge anyway so you wouldn't have to worry about me doing really stupid shit.
I thought this whole Blogger maintenance thing yesterday was an upgrade? It sucks worse than it did before they 'fixed' it.
Let them teach
Our pal, and really smart guy, The Chemist talks about chemophobia:
The science teachers I remember were the ones who let us do shit. Is this whole world turning into a buncha pussies or something? Everybody lives in sealed climate-controlled homes, there's a HEPA filter on everything, and nobody's kids play in the dirt anymore. You wonder why your kids have asthma, or are allergic to every fucking thing? Because they've never built up a tolerance to anything. Same thing with chemistry or anything else that might be 'dangerous'. Let the teachers teach and let the kids learn by doing. So what if they blow off a finger. That's why they issue you ten of 'em.
...
As you might expect, this has the potential to further dampen interest in the sciences (especially chemistry) in the US, where science education is already sorely lacking.
...
Ha! I wonder how many school district policies I violate every time I do an in-class demonstration? I let kids fire off guncotton, break shit with liquid nitrogen, perform exothermic oxidations, handle and pour weak acids and bases, and other things that are scary sounding but perfectly safe. The students love it, and it's way more interesting for the whole class if one of their peers is blowing something up rather than if they're just sitting there watching me do it.
...
The science teachers I remember were the ones who let us do shit. Is this whole world turning into a buncha pussies or something? Everybody lives in sealed climate-controlled homes, there's a HEPA filter on everything, and nobody's kids play in the dirt anymore. You wonder why your kids have asthma, or are allergic to every fucking thing? Because they've never built up a tolerance to anything. Same thing with chemistry or anything else that might be 'dangerous'. Let the teachers teach and let the kids learn by doing. So what if they blow off a finger. That's why they issue you ten of 'em.
Pack up, get out...
And don't let the door hit ya in the ass on the way.
...
DeLay, facing trial in Texas on campaign money laundering charges, is leaving Congress Friday, ending a 21-year career in the House.
...
A reminder...
About the survey in the left sidebar if you didn't see my post yesterday evening. It takes about 7 minutes and I'd appreciate your taking the time to complete it.
So what?
I wake up to this:
So, we can claim one victory in Iraq. Whoopee! Call me when you find Osama.
Either way, the insurgents and al-Qaeda will go on. One man does not an insurgency make.
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al-Qaida-linked militant who led a bloody campaign of suicide bombings, kidnappings and hostage beheadings in Iraq, has been killed in a U.S. air raid north of Baghdad, Iraq's prime minister said Thursday.
...
So, we can claim one victory in Iraq. Whoopee! Call me when you find Osama.
Either way, the insurgents and al-Qaeda will go on. One man does not an insurgency make.
Wednesday, June 7, 2006
Consultants and Media
Robert Parry, the political Muse
Shares his views
On "Why Democrats lose"
at Consortium News
Please pardon the "senior Jesse Jackson moment" there, folks!
Here's a clue for 'em: Get a message, then unify, consolidate, co-ordinate, and communicate all this to the public.
Between their highly-paid-but-interest-conflicted consultants and a buncha media types lookin' out for themselves in the current power atmosphere, the Dems are well-nigh sunk right from the gate.
If they had a coherent unified message, something the chattering class deigned strong enough that they could take their teeth out of the jar and sink 'em into, their attitudes might start to change. The Reps have been screwing up bad enough for long enough that you'd think that would be reason enough to start. It's not. It's helpful and a good start, but the Dems don't seem to be capable of capitalizing on it. Time is of the essence here, as today's message can and will become tomorrow's fish wrapper.
I'd say to Hell with consultants unless they consult candidates to go with their gut, stand on principle, and speak loudly and often and in one voice, and not be afraid to piss someone off. Consultants should offer advice but the candidates must decide what's right for them.
It might help to get some young and hungry not-yet-entrenched-and-rich media types in as well, but that'll happen when we're dodgin' aviating porcine excreta.
Please go read the rest of Mr. Parry's piece.
Shares his views
On "Why Democrats lose"
at Consortium News
Please pardon the "senior Jesse Jackson moment" there, folks!
In explaining Busby's defeat in this bellwether special election, national Democratic consultants will likely point to failures of Busby as a candidate or the fact that the Republican Congressional Committee pumped more than $4.5 million into the district.
But the one point the Democratic consultants almost never mention is the giant media advantage that Republicans have created from years of investing in media outlets - from newspapers, magazines and books to cable television, talk radio and the Internet.
Yet, it is this conservative messaging capability - in coordination with the Republican national political operation - that has proved decisive in election after election, even in disputed contests such as Florida in Election 2000 when the conservative media quickly portrayed Bush as the legitimate winner even though Al Gore got more votes.
Sometimes, when I talk to or e-mail with Americans around the country, they are perplexed as to why Democratic candidates always seem to turn to the same national consultants who lead the party to defeat time and again.
On the other hand, Republicans harbor no similar fears and indeed seem to relish taking the fight to even mildly skeptical mainstream talk show hosts, who, in turn, must fear for their careers if they are targeted as "liberal" by angry and well-organized conservatives.
Yet, as the Busby defeat has again demonstrated, the national Democrats don't seem to have any clue how to break this cycle.
Here's a clue for 'em: Get a message, then unify, consolidate, co-ordinate, and communicate all this to the public.
But given the current media imbalance to the Right, there is also a desperate need to level the playing field by having more media outlets that present views more from the Left side of the political spectrum.
Liberals and progressives simply cannot count on the mainstream news media to act as a counterweight to conservative news outlets. That is not in the job description of mainstream journalists, who understand that their careers will be better served if they tilt Right and avoid getting stuck with the "liberal" label.
This "consultariat" mostly disparaged investments in media and directed money instead to "think tanks" where the consultants and many of their friends were kept in high-paying jobs. They apparently are awaiting a Republican crackup like the one in 1992 when Ross Perot siphoned enough votes away from George H.W. Bush for Bill Clinton to slip into the White House.
So, instead of investing in promising Internet sites or improving the "progressive" content on radio and TV, liberal money flowed overwhelmingly into the hands of the same ol' Democratic consultant class.
Between their highly-paid-but-interest-conflicted consultants and a buncha media types lookin' out for themselves in the current power atmosphere, the Dems are well-nigh sunk right from the gate.
If they had a coherent unified message, something the chattering class deigned strong enough that they could take their teeth out of the jar and sink 'em into, their attitudes might start to change. The Reps have been screwing up bad enough for long enough that you'd think that would be reason enough to start. It's not. It's helpful and a good start, but the Dems don't seem to be capable of capitalizing on it. Time is of the essence here, as today's message can and will become tomorrow's fish wrapper.
I'd say to Hell with consultants unless they consult candidates to go with their gut, stand on principle, and speak loudly and often and in one voice, and not be afraid to piss someone off. Consultants should offer advice but the candidates must decide what's right for them.
It might help to get some young and hungry not-yet-entrenched-and-rich media types in as well, but that'll happen when we're dodgin' aviating porcine excreta.
Please go read the rest of Mr. Parry's piece.
I need a favor...
I'm helping my pal Erin and the students in the political science department at the State University of New York/Stony Brook (right up the road from me) with a survey they're doing. They're looking for a large sample and asked if I could help them rustle up some victims volunteers to take the survey. It only takes a couple minutes and you'll be helping our young people. I'll also be getting a copy of the results and I'll share them with you. I'll be putting a link in the upper left sidebar once Blogger decides to stop sucking monkey ass but here's the gist of it:
So take the fucking survey already and help out my neighbors' kids. They're our future, you know. Thank you.
I should add that the medical students at the East Campus have put me back together on numerous occasions. Stony Brook is an excellent teaching university and I'm thrilled they asked me to help. If I hadn't been a juvenile delinquent, I probably would have gone there...well...I would have applied there. They have standards after all.
And another aside: If you're a blogger and could see fit to draw attention to this on your blog I'd be grateful.
The Religion and Politics in American Life Survey
This survey is about attitudes towards religion and politics. Some people think that this country is becoming too secular. They want to see more people in government who share their values. Other people think that religious groups have too much influence in politics. They would rather keep religion and politics separate. We are very interested in your thoughts on this matter.What do you think about religion and politics in the U.S.?
Click here to take the survey:
If you have any questions about this survey, please contact Erin Cassese (Stony Brook University) at ecassese@ic.sunysb.edu.
So take the fucking survey already and help out my neighbors' kids. They're our future, you know. Thank you.
I should add that the medical students at the East Campus have put me back together on numerous occasions. Stony Brook is an excellent teaching university and I'm thrilled they asked me to help. If I hadn't been a juvenile delinquent, I probably would have gone there...well...I would have applied there. They have standards after all.
And another aside: If you're a blogger and could see fit to draw attention to this on your blog I'd be grateful.
Smackin' the hornet's nest
Station Charon has a good rant on how Rove et al are shittin' on our troops and ignoring the real problems that face our nation in their "gay marriage" panderpalooza to stay in power. Worth a read.
I actually like "the Motor City Madman" for his stance on firearms, self-sufficiency, and his general attitude other than his wingnut politics. I tried shooting my own food once, but it took too long to pluck the birdshot out of my bucket of chicken.
Smacking the hornet's nest of peckerwood nation has long been the bread and butter play for the fascist right and the corrupt crony capitalists in the perpetrating of their looting of the treasury and implementation of a surveillance state and it is expressed no better than in former Jack Abramoff aide Michael Scanlon's admission that they target regressive bible thumpers as dupes to support their agenda of thievery:
"The wackos get their information through the Christian right, Christian radio, mail, the internet and telephone trees. Simply put, we want to bring out the wackos to vote against something and make sure the rest of the public lets the whole thing slip past them."
And by God he is right and the pathetically ignorant 'values' crowd will once again pick up their pitchforks, rubber fetuses and foam rubber decalogues, make their pilgrimages to 'Roy's Rock' and get in line like the good little goosesteppers that they are, nothing is more enabling of totalitarianism than an angry mass without the slightest idea of what it is that really causes their anger. The morons of course will not be able to comprehend that if the gay marriage menace were such a threat to the very future of the planet that it would have been addressed by Rove and the Mayberry Machiavellis well before they spent nearly two years after Bush's most theft of a national election in bestowing gift after gift to their crony capitalist benefactors on Wall Street who have the real juice when it comes to driving the agenda.
[...] I caught on to their bullshit at a very early age in life when my parents packed me and my little sister off to the local Baptist church for Sunday school to get us out of the house. The Baptists would even send a nice gaily painted bus around the neighborhood trolling for young converts.
I remember that in addition to prayer a plenty we used to engage in sing-a-longs on that bus and one of the verses of the songs that I will always remember went something like this:
"You can't get to heaven with hippie hair cause the lord don't like that mess up there."
My young little mind must already have had the seeds of cynicism sown because lo and behold while our Sunday school teacher was leading us in song I noticed that he was standing in front of a picture of some dude with really long hair and a scraggly beard...
And it sure as fuck wasn't Ted Nugent.
I actually like "the Motor City Madman" for his stance on firearms, self-sufficiency, and his general attitude other than his wingnut politics. I tried shooting my own food once, but it took too long to pluck the birdshot out of my bucket of chicken.
Sorry, but...
I'll reserve judgment about this Canadian terror cell until all the facts come out. Why? Because it just strikes me there's something funny going on here. Pessimist asks the same question I've been since the news broke.
...
So why would Muslims want to target Canada???
That's when it hit me - this is all a setup.
...
We're desensitized...
To bullshit. Gord touched on it the other day. To wit:
That's how Ann 'I don't need a strap-on' Coulter can get away with the shit she shovels too. When the outrageous is commonplace, the truly horrible doesn't raise an eyebrow. As Gord's post emphasized, had the 'pundits' on the Left said about Christians what Coulter says about everybody else, the Rethugs would drop the anti-gay amendment bullshit in a heartbeat to take up the cause of banning 'hate speech'. Tristero has a good idea:
...
And you know what's the worst part of this? No one really cares that much, no one that matters. "Oh, that's just Fox News, that's just O'Reilly, whaddya expect?" The level of bullshit, ignorance, bigotry, and malicious stupidity is so high we don't even notice it anymore. Worse, the stench is so bad and is so far over our heads already, we don't even notice when it's reached a new height.
But we're not done yet. If O'Reilly can keep his job - and he can and will - after smearing American WW II soldiers (as well as sending covert signals of support to all the David Irvings in America), then he will feel compelled to top that. Anyone care to predict the next O'Reilly outrage?
I don't. If you had told me that Bill O'Reilly could get away with rewriting Malmedy, I would have said you were mad. But what we do know is that the goal posts have moved and rightwing extremism is just a little less extreme than it was. [my em]
...
That's how Ann 'I don't need a strap-on' Coulter can get away with the shit she shovels too. When the outrageous is commonplace, the truly horrible doesn't raise an eyebrow. As Gord's post emphasized, had the 'pundits' on the Left said about Christians what Coulter says about everybody else, the Rethugs would drop the anti-gay amendment bullshit in a heartbeat to take up the cause of banning 'hate speech'. Tristero has a good idea:
...Let's call it the Neiwert Effect, in honor of the expert in how extreme rightwing memes get mainstreamed...
It's worse...
After five years of Bush, you know the situation is actually far worse than I previously mentioned.
Yup, the 'party of security'. Is there anyone in this government who is not incompetent? If I did my job the way these assholes do theirs, Harry would have run me out of the shop years ago. If I managed my personal finances the way they do, I'd be living out of a refrigerator box under an overpass of the Long Island Expressway.
...
[P]ersonal data on more than 2.2 million active-duty military personnel - not just 50,000 as initially believed - were among those stolen from a Veterans Affairs employee last month, the government said Tuesday
...
Yup, the 'party of security'. Is there anyone in this government who is not incompetent? If I did my job the way these assholes do theirs, Harry would have run me out of the shop years ago. If I managed my personal finances the way they do, I'd be living out of a refrigerator box under an overpass of the Long Island Expressway.
Tuesday, June 6, 2006
I don't know about you...
But I wish they had these when I was in. Freefall for 120 miles! And I thought the HALO jumps were fun. Ausgezeichnet!
You know, just thinking about it, aside from the fun ride, stashing it once you're on the ground might be problematic. I sure as hell ain't carrying it with me or bringing it back. A chute you can bury or hide easy enough and make it look like you were never there. I'd hate to have to try and hide that thing.
You know, just thinking about it, aside from the fun ride, stashing it once you're on the ground might be problematic. I sure as hell ain't carrying it with me or bringing it back. A chute you can bury or hide easy enough and make it look like you were never there. I'd hate to have to try and hide that thing.
Tip o' the Brain to memeorandum.
Geez, that's a simple solution...
I got this in an e-mail from my pal Jo in L.A. and just had to share:
Well, that takes care o' that, I guess!
Win win situation.
Dig a moat the length of the Mexican border, take the dirt and raise the levees in New Orleans and put the Florida alligators in the moat.
Any other problems you would like for me to solve?
Well, that takes care o' that, I guess!
The real threat to marriage...
Pensito Review
A list follows, with some sordid details. You may have heard of some of them, although some Republican sexual practices may be new to progressives and young folks. There's some oddball shit blows some of their skirts up, but who am I to judge? Moral values, you know.
The traditional media may be interested almost exclusively in the sex lives of Democratic politicians, but on the hypocrisy index, it is hard to score higher than Republicans pontificating about saving the institution of marriage while so many of their leaders are serial and long-time adulterers:
A list follows, with some sordid details. You may have heard of some of them, although some Republican sexual practices may be new to progressives and young folks. There's some oddball shit blows some of their skirts up, but who am I to judge? Moral values, you know.
Dubious Epidemics
Molly Ivins cuts through the crap yet again.
The Republicans have definitely figured out what appeals to the retards who vote for them. This time around, there may not be as many.
Update:
Bob Geiger on the same subject:
Gee, maybe I'm finally right about something!
I believe what we have here is a difference over moral values.
The Republicans are worried about the flag, gay marriage and the terrible burden of the estate tax on the rich. The rest of us are obviously unnecessarily worried about war, peace, the economy, the environment and civilization. Another reason to vote Republican - they have a shorter list.
The Republicans have definitely figured out what appeals to the retards who vote for them. This time around, there may not be as many.
Update:
Bob Geiger on the same subject:
Whether or not any of these bills passes, the GOP is taking a giant gamble five months before the midterm elections: That when the polls open on November 7, Americans will believe that two men getting married, someone, somewhere burning an American flag or some yokel's right to have his Florida carry permit observed in New York has a damn thing to do with the daily, real-life concerns of their families.
They've won this gamble in the past. This time, they will not.
Gee, maybe I'm finally right about something!
Quote of the Day*
And as Ron White, comedian and genius compared to these fools, says, "You can't fix stupid."
Go read Jaye's whole post over at Blondie's.
*Now becoming a semi-regular thing...or so it seems...
Dissatisfaction
It seems every day, more of my neighbors to the north are making their voices heard in support of Ned Lamont. I've probably mentioned it, but I lived in Connecticut for 18 months when I got out of the regular AF and joined the Reserves (Westover AFB, Chicopee MA, 59th Aerial Port Sqn.). I fell in love with the state then and I still enjoy going back to visit on one of Mrs. F's antiguing junkets. I wish nothing but the best for them and that means getting Holy Joe out.
Indeed. We should have that debate within the national party as well. I'm not saying Dems should be like Rethug automatons, spouting a party line regardless of the reality, but by golly don't give the Rethugs cover and credibility. It's one of the reasons I'm pushing Ned Lamont's candidacy so hard when I can't even vote for the man. This is more than a local race in one of the most beautiful states in the Union. Ned's our guy. A grassroots, Internet-friendly, progressive candidate for national office. Getting Ned elected will send two messages.
1. Incumbency doesn't mean your seat is guaranteed.
2. Never underestimate us (the netroots/grassroots) again.
Support Ned Lamont the only way we out-of-staters can.
He was reading a 2005 commentary in a national newspaper by U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, in which the three-term incumbent wrote that Democrats who harshly criticize President George W. Bush on the Iraq War while the conflict continued "undermine presidential credibility at our nation's peril."
"That was the straw that broke the camel's back," [Bridgeport educator Maximo] Medina said of his fellow Democrat. "It was outrageous."
Medina has since emerged as one of the key supporters of Lieberman's Democratic challenger, Ned Lamont.
...
"He gives Bush political cover on many issues," Medina said of Lieberman, who often has been called the president's favorite Democrat. "Lieberman has become a national icon and he's become too big for his britches, and I find a lot of Connecticut folks have noticed that."
He said the time has come for an open dialogue on what it means to be a Democrat. "We want a strong debate on what Connecticut Democrats should be all about," he said.
...
Indeed. We should have that debate within the national party as well. I'm not saying Dems should be like Rethug automatons, spouting a party line regardless of the reality, but by golly don't give the Rethugs cover and credibility. It's one of the reasons I'm pushing Ned Lamont's candidacy so hard when I can't even vote for the man. This is more than a local race in one of the most beautiful states in the Union. Ned's our guy. A grassroots, Internet-friendly, progressive candidate for national office. Getting Ned elected will send two messages.
1. Incumbency doesn't mean your seat is guaranteed.
2. Never underestimate us (the netroots/grassroots) again.
Support Ned Lamont the only way we out-of-staters can.
Links thanks to My Left Nutmeg.
"Exceeding his Constitutional authority"
WASHINGTON -- The board of governors of the American Bar Association voted unanimously yesterday to investigate whether President Bush has exceeded his constitutional authority in reserving the right to ignore more than 750 laws that have been enacted since he took office.
...
William Sessions , a retired federal judge who was the director of the FBI under both Reagan and President George H.W. Bush , said he agreed to participate because he believed that the signing statements raise a "serious problem" for the American constitutional system.
"I think it's very important for the people of the United States to have trust and reliance that the president is not going around the law," Sessions said. "The importance of it speaks for itself."
...
The Chimp has been exceeding his authority since 9/11. It's about time these bottom feeders stopped counting their money for a few minutes to do something about this bullshit.
Great thanks to Maru for the link.
Monday, June 5, 2006
Lurch
Click to embiggen
This is our pal Lurch from Main and Central and Lurch's Page. He's on vacation, traveling around the country, and honored me with a visit today. He's visiting family in the Sierra foothills and made a coupla hunnert mile round trip to do so. Didn't cost him jack shit money-wise, either. He hit the jackpot at some Indian casino somewhere and left a bunch of 'em with nothing left but blankets to sit on! Sweet!
This is the first time that an entity hitherto known to me only in the disembodied typewritten word has presented himself in the flesh, so to speak. In other words, he's the first real live blogger I've ever actually met in person!
We sat on my deck with refreshments and chatted about everything under the Sun that we like: computers, cameras, cars, blogs, our respective locales, life in general - oh, did I mention politics? We dual-computed and showed each other pictures. I
He's a nice guy. We had a great visit and he's welcome back any time.
We correspond all the time over these internets with folks we don't know much about: what they look and sound like, where they live, etc. None of that really matters. We find folks far removed from us that are of like mind and intellect, a nation-wide linkage if you will, and we know from this that we are not alone in our thinking. To get to actually meet one of the best of 'em, not to mention actually liking him, was a big thrill.
If he isn't nice to me, I'll show you the other picture I took of him!
What?
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon has decided to omit from new detainee policies a key tenet of the Geneva Convention that explicitly bans "humiliating and degrading treatment," according to knowledgeable military officials, a step that would mark a further, potentially permanent, shift away from strict adherence to international human rights standards.
...
So how does this make us any better than the Taliban or the Janjawid? This is proof, if you needed any more, the United States has become a tin-horn dictatorship.
Hat tip: Dr. Attaturk
It's Florida...
No offense to the great Lefty bloggers from Florida but, like the military, it's sad commentary on the leadership of the state:
...
"I was watching in the living room, and they started showing the pictures of Mohammed Atta and then the others in those photographs," says Hiaasen. "I said, 'I swear to God, those are Florida driver's licenses photographs.' At least nine of them, I believe, and possibly more had lived and worked and trained for their suicide mission here in Florida."
"And I always tell people, 'You think that was an accident? Where's the one place in the United States where the bar of bad behavior is so high that nobody's gonna notice these guys?'" adds Hiaasen. "Nobody's gonna think twice when they walk into a flight school and say, 'I'd like to get on a 757 simulator, but I don't need the part about where you land it. Just teach me how to fly it around.' And pay it in cash, and they say, 'Oh, right this way, Mr. Atta. Sit over here.'
"You know, the one guy, he goes to Minneapolis, he goes to Minnesota to learn and he's in jail in about 25 minutes. First I was surprised, and then it all made sense. It all makes sense when you think about it. Why not? Of course."
...
Tip o' the Brain to C&L.
Home schooling
As most of you know, I got a problem with home schooling. Aside from the fact the Jesus freaks have appropriated it as a way to brainwash their kids in the ways of their Jesus (there is nothing more terrifying to me than to see a 6 year old quoting scripture from memory), but it also hinders social development and the development of interpersonal skills when kids aren't exposed to diversity. This story (via our pal John) points up the fact all too graphically:
The word was 'friend'. The defense rests.
Update:
Okay, so it was 5 in the morning and I didn't get this was satire. My bad. I still have a problem with home schooling for the reasons mentioned. There are a lot of well-intentioned folks out there but it's still no substitute for the learning experience of just interacting with large, diverse group of peers.
WASHINGTON, DC - Ten-year old Katie Hulmich has spent most of the last year preparing for 79th National Spelling Bee, which finally got underway in the nation's capitol today. The pint-sized, tow-headed home-schooler has spent ten hours a day for the past eight months preparing for the spelling showdown, and can fire off twenty-five cent words from 'anastomosis' (the union or connection of branches) to 'zedoary' (the dried rhizome of a tropical Asian plant).
...
"We thought we had all of the words covered, but then they pull one out of the blue like that," says Katie's mother - and full-time home spelling coach - Beverly Hulmich. "The real challenge for the kids is when they come across a word that they just don't ever use in their daily life." [my em]
...
The word was 'friend'. The defense rests.
Update:
Okay, so it was 5 in the morning and I didn't get this was satire. My bad. I still have a problem with home schooling for the reasons mentioned. There are a lot of well-intentioned folks out there but it's still no substitute for the learning experience of just interacting with large, diverse group of peers.
Nothing better to do...
So they're gonna try and push through this gay marriage thing,
that even moderate Repukes don't want, just to shore up the 'base'. It's not like we have any other priorities:
From the gay couples I know, the Repukes can learn a lot about family values.
WASHINGTON Apr 30, 2006 (AP) - Former Sen. John Danforth says a conservative push to ban gay marriage through a constitutional amendment is silly, calling it the latest example of how the political influence of evangelical Christians is hurting the GOP.
Danforth, a Missouri Republican and an Episcopal priest, made the comments in a speech Saturday night to the Log Cabin Republicans, which support gay rights. He said history has shown that attempts to regulate human behavior with constitutional amendments are misguided.
...
that even moderate Repukes don't want, just to shore up the 'base'. It's not like we have any other priorities:
...
the now bankrupt government pension bailout program being inundated with private companies shirking their responsibilities.
the $6b a month we're spending in iraq. the $9b that just *poof* disappeared over there.
...
new york apparently having no monuments to protect against terrorists and so their homeland security funding was slashed 40%.
hurricane season being upon us again and we still haven't cleaned up the gulf coast from katrina and rita. people are still homeless, jobless and hopeless.
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From the gay couples I know, the Repukes can learn a lot about family values.
Sunday, June 4, 2006
Records...
And Ol' Joe-mentum has built up a stellar one over the past 18 years...if he were a candidate for the GOP. Lest we forget, my neighbors:
And there's much much more. Yes, Holy Joe has built a record any Republican would be proud of. Ned Lamont will build a record a Democrat can be proud of. Joe must go.
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I had forgotten how he played the leading role in 1993 to thwart Democrats who tried to close loopholes allowing companies to cook the books on millions of dollars of stock options. Thus began the regulatory abandonment that spawned Enron and its sibling rip-offs.
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How many Connecticut Democrats remember that their senator was one of only two Democrats who voted with Republicans in 1995 to kill a lobbyist-gift ban? Or that he called affirmative action "un-American?" Or that in August 1994 he voted in favor of a proposal by Republican Jesse Helms to cut off all federal money from schools that offer counseling to suicidal gay teens by referring them to gay support groups or in any way suggesting it's OK to be gay?
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And there's much much more. Yes, Holy Joe has built a record any Republican would be proud of. Ned Lamont will build a record a Democrat can be proud of. Joe must go.
Thanks: Atrios
Well, that explains it...
A letter from Skelitor to Senator Clinton about the New York DHS funding cut. Karena's Blog:
Pretty close, I'd say.
George Bush has assured the DHS that NYC will not be a target for a terrorist attack this year. He's got too much on his plate right now whipping up fear in other states. He says that no one cares about the Empire State Building anyway except a few fans of that old movie, An Affair to Remember. Some King Kong fans care about the building, but the latest remake was pretty much a flop.
We will divert the money to Red States this year in an effort to get out the vote. Again, you have nothing to worry about, you are not on our radar screen this year.
Pretty close, I'd say.
So tell me again...
How swimmingly things are going in Iraq:
Update:
Looking back at this and the quote "in the name of Islam", I get to thinking that, since the beginning of recorded history, more people have been murdered in God's name than for any other reason. So tell me again how benevolent and decent this God guy is, because to me, the history of the human race must be like reality TV, or some sort of entertainment, to him. It seems this genocide and murder sure as hell isn't causing him to lose much sleep at night.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Masked gunmen stopped two minivans carrying students north of Baghdad Sunday, ordered the passengers off, separated Shiites from Sunni Arabs, and killed the 21 Shiites "in the name of Islam," a witness said.
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Update:
Looking back at this and the quote "in the name of Islam", I get to thinking that, since the beginning of recorded history, more people have been murdered in God's name than for any other reason. So tell me again how benevolent and decent this God guy is, because to me, the history of the human race must be like reality TV, or some sort of entertainment, to him. It seems this genocide and murder sure as hell isn't causing him to lose much sleep at night.
Fucking New York 3
Remember my outrage at the cuts in anti-terror funding to New York and DC? (here and here) Well now I learn about the person who's in charge of making the cuts and reallocations. Do you think she is qualified for the job? Sadly, No!
I got a 'back-door appointment' for her. Same one I got for O'Reilly This is what's in charge of Homeland Security funds:
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The Homeland Security official who signed off on funding cuts for New York and extra cash for the heartland is a small-town gal whose back-door appointment to the job was mired in controversy.
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Tracy Henke, 37, assistant secretary for grants and training, wasn't quickly confirmed by the U.S. Senate after her nomination last year because of allegations she played politics in her previous post.
So an impatient White House appointed her while Congress was in recess, drawing howls of outrage from lawmakers and sparking questions about her qualifications. [my empahses]
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I got a 'back-door appointment' for her. Same one I got for O'Reilly This is what's in charge of Homeland Security funds:
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The Homeland Security bureaucrat who shortchanged New Yorkers' safety by $80 million implied yesterday that guarding a Nebraska cornfield from an Al Qaeda attack is the same as putting a cop with a gun on the Brooklyn Bridge.
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Lawrence knew...
I am a big fan of T.E. Lawrence AKA "Lawrence of Arabia". The Guardian describes how he foresaw today's Iraq mess during WWI.
A good Sunday read in a foreign language - English.
Lawrence was a great man who did great things and then got screwed by his government. We are the lucky recipients of the aftermath of said screwing due to this administration's complete ignorance of, and disregard for, history.
Just as an afterthought, Lawrence was killed whilst riding his latest Brough-Superior, one of the finest motorcycles of its day. If you want to find a really rare one, try to find one he wasn't killed on! It even turned up in an episode of 'Lovejoy'.
As British troops went in to Iraq in March 2003, the Iraqi information minister, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, provided some unexpected entertainment at a time of great uncertainty. But some of his claims do not seem so risible now, one of them being: "We have drawn them into a quagmire and they will never get out of it."
Quagmire is the word. Unable to halt the country's descent into a sectarian civil war, and yet reluctant to admit failure and leave a vacuum by withdrawing, we are faced with a terrible dilemma in Iraq today. The situation would be familiar to TE Lawrence, who described in 1920 how clumsy involvement in Iraq had left Britain "in a trap from which it will be hard to escape with dignity and honour".
A good Sunday read in a foreign language - English.
Lawrence was a great man who did great things and then got screwed by his government. We are the lucky recipients of the aftermath of said screwing due to this administration's complete ignorance of, and disregard for, history.
Just as an afterthought, Lawrence was killed whilst riding his latest Brough-Superior, one of the finest motorcycles of its day. If you want to find a really rare one, try to find one he wasn't killed on! It even turned up in an episode of 'Lovejoy'.
Olbermann tears O'Lielly a new one...
One wonders how even a know-nothing Like Falafel O'Loofah could get a fairly well-known piece of history so terribly, completely wrong and air it - twice. Keith Olbermann called 'bullshit' on him big time. Crooks and liars, video and transcript.
Robert Parry also weighs in on this at Consortium News.
O'Reilly's just a self-serving piece of shit who makes way too much money catering to stupid people whom he thinks will buy any crap he cares to lay down, the truth be damned.
Robert Parry also weighs in on this at Consortium News.
If one of those "usual liberal suspects" had said something one-tenth as offensive as O'Reilly's remarks, Fox News surely would have offered up one of its loaded questions, like "Is (fill in the blank) Anti-American or Just Blinded by Hatred of Our Troops?"
O'Reilly's just a self-serving piece of shit who makes way too much money catering to stupid people whom he thinks will buy any crap he cares to lay down, the truth be damned.
Say it ain't so...
Looks like The Farmer is packing it in. He's been one of my favorites since I landed in Blogtopia (y!sctp!).
Up against the wall
These motherfuckers deserve nothing more than a firing squad and to be buried in a pigsty afterward:
And this guy Custer (yes, he is related to the 'military genius', runs in the family I guess) is a former Army Ranger and Agency operator. He should be 'Abu Ghraibed' before they put the bullet in his head. This is why I have a problem with 'contractors' in a war zone. I give shit what you call 'em, they're mercenaries to me, be they 'security' or truck drivers, and have sold their souls and their honor.
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The AP article said that Custer Battles inflated cost claims to $9.8 million for work that actually cost $3.7 million, an increase of 162 percent when the max profit margin is 25 percent. [ed. note: I don't think any company that is looking to profit in a war-torn nation is going to be conservative on the profit margins.] One example of the deliberate overcharging:
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Earlier this year, retired Brigadier General Hugh Tant testified in the war profiteering trial of CB that the contract to distribute Iraq's new currency was "probably the worst I have ever seen in over 30 years" in the Army. He continued:After Tant spoke of the broken-down trucks delivered on the Custer Battles contract, he testified that Battles responded: "You asked for trucks and we complied with our contract and it is immaterial whether the trucks were operational or not."
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And this guy Custer (yes, he is related to the 'military genius', runs in the family I guess) is a former Army Ranger and Agency operator. He should be 'Abu Ghraibed' before they put the bullet in his head. This is why I have a problem with 'contractors' in a war zone. I give shit what you call 'em, they're mercenaries to me, be they 'security' or truck drivers, and have sold their souls and their honor.
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