new site!

so yeah, I've gotten tired of blogger.

ALL POSTS WILL NOW BE MADE AT

WWW.EFFBOMBS.COM

added to the list of severely annoying people..

People who obsessively hit buttons. Seriously.

There isn't one day that I go to work where there isn't someone who suffers from buttonpressia disorder. I walk in the front door and head toward the elevator banks, and inevitably there is someone standing there looking for the correct suite and its corresponding floor. This is not a problem within itself, but when they do find the right floor number they hit the call button 300 times--even if it's already illuminated. Once inside, they continue their button abuse, and in severe cases of the disease holding the damn thing.

I wonder if these people think that the elevator is actually coming faster since they pressed the button multiple times. Maybe they think that the first time you press the button, the elevator takes the request as a suggestion--the second time is a request---third and ups are direct commands. I guess you have to show that circuit board who's boss.

These are the same group of clowns that click every button on the computer 7+ times, regardless of what the computer is doing. Opening links, programs, etc. The disease blinds people to the word 'loading' and disassociates the hourglass icon with 'wait a fucking second'. An easy way to piss off your company computer guy is to make him/her stop doing something actually important because your "compooter iz broke." The computer isn't broken, Einstien. By the time you've completed one lame midget porn thought, the computer has completed a thousand complex ones. The computer isn't the stupid one...you are. You've sent the same command multiple times and you probably froze the damn thing in your stupidity.

Actually, 'stupid' is mean. You have a disorder and you need help. Please take this time to speak to a buttonpressia counselor at 1-866-YUR-LAME.

jerks.

Lokeman sucks hard.

So while all the 'news' stations are obsessively covering the latest White people diahrrea of the mouth fiasco, my research team (ha!) has pointed me in the direction of a much more worthy foe right here in KC. Don Imus is irrelevant. Not to mention I thought he died a couple of years ago. I'm really not very mad or suprised that an old, irrelevant White dude made bigoted comments. Are you?

Rhonda Chriss Lokeman, a blackish Star columnist decided to make her own Imus remarks in her April 8th column regarding everyone's favorite classless Bonnie Parker wannabe, Shautay Henderson.

'By the time of her arraignment, the hair was taken down. At the jail, they take away hairpins, weave tracks and braids. So when Girl mugged for the cameras, shouting to reporters, "I'm innocent, man, I'm innocent," she looked like any other nappy-headed inmate processed through Jackson County corrections.'

I shouldn't have to tell anyone why this is offensive coming from anyone's mouth--especially someone who should have the wherewithal not to be ignorant when writing a syndicated column. I could talk about her overprocessed 'tell me I look white please' hair and makeup in one pic or her own nappy roots in the next.....but i'm not that crass.

good ol slavetown.

So I took some decent shots when we drove to Charleston from our place in Myrtle Beach. Charleston, in case you don't know (or care to know), was one of the first slave ports in the US--and there's a shitload of history everywhere. It's seriously like going back in time walking around the downtown areas...and somewhat off-putting. We planned on visiting a few historic plantations, on some re-connecting-with-roots goodness, but this White dude at the gate wanted 16 bucks to go drive around.

16 bucks.

I was in a car with 3 other Black people, and here was this old White man trying to charge us money to tour a place where we should have unlimited privileges. In retrospect, we should have filled out time cards for about 300 years of labor and asked for payment on arrival. Ah well. Still tryin' to make money off us. We declined. It was odd being ankle deep in slave-central and nobody seemed to talk about it, and it was annoying that the bourgie downtown that Blacks built only had rich Whites inhabiting their 1800's era colonial Black-built mansions.

Besides that, we had fun.

this was a lame representation of the 'brave confederate soldiers that defended the ports during the siege of Ft. Sumter. Pretty sure hillbillies didn't look like that. Just a guess.

back, bitches!

Back before you had a chance to miss me-

I had a minor brain implosion and quit updating this thing for awhile...took some vacation time to the beach with the lady. I also bought a domain name (fbombs.com), and am in the process of trying to get smarter so I can actually build the site up to fbizzle standards.

What sucks is, put a bunch of computer parts in front of me and I'll build you anything, but web coding is a damn mystery. Now if only someone can build it for me for free...

FINE, not free--you show me how to build my sweet new site and i'll tell you why all your inclinations and opinions are completely wrong.

fair's fair.

Bush's 'Commitment' to the Troops.

at some point, you have to do more than repeat rhetoric.

extraordinary rendition.

Remember a little while ago everyone was talking about the CIA and their propensity to 'remove' people in different countries to 'question' them? Well it turns out that Italy just indicted 31 people (25 US CIA operators) regarding the abduction. The spooks call it the 'extraordinary rendition program,' which basically means that no matter where you are or who you are the CIA can knock in your door and abduct you. Turns out, other countries might have a problem with the CIA kidnapping their citizens right off the street with no authorizations or warrants.

Of course, nobody actually knows what happens to you once you've been 'extraordinarily renditioned' but we can all assume it involves a prison that nobody's ever heard of and less than amiable guards in a country where nobody asks questions.

In Moustafa Hassan Nasr's case, he was picked up in an unmarked CIA van and eventually transferred to an Egyptian prison where he was tortured for FOUR YEARS. The kicker is that no charges were ever filed against him and he was released a little over a year ago. I'd sue the entire U.S. government.I remember the Administration fighting these allegations pretty hard once the NY Times broke the story...then when they admitted to it, it was more of a pissed off 'I cant believe you told America what we're doing.'

Do we have any good will left in the world? I guess it doesn't matter, right NeoCons?

random good news.

Rome (AP) - Italian authorities announced Tuesday they have uncovered an arms smuggling ring in which more than 600,000 weapons and millions of rounds of ammunition from Russia and China were apparently going to be funneled to Iraqi insurgents.

And here I thought the only hard-working Italians were plumber brothers that jumped through tubes and ate mushrooms. Don't get me wrong, cutting off the supply of killing devices to killers is a good thing...but how many more supply chains are there? Regardless, any way you cut it that's a shitload of firepower. Good work Mario.

Iran (the remix)

Why does it seem that the administration is trying SO HARD to provoke Iran into war? It's almost as though the plan out of Iraq for Republicans starts by focusing people's attention on Iran. As I've been through before, we've been fucking with Iran for decades and show no sign of stopping. The latest reports blame Iranian Special Forces with supplying a particularly efficient IED's to the 'insurgents'. Tony 'still Fauxnews's bitch' Snow loves to contradict people who don't believe Iran's government has anything to do with it. If you take a second and look at who in the region would arm people killing Americans, you could find rather large groups in EVERY Middle Eastern country.

The Army recently made a big show of carting out weapons and munitions that they say are Iranian in origin, and of course the Iranian government denies any involvement. This 'trotting out evidence' does nothing for worldwide support. You guys tried this before, remember? All that solid WMD evidence? The same lame trick twice rarely works. I mean, unless there are large 'Made in Iran' decals on these munitions, how are we supposed to believe anything the government says about Iran? Damn our sense of imperialism is appalling. We probably have thousands of tons of weapons floating around the arms market.

60% of the country believes that Bush's increasing troops is a bad idea, much like 70% of the country was opposed to President Lyndon Johnson's Vietnam surge when we were clearly not headed the right direction. Are there really 140 million people in this country who think that we're doing the right thing in Iraq? These must be the same 140M that think attacking Iran is a good idea (provided they aren't sending any of their family members). Let's not forget the public sentiment in Iraq where according to a recent poll, 47% of the Iraqi population approve of the attacks on Coalition forces. Sunnis (who make up the lion's share of the insurgency) hate Americans, but they hate Shias even more. That being said, Iran is 90% Shia. Doesn't take a genius to presume that Iran isn't helping the Sunnis kill Americans.

So if you're 18-25 and support what this failed administration by thinking it's justified in perpetuating this bullshit war (while anonymously sending me e-hatemail), then why haven't you signed up for service yet? You people support this war yet recruiting numbers are at all-time lows. What gives?

to the lab!

Sir Richard Branson (yeah, the Virgin Records guy) brought his talent for publicity to bear on climate change on Friday, offering a $25m prize to anyone who invents an economical way of removing carbon from the atmosphere.

Finally now something might get accomplished with the worsening condition of the carbon choking the planet. Nothing EVER gets accomplished without a couple of millions behind it. I can already see the Not to be a treehuggingotdamnedhippe, but i'd like to be able to drive horribly inefficient gas guzzling V-8 ferrari's for the remainder of my time in this existence. The day they outlaw internal combustion engines to save the atmosphere waaaay too late is the day I blow something up.

Anyways, the only element I can manipulate on demand is methane. I guess my frequent methane 'releases' aren't really helping anything though. Ah well, back to the lab. Come, Igor--that 25Mill is as good as mine.

open letter to old people.

Dear Octogenarians:

Please do everyone a favor, think about handing your keys over and get the fuck off the road. Now I know most of you are crotchety and gripy, especially if the Old Country Buffet just opened and you haven't had any prune juice. Please keep in mind that while you are briskly meandering down the I-435 fast lane during rush hour at 35 mph, people less than half your age with eral responsibilities need to use the road as well.

What's the difference, you ask? Well old people, these 'young people' actually have lives to live and work to go to. Many of these 'youngins' also may have even smaller humans with them--called babies. These babies are especially vulnerable to collisions with your 3-ton Buick or Cadillac, and the fact that you can neither see nor react appropriately exponentially compounds the risk for serious injury. "But sonny," you say, "I've been driving for 70 years, and I'm not gonna let anyone take my keys from me!" I say that's fine, but can you seriously live with being responsible for killing people because you mistook the brake pedal for the accelerator? I think not. What about the fact that you can't see over the steering wheel? (i'm looking at you too, short people..) There are so many needless examples of old drivers not knowing when to hand the keys over.

-Ask the 84-year-old driver who plowed through an elementary school lunchroom last week, and killed an 8-year-old boy.

-Remember when that 89-year-old man's car hurtled through a farmers market in California in 2003, killed 10 people and injured more than 70 others?

-In August of last year, a sport utility vehicle driven by an 89-year-old man plowed into pedestrians and vendors at an open-air public market in Rochester, New York, injuring him and 10 other people.

-In October 2005 in North Dakota, an 87-year-old woman on her way to a doctor appointment smashed her car into the hospital's lobby, injuring five women.

Every day, I have to do battle with the Army of 1920 in the parking lot of my job and on the streets of Kansas City. Its like a minefield trying to avoid old people who aren't aware of their surroundings. Frankly, I'm quite tired of the near-accidents and the accidents. You people need to stop being selfish and realize that you've had the pleasure of driving for long enough, and it's time to let people get their opportunity to do the same without worrying about someone like you smashing into him/her because you forgot your wrap-around senior sunglasses.

Plan A) You should be tested every 3 months on a road course for reaction time, gas/brake differentiation, crash avoidance, parking, and speed limit adherence (also lane-stay-in-itude..). Then and only then will you able to drive for the next three months. You will receive a placard to hang on your window (next to the handicap one) that makes your 'senior license' valid for the time being. If you are caught without said placard, then you will pay a $250 fine and lose your right to retest for one calendar year. Happy motoring!

Plan B) All those over the age of 79 years and 364 days must immediately trade in their cars for Chevy Aveos or Ford Festivas. That way, you can hit whatever you want and it won't kill anyone. If you still feel confident your skills are up to par, you can attempt the harder Pro Senior driving test (which has the advantages of a regular test, but it's MUCH harder). Passing this will give you a 3 year extension on your regular license and you can keep your car that much longer.

If neither of these work for you, and you can't get where you're going, then think harder. I thought old people had all the wisdom?


Sincerely,
F

reason #33508 why we aren't close to MLK's dream

It's pretty evident that in the wake of the entire spectrum of race-related issues in this failing republic, many members of the majority still can't seem to get right. I keep hearing people bitch that minorities need to 'get over' their shitty treatment in this country and move on. How?

At two separate 'MLK' parites thrown (of course) by White people (one at Tarleton State in Texas, and another one at UConn), they once again disrespected an entire race by mocking us publicly (then brilliantly posting pictures on facebook). If you don't understand why this kind of shit is offensive, ask someone Black.

Seriously, this isn't the first time that privileged White kids have thought it was a good idea to dress up like 'black people' and throw a whites' only party. Seems like every year something like this happens, usually around Martin Luther King Day. What makes people think that this is a good idea? What are their parents teaching these kids? More importantly, if you're told to 'dress like Black people' and you show up with fake golds, doo rags, fried chicken, plastic guns, 40oz's, and flashing gang signs----obviously this is what you think about Black people in our entirety. That makes you a racist bigot, and I sincerely hope that your insensitivity and social retardation follow you for the remainder of your life. I'm glad the schools are taking action in these cases, but i'm so jaded when it comes to race relations in this country that i'm wondering if they aren't just trying to avoid the NAACP bringing the heat.

I could probably write a small novel on why instances like this are offensive, but I'd rather you read what happened for yourself and draw your own conclusions. Is this how YOU see Black people? Is this amusing?

I suppose i'm so offended because to me it seems like when we try and repair some of the extensive social damage that this subject has caused, someone always comes around and burns those bridges right back down.

When will it change? There are many of us who are sick of waiting. Are you part of the problem? If you are part of the problem, please do humanity a favor and don't procreate. Just let your stupidity and intolerance die when you do.

Thanks
F

so sick of this.

Associate Press January 23,2007

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - A second U.S. aircraft carrier strike group now steaming toward the Middle East is Washington’s way of warning Iran to back down in its attempts to dominate the region, a top U.S. diplomat said here Tuesday.

Nicholas Burns, U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, ruled out direct negotiations with Iran and said a rapprochement between Washington and Tehran was “not possible” until Iran halts uranium enrichment.

“The Middle East isn’t a region to be dominated by Iran. The Gulf isn’t a body of water to be controlled by Iran. That’s why we’ve seen the United States station two carrier battle groups in the region,” Burns said in an address to the Dubai-based Gulf Research Center, an influential think-tank.

“Iran is going to have to understand that the United States will protect its interests if Iran seeks to confront us,” Burns continued.

________

Who's interests are you talking about? How damn childish can the administration possibly be? You blatantly call out Iran as being the enemy, and then wonder why they won't bend over to do what you say. As I've posted earlier, we've been fuckin' with Iran for about 40 years, and I guess they're sick of it. What did you think was going to happen. I'd be pretty pissed off if someone who knows nothing of the region and it's culture tried to tell me what I could and couldn't do within my borders. What gives Bush that right?

Am I the only person in this country who is confident in US air defense? You should take a second to think about the amount of money that goes towards 'defense' in the United States. We have military bases in every country in the world, and thousands of 'operators' with their hands in every nook and cranny. But the administration knows that you know how much money they spend on defense---and 'feeling safe' is the last thing that they want. You can't control people when they feel safe.

Iranian officials said Wednesday that they have taken delivery of advanced Russian air defense missile systems - weapons intended, according to one Russian news agency, to defend Tehran's major nuclear facilities.

There are a reported 14 permanent U.S. Military Bases built currently around Iraq. 'Permanent' means we have no plans for leaving. Smells like a real standoff with Iran is coming just over the horizon. I firmly believe that an attack on Iran would be the worst mistake since re-electing Bush. Alas, staunch Republicans don't care. All Bush has to do is associate the unorganized chaos in Iraq with Iran somehow (kinda like his state of the Union BS last night), and the rednecks over here will bend over yet again. I swear to you, if one of those Navy Ships goes down while 'posturing theateningly' Iran, I will be utterly convinced that I live in a Twilight Zone episode (see: False Flag Operation).

Pretty sure 75% of Americans can't even pick out Iran on a map.

'Our interests'.....Don't lump me in with you idiots.

Absurd Republican Theater, 2007

Once again, W proves that all you need is rhetoric. As much as the Presidents' speech was the same ol' shit rehashed for 2007, it also shed some light on possible delusions that he apparently is mulling over. I sincerely believe that the President has lost what little mind he has. Not that it matters at this point, because the American public doesn't want an intelligent leader. They want a stubborn, repetitive, dimwitted good ol' boy. Someone who will garner applause when he gets up in front of the world as says things like 'Uh, we need to balance the budget' while completely avoiding the disparaging income gap, global warming, our absurd trade deficit, et cetera.

Unfortunaltely, I think BushCo may use our soldiers as fodder for his 'plan for victory' in Iraq. Democrats (along with 8 Republicans) on the Senate side have been extremely defiant of this current plan. There has been talk of cutting off the funding for this 'augmentation' of soldiers in Baghdad (augmentation is for boobs, W--just call it what it is, sending more targets). The Karl Rovian political strategy dictates that you can blame any failures of this current plan on the Democratic House and Senate's unwillingness to bend over and let the President continue to royally fuck up. Just watch.

Whenever I can stomach watching Bush/Cheney/Rove it's amazing to me that they are steadfast in believing they are the only people in the world who 'actually' know what's going on. What that insinuates is that only those who agree with Bush are correct. The rest of us--especially those who'd rather not 'stay the course' with this President---are simply wrong. We don't understand basic foreign policy or military strategy. We don't have the cognitive capacity to fathom the genius of the administration and how they are going to save the universe from terrorism. Thankfully the Texas Air National Guards' best is here to save us.

Bush is at about a 30-ish percent approval rating in the United States. That means, according to the administration, that 70% of the population is stupid. Not just here, either. According to a pretty exhaustive 25 country BBC poll, 75% of those polled believe that Bush's Iraq policy is wrong and 72% believe that US presence in Iraq is contributing to the destabilization.

Now for those 30% of people here who think W is doing just fine, I have to admire your steadfastness. Seriously. I suppose the President would have to burn a bible then kill and eat an infant for you to question that used Presidential condom in your bed and your sore ass. Or maybe it's just the fact that those 'Bush/Cheney 04' bumper stickers won't scrape off SUV bumper stickers that easy. (Try 'GooGone'...seriously, i'm here to help)

I thought Jim Webbs' response was pretty decent. A military veteran with a son in Iraq, Senator Webb put Bush in the cross-hairs of irresponsibility last night when he said:

"Like so many other Americans, today and throughout our history, we serve and have served, not for political reasons, but because we love our country. On the political issues, those matters of war and peace, and in some cases of life and death we trusted the judgment of our national leaders. We hoped that they would be right, that they would measure with accuracy the value of our lives against the enormity of the national interest that might call upon us to go into harm's way."

So if you believe the President, Iran is behind these newest series of attacks in Iraq. Do people actually believe him? If they do, why? I guess Iran is hiding Bin Laden and they came in to cart out those WMD's too. Damn you, Iran!

Couldn't find Bin Laden = Invade Iraq
Couln't stop the bleeding in Iraq = Invade Iran?

Give me a break.

BBC poll numbers here

today.

Off principle, I stopped believing anything the government has ever told me when I reached the age of reason. Even if what they tell us is truthful, I think it's best to question/doubt/investigate everything. Today being Martin Luther King Day, I'm trying to once again supress the amount of anger I still (and will always) feel about his death. My parents feel the same way, and we sometimes talk about the moment they caught word of Kings' murder. For them, their world had ceased.

I don't believe that James Earl Ray killed him, and I'll leave it at that.

I can't decide whether Dr. King's legacy circa 2007 is a great or good thing. What is unquestionable are his accomplishments and his memory. I'm glad that everyone knows who he is (considering that in 99% of school he is one of TWO black people that they ever teach about...the other being Rosa Parks), but I believe people have lost sight of his philosophy. Unfortunately his dream has yet to be realized, and every time I think we take a step forward, seems like something comes up to shuffle us right on back (by the way, 'us' refers to more than just Black people). It is still astonishing how relevant his words are to me, and to anyone else who chooses to actually listen to the mans' speeches. Man..it must've been a great feeling to hear him speak. If Dr.King's birthday is nothing more to you than another day for you to skip work, then I think you're part of the problem. Perhaps not a conscious participant in ignorance--but I really believe that if more people took the time to learn about people like Dr King and what he stood for society as a whole would reap the benefits.

I've tried to read as much of his writings as possible. It certainly balances out the other macabre things that stock my bookshelves. Sadly our society doesn't produce people like that anymore. I sincerely believe that if people are going to 'honor his memory', then they should be working toward the realization of his dreams.

Never met the man..but can't help but miss him.


F

A New Way Nowhere.....just a thought....

Apparently everyone on Earth is pretty sure that they know what W is going to try and increase the amount of troops in Iraq tonight..especially Baghdad. Obviously, this is a famously bad idea (See: President Lyndon Johnson and his 'troop surges' in Vietnam'). I hope he uses this national primetime spotlight to apologize for a couple of his numerous lies and misleading comments that got us into this situation in the first f*ckin' place. But I'm pretty sure that my ill-placed hopes will be dashed yet again, as W continues to prove that ANY rich and White man can be the President, regarless of personal responsibility, intelligence, knowledge, accountability, success, intelligence, and intelligence.I know you don't have much time, so take your pick of 'Iraq mouth diahrrea' to apologize for Mr President.

"We've never been Stay-the-Course"
"Saddam aides and supports Al Quaeda terrorists"
"Major combat operations in Iraq have ended"
"Saddam 9/11, Saddam 9/11, Saddam 9/11, blah blah blah 9/11."
"The terrorists want the Democrats to win"

...or my favorite "Saddam has biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction. We know where they are" -- Complete with lie/scare tactic/fear mongering sidekick (thanks for reppin us hard, Condi and Colin!), " We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud."

Maybe you can use this address to kick start that 20% approval rating. Do the hilarious John Stewart and Stephen Colbert annoy you? STOP FU*KING UP.

Just a thought.

about Oprah...

If you haven't been reading over at Dallaspenn.com, get over there now. Incredibly well written and entertaining. This post has to be one of the best i've read anywhere, and it's regarding the Mighty O.

If you'll remember when asked why she was starting a school in South Africa and not in the U.S., she said: "I became so frustrated with visiting inner-city schools that I just stopped going. The sense that you need to learn just isn't there. If you ask the kids what they want or need, they will say an iPod or some sneakers. In South Africa, they don't ask for money or toys. They ask for uniforms so they can go to school."

"My biggest problem with OPRAH’s remarks about the rampant materialism of inner city youth is that she is the captialist cultures’ premier cheerleader. She uses her program to basically tells us what to consume even though she receives these items free of charge. We are constantly surrounded by messages that put the only value in education as the ability to buy more stuff. Learning is not endorsed as a conduit to greater integrity, ethics or morality. The mantra that is repeated ad nauseam is “go to school, get a better job, make more money”.

Agree with it or not--love or hate her, here's what Dallas had to say about her Majesty. It happens to directly coincide with how I feel about the situation. Yet another obscenely rich person who....well...just read it. Dallas writes better than me. :)

(sigh)

Two days after the Democrats took control of the House and Senate, they are already facing a challenge by this administration's claim of "Unitary Powers." This time it's not our telecommunications they want to spy on, it's our mail.

"According to the Washington Post, "a 'signing statement' attached to a postal reform bill on December 20 says the Bush administration 'shall construe' a section of that law to allow the opening of sealed mail to protect life, guard against hazardous materials or conduct 'physical searches specifically authorized by law for foreign intelligence collection.'" This move seems to have opened the door for the government to open mail without a warrant.

This makes more than 750 presidential signing statements, according to the Associated Press, by an Administration that has consistently tried to alter laws that it finds unpalatable. This total surpasses the number of signing statements issued by all American Presidents combined before #43. The threat to democracy is obvious if laws that members of Congress have crafted after research, debate and bipartisan negotiation can be gutted with a few strokes of the president's pen."

The Nation

caught in another lie.

As we saw as recently as last Friday, the Bush Administration has gone to great lengths to prevent any access to information documenting a relationship with Jack Abramoff. But that relationship exists. CREW (Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington) was provided a photo of President Bush and Jack Abramoff taken at a campaign fundraiser in December 2003. The White House did not want anyone to see this photo.

Quote of the Day: "I NEVER met Jack Abramoff."
- George Bush, on numerous occasions.

I WANT YOUr kids.

I just realized how to end the Iraq war. Reinstate the draft.

Hang on, hang on. Don't call me crazy just yet.

Republicans People are all about supporting this war as long as they don't have a personal stake in it (Your 'support our troops' sticker investment doesn't count, Johnson County soccer moms). Politically, you have to support the war if you support W. That's what the 04 elections were about, right? Do you think the President would be using other peoples' children as fodder if his daughters were over there? I don't think so. Oh yeah, I believe in gender equality, so this draft would include both men AND women. (you hear alot of radical feminists talk a lot about equality, but how many of them would actually register to fight?)

The vast majority of the US Army has historically been made up of low/middle-class Amercian men boys, ages 18-23. If we reinstate the draft (provided no bullshittery on the part of the rich), then spoiled rich kids will be eligible to die in the desert just like the kids on the other side of the tracks. As soon as you start seeing the rich and powerful losing kids for a war that anyone intelligent knows was wrong to begin with, the war will stop mighty damn fast.

Hard to support an administration that refuses to provide proper body armor for your daughter, isn't it? Or that overpays corporations billions of our tax dollars to not properly clean the water that your son drinks. Sucks, doesn't it.

By the way, I support out troops just like your bullshit sticker says. The difference is that I want them home and alive.

a chiefs hangover

All I really wanted to see out of the bad news Chiefs on Saturday was an effort. Was that too much to ask? I really didn't expect us to win, but I did have a faint glimmer of hope--and I should have known better. That was simply embarrassing. Like Britney Spears' crotch, the Chiefs were exposed for what they really are to the entire country: beat up and ugly.

I'm pretty sure that many of the players already had golf tee times lined up and vacations planned for that Saturday, because nobody showed up to work. Nobody on offense, at least.

I do like Trent Green as a person, and he had a rather lengthy interview on 810AM about the game and his future. I must've missed the part where he was supposed to say that he wanted to come out of the game but Carl Peterson said no. That is the only way that a veteran like Trent should have stayed in the game. He was misfiring, tripping over guards, and all around sucking. All things considered, Trent IS a better field general than Damon Huard. However, when you have Jordan Black, no Willie Roaf, and no Kyle Turley---you need more mobility at QB. Period. I'm not saying that Huard is fast by any means, but GOOD GOD--have you seen Trent Green 'run'? I would like to blame King Pink Larry Johnson, but the only person I've ever seen run well without an offensive line is Barry Sanders.

I'm rooting for the Colts for the remainder of the playoffs. As long as the stupid Patriots don't win I'll be ok.

Please, Chiefs front office, let's not waste any more money on old veterans looking for a huge salary and some place to retire early. We need a young quarterback with potential, and I'd start looking at playing let's make a deal with Tony Romo. After personally ending the Cowboys' season, I don't think Dallas fans are forgiving enough to let him ever live that down. Don't like Tony Romo? Fine. Jacksonville has THREE quarterbacks that are better than Damon Huard and aren't 30.

what goes around.

I got into a fight discussion with a coworker a while ago about terrorists. He was trying to get me to agree with him that terrorists come from 'the middle east' and are usually muslim 'extremists.' I disagreed, citing numerous other European groups. He went on to talk about how the United States has always been the good guy, and nobody could disagree with our worldwide goodwill. Up until this point, I had been completely amiable and listened to his opinion.

Without losing my cool, I asked him if he knew anything about anything (slightly rude). To which his response was to ask me if I could name a point in time in which we were the bad guys. To be honest, I actually felt a little bad for this guy as I started to tell him about our 'Good Guy Foreign policy' which usually involves assassinations, rigging elections, economic warfae, genocide, sabotage, false flag policies, etc...basically terrorist activities perpetrated on those who cannot fight back. It ended up with him asking questions about various incidents, and me showing him where to learn things about this countrys' history that you never learn in school or hear about in the news.

I'm just now realizing that although the information is out there, people would rather not pay attention to the facts sometimes. They would rather not know about the seedier details of US foreign policy, and the lives it has cost us. I, on the other hand, would rather know these things. It seems that the meddling that we do in other countries' affairs never has yielded a positive results, and always seems to return to bite us in the ass (read: $$ and lives, see Iraq and Afganistan for reference). As you read some of the incidents i've listed, remember that I do love my country, but the things that our government has done (and IS doing) in the name of 'freedom' are not only highly illegal--but actually sickening and disturbing.

In order to function, any nation needs good intelligence capabilities...but the very idea that the CIA is just an intelligence service HAS to be their greatest propaganda success. They are responsible for most of our involvement in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and especially Central/South America. They operate in a similar capacity to terrorists. In fact, they are American Terrorists. Imagine Al-Queda with unpublished multi-billion dollar budgets and no common oversight.

*i'm not a conspiracy theorist, just a history fanatic. Furthermore, nothing here is 'conspiracy.' This is US policy and reality. These events are fact, are there are thousands that we don't know about. Look up the locations and dates if you don't believe me, jerks!* :)

here are a couple of my favorites that are biting us in the ass now:

IRAN 1953-1976:

Ah, Iran. This one is actually a success story..well...not really. The CIA did exactly what they were supposed to do. Dr Mohammed Mossadegh was elected Prime Minister of Iran, which pissed off the US and England, mainly because he wanted to nationalize Iranian oil that was under the control of BP (British Petroleum). The bill was unanimously passed, and even though he offered BP huge payoffs, it sealed his fate. The British began international embargoes on Iran, and the CIA (at the request of the Brits) started spending MILLIONS to get Mossadegh out of office.

The CIA decided to back a minor religious figurehead, the Shah of Iran, who (on orders from the US) ordered Mossadegh out of office and appointed a Nazi supporter as his successor. Iran unanimously supported the Prime Minister, and the Shah fled to Rome. The CIA paid pro-Shah demonstrators (a private army) that seized media outlets to sway the public and lie about Mossadegh. Why the Shah? Because he had agreed to export millions upon millions of barrels of oil.

End result? A nine-hour war in Tehran that killed thousands and toppled the government. The Shah ruled for 27 bloody years, mainly with the iron fist of SAVAK (the Shah's CIA-trained security force). SAVAK had the dubious honor of the 'worst human rights abuses on the planet' citing 'torture techniques that the CIA taught them were beyond belief.'

Result?

In 1979, Iranians overthrew the US-installed Shah--and had a newfound hatred and contempt for the United States (obviously). That hatred has not gone anywhere, just ask Ahmednejad, who lived under SAVAK and the Shah.


Afghanistan (1979):

The CIA had the pleasure of running about 25 covert operations against various governments during the presidency of Reagan. The biggest and most expensive one was Afghanistan ($5-6), billion) which was supposed to drain the Soviet Union dry. The Soviets invaded in 1979 after dozens of Russian advisors were killed, while we had installations set up to monitor them all over Afghanistan. The CIA, under the guise of stopping the spread of Communism, decided to arm and directly finance anyone who would fight against them. At least a dozen guerrilla organizations received this treatment with taxpayer money. The CIA put a shitload of faith in these mujahideen fighters (see bin Laden), hoping to enflame the global Muslim community into jihad against the Soviets. The success of that strategy speaks for itself.

Result?

a) 10-year war and 1.2 million dead. The CIA sold weapons technology to Afghan extremists, who turned around and used CIA know-how on us years later. Rise of the Taliban and warlord rule. Heroin becomes cash crop. Importer? The US.

b) Osama Bin Laden, Sheikh Abdel Rahman. (sigh)


Iraq (now, bitch):

Around the same time as Afghanistan, Iraq launched a war against neighboring Iran, which was itself a CIA-created disaster. At the time, Iran was stridently anti-American and loosely aligned with the Soviets. The U.S. government operated through both overt and covert channels to provide massive assistance to Hussein's war, including money and conventional weapons.

The CIA also facilitated the transfer of supplies and technology for the construction of Biological Weapons, Nerve Agents and other Weapons of Mass Destruction for Iraqi use. Some of these weapons may have been employed against U.S. troops during the first Gulf War (which was conducted by George Bush Sr., himself a onetime director of the CIA), and they provided George Bush Jr. with a pretext for the second Gulf War 'Iraqi Freedom' (which ran along the lines of "How dare they stockpile these awful weapons we gave them and don't exist anymore?").

____


We did not create the pissed off Middle east. Fanatics are fanatics, no matter where they're from or which God you choose. What we did do was screw with these people's sovereign nations and their own political/social development. We have destabilized, destroyed, and murdered...then we wonder why everyone hates our guts.

NEXT: The CIA, Central America, and the Drug Wars.

what's another 100 billion? who cares!

Never mind the fact that the administration told us that Iraqi oil would finance reconstruction.

Never mind the fact that this years' Iraq budget is already $70 Billion.

Never mind that 70% of Americans dissaprove of the Iraq War.

The newly-headed Pentagon (fresh with brilliant new ideas) has decided to push the White House to appropriate another $100 Billion this year to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is coupled along with talks of massive troop increases and Bush's new strategy which he's supposed to announce after the holidays. He's actually told reporters 'not to rush him while he considers his options.'

Is this the best that this administration can come up with for the obvious quagmire that they've lied and misled themselves into? Throw money and soldiers at it. Of course! It has to work.

They've manipulated the psyche of the American public to associate 9/11/01 with Iraq. The goal is/was/always will be a constant state of emergency for those who want to maintain control, and it worked this time...masterfully. Well, it looks like 'mission accomplished' on the association. We're staring 3,000 US troop deaths in the face, which is coincidentally about how many people were killed in the World Trade Center. Well done, you group of assholes. I'm not above falling victim to association. I see 'Bush-Cheney 04' stickers every day and my brain says 'idiot, you happy now?' Man, those bumper stickers are hard as hell to get off aren't they?

The timing of this seems to be a little interesting, as this will likely come up for passage as one of the initial issues that the Democrat-controlled Congress will have to vote on. By the by, i think we're close to $400 Billion spent in/on Iraq currently (they now estimate $811 billion total for both wars).

How much further are the American people willing to close their eyes and bend over?

F

read about it here

it only makes me wonder how many more there are.

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- New Orleans police lined up "like at a firing range" and fatally shot an unarmed man in the back as he fled from them in the days after Hurricane Katrina swept ashore, a witness to the shooting told CNN.

It marks the first time a witness has come forward publicly with information about the shooting of Ronald Madison, a 40-year-old mentally retarded man whose death has sparked a police investigation and a grand jury probe into what happened in and around the Danziger Bridge that day.

"He just fell like he was collapsing," Kasimir Gaston told CNN. "Like something just wiped him out." (Watch Gaston describe what he saw )

Gaston was one of many flood refugees living on the second floor of the Friendly Inn, a low-income motel on the city's east side. On Sunday, September 4 of last year, he says he woke up and stepped onto the balcony of the motel and saw a man running, hands outstretched and being fired upon.

Initial police accounts said that Madison reached for his waistband and turned on police, but Gaston said Madison did not appear to have a weapon and that he was running away from police "hands out, full speed" when he was shot.

Police declined CNN's request for an interview.

After the shooting last year, police said officers had responded to reported gunshots on the Danziger Bridge and that a running gunbattle ensued with six suspects.

One teenager was killed near the base of the bridge and three other people were wounded, according to police reports.

A police department press release from October 4, 2005, said Madison, described as an unidentified gunman, was "confronted by a New Orleans Police officer. The suspect reached into his waist and turned toward the officer who fired one shot, fatally wounding him."

When asked if Madison had a gun, Gaston said, "I didn't see any on him."

No gun was found on Madison's body.

An autopsy obtained previously by CNN and verified by the Orleans Parish Coroner said Madison suffered five gunshot wounds to his back and two in his shoulder. (Watch police describe a running 'gunbattle')

Republican Reminder 12/19/06.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich yesterday in Manchester said the country will be forced to reexamine freedom of speech to meet the threat of terrorism.

Gingrich, speaking at a Manchester awards banquet, said a "different set of rules" may be needed to reduce terrorists' ability to use the Internet and free speech to recruit and get out their message.

"We need to get ahead of the curve before we actually lose a city, which I think could happen in the next decade," said Gingrich, a Republican who helped engineer the GOP's takeover of Congress in 1994.

-_-

enjoy!

unbelievable.

Bush: “I've got so much on my mind, and this job is so exciting that it's really hard to settle down and plan the next 10 years of our life."

People's interviewer also mentioned that readers had asked if he takes sleep aids or 'sleeps well' in the face of the current world events. Bush said generally not, but he does occasionally when he travels.

Bush: “I must tell you, I'm sleeping a lot better than people would assume,”

So you have no trouble sleeping, huh? Well, that's just fucking wonderful, Mr. President. Because of you, 2,937 (12/16/06) American service members are sleeping very soundly, and permanently as well. Because of you, there are hundreds of thousands of permanently sleeping Iraqi civilians. Because of you, Iraq has regressed into the 4th circle of Hell, rife with escalating insurgency civil warring that shows no signs of slowing.

I'm glad you sleep well at night. This further cements your textbook delusions.

the DoD stikes again.

I don't know why I assumed that the Department of Defense would have better sense to so something like this. Earlier this week they released a 282-page "Counterinsurgency Manual." In the manual's foreword, Lt. Generals David Petreaus and James Amos write in part, "With our Soldiers and Marines fighting insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is essential that we give them a manual that provides principles and guidelines for counterinsurgency operations."

So in what seems like a stupid move, they post the ENTIRE thing online as a pdf file. Why, one would ask, would your government do this? Why would you allow anyone, anywhere to access your military field manual for what seems like VERY pertinent information? Now while you're deep in a confused mental state, remember this is the same group of assholes that started a pointless war with no exit strategy. You are welcome.

Read up on the Counterinsurgency "Strategy" in all it's official glory here

just when TV was getting good...

Still funny, every time. Probably the funniest commercial ever.



Here comes the PAIN TRAIN, WOOO WOOOOOOOOOO!

hahahahaaa!

really, Canada?

Dumb Americans do something stupid, then dumb Canucks take it too far.

a study in human manipulation

The secrets to successful coercion are incredibly easy--so simple that it has been summed up before in one sentence:

"In whatever milieu coercion is practiced, the routine follows the same basic steps: (1)Generate disorientation, (2)induce regression, and then (3)become the target’s transferred parent figure"

Any commissioned salesperson, the CIA, detectives, and cult/church (a cult is just a religion without any power, duh) leaders have long used this technique. Under coercion, millions of otherwise rational people can be persuaded to act against their own interests--whether by shelling out big bucks for overpriced coffee, betraying family members, or allowing a gang of criminals to destroy their nation’s Constitution and launch criminal wars of aggression.I've worked several commission-sales jobs and done well, notably high-dollar electronics and new cars. They always make you 'train' for a couple of weeks on how they think selling should be. Selling things to people (read: manipulating other people's money) is simple if you understand the fundamentals of coercion. Therefore I completely ignored the 'training' they gave and simply followed the three steps listed above. It's tried and true and works 90% of the time.

Have you ever seen a dramatization of a police interrogation (or seen it in real life, you criminal)? Of course you have. Take a look at the interrogation room. It's stark, usually no windows. The room is kept hot or cold on purpose, and the chairs are plain and uncomfortable. They usually keep you waiting for a while and inevitably panic sets in before anybody says anything. Did you notice the camera monitoring your mannerisms and body language? What do you think those European unmarked CIA prison's interrogation rooms look like?

Here's an easier example to imagine:

People go to car dealerships with the dumb idea in their head that they 'are not gonna get sold' and they are 'in control.' Everyone hates dealerships because they're scared of getting taken. They tried to avoid me, the evil salesman--and have a combative look on their faces. Whenever I'd walk out to greet someone on the showroom floor or on the car lot, I'd walk purposefully and directly at the 'mark' and stick my hand out for a handshake while introducing myself. "Welcome to ________ my name is _______, and you are..?" I have immediately diffused the standoffish nature that the conversation would have taken, and it's almost a knee jerk reaction for them to give me their name in response. I won't go into super detail about how the conversation always plays out, but it's always the same with about a 5-10% variance. The marks' arms eventually uncross, and he allows me to engage him in meaningless small talk and dumb jokes (he sees just how 'stupid and harmless' i really am). I always say that I'm new. I steer the conversation towards reinforcing his/her dissatisfaction with their current car, and establish ownership by opening the car up and having them sit in the drivers' seat.

The mark is already in a vehicle, being asked to imagine himself owning the same type of vehicle. It’s the same as if I asked you about the kind of book you can imagine yourself reading. Your current situation is re-framed in fantasy. It creates a momentary confusion, or dissociation, from the activity you’re involved in. If the mark answers no, he gets the same treatment in other cars until he answers yes. Then he is brought back to the dealership and infantized, as the salesman becomes his transferred parent figure. He is told where to go, how to walk, where to sit. In this way, the mark is trained to obey, and given his fear and disorientation in the sales environment, he welcomes the commands and their implied invitation for him to regress into the safety of childhood.

Once the customer has been infantized, he is controlled by various tricks. One of the best-known is the “common enemy” technique. The salesman pretends to be conspiring with the customer against the nasty head of the dealership, or against another salesman who is greedy and dishonest. The "common enemy" technique is also used by the police (started by various intelligence agencies)--one interrogator, the "good cop," teams up with the subject against the other interrogator, the "bad cop."

Governments, of course, use the same technique: In October 2001, Bush doubled his approval ratings by infantizing the American public on 9/11 and rallying them against the "common enemy" of evildoing Muslim extremists. Bush, of course, would assume the role of protector and savior.

more later...

F

a few favorite euphemisms

My favorite comedian George Carlin (don't give me any shit--he's brilliant) is the master of euphemisms, which happen to be a hobby of mine. The way people manipulate language has a massive effect on everything we do/say/believe in.

The following excerpts are from a book of his called 'When will Jesus bring the Pork Chops.'

"Here is more of the distorted language of political persuasion. Conservatives oppose gun control. Liberals know control is a negative word, so they call it gun safety."

"The energy criminals now refer to oil drilling as oil exploration. Instead of Mobil and Exxon, they'd rather you picture Lewis and Clark"

"Liberals call it global warming, Conservatives call it climate change"

"If you want the individual to sound shady and suspicious, you call him an Eye-Racky. If you want to upgrade him a bit, he becomes an Iraqi-American. If you're trying to clean him up completely, you call him an American citizen of Iraqi descent.

"Countries we used to call rogue nations are now referred to as nations of concern, so we can talk with them without insulting them outright. But as a result of bad behavior, North Korea has been downgraded from a state of concern to a rogue state. Likewise, failed nations are now called messy states. Underdeveloped countries have also been upgraded. They're now developing nations.

Anti-War? Would you do this?

At 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 3 — four days before an election caused a seismic shift in Washington politics — Ritscher, a frequent anti-war protester, stood by an off-ramp in downtown Chicago near a statue of a giant flame, set up a video camera, doused himself with gasoline and lit himself on fire.

He left this note:

"Here is the statement I want to make: if I am required to pay for your barbaric war, I choose not to live in your world. I refuse to finance the mass murder of innocent civilians, who did nothing to threaten our country," he wrote in his suicide note. "... If one death can atone for anything, in any small way, to say to the world: I apologize for what we have done to you, I am ashamed for the mayhem and turmoil caused by my country."

was he an imbalanced man or a martyr?

Story Here

Of course, but talk is cheap, Senator.

Senator-Elect Claire McCaskill (D-MO) appeared on CBS Face The Nation Sunday morning. Among the many topics covered, McCaskill discussed her position on the Iraq war in the context of her recent appointment to the Senate Armed Services Committee. McCaskill strongly questions the role of money in the war, both in terms of the money the US government is putting into the war, as well as the money contractors and others are making in the rebuilding of Iraq.

Partial transcript:

"But I know as a new member of the Senate, and as a new member of the Armed Services Committee, I want to ask some questions, because this supplemental appropriation of $150 billion the President is going to ask for, clearly we need to have some accountability. People have gotten rich off this war, and I want to make sure we put a stop to that."

I sincerely hope you can back this talk up, Senator. After all, i DID have to go one entire city block out of my way to vote for you during my lunch break. If I got you closer to a Senate job, the least you can do is hold the war profiteering companies accountable for the disastrous Iraq War. Well, at least chair a committee. Anybody can talk a big game before they take office.

To help, I made an action list of some of the conglomerates that you might want to watch out for.
Blackwater Security (and other paramilitary 'security contrators' that we've never heard of but can make you vanish), Halliburton, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Company,CACI International, Bechtel, Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, The Carlyle Group, and of course Big Oil..etc...etc...

good luck, Senator!


F

and in case you forgot about the NYPD.

Sean Bell didn't. The NYPD are completely out of control...but you already knew that didn't you? With the weekend's news that the latest police shooting murder killed Bell, another unarmed young black man. The only reason why this particluar shooting got on the news is because he was getting married the following day. Well, those wedding plans were premature according to the trigger happy police.

I don't pretend to know what happened that night, but what I do know is that the men were black, unarmed, and shot at 50 times. One officer even emptied his primary clip and reloaded, emtying that one too. Police thought one of the men in the car 'might' have had a gun but investigators found no weapons. 'It was unclear what prompted police to open fire' Gimme a break, PR people. Once again, Dallas Penn has his writeup on what he believes happened that night. I suggest you read it.

WEDDING PLANS (AND THE NYPD) ARE STILL KILLING YOUNG BLACK MEN...

2006 Dickhole of the Year nominee...(2)

WOW the competition is heating up for this years' dickholes.

OJ Simpson (yeah, again): As though winning the dick hole of the year in 1995 wasn't enough, this dude actually tried to release a book entitled 'If i Did It' which was supposed to be a series of hypotheticals about the murders, and 'not a confession' as his publicist says. Seriously, I must be losing my mind. Here we have a black man who ACTUALLY murdered two white people, and got off. In America. How many times has that ever happened?

So, now you're trying to get back in public by telling everyone how you actually committed a double murder and selling a book/tv special? Talk about a slap in the face to the deceased and their families. We know that some lawyer told you about double jeopardy, you murderer. Good 'ol American Judiciary (sigh). Luckily, one of those random acts of humanity happened yesterday and your book deal/TV special were pulled...Good.

Oh, and then I saw the 'reality' show he's been trying to peddle---Juiced--where he goes around and does pranks n whatnot. He's making a strong case for Lifetime Dickhole Achievement.

Stay classy, OJ. Stay classy.

2006 Dickhole of the Year nominee...

Micheal Richards:

'Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down with a fucking fork up your ass. Throw his ass out. He's a nigger! He's a nigger! He's a nigger! A nigger, look, there's a nigger! They're going to arrest me for calling a black man a nigger.'

His rant was beyond jokes, and now that I think of it 98% of black people would have kicked your narrow ass on stage without hesitation. You can see white people in the TMZ video hurriedly leaving--they knew what the deal was. If you're gonna drop n-bombs on around black people, you should at least have sense enough to prepare for a beating. Actually I saw George Carlin drop a couple when he was performing here in KC, but they were in the context of an excellent social critique of our society.

As for your contrived 'apology' on Letterman last night, kiss my balls Kramer. The only person I felt remotely awkward watching was Jerry having to tell the audibly confused audience not to laugh at Kramer while also trying to hawk Seinfeld DVDs. Clearly Dave didn't care, as he already had jokes about your long washed up act for his 'top ten'. Did anybody even know he was doing stand-up anywhere? Shit, i didn't--and I know damn near everything.

"I'm not a racist. That's what's so insane about this." No, you are a racist. You hid it pretty well, but people outside of their comfort zone typically show their true colors when they least expect it, just ask Mel Gibson. Now Gibson, oddly enough, looks slightly better that Richards at this point. At least he was drunk and solo, not on a damn stage with a microphone.

Everybody is a racist, the only variance is the degree and willingness to admit their faults. It doesn't surprise me that some white guy blew his top and decides to call some people niggers. When did that become something new? Did I fall asleep for 400 years? I'd have to estimate that at any given time, at least 30-40% of white people have said that word in describing somebody black. Most of these types of racists fear black people juuuust enough to keep their bigotry to themselves in public.

I'm tired of trying to explain to white people why that word still matters.

hahaha...nice..

from here

Poppy Bush and James Baker gave Sonny the presidency to play with and he broke it. So now they’re taking it back.—The president and Karl Rove, underestimating the public’s hunger for change or overestimating the loyalty of a fed-up base, did not ice Rummy in time to save the Senate from teetering Democratic. But once Sonny managed to heedlessly dynamite the Republican majority — as well as the Middle East, the Atlantic alliance and the U.S. Army — then Bush Inc., the family firm that snatched the presidency for W. in 2000, had to step in.

While Vice went off to a corner to lick his wounds, W. was forced to do his best imitation of his dad yesterday, talking about “bipartisan outreach,” “people have spoken,” blah-blah-blah — after he’d been out on the trail saying that electing Democrats would mean that “the terrorists win and America loses.”

He was asked if his surprise at the election results showed he was out of touch with Americans. “I thought when it was all said and done,” he replied, “the American people would understand the importance of taxes and the importance of security.”

So it was just that the American people were too dumb to understand? W. also managed to bash Vietnam vets, saying that this war isn’t similar because there’s a volunteer army, so “the troops understand the consequences of Iraq in the global war on terror.” Is that why W. stayed out of Vietnam? Because he understood it?

so...is this the liberal agenda?

I watched Speaker Pelosi talk about her agenda for the beginning of her House leadership today. Contrary to what conservatives believe it did not include: gay abortion cloning, abandoning our troops, or making San Francisco an honorary European city. These idiots have been throwing around the term 'Nancy Pelosi Liberals' like it's a slur. I think there are going to be hearings all over the place, and there will be more resignations as there finally appears to be someone who can force accountability in the government.

Today Bush made sure that the 109th Congress (Republicans clearing out their offices) will push through current legislation before the Democrat-controlled 110th Congress gets in session in January. First on his agenda, getting the retroactive 'Terrorist Surveillance Act' passed was numero uno. This will ensure that his administration won't go to jail when people realize that warrants are a good idea. But I digress.

Of the things she talked about, and i didn't disagree with anything but her haircut. I don't really see how anybody could, and i'm not even a Democrat. She calls it 'Six for O6' and here are a couple of my favorites:

-Negotiate lower prescription-drug prices with pharmaceutical companies for Medicare's drug program.

-Fund stem cell research, increase access to healthcare for all Americans.

-Increase science research, ensure the teaching of evolution, increase funding for community colleges.

-Cut student-loan interest rates by half.

-Ensure access to family planning methods and abortion, fund infant and child-care.

-Increase the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour before Congress gets a raise, increase employment benefits.

-Enact funding recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

-Institute lobbying reform, implement balanced budgets, pay down the national debt.

-Enact tax changes to benefit entrepreneurs.

-Focus national security strategy to nation's borders, increase port security.

-Fund more public transportation, promote environmental restoration.

-Repeal subsidies for oil and gas companies to encourage renewable fuels.

when it all falls down..

So i guess with the news that George 'Macaca' Allen conceded to Webb earlier and gave the Senate to the Democrats, the terrorists finally won. For once, the press corps actually grilled the President after his press conference yesterday. He shit on Karl Rove, blamed his party for the beating, and wrote off his 'voting with Dems equals voting for losing in Iraq' as 'political campaigning.' Whatever.

I tried to avoid listening to the president for too long, as i succumb to nauseating rage after the first minute or two. Oddly, i was sucked into the tone and defense mode that he was forced into yesterday. As i posted previously, i'm not sure if it actually got through that stubborn head of his that people are fed up.

I wasn't suprised that Rummy was forced out, but I WAS suprised with the quickness and the choice of replacement. The Dem House and Senate would have made life miserable for the failures of the Defense Department. I can't help thinking of Porter Goss, (head of the CIA till he resigned on May 5 of this year) who famously quipped that he 'was not qualified to lead the Defense Department.' Makes me wonder why Bush would nominate a former intelligence chief instead of a high ranking general...but who knows, maybe it'll work out.

Bush's conciliatory tone reeks of a stunned (and suddenly lacking quite a bit of power) executive branch. With the balance of power restored, he no longer has a free ride through the last two years that he will have his job. People don't realize this, but the architects of this government NEVER wanted power to be concentrated in the hands of one man. The real power was supposed to be in Congress. Either he realizes that the scales have hugely tipped against him, or someone told him. All of a sudden he's talking about 'working together with the Democrats' and he's 'open to any Iraq ideas' which has never been his modus operandi.

I think it's going to be a very interesting next couple of weeks.

Goodbye and Good Riddance!

What news, what news, what GLORIOUS news.

Did reality finally catch up with the administration?

Did it finally sink in that this incompetent moron was not the man for the job? Finally.

One of the Architects of the Iraq Occupation intends to resign after six 'stormy' years at the Pentagon, Republican officials said Wednesday.

Officials said Robert Gates, former head of the CIA (current president of Texas A&M), would replace Rumsfeld.

Of course, nobody listened during the year prior that Dems were calling for Rummy's resignation. Not the GOP, not W, not Faux News. Nobody on the Right wanted to admit that the problems stemmed from the shitty policies of a shitty Defense Secretary. As expected, Bush's nomination for the job is not without his controversy.

Robert M. Gates was the Central Intelligence Agency's deputy director for intelligence (DDI) from 1982 to 1986. He was confirmed as the CIA's deputy director of central intelligence (DDCI) in April of 1986 and became acting director of central intelligence in December of that same year. Owing to his senior status in the CIA, Gates was very close to many figures who played significant roles in the Iran/contra affair and was in a position to have known of their activities.

Oh wow, Apparently now Montana has gone Blue. Don't screw us, Virginia. By the way, 'us' is my euphamism for regular people who are fed up with the direction of this country.

Neutering the GOP with shears.

I'm of the opinion that this country was headed down that little poop hole at the bottom of the toilet. This apparently is not the case. We resurfaced last night. We are treading pre-flushed toilet water and swimming with shit particles...but we can breathe. We have momentarily surfaced, and regained some of that resolve and independence that used to make America great.

So i ended my six-year boycott on voting yesterday. The last time that I voted was when I was a student in Tallahassee in 2000 (what fun!), so my choice to avoid elections were mainly out of spite--with a sprinkle of hopelessness. I told the octogenarian voting lady to shove the machine and gimmie a pencil and a ballot.

I'm no Democrat, but I certainly was glad to see the McCaskill got her chance to prove to Missourians that she can be part of the solution. I'm so sick of the oligarchy in Washington it actually makes me sick. The only thing that makes me sicker are the uber-conservative christian right, which makes the following even more amusing:

South Dakota: Rejected abortion ban
Arizona: Rejected gay marriage ban
Missouri: Backed stem cell research.

I will repeat myself. This is not a theocracy. Oh, it feels sooooo good to be right all the time.

is anybody suprised?

Praise Jesus!

Every now and again something happens to the Evangelical Right that truly amuses me. Its not simply because i loathe these people's existence as hypocritical, ignorant, holier than thou Jesus-freaks turning a good idea into a political money machine, but also....um....well i guess that's the bulk of it. Anyway this one is no different.

The pastor of one of the most prominent mega-churches in the country — and one of President George W. Bush's advisors on 'evangelical issues' (whatever the hell that has to do with running a country--your guess is as good as mine) — has taken a leave of absence from his own 14,000-member New Life Church and temporarily resigned as president of the 30-million-member National Association of Evangelicals, which represents more than 45,000 evangelical churches across the U.S., after Mike Jones (who? MIKE JONES!), a man whore gay massage therapist — and self described man whore professional male escort in Denver — told local radio and TV stations that he sold Haggard gay sex for three years. Jones also said that Haggard used drugs with him. Haggard was one of Time's 25 Most Important Evangelicals in 2005.

The best part of course is that these people are the most staunch opponents of gay rights in this country. I believe that we all know that many of the most homophobic people are often overcompensating for some homoerotic tendencies (i call it Foley-itis)

So i guess in between 'saving the heathens of the Earth' and 'walking with Jesus', this loser had time to score meth and bang male hookers. I really don't care about the gay thing---you're gay, so what. But don't be up in arms about gay issues when you're gay. That makes about as much sense as me being in the Klan and burning crosses in my parents' yard. If you are OK with making millions off of people who believe you are 10 steps closer to God, then you should be OK with the fact that God made you gay. That being said, don't cheat on your wife (with a man or woman) and use drugs, then turn around and tell 14 thousand people how to live. How lame is that?

Evangelical lame.

F

we know, we know...

LONDON - The United States is seen as a threat to world peace by its closest neighbors and allies, with Britons saying President Bush poses a greater danger than North Korea’s Kim Jong Il, a survey found Friday.

A majority of people quizzed in three out of four countries polled also rejected the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.The findings came just days before the U.S. midterm congressional elections, with a growing number of U.S. voters wanting their troops in Iraq to be brought home.

n Britain, which alongside Israel is traditionally a close Washington ally, 69 percent of those questioned said they felt U.S. policy had made the world less safe since 2001.

A majority of Canadians and Mexicans agreed, with 62 percent of those polled in Canada and 57 percent in Mexico saying their neighbor’s policy had made the world more dangerous.

really guys? we know, stop rubbing it in.

MSNBC/REUTERS

is this what it's come to?

So apparently my suspicions were true.

I really can't be that offended..much to my chagrin this is what rap music has become to the mainstream (and has been for a minute!). I wish i could blame a certain sector of the population, but i really can't. We all know that stereotypes sell, and unfortunately the same people who control music output continue to entice rappers to 'stay in the mold' in order to sell records--and it works..

I really can't be offended at people trying to get paid in the rap industry by selling out using their art for profit. But on the same note, i really can't stomach a 15-track album about shooting people or jewelry. I really don't care anymore. I guess it's fine if you're fifteen, or you cannot grasp complex concepts, or you listen to music solely to be entertained or sing along. In the same breath, i'm tired of people dressing like idiots rappers as well. Dressing the part is fine if you're getting paid to promote your album persona, but not when all you do is look foolish waddling down the sidewalk or stand behind the counter getting my order of fries wrong.

I'm all for individuality in style, but how is anything these people do or wear remotely individual? Did i miss a meeting?

I'd love to see some of these corny rappers realize their influence and use it promote something at least remotely positive and realistic. It's very rare that i get that impression from a song anymore. But i guess people have to go with pays...like Jigga said "I Dumbed down my audience/and doubled my dollars."

Maybe there will be some type of Great Schism in Rap, like the Catholic Church once had. Lyricists and Black Conscious rappers on one side, then Icy, Super-pseudo thug rappers on the other. Kinda like East/West split but without the bullets.

My inagural 'Lamest Song Out' award is this dumb shit 'Chicken Noodle Soup', and my man over at Dallas Penn goes into finer detail about the meaning. Check him out.

F

finally died of a heart attack on Oct 31.

This asshole (caricaturization left) has finally boarded his express train to the inferno. for those of you who didn't know who he was, here's a brief synopsis.

PW Botha was the prime minister of South Africa from 1978 to 1984 and the first state president from 1984 to 1989. Botha was a long-time leader of South Africa's National Party and a staunch advocate of racial segregation and the apartheid system. Even under great domestic and international pressure in the later years of his career, he only nominally loosened some of the government's most stringent racial policies directed towards South Africa's majority black population and remained unrepentant till his death.

Typical of his rule was his 1985 "Crossing the Rubicon" speech, a policy speech in which Botha was widely expected to announce new reforms. Instead, he refused to give in to pressure for concessions to the black majority including the release of Nelson Mandela. His defiance of international opinion in this intransigent speech led immediately to further isolation of the country, calls for economic sanctions to be applied and a rapid decline in the value of the rand. The following year, Botha declared a nation-wide state of emergency.

Thousands were detained without trial during his presidency, while others were tortured and killed. However, he refused to apologise for apartheid. In a interview to mark his 90th birthday he suggested that he had no regrets about the way he ran the country.

He was the very face of apartied, and believed to be responsible for tens of thousands of Black deaths during his reign.

I hope you burn slow, sir.

...and then Kerry got PISSED.

Oh man. Never a slow news day.

If you haven't heard (google news, people!) about the uproar about John Kerry's 'Iraq' statement yesterday. The senator, who was campaigning for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Phil Angelides, opened with several one-liners, joking at one point that President Bush had lived in Texas but now “lives in a state of denial.”

Then, Mr. Kerry said: “You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”

BOOOOOOM!

Propaganda Minister Tony Snow got all over the TV, demanding an apology from Kerry. John McCain, various GOP-affiliated groups, and a group of House Republicans sent letters and videotaped responses also demanding apologies. Kerry says he will 'NEVER apologize for criticizing the Presidents failed administration and policies.' He issued this statement shortly after, clearly after giving his balls time to grow.

"If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they're crazy. This is a classic GOP play book. I'm sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come form those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did.

"I'm not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium, or doughy Rush Limbaugh, who no doubt today will take a break from belittling Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's disease to start lying about me just as they have lied about Iraq," rails Kerry, in the statement. "It disgusts me that these Republican hacks, who have never worn the uniform of our country lie and distort so blatantly and carelessly about those who have."

Kerry asserts that it is the President and Vice President Cheney who owe troops an apology for misleading the country into war, saying they have "widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it."

"These Republicans are afraid to debate veterans who live and breathe the concerns of our troops, not the empty slogans of an Administration that sent our brave troops to war without body armor," the statement continues. "Bottom line, these Republicans want to debate straw men because they're afraid to debate real men. And this time it won’t work because we're going to stay in their face with the truth and deny them even a sliver of light for their distortions."

He concludes, "No Democrat will be bullied by an administration that has a cut and run policy in Afghanistan and a stand still and lose strategy in Iraq."

ummm...where was this guy in 2004?

i'm not done with these idiots.

I know you've seen/read about these people picketing soldiers' funerals before. The 'church' that preaches that since the US 'harbors gays' that God is killing us in Iraq. But I haven't seen it on the news in quite some time even though. Being a good sheep, i thought that since the news wasn't covering it still--it wasnt happening. I was taking a look at the iraq casualties and remembered this 'church' . I never thought i'd say that i hated a church...but...if i even ran into one of these assholes, someone would have to bail me out.

I hate these people. Something has hijacked religion in this country and i'm so sick of it.

If i ever see them outside a funeral, you will see me in cuffs on the news. F*ck them man.

Pseudo-Conservatives.

They're like Conservatives, except that they're irresponsible thieves:"...

The two most significant facts about the current crew in power is that they have increased the debt overhang facing the next generation from $20 trillion to $43 trillion in five years. The new Medicare entitlement was putting fiscal gasoline on a raging fire of debt. No one who voted for it can even be faintly described as conservative. Then there's simple pork and corruption. The last transportation bill had over 6,000 earmarks in it. Reagan vetoed a bill because it had 150 earmarks in it. That was when the GOP was conservative. What Bush-DeLay-Hastert-Frist are about is not fiscal conservatism in any recognizable form. They are about borrowing vast amounts of money from Asian banks, spending more liberally than any Democratic Congress since FDR, and using it to bribe voters in gerry-mandered districts to keep themselves in power..."

Source: Andrew Sullivan

how about actually helping?

I honestly don't know why I even bother.

I am all for adoption, but i find something very wrong with these celebrities traveling across the world to pick out African babies. I have nothing against adoptions or Africans, but i happen to hold quite a bit against self-righteous white (mostly) celebrities who think that adopting a African baby will up their popularity (which it does somehow).

Since you want so badly to play the good Samaritan multi-millionaire, here's some pointers for the next adoption trip you decide to take--might make everything a little easier.

(a) Stay in the United States.

Want a Black kid? In 2004 more than 48,000 African-American children were waiting to be adopted from foster care. You don't have to transverse the Atlantic Ocean to find a dark-skinned baby from whom you need to help cementing your delusions that it isn't people like you who've contributed to the widening socioeconomic gaps in the world that keep some parents from being able to raise their own damn kids in the first place.

(b) If you choose to ignore 'a', then stay in this Hemisphere: (Have you been to Haiti? It sucks hard and it ain't far from here)

(c) Perhaps think about who exactly is going to teach these kids what it means to be African (or since he/she is in America now, 'colored'). Do you honestly think you know how to teach that child about his culture, traditions, language, customs, family, and history? Well can you Madonna? Angelina, you listening? You're going to end up with another disenfranchised Black kid. The only thing the Material Girl knows about Black people is Dennis Rodman, which is pretty scary.

(d) Still feeling African-y? How about parting ways with a fraction of one of your millions to help an entire community? Build better schools, help fund an infrastructure, support small business loans, improve dismal medical care, ensuring clean water and food, et cetera. From what I hear on TV third-world kids only cost $29 per month all-inclusive. You could do without a second private jet.

There is nothing wrong with adoption when its done for the right reasons, and under the right circumstances. It's a good thing for society. But if you want to truly help out, make your money actually make a difference instead of simply supplying one kid with a wealthy windfall.

sheesh.


F

One Step Closer Toward Martial Law

this asshole.

In a bitch-made stealth maneuver, President Bush has signed into law a provision which, according to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), will actually encourage the President to declare federal martial law (1). It does so by revising the Insurrection Act, a set of laws that limits the President's ability to deploy troops within the United States. The Insurrection Act (10 U.S.C.331 -335) has historically, along with the Posse Comitatus Act (18 U.S.C.1385), helped to enforce strict prohibitions on military involvement in domestic law enforcement. With one cloaked swipe of his pen, Bush is seeking to undo those prohibitions.

Public Law 109-364, or the "John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007" (H.R.5122) (2), which was signed by the commander in chief on October 17th, 2006, in a private Oval Office ceremony, allows the President to declare a "public emergency" and station troops anywhere in America and take control of state-based National Guard units without the consent of the governor or local authorities, in order to "suppress public disorder."

President Bush seized this unprecedented power on the very same day that he signed the equally odious Military Commissions Act of 2006. In a sense, the two laws complement one another. One allows for torture and detention abroad, while the other seeks to enforce acquiescence at home, preparing to order the military onto the streets of America. Remember, the term for putting an area under military law enforcement control is precise; the term is "martial law."

I shouldn't be suprised. I seriously wonder what it's going to take for people to pay attention to what's happening in this fading excuse for a republic.

I made a plan for the GOP.

Planning ahead for Nov 7th.

1. Stop saying 'Stay the Course.' We need to make sure we keep our rhetoric slogans on fresh rotation. Deny we ever said or believed that. Bush told Stephanopoulos on ABC this week that the 'Administration has never been stay the course.' The old switcharoo...CLASSIC!

2. Steer public thought away from Iraq. "The challenge is to get Americans to focus on pocketbook issues, and not on the Iraq and terror issue," Frist said in an interview with the Concord Monitor on Tuesday.Frist suggested that Republicans remind voters of subjects like tax cuts and lower gas prices, the result, he said, of the energy bill passed by Congress last year. Nevemind the bodies!

3. Remind the People that without our Republican leadership (effectively carte blanche for Bush), the terrorists will murder your children and burn down your Starbucks. Also they have interests in impregnating your teenage daughters. Jihad! Jihad!

3.2) For bonus votes, issue a higher terror alert shortly before the elections. If you have time, release an Al-Qaeda videotape during the nightly news. That stuff is voter gold. GOLD I tell you. Check the jump in the polls in '04 after the Bin Laden tape came out. Score!

4) Only bring up Bin Laden if you are in dire straits in the polls. The public may begin to question how "We will catch him dead or alive (9/12/01)" turned into "I just don't spend that much time on Bin Laden, and i don't know where he is (3/04)"

! IMPORTANT PLEASE READ !

If the Diebold Machines and Voter discrimination don't work as well as planned, and it looks like the count isn't going to our way..REPORT BIN LADEN KILLED IN AFGANISTAN. This is an absolute last resort. Of course, we'll have to say that his body was incinerated by missles, but nobody will ask for proof (in the off chance they do, denounce them as 'defeatists' and 'enablers for terrorism'). And by the time they figure out he's still alive, it won't matter!

BRILLIANT!

F

what you MUST believe to be a good Republican

Yes, there has been a checklist compiled.

* Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a popular conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.
* The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.
* Government should relax regulation of Big Business and Big Money but crack down on individuals who use marijuana to relieve the pain of illness.
* "Standing Tall for America" means firing your workers and moving their jobs overseas.
* A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.
* Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.
* The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.
* Group sex and drug use are degenerate sins unless you someday run for governor of California as a Republican.
* If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.
* A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then demand their cooperation and money.
* HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.
* Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy. Providing health care to all Americans is evil socialism.
* Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.
* Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.
* A president lying about an extramarital affair is a impeachable offense. A president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.
* Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.
* The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.
* You support states' rights, which means Attorney General John Ashcroft can tell states what local voter initiatives they have the right to adopt.
* What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.
* Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

here

right-wing morality.

(trying to be as calm as possible...)

i am going wondering what the 'Christian Right' is thinking. If I'm alone in my thoughts for longer than a minute--my brain makes futile attempts to follow the logic of these people who unwaveringly support the the president and his countless moronic foibles. After the headaches and anger reach a boiling point, i try to apply reason to the current schism in America's mental state. I calm down, then I see another Bush/Cheney sticker on some suburban soccer moms' SUV and I lose it again. "What are you thinking...wait...are you thinking?" When did people in this country become so complacent in the face of such obvious inadequacy at the highest of levels? The misinformation, the lies, the propaganda, the cover-ups..do you people see this? I am all for people who believe what they want to. But when you blindly follow flawed policies and support a morally indignant ideology, i can no longer discuss matters of intelligence with you. Most of the Republicans i've known (admittedly VERY few) will always regurgitate rhetoric when i ask them about the current political climate.

me: What do you think about the hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths in Iraq coupled with 90 American deaths this month? Do you consider this winning? 78% of Iraqis want us out.

them: Well, we just need to stay the course to win the war on terror.

me: Goodbye. I don't need talking points, but thanks Tony Snow.

You believe in a Christian God? Good, you believe in something. I really don't care what/who it is. It's human nature to believe in a higher power. But the second you put your God over someone else's God, i stop listening to you.

The second you tell me I'm wrong because of what i choose to believe, i stop listening to you
The second an American President tells me that God told him to invade Iraq, i stop listening.
The second you call me a traitor because i question the presidents' action, i stop listening.
The second you begin to echo what is clearly rhetoric and not think for yourself, i stop listening.
The second you use religious dogma as political policy, i stop listening.
The second you tell me what 'Gods Will' is, i stop listening. How self righteous can one be?

THIS IS NOT A THEOCRACY.

How can you POSSIBLY claim to be a Christian and support this man? Do you ever have moments of dissonance where you go 'wait...something isn't right here..' There was more outrage that Clinton cheated on his wife than Bush leading us into an unnecessary war. How is that possible? Did i miss an important meeting? You people have a built-in superiority complex that blankets all things religious. Ah, it's OK--civilian Iraqi deaths aren't important. Who cares about Muslims anyway, right? Right?

There are 152 (reported) violent deaths per day in Iraq, and you want to talk about gay marriage. F you. Seriously.

Many conservatives still believe the Iraq War has something to do with 9/11. In fact, many soldiers went to Iraq and died on that same false pretense. It's not their fault. The Administration continues to attempt to tie the two together when it has been proven otherwise. Truth and reality bear no relevance here. What matters is what you can convince the public.

Please stop with the Holier-than-thou bullsh*t, take a step back from your pulpit and look what's happening to this country. I'm not buying a word you say.


F

NKorea slaps SKorea once again.

As everbody knows, getting slapped in the face is the funniest thing ever. It's the ultimate disrespect (well, third to old people falling down and a shot to someone else's coinpurse), and if you're short on melanin you get a nice reminder handprint on your face.

South Koreans have some pretty fair skin, so they must be sore and humiliated (yet again) after the latest round of threats from Our Dear Leader Kim Jong. Apparently the NKoreans aren't too pleased with the prospect of SKorea supporting UN sanctions.

“South Korea, forced by the United States, has already halted inter-Korea humanitarian projects and is moving to stop cooperation in other areas. The South is even revealing an intention to join U.S.-led military operations aimed at blockade against us,"

“If South Korea joins the U.S. ploy to pressure us, we will consider it as a declaration of a showdown and take corresponding actions,”

That, my friends, is an international i-dare-you. We've all heard this before from Pyongyang, but this seems different. Everybody knows we basically provide international security (read: guard duty against NKorea) for SKorea. It seems that threats from NKorea to any other Korean Peninsula Country is a pseudo-slap to the U.S.

I wonder if SKorea decides to slap back this time?

The Tyrant's Foe; the People's Friend..

The Group Reporters Without Borders, which ranks actual 'freedom of the press' has recently released their latest report. We didn't do so well.

Although we ranked 17th on the first list, published in 2002, the United States now stands at 53, having fallen nine places since last year.

"Relations between the media and the Bush administration sharply deteriorated after the president used the pretext of 'national security' to regard as suspicious any journalist who questioned his 'war on terrorism,' " the group said.

"The zeal of federal courts which, unlike those in 33 U.S. states, refuse to recognize the media's right not to reveal its sources, even threatens journalists whose investigations have no connection at all with terrorism," the group said.

Lucie Morillon, the organization's Washington representative, said the index is based on responses to 50 questions about press freedom asked of journalists, free press organizations, researchers, human rights activists and others.

The press was designed to keep the public informed and the administration in check. Unfortunately, whenever a paper breaks a story that uncovers something that the administration was doing wrong, they are attacked. Remember Valarie Plame? The Bu$h Administration couldn't stop shitting on the Times and the Post. Remember the secret CIA prisons overseas? Same thing.

Now the NeoCons have been taking up arms against 'Liberal-Biased' papers (read: papers that expose illegal activity in the Administration), labeling them Anti-American.

The most American thing you can do (short of taking a bullet with a uniform on) is dissent. Someone has to make sure those fools act right. We have a long way to go.




the story

Nice to see you still suck, Mr. Limbaugh.

As if not trying to be swept into mediocrity in the sea of rightwing pundits spewing outlandish nonsensical rhetoric, Rush Limbaugh (yes, the 'i take illegally obtained viagra with me on a guys only golf trip while my wife is at home' Rush Limbaugh), decided to attack Micheal J. Fox's advertisement supporting Claire McCaskill. The ad clearly shows Fox's deteriorating condition due to Parkinson's Disease, and he's talking about the importance of stem cell research while he's shaking.



Limbaugh, in all his pompus asshole glory, said that 'Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting' since he had seen him before and 'didn't see anything like the commercial.'

I'm no doctor, but without medication most people with Parkinson's as late as Fox's wouldnt even have been able to sit there--much less speak. Parkinsons causes severe stiffness by killing muscle control...not the shakes. Thats the medicine's side effects, fat boy. Think before you speak.

ahhh negative ads.

I wonder if there are actually politcians who will say, "No, I will not run a negative attack-based campaign. I will beat my opponent purely on the merit of my record, and the voting public will see the good that I have done." (check the truth about Talents' ads here)

I think i vaguely remember hearing of that once before. What really sucks is that they only run negative ads because the sheeple respond to them. I actually heard on net radio someone say that Claire McCaskill would not get her vote because she 'spreads untruths and violates ethics.' Which is funny, becuase that's the same ad that Jim Talent has been saturating local TV with for the last 2 or 3 weeks. The show host made sure to point that out.

Back in my bunker, i do enjoy watching the ads--especially when it get closer to election time and everyone reloads their sniper rifles with the highest caliber possible. I suspect that in years to come, they will actually have reduced debates into a back and forth series of 'yo momma' snaps. Pay-per-view. sunday sunday! SUNDAY!!

That will certainly be a sight to see. The election after that? Bare-knuckle fist fights (sweet!). I certainly don't want some weak-ass representing my district. What if a fight breaks out the House of Representatives? I don't want people pointing and laughing at my Representative. (luckily i think Cleaver can handle himelf)

I rarely complain about politicians collectively, because...well they are what this society produces. Plain and simple. Garbage in, garbage out. Where do people think the politicians come from? Do they quantum leap over from an alternate universe? Maybe the 'government' keeps farms of politician larvae growing underground somewhere in one of those missle silos they don't tell us about.

They come from American parents, Amercian schools, and American businesses. Apparently this is the best we can do ladies and gentlemen. If you're ok with that, then go back to grazing in the pasture and don't bother the people who are busy thinking. No, I do not suggest purging the entire system--there is a small voice inside of me that actually believes in our society. I think people need to seriously consider where this country is headed, and at least pretend like we give a damn about each other for once.

Because none of this is working, and it feels like nobody cares anymore.

SoCal Republicans vs. Latinos

It never ends.

In an effort to intimidate Latino voters in the 47th congressional district, home of The Happiest Place on Earth!, a letter was sent to 14,000 registered Hispanic voters. The letter was written in Spanish, and warned that "if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in jail time...."

Just as reprehensible, the letter also threatened to turn over names of Latino voters to anti-immigrant groups.Oh, and those voters? They just happened to be Democrats.

Kevin Tillman's Open Letter.

This is a must read.

We all know about the late Army Ranger/ Arizona Cardinal Pat Tillmans' (pictured left) sacrifice. Now read what his brother (pictured right) had to say in an open letter recently:

"Somehow our elected leaders were subverting international law and humanity by setting up secret prisons around the world, secretly kidnapping people, secretly holding them indefinitely, secretly not charging them with anything, secretly torturing them. Somehow that overt policy of torture became the fault of a few “bad apples” in the military.

Somehow back at home, support for the soldiers meant having a five-year-old kindergartener scribble a picture with crayons and send it overseas, or slapping stickers on cars, or lobbying Congress for an extra pad in a helmet. It’s interesting that a soldier on his third or fourth tour should care about a drawing from a five-year-old; or a faded sticker on a car as his friends die around him; or an extra pad in a helmet, as if it will protect him when an IED throws his vehicle 50 feet into the air as his body comes apart and his skin melts to the seat.

Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes.

Somehow American leadership, whose only credit is lying to its people and illegally invading a nation, has been allowed to steal the courage, virtue and honor of its soldiers on the ground.

Somehow those afraid to fight an illegal invasion decades ago are allowed to send soldiers to die for an illegal invasion they started.

Somehow faking character, virtue and strength is tolerated.
Somehow profiting from tragedy and horror is tolerated.
Somehow the death of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people is tolerated.
Somehow subversion of the Bill of Rights and The Constitution is tolerated.
Somehow suspension of Habeas Corpus is supposed to keep this country safe.
Somehow torture is tolerated.
Somehow lying is tolerated.
Somehow reason is being discarded for faith, dogma, and nonsense.
Somehow American leadership managed to create a more dangerous world.
Somehow a narrative is more important than reality.

Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.

Somehow the most reasonable, trusted and respected country in the world has become one of the most irrational, belligerent, feared, and distrusted countries in the world.

Somehow being politically informed, diligent, and skeptical has been replaced by apathy through active ignorance.

Somehow the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country.

Somehow this is tolerated.
Somehow nobody is accountable for this.

In a democracy, the policy of the leaders is the policy of the people. So don’t be shocked when our grandkids bury much of this generation as traitors to the nation, to the world and to humanity. Most likely, they will come to know that “somehow” was nurtured by fear, insecurity and indifference, leaving the country vulnerable to unchecked, unchallenged parasites.

Luckily this country is still a democracy. People still have a voice. People still can take action. It can start after Pat’s birthday."



Brother and Friend of Pat Tillman,

Kevin Tillman

Obama (Reloaded)

So..previously i stated that i'd like to see Senator Obama run for president, and apparently there are plenty of people who feel the same way. When he came to Kansas City, he was preempted on many occasions by people yelling "Obama for President!" which was good for laughs but you could tell he's felt the pressure. It became a pretty major story this morning .

The Times are running a story about him for their next article, entitled “Why Barack Obama Could Be The Next President.”

I think my desire to see a black president may have overridden my common sense. I think he'd make a great candidate for several reasons, but unfortunately he's only a junior senator with limited experience. I wonder if his intelligence and charisma can outweigh his shortcomings. Does anyone actually have a problem with his politics?

Alot of people over at the Huffington Post are inclined to think that there will be a Clinton/Obama ticket in '08. Although that does make a strong challenger to the current Oligarchy, which one settles to run for vice president?

All of this is speculation, as Sen. Obama had stated that he will wait till the November elections to actually sit down and consider his options.

the plot thickens...

it's always about the spin (part 2)

From Media Matters

On the October 11 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly claimed that "the reason North Korea is causing trouble" by allegedly developing and testing nuclear weapons "is that it wants to influence the November election." He added: "That is not a partisan statement. It is a fact," then concluded that North Korea "hate[s] Mr. Bush and want[s] to weaken him as much as possible."

As Media Matters for America has previously noted and as O'Reilly himself referenced, on the October 6 edition of The O'Reilly Factor, O'Reilly warned that "powerful forces want to influence your vote," and baselessly asserted that "Iran has ordered its killers to up the violence in Iraq for the next month" so that "Americans will hold President Bush responsible and vote in the Democrats, who the Iranians believe are not as aggressive in foreign policy."

the terrorists want the democrats to win

Here's the latest talking point from the Bush administration, explaining the surge in violence that has October on track to be the third deadliest month of the Iraq war: it's a campaign strategy. That's right, Sunnis and Shiites are killing each other -- and American soldiers -- in growing numbers because they are out to affect the '06 Elections.

According to Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, the senior spokesman for the U.S. military in Iraq, it is "no coincidence" that the increase in killings is taking place in "the run up to the American midterm elections. The enemy knows that killing innocent people and Americans will garner headlines and create a sense of frustration."

President Bush had a similar take, telling George Stephanopoulos: "There's certainly a stepped-up level of violence, and we're heading into an election... My gut tells me that they have all along been trying to inflict enough damage that we'd leave."

There you have it: Sunnis and Shiites are not killing each other over centuries-old religious conflicts; they're killing each other because they disagree about who should be Speaker of the House, Denny Hastert or Nancy Pelosi.

The Death of Habeas Corpus.

This procedure, part of English common law, was considered important enough to be specifically mentioned in the United States Constitution, which says, "The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it." (Article One, section nine).

You used to be able to challenge your detention. Now the president can declare anyone an 'Enemy Combatant" and wisk you off to one of his secret European CIA prisons without backing SHIT up. This is great. If you ever see a courtroom, it will be staffed by military tribunal, who don't have to publish anything they do. Yes, really. Does that sound like 'American Values?'

Olbermann reminds those of you who refuse to pay attention to what Bu$hCo is doing to our rights. I suppose you deserve to be sheep. You deserve to have your rights stripped away if you don't stand up and fight for them. I am so sick of this administration doing whatever it wants, regardless of the fact that they have zero credibility left (At least not with smart people).


Habeas Corpus(1776-2006), You will be missed.




F

The GOP loves the stereotypes!

No one can criticize the GOP for failing to produce sophisticated propaganda that successfully exploits the hopes and fears of white middle Americans. But can the right-wing distraction factory woo minorities with the same techniques? Check out the following transcript of a new Republican ad targeting black voters in 10 battleground states this year and you be the judge:

"Black babies are terminated at triple the rate of white babies," a female announcer in one of the ads says, as rain, thunder, and a crying infant are heard in the background. "The Democratic Party supports these abortion laws that are decimating our people, but the individual's right to life is protected in the Republican platform. Democrats say they want our vote.Why don't they want our lives?"

BLACK MAN #1: "If you make a little mistake with one of your 'hos,' you'll want to dispose of that problem tout suite, no questions asked."

BLACK MAN #2: "That's too cold. I don't snuff my own seed."

BLACK MAN #1: "Maybe you do have a reason to vote Republican."

This ad was financed by J. Patrick Rooney, a white billionaire notorious for funding several misleading anti-Kerry ads that ran on urban radio stations in 2004. The money for Rooney's newest ad flowed through a little-known group called America's PAC, which was founded by Richard Nadler, a veteran Republican consultant who pushed Intelligent Design in Kansas public schools, declaring, "Darwin is bunk."

Nadler has an apparently dim view of the minorities he hopes to court. In 2000, he produced an ad in 2000 for school vouchers in which a white parent declared that his child's public school "was a bit more diversity than he could handle." The Republican National Committee flatly denounced that ad as "racist."

But about Rooney and Nadler's latest creation, which portrays black men as promiscuous misogynists and black women as submissive "ho's," the RNC is silent.

here

the blinders remain ON.

Rush Limbaugh interviewed Vice President Cheney on his show on Tuesday. At one point, Limbaugh asked Cheney to respond to growing frustration over U.S. efforts in Iraq.

Cheney acknowledged there is a “natural level of concern out there” because fighting didn’t end “instantaneously.” (by the way next month the war will have lasted longer than U.S. fighting in World War II.) Cheney then pointed to various news items to paint a positive picture of conditions in Iraq and concluded, “If you look at the general overall situation, they’re doing remarkably well.”

Are you serious Dick? Talk about being ridiculously stubborn! I guess in Bizzaro Iraq (located on Earth 2), everything is going famously well. Our soldiers are being greeted as liberators (as Bu$hCo predicted) and the Iraqi oil was financing the entire thing (as Bu$hCo predicted).


Back here on Earth One--commonly known as reality--here's what's happening.

1) A Shiite-Sunni civil war in Baghdad and the central part of Iraq. For much of the last year, a vicious campaign of sectarian cleansing has been taking place in the neighborhoods of Baghdad and the surrounding central regions, with Shiite militias targeting Sunni Iraqis and Sunni insurgent groups bombing Shiite sites.

The Los Angeles Times reported yesterday that the latest killings this week in the central part of the country may be directly related to the lack of progress on the national reconciliation front. U.S. troops on the ground in Iraq have argued that the political solution, and not more boots on the ground, is the key to stopping the conflict: “you fix the government, you fix the problem.”

2) Intra-Shiite conflict in the south. Less noticed in the American media have been some battles between Iraqi Shiites in the streets of southern cities such as Diwaniya and Basra. In these clashes, intra-Shiite political disputes have being played out in violence in the streets — and in some cases U.S. forces have supported one faction versus another.

3) Sunni Arab insurgency in the West. The Sunni Arab insurgency continues to undermine security in the Western part of Iraq. The chief of intelligence for the Marine Corps in Iraq filed a report last month saying that the Al Qaeda in Iraq insurgent group has filled a political vacuum there.

4) Arab-Kurdish violence in the North. Violence and tensions have increased in northern Iraq between Arabs and Kurds, particularly in the disputed city of Kirkuk.

AGH!

power politics at its best.

With the midterms coming up, i suspect there will be some valiant attempts by the repugnicans to try and retain their stanglehold on America's common sense (what's left of it). I actually registered to vote this time around, essentially ending my unofficial boycott of the broken election process. The last time i voted was in 2000, when I was among the votes that didn't count in Tallahassee during the Gore/Bush fiasco. After 6 years, i've decided to give it another try for the sake of those who fought so hard for the right to vote. The process is more broken than ever.

Just like in 2004, terrorist threats seem to precede elections. Back then it appeared to me as an extremely transparent attempt by those in power to remind the sheep that it wasn't ok to feel safe 3 years after September 11. They aired some 'new Bin Laden threat' on every station a week before the election. Flawless Al-Qaeda timing? Highly doubtful. It obviously worked. The collective balls that the sheep began to grow back began to quickly shrivel away once again. Now look where we are.

On October 12th, there apparently was news that Al-Qaeda was planning attacks on several NFL stadiums. This time, the feds came out and stated that they doubted the credibility of these attacks and fans should not change their plans.

That is not the point.

All you have to do is re-create the fear of attack , and they will resort to fear. It's human nature. Nevermind if the threat was real or prank, you've successfully established the idea that you could be attacked at any time anywhere. You've reiterated the fear. After that, it's a cakewalk.

I'm waiting for the next Bin-Laden threat to appear the week before the elections, like clockwork. I'm almost convinced that someone keeps archive tapes of him threatening America and they distribute them out when they fear things might not swing in their favor. It might be juuuuuust enough to balance out those swing voters who are more scared of empty threats by W's bearded boogyman than they want to hold repugnicans accountable for their numerous fuckups, moral and political.

F

Goring Interview

For some strange reason, i have a facination with history--especially WW2. I remember every story my grandfather ever told me about his service in the war, and I have to watch anything about it on the History Channel. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the war in my opinion is the propaganda and politics behind the Nazi party. These guys wrote the books on manipulation and control. I don't feel the need to post a photoshopped image of King George with a Hitler mustache on here--so lame..What I am concerned about are the facts. Herman Goring (wikipedia, people) and Heinrich Himmler are incredibly interesting to me. This excerpt is from the former. So damn true in every sense of the word.

From an interview with Herman Goring, an early member of the Nazi party, founder of the Gestapo (again, wikipedia), and one of the main perpetrators of Nazi Germany:

Goring: "Why, of course, the people don't want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece. Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship."

Gilbert: "There is one difference. In a democracy, the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare wars."

Goring: "Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."

(sigh)

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Olbermann's flawless commentary.

Wow.

I really don't know what else i could possibly add to this. Olbermann is dead on, and has been for the better part of a year. I wish I was that good as an orator. Excellent work.

Today's School Shooting Brought to you By:

Joplin, Missouri !


that does it.


I'm gonna just succumb to my fears. I am officially terrified of white kids from 13-18 in the suburbs. Yeah, you.. Julie Q Olathe turned you down for the prom, and you can't make the male volleyball team, you aren't at the cool kids table at lunch---so you decide to shoot people indiscriminately? Where's the logic? They keep coming up with reasons for me to continue avoiding Johnson County.

What makes it simpler is the fact that people have turned the urban school district schools (doesn't matter the city..pick one) into minimum security prisons, where you have armed security guards (usually real police), metal detectors, and drug dogs...when was the last school shooting in one of these schools?

And now, when what people need to be realizing is that 'crazy' isnt exclusive to the urban population, people are going WAYYYY overboard. Arm the teachers? How ridiculous. This country is gun crazy.

What's next...are there drugs in the suburbs?

No way, impossible, shut up.

F

wait...how much?

I don't feel like going into my psychotic torrent about Iraq right now..but I figured i'd keep a running counter on my page (on the left margin somewhere..) about how much the war in Iraq is costing the US taxpayer. In no way do i feel that the economic costs are even close to as horrible as the human cost...but i wanted to help get the word out on what our tax dollars COULD have fuckin been spent on. This is what the numbers spit out based on $322 Bn we're out right now.

* Paid for 23,570,077 children to attend a year of Head Start.
* Insured 106,559,360 children for one year.
* Hired 3,083,967 additional public school teachers for one year.
* Provided 8,626,826 students four-year scholarships at public universities.
* Built 1,602,311 additional housing units
* Fully funded global anti-hunger efforts for 7 years.
* Fully funded world-wide AIDS programs for 17 years.
* Ensured that every child in the world was given basic immunizations for 59 years.

Had enough?

Kiss My Entire North Korean Ass.

Ah, Kim Jong.

While I certainly appreciate the grandiose display of arrogance in detonating a nuke Sunday when the WHOLE EARTH tells him not to, I'm gonna have to go ahead and call this one a bad move. While this is of course drawing world-wide criticism and such, everybody knows this is a US v North Korea issue. Kim Jong wants an audience with Bush, duh...he HATES being an irrelevant leader.

And of course, nobody knows what actually happened. South Korea officials say that the force of the underground explosion was equivalent to 550 tons of TNT....But the Russians think it was between 5,000 and 15,000 tons....that's a HUGE margin of error, somebody needs better equipment.

We all know that King George is a pimple on the ass that is US Foreign policy, so I'm not holding my breath for him to do anything but spit rhetoric and be stupid. The key here is CHINA. CHINA CHINA CHINA. Beijing provides 70% of North Korea's food and 70-80% of their fuel. The last time China cut the umbilical cord, Kim Jong got his act together pretty damn quick. But what sucks for China is that they KNOW they can cripple N.Korea---but where will the millions of refugees go? That's right...China.

The most amusing part of the 'Axis of Evil'

Iran: actively building nuclear program (for energy my ass, you're sitting on a LAKE of oil..gimme a break Ahmadinejad)

N.Korea: (see above)

Iraq: (sigh) still waiting on those WMDs

Who needs reality TV or soap operas?

if i hear..

Man--Look.

If i hear (read) one more white person crying about there being a 'Black' entertainment channel, or a Telemundo, i'm going to start hitting people.There are a hundred other channels that
broadcast shit that ONLY white people care about. Seriously, ONE.HUN.DRED. At this point , i'm pretty sure the same amount of white people (in number) watch BET as black people (though i'm convinced that 98% don't understand what the fuck is going on). The other 2% of the majority can watch it and consider it for what it is. Entertainment. Don't try and catagorize black people based on that one time watched BET till the commercial break. Not to mention BET came about when there weren't ANY of us on TV (except for ambiguous evening news suspects, and that's never gonna change)

Telemundo is safe for now, because its harder to steal a culture when you don't speak the language. Wish we'd thought of that.

aaah, hindsight.

The Illinois Senator

I was in attendance this Saturday, where Claire McCaskill had Senator Obama and Rep. Cleaver as guests at the Uptown Theater. I can go either way on her politics, and everyone was there to see Obama anyways.

I'd never seen him before in person, and he didn't dissapoint (does he ever?) What sucks is that i always compare his speeches to the one he gave at the DNC in 2004---and that ain't fair. Cleaver is no slouch either, and i (almost) felt bad for McCaskill and her lack of charisma. Her politics are decent, although like most politicians she fiddles with the facts. Whatever. I'm still not voting for that dickhole Talent.

But back to him..
Most people i know think that Obama should run for president--and on this i'm somewhat torn. Of course i want a black president; but i'm far from stupid. That election would play out the same as always...any reasonably liberal or moderate area (read: city populations of more than 500,000 or are more than 35% minority), would vote for him. Unfortunately, that leaves 80% of the population out. White people in 'rural America' would never vote for a black president. EVER. I suspect also that about 30% of the so-called 'liberal' white people who say "yes i'd vote for a black president" say that because it sounds cool in coffee shops and around their Westport friends. But when it's just them and that ballot.......

Here's another reason for him not to run: bullets.

A black president-elect wouldn't make it through the inaguration.

Her + (boredom + photoshop)

Insanity has TWO first names.

credit here

The two most dangerous leaders in the world are George W. Bush and North Korea's Kim Jong Il. The lights seem to be out upstairs in both men. Neither man can see the world as it really exists.I wish to stress that. It's not a question of having a difference of opinion. Rational people can easily disagree on what is the right policy. When people see things that are not there, however, reasoning and debate are useless. It's like a demented person who believes someone is hiding in the trunk of the car. No amount of explanation will convince that person otherwise.For the president to compare Osama bin Laden, a crank (but smart enough, it would seem) with maybe a thousand followers scattered around the globe, with Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Lenin is preposterous, absurd and even laughable. To suggest bin Laden could take over Iraq is even more so. We have 140,000 troops, a Navy and an Air Force, and we can't "take over" Iraq. How in the name of heaven could bin Laden do it with no soldiers at all? He is, after all, a Sunni with only a small following among Sunnis, and the majority in Iraq is Shiite.

The human being is controlled by the mind. We can't even take a piss or scratch our ear without the brain first instructing the body to do so. The mind is our means of survival, and we survive by correctly identifying reality. Often when we fail to correctly identify reality, it kills us, as with the person who believes he can beat the train through the crossing...But not only is this more serious than a difference of opinion, it is more serious than lying. Rational people can lie. The used-car salesman doesn't really believe that the lifted pickup truck with the loud pipes and fuzzy dice hanging from the rearview mirror was previously owned by a retired kindergarten teacher. He just hopes you're stupid enough to believe it. See how that works? Politicians lie all the time, because they want to plant a distorted view of reality in your mind, lest you discover the truth about how worthless they actually are.

I used to say the only difference between Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter was that when Nixon lied, he knew he was lying. Carter seemed to believe his own lies.Let's not play around. Am I saying the president is crazy? No, not in the clinical sense. But, if he believes that bin Laden, Hitler, Stalin and Lenin are comparable, if he truly believes he is leading the free world in the great ideological war of the 21st century, then a rational reality has no place for him.

You will be Missed.

Buck O'Neil, a true legend, passed away last night at 94. While certainly sad, i think people should respect the man's legacy by celebrating his accomplishments.He championed the cause to bring national attention to the athletes of the Negro Leagues---and taught those who often ignore our history that heroes can be found anywhere.

-Twice won a Negro Leagues batting title, then became a pennant-winning manager of the Kansas City Monarchs.

-O'Neil broke a powerful racial barrier when the Chicago Cubs made him the first black coach in the major leagues.

He meant so much to the Negro Leagues, baseball, Kansas City, and America in general. Most don't live to accomplish a fraction of what he has--or even attempt to.

If you don't know who he is---come see me for a free face slap.

RIP Mr. O'Neil--you will be missed,
me.

James Love: Is God an Idiot?

 

A week ago, Joe Scarborough asked, "is Bush an idiot?" With the world reeling toward ever increasing intolerance, hate and violence, led by persons who express knowledge of "God's will," we might ask, "Is God an idiot?"

George Bush, the person running the US foreign policy like an idiot, claims that God is directing his actions.

Tony Blair, who never seemed like an idiot before, has thrown his career and reputation away, reportedly because of his deep religious faith. Why is God telling Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair to invade and occupy Iraq? Why is God telling Mr. Bush to sanction torture, or degrading the use of diplomacy?

Terrorism, as is defined these days, is much about people carrying out "Gods will." Osama Bin Laden claims to speak on behalf of God when he urges attacks on civilians.

Mahmood Ahmadinezhad, the devout Shia who is president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, appears to be pushing for new nuclear arsenals, and raising the prospects for war in the middle east.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the "deeply religious" leader of Hezbollah, is now a hero among many Muslims for provoking a shooting war with Israel. "If you hit Beirut, the Islamic resistance will hit Tel Aviv and is able to do that with God's help," he said.

Israel's aggressive bombing of Lebanon, including countless civilian casualties, is yet another chapter of recent warfare that is based upon religious differences.

Iraq is falling apart, as warfare between Suni and Shia populations are killing thousands per month.

If these conflicts are motivated and directed by persons who pray and listen to God, what does it say about God these days? Or about anyone who claims that God is helping or urging them to wage war or kill?

How is it, that in 2006, we see political leaders of all types claiming that brutality, murder and warfare are "God's will"?

Why are we so defenseless in challenging such ridiculous claims? How have we let religion become a tool to justify the least productive, most foolish, and least moral courses of action?

Do we need a "smarter" God? A "smarter" public? Leaders who can discuss the consequences of hatred, intolerance, violence and warfare in a world that is searching for moral outcomes?

Source: The Blog | James Love: Is God an Idiot? | The Huffington Post

At Least it's a Start...

 Link to In the NSA Case, a Judge Says No to King George -  Yahoo! News

Finally.  I was wondering if everyone had forgotten about the NSA's illegal wiretapping program. Apparently the ACLU had been trying to get the program deemed as illegal, which it clearly is. I just have reservations about anything that involves wiretapping, and the real kicker is that the NY TImes had to break the story in order for the public to know it was even happening. Of course, the administration went into attack mode and began denouncing the NY TImes as 'helping the terrorists' by uncovering the newly named 'terrorist survellance program.' I hate PR.

Secret FISA courts, no warrants needed, and no oversight for the NSA. Are people really willing to give up their civil liberties for the illusion of security?

Apparently this judge isn't, and renews my faith that at least somebody is doing something.

kansas city ver 1.1

Here's a couple of randoms. Not the best resolution, but you get the idea. I'm no Ansel Adams by ANY means, but i've just started to take my old ass camera everywhere because i always see interesting stuff wherever i go. Oh and i've finally gotten some time to actually sit down and explore Photoshop CS2, so expect me to get better. :)

And so they SAY..

They say  suicidal Muslim fanatics did it. They say those radical Muslims hate our freedoms. They say the country is full of sleeper agents who could wake up and kill us at any moment, as soon as their little 'I hate America' wristwatch alarms go off.

They say that Saddam had something to do with it--he's Muslim, isn't he? They say invading Afganistan and Iraq was the appropriate response; we had to do something, right? They say is you're not with us, you're against us--and if you're against us that means you are for the terrorist evildoers.

They say those cunning, devious suicide hijackers defeated America's trillion-dollar defenses using flying lessons and box cutters. They say it was ordered by a tall, dark, sinister, hook-nosed dialysis patient in a cave in Afganistan (who kinda looks like Jaffar from Aladdin minus the jewels in the turban).

They say it happened because our defense and intelligence systems didn't see it coming, despite all those urgent warnings from dozens of countries as well as whistleblowers from our own agencies. They say nobody was really to blame, so nobody needed to be investigated, prosecuted, reprimanded, or at the least fired. They say that by promoting the very same people who made the most outrageously improbable blunders, and giving the screw-up agencies a whole lot more money, weve made sure theyll do better next time.

They say anyone who even questions what they say happened is a left-wing radical conspiracy theorist.

i question, and i'm not by myself. I think its my duty as a citizen to question and inspect.

"Who exactly are they and why do they say so much? More amazing, why do we listen to them?"                   -Douglas Rushkoff, 1999

-_-

i have decided that my obsession with poorly-run administrations qualifies as a hobby. No wait, hobbies cost money. This is an 'interest.' Interests are usually free. No, wait--i pay fed taxes (re: they TAKE taxes). Great.

So check it out. I found this somewhere in the infinite, i'll link up the source when i find it.

We are two-and-a-half generations removed from the horrors of Nazi Germany, although constant reminders jog the consciousness. German and Italian fascism form the historical models that define this twisted political worldview. Although they no longer exist, this worldview and the characteristics of these models have been imitated by 'protofascist^' regimes at various times in the twentieth century. Both the original German and Italian models and the later protofascist regimes show remarkably similar characteristics. Although many scholars question any direct connection among these regimes, few can dispute their visual similarities.

Beyond the visual, even a cursory study of these fascist and protofascist regimes reveals the absolutely striking similarities of their modus operandi. This, of course, is not a revelation to the informed political observer, but it is sometimes useful in the interests of perspective to restate obvious facts and in so doing shed needed light on current circumstances.

For the purpose of this perspective, I will consider the following regimes: Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Francos Spain, Salazars Portugal, Papadopouloss Greece, Pinochets Chile, and Suhartos Indonesia. To be sure, they constitute a mixed bag of national identities, cultures, developmental levels, and history. But they all followed the fascist or protofascist model in obtaining, expanding, and maintaining power. Further, all these regimes have been overthrown, so a more or less complete picture of their basic characteristics and abuses is possible.

Analysis of these seven regimes reveals fourteen common threads that link them in recognizable patterns of national behavior and abuse of power. These basic characteristics are more prevalent and intense in some regimes than in others, but they all share at least some level of similarity.

1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism. From the prominent displays of flags and bunting to the ubiquitous lapel pins, the fervor to show patriotic nationalism, both on the part of the regime itself and of citizens caught up in its frenzy, was always obvious. Catchy slogans, pride in the military, and demands for unity were common themes in expressing this nationalism. It was usually coupled with a suspicion of things foreign that often bordered on xenophobia.

2. Disdain for the importance of human rights. The regimes themselves viewed human rights as of little value and a hindrance to realizing the objectives of the ruling elite. Through clever use of propaganda, the population was brought to accept these human rights abuses by marginalizing, even demonizing, those being targeted. When abuse was egregious, the tactic was to use secrecy, denial, and disinformation.

3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause. The most significant common thread among these regimes was the use of scapegoating as a means to divert the peoples attention from other problems, to shift blame for failures, and to channel frustration in controlled directions. The methods of choicerelentless propaganda and disinformationwere usually effective. Often the regimes would incite spontaneous acts against the target scapegoats, usually communists, socialists, liberals, Jews, ethnic and racial minorities, traditional national enemies, members of other religions, secularists, homosexuals, and terrorists. Active opponents of these regimes were inevitably labeled as terrorists and dealt with accordingly.

4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism. Ruling elites always identified closely with the military and the industrial infrastructure that supported it. A disproportionate share of national resources was allocated to the military, even when domestic needs were acute. The military was seen as an expression of nationalism, and was used whenever possible to assert national goals, intimidate other nations, and increase the power and prestige of the ruling elite.

5. Rampant sexism. Beyond the simple fact that the political elite and the national culture were male-dominated, these regimes inevitably viewed women as second-class citizens. They were adamantly anti-abortion and also homophobic. These attitudes were usually codified in Draconian laws that enjoyed strong support by the orthodox religion of the country, thus lending the regime cover for its abuses.

6. A controlled mass media. Under some of the regimes, the mass media were under strict direct control and could be relied upon never to stray from the party line. Other regimes exercised more subtle power to ensure media orthodoxy. Methods included the control of licensing and access to resources, economic pressure, appeals to patriotism, and implied threats. The leaders of the mass media were often politically compatible with the power elite. The result was usually success in keeping the general public unaware of the regimes excesses.

7. Obsession with national security. Inevitably, a national security apparatus was under direct control of the ruling elite. It was usually an instrument of oppression, operating in secret and beyond any constraints. Its actions were justified under the rubric of protecting national security, and questioning its activities was portrayed as unpatriotic or even treasonous.

8. Religion and ruling elite tied together. Unlike communist regimes, the fascist and protofascist regimes were never proclaimed as godless by their opponents. In fact, most of the regimes attached themselves to the predominant religion of the country and chose to portray themselves as militant defenders of that religion. The fact that the ruling elites behavior was incompatible with the precepts of the religion was generally swept under the rug. Propaganda kept up the illusion that the ruling elites were defenders of the faith and opponents of the godless. A perception was manufactured that opposing the power elite was tantamount to an attack on religion.

9. Power of corporations protected. Although the personal life of ordinary citizens was under strict control, the ability of large corporations to operate in relative freedom was not compromised. The ruling elite saw the corporate structure as a way to not only ensure military production (in developed states), but also as an additional means of social control. Members of the economic elite were often pampered by the political elite to ensure a continued mutuality of interests, especially in the repression of have-not citizens.

10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated. Since organized labor was seen as the one power center that could challenge the political hegemony of the ruling elite and its corporate allies, it was inevitably crushed or made powerless. The poor formed an underclass, viewed with suspicion or outright contempt. Under some regimes, being poor was considered akin to a vice.

11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts. Intellectuals and the inherent freedom of ideas and expression associated with them were anathema to these regimes. Intellectual and academic freedom were considered subversive to national security and the patriotic ideal. Universities were tightly controlled; politically unreliable faculty harassed or eliminated. Unorthodox ideas or expressions of dissent were strongly attacked, silenced, or crushed. To these regimes, art and literature should serve the national interest or they had no right to exist.

12. Obsession with crime and punishment. Most of these regimes maintained Draconian systems of criminal justice with huge prison populations. The police were often glorified and had almost unchecked power, leading to rampant abuse. Normal and political crime were often merged into trumped-up criminal charges and sometimes used against political opponents of the regime. Fear, and hatred, of criminals or traitors was often promoted among the population as an excuse for more police power.

13. Rampant cronyism and corruption. Those in business circles and close to the power elite often used their position to enrich themselves. This corruption worked both ways; the power elite would receive financial gifts and property from the economic elite, who in turn would gain the benefit of government favoritism. Members of the power elite were in a position to obtain vast wealth from other sources as well: for example, by stealing national resources. With the national security apparatus under control and the media muzzled, this corruption was largely unconstrained and not well understood by the general population.

14. Fraudulent elections. Elections in the form of plebiscites or public opinion polls were usually bogus. When actual elections with candidates were held, they would usually be perverted by the power elite to get the desired result. Common methods included maintaining control of the election machinery, intimidating and disenfranchising opposition voters, destroying or disallowing legal votes, and, as a last resort, turning to a judiciary beholden to the power elite.

Does any of this ring alarm bells? Of course not. After all, this is America, officially a democracy with the rule of law, a constitution, a free press, honest elections, and a well-informed public constantly being put on guard against any wrong doing. Historical comparisons like these are just exercises in verbal gymnastics. :)

Maybe, maybe not.

and the word of the day is..

indoctrinate.

Besides the photo-op with smiling black kids, the wife of bush took this time to further campaign her many 'Teach a child to Read' public appearances'initiatives'.

Ugh.

There are so many flaws in this stupid idea, but i'll just focus on one. All this talk about reading to kids, teching kids to read...Bush's momma was into this sort of nonsense. Hell of a job she did reading to Dubya by the way. Don't these simpletons fucking get it? You should be teaching kids to question what they read not just drag their eyes across some page to make mommy proud. Don't the schools do enough damage teaching kids to think alike?

This perpetual cycle of cognitive apathy starts at home with the parents. They should be teaching kids independent thought, not regurgitiation.

think, bitch. it helps.

philosopher kings

For those of you who don't know, and yes, i'm talking to you stupid---

Philosopher kings where the hypothetical rulers of Plato's book Utopia (you DO know who Plato was, right?). They kings ruled under a very simple mantra, only the smart people control society.

Make's sense, doesn't it? Hence the name Utopia

Let the stupid people do the mundane and pointless 'under-work' in society. We need the labor. Everyone is divided into what they do best, and leave the intelligent to make the laws and rule accordingly. I like that idea.

I wish sometimes that I could stand in awe of our public figures and revere them for their witty reparte' and insight into earth-life version 2006.4

hasn't happened yet. i'll wait.



still waiting.

14 Random Thoughts.

I often wonder if i'm the only one paying any attention anymore.

I watch the news for entertainment. Detachment WORKS, people.

I don't get all teary-eyed when the Star-Spangled Banner plays.

Organized religion has killed more than most diseases.

If i drop food on the ground i pick it up and eat it.

I smoke cigarettes 'cause it relieves anxiety and tension (re: nicotine addiction)

Who made the pope the holiest man on Earth? When was that vote?

I have no tolerance for stupidity.

I do what i want.....mostly. I got BILLS, bitch!

I'm in favor of anything that questions the authority of the republic.

Everything comes down to luck and genetics.

Dissent fosters social evolution and progress.

Tearing down is the best way to rebuild.

Then the kings will rise.