Johnny Nobody

2006-06-27T20:24:00.000-04:00

...

2006-06-27T20:17:00.001-04:00

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2006-06-27T20:17:00.000-04:00

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2006-06-27T20:16:00.000-04:00

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2006-06-24T02:13:00.000-04:00

xxx

Impeachment? Hopefully.....

2005-12-23T14:59:00.000-05:00

It takes a lot to bring me out of the hole I've been hiding in.....but the new "warrant-less" wire-tapping was just the ticket to do it.....

The beauty...the absolute, stunning beauty of it is, there are absolutely no good arguments for what Bush did.

"He needed the agility to get quick wiretaps."

.....Rrrrrrrright, even though he could get a warrant retroactively 72 hours AFTER the actual wiretap....

"Congress authorized him to do it when the gave him authorization to fight the war on terra."

Nuh-uh

"He draws the authority from the Constitution."

Again, everyone says this, but if you listen, right-wingers will never actually nail down the passage that grants this....and if anything, you would think that the Constitution actually prevents such things from happening....I'll refer you to number IV on this link.

The best part is watching the floundering of right-wingers everywhere. I love watching them defend an indefensible act.

Dance for me Fred Barnes. Please David Brooks, look like more of a clown. They all know FISA granted these type of "searches". But they just wanted to bypass, which is all the better. Because they didn't have to be in hot water for this. They chose to be.

Hugs and kisses to the Constitution for that whole "checks and balances" thing.....mwaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!

Oh Benny.....

2005-12-21T19:06:00.000-05:00

"Anyone who trades liberty for security deserves neither liberty nor security."

- Benjamin Franklin

Like a deck of cards.......

........IMPEACH...............

Kung Fu Hustle

2005-09-17T20:57:00.000-04:00

Kind of an odd movie. I thought it would be more action oriented, but it's more a comedic live-action cartoon than it is anything else. Definitely worth a rent if you like kung fu movies, but other people may want to steer clear.

Rating:

6 out of 10 ponies

No, I'm not dead....

2005-09-17T20:29:00.000-04:00

...and you're an ass for saying so. (Though I did swallow rat poison after attempting to watch the movie Vanilla Sky the whole way through, good Christ is that a long movie, and not a lot of payoff.....let me save you 3 hours, he's in a cryogenic tank)

Anyways, obviously I fell off the map after the election. The part of me that liked politics up and died for the most part, and only recently have I came back to it.

I'm still interested in the politics and of course I have my opinions on the clusterfuck in N.O., but nothing I say at this point hasn't been said better by someone else.

All that being said, I'm relaunching the website. I am going to stray outside politics more this time around. I just can't suffocate myself w/ it like I did before. It's not healthy, and I do have other interests, like movies, books, and taxidermy and braiding people's hair. How interesting will it be for someone else to read. Who knows.......

Love,
Johnny

This is Great

2005-05-02T20:14:00.000-04:00

I was a Republican 40 years ago, but then I grew up.

I Just Swallowed My Vomit

2005-05-02T19:51:00.000-04:00

When I read quotes like these:

"I don't have any qualms about sticking with my governor on a 'no' vote," Rep. Diane Hoppe, R-Sterling, said Sunday.

"This is a political issue now. It's not about the merits of the bill."

Said Rep. Bill Berens, R-Broomfield, who co-sponsored the measure: "You can vote your heart with a bill, but you have to step up to the plate and support your governor on a veto."

Read why I'm vomiting, here.

Apparently, 11 Republicans in Colorado (including one who sponsored the bill) don't have enough of a goddamn backbone to vote the same way a second time to overturn a governor veto. What's the issue? Making it mandatory for hospitals to provide rape victims information about emergency contraception. Not actual contraception, information on contraception.

I can see the commercials for the next round of elections in Colorado.

"Republicans, making you dumber and enabling rapists to hijack your womb since 2005......"

What the...........?

2005-03-21T12:14:00.001-05:00

Not only is their "morality" totally off....they get it from weird places.

This Bush advisor isn't even embarrassed she stole her argument against stem-cell research from Star Trek.

Would you admit that? I sure as hell wouldn't......

Wanna Read Something Funny?

2005-03-17T21:34:00.001-05:00

Read these Congressional hearings.

From the tone, you would think they were looking into why soldiers are dying for a cause that was never there.

But no....it's baseball....

What a fucked up world we live in.....

Galvanize........

2005-03-14T20:40:00.000-05:00

Underwear Goes Inside the Pants by Lazy Boy

........

You know we have more prescription drugs now.
Every commercial that comes on TV is a prescription drug ad.
I can’t watch TV for four minutes without thinking I have five serious diseases.
Like: “Do you ever wake up tired in the morning?”
Oh my god I have this, write this down. Whatever it is, I have it.
Half the time I don’t even know what the commercial is…
people running in fields or flying kites or swimming in the ocean.
I’m like that is the greatest disease ever. How do you get that?
That disease comes with a hot chick and a puppy.

The schools now… It is all about self-esteem in the schools now.
Build the kids’ self-esteem, make them feel good about themselves.
If everybody grows up with high self-esteem, who is going to dance in our strip clubs?
What’s going to happen to our porno industry?
These women don’t just grown on trees.
It takes lots of drunk daddys missing dance recitals before you decide to blow a goat on the internet for fifty bucks.
And if that disappears, where does that leave me on a Friday night with my new high speed connection?

CHORUS: baby sing, sing, sing, sing, sing your song,
sing for me,com'mon now sing, baby sing sing sing, sing your song,
sing to me, sing a song

Masterminds are another word that comes up all the time.
You keep hearing about these terrorists masterminds that get killed in the middle east.
Terrorists masterminds.
Mastermind is sort of a lofty way to describe what these guys do, don’t you think?
They’re not masterminds.
“OK, you take bomb, right? And you put in your backpack. And you get on bus and you blow yourself up. Alright?”
“Why do I have to blow myself up? Why can’t I just…”
“Who’s the fucking mastermind here? Me or you?”

Americans, let’s face it: We’ve been a spoiled country for a long time.
Do you know what the number one health risk in America is?
Obesity. They say we’re in the middle of an obesity epidemic.
An epidemic like it is polio. Like we’ll be telling our grand kids about it one day.
The Great Obesity Epidemic of 2004.
“How’d you get through it grandpa?”
“Oh, it was horrible Johnny, there was cheesecake and pork chops everywhere.”

Nobody knows why were getting fatter? Look at our lifestyle.
I’ll sit at a drive thru.
I’ll sit there behind fifteen other cars instead of getting up to make the eight foot walk to the totally empty counter.
Everything is mega meal, super sized. Want biggie fries, super sized, want to go large.
You want to have thirty burgers for a nickel you fat mother fucker. There’s room in the back. Take it!
Want a 55 gallon drum of Coke with that? It’s only three more cents.

CHORUS: baby sing, sing, sing, sing, sing your song,
sing for me,com'mon now sing, baby sing sing sing, sing your song,
sing to me, sing a song

Sometimes you have to suffer a little bit in your youth to motivate yourself to succeed in later life.
Do you think if Bill Gates got laid in high school, do you think there’d be a Microsoft?
Of course not.
You got to spend a long time in your own locker with your underwear shoved up your ass before you start to think,
“You’ll see. I’m going to take of the world of computers! I’ll show them.”

We’re in one of the richest countries in the world,
but the minimum wage is lower than it was thirty five years ago.
There are homeless people everywhere.
This homeless guy asked me for money the other day.
I was about to give it to him and then I thought he was going to use it on drugs or alcohol.
And then I thought, that’s what I’m going to use it on.
Why am I judging this poor bastard.
People love to judge homeless guys. Like if you give them money they’re just going to waste it.
Well, he lives in a box, what do you want him to do? Save it up and buy a wall unit?
Take a little run to the store for a throw rug and a CD rack? He’s homeless.
I walked behind this guy the other day.
A homeless guy asked him for money.
He looks right at the homeless guy and says why don’t you go get a job you bum.
People always say that to homeless guys like it is so easy.
This homeless guy was wearing his underwear outside his pants.
Outside his pants. I’m guessing his resume isn’t all up to date.
I’m predicting some problems during the interview process.
I’m pretty sure even McDonalds has a “underwear goes inside the pants” policy.
Not that they enforce it really strictly, but technically I’m sure it is on the books.

CHORUS: baby sing, sing, sing, sing, sing your song,
sing for me,com'mon now sing, baby sing sing sing, sing your song,
sing to me, sing a song

Where in the World is Johnny Nobody?

2005-03-08T20:58:00.000-05:00

Recharging........more soon.........

President Bush - A True Republican

2005-01-27T20:33:00.000-05:00

Overspending, blowhard that can't hold on to his wallet, spending more and more money on useless shit.

The administration spent at least $88 million in fiscal 2004 on contracts with major public relations firms, the analysis found, compared with $37 million in 2001, Bush's first year in office. In all, the administration spent $250 million on public relations contracts during its first term, compared with $128 million spent for President Clinton between 1997 and 2000.

And following this, the Captain Obvious statement of the day:

"While not all public relations spending is illegal or inappropriate, this rapid rise in public relations contracts at a time of growing budget deficits raises questions about the priorities of the administration," said the report by the Democratic staff of the House Government Reform Committee

Wow

2005-01-27T13:38:00.000-05:00

These are nauseating....

View here.

Whatever the Case May Be

2005-01-14T13:58:00.000-05:00

Bush's Presidency must be considered an overwhelming failure, even by their own standards.

9/11 Archetect's not capture/killed. (no link necessary)

WMD's not found in Iraq

The White House acknowledged today that there is no longer an active search for Iraqi weapons. The final report from chief U.S. weapons inspector Charles Duelfer, due out next month, has concluded that "the former regime had no formal written strategy or plan for the revival of WMD."

Iraq has become a breeding ground for "professional terrorists

Iraq provides terrorists with "a training ground, a recruitment ground, the opportunity for enhancing technical skills," said David B. Low, the national intelligence officer for transnational threats. "There is even, under the best scenario, over time, the likelihood that some of the jihadists who are not killed there will, in a sense, go home, wherever home is, and will therefore disperse to various other countries."

US Trade Defecit hits all-time high

"We now have the Grand Canyon of trade deficits," said Joel Naroff, head of a Holland, Pa., forecasting firm. "Actually, deficit is really a misnomer. Chasm, gorge, black hole, infinitely deep well all fit the description better."

There's really not a lot to add. Liberals were right all this time. Pretty much everything we said would happen has happened and Bush is set to go down as one of the all time worst Presidents in history. Everything he touches turns to shit. Congratulations on that whole "restoring honor to the White House" thing.....

Lowest Bar. Ever

2005-01-06T21:37:00.000-05:00

Alberto Gonzales, future Attorney Journal, today:

We must be committed to preserving civil rights and civil liberties.

Alberto Gonzales, future Attorney Jounal, previously:

In Part I, we examine the criminal statue’s text and history. We conclude that for an act to constitute toture as defined by Section 2340, it must inflict pain that is difficult to endure. Phsyical pain amounting to torture must be equivalent in intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily function or even death. For purely mental pain or suffering to amount to torture under Section 2340, it must result in significant psychological harm of significant duration eg. lasting for months or even years. We conclude that the mental harm also must result from one of the predicate acts listed in the statute, namely: threats of imminent death; threats of infliction of the kind of pain that would amount to physical torture; infliction of such physical pain as a means of psychological torture; use of drugs or other procedures designed to deeply disrupt the senses, or fundamentally alter an individual’s personality; or threatening to do any of these things to a third party. The legislative history simply reveals that Congress intended for the statute’s definition to track the Convention’s definition of torture and the reservations, understandings, and declarations that the United States submitted with its ratification. We conclude that the statute, taken as a whole makes plain that it prohibits only extreme acts.

Senator Specter, today:

Do you approve of torture?

May we find our way again......

What a Clusterfuck

2005-01-05T20:13:00.000-05:00

Bomb-sniffing dogs in Iraq are dying because they can't even feed them. Good thing soldiers don't need them for anything:

The commander of an Army Reserve detachment is begging friends back home to send food for Iraqi police dogs.

"The dogs are starving and urgently need dry dog food," Capt. Gabriella Cook, commander of the Las Vegas-based 313th Military Police Detachment, said in a Dec. 28 e-mail reported Wednesday by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

"Some of them have already died," Cook wrote. "Half of them are sick. We have no way of buying actual dog food here."

Bush is supposed to ask for another $100 Billion soon for Iraq, maybe he can set $50,000 to feed these dogs from now to eternity. Retards.....

Democrat Grows Balls; News at 11......

2005-01-05T20:06:00.000-05:00

Now we'll see tomorrow if anyone else has them tomorrow:

The senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee protested President Bush's re-election Wednesday with a new report claiming serious election irregularities and "significant disenfranchisement" of voters in Ohio.

The report by Rep. John Conyers of Michigan says Congress should challenge the Electoral College vote when it is tallied Thursday in the House of Representatives and investigate all claims of voter problems in Ohio.

"We have found numerous, serious election irregularities in the Ohio presidential election," the report said. "There are ample grounds for challenging the electors from the state of Ohio."

There is a possibility that on the 6th the Democrats will not confirm electors for President Bush, forcing a House vote (which Bush would still win). We shall see.....

Updates Soon

2005-01-04T15:38:00.000-05:00

I promise....sorry.....holiday hangover. I ate two turkeys for Christmas and I'm just now waking up....

O' Reilly Named Fibber of the Year

2004-12-23T13:19:00.000-05:00

Read here. That Paris Business Review quote (#4) still cracks me up.

I bet he was lying about liking falafels so much too....

O'Reilly fabricated "Paris Business Review" as source for success of French boycott. O'Reilly falsely claimed "they've lost billions of dollars in France according to 'The Paris Business Review'" due to an American boycott he advocated of French imports. Media Matters for America found no evidence of a publication named "The Paris Business Review."

So You've Decided to Become a Neocon....

2004-12-22T13:56:00.000-05:00

Do you want to be a new-wave conservative, but not sure you can support Bush without vomiting. Just follow my new self-help guide and you'll be well on your way!!!!

1. Pretend the evil actions by one Arab, or a small group of Arabs, should be countered by the nuking of an entire country. If you've said that we should level Iraq the next time al Qaida attacks someone in Afghanistan, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You're well on your way to becoming a neocon.

2. Act as if Bush should not be impeached for sending children to die for a WMD's that aren't there, but become real belligerent that Clinton wasn't for lying about a BJ when they were investigating a completely unrelated land deal. Please remember, Bush was druggie alcoholic until he was 40, but don't worry, he found God!!!! He's exempt from normal moral platitudes in regards to lying, humility, and the poor, just like the rest of us!!!!

3. A lot of people can actually study economics, foreign policy, and complex domestic programs, but it takes a real straight-shooter to go on gut, and not some fancy-pants liberal education. Going to get more education is for complete pussies, just pretend you know Social Security will be bankrupt soon!!!! If someone asks for more details why you think that, just shrug and shake your head and say, "Look, I just know it will......you let President Godsend worry about the details." That should fix that un-patriotic hippie's wagon.

4. The Bible doesn't recognize fags, so why should you? The rational part of your brain tells you that homo's are real people with real feelings just like you or me, but the holy side of your brain tells the other side that its going to hell too if it doesn't straighten out. Listen, if God would've wanted butt pirates to marry, He would've said so, or at the very least told an angel to mention it to someone in the Bible. Maybe Matthew, or Jacob, or like Jerome or someone like that.....

5. Speaking of the bible, don't forget to just cherry-pick the parts you like, and leave the rest for complete morons!!!! If you like all the gay-hating parts of the bible, but don't care too much about taking care of the poor, then you're in luck, the Republican party is for you!!!! Remember, Jesus would want you to save the fetus, but he wouldn't want you to care about clothing or educating it, that's obviously someone else's problem.

Follow these quick, simple steps and you'll be the best Republican, like, EVER!!!!!

Downward Spiral

2004-12-21T20:48:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if anyone else has caught this, but O' Reilly is clearly coming unhinged. He's going batshit crazy and we've all got front rows seats. Maybe he's eaten too many falafels.....

Just a Quick Word on the "Assault on Christmas"

2004-12-21T20:19:00.000-05:00

Look, if I want to say "Happy Holidays", because I don't know if you're Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Native American, purple, Agnostic, a deep sea diver or an alien, what the hell do you care? Do you really give a shit? And if you do, why? Will that spoil your Christmas? Will it?

If You're One of the People that Suddenly Think Bush is Doing a Poor Job in Iraq

2004-12-21T07:42:00.000-05:00

Please note, there's been absolutely no change in Iraq between now and our election. So when people talk about Iraq and you say, "Get rid of Rumsfeld." or "This thing was planned poorly from the start.", but you voted for Bush, congratulations, you're an idiot.

While a slight majority believes the Iraq war contributed to the long-term security of the United States, 70 percent of Americans believe these gains have come at an "unacceptable" cost in military casualties. This led 56 percent to conclude that, given the cost, the conflict there was "not worth fighting" -- an eight-point increase from when the same question was asked last summer, and the first time a decisive majority of people has reached this conclusion.

Anytime Someone Tells You Stem Cells Haven't Been Proven to Work.

2004-12-17T13:19:00.000-05:00

You can tell them to stick it.

Surgeons have used stem cells from fat to help repair skull damage in a 7-year-old girl in Germany, in what’s apparently the first time such fat-derived cells have been exploited to grow bone in a human.

Book Reviews!!!!

2004-12-16T22:33:00.000-05:00

My friend who reads this page suggested I do some book reviews, which I think is a great idea. Unfortunately he also watched the movie 3 on ESPN, so what the hell does he know. Unfortunately, it's also a bad idea for another reason. I'm a great book starter, but a terrible book finisher. I'm in the middle of reading like 34 books, but here's my reviews of the books so far......

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Everyone and their mother has read this. It's being made into a movie with Tom Hanks I think. Tom Hanks will play a symbolist who has a knack for wearing Mickey Mouse watches. Very quaint. Let's move on.....

The 9/11 Commission Report by (you guessed it) the 9/11 Commission (or the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks)
I've only read like 30 pages in to this, but it's got a lot of twists and turns. I'd give more of a review but I'm lazy.

The Republican Noise Machine by David Brock
If you visit Media Matters you really don't need to buy this book, but it's out on paperback now too. It's pretty much a list of dicky things Republicans say or do. There's a lot of history on how the Republicans built up their propaganda machine, but I pretty much skipped everything that happened before I was born. It gives me a real sense of accomplishment to skip that far ahead.

Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose
This is a quality book. I actually read about half of the book before I borrowed and watched the series on DVD. Both are very good. Even Mrs. Nobody liked the HBO series. The book is great to get some background on everything and has great detail on what is perhaps the most interesting time in United States history. I would've totally shoved a grenade up a Nazi's ass or something had I been alive back then. It was the cool thing to do back then I'm told.

Plan of Attack by Bob Woodward
I'm like 3/4 of the way through this book, so "hooray for me, HOORAY FOR ME!!!". This book is actually very funny. You get the sense very quickly that George W., is in fact, a boy king. His servants show him presentations on how to invade Middle Eastern countries, and with no debate at all, he either voices his approval or displeasure with the wave of a hand. You would almost wonder where Bush gets his expertise, but then you would remember that He was appointed by God, so.........

Anywho, that's all for now. Hail Satan.

My Goodness

2004-12-15T23:49:00.000-05:00

That was the most offensive episode of South Park I have ever seen. It was hilarious!!! Just so you know, a blood orgy breaks out between forest critters that have just sacrificed a bunny. I thought I was going to pee my pants.

I Don't Know Why...

2004-12-15T22:43:00.000-05:00

But Sean Hannity is my favorite neocon wingnut. I think the reason I love him is because people like O' Falafel and Rush "Oxycontin High" Limbaugh know they're bullshitting. They know the bullshit that spews from their cakehole is a big pile of cow dung, and they're doing the RNC's bidding out of self-interest and greed. It's all about the money.

But Hannity....Hannity's different. He believes the Republican Talking Points to their core. I believe he takes the Republican Talking Points home. And he lays down at night, with his little pajamas with the footies on them. And he curls up in a little ball and he holds that piece of paper so close to his heart. He whispers to them. Tells them he'll make them true. Nuzzles that piece of paper. Kisses it and loves that Talking Points Memo.

Media Matters has documented FOX News' peddling -- led by Hannity -- of a false report that Stevens Creek Elementary School in Cupertino, California, banned the Declaration of Independence because it mentions God.

More Hannity here.

Elian Gonzalez

2004-12-15T22:40:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure why I'm putting this up here. Human interest story. But here's an update on everyone's favorite Cuban.

3: A Brief Synopsis of the Movie on ESPN

2004-12-14T21:29:00.000-05:00

Somebody Else Beside Dale Earnhardt: But Dale, you can't race, you're not a good man/father/driver.

Dale Earnhardt: Damnit, yes I am Daddy/wifey/YOU!!! You paint that 3 on my racin' car cause I'm gonna go russle me up a victory.

I didn't watch it, but I'm guessing this is how it went for 2 hours.......

Start Using the Word "Elite" to Libs Advantage Now

2004-12-14T21:12:00.000-05:00

John Holbo calls this one just right. It's time to take the political fight to those claiming "moral" superiority.

Once you put the problem that way, the solution is obvious. Let's get in the habit of calling Republican moral elitists: 'the moral elite', 'morally elite', 'moral elitists'. Just use the terms as flat descriptors for anyone proposing to legislate morality in any of the usual ways. Just to change things up, sometimes you use: 'morally superior' to designate the attitude. And 'moral superiors' to designate the tribe. Maybe you start to distinguish, as a matter of course, between legislation that ensures 'moral superiority' and the regular stuff. Talk about Repubicans taking 'necessary moral superiority measures'.
....
It should be hard for Republicans to unstick this stuff from themselves, if accurately applied, because what are they going to do: deny that they are morally superior? In the context of, say, proposing to legislate against gay marriage, can they deny that they think they are morally superior to those who think this stuff would be alright? If they deny they are morally superior, then what do they think they are doing? Letting your neighbor be is such a fundamental American value that it is very embarrassing to be on the wrong side of it, as Republican often are these days.
...
Suppose the victims say: no fair picking on us. Democrats have their own moral values that they believe are best. So they're an elite, same as us. This is true, but a loser, because this is a truth Republicans are at great pains to keep under wraps. If the truth that Democrats have moral values shines forth, a favorite trick no long works: pretending Democratic and/or liberal values aren't moral values.

'Nuff said.

The Answer: They're Recalling 70 Year Old Men for Duty in Iraq

2004-12-14T21:05:00.000-05:00

The Question: What is a huge indicator there's going to be a draft, Alex?

Think I'm lying? Read it here. (via Jesus General)

Dr. John Caulfield thought it had to be a mistake when the Army asked him to return to active duty. After all, he's 70 years old and had already retired - twice.

McCain in 2008

2004-12-14T20:55:00.000-05:00

Looks like the 2008 campaign for President has already begun. McCain's suddenly taken a harder line on Rummy:

My answer is still no. No confidence
...
There are very strong differences of opinion between myself and Secretary Rumsfeld on that issue.

Oooooh look at McCain. I guess when W isn't around to hug, he goes all hardcore.

When asked about being President:

In a couple of years I might give it some consideration, but not right now.

So before the election, McCain was gung ho for Bush. Bush was his man, his pal, his amigo. And why were McCain and Bush bestest buds forever? Because of how Bush has handled "terra" and the War in Iraq in general. And who was taking care of that situation? Why the SecDef, of course. But now that Bush is a lame duck President, it's time for McCain to head to that great land called the Center.

This is called something. I can't remember. What's it called when you take a stance one way, and then turn around and stand for something else for the benefit of your campaign. Oh well, I'm sure YOU remember.....

Here's $20 on a McCain in 2008 announcement for Presidency.

Snicker.....

2004-12-13T21:54:00.000-05:00

James Wolcott on Bernie Kerik:

Kerik exuded too much quiet authority and dramatic effect, trying a shade too hard to convey that he knew things he couldn't speak of and was working from the deep inside, privy to secrets that he carried locked inside the bank vault of his barrel chest. I could see how this tough-guy shtick--which obviously wasn't entirely shtick, but a tough streak that had been refined into an urban lawman persona--would impress fake swaggarts like, well, George Bush, who likes to play dress-up as a range hand and fighter pilot to show what a Hungry man entree he is.

A Good Story....

2004-12-13T21:45:00.000-05:00

A town divided by the Iraq War. A damn fine story about how even remembering the fallen of war separates people.

Read it here.

MoveOn Calls Dibs

2004-12-09T22:50:00.000-05:00

Read the article, here.

A scathing e-mail from the head of MoveOn's political action committee to the group's supporters on Thursday targets outgoing Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe as a tool of corporate donors who alienated both traditional and progressive Democrats.

"For years, the party has been led by elite Washington insiders who are closer to corporate lobbyists than they are to the Democratic base," said the e-mail from MoveOn PAC's Eli Pariser. "But we can't afford four more years of leadership by a consulting class of professional election losers."

I think MoveOn just wants to bring the fight to each and every district, city, municipality and state. Take the gloves off. Pass the popcorn........

Our Fabulous Neighbor to the North

2004-12-09T22:28:00.000-05:00

I must admit, every time FOX does a story on how sucky France or Canada is, I admire that country that much more.

Don't mind the fact I've only been to Niagara to drink before I'm 21. And France, oh I will wait to sample your wines, your delicacies. One day when the dollar isn't getting bitch-slapped by the Euro, I will taste your geese and ducks and butter-drenched platters.

But, oh Canada, you've done it again. That's right. More here.
The ruling, on a draft law, cleared the final obstacle for Canada to follow the Netherlands and Belgium in authorizing same-sex marriage. Spain is moving in a similar direction.

Legalizing gay marriage is the coolest!!! Everyone's doing it!!!
Prime Minister Paul Martin said he had wrestled with the issue, but did not believe Canada could have "two classes of citizens."

Someone forgot to tell PAUL there's fundamentalists and non-fundamentalists.....

Oh Canada, how I love thee....if only I could celebrate by watching a hockey game...but....well you can't have everything.

- Plus fait douceur que violence
French Proverb
[Kindness succeeds where force will fail]

I Am Not Smart

2004-12-08T22:45:00.000-05:00

Really? No shit.

Well it's true. I have an interest in politics but not a great depth of knowledge at it. More of a basic understanding. That's why I like the New York Times, but find it's lengthiness a bore sometimes. When people on MSNBC start getting into on economic policy, I'll zone out. Too dry. If I see a really long post on one of my favorite blogs, I'll skim.

But this longer post is worth it. It really is. If you're going to just read one thing this year I link to, make this be it. It covers the war on terror from a liberal point of view. It addresses our shortcomings and our strengths, and address basic problems we have been unable to even identify. Most importantly, it's tremendously accessible. It's a great read, and written at a level that's within my reading comprehension.

I think conservatives and liberals both would enjoy reading it. It's more disparaging to liberals and Democrats more than anyone else, so if you read this page with any regularity, that may be somewhat refreshing.

I don't want to take excerpts from it because it's that damn good. Please read it.

Helpful Financial Tip

2004-12-08T01:20:00.000-05:00

Today on Johnny Nobody's Financial Tip, Johnny has a real special tip for you:

"The Dollar's screwed. Invest in Euro's"

Wow Johnny, really bleak. Thanks. Now to sports.....

This has been another edition of Johnny Nobody's Financial Tips. Join us next time when Johnny teaches us how to keep the yolk from breaking when you flip an egg.

Perception

2004-12-08T01:18:00.000-05:00

For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are more often influenced by things that seem than by things that are.

--Niccolo Machiavelli

Just When You Think It Couldn't Possibly Get Any Worse

2004-12-07T23:50:00.000-05:00

It does.

Memo: Workers Threatened Over Prison Abuse

By PAISLEY DODDS, Associated Press Writer

U.S. special forces accused of abusing prisoners in Iraq threatened Defense Intelligence Agency personnel who saw the mistreatment, according to U.S. government memos released Tuesday by the American Civil Liberties Union.

The special forces also monitored e-mails sent by defense personnel and ordered them "not to talk to anyone" in the United States about what they saw, said one memo written by the Defense Intelligence Agency chief, who complained to his Pentagon bosses about the harassment.
...

An e-mail to Thomas Harrington, an FBI counterterrorism expert who led a team of investigators to Guantanamo, records "somewhat heated" conversations in which Pentagon officials admitted that harsh interrogations did not yield any information not obtained by the FBI.
...

In the July 14 letter obtained by the AP, Harrington suggested that the Pentagon didn't act on FBI complaints about four incidents at Guantanamo, including a female interrogator grabbing a detainee's genitals and bending back his thumbs, another where most of a prisoner's head was covered with duct tape and a third where a dog was used to intimidate a detainee who later was thrown into isolation and showed signs of "extreme psychological trauma."

I really can't add anything to the article except the fact that the Bush administration's entire handling of "Terrorism" has been a complete and utter disaster AND failure. Yes, I think those are two distinct, separate things. And yes, I seem to say this with every news article that comes out, but every time I think the Bush administration can't top itself, it goes ahead and does.

The other thing I wanted to add was, that I was remembering FOX's Guantanamo Special they had with that news anchor with the man's voice. You know who I'm talking about. Anyways, she visited Gitmo, and the inmates were playing chess and supposedly talked to interrogators for "favors". I guess I'm just trying to say what everyone said a few months ago. Fox's loyal viewers are, by far, the least informed and least skeptical bunch of rubes you would ever want to meet.

Question: What would you tell an interrogator who had your nads in a vise-grip?
Answer: Anything he wanted.

Are You Chunky?

2004-12-07T21:38:00.000-05:00

Maybe you should get more sleep. This is good news for me. I thought the spare tire I was working on was because of beer and fatty McFatFatt food. Turns out the problem wasn't the deep-fried Twinkies, it was sleep.

I do actually get only 6 hours of sleep per night (by choice), so this could explain my push to 200 pounds. To me, there is nothing more worthless than sleep. It's just so....boring. But apparently it like regulates some crap inside you....or something.

Losing sleep can raise levels of hormones linked with appetite and eating behavior, the researchers said.

In one study, people who slept only four hours a night for two nights had an 18 percent reduction in leptin, a hormone that tells the brain there is no need for more food, and a 28 percent increase in ghrelin, which triggers hunger.

I'm pretty sure the word "ghrelin" is a made-up word, not that I'm a medical expert or anything. You can read the article here.

A second study found that the less people sleep, the more they weigh, using a measure called body mass index, which scales weight to height. It also found lower leptin levels and higher ghrelin levels in people who slept less.

Leptin.....rrrrrrrright. I wouldn't lose any magical fairy dust either. In all seriousness though, this is the easiest diet plan out there:

Patient: Doctor, I need to lose some weight.
Doctor: How much sleep are you getting per night?
Patient: About 5 hours.
Doctor: Get some sleep fatass....

Oh Red States...

2004-12-06T22:27:00.000-05:00

If we Blue-Stater, sodomizing, immoral fags could be more like you.......then maybe this wouldn't be sweet, sweet justice.....

Moral Mandate my ass...

Daily Howler Debunks "Free" Money with Privatization

2004-12-06T21:37:00.000-05:00

Here.

Not for the faint of heart.

This Just In...Gays Want to be Treated Equally

2004-12-06T21:14:00.000-05:00

BREAKING NEWS!!!! FAGGOTS EXPECT EQUAL RIGHTS!!!! RIGHT-WINGERS STUNNED, THOUGHT THEY HAD OUTBREAK NIPPED IN THE BUD, SO-TO-SPEAK!!!!

All the details here.

Twelve gays who were expelled from the military because of their sexual orientation filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the Pentagon’s 11-year-old “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

The federal lawsuit, filed in Boston, would cite last year’s landmark Supreme Court ruling that overturned state laws making gay sex a crime.

Okay, so any OTHER Supreme Court, besides the one with Antwan Scalia and Clarence Thomas would easily see "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" as unconstitutional, but here's hoping.

Just a Tip

2004-12-06T21:12:00.000-05:00

If you're not checking James Wolcott's site at least every other day, you should be.

Bill Frist, Majority Leader, Senator, Doctor (Sorta)

2004-12-06T21:02:00.000-05:00

Frist's professional opinion on the recent Government-funded report stating that AIDS could be transmitted through sweat and tears (via Pandagon) ?:

Yeah, no, I can tell you that HIV is not very transmissible as an element like, compared to smallpox, compared to the flu. It is not, but the first slide, because I think it's dangerous to show that and then sort of walk away.

Whew, thanks. I couldn't tell if Frist was gunning for President or not.....

A Riddle

2004-12-02T22:53:00.000-05:00

What has John Kerry done that W. hasn't once?

Answer here.

It's Like "Where's Waldo?"

2004-12-02T22:15:00.000-05:00

Can you find the error in this picture?

I'll File this Under, "Gee, I Wonder Why?"

2004-12-02T21:48:00.000-05:00

From Media Matters:

Earlier in the program, in discussing the Bush administration's announcement that the U.S. presence in Iraq will increase by 12,000 troops, Falwell said, "I think [the war] is going well," adding: "CNN doesn't always get it right, but it goes pretty well if you watch it on FOX [News Channel]."

Thanks Captain Obvious. I didn't know the Fox News Channel was a Corporate Whore for the Bush Administration.

From a Soldier

2004-12-02T21:45:00.000-05:00

"It scares the shit out of me that there is a single soul in this country that can still be in support of George W. Bush."

And that was the nice part.

Again, if You're Not Reading the Poor Man

2004-12-02T21:38:00.000-05:00

You should be. Read the whole thing here [all emphasis mine] :

This is about fear - the fear that the theory of evolution points out a flaw in a world view which puts them in a privileged position in the universe. In this construction, having "moral values" is code for publicly upholding black-and-white rules which are gerrymandered so as to always prove that you are right and everyone else is wrong, and uphold these rules in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. This is how it is possible to treat a bad Mel Gibson movie about how an innocent Middle Eastern man was tortured to death 2,000 years ago by an occupying army as an important cultural moment and moral lesson, and then consider our occupying armies torturing some unknown number of Middle Eastern men to death no big deal, and then reward the folks who ordered this torture with another term in office using as your justification "moral values". There may not be much point in making rational appeals here. Rationality may be the problem.

Yeah, what he said.

All Cereal Restaurant?

2004-12-01T20:37:00.000-05:00

Uhhh.....yeah. I had the idea when I was 8. Where's my cut?!?

Cereality also offers its own combos with names reminiscent of Ben and Jerry's ice creams. John Merz, a 27-year-old Penn employee, was bowled over by Devil Made Me Do It — an ambrosial elixir of Cocoa Puffs, Lucky Charms, chocolate crunchies and malt balls, topped with milk.

Emphasis mine....Ugh. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea.....pass the Frosted Flakes.

Take Place in the "My Soldier" Program

2004-12-01T20:29:00.000-05:00

Here. (Link courtesy Veruka's America)

My Soldier is a program that puts politics aside and lets U.S. soldiers know that someone back home cares. When a person enrolls in the My Soldier program, they agree to adopt a soldier. They receive a “starter kit” containing guidelines for letter writing and care package preparation, a red My Soldier bracelet, and a specially designed My Soldier baseball hat to include with the first letter they send to their deployed United States Armed Serviceperson. The first letter/care package they send is addressed to their soldier's platoon contact who then distributes it to their soldier. The soldier then replies and direct correspondence begins (about 80% of soldiers respond, but 100% appreciate getting the letters). The program is free. To sign up, click the link above.

Rudolph

2004-12-01T20:08:00.000-05:00

Anyone that doesn't think Rudolph is the best Holiday animation/clay-mation ever is a punk.

Charlie: I am the official sentry of the Isle of Misfit toys. My name is...
Rudolph: Don't tell me: Jack.
Charlie: No, Charlie. That's why I'm a misfit toy. My name is all wrong. No child wants to play with a Charlie-In-The-Box so I had to come here.

The So-Called Liberal Media....

2004-12-01T19:52:00.000-05:00

Can suck it. Really. They don't want to play a commercial that advocates including gays.

The CBS and NBC television networks are refusing to run a 30-second television ad from the United Church of Christ because its all-inclusive welcome has been deemed "too controversial."
...
"Because this commercial touches on the exclusion of gay couples and other minority groups by other individuals and organizations," reads an explanation from CBS, "and the fact the Executive Branch has recently proposed a Constitutional Amendment to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, this spot is unacceptable for broadcast on the [CBS and UPN] networks."
...
"It's ironic that after a political season awash in commercials based on fear and deception by both parties seen on all the major networks, an ad with a message of welcome and inclusion would be deemed too controversial," says the Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC's general minister and president. "What's going on here?"

Can this country kowtow to the conservative right anymore? Is it even possible? What happened to that freedom of speech thing? The election's over right? We can't advocate inclusiveness anymore? Is that too controversial? F everybody.......

Update: Hey NBC, go shove Will & Grace up your ass....

U.S. to Expand Military Force in Iraq

2004-12-01T19:49:00.000-05:00

Blah Blah Blah...poor planning...administration sucks....

Just a Quote....

2004-11-28T16:55:00.000-05:00

Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious.

- Oscar Wilde

(posting will resume normally on Monday)

A Sad Day

2004-11-22T19:39:00.000-05:00

Intelligence reform, based on the 9/11 Commission would've passed easily. A reform backed by the President, but what was the holdup?:

There, in a Capitol basement room, Hastert tried in vain to find enough votes to pass the bill without relying mainly on Democrats, a scenario too embarrassing for Republicans to endure.

In case you didn't read it correctly:

There, in a Capitol basement room, Hastert tried in vain to find enough votes to pass the bill without relying mainly on Democrats, a scenario too embarrassing for Republicans to endure.

There's really nothing else to say. Some Republicans could've voted for a measure that they thought would've made the US safer, but they chose partisan politics. Gutless...

On a Very Special Johnny Nobody

2004-11-18T20:52:00.000-05:00

Narrator: Johnny Nobody gets condemned to hell by Anonymous from the COMMENTS section on the last post.

Yes, Hell's a reality after this Finite Existence. So's Heaven, fulla incomprehensible pleasure. You must decide to repent. I love you. I'll pray for you. www.reddink.com/INDEX

Narrator: Johnny decides to go to the provided link only to be horrified by the poll there.

Will we cry in Heaven seeing our loved ones in Hell?

- Maybe. If God allows.

- Nyah. I'm having far2much fun. They had their chance; They had their whole existence to repent.

- WHAT??? Ha. Hell is for morons.

- Hawr-Hawr!! Satan LIES like ROADKILL. This is probably another one. I don't wanna grow-up. I prefer to stay stupid.

- NOTHING is worth the loss of Heaven. I'll meet you Upstairs, brudda! Thanx for sharing your bountiful wisdom!

- I don't believe in anything except Me! Me! Me! What harm has befallen MOI? Get a job.

- Yes (boo-hoo)

- Thanx a lot, brudda, for letting me shake reality's hand.

Narrator: Johnny decides to click on Nyah. I'm having far2much fun. They had their chance; They had their whole existence to repent and is horrified to find that most people have clicked on that one as well. In a twist of irony he also sees that no one has clicked on Yes (boo-hoo). Johnny, unfortunately, decides to accept his fate of having a pitchfork stuck in his ass for all of eternity.

[fade to black]

Democrat Debunking

2004-11-17T22:16:00.000-05:00

Occasionally, verrrrrrrrrrrry occasionally, us, sweet, angelic, liberals/Democrats peddle something that's untrue. When I see something, I'll point it out (maybe). Please feel free to do the same (whatever).

That IQ chart we wish so badly to be true (probably is).

No. It isn't. (screw you too)

Republicans Scared of Republicans

2004-11-17T22:08:00.000-05:00

Republicans are backpedaling on the "Moral" Mandate thing. Sorry. Too late. You won. They own you. More here. (via King of Zembla)

Ethics and Morals

2004-11-17T21:38:00.000-05:00

Ethics. Morals. Which party epitomizes these qualities? Well, the Common Wisdom is that Republicans ran on these qualities, and won because of them. Some seem to think that the election was a mandate for Republicans. A voter revolution for them to show the United States, no, the World, how truly righteous they are.

It only seems appropriate that this is one of their first priorities (all emphasis mine). The Republicans, are truly, a righteous force indeed:

Republicans Change Rule to Shield DeLay if Indicted

By Joanne Kenen
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House Republicans voted on Wednesday to change their own rules to allow their powerful Majority Leader Tom DeLay to keep his post even if he is indicted in connection with illegal fund-raising activities.

In a closed-door session, House Republicans approved the rule change in a voice vote to allow a leader or chairman to keep his post after an indictment. The leadership would then make recommendations, based on whether the indictment was deemed legitimate or politically-motivated.
...
He said the change in party rules was necessary to protect Republicans against the Democrats' "politics of personal destruction."
...
"Not only did the House Republicans vote to re-elect the most ethically challenged member of Congress in modern history to lead them ... now, in an act of unprecedented shamelessness, the Republicans have apparently changed their own rules to allow Mr. DeLay to be indicted for a felony and still keep his job as Majority Leader," said outgoing Rep. Chris Bell, a Democrat who lost his seat because of Texas redistricting pushed by DeLay.
...
The vote changes a decade-old rule passed when Republicans wanted to draw attention to the questionable ethics of such powerful Democrats as former Illinois Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, who eventually pleaded guilty to mail fraud and was sentenced to prison.

Connecticut Rep. Christopher Shays, one of the few Republicans to openly oppose the rule change, said it was a return to "business as usual."

"If you are a cop, a judge, a prosecutor, and you are indicted, you step down," he said, adding that Congress should follow similar standards.

Termites. Termites in government.

Any "independent" that says that this just indicates how "both parties" in the government are corrupt, and that this just proves we need a 3rd party, gets a free punch in the face.

CNN? Liberal News Organization, or Complete Retard

2004-11-16T18:49:00.000-05:00

I'm voting on the latter, from Media Matters:

CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley, in an attempt to portray Senator John Kerry as out-of-touch, suggested that green tea is a rare and exotic beverage unfamiliar to "most of America."

From an article in the November 16 edition of The Palm Beach Post:

During a luncheon speech Monday to the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches, CNN political correspondent Candy Crowley shared an early memory from the campaign trail that may explain why John Kerry will not be president next year.

In January 2003, when his campaign was still young enough that Kerry would actually sit down with reporters in a relaxed setting, he and Crowley met for breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Dubuque, Iowa. "I'd like to start out with some green tea," Kerry told the waitress, who stared at him for a moment before responding, "We have Lipton's."

Lipton's would be fine, Kerry said, but the memory stayed with Crowley. "There were many green tea instances," she told the sell-out crowd of 450 at the Kravis Center's Cohen Pavilion. "There's a very large disconnect between the Washington politicians and most of America and how they live. Bush was able to bridge that gap, and Kerry was not."

Gee, I drink Green Tea AND I'm a liberal. Y'know, Candy Crowley's probably right, I'm probably a batshit commie with a predisposition for necrophilia. If that makes me "out of touch" then I don't want to be "in touch". Green Tea is only served at every FUCKING Chinese Restaurant in the US.

Media, I hate you.

Man, This is Going to be Awesome

2004-11-16T18:31:00.000-05:00

Dude, EVERYTHING the Republicans (and Corporations) do, if not in-line with the extreme right of the Christians, is going to be brought into question.

Confirming Specter? **SLAP**

ABC running a "racy" promo at the beginning of Monday Night Football? **SLAP**

The Evangelicals think they are owed because Bush won. Nevermind you that the study saying about 20% of Bush supporters coming to the polls were "moral" voters, and there was 80% of everyone else voting for Bush. That 20% is going to be the most key. We should savor their hilarity like fine wine, roll it over our palette, appreciating the bouquet, and of course, finally spitting it back out in 2 to 4 years. Let's listen: (all emphasis mine)

Sen. George Allen of Virginia said Republican senators who won elections this year need to keep their "very, very important promise" to voters that President Bush's nominees are advanced through the Judiciary Committee and to the Senate floor for full consideration.

***

"It is a betrayal and a slap in the face to millions of pro-life Americans who helped re-elect this president," Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, said Tuesday. "Don't turn to us in four years when you want to run for president ... and expect us to contribute millions of dollars."

The group of about 20 praying protesters held signs stating: "Senator Frist: Listen to We the People" and "Bork Specter." That reference alluded to Specter's help in thwarting the 1987 confirmation of conservative Supreme Court nominee Judge Robert H. Bork.

Before the election it was Democrats that were "walking the tight-rope" in regards to the Iraq war. You ain't seen nothing yet. Just remember Evangelicals won the election. Keep saying it. Over and over until it's COMMON WISDOM. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Roger Ailes Crushes Powell

2004-11-16T13:20:00.000-05:00

And rightly so....(the quote in bold at the top is from the NY Times article here)

"No evidence for the weapons has been found, and Mr. Powell is said to have been dismayed that he made a case for the administration based on faulty information."

Not as dismayed as the Iraqi citizens and American soldiers killed and maimed in Desert Sham, of course. Maybe a little pang of regret when he wakes up in the middle of the night to take a piss.

No, I won't miss Colin, the man who wasn't there. He claimed to have principles but was never seen applying them or standing up for them. His commitment to affirmative action extended only as far as getting his otherwise unemployable son, Michael, a patronage job as America's tit monitor. His devotion to integration of the military was only skin deep. Powell once may have had integrity, but he's long since cut it off and killed it.

Oh Goodie

2004-11-15T22:43:00.000-05:00

Condi replaces Powell!!! Rice is completely inept. This should go well.

Slate weighs in:
The bad news: In her four years as national security adviser, Rice has displayed no imagination as a foreign-policy thinker. She was terrible—one of the worst national security advisers ever—as a coordinator of policy advice. And to the extent she found herself engaged in bureaucratic warfare, she was almost always outgunned by Vice President Dick Cheney or Rumsfeld. Last year, for instance, the White House issued a directive putting her in charge of policy on Iraqi reconstruction; the directive was ignored. If Rumsfeld and his E-Ring gang survive the Cabinet shake-up, Rice may wind up every bit as flummoxed as her predecessor.

2004-11-15T22:25:00.000-05:00

You know what time it is......

Saying Good-Bye

2004-11-15T22:09:00.000-05:00

William Safire leaving the NY Times may seem like a good thing, however given today's hijacking of the right-wing by extremists, I fear the NY Times will see fit to replace him with a nutbag. At least Safire could be called inaccurate (okay, really inaccurate), but I don't think extreme. Safire was old-school Republican, a right-leaning moderate to your face and a viper behind closed doors.

OOooooooh, maybe this guy. He's definitely got the hair.

OOooooooh, maybe I can get this t-shirt. On the back I think it says, "I voted for the worst President in all of History and all I got was this lousy t-shirt"

You CANNOT Do the Robot, Though You Think You Can...

2004-11-15T21:58:00.000-05:00

This is the robot....

And Then They Came for Me...

2004-11-14T02:44:00.000-05:00

This is bullshit...

"The provision we challenged [that the judge struck down]," says Jaffer, "allows the FBI to issue NSLs against 'wire or electronic service communication providers.' Telephone companies and Internet service providers [are included.]" As Judge Marrero noted, the FBI could also use an NSL "to discern the identity of someone whose anonymous web log, or 'blog,' is critical of the Government."

Jaffer adds that by requiring information from telephone companies and Internet providers, "The FBI could . . . effectively obtain a political organization's membership list, like the NAACP or the ACLU, [and could] obtain the names of people with whom a journalist has communicated over the Internet."

Furthermore - dig this - every National Security Letter comes with a gag order. The recipients are forbidden to tell any other person that the FBI has demanded this information, and can't even tell their lawyers that the long hand of the government is scooping up their data.

As Judge Marrero said in his decision, this omnivorous invasion of privacy is so broad that it mandates this gag rule "in every case, to every person, in perpetuity, with no vehicle for the ban to ever be lifted from the recipient."

Two Big "Thank You's" Tonight

2004-11-11T21:43:00.000-05:00

"Thanks" ABC for saying you will run Saving Private Ryan uncut and then have all of your affiliates chicken out. That was well coordinated.

"Thanks" FCC for cowing to the Christian Right and annoying parents everywhere that whine, "The children! Won't somebody think about the children!"

My particular ABC affiliate played Far and Away with Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise.

Thanks. Dicks........

Update: I was able to catch the last 10 minutes Last Letters Home on HBO. Pretty powerful stuff. Catch it if you can. I'm setting my digital cable to remind me later this week when it's on. Looks like it'll be on for the next few days or so.

You Can Cross this Off Now Too

2004-11-11T21:27:00.000-05:00

The one issue. The ONE issue, I agree with W. on was privitization of Social Security. But me being fair and balanced, I eventually decided he is so incompetent he couldn't be trusted to run it, even if it ever passed. I based this on absolutely on NO evidence. Looks like I was right. This is the height is hypocritical (all emphasis mine):

During the 2000 campaign, candidate George W. Bush seemed particularly confident about his ability to pay for Social Security reform. Despite independent estimates that creating the kind of "voluntarily" private accounts he envisioned could cost more than $1 trillion, Bush consistently took the position that he could reform Social Security for free, without undermining promises to baby boomers anticipating retirement over the next several decades.

Why was Bush so sure of himself? According to documents unearthed yesterday from the trove of 19,000 files given to me by former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, and a bit of additional probing, candidate Bush and later President Bush believed in the "Lindsey Plan." These documents show us what the president thought about Social Security reform at the only moment over the past three years—the fall of 2001—when he was fully engaged with this issue.

Larry Lindsey, Bush's tutor on economics during the campaign and later chairman of the White House's National Economic Council, devised a scheme based on creative accounting principles. Essentially, it proposed that the government would issue substantial new debt to sustain old-style benefits. This debt would be serviced and paid down by confiscating revenues from the higher returns from those opting for new-style personal accounts.

Yes, that's it ol' boy! Complain to people that Social Security costs too much and it's too intrusive and push YOUR plan. And then when people ask how you're going to pay for your plan, wink and don't tell them that the government will take high earners' privately-earned money to pay for your plan, thus nullifying the benefit of switching to "privitization" and making you a hypocrite for whining about the imposition of Social Security when you directly steal out of people's pockets.

You can click on the article to see the official documents. Or click here.

It's been said before, and it definitely won't be the last time. Worst. President. Ever.

Yeah Zell!

2004-11-10T21:58:00.000-05:00

Zig-Zag Zell came through with his latest diatribe:

SEN. Zell Miller (D- Ga.) laced into New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd yesterday on the "Imus in the Morning" radio show, saying, "The more Maureen Loud [sic] gets on 'Meet the Press' and writes those columns, the redder these states get. I mean, they don't want some high brow hussy from New York City explaining to them that they're idiots and telling them that they're stupid." Miller also suggested "that red-headed woman at the New York Times" should not mock anyone's religion: "You can see horns just sprouting up through that Technicolor hair." Dowd responds: "I'm not a highbrow hussy from New York. I'm a highbrow hussy from Washington. Senator, pistols or swords?"

This is Tongue in Cheek Only

2004-11-10T21:44:00.000-05:00

But goddamn is it funny.

Here.

"Let the Spanish keep it, it’s a shithole," we said, but you had to have your fucking orange juice.

My My

2004-11-09T21:40:00.000-05:00

Nothing will stop the Red Machine from getting Specter out of the way. I wonder how it feels to win re-election and then have the same people turn around and ask for you to step down.

Plan of Attack

2004-11-09T21:17:00.000-05:00

A lot of other blogs have been trying to "game" a way to get more voters into the Democratic fold.

A lot have said sacrifice the abortion issue. Or maybe we should embrace creationism. In other words, these plans call for us to move to the right of the right. Out-conservative the conservative. Blah, blah, blah. No thanks. I already can't stomach the right's "morality", I'd likely toss my cookies trying to pretend to be like them.

The problem ISN'T the issues. It's issue delivery. As long as there are Sean Hannity's and Rush Limbaugh's in this world with their own brand of Kool-Aid drinkers, we will need the same on our end. There is no counter-balance on our end. Sure there's a Daily Show here or there, but it's nowhere near enough.

We need a counter-balance to Fox News. We need a counter-balance to O'Falafel and Sean and Rush. A dumbing down of our issues to feed to the American public in teeny tiny little bite-size morsels of knowledge. Did we ever have a chance to poach any of Rush Limbaugh's listeners. No. We didn't.

We need a media empire like the right has, and we're nowhere near that. There are some media figures that could be beneficial to us if they took up the fight. Jon Stewart. Al Franken. (Yes I know some of these have already taken up the fight) Howard Stern. Keith Olbermann. Phil Donahue. Others I'm sure I'm missing. But the point is we need a counter-balance to the Right Wing Noise Machine and we don't have that. We need TV stations, radio stations, blogs, websites and more. It'll take years to put this into action, but by god, with $7 Billion I think we could pull it off. We need to openly mock the right's ridiculousness in our own forums. Where we can mention Rush Limbaugh's drug addiction for months on end. Or Sean Hannity's huge head. Who will openly mock these things for 30 media cycles? Dumb it down for America. If anything, this election showed us that the lowest common denominator wins. It's time to fight on their level.

The Daily Howler

2004-11-09T21:10:00.000-05:00

Sums up the 'turn off the tap' to the red states argument better than I can.

And yes, the “red states”—the states whose denizens love to preach that bracing self-reliance—routinely take in more federal money than they submit in taxes. Meanwhile, who subsidizes these free-loading states? Who else? “Contemptuous” “elitists” from northeastern blue states, whose troubling values red-staters love to ponder! In 2003, for example, blue-state New Jersey received only 57 cents in federal spending for every dollar submitted in taxes. But then, the top ten states whose pockets are picked include eight which are nominally blue:

1) New Jersey: 57 cents
2) New Hampshire: 64 cents
3) Connecticut: 65 cents
4) Minnesota: 70 cents
5) Nevada: 70 cents
6) Illinois: 73 cents
7) California: 78 cents
8) Massachusetts: 78 cents
9) New York: 80 cents
10) Colorado: 80 cents

Eight of the ten donor states are “blue,” including Massachusetts, New York, California and Illinois—home base to the contemptuous elitists whom red-states denizens love to scold. Throughout the campaign, George Bush mocked the troubling values of liberal Massachusetts voters—people who send big bags of money to support Bush’s red-state supporters.
...
But boo-hoo-hooing religious voters have long tended to get a free ride in the press (much more on this to come). When they say that Democrats mock their religion, it’s time to ask them who they mean. Clinton? Lieberman? Kerry? Edwards? Who exactly has mocked their faith? And when they boo-hoo-hoo and keen and wail about the values of northern “elites,” we think it’s time to ask these people why they’re prepared to pocket free money from such “contemptuous” elements. We’re tired of stupid political arguments based on blatantly cherry-picked Scripture, and we’re tired of listening to talk-show conservatives stage their endless Pity Parties. Do “northeastern elites” have troubling values? Sorry, but one of their values is handing free money to the less fortunate—a value red-staters seem to affirm as they stuff the free dough in their pants.

The only thing I have to add is: HA!

Ooooh Look What I Found Mommie

2004-11-08T20:50:00.000-05:00

Is it "urban" welfare-queens in blue states like Detroit and L.A. that drive up federal taxes for the rest of us? You know those "fags" from Taxachusettes needing money for their programs like tree-hugging and latte-sipping.

No.

Looks like it's the Red states that are sucking on the teet of the government. Let's give all of those states a big thanks. Thanks North Dakota! God knows what the hell you need $2.07 for every $1 you give, but here's to you....you big.....wheat field.

I believe this map will explain.

Please Cut the Mandate Bullshit

2004-11-08T20:34:00.000-05:00

I know I've been a little late to the mandate discussion because I've been ignoring my blog, but please cut the 'President Bush's mandate' bullshit. President Bush eked out a squeaker and the United States has already had enough of the last 4 years' "mandate". Every single poll going into the election stated the majority of people wanted a change of direction. Translation: Bi-partisan efforts.

He may have won re-election but if he doesn't get something substantial done soon, he's going to go done as the most ineffectual President ever. So far what's his legacy? The guy that was President when 9/11 happened? The guy that started the quagmire in Iraq?

This is Why There are Professional Writers...

2004-11-08T20:25:00.000-05:00

He says in a few paragraphs what some of us have tried to sputter out at one time or another. All emphasis mine.

Michael Kinsley- Am I Blue?

I apologize for everything I believe in. May I go now?

The election campaign made it official. These are the Disunited States. There is "red America": conservative, Republican, religious. And there is "blue America": liberal, Democratic, secular. Everybody's message from the election results is that red America won, and blue America must change or die.

It's a terrible exaggeration, of course. People have different mixes of values, and states have different mixes of people. More than 50 million, or 44%, of the 115 million citizens who voted for either George W. Bush or John F. Kerry on Tuesday live in states that went for the other guy. These misfits go out in public, mingle with others and often are treated like normal human beings. (For the half-million that voted for Ralph Nader, it may be a different story.)

A moment of surprising resonance in the campaign was Jon Stewart's Oct. 15 appearance on "Crossfire." Taking just a tad too seriously his recent appointment by acclamation as the Walter Cronkite of our time, Stewart begged the show's hosts to "stop hurting America" with their divisiveness. I used to work on that show, and I still think the robust, even raucous, and ideologically undisguised hammering of politicians on "Crossfire" is more intellectually honest than more decorous shows where journalists either pretend neutrality or pontificate as if somebody had voted them into office.

...

So yes, OK, fine. I'm a terrible person — barely a person at all, really, and certainly not a real American — because I voted for the losing candidate on Tuesday. If you insist — and you do — I will rethink my fundamental beliefs from scratch because they are shared by only 47% of the electorate.

And please let me, or any other liberal, know if there is anything else we can do to abase ourselves. Abandon our core values? Pander to yours? Not a problem. Happy to do it. Anything, anything at all, to stop this shower of helpful advice.

There's just one little request I have. If it's not too much trouble, of course. Call me profoundly misguided if you want. Call me immoral if you must. But could you please stop calling me arrogant and elitist?

I mean, look at it this way. (If you don't mind, that is.) It's true that people on my side of the divide want to live in a society where women are free to choose and where gay relationships have civil equality with straight ones. And you want to live in a society where the opposite is true. These are some of those conflicting values everyone is talking about. But at least my values — as deplorable as I'm sure they are — don't involve any direct imposition on you. We don't want to force you to have an abortion or to marry someone of the same sex, whereas you do want to close out those possibilities for us. Which is more arrogant?

We on my side of the great divide don't, for the most part, believe that our values are direct orders from God. We don't claim that they are immutable and beyond argument. We are, if anything, crippled by reason and open-mindedness, by a desire to persuade rather than insist. Which philosophy is more elitist? Which is more contemptuous of people who disagree?

As many conservative voices have noted, American society suffers from a cult of grievance. To put it crudely, everyone wants some of the things blacks got from the civil rights movement: sympathy, publicity, occasional preferential treatment and a general ability to put everybody else on the defensive. No doubt liberals are responsible for this deplorable situation, and I apologize. Again. As a softheaded liberal, I even like the idea that our competitive culture has a built-in consolation prize.

But be fair! (A liberal whine, I know. Sorry.) Conservatives shouldn't assert the prerogatives of victory and then claim the compensations of defeat as well. You can't oppress us and simultaneously complain that we are oppressing you.

Well, of course you can do this, if you want. Who's to stop you? I just kinda wish you wouldn't. If you don't mind my asking. Thanks. Sorry.

That's Just Great...

2004-11-04T01:41:00.000-05:00

I'll sum up the 51% that voted for Bush succinctly:

"We hate fags."

There you have it folks. Economy's tankin'. Iraq's a quagmire. Osama bin Ladin taunting the President. Rising health care costs. And we get,

"We hate fags" from the red states. There's a few states I'd like to thank, besides God of course.

Thank you Louisiana. Thank you Alabama. And Georgia, what would we do without your profound wisdom, ya'll come back now. Let's not leave out Nevada where Bush will be dumping nuclear waste. Hats off to you my friends. You've voted for a complete failure AND babies with three arms, now that's commitment. Let's not pick on the south and west though. Ohio, you've had a record number of job losses and Bush's plan was.....? Well, actually, it was to retrain all of you for different jobs. Now just remember, keep the sideburns and I take a number 2 on the clippers around the sides and the back. And Kentucky, you voted for a Senator with DEMENTIA. Don't worry though, he's a Republican so let's keep our fingers crossed that it's 'conservative' dementia, and not that dementia that everyone else gets where you go batshit crazy. Oooooh I'll keep my 4-leaf clover in my breast pocket for that one.

If anything, we'll have some more laughs over the next 4 years.

On a side note, here's the order for who I would like to see get drafted first:

1. Boys and Girls, ages 18 - 27 that didn't vote
2. Bush voters
3. Nader voters
4. The Supreme Court
5. Kerry voters

Well, well, well....

2004-11-03T21:15:00.000-05:00

Tried to slip one by us didn't you? Mr. President gets a "mandate" and on the same day he announces this...

White House: Debt Ceiling Must Be Raised
Wed Nov 3,12:54 PM ET

White House - AP
By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration announced Wednesday that it will run out of maneuvering room to manage the government's massive borrowing needs in two weeks, putting more pressure on Congress to raise the debt ceiling when it convenes for a special post-election session.

Treasury Department (news - web sites) officials announced that they will be able to conduct a scheduled series of debt auctions next week to raise $51 billion. However, an auction of four-week Treasury bills due to be completed on Nov. 18 will have to be postponed unless Congress acts before then to raise the debt ceiling.
"Due to debt limit constraints, we currently do not have the capacity to settle our four-week bill auction scheduled to settle on Nov. 18," Timothy Bitsberger, acting assistant Treasury secretary for financial markets, said in a statement.

Oh goodie. It just so happens that the above coincides with this...[emphasis mine]

Bush didn't use the word mandate, but Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) did, and the president's intention was clear as he ticked off a familiar list of second-term goals: overhaul the tax code and Social Security (news - web sites) at home while waging war in Iraq and elsewhere to stem terror.

Read that as: Reduce taxes more.

Look, I'm ALL for cutting taxes. But you cannot continue to cut taxes with the hole we're in. It is impossible. There has to be coming in to have money coming out. Hold on...the economy is about to get a whole lot worse...

Kerry's ALREADY Dropping Gas Prices???

2004-11-02T01:12:00.000-05:00

Apparently the market loves John Kerry, much to the chagrin of the shameless Republican shills on Bulls & Bears, a crap-tacular Sunday morning "stox" show, that conveniently doubles as a half-hour commercial for the Bush administration.

Traders also speculated that tight oil supplies could also get some relief from a presidential victory Tuesday by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who is seen as more likely than President Bush to dip into the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserves to help cool the superheated oil markets. Kerry has criticized Bush's tight-fisted policy and said the administration should at least stop filling the SPR to allow for more oil on the open market.

And So It Begins...

2004-11-01T23:55:00.000-05:00

The time of trying to cajole, reason and banter with Bush voters to remove a President that would send troops to die for a lie is over. It's time to line up. You line up for Bush. We'll line up for Kerry. We'll see who wins.

I'm calling Kerry sweeps New Hampshire, Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. I have a feeling those early voters standing in line, in places like Florida, going to Kerry 51% to 42% is going to be very close to the final numbers.

I'll wait in pouring rain for 8 hours to cast my vote against you. I'll wait in line until my feet bleed. I'll crawl into the booth if I have to.

Thanks for re-energizing the left G. W. It's the only thing you did right during your time in office. We'll be taking our country back now.

"Freedom is on the march."

Damn straight.

Mr. President...

2004-10-28T22:42:00.000-04:00

it's been grand. (Click on picture to see larger image.)

Photographer: Kerry-Edwards 2004, Inc. from Sharon Farmer

Mosh by Eminem

2004-10-27T01:19:00.000-04:00

New video. Go here.

This Remind You of Anyone?

2004-10-25T22:37:00.000-04:00

Politics according to Calvin.

Just Right

2004-10-25T22:16:00.000-04:00

Damn the New Yorker has been on the ball, writing the equivalent of a 98 mph fastball down the pipe:

The damage visited upon America, and upon America’s standing in the world, by the Bush Administration’s reckless mishandling of the public trust will not easily be undone. And for many voters the desire to see the damage arrested is reason enough to vote for John Kerry. But the challenger has more to offer than the fact that he is not George W. Bush. In every crucial area of concern to Americans (the economy, health care, the environment, Social Security, the judiciary, national security, foreign policy, the war in Iraq, the fight against terrorism), Kerry offers a clear, corrective alternative to Bush’s curious blend of smugness, radicalism, and demagoguery. Pollsters like to ask voters which candidate they’d most like to have a beer with, and on that metric Bush always wins. We prefer to ask which candidate is better suited to the governance of our nation.

Courtesy King of Zembla.

The Usual Suspects

2004-10-25T21:25:00.000-04:00

While I don't think that people will look back and point to one event and say, "Hey, that was the October surprise."

The plot thread is not kind to Bush right now and I do think it will have an effect on this election; almost as if the planets are aligning against Dear Leader right now.......

Execution of soldiers in Iraq

The missing explosives in Iraq

Rehnquist's medical problems

Flu shots

Return of Bill "Big Dog" Clinton

Newspaper Endorsements going heavily for Kerry

It's kind of like the final scene in The Usual Suspects when Chazz Palminteri realizes that Verbal is actually Keyser Soze and they run that montage of clues from the whole movie. Will Bush be looking up from his Kobayashi coffee cup, only to realize events have flown right by his eyes? Maybe....

"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

Some Pretty Good News...

2004-10-25T21:07:00.000-04:00

Some conventional wisdom.

The higher the voter turnout, the better it is for Democrats. Look, it doesn't really mean anything. But that's how it's always been. The more engaged the voters, the more Democrats are likely to win. I mean, that a positive for Republicans really. They vote more than Democrats do, usually. So, yeah, I'm sure that shit like this is legit. The Republicans want to suppress the vote....that's fine. It's almost to be expected from them.

But there is some good news. It looks like efforts to improve ballot designs may have actually worked.

More than 1.9 million ballots were thrown out four years ago because they registered multiple presidential votes or none at all when run through vote-counting machines, USA Today pointed out.

But there have been dramatic improvements since then, including new ballot design, new voting machines and increased voter education, according to USA Today, which consulted election officials and experts on voting habits.

The improved accuracy will likely help Kerry, who is standing against incumbent President George W. Bush, because mistakes have historically been highest in Democratic areas, especially minority communities, USA Today said.

Update: Awwww...too bad, looks like the Republican court challenge was withdrawn...by themselves.

But the largest single batch of challenges, some 17,000 in Cuyahoga County, is still being processed because there were no errors, said Jane Platten, elections board spokeswoman.

Bush is Screwed

2004-10-21T21:18:00.000-04:00

You know why? I'll tell you why? He fucked with Senior Citizens. He touched it. He touched the third rail of politics. Social Security.

Oops. Bye-bye. Game over. See you in four years.

Karl Rove made a huge miscalculation in trying to emphasize Bush as the anti-Terror candidate. He thought he could slip that privatization of Social Security by the senior citizens. Sorry Rove. You screwed up. It happens. Guess what jackass? Old people don't give a shit about terror attacks. They're staring the Grim Reaper right in the eye. You know what they want? Pills, pills, doctor appointments, and more pills. Maybe that was too tough for you.

Maybe he thought he could make up the gap with us younger people that do want to privatize a portion of our earnings. Well guess what? You forgot two things:

A. We don't vote
and B. We're crapping ourselves about the possibility of a draft.

Thanks dick, you just handed us the election.

Many retirees interviewed recently said they are voting for or leaning toward Kerry, a Massachusetts senator. They justified this by citing health care and Iraq as key concerns, and were confused or skeptical about the sweeping Medicare law Bush signed.

Oh and great job with the Medicare card. It's confusing for Senior Citizens. Ooops. Bush might as well Gerald Ford himself down Air Force One's steps right now. That's how big of a blunder this is.

"I've gone to lots of meetings about Medicare but I couldn't explain it if I had to," said Yvonne Taylor, a politically active community leader along with her husband Ernest, a retired librarian. "At one meeting representatives of three insurance companies were supposed to explain it but they ended up getting in an argument about it."

Oh yes...more....more...

Others in the crowd at West Philadelphia's Haddington senior center, as might be expected in a poor minority urban area, were staunchly Democratic and worried about the war.

James Warfhur, 86, a retired steelworker still enjoying such good health that he doesn't worry about the cost of medicine, said he was going to vote for Kerry because "I don't want all those people getting killed in Iraq."

MMMmmmm....Daddy needs a cigarrette.....

"Game over man....game over"

Medical Draft???

2004-10-19T21:24:00.000-04:00

A draft to increase soldiers may or may not happen, but it seems possible medical personnel may get drafted. From the NY Times:

The Selective Service has been updating its contingency plans for a draft of doctors, nurses and other health care workers in case of a national emergency that overwhelms the military's medical corps.

In a confidential report this summer, a contractor hired by the agency described how such a draft might work, how to secure compliance and how to mold public opinion and communicate with health care professionals, whose lives could be disrupted.

On the one hand, the report said, the Selective Service System should establish contacts in advance with medical societies, hospitals, schools of medicine and nursing, managed care organizations, rural health care providers and the editors of medical journals and trade publications.

On the other hand, it said, such contacts must be limited, low key and discreet because "overtures from Selective Service to the medical community will be seen as precursors to a draft," and that could alarm the public.

Could it? I thought the trial lawyers were crushing the system, now this would be a mess of grand proportions. Don't worry, Bush said he wouldn't run the government into deficits either...

Awwww Man, but I LOVE the WB!!!

2004-10-19T20:58:00.000-04:00

Enron = Sinclair

Is there going to be a company left by the time they air the anti-Kerry documentary?

"Mystery Solved"

2004-10-19T20:32:00.000-04:00

However, when an “action is reported by the 9xx PTIs” it represents a “loss to the Air Force strength.” In other words, despite the fact that Bush had almost eight months left on his six year Military Service Obligation at the time, Texas Air National Guard officers were signaling that Bush was essentially worthless to the Air Force, and should not even be retained in the “Ready Reserves” for call up in the event of a national emergency.

Emphasis definitely mine.

Via Hula-....Hulle-.....Hullabb-....Digby.

More Jon Stewart, this Time with Rolling Stone

2004-10-18T20:02:00.000-04:00

Here.

And if you've missed it on every other blog, you can go here and watch Stewart call Tucker Carlson a "dick" and call him out on wearing that stupid, freakin' bow tie.