Thursday, September 30, 2004
Is Nothing Sacred Anymore?
General Mills is converting all of it's cereals to whole grain.
Why didn't they just piss on my head?
What's their reasoning, you ask?
"Consumers are looking for food products that can be part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle," Steve Sanger, the company's chairman and CEO, said in a statement announcing the change. "This innovation brings important health news to the cereal aisle. Delivering whole grain across our entire Big G cereal portfolio will benefit the people who love our cereals and should be good for the entire cereal category."
This argument might hold up if you're talking about boring cereals like Wheaties and Total, but ANYONE trying to justify Lucky Charms or Trix as part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle is simply RETARDED...
Trying to make Lucky Charms more healthy is like trying to make heroin less addictive. What the fuck are those "marshmallows" made of, anyway?
Other than pure Irish deliciousness, that is...
The Funniest T-Shirts On The Web...
You may have noticed a new graphic link on my page in this general direction------>
T-ShirtHumor.com has hilarious t-shirts for immature morons such as myself. You might like them, too.
My favorite is the "Sometimes Men Make The Strangest Requests" design.
Lowered Expectations...
A few years ago, there was a really funny bit on Saturday Night Live for a phony dating service called "Lowered Expectations". It was a service for ugly, crazy, sometimes volatile singles that didn't have a shot in hell to find a sane, rational partner that didn't look like Luka Brazi (male or female).
With the first presidential debate being tonight at 9pm, the GOP spin-meisters are predictably trying to lower the bar (now hovering about 7 nanometers off the floor) for President Bush.
Bill O'Reilly recently did an interview with Bush, and in summation, he had glowing praise for Bush's heroic courage to submit to an unscripted interview with a partisan Republican hack:
The president did not receive the questions in advance, nor were there any restrictions on what I could ask. Again, that's impressive. Even if you don't support Mr. Bush, you have to admire his willingness to discuss the issues in a venue like this.
O'Reilly's a good little foot soldier, isn't he? This line of reasoning pretty much sums up the GOP's approach to tonight's debate. Call it the "Guinness" effect:
"He's not using a teleprompter and he's using somewhat complete sentences? Brilliant!"
My original prediction for this evening still stands: Even if Kerry runs circles around Bush and leaves him completely dumbfounded, as long as Bush doesn't fart, pick his nose, or drop an "F" bomb, the right-wing shills will declare Bush the greatest debater in the history of the universe...
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Dick Cheney: "How many additional American lives is Saddam Hussein worth? And the answer I would give is not very damn many."
So said Uncle Dick back in 1992...
What else did he say?...Good question!
On WMD:
We destroyed about two-thirds of his army in that portion that he sent in to Kuwait and Iraq, and stripped him of most of his weapons of mass destruction.
On post-Saddam Iraq:
Once we rounded up Saddam, then the question is what do you do? You're going to put a government in his place. Presumably, you're not just going to turn your back and walk away. You have to put some kind of a government in its place. And then the question comes is it going to be a Shi'a government or a Kurdish government, or maybe a Sunni government, or maybe it ought to be based on the old Baathist Party regime, or some combination thereof. How long is that government to be able to stay in power without US military support to keep it there? How long can we maintain the coalition?
On Arab support for a takeover of Iraq:
How long could we have maintained that coalition of Arab states if we had been involved in the long-range occupation by the US in Iraq? I would guess if we had gone on to Baghdad I would still have forces in Iraq today. I don't know how we would have let go of that tar baby once we had grabbed hold of it.
And finally, the quote that brought me here, 1,054 US soldiers later:
A final point that I think is very important. Everybody is fond of looking back at Desert Storm and saying that it was, in fact, a low cost conflict because we didn't suffer very many casualties. But for the 146 Americans who were killed in action and for their families, it was not a cheap or a low cost conflict. The question, to my mind, in terms of this notion that we should have gone on and occupied Iraq is how many additional American casualties would we have had to suffer? How many additional American lives is Saddam Hussein worth? And the answer I would give is not very damn many.
Ike's Son Will Be Voting Democratic For The First Time In November...
John Eisenhower, son of the last great Republican president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, is a lifelong Republican.
John Eisenhower is a retired brigadier general, a former US ambassador to Belgium, and an acclaimed military historian.
John Eisenhower will be voting for John Kerry in November.
As son of a Republican President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, it is automatically expected by many that I am a Republican. For 50 years, through the election of 2000, I was. With the current administration's decision to invade Iraq unilaterally, however, I changed my voter registration to independent, and barring some utterly unforeseen development, I intend to vote for the Democratic Presidential candidate, Sen. John Kerry.
In an editorial to the conservative Union Leader (New Hampshire), Gen. Eisenhower makes a great case for John Kerry, not just a case against George W. Bush.
Sen. Kerry, in whom I am willing to place my trust, has demonstrated that he is courageous, sober, competent, and concerned with fighting the dangers associated with the widening socio-economic gap in this country. I will vote for him enthusiastically.
I celebrate, along with other Americans, the diversity of opinion in this country. But let it be based on careful thought. I urge everyone, Republicans and Democrats alike, to avoid voting for a ticket merely because it carries the label of the party of one's parents or of our own ingrained habits.
Gen. Eisenhower talks at length about his dissatisfaction with today's Republican party as opposed to the party his father once exemplified:
The Republican Party I used to know placed heavy emphasis on fiscal responsibility, which included balancing the budget whenever the state of the economy allowed it to do so. The Eisenhower administration accomplished that difficult task three times during its eight years in office. It did not attain that remarkable achievement by cutting taxes for the rich. Republicans disliked taxes, of course, but the party accepted them as a necessary means of keep the nation's financial structure sound.
The Republicans used to be deeply concerned for the middle class and small business. Today's Republican leadership, while not solely accountable for the loss of American jobs, encourages it with its tax code and heads us in the direction of a society of very rich and very poor.
This is a terrific piece. I hope you have a chance to read it, and I hope it makes you think...
If You Just Can't Wait For College Hoops...
I found a great website that tracks NCAA hoops action on a year-round basis.
Recruiting, rankings, hype, etc...Yoni's got it all.
I especially like the regularly updated pre-season ranking chart.
Good stuff...
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Greedy Republican Asshole Uses Kid's Charity As Cover...
Take a look at this site. It's the site for the Capital Athletic Foundation (CAF). Here's the foundation's mission statement:
The mission of the Capital Athletic Foundation is to foster character development by promoting the American ideals of sportsmanship in all endeavors. These ideals include integrity, honor, brotherhood, morality, leadership and good citizenship. Sportsmanship is ethical behavior both on and off the playing field; both in athletics and in business; both as a youth and as an adult.
Great idea, isn't it? Teaching kids good sportsmanship is a very noble cause.
Here's the problem: It's all a sham.
Jack Abramoff is the head of the CAF. He's also a prominent GOP lobbyist in Washington. That's OK, too. I don't agree with most (maybe all) GOP lobbyists, but hey, whatever floats your boat.
The problem is that CAF has given LESS THAN ONE PERCENT of it's $6 million dollar revenue toward sports-related programs for kids...
LESS THAN ONE PERCENT!!!
Where has the money been going? Good question:
...documents show that Jack Abramoff, one of Washington's high-powered Republican lobbyists, has repeatedly channeled money from corporate clients into the foundation and spent the overwhelming portion of its money on pet projects having little to do with the advertised sportsmanship programs, including political causes, a short-lived religious school and an overseas golf trip.
And here's the big kicker (no, not Sebastian Janikowski) that you won't believe. Mr. Abramoff is connected to GOP strongman and all-around ethical paragon, Tom DeLay.
Shocking, I tell you. How does trouble always seem to find Tom Delay???
I hear for his next venture, Mr. Abramoff plans on exploiting kids with Down's Syndrome in an effort to get himself a new yacht and maintain Republican control of Congress...
Health Care Cost Increases Far Outpace Earnings Growth...
Since Bush took office, workers' costs for health insurance have increased by 36%, while earnings grew but a much smaller 12.4%.
Read all about it. Somebody's getting drilled...
And it's probably you...
P.S. Oil just hit $50/barrel. Have some fun with that while you're at it!
Guess Which States Suck Up Most Of Your Tax Dollars...
If you guessed the "Blue" states with their welfare queens, immigrants, and downright un-American way of life, you guessed WRONG!
It seems that the "Red" states with their "keep the government's hand out of my pocket" and "pick your sorry ass up by your bootstraps" mentalities are actually the states that suck up our tax dollars the most.
That's not very enterprising of them...
States Receiving Most in Federal Spending Per Dollar of Federal Taxes Paid:
1. D.C. ($6.17)
2. North Dakota ($2.03)
3. New Mexico ($1.89)
4. Mississippi ($1.84)
5. Alaska ($1.82)
6. West Virginia ($1.74)
7. Montana ($1.64)
8. Alabama ($1.61)
9. South Dakota ($1.59)
10. Arkansas ($1.53)
States Receiving Least in Federal Spending Per Dollar of Federal Taxes Paid:
1. New Jersey ($0.62)
2. Connecticut ($0.64)
3. New Hampshire ($0.68)
4. Nevada ($0.73)
5. Illinois ($0.77)
6. Minnesota ($0.77)
7. Colorado ($0.79)
8. Massachusetts ($0.79)
9. California ($0.81)
10. New York ($0.81)
What do you need, a map?
Monday, September 27, 2004
Random Thoughts From A Very Special Weekend In Sports...
Sometimes everything comes together on one fantastic weekend. That happened for me this weekend. Behold...
Eagles 30, Lions 13: The Eagles are 3-0 and clearly the best team in the NFC right now. The tandem of Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens is already exceeding any expectations I had...
NC State 17, Virginia Tech 16: An improbable win in the Wolfpack's first ACC game of the year and first ACC matchup with Virginia Tech EVER. On the road, no less...
Louisville 34, UNC 0: The Tar Heels scored as many points as I did. How proud they must be. They suck...
Fantasy Football: Thanks to Donovan McNabb and Javon Walker (WR for Green Bay), I broke 90 points for the first time in 5 years.
SAS Championship: I got to see (free of charge) the Walrus win the SAS Championship by roughly a billion strokes. He seems like a good guy to boot...
Hell, even the Phillies won on Sunday, thus moving their playoff hopes from "truly shitty shitty shitty" up one notch to "stinky stinky farty smelly".
That's a weekend...
UPDATE: I just came across this brilliant piece from ESPN's Merrill Hoge saying that the Eagles aren't good enough to make the playoffs this year. This is why not every ex-player should become a commentator...
Friday, September 24, 2004
GOP Was Behind "Liberals Want To Ban The Bible" Mailers...
What a friggin' surprise!
I wrote about this putrid display of fear-mongering a few days ago. Little did I know the truth about the source would come out so quickly. After all, we still don't know who leaked a CIA operative's name to Robert "Douchebag For Liberty" Novak...
When I wrote that article, I was accused of being an "angry liberal".
I challenge those who have referred to me in that manner at any point to step up and explain to me how this patently false campaign by their beloved GOP could have been borne out of anything other than FEAR, HATRED, and DISHONESTY...
Then come back again and explain to me why I'm the angry one in this scenario...
The President's Favorite New Toy...
It's called the "Iyad Allawi". When you seat it in a position of power and pull it's string, it happily spouts Bush re-election fodder and right-wing talking points without the slightest hint of honesty or dignity!
Take a listen!
JIM LEHRER: What would you say to somebody in the United States who questions whether or not getting rid of Saddam Hussein was worth the cost of more than a thousand lives now and billions and billions of U.S. dollars?
PRIME MINISTER IYAD ALLAWI: Well, I assure you if Saddam was still there, terrorists will be hitting there again at Washington and New York, as they did in the murderous attack in September; they'll be hitting also on other places in Europe and the Middle East.
What the Allawi is saying is that despite Saddam Hussein having no connection to Al-Qaida and/or the 9-11 attacks, if he was still in power, we (along with Europe) would've been hit again by now.
Never mind the deadly attacks by Al-Qaida in Spain and elsewhere around the world.
Oh, and please ignore the fact that not a single 9-11 hijacker came from Iraq...
Josh Marshall puts it best:
Here we have a US-installed foreign head of state, whose travel schedule is determined by the US State Department, visiting the US to buoy the president's election campaign and spouting demonstrable lies in order to support a retrospective rationale for war that the White House wants Americans to believe but lacks the gall to state explicitly.
Republicans Focus On The Critical Issues...
Jeff Danziger makes a great point about the right's never-ending commitment to catching John Kerry in a "Michael Dukakis in a tank" moment.
Meanwhile, Iraq creeps closer to civil war...
UPDATE: Danziger also gives a nice preview of this coming week's presidential debate.
Thursday, September 23, 2004
You Know George, You Might Want To Keep That A Secret...
Kos points out some amazing statements from Commander Bunnypants' presser today with Iraq Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. All of them are fairly jarring, but Georgie Boy really had his fastball clicking with this piece of oratorical wizardry:
I saw a poll that said the right track/wrong track in Iraq was better than here in America. It was pretty darn strong. I mean, the people see a better future.
Why am I almost convinced you won't be seeing that comment on any Bush/Cheney campaign literature anytime soon?
By the logic contained in this brilliant statement can we deduce that Americans feel they are worse off than a nation that is most likely mere months away from all-out civil war?
I've got a killer idea for Bush's new campaign slogan:
Bush/Cheney 2004: Because Utter Chaos Isn't Looking Half-Bad Right Now!
UPDATE: During this press conference, Bush also LIED about the number of trained Iraqi soldiers working in Iraq.
Bush said nearly 100,000 fully trained and equipped Iraqi soldiers, police officers and other security personnel are working and this would rise to 125,000 by the end of this year. The Pentagon said on Monday, however, that only about 53,000 of the 100,000 Iraqis on duty have undergone training.
It's good to know he's up-to-date on this stuff...
2ND UPDATE: The number of trained Iraqi personnel has shrunk again!!!
Allawi said yesterday in a White House press conference with Bush that there are 100,000 Iraqi forces ready to mount operations. Yet earlier in the day Allawi, speaking in a speech before a joint session of Congress, put the number at 50,000. A State Department briefing provided to members of Congress, meanwhile, put the number at 22,000, according to a Democratic congressional aide who received the briefing.
NFL Players Don't Wear Cups Anymore...
Read that title again. Take it in.
Does that seem sane in any way, shape, or form???
I remember how cool I thought it was back in my baseball-playing days when I realized I actually had something that necessitated a cup....and that was BASEBALL!
My chances of getting popped in the nuts were damn near ZERO...
In this article by ESPN.com's David Fleming, he explores why cups are almost unheard of in a sport where peer pressure has overrided the fear of being "leg-whipped in the groin".
My image is very important to me, but do you know what's even more important to me?
MY BALLS!!!
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
A Trip Down Memory Lane With Jesse Helms
The internet is a fascinating thing. While doing a quick search for quote of Jesse Helms tacitly threatening the life of former President Bill Clinton, I came a across the site of citizen who took the time to compile some of 'ol Jesse's greatest hits.
Here are some of my favorites:
"Bill Clinton better watch out if he comes down here [to North Carolina]. He'd better have a bodyguard."
"I've been portrayed as a caveman by some. That's not true. I'm a conservative progressive, and that means I think all men are equal, be they slants, beaners or niggers."
"...in the l8 years and 5 months I've been in the senate, none, none have been more capable than Dan Quayle."
"To rob the Negro of his reputation of thinking through a problem in his own fashion is about the same as trying to pretend that he doesn't have a natural instinct for rhythm and for singing and dancing."
"If homosexuals would only stop doing what they're doing, There wouldn't be any more AIDS."
And finally, in a tip of his cap to my conservative UNC grad buddies, Jesse once referred to their alma mater as the "University of Negroes and Communists".
UPDATE: Since one of my readers thinks Jesse never actually said these things, I'm on the hunt for more dirt on Jesse. This site has a few more quotes from the "conscience of the Republican party" (Trent Lott's words, not mine) you might enjoy...
Here's a great piece from FAIR that outlines Jesse's super-cool worldview...With sources...
And one more classic from 'ol Jesse for good measure:
Soon after the Senate vote on the Confederate flag insignia, Sen. Jesse Helms (R.-N.C.) ran into Mosely-Braun in a Capitol elevator. Helms turned to his friend, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R.-Utah), and said, "Watch me make her cry. I'm going to make her cry. I'm going to sing 'Dixie' until she cries." He then proceeded to sing the song about the good life during slavery to Mosely-Braun (Gannett News Service, 9/2/93; Time, 8/16/93).
The Prince of Darkness Is Surprised...
"A year from now, I'll be very surprised if there is not some grand square in Baghdad that is named after President Bush."
Richard Perle
AEI Keynote speech
September 22, 2003
I don't think they're dedicating that square any time soon, Dick...
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Grover Norquist Roots For The Death of America's Greatest Generation
I'd add some commentary here, but the quote is so spiteful and full of bile, I'd probably only diminish it's effect. Mr. Norquist was asked if he thought the Democratic party was coming to an end:
"Yes, because in addition their demographic base is shrinking. Each year, 2 million people who fought in the Second World War and lived through the Great Depression die. This generation has been an exeception in American history, because it has defended anti-American policies. They voted for the creation of the welfare state and obligatory military service. They are the base of the Democratic Party. And they are dying. And, at the same time, all the time more Americans have stocks. That makes them defend the interests of business, because it is their own interest. Because of that, it's impossible to bring to the fore policies of social hate, of class warfare."
Why, oh why can't these people hurry up and die so we can have a one-party state?
Monday, September 20, 2004
GOP Ratchets Up It's "Gay People Are The Enemy" Rhetoric...
First, a little swing-state fear-mongering for a sunny Monday afternoon!
Campaign mail with a return address of the Republican National Committee warns West Virginia voters that the Bible will be prohibited and men will marry men if liberals win in November.
The literature shows a Bible with the word "BANNED" across it and a photo of a man, on his knees, placing a ring on the hand of another man with the word "ALLOWED." The mailing tells West Virginians to "vote Republican to protect our families" and defeat the "liberal agenda."
Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie said Friday that he wasn't aware of the mailing, but said it could be the work of the RNC. "It wouldn't surprise me if we were mailing voters on the issue of same-sex marriage," Gillespie said.
Big shocker that Big Ed refuses to condemn this bullshit, eh?
Next, we've got televangelist, fraud, and all-around waste of space Jimmy Swaggert coming down on the side of killing homosexuals who look funny at him...
I'm trying to find the correct name for it ... this utter absolute, asinine, idiotic stupidity of men marrying men. ... I've never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry. And I'm gonna be blunt and plain; if one ever looks at me like that, I'm gonna kill him and tell God he died.
Trust me, it sounds better than it reads...
And finally, a Bush campaign official is confirming what we already knew: There's no room in the Republican party for homosexuals...
Privately, one Bush-Cheney official said the campaign hoped the gay issue would mobilize religious conservatives who did not show up as strongly as some expected in 2000. "Say you lose a thousand voters over the gay issue, you could be possibly mobilizing hundreds of thousands of voters by staying strong on this issue," the national campaign official said.
Log Cabin Republicans: Your party is looking to burn your cabin to the ground.
Will you move before it's too late?
Friday, September 17, 2004
I Gotta Have More Cowbell, Baby!
For an easy Friday morning, I've got a hilarious SNL skit featuring the immortal Christopher Walken and the insane Will Ferrell for the cowbell-lover in you...
Big thanks to the boys at Stinging Nettle for helping me get my links added to the page!
Thursday, September 16, 2004
Scott McClellan Lies About 1 Million Jobs Being Lost Due To 9/11...
The extent to which the Bush Adminstration uses 9/11 as a crutch, shield, excuse, platform, campaign slogan, and rationale is pretty staggering considering it was, after all, a failure on Mr. Bush's part.
From yesterday's daily briefing:
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, let me address a couple of things. We've overcome many challenges in this country over the last three years. A number of them go back to what occurred on September 11th. When it comes to the economy, let's look at the strains that were placed on our economy. We were in an economic downturn and the President inherited a recession when he came into office. Then you had the September 11th attacks. In the aftermath of September 11th, in the three months after September 11th, we lost a million jobs right there."
There's actually TWO lies in there, but who's counting?
1.) The recession began in March of 2001, Bush took office in January of 2001.
2.) According to the US Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, 125,637 jobs were reported lost as a direct or indirect result of the attacks.
The claim of "1 million jobs lost after 9/11" is clearly becoming the go-to excuse for many GOP talking heads trying to explain away the fact that Bush is the first president since Herbert Hoover to lose jobs:
"We had an attack on 9/11 where we lost over a million jobs in just about 3 months."
-Suzy DeFrancis, White House Deputy Assistant for Communications speaking to CNN
I doubt a chief executive of any nation has ever exploited a national tragedy as blatantly and effectively as Bush has exploited 9/11...
UPDATE: There are several other things I'd like to post on, but I want to leave this at the top of my page so some enterprising Republican can come and explain it away for me...
The "Liberal" Media Spins The Polls...
This is a phenomenon I've noticed before, but now it seems to be a tactic to trick Democrats into thinking Kerry can't win.
It goes like this:
If Bush leads buy 3, 4, or 5% in a poll, it is termed as a "solid", "commanding", or "wide/widening" lead.
If Kerry leads by a similar margin, the poll is termed "a dead heat", "too close to call", "statistically tied".
A prime example from DailyKos:
Wisconsin CNN/USA Today Gallup Poll. Registered Voters. 9/9-12. MoE 5%. (8/23-26)
Bush 50 (46)
Kerry 45 (49)
The USA Today headline:
Bush widens Wisconsin lead over Kerry, poll shows
Michigan CNN/USA Today Gallup Poll. Registered Voters. 9/9-12. MoE 5%. (No trend lines.)
Kerry 50
Bush 43
The CNN headline:
Poll: Michigan too close to call
Add to this a chorus of overzealous right-wingers yapping about "panic", "desperation", and "landslide" and you seem to have an open-and-shut case as far as this election goes...
Too bad for them, it's just premature back-slapping in an election that's still far from being decided and still (wait for it.......) too close to call.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Woman Fired For Kerry-Edwards Bumper Sticker Gets Hired....By John Kerry...
Here's a nice resolution to a story that made the rounds on the internet very quickly. I posted on it yesterday:
The story was picked up by Daily Kos, a political Web log, and spread quickly around the Web. By this morning, Geddes, who has declined to comment publicly on the matter, had apparently had enough of the bad publicity. Through an intermediary, he offered Gobbell an apology and said she could have her old job back. But Gobbell said she wouldn't return without some written guarantee that Geddes wouldn't turn around and fire her once he was out of the spotlight. Then, late this afternoon, Kerry himself phoned Gobbell. "He was telling me how proud he was that I stood up," Gobbell told me. "He'd read the part where Phil said I could either work for him or work for John Kerry. He said, 'you let him know you're working for me as of today.' I was just so shocked."
Gobbell accepted Kerry's job offer, "so I reckon I'll be working for John Kerry." Kerry left it that someone from his campaign would call Gobbell to work out the details. Let's hope there's quick follow-through (I'll be checking!), because Gobbell told me she couldn't wait to tell Geddes that she had a better offer.
And the Freepers wept...
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Alabama Woman Loses Her Job For Displaying Kerry-Edwards Sticker On Her Car...
I first spotted this story on AmericaBlog, but my interest was renewed once they pointed out some of the kind words some of the wingnuts over at FreeRepublic had for her. I'll point out that these are not the views of all conservatives, just some sorry-ass freakshows, and maybe some more that won't admit it:
She seems to be on the same diet Gore is on.
Typical dem doesn't even think about looking for another job.....
The Kerry sticker says it all she is an Idiot.
I believe anyone who has a Kerry sticker can be legally let go for "integrity" issues.
Maybe we freepers should contact the company and offer our support/business.
Better she be fired then thousands of us lose our jobs under a John Kerry failed economy.
Probably got fired for being stupid. That's a bumper sticker, lady.
Sad day in a American, when you can play some stupid "liberal card" to keep a job you are goofing off on, just like their leader John Kerry..absent from his senate Job ....80 percent of the time.
Is that Edwards wife? The body is the same but the face is throwing me off :)
Oh Boo Hoo, go sign up for welfare.
Send him a big THANKS!!
The Kerry Victim Brigades are unleashed. Perhaps she can apply for a job in the ministry of propaganda
Sporting a sKerry sticker not only shows poor judgement, but substandard intelligence - both valid reasons for dismissal.
Gimme a break. She was probably a poor worker. Anyway--maybe if she spent some time looking for a job instead of crying to the press, she might be re-employed. If she's employable.
OTOH, maybe she can get a job as a professional crybaby for the Kerry Campaign--the Massachusetts senator seems to be constantly using them.
Well no wonder she's mad. She'd rather be unemployed, sitting home eating bon bons.
Just`from looking at her, I'd fire her too...
Compassionate conservatism's a bitch, ain't it?
GOP Wants To Push Flag-Burning Ban, Bush Desecrates Flag
Congressional Republicans are looking to embarrass John Kerry, John Edwards, and pretty much all Democrats running for re-election by pressing the flag-burning amendment once again. Election-year non-issues are the GOP's specialty after all. The real issues scare them too much.
This move seems reasonable, considering the only thing this country has to worry about right now is the ominous threat of rampant flag-burning...
I wonder if the GOP will take President Bush to task for his recent public desecration of a flag at a campaign stop...
I wonder if they'll go after the people who fly flags around their houses all day, everyday day to the point that the flag looks more like Pink, Yellow, and Purple rather than Red, White, and Blue...
My feeling on this subject is that the flag should always be treated with respect. It shouldn't be flown until it's tattered or discolored, nor should it modified or written on.
I would never burn a flag. In fact, I think it's a bullshit way to prove a point and/or get attention. It's disrespectful and just flat-out stupid...
That being said, I don't think it's the government's right to say what people can and can't do with their flags. Free speech and all that. If you bought it, do what you wish to it. Democrats (or Republicans, for that matter) should not feel bad about voting against this phony non-issue.
I also don't really subscribe to the notion that our soldiers have "died for the flag".
A flag is a piece of cloth. There are still flags floating around from regimes and nations that no longer exist. I see the Confederate flag almost every day here in NC. That doesn't mean the Confederacy is coming back any time soon.
Our soldiers have died for freedom. Which, incidentally, is the freedom to burn the flag, if you so choose...
Just don't do it around me...
Monday, September 13, 2004
Doonesbury Explains The Color-Coded Threat System...
Ouch! This is a good one.
Remember, in case of falling Bush poll numbers, for God's sakes please buy duct tape in order to safeguard yourselves from the shrieking cries of Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, Ann Coulter and the rest of the right wing spin machine...
Bush & GOP Choose To Let Assault Weapons Ban Expire
"I think the will of the American people is consistent with letting it expire, so it will expire."
-Senator Bill Frist on the expiration of the Assault Weapons Ban.
According to some polls, "the will of the American people" that Sen. Frist refers to actually means "the will of the NRA".
A survey this spring by the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center found 71 percent of the public wants the ban continued. Even a majority of gun owners (64 percent) supports it. In households with a National Rifle Association member, support shrinks to 46 percent.
In today's divided political atmosphere, 71% could rightly be called a "vast" majority.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police has been pleading for the extension of the ban, but the GOP can't be bothered to hear them.
"Today's Republican Party: Failing To Safeguard Our Nation From Threats Both Internal And External"
Would that fit on a bumper sticker?
Eagles 31, Giants 17
As anyone who watched this game would tell you, it felt more like 45-7.
I have never seen an Eagles offense (in any era) work so well. Donovan was spreading the ball around, focusing on his new favorite target, T.O., and making smart decisions and crisp passes. Speaking of T.O., how friggin phenomenal was he??? Not to mention the fact that Brian Westbrook actually lived up to some seriously massive hype...
The new-look defense was terrific as well. It's good to have Hugh Douglas back where he belongs...
A few other quick notes:
I wonder if Kurt Warner's wife will go after all the Giants receivers that dropped passes yesterday.
How great was it to see Eli Manning take that vicious hit in garbage time??? Even if you don't want to say it, you have to agree that it was oddly gratifying to see that spoiled little bitch facedown on the ground looking like he'd just been shot at.
I'll leave you with a quote from my fantasy football opponent this week. The quote is from last Wednesday:
"I'll take my chances against any team who has Donovan as QB"
I'm so glad you did...
Friday, September 10, 2004
La Fiesta del Pueblo: This Weekend At The State Fairgrounds...
This is a really fun event, with great food, good music, and a ton of other cool stuff.
Did I mention the food?
The 11th Annual La Fiesta del Pueblo, the largest Latin American festival in North Carolina, will take place in 2004 on Saturday, September 11th from 12 - 8 pm and Sunday, September 12th, from 12 -6 pm at the NC State Fairgrounds. Entrance is $1 for adults and free for children under the age of 12.
New NC Polling Data Holds Good News For Democrats...
Good news across the board, with Kerry within the margin of error...
SurveyUSA (PDF). 9/6-8. MoE 4.2%. (8/16 results)
Bush 50 (51)
Kerry 46 (45)
Senate
Bowles (D) 50 (50)
Burr (R) 40 (42)
Governor
Easley (D) 54 (51)
Ballantine (R) 39 (44)
Foreigner Is A Really Underrated Band...
Why don't they get the credit they deserve?
Great vocalist in Lou Gramm, great songwriter/guitarist in Mick Jones, good lyrics, great riffs...
I don't get it...
Don't believe me? How many other successful bands have TEN bonafide classic tunes to their name? Maybe it's the lowered expectations of the shitty musical times we currently reside in, but give me a damn break! Check out these tunes:
Feels Like The First Time
Cold As Ice
Hot Blooded
Double Vision
Head Games
Urgent
Waiting For A Girl Like You
Jukebox Hero
I Wanna Know What Love Is
Say You Will
I feel very strongly about this...Could you tell?
Thursday, September 9, 2004
Random Thoughts: Political and Otherwise...
"Honeymoon In Vegas" is an insanely underrated movie. You've got Sarah Jessica Parker looking terrific a few years before she lost about 30 pounds that she didn't have to lose, causing her face to morph into a drag queen's and her boobs to morph into pancakes. You also have Nicholas Cage before he started taking himself WAY too seriously. Nobody does the "hanging on to the frayed ends of sanity" bit better than him. Also, James Caan plays the tough guy professional gambler REALLY well. Great film...
Healthcare premiums jumped 11.5%. Spin this one, righties! Let me guess: after 4 years of Bush and 2 years of a Republican-controlled Congress, it's Bill Clinton's fault. Right?
Maureen Dowd rips into Dick-less Cheney's mafia-style threat that voting for Kerry will bring about another terrorist attack:
Mr. Cheney implies that John Kerry couldn't protect us from an attack like 9/11, blithely ignoring the fact that he and President Bush didn't protect us from the real 9/11.
The Sports Guy is doing his NFL preview "Goodfellas"-style this year. Sweeeeeeeeet...
P.S. Did I mention my name appears in one of The Sports Guy's recent columns? True, he's not talking about me, but how can you not laugh when you see this written out in black and white:
"This I do know. I've spent 250 to 300 hours running my team, another 100 wondering if Brian Anderson is possessed by Satan..."
You can't put a price tag on something like that...
Bill Maher Critiques Bush's "Elect Me Because Of 9-11" Strategy...
Thanks to Stinging Nettle for pointing this out. This quote is so good, I had to give it a little more play.
It's from Maher's "New Rules" segment of his HBO show:
And finally, New Rule: You can't run on a mistake. Franklin Roosevelt didn't run for re-election claiming Pearl Harbor was his finest hour. Abe Lincoln was a great president, but the high point of his second term wasn't theater security. 9/11 wasn't a triumph of the human spirit. It was a fuck-up by a guy on vacation.
Now, don't get me wrong, Mr. President. I'm not blaming you for 9/11. We have blue-ribbon commissions to do that. And I'm not saying there was anything improper about your immediate response to the attacks. Someone had to stay in that classroom and protect those kids from Chechen rebels.
But by the looks of your convention, you'd think that the worst thing that ever happened to us was the best thing that ever happened to you. You just can't keep celebrating the deadliest attack ever as if it's your personal rendezvous with greatness. You don't see old men who were shot down during World War II jumping out of a plane every year. I mean, other than your dad.
But even your dad didn't run for re-election based on a recession and his propensity to barf on the Japanese. Now, I know you'd like us all to get swept away with emotionalism and stop sweating the small stuff like the deficit and the environment, and focus on what's really important: how you look in a fireman's hat. But crying during your speech? I mean, come on! There's no crying in politics! It's not fair! That's a trick chicks use. How are we supposed to discuss this rationally if you're going to cry?! There's a name for people who exploit their participation in historical events for political gain. They're called the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
Tuesday, September 7, 2004
1,000 US Troop Deaths...And The Right Is Prepared With Talking Points...
A tragic milestone has been reached...
It becomes more and more disturbing when you consider the following:
883 troops have died since Bush strutted across the USS Lincoln like a peacock and proclaimed "Mission Accomplished"...
795 troops have died since Bush invited further attacks upon our troops with his "Bring 'em on" comment...
553 troops have died since Saddam Hussein was captured...
139 troops have died in the 2+ months since Iraq "became a sovereign nation"...
The worst part of this news may be that the number could easily be 2,000 by this time next year without a change in thinking and policy, whether it be under a Bush or Kerry administration...
Right wing talking heads are already spinning this event as not being a very big deal. I urge you to be on the lookout for the following line of reasoning all over your TV set and newspaper this week, trumpeted by obedient media whores and right wing shills:
In Washington, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld noted earlier in the day that U.S. forces were soon “likely to suffer the 1,000th casualty at the hands of terrorists and extremists in Iraq.”
He tried to put that in context. “Combined with U.S. losses in other theaters in the global war on terror, we have lost well more than 1,000 already,” he said adding that the “civilized world” passed that mark long ago, pointing to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and attacks elsewhere.
Cheney Says Terrorists Will Strike Again If Kerry Is Elected...
Gee whiz, Mr. Vice President, they seemed to do a pretty good job of killing about 3,000 of us after your dumbass got elected!
"It's absolutely essential that eight weeks from today, on Nov. 2, we make the right choice, because if we make the wrong choice then the danger is that we'll get hit again and we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint of the United States," Cheney told about 350 supporters at a town-hall meeting in this Iowa city.
Dick Cheney is a soulless, gutless piece of reptilian shit who needs a terrorist threat in order secure his own job and justify his bogus scare tactics...
How Did I Miss This Poll???
It's probably because the "liberal" media was asleep at the wheel yet again last week amid all the GOP hoopla. And with the GOP set to use 9-11 as the centerpiece of their convention, how could a poll like this possibly get any airplay?
Let me preface this by saying that I'm not someone who believes in LIHOP, MIHOP, or any of the other conspiracy theories about 9-11 (with the possible exception of the cover-up of Saudi Arabia's involvement), but what does it say about the credibility of President Bush and his adminstration that the people most directly effected by the events of Sept. 11th (including many conservatives), are quite likely to believe the government had prior knowledge of the attacks on our country?
Whether those who responded are right or wrong, how's this for a vote of confidence in our popular wartime president?
On the eve of a Republican National Convention invoking 9/11 symbols, sound bytes and imagery, half (49.3%) of New York City residents and 41% of New York citizens overall say that some of our leaders "knew in advance that attacks were planned on or around September 11, 2001, and that they consciously failed to act," according to the poll conducted by Zogby International. The poll of New York residents was conducted from Tuesday August 24 through Thursday August 26, 2004. Overall results have a margin of sampling error of +/-3.5.
The poll is the first of its kind conducted in America that surveys attitudes regarding US government complicity in the 9/11 tragedy. Despite the acute legal and political implications of this accusation, nearly 30% of registered Republicans and over 38% of those who described themselves as "very conservative" supported the claim.
The charge found very high support among adults under 30 (62.8%), African-Americans (62.5%), Hispanics (60.1%), Asians (59.4%), and "Born Again" Evangelical Christians (47.9%).
Random Thoughts While I've Got Some Time...
Operation Truth is a very interesting site that gives the viewpoints of many of the soldiers that have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. Give it a look...
999 soldiers won't be fortunate enough to make it home from Iraq. Still think this was a good idea?
Senator Bob Graham re-focuses the light on our "friends" in Saudi Arabia and their role in the 9/11 attacks...He also gives an inside look at how the march to war with Iraq undermined our still-incomplete mission in Afghanistan.
Our brilliant Prez pulled another stunning turn of phrase over the weekend. Think OB/GYN love...
George W. Bush may have snorted cocaine at Camp David when his daddy was President. If we apply the same level of vigilance that the Right used regarding the Swift Boat Liars allegations, Bush must now prove he DID NOT snort blow at Camp David. Otherwise, I'll be forced to believe these allegations are true...
Speaking of Swift Boat Liars for Bush, they recently doctored their website after they contradicted themselves...
Unfinished Thoughts From A Long Labor Day Weekend...
Following up on a discussion I had at the NC State-Richmond game, here are some bits of info I promised a few people (read this part, BRAD!) regarding Bill Clinton's actions against terrorism.
First, is a very telling article from 1996 that outlines Clinton's plan to move new anti-terrorism laws through Congress.
A quote from Clinton:
"We need to keep this country together right now. We need to focus on this terrorism issue," Clinton said during a White House news conference.
...and a sampling of the Republican response. First from then-Senate majority leader Trent Lott:
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Mississippi, doubted that the Senate would rush to action before they recess this weekend. The Senate needs to study all the options, he said, and trying to get it done in the next three days would be tough.
Then, from Sen. Orrin Hatch:
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, emerged from the meeting and said, "These are very controversial provisions that the White House wants. Some they're not going to get."
Hatch called Clinton's proposed study of taggants -- chemical markers in explosives that could help track terrorists -- "a phony issue."
The resource for the following info is another blog that had basically listed many of these bullet-points:
September 1996: Republicans in Congress refuse all of Clinton’s requested counterterrorism spending. Orrin Hatch (R-UT): “The administration would be wise to utilize the resources Congress has already provided before it requests additional funding.”
Summer 1998: Clinton issues series of top secret directives to the CIA authorizing the assassination of Osama Bin Laden and several of his top lieutenants.
Paul Bremer (the guy Bush chose to run Iraq, BTW) to the Washington Post on Clinton: “he correctly focused on bin Laden”.
“Overall, I give him very high remarks” – Robert Oakley, Reagan counterterrorism czar.
January 2001: Outgoing Clinton officials say “The Bush team thinks we’re obsessed with terrorism”.
Friday, September 3, 2004
"Have You Heard About The Lonesome Loser?"
"...beaten by the Queen of Hearts every time...."
Zell Miller is receiving the leper treatment from those who just yesterday were exalting him and singing his praises.
The question has to be asked: How crazy do you have to be for the Republican party to disassociate itself from you???
I'll bet Pat Buchanan knows...
After gauging the harsh reaction from Democrats and Republicans alike to Sen. Zell Miller’s keynote address at the Republican National Convention, the Bush campaign — led by the first lady — backed away Thursday from Miller’s savage attack on Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, insisting that the estranged Democrat was speaking only for himself.
Late Thursday, Miller and his wife were removed from the list of dignitaries who would be sitting in the first family’s box during the president’s acceptance speech later in the evening. Scott Stanzel, a spokesman for the Bush campaign, said Miller was not in the box because the campaign had scheduled him to do too many television interviews.
"It's OK, he smiles and says...Though this loneliness is driving him crazy..."
UPDATE: John McCain has an interesting opinion on Zell's hatefest:
"I think it backfires," McCain said, his face a picture of genuine astonishment. "It makes [Pat] Buchanan's speech in Houston look like milquetoast."
Hey GOP'ers, I hope you enjoyed your red meat. I just hope you're ready to get your stomachs pumped to rid yourselves of the maggots that were crawling in it...
Every Bounce Bush Has Ever Gotten Has Been Fleeting...
Think about it...
9/11 (90% approval): Biggest bounce in the history of polling, gone within a little over a year...
Invasion of Iraq (70% approval): Gone in roughly 6 months...
Capture of Saddam (60% approval): Gone in a fleeting 3 months...
Swift Boat Liars/GOP Convention (50% approval): 1 month at the most???
What one can deduce from these numbers is that the magnitude and length of bounce have both dropped dramatically over time...
Once the luster is off after the GOP hoopla dies down, where can Bush get another bounce?
Loss of jobs in his 4 years?
978 dead US soldiers in Iraq?
Poverty and loss of healthcare on the rise?
Thursday, September 2, 2004
Deconstructing Zell...
From Zell's interview with Wolf Blitzer after he went Buchanan last night:
"I've talked about this atrocious record that he's had for 20 years in the United States Senate. What a weak record it is on national defense..."
Slightly different from what he said in 2001 while introducing Kerry:
"John has worked to strengthen our military, reform public education, boost the economy and protect the environment."
Better referred to as a flip-flop...
Note to GOP: Zell Miller, signed, sealed, delivered, he's yours!
GOP Convention Multiple Choice
You may have heard the following last night at the GOP Convention, Day 3:
"George W. Bush saw this country through grief and tragedy. He has acted with patience, and calm, and a moral seriousness that calls evil by its name."
Quick, which of these names has NOT been mentioned aloud as an enemy even ONCE during the Republican Convention?
a) John Kerry
b) Michael Moore
c) John Edwards
d) Osama Bin Laden
Wednesday, September 1, 2004
Ahhhnold Shows His Ahhhss On Night Two...
First, Arnold called all Dems liars in the 2nd line of his speech.
"This is like winning an Oscar -- as if I would know. Speaking of acting, one of my movies was called "True Lies." And that's what the Democrats should have called their convention."
This caught me off guard since Arnold has never used movie references for a cheap laugh...
Next, take a look at this claim:
"...to those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say: Don't be economic girlie-men."
I'm guessing the million-plus people that have lost their jobs during Bush's tenure are just being girlie-men. At this point, I should remind you that the night's theme was "people of compassion".
I suppose Newt Gingrich was being a "girlie-man" when he said Clinton's economic plan would destroy the US economy.
Next, here's a real doozy:
He described arriving in the United States from Austria in 1968 and hearing Republican presidential contender Richard Nixon debate Democratic challenger Hubert Humphrey.
Really? That seems difficult, since there was no presidential debate in 1968. Arnold must have "misspoken". Republicans never tell lies, after all...
Oh, and Arnold, you probably should've kept this piece of information to yourself:
"Listening to Nixon speak sounded more like a breath of fresh air. I said to my friend, 'What party is he?' My friend said, 'He's a Republican.' I said, 'Then I am a Republican!' And I've been a Republican ever since."
Saying Richard Nixon inspired you to become a Republican is like saying David Koresh got you into religion...
