"You know, back in 2000, a Republican friend of mine warned me that if I voted for Al Gore and he won, the stock market would tank, we'd lose millions of jobs, and our military would be totally overstretched. You know what: I did vote for Al Gore, he did win, and I'll be damned if all those things didn't come true."
- James Carville
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
— George W. Bush, Aug. 5, 2004
September 29, 2004 - Freedom from Hypocrites
So...if, like our conservative friends keep reminding us, "freedom isn't free", why are they fighting so hard to avoid paying taxes, serve in the military, invest for personal gain without investing in America, pay for public education, infrastructure, etc.? And if they are so up on freedom, why are they so keen on silencing dissent as they restrict
the rights of women, minorities, immigrants, gays, and social liberals who care more about their fellow man than their own pocketbooks? I don't seriously expect there to be any actual answers to these questions. Just wanted to get you started on some deep thinking today.
Apparently, the Bush administration is bad for children. And conservatives the likes of John Eisenhower are going for Kerry. (Since I'm name-dropping, Garrison Keillor has a good article on why we shouldn't vote for Bush.) International observers predict trouble with our election. Great, the polls haven't opened yet and we're being treated like a third world dictatorship; which isn't too far off the mark. Slate tackles the tricky logic of being Bush being unable to admit he's ever made a mistake. Frightening, especially considering people buy into it. And just in case you had doubts, a federal judge has ruled a part of the Patriot Act unconstitutional. Gee, go figure.
More families of dead soldiers are speaking out. Any sadistic GOP goons gonna accuse them of not being patriotic? And of course, most of us don't trust politicians anymore. Which probably isn't news to most of you. For humor's sake, Doonesbury takes on our color-coded terror alert nonsence in relation to the election.
If you are 35 or under, the New Voters Project is getting a list of questions together to send to Bush and Kerry to answer. Read about the project here. Also, read up on issues in key "battleground" states; we need a better term for that.
To end, some morons want to pull voting booths out of schools out of fear of a terrorist attack. Look, if you have been coerced by Bush & Co. to be that afraid of your own shadow, you should seriously reassess who you are voting for. The other side of the coin is this one, in which the Bush-Cheney junta might call up additional troops (re: Guardsmen) once the election is over. You know, pulling an unpopular stunt to solve a problem they refuse to admit exists. The GOP counters this is not the case, but they're a little low on the John Trust-o-meter these days, so pardon my skepticism.
And then there's TwoFacesofBush.com. Enjoy.
September 28, 2004 - Not a Part of a Redneck Agenda
Today's post is going to be slightly random and full of links of all kinds. Tom returned towards Iraq today. I'd like to thank everyone who, genuinely and without slogan-tossing, were nice enough to give my brother some kind words and encouragement while he was home.
Remember how Florida was going to clean up it's act and electronic voting machines would fix the mess of punch cards and hanging chads? Well, according to Jimmy Carter and others, Florida is STILL not addressing the problem. According to FOXNews (there, I linked from them...now get off my back) and via Slashdot, even a chimpanzee can hack a voting machine. And one hack blames recent hurricane patterns for the way the state voted last time. Which is not to say his information - if true - isn't still creepy.
Bonus quote from the Father Knows Best Department:
"To occupy Iraq would instantly shatter our coalition, turning the whole Arab world against us and make a broken tyrant into a latter-day hero ... assigning young soldiers to a fruitless hunt for a securely entrenched dictator and condemning them to fight in what would be an un-winnable urban guerilla war. It could only plunge that part of the world into even greater instability."
- George H.W. Bush
1998
Oops.
That's not all Junior forgot about. There's also the pre-war assessment that warned of the current violence (use wallenfeldt and guest for access - and keep it handy, I have more Times stories following), which, like all actual intelligence was probably just ignored. As for the Arab issue, MSNBC tackles that here. And despite the lack of WMDs, despite any ties between Iraq and the people we actually should be fighting, Bush says he'd do it all over again. Unbelievable, coming from a man who swears he values life and personal dignity.
It's a sham people. Wake up.
Florida is asking where their National Guardmen are in their time of need. Women are asking why this administration threatens their social status (the site has more general info as well). Scientists oppose the administration for their Dark Ages approach to progress, especially as the government forces EPA employees to shut up as other agencies trade needed legislation for votes or just plain silence. Meanwhile the Bush administration attempts to take health care away from even more children even while they break federal laws in trying to reform Medicare. Tony Blair admits some fault in the run-up to war and even Colin Powell confesses to a bad situation as the lies about Iraq grow from the Oval Office and our troops do the best they can in an untenable situation. They even want to jack up the price of milk to get Wisconsin dairy farmers to vote for Bush (use wallenfeldt1 and visitor to login). You call this honest government? I call it BS and it has to stop.
Look, the guy can't even get an endorsement from his adopted hometown's newspaper (with saved PDF version in case the site goes down again). In the interest of fairness (find THAT on FOXNews, HA!) many residents are die-hard Bush supporters. Being mostly white ranchers and farmers with little to fear from the guy, I suppose I could see that. Almost. In an "I don't know anyone different nor want to" type mentality.
In all this, Bush supporters falsely claim that liberals are out to ban the Bible as they dragoon interested voters into working their phone banks. With all this screening, it appears George is just plain scared of hearing what real Americans have to say (use wallenfeldt and visitor). Pity, he could learn a lot from us, especially those who have lost family in his vendetta war. Plus, despite Bill O'Reilly's fantasyland claims that the Daily Show viewers are stoners, they are (disclaimer: WE watch it and are not pot smokers) more intelligent than the hate-filled Neanderthals that listen to his raving drivel. The Tulsa police did the honorable and legal thing and stood down when the Secret Service told them to arrest law-abiding Bush protesters. Of course, there's the whole thing where conservatives think they are the only patriots in this country, even as they cheer on a pack of tools tearing up our Constitution. Lovely.
Lies, coercion, avoidance, threats, anger, misrepresentation. This is neither moral nor ethical behavior. Some of you may still think I am making this up. But I'm not, and the weight of proof of this administration's disrespect for life, truth, and democracy is out their in droves. You just have to open your eyes.
And, apparently this month's Reader's Digest has an article letting people know their vote doesn't count. I can't find it online yet, but peruse a copy in your supermarket checkout aisle. You'll find it between fine publications like National Enquirer and Soap Opera Digest.
One last note. I heard a lot of people thank my brother for protecting their freedom with his service in Iraq. He never said anything about it - mostly because he can't given military orders - but I could tell the phrase commonly threw him off. I imagine it is the same for a lot of our armed forces members. So, I'll ask the question they can't - and probably wouldn't ask anyway. If we, by some awful measure, end up considering Iraq as a lost war, do we actually lose our freedom? It is a ludicrous statement, but bears inspection given the propaganda fueling the debate.
Or is that what is done merely by voting for Bush? Please, honor our troops service, but don't put the burden of one man's mania on their shoulders. They have enough concerns to deal with without any extra being placed on them.
September 22, 2004 - Notes from the Heartland
First off, best wishes to Lucas Seimers and the others injured in yesterday's attack. Sorry, short on info here and I want the news to get around to the family members first. Let's hope Irish treats you guys better than this in the long run. Keep hope alive guys.
As many of you know, I've been back in Illinois for the past few days visiting Tom while he's on leave. Got to spend some good quality time with him and have visited some familiar faces and gotten to meet some new ones.
One of the latter is Jim Doherty. You know him from the Galva Armed Services Yahoo group and we've emailed and spoken by phone before. Incidentally, Jim makes fantastic ribs, among with other foods. Really. Jim has oh-so-indelicately applied a boot to my backside and reminded me we only have a few more weeks to convince you, our readers, that we can grab our country back from pseudo-religious oil money thugs and their plan to burn up the Constitution. More from Jim later. Trust me, you'll enjoy it.
Alright, so I've been running into a lot of people who can't decide who to vote for this fall. They can't bring themselves to vote for Bush for all the obvious reasons but don't know what to think about Kerry. Which, judging by the TV ads they get here, I'm not surprised. I mean, damn, someone ought to call the DNC and focus some error correcting this way.
Anyways, let's make this a little easier and address these issues one at a time. My first issue, and its a big one, is this notion that Bush is a fine Christian fellow. Alright, let me break the bad news to you in the worst way possible. If you vote for Bush, you are giving a nuclear arsenal to a substance abuser. Not a recovering drunk or coke snorter, but an active breathing user in denial. How can I say this? Easy. The guy has no method for admitting fault and then working to correct any mistakes he may make. Had he been through an actual 12 step program, he'd know humility, responsibility, and remorse. NONE of these are evident in his behavior or in his reactions to events. Congratulations, this is akin to letting your children be schooled by a crack addict. Vote for that? Never.
Aside from that, this whole hateful approach to dealing with other religions (seriously, how many Muslims actually think Bush is working in their favor?) and other peoples (if you aren't white, you aren't part of the equation and I haven't seen anything that tells me differently) is definitively NOT part of what I'd call a healthy Christian agenda. The guy says he's pro-life and people are crazy enough to jump on his bandwagon and ignore the disdain for women's right (including taking the pill) and ah, heck, you get the idea. Seriously folks, its a bad choice. Bad for religion, bad for the country. (If you want links, I'll find some when I get better than a modem connection.)
Send me some questions you might want answered or issues to address. I'm not a policy expert or working for the Kerry campaign, but I'll try to find out what info you guys might want to know. Let's have a serious discussion on these things.
I have a few articles to pass along but that may wait until later days. For now, some partisan (what WAS he drinking) and humorous links from Jim Doherty, wrapping up with a horrible-but-probably-accurate image send by EvilNed.
September 7, 2004 - 1,000
This is news I don't like to report, but when you hear Cheney's scare tactics on the TV, imagine what these goons have already done with almost four years under their belts. A thousand dead soldiers in Iraq and a polarized nation here at home. I don't think even sick amusement should let us give them more time to screw us over collectively.
You know, I've probably been a bit harsh with our Republican visitors of late. I owe you guys and gals an apology for not making a clearer distinction. Those of you who don't like big government programs and are worried about your pocketbooks have my mea culpa. I don't like the fact you ignore the needs of your fellow citizens, but that's something we can have an educated debate about. One we'd probably come to some agreements about as well. Well, kinda.
That said, please take the next 50-odd days to decide whether our current administration appeals to your needs as it trashes the Constitution and squanders our soldier's lives based on either faulty intel or just outright lies...take your pick. Don't just knee-jerk pull the GOP lever just because you are worried about some fantastical bogey-man Karl Rove conjured up. I'm not asking you to vote for Kerry outright, I am merely asking for you to measure the consequences of your actions and act accordingly. I haven't seen your agenda aided any more than my personal one over the past few years so I figured I'd put that out there...just in case you wanted to take your party back from the fringe elements you've got. Consider this your version of the '60s. Step up to the plate kids.
Speaking of not believing the hype, I want to re-evaluate the "who is the flip-flopper" syndrome. After the laughable "I'm a war president, WAIT, I'm a PEACE president" exchange awhile back, I figure Bush couldn't top that. I was wrong there too. Apparently we cannot win the War on Terror...WAIT!!! Yes we can. Finish what you started, bub. A plan would be nice too.
Slate has a slew of coverage related to the RNC. After watching Zell Miller's rant and the John McCain "I'm not a sellout, I just REALLY want to be president someday" speeches, I resorted to reading transcripts for a couple days. (Bonus hypocritical moment by Bob Dole.) Besides, I just really don't want to hear Mushmouth's voice more than I possibly need to; the upcoming debates being a few of those moments. Another Slate article by William Saletan that asks the question, "Isn't anyone going to actually pin some of these failures on Bush?" Seriously, the guy runs around pretending like nothing is ever his fault. He needs to be called on it. Before November would be nice.
Probably not news to most of you but I just heard a new term to describe those who think disagreeing with the junta-in-charge is un-American: Patriotically Correct. Which is just a nicer way of saying "We'd all be English if dissent were illegal." But it's better than calling them witch hunters or something.
Speaking of those who would silence those who dare oppose the New World Order II, here is a fine upstanding Republican woman literally silencing opposition, and one moron who kicked a protestor while she was on the ground detained by the Secret Service. Yeah, real nice people. Not to mention those who mock anyone who ever earned a Purple Heart.
News flash (not really). Apparently George was still snorting blow well into his daddy's presidency. He did it to relate to women. Huh? Granted, Kitty Kelley is not what you'd call an objective historian or anything, but hell, it's got to have more truth than what the Swift Boat goons are selling.
In Texas, the entire state educational system is getting left behind. Wait, didn't this bright idea get conjured up by Texans in the first place? And apparently, Bush is touting his economic policies as good for workers. On. What. Freaking. Planet?
This I just get sick joy from. A real big wish would mean the Yankees wouldn't even make the playoffs. Maybe in a couple more years.
And this story I've been waiting to be able to post for awhile. It's a story about plastic chairs. Really. Read it anyway.
August 29, 2004 - Really Nasty Conservatives
Well, the Republican National Convention is about to start this week in NYC. They've come in guns blazing. Not content to just attempt to pimp and politicize 9/11 for their own gain, they've also planned to leech onto the legacy of Johnny Cash with an auction planned at Sotheby's. Yeah, there are people who seriously object to that.
And, as expected, the protestors are out trying to let Bush know that not everyone is on board his "let's burn the Constitution and get rich off the blood of our soldiers" platform. And of course, some of these protestors are ill-mannered and probably kooky in your eyes. Hell, I probably would agree with you. Then again, most conservatives don't like the KKK but vote the same as those freaks do too.
Bonus convention stat: The GOP is touting a 70% increase in minority representation! That's like saying my amount of Canadian currency doubled when I found a Canuck quarter on the ground this week. It jumped so high because I had so little of it to begin with.
Still trying to figure out what their platform is about but currently, if you plan to vote GOP, you are in favor of:
- drilling in ANWAR because we have no other fuel plan other than petroleum
- giving the rich a permanent tax cut
- messing with the Constitution due to fear of gays (so much for strict constitutionalism)
- "alternative methods of teacher certifications" - whatever that is, but remember this party equates teachers as terrorists
- stem cell research restrictions, and other scientific research restricted across many fields
- no abortion and likely the restriction of birth control as well
- teaching abstinence at the expense of teaching kids sex ed, not as a supplement
- trying to disbar judges who don't think like they do
- and so on and on: less civil liberties, less freedom of choice, less equality of sex and race and pretty much anything that is diffferent than a Jesse Helms/David Duke type
If this is compassionate conservatism, can we just have the mean, rude guys who just wanted to protect their bank accounts back? At least they had a point to their arguments.
Meanwhile, Kerry wants to debate Bush every week. You just know that isn't gonna happen. The economy is officially sluggish again despite Bush's words to the contrary, with a record deficit projected. And American workers are still getting the shaft. Meanwhile Democrats are trying to look out for our Guardsmen and Reservists. Yeah, it stinks like a political ploy, but it beats being ignored by the GOP.
A few views from the Olympics as that wraps up. Finding more important things to do than be labelled a murderer, Colin Powell decided to leave Greece early. Our moronic basketball team salvaged a bronze medal. They deserved less to be honest with you. And one more article about our countrymen in Greece. Reuters has a nice "best performances" article that, from what I saw, is pretty dead on.
One more thing. Since, we're all in this spirit of brotherhood at the moment, why don't we as a nation strip our basketball bronze medals from the NBA all-duds squad and give them to the Iraqis for really knowing how to play your hardest and come just short of unexpected success.
Good news from Iran, where fat boy Muqtada Al-Sadr took his daddy's army and his sizable misplaced ego and left the Iman Ali mosque the other day. Seriously, can we just - in writing - get a UN resolution that condemns anyone who holes up in a church and holds a holy site hostage because they have no other way of establishing a credible threat? First those morons in Bethlehem a couple years ago, and now these idiots. (Edit: Just for fairness sake, I guess we should count the Alamo in there too.)
A few more passing notes. Peoria journalist ponders sending an Illinois Republican to Maryland to run for major office there. Reprehensible behavior by us and those who hate us. Stupid planning by Microsoft. And, just to remind you how conservatives like to control your private lives, Banned Books Week is coming next month and I wanted to let you in on why reading is so damaging to our society. Don't let Harry Potter and Huck Finn destroy democracy. HA!
August 29, 2004 - Really Nasty Conservatives
Well, the Republican National Convention is about to start this week in NYC. They've come in guns blazing. Not content to just attempt to pimp and politicize 9/11 for their own gain, they've also planned to leech onto the legacy of Johnny Cash with an auction planned at Sotheby's. Yeah, there are people who seriously object to that.
And, as expected, the protestors are out trying to let Bush know that not everyone is on board his "let's burn the Constitution and get rich off the blood of our soldiers" platform. And of course, some of these protestors are ill-mannered and probably kooky in your eyes. Hell, I probably would agree with you. Then again, most conservatives don't like the KKK but vote the same as those freaks do too.
Bonus convention stat: The GOP is touting a 70% increase in minority representation! That's like saying my amount of Canadian currency doubled when I found a Canuck quarter on the ground this week. It jumped so high because I had so little of it to begin with.
Still trying to figure out what their platform is about but currently, if you plan to vote GOP, you are in favor of:
- drilling in ANWAR because we have no other fuel plan other than petroleum
- giving the rich a permanent tax cut
- messing with the Constitution due to fear of gays (so much for strict constitutionalism)
- "alternative methods of teacher certifications" - whatever that is, but remember this party equates teachers as terrorists
- stem cell research restrictions, and other scientific research restricted across many fields
- no abortion and likely the restriction of birth control as well
- teaching abstinence at the expense of teaching kids sex ed, not as a supplement
- trying to disbar judges who don't think like they do
- and so on and on: less civil liberties, less freedom of choice, less equality of sex and race and pretty much anything that is diffferent than a Jesse Helms/David Duke type
If this is compassionate conservatism, can we just have the mean, rude guys who just wanted to protect their bank accounts back? At least they had a point to their arguments.
Meanwhile, Kerry wants to debate Bush every week. You just know that isn't gonna happen. The economy is officially sluggish again despite Bush's words to the contrary, with a record deficit projected. And American workers are still getting the shaft. Meanwhile Democrats are trying to look out for our Guardsmen and Reservists. Yeah, it stinks like a political ploy, but it beats being ignored by the GOP.
A few views from the Olympics as that wraps up. Finding more important things to do than be labelled a murderer, Colin Powell decided to leave Greece early. Our moronic basketball team salvaged a bronze medal. They deserved less to be honest with you. And one more article about our countrymen in Greece. Reuters has a nice "best performances" article that, from what I saw, is pretty dead on.
One more thing. Since, we're all in this spirit of brotherhood at the moment, why don't we as a nation strip our basketball bronze medals from the NBA all-duds squad and give them to the Iraqis for really knowing how to play your hardest and come just short of unexpected success.
Good news from Iran, where fat boy Muqtada Al-Sadr took his daddy's army and his sizable misplaced ego and left the Iman Ali mosque the other day. Seriously, can we just - in writing - get a UN resolution that condemns anyone who holes up in a church and holds a holy site hostage because they have no other way of establishing a credible threat? First those morons in Bethlehem a couple years ago, and now these idiots. (Edit: Just for fairness sake, I guess we should count the Alamo in there too.)
A few more passing notes. Peoria journalist ponders sending an Illinois Republican to Maryland to run for major office there. Reprehensible behavior by us and those who hate us. Stupid planning by Microsoft. And, just to remind you how conservatives like to control your private lives, Banned Books Week is coming next month and I wanted to let you in on why reading is so damaging to our society. Don't let Harry Potter and Huck Finn destroy democracy. HA!
August 27, 2004 - Miffed, but somewhat constructive criticism
UPDATE: I am passing this along so that you can all do your part to help our troops out. I doubt neither Mike nor Tim Bowman would agree with all of what I post on this part of the site so do not consider the following being placed here as their consent of my opinions in other subjects. This is me trying to spread the word out and hopefully do our troops a favor. Mike, if you want this pulled, go right ahead and ask and it will be done and I'll address this in another fashion.
What follows is the email I received from Mike Bowman (and his son's follows):
Many of you are aware of the situation with the new up-armored humvees that the Army is sending over to Iraq. Some of you have heard that our boys have a shortage of them, YOU ARE CORRECT. Below is an email that my son sent me about the current situation. Our boys are in danger and they are asking for our help.
I have been asked to send this to all families in Foxtrot so that they could write and call their Congressman, CNN, FoxNews, or anyone else that can make noise about this issue. Our boys will resume daily patrols next week. This needs action immediately (not my words, my son's and Sgt Miller's).
You can search for your Congressman at this link - http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/index.html by address. It will list email and fax number as well as mailing address based on your address. Be sure to include our boys unit information if you decide to contact someone about this issue so they will know exactly where we are asking for help.
Thanks, Mike Bowman
Hey dad,
Here's the low down on the things Sgt. Miller would like you to bitch about, and you can use his name, he gives you permission.
We recently acquired 6 of the 1114 series humvees. Those are the up-armored humvees with the turbo and all the trimmings. The retail on one of these vehicles just to make it is $155,000. Sgt. Miller watched these 6 humvees for a period of 1 month and they were never used. When we attained them we discovered that many of them had deficiencies, which we fixed to our standard. We drove the vehicles for 1 week after fixing them, and then were asked to return them to their rightful place. We was asked if these vehicles were going to be used, and the answer was "probably not". The vehicles belong to the incoming general who is going to take over command. This general is not going to be here for another three weeks, and we were told that when he does get here they were still probably not going to use the humvees.
As you know Spc. Baldwin was recently sent home due to injuries received during an IED. His team was in an 1114 series that night and the vehicle itself sustained quite a bit of damage. Had it not been for the up-armor on the vehicle, at least 1 if not 2 of our soldiers would have came home in a body bag. Right before I returned from leave a vehicle from ALPHA battery was struck with an IED. All 4 soldiers in that truck would have been killed had they not been driving an 1114.
Our battery now only has 4 up-armored humvees, which is not enough for us to do our patrols and designated duties at the same time. While I was home a new rule was instated that said anybody leaving the wire must be in an 1114 series humvee, because the 1025 with added armor was unsafe. They have now bypassed that rule and our battery, is being ordered to conduct patrols in the 1025 series humvee. Had the soldiers that got hit by IED's been in 1025's they most likely would not be alive today, we would have at least two dead from our battery, and ALPHA battery would have lost everyone in the truck. Sgt. Miller would like you to do whatever you can with this issue, you can use his name for any of it, and I will definitely not be held responsible this time. I'm not sure what you have to do, but he would like a considerable amount of bitching to be done on his behalf.
Again I say, if we were in 1025's and not 1114's we would have more dead than our battalion does already.
So that's the low down.
Thanks, Tim
Thanks for bringing this up Tim.
Well, it wasn't hate mail (thankfully) but I did get a contrary note from a visitor who offered up a perspective I hadn't imagined. In case you were not aware of it, this is not a news site. I merely present stories I either think are important, poignant, missed from large-scale coverage or humorous and let you choose to either accept the stories as linked or go run around and try to find out more about it on your own time. I also get my fair share of links from our regular contributors like EvilNed and Mooney, so hey, give it a shot. As long as it's not propaganda I'll at least look it over.
I was also accused of not linking to FoxNews enough. I see them as biased and probably dangerously so, but I went and visited them anyway. Other than linking to an AP story I was already planning to link to (catch it again here just in case it flies off their radar), all I saw was some major spin put on stories concerning condemnation of the Swift Boat Vets ads (unlike every other news agency on the planet, apparently Fox thinks Bush was against their tactics all along). Then there are the ads to meet singles (on a news site?) and the requisite "what to do in case terrorists SPAWN FROM YOUR CLOSET AS IF YOU WERE PLAYING DOOM 3" scare tactic links. Alright, enough of that failed experiment.
News flash. We may have "miscalculated" on Iraq, says George. The larger article is here, wherein he states that people will vote for him because he doesn't change his mind. Look, being stubborn in the face of conflicting reality and facts makes you an idiot, not decisive. Mom taught me that while I was still in short pants. Plus, despite touting an improved economy (not like I've gotten a raise lately), reports show an increase in poverty and the uninsured. To make matters worse, the government released the report early to try to catch lawmakers on vacation. Hmm, concerned it makes all their rosy assessments just so much hot air? I think so.
An unfortunate story on how a father reacted to news of his son's death in Iraq. Our troops are not tin soldiers and their families are having a hard time dealing with the reality of this callous treatment by our government. They are not alone. Apparently two trends are evolving in Iraq. The armed forces are earnestly trying to get out the vote, and soldiers are not all planning to go straight GOP when they do vote.
The Bush campaign is planning to ignore the US Olympic Committee and still run it's ad that pimps the Olympics for political gain. Oh, just to be shallow, a mock loyalty oath. And yes, that's meant to be humorous. A Bush lawyer just happened to be involved with the Swift Boat Mafia and had to quit the campaign.
With the Republican National Convention about to be underway, we assess how NYC is working to stop protestors and not pimp the subject of September 11 too much.
Alright, I plan some fun - or at least less political - posts in the near future. If the powers that be quit screwing up so much where I can allow myself to do so.
August 26, 2004 - Independents need not apply
Still wavering between Bush and Kerry? Still confused as to what constitutes democracy and who is in favor of it? Let me help.
Looks like you've got a couple options when attempting to see Bush or Cheney give a speech this year. You can either a) sign a loyalty oath, or b) work their phones for them, depending on where you are. Yeah, um, you can call people volunteers if you are forcing them to work, okay?
I'm still baffled on how anyone who is gay can back the GOP. I mean, their platform calls for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Now seriously, even if you don't think marriage should cover any couple in love with each other, ask yourself how a party who wants less government keeps trying to constitutionally ban your ability to read a library book without the FBI knowing it, have private thoughts and personal choices about who you love, what you can do with your body, whether you can protest or just have an opinion contrary to their's. Smacks of social dictatorship to me. And hell, even Cheney is against this one.
I meant to cover this one but I had to get over my high levels of disgust first. Apparently, the Bush campaign is pimping Afghanistan and Iraq and the Olympics in a political ad. This has - naturally pissed off the Iraqi athletes and the entire Olympic movement to date. Of course, who do you send into the thick of a controversy like that? Colin Powell, administration scapegoat. You really have to feel sorry for the guy. he couldn't have actually seen much of this coming.
Seriously, this administration is so messed up, even GOP Congressmen are speaking out against them. And more of a social commentary note than anything, but even Pat Buchanan is against Bush & Co. And seriously, with electoral discrimination on the rise, you'd figure a proven racist like him would be all on that bandwagon.
More to come, but I leave you with a fairly moving piece on the stupidity of airport security checks.
August 23, 2004 - Land of the free?
With rumors of massive protests at the upcoming GOP convention, the Republican party has pretty much gone with the playbook and declared anyone who would deign to disagree with Bush as a traitor. According to GOP fascist-pig-in-chief Ed Gillespie, "The line between the official Democratic Party and labor protesters, environmental protesters and antiwar protesters is fairly blurry, and I'm not sure they want to have Democrats engaging in violence in New York against our convention. It would seem disrespectful and antidemocratic." (Emphasis mine.) Excuse me, but killing a thousand soldiers based on innuendo and outright lying to the American people is "disrespectful and antidemocratic." A protest is a constitutionally protected response to bad government. Or did Ashcroft do away with that right too?
The story that irritated me so referred in the previous paragraph is in the New York Times (use refuse and registration as your user name/password).
Then there are the Swift Boat Vets. No matter what the truth is of Kerry's medals - other than they usually don't give out Silver Stars like candy, here we have a bunch of guys who will lie and collude with Bush party officials to try to stop a guy from becoming president who was actually in a combat zone. Bush, meanwhile, can't even be accounted for over a period of months and managed to bail out of his service. Pretty damn weird if you ask me.
And oops, there appear to be ties (image) between the campaign and this group. Not to mention a staffer working both sides. And more vets now are coming out against these guys who can't even keep a story straight, much less have any proof.
The point is, I guess, if this is all the Bush campaign has to argue for the guy to win the election, then seriously, why vote for him at all?
Apparently we are on the lookout for large, alcoholic, Irish-descended, Democratic senators who may potentially have joined Al-Qaeda. At least, that's the DHS' argument for putting Ted Kennedy on the No-Fly list. But wait, he's not the only Democrat on the list. Funny, I always thought Orrin Hatch was more of a threat to our civilization.
My respect for Tony Blair just went up a notch as he refuses to accept a medal from Bush while troops are still in Iraq (read: Mission NOT Accomplished) and for basically not meddling with our democratic process. This has been an ongoing issue between the White House and #10 Downing. Thanks PM!
Here's a weird political report about the advantage of having your name first on a ballot.
Alright, I've been watching the Olympics pretty regularly. It helped that I was out of town and had nothing to do most nights, but still I'd have caught a lot of it. Two major subplots beyond what the press has covered (Michael Phelps, et al).
One, our basketball team sucks. Period. And why the heck are they on a luxury cruise ship when their pathetic butts should be cleaning the toilets of the actual atheletes in Athens? Plus, nobody likes them. I'm all for pulling for the home team; but these clowns are only a sign of what's wrong with our pro league.
Two, and this is way out on a tangent. But in watching women's gymnastics I heard mention that Svetlana Khorkina of Russia is supposedly a model. Now come on. She looks like a giraffe that's been depilated and then fed alum. Plus, she can't even lose graciously. Not even the judges are immune from her fantasy world.
If you haven't been watching, shame on you. Aside from my nitpicking, I've watched some damn fast swimming and some excellent soccer (luckily, where I stayed last week had Telemundo).
I had more stuff to point out, but want to end on a fun note. Here are recent stories on animals and the harm we cause each other. First, we'll start off with dire news that badgers are destroying Stonehenge. Yes, the English do not need those stinking badgers.
Take a moment to recover from that horrible pun and read the following tales of a rabbit and a bear. Plus a variation on the dog ate my homework trick. Thanks to Mooney on the bear story.
August 15, 2004 - I turned the corner and it looked just as bad as what I left
Alright, a couple of plugs, one long overdue. I've been reading Reason by Robert Reich, which is maybe the only level-headed political book on the shelves these days. Much recommended, even though I'm only about 50 pages in. On the music scene, I have been forgetting to point out Sevendust's Southside Double-Wide. Thanks to Tom for the referral (that PX must be stocked). Anyways, I can't stop listening to it; probably the best live album I've ever heard. Solid stuff by a solid band.
Hey, our economy is "turning the corner." Wait, no it's not. I guess we're just watching Bush "Moving America Forward." Into what, for whatever reason, we just don't know. What we do know is that our pals the Saudis have decided to open up the oil taps...just in time for the Republican National Convention presumably. Joy.
Speaking of what George has done for us, apparently his damage control people are all over the moment last week when he said he'd consider a national sales tax. Reason being is that it would hit the middle class and poor a lot harder than the wealthy. Which, considering his tax cut strategy, is probably not anything he gives a damn about.
Alan Keyes is running for a Senate seat in Illinois. Which, being from Maryland, makes him uniquely qualified. But don't call him a strict constitutionalist conservative. In fact, he wants to get rid of that whole pesky "public voting for senators" thing. Seems he, like his party, can't trust the American people to do their bidding for them. At least it's more creative than getting the Supreme Court to trump the electorate.
One last article concerning the Olympics and the low profile our citizens (and athletes by extension) are being asked to take in light of the fact that the entire planet is pissed off at us. Thanks George!!! To be fair, it's not just us being jerks. An Iranian judo athlete is refusing to fight an Israeli because...well, he's a Jew. Thanks for making us look better than you silly racist punks Iran!!!
August 9, 2004 - The plot thickens
As you may have noticed, I changed the top quote because, well, you are never going to find a more candid explanation of why George Bush does what he does to us. The Carville quote will hereafter reside on the Archives page.
A special shout-out to Mooney for actually reading the random posts and for pointing me to America Coming Together. These are the guys who helped bring that Will Ferrell ad you may have heard of, and are sponsoring the Vote for Change tour, which is frankly good music working for a good cause. No Vegas dates yet, but it isn't like I've got the time right now anyway.
Kerry is coming to town tomorrow and I'll try to get home in time to catch that (seeing as he'll basically be next door at the Thomas & Mack Center). Bush is coming on Thursday, but he'll likely be spending time ducking questions concerning how Homeland Security "forgot" to warn Las Vegas that terrorists were casing our casinos. Refer back to the top quote. It starts making sense, no?
From the "That's no moon" Department comes Matok from the FES gaming club with this link. Yes, I'm an insufferable Star Wars fan and have even joined a club (which teams up with the FES sometimes) about four years back. Email me for more info - or just to point and laugh I guess.
Good lord we have a lot to cover. Let's keep it fun, shall we? We have Official British Jesters, German driving penalties, safe women drivers (no, I didn't stutter), overtime - the hard way, and our Olympic athletes - the hard way. Bad pun, I apologize.
The War on Terror takes a smile off the faces of travelling Britons and the election campaign makes Bush feed at the trough (thanks to Mooney for the link).
Our society took a few steps back with California leading the charge with inaccurate high school education materials; though, granted, it's not the state's fault. Texas follows with a story we touched on earlier. Instead of dealing with a racial slur, they chose to ignore the entire situation. Smart move, given the "sensitivity" usually shown about such things.
Wouldn't be right to not cover Slate articles cover the Bush as a preacher angle and the backlash of the rich and less fascist when it comes to those famous tax cuts. Gary Trudeau has joined in via the pages of Rolling Stone and through his comic, Doonesbury:
July 25, 2004 - Where do I start?
I'll probably just lump some a lot of stuff into a rant and leave it there for folks to comment on if they wish to - and they won't of course, but that's okay.
Thanks to Leslie's mom Cindy for rolling into town and spending a week with us. Got to play tourist some more and check out Penn & Teller's show at the Rio (following our Blue Man Group visit previously with Tracy - by the way, thanks for conspiring with Leslie to have a case of Leinie's shipped to me; GREAT birthday present!). Also ran around Red Rock and hung out on the Strip some more. That and it's just fun to have some visitors from time to time.
More good news for Vegas on the show front. We're getting Phantom of the Opera as a regular run. See? This is a real city after all. As for other Vegas events, you might expect me to have an opinion on the Linda Ronstadt thing. I really don't. If you haven't researched the talent you are planning on viewing a performance of, you are the fool, not the entertainer. More reactions available here. And don't start me on that idiot Schwarzenegger.
Two articles from the Las Vegas Weekly. One on the religious right and another on the whole politicized entertainment industry we are now seeing emerge. Just presented as food for thought.
And now, commentary:
The ultimate flip-flop: Our "war president" wants to be the "peace president." Dr. Jeckyl, meet Mr. Hyde. (The phrase from the first link is there somewhere about ten paragraphs down.)
The Las Vegas Review-Journal gets it right for maybe the first time this year:
Meddling from the GOP and their stalwarts, and a broader perspective on the race issue.
Days before Bush went to Detroit to take nice pictures make nice with the Urban League, GOP State Rep. John Pappageorge had some plausibly off-color remarks concerning the election and black voters. Basically, I believe he didn't want those words said out loud, but it doesn't mean he didn't want to say them. Speaking of racial support lacking for the president, it is now found missing among Hispanics (damn I hate that phrase) as well.
Then there's the whole "Kerry is a Bin Laden supporter" bumper sticker smear job. If anything, Bush has been their biggest recruiter, but saying that in public should be beneath a national political party. Guess that tells you who we are dealing with on the other side. Then there are the fools who plan to attack media vans at the Democratic National Convention. Sounds like a fear of having people hear another side of their guy's story to me.
A response to the whole "Kerry is a liberal" tag the GOP is trying to apply. Besides, since when was giving a crap about your fellow man a bad thing? (Use someone@bugmenot.com and someone to log on.) Another Post story concerning military support for the administation - and the growing lack thereof. The Guardian carries a similar story.
And I wanted to let this go, but it bugs the heck out of me that the administration would even considering moving election day. I'm pretty sure it's not un-Constitutional, but seriously, talk about trying to stack the deck. Would they even tell those of us who aren't GOP declared what the new date would be? I would have laughed at that a couple years ago, but now it's just kind of frightening.
And now a quickfire round. Homeland Security whaling on our international visitors. For all accounts, still AWOL. Thoughts on the annoying Jeopardy Guy. The always racially sensitive rural Texas solution. The ultimate beer run. Corporate creeps still profiting despite being class-A jerks. Dead man walking. The Donald weighs in. Lonely wimp (not to mention bad husband). Drunken idiot. Alright, you've had enough.
I'll be out of town for the better part of the next month on work stuff, so it will be very slim on updates. Consider the past month lower expectation training. More fun articles in the coming days.
July 8, 2004 - Back in action
Well, between the apartment move, a visit from Tracy, and my latest project I haven't had a lot of free time for posting - or for Galva Guard updates. Hopefully I can get back up to speed this weekend. By the way, thanks to Tracy for coming on out and having what I hope was a good time with us. Between the Hoover Dam, goofing off on the Strip and the Blue Man Group show, I enjoyed myself. Come back any time. If anyone else wants to swing by and visit, you know how to contact us.
Let's start off with some EvilNed submissions and those from others as well.
Our first offering is Rock, Paper, Saddam. If you don't know, ask Aziz. Best Buy decides that the customer is wrong. This just ensures I won't be going in for any hospital visits if I can help it. And if you live and work in Virginia, congratulations and enjoy those weekends off.
I don't remember where this came from, only that it is: a) a tad inappropriate (you've been warned), and b) funny.
I was tending towards a theme here. Today, Bush decided not to show up - again - to a NAACP convention. Which, of course, shows you how serious he is about race relations in this country. I'm actually not going to fault him too much for this, even though he's probably pandering to all the Klan members planning to vote for him. In any case, the African-American community is having a small discussion concerning the dreaded N-word, including another tirade by Bill Cosby calling out all the punk rapper types to get an education and stop being laughing-stocks. Personally, more power to anyone trying to advance their lives and their people without looking foolish. Then again, I think this is a problem best solved internally too.
Since I've brought up Republicans, I forgot to mention this little tidbit about the Texas GOP running on the platform that this is a "Christian Nation." Look - and this expands to a lot of my email senders of late as well - it is all well and good for you to have a religion and, within reason, look for converts for it as well. In fact, I think everyone needs something to believe in. But doing so on a national level, to the point of exclusion and making others feel unimportant and irrelevant is not what this country was founded on. So, please, take a second and realize the world is bigger than you and your belief system. Besides, if you are a church member, the president is trying to make a database of where you live. Creepy.
In case you were wondering who is helping Ralph Nader, the answer would be conservatives and probably even the Bush campaign itself. Oops, that's illegal kids. Then again, that never seemed to stop these guys before. The International Herald Tribune wraps up our day with an article on all that fun privatization you keep hearing about in Iraq and who is benefitting from it. Bonus article: Bruce Sterling on global private armies.
June 29, 2004 - Interrupted service
Been busy moving into our new apartment. As such I've been offline for quite a bit too. Which is frustrating, but doable.
Biggest story blown over by the media: Cheney being an ass. Think about it, if you walked onto the Senate floor and cussed out a Senator, you'd probably expect to do time, wouldn't you? This blowhard thinks it's just an everyday event, "These things happen" being a quote from the White House. EvilNed appropriately tackled the issue by passing along the following NSFW image. Seriously, do we really want this class of idiot running our country. Not Ned, Cheney and Blunder Boy.
Speaking of EvilNed, I'd like to thank him for passing along one of his free G-Mail invites. I'm moving over all site mail references to that account so I can get some of that spam out of my Yahoo account. That, and it's my new sign-up email for stuff.
I'm trying not to focus on politics but this stuff literally just lands in my lap. Our troops - in a combat zone, sent by a president who lied to get them in harm's way (have I set this up enough? - have at some time been asked to fill out a form and pray for the guy getting them shot at. Seriously, how mental are these people? Granted, the source is odd for this story, but here is the original. Bonus article on the semantics of linking Al-Qaeda and Iraq.
I'm letting Ned gloat about Fahrenheit 9/11. I just hope Moore does what he's never been able to do and get his facts straight. May even eventually see it. I mean, it's not like I need to be convinced that George Bush is bad for this country.
Now for odd news. Your cell phone may be sterilizing you. The ultimate Bryan Adams fan - and her ex-husband. Iraq's internet naming woes - courtesy of a pack of felonious Texans - no, not that one. Sex and the Republican Senate candidate (now somewhat dated since he's pulled out of the race....Cue: rim shot). And one giant "Oops" from the world of firefighting.
June 20, 2004 - Comparison shopping
There's a lot of talk (and at least one ad) equating Bush with Reagan. I'll skip over the blatant conspiracy theories about the Bush family being involved with the Hinckley's and let Reagan's son and various other pundits discredit that notion. Indeed, one has found another president Bush is more like. Other than Hoover of course.
Did you know? Over 82 million of us went without medical insurance at some point over the past two years. Guess that's going to just be written off by some compassionate conservative phrase like "the poor must have deserved it" or some such crap.
What else? Oh, yes, we still have segregation laws on the books in the southern states. Frankly, this doesn't surprise me unfortunately. Meanwhile, rappers can run around our jails are tape videos without fear of being caught. Though we can sink to the level of those we are fighting in Iraq and actual hide the fact we hold some prisoners. Nothing like giving psychotic terrorists more possible reasons to justify harming our soldiers. Who's driving this bus anyway? And can we please try to play cause-and-effect once in awhile?
Flying in the face of the 9-11 Commission he had to be forced to allow in the first place, the research involved by said committee is unconvincing to the president. He swears that the already flawed intel he led us into war on is still valid when it comes to a Saddam-Al Qaeda connection. Somewhere I'm sure someone is collecting data on a Saddam-Bush connection based on all the meetings his administration had in the past with the guy. Should one come up, I'll link it just to show you how ridiculous this line of argument is.
Last week, some nitwit bowled over a 4-year old to catch a fly ball. He was eventually shamed into giving the ball to the kid - three days later. Just wanted to share human stupidity to you in it's finest.
But hey, for all my doom and gloom, at least we don't all live in Cambodia.
June 15, 2004 - A smile on my face
Granted, it is small fries (more on that in a sec) compared to the major problems in the world, but I sat and enjoyed the Pistons whupping the daylights out of the Lakers tonight to win the NBA Championship 100-87. Considering you have a suspected rapist (Bryant), an egotistical thug (O'Neal), and a horse's *ss mercenary (Malone) sitting on the losing bench, it couldn't have ended any better as far as I'm concerned.
Remember when the government tried to make ketchup a vegetable in the '80s? Well, they are at it again. This time its frozen fries being labelled "fresh vegetables." (Use Membername: lvtribune and Password: lvtribune) Oh, in case you missed it - I did - salsa has been a vegetable since 1998. Bonus article that takes the idea seriously.
For the record, if you get as annoyed with those newspaper registrations as I do, go to BugMeNot and type in the URL of where you want to read the stories. Or just use the generic ones I occasionally give to ya.
Other health type news: growing up bilingual keeps your mind sharp as you grow older. Now I find out.
Recent historical date ridiculed here and here. And yes, OJ still got away with murder.
Speaking of kooks, some Branch Davidians still remain.
One fun thing and an interesting slice of life from Baghdad. The first is what you get for a Yahoo search for "incompetent" (check the third entry). The second is a story concerning Baghdad mailmen.
June 13, 2004 - Stinks like hypocrisy
*NOTE: The 4-5 ADA site has listed the Galva Guard subsite as the main link for Foxtrot Battery. While I am honored at the attention, it has brought heat down on Tom because - go figure - the powers that be do not approve of the politicized nature of this page and others on the domain. Look, I do not speak for my brother, his unit, or the Family Readiness Group in Galva. I have never implied nor intended that message to come across. I have also done my utmost best to keep anything of a blatant politicized message off the Galva Guard part of the site.
To those in charge, please respect my right to an opinion, my attempts at conforming to the better nature and presentation of the subsite, and to the integrity of the information I pass along within that part of the site. I pay for this, I work hard at it, and have always tried to keep the lines between this and the Galva Guard part distinct and unblurred. Plus, if you could, if you have a problem with me, kindly send me an email regarding your complaint. Thank you.
Now back to the regularly scheduled ranting and raving....
We start off with "Things You Have to Believe to be a Republican". Not too far off base actually for a partisan write-up. Here's a story on how Cheney tries to play up the concept of Bin Laden as a Democrat. And who bought him his first Stinger missile, Mr. Wizard?
Continuing with the whole Reagan thing. Some - a few of you anyway - have asked for a less-than-fanboy approach to his passing and legacy. You can find that here. I also provide the more extreme version, in both censored and non- flavors. Seriously though, don't even link to those if you just want to let bygones be bygones.
I said the other day I wouldn't comment much on it myself but it was a reader-requested subject; which I do try to acknowledge and act on. If you don't like it, counter the requests or suggest other content yourself.
In another vein, this whole move to put him on the $10 bill needs to be stopped. Read more about it and weigh in over at Doonesbury. And let's put the kibbosh on the whole Mt. Rushmore thing too please.
Paris is trying to ban SUVs. Now, the knee-jerk reaction here is to call it another French oddity. But, I think there's something to this. Why ruin your century's old city at the expense of someone's conspicuous consumption. If we can ban cell phone use in cars as a road hazard, surely we can attribute the same to a monstrosity on a narrow city street.
Wrapping up a story covered a long time ago: an Oklahoma court has decided that a Muslim girl can wear her headscarf to school. Good for them. Let's remember that we are allowed to be different in this country folks.
In another story by Ellis, involving the dangers of hosting a website. I haven't seen his kind of traffic yet, but wouldn't be too surprised if it happened someday.
Slate covers the passing of Ray Charles. To be honest, that death affected me a tad more where it counts than the other major passing this week.
More collected Boondocks coming this week. Tom has some pictures on the way that I'll hope up for ya. And a shout out to Mooney and his pal. Glad you are enjoying the show.
June 6, 2004 - /* [null]
I'll tip-toe around the obvious news story. My dad once said that you don't talk bad about someone once they've passed on, regardless of the ill they brought to the world. So that's what I'll do.
For those among the living, we have Republican Survivor. Another game is Presidental Knockout. Guess whose butt I chose to slap down. Also, I didn't make this up, so bear with me. In trying to con African-American voters into backing him, Mr. "There is no such thing as a hate crime" Bush has recruited the good graces of...wait for it...Don King.
In non-political bashing, let's take a page from Minnesota - no, not in electing ex-wrestlers - but in combating gas price gouging. We might not be able to fight OPEC or Big Oil, but we can hit the hometown thieves.
Kobe's lawyers, finks that they are, have gotten permission to have the potential rape victim not labelled as a victim. Seriously, have we all lost our minds at this point?
Two technology articles to pass along. One is a Popular Science story about a guy who spent some time this year trying to emulate life in 1954. Kind of a revelation on how much tech we've gotten used to. Another article covers the measure of a death penalty in a tongue-in-cheek way concerning virus writers and other filth. The last covers the modern music industry and how we end up with the crap bands we do when better music never gets heard by larger audiences.
We spent last weekend out of town, specifically hiking, dining and relaxing in Payson, AZ. Got to catch a D-Backs game in there too. It was much fun. This week I'm out of town in Carson City on work assignment. Have a good one.
May 25, 2004 - Seriously, how dumb can we get?
George Bush is apparently viewed as a "regular guy" by folks asked who they would rather have a barbecue with. Let's make a point here. Regular guys are not born into riches, go to two Ivy League schools, allowed to shirk military duty without punishment, and have the Supreme Court allow them to be president. Unless, that is, you consider clumsiness, the inability to speak the English language, and the means to buy your way to the presidency things regular guys do. Personally, I see that we have two elitists running for office; I'm just planning to vote for the one not trying to get my family killed.
Other morons. Kids who see vandalism as harmless fun. Also, look at the pic attached to this article and ask yourself if the First Amendment should give either of these clowns the right to be racist pigs. PUT THE SHEET ON YOU PORCINE VIOLATION!
Genius idiot of the week: Donald Rumsfeld, in trying to recover from the prisoner abuse debacle, has banned the use of camera phones amongst our armed forces. Yeah, let's not try to fix the problem; just hide the evidence.
In a related vein, I continue to hear from people who do not want to even acknowledge that some of our troops are fools who could actually sink to such wretched levels. They too just want to pretend and make it go away. Look, the quicker we accept responsibility for the situation and punish those at fault, the less the rest of our troops over there are in danger from those who would otherwise stand on the sidelines. It's called personal responsibility. Take the blame, fix the problem. Try it sometime. For those GOP members, I suggest starting November at your local polling place if not before. I mean, its not like the current resident of the Oval Office is ever going to admit a mistake.
Slate tackles the whole price of gas issue and raises some serious points. One being the fact that we are nominally an OPEC member right now so why not use that to our advantage? Another article addresses how to make voting interesting again.
I've been waiting for this one to get online in full form: Blender brings you the 50 Worst Songs Ever.
Also, we've killed the Irish lifestyle. Plus, your doctor needs to take his necktie off before he kills you.
Lastly, from EvilNed, titled: This Week's Sign of the Apocalypse. Cringe in fear.
May 18, 2004 - Simply Perfect
I was at work unfortunately and missed it, but I wanted to point out that Randy Johnson pitched a perfect game today. One, its a damn hard thing to do. Two, especially at 40. Three, especially with these stats. You want to know why I like baseball above all other sports? Moments like these. Hopefully I can catch some SportsCenter action to see some highlights.
I just wanted to point out two idiots who continue to walk this world with no shame: JonBenet Ramsey's dad and Kobe Bryant. Seriously, somebody please slap some sense into these fools.
May 12, 2004 - Happy Birthday Tom
First off, before anything else, crack open a cold one for Tom's 21st birthday. Here's hoping his next one is safe at home.
Some folks on the Galva-Kewanee Armed Services Group (can I just call it GKASG or something from now on?) just plain disappoint me. The latest discussion, as with most people, concerns the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal. While most have been shocked and remain fairly level-headed, we have some members who pretty much praise the stupid MPs who did this and assume these are regular interrogation practices. Yeah, but only in Oz.
Let me clear this up. Yes, I doubt most of the guys they captured are nice guys. I also doubt they've been very cooperative. However, humiliating them and getting photo proof of it will: a) not likely get them talking anyway, and b) will now only get our troops - and civilians apparently - into many more life-and-death situations. As much as I lay the blame for the 740+ dead at the feet of our current administration, they are now going to have to share the blame with those shameful MPs from here on out.
More importantly, the very acts alone ensure that our troops over there are more likely to get in harm's way. Sweeping the incidents under the rug and pooh-poohing it all away will increase that danger by another order of magnitude. Yes, it is not pleasant to think our troops - our side even - are capable of such cruel acts. But let's not lie and pretend it did not happen. Acknowledge it, actually apologize for it, try and charge those guilty of the criminal behavior, and do our best to be open and honest about never letting something like this happen again. When half the Arab world thinks that a beheading is a proper response to the way we treat our prisoners, that says a lot more about our practices than the imbecile criminals we're fighting. Let's worry more about regaining the moral high ground than on whether or not we can handle bad news.
I'm not talking about a witch hunt. I'm also not talking about having to see every piece of evidence on display on the evening news. Acknowledge the problem, deal with it fairly, and move on. Could we just do something without going to extremes for once?
And while we are at it, I agree with those naysayers on one thing at least: let us report the good we actually are achieving in Iraq and give us all a reason to be proud of our efforts there. Not for political gain, not to be portrayed as stooges of the government; merely because it should be newsworthy.
May 10, 2004 - Saying your sorry is a terrorist plot
From the "Saying everything but what they want to hear" department, Bush went on Arab TV to acknowledge that, yes, some of our MPs are dirtbags, but he's not going to apologize, much less take responsibility, for any of that mess. For all his obvious faults, even Rumsfeld did that. Slate also covers how we are letting the president get away with being stupid.
You don't have to be intelligent to vote Democratic, but it obviously helps. Thanks to Raziel in the UK for bringing that to our attention. Hopefully intelligence will overcome bombast, false patriotism, and a culture of fear this fall.
Speaking of the current administration, GQ covers the sad, sorry fate of Colin Powell. You almost have to feel sorry for the guy, though he should have known what he was getting into.
So, we still make cars here right? After the news from Oldsmobile and Ford, I'm beginning to wonder.
On a vaguely current culture aspect, I picked up Smile Empty Soul's CD the other day and was struck by the lyrics of "This is War." If I get enough calls for it, I may even put up an .mp3 of it, though I doubt the RIAA would be very pleased if I did. Maybe I can get the band's permission.
May 6, 2004 - Two Children Left Behind
The Bush clan has decided to not attend the graduations of the First Drinkers (Jenna and Barbara to the rest of ya) "in order to avoid disruptions for families of the other graduates." So wait a minute...we are going to let them get away with ignoring a chance to praise education and family values in an actual non-politicized setting on the premise of respecting families when there are 700+ families dealing with the deaths of their loved ones because W didn't give one iota of concern for them? That's straight hypocrisy folks. Vote accordingly.
Speaking of quality education, let's try to make sure these kinds of idiots are not allowed to develop our youth.
Not that I really give a damn what he thinks, but Michael Moore is being censored by Disney. I figure that every crackpot, be it morons like Limbaugh or not-quite-truthful propagandists like Moore, has a constitutional right to their opinions. Too bad corporations and our government feel differently.
Oh, continuing with fascist pigs, the RIAA types conveniently forgot how to find musicians like David Bowie and Dolly Parton to send them checks they earned. Maybe they were too busy suing grandmas. Happy Mother's Day. In other law and order type news, Oregon inmates get to have flat screen TVs in their cells. Seriously, isn't jail supposed to be punishment?
A few last notes concerning a miracle survival, a glimpse at Olympic concerns, and - via EvilNed - how to find a Singapore bathroom.
May 3, 2004 - Keep Digging
First off, Moreover is probably killing the newsfeed access in the near future. They want to move everyone over to an ad-based service. I have no clue if an ad-free alternative is available, but I'll try to find it. Too bad as I've mostly enjoyed the experience with Moreover; but I am not about to insult your intelligence - or mine - by hocking goods for some corporate stooges for free.
A few anti-GOP rants to pass along. First off, that idiot O'Reilly at FOXNews is trying to start a culture war with Canada. Only he could piss off everyone he's trying to make a viewer of. Another useless pile of dung, Michael Savage, managed to motivate this guy (article is obscene but worth reading for poignant points plus humor value). Want to know why conservatives are dangerous to the rest of us? Read that article. My favorite part? The "thug liberal" tag. Wear it proud folks.
Good lord, what else? Oh yeah, if you are one of those misbegotten souls who dared oppose our invasion of Iraq, you may already know you have been labelled a "traitor", are "unpatriotic" and "not behind our troops." Did you also know you are a racist? That's what the president thinks anyway. Not sure where they cook this stuff up.
Salon carries the story of Joseph Wilson (you may have to endure an ad via the Free Day Pass to read it). Best quote?
"Q: What's the difference in the GOP from when you were growing up?
A: If you're fiscally responsible, this is not your party. If you believe in a moderate foreign policy characterized by alliances, free trade and the ability to operate in an international environment, this is not your party. If you believe in limited federal government, this is not your party. If you believe that the government should stay out of your bedroom, this is very definitely not your party. In fact, I would argue that unless you believe in the American imperium, imposed on the world by force, or unless you believe in the literal interpretation of the Book of Revelations, this is not your party."
You may have missed Sen. Frank Lautenberg's statement last week. I provide you a quick synopsis, a link to the full text and that wonderful Chickenhawk graphic. Seriously, take the time to read the whole statement. Also, a timely Mark Fiore cartoon for ya.
Bible quiz for ya. One thing I learned from taking it: liberal is mentioned in the Bible; conservative is not. Go chew on that one for awhile. Natch.
Hmm, that's it for this entry.
May 2, 2004 - Maybe Al-Jazeera is as "Fair and Balanced" as FOXNews
The big news is about prisoner mistreatment in Iraq, as detailed here and in many, many other news venues. While I agree that surrendering troops need to be treated well and those responsible for abuses need to be probably court martialed, stripped of rank, and likely flogged themselves; let's take a step back here for a second. I find it ironic that many of the same regional news agencies screaming for blood on this issue were the same ones gleefully showing mobs killing, kicking, then hanging corpses from a bridge in Fallujah and presenting that as a good thing. Wrong is wrong and you need to show it all across the board. That goes for our media too.
By way of comparison , here's a prisoner I have little but contempt for. I figure any child abuser, much less one that sexually assaults children, has a very narrow scope in which they can appeal to society's feelings. Not even a crocodile tear for this situation.
This kid needs a medal or something. I don't even know what I'd do in that situation.
For comedic purposes only (hopefully): a look at the secret Bush campaign strategy. From Maxim, just so you know what you're getting into.
You want to know what's wrong with the legal system in this country? Read this guy's sad story.
ESPN has hired John Kruk to do an article for them, mostly focusing on baseball I presume. I was real skeptical going into this but he writes really well. Take a look at his latest comment and go back through his past couple articles as well.
