Go to Google, type "a**hole" (well, not that exactly, but you know what I'm saying) into the search bar, and click "I'm feeling lucky".
Listen somewhere free of younguns.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Who said what?
I occasionally listen to Sean Hannity's radio show when I'm in the kitchen because it is so train-wreck bad that it's funny. The other night, Sean had a guest on who was just ripping this stupid little man's position on our disastrous present war and soon to be disastrous future war up one way and down the other. He noted that:
1) the Iraqi war was unlawful as war with Iran would be,
2) for all his hyperbole, Iranian President Ahmadinejad is a) not a policy maker and b) not insane,
3) Israel is quite well prepared to defend itself, thank you,
4) the Iranians are rational, and know that the microwave would immediately be set on "High" if even a hint of radiation was found out of place,
5) Crazy? We stared down Stalin for a generation and he was a nuclear-armed sociopath leading the world's larget country. We live with Stalin and you're afraid of a couple third-rate Middle eastern countries?
6) Iran has attacked NO ONE, and is a much larger, wealthier and more populous country than Iraq,
and the clincher was
7) "we can't go to war every time you're afraid, Sean."
The guest:
Amazing.
1) the Iraqi war was unlawful as war with Iran would be,
2) for all his hyperbole, Iranian President Ahmadinejad is a) not a policy maker and b) not insane,
3) Israel is quite well prepared to defend itself, thank you,
4) the Iranians are rational, and know that the microwave would immediately be set on "High" if even a hint of radiation was found out of place,
5) Crazy? We stared down Stalin for a generation and he was a nuclear-armed sociopath leading the world's larget country. We live with Stalin and you're afraid of a couple third-rate Middle eastern countries?
6) Iran has attacked NO ONE, and is a much larger, wealthier and more populous country than Iraq,
and the clincher was
7) "we can't go to war every time you're afraid, Sean."
The guest:
Amazing.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Oliver Wendell Bush
One certainly doesn't have to be a lawyer to be president, but a basic working familiarity with our legal system should be a prerequisite for the office.
Check out this pearl of legal wisdom:
"The jury convicted him [Zacarias Moussaoui] to life in prison."
Excuse me, but..NO!!
Convict (verb) "To find or prove (someone) guilty of an offense or crime, especially by the verdict of a court."
Juries don't "convict" someone to a particular sentence. He entered a guilty plea, and according to the definition above, was already "guilty." The trial then moved to the penalty phase, which is totally separate from the "conviction." Geez, this is "Law and Order"-level stuff.
Check out this pearl of legal wisdom:
"The jury convicted him [Zacarias Moussaoui] to life in prison."
Excuse me, but..NO!!
Convict (verb) "To find or prove (someone) guilty of an offense or crime, especially by the verdict of a court."
Juries don't "convict" someone to a particular sentence. He entered a guilty plea, and according to the definition above, was already "guilty." The trial then moved to the penalty phase, which is totally separate from the "conviction." Geez, this is "Law and Order"-level stuff.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Retard America
Chicago Tribune
American youth have no direction home or abroad
A five-year, multimedia campaign called My Wonderful World aims to reach children ages 8 to 17. The goal is to motivate parents and educators to expand geographic offerings in school, at home and in their communities. They will have their task cut out for them, judging by the results of the survey of 510 people interviewed in December and January. It found 33 percent of respondents couldn't pinpoint Louisiana on a map and 48 percent were unable to locate Mississippi. But Southerners shouldn't feel unappreciated. Half of respondents could not find New York either.
Joining the geographic education campaign will be 4H, the American Federation of Teachers, Asia Society, Association of American Geographers, National Basketball Association, National Council of La Raza, National PTA, Smithsonian Institution and others.
"Geography exposes children and adults to diverse cultures, different ideas and the exchange of knowledge from around the world," said Anna Marie Weselak, president of the National PTA. "This campaign will help make sure our children get their geography so they can become familiar with other cultures during their school years and move comfortably and confidently in a global economy as adults."
Lost Generation
The National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs geography survey of young adult Americans found:
Only 37 percent could identify Iraq on a map of the Middle East. (As Tribune readers surely know, it's the country highlighted above.)
Only 12 percent could locate Afghanistan on a map of Asia.
One of the few bright spots was that 69 percent could identify China [Editor's Note--This is a BRIGHT SPOT? It's ****ing CHINA!!!!] on a map. But on another aspect of China, they did far worse. In a multiple-choice quiz, only 18 percent answered correctly that Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken native language in the world. Most people-74 percent-thought it was English.
While the outsourcing of jobs to India has been a major U.S. business story, 47 percent could not find the Indian subcontinent on a map of Asia. When given a list of four countries (Indonesia, India, Armenia and South Africa) and asked which one was majority Muslim, only 25 percent said correctly that it was Indonesia. Nearly half (48 percent) answered India, which is only 13 percent Muslim.
While Israeli-Palestinian strife has been in the news for the entire lives of the respondents, 75 percent were unable to locate Israel on a map of the Middle East.
Six in 10 did not know that the border between North and South Korea is the most heavily fortified in the world. Thirty percent thought the most heavily fortified border was between the United States and Mexico.
Two-thirds didn't know that the earthquake that killed 70,000 people in October 2005 occurred in Pakistan.
American youth have no direction home or abroad
A five-year, multimedia campaign called My Wonderful World aims to reach children ages 8 to 17. The goal is to motivate parents and educators to expand geographic offerings in school, at home and in their communities. They will have their task cut out for them, judging by the results of the survey of 510 people interviewed in December and January. It found 33 percent of respondents couldn't pinpoint Louisiana on a map and 48 percent were unable to locate Mississippi. But Southerners shouldn't feel unappreciated. Half of respondents could not find New York either.
Joining the geographic education campaign will be 4H, the American Federation of Teachers, Asia Society, Association of American Geographers, National Basketball Association, National Council of La Raza, National PTA, Smithsonian Institution and others.
"Geography exposes children and adults to diverse cultures, different ideas and the exchange of knowledge from around the world," said Anna Marie Weselak, president of the National PTA. "This campaign will help make sure our children get their geography so they can become familiar with other cultures during their school years and move comfortably and confidently in a global economy as adults."
Lost Generation
The National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs geography survey of young adult Americans found:
Only 37 percent could identify Iraq on a map of the Middle East. (As Tribune readers surely know, it's the country highlighted above.)
Only 12 percent could locate Afghanistan on a map of Asia.
One of the few bright spots was that 69 percent could identify China [Editor's Note--This is a BRIGHT SPOT? It's ****ing CHINA!!!!] on a map. But on another aspect of China, they did far worse. In a multiple-choice quiz, only 18 percent answered correctly that Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken native language in the world. Most people-74 percent-thought it was English.
While the outsourcing of jobs to India has been a major U.S. business story, 47 percent could not find the Indian subcontinent on a map of Asia. When given a list of four countries (Indonesia, India, Armenia and South Africa) and asked which one was majority Muslim, only 25 percent said correctly that it was Indonesia. Nearly half (48 percent) answered India, which is only 13 percent Muslim.
While Israeli-Palestinian strife has been in the news for the entire lives of the respondents, 75 percent were unable to locate Israel on a map of the Middle East.
Six in 10 did not know that the border between North and South Korea is the most heavily fortified in the world. Thirty percent thought the most heavily fortified border was between the United States and Mexico.
Two-thirds didn't know that the earthquake that killed 70,000 people in October 2005 occurred in Pakistan.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Don't make me come back there.....
Don't make me turn this car around..
Iran threatened on Tuesday to attack Israel in response to any "evil" act by the United States and said it had enriched uranium to a level close to the maximum compatible with civilian use in power stations.
Kids, kids...stop it!
Iran threatened on Tuesday to attack Israel in response to any "evil" act by the United States and said it had enriched uranium to a level close to the maximum compatible with civilian use in power stations.
Kids, kids...stop it!
Monday, May 01, 2006
Congressman denies drinking...........right
From Talking Points Memo:
Rep. John Sweeney (you remember him from the Republican PAAARTY! PAAARTY!) now says that he "wasn't drunk and wasn't even drinking"
Right.
Honestly, hon, I came straight home..
Officer, I just had a couple...
Never touch the stuff...
You know, it was a work thing...
Right.. ...
The word of the day
Hypocrisy (noun: hy·poc·ri·sy) The practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; falseness.
Drug use destroys societies. Drug use, some might say, is destroying this country. And we have laws against selling drugs, pushing drugs, using drugs, importing drugs. And the laws are good because we know what happens to people in societies and neighborhoods which become consumed by them. And so if people are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought to be convicted and they ought to be sent up. What this says to me is that too many whites are getting away with drug use. Too many whites are getting away with drug sales. Too many whites are getting away with trafficking in this stuff. The answer to this disparity is not to start letting people out of jail because we’re not putting others in jail who are breaking the law. The answer is to go out and find the ones who are getting away with it, convict them and send them up the river, too.”
Drug use destroys societies. Drug use, some might say, is destroying this country. And we have laws against selling drugs, pushing drugs, using drugs, importing drugs. And the laws are good because we know what happens to people in societies and neighborhoods which become consumed by them. And so if people are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought to be convicted and they ought to be sent up. What this says to me is that too many whites are getting away with drug use. Too many whites are getting away with drug sales. Too many whites are getting away with trafficking in this stuff. The answer to this disparity is not to start letting people out of jail because we’re not putting others in jail who are breaking the law. The answer is to go out and find the ones who are getting away with it, convict them and send them up the river, too.”
Operation...
Department of Defense
OPERATION ANNOUNCEMENT
.
.
.
.
.
The Pentagon is pleased to announce the code names for our upcoming invasion of Iran. The campaign will be conducted in two phases, beginning with targeted air strikes known as
.
Operation
.
Completely
Rejecting
American
Principles
.
and a follow-up phase of ground troop occupation known as
.
Operation
.
Further
Unnecessary
Criminal
Killing.
.
Thank You
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Friday, April 28, 2006
Separated at birth?
I'm looking for other suggestions, but something tells me that President Ahmadinejad doesn't have a "box of sunshine!"
Not that sweet...
Apparently this is part of a deal that lets the drug-addled gasbag off if he stays clean.
September 11, "Flight 93", and the attempted highjacking of a real national tragedy
Of all the things I despise George W. Bush for, exploiting 9/11 to steal, murder, lie, cheat, and attempt to destroy the world and my country may always reside at the top of the list. I know that not everyone shares my feelings, but I find that I still can't look at images or video of that day without feeling like I've been kicked in the gut. It may be more than four and a half years since that day, but my recollection of the shock, anger, pain, and everything else I went through has not faded. I don't know what it is - whether it's from living near New York at the time and seeing the smoke from the towers while driving home or just because of the magnitude of the event.
Now there's this new movie out, "Flight 93." (I promise, I'll get back to the President soon.) I have no interest whatsoever in seeing this movie. I don't understand why anyone would have any interest. Do we need a dramatization of those events? The reality not real enough for you? I've heard it's very well-made, and I'm sure it will make the producers buckets of money, and bully for them. They won't get any from me - I don't know if it's too soon, or if it will ever be long enough, but that's okay.
Back to the President. He's been trying to capitalize on 9/11, much the same way as the filmmakers are doing. However, while they are business people, creating and marketing a product that will likely make them money, he has a very different role in our country, a role which carries a responsibility to care more about right than profit.
Of course he doesn't. Everyone knows that the administration's sole objective for being in power is to acquire more power. In doing so, they threw away the best chance we've had to make collective progress as a nation in over half a century - think about what this country was like in the weeks following the attacks, the sense of national pride and connectivity - and then think about what things are like now, with the most bitter partisan politics (and resultant lack of progress) that nearly anyone can remember.
The main tactic they have used in this power grab, as we know, is fear. We're supposed to be terrified that terrorists could attack at any minute, and if we don't listen to everything he says, our children (even if we don't have any) will be killed and beaten and tortured and killed again and we'll have to watch and it will be the worst thing ever and then it will get worse than that and oh my god and and and
Sorry.
The leverage they use is the fear that we felt on 9/11. They have spent years trying to reach into people's guts to grab that fear, and use that fear to inspire hatred and lead us to war. Along the way, they have tried to hijack the real feelings of the American people and trade them for faux-jingoism and bigotry and war. They've acted as if somehow they have more of a claim on that tragedy than anyone else - that somehow their desire to kill and hate is more valid, is more urgent, is more necessary than any other reaction.
Stop it, Mr. President. Stop it right the hell now. You do not have the right to start a war based on lies, quoting my fear of terrorism as a reason. I do not need you (or a hack country singer, for that matter) to remind me how I felt that day. I do not give you the right to destroy the world in my name. I'm taking 9/11 away from you. It's mine. And my neighbor's. And my family's. It's everyone's, and you don't have the right to take it from us and use it for your evil purposes.
I was reading on a right wing blog about "Flight 93", and the delusional bloggers and commenters were busily spewing hate about how much everyone needs to see the movie, to remind us of the tragedy, and (in their sick minds, anyway) reawaken our national anger to lead us further into war. We've become complacent, they cry. We've forgotten, they say.
We have not. Just because we don't want to kill every brown person and build a wall around the country and burn the Constitution does not mean that we've forgotten. My reaction is as valid as any, and it's more human, and humane, than theirs. I say to them that they have no more right to claim ownership of 9/11 than the President, and I'm done. Hate if you want, but you will not do so in my name.
Now there's this new movie out, "Flight 93." (I promise, I'll get back to the President soon.) I have no interest whatsoever in seeing this movie. I don't understand why anyone would have any interest. Do we need a dramatization of those events? The reality not real enough for you? I've heard it's very well-made, and I'm sure it will make the producers buckets of money, and bully for them. They won't get any from me - I don't know if it's too soon, or if it will ever be long enough, but that's okay.
Back to the President. He's been trying to capitalize on 9/11, much the same way as the filmmakers are doing. However, while they are business people, creating and marketing a product that will likely make them money, he has a very different role in our country, a role which carries a responsibility to care more about right than profit.
Of course he doesn't. Everyone knows that the administration's sole objective for being in power is to acquire more power. In doing so, they threw away the best chance we've had to make collective progress as a nation in over half a century - think about what this country was like in the weeks following the attacks, the sense of national pride and connectivity - and then think about what things are like now, with the most bitter partisan politics (and resultant lack of progress) that nearly anyone can remember.
The main tactic they have used in this power grab, as we know, is fear. We're supposed to be terrified that terrorists could attack at any minute, and if we don't listen to everything he says, our children (even if we don't have any) will be killed and beaten and tortured and killed again and we'll have to watch and it will be the worst thing ever and then it will get worse than that and oh my god and and and
Sorry.
The leverage they use is the fear that we felt on 9/11. They have spent years trying to reach into people's guts to grab that fear, and use that fear to inspire hatred and lead us to war. Along the way, they have tried to hijack the real feelings of the American people and trade them for faux-jingoism and bigotry and war. They've acted as if somehow they have more of a claim on that tragedy than anyone else - that somehow their desire to kill and hate is more valid, is more urgent, is more necessary than any other reaction.
Stop it, Mr. President. Stop it right the hell now. You do not have the right to start a war based on lies, quoting my fear of terrorism as a reason. I do not need you (or a hack country singer, for that matter) to remind me how I felt that day. I do not give you the right to destroy the world in my name. I'm taking 9/11 away from you. It's mine. And my neighbor's. And my family's. It's everyone's, and you don't have the right to take it from us and use it for your evil purposes.
I was reading on a right wing blog about "Flight 93", and the delusional bloggers and commenters were busily spewing hate about how much everyone needs to see the movie, to remind us of the tragedy, and (in their sick minds, anyway) reawaken our national anger to lead us further into war. We've become complacent, they cry. We've forgotten, they say.
We have not. Just because we don't want to kill every brown person and build a wall around the country and burn the Constitution does not mean that we've forgotten. My reaction is as valid as any, and it's more human, and humane, than theirs. I say to them that they have no more right to claim ownership of 9/11 than the President, and I'm done. Hate if you want, but you will not do so in my name.
Denny, you big gas bag
Hydrogen, that is. You'll recall that Smirky's been talking about Hydrogen cars as the panacea for reducing dependence on oil for a long time. Well, if we are able to produce millions of safe, Hydrogen-powered cars, and develop a national infrastructure to distribute and store a flammable gas on that scale (oh, the humanity!), then that will work, but even the best guesses are that we're a couple decades away from that point. So, instead of working on other solutions which could reduce the problem in the short term, we're focusing our national agenda on pie-in-the-sky futures with no fallback.
Anyway, yesterday, some of the congresscritters decided that they needed some positive publicity, and did a photo-op at a gas station with some of GM's prototype Hydrogen cars. And when it was over, good ol' Denny left the event in one of those Hydrogen cars for the few block drive back to the capitol.
Until he stopped a block away and got out of that car and climbed into his Suburban.
Anyway, yesterday, some of the congresscritters decided that they needed some positive publicity, and did a photo-op at a gas station with some of GM's prototype Hydrogen cars. And when it was over, good ol' Denny left the event in one of those Hydrogen cars for the few block drive back to the capitol.
Until he stopped a block away and got out of that car and climbed into his Suburban.
More pics from the Republican PARTY!!!!
Some more photos of Rep. Blutarsky (AKA Rep. John Sweeney of new York, stupid enough to go to a frat party already allegedly in an "New York State of Mind."
(see story below)
Brother, can you spare a trillion?
Iraq Costs Said to Hit $320 Bln, Then Double Before War Ends
April 27 (Bloomberg) -- The cost of the war in Iraq will hit $320 billion once Congress approves an emergency spending measure that's now before the Senate, and that figure probably will double before the war ends, according to the Congressional Research Service.
The cost in fiscal 2006 alone will reach $101.8 billion, double the $51 billion spent in fiscal 2003, the nonpartisan service said. Even if U.S. troops start to leave this year, the total costs of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will jump by $371 billion during the withdrawal, the report said, citing an estimate from the Congressional Budget office.
The total estimated cost of the two conflicts is now $811 billion, far surpassing the inflation-adjusted $549 billion spent on the Vietnam War, the service said.
And that's just what they are willing to tell us. Add in the off-book amounts (like state National Guard equipment that is destroyed, hidden contracts, ongoing expenses, and the stuff they are just lying about) abd the numbers become even more frightening.
April 27 (Bloomberg) -- The cost of the war in Iraq will hit $320 billion once Congress approves an emergency spending measure that's now before the Senate, and that figure probably will double before the war ends, according to the Congressional Research Service.
The cost in fiscal 2006 alone will reach $101.8 billion, double the $51 billion spent in fiscal 2003, the nonpartisan service said. Even if U.S. troops start to leave this year, the total costs of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will jump by $371 billion during the withdrawal, the report said, citing an estimate from the Congressional Budget office.
The total estimated cost of the two conflicts is now $811 billion, far surpassing the inflation-adjusted $549 billion spent on the Vietnam War, the service said.
And that's just what they are willing to tell us. Add in the off-book amounts (like state National Guard equipment that is destroyed, hidden contracts, ongoing expenses, and the stuff they are just lying about) abd the numbers become even more frightening.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
A warm welcome to our first River City visitor
I saw we had a visitor from Fort Wayne, Indiana, the hometown of my lovely bride and where we were married:
Please visit again!
Please visit again!
How many shopping days are left?
We're coming right up on "Mission Accomplished" Day, the third anniversary.
How do you plan to celebrate the "holiday?"
How do you plan to celebrate the "holiday?"
Duuude.........
See the story here at Josh Marshall's site.
As James Taylor said,
Americano got the sleepy eye
But his body’s still shaking like a live wire
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