rInteresting not just because of new alternative voices on the radio (which is good news), but also because of the Realpolitik of radio advertizing/marketing:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/artsentertainment/2002120799_liberalradio16.html
Clear Channel (a company w/ many conservative connections) seems to be taking the Deng Xiaopeng road on Liberal talk radio:
"Whether a cat is black or white makes no difference. As long as it catches mice, it is a good cat."
Dear Mr. G:
Thank you so much for taking the time to contact my office and share your kind words of support. I am very proud to represent Washington state in the Senate, and your encouragement means so much to me.I have always believed that the purpose of public service is to make a positive difference in the lives of ordinary Americans.
If we are to effect real change in our country, we must remain visionary and honest on issues such as education, health care and the economy. I work for innovative solutions on these and other challenges that face our nation.My work in the Senate is focused on people, and nothing is more important to me than receiving advice and comments from the people of Washington state.
I hope you will continue to stay in touch on matters of interest to you, and that you will not hesitate to call on me whenever I may be of assistance.
Again, thank you for contacting me. Please stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Patty Murray
United States Senator
Apparently my friend and yours Santa has yet another entry in his extensive resume': "Shadow Walker"
"If I'm coming at you from the distance, you can see me... but dont look away. If you look away, I'll be on you before you know it." (snaps his fingers)
I told him that I would remember not to look away. To which he retorted:
"That wont work. I'll be there in your grill between blinks. You wont even know what hit you, or what killed you. "
(Yikes)
"You see, I'm a shadow walker. I dont move on the ground. I move between ticks on the clock"
(he said the last part really slow and dramatically)
So now I'm sitting here, Santa-less... and I'm so pissed. Why oh why didnt I get a live test of Shadow walking. Damnit, I coulda seen Chairman Ho's nemisis in his true form. I might have even gotten a lesson from this Zen master.
Farewell Shadow walker. Perhaps I will you see you again on my next Moses Lake visit.
Santa just showed up again. He said the following:
"If Christine Gregiore is elected governor, and she gets all big-headed and arrogant, I predict that she may be the first governor in this state to be assassinated." (Jaw drops)
"I'm serious, because theres a whoooooole lotta wackos out there"
Yikes... thanks for that, Santa.
Justin Merrill and I once worked with a guy named Dusty who was the biggest liar in the universe. The problem was that Dusty's lies were so intricate, complicated, and interesting, that you stopped caring about being lied to, and started caring about how to secretly document everything that spilled from Dusty's mouth. He was like some sort of maniacal Garrison Keillor. (more on Dusty later).
Such was my predicament this evening/morning. An elderly man came to the desk around 11pm. Looked like a balding skinny Santa. Actually, he looked like Turner's dad in 20 years with longer hair. While I was in the back room, my co-worker David told him that I would be working all night, and that he should come back tell me "his jokes and riddles" (out of sight, I made furious throat slashing gestures, but to no avail). David later said he was sorry. No apologies, David.
Santa turns up around midnight, and started letting the jokes slip. Then the riddles... yawn. I'm so bad at riddles. Then we talked books, then Science Fiction. He's a big Star Trek fan, and I possess a remedial working knowledge on the subject (few episodes of the original series, and the movies).
After that reservoir ran dry, the ground just seemed to open up.
The first indication came with his bravado about being a Scientist, Chess champion, top of his class in Law School, and then recently released from prison - apparently doing time in San Quinten ("God help you if you get sent there"). He said:
"I'll tell you what, the first thing you do at that prison is beat-up the biggest guy there... that'll earn you respect"...
(mmmmmkay)
Then came more monologues (as I frantically grasp for a legal pad):
"I got my guard fired because he cut-up my mail. They don't expect to have a law student inmate. I reported him to the district attorney. They threatened him with federal mail tampering. Long story short, for the rest of my stay, I received 4 different jigsaw puzzles every month for the rest of my stay..."
(jigsaw puzzles!??! What, no dope?)
"I once got in a verbal war with a fellow inmate. I told him to answer the following questions... if he didn't know that answer, I told him to say 'I don't know':I asked him, "how long does it take a bee to get from here to there"The inmate said, "I don't know"... I asked him "how long does it take a bird to get from here to there"... Again, "I don't know". Then asked him what color an orange was: he said, "Orange". Then asked him what the name of the boy was who never wanted to grow up: He said "Peter Pan". I responded, "Well it seems you know nothing about the birds and the bees, but seem to know a lot about fruits and fairies!"
(zing)
"I once leaned on a fellow inmate and asked him 'Whats the difference between a bear and a queer'... 'A bear would never let a man lean on him'"
(bing)
Then came inmate-turned-government-sought-after Physicist:
"I once created a laser that completely revolutionizes any beam of light on earth, including blue lasers. Even the government wanted it. I gave a live test for military officials in the middle of the Nevada desert once: one touch of a button and this laser cut in-two an M1A1 tank w/8" armor. The government demanded the specs. I gave it to them, but the ink disappeared when it hit their hands. I told them to 'forget it' & that I was averse to any brainwashing possibilities. To this day they try to get the information, but they know they'll have to kill me first, so they'll never get it... and thats a true story"
(he seriously ended the story this way)
"I told the government that the only way they would get the information is if it was given to all sides... you know, to balance the equation. They said 'no dice' and so did I"
(I think I saw this in the movie "Sneakers")
"I once created a sound-system that could produce a frequency that can coagulate every square-inch of blood in your body. You're dead before you hit the ground"
"I know of untapped Gold and Silver deposits still in the cascades. No one else knows of these locations. I once went up there, came back with a few nuggets, walked into a gun store and bought a 30-aught-six with no cash, no credit, no paperwork, and best of all: no questions asked" (holy moses!)
This of course, transitioned into a funny - albeit frightening - gun discussion:
"I don't carry your normal gun. I only a carry a gun that once I draw it - yer dead. No pea-shooter here. So powerful, if I aim it at your hand, you'll lose an arm"
"I carry a 44 auto mag. And I don't buy ammo from any store: too many questions, too much paper-work, and it wont ever pierce body armor. No sir, I build my own at home"
"I once walked into a gun store with my 44 and my armor piercing home-mades. I told the owner I could cut through any piece of armor they had in stock. He put 3 Teflon shields on a dummy. I took 50 military paces, ("thats a huge store," I thought), then turned and shot. Not only did it blow a hole in the front, but it also blew a hole on exit, and embedded itself in the wall behind. I walked out of there with $2,500, 'cause there was no way I'm gonna demonstrate without no green on the screen"
Then came the long one about being ex-black-ops. (I grip the pen until my knuckles turn white):
"Yeah I used to be Military. Vietnam. Black ops. Government wrote me a death certificate even before I went out. Our teams only existed on paper - combustible paper. My folks heard 'Rumors of death highly exaggerated' on many occasion"
"Ho Chi Min had a 4 1/2 million dollar price on my head - and thats American green, not VC ruble. I once had 'the Chairman' in my sights, but was ordered to hit his 2nd in command. Shattered Chairman Ho's tea cup though!"
(VC Ruble. I can still hear him saying that. I think I might borrow that one)
"On more than one occasion, I had in my sight the head of Chairman Ho... just one squeeze of the trigger, and the war's over. But I was never given that order. And I ain't gonna get locked in the brig for the rest of my natural born life!"
Later military career:
"I once guarded a nuclear facility. Got a 2-star Lieutenant General retired. Heres how: This General had the base locked up as tight as a duck's butt (or some metaphor to that affect, I forget). But I managed to sneak in a portable timed bomb - set for 10 seconds. When this 2-star was forced to resign for my actions, he once asked me why I only set it for 10 secs. I told him that with a blast like that, its gonna be a one-way ticket."
And then there was a bunch more about joining Civil war gaming clubs, and dominating so hard that he would get kicked out by the moderators. (of course, he would always play the confederacy).
I'll report back soon with any more yarn sequels. Also, I'll post a prequel of "Dusty's tirades" later...
Dad's response to "(Wo)man the trenches":
I’m puzzled how the pharmacist, Karen Brauer, relates to either a Taliban person or a soldier fighting against the Taliban.
This pharmacist clearly values innocent human life. Some people in the Taliban do not. But it brings up a reasonable question of “Rule of Law” and value of life.
We are a nation of laws, like most nations in the world these days. I like that. It keeps us organized in our behavior and, as important, organized in our thinking.
Among the laws are laws that protect the sanctity of innocent life. We have laws in our books against murder of innocent people, and in the same book laws that ask for deliberate killing of non-innocent people who are guilty of killing others.
After I checked out the USAToday website, and read the article to the end, I think the drug she’s talking about is the “X-Pill,” intended for abortions. At the end we see the issue with which this pharmacist struggles: killing human fetuses, not contraception.
Suicide is another matter, I feel. I struggle with the legal issues of suicide, because it involves the personal choice of the “victim” themselves, not another person. The victim and killer are the same person. I can’t decide if that’s a crime or not. That’s not the issue here.
But I think it’s clear that the victim of murder is not the killer; the murderer is the criminal who killed an innocent human. Let’s assume Ms. Brauer is talking about that issue, murder: one person taking the life of another innocent person.
It seems to me this pharmacist is trying to reconcile how we can allow killing of innocent humans: living fetuses in their mothers’ wombs. In the same regard we need to ask, “Is killing innocent human fetuses the same as murder?” Why do we punish the murder of innocent adult humans — and then expect to glorify the killing of innocent human babies?
That’s the essence of the right-to-life movement:
A. “Is it my free choice to kill a human being?”
B. “Is that free choice the same as murder?”
C. “Is there a time when killing a human being is not murder?” And, “What in the law defines that time?”
There’s a great and disturbing inconsistency of the arguments of those who say, “Keep your hands off me! It’s a personal choice.” What’s the difference among these personal choices?—
1. “It’s my personal choice to kill my human fetus. It’s my baby! I can choose to kill it!”
2. “It’s my personal choice to kill my wife, my husband, my 2-year-old daughter, my 22-year-old son, my uncle, my grandfather!”
3. “It’s my personal choice to kill my classmate, friend, my 7-11 clerk, my bank teller, my drug dealer, my prison guard, a stranger, a random person on the street!”
The same books of law guide us in “lawful killing”— an awful concept that we must have in our law books, because humans can be such awful creatures at times:
a. We deal out the death penalty for criminals convicted of murdering innocent people. We execute murders in the “First Degree:” “deliberate, purposeful killers of other humans.”
b. We kill the enemy in times of war, as fast as we can in order to finish the battle and ultimately to resolve the war. We kill enemy soldiers, whether they are guilty or innocent of civil crimes, because they have been sent out to kill us and others in war.
c. In the same way, we capture alive all the enemy soldiers we can, and we don’t execute enemy soldiers whom we capture, unless we know they committed acts of killing innocent civilians — guilty of “civil murder” — in which case we are supposed to try them in “courts martial,” the same wartime court of law in which we try our own soldiers for unlawful acts in war.
I realize that over time there have been many times when we have broken our own laws in these 3 areas — executing innocent people, killing enemy prisoners, etc. We abhor those times of broken law because, once again, they take innocent life…contrary to law. These breaches truly break the law, and there’s no excusing them: “Well, it was in a time of war, in the heat of battle!” No, they’re still breaking the law, and justice under law must prevail. We can’t use that as a diversion from the rule of law — either way in this argument.
But do we abhor those breaches of law more than, say, killing fetuses and other relatives, bank tellers and 7-11 clerks? Aren’t they all broken laws — laws intended to protect the sanctity of life?
The difficulty is to keep law straight. Do we keep it, or ignore it? Do we keep it all, or ignore a few parts? Do we make exceptions for people who kill in order to become richer? To make their life more comfortable? To preserve peace in the family? To enable them to keep working, so they don’t have to care for another living person? To avoid inconvenience in my life? To advance science? To preserve the lives of sick adults? All these reasons are popular excuses given today for killing human beings — human fetuses.
Do we know the law, understand it, and respect its underlying principles? Or do we carelessly ignore parts of it, and then wonder what’s so wrong about breaking it?
Of course, it’s an open question in a nation of open law — subject to change by the will of the people. We can change our basic law. But we do so at our own peril. And the peril in changing laws regarding human life is twofold:
Human life loses its sanctity, a subject that recognizes a Power higher than ourselves.
We engage the state in “whose life we value, and whose we don’t?” The 20th Century was a mess of nations who got into that — Nazis, Soviets, Cambodia, China, others. Do we want to follow them?
"There would be only two cool things that would happen if Bush was to get re-elected; so without further ado, prepare yourself for the inevitable.
First, is that I will finally be able to get an AK-47 for as cheap as they ought to be.
And second, I guarantee you that ten years from now, on FOX (the only channel left), on Sunday nights at 9:00, probably after the umpteenth season of Malcolm in the Middle, you will be able to tune into The Running Man; but for real. And I have to admit, I will be watching.
Yup, the country is heading down the tubes but fast, so prepare yourself for shooting the first FED through the door in the face when he tries to take away your freedom. Maybe it's just me, but didn't my United States of America pay dearly with many of our sons in a little war called WWII to defeat the rise of fascism, and keep it from ever reaching our shores?
Oh well, the masses spoke, and they chose, and now they have to stew in the steaming pile that they've made for themselves. Fuck them, the swine. Hope you enjoy it you shit-heads."
Amen, Brother
"Druggists refuse to give out pill"
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-11-08-druggists-pill_x.htm
"I refuse to dispense a drug with a significant mechanism to stop human life," says Karen Brauer, president of the 1,500-member Pharmacists for Life International.
I'm starting to wonder why our boys are fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, when we have plenty of these Taliban shit-wads at home!
Another dubious chunk of untreated sewage has been floating around the conservative "think" tanks. Your average right-wing commentator will hold up a map like this one - showing the 2004 election results county-by-county (blue = Kerry, red = Bush):
His caption will be - "look at how out of touch these blue liberals are with the 'rest' of the nation." This looks good in theory, (and even has a neato visual aid - A+ simpletons!), but they are conveniently leaving out one crucial factor: FUCKING PEOPLE!
In other words, if scorpions, rattlesnakes, gophers, varmits, opossoms, twigs, berries, cactii, and bits of sod where someday, somehow given legal voting status, then this map might mean something! And yes, when that happens, we "Liberal Blues" would indeed be out of touch with all of the above earthly inhabitants
But until then, only people have the right to vote, and PEOPLE is the one thing that the blue areas have that the Red areas do not have!
Dont believe me? Heres another map shot from a satellite at night:
Interesting how the blue areas in the map above line-up with the illuminated areas with the map below, is it not?
One might say that we "blue area liberals" are more illuminating than the rest! One might also jest that the red areas are full of dim bulbs perhaps.
But I will say this: What is absolutely astounding is NOT that Bush won, but that Bush could only squeeze 52% out of all that Red!
Using the words of Bush Sr & Jr, we must now be a beacon of hope and a thousand points of light to all those still living in darkness
Senator Murray,
I was born in raised in the Shoreline area, so I have seen and supported your career up close from the very beginning. I remember seeing you and Bill Clinton at the waterfront before his & your '92 election. I only wish times today were so good.
Your victory against George Nethercutt Nov 2nd was so important for so many reasons. Least of which is that you showed his playing the "terror-card" to be a cheap political tactic with no affect on a stellar senate record.
But most importantly, with the re-election of George W Bush, and his threat to go forward with a far-right agenda, we desperately need your hard work to protect so many of our most basic rights. And to this end, your use of the filibuster will be crucial. Congressional "Gridlock" is often given a negative connotation. But for one who studies politics, I fully understand that the use of a Senatorial filibuster serves your constituency just as much as sponsoring an important bill - and now more than ever.
A filibuster is simply our opposition voiced through you.
So please feel free to make liberal use of this in the long hard days to come. Feel free to talk-to-death a pork-filled military expenditure. Feel free to talk-to-death a permanent top 10% tax cut.
Most importantly, please filibuster any/all of George W Bush's Supreme court appointments "in the mold of Scalia and Thomas".
The future of a woman's right to choose, gay-rights, the environment, and freedom of expression in general, was at stake November 2nd. With George W Bush and his stated agenda in charge, these basic rights are now in your hands. Please do everything you can to protect them.
Playing the adversarial role in the Senate can often (unfairly) be portrayed negatively. Please understand that you have Washington's full support in playing this role.
Thank you again for your many years of service, and congratulations on your re-election.
Sincerely,
NG
PS, Might I suggest "Lord of the Rings" for filibuster reading material. You might even replace the characters "Dark Lord Sauron" and "Saruman" with George W and Karl Rove (or would it be the reverse?)
The Republicans & Bush are now acting like it's "all them". And it is all them in a sense - both houses and the presidency under their control. But there are still big limits, and Bush's victory has consequences.
First off, Bush & Rove relied heavily on Religious conservatives acting on "values" - with 11 anti-gay ballot initiatives, they prodded their faithful en masse to the polls (something again, that we missed out on with the 18-34 crowd). But this victory may very well be a poison pill and an achilles' heel: the GOP is not made up of only the Religious value-based conservatives. There are economic conservatives (Schwartzenegger, Gulianni, etc) and Libertarians who go with lesser-of-two-evils but cannot stand the religious nuts. Added to this, under the umbrella of "religious conservatives" you have a RAINBOW of different value-systems, some of them diametrically opposed to one another: Protestants vs. Catholics, Baptists vs. Mormons, Pentacostal vs. Traditionalist, HELL - even Baptist vs. Baptist (southern v. ecumenical), and Methodist vs. Methodist (United v. Free v. Wesleyan). Appealling to one, will cause squabbling between them all. This happened before (see: the English civil war and the general European religious civil wars), and it can happen again! Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
These religious conservatives are going to see Bush's victory as a mandate, but if Bush runs with their agenda, he's gonna hit a brick wall, because the other GOP factions will split. A victory, but a poisoned victory.
Hi all,
Looks like its time to lick the wounds. In this period, its important to note a few things: First off, the "red states" were not reciprocated here in WA, and we still have two great senators: Murray and Cantwell. Murray won a strong victory against Nethercutt despite Nethercutt's heavy use of the terror card. He lost. Also remember that here in Seattle, our man McDermott defeated his opponent (a far right, anti-choice christian conservative) with 80%... No, I did not get the decimal point wrong, thats EIGHTY PERCENT. That my friends, is a MANDATE! (duplicated by Barack Obama in Illinois - beat far-right nut bag Keyes with a 70% mandate).
I would encourage all you to send on this message: Take your angers, passions, & fears and put them into ink - Write to our Senators Murray and Cantwell. Tell them to make strong use of the filibuster, and dont let up. Bush tries to push through permanent Tax Breaks? Filibuster. GOP tries to stop it? They cant - they need 2/3rds majority and dont have that. Conservative Supreme Court Appointments? FILIBUSTER LIKE HELL! In my letter to Murray, I told her to filibuster reading "Lord of the Rings", and replace the Dark Lord Sauron with George W Bush, and Gollum with Karl Rove (or perhaps that should be the reverse).
In the meantime, whilst arming the heavy defences, we must pull over to the side of the road, take a pitstop, and tune the engine... This is a process, and the GOP has had their dry-spells too (see the entire 1930s and most of the 60s).
My suggestion? Build a movement similar to the Conservative church connection network. Meet with your Neighbors, friends, associates that are like-minded on a regular basis (weekly if you can). Remember that this is not just a political movement, but also a social, cultural, charity, and collective values movement. Your goal is to access the masses that dont vote, didnt vote, and have given up - primarily the 18-34 group (the youth were supposed to turn out en masse this year, and they did not - This is why we lost). This should not be limited to a "get out the vote" movement headed by P Diddy, where you register people and never have contact with them again . No mass email, telephone bank, or Political Action committee can compete with meeting face-to-face once a week for coffee. The Meet-up campaigns of Dean and Kerry must continue on and grow stronger. Add to this sense of community a continuous and persistant contact with our immediate leaders (starting with Murray, Cantwell, and McDermott), and you have a movement in the making
~Nate
PS, Just wanted to add that along with Murray, Obama, Cantwell, and McDermott, Seattle now has a liberal talk network - Air America Radio. But more importantly, 6 months ago Air America had 2 markets and were bleeding $$$... now they've expanded into 36 markets!
Haven't heard them yet, but Hans is a great guitarist, and the Nieschulz are my buds.
Moonshine
http://www.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=4131275&Mytoken=20041029052601
More fun with military pork. Yet another reason to vote for Pork-broiler Kerry on November 2nd!
"A Fighter in Search of an Adversary"
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/27/business/27fighter.html
But look over there quick! Theres a welfare mamma using $3,000 a year in food-stamps!
Get Her! (Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain)
Nice. The least they could do was buy me dinner, lather me up, and light my cigarette afterwards
Funny article on weird ways to predict Nov 2nd winner: Halloween Mask sales, Redskins win/loss, etc.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63611-2004Oct26_3.html
Here's my prediction: The candidate with the most votes on Nov 2nd Wins! (Gasp!). Get out and Vote! More Votes = Less Bush
At first I thought for sure this was a staffer goof/prank on O'Reilly, but it hasnt been picked-up yet, so perhaps they missed it. From the viewer emails during the show, see for yourself:
"Jack Mehoffer, Springfield, Massachusetts says, "O'Reilly, I see the new Fox definition of fair and balanced means interviewing DNC chief Terry McAuliffe at both conventions."
Well, right you are, Mr. Mehoffer. Newt Gingrich appeared with us at both conventions. So did Mr. McAuliffe. What's the beef, sir? It is long past time to stop the partisan nonsense. Fox News gives airtime to all responsible viewpoints. And our commentators are clear and lively. No hidden agenda here, just flat out stimulating TV. And that's memo."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,131373,00.html
Oh yeah... and here it is live:
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/billoreilly.html
PS, ebaumsworld.com could possibly be the world's best website ever. Take a gander, but make sure to schedule several hours out, and pack-in a hernia belt
Wow, this one made it under my radar. I seriously thought this network was tanking, but I guess I was listening to the wrong media, eh?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/artsentertainment/2002069848_airamerica22.html
I know that this is desperately immature, incredibly cliche', and that people are dying everyday in Iraq, but I just have to:
Oh, and here's the burned-into-cyberspace-history HIGH-larious moment, to be archived for all-time. Thank god for digital TV recording.
video.bmj.net/busted/simpsonfuckup.mpg
This sure is interesting:
"Pollsters can't survey cell phone-only users"
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/10/15/polls.cellphones.ap/
Apparently, due to the high percentage of 18-24 year olds that use a cell-phone only, this group cannot be contacted for polling purposes - slightly scewing the polling results. Ordinarily, this would not make a difference - this age group notoriously sleeps-in on election day (ps, not me!).
But, this election might be different. With reports of unprecedented youth registration, this group may sneak under the polling radar, and swing this one! And with most of these voters going for Kerry, this must be giving Karl Rove some cold-sweats and night-terrors!
Go Youth, GO! (wish I could say I was still in this group... sniff sniff)
As many of you know, Im a HUGE fan of government pages containing a section for all you wee-ones, whipper-snappers, lil-shavers, and pesky-youngsters out there.
Heres a few great examples:
FBI for Kids!
http://www.fbi.gov/kids/k5th/kidsk5th.htm
Dude, check out Maureen. She looks like she doesnt even need a dog to sniff out the contraband
http://www.fbi.gov/kids/k5th/aboutus2.htm
OMG! Joe too! they all look pretty pissed! "Dont use drugs kids... ROAAAAAR!"
http://www.fbi.gov/kids/k5th/whatwedo2.htm
Steve, Kim and Wayne too... "Hola Chicos, me llamo 'Wayne'" Bwahahahaha! Que Lastima Senor Wayne!
http://www.fbi.gov/kids/k5th/jobs1.htm
CIA for Kids! Try on your own disguise! Learn the secret black-op spy Blow-job technique to gain information! (just kidding)
http://www.cia.gov/cia/ciakids/index_2.shtml
FCC Kidzone!
(Federal Communications Commission, or "Federales Commie Creeps" as I like to call them)
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/kidszone/games.html
a puzzle game where the picture reveals FCC chief Michael Powell and others. (note: not related to tavern game with the naked chick)
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/kidszone/games/puzzle/puzzle.html
National Security Agency (NSA) for Kids! (with your guide "Crypto the Cat")
http://www.nsa.gov/kids/intro.htm
...and of course, The White House Kids home! including the all-important, global-impacting, human events hinging, "Barney Photo of the Day"
http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/
Enjoy your daily dose of government branding kids!
Dont do school and stay in drugs!
When writing about O'Reilly's exploits, I was also thinking about his tendency to twist information - and then claim to be the "No Spin Zone" (my ass). This got me thinking about how this "happens":
O'Reilly has always relied on what I call "Information Entropy". This theory basically shows that information itself - even strongly researched information - has a strong tendency to exponentially break-down over time, and comes close to being forgotten (though not completely). This is linked to the dillema that media stories (true & untrue) dissolve and are forgotten after a month. This is also linked to the American TV viewing audience having the attention span of a fucking tit-mouse.
When I look at media news sources, I often give huge bonus points for those sources that put events in historical context; Reminding us about the origins of events, and that these events dont happen in a vacuum. The New York Times - with all its faults - is simply the best at taking an event and following it back chronologically. NPR - despite claims of bias - is also good at this.
Fox News is always consistantly the worst. I really dont care where they stand ideologically - I would be pissed no matter where they stood. Fox News is constantly flashing events across the screen as if they were completely novel occurances that seemed to happen only because God wished them into being. No context. No background. No sources. Just BANG!: "Terrorist Attack", "<<Alert level: Orange>>", "Ten Commandments removed - commentary by Jerry Falwell", "Janet Jackson's titty - played in a loop all this week". This leads (and owes its growth to) this simpleton garbage redneck logic: Why do they hate us? Because we are free; Why do they fight us? Because they are evil. Why does Fox News do this? Because we bend over for it!
O'Reilly not only abuses this, but outright uses the viewing public's ADD to his advantage. Often O'Reilly will literally Re-write history: Claiming he is an independent, being confronted with information that he is a registered Republican, Screaming "character assassination", and then claiming that he never said he was an independent in the first place! THEN he lets the story die (& the information dissolve) and claims AGAIN later to be an independent!
Moral to this story: Remember that they can only re-write history if we are complacent enough to let them do so. So pay attention people! Dont bend over to pick up the soap! Keep your eye on the ball, and watch for the double-reverse!
PS, does it seem odd to you that the terrorism alert level, since its inception, has never dipped below "Elevated: significant risk of terrorist attacks"? We have not yet been at "Guarded" or "Low"... is this for real? Or is just to cover the gov's ass if one happens, and keep us scared shitless in the meantime.
Man, a lot of ground to cover in my absence. But this was the best yet. For those not following at home (Where the fuck have you been?): Apparently allegations surfaced recently about a sexual harrassment suit being filed against O'Lielly by his producer. Well, they didnt exactly surface, Fox News and O'Reilly filed a lawsuit first accusing Andrea Mackris of extortion ($60 million!). Of course, both suits were just accusations.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/10/14/oreilly.lawsuit/
I had often wondered about this creepo. Not just about his blatent houdiniesque slight-of-hand with the truth (read: LIES), but about his weirdo reverse-obsession with all things perverse and "obscene". In other words, he doesnt honestly revel in the filth like Howard Stern (peace be upon him). Instead, O'Reilly interviews these guests (pornstars, rappers, more pornstars, etc) and vehemenently chastises them, but then re-books them! Hmmmm. Well, "The Slate" decided to take-up where I left off, and hit a home-run with this look:
"Bill O'Reilly's obsession with porn"
http://slate.msn.com/id/2108355/
(Not that there's anything wrong with that)
Been out of commission for the past 2 weeks. Tore ligaments in my ankle during my cousin's wedding. Long story short: I got the garter, but I paid the price - at the hands of my cousin's 300 lb-Blanchet HS-offensive-center best man. I had often wondered about my purpose of playing middle linebacker in little-league. Now I know
But it was a great wedding. Congratulations Cousie Kyle!
I went to the doc yesterday to further find out that I also had a bone-chip in my toe. No wonder it looked like a rutebaga! But as usual, the best cure for the toe is a tight shoe for a few weeks. Taken together, I got a big moon boot for the next 2 weeks at work. (I took some sick leave before that).
I just had to get this down quick before I forgot. Last week was one for the ages. It started on Thursday night/Sat morning. This was straight from the log-book at work:
Guest in 508 came down and claimed to have been "visited" several times during the night. I asked her if I should call security, and she said "dont bother, what that room needs is priest and a blessing". Ahhhh... I see.
She asked me if any deaths had occurred in this building. I conveniently neglected to tell her that the old hospital morgue used to be located in the basement.
Again, she said we need a priest and thorough cleansing of the 5th floor. I conveniently neglected to tell her that I was a registered minister.
Long story even longer, I could have had a riot tonight, but I conveniently neglected to.
~ Rev. Nate
PS, I tried to move her to the 7th floor, but she checked it out and informed me that it was "much worse". Apparently, the 7th floor should be "spiritually quarentined"... yikes
PSS, When I let her know that I've never had that kind of spiritual sensitivity, she said that I should "Rub my forehead" to "open up my 3rd eye" (yikes part II). I conveniently neglected to tell her that my 3rd eye was open, but that was from rubbing something else... bedum-schhhhh!
Follow-up to this story (yikes part III): Apparently, someone HAD DIED in Room 507 (right next to her room). Some woman had fallen and cracked her head on dresser... Riced on impact, DOA.
(Note: the term "Riced" is a Dan Kiehnle euphemism for "maggot-ready"... stay tuned, I'll be adding more of these "Danisms" in the future)
So with all the recent "scandal" involving Dan Rather and the forged documents, I wonder how people feel about CBS and Danny-boy now. Interesting:
http://gallup.com/poll/content/?ci=13222
Why did CBS News report this story?
56% Honest Mistake,
38% To make Bush look bad,
2% Did nothing wrong,
4% No opinion
Should CBS fire Dan Rather?
26% Yes,
64% No,
10% No opinion
I guess that means that all-in-all, the mud on the wall washed off well. Nice try Rove
First he's against removing Saddam, and now he's for it! (ooops, sucks when the pot is black)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/192908_cheney29.html
Who knows whats next! Perhaps Cheney will now pat a senator on the back and say "Good to see you" instead of "GO FUCK YOURSELF"
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3699-2004Jun24.html)
Hope springs eternal
This is an oldy but goody. I posted this one on other blogs when I came across the whitehouse.com source video of the press-conference.
"It’s in the interest of uh, long-term peace in the world that we -- uhh -- work for a free and secure and peaceful Iraq. A peeance, freeance secure Iraq in the midst of the Middle East will have enormous historical impact."
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/10/20031027-1.html#
Fast forward the video 3/4ths through the conference. Then check it out live (and see the whiplash reaction from Paul Bremer). If you could put words to that reflex, they would be "Whadju-talkin-bout Willis!"
Enjoy, and be afraid.
Okay Nate's really pissed-off today. I shouldnt let the glowing screen get to me this much, but I've just about had enough.
"A Dr. Phil Primetime Special: Family First" (more like commercial $$$ first)
http://www.cbs.com/specials/dr_phil/
Lets break this down: This segment aired about this family who's son apparently exhibits 9 of the 14 traits of a serial killer. Key phrase here "This segment aired". It aired with video of the child and his behaviors, but more importantly: HIS IDENTITY!! How is this child ever going to be able to face his peers at school? How will this child protect his privacy now? How is this child ever going to live a normal life? Do you think his life will be better NOW after being exposed in Prime Time?
So lets see Phil. You have this child that exhibits these behaviors.
You choices are: A.) Privately give this child and his parents the help & counseling they need to have him lead a normal life (and go with a different story), or B.) Exploit this child for commercial profit, therefore certainly condemning him to become the serial killer that you "claim" to help. If this is not 100% pure CHILD ABUSE, I dont know what is.
Dr. Phil, you will now be referred to as "Mr. McGraw"... You know what? On second thought, lets go with "Josef Mengele". Letters are now being written to the FCC and to Texas State Attorney's office. Youre show should be cancelled and you should be on a perp walk. And to this kid's idiot parents: I am contacting CPC and I am encouraging my friends to do the same.
If/When this kid does crack, we can all only hope and pray that there will be 3 people in his cross-hairs: Phil and this kid's abusive parents.
Oh, and you can only guess how I feel about Phil's sponsor Oprah now (not that I felt much for her before). Hey Oprah, heres a good one for youre next book club. A Biography about Dr. Phil "Mengele: The Complete Story" by Gerald Posner.
Thats it for me today. I'm gonna turn off the tele and cool off for a spell.
Think I might keep this one through November 2,
"Why, of course, the people don't want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece. Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship.
"Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."
~Hermann Goering, Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe SS
Actually, he may also have broken the "fire in a crowded theatre" clause from 1st amendment (attn: FBI):
"I'm trying to find the correct name for it ... this utter absolute, asinine,Video of this threat from JSM here - forward to 36:30
idiotic stupidity of men marrying men. ... I've never seen a man in my life I
wanted to marry. And I'm gonna be blunt and plain; if one ever looks at me like that, I'm gonna kill him and tell God
he died."
The argument (straight out of Karl Rove's playbook) has been floating around for a month of Sundays. In total, it amounts to a good sound-bite: "John Kerry is a flip-flopper on Iraq". Dont get me wrong, sound-bites sell advertising (see: Janet Jackson's titty TV week on Fox), but theres always more to the story. So allow me to finally flush this floater for good.
The Kerry flip-flop argument is extremely flawed. Heres why:
1.) Ultimate Responsibility. This argument denies the accountability of George W Bush as the ultimate decision maker (commander in chief), and tries to throw the blame onto Congress - and John Kerry - for approving W's "use of force". John Kerry is not responsible for Bush's mishandling of the conflict. Only GEORGE WALKER BUSH is responsible for:
A.) Going into a full-blown invasion and occupation of a soveriegn country with a slapped-together weak coalition that wouldnt put a boot on the ground, a dime in the cophers, and would run at the first sign of trouble.
B.) Making damn sure that there was some sort of Exit Strategy (see: the Powell Doctrine ). In fact, Bush doesnt even have an Exit Strategy now!!! I think "staying the course" is all we've recieved so far.
C.) Convincing the Iraqis that they were being "liberated" and not "occupied", and not just convincing the Americans that the Iraqis were being "liberated" and not "occupied".
Face facts: after a while, the buck must stop at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
2.) "Use of force" misconception. Alluded to above, the idea that "use of force" is synonomous with "full-blown invasion and occupation of a soveriegn nation" is 100% pure SPIN. During the congressional debates over this, yours truly thought it would be a good idea (with John Kerry) to approve "use of force" power against Saddam. I saw it as a useful tool to push Saddam back into the bargaining table regarding inspections regime. When Colin Powell was flashing his fancy arial photos of WMD's in front of the UN, I even mentioned:
"Why the hell are these installations NOT in the crosshairs of a fucking cruise-missile at this very moment!" (which started me doubting the WMD claims from the very beginning)
In other words, "Use of force" could entail a whole laundry list of options and choices of how to deal with Saddam: Drone missile attacks of Terrorists & WMD installations (which we have since used in Yemen); cruise missile attacks of key Republican guard installations or WMDs; strategic bombing of key military installations - weakening them; support of rival factions to take out weakened installations... The list goes on, but it should be obvious that these all have one thing in common: they dont involve putting one single boot on the ground, but as we saw in Bosnia, they are still incredibly effective.
3.) Funding the War. First off, remember that the Constitution gives the President the right to enter into a military conflict BUT then gives CONGRESS the POWER OF THE PURSE. (go back a read your 101 civics books - or ask me for one). John Kerry & Congress gave Bush "use of force" against Iraq. John Kerry then said that he would use this Power of the purse to keep the President honest (you know, because in this country we have a President, not an Emperor). And sure enough, after Bush went forward with his complete walking miscarriage of a plan, John Kerry followed through, and used his power to vote against funding - knowing as I did that Bush's policy (again, full scale invasion and occupation of a foreign nation on the cheap with no allies or exit plan) was a failed-from-the-get-go money-pit. He sealed up the purse, and GOD BLESS him for it.
Additionally, much has been made about Kerry voting for the $87 billion before voting against it. Remember that Bush did JUST THE OPPOSITE: he said he would vote AGAINST funding, THEN he approved of the plan only after it was full of PORK.
Examples of "The Pork":
A.) B-52 bomber funding: completely outdated, non-targeted carpet-bombing completely useless for street-by-street keeping the peace in Iraq.
B.) Submarine technology: Very important... 40 YEARS AGO!!! (and when armed Iraqi militants get a submarine - but I'm not holding my breath)
C.) Bradley fighting Vehicles: Ask Mike Cadwallader (Bradley driver '90-99). A Bradley is a grenade housed in a tin-can on tracks, a rolling target, and made completely OBSOLETE by M-1 A-1 tanks and larger Armored Personel Carriers. The Bradley was actually featured in the anti-Kerry commercials! (for more on the Bradley boondoggle, see: "The Pentagon Wars")
D.) Re-vamped funding of Star wars missile defense. Even if these small militant groups gained access to ICBMs (again, breath held), preliminary tests of this plan proved incredibly unreliable even against ICBMs. (See: Center for Defense Information )
So here are 4 examples of complete PORK added into the $87 billion. George W Bush told congressional leaders he would vote against it if these were not added to the MOST important stuff - Body armor, supplies, Humvee armor, etc.
John Kerry defended our pocket-books (very conservative policy) and voted against this useless bureaucratic PORK in an overall walking miscarriage of a plan, which if you took time to look at Kerry's Senate record, he has always consistantly done. And GOD BLESS him for it.
(Note: there have been many such Pork broilers in the Senate and they all share the same characteristics: not much legislation in their name, often vote against bills they initially support (too full of pork), and lose-out on key positions. Kerry - as a former prosecuter - is one such hero)
So there you are. Obviously not a sound-bite, but proof-positive that sound-bites may sell advertizing, but they dont have to sell you. This also proof-positive that the valve is open, and that "flip-flop" has now been officially delivered to the sound-bite sewer, and the ash-heap of history!
KA - FLOOOOOOOOSH!!!
PS, despite Kerry's cost-saving vote against funding, Bush's 87 billion ball of PORK ended up passing... And how has it helped us in Iraq? (again, breath held)
PPS, I'm also nominating "Ka-Floosh" as the official sound-bite word for all of George W Bush's simpleton, horse-blinder ideas. As with any simple solution to complex problems, they are all turd tootsie-pops: Sweet on the outside, but full of shit. The question is then, ultimately, how many times will you lick?
This could possibly be the best unintentional cult-flick since reefer madness - and I mean that in the movie genre sense, and in the Christian fundamentalist sense.
My friend and I took a gander and watched this would-be Christian prostelitizing tool. It was one of our more worthy blind-rentals. Our laughter kept our neighbors awake, and kept us in seizures the whole time.
Kirk "Too straight for Growing Pains" Cameron is in rare form as ace-reporter (get this): BUCK WILLIAMS. BWA-HAHAHAHAHAHA! This just gives you a taste of this propagandist turd/cult-movie gem. Seriously, no excersize will compare to the ab-flexing torturous yucks that Left Behind provides.
I have not yet viewed the straight-to-video sequel, but it also stars "Buck Cameron" (hee hee) and if its anything like Left Behind, you may have to stretch before viewing. But I should add that the TBN network (home of the future cult-TV favorite: Benny Hinn), is host to an undiscovered treasure-trove of this 'tainment. My friend and I, still sore from "Buck and Co.", ran back and rented "Megiddo: Omego Code II". This one features burned-out-has-been Michael York ("Stone Alexander" hee hee), and a cameo by the digitally animated Big Man Downstairs himself! - no joke.
I think Jesus said it best: "Forgive them Lord, they know not what they do"
See this and my other reviews at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004YS9G/qid=1095426890/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-6110961-8112763?v=glance&s=dvd
First we have this war between US and THEM (see: Oceania & Eurasia circa 1984):
"You're either with us, or you're with the terrorists"
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/04/20020430-5.html
Second, we are told this war will never end:
When asked: "Can we win the war on terror" Bush said, "I don't think you can win it"
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20040830_1685.html
Third, we have Dick Cheney's fear-mongering comments about voting against them:
"It's absolutely essential that eight weeks from today, on Nov. 2, we make the right choice, because if we make the wrong choice then the danger is that we'll get hit again and we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint of the United States."
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20040908_2160.html
Fourth, theres Bush's complete euphemistic rape of the English language:
"I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace. "
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/06/20020618-1.html
Now add 'em up:
Opposition is with the terrorists +
War that never ends +
Change of leadership declared dangerous +
Bush's Newspeak
-------------------------------------------------------------
=Orwell's Nightmare Scenario
Dont let it work, Vote against Fear! Vote Kerry in 2004!
So I've been seeing these polls (Times and Newsweek) showing Bush with an 11% lead (a convention bounce). Well lets see how that translates into Electoral college totals:
Election held today: Bush 231 electoral votes; Kerry 307
http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-battleground04-frameset.html
Another count: Bush 222, Kerry 264
http://www.electoral-vote.com/
Now heres a qualifier - dont get your hopes up yet: Kerry's lead in 3 of these states is within the margin of error (statistical tie). But remember, you only need to win by one vote to win all the electoral votes in that state.
So Bush's overall popularity vs. Kerry did go up, but as Gore found out in 2000, the popular vote does not count. Also, an 11% lead can dry up in a WADC second. Ask Bush Sr... I've said this before and it bares repeating: Daddy Bush's 90% approval rating in June 1991 dried up to nothing in only 4 months, and he lost!
Keep fighting, Read the platforms, and dont believe the hype!
...live wrong and prosper
He will help us through the war on terror (though he did say it was a war "we cannot win"), but he cannot deal with a DEBATE? And only on the basis that it will be "town meeting" style. What a gutless coward!
Bush Likely To Bow Out Of 1 Debate
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3586-2004Sep7.html
I think I may have to create a seperate blog devoted exclusively to new Bushisms, but there are several extensive websites for these. However, here is the latest, and it needs to be archived. Bush decides to describe what OBGYN's do for women. If you can, find the audio for this one - hes got an excitement in his voice that makes the quote twice as nuts:
"Too many good docs are getting out of business. Too many O-B-G-Y-N's aren't able to practice their, their love with women all across this country"
http://news.bostonherald.com/election/view.bg?articleid=43150
Hey folks,
Nate's getting a bit burned-out by the Big Volley 2004. Yes, thats right, Nate is getting tired of politics. Everything in moderation, I suppose.
For those of you in my boat, here is a tylenol and water technique to avoid this hangover:
1.) If you see a political AD, pretend its an commercial for a pair of light-up Nikes: You really dont need what their selling, Your only getting one side of the story (their side), The competitor's shoes will claim the same things, and despite the emotional thrill of light-up shoes, those pretty lights will burn-out after a week.
If you base your entire November 2nd decision on political adverts, Nate will offer you this garuantee: By November 2nd, your hatred, anger, and general disgust for both candidates will keep you smoldering away from that polling booth. (note: this is the chief strategy of Karl Rove and George W Bush)
2.) Turn off all pundits, talk-show hosts, and political interviews. This would be a great time to switch-on a Seinfeld/Simpsons/South Park re-run. This would also be a good time for: A nice walk, A trip to the gym, A nice dinner out... or a nice laundery day reading the party platforms (see #3)
3.) Most importantly, Read the Party Platforms. This is your homework before November 2nd.
First think carefully about your own beliefs on a range of issues. Secondly, Read the
GOP platform http://www.gop.com/media/2004platform.pdf , and the
DNC platform http://www.democrats.org/pdfs/2004platform.pdf.
Then think about which set of issues are closest to your own.
I know I know, this all takes a lot more work than sitting and watching tube (and political adverts), but I can promise that you will go into that booth November 2nd brimming with confidence. Say goodbye to "lesser of two evils" or flipping a coin. Go to the polls with the wind at your back!
Finally, remember that YOU are the boss, THEY are your potential employees. We are still a nation of, by, and for the people - not the Saudi Royal family.
Found a few good religious websites (psuedo and otherwise):
"The Child Care action Project"
http://www.capalert.com/capreports/
This page is great. It takes a "chapter and verse" "biblical view"on the Box office. A score of 100 gives a film a "perfect G" rating (Mary Poppins claims this honor)... A score of 0 condemns a movie to hell.... lol
What I love doing with this page is taking a gander on "absolute 0". Basically, think-up a movie that is full of Violence, Sex, Nudity, and Foul language... then see how they rate it. See how close you can get to 0. OR, see if you can actually blow-up the machine!! wooo-hooo! (movies which cause this reviewer to walk-out). I wont give away my absolute 0 winners - you'll have to just try yourself
"Landover Baptist"
http://www.landoverbaptist.org/
Next to the Onion.com, this is my second favorite parody site. Includes commentary by the infamous Betty Bowers: "God told me to hate you". Nuff said - just give it a surf, you'll love it.
James Broadwater - arch-conservative christian - was "ambushed" by Mr. Sacha Baron Cohen, AKA Ali G (AKA GENIUS). Apparently Mr. Broadwater agreed to do the HBO interview under the aspices that it was with a reporter from Kazakhstan (desiring to obtain a US political perspective).
This exchange says it all. What a riot:
Borat: I want to go to this place heaven. Which religion must I choose to go there?
Broadwater: The Christian Bible says that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven.
Borat: If people choose the Jews, will they go heaven or hell?
Broadwater: Well, I would have to say that they would go to hell.
http://www.lnreview.co.uk/media/journal/002651.php
Net result? Say buh-bye to your "Friend of Israel" status - and bu-bye to your campaign (lost in the primary, thank GOD).
But it gets better. Broadwater's disclaimer response didn't really soften his view, nor improve his "Friend of Israel" rating :
"...everyone who rejects Him will spend eternity in Hell, because he has rejected the Only Begotten Son of God"
http://www.jamesbroadwater.com/HBO.html
He then adds:
"The Bible says, "Silence the mocker and strife will cease," and this stunt pulled by HBO is just one more reason why I believe that the liberal, anti-God media needs to be brought under the strict control of the FCC, and that as soon as possible."
Great. I'm so glad our boys are fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan to protect the Taliban at home.
Boyashaka! RESPEC!
A few posts down, I discussed the importance of the campaign finance free market to Progressive, Green, and liberal causes - with regards to Fahrenheit 9/11. Here Terry M. Neal of the Washington Post, gives an very well-written detailed account of what is going on with unregulated "soft money".
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61087-2004Aug12.html
His contention? Despite the recent offensive by "Swiftboat Vets for the 'Truth'", Liberal, Progressive, and Green causes still have an advantage in the campaign finance free market environment.
Okay, I think I saw this scene in Seven, but he was tied-down...
480-Pound Woman Dies After Six Years On Couch
Ewwwww... yuckus
"Panel Dismisses 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Complaint"
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5890742
For those of you not following along at home, a conservative advocacy group petitioned the FEC (Federal Election Commission) to ban advertisments for Fahrenheit 9-11 60 days before an election. Well, the FEC has now passed-down its decision: "no evidence that the movie's ads had broken the law"
I think Seinfeld said it best: "Thats a shame"
Just a side-note and background commentary from yours truly. On March 27, 2002, Dubya signed the McCain/Feingold campaign finance reform bill. Conservative groups (and libertarian groups, I might add) opposed this legislation on the basis that if violated Freedom of Speech.
Now I wouldnt go that far, but I did see some major flaws in this legislation and was opposed to it. Yes, Nate Gerards hereby affirms that he sided with some conservatives (gasp!). But hear me out.
I knew Three things:
A.) Liberal Democrats, Leftists, Progressives, and even Greens routinely make money (gasp!), and routinely donate portions of said money to non-candidate political campaigns that would be restricted under this new legislation. Dont believe me? Look at The Sierra Club, Amnesty International, Human Rights watch, NARAL, NOW, and the ACLU. Sure, these are "issue-advocacy groups" but lets not kid ourselves - they're not about to run ads favorable to Bush & Co. (and GOD BLESS 'em for that!). This year, we'll see groups like moveon.org, The Media Fund, Joint Victory 2004, and America Coming Togethertaking-in upwards of 80 million smackos!
B.) Liberal Democrats, Leftists, Progressives, and most Greens are notorious for disagreeing about the color of the sky. We agree on more things then we disagree, but we put so much emphasis on our disagreements that we allow the opposition to splinter us. But we all have one thing in common: When we individually feel strongly about an issue, we donate money to that cause. And indirectly, this money does alter and affect the political process. McCain/Feingold would have a negative affect on our collective power.
C.) More often than not, this is not a multimillion dollar "big corporation" thing. This is usually me donating 10 bucks to moveon.org, times millions of others doing the same thing! Thats called GRASS ROOTS
Actually, "The Pendulum" was so named because of just such a dilemma. I am a firm believer the Law of Unintended Consequences AKA "The road to hell is paved with good intentions". Liberals and Conservatives alike often pass legislation that sounds good & thinking they will benefit or that it will negatively affect the other party. Net result? More often than not, "The Pendulum swings both ways", and we get screwed.
Patriot Act - Perfect example. Do you honestly think that Conservatives would trust the Patriot Act in the hands of John Kerry? Answer: about as much as we trust it in the hands of John "Women's private medical records in the hands of a Pro-life Pentacostal nut-case" Ashcroft.
So dont fear the Benjamins, fellow Progressives. Make your money, love your advocacy, spend your money on your favorite advocacy.
Insert your joke here:
"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," Bush said
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/20040805-4.html
Terrorism. Iraq in Chaos. Weapons of Mass Destruction. Unemployment. Out of control National Debt. Rising Inflation. Stagnant Economy. (And on Fox News, a whole week of Mary Kay Latourneau!)
Yet despite these crises on our plate, how fortunate we are to have dutiful representative - Majority Leader Tom Delay - decide that our new target of national ire should be Subway. ("OH THE HUMANITY!")
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=5857591
Well, it is true. With Saddam out of the picture, we do need a new enemy. McDonalds is just too American. Jack in the Box - nope, Christian ownership. That leaves them goddamn healthy upstarts, Subway.
Thank God for you Tom. A man with a mission. Please put all matter of collective government priorities into "Subwaygate". Threat Level: FUCIA! In fact, I'll betcha sleuth-master Rumsfeld has some air-tight intelligence about lethal mustard-gas hidden inside a footlong Steak-n-cheese somewhere... Perhaps "in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad."
Its funny... as I sat here this April 15th paying Big Brother his share, I caught myself day-dreaming - fantasizing about all the magnificent anti-Subway campaigns that my tax dollars could fund. And now my dreams have come true.
I hate to use the words of Dick Cheney, but "Go fuck yourself" Tom. Heres to Tom Delay getting some "extra protein" in his next Cold Cut Combo.
Found some good quizes for the undecided voter out there.
They sound cheezy, but they're actually really accurate (Took the test a # of different ways - Nate tested the test)... they are also really good because they are issue-based... not personality based. For those of you bummed on candidates personalities this year, this will help cut through all that.
http://www.presidentmatch.com/Main.jsp2?cp=main
Very updated for 2004. I like this one because it allows you to give weight to certain issues - social, economic, etc. This helps you get a closer match.
http://www.issues2000.org/Quiz.htm
This one has help if you're not quite sure where you "land" on an issue - definitions for everything. It also has exact issue positions of candidates - based on statements, interviews, and platforms. You can also take a similar quiz that plots where you land politically.
Again, this is for the many out there who dont have enough time to read through party platforms. For me, the best quiz is to go through the updated party platforms and rate each statement with a +10 and -10 scale (strongly agree, strongly disagree). Then go back through and put a star on really important issues.
The party platform the scores highest will be your best choice - regardless of candidate. Remember that 90% of the time, a president will vote based on this platform.
Also remember that for most people, no party platform will ever get a perfect score. Go with the best.
If your still in doubt. Ask me, I know what is best for you. hee hee
Attention all white wing weactionaries ("uhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuh"):
The GOP has decided to run a story attacking Michael Moore (you know, if you dont like the message, attack the messenger)... Heres a link to the "article" from the RNC homepage:
http://gop.com/RNCResearch/Read.aspx?ID=4466
(Interesting that the word "research" was used in this link... did these people graduate from Fircrest? )
So apparently these quote trawlers found this (attributed to Michael Moore) from the "Daily Mirror", the British tabloid equivelant of the NY Daily News:
"They (Americans) are possibly the dumbest people on the planet… in thrall to conniving, thieving, smug p#%$ks.' 'We Americans suffer from an enforced ignorance.' 'We don't know about anything that's happening outside our country. Our stupidity is embarrassing"
First problem - and a big red-flag: In this quote alone, there are several quote breaks and "..." which lead me to believe that parts are missing. I for one wanted to see the whole, complete, unabridged interview (if there even was one)... you know, something about my compulsion to find PRIMARY SOURCE MATERIAL. I guess I shouldnt get too hopeful that these bottom-feeders would be double-checking their sources, but oh well.
Second problem, having taken this "Moore quote" and turned it through a million searches, I came up with a million sites ALL citing this article in the Daily Mirror - BUT NOWHERE ELSE. Furthermore, I cannot for the life of me find this Daily Mirror revelation in any other Newspaper: NY Times - nope, Washington Post - nope, Washington Times - bubkus, London Times - zippo...
So we have here a quote attributed to Michael Moore, but:
On the subject of polling, Heres a great article about how the radio ratings work:
http://www.bcfm.com/financial_manager/Aug%20Sept%2002/The%20Radio%20Ratings%20Game.htm
The only reason these systems (arbitron and neilson) are important is because advertisers "think" they are important. lol
So whenever you hear Rush Limbaugh bragging about getting an 8.0 Arbitron Rating, this means that its only an 8% share of advertising revenue. This means that at the most 8% of the total radio listeners (not "americans", not "registered voters") tune-in to his show (and are exposed to his advertising). This does not even mean that 8% agree with him; This does not mean that 8% of our nation are Dittoheads; This only means that 8% means $$$ to advertisers... thats it!
What this does mean is that despite the despair about multi-million dollar corporations dominating the airwaves, Even the largest corp can only reach 10% of us! They are constantly scrambling to reach us, constantly a duck on ice-skates, and most often, THEY FAIL! Theres still potentially 90% of untapped fertile ground that you and I can reach - and this is just through radio. Add in Books, Newspapers, Internet, Documentary movies, and the possibilities are limitless!
We are the bosses, we are the controllers, we determine our own destiny. Now stand-up and fight!
Yes, I know that many folks dont pay attention to polls, but here's one that matters.
http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-battleground04-frameset.html
This is one I keep tuning in to, and comparing month after month. This poll is really gonna matter come November.
Just a few notes when looking at this poll.
First off, this is a battleground state poll. A battleground state is a state where based on history, the race will be very close, and a lot of electoral votes will be up for grabs. In other words, Wyoming has only 3 electoral votes and is predominantly Republican - not a battleground. California has 54 electoral votes but is not competitive - not a battleground. Florida - as we all found out last year - has 25 electoral votes (a lot) and is always on the edge - could go both ways.
One more thing about the electoral college. The reason this gets so panicky is because most states have an "all or nothing" electoral vote system. This means that even if a candidate wins by only one vote over his opponent, he/she will recieve ALL the electoral votes in that state. This also means that just because one candidate is doing better in the national polls, he may lose in a battlground poll, and mathematically, may lose the election - see Al Gore.
A few things about polling in general:
A.) I only trust a "scientific poll". That is, the polling data is collected either on a random basis, or based on demographic composites. Most polls like these turn out to be very accurate, and predictive. Gallup is by far the most accurate - if you compare past gallup polls with election results, it turns out to be extremely accurate.
B.) Every poll is just a photograph - a snap-shot. Polls are only accurate for the moment they are given. People change. Events change. Demographics change. Therefore, even over a few days or hours, polling numbers can change too. Just because you see a poll that gives the war in Iraq a 75% approval rating, does not mean things will stay that way. Just because you see a poll that gives W a 90% approval rating, does not mean that people wont change their minds.
C.) Polls are only important because in a democratic republic, the voice of the people (every once in a while) is important. Remember, that just because you disagree with the majority does not mean your wrong, out-of-step, or that your opinion is not valuable. On many occasions, "the word gets out", and people change their minds. In America, our laws protect EVERYONE - not just the majority, the popular, the 75% that support a war, or the 90% that support a president. Germany did not have these laws, and we all know what happened.
The main reason I love checking-in is because I like to see how (and if) certain forms of communication - media sources - affect people's minds. With talk-radio dominated by one point of view, their "words" still dont have a huge affect: books, documentaries, and online sources compete for attention too.
I was just thinking about my compulsion to put John Tesh on the same level as "Puritans" and "A Roth-less Van Halen". Perhaps I was too harsh.
Back in the good old days - when one could take-back the thousands of fajooles that the record companies theive from us with each CD purchase - I spent some valuable time downloading music. (RIP audiogalaxy... sniff sniff). See, I dont gamble and I dont rope steer (despite rumors to the contrary), and in Ellensturd WA, aside from these two pastimes, there is cow-cud left to do except downloading music.
So here I was in hell trying to find some good Black Sabbath covers. A few winners. A whole bunch of losers trying to give props. And then I run into this: "The Wizard" performed by " The Zappa brothers with John Tesh". I had to bite. For those of you not familiar with the Wizard (a plague on all your houses), it features a tricky syncopated harmonica solo as an intro. I had to know who was going to take this job, and how? (please please let it be a Zappa)
Well it turned out to be "the Tesh" - not with a harmonica, but with a KEYTAR! To this day, I still cannot believe that this sound entered my eardrums and was transferred to my neurotransmitters. But in a moment of schaudenfreud, I kind of liked it too... (gasp!)
I'll give Tesh his bones: to my suprise - and aside from some syncopation problems - he KNEW HOW TO PLAY BLACK SABBATH!!! Okay, so he played it on a KEYTAR... SO? SO?
So give it a listen, if you can still find it. If anyone can find a copy of the footage of Tesh/Zappa (ewww, those words hurt my ears together), I would love to see it.
Thankyou for visiting the mind of Nate - fasten your seatbelts.
I wanted to start out by welcoming all those folks on my email list who have suffered through my many forwards. The involuntary draft is over! (and thankyou for your free-will visit to my blog).
Secondly, I will try to post something once or twice a week - including (but not limited to) articles, webpages, funny photos, videos of people falling, new bands, and of course: unclassified government documents. As per blog rules, I will try to include something funny/weird/unusual/that happened to me today. On occasion, I might also venture into the world of Garrison Keileresque tales (some of them tall)... I encourage you to do the same.
Finally, please post whenever you get an itch. I may scratch it, or I may point and laugh, but at least a small portion of the vast online community will now be aware of your ailment.
