BRANDOLAND: Talking to God...For You!

Rummy

2006-09-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

Good news, people...

Retired officers to criticize Rumsfeld

Thank God: Someone has some balls:

WASHINGTON - Retired military officers on Monday are expected to bluntly accused Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld of bungling the war in Iraq, saying U.S. troops were sent to fight without the best equipment and that critical facts were hidden from the public.

"I believe that Secretary Rumsfeld and others in the administration did not tell the American people the truth for fear of losing support for the war in Iraq," retired Maj. Gen. John R. S. Batiste is expected to say based on remarks prepared for a forum conducted by Senate Democrats.

A second military leader, retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, will assess Rumsfeld as "incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically ...."

"Mr. Rumsfeld and his immediate team must be replaced or we will see two more years of extraordinarily bad decision-making," his statement prepared for the policy forum read.

Ya think?

Not unrelated...

"...the Iraq war has invigorated Islamic radicalism and worsened the global terrorist threat."

You get what you pay for.

More later...

Surprised?

2006-09-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

One thing to REMEMBER today.

Conservative websites claim Rove has been promising GOP insiders an 'October surprise'

Surprised?

According to two conservative websites, White House political strategist Karl Rove has been promising GOP insiders that there will be an "October surprise" before the midterm elections.

"In the past week, Karl Rove has been promising Republican insiders an 'October surprise' to help win the November congressional elections," reports Ronald Kessler for Newsmax.

"President Bush's political strategist is also saying that the final two weeks before the elections will see a blitz of advertising, and the Republican National Committee is deploying an army of volunteers to key locations to help the grass-roots effort and monitor the election," the article continues. "The RNC is offering to fly in volunteers and cover their expenses."

Any guesses?

More later...

Your Homework

2006-09-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

People...

If you haven't seen it, ya need to rent (or buy) "Why We Fight," Eugene Jarecki's brilliant doc on the military, industrial, CONGRESSIONAL institution.

It's chilling, and seeks to answer (Mick's) simple question (to the crowd at Altamont): Why are we fighting?

After watching the film, I'm sure you'll agree that freedom is just another word for HalliburtonExxonBechtelTitanRaytheonBP, et al.

The key excerpt from Ike's speech (which helps to frame the film):

Until the latest of our world conflicts, the United States had no armaments industry. American makers of plowshares could, with time and as required, make swords as well. But now we can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense; we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. Added to this, three and a half million men and women are directly engaged in the defense establishment.

We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United States corporations.

This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the militaryindustrial complex.

The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

The man was way ahead of his time.

However, they heard his message...and took over the councils of government.

More later...

The Devil

2006-09-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

Yo.

At U.N., Chavez calls Bush 'the devil'

Outstanding.

He really wants an invasion, doesn't he?

Here we go:

UNITED NATIONS - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez took his verbal battle with the United States to the floor of the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, calling President Bush "the devil."

I thought the Devil was doing a movie with Jane Fonda?

"The devil came here yesterday," Chavez said, referring to Bush's address Tuesday. "He came here talking as if he were the owner of the world."

The leftist leader, who has joined Iran in opposing U.S. influence, accused Washington of "domination, exploitation and pillage of peoples of the world."

"We appeal to the people of the United States and the world to halt this threat, which is like a sword hanging over our head," he said.

I appeal to the people of the United States to push the yahoos out of office this November.

More later...

Yesterday's Papers

2006-09-18T10:27:00.000-07:00

Here's part of the WaPo's article on crony-ism in post-invasion E-raq.

Yesterday's papers - still relevant today. Don't let the story slip down the rabbit hole:

After the fall of Saddam Hussein's government in April 2003, the opportunity to participate in the U.S.-led effort to reconstruct Iraq attracted all manner of Americans -- restless professionals, Arabic-speaking academics, development specialists and war-zone adventurers.

But before they could go to Baghdad, they had to get past Jim O'Beirne's office in the Pentagon.

To pass muster with O'Beirne, a political appointee who screens prospective political appointees for Defense Department posts, applicants didn't need to be experts in the Middle East or in post-conflict reconstruction.

What seemed most important was loyalty to the Bush administration.

O'Beirne's staff posed blunt questions to some candidates about domestic politics: Did you vote for George W. Bush in 2000? Do you support the way the president is fighting the war on terror? Two people who sought jobs with the U.S. occupation authority said they were even asked their views on Roe v. Wade.

Got that?

Many of those chosen by O'Beirne's office to work for the Coalition Provisional Authority, which ran Iraq's government from April 2003 to June 2004, lacked vital skills and experience.

A 24-year-old who had never worked in finance -- but had applied for a White House job -- was sent to reopen Baghdad's stock exchange. The daughter of a prominent neoconservative commentator and a recent graduate from an evangelical university for home-schooled children were tapped to manage Iraq's $13 billion budget, even though they didn't have a background in accounting.

Iraq! A Good Gig if You Can Get It!

More later...

Think and Do Pages

2006-09-15T10:41:00.000-07:00

People...

From the "Think & Do" pages of USA Today...

Some new cities outsource city hall

Huh?

Newly formed cities are giving the keys to city hall to private companies that say they can run a government better than bureaucrats.

Mayors in "contract cities" say they get better services for less money; more flexibility, because private employees can be hired and fired more easily than workers under civil service rules; and lower debt, because they can own fewer buildings and less equipment.

Ah, life in Bushworld.

Sandy Springs, a new Atlanta suburb, hired CH2M Hill to staff all of its departments except police and fire for about $30 million a year. The city of almost 100,000 has only four employees besides police officers and firefighters.

"We wanted to get the most efficient possible use of our tax dollars," Mayor Eva Galambos says.

Also using the model:

• Weston, Fla., contracts with the firm Severn Trent for administrative services and with Broward County for public safety. Weston employs only three people.

• Centennial, Colo., has contractors and about 30 employees.

Cities for years have hired firms to handle trash hauling and roadwork. Only recently have some outsourced all of city hall.

Stephen Goldsmith, who privatized some services in Indianapolis when he was mayor in the 1990s, says the contract city model makes sense for a small, new city.

"You're not going to see a Philadelphia turn around and do this," he says.

God, I hope not. That would be a DE-saster.

I wouldn't pay a monthly fee just to walk through Rittenhouse Square.

More later...

2006-09-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

Borat

Take a time out from Bushworld: Check out the Borat trailer.

"This is where I lives."

More later...

"Wa wa wee wa!"

Get Ready to Run

2006-09-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

People...

Air Force chief: Test weapons on testy U.S. mobs

NOT an Onion piece:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nonlethal weapons such as high-power microwave devices should be used on American citizens in crowd-control situations before being used on the battlefield, the Air Force secretary said Tuesday.

The object is basically public relations.

Huh?

Domestic use would make it easier to avoid questions from others about possible safety considerations, said Secretary Michael Wynne.

"If we're not willing to use it here against our fellow citizens, then we should not be willing to use it in a wartime situation," said Wynne. "(Because) if I hit somebody with a nonlethal weapon and they claim that it injured them in a way that was not intended, I think that I would be vilified in the world press."

The Air Force has paid for research into nonlethal weapons, but he said the service is unlikely to spend more money on development until injury problems are reviewed by medical experts and resolved.

Gee. Thanks.

On another subject, Wynne said he expects to choose a new contractor for the next generation aerial refueling tankers by next summer.

He said a draft request for bids will be put out next month, and there are two qualified bidders: the Boeing Co. and a team of Northrop Grumman Corp. and European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., the majority owner of European jet maker Airbus SAS.

The contract is expected to be worth at least $20 billion (€15.75 billion).

ANOTHER good gig. Damn.

Some ideas for the powers at be. You know, so they can test the "weapons."

1. A Promise Keepers rally
2. A Dittohead Convention
3. The crowd at a Toby Keith show

I realize that those recs are "silly," and look forward to getting shot on the corner of Sunset & La Brea...during an anti-war rally.

More later...

Fool Me Once

2006-09-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

People...

Average gas price falls 11 cents a gallon in a week

Heavy summer driving period over + November elections + GOP plan to stay in control = $2.91 on the corner of Riverside and Glendale.

And cheaper gas everywhere else:

Gasoline prices continue to tumble, almost free-falling toward levels not seen in five months.

The nationwide average for regular was $2.618 a gallon, the Energy Information Administration reported Monday. That was 10.9 cents lower than a week earlier.

"The reason prices are going down so far so fast is that they shouldn't have been that high in the first place. Two reasons they were: fear and speculation," says Mike O'Connor, president of the Virginia Petroleum, Convenience and Grocery Association. It represents gasoline distributors who operate about 4,000 stations.

O'Connor says $2 gasoline "is more likely than unlikely" if the Gulf of Mexico isn't hit by hurricanes and if there isn't a flare-up of tensions in oil-producing regions.

Whatever.

You and I are in the wrong business.

More later...

9/11

2006-09-11T10:13:00.000-07:00

9/11.

No snarky comments for obvious reasons.

However...if you get the chance check out
CNN's Pipeline - with their original coverage of the event.

'Til midnight.

More later...

2006-09-08T09:11:00.000-07:00

THE ONLY THING YOU HAVE TO DO TODAY!

People...

One word: Enjoy!

(You can't write this stuff. It's virtually impossible.)

More tomorrow...

Mo' Money!

2006-09-07T10:46:00.000-07:00

On script today - time for one post:

Did the Army favor Raytheon in anti-RPG bid?

No, really?

WASHINGTON - Earlier this year, the U.S. Army awarded one of its favored defense contractors, Raytheon, a $70 million contract to develop a new system to combat rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), which have killed nearly 40 Americans in Afghanistan and more than 130 in Iraq.

The Army insists that Raytheon won the contract fair and square based on its “systems engineering expertise and the discipline which they used in analyzing requirements, threats and potential solutions.”

But an NBC News investigation of the contract selection process reveals that at almost every turn, Raytheon was given a significant competitive advantage over other defense contractors, including an Israeli firm whose system was extensively tested and found to be highly effective.

Read the whole piece...

Defense Contracting: A Good Gig If You Can Get It!

SHOW ME THE MONEY

2006-09-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

Very simple post today, kiddos.

Back in '96, our annual defense budget was just a smidge below 300 BILLION DOLLARS.

Today?

It's been DOUBLED. (Check out the simple chart via the BBC.)

Once again, I remind you, dear reader...you and I are in the wrong business.

"Thar's gold in them thar hills!" (Capitol Hill, actually.)

Because if you're in the business of war...

"You need war for business!"

More later...

Attention, Readers!

2006-09-05T09:51:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted in a few weeks - am in heavy production mode.

However...

New posts wil begin tomorrow (9/06).

Lots to cover.

Gas is back down to $3 here in Los Angeles City: Just in time for the November elections!

I look forward to the post-election excuse (terror! Iran! terror!) to bring it back up to at least $3.15.

More later...

Follow the $

2006-08-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

One thing to think about today...

Major arms soar to twice pre-9/11 cost

Follow the $, people:

August 19, 2006

WASHINGTON -- The estimated costs for the development of major weapons systems for the US military have doubled since September 11, 2001, with a trillion-dollar price tag for new planes, ships, and missiles that would have little direct role in the fight against insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Who are we fighting for?

I mean...

What are we fighting for?

The soaring cost estimates -- disclosed in a report for the Republican-led Senate Budget Committee -- have led to concerns that supporters of multibillion-dollar weapons programs in Congress, the Pentagon , and the defense industry are using the conflicts and the war on terrorism to fulfill a wish-list of defense expenditures, whether they are needed or not for the war on terrorism.

Gee...

Ya think?

You and I are in the wrong business.

More later...

"You Will Be Destroyed!"

2006-08-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

Great piece in the Nation from James K. Galbraith.

Groundhog Day

Dude has some questions re: this latest evil-doer bust in the UK:

Arrests were made at night, catching the culprits at home. Houses have been raided, and are being searched. So far as we know at this point, no bombs have been found. No chemicals. No equipment. No labs. No testing ground. Maybe this will come out later, but it hasn't so far, even though the authorities seem anxious to tell just about everything they know.

Now, in order to get on an airplane, even the most devout suicide terrorist needs a ticket, and these generally must be purchased with money.

Apparently, not one ticket had been purchased by the detainees.

Uh...

One little-known feature of airline security (in the United States, anyway) is that people traveling on one-way tickets bought at the last minute get special scrutiny at the gate. Those tickets are also (a lot) more expensive. If you want to pass unnoticed, you will buy your ticket round-trip, in advance, and also save money like everyone else. Actually, if you didn't know this already, you're not fit to be let out of the house.

Further, to get on an international flight from Britain to the United States, in these days of the modern nation-state, you need something else. It's a document called a passport.

Apparently, some of the detainees don't have them.

Uh...

Someone lacking a passport can, I think, safely be excluded from the ranks of potential suicide bombers of UK-to-US flights. They could, of course, have a counterfeit or be operating in a support role--but so far we are not being told of any counterfeit documents or any support operation. And to pass security you would use a different person to carry each chemical you needed. For twelve flights, that's twenty-four people.

"But this one goes to 11."

As to threats: A joke going around the Manchester Airport on August 10 was that at least the IRA would remember to call.

What's the point of a suicide bombing if no one knows what it's for?

How about...because they hate our freedoms?

More later...

Be Afraid! Be Very Afraid!

2006-08-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

Interesting piece in The Nation from William Greider.

Fear and Smear

'Tis the season to be afraid!

...it is equally true that Bush desperately needs the terrorists.

They are his last frail hope for political survival. They divert public attention, at least momentarily, from his disastrous war in Iraq and his shameful abuses of the Constitution.

The "news" of terror--whether real or fantasized--reduces American politics to its most primitive impulses, the realm of fear-and-smear where George Bush is at his best.

So, once again in the run-up to a national election, we are visited with alarming news.

Some dudes in the UK were thinking about doing something...

And the Klingons are coming.

A monstrous plot, red alert, high drama playing on all channels and extreme measures taken to tighten security.

The White House men wear grave faces, but they cannot hide their delight. It's another chance for Bush to protect us from those aliens with funny names, another opportunity to accuse Democrats of aiding and abetting the enemy.

Read the whole piece.

"Red Scare" all over again.

More later...

They Picked the Wrong Fight

2006-08-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

"Swift Boat" Veterans Set Sights on Rep. Murtha

The Iraq war looms over another race, as the group that helped defeat John Kerry targets the antiwar lawmaker.

Big babies.

Methinks they've picked the wrong fight:

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Two years after a cadre of veterans helped sink the presidential campaign of Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), they have found a new target in the old steel country of southwestern Pennsylvania: Democratic Rep. John P. Murtha.

In a fight that organizers say will feature rallies, TV ads and an aggressive Internet campaign, these activists are promising to make Murtha pay for his criticism of the Iraq war.

"I will do my best to 'Swift boat' John Murtha," retired Navy Capt. Larry Bailey said at a recent news conference here, invoking the 2004 campaign against Kerry that took its name from Vietnam War-era Navy vessels.

*

Murtha, who was in San Francisco on Friday visiting House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) after campaigning for Democrats in Connecticut and New York, said he is confident the public is with him.

"The average person goes out of their way to tell me they want change…. What am I supposed to do? Say everything is all right?" Murtha asked before flying to Tennessee to attend a dinner for former Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore.

"I'm not going to say everything is all right if everything isn't all right."

More later...

2006-08-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday Sonic Youth Blogging

Ah...

Sonic Youth.

"Incinerate," from the new record.

More later...

Terra!

2006-08-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

Short post - lots of real work today - but time to give you this:

Bush seeks political gains from foiled plot

Couldn't have said it better meself:

Weighed down by the unpopular war in
Iraq, Bush and his aides have tried to shift the national political debate from that conflict to the broader and more popular global war on terrorism ahead of November 7 congressional elections.

The London conspiracy is "a stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation," the president said on a day trip to Wisconsin.

*

His remarks came a day after the White House orchestrated an exceptionally aggressive campaign to tar opposition Democrats as weak on terrorism, knowing what Democrats didn't: News of the plot could soon break.

Vice President Dick Cheney and White House spokesman Tony Snow had argued that Democrats wanted to raise what Snow called "a white flag in the war on terror," citing as evidence the defeat of a three-term Democratic senator who backed the Iraq war in his effort to win renomination.

But Bush aides on Thursday fought the notion that they had exploited their knowledge of the coming British raid to hit Democrats, saying the trigger had been the defeat of Democratic Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut by an anti-war political novice.

"The comments were purely and simply a reaction" to Democratic voters who "removed a pro-defense Senator and sent the message that the party would not tolerate candidates with such views," said Snow.

The public relations offensive "was not done in anticipation. It was not said with the knowledge that this was coming," the spokesman said.

Here's the key bit:

"I'd rather be talking about this than all of the other things that Congress hasn't done well," one Republican congressional aide told AFP on condition of anonymity because of possible reprisals.

"Weeks before September 11th, this is going to play big," said another White House official, who also spoke on condition of not being named, adding that some Democratic candidates won't "look as appealing" under the circumstances.

What a joke.

Again, there's a big prize waiting for the person who can create a readable timeline...comparing "terra" plots & threats and the corresponding Bushco news of the day.

Oh, and another thing: The Romulans are coming.

More later...

Quick Info

2006-08-10T10:25:00.000-07:00

Quick info re: the foiled terra-ist plot:

Indications are that all of the 21 arrested were British citizens and some were of Pakistani ethnicity, a senior U.S. intelligence official said.

So...

Should we bomb the UK?

Neo-cons? I mean, clearly...the Brits are "harboring" evildoers.

Hmm?

More later...

More Tales of...Big Conservative Babies!

2006-08-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

Some quotes from Joe Lieberman, Joe Lieberman Party - CONN:

"I'm definitely going forward."

"I feel that I closed strong in the primary. I feel we began to get out message across strongly and we're going to keep on going."

"This race is going to be all about who can get more done and who can be a better representative of Connecticut."

"For the sake of our state, our country and my party, I cannot and will not let that result stand."

One more time:

"For the sake of our state, our country and my party, I cannot and will not let that result stand."

Big baby.

"I'm going forward. I'm going forward because I'm fed up with all the partisanship in Washington that stops us from getting anything done."

No.

You're going forward because you're a selfish bastard.

And a big baby.

Scoreboard, Joe. Deal with it.

More later...

WWK&SD?

2006-08-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

People...

Interesting tidbit on the Bushies' fascination with end times prophecy in the WaPo yesterday:

Joel C. Rosenberg, who writes Christian apocalyptic fiction, told me in an interview this week that he was invited to a White House Bible study group last year to talk about current events and biblical prophecy.

Rosenberg said that on February 10, 2005, he came to speak to a "couple dozen" White House aides in the Old Executive Office Building -- and has stayed in touch with several of them since.

Rosenberg wouldn't say exactly what was discussed.

"The meeting itself was off the record, as you could imagine," he said. He declined to name the staffer he said invited him or describe the attendees in any way other than to say that the president was not among them. "I can't imagine they'd want to talk about it," he said.

"I can't tell you that the people that I spoke with agree with me, or believe that prophecy can really help you understand what will happen next in the Middle East, but I'm not surprised that they're intrigued."

The White House press office wasn't able to confirm the visit for me, but there have been previous reports about White House Bible study groups inviting Christian authors to come speak.

Great.

Feel safe?

When I'm President - and need some advice - I'll invite the (living) writers from The Original Series.

I mean, Christ, Kirk had to deal with "terrorists" all the time. Klingons, Romulans, Rojan & Kalinda...the Nazi's on Ekos...blah blah blah.

We should take a page from the Captain's log and deal with the bad guys accordingly.

In "The Enterprise Incident," Kirk disguised himself as a Romulan...so...come on now. That's a great move. Mr. Cheney, your thoughts?

Plus, Kirk had to defeat Apollo...so...I think we can learn something from that, too. You know, from his strategy. Find the power source, take it out, defeat the weakened bad guy.

Think GW could defeat the Gorn captain ("Arena")?

More later...

WAR IS OVER

2006-08-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

Eddie Vs Santa
Originally uploaded by blacksab67.

People...

Went downtown (Hell Angeles) this weekend.

Yes, I had some Philippe's (home of the french dipped sandwich).

However...

I have some disturbing news.

THE WAR ON CHRISTMAS IS FINALLY OVER! THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF SANTA - NO SIGNS OF XMAS - NO SIGNS OF THE BABY JESUS - IN LOS ANGELES!

It took awhile, but Xmas has been completely destroyed.

Cheap toys in the "toy district," though.

Aaaagggghhhh!!!!

More later...

That's How It Works

2006-08-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

Get thee to Crooks & Liars for a quick lesson in Republibaby propaganda:

A remarkably dumb YouTube video is working its way through conservative circles, spoofing Al Gore, "An Inconvenient Truth," and global warming.

It’s pretty weak — the video’s basic pitch is that Gore’s movie is boring and is intended to brainwash viewers. The Wall Street Journal noted that the video "has a home-made, humorous quality," though "humorous" is hardly the first word that comes to mind.

The video’s maker is listed as "Toutsmith," but there’s quite a bit more to it than that.

*

In an email exchange with The Wall Street Journal, Toutsmith didn’t answer when asked who he was or why he made the video, which has just over 59,000 views on YouTube. However, computer routing information contained in an email sent from Toutsmith’s Yahoo account indicate it didn’t come from an amateur working out of his basement.

Instead, the email originated from a computer registered to DCI Group, a Washington, D.C., public relations and lobbying firm whose clients include oil company Exxon Mobil Corp.

A DCI Group spokesman declines to say whether or not DCI made the anti-Gore penguin video, or to explain why Toutsmith appeared to be sending email from DCI’s computers.

HI-larious.

More later...

2006-08-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

Friday Maiden Blogging

Time for another Bushworld break, kiddos.

With some Iron 'Kin Maden!

"I am not a number! I am a free man!"

More sooner than later.

I Don't Need Your Civil War-er-oh

2006-08-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

News from the UK...

Iraq civil war warning for Blair

"Civil war is a more likely outcome in Iraq than democracy," Britain's outgoing ambassador in Baghdad has warned Tony Blair in a confidential memo.

What are the chances that Our Kid got that same memo?

William Patey, who left the Iraqi capital last week, also predicted the break-up of Iraq along ethnic lines.

He did also say that "the position is not hopeless" - but said it would be "messy" for five to 10 years.

*

The Foreign Office said it did not comment on leaked documents but added that Iraqi security forces were getting more capable every day.

Right.

More later...

Let the Swift-boating begin!

2006-08-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

People...

Marine Names Murtha in Defamation Suit

"Congressman Discussed Killings Involving Serviceman's Squad in Haditha, Iraq"

Let the Swift-boating of John Murtha begin!

A Marine Corps staff sergeant who led the squad accused of killing two dozen civilians in Haditha, Iraq, will file a lawsuit today in federal court in Washington claiming that Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) defamed him when the congressman made public comments about the incident earlier this year.

Attorneys for Frank D. Wuterich, 26, argue in court papers that Murtha tarnished the Marine's reputation by telling news organizations in May that the Marine unit cracked after a roadside bomb killed one of its members and that the troops "killed innocent civilians in cold blood."

Murtha also said repeatedly that the incident was covered up.

"I wonder if the law firm representing the above mentioned Marine is connected...in some way...to the people who wanna Swift-boat Murtha?"

Gee. Ya think?!

(Atty. Mark) Zaid said the filing is designed partly to force Murtha to disclose what information he received from the Defense Department and the Marine Corps commandant to form his opinion, essentially trying to speed up the discovery process in a potential criminal trial.

"This case is not about money; it's about clearing Frank Wuterich's name, and part of that is to identify where these leaks are coming from," Zaid said in an interview.

Rrriiiggghhhttt.

"Congressman Murtha has created this atmosphere that has already concluded guilt. He's created this environment that really smells, and he's the only one who has done that."

Well...

There's this little bit of info from the AP:

Report to Suggest Marines Shot Iraqis

IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED INCIDENT.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Evidence collected on the deaths of 24 Iraqis in Haditha supports accusations that U.S. Marines deliberately shot the civilians, including unarmed women and children, a Pentagon official said Wednesday.

Agents of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service have completed their initial work on the incident last November, but may be asked to probe further as Marine Corps and Navy prosecutors review the evidence and determine whether to recommend criminal charges, according to two Pentagon officials who discussed the matter on condition of anonymity.

Sad.

More later...

Hopefully they'll have banners

2006-08-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

The FOX-ification of the White House Press Dept. continues!

First...the hiring of Tony Snow-job.

Now...a home makeover!

Earlier this year, Fox News talk show host Tony Snow was hired as press secretary.

Next up: a renovation of the briefing room, likely with a video wall that could display everything from "flags waving in the breeze [to] detailed charts and graphs," according to a senior White House official working on the project.

"Could you guys show some evil libtards...in front of a firing squad?"

For TV viewers, the video feed could be the sole on-screen image, or could share the space with the speaker.

White House officials say they are weighing how -- and how often -- to use the video capability. But the new technology could help transform White House briefings -- midday exchanges with reporters in a utilitarian setting -- into more interesting viewing.

Hopefully, they'll have a FOX-y scrolling ticker at the bottom of the above mentioned screen.

Dow down 5000 points

Study: 92 percent of Democrats are gay

JFK posthumously joins Republican Party

Oil slicks found to keep seals young, supple

Dan Quayle: Awesome

(From "Krusty for Congress.")

Both the planned video capabilities and Mr. Snow's hiring appear to be part of a subtle but sweeping effort by administration officials to deliver their message directly to the public, particularly through video.

I guess the MSM isn't doin' a good enough job with the administration's, uh, message.

More later...

WWKD?

2006-07-31T14:26:00.000-07:00

Our Kid sits by...while the Middle East burns.

Perhaps he's waiting...for a reason to make it a bigger fight.

The only question you need to ask is, "What would KIRK do?"

(In fact, that's the only question you ever need to ask.)

Your thoughts, please.

2006-07-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

Wings

Time for another break from Bushworld.

Our Kid meets with the Am Idol Brats...

We watch some classic Macca.

"Jet."

From the "Wings Across America" tour.

More later...

We're Screwed

2006-07-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

A former CIA-type comments on the current mess...via TPM:

My source confirmed in detail the fact that intelligence being produced for the Bush Administration by the Pentagon strongly supports the thesis that Hizballah operations are directly controlled and closely managed from Teheran.

My source considers this an exaggerated picture of the real situation. He believes that this assessment contributes to an unhealthy and even dangerous mindset in Washington, leading to potentially serious miscalculations and errors of judgment by President Bush and his closest advisors at this very critical time.

Deja vu.

More later?

Cafferty

2006-07-28T11:32:00.000-07:00

Here's CNN's Jack Cafferty on the previously mentioned Al-Qaeda tape:

Another day, another tape from al Qaeda. So what? What exactly is the world supposed to do because some al Qaeda dirtbag releases a tape saying he’s going to support Hezbollah? Should we all get under the bed now? The fact is, these morons have been sending out tapes for years and threatening all kinds of dire things, but as far as we know, the leadership of what’s left of this organization is still scurrying around from cave to cave in Afghanistan trying to keep their cooking fires lit so they can roast their goats.

It’s far more likely that they’re starved for attention. Between the war in Iraq, the war in Gaza, the war in Lebanon, the crazies in North Korea and Iran, the world doesn’t have time to pay attention to these worms anymore. So, like spoiled little brats who throw a fit in a department store because their mother is busy shopping and not paying attention to them, these idiots rush out another videotape so they can get their name in the paper.

Back to my previous blog about AQ's "art department." (An art department is the unit responsible for dressing a TV, movie or commericial set...with objects and details...to bring realism to a facade.)

All I'm saying is...

Somewhere, somehow, AQ has a kid on a computer...making Jpegs of terrorists and the WTC. They've got another kid "blowing up" those photos and mounting them on foamboard, and someone else building a backdrop with said items.

Look closely...and you'll see a bunch of set lights...hanging from the studio's ceiling.

Hardly a "terrorist" in a "cave" with a simple video camera.

Capice?

More later...

2006-07-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

Should've Ruled the World

Take a break from Bushworld with Rod and the Faces.

They should've ruled the world, but Rod went disco.

More later...

Art Department Kinda Stuff

2006-07-27T09:28:00.000-07:00

People...

Al-Zawahri calls for Muslims to rise up

Hmm...

CAIRO, Egypt - Al-Qaida's No. 2 leader issued a worldwide call Thursday for Muslims to rise up in a holy war against Israel and join the fighting in Lebanon and Gaza until Islam reigns from "Spain to Iraq."

No. 2? Haven't we killed...like...30 AQ #2's?

In the message broadcast by Al-Jazeera television, Ayman al-Zawahri, second in command to Osama bin Laden, said that al-Qaida now views "all the world as a battlefield open in front of us."

*

"It is a jihad (holy war) for the sake of God and will last until (our) religion prevails ... from Spain to Iraq," al-Zawahri said.

*

Al-Zawahri wore a gray robe and white turban in the video.

A picture of the burning World Trade Center was on the wall behind him along with photos of two other militants. One appeared to be a bearded Mohamed Atta, the Egyptian ringleader of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The other was Mohammed Atef, also known as Abu Hafs al-Masri, a former top lieutenant of bin Laden who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan in November 2001.

Um...

Al-Qaeda has a "set decorator" and an "art department?!"

Where are they? At the Hollywood Center Studios on Las Palmas?!?!

WTF?!?!?!

(Think, think, think.)

Good time to be in the war business, yes?

More later...

Seriously, Ick

2006-07-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

People:

"When an older man marries a younger woman, it is a revitalising experience." - Rupert Murdoch.

Ick.

Seriously, ick.

More later...maybe.

That comment really bummed me out, man.

Tin-Foil Hat Time

2006-07-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

People...

MP casts doubt on David Kelly suicide

From the UK.

This case has always seemed fishy to me, 'coz Kelly was one of the FIRST officials to go, "Hey, wait a minute, someone's lying here!"

LONDON (AFP) - An opposition member of parliament has alleged that a government scientist who cast doubt on intelligence about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction may not have taken his own life.

A judicial inquiry into the death of David Kelly in July 2003 concluded that the one-time UN weapons inspector and expert on Saddam Hussein's weapons programmes committed suicide.

He did so after he was named as the source of a BBC news report suggesting that Tony Blair's government had "sexed up" intelligence in the run-up to the US and British invasion of Iraq four months earlier.

Hmmm...

"Today, I challenge that conclusion," wrote Norman Baker, from the Liberal Democrats, in the Mail on Sunday newspaper.

I'd do the same.

"I do so on the basis that the medical evidence available simply cannot sustain it, that Dr Kelly's own behaviour and character argues against it and that there were serious shortcomings in the way the legal and investigative processes set up to consider his death were followed."

Points raised by Baker -- whose centre-left party opposed the Iraq war -- included the fact that Kelly supposedly cut his ulnary artery in his wrist, a more difficult and painful option that the radial artery.

In 2003, Baker said, Kelly was the only person recorded to have taken his or her own life in this fashion.

Baker also said that paramedics who attended the scene where Kelly's body was found in Oxfordshire noticed that he had lost little blood and was "incredibly unlikely" to have died from the wound they saw.

Police said that 29 tablets of pain-killer coproxamol were missing from a packet in his home, but all that was found in Dr Kelly's stomach was the equivalent of one-fifth of a tablet, Baker said.

Volunteer searchers who found his body said he was slumped against a tree, rather than lying prone, as police stated.

Read the whole piece.

More later...

Come on and Join Our NAFTA Convoy Part II

2006-07-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

People...

This was the Brandoland headline last June:

Bish Admin. Scheming to Build A Massive Super Highway "Through the Heart of the US"

To bring goods into the US via Mexico, which would screw the UNION dudes at the ports in California...and the UNION truckers who ride our highways.

Once complete, the new road will allow containers from the Far East to enter the United States through the Mexican port of Lazaro Cardenas, bypassing the Longshoreman’s Union in the process.

The Mexican trucks, without the involvement of the Teamsters Union...will drive on what will be the nation’s most modern highway straight into the heart of America. TheMexican trucks will cross border in FAST lanes, checked only electronically by the new “SENTRI” system.

That was June the 15th.

Today? Texas Farmers Furious Over Superhighway

We're getting closder to the truth.

The Oklahoma-to-Mexico stretch would be just the first link in a 4,000-mile, $184 billion network.

The corridors would be up to a quarter-mile across, consisting of as many as six lanes for cars and four for trucks, plus railroad tracks, oil and gas pipelines, water and other utility lines, and broadband cables.

The exact route for the cross-Texas corridor has not yet been drawn up, though it will probably be somewhere within a 10-mile-wide swath running parallel to Interstate 35.

Whatever course it takes, it is clear many farmers and property owners will lose their land, though they will be compensated by the state.

Ha.

Good luck.

Construction could begin by 2010.

The opposition comes in several forms: Some see it as an assault on private property rights; some object to putting the project in foreign hands (it will be built and operated by a U.S.-Spanish consortium); and some see the project as an affront to open government because part of the contract with Cintra-Zachry is secret.

Gee, you're kidding.

Cintra-Zachry is paying $7.2 billion to develop the first segment. For that, it will get to operate the road and collect tolls for years to come.

It is part of a growing privatization trend in the United States.

Read both pieces...and tie the stories together.

More later...

Tillman

2006-07-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

People...

ESPN "the website" has a heavy piece on Pat Tillman.

The story is far from over...

Two years after Tillman's death, the perspectives on the circumstances are still very much at odds and the story is still very much alive. As the Defense Department Inspector General's Office nears the completion of yet another investigation into Tillman's death, many very important questions remain unanswered.

• Are the Rangers who fired at Tillman and their other fellow soldiers guilty of criminal wrongdoing?

• Why did the Army glorify Tillman's actions on the battlefield during the firefight in which he was killed?

• Did the Army purposely conceal that Tillman had been killed by friendly fire? If so, why?

• And did the Army consciously puff up the Tillman story by awarding the dead soldier a Silver Star, its third-highest distinction for combat valor, to go along with his Purple Heart and a posthumous promotion from specialist to corporal?

For reasons that remain under investigation more than two years later, the Pentagon elected for almost five weeks after the incident not to disclose the fact Tillman had been gunned down by members of his own platoon.

Yet some in Tillman's unit knew the night it happened. ESPN.com found that word of the fratricide had filtered through the ranks within a day or two of Tillman's death.

It's a huge piece.

Here's some weird comments on the Tillman family...and their effort to find "the truth."

(Lt. Col. Ralph ) Kauzlarich, now a battalion commanding officer at Fort Riley in Kansas, further suggested the Tillman family's unhappiness with the findings of past investigations might be because of the absence of a Christian faith in their lives.

HUH?!

Wow.

In an interview with ESPN.com, Kauzlarich said: "When you die, I mean, there is supposedly a better life, right? Well, if you are an atheist and you don't believe in anything, if you die, what is there to go to? Nothing. You are worm dirt. So for their son to die for nothing, and now he is no more — that is pretty hard to get your head around that.

So I don't know how an atheist thinks. I can only imagine that that would be pretty tough."

Asked by ESPN.com whether the Tillmans' religious beliefs are a factor in the ongoing investigation, Kauzlarich said, "I think so. There is not a whole lot of trust in the system or faith in the system [by the Tillmans]. So that is my personal opinion, knowing what I know."

IMHO, sir, you have no idea what you're f*cking talking about.

More later...

RFK Jr: Working for You

2006-07-18T13:25:00.000-07:00

People...

Robert Kennedy Jr. is working for you.

Blowing the Whistle on Diebold

Quickly:

On July 13, the Pensacola, Fla.-based law firm of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. filed a “qui tam” lawsuit in U.S. District Court, alleging that Diebold and other electronic voting machine (EVM) companies fraudulently represented to state election boards and the federal government that their products were “unhackable.”

Kennedy claims to have witnesses “centrally located, deep within the corporations,” who will confirm that company officials withheld their knowledge of problems with accuracy, reliability and security of EVMs in order to procure government contracts. Since going into service, many of these machines have been linked to allegations of election fraud.

*

“The single greatest threat to our democracy is the insecurity of our voting system,” warns Kennedy. “Whoever controls the voting machines can control who wins the votes.”

You should know that the EVM buisness is a lucrative one.

In the wake of alleged vote count inconsistencies and the “hanging chad” debacle of 2000, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in 2002. HAVA appropriated $3 billion to replace voting equipment and make other improvements in election administration. Diebold, Election Systems & Software and Sequoia Systems secured the lion’s share of nearly half that sum in contracts to purchase EVMs. All 50 states have received funds and many are hurriedly spending it on replacing lever and punch card machines in time for November.

Once again, dear reader, I must say...

You and I are in the wrong business.

More later...

To Do List: Colbert

2006-07-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

Need a quick laugh?

All you need...is Colbert.

More later...

Check It Out

2006-07-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

People...

While the Middle East burns...

Dan Quayle (yes, that Dan Quayle) storms out of a fellow Hoosier's concert.

More tales...of big conservative babies:

Dan Quayle took time out from participating in the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship in Stateline, Nev., on Friday to attend John Mellencamp's concert only to run into a political statement.

He then made a statement of his own by walking out during Mellencamp's rendition of "Walk Tall.'' Before launching into the song, Mellencamp told the Harveys casino crowd, in effect, that it was dedicated to everyone hurt by policies of the current Bush administration.

Quayle, who served as vice president for President Bush's father in 1989-93 walked out of the venue before Mellencamp finished the song.

Waaaggghhh!!!

Quayle said through a publicist: "Well, I think Mellencamp's performance was not very good to begin with, and the comment put it over the top.''

Mellencamp couldn't be reached for comment.

Because he's too classy to comment on Quayle's performance as a...what is he doing now? Celebrity golf?!

More later...

I'm Sure That the All the Officers Involved Have Been Reprimanded

2006-07-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

People...

Pete Coors apologizes in drunk driving case

As in THE Pete Coors, our snow lovin', beer pitchin' friend:

Beer magnate and former Republican U.S. Senate candidate Pete Coors was arrested on a drunken-driving charge and is due to appear in court next week.

A Colorado State Patrol trooper pulled Coors over after he saw him run a stop sign around the corner from his home in Golden at 11:25 p.m. on May 28, according to Coors spokeswoman Kabira Hatland and the citations.

Coors stopped his 2004 green Jaguar in his driveway, and the trooper smelled alcohol, said State Patrol spokesman Trooper Gilbert Mares.

Obviously, the arresting officer was deaf and blind.

Or from Mars.

Because he had know idea what he was doing.

Arresting the King of Colorado.

Coors failed a field sobriety test, was placed in handcuffs and taken to the Golden Police Department jail, Mares said.

Don't worry: I'm sure that all the officers involved have been reprimanded.

A Breathalyzer test showed he registered a 0.088, which is slightly above the 0.08 blood-alcohol limit in Colorado, Hatland said.

Insert comedy joke about being drunk on Extra Gold and Killian's Red here.

*

If you're in the mood to procrastinate, and want to get a glimpse into the minds of some of your fellow citizens, check out the banter on the Yahoo Message Boards re: the Israeli assault on Beirut.

A quick sample:

Yee haw! Kill all the Muslims. I hope Isreal nukes them all.

When you read these comments, remember one thing: Brilliant minds think alike!

More later...

More Bad B-Movie Kinda Stuff

2006-07-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

Kiddos...

Enron witness found dead in park

More "bad b-movie kinda stuff" from the UK?

A body found in north-east London has been identified as that of a banker who was questioned by the FBI about the Enron fraud case.

Police said they were treating the death in Chingford of Neil Coulbeck, who worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland until 2004, as "unexplained".

Do we have that category over here? "Unexplained?"

How about the anthrax deaths from October of '01?

He had been interviewed by the FBI as a potential witness.

Three ex-workers of RBS subsidiary NatWest are being extradited to the US on Thursday to face fraud charges.

*

The fraud case centres on a NatWest transaction under which it sold off part of its Enron unit.

RBS said: "There is no evidence that Mr Coulbeck was involved in the approval of the transaction under investigation.

*

In 2002, US prosecutors issued arrest warrants for the three men (Bermingham, Mulgrew and Darby), accusing them of conspiring to defraud their employers and investors in energy giant Enron, which had collapsed a year earlier.

It is alleged that the three British bankers - Mr Bermingham, Gary Mulgrew and Mr Darby - advised their employer Greenwich NatWest to sell off its stake in an Enron unit at well below its market value.

They then left the bank and purchased a $250,000 (£135,000) stake in the unit - which they sold on at a much higher price, making a profit of $7.3m (£3.9m).

They deny any wrongdoing.

Hmmm...

As Spock would say, "Fascinating."

More later.

If You're In the Business of War...

2006-07-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

People...

Biz Week: MZM Worked Prewar Iraq Intelligence

MZM = Duke Cunningham's bud Mitch Wade.

A "DEFENSE" contractor:

Buried in this new Business Week article by Eamon Javers and Dawn Kopecki is a startling revelation: MZM Inc., the company once owned by admitted felon Mitchell Wade, worked on assessing Saddam Hussein's nuclear capabilities during the runup to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

"[B]efore the invasion of Iraq," the duo writes, "[MZM's business] included helping with [the] controversial analysis of Saddam Hussein's nuclear capabilities."

Wade, of course, has confessed to bribing former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) with over a million dollars in money, gifts and favors.

IF YOU'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF WAR...YOU NEED WAR FOR BUSINESS!

Others, including Warandpiece.com's Laura Rozen, have long suspected Wade's MZM to have played a role in throwing the calls on Saddam's nuclear programs. It's been known for some time that MZM provided contract employees to the Army's National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC), which handled much of the Pentagon's pre-war WMD analysis. But Javers and Kopecki are the first to report that those MZMers were involved in the center's (mis)interpretation of the pre-war Iraq nuke intel.

The two note that while the White House's WMD Commission directed heavy criticism at the NGIC for "misscharacterizing" Saddam's nuclear program, it didn't fault MZM directly. (Of course, as we reported earlier, MZM had at least three staffers on the commission's staff.)

Do you see how it works?

Can't say it enough:

IF YOU'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF WAR...YOU NEED WAR FOR BUSINESS!

More later...

John Dean, Patriot

2006-07-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

Yo.

One thing to do today, kiddos. One thing...via Crooks & Liars.

Watch John Dean's appearance on Olberman's show. The topic? His new book, "Crisis of Conscience," which details the rise (and dominance) of authoritarianism within the modern conservative movement.

It's a must see, for sure.

The "strict daddies" are running the show now, and their followers...blindly following.

More later.

Quick excerpt

2006-07-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

People...

Quick excerpt from Red Nordland's interview with Foreign Policy. Nordland was Newsweek's Baghdad bureau chief for two years:

FP: How often do you travel outside of the Green Zone?

RN: The restrictions on [journalists’] movements are very severe. It is extremely dangerous to move around anywhere in Iraq, but we do. We all have Iraqi staff who get around, and we go on trips arranged by the U.S. State Department as frequently as we can.

But the military has started censoring many [embedded reporting] arrangements.

Before a journalist is allowed to go on an embed now, [the military] check[s] the work you have done previously. They want to know your slant on a story—they use the word slant—what you intend to write, and what you have written from embed trips before.

If they don’t like what you have done before, they refuse to take you.

There are cases where individual reporters have been blacklisted because the military wasn’t happy with the work they had done on embed. But we get out among the Iraqi public a whole lot more than almost any American official, certainly more than military officials do.

They report...they decide.

More later...

2006-07-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

The Jam

Crazy busy with Hollywood jokes today...

No time for Bushworld.

In the meantime...The Jam.

More tomorrow.

2006-07-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

Saturday Clash Blogging

People...

Your Clash fix...for today.

"Here's a real treat for the blank generation."

More later...

Fantastic News

2006-07-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

Hate Groups Are Infiltrating the Military, Group Asserts

Just another sad chapter to this whole deal:

A decade after the Pentagon declared a zero-tolerance policy for racist hate groups, recruiting shortfalls caused by the war in Iraq have allowed "large numbers of neo-Nazis and skinhead extremists" to infiltrate the military, according to a watchdog organization.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks racist and right-wing militia groups, estimated that the numbers could run into the thousands, citing interviews with Defense Department investigators and reports and postings on racist Web sites and magazines.

"We've got Aryan Nations graffiti in Baghdad," the group quoted a Defense Department investigator as saying in a report to be posted today on its Web site, www.splcenter.org. "That's a problem."

YA THINK?!

The groups are being abetted, the report said, by pressure on recruiters, particularly for the Army, to meet quotas that are more difficult to reach because of the growing unpopularity of the war in Iraq.

"It's a great opportunity, son."

"As long as I get the chance to shoot at some mud people, I'm cool."

"Sign here, please."

An article in the National Alliance magazine Resistance urged skinheads to join the Army and insist on being assigned to light infantry units.

The Southern Poverty Law Center identified the author as Steven Barry, who it said was a former Special Forces officer who was the alliance's "military unit coordinator."

"Light infantry is your branch of choice because the coming race war and the ethnic cleansing to follow will be very much an infantryman's war," he wrote.

"It will be house-to-house, neighborhood-by-neighborhood until your town or city is cleared and the alien races are driven into the countryside where they can be hunted down and 'cleansed.'"

Wait...

THE COMING RACE WAR?!

What the...?!

He concluded: "As a professional soldier, my goal is to fill the ranks of the United States Army with skinheads.

As street brawlers, you will be useless in the coming race war.

As trained infantrymen, you will join the ranks of the Aryan warrior brotherhood."

What's that bit about "figthing the terrorists over there before we have to fight them over here?"

Huh?!

More later...

You Git 'Em, boy!

2006-07-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

Think Progress has a great post on Arizona's tough talkin' Sheriff...Joe Arpaio.

Dude is cracking down on the 'legals!

SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO, MARICOPA COUNTY, AZ: Yesterday, by the way, I have 1,000 illegals in a jail out of 10,000, including 2,000 we have in tents, so yesterday I started a new program, everyone will have to listen to the national anthem and god bless America.

We did it four times yesterday, but every day from now on, in the morning, at night, they’ll listen to the patriotic songs.

BANDERAS: Apparently you dress them up in colorful jumpsuit, tell me about that?

ARPAIO: We’ve been doing that for six years, we put them in pink underwear and striped uniforms and pink handcuffs.

BANDERAS: Why the pink underwear?

ARPAIO: They were stealing the white underwear several years ago, smuggling it out of the jail. So I dyed the underwear pink because they hate pink, especially in this county they hate pink. Why give them a color they like?

BANDERAS: Why would you, that’s a great question. All right, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, thank you very much. Keep it up, I guess.

You git 'em, boy!

Daddy issues all, methinks.

More later...

Bad B-Movie Stuff?

2006-07-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

People...

Enron founder Ken Lay dead of heart attack

I guess he got sick of waiting for the Presidential pardon:

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Enron Corp. founder Ken Lay died of a heart attack on Wednesday, six weeks after being found guilty of fraud in one of the biggest corporate scandals in U.S. history.

Lay, 64, was awaiting sentencing later this year and was expected to face decades in prison for his fraud and conspiracy convictions in the Enron collapse.

*

Pitkin County sheriff's deputies and an ambulance were dispatched to the Lay vacation home in Old Snowmass, Colorado, early Wednesday morning and transported him to Aspen Valley Hospital. He was pronounced dead there shortly after 3 a.m. Mountain time (0900 GMT).

The autopsy is "pending."

Heart attack...or bad b-movie stuff?

Your comments, please...

2006-07-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

A Real American

There's only one American Dream, and that's Dusty Rhodes.

Having said that...

There's only one Real American, and that's the Hulkster.

Happy 4th.

ON VACATION

2006-07-03T08:55:00.000-07:00

ON VACATION...

WILL RESUME REGULAR POSTING ON WEDNESDAY MORNING (THE 5TH).

PEACE OUT, BITCHES.

2006-06-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

Final Break From BushWorld

People...

I'm taking my final break from BushWorld...

From Dick, Don, Condi and Our Kid...

With video from the greatest American rock band ever.

ROTH ERA HALEN.

Watch and learn.

Politics tomorrow.

Dig The Who

2006-06-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

Dig The Who

Alright, people.

I've reached maximum saturation: I can't deal with BushWorld today. (I think I'm suffering from progressive outrage disease - and can't understanding why we're not marching in the streets.)

And so...

There's only one thing to do: Watch the greatest piece of rock footage ever.

Dig...The Who.

More later.

2006-06-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

The American Dream

People...

There's only one "American Dream."

"One American dream, Tully Blanchard!"

And that's Dusty Rhodes!!!

"You got me now, on you, forever!!!"

There's Gold in Them Thar Hills

2006-06-27T08:59:00.000-07:00

People...

Wars force Army equipment costs to triple

There's gold in them thar hills!

WASHINGTON - The annual cost of replacing, repairing and upgrading Army equipment in Iraq and Afghanistan is expected to more than triple next year to more than $17 billion, according to Army documents obtained by the Associated Press.

If you're in the business of "replacing, repairing and upgrading Army equipment?"

CONGRATUFUCKULATIONS.

From 2002 to 2006, the Army spent an average of $4 billion a year in annual equipment costs. But as the war takes a harder toll on the military, that number is projected to balloon to more than $12 billion for the federal budget year that starts next Oct. 1, the documents show.

Thank god we've got some wars goin' on: Otherwise, we wouldn't need all that equipment!

If you are waiting tables or selling cars or working at the Gap? Get thee to thy nearest military industrial workshop.

Opportunity knocks.

Speaking of war...

A MUST SEE video from Crooks & Liars.

It's Paul Pillar, Larry Wilkerson (et al) appearing in front of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee...talking about Dick Dastardly and D. Feith's Office of Special Plans.

Remember, kiddos...

If you're in the business of war...you need war for business!

More later...

End Times are a comin,' I swear to God

2006-06-26T09:02:00.000-07:00

People...

You might've missed this LA Times piece from last week.

'End Times' Religious Groups Want Apocalypse Soon

Don't you?

For thousands of years, prophets have predicted the end of the world.

Today, various religious groups, using the latest technology, are trying to hasten it.

Their endgame is to speed the promised arrival of a messiah.

"Praying real hard" isn't working, so the End Timers are resorting to other tactics.

...some Jewish groups in Jerusalem hope to clear the path for their own messiah by rebuilding a temple on a site now occupied by one of Islam's holiest shrines.

Artisans have re-created priestly robes of white linen, gem-studded breastplates, silver trumpets and solid-gold menorahs to be used in the Holy Temple — along with two 6½-ton marble cornerstones for the building's foundation.

Then there is Clyde Lott, a Mississippi revivalist preacher and cattle rancher.

He is trying to raise a unique herd of red heifers to satisfy an obscure injunction in the Book of Numbers: the sacrifice of a blemish-free red heifer for purification rituals needed to pave the way for the messiah.

So far, only one of his cows has been verified by rabbis as worthy, meaning they failed to turn up even three white or black hairs on the animal's body.

Too bad.

Keep trying, though!

By contrast, Bill McCartney, a former University of Colorado football coach and co-founder of the evangelical Promise Keepers movement for men, which became huge in the 1990s, has had a devil of a time getting his own apocalyptic campaign off the ground.

It's called The Road to Jerusalem, and its mission is to convert Jews to Christianity — while there is still time.

"Our whole purpose is to hasten the end times," he said. "The Bible says Jews will be brought to jealousy when they see Christians and Jewish believers together as one — they'll want to be a part of that. That's going to signal Jesus' return."

Jews and others who don't accept Jesus, he added matter-of-factly, "are toast."

I think he said the same thing about the Nebraska Cornhuskers, back in the day.

More later.

HOPEFULLY.

Please Allow Me to Intoduce Myself

2006-06-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

Yo.

Jacob's bad luck: Is it . . . Satan?

Bedeviled: His business deals have been delayed, keeping him from fully funding his campaign

The Devil does not want John Jacobs to go to Washington:

As if beating a five-term congressman wasn't hard enough, John Jacob said he has another foe working against him: the devil.

"There's another force that wants to keep us from going to Washington, D.C.," Jacob said.

"It's the devil is what it is. I don't want you to print that, but it feels like that's what it is."

Jacob said Thursday that since he decided to run for Congress against Rep. Chris Cannon, Satan has bollixed his business deals, preventing him from putting as much money into the race as he had hoped.

Numerous business deals he had lined up have been delayed, freezing money he was counting on to finance his race.

"You know, you plan, you organize, you put your budget together and when you have 10 things fall through, not just one, there's some other, something else that is happening," Jacob said.

Asked if he actually believed that "something else" was indeed Satan, Jacob said: "I don't know who else it would be if it wasn't him.

Um...

How about you and your campaign team?

"We have a country that was created by our Heavenly Father and it was a country that had a Constitution and everyone who came to America had strong faith. If that can be destroyed that would be the adversity. . . . Whether you want to call that Satan or whoever you want to call it, I believe in the last eight months I've experienced that."

I think our country is being destroyed by Gary Coleman.

He's a futuristic robot...sent back in time...to destroy us all.

More later...

When Are We Going to Learn? We're in the Wrong Business!

2006-06-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

People...

Senate Report Lists Lobbyist's Payments to Ex-Leader of Christian Coalition

A better headline? "Ralph Reed's Gettin' Paid, Yo!"

WASHINGTON, June 22 — A bipartisan Senate report released on Thursday documented more than $5.3 million in payments to Ralph Reed, the former director of the Christian Coalition and a leading Republican Party strategist, from an influence-peddling operation run by the corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff on behalf of Indian tribe casinos.

$5.3 MILLION.

When are we going to learn? We're in the wrong business!

Mr. Reed was depicted as having used his contacts among conservative Christian groups in the South and Southwest beginning in the late 1990's to block the opening or expansion of casinos that might compete with the gambling operations of Mr. Abramoff's clients.

He did so...on behalf of Jesus.

Clearly.

Mr. Abramoff and his former partner, Michael Scanlon, have pleaded guilty to conspiring to corrupt public officials and bilking some Indian tribe clients out of tens of millions of dollars. They are cooperating with a federal grand-jury investigation that is threatening to derail the careers of several members of Congress.

There has been no suggestion by prosecutors that Mr. Reed is under special scrutiny by the grand jury.

Um...

Why not?!

More later.

Con Rock

2006-06-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

Yo.

I'm having a hard time sloggin' through the National Review's "Top 50 Conservative Rock Songs" list. It still feels like an Onion piece.

A few examples:

40. “Wake Up Little Susie,” by The Everly Brothers.

A smash hit in 1957, back when high-school social pressures were rather different from what they have become: “We fell asleep, our goose is cooked, our reputation is shot.”

34. “Godzilla,” by Blue öyster Cult.

A 1977 classic about a big green monster — and more: “History shows again and again / How nature points up the folly of men.”

32. “Keep Your Hands to Yourself,” by The Georgia Satellites.

An outstanding vocal performance, with lyrics that affirm old-time sexual mores: “She said no huggy, no kissy until I get a wedding vow.

Um, I think it's a song about a guy who wants to bang said woman.

29. “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” by Iron Maiden.

A heavy-metal classic inspired by a literary classic. How many other rock songs quote directly from Samuel Taylor Coleridge?

Stay away from Maiden, bro.

20. “Rock the Casbah,” by The Clash.

Wait. Hold. I didn't want to add snarky comments to this post, but...The Clash?!

Do you see how frustrating this is?!

18. “Cult of Personality,” by Living Colour.

A hard-rocking critique of state power, whacking Mussolini, Stalin, and even JFK: “I exploit you, still you love me / I tell you one and one makes three / I’m the cult of personality.”

Um, yeah.

I have a headache.

More later...

Champion

2006-06-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

Two things for you to do this morning.

Check out Ron Suskind's appearance on CNN (via Crooks & Liars). He's talking to Wolfie about his new book ("One Percent Doctrine"), a book that gets into Cheney's grip on the White House, Bin Laden's desire for Bush's re-election, and our "decision" to bomb Al-Jazeera.

Then...

Watch Alonzo Mourning's post-game press conference.

He's one of my favorite guys -- and not just because he gives a lot of money to "blue" causes. Watch the video...and you'll see why.

Zo talks a lot about his recovery from kidney failure and the importance of this championship moment:

"It just makes me appreciate...just living...every moment...now...even more."

He's an inspiration.

More later...

You And I Are in the Wrong Business

2006-06-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

Morning, kiddos --

Been digging through the TOP 50 CONSERVATIVE SONGS and will have a report soon - after I put my brain back together - because it hurts.

'Til then...

You and I are in the wrong business.

Former Antiterror Officials Find Industry Pays Better

In the old days, men went to Washington, figured out where the freeways were goin,' left Washington, bought land, and cashed in. Now?

WASHINGTON, June 17 — Dozens of members of the Bush administration's domestic security team, assembled after the 2001 terrorist attacks, are now collecting bigger paychecks in different roles: working on behalf of companies that sell domestic security products, many directly to the federal agencies the officials once helped run.

"Domestic Security projects."

Ha!

At least 90 officials at the Department of Homeland Security or the White House Office of Homeland Security — including the department's former secretary, Tom Ridge; the former deputy secretary, Adm. James M. Loy; and the former under secretary, Asa Hutchinson — are executives, consultants or lobbyists for companies that collectively do billions of dollars' worth of domestic security business.

Well...

They know what part of th' "domestic" needs security.

"It would be cool if we had a laser."

"How much should we spend on that?"

"Kazillions."

"Good. I quit and...I'll call you tomorrow! I know a guy!"

More than two-thirds of the department's most senior executives in its first years have moved through the revolving door. That pattern raises questions for some former officials.

Gee, ya think?

Mr. Ridge, the former secretary, stands to profit handsomely now that Savi Technology, a maker of radio frequency identification equipment that the department pushed while he was secretary, is being bought by Lockheed Martin. He was appointed to the Savi board three months after resigning from the department and has been compensated with an undisclosed number of stock options that Lockheed will presumably need to buy back. In the coming weeks, Mr. Ridge says he plans to open his own domestic security and crisis management consulting firm.

A good gig if you can get it.

Read the whole piece.

More later...

Monday the 19th

2006-06-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

Back from a quick trip: Will resume posting shortly...

Conservative Rocker David Bowie

2006-06-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

By now...you might've heard that the National Review (a turbo conservative rag) has compiled a list of "conservative" rock songs.

Ha!

National Review's "50 Greatest Conservative Rock Songs

Quick info:

...to prove there is still some music for conservative rockers, National Review has published a list of the 50 greatest conservative rock songs.

John J. Miller, who compiled the list, explains the criteria: "The lyrics must convey a conservative idea or sentiment, such as skepticism of government or support for traditional values. And, to be sure, it must be a great rock song."

At the top of the list is the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again," which Miller calls a theme song for "disillusioned revolutionaries" who've forsaken their naive idealism. Also in the top 10 are "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by the Beach Boys (for its pro-abstinence and -marriage message), "Gloria" by U2 and "Revolution" by the Beatles.

Other selections include songs by Bob Dylan ("Neighborhood Bully"), David Bowie ("Heroes") and John Mellencamp ("Small Town").

I can't even type because I'm laughing so hard.

"Heroes?"

"Heroes?"

"Heroes?!"

Hello, McFly? Hello, McFly?! McFly!

I mean, where do I....you know...I mean...maybe it's a song for...you know...some of the closeted gay Republicans on Capitol Hill.

And "Revolution?!"

My God.

WHAT FUCKING WORDS ARE YOU PEOPLE HEARING?

Again, I'm crazy busy at work, but I feel like spending the next week breaking down this RETARDED list.

(Quickly - I remember a dude leaving an anti-Bruce post on the Springteen Message Boards (Backsteets.com) right before the start of '04's "Vote For Change" tour. He felt betrayed because, you know, Bruce had always "fought for the little guy," and there he was on a liberal tour.

EVERYONE'S response was, "Right, you fucking moron, He's still fighting for the little guy. What lyrics are you hearing?!"

There is conservative rock, BTW. It's called Creed and Ted Nugent.

You guys can have 'em.

More next Monday...

Come on and Join Our NAFTA Convoy

2006-06-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

One of the dudes who led the Swift Boat charge against Kerry, is bringing you this info --

Bush Admin. Scheming To Build Massive Super Highway "Through The Heart Of The US"

The Bushies want to bring in goods via new ports in Mexico - bypassing the UNION ports in SoCal.

Let's just assume the story is true: A number of truckers have called Randi Rhodes with similar claims:

Quietly but systematically, the Bush Administration is advancing the plan to build a huge NAFTA Super Highway, four football-fields-wide, through the heart of the U.S. along Interstate 35, from the Mexican border at Laredo, Tex., to the Canadian border north of Duluth, Minn.

Once complete, the new road will allow containers from the Far East to enter the United States through the Mexican port of Lazaro Cardenas, bypassing the Longshoreman’s Union in the process.

The Mexican trucks, without the involvement of the Teamsters Union...

Forgot that part --

...will drive on what will be the nation’s most modern highway straight into the heart of America. The Mexican trucks will cross border in FAST lanes, checked only electronically by the new “SENTRI” system.

Eventually, we'll all be checked by the SENTRI system.

The first customs stop will be a Mexican customs office in Kansas City, their new Smart Port complex, a facility being built for Mexico at a cost of $3 million to the U.S. taxpayers in Kansas City.

As incredible as this plan may seem to some readers, the first Trans-Texas Corridor segment of the NAFTA Super Highway is ready to begin construction next year. Various U.S. government agencies, dozens of state agencies, and scores of private NGOs (non-governmental organizations) have been working behind the scenes to create the NAFTA Super Highway, despite the lack of comment on the plan by President Bush.

You understand the implications, yes?

I'm headin' out to the highway
I've got nothin' to lose at all

Except my job.

More later...

Get Thee to Crooks & Liars

2006-06-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

Yo.

Good morning.

If you're gonna do one thing today, watch (RNC chair) Ken Mehlman's appearance on The Daily Show.

Stewart was brilliant - as usual.

Then...

If you've got the time...

Borat's movie trailer is online.

"Very nice!"

More later.

There is a God

2006-06-13T11:14:00.000-07:00

Okay.

There is a God: Big Ben is okay.

"TOLD YOU."

I'm crazy busy today, so please take the time to read Greg Palast's interview with Buzzflash:

We are literally in there right now to make sure that Iraq remains good members of OPEC.

They were afraid that Saddam was going renegade, and he could not be trusted to play ball with OPEC, which is basically an illegal cartel controlled by Saudi Arabia and big oil.

That was the winning plan for the oil. In other words, if you wonder why your cousin is shivering under a tank in Fallujah, it is to enhance Iraq’s relationship with OPEC.

More later...

It's Official: There is No God

2006-06-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

It's Official: There is no God.

"WHAT?"

Roethlisberger injured in accident

Aaaggghhh!!!

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is undergoing surgery at Mercy Hospital after being involved in an accident earlier today near the Armstrong Tunnels while on his motorcycle.

A doctor at Mercy said the injuries included missing teeth, broken facial bones and head lacerations.

Big Ben was NOT wearing a helmet.

More at ESPN.com.

Damn, damn, damn.

Pure Hate

2006-06-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

The AP just listed a bunch of Man Coulter's greatest misses:

"Even if corners were cut, (Iran-Contra) was a brilliant scheme. There is no possibility that anyone in any Democratic administration would have gone to such lengths to fund anti-communist forces. When Democrats scheme from the White House, it's to cover up the president's affair with an intern. When Republicans scheme, it's to support embattled anti-communist freedom fighters sold out by the Democrats," she wrote in 2003's "Treason: Liberal Treachery from the Cold War to the War on Terrorism."

"My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building," The New York Observer quoted her as saying on Aug. 20, 2002. She clarified those remarks with RightWingNews.com: "Of course I regret it. I should have added, 'after everyone had left the building except the editors and reporters.'"

"After all other suitable office space in Manhattan had dried up — and also after spending the weekend golfing at an all-white club in Florida — Clinton announced he would take an office in Harlem. ... As one of my friends remarked, that should be nice: Having escaped a mugging on the way to work, Clinton's female employees will then have to face an accused rapist in the office," Coulter wrote on Feb. 19, 2001.

"(Liberals) are always accusing us of repressing their speech. I say let's do it. Let's repress them. ... Frankly, I'm not a big fan of the First Amendment," Coulter said during an Oct. 21, 2005, speech at the University of Florida.

"We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We weren't punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That's war. And this is war," Coulter wrote in a column published by the National Review Online on Sept. 13, 2001.

"Mostly the Witches of East Brunswick wanted George Bush to apologize for not being
Bill Clinton," she wrote in "Godless." She was referring to the New Jersey town where two of the Sept. 11 widows live.

"We need somebody to put rat poison in Justice Stevens' creme brulee," Coulter said in a Jan. 27 appearance at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark., regarding Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. She later explained she was joking about the justice, whose votes have upheld Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision legalizing abortion.

Enough.

The Devil wears a black cocktail dress.

More later...

Are the Evildoers on MySpace?

2006-06-09T09:42:00.000-07:00

People...

The Pentagon wants to monitor MySpace.

Pentagon sets its sights on social networking websites

Looking for cheap dates, my friends?

"I AM continually shocked and appalled at the details people voluntarily post online about themselves." So says Jon Callas, chief security officer at PGP, a Silicon Valley-based maker of encryption software. He is far from alone in noticing that fast-growing social networking websites such as MySpace and Friendster are a snoop's dream.

New Scientist has discovered that Pentagon's National Security Agency, which specialises in eavesdropping and code-breaking, is funding research into the mass harvesting of the information that people post about themselves on social networks.

Are you guys looking for evildoers...or 15 year old girls?

You should always assume anything you write online is stapled to your resumé. People don't realise you get Googled just to get a job interview these days," says Callas.

Well, I'm fucked.

Guess I'm stuck in LaLa land.

Go Dodgers.

More in a bit...

She Likes Turtles

2006-06-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

Yo.

The NY Times has a quick little piece on Katherine Harris' sinking ship:

"She has absolutely no chance of winning," said former Representative Joe Scarborough, a Pensacola Republican who was courted strongly by the National Republican Senatorial Committee to oppose Ms. Harris but declined.

Mr. Scarborough, the host of "Scarborough Country" on MSNBC, said Ms. Harris "seems to be detached from reality these days."

The straight dope from Scarborough country!

In interviews, Ms. Harris projects a somewhat frenetic personality, speaking in rapid-fire cadences, fussing incessantly with her hair and barraging aides with questions and road directions ("We have a detour to Starbucks on the way -- Quickest way to Venice is down Fruitville").

Sometimes she will burst forth midsentence upon noticing something out the window ("Hey, there's one of my bumper stickers!").

C'mon: She's just narrating her own life.

"New Oldsmobiles are in early this year."

(A no-prize if you can match that quote with its movie.)

When a supporter in a Venice veterans hall said he once witnessed Ms. Harris leave her vehicle to escort a turtle across a highway, she became gravely serious.

"All of my life I have stopped for turtles," she said firmly, even defensively, as if someone had challenged her commitment to turtle safety.

Please, Katherine, make that your top priority: Stop the slaughter.

The road to victory is lined with tiny little turtle fences.

As Ms. Harris hugged and hand-shaked her way toward the hall exit, the song "Y.M.C.A." came on. The mostly empty dance floor filled with aging veterans and their wives, one of whom spotted Ms. Harris and summoned her.

She obliged. And then commenced another unforgettable moment, Katherine Harris, arms over her head, dancing to "Y.M.C.A."

Frightening.

Bet she does a mean "Macarena."

More later...

The Continuing Adventures of the Dumb and the Mean!

2006-06-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

People...

Time for another installment of "The Continuing Adventures of the Dumb and the Mean" via ThinkProgress:

Jonathan Hoenig, a guest on Fox News’ Your World with Neil Cavuto: “[F]rankly, if you want to see the Dow go up, let’s get the bombers in the air and neutralize this Iranian threat.”

You can't make that stuff up.

Then, this:

As you see here, and I think this is maybe the most important prop we’ll have during the entire debate, my wife and I have been married 47 years.

We have 20 kids and grandkids.

I’m really proud to say that in the recorded history of our family, we’ve never had a divorce or any kind of homosexual relationship.

Rrriiiggghhhttt.

That's Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Crazyland.

More in a bit...

Flouridated water?

2006-06-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

MUFFLEY: But, how is it possible for this thing to be triggered automatically, and at the same time impossible to untrigger?

STRANGELOVE: Mr. President, it is not only possible, it is essential. That is the whole idea of this machine, you know.

Deterrence is the art of producing in the mind of the enemy... the fear to attack.

And so, because of the automated and irrevocable decision making process which rules out human meddling, the doomsday machine is terrifying. It's simple to understand. And completely credible, and convincing.

TURGIDSON: Gee, I wish we had one of them doomsday machines, Stainsy.

Where Was the Flying Spaghetti Monster?!

2006-06-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

People...

Lioness in zoo kills man who invoked God

Lord?

"HOLD ON."

KIEV (Reuters) - A man shouting that God would keep him safe was mauled to death by a lioness in Kiev zoo after he crept into the animal's enclosure, a zoo official said on Monday.

"The man shouted 'God will save me, if he exists', lowered himself by a rope into the enclosure, took his shoes off and went up to the lions," the official said.

"A lioness went straight for him, knocked him down and severed his carotid artery."

Where were you?

"LOOK. I GAVE THE GUY A THING CALLED A 'BRAIN.' I WAS HOPING HE'D USE IT."

Right.

"PLUS, I THINK IT'S FAIRLY WELL ESTABLISHED THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA GET MAULED IF YOU JUMP INTO A FREAKING LIONS' DEN. 'CEPT FOR THAT ONE EPISODE OF EMERGENCY."

The incident, Sunday evening when the zoo was packed with visitors, was the first of its kind at the attraction.

Lions and tigers are kept in an "animal island" protected by thick concrete blocks.

"THICK CONCRETE BLOCKS = STAY THE FREAK OUT."

Agreed.

"AND...WHERE WAS THE FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER? HUH? WHY AREN'T PEOPLE ASKING THAT QUESTION?!"

Dunno.

*

Hey, if you're in the mood to throw up this morning? Check out Man Coulter's appearance on the Today show.

Hopefully, this will end her sad career.

More later...

I am your King!

2006-06-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

ARTHUR: I am your king!

WOMAN: Well, I didn't vote for you.

ARTHUR: You don't vote for kings.

WOMAN: Well, how did you become King, then?

ARTHUR: The Lady of the Lake...her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water signifying by Divine Providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur.

That is why I am your king!

DENNIS: Listen.

Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.

Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.

ARTHUR: Be quiet!

DENNIS: Well, but you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just 'cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!

ARTHUR: Shut up!

DENNIS: I mean, if I went 'round saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away!

ARTHUR: Shut up, will you? Shut up!

DENNIS: Ah, now we see the violence inherent in the system!

Walk Across the Street to Pat's

2006-06-05T09:29:00.000-07:00

People...

Here's the latest word from Geno's

AS in Geno's steaks...South Phila, Pa.

The customer is always right? Not at Geno's Steaks in South Philadelphia.

Belly up to its counter and order a cheesesteak in a language other than English, and you'll walk away hungry.

Fromage-avec? Fugheddaboudit.

It seems that Joseph Vento, Geno's owner, feels strongly that everyone in this country ought to speak English - even if they're tourists from faraway climes looking for that fabled Philly cheesesteak fix.

Vento insists his customers order in English. No pointing at the menu items. Speak English, a sign at Vento's popular, curbside counter reads.

This comes from a man whose Italian-born grandparents spoke limited English. Talk about irony thicker than Cheez Whiz.

I have an idea, 'specially for those of you who "can't speak English."

Walk across the street...and give your business to Pat's.

(It's a better cheesesteak, IMHO.)

More later...

What Year is This?

2006-06-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

People...

What year is this?

Ray Larsen, imperial wizard of the National Knights of the Ku Klux Klan from South Bend, Ind., told the crowd on a megaphone that illegal immigrants are in America to take all the jobs and they want everyone out of America. "And I'm talking about blacks and whites," Larsen said.

"They want you out of here because they want this as their land."

What year is this?

"Here in Idaho, we couldn't understand how people could sit around on the kerbs waiting for the federal government to come and do something. We had a dam break in 1976, but we didn't whine about it. We got out our backhoes and we rebuilt the roads and replanted the fields and got on with our lives. That's the culture here. Not waiting for the federal government to bring you drinking water.

In Idaho there would have been entrepreneurs selling the drinking water."

Here's an easy one:

If you think about it, Janet, from everything from Brokeback Mountain to, you know, all the TV shows that you see promoting and affirming alternative lifestyles -- I guess to put it nicely -- you would think that the culture would eventually just move in the other direction. But I think these kind of debates are the chance for a public discourse to counter what Hollywood is purveying to our young people. Not just what Hollywood is purveying to young people, to all people.

And it's an opportunity for us to get beyond, you know, 'We should treat everybody nicely.'

I'm for treating everybody nicely, but that doesn't mean that we need to change the law to recognize a form of marriage that is harmful to our country.

Senator Sanitorium, as Tony called 'im.

More later...

The War on Terror Funds, Part II

2006-06-02T09:38:00.001-07:00

People...

The War on Terror Funds continues.

D.C. at Low Risk Of Attack, Says Federal Agency

From the WaPo: Not "The Onion."

The Department of Homeland Security has ranked the District in a low-risk category of terrorist attack or catastrophe, putting it in the bottom 25 percent of U.S. states and territories, as part of a decision that will cost the city millions in anti-terror funds, according to city and federal officials.

The news came as irate officials from New York and Washington demanded explanations for why the department slashed funds in a separate urban anti-terrorism program by 40 percent for the metropolitan areas hit hardest by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

"It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out these are two cities still at risk," said D.C. Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey.

In the words of the immortal Bugs Bunny, "Ain't it the trute!"

(Having said that...we could use a few brian surgeons in the exec branch, couldn't we?)

"Are you going to tell me Rhode Island should get more money than the District of Columbia?" the chief sputtered in an interview on Washington Post Radio.

Yes.

Everybody knows that the evildoers hate that Friendly's in Pawtucket.

Although the District is home to the White House, the Capitol, FBI headquarters and many national monuments, it received a smaller state grant than Montana, Hawaii and Utah.

Each of them received $4.5 million, as did Rhode Island.

Good. I happen to know that the evildoers hate the entire town of Cedar City, Utah.

And its Shakespeare Festival.

Other evildoer targets - bigger targets than the ones in NY and D.C:

1. The Blake's Lotaburger on Menaul (near Pennsylvania) in Albuquerque.

2. The Wisconsin Dells (the evildoers want the duck boats).

3. "Java the Hut" in Driggs, ID.

4. Wall Drug.

5. The World's Tallest Thermometer in Baker, CA (the current temp is 94F).

Congratulations to all the individuals & companies who do business with Homeland Security!

And remember, citizens: You can never be...too secure!

More later...

The War on Terror Funds

2006-06-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

Can't believe it, but I'm gonna use the NY Post (a very nice fish wrap) for this post.

Terror? What Terror?

Quick info:

June 1, 2006 -- WASHINGTON - Less than five years after the murder of 2,749 people in the Twin Towers on 9/11, the feds yesterday shockingly slashed anti-terror funds needed to protect New York City against future attacks.

The Homeland Security Department announced it was hacking funds distributed to the city by 40 percent compared with last year, while pouring hundreds of millions into unlikely terror targets like Kentucky and Wyoming.

Wyoming = Cheneyland.

Now...

I happen to know...that loads of evildoers around the world...would love to blow up Bubba's BBQ in Jackson. (Bubba's has a fantastic pulled pork sandwich, BTW.)

That's why they're getting $.

Plus, they want to destroy our freedoms and our moose.

More info:

Jacksonville, Fla. 2005 funds: $6.8 million.

2006 funds: $9.2 million.

Increase: 26%. Major landmark: Alltel Stadium, home of Jacksonville Jaguars.

C'mon now.

We all know that Al-Qaeda hates the Jags: More than Steeler fans.

I mean...right now...there are probably a bunch of dudes in a cave somewhere...with plans to destroy Alltel.

Right?

Can I get some of that Homeland Security cash? I'm pretty sure that the "terra-ists" would love to blow up the Silverlake reservoir.

More later...

Randi

2006-05-31T14:52:00.000-07:00

People...

Randi just said (at about 2:50 PST) that she has a sick feeling that the Bushies are keeping the troops in Iraq just to "protect the contractors" and other American biz interests.

Your thoughts, please.

*

Also, a quick bit from the Guardian's piece on Al Gore:

In the US, Mr Gore's environmental campaign has sparked a backlash from some on the right who accuse him of scaremongering.

A series of television advertisements, launched by a thinktank called the Competitive Enterprise Institute, argue that carbon dioxide emissions are a sign of American productivity and progress.

Comedy.

You can't make that stuff up.

More later...

Just Have the Baby, For Chrissakes!

2006-05-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

People: Thanks for putting up with the light posting. Heavy stuff will resume ASAP.

In the meantime...

Woman balks at having 6/6/6 'devil' baby

Boo! Have the baby!

CAVERSHAM, England, May 30 -- A woman in England due to give birth on June 6 is fighting with her hospital to induce her sooner to avoid delivering on the demonic date of 6/6/6.

The Number of the Beast!

Sacrifice...is going on tonight!

Melissa Parker, 30, said as a fan of "The Omen," a movie about a demonic child, she's genuinely concerned about the numerology involved, The Sun reported Tuesday.

"I'm terrified the birth will go wrong or the child will have evil in him or her," Parker said. "Even worse my beautiful baby could be the devil himself -- the anti-Christ."

He's already alive.

His name is Gary Coleman.

The figure 666 is mentioned in the Bible and various cultures believe it represents the date the anti-Christ will appear on Earth, but that doesn't hold any water at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

A hospital spokesman said Parker's request for an induction was refused because due dates are not 100 percent certain.

"There is little we can do to change them without a Caesarean or inducing the child, which we try to avoid," the spokesman said. "We must let nature take its course. The baby will be born when ready, no matter what day it is."

Damn straight.

I'm cooming back!
I will return!
I now posess your body and I'll make you burn!

Oh, by the way?

High court limits whistleblower lawsuits

Bastards.

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Tuesday made it harder for government employees to file lawsuits claiming they were retaliated against for going public with allegations of official misconduct.

By a 5-4 vote, justices said the nation's 20 million public employees do not have carte blanche free speech rights to disclose government's inner-workings. New Justice
Samuel Alito cast the tie-breaking vote.

Gee, you're kidding?

More later...

Memorial Day, '06

2006-05-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

People...

The General says it best:

War is a horrible thing. It destroys generations. It puts soldiers into terrible situations where they are forced to mortgage their souls. It is not something that should be entered into unless no other option is available. That’s Bush’s crime.

War with Iraq wasn’t his last option. It was the only one he pursued.

So on this Memorial Day, please take a few moments to remember all of the casualties of this war and take a vow that those responsible will not go unpunished.

It’s the only right way to truly honor the dead, the disabled, and the damned.

More later...

Yahoo Message Board Friday

2006-05-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

Time for a quick installment of "Yahoo Message Board Friday," where I troll the YMB's for the trolls who troll the YMB's.

House Republican firm on immigration bill

One story, loads of hate!

Info:

WASHINGTON - The House author of a border security bill that triggered massive street protests stood firm Friday against amnesty for illegal immigrants and predicted tough negotiations with the Senate on compromise legislation.

*

"This will set up a very difficult House-Senate conference committee because the approaches taken by the House and Senate on this issue have been 180 degrees apart," said Rep. James Sensenbrenner, chairman of the Judiciary Committee and principal author of the more stringent House bill.

Here come the trolls.

Dashrr 2000 writes:

HOUSE WILL BITCHSLAP SPICS BACK TO MEXI - The house will beeochslap these illegal spics back to spicsville and they will have to kiss Whitey's ass to get back in the USA! Why you ask?

BECAUSE WHITEY OWNS THE PLANET!!!

Whitey also leaves retarded messages on the internet.

Italotango says:

Now I'm LEGAL Wow! Thanks BUSH! Today was a nice day for me, yesterday I was an Illegal, TODAY I'm LEGAL :) Tomorrow I will be an American Citizen! Thanks Bush! Thanks GOPs! Thanks Rednecks to Elect the Cesar BUSH, Hahahah!
Hey Gringo now you will clean my house OK?

Apparently, there's a point in there.

Cosininflames breaks down the economic costs of the bill:

$5 Tomato's and $10/lb Bacon - Thanks to the Republicans.

EA Swearengen (from Deadwood) disagrees:

Amnesty would result in $20 Tomato's and $500/lb bacon.

Having said that, a Deadwood whore will still cost you about $10. Right?

wbwbruce joins the tomato/bacon fracas:

GROW YOUR OWEN FN TOMATOES EAT BEEF STFU

NYAH.

Somehow...through all the screaming...the voice of reason (ddnlj) cries out from the wilderness:

Cheap labor does not keep prices down. It helps big business put more money in its own pocket. The consumer never sees the savings.

What say you?

More later...

Faux

2006-05-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

Faux:

While (Ian) Spiegelman has called Page Six the "attack arm" of Rupert Murdoch's tabloid, he said Murdoch's News Corp. "will go all out to flatter every thug communist in China when it thinks it can score a satellite-TV deal there."

"One time I was looking into an item about a Chinese diplomat and a strip club when word came from somewhere up above that China had carte blanche," he adds.

"The message I got was more or less, 'If you mention Chinese, you'd better be ordering lunch.'"

Enemies included "anyone who thought the war in Iraq might not be the best of all possible adventures to pursue," says Spiegelman. "On several occasions I had to quote some homophobic press release from the Catholic League because [some editor] thought they made a good point."

Your liberal media at work.

More in a bit...

A Pardon Coming?

2006-05-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

People...

Lay, Skilling convicted in Enron collapse

Whoa:

HOUSTON - Former Enron Corp. chiefs Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling were convicted Thursday of conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud in one of the biggest business scandals in U.S. history.

The verdict put the blame for the demise of what was once the nation's seventh-largest company squarely on its top two executives. It came in the sixth day of deliberations following a trial that lasted nearly four months.

Think "Our Kid" will throw a pardon at the Ken-ster?

I'm waiting...

More later.

Chick Update & a Quick Test

2006-05-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

First, a Chick Update.

Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines claims that their new motto is, "What would Bruce Springsteen do?" (Or WWBD.)

The only question you need to ask...really.

Here's your "Quick Test": The Onion or Fox?

1. ‘Al Gore’s Global Warming Movie: Could It Destroy Our Economy?’

2. "All-Out Civil War in Iraq: Could It Be a Good Thing?"

3. "Puerto Rico Celebrates Dependence Day"

4. "'Special' Forces Sent to Iraq"

5. "Are Democratic leaders who criticize the war in Iraq actually aiding the terrorists?"

Consider that last one a freebie.

(answers in the Haloscan.)

Here's one from The Simpsons: "Do Democrats Cause Cancer?"

Fox News Announcer: Welcome to Fox News, your voice for evil.

Tonight, we'll be interviewing the top two candidates for Springfield's 24th Congressional district. For the Republicans, beloved children's entertainer, Krusty the Clown. And for the Democrats, this guy.

Democrat: Hey, I have a name.

Fox News Anchor: Yes, I'm sure you do, comrade. I do appreciate your being here. You're usually so mired in sleaze, it must be an effort to come down to the studio.

Krusty: May I say something?

Fox News Anchor: Certainly, Congressman.

Democrat: He hasn't won yet!

Fox News Anchor: You make a very adulterous point. We'll now conclude this debate with a Krusty campaign commercial.

More later.

More Conservative Babies!

2006-05-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

People...

Country radio nixes Dixie Chicks

"Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah!"

You've got to give it to the Chicks -- they made the album they wanted to make. And now...they're telling Nashville to "suck it."

NASHVILLLE, Tenn., May 22 (UPI) -- It appears the war U.S. country radio stations mounted against the politically outspoken Dixie Chicks has not abated in the least.

The band is promoting "Taking the Long Way," its first album since Natalie Maines told a London audience in 2003 she was ashamed to be from the same state as U.S. President George Bush. The comment sparked a radio boycott of the group's music.

Although the album hits stores Tuesday, the first two singles from the album are not getting widespread airplay, Billboard.com reported Monday.

The first single, "Not Ready to Make Nice," only peaked at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and the second single, "Everybody Knows," is moving downward after its peak at No. 48.

WKIS FM in Miami reported it pulled "Not Ready to Make Nice" due to listener complaints after only one week.

The program director at KUBL/KKAT in Salt Lake City told Billboard he was angered by its "self-indulgent and selfish lyrics."

Wa-wwwaaaggghhh!

Here are some of those, uh, "self-indulgent and selfish" lyrics --

I made my bed, and I sleep like a baby,
With no regrets and I don't mind saying,
It's a sad sad story
That a mother will teach her daughter
that she ought to hate a perfect stranger.
And how in the world
Can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they'd write me a letter
Saying that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over

I'm not ready to make nice,
I'm not ready to back down,
I'm still mad as hell
And I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is
You think I should

Welcome to our side, ladies. You've got a new fan.

(You'll have much more fun hangin' with Pearl Jam and REM. Trust me.)

More later...

Tales of Big Conservative Babies, Part ?

2006-05-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

Monday.

Bo!

By now, you've heard the story of Jean Rohe, the New School grad who led the push against Sen. John McCain at the NY university's commencement ceremony.

Her words...have drawn the wrath of McCain aide Mark Salter (via the HuffPo):

It took no courage to do what you did, Ms. Rohe.

It was an act of vanity and nothing more. And please don't worry about the Senator's discomfort with you. He has managed to endure much worse. McCain was once offered release from imprisonment and torture because of his father's position as a senior military officer. He declined because he would not leave his comrades behind, and thus, willingly, accepted four more years of hardships life will spare almost all of us from. In his political career he has shown the same character he showed as a Navy officer all those years ago. He has, over and over again, risked personal ambitions for what he believes, rightly or wrongly, are in the best interests of the country.

What, pray tell, have you risked? The only person you have succeeded in making look like an idiot is yourself.

You took exception to the paragraph in which he lightly deprecated the vanity of youth. Well, Ms. Rohe, and your fellow graduates's comical self-importance deserves a rebuke far stronger than the gentle suggestions he offered you.

So, let me leave you with this.

Should you grow up and ever get down to the hard business of making a living and finding a purpose for your lives beyond self-indulgence some of you might then know a happiness far more sublime than the fleeting pleasure of living in an echo chamber.

And if you are that fortunate, you might look back on the day of your graduation and your discourtesy to a good and honest man with a little shame and the certain knowledge that it very unlikely any of you will ever posses the one small fraction of the character of John McCain.

So there! Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah.

Wwwaaaggghhh!!!

More later...

"You guys have it real easy.

I never had it like this where I grew up. But I send my kids here because the fact is you go to one of the best schools in the country: Rushmore.

Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and your going to stay rich.

But here's my advice to the rest of you:

Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down.

Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget it.

Thank you."

Privatize This

2006-05-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Again - thanks for checking in - crazy busy - will get back to heavy posting this week.

In the meantime...

Misjudgments Marred U.S. Plans for Iraqi Police

Among other things.

Field training of the Iraqi police, the most critical element of the effort, was left to DynCorp International, a company based in Irving, Tex., that received $750 million in contracts.

That would be a, uh, private defense contractor.

The advisers, many of them retired officers from small towns, said they arrived in Iraq and quickly found themselves caught between poorly staffed American government agencies, company officials focused on the bottom line and thousands of Iraqi officers clamoring for help.

"Company officials focused on the bottom line."

That's why we LIBTARDS believe that ya can't privatize "everything."

When it became clear that the civilian effort by DynCorp was faltering, American military officials took over police training in 2004, relying on heavily armed commando units that had been established by the Iraqis.

Within a year, members of the Sunni Muslim population said some units had been infiltrated by Shiite Muslim militias and were kidnapping, torturing and executing scores of Sunni Muslims.

More later...

He's Pat!

2006-05-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

Regular readers...

Again --

Sorry for the light posting: New gig, time crunch, blah blah blah.

In the meantime...

Robertson: God Says Tsunami Possible For U.S.

Place your bets!

"The Rev. Pat Robertson says God has told him that storms and possibly a tsunami will hit America's coastline this year.

The founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network has told viewers of "The 700 Club" that the revelations came to him during his annual personal prayer retreat in January.

"If I heard the Lord right about 2006, the coasts of America will be lashed by storms," Robertson said May 8.

He added specifics in Wednesday's show.

"There well may be something as bad as a tsunami in the Pacific Northwest," he said.

Lord?

"WHAT?"

Is he right?

"LOOK - I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT - YES - THE COASTS OF AMERICA WILL 'GET' SOME STORMS IN 2006 -- "

They usually do --

"HAVING SAID THAT - I'VE NEVER USED THE WORD 'LASHED' IN A COMPLETE SENTENCE - AND THE CLIPPERS WILL BEAT THE SUNS TONIGHT."

Got it.

More later...

Crazy

2006-05-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

Working - in LaLa Land - comedy jokes - but want you to read this:

Italian Pay-off From Niger Forgery?

Bad b-movie kinda stuff from Alternet.

"What did the Italian government, under then-Prime Minister Berlusconi, get in return for providing Bush with a smoking gun to attack Iraq?"

Crazy...

Italian journalists and parliamentary investigators are hot on the trail of how pre-Iraq War Italian forged documents were delivered to the White House alleging that Saddam Hussein had obtained yellowcake uranium ore from Niger.

New links implicating Italian companies and individuals with then-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi now raise the question of whether Berlusconi received a payback as part of the deal -- namely, a Pentagon contract to build the U.S. president's special fleet of helicopters.

Read the whole thing.

More later...

She likes music, you know?

2006-05-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

Bono's paper is out in the UK (via The Independent).

Here are Condi's "Top Ten" music picks:

1. Mozart
Piano Concerto in D minor

2. Cream
'Sunshine of Your Love'

"Believe it or not, I loved acid rock in college - and I still do."

3. Aretha Franklin
'Respect'

4. Kool and the Gang
'Celebration'

5. Brahms
Piano Concerto No 2

"It's a stormy, difficult piece, but I'm going to learn to play it before I leave this earth!"

6. Brahms
Piano Quintet in F minor

7. U2
"Anything."

8. Elton John
'Rocket Man'

"It brings back memories of college, friends, my first boyfriend."

9. Beethoven
Symphony No 7

"Quite simply the greatest symphony of all time."

10. Mussorgsky
Boris Godunov

Not a joke.

More later...

Total Information

2006-05-15T13:30:00.000-07:00

People...

Take the time to bone up on the Total Information Awareness program...if ya haven't already (via the ACLU).

Big Brother...wants to watch you...and he wants his buddies to profit from the deal.

(The dKosopedia has more on the TIA, too.)

More later...

Sludgereport

2006-05-15T08:19:00.000-07:00

It's really weird, but...

Sometimes Drudge beats the big lefty sites (Buzz, Kos, TPM) to the stories that actually help our side. (Dunno why: Methinks he misreads 'em.)

Today:

Federal Source to ABC News: We Know Who You're Calling

Info from ABC's Brian Ross and Richard Esposito:

A senior federal law enforcement official tells us the government is tracking the phone numbers we call in an effort to root out confidential sources.

"We" means "reporters."

"It's time for you to get some new cell phones, quick," the source told us in an in-person conversation.

We do not know how the government determined who we are calling, or whether our phone records were provided to the government as part of the recently-disclosed NSA collection of domestic phone calls.

Other sources have told us that phone calls and contacts by reporters for ABC News, along with the New York Times and the Washington Post, are being examined as part of a widespread CIA leak investigation.

One former official was asked to sign a document stating he was not a confidential source for New York Times reporter James Risen.

Our reports on the CIA's secret prisons in Romania and Poland were known to have upset CIA officials.

People questioned by the FBI about leaks of intelligence information say the CIA was also disturbed by ABC News reports that revealed the use of CIA predator missiles inside Pakistan.

Under Bush Administration guidelines, it is not considered illegal for the government to keep track of numbers dialed by phone customers.

The official who warned ABC News said there was no indication our phones were being tapped so the content of the conversation could be recorded.

A pattern of phone calls from a reporter, however, could provide valuable clues for leak investigators.

Freedom of the press.

Ha!

More later...

Pickles to the Rescue

2006-05-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

This is too easy:

Laura Bush doesn't believe bad polls

Pickles to the rescue:

Interviewed on Fox News Sunday, Laura Bush said she did not think people were losing confidence in President George W. Bush, despite a series of polls showing support for him at its lowest point in his five-year presidency and among the lowest for any president in the past 50 years.

"I don't really believe those polls. I travel around the country. I see people, I see their responses to my husband. I see their response to me," she said.

"As I travel around the United States --

The Bizzarro United States --

I see a lot of appreciation for him. A lot of people come up to me and say, 'Stay the course'."

Yeah, the hand-picked twenty-nine percenters.

Nice try, though!

More later...

Read Between the Lines

2006-05-13T10:22:00.000-07:00

Questions Raised for Phone Giants in Spy Data Furor

Read between the lines on this one, will ya?

Qwest was apparently alone among the four major telephone companies to have resisted the requests to cooperate with the government effort.

A statement issued on behalf of Mr. Nacchio yesterday by his lawyer, Herbert J. Stern, said that after the government's first approach in the fall of 2001, "Mr. Nacchio made inquiry as to whether a warrant or other legal process had been secured in support of that request."

"When he learned that no such authority had been granted, and that there was a disinclination on the part of the authorities to use any legal process," Mr. Nacchio concluded that the requests violated federal privacy requirements "and issued instructions to refuse to comply."

The statement said the requests continued until Mr. Nacchio left in June 2002. His departure came amid accusations of fraud at the company, and he now faces federal charges of insider trading.

Really?

Wonder when those "accusations" began?

They will get you, man. They will get you.

More later...

Yahoo Message Board Friday

2006-05-12T05:55:00.000-07:00

Yo.

Every Friday is "Yahoo Message Board Friday."

Usually, I post a bunch of comments from the brilliant minds on the YMBs. Today...only one.

The story: Murtha Predicts U.S. Pullout From Iraq

The info:

WASHINGTON - Rep. John Murtha, a Vietnam veteran first elected in the anti-war fever of 1974, says American troops will be brought home from Iraq by 2007.

Either President Bush will bow to public opinion or Democrats will have won control of the House of Representatives and increased pressure on the White House, Murtha, D-Pa., said in an Associated Press interview Thursday.

One man's reaction:

DEAR IDIOT LIBTARD TRAITORS

Run dont walk to the nearest suicide assistance center, you are suffering from liberal mental disorder, while LMD is easily diagnosed, there are only two cures:

1:assisted suicide: (murder to the non afflicted)

2: open your heart,muster up some courage, and tell yourself the truth.

Now since libtards have no heart, no courage, and no truth, I would be happy and honored to ASSIST you with cure #1.

There you have it...the greatest YMB post ever.

I have something to do today: I must find electronjerry so he can assist me with cure #1.

I simply cannot live with "liberal mental disorder."

Remember, kiddos...

"Brilliant minds think alike!"

More later.

"You Can't Handle the Truth!"

2006-05-11T08:20:00.000-07:00

People...

The following stories have pushed me over the edge: I can't take it anymore.

The Republican Agenda for 2006: Tax Cuts for a Favored Few ($69 BILLION!)

&

NSA has massive database of Americans' phone calls

("The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY.")

So...fuck it...I've reached maximum density with the latest news from Bushworld. Every single day...is a freakin' onslaught.

Iraq, Iran, the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan, war profiteering, Plamegate, Hookergate, $4 gas, Dick, Don, Tom and Condi, domestic surveillance of "left-wing" organizations, immigration reform, reform of any kind, the "new" cold War, FAUX, HUD, Santorum, Hastert and Frist - the what commission?! - Rove, Rove and Rove, yada yada yada, blah blah blah.

On top of that...Skull & Bones has Geronimo?!

I've come to the conclusion that - and, please, excuse my French - they're gonna continue to fuck us in the face...they're gonna continue to take as much money from the National Treasury as is humanly possible...and they're gonna set up the next few money making schemes (natch wars)...until we wake the fuck up and run these lizard-people out of DC.

It's out of control...and I've lost the ability...to be eloquent.

On that note, a few words from Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Goodguyland):

By controlling what you know, they hope to control what you think.

It is the solution to their Iraq dilemma. You don't have to mislead people, as the President did, if the American people simply do not know at all.

That's what this assault on free speech is all about.

The President and his Administration are doing everything possible to impose censorship. They know that secrecy is the fastest, most effective way to silence dissent.

*

Before us are two choices: the free flow of information, or the outright control of information.

America is strong because of the protections within the free flow of information--it's our First Amendment to the Constitution.

But the President and Republican majority want to tell you what to think through the outright control of information.

Geoffrey R. Stone, author and law professor at the University of Chicago, wrote an article in the New York Times the other day called "Scared of Scoops."

As the writer points out, the Administration's primary tactic is intimidation.

When in doubt, they try to make you afraid.

When unpopular, they try to make you afraid.

When they are losing their hold on power, because of their record, they intend to make you afraid.

The only reason you know this President has no energy plan for America is because he can't hide the price of gasoline at the pumps.

He'd make it a secret if he could, so don't be surprised if the President tries to classify the price of gasoline as a national security matter.

In a nation where free speech is the last line of defense against absolute power, they don't want you to know, because the more you know, the worse they look.

I've said this before and I'll say it again: When some of our leaders (and media folk) start sounding like Prof. Chomsky? There's still hope.

More later...