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Monday, January 31, 2005

Survivor - DNC Style 
The NY Times notes
But when the formal election is held by the Democratic National Committee in Washington in two weeks, the committee will keep voting until a candidate gets more than 50 percent, eliminating one candidate with each ballot. That could put Dr. Dean in a one-on-one contest by the end of the balloting.

China Unbound 
China has a huge imbalance of boys to girls in many grades. This is bad news. Whenever a country has had a surplus of young men they really, really like the "go to war" option.

The Gropinator Files 
It appears Arnold! is just your run of the mill Republican after all.
His state budget proposal relies on $6 billion in borrowing, despite a campaign pledge to end such borrowing. He angered teachers by refusing to give about $2 billion in unanticipated revenues to schools. He is raking in contributions from business interests despite a pledge to end the influence of special-interest money in Sacramento. And his bipartisan image has been tarnished by a government restructuring plan that takes aim at Democratic constituencies like public employees and teachers.
I recall so many people were surprised when George "Frog Blaster" Bush wasn't so compassionate after all.

Sunday, January 30, 2005

Misunderestimation at it again 
Hack in two acts

How do we know the Iraqi elections were a success? The news media that refuses to ask Bush tough questions in the safety of Washington D.C. reports from their barricaded hotel inside the heavily fortified Green Zone. That and suprisingly few Iraqis were murdered while voting.

Gen. Clark Considers Another Run 
Political Wire notes Gen. Clark is considering another run. At first, I had my doubts about Gen. Clark. I was then sorry that Kerry didn't pick Clark for VP. Before Obama caved in on the Rice vote I thought he would be good for 2008. If Boxer doesn't run for President then I think Gen. Clark would be an excellent choice based on his ability to bitch-slap the right wing media.

NeedleNose Reminds Us 
Resident Bush taking credit for elections he didn't want.

Saturday, January 29, 2005

Say What? 
(About Sen. Boxer) "I don't think attack dogs are ever useful," said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Attack Dog.

Friday, January 28, 2005

Full Disclosure 
Now that media whores have impugned bloggers' ethics, it has become necessary to disclose certain uncomfortable facts about oneself. (Not to be confused with "reality" TV).

I have a confession to make. After 9/11 when Bush's popularity soared to 90%, I was one of the 10%.

When 60% of Americans fell for Bush's, Cheney's, Rice's, and Powell's lies about WMD in Iraq, I was one of the 40%. This leads me to my disclosure.

I was one of the 10% and I was one of the 40% not because I was smarter, not because I had access to classified information, not because of ESP. It is simpler than that. I doubted the conventional wisdom because I don't trust Bush. At all. Not one iota.

I will now reveal my secret plan for making the world a better place. Everybody, Democrat or Republican, American or not, rich or poor, religious or not must do one simple thing.

Stop believing anything George W. Bush says.

Habeas Corpus? Sadly, No! 
Seb's rival in the European bloggers thingamajig laments the imminent death of Habeas Corpus in England. I, too, mourn its passing. It died unnoticed in America a couple of years ago in the grossly misnamed PATRIOT Act (hint - Old Fashioned Patriot is an obscure, clunky reference to pre-PATRIOT Act times).

Do terrorists deserve a fair trial? Yes. Terrorists deserve their day in court even if their ultimate fate is life imprisonment or execution. That is a hard concept for Americans who believe in Bush's infallibility. It is now apparently a hard concept for people who believe in Blair's infallibility. Freedom and Liberty isn't about using your charge card to fill up your SUV with a tank of gas. It isn't about hanging terrorists without a trial. It is the process of applying the rule of law to prevent wannabee tyrants from abusing power.

Thursday, January 27, 2005

Conflation Inflation 
As I noted previously, the media tying Bush's war crime bill of $280 billion as "the total since September 11, 2001" was the latest psy-op against Americans to make them think that Bush's war on Iraqis is part of the war on terror. Reference dates that would have been much more truthful would have been:

This brings the total to $120 billion since the U.S. elections. (Not even 3 months ago!)
This brings the total to $120 billion since the media "reported" that John Kerry overestimated Iraq spending by $40 billion. (Put another way - the total is $80 billion over John Kerry's supposedly too high estimate.)
This brings the total to $180 billion since Dec. 13, 2003 (The day Saddam was taken into US custody.)
This brings the total to $280 billion dollars since March 19, 2003. (Bonus points for recognizing the start of bombing of Iraq.)
This brings the total to $280 billion since Dec 2000 when the Supreme Court ordered the State of Florida to stop counting votes for Al Gore.

Republicans Hope To Throw Out Election They Disagree With 
Republicans say that the number of illegal votes is bigger than the vote difference so a do-over is the only choice. This makes a faulty assumption - that all allegedly illegal votes went to Gregoire. If history is any guide - (Florida and Ohio come to mind) vote fraud tends to favor Republicans. In fact, Republicans are ignoring the questionable black box voting returns that mysteriously gave Rossi a 2000 vote lead in a heavily Democratic county. The county had a firm Gregoire lead in paper ballots that was totally erased by a small number of electronic ballots that show Democrats were voting 65% for Rossi in the closest state election in history. If Rossi had this kind of margin among Democrats in the state it wouldn't have been the closest state election in U.S. history.

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Just As We Suspected 
The Rude Pundit isn't always rude. He has some heartwarming stories at Democrats, Here's Your Talking Points.

Thanks Again To James Wolcott 
From his post Grassy Knollers I learned of Rigorous Intuition.

Wolcott Does It Again 
Wolcott coins Sleepy Joe. The Republicans' favorite Democrat co-sponsored Sen Brownback's legislation to increase fines for obsecnity and nudity. Isn't Brownback another way of saying Dirty Sanchez? Wouldn't that be great if newscasters everywhere got fined $3 million everytime they said Brownback? It seems Joementum wants to pay for Bush's illegal war by taxing Howard Stern.

Impeach Bush! 
Bush said "bring it on". They did. 36 dead just yesterday. Impeach Bush. Send a letter to your Representative asking for Bush's impeachment.

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Congrats, Don! 
To think, Oscar nominee Don Cheadle almost gave me a ride from the airport once. I don't think the cliques will give it to him this time but he will get more opportunities to star and he will get nominated again and he will win the next one. Talk about range - he has played Sammy Davis, Jr., a psychopathic killer and a humanitarian hotelier. Smoke that, Gropinator.

Oh, That Liberal Media 
A Google News search for "$280 billion since the first money was provided shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001" yields 157 hits. Note to newspapers Pravda-Lite, Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. See 9/11 Commission Report: "...we have no credible evidence that Iraq and al Qaeda cooperated on attacks against the United States."

Monday, January 24, 2005

Don't spend it all in one place! 
The good news is that American's personal income increased by an annualized rate of $1200 a person last month. Why don't you feel richer? It was caused by a one time dividend payout to Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer and other Microsoft shareholders and isn't representative of a widespread trend. This year's personal income growth will possibly be negative in comparison to it. The billions that went to overseas investors won't help the U.S current account balance.

Oh, That "Liberal" New York Times 
The fearless watchdog bastion of liberalism was apparently afraid to run an ad critical of dear der Leader.

Update - Thanks to info from commenter Ann Marie, the ad ran Sunday.

Sunday, January 23, 2005

Sometimes I Repost A Comment 
Over at the esteemed First-Draft I commented
It would appear the Bush administration is willing to force gay sex at gunpoint but won't allow the prisoners to marry.

Yet Another Hidden Agenda 
Suburban Guerilla notes that Social Security privatization looting will reduce the voice of workers. LeftI also noticed it.

Paging Dr Dean, Paging Dr Dean! 
You are needed in OR stat!

Google news search on Washington State Revote - 1600
Google news search on Ohio State Revote - 32

It's looking bad, folks. Republicans could very well throw out the results of a democratic (and Democratic) election in Washington state.

Don Cheadle Fanzine Continued 
A riveting, explosive, heartbreaking, heartwarming, thrilling, chilling movie and then some is what I can say about Hotel Rwanda. (Howard Deanesque blog disclosure - I know Don Cheadle on a personal basis*)

*If by personal you mean I met him at a party 20 years ago and he might be able to pick me out of a police lineup with enough prep work.

Heeeeeeeeere's Johnny! 
Johnny Carson dead at 79. Thanks for all the laughs. You helped ease the pain tremendously during the Reagan years. I bet you would have stopped making Clenis jokes by 2002 unlike your successor.

The Hardly Ever Right 
It is even wrong about football! Yeehaw! Dr. Edward Rhymes writes:
I was extremely pleased when I read the list of players selected for the NFL’s 2005 Pro Bowl. For the first time in NFL history, all the quarterbacks for a Pro Bowl Team, in this case the NFC, are black: Duante Culpepper, Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick (making Rush Limbaugh eat crow – well, more like Jim Crow).


Choke on that, Mr. Oxycontin.

Cross post : How Lame Is Sen. Biden? 
I posted at democrats.meetup.com a link to Wolcott's excellent post about Biden and the other pink tutu Democrats. I also emailed Sen. Biden the link so he could address the base rather than just the SCLM.

James Wolcott Makes The Case 
Look, Biden and the rest of you Democratic punk-asses--get behind Boxer or get lost. She shouldn't be up there on the parapet alone...

How lame is Senator Biden? A writer from Vanity Fair beats him silly.

Saturday, January 22, 2005

Army National Guard Video Game 
The Army National Guard is giving away a video game called Guard Force Special Edition. You have to sign up for their recruiting spam to get it. I used jenna@whitehouse.gov as my email. If that is her email she may wonder why with all of her job troubles she is getting National Guard Recruitment emails.

The game is not a first person shooter. You are given scenarios and you coordinate your units to achieve your objective. One scenario is called "Burning Sands". In it you must defend an oil pipeline at all costs. These scenarios have some truth to them after all! I didn't do too well. All my guys died and the Arab looking terrorists got the oil. Oops, I just admitted to making mistakes, I guess I will never get a job advising Bush.
Burning Sands - Army National Guard Recruiting Game

The game has one other truth in advertising feature. When you go to exit you see the recruiting ad and are put back at the "Scenario" menu. I chose exit again and the same thing happened. It seems like a backdoor draft to me.

Friday, January 21, 2005

Don't Cry For Michael Powell 
Michael Powell to Resign From FCC Any bets that the mover and shaker for media deregulation gets a job in.... the media?

Has anyone been able to explain how someone who is supposedly a fervent believer in deregulation wants to tell Howard Stern what he can't say? Who can explain his misplaced sense of decency when he announced he would investigate Janet Jackson and not the man who ripped her bodice off?

I am betting aWol-Time Warner gets Michael Powell if he is a hot property. Clear Channel gets him if he isn't.

Googlebombing Goes Mainstream 
James Wolcott adds his site to Googlebombing the phrase he created.

in a previous post, Mr. Wolcott not only linked to Sadly, No! but he also added Sadly, No! to his blogroll after Seb whined pointed out domain name issues.

Will Mr. Wolcott (the only blogger, for some reason unknown to me, I feel compelled to address by last name) add the originator of the Googlebomb pointing to the Miserable Failure to his blogroll?

Probably Not!

Don Cheadle Fanzine Continued 
Interview with Don Cheadle on Fresh Air
Previous Don Cheadle story #1
Previous Don Cheadle story #2

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Googlebombs Away! 
Atrios sets up a Googlebomb for SpongeDob Stickypants based on Wolcott's post about Dr James Dobson.

That is <a href="http://www.family.org/">SpongeDob Stickypants</a> for the HTML impaired.

Update:

I think Dobson has SpongeBob confused with SpongeBill.

NewsRepublican Noise Machine 
Search for Washington State Revote
Search for Ohio State Revote
1210 to 32 at the time of this posting.

Truth In Advertising? 
I saw an Army Guard commercial last night that ended with, "The best part is you can keep your life as a civilian."
Has anyone told their advertising agency it isn't one weekend a month anymore?

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

Bush Criticized Over Lavish Inaugural 
Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York noted the inaugural festivities' cost could buy 200 armored Humvees.
Bush said, "It's important that we celebrate a peaceful transfer of power."

Soldiers of Iraq and their families, remember, there is no armor on the Humvees because Bush is celebrating the transfer of power from himself to himself.

Monday, January 17, 2005

Pooty Poot Lands In Hot Water 
Bush's soulmate Putin is facing the wrath of protesters over pension cuts.

Sunday, January 16, 2005

Bush Tries To Teach Journalists About Ethics 
Over at first draft, Holden posts about Bush's mental problems about denying he used the words "privatize social security". Does whitehouse.gov bear verify Bush's assertion? Sadly No! has the details.

Apparently, the focus groups that Bush claims he pays no attention to didn't test very well with the term "privatize Social Security."

Ack 
Google search for "Martin Luther King" and the third hit is a white supremacy site. I much prefer to have Martin Luther King end up going to a place that honors him. This is another good site for Martin Luther King - the nobel.org bio of him.

Dr. King was 39 years old when he was murdered. I was just a kid at the time so everyone over 20 looked old to me but I had no idea that he was that young.



Saturday, January 15, 2005

Abu Gonzales Goes Free 
But Army Spc. Graner gets 10 years in Abu Ghraib case. Chew on that, Southerners. You voted for Bush in overwhelming numbers and the guy who set the policy gets promoted and the grunt who implemented the policy gets 10 years in prison.

Update Jan 16th, 2005
Cookie Jill over at skippy's notes that contractors involved in torture get new contracts. Way to support the troops, Chimpy! At this rate we will soon be down to an Army of One.

The Internets Come Through 
Bush has been reticent to discuss details or follow-up plans in "Operation Social Security Freedom" there is however a website detailing some of the approaches Bush would use to destroy Social Security from 2001. Can you guess what the commission was called? The Commission to Strengthen Social Security.

Impeach Bush! 
Write your Representatives (find yours here) demanding that Bush be impeached for borrowing money from Social Security to pay for tax cuts to rich people and he is now saying he doesn't them want them to pay it back. Bush's policies are bankrupting the country.

He wants Congress to approve this huge change by May and he hasn't even given details of his plan. There is no follow-up. The last time he made a historic change with no follow-up plan was Iraq and we know how well that went. Bad salesman selling Florida swampland will pressure you to make a quick decision.

The more outcry your U.S. Representative hears, whether Republican or Democratic, the more likely they can stand up to Bush's assault on working Americans' retirement plan.

Friday, January 14, 2005

Inauguration Security Breach! 
The Secret Service has announced items banned from the coronation.
Prohibited Items: As a security precaution, the following items will be prohibited from all Inaugural event sites and locations: firearms, ammunition, explosives, weapons of any kind, aerosols, supports for signs and placards, packages, coolers, thermal or glass containers, backpacks, bags exceeding size restrictions (8”x6”x4”), laser pointers, animals other than helper/guide dogs, structures, bicycles and any other items determined to be a potential safety hazard. With respect to signs and placards, items should be made of cardboard, poster board or cloth and have dimensions no greater than three (3) feet in width, 20 feet in length and one-quarter (1/4) inch in thickness.

The security breach? They left out the only thing that threatened to take out Bush in the last 4 years and can be snuck in by any of the millions attending - pretzels.

Terrorists' Best Friend: George W. Bush 
Bush under fire over human rights
US abuses have provided a new rallying cry for terrorist recruiters, and the pictures from Abu Ghraib have become the recruiting posters for Terrorism, Inc
Daddy Warbucks Bush gets to sell more military hardware. How convenient!

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Mission Accomplished 
Bush, whose zeal for revenge was revealed by PlameGate, has now exacted revenge for the Abu Gharib stories. Mary Mapes will probably never find another broadcast job. Mapes's reaction to the CBS investigation? "It is noteworthy the panel did not conclude that these documents are false."

News You Will Never Read In A US Newspaper 
US ignored warning on Iraqi oil smuggling
President(sic) George W. Bush has linked future US funding of the international body to a clear account of what went on under the multi-billion dollar programme.
But a joint investigation by the Financial Times and Il Sole 24 Ore, the Italian business daily, shows that the single largest and boldest smuggling operation in the oil-for-food programme was conducted with the knowledge of the US government.


Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Asbestos and "Frivolous Lawsuits" 
Did you wonder why Bush was talking about asbestos cases bankrupting companies on Jan 7, 2005? The Pretzelnut said:
"It's not fair to those who are getting sued, and it's not fair for those who justly deserve compensation," said Bush, appearing at a performing arts center just north of Detroit. "These asbestos suits have bankrupted a lot of companies, and that affects the workers here in Michigan and around the country."

The newspaper then quotes the purported President of all the people, "Most of the money isn't going to those people who have been truly sick, it's going to people who think they might be sick"

Could it have anything to do with Halliburton declaring its asbestos settlement on Jan 5th 2005 as no longer appealable and great news for shareholders?

Bush to asbestos victims - Go Cheney Yourself!


American Values Torture 
Ted Rall has a compelling Bush/Hitler comparison.
A new documentary, "Hitler's Hit Parade," runs 76 minutes without narration. Comprised entirely of archival footage, the film prompts its reviewers to remark upon Hannah Arendt's famous observation about the banality of evil. German troops subjugated Europe and shoved millions of people into ovens; German civilians went to the movies, attended concerts, and gossiped about their neighbors. People lived mundane, normal lives while their government carried out unspeakable monstrosities.
Sound familiar?
I know Democrats are afraid to vote against Abu Gonzales because he is Hispanic but they should be afraid of him because he is pro-torture. With the current Democratic leadership rolling over on this what next? Michelle Malkin in charge of internment camps?

Bush's Pretense For War Abandoned 
Atrios points out that people against Bush's illegal and immoral invasion were right and warfloggers were wrong. What if we could rename Bush "Tsunami"? Then Americans might care about the 100,000 Iraqi civilians that were killed in this disaster.

Monday, January 10, 2005

Tennessee Governor Cuts Medicaid 
I wonder if the Tennesseans are going to have to move to Indonesia to get medical help?

Libraries Ban Jon Stewart Book 
Mississippi is at it again. I expect Jon Stewart will thank them. Banning always backfires and results in increased interest and increased sales. Not that America (The Book) is lacking in sales. It's #1 yet again.

Update Jan 11, 2005 - Jon made a joke about it last night but it was his guest, best selling author John Grisham, who made the same point I did.

Rude Pundit Strikes Again 
The Rude One says:
Gonzales may say he doesn't support "torture," but if he changed the definition of "torture," then how the fuck do we know what he means? Or is what he says meaningless? It's like "Clear Skies," "No Child Left Behind," and so many other things - sure, everyone knows what "clear skies" means, but that doesn't mean the administration is using the same fuckin' dictionary, now, does it?


Saturday, January 08, 2005

Bumper Stickers 
My Kerry-Edwards bumpersticker is coming off tomorrow but the "Regime Change Starts At Home" bumpersticker stays on. My U.S. senators can expect as much help from me in the future that they gave Sen Boxer, Rep Conyers and the people of Ohio and of the United States. None.

Friday, January 07, 2005

Krugman Has A Great Angle On Abu Gonzales 
Democrats should criticize Gonzales's investigation which found nothing wrong with Kerik for Secretary of Homeland Security. Is the soon to be anointed chief law enforcer incompetent or corrupt?

What the ? 
India's untouchables forced out of relief camps

Great Line From PSOTD 
I think I will use it with people who spew Bush nonsense whenever I get a chance. How Much Did The Bush Administration Pay You To Say That? I also plan to complain anytime my local newspaper runs an Armstrong Williams column paid advertorial.

Thursday, January 06, 2005

Therein Lies The Rub 
Gonzales Vows to Follow Treaties as Attorney General
U.S. Attorney General nominee Alberto Gonzales, who said in a 2002 White House memo that the Geneva Conventions don't apply to a war against terrorists, promised to abide by them and all international treaties if confirmed as the nation's top law enforcer.
So the man who said torturing is okay because it doesn't violate the Geneva Conventions says he will uphold these treaties. That is the problem. Abu Gonzalez swears he hasn't broken the Geneva Conventions so that George "Blows Up Frogs" Bush could torture brown people.

Tuesday, January 04, 2005

Yet Another Google Bomb 
Tortured Logic

That is <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/11/20041110-8.html">Tortured Logic</a> for the HTML impaired.

Clap harder 
According to Skippy, Sen Boxer will challenge Ohio's electors if she gets enough feed back. You know what to do!

He Who Laughs Last 
I wasn't trying when I started this blog but I am now the #1 hit for "Old Fashioned Patriot" on Google.

Need I say more?

Republicans To Contest Gregoire In Court 
Republicans, whose losing Presidential candidate was installed by the Supreme Court in 2000, are now looking to the courts to install their losing candidate for Washington State governor.

Election Theft 2004 
Ten preliminary reasons why the Bush vote does not compute, and why Congress must investigate rather than certify the Electoral College (Part One of Two)
also from FreePress.org
Kerry votes switched to Bush and ballots pre-punched for Bush


Monday, January 03, 2005

But What Is The Camera's Bedside Manner Like? 
'EICU' Lets Doctors Monitor Many Patients Technology brings us McMedicine! The doctors are looking forward to it at the moment because they are only seeing increased billable "visits". What they don't see is this will allow hospitals to outsource to cheaper third world doctors.

Democracy RIP 
Rest In Peace, Democracy

Gone Hollywood - Part 3 
(Too bad, in a way, how blogging puts things in reverse order) My late brother Patrick was Don Cheadle's roomate for two or three years at Cal-Arts. Patrick told this story about how one night he and Don were kidding each other and one of Don's jokes drew enough blood to make Patrick throw something at him. What astounded Patrick was Don's back was to him at the time and he caught whatever it was my brother threw at him without looking and warned him not to do that again. I think it was the same look Don would later use in Devil In A Blue Dress.

Gone Hollywood - Part 2 
Don Cheadle of Boogie Nights, Ocean Eleven, Ocean Twelve, Devil in a Blue Dress and Hotel Rwanda fame almost gave me a ride from the airport once. He was my brother Patrick's roommate in college. I thought my brother was going to pick me up at the airport. He had something else come up so he couldn't pick me up so he asked Don to do it. There was a big party at Cal-Arts that night so Don periodically checked the answering machine to see if I had arrived at the airport. I called but didn't leave a message and took a taxi instead. Little did I know that I not only would have saved $50 on cab fare I could have said, Don Cheadle gave me a ride from the airport once.

Congrats, Don, on your success. Patrick would have been jealous to no end.

Gone Hollywood - Part I 
I just finished watching Tombstone starring Kurt Russell. At the end, they mentioned that Tom Mix was one of Wyatt Earp's pallbearers. Oddly enough, my dad was the first to come upon Tom Mix's fatal accident outside of Florence, AZ. In a twisted way, I am 2 degrees of separation from Wyatt Earp. Who would have thought?

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