The Unconventional Conventionist

"I'll Take the Dreaded Opera Category for $500 Alex"

2009-12-02T21:13:00.001-07:00

Turandot [The Village] must be satisfied by being begged for marriage and having her pre-requisite riddles answered and never challenged or rebuked. She’s a bit bitchy. Go figure.

This opera begins with a Mandarin (take your pick; might as well be Broder) delivering the law, the edict, and the result which demands that an unworthy Prince, who could not answer the Three Riddles of The Village, be beheaded. “Popolo di Pekino” People of Beijing:

Turandot , by an offhand gesture, quickly orders the dispatch of the unworthy head, and we move on!

There’s a New Prince in Town, dazzled by The Village’s beauty.

Prince’s dad [previously in exile, who’s name, btw, is Howard Dean] urges the Prince to resist Turandot’s charms, don’t answer her damn questions, hell don’t even DEAL with her at all.

Servant Girl Liù, [otherwise known as Normal People; not so normal if they’re totally in love with the dude, but as they worked on his campaign and knocked on doors for him and got other people to donate money to his campaign, they have a lot of skin in the game] is secretly in love with the Prince, and pleads with him; Listen to me!

Signore Ascolta!

Well, you know what the Prince does?

He sings “Don’t Cry For Me, Liù.” Which in Chinese, or Italian, is translated as “I got this.”

[He knows he’s dumping her ass; he flat out says to her “make the path of exile sweeter.” Meh. Anyhow, back to the Opera.]

So the Prince starts answering the Villager questions.

The Princess presents her first riddle: Straniero, ascolta! – "…..What is born each night and dies each dawn?" The Prince correctly replies, "Hope."

The Prince flips out the frikking Village Empress by actually answering all her 3 questions! Nobody could have predicted! W00T! But the Village totally FREAKS out! Just can’t frikking believe he passed the test, AT ALL. So Turandot throws a fucking hissy at that upstart Prince.

[In Questa Reggia] which in Italian/Villagespeak is ”I’ve been here a jillion years, and you’re an affront to me. So cut me some slack, even though you won fair and square.”

Guess what? The Prince is gobsmacked by this here nasty Princess! Who knew! He actually CUTS HER SOME SLACK! Dammit, my operanizzles, I totally did NOT see that coming!

So the Prince Tells Ms. Village, “If you can GUESS who I am by tomorrow, you can go ahead and cut my head off, like you’re used to doing with the other dudes.” PSYCH!

Ms. Turandot/Village so did NOT see this coming either. So she orders Congress to not sleep, you know, freeze up, freak out, teabag and stuff until she frikking knows his 11th dimension NAME! Like what he stands for and stuff.

He sings a “ha, ha, HAH!" Song to her.

Liù [remember her, you know the OFA people?] declares that she/they alone knows the Prince’s name and intent, but she/they will not reveal it. Ping [Bobo] demands the Prince’s name [the 11th dimensional one], and when she/they refuse, she/they is tortured.

Ms. Turandot/Village is clearly taken by Liù’s & the OFA people’s resolve and asks her/them who put so much strength in her/their heart. They answer "Princess, you know who, Hopey-Change!!!".

Turandot demands that Ping [Krauthammer] tear the Prince’s name from Liù/OFA’s lips, and he orders her/them to be tortured further.

Liù/OFA counters Turandot/Village (Tu che di gel sei cinta – "You who are begirdled by ice"), saying that the Village too shall learn love and hopey changiness!

Having spoken, Liù seizes a dagger from a soldier’s belt and stabs herself [or stays at home and doesn’t vote. You decide].

As she/they stagger towards the Prince and fall dead, the crowd screams for her/them to speak the Prince’s 11th dimensional name. Alas, it cannot be pronounced in a 4 dimensional world. Sighs ensue.

Since Timur1 [Tim Kaine] is blind, he must be told about Liù’/OFA’s death, and he cries out in anguish.

Timur2 [Howard Dean, Digby, others] warns that the gods will be offended by this outrage, and the crowd is totally freaked out, even though they read the warnings a jillion times.

The grieving Timur3 [Rham, now unemployed as his usefulness has been completed] and the crowd follow Liù’/OFA’s body as it is carried away. Everybody departs leaving the Prince and Turandot.

The Prince reproaches Turandot/Village/Olympia Snowe for her cruelty (The Prince, Turandot: Principessa di morte – "Princess of death")

This is the big point of it all. Just Watch It.

And then The Prince takes her/Village in his arms and kisses her/them in spite of her/their resistance. Peggy Noonan passes out, and it’s before noon. Weird.

The TOTALLY weird thing is, in the end? The Prince and The Evil Turandot Villager Empress end up married, and HAPPY!

Don’t mind about those dead people one second.

This is opera, people. It ain’t for sissies.

Clown Music

2009-08-16T23:59:00.001-06:00

For baby Dasha! She's so cute, and I just love her parents.

Smooch!

k

Rachel Maddow Has Already Taken Down 60Plus.org, but there's one more little nugget...

2009-08-14T18:49:00.001-06:00

Rachel Maddow has already exposed 60Plus.org's affiliation to Jack Abramoff. But there's a motive and some connections of 60Plus.org, that I wanted to explore, so I did some more digging.

The Ad: In case you haven't seen it. Clearly senior scare mongering -

Rachel Maddow's Take Down and Tie to Abramoff:

The 60Plus.org website:

60Plus.org would like to be known as "the conservative alternative to AARP." It's president is Jim Martin which you wouldn't know from the website itself; you'd need to do an advanced google search to dig up this bio-page:

Now Mr. Martin serves as the President of the 60 Plus Association, which has been called an "increasingly influential lobbying group for the elderly--often viewed as the conservative alternative to the American Association of Retired Persons."

60 Plus is a hard hitting organization dedicated to protecting the tax rights of seniors, and to repealing the most confiscatory of all taxes--the inheritance or estate (death) tax. Jim Martin has been quoted as saying that while there are two certainties in life, taxes and death, now, thanks to the death tax, Jim adds a third certainty--taxes after death. 60 Plus presents a Benjamin Franklin Award to Members of Congress in both parties who sponsor legislation to abolish the third certainty, taxes after death. Original sponsors are Rep. Chris Cox (R-CA) and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ).

Pretty classy, hiding the leadership bio page, yes? So who would do that? Well, the firm that provides the technology and registered the domain names, and appears to host 60Plus.org's email servers might do it. And who would that be? Generation X Strategies, GXS.net. And who is GXS.net?

Why it's none other than the recently former head of the VA Republican Party, Jeff Frederick!

Amongst the list of GXS clients which I'd like to highlight are Media Research Center (Bozell's outfit) as well as the RNC and the Texas Christian Coalition. And what else is supercool is that GXS has procured some Federal and State government contracts, as well as a Minority Owned Business status by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Jeff Frederick was ousted as the VA Republican Party Chair in April of this year, but prior to that, since July 8 1996, and up to today runs GXS services
for 60Plus.org, and then therefore powers the contribution technology at 60Plus.org's website, which is what this is all about. Money.

Abramoff (Shill-ius Maximus), Martin (Astroturfius Nastius), Frederick (Republicanus, Head of VA Party), PhRMA (Tauzin, probably hired because he has a drug sounding name) - probably all legal relationships, but they seem way too cozy to me. And the poor saps who are scared by this fearmongering ad have no idea that PhARMA doesn't need their help to keep their drug prices high, but Jim Martin and Jeff Frederick are really happy to facilitate the money exchange for them.

The icing on the cake? 60Plus.org's National Spokesman is Pat Boone. Yep, No More Mr. Nice Guy Pat Boone - and when you think about it, none of them in this tale are nice guys at all if you ask me.

TAGS: Astroturf, Republican Crime Syndicate, Jerks, Scaremongering

Astroturfing in Denver

2009-08-07T17:11:00.001-06:00

Have a look:

TAGS: Birthers, Deathers, Astroturfing, Activism

Beyond Race: On "Contempt of Cop" Regarding The Crowley/Gates Affair

2009-07-30T19:32:00.007-06:00

In my opinion, there was undoubtedly some racial profiling going on in the Crowley/Gates affair. I'll leave the racial component to others, as what I wish to draw out are some underlying points as regards the relationship between all of us citizens, our rights and the police.

First, bmaz articulates the basis of the legal argument better than I can:

Instead, the officer seems to have become angered and bellegerent [sic] that Gates would be so forward as to demand his identification. At this point, little old Professor Gates, who walks with a cane, was in what is known in the criminal justice field as "contempt of cop".
The salient problem for the Cambridge Police Department is contempt of cop is simply not a crime, even if profanity is directed at the officer, a situation escalator not even present in Gates' case. In fact, there is a case I have argued with success many times, Duran v. City of Douglas, 904 F.2d 1372 (9th Cir. 1990) which, in an opinion written by now 9th Circuit Chief Judge Alex Kosinski, provides:

Duran's conduct is not totally irrelevant, however, as it suggests a possible motive for his detention, one upon which law enforcement officers may not legitimately rely. The Durans contend, and the district court held, that Aguilar stopped their car at least partly in retaliation for the insult he received from Duran. If true, this would constitute a serious First Amendment violation. "[T]he First Amendment protects a significant amount of verbal criticism and challenge directed at police officers." Hill, 482 U.S. at 461, 107 S.Ct. at 2509. The freedom of individuals to oppose or challenge police action verbally without thereby risking arrest is one important characteristic by which we distinguish ourselves from a police state. Id. at 462-63, 107 S.Ct. at 2510. Thus, while police, no less than anyone else, may resent having obscene words and gestures directed at them, they may not exercise the awesome power at their disposal to punish individuals for conduct that is not merely lawful, but protected by the First Amendment.
...
No less well established is the principle that government officials in general, and police officers in particular, may not exercise their authority for personal motives, particularly in response to real or perceived slights to their dignity. Surely anyone who takes an oath of office knows--or should know--that much. See Hill, 482 U.S. at 462, 107 S.Ct. at 2510. Whether or not officer Aguilar was aware of the fine points of First Amendment law, to the extent he is found to have detained Duran as punishment for the latter's insults, we hold that he ought to have known that he was exercising his authority in violation of well-established constitutional rights.

Sounds pretty much on point doesn't it? It is. The City of Cambridge, Sergeant Crowley, and the other individual officers actively participating in the wrongful arrest of Professor Henry Louis Gates are in a world of hurt legally. They may want to rethink the company line of no official apology.

Pretty much lays out the legal side, no? So let's move on to the society and relationship pieces, which are woven together by who else, the traditional media.

While most of the chattering class is interested in beer today, there were a few "poker tells" thrown in about the underlying issue; Do What Cops Say Or Else. From the years ago, formerly vaunted, but now pretty much noise machine NPR today there was anthe following article on All Things Considered.

Doing the usual, mush-mouthed, split-the-baby vis-a-vis Colbert "Bad Stenographers" type of reporting Tovia Smith offered this:

Adams is calling for a federal investigation into whether local police make unjustifiable or illegal arrests.
"We're going to have to compel them to examine what needs to be done. And to look at [whether they are] misusing the disorderly conduct statute to teach people a lesson who talk back to police officers," Adams says.
To others, Gates' arrest shows that the public needs educating as much as the police do.
"That learning curve should be on both sides," says Dr. Joe Thomas Jr., police chief in Southfield, Mich. He says citizens need to know not to cross the line with police. It's not so much about protecting police egos as it is about public safety.
"There's a certain amount of respect. There are certain things you don't say to ministers; there are certain things you shouldn't say to your mom, your dad, or the clergy," Thomas says. "It's how you talk to people that got responsibility and authority for controlling people, because if you disrespect them, you take away that authority and it hurts everybody." [emphasis added]

You can listen to the audio here, and you tell me if Joe Thomas' tone of voice is irrelevant.

This was not Joe Thomas' only appearance on a PBS network about this issue. He was also on Newshour, in a segment with Ray Suaresz and Professor Antwi Akom:

...

JOSEPH THOMAS, JR., Chief, Southfield Police Department: I think that there are some studies out there that this does happen in some areas, in some communities, but let`s not get too far away from this incident, because this is what we`re talking about. This is why we`re here. If not, we`re talking about a larger study.

This incident, as a law enforcement executive, when I saw this, first thing that went through my mind is a lack of training. That incident that occurred to that professor could and should have been handled differently.

Now, that does not mean that this officer did something that was against the law. I`m not going to go that far, because I don`t know the totality of the circumstances.

But I do know, from my personal standpoint, my law enforcement career standpoint, based upon my working with students and colleges and university settings, and I also own my own consulting company, G.I. Consulting (ph), that case or that incident should have been handled differently.

There`s no doubt about it; there`s a lack of training there.

RAY SUAREZ: So, Chief, just so I understand you, you`re saying by definition, if a mistaken call of a crime in progress occurs and it`s understood by both parties in an encounter that there is not a crime in progress, if somebody ends up getting arrested and led away in handcuffs, this wasn`t handled properly?

JOSEPH THOMAS, JR.: It could have been handled differently. I don`t use the word improperly. With the proper training, it could have been handled differently.

This is why I made the statement in the copy of today`s USA Today that, when you began to react and interact with a police officer in a negative manner, then the humanistic sides take place and you can -- sometimes I talk to my people of color about police demeanor and police training.

And you can talk your way into a ticket. I`ve seen people talk their way in jail by saying things to antagonize the police on the scene. And that could have been what happened here.

So we`ve got to be extremely careful and look at this case by itself, and then we voice our opinion. If not, we`re going to start talking about what happened in the `50s, the `40s, the `30s and `60s, and you won`t solve this problem.

I`ve seen a lot of cases, cases throughout this country, where we saw emotions and we saw personal frame of reference and we don`t solve the problem. If we don`t look at this from a training standpoint and take a look at what those officers are being taught in the academy and their enrichment training and what they`re taught to do, this incident will reoccur, if you don`t change the policy and training, rituals, beliefs and values of people that are in the law enforcement industry. That`s what I`m saying about this incident.

RAY SUAREZ: Let me turn to Professor Akom at this point. Professor Akom, does a black man have to handle an encounter with the police different from any other American?

ANTWI AKOM, San Francisco State University: No, I think that we should all be handling encounters with the police by following exactly what the police say. At the same time, I think that racial profiling is a rampant problem and that we need to very much be focused on making sure that racial profiling -- i.e., the criminal suspicion of people based on race -- there`s a psychological impact that I think that we need to be concerned about and that that this is actually broader than a law enforcement problem.

This is actually a problem that is also a public health problem. But in terms of reaction, I think that, yes, black Americans are no different than any other American, and we need to respond in the same way.

And voila! Yes, I said this post was beyond race, but behold; PBS put on two men of color who said basically "Do What The Police Say - Don't Get Uppity." Because the big message here was to anybody who would watch or listen to either of these PBS articles, much less any other trad med that might have pushed into this confrontation piece; Don't Any Citizens Talk Back To Authority. Have Respect Or Else You Get What You Deserve.

What is particularly bothering me, is that living in Denver, I have very recent memories of the Police State occupying town last year.

Nonetheless, I say:

I Still Mean it: No Quarter

2009-07-15T00:33:00.002-06:00

Yes, sorry I hardly blog anymore. But here you go - NO QUARTER! As in it's original meaning; "I yield no quarter" but musically.

An I mean it; I yield No Quarter.

ZOSO!

Hopenchange - FOR REAL!

2009-06-28T22:34:00.002-06:00

Go here to join the Facebook alliance to deliver a million cans of food; it'll feel great and be more filling than some dumb teabag affair...

Really! It will!

I'll be in Lincoln, NE that day and talking to folks about it. Here's a vid I made 2 years ago about exactly what it is that hunger is, and what foodbanks do.

Part 1.
Part 2.

GIVE, dammit!

Last year, I was unemployed at tis time, and you know what? If I had not gotten my current job as I did in last Septemeber, I would have lost my house, and been looking here for food.

Just saying; it can happen to you. By being involved and caring, it's probably true that you can avoid such a position.

KC

How One Gets Along, or Dominique Starr

2009-06-23T00:09:00.000-06:00

In the past I related this story.

It was really quite formative of my youth, and now here's the next truly formative age, fast forwarding in time to 1980.

I came out 30 years ago. Bit by bit, piece by piece, social segment by social segment, and my family last. I never realized till much later, and still think to this day, that "coming out" is a process, rather than an event. And so, from the beginning, my process unrolled, and continues to do so.

From the pot-smoke filled '71 Mustang where I told my best friend the first time in '79, until I told my mother in '80, there were layers. And ever since then too. Experimentation of HOW to just get the words out were a big deal to me (still is.)

We're talking about 1979 and 1980 after all. In backwards Phoenix AZ to nail the place as well as time. It was so different there, then. Violence was really an issue for me. It was so prevalent. [The story of the scar on my ass while I was getting mugged doesn't happen till '84, and is a different post.]

After the fits and starts, I began to get the hang of the words, and how to come out. Surprisingly quickly, but surprisingly devastatingly.

You'll never believe this, but my school was actually the easiest entity to come out in. A boys only Jesuit High School.

Reading that sentence above, I realize I'm going to give a lot of people the wrong impression. It was no homo playground. That school was so right wing and jock oriented, it was tough to be myself. But it was also such a world, where intelligence, acumen and loyalty totally counted, that I had some amazing experiences, particularly when I was homeless.

That's right; homeless, which really wasn't a word at the time, or at least didn't have the same cachet or meaning of circumstances.You see, to come out as publicly gay was "simply not suitable, this is disgraceful" thus, I could not be allowed in the home. Away with you!

Which was perfectly fine with me then. At that minute that I handed my mother the key to our house, and turned away, I knew the life I had expected was gone, and whatever was going to happen was not what I had expected previously. At that point I was 17 years old by less then a months worth of days.

Dominique Starr was still in my future by about 6 weeks.

What I did during those earliest days, was make deals with some of the guys at school. Two in particular. Let me store my suitcase in your trunk, and sleep in your car. I'll do your homework. Worked for about two weeks, as I'd shower at school, and keep that whole suitcase thing to a minimum. The clothes situation I handled by sneaking into the locker room, and doing my clothes in the school's laundry. So far, so good.

Busted! About 3 weeks into this, I'm innocently going to my goddamn LATIN class, first class of the day, and get hauled into the Principle's Office.

He was a prick to begin with. SOP - Standard Operating Procedure. Then -

Mike: How are things going?
Me: Fine.
Mike: No, I mean how are things going with you living with your dad?
Me: What?
Mike: Your Mom tells us you're not living with her.
Me: True.
Mike: Your Dad lives in San Diego, right?
Me: Yes.
Mike: Then where are you living exactly?
Me: [hackles rise] What do you care? I'm coming to class every day.
Mike: This is what we find amazing.
Me: What?
Mike: Because in normal circumstances, you'd be long gone. You wouldn't be here. Most kids run away and don't go to school. You've run away, and you still show up. What's the deal?

Honest to God, right then I lit a cigarette in his office; right then and there.

Me: Mike I didn't run away, I was thrown out.
Mike: Put out that cigarette.
Me: Sorry, nope.
Mike: Don't call me Mike, It's Father _____, and put out that smoke. [Fr. Mike was smoking BTW. Those were the days at that time.]
Me: No. You can throw me out, but since I'm responsible for myself, res ipsa loquitur. [The thing speaks for itself. I actually really said that. The Jesuit took notice, and hard.]

Mike: [pushes himself back from his desk] What are you saying?
Me: I am responsible for myself. [I blew a cloud of smoke out at then. The irrepressible hippy/punk kid.]

[big pause]

Mike: So you're not living with your mother?
Me: No I'm not.
Mike: You're not living with your father?
Me: No I'm not.
Mike: Where are you living?
Me: However I can.
Mike: [the ever keen Jesuit] you said however. I asked where are you living?
Me: I told you. However I can.

Good ol' Mike spun his chair around, where he didn't have to observe the next exchange.

Mike: We're prepared to make a deal with you.
Me: About what?
Mike: Tuition.
Me: [trepidatiously] OK
Mike: Yeah, your mom, well, you, if I read your thoughts correctly, owe the school about $10,000.
Me: No no no. She sued my dad for tuition, and won. You should have been paid. I only owe for today forward.
Mike: Sadly, that's not the case. There's nothing paid on your account beyond the first enrollment of your freshman year.

Dear reader, you cannot imagine my fury, angst or impotence that I felt at that very moment, as those feelings were fused, all together at a single point in time. My parents used me as a pawn between each other, threw me out the house, AND dumped the whole Jebbie School debt on me simultaneously. Freaks, really. That's all changed but only in degree, not in substance. And I fell sorry for both the parents, but in different ways, which is for another telling.

It didn't dawn on me for years that this selfsame Jesuit asshole who was basically CEO of a mini prep college was badgering a homeless kid for thousands of dollars. I bought into his meme for a while - and cut a deal. That's what you do with the Republicans In Charge, right?

I got to stay homeless and agree to thousands in debt with these fabulous Christians.

Needless to say, it totally got around the grapevine what my situation really was, and the kids who were in-the-know and at all sympathetic dried up, as their parents really couldn't have "such a situation." It was really socially unacceptable. My life was really unacceptable at that point. Until I met;

Dominique Starr.

Dominique was a transsexual and performing at several bars around town, the seedy ones you know. Including one in the neighborhood of 3rd and Roosevelt [back in the day] where she busted me blowing some dude for cash.
Her fury was legendary, the dude was instantly disappeared, and I was esconced on her couch in her apartment immediately. Dominique Starr was a Saint to me.

You cannot, dear reader, imagine the relief that Dominique provided me. Street knowledge alone kept me from being killed. Aside from that, she was a real Pridester (as I call it now.) She was FIERCE! and Proud and simply couldn't accept what had happened to her, happening to anybody else. I hung onto her for advice all through the early and mid 1980's when we had the MLK marches happening in Phoenix too. She was fantastic and unsung and passed away from AIDS in '85.

Dominique was a shrewd character; she only co-signed for my apartment when I had ponied up 6 months worth of rent for the 6 month lease I signed in 1980. (Don't ask how I put the money away.)

I was devoted to her; how could I not be?

So aside from the whole DOMA/DADT bullshit going on lately, I simply can't countenance any ENDA legislation that does not include the "T's".

I only understand help and freedom from where I got it, and I ain't abandoning that source. What Dominique did for me mattered; what I do in her memory matters too.

No more kids rooting around in garbage cans and alleys or blowing tricks for a living. They're human and this nightmare has to stop.

And just let me tell you this, whether you like it or not; you have seen one of these kids. You have passed by them in some McDonalds or Taco Bell as you go through your life. Someplace like that. You just haven't seen them in their seedy reality, unless, you actually have. And if you have;

Are you Dominique Starr? Can you help one of these kids?

Do it. I find for myself I simply must do something that helps.

8 Reasons For the Firece Urgency and Advocay of Separate and Unequal

2009-06-12T22:40:00.003-06:00

The Obama administration, in the persons of the DOJ's Tony West, James Gilligan and W. Scott Simpson gave eight legal reasons in the form of a Motion to Dismiss Smelt/Hammer v. United States of America why gay people are separate and unequal. A summary list of those reasons:

1 - Court Lacked Jurisdiction
2 - Plaintiff's Claim Lacks Standing
3 - DOMA is a Valid Exercise of Congress' Power under the Full Faith & Credit Clause
4 - DOMA Cannot Be Said to Violate an "Asserted Right to Travel"
5 - DOMA is Consistent with Equal Protection and Due Process Principles
6 - DOMA Does Not Violate the Right to Privacy
7 - DOMA Cannot Be Said to Infringe on any Rights of Speech
8 - DOMA Cannot Be Said to Infringe on any "Right" under the 9th Amendment

Reasons 1 and 2 are techno-legal, and can be dismissed as regards the separate and unequal discussion that follows. These same technical reasons could have been enough for the Obama DOJ to weigh in on the Constitutional basis that the President is required to do if s/he feels that the case at issue IS Constitutional. If the case is deemed un-constitutional, the President is free to not defend the damn law.

The Department of Justice may also notify Congress of a refusal to defend an impugned statute without appearing in court for either side. As recently as 2005, the Department of Justice notified congress that it would not defend a law prohibiting the display of marijuana policy reform ads in public transit systems. ACLU et al., v. Norman Y. Mineta (civil action no. 04-0262).

Since PresBO's DOJ wieghed in, points 1 & 2 alone would have sufficed if the Administration meant it's campaign claims, namely that DOMA was "abhorrent" and should be repealed, yet felt on technical bases that the case lacke merit or standing.

And yes, repeal means a legislative process. But the Administration has not sponsored or introduced their own legislation. But they did offer the remaining six reasons why I am separate and unequal along with other gay people. Frankly, this leads me to the belief that the campaign promise was empty, hollow, as actions are louder than words as we all know.

Let's have a look at the interesting points and most egregious claims in this Memorandum of Points and Authorities.

Lawrence Tribe, Harvard Law Professor who hired Obama as a research assistant in Obama's first year law:

"I certainly agree (a) that Section 3 of DOMA is unconstitutional, at least as applied to couples like those who are currently challenging it in federal court here in Massachusetts.... I'm not at all reluctant to have it known that I think the equality component of the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause forbids the federal government to deny same-sex spouses benefits identical to those that it would grant to opposite-sex spouses when the spouses are "married" under the law of their state -- that is, when the spouses were married and reside in states where the law forbids a distinction between same-sex and opposite-sex marriage and rejects the DOMA definition of 'marriage.'"

From DOMAFlipFlop:

Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act is Clearly Unconstitutional

Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) DOMA, 1 U.S.C. § 7 states, ““In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word „marriage‟ means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word „spouse‟ refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.”

Because of this interpretation guideline, same-sex couples legally married in their state are denied economic benefits granted to heterosexual couples legally married in the same state. These include spousal health insurance for state employees, federal income tax deductions for those “married filing jointly,” and the one-time lump-sum death benefit granted to a spouse under the Social Security program claim. Gill et al. v. OPM et al. v. U.S., No. 12-345 ¶ 6-8 (D. Mass. filed Mar. 3, 2009).

The denial of these benefits to legally married couples has no rational basis. The denial of marriage-based benefits to same-sex couples has been found to violate constitutional equal protection guarantees by a number of State Supreme Courts. Kerrigan and Mock v. Connecticut Department of Public Health, 957 A.2d 407 (Conn.,2008.), In re Marriage Cases 43 Cal.4th 757 (2008), Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health, 440 Mass. 309 (2003), Varnum v. Brien, WL 874044 (Iowa 2009). The challenge to DOMA 1 U.S.C. § 7 does not argue that same-sex marriage is guaranteed by the United States Constitution. It does not, in fact, address the question of same-sex marriage at all. Instead, DOMA 1 U.S.C. § 7 denies benefits to same-sex couples already legally married in their home state where the equality question has already been argued in front of the courts and settled.

Conclusion

The President reserves the right to refuse to defend an unconstitutional statute. Section 3 of the DOMA is clearly unconstitutional in that it denies married same-sex couples economic benefits granted to heterosexual married couples from the same state without providing a rational basis for this discrimination.

We ask that President Obama and Attorney General Holder refuse to defend DOMA in the upcoming challenge filed in the State of Massachusetts, Gill et al. v. OPM et al. v. U.S.

Yes, you'll notice that's the Gill case, not Smelt/Hammer. But it's the same difference in Presidential perogative as regards USA standing. Larry Tribe and the FlipFlop folks viewpoints are prior to the filing of this MPA (Memorandum of Points and Authorities) under discussion.

On to the egregious. Reason 5 (C) DOMA is Consistent with Equal Protection and Due Process Principles; DOMA Does Not Rest on Any Suspect Classification. The twisting of the Loving decision from the DOJ motion:

Loving v. Virginia is not to the contrary. There the Supreme Court rejected a contention that the assertedly "equal application" of a statute prohibiting interracial marriage immunized the statute from strict scrutiny. 388 U.S. 1, 8, 87 S.Ct. 1817, 18 L.Ed.2d 1010 (1967). The Court had little difficulty concluding that the statute, which applied only to "interracial marriages involving white persons," was "designed to maintain White Supremacy" and therefore unconstitutional. Id. at 11. No comparable purpose is present here, however, for DOMA does not seek in any way to advance the "supremacy" of men over women, or of women over men. Thus DOMA cannot be "traced to a . . . purpose" to discriminate against either men or women.

Speechless. The issue is about orientation, not gender, which is superfluous, as we're talking about SAME SEX COUPLES. But that's the rub with this argument; same sex oriented people clearly do not have the same rights as opposite-sex oriented people, hence the term "Unequal" in my post headline.

Since the claim by Hammer/Smelt brought up the Ninth Amendment, the same rude treatment was given by the Obama DOJ as they too brought up Griswold and twisted it just as they did Loving. Reason 6: DOMA Does Not Violate the Right to Privacy

Plaintiffs also assert that DOMA constitutes "an undue invasion of the Right of Privacy,"citing Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479, 85 S. Ct. 1678, 14 L.Ed.2d 510 (1965). See Complaint ¶¶ 17, 27, 28. This claim must fail, first, because the Supreme Court has rejected a "right to privacy" claim in relation to same-sex marriage. One of the arguments made in Baker v. Nelson, referred to above, was that Minnesota's refusal to permit same-sex marriage constituted "an unwarranted invasion of . . . privacy" in violation of the Constitution. See Jurisdictional Statement, Baker v. Nelson, No. 71-1027, at 18 (Attachment 2 hereto). In dismissing the appeal in Baker "for want of Case 8:09-cv-00286-DOC-MLG Document 25 Filed 06/11/2009 Page 47 of 54 a substantial federal question," the Supreme Court necessarily addressed the merits of that claim, and rejected it. 409 U.S. 810 (1972) (Mem); see Hicks v. Miranda, 422 U.S. at 343-44.

Even if Baker were not dispositive in this regard, this Court should reject plaintiffs' right to privacy claim. The Supreme Court has described the contours of this right as follows:
The Constitution does not explicitly mention any right of privacy. In a line of decisions, however . . . the Court has recognized that a right of personal privacy, or a guarantee of certain areas or zones of privacy, does exist under the Constitution. . . These decisions make it clear that only personal rights that can be deemed "fundamental" or "implicit in the concept of ordered liberty," are included in this guarantee of personal privacy.

So you see, according to the Obama DOJ, rights of marriage equality for gays are neither fundamental, nor do they rise to the level of the "concept of ordered liberty." [And btw, just be on the alert about Griswold and the Ninth Amendment as regards women's reproductive rights with this Administration, as Griswold and the Ninth are part and parcel of Roe v. Wade.]

I'm not buying into what others around the blogosphere are saying about the incest and pederasty angles that are being read into this MPA, as I think that's overly reaching compared to the civil libertarian material I've pointed out so far, which I believe is enough to oppose the Administration.

Which brings me to the next part; how to oppose a popular President and not support the Right?

Money.

In this case, I propose that neither Obama, the DNC, DLC, Democrats of any stripe get one nickel until they do a 180 on this issue. Additionally, I think a tactic from the AIDS activists of the '80s is due for revival:

GAY MONEY.

It's FUN! Stamp your cash in pink, red, hell just write on it in pen GAY MONEY and watch how the bills flood the circulation. Hell, just screwing around with money to send messages is kind of a neat way to protest at all.

But to end, that's the first peaceful method of protest I can think of at this moment as I am just simply mad at this turnabout from the campaign rhetoric. I'm sure to think of others, and I bet you will to.

Thank you for reading.

Out, Proud, and Not Asking For Rights - Simply Demanding and Living Them -
Kelly Canfield,
Denver Colorado

[cross posted at Firedoglake and the Unruly Mob]

TAGS: Gay Marriage, Obama, More Broken Promises, Anniversary of the Loving Decision, Irony

Been A While

2009-06-06T23:49:00.002-06:00

Hey there blogosphere - been a while. Cooking up something new. Meanwhile, the Van Cliburn finalists can be found here.

Smooch -
UC

PS, My money is on Di Wu. She's teh awesome as far as the Record Company types are concerned. But really, Bozhanov, Vacatello and Tsujii are totally world class.

Comedian In Chief

2009-05-10T01:45:00.000-06:00

He's hilarious! And not in that "Hillary" hilarious kinda way until a way bit into the monologue.

Continues! [He get's serious near the end, and so will I, but still, watch.]

The guy has charm and wit all over the place. The country's favorable/unfavorable numbers are all moving in the right direction, save for those few dinosaurs who just can't cope.

"Tone At The Top" is a subject that I think is really overlooked, and Obama does it very well. Bush? HAHAHAHAHA! Puh-LEASE.

There's just a few things Mr. O, that you need to REALLY pay attention to. The whole "torture" thing and especially the whole "states secrets" thing. You didn't get to them in your funny business, but they remain funny business.

Step up and do the right thing on both issues.

Yes, You can.

[By the way, this post happen to be post 999. The next post shall be the 1,000th.]

TAGS: Obama WH Dinner, SUX2BREPUBLICAN, YESYOUCAN, Where the hell was Colbert, hmmmm?

The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul

2009-04-15T16:41:00.001-06:00

Glenn Beck and Texas Governor Rick Perry are floating trial balloons about secession. Three months into a pretty decent looking presidency and Texas looks like they have already had enough. Any bets on who's next? Alaska? South Carolina? Louisiana? I'm starting to feel pretty good about being safely in the North.

Meanwhile, I'm watching CNN's coverage of the tea parties. Clearly these people (not that many of them) have seceded from reality on planet Earth (Andrew Sullivan has pictures). At least Wolf Blitzer is not making the tired teabagging-equals-balls-in-the-mouth jokes that were fun at first, but were quickly played out. Still, every time Wolf comes back from a break he sounds giddy, like there's a big sporting event going on instead of a bunch of losers who don't get that their taxes are lower than they used to be. In fact, Nate Sliver writes, "Even today, US tax receipts as a proportion of GDP are generally lower that other large, industrialized countries, except perhaps Japan." SadButTrue weighs in with a look at how U.S.-style tax cuts are hurting Canada.

Pandagon blogger Jesse Taylor breaks it down (h/t Sullivan):

Tea Partiers are hoping that if they mimic the energy of anti-war protests and the savvy of Obama’s new media operation, that at some point an actual movement will spawn. Getting together a bunch of pissed off middle-aged white people with no clue about how the tax system works in public areas will generate a coherent agenda designed to combat the stimulus; if it gets enough media coverage, they will DOMINATE THE AGENDA.
It’s like taping a horn to a horse and waiting for it to alight on a magic cloud of stardust and pixies.

Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks takes on Neil Cavuto's bullshit regarding Fox's coverage of high tea:

Don't worry teabaggers, help is on the way--Newt's got his eyes on the Oval Office.

Do Not Fucking Lie To Me About These AIG Bonuses

2009-03-17T20:15:00.001-06:00

The fastest way to piss me off is to out-and-out lie to me. I mean Lie. Lie, lie, lie. Prevaricate. Say something you know to be untrue. And that's what's going on right now about these AIG bonuses and from the Obama Administration! Via Jane Hamsher at FDL:

Language from the Senate bill, written by Dodd:

(4) a prohibition on such TARP recipient paying or accruing any bonus, retention award, or incentive compensation during the period that the obligation is outstanding to at least the 25 most highly-compensated employees, or such higher number as the Secretary may determine is in the public interest with respect to any TARP recipient;

Also:

(a) In General- Notwithstanding any other provision of law or agreement to the contrary, no person who is an officer, director, executive, or other employee of a financial institution or other entity that receives or has received funds under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (or ‘TARP’), established under section 101 of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, may receive annual compensation in excess of the amount of compensation paid to the President of the United States.

(b) Duration- The limitation in subsection (a) shall be a condition of the receipt of assistance under the TARP, and of any modification to such assistance that was received on or before the date of enactment of this Act, and shall remain in effect with respect to each financial institution or other entity that receives such assistance or modification for the duration of the assistance or obligation provided under the TARP.

Dodd's version prohibited TARP recipients from paying out bonuses, retention awards or incentive compensation to the 25 most highly compensated employees. It also prohibited any employee of a company receiving TARP funds from making more than the President. Both provisions would have been in effect so long as a company was receiving TARP funds. Since AIG just paid out $1 million in bonuses to 73 employees, Dodd's version limiting all employees to what the President made (roughly $500,000) would have substantially nipped that in the bud.

Very Fucking Crystal Clear. Dodd inserted the "don't pay these people" language into the bill.

In fact, the Wall Street Journal makes it entirely clear. From Jane again and the WSJ:

The most stringent pay restriction bars any company receiving funds from paying top earners bonuses equal to more than one-third of their total annual compensation. That could severely crimp pay packages at big banks, where top officials commonly get relatively modest salaries but often huge bonuses.

As word spread Friday about the new and retroactive limit -- inserted by Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut -- so did consternation on Wall Street and in the Obama administration, which opposed it.

Who pushed back against Dodd, and told him to neuter the provision? The WSJ says Geithner and Summers:
The administration is concerned the rules will prompt a wave of banks to return the government's money and forgo future assistance, undermining the aid program's effectiveness. Both Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Lawrence Summers, who heads the National Economic Council, had called Sen. Dodd and asked him to reconsider. [emphasis Jane's]

Glenzilla:

Jane's post documents this sequence of events without any possibility for doubt. The debate that took place over limits on executive compensation for bailout-receiving companies only occurred six weeks ago, and it is all documented in the public press. Dodd was the one fighting against the White House in order to apply the prohibition to all bonus payments, i.e., to make the compensation limits retroactive as well as prospective. As but one crystal-clear example that proves this, here is a February 14 article from the Wall St. Journal on the debate over executive compensation limits:

The most stringent pay restriction bars any company receiving funds from paying top earners bonuses equal to more than one-third of their total annual compensation. That could severely crimp pay packages at big banks, where top officials commonly get relatively modest salaries but often huge bonuses.

As word spread Friday about the new and retroactive limit -- inserted by Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut -- so did consternation on Wall Street and in the Obama administration, which opposed it.

Can that be any clearer? It was Obama officials, not Dodd, who demanded that already-vested bonus payments be exempted. And it was Dodd, not Obama officials, who wanted the prohibition applied to all compensation agreements, past and future. The provision which shielded already-promised bonus payments from the executive compensation limits ended up being inserted at the insistence of Geithner. [emphasis Glenn's]

I'll tell you what change I can believe in; the change of employees, starting with Geithner and Summers.

Obama better clean house and keep promises or we're looking at a one-term-wonder. It's this kind of shit that Republicans eat with a goddamned spoon and it's not neccessary. Obama's administration SHOULD have said "Dodd was right, and we're inserting that language going forward." Because THAT'S THE EXACT POSITION THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN!

Why they find it necessary to pitch Dodd overboard amazes me. Connecticut ALREADY has 1 Rethug Senator named Joe LIEberman; do they want to hand CT 2 fucking senate seats?

Between the lie factor and the politics I am just amazed at the stupidity. And not a little concerned about how it's going to continue in the future. And despite all this bonus hoo-ha, Obama is still going to be painted as a SOCIALIST!

HA! HAHA! HAHAHAHA!

So some cheery Socialist Music For Us Comrades:

TAGS: Lies!, Christopher Dodd, Change I can't Believe in, Geithner Must Go,

Being A Good Blogger, I Recycle...

2009-02-09T21:27:00.003-07:00

I wrote last June, after the primaries, FISA, and before the election results, and before what's going on today in DC.:

And what does this guy do? Take some of their food, and when they ask him, "Do you know the way out?" he tells them, "Hey, go back the way you came. Look, that's the way out. You see?"

And they turn on their heels and follow him.

Long story short, he's a hologram, a puppet run by the same CorporoState that Brought You Consumables!

At 7:46 - "How shall a new environment be programmed? It all happens so slowly that most men fail to realize that anything had happened at all..."

This is my long winded and weird to get to the flap between Glenn Greenwald and Keith Olberman. The thing is, is that Digby is right. Fuck this centrist bullshit. What they're not saying is that POLITICS SHOULD BE AS PARTISAN AS CONCIEVABLE OR POSSIBLE RIGHT NOW! Cheese and Rice, there is no time like NOW to repudiate the politics of the Republicans with 8 out of 10 people saying the country is going down the tubes.

Obama Ain't Gotta Play On FISA. It's as simple as that. So he should suck it up and LEAD THE FILIBUSTER!

Now Olbermann announced that he'll have a Special Comment on his Monday program about this little grange war. Fine. I hope he shoots the shit out of the target and makes Obama squirm. If Keith goes to the alleged "center " on this thing, well fuck, he turns into the next generation of the Very Wise And Serious Villagers, at which point I will vomit, as if anybody cares.

Anybody that keeps saying to me "march to the center, it's pragmatic" I feel like punching in the face. I'm no sheep. I may be a Democrat and I want to win as much as anybody eolse but I don't want to wake up in 4, 5, 10 more years and be even farther down the road to THX 1138.

What the hell would be my name? UNC - 4291?

I'll vote for this Obama person, but it's only because of the alternative. Like I said during the primaries "If the country is a car hurtling off the cliff, the Repugs are stepping on the gas, the Dems are thinking about putting on the breaks. It's up to us to stop the fucking car."

Weeeee! I was a little bit harsh on the whole CorporoState comment, but not really alltogether off. For sure, he was never a Progressive. So I'm over that. AND, I have liked how there's been a wee bit of Repug smacking down. Just a wee bit though. This whole bi-post-partisan thing escapes me. Failed ideas are failed ideas and they belong strongly and completely attached to those folks who failed to actually think and promulgated thosae shitty policies.

In Other Words: SUCK IT, DUMMIES.

So, Dear Mr. President, loving you in office and having the bully pulpit and all, but just take a deep breath and CALL BULLSHIT! Do it on the economy, and do it on that nasty and un-transparent legal position you just took regarding rendition and torture.

YES! One more blog entry on What Obama Should Do.

Not sorry. This is what participatory democracy is all about. I'm just saying my piece, so to those who say "Yeah, but what's your strategy to get it passed in Congress?" I say - DON'T CARE about YOUR needs for strategy vs. my need (not to mention RIGHT) to articulate my position. That is why after all, I do have my own blog - technorati ratings be damned.

Just Because

2009-01-24T23:07:00.001-07:00

I like Heifitz. And Prokofiev. Here it is.

Questions?

Is It Just Me, Or...

2009-01-22T21:16:00.001-07:00

Have you noticed that the whole "pissed-off-o-meter" level of the country is down? I am just noticing around me that since the actual Inauguration and the Farewell to Bush (oh I can't help it, you gotta see the video: listen to the background "nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah, hey hey, good bye")

and Cheney out of the Capitol, that people are just overall, um, less pissed of and a wee bit nicer?

Yes, there's this whole economic gloom-and-doom going on, and people should be watching the money and the predators. But that whole level of concern is somewhat allayed, or at least not tinged by the whole "GODDAMMITYOUFUCKINGPRICKSWHATTHEHELLAREYOUDOING!?!?!"

The "house cleaning" has just reduced the this-shit-in-the-zeitgeist stuff we've been dealing with for so long. We are getting the last years of unbridled criminality Out Of Our System. It's really kinda nice that the whole frikking WORLD is giving the US another chance not to be jerks, not to be criminals, not to be pariahs. It's only been two days and while we have every opportunity to blow it, so far, so good.

In two days, we have Executive Ethics Reform,

“We are here as public servants, and public service is a privilege,” Obama said, addressing his White House staff and Cabinet on his first full day in office. “It’s not about advancing yourself or your corporate clients.”

an Executive Order to close Guantanamo, FOIA transparency, some most excellent appointments to the DOJ (that's Department of Justice; not Dave of the Jungle. Sorry Dave.) and poll numbers that support investigations into Bush and Cheney's illegal activities. (We also have the stoopid media, but that's for a post on another day.)

It's like the country is AWAKE! In spite of our stoopid media. How weird is that?

Just think. If we can get Obama off of this whole WAR IN AFHANISTAN mode, we might have Ghandi Nation. Where "The Simpsons" would turn into.....

Can I have some really spicy Vegetable Korma? Maybe some Vindaloo?
Mmmmm, Vindaloo.
A little Elephant Ride wouldn't be out of order, if you don't mind.

TAGS: The Simpsons, The Singhsons, Ghandi Nation, Is the Long National Nightmare Really Over?
It's sorta like America got some great Ganj,

The Inauguration Speech

2009-01-19T20:38:00.005-07:00

I'm very fortunate. My work made several and continued efforts today about 1- MLK Day today, and 2- The Inauguration tomorrow.

I am very proud of them, my Corporate workmates. They sent two very cool MLK messages out today, one "Think About What Martin Said" then "Think About What Martin Did."

Then, they sent out support AND a directive to make sure that we would BROADCAST THE INAUGURATION and MAKE TIME FOR PEOPLE TO WATCH IT LIVE! That is frikkin awesome in my book.

So, I'm all with these efforts. I will not try to hear what I want to hear in the speech however. I will simply listen and be glad in the moment, as that seems the thing to take some Joy in.

What I want afterward though is Justice, and this guy says it pretty well. Crazy things like "Adams" "Rule of Law, not by Men" and, well, you know, generally crazy dirty fucking hippy-ness:

The Object Lesson Here: All Crime Prosecuted Have Happened "In The Past."

Prosecute!

Off With Your Pants!

2009-01-17T21:58:00.000-07:00

My kind of thing....

Modes

2009-01-06T19:19:00.002-07:00

Believe it or not, Danny Elfman and Prokofiev have something in common. Some day I shall have to explain why this:

and this:

have something in common at a relatively deep level. They really do, believe it or not!

But I'll have to save the "Music Theory Lesson" for later. But "modes" are where it's at, baby.

Israeli Ground Troops Invade Gaza

2009-01-03T17:36:00.001-07:00

"This will not be easy and it will not be short," Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on national television about two hours after ground troops moved in.

Of course it won't. Because the current war hawks in the Israeli government don't want it to be easy or short.

"We have many, many targets," Israeli army spokeswoman Maj. Avital Leibovich told CNN. "To my estimation, it will be a lengthy operation."

Israeli leaders said the operation, meant to quell militant rocket and mortar fire on southern Israel, would not end quickly, but that the objective was not to reoccupy Gaza or topple Hamas. The depth and intensity will also depend on parallel diplomatic efforts that so far have been unacceptable to Israel, the officials said. [emphasis added]

This is the Bush Regime's "my way or the highway" diplomacy. Do what we say, or no deal.

Before the ground invasion, defense officials said about 10,000 Israeli soldiers had massed along the border in recent days.
Israel initially held off on a ground offensive, apparently in part because of concern about casualties among Israeli troops and because of fears of getting bogged down in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said his government decided to mount a land operation despite the risk it posed to thousands of soldiers.
An inner Cabinet of top ministers met with leading security officials for four hours Saturday before deciding to authorize the ground invasion.
Olmert told the meeting that Israel's objective was to bring quiet to southern Israel but "we don't want to topple Hamas," a government official quoted the prime minister as saying. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not supposed to share the information.
The immediate aim of the ground operations was to take control of sites militants use as rocket-launching pads, the military said. It said large numbers of troops were taking part but did not give specifics.
Israeli airstrikes intensified just as the ground operation was getting under way, and 28 Palestinians were killed. Palestinian health officials said civilians were among the dead, including a woman, her son and her father who died after a shell hit their house.
One raid hit a mosque in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, killing 13 people and wounding 33, according to a Palestinian health official. One of the wounded worshippers, Salah Mustafa, told Al-Jazeera TV from a hospital that the mosque was packed.
"It was unbelievably awful," he said, struggling to catch his breath.

The whole thing is unbelievably awful. Don't get me wrong, any jerk firing a rocket at anybody is an assclown. But organized mass deaths as a response is morally unacceptable to me.

What's just making me insane is that there is a cure available; withdraw support from Israel. I mean that US policy should say "Israel, these mass killings and invasions aren't going to do you any good. So guess what? Our $6 Billion per year support is going bye-bye. There's nothing you can do to get it back. "

There's a couple other things we should do in terms of moderating US policy in the Middle East if you ask me, which nobody will.

After telling Israel nuh-uh, we should just say to Afghanistan "Provide Bin Laden's body for irrefutable proof of death; we will withdraw immediately afterward. And should you choose to continue a democratic form of government, you will get $2 Billion per year of what we used to give the Israelis. For as many years as we occupied Afghanistan. Strings attached; you have to educate women, and they must be equal in your law and society. That's it. If you don't want to do that, no problem, we just won't give you any monetary support. Your choice."

We then fund an immediate program of green tech science with another of the $2 billion to replace oil. We make sure the Saudis know. In fact, we should hire their American PR firm, Qorvis Communications LLC, as they could use a little rehabilitation, eh?

The other $2 billion should come home and take care of our own homeless. And our own hungry people. All this goes without saying that we should have been out of Iraq yesterday (or 2003 if you lke) as far as I am concerened.

Can you imagine that situation happening? All of the sudden, the US wouldn't be fueling oxygen to the fire of Muslim resentment. We would actually be working on our own security issues by helping real people. And it would all be a hell of a lot less expensive. Including the moral costs.

Nobody's going to let the Holocaust happen to Israel again. But will we let it happen to Palestinians in Gaza?

Yep - just a Dirty Fucking Hippy, but all I am saying, is:

TAGS: Palistinian Occupation, Ethnic Cleansing, Neocons Suck, War is bad for everybody- anywhere, anytime

It's Fun To Picture Blog In Your Pajamas

2008-12-31T18:41:00.019-07:00

What a whirlwind winding up the last 3 months of 2008 for me.

I started a new job in September, and after a quick "figure out where everything is" phase of the job, traveled most of November. Which was crazy. It put me in the position of early voting, which I've never done before as I have always LOVED pulling the lever on actual voting day. I was way out of my normal element, out of town, in St. Louis watching the whole election develop.

Before I knew it, it was frikking THANKSGIVING, which means December is immediately around the corner. And from then til now (and probably most of January,) I've been a little VBA code warrior, which was not my original understanding of the new job, but there is so much goodness coming out of it, I really don't mind that extra dimension. It's just really been a fight for time to blog, as you, dear reader, can tell from my shameful lack of posting in these very politically interesting times.

December then posed it's own time crunch issues: Visitors We Love Were Coming To Party During The Holidays. That means really paying attention to serious menu planning and food shopping, but that's really a cheap excuse.

My partner Mr. B (also known as "belch") is my co-blogger for this post. And what we really do, is what we know: Food & Partying. It's our hobby and form of entertainment. We do it for ourselves, our neighbors, and our loved ones. It's not only economical, it's a form of creativity and we both have always thought that hospitality is a form of love. But it eats a lot of damned time.

But! Since we just had a leap second added at 12:00 UCT today, VOILA! There became enough time available to picture blog a little. We're sitting here, either ridiculously or humorously (for fabulous gay men who are NOT venturing out for New Year's Eve) in our pajamas, champagne in hand, looking toward the New Year, by looking at the photos from last weekend.

[If you click on the photos you'll get an enlarged version.]

We decided to try making chocolate candies this year. We made all the candies in this shot except the famous "Mozart Kugeln" which I just adore. There are chocolate dipped cherries (rolled in fondant), white chocolate molded candy with a peanut and chocolate ganache in the middle, and chocolate dipped pretzels. They all came out pretty good.

Belch: After painting the detail in those "christmas present" candy molds? Fuck that. Sticking with simpler shapes from now on. What a pain in the ass."

Cake. Cake is good. We are no stranger to cake, but started a new twist with this chocolate madness. What we do is split up the work. I'm good at machining out product, but belch is FABULOUS at making it look nice. So I made the sponge and the ganache for this cake. Belch did all the "eye candy" on it, including drawing out that that crazy topper.

Belch: Icing is fine, but you gotta go vertical for an eye-popping topper. I call this design "Thought Catcher" (lol)

Belch: My sister, her camera, and boobs. A giant bowl of shrimp cocktail. Why does UC wear that Santa hat?

Belch: My other sister is evidently the "Ghost Of Christmas Pictures." She and boob-sister cover their faces and I always wonder why? I think it's because They Are Wanted By Law Enforcement Officials.

40+ years aged people making zoom zoom noises. Yes, it happens. Judge not.

Belch dresses a table like nobody else. But I have to say that little bungalow era houses like the one we live in lend themselves to holiday decorations really nicely.

Lobster pot pie!

Belch: That shit was GOOD!

The neighbors are in on the whole decoration biz too.

Hope that 2009 find you all well, happy, and wise.

Cheers!
UC and Belch

The Standard Response

2008-12-31T05:28:00.002-07:00

Hah! I learn via Digby / Taylor Marsh that the Standard Response to Wingnuts should be:

"You know, you have such a stunningly superficial knowledge of what went on that it's almost embarrassing to listen to you." - Former U.S. National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski

It's simply delicious that it's delivered to Morning Schmoe. Check it out at about 7:00 into the piece:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Good bye 2008!

Time to straighten some things out about the Warren outrage

2008-12-24T12:17:00.006-07:00

[note from UC] Please welcome my dear friend, Margaret DFH (Dirty Fucking Hippy.) This is her first contribution to this blog, and won't be her last. She'll have her own byline here in the very near future. Please welcome Margaret, and here is what she has to say:

I've never written a diary here before but I am just so sick of the reaction by some in the hetero community who seem to feel that we in the LGBT community are somehow "whining" about Obama's selection of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at Obama's inauguration. John Cole for example thinks that we are "an idiot chorus" and that we are guilty of "crazy outrage" and "whining". Lynda Resnick calls our hurt and anger "unwarranted" and she goes on to say:

"Rev. Rick Warren is a cuddly bear of a fellow, full of good cheer and a great sense of humor, even about himself."

There are many others who seem to feel the same way about Warren and about the issue but these two represent on the one hand, the anger at the LGBT commubity for daring to speak up and on the other hand, the patronizing bullshit from those who truly don't get the cause of our upset. Let me attempt to explain to the clueless, (the Resnicks) and to the STFU crowd, (the Coles) where my own anger comes from.

I have been transgendered my whole life and it's always been reasonably apparent that I was not born female. I mean, I can look drop dead gorgeous if I wanted to spend several hours getting ready to go outside every day but the reality of my existence is that I get up an hour before I have to be at work, take a shower, slap on some rudimentary make-up and go. The result being that the attentive can always tell that I used to be male.

There lies the problem. I used to be much, much worse at being able to "pass" as a woman, having not had the benefit of being taught to use cosmetics properly. This had caused me to be threatened and a couple of times, attacked and beaten. On one infamous occasion, I suffered several broken ribs and the Houston police arrested me on the grounds that I "should have taken a different route" having been threatened by those people before. No charges were ever filed but I was forced to walk home from the downtown police station. Lacking a job and health coverage, (and being young), I never had those ribs treated. In fact, I only found out that they had been broken years later. On a different occasion. I had the orbit of my right eye shattered and my skull fractured. On still another occasion, I was raped, (something I've never told anybody until this very second), and repeatedly kicked in the groin.

What all of these people who find or outrage "tiresome" or "crazy" have in common is that it's likely that none of them have ever been beaten for their orientation or for their appearance. Oh I know most males at one time or another get the shit knocked out of them, usually by a drunk friend but I seriously doubt that any of them have been literally beaten to within an inch of their lives. How easy it must be to be so sanctimonious and to call people names for trying to speak up for the wrongs committed against and upon us.

Personally, I would like to see John Cole take any one of the beatings that I have endured. I'd like Lynda Resnick to be taunted and have objects hurled at her head for walking down the wrong street. I'd like to see both of them denied employment, unemployment benefits and shelter because their sex doesn't match their gender. I'd like them to have to walk a mile in my shoes before they tell me to shut the fuck up about the Warren selection.

Remarkably, there are some in the LGBT community who feel the same way as the heteros which I totally don't get at all. Melissa Etheridge seems to think that Warren is a nice guy and has "open arms and an open heart". I think that she may be conflating personality with ideology. I once had a roomate who worked for John Cornyn when he was Attorney General in Texas. I've met the man and in person he is a super nice guy. Soft spoken, respectful and even warm but that doesn't stop him from being a narrow minded, bigoted asshole ideologically, He voted with Bush nearly 100 percent of the time and he pushed for that abominable Constitutional amendment in my state. Melissa, I hate to say this but you are dead wrong. Of course Rick Warren seems like a nice guy! He's a preacher and he wouldn't be a very succesful one if everybody thought of him as a pompous, self rightgeous, bigoted jerk!

So, for me, every time it gets cold and the left side of my rib cage hurts, every time I try to use the peripheral vision in my right eye and see flashes of gold, every time I can't sleep because my urinary tract is burning and I'm popping Urelle and Pyridium like m&m's, I'll think about Obama selecting Pastor Rick Warren. A man who, despite not having been personally involved in the injuries I've suffered, is just as guilty as the perpetrators of the violence because by encouraging his flock that we, the LGBT aren't really human after all, he may as well have been there, holding me down and egging them on. And that's just the way it is, regardless of what Cole or Resnick or even Etheridge think about it.

Maybe when one or more of them have the shit beaten out of them for the "crime" of wanting to pursue happiness like everybody else gets to do, maybe then they'll change their opinions. Either way, right now, they have no standing to even address the issue.

I'm not going to say that I will no longer support Obama but I will no longer trust him. I'd be an idiot to do so.

A Little Night Music

2008-12-21T19:32:00.002-07:00

There are a lot of things about Christmas that bug me, but there are some great features which I just LOVE! This would include Vince Guaraldi and his input of jazz into Christmas songs. Begone, Hymm! Behold the Jazz Trio!

Wish I had a trio, dang it.

Anyhow, here's "Christmas Time Is Here." With some house shots. The other thing that's quite fun to me about this time of year as that one needs no excuse to make the house frikking GAUDY. Which we do. With glee.

Party, bitches! Cheers to you and yours.

UC

So What?

2008-12-16T21:05:00.014-07:00

A look at the outgoing chump:

Catch that?

BUSH: One of the major theaters against al Qaeda turns out to have been Iraq. This is where al Qaeda said they were going to take their stand. This is where al Qaeda was hoping to take–

RADDATZ: But not until after the U.S. invaded.

BUSH: Yeah, that’s right. So what?

Bush's "Marie Antionette" moment, exposed!

"Let them SUCK THIS!"

Read on dear blogger, from HuffPo's Erica Heller:

"So what?' said the man in charge of the free world, when asked about whether or not Al-Qaeda was in Iraq before we were. So what? Huh? Were chillier, crueler, more cavalier words ever spoken? Somehow, this seems to be lost in the news today but my brain refuses to flush it. Perhaps because my blood is still boiling. It seems to me that with those two extraordinary, positively barbaric words, we finally got to see the true Bush, without artifice, without the smug, sneering frozen mask of pre-prepared, freeze-dried answers to questions, which he always seemed so infuriated at having to answer. Indeed, he is the very epitome of a So What President. So what if the Katrina victims rot? So what if the world hates us? So what if our actions resonate everywhere with dire, catastrophic consequences? So what if people are starving and have no health care in one of the richest nations in the world? And so what if we leaped into an unnecessary war with manipulated "evidence", in which thousands have perished, utterly pointlessly? [Emphasis added]

As the late night teevee ads say: "WAIT! There's More!" From frikking TWEETY via HuffPo:
(Watch the whole damn 14:50 of this. Entirely illuminating.)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

"Where do you get this from?" Matthews screamed. "We can't find the weapons, we can't find the rationale, what kind of mortal threat? Where do you get these words from? Mortal means you die.

"You guys sold the war as a nuclear threat to the United States...you sold every trick you could to get us into this war," he continued. "And now you're backpedaling. And I do find it astounding....Four thousand people are dead because of the way you feel. And Frank Gaffney, you're wrong about this."

"It is regrettable that they had to die," Gaffney said, "but I believe they did have to die," citing Hussein's chemical, biological, and nuclear capabilities. "The danger was inaction could have resulted in the death of a great many more Americans than 4,000. And that's the reason I'm still delighted that we did what we did."

"The American people don't buy it, Frank," Matthews said. [Emphasis added]

No, We Don't Buy It.
Actually, So What Frank, I give a shit if you're delighted.

So President-elect Obama, take note. To date, you're not giving progressives any nod or weight whatsoever in your appointments. You should. Keeep those troops in Iraq; keep fighting the alleged "good war" in Afghanistan"; keep appointing 'more of the same' folks in your cabinet.

Cause guess what? You're not going to get any slack from the media like Bush is about your previously made promises. Wake up, Obama. This particular Bush story has no legs because of the partisan take of the media.

Right now, you're basically saying "So what?" to a big chunk of the folks that elected you for the sake of "post-partisanship" and "pragmatism." It might all be cool now for you, but you're looking at one term as far as I can see.

To which I say:

No diff. So What?
----------------------------------------
UPDATE:

Atrios' Wanker of the day, today Wednesday December 17th is Obama!

I don't care about his color, except for the fact that Obama ain't blue enough for me. I knew that going into the voting booth, but it still rankles me.

How Can We Miss You

2008-12-05T15:29:00.001-07:00

When You Won't Go Away?

This is just sick. Mary Beth Buchanan, whom I've previously dubbed the Queen Bee-Yotch of the Loyal Bushies, has stated that she intends to stay on as US Attorney in the Obama administration, despite being the worst partisan in the most partisan DoJ of all time.

The story, from Steve Benen at the Washington Monthly,

When the U.S. Attorney purge scandal was at its height, some federal prosecutors became famous for getting fired for purely political reasons. Other U.S. Attorneys became notorious for being loyal Bushies who seemingly used their offices to advance the Republicans' agenda.
Take Mary Beth Buchanan, for example, the U.S. Attorney in Pittsburgh since 2001. Buchanan has been accused, repeatedly, of being one of the more blatantly partisan prosecutors in the country, and using her post to launch politically-motivated investigations. With Bush's second term nearly over, many have been looking forward to Buchanan stepping down, as all U.S. Attorneys do when the White House changes hands.

But therein lies the twist. As Faiz noted this morning, Buchanan wants to stay right where she is.

Despite a new administration coming into power, U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan said she plans to stick around.
"It doesn't serve justice for all the U.S. attorneys to submit their resignations all at one time," she said yesterday. [....]

More than that, she said she would consider working in the Obama administration. She would not discuss what her future might hold beyond the U.S. attorney's office.

"I am open to considering further service to the United States," Ms. Buchanan said.
Well, that's certainly generous of her to offer, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that the Obama administration will replace her very quickly if she refuses to step down.

And there's more, from the 11 O'clock News:

She’s been described by colleagues as the quintessential loyal Bushie. “She is very focused to the department first of all,” said one assistant U.S. attorney, who asked not to be named. “She’s not independent, and I don’t think she wants to be.”

During her tenure, Buchanan has been criticized for bringing politically-motivated investigations and charges against politicians in Western Pennsylvania, none more famous than the public corruption case against a local high-profile Democrat Dr. Cyril H. Wecht. Former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh told Congress that the Wecht prosecution is “not the type of case normally constituting a federal ‘corruption’ case brought against a local official.” (and let US not mention the Collar bomb "investigation")

Buchanan hired Monica Goodling, and she hand-picked a Pittsburgh attorney to serve as the U.S. prosecutor in Alaska, going over the heads of Sens. Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski. She also had a peripheral role in the U.S. attorney scandal:

She did talk with [Gonzales chief of staff Kyle] Sampson about some of the prosecutors who were ultimately fired, including Carol Lam, U.S. attorney in the Southern District of California…

But the most involvement Ms. Buchanan seemed to have in the firings, according to the report, was in meeting with former U.S. Attorney Kevin V. Ryan of the Northern District of California.
Buchanan “has been criticized because her office has brought a number of high-profile cases against Democrats during her tenure, but rarely targeted members of her own party.” And now Buchanan wants to volunteer her services to President-elect Obama.

Here's a suggestion: Mary Beth, offer your services to defend Bush. He'll need all the help he can get.

Here's a stronger suggestion, for Barack Obama: Keep this woman on as US Attorney for more than 48 hours after your inauguration and you might as well announce your intention to become the electorate's nightmare - George Dubya Bush's third term. Keep her on longer than a week and she'll probably try to prosecute you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dan Hicks Performs "I Scare Myself"

(Because I couldn't find How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away?)

Pink Floyd University - "On The Turning Away"

2008-11-16T19:54:00.001-07:00

Have you ever been beaten senseless, just for being who you are?

I have. It's not a wonderful experience.

This picture is of David Graham, who at the time two years ago in 2006, was 26. He was a favorite to win the Australian version of the TV show "Big Brother" and tearfully outed himself on that program. And yep, he totally paid for it. With the beating of his life.

This is the physical version of the political version of what just happened in California with the passing of Proposition H8. In my opinion, what happened was that thugs jumped into the political process in the form of the Mormons, who mugged gay people of their previous ability and right to marry in that state.

This is the first time I can think of that rights were actually TAKEN AWAY in proposed legislation. The struggle for any groups rights have met defeat to actually gain the right sought, but never taken away to my knowledge. If someone knows of another case where that would be true, please speak up and let me know. I''d truly be interested in trying to compare the situations.

Now, let me get to why this is a Pink Floyd University Post. A snip from the lyrics of "On The Turning Away":

Don't accept that what's happening
Is just a case of others suffering
Or you'll find that you're joining in
The turning away

Which I believe is the point that RFK was really pounding during his run for the presidency. And it's fun for me that someone else has a bent that puts politics and Pink Floyd together:

Just change "negro" to "gay" and "Viet Nam" to Iraq/Afghanistan". Voila, today's realpolitik, plus!

I frankly do not think, as many folks have written on blogs or newspapers, or said on cable and other outlets, that it is the fault of African Americans that Prop H8 passed in California. I agree with Kathryn Kolbert of "People For The American Way," who wrote:

As a mother who has raised two children in a 30-year relationship with another woman, I fully understand the depth of hurt and anger at voters’ rejection of our families’ equality. But responding to that hurt by lashing out at African Americans is deeply wrong and offensive — not to mention destructive to the goal of advancing equality.

Before we give Religious Right leaders more reasons to rejoice by deepening the divisions they have worked so hard to create between African Americans and the broader progressive community, let’s be clear about who is responsible for gay couples in California losing the right to get married, and let’s think strategically about a way forward that broadens and strengthens support for equality.

Others have taken on the challenge of looking at the basic numbers and concluded that it is simply false to suggest that Prop 8 would have been defeated if African Americans had been more supportive. The amendment seems to have passed by more than half a million votes, and the number of black voters, even with turnout boosted by the presidential race, couldn’t have made up that difference. That’s an important fact, but when African American supporters of equality are being called racist epithets at protests about Prop 8, the numbers almost seem beside the point.

Republicans and white churchgoers, among many other groups, voted for Prop. 8 at higher rates than African Americans. There are few African Americans in the inland counties that all voted overwhelmingly to strip marriage equality out of the California constitution. So why single out African Americans? Who’s really to blame? The Religious Right. Let’s start here:

Conservative evangelical leaders who are unremittingly hostile to the rights of gay people and who put Prop. 8 on the ballot and bombarded pastors, churchgoers, and the public with lies about gay people wanting to destroy their religious liberty and come for their children — even suggesting that Christians would be thrown in jail if Prop 8 passed.

Mormon Church leaders who turned Prop. 8 into a national religious crusade against gay couples, badgered Mormons nationwide to give heavily to the campaign, and recruited thousands of footsoldiers for door-to-door canvassing (special kudos to the courageous Mormons who challenged the Church leadership)

Conservative Catholic leaders who betrayed Catholic teaching about human dignity by enthusiastically joining forces with campaign organizers who portrayed supporters of gay equality as evil and satanic. “Yes on Prop 8” leaders whose view of the campaign as a battle between good and evil led to an “ends justifies the means” campaign that included grossly distorted ads, mailings, and robocalls directed at African Americans and falsely portrayed Barack Obama as a Prop 8 supporter.

There will be plenty of post-game analysis of the No on 8 campaign’s choices and strategies, and that’s not the purpose of this memo. But it is clear that the Yes on 8 campaign had a far more aggressive and systematic outreach to African American religious leaders and voters. If we either take black voters for granted because they are “supposed to” be liberal, or we write them out of our campaign strategies because we label them inherently homophobic, we cannot turn around and make them the scapegoat for our failings.
[Emphases and links added]

I really don't think that writing out black voters for any of the reasons Kathryn stated is the way to go. Nor do I think that labeling them homophobic is they way to go either, but having said that, the black men and hispanic men that I have had for friends and lovers in the past have often bemoaned the distance that's been created in their families for their own acceptance, and in my opinion, that gulf has at least been the same, or a little greater for those men I've known. There's plenty enough homophobia to go around, and it doesn't need a particular racial home as far as I'm concerned.

Homophobia just needs to go away.

Really, don't want a gay marriage? Don't have one.

Last reminder from The Wise Pink Ones:

Its a sin that somehow
Light is changing to shadow
And casting its shroud
Over all we have known
Unaware how the ranks have grown
Driven on by a heart of stone
We could find that were all alone
In the dream of the proud

If you ask me, The Church Of Pink Floyd [so to say] would really be far more church-y than the Mormons and any other church folk who ran with the "Yes on 8" crowd.

Mary Magdalene was a whore if you believe the book. When I was gay bashed the first time in in 1979 [I was homeless and a easy target frankly], it was a prostitute and a transvestite who scooped me up and took me in and healed me, and then steeled me to the tough road ahead that was going to be in Phoenix at that time. That education was painful, but enduring.

At the end of the day, the day keeps on changing. I'm pretty OK with it that the battles for equality continue, as long as they actually do continue. And battle it is with the Mormons in particular and the Religious Right in general. After all, I have the whores and trans on my side.

I think that me, whores and trans are actually far more respectable at that same end of the day. After all, we're not the ones who are doing the "Turning Away."

TAGS: Pink Floyd University, Equal Rights, Ain't walking on eggshells, Why is it so difficult for people to be FAIR?

Meet Me In St. Louis

2008-11-03T19:13:00.002-07:00

Feels weird to me. First time in 1,000 years that I won't be home during election night. I'll be in St. Louis, Mo.

"I feel elegant, but I can't breathe... "

"What'd you get me for Christmas? I hope it's a hunting knife.."

All the above kinda made me think of Utah Savage.

Going Viral - Partial Transcript

2008-11-01T20:13:00.002-06:00

Sarah Palin Gets Punked by "The President of France."

Just listening the second time I can't believe how she just plowed through the conversation no matter how ridiculous 'the President of France' got. This is my favorite part:

'Sarkozy': "You know my wife Carla would love to meet you, even though she was a bit jealous that I was supposed to speak to you today."

Palin: "Well give her a big hug from me."

'S:' "You know my wife is a popular singer, and a former top model, and she is so hot in bed. She even wrote a song for you"

Palin: "Oh my goodness, I didn't know that."

'S:' "Yes, in French it's called “Mettre du rouge a levre sur un cochon,” or if you prefer in English, Joe the Plumber (sings)"

Palin: "Maybe she understands some of the unfair criticism, but I betcha she is such a hard worker too, and she realizes you just plow through that criticism."

'S:' "I just want to be sure I don't quite understand the phenomenon, Joe the Plumber. That's not your husband, right?"

Palin: "That's not my husband, but he's a normal American who just works hard and doesn't want government to take his money."

'S:' "Yes, yes I understand, we have the equivalent of Joe the Plumber in France - It's called Marcel, the guy with bread under his armpits, Oui."

Palin: "Right. That's what it's all about, it's the middle class and government needing to work for them. You're a very good example for us here."

'S:' Uh, I seen a bit about NBC, even FOX "news" wasn't an ally as much as usual.

Palin: Yeah, that's what we're up against.

'S:' I must say Governor, I loved the documentary they made on your life. You know us loves Nailin' Palin.

Palin: Oh, good thank you. Yes.

'S:' That was really edgy.

Palin: Oh, good.

'S:' I really loved you. And I must say something else, governor. You've been pranked by The Masked Avengers. We're two comedians from Montreal.

Note: "Mettre du rouge a levre sur un cochon" means 'putting lipstick on a pig' or alternately 'on a slut.'

What more can you say about Palin's epic introduction to the world of foreign affairs?

Cross-posted from Les Enragés.org

Boo!

2008-10-31T18:16:00.000-06:00

Boo!

100,003 Attend Denver's Obama Rally

2008-10-27T06:35:00.002-06:00

Ed Note: I wantonly swiped this post from my friend NosyBear who is a blogmate from Les Enrages.org. It was quite the event yesterday, and I'll add video later. - UC

Apparently in estimating the size of the crowd in Civic Center Park in Denver today, the Denver police missed three people: Myself, UC and UC's partner. Here's what 100,003 people look like in Denver's City Center Park.

If you squint really hard underneath the American flag back in the trees, you'll see the three of us the Denver PD missed. I'm the guy next to the pink pixel representing a pink hat worn by a lady standing next to me. For scale, since this was apparently taken using a telephoto lens, it's about a half-mile from the podium to the capital steps. The police are actually estimating more than 100,000 so it looks like we beat St. Louis for the biggest Obama rally in the nation.

Not bad for a state that eight years ago was considered reliably red.

Of course, there were a couple of McCain protesters. We saw these guys trying to look inconspicuous. Of course, our crowd wasn't their crowd - they had nothing to worry about but I'm sure they projected their biographies onto us and thought they were faced with a hundred thousand clones of themselves. I'd have been quiet, too. Not shown is the nun with a placard calling Obama a baby killer. Gotta love that one - when contraception and comprehensive sex education would eliminate most abortions, they can only think the best course the one most discredited: Ban abortions.

A bit more crowd-watching. They were hanging from lamp posts. They were in the trees. They were atop the Denver Post building and the Denver Art Museum. The crowd was huge, polite, and 80% of them had early voted. And finally, we found two of the undercounts:

Not to be premature but it looks like next Tuesday evening will be a very short one for John McCain.

Expect video from UC later....

p.s. Forgot to mention McCain was here last week. The estimated crowd at the National Western Arena (think Stock Show) was 4,000 people. Cheers!

TAGS: 100,000 in Denver, Obama Rally, Undercounts, Don't Tell Anyone our Weather's This Good

Not Enough Katherine Harrises To Steal This One

2008-10-22T13:56:00.004-06:00

I keep looking at the map and I just don't think there are enough Katherine Harrises or Ken Blackwells in America for McCain to win. Isn't doubting that McCain can steal this election un-democratic? Am I calling down the thunder? What makes me think that the force is with us now?

Let's go back and look at how the last two Predisential elections went down.

I have no doubt that in 2000, illegal voter suppression disenfranchised tens of thousands of Florida voters creating a contest that settled within hundreds of votes.

The results of the recount court battle led to the U.S. Supreme Court handing the election to George W. Bush. Despite the ridiculous logic applied to the imfamous case, the problem was not the decision of the court, but rather the narrow grounds on which Gore's legal team contested the vote. Only when the proper legal application of voter intent--which included overvotes, which were not included in Gore's challenge--was applied to the recount by a consortium of journalists did we finally have conclusive evidence that Gore really won. Many irregularities took place in other states, but the scene of the crime was in one state--Florida.

Four years later, in 2004, illegal voter suppression disenfranchised enough voters for George W. Bush to take Ohio's decisive electoral votes. Once again, the election came down to the state that everyone thought it would come down to for months ahead of the election.

So yes, when the last domino of the election happens to be the state where your brother is Governor and this person

is in charge of elections, then yes, you wind up with this:

And, four years later, if the person in charge of the vote in Ohio is throwing out votes based on the weight of the paper used for their registration, you get this:

again.

Imagine with me for one second that John McCain's team is every bit as good as Greg Palast says they are at suppressing votes. E-vote flipping has been evident as well. Still, in order for this to work, the McCain campiagn still needs to know which states' votes to suppress.

How can they do that when they face the reality of losing Georgia? Stealing Florida or Ohio or both will only mitigate the landslide, not bring victory.

By the way something, it even looks like the Supreme Court is not on their side anymore.

UPDATE: Just because I'm calling it doesn't mean anyone should get complacent. Remember, the goal is a complete shut out. Not one vote for McCain. Now get back to work.

This Is NOT A Post From "The Onion"

2008-10-21T18:31:00.002-06:00

Seriously. File this under the department of "you can't make this shit up."

In the letter, McCain urged Russia's U.N. Ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, to contribute anywhere from $35 to $5,000 to help ensure McCain's victory over Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama, currently ahead in voter preference polls.

"If I have the honor of continuing to serve you, I make you this promise: We will always put America -- her strength, her ideals, her future -- before every other consideration," McCain assured Churkin.

Moscow's mission to the United Nations issued a terse statement on the Republican presidential candidate's letter, saying that the Russian government and its officials "do not finance political activity in foreign countries."

[...]

It is illegal for U.S. presidential candidates to accept funds from foreign sources. The McCain campaign accused Obama earlier this month of not doing enough to screen for illegal contributors and asked U.S. election officials to investigate.

What fantastic, intelligent and disciplined management the Repugnicans bring to their game!

Not.

McCain Has A New Rival

2008-10-16T06:38:00.004-06:00

Old, Grizzled Third-Party Candidate
May Steal Support From McCain

Profile:

Experience:
Shot at least seven men for giving him the stink eye

Reason For Running:
Wants to Rid Washington of flimflam men, hornswogglers, jakes, jukers, and no-good four-flushers

Signature Issue:
Yelling at people

Proudest Accomplishment:
Once punched Teddy Roosevelt square in the mouth

(From The Onion)

UPDATE: You think I'm kidding? Look at this very recent New York Times/CBS poll. Do you notice that while Obama's support has gone up by 5% in one week, McCain's has gone down by 6%? Where do you think that other 1% could have gone?

It's sure as hell not like those kind of people don't exist.

SCAMS!

2008-10-13T05:40:00.002-06:00

Variations on the Nigerian Royalty scam are on the rise. What I think is really detestable is these ones found me via resume posting and job board accounts like Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com. That's right, these creeps target people seeking work and won't mind robbing them blind of their last chunk of money.

Here's what they look like:

Start working with us today! All that you need is to have the bank account
and the opportunity of checking your e-mail twice day. *Previous
experience in finance/accounting is not a mandatory requirement.

It could even be a part time! Your earnings will depend on your
speed and accuracy of completing assignments. Salary starts from
$3,000 USD(2,057 EUR) per month.

Please contact us: Liberty.Trading.Team@gmail.com for additional
information. We look forward to hearing from you as soon as
possible.

Sincerely,Liberty Trading team, Michael Gilson,
Liberty.Trading.Team@gmail.com

And another:

I am Maxwell Dean, marketing manager of Es Textiles & Fabrics Company .
We are into Raw materials Production of textile and fabrics which I Supply to my
customers in the American geographical region and Europe, For making of good
clothes and Fabrics.

Our customers in AMERICA intend to pay with USA Money Orders, which
is hard for me to cash here in the Cyprus . So I decided to search for a reliable and honest person in USA to help me in cashing the Money Order and send me cash here in Cyprus. All you need do is this; you will accept payment from my customers Coming to you in Money Orders. You will take it to the Bank to have it deposited. You shall be rewarded with a payment of 10% for every payment you receive.

Please if you are interested, forward all requiredInformation below to me :
Your Name:
Mailing Address:
State:
Zip Code:
City:
Country:
Cell/phone number:
Age:
E-mail address:
Present working Status:
Have you done this type of work before ? YES / NO

You must have a bank to process payments !
Reply me as soon as possible only if you are interested as soon as I
receive the above details from you work will commence.

Regards,
Marketing Manager'Maxwell Dean
E-mail : maxdeanbiz@gmail.com
Phone No: +9054288735018
Website: http://www.estextile.com

If you know low information folks seeking work and have their resumes up at Monster and other websites, let them know to beware of these jerks. Sad thing is I am sure there are others targeting the same group, and some targets thinking its something that these 'opportunities' could help their period of unemployment.

Sidewalk To Nowhere

2008-10-09T19:18:00.000-06:00

While catching up on blogs I came across this little piece of loveliness and harmony via Glenzilla's place.

While the video speaks for itself about the kind of tribal values of the dead-ender 24%-ers still hewing to those fabulous Republican Party Principles, Glenn was actually going off on the media. I applaud his efforts as he makes some great observations, like:

And worst of all, all of this rage and this innuendo is taking place in the most volatile climate of all — one of severe economic distress and anxiety — and these mobs are increasingly becoming convinced, because the Right and the McCain/Palin campaign is leading them to believe it, that this economic crisis is the fault of the black candidate — Obama — for making banks give mortgages to racial minorities. As an email printed just now by Jonah Goldberg put it — defending someone at a McCain/Palin rally today who screamed he was “very angry” at Obama the “socialist”:

He, and the rest of the conservatives in this country are sick and tired of being taken for granted, having our money stolen by the government and given to lazy, ungrateful people who don’t contribute or produce (or often, aren’t even citizens) anything.

This is what happens when you stoke the fury and resentments of people looking for scapegoats and work them into a blind rage. And they didn’t just pop up and start believing this. They’re saying this because the core premise of the McCain/Palin campaign has become that Barack Hussein Obama is a Terrorist-sympathizer, being funded by secret Arab sources, who hates the military and the troops. As McCain now asks in his most sinister tone in every speech: Who is the real Barack Obama? As National Review’s illustratively deranged Andy McCarthy put it: ” Someone is either a terrorist sympathizer or he isn’t; someone is either disqualified as a terrorist sympathizer or he’s qualified for public office.”

Glenn's points are well taken, and the rest of his post does the usual thourough job of painting the whole corrupt media picture.

On a related topic where Glenn did not opine, I will. That's about the outcome of the election.

Let's say that the Thugs are unsuccessful in stealing the election and Obama wins, which I'm pretty comfortable saying since I believe the margin is now too wide to overcome, even with thievery.

The. Dogs. Are. Loose.

The Thugs are preparing and unleashing their foul and vicious members. It's not that I am so worried about Obama's safety. I am worried about every brown skinned person, every gay person, every person willing to speak out against the Reichwings failed and corrupt policies. People of peace will be voilently confronted by these angry dogs of war in the street because "since your not with us, you're against us." Any persons our groups perceived as "other" or "that one" by these turds is going to have a tough time of it, as they/we will be blamed for their precious fanatsy universe crumbling and reality rearing it's long absent head. Commanded by the likes of Sarah Palin these lunatics will be back to bombing Planned Parenthood any day now.

On the other hand, there are these guys. Let's hope there are tons more like them.

TAGS: Wingnuts, Insanity, Sidewalk to Nowhere, If the Thugs steal the election this is how they'll rule, Collectively A Room Temperature IQ, Paste Eaters, Failed Kindergarten Etiquette

Buses and Trains

2008-10-07T05:33:00.002-06:00

My new commute to work is somewhat contrarian to a lot of people's commute; I live very near downtown Denver and work out in the suburbs. Actually the Tech Center is not really a suburb, but a business cluster, surrounded by 'burbs.

So most people are commuting the opposite direction, flowing into downtown. Interestingly, people on the bus and train are talking about presidential politics, and a lot. I would guesstimate that it's about 9 to 1 running pro Obama.

They really don't like McCain or Palin.

But I suppose you'd expect dirty fucking hippies who take public transportation instead of driving an SUV solo like a REAL AMERICAN to be all commie pinko like that wouldn't you?

I'm Coming Out Against Sarah Palin

2008-10-01T22:29:00.002-06:00

A wee bit o wisdom and experience of the gay brothas and sistahs about The Evil Mooselini:

So, um, this gay atheist says "Keep The TaliBaptists From Coming to A Theater Near You! You're Next!"

D E F E A T Mc C A I N!

No Time For Blogging Today!

2008-10-01T05:26:00.002-06:00

Hi blogosphere.

Since I started my new job/schedule, there has been literally "No Time For Blogging Today!" That should settle down in a week or so, but in the mean time, very light and sparse posting.

Can I just say this about my commute? I'm highly amused in the mornings when my train is flying down the track, and the cars on the freeway are moving reeeaaalllll sssssllllooooowwww.

One more thing. All "Yea" voters on the bailout were schlubs. Don't let them change the language to "rescue" from "bailout." In fact call it THIEVERY!

Gone Zo But Not Forgotten

2008-09-27T16:41:00.002-06:00

Former A.G. A. G. Back In The Headlines

It's been a long time since we've heard about former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. The little worm probably thought he wriggled off the various hooks he'd impaled himself on in service to his idol ~~Führer~~ President George W. Bush. Think again. From The Atlantic (via Crooks and Liars):

In March 2004, White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales made a now-famous late-night visit to the hospital room of Attorney General John Ashcroft, seeking to get Ashcroft to sign a certification stating that the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program was legal. According to people familiar with statements recently made by Gonzales to federal investigators, Gonzales is now saying that George Bush personally directed him to make that hospital visit.

This incident is one of the worst examples of abuse of power in an administration rife with - indeed characterized by - abuse of power. I blogged about this dramatic story back in May of 2007 when the testimony of James Comey revealed the incident in front of a Senate Judiciary Committee. I lamented a day later that it had been virtually ignored by the Lamestream Media (abbreviated LaMe) - in stark defiance of the journalistic rule, "if it bleeds, it leads."

My opinion then, to which I still adhere, was that if the American public knew what went on in John Ashcroft's hospital room it would have led to Bush and Cheney's being ~~lynched~~ impeached. So I think one correction needs to be made to Murray Waas's otherwise excellent article about these new developments. The 'now-famous' visit to Ashcroft's hotel room is nothing of the sort. I would bet that it's only famous to the denizens of Greater Left BlogSylvania, because a) the LaMe have kept schtum about it, so 70% of the public have never heard the story and b) the complicit House and Senate chose not to make an issue of this political dynamite, that could well have put Bush, Cheney, and Gonzo in the dock defending against treason charges.

For a more thorough understanding of the issues surrounding this incident I urge you to read the entire Waas article and/or my own post from May of last year (links will open in new windows.) There are two new stories here, the first the revelation above, from Gonzo's own lips, that George Bush personally directed him to make that hospital visit. That's big. There's been speculation about this, Gonzo testified that he was acting 'on the authority of the White House' but until now that left the possibility open that he was under Cheney's direction. (TPM Muckraker has archive YouTube footage of Gonzo's testimony that goes to this issue.) This new revelation, if true, puts Dubya's skinny neck right on the chopping block. The deliberate and underhanded effort to subvert the Constitution and the rule of law in a naked grab for power is undeniable.

I just have to insert a reminder here. When this hospital room incident happened, Gonzales was still White House Counsel, John Ashcroft was the titular Attorney General but was not actively carrying out the duties of that office, and James Comey was the acting Attorney General. It's important to know that to understand the level of impropriety of Gone-Zo's actions.

The second aspect of the story that's new is the information "that in another instance the President asked [Gonzales] to fabricate fictitious notes." Parts of that story appear in the Murray Waas article linked above. Waas has a separate article here about the fabricated notes aspect of the story. This one puts Gone-z0's neck on the block, and I have to comment that it is simply shocking to see how compliant AGAG is with the most outrageous requests from his president.

President Bush reauthorized the surveillance program on March 11, 2004, one day after the hospitalized Attorney General John Ashcroft refused to sign a certification saying that the program was legal and could therefore continue.

In reauthorizing the surveillance program over the objections of his own Justice Department, President Bush later claimed to have relied on notes made by Gonzales about a meeting that had taken place the day before (March 10), in which Gonzales and Vice President Cheney had met with eight congressional leaders—also known as the “Gang of Eight”—who receive briefings about covert intelligence programs. According to Gonzales’s notes, the congressional leaders had said in the meeting that they wanted the surveillance program to continue despite the attorney general’s refusal to certify that it was legal.

But four of the congressional leaders present at the meeting say that’s not true; they never encouraged the White House to sidestep the objections of the attorney general and continue the program without his approval.

Investigators are skeptical of the notes because Gonzales did not write them until days after the meeting with the congressional leaders, and he wrote them after both Bush and Gonzales had together signed a reauthorization of the surveillance program.

Gonzales, who was White House counsel at the time he met with the congressional leaders, has told investigators working for the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General that President Bush personally directed him to write the notes so that he could “memorialize” what the legislators had told him, according to a report made public by the Inspector General’s Office on September 2 and sources close to the investigation.

The timing of when Bush directed Gonzales to write the notes is important: investigators say the fact that they were written after both the meeting and the reauthorization of the program might indicate that they were written in order to provide an after-the-fact justification for the signing of the reauthorization—and that that timing might have given Gonzales a motive to lie in the notes.

For the sake of clarity and brevity I'll try to sketch this out in bullet-point form.

The Bush/Cheney crime syndicate wanted desperately to be able to wiretap whomever that they wanted to, whenever they wanted to, without oversight.
They knew damn well that this was illegal, as the FISA statutes had made this particular insult on the Fourth Amendment a FELONY - specifically emphasizing that the President himself was not only not exempt from the law, but after Nixon's transgressions was the very target of the law
The Department of Justice seems to have initially certified the surveillance program on good faith, but significantly had done so without the White House really having disclosed what it was they were signing off on.
When the DoJ got details (probably not full details) of what Bush/Cheney were actually doing with the initial authorization, they declared the program to be illegal, and vehemently declared that the certification would not be renewed.
By the time the initial certification was to expire, Attorney General John Ashcroft lay in Intensive Care in the hospital, was recovering from surgery and under heavy sedation.
Alberto Gonzales and White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card were dispatched to Ashcroft's hospital room with a manila envelope containing the renewal of the DoJ certification that the surveillance program was legal.
James Comey had already refused to sign this document. Ashcroft, Comey and other chief officials at DoJ as well as Robert Mueller, director of the FBI had all threatened to resign if the illegal wiretapping program continued.
The President personally phoned ahead to advise Ashcroft's wife that Gonzales and Card were on their way. This led Ashcrofts Chief of Staff to call Comey and Mueller to advise them of what was about to go down.
Comey sped to the scene to prevent Ashcroft from being pressured while he was in no condition to defy a two-on-one play to subvert justice. Mueller called the FBI agents assigned to guard Ashcroft and order that under no circumstances was Comey to be removed from the room.
Ashcroft, to his credit, refused to be steamrolled, telling Gonzales and Card, "I'm not even the Attorney General right now, he (Comey) is." Thus the illegal attempt to obtain the illegal certification of an illegal program was thwarted.
Phase Two begins. Having failed to subvert the Justice Department, the White House turned their efforts to the Legislative Branch. Gonzales and Dick Cheney met later the same day (Mar. 10, 2004.) with the so-called Gang of Eight.
The next day President Bush re-authorized the surveillance program HIMSELF!! through an executive order - exerting a dictatorial power that he did NOT have under any interpretation of the Constitution of the United States of America.
At some point AFTER this bogus 'reauthorization' Gonzales cobbles up notes giving a false account of the meeting with the Gang of Eight - an account wherein the Gang of Eight said they wanted the surveillance program to continue.
The Congressmen who attended the meeting said that they did NOT express such desire.

In the shortest summation I can distill this to - the President of the United States committed fraud in order to usurp the powers of both the Judicial and Legislative branches, in order to commit a large number of serious felonies. More alarming, nobody tried to stop him in the face of these patent High Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Glenn Greenwald discussed these related stories with Murray Waas in Friday's Salon Radio segment. If this isn't Shock and Awe directed against the very foundations of the country I don't know what would be.

Geez Louise. Could it get any worse for the beleaguered Gonzales? It appears so. TPM Muckraker reports that the DoJ is going to release a report on Monday about the Prosecutors' Purge scandal. In that short report TPM recalls a predicition made by David Iglesias, who was one of the US Attorney's dismissed under questionable circumstances:

I expect them to conclude that there is sufficient evidence to show that former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and former Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty committed perjury in their statements before Congressional committees and investigators.

Seems like Alberto's got a whole lot of 'splainin' to do.

Cross-posted from Les Enragés.org

Plum Ridiculous

2008-09-25T08:51:00.018-06:00

My next door neighbor, The Lesbian, has some fabulous plums.

Not those! Sheesh. These.

Never fails. Since her tree is on the other side of her house, I never see it very much and I always forget about the damn plums until the tree is ready to burst. Anyways, we send the Resident Tree Climber From Across The Street (also known as "shwimbo"; She Who Must Be Obeyed) up on her mission: Pick!

The haul? Damn near 80 pounds. What to do with them? Give bunches away. The Lesbian took almost 50 pounds to Denver General, and the staff and patients did much damage, demolishing the haul. The rest? Half in fresh fruit amongst 6 of us neighbors, the rest in JAM. Belch and I set up the Outdoor Jam Processing And Stuff To Can Other Goodies Unit.

You get a Big Ass Pot and cook down 15 pounds of those suckers. Add way too much sugar and pectin.

Then CAN THE BITCHES!

You end up with this:

While we had the Outfit up and running, it dawned on me, "Hey, I have all the stuff to make a shitload of Chutney Hot Enough To Make A Hindu Scream. Let's make some!"

Green tomatoes, Cayennes, Thai Hots, Jalapenos, Loads Of Mint all were just laying around in the garden, and miraculously there just happened to be some apples onions and raisins in the pantry.

Observing me on my rampage, Mr. B was not about to be left out of the game. He's all "Hey, aren't you gonna pick those goddamn cukes? They look ready to me."

You pick 'em Mr. Smarty Pants.

He did.

And a armload of dill too.

At the end of the day, much propane, much produce, and about 100 beers later, we ended up with this collection:

10 quarts of dill pickles, 12 pint and 12 half pints of Plum jam, 3 and a half pints of Death Chutney.

Not a bad haul for a Sunday.

Villainous Scumbags - Now With PROOF!

2008-09-23T10:43:00.003-06:00

Well who could have possibly foreseen this bailout coming?

The Whitehouse, that's who. Because guess what? They wrote the bailout plan months ago:

Fratto insisted that the plan was not slapped together and had been drawn up
as a contingency over previous months and weeks by administration officials. He
acknowledged lawmakers were getting only days to peruse it, but he said this should be enough.

Amid growing criticism of the initiative from multiple quarters, Fratto
sought to defend its key principles and argue against changes.

Hmm mmm. And showing Sara Palin yet again, How Things R Dun When Ur Preznit:

But Bush himself continues to do little to explain his plan, and he has refused
to be questioned about it.

When it could have been cheaper, did the Administration do anything? - No.

When it would have had more time for scrutiny, and not play into the end game of Presidential Politics, did they do anything? - No.

Did they write this plan in private, when all along in public they were saying "The Economy Is Strong"? - Yes.

These villainous swine planned this trillion dollar transfer, and they're executing it brilliantly.

Pitchforks and Torches!

We're All Leningrad Cowboys Now

2008-09-19T13:22:00.003-06:00

Let's just change out "loving" for "money" and we've got a FABOO Socialist Song For Today's Wall Street!

Товарищ, дайте мне все ваши деньги!
(Comrade, give me all your money!)

TAGS: It's Great to Socialize Risk and Privatize Profits!, We're all Socialist Cowboys Now, Can haz sum bailout 2 plez?

¿Pinche, o Estupido?

2008-09-18T11:42:00.002-06:00

What is McCain possibly thinking?

Josh Marshall thinks of a few options to explain:

Option #1: McCain is so addled he not only doesn't know who Zapatero is but doesn't even know where Spain is located.
Option #2: McCain was not confused but actually meant his very belligerent comments about Spain and the Zapatero government (Scheunemann's line).
Option #3: Through some mixture of confusion and inability to understand the interviewer's accent, McCain was confused about who he was talking about and decided to wing it, assuming that the person he was being asked about was some other left-wing strong man from Latin America and answering with the standard boilerplate about standing up to America's enemies.

None of the above are suitable for a President of the US; particularly from a guy who claims his strong suit is foreign policy.

With apologies to George Bernard Shaw's My Fair Lady -

McCain, on Spain, is mainly quite inane. - (By George he's lost it!)

221 Years Ago Today

2008-09-17T12:45:00.005-06:00

221 years ago to the day, America’s founders gathered in Philadelphia to sign one of the most important documents in history. Our Constitution Of The United States.

It is Ours. It doesn't belong to Bush, Cheney, McCain or even Obama. It is unequivocally Ours.

It not only enumerates Our rights, it enshrines them. In my opinion, it is the most important document in my life, in your life in Our life.

My favorite part of the Constitution is the Bill of Rights, the first Ten Amendments to the Constitution. Interestingly, wikipedia says:

" It was thought by the Federalists during this time that there was no need for a bill of rights as they thought that the preamble spelled out the people's rights."

Those people were so used to the day-to-day struggle with the tyranny of kings that they all assumed everybody understood what was meant in the Preamble:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence,
promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves
and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United
States of America."

Wisely, they decided to go ahead and spell out what Justice, Liberty and general Welfare meant.

There are far more astute and gifted observers regarding civil liberties than myself, so I'll let them do the talking from some of their current writings:

Sen. Russ Fengold:

On this day in 1787, our founding fathers signed the Constitution, making us a nation of laws, not of men. The basic concepts of justice, liberty, and inherent human rights outlined in that founding document, are at the very foundation of our strength as a nation.

But 221 years later, the United States is facing one of the darkest chapters in its Constitutional history. The Bush administration has treated the Constitution and rule of law with disrespect unparalleled in our nation’s history. The list of this administration’s assaults on the Constitution is breathtaking: it includes the warrantless wiretapping program, its interrogation policy and justifications for the use of torture, its extreme positions on the legal status of detainees that have been repeatedly rejected by the Supreme Court, and its refusal to recognize and cooperate with Congress’ constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight. This is a shameful legacy that must be undone in the years to come.

Glenn Greenwald:

During the last several nominating conventions, the areas outside the convention hall have become increasingly subject to the same degree of micro-control as events on the inside. With each convention, the physical area of extreme control expands to a larger and larger perimeter. Justified by resort to the same rationale used to suppress liberties in general — vague invocations of “security” — both political parties are now able to relegate dissent, protests and disruptions to unseen and highly controlled environments, far removed from the conventions themselves and far out of sight from delegates, political figures, and the establishment media outlets which televises the convention.

[...]

But while Denver was sterilized, St. Paul was overtly militarized. Beginning the weekend before the GOP convention began, many private homes in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area were raided by machine-gun-wielding, inter-agency SWAT teams, who forced everyone in the targeted houses to lay on the floor in handcuffs while the homes were searched, with the agents carting off laptops, journals and political pamphlets. Lawyers and journalists who were already on the scene or sent there were handcuffed. Advocacy groups having nothing to do with any planned protests were plainly targeted for these pre-convention raids — most notably I-Witness, a group of videographers who had videotaped police action during the 2004 GOP Convention in New York and helped to compel the dismissal of many criminal charges against arrested protesters and had traveled to Minneapolis to do the same.
On the Sunday evening before the convention began, downtown St. Paul resembled the Green Zone in Baghdad far more than an American city. Brigades of law enforcement officers were, by design, extremely visible in the entire area near the GOP Convention, and were flamboyantly displaying their array of weapons, marching in military formation, and chanting. The tension and intimidation levels even before the Convention began were palpable, and the results — truly extraordinary even judging by the metrics of how militarized our police forces
have become — were predictable.

Naomi Wolf:

What I had called a "fascist shift" in the United States, projections I had warned about as worst-case scenarios, was now surpassing my imagination: in 2008, thousands of terrified, shackled illegal immigrants were rounded up in the mass arrests which always characterize a closing society; news emerged that the 9/11 report had been based on evidence derived from the testimonies of prisoners
who had been tortured -- and the tapes that documented their torture were
missing -- leading the commissioners of the report publicly to disavow their own
findings; the Associated Press reported that the torture of prisoners in U.S.-held facilities had not been the work of "a few bad apples" but had been directed out of the White House; the TSA "watch list," which had contained 45,000 names when I wrote my last book, ballooned to 755,000 names and 20,000 were being added every month; Scott McClellan confirmed that the drive to war in Iraq had been based on administration lies; HR 1955, legislation that would criminalize certain kinds of political thought and speech, passed the House and made it to the Senate; Blackwater, a violent paramilitary force not answerable to the people, established presences in Illinois and North Carolina and sought to get into border patrol activity in San Diego.

The White House has established, no matter who leads the nation in the future, U.S. government spying on the emails and phone calls of Americans -- a permanent violation of the Constitution's Fourth Amendment. The last step of the ten steps to a closed society is the subversion of the rule of law. That is happening now. What critics have called a "paper coup" has already taken place.

So there you go. This is what's happened to Our Constitution in the last eight years. It's proof that We The People can have it, only as long as we keep it. The first step in reclaiming it, and healing it as far as I'm concerned is to deny John McCain the presidency of the United States.

Halle-frikking-lujah!

2008-09-16T16:28:00.004-06:00

My Unconventional Unemployment Nightmare is OVER!

A job I really wanted, in my field, and unbelievably, in today's climate, for way more money.

Now I can by me one of these here keyboards and play this song...

RIP Richard Wright (1943-2008)

2008-09-15T12:53:00.002-06:00

Pink Floyd’s Richard Wright Dies at 65
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed
at 1:41 p.m. ET
LONDON (AP) -- Richard Wright, a founding member of the rock group Pink
Floyd, died Monday. He was 65.
Pink Floyd's spokesman Doug Wright, who is not related to the artist, said
Wright died after a battle with cancer at his home in Britain. He says the band
member's family did not want to give more details about his death.

This one's for you, Rick.

Limerick Friday - Stupid Fucking Wingnut Edition

2008-09-12T08:57:00.003-06:00

"The Great Sara P. Mooselini,
Ashamed that her weenie was teeny,
Threatened Nukular War
With Putin, that bore,
Who shrugged it off with some Vodka and Blini."

Russia, Bitches!

Not Only Is Dr. Monkey Right...

2008-09-11T12:40:00.004-06:00

...in his assessment that we're "Not Done Yet" :

"The news that the Iraqi government has cancelled all the no bid oil contracts with western oil companies means that we'll have to stay in Iraq a lot longer than we previously thought. Oil, after all, is what all this was about so we're not going to ever leave until we have control over it." [Emphasis added]

The lies of "Drill, Baby, Drill" are becoming apparent too. A press release from Sen. Ron Wyden's (D-OR) office:

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Citing projections that natural gas will cost Americans
an average of 22% more this winter than last, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden asked
Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to review and revoke the Department of Energy’s
recent order authorizing the export of 98.1 billion cubic feet of Alaskan
natural gas -- enough gas to meet the needs of 1.4 million American families -- to Japan other Pacific Rim countries.

“The Administration is trying to have it both ways – arguing that we need to drill everywhere because we don’t have adequate energy supplies, while finding that we have so much energy that big oil companies can export it overseas and keep prices here at home higher than they would otherwise be,” wrote Wyden.

It's all about the Republicans in bed with energy monopolies. They're going to do what they want by abusing the American Political process. Liberals have known this for some time, but every Redneck in America would rise up and stone these bastards if they actually knew how they were being so badly screwed.

[Pssst - Yo, Dad, being the latest Republican convert, drop a comment after you read this little doozy.]

Two Down, Several Million To Go

2008-09-09T15:29:00.013-06:00

Hello, blogosphere. Sorry I've been away for a while. The end of the DNC and the whole of last week was consumed with various pursuits and much family goings-on, one of which is the subject of this post. My dear Dad was here from the Thursday of Obama's acceptance speech through this last Sunday.

When he arrived that Thursday, he intoned "Son, you know your step-mom and I do not have plans to vote for Obama." He also made some of the obligatory republican jokes (he listens to radio; he's not one of those "email" republicans) about "Obama's Temple" and so forth. This is all during cocktail hour, prior to the speech coming on. Poor thing. I wrecked his political world.

Behold the power of Teh Awesome Google! I showed him Bush's 2004 "temple" and he countered with the "fake presidential seal" which Teh Awesome Google revealed the same use of the device by McCain and Senate Republicans. Then all I did was ask The One Devastating Question:

Why is it different in Obama's or any Dem's case than for the Republicans?

And this question is ultimately what led to fucking up his previous political views. And that's the story that follows.

---------------

He was staying at my place to use as a base to run up and watch college football games as well as practice sessions in Laramie at Wyoming, his alma mater. So there were some breaks in time, he could get a little rest from my harangues and digest what I was showing and proving to him.

The Media Is Not What You Think It Is, Dad, And Neither Is Your Party.

Which was a very bitter pill for him to swallow. See, he's of an age and tradition of what people have called "Eisenhower Republicans." His parents were very patriotic during WWII (Grandpa Ernie had a very badly fused broken ankle, so they 4F'd him, but he drove uranium shipments around to various processing plants in and around Wyoming and in 2 cases to Illinois. One of those was with Marines on-board so I have always thought "Manhattan Project." Anyways...) and found Eisenhower to be a Great Man and a Great President and Dad was a teenager during the Ike years, so that's no surprise. Dad's thought process for his whole political life was, aside from low taxes, that Republicans were Fair, thought You Should Do Your Part, and government should Butt Out. OK, fair enough. But that was BEFORE NIXON! Evolve you dumb-ass! Thus his education began.

---------------

On Taxes: I just had to show him the graphic from WaPo to show how McCain was lying about Obama's plan.

On Budget and Fiscal Responsibility: I showed him this graph.

On Growth: I showed him this Dow Jones Graph. Plug in the Dem years yourself.

Since Dad was a VP at a Fortune 500 Finance Company prior to retirement, you can imagine his Consternation that the Facts Did Not Support His Viewpoint.

But then the GLORY kicked in! The Thugs picked PALIN! And their lying started fast and furious. That's what really got to Dear Dad. Because what he never ever realized, was that the MEDIA HELPS LIARS IF THEY'RE REPUBLICANS!

He thought the media actually functioned. Because, dear reader, it used to. You have to remember his dinosaur Eisenhower worldview also included the Cronkite concept of news and of reporters that, you know, a responsibility of telling the truth to your viewers was of Paramount Importance.

Immediately after Palin's speech, I used Teh Awesome Google about that thar gul-durned airplane and showed Dad, nope. It never sold on e-bay and look, it was less than what Alaska bought it for.

Well, we were watching CNN the next day and he saw that clip of McCain saying "the part I loved best about her speech was about that luxury plane, and she sold it on E-bay. For a profit!"

I looked right at Dad and I said "You watch, the media won't counter this at ALL!" True to form, they did not. (At least immediately, and it's still soft-pedaled.) I pierced him with my gaze and said "He's got willing dance partners huh? And knowing what we know, is McCain lying, not informed or out of touch? After all, he's supposed to have checked this candidate and her positions, statements, finances, you-name-it. And we KNOW FOR A FACT, that SHE KNOWS BETTER."

A wistful shake of the head, and a confused look in is eyes is what I got in response.

---------------

You'll notice that what gets these Ike-Dinosaur types goat are the concepts of "truth" and "fairness" - I believe because it's a character issue for them and other moderate Republican types. (Yes, there are moderate Republicans; they're not all fire and brimstone breathing fundies.) So aside from the fucked up media, the other thing that will get under their skin is Strong Arm Police Tactics.

I showed Dad several videos over time; the Code Pink protester getting clocked then snatched by the Blackshirts, the chick with the flower getting repeatedly pepper-sprayed in the face, and the arrest of Amy Goodman who was just wanting to check on her reporters. Showed him the resulting trumped up charges against Goodman. He was visibly angry at the Goodman incident when I got around to that one.

I broke the tension by camping "So, you still think I'm a commie-pinko-fag?" He just ROARED! "Nope, just a fag I guess!" Dad had achieved and accepted an entirely different worldview.

---------------

The night before he left I just blurted out "So who you going to vote for?" He is visibly torn, still. He started out dissembling "Well, I can't imagine myself not voting. I've always voted." So I pulled out the shame and worked it, hard.

"Well, Bush has already saddled me and you and your 6 grandkids with a ton of debt. If you'd like for us all to pay even more, vote McCain. And by the way, McCain doesn't have to die in office for that idiot Mooselini to be the President. A stroke will do the trick. And you've seen for yourself how they lie and lie and lie. How you can in all conscience vote for such a troop of thieves and liars just because you're uncomfortable voting Dem is beyond me."

We have joked for years that we cancel out each others vote. He looked at me and said "I don't think I'll be cancelling out your vote this time. Your step-mom either once I show her all this stuff you've showed me."

---------------

I called him last night to let him know I got a final interview scheduled for a position I really want, and we chatted a bit. The news was on at his house and there was a blurb of Palin going on about the "I told congress thanks but no thanks" spiel for the one millionth time and he says to me, all surprised "They're still doing it!" I told him they won't quit doing it, and don't be surprised. Some other lie will crop up, and they'll keep going on with that one too because they are thugs.

I could feel him sigh over the phone, and he said "What is this country coming to?"

"Welcome to my world Dad."

The New Chicago Eight

2008-09-07T11:28:00.004-06:00

..."The RNC Eight" Charged as Terrorists

A disturbing story from Information Clearing House explains why the RNC was held in Minnesota, and why the police there acted as if war had been declared on America's population.

In what appears to be the first use of criminal charges under the 2002 Minnesota version of the Federal Patriot Act, Ramsey County Prosecutors have formally charged 8 alleged leaders of the RNC Welcoming Committee with Conspiracy to Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism. Monica Bicking, Eryn Trimmer, Luce Guillen Givins, Erik Oseland, Nathanael Secor, Robert Czernik, Garrett Fitzgerald, and Max Spector, face up to 7 1/2 years in prison under the terrorism enhancement charge which allows for a 50% increase in the maximum penalty.

Affidavits released by law enforcement which were filed in support of the search warrants used in raids over the weekend, and used to support probable cause for the arrest warrants, are based on paid, confidential informants who infiltrated the RNCWC on behalf of law enforcement. They allege that members of the group sought to kidnap delegates to the RNC, assault police officers with firebombs and explosives, and sabotage airports in St. Paul. Evidence released to date does not corroborate these allegations with physical evidence or provide any other evidence for these allegations than the claims of the informants. Based on past abuses of such informants by law enforcement, the National Lawyers Guild is concerned that such police informants have incentives to lie and exaggerate threats of violence and to also act as provocateurs in raising and urging support for acts of violence.

WHAT?!? Minnesota has its own version of the constitutionally dubious USA PATRIOT Act? What folly is this? It does explain how and why the modern-day version of the 1968 'police riots' at the DNC in Chicago occurred in Minnesota. The sonsabitches want to establish a test case that equates protest, dissent, or simply thinking for yourself as TERRORISM.

They also want to send a message to legitimate political dissidents - STFU!! It's like Bill O'Reilly became the the head of DHS or something (shudder at the thought.) This is the government trying to cut off everyone's microphone at once.

I've already made my comparisons of the violence in 2008 with that in Chicago in 1968 in my recent post Police State 101 - but this development brings them into high relief. This is a nakedly aggressive crackdown designed to suppress people's constitutionally protected rights of assembly and expression. If you still want more background on the DNC riots of 1968, or the Chicago Eight (Later Chicago Seven) trials, consult Wikipedia. There's also a good article here at History and Education blog.

The evidence that the authorities are relying on in these cases seems to be paper-thin, and one wonders if they intend to use the dubious 'rules of evidence' established for the Guantanamo Bay military 'trials' as a precedent. None of this passes either the laugh test or the smell test.

The criminal complaints filed by the Ramsey County Attorney do not allege that any of the defendants personally have engaged in any act of violence or damage to property. The complaints list all of alleged violations of law during the last few days of the RNC — other than violations of human rights carried out by law enforcement — and seeks to hold the 8 defendants responsible for acts committed by other individuals. None of the defendants have any prior criminal history involving acts of violence. Searches conducted in connection with the raids failed to turn up any physical evidence to support the allegations of organized attacks on law enforcement. Although claiming probable cause to believe that gunpowder, acids, and assembled incendiary devices would be found, no such items were seized by police. As a result, police sought to claim that the seizure of common household items such as glass bottles, charcoal lighter, nails, a rusty machete, and two hatchets, supported the allegations of the confidential informants.

One has to assume that TPTB (the powers that be) really don't care about getting convictions in these cases. It will suffice for them if a pall of fear is cast over any act of political independence, and even if it doesn't they've got at least eight people who might question their 'patriotic' motives locked up at least until after the elections are over.

Anyone with two functioning synapses could have seen this coming from a long way off. The USA PATRIOT Act and its successors clearly were written in such a way that they sound like they are directed against foreign terrorists, but conveniently can be applied against domestic political opponents and critics of the government. "We'll try these draconian methods out on brown people for a while at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. If we get away with that we're clear to bring them home to Peoria, Bakersfield, Des Moines and St. Paul Minnesota." That's how I perceive their thinking.

What worries me the most about this is not what the government is doing, but what I fear the Lamestream Media won't do - report this as a major story, which it surely is. It's after all an indication of a fundamental shift in society, the breaking of a covenant between the government and the people that has endured since the American Revolution. And ultimately I fear that the American people themselves won't respond with the energy required to put a stop to this, and turn back the judicial clock to a time when fairness mattered.

A little voice in the corner of my mind asks, "is it fascism yet?" I don’t know, but as a rule I’d say that if you can actually smell the polish on the stormtrooper’s boot, it’s probably too close to your neck.

UPDATE: Firedoglake has this post, with the video below about how Americans were tortured Guantanamo style after being arrested in Minnesota.

Sadism, Cruelty, Torture In The Twin Cities:
Professional Cultural Norms For US “Law” Enforcement

The shocking thing is that it would be very unusual for any of these ~~thugs~~ cops to face discipline over these various crimes of assault and failure to recognize the rights of their fellow citizens.

TAGS: Police State, America: The Cradle of ~~Democracy~~ Fascism

Cross-posted from

Palin's Speech Just Wrapped

2008-09-03T21:42:00.001-06:00

I know that Sarah Palin's dog sled just got in from the great frontier and all, but there's been an election going on here for some time, and clearly she has not been paying attention to it. Palin jumped right on, mocking Barack Obama's foreign policy credentials as if he didn't convincingly prove himself in seven thousand televised debates against Hillary Clinton and the rest of the democratic field, exposing himself to every question in the book.

Her lies about Obama's tax plan were galling and further proof that whatever politics she learned in Alaska, they sound an awful lot like Bush-Rove tactics here in the lower 48.

Palin, and Rudy before her, openly laughed at Barack Obama's community service in Chicago. Excuse me? If America had more people willing to do, or capable of doing, that kind of service our cities wouldn't be in the shape they're in right now. But what would she know about cities?

Jesse Taylor at Pandagon summed it up nicely, "This is a speech to Michelle Malkin’s fucking comments section."

Police State 101

2008-09-01T15:08:00.000-06:00

There's been lots of buzz in Greater Left Blogsylvania over the pre-emptive strikes that the cops have been making on potential protesters in Minnesota. It seems like they want the upcoming RNC to be held in an atmosphere of respectful shock and awe. From Glennzilla:

There is clearly an intent on the part of law enforcement authorities here to engage in extreme and highly intimidating raids against those who are planning to protest the Convention. The DNC in Denver was the site of several quite ugly incidents where law enforcement acted on behalf of Democratic Party officials and the corporate elite that funded the Convention to keep the media and protesters from doing anything remotely off-script. But the massive and plainly excessive preemptive police raids in Minnesota are of a different order altogether. Targeting people with automatic-weapons-carrying SWAT teams and mass raids in their homes, who are suspected of nothing more than planning dissident political protests at a political convention and who have engaged in no illegal activity whatsoever, is about as redolent of the worst tactics of a police state as can be imagined.

(Bold emphasis mine) Glenn has a follow-up post HERE, demonstrating that this is an effort by local police, but it is being directed by the feds. There's lots more at Firedoglake, Firedoglake, Firedoglake, Firedoglake, Firedoglake again, Crooks and Liars, and Raw Story. To name a few. But mostly Firedoglake, who have taken to this like a pitbull on a postman's ankle.

So what can this blogger add? In a word, history. We'll consider three major past events and how they relate to current events. If you were wondering why the current crop of thugs in uniform is so utterly blasé in their regards for the law - it's because they know damned well that there are never any consequences. And this is by no means a brand new phenomenon characteristic of the Bush administration.

Consider first the violence that occurred at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The contradictions arising out of this fiasco are indicative of the times. From Wikipedia's article on the subsequent and infamous Chicago Seven trial:

Background

The 1968 Democratic National Convention, held in late August – convened to select the party's candidates for the November 1968 Presidential election – was the scene of massive demonstrations protesting the Vietnam War, which was at its height. Thousands of people showed up with signs and banners, music, dancing and poetry. A pig, "Pigasus the Immortal", was brought into the city to be "nominated" for President. Initially, there was a carnival atmosphere. The police were edgy. Some people responded to a night-time curfew announcement with rock-throwing. Police used tear gas and struck people with batons, and arrests were made. In the aftermath of what was later characterized as a "police riot" by the U.S. National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence,^[1] a grand jury indicted eight demonstrators and eight police officers

The NCCPV did indeed characterize this incident as a 'police riot.' That didn't prevent them from making the following bizarre statement:

"There is a criminal justice process through which each offender passes from the police, to the courts, and back unto the streets. The inefficiency, fall-out, and failure of purpose during this process is notorious."

Frickin' weird - it makes it sound like all the protesters were repeat offenders -hardened political criminals who could have been prevented from their opposition to the Vietnam War if only they'd been left behind bars.

But before I get sidetracked by some of the bizarre elements of this story (and there are many), back to my main point. Five of the Chicago Seven protesters were convicted of crossing state lines to start a riot (all convictions were reversed on appeal) despite the fact that this was OFFICIALLY described as a POLICE RIOT! Of the eight police officers indicted in the matter, seven were acquitted, and charges against the eighth were dismissed despite the fact that this was OFFICIALLY described as a POLICE RIOT!

For more background see 1968 Democratic National Convention Protests. For context consider that Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy were both assassinated earlier in 1968, on April 4th and June 5th respectively.

Fast forward to May 4th, 1970, the massacre of four students at Kent State University in Ohio. I've blogged before about this dark day in American history. Reading about this still makes me sick to my stomach, even almost 40 years later.

Four students were killed and nine others were wounded, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis.

Some of the students who were shot had been protesting against the American invasion of Cambodia, which President Richard Nixon announced in a television address on April 30. However, other students who were shot had merely been walking nearby or observing the protest from a distance.
[...]
Killed (and approximate distance from the National Guard):
Allison Krause 343 ft (105 m); fatal left chest wound
Jeffrey Glen Miller 265 ft (81 m); shot through the mouth - killed instantly
Sandra Lee Scheuer 390 ft (120 m); fatal neck wound
William Knox Schroeder 382 ft (116 m); fatal chest wound

Consider those distances relative to something familiar: a professional ballpark. 343 feet would be a home run in left or right field in many parks, 390 and 382 would clear the fence even in deep center. How does this threaten armed and helmeted National Guard troops? Even at 265 ft a professional outfielder is not going to throw a baseball directly to home plate for an out, but will relay it in. So the idea of 'rock-throwing radicals' just doesn't hold water.

Students had been bayoneted by troops on the two days before the shootings. That's right, BAYONETED! Fucking unbelievable. Barbaric.

Just like the Chicago 'police riots', a subsequent government investigation (this one was called the Scranton Commission) found the armed authority figures in uniform to be at fault.

The Commission issued its findings in a September 1970 report that concluded that the Ohio National Guard shootings on May 4, 1970 were unjustified. The report said:

Even if the guardsmen faced danger, it was not a danger that called for lethal force. The 61 shots by 28 guardsmen certainly cannot be justified. Apparently, no order to fire was given, and there was inadequate fire control discipline on Blanket Hill. The Kent State tragedy must mark the last time that, as a matter of course, loaded rifles are issued to guardsmen confronting student demonstrators.

Just like the Chicago 'police riots', the armed authority figures in uniform suffered no consequences for their actions, even though this time it descended to the level of cold-blooded murder.

Bottom Line:

Eight of the guardsmen were indicted by a grand jury. The guardsmen claimed to have fired in self-defense, which was generally accepted by the criminal justice system. In 1974 U.S. District Judge Frank Battisti dismissed charges against all eight on the basis that the prosecution's case was too weak to warrant a trial.

In May 2007, Alan Canfora, one of the injured protestors, demanded that the case be reopened, having found an audiotape in a Yale University government archive allegedly recording an order to fire ("Right here! Get Set! Point! Fire!") just before the 13 second volley of shots.

Flash forward again to the 2004 RNC in New York City. The NYPD are under investigation (since May 17, 2006) alleged to have systematically infringed on protesters' constitutional rights. Democracy Now! is the go-to place for this story, which has received far too little attention.

During the week of the 2004 convention, police arrested some 1800 protesters—more than at any previous political convention in the country’s history. It is unclear as to the extent of the Justice Department"s criminal investigation of the NYPD, but the FBI appears to be focusing on the arrest of Dennis Kyne, a Gulf War veteran turned anti-war activist. Kyne was arrested on the steps of the New York Public Library on multiple charges including inciting a riot. His case went to trial but it was dismissed after his legal team presented videotaped evidence that proved the police lied to the court. As part of the criminal investigation, the FBI is seeking to interview other protesters whose constitutional rights have been violated by the police.

The bottom line of this story is that the investigation into police wrongdoing didn't even begin until nearly two years after the events, so the memory of witnesses can be put in question and the prospect of getting any physical evidence is pretty much shot. It appears that the investigation would never have started at all if it hadn't been for the existence of the video tape proving that the NYPD were lying about this from the get-go.

Not that the effort has been without any fruits, as you can see by searching Democracy Now's archives. Here's two short samples and one longer one:

Mar. 23, 2006: NYPD Caught Lying About RNC Arrests in 2004
"For the first time a high-ranking police supervisor has admitted that police arrested about 400 people around Union Square even though the police never gave an order to disperse."
Mar. 26, 2007: Report: NYPD Conducted Widespread Spy Campaign Before RNC
"The New York Times has revealed that undercover New York City police officers traveled around the country, Canada and Europe to spy on protesters planning to attend the 2004 Republican National Convention. The city set up an “R.N.C. Intelligence Squad” and sent undercover officers to attend meetings of political groups, posing as sympathizers or fellow activists."

May 17, 2007: NYPD Forced to Release RNC Spy Files
A federal judge has ordered the New York City police to release about 600 pages of internal documents that detail the department’s wide-ranging surveillance of activists ahead of the 2004 Republican National Convention. The judge ordered the first batch of documents to be made public following a lawsuit by the New York Civil Liberties Union and the New York Times. Donna Lieberman of the NYCLU: “What’s shocking is the breadth of the surveillance activity. They were in lots of different cities across the nation and internationally. We have in here of people doing grafitti in Germany in Croatia,. We have reports from Berkeley, from Baltimore, from Syracuse, from Fresno. The police department was all over the country, all over the globe.” The city is still fighting to keep secret other documents related to the convention including the raw intelligence collected by the police department.

Not entirely without fruits, and yet completely devoid of the sweet ripe fruit that protects civil liberties going forward, into say the next Republican National convention following the one in NYC in 2004. No cop has been disciplined. Ray Kelly is still New York's Police Commissioner. All costs of the investigation and its result have so far been borne by the New York taxpayer. And unless some consequences are felt by those who conspire to deprive their fellow citizens of their liberty, the erosion of constitutional rights will continue.

Some Joni Mitchell lyrics came into my head while I was writing this. From Judgement of the Moon & Stars, they were written about Beethoven's deafness, but oddly could just as well been referring to the Bill of Rights. I take poetic license in my reinterpretation.

Revoked but not yet cancelled
The gift goes on/ In silence/ In a bell jar
Still a song ...
You've got to shake your fists at lightning now
You've got to roar like forest fire
You've got to spread your light like blazes
All across the sky
They're going to aim the hoses on you
Show 'em you won't expire
Not till you burn up every passion

Not even when you die
Come on now/ You've got to try
If you're feeling contempt/ Well then you tell it
If you're tired of the silent night
Jesus, well then you yell it
Condemned to wires and hammers
Strike every chord that you feel
That broken trees/ And elephant ivories/ Conceal

The Continued Police State

2008-08-27T13:57:00.002-06:00

The video speaks for itself.

Following is a first hand account, via Pharyngula, of Nathan Acks, who was arrested Monday August 25th at the protest that I posted below.

Last night at approximately 7:30pm I was arrested as part of a mass arrest at 15th & Court and charged with disrupting a permitted assembly and blocking public streets. A third charge - throwing rocks and missiles - was listed on my pre-printed ticket, but the crossed out.
At the time I was not protesting. I was acting as an observer for the People's Law Project, and was dressed in a button shirt and a neon-green baseball cap stating that I was acting as a representative of the National Lawyers Guild. I followed the protestors out of Civic Center Park, but remained on the sidewalk until pushed by riot police into the street. At no time during the abortive march did any legal observer, or any marcher that I have spoken to, observe any destruction of property, any thrown objects, or ANY ORDER TO DISPERSE BY THE POLICE.
At some point during my visit to Gitmo on the Platte, the compact flash card I had been carrying that contained photographic documentation of the protest disappeared. This included pictures of the badges of some of the officers involved, images of a marcher OBEYING police orders being shot with pepper spray point-blank in the eyes while trying to retreat (when I was hauled away he was sitting with a street medic, and I could hear him sobbing again and again, "I can't see..."), and photographs of a second protestor who was shot three times by what appeared to be three separate officers with bean-bag guns while KNEELING, motionless, 15 FEET AWAY, hands outstretched as if in prayer, and wearing nothing but a pair of POCKETLESS shorts.
The arresting police officers - Aurora PD - were uniformly assholes, but the officers from the sheriff's department who handled us after we arrived at Gitmo on the Platte were professional and sometimes even courteous. However, I know that this was not an experience shared by everyone, and did notice a significant change in attitude when it became apparent that I was functioning as a representative of the National Lawyer's Guild. My hat had been confiscated from me during the arrest, but one of the officers at the holding facility returned it to me shortly after I arrived. I wore it from that point forward.
At 10:53pm I had posted my own bond. At midnight myself and woman who was also arrested and had been able to make bond were released. We were the first two people to leave. I hitched a ride back with her friends, gave a video interview when I arrived back at the People's Law Project offices, and helped man the phones for the rest of the night, fielding calls from arrestees and worried friends and relatives.
At least as of last night, those of us who had been released were returned to the world STILL WEARING THE ZIP CUFFS WE HAD BEEN ARRESTED IN. The
police would cut out one of our hands, but leave the the remainder of the cuff
on the other hand. When I left the PLP offices this morning at 10am, calls were
coming in that folks being released from the courthouse were being hassled by
police in riot gear - ON THE STEPS OF THE COURTHOUSE ITSELF - and that more police in riot gear were stopping individuals - some minors - in Civic Center
Park and demanding to see photo ID and to be allowed to search any bags they
were carrying. Many of these officers - including many who made the arrests last
night - ARE NOT WEARING VISIBLE BADGES, or otherwise have their names and badge numbers obstructed. THIS IS ILLEGAL.
The way that the arrests were handled, the way that we were released still in zip cuffs, the way that bystanders are being hassled today, all represent a continuation of a pattern of intimidation that began before the convention and was already legally questionable. At least some police actions today have now fully crossed that line.
I will not be intimidated.
I've slept as much as I can, and am about to leave again, return to the streets, and again take up my position as legal observer. If I am arrested again, then so be it. I have the resources right now to overcome this - something that many others do not. And I have a job to do.
I almost closed my last e-mail with a saying from Frank Herbert's Dune that has its roots in modern Arabic. I decided that doing so would make the letter too melodramatic (something that several of you commented on anyway), but
today I have no qualms. If the explanation I have seen is correct, then it feels very appropriate. I say it now not for myself, but for those I was arrested with, those who stood up and sang as the riot police called in, and those who will also refuse to be intimidated and return to the streets today.
Long live the fighters!
Nathan

Authoritarianism Is A One Way Street

2008-08-26T08:47:00.004-06:00

Yep. Read this story.

An account from the comments section of that story:

I was there! Just taking pics, but I decided to gtfo when somebody yelled gas
and I saw a cop holding said gas cannister.

Basicly the protesters went into the street in front of the City & County building and the cops wern't keen on it, so they started lining up and telling
everyone to get back on the sidewalk, at which point somebody hit the deck in
the street (pepper spray perhaps?) and a mob sort of formed from there. It was
about that point that I whipped out my camera and at the same time my boyfriend
and I both got shoved by a couple of riot cops for doing nothing more than
standing there. We would have moved if they said so, but you know Denver cops,
violence for no real reason. From there the protesters bolted across the park,
past the Seal Fountain, across Colfax and started heading down 15th. Some kid
pulled one of the road closed signs into the middle of the intersection of 15th
and Colfax and the mob made it about a block or two before the cops cut them off
and they sort of got cornered against a building. It was soon after that I heard
somebody yell gas and to run, so I joined a small herd of people in running
cause getting pics is one thing, getting gassed...not so keen on it.

Contrast that story, where the cops motivation is to keep the street open, with my eyewitness account of what happened on the 16th Street Mall earlier in the afternoon.

I was on the Mall Shuttle, heading down to Wyknoop where the "Big Tent" is located. Many powerbloggers like Kos, Greenwald, the crew from FireDogLake and so forth are down there and I wanted to see if I could catch any of them. Well, the Shuttle stopped and there was this huge ruckus.

Notice that the cops didn't pepper spray the hateful fundies. Nope they protected them, and let them block the Mall for a good 20 minutes! One person was arrested at this incident - and you guessed it, he wasn't one of the fundie whack jobs.

Also, after this pepper spray ruckus in fornt of the Civic Center, the cops asked RTD to shut down the Mall Shuttle for an extended period:

Police officials asked RTD to shut the 16th Street Mall bus shuttle service
shortly after 7 p.m., said RTD spokesman Scott Reed. The mall service resumed
around 9:30 p.m

So it's abundantly clear to me that the cops interest was not the free flow of traffic.

If you wish to agitate or protest in accordance with the right wing agenda, no matter how extreme, you have the blessings of the authoritarians. If you wish to agitate or protest against that right wing, you get pepper sprayed and taken to jail.

Freedom of Speech - it's a one way street my friends.

For Now...

2008-08-25T07:52:00.002-06:00

I've got some tasks to do this morning, but then I'm going to go run around with the video camera and see what's going on at various places.

Till I can get back with some film and a post, the Live streaming of protests, or whatever the hell might happen during the DNC in Denver's Civic Center Park.

TAGS: DNC, Civil Liberties, O No, There Goes Tokyo OH NO GODZILLA!, Hey hey hey

Running Away To The Mountains

2008-08-22T14:08:00.003-06:00

The Chef and his Missus asked us up to Frisco this weekend for Music on Mainstreet!

So we're going up and be back Sunday when the Convention madness starts. You'll never guess who is playing:

Blue Oyster Cult! HAHAHAHAH!

About Tribes

2008-08-20T22:20:00.015-06:00

The month of July, 1975, a doublewide trailer 10 miles south of Poston Arizona, 4:30 AM, about 97 degrees and 35% humidity.

BANG BANG BANG.

Huh?

BANG BANG. (On the trailer door. Muted voice of The Foreman, Rocky Humeumptewa.) Hey come on. Wake up.

Sleepy me: Hey, need your truck weighed? Gramma runs the scales. Hang on a sec. I'll get her.

BANG BANG. No, you're late.

(Shit, I just now recognize Rocky's voice. I forgot I was on the hoeing crew this morning.) OK, hang on just a minute.

BANG. "Hurry up!"

My gramma is nowhere near around and Rocky knows it. He's the foreman and works for the same ranch my gramma does. He knows she's gone to California with the Owner. That's why he came to wake my 13 year-old-ass up. My job today is to do my last run on hoeing weeds out of the cotton with the other younger kids, about 5 of them from 10 to my age, and I then have the priveledge this afternoon of learning to drive and move around the cotton pickers to the fields that the pickers will actually run. Me and Anson Humeumptewa, Rocky's cousin. Anson is a year older than me. And he also had a surprise for me later, that neither he or I knew at the time.

"Hurry Up!"

Rocky is pissed. I should have already been ready to go, and since adults are smart and kids are, well, kids, I really can't blame (read ARGUE) with him so I hustle. Which means I forego a shower, and all that nonesense. Frankly, you wouldn't smell any better after a shower there in those days. The well water was sulphur-licious. Bad egg smell. Which was worse, body odor or that sulphur smell of the damned from untreated well water which is what you had plumbed in your bathroom and clotheswasher? I just jumped very quickly into some overalls, grabbed a ball cap, a couple of bandanas in my pocket (for later sousing- hey, bandanas were an integral part of cooling) and was out the trailer door in a mere 90 seconds.

On our trailer's patio was a freezer. I nodded at Rocky, just slammed the door (Nobody locked their doors out there. There was no reason to.) and grabbed my frozen gallon of water. And by that I mean it was a gallon of milk; we drank it, I rinsed it, and had thrown it in the freezer. There were always a couple of those frozen gallons of water in that freezer. Evian and other bottled waters were yet to be. This milk gallon turned into drinking water for the rest of the day/shift in that frikking lousy part of the desert; the South Colorado Basin, should be Mojave, but somehow shit grows here.

Rocky expressed no comment, as that custom was the same for him. He just wanted me to hurry my ass up, and I obliged, scrambling into his International truck. I don't recall the year of that International, but it was a creme color, beat up from ranch work and looks in my mind's eye to be early 1950's.

Crazy Indian. He drove with the lights off. He knew where he was going and I didn't, so I suppose it was really me that was crazy. Unnerved me. And that's why Rocky did it I think. I was the same five feet eleven inches that I am today as I was at thirteen, albeit gangly yet chubby, stupid, be-acned; Rocky was just short of thirty years old, five foot six, and all Tewa muscle. Proud. I couldn't blame him. I'd be proud if I was Rocky Humeumptewa. I have wished I was Rocky Humeumptewa several times in my life. Anyway -

We cruise along the dirt road, stop a few times to re-set the waterflow in the ditches. Even doing that chore it only takes about twenty minutes to get to the road that runs along the Colorado River, and the edge of the Arizona side of the Colorado River Indian Tribes land where most of it has been leased to commercial farms/ranches. We head right, north, to about where the wier is.

The sun starts to come up.

We pull up to a ditch draw, and stop. We get out and I notice that the field to the north side of the ditch is tomatoes. I say "Hey, when did we start growing tomatoes?" Rocky replied curtly "WE didn't. Albert let this land out to Hunts farm. Gotta chop weeds anyway. Part of the deal."

I immediately understood why he was extra bitchy that day. Nobody had said yet to me that Al was subleasing parts of his lease, and the fact that it was tough time particularly wrankled the native tribes, i.e. Rocky. It only took a minute to reset the ditch and then Rocky said "I'm glad we beat Tammy. She should be here any minute."

And lo, in about five minutes, right about 5:15 AM Tammy appeared with the rest of my compadres. I was the only white kid on hoe duty. The rest of the seven were either Mexican, migrants or Tewa kids, and all between 9 and around 12 years old. Racism was endemic, so Tammy of the 98 IQ but around 28 years old was the supervisor of the hoe kid gang. The object of the day? Twenty acres of tomatoes; HOE! And hoe we did. One kid per row, eight kids plus Tammy made us a 9 row horror show on those weeds/water steelers let me tell you.

We were done about 10:30 that morning; had to stop as it was about 105 degrees and about 50% humidity, but we had finished the acreage. Rocky brought my timecard to me; he had written in 4:30 AM beginning, and I wrote 10:30 end. $2.05 per hour. Same rate for the other kids, but less time. Tammy cheated and started their cards at 5:00 am. Nobody thought a thing of it, because HELLO! They were all on the road well before that time.

What mattered to me, really was I was Getting A GREAT GIG NEXT! $4.00 per hour! Driving Equipment! It was Unheard Of Riches To Be Thirteen And Driving Equipment For That Much Money!

First was the mandatory drink, food and rest. These farm conditions are nasty you know, or maybe you don't. So at our 10:30 100 whatever degree stop, we just rested in the cotton shade for a bit, on the other side of that farm road, across from those goddamn tomatoes, then we drank some gatorade, and ate the cold tamales that Tammy brought. This Was The Usual Way. Tammy packed up the kids in the back of the ranch owned pickup, which might even be considered child abuse today, and they all merrily drove back to the compound where most of us lived, and went to their respective trailers.

I switched from ball cap to bandana; I watered that bandana and wrung it out, then folded and put it on my head in the fashion that my better half calls "hippy helmet." Replaced the ball cap and voila, I'm ready to go. I looked a little wistfully after the pickup Tammy was driving down the road. I think I am so cool. Rocky catches everything, says nothing.

We rumble towards the Colorado. Then Rocky turns NORTH! I am alarmed, as we are not going to be in Albert's ranch land much longer if Rocky keeps this shit up. I say nothing.

We get to the wier. Rocky pulls out fishing tackle from his box in the back of the International. Hands me a rod. I know enough to say nothing in front of this Indian; he has made me a fool frequently by letting me just be adolescent me in the past. My face was made hot red many times by him, his brother and his father, and my step-grampa Abner had totally enjoyed that! "No More" I had resolved my birthday in the Spring previous. So I just take the rod. Remain Silent. We go to the weir, squat on top, and throw out our rods.

We each get a mix of crappi and sunfish, about three fish each in relatively short order. Call it an hour. So it's right around 1:00 - the hottest part of the day until about 4:00. I know that it's stupid to do ANYTHING regarding activity right now at 112 degrees, but I want to suggest going home, or something. I am a restless thirteen year old, ergo, that's natural. Rocky says "Let's go get Anson." And off we go in the truck. It's about 15 miles to their place, dirt roads the whole way.

(We go past here, LePera Elementary School, and this is a nicer picture than it was in '75:)

And Rocky lays a bombshell on me:

Did you know that your school was used to imprison people?

I laughed at him, foolishly. "What are you talking about Rock? I'm imprisoned there as much as Anson or Elsie is, duh."

Rocky - "You do not know of The War then, or of us Tewa as People. Your Government sent many Japanese to camps during World War II - do you not know of this?"

I confessed, no I did not. Another red faced 13 year old moment, as I felt something coming.

Rocky - "These buildings were prisons that your people made. The Tewa... the land is sad. It is this time that is forgotten now. My mother reminded me. Look at it."

Silence; for an uncomfortably long time. The school/prison land faded from our sight as we continued on. I couldn't have squeaked a word out if I wanted to.

Of course, I broke first. " This is just the school. I never heard this. Am I supposed to say something? I feel like I'm supposed to, but I don't know what."

Rocky is/was no fool. What could he demand a thirteen year old goofy white kid say?

"Let's go get Anson."

Off we went to the Humeumptewa compound. Not a word passed during the time in transit. I'm not sure what either of us were thinking. Until we got there.

Anson Humeumptewa was throwing bales of hay onto a flatbed truck next to a corral of goats when we hit the compound. We drove up alongside the corral fence. He jumped of the hay bale stack and strode over to the truck, smiling and all sunshine. Got to the passenger window, which would be where I was sitting, and his smile turned into a frown.

"You guys STINK!"

The three of us started laughing - cause it was true. Fish, bait, canal /ditch duty and hoeing in the ersatz Mojave at 100+ degrees creates a perfume that is not exactly laudable.

Rocky killed the engine, looked at us, somewhat wistfully I thought, got out of the truck and walked to the main house.

Anson and I remained. Once Rocky was out of sight, we grabbed seats on the side of the International, and lit cigarettes. While we smoked in the silence for a few minutes, Anson wriggled around in his pockets, and pulled out a scraggly bag of weed. Rolled a joint.

"Let's go to the weir."

I couldn't say no to Sunny Tewa Indian boy of My Own Age.

Back we went to the wier on the Colorado. On the way, we went past our school, as you pretty much had to do. As we passed, Anson said "School. I really don't like it."

Why?

"It makes me feel different."

Cause of that Japanese thing, that Prison thing? Rocky just told me all about it.

"No, it's not that."

Then what is it Anson?

He said nothing further until we got to the wier. We clambered on top of it, cast our lines again, and now the heat was diminishing from it's 4:00 mad heights.

No fish for a while, and no talk.

The sky started to dim. I was feeling squirelly, as even though gramma wasn't home, I should really start to go home. I patted Anson on the back. "Let's go."

We started to reassemble our gear. In the middle of that, he grabbed me and hugged me so fiercely, I thought I was gonna just gasp and die.

He, still holding me, looked me in the eye and said : "You're gonna be all right."

I jabbered something, I don't even know what. But I do remember this last part so vividly:

"You're kinda like us Indians. You're different. Don't let them get to you."

He brushed my forehead with his hand, then just PUSHED me! Right on my forehead and started LAUGHING! I couldn't resist and followed suit. Pushed him back right on his forehead too.

It was sexual, and not sexual. Anson somehow gave me permission to be me. He knew I was gay and somehow, made me come out. I was never the same after. And I have always loved Anson Humeumptewa for that to this day.

And I am sure he's not gay. He was just, well, Anson.

A Few Notes To The Obama Campaign

2008-08-19T11:08:00.005-06:00

Dear David Plouffe -

Since I know you read my blog religiously and can't wait to hear what my opinion is about how to run BO's campaign, I thought I better get to it and give you my invaluable insight about what you should have on your to-do list between now and the end of the Convention.

- Announce the VP candidate on Thursday afternoon, say around 2 or 3 Eeastern time. You'll dominate the news cycle through Friday night and into Saturday when all the media is going to be congratulating themselves on how wonderful they are at the media kick-off in Denver at Elitch's. After that it's "All Convention All The Time" mode, and all together you'd end up with about 7 days of free national media.

- And about the VP. No sitting Senators, please. Biden, Bayh and Clinton all need to be right where they are in the Senate. You need all the Dem senators and more to be able to actually execute any actual governing. And if you're still really about change, dump the white dudes and I still think you should pick a woman, and there are two pretty good ones available.

- People have mentioned Sibelius, but how about Janet Napolitano? The fact that since she used to be a US Attorney General and was the lawyer for Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas SCOTUS nomination farce, she would be perfect in the OVP to help clean up whatever land mines Cheney has left, not to mention a very good overseer to help clean up the Department of Justice. She has the added benefit of acting like a dagger through McCain's Arizona heart; he'd lose his home state if you picked her.

-Speaking of political daggers through hearts; enough of this bi-partisan/post-partisan talk. Are you frikking DUMB? Listen to me, at a time when 75-80% of people are saying "country going in wrong direction" you need to forcefully REPUDIATE these jerks who have lead us to where we are. All you've got to do is articulate what the people are thinking. It goes kinda like this:

"Damn, things suck, particularly my finances. The Bush administration and it's cronies have damn near wrecked the country by spending all this money on that dumb war, which they lied about to get us over there. And they want MORE of it with Iran? They're probably lying about THAT too.
They need to GO! Their policies stink and have gotten us in this fucking debt-hole with the Chinese and not to mention the shitty Oil Countries. Might as well buy milk to drive your car; same goddamn price per gallon and it's hard to afford either."

So David, understanding what every day people are thinking, do you think that people REALLY want to hear about BI-FUCKING-PARTISANSHIP? No way. People don't want these Republican clowns anywhere near their lives. You don't need to get all nuance-y and professor-ish with the people. To get the people totally on your side just call it what it is. For instance:

When McCain/Media throws out that "Obama ain't quite 'Merkan" business, you respond with "McCain is a grumpy old man, who doesn't mind killing the children YOU send to Iraq to protect his oil buddies. He doesn't mind doing it at all, and that makes me sick."
When McCain/Media freaks out because you picked somebody who is not a sitting senator and they start throwing around "inexperience," you respond with "Yeah, look where Bush and your so-called experience got us - in the toilet, buddy, and everybody knows it."

All in all David, I'm just saying why don't you START the fights? Given McCain, Rove and the Media conditions, you're gonna end up fighting anyway, whether Obama likes it or not, so you may as well control the turf. And every fight needs to contain the element "McCain = Bush." It makes McCain so mad, he'll eventually lose his cool in public and everyone will go "Yep - grumpy old war pig. No Way."

So get busy and get with it.

From the Department Of Shameless Self Promotion

2008-08-15T12:19:00.003-06:00

I've never done this before on this blog, but I need to make a plug.

We're renting out a room during the Convention.

Here's a quick virtual tour:

Strings Or No Strings?

2008-08-13T14:24:00.006-06:00

Last week The Democratic National Convention CEO, Leah Daughtry, held a press conference to announce the ticketing process for Obama's acceptance speech at Mile High/Invesco Field. The press conference itself didn't go so well near the end, but everyone was pretty glad to hear that there was a process to get tickets to the event.

There's an FAQ page about the tickets which seems straightforward, including this:

Q: Do I need to volunteer with the Obama For America campaign
to receive a Community Credential?

A: As part of the application process, individuals applying for credentials will have the opportunity to request more information from the Colorado Campaign for Change regarding volunteering and outreach opportunities both before and after the Convention. While volunteering is not a prerequisite for recipients, Coloradans who volunteer with the Campaign for Change will have the opportunity
to receive all-star seating for Barack Obama’s speech. [emphasis mine]

So far so good.

But wait; you get a confirmation call about your ticket standing. Listen here to the call that Jess got, and she did not check the "volunteer" option to get better seats:

Six volunteer hours per ticket - whether you checked that option or not.

But then later today, Westword got a clarification from Matt Chandler at Obama headquarters.

Westword just got a clarification call from Matt Chandler at Obama headquarters. No matter the contents of the message left for Jessica Centers's friend (and if you listen, my guess is that you'll agree the caller implied that anyone who wanted a seat at Obama's speech would need to volunteer six hours), here's the deal: Only people who indicated they wanted to volunteer got the notification regarding these "all-star volunteer" credentials, which involve preferred seating. For everyone else, "there's absolutely no volunteering tied to it," Chandler says. These people are eligible for "community" credentials, and they should hear if they've made the cut -- on strictly a first-come, first-served basis -- by 9 p.m. Friday. If they're on a wait list, they'll be notified later.

And what's the ratio of "all-star" to "community" credentials? Although
the numbers have yet to be determined, "the vast, vast majority" will be
community, Chandler says. No volunteering strings attached.

OK, so which way is it? The campaign needs to clear up any confusion and get the outbound calls under control with a better script with the real info in it, the right script if you're volunteering to get better seats, or a plain confirmation if you're just getting tickets. Otherwise they're going to piss off a lot of locals. And why not just call them tickets instead of community credentials?

Thievery!

2008-08-11T14:49:00.002-06:00

Yep - I'm just going to go ahead and steal this from TexBetsy at Mock Paper Scissors.

How about praying for a brain instead?
from The Carpetbagger Report by Carpetbagger

Guest Post by Morbo

Stuart Shepard is the type of right-wing Christian whose vision of faith
is more informed by the mean-spirited, vengeful God of the Old Testament than
the founder of the religion he so claims to cherish.

Shepard makes his living producing short videos for James Dobson’s Focus on the Family, the largest, best-funded Religious Right group in the nation. Shepard undoubtedly believes these videos are hip and clever. I suppose they are — if you’re a benighted fundamentalist Christian who just got web access last week. (”Look,
Ma, I’m surfing the ‘internets.’”)

Consider Shepard’s most recent effort. He asks Christians to pray for rain on the evening of Aug. 28, when Sen. Barack Obama is scheduled to give an outdoor address at Denver’s Mile High Stadium during the Democratic National Convention.

Shepard calls for “abundant rain, torrential rain … flood-advisory rain.” He adds, “I’m talking about umbrella-ain’t-gonna-help-you rain … swamp-the-intersections rain.” (He later denies he wants people to be flooded out of their homes, however.)

Why would Shepard pray for this? As he puts it, “I’m still pro-life, and I’m still in favor or marriage being between one man and one woman.”

Oh, I see.

Obama favors legal abortion and supports rights for gay people, and thus God should smote him with a downpour. But why stop with rain? If Obama’s views are this evil, wouldn’t it make more sense to pray for an earthquake, too? That would teach Obama and all of the secular humanists who support him.

Shepard denies he wants anyone to be harmed by this deluge, but a rain that swamps intersections and sparks flood advisories is not be trifled with. I’d guess that people in the Midwest, who grappled with rains like this recently, would not find Shepard’s comments amusing.

Shepard’s suggestion isn’t funny, witty or clever. It’s just mean-spirited and immature. It is also nothing like what Jesus would do.

My Report on UFO Hunting At Devil's Tower

2008-08-08T13:09:00.002-06:00

Not really. I just like to say "UFO Hunting" whenever I go up to Devil's tower, ever since Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

I took a little road trip with my Dad on August 1st and 2nd up to northern Wyoming, and WHO KNEW that it was the same time as all the Harly folks riding to Sturgis for their rally! I hadn't thought a thing of it, but the preferred rides include a bunch of the same parts of Wyoming where we were travelling. Here's a little map to put it in perspective:

Also I misspoke in the video below about the first town. The bar and the Dogie theater are in Newcastle and that's where we stayed overnight; not Sundance.

So there - now you have a first hand look at the countryside where all this Harley riders and Sturgis blather was happening this week.

Some Dem Convention News

2008-08-07T09:57:00.004-06:00

A couple items:

The police and Secret Service are bracing -

The Secret Service is wary of discussing threats against the people they protect, but with Obama poised to become the first black presidential nominee, there are special worries. While law enforcement officials say there are no specific, credible threats against Obama, they expressed concern about low-level chatter on Web sites frequented by white separatists who spew hate about Obama's race and what they perceive as his liberal agenda.

One recent scheduling change caused a major shift in security plans. When Obama announced last month that he would accept his party's nomination not at the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver, where the convention is being held, but at Invesco Field, home of the Denver Broncos, the Secret Service scrambled to work out plans with local authorities to secure the open-air stadium, which seats more than 75,000 people. Invesco is also adjacent to Interstate 25, a major corridor through the Northern Rockies that will most likely be closed for at least part of Obama's acceptance speech.

"The magnitude of the event has expanded," said John W.

Hickenlooper, the mayor of Denver and a Democrat. "It's bigger and more profound than we expected." Officials acknowledge that their projections for the number of protesters are based more on a worst-case chain of events than specific information about who will show up, but they say they cannot take any chances.

As a result, the Secret Service, the Pentagon, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and scores of police departments are moving thousands of agents, analysts, officers and employees to Denver for the Aug. 25-28 convention. They will operate through a complex hierarchy of command centers, steering committees and protocols to respond to disruptions.

National political conventions are a chance for federal agencies to test their latest and most sophisticated technology, and this year is no different. There was a brief flare-up recently between the FBI and the Secret Service, when each wanted to patrol the skies over the convention with their surveillance aircraft, packed with infrared cameras and other electronics. The issue was resolved in favor of the Secret Service, according to people briefed on the matter.

And speaking of the acceptance speech complicating the security issue, yesterday afternoon the DNC released details about how to get tickets, called Community Credentials for Obama's speech.

Q: What is the deadline for applying for Community Credentials?
A: The deadline for applying is August 12. After that, people will start to be notified that they were selected to receive Community Credentials. Starting August 20, unused credentials will be cycled back through the system and offered to people signed up on the waiting list.
Q: Who will receive Community Credentials? Have individuals who would have
otherwise been at the Pepsi Center already been assigned credentials for INVESCO Field at Mile High?
A: More than half of the seats at INVESCO Field at Mile High will go to Colorado residents. Nearly two-thirds of seats will go to residents of the Mountain West and Southwest regions – both areas of growth for the Democratic Party. Each state, the District of Columbia, Democrats Abroad, and the four territories will receive an allocation of Community Credentials. Colorado and states in the neighboring Mountain West region will receive a larger share of these credentials. Delegates, alternate delegates, pages or guests credentialed for the Pepsi Center will also be seated for events at INVESCO Field at Mile High.

And lastly, it appears that Security trumps Free Speech. Like that wasn't damn obvious.

The American Civil Liberties Union, the American Friends Service Committee
and others argued that the rules would keep them too far away from delegates to
get their message across during the convention, which is scheduled for Aug 25-28
at the city's downtown Pepsi Center.
U.S. District Judge Marcia Krieger agreed that the protesters would suffer
some infringement on their freedom of expression but said those interests had to
be balanced with security concerns.
"The restrictions inhibit the plaintiffs' ability to engage in some forms of expressive conduct, (but) ... the plaintiffs have a wide variety of alternative means of expression that will allow them to effectively communicate their messages," Krieger wrote in her 71-page ruling.

Oh well.

Eroding Soul

2008-08-05T16:01:00.000-06:00

These soldiers don't realize it at this moment, but they are losing their humanity.

Notice a couple things here:

- The tank soldiers aren't worried about the taxi being a car bomb or anything. They would be inside the tank, rather than popping their heads out of it and reversing to crush the taxi again. Also, those who are filming arent worried about it being a car bomb, and exclaim "Do it again!"

- Way at the back of the alley, observe closely and you will see several Iraqi kids come out to see what's happening. In their eyes, is this not wanton destruction and cruelty? It sure is in mine.

We can't get the military out of there fast enough.

And by the way, just my opinion, I don't think we should redeploy to Afghanistan either. It will just be more of the same. Deprogramming these kids, both sets, Iraqi children and American soldiers, from the horrors that they've either seen or inflicted should be one of our highest national priorities.

TAGS: Iraq Occupation, Blood for Oil, Withdraw from Iraq Now!, LWHat they and we face, when the soldiers come home

Bizzy!

2008-08-05T08:12:00.003-06:00

Dear Blogosphere - very light posting and commenting for a bit.

I have to pay some very serious attention to Meat World right now, but I shall return with Unconventional Hoo Hah as soon as I can.

-UC

On The Hunt!

2008-07-31T08:58:00.003-06:00

No posting again until Monday - I'm off to Wyoming to investigate reports of UFOs!

I shall report faithfully upon my return.

I Am Happy To Announce...

2008-07-29T15:02:00.012-06:00

...That Dr. Zaius has ~~offered me a bribe~~ made me an offer I can't refuse: to become the Minister of UFOs should he become the next President!

I am happy to accept.

He did have some conditions though, as he requires more information on my platform suggestions, since I should also become Happy Hour Czar and Minister of Appetizers. (I thought both those departments should go together for efficiency's sake.)

Without further ado, I make the following affirmations so the Zaius/Gregarious '08 campaign can vet me properly.

I - I completely and utterly swear undying allegiance to Happy Underpants, Puppies, Rainbows, Kittens, Moonbeams and Chocolate Cake; the centerpieces of the Campaign. In fact, I am busy composing a song about such. More details later.

II - As for the position of Happy Hour Czar, there are a few details to attend to.

First, there shall be a national Happy Hour. It will begin at 3:00 pm local time and end at 9:00 pm local time. Yes, you might have noticed that this is SIX hours. That's for the heavy drinkers. For everyone else, just be happy at least one hour during that time.

Next, this shall be the Official Swizzle Stick:

(Yes yes yes, I KNOW there's a fez on this one, but I had to hedge my bets that Dr. Monkey von Monkerstein might win, but the basatard dropped out and I am stuck with several gross of cases of these in inventory, so there you go.)

The official cocktail will be the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster

III - The appetizer thing is a little more problematic. I would decree that all appetizers be artistic, such as this one:

However, this appetizer below passes too, and appears to be one I want to make immediately disappear off of my plate, despite how much I really admire that bologna critter above:

I shall evidently have to hire a Deputy Of Dipping Sauces; I'll get back to you on candidates.

I look forward to serving my constituency.

Humbly -

Another Meme...

2008-07-25T15:01:00.003-06:00

Monsieur Randal Graves has put out one of those ~~irritating~~ enjoyable blog memes. In a nutshell, you're supposed to list your favorite album produced during each year of your life.

I'm not doing that. But here's the thing; Randal claims he was hatched in 1973. Instant bell rang in my head, because that's the year that Pink Floyd produced Dark Side Of The Moon. '73 was a very good year evidently, since it produced Randal, DSOM and Led Zep's Houses of the Holy.

I'm not a metalhead; I was more of a glam rock kid back in those years, so one of my fav tunes from Houses is No Quarter. Lemme tell you, it's not easy to cover Zep tunes on solo piano, and for sure, this attempt is marginal too. Nonetheless this one's for Monsieur L'Ennui. Consider your meme met, bub.

Why Am I Sorry A Long Time Utah Republican Lost His Job?

2008-07-24T10:27:00.002-06:00

Watch this 6:00 clip for the answer.

Take a very good look around at your polling place this November. Bring a camera if you can. A video cam would be even better. Just sayin....

Sauce for the Goose

2008-07-22T21:34:00.002-06:00

For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill.
The eyes of all people are upon us.
-- John Winthrop, Governor of Massachusetts, 1630 --

A TERRIFIC POST from Bill W. (who is also a contributor at Crooks and Liars, who've also posted it) really lays on the line just how much harm the criminal Bush administration has done to international law, peace, and just incidentally, America's reputation. And it comes with a great video clip! (uploaded to YouTube by Bill W. - man, this guy does it all and gives you your correct change to boot.)

Sudan Cites US Example Why It Won't Comply With UN, ICC

One sad truth that Bill doesn't go into (and I'm racking my brains here to find a base he hasn't covered) - from the point of view of someone who isn't an American (I'm proudly Canadian, eh?) - is that this is just another example of the idea of American Exceptionalism that has been accepted and even nurtured under the good old Stars and Stripes for far too long.

Ah yes, American Exceptionalism - the bastard child of Manifest Destiny and the Monroe Doctrine. The not-quite-so-evil twin of Might Makes Right. Nurtured and fed on a falsehood that is older than the country itself - the idea that the US is so morally superior to everyone else that it can be described as The City on the Hill, The Beacon of Democracy, the Font of Everything That is Good in The World.

And the reason that the world doesn't have to be concerned about the actions of America or its leaders? - because they're just so darned peachy-keen, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed gee whiz golly gosh dripping with good intentions. And if those good intentions turn out to make some US businesses a tidy profit? Well all the better! We'll throw in a slice of hot apple pie, and teach your folks how to play baseball.

And if those good intentions lead to us backing a coup against your democratically elected leader and installing a business-friendly tinpot dictator who starts murdering the opposition? Well shucks, dang, and whoa there Bessie. That never happens! Except for a few times in Guatemala, Iran, Chile, Nicaragua, Panama, and enough places that it's hard to remember them all. But you can rest assured it will never happen again anyway. Trust us.

And not to seem too critical of our well-armed neighbour to the south, I'd like to add that this principle of Exceptionalism is running afoul of another principle that originated in the US, in fact the very principle that the ICC is based on. Yes, that's right, it's called the Nuremberg principle. The idea is that entire countries are not responsible for wars, their LEADERS are. Especially when the leaders in question have been caught in so many lies that no-one can even keep track anymore. And let's not forget that indispensable adjunct to the Nuremberg principle, that the leaders must be held accountable for their actions. Please let's not forget that.

If Bush and his gang of criminals are not held accountable, and significantly if that accounting is not spearheaded by America herself, any credibility you have internationally will be lost forever. Because in Bush's eye's it's not the country as a whole that benefits from this status of City on A Hill, it's himself personally. And that's just not right. As important as it is for the world that Bush be brought to justice it is equally important to America that they take an active role. Else you'll be painted with the brush of complicity in his crimes.

To wind it up, I've got some more video for you that's to the point:

All Presidential Accountability Goes Out The Window!

Oh, and there's one other thing. Did I mention that this is all going on against the backdrop of a British Parliament report that US assurances that it does not torture can no longer be taken at face value? Well, I meant to. It seems relevant.

The eyes of all people are upon you.

Cross-posted from Les Enragés.org

TAGS: War Crimes, ICC, International Criminal Court, American Exceptionalism

Tomato!

2008-07-21T12:53:00.005-06:00

I love this tomato plant. It's getting ready to kick out tons of cherry tomatoes. Yummmmm.

Scale wise, I am 5'11" and that plant just keeps getting taller and fatter. I just get fatter.

If you click the pic, you'll get a larger image.

Look On The Bright SIde Of Life

2008-07-18T15:00:00.000-06:00

Just love those Leningrad Cowboys. Where can I score one of those crazy hats?

TAGS: Dirty Frikkin Hippies, What, me worry?,

The Head in the Sand Approach

2008-07-16T20:44:00.000-06:00

How The Bush Administration Reacted to War Crimes Warnings

The release of Jane Mayer's The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals. (See the book review in Salon) has really unleashed a flurry of activity in Greater Left Blogsylvania, due to the revelations it contains with respect to Bush Administration culpability over the detainee torture program. In particular, and I mentioned this in my last post, the fact that in a secret report last year the Red Cross found evidence of the CIA using torture on prisoners that would make the Bush administration guilty of war crimes has caused quite a stir. Understandably.

This is a brilliant piece of radio from KCRW in Santa Monica, with KCRW's Warren Olney discussing the book with Mayer. Harper’s legal affairs writer Scott Horton offers comments, together with Cliff May and Noel Francisco. . You can download a podcast here or just play it right here. Thanks to Harper's magazine for the embed code.

Jane Mayer discusses The Dark Side

(The actual discussion starts about 7:00 in)

The whole thing is deserving of comment, and particular attention should be paid to the pathetic wriggling of Noel Francisco in the role of Bush apologist. All he can really do is pull out the same old tired arguments that have already been debunked and anyway rely on factoids that can easily proven false. Sad really.

I've made up a transcript of the part of the show that struck me the most, from which I derived the 'head in the sand' title. Mayer describes a Pentagon meeting where the faction advocating a reckless disregard of the Geneva conventions propose that simply ignoring them would somehow be equivalent to making them go away altogether. Doug Feith has a reputation as one of the stupidest men on the planet, and I would say this just about proves it. The transcript begins about 33 minutes into the podcast, after some breathtakingly inane arguments from Noel Francisco.

Warren Olney:
"Who were the people that you say were warning about war crimes and urging against this course of action [torture program], and what happened to them?

Jane Mayer:
It was so explicit that they were warning about war crimes that there was actually a meeting that took place in the Pentagon. ... It would have been in the summer of 2005 - in which the general counsel of the Navy, Alberto Mora took out the statutes and the law books and read it out loud in a meeting at which Stephen Cambone and Doug Feith were attending. Doug Feith's the number three in the Pentagon at this point.

There was this kind of game playing going on about the law, and now I'm not a lawyer, so maybe this is just how lawyers work, but basically in that particular meeting the question was, 'Should America hew to the Geneva Conventions as a matter of policy if not law? Should we try to live up to at least treating people along the standards that are spelled out in the Geneva conventions, which require humane treatment? And in that meeting the people who opposed doing so said, "If we adopt this law, if we admit this law rules, then we're going to be accused of breaking it, so it would be better if we would just say, 'it doesn't have any applicability' ." At which point Alberto Mora, who was the top lawyer for the Navy said, "You don't have any choice folks. This law exists whether you want to admit it exists or not, and you're going to be breaking it if you're breaking it." So, there are many examples, but that's the one that comes to mind.

This ostrich-like idea that if you simply pretend that a law doesn't exist you can break it with impunity shows a disregard for reality that is astonishing even for the Bush administration. Let us all hope that they pay dearly for this latest confluence of utter gormlessness in the service of unremitting evil.

Gentlemen, the Hague awaits.

TAGS: Jane Mayer, Bush War Crimes, Torture Program
The Great and Glorious War on Turr

I Imagine That...

2008-07-15T15:15:00.002-06:00

... when they actually tell W that he has to leave the Whitehouse next January, the scene will go something like this:

Light Posting

2008-07-14T07:17:00.004-06:00

Sorry About the Light Posting lately. I've been busy and wrapped up in meat world.

But I did catch something in the news - from ThinkProgress:

The Sunday Times reports Stephen Payne, a Bush pioneer and a political appointee to the Homeland Security Advisory Council, was caught on tape offering access to key members of the Bush administration inner circle in exchange for “six-figure donations to the private library being set up to commemorate Bush’s presidency.”

In an undercover video, Payne is seen promising to arrange a meeting for an exiled leader of Krygystan with Dick Cheney or Condoleezza Rice. (Not President Bush because “he doesn’t meet with a lot of former Presidents these days,” Payne says. “I don’t think he meets with hardly anyone.”) All it will take for him to arrange this high-level meeting, says Payne, is “a couple hundred thousand dollars, or something like that”:

PAYNE: The exact budget I will come up with. But it will be somewhere
between $600,000 and $750,000, with about a third of it going directly to the
Bush library. […] 200, 250, something like that. That’s gonna be a show of
“we’re interested, we’re your friends, we’re still friends.”

Watch the startling video here.

U.S. Economy Will Force End of Empire

2008-07-10T11:28:00.003-06:00

McClatchy reports that the libertarian approach to economics is getting a bit tenuous, even for the die hard supply-siders of the Bush Administration.

After at least a quarter-century of pressing for deregulation of financial markets, economists and members of Congress are pushing for renewed regulation in hopes of heading off a collapse of the global banking system.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Tuesday became the latest official to call for additional government powers, saying that the Fed should be given more authority to determine how much cash investment banks are required to keep in reserve and to monitor how they manage the risk involved in their investments.

If you thought the value of the dollar was in the tank, check out what's going on with the Zimbabwean currency. $500 million does not buy what it used to.

We may not be in the same sinking boat with Zimbabwe, but we won't be the world's largest economy for much longer if we don't pump some life back into the dollar. That may not be a bad thing, since under the rigged rules of globalization having such a massive economy affords our leaders the opportunity to hold the proverbial debt gun to the heads of smaller nations.

Economists are projecting that China's economy will overtake the U. S. economy by 2035. Frankly, they can have it. If we don't know enough to let demand and sensible regulations dictate the most amazing economic entity in world history--wasn't that the point of westward genocide, er, expansion?--then the Chinese should probably have the mantle of the world's strongest economy. Will they use it to foolishly and overreach for the dream of global empire as we have? Probably. Better them than us.

UC-San Diego professor Chalmers Johnson has written some of the best work on the subject of U.S. Empire. He makes the point that internal democracies with external empires cannot last. The forces of Empire eventually kill off the democracy, or the democracy re-asserts itself and breaks up the Empire. Either we dump the 700-plus military bases we have around the world or our politicians will resort to killing democracy in order to defend them.

Johnson recently discussed his book Sorrows of Empire on C-SPAN (MP3 here).

Goodbye To My Dear Friend, the 4th Amendment

2008-07-09T11:35:00.006-06:00

Here's the list of the wankers who voted to let the 4th amendment go away today. Democrat wankers below:

Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Conrad (D-ND) Feinstein (D-CA)
Inouye (D-HI) Johnson (D-SD) Kohl (D-WI) Landrieu (D-LA) Lincoln (D-AR) McCaskill (D-MO) Mikulski (D-MD) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Obama (D-IL) Pryor (D-AR) Rockefeller (D-WV) Salazar (D-CO) Webb (D-VA) Whitehouse (D-RI)

And as per usual, Glenzilla is pretty much right on the money.

With their vote today, the Democratic-led Congress has covered-up years of
deliberate surveillance crimes by the Bush administration and the telecom
industry, and has dramatically advanced a full-scale attack on the rule of law
in this country. As I noted earlier today, Law Professor and Fourth Amendment
expert Jonathan Turley was on MSNBC's Countdown with Rachel Maddow last night
and gave as succinct an explanation for what Democrats -- not the Bush
administration, but Democrats -- have done today. Anyone with any lingering
doubts about what is taking place today in our country should watch this (video below):

Maddow's introduction to Jonathan Turley's segment on Countdown last night, including the phrase "...one finger salute to the rule of law.." would be hilarious if it weren't true. Watch:

30 Felony counts, for which Bush is now, at least temporarily, absolved.

As I've expressed before, the Bill of Rights, the first Ten Amendments to the Constittion are inextricably woven together, regardless of how they're numbered. When you take one of those away, the others become weaker.

Expect the next attacks to be on the First Amendment.

TAGS: FiSA, Surveillance State, Useless or Incompetent Congress, Take Your Pick, Grrrr

Saying "McCain = Bush" Can Get You In Big Trouble

2008-07-08T09:11:00.003-06:00

Via Howie Klein, at Down With Tyranny:

And if you have any doubt about which way the Insiders-- whether Bush, McCain,
the Republican sheep in Congress, or the Republican wing of the Democratic
Party-- are taking this country, watch this short video taken yesterday in
Denver as a 61 year old librarian, peacefully exercising her express
constitutional rights, was harassed and threatened by the police for saying what
everyone in America already knows: McCain = Bush

Welcome to McCain world - agree with him or we'll adios with your ass to jail, prole.

Scriabin

2008-07-07T16:05:00.002-06:00

Scriabin was a Russian composer who I love, because he was nuts. Really, certifiably nuts. But wrote some awful damn good music.

After I get caught back up, I'll post something of better substance. Hope you all had a happy 4th of July!

Judge Orders Your Youtube Viewing Records Released To Viacom

2008-07-03T13:30:00.001-06:00

Yes, you read that title correctly.

From Wired:

Viacom filed suit against Google in March 2007, seeking more than $1 billion in damages for allowing users to upload clips of Viacom's copyright material. Google argues that the law provides a safe harbor for online services so long as they comply with copyright takedown requests.

Although Google argued that turning over the data would invade its users' privacy, the judge's ruling (.pdf) described that argument as "speculative" and ordered Google to turn over the logs on a set of four tera-byte hard drives.

The judge also turned Google's own defense of its data retention policies -- that IP
addresses of computers aren't personally revealing in and of themselves, against it to justify the log dump.

From the Electronic Frontier Foundation:

The Logging database contains:

'...for each instance a video is watched, the unique “login ID” of the user who watched it, the time when the user started to watch the video, the internet protocol address other devices connected to the internet use to identify the user’s computer (“IP address”), and the identifier for the video.'
Google correctly argued that “the data should not be disclosed because of the users’ privacy concerns,” citing the VPPA, 18 U.S.C. § 2710. However, the Court dismissed this argument with no analysis, stating “defendants cite no authority barring them from disclosing such information in civil discovery proceedings, and their privacy concerns are speculative.”

So you see, it's only speculative what they will do with your user data if you've ever watched a youtube.

But get this, Viacom had attempted to compel the source code for Google's Search, Google/Youtube Video and the Google Advertising Schema!

Here's the rundown on the whole list Viacom wanted and what the judge granted and denied:

(1) The cross-motion for a protective orderbarring disclosure of the source code for the YouTube.com search function is granted, and the motion to compel production of that search code is denied;

(2) The motion to compel production of the source code for the Video ID program is denied;

(3) The motion to compel production of all removed videos is granted;

(4) The motion to compel production of all data from the Logging database concerning each time a YouTube video has been viewed on the YouTube website or through embedding on a third-party website is granted;

(5) The rnotion to compel production of those data fields which defendants have agreed to produce for works-in-suit, for all videos that have been posted to the YouTube website is denied;

(6) The motion to compel production of the schema for the Google Advertising database is denied;

(7) The motion to compel production of schema for the Google Video Content database is granted; and

(8) The motion to compel production of the private videos and data realted to them is denied at this time except to the extent it seeks production of specified non-content data about such videos

So ordered.
Dated: July 1, 2008New York, New York

Louis L. Stanton

A couple of interesting relational tidbits to go with this madness. Judge Stanton is an 81 year old Reagan appointee. He has been overturned on copyright cases, as well as others, notably in a case about a biography of L. Ron Hubbard.

Philippe Dauman's (current CEO of Viacom and it's general counsel for quite a few years) attitude about the suit can be viewed and read here. He's wrong on DRM, fair use, technology, net neutrality, you name it.

And last, the ever present connection to government power: Viacom's chief lobbyist is Wayne Berman, who also lobbies for AT&T, Chevron and The Carlyle Group among others. He is also a "Bush Ranger" having raised at least $200,000 for Bush's campaign. Berman's wife, Lea, is the White House Social secretary.

Figures, doesn't it?

Suicide Painless, Prison Painful

2008-07-03T09:39:00.000-06:00

Sam Israel, you are no Ken Lay.

Israel faked his suicide last month on the day he was supposed to report to prison for fraud. He left his car on a bridge over the Hudson River. The words "suicide is painless" were scrawled on the hood.

Hilarious. The guy likes M.A.S.H. Nothing wrong with that. He also bilked investors out of $450 million, so maybe suicide is painless, but doing business with Sam Israel, that is painful indeed.

This one's for you Sam:

A Foodbank Experience

2008-07-02T01:00:00.001-06:00

[This is a re-print from a year ago, updated somewhat - UC]

Have you ever been to a foodbank?

This is part one of a multi part series. It's just about the scope and scale of the problem.

I was recently fortunate enough to have an inside tour of the foodbank in Lincoln Nebraska. Jennifer Bauman is the Agency coordinator there and took me through how the whole operation works.

And did you catch that one piece of irony? Hunger is worse in the summer for kids, since they can't get at least one meal from school. In some of the richest farmland, in one of the richest countries on the planet, kids go hungry.

In reviewing some of the written materials I received on that visit, some further facts:

It was 2.79 million pounds of food that the Lincoln Foodbank distributed through agencies in 2006
They're gearing up for over 3 million in 2007
There has not been a year that the demand for services has ever gone down
When several Directors of the larger distributing agencies were asked, none of them felt the total Community need was being met. If funding and space were not issues, they could grow their distribution double digits percentage-wise every year.

There are over 200 programs that serve the Lincoln area. Keep in mind now that the Lincoln Foodbank is one of the smallest in the country. You can now start extrapolating the problem. It's in the multiple millions, and the Hunger in America Study 2006 really drills down into the picture.

[Why do I post this at this time? It's the Farm Bill. It's up for reauthorization this summer. It's the umbrella where we'll show resolve as a people for Hunger issues. Food Stamps are part of it, as well as a huge opportunity for Corporate Farming and Fast Food to try and put their hands in the trough. More on that in a further section of this series. ]

As it turns out, Mike Johanns quit as Ag. Secretary to run for Senate in Nebraska. The Bill, which had lousy stewardship throughout, had even lousier stewardship after that. Suffice it to say, it was a lousy bill that got passed. And kids are still worse off in the summer as far as hunger is concerned. This summer I'll bet even more than last summer given the economic detrioration, hardest felt in rural areas.

If you have a food bank in your area, they'll appreciate anything you can push their way.

Enchiladas

2008-07-01T08:28:00.003-06:00

In the mood for some Mexican food!

And margaritas too! Ain't summer grand?

I don't add tomatoes anymore. Now it's just pure peppery goodnes.

George Lucas Is A Prophet

2008-06-29T23:11:00.007-06:00

By any standard George Lucas of Star Wars fame is a prophet. Not only have others noticed the erie resemblance between a certain Sith lord and Joe Lieberman, George Lucas knew what was going to happen, dystopically, before that.

I have evidence, which I place before the galactic blogosphere - behold:

There's this little movie, THX 1138 from 1971 with Robert Duvall and Donald Pleasance in it for starters. Yep, Lucas directed it.

"The human race has been relocated to a underground city located beneath the Earth's surface. In the underground city, the population are entertained by holographic TV which broadcasts sex and violence and robotic police force enforces the law. In the underground city, society controls all life, all citizens are drugged to control their emotions and their behavior and sex is a crime. Factory worker THX-1138 stops taking the drugs and he breaks the law when he finds himself falling in love with his room-mate LUH 3417 and is imprisoned when LUH 3417 is pregnant."

Have a little look at this fabulous turn of events, where you get to buy "consumables" which are always being standardized for efficiency, and there's a VERY efficient working relationship between the State and Religion; Confession, all taped and digitized for easy retrieval. De-sensitization to violence is paramount in this culture of Lucas'. And I forgot, the Corporation IS the State. Just look for yourself.

I find the State flogging the Citizen at about 5:50 into the above video most disturbing. Replace that with Tasing, and VOILA! We have today. Clubs tomorrow?

Robert Duvall plays the part of THX-1138. (Have you put it together yet that the THX Surround Sound System is Lucas' homage to that little film yet? Anyways..) Duvall/THX get's incarcerated in the loony bin of that future state. Donald Pleasance is in the same bin. They Want OUT of their situation, really badly. Duvall/THX understands that he's looking at a dreamworld. He decides to defy the conventional and loony wisdom and walk to the boundaries of their crazy world. Donald Pleasance makes a bunch of noise and follows.

Watch the clip below, and look at about who gives them guidance at about 5:38?

And what does this guy do? Take some of their food, and when they ask him, "Do you know the way out?" he tells them, "Hey, go back the way you came. Look, that's the way out. You see?"

And they turn on their heels and follow him.

Long story short, he's a hologram, a puppet run by the same CorporoState that Brought You Consumables!

At 7:46 - "How shall a new environment be programmed? It all happens so slowly that most men fail to realize that anything had happened at all..."

This is my long winded and weird to get to the flap between Glenn Greenwald and Keith Olberman. The thing is, is that Digby is right. Fuck this centrist bullshit. What they're not saying is that POLITICS SHOULD BE AS PARTISAN AS CONCIEVABLE OR POSSIBLE RIGHT NOW! Cheese and Rice, there is no time like NOW to repudiate the politics of the Republicans with 8 out of 10 people saying the country is going down the tubes.

Obama Ain't Gotta Play On FISA. It's as simple as that. So he should suck it up and LEAD THE FILIBUSTER!

Now Olbermann announced that he'll have a Special Comment on his Monday program about this little grange war. Fine. I hope he shoots the shit out of the target and makes Obama squirm. If Keith goes to the alleged "center " on this thing, well fuck, he turns into the next generation of the Very Wise And Serious Villagers, at which point I will vomit, as if anybody cares.

Anybody that keeps saying to me "march to the center, it's pragmatic" I feel like punching in the face. I'm no sheep. I may be a Democrat and I want to win as much as anybody eolse but I don't want to wake up in 4, 5, 10 more years and be even farther down the road to THX 1138.

What the hell would be my name? UNC - 4291?

I'll vote for this Obama person, but it's only because of the alternative. Like I said during the primaries "If the country is a car hurtling off the cliff, the Repugs are stepping on the gas, the Dems are thinking about putting on the breaks. It's up to us to stop the fucking car."

TAGS: Consumables, March To The Center, Stoopid, Sheep, Media sucks, Even Olbermann, Sorry Boy-o

UC Presents -

2008-06-27T10:02:00.003-06:00

Human Being With A Tail