"...disassemble. That means they tell lies." How on earth did this "man" get to be President? Yes, the first election was stolen by the Supremes & the second, frankly, was also stolen, probably by Diebold. What's a citizen to do? Join us for Drinking Liberally, Thursday nights 6-9, at the Black Cat in Ashland, WI.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Downing St. Memo
Here's what you need to do, all of you! Click here & go sign John Conyers' petition. It's important & shouldn't take you very long at all. John Conyers ought to be president instead of this liar we have. Sign the petition, do it. Your parents, children, hell, your dog will be proud of you.
Hwy. 61, Revisited
Yes, Bob Dylan's home town paper. The New York Times? Buried on page 18. Why isn't there a lot more reporting on this memo? Are the main stream media's reporters afraid? What the hell is going on? Click on this link - The Daily Tribune - Hibbing, Minnesota
Monday, May 30, 2005
Brass Tacks
Good post,even with the rather depressing conclusion. We will need to get this around, maybe some of it will help explain a relatively complex idea to just folks.
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Mem. Wked. #2
I went up toward Lake Superior to a graduation party. I was happy for the girls who graduated. Got into a one-way screaming match (believe it or not, I wasn't screaming) with an education professor - something about my saying that research shows over & over again, that the kids that come into school with "it" leave school with "it". Boy, that got her mad. & might I say, defensive. We need more Buddhists in education, a lot more. Came home & realized that Mrs. coldH2O's yellow lab (a flunk-out seeing-eye dog) had pissed on this laptop, although not enough to disable it, obviously. Also, I downloaded my first song to my new iPod - Joan Baez's Diamonds & Rust, so I'm even sadder than normal. Then had a Pernod, Herbsaint, & Peychaud bitters cocktail & began thinking about Memorial Day. & thinking about the wars the USA has been involved in during my lifetime. First, Korea & I was way too young to deal with it (MASH, OK?). Then Vietnam & what a disaster. I thought we had finished American adventurism with that debacle, but no, no, then came the Bushies. Gulf 1, then Gulf 2. But back to Vietnam. I had friends in that war. A high school acquaintance - a Loduha, died there. Another, we had to lock into his bedroom at night from the outside, he blew a child's head off (not on purpose, but it did matter to him but not to the crappy government that would not help him after the fact). & there was the college friend who borrowed Human Sexual Response (he wanted to be really sophisticated for his first in-room date - it was the beginning of co-ed dorm visits - a long time ago), he died in country. & there are others - the sons & daughters I work with today - & their fathers who either poison them with lies, or move so far away psychically as to be useless. & there will be more casualties in the future. & I hear Joan Baez sing - & I loved you dearly, but if you're offering me diamonds & rust, I've already paid.
Consistently Behind
How come we claim the best health care in the world, yet the stats on infant mortality have been consistently lousy? Here's another set:
As of 2004, according to the International Database of the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 6.6 deaths of infants per thousand live births in the U.S. Below are the associated infant mortality figures for a selection of other developed countries:
Australia: 4.8As of 2004, according to the International Database of the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 6.6 deaths of infants per thousand live births in the U.S. Below are the associated infant mortality figures for a selection of other developed countries:
Austria: 4.7
Canada: 4.8
Denmark: 4.6
Finland: 3.6
France: 4.3
Germany: 4.2
Greece: 5.6
Ireland: 5.5
Italy: 6.1
Japan: 3.3
New Zealand: 6.0
Norway: 3.7
Portugal: 5.1
Spain: 4.5
Sweden: 2.8
Switzerland: 4.4
United Kingdom: 5.2
Free Press
Via The Chicago Sun-Times.
Debra Pickett
Freedom's just another word for dodging tough questions
May 27, 2005
BY DEBRA PICKETT SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
The news from Washington is like a bad Broadway show, the kind that promises to make you laugh and cry and be better than "Cats."
The comedy came first. On Monday, President Bush stood beside Afghan President Hamid Karzai for a "Joint Press Availability."
Asked if the Iraqi insurgency was getting more difficult to defeat militarily, Bush answered with a classic Dubya-ism.
"No, I don't think so," he said, "I think they're being defeated. And that's why they continue to fight."
It's the sort of answer that makes you pause and scratch your head for just long enough to give him a chance to change the subject. He's quite masterful at doing this, which made me wonder if he hadn't taken Karzai aside before the press conference and whispered in his ear, "Listen, Hammie, these reporters are tricky. You better let me handle 'em. I've got 'em wrapped around my finger with this whole newspeak war-is-peace idea Karl found in some book from the 1980s."
But Bush's Orwellian logic -- good for only a cynical chuckle -- was definitely not the comic high point of the afternoon. Instead, for sheer free press-thwarting brilliance, Karzai easily won the day.
After the two men made some opening remarks, talking about the glories of bringing democracy to Afghanistan, Bush announced, "And in the spirit of the free press, we'll answer a couple of questions."
Afghanistan's 'free' press
The first question dealt with the military's treatment of Afghan prisoners of war. It was full of facts and details and built-in follow-ups, so you could tell the reporter asking it would probably never get called on again. And, after this rocky start, Bush decided to let the American reporters cool their heels for a while.
"Somebody from the Afghan press?" he asked next.
There was an awkward silence, which Karzai gamely tried to fill in by asking, "Anybody from the Afghan press? Do we have an Afghan press?"
Then he spotted the single reporter his government had permitted to travel outside Afghanistan.
"Oh, here he is," Karzai said, as the room filled with the not-quite-warm laughter of people who suspect they might actually be the butt of a joke but aren't sure.
It turned out, National Public Radio journalist David Greene reported later, there were nine other Afghan reporters who were to have followed Karzai on his U.S. visit but, at the last minute, the Karzai government decided to withhold their travel permits for fear the journalists might try to escape their troubled homeland.
Bush seemed genuinely surprised that the Afghan reporters weren't there -- American journalists had been asked to fill in their empty seats -- so it seems that Karzai forgot to mention to his good friend that the whole free press thing has a slightly different meaning in the burgeoning democracy that is Afghanistan.
I imagine they had a pretty good laugh about that one.
And I bet Bush was jealous.
Making a grown man cry
Later in the week, the comic first act on Pennsylvania Avenue gave way to a tragic second act on Capital Hill.
Reports are divided as to whether Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) was crying or just fighting back tears as he spoke on the Senate floor on Wednesday. But either way, he was obviously very emotional as he begged his Republican colleagues to reconsider their party line support of John Bolton, the Bush nominee for ambassador to the United Nations.
"I know some of my friends say, 'Let it go, George. It's going to work out,' " Voinovich said. "I don't want to take the risk. I came back here and ran for a second term because I'm worried about my kids and my grandchildren."
It was also clear that Voinovich was worried for his political life. Conservative groups are already running ads against him, and Bush allies have been busily trashing him to anyone who'll listen.
The pressure, Voinovich told one interviewer, has been "overwhelming."
Listening to Voinovich's desperately cracking voice was utterly heartbreaking. And so was this line, written by Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Sabrina Eaton after the close of the senator's speech: "With that, Voinovich returned to his seat and fidgeted with a yellow highlighting pen until he regained his composure."
Anyone who has ever cried at work knows exactly what that moment felt like, trying so hard to fight back tears that it only makes you cry more. It is the loneliest feeling in the world.
'Cats,' at least, was quick
I think we heard the Bush administration in full voice this week, laughing at those who ask questions, wringing tears from those who would dare dissent.
If it were a Broadway show, you could buy a ticket, watch the show and then walk out into the open air. But this is our real life, and there are not even fire exits.
Debra Pickett
Freedom's just another word for dodging tough questions
May 27, 2005
BY DEBRA PICKETT SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
The news from Washington is like a bad Broadway show, the kind that promises to make you laugh and cry and be better than "Cats."
The comedy came first. On Monday, President Bush stood beside Afghan President Hamid Karzai for a "Joint Press Availability."
Asked if the Iraqi insurgency was getting more difficult to defeat militarily, Bush answered with a classic Dubya-ism.
"No, I don't think so," he said, "I think they're being defeated. And that's why they continue to fight."
It's the sort of answer that makes you pause and scratch your head for just long enough to give him a chance to change the subject. He's quite masterful at doing this, which made me wonder if he hadn't taken Karzai aside before the press conference and whispered in his ear, "Listen, Hammie, these reporters are tricky. You better let me handle 'em. I've got 'em wrapped around my finger with this whole newspeak war-is-peace idea Karl found in some book from the 1980s."
But Bush's Orwellian logic -- good for only a cynical chuckle -- was definitely not the comic high point of the afternoon. Instead, for sheer free press-thwarting brilliance, Karzai easily won the day.
After the two men made some opening remarks, talking about the glories of bringing democracy to Afghanistan, Bush announced, "And in the spirit of the free press, we'll answer a couple of questions."
Afghanistan's 'free' press
The first question dealt with the military's treatment of Afghan prisoners of war. It was full of facts and details and built-in follow-ups, so you could tell the reporter asking it would probably never get called on again. And, after this rocky start, Bush decided to let the American reporters cool their heels for a while.
"Somebody from the Afghan press?" he asked next.
There was an awkward silence, which Karzai gamely tried to fill in by asking, "Anybody from the Afghan press? Do we have an Afghan press?"
Then he spotted the single reporter his government had permitted to travel outside Afghanistan.
"Oh, here he is," Karzai said, as the room filled with the not-quite-warm laughter of people who suspect they might actually be the butt of a joke but aren't sure.
It turned out, National Public Radio journalist David Greene reported later, there were nine other Afghan reporters who were to have followed Karzai on his U.S. visit but, at the last minute, the Karzai government decided to withhold their travel permits for fear the journalists might try to escape their troubled homeland.
Bush seemed genuinely surprised that the Afghan reporters weren't there -- American journalists had been asked to fill in their empty seats -- so it seems that Karzai forgot to mention to his good friend that the whole free press thing has a slightly different meaning in the burgeoning democracy that is Afghanistan.
I imagine they had a pretty good laugh about that one.
And I bet Bush was jealous.
Making a grown man cry
Later in the week, the comic first act on Pennsylvania Avenue gave way to a tragic second act on Capital Hill.
Reports are divided as to whether Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) was crying or just fighting back tears as he spoke on the Senate floor on Wednesday. But either way, he was obviously very emotional as he begged his Republican colleagues to reconsider their party line support of John Bolton, the Bush nominee for ambassador to the United Nations.
"I know some of my friends say, 'Let it go, George. It's going to work out,' " Voinovich said. "I don't want to take the risk. I came back here and ran for a second term because I'm worried about my kids and my grandchildren."
It was also clear that Voinovich was worried for his political life. Conservative groups are already running ads against him, and Bush allies have been busily trashing him to anyone who'll listen.
The pressure, Voinovich told one interviewer, has been "overwhelming."
Listening to Voinovich's desperately cracking voice was utterly heartbreaking. And so was this line, written by Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Sabrina Eaton after the close of the senator's speech: "With that, Voinovich returned to his seat and fidgeted with a yellow highlighting pen until he regained his composure."
Anyone who has ever cried at work knows exactly what that moment felt like, trying so hard to fight back tears that it only makes you cry more. It is the loneliest feeling in the world.
'Cats,' at least, was quick
I think we heard the Bush administration in full voice this week, laughing at those who ask questions, wringing tears from those who would dare dissent.
If it were a Broadway show, you could buy a ticket, watch the show and then walk out into the open air. But this is our real life, and there are not even fire exits.
Mem. Wked.
So the holiday weekend got off to a good start with the appearance of an old, but short friend. It was good to she her. Then the kid came home with husband, two cats & dog in tow. It appears we will be babysitting said animals next week, after they leave. After I fell asleep last night, two more friends of the kids' arrived, with dog. At the present time, they are all off to an island in Lake Superior (it's not as exotic as it sounds) with Mrs. coldH2O. Then it's on to a graduation party, the local college variety. Overcast & chilly. It's beginning to look a lot like last summer - this is not a good thing. Bush will no doubt be out praising dead veterans the next couple of days. Men & women, who, unlike Bush himself, actually served this country & did not go AWOL.
Friday, May 27, 2005
Well, Well...Good News
It is good to see that Microsoft did another good thing. Firing Ralph Reed is a fine thing to do, more companies ought to think about it.
Sensitive or THE TRUTH HURTS
The following short piece is from the Chicago Tribune. Does anyone really feel sorry for DeLay? No one I know. Except, of course, DeLay himself.
Character's quip on `Law & Order' irks lawmaker
Houston Chronicle
Published May 27, 2005
WASHINGTON -- An episode of NBC's headline-derived police show "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" got a bit too realistic for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) when a fictional detective quipped that the lawmaker may have inspired the murder of a judge.
The Wednesday night episode appeared to be loosely based on the recent killings of the husband and mother of U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow in Chicago. In one scene of the show, two detectives look into whether a white supremacist might be behind the crime. When they learn of a seemingly related crime, the murder of a black judge, one of the detectives wisecracks:
"Maybe we should put out an APB [all points bulletin] for somebody in a Tom DeLay T-shirt."
The quip was an apparent reference to DeLay's remarks suggesting that judges who failed to prevent the removal of brain-damaged Terri Schiavo's feeding tube would have to "answer for their behavior."
The show's mention of DeLay prompted him to write NBC complaining about the "brazen lack of judgment." The show's creator, Dick Wolfe, said DeLay was "switching the spotlight from his own problems to an episode of a TV show.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Graphic Images
& I was worried about not getting my iPod on time. It's not about perspective, it's about the truth & the truth is that I've just about had it. Yesterday was pretty glum, & I don't see much literal sunlight on the horizon today. But it is important to read this whether you like it or not. Read the comments also.
Wild Blue Yonder #2045
Why I Am Not A Christian
No more cool miracles like turning water into wine or making dead people alive or blind people seeing the great meal for thousands with just a few fish clearly caught by a dry fly fisherman with some bread that turns into a lot of bread. I’m sure there are other miracles that I can not remember but there are other reasons as well like the live oaks in Spain full of dear dead heretics who just happened to be Muslim & black though not for lack of inventing the alphabet or spreading papermaking out of China although I am no fan of Arabian horses since the girls who ride them seem to just want to whack them with crops to get them to behave & it is possible that their girl or boy friends might appreciate the tight pants & leather while being whacked & whinnying in the cool moonlight.
Or we can move further up into Massachusetts with burned bodies littering Salem like all the other bodies with minds out of time eating salt & turkey provided by the Indians but thanking some longhaired god who for his own glory apparently murdered his own child & left him twisted in the dry wind for some Greeks who could run 26.2 miles like nobody’s business. & then wear a crown of MYRTLE???? not a crown of thorns which let’s face is tacky & then there’s the blood problem. & deep, deep inside each sentient & non-sentient being is the reality that they will be ultimately blindsided by their own deep nature that is the same nature as every Tennessee Walking Horse has only the horse nature is way closer to the open air & if you think a Tennessee Walking Horse is a sentient or non-sentient being you would be wrong & certainly in the further twilight orange falling leaves would say you are right.
Or the slumbering through orgasm after orgasm thinking only of Luther or the scourge of the body Augustine first sleeping drunkenly with pigs then with whores then hypnotizing himself with some artifact out of the graveyard that had not been dug up by wolves or grave robbers & moving away from the body so far that it all became a twice thinking spectacle that spawned a thousand crappy movies & he was proud of himself for calling out the name of Christ as he pierced his erect penis thinking it would be all right & truly all right sleeping alone with the physical world.
Or the comic book quality of the rhetoric that makes us all superheroes since we overcome the Kryptonite of ORIGINAL SIN & become even more than super we become supernatural even though we screw like dogs, birth like cows, need the sun as much as any cat & particularly for drugs like catnip to get us purring on the floor near a floor to ceiling window lazily watching evening grosbeaks at the oil sunflower feeder flashing their yellow eyebrows with that certain quality that men & women & children would like to acquire.
Anyone pointed in the right direction will get to where they are going to. So Christians say it is advice in how to get pointed that is the problem & they have the way to get the pointing right, right in the middle of eating flesh & blood magically transformed from bread & wine you get a clue that things are as they seem since the mean truth is that nothing has changed even if you really really try to get the change into your system. & the guy in charge & they are usually guys whether they are dressed in fancy robes or not tells you to read the book again & even though you like to read, books in particular, what you truly want to do is get loaded on that bottle of wine stored somewhere, hidden somewhere in the church & this will get you pointed to the nearest drunk tank where the employment opportunities are endless.
& then there is the walking on water thing but with me it always turns out too soft to walk on & too hard to swim in like Tab Benoint says but he’s talking about a swamp in Louisiana but that’s where I’d be trying to get to some good trout water except there is no good trout water in Louisiana unless you’re talking about sea trout & then there’s a lot of water, but I’m talking about trout that are salmonids swimming in cold water that does get hard enough to walk on, but only in winter when the wind pushes you into a canvas shelter staring down at an 8 inch hole or two 8 inch holes full of green water or coffee colored water or just plain lonely water looking for a friend that won’t accuse it of being a frigid sonofabitch.
This water would be so grateful for someone to just hold it gently, treating it with a warm respect but we all know that once we gathered up a loving armful or legful or handful or mouthful it would just run away, go back into hiding with all the other water & where I live it would run away to the sea, sliding through my legs faster than a New Orleans whore needing tuition money for a Catholic University & who would be sadder or wiser? Or more left alone?
& so on this great big blue & white & green & yellow & black & red & brown earth we must always push to live in the only reality there is, this sweet physical world that causes such joy.
No more cool miracles like turning water into wine or making dead people alive or blind people seeing the great meal for thousands with just a few fish clearly caught by a dry fly fisherman with some bread that turns into a lot of bread. I’m sure there are other miracles that I can not remember but there are other reasons as well like the live oaks in Spain full of dear dead heretics who just happened to be Muslim & black though not for lack of inventing the alphabet or spreading papermaking out of China although I am no fan of Arabian horses since the girls who ride them seem to just want to whack them with crops to get them to behave & it is possible that their girl or boy friends might appreciate the tight pants & leather while being whacked & whinnying in the cool moonlight.
Or we can move further up into Massachusetts with burned bodies littering Salem like all the other bodies with minds out of time eating salt & turkey provided by the Indians but thanking some longhaired god who for his own glory apparently murdered his own child & left him twisted in the dry wind for some Greeks who could run 26.2 miles like nobody’s business. & then wear a crown of MYRTLE???? not a crown of thorns which let’s face is tacky & then there’s the blood problem. & deep, deep inside each sentient & non-sentient being is the reality that they will be ultimately blindsided by their own deep nature that is the same nature as every Tennessee Walking Horse has only the horse nature is way closer to the open air & if you think a Tennessee Walking Horse is a sentient or non-sentient being you would be wrong & certainly in the further twilight orange falling leaves would say you are right.
Or the slumbering through orgasm after orgasm thinking only of Luther or the scourge of the body Augustine first sleeping drunkenly with pigs then with whores then hypnotizing himself with some artifact out of the graveyard that had not been dug up by wolves or grave robbers & moving away from the body so far that it all became a twice thinking spectacle that spawned a thousand crappy movies & he was proud of himself for calling out the name of Christ as he pierced his erect penis thinking it would be all right & truly all right sleeping alone with the physical world.
Or the comic book quality of the rhetoric that makes us all superheroes since we overcome the Kryptonite of ORIGINAL SIN & become even more than super we become supernatural even though we screw like dogs, birth like cows, need the sun as much as any cat & particularly for drugs like catnip to get us purring on the floor near a floor to ceiling window lazily watching evening grosbeaks at the oil sunflower feeder flashing their yellow eyebrows with that certain quality that men & women & children would like to acquire.
Anyone pointed in the right direction will get to where they are going to. So Christians say it is advice in how to get pointed that is the problem & they have the way to get the pointing right, right in the middle of eating flesh & blood magically transformed from bread & wine you get a clue that things are as they seem since the mean truth is that nothing has changed even if you really really try to get the change into your system. & the guy in charge & they are usually guys whether they are dressed in fancy robes or not tells you to read the book again & even though you like to read, books in particular, what you truly want to do is get loaded on that bottle of wine stored somewhere, hidden somewhere in the church & this will get you pointed to the nearest drunk tank where the employment opportunities are endless.
& then there is the walking on water thing but with me it always turns out too soft to walk on & too hard to swim in like Tab Benoint says but he’s talking about a swamp in Louisiana but that’s where I’d be trying to get to some good trout water except there is no good trout water in Louisiana unless you’re talking about sea trout & then there’s a lot of water, but I’m talking about trout that are salmonids swimming in cold water that does get hard enough to walk on, but only in winter when the wind pushes you into a canvas shelter staring down at an 8 inch hole or two 8 inch holes full of green water or coffee colored water or just plain lonely water looking for a friend that won’t accuse it of being a frigid sonofabitch.
This water would be so grateful for someone to just hold it gently, treating it with a warm respect but we all know that once we gathered up a loving armful or legful or handful or mouthful it would just run away, go back into hiding with all the other water & where I live it would run away to the sea, sliding through my legs faster than a New Orleans whore needing tuition money for a Catholic University & who would be sadder or wiser? Or more left alone?
& so on this great big blue & white & green & yellow & black & red & brown earth we must always push to live in the only reality there is, this sweet physical world that causes such joy.
More Progress
It will be so different with Saddam out of power. Oh hell, if it worked for Saddam, it'll work for us.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
First Coleman, Then Tasers
When will it stop? I think we should just let the cops shoot the darn kids if they get out of line. What the hey? There will be lawsuits anyway. We can always ask questions later. The country continues its speedy march backwards. I feel sick.
Ain't Gonna Study War No More
As with many things the Bushco maladministration does, like just doing anything, legal or not, then playing the patriot card when things go horseshit. This piece offers good reasons to impeach this corrupt President. A shout-out to Wayne for this lead. Keep this up & Whitey might just disappear.
What's the Big Deal? It's Capitalism
I do not begrudge the workers at Wal-Mart their tax-supported health care. What I do begrudge is Wal-Mart's claim that they pay a living wage. Again, the tax payers support a private company, who refuses to do the right thing.
Here's a sampling of the article:
The biggest employer of BadgerCare recipients was Wal-Mart, which had 809 of its employees and 443 of employee dependents enrolled in the state program in April. Providing health care for those 1,252 people costs Wisconsin about $2.7 million a year; Wal-Mart turned a profit of $10.3 billion in 2004.
Nonetheless, state officials remain concerned that businesses struggling to cope with soaring health care costs are making it harder and more expensive for workers to sign up for health care coverage, prompting more low-income employees to seek public aid.
Monday, May 23, 2005
What To Do
Here are some things we can all do to be better prepared. One further suggestion is to keep coming to the Drinking Liberally get-togethers on each Thursday night at the Black Cat in Ashland. No exceptions, it's important. Oh, & do the stuff.
Sneeze & Sneeze Again
So I've got a cold, sore throat, draining sinuses, & I'm sneezing (I hate sneezing). I read a piece in the Chicago Tribune about U2, a favorite of mine. There was an interview with Bono. Bono says selling out is just an attempt to promote your art. If my head wasn't filled with various shades of mucus, I'd be able to think about that. He did say something that made me smile - that the Stone's 1994 Voodoo Lounge was a great album, I agree. I remember playing that in my small office & having the ex-nun from down the hall ask me to turn it down. We got through the weekend OK. I turned 56, got an iPod from my wife, an iPod holder & iPod mike from a couple of good friends. Had a good Italian-style sirloin & a couple of gins. Then the next day went to a 2 year old's birthday party. I'm glad I brought my bamboo stick, fending off an army of rugrats can be tiring without one. I hope their future world is a good one. Jeez, there were so many of them. Well, I've been browbeating Mrs. coldH2O for some sort of cold relief & the potential high blood pressure be damned. Looks like she is finally tired of my whining & will acquiesce. Later, gator.
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Well, What Do You Think?
For many years, I've thought about the anti-intellectualism that exists in our country. It's been around for awhile, but lately it seems to have burst into full bloom, but this bloom is like the century flower, it really stinks. You know, real people don't need no education. Street smarts are more important that book smarts. I'd rather have someone just fix my toilet, not philosophize about the design evolution of water closets. As a teacher, myself, it gets discouraging to get into one of these arguments. We've all known the really smart person who didn't finish high school, yes, even in this century. Or the really smart person who never went to college. Or the really smart person who can't read, etc., etc. Interestingly enough, a lot of these people ARE intellectuals of some sort. They understand that knowledge is important, that reading is a good thing, that beautiful murals are worth something (worth a lot more than the crap on some buildings in northern Wisconsin), & that art is as important as politics. These type of people are becoming extinct, I'm afraid. We're faced daily with people proud of their dumbness, it's a badge of honor. We have people who think saying "gosh" is a way of connecting with the great unwashed. What passes for intelligence these days is how much you can screw your friends or community & become rich. "He's smart enough to be rich." Pathetic. So here is a piece about this very subject, beginning with just how stupid, in terms of knowledge, the religious right is. It's from Shakespeare's Sister.
Vance Mannion cites some interesting figures by way of Coturnix from a recent poll:
* Perhaps 15 percent of Americans participate in Bible studies.
* The number of people who read the Bible, at least occasionally is 59 percent.
* Less than 50 percent of Americans can name the first book of the Bible (Genesis).
* Only 1/3 of Americans know who delivered the Sermon on the Mount (more people identified Billy Graham rather than Jesus).
* Twenty-five percent of Americans don't know what is celebrated on Easter (the Resurrection of Christ, the foundational event of Christianity).
* Twelve percent of Christians think that Noah's wife is Joan of Arc.
* Eighty percent of born-again Christians (including George W. Bush) think it is the Bible that says "God helps them that help themselves." (Actually it was said by Benjamin Franklin.)
Much like my annoyance about the ignorance and stupidity of a certain set of Americans that rears its ugly head on a regular basis, I am becoming increasingly irritated by the evidence, via both polls such as the one producing the above results and via personal experience, that the people who repeatedly and vehemently purport to have a direct line to God and his thoughts are often the most ignorant about their own holy text. Liberal Christians, agnostics, and atheists almost unfailingly have a better hit ratio in terms of correct answers to questions such as the above than conservative Christians; indeed, I cannot recall ever having lost a debate on what is or is not in the Bible with a conservative Christian.
The two subjects—general ignorance and certitude that one’s version of Christianity is correct even in spite of evidence to the contrary—are, of course, connected. Agnostics and atheists (and probably most liberal Christians) have come to their position through critical analysis of religion and the existence of God, rather than the blind acceptance of whatever is told to them by their preachers (or their Aunt Deb) tells them. What one finds upon speaking to many conservative Christians is a void of personal exploration of their beliefs and a religion that has become disfigured from what amounts to a game of telephone—misinformation and misinterpretation generation after generation, further skewed by the personal imprints of the communicators with each passage of the message. And so sure are the recipients of the twisted stories that they are in possession of the infallible word of God that they ignore the source, assuming it confirms their beliefs, rather than letting their beliefs be guided by its direction.
Perhaps because my parents were professional educators, which certainly influenced me, I believe in learning by experience and practice; one doesn’t learn math by osmosis, by vague descriptions of geometry proofs but never actually doing one. Religion was no exception. I studied the words, the thoughts, the practices, the rituals, all the components of religion. In the end, I learned much about religion (including that it wasn’t for me), and so it is knowledge that enables me to win arguments about the Bible, and when it comes to a fact-based theological debate, knowledge trumps the faith they invoke as a mask for their ignorance upon which conservatives almost exclusively rely.
And that is the basis of the culture war that rages in America: knowledge versus ignorance. (Reality-based versus faith-based doesn’t truly get to its roots—reality is far too subjective a term, and being faithful and informed are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Secular versus sectarian doesn’t address it, either—liberal Christians fall on the side of agnostics and atheists, and most are willing and able to coexist. And the culture war is not unique to the sphere of religion, anyhow.) On any topic—gay rights, abortion, the Iraq War—one can easily find nonreligious conservatives who share the views of their religious counterparts, and the tie that binds the two is ignorance. Ignorance of the facts, lack of experience, no interaction with others unlike themselves. Conservatives are, as a whole, less educated, less traveled, and less likely to live in a diverse community than liberals. They cloister themselves in ignorance and openly display contempt for the intelligent and the well-informed. Never are they so derisive as when they sneer at a liberal with their greatest insult: S/he thinks s/he’s so smart.
Recall the assessment of Al Gore during the 2000 election, or John Kerry during the 2004 election. Both were roundly criticized by conservatives (and many swing voters) for being "too smart" or "thinking he was smarter" than them. That the president being more knowledgeable and intelligent than the voters ought to be a prerequisite for the job is a concept completely lost on Americans who are increasingly proud of their own stupidity ever since our current commander in chief made it fashionable. "Being a real American" is now akin to being a proudly ignorant fuckwit, a state of affairs that is not only totally infuriating but also embarrassing, as it handily plays into the assumptions that other countries have about Americans.
This is the real battle we face—a swelling contingent of the electorate who are not only ignorant, but determinedly and proudly so. Be the issue religion, war, civil rights, reproductive rights, or anything else, we cannot win the debate when there are so many who desire to base their opinions on a visceral reaction, a feeling, the conservative grapevine, who don’t want to be confused with the facts. The truth be told, our only hope as long as this pride in ignorance continues unabated is that the GOP becomes so resoundingly objectionable as to become unappealing even to those who revel in the fact that its current figurehead reflects their disdain for knowledge back so effectively to themselves.
It’s no wonder that President Bush’s educational mandate, No Child Left Behind, has been left unfunded. The worst disaster that could ever befall the conservative movement in America is thoughtful, well-educated majority. Why liberals are not winning is not because of unappealing candidates, support for gay marriage, or any of the other "fixable"—and thereby strangely hopeful—reasons. It is because we are in the midst of our own worst disaster: a thoughtful, well-educated minority getting smaller, I fear, by the day.
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Friday, May 20, 2005
Kevin Drum Is A Gosh Darned Idiot
Read the Howler's take on Drum saying the NYT is the best paper in the world.
Bush Is An Enemy Of The People
Bush & every other moron who doesn't support stem cell research ought to be forced to sign a legal document in which they promise that they, or anyone in their extended family, will not use the therapies developed by the Koreans, or the Brits, or the French, or whomever, to save their lives. It would be the right thing to do. Read here.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Firefox
So, wrote some more code, or, actually, cut & pasted it & typed, to add the Firefox button on the left under the links. I have been using Firefox for awhile & I really like it, so give it a try. It's free.
Glad Y'all Voted ReThuglian Now?
I feel like crap, but this makes me feel crappier. Is there nothing else for these bozos to be doing with their time? Schools? Jobs? Wake up Wisconsin. Then again, it may already be too late. Then again, it makes me support the homosexual agenda even more, because the homosexual agenda is the human agenda.
Drinking Liberally Tonight! But my bottle is empty, my throat sore, my back achy, I know, I'm breaking your heart. But the good news is that Wayne will be there, the trusty sidekick, & the mayor will be discussing What Is To Be Done, & since I'm not a city resident, go for it girls. & boys, of course.
If You Will
be my bodyguard-from my new friend Al Franken, via Atrios.
Al Franken
05.18.2005 Al Franken
What in God’s Name is Going On?
Al Franken
05.18.2005 Al Franken
What in God’s Name is Going On?
Last Friday I was on the panel of Bill Maher’s season finale of his HBO show “Real Time.” Bill’s guest by satellite was Senator Norm Coleman from my home state of Minnesota. Because Coleman serves on the homeland security committee, Maher asked him to comment on former homeland security director Tom Ridge’s recent revelation that the Bush administration would often issue terror alerts that he didn’t think were warranted. Could it be that they were using terror alerts politically?
Coleman answered that it was always good to err on the side of caution. Maher followed by asking Coleman if it struck him as odd that there haven’t been any terror alerts since the election?
After a long laugh from the audience, Coleman answered with some stuff about there still being a high level alert, but then reassured everybody with: "If in fact people used these things for political purposes, I’m sure Congress will look into that."
Wow! If people used these things for political purposes, he’s sure the Republican Congress will look into it? How is it that this guy can’t get through a five minute interview on a political comedy show without having to resort to total b.s.?
Right now Coleman is looking into the Oil-for-Food program, which was administered by the Security Council in the U.N., mostly by the U.S. and Britain. That didn’t stop Coleman from demanding Kofi Annan’s resignation without any proof of any wrongdoing on his part. There appears to be anywhere from one to two billion dollars stolen through the program – with most of that going to Saddam. Primarily the U.S. and Britain took it upon themselves to make sure that none of this money went toward making W.M.D.s. They seemed to have done a pretty good job.
Meanwhile, the Coalition Provisional Authority, which we ran, has lost 8.8 billion dollars. By lost, I mean it’s totally unaccounted for. Not only has Congress not "looked into" this $8.8 billion and who might have it now, but it seems that some members are completely unaware that this staggering sum, which was supposed to go toward rebuilding Iraq, is missing. The Sunday morning after the White House Correspondents dinner, I ran into Senator George Allen at a brunch thrown by John McLaughlin and his wife. Allen had never heard of the missing $8.8 billion, or at least that's what he told me. And he's on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Stunned, I went up to Susan Page of USA Today and her husband Carl Lubsdorf of the Dallas Morning News, two veteran Washington political reporters, and told them about Allen’s ignorance of this huge scandal, which has no doubt contributed to hatred for America and the deaths of our troops. There’s less electricity in Iraq now than there was before we invaded Iraq.
Turns out that Page and Lubsdorf had also never heard of the unaccounted-for $8.8 billion. For a moment I thought that maybe I had been imagining things.
Then I spotted my friend Norm Ornstein, scholar from the American Enterprise Institute. "Would you believe it if Norm Ornstein told you about the $8.8 billion?" I asked Susan and Carl.
"Sure."
I brought Norm over, and indeed I had not been imagining things. "It was a huge story," Norm told them.
"Was it in the New York Times?" Carl asked Norm.
"Yes," Norm assured him.
What in God’s name is going on?
Posted at 09:29 PM
Coleman answered that it was always good to err on the side of caution. Maher followed by asking Coleman if it struck him as odd that there haven’t been any terror alerts since the election?
After a long laugh from the audience, Coleman answered with some stuff about there still being a high level alert, but then reassured everybody with: "If in fact people used these things for political purposes, I’m sure Congress will look into that."
Wow! If people used these things for political purposes, he’s sure the Republican Congress will look into it? How is it that this guy can’t get through a five minute interview on a political comedy show without having to resort to total b.s.?
Right now Coleman is looking into the Oil-for-Food program, which was administered by the Security Council in the U.N., mostly by the U.S. and Britain. That didn’t stop Coleman from demanding Kofi Annan’s resignation without any proof of any wrongdoing on his part. There appears to be anywhere from one to two billion dollars stolen through the program – with most of that going to Saddam. Primarily the U.S. and Britain took it upon themselves to make sure that none of this money went toward making W.M.D.s. They seemed to have done a pretty good job.
Meanwhile, the Coalition Provisional Authority, which we ran, has lost 8.8 billion dollars. By lost, I mean it’s totally unaccounted for. Not only has Congress not "looked into" this $8.8 billion and who might have it now, but it seems that some members are completely unaware that this staggering sum, which was supposed to go toward rebuilding Iraq, is missing. The Sunday morning after the White House Correspondents dinner, I ran into Senator George Allen at a brunch thrown by John McLaughlin and his wife. Allen had never heard of the missing $8.8 billion, or at least that's what he told me. And he's on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Stunned, I went up to Susan Page of USA Today and her husband Carl Lubsdorf of the Dallas Morning News, two veteran Washington political reporters, and told them about Allen’s ignorance of this huge scandal, which has no doubt contributed to hatred for America and the deaths of our troops. There’s less electricity in Iraq now than there was before we invaded Iraq.
Turns out that Page and Lubsdorf had also never heard of the unaccounted-for $8.8 billion. For a moment I thought that maybe I had been imagining things.
Then I spotted my friend Norm Ornstein, scholar from the American Enterprise Institute. "Would you believe it if Norm Ornstein told you about the $8.8 billion?" I asked Susan and Carl.
"Sure."
I brought Norm over, and indeed I had not been imagining things. "It was a huge story," Norm told them.
"Was it in the New York Times?" Carl asked Norm.
"Yes," Norm assured him.
What in God’s name is going on?
Posted at 09:29 PM
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Say Thanks
MP Galloway neeeds to be thanked for smacking Sen. Asshat Coleman (Stupid-MN). Here's his email address:
- gallowayg@parliament.uk
What John Said/What Stranger Said
Via Americablog.
GOP Nazis
by John in DC - 5/18/2005 05:13:00 AM
Yes, let's throw reporters in jail who get a story wrong (assuming this even IS a mistake). Can we start with FOX News and the Washington Times?
No, going to war based on a lie is criminal.
Comments (3) | Permanent Link |
Español | Deutsch | Français | Italiano | Português
Go here for more, it's good. These are both reasons to praise The Daily Press for their article last week exposing some shady dealings in the city of Ashland.
GOP Nazis
by John in DC - 5/18/2005 05:13:00 AM
Yes, let's throw reporters in jail who get a story wrong (assuming this even IS a mistake). Can we start with FOX News and the Washington Times?
Rep. Deborah Pryce (Ohio), chairman of the House Republican Conference, urged every congressional office to cancel its Newsweek subscription. "Retraction and regrets will not atone for the reckless behavior of an irresponsible reporter and an overzealous publication," she said in a statement.
Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) used even stronger language, saying that Isikoff had "fabricated" the Koran incident and branding Newsweek's behavior "criminal.
No, going to war based on a lie is criminal.
Comments (3) | Permanent Link |
Español | Deutsch | Français | Italiano | Português
Go here for more, it's good. These are both reasons to praise The Daily Press for their article last week exposing some shady dealings in the city of Ashland.
A Good Editorial
This is a good tonic for the crap Howard Kurtz just shoveled out on the Imus show this morning. Apparently, even the truth needs retraction, redaction, in the Bush adminstration.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
More Galloway
Go to Crooks & Liars, watch the video, but please, please, read the comments on the Galloway post. It's illuminating & uplifting. It felt as good as listening to Galloway. I feel better.
Galloway Testimony
What a takedown of Minnesota's stupid Coleman. This is the kind of testimony all America needs to hear. Pass it on.
More Newsweek, More Olbermann, Please
Via Tbogg. Damn right that Olbermann is hot. & for those of you who watch, he is getting better & better.
Newsweek, I Hardly Knew Ye
I have no idea what the matter is with Newsweek, but they rolled over on this story faster than my setter pup rolls over for a dog treat, yes, I said setter pup rolls over. For some, as they say on cable, perspective, I give you this from the Mighty Corrente Building in downtown, jeez, I don't know what downtown it is, it could be yours or mine, for that matter. What's so amazing about this is that the American press apparently lives in a pre-Internets world, where a person can't find the stuff that makes reporters look stupid (point your finger, Bella, & say stupid). At least my new kitten understands the truth of the litter box most of the time.
Cause & Effect
Let's hope this reporter doesn't become mentally ill. This post references a letter to the editor in the Daily Press from Ashland, WI, in which the author contends that becoming hypnotized leads directly to schizophrenia.
Like This Is Going To Happen Anytime Soon
While I have only felt rushed a few times, most of my doctor visits have been of the six minute variety. This does not mean that I have been shortchanged in any technical sense, but there have been times, & this phenomena seems to be increasing with age, when I would just like to bullshit with someone who is having a profound impact on my life. & while I don't pretend to believe that she has all the answers, sometimes I'd like to explore my own goofball ideas about my health for awhile. It's not like I'm going to be right every time or any time, but I would still like to find out. So here is a fairy tale from a doctor that appears to be true. Sounds like a plumber to me. A kind plumber.
Monday, May 16, 2005
Bill Moyers
You need to read all of this speech by Bill Moyers. I won't excerpt any of it, since you really, really, need to read it all. I know some may find my description of what's going on in the country as a war is over the top, but damn it, it is a war. These theocratic ReThugs are all about denying us the freedom we have responsibly exercised for a long time. Pay attention, or we'll be forced to accept that Roe v. Wade is the cause of the Social Security "problem." Or that schizophrenia is caused by hypnotism. Jeez, Louise - it ain't funny anymore. Read the whole speech, morons, & pass it on.
Picture Trouble
I still haven't figured out the picture issue. So all the beautiful Black Cat baristas will need some patience. By the way, I can highly reccomend the Caesar salad, with egg. We all need our protein.
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Why the Right Really Hates Evolution
Bonobos have grace & a lot of fun. Read & enjoy & learn, if you don't know already.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Something Great Out of Michigan, Besides Jim Harrison
John Conyers is showing real leadership with his actions. We need to follow up, send him & the other signatories flowers, or at least an email praising their efforts. Bush must be called to task for the errors & maybe crimes we know he has committed.
Bittersweet
This from someone who meant it. How sad that progressives find themselves deciding to continue beating their heads against a concrete wall, giving up & slowing drying up, or moving to Canada, or other places. Bush & his minions are quickly changing this country into something unrecognizable to me. National ID cards being the latest example of hatred towards people. But we MUST shoulder on, the rain will stop & the overly-wealthy will be called to justice.
Bush's Friends
Freedom is on the move, NOT! These are the kind of people Bush's feels most comfortable with. & the world is a more hateful place because of Bush.
More Real Heroes
All the primate cousins in this story are the part of a group of real heroes that does not include Bush, the WORST PRESIDENT EVER. Let's hope these efforts succeed or it's a hell of a legacy we're leaving our grandchildren or greatchildren, whether we have any or not.
Sorry
I'm having trouble posting pictures through BloggerBot. So those of you waiting with bated breath for Friday cat blogging & Black Cat barista blogging will need to wait patiently until I figure this out. Plus, for the last few days the ISP has been "running" intermittently, causing me much sadness. Plus, it's raining out. Plus, plus, plus, oh, well....
We Should Do This Here?
If it weren't for the backward thinking majority on the city council in Ashland, & the oligarchs in their leather chairs, we could easily join this group of 132 enlightened cities. Now wouldn't that make us feel like we gave a crap about the world. But maybe we could still make this happen in the cities around the bay? We should organize, eh?
Friday, May 13, 2005
Pie In The Sky
The Air Force just can't seem to clean up it's act.
& it's the taxpayer's who continue to fund this situation. Everyone should be ashamed. NOTE to Dr. D., the chaplain was FIRED, notwithstanding the rhetoric.
& it's the taxpayer's who continue to fund this situation. Everyone should be ashamed. NOTE to Dr. D., the chaplain was FIRED, notwithstanding the rhetoric.
Pyrrhic Victory
So Hank Martinsen may have won the first round, but there are many of us out here who still support the Mayor & who believe his ideas are far superior to Martinsen's. If this initial setback causes the mayor to not seek reelection, it will be the people of Ashland & the surrounding area who will suffer. & Hank Martinsen can hang that suffering on his trophy wall & live with it.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Another Reminder
Drinking Liberally, tonight, 6-9 p.m. at the Black Cat, Ashland, WI. Magnets, outrage, love, & understanding there is no common ground.
Who Controls the City?
I applaud the Daily Press for publishing this excellent article in yesterday's edition of the paper. I hope they continue this line of investigative reporting. The community needs to cleanse itself of the kind of thuggery suggested in the article. So far, I have been unable to convince anyone in law enforcement in Ashland County that a crime may have been committed. The one caveat to that statement is that I am awaiting a return call from Sheriff Kovach. I would urge all of you who are truly concerned about this issue to call the District Attorney, the Ashland Police Department, & the Ashland County Sheriff's Department to express your concern about the possibility of a crime being committed, as described in the article. This needs to stop & it needs to be stopped. It may be time to organize. As a final few questions: What was the city administrator thinking when he hung up the phone? Why didn't he immediately call the city attorney, Scott Clark or the District Attorney, Sean Duffy? Why didn't he immediately put the call on the city council's agenda? Will he be disciplined? Is he polishing his resume? Inquiring minds would like to know.
More Science, The Infection Continues To Spread
"...the agenda of evolution."? Just what the hell is this moron principal talking about? No wonder American kids are so far behind the rest of the world. I'm sorry, but they are everywhere & I'm not paranoid, look out, jeez that robin buzzed me. Read this & wonder why it is even remotely controversial.
Ignore the Vote #3998
There is nothing to like. There is no common ground. From video diagnosis, to this.
You Never Ask Questions
So you think the theocrats are just a few loonies in the south? Think again. This, sadly, is a war.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Drinking Liberally, Chequamegon #4
Tomorrow night 6-9 p.m. the Black Cat, Ashland. WI. Fun, fun, fun. Also, it's a good time/place to purge excessive moral outrage, sad fishing stories, Apple crashes, & the nightmare of Republican rashes. See you there.
Yalta, Smalta
Bush is clearly the WORST PRESIDENT EVER. No one can, with a straight face, defend this, this, jeez, this C student, who apparently learned nothing in history class. Wake me when it's over.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Radio, Radio
I remember tuning a rectagular shaped green AM radio to any station that was broadcasting an Ali fight. Usually it was a Chicago station. Because of that I learned about WLS, a savior for a kid in the woods. & I remember how excited I was when FM started playing decent music & the signal stayed with me even while going under overpasses (sorry about that). But somehow, my early radio years are connected to Ali & I'm happy about that. Here is an except from a piece by Garrison Kellior via Lambert.
Remember 2008
I screwed up the cut/paste thing with this post, & since I notepadded the thing awhile ago I don't remember where it came from. If anyone knows, tell me & I'll do the right thing.
....
....
Therefore, Norm Coleman is forever known as "Asshat Man".
Just think of the "Batman" television theme with its very, very complicated lyrics and replace "Batman" with "Asshat" everytime you see Norm Coleman (R-Minn) on the TV braying about the United Nations and Kofi Anan.
And don't forget his little sidekick, Boy Blunder, aka Rich Lowry famous for timely National Review Cover Stories....
So whenever there is a story about missing Iraqi millions, especially that lost by the coalition don't forget to light the Asshat Signal, it is what the Commissioner would want you to do.
POW!, BAM!, Uff'DA!
What's A Liberal?
Via Altercation:
One of the first correspondences I received in response to my readers query on Friday about whether it was possible to sum up a contemporary liberal worldview in a few short sentences came from my friend Danny Goldberg. He wrote:
1. Government is required to balance unfairness and excess of private business interests. Examples—environmental regulation, minimum wage, worker safety laws. Conservative arguments which have distorted progressive taxation, weakened regulation of big business, and weakened rights of labor have resulted in corruption of big business and and unhealthy gap between rich and poor. As Warren Buffet says—"there has been class warfare in recent decades and the rich are winning."
2. Government is uniquely qualified to provide for certain needs of a society—examples public schools, most kinds of health care, public transportation, public safety, public parks and recreation areas. Conservative arguments weakening government have resulted in the U.S. falling behind other countries in most of these areas.
3. One of government’s roles is the protection of minorities with regard to certain basic rights. Examples—civil rights legislation and laws protecting gays and lesbians.
Rainy Tuesday Morning
After looking at all of my normal newspapers online & then some small weeklies in Wisconsin, I have to say there's nothing you need to know that you already don't know. Plus it's raining, so I feel like doing even less than I normally do. Kind of nice, actually. The trees are finally leafing out, the trilliums are blooming in the woods, the narcissus & daffodils are blooming, as are the pin & choke cherries. The rhubarb is up & dark green, the garlic has pushed through the thick straw carpet, & the bunching onions are up. But the gray skies also reflect my pissed-off mood. I am very unhappy about a post from Daily Kos about "women's issues", namely abortion. He has this unbelievably stupid post about how pro-choice supporters are going to lose the Rhode Island senate election for the Democrats. Good night, has he, too, taken the kool-aid? Doesn't he realize that this attitude is exactly why Kerry did not post an overwhelming win? I am so sick & tired of people who claim to be Democrats saying these increasingly divisive things. It's Kos' attitude that loses elections, not the supporters of the constitutional right to an abortion. Wake up Kos, before you cost us even more elections.
Monday, May 09, 2005
Asininity & Goose Crap
Fun from the Grantsburg, WI, newspaper. I'm in blue, Mr. Ryan Walsh is in black.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
POLITICAL WISDOM - Asininity in action
By Ryan Walsh
For about a month now, Senate Democrats, with the tacit cooperation of a few affectedly moderate Republicans, have mounted incessant attacks on John Bolton, Bushs nominee for ambassador to the UN.
Lets always put moderate in parentheses when it describes Republicans. We all know, like Ryan, that there is no such thing as a moderate Republican. Thats why we call them ReThuglians. Tell it like it is, Ryan. Asininity in action, or not.
Just when it seemed like the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would approve him and move the nomination to a floor vote, the pro-Bolton alliance of ten Republican Senators crumbled.
Out of nowhere, committee member George Voinovich, R-Ohio, dropped his support and insisted that an exhaustive investigation of Boltons record take place before a formal vote.
Richard Lugar, the committee chairman, looked as though he had just been hit by a charter bus but had miraculously survived. I guess he didnt take the time before the meeting to ensure that all ten Republicans would vote Bolton out of committee. To put it bluntly, the Republicans looked like a bunch of amateurs.
The ReThugs looked like amateurs because one of their number had an attack of conscience? My, my. Ryan is right about how it came out of nowhere, ReThugs rarely have an attack of conscience. In fact, they're amateurs at it. Just hope you are not around a bunch of ReThugs if there is a charter bus in the vicinity.
So what is it about John Bolton that has spawned some Republican concern and rallied Democrats in staunch, unanimous opposition?
Good grief, John Bolton is the son of Spawn? I never knew.
To them, its Boltons pattern of behavior, which thoroughly documented and impenetrable to charges of error repeatedly demonstrates instance after instance in which Bolton has exposed his unscrupulous, headstrong, impudent, and megalomaniac tendencies.
If its thoroughly documented, what the hell are you complaining about, Ryan? I'd be worried about those impenetrable charges, though. They sound, well, electrical, if you know what I mean. If this is your idea of sarcasm, try harder next time, OK?
From this allegation, the Democrats then make the case that each of these characteristics, when packed together in one mans persona, constitutes a much more appalling flaw that makes Bolton unworthy of his appointed position.
If its thoroughly documented...see above. That reference to persona sounds vaguely European to me. Shame on you Ryan.
Indeed, according to Democratic Senator Chris Dodd, it makes him almost indictable.
Almost is good enough for me.
It is, ladies and gentlemen, his meanness. Democrats are apparently implementing a new litmus test on nominations: if you want the job, you have to be a nice, pleasant fellow.
Heaven help us if Bush appointed a nice, pleasant fellow. Everything would be destroyed. Mars would invade. Bass would rule the world. I need my meds.
Lets look at the case against Bolton: His critics claim that Bolton once intimidated and threatened to fire a State Department official that disagreed with him. Heres the real story. Bolton was preparing a draft speech that, among other things, would mention that certain intelligence had suggested that Cuba was looking into biological weapon program a position consistent with the State Departments conclusions. Yet, immediately before Boltons speech was sent to the CIA for review, State Department analyst Christian Westermann attached a cover letter deceitfully stating that the Bureau of Intelligence and Research disagreed with Boltons findings. When Bolton finally heard about what had happened, he had Westermann brought in his office to explain himself. Westermann then lied straight to Boltons face, denying that he had attached the cover letter. Understandably, Bolton was a little ticked off. To paraphrase what Brit Hume noted on Fox News Sunday, most of us would have thrown Westermann out the window.
Anything Brit Hume says must be the truth, its Fox News after all. Ryan also has his story almost right. Bolton wanted to change the intelligence to fit the story from the State Department. The analyst stated that Bolton was wrong. It seems that Ryan & the ReThugs have a problem with a little things called facts. Oh, Bolton tailoring intelligence to fit his ideology is not deceitful according to Ryan, the analysts facts are deceitful.
After this story hit the presses, all sorts of other bureaucrats who claimed Bolton had once bullied them came forward. Someone named Lynne Finney says that Bolton once yelled at her, too. But one look at her website would persuade even the most sanguine minds that Finney is a certifiable weirdo.
Hey Ryan, provide some facts about Lynne Finneys weirdnesses, OK. I can't just accept things like you do. I haven't had the kool-aid. Of course, when one brave person comes forward, others may follow, but Ryan doesn't like that. & of course, being yelled at is a good thing. It builds character or something.
A third complaint came from Melody Townsel, a self-described liberal Democrat and founder of a chapter of Mothers Opposing Bush. She claims Bolton once lost his cool and threw a file at her.
Of course, Im sure no one in Washington could relate to dealing with his or her subordinates in such a manner.
Ryan is a self-described conservative Republican (OK, I changed it, he's young.) & a founding member of Grantsburgians Against Goose Crap. I made that up, but it was fun. & of course, Ryan, if everyone else was jumping off the Washington Monument, all of us should.
While the Democrats case against Bolton may appear to focus only on his personality, it really centers on Boltons attitude toward the UN.
He believes, more than anything else, that the UN needs reform. Considering the Oil-for-Food scandal, Paul Volckers independent investigations (highly critical of Kofi Annan), the Security Councils failure to intervene in the Sudan slaughter, the reprehensible behavior of UN peacekeepers in the Congo and Morocco, and countless other disgraces, most of us would agree with Bolton.
O, contraire Ryan, he wants to blow the top floors off the U.N building. Very Tim McVeigh you & Mr. Bolton.
Bolton, to his credit, isnt about pleasing the foreign policy establishment.
That's right, the hell with the educated classes. The hell with the experienced foreign service people. They aren't ideological enough. They don't lie or bend the intelligence enough to fit the Bush plan.
In 1992, he successfully marshaled an effort to repeal the UNs notoriously hateful Zionism is Racism resolution. Around 10 years later, he assembled a multilateral coalition behind the Proliferation Security Initiative, a treaty responsible for the capturing of Libyan WMDs.
Captured? I dont think so.
For his attitude, his accomplishments, and his policies, Bolton ought to be approved. If someones feelings get hurt as a result, oh well.
That's right, we must support his attitude & not care about anyone's feelings, because they're stupid & weak. So, here's an attitude - shut up & grow up Ryan. Get a job & support a family on your attitude. Wait a minute, that's the nuclear option I think. OK, then, I have an attitude so I must be right. But I'm not a ReThug (I changed back, OK? & if you don't like it I'm going to chase you down the hall of a motel & throw things at you). So I can't be right. But I want to be write, no right, no I want to be Ryan, shut the hell up, where are your, eh, my, meds? Good night Gracie.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
POLITICAL WISDOM - Asininity in action
By Ryan Walsh
For about a month now, Senate Democrats, with the tacit cooperation of a few affectedly moderate Republicans, have mounted incessant attacks on John Bolton, Bushs nominee for ambassador to the UN.
Lets always put moderate in parentheses when it describes Republicans. We all know, like Ryan, that there is no such thing as a moderate Republican. Thats why we call them ReThuglians. Tell it like it is, Ryan. Asininity in action, or not.
Just when it seemed like the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would approve him and move the nomination to a floor vote, the pro-Bolton alliance of ten Republican Senators crumbled.
Out of nowhere, committee member George Voinovich, R-Ohio, dropped his support and insisted that an exhaustive investigation of Boltons record take place before a formal vote.
Richard Lugar, the committee chairman, looked as though he had just been hit by a charter bus but had miraculously survived. I guess he didnt take the time before the meeting to ensure that all ten Republicans would vote Bolton out of committee. To put it bluntly, the Republicans looked like a bunch of amateurs.
The ReThugs looked like amateurs because one of their number had an attack of conscience? My, my. Ryan is right about how it came out of nowhere, ReThugs rarely have an attack of conscience. In fact, they're amateurs at it. Just hope you are not around a bunch of ReThugs if there is a charter bus in the vicinity.
So what is it about John Bolton that has spawned some Republican concern and rallied Democrats in staunch, unanimous opposition?
Good grief, John Bolton is the son of Spawn? I never knew.
To them, its Boltons pattern of behavior, which thoroughly documented and impenetrable to charges of error repeatedly demonstrates instance after instance in which Bolton has exposed his unscrupulous, headstrong, impudent, and megalomaniac tendencies.
If its thoroughly documented, what the hell are you complaining about, Ryan? I'd be worried about those impenetrable charges, though. They sound, well, electrical, if you know what I mean. If this is your idea of sarcasm, try harder next time, OK?
From this allegation, the Democrats then make the case that each of these characteristics, when packed together in one mans persona, constitutes a much more appalling flaw that makes Bolton unworthy of his appointed position.
If its thoroughly documented...see above. That reference to persona sounds vaguely European to me. Shame on you Ryan.
Indeed, according to Democratic Senator Chris Dodd, it makes him almost indictable.
Almost is good enough for me.
It is, ladies and gentlemen, his meanness. Democrats are apparently implementing a new litmus test on nominations: if you want the job, you have to be a nice, pleasant fellow.
Heaven help us if Bush appointed a nice, pleasant fellow. Everything would be destroyed. Mars would invade. Bass would rule the world. I need my meds.
Lets look at the case against Bolton: His critics claim that Bolton once intimidated and threatened to fire a State Department official that disagreed with him. Heres the real story. Bolton was preparing a draft speech that, among other things, would mention that certain intelligence had suggested that Cuba was looking into biological weapon program a position consistent with the State Departments conclusions. Yet, immediately before Boltons speech was sent to the CIA for review, State Department analyst Christian Westermann attached a cover letter deceitfully stating that the Bureau of Intelligence and Research disagreed with Boltons findings. When Bolton finally heard about what had happened, he had Westermann brought in his office to explain himself. Westermann then lied straight to Boltons face, denying that he had attached the cover letter. Understandably, Bolton was a little ticked off. To paraphrase what Brit Hume noted on Fox News Sunday, most of us would have thrown Westermann out the window.
Anything Brit Hume says must be the truth, its Fox News after all. Ryan also has his story almost right. Bolton wanted to change the intelligence to fit the story from the State Department. The analyst stated that Bolton was wrong. It seems that Ryan & the ReThugs have a problem with a little things called facts. Oh, Bolton tailoring intelligence to fit his ideology is not deceitful according to Ryan, the analysts facts are deceitful.
After this story hit the presses, all sorts of other bureaucrats who claimed Bolton had once bullied them came forward. Someone named Lynne Finney says that Bolton once yelled at her, too. But one look at her website would persuade even the most sanguine minds that Finney is a certifiable weirdo.
Hey Ryan, provide some facts about Lynne Finneys weirdnesses, OK. I can't just accept things like you do. I haven't had the kool-aid. Of course, when one brave person comes forward, others may follow, but Ryan doesn't like that. & of course, being yelled at is a good thing. It builds character or something.
A third complaint came from Melody Townsel, a self-described liberal Democrat and founder of a chapter of Mothers Opposing Bush. She claims Bolton once lost his cool and threw a file at her.
Of course, Im sure no one in Washington could relate to dealing with his or her subordinates in such a manner.
Ryan is a self-described conservative Republican (OK, I changed it, he's young.) & a founding member of Grantsburgians Against Goose Crap. I made that up, but it was fun. & of course, Ryan, if everyone else was jumping off the Washington Monument, all of us should.
While the Democrats case against Bolton may appear to focus only on his personality, it really centers on Boltons attitude toward the UN.
He believes, more than anything else, that the UN needs reform. Considering the Oil-for-Food scandal, Paul Volckers independent investigations (highly critical of Kofi Annan), the Security Councils failure to intervene in the Sudan slaughter, the reprehensible behavior of UN peacekeepers in the Congo and Morocco, and countless other disgraces, most of us would agree with Bolton.
O, contraire Ryan, he wants to blow the top floors off the U.N building. Very Tim McVeigh you & Mr. Bolton.
Bolton, to his credit, isnt about pleasing the foreign policy establishment.
That's right, the hell with the educated classes. The hell with the experienced foreign service people. They aren't ideological enough. They don't lie or bend the intelligence enough to fit the Bush plan.
In 1992, he successfully marshaled an effort to repeal the UNs notoriously hateful Zionism is Racism resolution. Around 10 years later, he assembled a multilateral coalition behind the Proliferation Security Initiative, a treaty responsible for the capturing of Libyan WMDs.
Captured? I dont think so.
For his attitude, his accomplishments, and his policies, Bolton ought to be approved. If someones feelings get hurt as a result, oh well.
That's right, we must support his attitude & not care about anyone's feelings, because they're stupid & weak. So, here's an attitude - shut up & grow up Ryan. Get a job & support a family on your attitude. Wait a minute, that's the nuclear option I think. OK, then, I have an attitude so I must be right. But I'm not a ReThug (I changed back, OK? & if you don't like it I'm going to chase you down the hall of a motel & throw things at you). So I can't be right. But I want to be write, no right, no I want to be Ryan, shut the hell up, where are your, eh, my, meds? Good night Gracie.
$42,000 Had Nothing to do with it
Nice job Louisiana, keep electing nitwits like this & the Gulf Coast will be up around Shreveport.
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Faux News. Locally Accountable.
Too bad the national Fox Network isn't accountable like this local station. MSM, are you paying attention, probably not, since you've drunk the kool-aid too. Except maybe for David Gregory of NBC News.
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Al Franken
We had a good time up in Duluth, MN, at the Duluth Labor Temple. It was a fundraiser for Wellstone Action (note correct title). This September they are going to be opening a six acre memorial for Paul & Sheila & the others that died in the plane crash. It was great to be around so many progressive, like-minded people. There were MN politicians, the mayor of Ashland, WI, union members & Al Franken who gave a great talk. He became quite choked up when talking about Paul Wellstone. It was good to see someone act like a normal person when discussing such a sad situation. We also had some good Mexican food & I met the nephew of Gus Hall.
Another Road Trip
We're off to see Al Franken in Duluth, MN. It would be great to have a couple of runaway brides with us, but we're not Republicans. We're a couple of old, fat guys. Franken will be at the Duluth Labor Temple for a benefit for the Wellstone Foundation. It ought to be fun & it will be good to be around like-minded people. If my partner-in-crime does anything foolish, I'll document it with pictures & post them tomorrow. Man, going to Duluth seems big time, must---get---a---life.
Roman Catholic Dress Code?
Real nice church you've got there, fella. Any wonder why their numbers are tanking.
History Belongs To The Winners, Right?
This from an article in the Times today. I, frankly, don't know if the Russians were asked or did occupy. What I do know is that 20 million Russians died on the side of the Allies in WWII. Anyway, a chilling bit of "truth-telling by the Bush administration. Yes, only Bushco can speak the truth, everyone else is lying. Emphasis added.
Daniel Fried, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, went further with reporters on Air Force One, saying that the only "true narrative" of World War II is "ours" and that what the Russians "don't like to remember is what they were doing from 1939 to 1941."
Friday, May 06, 2005
Oh, Man
I guess I'll just have to throw my new novel about George Bush being the 666th anti-Christ into the dumpster. This always happens to me. Another novel I had to throw away way about how George McGovern became President & helped turn America into a kind, loving, tolerant country who actually gave a crap about kids, health care, clean air & water, slick & healthy trout, & birds without twisted bills. Why does stuff like like this happen to me? Jeez.
Take That Kansas
This is the second "missing link" fossil find reported this week. I think if I had it to do all over, I'd like to be a fossil guy. No cracks about how I'm already a fossil, you morons.
I Mean, Wholly Crap
A commenter on a post from a Dr. Perry, MD, psychoanalyst, about how throwing pies at the idiotic Ann Coulter will lead the left to all become Tim McVeigh's. See below. Hey, it's like marijuana leading to heroin. Or was that mother's milk leading to marijuana leading to heroin. Cripes, where's the Herbsaint? Via World O'Crap, one of my favorite blogs. Don Imus will be really upset about this Manchurian Candidate thing. He may obsess on it.
Communist sleeper cells are being deployed. The Manchurian Candidate (John McCain) is doing his best to stiffle free speech. The party-of-death is doing its last dance before dying.
Approaching 500
So I'm thinking of some sort of prize for the 500th visitor. Maybe a t-shirt with one of those slashed circles with a picture of some local loser. Or maybe an all expense paid trip to Alaska, oh wait a minute, that's apparently already been done. Maybe the old reliable Jazz Fest 2006? No, I've got it. If I can identify the 5ooth visitor, that person will win his/her choice of any red meat sandwich at the Black Cat in Ashland, WI. Of course, in the case of a tie, I am the sole arbiter of who wins. & I'm a mean guy. Later, gator.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)