filling the hole

Sorry folks, been on semi-vacation. The flights were awful, the food was amazing, I won $400 playing 3-card poker (yeah, that's right Crotchety!) and... well.

Anyway.

Let's see where we're at this week. That, you know, is almost over.

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Here's a press release from Rick Davies, Campaign Manager for the McCain camp.

It seems to me that this is all McCain has left, going negative from here on out, because he can't compete with the issues.

I can't say if it's a strange tactic because, like others have said, no one's done a negative campaign against an opponent this early out... at least not since...

No, can't think of anything funny.

Someone finish that sentence off for me.

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Nancy Pelosi (fail) was on the view last week, and discussed why Impeachment is still off the table. It's funny. Does she read the news? Does she... talk to other people?

It doesn't get any better than this:

“If Somebody Had a Crime that the President Had Committed, That Would Be a Different Story.”

Ah, America.

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You won't even BELIEVE the lengths people will go to...

Sorry, I just found that really funny.

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Another viral campaign against McCain



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A House panel voted to cite Karl Rove in contempt this week. You know, after he left the country, came back, went to a baseball game...

So far, twice, people have attempted to perform citizens arrests on Rove. Once, at the University of Iowa, he was almost arrested by two students. The second was in Iowa, as well, where Rove was at a fundraiser.

Oh, and Nancy Pelosi, again, in the news, says a contempt citation is possible on Rove...

Wow. Really?

This woman is amazing.

--------

Finally, a terrible story about a Private in Iraq who's teeth were knocked loose, nose broken, her hands burned, lye (or acid) poured in her vagina, oh, and a bullet hole in her head... from an M-16.

The army is calling it a suicide.

Have a great Friday.

articles #2

Republicans are still trying to tell their constituents that drilling for oil will lessen our troubles at the pump. Why are they still spouting this ridiculous crap?

And why do we have to be reminded that it won't work by a rich oil man?

You know, there's two why T. Boone would be letting us know this information.

One. He's bored out of his mind, and tired of the lies.

Two.

You know, there's only one reasons why...

Check out one of his ads.



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McCain and his constant screw ups.

I already mentioned ABC's mess up the other day (previous story, scroll down you lazy bastards!)

There was another mess up this week, about McCain suggesting there was an Iraq / Pakistan border.



I've heard a couple of things lately. He's senile. He's too old to be President. The RNC is going to nominate someone else instead of McCain, because anyone else will look 100% better.

Frankly, we have a President in office that can't answer a question without having an internal seizure. This, of course, is my all time favorite Bush video.



---------

ACLU article that they have memos from the CIA authorizing torture.

What a week.

first FOX, now CBS

Say it ain't so!.

What a commentary on our times.

And it's not like they didn't know what they were doing... such a shame.

Corruption between CNN and J&J

Article.

Second article.

Floss Rings.

Just bought 4, one for each family member.

Wrote Sean Dix, got a nice letter back:

Dear John,

Thank for your kind words believe me they are much appreciated. Sales at this moment believe it or not are the least of my concerns as without justice the marketplace will remain as corrupt as it was when this began.

I grew up in this country believing in all the stories of all the inventions that made people famous, wealthy or both never dreaming that i would one day have such a chance. I had accepted my role as a piece worker in a factory and was happy until this idea gave me reason to expand my horizons.

If anyone were to tell me when I started this venture over a decade ago that I would one day be written up on a website that deals with news the mainstream media wouldn't touch and had cited a few highpoints from my own story I would have laughed and thought the person telling me this was slightly paranoid if not really nuts.

It would have frightened me but living through it made me realize that if we don't stand up to big companies like J&J, and CNN they just get bolder in their rapacious ways and if they are willing to do this over a flossing device God only knows what they have in store for all of us.

So although you may think sales are on my mind I assure you your letter meant more. Thank you. This fight is far from over and it isn't just mine. It belongs to you and everyone who will ever come after me that has an idea that could and should find a home in the marketplace without being crushed maliciously in broad daylight. Thanks again, its people like you that keep me going.

Sincerely,
Sean Dix
www.FlossRings.com

Oh boy...

Article.

Unreal.

articles

First, I'd like to present you all with a case that you might not have heard about.

Here's an article on a Mexican man who is set to be killed in Houston on August 5th.

I found out about this topic on reddit. The link takes you to the articles comment page.

Here, you will see one of the reasons why the United States continues to say FU to the UN. Because our citizens and politicians alike are more interested in their personal beliefs rather than the rule of law.

What would happen if you or a member of your family committed a crime outside of the United States, and was told they couldn't contact the US consulate for legal help?

My comments, btw, are the 'stilesjp' comments. After my back and forth with 'locutus', well, I figured he was too stupid, or was baiting me, or has schizophrenia, after his last comment. Such a shame. On such an important topic, to not even be able to debate it as an adult.

The fact is, I'm on the fence about the death penalty, especially when talking about the state of Texas, who has killed more inmates than any other state.

On top of that, Project Innocence has had more sentences overturned in Texas than any other state. Death row sentences, and others.

And the funny thing is, no one who is requesting the review is saying that he's innocent.

Anyone have anything to say on this matter?

----------

In the EYEROLL edition here (brand new, I just thought of that), we have an article from the Washington Post about the Bush Administrations brush off towards Guantanamo detainees, going back as far as 2002.

Isn't it amazing that everyone who actually does some research outside of the American mainstream media already knew (or at least assumed) this was taking place?

Didn't the US bar the Red Cross from having contact with detainees since 2003?

Here's an article written in January of 2007, that has Bush being quoted as saying:

"I'd like to end Guantanamo; I'd like it to be over with," the president said. "One of the things we will do is we'll send people back to their home countries."

I won't even comment on the ineffectualness of the Democrats because, frankly, they're useless.

Here's an article (transcript, kind of long) about detainees in both Iraq and Guantanamo being tortured, who were freed after YEARS of incarceration.

I don't think it's necessary to bring up Abu Ghraib.

Frankly, if people need to read this book to know the US's policy on detainees... they should go and put their heads back in, well... pick your orifice.

Sigh.

I won't even get into quoting Shakespeare today.

Oh, fine, but not the line you think I'm going to quote.

There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.

----------

Final article, which is just... I mean, come on.

Phil Gramm, gone

Good riddance.

While I believe that he was only hurting the McCain campaign, any rich guy callous enough to say "We have sort of become a nation of whiners... You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline," has not been paying attention to the problems of this country.

On top of all this, the guy, according to wikipedia produced two soft core porn flicks.

Gramm also produced two soft-core motion pictures: Truck Stop Women in 1974 and White House Madness in 1975.

Fun.

Edit: Another article on Gramm that details his dealings in the past that have lead this country into a tailspin.

Jesse Jackson and Fox's editing techniques

Well, by now you've heard about the controversy surrounding Jesse Jackson discussing cutting off Obama's testicles, balls, nuts, huevos, etc.

But just in case you haven't!

First, for your viewing pleasure, Fox's initial take on the issue:



Now, Fox's Bill "WE'LL DO IT LIVE!" O'Reilly's take on some complaints Fox got about not showing the whole tape, and leaving out Jesse Jackson's use of the N-Word (sigh).



And finally, O'Reilly gets schooled on why he should have shown the entire clip.



How O'Reilly and crew didn't believe that the N-Word coming out of the mouth of Jesse Jackson, who has gone out of his way to criticize the likes of Imus and Michael Richards, was NOT news...

Well, I suppose that's a testament to the brains behind Fox.

Guess who stopped a plot against Bush...

Sigh...

It's like observing a control group of 10 year olds, and knowing exactly what's going to happen next.

If Israel attacks Iran...

I just read this NY Times Op Ed article.

Is it just me, or in this day and age are we so bad at attacking and destroying, we have to HOPE things go well?

There is so much in this article that bothers me. It's as though possible outcomes were written on index cards, stapled to a wall and darts were thrown at them, then jumbled up into this.

I'll break it down for you.

Options:

Israel can wait until they are nuclear ready and see what happens... see if the US diplomat has any luck.

Israel can attack now.

... isn't that it?

"It is in the interest of neither Iran nor the United States (nor, for that matter, the rest of the world) that Iran be savaged by a nuclear strike, or that both Israel and Iran suffer such a fate. We know what would ensue: a traumatic destabilization of the Middle East with resounding political and military consequences around the globe, serious injury to the West’s oil supply and radioactive pollution of the earth’s atmosphere and water."

Hold on a second.

It is not in Iran's best interests to get bombed by nuclear... bombs?

This guy is a fucking genius.

Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but from my days as a journalist*, you write down things in order of importance.

Fuck the oil. Sorry, but going back to the first sentence, I doubt that the rest of the world gives a shit about whether or not it's in the best interest of THE UNITED STATES if Iran gets nuked or not. I seriously don't think that the people of Europe are saying "God, if they bomb Iran, what's going to happen to the United States?!?"

While I don't know enough about Al Gore's 10 year program, I think it's pretty clear that, regardless of any ADDITIONAL war/conflict/police action in the region, we should be reducing our dependence on foreign oil already.

The oil in the region should be the least of our concerns, where nuclear war is a factor.

The resounding military consequences would be justified. If someone bombed us because we were doing something that someone didn't like, I'm sure we would react, as much in kind as possible, and we would get their families, their friends, their cats and dogs.

I won't even get into the political consequences because, obviously, if it got to that point, all of the politics would have failed, and the people responsible would be denounced (gosh, that's such a bullshit word) all over the world.

A global denouncement. Who gives a shit.

Radioactive pollution. Hmmm... yeah. Is that really a concern? I mean, it's all the way at the bottom there. It's almost like it's a given, you know, cause they used nuclear weapons.

Forget about future generations born with a third eye, or skinless children walking around, breathing through holes in their fingers.

SAVE THE OIL!

So, to sum up (and I'll let you read the article yourself, because my heart stopped for a second, I grabbed a chocolate bar and said "Fuck exercising if these assholes are going to use nukes.")...

Since we gave Israel the AMBER light, we're accessories to yet another destruction. And the world has to sit back and wait while Israel goes and does their business. And we all have to hold our breath and HOPE, for christ sake, that they do it right.

Either that or hope the US diplomat does the right thing.

I'm going to go buy some more candy bars, some milk shakes, ice cream, brownies... you know, just in case.

* I have never been a journalist.

The New Yorker cover, explained

Pelosi, contraception and google

First off, I'm not sure if you knew this, but since 2005 (I believe), when you typed in 'failure' or 'miserable failure' and clicked "i'm feeling lucky", you would be directed to a page on George W. Bush.

This was explained as a bunch of people getting together and linking 'miserable failure' to this site.

They linked miserable failure.

Miserable failure.

Moving on.

Today, Nancy Pelosi has gone out of her way to call President Bush a failure.

This coming from the woman who, since 2004, has blocked impeachment proceedings against Bush. In 2006 she told Democrats that impeachment was 'off the table'.

Someone on reddit pointed out that this was amazing timing on her part, as Bush was opening our shores to domestic drilling (not sure I'm for this) and sending over a diplomat to Iran. It's an interesting point.

She's the first woman, the first Californian and the first Italian-American (eyeroll) to ever be named Speaker of the House. She's the highest ranking woman in the history of the United States.

Now, maybe it's just me, but isn't this a pot / kettle situation? Has this woman, with the force of a Democratically controlled Congress, done anything right while being in office? Sure, she helped raise minimum wage. Her 100 hours program seemed audacious, but in the end accomplished little. It seems to me that the Democrats are scared of losing control of the House, so they take the safe route to the middle. And this woman has been leading them. She's known as a 'liberal', but most see her much more conservative.

Her words, at her acceptance of House Speaker:

"The election of 2006 was a call to change — not merely to change the control of Congress, but for a new direction for our country. Nowhere were the American people more clear about the need for a new direction than in Iraq. The American people rejected an open-ended obligation to a war without end."

So much has changed...

I won't even get into FISA. It's so not worth it.

I read that article and I just sat down, hard, clicked my teeth, missed my tongue by mere centimeters and thought "Do these people think we're all that stupid? How is it even remotely possible that a woman who was supposed to be a kind of beacon, and who became the opposite, can sit there and call Bush "a total failure"?"

This isn't a circus any more. It's an episode of The Twilight Zone. No. No. It's an episode of The Outer Limits, written by Richard Matheson.

WAIT! He wrote for both, so take your pick.

If you've got half an hour, you know, cause we all sit at retail stores on Fridays and do nothing, or have insomnia, or take speed to make sure that the bugs don't catch us... check out this Wolf Blitzer interview of Pelosi, with a whole bunch of I-Reporters sending in their video questions. I haven't watched it, but it seems to be where the whole 'failure' thing came from. I'll give it a view tomorrow.







And one last thing to make you put palm to forehead and wonder why our fate is in the hands of... get ready...

A miserable failure.

The Bush Administration sent out a memo that defines some contraception methods as abortions and will be cutting off funding of hospitals and states who try to provide such.

Sigh.

One last side note:

From wikipedia, I found that Cindy Sheehan has vowed that unless Pelosi moves to impeach Bush, she's going to run as an independent in 2008. Wow, I didn't know that... Cindy is one tough lady. I'd say, since the Democratically controlled congress has done SHIT since 2006, she has a chance.

Bush Impeachment moving forward...

Goes to the Judiciary committee next. Let's see if it'll just die there.

If it goes any further, that will pretty much be the nail in McCain's coffin.

I wonder if there will ever be any war crimes brought upon members of the Bush administration by the World Court. It's funny that he purchased 100,000 acres in Paraguay.

Kucinich is really becoming a one man army. I wonder if Obama has the balls to pick him as the VP.

Anyone have any thoughts as to who Obama might pick?

Think the impeachment should move forward? Do you think that this kind of thing will prevent the next guy from doing something equally as stupid as Bush has? Or do you think it's just a show of force, too late to really prevent anything?

Former Republican Ohio Rep Jim Trakus says that it's a stunt.

I love his comments about 'I wonder how much this is costing tax payers.'

Leave it to Fox to find some ex-representative moron to comment on something, try to come off as an authority on said something, and then bring up tax payers money.

It's not, you know, like Republicans aren't wasting... what is it? Almost $600 billion of our tax money?

I can see how one could compare the two. You know. Pretty easily.

Sigh. Is Ohio... yep, it is...

Planned Parenthood vs McCain

Anyone else worried?

So, out of the blue, the United States decides to send a diplomat to Iran, to discuss their nuclear program.

Bloggers and every day people who have been following politics a lot longer than I have are very worried about another 'terrorist strike' inside of the United States, before, during, or after the DNC in August, in Denver.

Now, I'm not up for conspiracy theories and the such. What people believe is what they believe. I, for one, have always had it in the back of my mind that the 9/11 attack was circumspect. But that's just me. There are too many things that make the entire issue gray, on both sides.

But I find this situation interesting. First, Bush goes and gives an 'amber' light to Israel, to start gearing up to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities... and now he's sending a diplomat?

Maybe I read and write too much speculative fiction, but doesn't this whole situation smell like a plan?

I can just see the meeting on this.

"We're going to flip-flop, cause everyone's doing it, and send over a guy who we really don't need in the long run. And while he's over there, he's gonna get 'killed' by rebels, or whatever. This will shut up all the Iran no-war-nay-sayers, and get us McCain in the White House in November."

I'm generalizing, but it's not completely out of the realm of thought, right?

Indie blogger predicts better than pros

Awesome story.

Been working my tail off these days. Hard to get over here, but I'm constantly reading articles, and I try to post the good ones here. Hope you're all well, although I really think I'm only talking to Crotchety ;)

John

MSNBC talks about war crimes

McCain video #2

Dealing with his voting record for Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.



This came from an Alternet article about 10 McCain mistakes this past week.

Iran's missile program...

... is worse than we thought.

Don't use the term "black hole"

Sigh.

as if...

... we didn't know it... Bush is a fucking asshole.

It's amazing. I mean, there wasn't really any proof that he knew he was the worst of the worst... now we know that he knows it, and he doesn't give a shit.

Michelle Obama said "for the first time in my adult life (time) I'm really proud of my country."

There hasn't been much to be proud of in this country since 2002. We try to do all of these things. Try to make things better. We fight for the things we feel are right. And this guy comes in and wipes the slate clean.

Not the entire slate... I know. And certainly not enough of the slate to get me to stop doing what I have to, to let my congressmen and senators know how I feel... but jesus christ. That people stand behind him, that people voted for him, twice... it's quite frightening.

Obama and abortion issues, part 2, and bloggers...

This has been brought up again, after Obama talked to a Christian magazine about 3rd term abortions. I found out about it on reddit, on Feministe.com.

I went to the original source article mentioned on Feministe, Shakespeare's Sister. This is a very important issue to a lot of people, but some of the comments are really reactionary. Go check it out.

On the lighter side, McCain hates bloggers.

4th of July

Some people took out a half page ad in the NY times.

You can read up on this article here.

I think our founding fathers would be proud.

Columbian hostage situation

By now I'm sure that you've heard about the brilliant tactical situation in Columbia that brought home 5 hostages?

Well, now it's being reported that the US government, in conjuncture with Columbian officials, paid the members of FARC millions of dollars to release them.

So, I guess that the Bush Administration has brought us an awful economy, the deaths of thousands of US soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, and that we now negotiate with terrorists.

Fantastic.

In lieu of this information, I figure that another anti-Bush demonstration is in order.



That the man is still able to get an audience after all these years, and all of the lies, is completely and totally astounding. It seems that people just cannot learn a lesson in this country.

Completely embarrassing that he was able to pull applause out of this crowd. Only in Virginia. Which happens to be a part of: