Monday, October 31, 2005

And So It Goes.

At the time of this posting:

US Military Deaths in Iraq: 2025
Since "Mission Accomplished" : 1888
Official US Military Wounded: 15353 (Est 15,000- 42,500)

Ways You Can Help The Survivors:
Operation Truth
Fisher House
Wounded Warrior Project

To See The Faces Of Those Who Gave The Last Full Measure Click Below
What Does 2000 Look Like?

Ladies And Gentlemen The Cowsils

MEL! I AM YOUR FATHER!!!!!!


The Rude Pundit Attacks Fornicating Mom's!

Wow, y'know sometimes its not what someone says but HOW they say it. Rude Pundit is one sutch editorialist. Not only is his article on "Scalito", activist judge, is funny but informative. It goes one step further in showing that Scalito's legislating from the bench will be bad for America.

This Is A Disturbing Decision.

Angry Bear has a well thought out discussion on Alito's decision in the case of CHITTISTER v. DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. Wherein Judge Alito found that the FMLA violated states rights. he found:

ALITO, Circuit Judge:

In this case, we must decide whether Congress validly abrogated the states' Eleventh Amendment immunity when
it enacted provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 ("FMLA"), 29 U.S.C. SS 2601-54, that require a broad class of employers, including states, to provide their employees with 12 weeks of leave "[b]ecause of a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of the position of such employee" and that permit employees to sue in federal court for violations of the Act. We agree with the District Court in this case and with the other Courts of Appeals that have considered this question that Congress did not validly abrogate the states' Eleventh Amendment immunity when it enacted these provisions. See Hale v. Mann, No. 99-7326, 2000 WL 675209, at *7 (2d Cir. May 25, 2000); Garrett v. University of Alabama at Birmingham Board of Trustees, 193 F.3d 1214, 1219 (11th Cir. 1999), cert. granted on different issue, 120 S. Ct. 1669 (2000). We therefore affirm the decision of the District Court.
Jesbus! Even Rhenquist disagreed with him when SCOTUS ruled.
Congress may, however, abrogate such immunity in federal court if it makes its intention to abrogate unmistakably clear in the language of the statute and acts pursuant to a valid exercise of its power under §5 of the Fourteenth Amendment. See Garrett, supra, at 363; Blatchford v. Native Village of Noatak, 501 U. S. 775, 786 (1991) (citing Dellmuth v. Muth, 491 U. S. 223, 228 (1989)). The clarity of Congress' intent here is not fairly debatable. The Act enables employees to seek damages "against any employer (including a public agency) in any Federal or State court of competent jurisdiction," 29 U. S. C. §2617(a)(2), and Congress has defined "public agency" to include both "the government of a State or political subdivision thereof" and "any agency of ... a State, or a political subdivision of a State," §§203(x), 2611(4)(A)(iii).

Scalito Not As Qualified as Miers?

I was faced with a conundrum as I scraped wallpaper and attempted to paint my dining room this weekend. If Harriet was THE most qualified for SCOTUS then what could we expect as runner-up when her nomination when up in flames. We received our answer this morning, Samuel Alito, Jr.

From reading captions and some more in depth readings of his decisions, dissents, and affirmations I have concluded that this is going to be a hard pick for the Democrats to fight. While definitely conservative, this guy at least has a record. His two federal nominations went through unopposed. His time on the bench has tackled constitutional issues, and while an avid dissenter a number of his dissents were vindicated by SCOTUS. Below, I am listing major cases his was a judge on or provided case law for SCOTUS review. At this moment I am refraining opinion, until I get a chance to read through at least a few of these. A synopsis, with links to case caption

From Law.com:
On abortion, Alito was the lone dissenter in the Planned Parenthood v. Casey, in which the 3rd Circuit struck down a Pennsylvania law that required women seeking abortions to inform their husbands.

ACLU v. Schundler, Alito wrote the majority opinion holding that a city's holiday display that included a creche and a menorah did not violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment because it also included secular symbols such as Frosty the Snowman and a banner promoting racial diversity.

In Homar v. Gilbert, Alito dissented from a ruling that a state university had violated a campus police officer's due process rights by suspending him without pay immediately after he was arrested on drug charges. The Supreme Court later agreed with Alito's view that no hearing was required because the criminal charges showed that the suspension was not baseless.

A majority opinion in Saxe v. State College Area School District, 240 F.3d 200 (3d Cir. 2001), striking down as contrary to the First Amendment a public school district anti-harassment policy that extended to nonvulgar, non-school-sponsored speech that posed no realistic threat of substantial disruption of school work.
For More visit SCOUTUS BLOG.com

Slate has an article covering more cases including Doe v. Groody wherein Alito seems to thin patting down 10 year olds is okay as long as you have a warrant for HIS FATHER and his father ALONE!

NARAL has already fired a salvo across the nominee's bow.
WaPo offers us a choice of articles on the Alito nomination.

While most on the right are in mastabatory glee over the Shrub's choice. The Democratic leadership in the Senate seems to be gearing for a fight. How much of a fight, is always in question with this bunch, but with Shrub's back to the wall it is no time for the Dems to give him a free pass.


Halloween quote of the day


Pixie, kobold, elf, and sprite,
All are on their rounds tonight;
In the wan moon's silver ray,
Thrives their helter-skelter play.
~Joel Benton

It is with equal parts glee and gloom that i wish all a happy Halloween.
Glee because this is truly one of the most magical days for children big and small.
Gloom because this holiday has become an excuse to vandalize, hurt and destroy.

Be safe, Be scared...HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Saturday, October 29, 2005

Scooter Resigns. Not a Pretty Picture


Scooter: Mr. President, I am really sorry for not forgeting what you wanted me to forget, when I was supposed to forget it,

Shrub: Ummmm! (hic), Scooter you lookin' kinda funny.

Scooter: Oh crap he's soused. DICK!!!

Scotty: Um. Sorry Scooter with this on going investigation...

Scooter: Well there are some things I won't miss.

Shrub: Hey. I think I peed myself again. PICKLES!!!



Friday, October 28, 2005

classic quote of the day


What a cruel thing is war: to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world; to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world.
~Robert E. Lee, letter to his wife, 1864

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Thursday Cheese Blogging!

We go to the sub-continent this week to bring you a delicious, versatile, and easy to make cheesy comestible:


Paneer

Description:
Paneer (Panir) refers to two types of cheese that were originally found in the area that today encompasses Iran, India and Pakistan. One variety of Paneer has little acidity and has a modest amount of salt added. This cheese is used in curried dishes and is very popular, when wrapped in dough and fried and is delightful for snacking. Since it is a high protein food, this cheese is often substituted for meat in many vegetarian entrees of Indian cuisine. It is commonly used in curried dishes. Rich Cow brand Refrigerated Paneer has a six month shelf life is a favorite of Indian and Iranian consumers and is available in both retail and bulk packages.

Country:

India

Milk:

cow milk

Texture:

semi-soft

Paneer

Ingredients

1 liter whole milk (You May Use Soy Milk)
1/2 table spoon vinegar or lemon/lime juice
2 tablespoon Water

Preparation

  1. Dissolve the vinegar in milk. Bring milk to boil. Stir continuously while boiling.
  2. When the milk curdles fully, switch off the heat. Cover for 3-4 minutes.
  3. Drain into a muslin cloth. Hold pouch under running water.
    Press out excess water. Shape and place cloth under heavy weight required (stone slab) for 2-3 hours before using as required.
Recipes:

Matar Paneer (Green Peas and Cheese Curry)
Palak Paneer (Spinach curry with Cheese)

It Was Fun While It Lasted.


So long Harriet, we hardly knew thee. I think we of the left should thank former Supreme Court Justice nominee Harriet Miers for the fun and frolic of the last few weeks.

It is so rare that we get to watch the political train wreck that was your nomination.

See her parting comments at "her blog".

Now we must wait while Shrub wipes the Novak from his face, and presents the next Clarence "What's that in my Coke" Thomas to the nation. Oh well.


The promise of a nation


We began as a nation with extreme promise, a clean slate where anything was possible. Almost immediatly we failed on that promise.
In his farewell address Washington warned the nation of the dangers he saw in the fledgling government. He warned us not to fall into the trap of factions and politics over the ideal of building a strong, diverse nation.
it is of infinite moment that you should properly estimate the immense value of your national union to your collective and individual happiness


Read the entire transcript here

The De-volution of Winger Bulls&*t

The Republican "War on Brains" hit a snag as the planned coronation for the Brothers Dim was put on hold by Wilma. It seems that the praises heaped on Jeb in the days prior to Wilma were to be short lived.

From the October 21, 2005 Bradenton Herald:

This is the critical time - now, in the days before a hurricane gets close, to prepare for a strike. Gov. Jeb Bush is giving a good example of a prepared leader making the most of the warning period. Other states and citizens in general: Take notice....

....Bush made the best of the breather, declaring a state of emergency that cleared the way for activation of the National Guard and coordination of evacuation plans and food, water and fuel distribution. Bush, who has ample experience directing emergency response efforts to hurricane strikes, didn't make the mistake that governors in Louisiana and Mississippi did, sitting around waiting to begin marshaling resources in the days before Katrina struck in late August.

Yes Republicans plan better, is that the memo coming from Ken Melhman's rump? Well it seems that Jeb's partner the ancient Chinese warrior Chang failed when the chips were down:

From the October 26, 2005 Bradenton Herald

Gasoline plentiful as power outages keep pumps closed Associated Press
Patience thinned and frustration mounted Tuesday in long lines at the few open gas stations in southern Florida that had power and were pumping fuel following Hurricane Wilma.
From the October 27, 2005 Bradenton Herald
Gas lines forming again in Florida, but fuel port opens again Associated Press

Many Floridians began another day of struggling to find food, water and fuel after Hurricane Wilma on Thursday, with lines of people and cars forming around home improvement stores and gas stations....

....A day earlier, Gov. Jeb Bush took responsibility for frustrating relief delays in a state all too familiar with powerful storms.

"We did not perform to where we want to be," the governor said at a news conference in Tallahassee, adding that criticism of the federal response was misdirected. "This is our responsibility."

Bush's comments came amid finger-pointing by local and county officials upset with aid efforts, and criticism of the Federal Emergency Management Agency reminiscent of the anger unleashed following Hurricane Katrina.

"This is like the Third World," said Claudia Shaw, who spent several hours in a gas line. "We live in a state where we suffer from these storms every year. "Where is the planning?"

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez called the relief distribution system "flawed." Nine of the 11 sites in his county ran out of supplies, according to its Web site.

But at another South Florida distribution site, ice sat melting Wednesday night, with officials issuing a plea on television stations: Come get it before it goes to waste.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who oversees FEMA, asked victims
to have patience as he surveyed crumpled boats, shattered mobile homes and
snaking lines of cars at fuel stations along the storm's path.

Wow! Doesn't this sound familiar.

They will bypass the fact that once again FEMA failed in its duties, once again incompetence, poor planning, and budget cuts have led to people suffering unnecessarily. They will bypass the fact that Jeb was not as prepared as was first implied. I guess Jeb released his Chang to early.

classic quote of the day


The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing that we know about living.

Omar Bradley

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Petitions Work Dammit! See I Told You

Dear Working Families e-Activist,

News alert: Your activism is restoring decent pay for Gulf Coast workers!

Faced with massive public outrage, President George W. Bush is restoring wages he cut for the construction workers who will rebuild the hurricane-damaged Gulf Coast.

Right after Hurricane Katrina hit, President Bush signed an executive order allowing federal contractors to pay substandard wages to construction workers who will rebuild the Gulf Coast—workers who already had lost so much and were struggling to rebuild their lives and their communities.

But you and other working family activists made the difference. You sent more than 350,000 messages to Congress and the White House—and it worked: 3
7 House Republicans urged the White House to reverse the suspension, and Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) led unanimous opposition by Democrats to the president’s suspension.

We won. Gulf Coast workers won. President Bush is lifting his pay cut as of Nov. 8.

Now he must reinstate affirmative action requirements for contractors in the Gulf and end his attempts to slash programs for working families while adding new tax breaks for the rich—we’ll keep working on that and, of course, ask you to do your part.

You are a powerful force for working families. Thank you for restoring decent pay for Gulf Coast workers.

In solidarity,

Working Families e-Activist Network, AFL-CIO
Oct. 26, 2005

ROFLMAO!


Gifts designed to piss off your Fundie friends/relatives, but then agian they probably wouldn't get the joke. EVEN BETTER!!!!

Head over to MissPoppy.com

Someone Ain't Happy.












Holden provides these and some commentary over at First-Draft.

STAY ON TARGET! He's Too Close! STAY ON TARGET!

John "Assrocket" Hindraker at Powerloss:

October 25, 2005
Meanwhile, in the Real World...

"Tomorrow may bring indictments of Karl Rove and Scooter Libby on charges that can charitably be described as trivial."

Translation: Yes trivial things like perjury, conspiracy, and treason, just small matters in the uber-right's War on Brains In Order to Conquer Brown People and Steal Their Shit. Reality is too tough so once again we must turn to the warm oozing bosom of Fearless Leader Chickenhawk.

"rather than being distracted by the minutiae of the day. Good suggestion. President Bush gave another magnificent speech; here are a few highlights: (Posts Shrubs speech)
Translation:
Must obfuscate reality! MOMMY! Talk to me my Lord and Shrub. At this point I picture A-rocket grabbing a cricket paddle, dressing in lederhosen, slapping himself on the ass crying:

"I'm a naughty Alpine Boy!"

"I'm a naughty Alpine Boy!"





It is rather pathetic, frankly, to compare the soaring vision of freedom that President Bush has elaborated over the past five years to the cramped, hateful hectoring the Democrats have produced during the same time.
Translation:
Holy Flying Spaghetti Monster! Shrub is still on this talking point? Are the people who come to my site actually going to believe this bullshit? I know! I'll blame it on Democrats, whew I feel safe again. Time to get some more Cheetos.


A Foray Into Sports


What can possibly get the Astros back into the series. Not even sure this will help.

classic quote of the day


The direct use of force is such a poor solution to any problem, it is generally employed only by small children and large nations.

David Friedman

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Expose The WHIGS!

From Democrats.com


Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) has introduced a Resolution of Inquiry to demand the White House turn over all white papers, minutes, notes, emails or other communications kept by the White House Iraq Group (WHIG).

"This group, comprised of the President and Vice President's top aides, was critical in selling the Administration's case for war," Kucinich said. "We now know that the Administration hyped intelligence and misled the American public and Congress in their effort to 'sell' the war."

This Resolution must be voted on in the House International Relations Committee by November 9th, 2005. The same committee, on September 14, came within one vote of passing a Resolution of Inquiry into the Downing Street Memo (H. Res. 375).

That near victory came after a great deal of citizen activism. This time we need to persuade all of the Democrats on the Committee to push a little bit harder and a few more Republicans to do the right thing. Co-Sponsorship of the Resolution by members not on the committee helps this effort.


In Memoriam, October 25,2005


Paul & Sheila Wellstone
1944-2002





DON'T PARK THE BUS!



classic quote of the day


Give me the money that has been spent in war and I will clothe every man, woman, and child in an attire of which kings and queens will be proud. I will build a schoolhouse in every valley over the whole earth. I will crown every hillside with a place of worship consecrated to peace.

Charles 'Bleeding' Sumner

Monday, October 24, 2005

Rosa Parks 1913-2005, Rest In Peace






How she sat there, the time right inside a place so wrong it was ready.
— From Rosa, in On the Bus with Rosa Parks by Rita Dove









"To this day I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom."

--Mrs. Rosa Parks--

Links
Interview from Grand Times 1996
Interview with the Academy of Achievement 1995
Visit the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute For Self Development


classic quote of the day


If you're going through hell, keep going
Winston Churchill

Sunday, October 23, 2005

What Is Rove-gate all about?


Any Questions?

A Thought For The Weekend.


"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed."

Dwight D. Eisenhower 34th President

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Jack Thompson... What Is This Guy's Major Malfunction?

Some may not know who this otherwise forgetable ambulance chaser is. J.T. is a two-bit hustler lawyer who has latched onto grieving families like a hooker who uses Dura Bond instead of KY. He gives them a shuck and jive and apparently goes through their home theater cabinets looking for the "smoking gun." Whether its one of the Grand Theft Auto series or Barbie Dream Horse Jack Thompson is there to raise the rabble of the wacko assault brigades to his cause. They quickly leave their "Ban Tinkie Winkie" marches and their "Resist Sponge Bob" prayer revivals and follow this yutz off the edge of the of his legal flat earth.

Doubtful Reason reported on Jack "Mack Daffy" Thompson contacting the Seattle police about the Entertainment News site Penny Arcade on Thursday (Link). Well folks we have entered into the 6th Dimension the Jack Thompson Zone.

From Penny Arcade:
Fri, October 21 2005 - 11:14 AM
by: Gabe

For the latest development in Jack's ongoing battle with sanity you should check out gamepolitics.com He is apparently trying to sick the “Feds” on us now. I’m not sure how he imagines we are extorting him. We are not demanding he pay the $10,000 to charity. In fact we paid it for him. Case closed end of story. In my mind we were finished with him.
Apparently many of you took it upon yourselves to send some extremely well thought out complaints to the Florida Bar I have a feeling that might explain Jack's most recent attack on us. I want to stress that I don’t think anymore mails need to be sent to the FBA. I feel like by now they understand what the situation is. He can send these silly letters from hell to breakfast but all they amount to his a bunch of legal dry humping. He’s not actually going to accomplish anything with these faxes and they really don’t have the intended effect on us. That is to say we are not scared. This will become another funny story for us to tell at conventions just like American Greetings, eFront or Kiwi Publishing. Again I’ll tell you guys not to worry about us. We have absolutely top notch legal representation. Should Jack actually decide to come after us we’re quite prepared. Until then he’s more than welcome to send ridiculous faxes to any uninterested third party he wants.
-Gabe out

Jack has officially eneterd into the realm of the child playing divde and conqueror with his parents. "WAAAAA! Seattle police, help me against these nasty people who tried to make me keep my word! Oh yeah well.... I'm going to ask DAD!" What's next Jack are you going to hold your breath until you turn blue or run away from home. If there is a vote I cast my ballot for number two!.

To keep this firmly in Jack Thompson's realm, that of the ridiculous, it seems that a letter has surfaced that could be decisive:

From PvPonline

Jack Thompson Vs. Penny-Arcade - PvP news exclusive!
Posted on Friday, October 21, 2005

I'm sorry to make a news post before today's strip is posted, but the PvPonline.com news team has just received an anonymous tip that the saga between Jack Thompson and Penny-Arcade has just taken a frightening twist.

As reported at gamepolitics.com, Jack Thompson has faxed letters both to local Seattle authorities and the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, in relation to Penny Arcade.

An anonymous tipster has just forwarded PvPonline.com a leaked document showing that Thompson may have possibly contacted a third institution in relation to Penny Arcade. PvPonline.com can neither confirm nor deny the credibility of this information.

A mirror of the letter is here.

Friday, October 21, 2005

Me Kitties!


CLIO




























PICA

Weekly Editorial: John Gibson, Festivus Hater

I am loathe to give one of Fox's resident asshats any more publicity than they do, however with November fast approaching it can mean only one thing:

The Righties will be pulling the "War on Christmas" out of mothballs again. Yes, your wacko funide cousin/aunt/uncle/ etc. will be railing against the iniquities this holiday has suffered because of us evil liberals. Well you could tell them to shove it up their manger or you might consider John Gibson's latest insult to the English language:

"The War on Christmas : How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday Is Worse Than You Thought"

Yes you can feed their need to feel persecuted. Many a tale abounds as Gibson once again fights against the rallying forces or reality. Watch as he bravely takes on Santa Claus costumed windmills as he seeks to replace goodwill amongst men with a steaming pile of lies, half truths, and a heaping dose of hatred.

This review from Amazon is my personal favorite:


Gibson is a true Field Marshall for Baby Jesus, October 20, 2005
....Man was I surprised! These LIEberals (get it??) aren't just looking to keep the government out of the religion business, they are -literally waging war on Christmas.- Gibson describes in shocking detail the Battle of Knoxville, where a battalion of mechanized liberal infantry stormed the churches on Christmas Eve and slaughtered anyone celebrating the mass. Or the Storming of the Beaches at Houston, when secular humanist frogmen, behind a wheezing Ted Kennedy, destroyed a group of carolers and stuck their heads on pikes on the highways leading into town, as a warning to any other Christians who were thinking about baking tree cookies or giving presents to their children. Or the Coup of Duluth, where the Democratic Elite Guard overthrew the City Council and immediately issued a fiat banning nativities, and made the hanging of colored lights punishable by summary execution.
The lesson of the English Civil War, in the 1660's, was not lost on Jefferson, Madison, or Hamilton. The Puritan dictatorship imposed by Cromwell melded religion and politics. The double edged sword of God and Parliament embodied in Cromwell intruded more into the daily life of the average citizen than the short- sighted policies of the Stuarts ever did.

Let's get this straight, there is no "War on Christmas" never has been. The founders of this nation put the wall between state and religion for a damn good reason. The colonies watched as England slipped from the divine right of kings to a religio-fanatical dictatorship, back to the divine right of kings. The Founding Fathers knew their history and they did not want religion to be a state sponsored enterprise. In many ways they reflected the Progressive Jesus:

Give onto Caesar what is Caesar's and give onto God what is God's.

This sentiment is reflected in Thomas Jefferson's letter to
the Danbury Baptist Associationof Connecticut in 1802.

"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man & his god, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state."

And a simple question, which flavor of Christianity would you like? You find me two sects that agree on doctrine and I'll pack my bags and go home! Is it Baptist or Lutheran? Nazarene or Roman Catholicism? Damn they can't even get the Sabbath day straight. Is it Saturday, Sunday, or every other Thursday? Is it the Old and New Testament or do we add the Book of Mormon and the Apocrypha? Some do not want statues, while R.C. churches literally hang them from the ceiling.

Folks like Bill Sizemoreand John Gibson attempt to argue that this, the separation between church and state, was not the intent of the founders. Why then did Madison fight against the establishment of a Senate chaplain? Why because a person's beliefs are between themselves and whatever god, gods, entity, or themselves. If a church wants a nativity scene, have a blast! A temple wants a menorah on its property? Great! To place these in a public square would be a clear endorsement of a particualar sect of a religion.

That's it. Final. No more argument. You can worship how you want but you can not impose it on others and it is not the government's place or power to do your work for you.

For a more detailed discussion on this topic visit Americans United for Separation of Church and State.


Glad to see that they've learned something from our legal system

Abducted Saddam trial lawyer found dead

FROM THE GOTTI SCHOOL OF TRIAL ETIQUETTE

classic quote of the day


"Talent does what it can; genius does what it must"
-Edward George Bulwer-Lytton

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Just Gets Better And Better

From Raw Story:
Miers gives wrong dates in questionnaire; Firm was sued during period omitted

President Bush's nominee to the Supreme Court, Harriet Miers, provided erroneous and incomplete information to the Senate Judiciary Committee about her membership on a Board of Directors for a real estate investment company, RAW STORY has learned.

Miers also neglected to mention a class action lawsuit that accused the firm, Capstead Mortgage, of violating federal securities laws. The suit, which was later dismissed, came during the period Miers failed to include in her responses to the Senate questionnaire....

....The embattled nominee is already under fire from members of her own party. Senators from both parties have questioned other answers she gave on her application, saying that her responses were "insufficient." One Democrat went so far as to say her answers "range from incomplete to insulting."....

....The President's nominee was also managing partner of a Texas lawfirm during a period when it shelled out $22 million to settle a suit which alleged "it aided a client in defrauding investors."

Oh lordy lordy lordy... This is getting sad. The distraction nominee is becoming a book end for the indictments, but not a distraction. Running out of popcorn, gonna get some jalapeno poppers for the second half of this freakshow.



Delay Booked, Mug Shot.

Now THIS, Mr. Thompson, is satire

I feel that it is my duty, as both a concerned member of the media and as a responsible American to point out a travesty in the form of a video game.

There is, right now, out there a game which teaches the players to kill unflinchingly, fire weapons with ease and desensitizes them to the horrors of gunplay.

It is a game who's purpose is to seduce our youth into a culture and group where women are treated like objects, humans are little more than playthings and life has no value.

And its free. Available online to any child with any internet access.

See it HERE

Let us stop this madness now.

Thursday Cheese Blogging!



Sap Sago (Schabziger)

Description:

Sap Sago cheese is a hard, fat free, pungent, grating cheese made only in the mountains of the Canton of Glarus, Switzerland. It comes in the form of a small foil-wrapped cone and has a different and distinctive flavor. It is excellent in a sauce for pasta or it can be grated on top of apple or cherry pies. The Swiss also use Sap Sago on top of a buttered piece of fresh bread. This cheese is for the more adventuresome. It keeps almost indefinitely at room temperature. And keep in mind that a little goes a long way.

Ingredients: Skimmed cows milk, salt, clover. Aged over 90 days.

Country:

Switzerland

Texture:

hard

Sapsago Cream

4 oz Sapsago
1/2 cup drained low-fat Quark or Ricotta
A pinch of salt, freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoon freshly snipped chives

Finely grate the Sapsago and mix with the Quark and seasonings until smooth. Stir in the mayonnaise, followed by the chives. This cream is ideal spread on dark rye bread, as well as used as a filling for little cream puffs.

History

The history of this canton is dominated by religion. The inhabitants of the Linth Valley were converted to Christianity in the 6th century by the Irish monk St. Fridolin. St. Fridolin still features in the coat of arms of the canton today. He founded the convent of Säckingen near Basel. From the 9th century, the area around Glarus was owned by the convent. By 1288 the Habsburgs bit by bit claimed all the rights of the convent. This resulted in the people of Glarus joining the Swiss Confederation in 1352.

Juvenile Mudslinging at it's finest


Well, seems someone is a little miffed he’s been out classed.

Some of you may be aware of the recent ‘Star Wars for our generation’ saga between Jack Thompson and Penny Arcade. For those not in the know go here.

For those not in the know and are too lazy to click here’s the gist: Thompson is frothing because all of his stupendously ill conceived injunctures against the video game industry have been laughed out of court. Despite his consistently inaccurate statements about the industry, thus demonstrating his utter lack of understanding of the medium, mainstream news outlets still invite him to speak.

On one such occasion he said that he would make a charitable donation if ‘a game be developed in which players urinate on peoples brains and murder kids who work at game stores’ among other situations.

Well someone did.

And of course Jack made good on his promise, being such and upstanding citizen and all.

Right?

Think again folks. According to him he was just being facetious, saying that his comments were ‘satire’ like Johnathan Swift’s modest proposal.

To have the gall to compare yourself to Swift, especially when you’re just a two bit hack shyster , takes a special type of retardation folks.

So, in steps Gabe and Tyco from Penny Arcade who donate a generous sum to a worthy cause. Does Thompson laud them for such citizenship?
No, he tries to get them arrested.
The Letter sent to the police is interesting mainly since it tries so hard to cozy up to the police by banking on their PERCIEVED hatred of the GTA series, pounding on that for 2 paragraphs. This is a dead giveaway that he knows he has no legal ground whatsoever in his complaint.
He also lowers the tone of this already ridiculous document by using the term computer geeks.

And of course there is more to this story. Yeah Gabe and Tyco may have been a nuisance, but they are within their legal rights. For a lawyer, Thompson seems to be a little foggy on his constitutional law

Jack is just frothing because he knows that the opportunity for him to make a political power play is rapidly dwindling.

‘Cause that’s all this is about folks, Jack making a splash so that he can stop chasing ambulances. He doesn’t really care about his platform. If he did he would be much better equipped to push it and would be a much more dangerous opponent. He knows that, for now, violence in video games is still controversial.

And the folks at Penny Arcade are business savvy enough to know that controversy sells soap.

Veterans & PTSD

Found at afterdowningstreet.org original article from USA Today.

1 In 4 Iraq Vets Ailing On Return
By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY

More than one in four U.S. troops have come home from the Iraq war with health problems that require medical or mental health treatment, according to the Pentagon's first detailed screening of servicemembers leaving a war zone. (Related: Troops screened as never before)

Almost 1,700 servicemembers returning from the war this year said they harbored thoughts of hurting themselves or that they would be better off dead. More than 250 said they had such thoughts "a lot." Nearly 20,000 reported nightmares or unwanted war recollections; more than 3,700 said they had concerns that they might "hurt or lose control" with someone else....

Rambo syndrome, referring to the first movie not the horrid sequels, is the extreme almost satirical end of this mental trauma. Returning vets feel a sense of dislocation with civilian life. They may feel unappreciated, undervalued, and antagonistic by the civilians around them. I have met several Vietnam vets who, as my dad says, are still in Saigon. It took me several years to separate that statement from my immature definition that these men were crazy.

The paradigm of war creates a feeling and belief that all is conflict, quite simply because it is. When will the next attack come? How many enemies will there be? Is this person across the street going to try and kill me? These are questions that can only be asked when death is an ever present danger in your life, like on the streets and roads of Vietnam and Iraq.

When a vet returned from "The 'Nam", or Iraq known as "The Suck", the bright lights and noise of everyday life have been transformed into the potential warning signs of impending attack. Their reactions to, what non-vets, perceive as normal stimuli may elicit a completely, and to a non-vets perception, irrational response.

I've seen vets dive under tables on the Fourth of July, sleep like they are holding a rifle, or call in reports to HQ; thirty years AFTER they left the war zone. The training and then retraining that broke down their pre-military lives and rebuilt them into soldiers NEVER disappears. It can be suppressed but will always remain the monster locked in the closet of their minds.

They deserve or respect, understanding, and all the support and help we and our government can provide. Unfortunately history shows us that many of them will fall through the cracks. They become the crazy guy on the corner or in the subway. People will ignore them, step over them while the government treats them like a bastard child that never lived up to expectations. They are NOT FAILURES! They are the inevitable result of taking young men and women and tossing them into a situation that they cannot control, forcing them to kill, see the results of that killing, and then saying your home now good luck and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

IMPACT OF WAR

Of servicemembers returning from the Iraq war this year:

47% saw someone wounded or killed, or saw a dead body.
14% had an experience that left them easily startled.
6% wanted help for stress, emotional, alcohol or family problems.
2% had thoughts of hurting someone or losing control.
1% had thoughts that they might be better off dead or could hurt themselves.

Source: 193,131 Defense Department Post-Deployment Health Assessments from January through August.

For more information on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the Iraq War go to the National Center For PTSD.



classic quote of the day


"Always do right. This will gratify some and astonish the rest"
Mark Twain

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Quote Of The Day


It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
- Aristotle

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

A Quiz

Lets play a game "Who Said It and Why Did They Say It: (Highlight under each quote after the word highlight for the answers.)


"You can support the troops but not the president."

Highlight * Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"“Well, I just think it's a bad idea. What's going to happen is they'’re going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 years."”
Highlight * Joe Scarborough (R-FL)

"Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?"
Highlight * Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/6/99

"[The] President . . . is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation’s armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy."”
Highlight * Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)

"American foreign policy is now one huge big mystery. Simply put, the administration is trying to lead the world with a feel-good foreign policy."
Highlight * Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy."
Highlight * Karen Hughes, speaking on behalf of George W Bush

"I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning . . I didn’t think we had done enough in the diplomatic area."
Highlight * Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)

"“I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarified rules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our over-extended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan today"
Highlight * Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is."
Highlight * Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)

Surprised ? Okay now Why did they say it: (Highlight below for answer)

All were criticisms of President Bill Clinton's attack on Yugoslavia. At the time Yugoslavia under President Milosevic were exterminating the Albanians living within the country. U.S. Deaths in Yugoslavia..... zero, zilch, nil, nada! Bush's invasion and occupation of Iraq, almost 2000.


And So It Goes.

At the time of this posting:

US Military Deaths in Iraq: 1979
Since "Mission Accomplished" : 1842
Official US Military Wounded: 14755 (Est 15,000- 42,500)

Ways You Can Help The Survivors:
Operation Truth
Fisher House
Wounded Warrior Project

To See The Faces Of Those Who Gave The Last Full Measure Click Below
What Does 2000 Look Like?

O'Reilly is Melting Down, Thank You Media Matters

Pundit and professional asshat Bill O'Lielly, I mean O'Reilly, has been having frequent melt downs due to his bullshit being exposed by Media Matters. His claims are getting more and more spurious as MM continues to put his back to the wall using his own transcripts.

From the October 14 broadcast of Westwood One's The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly:

CALLER: Hi. You know something you said on your show a lot of times about these smear merchants is that they're not fair. They never give other people a chance to respond. And I agree with you on that. Most of them don't. But there's one place that you've smeared a lot -- Media Matters. And they've tried to come on your show to defend themselves --

O'REILLY: Now Jeremy, I'm going to knock you out right now. And I'm going to address your question. OK. I have no respect for that organization. They will never set foot, not only in my program, but at Fox News Channel, because they are dishonest, inherently dishonest. They take stuff out of context, they use smear tactics. They're paid assassins by George Soros. Everything that I despise about the system, they embrace.
Paid assassins by George Soros? C'mon Bill next thing you know you'll be talking about grassy knolls and a vast Left-Wing conspiracy. Bill I think the real problem is that for the last decade you, that drug addled idiot, and baby Jeesbus have had a free ride with only liberals like Alan Colmes to "fight you". You are a typical coward. You are tough as long as no one swings back.

O'Reilly's next major melt down should occur when Al Franken's new book, Truth (with jokes), next week.





Cheney Resigns?

I do not like speculation and rumors, oh hell yes I do, especially when they are as juicy as this one. With Fitzgerald's investigation zeroing in on Cheney's office it was, I guess inevitable that this would bubble up:


From US News & World Report:

White House Watch: Cheney resignation rumors fly
Posted 10/18/05
By Paul Bedard

S
parked by today's Washington Post story that suggests Vice President Cheney's office is involved in the Plame-CIA spy link investigation, government officials and advisers passed around rumors that the vice president might step aside and that President Bush would elevate Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"It's certainly an interesting but I still think highly doubtful scenario," said a Bush insider. "And if that should happen," added the official, "there will undoubtedly be those who believe the whole thing was orchestrated – another brilliant Machiavellian move by the VP."

Said another Bush associate of the rumor, "Yes. This is not good." The rumor spread so fast that some Republicans by late morning were already drawing up reasons why Rice couldn't get the job or run for president in 2008.


I agree that giving a big one finger wave good-bye to "Big Time" is premature... a man can dream can't he?

One may question why Republicans would be formulating reasons as to why Condi couldn't grab the reigns. Besides latent and overt rascism, the question amongst the fundie zombies is:

"Isn't she pro-choice?" asked a key Senate Republican aide.

Grab a cold one, sit back, and let the chips fall where they may. The very least we can say is this is going to be one helluva ride.



I Can't Take The Waiting!

GIVE ME INDICTMENTS!!!

Classic Quote Of The Day


"There are no atheists in foxholes" isn't an argument against atheism, it's an argument against foxholes"
James Morrow

Monday, October 17, 2005

Love How The Pentagon Supports Our Troops.

This story should shock me, but sadly it doesn't.

For Injured U.S. Troops, 'Financial Friendly Fire'

Flaws in Pay System Lead to Dunning, Credit Trouble
By Donna St. George
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 14, 2005; A01

His hand had been blown off in Iraq, his body pierced by shrapnel. He could not walk. Robert Loria was flown home for a long recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he tried to bear up against intense physical pain and reimagine his life's possibilities.

The last thing on his mind, he said, was whether the Army had correctly adjusted his pay rate -- downgrading it because he was out of the war zone -- or whether his combat gear had been accounted for properly: his Kevlar helmet, his suspenders, his rucksack.

But nine months after Loria was wounded, the Army garnished his wages and then, as he prepared to leave the service, hit him with a $6,200 debt. That was just before last Christmas, and several lawmakers scrambled to help. This spring, a collection agency started calling. He owed another $646 for military housing.

I wonder if the six-figure mercenaries the DOD and their corporate cronies hire are bound to the same rules.

"I was shocked," recalled Loria, now 28 and medically retired from the Army. "After everything that went on, they still had the nerve to ask me for money."

Loria's story has a happy ending of sorts:

His outraged wife, Christine Loria, called the local newspaper in Middletown, N.Y., which published an article, and New York lawmakers became involved: Democratic Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles E. Schumer and Rep. Maurice D. Hinchey (D). Within a matter of days, the debts were cleared, and Yankees owner George Steinbrenner donated $25,000 to Loria.
It is time for Congress to get involved. Instead of kicking the New Deal, the Great Society and the Army Corp of Engineers out of existence, maybe they can help the men and women who have left their youth, innocence, and bodies on the battlefield.


This is Just SOOO Wrong on SOOO Many Levels


Weird, disturbing, bizzare, and relatively inexpensive. Link

And this is just freaking sick: Link

Anyone who runs is V.C. Anyone who stands still, is a well-disciplined V.C.

COLONEL'S TOUGHEST DUTY Battalion commander pays his respects, apologizes to Iraqis whose civilian relatives have been killed by anonymous GIs in passing patrols and convoys Anna Badkhen, Chronicle Staff Writer Friday, October 14, 2005

Tikrit, Iraq -- Nebras Khalid Nasser understood this much: Insurgents often killed people in Beiji, a northern Iraqi town where he lived with his pregnant wife and their year-old son. He needed to move his family to Tikrit, a safer city about 40 miles to the south. He helped his wife, Zahoya, into his brother-in-law's beat-up Toyota sedan. They started driving south. They saw a U.S. military convoy.

A shot rang out.

Blood poured from Zahoya's head. Then she died....

....U.S. military officials do not keep track of Iraqi civilians who have died from U.S. fire. The Brookings Institution's Iraq Index said last month that 8,347 to 14,576 Iraqis had been killed by acts of war since 2003, but the estimates were not broken down by type of incident. Other groups attempting to track civilian deaths put the number even higher. Wood estimated that since his battalion was deployed here in January, U.S. soldiers had killed about 10 Iraqi civilians in this sector of north central Iraq.... ....Often the deaths are the result of split-second decisions made by U.S. soldiers who have to weigh the risk of being blown up by insurgents, who use car bombs as their weapon of choice, against the possibility of killing innocent civilians. Although U.S. troops in Iraq use their weapons far more carefully than they did at the beginning of the war, innocent civilians still get killed....

The frequency of these collateral deaths should come as no surprise to anyone. Our soldiers are in an impossible situation. As the article states these young men and women are in a war zone that starts where their feet end. The enemy is invisible, exposes themselves for a few critical seconds if at all, and then disappears into the civilian populace. This is the essence of guerilla warfare and why it is almost impossible to defeat entirely.

When a US soldier makes a mistake that results in civilian deaths it becomes an advertisement for the insurgency. It erases any good or progress that has been done by our forces and transforms it into an imperial effort designed to benefit what becomes perceived as a puppet regime and an aggressive occupation.

The other ugly side to this is the condition that arises when an individual soldier comes to see the entire population as they "enemy". The helicopter gunner scene from Full Metal Jacket, while fictional, provides the perfect example:

Private Joker: How can you shoot women and children?
Door Gunner
: Easy... you don't lead 'em so much. [laughs] Ain't war hell?!

War becomes a bloody and simplified process. Why don't they understand that we are there to free them? Why don't our Iraqis, fight like their Iraqis? It is the White man's burden for the 21st century.

Eightball: Personally, I think, uh... they don't really want to be involved in this war. You know, I mean... they sort of took away our freedom and gave it to the, to the gookers, you know. But they don't want it. They'd rather be alive than free, I guess. Poor dumb bastards.

....Both victims apparently were shot by U.S. soldiers from other units passing through Beiji, where insurgents mount regular attacks on Americans, Iraqi security forces and Iraq's oil pipeline. Neither convoy stopped to help the civilians the soldiers had shot. It would be pretty much impossible to ascertain which U.S. unit was passing through the area at the time and track down those who did the shooting, Wood said. "Seems like I pick up a lot of people's pieces around here," he said. "These ... patrols that drive around and shoot people have been a thorn in everybody's side all year."
Faced with a war they do not understand. Faced with circumstances no amount of training can prepare them for our soldiers are left to try to make rational decisions in an irrational situation. As for the commanders, can you here the echo:

Pogue Colonel: Son, all I've ever asked of my marines is that they obey my orders as they would the word of God. We are here to help the Vietnamese (Iraqi), because inside every gook there is an American trying to get out. It's a hardball world, son. We've gotta keep our heads until this peace craze blows over.


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