Month: March 2008

Your President Speaks3 Comments

Your President Speaks!

Today, inJacksonville, Florida. Hot Action At The Docks I’ve been in your stadium, I’ve been in your church — I’ve never been on the docks. But if you’re interested in trying to figure out one of the reasons why this is one of America’s most vibrant cities, you got to come to the docks. Cerbral Vortex He’s a fellow who came to America with a dream, and now employs a lot of good, hardworking folks because of goods that are shipped from here to other parts of the world, and for goods that are shipped from other parts of the … Continue reading Your President Speaks!

Holden's Obsession with the Gaggle2 Comments

Today On Holden’s Obsession With The Gaggle

Tony Farto Says: Beleive Us, Not Your Lying Eyes! Q Tony, the President has said several times that he thinks the fundamentals of the economy are strong, as are — as have some of the other economic leaders. Are you concerned at all, is the White House concerned that that message is simply not resonating with the American public? MR. FRATTO: It’s hard for us to know what the American public is hearing. I think they — I would hope that they’re hearing the balanced description of the economy that they have been hearing from people like Hank Paulson, Eddie … Continue reading Today On Holden’s Obsession With The Gaggle

Pony, Bitches!1 Comment

When I’m Driving In My Car And That Man Comes On The Radio

I can’t get no… A March 6-9, 2008, Gallup Poll finds only 19% of Americans satisfied with the way things are going in the United States today. This is similar to the 20% found in early February and in November 2007, but is technically the lowest Gallup has recorded since August 1992. Gallup initiated the U.S. satisfaction measure in 1979 and has been tracking it monthly since October 2000. The low point came in July 1979, when only 12% of Americans were satisfied with the state of the country. Americans’ mood sank to nearly this level in 1992, when the … Continue reading When I’m Driving In My Car And That Man Comes On The Radio

War in Iraq3 Comments

Judean People’s Front? We’re the People’s Front of Judea!

Bloody splitters! BAGHDAD (Reuters) – A conference to reconcile Iraq’s warring political groups began to unravel even before it got under way on Tuesday, with the main Sunni Muslim Arab bloc pulling out and protesting it had not been properly invited. The gathering, billed as the biggest of its kind in Iraq, aimed to bring leaders of rival factions together around much-delayed so-called laws meant to promote common cause between majority Shi’ites and minority Sunni Arabs. The Accordance Front, the main Sunni Arab bloc, had said it would attend but pulled out as dozens of political leaders gathered at a … Continue reading Judean People’s Front? We’re the People’s Front of Judea!

Political Crack5 Comments

Whatever Else You Think, The Man Can Bring It

Obama: There is one story in particularly that I’d like to leave you with today – a story I told when I had the great honor of speaking on Dr. King’s birthday at his home church, Ebenezer Baptist, in Atlanta. There is a young, twenty-three year old white woman named Ashley Baia who organized for our campaign in Florence, South Carolina. She had been working to organize a mostly African-American community since the beginning of this campaign, and one day she was at a roundtable discussion where everyone went around telling their story and why they were there. And Ashley … Continue reading Whatever Else You Think, The Man Can Bring It

Immoral Values4 Comments

Men Love Being Selfish

No, really. Jesus, forget that it’s basically a subgenre of the hateful “men are programmed to be promiscuous while women bake them pies and chuckle lovingly at their childlike antics”thing where guys are given an evolutionary hall pass to go wreak havoc. What Bader writes, about how nice it is to be completely selfish and how freeing that makes men feel … I mean, I’m sorry, I’m sure he went to school for a really long time, but is it really a shock that it’s kind of nice not to give a fuck about anybody but yourself? Is that really … Continue reading Men Love Being Selfish

Holden's Obsession with the Gaggle6 Comments

Today On Holden’s Obsession With The Gaggle

Millions For Big Banks, Diddley For Everyone Else Q For people who are losing their homes, or losing their jobs, and then they see the government helping engineer this $30 billion line of credit for Bear Stearns, and help for other financial investment firms on Wall Street, how do you reconcile the two? MS. PERINO: Well, the way I would answer that question is in two parts. One, this isn’t about bailing anyone out. These actions are intended, as I said earlier today, to minimize financial market disruptions. And investors in Bear Stearns are taking large and significant losses in … Continue reading Today On Holden’s Obsession With The Gaggle

War in Iraq

I’d Hate To Ruin It

Nice surge you got there… Is the Mahdi Army’s ‘cease-fire’ over? BAGHDAD – The gun battle in Sadr City between Shiite militiamen and the Iraqi Army lasted only 10 minutes, according to residents of the slum where Moqtada al-Sadr holds great sway. In the end, as many as 18 soldiers were captured after the March 8 ambush, carried out by so-called “rogue elements” of Mr. Sadr’s Mahdi Army. [snip] The next day, the men were freed, but not all of them returned with their guns, newly issued US manufactured M16s that are now believed to be in the hands of … Continue reading I’d Hate To Ruin It

Pony, Bitches!

Pony Time

We stilldon’t like him. The latest Gallup Poll, conducted March 6-9, finds 32% of Americans approving of Bush and 21% approving of Congress. Bush’s job approval rating has been stable in recent months, ranging narrowly from 31% to 34% so far this year. His approval rating has been below 40% for 18 months, since September 2006. It has not been at the 50% level since May 2005, shortly after his second term in office began. Bush’s low point in office was a 29% approval rating in July 2007. The all-time low for any president is a 22% approval rating for … Continue reading Pony Time

Immoral Values, Jude13 Comments

Jeebus. Even Mr. Burns Isn’t This Bad

Good Boss. Bad boss. Sweet mother Mary’s braided armpit hairs. The turkey-necked motherfucker above is Jimmy Cayne, Chairman of Bear Sterns and Fucksocket Extraordinaire. While his company was tanking, what do you think he was doing? Well, because the Guys At The Top always work so much harder than everyone else, he was off playing cards. Or golf.Seriously. Bear Stearns Cos. Inc. Chairman Jimmy Cayne was playing cards in a tournament late last week while his company’s future appeared to be at risk, according a published report. As the bank hammered out an emergency funding deal on Thursday with the … Continue reading Jeebus. Even Mr. Burns Isn’t This Bad

Economy29 Comments

It’s A Small Crime

Read: Unless public money is used on a very temporary basis to achieve an orderly wind-down or merger of Bear Stearns this is another case where profits are privatized and losses are socialized. By having thrown down the drain the decades old doctrine and rule that the Fed should not lend or bail out non-bank financial institutions the Fed has created an extremely dangerous precedent that seriously aggravates the moral hazard of its lender of last resort support role. If the Fed starts on the slippery slope of providing massive liquidity support to non-bank financial institutions that have recklessly managed … Continue reading It’s A Small Crime

Stupid Republican Tricks4 Comments

Today on Athenae’s Obsession with the Freepi: Orphah Edition

Ferraro resigns, but do you know who ORPHAH endorsed? Some black people like Orphah think it’s time for a black President. And the PC mindset of America has it so that no matter WHAT ideas O. Hussein has or doesn’t have, no one will see anything but his color. Clinton KILLED Ferraro! When a person signs up to be a Clintonista, there is no way to resign short of death, by one’s own choice or by theirs’. It’s hard out here for a pimp. Bitches don’tknow. Well Gerry, you’ve just had the race card played on you. It’s what race … Continue reading Today on Athenae’s Obsession with the Freepi: Orphah Edition

Geek Cred2 Comments

We Get Reviews: Scrappy!

The Isthmus, where I spent a year and a half having enormous post-collegiate fun writing about one of the greatest cities on earth, gives the book a nice review: Founded in 1892 by a student miffed at the university’s lack of a journalism curriculum, the Cardinal began with the twin engines that would power it through the 20th century: financial and editorial independence from the university, plus a completely student-run, come-one-come-all workplace that had (and still has) staffers teaching each other in a real-life newsroom. While this open structure afforded the paper the freedom to print whatever it wished, it … Continue reading We Get Reviews: Scrappy!

Immoral Values, Jude15 Comments

Update on the Dumbassery of Sally Kern

Damn. Teh Gheis have taken Hawaii. So everyone loved Athenae’spost about Sally Kern. Rightly so, and it’s good to call out people who say monumentally stupid things like “gays are more dangerous than terrorists.” In a similar vein, the son of a woman who was killed in the Oklahoma City bombing wrote that execrable Republican a letter (fromPam’s House Blend). Rep Kern: On April 19, 1995, in Oklahoma City a terrorist detonated a bomb that killed my mother and 167 others. 19 children died that day. Had I not had the chicken pox that day, the body count would’ve likely … Continue reading Update on the Dumbassery of Sally Kern

Jude, Of Interest4 Comments

So It’s Music You’re Wantin’

Alright, Athenae. I’ll see your Karan Casey and raise you these. For those of you who wish to engage in nit-picking, I realize Roseanne Cash isn’t Irish, and that’s a Johnny Cash song. Also, I’m aware that Stan Rogers was Canadian. But Irish singers have adopted both of those songs as their own. In fact, the first person I ever heard sing “The Mary Ellen Carter” was a very pleasant old Irish gentleman. If you don’t like that, then sod off. Continue reading So It’s Music You’re Wantin’

Your President Speaks2 Comments

Your President Speaks!

Last night, inWashington. How To Get Rid Of A Troublesome Child So the guy comes to see me, and he says, I want to marry your daughter. I said, done deal. Which Side Are We On? And then I remind them that we’re living in a very difficult period in the history of the world. After all, we’re witnessing an ideological struggle between those who kill the innocent to achieve political objectives and those who believe in human dignity and human rights and human freedom. Continue reading Your President Speaks!

Jude, Of Interest1 Comment

A Better Beatdown of Chris Hedges

That’s PZ Myers on the right, Chris Hedges on the left. So I was thinking to myself–who would do a good job demolishing Chris Hedges’ bullshit false equivalence? And only one name came to mind: Joe Louis. Uh, I mean PZ Myers. Over at Pharyngula, Myers just destroys Hedges.  It’s a written version of the Brown Bomber’s uppercut to Jimmy Bivins depicted above. It’s worth the read, so check it out! Continue reading A Better Beatdown of Chris Hedges

Immoral Values9 Comments

Every Once In A While They Pull One Out

Allison Hantschel

I’m actually kind of fond of this movement. This should be fun. Ohio Talibangelist Rod Parsley, one of the infamous Patriot Pastors who backed homophobe GOP candidate Ken Blackwell for governor in last year’s election, is beating the drum to have dust-laden state adultery laws enforced. Parsley, head of the pious Center for Moral Clarity, practically had a boner over a recent case in Michigan, where its second-highest court ruled that anyone involved in an extramarital fling can be prosecuted for first-degree criminal sexual conduct — a felony that could land you in prison for life. This would actually give … Continue reading Every Once In A While They Pull One Out

Your President Speaks5 Comments

Your President Keeps Speaking!!!!

Today, at theWhite House. What PRTs Is As you can see here on the screen in front of me, we’ve got assembled in Afghanistan — thanks to Ambassador Wood — PRTs, which is Provincial Reconstruction Teams, made up of military and civilian personnel, all aiming to help the Afghans recover from unbelievable brutality of the Taliban and have a society that’s capable of meeting the needs of its people. Our Counter-Effective Counter-Insergency Strategy Any counter — effective counterinsurgency strategy will require more than just military action. The Blessings Of Good Governance And so if you look on the screen you … Continue reading Your President Keeps Speaking!!!!

So Called Liberal Media1 Comment

Thanks, Liberal Media!

Bastards. Twenty-eight percent of the public is aware that nearly 4,000 U.S. personnel have died in Iraq over the past five years, while nearly half thinks the death tally is 3,000 or fewer and 23 percent think it is higher, according to an opinion survey released yesterday. The survey, by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, found that public awareness of developments in the Iraq war has dropped precipitously since last summer, as the news media have paid less attention to the conflict. In earlier surveys, about half of those asked about the death tally responded … Continue reading Thanks, Liberal Media!

Holden's Obsession with the Gaggle2 Comments

Today On Holden’s Obsession With The Gaggle

Tony Farto Says You Should Stop Labelling The Economy Q So with the latest bad numbers on consumer spending and labor markets — the news seems to be getting worse by the day — how is the President going to allay Americans’ concerns that the economy is either heading for a recession, or in a recession? MR. FRATTO: Look, you can try to put labels on what the economy is. I mean, it’s very low-growth and it’s much lower, or slower, than we would certainly like to see. What we’re focused on is the policies that will return us to … Continue reading Today On Holden’s Obsession With The Gaggle

Political Crack1 Comment

More Good News For Republikkkans

We’re gonnamop the floor with Huggy McCain in November. WASHINGTON – Are you better off now than you were four years ago? This has become a fundamental question in presidential elections. And for the first time since 1992, a plurality of voters heading into November’s election answer that question with a resounding no, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. Forty-three percent say that they and their families are worse off, compared with 34 percent who say they’re better off; 21 percent respond that their status is the same. By contrast, strong pluralities or majorities answered that they … Continue reading More Good News For Republikkkans

War in Iraq1 Comment

The Party’s Over

So much for thesuccess of the surge. Fighters from the Shi’ite Mehdi Army and U.S. soldiers exchanged rocket and mortar fire on Thursday, threatening a ceasefire declared by the militia’s leader, the anti-U.S. cleric Moqtada al Sadr. Sadr, whose militia fought two battles against U.S. forces in southern Iraq in 2004, extended a ceasefire last month, but at the weekend issued a statement telling followers they could defend themselves if attacked. The ceasefire has been praised by U.S. commanders for reducing violence, with attacks across Iraq down by 60 percent since last June. But U.S. forces are stretched thin by … Continue reading The Party’s Over