Month: January 2009

Stupid Republican Tricks4 Comments

Today on Tommy T’s Obsession With The Freeperati – kozmic post-election blues

Good morning, campers! As you can well imagine, it’s been a sullen week on Free Republic. The pledge drive I mentioned has slowed from a crawl to a pace only comparable to medium glaciers. They’ve been grinding away at their latest pledge drive for over three weeks plus and are currently at 36%, when normally they’re completely done after two weeks. Moderation has gone up in smoke, as the once ironclad and finger-wagging prohibitions about multiple posts on the same subject seem to have vanished in the miasma of despair. There’s often identical news items posted four and five times … Continue reading Today on Tommy T’s Obsession With The Freeperati – kozmic post-election blues

Economy3 Comments

Simple Question

Why, when a law needs passing to violate the civil rights of Americans or go to war with a country that hasn’t attacked us, is a delay unconscionable, but when a law needs passing to fix the country’s economy, delays are needed to fully examine all possible spun-out consequences and apocalyptic scenarios? I never really bought into the idea that Republicans like losing so they can be the noble opposition and not have to govern. I thought it was simplistic and gave them too much credit for strategy. But this is making me wonder if they really don’t want to … Continue reading Simple Question

Political Crack6 Comments

‘The Whole World Is Rejoicing’

Seriously, where’s my foam finger? If I’ve had a thing on this blog from the start — and I was doing some thinking this week while I was traveling because it was that kind of trip, the kind where you start out trying to get warm for the first time in months and end up reassessing your entire life — it’s that Democrats should stop apologizing for being Democrats and being liked and being elected and being supported and being popular. Quit screwing around, seriously. People put you in charge to do stuff. Power has a purpose and you either … Continue reading ‘The Whole World Is Rejoicing’

Uncategorized12 Comments

Army licensed the 1st ID insignia to Sears’ clothing line

It’s the first time ever for this. And some soldiers and vets don’t like it. FromStars and Stripes: The patch of one of the Army’s most storied divisions is coming to Sears — and not everyone is pleased about it. The distinctive “Big Red One” insignia and colors of the 1st Infantry Division are part of an Army-inspired clothing line being rolled out this year for the department store. The Army licensed the 1st ID insignia to All American Apparel in June 2007, according to Army spokesman Paul Boyce. Under the licensing agreement, the Army will receive royalties on any … Continue reading Army licensed the 1st ID insignia to Sears’ clothing line

Diary8 Comments

Friday Ferretblogging: Epic Winter Edition

If it’s snowing but still relatively warm, we take the boys out for a little snow adventuring. Last year Riot couldn’t get enough of the snow. He burrowed in it, chased snowflakes around, made himself into a very, very tiny horizontal snowman, it was Big Fun. This year, he wasn’t having it. I leashed him and put him down in the snow; he crawled right back UP me and curled up in my coat. Puck, on the other hand, couldn’t get enough: It went on like that for half an hour, until I finally had to drag him back inside. … Continue reading Friday Ferretblogging: Epic Winter Edition

Uncategorized10 Comments

Quitting Time Booster Shot

As quitting time came unusually late for me tonight, here’s a little later version of the QTBS: – Got an email today from USA Today telling me that they weren’t going to publish my letter to the editor. Seemed strange as I’d never sent them one, so I did the logical thing and just deleted the message. Of course if you’ve ever been part of an email list that got spammed, you know what happened next: No fewer than 80 people wrote back to the entire list saying they hadn’t sent a letter to USA Today and demanded to be … Continue reading Quitting Time Booster Shot

Terrorism12 Comments

May the Road Rise to Meet You in the Face, You Treasonous Son of a Bitch

A couple of weeks ago I posted up a site that allowed you to post your goodbye letters to Bush. This is mine: Goodbye, President Bush. Goodbye, President Bush. Goodbye, President Bush. Goodbye, President Bush. Goodbye, President Bush. As you ride off into the sunset of whatever life is left to you, I find myself wishing many things. I wish, for example, that I believed in the afterlife described by my childhood priests, so that I could imagine the orderlies in Hell preparing you a bed. Which would be chained to the wall by the way, and you chained to … Continue reading May the Road Rise to Meet You in the Face, You Treasonous Son of a Bitch

Uncategorized11 Comments

“Go Obama”

(REUTERS/Larry Downing) I was checking out at the grocery store today when an employee announcing the various store specials ended with –“Go Obama.” I looked around to see everyone smiling broadly, as was I. Of course I also got misty eyed…Again. And here is this from theWhite House website regarding Katrina: President Obama will keep the broken promises made by President Bush to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. He and Vice President Biden will take steps to ensure that the federal government will never again allow such catastrophic failures in emergency planning and response to occur. President Obama … Continue reading “Go Obama”

Uncategorized7 Comments

“Grandma, why are you brushing your hand?”

I was about 4 or 5 years old and it was the first time I’d noticed something different about my grandmother. I was staying at her house as my parents went on some overnight junket required by Dad’s work and I walked in to the bathroom upon hearing the sound of brushing teeth. Instead of brush in mouth, she had teeth in hand, brushing them vigorously with well-worn pink and white toothbrush. In one of my earliest attempts at journalism, I of course asked: “Grandma, why are you brushing your hand?” She put her teeth back in, made up some … Continue reading “Grandma, why are you brushing your hand?”

Current Affairs, Stupid Republican Tricks6 Comments

Today on Tommy T’s Obsession With The Freeperati – inaugural edition

Well, well, well. The Ragnarok of the Obama Presidency has hung over the heads of the Freepers for some months now. Finally, they can see it moving in to crush them like a Pink Floyd-powered planetoid. This would be a time that tries their souls, if any of them hadn’t sold theirs for a promise of the Permanent Republican Majority(tm). Well, iso suits on and double sealed – there’s enough wailing and rending of garments going on over there to keep a sackcloth and ashes salesman in business for a decade. First –So – any other Freepers going to be … Continue reading Today on Tommy T’s Obsession With The Freeperati – inaugural edition

Uncategorized6 Comments

Monitored Communications For Thee But Not For Me

Irony is hardly an adequate word to describe an administration thatengaged in industrial-level spying on its own citizens while insisting on unprecedentedsecrecy andcontrol over their own records…records chronicling their time as, and I use the term loosely, public servants. But I guess when you’re vying for the title ofWorst Administration Ever, you’ve got to pay attention to both the big picture AND the small details. Continue reading Monitored Communications For Thee But Not For Me

Geek Cred16 Comments

Low Lie the Fields: Galactica Thread

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Here’s the thing about stories, good ones, ones that mean something. They’re supposed to shake you up, knock something loose, change you inside, so that even if you knit yourself back together you can still trace the seam with your fingertips, you can still see the place where the change happened. I’m trying to find a way to describe the ache in my chest because it’s not sorrow and it’s not joy.

Jacob:

You fight for something, like Jacob for Rachel; you work to earn it,
you flay yourself, open up your veins and your skin and your
selfishness and your cruelty and the greatest shames inside you, to
earn a sense of worthiness. You work to earn your just reward. And when
you get it, it is broken. They burned off the things that kept them
blind and they walked one painful, bloody step from the Altar of the
Colonies, on which they were sacrificed, to the Temple of Aurora, and
when they got there it was broken.

Continue reading “Low Lie the Fields: Galactica Thread”

Immoral Values, Jude12 Comments

More “Pro-Life” Bullshit

Behold Lucifer himself. This is why the “conscience clause” is transparent, anti-woman bullshit. A clinic nurse first removed her intrauterine birth-control device without permission, says the patient in a federal action, then told her that “having the IUD come out was a good thing,” because “I personally do not like IUDs. I feel they are a type of abortion. I don’t know how you feel about abortion, but I am against them.” The patient sued Presbyterian Health Services Rio Rancho Family Health Center and nurse practitioner Sylvia Olona in Federal Court. The plaintiff says she went to Rio Rancho to … Continue reading More “Pro-Life” Bullshit

Stupid Republican Tricks7 Comments

A pair of ragged claws scuttling…

NYT: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s smooth ride to confirmation as secretary of state hit a small bump on Tuesday as one of her Republican colleagues blocked a vote on Mrs. Clinton’s nomination, citing ethical questions arising from donors to her husband’s charitable foundation. Senator John Cornyn of Texas objected to including Mrs. Clinton’s name in a unanimous consent vote for several Cabinet nominees, scheduled for hours after the swearing-in of President-elect Barack Obama. The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, plans to hold a roll-call vote on Mrs. Clinton’s nomination on Wednesday, which she is expected to win easily. A spokesman … Continue reading A pair of ragged claws scuttling…

Terrorism9 Comments

Gitmo: Closed

Quit fucking around: They’ve just successfully moved the goalposts. We are now engaged in a battle to persuade Obama that he must unequivocally and publicly disavow what those two jaded, decadent sadists just suggested was necessary lest he risk Americans being killed. Good luck to us on that. Considering Obama’s propensity for consensus, I would guess that he will find some way to appease them. (Maybe he’ll vow to make sure that the torturers don’t enjoy it, as a sop to the liberal freaks.) But I would suggest that Obama contemplate one little thing before he decides to try to … Continue reading Gitmo: Closed

Political Crack2 Comments

Inauguration Day Crack Van

INAUGURATION * DAY* CRACK * VAN* CLOSED****************Thanks to all who rode along for the past eight years. Yes We Did! **************** Arright, peeps. Say goodbye to President Bush (punch3, grizzly, chainsaw) and hello to President Obama (applause, kitten, kids-yeah) in the van. Please be nonviolent. Virgo will be your guest driver for much of the day and I’ll check in when I can. Posts in the van belong to their posters, not to Jude, Scout, Athenae or the regular guests, who are not responsible for anything not said by them personally. Any leftover scotch will be fed to the ferrets. … Continue reading Inauguration Day Crack Van

Hurricane Katrina & Federal Flood3 Comments

Michelle Goes the Extra Mile of Asshole

So here’s how the story works. A guy was involved in a house-flipping scheme. For which he was sentenced to probation recently, and has to pay government restitution. Said guy also lost his home and family during the flooding of New Orleans, and was struggling to rebuild, and had gotten some time in the public eye because of said efforts. If you’re anybody with a lick of sense you’re reading the above thinking, hmm. The one has nothing to do with the other. If you’re Michelle Malkin, you read the above and go straight to “HURRICANE KATRINA FRAUDSTER OMG TAX … Continue reading Michelle Goes the Extra Mile of Asshole

Diary, Jude

I Have A Problem

That’s what I just said. I know what you’re thinking. Just one? And you’re probably right. However, last night, I had a long, involved dream. It’s unusual for me to remember anything about my dreams, but this one stuck. I dreamed it was election day. In 2012. And I was reassuring nervous friends that Obama was going to be just fine, even though I was feeling a little trepidation myself. So, yeah. My life has become likeThe West Wing, but without the glory, fame, power, or money. Happy Inauguration Day, everyone! Continue reading I Have A Problem

Law/Justice1 Comment

People Who Kicked Bush’s Ass: Russ Edition

Another of my favorite moments from a very long, vicious, and now mercifully OVER, eight years: Even as America addresses the demanding security challenges before us, we must strive mightily also to guard our values and basic rights. We must guard against racism and ethnic discrimination against people of Arab and South Asian origin and those who are Muslim. We who don’t have Arabic names or don’t wear turbans or headscarves may not feel the weight of these times as much as Americans from the Middle East and South Asia do. But as the great jurist Learned Hand said in … Continue reading People Who Kicked Bush’s Ass: Russ Edition