Month: January 2009

Happy Democrat Photo3 Comments

Happy Obama Photo: Dodd Edition

Stolen from Obama_Daily: As the Bush Years wind down I think it’s important to remember the times people did stand up.This is one of my favorite political speeches of all time. I read it every now and then just to remind myself what righteous fury sounds like: In these times—under a president who seems every more day intent on acting as if he is the law, who grants himself the right to ignore legislation, who claims the power to spy without a warrant, to imprison without a hearing, to torture without a scruple—in these times, I would be a fool … Continue reading Happy Obama Photo: Dodd Edition

Uncategorized4 Comments

The Final Days II*

“stonewall it, let them plead the Fifth Amendment, cover up or anything else…” Hisfirst last farewell having been a steaming turd of a dud, Shrub’s gonna give it one more college try, which is probably more than he ever tried while actually in college…off-hand that makes me think of a line fromAnimal House–“eight years of college wasted.” Maybe they meant Electoral College. It’s difficult to conceive of a more paltry set of “accomplishments,” and Bush’s well-known cavalier- attitude-bordering-on-contempt for history is manifest inhis gutting of the presidential records legislation act. Maybe in his mind that’s something to be proud of, … Continue reading The Final Days II*

Political Crack35 Comments

The Cult Topic

All this talk at the Crack Den about“your campaign is a cult” really stems from a fear of passion. Whenever I go somehwere to talk about blogs and blogging, people ask what the chief thing people get from blogs that they can’t get from traditional media, and it’s usually passion I come around to talking about. Whether it was the “war on Gore’s earth tones” campaign of 2000 or the “you’re just so angry, Howard Dean” bullshit of 2004, the pundits largely disdain people who get all het up about politics. It’s just strategy, moving pieces around the board, what … Continue reading The Cult Topic

Uncategorized7 Comments

Obama’s next barrier: Football coach

The guy on the left is President-elect Barack Obama. The guy on the right is Turner Gill, head football coach at the University of Buffalo. Pop quiz: Which of these two guys had a harder time getting the job they got? I’ve seena lot writtenabout howwe’ve overcome some great barrier in electing our first black president. We’ve viewed thislike the four-minute mile or likehome run 756: something that was unlikely to fall has now fallen and we’re all witnesses to history. However, in the wake of this achievement, Richard Lapchick and his folks at theInstitute for Diversity and Ethics in … Continue reading Obama’s next barrier: Football coach

Uncategorized4 Comments

Quitting Time Booster Shot

After a week that pretty much was a complete bit of wreckage (started off at the dentist, ended up with us all needing to see a doctor for some sort of weird bug), I don’t know about you all, but I could sure use the weekend. Here’s the booster shot to get us there: – OK, after watching this, I’m never going to be able to let my kid have a clown bend a balloon for her ever again. And if that’s not amusing enough for you, try this other Durex ad. – It was -16 out where I live … Continue reading Quitting Time Booster Shot

Your President Speaks7 Comments

Obama’s Letter To His Daughters

Awww: I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you’ve had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much-although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential. These are the things I want for you-to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams … Continue reading Obama’s Letter To His Daughters

Geek Cred7 Comments

Friday Night Galactica Vid (And Thread)

Flory sendsthis along: “Battlestar Galactica” always finds ways to challenge the audience’s beliefs—it is no more an ode to pacifism than “24” is to “bring ’em on” warmongering. In the pilot, humanity is nearly eradicated by the Cylons, a race of robots that revolt against their human creators. The only survivors are stationed on a spacecraft called Battlestar Galactica; they’re spared because the ship’s commander, William Adama (Edward James Olmos), had refused to relax any wartime restrictions. Adama is a hard-liner, willing to sacrifice personal freedoms in order to provide safety from an abstract threat. And he was right: the … Continue reading Friday Night Galactica Vid (And Thread)

So Called Liberal Media3 Comments

The Media Should Be Banned

Rick Sanchez goes all Keith on Alleged Joe the Alleged Plumber: ViaWonkette. Here’s why crap like what “Joe” is spoutingisn’t funny, has never been funny, will never be funny: It is well known that I was on two occasions brutally assaulted, while on another my house was sprayed with machine-gun fire. Despite the government’s sanctimonious assurances, there was never a serious police inquiry into the perpetrators of these attacks, and the attackers were never apprehended. In all these cases, I have reason to believe the attacks were inspired by the government. When finally I am killed, it will be the … Continue reading The Media Should Be Banned

Political Crack3 Comments

Requiem for a nightmare

Hockey legend Gordie Howe spins a great yarn about being a pall bearer for Jack Adams. The long-time Detroit Red Wings GM died in 1968 after a reign of success that was predicated on a reign of terror. Adams was known for his tight-fisted approach to money and his draconian nature when it came to dealing with players. Adams repeatedly told Howe he was the highest paid player in the league until Howe found out there were three guys on the team making more than he did. He also traded away Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay for attempting to form … Continue reading Requiem for a nightmare

War in Iraq4 Comments

Cheney: Why So Serious, Iraqis?

Why don’t you love us? MR. LEHRER: The president has also said that he made some mistakes in the last eight years. Did you make any? VICE PRES. CHENEY: Well, make mistakes – I can think of places where I underestimated things. For example, talking about Iraq, the extent of which the Iraqi population had been beaten down by Saddam Hussein was greater than I anticipated. That is, we thought that the Iraqis would be able to bounce back fairly quickly once Saddam was gone or the new government established and step up and take major responsibilities for governing Iraq, … Continue reading Cheney: Why So Serious, Iraqis?

Current Affairs5 Comments

As…History…Marches…On — OMG, space monkeys!

You know the part at the end of Eddie Izzard’s bit about British vs. American movies, where there is not enough popcorn in the world to match the bombast? That’s what I feel like lately just watching the fucking news! Is it just me, or is political theater in America way, way over the top right now? I’m gobsmacked just thinking “What the frilly heck is going to happen NEXT?” Before the election, more often than not on most days, I’d have at least one issue that I was sufficiently pissed off or excited about to want to share. Now, … Continue reading As…History…Marches…On — OMG, space monkeys!

Uncategorized3 Comments

“Pretty Tough Sell”

Sunday, Republican Minority Leader John Boehner appeared onCBS’Face the Nationand tried to throw cold water on President Elect Obama’s plan toaccess the $350 billion in remaining stimulus money. After aiding and abetting the gross fiscal mismanagement throughout the Bush years, Rep. Boehner* is suddenly all about fiscal rectitude and accountability. He says: Until there’s ademonstrated need in our economy, and a plan to address that need, I think it would beirresponsible for Congress to release the additional money. Boehner went on to conclude that it will be “a pretty tough sell” to get Congress to release the money. A “pretty … Continue reading “Pretty Tough Sell”

So Called Liberal Media9 Comments

Speaking of Killing Journalism

I won’t link directly to it, nor embed it, because it’s just so … GAH. I mean, let’s just leave aside for a moment that he’s supposedly a war correspondent, saying war correspondents shouldn’t be allowed to cover the war. He’s not really saying anything Michelle Malkin hasn’t said a thousand times, which is, roughly, “I KNOW I ORDERED THE BIG BLOODY WAR MEDIUM RARE BUT FUCK YOU FOR BRINGING IT TO ME JUST THAT WAY YOU TRAITOROUS ASSHOLE.” I have a hard time getting worked up about this assclown who is, let’s face it, mostly getting laughed at, while … Continue reading Speaking of Killing Journalism

Uncategorized7 Comments

Trent Lott is unnamed co-conspirator

Well well lookeehere… Former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott is the unnamed co-conspirator in a civil lawsuit filed in federal court against his brother-in-law, imprisoned former attorney Dickie Scruggs. “Anybody who acts to further the conspiracy is a co-conspirator,” said one of Wilson’s attorneys, Vicki Slater of Jackson. “He called (Circuit Judge) Bobby DeLaughter at Dickie’s request.” DeLaughter has not been charged with a crime but is being accused of ruling in Scruggs’ favor in exchange in 2006 for a potential appointment to the federal bench. Lott has acknowledged that he called DeLaughter about a judgeship, but decided along with Sen. … Continue reading Trent Lott is unnamed co-conspirator

Stupid Republican Tricks5 Comments

If You’d Just Be Good I Wouldn’t Have To Hit You

Seriously, these people. I am going to start making up business cards that say STOP SUCKING and just hand them out to people like this. Once and for all time: It is not up to you to dictate to oppressed people how they should feel about their oppression, nor (so long as they’re not hurting you) instruct them how they choose to remedy that oppression. I swear it’s written on the insides of wingnuts’ palms like a cheat sheet, that whenever somebody points out they’re acting like douchebags, all they have to do is yell YOU SHOULD SHUT UP AND … Continue reading If You’d Just Be Good I Wouldn’t Have To Hit You

Uncategorized11 Comments

Bush steals the Coast Guard’s success…again

Today Bushdefended his response to Katrina by pointing to the success of the Coast Guard rescues. It’s not the first time he has done so and it is bullshit. To explain why that is so, here areexcerpts of a Dec. 2005 post which I wrote when Bush had previously claimed their success as his own and I suggested to keep it in mind as he would do so again…and he has, of course. This isn’t the first time that Bush has invoked the imagery of the Coast Guard. He used them for aphoto op on Friday September 2 (BTW the … Continue reading Bush steals the Coast Guard’s success…again

So Called Liberal Media4 Comments

Print Is Dead

Again. So what are journalism professors, those charged with grooming the next generation of reporters, editors and producers, telling their students these days about the news business in general, and print journalism, that seemingly most endangered of species, in particular? “I’m telling my students to find a new profession,” says journalism Professor Tony Chan of the University of Washington at Seattle. “Print, as we know it, is dead. Kaput,” he adds. “Print is ‘Dead Man Walking.’” The first time I heard this was in 1995, when I was in college, and the batshit crazy professor who said it to me … Continue reading Print Is Dead

Terrorism3 Comments

‘A Unified, Unifying, Pearl Harbor Sort of Purple American Fury’

My bookshelves were a mess. I worked at a used bookstore right after college and they basically paid me half in money, and half in pages, so I left Madison, Wisconsin ten years ago with fourteen boxes of books, to marry a pack rat with ten boxes of his own. We lived first in a town with a limited library but with proximity to the great bookstores of the city, so we added to our collection accordingly. Friends wrote books, gave us books, lent us books, we lent books back, and when we last moved, six years ago, we had … Continue reading ‘A Unified, Unifying, Pearl Harbor Sort of Purple American Fury’