Begging Your Pardon, Mr. President

The pardon the agents petition that is the subject of this post can be accessed by clicking on the post title, which contains the link to the site which is promoting the petition, which can be likewise accessed by a link at the upper right hand of that page. Also, a hat tip to Lemuel Calhoun of Hillbilly White Trash, who kindly posted the link on his blog at my request, as well as this one here which also goes into some detail as to the chain of events which lead to this controversy.

If you want a job where you are treated with respect, it seems the last thing you might want to consider is the life of a government employee, in at least some cases. And the lower you go down the totem pole, the worse off you are. You get about as much respect in some cases if you’re a burger flipper or 7/11 clerk. Of course, to see the idiot smiles on the faces of actors portraying clerks in tv commercials, you would think they live the life of reilly. Yeah, what do you want your daughter to bring home from Pizza Hut? A supreme with extra cheese and breadsticks, maybe, but certainly not the clerk, if she does that you’ll probably send her back.

Now, you might think you’d be proud if your daughter brought home a government employee, but you might want to rethink that a bit.

Military enlistees are, technically speaking, “government employees”, and they get little respect. Oh, sure, we all “support the troops”, some would even go so far as to say they “love” them, but where does the lip service end and the reality begin? You can leave all that love and respect right outside the door of the Walter Reed Outpatient Treatment Center, thank you very much, it might damage the decorative mold.

Or, if your daughter brings home a US Attorney, you might consider wondering just what you did wrong. Can’t your daughter find a decent tort attorney with a real job?

But it seems these days like if you really want to scrape the bottom of the barrel, you might come out with an INS border security guard. Talk about getting no respect. Here are these two guys that went out of their way to apprehend an illegal Mexican alien who was smuggling some 74 pounds or so of marijuana across the border, whom the two guards thought was armed, and when he tried to escape they shot him in the ass.

They were then tried and convicted of numerous trumped up charges, including civil rights violations.

Now, after this trial, at which three of the jurors involved later claimed they were coerced into delivering a guilty verdict, (the prosecutor, incidentally, is under investigation for prosecutorial misconduct due to his part in the trial) they have been sentenced to twelve and thirteen years in prison, where one of them was recently brutally beaten by Mexican inmates who demanded “death to the border guards.”

They were convicted in part due to the testimony of the illegal alien drug smuggler, who was granted immunity in return for his testimony. But why the hell were they even charged and tried to begin with? According to some reports, this was done at the instigation of the Mexican government itself. Now, I don’t know if that is true or not, though I certainly believe they at least encouraged it, along with the other usual suspects, the pro open borders and amnesty crowds and open immigration factions among the liberal left and the various other immigrant advocacy groups.

In the meantime, these men have gotten little in the way of support from among the conservative forces that would ordinarily be up in arms about these kinds of shenanigans. Of course, as usual, both parties for the most part care more about kowtowing to the far left (in the case of Democrats), or to the business oriented open borders, free trade neo-cons (in the case of Republicans), while both are trolling for as many Hispanic votes as they can muster. It’s fucking shameful. Out of all the members of Congress, only twelve-all Republicans-have gone on record as actively opposing this shameful sham of a trial and demanding that the border agents be granted a presidential pardon.

It is not looking good, however. Although he could definitely grant the men a pardon at a drop of a sombrero, Bush seems to be hiding behind the excuse that pardons are typically granted only after time has been served. Of course, there are numerous instances where this was not the case. Clinton’s pardon of billionaire tax cheat and fugitive from justice Mark Rich comes to mind. Granted, these two men don’t have wealthy wives who can contribute hefty sums of money to a presidential library. Nor are they former high ranking cabinet officials, as in the case of former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, pardoned for his role in Iran-Contra by President George Herbert Walker Bush. Nor are they former Presidents, such as Richard M. Nixon, pardoned by Gerald Ford before he was ever even tried.

They are however men who were merely doing their jobs, maybe not perfectly, but still putting their lives on the line for little in the way of appreciation, renumeration, and respect. Now, they may be compelled to spend the best remaining years of their lives in a federal prison.

If you feel the way I do about this shit, you can click on this link, which will take you to a page where you can donate money to keep the cause alive or, at least as good and maybe even better, in the upper right hand corner of the page you will see a link to a page where you can sign a petition to President Bush encouraging him to grant these men the pardon I honestly feel they should receive as quickly as possible.

I also personally feel they should be granted a public apology, and back pay, in addition to a hefty amount of money for their pain and sufferring. In addition, they should receive an extra amount for whatever harassment they received while in prison, and the warden should be fired for not insuring their safety.

Yes, prison is rough, but all prisoners who are deemed to be potential targets are typically afforded some degree of protective custody, and this would obviously have been the appropriate precaution in the case of these two men.

You see, these two men are both Hispanics, and so in addition to the “crime” of being border agents, to the Hispanic street trash thugs who threatened them and attacked one on at least this one occasion, they are also doubtless viewed as “race traitors”.

Still, for the time being, let’s concentrate on getting them freed. Copy and paste the link and send it to as many people as you can think of to sign and forward to the President.

Like I told Lemuel Calhoun, of Hillbilly White Trash, who was kind enough to post these links on his blog at my request, if Bush would actually do the right thing in this regard, it might go a long way toward demonstrating evidence of this stiffened spine and backbone he allegedly has that we are always hearing so much about.

And I might add one other thing. I know that some that might peruse these links might have a knee jerk reaction to one of these sites, WorldNet Daily, but please try to think outside the box. You don’t have to agree with them on everything, or even on most things. I know I don’t. But when you're right, you’re right. If you agree with me that this is one of the times when they are right, not wrong-and there is little if any gray area here, in my opinion-then get over your initial objections to the site and support this petition drive.

And do more than that. Forward these links to your House Representatives and Senators. I think it’s a disgrace that no Democratic Congressmen or Senators have supported these two men. But that should be considered more a reflection of the Democratic leadership than on the individuals. After all, committee assignments might be in danger if they were to engage in an activity that goes beyond the accepted parameters of the House and Senate leadership as it currently stands. To say nothing of endangering funding of congressional projects and support for sponsored bills. Still, you would think at least one would have the balls (or ovaries) to stand up for what’s right. In all fairness, as I said, only twelve Republicans have done so, as of the writing of the petition.

The drug smuggler in question, by the way, has sued the US government for five million dollars. Like they say-only in America.

Partisan Hacks-Why I'll Never Be One

Ann Coulter has finally done it. She's succeeded in pissing me off. Well, ok, she done it once before, with her statements about the 9/11 Widows, who, according to her, were the first women she had ever seen "enjoy their husbands deaths so much".

Well, her latest salvo tops even that one. She has now gone way over the top by putting the blame for the recent scandal of the Walter Reed Outpatient Treatment Center-on the Democrats.

Yep, according to Annie, this whole mess would have never come about if only those evil Democrats did not insist on civil service protections for federal employees. Because of this, you see, it's impossible for all practical purposes to fire any government employee, therefore they can merrily draw their pay while doing diddly squat while Building 18 is overrun by rodents and mold gathers on the walls. She even implies that in the event that they were ordered to correct any such problems that might arise, they could just pretty well tell their supervisors to go suck eggs.

She then goes on to remind us that when former Senator Max Cleland, a decorated Vietnam War veteran-and double amputee as a result of his service in that conflict-ran for re-election in 2002, he was accused by the Republican Party of being a terrorist sympathizer for having the temerity to insist that federal employees of the newly created boondoggle-err, Department of Homeland Security-be granted the same civil service protections as all other federal employees.

Those goddamned labor loving Democrats!! Don't they know that federal employees are mere worker ants, and should be fired at the drop of a hat if they don't toe the line and do what the fuck they're told-sort of like federal prosecutors?

Actually, Anne misses the mark, like all partisan hacks do. This ain't the fuck about Democrat versus Republican. It's about the welfare of our fucking veterans. Oh, wait, I'd better not use the word welfare, that might be misconstrued. Anybody with a brain knows the only people that have a right to fucking welfare are multi-national corporations and illegal immigrants.

Ok,then, it's about the well being of our veterans. You know, the people that have been sent to a fucking stupid ass unnecessary war and are in a great many cases returning sans legs, arms, faces, scrotums, and sanity. Yeah, the ones the GOP loves so much yet just can't agree to funding embryonic stem cell research that might cure them. After all, that might prevent the births of multiple thousands of potential "souls" that can then be saved, and then sent to be yet more fucking cannon fodder.

Those are the ones this is about, not the fucking Democrats, not the fucking Republicans. It's about taking care of the ones that are supposed to be taking care of us.

It's not about casting blame, it's about demanding solutions to the red tape and bureaucracy that BOTH parties have encouraged and nurtured over the decades which in turn has resulted all too often in this kind of horseshit.

Baaaaad Anne. Baaaaad Anne.

American Wake

I've run into a bit of a snag in my efforts at researching an aspect of the Iraq War, so rather than just post what amounts to little more than a personal opinion, with no facts to back it up (for now), I decided there is something else that needs to be said that requires no proof, only powers of observation.

I think the idea that America is still a free and democratic society is every day becoming more of a delusion than an ideal to be grasped and nurtured. Just look at the current political season, the race for the two major parties presidential nominations, and you have to wonder, is there ever a break from this shit?

After the election of '04, the pundits were already discussing in earnest prospects for the '08 election, as well as the then next '06 mid-terms. It has been non-stop.

There used to be a saying to the effect that the only two things that kept the American economy going were war and Christmas. Soon, you might well be able to add politics to the list.

So, what is the reason for this? It looks to me like we are heading back to the days when political conventions picked their candidates in the confines of the proverbial "smoke filled rooms", only we are fed the illusion that the people actually have a say in the process.

And, with the internet, it looked for a while as though the people might actually be given a voice after all, might actually make an impact. In the '04 elections, it started to look as though former Vermont Governor Dr. Howard Dean might well have succeeded in translating a grass roots internet based campaign into the surprise nomination of the century. However, the power brokers of the Democratic Party, fearful of a general election debaucle, joined forces to derail Dean by the time the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primaries rolled around. By the time of the South Carolina primary, his campaign was obviously done.

To his credit, he parlayed his initial success into a movement to take over successfully the chairmanship of the DNC, after which he initiated the "50 state strategy" that was of paramount importance to the Democrats electoral mid-term victories in '06.

Though Dean is unfairly, in my opinion, maligned by the right as a "far leftist", his strategy has actually presented a problem for the entrenched leftist majority of the Democratic party. After all, the success of Dean's strategy depended on the enlistment of centrist candidates to run in states like Montana, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The danger here, of course, is that these candidates might actually turn out to be legitimate centrists (as opposed to moderates of convenience, like Hillary Clinton) and so actually bring the party over toward the center, where of course is where most people in America reside. True, this would make the party all but unbeatable, but the left PAC gravy train would be seriously in jeopardy. Also, the people that make up the majority of Americans-the moderate majority-would tend to actually hold them or any political party accountable for their actions-something most parties aren't used to from their established bases of support.

So, how best to derail this movement than by moving the primary season up and compressing it into a time span early enough in the year so that both parties will have chosen their candidates by early April, at least. This gives the party power brokers the opportunity to insure that their chosen candidates have the money to get their message out before a lesser known candidate, such as Dean, has time to get off the ground, financially or otherwise.

The end result of this is that in order to be competitive, candidates must begin their campaigns ridiculously early, thus we have this phenomenon of the never ending campaign. But unless you're a Hillary Clinton or a Rudy Giulliani, it's a losing proposition. A whole year of tilting at windmills during an off year leading up to the legitimate and traditional campaign season is not a recipe for success. By the time the campaign starts in earnest, the establishment candidates have all their papers in order, their war chests overflowing, and their talking points memorized. They also have the state party machines lined up, as well as most media outlets who are ready to fawn over their every utterance, as they have for the most part throughout the off year.

It is almost a sure fire bet that Hillary Clinton will be the nominee of the Democratic Party, and though the Republican outcome isn't nearly as certain, the smart money is on Giulliani, for now. Of course, the uncertainty of the Republican outcome is based on a lot of soul searching and angst over the last electoral defeat, not over the viability of the system at large.

But the people at large have less say about these matters, as the PACS, other big money contributors, and the party elites, and all those who by and large profit from the system as it is, will do anything to protect their own interests, which sometimes dovetails with the national interest, but at least just as often does not.

But who cares about all that? There's a party going on-a political party primary season, that is. Get out early when it comes to your state, make sure you dress warmly, and vote early and often. This year, your state could well put the winning nominee over the top. Wave at the nice cameraman. Remember, if you are lucky enough to be singled out by a reporter, you are the face of your state and region. Act appropriately.

And remember-though this might be like a wake, of sorts, for American politics, at least it will give the local economy a shot in the arm.

What Is The Secret? What Secret?

In the beginning, before the vast explosion of the universe, all the energy contained therein could have conceivably fit onto the head of a pin, maybe less space than that. When this all finally erupted, it was chaos unbridled.

So, what finally bridled this chaos, gave it this new and on-going semblance, this illusion, of order? Was it by by any chance something called “The Secret”?

No. It was nothing that can’t be explained quite succinctly. You have movement of physical mass which by it’s nature creates a force which serves as both an attractor of a smaller body to a larger one, while at the same time serving to keep the attracted body within general limited parameters.

Thus the the sun’s force field attracts the earth, and all other planets within it’s orbit, where they all stay positioned within a set orbit determined by their mass, make-up, gravity, speed, etc-yet the same force field keeps them from getting any closer than what they presently are-for the time being-or any further away.

The same principle can be observed in regards to the earth and our moon. There is no grand scheme here, no master plan at work. It just is.

But chaos is still at the root of the universe and it’s formation, ans so invariably there will be collisions of objects, of meteors, comets, asteroids, planets, and even galaxies. There is even a school of thought that claims the present period of global warming may be caused by a large patch of radiation emitted from the time the universe was just formed, which we are now entering into. Why, because of some divine master plan?

No-Chaos.

The Secret, in the meantime, is nothing really new. It is just another attempt to make sense out of this chaos by ascribing some divine master blueprint which is supposedly available to be tapped into. Just a newer version of “The Power Of Positive Thinking”. Or even a newer version perhaps of the laws of karma.

True, it has some validity. The tapping into the vast universal energy field which we are all a part of is a viable philosophy, and even utilizing that energy to create change. That is in fact the essence of magick, of witchcraft.

But The Secret has a built in flaw that is already threatening to rupture it into a schism. One school of thought takes into account the existence of the chaos factor, albeit to a limited extent. Yet another does not accede this much. To this last school of thought, nothing happens that there is not a reason for it. Thus, when eight year old Jessica Lunsford was abducted from her Florida home, form her bedroom, while sleeping in the middle of night, by forty two year old multiple convicted sex offender John Couey, and was held prisoner in his trailer bedroom, in a closet, tied and gagged, and over a course of several days beaten and raped, along with whatever else she was subjected to-somewhere deep down in her subconscious mind she attracted somehow this atrocity on herself that lead to her eventual death by being buried alive in garbage bags under the trailer.

Uhhhh-no, she didn’t.

This is the major flaw in most religions and spiritual philosophies and disciplines. While insisting on a master plan, on an all-powerful, loving, all-wise creator, it ends up falling apart by failing to take into account one of the fundamental building block of the universe.

Without chaos, we have nothing, we are nothing. By all means utilize the Secret, or any other such discipline that encourages positive growth and change in combination with living right, acting in positive ways, utilizing the powers of love, forgiveness, etc. But if a plane falls out of the sky in the middle of the night and crashes into your house, and destroys it, and kills you and everybody else inside it, who are you going to blame? Yourself? God? The devil. The pilot? The airline? A terrorist or other crazed passenger(s)? I bet in the last minute of your life, you might well find yourself asking, “what did I do to deserve this?”

The answer, of course, is nothing. Yet, if you are like a good many people, you might find yourself wondering this, in your last minute of life, and that would be a shame. Even if there is an understandable set of circumstances that can explain why the plane fell out of the ground, it still doesn’t account for what made it fall on your house, as opposed to a neighbors, or in an open field, or a skyscraper seven blocks away. Nothing, that is, except the thrust of the plane, the velocity of it’s descent, and gravity, in combination with the exact part of the sky it all transpired. You were not, I would wager, sending out an energy field that caused the pilot to go nuts and kill himself and his co-pilot at just the right moment for the plane to be attracted to the exact spot which would insure your destruction.

There is science and there is fantasy. The Secret contains way too little of the first, and way too much of the second.

Ancient Days-Ancient Pains

It’s hard to believe that a lot of old bones and dust could stir up such controversy, but then again it’s not often that a Hollywood filmmaker comes out with such an extravagant claim as James Cameron's recent declaration of the discovery of the remains of Jesus Christ. As if that were not enough, also included in the alleged find were the remains of a woman whose name, according to Cameron and his supporters, translates into Mary Magdalene, who it seems must have been married to Jesus, as their four children are also included in the family crypt discovered as long ago as 1980 in the suburbs of Jerusalem.

Add to all this the realization that the second Mary is allegedly none other than the mother of Christ herself and we are faced with what amounts to a triple sacrilege. The most profound disputes toward the findings are as follows-

1. Jesus was resurrected from the grave, after which he ascended into heaven.

2. Jesus Christ never was married, nor did he engage in sexual relations, therefore he could not have had children

3. Mary the mother of Jesus in fact never died, according to Catholic Church tradition, but instead was taken bodily and alive up into heaven.

Therefore, these must be the skeletal remains of a different family, albeit with similar names, right? Well, according to Cameron, that would be a near statistical impossibility, as the discovery is all the more enhanced by the markings on one of the ossuaries that identifies the one set of remains as those of “Jesus son of Joseph”.

Aside from the theological disputes, there is one curious response give by opponents of the claim as to why this could not possibly be the holy family. This being that Jesus was a poor Galillean, and as such would have been buried with any family members in an ordinary grave-not in Judea or outside of Jerusalem, but in Galillee, probably in either Nazareth, or maybe in Cana, where he apparently had relatives.

Of course there might well be one incidental bit of admittedly circumstantial evidence that would support Cameron’s claim. What would this be, you might wonder? Well, how about a certain little old ancient book called –

THE BIBLE?

It doesn’t take much digging through the chapters of the Gospels to ascertain that, indeed, Jesus was buried in the outskirts of Jerusalem, such as might well make a fine location for a modern day Jerusalem suburb, I would suspect, in a rock cut tomb that happened to have been donated for the purpose by a certain Joseph of Arimathaea. This Joseph was a wealthy member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, and one of the few members of that august Jewish body who was a sympathizer of the Roman era teacher, rabbi, and some would claim, messiah.

Here’s how it worked in those days. Wealthy Jews had their bodies entombed in caves cut out from the natural rock of cliffs or other sheer natural rock walls and ledges, the entrances to which were covered after the bodies were deposited inside specially cut niches within the inner walls. After an appropriate amount of time, the skeletal remains were removed from the niches and deposited within special ossuarie boxes which were inscribed with the persons name. His or her spouse and children would later join him in the cave in their own special ossuarie box, or at times more than one set of bones would be placed inside one box.

At any rate, this much is in keeping with the gospel records, but there is a small problem. According to the Gospels, the Jews accused the early Christians of deliberately removing the body of Jesus from it’s tomb and hiding it, or perhaps even ignominously disposing of it, after which they developed what they insisted was the fiction of his resurrection and ascension into heaven.

We have to make a lot of assumptions here, the most important of which would be the assumption that Jesus Christ (or Yeshua) actually existed as a historical personage. I am willing to make that assumption, at least for the sake of argument, though insofar as the myth of his resurrection and ascension-well, sorry, I just ain’t ready to go that route. However, if he did exist, then it is easy to conclude that something happened to his remains. Could the Jewish opponents of the early Christians have been correct?

If so, it seems they would have been taking a big chance to either re-inter him and his family within the confines of the old tomb, or to bury him in yet another similar edifice on the outskirts of Jerusalem. This, however, is not taking into account the great Jewish rebellion of 67 AD. It was probably during and after this time that the Gospels were composed, and this would have been during a time when most Jews were expelled from the environs of the city. It might have been a perfect time for the Christians of that day to decide to re-inter the remains, along with the other members of the family that might have been dead at that time.

Let’s make another giant leap of faith that Jesus actually died the way it was described, including his brutal beating by a cat-o-nine tails. This was an implement that contained not just a leather whip, but shards of sharpened stone, metal, and glass. Wielded by a strong and brutal soldier, this device caused excruciating pain and torture. It could rip through flesh and muscle and conceivably chip and scar down to the bone. It was considered so harsh and torturous, a Roman citizen could not be legally flogged with the cat-o-nine tails more than a set number of times, although there was no limit to the lashes a non-Roman citizen-such as Jesus- could receive.

If this really happened, no wonder he died fairly quickly upon his being hung on the cross. But was he really dead in such a way that would be recognized clinically in this day? Or was he just in the beginning stages of death-a coma, as it were-and thus technically dead, just not all the way so?

After a relatively few hours of this agonizing ordeal, a centurion speared him in the side to insure that he was dead, whereupon it was noted that a mass of plasma which had congealed flowed out from the wound. He was then taken down and doubtless unceremoniously dumped on the ground, after which he was handed over for burial to his mother, let’s assume.

Now comes the intriguing part. Is it possible that the spear thrust, along with possibly the thudding drop upon the ground, inadverdently and unnoticeably made his heart once more resume beating? Were the soldiers stationed at his tomb (assuming there really were such soldiers so stationed) drugged? Or were they bribed? Was someone in this or in any other such fashion given entrance to the tomb only to discover that the messiah yet clung barely to life, thus enabling this person to nurse Jesus back to health enough to remove him from the tomb?

The other more fanciful accounts of his words and deeds we can put down to embellishment, but this would definitely explain his resurrection. After all, his period of hanging on the cross has been said to have been no more than about six hours, by far a less amount of time than afforded the average crucifixion, some of which could last for days. In addition, there were no broken bones, no damaged organs outside the flesh and skin, and possibly some bone nicks and at most some slight fractures.

He would have been in a great amount of pain, would have been exhausted physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, but outside of this, and the very real possibility of infection from his wounds, and loss of blood, no true damage was done. Even the larger side wound from the thrusting spear might have afforded some healing by encouraging and enhancing blood flow.

As such, he could have in a very real sense “risen from the grave”. His ascension into heaven would have come later, through the hearts and minds of his followers, throughout the years to come. As for his actual physical body, who is to say that at some point in the years to come, he did not finally meet his death, and was returned to that old donated crypt, now long forgotten by those few remaining Jews that lived, most of whom had by then moved on to other lands.

Or maybe he was buried instead in Japan. Or Kashmir. No matter where he was buried, his bones might well conceivably bear the nicks and cuts from the cat-o-nine tails, though admittedly they might not after all this time show to the naked eye. Still, with infrared lighting, with x-rays, etc., they might show up. Or maybe they wouldn't. Maybe it has just been too long, and the circumstances of his internment just were not conducive to their preservation. And, it has to be noted, even if these were to show up, as compelling as this might be, it still would not necessarily constitute proof.

It doesn’t really matter in a sense. No matter where he was buried,or whether or not his remains are ever found, or whether even his physical body has long ago entirely faded into the dust of the ages-he is still very much alive.

Political Ramblin's And Wranglin's

While Hillary and Barak have been busily presenting their credentials to the black community and sucking all the oxygen away from the other potential presidential candidates (at least all the Democratic ones), Ann Coulter has been busily trying to breathe much needed oxygen back into the campaign of that little “faggot” John Edwards.

Okay, maybe it was unintentional, but I have to wonder. Ann probably had to have known how her remark about Edwards would have been taken, and how it would doubtless inspire much sympathy towards him from the left. And really, Edwards is trailing the other two candidates distantly in the polls, in fact, according to some, he is actually a distant fourth, behind Hillary, Barak, and-former Vice-President Al Gore.

That’s bad.

Now, I can see the potential for much mischief here. All the major Republican contenders have chimed in with their own various disavowals of the remarks. Yet, Edwards himself has put them on his own web-site. This could actually be a real shot in the arm for him. If it was intentional on her part, the implication is that, of all the Democratic contenders, Coulter considers Edwards the easiest to beat in a general election match-up, while dreading to the point of obsession the thought of a Hillary candidacy, who would draw a campaign war-chest that would be hard for any Republican to match, at least in theory.

For what it’s worth, I think Hillary would be the easiest Democrat to beat in a general election, though I can’t help but feel she is virtually unstoppable in her quest to gain the Democratic nomination. She is too hated by way too many people, at worse, and simply mistrusted by way too many others at least.

Edwards would probably be the hardest of the Democrats to beat. All he would have to do is win all of Gore’s old 2000 states, and add a relative handful of southern states, along with Ohio, and he is is in like Flynn. Still, even this is dependent on who he has to face in the general election.

The overall winner-Giulliani, the man whom I can see no one beating in a general election, but more on that later.

For now, the main area to watch is the fascinating rivalry between Obama and Clinton. The anniversary of the march across the bridge of Selma is just the beginning. Barak, though a relatively inexperienced campaigner and public servant, continues to impress and inspire as he siphons off votes from the Clinton tank, along with money from the Hollywood left, as he plays up his strengths as a Washington “outsider”, a breath of fresh air from the old stale politics as usual, and inspirational minority success story.

Hillary will stop just short of shining Al Sharptons shoes on a street in Harlem to maximize her share of the black vote, and for a while the two will be neck and neck, but about half way though the primary season, look for her to pull ahead considerably. Look for a Democratic convention where all the current contenders stand side by side with Hillary, the I’m sure eventual nominee, as they put on a united front.

John Edwards of course will give his two America’s speech, as he hopes against hope for a seat at the table of a Clinton presidency, maybe as Attorney General, yet another position that would be way out of his league. (To be fair, I think he would make an excellent Solicitor General, however).

Barak Obama will speak of a need to heal the divisions of our country, code for “okay, bothers and sisters, it’s cool, vote for the honky bitch”.

Al Gore will of course have a spot at the speakers podium, and will be hailed as the sort of heroic Christ like prophet that is not without honor save in his own country, while he pontificates on the need for drastic changes in America’s environmental policy. He will doubtless speak at length about the dangers of global warming in the middle of the giant air-conditioned convention center.

John Kerry too will make a speech, but will probably find himself relegated to about twenty minutes somewhere between 1 a.m. and ZZZZzzzzzz.

Bill Clinton will of course be the real star of the show, and I’m sure he will make it worthwhile. He probably knows he had better make it good while he can, because it’s all downhill from there.

The entire Democratic convention will be so staged and artificial it will be as antiseptically perfect as a Stepford Wives toilet seat cover. But there’s a rat making it’s way through the plumbing, and if the Democrats ain't careful, ‘08 will be the year they really get bit in the ass.

Think back to the Coretta Scott King funeral, to the speeches of Bill and Hillary Clinton, who for a time stood side by side on the podium as they addressed the mourners (and the remaining majority of the crowd).

If you are a true Democrat, or at least independent and fair minded, Clinton’s speech would have brought you to tears. He was in turn up-lifting, inspirational, humorous, and heart stopping as he reflected on the very real woman that they were there that day to honor.

Then up came Hillary, who shrilly advised the crowd to “send me”.

That is just the difference in the two. Bill Clinton inspires and uplifts while he tugs at your heart, brings you to tears, puts a smile on your face, and makes you feel that everything can actually be right again, all in the space of one speech. You end up feeling a vital part of something worthwhile.

Hillary just pisses you off and scares you to death. That just won’t cut it in a general election against the likes of “America’s Mayor”, or about any other serious Republican contender, with the possible exception of McCain (whom a large portion if not most of Republican conservatives actually hate more than they do Hillary, if that were possible).

The end result will be the election of Giulliani. The next four years might well bode good for the country. It might seem pretty dreary in most of New York though. If Giulliani wins that state, as I think he might well do (along with, incidentally, Pennsylvania and New Jersey), that might write finis to the political career of Hillary Rodham Clinton, who might pick up Ohio as a consolation prize, and otherwise be relegated to the remainder of the Kerry states, along with possibly one or two southwestern states.

But it will be a wash, I’m sure. Why? Because most Republicans seem to have learned their lessons from the ’06 debaucle. Democrats, most of them, still haven’t really learned the lessons from ’72. Or ’80. Or ’84. Or ’88. Or ’94. Or 2002. Or 2004.

As for the 2006 victory, they are to some extent busily trying to silently bury the architect of that victory, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, now the head of the DNC, who instituted the 50 state strategy that won them the last election. That, and the more time goes by, the more obvious it becomes that it is rapidly going back to Democratic Party politics as usual. The list of examples is way too many to list here in this already way overly long post. Besides, they deserve a post of their own.

For now, I’ll just leave you with the mental image of Hillary shining Al Sharpton’s shoes on a Harlem street as I bemoan my lack of ability as an editorial cartoonist.

Military Discipline Not Too Much To Ask FOR our Soldiers and Veterans

I used to feel bad that I had never joined the military (though there were valid health reasons for this), but after what I have been seeing and hearing the last few weeks, my guilt has evaporated like the morning dew on a warm spring day. No country, people, or ideology is worth putting up with the treatment our soldiers and veterans have been putting up with as recently reported by the Washington Post pertaining to the outpatient treatment center of Walter Reed Hospital, known as Building 18.

It is the duty of the American soldier to accept his assignments with no complaints, and as well trained as they are, it is hard to break that cycle of obedience once they are returned to what passes for a semblance of normal life. Therefore, it is no surprise that they offered not a lot of complaints due to their treatment.

What is surprising and disgusting is that when these complaints were made, they were most of the time not looked into, and what times they were they were generally swept under the rug.

Actually, this is a systemic problem that goes well beyond our recent era of the Iraq War and the “war on terror”, this is a problem of long duration, one that I am actually somewhat familiar with through family members.

One relative with advanced dementia and prostrate cancer was refused admittance to a VA Hospital, though after some wrangling and threats he was finally taken in-for one night. He died two weeks later. They tried then to stiff his widow for the hospital bill he had incurred from the necessity of his stay at an area hospital after all the other times he was refused admittance, even though he had been an out-patient there for years. By the time he was correctly diagnosed, he was too far gone.

Another relative was lucky enough to receive 30 per cent disability due to work related back problems, while a general whom he had some familiarity with received full 100 per cent disability after his back went out, due to assuming a rigid posture throughout the entirety of a transcontinental flight.

It’s who you know, and who you are. No wonder they call them grunts. Severe discomfort will do that to you.

Add to this the fact that most of the people sent to Iraq these days are not adequately trained or equipped for the job they are expected to perform, and are kept way past their normal terms of enlistment without adequate leave, or psychological counseling and other therapy, and you have a situation that is only going to get worse in the long run, no matter how shiny the veneer they throw temporarily over the surface to pretty it up, till the next big story breaks.

For now, in the meantime, let's hear it for the Washington Post, who in at least this one instance lived up to their obligations, though it took them long enough.

Mascot Madness

In the annals of sports, there are few things more maddening than the manufactured controversy over team mascots, with the NCAA going the extra mile of denying post season playoff berths to schools who utilize mascots that are deemed inappropriate, insulting, or denigrating to a special interest group. The most obvious example here would be the use of Indian mascots, as reported by the good folks at American Legends, the post for which you can find linked to in the title of this post.

Actually, if this post is widely read enough, I will probably be sentenced to death in
some quarters for refusing to refer to them as “Native American”, which I used to do, but no longer. I’m spiteful that way.

In fact, I want to take the time here to extend kudos to the Seminole tribe of Florida, who in fact has supported the use of their name and image by the Florida State Seminoles, an act that probably has the NCAA officials secretly all but tearing their hair out, and considering presenting the tribe a gift of smallpox infested blankets addressed from the Florida State Alumni Association.

I contend that most Indians, in fact, could care less about this issue, and what ones do care are probably in favor of it, much like most Irish Americans look with self-deprecating humor on the image of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish mascot. The minority that are opposed I put down to the level of-well, renegades on the warpath.

Of course, when it comes to the NCAA and others who suffer from the infestation of political correctness, it would appear they are in denial of their own bigotry. To their way of thinking, only white people are of a superior enough intellect and emotional maturity to be able to appreciate one of their cultural images being utilized in such a humorous fashion. Indians, blacks, etc., are doubtless genetically inferior, so it is wrong to “make fun” of them. After all, they obviously, as members of a lesser race, have not evolved enough to appreciate this subtlety, therefore we should go out of our way to shelter them. After all, this should make us feel better, by showing these poor unfortunate inferior people that we really care about their feelings.

Well, I disagree with this assessment, and I believe that all cultures and races should be integrated into the great American melting pot, and what better way to do this than by mercilessly making sport of them and their cultures, the way the gods intended. I propose that school names and mascots are the best way to begin this great new American experiment.

Let’s start with the mentally retarded. Let’s face it, nothing is funnier than a retardo trying to act smart, or clever, or gods help us, sexy. Admit it, haven’t you ever laughed at least once at a retarded person? You just can’t help it at one time or another, let’s face it, they were meant to be laughed at, otherwise, well, you wouldn’t have laughed at that little mongoloid chick in school that was constantly sticking her finger up her butt and smelling it when she thought nobody was looking. Or the boy that just couldn’t keep his eyes off the best looking girl in school, and couldn’t help breathing like a maniac if she got so close to him. If you were that girl, and you were a little on the cruel side, you might have flirted with him just enough to get him to admit with a glaze over his eyes, “I wuv oo”.

About the only thing that isn’t funny about them is, well, when they try to be funny. Then you finally see them for what they are-stupid. Then you feel sorry for them. But is that any better? Hell no. Let’s bring them fully integrated into America. They are off to a good start with the Special Olympics, but let’s really honor them by naming a bona fide real sports team after them. For example-

THE RHODE ISLAND RETARDOS
MASCOT-



BUGSIE BOOGEREATER

Once that goes over like a lead balloon, and it’s obvious that most people just aren’t comfortable with making fun of the “mentally challenged” (realspeak translation-idiots), then we have to persevere by bringing in other minorities. Here is where the negro can make a contribution. Oh, excuse me, I forgot, it’s not negroes anymore, it’s Afro Americans. No, shit, that’s wrong too, it’s blacks. Wait a minute, man, I’m still way back in the past, it’s “people of color”. Oh wait,though, I forgot, that was decided to be too broad to apply to people of African heritage, so let’s make sure we call them “African Americans”. Well, for the rest of this decade, at least.

To hell with it, I have the perfect team name and mascot for our Negro/Afro-American/Black/People of Color/African American/Whatever’s Next You Damn Well Better Learn To Say It Quick brothers and sisters.

THE NEW JERSEY JIGGABOOS
MASCOT-



CHIEF SPEARCHUCKER

All during the game, his cheerleading squad will be charged with shouting out incendiary racial rhetoric. After losing a game, they will lead the crowd in looting and burning down the stadium and vandalizing all the cars in the parking lot. After winning a game, they will lead the crowd in looting and burning down the stadium and vandalizing all the cars in the parking lot.

Now, of course, some people might think we should make some exceptions, for example, when it comes to Arab/Muslim Americans. After all, these folks feel overly maligned due to association with Islamic terrorists. It just wouldn’t be right to add to their degradation by appropriating their cultural images in a humorous way for a sports team and mascot, would it?

Perhaps you will not be shocked to learn that I disagree with this opinion, and in fact the opposite might well be the case. In fact, what better way to relieve the stress and tension due to this serious issue than be dedicating a university or perhaps a professional sports team specifically to this misunderstood and yet intriqing culture. In fact, since there are so many Arabs and Muslims in the great state of Michigan, might I suggest-

THE DETROIT DIAPERHEADS
MASCOT-



MUHAMMED BEHEDR

Now, there will be a problem here with his cheerleading squad. Of course, they will be required to dress in such a manner so that no parts of their bodies will be shown, so they can’t take the chance of jumping up and down and risk showing an ankle or calve, so they will have to be relegated to waving posters and placards that say cool things like “Death To The Infidel Team” while Muhammed Behedr runs up to the oppossing teams' cheerleaders and throws acid in their faces.

Since they can’t be seen, it would be necessary for them to mingle with the crowd during halftime in a friendly way, while passing out team pictures in envelopes that also contain powdered anthrax.

The teams lawyers might also want to consider filing a lawsuit to lift the restrictions on airspace flights over the stadium during game time. At least during away games.

Another issue that is a great cause for concern is the problem of illegal immigration, particularly that of migrant workers from Mexico. These fine folks go out of their way to “do jobs Americans won’t do”, and are so concerned about the quality of work available to American farmers and businesses, they go out of their way to insure that inferior workers from Nicaraqua and Honduras are blocked at their own country’s southern border from entering the US. I think we owe them a debt of thanks, and what better way to repay them than by honoring them with a sports team and mascot of their own. Nor does it have to be limited to a team from the American Southwest. Not any more. Now, they are all over the country, even the east and midwest. In recognition of their “contribution”, therefore, I suggest-

THE WEST VIRGINIA WETBACKS
MASCOT-



THE WELFARE BANDITO

The whole team can be driven out into the field in the back of eighteen wheelers hidden under ears of loose corn and lettuce. This will probably be one of the poorest teams, of course, to all appearances, but they can make all kinds of extra money under the table by selling good quality Mexican blow and smack to the crowd. They won’t have to worry about the border agents arresting them. Even if they try to do that, all they have to do is shoot them. Who would complain about a thing like that? The government? Hah!

Of course, not all teams have to have an ethnic or racial orientation. Some might even have a religious orientation, as well as an ethnic one. To this end, what better team for white Christian folks to rally behind than-

THE ALABAMA BIBLE THUMPERS
MASCOT-



WHITEY HOOD

Can’t you just see him now taking the field and leading cheers with a crack of the whip?

Of course, he will lead the team in a rousing prayer before every game, shout out the Ten Commandments all throughout the game, and after every home game, he will lead them in burning a cross. After every victory that is, after every defeat they lynch an opponent of the visiting team. Just one though, then they tell the rest to go back where they came from.

Or, a team can have a solidly religious structure. After all, all Christians aren’t white, nor are they all protestant. They are, however, vital members of American society. As such, I am sure that catholics, for example, would appreciate a team such as-

THE PHILADELPHIA PRIEST PEDOPHILES
MASCOT-



FATHER PHIL BUTZ

Of course, this particular team will also require a special kind of cheerleading squad to accompany the good priest as he goes about his business of blessing the game, the crowd, the players, etc. A good solid squad of about fifty pre-teen children, one girl for every ten boys, should do the trick nicely. Half the team can masturbate during halftime while they perform, while the other half of the team looks the other way. It will be Father Phil’s job as team mascot to make sure all is forgiven.

Of course, it has been often stated that not all victims of sex crimes are legitimate, some are even making false accusations. Is this possible? Would a teenager lie about being molested, why what ever for? Surely their mothers or fathers wouldn’t put them up to that. In the case of runaways, is it true, as I have recently heard, that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM are unwilling victims of the sex slave industry? Especially the girls, I have heard, who just want a Prince Charming in a romantic fantasy kind of way. None of these girls actually ENJOY sex. How disgusting to even consider such a thing as that! Why, it’s impossible for a teenage girl to enjoy sex with a teenage boy, let alone a grown man, isn’t it?.

For that matter, would a grown woman lie about being raped? Why, you would have to think there are vengeful women on this earth to believe something like that. What other reason would they have to make up something so horrid, surely not MONEY?

This is where education can play a large role in teaching people the truth and bridging the sexual divide that causes these misunderstandings, and what better educational tool than in the realm of sports? Therefore, in order to show how ridiculous these beliefs are, I propose-

THE CALIFORNIA CUNTSLUTS
MASCOT-



PRUDENCE PRICKTEASER

She should be a real Amazon, of questionable sexual orientation, while her squad of cheerleaders should be women of all races, ages, and looks, ranging from drop-dead-gorgeous-and-knows-it, to god-awful-fucking-ugly, to downright trashy. When a ruling on the field goes against them, they all scream RAPE with a flashy, ear to ear grin of dubious sincerity, alternating with cries of mock anger and disgust if the offending rule stands. No matter the ruling, they threaten a lawsuit. No matter how the game ends, they are always ready, willing, and eager for the next one.

Finally, although I could name many more such examples, I would be remiss if I didn’t end this post with a recommendation to our leaders in Washington to set an example. They are always wanting a sports team, and amazingly, they have already led the way with The Washington Redskins, a team which has always come under much criticism due to the derogatory nature of this supposedly racist name. Yet, the Redskins play on, while the DC crowd prattles on, with the encouragement of the many special interest groups that demand special rights,considerations, and even privileges.

In honor of them all, what better team to grace the landscape of our nations capital than-

THE DC PC PRICKTARDS
MASCOT-



Of course, there would be many worthy candidates to hold the position of this particular mascot. Who knows what the future might hold?

Fuck The Troops

Danielle, a frequent reader and commenter, recently made the point that the inordinate and continuing press coverage of the recent antics of Britney Spears is "sad". Her words, not mine. Well, ok, it's sad for those whose blogs aren't listed on Technorati, maybe, but to those of us who are, Britney Spears is the gift that never stops giving.

I see Danielle's point, though,in that the on-going nonsensical press coverage of the lives of celebrities like Britney and others of her ilk seems at best an escapist distraction from the on-going vital issues of the day. Paramount among these would of course be the continuing war in Iraq and the "war on terror".

This has got me to thinking, why not bridge the gap, cross the divide that exists between entertainment fluff news and those really important issues that do truly affect our lives? Britney can certainly play an important role here.

Back in the days of the Roman Empire, a legion of soldiers might be in the field for years at a time, maybe for as long as a decade. During the time of their stationing in such faraway places as Britain, Gaul, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Spain, etc., it would not be uncommon for prostitutes to set up camp in the proximity of the soldiers. This was a common practice, really, much as was prostitution itself in the city of Rome. It went unremarked, unquestioned.

Of course, during the times of combat, during rebellions and long drawn out sieges, some of which lasted for one or two years or more, this usually resulted in a scarcity of sexual outlets. In the aftermath of the usual long term success of the war effort, it was the citizens of the besieged lands and cities that paid the ultimate price. Women and girls were immediately raped, a great many of the men and boys were killed (or raped), and a great lot of the population ended up as part of a victory procession known as a "triumph" conducted by the victorious generals through the streets of Rome (though this practice was later limited only to Roman emperors to discourage rebellion by disloyal and overly ambitious generals). They were generally then relegated to the status of hostage, or "guest", in the case of uper class families, and outright slaves in the case of lower classes.

In the meantime, the soldiers were also rewarded by being allowed to confiscate any amount of property they could take in the aftermath of a successful conquest,and so pilaging and looting of a subject peoples were also widespread.

Ah, those were the days. And they weren't really all that far in the past as in the case of ancient Rome. The highly cultured and civilized Japanese Empire of the last century also engaged in the practice of enforced prostitution of subject women prior to and during the days of World War II.

So there you have it, my idea as to how Britney can actually make a contribution to the war effort in such a way as to insure continued media coverage, in a positive way that would draw attention to the needs of our troops.

Fuck them, Britney. With your latest hairstyle, you'll fit right in. While you are at it, encourage some of your friends to join in the fun. Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, hell, even Angelina Jolie might not be remiss at the notion of relieving the stress our troops feel, especialy since the Republicans in Congress seem determined not to even allow them a year off of their active duty in Iraq during their terms of service, evidently no matter how long that takes.

After all, there could eventually be an explosion, due to need for an outlet, that could result in the eventual rape of thousands of Iraqi girls and women. Do you really want that on your consciences?

And you only have to do it once a year. Just all of you go to the Green Zone outside Baghdad, lay down side by side, and spread those legs. All of you together can service our troops, I know you can. And just think what it would do for morale. No longer would your patriotism be called into question, or your value as contributors to the American way of life.

Besides, you know you really want to. Deep down inside.

Britney-Come Back To A Future

It’s a safe bet Britney Spears hasn’t joined up with the Hare Krishnas, and she’s almost as unlikely to have become the latest edition to the Manson family. Nor do I believe that she was particularly inspired by this web-site, or the picture presented thereon as shown above.

So why then did she shave her head? Maybe this is just another example of her on-going train wreck of a life. Is it possible that she is starting to fall under, succumb to the pressures of her life as a media celebrity, pop star, and as an expert in the field of semi-conductor physics?

She had reportedly took a jet, traveling coach no less, from Miami to Los Angeles, where she went to her home for a total of two hours, before then embarking to a beauty parlor where she performed the deed her own self. Look at the pictures for your self on this fan site. Does she look like she is in a state of emotional turmoil, of mental duress?

Yet, she then proceeds to a tattoo parlor where she is heard to mutter that she is tired of people touching her, after which she has to be escorted out in the midst of a horde of concerned and curious fans.

Her demeanor in the photos, and the timing of this incident, all but screams to me pretty much the same thing as every other thing involving this woman. It’s a fucking publicity stunt, and what is really sad about it, is it was born of not just starvation for attention and publicity to the point of desperation, but it was fueled more than anything by jealousy over the inordinate amount of media attention focused on the recent death of Anna Nicole Smith and the resultant controversies.

It’s pretty fucking sad to be jealous of a creature as pitiable, in a sense, as Anna Nicole Smith, but jealousy of a dead Anna Nicole Smith is not just an extra step, but one giant leap toward the abyss.

My advice to Spears is as follows. It’s not too late. You had the guts to intimate that you didn’t give a shit when numerous parents walked out of your latest concert tour with their children, in a huff due to the explicitly sexual content of your show. And anybody that is an unapologetic tobacco smoker, and can get an old fogey Republican politician like Bob Dole to admit he wants to fuck you-in so many words-in a national television commercial for Pepsi, can’t be all bad.

But pull it together, woman, fuck, you’ve proven you’ve outgrown the Mouseketeers, enough already. Go to rehab at Clapton’s center, and commit to it, then go back to making music, only good music this time. Real music. With real musicians that play real musical instruments, doing real songs, with you actually doing real singing. If Clapton’s rehab facility can help you with your addictions, certainly the man would not be adverse to helping you with your career. He would probably feel he owes it to the world of music to salvage that aspect of your life as well.

Face the facts, the kind of music you are typically known for has a limited appeal in the grand scheme of artistic cycles. Sex appeal can only make up for so much. Your declining record sales should tell you all you need to know. In this case, a future geared toward success will require moving forward, not back.

Work on it. No orchestration, no walls of sound, no drum machines. Put on an intimate performance with your audiences when you go on tour, pour your heart out to them in song, leave the dancing where it belongs, on the fucking videos, and make that a secondary priority if you must do it at all.

Then, go to the Actors Studio and concentrate on really learning the craft of acting-or, stay out of the business.

Finally, fuck Bob Dole. Now, if you want some publicity, that will really do the trick.

First and foremost though, grow your fucking hair back, if not on your head, then at least grow some on your pussy.

Dixie Chicks-The Peeps Of Country Music

The Grammy Awards have always been the biggest joke in all the awards business. They almost never get it right, and in my opinion their awards are based on sentimentality and politics, or both, not actual merit. Plus, as evidenced by the past win of Jethro Tull for the “Best Metal Band” award some years back, the judges are obviously unlearned in the kinds of music they are charged with presenting awards for.

Another case in point was the past award for “Album Of The year” for John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s album “Double Fantasy”. Now admittedly, as a Lennon fan, I don’t have so much of a problem with this award, I feel it actually has some merit, but at the same time I wonder, had Lennon not been killed that fateful December day in 1980, if this album would have even received a nomination, let alone won the award.

A more appropriate Best Album nomination for Lennon may have been his first, the self-titled “John Lennon” which contained such awe inspiring tracks as “Give Me Some Peace”, “Working Class Hero”, “Love”, etc. Yet, unless I’m mistaken, this album was not nominated, and it certainly didn’t win if it was.

All of this goes to my point that the Grammy Awards are much more about making statements than about actual reward for musical excellence. If this last criterion were the main one, then where the hell was Ozzy Osbourne's nomination for “Blizzard Of Oz”? I may have to dig a little to make sure, but I am fairly certain the Beatles were likewise never nominated, not even for Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. Ergo with Ledd Zeppellin II, III, or IV. How’s about Metallica, at their height? And I am barely scratching the surface here.

The Rolling Stones? The Doors? I’m talking here now at the height of their careers, when it would have really mattered, not when the awards were taken over by aging hippies, who replaced the similarly myopic presenters of past generations.

To be sure, I have no problem with the Dixie Chicks receiving some kind of recognition, in fact, they deserved it. They were very unfairly maligned, in my opinion, by the trash that passes for thoughtful dialoque and opinion on the majority of the so-called right wing talk radio programs. They expressed their opinion, and I will say here, I don’t particularly agree with the way Natalie Mains said what she said or where she said it, but she said it.

If her detractors wanted to criticize her for it, fine. If people wanted to express their own opinions by not patronizing them any longer, then that is fine as well. But the way the animosity against them was purposely ratcheted up by the talk radio people and by certain country music stations had nothing to do with simple protest, and everything to do about pounding the drum beat as a means of attracting more listeners, and perhaps more ominously, by demonstrating what could happen to those who deviate from the party line and oppose and criticize the plans of the preferred people in power.

It was totally unjustified and uncalled for. Yet, the Dixie Chicks stuck to their guns, for the most part, and actually had the temerity to fight back, refusing to be cowed, though I think they might have initially offered an apology to those they might have unintentionally offended. I’m not sure of that, but if they did do this, that was certainly appropriate.

To this end, yes, they deserved a degree of recognition and appreciation in some form from the presenters of the Grammys.

But, Country Music Album Of The Year? Song of The Year? Five different awards all together? Isn’t this something a little along the lines of overkill? I called them the Peeps of Country Music for a reason. They might be fun and filling, but too much of them can leave you feeling bloated and might even make you sick. You wouldn’t put them on the same level as cordial cherries, a high quality box of mixed chocolates, or even a bag of jelly beans or a Milky Way bar.

I doubt that most of the Grammy presenters are into country music. They probably sit and listen to a relative handful of standards from the top names. Loretta Lynne, Patsy Cline, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, etc. Then, they pick a handful of current artists according to sells or reputation, listen to a few songs by each one, and ask, ok, which one of these is most like the old guard, only maybe a little more modern?

In the case of the Chicks, they were presented with an easier task, their music only had to be of a high enough quality to justify rewarding their political activism and courage. Fine, but that’s not the way to present an award, in my opinion.

RIP Anna Nicole Smith

Thanks for the pictures goes to Bellescan.nu

After Anna Nicole Smith was named Playboy Playmate of the year in 1992, she became a larger than life titaness of society, and remained so for quite some time. Then, she discovered Trim-Spa. In the roughly fifteen years of her professional life in the meantime, there was little of accomplishment to note. She tried her hand at acting, but for the most part, her major claim to fame was her gold-digging marriage to Texas oil billionnaire J. Howard Marshall, the wheelchair bound octogenarian she married in 1994, who died a year later, and who after twelve years of death probably doesn’t look much worse than he did while they were married.

Anna Nicole, who modelled herself or tried to after her idol, Marilyn Monroe, wanted a wealthy husband. Marshall wanted to purchase a beautiful trophy wife.








Their marriage was one of fate, and Marshall for once in his life got the short end of the stick. The rest became herstory.

Then came the dispute over her inheritance, which dragged on for years, and is still dragging along, through one court after another, until it ended up in the Supreme Court with the Bush Administration involving itself on the side of Anna Nichole. Although I foresaw evil tidings here, it might not actually have been anything more sinister than the influence of Pickles Bush wanting to involve Anna Nichole in some kind of adult literacy project or childrens library endowment. Who knows, maybe Anna Nicole was slated to go on tour as the author of a coffee table type book of children's stories complete with word illustrations of honey bees and bunnies. We’ll never know now.

Although it escaped public notice to a large degree, Howard Marshall’s son and main heir died unexpectedly about a year ago. Then, five months before Anna Nicole died, after giving birth to a baby girl of uncertain parentage, her son from her first marriage, (to a man with whom she had worked in her late teens at a local fast food restaurant), unexpectedly dropped dead while sitting in a lounge chair right in her hospital room.

Now Anna Nicole Smith has died and there are at least three potential claimants to the billions of dollars-err, I mean, to the daughter of Anna Nicole Smith. One of these claimants is a Hungarian Prince and the husband of Zsa Zsa Gabor (like Anna Nicole, another famous person whose main claim to fame is that she is a famous person). According to him, there are possibly thirty different men who could possibly be the father of little Danielle.

The major claimant is her lawyer since 1994, a Berkeley graduate named Howard K. Stern, who was a frequent regular on Anna Nicole's reality tv show that for a time was the top rated show on the E network. Then, there is a cameraman who looks to be about ten years at least the junior of Anna Nicole, and who claims to have loved her passionately, according to his lawyer, the former attorney for Mary Kay Laternieu.

Anna Nicole's sister has swore that Howard K. Stern will not, so long as she has anything to do with it, raise Anna Nicole's baby. No word as of yet as to whether she is working in conjunction with, or in opposiiton to, her and Anna Nicole’s mother, who claims that she should raise the child, though she seems to have been strangely in the background throughout the entirety of Anna Nicole’s public life.

The baby itself seems to have been moved from it’s home in the Bahamas, where it had been staying at the home of an official, whose house just a few nights ago was broken into. The child is now said to be living in Florida, though no one really knows for sure.

Anna Nicole Smith was like a Texas tornado, she blew into the public scene, and probably quite a few other places, and after her brief stint with Playboy, was catapulted into a degree of public fame for which she was not temperamentally or intellectually well suited. In the long run it cost her her life. She was quite bluntly, way out of her depth, a very big and tall guppy in an enclosed marina of sharks, and one old octopus.

I can’t pretend that I particularly liked her, but at the same time I can’t help but feel a little bit sorry for her, as well as for her late son, Daniel, who was also taken up on the path that lead to his own early demise. And finally, for little Danielle.

Why, oh why, do I foresee a SIDS death in somebody’s future?

Butt, whatever the future might hold, for now, this is-

THE END

Cervical Cancer-God's Gift To Good Little Christian Girls

I used to think Rick Perry, the governor of Texas, was just another political shill for the right. And, frankly, I still tend to think that, but sometimes even a shill can do the right thing. Nixon went to China, increased welfare funding beyond subsistence levels, started the EPA, and covered up the Watergate break-in. That’s three good things out of four. Of course, those three things all eventually came back to bite us worse than Watergate ever could have, but that’s beside the point, which is, his heart was in the right place and he meant well, and somebody else later on down the line was really responsible for all the fuck ups that developed from these policies, initiatives, and programs.

In Perry’s case, it’s hard to imagine how his latest executive order mandating immunization of school aged girls against the Pappoloma virus could possibly have any negative consequences, and it’s hard to imagine anyone finding fault with such a directive.

Well, if you think so you don’t know your Bible. Evidently, the good Christian folk of Texas to a large degree seem to object to what they consider an intrusion on their parental prerogatives. Damn that Rick Perry, how dare he demand they go along with this program, which might well cause their darling children to engage in sex because they feel they would not have anything to worry about once they are immunized. If they are not, more than likely the idea of having sex would never cross their mind, and if it does, and they do it, God should be allowed to punish them with cervical cancer if he deems that appropriate.

Perry had some degree of foresight in that he specified that parents of religious families could opt out of the immunization program for religious or moral reasons.

I wish somebody could diplomatically point out to the Bible thumpers that their rights to not immunize their children ends where the rights of the rest of us to protect our children from being infected by their children begins. But of course that would not be accurate, after all, our children will be protected, so their good Christian children can screw our wicked screwed up heathen children with abandon, our kids won’t get it, but their’s might. Then they can accuse all the children of sinful Americans of trying to destroy the Christian population with STD’s using our children as the delivery method.

After all, everybody knows that pagan, atheist, and children of fallen or lapsed Christians-or liberal ones-are the ones that are more inclined to get out and screw around, children of good Christian, Bible believing and God-fearing families just don’t do that sort of thing. If they do, then it is because the devil has temporarily lead them astray, using evil false Christians and two faced politicians like Rick Perry.

None of this really jives with my memories of Sunday School or Vacation Bible School, but what the hell do I know, my dad used to buy me condoms. I can remember a few good Christian girls I fucked back in those days, and quite a few others besides. One used to go up to the front of the aisle every Sunday crying her fucking eyes out. I must have missed something, I'd always heard once would pretty much do the trick.

Another one had a big crush on me, it seemed, but she was from a “good” family, and none of my family members were one of the “pillars of the community”. So you see, they could be forgiven for their temporary lapses, after all they were only human, and they had their needs, so I could be used and discarded, after all, I was a no-account non-Christian.

Because I was a boy, I had somehow taken advantage of them and their naivete. Had I been a girl and them guys, then, oh well, boys will be boys, you know, and those kinds of girls are no good anyway, all they want to do is screw any guy they can spread their legs for.

I don’t think anybody ever figured out why I was never “saved”.

God Visits Divine Wrath Upon Evil Kentucky Toddlers

Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church have reportedly changed their minds about protesting at the funeral of ten people who died in a house fire in Bardstown Kentucky earlier in the week. Instead of protesting the funeral, they have reportedly decided to deliver a one hour to hour and a half radio address, although it is unclear as of yet as to what radio station they will appear on.

Their reasons for wanting to conduct this protest of the funerals of ten private citizens of Kentucky-it is God’s sign of his wrath against the evil of America. The ten victims of the fire, they claim, are now in hell, did not know God, and are therefore undeserving of his mercy, protection, or of heaven.

Of the ten people who died in one of the worse house fires in Kentucky history, the majority of them were children, either teenagers or younger. One was an eleven year old child. Another victim was merely a year old. A young boy named Johnny Litsey was all of two years old. Two twin girls also died in the fire. As of now, the cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

However, though it cannot technically be ruled out, there have been no reported sightings, so far, of fire from heaven.

God has had a busy week. He also managed to put an end to the vile evil doings of four children, ages 7 to 14, in a house fire in Maryville, Tennessee.

Praise The Lord.

24-Jack Bauer's Deadliest Enemy Yet Might Well Destroy Him

The current season of 24 has revealed the treachery of Jacks family, and the on-going menace of a radical Islamist threat to set off suitcase nukes in various cities of the US. One in fact, has already gone off some twenty plus miles outside the city of Los Angeles. In the meantime, President Palmer's cabinet is to a large degree pressuring him into suspending habeas corpus and other civil liberties guaranteed under the constitution in order to deal with this emergency situation, yet Palmer is adverse to doing so.

He has been advised that the founding fathers could not have envisioned a threat of this magnitude, the greatest threat to their national security were muskets, long rifles which took as long to load, aim, and fire one ball from as it took the last prematurely exploding nuke to destroy at least twelve thousand American citizens.

Palmer is unmoved by this argument. He will not suspend the constitution, apparently not even as an emergency temporary measure, and furthermore, he fears that were he to be perceived as coming down heavy on the American Muslim community, he would turn that community against the country, when they should be “our greatest asset”.

24 usually can be divided into two major segments of the season. The immediate plot line evolves about half way through the season, at times further, to the point where an even greater threat is revealed, and the true mastermind emerges.

For example, the first season turned out to be a vengeful plot by an old enemy of Jack and the first President Palmer (then just a candidate for President targeted for assassination). Season Three started out as an operation to infiltrate a gang of Mexican drug smugglers, who had acquired a biological weapon, and evolved from there eventually into yet another worldwide plot for revenge against the western democracies by a former agent who had been betrayed and left to die. Last season began as your typical terrorist plot by Chechen rebels, but this was eventually revealed to have all been masterminded by the President of the United States himself, working in concert with a shadowy group of misguided American patriots headed by a man who in this current season turns out to have been Jacks own brother, Graham Bauer.

Jacks father is a snake as well, and in the last episode murdered Graham in order to protect his own ass and their company from complicity in the current Islamist plot. Turns out the nukes were stolen after Graham, through his company, inadvisably outsourced their transport into the country from Russia, ostensibly in order for them to be better safeguarded. He then tried to cover this up, even after the devastation that occurred when the first of the nukes was prematurely exploded in a warehouse to prevent it’s confiscation by a CTU strike force.

Jack knows about Grahams involvement in all this, of course-he tortured it out of him, as well as an inadverdant confession as to Grahams involvement in last seasons plot. Jack of course is totally unaware of the true extent of his own fathers involvement. But this will be revealed in time. And then, sometime after episode twelve, the real villain will emerge from out of the shadows.

Actually, the true villain has already made his presence known, he is just not that obvious to all but the most aware. But those of us who are familiar with him can almost smell the stench of this dastardly villain emanating from the television screen.

In fact, this villain is so obvious, and so blatant, that his effect might well be described as tantamount to a CTU strike force bursting through all the doors and windows of a building while jacked up on a cocktail of steroids, acid, and downers.

You almost want to scream out at the television, “JACK, PLEASE WAKE UP, BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!!!”

And though we are still relatively in the beginning stages of the series, and while there yet might be time, you start to come to the realization that this season might contain the most shocking chain of events in the entirety of the series history.

This series could well see the death of Jack Bauer, and the total destruction of CTU. As for how the true villain of this season will accomplish this goal, the true question to be asked is, how could he not succeed? He has infiltrated the highest echelons of the Presidency. He lurks behind every corridor of CTU itself. He has an invisible, iron grip on the heart, mind and soul of Jack Bauer himself, insidiously manipulating him like little more than a puppet on a string.

He has gotten poor Jack to the point where he has been having doubts about the validity of his methods of interrogation, and doubtless once he has discerned that his actions might have lead to the death of brother Graham, he might feel all the more conflicted. Hell, he might well decide to eschew torture all together, for the sake of his own peace of mind. Will he possibly be as effective as in the past? Without any doubt, he almost certainly will be. Yet, will that in the long run be enough?

Almost the entirety of the shows major characters and a good many of the more minor ones has been deviously influenced in some small degree or another by this master manipulator. The worse thing is, this monster might well have manipulated himself into actually believing that he is doing the right thing.

The most successful con artists have a tendency to fall for their own cons. The most beautiful yet airheaded woman imaginable can delude herself into thinking that all eighteen of the guys that have screwed her over the last six moths really do love her for her true worth as a person.

So it is with the most insanely evil villains. Even Hitler doubtless fooled himself into thinking that he was chosen by destiny to fulfill the role of that historical epoch in a way that the world would be left a far better place once he succeeded in accomplishing his goals, which he had no doubt whatsoever he would accomplish.

And so it is with the true villain of this seasons 24. And who is this villain? Well, I don’t know what his name is, yet, but I know the weapon of his delusion, it can be identified simply as-

Political Correctness.

Unfortunately for the shadowy group that has insinuated itself into what is usually one of the better dramatic action series on television, the American television viewing public has a good deal more discernment than the characters on the fictional drama.

The American people want to be entertained, not preached at, regardless of their feelings one way or another, either pro or con, as to either the “liberal” or the “conservative” aspects of the politicized “war on terror”.

But because the writers and producers of 24 have felt compelled to make every high level Presidential cabinet meeting take on the atmosphere of the last stages of a Presidential primary campaign, complete with sound bites and public personnas and mannerisms as might well be evidenced in a second rate television campaign ad, the ordinarily faithful viewers of 24 are starting to drift away from the series, and on to fresher programs, such as “Heroes”, which is indeed a compelling, well written series, with well drawn characters, plot lines, dialoques, mystery and suspense.

I mean, do the writers of this show actually think that politicians really talk like this in high level cabinet meetings, like pundits spewing forth talking points on a cable news network?

What we are getting with this season of 24 is a kind of pc propoganda that is tantamount to attempted mass brainwashing on an unprecedented scale.

The liberal view of how to engage in the war on terror-good. The conservative view-baaaaaaad.

The liberal view-common sense based determination through strength of character along with faith in and devotion to the constitution.

The conservative view-A bunch of weak kneed weenies who are reacting out of fear and ready to hand their personal freedoms over to devious agents of right wing fascism.

Well, how about some pros and cons of both sides, a little bit of gray area? If the producers and writers of 24 had to delve into this at all, wouldn’t that be more-well, honest? A little bit less-wellllll, like left wing propoganda? Wouldn’t it, finally, be a hell of a lot more realistic?

Evidently, the network executives of Fox have determined the season can be saved by pre-empting next weeks Prison Break and showing next weeks episode of 24 at 8:00 p.m., or as they call it, a “special time”.

Good luck with that. But if they continue to engage in the pc rhetorhic that has been on display over the last few episodes, they might well discover even more people than they ever imagined really do love their “Heroes”.

But, oh well-at least the folks at CAIR will be happy.If you tune into the show, you might recognize the thinly disguised organization portrayed on the show. It's leader is, you should definitely be aware, one of the "good guys".

Sometimes, The More You Know The Worse It Gets

You know the Bible 100%!

 

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

Thanks to Lemuel from Hillbilly White Trash for helping me prove I know the Bible as much as he does.

My Fucking Super Bowl Predictions

UPDATE TO THIS POST AT THE END.

Don’t make any bets on this, but this is my Super Bowl prediction, as of the time I first got up this morning, kind of spur of the moment.

CHICAGO BEARS: 27

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: 24

Yep, Chicago wins it by a field goal acquired either late in the fourth quarter or possibly even in overtime, after a fumble recovery off Colts quarterback Peyton Manning leads to a Chicago drive and winning field goal.

This might be one of the all time great Super Bowls, with the one flaw that a great amount of the game, possibly as much as a quarter’s worth of total time or more, might well begin to look like a contest between the two quarterbacks to see who can commit the most fumbles or throw the most interceptions.

In fact, I am thinking that as many as 17-24 of the games total points could come about due to this aspect of the game. Also, I am thinking one of the touchdowns might come about due to a punt return, probably by Chicago.

Also look for three injuries, two of them minor, but one of them somewhat significant, all on the Chicago side.

Like I said in the beginning, don’t make any last minute bets on these predictions, and if you do, don’t blame me.

UPDATE-Yeah, I should have titled this post, "My Fucked Up Super Bowl Predictions".

Final Score:

Indianapolis Colts-29
Chicago Bears-17

If it had not have been pouring down the rain though throughout the fucking game-ahh, never mind. From here on out, no more sports predictions, I promise to stick to doing what I do best, promoting worldwide orgies.

Well, I did warn you not to bet on it.