Happy New Year

In this time of Republican trolls, conservative asshats, neverending wars, and underpants bombers, I just wanted to take a minute to say thank you to all you wonderful, wonderful readers who keep sticking around for one reason or another.

I wish you all the best tonight and for the new year.

Cheers!

Tiga: Shoes

I'm hip. I'm cool. So I listen to some sweet indie music, sometimes Canadian, so when that sweet song shows up on the new iPod commercial I can say "Oh yeah, I've been listening to them for months."

No, I'm not really a dick like that. Only sometimes. Maybe. Really, I just enjoy new, different, not overplayed music.

So I was eating up some delicious CBC Radio 3 and in the last few weeks this song "Shoes" by Tiga keeps popping in and it drives me goddamned batty! In a bad way. Annoying as hell.

So in the ever-engaging endeavor of lessening pain by spreading it out, I had to pull up the video and share with you my misery.

Only there's this one problem: When I clicked play, when I was fully expecting to wallow in the pain that is "Shoes," I found myself enthralled. And somehow now I love the song. Really. I've watched the video 3 times and it's delicious. I'm not joking.

See for yourself:



(I told you it was all fucking videos today.)

Star Wars / A-Team Mashup

Brilliant. And yes, it's looking like just videos today :)



(h/t BoingBoing)

Republicans Try to Fart Out Franken

Air America cracks me up sometimes.

Michele Bachmann: Welfare Socialist!

A story was released today saying that Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal subsidies for her family farm. These farmer subsidies come from our community tax dollars, leading us to ask the question, is Michele Bachmann a secret socialist?

Here's the link. I can't listen because I'm not ready to download Silverlight to my computer. Damn you Microsoft!

But I'm not going to leave you in the lurch. Here's the vid from Young Turks:



Over a quarter of a million dollars in gov't subsidies.

Sur-prise, sur-prise!

Let's get her to run with Palin.

Backatcha!

Well, I'm back from the outer space that is the holiday season. I trust you all had a great holiday?

Relatively uneventful on my end - just some good times with friends and family and usually a few drinks to close out the night.

Most interesting part of the holiday was that Mrs. Shambles's grandmother is in a nursing home right now. And when we visited her, the woman she's sharing a room with, separated by a curtain, kept asking us (apparently Nancy and Bob) how the food was in Jamaica and how big the plane was and why we kept talking about Cincinnati when she knew that we lived in North Olmstead before we went to Jamaica, of course.

When we said we lived in North Carolina before that, she got totally confused.

Oh, and that one of my relatives may soon begin smoking weed due to a medical condition.

And it was snowing and I'd had little sleep and a sugar free Red Bull, but driving back home I either saw the body of a giant sheepdog or a small Yeti.

So I guess it was a little interesting.

I wish you all the best in the coming week and year!

Why is Max Baucus Drunk?

Seriously. Drunk.

Of course, if I had to deal with the Republican asshats in the Senate I'd probably drink pretty heavily too. But not when I was going to be on teevee. Even if you don't consider CSPAN teevee.

R.E.M. on Letterman, 1983 - South Central Rain

Just when I don't think I can love the band any more, I find a gem like this.

The song is very, very sad (look up the lyrics), but wow with performance and holy shit Stipe with hair.

In Short: Mark Levin is Retarded

I just turned to SIRIUS Patriot to hear Mark Levin spout that the life expectancy in the US is not at par with other first world nations because people in the US drive cars with less steel and less size and you're not going to survive a crash in one of those tiny cars.

He has apparently never been to a foreign country, where tiny cars is pretty much the f'ing rule. Small cars, fuel economy, etc. Standard. Throughout Europe.

I suggest Mark to to Ireland and - if he can find it - drive around in an Escalade. He might be able to make it through the streets of major cities, i.e. Dublin. But he will never find a place to park, and if he ever has to travel outside the city, he will kill the first person he meets crossing many wide swaths of roads that are about 9 feet wide and lined with ancient stone walls.

That's why they have small cars there. Douche.

And he's going on, but I'll just say: Mark, the phrase is "Waiting for the OTHER shoe to drop" not "waiting for another shoe to drop."

Stop lying. Grow a brain.

(CLICK)

Lost Dog

You ever turn a corner or get out of your car or just unexpectedly see something that turns your act into accidentally walking into a bus, but one just big enough that it plows right into your stomach?

That was me tonight hitting the gas station for smokes after a networking event.

I parked, got out, and gave all the crap scotch taped onto the glass of the AmeriStop a rudimentary glance and then

BLAMMO!

I saw something that looked like this:



Scrawled like that, a faded poster, copied with a cheap nickel copier, terrier in the slightly-skewed picture on the sheet. The "C" was in caps. And no name of the dog. No phone number. Just a sad, silent plea.

And I looked, thought "Aww, sad." Then read the last line and just about fell over. Then supported myself on weak knees as it processed that there was not dog name or phone number.

And for that instant, I don't think I've been that sad in a very, very long time.

So I share with you.

I'll be in the area again next Tuesday and will get a pic if it's still there. I hope to God I just missed something and my memory fails me in sorrow and there was contact information on that poster.

Stupid Shit I Bitch About

This morning I woke up in a state. Grumpy. Angry. Well...hungover a bit to tell you the truth. It was 5:30am. But worse off for the media I imbued during the first 30 minutes of my morning.

I saw the Orbitz Valet commercial. And that killed me. Originally, it went like this:


"Ah, the Hernandez ...'s ...ez"

Brilliant! Hilarious! But apparently someone phoned in and pissed in someone's ear and the commercial I saw this morning went "Ah, the Hernandez's."

Who the fuck ruined that comedy moment? Fuck them!


And then I turned the channel to Headline News and caught the end of a story of some foul, stupid shit where the reporter stated:

"Some Santas are dropping their jokes that bad kids will be getting socks for Christmas. The kids are actually asking for socks in this economy, not video game systems, asking for library cards..."

Asking for library cards? What the fuck place do they live in? What the fuck kids are they talking about? Where did they find the humility that they're reporting on?

What kid is humble to ask for socks? Even if they're barefoot, they're still asking for a fucking Xbox360, begging for a PS3, living on the dream of a DSi. Most kids would eat cardboard while standing barefoot on glass to play a solid video game system.

NO ONE IS ASKING FOR FUCKING SOCKS!

What kid is asking Santa for a fucking library card? THEY'RE FREE!!! Kick Santa in the nads and ask Mom or Dad to take you to the library for your FREE fucking card!

Jeez. Sorry. It was a bad morning.

Continue rocking. Nothing to see here...

3 Flavors Man Moment: Video Games, Politics, and Long-term Crushin'

Bayonetta

I'm playing the Xbox360 demo of Bayonetta. She's some supernatural witch-lady with a suit of hair, square-rimmed glasses, and a mole on her chin in a game that I'd characterize as entertaining and thoughtful button-mashing akin to Devil May Cry.

And then E3 happened:



Damn.


Mika Brzezinski

This is the real reason I watch MSNBC's Morning Joe. At least "Morning Mika" has some alliteration.




Ricci All Day Long

I've been crushing for forever. My wife knows about it. My friend teases me that she has a fivehead. But I can't let go. Just something about her.




Oh, I guess that's about all I need for a man moment right now. Ahhhh.

Next time: that magic tingle slightly fucked up teeth give me. Seriously. Patricia Arquette? Noms. And, of course, the tragedy that comes with orthodontics. Boo.

Picard is Pro Apple Juice, Anti-Panda Rape

RAWR! Van Mural Wednesday!

Here kitty kitty...



RAWR!

In Short: Tear Down That ...Racism!

I was just doing some web work and came across this gem in a timeline:

MARCH 22, 1988

Overriding President Ronald Reagan's veto, Congress passed the Civil Rights Restoration Act, which expanded the reach of nondiscrimination laws within private institutions receiving federal funds.

But wait, isn't it them Republicans that championed Civil Rights? Isn't that what Hannity and Beck and Limbaugh said?

Skiddin' Tires 'n' Stupid!

...yet not the kind of stupid you'd think might end this clip.

Huckabee, Clemmons, and Hypocrisy

You can read a little more about the issue here, but the rundown goes like this: Clemmons was 16 when he was sentenced to 106 years for violent acts. 47 years later, Huckabee was governor of Arkansas and commuted his sentence. Clemmons moved to Washington state and killed 4 police officers. Huckabee say it wasn't his fault. It was Washington's.

WTF?

Standard Republican line: Every criminal, especially violent ones, should be locked up and the key should disappear. Bad enough then it's off with their head, despite that we're in agreement with the same countries we despise when the Good ol' USA breaches the topic of the death penalty. Empty prisons because of overcrowding? Hell NO! Tax and spend and build some more.

I think then-Gov. Huckabee had a Liberal moment, which is kind of like a senior moment but instead of being built on senility, this was built on understanding and compassion, something not generally exhibited by Republicans. Hell, I would've done the same thing.

So why am I even writing about this?

Because of the double standard. If it had been a member of the Democratic Party that had commuted this sentence, the Right Wing, their talk show army, and the Fox footsoldiers would've been all aflourish in and drunk on schadenfreude: Liberals ruining the country, the bleeding heart of the Liberal causes real bleeding, Liberals hate cops, etc. But when a Republican does it, he issues a non-apology and our alleged left-leaning press barely covers the issue.

I guess the silver lining of all this bullshit is one more down. I'm guessing this event, no matter how glossed over, is going to hurt him for Repub nomination 2012, which means my preferred DreamGirl and ClownLady, Sarah Palin, is one step closer to making a complete fool of herself as the nominee.

So what's your take on this whole debacle?

Nudist Streaker Love Story (SFW)

Brilliant and touching :)

OMG! Van Mural Wed on Wed! Eagle!

Are we really doing this again? On a Wednesday?

Well, then: tasty.

Rush Limbaugh is STILL a Big Fat Idiot

You know me and my talk radio.

Well, today I got to hear a particularly fierce breakdown of Rush when a caller challenged him on what he called the "covering up" of those idiot scientists who decided to play with the data in global warming and how their candid conversations would hurt the science behind the theory.

The caller in question said that he was surprised that Rush was all in a tizzy about this, but when the Bush Administration repeatedly censored papers and scientific findings about global warming and its effect on the environment (and the effect carbon emissions were having on the environment), there was not word one from him.

And then Rush got angry. He said that there couldn't be censorship because global warming is a hoax. Then he went on to my paraphrase here:

"There is no such thing as human-caused Global Warming (repeat 3x. oh, let's just do it)! There is no such thing as human-caused Global Warming! There is no such thing as human-caused Global Warming! There is no such thing as human-caused Global Warming! There is no need for health care reform! There is no need for Obama. There is no need for you! You are a menace to our country and a threat to freedom and liberty! There was no censorship because it didn't exist! Those censors did us a favor because it's all a hoax! And they'll come for you first ...because people like you will give up their freedom as long as you put Bush in jail!"

I may have to hunt the actual transcript down because my rendition is pretty damn close, but for the record: the real thing is the very definition of blowing a golden fucknut and frying it in batshit crazy.

So, to clarify: If you believe what is being censored does not actually exist and suckle at the teat of one administration, it is not malicious, governmental overreach of power, but a gracious act. And when the next administration calls it censorship...well, you get it at this point. Rush is still a Bush ball boy and will say ANYTHING - regardless of how mad it sounds - to piss against the Obama wall, even if it's absolute madness because his listeners are so blind, they'll believe anything.

Case in point, an unreported listening last week where a caller stated "I just need you to tell me how I should feel about" health care or something. WTF? And he didn't even correct them, just verbally patted them on the head, sat them on his lap, and told a tale. Like he does every day.

It's getting worse and worse. But the crazy is all good. I'm still hoping for a Palin/Beck 2012 ticket. Yeah, that's what people really want: bring on the tea parties! When it comes down to it, a little too weird and crazy is still a little too weird and crazy and your average American doesn't subscribe to crazy.

Enemies of Mass Effect 2

When it comes to video games, I'm slightly behind the times. I have a PS2, Xbox360, and a Wii. In the last year, I've completed Portal, Mass Effect, and Bioshock, and am finally deep into Half-Life 2. Out of these 4, they were all 10/10, and each had their strengths, but for depth of play and replay value, I'd go Mass Effect hands down.

And so I'm tweaking over these teasers coming out for Mass Effect 2. Here's one embedded for your gaming geek pleasure.

Mass Effect 2 at IGN.com

Colin Meloy (Decemberists) Video

This just makes me very happy. Brilliant. Thanks to Jen ;)

Van Mural Wednesday: Turkey!

I looked and looked and couldn't find a van with a turkey painted on it. Boo!

So how about a van with a turkey in it?



Cause in Russia, van eats turkey.

No, that wasn't supposed to make sense.


But not to disappoint:



You could give 'em a call, but I think they're working on that tire. Or decaying inside the van itself.


Happy Thanksgiving!

Ret. Lt. Allen West's Letter: Tragedy at Ft. Hood

This bad boy's been floating around the internets and inboxes all over the place. Allen West is running for congress in Florida. I find the letter unfocused and misguided, but think it needs to be read in its entirety for what it is. Let me know your thoughts.

Tragedy at Ft Hood
by Allen West
11/09/2009

Last Thursday, 13 American Soldiers were killed and another 30 wounded at a horrific mass shooting at US Army installation, Ft Hood Texas. As I watched in horror and then anger I recalled my two years of final service in the Army as a Battalion Commander at Ft Hood.

My wife and two daughters were stunned at the incident having lived on the post in family housing. A military installation, whether it is Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, or Coast Guard, is supposed to be a safe sanctuary for our warriors and their families. It is intended to provide a home whereby our “Band of Brothers and Sisters” can find solace and bond beyond just the foxhole but as family units.

A military installation is supposed to be a place where our warriors train for war, to serve and protect our nation. On Thursday, 5 November 2009 Ft Hood became a part of the battlefield in the war against Islamic totalitarianism and state sponsored terrorism. There may be those who feel threatened by my words and would even recommend they not be uttered. To those individuals I say step aside because now is not the time for cowardice. Our country has become so paralyzed by political correctness that we have allowed a vile and determined enemy to breach what should be the safest place in America, an Army post.

We have become so politically correct that our media is more concerned about the pre-shooting stress on the shooter, Major Nidal Malik Hasan. The misplaced benevolence intending to portray him as a victim is despicable. The fact that there are some who have now created an entire new classification called, “pre-virtual vicarious Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)” is unconscionable.

This is not a “man caused disaster”. It is what it is: an Islamic jihadist attack.We have seen this before in March 2003 when a SGT Hasan of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) threw hand grenades and opened fire into his Commanding Officer’s tent in Kuwait. We have seen the foiled attempt of Albanian Muslims who sought to attack Ft Dix, NJ.

Recently we saw a young convert to Islam named Carlos Bledsoe travel to Yemen, receive terrorist training, and return to gun down two US soldiers at a Little Rock, Arkansas Army recruiting station. We thwarted another Islamic terrorist plot in North Carolina which had US Marine Corps Base, Quantico as a target.

What have we seen done with all these prevalent trends? Nothing.
What we see are leaders paralyzed and refusing to confront the issue, Islamic terrorist infiltration into America, and possibly further into our Armed Services. Instead we have a multiculturalism and diversity syndrome on steroids.

Major Hasan should have never been transferred to Ft Hood. Moreover, he should have been administratively discharged from the Army. His previous statements, poor evaluation reports, and the fact that the FBI had him under investigation for jihadist website posting should have been sufficient proof. However, what we have is a typical liberal approach to find a victim, not the 13 and 30 but rather the poor shooter. A shooter who we hear was a great American, who loved the Army and serving his nation, and CAIR stating that his actions had nothing to do with religious belief.

We know that Major Hasan deliberately planned this episode; he did give away his possessions. He stood atop a table in the confined space of the Soldier Readiness Center shouting “Allahu Akhbar,” the same chant as the 9-11 terrorists and those we fight against overseas in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters of operation.

No one in leadership seems willing to sound the alarm for the American people. Our Congress should suspend further action on the preposterous and unconstitutional healthcare bill and resolve the issue of “protecting the American people”.

The recent incidents in Dearborn Michigan, Boston Massachusetts, Dallas Texas, and Chicago Illinois should bear witness to the fact that we have an Islamic terrorism issue in America. And don’t have CAIR call me and try to issue a vanilla press statement: they are terrorist apologists, not a civil rights organization.

We have Saudi Arabia funding close to 80% of the mosques in the United States, one right here in South Florida, Pompano Beach. Are we building churches and synagogues in Saudi Arabia? Of course not. Because they aren’t allowed by the Saudi government. So much for peaceful coexistence.

Saudi Arabia is sponsoring radical Imams who enter into our prisons and convert young men into a virulent ideology….one resulting in four individuals wanting to destroy synagogues in New York with plastic explosives. Thank God the explosives were dummy. They are sponsoring textbooks which present Islamic centric revisionist history in our schools.
We must recognize that there is an urgent need to separate the theo-political radical Islamic ideology out of our American society. We must begin to demand surveillance of suspected Imams and mosques that are spreading hate and preaching the overthrow of our Constitutional Republic……that speech is not protected under First Amendment, it is sedition and if done by an American treason.

I make no apologies for these words, and anyone angered by them, please, go to Ft Hood and look into the eyes of the real victims. The tragedy at Ft Hood Texas did not have to happen. Consider now the feelings of those there and on every military installation in the world. Consider the feelings of the Warriors deployed into combat zones who now are concerned that their loved ones at home are in a combat zone.

Ft Hood suffered an Islamic jihadist attack, stop the denial and realize a simple point.

The reality of your enemy must become your own.

Steadfast and Loyal,
Lieutenant Colonel Allen B West (US Army, Ret)

Van Mural Wednesday? On Wednesday? I Know!

And we'll give you two again because I love you all so much.

There's really nothing to say while basking in the glory of this mural and the rolled up pack of cigs in the short sleeve of that black shirt. No tells here, but the the place I found this named the van Bessie. Of course it is.




And this second one is more of a warning - specifically to Calvin - that the evil, tentacled sea monsters have now mounted a road campaign. Though when this picture was taken is anyone's guess.



Have a great tomorrow!

Mr. Brightside A Cappella

The Killers (kinda) Thank you Calvin:

I Have Seen Hell. It is a Cube.

As many of you know, in the real world I am a web designer/expert running my own business. And since business is not exactly eating up my time and aiding in the paying of the bills, I spent today interviewing for what looks to be a "real" job. I haven't worked in an office proper for about 2 1/2 years.

The interview itself was fine; I didn't know all the techy answers, but no one ever does. I seem to have wowed them with my knowledge and ability to elucidate my experience and skills.

And then it turned weird. I took the tour.



We walked through a very large facility of over 400 employees. It would be the largest company I ever worked for. Cubes everywhere. Cube-y's Cube-y's everywhere, but not a thought to think. I just kept spouting um-hmmm's and okay's as we walked through and more cubes and more cubes with signs above them and every job I've had since college flashed through my mind. Small cube farms, large cube farms, policy binders on shelves, the guy with all his personal crap in his cube, sanctimonious bosses spouting bullshit teamwork rhetoric, team playing, posters of SUCCESS and clever phrases and the HR tourguide lady occasionally glanced at me with a micro emotion of a sneer, behind the look was the true face of a demon and I was getting a tour of my hell.

I was sweating, my stomach sinking, my breathing quickening, and I felt like I was on acid, speeding towards the edge of a panic attack. I kept it together through the rest of it but breathed like I hadn't in a week as soon as I walked out the door. But it lingered - as dusk fell and I drove home, I recalled the temperature and the dimming light and the driving as past lives and jobs and the commute home and the knot in my stomach would not disappear but even tightened and floated around this surreal world that was the second half of my day. I was so wrapped in emotion and fear-control that I got on the highway the wrong way and didn't realize it for 10 miles. It is truly only now, only after a couple beers, that I'm starting to seriously calm.

And writing this helps.

Worst thing is: if I'm offered the position, I really have to take it. Financially, I don't have much choice. Good news is I have a week until they decide and 10 days after that to drum up as much business as possible.

I have never been more motivated in my life.

Positive thoughts and prayers welcome. I'm running the Tommy Boy stretch from here on out.

I have seen hell. It is a cube. A whole series of cubes. With managers' offices along the walls and a common kitchen area with a microwave and fridge. I only pray I need never return but as a visitor.

Sexist White Republican Men

Because that stereotype is a bunch of bunk. Right?

Actually, no. Last Saturday Repub asshole males talked over Democratic Party women talking about health care refrom and how it would benefit women. And a couple Republican women got in on the game to show they could be stupid and censor just as much as the Good ol' Boys Club.

5 minutes of Republican censorship and douchebaggery:

Goddamned Ignorant People

From Think Progress:

Alexios Marakis, a Greek Orthodox priest visiting the U.S., got lost in Tampa and tried to stop and ask directions from Marine reservist Jasen D. Bruce. But instead of offering help, “Bruce struck the priest on the head with a tire iron.” The reservist believed Marakis, who spoke limited English, was an Arab terrorist. Bruce chased the priest for three blocks, “and even called 911 to say that an Arabic man tried to rob him.” According to a news release:

“During the chase, the suspect called 911 and claimed an Arabic male attempted to rob him and he was going to take him into custody,” a Tampa Police Department news release states. “When officers arrived, the suspect claimed the man was a terrorist.”

Police arrested Bruce for “aggravated battery with a deadly weapon” and are investigating whether he committed a hate crime.

Stupid is as stupid does. One of my best friends, one of them Aye-talians, fairly olive-skinned, decided to grow out his hair: beard, stache, everything. And some drunk asshole tried to get into a fight with him in a bar, calling him "Fuckin' Taliban." (Truthfully, he did look a little like Sayid Jarrah on Lost.)

So what do Greeks, Italians, and anyone else with non-pasty skin have in common? They'll get attacked by ignorant, racist assholes any day of the week. Even the day before Veteran's Day!

Of course, the same people that talk about Ft. Hood as a terrorist act will blame this idiot's reverse-terrorism hate crime on psychological damage.

Scream with me now: Arrrrrrrghhhhhhhh!

For Fox Sake!

Jon Stewart puts down Fox like the dogs they are.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
For Fox Sake!
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

The Other Night...

I was leaving a meeting. It was dark. As I drove down the street, I first saw a pile of something in the middle of the street. Wondering what that was, I was aware of a couple on the side of the street, a woman in the throes of something and a man who was pulling a garbage can out into the middle of the road. As I approached, he waved me on.

I wondered what was going on for a few seconds, and as I passed the garbage can, I looked down to see a small terrier, a tiny dog, lying, lifeless. A large pool of blood surrounded its head on the asphalt.

And I wanted to scream, to jump from my car and yell "What the hell happened?" and "What can I do?" but I just kept driving.

I just kept driving.

I think I know that the poor animal was dead. At least I hope it was.

And the whole drive home, I wondered about the person that hit it: did they notice? did they care?

Eight years ago, my wife's dog was hit on a similar road, and the minivan never slowed down. Unfortunately for her, the dog lived and had to be put down.

But what about that dog? Who would do that?


This post has nothing to do with anything except that I don't know where else to dump my sadness from seeing that dead dog on the street - not a dead dog on the side of the road that you pass at 30 or 50 mph, but a dog that someone was putting a blockade in front of it, so no one would defile that furry body.

It was horrible. It will haunt me for years.

I cannot imagine what people who actually fight in wars go through.

That is all.

Van Mural Wednesday: Calvin & Radical Dude

Because I love you, you get 2 painted vans today. Yay Van Mural Wednesday!

I can understand liking Calvin and Hobbes, draw the line at the pissing and/or praying Calvin sticker, but to paint your van not just all kinds of Calvin & Hobbes, but to dedicate it not only to just Calvin, but one particular Calvin comic?

Batshit crazy.



And this van will eat your ass and the Radical Dude will dance upon your bloody sphincter. Or something like that.

Amazing Terminator 2 Rap

So is T2 one of the best movies ever? Spontaneously generating a top 5 is not something I do, but if I did, I'd have to pop Abyss in there with T2 but can't commit any further.

Deer for Breakfast

No, not venison omelets. Just this:


Love it, sweethearts!

Richard Dawkins Says "Science Is Interesting"

Van Mural Thor!

I missed last week, so this week you get a Monday Van Mural to tease you for Wednesday!



Thor gonna kick your ass with that hammer of his.

Ohio, Cincinnati Politics - Recap

Yesterday was that time of the year again: Me drinking wine out of a box until 1am! It was also election day!

Couple notes on the presentation, then to the issues and how they fared.

• WLWT - What was up with the giant "2" in 2009? You're channel 5. WTF?
• WKRC (channel 12) - not everyone has a 52" 1080p television. I've got a reasonably large tube TV and could not make out the results on the bottom of the screen.
• WCPO (channel 9) - Unrelated to elections, but "A travel trend with all the benefits?" Who's writing your naughty copy?

And on to the issues:

Ohio Issue 1 was funding for veteran care. No-brainer. Passed like nuts.

Ohio Issue 2 was to allow the state to outline guidelines for animal care. Well, you may say, that sounds cheery! Of course Yes! And that's why it was worded the way it was. The Humane Society was hard against it because it basically allowed the state to bow to dirty, mass meat producers and draw up guidelines that favor those mass producers so animals can be kept in tiny little cages, etc. The NO lobby was out to lunch on education, so it passed easily. Sad day for independent farmers in Ohio.

Ohio Issue 3 was ...Casinos! They've got 'em in Indiana, West Virginia, Michigan, but not here. The bill called for four casinos to be built: Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. Aside from the churchy folks, it was pretty easily passed and means a great deal of income and jobs for our state. Oh, and gambling and maybe some hookers. So yay!

Hamilton Co. 4 was for family medical care, 5 for MR/DD, both passed.

Hamilton Co. 6 was a levy to support the Museum Center and 7 was to support the libraries as Ohio found it necessary to cut the state budget for libraries - one of our best resources - by over 25%. Until today, county has never had a hand in funding. Both passed!

Hamilton Co. 8 was to keep the Water Works a public utility (passed), and 9 was: a Yes vote meant you wanted anything having to do with streetcar planning to be put on a ballot for general vote. It went down, meaning the city can spend that money without voter approval when the time comes, after talking about it for a decade, that they might invest in a rail system.


Really, I thought this post would be a little more interesting. Sorry about that. But yay casinos!

Mark Levin is Poop!

Facebook captcha says so:


(please note: the text entered in the captcha box was deemed correct, should there be any disambiguation issues)

Dare not argue with the internets. Or be a whiny, annoying asshat. Or you, too, will be poop.

"I said 'Good Day' sir!"

What is Sexy?

I thought I had this great idea: look up the word "sexy" on Google Image Search and see if I can find something not sexy. Easy enough, right? Surprisingly not. The survey says: 75% scantily clad women, 20% animated scantily clad women, 1% lady robots, 2% meathead guidos, 1% Dane Cook, and 1% something like this:



And the only reason that showed up was because the pic was named "sexy1.jpg" Terrifying.

Oh, and what else is sexy? This is:



It's a photoshop of a comic cell that Monkey posted a little back. Click his link to see the original. Sexier with or without the monster?


Either way, I believe this will NOT be a regular feature. It took 20 pages of search results with a "break" in the middle to make this post.

But fear not, always new and interesting things from the internets.

(Yes, it was a lady robot break.)

Republicans for Rape

If this does not make you angry, I'm not sure what can. It's worth every second.

In Short: Drudge and Climate Change

That biased fool pushes every blurb of "colder than thou" at every chance he gets.

Today? "OMG It's snowing in Colorado in October!" Guess what? It usually snows in Ohio in October, but today's an unseasonably warm 74 F in Cincinnati. Colorado has fucking mountains. Surprise! It snows there! It's altitude!

I need to calm down. I'm pushing my exclamation point quota through the roof.

Point: Drudge is farting a biased view of reality carefully crafted to that everyone who's conditioned to believe him will eat his feces and say it tastes like yummy stew.

Gross.

Poppin' a Paper Boehner

Oh, such drama spouted over Boehner and his paper pile! Republicans are appalled by the length of the bill and the height of Boehner's penis paper pile. OMG it's SO BIG!

I want to know what the hell Boehner printed that fucker on. I recall reading Stephen King's unabridged version of The Stand at over 1100 pages and it was about 3-4 inches of book with a thick cover. And it was not rice paper or bible-thin sheets inside. So how does a Republican increase the weight of his ...prop? Printing on heavier paper, of course! Why the spectacle would be amazing! Some estimated 14 inches of paper? Brilliant! We'll fool everyone! Let all Republicans know that printing on heavier paper makes the pile bigger! We'll rule the world!

I think his prop is bullshit. And even bigger bullshit? He's railing about the bill and - I would bet a great deal of money - has not actually read the bill himself. Even bigger bullshit than that? They passed the Patriot Act (remember that bill that stunned half of the Bill of Rights?) and most of them admittedly didn't read that one - and that was less than 500 pages.

Republicans are asshats.

Bring the public option then change it to single payer and maybe things will be set right in the health care industry.

Wednesday Van Mural: Drippy Paint

The jizz of painted vans

Public Option - Keep Fighting!

Sign this petition to keep pushing for the public option. I apparently don't have the logic circuits to decipher Obama's waffling on the topic, but we need to declare in a united voice that a public option is not optional; it is necessary.

Sink Kitty

Back in the day when I apparently goofed off more than I do now and spent some 3 hours a day on the Something Awful forums, I did a lot of the Photoshop Phriday threads. I'll have to dig up some more, but thought about this one today and knew it needed to be included in the blog. I give you: Sink Kitty! which was the result of a "Products that have no purpose" thread or something like that.

Are All Anti-Science Nutters Out For Darwin?

Charles Darwin was a brilliant, religious man who meditated on his scientific proof and discoveries for decades before publishing Origin of Species. He knew the work would have huge implications for the worldview of the existence of life.

But his theories are irrefutable. The actual force of evolution is directly visible in hundreds of papers and tomes on how animals adapt and survival of the fittest. The Beak of the Finch is a brilliant read of evolution visible within a couple of generations. And I personally feel that the ignorance over "we're not monkeys" comes from a human mind that cannot comprehend the idea of thousands of years, let alone millions that would effect a change that profound. And because those people cannot imagine it, they collapse it and say that we're not monkeys and that God did it.

Which is why I laugh when I get emails from groups like The Conservative DVD Club (Through Human Events so I can see what the political right nutters are thinking and they spam their readership with books and DVDs) shucking me a "documentary" entitled "How the Cambrian Fossil Record Disproves Darwin."

Now, I've had my fair share of evolutionary biology and psychology in college, so hang with me here.

Darwin's basic idea was that, over time, traits more favorable to environmental pressures like food or weather or attraction would manifest themselves in future generations of their species because they would live to or be more successful in mating and having offspring. Take the finches for example. If there was a lack of rainfall for a season and water could only be found residing in deeper cracks, the finches with longer beaks could reach that water, survive, mate, and next generation the average length of a finch's beak goes up.

Flying in the face of gradual evolution is the Cambrian Explosion. So about 530 million years ago the fossil record was composed mostly of single cells or colonies of cells and then BLAMMO over the next 75 million years - give or take - we had the precursors to organized cellular construction of life in the fossil record.

Again, that's 75 million years. Uncomprehendable to most humans. But there it is. One of the ideas floating out there is referred to as Punctuated Equilibrium: everything's chillin' along, small changes taking place all the time and then w00t! - London calling! - and a huge change blows up in relatively short order, some say to radiation. Niches get filled. Life goes on.

So maybe Darwin wasn't 100% right. But evolution isn't wrong because of it. Evolution is just a little different than we thought.

But these asshats will provide the following, illogical argument: Darwin said this. Fossil records show this. Darwin was wrong. Since Darwin talked about evolution, evolution is wrong. God benevolently created the world 4000 years ago or some shit.

But what these assclowns should also keep in mind is how much Darwin devoutly reflected on God and Christ and Christianity. I guess all that's bullshit too?

Worst Rap Battle Evar

No words. Just watch.

The Return of Van Mural Wednesday!

At first I was concerned because this vehicle appears to be on fire in the front and was quickly relieved to see the river just behind it. Anyway, this delivery van is so out of this world, those flames are obviously from re-entry. Mt. Fugi, The Incredibles, TWO different Indians (arrows, not dots), a buck an eagle... shit. Just enjoy its wonder.

Shake Weight for Men

This is ...real? I can see how it might.... But the frantic, two-handed action is.... Just watch, I guess. :-S

Yay More Followers! Say Hello!

I'd like everyone to say hello to BookSteve (BookSteve's Library) and MonogramGirl (A Nantucket State of Mind), two new followers who have joined the ranks of Linktastica! and received a sweet follow-back from me.

The boobs icon is a fake, spammy person and while I do enjoy the female form, will be removing them (if I can?). But that will drop me below 30! Tell your friends to stop by!

A special thanks to all my readers and followers - I've only been doing this this long because of you.

Cheers!

Hate: Now in Green, Always Available in Stupid

Religion, guns, and golf clubs? This showed up on the 18th green at a Boston area country club.


(And somehow the assbags @ Photobucket say THIS image violates their TOS)

Note to vandals: as opposed to devouring the verbal diarrhea of the right wing like so much slop out of a trough, do some studying on your own, learn what Nazism actually was, and for the love of all things holy learn the proper layout of the swastika.

Because today not only is the Secret Service looking for you, but when they find you, the whole world will be able to put a face to "moron."

In Short: Sean, Stop the Religion BS

Sean Hannity: Please stop trying to debate religion. With anyone. You sound like an asshat, quote scripture at a bare random affiliation with something a caller just said and then warp it out of context and then, when someone directly quotes another part of the Bible, word for word without interpretation, you say "I think you're misinterpreting that." But according to you and other Christians, the Word is the Word.

Caller: "Jesus gave his life - "
Sean: "And I appreciate that but..."

What a tool.

Columbus Day

Columbus was not here first. Vikings certainly and arguably the Chinese were here way before. But when he did come, he and his men and other explorers did horrible things to the natives of every place they landed.

I agree - we need an Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Some Days on Facebook...

I read through the posts and the absurd, trite, hollow people that I have somehow decided it was important to friend, and wonder how they live their lives. And it's worse because I regularly think that about strangers, every time I see a nasty, sour face on the street or in a store - a lone wanderer in the UDF completely void of any feeling or zest for life, a man walking his child down the street with a "what the fuck did I do with my life?" blankness on his face, every single person working at or shopping in Walmart. But this is worse. These are people I know. People I at least did know in some capacity at one point in my life. And they're playing Mafia Wars or Farmville and requesting friends pitch in and going shopping or watching sitcoms and the terrifying part is that they are happy doing that.

And it makes me sad because they don't create anything, only consume, and - for fuck's sake! - have no passion for making the world a better place, or at least a different place. They laugh at canned laughter and devour terrible reality television and thrive on it - but only enough to consume more canned laughter and ingest more reality television. And shopping. And stuff. And more stuff.

One thing: if I get to the point of actually laughing at sitcoms and watching reality TV on MTV and finding any joy in shopping in the mall (other than book stores and GameStop), then they have replaced me with someone else. Put a bullet in my head.

I'll be one less ignorant person absorbing media I refuse to think about and voting for what I do not understand.

We've got enough idiocy in America already.

Call Out That Nutbag Bachmann

Call out Michele here.

Woo! We're Gonna Blow Up the Motherfuckin' Moon!

Not really.

NASA is dropping a huge projectile that will impact a crater (I know, sounds redundant), burrow 90 feet into the surface, and throw up a plume of debris 6 miles high. The satellite that dropped the projectile will then shower in its sputum and see if any of it is water. If 1% of it is water we'll have no problem colonizing the moon and mining that water for water and oxygen and hydrogen.

Of course, because it's lunar water, before you know it you've got a bunch of astronaut werewolves running around a moon base. Hold on, I've got to go write a movie script.

You can see live coverage on MSNBC tomorrow morning beginning at 7:30am.

My Little Pony: Apocalypse Ponies

Idiots on the Right and the Chicago Olympics 2016

President Barack Obama went to Copenhagen to pitch Chicago for the 2016 Olympics and the right criticized him for wasting time when more important things were at hand. Fox News highlighted every single local Chicago story that painted the city in a bad light.

Chicago did not get the Olympics.

The right criticized Obama for going to pitch for the Olympics if his administration didn't know whether or not it would be a slam dunk. Glenn Beck this morning compared Obama pitching to the Queen of England pitching. Glenn Beck is apparently ignorant to the fact that the Queen is a relatively impotent figurehead and that Tony Blair - at the time the functional leader of the country - did pitch to win the 2012 bid.

The right, of course, started humming the "If Bush went and failed..." rhetoric. The right is apparently ignorant of the fact that Bush was a failure and embarrassing detriment to any cause, while Obama is viewed as one of the most popular leaders in the world.

Had Obama NOT gone to Copenhagen and Chicago not won the Olympics, the right would have criticized Obama for not doing all he could to guarantee America's success in the eyes of the world. But since he tried and failed, the right is more than happy to roll joyously in the failure feces like a filthy dog or pig, even if it's not the best thing for America. They will then claim that rooting for Obama's failure is rooting for America's success, such as Bill Cunningham did last night, and discount this instance as non-applicable.

The 2016 Olympics did not go to Chicago for 3 reasons:

Visa

It takes people about 3 months to get a visa into the USA. D'oh!


Chicago?

I just spent the weekend in Chicago. I had a fantastic time with friends and family and my brief glimpse was one that was so amazing you feel briefly down from coming back. But it is a big, American city. It is ass getting into the city just about 24 hours a day and traffic is crazy and erratic inside the city at all hours. You really need to know where you are and where you are going, especially at night. Cramming thousands and thousands more people into that wonderful city, already bursting at the seams? Probably not a good idea. Chicago is truly awesome, but I think cramming the Olympics into it would not be good for the Olympics or Chicago.


America The Popular

Some goons on the liberal end were claiming racism had something to do with it. Bullshit. Some claimed Dubya ruined the image of America, which he did; but Obama picked that back up some. From what I could see of the presentations, it appeared that the bid for Chicago was shitty because it didn't focus on what Chicago could offer and how they could make it work, but "Hey, look at all these popular people like Chicago so you totally have to pick it!"

And that's not a Republican thing or Democratic thing but an America thing. We're crackheads for celebrity. Period. And that's how we run things. Unfortunately, while much of the world is also crack-nuts for American celebrity, the IOC is looking for something a little more substantial.


But whatever the right says about what is happening, I have yet to see Obama clearing brush while Americans he sent to Iraq in an illegal war die every day.


And that's my take on the situation. Yours?

In Short: Beck and Obamacare

I heard Glenn Beck today have a sanctimonious come-to-jesus moment about the video of a gang killing in Chicago and how our culture and politics and morals and society is corrupt and then crossed it with the "indoctrination" video and tossed in that Democrats and Republicans are good, but astray, just before launching into a tirade comparing killing a kid with a railroad tie and national corruption to all the ills of Obama like the olympics and health care - and indoctrination.

That man needs help. And a minute of research to know that a railroad tie is over 8 feet long, and 7 by 9 inches. It's a heavy fucking piece of wood and one person would have a hard time picking it up, let alone swinging it over and over again. If it was successfully swung at one person, they would be dead immediately. That's why they use railroad ties for what they do: to ANCHOR or TIE steel rails - they're f'ing heavy! If they weren't, trains would be crashing all over the world.

Not so coincidentally, Glenn Beck is a goddamned train wreck.


...oh, and about Obamacare. While the word itself is being used to connote negativity, I think that the majority of people who voted for Obama were voting for him to take care of things. Therefore, the term "Obamacare" works as sort of a warm blanket of contentment. Now let's get him to bring down a fucking hammer on this insurance-hawt bill-writing in the Senate and call it a day.

I want my fucking blanket.

Why Republican "Solution" to Health Care is Bullshit

If you listen to as much right-wing nuttery as I do, you cannot have missed the argument that emerged a couple weeks ago. The Republican party has no interest in health care reform because while the insurance companies violate us by not covering us or dropping us in the name of the Holy Dollar, it's Republicans (and some Democrats) who are getting the reach-around to chubby up their wallet. But in the light of Democratic pressure to do something to reform the system and include a public option, saying NO just seems heartless and uncaring. So in order to appear as though they give a shit, here is the new conservative offering: Drop all state border restrictions and allow insurance companies to compete in a nationwide free market! Yay!

This is an explanation of why that suggestion is bullshit.

How It Works Now

When a doctor wants to negotiate with an insurance provider, it goes something like this:

Doc: I'm going to charge $200 for an office visit.
Ins: Woah, there. When the patient insured by us comes through your doors, we'll gladly pay you $30
Doc: Hells no! How about $50?
Ins: We can work with that.

Every doctor has to do that with every insurance company they work with every year for every service they offer. That's why you see a small practice with 2 docs and 2 nurses and 3-5 office people: insurance companies are a pain in the ass to work with.


Let's Say It Happens

For the sake of argument, let's say we travel to an alternate future where everyone lauded the Republican non-solution and it miraculously passed into law. What would change? Not a damn thing.

But now insurance companies who have set up shop in one or more states can technically insure anyone in America. Companies can compete on the national stage. Yay capitalism!

And businesses can shop all over the nation for their pick and doctors can decide who they want to do business with.

Yes? Not so fast.


The Players

The system solidly in place right now is a state border one. And removing those borders isn't going to let loose a rampant sprawl.

The Insurance Companies

Insurance companies might be willing to spread out a little, but in order to do that, I'm guessing there would be some sort of fee or tax for each state in which they operate. Then they have to actively sell themselves to businesses, individuals, and doctors. All over the country. That sounds like a lack of direction and a whole lot of money. And we know how much insurance companies love their money.

The Doctors

Doctors already have enough overhead from the insurance companies they do deal with. What would drive doctors to increase that overhead and haggle with even more companies? Especially when there would be little guarantee that they would end up finding patients who carry that insurance and, again, waste money?

The People

About 60% of all Americans - insured or not - get insurance through an employer. So they are at the mercy of whatever plan their employer has on tap. And why would individuals or businesses that, say, live or operate in Ohio go fishing for a cheaper company in some other state with no guarantee they could find any local practitioner who might accept that insurance?


Location, Location, Money

It's a localized system for a reason: you need a person or business to purchase insurance coverage from a company that will be accepted by a doctor. A borderless system will basically remain unchanged.

If it were so easy for doctors to deal with insurance companies, wouldn't you think they'd do that now, within one state, in order to draw as many patients as possible? If it were so easy, then every doctor could accept every insurance and every Ohioan could go to any doctor or hospital in the state.

But that ain't so, now is it? And multiplying that potentiality by 50 isn't going to be more efficient or cost-effective, just more confusing.


The Real Problem

The real problem is the insurance companies. They keep hiking up rates by leaps and bounds and blow out mad profits in a recession. They blame their rate hikes on those evil lawyers and frivolous lawsuits and absurd awards to the point where they've got doctors blaming the lawyers and joining the lobby for tort reform. But the truth is that there has been no explosion of frivolous lawsuits or huge court awards. The insurance companies just want more money so they charge more; they push for tort reform because capping everything - even obvious wrongful death - would raise their profits.

The people of this country are being lied to over and over and over and until health insurance is instituted in a not-for-profit manner, we the people will suffer because of greed and shady politics.

And while the Republicans have found their health care "we care" rally cry, it's really just a facade, just some wisps of smoke with the lingering odor of bullshit.

Glenn Beck Can Get You Hanged

Just reported: Census worker hanged with "fed" scrawled on his chest.

I don't have the time or heart to talk about this now, except to say that I live 10 minutes from the KY border and both my wife and I were going to do work for the census and the ONLY person I've heard screaming out that the Constitution-based program is a shill for Obama Control and a homeland terror on our freedoms was Glenn Beck.

At what point do we say the damage is enough? At what point does someone who claims such nobility see this happen and say "sorry; I fucked up by pushing idiots and this is what we get?"

Bad Religion - Superman

Despite what the label says, the song's called Superman. And years later, still my favorite BR tune.

Van Mural Wednesday on Wednesday? You Don't Say!?

This is gonna trip you out...



And I could easily sit and poach for the next 3-4 months, but I'm going to give credit where credit is due and tell you to visit the Psychedelic Blog where someone has brilliantly compiled almost 50 such painted wonders. This was simply my favorite. The singing mushrooms (on the other site) would scare me if I saw that van for real.

Cheers!

Hello There! More to Love!

I recently noticed we've got some new hangers-on and Cause For Concern is up to a delicious 27 followers. Yay! (Sorry to anyone who thought this was a post about chubby chasers.)

Say hello to Brian Sarrasin, (parenthetical)(who was already on my roll), Hill's Country, ALPHAVILLE, Calvin's Nuggits of Wisdom (not to be confused with Calvin's Canadian Cave of Coolness), and Life With Dogs.

I think that's everyone, and all have been added to the Linktastica! on the right. If I missed you, please deliver proper spanking.

Will Ferrell, Others, Stand Up for Insurance Companies

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

In Short: Why No Jury Duty for Me?

I've been a registered voter for 14 years. Yet while my sister-in-law has been picked for jury duty 5 times in that time, I have yet to get one call or mail notice. Mrs. Shambles received one a few years ago that turned into "You don't need to show up tomorrow."

So how do we get to serve our civic duty?

I Bring You Pain

From Irish Dancer to you. Enjoy the awful suck that is Asher Roth.

(might take a couple seconds to load. wait for it.)


Seriously, sometimes it's important to experience the suckiest things you can just for the fact of experiencing them. To say you've been there. And yes, it does suck.

One More Not-Gout Update

After I blasted out that last post, I got a lot of advice, but no real answers as to what the hell might be wrong with my foot.

For those of you just joining us: Labs and longevity (as of today 4 1/2 weeks) says "not gout," x-ray guy says "not broken."

At this point, I still limp some because my left big toe still hurts, but only when I flex it or bump it, and it's more uncomfortable than seriously painful at this point. Wednesday I was able to deal with regular shoes, but driving with a clutch still aches.

No answers yet? As the pain at the top and side of the joint is subsiding, I'm discovering a new pain in the ball of the foot. Again, we're not talking the stabbing 9/10 pain I was originally experiencing - we're down to 0.5 - 1.0 - but a distinctive ache under the joint.

So, for the record, I'll go an suggest Sesamoiditis (goodness does the Wikipedia entry suck ass on the human version - I'm really not a horse).

And that's where it lies. Or lays. Or lied. I'm a huge grammar guy but that whole track never layed right with me.

So I have fading pain, and that's great. I've implemented some changes in my life that will be wonderful for my body and health - tomorrow on the bike perhaps?

But I'm still left with the mystery of why this happened in the first place. And why did it manifest the way it did?

Thank you for listening to the ramble of real life.

Oh, and I've got an infected eyelash duct! Boo!

Shocking Short: Limbaugh Says No Racism!

In a shocking, glib bit of radio personal torture I caught on the way to the store today, Rush Limbaugh stated that what is going on in opposition to Obama is not only NOT racism but should be referred to as "Overwhelming Patriotism."

Apparently he was in a full-on Oxy coma during W's presidency.

The problem on this suggestion is that the right is discounting ANY accounts of racism by pointing to where it is not, or where it is invoked but not provable. Yesterday on Hannity's radio show, he had 2 black pundits, one calling racism, one saying the call for racism was BS. Unfortunately, the pundit calling racism did not have one solid example of a race-based attack on Obama.

Ooh! Ooh! I've got one! Barack the Magic Negro!

Young Turks hit it solidly from December. Undertone is lingering reality: Republicans do not understand what is funny.

Another Thursday Van Mural Wednesday: Beach Bum

Doesn't get better than surfin' and butts. Except when it's surfin' and butts Down Under!


(license place says "Australia")

Lie to Me!

After my last rant, a little mouse named Kimy pointed me in this direction. Enjoy.

Ricky's Wisdom Today, 9/15/09

Unless there is loving-kindness in our speech, it's going to come out wrong.

- Ayyan Khema, "Be an Island"

R.I.P. Patrick Swayze

Roadhouse. You will be missed.

Why Republicans / Conservatives / Teabaggers / Astroturfers / Tenthers / Birthers Suck so Hard

They are retarded.

Some might leave it at that and in that vein insult those that are genuinely, mentally handicapped.

The angry mob of boogeymen and boogeywomen that at every turn the right wing media are pushing and prodding and firing up with fear and anger with food for fuel of facts that are nothing if not false like Barnaby cracking the gates in Laurel and Hardy's Babes in Toyland, these people wanting to believe in something that is not a black man in the white house and stand charged with ignorance and lies, those people are logistically retarded, thought-process handicapped, deaf and blind to even the raw, proven truth that is put in front of their faces for the Priests of AM Radio have directed them to shout bloody murder and call such truths witchcraft and howl and shout down the opposition with unintelligible grunts and groans.

Glenn Beck saying that his 9/12 movement had nothing to do with the 9/12 gathering in DC immediately followed by a commercial saying anyone looking for info about DC check out the 9/12 website.

Rush Limbaugh saying that Obama is an institution built to intentionally drive the market into failure and destroy America while the other side of his jowls spouts non-belief in conspiracy theories.

Rush calling Joe Wilson a hero for screaming "liar" like a mad ferret at Obama during his health care speech when any Democrat who would've done the same to GHWB's constant, provable bullshit would've been called out on the carpet and castrated by the same media.

Congress on the right claiming they really do want health care reform but not really all that much but they won't even read the bill and where's that fucking campaign check from the insurance companies...

EVERYONE on the right in congress and on the radio driving these fear-and-lies-driven mobs to town halls and claiming they are just informing normal people to take a stand but in reality driving the uninformed automaton bus.

The hypocrisy of "The Sanctity of Marriage" being torn asunder by homosexuals when affairs and divorce are ruining the construct - the construct that has only been made up and accepted (by them) in the last few decades.

Some fucking whack-a-doo on one of the Columbus religious stations talking about Obama being a man, not a god, and how he has no right to talk to the children, to impose what HE wants them to do, that he is NOT the "public master" but "public servant." Seriously. Do these people have NO idea of how language works, especially in relation to slavery connotations? [Note: Standing reference that Republicans do not understand language nuance - i.e., humor, race - or technology still stands quite solidly.]

Just about any damn thing that comes out of anyone defaming a president of 9 months who was saying about Bush "give him a chance" before 9/11 skewed everything to "He's the President and never wrong."

Rush finally saying that the fucking loss in unemployment applications refers not to those who have found jobs but those who are simply no longer applying for unemployment - like it ran out, like when it was doing so for millions of Americans (myself included) about six years ago and he was praising Bush's ability to renew the economy.

The economy is a tough fucking monster with thousands of variables that, depending on whom you listen to, has never been mastered correctly. When a president takes the reins from another and is left with a massive expanse of shit, (s)he should be given at least a year and a half to rock out some shit. And I will stand by that. And I will stand by that last I will stand by that.

The right is not just uninformed, they are incorrectly uninformed. They are stunted in their basic knowledge of reality because they do nothing but listen to - I hate to even call them - pundits who flail and wag the Reagan stick at them like it's a measure of distinction and verbally rape history and pick and choose and interpret from the Constitution like they do from the Bible and embrace every word that calls Obama a devil and socialist and communist and Hitler and loves it and wants to kiss it on the bubbies.

As Colbert said that one time, "Reality has a liberal bias."

And I'm tired of watching the myrmidons of Right Radio lap up the dribbling shit off the lips of the logorrhea coming off the mouths of manipulative, malcontent fools.

That's why I'm a little worked up today.

Holy Shizzy, Six Days of Night?

Sorry ladies, not me: I swing a bigger wrench.

I went to post today and made special notice that I had not posted in 6 days. WTF? I wasn't even drunk all week or anything like that (no, sorry, not since my not-gout).

I've been working on my real job pretty extensively, but that's no excuse. Not for you. I skipped last week's van mural and have had no wit or swears to share - apparently absent-mindedly - since last week. And that's awful. And I'm sorry.

Mother fucking, fucking shit, shit damn I'm sorry.

I guess sometimes life just does that to you.

Health Care: We Can't Afford to Wait

I don't know exactly what President Obama is going to nail down tomorrow, but we will not fold. We will not let a public option just melt away. We will not stop talking about insurance companies reaping profit by raping hard-working Americans. Obama and the Democratic Party need to step it up, deliver what they promised when campaigning, and maybe then we'll keep up the rally cries. Otherwise, it's crickets as we stand, stunned, disillusioned, and with little faith left in our government to do what is right.

MoveOn and R.E.M. have the same message.

Tricky - Dear God

Just caught Tricky's cover of XTC's Dear God. Thought it appropriate for today's mood.



If you are unaware of Tricky, well, here's some more. Poems:

A Practical Video on Why We Need Not-for-Profit Health Care

Shamelessly stolen from Liberality who shamelessly stole it from Walled-In Pond. I suggest Republicans take a careful look at a logical explanation and reevaluate their ignorance gap.

Walmart and Rape Vans

I thought I'd tie in a bonus Van Mural today:



...which isn't in any way a mural, but black spray paint. But recall that this whole thing did begin with a focus on rape vans, and this is certainly one.

But please notice in the lower right that this image belongs to the site I just discovered: People of Walmart. Yes, it is a photoblog of people who shop at Walmart. And as you' expect, it is both entertaining and sad at times. But mostly funny. A worthy distraction if ever there was one.

UPDATE: I love the internets. One of the images on the blog was of the back of a jean jacket that had a YouTube page address painted on it that led me to this video. It is 30 seconds that you will never get back.

On Race and Republicans and YouTube: Jenkins and Steele

Over at Cleveland.com I found this little gem:

TOPEKA, Kan. — A freshman Republican congresswoman apologized today for telling a gathering in her district that the GOP was still searching for a "great white hope" to stop President Barack Obama's political agenda.

Rep. Lynn Jenkins used the phrase during an Aug. 19 forum as she discussed the Republican Party's future and tried to reassure members that the GOP has promising young leaders.

Oh, shit man. Olbermann can toss some commentary on this mess better than I:



And if you don't yet believe this freshman representative is an ignorant automaton towing the party line, check out this bit where she berates a single mother and her child because she (like so many other Republicans) cannot engage in dialogue when faced with how the reality of their rhetoric is harming real people and retreats into a "You're not making sense" posture.



And this brings us to Michael Steele, who also berated an audience member concerning health care. This young man talked of his mother who died of cancer because she couldn't afford her chemo meds. Steele flapped his arms and said that makes great teevee. Watch it:



And that cycles back around to race. Also reported in the above article:

On the Huffington Post, Dave Zirin also notes that Steele’s “effort to connect with young black students got off to a rather cringe-worthy start when right before the billed ’student dialogue’ two dozen white members of area young Republicans arrived to sit in the reserved first two rows of the packed room.”

Between ignoring the issue of the uninsured - even when they're standing right in front of them - and failing miserably, as they always have, at connecting with minorities - even with a minority leading your party - is there any reason to believe Republicans will be much of a threat in 2010? There are many things I'm not thrilled about with the Democratic Party right now, but I still wouldn't trust the Republicans with a potato gun, let alone Congress.

Verizon Sponsors Coal Teat Event

Check this out from the folks over at Think Progress:

On Labor Day, tens of thousands of people will be gathering for the coal-powered “Friends of America Rally” in Holden, WV. The point of the gathering is to rail against the Waxman-Markey clean energy legislation. It will feature right-wing guests such as Sean Hannity and Ted Nugent (who once ranted about killing Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton), and is being pushed by mountaintop-removal mining company Massey Energy. Last week, Massey CEO Don Blankenship even recorded a video inviting people to attend the rally, saying they would learn about how “environmental extremists and corporate America are both trying to destroy your jobs.”

Click that link above and follow it to the action link. This is bullshit. If you use Verizon, make certain you do something. Your money is your voice in this case.

The Green movement has NOTHING to do with employees of the coal industry losing their jobs, nor is it a current threat. The single largest reason why people in the coal industry lose their jobs is the greed and increasing efficiency of the coal companies themselves. To avoid backlash they blame it on the environmental movement and ignorance reigns, especially if you're CEO of Verizon and apparently suckling at the money teat of the coal industry.

TheyTookArrrJubbs!

Van Mural Wednesday: Mayan Techno

It's the Maya! It's a microchip! ...and a monkey ...and a volcano? WTF?

Gout Follow-up: Blood Labs and X-Ray

For those of you following the gout story, I spent the weekend icing and living in the boot like it was a break and I'm down from a 9/10 to 1/10 on a pain indicator, though driving a manual (it's my clutch foot) sucks, even in the gimp boot.

It's not gout as gout doesn't just linger for 2 weeks, especially with my low uric acid numbers. So Monday I went in for an x-ray. And nothing's broken. I got back with the doc and they said "If it still hurts on Thursday, give us a call and we'll try to figure it out." WTF?

So quick review and if anyone has insight, I would really appreciate it:

2 weeks ago, during the course of the day on Tuesday, the joint of my big toe - where it meets the foot - went from sore to stiff to throbbing and stabby. It was red and swollen and tender to the touch. Changing foot elevation would send shooting pain through the joint for about 5 seconds. Every step was painful and the throbbing kept me up most of the night. Wednesday and Thursday the pain was at a 9 and I didn't do much moving about. Friday was better, and Saturday was down to about a 2, so I started moving again. Sunday through Tuesday returned me to a 9 on the pain meter. Research on gout was looking iffy as it usually flares and then declines and I'd been way over on water consumption.

I went to the doctor who said gout didn't really last that long and my inflammation wasn't as bad as expected. When I got home, I fished out the gimp boot (immobilization shoe from a previous foot break) and iced the joint and wore the boot whenever I moved. In 24 hours I was down to a 3 in pain and for the past 5 days it has evened out at a 1 or 2.

I still don't have full range of motion and there is still pain when I walk. Stuffing my foot into a regular shoe causes the pain to worsen. Gimp boot makes it better, but not go away. I limp, which is always attractive.

This is probably more than you - or anyone - would want to know, but since we're getting all personal here and it might give further insight, here's my labs:

What - Mine - (normal/good)

Uric - 8.3 - (2 - 8.2)
Cholesterol - 235 - (under 200)
   LDL - 122 - (under 100)
   HDL - 41 - (over 39)
   Ratio - 3 - (0 - 3.6)
Triglycerides - 360 - (under 150)
Liver
   SGOT - 91 - (0 - 40)
   SGPT - 168 - (0 - 55)
   Hep test negative
Kidney function normal
Thyroid TSH - 5.82 - (.45 - 4.5)
Sugar - 81 - (under 100)


I've got to lose a couple pounds, eat oatmeal and fish oil, and exercise. And knock down on the drinkin'. The pain in my foot prevents the exercise. Almost certain it's not gout and x-ray is clean.

Any thoughts?