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?

Obama Engages Youth: Right Freaks Out

On September 8th, 2009, President Barack Obama is going to give a speech directed at students from Pre-K to 6th grade that they will watch during school hours. The White House has released study guides to help teachers lead the kids in discussions afterwards.

And holy shit everyone on the right is going batshit crazy. I've seen online comments about how Barack Obama is more and more like Hitler. I heard a Hannity caller say that this is how the Nazi Youth started - and Hannity shift away but not denounce the caller's sentiment. The caller went on to discuss the president's upcoming speech like they were going to show a snuff film "without consent" and "without supervision."

I think it's an interesting idea and that engaging the youth of America is and has been an important missing piece in every administration ...ever. Kids are confused right now because they're parroting their parents and are up against others parroting their parents. Irish Dancer, at 13, doesn't give a shit about politics except when she asks for clarification because someone said something that sounded stupid ("Colm said Obama is going to turn the country communist." - obviously coming from his idiot parents).

Obama's address is not going to change everything, but it's a step in the right direction. For too long, politics has held the air of "the grownups are talking - go on, git!" But kids should be involved. Now. And what better way to bring them into the circle than for the President of the United States to give a speech just for them, to let them know that they are as much a part of politics and America as everyone else?

[Sidenote: Hannity also asked, while talking about the CIA torture investigations, how Obama would like "a Palin justice department." I just about peed myself while alternately trying not to vomit.]

Minesweeper: The Movie

You know and love it: minesweeper, bastion of the bored. Love it.

That's a Grand: Cause For Concern Posts 1000

On January 26th, 2006 I was pissed about the bullshit flap over the book A Million Little Pieces. And thus was born Cause For Concern. Three years and 8 months later, I'm writing this as my 1000th post.


That's right bitches and haters: ticker tape!

I've grown from those lovely and humble beginnings to write extensively and liberally about politics, race, hate, right wing talk radio (oh, did I repeat myself there?), technology, science fiction, and a whole bunch of other shit with smatterings of personal bits like my recent bout with maybe-gout.

When I started it, it was its own driving force, but almost 4 years later I have only one thank you to hand out: my readers. I'm floating at about 150 visits a day but its the people who come back and back again that I really, truly appreciate.

Thank you.

A special thanks to Blue Gal who was there to pop me an award early on and serves every day as an inspiration to many of us.

Now: it's Miller time.

Van Mural Wednesday, Thinking I Should Rename it Thursday...

This first treat is not necessarily a mural, but it is a van coated in A-Team awesome:



...and this one just smells like flowers:



Love me some vans. And some Vans.

(p.s. This is my 999th post)

Thundarr the Barbarian

This is my childhood. Please don't bruise it.

"In the year 1994..."



Obvious rip-off of Star Wars and any other archetype or character you can imagine (watched an ep on Boomerang yesterday to see the wizard Octagon sprout two cylindrical metal tentacles from under his robe [*cough* Doc Ock *cough*]), but endearing nonetheless.

YouTube Subcultures: MMORPG, LARP, Furries?

A documentary called Second Skin chronicles the lives of a handful of MMORPG gamers and appears to get into the good, bad, and frightening. No worries; it looks more WoW than Second Life Furries. Ewww...furries. Is there anything weirder?



It's like what Darkon did for LARPers. Wait. You've never seen Darkon? Shit. (LARP = Live Action Role Playing)



And then there are those of you still scratching your heads wondering what the hell's going on with the furry thing. Here's a mini-documentary. Vancouver furries. Just for you, Cal.



NOTE: The above video is an innocuous CBC fluff piece on a "dress up" pasttime that does not - in any way - touch on the large part of furry culture that is a sexual fetish revolving around an erotic exchange between two anthropomorphic animals.

Yes, that's what makes furries creepy.

UPDATE: Haha! right after this post, xkcd did a comic on furries too. Well, not because of me or anything, but there it is. :)

Maybe it's Not Gout?

This is getting retarded.

So last week I was utterly convinced I had gout - despite being only 32 - because of my research on the internets. And the pain dropped off from excruciating last Wed/Thurs to manageable Sat/Sun. Monday was static, no change. Tuesday it got worse. Today I can barely walk. Despite my change in diet and hydration, the pain is back with a vengeance.

Yesterday I finally went to the doctor. She said that it's possible it is gout, but the swelling wasn't really that bad as would be expected. And that something that painful can be a minor fracture or even caused by bad shoe support. So today I had blood taken (that clutch is going to kill me) even though doc said you're not going to see the uric acid levels unless it's within 48 hours of the flare-up.

So now I'm searching my memory of last weekend, why it would hurt less then, then act back up. And that would be lack of activity - no extended walking, no driving, etc. And that sounds like a break. And right now my foot is screaming at me in peals of pain and I'm wondering where the fuck I can get a quick x-ray on the cheap. And then quickly realizing that when you break any part of your fucking foot, they just charge you a bundle for the exam and say "hey, keep off it woudja?" Might get a gimp shoe if you're lucky.

If it's gout, it should've been gone by now, especially with the care I've been taking of myself. If it's a break - how the hell did I break my foot? Or toe or whatever? If it's neither then WTF is it?

So I eagerly await the blood results tomorrow. I'm thinking about venturing the basement stairs to get that gimp shoe we have down there. And after a week of being off the sauce I think Miller Time's going to show up today. A little early to make up for lost time. And it will bring wings.

And yes, you'll still get your late van murals today :)

Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story"

Don't know if you saw this trailer, but I'm eagerly awaiting the movie.

Bowser and His Minions Video

Don't know if you've seen this, but I've been in a Super Mario mood today (little more Mario than super).

Ricky's Gout Update

Some of you may have read my post from Wednesday about getting the Gout. I know it's just called gout, but I feel I need to distance myself from the word with an additional article.

So over the last 48 hours I have done hours of research and acted on that research and am happy to say that I'm at about 25% of the pain, swelling, and stiffness level I was when I posted. I have not been to a doctor because:

Symptoms:

• Severe pain in the toe joint
• Swollen and shiny in appearance
• Tender to the touch
• Unbendable

These are tried and true indications of gout and nothing more.

What were my major risk factors?

• Sedentary lifestyle (web programmer)
• Lack of exercise
• Mediocre monitoring of diet
• Slightly overweight
• High alcohol consumption (2+ drinks 4+ nights a week)
• Low-moderate hydration

So what's helping right now?

• Lots of water
• Concentrated, organic cherry juice
• ...occasionally with a couple t of apple cider vinegar
• Lots of celery
• Increase of Vitamin C
• Baking soda in water to turn the acid knob down from 11

And what must I continue after it is gone to avoid another flair-up?

• Lots of water
• Cherry juice daily
• Vitamin C
• Exercise daily (and therefore lose weight)
• Pretty much remove beer and keep alcohol down to 1-2 times a week

And that's the long and short of it: get healthy and keep it away. Not so complicated. Any questions?

Like a Boss

Dick in a Box, I'm on a Boat, Jizz in My Pants. Yeah, those guys.

Michelle's Shorts Sanctimonious Blowout

Holy shit! Did you see this!?



This is Michelle Obama, the First Lady, getting off Air Force One looking like she's on vacation in Kenya or Hawaii or something. Sheesh!

At least that's some of the weird, misaligned flap coming off the whole photo op.

Let's make this clear: criticism of Michelle in shorts is coming from two camps - old folks who grew up with a different reality of propriety and conservatives looking to piss and moan about anything at all having to do with the Obamas.

Old folks I can understand. Conservatives I never do.

If Michelle came off the plane in a nice pants suit, they'd have the designer on the phone getting a price quote and bitching that she doesn't shop at Target and is an elitist. She looks like a normal person (who works out and looks pretty damn good in shorts) so it's improper or un-ladylike for them.

How about a burqa next time? She's already received flack from asshat conservatives that she's "mean" and "angry" because she has an opinion and a voice. And it would be surprising if some of that vitriol didn't have it's roots in the fact that she's not only a woman, but black, and the white man pundits have a problem with a class that doesn't know its place.

But I ramble. Michelle looks fine in shorts physically. It is not a fashion faux-pas to get off a plane in the middle of summer in the US in shorts; it actually humanizes her as First Lady. Michelle Obama is not - and never will be - a stretchy mom-jeans kind of woman. Nor should she. Us fans like her just the way she is.

Thursday's Wednesday's Mural on Van, It Is!

Wasted so much time whining yesterday I forgot to do that van mural thingy.

So here you go, in all Yoda's wisdom:



The painting's not all that bad (though it is on a mini-van), so why jank it up with a poorly-lettered "Do or do not" on the back?

In all my new searches, we're going to have to have a Star Wars second round put together for Van Mural Wednesday. I know, and it's okay that you just peed yourself a little.

Weiner v. Boehner

Haha! Fight!

(I really need a photoshop here. Coming soon.)

Barney Frank Steps Up

Can we get a woop woop? Can we get Obama to speak so plainly?

Awww Shit. I Got the Gout. Seriously.

About a month ago, the middle toe of my right foot hurt where that second joint of the foot meets the metatarsal. It hurt badly. Having been out the night before at an Irish festival, I figured I must've slipped in a muddy hole or off a curb at some point and sprained or even broken my foot. Yes, it hurt that badly.

A day later, the pain faded and I thought "Gee, that was weird." A week later the pain returned briefly and quickly faded. A week after that, a dull ache appeared for a day in the same secondary knuckle of my left big toe. I said to Mrs. Shambles "is there any weird thing that attacks your toe knuckles?" almost jokingly.

Well, today I can barely walk. The pain in my left big toe is probably twice as bad as as the break I had at once suffered, mostly because there is a constant, inflamed throbbing paired with the pain caused by the crystals of uric acid that are forming in the joint. (note: not hyperbole; site after site describes gout as "one of the most painful of the rheumatic conditions" fuck.)

Oh, yeah, forgot to mention that. Gout is when your body holds on to too much uric acid. That uric acid - for reasons unknown - crystallizes in the big toe joints of men to start (in general - other joints are affected and it also affects women). It's been a chronicled condition for some 2000 years, but no one's exactly sure why it happens.

But they do know what contributes to it: purines. What has lots of purines? Shellfish, other seafood, rich meats, alcohol (especially beer), yeast, mushrooms, asparagus, and cauliflower, amongst other things. This list reads like my core diet.

And the rest of the common knowledge is jibberish. For example, dairy is shown to provide relief in some, but increased lipids in the blood are a risk factor. Oh, and a lack of exercise and being 25 lbs over my ideal weight isn't helping

There are prescription options, but they have more side effects than results. So that leaves natural remedies. Based on my extensive research efforts, dark berries (specifically cherries[?]) and apple cider vinegar are the way to go, as well as anything with antioxidants - like more dark berries - and avoiding anything on the purine list. Boo.

So I've already had a liter of black cherry juice (no, really, I'm not in the mood for -- okay, it's fucking hilarious) with some ACV (yech), and I'm planning for a full-on bomb this evening: another liter of organic cherry concentrate, some more ACV, concentrated Acai juice, and a pint of blueberries. Your prayers and thoughts are appreciated.

The bitch of the bunch is that everything I read talks about 80's and 60's and 50's and late 40's. I'm 32. My (online) name is Ricky. And I have gout. And it hurts like a motherfucker.

[Side note: I have not been officially diagnosed by a doctor, but the symptoms of gout are so specific that I have no doubt as to what I have. If I cannot remedy it on my own, I will have to push the med option.]

So, anyone know anyone with this? Remedies that worked? I'd love to hear from you.

I Say Juggalo, You Say ...WTF?

If you do not know Insane Clown Posse (ICP), the horrorcore hip hop duo, then you do not know of their followers/groupies/fans called Juggalos (the ladies are, appropriately, called Juggalettes). ICP has a very large and loyal following that sport their tattoos, scary clown makeup, and espouse the joys of Faygo pop.

Every year they assemble at the Gathering of the Juggalos. If you don't know, there's nothing I can do but show you. Truth be told, the actual volume of Faygo vs. Natty Light at the Gathering is up for debate.

Obama: That's About Enough

In which I rant about the things that are pissing me off about this administration.

Last year, I spent a great deal of time cheering for Obama, supporting him in my blog, and celebrating joyously after his election.

Now maybe it's because when the last Democratic president was elected I was too busy getting stoned and chasing tail in college to give much a shit about politics other than "Yay Clinton!" *gurgling bong noise*, or maybe it's because I own my own business and keep a tight watch on money, but as of today I'm disillusioned by Obama. I'm done; that's enough.

I'm not turning Republican (what kind of monster do you think me?), and while I float in the direction, am not going fully Libertarian. I'm still with the Democratic Party. For now.

Wha - happen?

Bailout
Wait. America's hurting and we're pissing money into bad-decision banks and car companies? What. The. FUCK.

Will letting them fall lose jobs? Sure. But when companies fail and other, larger companies purchase them and people move and shift and, basically, the brush has burned and the bigger trees are nurtured and some big trees fall and nurture smaller, smarter ones. And the market rebounds.

But we shit out money and many banks and car companies still failed. And they're weaker for it. As are we.

Stimulus Bill Stalls
I'm looking at Obama, checking out the stimulus bill, cheering "Hell yeah!" and really hoping for the best from all this spending. And then I see that after months maybe 10% of that money has actually gone out. Months? 10%? Is a flood of money and projects and money something to be scared about when we've been hearing that it's ALL going to help the economy?

Where's the f'ing money? Where's the f'ing stimulus?

Pelosi
Honeslty, I'm an enormous proponent of female equality. If a man can be a feminist, I'm one of them. But power apparently corrupts. And Pelosi is doing some things that are total amateur wanker shit.

There's some illogical argumentation, a request for giant planes, and the stuttering and side-stepping you don't like to see in an official leader. I don't know if it's her tone of voice or general demeanor, but she doesn't present herself as a confident leader, not like Hillary does, not like Michelle does.

Cash for Clunkers
A cash incentive program to get people to buy cars with better GPM? Excellent! But we're going to destroy the car they're trading in? Retarded. For parts, for donation, for ...anything! If the program were really about going green, someone with a brain in the administration would've spoken up and said "Um, hey, since the carbon footprint of the car that's already been manufactured cannot be un-done, perhaps the best thing is for someone to get viable use out of the vehicle. Y'know? Like recycle, reuse, and all that other crap we keep saying?"

flag@whitehouse.gov
We just got out of an administration that lived and breathed big brother contempt for privacy. And you decided it would be a good idea to start up a snitch email where people can forward "fishy" information. That's fishy, shady, and stupid.

Single-Payer
One of the biggest parts of the '08 election, for me, was my support of Dennis Kucinich. His support for a not-for-profit medical program that overrided the madness of insurance companies - that are rationing NOW and operating as "death panels" NOW and preventing people from getting coverage that will save their lives NOW.

And today I read that The White House is positioning to drop single payer option.

So Obama and friends: I am well aware that you state that single payer is only a part of the health care reform plan. Unfortunately, insurance companies are most of the problem. If there is no public option and you pass a bill to just pass a bill, you will achieve NOTHING for the American people. You will shimmy just a little bit, just enough to make it look like things changed, but you'll still be wearing the girdle of the insurance companies, and you will be no better - actually, worse - than the Republicans lining their pockets with insurance company money.

America wants prescription drug costs bargained down. America wants a not-for-profit health care system. Call Dennis. Do lunch. He'll explain the way it needs to be.


And before my generally liberal readers have any negative feedback to pass along, I'd like to say that I post because I care. I know this is not the best the administration can do. I know that they know better. I think all of us who brought him to the Oval Office need to remind them all what their best is, and that before a general election in '12 there will be a Democratic Party primary.

FOX on Technology: Um...Durrr

I was clicking through the channels and came across FOX and Bill Sammon jizzing all over themselves saying that their reporting is why the White House pulled the plug on the flag@whitehouse.gov and is posturing on pulling the public option out of the health care bill (more on that later), but Bill Sammon needs to do a little research.

Bill, apparently pulling the headline off of Drudge, kept talking about how the White House had disabled the "flag" website. Problem is: there is no flag website. Never was. Just an email that is now apparently auto-responding with "no longer valid" or whatever.

I think the snitch email was a stupid move and am glad it's gone (or tells you it's gone), but if you're going to report about technology, get your shit together.

Shit! I Forgot Van Mural Wednesday!

So you get two because I love you.


This van will mop the floor with your van's ass.



This is what happens to vans when they lose their way.

Love you all! Promise to be on time next week!

Climage Change Critique - FAIL

Hrm? Is that pronounced like namaste? I'd guess anything about "climaste" would be mythy in some way since "climaste" is not a word.

(from here)

Some Shit About Stuff and Shit

Chanting Obama
How about a video of a town hall NOT gone horribly wrong?



The little kid drawing on the ground in the dark really hit me.

But note to pro-Obama folks: Stop the "We won" chant. "We won" describes ONE single success and intimates that the Democratic party can do whatever the fuck they want. That is not a good message. Ever. It is not a message; it is being a poor winner. If we toss a mandate on the election of Obama, we are no better than the sucking-on-the-Dubya-teat crowd. Say something with meaning. Your chants may not be catchy, but they'll be focused.

Woman on Fire
A woman set herself on fire in a mall. I'm awaiting the video. But if I were somehow coerced to the Mall of America (think B.A. Baracus on a flight) and awoke in that place, I might just do the same thing. The correct phrase, not used in the story, is self-immolation.

In a related story, a woman on fire in a mall deemed so hawt, 15 were burned trying to grab whatever clothing she had on. Damn.


Obama Threat
Some asshat thought it would be a good idea to concoct a freeway-exit-caliber cardboard sign that said "Death to Obama."

I'm sure some goon on the right will denounce his arrest.

But it's a pretty widely popular notion that a threat to the POTUS - in written or verbal form - is a federal offense. Or at least a viable threat. Like that other asshat who showed up to his town hall meeting with a firearm strapped to his leg.

I propose a new law: Deport the Fucktards.

Palin ...Again
In the same vein as the last section, Palin is spouting again. On fucking Facebook!

That's your platform? That's your "oh, conservatives didn't get it in '08" punch to the young folks?

No one reads anything on Facebook more than a couple sentences, and you post your manifesto TRYING to convince us that your vagrant, foolish nomenclature of "death panels" is valid?

Once again: the federal government's constant point has always been that a living will is probably a good idea. The new plan says the government will pay for setting that up. What's confusing about that? Are you trolling for another Schiavo? Do you want more pain?

Either way, go for it. Position yourself for 2012.

We'll have a damn ball.

If You Assume...

It's seven minutes long, but I watched it because it was passed along by - you know it by now - Brent, and it's worth every minute. There's even intrigue. Or at least I was intrigued.

Bush's Batshit Crazy War: Chriac, Gog, & Magog

I dug this article up somewhere, and it's not the only place it can be found. But take a look at this:

Now out of office, Chirac recounts that the American leader appealed to their "common faith" (Christianity) and told him: "Gog and Magog are at work in the Middle East…. The biblical prophecies are being fulfilled…. This confrontation is willed by God, who wants to use this conflict to erase his people’s enemies before a New Age begins."

This bizarre episode occurred while the White House was assembling its "coalition of the willing" to unleash the Iraq invasion. Chirac says he was boggled by Bush’s call and "wondered how someone could be so superficial and fanatical in their beliefs."

If this is vetted - and I've got my doubts - then holy shit why isn't this leading ever newscast in America right now? Why isn't Bush being taken to account not only as a war criminal but a nutbag who started a war because of the Bible?

Holy hell we were in a much worse place than we thought we were when Bush was president.

Animation and Gaming Convention Ohio

The *ahem* Triforce

Animation & Gaming in Ohio. In Cincinnati! And after you read this description, you will not wonder why I read this and immediately "Holy shit! I must attend for the spectacle!"

• Cosplay Musical (Theme of Resident Evil)


• Wrestling Hoboken (Watch a full on show by the talented guys from Mad Pro Wrestling, followed by matches from you favorite games, cartoons and anime characters as they square off in the wrestling ring)


• Battle of the Rock Bands (Think you have what it takes to go into a Rock Band Tourney and come out victorious on the A&G Main Event Stage in front of a crowd of your peers? Then Bring it on.. it's time to rock!)

New Signature Events to this years line up will include:


• Zombie Apocolypse (it's a game, it's a LARP, it's live action, and it's lazer tag. All rolled up into one)


• Zelda live-action adventure (based off the hit game from Nintendo- Zelda)

Cincinnati. March 12-14, 2010. Weekend badge is $20 until Jan. 1. Be there.

Snacks n Shit

Snacks n Shit is a newly discovered (by me, anyway) blog that riffs on rap and hip-hop lyrics. It's hilarious. Examples, please?

"Man, her head was gooder than a music."
- Common, I Poke Her Face

Man, this might be the single worst sentence I've ever heard someone say, and it mostly just made me sad.

Filed under: Worst comparison ever / Extreme English failure

As you can tell, there are many layers here, from the raw lyric to the names of some of these artists, the album name, and, of course, the commentary.

Enjoy!

(via BoingBoing)

Lazy Cat on Treadmill

In Short: Silly CEO, It's Free!

That silly rabbit, News Corp. Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch (Fox News?), was talking about how he plans to be paid for all digital content. For those of you new to the internet, digital content is generally free and news digital content is ubiquitously free, so he's having some 2 girls 1 cup wet dream that he's going to change the paradigm of the interwebs.

"Quality journalism is not cheap," he said.

My immediate thought was: Okay, so how much is your kind of journalism then?

Glenn Beck: Choose Research, not Gossip

Indie band Gossip

This morning, in a throw away to a break, Glenn spouted the little gem that the origin of the word gossip comes from kings needing to know what the people were thinking, and so sent their minions to pubs and taverns with the instructions to "go sip" here or there. And that turned into "gossip."

Right. And back then most weddings happened in June because people bathed once a year in May...

Anyone who has been on the internet more than five minutes should know that research into historical or etymological claims is a necessity. And when you have a paid research staff, foolish errors like this make you look silly.

From Word Detective, just for Glenn:

The appeal of such stories is said to be that they "make sense," but the actual origin of "gossip" makes just as much sense even if it takes a bit longer to explain. In Old English, a "godsibb" was a godmother or godfather, a person's sponsor at baptism, from "god" plus "sib," meaning "relative" (related to our modern "sibling"). Eventually "godsib" acquired the broader meaning of "close friend" of either sex, although most often a woman. Since close friends share intimate secrets and news, "gossip" (as it was spelled by the 15th century) came to mean "one who indulges in idle chatter or rumors," and the modern sense of labeling someone a "gossip" was born. The use of "gossip" to mean the rumors themselves is more recent, appearing in the 19th century.

An ounce of prevention...

And here's Gossip's "Heavy Cross"

Kidd Video: What the Hell Was I Thinking?

I used to watch a show called Kidd Video on Saturday mornings in the early/mid 80's. It was about a teenie California band that was opted by Master Blaster, leader of Flipside, through a mirror during one of their rehearsals. He pulled them through, Zod-style, into a cartoon world. Sorry, no token black in this one.



What the fuck was I thinking? For fuck's sake!

Then again, Dungeons & Dragons was also my bread & butter:



But that I can respect. Right?

Van Mural Wednesday: Flowers, Peppers, and Poison

This week's Van Mural Wednesday shows that either someone loves the nature, or is celebrating the three ingredients that keep him high:



And as promised Monday or something, here's the joy brought to me by my friend Brent (Twitter - we're still working on the website thing.)



Image from Picture Is Unrelated.

In Short: Bill Clinton Brings the Beef

How fucking amazing was it that the whole fucking world is pissing up Kim Jong Il's communist ceremonial robe about the American reporters sentenced to years of hard labor and Bill Clinton shows up to the party, a walking monument to American cajones, probably jokes with Kim, punches him in the arm, passes on a Lewinsky cigar, watches a porno, and North Korea lets the journalists go.

The right barely had time to fart afoul of the visit before the release happened. They're already back with their families!

Screw that talk about W. Bubba got some swagger and he ain't afraid to use it.

Brazil Talks Pee Pee

Today Mrs. Shambles sent me this link from CBS in which, well:

New TV ads are encouraging Brazilians to save water - by urinating in the shower.

Brazilian environmental group SOS Mata Atlantica says the campaign, running on several television stations, uses humor to persuade people to reduce flushes.

The group says if a household avoids one flush a day, it can save up to 4,380 liters (1,157 gallons) of water annually.

SOS spokeswoman Adriana Kfouri said Tuesday that the ad is "a way to be playful about a serious subject."

The spot features cartoon drawings of people from all walks of life - a trapeze artist, a basketball player, even an alien - urinating in the shower.

Narrated by children's voices, the ad ends with: "Pee in the shower! Save the Atlantic rainforest!"

Sure. Fine. I can pee in the shower and start saving myself some water money to save up for the toilet with the Pee/Poo buttons. But what made this postworthy was not the story about peeing in the shower, though it did make me giggle.

It was this unfortunate juxtaposition:



So, so wrong. Next up: a public service announcement that amateur golden shower porn actually take place outdoors or in the bathtub to save the water that would be used to clean up that stank.

New Site: Picture is Unrelated

I got a new picture for an idea for Van Mural Wednesdays (Which will appear on Wedensday) and in that discovered a site as wasteful and time-consuming as FailBlog.org.

It's called Picture is Unrelated.



Mindfuck FTW! So much wrong with this that I ask your opinions, dear readers.

Also visit Ask A Urinal for more LOLs.

Project Censored - Ignored Stories

As much as I love commenting on political commentary and opining on opinion, there are some that dedicate themselves to exposing things that are in plain sight, even if just for a moment. This is where Project Censored comes in, presenting "the news that didn't make the news." Check out their site. In the meantime, check out some clips from the most recent newsletter:

American School Segregation

For example, current research indicates that public schools in the United States are more segregated today than they have been in more than four decades. According to a new Civil Rights report, published at the University of California, Los Angeles, schools in the US are 44 percent non-white, and minorities are rapidly emerging as the majority of public school students in the US. Latinos and blacks, the two largest minority groups, attend schools more segregated today than during the civil rights movement forty years ago. Millions of non-white students are locked into “dropout factory” high schools, where huge percentages do not graduate. The most severe segregation in public schools occurs in the Western states, including California—not in the South, as many people believe. Most non-white schools are segregated by poverty as well as race. Schools in low-income communities remain highly unequal in terms of funding, qualified teachers, and curriculum.

1 Million Dead Civilians in Iraq - Confirmed

Other taboo stories include civilian death rates in Iraq and questions on 9/11. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University and a professional survey company in Great Britain, Opinion Research Business (ORB) report that the United States is directly responsible for over one million Iraqi deaths since our invasion six and half years ago. In a January 2008 report, ORB reported that, “survey work confirms our earlier estimate that over 1,000,000 Iraqi citizens have died as a result of the conflict which started in 2003…. We now estimate that the death toll between March 2003 and August 2007 is likely to have been of the order of 1,033,000.” A 2006 Johns Hopkins study confirmed that US aerial bombing in civilian neighborhoods caused over a third of these deaths and that over half the deaths are directly attributable to US forces. Iraqi civilian death levels in the summer of 2009 likely now exceed 1.2 million.

9/11 Called Back Into Question

Former Brigham Young University physics professor Dr. Steven E. Jones and some 700 scientific professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering, and physics have now concluded that the official explanation for the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) buildings is implausible according to laws of physics. Especially troubling is the collapse of WTC 7, a forty-seven-story building that was not hit by planes, yet dropped in its own “footprint” in 6.6 seconds in the same manner as a controlled demolition. To support this theory, Jones and eight other scientists conducted chemical research on the dust from the World Trade centers. Their research results were published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal Open Chemical Physics Journal, Volume 2, 2009. The authors write, “We have discovered distinctive red/gray chips in all the samples. The properties of these chips were analyzed using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The red portion of these chips is found to be an unreacted thermitic material and highly energetic.” Thermite is a pyrotechnic composition of a metal powder and a metal oxide, which produces an aluminothermic reaction known as a thermite reaction and is used in controlled demolitions of buildings.

A Quick Retrospective on Photoshop

Since I don't feel all that much like blogging today, I thought it might be nice to take a look back, as I publish my 966th post since I began, to the best of my Photoshop pieces. But since I'm too lazy today to copy/paste all those images from past posts, you get to click on the following link:

Ricky Shambles' Cause For Concern Photoshops

Ah, memories. Enjoy!

Van Mural Wednesday: Jungle Fever

So back in 'Nam ... or a South American jungle. Or something. The art is good, but the image takes some brain power to process, so the potential for accidents with this beast on the road is high.

Just a Few Questions

Do men with larger penises seek out smaller women so they look even bigger in perspective? Do men with smaller penises do the same thing?

(Congratulations! You are Queen of the Giant Cock Tower!)

----------

If Jesus and Mary Magdalene ever really nailed it, do you think it was weird for Jesus to call out his mom's name when he came?

(Oh Mary, Mary, quite contrary... Mom - oh, shit...sorry...give me a minute. I swear this almost never happens.)

----------

Would Dick Cheney consider it torture if someone pulled his dick through the middle of a CD and showed him porn?

(You'll never get me hard - oh, shit, is that torture video? Shit!)

----------

If it wasn't for the Laserdisc, would Compact Discs (CDs) have been called CDs? Would we just call them Ds?

(Hey, what Ds you pick up at FYE today? / Dude, I burn my Ds from tha internets; nobody buys them anymore.)

----------

Are you disappointed that the last question was not also about penises in some form?

(And what form should those penises take? Discuss.)

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Are Canadian lesbians more Canadian because they eat beaver?

(Nothing to see here folks; that was just terrible.)

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If God created ALL things and evangelicals say he did not create evil, how do you rectify that argument?

(He "allows" evil, of course! / But if he didn't create it, how does it exist? / Begone Satan!)

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The CDC is now saying every child from 6 mo to 18 years get a flu vaccine; do you believe the hype?

(Hype my ass, daddy gov't needs to pay the bills and scarin' the public and fuckin' the vaccine folks gets that done. Kinda.)

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Do I have too many questions?

(Please check yes or no.)

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Does this post have anything to do with the fact that I'm dangerously close to 1000 posts?

(Smack that 1K, bitch. That's right. Smack it like you mean it!)

Liquid Jesus Beer - Get Saved

A thought fart while coasting through some Google Image Search results. Needed to be done. Though it would be cool, it's unfortunately all smoke and mirrors folks. Until I get my homebrew going....

Fixing the California Economy

This video embarrasses me as a human being. Enjoy.

Disability: Not as Easy as You'd Think

This is a personal blurb. Feel free to skip, though I'll go light on the glurge.

My mother-in-law is 58. 32 years ago, she began showing symptoms and was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. That's where your body sees the cartilage between the joints as an enemy to be attacked. 26 is absurdly early for symptoms and diagnosis.

She's had shoulders, knees, and elbows replaced and rebuilt, some twice. Once your cartilage goes completely, your bones will actually fuse together. Her wrists are fused, ankles and parts of her spine in process. Her fingers are curled tightly and almost immobile. She can barely get up from a sitting position, let alone do anything more complicated than that. She's been studied by doctors all over the world. She is 58.

This weekend we were in Cleveland to keep an eye on her in the hospital because she'd come down with pneumonia. It appears to be clearing, but the big issue that came through the family discussions was disability. Despite her limitations, she is still a licensed nurse and was working as of 3 weeks ago (interesting note: she is certified in CPR to do compressions with her elbows because she can not do them with her hands).

So stubborn as she is, she has finally agreed to go on disability. But you can't just go on disability. Short term disability is not quite the obstacle course, but since she is not yet 62, she can't just stop working and collect Social Security. So that's where disability comes in. And it turns out that even with some 30 years of records of limitations and surgeries and remedies and descriptions of her condition, there is about a 95% chance she will be turned down in the first round of long-term disability application.

And the reviewers work in groups. And when the group reviews the case and the Denied stamp goes on the application and is resubmitted, another member of the group is assigned to it for round 2. And since group dynamics in a working environment generally don't put you in a position where you are comfortable pointing to your colleague and saying "you're wrong," round 2 denial comes at a chance of about 99.9%. I guess that's a combination of job security and the governmental sieve to weed out some of the cheats by effort level.

Now, once denial 2 comes around it goes to court and as soon as they see her wheeled in, it's an immediate win. Unfortunately, that stage can take several months, enough time to leave a gap between short term and long term.

And then we spin out into a multitude of issues like rent, day-to-day care, inability of kids to support her, inability of her mother (with whom she lives) to take care of her, and - always - where is this money going to come from?

But I shall not bore you or trouble you with that. I haven't written since Van Mural Wednesday and thought I'd give you a taste of my world for the past couple days. But I guess if it were a real taste, you'd get a back-of-the-tongue lapping of that antiseptic, hospital, hand-cleanser-and-rubber-gloves that chokes you a bit and makes taking down food a little more difficult. And I wouldn't want that for anyone.

Gates, Obama Draw Out the Whacko Racists

I was heading back from Cleveland to Cincinnati this morning (more on that tale to come) and having been somewhat detached from the mass (and winged) media all weekend, I was surprised to find my drive filled and garnished and flourished with the whole Obama/Gates situation. Last we left it on Friday, Obama said his words were unmeasured in that generalized non-apology we've all come to know and love from all politicians and had contacted the two parties involved and invited them to have a beer at the White House.

(Sidenote: Yay beer! The last 8 years all the fun was drunk out of the bottle with our always-recovering POTUS.)

(Sidenote 2: As far as opinion goes on matters where not all the facts have been presented, I'm going with Gates as a "Do you know who I am" kind of attitude and Crowley as perhaps over-reacting to that. Race doesn't really seem to be an issue; Crowley just doesn't like dickheads.)

I should've been tipped off on Saturday when I heard a blurb on one of Cleveland's AM stations on a short errand about how Crowley should take Obama up on the beer offer and wear a wire and expose the other two men as frauds. Right. A wire in the White House.

But today my mouth was left agape. Listening to Quinn and Rose on Akron's 640 AM. Apparently they did some research and found out that there is a contingent of elitist blacks who meet with Obama at Martha's Vineyard, and they include Gates, and are socialist, communist, Marxist, Leninist folks that are pushing for a rise in the voice of revolt of the blacks, perhaps even with a revitalized Black Panther movement.

Rose, the female of the pair, then went into her absolute conviction that after the Gates incident this cadre of black Illuminati directly called Obama and told him he was required to bring up the issue in public and be outraged. This, of course, was the cause for the plant in the press conference, etc. She subsequently entertained the idea that she was being racially profiled as a white Italian woman because she wasn't treated very nicely one time when she got pulled over. And then wrapped the segment wondering why a black tenured Harvard professor and black POTUS were whining about the plight of the Black Man.

In my disgust and changing of the channel, I reflected on this event and the Sotomayor hearings and I smiled. If Barack Obama is doing this on purpose, it is not to bring about a black revolution. The events of the past month, if anything, have drawn out the truer candor of racism across America. The more inflamed the right wing becomes, the more loose they get with everything from their tightly-wrapped bigotry to their whack-job conspiracy theories.

And I think this is only the beginning of what we are going to see in the way of how truly hateful and dark the hearts of some of those on our nation's airwaves can become.

For now, how about that beer?

Van Mural Wednesday: Bad Luke and Gary Coleman

Let's take a quick look back. Another search term and another batch of vans and - lo and behold! - another Star Wars van!



I'm not sure if I'm more sorry that I didn't find this one for the official Star Wars VMW or that I found it at all. Crooked saber, tan Luke, TAN Obi Wan in XSmall hoodie, and a strung out C3PO. The image apparently belongs to Erik's Info Base. He can keep it. This mural makes me sad.

So what can pick you up out of sadness? Cherubs!



Now I don't know who that stunted chickie on the left is, but on the right it is quite obvious that we have a scantily clad Gary Coleman. I'll let y'all figure that one out.

Name N Date: Alberto 1979

It's been a while, so here's how this works: I pick a first name and a year and do a Google Image Search (GIS for you geeks out there). Then I pick the interesting photo or photos I find and make fun of them or give them a photoshop work-over or both. Yay! Ready?

Generally anything circa 1990 or older yields some choice pics. But I was pretty disappointed by "Alberto 1979." Three damn pages went by before I was thoroughly entranced by this man's gaze:



Now I had to take an extra few minutes to find this mediocre gem (lesson learned: No more Alberto), and what better way to get revenge on an electronic file for time wasted than by wasting another hour of your time on it? Exactly. And I guess I'm kind of a dick on this one and went way too far, but here's your visual horror rebuilt:



Alberto copped quite the Coppertone glow on that nose-chin of his.

Promise: more clever next time.

On the Fucking Moon

"Digitally Enhanced" video of the moon landing. "Jesus H. Christ in a chicken basket," I laughed until it hurt. Then watched it again and laughed just as hard.