Your Friend Without Tact

Standing in the way of progress today is....

2010-08-09T12:36:00.000-04:00

...the American political process.

After one-on-one with Obama, McConnell vows to slow White House agenda

So it seems that the only way we can get things done is to be completely obstructionist. I've always been a staunch liberal, and I'm sure that has come across and oozed from every political post that I've ever put up here, but when it comes to Congress simply stonewalling, and halting progress, it doesn't matter who is in charge in the houses of Congress or who is presiding in the White House, partisan politics only hurt the American people. If you switch the name Obama with Bush, and switch McConnell with either Reid or Pelosi, it would have been the same story for the previous administration.

The ultimate goal of congress seems to be to bring the wheels of progress to a grinding halt. They are not properly representing their constituency and they are not earning their paychecks by simply being obstructionist. The only thing that both parties seem to agree on is that we need to spend more money to fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. So far the two campaigns have cost 1.06 TRILLION dollars, which nets out to about 7500 bucks per taxpayer(link), and while the Iraqi campaign seems to be winding down, it doesn't seem like we're ever going to stabilize Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, we have never fully emerged from this recession, and the jobless claims have been less than encouraging. During the Bush administration, I remember reading calls from Republican members of congress and pundits to support the president or be branded a traitor. Now that Obama is facing this same struggle, some of these same voices are urging anyone with a conservative voice to stonewall the president, giving no more chance for the "liberal agenda" to be brought to fruition. With the emergence of the Teabaggers as a veritable voicebox, and a force for fringe militant conservatives, there have even been calls for the assassination of key democratic figures, for doing little more than arguing their opinions on Capitol Hill.

How about we reassess our priorities a bit and see things less as conservative versus liberal and instead look at the problems that the face the American people right now, and moving on in this relatively new century.

Why my daughter and wife are so awesome

2010-05-25T12:23:00.001-04:00

I rarely talk directly about my family for a couple reasons:

1.) My wife, Amy, hates when i do.

and

2.) As the frequent comments I get in Japanese(which I delete because they always include spam links) prove, anyone can read this blog, and my private life is private...unless you're friends with me on Facebook.

Today, however, I'm going to break that rule a bit, with my wife's blessing. My wife gets precious little time these days to simply sit at the computer and just bullshit around on the internet. When she does, it tends to be catching up on the past several weeks of Facebook friends' updates and links, and visiting a few choice sites that she loves. Among these sites are Postsecret, Cake Wrecks, and IHeartFaces. All of these sites are really cool, and I highly suggest checking them out.

Anyhow, Amy decided while browsing IHeartFaces the other day, she decided to enter the weekly photo contest. Last week's subject was "Faces & Flowers," and Amy thought that we had the perfect picture:

So she submitted it for the weekly contest, because...well, why not? It's an adorable picture of our daughter, which we thought perfectly fit the category. And guess what? Among all of the entries by professional photographers, and retouched beautiful works, they picked Amy's shot as the winner for the week, which I thought was awesome. And she was first place out of 646 entries!! Amy told me to put it up on my blog because...because she doesn't have a blog.

In addition to giving Amy kudos, I also wanted to plug this website too, because they always have such amazing photographers, doing unbelievable things with the medium, so here's their button that you can click!

Ok...back to work, and we'll be back to my regular tactless snark as of my next entry...

Comic Sans: Why, Vincent Connare? Why?

2010-05-21T16:02:00.000-04:00

It recently occurred to me that Comic Sans is possibility one of the worst inventions of the late 20th century. I've never been a fan, and usually skip it when considering a font for anything I've needed processed in print. In fact, many times, I've been tempted to remove the font from my computer altogether, but I always relent, seemingly thinking that at some point I might need this goofy font for some reason. I'm finally ready to admit that I've been delusional on that front.

As the title of this blog suggests, this insult to adult humanity was created in 1994 by some douche named Vincent Connare. Before you track down his address and throw stones through his windows, it has to be noted that Connare isn't a TOTAL hack; he is also responsible for the quite respectable Trebuchet font. As awful as Comic Sans is, I can't entirely fault its creator. People create and attempt to market crazy shit every day, but it's up to discerning companies not to put into circulation a font that is so clearly clownshoes¹, so damn you Microsoft for putting something so clearly ridiculous into circulation!

So...why am I picking on this harmless font when there are jackasses like Rand Paul and Newt Gingrich out there making grand ridiculous accusations and poisoning the minds of impressionable people of our country? I guess it's easier. And I had a girlfriend in college who changed all of the fonts on her computer to this disgusting display of text, and she was a nutjob...that should have been my first clue! Just look at it!

The blog almost writes itself, and it's the end of a REALLY long couple of weeks, so I decided to lob a softball rather than trying to throw some real heat. Honestly, though, there are groups out there who are dedicated to the pursuit of banning this pariah of the font world.

http://bancomicsans.com/main/
You can read more here!

^{1 See, Sara! You CAN use it in a sentence...Clownshoes: a definition}

New Title...same blunt delivery!

2010-04-26T11:46:00.000-04:00

Dear inconsistent reader,

You may (or probably not) have noticed that I have changed the title of this blog. While I’m proud of what I accomplished with the Monkeyhouse, it has come to my attention that I have a rare quality of being able to bypass the “I shouldn’t say that…” filter within my brain. I have been told that it is one of best and worst traits that I have, but I’ve chosen to embrace it, while understanding that my mouth has a habit of writing checks that my ass can’t cash. It is a careful balance in the pursuit to avoid ass-kickings.

I suppose that it is also a new service that I can offer. Could I make a business out of this? Hmm...[insert dream sequence here]

Have some news you’d rather not give yourself? Need to tell a coworker that they smell? Need someone so state the unspoken obvious? Then go to Friend Without Tact. He’ll walk into a situation and say what everyone else is keeping to themselves! Why? Because he can’t help himself!

[shaking myself out of it]

Seriously, though, I think it speaks in a lot of ways to who I am, and what I’m constantly struggling with, hence the name change. Thanks to Amy, Kyle and Sara for pointing it out and making the less-blunt suggestion! :)

Celebrities and privacy

2010-03-19T10:06:00.001-04:00

I was reading my newsfeeds this morning, and came across a headline that bugged me. Now, these days A LOT of headlines bother me, but this one seemed to just smack of hypocrisy:

Private drama plagues Oscar winner Sandra Bullock (AP)

Now this headline just got me angry, because once the media got involved in this story, about rumors of Bullock's husband, Jesse James potential infidelities, it was no longer a private drama. Instead it's splashed on the pages of every rag and tabloid from here to Taiwan(to be fair, the Taiwanese are more fans of Renee Zellweger...not sure why...). I know that celebrities are out there for the world to see, and that they make their money by being seen and recognized, and admired for their talent and their glamour, but at some point, we just have to say enough is enough.

I am immeasurably tired of the Tiger Woods story. Yeah, I get it, he was unfaithful...A LOT, but how does that affect my life? Unless you know anyone directly involved(i.e. Woods, his wife, and the 15 ~~whores~~ Edit: women of questionable integrity that he was banging), you don't have any stake in this story. If Tiger Woods was just some guy who played at the local country club, or, hell, the local garbage man for that matter, no one other than family and friends would give a crap what he did in/out of his marriage. The only reason this became a big deal was the media attention that this story garnered. I'm perfectly willing to admit that I sometimes get sucked up into the tabloid journalism...You know, EVERY story about Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and those wastes of oxygen from Jersey Shore, but from the very beginning, the Tiger story didn't really matter to me. I see all these sponsors dropping him, and fans crucifying him for his extramarital activities. While I don't condone his cheating, his actions don't affect my impression of him as a golfer...he's still going to go out at the Masters and show why he's one of the best Golfers to ever pick up a driver.

Ultimately, he's a celebrity, and I expect celebrities to do stupid, selfish, destructive things to themselves and the people around them. I've seen way too many entitled celebs get themselves into so many different, ridiculous situations, that when I hear that Tiger had 15+ mistresses, I can hardly raise an eyebrow in surprise.

In closing, Hey Media...leave these poor people struggling with life to their own private lives. It is hard enough to navigate the world without a dozen cameras in your face when you go to Nobu for dinner! Let's try to get back some of that common decency that we've lost, and leave these people to pick up the pieces of their lives!

When an Independent is truly an Independent

2010-02-24T12:13:00.000-05:00

HOLY SHITBALLS!

Now that the smoke has cleared on the furor over Scott Brown's defeat of Martha Coakley, and Brown has reported to work, it appears that the collective groan from Democrats worldwide may have been a bit premature.

Brown crossed the aisle to vote with the Democrats on the jobs bill and fend off the Republicans that were falling over themselves to filibuster the bill into submission. Said Brown,

"I came to Washington to be an independent voice, to put politics aside, and to do everything in my power to help create jobs for Massachusetts families. I wish the tax cuts were deeper and broader, but I will vote for it because it contains measures that will help put people back to work,”

While I disagree with many of his other political positions, I have to say that his first major splash in Congress showed that he has the courage of his convictions, which I can definitely respect.

He finished by bringing some reason to the table: “Brown offered a final denunciation of the GOP before the vote: ‘My friends on the other side of the aisle are looking for ways not to vote for this," he said, accusing them of putting "partisanship ahead of people.’"

Wow...didn't think I'd be saying this, especially so soon, but way to go Scott Brown!

Forget mellow, I'm officially apathetic!

2010-01-21T14:11:00.000-05:00

Two days ago, the future of the Obama Healthcare initiative took a huge hit when, in an upset, Scott Brown defeated Martha Coakley and gave Ted Kennedy's senate seat back to the Republicans. Listening to the pundits talk you'd think that this one election made Obama a lame duck a year into his 4-year term, and you know what? I DON'T CARE! I want to. I want to be that guy who was passionate about the Dem's cause going into the last election...the guy who railed against McCain and Palin and the rampant conservative short bus that is Fox News. I just can't do it anymore, because they may be right.

It's been a year with control of the White House, and both houses of Congress, and they've gotten NOTHING accomplished. I've lost faith, I've lost patience, and I'm losing interest. These people are being paid to REPRESENT us. As far as I can tell they're all representing covering their asses, and little else. The Dems are arguing among themselves as to the language of the healthcare plan, while Obama just continually begs them to send him a bill he can sign, and the Republicans(a group which now officially includes Joe Lieberman), are doing nothing but trying to gum up the works in order that the bill that gets produced has absolutely no teeth to it!

We're not doing much to recover from the laughing stock that we became during the last presidency. We have no credibility among the other countries of the world, our debt to China is growing, nearly 20 percent of our workforce is unemployed or underemployed, the economy has not been stimulated, and no one seems to care to monitor those jackass banks and financial institutions that our tax money bailed out.

And all I care about is that I'm tired...or rather exhausted. I can blame my infant daughter only so much, because it's not just lack of sleep. I'm tired of my lackluster job, tired of my complete and total lack of ambition, tired of being so cranky when I get home that I snap at people(sorry Amy), and tired of not feeling that passion anymore for the things in the world that really bug me.

I need a shockabuku...anyone want to help?

Have I mellowed?

2010-01-01T21:21:00.000-05:00

It was only a short time ago that political news of any kind would get me in an uproar. The likes of Bill O'Reilly, Glen Beck, or, heaven forbid, Ann Coulter opening their traps was enough to send me off the edge and I wouldn't come back until I'd gotten all of the vitriol out of my system. Sometimes I would fume for days over some new policy or decision that the Bush administration made, and I would let the few paltry readers I had suffer more anger and outrage at this issue or that.

Then it happened...the seemingly interminable and outrageous presidency of Dubya was over and in a stunning election, Obama overcame the challenge from McCain and Caribou Barbie to become the 44th President and the first of African American descent. It was a huge triumph for those who believed that Obama would be that change that we wanted to see in the world.

I have to say that I felt awash in political pride. My candidate had beaten the odds and won. There was a mandate for change, for the razing of the policies of the past eight years, for the end of politics as usual in Washington. It's been nearly a year since Obama was inaugurated, and so far, I'm less than blown over by his first 11 or so months.

Universal Healthcare was finally just passed in the Senate, but former Democrat Joe Lieberman stomped around getting his way first with the elimination of the public option, and now seemingly getting the Medicare buy-in removed from the plan, two moves which, in essence, take all of the teeth out of the bite that the bill could take out of our healthcare woes in this country. Also, the plan was to have no increase on middle class taxes. It was one of the cornerstones of Obama's whole campaign. I haven't seen how they plan to pay for this whopper of a healthcare bill, but frankly, I'm getting worried.

Instead of getting troops out of the Middle East, Obama just announced another surge of troops to Afghanistan in order to combat the growing insurgency. While there are myriad differences between Iraq and Afghanistan's turmoil, it seems as if this is strikingly similar to the morass we faced which necessitated the surge in Iraq. I firmly believe, in this case, that the troops are necessary in Afghanistan, because, let's be honest...that's where they were needed in the first place.

Our economy is still pretty much in the shitter. We're seeing signs of recovery, but it's still touch and go. Of course, I don't even close to blame Obama for the state of the economy. He was saddled with not only a fiscal disaster of a deficit, but also the aftermath of bail-out-apalooza.

I find myself hardpressed to decide where to rate Obama's first year. As with every presidential candidate, Obama promised a lot of things to a lot of people. While it's virtually impossible for him to get every one of those things accomplished, let alone in his first year, it seems that even the most rudimentary have fallen by the wayside. I don't completely blame Obama, because it seems that the very tenets of our government, as well as the people we elect to "represent" us in Congress have done a wonderful job of tripping over themselves and allowing us to fall back into political infighting and turmoil, even within the Democratic party.

I'm starting to wonder if this whole democracy thing is going to turn out to be a failed 234 year old experiment.

Seattle Confidential

2009-11-30T10:34:00.000-05:00

When I read this story this weekend, it started to nag at me. Why did this sound so familiar? But then it hit me. This is the beginning to the plot of L.A. Confidential. Based on the book by James Ellroy, the movie told the story of the fallout after several LA police officers were gunned down execution-style in a local coffee shop. Of course, in the movie, set in the 1950's, a group of young black men were framed for the murders, and then killed themselves by dirty cops to try to cover up a larger conspiracy, involving police corruption, drug dealing, and intimidation.

I know that this is not the case here, but it stood out so much in my mind when I read the story, that i felt the need to comment. I feel for the families of the officers killed, and want to send condolences their way. It is apparently also unclear whether the suspect, Maurice Clemmons, is still alive. He was apparently wounded in the attack, and has been holed up in a standoff with police at a house 30 miles from where he apparently opened fire and killed 4 police officers. However this shakes out, whether Clemmons is still alive or not, the whole thing is just so senseless. Life is short enough without crazed gunmen trying to make it any more truncated...

V For Very Republican

2009-11-23T14:51:00.000-05:00

ABC has recently introduced America to V, a reimagining of an 80's British miniseries, in which an alien race called "The Visitors" descend on Earth and attempt to establish relations with Earth in order to make a mutually beneficial relationship. The Visitors have much to offer in the way of technological and medical advances that we have not yet come up with. But they want something in return, and they're dodgy and coy when it comes to finding out what it is.

**Potential Spoilers ahead**

As of now, I've only seen the pilot episode, but I like the cast, which includes Elizabeth Mitchell(Juliet from Lost), Morena Baccarin(Inara from Firefly), and Scott Wolf(from Party of Five fame). In the pilot, they arrive and begin the establishment of diplomatic relations, while we also see an underground group that is trying hard as they can to fight against the Visitors' occupation of Earth airspace. They maintain that there have been Visitors in sleeper cells on Earth for years, gathering information, and getting themselves entrenched in human life. The Visitors obviously have some more dastardly agenda than they would let on. We also see an attack on the underground resistance, in which we find out that the Visitors, while seemingly humanoid, actually are reptilian creatures under their human facade. I'm looking forward to where this goes, and am intrigued in tracking down the original British miniseries to see how it compares.

I've been mulling over the idea of aliens covertly living among us since the days of Men In Black, but V simply reinforces the idea of aliens hiding in plain sight...does this offer some insight into Fox News? The likes of Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter, Glen Beck, Sean Hannity? Even the corpulent fatty, Rush Limbaugh? It would be brilliant...they take the focus off themselves by railing against illegal immigration...it's GENIUS!

Now...which one to hack up with a machete to prove it...hmmm...eenie meenie mineee......

state of the Scott address

2009-11-18T15:50:00.000-05:00

Lately, I've been getting nostalgic...A LOT. It seems that everywhere I turn, something takes me back, whether it be to my childhood, or high school, or, most recently to a few years ago when I was in a band that I thought would still be taking the CT music scene by storm.

I was just realizing that I'm in a completely different place in my life, and probably couldn't swing the band thing now, what with Maya taking up so much of our time, and our sleep schedules dwindling more by the day. Am I sad? A bit, but I'm pretty happy with where I am at this moment. I have a wonderful family, a new home, a group of friends that is unrivaled, and a job that...well, let's just say it pays the bills. I think what I miss most about the band was just having that creative outlet to explore, and the camaraderie of the band(Please do not say that this blog can be my creative outlet...it's not creative...it's just rant-y), but at this point, most of the time, I'm too tired to be creative. I'm lucky if I get time to read.

Every year, I tell myself I'm gonna get down to brass tacks, sit down and spend NANOWRIMO crafting the great American novel, but it never happens. I've had ideas in the past, but nothing ever fully pans out to the point that I could imagine myself being able to actually conclude a story. I know that the point is to write, but I don't want to get knee-deep into a world with characters and a storyline and then bail out because it won't work. It seems too daunting. I know I should try because I may surprise myself, but I find myself not only a perfectionist, but also a procrastinator, and those two don't mix.

For lack of a cohesive ending here, I'm just going to make up a word:

Kabloomingdales - a fight that breaks out at a sweater sale in the mall

Veteran's Day

2009-11-12T10:40:00.001-05:00

I know that it was yesterday, but I came across something yesterday that I simply needed to talk about, but didn't have time to blog about yesterday. Veteran's day, besides being my niece and friend Dan's birthdays, is a holiday to celebrate the men and women who have fought and, in some cases, given their very lives to keep America safe and free. In celebration of that, a lot of people get the day off, banks and schools are closed, no mail is delivered, and, as of recent years, some popular restaurants reward the sacrifice of veterans by offering them free entrees for the day.

A friend of mine who served in the first Gulf war ate completely for free yesterday. Do I begrudge him this small thing? Absolutely not. He sacrificed his time and put himself in harm's way, so what is a free meal? Applebees and Moe's both provided a free meal, and I'm fully on board, but then I read that Outback was also participating, but veterans could only get a free Bloomin' Onion for their service. Seriously? These people survived time in some pretty hazardous warzones, came back safe and sound to their families and you're going to give them a heart attack-covered onion? Awesome.

The migratory patterns of politically-themed blogs

2009-10-29T12:45:00.001-04:00

Alright, so I figured out how to back-date my archives from my other blogs, and I've started to streamline and transfer. I've moved the entire Myspace blog archive over, and I will warn you, I perused some of them as I was copying them, and a lot of them are very angry(i.e. everything from the Bush Administration). So if you're interested, go ahead and read them...or not.

I will be relocating the info from my Ebloggy blog some time soon, but for now, I can at least cancel my dusty, cobweb-infested Myspace account...

Things You(or I) Might Have Missed

2009-10-22T15:17:00.002-04:00

Ok, so as I previously stated, I took a longer blogging sabbatical than I would have originally thought, and in that time, things have occured. LOTS of things! So in the absence of some real empassioned diatribe, I'm going to list them and perhaps comment on them...

Barack Obama became President of the United States.¹
My wife got pregnant and gave birth to my beautiful daughter, Maya. She's truly spectacular.
The surviving members of Led Zeppelin got on stage together for the first time in years,² and briefly toyed around with a tour before going their separate ways again.
Pushing Daisies got canceled by ABC.³
90210 and Melrose Place were somehow resurrected from the depths of Hell where they belong, and still have life on the CW.
I STILL haven't figured out a way to back-date entries and transfer my old blogs on myspace and ebloggy over to here, for all my archives to be in the same place.
A number of my friends have taken up the blogging mantle in my absence and are doing a far superior job than I ever did of keeping up with them and adding relevant and interesting content.⁴
Barack Obama was just awarded the Nobel Peace Prize based on his first 11 days in office...Conservative pundits have been busting blood vessels in their faces ever since.
We fired a rocket into the moon...wait...WHAT!!??
We still don't have universal healthcare, but there is a new term that was coined out of it: DEATH PANELS!!! So scary and so utterly republican an idea.
We have apparently suffered through and emerged from a recession.
Amy and I sold our house, spent 5 months living with her parents because we couldn't find a house, and then bought a new place that's AWESOME.
is still an unlucky number⁵
Lost got better and had an amazing 5th season, while Heroes just got worse, and now can't even get me to watch by having Claire have a lesbian encounter with her college roommate⁶

Ok, so for the first real entry back after my hiatus, I have a few people to thank.
First, Gabe is responsible for me remembering that I have a blog after asking us all if we have blogs to share.

Secondly, I have to thank Nate for not only reminding me that blogs can be fun, and interesting, but also for not being mad at me(I hope) for using his footnote technique. I promise I won't use it much after this entry. I just needed to make this list more terse, with the additional info for anyone who wanted it.

Third, I'd like to thank my wife, Amy, for putting up with me being ridiculous, stir crazy, and frustrating ALL the time!

And finally, I would like to thank the wonderful people over at Cumberland farms for keeping me stocked with Red Bull and your Cumby's Hole In One snack Mix. I couldn't have made it through the last several months without you.

And now I will leave you with the footnotes before this turns into an Oscar acceptance speech...

FOOTNOTES

1. And he won it fair and square without any hanging chads, recounts, or the Supreme Court....oh yeah, and he won by A LOT!
2. First reaction: *Drool* followed by DAMMIT!
3. We're dreadfully sorry, Dark Overlord, but it was TOTALLY Dan's fault!
4. See my blog links section...If I've missed anyone, please let me know, so I can include you.
5. Of course, Olivia Wilde's character on House is called 13 as well, so there's that...
6. For Shame NBC...for shame.

Wait...I have a blog?

2009-10-22T12:30:00.000-04:00

Apparently, in the shuffle of life, I have completely neglected to post here in over a year, but, to be completely fair, no one reads this anyway, so we have a real "If a blog that no one reads goes un-updated for over a year, does anyone care?" situation. In order to remedy this situation, I'm going to endeavor to pass the blog link out to people so I can actually make it an active thing...we'll see how that goes, going forward.

2008-04-10T12:29:00.000-04:00

Lowering the bar a bit further - an impossibility?

I think we've finally done it, America. We as a country have jumped the shark. We've achieved maximum relevance in the frame of history, and, like an old canceled sitcom, we have to make way for the next evolution of country-ness.

We have a leader who has proven time and time again that the rules not only don't apply to him, but that with a simple wave of his hand, he can make us forget that the rules ever existed. War crimes have been committed, due process has been subjugated, and around every turn, the bad guy is not only getting away, but he's thumbing his nose at the very foundations that this country is based on.

In the primary race for the Democratic HOPE, the candidates are now competing for the votes of Pennsylvania. And now this is going to be turned into a negative for Obama. He returned the donation from a registered lobbyist. GASP

2007-07-17T10:40:00.000-04:00

The Bush administration: Lowering Expectations for the next generations

Our kids are getting dumber, fatter, and more complacent. Now, without judging, simply sit back and look at that objectively and try to figure out why. Could it be because the American lifestyle is just too complex and busy to actually make sure that we are educating our children or feeding them properly, or teaching them how to go out into the world and be useful to society? Perhaps.

That is part of it, and no small part at that, but kids today have another target for their blame.In nearly everything they touch, the Bush administration is lowering the bar for the present and future of this country. Accountability and truth are being assaulted and drawn to the brink of extinction. What does it say that a crony of our president can get his sentence commuted simply because the president deems his sentence excessive? It tells me that well-connected people don't ever see consequences as long as they follow the leader. Already, this commutation is sending shockwaves through the law enforcement community, with prisoners throughout the country asking their lawyers to assert the Libby "excessive sentence" ploy.

Whatever happened to "honesty is the best policy?" What about, "the truth will set you free?" Our youth are being taught that you can lie your way to the top, and, once you get there, you and your friends will be bullet-proof. They're also being taught that the Constitution, that revered document our framers worked so hard on, is just a piece of paper. The rule of law is being perverted to help the few, while subjugating the many, and this is what our children are viewing every day on the evening news. Oh wait, their parents don't make them watch the evening news...what am I thinking?

Every day, we see our president appeal to the lowest of the low, as our country sinks further and further into the quicksand that we tripped into after the 2000 election. No Child Left Behind may be dragging the less studious kids along for the ride, but it's leaving behind quality educators. My generation and the generation of my parents, are leaving the teaching field as quickly as they enter it. It's no longer possible to teach class like that favorite teacher you had growing up. Now our kids are being taught based on curriculums set up by some guy in a room that wants test scores to go up. And if the scores don't go up...? Well, then the unthinkable and completely counter-intuitive occurs...funding is cut. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Shouldn't the struggling schools receive more funds to try bringing themselves back to the level they should be? Of course not...this brainchild of a plan comes from the same administration that last week looked at benchmarks for the Iraq war and concluded that 8 out of 18 was satisfactory enough for Bush to waive Congress' benchmark requirement on war funding. For those of you who may not be math whizzes, 8/18 us roughly 44.4 percent. I don't know what new math they're teaching in schools these days, but when I was in school, that was a failing grade...what's next? kids being told that they cannot go to recess unless they pass their spelling tests, then being allowed to petition that the 2 words out of twenty they got right are the hardest on the page, so by extension they should be allowed to play kickball with the other kids even though they got a 10 on the damned test!

We need to change this road we're on because if we don't, it won't be long before someone will trump Bush as the dumbest and worst president in history!

The Decision-maker speaks

2007-01-26T12:46:00.000-05:00

First, he was the "decider," and the world snickered. Now that he's facing the most criticism in his entire tenure as president, and someone took him aside and explained that using "decider" made him sound even dumber than usual, so now he is the "decision-maker" on Iraq. That's his response in answer to his critics' refusal to rubber stamp his troop surge.

I think Bush is riding a little high on his horse at this point. Yes, he is the president, but he has to be held accountable for his deciderism. He needs to know that being drunk with power will not be tolerated, and that he's heading for a fall.

Hell, it would be quite easy for me to go on public access and tell those few watching that I'm the decision-maker in Finland, but that doesn't make it true.

As I said yesterday, though, the more often he says things like this, the more people realize just how out of touch with reality the man really is. Still waiting on the announcement that we've conquered the moon and stamped out terrorism there for good.

Currently listening:
Cruel Intentions: Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
By Various Artists
Release date: 02 March, 1999

The Democrats and Obamamania

2007-01-25T10:45:00.000-05:00

In what seems to be a new trend of bucking the system, the Democrats have come out of their shells emboldened and ready to kick some ass. The memories of their impotent do-nothingness being erased, the Democrats are in the process of writing a new chapter in political history. With the majority they have secured, Democrats are stonewalling and standing up for something, which, frankly, is refreshing.

The past six years, it has been sort of depressing to be a liberal democrat, seeing the entire world go to shit at the hands of a crazy man and his anal dwelling congress/administration. At this point it seems that as long as Bush and his supporters keep talking, his opposition will continue to grow. I really had never thought I would see rational thinking in Washington again.

With this new bold approach to politics have come the men and women who deem themselves worthy to be candidates for a seat in the Oval Office(a seat that will undoubtedly need to be steam cleaned, if not replaced entirely...Don't even think about mentioning Clinton's chair...eventually that will be a fixture in the Smithsonian.)

Among these candidates is Illinois congressman Barack Obama. Obama has been a target of ridicule by the conservatives in the media for his name, among other things. I guess having the name Barack Hussein Obama can do that. Fortunately, he is a serious candidate; he's got the chops to see this through, and possibly win the nomination. As the keynote speaker at the last DNC, he put his name on the map in distinguished fashion. Now he is defending erroneous attacks that he spent part of his childhood in an Islamic madrassa, a claim that is baseless, and has been proven completely false. Instead of the rote answer that we have come to expect, Obama is attacking back, accusing the right of trying to slam him with baseless accusations.

Does he have the chops to see this through? Only time will tell, but he's already gone over the drug hump. There will be no impotent "I didn't inhale" in this presidential race. Obama has admitted in his book that he did indeed do drugs at a younger age. He has been open about his life, his past, and the mistakes he's made. Let's hear it for a little honesty in politics, and vigorously fight those who would combat that honesty with lies and baseless accusations!

Obama stood on the floor of the capitol yesterday and showed why people are so excited about him running for president.

Click Here to read Obama's Speech in its entirety.

Currently listening:
Skin and Bones
By Foo Fighters
Release date: 07 November, 2006

The Province of the Confederacy address

2007-01-23T12:25:00.000-05:00

Tonight, President Bush will stand in front of Congress and try not to shit himself as he delivers what is being reported as a "domestic" agenda. Seeing how well his troop surge idea went over, mentioning foreign policy could be a bad move. I'm picturing bad, like Michael Richards at the Laugh Factory bad.

With Republicans jumping ship on his Iraq agenda, and his approval ratings beating their all-time lows with every new poll, Bush has to be careful on more than one front. If he continues on his current path, he will risk increasing the republican voices crossing the aisle and speaking against him, but if he backs down, he will lose his base group of supporters, which I call "crazy fuckers".

Let me be clear, however...I'm not planning on watching this year's State of the Union. I don't care what he has to say. I have no doubt it will be barely literate, and all kinds of insane. Now, you can say what you want about my refusal to watch...you can even call me a snob, but I tried last year, and was able to sit through his misplaced emphasis on words, and repitition of Nuke-You-Lur for about five minutes before my head was ready to explode. I would rather listen to audio files of Paris Hilton talk about how iodized salt is "hot" than actually sit through another state of the union.

Currently listening:
Ben Folds Live
By Ben Folds
Release date: 08 October, 2002

Hugo Chavez tells American leaders to go to hell

2007-01-22T11:37:00.000-05:00

Responding on behalf of their government, the american people say, "Have you not been paying attention? We've got Dubya as a president...we're already in hell!"

Currently reading:
Bloodsucking Fiends
By Christopher Moore
Release date: 25 May, 2004

Speechiferousnessosity, and other words only Bush could make up, but not pronounce

2007-01-12T15:13:00.000-05:00

I have been remiss in my blogging in the wake of the latest Bush speechiferousness. So he admitted that there have been failures in Iraq. One little line in a speech does not make him all clear with me, however, especially in light of the fact that the remaining lines of the speech were pitching another idea that will make hundreds more mistakes.

He seems content to listen only to the voices in his inner circle and in his own head, and ignore the growing mass of his constituents who disagree wholeheartedly on his disastrous policy of sending our young men and women to die with reckless abandon to fulfill some sick little fantasy that he's actually doing some good.

Meanwhile, the only people making out in this situation are companies such as Halliburton, who are given lucrative government contracts to rebuild the cities that we have contributed to the destruction of.

Of course respected politician, turned anal-dwelling suck-up John McCain is trumpeting Bush's cause, seeing as he wrote it. And what of my favorite Democratic deserter, Joe Lieberman? He got himself reelected in the fall, mostly on his assertion that if people trusted him as an independent, he would continue his investigation of the covert and illegal goings-on regarding the proverbial ball-dropping that was Hurricane Katrina. Now that he's actually back in Washington, thanks in large part to the Republicans' brilliant plan of not even attempting to field a Republican opposition, which pretty much made it a fight between Joe and Ned Lamont. He's back and, as thanks to those cunning snakes that helped him get reelected, he's dropping the investigation into the dirty dealings that left so many people stranded in New Orleans. He can do that, see, because he's the fucking chair of the committee. That's the ultimate kick in the balls, if you ask me.

I just have to give a big FUCK YOU to all of you out there who thought giving him another chance was a good idea. I just knew he would screw us again, and I actually loathe to gloat about it because I had that same vain hope when he was elected. From Democratic VP nominee to Republican assclown in less than 8 years…it's just staggering!

Currently listening:
One Fell Swoop
By Spill Canvas
Release date: 09 August, 2005

Saddam Pleads For Peace, and an interview With Gerald Ford From beyond the grave

2006-12-28T12:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday on the Baath Party website, a letter was posted, written by Saddam Hussein on the day he was sentenced to death. The letter, while still quite arrogant in nature, pleads with the Iraqi people not to hate, but to peacefully coexist, adding a plea not to hate the invading coalition forces. While this seems strange coming from a man who has just been sentenced to death for his genocide of Kurdish Iraqi citizens, I still sincerely hope that his former people still listen and bring an end to the sectarian violence that is taking more lives each day in the war torn country.

Hussein goes on to say goodbye to the Iraqi people, praises God, and says, "Long live Iraq, long live Iraq ... Long live Palestine ... Long live jihad and the mujahideen". He concludes with the reason for the letter – the court refused to let Hussein give a final statement, and Saddam wanted to be heard.

I don't quite know how to react to this, to be perfectly honest. In the early 90s, during Operation Desert Storm, I was in grade school and it was pretty cut and dried – Saddam was the enemy. Three years ago when he was dragged out of a shoebox sized foxhole in his hometown, I have to admit, as much as I was glad he had been caught, I felt a little sorry for him. He looked all unkempt and disheveled such a far cry from the powerful despot in military regalia. Now his execution is less than 30 days away, and I have to hope that his plea for peace among the different factions of Iraq is genuine. Now all we need to do is make sure that every Iraqi sees it. We all know how well leaflets work, so let's shoot rockets into the leaflet factory…that might work.

As a side note, I find it really interesting that an interview with former president Gerald Ford is just coming to light in the days following his death. In the interview, from 2004, Ford is candid about his disdain for the methods and motivations behind the invasion of Iraq. He posited that diplomacy and sanctions were still viable options, and that the whole platform of WMDs was as much bullshit as we all knew at the time. Ford, even in death, and even though never duly elected president, shows more grace in one moment than Bush will ever be able to accomplish. Though he gets a bad rap for the pardoning of Nixon, I believe he will still be remembered more fondly than George W. Bush. RIP Jerry.

Currently listening:
Final Straw
By Snow Patrol
Release date: 30 March, 2004

If I could prove with very shoddy evidence that Ann Coulter has the plague...

2006-12-12T12:50:00.000-05:00

Could we execute her for treason?

No...just kidding...but if she has any unpaid parking tickets, let's execute the bitch, just so she'll shut the hell up. I'm currently reading the book I've listed below, Brainless, and I have to say...as much as I hated her before, now, I just think she needs to be locked in a rubber room.

The book is an examination of Coulter and her many many contradictions. A rabid anti-feminist, Coulter says she believes that women should be stripped of the right to vote...unless of course you would try to take away Ann's own right, which she has schemed and falsified records in order to do. There are serious questions as to her age because there is a chance she falsified her birthdate on her first voter registration in order to vote at the age of 16, a felony, by the way. Also, in the 2005 election, she registered her real-estate agent's address as her own and knowingly voted in the wrong precinct(another felony).

More later on the lunatic, but I have to read more of the book first

Currently reading:
Brainless: The Lies and Lunacy of Ann Coulter
By Joe Maguire
Release date: 10 October, 2006

Political Drivel

2006-12-05T14:05:00.000-05:00

You know, sometimes I don't pay attention as well as I should. Yesterday I saw a headline about Bolton submitting his resignation to president Bush, and my mind first went to Michael Bolton. Now, as great as it would be for us never having to hear that pussy sing ever again, it's even greater that the report was referring to John Bolton, the beleaguered UN rep, who decided to resign rather than get completely spanked in confirmation hearings that would have certainly turned out with him being denied a reappointment to the post.

And then today, I saw a headline about Gates going before the Senate, and my first thought was of Bill Gates. Robert Gates makes more sense, since he's Bush's nominee to replace the outslithering Rumsfeld. Why did my brain go to Bill Gates? Who knows.

Well, Gates is starting off his confirmation hearings by pandering to the Democrats in what seems like a desperate attempt to get himself confirmed as defense secretary. He started out his day as the first Republican in Bush's administration to actually admit that we're not winning the war in Iraq. Now, although this is a step in the right direction in terms of message, if you sort through the bullshit, it can be only seen as pandering to the congressional majority for approval.

So, Iowa governor Tom Vilsack has thrown his hat in the ring for the 2008 Democratic nomination, and is coming on strong, attacking McCain, and saying a bunch of stuff that's obvious to a kid in freshman Poli-Sci class. His latest is that he wants to shrink the number of troops stationed in Iraq to a tiny little security detail. Wow...a democrat opposing the staunch authority of the evil republicans by cutting and running just like they said the democrats would. Now, I don't oppose scaling back troops, as you all well know, but if we pull out all at once, Iraq will collapse even more completely into the civil war the republicans are denying the very existence of. We need to do this in stages, so the Iraqis can be positioned to keep the infrastructure of the government intact.

Currently listening:
Destination: Beautiful
By Mae
Release date: 25 February, 2003

A return from the point of no return...weird

2006-11-27T14:41:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry. I've been absent for way too long, but that whole life and work thing obstructed my path back to the blogging kingdom. I have been noticing that people stop by to check out and see if there is anything new, and that has both heartened and shamed me at the same time.

There has been a copious amount to blog about, but my job got about 10 times harder with the retirement of one of my bosses. The result has been no time for leisure activities such as this blog. I'm going to try to work the time in, though.

First of all, I spent the first few days following Election Day in a joy coma. First, the dems took over both houses, and then Rumsfeld resigned. My mother always told me it would make me go blind, so I always wore goggles, but this joy far exceeds anything that some stolen porn could ever provide.

Now, they can blame the diebold machines if they wish, but the spanking the Repugs received was simply too resounding to even think about writing it off as a fluke. America went to the polls and sent a message that the status quo was no longer acceptable. Pieces of garbage like Rick Santorum were told to get the hell out of dodge. My only upset was the reelection of Joe Lieberman in my home state of CT. Running as an independent, he still managed to defeat the democratic nominee, Ned Lamont. Oh well, as long as he doesn't spend the next two years with his head up the ass of the Republican caucus, I'll be able to deal.

Defying any explanation, Iraq has slipped further down the slope of violence, with this month yielding the most civilian casualties since we invaded in 2002, and the month isn't even over yet.

The tasering of the UCLA student who peaceably refused to leave the library is another current thorn in my side. First of all, since everyone now has a video camera of some kind, the altercation ended up on the internet on Youtube in a matter of hours. The officer responsible for the flagrant misuse of authority is no stranger to excessive force. He is also responsible for the shooting of a student on campus a year or two ago. If you haven't heard about this story, please check out an in-depth analysis of the situation at http://www.rudepundit.blogspot.com . Just page down to his entries from last week

Michael Richards used the N-bomb in a comedy club filled with black people. I saw the video and was shocked. Now, he has apologized almost immediately and sought the council of Jesse Jackson. This move shows me that he really wants to make it right. The few statements he's made have sounded sincere, but then again, I'm not an African American, so I don't think it's for me to judge whether he should be forgiven.

Tom and Katie got married, no one but Mary Hart and Billy Bush actually give a damn. Seriously, should we really care about this? That's rhetorical…if you answer, I'll bludgeon you with Suri Cruise!

Currently listening:
Shine On
By Jet
Release date: 03 October, 2006

The Monkeyhouse Editorial Minute

2006-11-02T11:58:00.001-05:00

I read this and it pretty much expressed exactly what I wanted to say, so I'm just reposting it. If you like it, check RudePundit out daily here. I'll be back later(hopefully) to add some of my own thoughts to this.

Why Vote Against Republicans? Because Fuck Them:
America, the good ol' USA, is a country that was brought into existence by groups of terrorists and insurgents aided by foreign powers. Its first rallying document was the Declaration of Independence, a list of reasons why King George III and the British sucked balls. However, no matter what that hand-scrawled Declaration told the colonists, a good many people living in Massachusetts or Maryland could've bottom-lined it for you: "Why revolt against the British? Because fuck them, that's why."

The history of great movements in this nation, of any nation, is a tale of people who are finally, at the end of the day, so fed up with the status quo that all of the rational reasoning mounts and piles up until it all, in essence, comes down to "Fuck them." ("Them" being, of course, whoever the powerful are in a historical moment.) The French Revolution, the American civil rights movement, the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, all uprisings of the average person, through the ballot box, the legislative process, or the gun, against those who are dicking them over. Sure, sometimes it doesn't turn out for the best and sometimes things get even worse (see the media-manipulated Republican "revolution" of 1994 with its dunderheaded motto of "Throw the bums out"), but such is the end result of constant, endless disempowerment of the masses, the unending thrum of voices calling wrong what the people know in their guts is right.

Now, even through the deadening fog of Fox "News" rhetoric, multiple jobs, dying pensions, depleting health care, the waterboard effect of credit card debt, force-feedings of fatty foods, soul-killing reality TV, the entire cultural apparatus telling us we must want more and more stuff and shit, the dead-ends of public debate, government-instilled paranoia, dementia masking itself as religious faith, the unsubtle shove towards xenophobic isolation, an antagonistic corporate media, the vicious street-beating death of American intellectual thought, and Bush-worship masked as patriotism, through it all, man, all of it, we have come to this magnificent moment, frightening and exhilarating in its implications, where we, as a majority, are looking at the ruin and waste that surrounds us, piles of shit that we are told are mountains of gold, and we can finally, in this savage season of 2006, at long last come to say, "You know what? Fuck them."

Fuck them for trying to make us believe that America's acts of mass destruction, its bumblings into conflagration and apocalypse, in Iraq are actually just speed bumps, commas, if you will, on the road to a peaceful world of democratic nations bowing down to blow the cock of American hegemony.

Fuck them for holding themselves up as arbiters of morality and when they were confronted with a simple moral equation, they cast their lot with savages and genocidal maniacs. No, not the embryonic stem cell research vote, you backwards ass anti-science fundamentalist fucks. On torture and judicial rights, where even those who proclaimed themselves defenders of the detained and imprisoned ended up dancing like slut marionettes on a puppet pole in the Oval Office when it came down to actually, say, defending the detained and imprisoned.

Fuck them for making Americans fucking hated around the world, as if we're all ex-Nazis or, maybe more accurately, members of Pinochet's Chilean army back in the day, squandering the real triumph of America as a beacon of rights and fairness. However unreal that image was, it's better than being "that big ass country that tortures innocent people."

Fuck them for leaving New Orleans and the Gulf Coast to die, as if somehow those parts of the country were gangrenous toes that could just be cut off.

Fuck them for telling us we're too stupid or traitorous to understand what it is they're doing in trying to re-make the earth in their image, for keeping secrets in the name of their own security while literally and figuratively selling out ours.

Fuck them for lying to us about so goddamn much, about science, about their own policies, about what they actually, really were recorded saying, about what's genuinely important, like the out of control debt and the melting planet, instead trying to get us to think that, if a couple of guys wanna get married or if some pop singer's tit jumps out of her blouse, Godjeebus will smash the earth with his mighty Bible-club of divine justice.

Fuck them for...well, you know what? Just fuck them.

Fuck them all, all the Republicans in Congress, all members the conservative spooge-bucket brigade, all their corporate masters yanking on their nipple clips and shoving cold cash up their asses for their obeisance, all the liars and sinners and avaricious rats of the evangelical right, and especially all the wads of fuck in the White House. They all had their chance and they fucked it up. So fuck them.

When you walk into the voting booth on Tuesday, no matter where, with that rage burning in you, stab that motherfuckin' punch card, beat the shit out of that Diebold touch screen, and yell, "Fuck them" as you vote them into oblivion.

And if on Wednesday morning it turns out they've dicked us over one more time by hacking the vote, by screwing with the polls, then maybe we've reached a point in this America where it's time to fight or flee.

Currently listening:
Pearl Jam
By Pearl Jam
Release date: 02 May, 2006

Rush Limbaugh looks like the dead bloated hooker floating face-down in my pool

2006-10-26T16:10:00.000-04:00

Let's start with the hooker...the bitch was gonna open her mouth and she got what was coming to her. Plus, hookers aren't really people unless they get romanced by Richard Gere. Wait...does that make the gerbil a person...?

Anyway...

The 5 of you who actually read my claptrap may have been noticed that I've been a tad lax in my blogging duties as of late, but I have an excuse…two of them really. First, my only colleague in my office that wasn't my boss retired at the end of September. Of course, my company, just fresh out of chapter 11, decided it would be best not to try and replace her, and rather added to my daily requirements an additional 40% of work. Can I handle it? Probably, but I have lost any breathing room and free time that I used to have. In addition, I've started taking Networking and computer classes every evening, so the last 3 days, I've left home at 7:30am and not gotten home until after 10pm. I'm pretty tired.

Now onto the meat of the blog…heh heh…meat. Rush Limbaugh isn't one of my heroes. Quite the opposite, really. I grew up listening to the so-called EIB(Excellence In Broadcasting) network, and thought the guy was a huge windbag with the most distorted opinions I'd ever heard. He's had his moments of glory smearing the liberal/democrat faction, and sometimes, as much as loathe as I am to admit it, he made some valid points.

Now he's officially gone too far. He messed with Alex P Keaton, Marty McFly, and Mike Flannery. For those of you who live in a pop culture-impervious bubble, these are all characters by Michael J Fox. Fox, as you may know retired from acting a couple years ago after almost a decade of trying to hide his fight with Parkinson's disease. He now spends all his time trying to find a cure for his debilitating disease. Whether raising money for his foundation, or lobbying congress to increase the scope of stem cell research, he works tirelessly to forward the cause of Parkinson's research.

Recently, Fox has been campaigning for Democratic candidates who support the stem cell amendments that Fox and Parkinson's sufferers all over have wished for. Limbaugh used this news as an opportunity to pretty much call Fox a faker. He cited Fox's acting ability and claimed in no uncertain terms that Fox was playing up the disease and purposely not taking his medication to get more sympathy. Now, this is infuriating on a couple levels. First, Fox has said on a number of occasions that he needs to regulate his medication differently if he is going to be speaking in public because, on the medication, he is completely unable to communicate properly. Now, while it is true that being off the medications brings the symptoms to more prominent light, there is the trade off that he is able to SPEAK coherently.

Also, so what if it does elicit some sympathy and compassion? Fox is using his celebrity to change minds and make people think about who they want to put in the positions that make decisions for all of us. Limbaugh thinks this is a ploy to curry favor with the democrats and undecided voters. Again, I say so what? Conservatives like Limbaugh are the same people that propped up Terri Schiavo and tried to use her for political gain. Don't get me wrong…I don't like the idea of comparing Schiavo and Fox, because I'm optimistic about Parkinson's being cured before it's too late. Compassion is, I believe, one of the main things missing from the Conservative platform.

Note: There were reports on Fox News that Limbaugh had issued an apology to Michael J. Fox, and as of right now, that is just not true. Limbaugh, as usual, is pretending that he is above following the same rules as everyone else in the civilized world.

Also, this is going to start my series of getting everyone I know to vote, preferably Democratic, but as long as you vote, you're taking part in this very important process!!! If this country is going to survive and thrive as the wonderful place it is, you have to make your voice heard. If you think that it doesn't matter, you couldn't be more wrong! Please get out and vote and maybe these asshats will get replaced with people who will make sure this administration gets held accountable for their actions.

Currently listening:
Start Static
By Sugarcult
Release date: 06 December, 2005

A blog two weeks in the making

2006-10-16T14:20:00.000-04:00

Not that I've been working on this blog for that long, but it seems that everytime I sit down to blog, I get distracted by something that is deemed more important at the time...stuff like work, and sleep. In retrospect, they seem trivial.

Dennis "Large Mouth Bass" Hastert is still a congressman. When it came out that he was made aware of Foley's indiscretions more than a year ago, I thought he would fold like a card table and resign. The fact that he hasn't shows just how drunk with power the republicans are. They have not been held accountable for their failures in such a long time that they have a sense of entitlement.

Another example

Recently indicted Rep. Bob Ney waited until after he had entered a guilty plea to corruption charges to resign his seat in congress. Ney had been indicted for participating in Jack Abramoff's dirty deeds.
Among all the horrible things going on in Iraq and our own Congress, the Karl Rove Propaganda Machine kicked into high production mode, sending UN ambassador and hothead John Bolton and Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice out to the Sunday morning shows to gloss over those topics and highlight the necessity for China to join the world in its sanctions on North Korea. Now, this is an important news story, and is important on the world stage, but in less than a month, this country will hold elections which could swing congress back toward the democrats, and stories dealing with the travesties in Iraq and the whole Mark Foley debacle, could further destabilize the thin ice on which the Republicans are currently teetering.

Currently listening:
Dream to Make Believe
By Armor for Sleep
Release date: 10 February, 2005

The Mark Foley Debacle...and ensuing fallout

2006-10-03T16:18:00.000-04:00

It's safe to say that speaking inappropriately online with minors is an actionable offense. I mean, by now, we've all seen at least one episode of perverted justice in 48 hours, with Chris Hanson. If not, check it out..it will blow your mind.
What Foley did was unconscionable and I'm glad to see that he resigned. What is more disturbing at this point, other than the fact that ABC news actually read some of these IM exchanges on the air, is that there are reports that the Republican leadership knew about these lascivious exchanges were going on, but did nothing about it. In particular, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert is coming under fire, as he was supposedly made aware of these cyberspace liaisons almost a year ago. Some are even going so far as to ask for his resignation for the coverup.
Over the weekend, Newt "Where have you been hiding that pasty white ass" Gingrich was interviewed and he said that Republican leadership probably kept it quiet so they wouldn't be accused of Gay bashing. Um...hold on a sec....I have to go...WHAT!!!??
Gay bashing? and Pedophilia....? I don't know guys. As Jon Stewart said last night on the Daily show...(paraphrased) Comparing homosexuals with pedophiles...that wouldn't be gay bashing right there, would it?
Of course, those on the right who have the GOP's back on any and everything, are blaming the Democrats...I've yet to see how it can possibly be the fault of the Democrats that a Republican Congressman flirted with underaged boys, and it as covered up by HIS OWN PARTY!!!

Oh, and I'm not going to even do more than mention that Foley was the chair of the committee on exploited children
Can someone just give me the dimensions of that handbasket we're in, and whether it's insulated...I need to know what I need to pack for our trip down into the pit of hell

...he said, throwing his arms in dispair

2006-09-29T16:06:00.000-04:00

I think that I give up...I surrender. The repugs have beaten me. There is a liberal media and it's evil. Bush is my hero, and there's nothing more I want in this world than consensual, passionless missionary sex with Ann Coulter, while Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly stand in the corner and pleasure themselves.

AAAAAHHHHH!

Sorry...I think I was possessed there for a second. Let me just reread....HELL NO!!!

Contrary to what you've been led to believe, the media is conservative to a fault. If you don't believe me, just go check out Mediamatters.org and see if that changes your mind. MM has become one of my favorite places to get news, because they will even send you the daily examples of Republican shit going completely unchallenged by the conservative media. How do I know that they know what they're talking about? Because Bill O'reilly is threatened enough by them to mention them on his show.

Is there outrage welling up inside me about the new terror bill that Congress rolled over and played dead on? Abso-fucking-lutely. This piece of shit legislation will make Bush and his entire administration completely unaccountable for anything that they might have perpetrated that might be...oh, say, A WAR CRIME. And not just from this point on...no, he made sure that it reflects all the way back to 9/11.

Are there some democrats that I hold accountable? Of course. Some chickenshit morons who care more about trying to hold their seat in this cespool of corruption than about actually following the laws that their leader swore to uphold when he took office. What message does the passing of this bill send to the entire world? Like those poor people in Darfur, and the victims of Saddam Hussein? It's a big fuck you to everyone who has ever had to suffer injustice. Don't tell me I'm overreacting, either. These people we have in custody are human beings, captured in the pursuit of a war, and therefore are also subject to the rights afforded them by the Geneva Conventions.

If any of you morons in Congress had a single brain cell, you'd listen to what your constituents are saying. All I can say is , according to the leaked portions of the NIE report and the one that the UN just released, we've fucked up the Middle East quite well. Terrorists are winning, I hate to tell you...stay the course or not, we're just pissing them off, and creating more people who dream of revolution...and guess who's offering them that option...Al Qaeda! It looks like that whole dream of bringing children into a peaceful world is a pipe dream...

Currently listening:
Go
By Vertical Horizon
Release date: 23 September, 2003

A Ship We All Thought Had Sailed

2006-09-26T13:06:00.000-04:00

I thought we'd already passed the point of no return on the whole Jerry Falwell is batshit insane thing. As is custom, I was wrong yet again. Over the weekend, Falwell set about comparing Hillary Clinton to Lucifer himself. At an event, he was asked for his reaction about Clintons intentions to run in 2008 and he said, in a paraphrased way, that he'd rather vote for the devil.

Do we find it a little ironic that a Christian fundamentalist whack job would rather vote for the prince of darkness than a harmless liberal democrat. I'm pretty sure Hillary doesn't commune with demons, and it's safe to say that that's right up the Devil's alley.

Grow up Falwell, and talk about something worth talking about. And look on the bright side, you already voted for the devil in the last 2 elections...maybe Hillary will be a refreshing change.

I'm telling you right now...I'm NOT going to fight for my religion.

2006-09-15T15:39:00.000-04:00

Click here to see how the Crusades for the 21st Century will begin. Oh Pope...you made a boo boo.

In a speech in Germany yesterday Pope Benedict pretty much screwed us all by making what have been perceived as derogatory remarks about Islam. Here is an excerpt from the Yahoo News report:

The pope quoted from a book recounting a conversation between 14th-century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and a Persian scholar on the truths of Christianity and Islam.

"The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war," Benedict said. "He said, I quote, 'Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.'"

The pope did not explicitly agree with nor repudiate the comment.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it the Muslims that got all mad when a Danish artist simply rendered Muhammad as a cartoon in the newspaper? Didn't they riot and blow shit up just because someone drew a picture of their beloved prophet?

Benedict has drawn so much fire over his remarks that the Vatican has put out a release stating that they are sure that his words were misunderstood. The German Chancellor also came to the aid of her countryman.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended the German-born pope, saying his message had been misunderstood.

"It is an invitation to dialogue between religions and the pope has explicitly urged this dialogue, which I also endorse and see as urgently necessary," she said Friday. "What Benedict XVI makes clear is a decisive and uncompromising rejection of any use of violence in the name of religion."

See...my issue is that there are a TON of Muslims in the world, and a great lot of them are REALLY seething now. They are mad at the leader of one of the sects of my religion. Do I feel personally threatened by this new development? Not terribly. I do, however, feel that it was an insanely foolish time for Benedict to levy even a mild attack against Islam, since we seem to be teetering on the brink of god-only-knows what kind of holy war.

My main worry is the government of Pakistan, whose parliament put forth a resolution condemning Benedict for his speech. That's good, Popey, just piss off the nuclear nations of the world.

I'm gonna just sit here and hope that no one approaches me to fight for the survival of Christianity. I love my religion, but I think we can survive just as well in peace.

I read this and my head just about exploded

2006-09-14T15:32:00.000-04:00

Let me start with a link for you to read. Click here! Please read this before reading my entry below.....

Now that you've read it, I have to go ahead and scream, WHAT THE FUCK!!?? I don't want to crusade against organized religion here but this article literally scares the hell out of me. In my honest opinion, religious conservativism has this country by the balls. With a downhome religious zealot in the Oval Office, they have the world at their fingertips. The puppet they've always dreamed about is displaying their agenda to the world, much to the chagrin of those who remember the US as a melting pot, a refuge for those who were persecuted for religious means. Last I checked, this country has no state religion. Why is it then that our federal government is being brought to a halt by all the issues that Religion wants us to focus on. I'm not going to just pick on Christianity, so I'm going to just refer to it as Religion with a capital "r."

See this all goes back to gay marriage. It's all about what kind of sex you have, and who you do it with. As a proponent of marriage for all, I honestly don't see what the issue is. I understand that the Bible mentions it briefly in the Old Testament. It also mentions that women should not venture out in public without a covering on their head. Check out Miami Beach and then let me know the percentage of women who are covered up there...That, and there's slavery in the Bible...is that correct, and something we should still observe just because the Bible mentions it?

From the article: Perkins and others are building a case file of anecdotes where they say religious people have spoken out against gay marriage only to be punished. Perkins specifically cited the decision by Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich in June to fire his appointee to the Washington area transit board after the board member referred to homosexuals as "persons of sexual deviancy."

Ok, so religion is under attack because there is a large contingent of people who disagree with them? That just means that there is a debate. I'm sorry that you feel repressed, but how are all those people you executed in the name of religion just because they disagreed with you. Was religion under attack or just YOUR comfort level. Homosexuals, much like African Americans in the last century, are people of just as much worth, intelligence, and morals as any other living person.

While it's never been proven conclusively, I tend to believe that homosexuality is not a lifestyle choice, but rather a genetic marker, much like hair and eye color. Is there something wrong with the parent? No! Would you blame a parent because a child was born with green eyes?

I find it hard to believe that Religion, supposedly the moral and ethical guidelines we are supposed to follow, would choose to say that one whole subsect of the population is less of a person, and therefore not subject to the same rights, and I REFUSE to believe that the loving God I've been told about since childhood would do so. This god I've been told loves all his children...the one who sent his son to earth to die for our sins. I've also been taught that there is no sin that is greater than another, none lesser. That also means that the sin of homosexuality, if it is indeed something worthy of sin, has been forgiven in those who believe. I fail to see how loving another person and commiting yourself to them is different just because your sexual apparatus isn't. Love is love in my book.

Politicizing religion further will not lead us to the promised line. It will only lead to more division among the people of this country. Getting along and loving thy neighbor are parts of God's decree that I can get onboard with...why can't they?

I welcome any and all debate, comments and anger...please...this is a free country and I like to have intelligent debate about important issues.

Currently listening:
Drops of Jupiter
By Train
Release date: 27 March, 2001

Dubya Invokes Iraq During 9/11 Remembrance Speech

2006-09-12T10:03:00.000-04:00

I know I shouldn't be surprised. I know that I shouldn't be shocked that in the same breath where Bush says they're not connected, he pretty much invokes Iraq anyway. I don't want to call people stupid if they think Iraq and 9/11 are connected, but since it's been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was no al Qaeda/Iraqi connection, if you still believe otherwise, then you're an idiot. It has even been shown that prior to our invasion of Iraq, Saddam actually refused and rebuffed Bin Laden's gestures of friendship and support, thinking the Al Qaeda leader too dangerous and volatile to ally himself to.

Irregardless, Bush had to go and ruin what was supposed to be a day of mourning and remembrance with this crap:

"I am often asked why we are in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was not responsible for the 9/11 attacks," Bush said. "The answer is that the regime of Saddam Hussein was a clear threat. America did not ask for this war, and every American wishes it were over. So do I," Bush said. "But the war is not over, and it will not be over until either we or the extremists emerge victorious."

He also said the following:

"If we yield Iraq to men like bin Laden," Bush said, "our enemies will be emboldened, they will gain a new safe haven, and they will use Iraq's resources to fuel their extremist movement. We will not allow this to happen. No matter how long it takes, America will find you, and we will bring you to justice."

If you've been paying attention over the last couple years, this should anger you...A LOT. Of course he cares about and threatens Bin Laden on the anniversary of 9/11. He wouldn't echo his sentiments from a couple years ago when he said, "You know, I just don't spend that much time on him... I truly am not that concerned about him."[President Bush, Press Conference, 3/13/02]

Thankfully, Ted Kennedy voiced his opinion as follows,

"The president should be ashamed of using a national day of mourning to commandeer the airwaves to give a speech that was designed not to unite the country and commemorate the fallen but to seek support for a war in Iraq that he has admitted had nothing to do with 9/11. There will be time to debate this president's policies in Iraq. September 11th is not that time."

and Rep Rahm Emanuel chimed in with,

"Partisanship would have been the one casualty the American people would have accepted following 9/11, but it remains the one thing the president refuses to give up,"

It wasn't the time or place...that's what it comes down to...more a little later as my brother-in-law departs for the Middle East today on a 12 month tour.

Currently listening:
Mary Star of the Sea
By Zwan
Release date: 28 January, 2003

As a nation remembers, politics take center stage

2006-09-11T09:34:00.000-04:00

On Friday, just three days before the fifth anniversary of September 11, the US senate declared definitively that there was not pre-9/11 connection between Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. With polls showing that a significant portion of Americans still believe there is a connection, it is important that this distinction is made. Now all the Senate needs to do is appoint someone to follow the president around and shock him with a cattleprod everytime he tries to reassert a false connection between the two. Bush spent the last week ramping up his "be afraid, be very afraid" campaign. Why do that when (1), he's not running, and (2), the country is already significantly afraid? Because there are Republicans trying to keep their seats in congress...
Bush also announced last week that the secret prisons we've all suspected are there, are real. They're real, they're run by the CIA, and they're all around the world, and if I keep blogging, I may disappear to one.

Also, ABC caused quite a stir with their miniseries about the 2001 terror attacks, as everyone and their brother in the Democratic camp came out against it, citing it as false, distorted and slanted to favor Republicans. Shocking that a station controlled by Disney of all companies would be slanted in such a way, huh? Supposedly, ABC edited the program before airing, but who knows. The original supposedly blamed the entire thing on the Clinton administration despite the resounding crash that was heard when the Bush administration dropped the ball in the days leading up to 9/11.

I'm not going to say much more about 9/11 today because today shouldn't be about politics. It should be about remembering those whose lives were senselessly taken on that day 5 years ago. Much love and sympathy to those who lost loved ones that day, and to those who have lost more since in the war that sprung out of that tragedy.

My prayers and thoughts are with all of those who mourn today.

More tomorrow as I prepare myself for my brother in law's departure for the Middle East.

Currently listening:
You Forgot It in People
By Broken Social Scene
Release date: 03 June, 2003

Waging a war...of fear

2006-09-06T09:37:00.001-04:00

I hope that it's escaped no one's notice that Monday will be the five year anniversary of the worst attack on US soil since Pearl Harbor. I hope that we're all vigilant in keeping an eye out for those who might wish to do us harm. However, I also wish that our government wasn't so successful at cultivating a culture of fear. The very word terrorist is a carefully planned word used to elicit hysteria and unrational panic.

Am I saying that we should be ignoring the threats against this country? Of course not, but we live in such a culture of fear of the unknown that we are suspicious of our very neighbors. We peer stealthily through curtains at the Arabic people in the neighborhood, who just may be Muslim. We listen to our government refer to Islamic Fascists and the Network of terror, and we close the blinds just a little more. We pull into ourselves more with each coming day, and that's what they want. When you're scared, you don't think clearly, and they want you scared out of your mind. The fear paralyzes rational behavior, such as wondering why the hunt for Al Qaeda's leader has all but stopped, while we sit as the occupation force in a completely different country...one that had no hand in the tragedy of 9/11.

We sit and patiently watch while the government takes away more and more freedoms and things that make this country great. They get away with it because to question it would be Unamerican, and we don't want that, now, do we?

We're capturing and killing Al Qaeda, though...in the wrong country, but we're doing it nevertheless. We're doing what we can to break the insurgency in Iraq. Those in charge of the military strategy should be able to tell you that the civil war that has erupted in Iraq is not something light we just have to put down...this is major civil unrest that will embroil our troops and military funding for many years.

I'm rambling and spewing my own form of propaganda...yes...but I think it's important to know that almost 5 years ago, one of our biggest cities was brought to a stand still as two planes decimated two of its tallest structures...and another 2 planes did similar damage in our nation's capital and in a field in Penn. I'm not saying we shouldn't be scared or even vigilant. I'm saying that if we own that fear, instead of it owning us, we will be better equipped to make decisions and realize that our president is not working in the best interest of his millions of constituents. A couple of years ago, after the invasion of Iraq, Bush was quoted as saying that he doesn't even think about Bin Laden anymore...doesn't care about him. This is the same man that promised the American people that we wouldn't rest until Osama was caught and tried or killed in the days following 9/11.

As we begin to mark the anniversary, please don't forget those that died, because our president certainly has...and he's keen to add more to that total in Iraq.

Currently listening:
Spiritual Machines
By Our Lady Peace
Release date: 13 March, 2001

PUBLIC HEALTH WARNING FROM THE MONKEYHOUSE(BY WAY OF THE TBON SHOW)

2006-09-01T16:13:00.000-04:00

FROM OUR FRIENDS AT THE

T-BoN Show

There is a new STD that all citizens of the US should be alerted to:

Gonorrhea Lectim - The Center for Disease Control has issued a
warning about a new virulent strain of Sexually Transmitted Disease. The disease is contracted through dangerous and high-risk behavior.

The disease is called Gonorrhea Lectim...pronounced (gonna
re-elect him). Many victims contracted it in 2004 after having been
screwed for the previous four years.

Cognitive characteristics of individuals infected
include: antisocial personality disorders, delusions of grandeur with messianic overtones, extreme cognitive dissonance, inability to incorporate new information, pronounced xenophobia and paranoia,inability to accept responsibility for own actions, cowardice masked by misplaced bravado, uncontrolled facial smirking, ignorance of geography and history, tendencies towards evangelical theocracy, categorical all-or-nothing
behavior.

Naturalists and epidemiologists are amazed at how the destructive disease originated only a few years ago from a bush found in Texas.

Currently listening:
Switch
By INXS
Release date: 29 November, 2005

Bush invokes the almighty...yes, again...

2006-08-31T14:16:00.000-04:00

In a speech earlier today, our fearless(except for his fear of a wrathful God) leader, invoked the almighty as being on our side. Being that I'm a Christian, you'd think that would at least be partially ok with me. I'd love to think that God is with us in our daily struggles as a country, but I don't think that is the case. I think that God is probably sick of us doing things in his name by this point. Is it wrong that I don't blame him...our melting pot society has been dismantled and molten down, so we can make bullets to kill more people who don't agree with us and our God. I'm sorry, George, but (1), I didn't vote for you in the first place, and (2), I CERTAINLY didn't ask you to invoke your god on my behalf. No wonder Muslims want to kill us.

Rude Pundit made a good point this morning about Bush's reference to those who oppose us in the Middle East as "Islamic Fascists." See they are trying to draw a parallel to WWII when fascism threatened to engulf Europe. They want to gain support by reminding us of the menace of Benito Mussolini, and his ensuing attempt at converting Europe and northern Africa. We're the ones going over there and forcing our Democratic ideals on Iraq.

These days, I can scarcely get through a blog without at least a passing mention to Ann Coulter, the acerbic, vitriolic loon who seems to always get some host to invite her on and then proceeds to ram it up the host's ass while she's there, all the while getting lobbed softball questions that don't address any real issues or the hateful things she says. Her latest column states that we shot the wrong Lincoln. She's referring to Lincoln Chaffee, the RI congressman, to whom the Bush administration is throwing support, much in the same fashion as they are throwing it to Joe Lieberman, while completely ignoring a non-viable Republican candidate, who, in both cases, has no chance in hell of winning. Great, so now she's advocating killing off Congressmen just to get the seats vacated for nutjobs who will spew her insane rhetoric. Let me just say that Henry VIII beheaded the wrong Ann.

And while I'm at it, Ann, stop referring to all Iraqi -- hell all middle eastern people who have died in this military disaster we call our war on terrorism - as terrorists. That's like saying all thin blondes with huge noses are tremendous(please pardon me for this, ladies) cunty bitches who are full of shit. You need some sensitivity and discrimination training Ann.

Currently listening:
Dishwalla
By Dishwalla
Release date: 15 March, 2005

Lieberman trying to squeeze back into the fold.

2006-08-28T12:28:00.000-04:00

Upon learning that most of his constituents would rather vote for the other guy, Joe Schmoe remembered that he is a registered democrat and that if he alienates them too much, they won't vote for them. Now he has a decision to make...does he just stay the course with the methods he's been employing and try to get the votes of the moderates and republicans, or does he change tactics and go after the Lamont constituents, his "own" party? With the support that the current administration has been lending him, Joe has been getting some bad press, and, as a result, has been trying to distance himself from Bush and his crew. First, he called for the resignation of Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and now he's back pedaling on his previous stance on the war. What's next, he reinforces his support for Judaism by killing the Pope? This whole thing sucks!

Bear in mind, I hate attacking him because he is still technically a democrat, but the man is a world class flip flopper, who should listen to those who are smarter than him(not me...other democrats), who tell him to throw his support behind Lamont and give up this charade of lies.

Currently listening:
The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
By The Black Crowes
Release date: 05 March, 2002

Technical Difficulties

2006-08-24T13:47:00.000-04:00

Monkeyhouse has been largely off the air this week due to a busy work schedule. I have been buried in work, so there was little time to express my frustrations that have renewed themselves yet again this week.
FIRST Bush says that sometimes he's happy with what happened with Iraq, and no one calls him on it. Say what? Oh yeah, CNN and MSNBC have reported the story that he spoke about the war, but both have edited out that he said that sometimes he's happy. And Fox News just took a dump on the news desk and scrawled LIBERALISM SUCKS on the backdrop.

SECOND Joe Lieberman comes out swinging, calling for Rumsfeld's resignation. He says he's a dedicated democrat. Then stand behind your state's choice for democratic nominee, you fucking asshat!

THIRD The Yankees smashed the Red Sox in a five game series at Fenway Park, eclipsing their previous record, set in 1978, and called the Boston Massacre.

FORTH Go forth young man and learn to spell the word that comes next after Third

FOURTH Kevin Federline closes the Teen Choice Awards by pretending to be a rapper...a rapper who's never seen or heard a real rap song. We don't need another white rapper. Eminem fills the quota.

FIFTH Zayeera was kicked off Rockstar: Supernova last week. No more camel toe for you, perverts.

tata for now from MonkeyHouse Headquarters...

Currently listening:
Snakes on a Plane: The Album
By Original Soundtrack
Release date: 15 August, 2006

Raise Your Hand If You're Sure...

2006-08-17T12:20:00.000-04:00

that Ann Coulter is missing the point entirely YET AGAIN!

"Terrorists Win Deodorant Banned From Airplanes"

Keeping us safe as we fly the friendly skies is a daunting task since 9/11. We have to prepare for every eventuality, but of course, we don't know most of these eventualities. This latest Coulter column shows just how little she understands about how this world works. She is right that those who would seek to harm us would know better than to use the same tactics as last time, but unless we have thousands of Dead Zone Johnny Smiths working the security at our airports, there is really no way to know what the plans of future terrorists are. Let me assure you that no one is interested in your lingerie, and let me just tell you I want to do nothing more than get that image out of my head right now...thanks for that.

I guess what I'm saying is that they're doing the best they can with the intel that they have. It doesn't help that CNN is doing stories about theoretical ways for bombs to be snuck on board, though

Currently listening:
Every Man for Himself
By Hoobastank
Release date: 16 May, 2006

Is the Dubya propaganda machine unstoppable?

2006-08-17T11:30:00.000-04:00

It became apparent to me several years ago that the days of propaganda are back in US politics, and they're back to stay. My last post regarding the Lamont/Lieberman campaign shows that.

For a couple years now, we have been hearing the same talking points from Bush and his camp: Mission accomplished(my ass!!), Marriage is between a man and a woman, and my personal favorite, STAY THE COURSE. Bush manages to throw into even the most innocuous interview or speech that in order to be victorious in Iraq and the war on terror, we have to stay the course. Personally, if I was Bush Sr., I'd be pissed that my son was stealing my sayings. C'mon, people, don't you remember the "stay the course, 1000 points of light" that Dana Carvey got so much mileage out of back when SNL was still a good show?

How is that propaganda, you may ask? Well, by itself, it's completely harmless (unless, of course, youve been deployed to Iraq). It doesnt become propaganda until you add the opposite message: that those who oppose the war and staying the course are all about CUT AND RUN. This is the solution? When you face stiff competition and rabid disapproval, you just call anyone who opposes you a coward? This is how the uneducated masses end up electing a president even they dont support.

Before I get blow back, let me assure you that I dont believe that all Republicans are uneducated. What Im saying is that if only given two choices, most people would like to believe that they are brave rather than cowards. This is how Bush got himself reelectedHe preyed on the fears of those less informed than he by telling them that Kerry would make the US look like weaklings if he were elected. Unfortunately, the election became all about the military records of the candidates, and not about the issues facing us today with the wars that are CURRENTLY being fought.

Wednesday, while speaking at a fundraiser for former Pittsburgh Steeler Lynn Swann, Bush said, "Leaving before we complete our mission would create a terrorist state in the heart of the Middle East, a country with huge oil reserves that the terrorist network would be willing to use to extract economic pain from those of us who believe in freedom." He continued to say, "There are some good people in our country who believe we should cut and run. They're not bad people when they say that. They're decent people. I just happen to believe they're wrong. If we leave before the mission is complete, if we withdraw, the enemy will follow us home." You can view the entire article here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060817/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_37 Correct me if Im wrong, but didnt the British just foil a plot that would have brought the terrorists with more plane bombs back in our direction? The Bush administration has been able to make Iraq and terrorism inseparable in the minds of the fearful in this country. Let me separate them for you folks.

For the last time, Iraq was not involved in 9/11, and while, yes, there are Al Qaeda in Iraq, the majority of the insurgency is based on US presence in their country. When England fought all those years ago to try to preserve a certain colony under their control, the people living there rose up and caused a revolution, fighting to the death to preserve their independence. Were those colonists insurgents? No, but only because the English didnt wield enough power to topple the government before trying to subjugate the people with a government they didnt support. I do think that the Iraqi government could use some democratic ideals, but to foist it on them with no choice in the matter is absurd.

I think that a key part of this political dialogue is missing or being ignored, and that part is the middle ground between stay the course and cut and run. Those who oppose the war do not all necessarily think we should immediately withdraw all troops from the Middle East. Instead, there are those of us who simply want to see a timetable created for the withdrawal of troops and the return to normalcy of life to the Iraqi people. There are also those of us who think that our troops could be better used tracking down the terrorists responsible for the threats to our own shores, and guess what, those terrorists are allies of Bin Laden and US intelligence tells us theyre not in Iraq (but then again, neither were the WMDs).

There has to be some other voice that can loudly proclaim that there are more options than bravery and cowardice. Shout it to the masses, so they can see through this smoke screen.

Currently listening:
Wolfmother
By Wolfmother
Release date: 02 May, 2006

MonkeyHouse Radio reports: The Lieberman/Bush Administration Propaganda Machine

2006-08-15T13:50:00.001-04:00

Im really starting to dislike this pattern that is occurring. Lieberman is receiving back-up support directly from the Bush administration. Lamont is continuing to be pounded like an Asian whore from all sides. Lieberman has consulted with Karl "Antichrist" Rove about his independent run, and now has the help of the Cheney shiny bald propaganda machine, and Joe Schmoe is just falling into goosestep line with the Bush Administration. The latest? If Lamont wins the election in November, it will show the terrorists that tried to bring down the international flights last week that we are weak on terror. The exact quote was, "And Ned Lamont winning is a tremendous victory by the people who wanted to blow up these planes in England!"

DEAR GOD, ARE YOU SERIOUS!!??

It is even being reported that the White House asked the British government to apprehend the terror suspects quickly so as to use their Lamont smears that much more rapidly. Now, I dont know if I really buy that, but this administration is capable of secrecy and shadiness for much less important causes, so why not.

CNN anchor Chuck Roberts has even gone so far to say that Ned Lamont is the "Al Qaeda candidate." My friends at Mediamatters.org have drafted a letter to CNN asking for Roberts to be disciplined for such an unfounded and obviously false and malicious accusation. You can view that here: http://mediamatters.org/items/200608140003

At this point, it is obvious to me that this simple primary victory has the Republican base so incredibly spooked that this will become a trend in the November elections that they will do ANYTHING to ensure that Lieberman wins his Independent bid and that they will bury Lamont under as much useless shit as they can find.

Currently listening:
Tonight Not Again/Live at Eagles Ballroom (CD & DVD)
By Jason Mraz
Release date: 24 August, 2004

Weekend Antics

2006-08-14T12:11:00.001-04:00

So I decided to go to illustrious and beautiful downtown Hartford this weekend to celebrate my friend and bandmate, Steve's birthday. We chose the Pig's Eye Pub, not because it is the best bar, or has the cheapest drinks, but because it has no cover and pool tables. It was a pretty uneventful night, just drinking, playing pool and drinking some more. We did a couple group shots of tequila and Southern Comfort, drank some more and just had a good time, and then came about 12:30, when we heard that Steve had gotten tossed out of the bar. For some people that wouldn't be all that shocking, but this is Steve. You could punch this kid in the face and he'd say thanks...he's just a mild-mannered nice guy. I guess it turns out that he had been standing at the bar trying to get a drink for like 20 minutes and finally got the attention of one of the bartenders, put down his money and tried to order a drink. when the guy ignored him, he picked the 10 bucks back up and tried to put it back in his pocket. At this point, the moronic bartender accused him of stealing his tip...wait let me get this straight, steve was going to leave a ten dollar tip for a beer he couldn't get? I don't think so. Well the bartender got the bouncer to toss him anyway, and I guess they have the last word, so out he went, which was stupid. We had a group of at least 20 people who had been buying drinks, alot of them, all night and we all bailed when Steve got tossed.

CONGRATS TO STEVE FOR BEING TOSSED!!! YOU ARE THE BADASS OF BADASSES!!!

Currently listening:
U2 - The Best of 1990-2000
By U2
Release date: 12 November, 2002

The Monkeyhouse Editorial Minute

2006-08-11T10:52:00.000-04:00

My wife sent this to me, and I found it well written and intriguing. I think you'll find it thought provoking, and hope it will stimulate a discussion...without further ado, our MonkeyHouse Editorial Minute

Written in response to a series of letters to the editor in the
Orange County Register, which, of course, was not printed. So, I decided to "print" it myself by sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along if you feel so inclined.

Dear Editor:
So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this
land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests he should tear down the Statute of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry.

Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer.

Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times.
They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home.
They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them.
All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity. Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, France and Japan. None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were defending the United States of America as one people. When we liberated France, no one in those villages were looking for the French-American or the German-American or the Irish-American. The people of France saw only Americans.

And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl.
And here we are in 2006 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life.
I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags.
And for that suggestion about taking down the Statute of Liberty, it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.
(signed)

Rosemary LaBonte

Currently reading:
His Dark Materials Trilogy: The Golden Compass / The Subtle Knife / The Amber Spyglass
By Phillip Pullman
Release date: 01 October, 2001

MonkeyHouse's Lieberman Report

2006-08-10T14:25:00.000-04:00

Can I go one day without dishing on our favorite fallen CT Republicrat, Joe Lieberman? Probably, and I will eventually run out of info to do a daily report, but until I do, he gets his very own MonkeyHouse feature.

As predicted, Senate Democrats from around the country are jumping off the Lieberman train and flocking to support the new CT nominee, Ned Lamont. The likes of Hilary Rodham Clinton and Christopher Dodd have stepped up and thrown their support behind Lamont, with many other Democrats joining in a little support chorus. Both Clinton and Dodd, who supported Lieberman and campaigned for him prior to the primary, have unfortunately stopped short of calling for Lieberman to withdraw and do the right thing, i.e. supporting the winner of the primary.

Lieberman is acting like the spoiled child who refuses to stop crying even after mom has (1) told him he can't have the toy, (2) checked out at the supermarket, (3) brought the groceries out to the car, and (4) driven away. All the while, little crybaby Joe is sitting in the backseat of the minivan shrieking his little heart out that he wants Jazzercize Barbie. Mom knows better...knows that it will make him stronger in the end. She also knows that his good friend Georgy Bush doesn't like fairies, and of course, only fairies and girls play with dolls.

Wait...where was I? Huh? A point, you say? Oh....

Lieberman should withdraw, and not give Republican Schlessinger a chance to win when the Democratic vote gets split. You lost, Joe...just let the better man go forward. This isn't double elimination!

Currently listening:
Chroma
By Cartel
Release date: 20 September, 2005

Bush Says US still at risk for attack

2006-08-10T12:26:00.000-04:00

what What WHAT?

Thanks, Captain Obvious. With the thwarted terror threat on transatlantic flights from England to the US, is there any doubt that there is still a risk? Check it out here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060810/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_4

He says that we're at war with Islamic fascists. I don't know...maybe that's true, but I don't whether it's necessary to throw the religion in there. Yes, they are Muslim, but I don't think it's smart to even kind of proclaim it as any sort of holy war.

Stay tuned for today's Lieberman report...

Currently listening:
Beautiful World
By Big Head Todd & the Monsters
Release date: 11 February, 1997

To anyone who may disagree with me...

2006-08-09T11:54:00.001-04:00

Lieberman has lost the Democratic nomination...yes, I know that this is my 2nd post about him today, but I decided to preempt any rebuttals that might arise about my dislike of our fallen CT senator.

Click here to find out one of the reasons that I harbor such disdain for this once great Democrat. For anyone too busy or lazy to actually click the link, I'll summarize. (Begin paraphrase)Anyone who votes for my opposition has forgotten about 9/11 and doesn't care about our country(End Paraphrase)

I've said before that I hate people using a tragedy such as 9/11 as a campaign stump subject. I hate it even more when 9/11 gets used out of context to justify a war that has stolen thousands of military lives and billions of tax dollars. A war that HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH 9/11!!! There is NO proof, and there never was any. I can't believe that politicians are still throwing that out there as probable cause for a war with Iraq.

Are there terrorists in Iraq today? Yes...but they're there because we've been occupying the country for a couple years now. They are helping the insurgency to keep its foothold in the country. Al Qaeda wasn't a presence in Iraq until we invaded!!!

Lieberman, I will say it again...do the right thing and endorse the democratic nominee and then go join some board of directors somewhere or, heaven forbid, become a lobbyist or something!

Currently listening:
Fortress
By Sister Hazel
Release date: 27 June, 2000

I backed the right candidate

2006-08-09T08:42:00.000-04:00

After several elections ending in disappointment, I am proud to say that WTFU Radio has backed the right candidate in yesterday's primary. Ned Lamont, a cable television mogul, faced off against Joe Lieberman, a 3-term incumbent Republicrat and one-time vice presidential candidate, and beat him heads-up for the Democratic nomination. It had been speculated for weeks that it was possible that Lamont could win, but based on the last minute polls, Lamont's lead had shrunk and, to be honest, I wasn't sure he was going to pull it off. When the dust had cleared from yesterday's voting, however, Lamont was the clear victor. I watched his victory speech, listening as he thanked supporters, and then put out a call for party unity. Minutes before, Lieberman had given his concession speech, vowing to fight on and run as an independent.

Ok, I understand that he wants his seat back, but this infuriates me. This position is a representative of the people of CT. The people who support the democratic party, the very people who have elected him to his previous three terms, voted for someone else to represent them in the Senate. Shouldn't that be a clue that he should simply pack it in? One thing we don't need now is the splintering of the democratic party. We want to take back Congress come November, and fighting within the party over the seat won't help to accomplish this. If Lieberman truly cared about his constituents as he claims, he would abandon the Independent candidacy bid and throw his support behind the candidate that his party chose.

Congratulations to Ned Lamont for a stunning and unexpected victory, and here's hoping you win in November!

Primary elections are important!!

2006-08-07T11:07:00.001-04:00

Unless you've been living under a rock, or in Newark, you've probably heard at least some of the national buzz that the Democratic primary is causing for the race here in CT. Joseph Lieberman, 3 term Senator, and one-time vice presidential candidate is running for reelection, but is currently in jeopardy of losing his party's nomination to private businessman Ned Lamont, who is spanking him in the polls. It has people who know nothing asking why.

People who know something, however, realize that Lamont is kicking Lieberman's ass in the straw polls because Lamont embodies something that Lieberman is lacking...democratic ideals. Based on his voting record, his support for the war and his shows of cronyism with president Bush, his base is moving away from him, as he shows more and more that he is a Republicrat.

Lieberman, due to his clout in the senate, decided that, if he lost the primary, he would hedge his bets and register to run as an independent, hoping to still garner the popular vote when November elections roll around. Now, with the primary elections tomorrow, recent polls have shown that Lamont has opened up a double-digit lead over the incumbent. While heavy hitters like Clinton and fellow CT senator Chris Dodd have thrown their support behind Lieberman, he still seems to be sliding in the polls, so his surety that running as an independent would still win him the seat is fading. When he calculated the information to consider running as an independent, he based it on the figures at the time, which projected that Lamont could potentially edge him out by a relatively slim margin. It is anyone's guess as to what will actually happen when voters turn out tomorrow for the actual vote, but here's hoping that the King of CT is overthrown.

In similar news, I have to wonder why it was that Clinton threw his support behind Lieberman. I know he's the incumbent, and he ran with Gore in 2000, but Lieberman was also one of the loudest voices condemning Clinton during the impeachment scandal. He was extremely vocal ON the floor of congress, and if I can find a transcript of it, I will post it later.

that's all for now...GET OUT AND VOTE, FELLOW DEMOCRATS, OR A DEMOCRAT WHO SUPPORTS THE WAR WILL BE REELECTED AND MORE OF OUR FIGHTING MEN AND WOMEN WILL DIE!!!

Body Wars

2006-08-06T09:39:00.002-04:00

If you went to Disney World in the 80s, you probably remember the ride Body Wars at Epcot Center. I just remember it being creepy and gross. That is not what this is about.

A new type of body war has begun, and it is attacking the model syndicate. It has chosen to attack Heidi Klum

and Elle MacPherson,

two of the hottest models to grace the 20th and 21st century. If you've missed it, Heidi Klum has a new campaign with Victoria's Secret for a new line of bras called Body by Victoria, and in the commercial, she says that when she got into modeling, she was given the nickname "the body." This apparently pissed off Elle MacPherson because, as far as she's concerned, she was given that nickname a decade earlier when she started modeling, and has decided that she is attached to the moniker enough to have her representative make a press release threatening to possibly sue.

I have a solution...you should both come together and wrestle for the title, preferably in jello or mud, just like WWE divas vying for a title. Then the winner will face off against Jessie "The Body" Ventura for the ULTIMATE title. Of course, Jessie won't fight a girl, I think...

Currently listening:
Creature
By Moist
Release date: 03 June, 1997

Another History Lesson...

2006-08-02T13:18:00.000-04:00

Gotta love this History textbook that my wife is reading for her history class...

Did you know that God wasn't a part of the Pledge of Allegiance or US currency until the fifties? In the same ruling, "Under God" was added to the Pledge and "In God We Trust" to the money. Is it because we became a more religious country as a whole? The division of the country around the Scopes Monkey trial at around this time tells me that we weren't. No, it was a move to improve the image of the US to make us seem more morally superior to the world. We needed to be superior to the Communists...we needed people to like us and value us more, so Communism would not spread further.

I don't really find myself on either side of the argument about under God in the pledge. While I understand the rights of our citizens to be fully agnostic, it is clear that, with the way things are going right now, it would be nice to believe that we have God on our side, even if it's not true. The world is going to hell in a handbasket and I feel like our country is operating the pulleys these days.

Currently listening:
Healthy In Paranoid Times
By Our Lady Peace
Release date: 30 August, 2005

Our Vietnam

2006-07-31T15:43:00.000-04:00

My wife Amy is currently enrolled in an American History course, which she needs for her masters, and every time she opens the book, she finds new little factoids that we were previously unaware of. Last night she was just reading about the Kennedy/Johnson Vietnam era. She was telling me last night that the whole Vietnam issue began at the end of WWII, when the country was split into North and South as provisions at the end of fighting. Sometime later during the Eisenhower administration, when Ike got it in his head that if Vietnam, a country with extremely limited political or military power, fell to Communism, that the entire world would soon fall as well. To solve this issue, he began throwing huge amounts of money at the country to attempt to stem the rise of Communism. When Kennedy took office, he did the same thing, and then Johnson -- and let me know if this sounds familiar -- fabricated a missile strike on a US boat by Vietnamese forces, in order to convince Congress that there was a pressing need for military presence in Vietnam...once we got our troops there, and the Great Society that Johnson had envisioned died there in the fields of Pyong Yang, you know what happened and how many casualties we suffered...

Are we always doomed to repeat our mistakes? Is that our way? Please get us out of Iraq before our loss becomes catastrophic.

Currently listening:
Friction, Baby
By Better Than Ezra
Release date: 13 August, 1996

Ann Coulter, you tricky biyatch

2006-07-28T15:20:00.000-04:00

Like a venereal disease, I can't get rid of Ann Coulter...I can't seem to go one day without being further disgusted by her very existence.

The latest: She "reported" the other night that former president Clinton exhibits signs of latent homosexuality...huh? Like having curvy interns hoover him in the Oval office? that's very gay...especially the fact that she was a female.

Oh, and then she added as almost a postscript that Al Gore is "a fag." Real nice Ann. Of course, in Ann Coulter's world, the sky is painted with murals of dead Muslims and Jews, and God loves hatemongers, so I guess it makes sense in her head.
In the real world, however, we have a word for Ann: BIGOT

Currently listening:
Elocation
By Default
Release date: 25 November, 2003

Much like Middle Eastern cuisine...

2006-07-27T12:17:00.000-04:00

Middle Eastern conflicts don't agree with me. Iraq is in civil war, Iran is in a standoff of nuclear proportions with the entire world, and Israel is attempting to level Lebanon one bomb at a time...and at the same time, the voices that have the largest propensity to be heard at top volume are spouting their typical vitriolic banter that keeps them extreme and gets ratings and does nothing productive to add to the result.
For instance, Ann Coulter, AKA my favorite person, said that if she were president(heaven itself would revolt at that, I believe), she would immediately and preemptively carpet bomb the entirety of Iran. THAT is her solution for the nuclear standoff...bomb them off the planet. Are we going to try the same tactic with North Korea, who we know already HAS nukes? good job, Ann.
Bill O'Reilly, AKA, my best friend in the world, has been claiming that the editors of the New York Times are "sitting out" the conflict between Israel and the terrorist organization Hezbollah in order to avoid offending their Jewish base of readers. Clever, Bill, but you should spread your digs at the Jewish religion out a bit more because wasn't it just last week that you said that liberal Jews believe that terrorists have the right to do whatever they way "including beheading hostages on camera."
Keith Olbermann, however, gets blasted by Fox News because he named O'Reilly to his "Worst Person" list for the umpteenth time. Fox News claims that the MSNBC host is just doing so because he is trailing in the ratings to O'reilly's show. Whether he is trailing or not, Olbermann is allowed to say on his show, which is based on politics, whatever he wants about his opinion on Bill O'reilly. It's not a stunt if it is indeed a fact that O'Reilly is an incredible asshat.
More on Coulter...several newspapers that have been carrying her column have dropped her, the latest being the Augusta Chronicle. unfortunately for anyone who is celebrating in Augusta, they are replacing her with the only slightly less horrible and conservatively evil, Michelle Malkin.
that's all for now...my computer's on the fritz

While I'm at it...

2006-07-25T11:30:00.002-04:00

Hugh Grant...STUPID for cheating on Liz Hurley with a hooker

Eddie Murphy, even STUPIDER for cheating on his wife with a tranny hooker

Prince Charles, c'mon CAMILLA!!!?? You had Princess Di!

Julia Roberts and Lyle Lovett? uh...anyone? Can anyone explain ANYTHING about this...?

Brad Pitt, you had Jennifer Aniston...what were you thinking? Say what? Oh, he's with Angelina Jolie?...forgiven.

and the pinnacle of the list for the moment goes to Kevin Federline...I don't know what planet this ass clown is from, but it is still a mystery how he ended up with Britney Spears. Don't misunderstand, in the last 3 years, she's gone from pop star hottie to trailer park hooker chic, but she's still too good for him.
I think that's all the celebrity bashing I can stand for one day...but who knows...?

Currently listening:
Taking The Long Way
By Dixie Chicks
Release date: 23 May, 2006

Brinkley's husband says he's sorry and he was stupid

2006-07-25T08:52:00.000-04:00

Can we say understatement of the century!!!?? She's Christy fricking Brinkley. I don't care if she holds you chained in the basement and performs satanist rituals, you don't cheat on Christy Brinkley.

To make a point, though, you don't cheat on my wife either. Let's just say that it would be a bad idea. She's small, but she knows where I sleep, so I'm not gonna go there...

Currently listening:
Menos el Oso
By Minus the Bear
Release date: 23 August, 2005

Our government is a melange of Shakespearean tragedy

2006-07-19T14:15:00.001-04:00

Is the title of this blog a bit overdramatic? Possibly, but that doesn't make it any less valid. Our political system is a joke of titanic proportions. We have a president who is so out of touch with the wants and needs of the people that put him in power, so focused on his religion-based issues, that he is further alienating himself from the people who once supported him. The line between Church and state has become a dance between Romeo and Juliet; on the surface, it looks like the two families could finally come together and be one unified power, but as we all know it's not exactly a match made in heaven, and both will end up suffering in the end.
What prompted this blatant use of metaphor? Cowboy Bush is gearing up to step into some big-boy pants and veto some congressional legislation. What is his target? The stem cell research bill that just passed in the senate. Why? Not because it is governmentally or scientifically bad for our country, but because his Bible says it's murder. Guess what else is murder, Georgey? Oh, I don't know...how about sending our troops into battle in a sovereign nation that we invaded under false pretenses...? In this great big Shakespearean cluster fuck that is the play of our lives, Bush is the great reason-blind monarch, Lear, and unfortunately, just like Lear, no one will be able to stop his mistakes until it's too late, to the ruin of King and kingdom...

Currently listening:
Stories of a Stranger
By O.A.R.
Release date: 04 October, 2005

a (hopefully) well thought out response to a well thought out question

2006-07-19T09:08:00.002-04:00

I need more details.... you can't just make a complaint about someone or something and have nothing to back it up or no reasons why you feel that way....

"Our political system is a joke of titanic proportions."
how?
"We have a president who is so out of touch with the wants and needs of the people that put him in power, so focused on his religion-based issues, that he is further alienating himself from the people who once supported him."
example?
"Guess what else is murder, Georgey? Oh, I don't know...how about sending our troops into battle in a sovereign nation that we invaded under false pretenses...?"
Lol... I don't even know where to begin with this... I can understand that you and President Bush have some different view points, but this statement is just redonkulous. Murder? False pretenses? Are you just making this up as you go along? I'm sure you don't actually believe this hooey. Of course you probably think we are better off with a president that is an embarrassment to himself, his family and his country because he can't keep his dick in his pants.... Who needs family values anyhow? Morals are over rated!

oh... and when you are trying to create a strong statement, which you obviously are, you need to be aware that when you resort to childish name calling it takes away much of its validity.

Posted by Tom on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 at 3:55 PM

This is a comment posted in response to my last blog entry. Normally, I would just let it go, at times, I've even been known to delete comments of people who disagree with me, but I didn't do that with this one for 2 reasons. One, I know Tom, and though we haven't seen eachother since highschool, I've known him a long time, and 2, he's right...I wasn't as illustrative in this entry as I could have been. Bear in mind, Tom is, from what little he's told me about his life these days, a staunch conservative with some social liberal leanings. If I'm misrepresenting, I sincerely apologize.

I may go out of order because that's pretty much how my brain works, so bear with me. It's no secret to anyone who reads my blog, that I'm no friend of the conservative cause. I'm a liberal, and regardless of what Ann Coulter might think, I wear that title proudly. I believe that pretty much every decision that Bush has made since he took office has been the wrong one. I will give a few specific examples. First, he handled 9/11 as well as could be expected of any man, I'll give him that...it was a horrible time. I also supported the siege on Afghanistan in order to find the terrorist, Bin Laden. The moment he abandoned that cause to invade Iraq, a sovereign nation that showed no concrete evidence of WMDs, he lost my support. He went from a man possessed on finding Bin Laden to a man possessed with completing something his father had been unable to - the capture of Saddam Hussein. I'm no fan of Hussein, but it shows a lack of priorities to go after a man who, it was proven had no ties to 9/11. Yes, but they supported terrorism in Iraq...First of all, there isn't a single country in the Middle East that doesn't in some way harbor terrorists. Does that mean that we should start WWIII in order to eradicate the terror and those governments that support it, both actively and by doing nothing!!?? No, because as much as we're a world power, we don't HAVE to invade a country just because we can.

Example 2, made in the last post, but my credibility apparently lacking because I gave the president a nickname(not like noone else has done that), the president is allowing the lines between church and state to erode without such as a peep. I understand that people are religious and that their religious beliefs will color the feelings they have in every arena. Our government has strict guidelines set forth by our framers, which protect ALL the citizens of this country from having other's beliefs foisted upon them. Issues such as abortion, intelligent design, stem cell research, and gay marriage have been center stage items for this president and indeed the entire government. If they are going to debate these issues in the halls of our nations capitol, more power to them, but the moment they set a governmental precendent of ANY kind which favors any one religion or viewpoint, they go against everything this country was founded on.

Third, and this is a big one, KATRINA...Tom, being in FL, you should understand where I'm coming from on this one. The entirety of the government dropped the ball on this one. Bush, the commander in chief, is ultimately responsible for the disaster that happened in New Orleans, and I will give him credit, he took the blame on the chin like a big boy, and I respected that, but respect doesn't get those troops and that aid to those people any quicker.

Bush has my ire because rather than do what the nation is asking for, he has his own agenda. I don't know what it is, and I don't even claim to try to understand it, but he continues on the path he is going on. He doesn't follow through as a president except on things that are almost universally unpopular in every arena except for the far right wing.

Another example: When it was revealed by reporters that someone in the administration was responsible for the leak of the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame, Bush VOWED that he would find the person responsible and that person would be summarily fired. Of course, when it turned out that the trail of evidence led right back to his political advisor, Karl Rove, Bush simply closed the investigation, letting Scooter Libby, assistant to Vice president Cheney be indicted, but making sure(and this is just conjecture) that Rove faced no charges in the case. It does bear on my case that the reason that Plame's identity was revealed in the first place was to discredit her husband Joe Wilson, who had been gathering proof of the WMD fabrication that led us into this debacle in Iraq in the first place.

Did I call him a murderer? yes...do I stand by that based on all indications that the intelligence given to Congress as evidence to support the Iraq invasion was flawed? ABSOLUTELY. Now, in my defense, it would have been only a matter of time before Iraq would have forced the world's hand into acting against them, but the method we used alienated us from much of the world, including the UN.

Guantanamo..don't even get me started. Standing on the semantics that just because this is not a specifically declared war that we don't have to follow the Geneva conventions...well that's just bullshit. If we had a large group of troops captured, we would demand under these same conventions that they be treated fairly, yet we see no reason to abide by these same international regulations! Only now, after the supreme court ruled that Bush cannot convene military tribunals, did we finally, after several years of captivity in some cases, begin treating these captives with the rights that they should be allowed by the conventions

I'm tired of writing for now...if there needs to be more proof, I will provide it. One more thing...I have to address the attack on former president Clinton. Now, I'm not going to sit here and say he did nothing wrong...I'm not that blind. HOWEVER, until Bill Clinton lied to the country about the situation with Monica Lewinski, he had done NOTHING that the country needed to know about. The impeachment proceedings against him were levied for something in his private life that affected no one but himself, Monica and his family. Even Jefferson, one of the great creators of this country had an affair. Yes, he lied about the tryst, but not until a completely unnecessary public witch hunt was convened. If you look at the progress that Clinton created, rather than the one smudge on his presidential resume, he did worlds of good for this country...he got us out of Iraq the first time, he lowered the national debt SIGNIFICANTLY, he made joblessness a priority, he got a balanced budget through a republican congress and many other important legislation, but all we remember is a blowjob. Pretty pathetic, in my opinion. I would take 1000 Clintons over Bush anyday. This is just my opinion and I welcome comments and questions...further debates will be responded to with discretion...I'm done for now...thanks for the reply, Tom...you killed my whole evening, making me think about this

UPDATE: I've had a night to consider some of what I wrote last night and I want to make a little retraction. In the last couple entries, I've referred to our president as a murderer, and although it's not technically a wrong assessment, I think I was a little harsh. I will clarify here and say that I believe that Bush is partially responsible for all the lives lost on both sides of the Iraq conflict. It was ultimately the decision of his administration that embroiled us in this conflict, so he takes a share of the responsibility. I'm passionate about this cause more so every day, as my brother in law gets closer and closer to actual deployment. I had a problem with the war before this happened, and now I'm just extra testy about it.

Currently listening:
Outpost
By The Samples
Release date: 16 July, 1996

Ann Coulter...demonizing liberalism

2006-07-13T10:28:00.000-04:00

If you turn on any cable news channel these days, chances are, you will eventually see Ann Coulter's face somewhere in the show. A conservative pundit, Coulter has managed to get herself into the spotlight of pretty much every political arena. It's not by chance or luck that she's there either; she's an extremely intelligent woman. Reading her column just for vocabulary-sake will tell you that. Unfortunately, that intelligence is colored by some of the most conservative views that this world has these days.

I used to wonder just how Coulter got anyone to listen to her...she spews frothy, poisonous rhetoric, taking out anyone in her path that has an opinion, but she makes her point...no matter how insane you and I may think her opinion is on a given manner, she makes her point, and makes it with gusto. In an attempt to better understand the beast, I looked up her bio on Wikipedia. Coulter was raised here in CT, and has a law degree, two things that had somehow escaped my consciousness. So it's not that she doesn't understand the way our government works...it's just that her vitriolic hatred for everything liberal informs EVERYTHING that comes out of her mouth. Her (some might say fanatical) Christian ideals and beliefs help to further structure her views on all topics conservative. She was once heard to say that Jesus died for her sins and nothing else matters. That is a valid belief and you're not going to find me railing against Christianity because I know that I would get in trouble from a few friends who actually read my drivel. I have my own issues with fanatical religion of any type, but I'm not going to air them here...at least not in this entry.

On the surface, Ann Coulter has an impressive academic background. Once within the sphere of her flapping gums, however, that facade just falls apart...I saw her the other night on Donny Deutch's show, and the thing that struck me the most was the sneer she got on her face everytime she said the word liberal. She truly has nothing nice to say about her political polar opposition. I disagree with 98.234% of everything that comes out of her mouth, and that's what drove me to want to know more about her in the first place. I guess I wanted to know what creates a conservative in this country...is it a nature/nurture thing? I mean, we know that religion and religious upbringing helps to set the "battle" lines, but I know plenty of liberals that are religious to the core. What made her this conservative? I probably will never know, but I will stand in disagreement with everything she stands for until I know...and then will probably continue as such even if it IS ever explained.

Ann throws around the word treason like it's a frisbee, and that pisses me off. She demonizes 9/11 widows that happen to support democrats, as if that makes them evil...as if democrats want to feed 9/11 widows to starving, cloned, gay, prochoice wolverines. She thinks Clinton's sexual indiscretions are treasonous, but thinks Bush is a hero to the Iraqi people. This is my own opinion, but I think Ann is batshit crazy. If you are interested in reading some of her latest plagiarized work, pick up her new book Godless. Unlike Coulter, I can cite my proof of her plagiarism: Check out The Rude Pundit, bearing in mind that his blog is at least R-rated, and not suited for the faint of heart. He makes his point, but is crass and, as the title states, Rude.

Ok...enough for now. I have to go look up how to get Ann Coulter's snobby voice out of my nightmares.

Currently listening:
Commit This to Memory
By Motion City Soundtrack
Release date: 07 June, 2005

2006-07-05T15:21:00.000-04:00

A man is dead and I am sad. Normally, this would be the end of my statement; no one deserves to die before their time, so an untimely end is an unhappy occasion. But today, that man is Kenneth Lay - a man who in October would have been sentenced to a good long time in prison for his part in the Enron scandal, which lost many good hard-working Americans their life savings. Lay, a close personal friend of Dubya, died early today of an apparent heart attack.
I feel for his family and their loss, but more than that I feel for the people who were bilked - a word that I don't use lightly, because that's what Enron did - out of their money. I feel bad that those people will never see Lay behind bars, suffering in a federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison.
A co-worker pointed out that he's probably burning in hell right now, but I wanted him to pay a bit for his crime before retiring to the firey pit where he belongs.
I know I'm going a bit over the edge, but were it not for the unfortunate heart attack, the sixty-something Lay had some time left to rot in prison before succumbing to old age. Kenny, do me a favor, and keep a red hot poker ready for Karl Rove...I'm sure you guys will have fun down there when he joins you.

Currently listening: Eyes Open By Snow Patrol Release date: By 09 May, 2006

Insurgents band together...

2006-06-28T15:40:00.000-04:00

And tell us to get our troops the fuck out of their country....

8 of the 10 main insurgent groups have banded together and approached the new Iraqi government with a proposal. If the US and Iraqi governments can come up with a 2-yr timetable for the withdrawal of coalition(I have to put this because it's not just US troops...yet)troops from Iraq, then the insurgents will stop their devastating attacks.

Now, I know this sort of falls under the parley of not negotiating with terrorists, but hypothetically, if we were to agree to this, we would have 2 years to clean things up before getting our troops back home. And hey, if they go back on their word and resume their attacks and suicide bombs, we can say, "DEAL'S OFF!" In my mind, it's a win-win.

Some may say that there are still 2 groups that are not agreeing to this, but I think if the other 8 groups are serious, they will either convince the stragglers or do what they can to keep the agreement.

I know I'm being idealistic here, but even if it's partially possible, I think we should try to meet them half-way...it keeps iraqi and military deaths to a minimum and gives our troops and their families at home something to look forward to...just a thought...

Currently listening:
A Fever You Can't Sweat Out
By Panic! At The Disco
Release date: 27 September, 2005

Flag Burning

2006-06-28T10:24:00.000-04:00

As with every other American child, I said the pledge of allegiance every morning in school. I put my hand over my heart and stared at the flag, reciting the pledge they taught us on the first day of school. That flag is our symbol to the world. It shows our stars and stripes, our pride. To burn that flag is a showing of immense displeasure with our country or its government. It is a form of protest that gets attention and at the moment, our right to burn the flag as a form of protest is under fire. Yesterday, the Senate voted to ban flag burning, only losing by one vote. ONE VOTE?? So pretty much there's a lot of chicken shit senators who want to be reelected at mid term, so they're afraid to ruffle a few feathers. More importantly, why is flag burning important enough to take up the Senate's time? We're in the middle of a military disaster, our president is abusing his power right and left, our citizens are yelling at the top of their lungs about jobs and healthcare, and these bastards are wasting time with a flag burning ban!!!??

How did these people get elected? Why can't we get people in congress who actually want to make this country a better place instead of just helping retarded special interest groups?

Currently reading:
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell : A Novel
By Susanna Clarke
Release date: 11 August, 2005

Supporting the Troops

2006-06-26T13:24:00.001-04:00

This weekend, I had the fortune to be in attendance at the Armory in Hartford this weekend, among the thralls of people, to see off the 1087 Transportation division of the CT National Guard. Among them is my brother-in-law, Eran. First of all, let me just tell you that the building is fairly imposing, even without all of the people in military dress. We walked into this large gymnasium and, as we entered, we were handed a yellow ribbon and an american flag on a stick. Finding our seat, I looked around at the gathered masses, all eyes staring at the troops in formation in the center of the floor. Seeing this site, it was hard not to feel just a bit patriotic. The ceremony began with remarks by some high ranking CT military people, introducing a state senator, a us rep for CT, our governor, Jodi Rell, the attorney general, Richard Blumenthal, and a couple other people...I'd be more specific, but the soundsystem made everyone sound like adults in the old Charlie Brown movies. Having no idea what anyone was saying, I was relegated to clapping and waving the flag when people closer did.

After the thing was over, I spent my last evening hanging with my brother-in-law and wished him well. I told him to be careful, and come home safely to my sister-in-law. What didn't I say? I didn't tell him to kill some Iraqis. Do you ever notice in those old movies about war that the family of the departing are always full of piss and vinegar to have their family member kill someone on the opposite side? Were people in WWII really so gung ho to "kill some Japs(or Krauts)"? That's not what Iraq is about...now the paramount concern isn't how many kills...the number should stay as low as possible...the more pressing need is to just come home.

One more thing...while at the armory, I purchased one of those wristbands...you know the ones...Lance Armstrong made the yellow ones so famous with his cancer charity. The one I got was a camoflauge one that says support the troops. Since this conflict in Iraq began, I think this is the first time I actively thought about supporting them. Of course, I want them to know that we want them to be safe and come home and know that we think they're doing a great job, but having Eran on the verge of going over there, support gets a new meaning. It means that I will pay the 3.00 for the wristband and wear it every chance I'll get, but it also means that I'll double my efforts to make my voice heard about bringing these troops home. I know it's selfish to be just bringing myself into this now, but I have a vested interest, so here we go

BRING THEM HOME!!

...that's all for now.

Currently listening:
Eyes Open
By Snow Patrol
Release date: 09 May, 2006

Get our troops the hell out!!!

2006-06-23T08:57:00.000-04:00

For those who believe in the war and say that if we leave Iraq, the terrorists will just attack us at home, that argument doesn't work because if you read this article, I think it's a little late for that. So bring the troops home so they can guard our large buildings and national monuments. Iraq is a lost cause.

I know I sound pessimistic, but my brother-in-law just got deployed, and I'm bummed, and to be perfectly honest, I want him to come back safely.

Currently listening:
Closer
By Better Than Ezra
Release date: 07 August, 2001

The War Over Fluff

2006-06-21T11:24:00.008-04:00

Massachussetts, one of the thirteen original colonies, the home of some of the most rabid baseball fans, Massholes(drivers in MA are insane), the site of many historical battles and sites, now the site of one of the epic battles of our time. The War of the Fluff!

On the floor of the state Senate, a war is currently raging over Fluff...yes, that delectable, delicious sugary treat that goes so well with peanut butter. It seems that one of the state senators became enraged after finding out that his son had been served a Peanut butter and fluff sandwich at school, and now he is sponsoring a bill to outlaw selling the delicious sandwich as school lunch more than once a week as the primary meal. The senator, Jarret Barrios, is facing ooey-gooey marshmallowey opposition from Kathi-Anne Reinstein, a fellow democrat, who represents the district of Revere, MA, where the concoction is made. Instead, Reinstein believes the sandwich should be made the official sandwich of Massachusetts.

This could get ugly...I'm picturing fluff wrestling...whatever the outcome, the only thing that is clear is the pure and simple taste of fluff. Happy fluffing!!

Here is a link to the original story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060621/ap_on_fe_st/fluff_fight_3

Currently listening:
Dream to Make Believe
By Armor for Sleep
Release date: 03 June, 2003

A Bit of reflection brought to you by the Rude Pundit

2006-06-19T12:17:00.001-04:00

I like to think that most of the time, I come across as an eloquent and insightful writer, but occasionally, I read something that strikes me to the core and I understand that I don't have quite the gift that others do. The following is taken from today's posting from the Rude Pundit. You can find his blog at http://www.rudepundit.blogspot.com I will warn you that he is extremely cruel and profane at times, but he has a point to his madness when he is doing so. He is a liberal pundit, so if you don't like to see conservatives bashed, it's probably not the site for you. That said, please check out the following and let me know how you react to this. I know it struck a chord with me!

FROM THE RUDE PUNDIT:

"6/19/2006

Two Captured American Soldiers and the Implied "What If":
Chances are, maybe even by the time you read this, the two American soldiers, captured by Mujahideen Shura Council in Iraq, will be dead, probably in some horrible way, probably with their bodies dumped like all the horribly murdered Iraqis in the blood and gore-strewn landscape that are the markers of Iraqi liberation. The Rude Pundit can't help thinking, though, about the implied "What if" of the capture, on the field of battle, of American soldiers, prisoners of war, if you will.

What if we get pictures of the soldiers, nude, cowering, screaming in a corner, shitting themselves on the filthy floors of a makeshift cell, as their captors hold snarling dogs on leashes just out of bite range of the soldiers?

What if we learn that their captors decide that the soldiers can offer intelligence that can be of use to al-Qaeda and, in order to get that information, the captors put the nude soldiers into rooms that are heated to hellish temperatures, followed by rooms that are impossibly cold with colder water tossed onto them? What if the soldiers are made to stand for days on end? Put into stress positions that fuck up their muscles and limbs? Denied sleep? Had loud music played into their cells? Kept in isolation and fed bread and water for days, weeks on end?

What if they strap one or both of those Americans to a board and hold them underwater until their drowning reflex forces them to panic, thrash, claw desperately for air, only to be brought up to breathe and then placed underwater again? And again? Until the captors get the answers they seek?

What if those captors take the nude, sleep-deprived, shit and piss-covered, nearly drowned and dog-frightened American soldiers and handcuff them to beds with women's panties on their heads, snapping photographs and laughing, talking about publishing the photos so that everyone can see the soldiers with their panty-sniffing heads and terror-shriveled cocks, so that all of al-Qaeda can laugh at what pussies Americans can be made to seem?

What if, and, really, does it need to be said, they are made to stand, hooded, with faux electrodes attached to their nuts and fingers, told that if they don't start answering questions, well, testicles only can take so much electroshock before they just pop like squeezed grapes?

What will our government do? What could it do? Could it condemn the actions as not abiding by the Geneva Conventions? Could it call the actions "torture"? Could it demand accountability? Could it demand that the soldiers be treated as POWs? Could it simply say, "Well, we don't do that shit...anymore"?

And what about the good right-wing punditry? Would Rush Limbaugh look at the photos of the nude, cowering Americans and say it looks like fraternity hazing or some such shit? Would others dismiss it as a media fabrication? Or would they just pathetically overlook everything done in our American names to Iraqis, Afghanis, and others, calling madly for the heads of the captors, not even thinking about the irony of such a statement?

It goes without saying, but, considering the times, perhaps it needs to be said: the Rude Pundit wishes none of this on Privates Thomas Tucker and Kristian Menchaca. He hopes they are found or released safe and sound. But he also wishes none of this on our prisoners, whether in Iraq, at Gitmo, or in secret prisons or countries of rendition where fuck-all can happen with no law, no regulation, no hope to bespeak our putative humanity."

Currently listening:
Foiled
By Blue October
Release date: 04 April, 2006

I hate being conscious of what is happening in the political arena!

2006-06-07T10:06:00.000-04:00

Those of you who know me have a good idea where I lean on most things, politically speaking. Yes, I am one of those liberal democrats that the current administration is so intent on convincing you are evil. So it will probably come as no surprise that the revived fight about gay marriage on the senate floor is completely incensing and offending me.

I am not a homosexual, but I do have many friends that are, and even if I did not, I support their rights much like my ancestors supported rights for blacks and women. I believe that scientifically, homosexuality is not a choice, but a state of being that you are born with. That's my opinion.

Now, there are those out there that would defend marriage as the oldest religious institution that we have, dating back to the Garden of Eden. In my honest opinion, there are SO many things wrong with that idea.

First and MOST important, if marriage is a religious institution, then the government should not be debating it in any public arena, let alone the US Senate floor. It goes back to that whole church/state separation set down many years ago. Also, I happen to be a Christian, and was married in a church, but what about people who don't get married in a church? My wife's sister married her husband on a mountain top, and it was presided over by a Justice of the Peace...does that mean their marriage is not legit?

Some would also say that gay marriage is going to have a negative effect on the meaning and significance of marriage in our country. To that I say, how can it realistically get any worse? The percentage of heterosexual marriages that end in divorce is astronomical. What is wrong with a few more marriages that might actually succeed. Gay marriage does nothing to destabilize the institution. Marriage can easily be defined as a life commitment between two people who love each other and want to spend their entire lives together.

Monogamy is monogamy. There is no slippery slope that the Conservatives are spewing about. The number of people who wish to practice polygamy or other CHOICES are few and far between.

I think the most heinous part of the whole debate is using the biblical excuse. The old testament god, who routinely destroyed cities and the entire world and used a whole fire and brimstone approach toward mankind. Some think that god is still in charge, but those same people also read the new testament and believe in the forgiveness of sins that Jesus provided. Did Jesus preach hatemongering and discrimination? No, he was all about inclusion, and love thy neighbor, no matter their differences. This debate is not, and will probably never be, over. Hell, there are still many people out there who are racist and sexist, even though women, blacks and minorities are all equal in the law's eyes.

Thankfully, there are still a few senators who have not lost total control of their faculties. The democrats, and a few brave republicans are opposing the amendment to impose a ban on gay marriage. It's not a federal issue. Get back to important things, like getting our troops out of Iraq.

Currently listening:
Ganging Up on the Sun
By Guster
Release date: 20 June, 2006

one step forward and two steps back!

2006-04-28T14:38:00.000-04:00

I'm sick and tired of president Bush's need to screw two things up for every one that he does properly. Earlier this week, I regaled you with the good and bad #1. Bush had put a suspension on deposits into the reserves, which would provide more fuel to be refined, hopefully causing a downturn in the oil futures market. Then an hour later, he lowered environmental regulations on refineries, which may also speed up the refining process, but would serve to also further his plans of KILLING OUR PLANET!

Today, Bush gave a speech rejecting Congress' plan to review and tax the profits of the big oil conglomerates, as a stop-gap measure to try to lower fuel prices further, and also get some much-needed tax revenue. Now there are 2 sides to this...there is (1) why he actually did it, and (2) his plans for the money that would otherwise go to the federal government..

(1) His interests and the interests of his friends in high places in the oil industry prevent him from doing anything adverse to the exorbitant profits that companies like Chevron and Exxon are taking. Exxon just reported an 8 BILLION DOLLAR profit just in the first quarter of 2006...that's 89 million dollars that they made A DAY!!! Just imagine getting 3.7 million dollars an hour in wages, and then you can comprehend that.

and

(2) His idea is that, instead of taking the money in tax revenue, he suggests that the large conglomerates use the profits to develop some type of alternate fuel source. UHH...yeah right! They're going to use their profits to create something to compete with themselves? I don't care how much it will be worth at the time that it's perfected, they're not going to burn money on alternate fuels when they can just continue to make more money on the fuel that they're selling now.

The man has no brain in his head whatsoever.

Currently listening:
Phantoms
By Acceptance
Release date: 26 April, 2005

Student’s Novel Faces Plagiarism Controversy

2006-04-26T14:26:00.001-04:00

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=512948

THIS PISSES ME OFF!!!

I have some HUGE issues with this story. I saw this young girl on the Today Show this morning, apologizing for the gaffe of having similar passages in her book as established writer Megan McCafferty. I've read the passages that were compared, and, yes, they are indeed similar. The girl, 19 year old Kaavya Viswanathan, admits to having read the McCafferty books in high school, but that they had no conscious influence on her word choices. Now, as much as I understand miss McCafferty's unhappiness at this seeming lack of originality, but Viswanathan has insisted that she didn't intentionally copy anything, but, unless you're James Joyce or Anthony Burgess, there are only a finite number of words in the English language, and they can only be combined in certain ways. It is only natural that certain styles of writing that one is most familiar with will stick in the subconscious.

It has been said that if you put infinite monkeys in a room with infinite typewriters for long enough that they will eventually, through finite extraction, type Hamlet. Now, this is much more specific than that, but Viswanathan states that she didn't even use the McCafferty novels as a reference when writing, instead, they sat on her shelf at home while she sat at Harvard, typing away.

This unfortunate incident also harbors the distinct possibility of hurting this girl's college career. While the Harvard honor code applies in its penalties only to academic work, a certain degree of moral conduct is expected of all Harvard students. Now, it's not my decision what happens to Kaavya Viswanathan, but it seems to me that she did nothing wrong, she's already apologized, and stated that she will make changes to the novel to remedy the similarities.

Here come the thought police, because I thought something that someone else thought during the Crusades!

Currently watching:
Crash (Widescreen Edition)
Release date: 06 September, 2005

See...I told you it wouldn't last long...

2006-04-25T12:21:00.001-04:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060425/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_15

Just when I was finished sending that last entry, I see this note come over the AP wire. C'mon, this is pure politics. I'm going to do something REALLY good over here, so you're going to watch this, and then over here where you're not looking I'm going to do something else that masks itself as something to complement what I just did, but in reality, it's self serving and morally wrong.

Bush has just lowered environmental restrictions on gasoline producers, which albeit makes them able to faster produce fuel for our rabid consumerism, but also takes a big shovel and smacks the environment over the head.

Make no mistake, if Bush had his way, the beautiful arctic landscape of alaska would be plowed under to make way for Oil fields and the LARGEST Walmart the world has ever seen...seriously...it would have condos.

You take the good, you take the bad
More bad than good, and then you have
The facts of Bush!

Currently listening:
Opaline
By Dishwalla
Release date: 23 April, 2002

Bush suspends oil reserve deposits

2006-04-25T11:08:00.001-04:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060425/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_12

For the past month, gas prices have been rising at a more than steady pace, and Bush has decided that enough is enough, so, for the time being, he is suspending our deposits into the national oil reserve. This will make more petroleum available for refinement, and should help to ease the burden that these prices have been creating on the collective American wallet.

For the record, those who know me, or who read my ramblings, will tell you that I am not a huge fan of the Bush administration, having found little that they have done properly in the past 6 years, but every once in a while, he does something that shows that he's not totally oblivious to the plight of the average american. This is one of those moments, and I want to give him credit for it...it doesn't happen often, so I figure I have a small window of opportunity before he goes and does something else that will infuriate me.

So, before I can't say it anymore, good job, Dubya!

Currently listening:
The Everglow
By Mae
Release date: 29 March, 2005

OH F$%.!!!!! Bush competes on penis size with Irani President

2006-04-18T15:38:00.001-04:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060418/ts_nm/nuclear_iran_dc_15

We are SO SCREWED!!!

That being said, I don't know that there is a GOOD way to respond to Iran's president's boasting regarding his military prowess. I guess we can assume that he just has a tiny penis. That is, of course, unless he's reading this, in which case, I would have to say...All our infidels are hiding in Mexico...

Before I incense anymore entire countries, let me just point out that Bush is being hypocritical here...not ruling out the possibility of a nuclear strike against iran flies right in the face of his claims last week that this crisis will only solved if done diplomatically....now, Bush has the diplomacy of a steak knife, so I took that report with a grain of salt, but this newly reaffirmed belief in Nuke-You-Ler weapons as a possible course of action scares the shit out of me. What would stop him from having one "go off course" into Iraq if he was actually given the launch codes. We all know that Cheney gave him madlibs instead.

Ok, I'm gonna go back to my vintage cold war bunker and pray that I don't have to kiss my ass goodbye.

In Recovery

2006-03-31T11:30:00.002-05:00

So I know that it's been almost a week since last weekend, but I'm only now starting to regain any degree of lucidity. Les Miserable last Wednesday was amazing...the lead was the original understudy for Jean Valjean on Broadway, so that was pretty cool. Billy Joel was awesome. The man played for like 3 hours...such a great entertainer. The weekend is much more hazy, if I'm being completely honest. It involved A LOT of alcohol, some barhopping, some Billiards, and more alcohol. One thing that was in short supply was sleep. It pretty much didn't happen. I've been kind of a mess all week at work...I've gotten my work done, but I always seem to start dozing at about 2:30.

Had our first rehearsal with the newest member of Simple Proof. We officially decided on a bassist, and his name is Pete Kessel. YAY!!! No more auditions!

Many thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims of the ferry sinking in Bahrain, and the earthquakes in Iran.

Currently reading:
The Templar Legacy : A Novel
By Steve Berry
Release date: 21 February, 2006

What is this circular thing I just carved from stone and why is it rolling?

2006-03-21T12:09:00.000-05:00

I think that sometimes I work too hard...you know, trying to reinvent the wheel in my blogging. I try to be expressly witty and groundbreaking while giving my opinion on whatever topic I'm trying to present. I do, however, know full-well that there is someone out there who just said the same thing, and there's a chance that they probably even said it better. There's always going to be someone that is more articulate than me...I know that. It's my saying it and articulating it in my own way that makes it worth typing in the first place.
Why am I even bothering with this entry? I don't honestly know...maybe it's just on my mind...maybe it's the Tylenol Cold I'm hopped up on...who knows? All I know is that I'm writing it...will you read it? If you've gotten this far, the answer would be yes!

That's all for now. Gearing up for a big rest of this week. Les Miserable tickets for tomorrow night, Billy Joel on Thursday, and a weekend of God-only-knows in NYC with KC and Steve from my band. Looking forward, I'd say that this cold I have can ONLY get worse...YAY!!!

Currently watching:
Waiting... (Widescreen Edition)
Release date: 07 February, 2006

The Pen is mightier...indeed

2006-02-02T16:44:00.004-05:00

If ever there was a case in which the pen is mightier than the sword, this is it. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060202/ap_on_re_mi_ea/prophet_drawings

The Muslim world has been worked into a frenzy over a caraciture of the prophet Muhammed wearing a turban shaped like a bomb. Some are mad because, as I understand it, it is against Muslim law to draw Muhammad, as it could lead to idolatry, taking some of the focus off Allah. Others object to the simple implication of kinship of Muhammad and terrorism. Still, others just think it's a bad likeness and think the artist should find another day job.

Seriously, though, this issue seems to be catalyzing the entire religion. All around the world, Muslims are protesting this issue in front of European Union facilities. At least for today, this unity and concord of voices from the Muslim world seems like more of a threat than the current issues in Iran and Israel.
The editor of the paper who allowed the cartoon to be printed was summarily fired for the gaff. The Muslim world and Islamic agencies are calling for a public apology from the newspaper. If ever there was a time that Muslims didn't need further reason to hate the West, this is it. I'm no expert, but the issues throughout the Middle East seem to be building to a head. Now, whether that should change anything in our foreign policy with the Middle East, I don't know. I do know that we are setting up a delicate situation with Iraq still in chaos, Iran being petulant about their nuclear status, Pakistan pissed because we did an unsanctioned bombing on their soil(and didn't even get the guy we were targeting), and Israel in the political hands of a supremely capable terrorist group.

As much as I have railed against Bush, and personally think he's one of the worst things to happen to this country in some time, I do not envy his position right now. His decisions regarding Iraq aside, he may be forced to make some difficult foreign policy decisions in the coming months that could make or break this rock we call Earth. Me, I'm gonna cross my fingers and hope he makes the right ones, not for his legacy, but for his people.

Currently listening:
How To Save A Life
By The Fray
Release date: 13 September, 2005

And we thought OUR court system was bogged down by ridiculous garbage!

2006-01-27T14:47:00.002-05:00

Am I crazy? Now before you jump to the quick answer, let me quantify that statement. Hasn't it already been proven pretty much beyond a shadow of a doubt that the man, Jesus of Nazareth actually lived on this earth somewhere around 2000 years ago? If so, then explain this: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060127/ap_on_re_eu/did_jesus_exist

Now I don't care what religion you are(unless you're a scientologist... they're just plain nutjobs). you can worship at the altar of Jessica Alba if you wish, and I won't look at you weird. And if you don't subscribe to a particular religion or think it's all "hoo-ey" as my friend's mom used to say, that's cool too. That's your prerogative. If you are a christian then this court case that is gearing up flies in the face of everything you've been taught. If you're not, you've probably at least heard of this book that we've come to know as the BIBLE. Now, not everything in the book can be considered historical, what with all the water-to-wine's and raisings from the dead, but those people that, it's been written, put Jesus to death...they actually lived here on this earth. King Herod, Pontius Pilate, and the Pharisees(sp?) all are historically accurate from this time...Now, there are other documents from the time, aside from the Bible, that mention Jesus.

So again I will ask, why is there a court case, in Italy of all places, debating what has been previously established as historical fact? Now, if I'm completely off base, or i missed that 48 Hours Exclusive where they decided that it's possible that Jesus himself is a parable, please correct me, but if not, c'mon folks...next people are going to be saying the holocaust didn't happen...what? Someone already tried that one? ok...I give up!

Shock and Awe

2005-12-15T12:16:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows me can attest to my hatred for the Bush administration, and the republican ideal. In a time where the American people have been lied to about virtually everything, we have tax cuts for the super-rich, bible-thumping judge appointments, and a war that gets compared to Vietnam more with each passing day. It's like a carnival sideshow. You never know what's going to be behind the next curtain.

In a move that can only be taken from the playbook of the Military, Bush gave shock and awe new meaning on Wednesday as he shouldered the full responsibility for the decision to go to war with Iraq over oil(oops...he didn't say that part). In a departure from the Republican ideals of lying and finger-pointing, Bush stepped up to the mic yesterday, and took the burden of that decision fully on himself. My first reaction was shock...I mean, why would he take responsibility for this? It could create a "slippery slope" and force him to take further steps in taking responsibility for the other failures of the Bush administration. Of course, right after declaring his responsibility for declaring war in the face of opposition and flawed intelligence info, he went right back to talking points 1-50, defending just that decision.

I then came around to awe...Bush has recently been experiencing a slump of sorts. After his record high approval ratings following 9-11, little by little, Bush's job rating has dropped off, with little signs of changing direction. The public perception is that he simply doesn't care what the citizens who elected him think. This move, actually taking responsibility for one of his actions has potential...if some dumb shits in the world actually fall for it, his ratings can only increase, and judging by the ghastly number of morons out there who reelected him, he'll be back into the high 60s in no time.

But don't worry, Jim Bob and Billy Joe...he'll make sure you get your tax break of 1 penny come April, so just keep thinking you did the right thing.

Politicking Me Off

2005-10-27T11:18:00.002-04:00

It's been way too long since I've written here. Sorry..I've been busy.

Well, Harriet Miers has torpedoed her own nomination...thank god. This is the only thing I've ever agreed with Ann Coulter on, and that scares me...if even Ann "spawn of satan" coulter agrees on this, Miers must be truly evil.

Is there any good news coming out of Washington these days? All that's in the political news is the CIA leak investigation, which threatens to consume the careers and black souls of Karl Rove, Scooter Libby and possibly even the grand puba himself, "I'm a" Dick Cheney. Then you have Tom Delay getting booked and printed in preparation for his trial over campaign embezzlement...that man scares me, and you want to know why? This is why:

This is Tom Delay's mugshot. Have you ever seen a man in more denial of exactly how much trouble he could be in...It sickens me to picture how quickly he could get raped in prison.

Of all the low down, dirty, rotten...

2005-09-21T16:04:00.001-04:00

Say that you're a businessman and are looking to make a quick buck. You want to join the ranks of the alcohol producers in America and you're looking for a new concept. What to name it? Hmm...

Jackass Boss:Give me a hot-button issue...any hot button issue...one that everyone in America knows about.

Soul-less ad man:Hey boss, how about that hurricane that devastated the gulf coast and killed a whole slough of people...

Boss: What about it...you want to donate a bunch of liquor to a bunch of poor minorities who lost their homes?

Soul-less Ad man: No we can name a drink after the hurricane...

Boss: That's so wrong...so wrong it just might work...now we need a soul-sucking slogan that will help us sell our devil hooch.

Ad man: hmm...let's see...Katrina...it'll clear the ghettos before the hangover is done?

Boss: No...to subtle...how about something a little more etherial. We'll put a picture of the satellite image on the label and then something catchy.

Ad man: Let me brainstorm...ha ha storm...get wrecked like a category 4...

Boss:No

Ad man: Get Blown Away

Boss: hmm...nah

Ad man: The eye of the storm.

Boss: C'mon that sucks...

Ad man: Floods your senses like broken Levees in New Orleans...

No...that's too funny. We need something serious. Like...Get Blown Away...

Ad man: I already...no...that's great...

check it out here. Thanks to the Smoking Gun for the link. Fucking Jackasses and their reckless, greedy capitalism...one more reason to love our great capitalistic society.

Emmys

2005-09-19T10:01:00.000-04:00

Last night, like many people probably did, I sat down and suffered through the Emmy's. I love Ellen Degeneres as a comic, but she was thoroughly unfunny as the hostess. I know this was a more somber occasion with thoughts still on Katrina, but talk about boring...at least some good shows actually got awards that they deserved, though. EXCEPT RAYMOND. Thank GOD that show is off the air and this was the last year that they could win awards they didn't deserve. That show was RARELY funny, and ALWAYS uncomfortable to watch...I know that we're a country of peeping toms, and we like other peoples' misery, but that show just made my skin crawl...so many other funnier shows to get awards that just got overlooked. But anywho...

shit...I was going to change the subject, but I just remembered how much I hate Patricia Heaton...I only mildly disliked her on Raymond, but then she became the spokesperson for Shaws supermarkets, and suddenly, it was on...I HATE her!!! After last night, I DESPISE her. She didn't clap for Johnny Carson when EVERYONE ELSE did, she looked bored the whole night, except for when she was onstage, and she didn't clap for the Peter Jennings memoriam, and when Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw got a standing ovation, she looked as if she was pissed she had to get her big ass out of her seat...

Kicking the soapbox aside, glad to see Desperate Housewives and Lost get their due and the DAILY SHOW get their well-deserved Emmys. For me, the only funny parts were John Stewart's butchered speech about politics, and the little snippets of Family Guy. Better luck next year.

Back from vacation and ready to grouse

2005-08-19T17:35:00.009-04:00

Just back from vacation. It was nice to relax, and then I turn on the news and I get all worked up again. Seriously, though, every time I think that I cannot get any more diametrically opposed to conservativism, they push me further left.

The latest shove deals with the same usual suspects: Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin(the latest addition to my list of right wingnuts),and [insert another conservative whack job here]. They have officially hit a new height to their vitriolic hatred of anyone sane. Their target: Cindy Sheehan.

I tried to hold off, not write about this story even though it makes me so angry, but I really cannot abide them crucifying this woman, whose only goal is to talk to the president about her dead son. It was Bush who posited WMDs as a cause for war, it was Bush who sent WMD experts, including Casey Sheehan, over to Iraq, and it was his presence there that led directly to his death. It can only be expected that Cindy Sheehan would want some answers from the man that sent her son to die. To emphasize her point, Ms. Sheehan has set up camp outside Bush's ranch in Crawford, TX, and has said she will not leave until she gets some answers, or until he concludes his marathon length vacation of the stars.

The conservative media is attacking Sheehan from all sides. From nutjob central, Ann Coulter has released her latest steaming pile of column, stating, and I quote, "Call me old-fashioned, but a grief-stricken war mother shouldn't have her own full-time PR flack. After your third profile on "Entertainment Tonight," you're no longer a grieving mom; you're a C-list celebrity trolling for a book deal or a reality show."
How lovely that Ann can be so candid and "old-Fashioned"... I would just call it stupid, and pardon the phrase, cunty. This woman is down there, doing what she believes is right, and here she is being besieged by the media. Not only does Coulter call her, in not so many words, an opportunist, but she also goes a step further, labeling her a COMMUNIST, citing her vigil as a "Stalinist agitprop." I would love to take Ann Coulter's kid and drop them in a war zone to get riddled by bullets or road side bombs, to see how a conservative grieves, but no one wants to get in the family way with the frigid bitch.

As if Coulter's tactics weren't sickening enough, Bill O'Reilly's newest remora, sucking away at his pundit teet, Michelle Malkin chose a different tack, choosing to publish the divorce papers Sheehan's husband has recently had drawn up. I know that these are public record, but I don't think that it is relevant to Sheehan's struggle. Why sling more mud at a woman who already lost enough? Because it's the conservative machine's way of taking the knees out from beneath someone who cannot be brought down fairly.

And if the conservative base isn't trying to take her down a notch, there are plenty of redneck neighbors who are plenty content to plow through with a pickup. Larry Northern, a resident of nearby Waco, TX, drove through a field of crosses that Sheehan erected alongside the road in front of Bush's ranch. Now, I know what you may be thinking...an accident, right? Not with the two chains attached and dragging a pipe. A red-stater, if I've ever seen one...so "for" the war, he'll desecrate symbolic graves of its soldiers in order so it can continue...Glad to see that they're still around. I'm not even going to get into Justice Sunday II...you can read a much more vitriolic review by my new favorite political writer, the rude pundit!

P.S. caught Bill Maher's latest comedy special on HBO this weekend. If you have a chance, check it out. Very politically-minded, and thought-provoking, as well as funny.

2004-04-14T15:56:00.000-04:00

Just testing out the new blog...God, Blog...you're incredibly sexy.