Say hello to your new (ticket)master

If you don't feel like paying even higher prices than you already pay to attend concerts and sporting events, contact the DOJ and voice your displeasure with the proposed Ticketmaster and Live Nation merger. See below for more information.

antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov

American Antitrust Institute's White Paper TICKETMASTER - LIVE NATION

Ticketdisaster.org

Public Interest Groups Call on Justice Department to Block Ticketmaster/LiveNation/Comcast Merger

Palin's answer to a question by the equivalent of the Canadian "Colbert Report"

Ha. Ha. Ha.

Palin is like a Teddy Ruxpin with a "Conservative Talking Points for Dummies" tape in her.

Leaders of the new world...

We are the city upon a hill.... surrounded by land mines.

Who would have thought the U.S. would need landmines to defend our country? Seems a little old-fashioned, no? You don't think the nukes are effective enough?

U.S. won't join landmine ban, administration decides

The reality on the ground...

'Relax, Brother': Exclusive Video Shows Taliban Attack That Killed 9 U.S. Soldiers at Afghan Post

Watching this video made me even more convinced that we need to end the Afghanistan War.

1. I can't even begin to imagine what our soldiers are going through over there, and if this is any indication, it sure as hell ain't good.

2. Where the hell are these Taliban fighters getting all the damn RPGs from? Are they handing them out like lollipops over there? I mean really. Almost everyone of them has one.

3. Notice what the Taliban fighter at the end of the video says about wanting all the foreigners out and the reporter says about the Taliban controlling the areas outside of Kabul. I hope people realize that as long as we have a sizable military presence there, we are always going to have people fighting against us, which in turn, destabilizes the country. This is pretty much why the corrupt Karzai government might as well be called the Govt of Kabul, not the Govt of Afghanistan.

On that note, I hope Obama isn't the next LBJ and he instead flips the script and decides to send no additional troops and starts bringing the ones we have there home. It will surely be an unpopular move in our hawkish country, and he will be chastised endlessly by Republicans trying to score political points, but it is the right thing to do long-term for America. He might lose the 2012 election, but at least history will show he made the right decision.

The reality is that there is no military solution to Afghanistan. The people there need to determine their own future and establish their own government. We should support those among them who are pro-democracy, and give them all the consultation they need on matters regarding infrastructure, elections, governance, etc. However, all the bullets and UAV strikes in the world aren't going to bring democracy to that country or establish a government that is acceptable to the U.S. (at not at onset).

Maybe when one person who is arguing for the continuation of this war can articulate what "winning" means there, and gives me a realistic means of doing so, I will change my mind.

Until then, END THE WAR.

Illegal under the FCPA...

Blackwater Said to Pursue Bribes to Iraq After 17 Died

...let's see if we get any prosecutions. I'm not going to hold my breath on this one.

FCPA = Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

Well thought out analysis of the Afghanistan war and why it should end...

An Open Letter to President Obama

Read this, and then call your senator and congressman/woman and urge them to speak out about this issue. We need to end this war before it bankrupts us and creates blowback like we've never seen.

Has it really become that bad in this country where such a statement is acceptable?

Wow. Bill O, I gotta say, since Beck has been on Fox, you have seemed a lot more moderate as of late, but really? The statement rolls off your tongue so nonchalantly as if to talk about exterminating an entire religious group of 1.3-1.5 billion people would be acceptable if only it were possible.

Can you imagine this being said about any other religious group? The level of intolerance to Islam in this country is seriously astounding.

This just makes me sad.

Hey Neo-Nazis, stop making white people look dumb

I can't stand neo-nazis, but I must say, their idiocy never ceases to amaze me. Case in point. The dumb skin-head in this video yelling about there not being enchiladas in Arizona and how this is America and Mexicans need to go home.

1. I'm not from Phoenix, but I've been there, and I am 100% sure they have enchilad...as, mainly because of my second point.
2. If my hair- and brain-lacking non-friend in the video here read up on some history and stopped making white people look dumb, he would learn that Arizona actually used to be Mexico before we invaded Mexico City during our "Manifest Destiny" (another racist policy) days and forced them to cede to us their Northern Territories.

This also lead me to think, how funny would it be if all of a sudden they pan to a Native American-led protest where they tell white people to go back to Europe because there ain't no tea and krumpets here. All would be complete, and my heart content.

Humans have such a short memory.

Question (Hawkish) Convention

http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/10/28/mccain.afghan.war/index.html

Iraq is a success? Really? Millions of Iraqis and thousands of American soldiers dead, a still fragile security, and for what? What did we succeed in doing besides making sure Saddam got executed? Do we really believe Iraq is better off? Why don't we ask some Iraqis how we feel about that, since once again, it is THEIR country. I love what tunnel vision some of our leaders have.

Secondly, how do we win the war in Afghanistan? Have any of our leaders been able to even define what "winning" means? Hardly. The reality is the people there are starting (and probably have for a while) seen what is going on there as an occupation of their lands. They don't want us there, and they think the Karzai government that we are propping up is a sham (you'd think our leaders would have learned our lessons in Vietnam and South and Central America when it comes to propping up puppet governments). People in this country need to start questioning their leaders as to why Afghanistan is a "war of necessity". We're not fighting them there so they can't fight us here. Unless we plan on taking over the entire world, that line of thinking is bankrupt. Terrorism is a tactic and unless we plan on turning the world into a police state, people will always find somewhere to plan such things (think Somalia, Pakistan, etc etc). The reality is that we need to secure the homeland and use intel and precision strikes to deal with these terrorist organizations. Not massive ground wars that turn entire populations against us. The blow back from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars will haunt us for decades, if not centuries. I hope everyone is ready to explain to their children why "they" hate us, and they sure as hell better not say "because of our freedom".

Wake up people. Silence is complicity.

Afghanistan by the numbers

With all the talk of McChrystal's recent assessment (which has often been severely stretched and twisted by the media), I think it would be good to look at some numbers besides the 20,000 extra American troops that are being asked for.

(From CIA World Factbook, with text in bold done by me for emphasis)
Population of Afghanistan: 28.396 million (July 2009 estimate)
Arable Land: 12.13%
Permanent Crops: 0.21%

Age structure:

0-14 years: 44.5% (male 7,664,670/female 7,300,446)

15-64 years: 53% (male 9,147,846/female 8,679,800)

65 years and over: 2.4% (male 394,572/female 422,603) (2009 est.)

Population Growth Rate: 2.629% (2009 est.)

Net Migration Rate: 21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) (Ranked 2nd in the world) = Brain Drain

Infant Mortality Rate: 151.95 deaths/1,000 live births (ranked 3rd in the world)

Life Expectancy: 44.64 years

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 28.1%

male: 43.1%

female: 12.6% (2000 est.)

School Life expectancy:

total: 8 years

male: 11 years

female: 4 years (2004)

GDP: $22.27 billion (2008 est.) (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Per Capita $700 (2008 est.) (PPP)

Unemployment Rate: 40% (2008 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line: 53% (2003)

% of world's opium produced in Afghanistan: 90%*

American Troops stationed in Afghanistan: 29,950

Total ISAF Troops stationed in Afghanistan: 64,500

Number of Soviet Troops stationed in Afghanistan between 1979-1989: Anywhere from 80,000 -104,000 at one time

A malfunctioning two-party system

Time to Get Real About the ACORN "Controversy"--and Republican Double Standards

He does make a valid point. What is up with the right wingers being able to get this administration to answer at it's beck (no pun intended) and call every time they throw a hissy fit. It happened with Van Jones, the end-of-life counseling legislation (AKA the not-actually "death panels"), and then ACORN. Pathetic. I mean, I'm not endorsing the George W. Bush "you're with us or you're against us" policy, or the ability of his administration to do whatever the hell it wanted regardless of law or public opinion (or by making up "facts" to sway public opinion), but come on.

We're totally screwed. Having a two-party system where one is a bunch of ineffectual flakes and the other proudly flaunts its ignorance (and sometimes intolerance) leads to the American people being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Re: Please reject indefinite detention

Our politicians are useless.

I specifically write this guy about ending indefinite detention, and what does he do? Babble on about respecting the rule of law while totally glossing over the sole reason I wrote to him in the first place. Thanks Ben for informing that the administration has put detainees into 5 categories, one of which is those who may be subject to indefinite detention. Now what the hell are you going to do about it???? Remember, that was the reason I wrote to you. Last time I checked, subjecting detainees to indefinite detention wasn't exactly meeting our international obligations, nor is it the right thing to do. So what was the with semantics you were waxing there?

Holy hell.

===================================================================
Reply from Ben Cardin (D-MD) in response to my email asking him to reject indefinite detention:
===================================================================
Dear Mr. Makowski:

Thank you for contacting me about your concerns regarding the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp in Cuba (GTMO). As Chairman of both the Senate Judiciary Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee and the U.S. Helsinki Commission, I take a special interest in this issue. In July 2009, I chaired a Judiciary subcommittee hearing on this issue, and heard from government and private sector witnesses.

Shortly after taking office, President Obama ordered the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility within one year. I commended President Obama at the time for ordering the closure of the detention center. President Obama is sending a clear message to the world that we are reestablishing the rule of law in the United States, and that we, as a nation, will abide by our international obligations.

I want the U.S. Government to bring terrorist suspects to justice quickly and effectively. We must remain vigilant after the terrorist attacks on our nation of September 11, 2001. But the system we use must meet fundamental and basic rule of law standards. Americans have a right to expect this under the Constitution, and our federal courts will demand it when reviewing a conviction. We would of course expect other nations to use a system that provides no less protection for Americans that are accused of committing crimes abroad and are called before foreign courts.

This May, President Obama classified the remaining Guantanamo detainees into five categories: first, detainees who have violated American criminal laws and can be tried in federal courts; second, detainees who violate the laws of war and can be tried through military commissions; third, detainees ordered released by the courts; fourth, detainees deemed no longer a threat; and fifth, detainees who may be subject to indefinite detention.

My July, 2009, Judiciary subcommittee hearing examined both civilian and military trials in detail. The hearing reaffirmed for me the central role that our civilian federal courts can play in prosecuting terrorists. Federal courts have the capacity, resources, and procedures in place to handle terrorism cases and violations of our criminal law, and have done so successfully for many years before the 9/11 attacks. We also examined what additional rights, if any, would attach to detainees brought into the United States, what happens to detainees upon completion of their sentence or acquittal by the courts, and the ability of our federal prison system to house detainees both pre- and post-trial. Properly redesigned military commissions may also play a role in prosecuting terrorists who violate the laws of war.

I will continue to work with the Administration and my colleagues in Congress in order to find the appropriate solution. We need to use a system of justice that protects the American people, prosecutes terrorists for their crimes, and permits convictions to be upheld by the courts as legal and constitutional. I appreciate hearing your views on this matter, and please feel free to contact me again in the future.

Ben Franklin was such a commie

"an enormous proportion of property vested in a few individuals is dangerous to the rights, and destructive of the common happiness of mankind, and, therefore, every free state hath a right by its laws to discourage the possession of such property."

Source: Sixteenth Article to the Pennsylvania Bill of Rights

I wish people would keep ideas such as this in mind when they so often talk about what the "Founding Fathers" would have wanted.

Let's call it what it is: Elite-bias

Let's be forthright and honest here. Liz Cheney is by all measures a nobody without Dick Cheney. She's not an expert in anything, and her opinion should not matter any more than yours or mine on Barack Obama's birth certificate. Why is it then that she is all over TV and the news?

Because the MSM needs to sell product. They need viewers and readers, and despite the fact that this "birthers" movement is a slap in the face to all available (and impartial) evidence and logic, it is continually given coverage by the MSM because it sells. This is how the media works. Clearly these "birthers" should be pushed to the fringe where they belong, but instead they are given a huge platform to speak from. Ridiculous. But then again, as long as the populace is paying attention to nonsense like this, they'll be less likely to call out our leaders as they water down environmental and financial regulation, bailout their corrupt bank buddies, continue to wage imperialist wars, and make sure that health care will eventually bankrupt our country. Liberal-bias my ass. Elite-bias, indeed.

Pushing the "few bad apples" theory

Official: Joint chiefs chairman 'infuriated' about detainee abuse

I am sure McMullen is 'infuriated'. But is his anger directed in the right direction? Probably not.

There is clearly a sustained effort to continue to push the line that detainee abuse was the fault of a "few bad apples", when the evidence clearly suggests that this kind of treatment was given the OK from the highest levels of our government. Placing plame solely on the foot soldiers and implementers (though they should also be held responsible to a certain extent) only serves to let the true criminals slide and ensure that we don't actually fix the underlying problem. That problem? That the elites and power hungry in this country will do whatever they want in order to ensure that things play out to their liking, legal or not. It happened in Iraq. It's happening with health care. It's happening with environmental legislation. These aren't irregularities. This is how our "democracy" works. It's a sham. Our government is not one of the people, and the only change we have of getting to that point is by recognizing that truth. We need to hold our leaders responsible. Torture and detainee abuse is a good start.

White supremacists in the Armed Forces

Neo-Nazis are in the Army now

This is a tad (and by tad I mean extremely) disconcerting. People hell bent on a "race war" getting free military training on how to kill on the taxpayer dollar. I guess this is what happens when you start frivolous wars that a majority of your own people don't want to fight (or believe) in.

Systematic Racism is still alive in America

Bank Accused of Pushing Mortgage Deals on Blacks

This is the type of racism that's not as obvious as slurs or racial insults. However, it remains very damaging to minority communities and prevents them from "pulling themselves up by their bootstraps" like the conservatives say. Racism still exists, and this kind is especially ugly. It doesn't just hurt people's feelings, it takes money from them. It causes their kids to go without food. It gets them kicked out on the street without a place to live. It goes against everything the "American Dream" stands for, and yet it still continues today with very little attention paid to it by the mainstream media.

I don't want to hear any more conservatives (or anyone for that matter), harp at minorities about not asking for government handouts and all the other falsities they put forth in order to cover up for the systematic racism that holds people of color down in this country. Until there is a truly level playing field, which is probably decades or centuries off considering it has been less than 50 years (think about that) since people of color could even vote.

I think our inability to actually grapple with the true history of America leads to issues such as this. People act like the way things are today (which still aren't great if you really look at it, case in point) were how they always were. It's just not true. In this great capitalist mecca we live in, people of color weren't even allowed to build up CAPITAL through bigoted laws against land ownership, unequal access to jobs, etc. If you can't build capital in a capitalist country, how are you supposed to "pull yourself up by your bootstraps"? How are you supposed to get ahead in America when borrowing money to buy a house costs you $100,000 more than it would a white person with a similar credit profile?

Don't get me wrong, I think things are getting better, but just because things have improved since slavery or the Jim Crow era doesn't mean we can just stop and pat ourselves on the back and pretend like the problem is solved. This issue will never go away until everyone person in America, regardless of race, creed, sexuality or religion has the same basic rights and opportunities. Until then, the American Dream is just that, a dream.

They knew it was wrong...

U.S. Lawyers Agreed on Legality of Brutal Tactic

"C.I.A. officials had been nervous about the legality of their proposed methods from the start in 2002. They had asked Michael Chertoff, then head of the Justice Department’s criminal division, to grant interrogators immunity in advance from prosecution for torture. Mr. Chertoff refused, but neither did he warn the agency against the methods it was proposing."

Why would you ask for immunity in advance if you didn't know it was wrong? It's clear that people knew ahead of time this was illegal. This is abhorrent behavior by members of our government.

Mullyman - "I Go Hard"

This dude is pretty sick. Nice to see someone from Baltimore who can actually rap hitting the scene. This video is full of Baltimore references and landmarks. Worth a watch if you call 410 home.

Our politicians are still missing the point

Intel firestorm: GOP reveals briefing info

Regardless of how it's clear that the torture subject has turned into a political charade as evidence by the discussion of what was considered sensitive or even classified information by some GOP members, everyone is still missing the point.

The contention should not be whether torture (please stop calling it "enhanced interrogations", it's classified as torture in the civilized world) can get us useful intelligence. The issue is whether it is legal. Hint: it's not! As long as we let the narrative continue to be driven towards subjects outside of torture's legality, we are allowing the issue to be clouded and laws to be broken. I say again: we are either a nation of laws or we aren't. We can't apply them sometimes and not others. It's hypocritical (surprise surprise, that happens to be something we're becoming known for around the world).

Over the past few months I've seen what I consider to be normal, decent people defend the use of torture against people we've captured. It boggles my mind. Are we really that frail of a people that we would so easily lose our moral compass as a nation as soon as we are confronted with some danger in our lives? It goes to show you how good we have it in America, because many people around the world are confronted with much greater danger day in and day out and they refuse to lose their bearings as much as we have in the past 8 years.

I say it's time for Americans to stand up and choose the right path. If we truly want to be the nation that people admire and look up to as we so often have been in the past, let's give people a reason to believe in us again. Stop the hypocrisy. Stop the double standards. Show that we won't be swayed by an enemy who is willing to use violence as a means of getting their point across.

I once again point to the definition of "terrorism":
Terrorism is a policy or ideology of violence intended to intimidate or cause terror for the purpose of "exerting pressure on decision making by state bodies."

The question is... by throwing out our moral compass and changing the way we operate (i.e. authorizing torture and then defending it, guantanamo, warrantless wiretapping), are we not doing EXACTLY what the terrorists want? They want us to live in fear and adopt reprehensible policies such as those put in place to authorize torture and facilities such as Guantanamo. It gives them a recruiting tool because it shows we're hypocrites and that our resolve to stand and face a threat without panicing is non-existent. Instead of taking the moral high ground and sticking to the beliefs and ideals that make this nation great, we chose to allow their actions to shake our inner core as a nation.

China: Still a long way to go

CNN coverage of Tiananmen Square

This video is kind of telling. Having visited China a few months ago and stood in Tiananmen Square, it was clear they take security in the area very seriously. Plain clothes police and security officials were everywhere. The umbrella technique employed by plain clothes officers in this video has one aim, which is to cloud coverage of the anniversary of the June 4th, 1989 incident in Tiananmen Square, as is the case with the blocking of websites and the blacking-out of news coverage.

It's clear that democracy is a ways off in China. There if very little freedom of speech and press (as seen here), which is vital to the establishment of democracy. The Chinese government has tried to placate people (or at least those who live along the eastern coast), by giving them economic growth in return for their acceptance of one-party rule. Such a deal will only last so long. With the widespread availability of information and technology to the Chinese people, these attempts at censorship can only go so far. Eventually the people will rise up and demand a say in the affairs of their land. History tells us so.

President Bush read 100 books a year. Right.

Obama keeping up with Bush's reading pace?

Ha. Ha. I don't even know where to start with this one. It's almost a joke in itself.

That's almost a book every 3.5 days. No wonder the country fell apart. Between reading and clearing brush he had no time to do his actual job. Maybe that's why Cheney took such a prominent role.

"Sir, should we invade Iraq?"
"Sure, leave me alone, I'm reading the new Where's Waldo."

Essay on Sotomayor nomination by Tim Wise

Harpooning The Great White Wail: Reflections on Racism, the Supreme Court and Right-Wing Buffoonery

The clarity and logic of Tim Wise's writing is right up there with the best. He really does a great job of laying out why a lot of the criticism being thrown at Sotomayor is grounded in racist ideology, whether people realize it or not.

Great article in Time on Robert Gates...

Robert Gates: The Bureaucrat Unbound

I think if President Bush did one thing right in his 8 years, it may have been replacing Rumsfeld with Robert Gates. The more I read about Gates, the more I am impressed with his ability to wade above the politics and military-industrial complex to do right by our troops on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan. Its good to see that Gates takes the fact that our fellow citizens are giving up months and years of their lives (and sometimes their actual lives) to fight these wars very seriously. Under Rumsfeld, I didn't get that same feeling. Not from his demeanor, and definitely not from how business was conducted at the Pentagon (not providing MRAPs, body armor, and other things the troops actually NEEDED). Hopefully the combination of the Obama administration's focus on diplomacy and a more effective and apolitical Secretary of Defense will help bring our two wars to a close and allow us to take a more honest and intelligent approach to conflicts in the future.

Fake Chains for Fake Rappers

Culture of Bling Clangs to Earth as the Recession Melts Rappers' Ice

Maybe one of the few silver linings in this global economic meltdown is that it will finally rid the rap game of the veritable clown squad that have become the big names over the past 10-15 years. The new rule should be, if your whole thing is rapping about how much money you have, and now you don't have said money, you have to quit, and you gotta take your aluminum and cubic zirconium chain with you. Good riddance.

P.S. Give me the late 80's and early 90's back!

Cheney: Desperately trying to stay out of jail

Cheney's speech contained omissions, misstatements

What a surprise!!! Cheney's "speech" yesterday was full of BS and mistruths. Is anyone surprised? That's what this guy is basically known for.

Will the House or Senate please form a truth commission already so I don't have to hear Tricky Dick babble anymore? He's on a press tour to basically save his a$$, and I don't think I can stand it any longer. All this nonsensical back and forth would go away if an independent commission was set up to look into the torture and abuse that went on. If it vindicates Cheney (which considering the evidence we've seen so far is very doubtful), so be it. At least he can shut the hell up then and go back to shooting his friends in the face.

Put the shoe on the other foot

Ex-inmate recalls days of abuse at Abu Ghraib

The debate in the U.S. regarding torture, detainee abuse, and extraordinary rendition seems to exist in an ethereal state where there are no faces to the folks that were involved (meaning the ones who were abused, imprisoned, or tortured (by us or the Libyans, Egyptians, etc) ). People have steadfast positions on this on both sides of the spectrum, but I think what is lost in it all is the human side of the issue.

These "terrorists" (as we seem to call anyone who comes into U.S. custody, regardless if they are or not) are people. They have family. They have children. I know, I am sure some people are gasping right now and calling me a traitor. That's the world we live in right now, where people can't even rationally understand how some of these folks might be innocent people who've had their lives turned upside down in the name of the "War on Terror". The reality is that not everyone that ended up in Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo was guilty of a crime (as evidenced by how many have been freed and are in the process of being freed without ever being charged with anything). It seems our "bounty hunter" method of getting Iraqis and Afghanis to turn their countrymen in for money might have backfired. But I digress...

I would just ask that people sit and think for a second how they would feel if they were an innocent Iraqi thrown in prison and abused for months and then let go without ever being charged with a crime. Or, imagine if it was your brother, your father, or your son. The dysfunction and pain that such an experience can cause is very real, and I am sure that we will be affected by the blowback for years to come. Maybe not through an attack or a burning American flag, but through the knowledge that our morality has failed us in upholding the dignity of an innocent human being.

Fox News: Never disappoints for a good laugh

Look at this headline:

Patriot Act Likely Helped Thwart NYC Terror Plot, Security Experts Say

It's too early to know what surveillance methods were used to arrest four men accused of plotting to bomb two New York synagogues, but national security experts say measures implemented under the Bush administration likely played a critical role.

I can see the thought process now...

"There's no evidence that the Patriot Act helped, but hey, why don't we insinuate that it did and pass that off as un-biased "news". We'll get a guy from the Center for Security Policy (an ultra neo-conservative think tank) to back up the claims and we're good to go. Mission Accomplished!"

Ridiculous. No wonder why the majority of Americans are near brain dead when it comes to thinking objectively for themselves. We're constantly bombarded by this nonsensical propaganda.


Besides the ridiculousness of passing off a "guess" as news, there is some downright scary crap in this article. I hate to go back to "1984" and Orwell again, but this is exactly what comes to mind when you read this insanity.

Check it:

1. "Security experts also credit the "sneak and peek" search warrant provision of the law, which allows law enforcement to gain physical entry into private premises without the owner's consent."- So you can just come on in to my house without my consent? Really? And the small-government Republicans who want the government to stay out of our lives as much as possible justify supporting laws such as this how exactly? Hypocrisy...cough ... cough.
   
2. "And the law's "lone wolf" provision allows for secret FISA surveillance orders against people who have no connections to a terror group." - So you can just do surveillance against anyone? Terrorist connection or not? Is there a limit to this?
3. "Law enforcement agencies also credit FBI guidelines implemented last September, which gave the agency broader powers and enabled it to launch terrorism investigations without having any clear basis for suspicion -- much to the dismay of civil liberties advocates." - REALLY? So you don't even need a clear basis for suspicion now? You can just launch a terrorism investigation on anyone? I can't even imagine how that might be used for nefarious or political purposes (cough cough).

I don't get how people read stuff like this and don't almost soil their drawers. Our government (remember, the people you Republicans want out of our lives, need I remind you again) has basically taken the power to launch a baseless terrorism investigation against you, run surveillance on you even if you have no connections to terrorists, and finally come into your house without your consent.

WTF????????

How is this even a partisan issue??? You would think Dems, Repubs and anyone in between would be scared about a government with over-reaching powers such as these. I guess not though. Hopefully someone speaks up before it's too late.

Ain't that a knee-slapper?

I'm not sure whether to laugh or be pissed about this. I mean, I'm all about having a laugh at your job, but is it me or does the U.S. Congress sometimes not seem to get the fact that we have a mess on our hands (the environment, economy, perverted justice system, torture, an over-reaching Executive branch, etc)?

Luis Ramirez, Shenadoah, and a long way to go

I grew up not far from Shenadoah, so this hits close to home. The fact that people would be so racist and violent towards someone, murder them, then be acquitted, in 2009, is beyond me. This whole situation sickens me. What happened in the first place was bad enough, but to give a huge slap in the face to true justice, which is what happened when these murderers were acquitted, is a whole other. The fact that Luis wasn't a citizen should have no effect on this case. Is that really where we've gotten to? If you're not an American citizen, it's OK for people to murder you in America???? This is the kind of incident that occurs when the vitriol is spewed in the news media about illegal immigrants, painting them all as criminals, instead of what the majority of them are: people trying to survive and feed their family.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Friends,

After they had beaten Luis Ramirez to death, the white teenagers who attacked Luis sent an ominous message to his friends:

Tell your f**king Mexican friends to get the f**k out of Shenandoah or you’ll be f**king laying next to him.[1]

Just over a week ago, two of Ramirez’s killers were acquitted of all serious charges by an all white jury[2], with the jury foreman making it clear that justice for Ramirez had no chance in the town of Shenandoah, PA:

I believe strongly that some of the people on the jury were racist. I believe strongly that some of the people on the jury had their minds made up maybe before the first day of trial…And I believe the four boys that were involved the most are racist. I absolutely do…[3]

Thanks to the hard work of MALDEF and others, the Department of Justice is now looking into Ramirez’ death.[4] But that’s only part of what’s needed. Where are the leaders in the State of Pennsylvania? Why has the governor had nothing to say? His silence is shameful.

Until elected leaders speak up, we can expect more stories like Luis’—not just in Shenandoah, but across the country. Pennsylvania Governor Rendell owes it to the people of his state and to Latinos everywhere to speak out and condemn what’s happened. I've joined Presente.org in demanding that he does. Please click the link below to add your voice and ask your friends and family to do the same. It takes only a moment.

http://presente.org/ref/12004/campaigns/ramirez

If Luis Ramirez’s death were an isolated event it would be outrageous enough. Sadly, it’s part of a growing trend of racially motivated violence against Latinos, particularly in rural communities. According to the FBI, hate crimes against Latinos rose 35% between 2003 and 2006.[5] And as author David Niewert writes, the target of hate crimes goes beyond their immediate victims: “The purpose is to terrorize the target community, to drive them out, eliminate them."[6]

That kind of intimidation only works only if the people who are targeted remain silent, and if officials in positions of power remain unaccountable. That’s why we need to speak out and let folks across the country know we won’t tolerate hate and violence towards our communities. It starts with demanding that the Governor of Pennsylvania make clear that anti-immigrant hate has no place in Pennsylvania. It’s time for him to show leadership now. Join me in calling for Governor Rendell to speak out:

http://presente.org/ref/12004/campaigns/ramirez

Thanks

References

1. http://tinyurl.com/64u2sk

2. http://tinyurl.com/p8gusl

3. http://tinyurl.com/da6mcg

4. http://tinyurl.com/c24jvb

5. http://tinyurl.com/r6ldef

6. http://crooksandliars.com/node/27858/

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

In a time where the Army is struggling to recruit Arabic linguists (who are crucial to our "War on Terrorism"), why is it that we are releasing the ones we have, solely because they are gay? Is this antiquated law really more important than stopping the (imaginary) "ticking time bomb"scenario that everyone keeps talking about? We hurt our intelligence capabilities when we discharge quality servicemen such as this. Our leaders should answer to the people and tell us why this law is more important than our safety. I'm sick of politicians and talking heads talking terrorism this, terroism that, but then supporting ridiculous policies such as "Don't ask, don't tell" which clearly don't make us any safer.

Let your lawmakers know that the American people are intelligent enough to realize that we live in a free country where sexual orientation doesn't need to be hidden (we don't want to be Iran, do we?), and we aren't willing to sacrifice our safety to appease homophobes.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Tell President Obama: Keep your promise to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Dear Friend,

Lt. Dan Choi is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and an Iraq War veteran. Last March he went on Rachel Maddow's show and spoke three truthful words: "I am gay."

As a result, Lt. Choi received a letter from the Army on April 23 discharging him for violating the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. He told Rachel Maddow the letter was "a slap in the face" to himself and the soldiers he as commanded and served with over the past decade.

Lt. Choi is fighting to stay in the military and ensure that no other soldier is ever again discharged as a result of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." CREDO Action and the Courage Campaign are joining his effort to secure equality in our armed forces.

I just signed a petition asking President Obama to keep his campaign promise to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." I hope you will, too. Please have a look and take action.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/dontfiredan/?r_by=4028-1887477-pwW0dNx&rc=paste

The new height of absurdity

Gingrich: 'Absolute obligation' to investigate Pelosi

Seriously? I mean I am all for investigating Pelosi, but only if it is included in an investigation of torture on a widespread level, including the past administration and any lawmakers that we responsible for it or allowed it to go on unchallenged. Newt Gingrich is a clown. "Let's not investigate this crime, lets investigate this lady who we think might be misleading us about when she knew about the crime."

WTF??????

An end to the "War on Drugs"?

White House Czar Calls for End to 'War on Drugs'

Let's hope that finally people get over their unrealistic view of drugs in this country. I hate to break it to everyone, but no matter how long this "war" goes on, drugs aren't going away. It's not just drug dealers and junkies involved in this. It's lawyers, corporate types, stay-at-home moms, your children, and Rush Limbaugh. It's human nature that people will use drugs. Our time would be best spent in trying to educated and treat people to keep them off of drugs, rather than sending them to jail and wasting our tax money. If we wanted to end the violence in Mexico, we would make in unprofitable to try and bring drugs into our country. One way we could do that is ending the prohibition that creates this black market. I'm not sure I would suggest we do it with all drugs (maybe start slow with Marijuana, which wasn't illegal before 1937 in the U.S. anyway), but we need to get over the puritanical view of drugs if we're ever going to actually solve the main problem (that the U.S. has a HUGE demand for drugs) that creates all these other problems (a violent black-market trade, tons of people in prison for a vice, a tax on law enforcement, and the money it costs us to fight the "War on drugs").

There is a big parallel in this "war on drugs", and it's our "war on terrorism". In both we think we can fight the warred-upon subject with force and criminalization, and we're dead wrong. The reality is that the roots of both are in a lack of education, economic opportunity, etc, etc. We need to improve peoples lives at the basic level, give them an education and a shot at life and happiness, and drug use and terrorism would be significantly reduced. This militaristic approach to the problems of our society shows a lack of true understanding of the situation and the motives of people, and that is going to come back to bite us in the end.

The future of newspapers?

All the News That's Fit to Buy

Inside David Geffen's play for The New York Times.

With the NYT struggling on multiple fronts (a changing media landscape, the financial crisis, etc), the rumor surrounding David Geffen making it into a non-profit is quite interesting. Sadly the climate for newspapers is well beyond painful at this point, and the reality is many of them won't survive to see the end of the year. The reality is, however, that much of the media replacing newspapers (blogs, online news sites, etc) don't have the "feet on the street" to cover a lot of the news happening in the world. This is what the people in a well functioning democracy require in order to be truly informed. Without these journalists out there covering stories and digging for leads, we are left to the mercy of official sources from the government or from corporate public affairs offices. This is dangerous and makes propaganda campaigns and misleading the public all too easy. Hopefully a non-profit model is a viable fit for important media outlets like the NY Times (as it was for the St. Petersburg Times), otherwise I feel that we are in big trouble.

Missing the point

Pentagon to release photos of alleged prisoner abuse

As these photos are about to be released due to a FOIA lawsuit brought by the ACLU (not because Obama wants to, as some bloviate in the media), the furor continues to be aimed at the fact that the photos are being released rather than the abuse contained within them. Although I agree that with these photos being released we will experience some backlash, but I hate to break it to people, that backlash is already there. Unlike a good portion of Americans, a majority of the rest of the world knows and cares about the abuses that were going on, and they are outraged. Instead of worrying about the rest of the world finding out about the extent of the abuse (which, hey, considering laws are laws and no one should be above them, we as Americans should want to know too) we should be worried about atoning for it and making sure measures are put in place so that it never happens again.

Instead, here we are with the very same people who supported torture and "enhanced interrogation" because it saved American lives (of which there is ZERO evidence, and I challenge anyone who uses this excuse to find me some, not that it would matter anyway) expressing faux outrage at these photos being released and Nancy Pelosi mincing words about when she knew about the torture. It's like a fairytale. Instead of outrage about the fact that torture was supported at the presidential level, in our democracy, these people are pissed that that may be acknowledged. Now I'm with them in that if Nancy Pelosi knew about this going on and didn't stand up against it, that shows a serious flaw in judgment and voters should keep that in mind when they go to the polls in California. However, unless she broke some laws, we are skipping over the elephant in the room (AKA TORTURE!) to carry on about something decidedly less important. Only in America, where a good portion of the general populace seems to side with one political party or the other rather than their actual country can something this ridiculous occur. We should be Americans first, not Democrats or Republicans. Sadly I don't think that is the case, because if it were, there would be a whole lot more outrage at anyone and everyone (Bush, Cheney, Yoo, Pelosi, whoever) who had anything to do with torture becoming a tacit American policy, not just those on the other side of political aisle.

Finally, let's put it this way... if the American government is a government of "the people", as it is said, then when our government does things like torture people, it does it in our name. Therefore, it is our responsibility, and ours only, to ensure that our government does not do things that are against the laws that "we the people" have made. Or would we, as Americans, rather have a totalitarian government that can do whatever the hell it pleases and not be rebuked? What do we really stand for as Americans? This issue drills to the core of that. Either we believe in the law or we don't. This isn't about left and right or Republican or Democrat. This is about our country and the beliefs that we hold. If someone breaks the law, should they be punished? As soon as we start making exceptions it chips at the very foundation of our nation. No one should be above the law.

Afterquake

http://www.afterquakemusic.com/index.html

Check out this album made using sounds from the restoration after the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan province this time last year in China. The lyrics and stories are done by children and students relocated because of the earthquake. It's a chance to hear some good music and to support a worthy cause.

Straight from the Taliban

Afghan Taliban spokesman: We will win the war

CNN's Nic Robertson sat down with a Taliban spokesman to get their side of the story. This is more of what we need from the mainstream media. We need to understand the people whose name is thrown around with Al Qaeda as the bane of Western civilization. If we ever plan on bringing the Afghan war to an end, we need to understand what the those we are fighting are looking to get out of it. These are the same folks that won a war of attrition with the Soviets (with us helping them, granted) and their army of 110,000 strong. We don't need to take that path to defeat.

In the end, as much as we love democracy here in America, maybe it's just not the same in Afghanistan. I'm not saying the people there want or don't want democracy, but we need to step back and realize that it's their choice to make, not ours. Plus, before democracy can really ever take hold in a country such as Afghanistan, the people there need to have their basic needs taken care of. This would involve improvement in areas such as economic opportunity and infrastructure. Without the groundwork being done, democracy has no chance.

How to lose the Afghanistan War in 10 days...

You gotta be kidding me. Not only is this sort of activity illegal (according to our laws and theirs), but it's sure to seriously upset the people of the region. I mean, a lot of people currently see us as occupiers in their lands, but imagine how pissed off they are going to be when they think the occupiers are now trying to convert them to Christianity. This is just nuts, and I can't believe that anyone would sit there and think this is OK. The DOD needs to put the kibosh in this pronto and make sure it never happens again before there is some serious fallout. This is another fine example of us not understanding the intricacies of winning the "war" in Afghanistan. Activity such as this is bound to turn the local populace against us which will lead to nothing but failure (ask the Soviets).

Thou Shalt Torture

Survey: Support for terror suspect torture differs among the faithful

This is kind of disappointing to me. You would think Christians, whose Messiah himself was tortured at the hands of the Romans, would see the evil in torture. Sadly that doesn't seem to be the case. They say history is bound to repeat itself, and the stories in the bible that speak of God's people losing their way seem especially relevant right now.

What would Jesus do? Do you think he would support torture? I highly doubt it if you look at his teachings. But wait, did they get thrown out after 9/11 too?

Hiring a gardener to do the cooking...

The CIA's $1,000 a Day Specialists on Waterboarding, Interrogations

Who makes decisions like this? Seriously...

But it turns out neither Mitchell nor Jessen had any experience in conducting actual interrogations before the CIA hired them.

"They went to two individuals who had no interrogation experience," said Col. Kleinman. "They are not interrogators."

The new documents show the CIA later came to learn that the two psychologists' waterboarding "expertise" was probably "misrepresented" and thus, there was no reason to believe it was "medically safe" or effective. The waterboarding used on al Qaeda detainees was far more intense than the brief sessions used on U.S. military personnel in the training classes.

We really need to figure out who at the CIA decided these two guys should be in charge of designing the CIA's interrogation program when THEY HAD NO EXPERIENCE WITH INTERROGATIONS. Put it this way, if your manager hired someone to be your accountant who had no experience with accounting... would that be a good managerial decision???? Of course not.

This isn't about Left or Right, Republican or Democrat. This is about making sure we have competent people in our intelligence agencies, the same agencies responsible for making sure we have the intel to avoid terrorist attacks and keep this nation safe.

How is that a partisan issue?

This is the party make-over the Republicans were talking about?

Wow. It never ends does it? When will people get sick of seeing Republicans use 9/11 footage in their attack ads and attempts at fear-mongering?

Hey Boner, I mean Boehner, I have an idea:
COME UP WITH SOME NEW IDEAS ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is just pathetic. No wonder why people are leaving the Republican party in droves. We have crisis after crisis to deal with in this country and all they can do is run attack ads and try to scare the crap out of people. How is this anything different than what they've done for the last 10 years?

Thank ideas such as this on the part of nitwits like John Boehner for the decline of our two-party system. I pity the Republicans that got stuck with him as a leader.

Lazerbitch

Besides having pretty much the coolest name ever, Lazerbitch actually makes some pretty fun music. It's Electro-y goodness.

Check them out and support some Baltimore flaaaaaaavor.

They're playing at the Hexagon on May 23rd.

http://www.myspace.com/lazerbitch

RUN! Mexico is gunning for the U.S. with it's #1 weapon: Swine Flu

I don't know why I still get surprised by people like Michael Savage. I mean, they consistently manage to turn even the most benign news into a plot by either the "terrorists" or some other nefarious group. I guess by now I should have caught on and learned to expect ignorance and far-fetched ideas from him and his ilk.

BUT WAIT... what if two of the greatest bogeymen of all were to team up: terrorists and illegal immigrants. Oh man, some ignorant right winger just crapped their pants. Clean up on aisle 2! Stat!

P.S. Does anyone know if Lou Dobbs' head has melted yet? This is probably too much for him to take.

Wall Street Fighter 4

Answer me this:

1. Who doesn't love some Street Fighter?
2. Who doesn't hate some Wall Street?

My personal favorite: Yoga-latte and the Desk Chair spin kick.

Is anyone else starting to feel bad for this guy?

GOP using Specter's own campaign ads against him

From the link above:
"In light of Senator Specter's changing political party, we felt it was our civic duty to adequately inform Pennsylvania Democrat primary voters about their new Senator's record and his close relationship with our former President George W. Bush," National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Amber Wilkerson said in a Wednesday announcement.

"I'm here to say it as plainly as I can, Arlen Specter is the right man for the United States Senate," says Bush in comments included in the new call. "I can count on this man — see, that's important. He's a firm ally when it matters most. I'm proud to tell you I think he's earned another term as the United States senator."

Man. Ol' Dubya just can't win, can he? Now even his own party is using his support for someone as a supposed slight against that person. I mean, it's pretty obvious what the folks running these ads are implying. "You know how you hate former President George W. Bush? Well he strongly supported Specter in 2004!".

The 'ol Specter Switch-a-roo

Now that Arlen Specter has officially joined the Democratic Party and, assuming Al Franken is seated, given the Democrats a filibuster proof 60 seat majority in the Senate, there have been two reactions coming out of the Republican party.

1. "Good riddance" (seen from most of the hard-liners)
2. Introspect on a diminishing Republican brand (seen from mainly the moderates)

I think the reality is that Specter did this for mainly self-preservation issues (which he hasn't tried to entirely hide), being that he was facing low polling numbers against a tough further-right challenger in Pat Toomey. I can respect Specter (how's that for an anagram?) for at least being partly honest in explaining his pragmatic reasoning for the switch, and I would hope most people would realize it doesn't say as much about the diminishing Republican party as some would like it to.

However, the reality is that the continued push of the most outspoken Republicans (i.e. Limbaugh, Bachmann, Hannity, DeMint) for the party to move further to the right and their readiness to chastise any sense of moderation within the party is causing a lot of voters to move towards a more Indepedent stance. They did give Specter a nice little excuse to go along with his real reason for switching parties.


I am still trying to decide how I feel about Specter making the switch. I have a generally positive view of the man, and I am glad he seems willing to work with the Democrats to get things done (unlike the majority of the Republican party who have served as obstructionists). At the same time, I worry about the implication of having the Executive and Legislative branches both having untethered control by the Democratic party. Checks and balances are the key to a functioning democracy, and although there is sure to be some debate within the Democratic party, the reality is they have the votes to get things through along party lines. Although, as of the last 10 years, I have deeply disagreed with many of the stances and decisions made by Republicans in power and the sometimes exclusionary vibe they give off to a lot of people in this country, I think one-party rule is extremely dangerous to our country. We need a healthy two-party system (I would actually like to see more than two parties, but I'll leave that for another time) in order to make sure we don't swing too far to either side. I truly hope that the Republican party can recognize that their platform is no longer acceptable to enough moderates and Independents in order for them to be competitive nationally (a recent poll suggested only 21% of Americans self-identify themselves as Republicans) and come back into the fold of mainstream America. Either that, or another party needs to step up and take their place.

Finally, pre-made prison shanks

Thanks Colgate!

The slow death of "news" in America

With Rivals Ahead, Doubts for CNN’s Middle Road

It started with Fox and now has spread to MSNBC. The "news" channels with the best ratings (and therefore the best ability to attract advertisers, remain profitable, and therefore stay in business) are hardly what most objective observers would call unbiased sources of news and factual information. Fox has become the news channel for the right, MSNBC for the left. Now instead of being presented the facts and making up your own mind, you can have someone tell you what to think! HOORAY!

The problem with this is that it further divides our country and encourages people to avoid critical thought and seeing another person's viewpoint. It stokes anger and intolerance. If our democracy is truly going to succeed it needs an unbiased press, which we are quickly moving away from (especially in prime-time cable news).

So next time you go to switch on the news, ask yourself if you want to encourage the death-by-the-market of unbiased news by patronizing news sources that tell you what you want to hear or are more in line with your views. Encouraging biased journalism and press is a strike against our democracy.

The New Haven Firefighter Case

Plaintiff Wail: Ricci v DeStefano and the Myth of White Victimhood

This is easily the best essay I've seen yet on the New Haven Firefighter issue. At least this one lays out the facts of the case rather than immediately resorting to cries of discrimination. Read it, look into the facts laid out, and then make up your mind.

The return of Orwell

Revealing the Secrets in Room 101

Being a big fan of George Orwell and his way of making government misconduct and tyranny so gripping in his books, I thought this was a pretty good article. Read for yourself.

This dude is "fly". Oh snap!

I might have to start flying Southwest again. I'd totally start a rap war with this guy when he told me to put my tray table up.

Change we didn't want

Obama legal team wants defendants' rights limited

I'm not sure exactly why the Obama administration, with all the problems going on in our country today, is making an effort to have this rule overturned (the rule that police cannot question a defendant unless their lawyer is present). It's true that if the rule were overturned, the defendant would still have the right to not answer the questions until the lawyer showed up, but there is some nuance here that needs to be considered. For someone stable and of decent mental capacity, this should present no problems. For a child, someone scared out of their mind, or someone that is mentally handicapped, this could have disastrous results in terms of a false confession that is usable in court. "At the same time, the administration acknowledges that the decision "only occasionally prevents federal prosecutors from obtaining appropriate convictions."" So why risk it? Why risk an innocent person sitting in prison for the rest of their life because an interrogator was able to rattle them into confessing something they didn't do? Shouldn't we be erring on the side of caution here????

In the end, what I really can't understand, in a time when there are plenty of other problems to worry about, is why the Obama administration is making a move to peel back protections for some of the more vulnerable members of our society.

Shep Smith

I gotta give it up to Shep Smith sometimes. He seems to be the only person that's willing to stand up for something over at Fox News. It's pretty rare to ever see an opinion that dissents from the hard right line over there, but it sure is refreshing when it does happen. Shep Smith seems like a pretty independent and well-meaning dude. Fox News should consider hiring more folks like him, then they might start to get an audience outside of the right wingers.

If you like the chainsaw so much, why don't you marry it?

Who gets this excited about cutting down trees on Earth Day? I mean he is literally ecstatic when he thinks this guy is going to cut down big trees. He calls it "eroticism" and asks for some Barry White. I know Glenn Beck hates the idea of gay marriage, but what about chainsaw marriage? I think we should push for Glenn to have the right to marry a chainsaw so he can really break out the Barry White and get "erotic".

Torture

I think the real torture is having to hear what would appear to be decent Americans publicly defending the use of torture and blaming the folks who are bringing these atrocities to light. Most people would guess that as the details begin to emerge regarding the involvement of higher authorities (who approved torture and then blamed it on the soldiers) that there would be outrage at our former officials for breaking the law and putting America's moral standing on loose ground. Instead people are shooting the messengers.

What happened to our supposed "city on the hill"? Do our own citizens really not care that laws were broken by people we put in office? Do we have a monarchy now that is above the law? Make your choice. You either believe in justice or you don't, you can't just apply the principle in some areas and not others. If we let our elected officials slide now, what's to stop them in the future from continually breaking the law??? Democrat or Republican, this crap needs to stop. If someone breaks the law, then lies about it, they should be punished. Justice shouldn't be politicized.

Whatever happened to our dem(merit)ocracy?

Anyone angry yet?

Sources: Wiretap Recorded Rep. Harman Promising to Intervene for AIPAC

As people get pissed about Obama taking a picture with Chavez or him releasing a memo whose contents are already known to the world, stuff like this actually happens. Subversion of justice is what it is called. This is how the world works. This is what those who were elected to be our representatives actually behave. Are you mad yet? Better yet, are you mad for the right reasons? Where's your outrage?

I'd like to tea-bag Fox News

Question: If CNN had co-opted and supported protests against the DOD budget, torture in Guantanamo, or warrant-less wiretapping, would that make them "unfair and unbalanced"? Of course it would. Instead of giving us the news, they would be filtering the "news" using an ideology and throwing their support behind a certain cause (that many say is a cause of the "left"). So why is Fox News still pretending they are "fair and balanced" as their entire network turns into the "Teaparty Network"?

STOP PRETENDING ALREADY! Fox News is not "fair and balanced" news. If it was, they wouldn't have to continually beat us over the head with the ridiculous Orwellian newspeak that is "fair and balanced". Call it what it is, a channel for daily confirmation of the beliefs of right-wing ideologues. This is the final nail in the coffin of Fox's objectivity. You can no longer claim that Fox is an unbiased source of news (not that you really could before either).

I'm fine with Fox changing their network name to the Fox Network (or something similarly ambiguous that doesn't try to hide the fact that they are biased). They can even use a new tag line since "Fair and Balanced" is clearly old news.

How about this?

FOX NETWORK: "We'll tell you what you already believe."

The "Red Scare" of 2009

Bachus tells city and county officials he's worried about socialists in Congress

First it was crazy Michelle Bachman asking for an inquiry into what congress members were "pro" or "anti-American", now we have Bachus playing McCarthy. Are these people serious? They are supposed to be making laws and governing this country, not participating in fear-mongering and scare tactics straight from Hannity and his co-hort. Kick these people out of the damn government already. Your job is not to run around trying to find out who is a socialist in order to try and re-create the Red Scare. I wonder if I went into my job and spent time finding out who is a Socialist if they would still keep me as an employee.

DO YOUR DAMN JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Have you heard our economy isn't doing so well and there are some major issues facing the nation? I know it's not as exciting as pretending the government is being infiltrated by Socialist, but you should really look into it)

Glenn Beck (AKA the political Don West)

First, Don West:


Now some Glenn Beck fear-mongering:


Act II: Glenn Beck crying, scaring me, and saying 9/11 a lot:


Act III: Glenn Beck slamming the families of 9/11 victims and Katrina survivors a few years ago (he tries to qualify it, but he still generalizes a lot):

Who seriously thinks this guy is credible? Seriously? He faux-cries on TV because he "loves America", fear-mongers like the best of them, and tells outright lies like it's going out of style. He sounds like Don West from the trading card QVC show. This guy is laughing all the way to the bank. Americans need to wake up. Every time you watch this guy on the Faux News Channel or buy his books, he gets richer and louder with his vitriol and absurdity. This guy isn't an expert in anything. He's not a scholar. His opinions and stances aren't even well researched or backed with substantial evidence. He's basically an ignorant right-winger with a really loud megaphone. And before anyone starts talking about how he's a regular Joe trying to do his part, save it. There's a lot of regular Joes and Janes out there that could do a better job of bringing up pertinent issues and having constructive discussions on them that would make our country a better place for everyone to live in. Glenn Beck serves as a rallying point for one side of this country to separate themselves from the other. I hate to break it to you, but the problems we face these days aren't going to be solved with left-wing and right-wing hate flying back and forth. Nothing constructive comes out of the narratives built by blowhards like Glenn Beck. We need honest dialogue, not ignorant political theatre.

Run for your life! The storm is coming!

Uh.... huh? I think we're going to need some evidence to back up all this fear-mongering.

Can we just give people equal rights in this damn country already? It's 2009. You'd think we would have learned by now. Of course not.

Separation of church and state, remember that little part of our democracy? Stop using religion as an argument to deny people their equal secular rights. No one is asking you to let gay couples get married in your church. Stop the nonsense. As soon as you have to resort to a religious argument for something that should be a secular matter, stop. You lost. Remember... you hate theocracies (well, at least you do when they are Islamic theocracies).

Also, read a little bit about the history of marriage to realize why all of these arguments about marriage being this eternal un-altered institution are all bunk. No one is trying to teach your kids to be gay or coming into your house to "get gay" with you and your family. These same people fighting virulently against the government allowing gay marriage and civil unions are the same ones who are constantly preaching about how the government should have less control over our lives. Can someone say Dissociative Identity Disorder?

Meet an old white lady!

Her name's Betty Brown, and she's a legislator from Texas.

If you're of Asian descent, she thinks you should change your name to something that's "easier for Americans to deal with."

She's also said:
“Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese — I understand it’s a rather difficult language — do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?”

Isn't it good to know that euro-centric bigots such as Betty represent us in our democratic government? Maybe we should all change our to names to simple white-folk names like Betty Brown. Now that I think of it, people sometimes have a problem pronouncing my last name too. Maybe I'll change it to Frank Ford so I can sound like a character in an old Western too! Hooray for homogeneity! Boo for diversity! The "melting pot" can suck it!

I'm not sure if this makes me less of a man...

But damn it if Little Boots doesn't make some of the catchiest songs ever.

http://www.myspace.com/littlebootsmusic

I also caught her at SXSW this year and she puts on a really good show (and seems like a genuinely nice person). Plus she uses a Tendori-on which is pretty rad in my book. Thing costs like $2 g's and her roadie totally dropped it from about 4 feet like it was hot.

Give it a listen. Check out Meddle and Stuck on Repeat.

Some other favorites of the moment:
The new Black Lips album
The new DOOM album
Buraka Som Sistema
Bang!Bang!Eche!
King Khan & The Shrines

Also, if you get a chance, check out Monotonix. Their show at SXSW was probably one of the most insane things I've ever seen.

Lend a voice...

From colorofchange.org:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friend,

When it comes to issues plaguing Black and low-income communities, a White senator from the South is the last person we'd expect to go out on a limb and sound the alarm. Senator Jim Webb from Virginia just did exactly that when he boldly called out the over-imprisonment of Black folks and the serious problems with our prison system. Most importantly, he's demanding big changes.^[1]

Now it's up to us to seize the moment and create the pressure necessary to achieve true reform.

I've joined ColorOfChange.org in publicly thanking Senator Webb. Our praise will show other politicians that when they take risks and step out on critical issues like prison reform, we will have their backs. It will also show that everyday people stand with Webb and are serious about this issue. Can you join me? It only takes a moment. And then please ask your friends and family to do the same:

http://www.colorofchange.org/webb/?id=1949-411545

In recent years, politicians have lacked the courage to create meaningful prison reform. They've been paralyzed by the fear of being branded as "soft on crime." They've been held hostage by prison guard unions and industry lobbies. And the communities most affected--Black and low-income communities--have had a hard time getting a seat at the table and making our voices heard.

Our country has a clear problem. With just 5% of the world's population, America holds nearly 25% of the world's reported prison population. Our prison population has quadrupled since 1984, and most of the increase comes from people being imprisoned for drug offenses--mostly minor and nonviolent.^[2]

Despite the fact that there is no statistical difference in drug use between different racial groups, harsh drug laws have had a devastating, disproportionate effect on Black communities. While only 12% of the U.S. population is African-American, Black people make up 37% of those arrested on drug charges, 59% of those convicted, and 74% of all drug offenders sentenced to prison.^[3]

It's surprising and encouraging that someone like Senator Webb is speaking out in this way. Webb is a White politician from Virginia, a Southern "law-and-order" state that has abolished parole and executed more people than any state besides Texas.^[4] He has nothing to gain politically from this--it's an act of true conviction.

By eloquently making the case for reform and calling for a National Criminal Justice Commission, Webb has created a major opening to address these issues. And it comes at a time when there are increasing signs the country is ready for reform. New York's governor and state legislature just struck a deal to reform the state's "Rockefeller drug laws"--some of the harshest laws in the country, and a great example of the failed status quo.^[5] A panel of federal judges has just told California it must reduce its prison population by a third to alleviate the torturous conditions stemming from overcrowding.^[6] And at the same time that more people are recognizing the deep injustices in our system, the economic crisis is forcing elected officials at all levels of government to realize they can't afford to keep directing so many taxpayer dollars toward law enforcement, jails, and prisons.^[7]

We need to make the most of this moment. Please join me in thanking Senator Jim Webb for his courageous stand and support his call for a meaningful commission. And when you do, please ask your friends and family to do the same.

http://www.colorofchange.org/webb/?id=1949-411545

Thanks!

References:

1. http://tinyurl.com/chxaup
2. http://www.parade.com/news/2009/03/why-we-must-fix-our-prisons.html
3. See reference 2
4. http://tinyurl.com/8mgyf2
5. http://tinyurl.com/da2xlw
6. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/us/10prison.html
7. http://tinyurl.com/c36ubb