12/28/2007

Damian's Random Ten, 12/28/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, and it forgot auld acquaintance.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Roger Sanchez - Turn on the Music (Axwell Radio Edit)
  • Hidenori Shoji - Hurrah for the Champion (Winnign Run)
  • The Eagles - Doolin' Dalton
  • Modest Mouse - Bukowski
  • Eminem - Kill You
  • No Doubt - New
  • 403 - Northern Lights
  • "Weird Al" ankovic - Polkas on 45
  • jun with TAHIRIH - HAPPY✩ANGEL
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers - Coffee Shop

12/27/2007

Terrorism: Not Just the Product of Foreign Brown People

From Shakesville: No Terrorism in America Since 9/11
That's what the Bush administration keeps telling us. Except, ya know, there has been terrorism in America since 9/11, but when it's terrorism against uppity women (and their allies) who have the gall to think they ought to be able to control their own bodies or be free from abuse, it doesn't count.

Via Vanessa, here's more terrorism that doesn't count, as two separate Albuquerque Planned Parenthood facilities were vandalized on Christmas Day:
Firefighters were called out early this morning to Planned Parenthood's medical offices in the northeast part of the city. The roof was on fire, but crews were able to quickly extinguish the flames. Fire officials have confirmed that some type of incendiary device was found on the roof.

Hours earlier, authorities responded to another Planned Parenthood clinic to find that its windows had been broken. Authorities say damage at both clinics was minimal.

The incidents follow a fire just weeks ago at Abortion Acceptance of Albuquerque.
One city. Three separate incidents against three separate clinics in the span of one month, two of them involving arson.

But no terrorism, of course. That's only done by brown people, who do such things on behalf of a god who goes by a different name. Oh, and it has to affect men, too.

Straight men. Don't get your hopes up that a molotov cocktail through the window of Manhole and a dozen incidents of gay-bashing are going to be called terrorism anytime soon either, my little fagulas. I mean, you're practically women, anyway. Yuck!
This actually ties in prety well to my letter to the editor in response to a crazy-ass wingnut from a few weeks back. These are people who are convinced, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that terrorism is only something done by Them Evil Brown Furriners. To them, even acts like the Oklahoma City bombing aren't terrorism, much less vandalism, arson, and murder committed by anti-choice and/or anti-gay hate-spreaders - only brown people killing Good White Straight Americans is terrorism. It's this belief that gives rise to the ignorance that could convince someone that only Muslims can be terrorists.

Apparently, these people and people like myself have differing ideas of what defines terrorism. To them, terrorism is Brown People killing Good Straight White Americans. To me, terrorism is as it is defined in the dictionary:
ter·ror·ism (těr'ə-rĭz'əm)
n. The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.
Huh. Nothing about "brown people" or "Muslims" in that definition. Fancy that.

12/25/2007

Merry Christmas, Indeed

Even if you don't have much to give, have a merry Christmas.

Personally, I've only been given one gift, and that's enough.

12/21/2007

Damian's Non-Random Ten post.

No Random Ten today. I'm going to save it for Xmas Eve.

12/14/2007

A Tip For Everyone Like Me

When you write into the newspaper, make sure you check the e-mail account you sent the letter from.

Damian's Random Ten, 12/14/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, and it's a list that never gets checked twice.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Sean Paul - Get Busy
  • The Eagles - Hole in the World
  • Alanis Morissette - You Learn
  • Koji Kondo - Sirena Beach
  • Togo Project feat. Sana - Miracle Moon ~L.E.D. LIGHT STYLE MIX~
  • No Doubt - Spiderwebs
  • Hidenori Shoji - Brain Cleaner
  • Smile.dk - Boys
  • The Beatles - Love Me Do
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers - Warm Tape

12/07/2007

Revenge of Phagetunes

It's the Friday Random Ten.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Our Solemn Hour - Within Temptation
  • Wake - Lincoln Park
  • Breathing Like a Fish - ThouShaltNot
  • Die of a Broken Heart - Zeromancer
  • Introduction - Fort Minor
  • Ready to Blow - K.M.F.D.M.
  • Last Living Souls - Gorillaz
  • Fragments of Faith - Lacuna Coil
  • Enter Sandman - Richard Cheese
  • Multiple Jacks - PotC:3/Hans Zimmer
  • Kein Anfang - And One

'Scuse Me, but WHAT?

I just about punched a wall after seeing Bob Latta's campaign commercial. Apparently, his opponent is funded by "pro-abortion extremists".

WHAT? What in the hell is a "pro-abortion extremist"? Is that someone who waves pictures of bloody coat hangers outside anti-choice organizations, harasses women who go to "crisis pregnancy centers", and blows up "right-to-life" organization buildings?

The lies these people will tell are positively astounding.

Right-Wing Mailbag, "Damn Those Brown People" Edition

Wednesday's Journal-Gazette Letters Page
It has been said that terrorists have hijacked a great religion. I submit that Islam has corrupted its people.

Sadly, individual Muslims, out of a sense of duty or fear of their fellow Muslims, express little or no desire to assimilate into a host country’s social fabric and often advocate the establishment of Sharia law in their communities. They seldom condemn or inform upon militants. Those found out are considered traitors and subsequently murdered by militants. Witness Iraq. If American Muslims are one day compelled to choose between Islam or America, there is little doubt in my mind what that choice will be.

Islam is a problem. Sin is the problem. Islam is a militant and proselytizing faith bent upon world domination. Mohammed mandated that the world remain in a state of war until Islam rules the world. No, not all Muslims are terrorists. However, all terrorists are Muslims. Those in control, to whom lying, deception, coercion and force are virtues and murder and suicide are the paths to heaven are never to be trusted. Diplomacy and appeasement are simply wastes of time.

Infiltration into our country and many others is well on its way. Recruitment and the promotion of propaganda in the media, press, the courts and our campuses are in full swing.
Gee, doesn't this sound like the kind of person you want in your community? This kind of hatred is, sadly, both expected and accepted in this area.

First off, I wonder what kind of reaction a letter like ths would get were its target Christianity. A hateful screed like this against a religion whose followers weren't primarily brown-skinned and non-American would never see the light of day, and yet a tirade against Islam is printed, without a single thought as to how it comes off, much less a single check of the "facts" in it.

Of primary note is the statement in the second paragraph, "No, not all Muslims are terrorists. However, all terrorists are Muslims." Really, now? So the KKK, an organization whose sole purpose is to terrorize non-whites and non-Christians, is Muslim? So eco-terrorists who set fire to animal testing labs and SUVs are Muslims? So Timothy McVeigh, an indoctrinated Christian, was actually Muslim? So the Aum Shinrikyo cult, who attacked innocent people on the Tokyo subway with a deadly toxin, is Muslim?

Well, that's good to know. And here I foolishly thought that non-Muslims could be terrorists, thanks to many, many examples of non-Muslims committing acts of terrorism. Obviously, my observations must be wrong, since one person trying to start up a new crusade says that only Muslims can be terrorists. Oh, what a fool I was!

Damian's Random Ten, 12/07/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, and it's too busy playing in the snow to care.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • No Doubt - It's My Life
  • The Birthday Massacre - Nighttime
  • Modest Mouse - The View
  • The Eagles - Hotel California
  • Motoi Sakuraba - Lakitu Valley
  • Eminem - Say What You Say
  • Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight Tonight
  • Hirofumi Sasaki - The Least 100 Seconds
  • Supertramp - The Logical Song
  • Nana Kitade - Kibou no Kakera

11/30/2007

Damian's Random Ten, 11/30/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, and it transcends history and the world.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Zephyr Song
  • The Eagles - Hotel California
  • Naoki Maeda - Brilliant 2U
  • "Weird Al" Yankovic - That Boy Could Dance
  • Masato Nakamura - Oil Ocean Zone
  • Sota feat. Brenda V. - Saturday Night Love
  • The Beatles - Hello, Goodbye
  • Third Eye Blind - How's It Gonna Be
  • Garth Brooks - Friends in Low Places
  • Green Day - Wake Me Up When September Ends

11/23/2007

The Day After

Happy Smug Sense of Moral Superiority Day.

Damian's Random Ten, 11/23/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, and it's ready to start the shopping.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • System of a Down - Chop Suey!
  • Train - Calling All Angels
  • JULIA - Heaven is a Place on Earth (German Election Mix)
  • "Weird Al" Yankovic - JJurassic Park
  • Akira Yamaoka - Inside Your Heart
  • The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star
  • The Advantage - Wizards and Warriors
  • Eminem - Kim
  • Barenaked Ladies - Who Needs Sleep?
  • Masato Nakamura - Chemical Plant Zone

11/22/2007

Happy Thanksgiving

So today is Thanksgiving.

I'm sure lots of people have things to be thankful for. Myself? I'm just thankful I have somewhere to go since I can't be with my family.

11/16/2007

Mike Pence: "Discrimination or Nothing!" Paper: "STFU"

Rep. Mike Pence calls himself “a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order.” This isn't surprising - people with extremist views like to see themselves as being part of their extremism before they're anything else. It also lends an air of "oh-what-a-damn-surprise" to his vote against Head Start. Why would he vote against it? Why, because the money it gives couldn't be given to programs that discriminate.

Thankfully, the Richmond Palladium-Item realizes that Pence is a jackass for his vote, and calls him on it:

But Pence's objections, like those of the White House, are troubling to us because they grant faith-based organizations the right to practice discrimination at the same time they receive federal funds.

Specifically, the White House, Pence and a few other conservatives sought language that would allow religious groups receiving federal money to administer Head Start programs to hire or fire staffers based on religious affiliations.

Now, let us be clear in our belief that religious groups and organizations should be permitted to place religious tests on whomever they choose to hire or fire without interference from government.

So long as they are using their own money.

Therein lies the problem. A higher or at least more public standard needs to be met when tax dollars are at stake, as they are in this case.

Damian's Random Ten, 11/16/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, and it's all about grabbing stars.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Garth Brooks - Against the Grain
  • Eminem - Still Don't Give a Fuck
  • Tatsh - Xepher
  • "Weird Al" Yankovic
  • HALCALI - LOOK
  • The Birthday Massacre - Horror Show
  • UZI-LAY - Put Your Faith In Me (Saturday Night Mix)
  • The Eagles - Ol' 55
  • Aqua - Bumble Bees
  • All Girl Summer Fun Band - Daydreaming

Mark Souder: "Anyone Who Disagrees With Me Is A DFH", Groups: "STFU"

From Blue Indiana: Rep. Mark Souder's personal drug war catches some big name flak

I am so glad I didn't vote for this one-issue jackass.

Rep. Mark Souder hates drugs. He also hates the people who use drugs. He also hates the people who don't hate the people who use drugs.
Under current law, students with drug convictions are ineligible for financial aid for at least a year, maybe more, depending on the conviction. A group opposed to this penalty has been lobbying for years to eliminate it and will get a chance this week when the House Education Committee takes up reauthorization of the Higher Education Act on Wednesday.

Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.), a strong supporter of the drug penalty, tried earlier this month to preempt the effort to repeal it with a Dear Colleague letter. It warned members of Congress not to heed the word of the "small but determined coalition of drug-legalization groups" that opposes the penalty. "Before you are bombarded by the talking points of such groups, I wanted to make sure everyone has the facts straight," he wrote.
There's just a small problem: The letter that Souder sent out as a warning of the "small but determined" pro-drug hippies got a response from some of those aforementioned groups. And unfortunately for Souder, they aren't small, and they aren't happy.
The group, however, did its own straightening of facts. Sixteen of its members replied with a letter that's going out today asking that Souder "retract" his characterization of them. Among the hippies to fire back: the American Federation of Teachers, American Friends Service Committee, National Association of Social Workers, Union for Reform Judaism, etc.


Once again, I am so glad I didn't vote for this man. Mark Souder is something worse than those one-issue voters - he's a one-issue legislator. Nearly every time he opens his craw, he's wailing about drugs and how everyone who uses drugs is evil and anyone who doesn't want them DFHs locked up for life is a horrible person. Other than the occasional blurb about things that don't really matter for shit around here (and don't affect the people he should be concerned about), that's seemingly his entire platform.

Once again, I say, "Don't blame me, I voted for Hayhurst."

The Podium: One libertarian's View.

This week/whenever I do one of these. Ron Paul.

As as a Libertarian, I've had people make the assumption I would support Ron Paul. After all he's a former Libertarian candidate for president, a principal supporter of smaller government, and lower taxes. What's not to like for someone of a more conservative fiscal slant, such as myself?

Answer: Quite a bit.

While I shall not lie to our dear readers, neither about my political leanings, nor my ideas in the forum of economics - I for one cannot, will not and encourage everyone out there NOT to give two rat's asses about this man. An economic view that I agree with means nothing in the face of the proposed destruction of this nation's social structure. Nor do I accept this fear that has became rampant of our economy being on the brink of complete desolation - unless of course we elect our man Ron! No sir, sell that crazy elsewhere.

I do however fear what could happen to the social structure of our nation under the hand of Ron Paul -not that the man has a snowball's chance - and even if elected, I doubt he could strong arm his ideas through. I am most thankful for that. However the concepts he puts forth are most dangerous, and I would like a moment to discuss just a few with you, our dear readers.

I could go on about his idea of repealing Roe v. Wade, but what Republican worth his salt in Fundy-dollars hasn't pressed that issue? Let's instead focus on his more unique ideas.
(All quotations from RonPaul2008.com)

1: "End birthright citizenship. As long as illegal immigrants know their children born here will be citizens, the incentive to enter the U.S. illegally will remain strong."

This is not only a poor idea, the concept of removing our 14th Amendment, but a DANGEROUS one. This Amendment came about because States were refusing citizenship to freed African slaves, thus preventing them from being recognized as citizens of these United States. It is dangerous to forget that we as a people have not always been so welcoming to those who live within this country - and that humanity could take a turn for that direction if allowed. I wish it were not so, I prefer the notion of self-management, but it's simply unrealistic at this point. It only takes the corrupt getting power for a few years to turn us on our heads, lets not give them the weapons necessary to screw us.

2: "Years of centralized education have produced nothing but failure and frustrated parents. We can resurrect our public school system if we follow the Constitution and end the federal education monopoly."
and

" I will veto any legislation that creates national standards or national testing for home school parents or students. I also believe that, as long as No Child Left Behind remains law, it must include the protections for home schoolers included in sec. 9506 (enshrining home schoolers’ rights) and 9527 (guaranteeing no national curriculum)."


What precisely does this mean? It means that as his voting record shows, he does not support national testing of students. Couple this with his love of home-schooling and idea that a home schooled student showed be regarded the same as a non-homeschooled student (And this is coming from someone who WAS homeschooled for several years.) and we're going to see students who are not getting anywhere even NEAR a proper education. "The stupid shall inherit the nation." Not a concept I particularly enjoy. What can I expect? His particular brand of crazy only works on the uneducated masses, so let's work to further those numbers. UGH.

3: "I have always supported the Second Amendment and these are some of the bills I have introduced in the current Congress to help restore respect for it: H.R. 1096 includes provisions repealing the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and the Federal Firearms License Reform Act of 1993, two invasive and unconstitutional bills."

The Brady Act? THE FUCKING BRADY ACT. I am personally for gun control revision, as I think it's confusing, and could be greatly simplified with a little thought to what does and doesn't work. But this? This is pure madness. How many people really need a gun RIGHT THE FUCK NOW? Think about it, there is no reason to not have a waiting period. None. It prevents people who are upset and working from rage and impulse from doing something stupid. It allows for checks to ensure that a dangerous individual isn't handed a life-threatening weapon. It's a GOOD IDEA. Insanity.

I could go on. But I'm running long as is, in short - from this (l)ibertarian's perspective Ron Paul combines the worst aspects of Neo-Conservatism with the dark-side of Libertarianism and creates a beast that should not be supported.

To steal from the War on Drugs: Just say no.

/Phage out./

PhageTunes!

It's the Friday Random Ten.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • It's Still Rock and Roll to Me - Billy Joel
  • Nemo - Nightwish
  • So Sorry to Say - Celldweller
  • Up is Down - Hans Zimmer/Pirates of the Carribean 3
  • Split Seconds - Zeromancer
  • Kids With Guns - Gorillaz
  • What I see - Lacuna Coil
  • The Odyssey - Orgy
  • Name Der Rose - Qntal
  • Suck - Nine Inch Nails

11/15/2007

Right-Wing Mailbag, "Damn Those Smart People" Edition

Yesterday's J-G Letters Page
What I learned from Indiana University-Purdue University Sociology Department: George W. Bush thinks lying, cheating, torture, taking away peoples’ rights, neglecting the poor, being a religious hypocrite, killing, incompetence and cronyism are all OK. Would you be surprised if I said this list was hanging on the door of a professor at the IPFW Sociology Department?


Honestly, whiner? I wouldn't be surprised - because people who don't fool themselves into believing that W is the Second Coming realize he's all that was listed there and more.

Then again, a letter like this appearing in the Journal-Gazette doesn't surprise me much. With more and more people realizing that our country has gone to shit, the 28%ers have to crank the anti-intellectualism into high gear, lest they lose even more people.

Besides, I'm sure that the folks sending their kids to IPFW want their kids to be educated - which means finding out the truth.

(By the way, I'm stealing this post title from Reverent & Free's Craig, who seems to have retired his site. I'm hoping he won't mind.)

Let's Play Money-Making Game (Okay, so there's no money involved, just self-respect)

Anyone out there want to start a pool on what day we start seeing letters in the local fishwraps about the "War On Christmas"?

I'm saying three days after Thanksgiving.

A Further Study of Ron Paul's Insanity

As much as I've been trying to articulate the dangers of voting for Ron Paul, I've been simply unable to do so well.

Now I don't have to: Dave Neiwert of Orcinus sums up everything I've been meaning to say in yet another of his well-written posts.

A highlight, to hopefully get you to read it if you haven't already (and to read it again if you have):
The skins' reasons for opposing the war are, in fact, wholly different from those of the much larger antiwar left, who are opposed largely on humanitarian grounds; the far right, however, opposes the war because it's perceived to be fought on behalf of Israel and the Jews -- which is why, when you hear them talk about "neocons", you know that they are in fact using it as a code word for "Jew." So the association, such as it is (it seems largely to occur at Paul events) is purely coincidental, accidental, a nonsequitur, and largely irrelevant (though it hopefully gives antiwar liberals pause about the way they talk about Israeli influence in the matter).

However, the fact that they do so in the name of supporting Ron Paul is neither merely accidental nor irrelevant. After all, Paul himself is inclined to rail against "the Israel lobby" and "the neocons". But that's only scratching the surface of his appeal to this sector. Unlike the antiwar left, there's more than an abundance of common ground between Ron Paul and the far right.
Hat tip to Amanda at Pandagon for pointing me to this.

11/12/2007

A Moment of Reflection

Today is the observance of Veteran's Day, also called Armistice Day.

We honor our veterans old and young with a day in which we remember all those who died in wars the world over.

And all I ask on this one day is that, somehow, we make it so we don't make any more veterans.

Some would say it's a fool's dream, that it'll never happen.

I think it's noble.

An end to war.

No more battles.

Peace.

It's a dream that everyone should work toward.

What Would You Do?

Every night, a group of older women comes into our store. They buy food, they sit tehre for several hours, and we live with it because they're regulars who are on good terms with us.

The problem is, they're serious GOP Kool-Aid drinkers. They apparently actually believe the lies about Vince Foster and the zillions of other people that the Clintons supposedly had killed. There's no proof for any of it, but that doesn't stop them (and plenty of other fools) from loudly proclaiming it as the Gospel.

What do you do in a situation like that? I find it helpful to just tune them out, but sooner or later they're going to lie to someone who will actually BELIEVE this gibberish. And then it'll be too late.

So, then, what would you do?

11/11/2007

Jeff Gannon: Spamming Troll

Hillary apparently took questions from a planted reporter at an event. Now, this is bad, no doubt, but at least she's owning up to it. Of course, the right-wingers are just frothing over this, pounding their chests and screaming about how EVIL AND WRONG that is. Never mind that they've done it themselves, not least of all in the case of manwhore/fake reporter Jeff Gannon/Guckert.

But it doesn't stop there. Jeff Gannon/Guckert (or someone claiming to be him) is trying to sell himself as a real journalist on sites that mention him. When people call him on being a planted fake journalist (not even getting into the fact that his day job involved sucking dick for money), he just reposts his list of so-called "accomplishments" and dismisses everyone criticizing him as being beneath him.

Perrspective put it all into, well, perspective.

Thank you for the update on your latest accomplishments. We're all very proud. We're especially happy that you were able to escape the National Press Club luncheon with Dick Cheney without getting shot in the face.



Thanks also for asking about what's new on this end. To recap, among other things, I have been:



1. Wondering what happened to your former employer and media outlet, the GOPUSA-sponsored Talon News, which shuttered its site following your resignation. I found a convenient Talon News web archive here. Ironically, the original domain is now being used for a parody of journalism.



2. Searching for the web archive of the 500 articles you wrote during your two years as a White House correspondent. Your previous and current blogs do not contain any content from before your February 2005 resignation, and the GOPUSA site only seems to have some of your prodigious output in its forums. Any information you could provide about the whereabouts of those 500 journalistic gems, such as "League of Women Voters Advocates Liberal Agenda" or "AP Reporter has Kerry Ties," would be greatly appreciated.



3. Hoping for some enlightenment on how and from whom you and Talon News received a White House press credential. Could Scott McClellan shed any light, or would he just say "Go ahead, Jeff" and ask you to provide the details. Or perhaps Ari Fleischer could help, since he claimed you were "just as legitimate as some of the fringe organizations in the room" and that you asked him a question at a February 2003 briefing held before the existence of Talon News.



4. Blogging on the ongoing PR fraud of the Bush presidency here, here and here. Any insight you could provide into the White House's use of rented reporters, purchased pundits, rigged rallies, scripted sessions, fake news and pseudo-science would again be much appreciated. Then again, I should probably just read your book; I'm sure the details are in there.



Thank you also for taking the time to visit and comment at Perrspectives. Please don't worry about me "feeling slighted" by your drive-by spamming of the site to, as President Bush once said, "catapult the propaganda." That's what Americans expect from the organs of the right.


11/09/2007

Your Startling Thought for the Night

I realized tonight that, were Bill Hicks still alive, he'd be dead by now. Specifically, had he not died of cancer, he would have taken his own life upon reflecting about the way things are now.

Go back to bed, America. Your government has figured out how it all transpired. Go back to bed, America. Your government is in control again. Here. Here's American Gladiators. Watch this, shut up. Go back to bed, America. Here is American Gladiators. Here is 56 channels of it! Watch these pituitary retards bang their fucking skulls together and congratulate you on living in the land of freedom. Here you go, America! You are free to do what we tell you! You are free to do what we tell you!

Damian's Random Ten, 11/09/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, in stereo where available.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Oasis - Champagne Supernova
  • Eminem - Role Model
  • Teh Birthday Massacre - Over
  • Akira Yamaoka - Injection of Love
  • Aqua - Be A Man
  • LEaves' Eyes - Mot Fjerne Land
  • Minibosses - Mega Man 2
  • Supertramp - Breakfast in America
  • No Doubt - Ex-Girlfriend
  • The Eagles - Midnight Flyer

11/02/2007

Ron Paul: Racist, Insane Crapbag

A lot of self-styled "libertarians" are talking about how much ron Paul is just an incredible candidate. Usually, they see a couple of his stances (like his anti-Iraq-Occupation stance or his pro-legalization-of-marijuana stance) and are hooked, spamming forums with endless gushing about how terrific he is and how we all need to vote for him.

Like always, these people are easily-misled idiots. Ron Paul is a horrible candidate from pretty much any standpoint.

Worse yet, he's a known tinfoil-hatted "Twoofer" and supporter of so-called "patriot" movements, as well as being a racist jackass:
Regardless of what the media tell us, most white Americans are not going to believe that they are at fault for what blacks have done to cities across America. The professional blacks may have cowed the elites, but good sense survives at the grass roots. Many more are going to have difficultly avoiding the belief that our country is being destroyed by a group of actual and potential terrorists -- and they can be identified by the color of their skin. This conclusion may not be entirely fair, but it is, for many, entirely unavoidable.

Indeed, it is shocking to consider the uniformity of opinion among blacks in this country. Opinion polls consistently show that only about 5% of blacks have sensible political opinions, i.e. support the free market, individual liberty, and the end of welfare and affirmative action.... Given the inefficiencies of what D.C. laughingly calls the "criminal justice system," I think we can safely assume that 95% of the black males in that city are semi-criminal or entirely criminal.
Of course, the Ronbots are in high gear trying to deny this, saying it's all in the past, and Paul himself has had much of the proof of his hatemongering scrubbed from the Internet by any means possible.

It's too late. The Paulbots are fighting a losing battle. We liberals (those of us who don't have our heads firmly implanted between our buttocks) don't want a racist, misogynistic, paranoid, hateful douche like him in office, and conservatives don't want him anywhere NEAR the GOP nomination. Even the Freepers don't like him!

In a perfect world, people like Ron Paul wouldn't have a chance to be elected dog catcher. In this world, however, men like him can brainwash stupid, gullible losers to believe most anything.

Damian's Random Ten, 11/2/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, and it just got twinked with PHAT LEWTS YO.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Eminem - Who Knew
  • Asletics - Hit 'n' Slap
  • "Weird Al" Yankovic - Syndicated Inc.
  • Dave Matthews Band - Crash Into Me
  • Namco - Sail Over the Storm
  • Gin Blossoms - Hey Jealousy
  • Dali - Moonlight Densetsu
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers - I Like Dirt
  • Green Day - She's a Rebel
  • OMC - How Bizarre

A very Special Phagetunes

I'm at work. SHHH

It's the Friday Random Ten.

Hit the fast forward on my iPod and what do I get?
  • Die in Dreams - Gothminister
  • My Console - Eiffel65
  • Cyanide - Deathstars
  • Circle Six Intro - Phage/Vulgaris/Feline
  • Crawling Deeper - ThouShaltNot
  • Lost Vikings - Dethklok
  • Moment of Peace - Gregorian (monks)
  • Nobody's Real - Powerman 5000
  • My Own Little World - Celldweller

10/31/2007

I am a master of fright.

Here's a scary thought for the day:

This election is shaping up to be just like 2000.
The GOP is looking for another pseudo-charismatic idiot
The left is tearing itself apart because we haven't tried to put the Second Coming on the ballot yet, so everyone's listing reasons why they just CAN'T vote for anyone but some third-party vote-stealer.

Four more years, it looks like.

10/26/2007

Damian's Random Ten, 10/26/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, and IT HUNGERS! BEWARE, I LIVE! RUN RUN RUN, COWARD!

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Joey Scarbury and Desireé Goyette - Flashbeagle
  • Aqua - Goodbye to the Circus
  • King Kong and D. Jungle Girls - Boom Boom Dollar (K.O.G.G3 mix)
  • Riyu Kosaka - Love ♥ Shine
  • Armin van Buuren - Shivers (Radio Edit)
  • Smash Mouth - The fonz
  • Fiona Apple - Criminal
  • E-rotic - In the Heat of the Night
  • Namco - Stage of History
  • Barenaked Ladies - Go Home

Phage. iTunes.

Since I missed last week.

It's the Friday Random Ten.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Free Your Hate - KMFDM
  • Without Faith - ThouShaltNot
  • Wake - Lincoln Park
  • Humanity (World War Three) - Front Line Assembly
  • The Brethren Court - Hans Zimmer
  • Forgotten - Gothminister
  • Darkside Down - Porn On Beta
  • Feel Good Inc. - Gorillaz
  • Step To Me - Thousand Foot Krutch
    Planet Hell - Nightwish

10/21/2007

Shine to AFA: "Stuff your hate where it belongs"

From the Journal-Gazette: 3rd-party ad against gays angers Shine
Local Republican Chairman Steve Shine on Friday criticized a third-party radio commercial promoting GOP mayoral candidate Matt Kelty that Shine said presents a message of intolerance.

The ad, sponsored by the American Family Association of Indiana, said Christians have an important decision in the upcoming mayor’s race because Democrat Tom Henry has “repeatedly authored legislation promoting the gay-rights agenda.”

The American Family Association of Indiana is endorsing Kelty.

Shine sent a two-page letter to Kelty outlining his concerns with the ad. In it, he wrote that the advertisement does not create a perception of the open and inclusive Republican Party he is trying to promote.

While he said he has valued the group’s support of candidates in the past, he fears the radio ad – played on a local Christian station – conveys that Republicans shun people who differ from them in certain ways.

“As someone whose roots come from a class of people once persecuted for its religious beliefs, it pains me to hear even a hint of intolerance associated with a candidate of an organization I chair,” said Shine, who is Jewish. “I will not accept intolerance, real or perceived.”


You know, usually I've got a real mad-on for the GOP overall, but I've really got to hand it to Steve Shine - telling a group of anti-gay hatemongers to go stuff it because they're marginalizing would-be voters is a damn good move. You and I both know it's not going to affect my vote - I won't vote for a Republican unless they're the only one on a ticket and I don't live in Ft. Wayne anyhow, but this sets a good precedent. Now if only we could get more folks to tell the haters to go fly a kite, we'd be good.

10/19/2007

Damian's Random Ten, 10/19/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, and it hits the weak point for massive damage.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Captain Jack - Captain Jack (Grandale Remix)
  • Coolio - Bright As the Sun
  • Koji Kondo - Forest Temple
  • DE-SIRE retunes - CHAOS
  • "Weird Al" Yankovic - Do I Creep You Out
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers - Minor Thing
  • Tom Petty - You Don't Know How It Feels
  • Informatik - House of Cards
  • Hidenori Shoji - Planet Colors (Green Planet)
  • Motoi Sakuraba - Lakitu Valley 2

Eep!

Now that our Internet service is finally back...

From Wired.com's Threat Level section: Bush Quips He Might Stay in Power
Reporter: Mr. President, following up on Vladimir Putin for a moment, he said recently that next year, when he has to step down according to the constitution, as the president, he may become prime minister; in effect keeping power and dashing any hopes for a genuine democratic transition there ...

Bush: I've been planning that myself.


Eep. Now I'm frightened. Joke or not, that's just scary.

10/13/2007

iTunes Tiem!

It's the Friday Saturday Random Ten. (So I'm late... sue me.)

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • The Brethren Court - Hans Zimmer
  • Fadeaway - Celldweller
  • Monsters - Gothminister
  • Ghost of a Rose - Blackmore's Night
  • Walk Through The Fire - Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Once More With Feeling
  • Hau Ruck - K.M.F.D.M.
  • Where'd You Go - Fort Minor
  • Sex On Wheels - Thrill Kill Kult
  • Care For You - Wolfsheim
  • Wake - Linkin Park
  • Humanity (World War Three) - Front Line Assembly

10/12/2007

Damian's Random Ten, 10/12/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, and it's got the look.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Eminem - Superman
  • The Eagles - Hotel California
  • Garth Brooks - I Know One
  • Green Day - American Idiot
  • Koji Kondo - Ultimate Koopa
  • DJ Simon - air
  • Modest Mouse - Invisible
  • Gina G - (Ooh Ahh) Just a Little Bit
  • Snap! - Rhythm Is A Dancer
  • "Weird Al" Yankovic - The Night Santa Went Crazy
Oh, and you can disregard last week's post about my MP3 player - I got a new, better one from eBay. It just came today.

10/11/2007

Your Daily Dose of Pure, Unfettered Cynicism

So, in the past three days, we've had a rampage by a psychopathic cop (as Phage noted below), a school shooting and a foiled plot to enact another.

I'm wondering when the vultures will start descending on this one. The pro-gun nuts who say that if everyone carried guns, nothing like this would ever happen. The anti-gun nuts who will point to this as yet another reason to destroy every last gun in existence. The hate preachers who will say that these things happen because we don't have an explicit theocracy. The ambulance-chasers who will try to find someone to sue. The demagogues who will blame the media.

IF they already have, I haven't seen it. But I know, I absolutely fucking know, that it either has happened, or will happen.

10/10/2007

Off-Duty Officer Proves What Was Said About Him.

Officer Guns down 6 at party - 7th injured.

Twenty-year-old Tyler Peterson had gone to the party early Sunday to make amends with his ex-girlfriend, a friend of Peterson's told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Peterson lost control after people called him a "worthless pig," Mike Kegley told the paper.

Peterson left and got a police-style AR-15 rifle from his truck, forced his way back into the apartment and fired about 30 rounds at about 2:45 a.m. (3:45 a.m. ET). Six people were killed; one person survived and is hospitalized, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said at a Monday news conference.


"They called me a worthless pig... WAIT! I know, I'll kill them all! That'll teach them I'm not worthless!"

Worse yet, the extreme and nasty voices slowly rising on the far right in approval of his actions. Facism is a terrible thing folks, and those that would approve of such a course of action are just that. Totalitarian Facists.

10/05/2007

Conservative Hypocricy is a Real Toe-Tapper

And now, one right out of the "You Can't Make This Shit Up" files: From the New Orleans Times-Picayune via The Liberal Avenger: DiFatta twice detained for lewd conduct in mall restrooms
St. Bernard Parish Councilman Joey DiFatta, who on Thursday withdrew from the 1st Senate District campaign, has been stopped twice since 1996 for suspicion of engaging in lewd behavior in public restrooms in Jefferson Parish, records obtained by The Times-Picayune show.
(...)
In the second incident, Jefferson Parish deputies working an undercover detail in a men's bathroom at Dillard's at Lakeside Shopping Center in March 2000 stopped DiFatta after he indicated a desire to engage in sex with an undercover deputy in an adjoining bathroom stall, according to an interoffice memorandum written by Sgt. Keith Conley, one of the deputies involved in the investigation.

The report said DiFatta slid his foot into the deputy's stall and tapped the deputy's foot. In the report, Conley noted that such activity is common among men to indicate a willingness to participate in sex.

The deputy inside the stall, Detective Wayne Couvillion, responded by tapping his foot, and DiFatta reached under the partition and began to rub the deputy's leg, the report states.

The detective asked DiFatta, "What do you want?" according to the report, and he replied, "I want to play with you."

DiFatta also used a hand signal to indicate that he wanted to engage in sex and used language that indicated the same, according to the report.
Conley, who is now the Kenner city attorney, confirmed the report's authenticity Thursday.

The incident did not culminate in an arrest because the deputy in the bathroom with DiFatta terminated the investigation after several children entered the bathroom, the report states. Conley noted in the report that DiFatta appeared well-versed and comfortable with the routine.

Does that italicized part sound familiar to anyone else? Anyone? Anyway, you might notice that he stresses he's never been convicted. The only thing that saved his ass the second time is a stroke of luck in his favor:

Conley wrote that had the investigation been allowed to continue, it likely would have concluded in DiFatta's arrest on obscenity charges, including a possible attempted crime against nature.

Conley confronted DiFatta outside the bathroom, and DiFatta apologized and said he would not return, according to the report. DiFatta also said he has a problem with such behavior and had sought counseling for the addiction in the past, the report states.


Now, not to throw a cold shower on a way to nail someone for their wrongdoiong, but "crime against nature"? That statement worries me to no end. I thought the "sodomy" laws had been struck down?

Anyway, to top all this off, DiFatta is, like so many other Cock-Craving Conservatives, a hypocrite. From his own website, specifically his "plan": "Defend our conservative values from attacks by extreme liberal groups" (For those unaware, that's conservative-speak for "make sure DEM QUEERS are chased back into the closet".)

Damian's Random Ten, 10/05/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, whether it wants to work or not.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Kukeiha Club - Theme of Upa
  • DJ Amuro - AA
  • Natalie Imbruglia - Torn
  • "Weird Al" Yankovic - Virus Alert
  • The Advantage - Bubble Man Stage
  • UZI-LAY - Put Your Faith In Me (Saturday Night Mix)
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers - Shallow Be Thy Game
  • Dali - Moonlight Densetsu
  • Sarina Paris - Look At Us (Daddy DJ Remix)
  • Modest Mouse - People as Places as People
Oh, and if you're wondering about the line at the top of this one, I've been having some serious trouble with my MP3 player - specifically, it won't work. Anyone have a recommendation of a good MP3 player for about $50 or less?

Phage's Big American... you know what.

It's the Friday Random Ten.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Elegy - Leaves' Eyes
  • Danse Eschelon (Gir's Taco Mix) - Defect 9 Project
  • The Night Santa Went Crazy - Weird Al Yankovic
  • Almost Human - Voltaire
  • Demon Days - Gorillaz
  • The Stars of Orion - Celldweller
  • Cardinal Directions (Stromkern Mix) - ThoughShaltNot
  • 16 Miles - Ego Likeness
  • Happy Birthday - The Birthday Massacre
  • Houses of Cards - Zeromancer

10/02/2007

On the recent Britney flap

Two words:

Who cares?!

9/28/2007

Damian's Random Ten, 9/28/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU DESU.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • The Beatles - Penny Lane
  • "Weird Al" Yankovic - The white Stuff
  • 2MB - Fascination ~eternal love mix~
  • Lali Puna - Left Handed
  • Kukeiha Club - Theme of Vic Viper/Lord British
  • Motoi Sakuraba - Coin Attack
  • Eminem - Stan
  • Modest Mouse - Education
  • The Eagles - Wasted Time
  • Tatsh and Naoki - Red Zone

Phage's Big American iTunes Party!

Who is listening? Bear is listening, oh my god how can that be?

It's the Friday Random Ten!
Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Deceiver of Fools - Within Temptation
  • My Console - Eiffel 65
  • The Revolution Exodus - the Deathstars
  • Without Faith - ThouShaltNot
  • Back Home - Fort Minor
  • Leviathan - GothMinister
  • Going Through the Motions - Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More with Feeling
  • The Little Things Give You Away - Linkin Park
  • All Because of Your - Blackmore's Night
  • New York State of Mind - Billy Joel

9/24/2007

Is it even worth it?

I'm starting to really lose my desire to keep fighting. When otherwise sane people immediately start spewing authoritarian bullshit every time they have half a chance, it gets so tiring that I just want to stop telling them they're wrong. I often find myself thinking that maybe it's for the best if we just stop struggling and let the people who are killing society and the world do whatever they want.

And the fact that I am, once again, the only person updating this only makes that feeling stronger.

9/21/2007

Damian's Random Ten, 9/21/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, to bring out the tiger in you.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • More Yamasan, B. Hasake & Miyazaki - Basilisk Mine Field
  • Ferry Corsten - L.E.F. (Loud Electronic Ferocious)
  • Semisonic - Closing Time
  • Naoki - Dynamite Rave
  • Aqua - Around the World
  • 403 - Southern Cross
  • Bush - Comedown
  • Barenaked Ladies - Some Fantastic
  • The Beatles - Hello, Goodbye
  • The Eagles - Hole in the World

9/20/2007

A loop from which we never seem to escape

Right now, I'm watching coverage of the protests in Jena, LA. I find it amazing that I don't remember seeing anything like this and feeling so strongly about it. Some part of me wonders if this is what it felt like to watch the civil rights movement of the 60s and want dearly for equality.

But another part of me, a very angry, bitter part, wonders "Why?" Not to my other feelings, but to why this even has to happen. It's not the 60s anymore. We shouldn't have to see things like this happen. We should be better than that. As Felis Domina told me only a few minutes ago, "This should have been done and over with in the 1960s and '70s. But I guess some people are just happy living 50 years in the past."

Sometimes I think we live not on an ever-moving bullet of time, but in a loop, from which we can't escape.

9/14/2007

Damian's New Links, 9/14/2007

When I look in the list of recent Indiana weblog posts in the sidebar, I usually find myself reading the links from Shakesville more than other ones. It's a fine place, and now it's in my Recommended Links.

The Meaning of "American Idiot"

Okay, it's not quite a deconstruction of Green Day's megahit song/album, but it does trigger the song in my head: From USA Today:
Most Americans believe the nation's founders wrote Christianity into the Constitution, and people are less likely to say freedom to worship covers religious groups they consider extreme, a poll out today finds.

The survey measuring attitudes toward freedom of religion, speech and the press found that 55% believe erroneously that the Constitution establishes a Christian nation. In the survey, which is conducted annually by the First Amendment Center, a non-partisan educational group, three out of four people who identify themselves as evangelical or Republican believe that the Constitution establishes a Christian nation. About half of Democrats and independents do.


I actually got wind of this from Shakesville, where guest poster Petulant is rightfully angry about it. How stupid do you have to be to believe this garbage? My high school history teacher would knock the stupid out of these people. It's incredible to think that in this day and age there are people who still think with this kind of medieval mindset.

Oh, wait, no it isn't, not with "Jesus Day" Bush in the White House.

And now, more horribly scary numbers:
Most respondents, 58%, say teachers in public schools should be allowed to lead prayers. That is an increase from 2005, when 52% supported teacher-led prayer in public schools.

More people, 43%, say public schools should be allowed to put on Nativity re-enactments with Christian music than in 2005, when 36% did.

Half say teachers should be allowed to use the Bible as a factual text in history class. That's down from 56% in 2000.
This is nauseating, really. Though, if you want some truly stomach-emptying results, you go to the source: the First Amendment Center's page giving the results of the poll.

* Just 56% believe that the freedom to worship as one chooses extends to all religious groups, regardless of how extreme — down 16 points from 72% in 2000.
* 58% of Americans would prevent protests during a funeral procession, even on public streets and sidewalks; and 74% would prevent public school students from wearing a T-shirt with a slogan that might offend others.
* 34% (lowest since the survey first was done in 1997) think the press “has too much freedom,” but 60% of Americans disagree with the statement that the press tries to report the news without bias, and 62% believe the making up of stories is a widespread problem in the news media — down only slightly from 2006.
* 25% said “the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees,” well below the 49% recorded in the 2002 survey that followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, but up from 18% in 2006.
The fact that some of those numbers are moving in the right direction is promising, but the fact that they have a right direction to actually move IN is frightening. We should know what our rights are, but in a culture where people are told every day that an entire religion is out to get them and they have to sacrifice their freedoms to stay safe, that's a far-off hope.

The absolute peak of my fury comes at this single paragraph, though:
The right to practice one’s own religion was deemed “essential” or “important” by nearly all Americans (97%); as was the right to “speak freely about whatever you want” (98%) and to “assemble, march, protest or petition the government (94%),” Policinski said. “Still, Americans are hard pressed to name the five freedoms included in the First Amendment,” he said. Speech is the only one named by a majority of respondents (64%), followed by religion (19%), press and assembly (each 16%) and petition (3%).
...
My feelings on this travesty
The sad part is, I can tell you why they think this way. People are told every day that people like Coultergeist have "freedom of speech" to say horrible, untrue, often criminal things about people. Religion, they're told, is a freedom only to worship as the churches of the majority see fit, and the government can say nothing about anything any religious figure says in the name of their god, no matter how hateful or untrue, because otherwise it's "taking their freedom". The rest they don't even really have under this administration, so they forget about them.

Well, on the plus side, not everyone seems to think this way.


I have to go lie down now. My head hurts.

Bush: "I'm Deciding to De-Surge the Surge, 'Cuz I'm the Decider"

From CNN: Bush: 5,700 troops to return home by Christmas
President Bush said Thursday night conditions on the ground in Iraq have improved sufficiently to start bringing some U.S. troops home, and urged Americans divided over the war to "come together."

In a televised speech to the nation, Bush said he would reduce U.S. force strength by 5,700 troops by Christmas and, by next July, reduce the number of combat brigades from 20 to 15 -- a decrease of roughly 21,500 troops overall.
In other words, for those who haven't been paying much attention, he's essentially saying that he's just going to return us to the numbers we had in there before the "surge". In fact, he may not even reduce troop numbers that much.
As for this flap about "conditions on the ground in Iraq have improved sufficiently", where the hell is he getting that? The GAO concluded that violence is still high and "The average number of daily attacks against civilians remained about the same over the last six months." That doesn't sound like "improved conditions" to me. That sounds more like the same old bullshit.

Phage's Big American iTunes Party!

It's the Friday Random Ten.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Forsoothe - B00l3
  • Get Me Gone - Fort Minor
  • Stand My Ground - Within Temptation
  • Castles and Dreams - Blackmore's Night
  • Quicken - Thousand Foot Krutch
  • To the Edge - Lacuna Coil
  • Eurotrash - Zeromancer
  • Dark Chest of Wonders - Nightwish
  • A Trace - ThouShaltNot
  • The Dream - Birthday Massacre

On Surges and Serpent's Tongues

So I've had several days to reflect on the Petraeus report, the White House's spin on it, what have you.

First, I've been meaning to use this and just couldn't get around to it until today:
Petraeus: Cheerleading for the Liars
People are taking what they want to from Gen. Petraeus' words. The Journal-Gazette ran a huge image the day after saying that his words were analogous the old, tired, already-discarded GOP talking point, "stay the course". Some saw his words as a sign that we may be leaving Iraq sometime. Some just ignored him and continued their own little crusades.
The White House, meanwhile, immediately took the report just as they wanted to, considering it vindication for the failed policies that have led us to our current state.

My biggest beef with all this, though, is probably with MoveOn.org, which attacked Petraeus before he even said anything. It's not so much about the substance of their attack, either, but about the fact that they essentially gave the Republicans ammunition to use against us. Thanks loads, guys, you fucked us over.

Damian's Random Ten, 9/14/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, a Filmways Presentation, y'all.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Modest Mouse - One Chance
  • Eminem - '97 Bonnie and Clyde
  • Masato Nakamura - Wing Fortress Zone
  • Kukeiha Club - Parodius Megamix
  • The Beatles - Hey Jude
  • Riyu Kosaka - Candy ♥
  • "WEird Al" Yankovic - Pancreas
  • Naoki feat. Paula Terry - Maria (I Believe...)
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers - Otherside
  • Namco - Everlasting Quest

9/10/2007

Attention CNN and other major news sources!

Britney Spears sucking is not news, nor is it new.

That is all.

9/07/2007

Damian's Random Ten, 9/7/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, and it's got a fever, and the only prescription... is more cowbell.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Hidenori Shoji - Feather (Customize)
  • daiki kasho, ono37 and Tetsu - PICO
  • Modest Mouse - Bury Me With It
  • Jenny Rom - Señorita (Speedy Mix)
  • Kukeiha Club - Bonus Stage
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers - Pea
  • Crystal Aliens - SEXY PLANET
  • T.a.T.U. - Not Gonna Get Us
  • Eminem - 'Til I Collapse
  • NESkimos - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Phage's Big American iTunes Party!

It's the Friday Random Ten.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Almost Human - Voltaire
  • Come A Time - ThouShaltNot
  • Forgiven - Within Temptation
  • This is a Call - Thousand Foot Krutch
  • Flirt (With Me) - Zeromancer
  • The Greater Good - ThousShaltNot
  • Sinners Inc. - Rob Zombie
  • When I Crash ThouShaltNot
  • Back Home - Fort Minor
  • The Howling - Within Temptation

9/06/2007

Jack Thompson seeks to subpoena President Bush

From GamePolitics.com:
So where does The Decider (seen at left in full Madden regalia) fit into the case?

That’s not really clear. But the linkage - at least in Thompson’s mind - seems to be that the Blank Rome law firm represents video game industry defendants in Strickland vs. Sony, an Alabama lawsuit alleging that an 18-year-old was acting under the influence of Grand Theft Auto when he killed two police officers and a police dispatcher in 2004. And Blank Rome - or at least some of its partners - are also lobbyists as well as heavyweight Republican donors.

It's like some sort of party for all the people I can't stand! Crazed "attorney" Jack Thompson, Dubya and Brother Jeb. If Jack manages to stall his case until Bush leaves office - which seems to be his goal - it's all the more reason to anticipate the end of the current administration. The sooner we can see the disbarment, and subsequent humiliation of Thompson - the sooner (hopefully) ANYone in the media will stop taking him seriously.

From Jack Thompson, attorney - to simply, Jack Thompson, sociopath.

Bush can't recall why the Iraqi Military was disbanded.

From the LA Times

"The policy was to keep the army intact; didn't happen," Bush told biographer Robert Draper in excerpts published in Sunday's New York Times.

Draper pressed Bush to explain why, if he wanted to maintain the army, his chief administrator for Iraq, L. Paul Bremer III, issued an order in May 2003 disbanding the 400,000-strong army without pay.

"Yeah, I can't remember; I'm sure I said, 'This is the policy, what happened?' " Bush said, adding: "Again, Hadley's got notes on all this stuff" -- a reference to national security advisor Stephen J. Hadley.

It's great that our supposed Commander-in-Chief knows whats going on with his own administration, to the point - that the 'plans' aren't being followed - and we're finding out years later that the President doesn't even know why.

Good to know, especially with the knowledge that: the Joint Chiefs weren't consulted in the decision.

Or how Bremer: told Bush in advance of his plan to disband the Iraqi military.

"We must make it clear to everyone that we mean business: that Saddam and the Baathists are finished," Bremer wrote in a letter to the president on May 22, 2003.

After recounting U.S. efforts to remove members of Saddam's Baath Party from civilian agencies, Bremer told Bush that he would "parallel this step with an even more robust measure" to dismantle the Iraq military.

One day later, Bush wrote back a short thank-you letter. "Your leadership is apparent," the president wrote. "You have quickly made a positive and significant impact. You have my full support and confidence." On the same day, Bremer, in Baghdad, had issued the order disbanding the Iraqi military.

Bush did not mention the order to abolish the military, and the letters do not show that he approved the order or even knew much about it. Bremer referred only fleetingly to his plan midway through his three-page letter and offered no details.

Furthermore:

Bremer indicated he had been smoldering for months as other administration officials had steadily distanced themselves from his order. "This didn't just pop out of my head," he said by telephone Monday, adding that he had sent a draft of the order to top Pentagon officials and discussed it "several times" with Donald Rumsfeld, then secretary of defense.


To me, it sounds like the administration trying to distance itself from what is widely considered a VERY bad decision in regards to the war.

Either that or everyone was drunk at the time. Given the administration, I'm going to go with that.

9/04/2007

Bush announces possibility of troop withdrawal!

From the New York Times: Bush, in Iraq, Says Troop Reduction Is Possible
President Bush made a surprise eight-hour visit to Iraq on Monday, emphasizing security gains, sectarian reconciliation and the possibility of a troop withdrawal, thus embracing and pre-empting this month’s crucial Congressional hearings on his Iraq strategy.
Y'hear that?! He actually said a troop withdrawal is possible!

Oh, except he didn't give any indication of how many would be withdrawn.

Or when.

And his circumstances are the same vague "we'll stand down when they stand up" crap they've been saying the whole time.

Huh. Maybe it's just another way of saying that he wants us to be there forever, or at least until someone else takes office.

Ah well, sorry to get your hopes up.

9/01/2007

Phage here.

As was previously noted, I am your new friend, confidant - and graphic monkey.

I've completed the immediate layout changes, just to smooth everything out - without over complicating the whole thing. It'll do for the time being, til I decide to change everything again. Damn my need for perfection.

Who is Phage? I'll sum it up as such, I am a left-leaning libertarian (formerly a dues paying member, now wishing they'd stop sending me the blasted renewal letters.) - and that is "Small L" libertarian.

I'll try to keep any potential right wing nuttery (what little I may hold on to) to the barest of minimums.

//Good night and Eris bless//

What, more people?

Welcome Phage, my other friend. Yeah, I only have two.

Phage will also be handling any redesigns and graphics work being done here. He's far better with it than I am.

8/31/2007

Random Ten Tiem

It's the Friday Random Ten.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?

Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx
Gasoline - MDFMK
Odyssey - Amethystium
Human (Single version)
09 Anakin Vs Obi-Wan - John Williams
01 Dark Chest Of Wonders - Nightwish
Traces (Light & Weight) - Enigma
My Console - Eiffel 65
Lullaayby for Love - Groove Coverage
I Want to Know What Love Is - Foreigner

Damian's Random Ten, 08/31/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, and it-

OBJECTION!

Counsel for the defense, Mr. Phoenix Wright, objects
The time is already past 6:00 for my client! Therefore, he could not possibly be posting his Random Ten, because it's too late!

Here come da Judge
Mr. Wright, I fail to see how the time affects your client's ability to post, unless it's after midnight. I suggest you think your objections over more carefully.

Oops
(...Erk. I guess he could post after 6 PM and it'd still be Friday...)

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Barenaked Ladies - When You Dream
  • Fiona Apple - Criminal
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
  • No Mercy - Where Do You Go
  • Sean Paul - Get Busy
  • The Beatles - Penny Lane
  • The Birthday Massacre - Neverending Story
  • Riyu Kosaka - HONEY♂PUNCH
  • Nintendo - Stealth Turtles
  • Barenaked Ladies - Baby Seat
(Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney sprites courtesy of Court-Records.net)

8/29/2007

Larry Craig: Seed of Insanity

The whole "Anti-gay Senator Larry Craig busted for trying to find sex in a men's room" thing is a rich repository of insanity of all kinds. First, though, a bit of sanity to steel your resolve: Alex Blaze from The Bilerico Project speculates on just how appropriate this whole thing is, as well as whether or not it's okay to point and laugh. (For the record, he says yes, and I agree.)

Now for the crazy crap: First off, right from the horse's ass, Craig himself blames everyone but his own need for cock for his plight:


Second, Pandagon covers the Freeper reaction, and boy howdy is it CRAAAAZY!

You all have been waiting for it…some knuckle-dragging commentary from the swamps of Freeperland about conservative Republican U.S. Senator from Idaho Larry Craig’s same-sex bathroom booty call. Enjoy!

Actual Freeper Quotes

Part of the perversion that is homosexuality; sex in public places.

I agree. This looks very bad, indeed. He can use all the excuses that he wants, but I doubt that he will convince many that he was “innocent.” I hope that he does the right thing for the GOP and decides not to run again for the senate. He is political toast. Unlike the Dems, Republicans care about sexual ethics.

[And my personal favorite –]

I think this is another Democrat setup. Anyone who says anything against gays nowadays is persecuted.

Nah, I think more likely the GOP bigwigs eventually knew about it and figured it will come out any way, dump it today under the flash of the Gonzales stories.
You gotta wonder how nuts those psychos at Freep have to be to actually believe the horseshit they spew in every direction. And you might notice how nearly every freeper quote has either a "dem queerz is ebil" or "the Dhimmicrats are teh REEEEL prevertz" smear in it. That's conservative class for you.

Speaking of, what would a look at psychosis be without the pathological hatred of oneof my favorite trolls, Dana of Common Sense Political Thought and common troll at Pandagon and Liberal Avenger:

Mr Craig’s votes on the issues that Mr Rogers and Pam Spaulding of Pandagon find important:

* Voted YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (June 2006)
* Voted NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes. (June 2002)
* Voted NO on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation. (June 2000)
* Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (September 1996)
* Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation. (September 1996)

Even though I don’t see any particular reason why people ought to be discriminated against in employment for being homosexual, I see no reason to add it to federal job discrimination laws — since I don’t like the idea of such laws in the first place. Nor do I think we ought to have hate crimes laws: we should punish people for the crimes they commit, not the motivations behind those crimes. Senator Craig’s positions are perfectly reasonable, even if he is on the “down low.” But our friends on the left all assume, since they dislike those positions, that Mr Craig must be a major hypocrite.


That's right, Dana's trying to deny Mr. Craig's hypocritical gay-bashing by saying that it must be because he just thinks it's bad policy to give equal rights to gay people. Inbetween calling everyone who doesn't agree with him "scumbag", Dana has to try and stick up for the gay-bashing homo (to take a phrase from Mr. Garrison) because he might have to admit that maybe, just maybe, Craig is a fucking hypocrite for voting for bigoted anti-gay laws while bering a closet case himself.

And why is he defending the anti-gay decisions of an outed hypocrite? Why, because conservatives have more class.

8/28/2007

Calling Out Vick

Yesterday Michael Vick pleaded guilty to conspiracy to dogfight charges and made a "public apology" for his actions. While that's all well and good, I have to call out one thing which really burns my soup:
"Through this situation I've found Jesus," he added. He vowed to redeem himself, saying, "I have to."
Are we suddenly supposed to be all behind him now, since he's "found JAYZUS"? It's the most callously overused pander in the world (though I have a feeling it's almost exclusive to this country), it's wrongheaded, and it's not surprising.
Every time some celebrity does wrong, they "find Jesus" and all of a sudden they're supposed to be considered good people? Bullshit. Quite honestly, my experience shows that people who start talking religion in situations like this become worse people. I know that's not going to convince everyone, but I know I can't be the only one who's noticed this.

8/24/2007

Damian's Random Ten, 08/24/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten: Elite Beat Agents edition.

Agents are... GO!!
Are you ready? 3-2-1-GO!
  • Chicago - You're the Inspiration
  • Avril Lavigne - Sk8er Boi
  • Rolling Stones - Jumpin' Jack Flash
  • Village People - YMCA
  • Jamiroquai - Canned Heat
  • Deep Purple - Highway Star
  • Madonna - Material Girl
  • Earth, Wind and Fire - September
  • Ashlee Simpson - La La
  • Good Charlotte - The Anthem
BONUS MISSION! Cher - Believe

8/23/2007

Mine Owner Blames Miners' Union for His Failures

From Crooks and Liars: CNN Softballs Bob Murray…What about those documents?
This interview is one of the reasons why America is so uninformed about serious issues in our country. Kyra Phillips is really engaged in the Utah mining disaster and has a genuine passion about the story, but instead of asking the real questions to Murray about the dangerous mining conditions he promoted after he denied them—she treated him like a folk hero. The Huffington Post has more…
Murray: A rumor was started by the United Mine Workers. It’s false statements they have made. False statements from the beginning. But I’ve watched them for 50 years and they have preyed on the tragedy of miners and their families to put out false information to organize their union.
Murray always has the time to bash the United Mine Workers as much as he can and then he praises CNN for the wonderful job they are doing.


Follow the link to watch video of the so-called interview.

I saw this at work and I nearly punched the TV. That slave-driving scumbag kept acting like he was about to cry over the people he's essentially murdered. Worse yet, he made it a point to smear the UMW like a good little shill, proving once again the hostility of business owners towards any opportunity for workers to gain leverage.

But the most stunning part of all is that it isn't some nasty rumor started by those awful non-rich working-class people that's hounding him... it's the truth.

Robert Murray insists that his company did not change the mining plan at Crandall Canyon after purchasing a joint interest in the mine last August.
But documents obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune clearly contradict Murray's assertion, and show that Murray's company sought and received approval from federal regulators to make a significant, and, experts say, risky change to the mining strategy.
Records of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) show that, after Murray acquired a 50 percent ownership in the mine on Aug. 9, 2006, his company repeatedly petitioned the agency to allow coal to be extracted from the north and south barriers - thick walls of coal that run on both sides of the main tunnels and help hold up the mine.


The Conservative News Network, of course, wouldn't dare ask a real question of someone like Murray. After all, he's a business owner, and thus his decisions are perfect, no matter who's hurt, no matter who dies, no matter how much suffering is caused.

8/17/2007

Damian's Random Ten, 08/17/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, and IT GIVE YOU MUCH GOLD FOR AMERICAN MONEY YOU WANT EPIC MOUNT?

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Groove Coverage - Let It Be
  • Crosby, Still, Nash, and Young - Just A Song Before I Go
  • Eminem - As the World Turns
  • Melee Orchestra - Fire Emblem
  • Namco - In Father's Name
  • Masato Nakamura - Metropolis Zone
  • Modest Mouse - People as Places as People
  • Javier Navarrete - El Que no es Humano
  • Grame Norgate - Elevator Music B (from Goldeneye 007)
  • Medwyn Goodall - Vicuña

Woman fired from Meijer for appearing in 'Sicko'

Gee, and just when I was starting to think Meijer might be better than Wal-Mart. From MichaelMoore.com, reprinting an article in the Livingston, MI Press & Argus: Hartland grad says 'Sicko' got her fired
HOWELL, MI -- A Hartland High School graduate who appeared in the Michael Moore documentary "Sicko" says she was unfairly fired from her job as a manager at Meijer because of the views on health care she expressed in the film.

Adrian Campbell, a 25-year-old Waterford Township resident, said her new boss at the Northville Meijer store did not approve of her comments in the movie, which called for health-care reform in the United States.

"He called me anti-American," she said. "He was constantly calling me that."
Before I go any farther into this, let's take note of something here: This manager calls her "anti-American" for exercising her right to free speech. Or, rather, her right to say that something's not perfect in this country. That's what's wrong with so many people in this country these days-they believe they're living in a perfect country and that anyone pointing out any flaw is saying that America is a bad country.

"I said 'No, I'm not anti-American, I just think there should be a few changes in this country.' And then he let me go."

A call seeking comment from her supervisor was referred to Meijer's corporate office, which released a statement disputing Campbell's claim.

"Ms. Campbell's employment was in no way impacted because of her appearance in the movie 'Sicko' or any statements or beliefs she may have made or held about the movie or health care in our country," the statement reads.

"Nearly one month ago, Meijer announced a restructure plan that had been under development for several months which involved all of our 4,200 leadership team members.

"Ms. Campbell, like others, was offered another leadership position at Meijer but declined that offer, instead accepting a severance package. Upon completion of this company-wide restructure, over 500 Meijer team leaders have accepted severance packages."


The severance package equals out to five weeks of pay, Campbell said, adding she was not offered another leadership position at Meijer.


Note the italicized part above. This is going to be their excuse if she attempts to sue them for wrongful termination. Either that, or they'll simply say that there's no evidence whatsoever for her claim.

I love living in a country full of jingoistic drum-beaters. Really.

8/16/2007

State of Texas plans to execute a man RECOGNIZED BY THE COURTS as INNOCENT

FEED HIM TO THE SHARKTICONS!

On August 30, the state of Texas is going to EXECUTE a man that the courts recognize as innocent. Why? Because he was in the AREA when someone he knew murdered the victim.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20070810/cm_thenation/4221949

In less than three weeks Kenneth Foster, an African American man sentenced to death in 1997 for the murder of Michael LaHood, is scheduled to be executed in Texas.

LaHood's actual killer, Mauriceo Brown, was executed in 2006. Foster, who was in a car about 100 yards from the crime when it was committed, was convicted under the controversial Texas state "law of parties", under which the distinction between principal actor and accomplice in a crime is abolished. The law can impose the death penalty on anybody involved in a crime where a murder occurred. In Foster's case he was driving a car with three passengers, one of whom, Brown, left the car, got into an altercation and shot LaHood dead. Texas is the only state that applies this statute in capital cases, making it the only place in the United States where a person can be factually innocent of murder and still face the death penalty.

Foster maintains that he did not know that Brown would either rob or kill LaHood. According to an Amnesty International investigation, there is evidence not heard at trial that the murder was an unplanned act committed by Brown, as the latter himself claimed before his execution.

In 2005, a federal district judge found a "fundamental constitutional defect in Foster's sentence" and ruled that Foster's jury had not been asked to determine if he had any intent to kill LaHood, and that this failure represented a misapplication of the law. However, the state of Texas appealed to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which overturned the decision.

The crazy thing about this case is that no one argues that Foster killed the victim. As the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's award-winning columnist Bob Ray Sanders wrote, the case "is further proof of how cruel, capricious, unjust and utterly insane our death penalty laws have become....Because of this tainted system, whether you believe in capital punishment or not, a man who did not plan or commit a murder will die August 30 unless somebody -- a judge, the Board of Pardons and Paroles and/or the governor-- has the heart and the guts to stop it."You can help these folks get up the guts at freekenneth.com. Find updates on the case and urge members of the Texas legislature to stay Foster's execution and ask for a re-trial based on new evidence.

If everyone who reads this would PLEASE go to freekenneth.com and petition the State of Texas to save this man - and REPEAL this evil, unjust, and unConstitutional law - we may be able to force the hand of the Texas legistlature and save a life. This man committed NO crime worthy of the death penalty - if he committed any crime at ALL, it was simply in failing to prevent the murder from happening.

So petition, please. Have your friends and family petition. The more voices that can be raised in outrage over this GROSS miscarriage of justice, the better. Kenneth Foster - a total stranger to us, but a human being nonetheless, who stands to be executed for a crime that the courts ADMIT that he is factually innocent of - NEEDS OUR HELP.

So, please, help us do something. Help save an innocent life.

8/10/2007

Wait, what?

HOLY CRAP NEW CONTRIBUTOR

QUOTES: "What's crackin', li'l bitches?" ~Jazz "Transformers"


It's the Friday Random Ten.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Paul Oakenfold: Burns Attack
  • Andrew WK: Ready to Die
  • Andrew WK: Party Hard
  • Mike and the Mechanics: I Need A Miracle
  • Eminem: Cleaning Out My Closet
  • Boom Boom Satellites: Bump Over Hills
  • Eminem: Soldier
  • Amethystium: Elvensong
  • Enigma: Snow of the Sahara
  • Eminem: Without Me (Radio Edit)

Yes, my taste in music is cracked. Welcome to my world!

Damian's Random Ten, 08/10/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, and it love you long time.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Groove Coverage - Call Me
  • DJ ATTACK - Sky Chase
  • Kukeiha Club - Theme of Vic Viper
  • Dido - Here With Me
  • Rare - Pelagic II: Exploration
  • Motoi Sakuraba - Shifting Sands 2
  • Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall Part II
  • Garth Brooks - Dixie Chicken
  • Asia - Heat of the Moment
  • Namco - Wings of Faith

8/08/2007

The Kids Call It Ownage

Today's Journal-Gazette Letters page
Fighting for freedom to smoke in a bar

I am exceedingly grateful to those at the July 27 City Council meeting who did so much to clear up something that has been troubling me and many others in this country and around the world for some time. Finally, we have the definitive answer to the question of why we are in Iraq. Apparently, we have killed half a million Iraqis, at the cost of thousands of our own children, so that some citizen in Fort Wayne can slouch in a sleazy bar swilling bad beer, chain-smoking Winstons. I assume the president has been alerted. All of his other ridiculous excuses for this fiasco of choice have imploded, and this one certainly seems as good as any.

But seriously, I object to the tragic war in Iraq being so appallingly trivialized. I know my two stepchildren, both of whom have served in Iraq at least once, would be rather depressed to discover that their devotion to this country has been reduced to such a pittance.

BERND FISCHER
Fort Wayne
Oh man, you beter believe I got a lugh out of this one. I was afraid I'd have to be the one to call the whiners out on this, but there it is.

Thank you, friend, for doing what needed to be done.

8/03/2007

Zombie Discrimination

From GamePolitics.com: African Women’s Blog Critical of Resident Evil 5 Trailer
Capcom’s Resident Evil 5 hasn’t even got a release date, but it’ s already drawn the ire of a blog devoted to African women.

Black Looks calls into question the game’s setting as depicted in the trailer, first shown at this year’s E3 in Santa Monica:
The new Resident Evil video game depicts a white man in what appears to be Africa killing Black people. The Black people are supposed to be zombies and the white man’s job is to destroy them and save humanity…

This is problematic on so many levels, including the depiction of Black people as inhuman savages, the killing of Black people by a white man in military clothing, and the fact that this video game is marketed to children and young adults. Start them young… fearing, hating, and destroying Black people.
The point has been made by some gamers as well. In fact, GamePolitics reader Quad9Damage raised the same issue in a letter to GP just the other day.
The trailer in question:


This is ridiculous. To claim that this game is racist because your enemies are African people living in Africa who've been turned into zombies is insane. It's about killing zombies because they're zombies who are trying to kill you.

It's things like this that make it practically impossible to point out real racism in the world. When you find real racism and point it out, they just cluck their tongues and say, "But people like you also think that video games are racist when they aren't, so why should I believe you, you PC thug?"

Thanks, reactionary idiots, for making life harder for those of us who actually want to change the world.

Damian's Random Ten, 08/03/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, and you can't have it your way.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Bon Jovi - I Got the Girl
  • The Eagles - Hole in the World
  • Masato Nakamura - Final Boss (Giant Eggbot)
  • Kelly Clarkson - SINCE U BEEN GONE (DDR Ver.)
  • Therion - Uthark Runa
  • Blackmore's Night - The Storm
  • VNV nation - Forsaken (Vocal Ver.)
  • DragonForce - My Spirit Will Go On
  • Blackmore's Night - Home Again
  • Eminem - My Name Is
EXTRA STAGE: Riyu Kosaka - Love ♥ Shine

7/27/2007

Damian's Random Ten, 07/27/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, and it does what Nintendon't.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Journey - Be Good To Yourself
  • Sota feat. Brenda V. - Saturday Night Love
  • Angel Sanctuary - Jibrille
  • nc feat. NRG factory - Genie in a Bottle
  • Modest Mouse - Dance Hall
  • NESkimos - Super Mario Bros.
  • Green Day - Holiday
  • Eminem - Who Knew
  • Sirenia - In My Darkest Hours
  • D-crew - CURUS (DDR ver.)

7/22/2007

On Not Knowing Real Oppression

Okay, I admit I've been on a real tear about all the bitching over the smoking ban. What can I say, it's gotten annoying, especially with utter stupidity like this being printed in the paper nearly every day:

Our military is fighting for Iraqis’ freedom. Who is fighting for ours? Does freedom stop at the United States borders?


You've got to be kidding me. You wouldn't know what it's like to have your freedom taken away, you spoiled asshole.

7/20/2007

Damian's Random Ten, 07/20/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, which isn't as loud as a Random Eleven.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Hoobastank - The Reason
  • Groove Coverage - On the Radio
  • wg feat. Tony L. - Play That Funky Music
  • The Offspring - Want You Bad
  • Des-ROW UNITED special +r - KAGEROW (Dragonfly)
  • Taliesin Orchestra - Prayer of the Children
  • Tiffany - I Think We're Alone Now
  • Three Days Grace - I Hate Everything About You
  • Hidenori Shoji - Infinite Blue (Big Blue)
  • Sparks - Scherezade

7/19/2007

A New Face

Welcome Felis Domina (my girlfriend) to the site. With any luck, she'll be bringing more activity to this otherwise quiet little corner of the Web.

7/16/2007

Smokers Should Get the Hint

O plight and oppression! How terribly these smokers have it these days, what with ever-increasing taxes upon each pack and a new smoking ban in Ft. Wayne. Why, to hear their lamentations, one would think they are, beyond all doubt, the most put-upon group ever to walk the face of this Earth. They write into the paper, bemoaning taxes and bans and their utter, utter repression, all the while asserting their "rights" as smokers.
To them, I pose this question: If you're all so incensed about how being a smoker has become ever so difficult, then why not take the hint and quit? You'll save money, your health, and the health of those around you. Better to light a candle than curse the darkness, they say.

Couple Neglects Children 'Cause the Internet Made Them Do It

From MyWay News via Pandagon: Nev. Couple Blame Internet for Neglect
RENO, Nev. (AP) - A couple who authorities say were so obsessed with the Internet and video games that they left their babies starving and suffering other health problems have pleaded guilty to child neglect.

The children of Michael and Iana Straw, a boy age 22 months and a girl age 11 months, were severely malnourished and near death last month when doctors saw them after social workers took them to a hospital, authorities said. Both children are doing well and gaining weight in foster care, prosecutor Kelli Ann Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Michael Straw, 25, and Iana Straw, 23, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts each of child neglect. Each faces a maximum 12-year prison sentence.

Viloria said the Reno couple were too distracted by online video games, mainly the fantasy role-playing "Dungeons & Dragons" series, to give their children proper care.

"They had food; they just chose not to give it to their kids because they were too busy playing video games," Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal.


Just when I think that video games are out of vogue as the evil-brainwashing-force-du-jour, a story like this always comes along. How long before racist asshole Jack Thompson pushes his way into the media to spew more of his usual irrationality in regards to this?

7/15/2007

Rhetorical Traps

Most wingnuts believe that the media is owned and run by liberals.
But these wingnuts are also against the reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine.
If they're so concerned about the bias they believe works against them, why not bring back the one thing that would counter it?

7/13/2007

Random Ten, 07/13/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, to bring out the tiger in you.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • The Birthday Massacre - Video Kid
  • Jenny Rom - Senorita (Speedy Mix)
  • Graeme Norgate - Elevator B (from Goldeneye 007)
  • Medwyn Goodall - Cotopaxi
  • Enigma - The Screen Behind the Mirror
  • Yanni - Aria
  • Javier Navarrete - Vals de la Mandragora
  • Tetsuya Takahashi - Kidou
  • The Eagles - Wasted Time
  • Thuggie D. - INSERTiON (Machine Gun Kelly Mix)

7/06/2007

Libertarian Troll Bingo

From punkassblog.com: Libertarian Troll Bingo
Zingerella and I have been watching the comment pile-up on Amanda’s review of “Sicko” with some amusement. It seems that the Pandagonians have been hilariously fending off a small influx of libertarian trolls. Said trolls are typing valiantly away in an attempt to make sure that health care isn’t extended to the unwashed masses. As the argument progressed, we noticed that the resident trolls followed a familiar script and shared certain similarities with previous libertarians we’d encountered.


Get your card now! I find this amusing on several levels, as I tore my hair out in frustration at the blithering stupidity of these trolls. Making light of it makes me feel better.

Random Ten, 07/06/2007

It's the Friday Random Ten, a production of the Children's Television Workshop.

Hit the Party Shuffle in iTunes and what do I get?
  • Don Davis - Neodammerung
  • Sangay - Medwyn Goodall
  • Juno Reactor & Don Davis - The Trainman Cometh
  • Blackmore's Night - I Still Remember
  • Snap - Rhythm is a Dancer
  • Bon Jovi - Wild is the Wind
  • Sarah McLachlan - Adia
  • ChiyoTia - Fly Away
  • Billy Joel - She's Always a Woman
  • Hirofumi Sasaki - The Least 100sec


Adding that music did pay off, you see?

7/04/2007

Oh, that one hurt ME.

The Ft. Wayne Journal-Gazette Letters page, 7/4/2007
As a former Fort Wayne resident who’s now a Vermonter, I was amused at the irony of Gregg Bender’s illustration with the Associated Press story “Free, independent Vermont? Pro-secession residents see U.S. as corrupt” (June 8).

(...)

Vermonters love to make fun of our own naïve earnestness, and the secession movement deserves an especially big laugh. Still, it’s this same naïve earnestness that led Vermont to be the first state in the union to outlaw slavery, the first to allow poor landless citizens to vote, the first to institute public schools for all, the first to provide health insurance for all children, and in 2000, the first to grant equal citizenship to all couples. That might not hold up in the annals of legislative history to Indiana’s decades-long struggle to figure out what time it is, but, hey, it’s not bad for a “bastion of countercultural dissent” one-tenth Indiana’s size. So be nice, and next time, please, no soup-pan helmets. That’s what really hurt.


As the kids these days say, OH SNAP.

On Libby, Terror, and Timing

I was at work when I heard the news of Bush essentially giving Scooter Libby a free pass for his crime. I was so angry, I threw my hat, then spent the rest of the day with a sour attitude. I was that angry. Not surprised, not shocked, just angry. I see it as a form of treason, giving someone who aided in the criminal act of hindering an investigation a way of avoiding jail time. It's a slap in the face to the rule of law, that rule which we're supposed to hold up as some kind of beacon to the rest of the world.

Now, with that said, I'm also not surprised at the timing of this, either - being as most of the news these days is focused on the usual parade of celebrity garbage, pretty dead white girls, and other non-news, most people are too busy thinking about their holidays, cookouts, and entertainment (though I must admit, I'm a little excited about going to go see Transformers), and what news that isn't focused on what Paris Hilton ate last night is focused on making us afraid because of all the "terror plots" in Britain, of course W picks now to give Libby a way of never seeing the inside of a jail cell.

I know somebody's going to take this the wrong way. They're going to say that I must be espousing some kind of crazy conspiracy theory, since I seem to think that the timing of these "terror plot" stories coincides with the timing of Bush's little favor. That's not what I'm saying, so don't give me that crap. It's quite the opposite - the timing of Bush's favor to Libby coincides with the terror plots. We're so busy being told to be afraid of brown people that we supposedly won't notice a traitor skating free. It might not work out that way, but that was the reason for it all.