The Three Words That Summarize Damian's Position on the Recent Flap About Barack Obama's Pastor

I.
Don't.
Care.

Seriously, it's just another attempt to smear him by those who fear he might win.

Glenn Beck: Deranged Jackass

Massive Steaming Shitbag Glenn Hack Calls People Who Pushed to Keep Noted Human Rights Abuser Wal-Mart from Suing Former Employee Who Was Left Brain Damaged After an Accident for Medical Bills Paid for with Company Insurance "Terrorists", in Keeping with His Slanderous Statements Spanning His Entire Career

Beck: Wal-Mart Made A ‘Deal With Terrorists’ In Ending Its Lawsuit Against Brain-Damaged Employee

In 2000, then-Wal-Mart employee Debbie Shank was hit by a semi-truck, leaving her seriously brain-damaged and confined to a wheelchair. Wal-Mart covered her medical expenses until she won a settlement from the trucking company that left her $417,000 after legal fees.

Invoking a little-noticed clause in Shank’s contract that kicked in once she won a settlement with the trucking company, Wal-Mart sued the Shank family to recoup the medical expenses it had spent on her care, all $470,000.

In response, MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann last week began decrying Wal-Mart’s actions nightly, four times labeling $9-billion corporation one of his “Worst Persons in the World.” Last night, however, Olbermann was able to announce the good news — that Wal Mart yesterday wrote to the Shanks to tell them it would drop its suit:

Occasionally others help us step back and look at a situation in a different way. This is one of those times. … Wal-Mart will not seek any reimbursement for the money already spent on Ms. Shank’s care, and we will work with you to ensure the remaining amounts in the trust can be used for her ongoing care.

Unfortunately, CNN’s Glenn Beck could not attain a similarly enlightened perspective. He condemned Wal-Mart on his radio show today, insisting the corporation had made a “deal with terrorists” and had succumbed to “blackmail”:

Well, what are the principles? The principles are right is right, wrong is wrong. No matter how much I need it, no matter how hard it is for me, no matter how much it sucks, it’s not right. My word is my bond. I made an agreement. I didn’t see it in there. … This is blackmail. And yet Wal-Mart folds. You don’t deal with terrorists? Really? You just did. You just dealt with economic blackmailers. … But then — and I don’t even put it on the family as much as I do on the media. The media, they just — MSNBC, man, they can just make hay with this.

I just love how this insane, gibbering asshole is given a forum to hate and demean other human beings every goddamn day without so much as a second thought as to the kind of slanderous bullshit he says. For anyone wondering, yes you can see Glenn Beck every day on CNN's Headline News and hear him every day on AM 1190 WOWO, Ft. Wayne home for deranged far-right horseshit. Wait a second, why am I saying this? Craig already said it.

Ah well, it bears repeating.

"Freedom of Religion" My ASS

Wisconsin Parents Murder 11-Year-Old Daughter
Child was ill with Type 1 Diabetes, died over the course of 30 days of ketoacidosis - AND WAS NEVER TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL

Yes, it's from Faux News, but this is one of those rare occasions when they get it RIGHT.

WESTON, Wis. — An 11-year-old girl died after her parents prayed for healing rather than seek medical help for a treatable form of diabetes, police said Tuesday.

Everest Metro Police Chief Dan Vergin said Madeline Neumann died Sunday.

"She got sicker and sicker until she was dead," he said.

Vergin said an autopsy determined the girl died from diabetic ketoacidosis, an ailment that left her with too little insulin in her body, and she had probably been ill for about 30 days, suffering symptoms like nausea, vomiting, excessive thirst, loss of appetite and weakness.

The girl's parents, Dale and Leilani Neumann, attributed the death to "apparently they didn't have enough faith," the police chief said.

They believed the key to healing "was it was better to keep praying. Call more people to help pray," he said.

The mother believes the girl could still be resurrected, the police chief said. [WHAT.]

Telephone messages left at the Neumann home by The Associated Press were not immediately returned.

The family does not attend an organized church or participate in an organized religion, Vergin said. "They have a little Bible study of a few people."

The parents told investigators their daughter last saw a doctor when she was 3 to get some shots, Vergin said. The girl had attended public school during the first semester but didn't return for the second semester.

Officers went to the home after one of the girl's relatives in California called police to check on her, Vergin said. She was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

The relative was fearful the girl was "extremely ill, dire," Vergin said.

The girl has three siblings, ranging in age from 13 to 16, the police chief said.

"They are still in the home," he said. "There is no reason to remove them. There is no abuse or signs of abuse that we can see."

The girl's death remains under investigation and the findings will be forwarded to the district attorney to review for possible charges, the chief said.

The family operates a coffee shop in Weston, which is a suburb of Wausau, Vergin said.

And what's worse?

IT'S LEGAL TO DO THIS IN WISCONSIN! Yep, that's right, you heard me correctly - in Wisconsin, under State statute 948.03(6), it is LEGAL TO KILL YOUR CHILDREN as long as it's under the guise of denying them professional healthcare "IN TEH NAME OF GAWD!!" If you do it like that, the police and social services can't touch you.

God, I'm SO proud to be an American. /sarcasm

Okay Ronbots, here's a question.

What's wrong with this picture?

John McCain: 5.2 million on hand.
Ron Paul: 6 million on hand.

He's raised 22 million less than McCain, and somehow has nearly a million more on hand. Your grand 'fighter' who's here to save everyone, if they want it or not, doesn't seem to be fighting QUITE so hard. Considering the constant complaints of him not getting any coverage, of him not being given a fair shake - why does he have more on hand than the presumed nominee, or all but one of the former candidates?

All the former nominees with the exception of Giuliani (12 million on hand? The hell? Someone find out what the fuck happened there.) ended or ran down to 2.5 million or less.

Shouldn't your glorious leader be amping it up, to *Flails arms like a lunatic* WIIiIiIIiIIN!!! ?

And you fools keep sending him money. I look forward to seeing what he ends up having on hand after the convention, since it doesn't look like he'll be dropping out before then.

Ron Paul: Revolution(ary way to make money from suckers)

Obama responds to the firestorm.

This man needs to be President. SO HARD.

Can you give a State of the Union address before you're president? Barack Obama talked about race in America for 45 minutes in a nearly 5,000-word speech. That was longer than some of the annual presidential addresses, and though, yes, those speeches tend to cover more topics, this one felt like it addressed the actual state of our union more than those dreary January list readings presidents are obligated to perform.

Here.

I cannot stress just how awe-inspiring this speech is, it simply HAS to be heard to experience it.

Hate is Great! ...Not!

You know, I was going to make my first post here on Geraldine Ferraro's inane assertion that she was being attacked "Because she was white!" (You're not, by the way, you ignorant old cur. You're being "attacked" - read: vehemently disagreed with - because you're a close-minded, bigoted old hag.)

But I found someone even MORE ignorant, bigoted, and close-minded.

And what's worse is, she's not even being reported on by the mass media - despite the fact that she's encouraging violence against gays...

...AND SHE'S THE OKLAHOMA STATE LEGISLATOR!

IN HER WORDS, for the sake of those who, for whatever reason, cannot listen to the audio:

"The Homosexual Agenda is destroying this nation. 'Kay? It's just a fact.

...Not everybody's lifestyle is equal, just like not all religions are equal.

Y'know, the very fact that I'm talking to you like this, here today, puts me in jeopardy. Okay? Uh... And I, I'm not anti - I'm not gay-bashing, but according to God's word, that is not the right kind of lifestyle. It has deadly consequences for those people involved in it. They have more suicides and they're more - more discouraged, there's more illness, their lifespans are shorter... Y'know, it - it's not a lifestyle that is good for this nation. Matter of fact, studies show that NO society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted more than, y'know, a few decades. So it, it's the death knell for this country.

I honestly think it's the biggest threat, even - that our nation has, even more so than terrorism, or Islam, which I think's a big threat, 'kay? 'Cause what's happening now, they're going after in - in schools, two-year-olds! You know why they're trying to get early childhood education? They want to get our young children into the government schools so they can indoctrinate them! I taught school for close to twenty years, and we're not teaching facts and knowledge anymore, folks, we're teaching indoctrination, okay? And they're going after our young children, as young as two years of age, to try to teach them the the homolec... homosexual lifestyle is an acceptable lifestyle.

Y'know, gays are infiltrating city councils. Did you know? Eureka Springs, anybody been there? For the Passion Play? 'Kay, have you heard that the city council of Eureka Springs is now controlled by gays? 'Kay? There are some others, uh... Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania... Tacoma, uh, Maryland... Kensington, Maryland... *unintelligible* Oregon... West Palm Beach, Florida, and a lot of other places in Florida. What's happening? And they are winning elections.

One of the things I deal with in our legislature, I tried to introduce a bill last year that would notify parents... uh, schools had to let parents know what clubs their students were involved in. And the reason I did that bill, primarily, was this: we had the Gay/Straight Alliance coming into our schools. Kids are getting involved in these groups, their lives are being ruined, their parents don't know about it. So I introduced a bill that said, you have to notify ALL clubs and things. And one of my colleagues said, "You know, we don't have a gay problem in my community, and that's why I voted against that bill." Well you know what? To me, that is so dumb. If you've got cancer or something in your little toe... do you just say "Well, you know, I'm just gonna forget about it, 'cause the rest of me's fine?" It spreads! 'Kay? And this stuff is, is deadly and spreading, and it will destroy, uh, our young people, it will destroy this nation."

And she. Was. APPLAUDED. This vile, evil CREATURE was applauded by her fellow (Republican, it should be noted) Legislators.

...There are just no words. None. Except for "WHY HASN'T THE GODDAMNED MEDIA PICKED THIS UP?" If it were as "liberal" as so many people piss and moan about, you'd think it'd be all over this story like white on rice!

Well, they're not. So I am. I am bringing this to your attention because CNN/MSNBC/Whatever other news outlet you listen to or read WON'T.

This is hate speech, pure and simple. Comparing gays to TERRORISTS? To CANCER? Painting them to be child predators? Excuse me, Mrs. Kern, I think you forgot to don your LITTLE WHITE HOOD before you got up there to make your little screed. Why hasn't she been censured? Or recalled? Why hasn't she been brought up on charges of inciting violence? Because that's exactly what her words are meant to do - incite violence against homosexuals and the people who support them. And the fact that she hasn't been brought to heel kills what little faith I dared to have in the intelligence of the American people.

WAKE UP, CITIZENS OF OKLAHOMA! This woman is not serving YOU like she was elected to do! She is serving HERSELF, and trying to force HER personal hatreds on you as law!

(Though I have the strangest feeling that, if Mrs. Kern were a Democrat, this would be EVERYWHERE and she would have been forced to resign by now...)

And better yet? SHE HAS VOWED NOT TO APOLOGIZE FOR HER COMMENTS.

Now, I don't think she should be getting even one death threat. But I DO think this miserable excuse for a woman (and a Republican, and a Christian) should be censured to the fullest extent of the law, recalled from her position, and never allowed to run for public office ever again. No one who promotes such HATRED should ever hold that kind of power in this nation. EVER.

Right-Wing Mailbag, "Why I Don't Read the News-Sentinel Anymore" Edition

N-S Letters Page, 03/03/2008

Yesterday's News-Sentinel letters page reminds me why I don't read that far-right rag anymore:

Ronald G. Ross in his letter of Feb. 22 takes me to task for stating what the law is, as I understand the law to be, from the results of a U. S. Supreme Court ruling in the Grutter v. Bollinger case. The decision given in that case on June 23, 2003 was that an open position should go to a black male who had less opportunity than a white woman who had more opportunities. I did not make that ruling. It was the U.S. Supreme Court that made that ruling. If Mr. Ross wants to make the case that Mrs. Bill Clinton, as First Lady of the United States had less opportunities than a senator from Illinois, have at it.

Mrs. Bill Clinton is making every effort that she can to become the president. of the United States, the Chief executive of The United States and, just as important, the chief law enforcement officer of The United StatesShould a person who does not accept the letter or the spirit of the law be elected the chief law enforcement officer? Should a person who brings trumped-up charges against people in the White House travel office be our chief law enforcement Officer? Should a person who illegally orders 1,200 to 1,500 raw FBI files be delivered to her in the White House? Should a person who was co-president at the time that our nuclear secrets were transferred to China for campaign cash ever be allowed any where near the White House again?

Fremont Stewart
Rome City

Kookery of the highest order. Granted, it's what this guy does - remember any of his other letters? He's outright psycho-kooky-nutso.

First, notice he never refers to Hillary Clinton by her actual name, only as "Mrs. Bill Clinton". This is employed in his letter for two reasons: First, it marginalizes her as a "man's property", nothing more than a footnote of a man's existence; second, it reminds everyone that she the wife of Bill Clinton, a person that Mr. Stewart outright hates with a vitriol most of us reserve for child molestors and terrorists.
Secondly, his argument is utterly unsound. He tries to argue that, since one case shows that affirmative action would prefer an African-American man over a Caucasian woman in the case of being given a job, that this must apply to being President. This makes absolutely no sense, but I don't expect better from someone looking for a straws to grab.
Third, he keeps making wild, unfounded accusations about Hillary Clinton with no basis in facts. My guess is that these were claims spewed by the hate-talkers of right-wing radio, and Mr. Stewart is faithfully parroting them into the media.
Fourth, and most importantly, he asks, "Should a person who does not accept the letter or the spirit of the law be elected the chief law enforcement officer?" Of course not - which is why George W. Bush, a man who has spit upon the law and the country himself and through his many, many cronies, should be brought to justice.
I hope Mr. Stewart is proud of his insane, indefensible letter. To me, it proves two things: That he is completely detached from reality, as are all those who follow his so-called logic, and that the News-Sentinel is more interested in hateful, mindless screeds than any actual thought. I will continue to not read the News-Sentinel because it's a far-right rag created to serve the interests of the WOWO crowd.

D&D Co-Creator Gary Gygax Dies

From the Associated Press: Dungeons & Dragons Co-Creator Dies at 69

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Gary Gygax, who co-created the fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons and helped start the role-playing phenomenon, died Tuesday morning at his home in Lake Geneva. He was 69.

He had been suffering from health problems for several years, including an abdominal aneurysm, said his wife, Gail Gygax.

Gygax and Dave Arneson developed Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 using medieval characters and mythical creatures. The game known for its oddly shaped dice became a hit, particularly among teenage boys, and eventually was turned into video games, books and movies.

Gygax always enjoyed hearing from the game's legion of devoted fans, many of whom would stop by the family's home in Lake Geneva, about 55 miles southwest of Milwaukee, his wife said. Despite his declining health, he hosted weekly games of Dungeons & Dragons as recently as January, she said.

"It really meant a lot to him to hear from people from over the years about how he helped them become a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, what he gave them," Gygax said. "He really enjoyed that."

Dungeons & Dragons players create fictional characters and carry out their adventures with the help of complicated rules. The quintessential geek pastime, it spawned a wealth of copycat games and later inspired a whole genre of computer games that's still growing in popularity.

Funeral arrangements are pending. Besides his wife, Gygax is survived by six children.

As something of an old hand among the d20 set, this particularly affects me. Odd, because Phage and I were just discussing matters related to the game just earlier today.

Farewell, Mr. Gygax. What you have helped create has shaped the leisure time of many people just like me. Your contributions to the world of entertainment as a whole cannot be understated.

Pat Buchanan: "Boo Hoo, We White Men are So Oppressed"

From Media Matters for America: "Offended" Buchanan stands up for "white males," claiming only "white males" died at Gettysburg, Normandy

Asserting that he was "offended" by comments that Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean reportedly made during a speech at Georgetown University -- in which Dean reportedly said that the Democratic field "looks like America," while the Republican field, made up of white males, "looks like the 1950s and talks like the 1850s" -- Pat Buchanan said on the February 28 edition of Tucker: "Look, what did white males do? OK, they were the only guys signing the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, all the dead at Gettysburg, all the dead at Normandy." Buchanan then responded to radio host Bill Press by stating, "Why is it ... OK to mock ... backhand white -- no wonder you're losing white males," and also said, "I think you guys are self-hating white folks." His comments came after host Tucker Carlson asserted of Dean's remarks: "I must say, I'm not going to sit by a single more time and listen to someone slag on, quote, 'white men.' "

Gee, Pat, could the reason for that be the fact that we didn't let women or black men fight at Gettysburg or Normandy because we thought they were inferior, and the reason for why only white males "sign(ed) the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence" was because we though women and black men were property? Then again, Buchanan is a person who wants to go back to that time and whines that white men have it so, so terribly bad because it's not like that anymore. That he said this is not surprising, nor is it a shock to see comments from Tucker "I Got My Ass Handed To Me by a Fake Newscaster" Carlson being his echo chamber.

This is also why it's so distressing that guys like Buchanan and Racist Ron Paul are against the Iraq occupation. They use their stances on it to pull in gullible young people, then fill their heads with the other gobbledygook they preach, and the people they brainwash just accept it all without question. And these people consider themselves informed, independent thinkers.

The great thinkers of ages past would simply keel over and die faced with that kind of illogical bullshit.

Damian's Random Ten, 02/29/2008

It's the Friday Random Ten, and it dances so sweet for you.

The great and terrible MP3 player chooses:

• Fuel - Hemorrhage (In My Hands)
• 8bit - Afronova Primeval
• O-Zone - Dragostea Din Tei
• Neil Cicierega - Ebaum's World Dot Com
• Garth Brooks - I Know One
• Aqua - Good Guys
• Modest Mouse - Bukowski
• Hidenori Shoji - Feather (Customize)
• Andrew W.K. - Ready to Die
• 270 - PARANOiA Survivor

McCain to Castro: "Die Soon, kaythnx."

"I hope he has the opportunity to meet Karl Marx very soon."

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Likely Republican presidential nominee John McCain says he doesn't look for any major political reforms in Cuba until after Fidel Castro dies, adding he hopes that's not far off.

I'm no fan of Castro, AT ALL. Let that be known, but isn't there a standard we should be expected to keep to? Especially for a man running for the presidency. We're supposed to be the good guys, right? Maybe I missed a memo somwhere.

Perhaps I just expect too much of people, that we should be able to act like adults, rather than schoolchildren.

Justice! Jack Thompson Slapped with Show Cause Order by Florida SC

From Game Politics: Florida Supreme Court Comes Down Hard on Jack Thompson

Embattled anti-game attorney Jack Thompson, already awaiting a referee’s decision regarding his possible disbarment, got an additional spanking from the Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday.

A docket entry posted by the Court, and forwarded to GamePolitics by Thompson himself, reveals that the controversial attorney has been hit with a show cause order for allegedly “abusing the legal system:”

02/19/2008 ORDER-SHOW CAUSE TO: JOHN BRUCE THOMPSON It appears to the Court that you have abused the legal system by submitting numerous frivolous and inappropriate filings in this Court.

Therefore, it is ordered that you shall show cause on or before March 5, 2008, why this Court should not find that you have abused the legal system process and impose upon you a sanction for abusing the legal system, including, but not limited to directing the Clerk of this Court to reject for filing any future pleadings, petitions, motions, letters, documents, or other filings submitted to this Court by you unless signed by a member of The Florida Bar other than yourself.

You really should go read the whole story. That crazy fucker still seems to think he's got the upper hand, threatening and blustering against the Florida Bar Association like he's God fucking Incarnate.

If there's any justice in the world, Jack'll be disbarred within a couple months.

Jack Thompson: "AWK AWK FRESH CARRION"

From Kotaku: Jack Thompson Blames NIU Shooting On Video Games

It's Virginia Tech all over again! Florida attorney Jack Thompson has appeared on Fox News this morning as a "School Shooting Expert", blaming 27-year-old sociology grad Steven Kazmierczak's rampage yesterday at Northern Illinois University on - you guessed it - video games like Counter-Strike. Kazmierczak, identified only this morning, walked onto a lecture hall stage dressed in black and opened fire on a crowded science class, killing six students before taking his own life. As always, no evidence has been found linking Kazmierczak to video games, Counter-Strike or otherwise, but Thompson never let a lack of evidence keep him from shooting off his mouth. I imagine his ears perk up like a dog hearing its master's voice the moment a terrible tragedy like this occurs. We're currently looking into Kazmierczak to see if there is any sort of video game connection. We'll keep you posted.

That didn't take long. The psychotic, hateful, bigoted purveyor and predator of human misery, Jack Thompson, has already started to lie. Without a shred of proof, he opens his endless hole of lies and pulls out yet another one.

I do dearly hope he gets his ass sued for slander. This bullshit needs to stop, and it's only going to when he is locked away for life in a mental intstitution where horrible human beings like him belong.

Fuck you, you reprehensible pile of hate.

A Small Matter of Note

It's good to know that the racist, paranoid, government-hater douchebags dislike me. I'd be afraid if they didn't.

House Votes to Hold Miers and Bolten in Contempt; House Repubs Throw Tantrum and Walk Out

From The Gavel: House Approves Contempt Resolutions for Miers and Bolten

Today, the House has just approved H.Res. 982 by a vote of 223-32-1, which provides for the adoption of H.Res. 979, recommending that the House of Representatives find Harriet Miers, former White House Counsel, and Joshua Bolten, the White House Chief of Staff, in contempt of Congress for refusal to comply with subpoenas issued by the Judiciary Committee. These subpoenas were issued as part of the Committee’s investigation into the firings of a number of United States Attorneys and matters concerning the politicization of the Justice Department. This resolution also provides for adoption of H.Res. 980 - Authorizing the Committee on the Judiciary to initiate or intervene in judicial proceedings to enforce certain subpoenas.

But remember, according to the paranoid-lite crowd, Congress doesn't so anything and everyone's OMGZ TEH TRAYTUR because they're not stupid enough to waste time on impeachment votes that will never come to fruition.

And how did the House Republicans react to this? Why, with a good old-fashioned tantrum.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino called the move "a partisan, futile act" that would not be enforced by the Justice Department.

In other words, Dumbass Dana is saying that the Justice Department doesn't enforce the law, just the will of its masters. Or, to put it bluntly, it's not about justice, it's about abuse.

And the chamber's Republican minority staged a walkout before the vote, demanding that Democratic leaders vote instead on a revision of federal surveillance laws.

"We will not stand here and watch this floor be abused for pure political grandstanding at the expense of our national security," Minority Leader John Boehner said to jeers from Democrats.

Aww, are the whiny-ass titty babies gonna cry 'cuz they aren't forcing the bill to make illegal activities legal for their Father Figure? Well, keep crying, you whiny little bastards, because it's not gonna get any better.