Matthew 25:44

I had the bright idea that someone could photoshop some dollar bills talking about this story and drop those in the anti-immigrant/anti-gay Salvation Army kettles, but this works too. They look like checks.

 

I got these via Jesus' General

YOU LIE!

Thanks to Facebook and C-SPAN, I have a use for this meme.

My Congressman expressed his sadness over the shootings at Fort Hood.  Some of his friends took the time to express their belief that MUSLIM = BAD.  I took them to task for this, as did others.  The ensuing discussion didn't get Internet Ugly, but it wasn't nice.

So, near the end, when one person stated that Obama and his advisors were racist, I asked for proof, and was sent to this gem of a YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chSH-cu20Oc&feature=PlayList&p=C19499E2161F8F85&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=36

Which is a shortened and interestingly edited bit of a committee hearing about the economy and a number  of other things held on 1/7/09:

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/283157-1&showFullAbstract=1

I don't blame you if you don't want to watch the whole of either video.  The first is less than four minutes, but about 30 seconds in, the video shows Robert Reich saying "I am concerned as I'm sure many of you are that these jobs not simply go to high skilled people who are already professionals, or to white male construction workers."  There is a text overlay that helpfully tells you what the audio is saying.  And then cuts off, going into hysterics about how racist it all is.

In the C-SPAN video, Reich doesn't speak until about 22 minutes in.  Dry stuff, let me tell you.  At around 29:00, he says

"I am concerned as I'm sure many of you are that these jobs not simply go to high skilled people who are already professionals, or to white male construction workers - I have nothing against white male construction workers - I'm just saying there are a lot of other people who have needs as well."

He goes on to say that in his written remarks submitted to the committee he has outlined some criteria that may be used to be sure that federal stimulus money is spread evenly, and especially to people hit hardest - the long term unemployed, women, and others who aren't already at the top of the heap*.

The entirety of his testimony is about how everyone can get some help through these times.  The speaker before him, Mark Zandi, spoke about the difference between stimulus and tax cuts.  Studies have shown that stimulus money produces more GDP than tax cuts.  I don't have notes on the stuff after Reich, because I gave up around then.

But yes, context matters.  Sources matter.  Thinking matters.  We always find what we're looking for, and if we're looking for some Other to be Evil, then by golly we'll find it.

Even if we've got to edit the video to "prove it".



*Reich also said at around 28 minutes in "get over this partisan 'I don't trust that governer from the Other Party.' Get over it, and get money to the local and state governments!"

Okay, C-SPAN, I forgive you

I've shelled out the money for bandwidth, and so the streaming is somewhat better.  Also, you can find it all now!

The new video library is searchable by date, person, and event.  I've been wanting this for years.  I don't know when it started, but boy I like it!

There's my guy!

Oh, finally an issue of substance!  Here I was afraid I'd have to talk about Faust News - Your Voice For Evil© and their War Against the White House Lies About Us - Yes, It's All About US!

No, on the slightly less important stage of world events, we have the Battle of the Vice Presidents, specifically Mr*. Cheney and my man, VP Joe.

Mr. Cheney's apparently upset that the bloodshed hasn't been more bloody - President Obama is apparently "emboldening our enemies" by thinking before he acts.

The Vice President's response? "Who cares?"  My thoughts exactly.

Now stopping right there, I think that's all that need be said.  Cheney and daughter(s) can argue all day long that this think tank and that group and these "observers" agree with everything they have to say - but that doesn't make it true.  Cheney spent a whole lot of time setting up the "Team B" charade.  Remember we have to know the message and the messenger(s).

But, Joe being Joe, he didn't stop there:

Asked what he thought about criticisms former Vice President Cheney had made about the Obama administration, Vice President Joe Biden told reporters “Who cares what – ” and then stopped himself.

“Yeah, yeah, I can see the headline now,” Mr. Biden said. “I’m getting better, guys. I’m getting a little better, you know what I mean?”

Hee!  So now the news isn't about Joe opening his mouth, but closing it.  The rest of the conversation is worth a read, too.  Upshot: The President asked me to go to Afghanistan and come back and tell him what I thought.  I did.  He may take my advice, he may not.  That's ok. He's the President.

Then further down, my Joe is back, talking about a little dust up over the change in missile defense last month: “Could it have been done better? Yeah. Obviously it could have been done better.”

Translation: the story is what's changed for the better, now how you feel about it now, press corps.


============
*I understand, but don't follow, the convention of addressing or referencing former office holders by their last title.  Mr. Cheney is Mr. Cheney. Mr. Clinton is Mr. Clinton.  Well, I do make an exception for General Reno, but that's just because I like saying it.

Putting Money Where My Mouth Is...

I finally signed up with ActBlue.  There are Republican alternatives, most notably RedSlate.  Looking at RedSlate's list, it's not likely I'll be sending money that way, but you never know.

Right now all I've got is a recurring $10/month donation to an as yet unnamed Democratic candidate against Randy Neugebauer.

Not much, but it's a start.

Lemme get out my violin...

"There is fury...Absolute fury."

This is in regards to Executive Order #13490* (up from 13476), which an order that "bars anyone appointed by the President who has been a federally-registered lobbyist within the past two years from working on particular matters or in the specific areas in which they lobbied or from serving in agencies they had lobbied."

Pity poor K street, which for the last 8 years, had been pretty much given free rein over all aspects of the legislative and executive processes. 

I'm not shedding any tears. The less lobbyists have to do with government, the better. 

Now the big problem is this. The CQ article mentioned that small businesses and groups wouldn't be able to afford to staff the lobbying firms and the panels.  So the panels aren't going away, and big business will have the same if not more access to lawmakers. 

My answer is to ban lobbyists alltogether, but that may be a little too much fire applied to the forrest. 


*signed waaay back in January.

My Hero

I first caught Eddie Izzard on late night HBO.  They were showing "Dress to Kill" and I just about died laughing.  Now I have almost all of his DVDs and some audio from his earlier days.

Recently I saw a headling on Fark regarding him running for political office.  I thought, "but what can he do here?  We've already got the Governator".

Turns out he was on a listening gig in his home district to try to become a Member of Parliament - the EU, to be precise.

He's always been a fan of countries and peoples getting together.  I'm sure it's from his background: born in Yemen, lived in Wales, Ireland, and five or six other places.  He's learned other languages in order to do his gig in the native language of whatever country he's in. 

He's also got strong opinions on poverty:

I believe in a level playing field for humanity. If I could tell the politicians one thing, it would be: drop the debt. Nigeria borrowed £5bn, it's paid back £16bn, and it still owes £32bn. That's not debt, that's loan sharking.

So here's to Eddie Izzard.  May all your dreams come true.

Eddie's marathon site
 
News about the marathon:
start
finish

Checking out that Tea B*gger thing...

Man, c-span, you used to be cool. What is it with this awful internet feed?

I loves me some Ray Charles

Looking at the signs: "Less Taxes! More Freedom!"  Well, that might as well read: "Less Services! More Chaos!"

Ha!    "Should you trust the government? Ask an Indian!"

"End the Federal Reserve" and then what?

Wow, already? "Impeach Obama?" He just got here!  Give him some time to really screw up!

Don't know who's speaking now, (James Anderer, Linderhust New York) talking about bankruptcy and oh - his chrysler dealerships being 'stolen' and given to another.  Corporate politics and a compliant government.  "I am an angry american"

Invoking the Founding Fathren, and call & response. 

Obama wants to pass all these changes before we wake up and understand what he's done.

Amens and shouts from the crowd.

Oh no! Our taxes are so high, it's destroying our way of life!  Reps represent special interest groups who give them money! NO! REALLY? You've been too busy making a living and raising your kids to pay attention to this?  I call bullshit.  My parents made aliving and paid attention. I'm doing the same.  Screw you.

Yeah, totalitarianism is only good if your guy's doing it, right.  Please.

Hey, you wanna organize, you wanna vote them out, I'm with you.  Just vote for folks who're gonna acutally do campaign finance reform.

"Vote them out! vote them out!"

Wait, what about the terrorits?  What?

Wow! Actual facts about the mortgage/derivative disaster!  And unelected ppl generating the rules.  Well, hey.  Whaddya know?

Dog wistle!  10th amendment!  Drink!  Oh, damn, no alcohol.

Um, this crowd looks kind of sparse.

Professional video by the American TaxPayers Union.  Introducing Andrew Moylan

Ok, I'm seeing titles of "Government Affairs Director" and "Federal State Head" and stuff like this.  There's a lot more money than people involved in this.  Must look these orgs up later.  "FreedomWorks" indeed.

Oh, NOW you're worried about the deficit.  Right.  Welcome to the party.

Huh. "Take your your cellphone right now and call your congressman"  "Na Na Na Hey Hay Hay, Goodbye" cute.  Straight from the Obama playbook.  Nicely done.

Are they singing on their phones? To congresscritters? I can't tell. Stupid c-span feed.

Tea party Patriots - more dog whistle!

Another national coordinator Jenny Beth Martin

Kellen Giuda Park bench Blog Founder
Talking about New York Tea Parties.  I'm not understanding. Oh.  Tea Bagging is not a Fox news thing because punk rockers are talking about tea parties. Mkay.  They may not be running the engine but they sure provided kindling.  And gasoline now, from what I can tell.

Modern pop culture - we're taking it on!  Rolling Stone Magazine!  They're the establishment! we have our own counter culture now!
We need a pop culture base?  Who knew?

Pop culture is dissing you!  Join the pop culture counter revolution! 

Oh! lost kid!  Good on y'all.  Hope he's ok.

More professional video.

High Caliber? The only conservative hip hop artist? Ok.  Oh, sorry, misspelled:  Hi-Caliber

Vince Venom

Are there any right wing extremists in the house today?

Rap shout out to Rick Perry.  Well, who saw that coming! 

Well, that was cute.

Oh, there's more.  My speakers can't make the words intelligible. I'll have to check it out later.

Oh, please. "where's the birth certificate"

Huh, so it's not that the crowd is sparse, but the area directly in front of the stage is kept pretty clear.

Great, parading the troops as human sheilds so you can stand behind them to critize the president.  Everyone supports the damned troops. What most of us DON'T support is stupid wars.

Dog whistle "blood and treasure"

Hey, I can get behind that "vote out all incumbents" sign

A sign quoting St. Reagan about "I'm from the government and I'm here to help" Except Reagan increased the government, dear.

Checking out trafficland.  I'm not seeing people.  Well ok, people but not crowds.

Deneen Borelli National Center for Public Policy Research, Project 21 Fellow

Oh, again about freedoms being looted by elected officials.  We could have used you eight years ago, dear.

Opposing Obamacare because of principal, not race!  What's the drill? "Pay your taxes? Is Rangel not doing that? Whoops, guess not.  Bad boy

Conyers.  "read the bill". That's your job!  Heh, can't argue with that.

Diane Boxer admires CASTRO!

Waters - nationalize oil companies!

Something about raising the cost of energy so we use less.  CAP & TAX = BALL & CHAIN. Nice meme. I don't buy it, but  I can recognize a good tactic.

Bruce Webster. 
Seldom is liberty lost all at once
Lincoln: america is the last best hope of earth.

Yes, well, again, we could have used you 8 years ago.

Deploying those human sheilds again.

i've got family and had family in the thick of this too. I don't parade them around. Screw you.

"last full measure of devotion" finally remembering you're the party of Lincoln?

Government by the congress?  Fool, it's government of the corporate donors.  Man, I'm gonna be looking up your opensecrets page. Whoops, you're not a pol.  Dude, you're a geek?  Eh, I'll check out your Systems Design stuff, but man, where were you during the Bush years?

On the system design - really? You're just now finding out how laws are written?  I cut my teeth on the "Patriot" Act.  You kind of redeem yourself in part 2.  If you have solutions in Part 3, I'll listen. 

ABC news says 1.5 million people are here.  Hey, you made it*.

ROFLMAO!  TEXT FREEDOM TO ME!  This is going to get you an accurate count?

Well, I've had enough.  Like the peace marches at the conventions, this is mostly harmless. 

I'll pointout: no shock troops, no "freedom areas", no SWAT teams.

Laterz

===========================
*turns out they didn't

Well, now, the game's afoot.

Governer Hair(R-eally, Texas) is sending the Rangers to the border to get "boots on the ground" to deal with the increasing violence.

Well, on the surface that sounds good. El Paso/Juarez, especially, has been getting more violent, though other Texas are running close seconds. But now that the drug trade is emperilling 'legitimate' bizniz, well, we gotta Do Sumpin'.

And here we find that our beloved governor is very good at laying traps. First, he requests 'MOAR PLZ' from National Security - the very government he'd like to secede from. Then, for some reason, it all gets hung up on who's payin' fer it? Really, sir? This is a difficult question? So now he gets to blame Warshington for the delays. Except that, maybe, all this ain't needed, and might even be harmful.

But wait! Let's not analyze this situation with actual facts! We have the Challenger! In this corner, Kay Bailey Hutchison (hereafter to be called "Hutch" because I liked Starsky and Hutch as a wee lass). She's the fightin' Texas Lady, here to save us all from Do Nuthin' Perry.

Well, she too fell into the trap. "she's been in Warshington 16 years and she thinks she's done enough for you?!" was the gist of the response. Oh, dear me. After all she's done for veterans, too.

I don't think it's a coincidence that Gov. Hair has announced this on a national day of "oh, $deity, it's that day again." People are distracted by mourning, remembering, raging, and other such. For reasons that are good, bad, and awful, people are reminded of The Other, and are afraid. So someone finally standing up and appearing to Do Something about Something that Makes Us Afraid is going to score points.

But look at what's happening. Gov. Perry has a very good reason to use the Rangers instead of the National Guard. The Guard could be nationalized and used against him. The Rangers cannot. However expensive, however harmful, whoever dies because of this, it will all be his doing, under his control. He's using the Rangers' well deserved reputation to bolster his own stature: gilt by association.

Not everything that glitters is gold, Governor. We'll be watching

Joe Wilson's War

You don't win a war by dying for your country. You win a war by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his.

-Gen. Patton

You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out. I know I had no hand in making this war, and I know I will make more sacrifices to-day than any of you to secure peace. But you cannot have peace and a division of our country.

Gen. Sherman

We really can't keep this up. Joe Wilson has been sacrificed at the altar of partisanship - thrown to the wolves as red meat to distract the masses. He's a sideshow, no more important to the real work of governing the nation than the color of a newscaster's tie.

Let's get back to work, shall we?

How many policiticans does it take to drive a joke off a bridge?

Oh, I have to weep at the sheer number of electrons and pixels that died in the making of this outrage. And by "this outrage" I mean "this fake outrage that the butt of our jokes actually might have laughed at them, now that we know about it".

Go ahead, google "chappaquidick jokes". After the site corrects your spelling, you get multiple tens of thousands of hits of people shocked, yes SHOCKED that he would seek out jokes and maybe even laugh at them. It was if a billion voices cried out the same damn five lines of text and then wouldn't shut up about it.

Now I had a number of feelings and thoughts when I first read about this. The first one was "Well, that's a dumb thing to be coming out now.", then "Jackass move". Then it was, "how do you joke about this thing that is so serious?" I found out quickly enough - after, of course - limiting my searches to articles written before the now infamous Diane Rheme Show*.

http://www.outbursts.org/2006/05/05/kennedy-jokes/

http://web.archive.org/web/20060625220635/http://www.outbursts.org/archive/2005/09/08/chappaquiddick-jokes-never-get-old/

http://garywolff.com/subdir/humor.htm

http://www.thehumorarchives.com/joke/The_Top_15_Rejected_Christmas_Movies

So they're not unheard of, they're definitely not in good taste, but they do exist.

I don't get the impression that this was an every day thing for him. We heard more about his sailings habit the last few days than anything else. His biographer would be in a position to know what he did and didn't think or do with the jokes. I expect a column/apologia from him any day. It probably will just provide more grist for the mill.

And the mill is the story here. This is just what the mad dogs were looking for - something, anything, to counter the near cannonization going on. No matter how many people he helped, no matter how much goodwill he cultivated over the decades, he is to be ignored, demonized, and deemed worthless because, well, simply because.

Other people have done worse. I can think of one president responsible for far more death and dismemberment than Ted Kennedy - Barack Obama. How many soldiers have died since he took office? And he didn't even start it. It was that one.

This is about who owns history, and therefore the future. Anything, anything that can discredit Kennedy or any other target is fair game. Anything that makes someone not be associated with the target will be pulled out, magnified, dissected and made into fat pies for those hungry to see whatever it is they want to see.

We have to know the messenger. We have to know the message. Everyone who has brought messages of hope and progress has been flawed in some way or another. Martin Luther King, Jr. is believed to have been an adulterer. Does that make the struggle for civil rights any less right? M. Scott Peck had a messy private life, but brought millions peace and insights they'd never had, including me. His message isn't any less right because he couldn't always live up to it.

There are more, far more examples. There always will be. The point is to know what you're following, who you're following, and why. Letting spitballs get in the way of a battleship is always a loser.

Let's keep our eyes on the prize.

=================

* I will forever be amused at the right-minded blogosphere taking "liberal" NPR's broadcasting as gospel. "I read that she heard it from someone who accidentally had NPR on!"

Real-time thoughts on the funeral

finally I get a stream. I never did get video, I'm listening on NPR.

Liturgy:

I was hungry and thirsty and sick and in prison or a stranger - and you comforted me.

I say to you whatever you do to the least of this, you did to me.

Depart from me, you accursed.

What did you did not do for these least ones, you did not do for me.

All powerful stuff.

Gospel of Matthew.

Oh for gods sake, I don't care who's there. Just let the thing play. I know it's radio. I know they're there. Shut the hell up, NPR. I'm only listening to you because CSPAN was unavailable.

Explanation of Christian Burial Mass

I wonder how the liberals ≠ christians are handling this. All that talk of God.

ooooh, the test to enter the kingdom. Ok, justifires, have at it.

The leader of the family, supported at the end.

Cue family values overreaction. didn't he take care of his brothers' kids? How many? 14?

Principles of perfectionism. Keep trying, no matter how you might fail.

Quoting him at his brother's funeral

Tying his service to the old testament prophets. Fantastic.

Luke - gospel of the poor. It was a few other things, must look up later.

God is preparing a world of justice. We don't know the time of the consumation of the earth. Oh, let the post-trib folks get at this.

NO, STOP WITH THE COMMENTARY. DO IT LATER. STOP THIS NONSENSE. YES, IT WAS A GREAT SERMON. SHUSH.

Prayers of the faithful, done by the kids. This one sounds young. Very clear voice. Is this a relative or what? Introducing being done by who?

Wow, powerful intercessions. Any "call to arms" eulogy by Obama would be superfulous.

OH, SHUT UP, COMMENTATOR.

I'm smiling, imagining W praying for universal healthcare as a right. Lord, hear our prayers.

Oh, man. Older one, who knows what's going on. before

Kim Smith: peace

Anthony Shriver: keep on going

Rory Kennedy praying for a welcome home and a family united

Teddy M Kennedy II the works begins anew, the dream lives on.

SHUT UP, I WARNED YOU.

Liturgy of the Eucharist I can hear the howls

Explanation of the offeratory. Introducing Yo Yo Ma. Is there an offeratory going on? Baskets and all? I can only imagine.

It always sounds like there are two of him playing. Beautiful.

I haven't heard the offering referred to as a sacrifice...

Sign of peace? Guess not, skipping right to the hossana.

Coming up to the transubstantiation. Will there be bells? YES, BELLS!

BELLS AGAIN!

We gots us the magic bread n' wine, now.

How many preists does it take to do this? 7, according to the program.

Communion. Commentator, you may now speak.

That was short. Grant us peace, indeed.

Oh, they haven't done it yet. No wonder they had 7 priests.

More music.

Beautiful music

Player cut out, wtf?

Oh great, here's the commercial again.

Ave Maria. One of my favorites.

Junior:

"I don't mind being president; I just mind someone else is?" ok

"Family vacations left us all injured and exhausted." That sounds about right.

Redemption. Never surrendered.

"I know you can do it. There is nothing that you can't do. We're going to climb that hill together, even if it takes us all day." Damn.

It is what we do with loss...transforming the event, is what we must do.

Missed the rest, small kid needed attention.

Oh, the santa story.

Again with the boats. Ways around the rules? A politician? Never! Aw, refused to leave him behind.

This guy's a good story teller.

And now the president.

Grand fromage!

"individual faults and frailties are no excuses to give in." Foo, strong stuff.

Happy warrior. Interesting.

The accomplishments outside the family. Pundits will be reeling with this one. It's a great eulogy, but it's full of juice for critics. I wish it weren't so. I think people are going to focus on this last part most of all.

Very good. His disagreements were never personal.

He's from a time when adversaries considered each other patriots. So there.

Envelopes of cigars. That's cute.

Heh. "luck of the irish". Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

"What did Webster do?" cute.

Mentioned taking care of his brothers' children. Brothers' keeper.

The note from Jackie. wow.

Finish with his own quote.

Dayum. He called all the Mass. 9/11 families. And kept in touch. And kept helping.

That was really good.

Ask not what your country can do for you...

[He]need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.

Edward Kennedy, speaking at Robert Kennedy's funeral in 1968.

In lieu of flowers, pass meaningful healthcare reform.

Oh, look, it's 2010 already

And NewsMax is ready to rumble.

1. Poll: Majority Leader Reid Vulnerable in 2010
2. Gingrich: GOP Could Take House in 2010
3. Congressional Junkets 'Rival Club Med'
4. Hugo Chavez Targets 'Bourgeois' Golf
5. Club for Growth: Democrats 'Fail Miserably' on Pork
6. Imus in Talks With Fox Business Network

I disagree with what you say, Jackass.

But I'll defend your right to say it, asshole.

If 'socialism' and LOL-OBAMA-JOKER is the best you can come up with as a rebuttal, fool, then you really are a tool of the rich and so-called 'right'.

It's mean-spirited, yeah, but I'm not wimpy enough to think it's dangerous. I suppose if enough idiots are convinced that HEALTHCARE=BAD by that poster, then yeah, I guess I am in danger going bankrupt if hit by a medical disaster. I guess more people will become and stay uninsurable because 'anti-tax' fools think that magic fairy dust is going to keep them safe while someone else's (read: rich people - not tea-partiers - talk about useful idiots) taxes are lowered. I suppose the country is in danger of suffering through a major epidemic because someone or a lot of some ones don't get to a doctor earlier rather than later because they need to buy food.

I'll be back later with more links. I'm just disgusted that people are this despearate and acting without thinking. 'Bush derangement syndrome' is turning out to mean that yeah, Bush was deranged. It seems so derivative to call this 'Obama derangement syndrome', so I'll just call it stupid, juvenille, petty, ignorant, lazy, unthinking, dull, assinine, dim, weak, cloddish, dopey, and just generally childish.

THE SUMMER SMASH!

HEAR how the insurance industry THREATENED helpless Democrats and FORCED them to ACQUIESE to their evil plans!

SEE how Republicans SPOKE AS ONE from a single memo authored by an insurance lobbyist!

WONDER at the easy way former government employees become lobbyists and go right back into the fray as paid shills.

EXPERIENCE the HORROR of executive compensation being directly tied to denying health insurance coverage!

WATCH as a former insurance executive EXPOSES the ugly truth behind the "naked" consumer!

Or just watch the video or read the transcript of a Bill Moyers interview with Wendell Potter.

Ugly stuff.

Health reform starts with campaign finance reform. Money. Is. Not. Speech.

Welcome! And Thanks!

This was the scene in Iraq, where Vice President Joe Biden swore in new citizens who have been serving in the military.

Nobody Likes Me, Everybody Hates Me, I'm Gonna Go On Tour

It's all about the benjamins, really. Soon to be ex-governor Palin is bored with obtaining actual executive experience, and is "going broke" defending herself against evil...somethings. Oh, yes. All those nasty bloggers questioning her questionable doings.

I seem to recall that the Clintons were in a similar bind after Mr. Clinton's term finished (no quitters, they). They set up a fund that had its fits and starts, they wrote books and eventually pulled it off. As I recall, they were millions of dollars down, no exaggeration.

I heard (or thought I heard) that Sarah Palin's defense fund garnered an overnight haul of big bucks the day after she announced her coming resignation. There are bunches of people raising oodles of money for her to be "defended" or run for president in 2012.

So, absent any "actual responsibilities", she's going to tour the "lower 48". She'll be a hit down south, and maybe some in the west. If she can avoid losing, she might be able to pull off a nomination. Not a win, but a nomination.

There's lots to ignore in Palin herself, but not in her following. Americanism is strong in the South and West, where incomes are low and faith is high. Howard Dean said it, John Edwards said it, but nobody listened (well, voters did, media didn't). They talked about the poverty, but the faith, not so much. People can endure physical poverty as long as they feel spiritually enriched. This has nothing to do with church or a particular faith, really, but with a feeling of community - shared values, shared experiences, whether real or imagined.

This is why the local optometrist is pulling in cash hand over fist selling glasses "as worn by Sarah Palin". This is why people still have on their McCain/Palin stickers on after pulling off the W ovals (you can see the spots). These are the people that Beck and Bachman are trying to woo, and the ones everyone else is trying to ignore, perhaps with good reason.

Hopefully, as the economy improves, the rising tide really will lift all boats, and soon to be ex-governor Palin will be more of an entertaining realitysideshow - you'll watch, but you won't vote.

Zombie Molly Ivins: Sorry to Dissappoint, Children

Well, this young lady got all excited when she saw the "molly_ivins" rss feed suddenly start popping up headlines in her Journal thingamabob. (I'm sorry, I can type, but all these screen things and little islands of lingo just irritate me. I don't like clubs that try to be exclusive)

But it turned out to be a false alarm. Alternet decided to push out their main feed to all the "dead" lists. I can't say I blame them. I'm not using it, and it could attract some new blood.

But yes, the top post was about legalizing marijuana, which would be a tiny stretch for me to write about, especially with the Ledge in session,* and the our only Governor talking about seceden' from that pesky union. But when the next link down was about starting a compost pile, the jig was up.

So, yes. Sorry to disappoint. It's not a rehash of the Best Of. It's your turn now to be writing and doing.

I must be off. Love to all.

_____________________________
*I mean - they can stop time just by unplugging a clock! Is that all? Between that and Intelligent Design, this place could really show the world what science is all about. Oh yes. College students can now shoot each other on campus now, not just the streets. Now you don't have to ditch the weapon if you manage to stray on campus while on a spree.

Let Joe be Joe!

I have to admit to a soft spot for Joe Biden. I didn't know beans about him until he was the vee-pee-nominee, but I liked what I read for the most part. Smart guy, thinks about stuff, votes in the main the way I like.

But I love, love, love the gaffes. I really do. It's the absolutely necessary chaos factor in an otherwise perfectly orderly administration.

How could you not love this?

Biden tried to reassure gun owners that Obama had no plans to institute new laws that would restrict their access to firearms by telling them, “I guarantee you Barack Obama ain’t taking my shotguns, so don’t buy that malarkey.” He added, “If he tries to fool with my Beretta, he’s got a problem.”

link

Beautiful! He's saying what a bunch of people in the country think. So what if aides have to scramble to clarify? They shouldn't be clarifying his remarks, they should be clarifying the administration's policies.

Oh and so what about the undisclosed location? Do you really think the Secret Service and all the might of the country can't keep him safe? He's traveling to the Balkans and Lebanon, for pete's sake.

I say, let Joe be Joe. Say it like it is, man.

Hey, Keith...Keith, you may want to think about this....

No, really. You want Hannity to admit that waterboarding is torture,

while being waterboarded.

To prove that torture doesn't produce any useful information or true facts.

To prove that it's just used to get someone to say what you want them to say.

I don't think you've thought your cunning plan through. Unless your secret agenda is to torture the guy. That's understandable.

She wouldn't last one season on ST:TNG

We're still talking about Michelle Obama's arms?  Seriously?  I had to double check the date on the latest tome on the subject from the L.A. Times.  A fitness expert is quoted as saying:

...strong legs and a flat belly are often interpreted as sexy features on a woman, bulging biceps . . . not so much. "It crosses the boundary from having sexy, toned arms to having arms that display, 'Hey, I'm working on being strong.' " Banet-Weiser says. "The evidence of that work . . . is quite threatening."

Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em...

Q: How do you tell the First Lady from her security detail?
A: She's the intimidating one.

..and I'm done. This is pretty silly.

You just lost the game

That's actually a username on some site I go to. I love that name. It's what came to mind when I was reading about Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (Docket No. 08-205). (Background in non-legalese here and here.)

The producers of "Hillary, the Movie" wanted to show their, uh, documentary on television instead of movie theaters. "Well, ok", said the FEC. "But it's not a documentary, it's a hit piece, so you'll have to disclose the people who financed and contributed money to this."

"Aw hell no!" And so the fighting started. And more than a year later, here we are.

See, there was nothing standing in the way of showing this piece, except having to disclose who funded it, and not being able to show it within 30 days of an election, and a few other rules from our almost-got-it-right campaign finance reform McCain Feingold laws.

But the producers wanted to be counted as "news" and "documentary" people, and not have to embarass whoever was really behind them. That's a hell of a tell.

Yes, yes, anonymity is the last defense against tyrrany. There was nothing stopping the producers from running the film in more theaters. Word of mouth, echo-chamber mailing lists and blogs would have gotten a sufficient audience for it...but that was the problem. How to get it to the eyeballs of people who *gasp* didn't agree with them?

Well, since the idea of simply sending a CD to every house in a city hadn't been thought of yet, I guess this was the route to go: claim you've made a documentary and try to show it as news, and then complain about "bias" and "freeeeedom!" when you're told "no". Even the classic R bugaboo Michael Moore doesn't try this nonsense.

Any publicity is good publicity, but I'm not buying it, even if it is listed by Amazon as a documentary.

@SenJohnMcCain - potshots are fun, but what are you going to DO?

Well, first I started following Dave Snowden, then my BFF got in the picture. Then I heard from Fark that Senator McCain has gotten on Twitter. Now I don't know that he's actually typing updates into his Blackberry, but somebody's doing it with his permission.

It's all about the benjamins earmarks, if you're just following the updates. What you don't get, and what I hate about Twitter generally, is context. Should I be against all pork? Just all the pork in this bill?

It turns out that there are few to no earmarks for Arizona in this particular bill. Here's a searchable database if you care to look. I found it myself. It was not in Sen. McCain's 'tweets'. (I refuse to learn the vocabulary,but it's fining its way into my brain anyway).

The stimulus bill that passed the other day is another matter. None, or at least most, of the states' governers are stupid enough to reject all the money, just the money they can keep from relatively defenseless people - non donors: the unemployed, the poor, the children.

McCain voted against that, too, so he's at least consistent.

What I want to know is - what's your alternative? What are you offering instead? Are you going to keep knocking people for wanting money to get help:

• $190,000 to build a Living Science Museum in New Orleans, LA
• $95,000 for the state of New Mexico to find a dental school location
• $380,000 for a recreation and fairground area in Kotzebue, AK

...and my favorite...

• $50,000 for the City of Charlotte for gang prevention

See how easy that is? I'm just knocking you around, because these sound good. Maybe they're real, maybe they're not. I can snark all day long, but I can probably find out in a few minutes whether or not they can be worthy projects.

You, sir, have staff at your disposal who can contact the people repsonsible for these earmarks and just ask. This is not rocket science, this is sausage making. And like it or not, you're a sausage maker.

PRAYER FOR A HAPPY DEATH # 2

As promised, I've done a little more digging on that whole indulgence thing. Turns out the new, improved indulgences turned 40 last year, and, understandably, are wanting to get out more. Pope Palpatine Benedict has been throwing them out like candy to kids at a parade for the last year or so.

Why do indulgences exist? Well, if you can get in to trouble, naturally you'll want a way out. Since Catholics have many, many ways of getting in trouble, there are many, many ways of getting out.

Now, that's my take. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have a more fun and concise explanation here. Catholic.org takes all the fun out of it, explaining that indulgences are not a get out of hell free card - there's work involved.

Well, ok, then. There's a recession on, and not much to do, so hey, why not indulge?

What's that? The title? Where does it come from? Here.

Imagine a 50 year old woman teaching 10 year old you about Ejaculations

Indulgences are back, say they were never really gone.

Man, this brings back memories. One of my Catholic educations was four years at ye olde catholic school, where Vatican II was obeyed but looked at with jaundiced eyes. So we had our Catechisms from the 1950's, which depicted a sleeveless dress as "not covering enough". And Headless Jesus, appearing in an aura of light to scold wrongdoers.

My favorite? Ejaculations! Saying "My Jesus Mercy" whenever you'd hear an ambulance pass was supposed to get you three years off your time in Purgatory in what I eventually called the Catholic Calculus.

I'll have to look up more on the different equations later.

David Duke Calls Black a Kettle

Well, if President Obama isn't bad enough, that scumbag socialist who freely associates with terrorists, now we have the new RNC chairman, one Michael Steele, a RADICAL RACIST, doncha know. Oh, wait. David Duke is from Louisiana. He's a da-yum RAAAAAAD-I-CAAAAL ray-cist, y'all!.

Now Fark got it right, I think: "With no ulterior motives whatsoever, RNC elects Michael Steele as chairman"

Just as we had Gov. Palin, now we have Mr. Steele. "Anything you can do, I can do better, anything you can do I'd better do." Imitation isn't flattery, it's "oh hell, that didn't work, let's see what they're doing."

Which is nothing new. Going back to 2004, the Democrats were ripping each other up over whether or not they were Republican enough to get elected. In 1992, we had the Republican "Big Tent" which was supposed to welcome just everyone, except that it didn't. No surprise.

Then this past year we had the PUMAs, which made more news than impact.

And it's all a distraction, a side show. There's very little of substance in what Mr. Duke has to say. His tirade is analagous to the ambulance-chasing lawyer passing out his cards at the scene of an accident.

What is substantive is the "purity" battle going on now in the Republican party. How pure and what kind of pure is going to distract for a while, but it will be back, and if responsible people aren't paying attention, the hucksters again will get up just enough support to make a comeback.

We're here

This is what my low bandwidth streaming showed most of the time. But it happened, it's official.

Now the real work begins.