"Free thought and free expression, that's what we believe."-George Bush

On July 4, Jeff and Nicole Rank went to hear George W. Bush speak in Charleston, West Virginia. Tickets in hand, they found seats ten or 15 rows from the stage. There they sat, quietly, wearing t-shirts that read love america, hate bush and regime change starts at home. Forty-five minutes before the president took the podium, event staffers approached the couple and said, "You need to either take those shirts off or leave." According to The San Antonio Express-News, Jeff Rank replied, "People around us have Bush-Cheney t-shirts, pro-Bush t-shirts. Why can't we express our views?" The staffers left, but a few minutes later, two police officers arrived and told the couple to "cover up, take them [the t-shirts] off or leave completely." The Ranks refused, at which point they were handcuffed, expelled from the event, and briefly thrown in prison. With the Ranks safely off the premises, Bush addressed the crowd, declaring that "on the Fourth of July, we confirm our love of freedom, the freedom for people to speak their minds, the freedom for people to worship as they so choose. Free thought and free expression, that's what we believe." Two days later, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Nicole Rank's employer, told her that, as a result of the incident, she was being dismissed from her assignment in West Virginia.

Firefighters used as props for Dubya

From all across the nation, local fire departments have sent firefighters -- many of them trained in emergency medicine and search-and-rescue techniques -- to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Federal Emergency Management Agency requested the help. But when the firefighters arrived in Atlanta, loaded down with the firefighting gear FEMA told them to bring, they were sent to a hotel to wait. Some of them have been waiting for three or four days now. Some have been assigned to sit through an eight-hour class on topics that included sexual harassment. And some have been dispatched to the disaster area to work as human props behind George W. Bush as he toured the destruction.

More here FEMA.pdf

Luckovich 09/07/2005

Asshat Quote of the day

UPDATE: It's even worse when you hear the bitch chuckle in the audio.

From the Queen Bitch

"So many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway so this --this is working (CHUCKLE) very well for them..."
-Barbara Bush

Just finished my first day of jury duty

Unfortunately I was chosen from the pool. I'm not supposed to discuss the case so here's a hint as to what it's about. It's a song by an Aussie band I used to really dig. You'll have to listen to it for the hint.

Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons 3.5mb

Words from John Prine

John Prine is an American treasure. The talented singer-songwriter has been recording albums since 1971. That debut album included classics such as the humorous "Illegal Smile," the sweet "Angel from Montgomery" (covered by Bonnie Raitt), and the poignant "Hello in There." Throughout his career Prine has skillfuly merged humor, beauty, sadness, and sheer fun to create a rich catalog of songs. Folk, country, rock, pop; whatever you call it, it's always good.

Prine's brand new album, Fair & Square, is another gem. One of the tracks is called "Some Humans Ain't Human." It's prime Prine, laced with sarcasm, wit, and intelligence. Here are a few lines from the song:
"You're feeling your freedom/And the world's off your back/
Then some cowboy from Texas/Starts his own war in Iraq/
Some humans ain't human/Some people ain't kind/
They lie through their teeth/With their head up their behind/

John Prine and his label (Oh Boy) are donating $1 from every CD that they sell this month to the Red Cross Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund.
www.ohboy.com
www.johnprine.net

Excellent coverage via

Democratic Underground

Heartbreaking

I want to give you one last story and I’ll shut up and let you tell me whatever you want to tell me. The guy who runs this building I’m in, Emergency Management, he’s responsible for everything. His mother was trapped in St. Bernard nursing home and every day she called him and said, “Are you coming, son? Is somebody coming?” and he said, “Yeah, Mama, somebody’s coming to get you.” Somebody’s coming to get you on Tuesday. Somebody’s coming to get you on Wednesday. Somebody’s coming to get you on Thursday. Somebody’s coming to get you on Friday… and she drowned Friday night. She drowned Friday night! [Sobbing]

Read more via Think Progress

This is quite strong

An open letter to the president from The Times-Picayune

Quote of the day

"Finally, a personal thought. We have come through what may have been one of the worst weeks in America's history, a week in which government at every level failed the people it was created to serve. There is no purpose for government except to improve the lives of its citizens. Yet as scenes of horror that seemed to be coming from some Third World country flashed before us, official Washington was like a dog watching television. It saw the lights and images, but did not seem to comprehend their meaning or see any link to reality."
-Bob Shieffer blasting the response to Katrina

That's pretty much the reaction Dubya has to everything.

FEMA is more difficult to manage than horse shows...

... but he couldn't even handle that! Mike Brown, the current head of FEMA, was fired from his last job as the commissioner of judges and stewards for the International Arabian Horse Association, a breeders' and horse-show organization based in Colorado. He apparently couldn't handle the job. After a spate of lawsuits over alleged supervision failures he was asked to resign. After that Brown was invited to head FEMA by his old Oklahoma college roommate Joseph Allbaugh, the previous head of FEMA until he quit in 2003 to work for Dubya's re-election campaign.

Just more of the same from this incompetent administration.

The bastard did it!

Bush just named Roberts to the Chief Justice position. Now he gets to name another neocon-friendly asshole to take O'Connor's place. I thought one of the other sitting justices would be moved into Renquist's spot. So much for Scalia's years of ass kissing. Actually I believe Justice Stevens would have been in line for the top spot but since he isn't much of a conservative...

BREAKING NEWS

I really hope the report I saw was inaccurate. It said that Dubya is expected to name John Roberts to head the Supreme Court. Roberts was originally being groomed to take the place of Sandra Day O'Connor but in light of Renquist kicking the bucket he may be moved to the top spot. What a blatant "fuck you" that would be for Dubya to make such a move.

Dubya will make his statement in 10 minutes. I'll keep you posted.

The Vent from the AJC

Monday

I am fed up and disgusted by Atlantans moaning about high gas prices. You have made the choice to be overdependent on your gas-guzzling cars. No one is stopping you from using public transit. The environment is more important than your morning commute.

The Bush administration couldn't organize a church picnic.

Until I see a gas station owner prosecuted, I'm saying Sonny (Governor of GA Sonny Perdue)is all talk and no action.

Bush says our lives will soon be returning to normal. But his will be returning to normal much, much faster than ours.

Get ready for the new video game, "Grand Theft Airboat: New Orleans."

That vent about George Bush bombing the Atlantic because that's where Katrina came from is so wrong. He would bomb the Pacific.

I'm going to start stealing cars so I can sell gas.

I went to New Orleans for a hurricane party and all I got was a plasma TV and 30 pairs of Air Jordans.

I knew the Louisiana Purchase was a bad idea.

The mayor of New Orleans should have threatened to remove someone's feeding tube. That would have gotten Bush and Congress off their duffs.

Sure would have been nice to have used some of W's tax cut money on New Orleans' levees.

New Orleans, I'm ashamed to be called a compassionate conservative.

If we could airlift food and water to Berlin after WWII, why can't we do the same for New Orleans?

I feel another tax cut coming.

I guess Bush thought New Orleans was in a blue state.

After reading the press reports about New Orleans, I'm glad to be safe here in Baghdad.

Here's a toast to the NRA! The right to bear arms is the only thing giving the
good people of New Orleans the ability to protect themselves from rescue helicopters.

New graphic

In response to the gross incompetence displayed by Dubya in the wake of Katrina I decided to update the graphic that heads the right column. I borrowed the image from Tom. Thanks Tom!

Vacation is Over... an open letter from Michael Moore to George W. Bush

Friday, September 2nd, 2005

Dear Mr. Bush:

Any idea where all our helicopters are? It's Day 5 of Hurricane Katrina and thousands remain stranded in New Orleans and need to be airlifted. Where on earth could you have misplaced all our military choppers? Do you need help finding them? I once lost my car in a Sears parking lot. Man, was that a drag.

Also, any idea where all our national guard soldiers are? We could really use them right now for the type of thing they signed up to do like helping with national disasters. How come they weren't there to begin with?

Last Thursday I was in south Florida and sat outside while the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed over my head. It was only a Category 1 then but it was pretty nasty. Eleven people died and, as of today, there were still homes without power. That night the weatherman said this storm was on its way to New Orleans. That was Thursday! Did anybody tell you? I know you didn't want to interrupt your vacation and I know how you don't like to get bad news. Plus, you had fundraisers to go to and mothers of dead soldiers to ignore and smear. You sure showed her!

I especially like how, the day after the hurricane, instead of flying to Louisiana, you flew to San Diego to party with your business peeps. Don't let people criticize you for this -- after all, the hurricane was over and what the heck could you do, put your finger in the dike?

And don't listen to those who, in the coming days, will reveal how you specifically reduced the Army Corps of Engineers' budget for New Orleans this summer for the third year in a row. You just tell them that even if you hadn't cut the money to fix those levees, there weren't going to be any Army engineers to fix them anyway because you had a much more important construction job for them -- BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ!

On Day 3, when you finally left your vacation home, I have to say I was moved by how you had your Air Force One pilot descend from the clouds as you flew over New Orleans so you could catch a quick look of the disaster. Hey, I know you couldn't stop and grab a bullhorn and stand on some rubble and act like a commander in chief. Been there done that.

There will be those who will try to politicize this tragedy and try to use it against you. Just have your people keep pointing that out. Respond to nothing. Even those pesky scientists who predicted this would happen because the water in the Gulf of Mexico is getting hotter and hotter making a storm like this inevitable. Ignore them and all their global warming Chicken Littles. There is nothing unusual about a hurricane that was so wide it would be like having one F-4 tornado that stretched from New York to Cleveland.

No, Mr. Bush, you just stay the course. It's not your fault that 30 percent of New Orleans lives in poverty or that tens of thousands had no transportation to get out of town. C'mon, they're black! I mean, it's not like this happened to Kennebunkport. Can you imagine leaving white people on their roofs for five days? Don't make me laugh! Race has nothing -- NOTHING -- to do with this!

You hang in there, Mr. Bush. Just try to find a few of our Army helicopters and send them there. Pretend the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are near Tikrit.

Yours,

Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
www.MichaelMoore.com

P.S. That annoying mother, Cindy Sheehan, is no longer at your ranch. She and dozens of other relatives of the Iraqi War dead are now driving across the country, stopping in many cities along the way. Maybe you can catch up with them before they get to DC on September 21st.

Their Own Damn Fault?

It's becoming common knowledge that FEMA "wargamed" a hurricane strike in southern Louisiana this past July. Among the findings was that a hurricane would "leave 300,000 people trapped in New Orleans, many of whom would not have private transportation for evacuation." By now it's been discussed why many people couldn't just up and leave the city when the evacuation order came: not everyone has private transportation, it was the end of the month and many poor people were out of savings, where would they go if they could find transportation, what if the hurricane changed course and they were docked for missing work as many were threatened with, etc., etc. Nevertheless, Michael Brown, the head of FEMA, still insists on blaming those who "chose not to evacuate" New Orleans. Despite the fact that his own agency knew full well this would happen. Fucking unbelievable. Meanwhile, former Sen. John Edwards looks at the possible bright side and thinks that, at the very least, the New Orleans disaster may actually get people to notice the reach and effects of poverty in the region. Not to mention the ineffectiveness of the Dubya administration.

Goodbye to another rock legend

James Dewar 1942-2002

I am ashamed of myself for not knowing that he died 3 years ago. He was a big part of my teenage years as the bass player and vocalist for one of my all time favorite bands. Robin Trower. I hope this belated memorial urges you to seek out more Trower recordings and enjoy Jimmy's huge talent.

The man whom many have called "The Pavarotti of rock ‘n’ roll" died peacefully in his sleep on May 16, 2002 after a long illness.

Strangely, Jimmy’s career was not to begin with his vocal talents, but as guitar player with Lulu and the Lovers in the early 60s. From that point on, Jimmy’s career was to flourish beyond all his expectations.

Maggie Bell took him on board with the legendary Stone the Crows and the shy man’s voice was soon exposed on classics like The Touch of your Loving Hand. Another young singer had exploded on to the music scene, but the best was yet to come.

Living in London with his wife Martha and their young family, he was approached by Frankie Miller. The two Glasgow buddies were having a small refreshment when out of the blue Frankie told Jimmy that "there might be a job going" with some guitar player called Robin Trower, that the music industry insiders were raving about. "What kind of job?" asked Jimmy. Frankie laughed and said, "Oh, I don’t know. Maybe playing bass, maybe singing". Jimmy applied and got both jobs.

The Robin Trower Band became the hottest thing on the planet and introduced "Stadium Rock" to the USA. Frankie was right! The RTB were the first band to sell tickets by the hundreds of thousands. Gold and Platinum albums were thrown at them like frisbees.

Among James Dewar's biggest fans were Frankie Miller, Billy Connolly, Donny Hathaway, Rod Stewart, not forgetting Maggie Bell and Lulu herself.

The famous Scottish screenwriter, Peter McDougall, still talks of his first experience of meeting Jimmy. When having a drink with Frankie, Peter noticed that the man standing next to him was clothed in snakeskin trousers, cowboy boots and not much else. "Who’s that?" Peter asked. Frankie replied "That’s James Dewar". Peter howled, "Well, I want to be one of them!"

It says it all. Everyone from Metallica to the Stereophonics were influenced by the voice of the Scotsman. The man the music industry recognized as the voice from heaven has finally gone home. We will all miss you James.

I offer you one of my favorite Robin Trower songs with Jimmy on bass and vocals. It's called Little Bit of Sympathy from the Bridge of Sighs album. One line that strikes me now that Jimmy is gone is "When my time is passed is it too much to ask for a Little Bit of Sympathy?"

Little Bit of Sympathy 4.1mb

Quote of the day

Attention all Democrats in Congress!

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men
to do nothing."
-Edmund Burke, British statesman and philosopher

The right has gotten their wish

They wanted an ineffective government and that's exactly what we have. The slow response with aid to NO is what happens when you take away the power of government. The point of effective government is to keep what is happening there from happening to society. There is no better poster boy for the ineffectivity of government than Dubya.

The meaning of Homeland Security, originally a Democratic idea, is that you secure the land you live on. By now the vacuum of leadership is becoming apparent even to TV viewers.

Dubya is oblivious to what's going on around him. It's starting to seem like he's heavily medicated. Do they have him take these long vacations so they can change his meds? What's going on here?

He's got to go. NOW!

Luckovich 09/02/2005

Reason enough for impeachment

In early 2001, the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a report stating that a hurricane striking New Orleans was one of the three most likely disasters in the U.S., including a terrorist attack on New York City. But by 2003 the federal funding for the flood control project essentially dried up as it was drained into the Iraq war. In 2004, the Bush administration cut funding requested by the New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for holding back the waters of Lake Pontchartrain by more than 80 percent.

So how many more deaths and how much more destruction will we have to endure because Chimpy ignores warnings from experts who know what they're talking about?

Read all about it.

Quote of the day

"I don't treat my dog like that," 47-year-old Daniel Edwards said as he pointed at a dead woman in the wheelchair. "I buried my dog." He added: "You (Bush) can do everything for other countries but you can't do nothing for your own people. You can go overseas with the military but you can't get them down here."

Aftermath

There is nothing I can add or cover better than it's already being covered on AMERICAblog. Go read it. It will absolutely break your heart.

Southern Decadence

This is just sick. Apparently God sent Katrina to New Orleans because of the upcoming "Southern Decadence" celebration. Now that's my kind of god (tongue planted firmly in cheek). Kill hundreds of innocent people so those gay folks won't have a place to party. WHAT A BUNCH OF SICK FUCKS THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT ARE!

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition

Hurrican Katrina points to the lies and the dastardly "faith-based" words of Tom Delay and other members of the religious right following the Asian tsunami They blamed that catastrophe on the un-Christian nature of the people affected. Clearly the same logic cannot apply to the suffering people of Mississippi and Louisiana. These words, and Pat Robertson's public call for the death of Hugo Chavez last week, should serve to remind us that religious fascism is not a unique historical phenomenon. It's happened before, many times, in places like Spain under the inquisition, Afghanistan under the Taliban, and Savanarola's Florence. In each of these regimes church and state were considered one, and deviation from political or religious orthodoxy warranted some nasty punishment.

Please donate to The Red Cross

(Click logo)

I don't often donate to charities, not because I'm a tightwad, but because I'd rather donate to political action that better addresses problems in the long-term. But right now there's a number of people in New Orleans who can't wait for the long term.

Please, donate to the Red Cross today. The aftermath of Katrina is nothing short of catastophic. We can and should discuss the impact of global warming on tropical storms, the poor planning of having our National Guard and their equipment dispatched halfway around the world, or merely the incompetence of Dubya who prefers to make speeches about Social Security privatization while New Orleans drowns.

But those are debates for tomorrow. Today, people need our help. Please, offer some.

I'm in for $10. It's not much, but it's what I can afford right now. I'll donate more in the near future.

Proof positive that Hugo Chavez should be assassinated immediately

Venezuela offers fuel, food to hurricane-hit US

No word yet on what Pat Robertson is offering. Other than to tightly close his eyes in front of the camera and thank God for wiping out all those sinners.

Commander in Chief

I just may have to watch this one.

Exerpt from A Lipstick President by Maureen Dowd

Nobody wants the vice president, a political independent, to be Madame President. Not the president, who tells her before he dies to resign so his ally, the archconservative speaker of the House played by Donald Sutherland, can get the job. Not the president's chief of staff. Not her sulky, sexy conservative teenage daughter. Even her supportive (and faithful) politico husband gets skittish after East Wing staffers begin calling him "the first lady" and arrange his meetings with the White House chef.

Mr. Sutherland's Nathan Templeton condescendingly asks her, "How many Islamic states do you think would follow the edicts of a woman?"

"Well, not only that, Nathan," she replies sarcastically, "but we have that whole 'once a month will she or won't she press the button' thing."

Excellent!

Asshat Quote of the day

"Iraq would be a quagmire."
-Dick Cheney while serving under Bush 41

I never knew he was a fortune teller but that is pretty damn accurate!

Look at the REAL looters

Rita Cosby and her two guests on CNN are outraged as they watch video of people looting A Wal-Mart. They are going on and on about the need to apprehend, crack down, and punish these people, all of whom clearly live in the devastated area and who are making off with $14 pairs of pants. Meanwhile, people in New Orleans are DYING.

You want REAL looting? Look at Halliburton and their $9 billion in missing Iraq funds. Want more? Try last year's shifting of New Orleans' disaster prep funding to Bush's war in Iraq and tax cuts.

Petition

Please sign this petition. It won't amount to much but we can dream can't we?

Sign the Petition of Redress. Either the Bush Kids Put Their Lives on the Line for George's "Noble War" or the Troops Come Home.

Dubya sez...

"I guess you couldn't ask for a better way of life than giving it for something that you believe in."

Is dying now considered a "way of life" by neocons?

Ann loses another soap box

Finally, we've decided that syndicated columnist Ann Coulter has worn out her welcome. Many readers find her shrill, bombastic and mean-spirited. And those are the words used by readers who identified themselves as conservatives.
-David Stoeffler on The Arizona Daily Star's recent decision to discontinue Ann Coulter's The Shrill Blonde Harpy's column in their paper

My opinion David Stoeffler: Opinion pages get a makeover

Bush administration is making progress

The Bush administration is to be congratulated for finally succeeding in bringing American-style democracy to Iraq.

Soon, just as in this country's last election, a slim majority of voters in one or two districts will determine whether the new Iraqi government will be allowed to marginalize those in the minority, limit the rights of women and favor the interests of conservative religious groups. We're making progress - the process is moving forward.

Washington Democrats new credo...

"(Insert issue here) is unpopular with the public but taking a stand against it is risky. Let's not mention it."

"What kind of fucktarded plan have we been half-assedly executing?"

Before he died when his truck overturned during combat in Baghdad, Sgt. Thomas Strickland, 27, posted an entry on his weblog sharing his anger about the situation in Iraq.

In a weblog he fatalistically titled One Foot in the Grave, Strickland asked, "What kind of fucktarded plan have we been half-assedly executing?"
Strickland, who aspired to teach English, was recalled by friend Mark Kraft as a gifted writer and poet.

He wrote this on his weblog Aug. 13, two days before the accident:

MotherFucker.

I'm back home.

Mahmudijah.

The Mahm.

St. Michael.

What have you.

My truck, which I left here in good working order, is destroyed mostly.

The insurgency is on the rise in our area, with a most impressive coordinated assault on one of my sister FOBs (St. Joe) under their belt. Apparently they have enough folks and sophistication in my back yard where they can simultaneously place accurate mortar rounds on three seperate locations (at least 30k apart) to tie up any ground mounted quick reaction forces, as well as offer up multiple RPG strikes on the guard towers at Joe. These RPG attacks really bring out the QRF who face their own ambush as they come out the gate, at least 12 insurgents occupying buildings with an overwatch position to Joe's only entrance armed with more rpg's and small arms. The only possible responses are tanks or Apaches. Luckily we have both on call. 12 dead insurgents, destroyed buildings, a compromised FOB, sustained, accurate and unaswered indirect fire and lots o unanswered questions later... I'm here.

What the fuck has my chain of command been doing? We were winning somewhat when I left. And now we're being pinned down in our own fucking homes? Insurgents are pushing locals out of their homes and taking over my area at will? What kind of fucktarded plan have we been half-assedly executing? Obviously the kind that neglects sound contact with locals. Obviously the kind that gives further distance to unbridged gaps between soldiers and locals. Obviously the kind that has shown enough weakness when confronted by the insugency that it has been encouraged to grow.

Back home (the USA kind) I have no home, no job, and my commander in chief is on vacation (he's about 20 days behind Ronald Reagan right now in the race to become the most vacationing president ever. Hey W! we all got our fingers crossed! Here's to you and two more years of presidency...er vacationing!). Luckily pretty much everything that is important to me can fit into the back of a truck. Luckily I just paid off one of those.

In their fear to build relationships and get out of their hiding holes the FOBbits above me have fucked my friends and I.

We've just completed the first 1/4 of our tour. we've sent 4 of 24 members of this platoon home with injuries.

Thankfully we're not like another who has sent 8 home in body bags...but we got 9 months to go.

Stay true lambs, REV

The World's Shortest Personality Test

My results:
You are dependable, popular, and observant.
Deep and thoughtful, you are prone to moodiness.
In fact, your emotions tend to influence everything you do.

You are unique, creative, and expressive.
You don't mind waving your freak flag every once and a while.
And lucky for you, most people find your weird ways charming!

Try it

OK I can die now - I've heard it all

I have no words. Just go read it.
Church: God Punishing GIs Over Gays

This is VERY disturbing!

Christian Exodus activists plan to take control of sheriff's offices, city councils and school boards. Eventually, they say, they will control South Carolina. They will pass godly legislation, defying Supreme Court rulings on the separation of church and state.

Strategizing a Christian Coup d'Etat

Iraq takes a giant step back in women's rights

Just look at all that progress! An Iraqi woman who flaunted her blue ink stained finger for Bush has recanted her story because Iraqi women will be oppressed under the new faux Constitution. "When we came back from exile, we thought we were going to improve rights and the position of women. But look what has happened! We have lost all the gains we made over the past 30 years." Nice going Dubya! Moving Iraq Backwards for Women!
Iraqi activist taken up by Bush recants her views

How do you get Dubya to get off his ass and do his job?

AMERICAblog has the answer!

Congrats to Green Day

Green Day, who arrived in the vintage green convertible from their "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" video, won best rock video for the clip — one of the eight awards they were nominated for, making them the most nominated act of the year.

"It's great to know that rock music still has a place at MTV," said lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong, speaking of hip-hop's recent takeover.

Political Mystery Tour?

Thailand isn’t on the itineraries of most touring musicians, so it’s a rare treat when a recording act makes an appearance here. But it’s an even rarer event when the tour is sponsored by the US Embassy.

Yes, in a rare non-military maneuver, the US government continues their attempts to spread “American Culture and Values” to all corners of the globe. A Texas musician named Jesse Dayton arrived in Thailand last week for a series of shows. This wasn’t the first time that the US Embassy has sponsored tours in Thailand. Last year they brought an act called the Chicago Jazz Quartet to Bangkok, and in 2000 they sponsored the Angela Hagenbach Trio (once again: who?) for a series of shows. The 2004 concerts were under the auspices of the US State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and their “Jazz Ambassadors Program.” Remember, your tax dollars are supporting these crusades. For last week’s Jesse Dayton tour, the press release from the US Embassy had this to say:

The Embassy of the United States of America proudly presents the ‘At the Right Time with Turbo-Country Jesse Dayton’ concert by Jesse Dayton from Austin, Texas. The band will offer free concerts throughout Thailand. Interested music lovers should contact local venues for ticket availability. Jesse Dayton is a new kind of country musician. Raised on a Gulf Coast musical gumbo that accepts everything from the classic heartbreak honky-tonk of George Jones to the classic rock of the Big Bopper and the blue-eyed soul of R&B standouts like Cookie and the Cupcakes, Dayton’s musical vision goes far beyond the boundaries of what we usually consider ‘country music’. He might best be described as a ‘turbo-country musician’ and definitely ‘a star waiting to happen.’

I’m an avid music listener and I try and keep up with the latest music trends and recording artists. But I’d never heard of Jesse Dayton (not to mention Cookie and the Cupcakes!) and my curiosity was aroused. Who is this guy and why is the US Embassy bringing him halfway around the world to play free shows? It turns out that Dayton has recorded four albums, one of which features some musicians that I’ve actually heard of, such as Jim Lauderdale, Doug Sahm, Johnny Gimble, and Flaco Jiminez. Judging from the favorable reviews posted on Dayton’s own website and on Amazon.com, it sounds like the sort of music I’d enjoy. Dayton is from Texas, so naturally I wondered if he was one of Dubya’s Freedom Fighting buddies, or perhaps a Christian missionary with a musical “message” for the people.

But during my web search I couldn’t find any odd political or religious alliances for Jesse Dayton. A couple of songs (“Jesus Pick Me Up” and “Ain’t Grace Amazing”) on his newest album, Country Soul Brother, might indicate a religious streak, but then again, the latter song could refer to a girl (or hooker) named Grace. I also discovered that Dayton played at one of Bill Clinton’s inauguration balls, the Dixie Chicks (noted Bush bashers) appear on one of his albums, and Dayton claims to be a fan of Steve Earle (another vehement critic of the current regime). So the guy doesn’t strike me as some sort of mindless Neo Con. In an interview on his website, Jesse says that he enjoyed playing Willie Nelson’s legendary Fourth of July picnic because it had “cold Lone Star (beer), topless girls, and plenty of Mexican lettuce.” The latter item, in case you were wondering, does not refer to an edible vegetable. In any event, those are not the sort of “American Values” that the Bushites would seem to embrace, are they?

All of this makes me even more puzzled: why did the US Embassy sponsor this guy’s tour?
http://www.jessedayton.com/tour.htm

Mercedes Buddhists

The Bangkok Post reported this week that a "revered local monk and his chauffeur" were killed when their Mercedes Benz rolled over and crashed while attempting to pass two other vehicles.

Highway carnage, Mercedes Benz ownership and Buddhist monks with Benzes are all common sights in Thailand. In fact, the luxury vehicle is so well-loved in the kingdom that it is quite common for children to be given the nickname "Benz."

Five years ago, one Thai monk made headlines - and was mildly censured - for amassing a collection of 60 cars, many of them shiny Mercedes models. The cars had either been donated to the temple or purchased with donations given by the monk's followers and disciples. The monk claimed that he "only" owned 29 of the vehicles, and that those were intended for his planned Classic Auto Museum. He further defended the large collection, saying that younger monks and novices at his temple needed the cars to learn the skills needed to work as auto mechanics after they had left the monkhood.

I don't know about you, but all of this silliness conjures up visions of Janis Joplin singing: "Oh lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz." I just don't think that she, or the song writer Kris Kristofferson, had Buddhist monks in mind when they performed the song.

I Maureen

Bike-Deep in the Big Muddy
By MAUREEN DOWD

W. has jumped the couch.

Not fallen off the couch, as he did when he choked on that pretzel.

Jumped it.

According to UrbanDictionary.com, "jump the couch" has now become slang for "a defining moment when you know someone has gone off the deep end. Inspired by Tom Cruise's recent behavior on 'Oprah.' Also see 'jump the shark.'"

The former stateside National Guardsman who was sometimes M.I.A. jumped the shark by landing on that "Mission Accomplished" carrier. (With Tom Cruise cockiness.)
Continue here

Butch and Sundance may ride again

Well, sort of. Paul Newman and Robert Redford are considering pairing up again in a new movie. No they won't portray Butch and Sundance or reprise their roles from The Sting. It will be an adaptation of Bill Bryson's travel book "A Walk in the Woods," the story of the author's hike through the American wilderness with a friend.

Ever since it's release in 1969, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid has been one of my favorite films. I was 12 when I first saw Butch and Sundance ride across the screen. That was the first movie I ever saw multiple times in the theater. They were my heroes and were the subjects of many hours of playing "Butch and Sundance". We would strap on our toy guns (they really used to sell them in the olden days) and re-enact the movie to the best of our abilities.

All these years later Paul and Robert are still my heroes in different ways. Especially Robert with his tireless work as a founder of the NRDC and other pro environmental causes such as the U.S. Green Building Council. Paul is no slouch either. He donates all his profits and royalties from Newman's Own to educational and charitable organizations. Paul has given over $150 million to thousands of charities since 1982. Pick up some of his products. They're wonderful and the product descriptions on each jar of sauce are hysterical.

Redford and Newman may pair up again on screen

Still the Sundance Kid

Newman's Own

John Bolton is proving us right

After Bush snuck him in with a recess appointment, John Bolton is busy at the U.N. editing documents. His edits to one on U.N. reform document are particuarly disturbing. He apparently doesn't like "respect for nature," "corporate responsibility and accountability," transparency in the U.N. Security Council, or the United Nations Convention Against Corruption. I can't say I'm at all surprised, can you? It's so nice to be right. Of course where Dubya is concerned we're batting 1000.

More at The Huffington Post

Luckovich 08/28/2005

Katrina and the Waves tour south Florida

And nobody heard "I'm Walkin' on Sunshine"

Hurricane Katrina punishes south Florida

Asshat Quote of the day

***WARNING***
Get out the puke bucket before reading this one.

"George W. is the most amazing president. How could anyone have imagined that such a man, who lacks all the credentials to conduct foreign policy (he hasn't traveled, he hasn't studied foreign cultures, he doesn't speak foreign languages, his knowledge of world history is skimpy, and he hasn't memorized the last decade of the New York Times) would turn out to have the best foreign-policy instincts imaginable? He reminds me more and more of Harry Truman and Ronald Reagan. He has the most important quality of a great leader: He instinctively finds the words to express what the American people believe. And his are simple words, not fancy ones."
-Micheal Ledeen

Who is Michael Ledeen?

Another funny from Thailand

I hope nobody in the Bush administration sees this story. I would hate for Dubya or Scotty McClellan to get any ideas. Do you think the Bushies would be above trying something similar? I don't. Not for a minute.

Thai PM uses buzzer on reporters

Payday!

Another payday comes and goes. Too bad I'm not "Bush rich". Then 1/3rd of my check wouldn't disappear every time I get paid. Almost exactly 1/3rd! That REALLY sucks! I wonder what percentage Dubya's base loses when they collect their dividends, etc. God knows they aren't relying on a check every other week.

Rocks Thrown at Border Patrol Chopper

Illegal immigrants threw rocks at a Border Patrol helicopter, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing when one of the rocks damaged the rotor, the agency said.

Neither the pilot nor the Border Patrol observer was injured.

The A-Star helicopter was two miles west of the U.S. Port of Entry in Andrade, Calif., on Tuesday when a group of immigrants began throwing rocks at the aircraft.

One baseball-sized rock gashed the rotor, forcing the pilot to land nearby, said Michael Gramley, spokesman for the Border Patrol sector based in Yuma, Ariz.

Gramley said he did not know how high the helicopter was hovering when it was struck, but he said it was being repaired and is expected back in service soon.

After the incident, 17 people were apprehended for illegally crossing the border, and two of them were being investigated for smuggling. Ten immigrants evaded capture.

The investigation into the rock-throwing was continuing.

Now they're trying to damage our helicopters and possibly injure or kill our citizens! Not to mention the alleged smuggling. I say it's time we return the favor and start using rubber bullets or very large water hoses on them. I wonder when Dubya and his administration will take this problem seriously. Probably about the time illegals start demanding higher wages or protesting his war. I have an idea. Let them come across the border, put them in a uniform and ship them to Iraq. It gives them a job "that Americans won't do" and solves the low recruitment problem.

Friday Bush Monkey blogging

The Vent from the AJC

Friday

Cindy's son volunteered and died. Barbara's son deserted and lied.

Bush should only be allowed to speak before veterans of Alabama's foreign wars.

"W" loves riding his bike so much, somebody should give him a paper route. That way he'd accomplish something before his term ends.

Talk radio used to be the voice of the little man. Now it's a nonstop Republican fund-raiser.

The new constitution in Iraq will give clerics rule over women. Is that what we're fighting for?

It is hard to believe that a military installation in Texas was spared from the closure list.

The 2004 election: Proof Bush supporters are slow learners.

Pat Robertson isn't a real Christian, he just plays one on TV.

If you voted for Bush, here's your chance to plant your butt where your ridiculous car magnet is, smack dab in the middle of the Sunni Triangle.

Excellent piece by Ted Rall!

Sacrifice? Count Me Out

Checkmate!

"Even pawns can put a king in check - and that, if you think about it, is what democracy, real democracy, is supposed to be about."
-John Maxwell

Bush, in Check

Another recess appointment?

Shame on Bangkok Bertha...

for not sharing this story with us :-)

Quote of the day

"It is characteristic of those who are evil to judge others as evil. Unable to acknowledge their own imperfections, they must explain away their flaws by blaming others. And, if necessary, they will even destory others in the name of righteousness."
-M. Scott Peck - People of the Lie (1998)

Bush's summer reading list

It looks like Bangkok Bertha was right in his assessment that there is NO FRIGGIN' WAY that Dubya read anything heavier than an Archie comic book over the summer. These articles are excellent.

The 'Big Lie' on Bush's Nightstand
Bush’s Summer Reading List Is Part of His Propagandists’ Big Lie Playbook

Government by Dirty Tricks

George W. Bush is the kind of guy you remember if you happen to cross his path -- at least his economics professor at Harvard Business School thinks so. Bush, you will recall, was at Harvard immediately after he left the Alabama National Guard -- if he was ever there to begin with. He openly boasted to Tsurumi about using pull to get into a champagne unit, and Tsurumi was shocked. Most people wouldn’t do that, especially back then.

Tsurumi has an even lower opinion of George Bush than Bush’s commander in the Texas Air National Guard, Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, did:

He showed pathological lying habits and was in denial when challenged on his prejudices and biases. He would even deny saying something he just said 30 seconds ago. He was famous for that. . . .

Students who challenged and embarrassed Bush in class would then become the subject of a whispering campaign by him, Tsurumi said. “In class, he couldn’t challenge them. But after class, he sometimes came up to me in the hallway and started bad-mouthing those students who had challenged him. He would complain that someone was drinking too much. It was innuendo and lies. So that’s how I knew, behind his smile and his smirk, that he was a very insecure, cunning and vengeful guy.

This past week when George W. Bush stood on the lawn of his ranch in Crawford, he declared that he supported Cindy Sheehan’s constitutional right to her strong opinion against the war in Iraq. This is America, he said. And the minute he was on the record as backing her First Amendment rights, the attack dogs went off the leash.

That’s the kind of government we have now. It’s run by people who have the mentality of 13-year-olds who repeat everything you say. Everything is carried out in the spirit of a very nasty practical joke whose very stupidity is a tremendous insult. Unfortunately, these puerile tactics do accomplish their purpose: they make us disengage.

This technique, refined, rehearsed, backed by bottomless resources, has had just that effect on the portion of the American public that might actually resist the fascist takeover we are witnessing. Many people who are on our side still cannot get past a certain level of spin without disengaging. Our retreat is a victory for Karl Rove, every single time; he just keeps racking them up.

More via Dissident Voice

FOUND IT!

Get your very own Bullshit Protector. Many styles to choose from. They even offer a GOP Bullshit Deflector. Be is style the next time you attend an event sponsored by your local politician.

Watch this

I must have one!

Bill Moyer, 73, wears a "“Bullshit Protector" while Dubya addresses the Veterans of Foreign Wars at their 106th convention Monday in Salt Lake City. Moyer served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. That's funny. The media said that everyone in the audience totally supported every utterance out of Dubya's lying gob.

I Maureen

For political reasons, the president has a history of silence on America's war dead. But he finally mentioned them on Monday because it became politically useful to use them as a rationale for war - now that all the other rationales have gone up in smoke.

My Private Idaho

Luckovich 08/24/2005

The Vent from the AJC

Wednesday

Congratulations to Ayatollah Robertson on issuing his first fatwa.

Congratulations, President Bush. In just a few years you have succeeded in forming two new Islamic republics.

A man without God is like a fish without a skateboard.

Cheap condo for sale, Gaza Strip. Call quickly!

Hey, Pat Robertson, remind me again which Bible verse endorses assassination?

I find it interesting that the majority of the vents that are published are bashing Bush, when the majority of the people in this state re-elected him.
(Maybe that's because those of us bashing him can actually read the paper)

Pat Robertson, it is the 700 Club, not 007. You do not have a license to kill!

Latest gas prices

(Thanks to Jimbob)

The 6th Commandment according to Pat Robertson

Thou shalt not kill unless it will stop the oil shipments.

Bush administration now distancing themselves from Robertson's remarks

I may have jumped the gun a bit by lumping the Bush admin in with Robertson and his call to assassinate Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. I'll bet I wasn't too far off the mark considering the fact that Republicans are nothing more than different heads on a multi-headed beast.

Open Letter to GWB from a Gold Star Mom

Read it here

"What I read on my summer vacation"

Many thanks to Bangkok Bertha for pointing this out to me. It's a column by Mark Kurlansky. Author of Salt: A World History. One of Dubya's supposed summer reading choices. It actually looks like a fascinating read. I never realized how historically important salt was. The author makes a good point that all the fuss over common salt seems a little silly today and that hopefully Dubya will realize that, in time, the fights over oil will look equally foolish. I'm not holding my breath. Looking silly seems to be the one thing in which Dubya excels.
Hope you like my book, Mr Bush

What Boneheaded Design Guides Dubya's Moves?

by Linwood Barclay

How does one explain all the misguided, unwise, sometimes outright boneheaded things the Bush administration has done since taking over nearly five years ago, and continues to do on a pretty much daily basis? How is it possible for a group of supposedly intelligent, experienced individuals to take this many wrong turns? Wouldn't you think that once in a while, even by accident, that George W. Bush and his advisers would make a decision that made sense?

Can this much mismanagement happen totally at random? Would the occupants of the Bush White House have us believe that all these things, these missteps, these miscalculations, these attempts to deceive, that they all, you know, just kind of happened?

I'm not so sure. And I'm not the only one starting to ask questions. More and more, it seems unlikely that mere human beings could make this many mistakes without some sort of misguiding force, a kind of supernatural entity that has trouble remembering where it put its car keys.

That's where unintelligent design comes in.
More...

Dubya STILL invoking 9/11 when speaking of Iraq

He just loves to beat a dead horse. I suppose he'll keep on trying to make that connection until we all come around. Looking at his latest poll numbers that seems very unlikely. The administration holds this view:

The White House says the presence in Iraq of al Qaeda-linked insurgents shows the link with terrorism, although the U.S. administration concedes many of those militants have come into Iraq from other countries since the U.S. invasion.

Yep - makes sense to me :-(

Bush: US must finish job in Iraq to honor the fallen

Luckovich 08/23/2005

More on the Pat Robertson story

The reason the Bush administration and their minions are so rabid about Venezuela? They have lots of oil. Why is it that we're only concerned with the "horrible dictators" who have lots of oil?

Televangelist Calls for Chavez' Death

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson suggested on-air that American operatives assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to stop his country from becoming "a launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism."

Bullshit! If that were a legitimate concern we would have secured our border with Mexico long before this.

"We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability," Robertson said Monday on the Christian Broadcast Network's "The 700 Club."

"We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator," he continued.

I have news for you Buckwheat - we didn't need the first $200 billion war.

"It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."

Chavez has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of President Bush, accusing the United States of conspiring to topple his government and possibly backing plots to assassinate him. U.S. officials have called the accusations ridiculous.

"You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson said.

Yeah that makes a lot of sense - IF YOU'RE A FUCKING MANIAC!

"It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don't think any oil shipments will stop."

There it is - the money line. I told you it was about oil!

Robertson, 75, founder of the Christian Coalition of America and a former presidential candidate, accused the United States of failing to act when Chavez was briefly overthrown in 2002.

Electronic pages and a message to a Robertson spokeswoman were not immediately returned Monday evening.

Venezuela is the fifth largest oil exporter and a major supplier of oil to the United States. The CIA estimates that U.S. markets absorb almost 59 percent of Venezuela's total exports.

Venezuela's government has demanded in the past that the United States crack down on Cuban and Venezuelan "terrorists" in Florida who they say are conspiring against Chavez.

Robertson has made controversial statements in the past. In October 2003, he suggested that the State Department be blown up with a nuclear device.

Sounds like a terrorist to me.

He has also said that feminism encourages women to "kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians."

That settles it - Robertson needs to be assassinated.

Pat Robertson is no Christian!

He just called for the assassination of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. What genuine Christian does that? It's further proof that he is nothing more than a member of the American Taliban.

Hey, War Pig!

I made a ton of compilation tapes back in the 1980s, most of the songs coming from my - at the time - extensive record collection. Even these days, amidst all the new digital formats and online downloading that has overwhelmed us, I still occasionally dust off an old tape and play it. The beauty of those tapes is that I'm always surprised by something I hear. Thinking: why don't I have that song on CD? Well, in many cases, it just doesn't exist on CD.

Today I was listening to one of my old tapes when one of those elusive classics grabbed my attention: "Hey, War Pig" by Kimberley Rew. This song came from The Bible of Bop, an obscure 1982 EP that Rew recorded just after he left the Soft Boys (Robyn Hitchcock's old band) and before he joined Katrina & The Waves (remember "Walking on Sunshine" ?). In fact, both Hitchcock and Katrina play on the record. Anyway, "Hey, War Pig" was a great, punchy, anthem of a song. The lyrics weren't much, but they were pretty damn powerful. And with the ongoing debacle in Iraq, the words seem very topical twenty-three years later:
"Hey, War Pig / Hey, War Pig / Don't Kill My Kid"
And that was it; the same lyrics over and over again, with a driving beat and ringing guitar propelling the song along. Such a cool song and I don't think anyone has ever covered it. But the good news is that the Bongo Beat label plans to re-issue Bible of Bop on CD (with bonus tracks) later this year.

Excellent piece by Paul Begala

Such is the hatred of the far right at the dawn of the 21st Century. And my how the optical worm has turned. Today it is the left invoking faith, flag and family, while the right destroys crosses. Today it is the left that honors the war dead, raises up a Gold Star Mother and publicly prays for our troops, while the right viciously attacks a woman who gave her country everything. Today it is the left that patiently and peacefully respects the Office of the Presidency, while the right diminishes the office by claiming it’s more important for the President to go bike-riding with a sports hero than comfort the mother of a war hero.

For the last two presidential elections it has been the Democratic Party whose nominee was a Vietnam War veteran, while the Republicans have sputtered out spurious defenses of their candidate’s deceitful draft-dodging.

On Thursday, Dick Cheney, who said he had “other priorities” in the Vietnam era, and so helped himself to five draft deferments, will address the 73rd Convention of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. I do not think he will express remorse for the callousness with which he explained his cowardice. Nor do I expect him to apologize for the shocking, mocking Republicans who, at their New York Convention a year ago, sported Band-Aids with tiny purple hearts to mock the blood shed by John Kerry and so many other heroes in that misbegotten war.

No, Mr. Cheney, surrounded by body guards who would gladly give their life for him, will no doubt wrap himself in the flag. A flag Larry Chad Northern wrapped around his axle on Prairie Chapel Road.

A few quotes to illustrate that Larry Northern doesn't represent the fringes of the Republican party but the very core of it:

We’re going to keep building the party until we’re hunting Democrats with dogs.
-Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX)
Mother Jones, 8/1995

I tell people don’t kill all the liberals. Leave enough so we can have two on every campus - living fossils - so we will never forget what these people stood for.
-Rush Limbaugh
Denver Post, 12/29/1995

Environmentalists are a socialist group of individuals that are the tool of the Democrat Party. I’m proud to say that they are my enemy. They are not Americans, never have been Americans, never will be Americans.
-Rep. Don Young (R-AK)
Alaska Public Radio, 8/19/1996

Get rid of the guy. Impeach him, censure him, assassinate him.
-Rep. James Hansen (R-UT) 11/1/1998

We need to execute people like John Walker in order to physically intimidate liberals, by making them realize that they can be killed, too. Otherwise, they will turn out to be outright traitors.
-Ann Coulter 2/26/2002

Bush hatred has become a defining characteristic for many liberals—so much so that they appear to identify with it more surely and swiftly than they do their American citizenship. At times, some extremist liberals seem to be rooting against their fellow Americans and in favor of those who would kill us.
-Tara Ross 2/1/2005

The Democratic leadership priority is to actively engage in the politics of division and distraction that can undermine our national security in favor of a left-wing agenda.
-Ron Bonjean 6/23/2005

Wouldn’t it be great if anybody who speaks out against this country, to kick them out of the country? Anybody that threatens this country, kick ‘em out. We’d get rid of Michael Moore, we’d get rid of half the Democratic Party if we would just import that law. That would be fabulous. The Supreme Court ought to look into this. Absolutely brilliant idea out there.
-Rush Limbaugh 8/11/2005

Unfortunatley Larry Northern is but the tip of the iceberg. There will be more violence from the right.

UPDATE: Tom asked for the entire Begala column. I meant to link to it but forgot. Here it is: Anti-War Imagery and the Iconography of Hate

McCarthyism is alive and well in Pennsylvania

Warning: this story will piss you off!

On the evening of August 10, Hannah Shaffer of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, decided to go to the nearby Barnes & Noble outside of Wilmington. She wanted to see Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, who was promoting his book, “It Takes a Family.”

The event was billed as a “book signing and discussion,” Shaffer says.

But discussion was the last thing that the Senator’s people wanted.

Shaffer, her friends, and two other young women were booted out of the store and threatened with imprisonment even before they had a chance to say a word to Santorum, as Al Mascitti first noted in the Delaware News Journal.
Continue

UPDATE: The link has been repaired. Thanks to Tom for pointing it out.

Sunday Night Music

Check out The Ditty Bops

Listen to Ooh La La (3.7mb)

The Saturday Vent

From the sane...

After you've honored the fallen with a moment of silence, it's time to break that silence so that more don't pay the ultimate price.

Getting married to have sex is like setting the house on fire to make toast.

You know your neighborhood is bad when most of your neighbors are in jail.

If you want to get rid of crack pipes in stores, just have them declared a sex toy.

George W. has no housing, food, or car bills. How can he feel our pain?

Is any conflict "honest and worthwhile?" Not if I'm the one being shot at. Get real!

Japan was defeated in 1945, and we still have troops there.

Almost 2,000 American soldiers dead, and Republicans still want to talk about interns.

Bush drove three companies into bankruptcy, and now he's doing it to us and our country.

Americans don’t really have much taste and only minimal intelligence. They DO watch “Being Bobby Brown” and elected Dubya at least once.

The problem with America is stupidity. I’m not saying there should be a capital punishment for stupidity, but why don’t we just take the safety labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?

...and the insane

Finally, a positive article on what the military is doing in Iraq!

We are still in Iraq because we would rather fight the Islamic jihadists over there than in our own neighborhoods.

Memo to Drudge, et al: It's Not About Me, It's About the War

by Cindy Sheehan

Even after my repeated attempts to keep the focus of my protest on the war, the Drudge Report and others continue to try to make the issue about me. But I am not the issue. The issue is a disastrous war that's killing our sons and daughters and making our country less secure. They attack me because they can no longer defend this war.
I've come to Crawford to bring to the president's doorstep the harsh realities of a war he's been trying so hard to avoid. But no matter what they say or how many shotguns they fire or how many crosses they destroy, they're not going to stop me from speaking out about a war that needlessly killed my son.

Happy birthday to our last legitimate president

Blind ignorance is a GOP trait

Letter to the AJC editor

Blame Democrats, not the president

Many are quick to blame President Bush for the high cost of gas, but it is not entirely his fault and it did not arrive at pumps overnight.

When Bush asked Congress to allow for more drilling of domestic oil, he was fought by every Democrat and overzealous environmentalist. We are now paying for their nearsightedness.

GLENN HODGES, Nashville, Ga.

The Vent from the AJC

Friday

I suggest all you SUV drivers move to Iraq. Gas is only a nickel a gallon!

Any American administration that gives our money to a foreign government should be impeached and tried for grand larceny.

Republican ticket for 2008: John McCain, Zell Miller.
-with Zell on the ticket it would ensure a Democratic win - what a nutjob!

Democracy: Where any two idiots can outvote a genius.

Yes, our soldiers are volunteers and sign on the dotted line with assurances that their government will lead them into an honest and worthwhile conflict. Iraq is neither.

Call me an environmental wacko if you want, but I still think destroying the Alaskan wilderness so you can drive your Humvee three blocks to buy smokes is a bad trade.

Saddam was removed months ago. Why are our boys still there?

Has "what's good for big business is also good for the people" started working yet?

Sign seen at a Cobb County gas station: "Bush/Cheney bumper sticker removed with each fill-up."

Friday Bush Monkey blogging

FOX News encourages abolishing Social Security

I would ask if these people are out of their minds but we all know the answer to that already.

via Media Matters

Good question

Telnaes 08/16/2005

Dasa in the media

Bangkok Bertha's book store, Dasa, was the location of a pictorial in Lite. A Thai men's magazine. Below are some of the shots. Enjoy.





See more here

BlogSpam

I seem to be getting my fair share of it. Generally they start out complimenting the blog and then they include a link to their commercial site. Fair warning to all BlogSpammers. Your comment will be deleted immediately.

**UPDATE**
I just received 5 more BlogSpams. For the time being comments from Anonymous people will not be allowed. I hate to do that because it doesn't allow wingnuts to participate and they can be very entertaining :-)

***WARNING***

This will break your heart then it will make you very angry...

via Operation Truth

Dubya sez...

Concerning Clinton's handling of Kosovo

"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is."
-Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)

Bush supporters still holding on to the idea that things are going great in Iraq

I think they need to stop listening to Limbaugh and Hannity and listen to actual Iraqi citizens. One of whom said "Instead of Saddam we now have thousands of Saddams."

Story

Ministry of Reshelving puts 1984 in its proper place

Sounds like a great idea!

Here's how to do it at a book store near you.

Luckovich 08/18/2005

Make Free Kicks...Not War!

This week the Thai government announced a radical new plan that they hope will derail the ongoing insurgency in the country’s violence plagued southern provinces. Their idea? Providing free cable TV coverage of English Premier League soccer (known as “football” in virtually every country besides the USA) matches to local tea shops.

Regardless of the absurdity of the idea, the Thai government appears intent on going forth with their plan. The Interior Minister, Konsak Wantana, wants to give away nearly 1,000 television sets to tea and coffee shops in the three Muslim-majority provinces that border Malaysia. He believes that the televised football games will lure young men away from joining insurgent forces. Said Konsak: “Most children love watching sports on TV, but they can’t afford them at home. So we are giving them what they love, hoping it will solve the problem.”

Some local observers, however, are not so certain. Ahmed Somboon Bualuang, a member of the National Reconciliation Commission, called the scheme “child-like and a bit insulting. People here are concerned with the daily killings, not about the lack of entertainment, or football on television.” Critics have warned that the televised games will encourage gambling and “other forms of vice.” Underground betting on sports is a well-known activity among Thai men and, increasingly, among teenagers around the country, many of whom are rabid fans of UK and European football teams.

But just think; if this idea really does work, the USA could use the same strategy in Iraq (nothing else is working, so why not!). I’m sure all those militant terrorists will gladly lay down their weapons and bombs to watch David Beckham and Ronaldo scamper around the football field, don’t you? Well, I didn’t think so either.