Wisconsin: Down To Earth, Or Very Left-Wing?

Washington may be "broken," but that doesn't mean all of government is screwed up. In the statehouses, concerned & responsible legislators are hard at work, not just in Arizona but across This Great Nation of Ours™, whether the issue is immigration policy or loonies. Look, here's a lunatic now, Wisconsin State Senator Glenn Grothman.

You know I'm being lazy when I resort to a Glenn Grothman press release for a post. But then again, my job is to deliver you good reading material, and Grothman never fails. He feels very strongly about the kind of society he wants to promote in Wisconsin. It is one without homosexuals, "leftists," people who work at co-ops, and psychiatrists. Oh, and he doesn't want our country to be "a country like Africa."

“During election time, it’s all about helping businesses and lowering the cost of health insurance, but when a bunch of rich psychiatrists and psychologists show up asking for a still larger paycheck, the Legislature kicks business in the teeth,” said Grothman.

“Most people feel that mental health is an area fraught with abuse. It may be very easy for psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers to justify spending additional hours with patients in this very subjective field. In many respects, this may be more of a cultural phenomenon than a medical phenomenon,” said Grothman. “While people do suffer from mental illness, in a down-to-earth state like Idaho they have fewer than five psychiatrists for 100,000 people while in a very left-wing state like Vermont they have approximately 24 psychiatrists per 100,000 persons.”

Hmm...do I smell scientology? That would certainly make things more interesting. That just might be the only thing that would make the Republicans embarrassed enough to dismiss him as their caucus Vice-Chair in the Senate.

Ironically, while Grothman has no time for these namby-pamby "mental diseases," he has no problem shoving through legislation to make unpasteurized milk legal, in hopes of helping people who seek out raw milk "at the request of their nutritionists."

Yes, keep an eye on the statehouses. It is in these crucibles of democracy that future Republican leaders will be testing just how far they can (or must) go to rouse their lunatic base.

Sen. Grothman brought to our attention by illusory tenant.

Breeder Scum Crackers Remain Ignorant & Foolish Breeder Scum

The paradox is this: Cultural conservatives revel in condemning the loose moral values and louche lifestyles of "San Francisco liberals." But if you want to find two-parent families with stable marriages and coddled kids, your best bet is to bypass Sarah Palin country and go to Nancy Pelosi territory: the liberal, bicoastal, predominantly Democratic places that cultural conservatives love to hate.

The country's lowest divorce rate belongs to none other than Massachusetts, the original home of same-sex marriage. Palinites might wish that Massachusetts's enviable marital stability were an anomaly, but it is not. The pattern is robust. States that voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in both 2004 and 2008 boast lower average rates of divorce and teenage childbirth than do states that voted for the Republican in both elections. (That is using family data for 2006 and 2007, the latest available.)

More detail.

And yes, it's another aspect of the age-old conflict between hicks & sophisticated urbanites.

Here's A Not-Surprise

Uh-oh, leftists trying to stir up religious tension, as well as the racial tension they caused when they mentioned the new AZ law.

The dispute regarding Arizona’s new law cracking-down on illegal immigrants has seen endless allegations of racism thrown around, principally by opponents who fear that it will lead to police harassment of anyone who happens to have olive skin.

Behind the scenes, though, the ongoing controversy is also sparking an ugly and increasingly tribal clash between members of two of the State’s most popular organised religions: the Catholic and Mormon churches.

Opponents of the hard-knuckle law, who were addressed by the singer Shakira at a youth centre in Phoenix today, are largely Hispanic, and therefore Catholic. Indeed, when I spent time with them earlier this week, they were holding prayer meetings at a makeshift shrine, complete with candles, outside the State capitol.

Intriguingly, though, I also discovered that many of the right-wingers who are responsible for the allegedly-racist new law belong to the Mormon Church, which is based in next door
Utah.

The new law’s author, Senator Russell K Pearce, is part of what was described to me by Daniel Pochoda, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties, as a “cabal” of Mormons who have been elected into the State’s government.

“They’ve been trying to pass a law like this for a great many years,” he told me in an interview. “There’s a couple of very rabid folks in the legislature, a cadre of Mormon Republicans. They really are a rabid reactionary, racist crew, the sort of people who are critical of Utah Mormons for being too lenient."

The Mormon Church took a kicking in 2008 for supporting and helping finance a (successful) effort to outlaw gay marriage in California, and its leaders are unlikely to enjoy being caught up in another divisive national controversy.

They may have no choice, though. As any student of the somewhat eccentric religion will tell you, the Mormon Church has a long and unhappy history with regard to race relations. Among other things, its authorities officially denied that black people had souls, until 1976.

Two caveats: Far from all Hispanic, Latino, Mexican or Spanish-surnamed people are Catholics. Actually, some are Mormons. Nor are we entirely certain that LDS theology concerning black people was that they were soul-free until '76. Although it wouldn't surprise us.

Dead People

Metropolis returns. The Guardian's typist approves. We're on the bandwagon too, especially w/ added footage & an (alleged) director's cut. ("Really, he would have wanted it this way.")

Rather, it is now (more or less) the film that Fritz Lang always meant it to be but which, for almost its entire lifespan after its 1927 premiere, lacked long passages of lost footage – only for a near-complete print to be located in a dusty corner of a Buenos Aires film museum back in 2008, with the hitherto missing scenes authenticated and slotted into a new edit.

This we'd like to see. We like Metropolis so much we stole a few seconds of it just a few yrs. back.An excellent excuse to post even more crap that's old enough to have voted twice already.

We Have Hours And Hours And Hours And Hours And Hours Of This Stuff

Stop It Already

Not even a cynical misanthrope could be in favor of this sort of thing:

A Third Consecutive Attack on Chinese Schoolchildren
A man injured five preschool students with a hammer before setting himself on fire in the classroom.
Read original story in CNN | Friday, April 30, 2010

(OK to set oneself on fire, as long as it's done responsibly.)

Only Improved W/ Age

Prepare for the deluge.

Would This Work If The Decedent Had Died On His Bike?

As a tribute to [murder victim David Morales Colón], the Marin Funeral Home treated the body and then dressed him up in his typical riding outfit complete with helmet on top of the Honda CBR600 F4 the man's uncle had given to him. As you can see in the video [here], the mortician positioned the body as if he were riding his bike all the way to heaven, though it appears to be little solace to the crying friends and family in attendance.

From. By way of.

30 April: One Third Through This One Already

Let's Have A War, Encoded Snubbing Version

Please explain, concisely & in detail, just how "Keeping Israel Safe" (assumed in this case to mean "blowing up as much of Iran as necessary") will help to keep the United Snakes safe.

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today ...

And this is about 20 mins. Drags a little in the second half, w/ the fighting & the "We don't do that any more," but all the crap recited is funny. (In that sick way that amuses us.)

Ming The Merciless Collar Back, Amy Alkon Excited!

You know, this guy.

A Hint For America, From The Cradle Of Democracy

Greece vows deeper defense cuts
By DEREK GATOPOULOS | Published: 04/29/10 at 10:47 AM

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s defense minister on Thursday promised “colossal” cuts in military operating costs to help the debt-ridden country emerge from its financial crisis and speed up plans to modernize the armed forces.

Defense Minister Evangelos Venizelos announced that Greece is aiming to slash operating costs by up to 25 percent in 2010 from 2009, instead of the planned reduction of 12.6 percent listed in this year’s budget.

“That is a colossal amount, reaching the margin of our operating needs,” Venizelos said, insisting that the cuts were not a direct result of the Greek debt crisis, nor would affect the strategic balance with historic rival Turkey. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to visit Athens next month.

Greece remains at odds with neighbor and NATO ally Turkey over the divided island of Cyprus and boundaries in the Aegean Sea but has improved ties over the past decade.

Venizelos did not give details of how the cuts would be achieved, saying only that results of a major armed forces review would be outlined in “several weeks”.

“We are reducing operating costs … We are not doing this because of economic pressure, we are doing this because this is mandated by the modern views of military planning,” he said.

The minister added that the reduction would not affect arms orders, but implied that Greece’s NATO allies remained keen to sell weapons to his government.

“Countries that produce weapons programs are allies and friends, countries that are now called upon to help us with the fiscal crisis. So we do raise this issue,” he said.

Venizelos said Greece will spend about €6 billion — or 4.8 percent of GDP — on defense, with about €2.3 billion going an arms spending as measured by EU accounting rules and the rest used for paying personnel and operating costs.

Athens is currently in talks with the European Union and IMF for a rescue package worth €45 billion ($60 billion) this year, and more for the following two years, to cope with its acute financing crisis that has brought it to the brink of default.

The prospect of a deal eased massive pressure on Greece in the bond markets and saw shares on the Athens Stock Exchange rebound strongly after days of heavy losses.

The bourse’s General Index shot up to close 7.14 percent higher at 1,829.29 points, while the spread on Greek 10-year bonds dipped to 6.48 percentage points over their benchmark German equivalent, from 10 points Wednesday.

But unions, angry at the prospect of more austerity measures are planning a general strike on May 5 as part of a renewed protest campaign.

Officials have been reluctant to say what measures are being discussed before the bailout talks are concluded.

“It is certain that all these measures and decisions are painful,” said government spokesman Giorgos Petalotis, who promised that the measures would be “socially just.”

“Today, the challenges we face are very large,” he said.

But a source in a meeting between Prime Minister George Papandreou and labor union leaders Thursday said Athens is being asked to abolish the 13th and 14th salaries — known as holiday bonuses — in the public sector. Greeks have their annual salaries divided into 14 instead of 12 monthly installments.

The source said the extra measures being asked of Greece aim for a reduction in the deficit of 10 percentage points by the end of 2011.

“We got a flavor of a very harsh package of measures,” said Yiannis Panagopoulos, head of the powerful GSEE umbrella trade union. “Measures that will lead to recession.”
____

Associated Press writer Nicholas Paphitis in Athens contributed.

Revolting Images For The Anorexic

Kentucky is just plain disgusting. Not just the chicken patties-as-bread deal they've been foisting on the Amercican public recently;

those bowl things are pretty icky as well.

Here, however, is the carbohydrate O. D. for which we've been waiting, from our friends at IHOP!

IHOP's Pancake Stackers consist of a crustless cheesecake filling surrounded by two buttermilk pancakes and topped with a strawberry, blueberry or cinnamon apple compote and whipped topping. Pancake Stackers are available a la carte or with a combo meal, which adds eggs, hash browns and a choice of bacon, pork sausage links and ham to the tally.

And there's the bacon.

Hope they're still serving at 1500.

The Past Not What It Used To Be

ME types:

What strikes me about all these commercials — this runs a little under eight minutes, by the way — is that I don't want any of them and didn't when I was 11, as I was when this film was made. The Mouse Trap Game looks like it might have been fun to play ... once. Other than that, there's something kinda condescending about the toys and the way they're being sold ...

He got Mouse Trap right.

And the robot chimp? You know that the instant Mom turns out the light & closes the door, it will be coming for you, shuffling inexorably across the carpet, little plastic derby in its creepy ape hand, demanding much more than your change.

Too Fast To Live Too Youngggghhh ...

Malcolm McLaren's Coffin.

Again We Aggregate The Aggregators. Aggravating, Innit?

1. Gulf Spill May Be 5 Times Bigger Than First Thought
   With about 210,000 gallons of new oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico every day, the slick could match the Exxon Valdez disaster in less than two months.
   Read original story in BBC | Thursday, April 29, 2010
2. Man Stabs 31 Children and Teachers in Chinese Kindergarten
   The second such incident in two days has sparked calls for more measures to protect China's students.
   Read original story in Reuters | Thursday, April 29, 2010
3. GOP Will Permit Debate on Financial Reform
   As soon as Harry Reid threatened to make them spend the night on the Senate floor, Republicans agreed to stop filibustering.
   Read original story in Talking Points Memo | Wednesday, April 28, 2010
4. "Choking Game" Kills 12-Year-Old California Boy
   Found in cardiac arrest, the boy had tied a rope around his neck in an attempt to achieve a quick euphoric high.
   Read original story in The Associated Press | Thursday, April 29, 2010
5. Transgender Student Has "IT" Carved Into His Chest
   A graduate student at Cal State Long Beach was attacked in a campus restroom earlier this month. Authorities are investigating the attack as a hate crime.
   Read original story in The Los Angeles Times | Thursday, April 29, 2010
6. Obama Approves First Offshore Wind Farm
   The Cape Wind project has been planned for Nantucket Sound, but construction could be prevented by environmentalists and angry Massachusetts residents (including the Kennedys).
   Read original story in The New York Times | Wednesday, April 28, 2010
7. U.S. Navy Expected to Open Up Submarines to Women
   It would require modifications to the living quarters, but the United States Navy plans to finally follow through with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates' announcement of intention made back in February.
   Read original story in CNN | Thursday, April 29, 2010
8. Charlie Crist Will Run as Independent
   Polls showed Crist trailing Marco Rubio by 32 points in the race for the Republican nomination but by just four points in the general election.
   Read original story in The St. Petersburg Times | Wednesday, April 28, 2010
9. Democratic Republic of Congo Called Rape Capital of the World
   A senior UN official, and sexual violence in conflict specialist, told the UN Security Council that more than 8,000 women were raped during fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2009.
   Read original story in BBC | Thursday, April 29, 2010
10. Supreme Court OKs Cross on Federal Land
    The case split the Court's liberals and conservatives down the middle, but even ideological allies found little to agree on in the case of a VFW memorial cross that stands on federal land in California. The nine justices released six different opinions, and none of them spoke for the majority.
    Read original story in The Associated Press | Wednesday, April 28, 2010
11. John Deere Opens Moscow Factory 
    Because everyone in Missouri already has a tractor.
    Read original story in Reuters | Wednesday, April 28, 2010
12. That's Sir Peter Jackson To You
    The writer and director was knighted in his native New Zealand, the location where the majority of his Academy Award-winning Lord of the Rings was filmed.
    Read original story in CNN | Thursday, April 29, 2010

And Now The Sand's Become A Crust, Most Of You Have Gone Away

Oh ho. This thing has gone away.

So did the Blogger™ video upload option, not that it worked.

State-Run Eastern Lamestream Elite Media Covers the West

From The NYT.

Please stay the fuck on your side of the Continental Divide. Hell, stay the fuck on your side of the Hudson. Or else.

29 April: There's A Riot Going On

On 29 April 1992, deadly rioting that claimed 54 lives and caused $1 billion in damage erupted in Los Angeles after a jury in Simi Valley acquitted four Los Angeles police officers of almost all state charges in the videotaped beating of Rodney King. (Go to article.)

On 29 April 1901 Hirohito, ruler of Japan during World War II and Japan's longest-reigning monarch, was born. Following his death on 7 Jan. 1989 his obituary appeared in The Times. (Go to obit. | Other Birthdays)

On 29 April 1882, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about Congress and British-American relations. (See the cartoon and read an explanation.)

The cartoon itself:

A sad lack of Tall Sycamores who represent Mighty Rivers in Washington today. Though arrests of possibly seditious aliens are nothing new.

The Internet Is Dull Tonight

And we don't plan on making any difference.

Cut Ups

Here, grunty little malebeast.

"It's What's In Our Souls"

Not even "spot-'em-by-their-shoes" any more? Now we can look into their souls?

The California delegation. We are so proud.

The Sheep Look Up

By The Associated Press | Published: 04/28/10 at 2:59 PM | Updated: 04/28/10 at 4:10 PM

Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by the Nielsen Co. for the week of April 19-25. Day and start time (EDT) are in parentheses:

1. NFL Draft, Round One (Thursday, 7:30 p.m.), ESPN, 5.27 million homes, 7.29 million viewers.
2. “America The Story of Us” (Sunday, 9 p.m.), History, 3.89 million homes, 5.67 million viewers.
3. “Pawn Stars” (Sunday, 8:30 p.m.), History, 3.81 million homes, 5.35 million viewers.
4. “NCIS” (Wednesday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.317 million homes, 4.46 million viewers.
5. “Pawn Star” (Sunday, 8 p.m.), History, 3.311 million homes, 4.54 million viewers.
6. “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Saturday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.299 million homes, 4.51 million viewers.
7. “NCIS” (Wednesday, 8 p.m.), USA, 3.298 million homes, 4.3 million viewers.
8. “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Thursday, 8 p.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.23 million homes, 4.75 million viewers.
9. “Pawn Stars” (Monday, 10 p.m.), History, 3.15 million homes, 4.28 million viewers.
10. NBA Playoffs: L.A. Lakers vs. Oklahoma City (Saturday, 9:35 p.m.), 3.1 million homes, 4.16 million viewers.
11. “WWE Raw” (Monday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.09 million homes, 4.19 million viewers.
12. “SpongeBob SquarePants” (Saturday, 9 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.05 million homes, 4.31 million viewers.
13. “Project Runway” (Thursday, 10 p.m.), Lifetime, 3.03 million homes, 3.8 million viewers.
14. “WWE Raw” (Monday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.1 million homes, 4.83 million viewers.
15. NBA Playoffs: Chicago vs. Cleveland (Monday, 8:05 p.m.), TNT, 2.93 million homes, 3.9 million viewers.

ESPN is owned by the Walt Disney Co. Nickelodeon is owned by Viacom Inc. USA is owned by General Electric Co.’s NBC Universal. TNT is owned by Time Warner Inc. CNN is owned by Time Warner Inc. Lifetime is a joint venture between the Hearst Corp. and Disney. History is owned by the A&E Television Networks.

http://www.nielsenmedia.com

Dead Spider Lying In Wait Behind Bathroom Door

We're idly curious about the egg sacs or tiny grapes it choked on.

Currently Wasting Time & Energy By

... recording two (Count 'em! Two!) programs while watching a third, all on & from the DVR!

Not since we had five fully functional VCRs some yrs. ago have we been so on top of (& about to be swept under the tide of) information & trivia.

On A Lighter Note

Aunt Snow took her camera to LACMA to capture art. We have captured one of her captures. However, the recent refinements to Bugger™ photo posting have caused this unusual phenomenon.

So look for yourself.

Works using the URL,

but the photo loader wants to rotate them 90°:

The above, however, didn't rotate. Momentary glitch, then?

We May Very Well Be Descended From Pigs Rather Than Primates

Not just Yanks.

Native Qataris, who number only about 250,000 in a nation of 1.6 million, are suffering serious health problems that relate directly to a privileged lifestyle paid for with the nation’s oil wealth, as well as a determination to hold onto social traditions, like having young people marry their cousins.

Not that much cousin marrying going on in these United Snakes. Whole lotta gorging going on though.

The horrid species w/ whom we must "share" this horrid world is determined to breed itself into blind retardation anyway.

While embracing modern conveniences, however, Qataris have also struggled to protect their cultural identity from the forces of globalization. For many here, that has included continuing the practice of marrying within families, even when it predictably produces genetic disorders, like blindness and various mental disabilities.

"If it was good enough for Uncle-Cousin Grandpa, it's good enough for ... for ... oooh, pretty ... Go poopie now!!"

You stupid, stupid bastards will be stewing in your own genetic & diet-induced misery as well as boiling in the effluvia of your global plastic society soon, but not soon enough. Faster, please.

Video Test

Just checking.

It Took A Lot Of Morons For This To Get Through

Somebody needs a punch in the dough-nuts.

Six Of One, Half-A-Dozen Of The Other

Survey: 72% of Millennials 'more spiritual than religious'

Most young adults today don't pray, don't worship and don't read the Bible, a major survey by a Christian research firm shows.

If the trends continue, "the Millennial generation will see churches closing as quickly as GM dealerships," says Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources. In the group's survey of 1,200 18- to 29-year-olds, 72% say they're "really more spiritual than religious."

VIDEO: More Americans saying no to religion
FAITH & REASON: Megachurch leader calls Gen Y 'honest' on faith

Mushy Xians. Perhaps you'll understand better in a visual mode. Could we have slide four, please? Thanks.

One result of religio-mushiness is the less mushy doubling down on the zealotry.

While many members of "Generation Y" are drifting away from traditional Christian beliefs and practices, the director of LifeWay Research says he's encouraged by the 15% that are deeply committed, like these students praying together at one of LifeWay Christian Resources' annual Collegiate Weeks at the Glorieta Conference Center in New Mexico. By Guy Lyons, LifeWay

Bullshit either way. No one can define "spiritual" w/ any meaning better than the amorphous faith of relgion.

Regular Right-Wing Fascism

Arizona's ugly but necessary immigration law

Worries about expanding government power have to be balanced against the economic, social and environmental costs to the state.

Not that Goldberg (Who else?) has ever been known as a constitutional scholar. Still, good to know what's trumping the Constitution this wk., & we'll remember that "environmental costs" are something very important to consider when deciding how "constitutional" a law or regulation may be.

Drinking Helmet

No socialist NHS for Amy Winehouse, who

was taken to [a] private clinic in London's Harley Street after falling on her face at the weekend.

[...]

Winehouse's spokesman denied reports that she bruised her new breasts - the result of surgery seven months ago. He said: "She had an accident and tripped over at her home. She ended up with a cut above her eye and bruised her ribs. She's going to be fine."

Winehouse fell over on Saturday and was still in the clinic on Monday night.

The spokesman said: "I don't know if she's still there. If she is, it's not because something has happened. It's because it's nice."

[...]

She has been staying at the London Clinic, the private hospital where she had her breast implants put in. Winehouse was reported to have returned to the clinic earlier this month, fearing she might have to get her 32D implants removed, but doctors apparently gave her the all-clear.

Bullet Points

It's bad enough that the military is composed of "volunteers;" when they deliberately dumb themselves down, & know they are but don't stop, we can only see it as further proof of the death of the empire. Especially when combined w/ recent stories hysterically headlined "Fat Slob Young Americans Too Fat To Fight For Oil Interests & Other Capitalist Pigs."

“PowerPoint makes us stupid,” Gen. James N. Mattis of the Marine Corps, the Joint Forces commander, said this month at a military conference in North Carolina. (He spoke without PowerPoint.) Brig. Gen. H. R. McMaster, who banned PowerPoint presentations when he led the successful effort to secure the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar in 2005, followed up at the same conference by likening PowerPoint to an internal threat.

“It’s dangerous because it can create the illusion of understanding and the illusion of control,” General McMaster said in a telephone interview afterward. “Some problems in the world are not bullet-izable.”

You can take that to the bank both ways.

There Will Always Be An England

We'd like to hear an American network apologize for the moving promos that threaten to take over our screens.

The BBC says it will ensure an on-screen ad during the climactic seconds of Saturday's Doctor Who will not happen again, after it prompted thousands of complaints.

The corporation conceded the "banner" - featuring an image of Graham Norton - which popped up during the show - should not have been screened.

Around 5,600 viewers complained about the image which they say spoiled the drama as the latest Time Lord adventure reached its peak.

The banner was plugging the edition of Over The Rainbow which followed the hit show, starring Matt Smith as The Doctor. It appeared just seconds before a cliff-hanger ending as The Doctor's pals were being pursued by the spooky weeping angels.

The BBC said: "The Over the Rainbow trail in Doctor Who should not have played out on Saturday and we apologise to all Doctor Who fans whose enjoyment of the show was disrupted.

"We recognise the strength of feeling that has been expressed and are taking steps to ensure that this mistake will not happen again."

Are the Euros not cowed sheep under the Sharia thumb of the 'Abs? We'd heard they were. Dr. Who fans, at least, are still a free people. In America, no one cries out when their Star Trek/Star Wars stuff is abused by broadcasters, possibly because they were turned to sheep by color telebision earlier than the Brits.

Get A Fucking Shave, Four-Eyes!

Actually interesting.

It's Not "Democracy," It's Gawd's Punishment

No matter how we try, we can never forget the many times Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton introduced Walter Cronkite &/or Dan Rather to roaring audiences, because people like Texas Gov. Perry & other local political yokels are always rubbing our faces in it!

Perry, who declared Beck an honorary Texan to a deafening roar of approval from the audience, strongly expressed support for the grassroots and tea party movements.

Texas was built by free-thinking patriots, and it's time to let it be heard in Washington, Perry said. The tea party is about taking the country back, Perry said.

The governor described Beck as a national leader of a powerful group sending a message to the current administration and congress about Washington, D.C., how to control spending and Americans taking their country back.

"I consider myself proud to be in that army," Perry said in a short news conference before the town hall meeting.

From the Land Beyond Parody, Lampooning or Even Satire, Ladeez & Gemmen, Glenn Beck:

Mounting the stage, Beck criticized politicians in Washington who he called progressives and who he said simply change their words for things. The stimulus package is now the jobs bill in their rhetoric, Beck said, but vowed, "It's time that we stand for the truth. We will be silent no more. It's not violent, it's not racism, it's not sedition."

Beck told the crowd, "It is time to say things that need to be said -- the only way to solve our problems is if we fall to our knees and thank God for the blessings of this country."

Beck asked attendees to ponder questions such as "Do you believe this is God's land? Do you believe our constitution was divinely inspired? Why do you believe those things?"

Recalling history of how America was founded as well as biblical stories, Beck said the American flag is a symbol of God's freedom. Those who fought for the country through the years didn't fight and die so that people could go to the mall shopping, have Social Security or health care; they fought so that people could be free, Beck said.

The American seal as drawn up by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson was a pillar of fire and the split Red Sea behind it for the Israelites to cross, Beck said.

"We must remember who we are. We must remember what brought us here. We must remember what protected us. We must remember these rights do not belong to us -- they come from God," Beck said. The crowd rose in unison to its feet applauding loudly and yelling.

If people don't know the history, "find it and tell your children," Beck urged the crowd. "If God is with us, who can possibly stand against us? The answer is no one."

The responsibility to get the country right for the sake of freedom, liberty, the land, the Constitution and ideas "is on our shoulders; it's eternal," Beck said.

"I don't know what is supposed to happen on this land. I have no idea what God has in store for these people, our children, our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He just asks you to stand in place and that is our job - to stand where he wants us to stand."

Gawd, the Second A. D., wrangling the crowds. That's an Almighty worthy of the worship of fucking sheep.

Perhaps State Rep. Leo Berman, of Tyler, worships a gawd different than Beck's.

Berman told the crowd, "I believe that Barack Obama is God's punishment on us today, but in 2012, we are going to make Obama a one-term president."

Things They Do Look Awful Cold

For the sort of person who doesn't receive email from The NYT, & might not have seen this. Probably, also, at Townhall & right-wing book giveaway sites other than The Times.

As an aging crank, we can assure the estimable Mr. Mattera that his twenty-nothing generation are essentially brain-dead consumpto-conformists.

What would happen if an idiot clicked the advert as it originally appeared? Said idiot would also see this, if they dared.

The Last Time I Saw Archie, He Was Trying Out For The Village People Reunion Tour

Beating McG. to the Archie punch again. (What the hell kind of viral publicity machine does Goldwater have going at the House of Archie? We don't go out of our way to look for this atuff — we weren't obsessing at the Archie site, but found this in a comment at TBogg's — but anything that happens in Riverdale seems to get on the radar.)

Admittedly, the calculated & cynical introduction of a gay character can be expected to drum up some free hype.

"The introduction of Kevin is just about keeping the world of Archie Comics current and inclusive. Archie's hometown of Riverdale has always been a safe world for everyone. It just makes sense to have an openly gay character in Archie comic books," said Jon Goldwater, Archie Comics co-CEO.

Oh, a fucking paradise, is it? A "safe" world? How can they say that? No one is safe from Muslim terror, not even in Riverdale, U. S. A.!

Kevin will make his entrance in the comic book in September.

Archie publishers provided a sneak peak of the the plot and a page of the comic book on its website.

The story begins when Kevin comes to Riverdale and promptly beats Jughead in a burger-eating contest. This gets the attention of Veronica who realizes that she is falling for Kevin.

"Mayhem and hilarity ensue as Kevin desperately attempts to let Veronica down easy and her flirtations only become increasingly persistent," Archie Comics said on its website.

Finally, Kevin confides in Jughead.

"It is nothing against her. I'm gay," the new character says.

And how "gay" can Kevin be if he beats Jughead in a hamburger-eating contest? Look, we don't know nothin' from this here gay stuff, but isn't Kevin supposed to tell Veronica ("Say, Jughead, I'm gay." Last person on earth, y'know?) he's gay, & then they become BFFs & conspire to get Archie away from that tramp, Betty, & into Ronnie's arms? Or to get Jughead out of the closet?

SixFourteen CrisesDecision Points

Bush goes Nixon, & more of South Carolina's Asshole Party gubernatorial candidate.
"Wow, interesting analysis," says Tweety. An absolute moron, even w/o "not just because of Peggy Noonan."

Douchebag Redux: Call Me Animal

What a repellent little snot.

"The real problem is the work force," said Bauer, who is running for governor. "The problem is we have a give-away system that is so strong that people would rather sit home and do nothing than do these jobs."

Bauer made his remarks at a debate between the Republican candidates for South Carolina governor, The State reports.

"Laziness is not a disability," said Bauer. "There are a lot of people that are flat-out lazy and they are using up the goods and services in this state."

The Arizona law requires law enforcement officials to demand immigration papers from those they suspect to be in the country illegally.

In the past, Bauer's compared people on welfare to stray animals, making the point that if you feed stray animals (or, presumably, help out the unemployed), they "will reproduce, especially ones that don't think too much further than that. And so what you've got to do is you've got to curtail that type of behavior."

While it might be more satisfying in the long run to force this waste of human flesh to live on whatever amount* his state full of seditious would-be traitors generously offers its disabled residents, & take bets on how long he'd last on what he seems to consider a laziness grant, it would be more immediately gratifying to pulp his pretty-boy face, assuring that he couldn't be elected "Ugliest Jerk in South Carolina," let alone to a supposedly responsible position like replacing paragon of responsibility Gov. Mark Sanford. It's 2010: Do you know where your governor is?

*The State of California (for rather expensive Los Angeles County) provided us w/ something like $740.00/mo. in disability. One couldn't rent a one-room apartment in any metropolitan area of the county for $740.00/mo. Eat us, bitch!!

Could've Been Us

Court Report:

A 21-year-old man convicted of shooting to death a liquor-store clerk near Hollywood Boulevard was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

A security video captured Rodney Bourgeois fatally shooting Pulod Davlatnazarov in the head and wounding another employee during a 2007 robbery at Limelite liquor store on La Brea Avenue.

The gunman could be seen on the video picking up a half-gallon plastic milk bottle just before the shooting, so detectives got a DNA sample from the container, which connected it to Bourgeois. A witness also provided a positive identification of the suspect.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor sentenced Bourgeois to 57 years to life in prison for the July 19, 2007, murder and attempted murder of the two unarmed clerks at the corner store.

[...]

Later, a Japanese tourist looking to buy refreshments at the store discovered the bloody scene.

We have been to the Limelite in search of refreshments more than once.

Smoothly Functioning Technology

We've now enabled 30-second skipping through recorded programming. This is real skipping: The advert doesn't speed up, it disappears, & the program is 30 seconds farther along w/in the proverbial blink.

We'll be zooming through such masterworks as Jonny Quest vs. The Cyber Insects, The Big Sleep, & Into the Universe W/ Hawking, among other middle-brow trivia, even faster than before.

The mystic knowledge of the secret words had to be researched, you realize. TWCable wouldn't volunteer it. Suspicious Internet minds speculate that advertising-supported broadcasters & cable channels may suggest to the cable providers that allowing consumers to use their wands as they wish would not be a good thing.

Mucha Sangre

Go bulls!

A Couple Of Dead White Guys Sitting Around Talking

One More Time

Loose Ukes

Again, America's TEA-Baggers (Brown Revolution?) are put to shame, w/ a mere 35 secs. of video

Vital Endorsement For Mickey Kaus!!

Victor Davis Hanson. Bye bye Boxer!

No one even bothers to troll Mickey's new Senatorial website, unless New Democrat (or whatever the eff he thinks he is) ideo-purity is being imposed, which would mean that the only comments are from trolls.

More of a vacuum chamber than an echo chamber. Hope Mickey The K gets some oxygen in there soon.

Truth Hurts

When Fortune magazine asked comic book artist and Oak Park resident Chris Ware to design the cover of their "Fortune 500" issue, they were probably not expecting his "beautiful and Marxist" interpretation of modern capitalism.

Details. Big fat detail.

Bloggers Who Hate

221.

Sleeping is more popular: 112,000.

It's A Figure Of Speech: Suck, Don't Blow!

From the Chicago Crime section of the Sun-Times, someone finds a vacuum cleaner that works & then gets huffy about it. "Crime?" There's no pleasing some people, is there?

A north suburban woman claims a "defective" vacuum cleaner sucked her hair out of her scalp when it broke during use -- and she is now suing the Ohio-based vacuum-maker for more than $200,000.

Terri Washburn Gattone, of north suburban Libertyville, filed the suit against the Kirby Co. on Friday in Cook County Circuit Court.

Washburn Gattone claims in the suit that an attachment hose connector on the vacuum cleaner system she bought broke when she was using it in her home last August.

The machine then sucked her hair into the vacuum, ripping her hair out of her scalp and causing "serious personal injuries," the suit claims.

The lawsuit claims that the vacuum cleaner was "defective and unreasonably dangerous," and that Kirby sold the machine without "adequate testing" or warnings to customers about potential injuries.

Representatives from the Kirby Co. were not immediately available for comment.

A fun-spoiling explanation is offered in comments.

Possibly Partly Used Before

Not Just Anything But Everything Can Be Found On The Internet

Is this why Safari Sam's closed & the owner ran off w/ all the $?

"You got your works in a drawer and your color's on track"

We've only filled 10% of the available space on the new toy. Must catch up. Currently triple-tasking, that is, recording, watching something entirely different, & ignoring the Internazz. Speaking of The Nazz:

47 & Counting

Is It Friday Yet?

Not that it makes a heck of a lot of difference to us.

Gazing At The Television Skies, Looking For The Big Fucking Killer

We dragged our lazy ass to the TimeWarnerCable office today to exchange the set-top box for a dual-tuner HD DVR. (Body clock does not allow us to catch morning shows, or Ellen, among other reasons.) We exchanged boxes, got the new (only to us, judging from the scratches on it) box to the bunker, reconnected the web of cabling, & plugged it in. We'll assume that you've already figured the effing thing didn't power up. As we'd been told to call & have the new box activated, we were hoping that it wasn't supposed to turn on until authorized, though we knew better. Nonetheless we called; customer service guy confirmed it should be on, & said he'd save us the trouble of getting a new box by having someone wake us sometime between 0800 & 1100 tomorrow. Nice of them to save us the trouble, but did nothing about the possibility of being w/o narrow-casting all evening. (Not a positive prospect for us, though it might have gotten us to watch some of the DVDs we've had lying around for a while.)

Here's where the cosmic coincidence comes in: The cable was installed just about a yr. ago. The day after it was put in, the installer's overseer dropped by to see how things went (Snoop-ass Nazi mofo, off the worker's backs!) noticed that the box we'd been given wasn't the best non-DVR one available, & got us a better one from his truck. When he hooked it up he used the already connected AC cable from the first box, & left the cable from the newer box. (A $5.00 charge to customers if it's not returned.) We hope you can see where this is going, because we don't want to be writing for unimaginative cretins.

Strange, though not so weird as to convince us there are supernatural forces at work. OR ARE THERE?

Obviously items will not be appearing w/ great frequency here as we examine our now functional, new-to-us toy, & attempt to defeat any & all theft of intellectual property limitations. Suggestions welcome.

Staring At The Sun

Need we remind you that there is no sound in space?

Good News On The Nihilism Front, W/ Pronunciation Guide

Scientists fear tremors at the Eyjafjallajokull (ay-yah-FYAH-lah-yer-kuhl) volcano could trigger an even more dangerous eruption at the nearby Katla volcano - creating a worst-case scenario for the airline industry and travelers around the globe.

A Katla eruption would be 10 times stronger and shoot higher and larger plumes of ash into the air than its smaller neighbor, which has already brought European air travel to a standstill for five days and promises severe travel delays for days more.

The two volcanos are side by side in southern Iceland, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) apart and thought to be connected by a network of magma channels.

[...]

In fact, the last three times that Eyjafjallajokull erupted, Katla did as well.

Katla also typically awakens every 80 years or so, and having last exploded in 1918 is now slightly overdue.

Fingers crossed.

No Frills

In the new digital telebision "universe," & living in an urban wonderland, we could catch Charlie Rose up to six times a day, yet we miss him every chance we can.

Miss it yourself if you've seen it. We'll grudgingly admit it's well done.

Annals Of Profiling

Robber Eludes Cops Using Elaborate Blackface Disguise

Four banks and a CVS pharmacy in Ohio were robbed in the span of only three hours on April 9. Police in Hamilton County were unable to catch the criminal, known as the "hairless robber," because of his disguise. "The suspect seen in the surveillance photographs and that we were looking for, we believed to be an African American male. The suspect was actually a male, white, who was wearing an elaborate disguise," Springdale Police Lieutenant Michael Mathis told ABC Action News. Conrad Zdzierak, 30, was wearing a high-quality mask known as "The Player," that Mathis says cost between $600 and $700. The police were only able to locate the alleged robber after receiving a tip from Crimestoppers that matched a Volvo parked at an Extended Stay America Hotel to one seen driving away from the scene of one of the crimes. "When police opened the Zdzierak's hotel room door they encountered his pit bull which bit one of the officers," ABC Action News reported. "The dog was shot and killed by an officer during the attack. Police found Zdzierak hiding in the bathroom."

Read original story in ABC Action News | Thursday, April 22, 2010

Oooooh, ACTION news.