So, Did You See My Political Career Sleeping Down There?

Use the comments to provide your own caption. And remember, its unclear from this picture whether or not this fish was illegally poached

Ohio BWC

The Ohio Bureau Of Worker's Compensation will offer a 50/50 split payment plan this year. It's a very small bone that the BWC throws to employers every once in a while. You only get so sit on the other half of your payment for two months. I like this quote form the Insurance Journal:

The bureau is enacting the special offer, which it said may not be offered in the future, in order to assist employers angered by the funds decision not to offer a dividend, as it had for the last nine years.

Hmm, I wonder why they are not offering a dividend? I mean, these funds are kept in very low risk investments that all but guarantee a modest but stable return. Perhaps more workers than usual were injured this year. It is a bonus to get the dividends so it seems odd to me that some would be angry with the BWC.

Damn, this option is only available online. I was planning to pay in coins.

Gay Marriage

Canada seems to have gotten the ball rolling on gay marriage. Yesterday, the Canadian government legalized gay marriage. Today, Spain followed suit. Well that's not necessarily true, I'm sure Spain had this legislation in the pipeline for a while, but I have to think that Canada's passage of gay marriage had to be in the back of the Spanish MP's minds. Most First World countries are going to be moving in this direction in the next decade, so why not be a leader instead of a follower. It's clear that José Zapatero can sees that the ball is rolling down hill. From The Guardian:

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's ruling Socialist government proposed the bill shortly after winning the election last year. On the day he was confirmed as prime minister, Mr Zapatero said he would fight discrimination against homosexuals.

During the debate before today's historic vote, Mr Zapatero acknowledged Spain was joining the growing numbers of countries legalizing gay marriages.

"We are not the first, but I am sure we will not be the last," he told the chamber. "After us will come many countries, driven, ladies and gentlemen, by two unstoppable forces: freedom and equality."

This might sound a little crazy, but I actually believe that a slight tinge of anti-Americanism is also helping push this trend. A good deal of Europeans think of Americans as unsophisticated, so our overwhelming rejection of gay rights last year may be making some ripples across the pond that Europeans don't want to be associated with.

It's Official

Time magazine has sold out journalism today as they agreed to comply with the judges order to turn over documents naming Matthew Cooper's source in the Valerie Plame investigation. By doing this, Time has effectively become People magazine because their investigative days are done. Nobody is going to talk with any of their reporters about anything substantial.

Will the last American journalist please bring the flag?

Oh My God

If you are a newspaper junkie like myself, this website is better than speedballing coke and black tar heroin with a meth kicker. Well, if that's possible to do without dying. Front pages and links to 427 newspapers worldwide. New York can be a little difficult maneuver through.

Time May Out Plame Leaker

It looks like Time magazine will probably turn over documents naming the Valerie Plame leaker tommorrow if the judge reaffirms the contempt of court order issued against Time, Matthew Cooper, and Judith Miller. Time was ordered to pay $1,000 a day under the previous contempt order.

While I'm happy the leaker will be outed, I am totally against the jailing of journalists as if we lived in some tin-pot dictatorship.

I'm unclear what will happen to Cooper and Miller if Time does this. I presume Cooper will be spared jail time, but I think Miller still goes to jail. Of course, if Time tears down the wall, I don't really see a reason not to testify. After all, the journalistic integrity will have already been destroyed in this case.

Found via Kos diarist mr curmudgeon

Sally Jenkins Sticks Her Foot Up Tom Davis' Ass Over Soros Remarks

As a politician, you know you fucked up when a sports reporter kicks you in the dick this hard. Go read Sally's article in today's WAPO. I would add commentary, but I don't need to.

Oh No, A Road Map For Terrorists

The National Academy Of Sciences is preparing to publish a study about the vulnerabilities of our milk supply. Botulism is apparently the greatest danger involved with our milk. So, what do our protective overlord republicans have to say about this report. From CNN

The paper "is a road map for terrorists and publication is not in the interests of the United States," Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Stewart Simonson wrote in a May letter to Dr. Bruce Alberts, the science academy chief.

That is something stupid or incompetent people say. This means that either A: You completely underestimate or are ignorant of your enemy, or B: You realize there is a problem but you are incapable of remedying it.

If the Department of HHS wanted to stop this article from being published, they could have easily done so by doing something to secure the milk supply in the last four years. But no, you guys, as usual, did nothing to protect us. That's why this study must be published, so the Dept. Of HHS has to get off their fat collective asses and actually do something.

Republicans must think terrorists are illiterate bumbling fools that need us to show them how to attack us. They don't. 9/11 wasn't enough to show republicans that this isn't the case. No matter the rhetoric they issue, the safety of the American people is always deep on the backburner for these idiots.

Paula Abdul Judges Nail Salons To Be Filthy

Yesterday, Paula Abdul testified before a California Senate Committee about her ordeal following an April 2004 visit to a nail salon. Abdul caught a nasty infection that she says sent her in and out of the hospital. The legislation establishing safety standards for nail salons is expected to pass the full California Senate.

OK, two things. First of all, nail salons have been around quite a while. How could they have operated for so long without safety standards, in California, none the less? Secondly, who goes to the hospital for a nail infection? Doctor, yes. Hospital, no. No wonder they say Hollywood types are soft. Before you ask, no I don't know who they are.

John Walton Dies

John Walton, Wal-Mart heir, died yesterday after crashing his ultralight near Jackson Hole, WY. Seriously, if you're worth $20 billion, what are you doing flying around in that piece of clap-trap. Damn, to be that wealthy, and you die like a schmuck flying around in a glorified kite.

Actually, from what I understand, John Walton was not despicable like the rest of the clan. He served admirally in Vietnam, earning a Silver Star, and was very philanthropic.

Peak Oil: T Boone Pickens Climbs Aboard

Who is T Boone Pickens? He is the chairman of BP Capital Management. He is just one of a long line of oil experts that claims the world will never pump more oil than it does today. From CNN.com

Pickens said a shortage of oil is the main reason behind the price increase and didn't see how the world could produce more than the current 84 to 85 million barrels a day that currently comes out of the ground.

"We're coming up on a brick wall," he said. "The fourth quarter this year is going to maybe be the most interesting quarter I've ever experienced in my 50 years in the oil industry."

The fourth quarter typically sees the highest demand for oil as northern countries stock up on heating oil for the winter months.

What does this mean in the near term? If the next winter is bitterly cold, November 2006 will be mighty chilly for Congressional republicans.

Pickens also agrees with my March prediction of $3.00 a gallon gas this year, although for different reasons.

Mark Majka Drinks The Kool-Aid In Op-Ed Piece

In today's Dispatch Mark Majka has an idiotic letter to the editor. He argues the simpleton position that the Iraq war keeps us safe by engaging the enemy on foriegn turf. What a dipshit. Homeland security keeps us safe, not some fool's folly half-way around the world. The money we've spent there would have went a long way towards increased port and airport security here in the US.

Moreover, the cost of the Iraq war in money and manpower is simply not substanable in the long term for the purposes Majka states. The bottom line is that the administration lied to the American people to start the war in Iraq and Majka is just swallowing the latest bullshit spin to avoid seeing his hero in a bad light.

It amazes me how little people know about the real world.

Supremes Decline To Hear Miller And Cooper Case

This is one of those things where happiness comes along with an uncomfortable queasiness. Miller and Cooper are no doubt hacks that push Bush Administration propaganda, but I don't like the fact that certain freedoms of the press are being curtailed. This will help lead to a more closed government, and that's the last thing we need right now. Oh well, let the frog-marching begin.

I Was Sick Yesterday, More Fun Today

Yesterday, all I managed to see was the bottom of the toilet. I feel better today so I'll look for something to write about.

The End Of Day Two

The rain came and washed away the peace and love. Drinks and blood were spilled last night, cops and ambulances required

Pride Parade

I watched the Pride Parade and I gotta tell ya, I don't know how the cross dressers made it. It's 95 degrees here and I was sweating balls just watching.
I talked with some lesbians from Louisville about where the Columbus pride parade ranks. Pretty high they say. Thats cool, I didn't know, to me its just something that happens in my neighborhood every year. Getting ready to go watch some bands after a shower.

Comfest: Day Two

The Saturday of Comfest is a great day because it is intertwined with the gay pride march. I think I'll go find some fundies that protest and crack some skulls. Send me some lawyers, guns, & money.

Comfest: After Dark

Well, the sun went down and the volume went straight to the moon, Alice. At least it did at the Off-Ramp stage, which should be forever re-named the "inky black, truck stop hat stage. The Evil Queens straight out ripped the roof off of that muthafucker. Wow.

Then Columbus punk legends Greenhorn took the stage with a tough act to follow and went yard, clearing the bases.

After seeing Greenhorn, I wonder if Comfest should add a legends stage?

Topless Comfest women sightings now stand at two.

Last post of the night unless I do a pre-afterhours post.

Comfest Gets X-Rated

Just saw the X-Rated Cowboys at the main stage. They, as always rocked. I really think they are the most polished band in Columbus. I don't know if they are on a small label or doing the DIY thing, but a mid-sized label should definitely pick these guys up.

As a bonus, while walking back for beer, I caught Ordinary Peoples. They are kind of hard to describe. Three piece, one rapper/singer, keyboardist, and a drummer. They were fucking tight. I was very impressed.

Both bands said they have new albums out, and when I have more time I'll come back and provide links.

I also saw my first topless woman for this year. (Non-Comfest related events excluded)

Gotta go fill my mug and check out a couple of rock acts. (the newly reformed Greenhorn and Watershed.)

Comfest: It's hot

It's really hot today with temps. in the nineties. It's draining, but I'm done with my AC break and ready for beer. Fuck, it's going to be hotter tommorrow.

Comfest: Day One

Checked out Drew Miller Davis at the Gazebo stage. That fourteen year old kid has some pipes. She reminded me of a young Eva Cassidy. Wars Of The Future were forgetful. They had a good sound but I couldn't tell when one song stopped and the next one started.

Connie Harris did a good but short set on the Live Arts stage. Activists abounded as she played. Some Backbone Campaign people were there and I spoke briefly with Dave Hickman and Bruce Duncanson. Duncanson has a website called www.redpeacecross.com Check it out. I like the slogan "Waging Peace @ War's Pace".

Headed back out, this will be the last venture out today that isn't wet.

Heading To Comfest

Comfest is getting ready to start and I'm heading out to catch a little bit of Drew Miller Davis, who by the way is a fourteen year old girl that has been playing live shows since age 11. I'm also going to catch some of Wars Of The Future, who I know nothing about before heading to see singer/songwriter/activist Connie Harris.

Change Of Pace

Not much to report today, but this site is about to take a detour for the next few days. I'm going to be blogging Comfest. Comfest is the Short North's Community Festival. It take's place in Goodale park from noon tommorrow until midnight Sunday There will be around 200 bands playing, great food, and a flat out good vibe.

I'll be popping in now and then telling you what bands rocked, what bands sucked, what tasted good, what the yummies are wearing, and what the hippies are smoking.

I just bought a case of beer and a carton of smokes and can't wait to leave work early tommorrow.

Comfest, feel the love baby.

Congressmen For Sale, Senators For Sale, President For Sale

Need more proof that the republicans in DC are flat out for sale? Check this out, the number of registered lobbyists in Washington has doubled to nearly 35,000 in the last five years. Five years! From the Washington Post:

"There's unlimited business out there for us," said Robert L. Livingston, a Republican former chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and now president of a thriving six-year-old lobbying firm. "Companies need lobbying help."

K Street must look like Macy's a week before Christmas. I wonder if there are recess clearance sales. For one full price Tom Delay, can I get half off on Bob Ney and Michael Oxley?

Operation "Drive Out Trash"

I mentioned in a previous post that Third World countries usually take care of their homeless problem by allowing squatting. Recently, in Zimbabwe, under President Robert Mugabe's orders, government agents have been bulldozing, burning, and clearing all of the unauthorized shacks and shanties in urban areas. The 1.5 million people left homeless by this operation are expected by Mugabe to move to rural camps. There is not much reason to stay since he also ordered the burning of their urban gardens.

There is a catch, however; Before the homeless can get into the camps they have to be "vetted" and by vetted I mean they have to be a loyalist of Mugabe's political party to be admitted. Others are sent to re-education camps. Remember Pol Pot? This is an unbelievable outrage that has been all but ignored by the United States except for, of all people, World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, who called the purge "inhuman and tragic."

The Bush Administration needs to join the Europeans in pressuring this to stop.

Pay To Play Through?

Bob Taft just got lawyered up. Taft admitted he had accepted free golf outings without disclosing them to the Ohio Ethics Commission. Knowingly doing this is punishable by six months in jail, $1000 fine, or both. One of the people Taft allegedly played with was Tom "Short Change" Noe of Coingate fame. From the Columbus Dispatch (sub req):

Taft said in a June 14 letter to the Ethics Commission that it has "recently come to my attention that I failed to list a number of golf outings or events on my financial disclosure forms over the past several years."

The governor said he is still gathering information, but "it appears a series of matters" that should have been disclosed weren’t, and he wanted to notify the commission.

"I stand ready to cooperate with any review the commission wishes to conduct and seek the commission’s guidance on how to make reimbursements and/or provide the appropriate disclosures," Taft wrote.

In a statement, Taft said he takes "full responsibility" for any omissions but declined further comment "on the advice of counsel."

William Meeks, a Columbus criminal lawyer representing Taft, could not be reached last night.

Taft did not report any golf outings, including with Noe, on his financial disclosure forms for the past two years, records show.

One could argue that this was simply an oversight, but this is how Taft dealt with similar instances by other state employees during his tenure.

Also from The Dispatch

• Randall A. Fischer resigned as director of the Ohio School Facilities Commission in July 2002. He pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors for accepting free rounds of golf, hockey tickets and meals from contractors to whom he awarded unbid contracts worth millions.

• Former Consumers’ Counsel Robert S. Tongren quit in November 2003 after an investigation found he accepted dozens of expensive golf outings and meals from utility lobbyists. He admitted to four misdemeanors.

• When a probe in September 2003 showed that Richard P. Frenette, manager of the state fair, and other employees improperly accepted golf passes and other favors from vendors doing business with the fair, Taft called on the Ohio Expositions Commission to "take prompt and appropriate action." Frenette quit two days later.

• Taft issued a quit-or-be-fired ultimatum in August 2002 to Gino Zomparelli, director of the Ohio Turnpike Commission, the day after a probe found he and 30 other turnpike officials were showered with golf outings, free meals and sports tickets by companies doing business with the agency. Zomparelli quit the next day.

Quit or be fired, that's pretty strong. Will Taft issue the same ultimatum to his bathroom mirror? This leads me to ask two questions.

First, Taft's approval rating was at 19% before the scandal broke. At what point do they come for you with the torches and pitchforks?

Secondly, last year Grover Norquist was caught on tape call Bob Taft among other things, corrupt. What did the National GOP know about all of this last year?

Frist Says No New Bolton Vote

Bill Frist says there will be no new vote for cloture on the Bolton nomination. Looks like a recess appointment is forthcoming. No way Bush will withdraw this jackass.

UPDATE: After meeting with President Bush, Frist has reversed his position and will again fly a cloture vote up the flagpole. Jesus, how many hands are on puppet Frist's strings?

Crime And Punishment

It seems Edgar Ray Killen has been found guilty of three counts of manslaughter in the deaths of civil rights workers in 1964. I'm sure the blogosphere will line up mainly along partisan lines between the "justice is finally served" crowd and the "Jesus, it was forty years ago" crowd. I don't comment on the outcome of high profile trials for one reason. I wasn't a member of the jury.

Just like every one else, twelve members of a jury decided this guy's guilt or innocence, and that's good enough for me. Killen, and all the rest, Jackson, OJ, etc. had their respective days in court and the media should not judge the accused and certainly should not judge the juries. Last week,when the Jackson verdict dropped, virtually every cable news network hack did this. Nancy Grace was particularly hard on the jury foreman. Of course, Nancy does have a bit of hickleberry in her, so it will be interesting to see what side she comes down on in a good ole boy trial.

There should be no outrage nor celebration of today's verdict by people who did not sit through the trial, but that will not be the case. Why? This kind of crap is the only thing keeping cable news ratings from falling to the likes of C-Span 3.

Side Note: You would think that the spell check on Blogger would understand the word blogosphere. Huh.

The World Keeps Getting Weirder

Three lions have rescued a kidnapped twelve year old Ethiopian girl from her abductors. The lions chased off seven men who had taken the girl to force her into marriage. The men were beating the girl when three lions emerged from the forest causing the men to flee. The lions then stood guard over the girl until police arrived. Of course, the men had no choice but to run as everyone knows that a single African lion can defeat at least forty-two Cambodian fighting midgets. What else could they do?

You may wonder how I know about the midgets. Explained here. Debunked here.

Update: Link fixed.

I Would Hate To Run Into This Old Man In A Dark Alley

Bob Jarvis, 73, was sleeping at his house in Mansfield, OH when an aquaintence broke into his house to rob Jarvis of his prescription drugs and money. Robert Mclaughlin shot Jarvis in the head with a shotgun. Jarvis went after his attacker, who proceeded to beat Jarvis with rocks. Mclaughlin eventually drove away and Jarvis walked to a neighbor's house to call 911.

That's one tough old man.

Karl Mueller, Dead At Age 41

Karl Mueller, bassist for Soul Asylum has died at age 41 after a battle with throat cancer. Soul Asylum was one of my favorite bands of the late eighties / early nineties. I don't recall if I ever saw them live, though. Maybe once in Chicago, but I'm not sure. Anyway, if they were before your time or you missed them back in the day I'd highly recommend Grave Dancers Union.

Mukhtaran Mai Freed, Somewhat

The Pakistani government freed Mukhtaran Mai from prison over the weekend. She had been detained since June 10th on orders by Pervez Musharraf. The Pakistani government has supposedly also lifted her ban on traveling outside the country.

This story on Ms. Mukhtaran is as follows. In 2002, she was sentenced to be gang raped by a tribal council over an alleged crime committed by her brother. Twelve men then proceeded to rape her and parade her around the village naked. She was then expected to commit suicide. Mai, took a different route though, filing charges against her rapists despite numerous threats. After intense pressure from the international community and particularly in Nicholas Kristof, six of her attackers were sentenced to death and she received some financial compensation as well.

Mai used the money to start a school in her village garnering her world wide acclaim. More money started pouring in from around the world and she now operates two schools and is starting an ambulance service and a women's shelter. You can donate to her though www.mercycorps.org.

Mai's new found fame has gotten her into a sticky situation as of late. She was invited to visit the US by Amnesty International. Musharraf ordered her placed under house arrest and cut off her phone. After learning that she was still communicating with the outside world though a cell phone, the Pakistani government seized it and jailed her with no access to a lawyer. Five of her six attackers were subsequently freed by a regional court.

After a warning by the US State Department, Mai was freed. Way to go Condi, actually doing something right! I guess even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while. Her passport is still in the hands of the Pakistani government, though they claim she is free to travel abroad with a "handler." Also, The Supreme Court of Pakistan has decide to take up on appeal the release of her attackers and plan to charge all twelve men with her rape. The case will be heard June 27th.

A side note. While the New York Times refers to this woman as Mukhtaran Bibi, the rest of the world press refers to her as Mukhtaran Mai. This could be some Arabic thing I simply don't understand.

So, You Want To Prove The Administration Lied About WMD

So, you want to prove the Bush administration lied about WMD. Here’s how. Acquire the records from the navy and Air Force on the bombing sorties they flew during the beginning of the Iraq war. How many sorties were flown to bomb WMD sites? How many “chicken coop” missile silos were targeted? The answer I’m sure is zero or next to zero. Remember, Colin Powell told the UN we knew where they were.

I’ve seen the video of Al Qaa Qaa. Didn’t look like too many sorties were flown against it, and there appears to be quite a few “chicken coop” missile silos remaining.

Here is why this is important and is possibly the smoking gun. When the invasion started, one of two things occurred. Either the administration knew they were lying about WMD and didn’t bother to target zero value sites, or they believed Iraq had WMD and cravenly put US armed forces in danger by ignoring the targeting of these very dangerous sites. The only real question left is which is it?

Now we in the blogosphere are probably are unable to attain this information, but I’m sure that a high ranking Democratic member of the, oh I don’t know, Armed Services Committee certainly can get access to these records. Oh, and get the video too, just to make sure the records you get are on the up and up.

The Democratic members of that committee Carl Levin MI (Ranking Member), Ted Kennedy MA, Robert Byrd WV, Joe Lieberman CT, Jack Reed RI, Daniel Akaka HI, Bill Nelson FL, Ben Nelson NE, Mark Dayton, MN, Evan Bayh IA, and Hillary Clinton NY.

So how about it any one of you want to bring an administration down?

Top 100 Movie Quotes

AFI will be releasing their list of the top 100 movie quotes of all time on June 21. The list of the 400 quotes on the ballot are listed here. Feel free to list your favorites in the comment section, below are some of mine. I stuck to quotes on the ballot, but you don't have to.

Greta Garbo in Anna Christie, 1936

Give me a whisky, ginger ale on the side, and don't be stingy, baby.

Woody Allen in Annie Hall, 1977

Don't knock masturbation. It's sex with someone I love.

Cary Grant in Arsenic and Old Lace, 1944

Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops.

Burt Lancaster in Atlantic City, 1980

Yes, it used to be beautiful, what with the rackets, whoring, guns.

Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, 1942

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.

Matthew McCnaughey in Dazed And Confused, 1993

That's what I love about these high school girls, man. I keep getting older, they stay the same age.

Groucho Marx in Duck Soup, 1933

Remember, you're fighting for this woman's honor, which is probably more than she ever did.

Rita Hayworth in Gilda, 1946

If I'd been a ranch, they would've named me the Bar Nothing.

William Demarest in The Great Mcginty, 1940

If it weren't for graft, you'd get a very low type of people in politics.

Jimmy Stewart in Harvey, 1950

Well, I've wrestled with reality for thirty-five years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it.

Mae West in I'm No Angel, 1933

Well, it's not the men in your lifethat counts, it's the life in your men.

Clifton Webb in Laura, 1944

In my case, self-absorption is completely justified. I have never discovered any other subject so worthy of my attention.

Spenser Tracy in Pat And Mike, 1952

Not much meat on her, but what's there is choice.

John Cusack in Say Anything, 1989

I gave her my heart, she gave me a pen.

Anthony Hopkins in Silence Of The Lambs, 1991

I do wish we could chat longer, but I'm having an old friend for dinner.

Joan Crawford in The Women, 1939

There's a name for you ladies, but it isn't used in high society, out side of a kennel.

Michael Madsen in Reservoir Dogs, 1992

Are you gonna bark all day, little doggie, or are you gonna bite.

Coingate

Krugman chimes in on coingate today. No new news if you've been following the story, but I like the fact that he compare's Ohio republicans to Boss Tweed's New York and old man Daley's Chicago. Heres the link.

Bombs Over Bagdad, Or Um, Yuma

A Harrier jet crashed in a Yuma, AZ neighborhood yesterday after the pilot ejected. The jet was carrying four 500 pound bombs and 300 rounds of 25mm ammo. What? OK, I can see having the 25mm on board. If you're training, you might as well be loaded for an intercept in the area you're training in. But, what the fuck reason could you have for carrying four live 500 pound bombs. If it's a weight thing related to training, you wouldn't need live bombs. Perhaps they're flying close air support for the minuteman project.

Nitwittery

David Brooks, who normally writes OP-ED pieces lovingly heaping praise on what has termed bobos (a hybrid of Bourgeois and Bohemians), today laments their nitwittery. Oh, are the self-absorbed exurban fools that you hail as the new ruling class not culturally literate enough for you? Maybe your feeling is driven by the fact that 80% of them haven’t a clue who the fuck you are.

I honestly believe television is mostly to blame for this phenomenon. I know this is an old argument, but the level of nitwittery on television today is by far worse than any other era of the medium. According to realitytv.com, there are currently thirty-four reality shows on television. I caught part of one of them, Baby Hit Me One More Time, at a bar the other night. It was, of course, terrible, but one of the things that struck me about the show was the fact that beautiful women singularly populated the front row. The camera frequently ran down this row showing these women. Sex definitely still sells. In other words, look, pretty people watch this shit, you should too.

You can argue that television has always been a vast wasteland, but that is not totally true. One example I will give you is this. Although I never sought it out, I recognize most of the more famous pieces of classical music. Why? I heard them on television, and not on PBS, but on Saturday mornings while watching cartoons as a child. Cartoons eventually went away from having classical music as backdrop to more of a reality feel to them. Most teenagers today have never heard any classical music. Is that important? I don’t know.

Combine the nitwitification of TV with a thirty year assault on public education and what do you expect? You get a land full of dolts who have no appreciation for arts and literature.

Wine Into Water

Michael Storeim, former employee of Tom "Short Change" Noe, has been robbed. Storeim is the guy who had the $500,000 worth of wine. Apparently, the dumbass local police didn't seize the wine as originally reported, but just changed the lock on his wine cellar.

From the Toledo Blade:

On Monday night, Mr. Storeim and his wife told police they were returning from a two-day vacation when they first noticed that two of their cars — a Toyota Sequoia and Lexus G300 were missing.

Then, they noted items missing throughout their home, including weapons, 10 boxes of 12-gauge ammunition, four tubs of rock-climbing gear, several lithographs and paintings, stereos, and jewelry. Additionally, guitars — one autographed by B.B. King and another by Stevie Ray Vaughan — were reported stolen, police said.

Investigators said the evidence tape was torn from the door of the wine cellar, which had been pried open, and three humidors were missing. Several keys were also reported stolen from the home, including a key to Mr. Storeim’s business.

Sounds pretty suspicious. One other thing of note from this article

Investigators from the Jefferson County, Colo., Sheriff’s Office on June 3 took custody of 3,500 bottles of wine valued at $500,000, and seized hundreds of rare coins, 265 Cuban cigars, computers, and documents from Mr. Storeim’s home and office as part of a criminal investigation.

Cuban cigars, huh. That's banned contraband in the United States which is enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. Penalties are as such:


Criminal penalties for violation of the Regulations range up to $1,000,000 in fines for corporations, $250,000 for individuals and up to 10 years in prison. Civil penalties of up to $65,000 per violation may be imposed by OFAC.

Pretty steep. You can report Mr Storeim by phone at (202) 622-2430 or by fax at (202) 622-1657
Time to really pile on this asshole.

Bush Twins

In case you're wondering what the Bush twins have been up to since graduation. Wonkette has been busting her ass keeping you up with these two go getters because you don't have the time to. Check it out here.

Why We Invaded Iraq

I’m going to attempt to answer Atrios and Digby’s question of the day from a couple of days ago. Why did we invade Iraq? We went to war in Iraq so that Bush could attain the political capital to try to do the things he is trying today. Gut Social Security, get massive tax give aways for the rich, and choke to death as many social programs as he can. Basically, it is stealing from the blue to give to the red.

Nothing gives a sitting president more political capital than fighting a successful war. The thing to remember is that the American people like their wars like an episode of CSI. Neat and tidy and wrapped up in about an hour.

This is the Cheney doctrine. He developed it under Reagan.

From commondreams.org

According to [Mickey] Herskowitz, George W. Bush's beliefs on Iraq were based in part on a notion dating back to the Reagan White House - ascribed in part to now-vice president Dick Cheney, Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee under Reagan. "Start a small war. Pick a country where there is justification you can jump on, go ahead and invade."

Bush's circle of pre-election advisers had a fixation on the political capital that British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher collected from the Falklands War. Said Herskowitz: "They were just absolutely blown away, just enthralled by the scenes of the troops coming back, of the boats, people throwing flowers at [Thatcher] and her getting these standing ovations in Parliament and making these magnificent speeches."

Republicans, Herskowitz said, felt that Jimmy Carter's political downfall could be attributed largely to his failure to wage a war. He noted that President Reagan and President Bush's father himself had (besides the narrowly-focused Gulf War I) successfully waged limited wars against tiny opponents - Grenada and Panama - and gained politically. But there were successful small wars, and then there were quagmires, and apparently George H.W. Bush and his son did not see eye to eye.

Our war in Afghanistan may look on the surface to be just that, but it failed in two major ways. First, there just wasn’t any cool video of things going boom. Americans want this video; they need this video if your war is going to be a success. The Shock and Awe part of the Iraq War was to shock and awe you, not the Iraqi army. Secondly, nobody important got perp walked. Sadly, no one probably ever will. Musharraf would be an idiot to turn Osama over to us.

So, Bush had to find an easy country to topple with little justification. There also had to be a bad guy we could physically get a hold of to perp walk. Hey there is Iraq, they have been under sanctions for a decade and we can easily fool the American people into believing Saddam was behind 9/11. Unfortunately, the Iraq war is now becoming the quagmire that you need to stay out of despite the fact that Bush got his quick initial victory and his perp walk.

This is the reason Bush started talking about political capital after gaining reelection. He believes the Cheney Doctrine, along with gains in the Senate, has given him the God given right to destroy the New Deal.

Friedman, Dope

Thomas Friedman loots the recycle bin for another "we can still win this thing" column about Iraq in today's NYT. Let me address a few things Friedman asserts.

From the NYT

Iraq is inching toward a dangerous tipping point - the point where the key communities begin to invest more energy in preparing their own militias for a scramble for power - when everything falls apart, rather than investing their energies in making the hard compromises within and between their communities to build a unified, democratizing Iraq.

OK, this has already happened. SCIRI is pretty much is the law in the south, the peshmerga rule the north, and the Sunni insurgents, were they not busy fighting the federales and the Americans, would be ruling the central and western part of the country. The Sunni insurgents would also be fighting with the Shia and the Kurds for a stake in the oil game.

Friedman

Our core problem in Iraq remains Donald Rumsfeld's disastrous decision - endorsed by President Bush - to invade Iraq on the cheap. From the day the looting started, it has been obvious that we did not have enough troops there. We have never fully controlled the terrain. Almost every problem we face in Iraq today - the rise of ethnic militias, the weakness of the economy, the shortages of gas and electricity, the kidnappings, the flight of middle-class professionals - flows from not having gone into Iraq with the Powell Doctrine of overwhelming force

This is all true. The only people who don't believe this live in a big house on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Friedman

Maybe it is too late, but before we give up on Iraq, why not actually try to do it right? Double the American boots on the ground and redouble the diplomatic effort to bring in those Sunnis who want to be part of the process and fight to the death those who don't.

HA HA HA HA! You naive fuck. Where the fuck do we get another 130,000 troops for Iraq without breaking the Army. We would have to get international troops to join us and nobody, not even Tony Blair, is going to lift finger number one to help George Bush.

Friedman

We've already paid a huge price for the Rumsfeld Doctrine - "Just enough troops to lose." Calling for more troops now, I know, is the last thing anyone wants to hear. But we are fooling ourselves to think that a decent, normal, forward-looking Iraqi politics or army is going to emerge from a totally insecure environment, where you can feel safe only with your own tribe.

This is also true. We have paid a huge price for the Rumsfeld Doctrine, but in this administration accountability is a word that only describes your accountants ability to cook the books.

Wow

Pat Dewine got crushed in the Ohio-02 special primary yesterday finishing fourth. This, combined with the latest SUSA poll, makes me think that Mike Dewine is extremely vulnerable in the 2006 Senate race.

The 22nd Amendment

There is a big uproar in the left wing blogosphere right now about an attempt to repeal the 22nd amendment being introduced to the Judiciary Committee. Don't worry about it, there is always some jackass trying to do this. The current attempt is probably drawing so much attention because king jackass James Sensenbrenner is a co-sponsor.

Even if this ever somehow managed to get through the federal government, 3/4 of the states would have to ratify this within seven years. That's thirty eight states. This isn't to get Bush a third term, you could never get this done in time for 2008. In fact, you would really have to have it done in less than two years to make Bush a viable candidate in 2008.

The Lynching Apology

The Senate has passed a resolution apologizing for not passing a federal ban on lynching in the past. Fourteen republican Senators failed to co-sponsor this resolution. They were:

Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Robert Bennett (R-UT)
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Michael Crapo (R-ID)
Michael Enzi (R-WY)
Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Judd Gregg (R-NH)
Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Trent Lott (R-MS)
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Richard Shelby (R-AL)
John Sununu (R-NH)
Craig Thomas (R-WY)
George Voinovich (R-OH)

It should be known that you can co-sponsor a resolution after it passes.

Daytime ISP Was Down Today

Argh, I'll try to put some stuff up later.

When The Housing Bubble Bursts, Defense Contractor Style

Hmm, my local congressman has his house for sale. Well, maybe its on the market, he hasn't hired a realtor, but I should buy it from him. Why? Because I'm a defense contractor with flat sales numbers and Randy "Duke" Cunningham is a member of the powerful defense appropriations committee. I'll give him a million seven. Then, in a month I will put it back on the market for the same price.

What? It won't sell for the bloated price I paid for it? That's OK, after eight months I will just take a seven hundred thousand dollar loss on the property. After all, my pocket is full of fresh department of defense contracts.

What? Are you alleging that the real estate deal was tantamount to a bribe? I'm shocked that you would think that. If I was trying to bribe a US congressman, do you think I would use an out of state holding company to buy the property? Oh wait, I would, and did.

Look, over there, it's a missing young white girl.

It's My Gavel And I'm Taking It And Going Home

Click the link to watch James Sensenbrenner abruptly bring to an end a committee meeting about Patriot Act renewal and leave. Sensenbrenner was asked to yield the floor several times but would not. I don't have a transcript yet, but I'm pretty sure this was close to his response, "No Sir, I will not yield the floor, I demand to be a cocksucker." or something like that. He then gaveled the meeting closed and walked out the door.

C-Span kept the cameras running, and Jerrold Nadler D-NY continues to lecture the rest of the committee. Its pretty good stuff. He is followed by James Zogby who hits it out of the park. In case you don't want to listen to that blowhard Sensenbrenner, Nadler starts at 4:34 into the video and Zogby goes on at 6:11

Many shouts out to DEMbloggers for hosting this video.

Inspirational Quote For Your Weekend

Governing is not ruling. It's managing diversity. These buttheads want to rule, and the country will not be ruled - ppgaz

Cal Thomas, Shut The Fuck Up And Go Live With The Amish

Pompous gasbag Cal Thomas has a new piece at townhall.com where he suggests that schools need to go back to the 18th century style of teaching. That style was Latin, Greek, and Math. That's it, that's the list. Oh, and if you missed church three times during a semester, you were expelled. Yeah, that would be great. In an ever flattening world (I had to put in the Thomas Friedman plug because he had one column two months ago where he didn't plug his fucking book) where up and coming countries educational systems are surpassing ours by doing the opposite, he wants us to destroy ours.

He also says that phonics were abandoned in the US in the 60's. Fuck, I must be twenty years older than I thought because we studied phonics at my school in the late seventies. I don't know if they still teach it and to be honest I hope I never find out.

Thomas also mentions one non academic study they learned. From townhall.com

One nonacademic subject they also studied was a little booklet called "The Rules of Civility; or The Maxims of Genteel Behavior." While many of the rules can be discarded today (such as the proper placement of one's sword at meals), others recall a lost tradition in human relationships designed to protect and honor half of the human race and to civilize the other half.

There are instructions on how to respect and treat women, often referred to as "ladies." My personal favorite teaches the "proper" way to greet ladies: "It is not becoming a Person of quality, when in the Company of Ladies, to handle them roughly; to put his hand in their necks, or bosoms; to kiss them by surprise; to tear their fans; to snatch away their Handkerchiefs."

Well, Cal, I'll update that booklet for the twenty-first century. From the Onion article "A Gentleman Never Discloses Who Sucked Him Off"

I must say, the quality of discourse in this country has taken a sharp plunge of late, not only among the ruffians and ne'er-do-wells from whom one expects coarse speech, but among gentlemen of letters and esteem. I have, with my own ears, several times in the past week, heard the elder sons of prominent families introduce into mixed company subjects formerly reserved for private discussion among gentlemen. It pains me even to raise this point, but following a string of recent events, there is no question that the adage bears repeating: A gentleman ought never to disclose who sucked him off.

This needn't mean a gentleman must limit the discussion of his exploits to his journal. If a gentleman has met a young lady and taken her to his digs, it is his right and privilege to tell his friends and coworkers about the encounter. However, it is the mark of a true gentleman to omit
his lady friend's name from the discussion of her pussy's tightness.

Nough said. BTW you gotta go to the townhall link above if for nothing else to see his picture.

Armed Forces Relieved Of Duty To Report Recruiting Numbers

America's armed forces will no longer release monthly recruiting numbers. Instead, those numbers will be sent to the Department of Defense for "review" and then released to the public. The Army and Marines have been missing their recruitment numbers lately and have been getting bad press about it.

The shortage of recruits has led recruiters to resort to unsavory practices in order to make their quotas. Last month, there was a one day halting of recruiting supposedly to give recruiters a refresher on allowed practices. That had a lot more to do with public relations than anything else. If you don't believe that, read this story from the Seattle PI about two recruiters basically kidnapping an eighteen year old kid.

As bad as the recruiting numbers are, they are nowhere near as bad as the active accession numbers. The active accession numbers represent the number of soldiers that actually get through boot camp and make it to active duty. In April, the Army only made 58% of it's goal.

Will Rumsfeld fudge the numbers to avoid bad press? I dunno, but I sure as hell don't trust him. After all, it is standard operating procedure for this administration to solve problems simply by stating that there is no problem.

So where does this lead us? A draft is never going to happen, so how do we refill the ranks of the Army, and Marines? I can see only one politically safe way out. (Other than leaving Iraq)
I call it the UNification of the Army and Marines. We start recruiting ex-soldiers from third world countries to join our army in exchange for US citizenship. Who knows where these guys true loyalty is?

Bonus Record Of The Week

The Third Album by urban folk-pop duo Turin Brakes is this week's bonus record of the week. I've been pretty lax on these lately, so you get two this week. JackInABox, which dropped in the States yesterday, is a smooth, chilly, ride that goes well with mild endorphin releasing substances. Thats alcohol for me, but why would I care what you use. Fave song: "Fishing For A Dream"

Record Of The Week

The debut album by The Kaiser Chiefs is one of two records of the week I'll be posting. I increasingly more and more find myself listening to bands with a Brit-Pop type sound. "I Predict A Riot" is my fave.

Whoa Noe!

Tom "short change" Noe, step aside. The lack of governmental oversight by republicans at the Ohio BWC has stepped up the losses. A risky hedge fund the bureau invested in lost $215 million in just a couple of months. Ouch! BTW, both Jim Petro and Bob Taft have known about this for months!

Of course, they both have been busy cashing checks written to them by bureau fund managers. From the Toledo Blade

In mid-April, The Blade reported that Ohio Republicans received more than $455,000 in campaign contributions from employees of the fund managers hired by the bureau for the “emerging managers” program in which Mr. Noe participated.

The big winners included the state Republican Party committees, which received $200,750, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, who received $67,130, and Governor Taft, who got $61,875.

But, I'm sure its not a problem, the bureau has an inside woman

Mr. [Mark] Lay also confirmed that Mildred Forbes, the daughter of George Forbes, the vice chairman of the bureau’s Oversight Commission, works for his firm. Ms. Forbes is a senior vice president who works on human resources and compliance issues for MDL.

If you see any of these assholes out on the golf course, be sure to ask them if they want to pay to play through.

Working Without A Wire In Toledo

How in the hell did Toledo, OH. become the fifth most wireless city in the country? I would have doubted they were fifth in Ohio. Weird.

Pit Bulls

I was going to write about the stupid woman in San Francisco whose pit bulls killed her child. I saw her on CNN this morning going on about how this isn't a "dog thing" and that it was simply her childs time to go. A Google search has changed the direction of this post. This is a "dog thing." How do I know?

Aurora Boy, 11, Recovers From Pit Bull Mauling, Postal Carrier From Indianapolis Attacked By Pit Bull, Pit Bull Attacks Several Walkers In West Carroll, OH, Pit Bull Attacks 3 In Dunedin, FL, In Casselberry, FL, Cops Gun Down Attacking Pit Bull, Carmichael, CA Boy Attacked By Pit Bull, Pit Bull In South Charlotte, NC Attacks Couple And Their Dog, St. Charles, MO Police Kill Attacking Pit Bull, Toronto Girl Needs More Surgery After Pit Bull Attack, Pit Bull Attacks Lebanon, NY Man Walking Dog, Pit Bull Attacks Man In Mayfield, VA, Pit Bull Bites Omaha Deputy, Huntington, WV Child Killed By Pit Bull

These stories are all less than three weeks old, and there are tons more, I just got tired of typing in the links. Stupid bitch.

Castro Policy

Slate has a article yesterday on the Bush Administration's policy on Cuba. His policy is nothing new, hell its really Eisenhower's policy. When are we going to learn that embargoes do not work? 45 years of failed policy should teach you that. We have apparently decided that we are going to go this course until Castro dies. Then what?

Castro has not groomed a successor. It is widely viewed that Castro's younger brother Raul, would take control of Cuba upon Fidel's demise. Raul, however, isn't thought to be able to do the job for long. He's 72, and in poor health. So, soon after Fidel's death there is probably going to military junta. So, what are our options when this happens?

One other option is military intervention. Global Security estimates that would take 60,000 troops to pull this off. We don't have them right now, anyway. The Cuban military is the only stabilizing force in Cuba right now. So, an invasion would cause another Iraq type fuck up. Probably even worse as heavily armed exiles would return to forcibly attempt to reclaim their land.

Another option would be to provide air cover for pro democracy forces and let them try to take over. They would be slaughtered, though, and we would be right back where we started from.

I think the way for the US to go in the event of Fidels death would be to let the Cuban military sort it out, then engage the new government. This would be political suicide with 1st generation Cuban exiles, but with Florida going so decidedly red in the last election, this group shouldn't be able to exact as much power on Cuban foreign policy as in the past. Also, if you look at the regimes around the world that have had surges in democracy in the near past has all been in countries with western economic influence. Iraq doesn't count, by the way, while it is true we are dumping a ton of money in there, it doesn't help when you're also killing off their people.

Housekeeping

I'll be fucking around with the HTML code on this site for the next couple of days so you might see some weird shit because I have no fucking clue what I'm doing.

The New Noe Supper Club

Tom Noe has been wining and dining members of the Taft administration at Morton's. Morton's huh, that's significantly more coin than the overvalued pocket change he bought for the state. I wonder if Noe will continue "The Noe Supper Club" on the inside. I can see it now, the elite of cellblock D with a private table with a view of Peter Beach.

OK, that's a little inside, maybe I should explain. PB is a real place in an Ohio penitentiary where the, how should I put this, bitchier prisoners tan in the summer. After all, you don't want to be pasty when you're tossing your man's salad. Then again, maybe Noe will be one of the ones getting a tan. He looks a little soft.

Perhaps Noe can do the same thing as George Sr. on "Arrested Development" did, shove his ass full of Krugarrands, to buy protection.

John at Americablog is outraged about what he perceives as religious discrimination by a program called Snowflakes ran by Nightlight Christian Adoptions. They try to place embryo donors with recipients. Snowflakes is depicted in an article about them in today’s NYT. I think John is overreacting a little bit here.

Yes, it is a fuckwit Christian organization run by fuckwit Christians for fuckwit Christians, but it appears to me it is the donors that are bigoted, not necessarily the organization. From the Times

Couples adopting or donating Snowflakes embryos are mostly Christian, and most embryo donors are white, Ms. Maze said. Some families are Roman Catholic, even though the church has historically opposed in vitro fertilization.

Couples must agree to adoption-like procedures: receiving families are screened and must undergo counseling, and Snowflakes allows donating and receiving families to designate criteria for each other, meet and maintain contact after birth. Adopting couples must agree not to abort any embryos.

Those conditions were fine with Bob and Angie Deacon of Virginia Beach, Va., who donated their 13 embryos after having twins and being discouraged from another pregnancy by a doctor. "With another program, to be honest with you, they could have been adopted by lesbian parents, and I'm totally against that," said Mr. Deacon, 35.

It took two and a half years to bring themselves to fill out the papers. On their forms, they said the adopting family must be conservative Christians and, ideally, include a stay-at-home mother.

I think its pretty clear here that Bob and Angie Deacon are fuckwit bigots. While its sad, the Deacons can and should be able to give or not give their personal property (and it is property, not a life) to anyone they damn well please. I don’t think from this article that Snowflakes is necessarily bigoted, they simply help bigots as a part of their greater cause. I’m sure they help other ethnicities, but the fact is, most people involved in this sort of thing are white fuckwit Christians.

BTW, pictured above are Randy and Julie McClure who also donated embryos. Wow, you gotta be a true believer to have that mixture put in your body. Talk about getting up on the wrong side of the genome.

Live Blogging My Lunch

Didn't feel like leaving the office for lunch today, so I ordered from Bob Evans. Others in the office were ordering from there. I knew I would be disappointed with whatever I got so I decided to conduct an experiment. How bad could could Bob Evans fuck up a grilled cheese, fries, and a bowl of bean soup?

I'll start with the grilled cheese. Billed as American cheese on Texas toast, it was basically just that. But, apparently lining the cheese up with the bread is an unmasterable task. One side was grilled cheese, one side was plain toast. I expected it to be burnt, so at least they got that right.

Now the fries, OK, I can't limit this criticizism to BE. The ONE AND ONLY FUCKING REASON YOU PUT JULIANNED POTATOS IN A DEEP FRYER IS TO GET THEM CRISPY. Sorry about the yelling, but my God, how fucking easy is it to correctly make french fries. Who knows, maybe these sorry soggy pieces of shit are freedom fries.

Lastly, the bean soup. This was somewhat passable as classic bean soup, although it seamed to made from a beef stock unstead of ham.

All and all, pretty crappy.

Hobos Get A Home

This is kinda weird. The Columbus area Metro Parks has granted two homeless men tennent status at the newly aquired Whittier Peninsula. This land is far from developed and I'm sure these two will eventually get the boot. (They have a month to month lease)

BTW, most of the rest of the undeveloped world deals with their homeless problem by allowing squatters to live on unused land. When I was in Caracus, I was amazed at the number of squatters (millions) living on the hillsides that suround the city. Some had even hacked into the electrical grid.