My First Post Using New E-Machine Computer

This thing is so tiny, smaller than an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper! What is cool is that it is portable and easier to transport than a laptop. I bought it for my trip to Seattle so I can stay in touch with my office and the rest of my internet world, as well as blog my trip. It has a built in microphone and web camera, so I can actually take it around on the train and show people where I am and what I am seeing.

It has a built in wireless remote, but for now I am using my home internet connection for fast speeds so I can download and equip this thing with all the things I need before I leave next week. I hate the mouse pad but there is a little tiny mouse you can buy at Best Buy, so I'm on it.

I do have some things to blog about, but I'll leave that for the weekend. For now, I'm busy in the "install" mode.

Finally, Some Justice For Katrina

According to TPM:

A third New Orleans police officer was charged today in connection with the 2005 shootings of unarmed civilians by police on Danziger Bridge, which took place less than a week after Katrina hit the city.

Michael Hunter will plead guilty to obstruction of justice and misprision of felony charges, his attorney tells WDSU in New Orleans. In the past month or so, two other officers have pleaded guilty to charges related to covering up the killings.

Hunter allegedly drove the truck full of officers to the bridge, where they would, according to the government, kill two unarmed civilians and seriously injure four others. And he then allegedly lied to investigators about what happened.

It was a white man's dream, Katrina, and a free for all with regard to putting the "black man" in his place. All the press coverage about the "rapes, murders and thefts" never really panned out and were disproved over time. The killings on the bridge never rang true to me, and finally, almost five years later, justice is being served.

I've never gotten over the disgraceful reaction from the Bush Administration toward the people of NOLA, nor can I get those images of bodies floating in the water, all bloated, from my head, much in the same way I cannot rid myself of the images of 9/11.

Five years later, and much of the 9th ward is still not rebuilt. Go figure, eh?

To My Many Friends Celebrating Passover

May your seder not be too long in reading, and very long in joyous eating! (Pass me some matzo and some brisket, but skip me if you are having any gefilte fish!)

Looks Like CSI Episode Aired In Spain!

Because, again, I get the hits back to my Moulin Rouge post. That sucker aired in December 2008, and here we are in March, almost April, 2010, and it's still showing in repeats all over the world.

Amazing!

It's My Wierd Ass Saturday Night!

Not sure what my mood is tonight! I'm off tomorrow to see a preview of Michael Moore's new movie, "Capitalism: A Love Story."

My friend bailed on me, so I am going alone.




I am looking forward to the Runaways movie. (grins ... ah memories).

Crooks and Liars Saturday Night Music:



Never really heard that version. Ah, White Soul, as they say.

Ok, since I'm all over the place musically tonight... here's some Anti Flag! "Fuck the Flag"



Been a fan of Anti Flag for about four years, year, I know, a bit behind, so beat the shit out of me.

Ok, here's some early Janet!



Ok, time to get dirty and sexy! LOL

Anyone what saw this movie .. what can I say. Best PG sex scene ever.



Told ya, I'm all over the place tonight!

PS, yeah, I stripped back in the day, LOL. Circa 1976, if I recall, off of a Marine Corps. base in Oceanside, a place called the Man Trap, hee hee.

Let's Go Girls!



Man shirt, short skirt ... been there, done that!

Thigh high boots. I remember wearing them, platform style, back in the 1970's. David Bowie era.



Ok, so not "an" original, but a later verison, what can I say. You Tube police and record companies keep the real shit off the net.

"You tacky thing, you put them on!"

Time to get back to my roots. Jackie Wilson, my hero in the 1960's R&B music.



Note the "go go dancers" LOL.

Are we tired yet?

Gonna freak ya all out with Scooter!



Ok, probably time to call it a night.

NOT

Gonna close it out with Billy Vera's closer, At This Moment!



Bartender, last call.

Independence Day

I love this movie. I've seen it so many times, that when I watched it tonight, even though it was on network, with commercials, and three hours, I could not believe they edited scenes from it, damn it!

You know how you have a few faves you've seen like 15 to 20 times, you know all the dialogue that when something minuscule is eliminated, you know it?

I've got to find some Cubans (cigars). Until the "fat lady sings."

"You Know Nothing Of My Work"

Perhaps it takes someone very familiar with liberal health-care reform ideas to say this, but this is not a liberal bill. Liberals believe access to medical care is a public good that should be provided by the public sector. The sop to that approach was the public option, which isn't even in the final law. That's why every time someone terms this socialism, I fantasize about Karl Marx, or maybe William Beveridge, stepping out Marshall McLuhan-style and saying, "You know nothing of my work!"

I saw this quote first over at Daily Kos, and my instant reaction was "Annie Hall!"

Then I went to the source, and what do you know ... a clip of the "Annie Hall" scene with McLuhan telling some guy in line with Woodie Allen at a movie theater "[Y]ou know nothing of my work!"

Regardless, the article is spot on. The alleged health care reform bill is not liberal by any standard of measure. Without a public option, it drops its purported liberalness by 50% (in my estimation). This bill was, and has been, a bend over, kiss my ass, giveaway to the Republicans and right wingers, and despite all of that ass kissing, the Republicans STILL chose to vote NO as an entire group.

Go figure.

So Much For Transparency Regarding Peace Between Israel And Palestine

Q: So why all these games of make-believe negotiations? It’s possible to announce that we will not reach an agreement, and that is all.

YA’ALON: Because in the political establishment there are pressures. Peace Now from within and other elements from without. So you have to maneuver. But what I’m saying now has to be given over to the Americans, and I hope that they will understand.

Some of what we have to do is maneuver with the American administration and the European establishment, which are also nourished by Israeli elements, which create the illusion that an agreement can be reached.

Got that? They only want to "create" an "illusion" that any meaningful peace accord can be reached. (Shaking head ... but hey, it's not like I have ever believed in Israel).

H/T to Think Progress.

It was refreshing to read about the snub that Obama gave to the PM the other night, walking out and leaving him high and dry, at the White House, instead of having dinner with him. Obama's parting words: "Let me know if there is anything new."

Republicans In Congress Backing Down?

Great line:

Political momentum has shifted so fast over the last week that it has given Republicans whiplash.

Read the rest of the article. It's worth it.

Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire

Cantor said he receives threats because he is Jewish and because he is the second-ranking Republican in the House, then disclosed a recent direct threat and the shooting.

“A bullet was shot through the window of my campaign office in Richmond this week, and I’ve received threatening e-mails,“ Cantor said. He refused to release details, however, saying it would only encourage more threats, and refused to take questions.

Later Thursday, however, Richmond police said in a news release that the bullet had been fired into the air around 1 a.m. Tuesday. It finished its random arc back to earth at a sharp downward trajectory, breaking a window pane on the bottom floor of the two-story brick building where Cantor’s campaign leases the top floor.

The spent bullet hit the floor about one foot inside the shattered pane. No one was in the building at the time. A police investigation has yielded no suspects.

2010 Might Be Another Banner Year For Democrats, After All

You know, I was pretty sure I was just going to sit out the 2010 election this year because, as most of my readers know, I am not a fan of Obama anymore, based on his lack of progress on his promise of changing America. And, I'm not buying any logic that being president is "hard work," either.

Also, I was pretty sure, based on what most of the liberal and progressives were touting on their websites, that we all felt the same way, and were willing to let the Republicans take over the majority, even if it was by default.

However, unexpectedly, for all of us, the teabaggers came along. They don't really bother me, except for their lack of knowledge about government and their deep reverence for all things Fox. But, they are a problem for the Republican party, because the teabaggers hate many Republicans, if not most, as well.

So, if you add that to the mix, plus the recent actions in the Senate by the whining Republicans who are refusing to let government do its job (never mind the fact that all the Republicans in Congress have en masse voted no on every bill, regardless of how much the Democrats, much to liberals' and progressives' chagrin, catered to their needs and wishes), it's not looking so bad for the Democrats this 2010!

The teabaggers represent a MINORITY of Americans. Fox news (as well as the right wing hate talk radio shows) coupled with all print media (right wing or liberal) and TV (cable and non-cable) only reach approximately 10% of the 300+ million Americans. See my post here from 2008 that indicates 90% of Americans do not get their news views from quote main stream media unquote.

There are more registered Democrats than Republicans, and the base of the teabagger movement is close to 100% Republican in origin (give or take a few percentage points). Which, pretty much rules out any effective takeover of Congress in 2010 by the Republicans!

The party of no, of violence, of intolerance, of hatred, of racism, of bigotry, of homophobia, of war, of religiosity, of lies, of deception, of greed, of white power (I could go on, and on, and on) will most likely not be representative of this country come 2010. They simply don't have the numbers, despite what the main stream media tries to say to the 10% that watch/read/listen to them. And, with Jerry Brown in the mix for Governor of California ... (grins) I guess I might have to just go to the polls in 2010 after all!

Teabagistan

Good line from Crooks and Liars, but read the whole piece.

The thing is, in this country we elect people. We get to vote every couple of years or so. Violence is for dictatorships, not democracies. Like it or not, they're not going to turn the US into Teabagistan, no matter how hard they wish it, or how nasty they get.

It is interesting to note that the most "pro lifers" of this group are the most "death mongers" of said same group. And, supposedly Christian, as well.

The oxymoron's logic of the teabagger anti abortion group that wants to kill those who fail to support anti abortion legislation is apparent to most ... except those morons.

Bush ... Or Monk? You Decide

Bias In News Reporting?

Just a short comment about the television coverage of the teabaggers riotous moments this weekend, and the fucking LACK of coverage of the obviously LARGER demonstration by proponents of immigration reform.

To be expected, for sure. Yawn.

Kirstie Alley's New Show

The previews I saw for Kirstie Alley's Big Life were funny, and I also watched her on Larry King the other night. First off, she's still gorgeous, and very funny.

I know I've mentioned lately that I gained weight, but it's booze and not exercising weight, so it's more like I have a gut, and probably a fat butt, the typical middle fat stuff. My legs and arms are not bad, my tattoos haven't spread, and Kirstie weighed in at 230 on her show, and I can guarantee I don't come close to that amount. But, I was also tinier than her, at 105 for most of my life (being 5'6" tall) and even at age 47, I still weighed in at about 125. The bad part I've experienced is letting the rest of myself go, like not coloring my hair to get rid of the gray, not wearing makeup anymore, stuff like that.

So, watching the show, it helped give me a new feeling about myself. Well, actually before watching the show, just watching the previews, made me start wearing make-up again, leaving the tennis shoes at home and wearing one of my other good shows (I actually have to pairs of Louis Vuitton shoes, which to me are way cooler than having a purse!). Hence, the trip to the optometrist yesterday to finally get my vision in order. I may be fat in my own mind and world, but I'm hardly ugly (laughing) and it's time to work on myself, on the outside. The hardest part is going to limit the drinking. I actually lost 45 lbs. in four months two years ago, but like Kirstie says, man that shit comes back on faster than it takes to come off. Well, for me not really, it took two years to put the 45 pounds back on, so my goal is to lose it again. People don't really relate to me as "fat" anyway, especially since there are lots of clothes that just hide the gut, and I don't look all that big. In fact the picture on my blog was taken only two years ago, before I lost the 45 pounds, so you can see, I don't have the double chin (well, unless I pull my face back in a funny way and take a bad angle picture, but then we all have that ability to take an ugly picture).

One of my treats I'm buying for myself when I get back from Seattle is a Wii. Although I have a great treadmill, and have used it (up until my knee injury, and I cannot do any real exercises until the knee heals), I think it will be fun to do some virtual exercises coupled with my treadmill.

As Tony knows, I was always a workout freak, and of course, took dance regularly until I was 47 (ballet and two jazz classes, all back to back, 3+ hours about three times a week, and then aerobics and weight lifting, both free weights plus I still own a pully weight system, although it is at Linda's house since I have no room for it here in my apartment). With all my years of dance and exercise training, despite my weight, I can still move (other than pirouettes, since I have that bad leg and I tip over, LOL), like I can still do a ballet work out, I still touch my toes with no effort, can do the splits, although not full on anymore. My dream is to get back into dancing, put up a ballet barre in my house again, and do what I used to enjoy doing.

27 Hits In One Hour! CSI Episode Must Have Aired Somewhere!

Every time the CSI episode airs about the Chateau Rouge, I get a ton of hits based on this post I did in 2008. Having been born in Vegas, and having my aunt actually be a dancer at the Moulin Rouge (which the CSI episode used as a backdrop for the story, but calling it the Chateau Rouge instead), I know quite a bit of the history of the place, which still exists as it has been designated an historical monument in Vegas.

Still, for me, 27 hits in one hour is a lot!

Oy, What A Day I Had Today!

I will have comments on the events going on today with the teabaggers (LOL) and their outlandish and vitriolic appearance on Capitol Hill, tomorrow.

Today was a fucking hard day.

First off, not that anyone gives a shit, but my right knee suffered a torn meniscus, and mind you, my chiropractor caused it by the exercise he made me do. So, good thing, it is not the kind of tear that will require surgery. Bad thing, I have pain constantly, have to take anti-inflammatory medicine, (like Ben Gay and Motrin) and do certain quad exercises to strengthen the muscles surrounding he knee.

Anyway, I had an appointment to see an optometrist to get clear my vision options. My glasses suck, cuz they are scratched beyond repair. I haven't worn contacts in five years since I discovered I can't see without reading glasses the fine print. So I opted for wearing my last pair of glasses (and trust me, they were $300 on sale, damn it).

The visit was about four fucking hours at the Lens Crafter, which despite the time parameters, was still cheaper than if I went back to my regular high end optometrist.

Unfortunately, I cannot wear the bifocal contacts, so I had to settle for a new pair of glasses, with bifocal lenses and with a darkening screen that acts like sunglasses (so much for having bangs again, damn it).

I thought it was interesting that they took my blood pressure, which registered at 187 over 114 ... talk about panic attacks!

I took four Valium, and it still registered 187, damn!

But, the most important part was that I had my grandson. I told my daughter that I couldn't take him this weekend because I had this doctor visit and other stuff, but she was adamant I had to take him because (1) her best friend was having a shower for her third baby out of wedlock (who the hell keeps having sex with turds that get you preggers and aren't around .. or, my daughters friends, LOL), and (2) she wanted me to prep the grandkid for his first presentation orally on a project before the class ... like I really had the time for it.

So, the doctor visit was four hours, not like one hour, and I have to give props to the grandkid for behaving properly. But he was hungry, and since the cost overrun depleted what I had brought with me such that I had to go home first before I could actually buy food for dinner, it was stressful.

Now, I am all for public transit, but today was a bitch, and nothing was working right. So, I waited an hour for a bus that never came, all the while my grandson was telling me he was hungry. Talk about raising your blood pressure.

When I telephoned my daughter, she was at my house, working on putting finishing touches on the "presentation" that Zaire was supposed to make on Monday. When I told her of my predicament, she said she'd go to the store.

But when I got home, she hadn't gone to the store. She, instead, fed herself, and then decided she was going to fight with me over what Zaire wanted for dinner (pizza, micro version or baked version ...since she has decided to toss her microwave, she was adamant she was buying the 30 minute bake version, despite the fact the kid hadn't eaten in like 8 hours).

So, while she went to the store, I laid down in the dark to try to help my BP lower, and I even told Zaire I wasn't going to sleep, I was just resting trying to lower the BP. In fact, I heard him tell his mom that "grandma is resting lowering her BP." Next thing I hear is my daughter saying she and Zaire are leaving ... and she took the pizza (laughs).

Y0u know, sometimes you have a child that gives a shit about you, and then you have my daughter.

Time for me to just be the part time grandparent, as much as I love Zaire. My daughter treats me like the weekly babysitter. End of that routine.

I love my grandson, but my daughter is really just a thoughtless bitch, and I am done with it.

Anthony Weiner On Fake Memo

The more video I see of Representative Anthony Weiner on the floor of the House, the more I just truly love the guy. He doesn't take crap from anyone.



Video courtesy of Daily Kos.

Are The Democrats Being Scared Into Action?

Again, quoting from a post on AMERICAblog, the passing of this health care bill is not going to sway the left in any fashion whatsoever. The bill is a watered down version of what true liberals and progressives have wanted to see. Granted, not passing the bill will be the death knell of the base of the Democratic party, and as reported on their blog, could even put off donations from big spenders to the Democratic party.

But the passing of this bill has nothing to do with the fact that the liberals and progressives have been, and still are, dissatisfied with this administration and it's backpedaling on issues that it ran on, and its failure to accomplish any real "change you can believe in."

Regardless of whether this bill passes, I'm still sitting out 2010. Fuck 'em.

"Kill The Bill"

Over at AMERICAblog, they have a video up produced by New Left Media. These two guys have been attending the various Tea Party rallies since they started, and they are very unassuming and simply interview individuals and ask them questions about why they are there.

The videos are hysterical in their showing of the stupidity of the people participating at these rallies. They talk in sound bites they hear from television. In fact, most claim they don't know what's in the health care bill, they just know what they heard on Fox News, and they don't like what they heard!

One young lady when asked about what she didn't like about the bill said "the part about where they give you the little blue pill and send you on your merry way to die rather than pay for your end of like treatment and the like." (I'm paraphrasing from memory). When she was asked where in the bill there was the reference to the little blue pill, she paused, and deadpanned that she was blonde! Ha ha.

Another woman, informing the interviewer she was 67, said she didn't like the socialization of medicine and the death panels. Again, when asked what specific provision of the bill she was against, admitted that she hadn't read the bill and didn't know where the provision was, but she heard it on Fox News and that was good enough for her.

The point of all these videos is that the Tea Party protesters have absolutely no clue what they are screaming and yelling about. They have been lied to consistently by the men and women over at Fox News, and have been told to go to these rallies to protest the socialization of American health care, and so they do. None of them have read the bill, and as some have said, they don't want to read the bill. If Fox News tells them a provision is going to do this or that, then they believe it without question, and hence, are against any reform.



UPDATE 3/20/10: Digby says essentially the same thing:

The modern conservative movement propaganda holds that government is the problem not the solution. The corollary is that is you have a problem, government must be the cause. You are short of money? It must be because of taxes. People don't have health care? It must be because the government is running it. Crime? Big government. Lack of jobs? Government.

This isn't about issues, it's about a delusional worldview formed by people who listen to a bunch of hucksters who have successfully looted the country while persuading about half the people that the government was doing the looting and giving it in the form of "handouts" to people who didn't deserve it. It's a great scam and a lot of people have made a lot of money promoting it.

It's a shame that these same people are getting screwed six ways to Sunday, but I'm getting less and less sympathetic as I see them throwing dollar bills into the faces of disabled citizens and telling them go somewhere else looking for a handout. These aren't just misguided souls. They are cruel jerks.

The Runaways

Well, finally, a movie about the Runaways is premiering.

I have read the reviews and it appears to be based on Cheri Curie's book.

For personal relevance, I was a part of that scene. I used to hang out at the Sugar Shack in North Hollywood, which was an underage club (even though I was about 23 at the time) with my cousins who were the girls that were competitive with the Curie twins (Cheri and Marie).

I remember all the girls. We (my old boyfriend Howie) picked up Lita Ford hitchicking on the Ventura freeway onramp one night. There is supposedly a lot of Joan Jett stuff left out of the movie (Joan was "allegedly" gay, which I don't know is really true or that she just swung both ways, as we say).

But the Sugar Shack was where it all played out. Kim Fowley would be there. And when the DJ played "The Time Warp" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," we (those that knew the dance routine) would be out on the center floor, dancing and singing "let's do the time warp."

I know the sisters (Cherie and Marie) in real time. One of them married Steve Lukather who played in Toto, and was the guitar player on my cousins' album that A&M produced back in the early 80's. Even though the Currie sisters didn't really do much (I believe Cherie only made one movie, can't think of the name, but it was with Jodie Foster), Jett and Ford actually made a name for females in the hard rock venue.

It will be fun to watch the movie, even if it doesn't really depict all the realities I experienced about the girls, the band, and the Sugar Shack.

"Hello Daddy, Hello Mom .... "

Daniel Boone And Davy Crockett Dead At 84

Ok, so it was Fess Parker who played Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, that died recently at aged 85, not the real Daniel Boone or Crockett.

But most of us baby boomers only knew about Boone and Crockett thanks to Fes Parker's portrayal.

RIP bro.

All The Republicans Can Say Now About Health Care ... The CBO Report Is A Lie

So, the CBO numbers worked fine for the Republicans when Bush was president (he was never accused of taking them out to the woodshed and beating the pulp out of them), even though their numbers showed the bills being advanced would add to the deficit. Fast forward to the Health Care bill, and the CBO numbers come in and show that it will decrease the deficit, and the Republicans are shitting all over themselves on television saying that the CBO "changed" the numbers because "Obama" took them to the woodshed!

Amazing, simply amazing. We go from a budget surplus when Bush takes over, he passes three major legislative reforms that increases the deficit in the trillions, based on CBO calculations, and everyone votes for it, but Obama has put before congress a health care bill that will fucking decrease the deficit, and the Republicans go apeshit.

Banging. Head. On. Keyboard.

America, The Nation Of Brats

I have a hard time understanding how any human being in their right mind would want another human being to suffer and die needlessly. That is why it is baffling to me that there are people out there that actually do not want everyone in this country to have affordable and available health care! Where is the decency in a human being that says no to someone else having access to a doctor and medicine, especially if the person has a life threatening illness or problem?

It smacks of class warfare, and America was supposed to be above that sort of thing, like a caste system. If you have insurance, fine and dandy. But what would motivate you to want others to not have it?

Conservative talk show hosts and columnists have ridiculed an 11-year-old Washington state boy's account of his mother's death as a "sob story" exploited by the White House and congressional Democrats like a "kiddie shield" to defend their health care legislation.

Marcelas Owens, whose mother got sick, lost her job, lost her health insurance and died, said Thursday he's taking the attacks from Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Michelle Malkin in stride.

[snip]

"Now this is unseemly, exploitative, an 11-year-old boy being forced to tell his story all over just to benefit the Democrat Party and Barack Obama," Limbaugh said on March 12, according to a transcript his show. "And, I would say this to Marcelas Owens: 'Well, your mom would still have died, because Obamacare doesn't kick in until 2014.'"

Ummmm, can someone say Terri Schiavo?

The whackos just keep getting whackier and more stupid. They were all up in arms when god forbid, the husband wanted to remove the feeding tube and finally let his brain dead wife die. But noooooo, even Congress had to get into the act (and on a Sunday too, so the whining about the possibility of a Sunday vote on health care is like pissing in the wind as far as I am concerned) and try to force her to be kept alive. But an alive person, not brain dead, just sick, oh no, we can't have that person have health insurance or be treated at exorbitant costs to insurance companies or gasp, other people!

Where is the logic in any of this? Or is it really just a fact that there are tremendously selfish, stupid, uninformed and mean people that fight for the sake of the fight, and not necessarily because there's any merit in it? Have we finally become a nation of stupid little brats?

Stupid Stupak

Congressman Bart Stupak, D-Mich, responded sharply to White House officials touting a letter representing 59,000nuns that was sent to lawmakers urging them to pass the health care bill.

The conservative Democrat dismissed the action by the White House saying, "When I'm drafting right to life language, I don't call up the nuns." He says he instead confers with other groups including "leading bishops, Focus on the Family, and The National Right to Life Committee."

Pretty funny, if you ask me. Regardless of the fact that neither group has sex (supposedly) so the issue of abortion really is only a theoretical one to either group, Stupak cares only what the men have to say on the issues that relate only to the women!

Of course, that's sort of the way men are, period. Don't take away their Viagra, but let's make sure that women have no say whatsoever over their own reproductive organs, or any right to make choices concerning their own personal bodies. Only men can make that choice for women, and stupid Stupak just made sure we all know that, and he's damn proud of it, too.

Asleep At The Wheel

I've been a fan of this band for years. They celebrated 40 years of being together this year. How cool is that!



Route 66



Way Down Texas Way

Boy Meets Girl

Growing up in a family that wrote songs that were recorded by others, this video (which I know I've put up once or twice before on my site) just reminds me how songwriters who sing their own songs can actually make a hit.

For whatever reason, this is up there in my top 100 favorite songs. I listen to it at least twice a month!

I'm Irish, Kiss My Ass

Ok, so I am part Irish and a serious part Norwegian. But my Irish roots come from my paternal Kelly clan side.



One of the three days of the year I feel it is ok to be drunk before noon! St. Pat's, Super Bowl Sunday and the 4th of July.

I don't have to wear the green. My tattoos have so much green in them, I won't be pinched.

Just so you don't think I am old school, enjoy some Floggin Molly!

There Are No Lies, Just Disagreements

Why is it that the right wingers (and I am including those that call themselves Democrats but are not, in actuality), when confronted with something they said that is wrong, and by wrong, I don't mean something that can be taken ambiguously, but out, and out, wrong, the talking point always ends up being -- "well, we simply disagree on this issue?"

For an example, watching Rachel Maddow last night, and her interview with J.D. Hayworth, she played an audio of him stating that the Massachusetts Supreme court "defined marriage as simply quote the establishment of intimacy" which he followed up with concluding that given that definition one could marry one's horse. Of course Rachel read the opinion of the court and could not find that statement. She even read the ruling covering all the sentences that used the word "intimacy" and there was nothing that came even close to what Mr. Hayworth stated. He continued to say that there was simply a disagreement between them. Rachel pointed out there there was no disagreement, the ruling as it stands is empirical, and Mr. Hayworth's statement was untrue. Again, he states that's fine, they can have a disagreement, and he appreciates that they have a disagreement.

This is why we have such a blurred line between the truth and the lies that have now become part of American culture. It's called a disagreement -- not a lie!

Lady Gaga "Telephone"

I have absolutely no idea what the fuss is all about regarding this video!

And as most of you already know, I'm a huge Lady Gaga fan.

Enjoy!

Tell Me Again That Liberal Bloggers Spew Hate? They Have Nothing Like Dan Riehl.

I'm not sure how to actually take this post. Some in the comments section have indicated it was just an "ironic" post, or suggested that people need to lighten up, it was just funny, but I don't quite see the fun or funny in this.

Isn't It Time To Euthanize Reid's Wife?

I'm not sure I quite understand this, given that cost is so important as a burden to taxpayers when it comes to health care. If Democrats want so badly to abort babies because of it, why are we bothering with someone who has a broken neck and back at 69? It sounds to me like she's pretty well used up and has probably been living off the taxpayers for plenty of years to begin with. Aren't we at least going to get a vote on it?

Sen. Reid's daughter Lana Reid Barringer, 48, who was driving the mini-van, and his wife, Landra G. Reid, 69, a passenger, were both injured. Landra suffered a broken back and a broken neck in the crash; Barringer suffered minor injuries, Sen. Reid's office said Thursday.

I realize her crook of a husband and his pals in Congress have excluded themselves from the mess they're going to compel everyone else to join, but we're still paying the bills, are we not? I don't see that she's worth it at this point, frankly. I can't recall her ever doing anything for me.

Come on, Harry - do your civic duty. The nation's broke and counting on you guy. Pull the plug and get back to work. And don't bill us for a full day today, either. This is no time to be sloughing off. Air freight her home, you can bury her during recess on your own time and dime. Or are you going to bill us for that, too?

Reid has stayed at his wife’s bedside throughout the day Friday and returned to the Capitol in the late afternoon.

My Bankruptcy Brief In Opposition To Wife's Ridiculous Brief Called "Fun To Read" By BK Trustee

Today I was told by a bankruptcy trustee's attorney that a document I filed in opposition to the debtor's wife's opposition to the appointment of the trustee and request to hire a broker to sell the community property residence (which has enormous equity) was "fun" to read. I had to laugh at that. My briefs have been called all kinds of things, but this is the first time I've had a brief referred to as "fun to read."

RIP Corey Haim

Eighties-era teen actor Corey Haim was found dead in a LosAngeles apartment in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The Los Angeles police confirmed the death to TV station KTLA this morning in what it termed an "accidental overdose."

Anyone that watched even a single episode of "The Two Coreys" knew he was heading in that direction. Although he constantly maintained he was sober during the shooting of that reality show, it was obvious he was not.

I am not surprised he OD'd. Just sad that another young talent was lost to drugs.

RIP.

Since I am in family mode, here is my other cousin, Kelly's son, performing.

Gia Sachs

Since I'm in a family musical mode, here is my other cousin's son, Gia, performing at San Diego's House Of Blues.

My Family Circa Ruby Summer

Their parents are my cousins, well, Leslie is. We already did this circa 1960's to 1970's.

More Lady Gaga And Ruby Summer

"Groove, slam, work it back, filter that, baby bump that track."

Ok, the original.



Now my relatives, Ruby Summer's version, acoustic (I'm still impressed how they can relate such techno songs into simple guitar/vocal versions).

Palin Crosses Border For Canadian Health Care

The vocal opponent of health-care reform in the U.S. steered largely clear of the topic except to reveal a tidbit about her life growing up not far from Whitehorse.

“We used to hustle over the border for health care we received in Canada,” she said. “And I think now, isn't that ironic?”

Interesting that she freeloaded off the Canadian health care system that guarantees free health care for all citizens, except, she wasn't a Canadian citizen. Isn't that the same thing as calling for the American government not to give health care to quote illegal aliens unquote?

Pot calling the kettle black, me thinks.

Of course, never mind the fact that it is completely lost on Palin that she's attacked the Canadian health care system and made ridiculous claims that it should steer away from the "public" option type of providing health care and opt more for the "private" and not so free form of health care.

She has no clue what comes out of her mouth.

UPDATE I-3/9/10: Another obnoxious loudmouth saying stupid things. From Rush Limbaugh:

I’ll just tell you this, if this passes and it’s five years from now and all that stuff gets implemented — I am leaving the country. I’ll go to Costa Rica.

A nice review of Costa Rica's health care by AMERICAblog:

But I did a little research. It's no wonder Rush wants to live in Costa Rica. To say the least, Rush isn't the healthiest specimen around. He's overweight, has addiction issues and heart problems. Costa Rica has an excellent health care system called "Caja." Sure, it's socialized medicine. But, it works for the people of Costa Rica and visitors alike:

It's been more than 65 years since this small country of 4.6 million people introduced a public health care system. Spending $6,000 less per capita than the United States on health today, Costa Rica boasts a longer life expectancy and an infant mortality rate nearly equal to that of the U.S.

With a reputation for high quality and low prices, the country has even fashioned an industry out of health care, attracting hundreds of visitors each year who take advantage of medical tourism.

“What we don't understand is how we are able to work with this,” said Rosa Climent, medical director of the Costa Rican Social Security System, pointing to a chart that shows employers pay 9.25 percent and workers pay 5.50 percent of their salaries into the system, which covers “all our health needs. And how the U.S. pays so much more and doesn't cover its citizens.”

Not only do Costa Ricans have an 86.8 percent coverage rate, but the public health system ser ves residents who live miles from cities.

“How does a small country with a medium investment like ours achieve full cover age for all of its citizens?” asked Climent. “It's a big accomplishment.”

Those Republicans are soooooo funny! No health care reform for America, and if we do just perchance get health care changed for the better, i.e., a public option, then these nutjobs are going to get their health care from socialized countries where it is free! It just makes my head spin, and for the life of me, I do not understand how this floats the boat as far as "reality" is concerned with these people.

More Hiromi, The Bitch Ass Piano Player!

I am still not over my new obsesion with Hiromi Uehara. She is like from outer space. I come from a music family, and piano playing is a staple in said family. No one, I repeat, no one in my family plays like this.

Even "I've Got Rythm" is unique.



Here's a bit of Oscar.

Michael Moore's Offer To Replace Rahm Emanuel

I know he writes these letters often to Obama, and he's consistently ignored by him. This, however, caught my eye because of my disdain for Rahm Emanuel and how I believe he's fucked over every American that voted for Obama, and believed in Obama's mantra of "Change We Can Believe In."

Dear President Obama,

I understand you may be looking to replace Rahm Emanuel as your chief of staff.

I would like to humbly offer myself, yours truly, as his replacement.

I will come to D.C. and clean up the mess that's been created around you. I will work for $1 a year. I will help the Dems on Capitol Hill find their spines and I will teach them how to nonviolently beat the Republicans to a pulp.

And I will help you get done what the American people sent you there to do. I don't need much, just a cot in the White House basement will do.

Now, don't get too giddy with excitement over my offer, because you and I are going to be up at 5 in the morning, 7 days a week and I am going to get you pumped up for battle every single day (see photo). Each morning you and I will do 100 jumping jacks and you will repeat after me:

"THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ELECTED ME, NOT THE REPUBLICANS, TO RUN THE COUNTRY! I AM IN CHARGE! I WILL ORDER ALL OBSTRUCTIONISTS OUTTA MY WAY! IF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DON'T LIKE WHAT I'M DOING THEY CAN THROW MY ASS OUT IN 2012. IN THE MEANTIME, I CALL THE SHOTS ON THEIR BEHALF! NOW, CONGRESS, DROP AND GIVE ME 50!!"

Then we will put on our jogging sweats and run up to Capitol Hill. We will take names, kick butts, and then take some more names. If we have to give a few noogies or half-nelson's, then so be it. In our pockets we will have a piece of paper to show the pansy Dems just how much they won by in 2008 -- and the poll results that show the majority of Americans oppose the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and want the bankers punished. Like drill sergeants, we will get right up in their faces and ask them, "WHAT PART OF THE PUBLIC MANDATE DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND, SOLDIER?!! DROP AND GIVE ME 50!"

I know this is the job Rahm Emanuel was supposed to be doing.

Now, don't get me wrong. I have always admired Rahm Emanuel (if you don't count his getting NAFTA pushed through Congress in the '90s which destroyed towns like Flint, Michigan. I know, picky-picky.). He is what we needed for a long time -- a no-apologies, take-no-prisoners fighting machine. Someone who is not afraid to get his hands dirty and pound the right wing into submission. Far from being the foul-mouthed bully he has been portrayed as, Rahm is the one who BEAT UP the bullies to protect us from them.

That's certainly what he did in 2006. After six long, miserable years of the middle-class getting slaughtered and the poor being flushed down the toilet, Rahm Emanuel took on the job of returning Congress to the Democrats. No one believed it could be done.

But he did it. Big time. He put the fear of God into the party of Rush and Newt. They had never been so scared. More importantly, though, he instilled a sense of hope in the Democrats that they could actually score the mother of all hat tricks in 2008 -- and with you, an African American no less, in the pole position!

It worked. The Darkness ended. The vast majority of nation wept with joy on the night of the election (those who weren't weeping went out and bought a record number of guns and ammo). Unlike the last president, you didn't "win" by 537 votes in Florida (although Gore won the popular vote by a half-million), you beat McCain nationally by 9,522,083 votes! The House Democrats got a walloping 79-vote margin. The Senate Dems would caucus with a supermajority of 60 votes unheard of in over 30 years. The wars would now end. America would have universal health care. Wall Street and the banks would, at the very least, be reined in. Hardworking citizens would not be thrown out of their homes. It was supposed to be the dawning of a new age.

But the Republicans were not going to go quietly into the night. You see, instead of having just one Rahm Emanuel, they are ALL Rahm Emanuels. That's why they usually win. Unlike most Democrats, they are relentless and unstoppable. When they believe in something (which is usually themselves and the K Street job they hope to be rewarded with someday), they'll fight for it till the death. They are loyal to a fault to each other (they were never able to denounce Bush, even though they knew he was destroying the party). They dig their heels in deep no matter what. If you exiled them to a lone chunk of melting polar ice cap, they would keep insisting that it was just a normal "January thaw," even as the frigid Arctic waters rose above their God-fearing necks ("See what I mean -- this water is COLD! What 'global *warming*'?! Adam and Eve rode dinos...aagghh!!... gulp gulp gulp").

We thought we were all done with this craziness, but we were mistaken. Like a beast that you just can't cage, the Republicans convinced not only the media, but YOU and your fellow Dems, that 59 votes was a *minority*! Precious time was lost trying to reach a "consensus" and trying to be "bipartisan."

Well, you and the Democrats have been in charge now for over a year and not one banking regulation has been reinstated. We don't have universal health care. The war in Afghanistan has escalated. And tens of thousands of Americans continue to lose their jobs and be thrown out of their homes. For most of us, it's just simply no longer good enough that Bush is gone. Woo hoo. Bush is gone. Yippee. That hasn't created one new friggin' job.

You're such a good guy, Mr. President. You came to Washington with your hand extended to the Republicans and they just chopped it off. You wanted to be respectful and they decided that they were going to say "no" to everything you suggested. Yet, you kept on saying you still believed in bipartisanship.

Well, if you really want bipartisanship, just go ahead and let the Republicans win in November. Then you'll get all the bipartisanship you want.

Let me be clear about one thing: The Democrats on Election Day 2010 are going to get an ass-whoopin' of biblical proportions if things don't change right now. And after the new Republican majority takes over, they, along with a few conservative Democrats in Congress, will get to bipartisanly impeach you for being a socialist and a citizen of Kenya. How nice to see both sides of the aisle working together again!

And the brief window we had to fix this country will be gone.

Gone.

Gone, baby, gone.

I don't know what your team has been up to, but they haven't served you well. And Rahm, poor Rahm, has turned into a fighter -- not of Republicans, but of the left. He called those of us who want universal health care "f***ing retarded." Look, I don't know if Rahm is the problem or if it's Gibbs or Axelrod or any of the other great people we owe a debt of thanks to for getting you elected. All I know is that whatever is fueling your White House it's now running on fumes. Time to shake things up! Time to bring me in to get you pumped up every morning! Go Barack! Yay Obama! Fight, Team, Fight!

I'm packed and ready to come to D.C. tomorrow. If it helps, you won't really be losing Rahm entirely because I'll be bringing his brother with me -- my agent, Ari Emanuel. Man, you should see HIM negotiate a deal! Have you ever wanted to see Mitch McConnell walking around Capitol Hill carrying his own head in his hands after it's just been handed to him by the infamous Ari? Oh, baby, it won't be pretty -- but boy will it be sweet!

What say you, Barack? Me and you against the world! Yes we can! It'll be fun -- and we may just get something done. Whaddaya got to lose? Hope?

Retardedly yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com

P.S. Just to give you an idea of the new style I'll be bringing with me, when a cornhole like Sen. Ben Nelson tries to hold you up next time, this is what I will tell him in order to get his vote: "You've got exactly 30 seconds to rescind your demand or I will personally make sure that Nebraska doesn't get one more federal dollar for the rest of Obama's term. And then I will let everyone in your state know that you wear Sooner panties, backwards. NOW DROP AND GIVE ME 50!"

Obama and the Democratic majorities obtained in 2008 will become "one hit wonders" by November 2010. And, as we all on the left have said, it will not be because Americans will overwhelmingly vote Republican, it will be because Republicans will win by default, based on liberal and progressive Americans refusing to vote at all. It will be in the numbers ... trust me on this, and I am no idiotic Karl Rove when it comes to voter numbers!

Hiromi

I have to give props to Crooks & Liars for turning me on to Hiromi.

I don't even know what to say about her playing, her style, her aggression, her appearance, her virtuosity ... I have never seen anything quite like this insofar as pianist are concerned.

I am afraid to show this to my grandson, who I tried to teach piano to when he was only 5 and was having a hard time. If he saw this then, he would have told me to "fuck off" as he would never be able to play like this!

Man, she is "da bitch" when it comes to piano!

We Are The World, Haiti

Version one and version two still make me cry. The talent in these two videos is enormous, and the heartfelt compassion from the entertainment industry is palatable.

Growing up in this industry, I wish I could have been at these recording sessions. Being in a studio is a unique experience, and unless you've been micked and mixed (laughs) you have no idea what it is all about.

I came of age musically when 8 track was the de jour, and 16 track was just becoming a new phenom. Today's recording studios are awesome.

Version One, 25 years ago.

Why Do The Interests In Iraq, Afghanistan & Pakistan Override What Belongs To America?

Courtesy of Infoplease

From Prison Planet:

The cost of fighting the war in Afghanistan will overtake that of the Iraq conflict for the first time in 2010, Pentagon budget documents showed Thursday. On top of the basic defense budget of 533.7 billion dollars, the White House is requesting a further 130 billion dollars for overseas missions, including 65 billion for Afghanistan and 61 billion for Iraq.

As for military contractors:

The military is increasingly relying on private security contractors as President Obama ramps up the war in Afghanistan, with contractors now making up as much as 30% of the armed force in the country, a just-released congressional report shows.

In the period roughly tracking with President Obama's first nine months in office, the number of Defense Department armed security contractors soared 236% -- from 3,184 to 10,712 between December 2008 to September 2009. The number roughly doubled between June and September 2009 alone.

I could go on and on with articles, but I think my point is made. Our military budget and our wars have taken money from the American public and wasted it on frivolousness. Never mind the false "terrorism" meme the right and some on the left tout to support such expenses, the fact of the matter is that whatever we do or pretend to have accomplished "over there" has not had any impact on people over "here" feeling any better about the people over "there." The right wing nut jobs have labeled all Muslims as terrorists, so what is the point? Are we suddenly going to convert them all to White, and Christians, to boot? Hell, no!

The irony of spending money on infrastructure in Iraq based on the American government's destruction of said infrastructure, at the expense of spending money on AMERICA'S INFRASTRUCTURE is not lost on me, nor is it lost on millions of Americans. The irony of our congressional leaders refusing to put money into AMERICANS hands by not passing bills that support and give money to American citizens (with the stupid proviso that said bills and money need to be accounted for and paid for before they can be passed) while at the same time, funding for Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan is not paid for, and is balanced on the backs of the American people.

It's been seven years now. Seven fucking years of wasting money in the middle east, while we see our country going down the tubes financially at the same time our government (from the president on down) refuses to help our own country. States can't meet their budgets, we have unemployment in double digits, the banking industry is in ruins, Wall Street is sucking the life out of this country while only a handful reap any rewards, and our government sits on its hands and shakes its head, citing terrorism as a priority over American prosperity.

Hypocrisy, meet the American political system.

A Primer On Legal Representation

The intensifying flap over Justice Department lawyers who have advocated for Guantanamo Bay detainees is spilling over to Big Law, where some firm leaders are fighting back against the criticism.

The Justice Department in the past couple of weeks has come under fire from a conservative group and Republican lawmakers for hiring lawyers who represented Guantanamo Bay detainees while in private practice. The controversy ramped up after the Justice Department refused to name the lawyers. Then the conservative group Keep America Safe posted a YouTube video questioning the allegiance of the DOJ lawyers and giving the attorneys a name -- "The Al Qaeda Seven."

[snip]

"From the perspective of our firm, providing representation for unpopular causes is a long and noble tradition in the law, and that kind of criticism is not going to affect our firm's commitment to that cause," said Brian Brooks, managing partner of O'Melveny & Myers' Washington office. "If the private bar doesn't step up and show that kind of courage, then I think our whole system of justice is in question."

[snip]

Thomas Milch, chair of Arnold & Porter, said he is proud to work with lawyers who have advocated on behalf of detainees.

"I really do salute the private lawyers who stepped up to represent the Guantanamo detainees," Milch said. "It's an act in the best traditions of the profession, and I salute even more the lawyers who then went in to the government."

Read the entire piece. It clearly delineates what it is to be an attorney and provide proper representation, even pro bono, to all that require representation ... even the bad guys.

UPDATE I - 3/9/10:

Senior senators on both sides of the aisle leveled heavy criticism Tuesday against a controversial ad put forth by Liz Cheney and William Kristol, which labeled Justice Department lawyers as the "al Qaeda 7."

The ad, paid for and produced by the group Keep American Safe, referred to the U.S. Justice Department as the "Department of Jihad," and called out Attorney General Eric Holder for hiring but not revealing the names of several attorneys who had previously worked to defend terrorism suspects. More than a dozen Bush administration era legal officials have already condemned the ad.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a member of the Senate Armed Services and Judiciary Committees, told The Cable Tuesday that the Cheney-Kristol ad was inappropriate and unfairly demonized DOJ lawyers for doing a noble public service by defending unpopular suspects.

"I've been a military lawyer for almost 30 years, I represented people as a defense attorney in the military that were charged with some pretty horrific acts, and I gave them my all," said Graham. "This system of justice that we're so proud of in America requires the unpopular to have an advocate and every time a defense lawyer fights to make the government do their job, that defense lawyer has made us all safer."

Lawsuit Against Rumsfeld Allowed To Proceed

Good call.

A federal judge in Illinois has refused to dismiss a lawsuit against former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld by two Americans (pdf) who claimed they were detained and interrogated in Iraq.

David Vance and Nathan Ertel, who traveled to Iraq in 2005 to work for a security firm, filed suit against Rumsfeld and the U.S. government alleging that they were taken into custody and interrogated by the military because of suspicion that their company was providing arms to insurgents. They claim they were placed in cages, strip-searched and questioned using "physically and mentally coercive tactics," before they were finally released weeks later.

Rumsfeld filed a motion to dismiss. However, Judge Wayne Anderson of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on Friday allowed one claim against him to go forward, finding the two contractors pleaded enough details to implicate the former secretary.

Another Act Of Terrorism By White American Male Disavowed As Terrorism!

What is it with this country? Another white American male, who left behind a boatload of writings about his hatred of this country and the direction it was going, grabs a couple of automatic rifles, drives from California to the Pentagon, and shoots people (fortunately they survived, but he didn't) and media and officials say "this isn't an act of terrorism" ... based on the allegation that the man "acted alone." So, now, terrorist acts by white American males are predicated on whether or not they had others working with them? A single attack by a white male American cannot possibly be called terrorism in this country? Why? Why? Why?

ter·ror·ism

–noun

1. the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes.

2. the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism or terrorization.

3. a terroristic method of governing or of resisting a government.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.

UPDATE 3/5/10-7:57 p.m., Courtesy of Crooks and Liars:

"Lone wolf" anti-government extremist opens fire at the Pentagon. But let's not call it terrorism."

It seems to be the new standard among journalists that terrorism is now defined only as conspiracy-based international terrorism. Lone-wolf domestic terrorism? That's now just "a single individual who had issues."

Double standard? Um, yeah.

UPDATE II-3/6/10: From ThinkProgress:

Last night, a California man armed with two semiautomatic weapons and “many magazines” of ammunition opened fire on police officers at the entrance to the Pentagon, wounding two before being killed by police. The shooter, 36-year-old John Patrick Bedell, was “well dressed in a suit” and “very calm,” walking “very directly to the officers” before engaging them, a police spokesman said.

Bedell “appears to have been a right-wing extremist with virulent antigovernment feelings,” the Christian Science Monitor reports, who traveled from California specifically to attack the Pentagon. While police were hesitant to assign a motive, “writings by someone with his same name and birth date, posted on the Internet, express ill will toward the government and the armed forces and question whether Washington itself might have been behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.”

[snip]

The Pentagon shooting is just the latest in a string of violence seemingly motivated by far right ideologies. Of course, last month, “[h]atred of the government motivated a man in Texas” to launch a suicide attack on an IRS office. And a recent Southern Poverty Law Center report found a 244 percent rise in the number of extremist hate groups. But when the Department of Homeland Security released a report last year warning about the threat from right-wing domestic terror, conservative politicians and commentators were outraged, claiming it was an assault on conservatism. Sadly, the report was right.

The Death Of IE6

I thought this piece was funny! I am one of those diehards that have used IE6 until recently, when I kept being informed by sites I tended to visit that they would no longer be supporting this version of Internet Explorer, and that I would need to update to IE8, change to Firefox or Goggle's web browser. I had already tried IE8 and uninstalled it after it first came out, as I hated the layout, and just about everything in it. I finally switched over to Firefox rather than use IE anymore. It took some getting used to, but now I kind of like it.

I hate change in my computer world. I still have Windows XP on all my computers, although my boss recently purchased a "cadillac" computer for me, and it came with Windows 7 (the computers we purchased two years ago for the office came with Vista, but I had them all changed to XP). I decided to just bite the bullet at the office and learn to use the new Windows 7, which is ok. I also put Firefox on my office computer as well.

More than 100 people, many of them dressed in black, are expected to gather around a coffin Thursday to say goodbye to an old friend.

The deceased? Internet Explorer 6.

The aging Web browser, survived by its descendants Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 8, is being eulogized at a tongue-in-cheek "funeral" hosted by Aten Design Group, a design firm in Denver, Colorado.

The memorial service will feature a coffin holding a "body" that has an IE6 logo for a head. Attendees are expected to eulogize the Microsoft browser by sharing remembrances, some of which have already been posted on the company's online funeral invitation.

"I feel terrible admitting this, but ... I never really liked him," posted someone who gave his name as Eddie Escher. "He had so many hang-ups, and he looked awful -- especially in his later years. But... he was always there when you needed him. You have to give him that."

Give the piece a read. It's quite funny, and entertaining.

Bye Bye, Starbucks. I'm Going To Coffee Tea and Whatever the Name is

Coffee chain Starbucks Corp. is sticking to its policy of letting customers carry guns where it's legal and said it does not want to be put in the middle of a larger gun-control debate.

The company's statement, issued Wednesday, stems from recent campaign by some gun owners, who have walked into Starbucks and other businesses to test state laws that allow gun owners to carry weapons openly in public places. Gun control advocates have protested.

Courtesy of AMERICAblog.

After 16 years of drinking Starbucks coffee (despite my opposition to their business practices over which the consistency of the coffee won out based on my universal travels) I will no longer buy coffee from Starbucks.

I'm not about to "holster up" and "carry my weapon" into my local coffee shop, nor am I going to let the nutcases and the Supreme Court tell me that those that think the 2nd amendment to the constitution allows them to carry arms into my local shopping stores.

Fuck Starbucks and fuck those that think this is even remotely a good idea.

UPDATE 3/4/10: Again, courtesy of AMERICAblog:

IWW Starbucks Workers Union Statement Regarding Open-Carry of Firearms in Starbucks Stores

A healthy and safe work environment is the highest priority of the IWW Starbucks Workers Union. We also believe strongly that citizens exercising their rights under the law are entitled to respect.

Violence against fast food workers and customers is a common occurrence that cannot be overlooked, and Starbucks is no exception. We appreciate the vigorous debate taking place by principled individuals on both sides of this issue. However, to date we are not aware of any efforts by Starbucks to widely engage its workers who are directly affected by open-carry gun laws. We believe an appropriate solution cannot be reached without doing so. We remain open to all stakeholders working toward a positive resolution that respects Starbucks workers' right to a safe work environment.

It seems that the Starbucks corporate guys forgot to explain things to the Starbucks union workers! Safety vs. fucked up gun rights? I think in this instance, Starbucks is going to have to back down on it's latest policy stance of allowing people to come into their stores showing their guns. Stay tuned ...

Rahm Just Ain't The Man

A powerful take down piece on Rahm Emanuel. I despise this man, and have from his DCCC days. As many already know from my posts about him, it was when Obama appointed him as his chief of staff that I became concerned that "Change We Can Believe In" was going to turn into "Change That Just Ain't Coming."

From Dan Froomkin:

The latest toxic meme to spread across the pages of my once-beloved Washington Post is that President Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, is the one reasonable man in the White House.

[snip]

But Emanuel is not the would-be savior of this presidency. For one thing, there really isn't that much daylight between him and his boss, or between him and his top White House colleagues. Had things gone even more his way, it's possible that he would have squelched a few more of what few bursts of idealism and principle survived Inauguration. But people looking for the reasons why the Obama presidency has not lived up to its promise won't find the answer amid the minor rifts between key players. Nor will they find the answer in how well or poorly this White House has played the game of politics. The fact is that after a campaign that appealed so successfully to idealism, Obama hired a bunch of saboteurs of hope and change.

Rahm was simply their chief of staff. And now, this hypercompetitive bantam rooster is attempting to blame others for what went wrong. That's evidently so important to him that he's trying to take a victory lap around the wreckage of what was once such a promising presidency.

The piece is an analysis of the cruel and unusual punishment of Rahm Emanuel's infliction on this country, and how we can thank him for sucking the ideological optimism out of the 2008 election of Obama.

Governor Moonbeam To Run Again

Attorney General Jerry Brown will declare his Democratic candidacy for governor Tuesday online, ending months of speculation about his intentions in which Brown insisted he had not yet decided whether to run.

As for the title "Governor Moonbeam" Wikipedia has the scoop. Back in the day, it was a way to make fun of Brown, even though his ideas on solar energy and space satellites has withstood the test of time.

As Governor, Brown proposed the establishment of a state space academy and the purchasing of a satellite that would be launched into orbit to provide emergency communications for the state—a proposal similar to one that would indeed eventually be adopted by the state. In 1978 an out-of-state columnist, Mike Royko, then at the Chicago Sun-Times, nicknamed Brown "Governor Moonbeam" because of the latter idea. The nickname quickly became associated with his quirky politics, which were considered eccentric by some in California and the rest of the nation. In 1992, almost 15 years later, Royko would disavow the nickname, proclaiming Brown to be "just as serious" as any other politician.

Hell, I was rooting for him to be president when he ran during the time he was dating Linda Ronstadt. How cool it would have been to have her as the First Girlfriend, LOL!

RIP, Uncle Sid

My uncle died two years ago today. I put up a nice piece at his blog, Sid Bulkin's Jazz House. Enjoy.