The Gee Spot

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2008-05-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

Since there's not much happening here, go to http://punditard.blogspot.com for occasional musings about stupidity in media...

"Senator McCain, what does Jerry Falwell's ass taste like?"

2006-11-19T16:38:00.000-08:00

FLIP - Saint McCain in 1999:

I’d love to see a point where it is irrelevant, and could be repealed because abortion is no longer necessary. But certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations.

FLOP - Saint McCain (November 19, 2006):

MCCAIN: I don’t think a constitutional amendment is probably going to take place, but I do believe that it’s very likely or possible that the Supreme Court should — could overturn Roe v. Wade, which would then return these decisions to the states, which I support.

Saint McCain

2006-11-08T20:20:00.000-08:00

McCain strongly supported going into Iraq.

During the 2004 campaign, he had been joined at the hip with Bush the whole time Rove was shamelessly "Swift Boating" John Kerry's military record. McCain, the "maverick," sometimes put up symbolic criticisms only to fall into line every time when it really mattered.

He would then appear on TV shilling for Bush's latest power grab, including the odious Military Commissions Act, passed in the election season of 2006 to frame the debate as one on "security," and to smear the Democrats as "cut and runners."

In 2006, John McCain campaigned vigorously around the country to maintain one-party rule. McCain supported John Bolton for the United Nations, and backed Donald Rumsfeld until the bitter end.

He advocates privatizing Social Security.

He has no problem with the pharmaceutical companies reaping windfall profits from the 2003 Medicare bill, and he failed to demand any real ethics reforms even after the Tom DeLay, Duke Cunningham, and Jack Abramoff scandals.

Now McCain will try to reposition himself as Bush critic when he is anything but. We must ask the question:

Where was John McCain when the Bush Administration was digging a deep hole in Iraq that has cost us $380 billion and 3,000 American lives?

The Day The Music Died?

2006-07-25T22:32:00.001-07:00

April 8, 1994

Kurt Cobain offs self. Rock music dies. Discuss.

Dennis Hastert is a worm! Let's make fun of him!

2006-04-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Ill., center, gets out of a Hydrogen Alternative Fueled automobile, left, as he prepares to board his SUV, which uses gasoline, after holding a new conference at a local gas station in Washington, Thursday, April 27, 2006 to discuss the recent rise in gas prices. Hastert and other members of Congress drove off in the Hydrogen-Fueled cars only to switch to their official cars to drive back the few block back to the U.S. Capitol. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

RIP Slashy 1994-2006

2006-04-07T12:47:00.000-07:00

Crash?

2006-03-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

Billy Paul: I want.. a triple cone. Strawberry, Chocolate, and Vanilla. That's red, black and white, together.

Sherry: If only the world could get along as this ice cream cone.. Billy Paul wouldn't have to kill so many people.

To quote Defamer's liveblog of the Oscars:

8:23pm: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! God help us all. The sky has opened, Beezlebub has dumped his infernal payload of obvious evil on an unsuspecting Earth. Life as we know it is over. Drive to the desert and start a new civilization, hoping that our horrible, horrible mistakes will not be repeated. This is the end, friends. See you in Hell.

And then you try and think happy thoughts, but you can't get your mind off that thing on Charlize Theron's shoulder...

Cheney doesn't hate Kitties, they're just in the way...

2006-02-17T08:31:00.000-08:00

Bushes Disappear GOP enemies...it's good to be dictator!

2006-01-27T11:32:00.000-08:00

Just because Bush intervenes for Abramoff by disappearing prosecutors and because he appointed him to the transition team in 2000 and he was one of Bush’s chief fundraisers in 00 and 04 and because he’s been close friends with Karl Rove for the last 25 years does not mean that Bush knows him.

However, ripped from today’s headlines…the lead prosecutor in the Abramoff fraud case in D.C. is leaving because Bush has appointed him to a federal judgeship:

The promotion of Noel L. Hillman, Chief of the Justice Department's public integrity division and lead prosecutor in the Abramoff case, ends his involvement in an inquiry that has reached into the administration as well as the top ranks of the Republican leadership on Capitol Hill.

....Colleagues at the Justice Department say Mr. Hillman has been involved in day-to-day management of the Abramoff investigation since it began almost two years ago. The inquiry, which initially focused on accusations that Mr. Abramoff defrauded Indian tribes out of tens of millions of dollars in lobbying fees, is being described within the department as the most important federal corruption investigation in a generation.

In 2002, there was a grand jury investigating Abramoff’s bribery of Superior Court officials in Guam involving Republican efforts to kill labor reform legislation there. The prosecutor in that case, Frederick A. Black, was replaced by Bush the day after he issued an order to court officials to turn over all relevant documents in the case. The investigation died there.

And, from Florida last month;

The Florida prosecutor investigating radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh will soon be weighing cases rather than prosecuting them.

Gov. Jeb Bush has announced Assistant State Attorney James Martz has been appointed a Palm Beach County judge, filling a vacancy left after this year's legislative session.

Chris Matthews needs to apologize!

2006-01-25T17:04:00.000-08:00

Join the campaign to make Chris Matthews apologize for comparing anyone who criticizes the war in Iraq with Osama Bin Laden.

Go here to check out this campaign:
Open Letter to Chris Matthews

Colts Lose!

2006-01-16T11:44:00.000-08:00

breaking news...

2006-01-15T15:03:00.000-08:00

Protein synthesis, in 2005, was once again the favorite activity of earthlings, and of earth itself...

sic semper tyrannis

2006-01-13T08:28:00.000-08:00

As a kid, the one thing that always mystified me about the 'evil' Soviet Union and it's satellite countries was how populations that had been exposed to concepts such as the Magna Carta and the French and American revolutions could sit around doin' nothin' while friends and neighbors were being thrown into Gulags and disappeared.

Of course, if I'd known about relativism at the time, it would've been much easier, but...it was sitting there just outside of my conceptual reach, waiting for me to introduce myself to it. Relativism isn't shy - it's just never in a hurry.

I never considered that these folks were just trying to get from meal-to-meal, and didn't have the luxury to wrestle with concepts such as political freedom.

So the question is - when you have a culture swimming in creature comfort, and the freedom to explore new horizons in human existence - how do the neo-stalinists go about keeping a population down?

How is Jennifer coping with Angelina's pregnancy?
How are the Holmeses are coping with the Cruise spawn swimming around inside Katie?
What actors are gay?

America's icons of oppression (interchangeable but never thought-provoking) can't show us how to live a better life, but because we are so fucking bored and stupid, it's all we have to keep our interest (well, that and whether 7-Eleven can improve Slurpee technology)...

...Just the crawl along the bottom of the screen that "Kate and Lindsay may be doing blow (and each other?)" provides enough of an adrenaline rush so that we can shrug our shoulders when we hear that Dear Leader takes pride in his defying the Constitution or we hear testimony from a Supreme Court nominee who sees no problem with strip-searching nine-year old girls who are not suspected of committing a crime. The market choice is obvious...hot girls making out wins again! And to go against the market is un-fucking-American!

The corporate clothes have shifted into turbo-drive. Sic Semper Tyrannis

Liars and more liars

2005-12-29T07:58:00.000-08:00

wartime vs Wartime

2005-12-21T08:33:00.000-08:00

Here's a great post by Kevin Drum on what is really considered 'wartime' as to allow the President to assume wartime powers.
Dubya seems the think that he is a wartime President. If we go along with that we would be in at 'War' permanently.

As Joshua Marshall puts it: "How 'wartime' are we?

December 20, 2005
WARTIME....Do President Bush's inherent constitutional powers as commander-in-chief give him the authority to override federal law and approve domestic spying by the NSA? That's certainly the justification he provided at Monday's press conference:

Do I have the legal authority to do this? And the answer is, absolutely. As I mentioned in my remarks, the legal authority is derived from the Constitution, as well as the authorization of force by the United States Congress.

Bill Kristol and Gary Schmitt support this assessment in the Washington Post today, and they've been joined by a small army of other commentators.

Of course, their argument is not that the president has the inherent power to authorize domestic surveillance anytime he wants, only that he has that power during wartime. And as near as I can tell, that's the elephant in the room that no one is really very anxious to discuss: What is "wartime"? Is George Bush really a "wartime president," as he's so fond of calling himself? Conservatives take it for granted that he is, while liberals tend to avoid the subject entirely for fear of being thought unserious about the War on Terror. But it's something that ought be brought up and discussed openly.

Consider a different war, for example. It's safe to say that whatever Bush's NSA program actually involves, no one would have batted an eyelash if FDR had approved a similar program during World War II. Experience suggests that during a period of genuine, all-out war, few people complain when a president pushes the boundaries of the law based on military necessity. But aside from World War II, what else counts as wartime?

If you count only serious hot wars, the United States has been at war for over 20 of the 65 years since 1940. That's a lot of "wartime."

However, if you count the Cold War, as conservatives generally think we should, the tally shoots up to about 50 years of war. That means the United States has been almost continuously at war during the past 65 years — and given the nature of the War on Terror, we'll continue to be at war for the next several decades.

If this is how we define "wartime," it means that in the century from 1940 to 2040 the president will have had emergency wartime powers for virtually the entire time. But does that make sense? Is anyone really comfortable with the idea that three decades from now the president of the United States will have had wartime executive powers for nearly a continuous century?

Somehow we need to come to grips with this. There's "wartime" and then there's "wartime," and not all armed conflicts vest the president with emergency powers. George Bush may have the best intentions in the world — and in this case he probably did have the best intentions in the world — but that still doesn't mean he has the kind of plenary power Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt exercised during their wars.

During a genuine emergency, the president's powers are at their most expansive. The rest of the time they're more restricted, whether he considers himself a wartime president or not. Right now, if George Bush needs or wants greater authority than he currently has, he should ask Congress to give it to him — after all, they approve black programs all the time and are fully capable of holding closed hearings to debate sensitive national security issues. It's worth remembering that "regulation of the land and naval forces" is a power the constitution gives to Congress, and both Congress and the president ought to start taking that a little more seriously.

UPDATE: I haven't read all the comments, but a couple of emails have persuaded me that part of this post was sloppily worded. To make myself clear, then: although Presidents have increased authority during wartime, both in theory and in practice, that authority doesn't extend to deliberately violating acts of Congress. The president is required to obey the law during both war and peace. I've modified the post slightly to make that clearer

Boring Canadian Names

2005-12-14T17:28:00.000-08:00

What is up with Canada?

I was just reading a story about a dispute within the Canadian Parliament about the export and pricing of soft wood (hehe...soft wood...), and anyhoozle, the three principles involved in the discussion are;

Paul Martin (Prime Minister, of course)
David Wilkins (US Ambassador)
Stephen Harper (Conservative leader of Parliament)
Jack Layton (New lefty Democrats)

Setting aside the issue, because, well...What is up with those generic names of Canadians. It's not a completely homogenous society, you know. Use a little flair. Whatever happened to those hockey player names like Marcel Dionne or Jacques Lemair or Gilles Desjardins. Even Joni Mitchell seems sort of adventurous compared to the Neil Young, Anne Murray, or BRYAN Adams (by the way, please don't yell "Summer of '65!" at a RYAN Adams show because it really pisses him off! Wait...maybe you should do that. Cuz it's fun!)

Now I certainly don't want to imply that these people aren't dynamic individuals or anything (after all, I'm moving there if we keep f---ing up the world) - just for moms and dads in Canada to throw in a Nigel or a Samson or a Indira or a Calliope here and there.

Peace.

O’Reilly Claims He Is Personally Responsible For Lower Gas Price

2005-12-01T11:34:00.000-08:00

Thank God for Bill O'Reilly. He is doing so much important work for the common man.
This blathering idiot thinks that he is actually responsible for the price of gas going down.

I believe that he is responsible for going down on something else.

From Think Progress :

In an interview yesterday with Fox NewsÂs Neil Cavuto, Bill OÂReilly claimed that his reporting intimidated oil company CEOs into lowering gasoline prices:

OÂREILLY: I have guys inside the five major oil companies - my father used to work for one of those oil companies by the way - who have told me that in those meetings they look for every way to jack up oil prices after Katrina, every way, when they didnÂt have to. They got scared because of my reporting and reporting of some others. They said, ÂUh ho.Â

CAVUTO: So wait a minute, youÂre not, youÂre taking credit for gas prices being down from where they are?

OÂREILLY: I said my reporting and some reporting of others. They got scared.

Watch the clip in Quicktime

So not only is Bill OÂReilly saving Christmas, heÂs making it cheaper for you to get to the mall. Is there anything this guy canÂt do?

Full transcript below:

CAVUTO: Ok. Gas prices are down a lot. Why do you think that is?

OÂREILLY: Because theyÂre afraid they were going to go to jail. They were afraid they were going to get the Enron treatment and those CEOs who manipulated them upÂ

CAVUTO: Why are you sure they have manipulated them?

OÂREILLY: Because I have inside guys who tell me that.

CAVUTO: That the CEOÂs of these companies, who are part of a cabalÂ

OÂREILLY: I have guys inside the five major oil companies - my father used to work for one of those oil companies by the way - who have told me that in those meetings they look for every way to jack up oil prices after Katrina, every way, when they didnÂt have to. They got scared because of my reporting and reporting of some others. They said, ÂUh ho.Â

CAVUTO: So wait a minute, youÂre not, youÂre taking credit for gas prices being down from where they are?

OÂREILLY: I said my reporting and some reporting of others. They got scared.

Filed under: Media

Nightline - how far have we fallen?

2005-11-28T18:54:00.000-08:00

I've been sort of interested in all the huzzah's being directed at Ted Koppel and Nightline the last couple of weeks, but I recall that back at the time, the opinions were more circumspect. For perspective, here's Tom Shales of WaPo reviewing the first episode of the program renamed 'Nightline' on day 142 of the Iranian Hostage Crisis.

---------------------------------------------
Late-Night Newsohol on ABC's Diluted Report
by Tom Shales
The Washington Post
Wednesday, March 26, 1980

No less a world figure -- and no more -- than the Iranian charge d'affaires, Ali Agah, took note of the fact that Day 142 of the Iranian crisis saw an end to the ABC News broadcast hysterically, titled "America Held Hostage" and a beginning for a new Monday-through-Thursday late report called "ABC News Nightline."

The new program is the first regularly scheduled and permanent (in the transitory TV sense of the world) late-night network news report, but to judge from the Monday premiere, it is not likely to see America Held Spellbound.

Ali Agah found some encouragement in the change of title for the show. Could it be we have turned yet another corner in what has become a ridiculous maze? Probably not, though network news reports have had the crisis turning about one corner a week.

As for the program, it represents at best a great leap sideways and at worst a pratfall backwards for network news. The premiere did not provide viewers with anything worth knowing.

Worse, it was highlighted by a contrived confrontation between Agah and Dorothea Morefield, wife of an American hostage. When anchor Ted Koppel announced that "for the first time" on live TV such a clash would occur, he sounded like a host of one of the old heart-tug and humiliation TV shows of the '50s -- the "Strike It Rich" and "This Is Your Life" sort of thing.

The gimmick was cheaply theatrical, hokey, mawkish and self-promotional. It was preceded by a soap operatic taped report on the Morefield family of San Diego; cameras even glimpsed them watching a previous ABC News report on the crisis.

Then Koppel said, "Well, Mrs. Morefield, we'll give you the opportunity to speak to an Iranian official in a moment." But first a word from the sponsors. All they needed was a wheel of fortune and cash prizes to come up with the first news game show in TV.

It wasn't news, of course; it was the new news, neo-news, non-news, a sugary news substitute. Newsohol. In fact the program was produced like an entertainment show, starting with its dizzy, busy, outer-spaced motif at the outset -- a virtual duplicate of the outer-space motif used on the late-night "Wide World of Entertainment" shows.

Because the pointless Agah-Morefield split-screen spat ran long, a report on the Ted Kennedy Candidacy was eliminated. "Live television" was to blame, Koppel said, through there's no law that says the broadcast couldn't have run overtime and delayed the "Barney Miller" rerun by a few minutes. Who would have minded? It would simply have been a little less situation comedy and a little more of Roone Arledge's situation news.

vietnam 8...driving miss daisy

2005-11-28T16:27:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine is on a trip to various parts for Southeast Asia. Topher and his buddy Michael are currently in Vietnam and have been sending messages of their trip. I find them quite humorous and thought that I would post the most current one. Topher is writing a book, so he has been letting Michael do the honors of the journal.

The introduction is Topher's work... the entry is Michaels.

for those at the faint of heart please do not read further past my notes but . . .

not to worry, the difficulty in breathing, loss of consciousness, violent convulsions and staring in the face of death has subsided . . . moments after I told the band we were breaking up and there would be no reunion tour, assured Michael I never really liked him and I was just riding his shirt tails as long as I could stand his constant whining, tried to negotiate a contract with the driver to represent him as an agent for the formula 1 circuit, and told everyone I was gay (if you believe that you need to watch "almost famous" once again), we pulled up in front of the hotel and the sai gon boys choir greeted us with somewhat of a Buddhist hallelujah . . . . oh my buddha . . . serenity now, serinety now

vietnam 8...driving miss daisy

First off let me say that although many of these stories are filled with sarcastic humor I have to tell you that my experiences over here have been unbelievably positive and the people are incredible.

But the way they drive...........oh mama

We booked a car to drive us the 180 kilometers from Mui Ne to Saigon today......
the spelling errors are due to me shaking......and I'm smokin a cigarette and pondering my life...everyday from now on is just gravy as I feel that we cheated death today.

The ride starts out with us careening wildly down the road....no problem...we've experienced that before but then we hit traffic. This guy was passing trucks just before the crest of every hill, on blind turns and hairpin curves. Several times as we were passing a bus, a semi came over the hill and we were looking at an impossibly large grill screaming down on us with the horn blazing and the trucks lights flashing. I'm yelling "Mother F....." at the top of my lungs and Topher is repeatedly trying to push his left foot through the passenger side floorboard in a brake response.

Thank god the truck drivers weren't hell bent on winning this insane game of chicken and didn't take it as unmanly that our little rent a car was pushing their semi trucks way out onto the shoulder of the road.

After screaming at the guy....who is tickled pink by our reaction and is seemingly unfazed by by the yelling of other vietnamese drivers and the hand gestures that we were fairly certain were not greeting signs by the drivers we passed, we convinced him to pull over at a gas station. I needed something for my pounding temples and Topher needed some ointment for his lip that he bit through as he contemplated eternity before impact. Staring death in the face is no picnic brother. It takes a toll on you.

As the driver fills up the gas tank, we notice there is a steady stream of gasoline leaking from somewhere under the car. We point this out to him and he lets us know that he is aware of it and that's why he is smoking his cigarette some distance from the car.

When Topher and I refuse to get back in the car a couple mechanics come over, take a look at it....spray the leak with a water hose and give us the thumbs up signal. Well at least the undercarriage is clean now. These guys must double shift for an HMO overseas in the states

As we are in the middle of nowhere we decide our options are few and get back in although the leak is still going strong and the fragrance of wildflowers is strangely sweet mixed wth the pungent smell of gasoline in the air. We figure a fiery explosion is probably no worse than a mangled wreckage of steel so its 1/2 dozen of one and 6 of the other.

So off we go....now about 45 minutes later as the rain and wind really start picking up Topher notices our driver is dozing off at the wheel (no I am not making this shit up) so we decide we better stop and get him some coffee. We stop at a rest stop where the kids are scared of Topher's size but intrigued at the same time. They run far away everytime he tries to take their picture but then run back up to him to see what the picture looks like and then they turn around and run away again. It was pretty funny to watch this ritual repeat itself for the whole time we are there.

The rest stops here have hammocks set up under cabanas and as the rain turned into a downpour, all the hammocks filled up as moped drivers pulled in and stayed, waiting out the deluge. This is an idea ahead of its time.

Needless to say.....the industrial strength coffee did not help our driver's patience or defensive driving habits. Finally we're on the outskirts of the city. At this point our flight or fight response has been on overdrive for so long that we are both exhausted. Topher is complaining about neck pain, erratic breathing and his left leg is numb from flexing against the floorboards. My stomach is sore from staying bunched up and I realize my face is sore from being frozen in a death grimace all the way from Mui Ne. We stop for a bathroom break and come out to find our driver examining the still flowing gas leak with one hand while holding his lit cigarette in his other. He smiles and asks if we are ready? That's it. We're done.
What do you say? We just got in and said lets go.

Ok so maybe it was all a blessing....I mean how many car rides have you had that when you arrived...you sprang out of the car, hugged the first human you saw and wept with joy just because you were ALIVE! The valet at the hotel still thinks we're a little off.

So .......hug the first human you see after this email and give thanks for LIFE! It's gonna be a great day and every day after this is a bonus!!!
cheers........gravy
Breen

Why John Murtha is Right!

2005-11-19T10:16:00.000-08:00

My buddy Benny Ricardo sent this link to me last night. I came back to my hotel room after and very long day and got this email and was completely blown away by the concise argument, that has yet to be made by any politician... except Murtha.

Why John Murtha Is Right!
By Larry Johnson
Booman Tribune

Friday 18 November 2005

John Murtha's courageous call for American troops to leave Iraq is the right policy at the right time. The Bush chickenhawks already are impugning Murtha's patriotism, but when you have a purple heart and a silver star compared to a President with a spotty attendance record with the National Guard and a Vice President with five deferments, that dog don't hunt.

The situation in Iraq is clear. The United States does not have enough troops on the ground to contain and destroy the insurgency. The Iraqi insurgency consists of at least 26 different groups and draws upon as many as 250,000 supporters. These groups represent a spectrum of beliefs ranging from secular nationalists to hard core jihadists. The only thing they agree on is that they hate the invader; which is us.

To defeat the insurgency we will need at least 400,000 troops on the ground. At the present time, the United States does not have sufficient troop strength to ramp up to that level. Our choice is simple - either we come up with the additional forces and commit ourselves to an effort that will stretch on for at least five years with 400,000 plus soldiers and marines in theatre or we withdraw.

How do we get 400,000 troops on the ground? That will require a draft or a commitment by NATO forces and other countries to provide forces. Even if we start a draft tomorrow, we will not be able to field combat capable divisions for at least two years. Basic training requires 10 weeks. Advance infantry training adds an additional six months. Once the troops are trained they need to train as units. The unit training, starting with companies and working up to division level exercises, will require at least 18 months (and that is an optimistic scenario).

In the interim we would need to call upon NATO forces to deploy to Iraq and conduct a coordinated counter insurgency effort. This effort, over the next two years, will likely produce at least 10,000 fatalities and 80,000 wounded. Are we willing as a country to pay that price? I don't think so.

Meanwhile, our efforts on the ground are succeeding in killing and capturing a large number of suspected insurgents. But our kill capture effort is producing a blowback - Iraqis who are incarcerated and the surviving relatives of those killed respond to our effort by joining the insurgents. Instead of reducing the insurgency our efforts are providing a catalyst that recruits new insurgents faster than we can kill them.

There also is no doubt that our efforts are providing a recruiting poster for jihadists. Last year, for example, the number of terrorist attacks that resulted in people being killed and wounded was the highest number ever recorded since the CIA started keeping statistics in 1968. The Al Qaeda groups have reduced the planning time required for mass casualty attacks. Prior to 9-11, Al Qaeda carried out such attacks every 18 months. Now, they are able to mount operations in only three or four months. The trend line is going in the wrong direction

I see no political will on the part of the American public to accept a draft and to accept 90,000 casualties during the next four years. The elections in December will not produce a political outcome that will persuade the various insurgents to lay down their weapons and focus their energies on political debate in a legislature and in newspapers.

Our best alternative is to withdraw from Iraq and establish covert relations with the secular insurgents. Over the long run our interest as a nation is to prevent the religious jihadists from consolidating their control over Iraq and forging a closer relationship with Iran. The question is not, will there be a civil war? A civil war is already underway. Rather, the proper question is what can we do as a nation to protect our longterm interests?

We have two key long term strategic interests. First, we want to promote a secular society. The current Iraqi constitution enshrines the Quran as the law of the land and encourages sectarian strife. Second, we must enlist the support of Russia, China, Europe, and the Muslim nations in rooting out and destroying the jihadists. Most of that effort can be handled with intelligence and law enforcement work rather than military operations. The Beatles had it right - we can get by with some help from our friends.

Given these facts, John Murtha is right. We must withdraw, sooner rather than later, from Iraq. Otherwise, we will find ourselves in a quagmire reminiscent of Vietnam. Only this time, the jihadists who are carrying out urban combat operations will be equipped and trained through their experience to carry out future attacks against our interests around the world. John Murtha and Chuck Hagel are patriots who understand this dilemma. We have lit a fuse on the next generation of jihadist terrorism. We must douse the fuse with water, and put it out sooner rather than later.

Van Damme Wanted to Fight Terrorism

2005-11-17T08:19:00.000-08:00

Belgian movie hardman Jean-Claude Van Damme is being head-hunted to solve the world's terrorism problems, by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's son and potential successor.

Jong Il's 24-year-old heir Kim Jong Chol has reportedly been dismissed by his father as "too girlish" to rule the country, but is a leading contender as his elder brother is currently in self-imposed exile in Europe.

And North Koreans will be interested in Kim Jong Chol's defence and foreign policies - which he proposes should be lead by the 'Muscles From Brussels'.

Inspired by Van Damme's terrorist-busting performance in 1995 film 'Sudden Death', he says: "I'd not allow weapons or atom bombs any more. I'd destroy all terrorists with the Hollywood star Jean-Claude Van Damme."

Freak Tornado Hits Culver City!

2005-11-16T08:28:00.000-08:00

Tuesday Evening at approximately 4:40 PM a rare tornado touched down in Culver City, California.
Eyewitnesses stated that they saw the tornado head towards the mobile home park about a mile from this home, as expected.
Suddenly the whirlwind changed paths and headed towards this Jackson Ave home.

What's Playing on Your iPod?

2005-11-15T08:49:00.000-08:00

As I stated in this post on October 20th with the addition of video playback to the iPod, we now have the advantage of having porn with us 24/7. Now it gets even better... at least for the girls.

When I'm traveling I always like to ask people what they are listening to on their iPod. I will pay particular attention to the ladies from now on.

From The Sun:

APPLE'S iPod is set to bring even more pleasure to music lovers this Christmas - after boffins invented a vibrator that moves in time with the songs.

The £25 iBuzz connects up to the gizmo and pulses while each tune is played.

When the volume is pumped up, the vibrations get faster as the music gets louder.

Ali Carnegie, of adult-store www.LoveHoney.co.uk, said the firm is already on the verge of selling out of the bullet-sized device before Christmas.

She said its inconspicuous design has been a big winner with women and claims the sex toy, totally unrelated to Apple, is perfect for giving users "big smiles on their way to work".

Jessamy Hawley, of Gadget Candy - a technology website aimed at women - believes combining two female passions is sure to prove a No1 hit.

She added: "The iPod is this era'’s must-have accessory, while a vibrator is a timeless addition to every girl's gadget drawer.

"Entwine the two and you'’ve got the ultimate cheeky Christmas stocking filler."

The iBuzz is not the first tech-inspired vibrator.

Earlier this year, the Internet Enabled Rabbit was released, which allows lovers to hook up through cyberspace, while another on sale connects to a mobile phone and vibrates when a text message is received.

BUSHAIKU

2005-11-14T08:40:00.000-08:00

My friend Rose passed this forward. This is a poem made up entirely of actual quotations from George W. Bush, and arranged by Washington Post writer Richard Thompson.

BUSHAIKU

I think we all agree, the past is over.
This is still a dangerous world.
It's a world of madmen and uncertainty
And potential mental losses.

Rarely is the question asked
Is our children learning?
Will the highways of the Internet
Become more few?

How many hands have I shaked?
They misunderestimate me.
I am a pitbull on the pant leg of opportunity.

I know that the human being
And the fish can coexist.
Families is where our nation finds hope,
Where our wings take dream.

Put food on your family!
Knock down the tollbooth!
Vulcanize society!
Make the pie higher!

Make the pie higher!

(Feel free to pass this on. Help cure Mad Cowboy Disease.)

"...You fucked up -- you trusted us!"

2005-11-11T10:48:00.000-08:00

I quote Tri-Delt President Eric "Otter" Stratton on this occasion because I think this is how Bush should open every speech for the next 1166 days...

President Ass-clown was out to launch the "Blame the Democrats" phase of his propaganda campaign. I guess the fact that more people believe Elvis is alive than believe that Bush is competent has been weighing heavily on his mind.

``It is deeply irresponsible to rewrite the history of how the war began,'' Bush said in a Veterans Day speech today to military families at Tobyhanna Army Depot near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
``More than 100 Democrats in the House and Senate who had access to the same intelligence voted to remove Saddam Hussein from power,'' the president said.

First - The intel was "worked" to make the case for war by the war-pigs. Second - All through the fall of 2002, Bush repeatedly insisted that this authorization was only to use force as a last resort - that the vote served as his "stick" which would force Saddam to cooperate with inspections. We now know that he did cooperate, and he didn't really have much in the way of weapons, or an Army for that matter.

Today, friends, we are all Flounder, and Otter has destroyed our brother Fred's Cadillac...

WTF?

2005-11-09T17:47:00.000-08:00

As Hunter says, and I agree, I think it should be a stated goal of United States policy to not melt the skin off of children. For any number of reasons, but the primary being because "it fucking melts the skin off of children."

http://hunter.dailykos.com/story/2005/11/9/174518/797

Dream Baby Dream

2005-11-05T07:38:00.000-08:00

This weekend I am in Tampa for the forth year doing the WILD Last Damn Show 007, a hip hop extravaganza featuring Lil Jon and a host of other b level hip hop artists. I found out Wednesday that Bruce was playing in Tampa on Friday night, the day that I arrived, so I went on the ticketing site and was able to find a great seat for the show. My seat was in the loge level, right next to the stage, five rows up. This is the closest I have ever sat for a Bruce show. My flight arrived at 7 pm and the show was scheduled to start at 7:30, but I figured the show wouldn't start until 8:15 and I was right. I arrived right at 8:15 and I saw the whole show. Although I had to wait until after the third song to be seated. As usual Bruce rocked. I was also pleased to be treated to a very different set than when I saw him in Phoenix back in April.

Here is the set list from last night:

Fade Away
Reason To Believe
Devils And Dust
Empty Sky
Long Time Comin'
Be True
Atlantic City
State Trooper
Ain't Got You
Cynthia
One Step Up
Reno
Wreck On The Highway
Real World
My Hometown
The Rising
Lucky Town
Jesus Was An Only Son
Two Hearts
The Hitter
Matamoros Banks
(encore)
I Wanna Marry You
Blinded By The Light
Land Of Hope And Dreams
The Promised Land
Dream Baby Dream

The Phoenix show was the third date on the tour, while the show last night was around show #40. There were a few things that struck me about the experience. The first was that Bruce's 'deconstructing' of his classic tunes has devolved even more. To a true Bruce fan it can be a very exciting to hear some of their favorite songs performed in a new, more personal manner. Although for the casual Bruce fan, I can see how the experience could be frustrating hearing a familiar melody line meander around the new rhythms and go places that they have never gone. The other most striking moment of the show for me was how Bruce closed the show. He stepped behind a foot pump organ and began to play Dream, a Roy Orbison song that I have never heard and one that Bruce has only begun to play in May. It was a slow repetitive song that became a meditation. Now I've been to LOTS of Bruce shows both with the band, (both of them), and solo acoustic and I must say that a couple of minutes into Dream, I surveyed the audience and it was the most focused and attentive I have ever seen a Bruce audience. It was Bruce live at his finest. The preacher taking his flock to a better place.

John Madden - TurDucken = Tim Russert

2005-11-01T22:42:00.000-08:00

Richard Bradley blogs a funny anecdote on Huffington Post about the man who wouldn't know a follow-up question if it...well, let's just say he wouldn't know a follow-up question...
--------------------
The Tim Russert Story Todd Purdum Wouldn't Tell You
by Richard Bradley

Like Arianna, I was bemused by the big wet kiss the Times' Todd Purdum gave Russert on Sunday. So here's one little anecdote that I would have loved to see worked into the Russert profile.

Last June Russert gave the Class Day address at Harvard. He was invited primarily because the Harvard administration was upset about the raunchy speech given by comedian Ali G the previous year.

But students were unhappy about the invitation to Russert, because they rightly considered him the officially-sanctioned speaker and because they knew that Russert gave a ton of commencement speeches.

So one group of enterprising students dug up the graduation speeches Russert had given...and found that they were pretty much exactly alike.

Suspecting more of the same, they printed up bingo cards with Russert's phrasing in the squares. "You know, I'm often asked my favorite Meet the Press stories...." Or: "As Justice Frankfurter admonished...." Or: "So I called Whitey Ford...."

The Bingo cards were distributed to members of the graduating class in the audience. And after a few minutes, you started to hear cries of "Bingo!" interrupting Russert's speech every time he uttered a line like, "My late colleague David Brinkley once reminisced..." Or. "Mother Teresa....she's a modern-day saint."

Until finally the "Bingo!" was almost as loud as the quite confused Russert, who wrapped up his speech in a hurry.

It's not the most important story in the world. But it does show that a bunch of college kids had a little more skepticism about and perspective on the power of Washington journalists than did a reporter from the New York Times.

I'm just wild about Harry (not that there's anything wrong with that)...

2005-11-01T19:17:00.000-08:00

Why did Harry Reid do what he did today?
-----------------------------------------------
Before the Election: Pat Roberts on completing Phase 2 of the Senate Intel report (July 9, 2004): "It is a priority. I made my commitment and it will get done."
-----------------------------------------------
After the Election: Pat Roberts on the Phase 2 Report:

- "I don't think there should be any doubt that we have now heard it all regarding prewar intelligence. I think that it would be a monumental waste of time to replow this ground any further." (March 31, 2005)

- "To go though that exercise, it seems to me, in a post-election environment--we didn't see how we could do that and achieve any possible progress. I think everybody pretty well gets it." (March 31, 2005)

- "[Phase 2] is basically on the back burner." (March 10, 2005)

I've never been so proud to be a 'gumba'

2005-10-31T17:08:00.000-08:00

From Daily Kos; Hunter's diary, who is a typically serene and informative blogger, reacts to Drudge and others, calling the left's objection to Alito a racist 'anti-Italian American' attack.

My Papa would be proud.

I guess Sheryl Swoopes really did open the door...

2005-10-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

How 'bout them White Sox!

Congratulations, Ozzie. On the World Series win, and also on however and whoever you want to celebrate with. There's champagne in the locker room...

Is Paris Hilton our hero, the wind beneath our wings?

2005-10-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

I recall about six months ago, the LA Times covered the thousands of mothers and daughters who'd turned out at Brea Mall for a personal appearance by Paris Hilton. I read, by both generations in attendance that Ms. Hilton was a hero, as in "She's a hero to my daughter" (and no, hero in Paris' case is not meant as a misspelled anagram).

If Hero is how someone describes Paris Hilton, what word do we use for Rosa Parks?

Is Dubya back on the blow?

2005-10-24T17:28:00.000-07:00

Today's New York Daily news ran an article on our President's state of mind , in recent days. It seems that dubya has been frustrated and angry. I can't imagine why?

I believe that he is back to his old habits... woofing down some rails, to escape reality.

I mean come on! Who doesn't think that they can rule the world after a few lines?

Congresswoman Sanchez throws down some raunch!

2005-10-21T18:14:00.000-07:00

Well it's not exactly raunchy but the Congresswoman who reps the great city of La Mirada put out a list today, of the top ten reasons that she won't date a Republican.

My favorite is #5:

Because when Republicans say that they want to create opportunities for minorities, that means they want to date me and [her sister] Loretta.

Enjoy!

Porn for the Video iPods!!!!!

2005-10-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

Staying in the adult theme...

You knew it would happen... but this fast!? Porn has been instrumental in the launching of VHS and then the internet and now porn will take the video iPod to become the best selling personal media player ever!

Think of the possibility with porn in your pocket, totally accessible 24/7....

Praying for Rain...

2005-10-19T17:19:00.000-07:00

This ad for Playboy is posted on a billboard in Dusseldorf, Germany, before and after a rain storm. The content is risque in America, Saudi Arabia, and other places where democracy is on the run, but is harmless through most of the civilized world.

Progressive Talk on Armed Forces Network?.. Not quite yet.

2005-10-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that we have all, at one time or another, listened to Air America or some of the other new progressive talk radio.
I often try to listen to Al Franken in the morning. It's a great example of what intelligent progressive talk radio could be. I do miss Katherine though...

The other show that I try to catch as often as possible is the Ed Shultz Show. Ed does his show from Fargo North Dakota, which in it's self gives the show a flavor that is definitely not from the right or left coast. He does not screen callers, which makes for an entertaining afternoon, and he also throws in just a splash of sports.

I believe that he has the best chance out of all of the progressive talk shows to make it into the mainstream. He sits just left of center and sounds like the ex-sportscaster-turned-talk-show-host. He has just broke into his 100th market and he was to begin to get an hour a day on Armed Forces Network this past Monday. Friday was the day that the 'spontaneous' video conference that Dubya was to have with some servicemen in Iraq, that was blown up by some pool footage showing Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Allison Barber coaching the soldiers before the conference. Well 'Big Eddie' has some fun with the story as did John Stewart anyone with a sense of humor.

Monday morning, the day was supposed to begin on AFN, Ed's producer received a phone call from Allsion Barber telling him that the show would not be carried. People for the American Way have been watching this and it is starting to get some other media attention.

Dealing With Fitzmas

2005-10-18T14:37:00.000-07:00

I had to cross post this from dkos.

Every time that I think that I spend too much time trolling the blogs, I find something like this.

It's so true...

My project part 1 - The Demo

2005-10-15T18:21:00.000-07:00

Remember the patio?
We had some good times out there!

The side of the garage before we began.

The city made us make the garage 'two car" before they would let us add the new bedroom.

The demoltion begins.

It's amazing how much concrete, tile and dirt had to be removed.

So far we have removed 24 cubic yards of concrete and tile and 32 cubic yards of dirt.

Our Community...

2005-10-15T17:57:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of building a 'community' here at the Gee Spot, I would like to offer the suggestion that the contributors offer up any personal projects that they may be working on at the time, in addition to our ruminations on poitics and life. For instance Repka could offer some artwork, Herman can offer up some of his writting.

To move this along I will be posting an ongoing series on my most creative endeavor at the moment:

My Remodal and Addition...

The Referendum...

2005-10-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

Riverbend (... I'll meet you 'round the bend my friend, where hearts can heal and souls can mend...) is a young adult woman who authors Baghdad Burning. She posts bi-monthly or thereabouts, and her take on the day-to-day inside of such an unstable environment is heartbreaking and yet her descriptions of the interaction with her family and her community remind us that Baghdad is not that different from life here.

It makes a fine companion to Juan Cole's blog, which is linked on this page and which Greg has mentioned...her latest is from yesterday, just before the vote...

Wycleaf and Norah

2005-10-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorites; Wycleaf Jean and Norah Jones have recorded a new single called "Any Other Day". They have been playing if on Morning Becomes Eclectic this week. Great track... And it's for hurricane relief.
It's only available on MSN's music service... no iTunes... yet.

I refuse to link to MSN Music.

Shwartzenagger - Pro Choice?

2005-10-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

As the campaign for the very very special election in California gets underway in earnest, it seems that Gov. Gropenfuhrer is trying to rally the Christian conservatives around Proposition 73. Proposition 73, you say? I know about propositions 74 through 77... I mean how can you not... all those TV commercials with the teachers and firefighters.

As it turns out Arnold has been paying visits to Christian radio stations stumping his support on propositions 74 through 77... and then he mentions proposition 73, which creates a law that would require anyone under 18 years of age to get parental permission to get an abortion. Which initiative do you think will interest them most?

Here's the link to the LA Times article Praise the Lord and Pass the Initiative.

BuyBlue.org sez "Arnold: Not So Good"

2005-10-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

BuyBlue.org (Starbucks, Yes; Dominos, No) e-mailed me today to tell me that, I hope you're all sitting down, Gov. Gropenfuhrer may not have our best interest at heart with his little special election deal next month, and they spell it all out with their Special election Proposition analysis.

Enjoy...

Fit Like Who?????

2005-10-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

It seems that Big Time has had another disappointment. Poor guy!
Scooter Libby is about to be indicted, he just had two aneurysms removed behind his knees AND "Fit Like Dick" , a diet and exercise book written by Cheney, has had it's release postponed again.

Well it's a good thing that his Halliburton stock is doing well.

List of U.S. Presidential religious affiliations

2005-10-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

I've always operated under the impression that this type of reference material would be Esoterica, but the right keeps introducing us to Miss Information. The only way to fight off Miss Information's advances is with the garlic necklace of knowledge, Wikipedia...

Link: List of US Presidential religious affiliations

Also, The Jefferson Bible, if you're not familiar, was Jefferson's attempt at pulling all of the supernatural elements out of the bible and sticking to Jesus' message about everybody being cool to everybody...

Sliming Al Gore

2005-10-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Spin becomes Truth becomes Legend. One of my essential blogs is the Daily Howler. The blog's author, Bob Somerby, is obsessed with spin that works it's way into myth because of a lazy, dilettante, mainstream press corps.

Legend No. 1: "It was the right-wing media who slimed Al Gore in 2000 and put GWB into the White House." Somerby has an avalanche of writing from over the years which shows how The New York Times and the Washington Post led the charge on Al Gore for 18 months prior to the election (partly because of personal animus towards him - also disdain for both of the Clintons being the main reasons).

The reason I write about this is because he returns to the subject today (hit the link above and scroll down to "Born Too Late:", and read his blog as often as possible, because it's pretty compelling...

The Vatican Needs Candace Bushnell

2005-10-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

More Harriet fun...

2005-10-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

I just heard on the news that Harriet is looking forward to being seriously dril--wait...okay--grilled by Senate Judiciary members...

Harriett! Harriet Loves! Harriet Loves Greeting Cards! (Wonkette)

ALCS Game One

2005-10-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

5.15: Angels plane to Chicago is diverted to DC for meet & greet with Harriet Miers. They arrive at U.S. Cellular field for game one approximately 35 minutes before game time...
5.22: First annoying Fox post-season gimmick arrives in the form of an annoying animated baseball (looking like the progeny of Ralph Reed and Fred Durst) with an annoying explanation of the split-finger fastball...
5.33: GA goes yard. 1-0 Halos...
5.58: The gutty street toughness of these Angels recalls Journey during the "Separate Ways" era...
6.41: Lou Pinella should not consider a career as an announcer...
7.40: One inning to go. There's simply NO WAY they can lose now...
8.12: Halos 3, Pale Hose 2...Brother what a night it really was, brother what a fight it really was, glory be!

You know...For Kids!

2005-10-11T14:21:00.000-07:00

From Atrios: Time to start thinking about what goes under the Xmas Bush!

Harriet Mier's Blog

2005-10-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

Finally all of the information that we need to make this critical decision.
The blog of the #1 smartest President ever's #1 pick to be the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court!

Morre vs Bush

2005-10-10T15:59:00.000-07:00

Go check out this great Slate article by Timothy Noah about Judge Moore.

Good times!

Who do you digg?

2005-10-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

I have been merely observing the blogosphere for the last several months. It is a curious world. There are many reasons why people blog. Some, like my buddy Blake, and his Road To Know Where are trying to help people with their PC troubles… or so it seems.

I have been watching Blake’s ‘Road To Know Where’ evolve over the last few months. It started as a whim… a way for Blake to not have to keep sending our his PC news updates to all of his clients, friends and family. I was happy that he stopped sending those out, because while I am a good friend, I am also a life long Mac user. That’s right, I have NEVER owned a PC in my life. And while I may find his article on sending anonymous email interesting, I have no use for October 5th’s entry New Windows XP MSCONFIG.

My favorite blogs are political. Daily Kos is my favorite. My good friend John has also turned me onto Juan Cole's Blog for the latest news and insightful commentary on the Middle East and Talking Points Memo for a great liberal commentary on what’s up in all things political.

Having access to stuff like this makes this whole blogging thing worthwhile.

Finally my guilty pleasure blog is The Defamer This is the best inside scoop that you can get on the entertainment industry.

More later… like how certain people become obsessed with that number of diggs that they get at digg.com Digg.com.