Friday, February 15, 2008

John McCrazy: A Career in Pandering

Maybe he should rename his bus "The Straight Panda Express," and put a picture of cute little panda on deres flip-flopping...

John McCain — Panderer Extraordinaire

* Pander On Tax Cuts: In 2001, McCain was one of just two GOP senators to vote against Bush’s destructive tax cuts. Now, however, McCain makes a point of touting his support for making Bush’s tax cuts permanent.
* Pander On Stimulus: For the past few months, McCain has been declaring that passing an economic stimulus package is at the very top of his agenda. Yet when the Senate voted earlier this month on a generous bill providing increased assistance to seniors and veterans, McCain skipped the vote. The bill fell just one vote short of passage, a victory for the far right.
* Pander To Karl Rove: In the 2000 presidential campaign, Karl Rove launched vicious smear tactics against McCain on behalf of Bush’s campaign. Recently, however, McCain has embraced the right-wing political operative. He said that he has “always respected Karl Rove as one of the smart great political minds I think in American politics” and specifically refused to condemn Rove’s partisan smears.
* Pander On Immigration: McCain was a co-sponsor of
the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to illegal immigrants’ kids who graduate from high school. Now, to make the nativist elements in his party happy, he’s against it.
* Pander to U.N. Critics: McCain used to champion the
Law of the Sea convention, even volunteering to testify on the treaty’s behalf before a Senate committee. Now, to pander to U.N. critics, he opposes it.
* Pander to Abortion-Rights Opponents: McCain used to say he
would not support a reversal of Roe v. Wade. Now, to pander to his party’s base, he’s said the opposite.
* Pander to the Religious Right: McCain condemned radical TV preachers like Jerry Falwell as “agents of intolerance” in 2000, but once he began running for president again, he pandered to the religious right by
cozying up to the man who said Americans “deserved” the 9/11 attacks.
* Pander to Iowans: McCain was anti-ethanol before the 2008 campaign. Once on the trail in Iowa, he became
pro-ethanol.
* Pander to South Carolinians: McCain was against official promotion of the Confederate flag, but in 2000, hoping to curry favor with South Carolinians,
pandered shamelessly on the issue, and later conceded that his position was one of “cowardice.”

Olbermann also played a clip of him last night from a debate where he said "gay couples should be allowed to marry in some sort of ceremony," and then minutes later after the debate he flip-flopped and said they shouldn't be allowed to get married.

Huskies

I was watching the coverage of the shooting this morning when I almost saw Matt Lauer go the way of right-wingnuts. He asked one of the students "were you in the classroom when someone yelled out - 'he is reloading'?" It seems like a little comment but it brought back a number of memories.

The students thankfully answered him with a quick "no." If you remember, well after the VA Tech shooting, a few vocal voices suggested that (1) the students should have jumped the shooter while he was reloading or (2) that if the students had guns they could have returned fire. Frightening. What the students did was run. And for good reason - the graffiti found in the bathroom not long ago threatened that a rampage at NIU would be different, because unlike the VA Tech shootings, there would be more than one gunman. What the students on TV this morning did discuss was their fear that when they left the building, they would be picked off by another sniper, or their fear that entering another building would not provide safe refuge, because of their fear of other gunmen. It sounded like the students had a good memory of that grafitti, but it was strange that the news did not ask about it.

I don't see how the fairly quick response by the school or the actions of the students can be called into question, though the information coming out about the rampage is far from complete.

I don't know that you can call a country where you have to arm yourself to go to school or work or shopping a "society." At least not a civilized one. Where do we go from here?

And without further ado, this link wasn't hard to find.

formidable moisture (cont'd)

News item: A major storm lifts into the Midwest Sunday with a cocktail of precipitation. The moisture available to it will be formidable. It could be one of the wettest weather systems to traverse the nation's Heartland this winter. The Chicago area may be subject to the system's full range of precipitation (frogs? ed.). Early forecast trends suggest the metro area could sit astride the storm's so-called "rain/snow line".

what the phokk is wrong with us?

This post on the NIU killing spree mirrors my experience pretty well. I had a really good film class in Cole Hall, a really awful math class, and went too infrequently to Cine Club, a much better film series than we deserved given how few people showed up for it.

Silly, Just Silly

Partisan divide confusing to some
Republican's on Clemens' side; McNamee's lawyer sees pardon coming



What's so confusing about schmuks backing schmuks?

"Cut-off" aka "We didn't see that coming...Doh!...we're phokking idiots!"

Whither the weather?
This was the view of snow-covered Palomar Mountain from Valley Center during a break in the weather as San Diego County is unexpectedly pelted when a storm that forecasters call a “cut-off” system stalls over the region, resulting in showers around the county, some thunder, hail and snow.

Yeah, dat's snow in SoCal. It's frigid here right now! My feet are cold!! Ok, it's 45, but i almost had to put a hat on for my walk home tonight. Dat's tough.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Why journalists SUCK (cont)

Jane Fonda uses vulgar slang on 'Today', NBC apologizes

First, of course, who da phokk cares? Second, why is dis news? Third, dey don't tell you what she said that required an apology. You have to read the comments to find out what she said, not the story itself. And, of course, dose people in the comments might be lying up a storm, those lying liars. So after reading the story, I still did not know what had happened. Way to go Trib!

Hey Boner, make sure the door hits you on the ass (around the neck and shoulders) on the way out...

...and don't come back, ya hear?

Crybaby Boehner and Republicans walk out of Congress

I love it that he calls the Democrats out for "political grandstanding" before they walk out.

The grandstanding is voting on the Bushies' cronies contempt of Congress for refusing to testify...

[insert own joke here]

Aramis Ramirez admitted to raising roosters for fighting in an interview with a Dominican cockfighting magazine. We read that magazine, but only for the articles. It's not much of an admission, considering cockfighting is a legal and accepted part of Dominican culture. Ramirez, like Pedro Martinez, will probably face backlash from animal rights groups, but the fact is that most Dominican players probably have at least a tenuous connection to the pastime.

a cockfighting magazine?? (ok, one comment)

dere is annudder doomsday direkkly behind dis one (cont'd)

Chicago schools to Springfield: We need $180 million

News item: Chicago Public Schools officials said Thursday they need an additional $180 million in state aid to balance the fiscal 2009 budget. But they stopped short of threatening to shut schools, lay off teachers or take other severe steps if the money doesn’t arrive.

(Springfield to Chicago schools: go phokk yourselves... ed.)

save time & money: just throw darts

You remember dat "sunny forecast" from da udder day? Not only have we been fogged in for the last two days, but now it's raining. Dat's right, RAINING! (is winter ever going to end? damn dat phokking groundhog!).

The only thing worse than these snake-oil salesmen are economists. Did you see their "forecast" for consumer spending in January? Down 0.3%. What actually happened? Up o.3%. Next month, based on January, they will predict anudder uptick. Which means, the economy will back-slide again.

No Hawk and D.J.? ridicurous...

Frick Award to be announced Tuesday

The winner of the 2008 Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball," will be announced this Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 2 p.m. ET.

Joe Nuxhall (82,304 fan votes), Bill King (7,659) and Joe Morgan (6,065) earned spots on the 10-person ballot through online fan voting. The three fan selections are joined by Tom Cheek, Ken Coleman, Dizzy Dean, Tony Kubek, Graham McNamee, Dave Niehaus and Dave Van Horne. The recipient of the award will be honored during 2008 Hall of Fame Weekend, July 25-28, in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Bu$#!+ometer

Bush defends US record on Darfur

US President George W Bush has defended his decision not to send troops to the Sudanese region of Darfur, despite what he calls a genocide taking place there.

He called it a "seminal decision" not to intervene with force, taken partly out of the desire not to send US troops into another Muslim country.

Well, now we know. There's a 'quota' on how many Muslim countries we can be in at any given time. No wonder Iran's going nuts - they know we can't invade or we'd go over the quota and what, the world would end? So if we pulled out of Iraq, then we could go into Darfur?

Or perhaps this is because of the unfortunate use of the word "crusade" earlier on in the Presidency? Now we can't go into a country that's had issues between a Muslim north and Christian south?

Or are the Sudanese too dark to spill our blood over? I mean, they do have oil there...

What could go wrong?

My prediction - we'll "miss" and hit a Chinese or Russian spy satellite instead...

US 'to shoot down spy satellite'

The Pentagon is said to want to shoot the craft down from a shipThe US military is planning to shoot down a broken spy satellite due to crash land on Earth in the next few weeks, US news agency AP reports.

Pentagon officials are quoted as saying they want to fire a missile from a US Navy ship to destroy the satellite before it enters the atmosphere.

Last month, officials said the satellite had lost power and could contain hazardous materials.

The Pentagon is due to hold a briefing on the subject later.

The broken satellite was expected to hit the top of the Earth's atmosphere by the end of February or early March.

It is believed to be the size of a small bus and weigh about 20,000lb (9,000kg). There has been a lot of speculation that the craft contains a high quantity of hydrazine rocket fuel that would cause it to explode on re-entry.

When news of the spy satellite's problems was first announced last month, the White House said it was monitoring the situation.

A spokesman said "numerous" satellites had come out of orbit and fallen back to Earth harmlessly over the years.

How sKILLy duz it



Going for da record

Zimbabwe's annual inflation rate soared to 66,212.3% in December, according to official figures.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Da Huckster: FULL@S#IT: SHOCKING

I had a conversation the other day about what kind of "degree" Mike Huckabee actually received.

Totally ripped off from Wikipedia:

Huckabee married his wife, Janet McCain*, on May 25, 1974.[11] He graduated magna cum laude from Ouachita Baptist University, completing his bachelor's degree in Religion in 2½ years before attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, where he dropped out after one year.[12][13][14]

Huckabee:
"I have a bachelor of arts in religion and a minor in communications in my undergraduate work. And then I have 46 hours on a master's degree at Southwestern Theology Seminary. So, my degree as a theological degree is at the college level and then 46 hours toward a masters -- three years of study of New Testament Greek, and then the rest of it, all in Seminary was theological studies, but my degree was actually in religion."

Even though he said during a debate, "I'm the only guy on that stage with a theology degree," his degree was actually in religion. He doesn't have a degree in theology (sorry "Rev", a B.A. in religion doesn't qualify). An actual minister should have a Master of Divinity. I knew Martin Luther King, Jr...Martin Luther King, Jr. was a friend of mine (dad)...Mike Huckabee is no Martin Luther King, Jr. (uh, NO S#IT).

So, in my opinion, Mike Huckabee is FULL@S#IT.

*McCain?!

anudder Smiff success story

Hakim Warrick* had 23 points and eight rebounds on 11-of-17 shooting in a second consecutive start for the Grizzlies on Wednesday. That's two solid lines in a row, and while we don't trust coach Marc Iavaroni, Warrick should be picked up in most formats. Then just hope he keeps it going after the break.
*I've actually heard of him since he was a Syracuse Orange.

Shocker

Blackhawks win! Score 7 goals! One guy had a hattrick! Chicago is going nuts, I think I heard the air raid sirens go off. I'd link to the recap, but The Daily Show is coming up...

sKILLy's forecast

So sKILLy's going thru the forecast for this weekend, and apparently things are not very certain (duh). We're supposed to get really cold weather Sunday, but the question is whether we'll get more snow. sKILLy says the European, Canadian and Japanese computer models have us buried in snow, while the WGN and the Navy models have the snow staying south of the Chicagoland area. So, let's watch this weekend and see who's right, the forners or the good ol' USA.

what a flip-flop: McCain NOW FOR torture

Just pathetic... and this may lead one to ask: what did McCain give up to the Viet Cong as a result of torture? Must have worked, huh? 

Who’s Your Maverick? John McCain Votes In Favor Of Torture

The Senate voted today to ban the CIA from using torture on suspected terrorists and the most famous POW in the Senate voted against the bill. The Maverick is now most assuredly dead and the betrayal is complete. The blogosphere was all over this issue, and thankfully the measure passed, but for McCain, it was a show of pure cowardice. In other words, the Senator who himself was tortured for years and has previously spoken out against it, voted to allow the use of torture on others to save his political hide and pander to a party base that despises him. Shame on you, Senator. Is this the sort of weakness you want from your Commander in Chief?

Tell me again how this no jobs, more wars, pro-torture, pro-Bush tax cuts, anti-choice, pro-surge Republican is going to draw Independents and Democrats to his side this fall? As a side note, would it surprise you that alleged Democratic caucus members Senators Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman also voted for torture today?



Like i've been saying: Phokk Everyting

Is gloominess really such a bad thing?
The push for being positive has some seeing value in staying sad.
» Sweet sorrow NPR.org
Find articles on how crying helps
Meditation and the ‘monkey mind’

More Shameless Capitalism

http://www.centurypeat.com/

Only Cubs fans would pay $30 for a hat and t-shirt about how $#!++y they are...

Shameless Capitalism

Google wants us to earn money from our blog with relevant ads from Google AdSense. Or so the little ad says whenever I post. Should we do it? We could be billionaires with all the crap we come up with here, it must relate to beer and soda and boner pills somehow. Not to mention the weather - raincoat companies and umbrella stores and snow plowers - they can all advertise on the LoC.

Is it just me...

...or did something happen to the formatting on the site? The bottom where the labels et al are situated looks, well, wonky. Scrunched up. Not good. Did someone like change the font or something?

by "slower" they could only mean "run backwards"

Brown Line work to mean slower trains into Loop
Southbound service to be limited to one track at Belmont, Fullerton as of March 30
Will the living envy the dead?

Brown, Red and Purple Line riders will see a faster commute out of downtown but a slower one heading into the Loop beginning March 30... On March 30, the CTA plans to reopen another northbound track at the Belmont Avenue station. Currently, the Brown, Purple and Red Line trains share one track, which creates congestion as trains take turns accessing the station... At the same time, southbound service on those lines will be restricted to one track at the Belmont and Fullerton Avenue stations until June 30, 2009, or the onset of the end times, whichever comes later, as work begins on expanding those platforms and reconfiguring tracks.

"Unfortunately, it means that during construction, passengers will see longer commute times because trains (will be backed up during rush hours)," said CTA President Ron Huberman, who presented the changes Wednesday during the agency’s monthly board meeting.

The CTA will attempt to run a train every two minutes to help combat the congestion... (wait a minute... won't that make things more congested? ed.)

our long civic nightmare resumes (cont'd)

News item: Cubs pitchers and catchers report today
News item: Dempster predicts Series title for Cubs

fool us three times...

Bush Thinks McCain Can Defend President's Legacy

Hard to pick a favorite line here.

The rezzz-i-dunce has become convinced that McCain will be an effective and strong defender of the Bush legacy in the general election campaign this fall, White House advisers tell U.S. News...

Bush believes that over the past seven years, his politics have strengthened the country, especially his moves to cut taxes, fight tarrrrism, and insist on victory in the Iraq war. Bush believes McCain is loyal to those goals and will strongly defend Bush if McCain proceeds to lock up the Republican presidential nomination, as expected.

"I know him well," Bush said. (Has he looked within his soul? ed.) "I know his convictions..."

As if things weren't bad enough already...


And, there is a blog for everything.

dey knew da risks... i say let 'em slip and fall...

When even walking is risky

Straight-Talker: tourture bad, kangaroo court executions good

"I'm sorry that it has taken so long," McCain told Reuters. "Let's begin this process."

Annudder Smart@$$

The Ranger informally inquired about becoming a regular contributer to the LoC. Something about Commandos not being fulfilling enuff. Since I am unfamiliar with the process used the last time a smartass wanted to be added (because it was moi), I'm opening it up to the floor. Should we let him in? Does he know da risks? Do we need annudder smartass? Can you have enuff smartasses?

maybe he could work for the Justice Dept?

Clemens struggles under questioning

Clemens pressed by Congress, denies accusations by Pettitte, McNamee

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Roger Clemens struggled to find the right words under questioning during a congressional hearing Wednesday and denied new accounts of drug use made against him by former teammate and close friend Andy Pettitte.

Using words like "misremembered" and mispronouncing the last name of his chief accuser, Brian McNamee, Clemens rambled and stumbled during his early remarks on Capitol Hill.

Clemens' reputation and legacy were on the line, and there was the possibility that criminal charges could follow after the seven-time Cy Young winner testified.

"I have never taken steroids or HGH," Clemens said, his voice rising. "No matter what we discuss here today, I am never going to have my name restored."

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

it's tough - but somebody's gotta do it

Forecast for
San Diego, California:
230 PM PST TUE FEB 12 2008



  
WEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAYSATURDAYSUNDAYMONDAY

Mostly
Sunny
Mostly
Sunny
Mostly
Sunny
Mostly
Sunny
Mostly
Sunny
Mostly
Sunny


Hi: 69°F
Lo: 48°F
Hi: 67°F
Lo: 45°F
Hi: 67°F
Lo: 47°F
Hi: 69°F
Lo: 46°F
Hi: 70°F
Lo: 47°F
Hi: 71°F
Lo: 47°F

move along - nothing to see here


I think we need to move past the notion that the U.S. and A. is still a country of 'so-called ideals.' 

Before we throw good money after bad, let's study how China handles this problem this year

Might be easier to just, like, I dunno, move em outta da way someplace...

News item: Four foundations are contributing a total of $3.5 million to help improve some of the city’s poorer neighborhoods in anticipation of hosting the 2016 Olympic Games.

The U.S. Senate: PATHETIC

Senate Votes For Retroactive Immunity

I don't know if Dianne Feinstein is going to run again, but if she does i'm voting for a 3rd party fruitbat... Other spineless Democrats:

The final tally was 31-67; crossing over to vote nay were Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Evan Bayh (D-IA), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ken Salazar (D-CO), Tom Carper (D-DE), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Jim Webb (D-VA), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Kent Conrad (D-ND), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

And just like the Politburo, the Replutocrats were lock step with Dumbya again...

Pseudo-Journalism

Honestly, I think sports journalism is all about throwing something out there and waiting for the flame war to begin. How is that different from this blog? Not much. Except they get paid. And call themselves journalists.

Rick Morrissey: Illinois fans can consider Bob Knight

Somehow, I don't think the Illini are that desperate.

who's hating America today?

The Berkeley City Council, today and every day. Somehow even calling them "Americans" in quotation marks feels like giving them too much credit.

Berkeley is bracing to outdo even itself today.

The City Council chambers will be the focus of all-day protests, and not just from the usual assortment of liberal activists. Pro-military groups will also be out in force as the famously left-leaning body considers whether to rescind its Jan. 29 statement calling the U.S. Marines and their Shattuck Avenue recruiting station "uninvited and unwelcome intruders."

these things happen

Snow advisory canceled

The National Weather Service about 5 a.m. canceled a snow advisory that was to extend through 4 p.m. after less than an inch of snow fell overnight at O'Hare International Airport Monday night and a storm did not develop as predicted over the area...

Monday, February 11, 2008

catchy

Bad News...

...Artificial sweeteners may lead to weight gain

Guess dis means going back to regular diet & exercise. When are dey going to cure dis problem wit us wanting to eat & eat & eat? If dey can make a boner pill, surely dey can make one dat makes me not absorb da food I eat? Just make it pass thru? Please?

Sunday, February 10, 2008

She just sounded so obnoxious...

So I googled the spokesperson for the McCain campaign, Jill Hazlebaker and found this little oldie but goodie from mydd.com:

Kean-employed Liar Jill Hazelbaker Busted in the New York Times

by Matt Stoller, Thu Sep 21, 2006 at 01:07:04 AM EST

Republicans seem to be learning bad lessons from Dan Gerstein and Lee Siegel about lying and sockpuppetry.

The Internet postings came from people calling themselves "cleanupnj," "usedtobeblue" and "AmadeusNJ." They said they were concerned Democrats, "lifelong liberals," and they were troubled by the United States senator from New Jersey, Robert Menendez.

Mr. Menendez, they said, was up to no good. For instance, did you notice that a Congressional lawyer who Mr. Menendez said cleared him of ethics issues regarding a controversial real estate deal died last year? Wasn't there something fishy about that?

But the liberal Democratic hosts of BlueJersey.com, the Web log where such comments were posted, smelled something fishy about the postings, and said they traced them to a computer inside the campaign headquarters of Mr. Menendez's Republican opponent, Thomas H. Kean Jr.

They suspect the person behind the postings, which have appeared on the site regularly since July, is Mr. Kean's campaign spokeswoman, Jill Hazelbaker. Ms. Hazelbaker called the accusations "nonsense," and said neither she nor anyone else she knows of in the office had anything to do with the postings. "I've never e-mailed them nor posted on the Web site," she said on Wednesday. "It's a blog. You can't believe what's posted on blogs." She declined to make Mr. Kean available to discuss the matter.

The Kean campaign's technical adviser said that the Internet protocol, or I.P., address that linked the posts to the Kean headquarters was an old one, "from over a month ago." But an e-mail message Ms. Hazelbaker sent to a reporter on Wednesday shares the same I.P. address.

Hazelbaker simply lied to reporters, and Juan Melli of Bluejersey and official rabid lamb leader of New Jersey busted her (check out the funny comments by Scott Shields and Matt Miller). I'm not worried about the New Jersey race poll numbers - most people in New Jersey probably don't know that it's Tom Kean Jr. running rather than Tom Kean Sr yet, but they will in a few weeks.

Blogs like Bluejersey and Colorado Confidential provide an essential platform for progressives to achieve power. I have no idea why Tom Kean's spokesperson is posting on Bluejersey and lying about it to New York Times reporters. She's probably just sort of stupid and arrogant. But it's good that Hazelbaker getting busted flat-out now when it doesn't matter, so that journalists will know to double-check her nonsense when the campaign really heats up in November.

Smiff drinks...more?

A new discovery: absinthe. Though at $18 a pop I dare say this indulgence will be few and far between. If you like licorice and lots of alcohol (160 proof!) w/o really tasting it, then this is the drink for you...

Suckers.

Chicago:
Sunday... Windy. Mostly sunny. Very cold. Highs 3 to 7 above. Lowest wind chill readings 25 below to 35 below zero in the morning. Northwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph at times until late afternoon decreasing to 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph at times late in the afternoon. S#i+ freezing up. Locusts (frozen). Cats and dogs frozen together. And the kicker is: you're frozen and dead.

San Diego:
Record high today: 77
Sunday...Mostly sunny in the morning...becoming partly cloudy. Highs 63 to 68 near the coast to 68 to 73 inland. Light winds. Smiff sunning his toenails? Could happen...