Sed quis custodiet ipsos cutodes

Or as Socrates said "Who will protect us against the protectors?"

A staff sergeant in the Maryland Air National Guard and a computer systems engineer thought his helmet video camera would. But after "he taped a Maryland state trooper who stopped him for speeding on I-95 using a camera mounted on his helmet [and then] posted the video on YouTube" he was arrested, charged with violating the state's wiretapping law, and jailed for 26 hours.

Many states have laws against 'wiretapping. In Florida, it a crime to intercept or record a "wire, oral, or electronic communication" unless all parties to the communication consent. But it is not a crime where "the parties do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the conversation."

In the Maryland case, the judge ruled "that police have no expectation of privacy in their public, on-the-job communications." He wrote "Those of us who are public officials and are entrusted with the power of the state are ultimately accountable to the public. When we exercise that power in public fora, we should not expect our actions to be shielded from public observation. 'Sed quis custodiet ipsos cutodes' ('Who watches the watchmen?')." Read the Washington Post, Charges dropped in cyclist, trooper taping.

It's open season on recording elected officials, at least in Maryland.

The Republi-2010 Election Pledge-CON

UPDATE II: "Will the rhetoric of the House Republicans’ Pledge to America win over Tea Party members?" Read The New York Times, The Seduction of the Tea Partiers.


UPDATE: Jon Stewart on GOP déjà vu:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Postcards From the Pledge
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

"Extravagant promises and bluster are the stuff of campaign rhetoric, but the House Republicans’ “Pledge to America,” which promises a lot but is devoid of tough policy choices, goes far beyond the norm." Read The New York Times, The G.O.P.’s ‘Pledge’.

Cheer Up Monday

From a friend -- the 10 best caddy replies:

# 10 -- Golfer: "Think I'm going to drown myself in the lake."
Caddy: "Think you can keep your head down that long?"

# 9 -- Golfer: "I'd move heaven and earth to break 100 on this course."
Caddy: "Try heaven, you've already moved most of the earth."

# 8 -- Golfer: "Do you think my game is improving?"
Caddy: "Yes sir, you miss the ball much closer now."

# 7 -- Golfer: "Do you think I can get there with a 5 iron?"
Caddy: "Eventually."

# 6 -- Golfer: "You've got to be the worst caddy in the world."
Caddy: "I don't think so sir. That would be too much of a coincidence."

# 5 -- Golfer: "Please stop checking your watch all the time. It's too much of a distraction."
Caddy: "It's not a watch - it's a compass."

# 4 -- Golfer: "How do you like my game?"
Caddy: "Very good sir, but personally, I prefer golf."

# 3 -- Golfer: "Do you think it's a sin to play on Sunday?"
Caddy: "The way you play, sir, it's a sin on any day."

# 2 -- Golfer: "This is the worst course I've ever played on."
Caddy: "This isn't the golf course. We left that an hour ago."

# 1 -- Best Caddy Comment.... Golfer: "That can't be my ball, it's too old."
Caddy: "It's been a long time since we teed off, sir."

It Ain't Over 'Til the Fat Lady Gets a Job

UPDATE XI: "Instead of addressing the dismal unemployment picture during Wednesday’s press conference, Ben Bernanke bent to the inflationistas." Read The New York Times, The Intimidated Fed, which notes:

"Lately the inflationistas have seized on rising oil prices as evidence in their favor, even though — as Mr. Bernanke himself pointed out — these prices have nothing to do with Fed policy. The way oil prices are coloring the discussion led the economist Tim Duy to suggest, sarcastically, that basic Fed policy is now to do nothing about unemployment 'because some people in the Middle East are seeking democracy.'

But I’d put it differently. I’d say that the Fed’s policy is to do nothing about unemployment because Ron Paul is now the chairman of the House subcommittee on monetary policy."

UPDATE X: Another told ya so (originally posted in April 2009). "While data zealots have declared the end of the Great Recession, its pain is still very real for millions of Americans." Read The New York Times, We Haven’t Hit Bottom Yet.


UPDATE IX: In the future, will this time be known as 'The Great Unemployment?' Read The Atlantic, How a New Jobless Era Will Transform America.


UPDATE VIII: "Those in the lower-income groups are in a much, much deeper hole than the general commentary on the recession would lead people to believe." Read The New York Times, The Worst of the Pain.


UPDATE VII: From the Washington Post, Digging out of a deep hole:



And who dug the hole, Bush or Obama?


UPDATE VI: The unemployment rate jumped to 10.2 percent in October, the highest since 1983. Read The New York Times, U.S. Unemployment Rate Hits 10.2%, Highest in 26 Years.

But "the truer measure of unemployment -- a total count of everyone who should be working full time but is not -- hit 17.5 percent in October, the highest level in modern times."


UPDATE V: From The New York Times, Comparing This Recession to Previous Ones: Job Losses;



But thank God we saved Government Sachs.


UPDATE IV: Pity the non-government worker, unemployment is still bad, bad, bad. Read The New York Times, A Scary Reality.


UPDATE III: If Obama don't watch out, the unemployed fat lady might crush his presidency. Read the Washington Post, Shaky Economy May Dislodge Obama's Footing.


UPDATE II: How come the fat lady still ain't got a job? Cause there ain't none to be had, unemployment rose last month to 9.5%, and that number is probably an understatement. Read the Washington Post, Job Losses Dampen Hopes for Recovery.

Obama shouldn't have given all the money to the robber banks.


UPDATE: The fat lady still ain't got a job, and her prospects ain't good. Read The New York Times, G.M.’s Latest Plan Envisions a Much Smaller Automaker and Workers Walk the Plank. The later article notes that "[w]hile Wall Street is breaking out the Champagne, the rest of the economy is beyond terrible, and will be for the foreseeable future."

You can thank those Republi-cons and their war on the middle class.

Are happy days here again? Is the economic mess behind us?

There is an old saying, it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings, which means that one shouldn't assume the outcome of some event until it has actually finished.

(FYI: The phrase refers to the final scene of German composer Richard Wagner's opera Der Ring des Nibelungen, aka the Ring cycle, a full performance of which could take place over four nights with a total playing time of 15 hours, in which a heavy-set woman dressed like a valkyrie (Brünnhilde) rides into the funeral pyre of her lover (Siegfried), while singing of course because it is an opera, as the the set collapses and the entire cycle ends up in the Rhine river, where it started.)

Read The New York Times, As Stocks Surge, Fears Linger About the Economy.

After the looting and robbery of the treasury of trillions of dollars, the government has succeeded in propping up the stock market. But the stock market decline wasn't the problem, it was just a symptom.

The real event was an economic downturn, which was caused by massive fraud on Wall Street that was facilitated by deregulation and lack of government oversight, all part of a larger Republi-con decades-long war on the middle class, but that is a subject for another post.

Bottomline, the trillions were a mere band aid to hide the gaping wounds of the economic downturn. And my bet is, it ain't over.

More State Republi-Con Fiscal Conservative Hypocrisy

UPDATE II: Rubio's defense for charging personal expenses to the state Republi-con party credit card, he "spent less in 4 years than Sansom did in 2." Read the Miami-Herald, Marco Rubio charged $4K in home remodeling work on GOP credit card.

You remember Sansom -- over 2½ years, a 25-year-old junior Sansom staffer, who was given a party American Express card, spent nearly $1.3 million. Thousands were spent "on jewelry, sporting goods and in one case $15,000 for what's listed as a monthlong stay at a posh Miami Beach hotel." The Florida Republi-cons spent "$650,000 in lodging, $60,000 in airfare — mostly commercial airlines — and $66,000 for charter planes."

According to a former supporter, Rubio never met a perk he didn’t like and is "ust another career politician looking to line his own pocket."

Now you know why I call them Republi-Cons!


UPDATE: What will he do when he gets a hold of the federal government credit card? St. Petersburg Times, Marco Rubio charged kitchen flooring on GOP credit card?

Another Republi-con fiscal CONservative with money problems. Read the Washington Post, Republican's financial woes recast Ga. race.

He's got a lot in common with Rubio and O'Donnell.

What is Your BrandPrix?

Take the Smart Marketing auto IQ test.

What was your score?

Class Today at NoBullU on WEBY

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6:00 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line.

Topics:

Follow-up: held hostage to the Republi-CON reaction to Nuts and their pimps of fear, anger and hatred;

Local and regional: the big health care lawsuit showdown begins; and Happy 200th Birthday to the Republic of West Florida;

Nation and international: a Republi-CON civil war told ya so; is Palin a 'Democratic double agent'?; the race to November is on; will Crist win?; will it be déjà Miller the Republi-Con Fiscal Conservative Hypocrisy all over again?; not one, not two, but three Republi-con fiscal CONservative with money problems; who wants the Nuts to rule?; those racist Republi-CONs; who wants a religious war?; American political meltdown, the road to poverty; don't furlough, cut federal government pay and benefits; road trip anyone, liar, liar, are your pants a liar?; and are you ready for some football!

and

Donate to a good cause: this week support Pace FL's Woodbine United Methodist's Ray Of Hope Wheelchair Ramp Ministry, as reported recently at the Pensacola News Journal, Ramping it up: Pace church makes wheelchair ramps for people in need.

I'll discuss anything, but expect no mercy if you are a party hack pandering to fear, anger and hatred, because the truth sure makes it hard out there for the party pimps.

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle some ass kickin' discussion of politics and current events.

And remember: I'm still God's favorite Gulf Coast talk show host, just ask the capped well!

For the Fed BS'ers

For a good review of the purpose and importance of the Federal Reserve, read The New York Times, The Fed, Innovation and the Next Recession.

The writers conclusion is somewhat unsettling:

"The 1920s opened with an 18-month recession, an eerie parallel to the 2007-9 experience. It ended with the Great Crash of 1929."

Down-Waisting

UPDATE" Clothing makers lie because people don't want to knowe the truth, "[t]wo-thirds of people in this country are overweight or obese; about a third of adults — more than 72 million — are obese, which is roughly 30 pounds over a healthy weight." Read USA Today, USA is fattest of 33 countries.

As I said before, to pay for the health care cost associated with obesity, tax fats, sugars (especially high fructose corn syrup), processed/prepared foods, and alcohol to pay for basic health care for all.

Politicians do it. Advertisers do it. Cheating spouse do it. Now even your pants do it. Read Esquire, Are Your Pants Lying to You? An Investigation.

Giving new meaning to liar, liar, pants on fire.

Happy 200th Birthday to the Republic of West Florida

Republic of West Florida Flag

"In the early morning hours of Sept. 23, 1810, 75 armed rebels slipped into the Spanish fort at Baton Rouge, and in what was described as a ''sharp and bloody firefight,'' subdued the garrison. They lowered the Spanish flag and raised the Bonnie Blue Flag -- a single white star on a blue field -- that had been adopted for the new nation they called West Florida." Read The New York Times, Little Known Republic in La. Celebrates 200 Years.

For more information, see Southeastern Louisiana University, West Florida Bicentennial Celebration.

Local Republi-Con Fiscal Conservative Hypocrisy

UPDATE: Will it be déjà Miller the Republi-Con Fiscal Conservative Hypocrisy all over again? Could there be another Miller in congress who "who believes the federal government is on the brink of bankruptcy and has called for an end to the 'welfare state,' received federal farm subsidies for land that the fiscal conservative owned. . ." Read the Washington Post, Miller acknowledges getting farm subsidies.

If so, it will be "just another hypocritical politician with one set of rules for himself and one for everyone else."

At Rick's Blog, publius wrote:

"why is there something wrong with not being on the stimulus bill? led by our congressman, there is a proud tradition of pensacola not taking federal handouts–for example, not getting any katrina/rita money (although northern alabama did). Our congressman, who represents us, has railed against the stimulus as wasteful spending. Same for health insurance for poor chldren. Let Miller take a stand. If he’s against it, and he’s at the federal level, then the money shouldnt come here."

publius, you say that Congressman Miller is not in favor of "taking federal handouts" and "has railed against . . . wasteful spending." Surely you jest.

See the list of USDA subsidies in 1st district of Florida, which totaled totaled $184 million from 1995-2006.

Review the list of recipients, including:

1	Griswold Farms ∗	Milton, FL 32571	$3,503,019
2	Walker Farms ∗	Mc David, FL 32568	$2,331,538
3	Diller Farms ∗	Walnut Hill, FL 32568	$2,136,600
4	Jerry Jones	Jay, FL 32565	$1,888,322
5	Paul M Griswold	Milton, FL 32570	$1,850,718
6	Doyle M Hunter	Jay, FL 32565	$1,594,075
7	J W Bauldree Estate	Jay, FL 32565	$1,544,569
8	Hendricks And Son Inc ∗	Jay, FL 32565	$1,503,484
9	B D Hendricks	Jay, FL 32565	$1,494,659
10	Robert G Evers	Baker, FL 32531	$1,423,623
11	Alesia Griswold	Milton, FL 32570	$1,403,854

Know that Congressman Miller is married to the former Vicki Griswold.

Remember that even Congressman Miller got farm subsidies until he thought it might look bad when he ran for public office.

Think Republi-con hypocrisy.

Promise to stay better informed by visiting NoBullU more often.

Class dismissed.

The Race to November is On

UPDATE II: "Republicans are threatening to force a tax increase on the middle class unless they get paid off with tax breaks for the wealthy. It’s an offer Democrats must refuse. . . [Democrats] need to highlight their differences with the G.O.P. — and it’s hard to think of a better place for them to take a stand than on the issue of big giveaways to Wall Street and corporate C.E.O.’s." Read The New York Times, The Tax-Cut Racket.

Time to call the Republi-con bluff!


UPDATE: "Contrary to popular belief, this week’s Tea Party victories haven’t hurt the electoral prospects of Republicans in November. . . [their] damage is all in the future. Right now, the Tea Party doesn’t matter. The Republicans don’t matter. The economy and the Democrats are handing the G.O.P. a great, unearned revival. Nothing, it seems, is more scary than one-party Democratic control. " Read The New York Times, The Backlash Myth.

Not yet anyhow.

And therein lies the Naive-crat election strategy.

Will the Republi-CONs win big in 2010? In order win by "the earth-shattering, upside results that Republicans are dreaming about — they will need for three basic things to happen. First, they will need a solid majority of independent voters to select their candidates. Second, they will need the Democratic base to be disinterested in the election. And third, they will need their own base to be enthused."

And for that to happen, the party establishment and their subsidiary, the Tea Party, will need to make nice, nice.

And therein lies the Naive-crat election strategy.

A Republi-CON Civil War Told Ya So

UPDATE II: What effect will this civil war have in November? Will independent voters abandon the Republi-con party? Not so says one pundit.

"Contrary to popular belief, this week’s Tea Party victories haven’t hurt the electoral prospects of Republicans in November." Read The New York Times, The Backlash Myth.


UPDATE: For more analysis of the meaning of the last group of primary election read the Washington Post, Republicans ride the tea party tiger, Righty pundits on 'suicide' watch, and Bill Clinton: New-look GOP makes Bush look liberal.

Today's top election story is Christine O'Donnell beats Rep. Mike Castle in Delaware Republican Senate primary, which finds this primary outcome "the latest in a string of embarrassments for the Republican establishment this year, underscoring the civil war that continues to rage in the party." As a result, in Delaware Senate race "the Republicans went from being extremely likely to win the race to extremely likely to lose it."

But I (and others) foresaw the civil war.

From an October 2008 post: "Suddenly, the conservative writers are discovering that the very anti-intellectualism their side courted and encouraged has begun to consume their movement." -- Is The Unholy Alliance Coming Apart (which quoted Washington Post, Civil War on the Right)

Other posts and updates over the past year regarding the Republi-con civil war:

A Preview of the 2010 Republi-CON Cat Fight

Are You Ready for Some Republi-CON Smack Down

But the Republi-con know they risk losing in the general election if they don't reach out to independents and moderate Republicans. Look how Rubio has 'veered from the Tea Party script.'

Is it possible the Naive-crats retain control of the House and Senate?

Who Wants the Nuts to Rule?

UPDATE III: Watch the absolutely hilarious Colbert Report on Tuesday's primary results:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Libertea
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

As unlikely as a reasonable person might think, O'Donnell may win in November. She is "poised and telegenic, with a sparkle that her Democratic opponent, Chris Coons, will be hard-pressed to match. She has mastered what should be called the Sarah Palin Affect -- the perkiness, the folksiness, the religiosity, the occasional flash of bared fangs -- and she performs it well."

God help us all.


UPDATE II: And how would the Tea Party rule? "Tea Party candidates this year have voiced opposition to masturbation, support for prohibition and a fear that bicycle-sharing would lead to world government. " Read the Washington Post, The Tea Party: More than just white tea?


UPDATE: This week marks end of primary season, with seven states voting. And not everybody is happy about the way it is ending. "Victories in Republican primaries on Tuesday by Tea Party-backed candidates may complicate Republican efforts to gain control of Congress." Read The New York Times, G.O.P. Braces for More Discontent in Final Primaries.

Also read Politico, Charles Krauthammer rips 'irresponsible' Palin and the Washington Post, The Tea Party: From rebellion to absurdity, with a great quote -- "I could buy a parrot and train it to say, 'tax cuts.'"

Pretty much sums up the Republi-cons.

What is the Tea Party? A "loose agglomeration of right-wing insurgents, libertarians, conservatives, evangelicals, survivalists, gun-rights crusaders, anti-tax protestors, deficit hawks, anti-government zealots, militia members, Ayn Randers, Limbaugh “ditto heads,” Glenn Beck fanatics, birthers, Birchers and supporters of Sarah Palin and Ron Paul." So writes Will Bunch in his new book, The Backlash: Right-Wing Radicals, High-Def Hucksters, and Paranoid Politics in the Age of Obama.

Class Today at NoBullU on WEBY

UPDATE: Show canceled, ask Mike why!

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6:00 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line, courtesy of Cyber Smart Computers.

Topics:

Follow-up: held hostage to the Republi-CON reaction to Nuts and their pimps of fear, anger and hatred;

Local and regional: the big health care lawsuit showdown begins;

Nation and international: a Republi-CON civil war told ya so; is Palin a 'Democratic double agent'?; the race to November is on; who wants the Nuts to rule?; those racist Republi-CONs; who wants a religious war?; Third World America; Restore Truthiness, liar, liar, are your pants a liar?; and are you ready for some football!

and

Donate to a good cause: this week support Pace FL's Woodbine United Methodist's Ray Of Hope Wheelchair Ramp Ministry, as reported recently at the Pensacola News Journal, Ramping it up: Pace church makes wheelchair ramps for people in need.

But I'll discuss anything. Disclaimer: the host reserves the right to end any discussion and hang up on you.)

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle some ass kickin' discussion of politics and current events.

And remember: I'm still God's favorite Gulf Coast talk show host, just ask the capped well!

King Republi-CON

"To hear Rush Limbaugh tell it, the judge hearing a legal challenge to the new health law is a rough-and-tough outdoorsman who should have liberals worried. The truth is more complicated." Read The New York Times, Limbaugh Taken In: The Judge Was Not Loaded for Bear.

Here is a copy of the transcript (as posted by the Pensacola New Journal) of Limpy being a sucker:

"A federal judge says he likely will let go to trial portions of a lawsuit by Florida and 19 other states, including Washington, challenging (Obamacare). But U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson said [today] that he expects to dismiss other parts. Vinson didn't specify which parts of the lawsuit likely will go to trial but said he will issue a ruling by Oct. 14." Now, speaking of clairvoyance, The New York Times and the rest of the political cognoscenti said that the state lawsuits against Obamacare wouldn't go anywhere. Now, who is this judge? Judge Clyde Roger Vinson is a Ronald Reagan appointee. Judge Clyde Roger Vinson is an avid hunter. He's an amateur taxidermist. Do you know what a taxidermist is?

That's right. For our liberal caller today, this would not be good news. A taxidermist stuffs dead game. If you go into a big, all-male club, you'll see some moose head over the fireplace. A taxidermist is responsible for it. "After a 2002 hunting trip during which he killed three brown bears, Vinson had their heads mounted over the door through which defendants must pass to enter the courtroom. At the time Vinson said the sight of the severed bear heads would 'instill the fear of God' into the accused. The heads were removed in June 2003," it didn't even take a year (laughing) "following complaints by local defendants' rights groups."

(laughing) The prosecutors didn't complain. The defendants' rights groups complained. (laughing) The judge "said the sight of the severed bear heads would 'instill the fear of God' into the accused." (laughing) "He was appointed to serve a seven-year term on the Federal Intelligence Surveillance court." That's FISA. He was appointed to serve a seven-year term on the FISA court effective May 4th of 2006. So he's still on the FISA court. Yes. Judge Clyde Roger Vinson. And remember The New York Times told us along with all the rest of the DC cognoscenti that these lawsuits against Obama, they're not gonna go anywhere. Just like we're being told that Christine O'Donnell cannot win.''

Does it come as a surprise that the King Republi-con finds the truth too complicated.

Restore Truthiness!

Fair Winds and Following Seas, But Get the Facts Straight

Chuck Baldwin is the pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida, and was the presidential nominee of the Constitution Party for the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. I've always found his columns interesting if not accurate. In several recent columns, he announced and tried to explain why he and his extended family ("5 households and 17 people ranging in ages from 3 months to the upper 70s") decided to move from "the beautiful Gulf Coast beaches . . . to the majestic Rocky Mountains: the Flathead Valley of Montana."

One important reason he offers for moving to the Mountain States is "due to the distance separating them from the great regions of the country in which the tables are truly stacked against any growth and extension of the principles of federalism or limited government, namely, the Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest (with my apologies to freedomists in those areas). Big-city liberalism dominates most of the states in these regions. The federal government has invested billions of dollars and thousands of personnel establishing and oiling the Orwellian machine in these areas."

But by one objective measure, Federal Expenditures by State per Dollar Sent, Montana hardly qualifies as a bastion of self-sufficiency and liberty. For every dollar sent to Washington D.C., the federal government spends $1.58 in Montana.

Nevertheless, I bid him fair winds and following seas (and best wishes for factual accuracy in the future).

Is Palin a 'Democratic Double Agent'?

"That’s the only plausible explanation for the last two years.

First she charms John McCain, gets into his campaign and promptly extinguishes any chance he had of winning the presidency in 2008. Then she leads large sections of the G.O.P. into an intellectual cul de sac. She destroys any chance the Republicans have to take back the Senate. She promotes Christine O’Donnell, the Tea Party candidate in Delaware. And now that O’Donnell has won the G.O.P. primary, suddenly it is likely the Dems will hold the Senate and with it the upper chamber."

Read The New York Times,The New York Times, The Nutsiness of Politics.

Profiling a Republi-CON Man

"Newt Gingrich is more unbridled than ever. This is what passes for intellectualism on the right?" Read The New York Times, Who’s the Con Man?, where you can be remined of the man "who ditched two wives (the first when she was battling cancer; the second after an affair with the third — a House staffer — while he was impeaching Bill Clinton), now professes to be a good Catholic. Evidently the first two wives don’t count because he hadn’t converted to Catholicism. He even had a big Catholic conversion Mass here with his third wife, Callista, celebrated by a retinue of eight priests and three bishops."

Now that's a con man!

Would More Money Make You Happier?

Studies says that only if you make less than $75,000/year. Read Time, Do We Need $75,000 a Year to Be Happy?

Those Racist Republi-CONs

Remember the protests last year when Obama gave his first back-to-school speech. An insider finally acknowledges why. Read the St. Petersburg Times, Former Fla GOP Chair Jim Greer: "Many within the GOP have racist views."

Held Hostage to the Republi-CON Reaction to Nuts

UPDATE II: A great analysis of recent events by Bush's former chief speechwriter from 2001 until June 2006:

"Since the days of Russian anarchist Mikhail Bakunin, radicals have talked of the "propaganda of the deed" -- the use of dramatic, usually violent, acts to inspire the masses and topple the existing order. The method -- targeting symbolic landmarks to create powerful images -- is now familiar. The killing of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. The first World Trade Center attack. The Oklahoma City bombing. And 9/11 itself.

These events required murder and suicide to gain the global media stage. But the Rev. Terry Jones achieved something new, something that will be studied for generations: the propaganda of the idiotic gesture.

This development was made possible by a number of enabling conditions. . ."

Read the remainder of the article at the Washington Post, The Internet: Enabling Pastor Terry Jones and crazies everywhere.


UPDATE: "America was not built on hate." Read The New York Times, Is This America?

From the Washington Post, Nine years after 9/11, let's stop fulfilling bin Laden's goals:

"The attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, succeeded far beyond anything Osama bin Laden could possibly have envisioned. This is not just because they resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths, nor only because they struck at the heart of American financial and military power. Those outcomes were only the bait; it would remain for the United States to spring the trap.

The goal of any organized terrorist attack is to goad a vastly more powerful enemy into an excessive response. And over the past nine years, the United States has blundered into the 9/11 snare with one overreaction after another. Bin Laden deserves to be the object of our hostility, national anguish and contempt, and he deserves to be taken seriously as a canny tactician. But much of what he has achieved we have done, and continue to do, to ourselves. Bin Laden does not deserve that we, even inadvertently, fulfill so many of his unimagined dreams. . .

In a 2004 video message, he boasted about leading America on the path to self-destruction. "All we have to do is send two mujaheddin . . . to raise a small piece of cloth on which is written 'al-Qaeda' in order to make the generals race there, to cause America to suffer human, economic and political losses."

Through the initial spending of a few hundred thousand dollars, training and then sacrificing 19 of his foot soldiers, bin Laden has watched his relatively tiny and all but anonymous organization of a few hundred zealots turn into the most recognized international franchise since McDonald's. Could any enemy of the United States have achieved more with less?"

“Where they burn books, in the end they will also burn people.”

America is in the hands of angry fools.

Third World America

UPDATE: "Ordinary American families no longer have the purchasing power to build a strong recovery and keep it going. . . There was plenty of growth, but the economic benefits went overwhelmingly — and unfairly — to those already at the top. Mr. Reich cites the work of analysts who have tracked the increasing share of national income that has gone to the top 1 percent of earners since the 1970s, when their share was 8 percent to 9 percent. In the 1980s, it rose to 10 percent to 14 percent. In the late-’90s, it was 15 percent to 19 percent. In 2005, it passed 21 percent. By 2007, the last year for which complete data are available, the richest 1 percent were taking more than 23 percent of all income." Read The New York Times, A Recovery’s Long Odds.

But thank God we saved the Banksters!

That is the title of a new book that describes "How Our Politicians Are Abandoning the Middle Class and Betraying the American Dream."

The book argues that "we should not think of the last financial crisis in isolation, but rather as the outcome of a longer-run pattern of behavior.

Excessive consumer debt is an outcome of prolonged inequality – in trying to remain middle class, too many people borrowed too much, while unscrupulous lenders were only too willing to take advantage of such people."

Some are even suggesting that "what we are seeing play out today" is a crisis created "to press for reduction in government by creating binding constraints."

Who Wants a Religious War?

UPDATE VII: From the Washington Post:




UPDATE VI: "Terry Jones did it again--jerked the media's chain, as he's done since the start of this bizarre little episode." Read the Washington Post, Pastor's mosque bluff transfixes media.

The media should "not to provide coverage of events that are gratuitously manufactured to provoke and offend."


UPDATE V: "As Sept. 11 approaches, the displays of intolerance just keep getting more and more outrageous." Read The New York Times, The 5 Percent Doctrine.


UPDATE IV: Maybe Jesus wants a religious war. Read the New York Daily News, Pastor Terry Jones says Jesus Christ would burn Korans, will go ahead with controversial 9/11 event.


UPDATE III: Does God want a religious war? Read USA Today, Fla. pastor: Buring Quran is 'direction God wants us to go'.


UPDATE II: OBL is lovin it! Read the Washington Post, Petraeus condemns Fla. church's plan to burn Korans.


UPDATE: "Hysteria about Islam is but a modern echo of past American worries about Catholics, Jews and others." Read The New York Times, America’s History of Fear.

Unfortunately, too many people do, including a Florida so-called pastor who plans to burn Korans on September 11th. Read The New York Times, Far From Ground Zero, Obscure Pastor Is Ignored No Longer.

More pandering to fear, anger, and hatred for fame and fortune.

Class Today at NoBullU on WEBY

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6:00 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line, courtesy of Cyber Smart Computers.

Topics:

Followup: WEBY's very own Pastor Truthiness's delusion birther rants, the deliberate distortions continue and he is the one who should be embarrassed, so many lies, but who needs elitist facts when you have Truthiness;

Local and regional: do architects, taxi drivers and the like have oil spill claims?; local delusions of grandeur; who's gonna protest;

and

Nation and international: blaming God for pandering to fear, anger, and hatred and outing the CONristian hypocrites; cha-ching, baby, cha-ching, and taking a chance to monetize to a new low; was the mission accomplished? and who won in Iraq?; stupid is as stupid does, Obama style; has the economy turned the corner?; who is the real Christian and other Republi-CON election-time fear-mongering; are Republi-CONs sacrificing workers to appease their imaginary inflation God?; Restore Truthiness, liar, liar, are your pants a liar?; and are you ready for some football!

But I'll discuss anything. Disclaimer: the host reserves the right to end any discussion and hang up on you.)

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle some ass kickin' discussion of politics and current events.

And remember: I'm still God's favorite Gulf Coast talk show host, just ask the capped well!

It's That Time of the Year

Are these the four seasons -- winter, spring, summer and football? Then enjoy these famous football quotes:

#1. 'Football is only a game. Spiritual things are eternal. Nevertheless, Beat Texas.' Seen on a church sign in Arkansas prior to the 1969 game.

#2. 'After you retire, there's only one big event left... and I ain't ready for that.' Bobby Bowden / Florida State

#3. 'The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it.' Lou Holtz / Arkansas

#4. 'When you win, nothing hurts.' Joe Namath / Alabama

#5. 'Motivation is simple. You eliminate those who are not motivated.' Lou Holtz / Arkansas

#6. 'If you want to walk the heavenly streets of gold, you gotta know the password, 'Roll, tide, roll!' Bear Bryant / Alabama

#7. 'A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall.' Frank Leahy / Notre Dame

#8. 'There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you.' Woody Hayes / Ohio State

#9. 'I don't expect to win enough games to be put on NCAA probation. I just want to win enough to warrant an investigation.' Bob Devaney / Nebraska

#10. 'In Alabama , an atheist is someone who doesn't believe in Bear Bryant.' Wally Butts / Georgia

#11. 'You can learn more character on the two-yard line than anywhere else in life.' Paul Dietzel / LSU

#12. 'It's kind of hard to rally around a math class.' Bear Bryant / Alabama

#13. When asked if Fayetteville was the end of the world. 'No, but you can see it from here.' Lou Holtz / Arkansas.

#14. 'I make my practices real hard because if a player is a quitter, I want him to quit in practice, not in a game.' Bear Bryant / Alabama

#15. 'There's one sure way to stop us from scoring-give us the ball near the goal line.' Matty Bell / SMU

#16. 'Lads, you're not to miss practice unless your parents died or you died.' Frank Leahy / Notre Dame

#17. 'I never graduated from Iowa , but I was only there for two terms - Truman's and Eisenhower's.' Alex Karras / Iowa

#18. 'My advice to defensive players: Take the shortest route to the ball and arrive in a bad humor.' Bowden Wyatt / Tennessee

#19. 'I could have been a Rhodes Scholar, except for my grades.' Duffy Daugherty / Michigan State

#20. 'Always remember... Goliath was a 40 point favorite over David.' Shug Jordan / Auburn

#21. 'They cut us up like boarding house pie. And that's real small pieces.' Darrell Royal / Texas

#22. 'Show me a good and gracious loser, and I'll show you a failure.' Knute Rockne / Notre Dame

#23. 'They whipped us like a tied up goat.' Spike Dykes / Texas Tech

#24. 'I asked Darrell Royal, the coach of the Texas Longhorns, why he didn't recruit me and he said: 'Well, Walt, we took a look at you and you weren't any good.' Walt Garrison / Oklahoma State

#25. 'Son, you've got a good engine, but your hands aren't on the steering wheel.' Bobby Bowden / Florida State

#26. 'Football is not a contact sport - it is a collision sport. Dancing is a contact sport.' Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers

#27. After USC lost 51-0 to Notre Dame, his postgame message to his team: 'All those who need showers, take them.' John McKay / USC

28. 'If lessons are learned in defeat, our team is getting a great education.' Murray Warmath / Minnesota

#29. 'The only qualifications for a lineman are to be big and dumb. To be a back, you only have to be dumb.' Knute Rockne / Notre Dame

#30. 'Oh, we played about like three tons of buzzard puke this afternoon.' Spike Dykes / Texas Tech

#31. 'It isn't necessary to see a good tackle. You can hear it.' Knute Rockne / Notre Dame

#32. 'We live one day at a time and scratch where it itches.' Darrell Royal / Texas

#33. 'We didn't tackle well today but we made up for it by not blocking.' Wilson Matthews / Little Rock Central High School

#34. 'Three things can happen when you throw the ball, and two of them are bad. Woody Hayes / Ohio State University

#35. 'I've found that prayers work best when you have big players.' Knute Rockne / Notre Dame

#36. 'Gentlemen, it is better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football.' John Heisman / Auburn

Who Won in Iraq?

UPDATE: In any case, it is clear that truth was the loser in Iraq, and still is.

Read The New York Times, Freedom’s Just Another Word, which argues that "President Obama’s bloodless speech on the “end” of the Iraq war showed how the whitewashing of our recent past is well under way."

"From shock and awe to a slow exit: It is still far too early to fill out the scorecard in Iraq." But some says the winners were the military-industrial complex, including "Halliburton, KBR, CACI, Xe, Unocal, BP, Standard Oil, Boeing."

Read The New York Times, Winning, Losing and War.

A Bittersweet Labor Day

"All but forgotten is the fact that our nation's extraordinary prosperity from the end of World War II to the 1970s was in significant part the result of union contracts that, in words the right wing hated Barack Obama for saying in 2008, "spread the wealth around." A broad middle class with spending power to keep the economy moving created a virtuous cycle of low joblessness and high wages.

Between 1966 and 1970, as Gerald Seib pointed out last week in the Wall Street Journal, the United States enjoyed an astonishing 48 straight months in which the unemployment rate was at or below 4 percent. No, the unions didn't do all this by themselves. But they were important co-authors of a social contract that made our country fairer, richer and more productive."

Read the Washington Post, When unions mattered, prosperity was shared.

WWOBLD?

UPDATE V: Bush's former chief speechwriter from 2001 until June 2006 outs the CONristian hypocrites:

"Christianity, as an Abrahamic faith, sets out another vision -- an assertion of human worth and dignity that transcends tribe and nation. . . In light of this belief, the purpose of social influence for Christians is not to favor their own faith; it is to serve a view of universal rights and dignity taught by their faith. It is not to advance their own creed; it is to apply that creed in pursuit of the common good. This is what turns religion into a positive social force -- a determination to defend everyone's dignity.

Freedom of religious worship and expression is essential to human dignity -- which makes blocking the construction of a mosque for religious reasons a violation of Christian belief. And laws preventing the building of churches in Mecca or Riyadh do not make this principle less important here."

Read the Washington Post, In mosque controversies, some Christians undermine their own faith.


UPDATE IV: Three Al Qaeda cheers for those binLadi-cans (formerly known as the Republi-cons). Read The New York Times, U.S. Anti-Islam Protest Seen as Lift for Extremists and U.S. News & World Report, Why Are Palin, Gingrich, and Fox News Doing Bin Laden's Work?


UPDATE III: From This Modern World, A mosque near ground zero? I'm offended even thinking about it! On earth and parallel earth alike, the wingnuts escalate the crazy:



And to understand why the mosque must be built, read the Washington Post, No compromise on religious freedom and The right-wing, blinded by its own hysteria.


UPDATE II: U.S. politics has a long history of religious bigotry. Read the Huffington Post, Obama a Muslim! Lincoln a Catholic! FDR a Jew! Why Americans Don't Like Their President's God


UPDATE: "Opposition to the proposed Islamic center near ground zero is one topic on which Sarah Palin and Osama bin Laden apparently agree." Read The New York Times, Taking Bin Laden’s Side.

And "[t]he rage over the “ground zero mosque” is not motivated by a serious desire to protect America, but by a desire for an election-season payoff." Read The New York Times, How Fox Betrayed Petraeus.

"President Obama’s Clintonesque casuistry is making a bad situation worse." Read The New York Times, Our Mosque Madness.

OBL must be proud of the Republi-cons.

Farewell Summer of 2010

Class Today at NoBullU on WEBY

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6:00 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line, courtesy of Cyber Smart Computers.

Topics:

Local and regional: do architects, taxi drivers and the like have oil spill claims?; and

Nation and international: was the mission accomplished? and who won in Iraq?; stupid is as stupid does, Obama style; has the economy turned the corner?; who is the real Christian and other Republi-CON election-time fear-mongering; Third World America; and are Republi-CONs sacrificing workers to appease their imaginary inflation God?.

But I'll discuss anything. Disclaimer: the host reserves the right to end any discussion and hang up on you.)

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle some ass kickin' discussion of politics and current events.

And remember: I'm still God's favorite Gulf Coast talk show host, just ask the capped well!

The Sound and the Fury of Our Favorite Rogue Diva

UPDATE II: Vanity Fair's Sarah Palin Profiler: 'The Worst Stuff Isn't Even In There'. Nevertheless, Sarah Palin is everywhere -- and going nowhere.


UPDATE: "As the worlds of Alaska and reality TV collide, maybe the next new program should be entitled 'Shooting With the Stars.'" Read The New York Times, Sarah’s Amazing Race.

"Even as Sarah Palin’s public voice grows louder, she has become increasingly secretive, walling herself off from old friends and associates, and attempting to enforce silence from those around her. Following the former Alaska governor’s road show, the author delves into the surreal new world Palin now inhabits—a place of fear, anger, and illusion, which has swallowed up the engaging, small-town hockey mom and her family—and the sadness she has left in her wake." Read Vanity Fair, Sarah Palin the Sound and the Fury.

And there is more! Read Vanity Fair, Sarah Palin’s Shopping Spree: Yes, There’s More...

2012 is gonna be a great year for politics!

Run, Rogue Diva, Run!

Stupid Is As Stupid Does, Obama Style

With "fancy vacations and posh renovations," he should expect a good butt kickin in November. Read The New York Times, Not-So-Magic Carpet Ride.

I'm beginning to think he wants the Republi-cons to win.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

The older you are, the more you're gonna love this:



None of us want to get older, but it beats the alternative.

Republi-CON Fear-Mongering, Must Be Election Time

Just part of the Republi-con effort to brew a little suspicion, innuendo, resentment and fear for election time:



First it was Republi-CON election-time religious fear-mongering regarding the Manhattan mosque. Now it's time to attack Obama's "belief structure" which favors helping the poor, which Beck believes is "a perversion of the gospel of Jesus Christ as most Christians know it." Read the Washington Post, After Washington rally, Glenn Beck assails Obama's religion.

Ironically, many Christians question Beck's 'belief structure.'

And I wonder what Christ would think of helping the poor?

Relax, It's the Weekend!, Last Summer Post

See the previous posts: Relax, It's the Weekend!; Relax, It's the Weekend!, Part 2; and Relax, It's the Weekend!, Part 3, Relax, It's the Weekend!, Part 4, Relax, It's the Weekend!, Part 5, Relax, It's the Weekend!, Part 6, and, Relax, It's the Weekend!, Part 7

Republi-CONs Are Sooooo Gullible

UPDATE: Good news, apparently Republi-cons are not so gullible that you can just show' em your gun and they got soft in the brain. "In Arizona on Tuesday, Republican voters totally rejected the Congressional candidacy of State Senator Pamela Gorman (“conservative Christian and a pretty fair shot”), whose TV ad showed her firing a machine gun at an undisclosed target. Only about 5,000 people in the district thought sending Pamela Gorman to Washington would be a good plan. "

Bad news, apparently Republi-cons preferred the deceitful hypocrite, Ben Quayle, a/k/a Brock Landers, the fictional sidekick to porn star Dirk Diggler in the film "Boogie Nights,", and real-life son of former vice president Dan Quayle.

Just show' em your gun and they got soft in the brain:



Someone tell Mike about the lady.

Class Today at NoBullU on WEBY

Listen to the voice of wisdom and reason in a wilderness of partisan rhetoric -- No political insanity, no conservative hypocrisy, no liberal foolishness -- Just straight talk, straight at you, and that’s no bull!!

NoBullU will broadcast today from 4:05 to 6:00 p.m. at 1330 AM WEBY and on line, courtesy of Cyber Smart Computers.

Topics:

Local and regional: any comments on the local elections?, will Crist win?, and where are the hurricanes;

Nation and international: Republi-CONs are the new binLadi-cans, just part of the Republi-CON election-time religious fear-mongering -- Republi-CON bicycle fear-mongering, Republi-CON baby fear-mongering, and Republi-CON McCarthy-like fear-mongering; yet another example of how fear, anger, hatred = violence; all part of the Republi-CON created reality; is it all for the common good, or everyman for himself?, are Republi-CONs sacrificing workers to appease their imaginary inflation God?

Oil Spill Fallout to Date: finally, the well is capped, now what to do about 205.8 million gallons of oil in 643 quadrillion gallons of water (a quadrillion is one thousand million million or 10¹⁵, imagine 0.8934545... drops of oil in a 22,000 gallon pool, assuming 90,840 drops/gallon and the oil evenly dispersed), maybe we should just leave it to Alcanivorax, who was suggesting that the government push aside BP and take over?, what did more harm, the oil spill or media hype and political grandstanding?; fraud, waste and abuse, in Fl the 3 counties farthest from the spill received over 1/2 of the money, one of them, Franklin, received over 1/3 of the $40 million; well meaning stupidity is still stupidity, lost compensation, should you get extra money after lying to the IRS?, did ya hear bout Big Oil's Big Daddy, Dick 'Chickenhawk' Cheney's secret energy task force, discounts for deepwater drilling, tell me -- the oil deposit now leaking would have provided how many days' worth of oil to Americans?, Obama's energy pipe dreams, is it time for N2N, was it God's wrath for destroying his planet?, shocking realization that bottom-line influences corporate policy, political grandstanding, and Republi-CON 'less government' hypocrisy;

and

Trivia and Humor: Happy 60th Birthday Bikini!

But I'll discuss anything. Disclaimer: the host reserves the right to end any discussion and hang up on you.)

So tune-in, call-in, but only if you can handle some ass kickin' discussion of politics and current events.

And remember: I'm still God's favorite Gulf Coast talk show host, just ask the capped well!

Yet Another Example of How Fear, Anger, Hatred = Violence

UPDATE IV: "A college student who did volunteer work in Afghanistan was charged Wednesday with slashing a taxi driver's neck and face after the driver said he's Muslim. " Read the Washington Post, Man held without bail in NYC cab driver stabbing.


UPDATE III: For more on how Hedgehog News encourages violence, read the Washington Post, Glenn Beck and the Oakland shooter.


UPDATE II: Hedgehog News employs the masters of fear, anger, and hatred. Read Media Matters, Beck's incendiary angst is dangerously close to having a body count.


UPDATE: Even some party members understand that while fear, anger, and hatred is a great campaign strategy, it won't be much of a governing philosophy. Read the Washington Post, GOP leaders let demagogues set tone, lawmaker says.

The article profiles a veteran GOP House member who was defeated in South Carolina's primary last month and who was "jeered for saying that Beck, a Fox News Channel host, is a divisive fearmonger." He thinks:

"Too many Republican leaders are acquiescing to a poisonous 'demagoguery' that threatens the party's long-term credibility",

"[T]he rhetoric also distracts from the real problems that politicians should be trying to resolve, such as budget deficits and energy security", and

"[R]acism is a part of the vitriol directed at President Barack Obama.

And he's not the only party member that is concerned. Bush's former chief speechwriter from 2001 until June 2006, thinks that the Republi-con party lacks "a responsible, governing agenda" and their campaign strategy of fear, anger, and hatred "rides a massive wave toward a rocky shore. " Read also the Washington Post, For the GOP, a risky wave to ride or turn back.

As I said before, fear, anger and hatred is a vicious cycle of self-fulfilling prophecy -- as Republi-con destroy America, they blame others for their actions.

And for yet another example, read The New York Times, Arkansas Suspects Had Rage Toward Government.

Another Republi-CON CONservative

UPDATE IV: "[F]ormer chairman of the Republican National Committee and the former campaign manager for George W. Bush's 2004 re-election bid, has told his family and colleagues that he is gay." Read the Washington Post, Former RNC chairman Ken Mehlman: I'm gay.


UPDATE III: "When it comes to political campaigns, could we just get to the truth of the matter? Instead of focusing on taxes and jobs, here’s some of the silliness on tap this season." Read The New York Times, More American Idols.


UPDATE II: The woman who recounted Rand Paul's youthful indiscretions in college to GQ magazine wants to make it clear, she was not kidnapped, "in a legal sense." She was just tied her up and blindfolded, and "went along because they were my friends." She said that "[t]here was an implicit degree of cooperation in the whole thing. I felt like I was being hazed." Read the Washington Post, Rand Paul's accuser clarifies "kidnapping".

So I stand corrected, the Republi-con's newest golden boy, Rand Paul, candidate for US Senate from Kentucky, is a kinky, pot-smokin, idol worshippin, secret society member.

However, I'd be careful, in many states you could be arrested for tying and blindfolding someone.


UPDATE: Lest ye missed it, it appears that the Republi-con's newest golden boy, Rand Paul, candidate for US Senate from Kentucky, is a pot-smokin, idol worshippin, secret society member, kidnapper. Read GQ, Rand Paul's Kooky College Days (Hint: There's a Secret Society Involved), which states:

"The strangest episode of Paul's time at Baylor occurred one afternoon in 1983 (although memories about all of these events are understandably a bit hazy, so the date might be slightly off), when he and a NoZe brother paid a visit to a female student who was one of Paul's teammates on the Baylor swim team. According to this woman, who requested anonymity because of her current job as a clinical psychologist, "He and Randy came to my house, they knocked on my door, and then they blindfolded me, tied me up, and put me in their car. They took me to their apartment and tried to force me to take bong hits. They'd been smoking pot." After the woman refused to smoke with them, Paul and his friend put her back in their car and drove to the countryside outside of Waco, where they stopped near a creek. "They told me their god was 'Aqua Buddha' and that I needed to bow down and worship him," the woman recalls. "They blindfolded me and made me bow down to 'Aqua Buddha' in the creek. I had to say, 'I worship you Aqua Buddha, I worship you.' At Baylor, there were people actively going around trying to save you and we had to go to chapel, so worshiping idols was a big no-no.""

He's denied the kidnapping allegation.

This one is Arizona House candidate Ben Quayle, a/k/a Brock Landers, the fictional sidekick to porn star Dirk Diggler in the film "Boogie Nights,", and real-life son of former vice president Dan Quayle. Read the Washington Post, Ben Quayle admits writing for 'Dirty Scottsdale' Web site.

As the article notes, Quayle claims to be a 'conservative Republican,' and he "has some very high-profile Republican backers, including former President George H.W. Bush, who hosted a fundraiser in May for the candidate at his Houston home."

But he's already been caught sending out a deceitful mailer showing him with two toddler-aged girls. He is married but childless.

His friend at TheDirty.com (the successor to DirtyScottsdale.com), has called Quayle a hypocrite, and reminded him of the time he "banged Tim-Marie (a chick) in [the] spare bedroom" and those times just three years ago hanging out in the kitchen "hungover thinking about what club douche bags in Scottsdale to target next."

I bet his Dad is proud of the respect he shows women.