Something terrible is going to happen

Zawahiri and bin Ladin have been very talkative lately. There is a pattern where one of the two issues a communique and within three months, a terrorist attack happens in a large western city. It happened with the London and Madrid bombings. In both attacks, statements were made and attacks targeting the mass transit systems of capital cities in western countries. Stratfor's analysis says that Houston is the target. I don't know about that. Remember the pattern:
1. Statement is made by Zawahiri or bin Ladin
2. Mass transit system in a capital city gets hit by multiple suicide bombers

The Pentagon was a target on 9/11, it is also a major transportation hub for the mass transit system of the capital city of the United States. I've also noticed that the terror alert system has not been raised since November 2004. Maybe there's nothing to worry about, after all we know President Bush has our best interests at heart, he knows what he is doing, right? He's going to provide resolute leadership and stop the terrorists before they attack isn't he? I wouldn't ride the DC Metro in the meantime.

War on Terror talking points for liberals

Could someone please explain to me? Why is this terrorist still free to taunt us? Why are Ayman al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Ladin still free? Who let them get away at Tora Bora? Who pulled troops out of Afghanistan in order to avenge Poppy's honor? Why aren't they rotting in a fucking jail cell in Guantanamo Bay? When a wingnut can honestly answer these questions, then he or she can accuse me of giving aid and comfort to the enemy Otherwise STFU.

Not that I think 2006 will be any better.

Your 2005 Song Is

Mr. Brightside by The Killers "It started out with a kiss How did it end up like this It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss" Let's just say you're happy to be done with 2005!

What Hit Song of 2005 Are You?

Thanks to AML at Chelsea Morning

Could someone grow a fucking spine?

The Democrats attempt to filibuster Alito's approval to the Supreme Court failed. The final score was 75 yes for cloture, 25 against cloture. Considering that there are only 54 Republican Senators, we had some appeasers in the Democrats. Well according to Republicans, Democrat are obstructionists. Why do the Dems roll over like that? If they are going to be labeled obstructionists, WHY NOT ACTUALLY LIVE UP TO THE LABEL???? That's what an opposition party does, it opposes what the majority party does. If your voters wanted to be represented by a Republican, they would have voted for a fucking Republican.

As the Democrats appeased the Republicans, what did the Republicans do? They attack the Democrats for aiding and abetting Osama bin Ladin. That's right, Senator DeMint from SC attacks the Democrats even though we gave them their up or down vote on Scalito. It happens every time, Democrats appease, Republicans attack. And do the Democrats defend themselves? No!

Get a fricking clue, you can't win elections if you don't stand up for yourselves. Stand up for your message and stand up for the people you represent.

Transitions

Right now my life is going through a rough patch. Two things happened this week that will have life changing implications. I don't want to talk about them online. I will keep on ranting from time to time. But I am not in the mood for it right now.
Hopes, prayers and wishes to everyone,
phinky

Freaks and Terrorist Sympathizers

Yesterday was the right to life rally in Washington DC. The clueless, religious fanatics were out in force. I call them clueless because they think they are in the mainstream of American thought.

And they noted yesterday's large turnout of young people, who filled the march route along Constitution Avenue and lined the walls outside the Supreme Court in cheerleader jackets, black leather outfits with studs and T-shirts that read, "Abortion is Mean" and "Sex is good, the pill is not."

Umm, nothing says middle America more than a studded Goth.
What's up with the cheerleader outfits? Reminds me of someone with a Lolita fetish. Ewww, now I have to go bleach my brain on that one.
"Sex is good, the pill is not". Boy do they have a lot to learn. Sex is a lot better with the pill and not having to worry about an unwanted pregnancy. Speaking of which, if they have sex without the pill, what do they do with the unwanted pregnancy? Keep the baby? Or do they just quietly sneak into an abortion clinic for an abortion? According to these people, personal responsibility is for others, not for them.

President Bush addressed the event by telephone from Kansas, where he traveled yesterday for a speech on terrorism.

If pro-life stands are so in the mainstream, why couldn't Bush be there in person to speak? Reagan never went to one either. HMMM, maybe they didn't want to alienate the majority of Americans who are pro-ohoice. There's a reason why abortions are harder to get in the United States. It's not because of a change of attitude towards abortion, but because of a campaign of intidimation against doctors and hospitals who perform abortions. I think it's ironic that President Bush is addressing a bunch of terrorist sympathizers while battling terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan. Maybe that's why he let Osama bin Ladin get away. PRESIDENT BUSH SYMPATHIZES WITH TERRORISTS.

That right Bushiboy, we're going to refocus this Democrats sympathize with terrorists debate onto you and your failures.

Koufax Semifinalists for Best New Blog

Wampum has the semifinalists for Best New Blog. Of particular note are some of my best blogging buddies including:
Agitprop
Blind in Texas
The Daily Curmudgeon
Human Voices
Simply Left Behind
They are not the only ones who have made it to the next to final cut. Congratulations to all those who have made it so far. But I will have a hard time trying to decide on who to vote for since I only have one vote.

My mother thinks otherwise

Free Radical You scored 72% Talk the Talk and 55% Walk the Walk!

You talk the talk, but you also walk the walk. You put your time, money, and efforts where your mouth is. It can be hard to be this open-minded both in theory and in practice... kudos!

My test tracked 2 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 48% on Talk the Talk You scored higher than 32% on Walk the Walk

Link: The Are you REALLY open-minded? Test written by mypomolife on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Interesting searches to my site

MSN search with most of the results being adult websites. I just hope the FBI doesn't come after me.

Grow a pair!

Harry Reid needs to grow a pair! Hello, Harry, that's why we keep losing elections. Don't be afraid to attack and fight back. Have you heard any Republicans apologizing for smearing John Kerry last year? And what about that whole Clinton impeachment? Have any Republicans apologized for that? Has Joe Scarborough ever apologized to to the family of Lori Klausutis?. (Hat tip to Atrios.

Harry, what do you have to apologize for? Someone's feelings got hurt? Don't say "Sorry", tell them to "FUCK OFF, you whiny ass titty baby!"

Brace for impact!!

It's 2006, time for midterm elections of 1/3 of the Senate and 100% of the House of Representatives. So what is the GOP strategy for consolidating their majority in both houses? Turdblossum says it's going to be "national security". Umm right, so why is Ayman al-Zawahiriand Osama bin Ladin still making threats against the United States? How's that occupation of Iraq that we're not supposed to be in right now? You remember, the invasion was going to pay for itself, the country where we were supposed to be welcomed with candy, kisses and flowers? Iraq was supposed to be a peaceful, western style democracy by now. How's that ever shrinking coalition of the willing?It looks like Italy is getting out while they're ahead. Too bad we're trapped in Iraq, we don't have any big sticks to speak softly with. Now that Iran has a religious fanatic determined to get nukes in office, we really need those big sticks. Where's Kim Jong Il? Oh, he'll turn up in Shanghai someday.
Bushit has had nearly 5 years in office and what does he have to show on national security? Of course he hasn't done shit for National Security. But he's resolute in our time of crisis. That's all Faux News, the Conservative News Network and MSGOP have to say over and over again until we believe the lie is the truth.

Here lies the First Amendment, RIP

The Virginian-Pilot has a story about Bush's faith-based initiative. Amazingly, Pat Robertson overcame his initial skepticism to become a corporate welfare king. Unfortunately, it's a short article that doesn't go too in depth into where the money is going. If you believe in freedom and seperation of church and state, you will find the article disturbing.
No, I do not like the idea of MY government subsidizing that Christian extremist $14.4 million a year. Especially when government programs like food stamps are being cut.

It's tough being a whistleblower

The Washington Post has a profile of Larry Wilkerson, the retired Army Colonel who said the White House was taken over by the Rumsfeld-Cheney Cabal. It's a pretty indepth profile of Wilkerson that runs for five pages. Let the swiftboating begin.

WWJD?

From Americablog, I learn that the religious right has issues with tolerance.
Oh do tell!!
This is what Agape Press is in a tizzy about.

A ban on "insults, taunts, or challenges directed toward another person" (Appalachian State University).
A practice of outlawing "statements of intolerance" (North Carolina Central University), which FIRE says mirrors a speech code in Pennsylvania that was deemed unconstitutional.
A requirement that all students "respect the dignity of all persons" and "strive for the openness to learn from differences in people" lest they be punished (UNC Asheville).
A policy outlawing "disrespect for persons" (UNC Greensboro), which FIRE describes as "Orwellian."
Two instances in which FIRE says it had to intervene to protect Christian student groups that were "threatened with dissolution" for refusing to admit members who did not share their beliefs (both incidents at UNC Chapel Hill).

Well they left out the part where FIRE's report said

UNC Pembroke prohibits “offensive speech…of a biased or prejudiced nature related to one’s personal characteristics, such as race, color, national origin, sex, religion, handicap, age, or sexual orientation.”

Gee, I didn't know the religious right was against tolerating another's religious beliefs. It must be all that whinging about being persecuting that drowned out that noise. I have to tolerate the religious right, but they don't have to tolerate my beliefs? Oh fuck off, you fuckers.

Minitrue is at it again

Minitrue has found underground footage of Goldstein. Minitrue insists that I provide a link his propaganda site.

A Good Woman Knows Her Place

Remember 2004? How Teresa Heinz Kerry was vilified for speaking her mind and for standing up for herself for telling right wing puppets of Scaife to "Shove it"? Ever go to Freeper discussion board and see the word "Hitlery" standing in for Hilary Rodham Clinton? Well we don't have that problem with Laura Bush. Laura Bush says everything her husband does is o.k. It doesn't matter how illegal it is, Laura will stand by her man. As long as he keeps her supply of Xanax and Botox going, she is happy. But Republican women aren't "uppity" women like feminists are, but Republican women sure do benefit from the actions of uppity women.

Priorities

As I was planning my commute to work, checking the webcams, trying to decide on I-395 vs Van Dorn St vs Telegraph Road, I thought to myself, "I am really happy that the Virginia House of Delegates is tackling the really important issues like banning gay marriage and banning fertility treatments for single women." Yes, Virginians will get to decide in the fall to

clarify that Virginia is not compelled to recognize same-sex marriages or civil arrangements permitted in other states.

Didn't Virginia have a case like this that went the to Supreme Court and the law was struck down? Yes it did, it was Loving v. Virginia. But for some reason our representatives in Richmond believe gay marriage is different than inter-racial marriage or maybe not, they just haven't figured out a way of banning inter-racial marriage. But how is this law different than the Racial Integrity Act of 1924 which said that interracial marriages from out of the commonwealth were invalid and completely banned sex between blacks and whites? I'm sure the legislators who passed that law thought that they were preserving the state of marriage.

So in the meantime, I sit in traffic and worry that my son is getting a good education while the House of Delegates and the Senate tackle this pressing issue of gay marriage and try to deny reproductive health care to unmarried women.

Everyone's a fan when your team wins

You can tell when the Redskins are winning. Everyone in the area wants to wear the colors. I'll just stick with my Florida State gear. Everyone asks me where I get my Redskins jackets and shirts because they are so unique. Ummm, because it's not Redskins gear? Is there any College football team that gets as mixed up with an NFL team? Can you tell the difference between the shirts?

Friday Catblogging

Bob Marshall is going to be Cosgroved!!!

Republicans really like government intruding into our lives. Delegate
Bob Marshall has proposed legislation that prohibits fertility treatments for unmarried women. The last time I checked, fertility treatments are not cheap. The women who get fertility treatments are not poor teenagers who have no way to provide for a family. This is also the man who sponsored legislation to prohibit public colleges in Virginia from dispensing emergency contraception to college students. Does this guy want single women to be pregnant or not?? Is he one of those men who can't stand the idea of women having sex without getting pregnant or getting pregnant without sex? I cannot believe in this day and age we are still having a debate about when women can chose to start a family. I think Delegate Bob needs to be reminded about how he narrowly lost re-election by 12 points last year in a "safe Republican" district. and that blue bubble in Arlington and Alexandria is expanding out to Prince William County.
Contact information for Delegate Marshall
Phone - 804-698-1013
Fax - 804-786-6310
Constituent Viewpoint: Messages - (800)-889-0229

Email: del_Marshall@House.state.va.us

General Assembly Building
P.O. Box 406 (Room 704)
Richmond, Virginia 23218
Legislative Assistant: Claire Gardner

Hat tip to Watertiger,
and Julie

FYI: John Cosgrove was the delegate who introduced legislation last year to require women to report miscarriages to the police. Because of the power of the blogosphere, the bill was withdrawn.

Saturday morning news round up

Friday afternoon is when the information those in power don't want you to know about gets released to the press and into Saturday morning's papers. Normally I don't do this, I like to add my own commentary. But I have a ton of homework to do for the weekend. So here goes:
The Pentagon admits that it sent our soldiers to war without adequate equipment to protect them. In my nearly 40 years on this planet, I have never seen an administration so incompetent.
A non-partisan group rebukes Bush for NSA wiretaps. Impeach the SOB!
Ayman al-Zawahiri demands the US surrender. I wish to thank all the Americans who re-elected George W. Bush who put us in this situation where a terrorist thinks he has the upper hand and can demand our surrender. And why is Ayman al-Zawahiri still on the loose so he make these demands? Oh that's right, we took troops out of Afghanistan so we could invade Iraq to fight a resistance we didn't anticipate. Well that's what you get when you only listen to Neocons. Geez, you invade a country and overthrow a government and you were expecting flowers and kisses right?

Some good news from Iraq. Whining wingnuts pay attention!

The case for impeachment gets stronger.

The Congressional Research Service has issued a report that says that President Bush's arguements for allowing the NSA to spy on Americans were illegal and broke the FISA laws.

A report by Congress's research arm concluded yesterday that the administration's justification for the warrantless eavesdropping authorized by President Bush conflicts with existing law and hinges on weak legal arguments.

The Congressional Research Service's report rebuts the central assertions made recently by Bush and Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales about the president's authority to order secret intercepts of telephone and e-mail exchanges between people inside the United States and their contacts abroad.

This is an independent non-partisan agency publishing this report. What does the Bush administration say?

Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said the president and the administration believe the program is on firm legal footing. "The national security activities described by the president were conducted in accord with the law and provide a critical tool in the war on terror that saves lives and protects civil liberties at the same time," he said. A spokesman for the National Security Agency was not available for a comment yesterday.

Other administration officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the CRS reached some erroneous legal conclusions, erring on the side of a narrow interpretation of what constitutes military force and when the president can exercise his war powers.

Bush has said that he has broad powers in times of war and must exercise them to target not only "enemies across the world" but also "terrorists here at home." The administration has argued, starting in 2002 briefs to the FISA court, that the "war on terror" is global and indefinite, effectively removing the limits of wartime authority -- traditionally the times and places of imminent or actual battle.

Then why wasn't FISA amended to accomodate those changes in warfare??? And more importantly, who was being watched?? And why didn't the Bush administration think it couldn't get the warrants to do the eavesdropping. But this doesn't matter to bullshit-flavored kool-aid drinkers. They feel safer giving up a little bit of their liberty for security. So Mr Kool-aid drinker, would you feel safer with a President Hilary Clinton or a President John Kerry with this power to bypass the FISA and spy on Americans without a warrant????

The Book of Daniel

I watched The Book of Daniel tonight. I originally wasn't going to watch it. I figured it was part of that "trend" catering to the fundagelicals. That was before the American Family Association decided to be offended by something they didn't see. I guess they missed that part of the Bible that said "Judge not, lest ye be judged". The pressure worked, two NBC affliates refused to air the show. Cowards!

So, in the spirit of doing anything I possibly can to annoy the religious right. I decided to watch the show. My brief review: The Book of Daniel is an o.k. show about an Episcopalian priest who talks to Jesus and has a dysfunctional family. The priest's kids are a homosexual, a drug dealer and the one who sneaks out to have sex with the neighbor's daughter. BTW, the kids are teenagers or young adults. I guess they don't have P.K.s in AFA world. I guess clergy aren't humans in AFA world either, I don't think clergywomen exist in AFA world at all. AFA world must be a dystopia where women, children and minorities know their place and sin doesn't exist. And if it does, you don't want to find out what happens in AFA world to sinners. Dang, the AFA is 0-2 on following the words of Jesus. I do not want to live in AFA world. So what happens to the Wildmons and the Dobsons of the world if they find out heaven is one huge orgy?

But anyhow, The Book of Daniel is basically a prime time soap opera that revolves around a clergyman and his family without the wit of Desperate Housewives or the campiness of Dynasty.
And do you want to know what is really offensive to the AFA? The priest is a liberal!

BTW, here's a blog dedicated to The Book of Daniel.

A day late and a dollar short

Why didn't Bush do this before he invaded Iraq? Almost three years and 2100+ dead American soldiers and God knows how many dead Iraqi civilians, George W. Bush seeks the advice of previous Secretaries of State and Defense. The ground rules were set as to not be a debate about whether the invastion was a good idea (I think we can agree it wasn't). But what to do now. Well, Mr. Bush that's a fine mess you've gotten us into. Gee, imagine if Bush lite had consulted with Robert McNamara on what not to do, maybe Iraq wouldn't be the mess that it is now. But what happens when you have an intellectual midget in the White House who ignores the lessons of history and only listens to people like David Addington? Gee when your advisors and the veep's advisors say the prez has unlimited powers during a time of war, I guess it is o.k. to wiretap US persons without a warrant, to torture suspected terrorists and let other people's children die for their country. Just click on the link about David Addington and find out what an anti-democratic piece of work he is.

GO FUCK YOURSELF YOU DICK!!!!

The Vice President dispensed kool-aid to the kool-aid drinkers and it tasted of bullshit. The Veep said that if the NSA was allowed to listen in on US citizens without a warrant before September 11, 2001; the attacks could have been prevented. Let me explain how the Kool-aid smelled of bullshit by dusting off the FISA's definition of who can be eavesdropped on with a warrant:

“United States person” means a citizen of the United States, an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence (as defined in section 1101 (a)(20) of title 8), an unincorporated association a substantial number of members of which are citizens of the United States or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence, or a corporation which is incorporated in the United States, but does not include a corporation or an association which is a foreign power, as defined in subsection (a)(1), (2), or (3) of this section.

This is what Cheney said about it:

"There are no communications more important to the safety of the United States than those related to al Qaeda that have one end in the United States. If we had been able to do this before 9/11, we might have been able to pick up on two of the hijackers who flew a jet into the Pentagon. They were in the United States, communicating with al Qaeda associates overseas. But we didn't know they were here plotting until it was too late."

Ummm....THE FUCKING SEPTEMBER 11 HIJACKERS WERE NOT CITIZENS OR PERMANENT RESIDENT ALIENS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE NSA DID NOT NEED A DAMN WARRANT TO COLLECT AND RETAIN INFORMATION ON THEM!!!!! As a matter of fact every single intelligence agency in the intelligence community could have collected everything they wanted to know about the 9/11 hijackers and IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PERFECTLY LEGAL TO DO SO!!

So stop using the deaths of 3000 Americans to justify every illegal thing you do. Go fuck yourself Cheney, and you too Bushie.

What is the value of a human life?

I have been following the story of trapped coal miners in West Virginia off and on for the last 24 hours. Now, sad news, one of the miners' bodies has been found. My sympathies to this man's family and friends. It does not look good for the others. The real tragedy is, this could have been prevented.

The mine, in north central West Virginia, has been cited by federal regulators more than 270 times in the past two years for safety violations, a third of them considered "serious and substantial," according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration. The problems included mine roofs that collapsed without warning, faulty tunnel supports and documentation of dangerous buildups of flammable methane gas and coal dust. Recent violations included inadequate ventilation in the mine to dissipate dangerous gases.

Why weren't the safety regulations enforced? Oh, that's right it interferes with a company making a profit for its shareholders. It's cheaper to pay the fines than to upgrade the safety of the mine. I guess a human life is only worth the value of a profit.

Where's that culture of life I hear so much about?This mine had 16 "unwarrantable failures". These were repeat or serious violations that the owners didn't care to fix. So what does the company's management have to say?

"Much of the bad history you're talking about was beyond our reach and ability to control," company chief executive Bennett K. Hatfield said yesterday. "But there's been dramatic improvement, and I think regulatory agencies will confirm that."

In the hours after Monday's explosion, Eugene Kitts, a company vice president for mining, said the 46 alleged violations described in MSHA's most recent inspection report were all minor. "We addressed them," he said.

Someone doesn't want to get sued. Well guess what? That's what happens in a self-regulating market place.

NOOooooo!!!!

Independence Air stops flying on Thursday. 2700 people lose their jobs and cheap flights to Jacksonville, FL just got harder to find.

quiz addiction

Which Pirates of the Caribbean character are you?

Actually my son has been pestering me about seeing the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie that comes out in July. So I found this quiz. Pretty close to gender for a change.

Happy New Year, my predictions and resolutions

Predictions:
1. The Democrats will at a minimum take back the Senate. Winning the House depends upon our get out the vote efforts.
2. Bush will start to pull troops out of Iraq and take credit for the idea. He will declare "Retreat is Victory"
3. The Ministry of Truth blog will become more popular than Ignorant Hussy.
4. NoPT4Lent will learn that there is more to blogging than cutting and pasting articles. Commentary make a blog a blog.
5. My son will turn eight.
6. I will stop having birthdays.
7. My fat cat will get even fatter.
8. My black and white cat will maintain his girlish figure.
9. I will finally get my Master's in International Relations at the end of the year.

Resolutions:
1. I will try to spend more time with my son.
2. I will stop waiting until the last minute to do my term papers and readings for my classes.
3. I will do my best to annoy conservatives, especially after Novermber.
4. I resolve to try to lose some weight.
5. I resolve to get my fat ass to exercise.
5. I hope to be able to buy a condo or townhouse this year, this looks good as some properties have been sitting on the market for 10 weeks. That was unheard of this time last year.
6. When I buy my condo/townhome/house, I will get a dog.
7. Get my cars and scooter paid off and make a significant dent in my credit card debt. I say this every year, but paying off the cars is attainable this year.

Just read this

My protege is surpassing me.