…by Camera Obscura, so off I go:
Three names you go by (that won't give away your identity): Well, my identity isn’t much of a secret, so I’m not too worried. Mr. Shakes calls me Liss, my mom calls me Lissa, and my friend Cecil calls me Mellie.
Three screen names you've had: The screen name I had when Mr. Shakes and I met online was Sarcasticunt. You’ve got to give me credit for truth in advertising! Other than that, I usually just use my real name.
Three physical things you like about yourself: My eyes are pretty good, I’m told. I like my hands—they’re old lady hands; they’ve always been wrinkled and kind of strange, but unique, and my sister and nephew have the same hands. I have a chip in one of my teeth of which I’m rather fond as well.
Three physical things you don't like about yourself: Even though there are plenty of things not to like (like being overweight or being short), I can’t really say that I’m especially bothered by any of my physical shortcomings. Maybe I should be, but whatever—I am who I am, and I’ve got other things to worry about!
Three parts of your heritage: Scottish, Irish, Norwegian.
Three things you are wearing right now: Wedding band, trousers, sweater.
Three favorite bands / musical artists: Morrissey, David Bowie, Ben Folds.
Three favorite songs: Shakespeare’s Sister by The Smiths, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out by The Smiths, Rubber Ring by The Smiths (Do you detect a theme?)
Three things you want in a relationship: Love, humor, happiness.
Three physical things about the preferred sex that appeals to you: Depends on whom I’m looking at, as each person has his or her own interesting features. Mr. Shakes: eyes (especially the lines around his eyes when he smiles), the freckles on his hands and arms (millions of them!), the way his top lip rests against his teeth (I can’t explain it; it just does it for me).
Three of your favorite hobbies: Reading, writing, films.
Three things you want to do really badly right now: Take a vacation, vote Bush out of office, and take another vacation.
Three things that scare you: Dominionism, the fragility of life, trusting someone new.
Three of your everyday essentials: Nicotine, caffeine, blogging.
Three careers you have considered / are considering: When I was a kid, I wanted to be the world’s foremost bat expert. When I was in high school, I wanted to be a journalist. In college, I decided to be a professor, then chucked it and sold out to corporate America instead.
Three places you want to go on vacation: Britain (because I have friends there that I miss), Florence (because Mr. Shakes says it’s beautiful), and Mexico (because I have friends there who opened a bed and breakfast, and I’d really love to see it).
Three kids' names you like: Henry, Harrison, Catriona.
Three things you want to do before you die: Read every book that’s on “the list,” see every film that’s on “the list,” and discover the secret to immortality.
Three ways you are stereotypically a boy: I like kung fu movies, I’m a terrible housekeeper, I’m an excellent parallel parker.
Three ways you are stereotypically a girl: I could spend insane amounts of money on shoes, I cry at movies, I’m a great cook.
Three celeb crushes: Colin Firth, George Clooney, Chow Yun Fat.
Three people to play next: The Green Knight, Maurinsky, and Erinberry.
I’ve been tagged…
Stepford Rides Again
Erica Jong rips Laura “Pickles Stepford” Bush a new one:
Now that Laura Bush is back from the Middle East and can take off her black scarf, it's time to ask why she is promoting freedom for women in the Middle East when the rights of American women are being systemically eroded by her husband's initiatives. Is it the same reason why her husband promotes democracy abroad while the Patriot Act and the suspension of the Geneva Convention dilute democracy at home? Is wearing the headscarf the last refuge of a desperate housewife? Of course women in the Middle East need the vote, an end to domestic violence and free access to contraception. But so do we. Odd that it is always easier to proselytize for feminism abroad while ignoring deteriorating womens' rights at home.I’ve noticed that in certain corners of the Lefty blogosphere (not around here, thank you, Shakers), women’s claims that their rights are being eroded is met with a certain skepticism, if not outright denial. Here’s just a smattering of examples for any reality-changed blokes or birds that might swing by:
Michigan:
The Michigan House voted Tuesday to require medical clinics to offer women considering an abortion the chance see an ultrasound of the fetus.Florida:
The House voted 69-37 to send the bill to the Senate.
State Rep. Dave Robertson, R-Grand Blanc Township, introduced the bill. He has said he hopes giving women the option to see an ultrasound of the fetus would prevent them from having an abortion.
[…]
"Women will be given the opportunity to see the miracle of life through the miracle of today's technology to truly make an informed choice," Robertson in a news release.
A woman has been charged with evidence tampering and child neglect after arranging an abortion for her 17-year-old daughter during an incest investigation.Florida again:
The girl's 40-year-old stepfather was charged Friday with familial sexual battery. The 33-year-old mother also was arrested. Both are free on $5,000 bond. The girl and her sister have been placed in state custody.
Palm Beach County sheriff's detectives wanted to perform a paternity test on the fetus as part of the investigation, but they say the mother took her daughter to a Broward County clinic for an abortion without notifying them.
Gov. Jeb Bush signed a bill Wednesday that requires physicians to tell Florida parents when a minor daughter seeks an abortion. Bush signed a similar bill into law in 1999 but the courts blocked it, finding it violated the privacy provision in the Florida Constitution.California:
[…]
The law applies to girls 17 and under who aren't married and don't already have children. Unless it's a medical emergency, doctors are required to notify a parent in person or by phone 48 hours before the abortion or, if that's not possible, by certified mail 72 hours in advance.
The husband of a transgendered woman who is now physically (and legally) a woman has been deported because their union is being recognized as a “gay marriage,” which only became an issue after the wife casually mentioned to an immigration officer that she had had sex reassignment surgery.
To look at her today, that’s hard to believe: Ganzon is an elegant and very feminine woman with a slender figure, large brown eyes and a smooth complexion. “You look at me now, my soul, my heart—I am a woman,” she says. Her husband agrees. “It didn’t matter to me [that Donita had a sex change,]” he says. What's more, her driver’s license, marriage certificate, and passport all have her down as a woman.The only thing that separates Donita Ganzon and me is my ability to give birth; this is simply another example of the definition of womanhood being reduced to reproductive abilities. Simply unacceptable.
[…]
“Being transgender is more common than cystic fibrosis,” Debra Davies-Soshoux, one of Ganzon's and Javellana’s attorneys, says, “but it has to do with sex, and people in this country are uncomfortable with anything that has to do with sex.” The National Center for Transgender Equality logs at least one call a week from transgender people who have been fired from their jobs. Transgenders are often the victims of hate crimes, and are murdered at 16 times the rate of average Americans.
And in the military:
Three California congresswomen tried unsuccessfully Wednesday to get the House to allow overseas troops and their relatives to get abortions at military hospitals and clinics.That was about three minutes of searching. Interesting that Ms. Bush doesn’t seem to show nearly as much interest in making sure the rights of women in her own country are protected.
The military currently allows its doctors to perform abortions only in cases of rape, incest or where the mother's life is endangered, and the government does not pay for the procedures.
Democratic Reps. Susan Davis of San Diego, Jane Harman of El Segundo and Loretta Sanchez of Santa Ana argued that servicewomen in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere shouldn't have to return to the United States or go to a foreign hospital if they need an abortion.
During debate on a defense spending and policy bill, the three offered an amendment to allow overseas troops and family members to get abortions at military facilities, as long as they pay for them with their own money.
The House defeated the proposal 233-194. Past attempts to loosen the military's restriction on abortion have also failed.
(Hat tips to Feministing and Feministe.)
Culture of Life: Bush-Style
Via Slate comes a nice side-by-side comparison of Bush's stance on the death penalty versus his stance on stem-cell research. Here's the capper:And that, of course, does not even begin to take into account the contented delirium he experiences each time he has the opportunity to drop bombs on brown people.
· "I happen to believe that the death penalty, when properly applied, saves lives of others. And so I'm comfortable with my beliefs that there's no contradiction between the two." - April 14, 2005
· "The use of federal money, taxpayers' money to promote science which destroys life in order to save life is—I'm against that. And therefore, if the bill does that, I will veto it." - May 20, 2005
So, let me see if I have this straight -- Bush says that killing people saves lives, but using a piece of subatomic goo that could lead to cures for diseases like Parkinsons and Alzheimers and save millions of lives is murder.
Okay, I give up.
On a semi-related warmongering-type note, in case you’ve not heard, one of the revelations associated with the release of the Downing Street Memo is that Tony Blair only agreed to support the Iraq War in exchange for Bush supporting the Afghanistan invasion.
Think about that for a moment.
Bush had to be convinced to go after al-Qaida. Blair agreed to go into Iraq to get us into Afghanistan.
Digby says:
Tony Blair had to make a deal with Bush that he'd support him on Iraq to get him to go after Al-Qaeda. Is there anything more pathetic --- and frightening --- than that?I’d have to say no.
Try a Little Common Sense
Today, Harry Reid gave an address at the National Press Club called “The Use of Power: An Agenda for Reform.” Here are some highlights (via Harry Reid’s war room):
Our common sense reform agenda will take our economy from sluggishness to prosperity. A prosperity where a rising tide lifts the boat of every American who is willing to work hard.The common sense center. It’s a nice thought, but as I recall, both people on the Left and the Right were pretty pissed off about the filibuster compromise. And so many of the issues we’re facing aren’t compromisable because the Left has already suggested centrist solutions and the Right continues to reject them. How do you give the LGBT community equal rights in a centrist way? How do you find the center between people who want abortion to be safe and legal and accessible and people who want it criminalized outright? Where is the center between the position that stem cell research should be legal and stem cell research should be illegal? The problem is that people on both sides of an issue have to have common sense.
When it comes to the economy, the Washington Republicans offer the same old answers and then try to change the subject. But the growing trade deficit and a runaway national debt that puts us into hock to China and Japan show that this Administration and this Congress have lost control over America’s economic destiny.
Democrats stand ready to win back America’s prosperity. We’ll end the tax breaks that encourage companies to take jobs overseas. Restore fiscal responsibility. Spur innovation. Open the doors to college. And make work pay more than welfare.
And if we want our companies to be ready to compete in the world economy, we have to hold down health care costs. Today, Starbucks spends more on health care than on coffee. Today, GM spends more on health care than on steel. Today, we can’t ask our companies to go head to head with foreign competitors with this burden on their backs.
Our families will never get ahead while they are getting battered down by health care costs that total $10,000 a year.
And our country will never be what it should be as long as the color of your skin or the size of your bank account determines whether your children can see a doctor. We can do better for them. And they are expecting nothing less from us.
Many of the jobs of the future will be jobs that come from new energy saving industries. Today, Japan’s and South Korea’s head start on innovation means they are running away with those jobs. We have to get back in that race.
Americans are getting fed-up every time they go for a fill-up. They know that our reliance on Mideast oil is making America less safe. They want us to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and make this nation energy independent. We can get there – but only if we start putting America’s security and prosperity first.
And Democrats will continue to stop George Bush from privatizing Social Security while we say “yes” to shoring up Americans’ pensions and making our retirement system more secure.
This is our agenda – an agenda for reform, an agenda to do the people’s business. And for them we will continue to fight.
[…]
This week’s events mark our chance to forge a common sense center that embraces an American agenda for reform. As Democratic Leader, I will be working aggressively to advance the work the American people sent us to do. And I hope that Republicans of good faith will join with us to get this job done: To strengthen our national security. To make America energy independent. To restore economic prosperity and opportunity. To help our families and business afford their health care. To boost Americans’ retirement security and protect their Social Security.
In the coming weeks and months, I’ll have more to say on all these fronts. But I pledge today, that in everything we do, the lesson of this week – that we can build on the common sense center – will remain front and center.
On marriage equality, the common sense solution is to separate civil marriage and religious ceremonies, requiring everyone to register a civil union and leaving the religious aspects to the church. Will the Right ever capitulate to such a change? On abortion, the common sense solution is to encourage the use of birth control, make sex education (which can include but should not be limited to abstinence as an option) a priority, and make abortions as safe and immediately available as possible, so that they are done as early as possible. Will the Right ever support even one of those steps? On stem cell research, the common sense solution is simply that it should be legalized, because there is no reason it shouldn’t be; the misinformation campaign that invokes inappropriate comparisons to cloning, abortion, etc. should cease immediately. Will the Right agree to approach the topic with the rationality it deserves?
I hope Harry’s on to something; I really do. I just haven’t seen much common sense floating around lately.
As a side note, it’s nice to see he’s been reading my blog:
As of this month, more time has passed since 9-11 than the time between Pearl Harbor and the defeat of Japan. During those three years and eight months – sixty years ago – we invaded North Africa and Normandy. We freed people from the Philippines to France. Hitler lay dead and Tojo was in chains. We had defeated fascism around the world and had begun to build the new United Nations.(Just kidding.)
But today Osama bin Laden is still on the loose, our homeland is still not secure, we’re still not energy independent, and – in many ways – Americans are less safe than we were before 9-11.
Crackpots
The Green Knight links to the following report in Editor and Publisher:
The congregation of Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church in Elkins, W.Va., has voted to fire its minister after he wrote a column for the local daily, the Inter-Mountain, supporting gay rights.That’s about the most innocuous statement I can imagine a Christian minister making. It is, in fact, simply a recitation of the primary tenet of Christianity.
"Gay and lesbian Christians are no different than the rest of us," the Rev. Jeff Falter wrote in a Feb. 26 article. "They deserve full equality in the church and in society, for they are my brothers and sisters, people for whom Christ died."
I am as flabbergasted (and disgusted) by the reaction to Rev. Falter’s statement as I am by the reaction to Nightline’s tribute to fallen soldiers. How anyone can read a political agenda in the recognition of soldiers who have died, simply by reading their names and showing their pictures, is totally beyond me.
The Right is getting increasingly bizarre. They have lost all perspective, including and especially on that which is, ostensibly, solidly within their purview: moral values and supporting the troops. There’s nothing moral about turning people who want to worship away from a church, or firing a minister who claims that Christ died for everyone, and there’s nothing supportive about politicizing the honoring and remembrance of fallen soldiers, or denouncing the reading of their names as anti-war propaganda. They waved bye-bye to the deep end long ago; we’re into certifiably, unrelentingly irrational territory now. Nothing can deter them from reacting with shocking vitriol to anyone who disagrees with them, in spite of their constant assertions that they are the true Christians, the true patriots.
It would be hilarious if ideological hatemongers just like them weren’t running the country.
Totally Nutzoid
Good jumping Christ! What the fucking fuck is wrong with Phil fucking Spector?! I mean, I know he’s got a shitbucket full of problems, what with being a murderer and all, but, come on, what the fuck?!
(Via Norbizness, who aptly describes this photo as “uncaptionable.”)
And I'm fairly certain that's a wig made out of the cat hair from Mike's place.
Draft Warren
Okay, after being a bit dubious about a possible run for California governor by Warren Beatty, Ezra’s convinced me. Let’s draft him and get the Gropinator the fuck outta there. Even if he’s terrible, he can’t possibly be as bad as the Austrian Arschloch who’s running the joint now. You know what they say about Desperate Times…
(But I’ll still fight ya on Hillary, Ez.)
Pictures of the Day
Care of Pam, who notes:
He's not running for office again, but Chimpy can't help himself. He wants BABY.
You just cannot separate that man from bald heads.
Don't Fuck With His Rep
The Fixer at Alternate Brain responding to Amnesty International’s charges that the prison at Gitmo is the "gulag of our times" and that American leaders may face international prosecution for mistreating prisoners:
I don't know about anybody else, but my reputation means everything to me. As most of you know, besides being a writer, I'm a semi-retired mechanic. Keeping a reputation for ethics and integrity when swimming in a sea of sharks ain't easy, but I (my boss and the guys I work with too) have managed to do it for over 30 years.In the comments thread, his co-blogger Gordon agrees:
The reputation of my country means a lot to me too, and this just pisses me off…
25 years ago, I joined the military to protect this nation from the USSR, the people who invented the word 'gulag'. We have become what despise the most.
It damn sure is turning into something I didn't sign up to defend, either.We talk a lot about what supporting the troops really means, and the Left and the Right seem to have very different ideas about that. One of the things that I believe we owe to our troops who have already served is retaining the principles for which they were fighting. Asking them to have risked their lives to defend democracy only to destroy it at home and abroad is the worst kind of betrayal. I can’t begin to imagine how it feels to be someone like Fix or Gordon, whose service is mocked by a half-assed Texas guardsman that speaks of ideas like liberty and freedom while he crushes dissent and undermines the democracy he’s sworn to uphold.
Well, mock it all you like, flyboy. It’s people like the men of Alternate Brain who are the real guardians of America, not sniveling bullies who wield its power while destroying its greatness in equal measure, and it’s they who are our heroes.
We Must Repeat
We just don't fucking learn.
This image is from yahoo's news page (tip 'o the energy dome to PusBoy and his commentary). Have we really learned nothing? Don't they realize how dehumanizing and humiliating this is? Dont' they realize how much further this will enrage the Iraquis?
I can't even make a Newsweek joke; this just disgusts me. I'm sure the genius that thought up this procedure was patting himself on the back for not making the prisoners wear a number. After all, that would be too nazi-like, right?
STOP TREATING PRISONERS LIKE ANIMALS.
(Cross-posted while sputtering more obscenities)
Santorum Shocker!
If you have a weak heart, with this with caution, because it’s a biggie… Turns out that esteemed Senator from Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum, is a hypocrite!
From the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (via DSCC Communications Director Phil Singer):
Question of the Day for Rick Santorum: Can Stem Cell Research Cure Hypocrisy?Good lord. Somebody fill a syringe with shame and squirt it into this guy’s mouth immediately.
[…]
SANTORUM HAS CLEARLY STATED HIS OPPOSITION TO STEM CELL RESEARCH: Following the House of Representatives voting to expand stem cell research, Santorum issued a statement saying he was “disheartened” and that he does not “support taxpayer funding for scientific research that involves the destruction of human embryos or that is based on the prior destruction of human life.” Santorum also said he was “pleased to hear that President Bush has vowed to veto the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005.” [Press Release, Office of Sen. Santorum, 5/24/05]
SANTORUM EVEN INTRODUCED LEGISLATION TO LIMIT STEM CELL RESEARCH: In January 2003, Santorum co-sponsored legislation that would have imposed severe restrictions on stem cell research. This legislation was applauded by conservatives because it would take more steps in preventing human cloning. Opponents of the bill, including the Christopher Reeve Paralysis foundation, American Diabetes Association and the National Organization for Women believed that the bill goes too far in limiting stem-cell research. [Anchorage Daily News, 5/17/03; S.245, 1/29/03]
YET SANTORUM HAS TAKEN $55,000 IN CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM COMPANIES THAT CARRY OUT STEM CELL RESEARCH: Since 1998, Rick Santorum has accepted a total of $55,500 in campaign contributions from political action committees tied to six separate companies that conduct stem cell research. The six companies are: Becton Dickenson, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Novartis, & Pfizer. [www.crp.org; Biotechnology Industry Organization; Wall Street Journal, 4/12/05; Bioworld Today, 10/14/04]
Kudos to Kraft
After coming under fire from conservative groups for their sponsorship of the Gay Games, Kraft, unlike some other megacorporations we could mention, hasn’t backed down from their position, instead defending their commitment to support diversity.
Here’s an excerpt from the statement issued by Marc Firestone, Executive Vice President, Corporate Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Kraft Foods, Inc.:
The true test of any commitment is how you respond when challenged. Kraft is experiencing this to a degree right now, as a result of our decision to be one of several contributors to the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago. The games will bring together thousands of athletes in a competition that will take place in our corporate hometown.That’s being a leader. That’s corporate responsibility. That’s the way to tell the conservative barbarians clawing at your gate that the problem is theirs, not yours.
[…]
Diversity is more than a word many people like to say. At Kraft we truly respect all kinds of differences. And diversity is not a selective concept. By definition, it's nothing if not inclusive. We respect diversity of ethnicity, gender, experience, background, personal style and yes, sexual orientation and gender identity. Recognizing, respecting and valuing these differences helps us be a more successful business and a workplace where all employees can realize their full potential.
[…]
It can be difficult when we are criticized. It's easy to say you support a concept or a principle when nobody objects. The real test of commitment is how one reacts when there are those who disagree. I hope you share my view that our company has taken the right stand on diversity, including its contribution to the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago.
I’m gonna go buy me some Cheese & Macaroni!
Sith Review
Okay, since we have a lot of Star Wars fans loitering about, I have to share with you the most hilarious review (containing no spoilers) of Sith from someone who does not like Star Wars. Never has, never will, which I must say provides for quite an amusing rant. This review comes courtesy of Mr. Shakes' best mate, MWS (with his permission), who regular Shakers will remember recently made a guest appearance as our resident hero.
(And by the way, a "jobbie" is a turd.)
----------------------------
There are insufficient words in the English language to describe just how appallingly bad that film was. In fact, I doubt whether the lexicon of a lost tribe who had survived millions of years in a slurry pool beneath the mouth of a sewage outlet would be extensive enough to relate the true vomit-encrusted jobbie that was the Revenge of the Sith.
Was that really better than the Phantom Menace? Or have I just forgotten how terrible the Phantom Menace was for that to have been considered an improvement? I have considered the matter overnight and searched for one aspect of the film that could be deemed a success but have been unable to come up with a single thing. Now, I know people will rave about the special effects (which can never replace the need for a storyline and/or decent acting in my opinion) but they were just boring. It appears that he spent the whole budget creating these huge space cities replete with millions of insignificant little characters in the background doing insignificant things to lend more realism to the film. So, what? It's just boring. I could have created a more exciting film at a fraction of the cost by simply video taping the effects of throwing a box of fireworks on to a bonfire. When people want special effects, they want massive explosions, buildings coming apart at the seams, actors being flung across a room following the impact of a high velocity weapon. Not boring background garbage. So, while I can appreciate the skill, labour and money that must have gone into the creation of some of these mega-cities, I can't help thinking, 'what was the point'? The fight scenes were pathetic. The reliance on computer animation just showed up the terrible human acting and directing. On several occasions during fights, the camera would slowly pan across the seven or so real human actors in the scene and, each would carry out some action at the moment the camera centered on them before continuing on to the next one! Before it was their turn, they looked as though they were just scratching their baws.
Then there was the storyline and script. Has George Lucas now regressed so deeply into his childhood fantasies that he thinks and writes like a five year old? Was the original script written in crayon with none of the letters joined up? Is the story board a collection of pictures of one dimensional stickmen with three fingers? Seriously, when I was in primary school I was better able to hold a plot together than Lucas. The final turd on the dung-heap was that clumsy effort in the last five minutes to stitch the film together with the original Star Wars! I mean, when he was actually writing the script did he not think about these loose ends until he was 90% finished? Then the acting. Oh my god! Ewan McGregor should be dragged naked behind a horse and then strung up from the battlements for his shocking parody of Sir Alec Guiness. What the hell was that crummy accent all about, or the way he managed to murder just about any one-liner he was made to deliver. Then the bird and Anakin managed to set new minimum standards with badly hammed up performances that would have seen them dismissed from a school production of the nativity play. The only character in the whole film with any depth or consistency was Yoda! I would rather be force fed faeces from the bowels of the local rugby team after a night of beer and curry than ever watch anything associated with George Lucas and Star Wars again.
A Note to the Guys
If you’ve been considering the best way to get semen from your penis into a woman’s mouth (and I know you have been!), I’ve got some important information for you.
Don’t even think about engaging in consensual oral sex, especially if you might have reason to lie about it later. They impeached a president for that—I can only imagine what they’d do to you.
Instead, try filling a syringe with your jizz, then injecting it into women’s mouths. Even if you get caught and lie about it, you’ll only get probation.
In testimony before the board, [former dentist John Hall] denied the allegations.So, like I said…syringes are definitely the way to go. Just looking out for ya, guys.
"I have never injected semen in any patient's mouth," he said. "I never would. I've got a 10-year-old daughter. That whole concept is so beyond me."
Police searched Hall's office and confiscated syringes after several employees said they were suspicious of the dentist's behavior. DNA tests on the syringes later showed they contained Hall's semen.
[…]
[Superior Court Judge Robert Ervin] placed Hall, 44, on probation for five years, telling the alleged victims he chose that over a maximum 120-day prison sentence in the hope that Hall's activities would be monitored and similar acts prevented.
Now, as for us girls, it seems pretty crappy that having a dude squirt his manjuice into our mouths against our will is considered a misdemeanor, especially considering that the junk can carry disease, not to mention the psychological trauma of such an event, and it seems even crappier that the best they can do to punish someone charged with seven counts of “misdemeanor assault on a female” is 120 days of jail or a 5-year probation. But, you know, that’s what the law says, and who are we to question the wisdom of the judiciary, right? The only solution I can think of is to stop going to the dentist. Maybe if our teeth spoil and rot and fall out of our heads, then there won’t be anyone wanting to squirt semen in our mouths uninvited.
“Unintentional but worrisome”
The tone of this article from the AP would be laughable if it weren’t so sad:
A voters' rights group said Wednesday its audit of November's presidential election ballots in Miami-Dade County showed counting problems - and an unintentional but worrisome instance of a number of votes being counted three times.Kind of fucking alarming, I’d say. That the only quotes included in the article are as dispassionate and generic as a tin of mushroom soup is pathetic. We should be outraged at this situation. We should be up in arms that we are being placated with a solution like sending the machine “for testing.” We should be crying foul from every corner of the country, asking what has happened to our democracy. We should be demanding to know whether there is any relationship between this revelation and the claims made by Clint Curtis. And we should certainly not let the lackluster reporting of such irregularities dictate our reaction.
A report released by the Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition said during the elections there were "serious problems with policies and procedures that are supposed to protect the integrity of the ballot."
In many precincts, the number of people who signed in to cast votes was not tracked carefully, or in some cases was not compared with the actual number of ballots cast at those precincts.
The group also said there was a touchscreen machine malfunction; when votes were tallied the results from one machine had been counted three times, creating a discrepancy of 171 votes that became part of the certified canvass, the group said.
"It slid right through and nobody caught it," said Martha Mahoney, a professor at University of Miami and a group member.
Fifteen of Florida's 67 counties used touchscreen machines, including most of the heavily populated ones.
Election officials welcomed the criticism and said the machine that gave a 3-for-1 tally has been sent for testing.
"We generally think that the more voices that you have the better off you are," said Seth Kaplan, spokesman for the elections office.
As an aside, I haven’t seen any comment from Mr. Kerry.
Unbelievable
Go visit Pam to get the story on the cross-burnings that happened in her neck of the woods.
What fucking century is this? Sick motherfucking fucks.
Well, At Least He’s Honest…
…for a change (though probably unintentionally, for which he can thank his limited vocabulary and his coke-fried brain that precludes quick thinkin'). In a comment reminiscent of musings where he waxed dreamy about being dictator, Bush admitted yesterday that he spreads propaganda:
See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda.Read: As your de facto dictator, I rely heavily on the repetition of talking points to brainwash you and push my agenda into the media.
Yeesh.
Crooks and Liars has the audio here.
Open Thread: Revenge of the Sith
Okay, I finally saw it last night. This the open thread for all manner of discussion. Spoilers are allowed, so if you don't want to know, don't read it!
What did ya think?
More Bloch Head
Shaken, Not Stirred…and Very Dry
A lovely little bit of dry snark from Shaker John Lombard, who also authors the generously named blog Trust Me, You Have No Idea How Much I Hate Bush -- And Dick Isn't That Great, Either:
Bill O'Reilly is upset with Michael Kinsley. Michael Kinsley thinks that one way to restore America's -- sorry, what is it? -- oh, right, prestige in the world is to give the prisoners at Guantanamo legal representation. Bill cried appeasement! He thought Kinsley meant that giving Guantanamo prisoners lawyers would restore America's standing among mujahedeen.
Some on the right seems to think that America's prestige is only down with tyrannies. Rush Limbaugh said just that on his program. Unfortunately, America's stock is down in the free world. When Democrats talk about loss of prestige they mean among the free countries of the world, not among dictatorships. So, they could just be a misunderstanding. Because Republicans are stupid.
