Sailor Accused of Child Rape

Dahmer-esque crimes seem to be happening in the Navy

Damn. A Bangor-based chief on the USS Ohio stands accused of child rape of a girl aged 13 and a boy when he was between 8 and 12 years old. Not exactly the Honor, Courage, and Commitment the Navy is looking for. This is the 4th child molestation related offense I can count in the last year. The other 3 include:

• Master Chief at Bangor convicted of molesting an 8 year old girl (October 2007)
• Master Chief in charge of base at Kitsap (where the shipyard is) charged with soliciting sex from two 12-year olds in a sting at a Bremerton hotel (March 2007)
• Pearl Harbor sailor accused of molestation of a 13-year old on a flight (January 2008)
  

It's fucked up.

Jesus Built My Ford Ranger

Mercon V Transmission Fluid: Delicious, but Deadly

Anyone else get the compulsion to listen to Ministry's Jesus Built my Hotrod while performing routine maintenance on your car?

That's a good tune. And it gives a sense of coolness while you perform an otherwise dull task.

For the Long Weekend

Priorities

Here's hoping your secret Tera Patrick folder doesn't get burned up in a Labor Day deluge caused by unsafe BBQin' practices. Not being accustomed to long weekends in the Navy, I'm not sure what the hell to do with myself. There's always free mullet removals down at the local boutique, or maybe I'll get some background on Gov. Palin at VPILF.com...Anyone got any cool plans for the weekend? For those deployed, it's always the endless drumbeat of Groundhog Day, but at least Labor Day is one less 24-hour period in the suck.

Money Talks, Bullshit Walks

Just throwing in my two-bit commentary on the thing no one is talking about: The Obama speech! (full transcript here)

Dispelling Criticism: I've never doubted that Obama and his family are swell people, so the fact that he spent the better part of his speech talking about how he feels the pain of an average schmoe to diffuse the "elitist" label bestowed upon him from the right was pretty lame. Oooo, average Americans working jobs in flyover country are decent people, what a provocative statement! Who gives a fuck if the future president is Mr. Rogers or a raging asshole. Obama's not going to come over and pass out on my couch when he's too drunk to drive home, so why is he so hung up on convincing America that he's a good person. We don't need a president to be a buddy, we need a leader to deal with pressing crises, and Obama wasn't convincing me of that during the first part of his speech by acting like some lefty blogger dispelling McCain camp rumors. Zzzz!

Throwing a bone to vets: "The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America – they have served the United States of America." Very inspiring, indeed. Obviously, I'm a little interested as to how any politician deals with the military and veterans, and I thought he had some decent things to say about military sacrifices. But he still gets caught in the trap of not supporting the mission in Iraq, where many of our personnel have spent time, and many have had some misgivings about someone who thought what you were doing for your country was a "mistake" or a "foreign policy blunder". Recent polling on the political leanings of military members seems to suggest that many share my sentiment. But, on the flip side, I doubt Obamamaniacs are going to be featured on C.H.U.D. Busters anytime soon, and GI Kate loved the speech.

Bin Laden: "John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell – but he won't even go to the cave where he lives." Does this mean that Obama wants to send troops into the FATA in Pakistan? Uh...there might be some problems with that. But along with the Brooks and Dunn lyrics at the end of the speech, this sounds like empty, fist-shaking rhetoric. I would've liked to see him spend a bit more time focusing on the details of policies as a wartime CinC, because some of the Dobbs-esque red herrings, like toys from China, aren't high on the priority list right now.

Government Working For You: In 10 years we'll have independence from foreign oil? Cutting taxes for 95% of Americans (booyah, I'm in that lower 95th percentile!)? Slashing bureaucracy? Free health care if you don't have the cash for it? Solving global warming and having a polar bear epidemic? We've been burned by these people and their promises many times before. These are some pretty lofty goals, and I'm not going to whine, sulk, and moan if Obama gets elected in November, but don't think that maintaining a non-cynical attitude about government is wise. Vote for the best...prepare for the worst.

Politics Goes Emo

Wek gives "some" credit that is deservedly unenthusiastic to the genre of Emo. While there may be a need for some to hear why some skinny-jeaned hipster broke up with his girlfriend, Emo has no place in politics. The country faces serious problems that require well-detailed and complex solutions, and just appealing to people's base emotions (hope, change, love, fear) isn't doing a great service to democracy.

McCain Ad on Obama and Iran is Dishonest, But the Obama Temple is Hilarious

Joe Scarborough called bloggers a bunch of cheetos-eating losers today on MSNBC. Of course, the subjects of his mockery were big time internet people who are schmoozing with the elite class in Denver. I can't imagine what he thinks of small-time bloggers who look forward to getting off work so they can check their RSS feed. If it helps Joe's case, I spilled a bunch of Busch Light on my AC adapter today, which should shed some light on my lifestyle. Anyways, McCain has been releasing these ads on the internet so that he'll get some free face time from folks not feeling the hope or the change. Personally, my favorite McCain ad is the McBain spoof, but this latest one isn't just lame...it's bullshit.

The charge from the McCain camp is that Obama is weak on Iran comes from a quote they take out of context from one of Obama's May speeches in Oregon. The Senator's speech from ABC:

"Strong countries and strong presidents talk to their adversaries. That's what Kennedy did with Khrushchev. That's what Reagan did with Gorbachev. That's what Nixon did with Mao. I mean, think about it. Iran, Cuba, Venezuela -- these countries are tiny, compared to the Soviet Union. They don't pose a serious threat to us the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us. And yet, we were willing to talk to the Soviet Union at the time when they were saying, 'We're going to wipe you off the planet.'"

Indeed, the Soviet Union had a massive army, navy, and nuclear stockpile that could have wiped out America in mutually assured destruction. In comparison, it is still unclear whether or not Iran even has one nuke, the best their navy can muster is hassling our Navy in international waters with their engine-powered snow tubes, and Iran's land-based military displays are less about superior firepower and more about propaganda to distract a population in a lousy economy. Iran is truly making a nuisance of itself by hampering democracy in Lebanon and sowing discord with proxy Special Groups thugs in Iraq. But Iran's pathetic attempt at a Tet offensive in late March in Iraq was a dismal failure. It was all irregular warfare, goons hiding in alleys in Sadr City to launch rockets at the Green Zone, which only encouraged the Iraqis, with coalition backing, to seize control of areas in Iraq that the militias once had free reign. The U.S. embassy was not evacuated in Baghdad, like it was in Beirut in the 80s, and most of the militia proxies have fled back to Iran.

As for the "terrorism" moniker...I'm a bit skeptical to apply that moniker. Simply because it confuses the Sunni Al-Qaeda threat (who routinely massacres civilians in deliberate, spectacular attacks) with the threat poised by Shi'ite militias (more engaged in racketeering, crime, and attacks on military & political forces). So, it's wise to keep a watchful eye on Iran's activities, but let's not forget where the most serious threat is coming from at this time, which starts with an "A" or "P" and ends in "Stan".

As for Obama and his Caligula-like opulence being planned in Denver, that shit's funny as hell! Maybe you can agree that both of the big parties suck?

Zombie Pelosi Threatens To Eat Hecklers' Brains

I Can Smell Your Brains!

It can be suggested that Nancy Pelosi's possible plastic surgery is a clever ruse to hide the fact that she is a flesh-consuming zombie. Being disastrously wrong on Iraq and her terrible popularity in the polls adds credence to the fact that she is the living dead. Now, the Politico reports that Nancy Pelosi has transcended mere rumors of our apocalyptic demise and seeks to feast on the delicious brains of angry contrarians in Denver. The Politico reports:

House Democratic leaders and protesters waving McCain signs had a war of words Tuesday at a press event outside an old train station. The demonstrators interrupted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with chants of “Drill here! Drill now!” Pelosi paused and asked the group, “Right here?” Seeming to enjoy the back and forth, she followed with another question: “Can we drill your brains?” Hot Air has the shocking video.

Instead of threatening to eat her opponents flesh, Pelosi could have changed her tune to allow developing more energy infrastructure instead of just providing the short-term fix of seizing the strategic oil reserve, as she initially proposed. It is preposterous that we continue outsourcing money and environmental impact to other parts of the world, while maintaining restrictions on oil shale, offshore drilling, and ANWR.

Since oil is only one piece of the energy puzzle, and I need a job when this Navy gig is over with, I was checking out the nuclear field. Westinghouse has the new AP1000 reactor, which will shut down safely without any human action and was designed to compete economically with fossil fuel power generation. There's only a handful in the NRC approval process (mostly down south), but China wants a 100 of these bad boys by 2020. It's comforting to know, that we'll still be able to borrow more and more money from the improving Chinese, while Congress remains deadlocked and likely to get swindled by the "Taxpayer dollars for T. Boone Pickens" plan.

It's Tough to Say Sorry in an Orange Pantsuit

Much like Ahnold in T2, Hillary has shelved her ambitions and sacrificed herself to the great church of the Democratic party. But is it for the greater good or is she leading the lemmings over the cliff?

Yikes! Thugs Make Trouble at DNC

Gateway Pundit is reporting a full fledged riot in Denver this evening by the juvenile protesters who didn't get enough attention from their mothers. Unfortunately, their arrests will further their cause for martyrdom, so they can regale the hippy chicks back on campus with their tales of "smashing the police $tate". Also, meth'd-up white supremacist thugs supposedly had an assassination plot concocted against Sen. Obama. I suppose having an election cycle that doesn't resemble the political violence some banana republic would have been too much to ask...

And for no other reason. Here's a music video of the 1990 Black Box jam "Everybody Everybody" to cheer you up:



Not sure why I threw this in here, but I just think it's a real badass tune.

Why the DNC Makes Me Hate America

...my head really hurts...

It's often been remarked by my cohorts and I that we should just get out of this damn country and open a go-go bar with babes on roller skates in Thailand or something. You know, just sort of give up on life. At no time has that feeling been more sharp than tonight's viewing of the MSNBC coverage on the Democratic convention. The weeping delegates, the chortling MSNBC commenters practically in a fit of lust over their messiah, the stupid fucking signs, the dorky white people dances to crummy songs you hear on your local "soft rock" radio station, and the grandiose setup in a secured building that is presumably supposed to be speaking to the "common man".

The festivities started off with Ted Kennedy looking all schmoozy and smug on his yacht followed by a wretched speech about how he was the savior of America by directing taxpayer dollars from one group of Americans to another under the guise of healthcare. Shoveling money from point A to point B with a monstrous buraeucracy in between somehow makes one a benefactor and a hero in this day and age, I suppose. I would've thought it was, you know, the people like doctors and nurses that actually patch you up when you get ill or injured, but in this fucked up world, it's the guy cramming the gun of the state down your throat demanding money from you that supposedly goes to "help people out". They never talk about the money that gets lost in corruption or the cash that goes to some asshole trial lawyer so he can put another diamond ring on his fat finger. But money is overrated and you can get by in America with just a little and still "take a lot of pride in what I am" as Merle Haggard once said, what really is disturbing is the fact that these politicians create a narrative that we truly need them. That we are hopelessly irresponsible and incapable of existing without the state involved in every little affair of our personal lives. We allow government to exist, and the shit the government should be doing like infrastructure development, killing the enemy (this decade it has been Islamic extremists), and policing our streets has become woefully inadequate.

Instead these politicians that places like the DNC breed say we don't need to build up oil infrastructure, because we can just ship money overseas and get it somewhere else. Who wants a big ugly oil refinery in view of their place of recreation because it might interrupt their golf swing. They call us bad enivronmental stewards because we want to build it in America, where it could have proper emission controls, but they want it somewhere else, where the environmental regulations are more stodgy. They said we're torturing people in Gitmo and fighting and unjust war in Iraq. Well, why did you send us into Iraq in the first place, you motherfuckers? We're doing the best we can, and all you can people can do is knife us in the back, holding our pay hostage, in order to score a few political points with malcontents. A least people fighting the wars believe in a cause, while politicians seem more interested in hypnotizing voters that if they don't vote for their special interest groups you are some kind of degenerate. The moral superiority was rife at the DNC. Look at Michelle Obama. I'm a Horatio Alger story, but you people are all disgraces who would be drooling all over yourselves if it wasn't for the compassion of people like me and my husband. C'mon. And what was that bullshit about the military family who has an empty seat because the spouse is in Iraq? Does that imply that every military member is a victim because they got swindled into Bush's propaganda scheme. At least they believe in a cause greater than themselves, instead of trying to vote themselves largess and free government giveaways at the election.

There have been so many sychopants ranting on and on about the hope and change of what the Obama ticket is going to bring, that they have cast all self-criticism aside in favor of blindly following their leader to utopia. But there is no Wizard of Oz at the end of this suckass quest. Just a forced servitude to the government so that we are perpetually in debt and perpetually afraid to cast doubt as the world crumbles around us. My ancestors crossed the Atlantic for this bullshit? A better plan would be to set concrete goals asking Americans to make specific sacrifices. Afghanistan is in trouble, let's increase the size of our military with more recruits. Our electrical infrastructure is horrendous, more people should study engineering in college. Culture is degraded, turn off the reality TV and go see a local play. The industrial base is collapsing, more people should start businesses and learn a trade. But that's never going to happen in this day of "what has the world done for me lately?", because Americans only want to vote to indulge themselves in self-gratification. And when politicians make people feel like they are completely helpless, and that voting will make all the difference, it's such an easy sell.

(Note: If you read all this stupid, incomprehensible bullshit, you probably share the sentiment of this guy.)

Taking on Chuck Norris, Please Don't Roundhouse Kick Me in the Face

Try not to get Uzi'd by the Chuck Norris Underage Drinking Patrol

The fame of The Chuck Norris Facts within military culture really can't be overstated. Like "Kilroy was Here" during WWII, one-liners about Chuck Norris can be found throughout the porta-potty walls on FOBs across Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr. Norris is also an avid troop supporter, having visited Iraq twice to hang out with forward-deployed personnel. But frankly, I'm talking the side of Nicki and Eric in not knowing why the hell he would deny the ability for those that are allowed to serve our country grab a beer.

In response to an initiative amongst universities to treat people like adults, Chuck Norris writes a slam-piece in the conservative World Net Daily that cites the standard opposition to lowering the drinking age to 18 (more drunk-driving fatalities, caring for our children, blah blah). But what stuck out the most was his peddling of cultural conservatism to the youth, just after his shameless plug for his upcoming book, Black Belt Nation:

We need your help. I need your help to join me and millions of others in a revolution (or, if you will, a rebelution), not to abandon the principles of the past but combine them together with social action in the present to build a better tomorrow. In other words, it's time to make some noise!

The principles of the past? Is he talking about the "golden era" of AIDS, high crime, and god-awful baggy pants that plagued my generation? Or the Jim Crow laws, getting away with beating women, and social upheaval that plagued his? I never understood the cultural conservative argument, as it seems to harp on morals and values that only existed on television and were rarely practiced.

Art That Doesn't Involve Peeing on Jesus

Pretty cool artist from Seattle named Spiral who has a website called Toxic Pretty. Some of her stuff reminds me of Ralph Steadman. The original painting was going for 600 bones (a little stiff for a government employee like myself), but she sold me a matted reprint for only 20 bucks. I'm definitely no expert on art, but I thought this was a cool picture because it reminded me of the Steve Guttenberg classic, The Day After. Any thoughts?

About Biden Being Shot At...

We all had a good chuckle when Sinbad outed Hillary Clinton for embellishing her sniper-fire story in Bosnia. Apparently, Malkin wants to put the same spin on Biden for saying he was "shot at" in the Green Zone in August 2007. She's even encouraging readers to do some fauxtoshop shenanigans to bring the funny. I was in the IZ in August 2007, and there certainly was quite a bit of getting shot at "indirectly" (meaning mortars/rockets lobbed in by militia thugs). Biden was making a point about the problems of withdrawing U.S. forces at the time, and not trying to look like a politically-conscientious Rambo (like Hillary was). IMHO, this isn't a valid source of criticism of Biden. To prove I'm not "in the tank" for the Dems, see this last post.

Rocket fragments, stray AK-47 rounds, and other fun stuff this blog found strewn about the Green Zone last year

Obama and Biden Agree on the "Carve Up Iraq" Plan

A tired internet meme is the only way to accurately describe Biden's 2007 partition plan for Iraq

Obama's VP has been announced, and the Dems are abuzz about his experience on national security issues to bring about credibility to a weak spot that has plagued Democratic politicians in previous general elections. While Afghanistan/Pakistan has become a more pressing concern to focus our strategic policy, Iraq still remains an important subject as the next Commander-in-Chief will, hopefully, preside over a large-scale reduction of military forces in Iraq while cementing long-term diplomatic relations with the new democracy. So, let's take a look at how Biden's non-binding resolution in September 2007 played out (voted on shortly after General Petraeus & Ambassador Crocker were in DC to testify that the Surge was having a positive effect). The plan essentially divided Iraq into three semi-autonomous states based on ethnicity/sect (Shi'ite, Sunni, and Kurd) with Baghdad functioning as a governing role. The plan didn't address mixed-ethnicity cities (like Kirkuk, Mosul) and it didn't take into account that oil is would primarily be in Biden's Shi'itestan. This was a non-binding Senate resolution passed in September 2007, and the controversial measure passed by a large amount.

The response to this abominable resolution from the Iraqis was with utmost contempt. One Shi'ite lawmaker said its purpose "only aimed to cause Iraq to slide into the pits of a civil war only God knows when it will end." according to Aswat al-Iraq. It has widely been stated in jest that the only thing uniting competing political parties in Iraq was their hatred for Sen. Biden's plan. Many foreigners don't understand the nuances of our hyper-partisan domestic debate regarding Iraq, and they assumed the resolution to carve up Iraq was official U.S. policy! This doesn't help the image of America trying not to be viewed as an "imperial aggressor", which is why the U.S. Embassy in Iraq promptly issued a press release decrying this abortion of a resolution. Some background on federalism being problematic for Iraq can be found at Historiae.

Despite Biden's plan being a monumental flop that pissed off the Iraqis, Obama has seemingly joined forces with VP-pick Biden on Iraq according to Politico:

Biden and Obama are now in nearly total agreement on the war, with both advocating a staged withdrawal of most troops within 16 months of inauguration day. Obama has even shed some of his initial misgivings about Biden’s three-region solution, saying he’d be open to the plan if Iraqis themselves signed off on it.

A lot can change in 11-months, so maybe Iraqis are more open to America carving up their country like Ottoman Emperor. Here's IraqPundit with a scoop from the Iraqi perspective:

Barack Obama's choice for vice president can only drag the country into ugly territory. His pick simply confirms his total disregard for the Iraqi people. All along, Biden has made it clear that he sees Iraqis as nothing more than savages bent on killing one another. His solution is to divide the country to stop the beasts from murdering the other beasts.

The next four years in Iraq will most likely be characterized by U.S. military forces drawing down to function in a supervisory/training role while there is diplomatic support for legitimate Iraqi democratic institutions. In other words, we will reduce our footprint as the Iraqis become more capable of defending and governing their own country. Joe's big, grandiose plan to completely restructure Iraq from the halls of Washington was a huge diplomatic gamble that failed miserably, and him being VP might be problematic.

Programming Your Children, Obama Style

A notable quotable from Jung Chang to ponder: "If children were brought up to become non-conformists it would only ruin their lives. So parents all over China who loved their children told them to do as Chairman Mao said. It was not possible to tell them anything else."

It's a little frightening to connect the dots between that quote on brainwashing your children and the Obama onesie on sale for 18 bucks over at MyBO.

My Shameless Product Loyalty to Microsoft, You Suck Apple

MacNinja, the only decent Apple product recorded in history

Seeing how I've utilized Microsoft products since the MS-DOS days (you younguns may be surprised that getting the sound card on your computer to work properly to play Doom was once a baffling ordeal), and since Microsoft is the second largest company native to WA state, I may be a bit biased in favor of them. That's why I took offense at the hipsters over at Crave mercilessly mocking Microsoft for selecting Jerry Seinfeld as the new spokesman for Vista. These techy bozos suggested using the Borg to offer "sex appeal" to Microsoft, and they also proposed having Mr. Burns be the spokesman to highlight Microsoft's supposed plutocracy. Cram that pink iPod down your throat, poindexters, because I've got some spokesman suggestions for the hopelessly inferior products that Apple turns out to the mindless masses of the world. Possible Apple spokesmen:

1) Dennis Blunden (The Fat Kid from Head of the Class): Dennis always liked to talk up a big game to Mr. Moore, a real freakin' show-off, but most of his snappy commentary was derived from the superior intellect and innovation of his unsung, nerdy friend Arvid (who looks shockingly similar to a young Bill Gates). This is similar to the Mac OS ripping off ideas from Windows to package as its own. However, like Dennis, Mac's operating systems have been fat, slow, and annoying.

2) Jack Johnson (horrendous musical talent and unfathomable douchebag): Jack Johnson's laid back tunes, that speak to a wasted life of leisure, and penchant for surfing to up his cool quotient are similar to the hipster marketing ploy that Apple has developed to pawn off their iPhones to a generation of saps. The preposterous line of thinking that the iPhone is somehow "the evolution of man" led to a recent ad using 2001: A Space Odyssey footage to sell off this consumer monstrosity. Like Jack Johnson's All at Once organization, an environmental ploy to sell more records to you suckers, the self-righteousness inherent within the Apple community to dump more plastic trinkets on the global populace is appalling.

3) Randy Constan as Peter Pan (the internet celebrity who just can't grow up): The juvenile hordes of iPod abusers, who can barely glance up from their MP3 playlists to engage in a civilized conversation, have a natural tendency to gravitate towards the antics of Peter Pan, the boy who just can't grow up. Randy Constan's hilarious tight-fitting outfits are a symbol for a generation of Apple users who never could stomach the crushing reality of adulthood, and drown themselves in a sea of infantile products to delude themselves. Also, Randy Constan's internet fame peaked around 2001-2002, which is the same time Mac's Ad campaigns reached their height of silly with the Ellen Feiss ad, a girl stoned out of her gourd giving a mumbling rendition of why you should throw money down the drain for a Mac. There has been nothing funny from Apple or Randy Constan ever since.

Zeitgeist and the Military

Shazzam! It Should Not be a Surprise that the Military is all Gomer Piles

Lela directs our attention to an account of two recent Dartmouth grads who got commissioned in the USMC. A faulty perception that people who only enlist or join the officer corps out of some kind of financial destitution conjures up a thought process that people in the ranks are somehow less patriotic because they didn't have any choice in the matter. The two Dartmouth Marines blast this line of reasoning in their article:

But when we did divulge our secret, it often felt as if a sheet had descended, separating us from our insouciant classmates. First came a brief stare, and then we were met with some variation of “Why are you doing that?” in a tone either brusque or reverential. We soon learned to size up our audience and respond appropriately. To people who we felt deserved an explanation, devoid of bravado or humility or caustic humor, we would start by saying, “Lots of reasons.”

The notable absence of America's elite class in the military, which The Onion once did a parody of, is a troubling sign of the times. Despite the fact that people like General Petraeus and his COIN cadre have many PhDs amongst them, the perception that the military is chocked full of rubes is evident in popular culture references like the horrendous movie Stop Loss.

So what to do about this quandary? The consortium of milbloggers seem to be (hopefully) making a dent in American public opinion that military members are capable of independent thought. This article from the Dartmouth grads will hopefully dispel rumors that everyone in the military was swindled into some morbid Ponzi scheme by their recruiter. And, it is important to note that, regardless of a servicemember's financial/genealogical background, they all wear the uniform and perform the same duty to their country.

TSO's Wherabouts Located

Unfortunate Gentleman Picked Up Cruising for Anus in Alabama, Could He Be TSO?

TSO has been MIA seeing how he didn't respond to my raunchy bit of gossip regarding IVAW in Hustler, so I can only assume he was taking part in the festivities in Alabama, in which the Huntsville police picked up 24 men cruising for sex at an overlook on Monte Sano Mountain. The pictures of the gentlemen are here and Gay Socialtie remarked "Talk About a Coming Out Party". I understand that this speculation might be a bit preciptious, because he's probably just leveling up his character on World of Warcraft or something.

Star of Sister Act II and Battlefield Earth Sing Praise for Obama

For a candidate that has taken some flak for being a tabloid-like cult of personality, I don't think this latest Obama video entitled "American Prayer" is going to help win votes from cynical moderates. Besides, everyone knows the best self-righteous celeb videos were made in the 80s when the hair and egos were bigger. See "Do They Know It's Christmas Time?":

Guy Puts Big McCain Sign on the Wrong Part of the Sound

Simplified Map of Puget Sound

For some context, the more densely-populated, more liberal Seattle is on the eastern part of the Puget Sound, while the slightly more conservative Bremerton area (where I live) is on the Western part of the Puget Sound. Not pictured is Tacoma, which is to the south. I've lived in the area less than a year, and I enjoy different things about each part, but there's certain things you don't do. In the Bremerton area, you go with your wife to Macy's unless you want to walk home in the rain, in Tacoma you don't show up to the bar in a Volvo, and in Seattle you don't post a big McCain for Prez sign unless you want a new paintjob on your house. From Q13 Fox:

"I heard a loud splat on the front door, I walked out and looked, there was red paint all over the McCain sign," said Anderson. Anderson says he spent nearly 2 hours cleaning he paint from the sign and his home. The diehard Republican says he couldn't believe it, when the suspect showed up again at his home with more paint. "I was angry when I got to the bottom of the hill, and he was coming back for a second try," said Anderson. According to Anderson he chased the 57 year old West Seattle man who dumped the second can of paint in some nearby bushes. Anderson says the guy got away but not for long.

Mr. Anderson should've been given the advice by police that Merle Haggard got when he made a joke about Hillary Clinton last year in Seattle, "Dude, wrong side!".

Wealth and Fame While the World Collapses

Oh dear. It appears Soulja Boy has a new YouTube video entitled "Rich Nigga Shit Part 1" where he blows his nose on money and struts around in an embroidered robe while mumbling incomprehensible speech patterns (h/t NY Mag). Sadly, Soulja Boy's antics are hardly an isolated incident and seem to be indicative of the desired model by many of our nation's youngsters. While our country's citizens are increasingly crushed under a mountain of debt and home foreclosures in the 21st century, those, like Soulja Boy, coming into adulthood seem to still hold aspirations for the ever-elusive "wealth" and "fame".

USA Today has an article talking about newfound altruism immediately following 9/11, but polling that same year of 579 18-25 year olds speaks a different narrative about their priorities. For the top goals, "To Get Rich" tops the list, with "To Be Famous" at #2. The most important "important individual problem" is "Money/Finances", with "natl/intl conditions" bottoming out just below "miscellaneous". This polling data shows a shocking disposition towards a solipsistic outlook of the world, despite the fact that global communication and the information age have made it easier to consume news and understand distant cultures from your geographic location. Wouldn't it follow that young people (who tend to be more idealistic) would desire to put forth a marginal effort to end worldwide social injustices?

In light of much controversy over McCain's unknown plethora of homes sparking criticism of elitism and over-consumption, and that great innovation is more attributed to organizations than individuals, it should follow that people would be more satisfied attaching themselves to a worthy cause rather than getting their name in the paper. As for getting "rich", in a country where advertisement for unnecessary products is an industry unto itself, skepticism should be employed in buying into this scheme of perpetual debt and even a humble lifestyle in America can provide a lot of material benefits. I would never advocate for the seizure of wealth by the state, only that excessive wealth and narcissism seems to be a corrupting force on mainstream society.

America has a proud history of honoring the average schmoe. From the early days of the militia that won our independence from the British to the auto plant workers in Detroit that helped turn our nation into an industrial powerhouse. The culture of schmoedom is a galvanizing force on the internet, as groups of average citizens gather together to shape the political debate and new ideas. Where is this quest for money and power coming from?

Welcome Aboard, Petty Officer T-1000

But Why Was I Programmed to Feel Pain!

No more "field day" or troublesome and time-consuming preventative maintenance in the Navy seems to be the desired end-state for the CNO. The Navy is developing robots to perform shipboard functions that could render a lot of sailors obsolete. From Navy Times:

Take a good look at that sailor next to you, because he won’t be there in tomorrow’s Navy, according to scientists and industry exhibitors at the Office of Naval Research’s annual Science and Technology conference in Washington Tuesday.

Unmanned systems, already becoming common in aerial battlefields, will continue to edge into the maritime realm to ease the workload of sailors and, in some cases, take their place, researchers said on the first day of the three-day conference.

Anxiety over a Hal 9000 cutting the oxygen supply in the engineering spaces to terminate the crew notwithstanding, this overzealous desire of Big Navy to spend massive amounts of money on government contracts as opposed to actually training sailors to be better craftsmen is not working. CDR Salamander talks about how the lack of training machinists, welders, and techs is having negative implications on the shipbuilding industry. Unless we want to contract out the construction of new combat ships to India and China, it might be better for the Navy to re-think priorities.

Although, the SPAWAR robot lab is pretty interesting pics, and the third photo in the Wired gallery looks like a cross between Gyromite and Jinx from Space Camp.

Protester Yahoos To Levitate the Denver Mint

Every Human Parasite's Dream, Free Money! (from Recreate 68)

Due to the drop in violence in Iraq, certain vermin in this country seem to be having trouble exploiting tragedy and death in the Middle East for their own political purposes (see DC protest where only one shabby husk of a human showed up on The Mall). So to market a more appealing message for the upcoming DNC protests, the Recreate 68 coalition plans to shake down the Denver Mint to steal a bunch of free cash:

It’s time to redistribute the wealth. Between security and corporate pay-offs, the DNC will cost over 100 million dollars for a party. We think the people deserve that money. Join us as we encircle the Denver MInt (where U.S. currency is produced) and use our collective power to raise the mint building in the air and shake the money out of it for the people. Don’t forget a sack to put all of your loot in. Bring noise makers, energy, spells, magic,costumes, anything that gives you power. We’ll need it!

Aside from the fact that redistribution of wealth and resources didn't work out so well in the 20th century (see Stalin's Ukraine), these sheisters are pathetically unoriginal, as Abbie Hoffman and the Yippies already tried to levitate the Pentagon in the 60s. Further examination of the Recreate 68 schedule for next week reveals other attempts at money-grubbing like a whiny tween at Hot Topic (h/t Moonbattery). These include the "Everything for Everyone Capitalist March" on Monday and the "From Corporate Control to People Control" on Wednesday. Also, Code Pink will be having a concert, which presumably will be like a folksy Barbara Streisand, but more preachy, more shrill, and to include a drum circle of unemployed riff-raff. The Big Lewbowski's response to the dude that "The Bums Lost...Condolences!" seems to have an aura of truth regarding this event. And you wonder why the Denver City Council had to pass the "no flinging feces" law.

A Great Idea From Iraq

The NY Times Baghdad Bureau has an interesting post about keeping Shi'ite pilgrims cool in Baghdad's notoriously hot summer (think sticking your head in an oven while making a pit stop in Dante's Inferno):

It’s seventh circle of hell hot, you’re stuck in a traffic jam with four million people heading to the same pilgrimage, and Iraq’s version of the Squeegee Man dashes out into the road to wash you down.

Not your windshield. You.

When I lived in Los Angeles, which frequently involves sitting in traffic as a matter of routine life, I always wished for a good hose-down to cool off. Of course in America, this would probably subject the squeegee man to a string of lawsuits for providing such a great public service. The downside of affluence.

IVAW to Bare All in Hustler

Winter Soldier Article To Appear in November 2008

Slog has the scoop on a press release from Hustler that promises to give IVAW massive attention in their November issue:

In arguably the most shocking piece of the year, HUSTLER Magazine reports on the truth about what’s going on in Iraq. The “Winter Soldier” veterans, as they are called, speak out about the war and the thousands of innocent Iraqi civilian casualties. One of the brave soldiers brought back a video of his sergeant declaring, “The difference between an insurgent and an Iraqi civilian is whether they are dead or alive.” The soldier explains: “If you kill a civilian, he becomes an insurgent because you retroactively make him a threat.” Gruesome photos accompany the article.

As you recall, Winter Soldier II was the IVAW event in March detailing supposed atrocities in Iraq, that both TSO and Jonn provided some excellent live-blogging on. This blog has been quite skeptical of IVAW's intentions in the past, concerned that their public testimonials provide easy-to-consume fodder for those who seek to discredit the American military, but I reluctantly respect their right to free speech.

Assuming that IVAW is trying to get our attention and sympathy ("our" meaning porn-consuming, desperate males) between the Beaver Hunt section and photos of Jenna Jameson's ovaries, well, IVAW will probably have a high rate of success. Touche.

Late Nite Tunes: Soundgarden - Rusty Cage

Just heard they reunited at a Cinnabon, and reminded me of this song.

Ongoing Operations in Pakistan and Afghanistan

Following up on my "Don't Be Ellis" plea to Pakistan, The Australian reports that Pakistan's military is conducting a massive operation into the border areas with Afghanistan (h/t Mudville Gazette):

In a speech to the National Assembly on Saturday, Mr Gilani declared the Government was determined to re-establish control in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. "We will establish the writ of the Government at all costs (as) a parallel government cannot be tolerated," he said.

The offensive, launched without fanfare to avoid conveying the notion it was done at the insistence of Washington, is targeting primarily Bajaur, slated as the most likely hiding place of Osama bin Laden. Fierce fighting is also under way in areas of the NWFP where many of Pakistan's nuclear weapons are believed to be based.

Dr Malik, who accompanied Mr Gilani to Washington, estimated yesterday that a force of more than 3000 well-armed and highly trained al-Qa'ida militants were operating in Bajaur.

Also, Karzai says good riddance to Musharraf, seeing Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Agency as bolstering Islamic militants to conduct cross-border operations. The Afghanistan President says:

The war against terrorism will not be won unless and until we go to the sanctuaries, to the training grounds, to the financiers, to the motivators of hatred that come across the border to kill us all." Those tribal territories of Pakistan, he said, "will not be peaceful as long as [the ISI's policy] continues. When that changes, yes, the tribal territories will become peaceful.

In Afghanistan, Sarkozy is on his way to Afghanistan after 10 French troops were killed during a prolonged gun battle with the Taliban. Can we officially drop "Freedom Fries" from the lexicon of the oughts. France also is sending more troops to Afghanistan, despite a negative perception in the French media of the mission.

French ISAF Soldier Patrols Outside Kabul

Parasites, Vandals, and Thugs Win $2M From NYC Lawsuit

Portrait of the 21st-century Protester: Taking A Smelly Vegan Shit on the Flag

Expect a sharp increase in the purchasing of kooky BushCheney effigies, crappy hippy clothing, and moltov cocktails, because a group of anti-war protesters just cleaned house with the NYC justice system for a whopping $2M (story at Reuters). There seems to be some "question" over whether or not this urban-dwelling riff-raff had their civil rights violated by New York's finest during a 2003 protest at the Carlyle building in Manhattan. But looking through some news archives, it seems that the group in question, M27, were more of a public nuisance to the nation's largest metropolis than political activists. From CNN:

About 100 people were arrested Monday after protesters blocked the entrance to the Carlyle Group, a private investment house with holdings in the defense industry, police at the scene said.

And from Gawker:

A group called the M27Coalition is supposedly out protesting the war this morning by blocking busy intersections, and by extension, annoying the very large population of Manhattanites who, although anti-war themselves, have actual jobs and responsibilities. (I'm desperately fighting the impulse to switch to a pro-war position solely out of contempt for the idiot portion of the anti-war movement.)

The first ammendment rights are an important part of American society, but so is respect for private property and not stinking up the joint in Manhattan because some gaggle of protester clowns haven't showered in three weeks.

The days of the noble civil rights protests are over, as cooler heads who choose to dissent have taken to cyberspace. All that's left on the streets are aging hippies who still think it's 1967 in San Francisco, young punks using political cover to destroy police cars, and a random assortment of crazies.

Is this $2M going to come out of the pool of money that Rep. Weiner wanted the military to give New York because public servants were being called onto active duty? Glad to know that the NYC authorities know that the real "sacrifices" being made are by filthy, unemployed urchins who rival European soccer hooligans in wreaking havoc.

Perpetually Outraged Mothers Stick To Their Guns on Drinking Laws

You're Either w/MADD or You Get 2 Days of Time Out in the Lobotomy Room

The Amethyst Initiative is a group of college professors who got together and asked the completely radical question "Hey, if 18 year olds can vote, serve on a jury, drive a HAZMAT truck full of toxic chemicals through downtown, die in a war, and move into their own place, why can't they enjoy a delicious beer legally?". These educators were most likely tired of the increasingly "Peter Pan" effect of our college students, who have been so coddled by their parents this day and age that they can't even tie their own shoes without calling home to Mom. It's not that radical a proposition and was tried once before in this country. During the 70s, when you could get drafted to serve in the jungle at 18, the drinking age got lowered to 18 as well. However, in one of Reagan's more totalitarian moments in 1984, he signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which cut highway funding for states that didn't submit to this ridiculous encroachment on personal responsibility.

Anyways, it took the "supreme moral authority" nannies at MADD about two seconds to issue a massive attack against the Amethyst Initiative on their website. They've even published a list of chancellors from the universities that dared to suggest we treat people like adults threatening "to think carefully about the safety of colleges whose presidents have signed on." The root of the problem seems to be with this statement on their website:

"Maintaining the legal drinking age at 21 is a socially and medically sound policy that helps parents, schools and law enforcement protect our youth from the potentially life-threatening effects of underage drinking."

Treating college students, the future leaders of our country, like "youth" will certainly ensure that we become a nation of self-serving man-childs who can't take responsibility for their own actions...let alone solve future crises threatening our civilization. So this is how cuddle parties for adults got started! The only words for MADD can be quoted from a wiser man than myself "Mind Your Own Fuckin' Business!".

Profile in Hubris: Kite-Surfing in a Hurricane

Someone watched too much X-treme TV growing up:



That has gotta hoit! More explanation/commentary at the local CBS affiliate. Luckily, it wasn't blog buddy Wek, who contemplated surfing the ultimate wave during Tropical Storm Fay. Of course that would be the ultimate in coolness, like Swayze's final scene in Point Break, but the unfortunate kite surfer getting tossed around like a sack of potatoes was just pathetic and tragic.

Wek is Secretly 1991 Swayze in Disguise

Late Nite Tunes: Megadeth - Foreclosure of a Dream

Dave Mustaine predicted the sub-prime mortgage crisis...way back in '92.

Diyala Province Update

Iraq Vet and VFF member, David Bellavia, offers this dispatch available on popular milblog BlackFive from an embed in Diyala province. Good to see that COIN-doctrine is being utilized successfully and that the Chief of Diyala police, whose sectarian allegiance has been extremely questionable, was recently replaced by the governor of the province. But, Diyala has been a hotbed of insurgent activity after the Anbar Awakening in 2006 and the initial surge in Baghdad in 2007 pushed many militants into the province. To complicate problems, the police force is primarily Shi'ite while the majority of the population is Sunni, and it borders Iran. This allows for exportation of weapons across the porous border, including donkeys smuggling munitions into the province. The Sahwa movement in Diyala has been essential to maintaining some of the security gains in the province, and that's why Dr. Irack of Abu Muqawama has some disturbing news concerning their future:

Dr. iRack has also heard credible rumors that Maliki hopes that his provocative treatment of the SoIs will encourage them to start a fight, giving Maliki an excuse to bring the Iraqi security forces down on them. Hard. Some of Maliki's concerns about the SoIs are legitimate, but a failure to accommodate them could spell big trouble.

The situation in Iraq remains complex, and as Democracy Arsenal recently stated after having an associate in Iraq "Despite the improved security environment, no one in Baghdad, including Gen. David Petraeus, is doing a victory dance (even as a rising number of commentators in Washington do just that)." It's a bit of a disservice to our troops in the field and the Iraqis to simply wash our hands of the war and assume the mission is accomplished. Issues like how the Iraqi government employs the Sahwa members are significant both politically and tactically.

All Hail the Commentariat

Comments are an important part of blogging, and by association a significant part of our online society...just ask Politico. I blog here and at C.H.U.D. Busters, and I certainly never thought of myself as being wise enough or totally convinced of my own opinion that I would ignore feedback and detracting views. Bloggers that snub their viewers seem to be either self-centered assholes or on ego trips which rival Bono. Coinciding with the fact that my traffic is on the same order of magnitude as the "British Conspiracy in Georgia" on the Larouchebag website, I consider myself a commenter first. Some interesting places to engage in the proverbial online townhall meeting are Obsidian Wings, VetVoice, Hot Air, and casual engagements with other milblogger types. Furthermore, I'm glad that some people chose to leave their own stories on this post on what historic event changed their political ideology. So give the comments a read, as they are pretty interesting (except for Eddie Willers, who is kind of annoying). Please leave advice/feedback on making this dumb blog better, because I doubt very many people take part in the blogging community to get rich quick or meet babes. It's about, you know, not being a dumbass anymore.

About That Liberal Bias in the Media

Washington is traditionally a "blue" state, and has voted for a Dem in the general election since Dukakis. But still, you'd think the local weekly for Seattle's hipsters, The Stranger, would pick at least a few more non-Democrats in their election cheat sheet they just issued on their website. They only picked one non-Democrat, Sam Reed for Secretary of State, who seems to be a RINO in the pocket of the unions judging by his endorsements. The Stranger was also the weekly that had the Erotic Obama contest to allow readers to express their love for the Senator. Not to get all overly huffy about a fact that everyone knows anyways, but, c'mon man, only one non-Democrat? Like Code Pink's shenanigans providing red meat for those not on the same ideological plane as those opposed to the Iraq War in this country, The Stranger is only subjecting themselves to a host of criticism that's easy to whip up in the days of the uninformed commentator. At least they didn't endorse that Green Party jackass for governor who wants to turn all of the Boeing facilities into vegan dirt farms or whatever. That guy's an asshole.

What MP3s are the Candidates Illegaly Downloading on Limewire?

Finally, the dreaded media elite are upstaging boring presidential issues like the energy crisis and the War on Terrorism to talk about the important shit: musical tastes of the candidates. We've already heard about Obama rocking to Earth, Wind and Fire, and McCain's strange love affair with Eurotrash phenom, ABBA, but until today we hadn't heard anything from LP candidate Bob Barr. From the front page of the Style section of WaPo (h/t Eric Dondero):

Barr stands in a cubicle, near his deputy campaign manager, Shane Cory, talking about how much he loves Bob Marley, whom he discovered in 1978 after getting out of the CIA. Oh, and Pink Floyd.

Sweet. An inauguration speech which would be followed by the 23-minute version of psychedelic Floyd jam, Echoes, synched up with the Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite portion of 2001 could only be described with one word: awesome!

As Ed Morrisey notes, the big media conglomerates aren't really open to third parties, frequently depicting them as nutty Lyndon Larouche types running their campaigns out of a Dodge van. But frankly, I'm not seeing what's so crazy about trying to reduce the size of our already bloated government that has run up a $9.6 Trillion debt and is cranking out funny money that could put Parker Brothers out of business.

Besides, Barr's affinity for Marley and Pink Floyd shows that he has appreciation for the classics. The only presidential candidate who could top him for better musical taste would be if Vic Rattlehead ran for office.

Vic Corners the Market on Good Music for a Presidential Candidate

Late Nite Tunes: Pennywise - Fight 'Til You Die

I saw these guys about 10 years ago, and they put on a pretty good show. This clip is from Warped Tour in '99.

Hail To The Chief, Jon Stewart

The New York Times has a massive article on Jon Stewart being the king of media and stating that the Daily Show has been a massive cultural force in contemporary America. Some have accused The Daily Show of having an overtly liberal bias, especially after the whole Jonah Goldberg diatribe, but I suspect the perceived bias has more to do with there being a Republican presidency. The Barack Oboner segments could be a consistently hilarious portion of the show in the future if the presumptive Democrat nominee wins the general election. Keep 'em coming, this show has been consistently good for years.

Flashback: Remember the whole "Hanging Chad" ruckus back in 2000. Check out Jon Stewart ridicule the stupidity that often comes with the democratic process.

A Plea To Pakistan: Don't Be Ellis

(shirts available at Cafe Press)

Jihadica has an al-Sahab release from Al-Qaeda #2, Zawahiri, who uses rhetoric to plead with Pakistan to side with the terrorist group. This is highly disturbing to anyone concerned about the capability of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Newsweek reported last year that militant Islam was gaining popularity in Pakistan, and their government's preponderance to attempt to broker deals with militant groups in the northwestern tribal areas, such as the Waziristan Accords, have proven disastrous for the worldwide counterterrorism effort. That is why an there is an urgent need to plead with the powers that be in Pakistan with this simple meme: Don't Be Ellis.

Ellis was the sleazy businessman in Die Hard who attempted to negotiate for the surrender of McClane (played by Bruce Willis) to the terrorist thugs that had seized the Nakotomi Plaza in Los Angeles. While Ellis held no ill-will in his heart, he attempted to appease the enemy, when the only logical discourse was to meet an irrational foe with overwhelming force.

U.S.-Pakistan relations saw a boost when the U.S. provided aid after the devastating earthquake in 2005, but they have soured considerably since then. However, both the U.S. and Pakistan have a love of cinema, and iconic movie like Die Hard could transcend cultural boundaries to comprehend the serious threat that appeasement of terrorists could bring.

Shabaniyah

3 Million in Karbala took part in Pilgrimage

Al-Jazeera English says that the pilgrimage to Karbala, Iraq to commemorate the birth of the Imam Mahdi has been a success. They quote Ministry of Interior Bolani saying "The day will come soon when we will announce that al-Qaeda's coffin has been thrown in the garbage of history." This is in stark contrast to last year's pilgrimage where Sadr's band of thugs fought with the Iraqi Security Forces in Karbala (many of them Badr corps)...dozens of civilians were killed in the cross-fire. No word yet from Sadr's enablers in the American media about this event, but they'll most likely assert that the Mahdi Army is lying low and only Obama's gift of speaking can convince them to disarm.

Seattle Hemp Fest Lights Off

The Seattle Hempfest is currently ongoing, and there are reports that many of the baked revelers are railing against our cougaresque Gov. Gregoire for applying limits to the amount of marijuana medicinal users can possess. Currently, state law vaguely states a "60-day" supply, but new legislation would rule for a more definitive amount of 24 ounces and 6 plants. The Seattle Times reports from Hempfest the opposition to this law:

"Every single patient I know will not be in compliance with the 60-day rule. It's not going to work. It's driven by law enforcement, not science," said Douglas Hiatt, a lawyer who represents medical-marijuana users.

While 24 ounces (1.5 lbs or ~0.7kg) seems like enough for a Cypress Hill backstage pass, the root of the problem is that law enforcement should have no business fighting victimless crimes such as marijuana usage. For anyone who grew up in a town with a prevalent drug culture, you are well aware that the worst thing a stoned person could ever do is talk philosophically about the infusion of communism inherent with living in Smurf village while eating a bunch of Cheetos. Reason TV has an interview with a 34-year veteran of Seattle's Finest, where he discusses how draconian drug laws can lead to heavy-handed police work that include raiding the wrong house and jailing non-violent offenders. Our police need to devote their resources to prosecuting real crime in the Puget Sound area, and when society clamors for arbitrary laws to criminalize citizens who use a plant that grows naturally, it overburdens law enforcement assets.

This is not to say that being stoned on the job should be condoned, in the same vein that being drunk on the job should not be accepted by society. Recently, I had trouble getting some dinner at KFC because most of the teenaged staff was obviously high as a kite (bloodshot eyes, paranoia setting in that "someone would know", initial fear to help me at the register because I was in uniform, etc.), but that really is just a humorous example of routine life such as this classic article found in The Onion, and I was hardly about to call the cops.

The U.K. Becoming More Isolated

The U.K. Stood Up to The Blitz, What Happened Since Then?

Michael Portillo, a former conservative in the House of Commons, writes about British inaction during the recent crisis in Georgia. He doesn't call for some sort of aggressive military intervention, but he does find the lack of even a diplomatic voice from Britain a bit disturbing. After dissecting that Iraq was a bit of a blunder for the Blair doctrine in the British mind, Portillo laments:

Is it too much to hope that Britain can again find a role in foreign affairs of the scale achieved by Thatcher and Blair?

While British imperialism in the 19th century (particularly in India and South Africa) was rife with human rights abuses, our friends across the pond bravely fought against world-wide tyranny during WWII. English culture provided the world with everything from Shakespeare to Iron Maiden, and Locke and Hobbes are often considered the architects for modern Western democracy. The fact that the international language is derived from an island way the hell up in the north Atlantic should say something about the importance of England shaping our world. We'd be missing out on a lot if Britain chose to isolate itself and live in a watered-down world of nanny-state totalitarianism where culture is squashed because it might offend someone.

NYT Op-Ed Suggests America is a Bunch of Whiners

Is America a Big Bunch of Pussies?

Conservative NYT columnist, David Brooks, writes of a heroic tale of Chinese citizens amidst suffering in the Sichuan Province after the devastating earthquake earlier this year. Citing the Chinese people's desire to move on with their lives, he brings up the question of whether or not America, by comparison, is a bunch of over-emotional ninnies regarding our trite, little problems.

While America is much more modernized than China, with buildings that are designed to withstand the devastating effects of mother nature in places like Los Angeles, it doesn't necessarily suggest that our comparative lack of suffering would lead us to be a nation of pussies. The fundamental purpose of innovation and engineering has been to utilize science for the improvement of mankind, which will hopefully continue our domain off of earth to expand humanity one day. The fact that life is no longer nasty, brutish, and short should be a celebrated effect of mankind's achievements, and not regarded as making us weaker.

IMHO, the real reason America has become a nation of whiners is due to our continuing belief that the all-powerful state should provide everything from free healthcare to cheap gas, while we go about our banal lives paying taxes and not asking a lot of questions. The introspective nature of democracy to just vote for one's short-term self interests leads to a culture of viewing the sole purpose in life as "being happy" and "feeling good". Evidence of the self-serving by-products of modern western civilization include dog daycare and spas, Cuddle Parties, and fastest text messaging contests. It's difficult to combat current crises (terrorism) and looming crises (energy and resource shortages) when people adopt such a solipsistic view of the world. Ayn Rand would probably punch me in the face for asserting such a collectivist argument, but the purpose of life being self-gratification seems to be a bunch of bullshit, and its manifestations in modern society are bullshit too.

NGO in Afghanistan Concerned with Civil-Military Involvement

ISAF Soldier Engaged in Soft Power

Taliban thugs murdered four workers for the IRC NGO just south of Kabul in a brutal attack. AP has the story, and it was surprising to see that the director of the NGO cast doubt on military involvement in civil affairs, which can be rationalized to say the Taliban will target Westerners regardless of their military status:

The two IRC officials said they were concerned that international militaries are taking on humanitarian projects, potentially blurring the lines in the eyes of locals or militants between what humanitarian groups do and what the military does.

NATO militaries carry out reconstruction projects throughout the country.

"There are very real ethical and operational concerns that arise from the confusion between humanitarian and political and military objectives," Donnelly said.

This type of logic would assume that the Taliban followed Geneva Convention restrictions about attacking humanitarian workers, which they obviously don't. Also, this line of thinking could be poisonous between civilian and military cooperation, since both sides could blame each other for not fulfilling their mission, when they are both dependent on each other. The State Department is the logical arbiter to bridge the communication gap when it comes to improving stability in Afghanistan, but the Foreign Service has not been adequately increased to meet this challenge. The Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan is an important mission to improve governance, infrastructure, and self-reliance and both civilian and military members on the ground in Afghanistan will hopefully find new methods to improve its effectiveness.

Five Bits of Information For the Friday Meat-Market

News you can use to impress your potential one-night stand at 1:30am on the club floor:

• Bigfoot press conference is an epic FAIL as the two samples for DNA testing were human and opossum [Reuters]
• Crazy man resembling The Shredder with a samurai sword and shotgun at The Capitol in January gets 22 years in the joint [Politico]
• High-tech toilets no longer to be used to shoot up heroin and smoke meth in Seattle [Seattle P-I]
• 12 year-old schlepps Mom in the family mini-van to the alehouse for a night of partying (what is the problem here?) [Breitbart]
• Zombie mob to attack SF tomorrow (h/t MezzoSF)

And now a flashback from our great cultural past, Psycho Dad:

Late Nite Tunes: The Chimpmunks Go Punk

Apparently there was a Chipmunk Punk album in 1980, which is kinda shitty but rather hilarious. The creep of counter-culture in the 80s was also evident when CHiPs had a punk band as the basis for a show. Don't ask me how the fucking economy works.

War and American Culture

Iraqi Foreign Minister Zebari has discussed with the press that a draft is being hammered out between the coalition and the Iraqi government to withdraw American forces. This should be welcomed by anyone who supports a stable and democratic Iraq, since it shows the newfound confidence that the Iraqi people have in their own security forces. Also, our scant resources in the military are overworked and needed elsewhere. This is remarkably different than the language of surrender that many members of Congress offered up during the controversial "Surge" strategy, which has been compiled by the Greyhawks in the above video. With the Islamic State of Iraq in serious decline, according to Jihadica, and the Mahdi Army badly weakened, the most pressing problems in Iraq are of a more political and economic nature (refugee crisis, inability to spend surplus of oil revenues, delay of provincial elections, etc.) Therefore, it seems appropriate that now would be the time of discussion to withdraw coalition forces.

But what if it didn't work out like that? Would America remember the Iraq in the same vein as they remembered Vietnam. I was watching Gonzo last night, (which is a film about the life of the greatest journalist ever!), and Thompson harkens back to San Francisco in the 60s saying it was a magical trip to be part of. With movies like The Big Chill and even some old hippies living in the dead husks of the past, my take on the previous generation is that they were very proud of their opposition to the Vietnam War (despite poor treatment of veterans). Many also seem to be very proud of their "anything-goes" decadence of their wild days on college campuses and carry themselves with an aura of self-righteousness than really pisses a lot of younger people off. If the Surge hadn't worked out the way it did, we would've been treated to smug conversations from self-proclaimed intellectuals for the rest of our lives that would've produced a glut of more crappy anti-war movies like Redacted, Stop Loss, and Lions for Lambs to infuse our culture with bullshit. Endless swarms of tweens growing up to be proud of the fact that they were
penning bogus essays about Iraq to win Hannah Montana tickets. It could've been a show like "The Wonder Years", except without the comedic stylings of Paul Pfeiffer.

While, the cultural ramifications in America of the Iraq war should be the least important thing a nation worries about, I'm just grateful it didn't work out that way. Maybe American Carol will be a huge success, who knows.

Highway to Hell

(Graphic From NY Times)

The road between Kandahar and Kabul has become more dangerous than Mel Gibson driving a fuel tanker through the wasteland of Lord Humongous in Road Warrior. The NY Times details 3 soldiers being brutally murdered during a 26 June attack and 7 contractors being beheaded on 24 June while doing a convoy mission on the perilous road. This is reminiscent of Route Irish (the road between the Baghdad Airport and the Green Zone) being labeled "The World's Most Dangerous Road" in 2005. Now attacks on it are incredibly rare, but only after standing up ISF checkpoints, T-walls galore, and swarming the surrounding neighborhoods. Of course, that road in Baghdad is only about 7 miles long, and as a colonel lite once remarked to me, "Iraq and Afghanistan are totally different balls of wax".

It is obvious that the NATO-built highway between Kandahar and Kabul is essential to maintaining governance in the southern portion of Afghanistan, but does anyone have any ideas on how to secure it? More UAVs to monitor for bad dude activity? Enlisting support from the tribes around the highway? It is probably the result of the mission being "under-resourced" that the ISAF commander noted a few weeks ago. Why are we and our NATO allies allowing Afghanistan to be forgotten?

The Defining Moments of Political Ideology

Matt Welch discusses in Reason how he came to question the will of the majority in his latest piece, which is well worth the read and even mentions the late, great, and obnoxious Wally George. There's often moments like this in life, where massive, symbolic events greatly affect your political ideology based on how you experienced it. I'd like to mention an event that I'm sure has affected many people's outlook on politics: 9/11.

I was about to start my senior year at UCLA, and my political beliefs could best be described as a bit nuttier than Ron Paul. I actually thought there was a world-wide banking conspiracy in cahoots with the U.N. to take away my revolver that I planned on purchasing for my 21st birthday. Also, since Clinton has been in office for most of the period where I fomented my political opinions, I assumed there was some kind of tie in with the government and the "librUl" media to defraud the average joe of his hard-earned money through the egregious process of taxation. The irony that I went to a state-funded college was totally lost on me. Anyways, my belief in a righteous, Randroid-style individualism made for some interesting discussions at keggers, but sure as hell wasn't winning over any converts.

But after the smoke from burning bodies was still hanging low over NYC, many of my fellow college students were already protesting against military action (which hadn't even happened yet except for some Carrier groups doing donuts in the Indian Ocean). The local student newspaper was filled with politically correct nausea on "How to Report a Hate Crime" if you were accosted for being a Muslim. This is despite the fact that most of LA's Muslim community was hoping that Osama Bin Laden would get killed in short order. I came to realize the corruption of many elements of the American Left: that endless desire to feel good and self-righteous about one self while not acknowledging troubling realities of the world. Hardly anyone at UCLA was rushing to the recruiting station as a defining moment of a generation, and many just wanted to preemptively condemn any military action or just ignore the rubble in NYC all together.


While events since then have probably changed my political orientation to be a little more leery of just counting on the military for everything, I thought that particular period of time was pretty significant. So, do you have a moment like that in your life, or am I just talking out of my ass?

Sasquatch Lives!

Some dude who's been looking for Bigfoot since 1971 says Bigfoot Lives in northern Georgia (Hot Air has the details if the link is flooded with too much traffic). There's a Sasquatch-themed press conference tomorrow to explain. It better not be a bunch of hype to hawk some cheesy new product (Bigfoot Jerky, Bigfoot Perfume, Sasquatch Home Pregnancy Test, etc.). Remember back in 2001 when there was the "It" campaign that was supposed to unveil some anti-gravitron device that could travel through time or whatever, but it turned out to be that crappy-ass Segway, which would result in a monster-sized ass whopping if you were spotted within 20 feet of one. This better not be anything like that, the world is already too depressing a place to have our hopes vanquished for the umpteenth time.

Health Care at the DMV

Is This the Future of Health Care?

The debate over having the government run health care is ramping over at Yglesias' blog. He argues that government agencies such as the military are well functional, therefore it is not inconceivable that a new bureaucracy of health care administrators employed by the federal government could be just as effective and respected institution.

1) Comparing the military to any other American agency is a bit of a fallacy, since being in the service requires a surrender of many rights (freedom of speech, freedom to quit your job, etc.) for the sake of forming a cohesive unit. It is also deeply rooted in tradition and already well-respected by American society, which is a selling point for "signing up". Does Mr. Yglesias really think that employees filing medical claims would be lined up out the door at the recruiting station for this new monstrosity of a government program?

2) Supposing Yglesias just mentioned the military to show that the government isn't necessarily incompetent, other respected government-run agencies (like law enforcement, the fire department) aren't at the whim of getting abused by the consumers. If all health care was free, what would be the motivation for people to stay healthy if the state were picking up the tab? This type of system would reward sloth and poor life decisions by American citizens.

3) Massive health insurance plans practically bankrupted the biggest automaker, logic would follow that a federally-administered health care program of unending benefits would bankrupt the entire country.

Reason has proposed solution of more competition between hospitals and better transparency on costs, which would better suit us.

Late Nite Tunes: Judas Priest - Pain Killer

If you are old enough, you may remember when Judas Priest was taken to court because they were supposedly putting subliminal messages in their songs that caused two kids in Reno to kill themselves. That gave them a lot of street credit.

Power of Imagery

Errol Morris discusses the power of imagery on the average citizen in the NY Times, even if it is deceptive and fake, such as the photo-shopped Iranian missile test outed by Charles Johnson. Imagery is also useful in spreading the meme on a blog, since it's easier to upload a few pics you stole off Google Images than to construct a rational argument.

Stalin would be proud!

Disturbing People in Today's News (in Photos)

Paul Harpin: A man in Vermont who was arrested on charges of animal cruelty, who had piles of dead, maggoty carcasses and an alive pooch dwelling in his own filth.

Mark David Chapman: The guy who shot and killed John Lennon gets denied parole for a fifth time. Why? Because he's a nut.

Anita Stewart: Jumbo-sized Code Pink heifer who thought that posting a picture of her XL panties that say "No Peace, No Pussy" would be an effective anti-war statement. Much like TSO who unearthed this internet atrocity, I considered this absolutely revolting and it has not changed my political opinions.

Good Thing Pundits Aren't Running the Country

While Georgia Burns

Call me the bloggin' Benedict Arnold if you must, but the ugly stain of partisanship in today's RSS feed regarding policy towards Georgia is a bit disturbing. While lefty blogs dispute whether or not McCain lifted his statement from Wikipedia and Kristol licks his chops at the prospect of sending in US forces, the list of atrocities against Georgia by the Russian military continues to grow by the day:

• Russian troops are on the ground in Georgia outside of the disputed areas of South Ossetia and Abhkazia
• A Russian cyber-attack has shut down Georgia's websites forcing them to use the blogspot domain
  
• A BBC camera crew almost got taken out by a Russian jet
• Families at the U.S. embassy have been evacuated to neighboring Armenia
  

Lucky for the Georgians, the American President has issued public statements condemning Russia's brutal behavior, and the French President is going to Moscow in an attempt to hammer out a ceasefire. That's right, mark it, filthy politician rats are acting more responsibly than sweat-pants wearin' bloggers and actually showing leadership. This reminds me of the time we were getting shellacked in the Green Zone and all people in blogland were either ecstatic that Sadr was making Bush look stupid or that Iran was behind it all and we should start bombing them. Politics has an awkward role in conflict, and it seems that people get carried away with supporting this or that position that they don't realize civilians are getting killed while they nitpick at gaffes. Fortunately, the Russian propaganda machine seems to have missed the disputes in the blogs and sees America united behind a message of condemnation. From Pravda:

The evidence to proof the USA’s hand behind the Georgian aggression against South Ossetia can be found in Western media. Western news agencies, Reuters, for example, have been distributing countless photographs depicting Russia’s supposed atrocities in Georgia. Such photos along with adequate headlines can be found in practically all US newspapers (The New York Times is the best example for it). All of them unanimously accuse Russia of aggression against Georgia, but they do not say a word about Georgia’s actions against civilians in S. Ossetia.

Good thing the editors at Pravda didn't read the dumbass HuffPo post about McCain engineering the whole thing to win the American election.

Late Nite Tunes: Big Gay Sundays

90s kitsch doesn't get the same respect as that of the 80s. This is possibly because it is not as memorable and ridiculous, but "What is Love" is a classic tune that deserves space in the book of embarrassing Americana.

Badass Isaac Hayes Passes Away

What a tragedy, first Bernie Mac and now Isaac Hayes! The "Duke of New York" has passed away at 65. From Fox News by way of Dirty Harry's:

Isaac Hayes, the pioneering singer, songwriter and musician whose relentless "Theme From Shaft" won Academy and Grammy awards, died Sunday afternoon, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office said. He was 65.

A family member found him unresponsive near a treadmill and he was pronounced dead an hour later at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, according to the sheriff's office. The cause of death was not immediately known.

IMHO, the best Isaac Hayes performance was during the John Carpenter classic, Escape From New York. Watch some of these videos to judge for yourself:



This scene is one of the most powerful cinematic sequences in history. After spending the first half of the movie building up the hardcore aura of Snake Plisken, the Duke (played by Isaac Hayes) shows up unexpectedly in the movie as even more of a badass. They don't make villians like that anymore.



His talent will be difficult to replicate....godspeed.

Ideas From 70s movies Could Spice Up the Olympics

Canada Wins Women's Badminton! (besides off-color jokes about shuttlecocks, this shit is zzz-inducing)

So I just finished nodding off after watching Men's Volleyball in the rain at Beijing, and I probably would've better spent my Sunday afternoon watching reruns of Mama's Family. Why is the Olympics so absolutely boring? Asian Sweetheart suggests more scantily-clad babes, while Reason says the end of the Cold War has lessened the stakes of the games. We probably aren't going to have a Miracle on Ice scenario, like in 1980 against the hated USSR, with people chanting "USA, USA, USA!" after the Women's Fencing Team sweep. So, let's face it, while the standing ovation for the Iraqi team was a significant moment, the Olympics in this day and age is totally lame. Fortunately, some cinematic classics from the 1970s offer hope on how to improve the schnooze-ridden games.

Rollerball: Imagine a world without the brutality of war and troublesome international boundaries, where mankind feeds their incessant bloodlust by watching a horribly violent game where people kick the crap out of each other on roller skates. This Olympic sport could settle disputes such as the conflict over Southern Ossetia without the associated civilian casualties. Plus, we could worship the lone survivor of this gorefest and have him or her lead us into Utopia.

Death Race 2000: The Olympics highlights the most genetically favored that have chosen a lifestyle of fitness and health to represent each respective nation. Normal folks hate people like that. An Olympics event like Death Race 2000, where competitors drive across the countryside running over people for points, would involve the common man like no other. It would also help the rural Chinese become more modernized, as they would have to be on the lookout for 2 tons of industrial reality with Sylvester Stallone at the wheel.

The Warriors: The Furies were the only good thing to come out of the otherwise dull sport of baseball. With their combination of make-up and pinstripes, you know they are not the gang to fuck with. A baseball-type event at the Olympics, where whacking people with bats was not just illegal, but encouraged, could provide interest for an international audience. It would also give a pretty good advantage to Team America.

While these movies are all three decades old, they clearly envisioned sporting events that could propel interest well into the 21st-century.

Motley Crue in WA, A View From The Lawn

This concert attained a 4 out of 5 Flying V rating in Awesomeness!

The Motley Crue concert last evening at White River Amphitheater in WA was an excellent sight to behold, despite the fact that all members of the Motley Crue should be seriously brain damaged by now due to their lifestyles. The Crue played all of their classic stuff that you can think of (Dr. Feelgood, Livewire, Girls Girls Girls, Shout at the Devil, Looks That Kill, Home Sweet Home, Don't Go Away Mad, Primal Scream, etc.), which had been a bit of concern before hand, since they are promoting a new album and could have forgone the old shit. The concert was packed with a kickass group of metalheads, which was a sight to behold in the Puget Sound area, since it gets a bad rap as yuppie central. My only complaint is that Vince Neil, despite having all the rocker moves he did when he was younger, seemed to have gotten a little tripped up on the opener "Kickstart My Heart". Mr. and Ms. Kiyum first noticed the sad phenomenon of Vince Neil forgetting the lyrics to his own songs back at the House of Blues in 2003, and last night was no exception. Despite an impressive opening pyrotechnics show, Vince and the band seemed off rhythm, and he botched a few of the lyrics. Here's a YouTube vid from DC a few weeks ago for Kickstart My Heart, and I'll let you decide. But other than that, the show kicked ass.

4 Shits N' Giggles: Here's some observations from the lawn


I was enthused that younger people were rocking out to the Crue, however, they seem to not understand the fundamental rule of concert-going: Don't Wear the T-shirt of the Band You See


Who let the hippies in? Security!

Another rule of concert going seems to hold true. The fatter and drunker someone is, the more likely that individual is prone to disgusting acts of PDA on the lawn or, alternately, in the parking lot.

A prized mullet shot of a balding gentleman in a denim Hard Rock jacket. Denim jackets are extremely difficult to come by in this day and age, and sporting one indicates an appreciation for classic metal. I salute you, sir!

Brutality in Georgia and Our Response

Casualties From a Russian Airstrike in the Town of Gori (from AP)

Russia has entered Georgia's airspace to conduct airstrikes, and this AP photo proves that there were civilian casualties. Al-Jazeera English has some good background if you are a bit ignorant (like yours truly) on the details behind this explosive issue :



The clip includes the Georgian President asking for help from Western allies, and President Bush's response, which can also be read here.

Greyhawk discusses how it will affect Iraq, since Georgia has 2,000 troops as part of the coalition.

Politico highlights the differences between the McCain and Obama statements about the conflict, but I'm not seeing huge chasms in opinion here. Both campaigns reject the violence and they both seem to side with Georgia, since Russia is the aggressor into the sovereign state. Yet the two campaigns are at each others throats about the issue. Goddamn politicians. Instead of uniting behind a strong American message to end the bloodshed, these knuckleheads are vying for cheap political points.

COIN Guru Has an Op-Ed in WaPo About Iraq

Mansoor Argues that Surge Forces were crucial to Iraqi stabilization

COL Mansoor was one of Petraeus' inner staff at MNF-I, so I'm assuming he is a smart and knowledgeable dude, since the only officer I personally knew that worked directly with the General Petraeus was a Rhodes Scholar. Anyways, the Colonel has an Op-Ed in WaPo that is worth reading for straight-forward insight on Iraq and the Surge during a time of vicious political bickering back in the states (h/t SWJ):

• The arrival of additional U.S. forces signaled renewed resolve. Sunni tribal leaders, having glimpsed the dismal future in store for their people under a regime controlled by al-Qaeda in Iraq and fearful of abandonment, were ready to throw in their lot with the coalition.
• Improved security led to greater Iraqi confidence and lessened the need for, and acceptance of, Shiite militias that for too long held sway in many neighborhoods. When the Mahdi Army instigated a gun battle in Karbala last August that forced the cancellation of a major Shiite religious observance, the resulting public pressure compelled Moqtada al-Sadr to declare a unilateral cease-fire.
• The surge has created the space and time for the competition for power and resources in Iraq to play out in the political realm, with words instead of bombs.

It's important to note that legitamate Iraqi Security Forces hamepered the public's willingess to accept security and services from Shi'ite militias. Hezbollah thrives in Lebanon do to a weak state and the populous is more willing to see them as benefactors, and the Mahdi Army was analagous in predominantly Shi'ite areas like Sadr City for far too long. With Sunni terrorists trying to detonate VBIEDs in their markets, and the Iraqi government stalling in providing goods and services, one could almost be sympathetic to the plight of the poor Shi'ite citizen, and understand why they would turn to a group of thugs operating outside the Rule of Law. Luckily, that tune seems to be changing as clerics loyal to Sadr are calling for a large-scale reduction of the Mahdi Army.

Elizabeth Edwards Defends Her Loser Husband

Having never been married in modern America, I assume that fathering a love-child and having a steamy affair would get a man kicked to the curb faster than Chinese leftovers on trash day. But Elizabeth Edwards, opts to "stand by her man" with this Kos diary:

None of these has been easy. But we have stood with one another through them all. Although John believes he should stand alone and take the consequences of his action now, when the door closes behind him, he has his family waiting for him.

She also takes a cop-out by blaming those evil creeps in the media for all of her family's problems:

The toll on our family of news helicopters over our house and reporters in our driveway is yet unknown. But now the truth is out, and the repair work that began in 2006 will continue. I ask that the public, who expressed concern about the harm John’s conduct has done to us, think also about the real harm that the present voyeurism does and give me and my family the privacy we need at this time.

Whatever, lady. It's hard to be sympathetic to politicians and celebrities who have a fit whenever the media says something bad about them, since their job is to have a relation with the public and the media frequently acts as that conduit of information. It'd be the same if people in my profession got all pissed off about having to wear a uniform, or bloggers got upset when someone they didn't know visited their website.

Seeing how the Edwards' have done a pretty rotten job of getting the presidential nomination, perhaps it's time for John to revert back to his career as an ambulance-chasing lawyer.

Lucky for John, He Always Has a Future Extorting Money From Slip and Fall Injuries

Late Nite Tunes: Motley Crue - Kickstart My Heart

See you all at the show tomorrow...

Obama's Scary Goatse Salute

New Campaign Ad Totally Offensive!

The new way for Obama's supporters to show support may seem harmless, but from the depths of the Gateway Pundit comments, chirsbg99 suggests that this is a not-so-subtle reference to the disturbing goatse...the internet meme that will not die! If you already know what "goatse" is, please continue on to the next post. But if your favorite movie is Toy Story, you think gambling will prevent you from getting into heaven, and you thought 7th Heaven was too racy for television, under no circumstance should you click here to see the resemblance. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Meet The New Boss, Same as the Old Boss

Hang Out With "Them" On This Podcast

Here's a lengthy podcast of an AM radio interview with my old boss, a decent guy, and his spouse. He talks about working with General Petraeus and life in the Green Zone being, what MAJ John calls, "one of them!". It was an odd time to be in Iraq, and my ex-boss does a good job explaining this. Things weren't going very well in Iraq when I first got there in June 2007 (sectarian violence was still rife, AQI had control of much of Diyala province, the Iraqi government was in disarray, etc.) It's one of those situations where you are glad that the people superior to you know what the fuck they are doing, which I'm sure many folks in the military could relate to. It was a bit uncertain what was going to happen with this new wiz-bang COIN strategy, and I'm glad it had a major affect on the decline in violence in Iraq. Not really for me, since I was leaving in 12 months anyways, but there's a lot of people who actually live there (see the Pottery Barn rule from Colin Powell). We have a tremendous responsibility to the Iraqis, and I hope this recent delay in provincial elections doesn't result in significantly more violence and instability.

Hillary Already Dreaming Up Grand Schemes When Obama Inevitably Gets Elected

The presidential candidates are neck-in-neck in the polls right now, but that didn't stop Hillary from assuming Obama has got it locked up and dreaming up foisting her grand health-care scheme on us rowdy, unwashed subjects. From the "Let's Chat" segment with her 15 supporters online today (h/t Wonkette):

Question #5:

One of the main reasons that I voted for Hillary is her plans for healthcare. Can you make a comment on how healthcare carried out in the next administration?

by RichardA OH at 8/7/2008 12:02:43 PM

Answer: I am so pleased that Senator Obama shares my commitment to universal health care. Once he is elected, I will be working closely with his administration, members of Congress, health care advocates, and others -- to help develop a plan that ensures access to health care for every American. I know how important this issue is and it will be my top priority.

She didn't even say "if he is elected", which seems a bit presumptuous, IMHO. But maybe she knows something I don't, after all she's probably got some pretty good connections. Assuming that Obama's election is for sure, we can expect $5000 of taxpayer dollars to go down the drain for every smelly little urchins being born, and forcing companies to provide health care plans which will probably cause rampant unemployment. Yeah for democracy!

An Obituary for Detroit

Detroit was once the leading industrial center of the world and was a cultural mecca, as it was the city in which Motown was born. Automotive assembly plants in the 20s lifted many immigrants and folks migrating from the Deep South out of poverty, and the city's industrial epicenter was crucial during the war effort against the Axis. So what the fuck happened to make it one of the "fastest-dying" cities in America according to Fortune magazine (note: this is not a new label for Detroit).

I'd say the riot in 1967 scared a lot of people and businesses off. The UAW getting too greedy coupled with the big three auto makers shipping jobs overseas probably didn't help matters either. Plus there was the "Nightmare on Crack Street" epidemic in the 80s, which not coincidentally, came around the same time that Devil's Night became famous (widespread arson on the evening of Oct. 30th). But the worst of all of Detroit's problems has to do with the politicians (no surprises there). Former mayor during the 70s and 80s, Coleman Young, had overly-aggressive affirmative action plans and taxed the bejeezus out of businesses to build botched projects like "The People Mover", which did not help the city of Detroit, but made people flee en masse. Kwame Kilpatrick seemed to be much more friendly to business, but his shenanigans finally landed him in jail today. Should we trust any politicians anymore?

Unless you are an anarchist, we can all agree that we need to elect folks to enforce the Rule of Law. However, putting too much faith and trust in a person in charge of administering our government will inevitably lead to an abuse of power. Fortunately, the information age has allowed the average schmoe to become much more aware of what is happening in the sealed off chambers of city hall. For every crook on the left (like Kwame who's a Dem), there's a hypocrite on the right (see story about Missouri legislator indicted in teen sex scandal), and partisan politics coerces people to only view the faults of one side. We need to get over this bullshit and search for what Matt Welch once descibed blogging as:

"I’d say a yen for critical thinking, a sense of humor that actually translates into people laughing out loud, a willingness to engage (and encourage) readers, a hostility to the Culture War and other artifacts of the professionalized left-right split of the 1990s…a readiness to admit error [and] a sense of collegial yet brutal peer review."

Right now with all the election hoopla, this paradigm is looking pretty far off. Anyone up for more talk about Paris Hilton and tire gages?

Late Nite Tunes: Butthole Surfers - Who Was in My Room Last Night

A cool video from an under-rated band. On another note (just to be a dick), my traffic might be way less than C&L, but their music selection at night is pretty lame.

Milblogs 2008, Yo!

See you all at 2008 Milblog Conference! I'll be the drunken lowlife that gets mistaken for a homeless man by the convention center security. I'm stoked to check out some of the panels and get down to Sin City for the weekend. Thanks to Andi for setting this up. I might be a tad optimistic here, but hopefully it will be like that last scene from Footloose:



"I thought this was a party...let's dance!" should probably precede any get-together from now on.

A Modest Proposal For The Not-So-Modestly Obese

Your Future Self If You Don't Listen to LT Nixon

In case you've happened to attend a monster truck rally, shop at the Wal-Mart, or go to the All-You-Can eat Pizza Hut buffet on Tuesdays, you've probably noticed that America's waistline is expanding faster than a Baby Boomer's sense of self-worth. It's no secret that artery-clogging fatitude has replaced boy bands as the greatest societal ill of the millennium. Fatsos spilling their blubber into your personal space on a cramped flight, the required use of a broomstick to shove your chubby little kid out the door in the morning, and having to wade into oncoming traffic to avoid the morbidly obese gentleman approaching you on the sidewalk. According to a recent study in Obesity magazine, the situation is not going to improve anytime soon. They predict that 100% of American adults will be obese by the year 2048. Reason pokes some holes in the statistical analysis, but there is no way anyone on the internet could be wrong.

The authorities seem to have some "bright idears" about how to solve this problem, such as banning fast, delicious, and cheap food from certain areas of our great nation. But this represents a crass government intrusion into our freedom, and mainstream trends can only be fostered from the grass roots. That's why it's necessary to ridicule the living bejeezus out of fatsos until they change their tune and dieting patterns.

In our current American society, we are so concerned with being politically correct and not offending anybody, that we are afraid of getting up in some lardass' face when they buy the last 10 hot dogs at the football stadium. Next time some fat fuck hits you in the parking lot with their Rascal that is scraping the asphalt, tell them to lose some weight for god sake's. Also, no more engaing in the "jumping on the grenade" practice at bars and clubs. If your buddy is talking to some babe, and her girlfriend is a monstrously-sized heifer, just go sulk in the corner by the DJ. This post applies to the ladies as well! You shouldn't care if a guy has a swell personality, is rich, and saved a bunch of orphans in Africa. If the dude is looking like Marlon Brando after a twinkie-binge, you should be embarrassed.

The more we denigrate and mock our nation's obese, the sooner we, as Americans, will free up room to take elevators, ride the subway, and not vomit in public.

Suggested Bumper Sticker or Yard Sign

Youth-in-Asia (AIDS epidemic in Afghanistan)

A "Shooting Gallery" in Kabul, Afghanistan (picture from NY Times)

Approximately 25 years ago, when AIDS was misunderstood and dubbed the "gay plague", an International AIDS Conference in Mexico City is taking place which the Washington Post discusses. The article mostly focuses on how homosexual men are more prone to spreading the terrible disease, and while that is a horrible crisis for the gay community, they don't talk about where new cases of HIV are spreading the most rapidly: Central Asia. The director of UNAIDS discusses this in an interview with Radio Free Europe, and he mentions that the regimes of Central Asia are totally unequipped to deal with the epidemic.

The NY Times wrote an article more than a year ago discussing how returning refugees may have brought the disease into the country, which had been essentially isolated during the 80s and the Taliban years. Now, the Chicago Tribune states that the crisis might be a huge problem for the young government:

AIDS now is a test for the government of President Hamid Karzai, caught between Western backers and conservative clerics, many of whom believe AIDS victims deserve their fate.

"You see where Afghanistan is going," said Dr. Saif-ur-Rehman, director of the National HIV/AIDS Control Program in the Health Ministry. "How do we tackle this problem before it turns into a major fire, an epidemic?"

Although there were cases of HIV before in Afghanistan — the first was registered in 1989 — only a handful were identified. The Taliban health minister insisted in 1998 that there was no AIDS in Afghanistan, because it was against Islam.

But after the Taliban fled, refugees addicted to heroin and opium returned from Iran and Pakistan, some bringing HIV with them. More and more Afghans who never left the country are now using drugs and injecting them as the heroin trade booms in the post-Taliban era.

With a booming poppy trade, overwhelming poverty, and a conservative culture that doesn't properly acknowledge of the AIDS scourge, NGOs and humanitarian organizations would be wise to work with the Afghan government to address this problem. Currently, there isn't even reliable data on those suffering, and this would be an appropriate method of applying soft power.

Late Nite Tunes: Atreyu - Right Side of the Bed

Vampire chicks are pretty damn hot, wouldn't you agree?

Dim Outlook on Afghanistan

The Long War Journal has a summary of attacks in Afghanistan, broken out by province, and it's not looking good for the team. Unsurprisingly, the majority of violence occurs in provinces along the Pakistan border. Also, attacks have increased to 18.4/day from 12.4/day the same period last year. Al-Jazeera English recently did an interview with GEN McKiernan, head of ISAF, which can be viewed below:



Some highlights of the interview:

• Sanctuaries in Pakistan allow freedom of movement into Afghanistan
• NATO mission is under-resourced
• Frustrating for region that terrorist networks exist in the tribal areas of Pakistan

Another point to ponder is that much of 2006/2007, counter-terrorism in Iraq seemed to suffer from a case of "Whack-a-mole", where terrorists would spring up in places like Diyala and Mosul after being defeated in Ramadi and Fallujah. Is 2008 the year the mole moves to Afghanistan? For all those out in Afghanistan, stay safe.

The Cure for a Misogynist

Pickle-Lickin' Contest Not Suitable For All Ages

There is a very rational argument for why McCain offering his wife up to some raunchy beauty pageant in Sturgis may be construed as offensive to the ladies. But Buffalo Chip supports the troops and Kiss might have played "Detroit Rock City" there, which is clearly one of the greatest rock and roll tunes of all time. 2 rights make up for wrong. The End.

Utilizing the Earth's Resources Properly

Today at the Ulysses S. Grant Statue in DC (from Jonn)

This whole discourse about drilling is enough to make your head spin and give you bloggorhea worse than burrito night on a Chinese offshore oil rig. Some have mocked Obama's tire pressure plan (which coincidentally does improve gas mileage) to wean us off that sweet, sweet crude, which happens to be in some unstable nations. While others, filmed and photographed by Jonn at a MoveOn.org protest today, seem content on letting natural resources sit in the ground unused. What struck me about the above picture, is that the woman has a sign called "Stand Up For Solar", which shows how two sides of the political coin are fighting each other in a self-destructive fashion.

Assuming that we need to make use of the resources to live on this planet, why can't we use both solar technology and oil, and develop new technology to make them more efficient. Instead we sit around arguing with each other like cretinous in-laws while some rich sheikh in Saudi Arabia laughs at us. An efficient and sustainable society utilizing earth's resources isn't going to be achieved by a bunch of smarmy politicians.

Late Nite Tunes: Motley Crue - Girls, Girls, Girls

The Crue takes us back to a time when chicks got naked for cocaine, the hair was big and awesome, and you could kill a guy drunk and only go to jail for 30 days. I think it's safe to say that many of us wish the clock could get turned back 20 years. The strip club in the opening I think is the Body Shop on the Sunset Strip, which I spent Valentine's Day at in 2000. Motley Crue didn't show up and throw a switchblade at my table, so I was dissapointed.

Monocles and Luxury Yachts on a Downward Trend

It's not just working stiffs that are feeling the pain of the economic downturn, rich people are spending a lot less on cocaine and caviar too. From AP (by way of Reason):

It may have taken longer and it may not be as acute, but there are early hints that the economic slump is crimping the lifestyles of the wealthy.

They are investing more conservatively, spending less on luxury goods and are being more thrifty with their credit cards. Many are asking their personal shoppers and private-jet travel providers to seek the best deals rather than over-the-top extravagances.

The AP article goes on and discusses the "Trickle Down Economics" which will ultimately affect everyone else in America. IMHO, it's pretty depressing that the structure of our economy is based on party girl heiresses schlepping out money for Prada handbags and private parties in NYC. I'm also reminded of the Tyler Durden quote "Fuck off with your sofa units and strine green stripe patterns, I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say let... lets evolve, let the chips fall where they may."

I'm certainly not anti-business or anti-corporate, as I understand the benefits of mass production so that we're not all tilling the land with oxen and kicking the bucket at the ripe old age of 25, but consumerism has run amok in America. Most people are hopelessly in debt in their endless quest to strive for a life conjured by advertising companies as "ideal", and television plays host to this endless consumption of resources in glitzed up shows like My Super Sweet 16. Do we really need to buy all this bullshit? Scrap the Yacht outing, and read a fucking book in the park for godsakes.

Crash and Burn for the Mahdi Army

Fading Dreams for the Mahdi Army

After the Iraqi Army's strategic successes against Shi'ite militias in Basra, Amara, and the Sadr City district of Baghdad, it appears the Mahdi Army has lost its allure (which was also noted by Bill Ardolino in the densely-populated, mixed sect Rusafa district in May). The Mahdi Army, the armed wing of the Sadr movement, is tied to the belief that the 12th Imam will come about during the end times and bring about salvation with Jesus. Following the 2004 Shi'ite uprising, that strange religious belief degenerated into a band of misfits conducting racketeering operations, intimidation, and largely being responsible for the ethnic cleansing of Sunnis in Baghdad in late 2006/early 2007. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Sadrists have released guidance calling for complete disarmament of the militia loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr:

A new brochure, obtained by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed by Mr. Sadr's chief spokesman, Sheikh Salah al-Obeidi, states that the Mahdi Army will now be guided by Shiite spirituality instead of anti-American militancy. The group will focus on education, religion and social justice, according to the brochure, which is aimed at Mr. Sadr's followers. The brochure also states that it "is not allowed to use arms at all."

This should be welcomed by anyone who has an interest in a stable Iraq, as General Petraeus noted in the September 2007 testimony: "The fundamental source of the conflict in Iraq is competition among ethnic and sectarian communities for power and resources. This competition will take place, and its resolution is key to producing long-term stability in the new Iraq. The question is whether the competition takes place more — or less — violently." Sadr's followers waffled back and forth the last year saying that there was a ceasefire, but having breakaway "Special Groups" members conducting attacks against Coalition Forces and members of the Iraqi government who "weren't playing ball". Now it appears they have been coerced into disarming their militia due to overwhelming force by the Iraqi government and a desire to save face for the Sadrist name. This would have been unthinkable two years ago.

Underwater Zombie Loose in PacNorWest

Brains No Longer Tasty (Zombie Pic From Johnathan!)

The scariest thing on the Pacific coast is no longer pirates, Green Peace, or killer whales...but freaking underwater zombies. What other explanation is there for 5 severed feet washing ashore in the last year. From Seattle Times:

Peregrin said the woman didn't initially take a close look at the shoe, but the next day, after recalling the cases in B.C., she went back to the beach and found the shoe still there. This time, she and a companion looked inside and saw the remains of a sock and some decomposing bone and tissue.

Detectives went to the scene Saturday and returned Sunday with cadaver-sniffing dogs, but they found no other evidence associated with the shoe.

Five severed feet in shoes have been found in the past year on B.C. beaches.

The underwater zombie was first discussed in Max Brooks' non-fiction guide World War Z, and that shit is scary.

About That KFC in Fallujah

A farce?!?

Remember how the KFC in Fallujah story a couple of weeks ago was supposed to be an allegorical symbol of stability in Iraq, much like Baghdad liquor stores? Well, those no-good hippies at TPM actually checked in with the Colonel's corporate headquarters and it turns out to be a chop shop. Grr. They were probably just upset it's not a Panera Bread or some crappy-tasting organic food store. How will the Pentagon spokesdrone deal with this embarrassing release of misinformation by MNF-W?

TPM was just firing a zinger at Faux News, the standard enemy of the netroots, but they really miss the point here. Iraq is a developing country, so naturally they are going to bootleg things like DVDs and crank out the phony Rolexes into Baghdad bazaars. The store is clearly a symbol of Western culture being marketed in Anbar province, and it has yet to come under attack from extremist thugs, which speaks volumes to the improvement of security in the once violent city.

Perhaps we should wait until Iraq gets a Mikky-Ds, which only operates in countries that would never attack the U.S.

Hard Times For Seattle (in pics)

On a quick jaunt to Seattle today, I learned that the famed babes with guns paintings from The Whiskey Bar are no longer on display. Damn!

I also saw this sign for luxury hotels downtown. Note the "Luxury with a Conscience", which is a lame attempt to assuage eco-guilt (h/t Deflation Land for the pic). This is one more step in ensuring that only self-righteous, yuppie clowns populate Seattle. Good thing Tacoma has more and more cool shit to see and do. How did San Francisco survive the Great Doucheification of the late 90s? Despite the fact that I live in Rubesville across the Sound, I humbly suggest Seattlites utilize their collective tattoed and pierced noggins to brainstorm! Just remember, the next time an art studio gets closed down to make way for a Jamba Juice, your beloved city could be next.

Obama Porn

*Shudder*

Plato once noted that "Tyranny naturally arises out of Democracy", and nowhere is that more evident than a recent contest in Seattle's only news source: The Stranger. While on the ferry, I discovered that they are currently seeking 200-word submissions of saucy, erotic stories on Obama that probably should be published somewhere in the back of a discarded Swank. An example:

“I’m going to teach you about the audacity of grope,” Barry chortled as tossed his unfiltered Pall Mall to the limousine floor and lunged at me, his hungry hands snapping like crab’s claws, grabbing me in a way that I knew would leave bruises. He turned me over, popping the buttons off my shirt. “Say it!” he bellowed, snapping the band on my underwear. “You know you want to.” “Y-yes,” I moaned. “Yes…we…can…” as he sank deep into me…

It should be noted that The Stranger, along with the greater Seattle area, is known for its sarcasm. However, Obama stickers are plastered on Volvos and hybrids throughout the Puget Sound area, and Seattle's combination of eco-guilt and yuppie atmospherics make it easy pickins' for the Democrats this election cycle. Therefore, two possible outcomes exist with this bit of hilarity: 1) True Believers are going to get pissed off that The Stranger has the gall to slander Obama, or 2) We're going to see some raunchy stories about straight women and gay men looking to get railed by the Hope and Change train. Either way, it should prove entertaining.

Late Nite Tunes: DragonForce Solo

One minute and seven seconds of kicking ass. The full version can be viewed here.

Nerds Unite in Excelsior For Ron Paul's Rocket

Ron Paul Rocket Promises to Take Virginity to extra-terrestial New Feats

Wonkette directs our attention to the Ron Paul Rocket Campaign, which promises to use the Diet Coke and Mentos phenomenon to propel bizarre views about the Federal Reserve and the New World Order to creepy new heights. I have to give credit to the Paul supporters for coming up with a Plan B though:

Our goal is to use Diet Coke and Mentos, however until then, we will use timed burn hobby rocket engines. We will use very big ones, and lots of them!

At first this site seemed like a funny joke, like the Bush for Third Term blog, but it appears that the site's webmaster is the real deal. Also, he's from Ann Arbor (my sometimes hometown), which doesn't come as a surprise to anyone who has ever been to Ann Arbor.

The Anti-Christ in Politics and Some Maiden

So, Daily Kos thinks that this McCain ad is a subliminal message that Obama is the anti-Christ. Sounds a bit crazy, as the ad was probably just appealing to snarky Gen Xers who think Obama's hubris knows no bounds...which it doesn't. The netroots have been over-analyzing these dumb ads since earlier in the week, when they thought the celebrity ad was a trigger for someone to assassinate Obama. Next up, any attack on Obama's drilling flip-flop will probably be dubbed racist by weenies in the lefty blogosphere (crude oil is black after all, and your attack of Obama on this issue represents a deep-seated hatred of all things black). Whatever.

But, in honor of McCain possibly calling Obama the anti-christ, here's Iron Maiden's Number of the Beast, which satisfies the axiom that any metal song about Satan is destined for greatness:

McCain's Terrible Idea: A Surge of Martial Law in America

Tanks n' T-walls: Coming Soon To a Town Near You!

Operation Fardh al-Qanoon is the security plan that was implemented in Baghdad in early 2007 to cut down on suicide attacks, sectarian bloodshed, and weapons trafficking. The practice of dividing Baghdad into sectors via massive T-walls and well-armed checkpoints was instrumental in reducing the rampant violence that had besieged Baghdad. The Baghdad Security Plan went hand-in-hand with Counter-Insurgency tactics adopted by the Coalition Forces, where soldiers moved off the FOB and into Joint Security Stations and Combat Outposts right in the heart of Baghdad's most dangerous neighborhoods. John McCain has, rightfully so, taken some credit for supporting this successful strategy, but he goes off the deep end when he says he wants to apply COIN tactics right here in the US. From ABC (h/t Reason):

Answering a question about his approach to combatting crime, John McCain suggested that military strategies currently employed by US troops in Iraq could be applied to high crime neighborhoods here in the US. McCain called them tactics 'somewhat like we use in the military...You go into neighborhoods, you clamp down, you provide a secure environment for the people that live there, and you make sure that the known criminals are kept under control. And you provide them with a stable environment and then they cooperate with law enforcement.' The way he described it, his approach sounded an awful lot like the surge.

There is a lot of problems with this statement, even though this blog is more apt to side with preserving Law and Order than other libertarian outlets like Reason. First off, crime declined throughout the 1990s due to more effective law enforcement tactics by police officers in major urban areas, not by utilizing heavy-handed methods which would be associated with martial law. Second, are our cities in such dire straits (like Baghdad in early 2007), that the citizens would be ready to have military checkpoints with M-249s pointed at them while they drove to work? Are Americans ready to suspend the 3rd amendment so that troops can be quartered in safe houses? You could make that argument if City Hall was getting mortared every other day, car bombs were going off routinely at the Wal-Mart, and some sort of zombie apocalypse just happened, but it's just not that bad in America. Third, as one unfortunate example, Clinton tried stationing Marines at the Texas-Mexico border to counter drug trafficking. Our beloved Marine Corps is the best in the world at killing the enemy, but some prudence should be exercised in utilizing them for routine law enforcement. In 1997, some confusion resulted in Esequiel Hernadez, an 18-year old ranch hand, being killed while he was carrying a .22 rifle to herd goats.

This is an example of McCain unabashedly throwing civil liberties out the window to pander to the suburban/gated-community mommy vote. Unfortunately, the unintended consequences could be devastating for America.

Stay Classy, New Jersey

How could a state that produced The Misfits and The Boss sink to such douchiness? Must be something in the water. For laughs, fast forward to 5:45 where there is a sweet cat fight.

(h/t Hot Chicks with Douchebags)

New Milblogger Alert

Joe, is an infantry soldier who does convoy security missions from Kuwait into Iraq. His blog, Fobbits Need Ice Cream Too, is a good narrative about the trials and tribulations of being a young enlisted man in the Army. Often, milblogs degenerate into pre-packaged talking points about "Victory in Iraq" from the brass, and therefore become rather snooze-inducing. But Joe talks about the shitty AC breaking (not pleasant in Kuwait in August) and the Navy MAs coming to steal everyone's porn (sigh, first they came for the porn, then they came for the DVD bootlegs...). Good stuff! Another good milblog is War on Big Tobacco, other than that, it seems a lot of milblogs, actually in Iraq and Afghanistan, have fallen by the way side.

Closing Time: Metallica - Ride the Lightning

Dedicated to Zawahiri, because he may or may not be dead from an airstrike in Pakistan (let's just hope he is).

Late Nite Music: Rancid - Nihilism

"White Ghettos paint a picture, broken homes and broken bones." Fuck, man. They just don't make lyrics that good anymore. Listen to it loud.

Who Separates Us is Not From Us

Powerful Iraqi video found by CJ. It makes me feel the same way I felt after watch Flight 93: goosebumps, reflection, and zero cynicism. This video is probably being aired on the state-run TV station, Al-Iraqiya. For some reason, I find Arabic music very soothing and emotional. A Youtube commenter was kind enough to translate the Arabic:

We are Shias and Sunnis
Who gathers us is God and Mohammed
No Sunni No Shia
We have one goal
Stay together
God bless you all
Who separates us
is not from us

Al-Masri Flies the Coop

Things aren't working out so well for the Islamic State of Iraq: their network is ineffective, the insurgency has been described as pretty much over in Iraq, and now their fearless leader has fled to Afghanistan Sir Robin-style. From WaPo (h/t Jawa):

Abdullah al-Ansari, an al-Qaeda in Iraq leader in Fallujah, said in an interview with a Washington Post special correspondent that Masri had traveled to Afghanistan through Iran and designated Abu Khalil al-Souri, the pseudonym of another top leader of the group who came to Iraq in 2003, to run the organization in his absence.

"It's not known yet whether he would come back or not," he said, referring to Masri.

Al-Qaeda in Iraq is coming apart the seams as Iraqis reject their ridiculous ideology of establishing a caliphate by massacring innocent civilians. It should also be noted that Coalition Forces reduced the bounty on Al-Masri from $5M to $100K a few months ago because the dude had the managerial skills of a terrorist Lumberg. This is welcome news as the most vile of the insurgent networks has been severely hampered, and the number of U.S. casualties for the month of July is at an all-time low. Some background on Al-Masri and the terrorist network of the Islamic State of Iraq can be found at Jihadica. But don't forget about Afghanistan, which Gen. McAffrey has a depressing dose of reality with an AAR you should read.

Republicans Can't Figure Out This Dawggone Computer Thing

Despite the "new media"-savvy conservatives over at The Next Right, the GOP has totally blown it this election cycle when it comes to spreading the meme on the innertubes. McCain's sockpuppet campaign was a total bust, and now it's going to cost a small fortune for bloggers to attend the RNC in Minneapolis. From Ed Morrissey, who is one of the best bloggers evah IMHO:

Qwest will provide the customer with a RJ45 plug for each 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps service and a fiber optic SC/PC connector for each 1 Gbps service. The service does not provide any hardware or cabling beyond the plug. The RJ45 cabling provided will be approximately 6ft in length.

• 10 Mbps (Dedicated) - $850.00
• 100 Mbps (Dedicated) - $7,650.00
• 1 Gbps (Dedicated) - $53,550.00

That’s for four days of Internet service. Four days. My son doesn’t pay that much a month in rent.

Not sure what planet the Repubs think bloggers live on, but most internet people talk politics as either a hobby, or, if their sole source of income is the measly penance from Google Ad Sense, they are so destitute they probably have to eat the pigeons from the bridge they live under. Why would the fat cats putting on the RNC not subsidize this? It's like these people want to lose.

Bad Acid Trip

(photo from The Guardian)

No, this post isn't about the Rainbow Family freaking out on LSD in the forest. It's about the barbaric practice of throwing acid on women's faces for a variety of cruel reasons. Recently, the Taliban in Pakistan has threatened to douse the faces of women who refuse to wear the hijab. That's pretty much par for the course on the Taliban, but apparently this practice exists elsewhere in the world. From The Guardian doing an investigation in India:

Acid attacks are a form of gender violence; they are intended to silence women who stand up for themselves. Women were being attacked for doing well at work, protesting against domestic violence, leaving their jobs – essentially whenever they demonstrate independence. There is a myth that women are only attacked with acid when they reject someone’s sexual advances. But we found that it happened for all sorts of reasons: women of all castes, classes and religions were being attacked by husbands, lovers, employers, jealous colleagues and even landlords.

Along with bride burning, honor killings, and genital mutilation, chalk this up to why it's good to be living in a modern country where this shit doesn't go on. Or does it? Right in Chicago, which is fucked up.