Since I’m not feeling bloggy today, feel free to discus amongst yourselves.
If anybody needs me, I’ll be watching NFL preseason football.
…“Under Bush.” So says Hillary ‘Mrs. Bill Clinton’ Clinton?!?:
There appears to be no crisis, tragedy or disaster immune from exploitation under the Bush administration.
So unlike 1993–2000. And that’s just while the Clintons were in the White House. Their shady dealings go way beyond just Mrs. Bill’s time in the White House.
Two points I wanted to make here: first, that this piece is like the kettle is calling the pot a kettle. Second, that who exactly is always exploiting these things? Let’s go down the list, shall we?
In the past few years, the number of corporations flocking to places like the Cayman Islands to evade U.S. taxes has exploded.
Like, say, China? You know, China. The formerly not–on–the–most–favored–nation–list–before–Mr.–Bill–put–them–on China.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but American businesses are in the business of making themselves money, not paying taxes.
In the weeks after Hurricane Katrina, for example, FEMA…
Did what they did on Bill Clinton’s watch.
Only faster.
While touting fiscal responsibility, President Bush and his administration have lined the pockets of political cronies like Halliburton and Blackwater. While calling for earmark reform, the president has allowed no-bid and questionable contracting throughout the federal government to dwarf earmark spending by a 10-to-1 ratio.
Quick, everybody, name a company that’s American owned that builds ports.
GO!
Alright, let’s check our answers. The correct answer to the question is…Haliburton. That would be the list. Hard to contract something to another company when another company doesn’t exist.
And earmarks? Are you kidding? Are you aware that the Democrats in Congress control spending? That’s the thing that galls me the most.
There’s more there to chide, but it doesn’t really matter. In calling for changes in the way government does business, she’s basically saying that the government (which has proven to be clumsy and inefficient) is the savior to our problems. To that, this quote from another famous American politician:
Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
President Ronald Reagan
Mike Allen at The Politico announces that the DNC is launching their own oil–based publicity stunt (complete with bumper stickers! Whoot!).
Yeah, thanks. While the Republicans are at least trying to get something done, the Democrats offer bumper stickers. Thanks. Really. I mean it.
RNC spokesman Alex Conant agrees:
The $2.8 billion that Obama gave the oil companies in the '05 energy bill would have bought a lot of tire gauges.
Indeed.
A lot more robust that Obama’s plan. Which is, to say, is a plan.
Did I just say that Paris Hilton did something better than Obama? Yes. Yes, I did.
ADDED: Via me at Wizbang
This widget shows data from perspctv, and they describe the site as [a]n exploration of internet activity in reference to mainstream media. Gain a unique Perspctv on the US Presidential Elections.
I’m always on the lookout for nifty gadgets to put on display (because some people just love sidebar goodies). Poll results are notoriously hard to define, but that doesn’t stop people from trying. Stat junkies like me get our addiction fix with stuff like this.
And on a totally unrelated note: how did I get through this many days without bashing Obama?
I wonder how dictionary entries are edited. For instance, what most people would consider a simple task — define the word ‘Edwards’. Not so simple, as it turns out.
This is so incomplete. Mark L. Ward, Jr. originally took this screenshot of the Mac OS X 10.5 Dictionary app, noting the Oxford Dictionary only focused on extremism:
Yeah, see, the other part of the screenshot will probably need revising, as well.
[Via]
Republicans demand debate on drilling. Camera phone footage uploaded to show the obstinate Congressional Democrats. For those of us who believe in openness in government, internet is the quickest, most effective way to show the truth.
That’s why the Nancy Pelosi ordered the cameras shut off.
It’s good to know they can turn off the cameras, but we can still see the picture.
Just watching this today amazes me just how much I’ve changed. It looks like the Democrats bought this guy out lock, stock, and barrel in the 1960s. Back when I was in high school, they warned us about this sort of thing. Now they encourage it.
[Via]
Photos by Benjamin J. Myers. Pictured, left to right: Kristina Spiegel, Ivy Larsen, Emily Zammitt
It’s the time of the year get to vicariously spy survey the best part of Washington D.C.: the meat market. Yes, the 2008 edition of the “50 Most Beautiful People on Capitol Hill” is ready for your ogling pleasure.
For the umpteenth year in a row I have failed to make the list. I blame all you people who don’t vote for me. It’s your fault.
How am I supposed to engage in inappropriate conduct if I’m not even there?
It’s from the National Enquirer, so don’t expect to hear about it on any cable news channels or network TV. Well, except for maybe Other than FOX News. But that’s just because, ya know, there’s a story there. And a Democrat is involved.
But, you know, there’s the countless hours of Obama coverage. Also, the Republican scandal of Sen. Ted Stevens (R–AK). No time for a verified story about a former candidate for VP of the US.
Did I mention that Sen. Ted Stevens is a Republican? A total scandal.
UPDATE: Aaaaaaaand this is delicious.
For a couple of days, I’ve tried to come up with a salient, cogent way to put the tragedy at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in perspective. A man went into a church and started killing people. There is no justification for the murder of these people (not any murder of people). There are no words that can describe the loss of security, and more importantly the loss of life those people left behind must endure. This is, ironically, one of the purposes of the church, to minister to people.
But as I was grasping for reason in yet another unreasonable time, I knew that there’s a brief window of opportunity to make sense of anything. After that window closes, then the people will fall into their own habits, and cling back to their own beliefs, no matter how bigoted or thoughtless.
So was the case with a writer who would consider himself better than those who he does not agree with. RJ Eskow is a bigot:
Who really killed those Unitarians? Was it the preachers who spread hatred and intolerance? The politicians who court and flatter them instead of condemning their hate speech? The media machine that attacks liberals, calls them "traitors" and suggests you speak to them "with a baseball bat"? The economic system that batters people like Jim Adkisson until they snap, then tells them their real enemies are gays and liberals and secular humanists?
If you ask me, it was all of the above.
You killed them, Pat Robertson. You killed them, Pastor Hagee. You killed them, Ann Coulter. You killed them, Dick Morris and Sean Hannity and the rest of you at Fox News.
Pouring salt in wounds. Adding insult to injury. Lashing out at the very people whom you need to help you. How very, very predictable.
A simple test of logic would prove that quoted passage wrong. Take the number of conservative Christian gun owners, and figure out the number of times a gunman has opened fire in the middle of the congregation. Thousands of opportunities a week, and only one? Perhaps it wasn’t the books on the shelf, but the demons in his head?
Many people have no need for the God of the Bible. They only need the God of Validation. This is the definition of bigotry.
I honestly thought this was something some talented comedians came up with for some sketch comedy show. Basic cable. I had no idea anybody was supposed to take it seriously. It is too good to come from a real political party.
There was a site that called for user–made videos called Obama in 30 Seconds. You were supposed to come up with a video that MoveOn.org would try to get put on TV. That’s the story for where the video came from, and where it is intended to go.
There are some other videos by this same group (which is NOT MoveOn.org) that are just as funny at Catch Hope. But like I said, it was too good to come from a political party. Not nearly life–drainingly droll enough to be used in a political campaign. No, for MoveOn.org types, we needed something somber and depressing.
Wanna see the video that won?
Yeah. Great choice.
Two predictions about the presidential race.
Prediction #1: As soon as Barak Obama announces his running mate, his polling numbers will take a dive.
Prediction #2: As soon as John McCain announces his running mate, his polling numbers will go up.
Or something. In 2004 it was something. I forget (hlp plz).
Anyways*, this year it’s ‘gaffe.’ Have you ever heard the word gaffe as much as you have this year? Ever?
It’s losing its meaning.
*I put that in there for all you “I hate it when people start sentences with ‘anyways.‘”
Gabrielle Anwar is this actress from the television show, Burn Notice. She is also a hottie. And, she is somehow in the middle of a huge debate over the price of oil.
I can’t figure out how she got involved in American politics, but I say we need to get her help. Even if it goes against some of my personal ethics, we need to…do…what it takes. If that requires — ahem — ‘drilling’, then I say go right ahead.
It’s for the team. For America. I’m sure God won’t mind.
From what I can tell, the Democrats are the ones who don’t want to do this. They seem to have other places to look for oil. Not that an actress from the UK has much potential, but why are the Democrats beings such obstructionists? Can’t we do both?
Seriously, folks, I can understand why Nancy Pelosi (a female) wouldn’t want to get some of this, but there’s plenty of (allegedly) heterosexual men in the House, right? I mean, she’s hot, right? Are they just worried their wives will find out?
I bet it’s because she’s English. Can’t appear dependent on foreign interests, and all.
So many questions, precious little answers.
Since I'm turning into John 'One Note' Stansbury, I figure I'd keep churning out the hits. This one's dedicated to those fat cats in Washington who just can't seem to figure out that we're tired of our Polar Bear-Americans are getting the short end of the stick in the current administration.
Tens of thousands T-shirts handed out by the World Wildlife Fund showed a polar bear pointing his finger out, like Uncle Sam, and saying, "I want you to tackle climate change." The bear is saying in a dialogue bubble, "Yes, we can."
Germans and Europeans have focused strongly on the environment and climate change. Probably the second greatest audience response came when Obama pledged to "act with the same seriousness of purpose as has your nation, and reduce the carbon we send into our atmosphere... This is the moment to stand as one."
I'm so glad our President of Earth™ that can see the greatest challenges of our time, completely ignore them, and pander to anthropomorphised bruins.
Google has officially censored my Barack Obama video.
- Cake Secret
You have to click through an age–verification page to see this video on YouTube. The reason being…it’s so effective. There’s nothing in this video that I couldn’t show in my Sunday School class.
Can you say Vimeo?
1398, from Gk. etymologia, from etymon "true sense" (neut. of etymos "true," related to eteos "true") + logos "word."
In classical times, of meanings; later, of histories. Latinized by Cicero as veriloquium.
Until yesterday, I’d never seen this before. Today, after seeing it for the 73rd time, I figured I’d complain about this, too. Please stop doing this, people.
Tips: / send me money
