If you see Sarah Palin, or any of the McCain campaign whining about how her family is being "attacked," remember this: When asked to give an example...they couldn't. Just a little something to keep in mind.
Link should work now, thanks Alan.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Friday, September 05, 2008
we're Americans...And you know what that means? ...That means that our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world.
As you may have seen, no-vote Giuliani made a big stink at the GOP convention over how little we Democrats mentioned the September 11, 2001 attacks at ours. Cute.
Well, funny story. Can you guess who the GOP spent a whole convention forgetting to shine a light on?
American soldiers.
Not a single bloody word, virtually, was spoken about them over the entire four days of the convention. At least, not about the ones who are fighting and sacrificing in Iraq and Afghanistan now.
As opposed to the one who was in a Vietnamese POW camp, before I was even born.
Have a look at the most recent Iraq casualty* figures. Add to that 569 in Afghanistan.
And ask yourself why the McCain Republican party is willing to use video of the towers falling to try to scare the country into giving them four more years. But not to pay tribute to the American citizens that have suffered and fallen since.
My answer: Because it's their fault.
Actually, there's a case to be made that both are their fault (or at least, their failure), but I guess they figured there were still a few drops of blood to be squeezed from the turnip of at least one of 'em.
*Gil Scott-Heron, I believe it was, remarked upon what an odd word that is. "Casualties.' Nothing casual about dying."
Well, funny story. Can you guess who the GOP spent a whole convention forgetting to shine a light on?
American soldiers.
Not a single bloody word, virtually, was spoken about them over the entire four days of the convention. At least, not about the ones who are fighting and sacrificing in Iraq and Afghanistan now.
As opposed to the one who was in a Vietnamese POW camp, before I was even born.
Have a look at the most recent Iraq casualty* figures. Add to that 569 in Afghanistan.
And ask yourself why the McCain Republican party is willing to use video of the towers falling to try to scare the country into giving them four more years. But not to pay tribute to the American citizens that have suffered and fallen since.
My answer: Because it's their fault.
Actually, there's a case to be made that both are their fault (or at least, their failure), but I guess they figured there were still a few drops of blood to be squeezed from the turnip of at least one of 'em.
*Gil Scott-Heron, I believe it was, remarked upon what an odd word that is. "Casualties.' Nothing casual about dying."
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh shit (edited w/addition)
Georgia Republican Rep. Lynn Westmoreland used the racially-tinged term "uppity" to describe Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama Thursday.
Westmoreland was discussing vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's speech with reporters outside the House chamber and was asked to compare her with Michelle Obama.
"Just from what little I’ve seen of her and Mr. Obama, Sen. Obama, they're a member of an elitist-class individual that thinks that they're uppity," Westmoreland said.
Asked to clarify that he used the word “uppity,” Westmoreland said, “Uppity, yeah.”
(PS: Yeah, I know...when I saw the link, I was praying the Republican would turn out to be from Tennessee, too. But this is still pretty funny.)
ETA: I take it back. It's not just funny, it's fucking beautiful.
Hating Sarah Palin: Now, it's really personal.
In case you were wondering...I've been doing so many posts about Sarah Palin mostly for the same reason one stops to watch a train crash: Horrified fascination. I literally cannot believe McCain expected America to swallow her as a serious choice for VP.
But also, virtually every day, I read something which makes clear her candidacy cannot be treated with indifference. Yesterday it was learning of her book-banning past. Today, it's this, in a well-worth-reading opinion piece by Gloria Steinem, on why Sarah Palin is the wrong woman:
Emphasis mine.
Do. Not. Mess. With my. Wolves.
But also, virtually every day, I read something which makes clear her candidacy cannot be treated with indifference. Yesterday it was learning of her book-banning past. Today, it's this, in a well-worth-reading opinion piece by Gloria Steinem, on why Sarah Palin is the wrong woman:
She opposes just about every issue that women support by a majority or plurality. She believes that creationism should be taught in public schools but disbelieves global warming; she opposes gun control but supports government control of women's wombs; she opposes stem cell research but approves "abstinence-only" programs, which increase unwanted births, sexually transmitted diseases and abortions; she tried to use taxpayers' millions for a state program to shoot wolves from the air but didn't spend enough money to fix a state school system with the lowest high-school graduation rate in the nation; she runs with a candidate who opposes the Fair Pay Act but supports $500 million in subsidies for a natural gas pipeline across Alaska; she supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, though even McCain has opted for the lesser evil of offshore drilling.
Emphasis mine.
Do. Not. Mess. With my. Wolves.
Say what you will about Sarah Palin, she knows how to raise money...
...for the other side.
Results of Palin's speech? the RNC raised $1 million. The Obama camp?
$10 million plus.
Gotta love it.
Results of Palin's speech? the RNC raised $1 million. The Obama camp?
$10 million plus.
Gotta love it.
A few years ago, I thought Joe Scarborough was pretty easy to take for a smug Republican pretty-boy...
But at the DNC last week, he showed that the operative word there is "boy," not "man,' as you may have seen--if not, here's an article about it. And now he's showing (again) what a fantasy Republicans are living in (and not the good kind).
Much like Karl Rove, he was against someone with Sarah Palin's slim experience and qualifications being number two on the ticket...before he was for it.
Much like Karl Rove, he was against someone with Sarah Palin's slim experience and qualifications being number two on the ticket...before he was for it.
I'm glad to see that this is one of the most popular news items today*
Attacks, praise stretch truth at GOP convention
They're lying and a lot of people know they're lying.
(I'm not watching much of the Republican convention, except Stewart and Colbert, of course.)
*According to my iGoogle page.
They're lying and a lot of people know they're lying.
(I'm not watching much of the Republican convention, except Stewart and Colbert, of course.)
*According to my iGoogle page.
It's a Great Animator, Charlie Brown
Bill Melendez, the man who made the beautiful transfer of Charles Schulz’s Charlie Brown comic strip to animation and performed the wordless vocals of Snoopy, has died.
As that obit reminds us,
Here's the first eight minutes of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown:
A few years ago, Melendez put up a great-looking website where you can see more clips from his films and specials; A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy Come Home especially made me smile.
As that obit reminds us,
Melendez's nearly seven decades as a professional animator began in 1938 when he was hired by Walt Disney Studios and worked on Mickey Mouse cartoons and classic animated features such as "Pinocchio" and "Fantasia."
Melendez took part in a strike that led to the unionization of Disney artists in 1941, and later moved to Warner Bros., where he worked on Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig and Daffy Duck shorts.
At UPA, he helped animate "Gerald McBoing-Boing," which won the 1951 Academy Award for best cartoon short.
Melendez created Emmy-winning specials based on the cartoon characters Cathy and Garfield, and was involved in animated versions of the Babar the elephant books and the C.S. Lewis book, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."
Here's the first eight minutes of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown:
A few years ago, Melendez put up a great-looking website where you can see more clips from his films and specials; A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy Come Home especially made me smile.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Hating Sarah Palin: Now, it's personal.
Not like I wasn't having enough fun with the impersonal stuff. But turns out, besides everything detailed previously, Sarah Palin is a wannabe censor who once tried to fire a librarian who opposed the banning of books.
h/t George
h/t George
Now this is comedy.
Peggy Noonan is the kind of Republican who gets really misty-eyed about Ronald Reagan, having drunk the kool-aid, as they say. She's a "neoconservative," a dainty thing, and a former Reagan speechwriter.
As such, she's a widely-quoted Republican spokeswoman. So it's worthy of coverage when she lets slip what she really thinks about the choice of Sarah Palin and what it means for the race.
(Y'know...you'd think Noonan would be alert to this kind of thing. As I say she worked for Reagan, who had his own live mic gaffe. Anybody remember "We begin bombing in 5 minutes"?)
As such, she's a widely-quoted Republican spokeswoman. So it's worthy of coverage when she lets slip what she really thinks about the choice of Sarah Palin and what it means for the race.
(Y'know...you'd think Noonan would be alert to this kind of thing. As I say she worked for Reagan, who had his own live mic gaffe. Anybody remember "We begin bombing in 5 minutes"?)
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Hannity: Idiot, or just a bigger fibber than McGee?
(If you're not hip to the reference, dig)
On Hannity & Colmes, Hannity said, in reference to Internet rumors about Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter, "[T]hey tried to make the attack that she has a young daughter, pregnant and engaged. Is that fair that they would attack that? I mean, I don't remember Chelsea Clinton being attacked.
First of all, if anyone, certainly any prominent liberal blogger, has "attacked" Palin's daughter, I've yet to see it. Everyone I've seen has been cautious, as I was. We want to separate the daughter's situation from the intellectual dishonesty of someone who is in a position to become the most powerful woman in the world.
The one we can all agree is private, the other could not possibly be more a matter of public interest.
But you know what? Forget all that. Say someone has been attacking Palin's daughter.
As Media Matters goes on to report, Chelsea Clinton certainly was attacked when her father was president. For being "ugly." In one case, when she was 13 years old. And not just by conservative bloggers who you could argue most people weren't listening to (certainly at the time), but by big-timers, with big microphones.
Rush Limbaugh.
John McCain.
People like that.
Of course, if you've read Al Franken's Lies book, you know that Hannity not only refuses to acknowledge Limbaugh's indefensable assault on Chelsea but he also has certain anger management problems.
Rather than accept that the right's Moses gets his jollies from picking on little girls and then blatantly lying about it, Hannity'll get in a shouting match with you. So, to be fair to Hannity and his little, little brain, I don't doubt for a minute he means it when he says he doesn't remember...
If you're stupid, surround yourself with smart people. If you're smart, surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you.
...in the words of Isaac Jaffe on Sports Night.
Obama and Biden appeared together on 60 Minutes this weekend. That link will lead you to a site where you have a choice of watching a video clip of the appearance, or reading it in an article form. Either way, I especially liked what Obama had to say about (one of) his reasons for choosing Biden:
Obama and Biden appeared together on 60 Minutes this weekend. That link will lead you to a site where you have a choice of watching a video clip of the appearance, or reading it in an article form. Either way, I especially liked what Obama had to say about (one of) his reasons for choosing Biden:
if I'm in the room making the kinds of tough decisions that the next president's gonna have to make, both on domestic policy and on international policy, then I want the counsel and advice of somebody who's not gonna agree with me a 100 percent of [the] time. In fact, somebody who's independent enough that can push back and give me different perspectives and make sure that I'm catching any blind spots that I have.
"Look there is no choice I could have made where the person's gonna agree with me a 100 percent of the time. And I wouldn't want that person. Michelle doesn't agree with me a 100 percent of the time. You know, in fact with Michelle, if I can get to 50 percent, I'm feeling pretty good.
And finally, the most fantastically fierce female of the year so far
Eve-A.
(I know that's not her official name, but I insist on calling her that because that's what it sounds like Wall-E calls her in the movie...and possibly for another reason I'll get to in a minute).
I can't say much more than Kathy Najimy said. Eve-A is
Wall-E is
On a personal note, I would like to add one thing that occurred to me a few days ago.
You who know my work...those descriptions remind anybody of anyone?
Wall-E and Eve-A.
Wall-E and Eva-A.
Coll-Ey and Kei-Tha.
(I know that's not her official name, but I insist on calling her that because that's what it sounds like Wall-E calls her in the movie...and possibly for another reason I'll get to in a minute).
I can't say much more than Kathy Najimy said. Eve-A is
powerful [and] dedicated to her purpose
Wall-E is
warm, funny, caring and sensitive
On a personal note, I would like to add one thing that occurred to me a few days ago.
You who know my work...those descriptions remind anybody of anyone?
Wall-E and Eve-A.
Wall-E and Eva-A.
Coll-Ey and Kei-Tha.
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