Thursday, October 30, 2014

Chomp & Stomp this Weekend!

If you live in the greater Atlanta area, or if you can get to Atlanta easily, this weekend would be the time to come!  This Saturday, Nov. 1st is CHOMP AND STOMP!

http://www.chompandstomp.com/2012/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/chompWEBposterPrelim2.jpg

What is Chomp and Stomp, you ask? It's so funny that you should ask that, because I was just about to tell you what Chomp and Stomp is. It is the world's largest (I assume) Bluegrass festival and chili cook-off.

http://raymondchang.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/DSC03722.jpg 
 Apostles of Bluegrass, Chomp&Stomp 2013

The festival is free. If you want chili, buy a spoon for $5 and sample all you can handle. (get there early, chili will run out)

Music starts at 11:00am sharp. Our personal favorite, the High Strung String Band plays at 3:30, if you like to sleep in. 










We also highly recommend Slim Chance & the Convicts at 1:00 pm





(yeah, not all the bands ar e strictly bluegrass.)

And I see "Farmland Band"  listed at 5:00pm. If this is "Smokey's Farmland Band" which I assume it is, we highly recommend them as well.








But really, you can't go wrong at Chomp & Stomp.


Also, there's beer, cabbage games, an artists' market and some other fun stuff. And the Autumn weather in Atlanta is usually perfect.

So come

How I'm Feeling Right Now


Yeah!

http://img.pandawhale.com/82101-Jesse-Pinkman-yeah-magnets-gif-UMEH.gif 

Giants, Bitch!

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Georgia Senate Race coming down to the wire

The Senate race in Georgia is interesting, in that we have a choice between someone who is only on the ballot because his cousin was governor

 http://dvo53oxmpmca8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/David-Perdue-Email-Header.jpg


 and someone who is only on the ballot because her father was a Senator.

 http://www.taylormarsh.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Screen-Shot-2014-05-12-at-2.15.16-PM.png

 (Also, we can vote for a gubernatorial candidate who is only on the ballot because his grandfather was governor and president, but let's not get sidetracked)

https://carterforgovernor.com/wp-content/themes/carter/img/facebook.jpg


Anyway, the Republican candidate seems to be trying his darndest to throw the race to Michelle Nunn, the Democratic candidate. First he went on record about how proud he was to have outsourced American jobs overseas during his time as a businessman.

"Defend it? I'm proud of it," Perdue said Monday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "This is a part of American business, part of any business. Outsourcing is the procurement of products and services to help your business run. People do that all day."

I mean, the attack ads just write themselves!

Now, he says that he wants to "prosecute" the president.

     Ordinarily, when one says that they want to prosecute someone, the next words are "for the crime of. . ." But Perdue doesn't even bother to pretend that any crime has been committed.  Here's what was said:

“I just don’t believe that it’s one party or the other. I think it has to be both sides coming together,” Nunn said. “I think that we do have a very clear contrast in terms of how we see breaking through that dysfunction. I don’t think it’s about prosecuting the other party; I think it’s about problem-solving.”

“I disagree; I think it is,” Perdue answered. “When you have a failed presidency, you have to prosecute it," he said. 

 http://www.meganhelstone.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/side-eye-chloe-meme-generator-um-ok-89584d.jpg
 Let's say we accept your premise that this is a "failed presidency." Just for the sake of argument. You do know that having a "failed presidency" isn't a crime, right? The consequences for having a "failed presidency" are that you don't get elected to a second term (too late) and no one comes to the opening of your library (time will tell). You don't get to prosecute the President of the United States because you think his policies are "failing."

So, what else you got?

"We deserve better than we’re getting right now," he added. 

Okay, no argument here. We should be getting Canadian-style Universal Healthcare. We should be getting a large increase in the minimum wage.  We should be getting a lot of new roads and bridges built. We should definitely be . . . oh, that's not what you mean, is it?

"We deserve better than we’re getting right now," he added. “When we look at the direction of this country, we’ve got to make a hard right-hand turn. The direction of this country is failing.”

 http://sosogay.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/oh-for-fucks-sake.jpg

Really? A hard-right turn? Really? Again? If we make one more right turn we'll have gone in a complete circle.

http://www.picture-newsletter.com/arrows/arrows-h6w.jpg



Although, come to think of it. . . three rights do equal a left. Nah, it's easier just to vote for Michelle Nunn on Tuesday.



Sunday, October 26, 2014

I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying this guy!




baseball animated GIF




Have I ever mentioned how much I love watching Hunter pence play baseball? Even if you aren't a baseball fan, you should really check him out. Why do I love him? Let me count the ways.

First of all, he looks like this:

https://fbexternal-a.akamaihd.net/safe_image.php?d=AQC3NQsIjf3JIH9j&w=484&h=253&url=http%3A%2F%2Fusatftw.files.wordpress.com%2F2014%2F10%2Fusatsi_8153619_168380427_lowres.jpg%3Fw%3D1200&cfs=1&sx=0&sy=20&sw=1200&sh=627





 Like, all the time.

http://i.imgur.com/Xbo1Ivg.jpgHunter Pence Shared Foto


http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Hunter+Pence+World+Series+San+Francisco+Giants+ZZ_a9GKtUpYl.jpg

https://thefigureskatinglawyer.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/pence.jpg

Suzanne Warren's got nothin' on those crazy eyes!


He looks like a combination of the Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey characters from True Detective.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c630a53ef01630507aa0f970d-pihttp://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/mp/yIAVtX4lw-kl.jpg



This is how he gets to and from the stadium:


http://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2013/05/07/images/mlbf_26886949_th_43.jpg

And because this is San Francisco, this is his bobblehead:

http://coedbc.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/pence-sooter-bobblehead-big.jpg

 Seriously, this man loves his scooter. His scooter got stolen once, and he was heartbroken.

 http://mlb.mlb.com/assets/images/7/6/6/76885766/cuts/pence_scooter_missing_t0g3zisb_97tly48w.jpg

He got it back in exchange for a signed bobblehead.

http://blog.sfgate.com/giants/files/2014/05/giants22_686_mac.jpg
And was back riding it through the corridors of AT&T Park.

But that's not really the point. The point is that Pence is the most fun baseball player to watch ever in the history of baseball.


Every fly ball to right ends up something like this:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JYIJ0pwJYTg/UDOC6S_-9SI/AAAAAAAABQU/G0R5912n7-Q/s500/penceface.gif


http://sports.cbsimg.net/images//visual/whatshot/pence.gif

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/giants/files/2014/10/pence-catch.jpg

 Look at this guy throw!

 http://www.mlb.com/images/6/3/6/70571636/033114_pence_844vp62d.gif

 You'd think he'd never thrown a baseball before, until you see the ball fly a couple hundred feet right on target. He looks like a toddler flinging a toy away. (granted, this is due to a back problem and not just Pence's general eccetricness, but still.)


 And, my God, the flurry of arms and legs that is Hunter pence running down to first:



I read an article recently that compared Pence's base-running to a three-legged deer fleeing a forest fire. That deer might be a bit more graceful, but Pence has stolen over 100 bases in his 8-yr career, and just last night beat out an infield grounder to drive in a run. How many three-legged deer can do that? Can't be more than 2 or 3.




And no other player could inspire weird signs like these:


mlb animated GIF

What do they mean? I don't know. Apparently no one does, not even Hunter Pence. Apparently Mets fans started bringing these signs as a response to a Seinfeld-themed Tweet Pence sent out while in New York. I've searched the internet, talked to my brother in San Francisco and apparently no one understands this phenomenon, but the signs persist.

http://www.totalprosports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Screen-Shot-2014-08-03-at-8.53.33-PM.png

Whatever. Hunter pence is not someone about whom you really want to over-think. Just sit back, watch, and let the madness sweep over you.

with animated GIF

.

..



baseball animated GIF

Friday, October 24, 2014

Nice Priorities, LA Times!




Mama June of 'Here Comes Honey Boo Boo' reportedly dating sex offender

Los Angeles Times - ‎11 hours ago‎

A dating choice reportedly made by June Shannon, Honey Boo Boo's Mama June . . . might be putting "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" in jeopardy.


Oh, right. Of course, this would put "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" in jeopardy. Oh, and also might do the same for Honey Boo Boo, an actual child who could actually be in actual danger if her mother does turn out to be actually dating an actual sex offender. Also, I'm pretty sure she has several sisters who might also be in jeopardy. But you're right, the big story here is that the show might get cancelled. Nice priorities, LA Times!



Thursday, October 23, 2014

Asshole Couple of the Day

Saw this story on Joe.My.God:

Some weird couple from Kansas has filed a petition to have themselves inserted into the same-sex marriage case currently going on in their state. No, not a weird gay couple, a weird breeder couple. Why would they be involved? Well, let's just let their petition speak for itself.




https://www.scribd.com/doc/244022349/2-14-cv-02518-13https://www.scribd.com/doc/244022349/2-14-cv-02518-13


Okay, that's not going to be legible. The couple, Phillip and Sandra Unruh, claim that if two dudes are allowed to marry each other, the state will have violated their 14th Amendment rights, specifically the "due process" and "equal protection" clauses. Now, I would think that the equal protection clause would be one of the major reasons that gay marriage must be legalized, but I'm no attorney or legal scholar. I'm just a regular Joe. So let's see what their lawyers' legal argument are.

Well, it starts out with a bang, when they declare that marriage in Kansas has always been a one man-one woman affair, and gives two citations to back this up. And, I kid you not, those two are:

See Bible, Genesis 2:24 and United States v. Windsor

I don't know what law school teaches you to use the Bible as legal precedent, but I think they should get their tuition refunded.

http://lpac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Regent-School-of-Law-300x110.jpg
Actually, I could make a pretty good guess which law school.


Then they make the incredibly legally sound argument that two same-sex people can't fuck a child into existence, so nuh-unh, that marriage doesn't count!

Then they claim that the Unruhs have "invested" in a  marriage contract, and if the plaintiffs succeed in legalizing same-sex marriage, their contract will, um. . . I don't know. It somehow loses its value if the word "marriage" is re-defined in a non-bigoted way? I think?
Apparently, this would deprive the Unruh's of their "property" which is, I guess their marriage? without due process of law? because if two dudes get married, the Unruh's marriage will be null and void?
I'm not sure how something as intangible as a marriage agreement could be considered "property" or how one could be deprived of such "property," but. again, I'm not a lawyer.
 Here's how it reads in legal terms:

“If the Plaintiffs are successful in their causes of action the meaning of marriage will be so fundamentally and profoundly changed that the Unruh’s will experience a taking of their property rights in marriage without due process of law."

 “The extension of marriage to same-sex relationships inflicts profound harm on the Unruhs. For the courts to say that from this day forward marriage in Kansas must be extended to a same-sex couple is and for ever will be deeply disturbing to the Unruhs. . ."

Which I guess is based on the legal principle that no one should ever have to hear or see anything that they find "disturbing." Just as I have a Constitutional right to never see a Tweet from a One Direction fan, or  have to acknowledge the existence of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Believe me, both those things are far more disturbing than this:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c630a53ef0128755f8089970c-450wi












Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Call their Bluff

So some group called "children of God for life" issued this press release:


Children of God for Life announced today that several Ebola vaccines in development for use worldwide are made using aborted fetal cell lines despite the fact that moral alternatives are reported as equally effective.


Yes, I'm sure these "moral alternatives" are just as effective, but these pharmaceutical companies are just choosing not to use them because, um. . . godless liberals? Obviously any big drug company would want to use the most controversial method possible to produce their medicines, that's just Business 101!

"There is absolutely no reason to use aborted fetal cell lines" stated Debbie Vinnedge, Director of Children of God for Life.


Debbie Vinnedge, who is not a doctor or embryologist or any sort of medical professional. her own website lists her qualifications as:


Ms Vinnedge is a nationally recognized author and speaker and has provided written testimony for Congressional hearings on embryonic stem cell research. 
Ms Vinnedge is considered the foremost authority on the use of aborted fetal cell lines in medical products and vaccines. 

 
There is no indication as to why she should be considered any sort of authority, but goddammit, she just is!

She has appeared on both local and national television programs and has been a guest speaker on major national television and radio broadcasts, including Fox News’ Hannity & Colmes,Vatican Radio, Ave Maria Radio, EWTN, Human Life International and Living His Life Abundantly. 

Her work has been featured in leading Catholic publications such as Our Sunday Visitor, New Covenant Magazine, EWTN Question and Answers, EWTN’s Ethics in Healthcare, American Life League's Celebrate Life, the National Catholic Register, Human Life International Reports and numerous diocesan newsletters and periodicals, including the Vatican’s Medicini e Morale.

Oh, well, if she is recognized as a medical expert by both FOX and the Vatican, well I take it back. She's obviously eminently qualified!

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd78/Mafooo/sarcasm-detector.gif

Aaaaaanyway. . . her qualifications aside, this is the important line in the press release:

“It is completely irresponsible of this Administration to put these problem vaccines on fast-track for approval and ignore the fact that a massive number of people may very well refuse them. Why not fast track a product that everyone can use in good conscience?” asked Vinnedge.


Okay, fine. Refuse them. I can't think of a better way to thin the herd. Matter of fact, let's start making all the medicines out of embryonic cells. Let these people put their money where their mouth is. You think the "life" of an embryo is more valuable than that of a grown adult? Refuse your medicine. You've been telling us for years that you think the life of an embryo is more important than the life of a pregnant woman, so it must damn sure be more important than yours. So while the rest of us will gratefully take life-saving medications made from stem cells, you can hold your sick and dying heads up high knowing that you took a stand to defend this:

http://www.rhinofertility.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/zzpic-human-blastocyst.jpg


Monday, October 20, 2014

Right-Wingers love their FREEDOMMMMMM!!!!!!

Why is it that right-wingers, who are always shouting about FREEDOMMM!!! and tyranny and the sacred rights of the individual are always looking for some excuse to jettison civil liberties? Whether it was the cold war, the "war on drugs" or terrorism, right-wingers have always been overjoyed to hand over their precious freedoms in the name of safety and security (unless there's a black guy in the Oval Office, then suddenly they're all libertarians.)

Case in point: Charles Krauthammer

http://40.media.tumblr.com/9ee2068597df2bc81d4db39822a927c5/tumblr_n27hqpVy941qzls2xo1_500.jpg  

Pretty sure he's one of these guys.





                                                   
http://www.postercentral.com/ICE%20Magazine/publicity%202/washington-post.png

Charles Krauthammer: Ebola vs. civil liberties

Here's a summary: Aieee!! We're all going to die unless we shred the Bill of Rights!

First, he spends several paragraphs complaining about the Federal Government's response to the virus. Then he gets to the point:


In the face of a uniquely dangerous threat, we Americans have trouble recalibrating our traditional (and laudable) devotion to individual rights and civil liberties. That is the fundamental reason we’ve been so slow in getting serious about Ebola.


Seriously. This country has survived outbreaks of polio, the Spanish Flu, AIDS and cholera, but this disease which has killed exactly one US citizen, this is so uniquely dangerous that we must re-examine our entire approach to governing. 

1. Privacy.
Pham’s identity was initially withheld. In normal circumstances, privacy deserves absolute respect. But these are not normal circumstances. We’re talking about a possible epidemic by an unseen pathogen that kills 70 percent of its victims. Contact tracing is the key to stopping it, we’ve been told. What faster way to alert anyone who might have had contact with Pham than releasing her name? Why lose 24 hours during which people have to guess if they’d had contact with someone carrying the virus?

Interesting. You say privacy normally deserves absolute respect. I don't remember you having any objection to Robert Bork who claimed that there is no right to privacy. I fact, I googled "Krauthammer + Bork" and found nothing but laudatory things you've written about him over the years.  But I guess it doesn't matter since the first time you wet your bed over a scarrrry virus you're ready to chuck privacy overboard any way.


2. Quarantine.
When Duncan was first hospitalized, the CDC said it would locate his contacts and check regularly for symptoms. For the secondary and tertiary contacts, this made sense. But not for those in the inner “concentric circle.” They had had close contact with Duncan and were living in an apartment requiring massive decontamination. They should have been quarantined immediately. 

It’s understandable. Quarantine is the ultimate violation of civil liberties. Having committed no crime, having done no wrong, you are sentenced to house arrest or banishment. It’s unfair. It’s, well, un-American. But when an epidemic threatens, we do it because we must.

I would disagree. I don't think that quarantine is "un-American." If someone has a highly contagious, incurable disease, quarantine seems perfectly reasonable. Ebola is not that type of disease, so no quarantine would be necessary, but if it were, it certainly seems allowable.


 http://museumofhealthcare.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/scarlet-fever-quarantine.jpghttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wx5dexgemgU/UpJYc7VCnjI/AAAAAAAAC5Y/cyjpja_kBpA/s1600/pg+91.jpghttp://directorsblog.health.azdhs.gov/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Quarantine.jpg

It's been done to death.

But you say it is not only a violation of civil liberties, but the ultimate violation. You say it is un-American. Yet you say "do it!" You're that ready to discard (other people's) rights as Americans?


President Obama, in his messianic period, declared that choosing between security and liberty was a false choice. On the contrary. It is the eternal dilemma of every free society. Politics is the very process of finding some equilibrium between these two competing values.


And yet, every right-wing moron loves to trot out the Ben Franklin quote:



http://warisacrime.org/sites/afterdowningstreet.org/files/images/Ben%20Franklin%20on%20Liberty%20and%20Security%2005182009.jpg

As long as the "liberty" being given up is the freedom to die of an easily preventable condition because you can't afford a doctor, then "liberty uber alles!" Until something scary happens, then they demand a government crackdown on all this damn liberty!


Regarding terrorism, we’ve developed a fairly reasonable balance.

spit take animated GIF

Seriously? Everyone's phone is tapped, they can read every e-mail, your library records and internet search history are available for scrutiny and you think we've achieved a "reasonable balance?"

Regarding terrorism, we’ve developed a fairly reasonable balance. But it took time. With Ebola, we don’t have time. Viruses don’t wait. The sooner we reset the balance — the sooner we get serious — the safer we will be.


Okay, fine. But I better never hear you complaining about how the big bad government is impinging on your personal freedoms ever agian.

Friday, October 17, 2014

Very Serious People



These very serious people all hold positions of responsibility and must be taken very seriously when they address very serious issues.

Very Serious Person #1:
SC Governor Nikki Haley

http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/36800000/Nikki-Sixx-image-nikki-sixx-36814817-270-300.jpghttp://www.governor.sc.gov/PublishingImages/bioPic.jpg  

There are two people in the world who spell their name "Nikki."
One of them is the governor of South Carolina.


SC governor defends Confederate flag at Statehouse: Not ‘a single CEO’ has complained


Wait, that can't be right, can it?


 “What I can tell you is over the last three and a half years, I spent a lot of my days on the phones with CEOs and recruiting jobs to this state,” the governor noted. “I can honestly say I have not had one conversation with a single CEO about the Confederate flag.”

Oh, Geez. . .

Nikki, bubula, you're not supposed to say things like that out loud. You're supposed to pretend that you give a shit about the opinions and feelings of people, even those little non-CEO people, um what do ya call 'em. . . oh, yeah voters!

Okay, so that was one slip. I'm sure everything else she had to say was about very serious ideas and. . .

Haley said that she had tried to improve the perception of the state by ordering employees to answer the phone with the phrase “it’s a great day in South Carolina.”

 http://replygif.net/i/1370.gif 

Oh fer fuck sake. . .

That's how you improve your state's image? By having your employees recite some bullshit tagline when they answer the phone? Do you really imagine that anyone is calling the state, hearing "It's a great day in South Carolina" and thinking "it is? Well, heck I'm a gonna bring my whole durn business down thar if the days are really that great! It's rainin' cats & dogs up here in North carolina, Im a headin' down south right now! Pack up yer things, ma - we'se a movin!"

This is like how Chic-Fil-A makes their employees say "it's my pleasure" every time the serve a customer. * No one believes them. Everyone knows they're being forced to say that. It's not like customers are thinking "oh, it's her pleasure? Well, shoot then I guess I don't feel so bad about the miserable minimum wage in this state. If I'd  only known that this cashier is doing this job for her own enjoyment!"

But, really, even if people are fooled by your employees insincere catchphrase, do you really thin that erases the history of slavery and racism that the Confederate flag represents? Don't you think that even with this exercise in P.R. genius, people might still be reminded of the more shameful parts of your state's history when they see that flag?

“But we really kind of fixed all that when you elected the first Indian-American female governor,” she insisted. “When we appointed the first African-American U.S. senator, that sent a huge message.”
 http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view1/1859024/judge-judy-laugh-2-o.gif 

You stop that, Judge Judy! Stop laughing! Nikki Haley is not to be laughed at. She is a very serious person!
Just as serious as Very Serious Person #2:  Jeb Bush.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Jeb_Bush.jpg

Jeb Bush does not currently hold a position of responsibility, but he used to be Governor of Florida and has, well not exactly thrown his hat into the ring, but he is holding his hat in his hand and pacing around the ring waiting for someone to finally ask him to throw it in.

You can tell how serious Jeb is just by his answer to this question about an actual important issue:

Progress Michigan: Do you think Secretary Land should support the Paycheck Fairness Act?
Bush: What's the Paycheck Fairness Act?
 http://rs808.pbsrc.com/albums/zz6/penultimatepage/judge%20judy%20gifs/6a00d83451b8c369e20147e2a0f739970b.gif~c200

 You know, I'm sure that there are a lot of folks out there who don't know what the Paycheck Fairness Act is. But none of those people is qualified to be the President of the goddamned United States of America!

Oh, I'm sorry. You were saying? Saying very seriously?


Progress Michigan: The Paycheck Fairness Act is a piece of legislation that would ensure women receive the same pay as men...equal pay for equal work.
Bush: Equal pay for the same work, not for equal work—I think that's the problem with it. I think there's a definition issue.

Whoah! Hold it right there!


http://fourfour.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b8c369e2014e862056fe970d-800wi

Am I misunderstanding you, or is your position seriously that women doing the same work as men is not the same thing as women doing equal work? Is that really what you're saying? Like if a male accountant is doing the same job as a female accountant, that's not equal because of course the female accountant's work would not be as good? 'Cuz, um, boobs? Or something? Are you really trying to imply that? Because that's what I'm hearing.

Progress Michigan: So you don't think Secretary Land should support it?
Bush: I don't know. You'd have to ask her.


Really? You'd have to ask Secretary Land what YOUR OPINION is on whether she should support the Fairness Act? Now that's a serious thinker! No wonder he's considered "the smart one."

http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/media/uploads/special_features/photo_gallery/bush_gallery_21.jpg  
George was "the cute one." Neil was "the mysterious one."




And of course, no discussion of very serious people could be complete without
 Very Serious Person #3: Louie Gohmert

Discussing the very serious subject of the miniscule possibility DEAD CERTAINTY!!! that there could be an Ebola pandemic in the US, Gohmert offered this analysis:

“You know, it’s a shame that the CDC head, Frieden, is apparently the commander of the Democrats’ new war on women nurses,” Gohmert opined. “Because, goodnight, they set them up, and then they throw them under the bus.”
 http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0alark2lx1rqr624o1_400.gif 
What???



Now, not being a very serious person myself, I really don't understand what the fuck any of this is supposed to mean, but apparently the head of the CDC, at the behest of the Democratic Party, is purposely infecting nurses with Ebola? Because the Democratic Party hates women nurses? I guess that makes sense, I mean why wouldn't the Democrats hate a group made up largely of women who are union members?

“The idiot comes out and says that clearly she had violated protocol,” the Texas congressman continued. “At least in football, they have to tell you what you violated.”

Umm. . . okay. Football. Sure. That just could not be more germane. Whenever anyone doesn't behave the way a football referee would, it's safe to say that person is an idiot. 

And on that note, I think that's about all the very serious people I can take right now. 

 http://www.godlikeproductions.com/sm/3ccc38af.gif

*Yes, I used to eat at Chic-Fil-A. No, I don't any more. They say they've stopped contributing to anti-gay groups, but the damage has been done. To my arteries.


















Thursday, October 16, 2014

Right Wing Culture in a Nutshell

TW: violence, misogyny, rape

It all started when a woman named Anita Sarkeesian went on the internet to point out that there was a fair ammount of sexism & misogyny in the "gaming" community. Well, naturally, a lot of guys in the gaming community were upset at having been called sexist and/or misogynist , as any of us would be, so naturally they respomded by threatening her with murder and rape because goddammit, no one calls them misogynists!

Sadly, this is the kind of disgusting behavior one can expect to see from so-called "men's rights activists."



So, Ms Sarkeesian was scheduled to give a talk at a University in Utah. That University received an e-mail containing a threat/manifesto/screed against Sarkeesian, the university and women in general. It read, in part:

“I have at my disposal a semi-automatic rifle, multiple pistols, and a collection of pipe bombs,” the email continues. The threat is “giving (USU) a chance to stop it.”



“One way or another, I’m going to make sure they die,”

“She is going to die screaming like the craven little whore that she is if you let her come to USU.”


and

“I will write my manifesto in her spilled blood, and you will all bear witness to what feminist lies and poison have done to the men of America.”



Naturally, Sarkeesian asked the University to step up security, which they said they would BUT, because Utah is an "open-carry" state, they could not prevent people from bringing loaded firearms into the auditorium where she would be speaking.

This horrifying intersection of the "men's rights" movement and the "gun rights" movement pretty much sums up right-wing culture in a nutshell to me.

The thugs and bullies have their "rights" protected at the expense of the rights of someone to give or attend a speech without being in fear for her life. Maybe this is why ALEC and the other right-wing scumbags have been pushing for these open-carry laws. I always wondered. I mean, the NRA just wants people to buy as many guns as possible, why do they care whether or not people can strut around WalMart with them? Maybe it's not about gun sales, maybe it's about right-wing scumbags being able to intimidate bully and terrorize anyone who disagrees with them? I'm sure ALEC has an interest in stifling dissent.

Anyway, welcome to the new America. This is now the new normal.

And for the record, since they do seem to scour the internet looking for unfavorable mentions, let me just say that yes, "Men's Rights Activists" (MRAs) are weak, pathetic little crybabies who feel the need to bully and intimidate women to make up for their own sad little insecurities. They are vile, loathsome little hate creatures who just can't understand why women don't want to sleep with vile loathsome little hate creatures. MRAs are tragic pitiful little man-boys who should just go back down to their parents' basements and trim their neckbeards and leave decent people alone.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

I'm Back! What'd I Miss?

Oh, a lot?

First, another Republican went on record urging sedition:




I have a question for all my friends who have served or are currently serving in our military … having not put on a uniform nor taken any type military oath, there has to be something that I am just not aware of. But I cannot and do not understand why no action is being taken against our domestic enemy. I know he is supposedly the commander in chief, but the Constitution gives you the authority. What am I missing? Thank you for your bravery and may God keep you safe,”[Debbie] Dunnegan said in her post from early last week


Wow, that's really even so much worse than the last couple of sedition-promoting Republicans.
At least when Brian Kilmeade suggested that generals "put their stars on the table and walk out" on the President, he didn't pretend that the Constitution granted them the authority to "take action against" their Commander in Chief.
I'd really like to know what part of the Constitution this nutter thinks gives the military the authority to "take action against" any US citizen, let alone the President!

In other news, these guys are actual, honest-to-God, members of the United Staes Congress:

Rep. Steve Stockman Wonders If Obama Is Using Ebola To Take Over Government


How is that a thing that a sane person would wonder? How is it possible that, instead of  standing on a milk crate with a bullhorn, on La Cienega this man is a member of the United States Congress?

Rep. Steve Stockman yesterday chatted with End Times broadcaster Rick Wiles, telling the “Trunews” host that President Obama may be delaying the government response to the Ebola epidemic because he wants the virus to spread. Once it spreads, Stockman argued, then Obama will use the Ebola outbreak as a justification to declare emergency powers.
The Republican lawmaker insisted that was simply just asking the question: “It’s just bizarre there’s not enough action up front and I’m wondering if that’s — I’m not saying this — but I’m wondering if that’s intentional in order to create a greater crisis to use it as a blunt force to say, well in order to solve this crisis we’re going to have to take control of the economy and individuals and so forth.”

How would that even work? How would an outbreak of Ebola (which is NOT going to happen, no matter tepid the response) lead to a takeover of the economy? I mean, sure, of course we'd all be herded into FEMA camps and of course they'd take all our guns away, but how would a takeover of the economy be justified? Like "My fellow Americans, there is a horrible epidemic of a hellacious disease, so I have no choice but to declare that all the monies now goes to me?" It doesn't make sense.

 
 
Stockman 2014!


But as insane as that is, at least it's not just a blatant lie:

 
Rep. Duncan Hunter Claims 'At Least' 10 ISIS Fighters Apprehended On Texas Border 

 The San Diego Republican said U.S. Border Patrol "sources" told him that "at least 10 ISIS fighters have been caught coming across the Mexican border in Texas."





 Why was I not informed of this?
Why was everyone not informed of this?
Why would they keep this secret?
Why would the border patrol not be screaming from the rooftops "we need more funding! We need more cool tanks and shit! ISIS is coming!"?
Because, of course that's exactly what would happen if there were any tiny little modicum of truth to this. Border Patrol, the CIA, the FBI, the Military, they would all be trumpeting this new threat to our safety.

"ISIS doesn’t have a navy, they don’t have an air force, they don’t have nuclear weapons," he added. "The only way that ISIS is going to harm Americans is by coming through the southern border -- which they already have."


They have no airplanes, they have no boats, yet they are able to get from Syria to fucking Mexico?!?!
Damn, that is scary!


"If you really want to protect Americans from ISIS, you secure the southern border -- it’s that simple," he said. "They caught them at the border, therefore we know that ISIS is coming across the border. If they catch five or 10 of them then you know there’s going to be dozens more that did not get caught by the border patrol," he said on Fox News’ "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren."



How is it that you're just allowed to go on TV and just blatantly lie like that? It's one thing for nut jobs like Gohmert or Steve King to worry about how terrorist theoretically could go to Mexico and then sneak across the border and then kill us all in our sleep!!!! but to sit there and say that this has actually happened? How do you get away with this shit?

Oh, well it is FOX. I mean, it's not like a legitimate news source would allow him to . . .


ABC Gives Rep. Hunter A Pass For Lying About ISIS On The Southern Border

 
The pundits on This Week refused to call Rep. Duncan a liar for his evidence-free claim that ISIS members had been apprehended at our southern border.





 
Oh, Jesus Christ!





And speaking of legitimate journalists. . .


October 15, 2014, 11:32 am
Chuck Todd 'sick' to be in McConnell ad


A new ad released Tuesday for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) uses Todd's comments last week that McConnell's challenger, Democratic Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes, "disqualified herself" by refusing to say if she voted for President Obama
.

Wow. Really, it just makes you sick, does it? Maybe if you had done your "job" as an "impartial" "journalsit" instead of going on to Morning Joe to offer your stupid, shitty opinion about who should and shouldn't be running, this wouldn't happen. No one is going to put you in their ad if you're saying "recent polls show McConnell and Grimes running neck and neck" or whatever. When you go on tv to basically endorse one candidate over another, you've pretty much already done an ad for McConnell, you hack.


Is there more? I'm sure there's plenty more, but the game is starting.