Did You Hear That?

Did you hear that sound? That's the sound of my last little ounce of respect for Elton John disappearing into the void.

Elton John performs at Rush Limbaugh's wedding for $1M

I didn't think he could sink any lower than when he dueted with notorious homophobe Eminem at some awards show a few years back.

Before that, I didn't think he could sink any lower than recording "That's What Friends Are For."

But this is just pathetic. Rush Limbaugh? Seriously, Rush Limbaugh? How can you possibly need the money that badly? I don't have anything close to your millions, and I'd starve before I took any of that cretin's money. Elton John, you are dead to me.

Glenn Beck Loves Nazis!

From Media Matters:

Beck: No apologies for promoting an anti-Semite Nazi sympathizer

June 07, 2010 11:20 am ET by Simon Maloy

This morning on his radio program, Glenn Beck responded to the general outcry over his approving comments last week for the work of Elizabeth Dilling, a virulent anti-Semite who actively supported Hitler and the Nazis during World War II.

BECK: But I'm also getting some amazing mail from the left that now says I'm a Nazi anti-Semite because I quoted a book on Friday -- it was the Red Book, or something like that. It was a who's who, who's in the communist party in 1935. Apparently, I don't know, apparently written by a Nazi sympathizer here in America. Part of the, I'm sure -- I don't know because I didn't look it up -- but I'm sure part of the Father Coughlin, social justice crowd, because this is the choice that progressives give you -- you're either a Nazi or a communist. No, I'm neither. But now -- so now I'm kind of stuck between the place where the left says that I'm a Nazi sympathizer and a Jew lover. So I guess the left can have it all, that I'm a Jew-loving Nazi sympathizer. It's a really interesting place that I don't know if anybody's ever been.

I don't even know where to begin with a comment like that. It's just so insane and stupid and just nonsensical. Where does this "you're either a Nazi or a Communist" crap come from? I don't even get it. People are criticizing you for promoting a Nazi sympathizer's book (and I'm guessing those complaints are not coming only from the "Left") and you come up with "either a Nazi or a communist?"

you can read the text of the book Beck was pimping here, but here are a couple of excerpts from Media Matters:

...few years, under the opportunities of the American government and the inspiration of Christianity, the American Negroes have acquired professions, property, banks, homes, and produced a rising class of refined, home loving people. This is far more remarkable than that many Negroes are still backward. The Reds play upon the Negroes' love of their own people and represent them as persecuted in order to inflame them against the very white people who have in reality given the colored race far greater opportunities than their fellow negroes would give them in Africa today. [page 36]

It is interesting to note in Communist literature that criminal violence is always promoted and excused under a cloak of supposed martyrdom. Negroes are urged to fight their white "oppressors," who actually have freed them and given them better jobs and opportunities than exist in Africa. [page 55]

Speakers for the debasing and degrading Hindu, Mohammedan, Pagan, and Agnostic Cults are placed in "fellowship" and on an equal footing with speakers for Jesus Christ. The audiences chant a mixture of prayers and ritual from all of these. The savage Mohammedan call of the muezzin as heard in darkest Asia is mingled with the propaganda of the Hindu, Jew and agnostic. Negro choirs and performers give an interracial touch to the meetings. [page 152]

This is the book Beck was promoting on his show, nad he takes umbrage at the criticisms sent his way? Where the hell does he get the balls? It will be interesting to see what FOX's reaction will be. One would think that openly supporting a Nazi apologist would be beyond the pale even for FOX, but I wouldn't bet on it.

I Hate Computers! And Arizona.

Having more trouble with the computer/internet thingie. Now that I finally got it working, I'm too tired to do an actual post. So here's a story from Princess Sparkle Pony about why Arizona is such a fuckawful place:

Public Depiction Of Negro A Little Too Edgy For Prescott, Arizona

(Matt Hinshaw/The [Prescott] Daily Courier)

This is a depressing story, and its resolution is even more so. A group of artists in Prescott, AZ, likes to put murals on every available surface, which is cute, and they recently unveiled a new one at an elementary school. In the center of one part of the artwork is an African American child. Uh oh:

[Mural project director R.E. Wall] attributes the start of the racial controversy to recent comments that Prescott City Councilman Steve Blair made on his KYCA radio talk show about the mural.

On his May 21 show, for instance, Blair said, "I am not a racist individual, but** I will tell you depicting a black guy in the middle of that mural, based upon who's president of the United States today and based upon the history of this community when I grew up, we had four black families - who I have been very good friends with for years - to depict the biggest picture on that building as a black person, I would have to ask the question, 'Why?'"

On Wednesday, Blair again emphasized that "I'm not a racist by any stretch of the imagination, but** whenever people start talking about diversity, it's a word I can't stand."

Blair questions whether the mural is representative of Prescott, noting, "The focus doesn't need to be on what's different; the focus doesn't need to be on the minority all the time."

Blair said he has received a number of calls from long-time Prescott residents who ask, "Who authorized that graffiti on the wall?" He added: "What these people don't like is somebody forcing diversity down their throats."

Yes, well, clearly this is not a racist person. He just dislikes the concept of "diversity."

What came next is astonishing: school officials asked for changes to the mural, coming up with a... whitewashed... reason for why the children's faces should be lightened, not so that they looked less "ethnic," but so that they looked more "radiant and happy."

And then the muralists went ahead and did it! Now, as you can see above, the child basically looks like an Italian with a buzz-cut. Diversity!

There's a lot more in the must-read article linked above which will sadden and infuriate you. Even more depressing are some of the comments left about the paper's earlier article about the mural's unveiling (note that they are just as offended by "environmentalism" as they are by "diversity"):

• The subject matter "green bikes" is virtually the most NON-REPRESENTATIVE, UN-PRESCOTT theme anyone could possibly choose. It is a minority agenda bent on shoving this bike thing "in our face".
• I went to Miller Valley School back in the '50s and this, IMHO, is a disgrace. In San Diego there is an area called Chicano Park and it looks just like this. Welcome to Calizona. Ugh!
• Welcome to the ghetto intersection of Prescott, Az.
• Now that "Mother Earth" has once again been shoved down children's throats how about it being time for someone to paint the Ten Commandments on some of these brick walls? Bring our Creator back to class in the form of art so our kids can have a choice as to what/ whom they desire to worship -the creation or the Creator?!?
• How's you and me searching out a school building and paint the 10 Commandments? Showing kids the story of creation. They can decide what's truth and what belongs in a zoo.

How Many Ways Is This Wrong?

Way this is wrong #1: "Extreme Greenies." Seriously? People who would like to not have large swaths of the planet ruined by crude oil are "extreme?" Really? The ELF is extreme, in as much as they are a real organization. They set shit on fire. That's extreme. Wanting to find an alternative to our national oil addiction, not so much.

Way this is wrong #2: "Greenies" are amphetamine pills. Environmentalists, no matter how extreme, are "Greens." Also known as "responsible adults," "people who give a damn," or "the non-retarded."

Way this is wrong #3: "safe onshore places" No. No, that is not what you said. You said "Drill Baby, Drill," and "Drill Here, Drill Now," you never ever ever said anything about not drilling offshore. You are just lying. Show me where you said "Drill in safe onshore places, Baby, Drill in safe onshore places!" When did you ever say "Drill here, drill now, don't drill over there in the water, that would be unsafe!"

Way this is wrong #4: "safe onshore places" Drilling for oil is never safe anywhere. Oil & Gas Driller is currently ranked the 14th most dangerous job in America,
right after police officer and firefighter. And it's not like spills don't happen with onshore oil drilling, have you seen today's Juneau Empire? Here's a quick excerpt:

ANCHORAGE - Alaska and Alyeska officials say the crude oil spill at a pipeline station near Delta Junction apparently was held within a lined, bermed containment area.

The Department of Environmental Conservation says about 56,000 gallons of pooled oil from the estimated 210,000 gallon spill has been removed.

Way this is wrong #5: Sarah Palin saying that this oil spill/gusher/fuckstorm/whatever proves that she was right is just so absurd. It's like if someone found a knife with OJ's fingerprints on the handle and Nicole's blood on the blade and OJ said "see, I told you I didn't do it." This doesn't support your position, Sarah. You have it entirely backwards. This is exhibit A in the "Sarah Palin was dead wrong in public about drilling for oil" case.

Way this is wrong #6: "Now do you see?" You know, I don't mind being condescended to by someone smarter than me. If Steven Hawking wants to come by and talk down to me about science, I wouldn't feel bad at all. But when someone so obviously, demonstrably, laughably stupid as Sarah Palin takes that tone, it makes my head want to explode. That was my biggest complaint about George Dubya, too. If you're going to be condescending, you could at least be right. Remember when he said something about "People who disassemble," then smirkingly added "that means they don't tell the truth!" wanted to grab him by the lapels, shake him and scream NO IT DOESN"T!!! DISASSEMBLE MEANS TO TAKE APART! DISSEMBLE MEANS TO MISLEAD OR DECEIVE!" It's one thing to get the wrong word, that could happen to anyone, but to stand there smirking, acting like you're going to help us out with the big words when you got the word wrong is just unforgivable.

So that's six. Six ways that I can think of off the top of my head in which Sarah Palin is wrong within a two-sentence missive. That's really kind of impressive. It can't be easy to be that many kinds of wrong in under 30 words.

Some Things Are Just So Predictable

Yesterday, The Atlanta Journal Constitution ran this Op/Ed piece:

A case for term limits in Congress

By Lee Raudonis

Whenever I see a column by someone with whom I am not familiar, the first thing I do is check the author info at the bottom of the column to see if it's anyone with an obvious axe to grind. So who is Lee Raudonis?

Lee Raudonis of Big Canoe is a former executive director of the Republican Party of Georgia.
(Big Canoe is the name of a town in GA)

Ah, now it makes sense. Republicans only care about term limits when they are in the minority.
From the Gingrich "revolution" until 2008, you never heard them talking about term limits. Hell, term limits was even part of the Contract on America, but as soon as they took power, eh? Term limits? mmmm, no thank you.



Lee Raudonis knows what I'm talking about:

Remember the “Contract with America,” a document that some believe helped Republicans gain control of both houses of Congress in 1994 for the first time in 40 years? I remember it well, because I was working in the House of Representatives at the time and suddenly found the member for whom I worked in the majority party. I also remember the “Contract,” because one of its key provisions was support for congressional term limits.
At the time, I thought this provision was more of a political gimmick than a serious proposal to reform government, and I was not all that disappointed that the House could never muster the 290 votes needed for a constitutional amendment to put term limits in place.

Oh, they tried so hard to muster those votes! So much effort. . . oh, wait! I'm thinking of all the effort they put into trying to destroy Bill Clinton! Watergate, Filegate, Troopergate, Travelgate, and when they couldn't find anything, they impeached him for getting blown. I guess that's what distracted them from their efforts to install term limits.

But I digress. Go on, Lee.

In the 15 years since I left Washington, I have become a supporter of term limits

Qu'une surprise !
I bet it was for the reason usually given.

I have become a supporter of term limits — but not for the reason usually given.

Whaaaaa???

Rather than favoring term limits as a way to prevent representatives from becoming corrupted by power and out of touch with their constituents, we need to limit congressional service in order to break the unhealthy bond that exists among many representatives, their political party and their constituents. Too many members of Congress have become so dependent on their constituents and party for their identity that they seem incapable of making any decisions that might upset the voters, even if the future of the country depends on those decisions.

Yes, clearly that is the problem. Congressmen are just too responsive to their constituents. It's so obvious now! Also, they are just so dependant on their party, that's why Barack Obama had such an easy time getting healthcare to sail through the legislature! Members of Congress were just so closely tied to their reform-favoring constituents and their reform-proposing party that they just never thought to oppose. . . wait a minute! That's not how it happened.

Max Baucus (D-Healthnet)

By way of example, few politicians in either party appear capable of making the difficult decisions needed to bring the budget deficit under control.

And that brings us to the second thing that is just so predictable. Once out of power, Republicans quickly rediscover their fear and hatred of deficits.

I seem to remember someone saying. . .



just a few years ago, when Bush 43 was running up deficits that would have made the Gipper blush. No one on the right was complaining about fiscal irresponsibility then, just as they weren't griping about deficits in the '80's. But as soon as they are in no position to do anything about it, MY GOD!!!! THE DEFICIT!!!!!!

It's just so predictable!

The third thing that is just so predictable: The "Vote Out All The Incumbents" movement that surfaces when the majority of the Incumbents are Democrats.


here's one example:

The objective of Vote Out Incumbents Democracy is to force Congress to act more responsibly as representatives of the American people, present and future, as well as in their role as caretakers of our nation.

Here's another:



See, it's got nothing to do with which party is in charge! Of course not! The fact that there are currently 257 Democrats out of 435 seats isn't the point. And the fact that if every incumbent is voted out there would be 257 Republicans instead, well gosh! That never even occurred to me! And even if all the incumbents aren't voted out, each one that is is voted out has about a 60% chance of being a Democrat, so that an anti-incumbency-themed election could only help Republicans, well, Gee! I never even thought of that! It's just that we didn't happen to be in an anti-incumbent mood from 1994 through 2008. Party has nothing to do with it!

It's all just so predictable!


P.S. I don't know why this strikes me as so funny, but when I did a Yahoo image search for Newt Gingrich, Yahoo advised me of this:

Others who searched for Newt gingrich also searched for...

• • 

    kirsten dunst

  • 

    katee sackhoff

  • 

    bret mich...

  • 

    laura ling

  • 

    lindsay lohan

Not a political figure in the bunch! Apparently people who like Newt also like drunk girls, over-the-hill rock stars, an actress I never heard of, and some girl's butt in a thong.

Yeah, that sounds about right!