so so freaking hot! i went outside and watered the plants. then i walked max and came in, showered and jammified. now i'm sitting here next to an opened window with wet hair and hoping to cool off at least a bit.
the humming birds have been feeding but for most of the day's heat they were not here as frequently as they usually are.
i couldn't even summon enough energy to unload the dish washer that i ran earlier!
i feel like a slug.
tomorrow have to take layla and max to get their nails trimmed.
my pudd'n boy and gerri-lee are now the proud owners of a little neighborhood bar!
he's going to change the name and make some improvements to the building.
i've got all good hope and wishes for them both!
updates later as it goes on.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
THE INVASION OF THE STINK BUGS!
yep the little creepies are everywhere. i've got 3 on the outside of my window here. 2 more on my dining room window 2 on my living room window and i haven't checked the others.
the local news said they are harmless. don't eat anything and are just looking for a warm place to winter. fine BUT they will release a stink(hence the name)if threatened or squashed! ewww!
Bird With Two Right Wings
And now our government
a bird with two right wings
flies on from zone to zone
while we go on having our little fun & games
at each election
as if it really mattered who the pilot is
of Air Force One
(They're interchangeable, stupid!)
While this bird with two right wings
flies right on with its corporate flight crew
And this year its the Great Movie Cowboy in the cockpit
And next year its the great Bush pilot
And now its the Chameleon Kid
and he keeps changing the logo on his captains cap
and now its a donkey and now an elephant
and now some kind of donkephant
And now we recognize two of the crew
who took out a contract on America
and one is a certain gringo wretch
who's busy monkeywrenching
crucial parts of the engine
and its life-support systems
and they got a big fat hose
to siphon off the fuel to privatized tanks
And all the while we just sit there
in the passenger seats
without parachutes
listening to all the news that's fit to air
over the one-way PA system
about how the contract on America
is really good for us etcetera
As all the while the plane lumbers on
into its postmodern
manifest destiny
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
And now our government
a bird with two right wings
flies on from zone to zone
while we go on having our little fun & games
at each election
as if it really mattered who the pilot is
of Air Force One
(They're interchangeable, stupid!)
While this bird with two right wings
flies right on with its corporate flight crew
And this year its the Great Movie Cowboy in the cockpit
And next year its the great Bush pilot
And now its the Chameleon Kid
and he keeps changing the logo on his captains cap
and now its a donkey and now an elephant
and now some kind of donkephant
And now we recognize two of the crew
who took out a contract on America
and one is a certain gringo wretch
who's busy monkeywrenching
crucial parts of the engine
and its life-support systems
and they got a big fat hose
to siphon off the fuel to privatized tanks
And all the while we just sit there
in the passenger seats
without parachutes
listening to all the news that's fit to air
over the one-way PA system
about how the contract on America
is really good for us etcetera
As all the while the plane lumbers on
into its postmodern
manifest destiny
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Monday, August 30, 2010
Worth reading to the end.
(me-thanks sadie)
GIRLFRIENDS
A group of 15 year old girlfriends discussed where they should meet for
dinner. Finally, it was agreed upon that they should meet at the Dairy
Queen next to the Ocean View restaurant because they only had $6.00
between them and Jimmy Johnson, that cute boy in Social Studies, lives
on that street and they might see him and they can ride their bikes there.
10 years later, the group of 25 year old girlfriends discussed where
they should meet for dinner. Finally, it was agreed upon that they
should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the beer was cheap,
they had free snacks, the band was good, there was no cover and there
were lots of cute guys.
10 years later, at 35 years of age, the group once again discussed where
they should meet for dinner. Finally, it was agreed upon that they
should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the cosmos were good,
it was right near the gym and if they go late enough, there wouldn't be
too many whiny little kids.
10 years later, at 45 years of age, the group once again discussed where
they should meet for dinner. Finally, it was agreed upon that they
should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the martinis were big,
and the waiters there had tight pants and nice buns.
10 years later, at 55 years of age, the group once again discussed where
they should meet for dinner. Finally it was agreed they should meet at
the Ocean View restaurant because the food there was reasonable, the
wine list was good, they had windows that open in case of a hot flash,
and fish is good for your cholesterol.
10 years later, at 65 years of age, the group once again discussed where
they should meet for dinner. Finally it was agreed that they should meet
at the Ocean View restaurant because lighting was good and they have an
early bird special.
10 years later, at 75 years of age, the group once again discussed where
they should meet for dinner. Finally it was agreed that they should meet
at the Ocean View restaurant because food was not too spicy, the
restaurant was handicapped accessible and they even had an elevator!
10 years later, at 85 years of age, the group once again discussed where
they should meet for dinner. Finally it was agreed that they should meet
at the Ocean View restaurant because they had never been there before.
________________________________
(me-thanks sadie)
GIRLFRIENDS
A group of 15 year old girlfriends discussed where they should meet for
dinner. Finally, it was agreed upon that they should meet at the Dairy
Queen next to the Ocean View restaurant because they only had $6.00
between them and Jimmy Johnson, that cute boy in Social Studies, lives
on that street and they might see him and they can ride their bikes there.
10 years later, the group of 25 year old girlfriends discussed where
they should meet for dinner. Finally, it was agreed upon that they
should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the beer was cheap,
they had free snacks, the band was good, there was no cover and there
were lots of cute guys.
10 years later, at 35 years of age, the group once again discussed where
they should meet for dinner. Finally, it was agreed upon that they
should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the cosmos were good,
it was right near the gym and if they go late enough, there wouldn't be
too many whiny little kids.
10 years later, at 45 years of age, the group once again discussed where
they should meet for dinner. Finally, it was agreed upon that they
should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the martinis were big,
and the waiters there had tight pants and nice buns.
10 years later, at 55 years of age, the group once again discussed where
they should meet for dinner. Finally it was agreed they should meet at
the Ocean View restaurant because the food there was reasonable, the
wine list was good, they had windows that open in case of a hot flash,
and fish is good for your cholesterol.
10 years later, at 65 years of age, the group once again discussed where
they should meet for dinner. Finally it was agreed that they should meet
at the Ocean View restaurant because lighting was good and they have an
early bird special.
10 years later, at 75 years of age, the group once again discussed where
they should meet for dinner. Finally it was agreed that they should meet
at the Ocean View restaurant because food was not too spicy, the
restaurant was handicapped accessible and they even had an elevator!
10 years later, at 85 years of age, the group once again discussed where
they should meet for dinner. Finally it was agreed that they should meet
at the Ocean View restaurant because they had never been there before.
________________________________
just got back from getting my blood taken. stopped on the way back and got COFFEE!
came in, had a blueberry bran muffin and i'm good! it's sad(and i guess i'm old)to see the roads clogged with cars at 6 a.m. in the morning all headed to work. yet, there are some political yakkers out there that insist we are growing lazy. i can remember a time when the roads were empty at 6 a.m. except for delivery trucks. we lived better then too. there was a booming middle class.
me-now all i have scheduled ahead of me in the next few weeks are a mammogram and a sonogram. for now, that is. phooey.
oh, and FOX was on the t.v. at the blood lab!!!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
A PUBLIC RESPONSE
to my ANONYMOUS commenter :
my blog-my opinions-it's the American way. i would rebut you point by point but you chose to be anonymous-i use my real name-because this is American and i have the right to say what i feel just as beck has the right to his opinions.
BUT i have the right to disagree and since he has sponsors and makes money from his views-it's his job-the sponsors are his bosses- I have the right to boycott.
as to WHAT it was yesterday in d.c.-as it was once said-a rose by any other name...
they can call it whatever they choose-it was what it was.
and BTW, i'm not a socialist. i vote cross party-always have. just as i watch more than ONE news source and read more than one newspaper, magazine or blog.
p.s. i don't have to move anywhere-i'm an American citizen.
if you are so enamored of the religious message mixed with politics that was rampant yesterday
move to IRAN- that's what mixing religion with government will get you-OR if you insist on some form of christian government-try Ireland- you can choose your own side and your own brand of "freedom fighting terrorists"
catholic or protestant.
to my ANONYMOUS commenter :
my blog-my opinions-it's the American way. i would rebut you point by point but you chose to be anonymous-i use my real name-because this is American and i have the right to say what i feel just as beck has the right to his opinions.
BUT i have the right to disagree and since he has sponsors and makes money from his views-it's his job-the sponsors are his bosses- I have the right to boycott.
as to WHAT it was yesterday in d.c.-as it was once said-a rose by any other name...
they can call it whatever they choose-it was what it was.
and BTW, i'm not a socialist. i vote cross party-always have. just as i watch more than ONE news source and read more than one newspaper, magazine or blog.
p.s. i don't have to move anywhere-i'm an American citizen.
if you are so enamored of the religious message mixed with politics that was rampant yesterday
move to IRAN- that's what mixing religion with government will get you-OR if you insist on some form of christian government-try Ireland- you can choose your own side and your own brand of "freedom fighting terrorists"
catholic or protestant.
Radio Host Joe Madison Confronts Glenn Beck On Claim Obama Is Racist « Alan Colmes' Liberaland
Radio Host Joe Madison Confronts Glenn Beck On Claim Obama Is Racist « Alan Colmes' Liberaland
me- and here it is-from beck's own mouth-he didn't/doesn't know WHAT MLK stood for!!!!
me- and here it is-from beck's own mouth-he didn't/doesn't know WHAT MLK stood for!!!!
Today, Glenn Beck tried to hijack Martin Luther King's legacy for his own rightwing agenda - and the corporate media gave saturation coverage to help him.
Yes, the same Glenn Beck who insisted President Obama "has a deep-seated hatred for white people ... This man is a racist."
Yes, the same Glenn Beck who said social justice "leads to death camps" and "a Jew, of all people, should know that."
Yes, the same Glenn Beck who called progressives a "virus waiting for their chance to suck all of the blood out of the Democratic neck."
Yes, the same Glenn Beck who called Hillary Clinton "the stereotypical bitch."
Join over 60,000 progressive activists who are boycotting Fox News advertisers:
http://www.democrats.com/boycott-fox-news-advertisers
Glenn Beck doesn't just poison the airwaves with hatred. His hatred actually incites violence and murder.
On 7/18/09, Beck inspired a gunman to attack the little-known Tides Foundation, after demonizing them for 18 months. The gunman got into a massive shootout with police and wounded two of them.
On 4/4/09, Richard Poplawski murdered 3 Pittsburgh policemen after posting Beck videos on a neo-Nazi website.
On 4/9/09, Beck poured "gasoline" on an "average American" and asked, "President Obama, why don't you just set us on fire?"
On 8/16/09, Glenn Beck dramatized giving Speaker Pelosi a glass of wine with poison.
Join over 60,000 progressive activists who are boycotting Fox News advertisers:
http://www.democrats.com/boycott-fox-news-advertisers
Our boycott of Fox News advertisers is having a huge impact - over 200 advertisers have pulled their ads from Beck's show. No sane company wants to destroy its brand through association with Glenn Beck's hate.
The advertiser boycott is cutting deeply into Fox revenues and alienating investors who want profits, not hate.
Join over 60,000 progressive activists who are boycotting Fox News advertisers:
http://www.democrats.com/boycott-fox-news-advertisers
Thanks for all you do!
Bob Fertik
Yes, the same Glenn Beck who insisted President Obama "has a deep-seated hatred for white people ... This man is a racist."
Yes, the same Glenn Beck who said social justice "leads to death camps" and "a Jew, of all people, should know that."
Yes, the same Glenn Beck who called progressives a "virus waiting for their chance to suck all of the blood out of the Democratic neck."
Yes, the same Glenn Beck who called Hillary Clinton "the stereotypical bitch."
Join over 60,000 progressive activists who are boycotting Fox News advertisers:
http://www.democrats.com/boycott-fox-news-advertisers
Glenn Beck doesn't just poison the airwaves with hatred. His hatred actually incites violence and murder.
On 7/18/09, Beck inspired a gunman to attack the little-known Tides Foundation, after demonizing them for 18 months. The gunman got into a massive shootout with police and wounded two of them.
On 4/4/09, Richard Poplawski murdered 3 Pittsburgh policemen after posting Beck videos on a neo-Nazi website.
On 4/9/09, Beck poured "gasoline" on an "average American" and asked, "President Obama, why don't you just set us on fire?"
On 8/16/09, Glenn Beck dramatized giving Speaker Pelosi a glass of wine with poison.
Join over 60,000 progressive activists who are boycotting Fox News advertisers:
http://www.democrats.com/boycott-fox-news-advertisers
Our boycott of Fox News advertisers is having a huge impact - over 200 advertisers have pulled their ads from Beck's show. No sane company wants to destroy its brand through association with Glenn Beck's hate.
The advertiser boycott is cutting deeply into Fox revenues and alienating investors who want profits, not hate.
Join over 60,000 progressive activists who are boycotting Fox News advertisers:
http://www.democrats.com/boycott-fox-news-advertisers
Thanks for all you do!
Bob Fertik
Saturday, August 28, 2010
2 Political Junkies: KDKA: "Feds Won't Pursue Charges Against Officers"...
2 Political Junkies: KDKA: "Feds Won't Pursue Charges Against Officers"...: "KDKA News is reporting that the federal investigation into the brutal beating of CAPA honors student Jordan Miles is over and that the Pitts..."
me - THIS STINKS!!!!
me - THIS STINKS!!!!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Man is the religious animal. He is the only religious animal. He is the only animal that has the True Religion - several of them. He is the only animal that loves his neighbor as himself and cuts his throat, if his theology isn't straight. He has made a graveyard of the globe in trying his honest best to smooth his brother's path to happiness and heaven.
Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Media Matters:
On the brink of Glenn Beck's salvation
There's only one person who might know what's going to happen on Saturday, August 28 in front of the Lincoln Memorial -- Glenn Beck -- and there's a good chance even he's not sure. Beck's "Restoring Honor" event has gone through so many different changes that it's impossible to nail down what will or won't be included. First it was an educational seminar, then it was a political rally, then it was a book release party, then it was a veterans benefit, then it was a civil rights rally, then it was a celebration of Martin Luther King, then it was a religious revival, then it was all of the above, none of the above, and some of the above all at once.
And Beck is keeping everyone guessing by contradicting himself all over the place. On the radio this week Beck said that even though the event will be held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the anniversary of King's "I Have A Dream" speech at the same spot, he is "not trying to be Martin Luther King." That statement, however, was incongruous with his many, many, many, many, many previous self-comparisons to King. It also didn't help that later in the same show, Beck channeled King's final sermon in telling the prospective rally attendees that "you may not make it to the mountaintop."
But there has been one unifying theme in Beck's relentless promotion of the event: history. Specifically, Beck wants you to believe that his rally will be an event of such historical magnitude that decades from now our progeny will look upon it as the moment America did that thing that put it back on the right course, or something. We will all see a "miracle" on August 28, Beck insists, even though miracles, by definition, can't be scheduled ahead of time. It will be, says Beck, an experience that will "change the world."
Whatever.
Those looking for a miracle will almost certainly be disappointed, as will anyone earnestly expecting to forward the struggle for civil rights or find spiritual enlightenment. What they will get, more than likely, is a standard-fare series of attacks on the evils of liberals and progressivism interspersed with celebrations of America's veterans and fighting men and women. (He insists the rally will be apolitical, even though it's supported by conservative groups, boasts Republican members of Congress as fundraisers, and features Sarah Palin as a keynote speaker.) And there's good reason to suspect that Beck would use a celebration of America's military as a vehicle to promote himself and his ideology. He's done it before.
Alexander Zaitchik's Common Nonsense describes Beck's 2003 pro-Iraq war "Rallies for America," and the similarities to "Restoring Honor" are too great to ignore: "Flags, soldiers, and oaths to God, leader, and country dominated Beck's rallies, just as they did the political theater of Nazi Germany. The Rally for America also featured speakers who made threats against the Left, echoing the threats of violence that were routinely heard on Beck's radio show. Although Beck made much of keeping politicians out of his spotlight, some rallies featured Jumbotronic messages from President Bush, whom Beck declared in need of his nation's prayers."
And the whole idea of "Restoring Honor" is making a lot of people very uncomfortable, even in some unlikely corners. Beck's Fox News colleague Greta Van Susteren thinks Beck is wrong to have the event at the Lincoln Memorial on the anniversary of King's speech, and Fox News insists that it has absolutely nothing to do with the rally and will only cover it as a "news event." Of course, Fox has also givenBeck a huge platform to promote the rally, but consistency was never its strong suit anyway. Even conservative activists are casting a leery eye on Beck's rally, suspecting that Beck's in it for himself and not the cause.
So one can't help but believe that all the grandiose statements of historical relevance and civic health are merely cover for the fact that 8-28 is all about Beck. It's all about selling the Glenn Beck brand and the Glenn Beck books and the Glenn Beck style, and it's a rather audacious sales pitch. You would have to be audacious to take up the mantle of Martin Luther King when you despise pretty much everything he stood for. You'd have to be audacious to claim the rally is about "civil rights" when you've built your career by exploiting racial tensions and are currently under an adverti ser boycott for calling the first African American president a racist who hates white people. Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" is a cynical ploy that exploits the hopes, fears, and faiths of his followers, a "sick farce" in which Beck is trying to advance his own politics and ambitions while hiding behind "deranged posturing."
And the build-up this week has featured all the usual trappings of a Beck narcissism-fest -- grossly revisionist historical accounts; prophecies of impending doom; and Beck playing the divinely ordained role of spiritual savior (Glenn Beck is my shepherd, I shall not want). Of course, salvation isn't cheap. It requires a deep spiritual commitment, a willingness to ask tough questions about yourself, and $6.95 to view the livestream of "Glenn Beck's Divine Destiny" (presented by Glenn Beck), the 8-28 prologue/religious revival which Beck promises will "heal your soul." And since you're already at Beck's website, why not shell out a few extra bucks for classes at Beck University and the right-wing history books he promotes?
After all, Beck just wants you to be a better person -- for a nominal fee, of course.
Muslim until proven Christian
Is Barack Obama a Muslim?
No.
He's a Christian. Nevertheless, that question has been a background whisper to the right-wing narrative about Barack Obama even before he became a candidate for president -- Obama made his announcement almost a month after the false InsightMag.com report that he attended an Indonesian madrassa as a child.
That whisper became more of a shout in the past week after some thoroughly depressing polling was released showing that disproportionately large percentages of the American public either believe (contrary to established fact) that the president is a Muslim, or are unsure (in spite of intense media scrutiny) of which faith he adheres. This can't be seen as anything but a huge victory for the right, which has, for the better part of three years, made sure to take every opportunity to use "Obama" and "Islam" in the same sentence. Sometimes it's more explicit, like when Franklin Graham proclaims that Obama was "born a Muslim." Other times it's slightly less explicit, like when the Washington Times' Jeffrey Kuhner -- who was editor of InsightMag.com when it made the false Obama-madrassa claim -- callsObama a "cultural Muslim" and the Times Photoshops a star and crescent onto his face.
Either way, the end goal is the same -- to portray Obama as different, dangerous, "other."
Given that they've worked so hard at fostering this image, one would think that the release of polling showing that more and more Americans buy into their bogus storyline would be cause for celebration. That, however, is not the case, as the right is eager to disown responsibility for this bigoted line of attack and place it squarely on Obama's shoulders.
Stephen Hayes suspects that the Muslim rumor persists because of Obama's "outreach to what he calls the Muslim world." Rush Limbaugh claims Obama hasn't been "obvious" about his Christianity, while Glenn Beck faults the president for practicing "a Christianity that most Americans just don't recognize." Byron York wrote a blame-the-victim masterpiece for the Washington Examiner in which he traced responsibility for the Muslim falsehood all the way to Obama's memoir, Dreams from My Father.
The logic is amusing -- the default setting for most people is to think Obama is a scary Muslim, and it's his responsibility to convince them otherwise. In practice, the argument is devious. These right-wingers give the appearance that they're rebutting the false Muslim rumor, but at the same time forward it by attacking Obama for doing things that make him seem like a Muslim. They absolve themselves of responsibility while reaping the benefits of smearing their ideological adversary.
But it's not just the president who's getting a bad shake. Implicit in this smear is that being a Muslim is an undesirable trait, something to be feared and loathed. And that has the potential to make difficult the lives of American Muslims.
One need not look any further than the ongoing, increasingly ludicrous row over the Park51 Islamic center -- currently suffering under the ignominious "Ground Zero mosque" misnomer. After weeks of Fox News and the rest of the right-wing media blithely lumping Muslims together with terrorists, Nazis, and enemies of the state, the protests against Park51 have taken on a virulently xenophobic character, with protesters holding signs with slogans like: "Islam = Hate"; "Islam = terrorist"; "Islam = Killing."
But if we're going by the right wing's rules, then that's the fault of Muslims for not sufficiently proving they're not all hateful, murdering terrorists.
Simon Maloy is a Research Fellow at Media Matters for America.
On the brink of Glenn Beck's salvation
There's only one person who might know what's going to happen on Saturday, August 28 in front of the Lincoln Memorial -- Glenn Beck -- and there's a good chance even he's not sure. Beck's "Restoring Honor" event has gone through so many different changes that it's impossible to nail down what will or won't be included. First it was an educational seminar, then it was a political rally, then it was a book release party, then it was a veterans benefit, then it was a civil rights rally, then it was a celebration of Martin Luther King, then it was a religious revival, then it was all of the above, none of the above, and some of the above all at once.
And Beck is keeping everyone guessing by contradicting himself all over the place. On the radio this week Beck said that even though the event will be held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the anniversary of King's "I Have A Dream" speech at the same spot, he is "not trying to be Martin Luther King." That statement, however, was incongruous with his many, many, many, many, many previous self-comparisons to King. It also didn't help that later in the same show, Beck channeled King's final sermon in telling the prospective rally attendees that "you may not make it to the mountaintop."
But there has been one unifying theme in Beck's relentless promotion of the event: history. Specifically, Beck wants you to believe that his rally will be an event of such historical magnitude that decades from now our progeny will look upon it as the moment America did that thing that put it back on the right course, or something. We will all see a "miracle" on August 28, Beck insists, even though miracles, by definition, can't be scheduled ahead of time. It will be, says Beck, an experience that will "change the world."
Whatever.
Those looking for a miracle will almost certainly be disappointed, as will anyone earnestly expecting to forward the struggle for civil rights or find spiritual enlightenment. What they will get, more than likely, is a standard-fare series of attacks on the evils of liberals and progressivism interspersed with celebrations of America's veterans and fighting men and women. (He insists the rally will be apolitical, even though it's supported by conservative groups, boasts Republican members of Congress as fundraisers, and features Sarah Palin as a keynote speaker.) And there's good reason to suspect that Beck would use a celebration of America's military as a vehicle to promote himself and his ideology. He's done it before.
Alexander Zaitchik's Common Nonsense describes Beck's 2003 pro-Iraq war "Rallies for America," and the similarities to "Restoring Honor" are too great to ignore: "Flags, soldiers, and oaths to God, leader, and country dominated Beck's rallies, just as they did the political theater of Nazi Germany. The Rally for America also featured speakers who made threats against the Left, echoing the threats of violence that were routinely heard on Beck's radio show. Although Beck made much of keeping politicians out of his spotlight, some rallies featured Jumbotronic messages from President Bush, whom Beck declared in need of his nation's prayers."
And the whole idea of "Restoring Honor" is making a lot of people very uncomfortable, even in some unlikely corners. Beck's Fox News colleague Greta Van Susteren thinks Beck is wrong to have the event at the Lincoln Memorial on the anniversary of King's speech, and Fox News insists that it has absolutely nothing to do with the rally and will only cover it as a "news event." Of course, Fox has also givenBeck a huge platform to promote the rally, but consistency was never its strong suit anyway. Even conservative activists are casting a leery eye on Beck's rally, suspecting that Beck's in it for himself and not the cause.
So one can't help but believe that all the grandiose statements of historical relevance and civic health are merely cover for the fact that 8-28 is all about Beck. It's all about selling the Glenn Beck brand and the Glenn Beck books and the Glenn Beck style, and it's a rather audacious sales pitch. You would have to be audacious to take up the mantle of Martin Luther King when you despise pretty much everything he stood for. You'd have to be audacious to claim the rally is about "civil rights" when you've built your career by exploiting racial tensions and are currently under an adverti ser boycott for calling the first African American president a racist who hates white people. Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" is a cynical ploy that exploits the hopes, fears, and faiths of his followers, a "sick farce" in which Beck is trying to advance his own politics and ambitions while hiding behind "deranged posturing."
And the build-up this week has featured all the usual trappings of a Beck narcissism-fest -- grossly revisionist historical accounts; prophecies of impending doom; and Beck playing the divinely ordained role of spiritual savior (Glenn Beck is my shepherd, I shall not want). Of course, salvation isn't cheap. It requires a deep spiritual commitment, a willingness to ask tough questions about yourself, and $6.95 to view the livestream of "Glenn Beck's Divine Destiny" (presented by Glenn Beck), the 8-28 prologue/religious revival which Beck promises will "heal your soul." And since you're already at Beck's website, why not shell out a few extra bucks for classes at Beck University and the right-wing history books he promotes?
After all, Beck just wants you to be a better person -- for a nominal fee, of course.
Muslim until proven Christian
Is Barack Obama a Muslim?
No.
He's a Christian. Nevertheless, that question has been a background whisper to the right-wing narrative about Barack Obama even before he became a candidate for president -- Obama made his announcement almost a month after the false InsightMag.com report that he attended an Indonesian madrassa as a child.
That whisper became more of a shout in the past week after some thoroughly depressing polling was released showing that disproportionately large percentages of the American public either believe (contrary to established fact) that the president is a Muslim, or are unsure (in spite of intense media scrutiny) of which faith he adheres. This can't be seen as anything but a huge victory for the right, which has, for the better part of three years, made sure to take every opportunity to use "Obama" and "Islam" in the same sentence. Sometimes it's more explicit, like when Franklin Graham proclaims that Obama was "born a Muslim." Other times it's slightly less explicit, like when the Washington Times' Jeffrey Kuhner -- who was editor of InsightMag.com when it made the false Obama-madrassa claim -- callsObama a "cultural Muslim" and the Times Photoshops a star and crescent onto his face.
Either way, the end goal is the same -- to portray Obama as different, dangerous, "other."
Given that they've worked so hard at fostering this image, one would think that the release of polling showing that more and more Americans buy into their bogus storyline would be cause for celebration. That, however, is not the case, as the right is eager to disown responsibility for this bigoted line of attack and place it squarely on Obama's shoulders.
Stephen Hayes suspects that the Muslim rumor persists because of Obama's "outreach to what he calls the Muslim world." Rush Limbaugh claims Obama hasn't been "obvious" about his Christianity, while Glenn Beck faults the president for practicing "a Christianity that most Americans just don't recognize." Byron York wrote a blame-the-victim masterpiece for the Washington Examiner in which he traced responsibility for the Muslim falsehood all the way to Obama's memoir, Dreams from My Father.
The logic is amusing -- the default setting for most people is to think Obama is a scary Muslim, and it's his responsibility to convince them otherwise. In practice, the argument is devious. These right-wingers give the appearance that they're rebutting the false Muslim rumor, but at the same time forward it by attacking Obama for doing things that make him seem like a Muslim. They absolve themselves of responsibility while reaping the benefits of smearing their ideological adversary.
But it's not just the president who's getting a bad shake. Implicit in this smear is that being a Muslim is an undesirable trait, something to be feared and loathed. And that has the potential to make difficult the lives of American Muslims.
One need not look any further than the ongoing, increasingly ludicrous row over the Park51 Islamic center -- currently suffering under the ignominious "Ground Zero mosque" misnomer. After weeks of Fox News and the rest of the right-wing media blithely lumping Muslims together with terrorists, Nazis, and enemies of the state, the protests against Park51 have taken on a virulently xenophobic character, with protesters holding signs with slogans like: "Islam = Hate"; "Islam = terrorist"; "Islam = Killing."
But if we're going by the right wing's rules, then that's the fault of Muslims for not sufficiently proving they're not all hateful, murdering terrorists.
Simon Maloy is a Research Fellow at Media Matters for America.
from donna:
A SPANISH Teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.
'House' for instance, is feminine: 'la casa.'
'Pencil,' however, is masculine: 'el lapiz.'
A student asked, 'What gender is 'computer'?'
Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether computer' should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.
The men's group decided that 'computer' should definitely be of the feminine gender ('la computadora'), because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.
(THIS GETS BETTER!)
The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine ('el computador'), because:
1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;
2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.
The women won.
A SPANISH Teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.
'House' for instance, is feminine: 'la casa.'
'Pencil,' however, is masculine: 'el lapiz.'
A student asked, 'What gender is 'computer'?'
Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether computer' should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.
The men's group decided that 'computer' should definitely be of the feminine gender ('la computadora'), because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.
(THIS GETS BETTER!)
The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine ('el computador'), because:
1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;
2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.
The women won.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
Tennessee No Evil | ||||
www.thedailyshow.com | ||||
|
me-since 1923 for pity's sake-think about it!
Women's Equality Day: Time for Constitutional Guarantee of Women's Rights
August 26, 2010
As students return to school this week, many will open their history books to learn that 90 years ago today women were given the right to vote when the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was signed into law. The history books will explain how this event began to radically transform the role of women in our society. Today, women have more opportunities than ever before. For the first time, more women attend and graduate college than men, and women now make up half the workforce. In recent years we have witnessed Nancy Pelosi become the first woman elected Speaker of the House of Representatives; we've seen Hillary Clinton come closer to winning a major party nomination for president of the United States than any woman before her; and now, for the first time, we have three sitting female U.S. Supreme Court justices. Despite these historic milestones, women are still denied the one thing that would make us truly equal to men -- equal protection of the law, which all men receive thanks to the 14th Amendment.
"When history books and the media celebrate women's successful fight for the right to vote, they often imply that women now have constitutional equality," says NOW President Terry O'Neill. "The fact is, sex discrimination against women is not unconstitutional, and statues prohibiting it have no constitutional foundation. It is time to write women into the Constitution by ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment."
The Equal Rights Amendment, or ERA, was drafted by suffragist leader Alice Paul and introduced in Congress in 1923 to fix the deficiency of the 14th Amendment by providing the constitutional foundation that women have equal protection under the law. The ERA passed Congress in 1972 but failed to be ratified by three-quarters of the state legislatures. Every year since 1982, the ERA has been reintroduced in Congress and repeatedly shot down. Opposition to it has been consistent and vitriolic.
"For far too long this nation has deprived women of a constitutional guarantee of equality," says O'Neill. "But our progress has clouded this fact. We must educate women that they do not have the same rights as men in this country. We must work together to re-ignite a movement of advocates who refuse to accept second-class status for women."
We can start by calling on our representatives at the state and federal level to advance the ERA. Last July, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) sponsored the reintroduction of the ERA, and more and more states are considering ratifying it. Women can do their part by voting in 2010. We must vote for candidates who believe that equality is a basic human right -- candidates who believe in reproductive freedom, who support equal rights for lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgendered people, who are dedicated to eliminating racism and violence, who promote economic justice, and who believe that women must be included in the U.S. Constitution. Only then can we achieve equality for all.
Women's Equality Day: Time for Constitutional Guarantee of Women's Rights
August 26, 2010
As students return to school this week, many will open their history books to learn that 90 years ago today women were given the right to vote when the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was signed into law. The history books will explain how this event began to radically transform the role of women in our society. Today, women have more opportunities than ever before. For the first time, more women attend and graduate college than men, and women now make up half the workforce. In recent years we have witnessed Nancy Pelosi become the first woman elected Speaker of the House of Representatives; we've seen Hillary Clinton come closer to winning a major party nomination for president of the United States than any woman before her; and now, for the first time, we have three sitting female U.S. Supreme Court justices. Despite these historic milestones, women are still denied the one thing that would make us truly equal to men -- equal protection of the law, which all men receive thanks to the 14th Amendment.
"When history books and the media celebrate women's successful fight for the right to vote, they often imply that women now have constitutional equality," says NOW President Terry O'Neill. "The fact is, sex discrimination against women is not unconstitutional, and statues prohibiting it have no constitutional foundation. It is time to write women into the Constitution by ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment."
The Equal Rights Amendment, or ERA, was drafted by suffragist leader Alice Paul and introduced in Congress in 1923 to fix the deficiency of the 14th Amendment by providing the constitutional foundation that women have equal protection under the law. The ERA passed Congress in 1972 but failed to be ratified by three-quarters of the state legislatures. Every year since 1982, the ERA has been reintroduced in Congress and repeatedly shot down. Opposition to it has been consistent and vitriolic.
"For far too long this nation has deprived women of a constitutional guarantee of equality," says O'Neill. "But our progress has clouded this fact. We must educate women that they do not have the same rights as men in this country. We must work together to re-ignite a movement of advocates who refuse to accept second-class status for women."
We can start by calling on our representatives at the state and federal level to advance the ERA. Last July, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) sponsored the reintroduction of the ERA, and more and more states are considering ratifying it. Women can do their part by voting in 2010. We must vote for candidates who believe that equality is a basic human right -- candidates who believe in reproductive freedom, who support equal rights for lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgendered people, who are dedicated to eliminating racism and violence, who promote economic justice, and who believe that women must be included in the U.S. Constitution. Only then can we achieve equality for all.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Jeffrey Altergott
Fan Favorite Winner in 2009 Billboard World Song Contest to perform an early show at Club Café.
Chicago music scene veteran Jeffrey Altergott sounds as singular as his supple tenor, or his sweet mix of rock, folk and jazz rhythms. And though he loves Aimee Mann, Duncan Sheik and Andrew Bird, he's truly his own melodic, infectious invention-confection.
Club Cafe
Doors open at 6:00pm
7:00pm show time
56-58 South 12th Street
Pittsburgh PA, 15203
412-431-4950
With Jeremiah Clark!
$8.00 at the door
me-this is from a friend of mine.sounds good to me!
September 4 at 9:00am - September 6 at 12:30pm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Location Every where
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Created By Dora Witherell Vandenberg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More Info I'm encouraging every one to write letter or e mail to your elected officials. Let them know what happening with your jobs personally How it effecting you and your family. Any ideal or suggestion you may have.
Hit the letter hard from September 4 though 6 over labor day weekend. Please put in the subject box “Yes, I have a thought on jobs”
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
At 101, grandma is old enough to get a tattoo - St. Petersburg Times
At 101, grandma is old enough to get a tattoo - St. Petersburg Times
me- and i thought i was OLD at 50 getting mine!
me- and i thought i was OLD at 50 getting mine!
well-have all the appointment dates and times for my medical tests-every single one of them requires fasting-no food OR water! 1 for 8 hours-piece of cake-ho ho! the others for 12 to 14 hours. excepting the mammogram but that is scheduled right before the sonograms so-
feels like i'm back in pre-vat-II catholic grade school!
oh well, since i'm supposed to be losing weight anyway...
PHOOEY!
The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
Stephen Wins an Emmy | ||||
www.colbertnation.com | ||||
|
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
The Parent Company Trap | ||||
www.thedailyshow.com | ||||
|
Monday, August 23, 2010
F**K YOU
this cracks me up cause it is like a soul song from the 60's but x rated -i just wish the N word wasn't in it.
well, had my doctor appointment-got a ton o tests to take and then see him in a month. got my med dosages changed and we'll see what's what after the tests.
plus-he says i have to lose weight. yep, from skin and bones i've crept up to being sort of soft and saggy! can't hit that happy medium! phooey.
Where did Piss Poor come from? Interesting History
They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families
used to all pee in a pot & then once a day it was taken
& Sold to the tannery.......if you had to do this to
survive you were "Piss Poor"
But worse than that were the really poor folk who
couldn't even afford to buy a pot......they
"didn't have a pot to piss in" & were the
lowest of the low
The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like
it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:
Most people got married in June because they took their
yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by
June.. However, since they were starting to smell ..... .
Brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor.
Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting
Married.
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man
of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then
all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the
children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so
dirty you could actually lose someone in it.. Hence the
saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath
water!"
Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no
wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get
warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs)
lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and
sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof...
Hence the saying "It's raining cats and
dogs."
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the
house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs
and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed.
Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top
afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came
into existence.
The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other
than dirt. Hence the saying, "Dirt poor." The
wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the
winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to
help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added
more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping
outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way.
Hence: a thresh hold.
(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)
In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big
kettle that always hung over the fire.. Every day they lit
the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly
vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the
stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold
overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew
had food in it that had been there for quite a while.
Hence the rhyme: Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas
porridge in the pot nine days old.
Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special.
When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show
off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon."
They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat.
Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high
acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food,
causing lead
poisoning death. This happened most often with
tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were
considered poisonous.
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the
burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and
guests got the top, or the upper crust.
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The
combination would Sometimes knock the imbibers out for a
couple of days Someone walking along the road would take
them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid
out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family
would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if
they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake.
England is old and small and the local folks started running out of
places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and
would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave.
When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found
to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they
had been burying people alive... So they would tie a string
on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through
the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the
graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus,
someone could be, saved by the bell or was considered a dead
ringer.
And that's the truth....Now, whoever said History was boring!!!
They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families
used to all pee in a pot & then once a day it was taken
& Sold to the tannery.......if you had to do this to
survive you were "Piss Poor"
But worse than that were the really poor folk who
couldn't even afford to buy a pot......they
"didn't have a pot to piss in" & were the
lowest of the low
The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like
it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:
Most people got married in June because they took their
yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by
June.. However, since they were starting to smell ..... .
Brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor.
Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting
Married.
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man
of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then
all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the
children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so
dirty you could actually lose someone in it.. Hence the
saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath
water!"
Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no
wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get
warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs)
lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and
sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof...
Hence the saying "It's raining cats and
dogs."
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the
house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs
and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed.
Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top
afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came
into existence.
The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other
than dirt. Hence the saying, "Dirt poor." The
wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the
winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to
help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added
more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping
outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way.
Hence: a thresh hold.
(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)
In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big
kettle that always hung over the fire.. Every day they lit
the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly
vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the
stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold
overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew
had food in it that had been there for quite a while.
Hence the rhyme: Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas
porridge in the pot nine days old.
Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special.
When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show
off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon."
They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat.
Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high
acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food,
causing lead
poisoning death. This happened most often with
tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were
considered poisonous.
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the
burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and
guests got the top, or the upper crust.
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The
combination would Sometimes knock the imbibers out for a
couple of days Someone walking along the road would take
them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid
out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family
would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if
they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake.
England is old and small and the local folks started running out of
places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and
would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave.
When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found
to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they
had been burying people alive... So they would tie a string
on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through
the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the
graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus,
someone could be, saved by the bell or was considered a dead
ringer.
And that's the truth....Now, whoever said History was boring!!!
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