...I'm okay with being REALITY-based.




Wednesday, June 29, 2005
      ( 11:14 AM )
 
Fake Applause

Watching the "Speech" last night, I noticed the applause wasn't exactly enthusiastic. But Kos notes that it was actually completely forced and not at all genuine.

ABC's Terry Moran just reported that the only time Bush got applause was in the middle of his speech when a White House advance team member started clapping all on their own in order to cajole the soldiers into clapping, which they dutifully did.

So even the applause was fake.

Even Fox reported the applause was fake. You'd think there'd be more clapping at the mention of FREEDOM 21 times. Freedom - so underrated as an applause-inducing idea.

UPDATE: Of course, Tom Burka was the only one to really read between the lines of the speech...

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      ( 11:06 AM )
 
Moments of Relief

Funny how having a kid can help at the oddest times. At the zoo the other day, my 3 year old son walks up to another toddler and wants to be friends. He introduces himself, "Hi, I'm Martin." Then he turns and holds his hand out toward me and says, "and this is my friend, Mommy."

Redemption.

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Monday, June 27, 2005
      ( 10:34 AM )
 
Another Reason Why I Hate Karl Rove

A more despicable human being in government I cannot think of at the moment. Rove:

In his speech, Rove said no issue better illustrated the philosophical difference between liberals and conservatives than national security. "Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 and the attacks and prepared for war," he said in a prepared text released by the White House. "Liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers."

I'm sure that every Liberal who has lost a son or daughter in Afghanistan or Iraq is really happy to know the administration values their sacrifice so much. I am pissed a thousand times more about this today than I was two days ago because last night I found out that my brother is AGAIN being deployed to Iraq. As my long time readers know, he already deployed for the Afghanistan operation and for the Iraq war about 18 months ago. It is horrifying, just like it is for every other family that must face this on a daily basis. And shockingly, my brother, a loyal, honored and committed serviceman, is a liberal. How comforting to know that the president he serves considers him so expendable and his actions so meaningless. I certainly don't. And no liberal I know would.

There is something horribly wrong with the minds of the people running this country. Horribly wrong. Psychopathically wrong. When is this country going to wake up and stop empowering this behavior? When will it be too late to stop the road of destruction, the addiction to inhumane actions, the dependence on power? I am so incredibly angry right now. Again.

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Saturday, June 18, 2005
      ( 8:41 AM )
 
Holy Movie Review, Batman!

I don't usually do movie reviews - mostly because I don't go to the movies like I used to (those toddlers - they really can put a cramp in your style). But we got a rare opportunity to go out on Wednesday night and we saw the new "Batman Begins." It was... COOL. I am a HUGE Batman franchise fan, I loved the first one with Michael Keaton- they all went sort of downhill from there. But this one is totally different. The director is the same guy who did "Memento" if that tells you anything. It was dark but not annoyingly so like like a Burton film, and it had loads of light moments. It was a very tight plot and the gadgets and martial arts were very cool. The guy who plays Batman in this new film, Christan Bale, is a really great actor. He was the kid in "Empire of the Sun." He is the perfect every day type hero with seething rage under the surface. This film was enjoyable in every way, and I HIGHLY recommend it - it should make oogles of money.

Batman has always been my favorite superhero. Spiderman comes in a close second. But whenever I get into those "who is the best: Superman or Batman or Spiderman" arguments with people, for me it all comes down to this. Superman isn't even human. To be a true superhero in my book, you must be fully human and able to conquer all the obstacles other humans must face. Superman is cut from the list automatically for being from Krypton, and Spiderman gets cut because his dna has been altered, so he's no longer truly fully human. That leaves Batman. Bruce Wayne must rely on his own skill, cunning and ubercool gadgets and car to save the day. A true superhero of the human variety.

Batman: 10 on the cool scale.

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Thursday, June 16, 2005
      ( 5:17 PM )
 
Downing Street Memo Hearings

Will rerun Friday on C-Span 2 at 8 PM EST. The opening salvo. It's stunning, what I've heard of it so far. And with the numbers Kos posted today on this administration, I think it's about time the media actually pay attention to the fact that high crimes have been committed.

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Wednesday, June 15, 2005
      ( 8:54 AM )
 
Memos, Memos, Memos

Raw Story has all the memos regarding the Bush Administration's flagrant lies that got us into this war, and Blair's struggle to come up with reasons to support us. Oh, hadn't you heard there was more than one?

There is still time for you to sign John Conyers' letter to Bush regarding the Downing Street memo.

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      ( 8:26 AM )
 
Lynching? Nah, it wasn't all that bad...

So the Senate voted on Monday to pass a resolution apologizing for not outlawing lynching until 1968. 1968. Nineteen Sixty Eight. There are about 5,000 known lynchings that took place between the 1880's and 1968 - how many actually occurred? We'll never know. One of the most fiendishly horrific crimes commited by entire communities upon black people in this country was allowed to continue without penalty for centuries. And we have no legacy of abuse we must pay for?

But the really funny part of this story is that though the Senate passed this resolution, it only passed 80-20. It was a voice vote. That's right. 20 Senators actually voted AGAINST apologizing for not outlawing lynching. In fact, the entire senatorial delegations of Texas, Mississippi and Utah voted against it. All of the objectors (those who have not signed on to the resolution) are republicans. Surprise, surprise.

Tell me, you republicans who are against this, what exactly is it that appeals to about lynching that the government should not apologize for not outlawing it long ago? Never mind. I probably would throw up if I had to hear your reasons anyway.

UPDATE: Atrios points us to a list of the pro-lynching senators on AmericaBlog. Now that's what I call a "culture of life."

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      ( 8:13 AM )
 
Bad Choices in Oregon

Both of Oregon's senators, Ron Wyden (D) and Gordon Smith (R) have emerged today as supporters of CAFTA. The disgrace of this decision knows no bounds. Of course, who DOES support CAFTA? Nike and Intel, of course! The senators know where their bread is buttered. I'm really dissapointed in Wyden.

The Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement would eliminate a number of tariffs and loosen other trade restrictions with Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Companies such as Intel and Nike say the agreement would boost Oregon's economy by expanding trade opportunities. But labor groups say it would cause U.S. workers to lose their jobs, and the U.S. sugar industry fears it would drive down their prices.

Wyden broke ranks with many Democrats by supporting the agreement, known as CAFTA.

All four Democratic House members from Oregon have said they will oppose it. Wyden said he sees opportunity for Oregon industries ranging from agriculture to technology to increase their exports under CAFTA.

This is ridiculous. There is no opportunity to increase exports under this plan for Oregon - the buying power in Central America is lower than this state's buying power alone. No, what will be exported will be more jobs. It will be easier and easier to leave workers here without income and healthcare and to decimate the workers of Central America, as has been done in Mexico because of NAFTA. If Subcomandante Marcos rose up because of NAFTA and in defense of the exploitation and oppression of the indigenous peoples in Mexico, what can CAFTA bring - peace and tranquility?

Once again, corporate power buys out the will of the people. And of course democrats who want to remain in power and maintain the status quo are willing to go with the corporations over the people. Clinton proved that, along with all those other "new" democrats. I thought Ron Wyden to be different. But I suppose the bucks from Nike and Intel (that they pour into political support rather than taxes so the community can support the schools that educate their employees' children) are just too hard to turn down.

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Saturday, June 11, 2005
      ( 12:05 PM )
 
Wanted: Democratic Backbones

This is old news around the blogs, but I'm just so sick and tired of the tearing down of Howard Dean. He is the head of the DNC because the PEOPLE wanted him. The Democratic leadership had to swallow their powerplays and accept that their voters actually should have a say in something - but they are never going to be populist, they are never going to see that their centric-focused mediocrity is never going to inspire or lead a new wave of democratic voters. I registered as a democrat in early 2003 because of Howard Dean. I had always been an independent until then. I didn't agree with all of his positions, he wasn't as progressive as I would have liked. But he spoke straight and he had a backbone, something sorely missing in the democratic party. And I worked hard for him. It was obvious that the establishment and media didn't want him from the start. No new blood, no honesty to rock the boat of the status quo - no, that wouldn't do.

Now, at the time when the media should be asking really hard questions about this administration's LIES and their manipulation of information in order to get us into a horrible war that has killed 100,000 or more people already - and their ongoing lies and dismantling of our constitutional democracy and the balance of powers -- but no, they have to continuously focus on Dean and a brief comment he made that was actually quite honest and forthright. And dems have publicly been dissing him and distancing themselves from him. I'm changing out my registration. I stuck in there, thinking there would be reform, but it doesn't seem likely. Progressive voices are vanquished and new ideas are eschewed. Truth? Who cares anymore? Taking care of the working people of this country? Bah - who cares anymore? I would almost wish that Dean would resign and simply go independent. I think that the Democratic Party might find that a new progressive independent movement would be a formidable challenge.

The Republicans have their own issues - they are breaking apart at the seams because of the tension between moderates (sane people) and the radical right that is forcing more and more indecency upon this country. But they so easily turn the focus on the Dems - and the dems continue to remain idiots about the use of the media, about taking advantage of their new and growing progressive media outlets, and of getting on the news. Instead, they feed the right's obsessive search to distract and obfuscate while this administration continues to ruin the future of our children. It may sound like hyperbole, but just take a step back and look at what's happening. It's disgusting. And I'm so sick and tired of Howard Dean being the punching bag when the Dem leadership should be following him.

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      ( 12:04 PM )
 
Wow - long time no blog

I can't believe I haven't blogged in 2 weeks. I got so frustrated with the content of the news that I sort of just turned off and tuned out for a while. I am also finishing up the school year, giving final exams to burned out teenagers and writing papers to finish my master's program. I really cannot wait until this is all over. It's really put a cramp in my blogging style.

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