McCain and his Doc Brown DeLorean

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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I hate to keep on McCain and his intellectual gaffes, but the latest about the surge and the Awakening, brings up another thought. Even if McCain tells us he will pick good advisers, but if he can't keep his facts straight and if he can't use a computer, how in the world is he going to whip up the brainpower to pick knowledgeable advisers?

We have gone long enough with a great lack of intelligence in all facets of government, we can't afford more grade school governance.

In all seriousness, I wonder if McCain is exhibiting early signs of Alzheimer's disease? My Great-grandmother suffered from that and the first change I saw in her was a shifting of events in her life - she never seemed to be able to keep the order of events correct.

It makes you wonder what all McCain is hiding in his health records.

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An Open Blog Post To John McCain

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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For someone who wants to lead one of the largest economies on the planet in the 21st century, you sure don't seem to understand the issues important to America.

Let's start with your computer illiteracy. It is so great that you have a tutor now and learning how to "work the Google" and we all look forward to the day when you can use the word Google correctly in a sentence. Soon, you will be able to get your email at "The Hotmail" and you will really love it when you can pour all your rage into "The Vista" when you reach the Blue Screen Of Death. Don't know what the Blue Screen Of Death is? Give it time, you will.

The computer revolution started in the late 70's with the creation of the Apple II thirty years ago. That is thirty years of American and global economic progress that you have no clue about. Some old economy stalwarts are all concerned about the fate of General Motors. This is a company that has produced shoddy products that haven't been appealing to Americans in some time. This is a company that is run by a guy who thinks global climate change is a myth. With that kind of intellectual ineptitude, I really could care less about the fate of GM, it could close for all I care. That at least would make way for a smarter car company to evolve - one that would actually be good for America.

Senator, you worry about the failure of GM because you are technology illiterate, what you should be more concerned about is the failure of Yahoo. If you were technology literate, you would have been very concerned about the outcome of SCO vs Novell - if that case had been found in favor of SCO, it would unleash a cluster fuck of network problems that you would have been woefully prepared to handle.

How will your administration deal with open source initiatives? Because of your illiteracy, would you stand beside your big money lobbyists and enact legislation that would be unfavorable towards open source projects?

How about PayPal? Do you consider it a bank? Do you know what PayPal is? What is your philosophy of secondary economies like auctioning off used belongings on eBay? Should that be taxed? Do you know PayPal is owned by eBay?

Don't you think it is unreasonable for the United States to keep laptops of Americans returning to the US from abroad? Don't you think imaging the hard drives is a violation of our civil rights? And Senator, don't give me the terrorist crap. Did you know, once you pass through customs, you can just download the "terror" files from a remote server when you sit down at the wi-fi enabled Starbucks inside the airport's concourse?

Yes you can get advisers to tell you all of this, but I am not electing them and even if I did trust them, you do not have the faculties to discern what is important and what it is not. It is nothing but a stream of three letter acronyms to you.

You don't even know enough to talk about birth control so how in the world are you going to be able to make complicated decisions?

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Note to McCain: Obama can read

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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You can read, I can read and I am pretty sure Obama can read. We can read all about the Iraq war, we can see it in video form.

McCain keeps pushing the meme that the surge worked. What he doesn't tell you about is the cease fire that the Sunnis and Shias put together last year. And he really doesn't want to tell you the Bush Administration or the US Government didn't have a thing to do with it. The clerics called a cease fire amongst themselves.

Just think of that for a minute. Here we have heaped tens of thousands of dead bodies onto the streets of Iraq, dumped trillions of dollars there and Bush could not control the city of Baghdad. But, ironically the Sunnis and Shias came together and stopped the shooting on their own with no help from us.

So what exactly is Obama going to learn? That is is damn hot? You can't walk down the street without an armed escort of about 100 Marines, snipers and hovering gunships?

Maybe McCain knows something we don't know? Maybe there is a very large secret that has been kept? Maybe Baghdad is full of purple unicorns and prancing forest creatures? If that is the case, how does that account for all the body bags coming back? You know, the ones that we cannot see.

So Obama is going to go to Baghdad and what do you think he will say? What will be the next slew of horseshit McCain will be shoveling when Obama comes back?

Remember, you don't need to go to the sewage treatment plant to know it stinks.

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Hey Phil Gramm, are the troops whinning too?

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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The recent bank failures, suck-ass economy, rising gas prices are all a figment of your imagination. That is what the Bush Administration wants you to think as they keep pounding the podium for off-shore drilling - sucking the last of the Earth's marrow out while they are still in office.

Because they sure as Hell don't want to be talking about THIS:

US and Afghan troops have abandoned a remote village in eastern Afghanistan where militants killed nine US soldiers and wounded a dozen more on Sunday.

It was the biggest loss of life in an Afghan battle since operations began in 2001. Things don't appear to be getting better.

At least 100 - some reports say 200 - insurgents stormed the small combat outpost in the village of Wanat on the border of Nuristan and Kunar provinces on Sunday.

Some militants briefly broke through defences and into the temporary base.

"We are confirming that we have vacated our combat outpost at Wanat," said Nato spokesman Mark Laity.

The outpost had only been constructed days before it was attacked.

Nato's International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) announced the camp had now been "disestablished" but said there would be a "continued presence" in the area - namely patrols and the use of Afghan security forces.

Omar Sami Taza, a spokesman for the governor of Nuristan, said US troops had withdrawn from the area, "leaving the district in the hands of only 20 policemen".

"American troops have taken all heavy weapons out of the district," he told the BBC. "This is why we have lost the district to the Taleban because our police couldn't defend it with one AK-47."

What an interesting use of propaganda - using a word like "disestablished." That is because the Pentagon don't want to fess up and admit that the Taleban wiped the floor with US troops. NATO refused to label the attackers, only calling them militants, the locals are not in denial, they identified them as Taleban.

I guess now the Taleban is a figment of our imagination also.

Assholes.

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What you are missing at Netroots Nation in Second Life

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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Netroots Nation in Second Life is in full swing today:

While this year’s Netroots Nation conference (formerly YearlyKos) takes place in Austin, a concurrent gathering will take place in the virtual world Second Life. Netroots Nation in SL (July 17 through Sunday, July 20) is the annual in world conference of people from multiple progressive groups in Second Life, e.g. Cafe Wellstone, Commonwealth, Democratic Party of Second Life, SL Netroots, and Virtually Speaking. Running concurrently with the Austin, Texas Netroots Nation Conference, it is organized as a public benefit by in world volunteers. In addition to live streaming sessions from Austin, there will be interactive events between the two gatherings as well as Second Life-only events designed to educate and activate future progressive leaders, as well as joint events with attendees of the virtual version of the BlogHer convention.

Netroots Island, including the Exhibit Hall, will be open 24 hours a day. Attendees may drop in at any time.

Events scheduled:

Tuesday, July 15th
4:30 - 9:30 pm: Social with the NNSL Mentors, Netroots Island Main Plaza

Wednesday 16th
5:00-9:00 pm: Gathering at Commonwealth Island
5:15 pm: Group Horse back riding tour of the 3 Commonwealth sims and activities
6:15 pm: “Human Chain” for Obama…send a message of support. Showing up and unite in solidarity for the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, Democracy! For progressive change!
7pm: Drum Circle at the beach (surfing and windsurfing also available)
8pm: Group Tai Chi on Commonwealth 3

Thursday 17th
5:30-7:00 pm: Austin Keynote Address: Gov. Howard Dean, Netroots Arena
7:00 -10:00 pm: SL Opening Party, Netroots Island Ballroom

Friday 18th
7:00am: Austin panel “The Next President and the Law”, Netroots Arena. PANELISTS: Cass Sunstein, John Dean, Adam Bonin, Michael Waldman
9:00 -11:00am: Tours and Activities of Second Life, Netroots Island Main Plaza
11:30am:Austin Panel “How the Media Learned to Bend Over Backward to Please the Right”, Netroots Arena. PANELISTS: Paul Krugman, Duncan Black, “Digby” Parton, Rick Perlstein
2:30pm: Austin Panel “Beyond the Political ‘Sphere: A Netroots Nation / BlogHer Conversation”, Netroots Arena. PANELISTS: Andrew Slack, Marcus Williams, Laura Dawn, Tracy Russo
4:00 -5:30 pm: Tours and Activities of Second Life, Netroots Island Main Plaza
6:00-7:30pm: SL Panel “The Restructuring of the US Economy: A Conversation with Stirling Newberry”, Netroots Arena
7:45pm: Dancing Liberally @ Cafe Wellstone

Saturday 19th
9:00-10:00am: Coffee Klatch, Roisin’s Coffee House
10:00a-11:00am: Austin Lunch Keynote: Lawrence Lessig, Netroots Arena
11:30am: Panel “More and Better Democrats: The Class of 2006-08″, Netroots Arena. PANELISTS: Joan McCarter
1:00pm: Austin Panel “The Races We Aren’t Watching but Should (and Those We’re Watching, Too), Netroots Arena. PANELISTS: David NYC, Markos Moulitsas, Arjun Jaikumar, James Lambert, Jonathan Singer
2:30-3:30 Austin Afternoon keynote, Netroots Arena
3:45m-5:45 pm: SL Panel “It’s All Media: Influencing the Narrative”, Netroots Arena. PANELISTS:Cliff Schecter, GeneralJCChristian, Jimbo Hoyer
6:00-7:00pm: Austin Evening keynote, Netroots Arena
7:00pm - late: Dancing at the Lonely Yak Roadhouse

Sunday 20th
6:45-7:45am: Austin Pastor Dan’s Multifaith Service, Netroots Arena
8:00am: Austin Keynote: Van Jones, Netroots Arena
9:15am: Bloggers Brunch, Netroots Arena
10:15am-12:30pm: SL Panel “Progressive Values at Work: Using Virtual Worlds for Real World Impact”, Netroots Arena. Gentle Heron, Vitual Ability, Carolina Keats, Consumer Health Librarian
12:30 - 2pm: Afternoon talkback and SL tours Conference planners will be on hand to hear feedback from new people and SL veterans who participated., Netroots Island Main Plaza
2:00pm - 3:15pm: SL panel “Perspectives on Democracy and Sustainability”, Netroots Arena. PANELISTS: WilliamtheWise Goodman and Delia Lake
4:00-6:00pm: Formal Closing party NN Island Ballroom, Netroots Island Ballroom

For more info on how to use Second Life can be found HERE.

To go directly to Netroots Nation Island, click HERE.



* Yes, the dialog in the cartoon was part of a conversation that took place at Netroots Nation in Second Life. I was not wearing my Sperm Helmet when this conversation took place.

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Economic Flashbacks

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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Phil Gramm must be high:

Many in the United States are concerned about the high prices of food and gasoline and the loss of almost a half million jobs. Senator McCain met with voters in parts of the Midwest. The region has been hit hard by the struggling economy.

"People are hurting,” McCain said. “People are hurting badly."

But one of McCain's top advisors, former Senator Phil Gramm, expressed a different point of view. "You've heard of mental depression? This is mental recession," Gramm said.

I wonder what recreational pharmaceuticals Phil Gramm is on? I have been high and I have been drunk, but never in my experience with mind altering substances, has the a bad economy magically turned wonderful. Maybe I am not drinking the right kind of bourbon? Maybe I need to up my vodka game? Maybe I need to go bath in the steamy pot pools of Humboldt County, California?

Dunno, but I think everyone knows Phil Gramm is either stoned, mentally disabled or a total liar. My money is on the latter.

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Another Bush Knife In The Back

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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Bush has broken his promise to the G8 Summit and has now rejected the regulation of greenhouse gases.

The Bush administration on Friday rejected regulating greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, saying it would cause too many job losses.

In a 588-page federal notice, the Environmental Protection made no finding on whether global warming poses a threat to people's health, reversing an earlier conclusion at the insistence of the White House and officially kicking any decision on a solution to the next president and Congress.

The White House on Thursday rejected EPA's conclusion three weeks earlier that the 1970 Clean Air Act "can be both workable and effective for addressing global climate change." Instead, EPA said Friday that law is "ill-suited" for dealing with climate change.

This contrasts sharply with the tone of statements President Bush made at the just-concluded G-8 summit of leading industrialized nations in Toyako, Japan. The United States at that meeting joined other summit partners in embracing a policy declaration to seek a 50 percent reduction in global greenhouse gases by 2050.

Sure, let's just wait some more. The North Pole ice cap will always be there. Antarctica's ice shelfs won't float past Australia and Africa.

We have all the time in the world... now, don't you feel more relaxed once you are wrapped in blankets of denial? It is so warm in there.

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Note To McCain: Viagra is not a weapons system

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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That thing... that thing right there, by your foot, it is my jaw...

"I certainly do not want to discuss that issue," the Arizona senator said aboard his "Straight Talk Express" bus in Ohio when asked about his views on health insurance covering the medication.

But the off-message topic was raised from a member of McCain’s own team: national co-chairwoman Carly Fiorina, who had said earlier women often express frustration over the fact many health insurance plans cover Viagra but not birth control medication.

"Let me give you a real, live example, which I've been hearing a lot about from women. There are many health insurance plans that will cover Viagra but won't cover birth control medication. Those women would like a choice," she said Monday.

McCain shows his ignorance on the topic and from the video, he squirms and winces his way through the questioning and sums up that he does not know enough about the issue to give an informed answer. The list of things McCain admittedly doesn't know anything about is becoming impressively long - economics, computers, the internet and now health insurance.

Evidently the Straight Talk Express bus is shorter than the others.

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Why Fox News canceled my interview about Netroots & the Troops - KO-worthy

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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At 3:44pm Eastern, Fox News Channel employee (I am guessing a segment producer) Eldad Yaron called me to arrange an interview for me to talk about BooksForSoldiers.com, our fundraising problems and how I am using the netroots to solve the problem.

BooksForSoldiers.com is a website run by a 501(c)(3) federally recognized tax-exempt charity. Any deployed US solider can go to the BooksForSoldiers.com website, fill out their contact info and tell us what they want - books, DVDs, video games, tube socks, almost anything - we will then send the item to the soldier for free. Plus we typically toss in snacks, chapstick, playing cards, and a brief note.

I started sending books to deployed soldiers during the first Gulf War. A bunch of my college friends were in the National Guard and they suddenly found themselves in Saudi Arabia setting up their Army hospital. When I heard of the extreme boredom of the troops after the shooting was over, I got all my friends I knew back in the states to give me their old novels and I sent them to the Army hospital in Riyadh. When Bush started his war, I knew I wanted to do the same thing, but on a larger scale, so I put together BooksForSoldiers.com.

I originally though for this new war, the troops would be back home in 6 weeks - I never thought Books For Soldiers would still be going 5 years later. I was totally unprepared for that. What started as a six week project has become a 5 year plus journey.

As with all journeys, there are bumps along the way.

Books For Soldiers is having financial problems due to corporate funding drying up. (You can donate here!) We had no corporate donations for the first quarter of this year. BFS is not a special case, other charities are in the same boat. Women's shelters are having to shut down and food banks have been hit very hard this year. In short, the economy sucks. The Board of Directors gave us a second chance at fund raising and assigned us a deadline of November 1st to raise the $70,000 goal or we would have to shut down at the end of the year. We would have the last Holiday Package Drive and that would be it.

I followed up the phone call with Fox News' Eldad Yaron with 8 emails - arranging for a driver to pick me up and drive me to San Francisco, sending them the BFS story, just putting the segment together for 10:20am Eastern today. I would arrive at their San Francisco location at no later than 10am and I would be on-air at exactly 10:20 - that was when they booked the sat time.

Yaron's last email to me read:

I'll brief you more in the morning but we're good to go.

This morning, 45 minutes before the car was supposed to pick me up, another Fox News employee, Kelly, called me to tell me the segment had been canceled. "Something came up."

Well, Hell. I used the last of my shave gel, got all dolled up and had no place to go!

I smelled a rat, hard to avoid with Fox News, and I wondered what story I got bumped for, so I switched on Fox News. Here is their line-up for the 10am hour of America's Newsroom With Bill Hemmer and Megyn Kelly. Keep in mind, I was slated for 10:20am.


10:08 Running of the Bulls

10:13 Video of a car chase in Portland, Oregon

10:13 Oregon man flies in a lawn chair from oregon to idaho

10:20 MAN BITTEN BY SNAKE IN FLORIDA WALMART

10:22 Obama and McCain layout out economic plans

10:25 Baseball player, A-Rod might be involved with Madonna according to tabloids.


Books For Soldiers got bumped for a snakebite story! A bite where no one died! Here is a link to the wire story.

I understand how cable news works and big stories could break at anytime. If Mugabe called for new elections or it started to rain in Big Sur, that I can understand being bumped. But a guy gets bit by a pygmy rattlesnake at the local Walmart and the soldiers get bumped?

WTF, indeed.

My theory is BFS represents yet another inconvenient truth or maybe several:

Soldiers need to turn to the charities for things the military cannot provide.

BFS is run by a flaming liberal and had Michael Moore as a supporter.

A soldier's charity run out of corporate funding because the economy is in the toilet.

Yes, those bring up a whole host of issues, the Neo-cons, and I suspect their puppets at Fox News would rather not dwell about. You cannot ask me the second question, "Why is BFS in financial trouble?" without hitting an idealogical snag.


This story is what I call "Keith-worthy" - a story that would fit well as a "Worst Person" segment. Don't you think?

Here is a job for all you NetRooters out there, email Keith and anyone you might know at Countdown and pass this story along. My goal is to find funding for BFS, not the cartoon or anything else.

This is netroots for the troops.

YOU are the netroots for the troops.

And here is a small note for Keith,
Here is another opportunity to apply your sharpened stick to the eye of Fox News. I can supply you the emails and let you listen to Kelly's voice mail! Here is my contact info:
stormbear [at] gmail.com

415-351-8497

Get it before Fox News sends out the lawyers with a cease and desist!

Lastly, thank-you for your support of our troops.

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The True Story Of Jesse Helms That No One Believes

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



click to read more Town Called Dobson

What I am getting ready to tell you is a true story about my run-in with then Senator Jesse Helms.

I used to have a film production office in Raleigh, North Carolina - two careers ago. I had the top corner office and the exact opposite corner of the building was Senator Helms' reelection campaign HQ. I never went in, but I did walk by a few times and it was just a few people at their desks typing and making phone calls.

One day I was heading to the restroom and entered a stall. No, there were no hand gestures.

A few seconds later Jesse Helms came in - his voice was very recognizable. Jesse entered the stall next to me and took a massive, juicy, explosive dump.

Now, this should be a common tale but here is where it gets damn odd. While Jesse was evacuation his lower bowls with the robustness of a timpani drum, he was singing "What A Friend I Have In Jesus."

Mouth agape, I couldn't pry my ears away from the horror of it all. The cacophony was something to witness with the cool help of Kentucky bourbon. But unfortunately, I was stone cold sober.

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Brit Soldiers Paid To Attend Gay Pride Events - Breeders Outraged!

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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From The Telegraph:

Homosexual soldiers are to be paid travelling expenses to attend Gay Pride parades, while troops are not allowed to claim for trips to the Queen's Garden Party.

Gay troops have been told they can submit claims for their car mileage or train tickets to marches in London on Saturday and in Brighton next month.

Heterosexual soldiers have criticised the move saying they are not allowed to claim money for trips to important functions, including the Queen's Garden Party.

It will also be the first time Army and RAF troops will be allowed to march in uniform, Royal Navy soldiers are already allowed.

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Fighting Religious Oppression With Smooches!

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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Pride in Madrid...

There is a tasteless Inquisition joke in here somewhere...

In a country where Catholic majority views on homosexuality clash with the government's recognition of gay marriage, gay pride organizers use smaller regional venues to build momentum for a national parade in Madrid.

[..]

Spain's giant national gay pride parade is set for Saturday, July 5th in Madrid. An estimated 1.5 million people are expected for a gay pride parade winding down the streets of the country's capital city.

Like parades in the U.S., Spaniards plan to celebrate recent gay rights victories. Re-election of the progressive Socialist party in the spring – despite condemnations by the Catholic church and the Pope – ensured gay marriage rights will not be rolled back anytime soon.

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The Downside of Gay Pride

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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The Human Rights Campaign street team have packed up their clipboards. The sunglasses vendors have packed their unsold wares. All the t-shirts have been given away. The personal lube advocates are sleeping in. Yes, friends, Pride Weekend has come to a close in San Francisco.

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

There's nothing like celebrating marriage with hundreds of thousands of your closest friends.

Less than two weeks after same-sex marriage became legal in California, drag queens, kids, politicians, shirtless men, married couples, straight couples and tourists flocked to San Francisco for the city's 38th annual San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration, which culminated Sunday with a huge parade.

Marriage was in the air as scores of people lined Market Street for the annual event, where veils and wedding garb were the fashion choice of many parade participants and spectators. Of course, scantily clad boys and girls - and boys dressed as girls - were also on hand during a celebration that seemed to attract more people, and families, than in years past, although official crowd count numbers were not immediately available.

Many of the speakers and parade participants took the opportunity to campaign against a measure on the November ballot that would overturn the recent court ruling and ban same-sex marriage in the state.

Whoops and cheers began even before the parade, with some members of the giddy crowd scrambling on top of anything they could for a view of the more than 200 floats and other parade contingents. After a cool morning, the sun peeked out by noon, giving way to a warm afternoon.

Later, revelers filled Civic Center, where the party continued with live music and speakers, drinking and eating. The all-ages, multicolored crowd seemed to represent the Bay Area's diversity, with high school students bumping shoulders with young parents, elderly gay, lesbian and straight couples and transgender people. Police said the event was largely peaceful, with just three arrests for public intoxication by 5:30 p.m.

And a good time was had by all.

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One Day Pride Will Be Boring

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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If it is June, it is Gay Pride Parade time.

Pride parades all happening all over - in places you don't think would ever have a pride parade like Jerusalem and Zagreb. Bulgaria is planning their first Pride paradebut Cuba just canceled theirs. Ironically, the hotbed of homosexual activity in the world in the Castro District of San Francisco and the city is preparing for the celebrations.

If you go to Google and search "gay pride" the divider graphic between the search results and the test ads on the right hand side of the page is a rainbow strip.

One day, Gay Pride Parades will seem out of date, boring and pointless. Being Gay will be so accepted that having a Pride Parade will be like having a Parade to Celebrate Wednesday.

Cause you know, Wednesdays are just so radical!

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Oil vs Ice

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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Thankfully, California is doing something about global warming.

California outlined for the first time the largest U.S. attempt to regulate greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, calling for the creation of a new emissions- trading program and increased renewable-energy production.

All parts of the $1.6 trillion economy, the largest of the U.S. states, would be affected. Utilities, refiners, carmakers, farmers, manufacturers and forest managers would be called on to cut pollution under the draft plan released today by the state Air Resources Board.

The blueprint comes 18 months after Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law requiring the country's most populous state to reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The law is the most far-reaching of any climate-change plan in the U.S., where President George W. Bush's administration and Congress have resisted mandatory caps on greenhouse gases.

But is it too late?

When polar bears start suffering from heat stroke, you know something is wrong.

The plight of the polar bear is not just hinged on global warming. In Iceland, polar bears are being shot dead.

Icelandic authorities said they were forced to shoot a polar bear found wandering on the island in order to protect the public after a plan to anaesthetize the animal was abandoned.

The bear, an adult male weighing around 250 kg (500 lbs), was presumed to have swum to shore from drifting ice. The last time a polar bear came ashore in Iceland was in 1988.

"There was a lot of fog in the area and the bear was moving into the fog. We couldn't risk losing him and there was no time to wait for anaesthetics, so we had to shoot him. It was for the safety of the public," Police Superintendent Stefan Vagn Stefansson told Icelandic national radio on Wednesday.

In response to a public outcry at the shooting, the environmental ministry said it would review the incident to see if it could avoid shooting the next bear that lands in the country.

The world's largest land-based predator lives in the Arctic, depending largely on sea ice to hunt seals.

The sport hunting of polar bears continues and some groups wants to lift the ban of polar bear hide importation into the US.

And of course, oil companies are given full permission to harass polar bears.

T'S just over a month since the US government designated the polar bear as an endangered species. Now the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) stands accused of giving oil companies a "blank cheque to harass polar bears".

The row revolves around the seven oil companies that paid $2.6 billion in February for the rights to look for oil in the Chukchi Sea, off the coast of Alaska. Some 2000 polar bears live in the region - a significant chunk of the estimated 20,000 to 25,000 bears worldwide, and the companies were worried that environmental groups might take legal action to prevent the animals being disturbed.

But the FWS issued regulations last week permitting firms to disturb "small numbers" of bears and walruses without fear of prosecution as long as they report each incident and take steps to minimise the animals' stress. If underwater sonar is being used, for instance, engineers must stop surveying should a bear swim close by.

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Note to McCain Youth Voter Drive - Dr. No was 46 years ago

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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When McCain was running for office eight years ago, he constantly used a film reference when on the campaign trail. He called himself "Luke Skywalker" running through the Deathstar. Star Wars came out 31 years ago in 1977. With McCain behind in all demographics except the "Lunatic Bushite" demographic, you would think McCain would up his game when it comes to cultural references.

Didn't happen.

From ABC News:

Today McCain launched a web video that dovetails with his new talking point that when it comes to energy proposals, Obama is "Dr. No."

"No To Drilling Offshore Oil," the web video says, "No To A Gas Tax Holiday….No To Innovation. No To The Electric Car….No To Clean, Safe, Nuclear Energy...Barack Obama Truly Is The Dr. No Of Energy Security."

Dr. No came out on October 5th, 1962, a year before I was born. It was the same day the Beatles released Love Me Do and a week before the Cuban Missile Crisis began. One would think McCain would at least boost his film references by 8 years. There are a lot of great films that came out in 1985. Color Purple came out in 1985 as did Cocoon. You would think he would at least say something about Cocoon in one of his health care chats. There was also Witness, Kiss of the Spiderwoman and OMG, can you imagine the street cred McCain would gain if he lifted a line from Brazil? Prizzi's Honor, Back To The Future, Ladyhawke and Kurosawa's RAN also premiered in 1985.

I guess he couldn't say anything good about the winner of the 1985 Best Film Oscar - that was Out Of Africa.

As ABC News reminds us, it could have been worse. Dr. No was at least "a talkie."

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Crime Fighting With Obama!

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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Ok, I had a bad day yesterday.

After buying a Bluetooth phone adapter for my iPhone at the Apple store in San Francisco yesterday, I was off to buy some khakis. Since I have been loosing weight, my wife tells me I got no ass left and need some smaller pants. So I got on the bus, show the drive my MUNI pass, put it back in my wallet, put my wallet in my back pocket, buttoned the pocket (it has a “safety” flap, like a prescription pill bottle that only kids can open), and grabbed a seat. When I sat down I noticed the familiar lump in my pocket is gone! The pocket was unbuttoned and the wallet was history.

It was that fast.

When I got on the bus there were about seven 20-something males crowding the front aisle in the bus. Passengers had to push their way through to grab a seat. Passing through that throng was when I lost the wallet. The group immediately got off the bus and it was over.

They didn’t get much - $20 or $30 and a bus pass. The bank was very wonderful to deal with. They made everything easy and even brought me something to drink and guided me to the nearest police station. (Mad props to Officer Santana!)

Because of where and how they tried to use the debit cards later, the police told me this appears to be gang-related, probably MS13 by their operational pattern. That was a lot of work to get so little out of it.

But still, what a pain in the ass.

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McCain Doesn’t Do “New”

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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McCain was speaking about his "new" energy policy of $300 million, "one dollar for every American" to leap-frog to the next level of battery technology so we can have plug-in hybrids. Here is a link for the McCain campaign's science adviser - Lithium-Ion Batteries.

They are available now. The technologies required to put them into automobiles are available now. But McCain wants to drill the shit out of ANWR - an old Bush policy. McCain also wants to drill the shit out of American coastal areas. Also McCain wants to blow the shit out of mountains to get out all the dirty coal out that he can, with total disregard to the environment - just like Bush.

Lastly, even though McCain is trying hard to be green, he fails to understand the true impact of global warming. His $300 million, wrongly spent, does nothing to solve the climate crisis. McCain's insistence in allowing the "free market" economy solve that woe is Bushian to the core.

More McSame for a Do-Nothing President.


SPECIAL REQUEST FOR TCD FANS: The San Francisco Chronicle is pondering the addition of new cartoons for their paper - a process that seems to be initiated by Darren Bell, creator of Candorville (one of my daily reads - highly recommended). You can read the Chronicle article here and please add your thoughts to the comments if you wish. If anything, put in a good word for Darren and Candorville.

I am submitting Town Called Dobson to the paper for their consideration. They seem to have given great weight to receiving 200 messages considering Candorville. I am asking TCD fans to try to surpass that amount. (I get more than that many hate mails a day, surely fans can do better?)

This is not a race between the two of us, it is a hope that more progressive strips can be represented in the printed press of America.

So if you read the San Francisco Chronicle or live in the Bay Area (Google Analytics tell me there are a lot of you), please send your kind comments (or naked, straining outrage) to David Wiegand at his published addresses below. If you are a subscriber, cut out your mailing label and staple it to a TCD strip and include it in your letter.

candorcomment@sfchronicle.com

or

David Wiegand
Executive Datebook Editor
The San Francisco Chronicle
901 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA 94103

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White vs Black - Midwest Vs New Orleans

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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Is it just me or is the Midwest getting more Federal help, got Federal help sooner than the Katrina victims received? No problems with ice. I haven't seen any issues with getting aid into the much larger effected area. People from other states, Florida, North Carolina, California, are not being denied access to the victims of the Midwest flood. International aid is not being turned away this time.

In 2004, FEMA had no problems with four hurricanes in a row - Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne pummeled Florida in August of that year. It has even been alleged that FEMA delivered Florida for Bush in 2004. But somehow, a year later FEMA totally fails when it comes to Hurricane Katrina. Not only did it fail, it was an epic failure and collapse of nearly every segment of Federal government. The Canadian Mounties got to New Orleans before Government relief got there.

Bush can't say the government was caught unaware. Video proof shows Michael Brown warning Bush about the levees and the looming disaster to come.

But the Midwest flood response? It looks as organized as the choreography of the The Lion King.

You just got to wonder about the racial element to the still lagging response to New Orleans - almost three years later.


SPECIAL REQUEST FOR TCD FANS: The San Francisco Chronicle is pondering the addition of new cartoons for their paper - a process that seems to be initiated by Darren Bell, creator of Candorville (one of my daily reads - highly recommended). You can read the Chronicle article here and please add your thoughts to the comments if you wish. If anything, put in a good word for Darren and Candorville.

I am submitting Town Called Dobson to the paper for their consideration. They seem to have given great weight to receiving 200 messages considering Candorville. I am asking TCD fans to try to surpass that amount. (I get more than that many hate mails a day, surely fans can do better?)

This is not a race between the two of us, it is a hope that more progressive strips can be represented in the printed press of America.

So if you read the San Francisco Chronicle or live in the Bay Area (Google Analytics tell me there are a lot of you), please send your kind comments (or naked, straining outrage) to David Wiegand at his published addresses below. If you are a subscriber, cut out your mailing label and staple it to a TCD strip and include it in your letter.

candorcomment@sfchronicle.com

or

David Wiegand
Executive Datebook Editor
The San Francisco Chronicle
901 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA 94103

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“God Killed Him For Loving Fags!” (UPDATED)

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing



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Updating from Monday's DKos post...

A guitar playing man who was supportive of same sex marriage passed out at my feet a little after 5pm. The medics gave him CPR for over 20 minutes before they moved him. He looked bad. The crowd was very compassionate about the man's condition except, of course, the crazy fundamentalist "Christians" on hand to protest. I asked on protester why wouldn't he pray for the guy instead of shouting about anal sex? He replied "God killed him for loving fags!"

I thought the man died and the badgering by the fundamentalists really shook me up. But I have good news today. Petrelis Files and Pam's House Blend learned a lot more about the idiot yelling and the gentleman who collapsed.



The fundamentalist is named Kevin Farrer and he has a website - Cry To God. He is a roofer from Fremont (Sonrise Roofing), according to the Golden Gate Xpress. It seems Farrer leaves a trail of hate wherever he goes - San Jose, Santa Barbara, and points east.



The guitar player, Petrelis calls him Joni, is alive after suffering cardiac arrest and is in guarded condition at Saint Mary's Hospital. We are still casting the net out there for this man's real name. If anyone knows, please drop us an email.



SPECIAL REQUEST FOR TCD FANS: The San Francisco Chronicle is pondering the addition of new cartoons for their paper - a process that seems to be initiated by Darren Bell, creator of Candorville (one of my daily reads - highly recommended). You can read the Chronicle article here and please add your thoughts to the comments if you wish. If anything, put in a good word for Darren and Candorville.

I am submitting Town Called Dobson to the paper for their consideration. They seem to have given great weight to receiving 200 messages considering Candorville. I am asking TCD fans to try to surpass that amount. (I get more than that many hate mails a day, surely fans can do better?)

This is not a race between the two of us, it is a hope that more progressive strips can be represented in the printed press of America.

So if you read the San Francisco Chronicle or live in the Bay Area (Google Analytics tell me there are a lot of you), please send your kind comments (or naked, straining outrage) to David Wiegand at his published addresses below. If you are a subscriber, cut out your mailing label and staple it to a TCD strip and include it in your letter.

candorcomment@sfchronicle.com

or

David Wiegand
Executive Datebook Editor
The San Francisco Chronicle
901 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA 94103

Digg It!

Click here for more, and to add your own comments