The government wants you to think of Uncle Sam this year for the Christmas Season and donate some money to them. It seems that Washington cannot print enough monopoly money to keep up with the party of the progressives spending habits. So, how about it, do you think you can spare a little extra to help out Barack, Harry and Nancy with their needs?

Every man ,woman and child in the country already has a $40,000 debt as their share of this year’s national spending. So, if you are the head of household in a family of four, and you want to do your part to help Barack, the head of the American household, put together the  national budget, you should immediately make out a check for $160,000 and mail it to Timothy Geithner. Only a small portion of the money will go to ACORN, the SEIU and the various pork projects of the beltway elite.

As an additional method of raising money the White House is thinking of auctioning off, “A Weekend at the White House with Barack” vacation to the highest bidder. The winner will spend the weekend with Barack practicing in front of a TV prompter, and be allowed to sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom provided that Barack can persuade Andy Stern to sleep on the couch for the weekend. The package includes a dinner with Barney Frank at a restaurant of the winner’s choice. To make things even more authentic the House of Representatives Ethics Committee will investigate your winning bid and then make the investigation disappear. To cap the vacation you will receive instructions on how to evade your taxes for at least a decade. A lap dance from Nancy, or Barney, will be at an additional charge.

Another idea to raise money is being considered at the highest level. This would be a “Global Warming Expedition” with Al Gore as your guide. The expedition will include a tour of a Canadian polar bear’s territory, first class seats aboard Al’s personal jet, and a certificate from Gore allowing you to use the internet he invented for a period of five years.

So, seriously, send your check to Washington and trust that the money will go to a worthy cause. As the Democratic Party majority would say, “It’s only money!” Try to think of all those jobs you will save in the 5,118 District of Puerto Rico. Barack will thank you. Nancy will thank you. Harry will thank you. Bill and Hilary will thank you. Khalid will thank you. Sean Penn will thank you. The Nobel Committee will thank you.

My lil’ list of stuff that I’m grateful for this Thanksgiving.

• Those pink donut boxes.  Every time I see one, I salivate like a Pavlov hound.
• San Francisco streetcars, they’re…that…adorable.
• Garlic, it really has many uses, don’t you think?
• Condoleeza Rice, no wait — Hilary Clinton.
• Vaginal metaphors.  Everywhere you wanna be.
• BART.  Why so expensive dude?
• Shoes, clothes, accessories:  mainline please.
• Never thought I’d say it:  Berkeley Bowl.
• Concept 2 rowing machine:  waaay better’n sex.
• Cultural appropriation:  Exhibit A good, cheap Asian food.
• Trains in the night, nails in the bedroom.
• Pandora:  the pre-ad version
• Breastfeeding.  Thanks for the formula.  Thanks for gypping me out of a key experience. I’ll have a glass of milk now.
• Blogging:  the most fun you can have legally.

The Content herein is Copyright to the Author, All Rights Reserved.

Dva tipična rusofobična članka o Rusiji, Rusima i gospodinu Medvedevu iz pera osvedočenih mrzitelja srpske nacionalne politike SLOBODANA BELJANSKOG i DRAGOLJUBA ŽARKOVIĆA.

Prosto zapanjuje s kolikom dozom netrpeljivosti prema Rusima i Rusiji su pisani ovi članci za osvedočeni antisrpski list BLIC iz Boegrada. Ni jedan od tih ćlanaka nema dobru argumentaciju samo ordinarno ismejavanje i pluvanje po slovenskoj braći.

Gde je sad ta njihova priča o sejanju mržnje prema nekome jer ovde se radi o tipičnoj rusofobiji koja je uvrežena u glasilima “proeuropske” javnosti koja je minorna ovde u Srbiji. Ali ta “proeuropska” javnost iako minorna u našoj javnosti je jako prodorna, nasilna i pokušava da zauzme misli kompletne javnosti Srbije iako to nikad ne može biti. Neko im mora reći da u svakoj zemlji sveta moraju postojati različite opcije i šarenolikost mišljenja. No za “proeuropske” intelektualce raznolikost ne sme da postoji, postoji samo jedno mišljenje, EUROPA NEMA ALTERNATIVU.

GLUPOST

It’s hard for me to believe that all women are as irrational as we are depicted in music, movies and on television. Is that the reality? Are we really the crow bar wielding, clothing burning, vindictive lunatics we are made out to be? My usual conclusion to these things is simply no. Its just a stereotype developed to “keep women down”. Something that only the most ignorant in society believe is the way they should act. I usually believe these stereotypes are unfounded… that there is no proof of it but lately i have been genuinely confused. Are women genuinely irrational, passion driven creatures. Are we not capable of doing the things that men do and still do the things that women do? So many successful women today aren’t married and don’t have children. It seems that We have found ourselves in a place where we either take on a family or we focus on careers. but why is that the case…. Doesn’t that just go against the point that women have been trying to prove for centuries? In all the reading I’ve been doing its not too many powerful women that I can name that are married and have children.
There is some thing called the Cult of True Womanhood. This was something that was extremely important after the civil war into the civil rights movement. Women would take on the whole world… they’d be active church members and mothers and wives and were still able to make a name for themselves.
I think my favorite Historical Figure has to be Ida B. Wells Barnett. This is one of the many from rags to riches stories surrounding female leaders of her day. She was married and had tons of children and still managed to affect change throughout the world with the Anti-Lynching movement. Many of the great civil rights leaders we so often talk about had husbands and children and still took on the world and made huge changes that make our lives easier. People like Salomee Urena and Las Mariposas (The Mirabal sisters). Diane Nash Ruby Doris Smith Robinson and Amy J. Garvey these were intelligent, driven and determined women.
Over the years things seemed to have changed significantly regarding women and what we believe that we can take on. Many successful women opt not to get married and have families. People like Oprah, Justice Sotomayor and Condeleeza Rice who have come into great success through their determintation and the paths that others have put into place for them. It seems that as women today, we feel we cant have those personal ties when running in the males race. It seems to me women feel as if we have to be a man to be successful in a man’s world. not to mention the role that intimidation plays in the whole scheme of things. ( Men being intimidated by smart, driven and powerful women)
But the there are special cases where women have decided that they wanted it all. The want the fame and the success and the joy and responsibility of a family. Women like Soledad O’Brien, Sarah Palin, Michelle Obama, Hilary Clinton etc. etc. These women have the world at their feet and have a support system that allows them to reach for the sky. So if they can do it why cant we. Why cant we have it all at the same time. I understand finding a man willing to support your dreams and aspirations is very diffiult because so many males dont know how to be MEN but I believe if we are careful of the people we surround ourselves with, work hard and accept help when it is offered to us the sky is the limit… proving that anything a man can do a woman can do it better.

The November 16th issue of  Time magazine has Secretary Of State Hilary Clinton on its cover. The blurbs advertising the article inside speak of the Secretary as a  “global celebrity”  with a teaser link to Joe  Klein’s article asking if she can make peace. Wow, now she is a global celebrity. When did that happen and won’t  Bill be jealous? Besides, I thought  that John Kerry was the new grand poo-bah of Obama’s foreign policy.

I guess that makes her the first celebrity Secretary of State since Henry Kissinger. No one saw fit to use  that  title with Condolezza Rice, although they could have . Surely, not Madeline Albright, ok maybe Colin Powell, not positive. But as I scrolled backwards through the recent occupants of the office, courtesy of my handy World Almanac and  Book  of  Facts , I really did not see  anyone else I might consider  a  global celebrity. Not Lawrence Eagleburger or  Warren Christopher or Edmund Muskie. You get the idea.

Now, perusing the names above and excluding them from celeb status  doesn’t necessarily mean they were not good or very good secretaries. Perhaps some of them just chose not to go the celeb route. So, back to that peace maker thing. Wasn’t Ms Clinton just in Israel recently where she spoke very highly of their progress on the West Bank settlements and  then had to back track later at a gathering of Arab leaders? Yep, that was it.

I am not so sure that Obama is more the architect of his foreign policy in this peace making arena. Nobel Prize, anyone? Madame Secretary went to the Berlin Wall anniversary soiree instead of the President. Not  agood move , him not going and her pinch-hitting. Seems that the heavy lifting on making peace is a  White House prerogative, anyway. And, chew on this. Just this week, a couple of Obama’s old pals, Bill Ayers and  his wife, Bernardine Dohrn roundly trashed Hilary’s 2008 campaign as having racist overtones. Remember these  folks are big time Obama  pals and  it doesn’t look so good for them to trash his Secretary of State. Stay tuned, there will doubtless be more. But, I would not be surprised if she were not the first high profile member of the Cabinet to depart.

News Release

November 13, 2009

Clinton statements on VFA, human rights too sweeping, vague

The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan felt the answers given by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to pressing issues like the Visiting Forces Agreement and human rights were at most “sweeping and vague and failed to address the growing concerns of unequal relations between the Philippines and the US.”

Clinton attended a forum at the University of Santo Tomas, where she was asked questions by students from different universities across the country.

“Many answers were couched in vague diplomatic language. Some responses were already expected, such as her reaffirmation of the need for the VFA. The answers failed to address the growing concerns over the unequal relations with the US, as far as the military agreement is concerned,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

“When the Clinton euphoria is over, we will be back to the same situation of having the Philippines treated as a lowly neo-colony by the US government. Things will stay the same with the VFA, the US troops in Mindanao, the free-trade policies and the US support for the tyrant in Malacanang,” he added.

Bayan said the response to a YouTube question on human rights violations in the Philippines was also inadequate.

“She seemed to recognize there were human rights issues in the Philippines but stopped short of giving an honest appraisal of the situation. She also did not explain why the Philippines will be given additional US military aid despite the rampant rights abuses. There also was no mention made of American citizen Melissa Roxas who filed a complaint before the US State Department over her abduction and torture,” Reyes said.

Clinton said that there are steps being taken in by the Philippine government in addressing the human rights issues, while also saying that the US itself is not perfect when it comes to human rights.

“At least there was an admission on her part of the US own shortcomings in human rights. The US is indeed not perfect. Far from it, the US has caused many human rights abuses especially in areas where there are armed conflicts like in Iraq and Afghanistan,” the Bayan leader said.

The militant group also decried the overkill police security employed during the Clinton visit. “Both the US and Arroyo governments sing praises to democracy, yet they want to quell or silence views critical of their policies. The student protesters were raising legitimate issues on sovereignty and human rights but they were surrounded and blocked by truckloads of policemen and huge fire trucks and buses. So much for democracy,” Reyes said. ###

The New Clinton Culinary Combo Kitchen Tool Set!

Dear Friends:

As US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sits with Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo this week in Manila, let us continue to be indignant and vigilant about Melissa Roxas’ plight and of the thousands more who have been victimized by Oplan Bantay Laya under the Arroyo regime in the Philippines.

Please disseminate this letter far and wide to your networks, especially to media outlets.

In solidarity,

NY Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines

——————————————————–

November 11, 2009

Dear U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,

I am writing to you because you are going to visit the Philippines to meet with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. I would like to appeal for you to discuss the gross human rights violations happening under the Arroyo administration. I am a United States citizen, a human rights advocate, and also a victim of abduction and torture in the Philippines.

I was abducted and tortured in May 2009 as I was conducting medical surveys in preparation for a medical mission in La Paz, Tarlac, Philippines. Based on the evidence, my own experience, and the pattern in which the incident occurred, it strongly points to the Armed Forces of the Philippines as the perpetrators.

As a writer, a poet and a human rights activist, I feel really committed to the cause of human rights and the plight of the poor and under-privileged. I went to the Philippines to learn more about my roots and heritage and to do volunteer work in various poor and under-privileged communities with the organization Bayan Philippines.

I never imagined that my efforts to help these poor and under-served communities and to advocate for a more humane society would result in me being targeted for abduction and torture. As an American citizen, I have learned to value and cherish my inalienable rights—something that has made me fight harder for those rights for myself and also for others.

I endured six days of physical and mental torture at the hands of my captors. I am still suffering from the trauma. I never want anyone else to experience what I have and I now know first hand what other victims of human rights abuses in the Philippines have been through. There is no room in a civilized society and a civilized world for torture and no room for the suppression of human rights to life, freedom, and genuine democracy. For those of us that are in a position to fight for those freedoms in the world, it is our duty to uphold those principles and to strongly condemn human rights violations.

There is a culture of impunity in the Philippines. The Philippine government has made no serious effort to investigate what happened to me despite the Philippine Court of Appeals ruling that my abduction and torture occurred and granting me a Writ of Amparo. There continues to be a lack of government attention to address my case and the countless victims of human rights violations even though international human rights groups including the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, Philip Alston, have pointed to the Armed Forces of the Philippines as culpable.

I urge you to discuss the issue of human rights violations in your talk with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and hold her administration accountable for those abuses. Moreover, I would strongly urge you to support restrictions on U.S. military funding for the Philippines until the Arroyo administration can adhere to international laws, upholding human rights both in good faith and in practice.

Sincerely,

Melissa Roxas

10 Things That Don’t Really Relate to Sports or Anything Else. Suck it, Editor/s.

1. Hilary Clinton.

Does anyone else think that she’s doing a fantastic job as Secretary of State? Maybe the bar was set very low by #4. $10 says this baby voted for Fred Thompson in the primary. Not that you should ever follow my gambling advice. The funny thing about Hilary is, most people dislike her, even if they agree with her basic policy positions. Why? Women don’t want to be her, and guys don’t want to be on her. Would this baby be punching Sarah Palin? Probably not – he’d be capturing the moment in his mind for a late-night wank, like the rest of us. Don’t pretend like you haven’t whacked it to Palin – all FaF readers should be saying, in unison, you betcha I’ve whacked it to Sarah Palin. I might be doing that right now.

2. I love the Rockets. I love drinking. I love women. I love college.

Scola looks different out of his work clothes.

That’s still the catchiest song of all time, and perhaps the worst. So Rex is doing his thing last Friday night (being a hipster and acting too cool for everyone, while still partaking in the cliches that he pretends to abhor) and he runs into Battier, Scola, and Down Under David Andersen at some place called The Anvil. Now, I got out of “the scene” when Drink Houston was still cool (and yes, that time once existed), so I can only assume The Anvil is a Red Door-type place. I don’t regret not wasting the last decade of my life trying to be a Robert Earl Keen song (choose any of them, really), but every once in a while someone runs into Rockets out on the town and I get extremely jealous. A few years back a friend spent 30 minutes talking to Cuttino Mobley about watches. El Rat chatted up Chuck Hayes last year. There was a girl we knew in college who was a Kelvin Cato groupie. And now this Triple Dip? I can’t think of 3 better Rockets to see out on the town. Battier would be a great guy to hang out with, and I’ll probably end up volunteering for his political campaign one day. Scola would be fascinating to watch to see what type of girls he could pull in and/or how many would mistake him for Russel Brand. Andersen seems like a goofy guy who would spill drinks all night and accidentally elbow girls in the face, causing them to bleed Mutumbo-style. Would one night with the Rockets (no homo) be worth a decade of the bar/club scene?

This is a variation of the “would you give your left nut for…” question. For example, would you give your left nut for one night with Jessica Alba? I say yes, and before your mind goes to the gutter, let me clarify that we’d play the staring game all night. That’s the sexiest video of all time, red tube be damned.

3. Tiuana Rogers will cut your white ass.

Listen, you don’t have to have watched the Fedor-Brett Rogers fight. It’s a decent fight with a good knockout at the end. But the reason I’m linking to it is this.

Wow – she actually gets her bounce on. The Rogers couple scare the shit out of me – he is a dangerous pugilist, and she is, shall we say, “ghetto fabulous”. Here is how it goes down – Sunday morning and you’re driving to HEB to pick up some steaks, and you see a great parking spot. You’re about to pull in but then an Escalade riding on dubs cuts in front of you. Enraged, you start giving the woman a hard time, and she says “motherfucker, my husband will cut your heart out and eat it”. Then you say “bitch, you crazy”. Then her husband, Brett Rogers, jumps out of the passenger side. You recognize him *because you watched the video* and try to apologize and get away at the same time. Having none of it, he smashes through your drivers side window with his head (The Program-style), pulls you out of the car by your nose, wrings your neck like a chicken until your head actually pops off, drinks your blood, and then cuts your heart out and eats it, with a side of squash . It could happen. They are a dangerous duo.

3.5. Matrimonious Synergies and the Time-Space Continuum.

We at FaF haven’t talked nearly enough about the Odom-Kardashian wedding.  Maybe that’s not possible – it’s like logarithmic functions that have limits – you can approach the limit and get infinitesimally close, but never hit it. Anyway, like moths to a flame, The Random Baby Momma and I actually have a common interest. I just walked by the TV and she is watching Khloe and Kourtney Try to Become Famous without a Sextape (or whatever their show is called). So we had a convo about the Odom-Kardashian prenup, thanks to the journalistic expertise of espn.com’s truehoop. It seems like the type of prenup where you’re not 100% convinced you’re not going to need it, know what I’m sayin? Back to the point, I’m not comfortable with this synergistic crossover – you’re not supposed to have anything in common after you get married, you just stay married for the kids. That’s the rule. This “our interests overlap” business is like Timecop where the same matter can’t occupy the same space at the same time. It’ll fuck up the time-space continuum.

4. Condi Rice is The Juggernaut.

I actually have nothing against Dr. Rice – she was put in a tough spot and did the best she could. Here is why I bring her up – a friend of ours, who shall be called “Myan Riller” for anagramtastic purposes, lobbied to give the valedictory speech for the UH Law School graduation a few years ago. The keynote speaker was the recently disposed Dr. Rice, fresh from being outed from the White House.  Here was the speech he was planning to give: “Condoleeza Rice and I have something in common. We’re both looking for jobs.”  That was the entire speech. Fantastic. Sadly, The Man held him down and he was never able to give that speech. The Gettysburg Address. Lil Wayne’s Behind the Music Interview. The Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself speech. I’m a Man, I’m 40. Obama’s speech on race last year. And the 2006 UH Law School Valedictory Graduation Speech. Alas, it probably goes down as the greatest speech never given.

5.  People Who Aren’t Americans Talk Funny.

Listen, the puke isn’t that funny and the keyboard cat is so July. What I want to know is – exactly what product is she hawking? A huge vision test like the type optometrists have? Is there a market for such a product? Crazy Danes. Or Sweeds. Or wherever she’s from. Those non-Americans sure do like some weird stuff.

5.5 Don’t be a douche. Watch this trailer.

I don’t care if you “don’t video gamez”. If you have big red-blooded hairy American balls, they just tingled. If you don’t, then get the hell off FaF. Unless you’re a hot chick (or a dude living in his parents’ basement pretending to be a hot chick).

6. Best Dance Ever. Bring it back.

Time to bring it back, people. There are at least 3 of you getting married in the next year that I know of. You know what that means? Time to bring the Carlton back. It needs to ascend into the pantheon of wedding dances, along with Grease Medley, the Chicken Dance, YMCA, and We Are Family.  Let’s start a viral movement (is it uncool if I say that outloud? does that make it anti-viral?) to start doing the Carlton at every wedding and knock the Macarena out of the DJ rotation forever. For. Ev. Er.

7. Movember Heroes.

Whomever these dashing gentlemen are, their lip magic points out a mustache axiom. There are two directions one can go. The gentleman on the left showcases the “dastardly 1950s villain” look. The gentleman on the right flaunts the “IT guy / pedophile / New Jersey bookie” look. The point is, mustaches are a binaural state – you can do one or the other, but there is no in between. Consider this your due diligence for Movember.

8.Anyone else notice that 75% of the Indiana Pacers are lilly-white?

That might not be the actual 2009-2010 Indiana Pacers team photo. But it might not not be, either. And who did they draft with their first round pick? The whitest white boy since Big Country Bryan Reeves. You know, Reginald Blackstone Tyler Hansborough. Psycho T up on that goooooooal! Watch him dunk and watch him poooooost!

The best part is the little brother that interrupts the production to get him some pizza or candy from the basket.

9. Semi-Retirement FTW.

So less than a week after negotiating a golden shower parachute with Rex, life is good.  As it turns out, this semi-retirement was an excellent judo-esque misdirection to do what I want to do, namely talk less about sports and more about myself. I didn’t plan it out this way, but when a gift horse looks you in the mouth, you do it. The horse. You do the horse.

See, when El Rat (with Rex’s proxy) approached me about joining FaF, I said no because I don’t like sports that much. I like the Rockets a lot and the Texans a good amount and wish the Coogs the best but I’m certainly not a Donkey Show Coordinator-esque superfan. I can’t name the Coogs’ O-Line. That should get me banned from FaF, but too late – double jeopardy.

So I said no to El Rat and he seemed surprised because all we do is talk about sports and girls. But that isn’t because my universe of interest is limited to those two domains, it is because he doesn’t care about the failure of the IMF to promote economic opportunity in poor countries. Please note that “developing countries” is the PC term, but it is bullshit because most of those countries aren’t developing for shit. “3rd world countries” never made sense to me either because I don’t know what a 2nd world country is and quite frankly the world is too complicated for a taxonomy with 3 superficial levels. Poor countries are just poor. And now your eyes are glazing over just like El Rat’s, which is why I originally said no. I finally said yes when the negotiaion reached 7 figures and have enjoyed every minute of it, and we’ll get back to sports, but don’t think you also won’t get a lecture on the role of microfinance in poverty mitigation.  I’ll put them at the end of the posts.

I’m the old cranky guy with the corner office for which everyone is waiting to retire, but instead I’ll keep dictating my memoirs to a secretary half my age and ambulating around the halls looking for an ear to bend about the good old days. You kids have no respect for authority. Back in my day, we called everyone “sir” and didn’t wear our hats indoors. Common manners, you see? Now with your twatters and your tubegubes and your nudie pictures on your electronic typewriters, you have no manners or sense of decency. Hhmph.

10. Psycho T Reginald Blackstone is starting a fantasy basketball league.

Even though the season has already started. As great as this sounds, I’d feel pretty guilty micromanaging a fantasy basketball team when I can’t even stick to a bare-bones posting schedule for FaF. If anyone wants my proxy/slot, email me with your best offer. I guess you could just ask RB directly, but the middleman needs his cut, know what I’m sayin? Grease the wheels of capitalism – it’s patriotic.

10.a. If you can’t be a jeopardy champ, you can at least be a turkey bowl champ. That seems to be a much less exclusive club.

We haven’t been sued in too long, so I’m not citing any of these pictures.  Until next time.  Random G up on that gooooal!  Watch me dunk and watch me poooooost!

When will Jabba The Rush simply melt into his drug addled body and get flushed down the commode of right-wing hate mongering? This laughable, uneducated (no college degree for him), unfaithful (multiple marriages), drug addicted (self admitted) bloviator was, at one time, a strong voice of opposition to the Democratic Party. Limbaugh has now however, become a pivotal player in the self destruction of the Republican Party. Everything he touches turns to excrement.

Consider for instance, his 2008 “Operation Chaos” in which he urged conservatives to briefly register as Independents so that they could vote for Hilary Clinton in Democratic Party primaries in an effort to prevent Barack Obama from capturing the presidential nomination. Limbaugh’s plan backfired in two ways. First of all, it was unsuccessful in that Obama won the Democratic nomination anyway and then went on to resoundingly defeat the Republican in the general election to capture the White House. Perhaps more damaging to the Republican Party however, was that many of those party switchers maintained their Independent affiliation thereby diminishing Republican Party voter registration to historical lows.

The most recent Limbaugh disaster occurred just last week in the election to fill the House of Representives seat for the 23rd District of New York. That seat has been held by a Republican since the 1870’s but was vacant because the most recent congressman was tapped by the Obama Administration to be Secretary of the Army. The local Republican Party nominated moderate Dede Scozzafava as their candidate in the special election to run against Democratic Party nominee, Bill Owens. Limbaugh however, felt that Scozzafava was too moderate and therefore he implored his listeners to support the ultra-conservative third party candidate Doug Hoffman. Ultimately, the Republican candidate dropped out of the race and endorsed the Democratic Party candidate. The Republican vote was divided and the Democratic Party captured the seat for the first time in over 130 years. Rush Limbaugh’s interference once again damaged the Republican Party.

If this keeps up, Rush Limbaugh will become the face of what once was the Republican Party.

Please click on the song link below to familiarize yourselves with the song and to have more fun singing along with today’s song parody.

Mockingbird song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeOqD3uMIRs&feature=related

TALKING TURD

(sung to the Carly Simon/James Taylor song “Mockingbird”)

Talk (yeah) ing (yeah) turd (yeah)
Yeah (yeah)
Talking Turd

Now, everybody sure has heard
Rush Limbaugh the big fat talking turd
That loudmouth talking turd is king
Of all those racists in the right-wing
But those in the right-wing front line
Are busy planning for their next hate crime
And that’s why I keep on tellin’ everybody
Say yeah, yeah whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, oh

Hear me now and understand
Rush lives only to hate and malign
And if ratings decline someday
Limbaugh will spread hate in another way
And if that other way makes dough
He’ll ride with the tide and go with the flow
And that’s why I keep on shoutin’ in your ear
Say yeah, yeah whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, oh

(musical interlude)

Now, everyone should doubt his word
Rush Limbaugh is just a talking turd
And when that talking turd does sing
We can tell he’s just a ding-a-ling
And when that ding-a-ling just whines
Yes, Republicans will still think he shines
And there’s a reason why I keep on tellin’ everybody
Say yeah, yeah no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no

Listen now and understand
Rush Limbaugh surely has lost his mind
And though he drugged his mind away
The right-wing nuts still listen everyday
Like Sarah Palin and that Plumber, Joe
He’s a dead fish that just “goes with the flow”
And that’s the reason why he keeps on spreadin’ all that fear
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, now, now, baby

Students are cordially invited to a forum on November 13, 2009 with US Senator Hilary Clinton at the University of Sto. Tomas .

Call time will be at 4:30 AM on the 13th at the Xavier Hall. Attire is smart casual with a blue shirt. Transportation will be provided.

There are only limited slots available. Deadline is November 10, 2009 at 10:30 AM. For those interested, please sign-up at this link.

Les deux obsessions américaines, de l’argent et de la transparence, permettent d’établir le podium suivant, au sein de l’administration Obama :

1. Mary Shapiro (Présidente de la SEC, le gendarme de la bourse américaine) : 26,6 millions de dollars

2. Hillary Clinton (secrétaire d’Etat) : 21,5 millions de dollars

3. Eric Holder (ministre de la Justice) : 11,5 millions de dollars

Avec 3,7 millions de dollars, Barack Obama n’est que la sixième fortune de son administration, montre ce nouveau classement établi par le Center for Responsive Politics, qui traque impitoyablement les finances des hommes politiques américains. Le président s’avère toutefois presque trois fois plus riche que son secrétaire au Trésor, Timothy Geithner, coté 1,3 millions de dollars.

Le CRP se base sur les déclarations que sont tenus de faire les responsables de l’administration et les membres du Congrès. Sachant que les hommes politiques ne sont obligés qu’à des “estimations” de leur fortune, et ne sont pas tenus de déclarer leur résidence principale.

Ces fortunes de l’administration Obama ne sont rien pourtant encore au vu de celles du Congrès, qui compte 44% de millionnaires, souligne le CRP. Le plus riche homme du Congrès, le représentant républicain Darrell Issa (Californie), qui a fait fortune dans les alarmes de voitures, pèse 251 millions de dollars. Il est talonné de près par Jane Harman, une autre représentante de Californie, mais démocrate, cotée 244 millions de dollars.

Comme tous les Américains, les élus au Congrès souffrent de la crise : de 2007 à 2008, leur fortune moyenne a reculé de 5%, montre ce rapport. Au Sénat, la fortune moyenne d’un élu n’est plus que de 1,79 millions de dollars, contre 2,27 millions en 2007. A la chambre des représentants, elle est tombée à 622 254 dollars, contre 724 258 dollars en 2007. Quelques élus ont été particulièrement essorés : John Kerry a perdu 127 millions, il ne lui reste plus que 209 millions. John McCain a perdu 10 millions, pour tomber à 20 millions.

Parmi les pauvres notables de la politique américaine, le vice-président Joe Biden n’est crédité que de 27 000 dollars. Le président de la commission sénatoriale des Finances, Max Baucus, celui-là même qui doit remettre le budget américain sur les rails, sans parler de l’assurance maladie, est –comme l’Amérique- dans le rouge, avec une dette de 42 000 dollars.

Peter King is a writer for Sports Illustrated who specializes in covering professional football. He has  a short column near the back of each issue of the magazine which is entitled, “Things I Think I Think.” I like his musings but, better yet, I like the title, indeed, I am a bit envious of the title. At least, I thing that’s what it is. I would like to have some sort of regular thoughts, nothing profound, just a bit thought-provoking; about something. Obviously, I  am not expert enough on any subject to be as specific as Mr King.

He is not the first member of the media to have a regular feature with a catchy title. Paul Harvey had more than one. I well remember, over my shoulder a backward glance and partly personal. There was Charles Kuralt and over the road. And there was  President Roosevelt with his fireside chats  which was the first great presidential use of the media.

Reagan was known as “The Great Communicator” in some circles and in many instances President Obama has excelled in that area as well . But, alas, I know my sights need to aim more in the  Shetland pony  than the Palomino or Clydesdale.

From my category list, politics would seem a good area on which to focus, or sports or the media. Withing those areas, there are any number of popular tags that reappear often- Democrats, the media, Israel, among others. Better yet, there are others who desperately seek to provide fodder- Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden,Madame Secretary,etc.

What I shall seek is to provide a wry but not sharp look at folks and things  from time to time, not quite like the quotes section of The Limbaugh Letter, but perhaps down a  similar path. So, we shall consider this as the first installment of  the  Grounds from the Percolator and see where the aroma takes us.

The two-state solution is the most highly discussed solution as a means to resolving the Israel/Palestinian conflict, most recently advocated by Hilary Clinton. But if implemented, will it achieve lasting peace?

Up untill recently I believed the only way to resolve the crisis would be a two-state solution which would give the Palestinians their own right to self-determination. The argument goes that if the Jews have the right to choose an area to establish a state then so do the Palestinians.

However, the building and expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem render the two-state solution impossible to achieve. The areas that Palestinians have hoped to create a sovereign state have slowly been absorbed and annexed by the settlers, who have purposefully targeted strategic areas. The ’security barrier’ built in the West Bank along with the annexation around major settlement blocs is a further implication as it suggests Israel has no intention of withdrawing from the occupied territories any time soon.

In addition, the two state solution legitimizes the idea that the Palestinians are a demographic threat to the Israelis. Rather than being able to consolidate differences it serves to agitate and increase the divide between Jews and Arabs. The two-state solution in this sense serves a more negative role rather than creating a positive message which is essential to a peace process.

Another answer?

The only way to achieve long-term peace is to adopt a bi-national state. This state would be secular, and recognise the rights of both nationalities. A common history of suffering could be used to bind both Jews and Palestinians together in a bi-national state, which would have systems in place to enable legal safeguards to protect both nationalities from persecution. It has its fair share of problems, especially the difficulty of implementation in the short-term. Israel was foundered on the principle of a Jewish state so many Israelis will not be prepared to give up their jewish identity in return for a secular state. There needs to a huge shift in people attitudes before any lasting peace can be achieved. separation will just inflame tensions. The reasons for a bi-national state stem much deeper than religious or political ones, it is a system that could recognise the rights for all and prohibit prejudice.

If years of education that included absolutely zero classes involving international politics have taught me anything, it’s that you can always the country whose cultural attaché is a robotic cat with a penchant for pancakes:

When it comes to basically everything, Japan speaks the universal language of batshit crazy, and this makes it pretty much impossible to not pay attention when the topic turns to current global affairs.  Seriously, you might as well ignore Raymond Babbitt at a black jack table, because you know that whatever ridiculousness the Japanese contributes to the conversation is going to be the path to diplomacy and world peace.  

Which, of course, is precisely the message this little nugget of lunacy, “My Boyfriend Is the President”:

I would probably pay far more attention to world news if it more akin to this video, meaning I’ll start being more politically minded when the New York Times starts lacing its print edition with angel dust.

Much love to Videogum and @Godsauce for the discovery.