Did He Really SAY That?

“What the American people have seen is this incredible disparity in which those people who had cars and money got out and those people who were impoverished died.”
— Ted Kennedy on Hurricane Katrina

“Ditto”
— Mary Jo Kopechne

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

ABC news anchor, Bob Woodruff, and his cameraman were seriously injured by an IED last week as they drove through the streets of Iraq. In other non-news, several unnamed and unmentioned American soldiers were either killed or injured last week by IEDs in the same country, Iraq.

I find this interesting because the media is overly concerned about their “own” and will continue to report on the anchor's condition throughout the day and night regardless of any interest (or lack of) conveyed by the viewer.

Americans are often criticized for being self-centered—for not knowing much about the world beyond their borders and for not doing more for the folks beyond those borders suffering for various reasons be it famine, disease, war, economics, etc. Our lack of knowledge dooms others because, I’m supposing, the power we hold as Americans is omnipotent.

I assert that the perpetrators of self-centered-ness are in fact the Media or MSM. They bring us ad nauseam one so-called and so-created scandal after another: the NSA “spying on good Americans” scandal, the Valerie “Jane Blonde” Plame scandal, WMD lies, Iraq/Afghanistan quagmires, etc etc etc.

They go on and on about Bush -–plainly most American (and European for that matter) MSM and many others (actors, writers, playwrights, philosophers, etc) are obsessed with the man. Is there nothing else??? Honestly, I would really like to know the progress or lack of in the Sudan or Sierra Leone or the Congo or Tibet or Indonesia and on and on.

The media supposedly reflects the world around us, clearly they reflect their world—selfish, self-interested and just plain ugly.

BUSY-BODY ALERT!

Tata too much time on her hands... I fear for her safety if residents do "withdrawal" from caffeine.

(I-Newswire) - City of Shaker Heights, OHIO - ( Jan 17, 2006) Following a health trend that appears to be brewing up all over the nation, Mayor Judith Rawson has signed a proclamation for the City of Shaker Heights that addresses the issues regarding caffeine intoxication and dependency.

In the proclamation the Mayor is "calling upon all Shaker Heights citizens, public and private institutions, business and schools to increase awareness and understanding of the consequences of caffeine consumption."

The proclamation also spells out many dangers of caffeine abuse such as heart disease, pancreas and bladder cancer, hypoglycemia, and central nervous system disorders. By getting the word out about the serious dangers of caffeine, Mayor Rawson hopes to prevent a substance that can "pose a significant hazard to health and longevity."

City of Shaker Heights is one of several cities across the country recognizing this annual event. This will be the third year for this event which is sponsored by the Caffeine Awareness Alliance, a non-profit organization. Marina Kushner, founder, states, "Each year more and more people are waking up to the real truth about the dangers of this ubiquitous drug. We are delighted that the mayor has recognized that this is not a laughing matter." Prior years have seen ways of celebrating this event ranging from educational events in school to even picketing outside coffee houses.

"During this month, we hope to reach out to educate business and consumers about the risk associated with caffeine dependency and to raise awareness about the impact it has on our society" says Kushner.

Kushner is an authority on the subject. She delves into both the physical and psychological dangers that caffeine can cause in her new book called "The Truth About Caffeine". In addition to the book, she has developed a line of caffeine-free coffee replacements called Soyfee, made from 100% organic soybeans. Soy has been shown to help lower cholesterol, fight heart disease and promote strong bones. For further information on the popular product please visit www.soycoffee.com.

But how does it jive with this:
Coffee: The New Health Food? Plenty of health benefits are brewing in America's beloved beverage.

I suspect someone wants to sell books and make money off aggitating.

More Tyranny from the Busy-Bodies and Looking to Get Rich on the Way

Forget parents, it's the job of the busybody to patrol what kids eat--what parents do or don't allow their children to consume is not the problem, it's companies that manufacture & market their wares--evil evil companies:

An advocacy group wants companies to stop marketing junk food to children. They're targeting two titans in a multi-million dollar lawsuit. They're going after the companies behind Tony the Tiger and Spongebob Squarepants: Kellogg foods and Viacom, owner of Nickelodeon TV.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest says junk food is making American kids unhealthy, and is threatening to sue for a billion dollars if they won't tone down ads aimed at kids.

Hire that Publicist!

That's what a good part of the African continent needs-- a publicity campaign like the masterful ones created by the Arab countries on behalf of the so-called Palestenians in Israel. Then, maybe the killings in Darfur, Congo and the apartheid in Zimbabwe (this time, whites are victimized), Somalia and Ethopia (religous and economic segregation and victimization) could get some world attention and much-needed intervention.

But the problem is, a good (i.e. effective) publicity campaign requires not just non-stop concentrated efforts and initiatives from a variety of disciplines (the media in all forms, NGOs, gov'ts, leaders, entertainers), but big BIG money. The Arab Oilers had it and spent it and continue to put their money where their mouth is, or rather, their interest is-- the annihilation of Israel and the Jews therein and for the obedient, the establishment of a Caliphate.

Africa needs to hire that publicist and NOW!

If I Seem a Little Cranky...

It's because I am.

I watched some of the MLK parade today that meandered through the streets of Crenshaw and thought "this is the best they can do? THIS is how they celebrate a great man who gave so much, sacrificing his very life for his ideals and the well-being of others?"

It was like watching a day at the Santa Monica boardwalk. People, in no order or organization, sometimes together with groups, sometimes alone, some with signs-- all walking down the street with no purpose really. Where's the pomp? The circumstance?

And the video, though playing the "best of" and trying to promote the positive aspect of the parade, sadly makes my point. http://ktla.trb.com/

The Tyranny of Busy-Bodies

New Jersey's Smoking ban is now official: http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2006/01/16/daily2.html?jst=b_ln_hl
And Washington's ban is official:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/251121_smoking07.html
No smoking in pubs & restaurants in NYC. No smoking on the beach in Santa Monica. In Michigan, a company called Weyco is testing employees for smoke and terminates them if they're caught smoking.

What's next--testing for high fat content foods? Smoking bans are just one of a littany of personal liberties and happiness pursuits that continue to be chipped away by the so-called do-gooders, those that think they are looking out for the "common good". Oh what new tyrannies await us around thy corner and under thy bed?

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."
- C. S. Lewis

Brokeback Mountain A Winner? REALLY?? For Whom?

I think gay folks are just folks... people...human beings. Instead of having an inkling for the opposite sex, they have one for the same sex. I believe that a homosexual is born a homosexual, just like if you're heterosexual you're born heterosexual and that gay folks can no more turn off their attraction to the same sex as heterosexuals can turn off their attraction to the opposite sex. They're folks, like you, like me.

But to award a movie and actors for portraying people who are supposed to be not oddities, but like everyone else, is well, beyond me. Hollowood and gay advocacy groups say gays are just like everyone else and should be afforded the same "rights" (they are), dignities and place in society as "straight" folks (amen) and then Hollowood turns around and treats them as something out of a carnival or sci-fi movie (humanizing the creature), something is really really wrong with this picture.

I can not recall the last time a leading man in a dramatic love story has been noted for his acting ability. Can't think of one (Phoenix in Walk the Line played Johny Cash). But since the story of Brokeback Mountain is about a gay relationship, then this is really ACTING? What is the acting part? That Heath Ledger could ACT like he loves a man? This is DEEP... NOT. Crimeny.

If the point of awarding Brokeback Mountain the Golden Globe is to say that gay folks are like everyone else, then quit treating them like they're different, tell a good story and stop diminishing their humanity by pointing out how "normal" they really are and how acting like a gay is really ACTING.

I Hate War Too...But Evil Even More

I hate [war] as the pacifists in bad or good faith never will. I loathe it. Every book I have written overflows with that loathing, and I cannot bear the sight of guns…When peace stands for surrender, fear, loss of dignity and freedom, it is no longer peace. It's suicide.
- Oriana Fallaci

Ms. Fallaci is being sued and will face trial in Italy for a book she wrote which purportedly insults Muslims.

VIGGO SCHMIGGO: Update

I got this comment about my Viggo posting and found it rather amusing, sort of:

Anonymous said...

Sue for child support payments? lol. They settled, you idiot, out of court, and he and his ex are still friends. Trying to dig up dirt on the V-man is hard, ain't it?

You're a bleeping idiot.

You see, he/she makes a point that one can construe "facts" based on partial information. Case in point: the reference I made to the Smoking Gun scan of a legal petition for an increase in child support payments. It was not a dirt-digging mission and I didn't make it up, but used it to make a point. It's easy to judge another based on tidbits of information and as I noted, it's his personal biz, but he should hold up a mirror and perhaps hold judgement--because his perceptions, though he has every right to express them, may or may not reflect the truth.

Secondly, Anonymous decides to end his/her comment with "You're a bleeping idiot" which clearly reflects his/her state of mind. He/she is angry. Name-calling is an easy out, a way to diminish another. I'm an idiot because I have a point of view... I'm an idiot because I ask that those with media "power" take a more measured approached to the things they say... I'm an idiot because I state we need to be kind in words and in action.

If this is Anonymous' definition of an Idiot, I guess I'll take it as a compliment. Thanks Anonymous!

And finally, Viggo perhaps says it best:

"Be kind. It’s worthwhile to make an effort to learn about other people and figure out what you might have in common with them. If you allow yourself to be somewhat curious — and if you get into the habit of doing that—it’s the first step to being open minded… and realizing that your points of view aren’t totally opposite. I don’t think anyone’s are, in the end. It’s just a question of finding out by spending time with them or giving their ideas a chance to be considered." -2004

Planet of the Apes...

Chimp's Painting Fools Experts

A GERMAN art expert was fooled into believing a painting done by a chimpanzee was the work of a master.

Now THAT'S funny! Makes me think there may be a market for my paintings...


Speaking of apes, check this out: Stalin's Mutant Ape Army

SOVIET dictator Josef Stalin ordered his scientists to cross humans with APES to create an invincible breed of Red Army soldiers, secret documents show.

In an Alternate Universe

Kudos to Bono and the Gates'. But in an alternate Universe, perhaps one in which Democrat John Kerry were president, TIME magazine's persons of the year would probably be the Iraqi people. Amidst the threat of death, destruction, fear and violence, they managed to vote in 3 elections (or have the choice of voting) during the year.

This very liberal principle that has become U.S. policy since 2001, i.e. of attempting to address the root cause of the Islamofascism disease, should have liberal magazines, newspapers, organizations and politicians praising and embracing the successes and sacrifices of our country and most importantly of the more than 2,000 souls who have perished in the hopes of securing the future for all of us--not just Americans, but all freedom-loving peoples of the world.

But no, this is not an alternate Universe. And instead of heading off into the New Year feeling good about the risks we've taken and the results garnered, we're to feel bad that the Gov't is snooping on us (forget that Hollywood is too) and the gains we've made are to be lost in the ba-humbugs of the Christmas Grinches.

VIGGO SCHMIGGO

Frankly, the trashing, bashing & re-hashing of the same ol' argument is soo tiring. America BAD everyone else GOOD. Case in point:

Viggo Mortensen of The Lord of the Rings fame, recently conducted an interview and as he did, he placed a small UN flag on the table in front of him. The UN FLAG! I ask you, what has the UN done for anyone lately? Seriously? When I say the following, what comes to mind? Rwanda. Sudan. Congo. Somalia. Tibet. East Timor. Cote D’Ivore. Haiti. Liberia. Cuba. Etc. Etc. Etc.

I have no problem with him speaking his “mind”, but for a guy who is supposed to be well-read, he obviously hasn’t read enough. His expressed thoughts are actually emotion-based, not intellect-based and he supplies no facts—just slanders, accuses and judges.

“I’m not anti-Bush; I’m anti-Bush behavior,” Mortensen told Progressive magazine. “In other words, I’m against cheating, greed, cruelty, racism, imperialism, religious fundamentalism, treason, and the seemingly limitless capacity for hypocrisy shown by Bush and his administration.”

I find it interesting that he’s against so many of the “behaviors” of Bush and his administration, yet it could be said he practices many of the same “traits”. His ex-wife Excene has gone to court to sue him for child support payments. And maybe it's just a formality, but why go to court? Why sue? Hmmm. Greed? Cruelty? Hypocrisy? Anyone? Anyone?

Look, I know that it's his own personal bus, but when someone starts judging others, well, it's time to hold the mirror up. It’s fine to speak your mind, but when you have a world audience and influence it becomes imperative to stick to facts—for the benefit of all of us. And whether you like it or not, W is the Pres. and it IS a reflection on US when people start making our leaders out to be criminals. It was the same with Clinton and before him Reagan.

Thanks to the HollowWood folks, our world stock has dropped, our brand diminished. Isolationists will shrug and say this is a good thing. But, this is a global community, now more than ever, and we need to be kind in words and in action and not just to those in need in other countries, but to each other.

I'm not anti-Viggo, I'm just anti-Viggo behavior.

Tookie Chose Death

The not-so funny part of this entire drama is that the Save Tookie crowd didn't know the names of the victims and frankly didn't care.

Tookie chose death in his decision to execute 4 innocent people which resulted in his execution and his supporters chose ignorance, cruelty and selfish indignation.

"Tonight is a planned, efficient, calculated, antiseptic, cold-blooded murder,'' Joan Baez said.

Jesse Jackson paid a final visit with Williams and said the condemned man was trying to remain positive.

"Tell those who came, to follow my message -- anti-violence and anti-drugs," Jackson said Williams told him.

"We must not give up on redemption," Jackson said. "(Gov.) Arnold (Schwarzenegger) had a choice to make. He read the polls and washed his hands. But the blood will be there for a long time.''

"He's no threat to society," the civil rights leader added. "Why kill killing with killing?"

Homeless Shelter-less for the Holidays

According to a recent article in my Missouri hometown newspaper, homeless shelters are near capacity. With record cold temps hitting most of the US, it's going to be tough for many homeless folks to find adequate shelter and I fear mass deaths.

But, here's a solution (I'm certain it's not original): There are hundreds if not thousands of churches in my hometown--from small to large -- why not open them up to accomodate the homeless? Many have kitchens, bathrooms and fellowship halls with plenty room to house the homeless or at least get them out of the cold for a spell.

Afterall, isn't this the time of year when a homeless family found shelter in a manger?

What's the deal with vacant churches --6 of the 7 days of the week they're empty and not being used. Seems a big waste of space and potential for good.

I know dealing with the homeless is challenging and sometimes, well many times, safety is an issue, but giving them at least a few more options other than the street and freezing to death seems the Christian thing to do, doesn't it? And hey, it's not just Christian churches with space to spare, but also Synagogues and Mosques.

Is giving to the Salvation Army and plopping a dollar in the church donation basket this time of year an attempt to pay off our collective guilt by letting others take care of the problem?

A FRENCH LIBERTARIAN...Une fille après mon propre coeur

Sabine Herold is the editor and spokeswoman for Liberté j'écris ton nom (Liberty, I Write Your Name), a think tank and activist organization at the forefront of a new and growing pro-liberty movement in France.

Regarding the Liberation of Iraq by America & the coalition:

"I for one think that it's always good to be free of a tyrant. And when Liberté j'écris ton nom advocated intervening in Iraq, our arguments were not on the issue of weapons of mass destruction — they were on the issue that Saddam Hussein is a real tyrant and we have to get rid of him.

"We advocate freedom in France, and the Iraqis also should be free. They were not genetically created to be slaves. I think that when the people in France demonstrated against war, they didn't want peace for the Iraqis — they wanted peace for themselves.

"It's a matter of human rights. I think human rights are more important than culture. To me, cultural relativism is just a way to justify when human rights are being violated. "
[emphasis added]

Tookie Monster

No matter how much the media and HollowWood Elites try to "put on" their own MonsterPiece Theatre with the lead actor, Tookie the OG, playing a kid-friendly, "inspirational" and educational character, like Cookie Monster the OM, I just can't buy the story and sit through this play. He's a monster, no doubt. And this one has been played out playa.

Look I was for the Death Penalty before I was against it and it may be possible to hold conflicting positions on any number of things. It's always the OTHERS that try to pin you to absolutes. In this case, I'm in favor of an absolute or rather "final" solution. So, I'm really not against death as a penalty...afterall, don't we all face it at some point with or without penalties?

Tookie wants to live, but not bad enough to give it up ("snitch" in his words) so that others can live free from violence and fear in the neighborhoods that are owned by the Crips.

There are reasons to oppose/fight the death penalty and that day may come very soon. But Tookie is not the poster boyee for those willing to come to the table.

Creating a UN-Style Peace Farce

The rant of late is that the American military is FIGHTING a war, rather than being a "FORCE FOR PEACE" i.e. standing by and letting others fight it out as was the model for the UN "Peacekeepers" in Rwanda, Darfur and so many other conflicts.

In Rwanda for example, the UN Peacekeepers kept the peace for themselves, managing to scurry away while the killers kept on killing -- heck they weren't killing Europeans or Americans for goodness sake, just Africans. Getting in the middle of a machete fight may not be the smartest way to keep the peace for yourself or to stay alive for that matter. No, that will not do.

After all, European lives and American lives have greater value than other lives don't you know, so why bother getting involved in a battle not our own?

The best thing is to BE for Peace but take no action to guarantee or establish peace and what does peace mean if you’re dead? I’ve wondered this on occasion. Perhaps when the UN speaks of peace, they are referring to peace in the after-life.

The same rationale is now being offered for Iraq. They’re just Iraqis after all—barely people really. “Let them fight it out for themselves…It’s their problem…” It’s all the craze now amongst the peace-minded American elite and their lapdogs in the Congress and Senate.

Sticking Up for Saddam: Ramsey Clark admits that his client is guilty.

By Christopher Hitchens

[Excerpt from Slate.com 12/2/05] ...
Rather than say what substance I think Ramsey Clark is made of, I shall quote from Jeffrey Blankfort. There are various Web sites devoted to undermining the war effort in Iraq, one or two of which are also devoted to attacks on my own moral turpitude. I can't read them all but I do usually look at the e-mail I get from Blankfort. He is a very serious guy with whom I have had a few exchanges. He is one of the few to have noticed what Ramsey Clark said, and here is his comment:

The problem is … that Clark is one of the most well-known representatives of the anti-war movement and represents ANSWER coalition and in my mind this is more than the conflict of interest that it unquestionably is. Thus, the message that it sends to the Iraqi people is that the anti-war movement doesn't really care about any Iraqis other than those who have been killed by US and UK forces, that it, in fact, does not condemn Saddam for his long history of human rights violations and for his launching a bloody war against Iran that took well over a million lives.

That is to say the least of it. He adds:

It is long past time for the anti-war movement to drop its double standards. It can begin by saying Ramsey Clark does not speak for us. He certainly does not speak for me.

This is a nice twist on the self-regarding "Not In Our Name" slogan under which the anti-war movement filled the streets to hear speeches from Saddam sympathizers, Fidel and Kim groupies, and Islamic fundamentalists. Not really anti-war at all, but pro-war on the other side. It was more like a single standard if you ask me, but let's put this to the test.

So, how about it, Cindy Sheehan and Michael Moore and Tim Robbins and all the rest of you? Do you need any prompting to say what you think? Or is the only crime scene to be found in the Downing Street memo and the identifying of a CIA bureaucrat? We know what Clark is made of: What about you? I meanwhile shall recline, happy in the knowledge that Saddam Hussein has engaged the services of an attorney who proclaims him to be guilty as charged. [emphasis added]

This is What I'm Talkin' 'Bout

FIFTH COLUMN DISTORTION
by Jack Kelly
Friday, 02 December 2005

In his speech at the Naval Academy Wednesday outlining U.S. strategy in Iraq, President Bush paid tribute to Marine Corporal Jeffrey Starr, killed in a fire fight in Ar Ramadi April 30th. He was 22, on his third tour in Iraq.

A letter to his girlfriend was found on Starr's laptop computer:

"If you're reading this, then I've died in Iraq," Cpl. Starr wrote. "I don't regret going. Everybody dies but a few get to do it for something as important as freedom. It may seem confusing why we're in Iraq; it's not to me. I'm here helping these people so they can live the way we live, not to have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators. Others have died for my freedom; now this is my mark."

In a mammoth article in October taking note of the 2,000th U.S. death in Iraq, the New York Times mentioned Cpl. Starr and his letter, but didn't quote the passages above. All the Times quoted from his letter was: "'I kind of predicted this,' Corporal Starr wrote of his own death. 'A third time just seemed like I'm pushing my chances.'"

The Times' omissions and distortions -- which are more the rule than the exception in news coverage of Iraq -- explain why so many Americans think we're losing a war we're plainly winning.

[snip]
When Rep. Murtha called for immediate withdrawal from Iraq, he led the network newscasts. But when Sen. Lieberman -- who had just returned from his fourth trip to Iraq -- declared Tuesday that "visible and practical" progress has been made, neither ABC or CBS mentioned it on their evening newscasts, and neither the New York Times nor the Washington Post published a single word of what he had to say.

Some in the media go beyond omission and distortion to outright fabrication, as Reuters news service did the day after the president's speech.

"Iraqi militants attacked a U.S. base and a local government building with mortar rounds and rockets in Ramadi, west of Baghdad, on Thursday, before holding ground on several streets, residents said," Reuters reported. "They've taken control of all the main streets and other sections of Ramadi."

But Marine Captain Jeffrey Pool, who is stationed in Ramadi, said: "as of 2:00 p.m. there were no signs of significant insurgent activity anywhere in the city. At 9:30 a.m. an RPG was fired at a joint U.S.-Iraqi observation post which in no damages or casualties. That is all. No other attacks."

Capt. Pool said the false report of an al Qaida offensive in Ramadi "is clearly a sign of how desperate insurgents have become." It's also a sign of how desperate Reuters is becoming, as progress in Iraq becomes more difficult to ignore.