The Breakfast Sandwich from Hell

Holy Crap!

Burger King has introduced a new breakfast sandwich called "The Enormous Omelet Sandwich".

This sucker has:

two eggs
sausage
three strips of bacon
two slices of melted cheese

And, of course, it's all on a bun.

It also has, apparently, 730 calories and 47 grams of fat.

That's not a typo--730 calories and 47 grams of fat!!!

By comparison, McDonalds' Egg McMuffin has 290 calories and 12 grams of fat. For those of you too lazy to do the math, that means one of these sandwiches is equal to eating three Egg McMuffins.

Holy shit! Holy, holy, HOLY shit!!!

I'm curious as to exactly who BK is targeting with this sandwich. I mean, eating one of these sandwiches is equal to eating about three full-sized breakfasts. Imagine if you ate one of these honkers every day. After about a month, you'd probably be the size of an M1 tank.

This should raise concern in everyone's mind. I mean, every day in this country roughly 2000 people die from heart disease. And a substantial number of those deaths result from being overweight.

So the last thing this country needs is another way to get fat!

The American Red Cross

Yesterday, I donated a pint of blood.

Yesterday was Good Friday.

Every Good Friday for the last six years, I have donated a pint of blood.

The reason I do this is simple: IF Jesus Christ, on this day, gave his LIFE to redeem all of mankind's sins, then the LEAST I can do on this day is to make sure that I donate a pint of my blood to try to repay that debt.

I urge every one of the three people reading this blog to call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE and arrange an appointment with the American Red Cross to donate a pint of blood. It usually takes less than an hour. It doesn't hurt (much!) It gives you a good feeling. And that single pint of blood you donate can save up to 3 lives.

Roughly 95% of the population of this country either will receive transfused blood at some point in their lives, or they have a family member who will receive it (Both my mother and father have received blood.) And yet, less than 5% of the population of this country actually donates blood. So to say every drop counts is somewhat of an understatement.

Save a life today. Donate blood.

Thank you.
-

The Scopes Monkey Trial, Redux

A particular news item caught my eye today. It seems that certain IMAX cinemas in Texas, Georgia and the Carolinas are refusing to show a new documentary movie called "Volcanoes of the Deep Sea". What, you may ask, is the reason for this?

Is it filled with foul language? No. Does it contain graphic violence? No. Does it have full frontal nudity? I doubt it.

But wouldn't that be cool? IMAX and full frontal nudity! Imagine seeing Pamela Anderson's "volcanoes" in full IMAX size...

But I digress. No, the reason this film will not be seen in certain southern cities is that it DARES to mention the Theory of Evolution.

That's right. It makes some form of connection between Deep Sea Volcanoes and their effect on DNA. It suggests that these volcanoes may have had something to do with the formation of life on earth.

I know. You can't believe it. "How could this possibly offend anybody?", I hear you cry.

You have to remember, though, that this is the same area of the country that where less than 80 years ago there was a law in place that forbid the teaching of the Theory of Evolution, or any other theory that ran counter to the teachings of The Bible. A man was actually put in jail for teaching the Theory of Evolution. The infamous "Scopes Monkey Trial" occured in in the tiny town of Dayton in east Tennessee, a short trip from Georgia and both Carolinas. In that trial, which would inspire a well-known play that in turn inspired no less than 3 movies, a single man was put on trial for daring to try to teach a scientifically validated theory that happened to run counter to the laws of the time. It was a one of many sad moments in the history of education in this country.

Of course, you should also remember that this is also the same area of the country where, less than a half-century ago, there were laws in place that made it illegal for Whites and Blacks to sit at the same lunch counter, attend the same schools, use the same drinking fountains, etc. Laws, mind you, that were often enforced at gunpoint.

My point to all this is that ignorance is a highly contagious disease that can only be controlled by education. And now, yet another source of that education has been cut off.

For details on the story try this link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/4378541.stm

The Sad Case of Terry Schiavo

While I realize I already weighed in on this issue in yesterday's post, the actions taken by congress yesterday compel me to say a bit more on the subject.

I already made my opinion clear: Let the poor woman die! But let me defend that.

The three people who have read just about any entry on this my humble blog probably have realized that my political leanings tend to be a little bit toward the left (in the same way it can be said that the Titanic took on a little water), so it should come as no big shock to anyone that I feel the way I do about this case.

An Aside: I want to make it clear that should the unthinkable happen and I end up in a state similar to Terry Schiavo, where I am no longer able to feed myself, dress myself, bathe myself, or do anything on my own other than breathe, I not only encourage but demand that my family not keep me alive in such a state.

But getting back to the point: This case is NOT about Terry Schiavo--it is about the Republicans shamelessly pandering to their base. 11+ years of Republicans being in control of congress, and 5+ years of DUIbya (tm) sitting in the White House have left our country so fucked up that the Republicans stand a good chance of losing control of one or both houses of congress next year.

So they are appealing to the one group that can keep them in the majority--the pro-lifers. These are people who wouldn't dream of voting Republican if not for this issue. These are people like one of my co-workers, who said she wouldn't vote for John Kerry because she didn't want to see four more years of abortions happening. Of course, I guarantee that abortion will still be legal in 2008--because without it as an issue, all those "family values" voters will wake up and realize how anti-"family values" some of the legislation coming from the Republican Congress really is.

Republicans like abortion as an issue because it keeps all the "red staters" firmly on their side. It allows them to continue to press their agenda. It allows them to continue to work to destroy Social Security. It allows them to continue to work to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. It allows them to continue to work to favor business at the expense of people. And as long as they have the knee-jerk votes of the pro-lifers, they will continue to do exactly what they are doing.

So again I say it: this case is NOT about Terry Schiavo. It's about the Republicans staying in power. And they are using this poor woman as a pawn in their little game.

Of course, no mention is being made in the "liberal" media about the fact that in 1999, then Texas Governor George W. Bush signed into law a bill that allowed Hospitals in Texas to remove from life support any patient whose family could no longer afford the cost of their care and who were diagnosed as likely to never recover. DUIbya (tm) cut short a campaign trip to sign this bill into Texas law. Much in the same way he cut short his vacation (yes, it's true--he actually took time off from his vacation!) to sign this new legislation in favor of keeping Terry Schiavo alive into law!

It's too bad that hypocrisy isn't fatal.

I Hardly Know Where to Begin!

So many targets, so little time. Let's start with the obvious first:

On Terry Schiavo:

5 words: Let the poor woman die! Face it: her problems started because she was anorexic and obviously had image problems. Now, her face has been plastered all over the media everywhere looking horrible. I'm sure that's exactly what she never wanted to happen! And now, Republicans in congress are all set to intervene, in another example of their shameless pandering to their base. For God's sake, let her die with what little dignity she has left!

On ANWR Drilling:

3 Words: Really bad idea. Even the best case estimates have determined that there is, at most, a 6 month's supply of oil there, and that it would take 10 years to completely extract it.

Do the math: That means it will take ten years to extract a supply of oil that will be gone in six months. Think about it: would you spend ten days collecting firewood when you knew it would all be burned up in 6 hours? No. What you would do is invest in a gas-powered fireplace. In other words, if congress would get out of the carmakers' lobbyists' pockets and raise the fuel efficiency standard for all cars made in the U.S., we could save 10 times the amount of oil that may or may not be available in ANWR every year!

On Baseball and Steroids:

Doesn't Congress have more important things to worry about? Apparently not!

On Catholic Condemnation of The DaVinci Code:

Memo to the Catholic Church: Uh, guys? The book has been out for almost two years now. They're already making a movie out of it. I think the time to weigh in on the subject has already passed!

On the NCAA Basketball Tournament:

I didn't put in on the office pool this year. The one year that I did, I think I had Duke picked to go all the way, and that was the year they were eliminated in the second round. Since then, I've saved my money.

I should point out, though, that if Illinois manages to go all the way and win the National title, then there will be only one team that managed to beat them this year:

OHIO STATE!

Go Illini!

By the way: Does anyone else besides me find it ironic that March is National Problem Gambling Awareness month? March, when the one event that probably inspires more gambling than any other event takes place!

That's all for now.

Support Our Troops--By Doing More Than Buying a Ribbon Magnet!

This morning on the news, I heard a news story that made me sad. It was about the financial troubles being experiences by the soldiers and family members of the national guard and reserve.

Currently, 40% of the troops deployed in Iraq are from the National Guard or Reserve. These are men and women many of whom are making less than half of what they earned in their civilian jobs. And, with the current economy tight, few employers are willing and/or able to make up the salary differences for their called-up employees.

The bottom line is that this war is affecting everybody, and is doing the most harm to the people who can least afford it. Geez, that theme has been played so many times it's starting to sound like a broken record.

I think about this every time I see a big, gas-hogging SUV with one of those ridiculous "support our troops" magnetized yellow ribbons on the back. Or every time I see one of said ribbons, period. I'm thinking that these people probably think they're being patriotic because they spent ten bucks at Wal-Mart to buy a ridiculous piece of plastic that shows how much they love their country. They wouldn't know what patriotism was if it smacked them across the face.

(Which, coincidentally, is what I sometimes feel like doing when I see one of these pseudo-patriots.)

I can't help but wonder how many of these suburban SUV warriors have sent their kids to the army recruiting office to sign them up for service. Or how many of them are veterans themselves.

I freely admit I am not a veteran. Nor, at my current age and physical condition, am I likely to become one. But I appreciate the sacrifice our soldiers, sailors, and marines are making for their country, and the tremendous burden it is placing on them and their families

An aside: If it ever gets to the point where the army need me to join up, you'd better start learning to speak Chinese!

So I have done my small part to help. Today I made a donation to the U.S.O. And I encourage anyone reading this to do likewise (www.uso.org). It takes all of 30 seconds to complete the online donation form. Or you can also donate to U.S.A. Cares (www.usacares.us). Or any number of other worthy organizations that help provide aid and comfort to our servicemen and their families.

That is a much better way of showing your support for our troops than simply slapping a tacky magnetic ribbon on the back of your car.

I also repeat that it is my intention to donate any money I receive from clicks on my Google Adsense ads to my local church, which has its own outreach program for families of members in the military deployed overseas.

Support our troops--by actually supporting them!

My Sad, Sad Life

Saturday night I attended my sister's surprise 40th birthday party.

It was organized by her husband, and boy was she surprised (and probably slightly homicidal--it's a good thing there were lots of people there or there might have been violence!)

Anyway, it was mostly a bunch of people I didn't know standing around eating, drinking, and talking. Nonstop. For four hours. And, since I had to drive home afterwards, my drinking was limited to a few beers. I have never been so bored in my life.

But that's not the worst part.

No, the worst part is that it was the most social interaction I've had in weeks.

I have no life.

Sob.

The Ongoing War on Consumer Safety, Part 2

So. Congress is all set to pass the most sweeping bankruptcy "reform" bill in history. It is a bill written by and for the big credit card companies. It will make it harder for poor, debt-ridden consumers to dissolve their debts through bankruptcy by forcing them into long repayment plans and throwing up more hurdles in the way of filing for bankruptcy. It will block people from seeking bankruptcy relief if they are above a certain income level. It will be force people into higher payments under chapter 13 plans. And it will place several legal hurdles in the way of filing for bankruptcy that will make it nearly impossible for already financially strapped consumers.

In short, the people who need the most help will receive the least help. Pretty much par for the course under the current administration. I can't say I'm the least bit surprised by this.

And don't doubt for one second that the credit card companies are responsible for this bill. They are always happy to extend vast amounts of credit to everyone, and then they act surprised when people run into financial trouble because of it.

Now don't get me wrong. I can't say I have much sympathy for people with high credit card debt. They are usually the architects of their own downfall. They pretty much deserve to be broke.

But the people who are really going to suffer under this bill are the people who have high debt through no fault of their own. People who suffered some expensive medical crisis, for example. Or perhaps people who made bad financial decisions at some point, such as co-signing a loan for someone.

Of course, one group that won't be hurt by this bill are the people who have legal judgments against them that are the result of anti-abortion protest activities. They can continue to seek bankruptcy protection to keep from paying those expenses. This is an amendment that has killed this bill in the past, but the Republicans finally had enough votes to kill the amendment. Can you say "shameless pandering to the base"?

Once again, big business gets exactly what it wants, from the government it paid for.

I just want to say something to all you red-state voters out there:

WAKE THE FUCK UP!!! THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT ON YOUR SIDE!!!

Thank you.

The Fight Over the Minimum Wage

So. The Senate shoots down not one, but two proposed increases in the Federal minimum wage. First Teddy Kennedy's proposed $2.10 increase, then the Republican's proposed $1.10 increase. Frankly, I'm not surprised by either vote. The Republicans would NEVER agree to give more money to poor people, and the Democrats were angered by too many "poison pills" that the Republican proposal was saddled with.

Frankly, I'm not sure who to be angry at. On the one hand, Republicans lately are always on the side of business, usually at the expense of employees. But the Democrats seem less interested in actually getting an increase in the minimum wage and more about having it as a campaign issue in '06.

Let's think about the minimum wage for a moment. At the current rate of $5.15 an hour (where it has been since 1996), based on 52 40-hour work weeks, it works out to gross earnings of about $10,700 a year, give or take. Let me try to put that number in perspective:

$10,700 is less than most cars cost today.

$10,700 is about $300 less than Alex Rodriguez makes in one hour.(1)

$10,700 is about $5,000 less than Rush Limbaugh makes in one hour.(2) Rush, by the way, has repeatedly claimed that the majority of Minimum Wage Earners are teenagers working their first jobs. This is a statistic that he pulled right out of his ass--something he seems to do a LOT. In actuality, 72% of M.W.E.'s are adults, and more than half are women.(3)

$10,700 is about how much the War in Iraq costs the U.S. Government every ten seconds!(4)

(Just think about that for a minute: Every ten seconds, the government spends the entire annual wages of a full-time M.W.E. in Iraq. That's 8,640 people every day.)

Of course, none of these figures take into account the fact that by the time you pay taxes and other deductions, take-home pay is about two-thirds of that $10,700.

And let's not forget the most important comparison of all: $10,700 is roughly $6,700 below the official federal poverty line for a family of four.(5)

If you boil all this down, you realize that $10,700 is not a lot of money. It's very hard to live on (I know--I've tried), and there is no way to support a family on it in today's day and age.

The usual argument against raising minimum wage is that it will hurt businesses. Bullshit. There is one basic economic rule that the people who make this argument fail to remember: If people have more money, they will buy more stuff. Businesses will do more business. They will make more money. They can afford to pay their employees even more. Everybody wins.

It's time for the politicians to realize this. I doubt this will ever happen. After all, the average United States Senator makes 10 times more annually than someone on minimum wage. They are so out of touch they wouldn't know what poverty was if it jumped up and bit them on the ass.

Maybe if we forced the Senators and Congressmen to live on minimum wage...

I'm just sayin'!


NOTES:
(1) Figure from salary.com

(2) Ibid.

(3) Figure from Economic Policy Institute

(4) Figure from costofwar.com

(5) Federal Poverty Standard for a Family of Four

Yeah, I know. I'm actually citing my sources. I'm trying to add some small degree of legitimacy to this enterprise. If you have a problem with any of those statistics, take it up with the people who made those sites!

Bleh.

God, I feel awful.

This may be my shortest posting to date. I feel like shit. And, judging by what I saw in my mirror this morning, I look like it, too.

Sorry kids. I can't be witty, insightful, or philosophical today. Right now I'm just trying to concentrate on not puking.

Like I said. Bleh.

More tomorrow--if I live.

1,500.

Yes folks. Another sad milestone has been reached in the war in Iraq. Over 1,500 American soldiers, sailors, and marines have been killed since combat operations began nearly two years ago.

Let's think about that for a moment, shall we?

1,500 troops. I have tried to put that number in perspective. Here's what I've come up with:

1,500 is ten times more than the people that work in my office. It's roughly one-third of all the employees who work for my county. It's about half of the number of people who were killed in the attacks on September 11th, 2001. It's almost equal to the entire population of my mother's hometown. It's more than the entire student body of most schools.

Scary, isn't it? Take a moment to think about what those comparisons mean. Imagine if the entire staff in my office (including me) had been replaced 10 times because everyone had died. Imagine if one-third of all the employees in a fairly large county suddenly died. Imagine if, in addition to the targets that were hit on September 11th, terrorist planes had also hit the Sears Tower in Chicago, the TransAmerica building in San Francisco, and the Empire State building in New York. Imagine an entire small town in rural America losing more than 80% of it's population. Imagine entire schools sitting empty because there were no students to fill them. Like I said--scary.

I realize that 1,500 dead in two years is a small number compared to the casualties in 2 years of, say, World War II. The big difference is that those soldiers died knowing they were fighting a terrible evil, one that threatened to conquer and enslave the entire world. They were fighting against an evil madman who had the ability to realize his insane desire for conquest through military might. They were NOT fighting in some third world shithole run by a tinpot dictator who posed no threat whatsoever to the rest of the world, but who happened to be sitting on the world's second largest reserves of oil.

THAT, my friends, is the real reason for this war. Anyone else who tries to tell you otherwise is either lying or fooling themselves, or, more than likely, both.

Moveon is at it Again!

God bless those good folks at www.moveon.org. They've created a new contest.

You may or may not recall that during last year's presidential campaign, they created a contest called "Bush in 30 Seconds". You can read all about it here:

www.bushin30seconds.org

See the Winning ad, "Child's Pay" here:

http://www.bushin30seconds.org/view/01_large.shtml

(Sorry about having to copy and paste the links, folks. I'm still working on it.)

The aforementioned "Child's Pay" ad garnered much media attention when CBS refused to air it during the 2004 Super Bowl, despite the fact that Moveon had come up with the required money to pay for it.

An aside: Think about the logic behind that:
Simple, effective, highly creative ad about the dangers of the growing budget deficit = BAD
Ads about "Erections lasting longer than four hours" requiring immediate medical attention = GOOD


At any rate, they now have a new contest out called "Bush in 30 years" (http://www.bushin30years.org/)

You can go to the link if you want, but the long and short of it is that entrants must create a "flash" animation exposing the republican scam to "fix" (a.k.a. "destroy") Social Security. The entries should be short, to the point, and backed up by facts.

So, the call to arms is out. OK all you politi-flash makers out there: Time to step up! This notice has also been posted on h0rk's website (www.horkulated.com). And to the three people reading this blog, I'd love to hear your ideas--submit them as comments. I can't hope to make the flash animations myself (I'm not that much of a techno-geek--I leave that to the professionals) but I will pass along your suggestions, duly accredited, if you wish, to others I know.

Come on, folks. Let's show DUIbya (tm) and all his pals in Congress and on Wall Street that we don't want them destroying Social Security just to make themselves richer.

Another Bombing in Iraq

Sigh. Another suicide bombing in Iraq. This one was targeted specifically at Iraqi police and national guard recruits awaiting their medical exams. And with over 100 killed and over 100 injured, it ranks as one of the deadliest bombings to date.

An aside: With the desperate need for new Iraqi national guard troops, I'm guessing those medical exams aren't all that thorough. I'm betting that if you can walk and breathe, you're in!

But getting back to the point, let's take a look at this latest bombing. As I said, it was targeted specifically at recruits for the new Iraqi national guard and police force. Any guesses as to why?

Simple. The insurgents are sending a clear message to their fellow citizens: If you join the new military or police force in Iraq, you will be targeted for death.

Imagine if you will this situation: You walk into a U.S. Army recruiting office. You sign up. You go to take your medical examination. As you are walking into the doctor's office, a bomb explodes on the street nearby. You are badly injured. And many of the people around you are killed, and many others are also badly hurt. Now imagine how eager you would be to stay in the Army if you new the bombing was aimed at you because you wanted to join up.

Yeah. I didn't think so.

My Final Word on This Year's Oscars

As I mentioned two posts ago, I haven't seen a single one of the movies that were nominated for the six major Oscar Categories. But let me leave you with something to chew on:

The Peoples' Choice Awards--Favorite Movie Nominees:

Movie--------------------------- USA Box Office Gross (so far)
Spiderman 2----------------$373,377,893
Fahrenheit 9/11------------$119,194,771 (Winner)
The Incredibles -----------$258,938,368
Eternal Sunshine...--------$34,126,138
Shrek 2 -------------------$436,471,036
.............................Total: $1,222,108,206

The Academy Award Nominees for best picture:

Movie---------------------------USA Box Office Gross (so far)

The Aviator---------------$88,876,786
Million Dollar Baby-------$55,645,680 (Winner)
Finding Neverland --------$45,691,722
Ray ----------------------$74,911,715
Sideways -----------------$58,695,137

..............................Total: $323,821,040
(All figures courtesy of www.imdb.com)

For those of you doing the math at home, The Peoples' Choice nominees for favorite movie have outscored the Academy award nominees for best picture at the box office by nearly four to one. And I would also point out that these are only U.S. box office figures. They do not include international figures, or money from sales and/or rental of the DVD/Videos.

Anyone else besides me think that the Academy may be just a little bit out of touch with the public?!

Rule #1 in entertainment: Give the people what they want!

And the Oscar Goes to...Who Cares?--Part 2

So it's all over but the cryin'. Here's a few observations:

Poor Martin Lucci...I mean Martin Scorsese. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. Five times now, they've dangled that beautiful golden statuette in front of him, only to snatch it away again at the last minute. Sisysphus endured less torture. He's the Buffalo Bills of the Academy awards.

Whew. I'm exhausted from coming up with all those witticisms. Brief pause while I collect myself.

OK, I'm back.


Hilary Swank has now won 2 Oscars by playing decidedly non-feminine characters. Does she secretly wish she was a man? I'm just sayin'.


Memo to Johnny Depp: You were named the sexiest man alive not too long ago. Try dressing like it!


How sad is it that Halle Berry has gone from Best Actress to Worst Actress in just 3 years? How cool is it that she and George DUIbya (tm) Bush share the same acting award--the golden Rasberry for worst acting performance? Psst. Halle. Babe. Want another Golden Statue? One that looks like a man and not a fruit? Try another five-minute-long sex scene. I'm volunteering right to be in it with you. Seriously. It doesn't even have to be in a movie. My bedroom would be great. I've probably got some old trophy gathering dust in my closet somewhere. It's no Oscar, but, hey, judging by the string of crap you've been putting out lately, it's about as close as you're going to get to one!


Still haven't seen The Incredibles yet. It's on my list of things to do.


Memo to Annette Benning: I hear there's all kinds of creams nowadays that work wonders on crow's feet. Again, I'm just sayin'.


Memo to Mike Nichols (director of Closer): When you release the DVD, make sure you include "the scene" in the extra features. You know which one I'm talking about. There's a million bucks in it for ya. Seriously. I could make a website where Star Wars geeks worldwide could donate a buck apiece to see "the scene". I'd bet I'd have a million within the first half hour it was up.


Anyhoo, that's all for now. I may add a few more thoughts later.

And the Oscar Goes to...Who Cares?!

As I write this, the Annual Academy awards show is going on. And I have to say: I really don't give a shit one way or another who wins what.

Of all the nominations in all the major categories--Best picture, actor, director, actress, etc.--I haven't seen a single one of them. I would no more know which nominee deserves the award than I would know the square root of 6,579,842.

(By the way, it's 2565.1203, roughly. I used my computer's calculator to figure it out.)

I could care less about the Oscars. Of all the films that have won Best Picture since 1980, the number that I have liked you can count on the fingers of one hand.

My personal worst was Titanic. If not for that movie, As Good as it Gets would have swept five of the the big six. Deservedly. As far as I am concerned, the only good thing about Titanic was that Leonardo DiCaprio got turned into a frozen popsicle at the end of it.

An Aside: If any of the three people reading this are female, I think I just lost them with that comment.

Although I haven't seen it, I think The Aviator should win for Best Director. It's Scorsese's turn. Besides, he created one of the best Mob films ever made--Goodfellas. That movie alone is almost enough for me to forgive him for making The Age of Innocence.

Of course, the irony of what I just said is not lost on me. But I'm not saying Aviator should get best picture. As far as I'm concerned, NO movie with L.D. in it deserves best pic. But give Scorsese the best director nod. Clint Eastwood may be a great director, but I'll NEVER forgive him for making The Bridges of Madison County!

Meanwhile, I've got a copy of A Time to Kill from the library that I think I'll watch again. As far as I'm concerned, that was a movie that was unjustly ignored by the Oscars.

And no, I won't bother with predictions. I'd just be guessing anyway.

Who are the REAL patriots?! 

In honor of today's 60th Anniversary of the flag-raising on Iwo Jima's Mt. Suribachi 

The Ongoing War on Consumer Safety

You may or may not be aware, but last week Congress passed legislation that removes multi-state class action lawsuits into the jurisdiction of the federal court system. And DUIHbya(TM) broke nearly all speed records signing into law.

Let's think about this for a minute, shall we?

Point One: For the last 25 years, Rebublicans have controlled the White house for all but 8 of them. I don't know the exact figures, but during that time probably more than a thousand judges have been appointed to the federal bench, including 8 supreme court justices, six of them appointed by Republicans.

Point Two: In the 8 years the Democrats controlled the White House, Republicans controlled the congress for 6 of them. They blocked dozens of Federal judicial appointments put forth by President Clinton.

Point Three: Republicans will continue to control both houses of congress for at least the next two years, and they will control the White House for the next four years (or longer, God forbid!) Over that time period, probably a hundred or more federal judges will be appointed, including, more than likely, at least one and possibly as many as four Supreme Court Justices.

Point Four: Federal Judicial postings are "for life". The only way a federal judge can lose his position is through blatant judicial misconduct. I'm guessing that doesn't happen very often.

So what does this all boil down to? Simple. It means that our federal court system is currently packed with conservative judges. The type of judges who are unlikely to be favorably disposed towards plaintiffs in class action lawsuits.

Add in the fact that the federal court docket is already heavily overloaded. And now there will be even more cases on the courts.

So, to make a long story short (I know, too late!), this means that American consumers who are injured or otherwise harmed by defective and/or dangerous consumer goods are now far less likely to be able to seek redress through the legal system.

In other words, Big Business got exactly what it wanted, from the government they bought and paid for.

God help us all.

I'm Terrified

I happened to catch part of NBC's Meet The Press on Sunday morning. In the second segment, they had a "debate" between Pat Buchanan and Nathan Sharansky, a former Soviet dissident and political prisoner, and a current strong advocate of democracy. Buchanan, of course is a former moron and a current idiot. His political leanings are somewhat to the right of Joseph Stalin. Ordinarily, if I saw his face on my TV screen, I'd change the channel in a hurry. But my options were pretty limited. It was, after all, 11:30 a.m. on a Sunday, and the other channels were pretty much all infomercials, all the time. So I watched it.

But here's the part that terrifies me.

At one point, Buchanan said the following (and this is taken directly from the transcript from MSNBC.com):

"...There are 22 Arab states, not one of which is democratic, and the United States has not been threatened by any of them since the Barbary pirates.

In my judgment, what happened on 9/11 was a result of interventionism. Interventionism is the cause of terror. It is not a cure for terror. (italics are mine) The idea that the president of the United States, as he said in his inaugural, is going to help democratic institutions in every region in every nation on earth is a formula for permanent war, Tim. And look, the president of the United States has no constitutional authority to do this. Where in the Constitution do we get the right to intervene in the internal affairs of countries that do not threaten us and do not attack us? If they don't, their internal politics are their own business."


HOLY F@&#ING S@#T! I AGREE WITH SOMETHING PAT BUCHANAN SAID!!!

Now do you see why I'm terrified?!

I may have to seriously re-think my views if Pat Buchanan and I are in agreement on anything.

Seriously. Pat Buchanan said something intelligent. And makes sense. And that I totally agree with.

I think Armageddon is upon us!


P.S. The full transcript is at the link below:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6954712/

Our Pill-Popping Culture Part 2

You may or may not remeber from my last post, but I lamented the Google Adsense ads that would pop up on my blog as a result of my last post. Here is what showed up:


Your Cholesterol high?

Lower Triglycerides nw

Cholesterol information

Have High Cholesterol?

Does anyone wonder why my Google Adsense ads now show pharmaceutical ads?

Hey look! Anyone who happens to be reading this. Take a few moments to click the Adsense ads that pop up on this blog. I, Voice In the Crowd, pledge to donate any monies I receive from the Adsense to Collingwood Presbyterian Church, where I have been a member in good standing for more than 27 years. Here is the link to their website:

http://www.collingwoodpc.com/

The community churches, that preach accptance of everyone, are the best hope for saving civilization!

Our Pill-Popping Culture

This evening, I made a bet with myself. I bet myself that if I watched two hours of network TV, I would see at least 5 drug commercials. I won. I owe myself 5 bucks. I don't exepct I'll see any of it, though. I'm a terrible deadbeat.

But I digress.

Drug Commercials: You know the type. They're commercials for drugs that promise to do everything from lowering your cholesterol to giving you a woody any time you want over a 24-hour period. And most of them usually spend 15 seconds telling you what a miracle drug it is, then the next 45 seconds telling you all the ways this drug can kill you.

My personal favoirte is the anti-depression drug, whose side effects include nausea, diarrhea, nervousness, sexual side effects, etc. My first thought when I heard this commercial was, "Wait a minute! I thought this stuff was supposed to cure depression, not cause it!

Today, there's a pill for everything. High cholesterol? Take a pill for it! High blood pressure? Take a pill for it! Impotent? Take a pill for it! Sad? Lonely? Depressed? Take a pill for it! Are your kids driving you crazy? Give them a pill for it! Bad Allergies? Take a pill for it?

What comes next?

Don't like something you heard on the news? Take a pill and forget about it!

Don't feel like you love your spouse? Take a pill for it!

Want to end your life? Take a pill for it!

Think that last one could never happen? Then just ask yourself if 50 years ago, people ever thought they would see commercials talking about Genital Herpes or erections lasting longer than four hours...


The saddest part is, I can't imagine what kind of ads will pop up in my Google Adsense panel thanks to this entry. >:)

The Sad Case of Paul Shanley

So. Paul Shanley is guilty. Of doing very bad things. To a young boy. Things that are sure to earn him his own special room in hell.

This is a man who, now, at 74, could spend the rest of his life in prison. Barring his winning on appeal, that prospect seems very likely. If you ask me (or even if you don't!) he's getting off easy.

I freely admit that I am not a Catholic. Frankly, I simply disagree with too many tenets of their faith. But I respect their right to their beliefs, just as I respect the beliefs of any religion (except those snake-handling people--those people are just plain nuts!)

But frankly, I think it's time for the Catholic Church to move into the 21st century. Just about every other religion in the world not only allows its clergy to marry and have children, but in most cases encourages it. Most of them also allow women clergy. As a consequence, while there may be some deviant behavior among them, it obviously doesn't reach the level that it did in the Catholic church in the past century.

I don't want to condemn a whole barrel because of a few rotten apples. I'm sure that 99.9% of all Catholic clergymen are good, honest, decent, God-fearing men who would never think of engaging in indecent behavior with children. But those few who do deserve to be hounded out of the church, and out of the company of decent human beings, period. There is no excuse. It is a vile crime that can traumatize its victims, mentally and physically, often for life. If there is any doubt as to the veracity of that claim, please keep in mind that there were originally four witnesses against Shanley, but three were dropped from the case due to various mental health problems, most of them caused by their previous victimizations.

I give great credit to the lone remaining accuser for standing strong in the face of a vicious attack on his credibility by Shanley's attorney, and for being able to fight back the demons that obviously were too powerful for Shanley's other victims to overcome.

And I take issue with the officials of the Catholic Church who were well aware of Shanley's proclivities but simply shuffled him to other parishes. Bad behavior that is not severely punished simply invites more of the same. Any parent will tell you that!

At any rate, finally some justice has been done. Nothing will ever erase the stain on the Church that this whole sorry mess has caused, but it might in some small way give the healing process a little boost.

Adventures with Google Adsense

I'm still pretty new to this whole blogging thing. For instance, I still haven't figured out how to post links so you can just click them and go right to the story--you still have to copy and paste.

So I considered it a small miracle when I was able to add the www.thereisnocrisis.com button to my blog (there, to the right! Click it! These people are doing some good!)

Anyhoo, I figured since I did a such a good job at that, I figured I'd ad the ubiquitous "Ads by Google" to my blog. I'm not above making a buck or two.

At any rate, there were a few fits and starts. For instance, my first attempt moved all my links (archives, link buttons, etc.) way down the blog. My second attempt put a single small adbox at the bottom of each post. Not much way anyone's going to see those, let alone click them.

Hopefully now I've got it set right, and the adds should appear in a "skyscraper" format to the right.

It may take some time for the good folks at Google to re-format everything, so bear with me. And if it's still not right tomorrow, I may give up the whole thing. After all, I don't expect I'll make much, if anything. But at least the ads will appear in Scarlet and Gray, the colors of my beloved Ohio State Buckeyes!

And hey, if you're reading this, take a second and click an ad or two. I'd do it for you!

Fate of the Union

So. Idiot Boy has once again given another "rousing" State of the Union address. Let's review some of the low points.

On Iran:

“And to the Iranian people, I say tonight: As you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you...”

Oh boy. That's about the same thing he said to the Iraqi people just before the invasion. Translation: "You fucks are next!"

Let's think about this for a minute. Iranian people are pretty much trained from birth that America is "The Great Satan", and that we mean to wipe out all of Islam. So far, our actions under this president haven't done anything to prove them wrong.

Bottom line: If we thought Iraq was a hornet's nest, just wait until we invade Iran. It's going to make Iraq look like a Sunday picnic in comparison.


On Social Security:

“I have a message for every American who is 55 or older: Do not let anyone mislead you. For you, the Social Security system will not change in any way.”

Translation: Of course your benefits won't change. You have the power of the AARP behind you. I don't want to piss off a buch of senior citizens with nothing to do but organize against me. Your kids, however, are pretty much gonna take it in the shorts!

Let's me phrase this very clearly: There is no social security crisis. The only reason Bush wants privatization to happen is to enrich all his Wall Street buddies. Think how much more fraud they could perpetrate with a fresh infusion of all that Social Security money!

An aside: I'm happy to post a link on my blog to www.thereisnocrisis.com. It's there, to the right. Click on it! They have some interesting things to say.


On Social Security, part two:

"Thirteen years from now, in 2018, Social Security will be paying out more than it takes in. And every year afterward will bring a new shortfall, bigger than the year before. For example, in the year 2027, the government will somehow have to come up with an extra 200 billion dollars to keep the system afloat — and by 2033, the annual shortfall would be more than 300 billion dollars. By the year 2042, the entire system would be exhausted and bankrupt."

Huge cheers to the democrats who started booing him at this point. This is just more scare tactics designed to keep the red staters in the constant state of fear neccessary to get away with gutting Social Security.

"If steps are not taken to avert that outcome, the only solutions would be dramatically higher taxes, massive new borrowing, or sudden and severe cuts in Social Security benefits or other government programs."

So, what? Let's do all of that now instead of later?


On Tort Reform:

"To make our economy stronger and more competitive, America must reward, not punish, the efforts and dreams of entrepreneurs...so we must free small businesses from needless regulation and protect honest job-creators from junk lawsuits. Justice is distorted, and our economy is held back, by irresponsible class actions and frivolous asbestos claims — and I urge Congress to pass legal reforms this year."

Wow. Where do I start with this one?

First of all, it's NOT the small businesses that want less regulation, it's the BIG businesses. Second, how many jobs have been created lately? And finally, is it any surprise that he started talking about tort reform right about the same time Vioxx and Celebrex got pulled off the market?


On Health care Reform:

"I ask Congress to move forward on a comprehensive health care agenda — with tax credits to help low-income workers buy insurance, a community health center in every poor county, improved information technology to prevent medical errors and needless costs, association health plans for small businesses and their employees, expanded health savings accounts, and medical liability reform that will reduce health care costs, and make sure patients have the doctors and care they need."

Great idea. Let's all wait for two years from now and see just how much of this has actually happened. I'm not holding my breath!


On Energy policies:

"...we also need reliable supplies of affordable, environmentally responsible energy. Nearly four years ago, I submitted a comprehensive energy strategy that encourages conservation, alternative sources, a modernized electricity grid, and more production here at home, including safe, clean nuclear energy. My Clear Skies legislation will cut power plant pollution and improve the health of our citizens. And my budget provides strong funding for leading-edge technology — from hydrogen-fueled cars, to clean coal, to renewable sources such as ethanol. Four years of debate is enough — I urge Congress to pass legislation that makes America more secure and less dependent on foreign energy.

Safe, clean nuclear energy? Has he forgotten about Three-Mile Island? Chernobyl?
Nuclear fission is one of the most toxic forms of power generation available, producing hazardous by-products that take centuries to break down. As for his Clear Skies legislation, it's been very effective at clearing the skies of birds, but it hasn't done much else.


On National Security:

"In the three and a half years since September 11th, 2001, we have taken unprecedented actions to protect Americans."

First of all, you knew September 11th was going to be slipped in there somewhere. As for what actions have been taken to protect Americans, let's review:

USA PATRIOT act--Proven very effective at spying on Americans with unpopular political views, not so effective against terrorism
Afghanistan--woefully small number of troops deployed, Osama bin Laden and most Taliban leaders got away.
Iraq--A sovereign country that had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with September 11th was invaded, playing right into the hads of O.B.L. and his ilk. We, a non-Muslim nation, invaded a sovereign Muslim nation simply because we could--exactly what Bin Laden and his followers said we would do!


Well, that's about all I can stand for now. Whew! This may be the longest post I've done so far. And don't forget to go to thereisnocrisis.com!

Froze My Blood Cold

I logged on to my AOL service this afternoon and saw a headline on their news crawl that stopped me in my tracks:

"Some U.S. Students Say Press Freedoms Go Too Far"


ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME???!!!


Seriously. I think I sat there for five minutes with my mouth hanging open.

But that's not the worst part.

No. The worst part was the informal poll questions asked within the body of the story:

"Should more restrictions be placed on the American press?"

and

"Should the government be able to approve news stories before the public reads them?"

Out of over 75,000 votes cast in this highly unscientific poll (as of this writing), 41% answered "Yes" to the first question. That was bad enough. But even worse, 13% of the respondents answered "Yes" to the second question as well.

Think about that. 13 out of every 100 respondents to this poll believed that the GOVERNMENT should be able to "approve" news stories before they are released to the public.

OK. If there was EVER a question where the response should not only be "no", but "HELL NO!" 100% of the time, that's IT!!!!

For those 87% of the people who voted "no" on that second question, kudos.

For those 13% of you who voted "yes", sit down. We need to talk.

For the love of everything that's good and holy, have you people lost what passes for your minds?!

Have you been so brainwashed by the rhetoric coming out of Washington that you believe the government should have control over what you see, hear, and/or read?!

There's a word for that kind of government. It's called a dictatorship. And if you think it works, just ask the people of Nazi Germany. Or Iraq. Or Afghanistan. Or Haiti.

Seriously. Here's a quarter. Buy a clue. On second thought, here's a buck. You need to buy more than one. In fact, I think you need to have your heads examined.

As far as the 41% who voted "Yes" on that first question, we'll talk later. Right now I have to go bitch-slap a few people.

The LEAST loathsome people of 2004

Recently, Buffalo Beast published an article naming the 50 worst people of 2004, detailing their crimes and how they should be punished. You can find the article here:

http://www.buffalobeast.com/66/50mostLoathsome2004.htm

ANYWAY, now that I assume you've read it, here is my list of some of the LEAST loathsome people of 2004 (Any corrections, additions, or counter-arguments may be made, but I will probably ignore them).

Eli Parisier, and the other founders of Moveon.org

These guys, using nothing but the internet, managed to raise tens of millions of dollars and put tens of thousands of volunteers on the street in the recent presidential campaign. They held a contest to create the best anti-DUHbya commercial, one which had thousands of entries. The got some of the best filmmakers in Hollywood to create original, often funny commercials, which were aired around the country. And even though all their efforts were for nought, they have created a huge grassroots movement which will remain a strong and dominant force in this country.

Howard Dean

One of the first Democrats in a long time who not only accepts the title of "Liberal", he revels in it. Even though his presidential campaign came to a "screaming" halt in Iowa, he looks to remain a strong force in the Democratic party. A few more people like him, and maybe calling someone a "liberal" will no longer be an insult.

Barack Obama

He's young, charismatic, intelligent, well-spoken, reasonably good-looking (except for those ears--good GOD, man, use glue if you have to!) and he knows how to give a rousing speech. If he can avoid the quagmire of D.C. politics that has bogged down the careers of so many promising politicians, I see big things for his future. The only strike against him that I can see is that his last name sounds a little to much like someone else's FIRST name...

Michael Moore

During his Oscar acceptance speech for Bowling for Columbine, he accused DUHbya of leading us into a fictitious war. After a mixed chorus of cheers and boos, and a firestorm of criticism from right-wing media outlets, he then proceeded to make an entire two-hour-long movie detailing exactly why he was right. And despite the efforts of everyone from Bill O'Reilly to Michael Eisner to keep that movie out of theatres, the resulting firestorm of publicity generated by this massive campaign to kill the film ensured that it would go on to be the highest grossing documentary in history. Being selected as the People's Choice for best film was the icing on the cake.

Al Franken, and the other radio hosts of Air America Radio

In less than one year, they've taken a fledgling radio network from 6 stations to more than 40, with more certain to appear. And while it would seem that they started their enterprise too late for it to make a significant difference in the election, I hope that they will continue to hold the Right accountable for the lies it has told and continues to tell.

Hork
www.horkulated.com

This guy finds the best stories from all over the web, from politics to flashgames to just plain weird. He even posts the stuff I submit. And he came up with the term, "Bush Davidians". 'Nuff said.

The Blog Community

Hey, even little ol' me has a Blog now. It was bloggers who first raised the ruckus when Trent Lott made his blatantly racist comments at Strom Thurmond's birthday party a few years ago. Bloggers are not afraid to rush in where big media fears to tread. They can keep a story alive long after the major media outlets have let it go. And while that may not always be a good thing, I have to believe that in this day and age, when massive corporations control all the major media outlets, the blog community is the only way to ensure we continue to have a free press in this country.

Let's all keep up the good work!


Anyway, that's all for now. I may come up with more later.

You Go Girl!

I think I'm in love with Barbara Boxer.

First of all, she was the only Senator to stand up and demand that congress address the problems faced by many voters in the November election, and she did it when their case was much weaker than it was in 2000, when George Bush lost the first time.

Now, today, she took her gloves off and went 10 rounds with Condi Rice. When I lamented in yesterday's post that Condi's confirmation hearings would be nothing but a giant lovefest, I didn't count on B.B.!

Of course I didn't follow the entire hearing, but I did hear the clips as I was driving home yesterday, when B.B. used Condi's own words, spoken on different occasions, to demonstrate how the reasons she gave for the useless war in Iraq were changed as the war went along, and how now she has a hard time defending it at all.

But let's digress for a minute and go back and look at the reasons for this war, and the White House Justifications for them:

Reason #1: Saddam Hussein had Weapons of Mass Destruction
True or False: False. No weapons have been found, and the search for them has been called off.
Reason #2: Saddam Hussein had the desire to obtain WMD's
True or False: Probably true, but so what? That desire was never realized. I have the desire to obtain a date with the Playmate of the Year. I doubt my desire will be realized, either.
Reason #3: Saddam Hussein helped plan the September 11th attacks.
True or False: FALSE!!! I will keep repeating that as many times as it takes. The 9/11 commission clearly stated there was NO connection between Iraq and 9/11
Reason #4: Saddam Hussein was a cruel dictator who brutally oppressed his people.
True or False: True, but so what? There are dozens, if not hundreds, of tyrants just as bad, if not worse, than Saddam Hussein. Why don't we invade their countries and capture or kill them?

Actually, maybe I shouldn't say things like that. Don't want to give DUHbya any more ideas...

Anyhoo, back to Barbara. Let's just hope she gets re-elected the next time she's up for it. I would vote for her if she was from my state. Take note, all you spineless Democrats. People like Barbara Boxer are the future of your party. People who aren't afraid to show some guts for a change.

Condi faces the music

Well, probably not. Do I think that her confirmation hearing today will be anything less than a lovefest from both sides of the aisle? Of course not!

Let's review her record of accomplishments and qualifications:

Received a Presidential Daily Briefing entitled "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside U.S." more than a month before September 11th. Did absolutely nothing about it.

After the attacks, went on every TV network except the Food Channel explaining how it wasn't her fault.

Continuously pumped up the case for the War in Iraq.

Once referred to DUHbya as "Her husband".

Expert in the subject of the Soviet Union--which no longer exists.

During her four years as National Security Advisor, accomplished almost nothing that makes the country more safe and secure.

One of the four black people who actually voted for Bush (I assume!)

Quite a record, isn't it? And how is she rewarded for a nonstop string of failures? By being named the new Secretary of State, one of the most powerful cabinet positions there is.

Apparently in Bushworld, failure is rewarded with a chance to fail even more.

Meanwhile, the Democrats' testicles continue to shrivel up in the face of DUHbya's "overwhelming mandate"--which is what you call it when only 49% of the country hates you instead of 51%.

God help us all.

January 11th

Yesterday was January 11th, 2005. 3 years to the day since my mom died.

My mom was an extraordinary woman. She taught elementary school for most of her adult life. She was the kind of teacher that students hoped they DIDN'T get. She endured years of dangerous students (she worked in some pretty bad schools for a few years), nasty parents, clueless administrators, long hours, and lousy pay.

I've often wondered what it takes to be a teacher. I think you must need an endless supply of patience, wisdom, determination, intelligence, guts, and hardheadedness.

My mom had all of those things, in spades.

I will always miss her.

My best (and worse) of 2004

It seems like every other Blog, Dick, and Hairy has created a best and worst list for 2004, so I thought I'd take a crack at as well. Se here goes:

Let's start with the obvious first:

Favorite movie seen in 2004:

TIE: Fahrenheit 9/11 and Spiderman 2

The reason for the first selection should be obvious to anyone who has read any of my political rants over the course of this election year. And as for SM2, well, it's one of those very rare instances where a sequel was better than the original. I just couldn't decide whether I liked one over the other. Still no word on whether Michael Moore's next film will be titled: "What the Fuck is Wrong With You People?! Weren't You Paying Attention?! Do I Have to Draw You a Picture?!


Least favorite movie seen in 2004:

The Bourne Supremacy
Let me explain (and if you haven't seen it yet, don't read any further).

I liked this movie. I really did. But my biggest problem with it was the fact that they killed off the girl within the first 20 minutes of the movie. Having read all three books, I know that the character of Marie is the central figure in all three. In the books, Jason Bourne doesn't want to do what he is trained to do, but he does it because he is forced to because Marie is in danger. I won't explain further here. Go read the books yourself!

Movie I'm glad I didn't see in 2004:

Without a Paddle

Two words: Matthew Lillard

Movie I wish I'd seen in 2004:

The Incredibles

Everyone who has seen this movie has told me how great it was. I suppose it's still in some theatres, so I SHOULD get off my lazy ass and see it. Maybe this weekend.
Some of you may be saying I should see Shrek 2 while I'm at it, but I didn't think the first one was all that great. I realize this puts me in the minority, but I just didn't like it that much. Maybe I should watch it again when I'm drunk...

Favorite new TV show of 2004:

"LOST".

Three words: This. Show. Rocks.
I have no idea where they're going with it, but I guarantee I'll be going along for the ride. I just hope they can maintain the intensity and mystery of the show. Seriously. Just how many plot twists can they come up with?

Least favorite new TV show of 2004:

"Desperate Housewives"

I watched the pilot of this show, and that's one hour of my life I wish I could have back. Make that 55 minutes. If they'd cut everything from that show except for Eva Longoria strutting around in her underwear, THEN it MIGHT be worth watching.

Show that I like that I'm most sure won't last the season:

"Rodney"

Rodney Carrington is one of my favorite comedians. However, you can probably count the number of standup comedians who've had successful TV careers on the fingers of one hand. I like this show, but I'm probably one of the few still watching it.

Obviously, I'm not counting any of the new shows that have already been cancelled. I haven't liked any of them.

TV show I'm happiest they brought back this season:

"Alias"

Granted, it took them until January to get it back on TV, but from what I've seen in the previews, it will be worth the wait! Besides, Jennifer Garner could have a show where she did nothing but recite the alphabet over and over and I would still watch it! Fox's "24" was a close second, but I was disappointed in the way it ended last season. They need to make it better this time around.

TV show I will miss the most when it's over:

"NYPD Blue"

Except for the first season, when the local ABC affiliate refused to air it (Long Story), I've watched every episode of every season. With the rapid emergence of shows like "CSI" that make police work seem too fancy and clinical, I will miss the gritty interrogation rooms of the 15th Precinct. But maybe it's time for them to go. The days of beating a confession out of someone are long past their time. Just ask the prisoners of Abu Ghraib...

Movie I'm most looking forward too in 2005:

Batman Begins

Elektra was a close second, but I've got to go with the Dark Knight on this one. After the way the last BM movie sucked dirty ass water, I have high hopes that this one will rescue the franchise. And from the previews I've seen, I won't be disappointed.

Movie I most expect to disappoint me in 2005:

Star Wars: Episode 3

I just can't help it. One and Two were just so bad. George Lucas made his best movies when he let someone else write and direct them. I have no doubt that he is a wizard at creating special effects, but the success of the first three movies was that there was an actual plot and good acting (in most cases) to back them up. They didn't depend of the visual effects to prop up the movie.


And now, on a more personal note:

High point of the year for 2004:

Watching my beloved OSU Buckeyes beat the snot out of Michigan. Here's to doing it again this November

Low point of the year for 2004:

Watching 51% of this country prove that it still has its collective head up its collective ass on November 2nd. What the fuck is WRONG with you people.

That's all for now. Time to hang on and enjoy the ride in 2005--and hope the terrorists don't blow us all up!

Looking back

As I sit in my chair on this first day of 2005, I want to pause and look back over the year that just passed. Since I started keeping my journal in May, a lot of things have happened, but I want to go back to before May and look at a few significant dates that stood out for me last year (I apologize if any of the dates are wrong).


January 11th: This date holds a special significance for me. Two years prior to this date, my mother finally lost a nearly 20 year battle with a particularly malicious form of cancer. Over the years she endured radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, biopsies, and just about every other form of treatment there is. Through it all, she never gave up. When she was first diagnosed, her doctor gave her five years, maximum. She lived more than three times that long.

She was an extraordinary woman. I miss her.

January 19th: The Democratic party turns its back on one of the most exciting, charismatic figures ever to be a Democrat (Howard Dean) and instead chooses a man with all the charisma of a stone (John Kerry). Once again, Democrats show their lack of any visible spine. Meanwhile, endless media repitition of the now infamous "Scream" by Dean ensures that his political future will forever be in the crapper.

May 26th (I think!): The latest addition to the McAfee family, James Franklin, entered the world. He had a fight from day 1, being put on a respirator because he was having trouble breathing. If you look back through some of my previous posts, you'll find his picture taken 3 days after he was born. Life renews itself yet again.

June 15: The country marveled as they watched a team of unknowns called the Detroit Pistons beat Shaq, Kobe, and the Lakers in five games to claim the NBA title. Shaq is human after all (all evidence to the contrary!)


June 30th: "Fahrenheit 9/11" hits the silver screen, despite efforts by everyone from Disney to Bill O'Reilly to kill it. The massive publicity generated by this negative campaign against the film ensures that it will go on to gross more than any documentary in history. Michael Moore laughs all the way to the bank.

August 30th-September 2nd: The Republicans hold their national convention in New York City (what, was San Francisco booked?) during which the name "John Kerry" is mentioned repeatedly as the greatest threat to national security that has ever existed. Meanwhile, the REAL bad guy, Osama Bin Laden, is never mentioned. I guess they forgot all about him, what with the unprovoked war against Iraq and all.

September 11th: Three years earlier, terrorists perpetrated the deadliest mass casualty attack to ever happen on American soil. The mastermind behind that attack remains at large to this day. He regularly puts out videotapes mocking us and reminding us of that fact.

November 2nd: 51% of the country proves just how ABSOLUTELY FUCKING STUPID it is. A campaign run on fear, attack ads, and endless repitition of lies proves its worth one more time. Anti-gay amendments in several swing states are a key part of this. When will it stop, people? When we're making them wear pink triangles, herding them into concentration camps, and gassing them?

Of course, it doesn't help much that Kerry is such a dud. I'm seriously considering moving to Canada for the next four years.

November 20th: The Buckeyes CRUSH Michigan! That's partial payback for Bush winning the election. Make sure it happens again for the next three years and I'll consider that debt settled. Are you listening, football Gods?

December 25th: Another Christmas comes--and goes. My credit card is still whimpering.


Well, that's all for now. I'm sure there are more dates, but that's all I can remember. I wish anyone reading this happiness and health for 2005.

TIME magazine is clueless

The staff of TIME magazine is a bunch of clueless fucking idiots.

OK, maybe you're thinking that statement is a little harsh. But I counter that argument by saying, "Look who those retards just named as their 'Person of the Year'"!!!

GEORGE W. BUSH!!!!!!

Have they lost what passes for their minds?!

According to the story (and this is a direct quote):

"For sharpening the debate until the choices bled, for reframing reality to match his design, for gambling his fortunes—and ours—on his faith in the power of leadership, George W. Bush is TIME's 2004 Person of the Year"

Let's analyze this.

"For sharpening the debate...". Hmm. In the debates I watched, he looked about as sharp as a bowling ball. He may be the dumbest person on the planet! The only way you can use the words "sharp" and "George W. Bush" in the same sentence is if you were to say "I'd like to shove a sharp stick up George W. Bush's ass and break it off."

(for those secret service agents reading this (Yeah, right), that was NOT a threat against the President. Geez. Lighten up!)

"For reframing reality..." Let me say this very clearly so there is no misunderstanding:

THAT IS NOT A GOOD THING!!!

George W. Bush does not live in the real world. He lives in his own little fantasy world. And he's getting rid of everyone who tries to correct his view of that fantasy world.

"...for gambling his fortunes—and ours—on his faith in the power of leadership..."

I don't even know where to begin on this one. In fact, I think I'll leave it alone. Sometimes shooting fish in a barrel is just too easy.

I knew there was a reason I never liked TIME magazine. Now I know for sure.

Of course, maybe I'm setting the bar to high. This is, after all, the magazine that almost named OSAMA BIN LADEN as their person of the year!!

Oh, and George? Remember him? HE'S the person you STILL haven't captured. HE'S the one responsible for September 11th. WHY are you such a CLUELESS FUCKING IDIOT?!!

The Joys of a Live Christmas Tree

Instructions for obtaining a live Christmas tree:

Step 1. On a bitterly cold Sunday morning, put on 3 layers of winter clothing and pile into a beat up old van with six other people and a big, smelly dog.

Step 2. Drive said van 15 miles north into Michigan to a live Christmas tree farm.

Step 3. Upon your arrival, park the van, then spend the next 45 minutes to an hour examining 50 different trees trying to find "the perfect Christmas tree".

Step 4. Upon realizing the futility of your search, realize that the only way to avoid losing your toes to frostbite is to select the next tree you see and get the hell out of there.

Step 5. Lie down in the snow on your side. Attempt to cut the tree as close to the ground as possible. Fail miserably in your attempt. Ruin your best pair of gloves in the process.

Step 6. Drag the tree (which looks a lot less straighter than it did when it was still standing) over to the baler. While waiting for the tree to be wrapped, rub face with hands in attempt to restore feeling to face.

Step 7. Spend another ten minutes freezing your ass off while the other people in your party are still getting their trees.

Step 8. Get back into van. Go home. Spend 20 minutes under a hot shower. VOW TO NEVER DO THIS AGAIN!!!!

Step 9. Do it all over again next Christmas!

Actually, this year I finally wised up and skipped the annual Christmas tree hunt. I simply threw my back out when I bent over to pick up my dad's tree. So I've spent the last day and a half on pain medication. And it still hurts like a sonofabitch.

Next year, my dad gets an artificial tree!

12/7/2004

Yeah, another boring post with nothing but the day's date as the title. Hey, I'm not the most creative of people.

So. What's happening in the news today.

I see the house may finally pass the intelligence reform bill. Big deal. Do I think it will do any good? Of COURSE not!

Let's think about this. The monumental series of screwups that led to the 9/11 disaster were CREATED by the giant pile of red tape that is generated by our intelligence bureaucracy. Now they propose to cut through that red tape by INCREASING the size of that bureaucracy and creating even MORE layers of it?

Sigh. Why do I bother.

And just think. At least two more years of the Republicrats controlling everything.

Yes, I call them Republicrats, because, like Republicans, they want to cut taxes, but like Democrats, they want to increase spending at the same time.

Think about it. Suppose you had a credit card, and just kept spending and spending with it, while never making any payments, because you didn't have enough income. In a few years, you would owe thousands on this card.

Now what do you do?

I have a feeling our country is going to face that question in a few years.

The Silly Season

OK, OK, I realize I haven't posted since before Thanksgiving. Did I mention that I'm lazy?

So here we are at full sail into the hurricane of another holiday season. As usual, I'm behind on my Christmas shopping. I'm sure I'll end up finishing it all the weekend before Christmas like I always do. Sometimes I really hate Christmas.

Oh, go ahead. Call me scrooge. Like I give a good Goddamn!

Yes, sometimes I hate Christmas with a blue and purple passion. Think about it. Christmas is like work. You do all the work and the fat guy in the suit gets all the credit.

(OK, I admit it. I stole that from a joke I've heard. Still pretty funny, though!)

What is Christmas, exactly? Well, supposedly it's the day when Jesus was born. But historical records were pretty sketchy 2004 years ago. So no one can be sure of the exact date of Christ's birth. It could have been in June, for all we know. And until someone invents a time machine, we'll never know for sure.

The current date of Christmas grew out of the celebration of the Winter Solstice, when the peasants all got together to celebrate the end of the shortest day of the year, and the beginning of longer days. Or something like that.

So calling December 25th the date of the Birth of Christ is like calling Jessica Simpson the head of NASA. You can say it, but that doesn't make it true.

Personally, I think we need to put all the focus onto Easter, when the REAL miracle occured. Christmas has become far less about the birth of the savior and more about presents, eating, family, and fellowship. Not that any of these things are bad, but it would be good to know that we can enjoy them without feeling bad about not concentrating on the reason the whole holiday exists in the first place!

Maybe it's just me. Maybe not.

Bah, Humbug!

Go Bucks!!!

Oh come let's sing Ohio's praise
and songs to Alma Mater raise
While our hearts rebounding thrill
with joy which death alone can still.
Summer's heat and winter's cold
the season's pass, the years will roll,
time and change will surely show
how firm thy friendship

OOOO---HHHHIIII----OOOO!!!!!!

Carmen Ohio

Ohio State 37 Michigan 21 November 20, 2004

11/17/2004

Yeah, I know. I haven't posted in almost two weeks. As I've said before, I'm lazy! STFU already! Besides, I'm still recovering from my Open Letter from the previous post.

So. What's going on in the world.

The Bush Davidians (credit to www.horklog.com for that term) are busily working to remove everyone who might possibly raise the slightest disagreement with their policies. Colin Powell is out, replaced by Condi Rice. Apparently failure is rewarded, success is not. Meanwhile, King George the W (credit to Jim Hightower) is continuing to treat his miniscule one percent majority of votes received as an overwhelming mandate.

It's not.

The Republicans repeatedly trumpet the fact that more people voted for Duhbya than any other president. Left out is the fact that more people voted for John Kerry than any other opponent to a sitting president. And I still want to know WHY Diebold was still allowed to place a voting machine within ten miles of any polling place in America.

(In case you're wondering why I say that, just go to Google and put in the words "Diebold deliver Ohio bush". Note: I got over 34,000 hits!)

Meanwhile, the right has created a response to www.sorryeverybody.com. It's called iamnotsorry.com. One picture shows a woman in front of a confederate flag, just to give you some idea of the mindset of these people.

Oh, and in case you doubt how stupid they are, the first text you see on the website is:

"Does it Look Like Were Sorry?"

That's not a typo! They misspelled "we're"!

How in the HELL did we EVER lose to these morons?!!!

An Open Letter to George W. Bush

Dear President Bush,

I did not vote for you in 2000, nor did I vote for you this year. The way I currently feel, I would not vote for a Republican presidential candidate if Jesus Christ himself were on the ticket. The days of the great Republican presidents seem to be long in the past. You and your cronies are nothing like them.

You did, however, apparently convince a majority of Americans to vote for you. You may be tempted to think that your re-election to the presidency by that miniscule majority is a signal to you that your disastrous domestic and foreign policies should not only be continued but also be expanded upon. On this point, I’m afraid I must disagree.


You see, you did not win this election because Americans overwhelmingly support your policies and admire your record of achievements. You won this election through a combination of factors: your constant propping up of America’s irrational fear of terrorism, your constant stream of attack ads that bordered on slander and libel, your use of surrogate groups to constantly fling mud at your opponent, your shameless pandering to your base’s fear of homosexuals, non-Christians, and anti-gun activists, and your constant repetition of lies and half-truths. I also suspect, though I will probably never prove, that you had a little help from fraudulent voting machines. When the CEO of Diebold, the maker of many vote-tabulating machines in Ohio and elsewhere, sends out a letter in which he declares his intention to deliver Ohio for George Bush, what else can I think?

Your opponent did the honorable thing by conceding the election, even though he could have dragged the process out for days or even weeks. He has done the honorable thing for his entire life, despite your efforts to convince everyone otherwise. But this election is by no means the end. Yes, one battle has been lost. But the war is far from over. The fight will go on. Let me tell you why.

Over the past four years, you have systematically worked to destroy this country. Your economic policies have shifted the bulk of the tax burden to those who can least afford it, while ensuring that ninety percent of the wealth remains under the control of ten percent of the population. Your lack of a coherent health care policy has caused millions of people to lose their health insurance benefits, and millions more to have their benefits greatly reduced. Your education policy has caused those schools and students that need help the most to receive the least amount of that help. Your environmental policies have given polluters free reign to despoil our country in exchange for short-term profits. Your lax regulatory policies have allowed some of the largest corporate scandals in history to take place. Your scientific policies have ensured that research that could be vital to the eradications of several horrifyingly debilitating diseases is likely to never take place. Your security policies have ensured that no American citizen can ever feel free to protest your actions without inviting intense government scrutiny.

These offenses, however, pale in comparison to your disastrous foreign policies. From the moment you took office you began alienating our allies by dismantling many of the treaty agreements forged by your predecessors. After September 11th, 2001, however, dozens of countries all over the world were united in their support of America. You could have used this opportunity to forge alliances that would have lasted for years. Instead, you used this opportunity to initiate a war against a sovereign country that had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks of September 11th, thereby alienating those very same countries that will now have a hard time ever trusting us and who will be reluctant to help us in our fight against global terrorism. Worse yet, you justified that war with reasons that were flimsy at best and outright lies at worst. To make things even worse, this war has cost the lives of over a thousand American soldiers, as well as the lives of thousands of innocent civilians, to say nothing of the thousands wounded. Our military is badly overstretched, enlistments are down, our troops face equipment shortages, and their morale is low. Worst of all, there will likely be no end to this fiasco anytime soon. You claim to be the candidate of strong moral values. How can you make that claim when you are constantly working to put more and more of your citizens in poverty and to send more and more of their sons and daughters into an unjustified war. Where is the moral value in that?

Despite all your mistakes, however, you have another four years to correct them. What, you may ask, can you do to fix what you have broken? Well, I have a few suggestions.

For starters, you can put an end to your policy of giving large tax cuts to those who need them the least. You can work to reduce the cost of health insurance to the point where everyone can afford it You can use the vast bargaining power of the federal government to force the drug companies to provide their drugs to everyone at reasonable prices. You can work to ensure that poor schools are given the funds they need to improve their facilities and hire quality teachers. You can force polluters to repair the damage they have done to the environment, before it becomes irreversible (if it hasn’t already). You can force corporations to clean up their act by instituting a strict series of accounting and accountability rules, with harsh penalties when those rules are broken. You can work to ensure that our most brilliant doctors, scientists, engineers, and other talented people have access to all the resources they need to work the wonders that they are capable of. You can eliminate policies that bring down government scrutiny on people who have done nothing but voice their objections to your actions.

But most importantly, you can appeal to our former allies in other countries to help us in our efforts to stabilize Iraq to the point where our soldiers no longer face death every hour of every day. And you can also enlist the help of those countries in bringing to justice the man who instituted the largest single attack ever to take place on American soil. THAT should be your number one priority. You should also work to change the image of America in the eyes of the world. Currently we are looked at with a mixture of fear and hate. That is a dangerous combination, and one that will spell even more trouble down the road.

In other words, you should do everything that you promised to do when you first ran for the presidency!

Do I think that you will do any of these things? Of course not! After all, you didn’t do any of it during your first term. Why should things be any different in your second term?

Well, listen up. I’ll give you a good reason why they should be different.

Your party now firmly controls both the executive and the legislative branch of the federal government. There is no one to stand in your way. You are free to do just about anything you want. More importantly, however, there is also no one else to blame for any future failures. You can’t blame the other party for anything else that goes wrong (although I’m sure you will try.) You can no longer blame September 11th for all the problems we face today (although I’m sure you’ll try that too.) Fortunately for you (and for us!) you can no longer run for re-election (Thank God!) and in the end you will answer to no one but your own conscience, if you have one (which I sometimes doubt.)

But you will also have a far harsher judge evaluating your actions: History. History will be watching you. History often looks favorably on great achievements. But more importantly, history is not kind to failure. Your name will forever be part of history—that is an inevitable consequence of the office you hold. It is up to you to decide whether you want future generations to view you as an example of an effective leader to be emulated or a disastrous failure whose mistakes should never be repeated.

For now, we will be watching you. You have at least two years of complete control of the government. If you screw things up too badly in that time, you will suddenly be faced with a popular revolt from the people. We will unite to force your Republican cronies from congress, replacing them with people who believe in policies that make sense.

And don’t think you’ll be able to get away with more of the same. You may have tamed the major media outlets, but the vast Internet community will be ready to spread news of every mistake you make and every lie you tell. The Internet is the one tool of free speech that no one can control, and more and more people gain access to it every day. And while it’s true that probably eighty percent of “news” on the Internet is either a lie or a distortion of the truth, you have proven that lies and distortions can take a person pretty far in the world.

If you don’t start working to fix your mistakes, we are going to do our best to make your life miserable for the next four years, and to ensure that history views you as the monster you are. Consider it payback for the last four.

(In)Sincerely,

Eric Johnson
November 5, 2004

What's in a name? PLENTY!

So. Yesterday morning I walked into my polling place. I stood in line for about a half-hour--nothing to complain about--and got my ballot card. I went to the table and carefully filled in my ovals. I then put my completed ballot in the privacy folder and walked up to place it in the Tabulating machine.

What I saw when I got there froze my blood colder than a welldigger's feet:

DIEBOLD

Yes, the tabulating machine was made by the Diebold corporation.

Now, as you may be aware, I live in Ohio. And you may also be aware that I've mentioned previously in this blog that the CEO of Diebold last year sent out a fundraising letter saying he was committed to delivering Ohio for George W. Bush (just Google the words "Diebold", "deliver", "Bush", and "Ohio". I got 7,300 hits. Some were even non-porn sites.)

Diebold's electronic voting machine was rejected by my county. But apparently it's optical scan tabulator was not.

So, in light of all the exit polls that came out favoring Kerry, just how did they get it so wrong?

Was it just poor polling, or did Diebold really come through on its promise to deliver Ohio for Bush--by any means necessary?

Even though Kerry has now conceded, I'd still like all the provisional ballots counted. I have a hunch that they will tell a different story. Just don't let the Diebold machines count them!

Welcome to my nightmare!

I don't think you're gonna like it!

Once again, this U.S. of A. has demonstrated that it suffers from terminal head-in-ass disease.

This is truly a nightmare come true. Think about it:

Bush in his second term--now accountable to no one but his corporate buddies.
Firm Republican majorities in both houses.
One Supreme court justice certain to retire within a half year. At least two more likely to leave. Possibly three or even four.
A war in Iraq that looks like it may never end.
The administration already talking about Iran the same way they talked about Iraq before the invasion (if you think Iraq is a mess, just wait and see what happens when we invade Iran!)
The world's most dangerous terrorist still alive, well, and healthy.
(Remember him?!)
Soldiers still dying every day.
The continued pollution of our environment.

So long, America. It's been nice knowing you.

Today's the day!

So. Today is the day when millions of Americans will make the most important decision of their lives.

No, I'm not talking about whether to choose Miller or Bud Light. Grow up, ya yutz!!!

I'm referring to the Presidential election.

I've already voted. Went in first thing this morning. Now other Americans have to decide what they want.

Do they want four more years of massive budget deficits? Huge tax cuts for the wealthy? Skyrocketing health care costs? American soldiers dying in unjustifiable wars? Living in a constant state of fear of terrorism?

I sure as hell don't!

Vote early. Vote often. Just VOTE!!!

All the pieces are in place...

On the Democrats' side:

* A record number of new people have registered to vote.
* Osama Bin Laden produces a new tape mocking Bush and encouraging Americans to vote for Bush.
* "Fahrenheit 9/11" has been out on video for more than three weeks.
* News stories every day tell of more dead soldiers in Iraq.
* The Washington Redskins lost their final home game before the election (always bad news for the incumbent party! Don't believe me? Check here: http://www.snopes.com/sports/football/election.asp)

On the Republicans' side:

* Electronic voting machines--manufactured by large corporations that owe a lot to Bush
* 40,000+ absentee ballots mysteriously "lost" in Democratic Broward County, Florida.
* A record number of Republican vote suppres--"poll challengers" in place.
* Bad weather predicted for tomorrow--always bad news for Democrats.
* The incumbent is still commander in chief of the military...

On America's side:

250,000,000 people who have the nearly unmatched power to peacefully change the entire government every four years, IF we'd just get off our lazy asses, turn off the idiot box, and VOTE!!!!!

So Boston finally breaks the curse!

So. Boston sweeps St. Louis in four games. Wow.

I'm a Cardinals fan. But I have to give credit to the Sox. They came back from a 3-0 deficit to stuff the Yankees, and now they beat St. Louis in a four game sweep.

Again I say, wow.

Boston's last series win was 1918. Neither of my parents were born then. My Maternal Grandmother was 21 (she died at age 91). Women did not yet have the right to vote. World War I was a recent memory. Woodrow Wilson was president. The moon was a light in the sky, not a target to be landed on.

So now it falls to the Cubs to break another long baseball curse.

Excuse me while I roll on the floor laughing!

YYEESSSS!

I love the Red Sox.

So long, Yankees. Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, good-bye!

I love it. A team where some of the players earn more than some other teams finally gets its comeuppance. And they do it by blowing a three game lead, and then getting humiliated in the final game.

Now, the only thing that could be better is if the Bosox win the series. Of course, I'll have a hard time cheering for them against the Cardinals if they're in it, but I think Boston is due.

On the downside, though, John Kerry may have just lost New York!

The other interesting thing that I hadn't considered until someone recently brought it up to me: We could have a Texas Team playing a Massachusetts team...

GO RED SOX!!!!

I don't want to live!!!

AUUUGGGHHH!!!

Three losses in a row. I hate Iowa!

What is wrong with my beloved buckeyes?

First off, they need to shoot their offensive coordinator. And then the defensive coordinator.

Tressel can keep his job--for now. After all, he did lead the Bucks to a national championship two years ago. And he's beaten Michigan as many times in three years as John Cooper did in 13. So I'm willing to cut him a little slack.

IF they lose to Indiana this Saturday, though, then I'll be leading the lynch mob!

10/14/2004

I watched "Fahrenheit 9/11" tonight. I realize that some people may take issue with the facts and obvious bias of this movie. But no one who actually watches it can ever deny that it is an extremely powerful movie. Few movies can make me cry. This one has at every viewing (3 so far)

But what can I do about it?

It may not be much, but tonight I started a new tradition for myself.

Tonight, and for as many nights as possible in the forseeable future, I will silently give the following prayer to God:

Dear God,

Please extend your hand and give some measure of comfort to Lila Lipscomb and all of the other mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, grandmothers, grandfathers, grandchildren and all other relatives of the members of the United States Armed Forces who gave their lives in the service of their country. I can never hope to repay the debt I owe them, but maybe I can, through this simple prayer, assure that their sacrifices will never be in vain.


All I can hope is that God will listen. I firmly believe that God exists. He hears all prayers. He just doesn't always give you the answer you want. I just hope this request is simple enough that he will grant it.

No, Bucks!

What the fuck is wrong with the Buckeyes?!

Why don't they have an offense?!

Why is the previously much-vaunted unstoppable Buckeye defensive machine leaking like the proverbial sieve?!

Why do I continue to torture myself?!

Maybe because I know they are capable of greatness. They did win the National Championship just 2 years ago. And I know that Jim Tressel is capable of doing great things as a head coach. He has a lot of very talented players. He just needs to fire his offensive coordinator.

Seriously. The Buckeyes scored 13 points against wisconsin. Six of those points came on a punt returned for a touchdown. That means the only offensive points came from the talented foot of kicker Mike Nugent. That means no offense.

I've pretty much written off the season this year. There's always next year, I guess.

10/1/04

OK, OK. I know. I haven't posted in three weeks. STFU already! I've been busy.

O.K., I admit it. I've just been lazy!

God, I can't believe it's already October.

Or maybe I should say it's Octobrrrrr!

It was COLD this morning!

So, I watched the debate last night. I was quite impressed with Kerry's performance. Not that it changed my mind one whit. I've always believed that Duhbya is a clueless idiot. Last night just comfirmed it,.

Seriously. How did this boob ever become the president?

He is, in my opinion, living proof that if you have enough money, you can put any idiot in the White House.

Meanwhile, the Republican smear machine continues to attack Kerry. Maybe because they can't point to any accomplishments they have made.

I heard an interesting statistic the other day. Bush is the first president since John Quincy Adams to never veto a single bill that Congress passed.

The republicans currently control all three branches of government. They have for the last 2 years now. So why haven't they fixed all of America's problems yet?

You can get a lot done in two years. Unless, of course, you're a republican.

Vote early. Vote often.