-- Justin Rosario on the effects of so-called "stand your ground" legislation.
Showing posts with label insanity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label insanity. Show all posts
Friday, June 8, 2012
Quote Of The Day - Here And Now Edition
-- Justin Rosario on the effects of so-called "stand your ground" legislation.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Arizona - The American Right's Insanity Incubator
April 4th, 2012
Admittedly, there is plenty of "conservative" crazy to go around.
In Florida, the push is on to drug test, well, pretty much everybody who works for state government provided that they are not legislators.
In Michigan, I am not making this up, the Republican Governor has just signed a law which seems to have been designed for the sole purpose of absolving the brother of that state's GOP party chair from responsibility in a multi-million dollar real estate boondoggle.
From coast to coast, the war on women rages, arguments that the poor should be taxed more are regarded as reasonable and, as Andrew Sullivan has examined HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, standard GOP talking points about the sitting President are so far removed from reality as to be the equivalent of fiction.
There's also the Ryan plan, a scheme so fantastical in its absurdity that it contains statements like this one on page 16:
Mitt Romney has called it "marvelous" to the delight of the President.
Yup, the right wing's whack-doodles are absolutely everywhere making their mischief like pooh-flinging monkeys on a coke binge.
But there really is no place like Arizona.
Sure, most GOP controlled state houses are trying to pass or have passed invasive new restrictions on a woman's right to choose. But none of them are like Arizona's H.B 2036. Not content to merely ape other transvaginal ultra sound mandates or impose new limits on when a pregnancy can be terminated, Arizona's GOP has inserted a provision which effectively alters the fabric of time.
Over at Mother Jones, Kate Sheppard explains:
You're pregnant when you're not, ladies. So there. Harlots.
Still, this is very nearly rational in comparison with any number of other initiatives the Arizona GOP has proposed.
Got employer covered health insurance? WELL, let's protect their right to fire you if you use birth control.
Let's link any environmental initiative, even one using private funds to cover governmental interests, to a vast conspiracy involving "one world government," the U.N., Bill Clinton and... whatever.
Let's force any woman who is struggling with the Constitutionally protected right to choose to view an abortive procedure first.
Just in time for the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr, let's propose rather severe new penalties on civil disobedience.
Don't get me started on Joe Arpaio. Or Russell Pearce. It goes on and on and on with exemplars that boggle in comparison to almost any other so-called "Red State."
The state of Arizona has come to not only define, but also to predict establishment GOP extremism. They are the micro to the macro. If it's nuts, and it's happening there, it's also probably on its way to your state.
For the record, I used to love Arizona.
I once rode a horse in Monument Valley. It's one of my most treasured memories. I hoped at that time to capture the feeling, to be frank, that I thought John Wayne must have had in any of the many films he made there with the great John Ford directing.
It is a place of tremendous natural splendor. I also really liked the people I met when I was there.
But, that seems a lifetime ago.
Would I go back now?
Not a fucking chance unless I have to. I would as soon go to Kazakhstan and start loudly declaring myself to be American.
This is because it seems very nearly as dangerous to be one in either place.
Admittedly, there is plenty of "conservative" crazy to go around.
In Florida, the push is on to drug test, well, pretty much everybody who works for state government provided that they are not legislators.
In Michigan, I am not making this up, the Republican Governor has just signed a law which seems to have been designed for the sole purpose of absolving the brother of that state's GOP party chair from responsibility in a multi-million dollar real estate boondoggle.
From coast to coast, the war on women rages, arguments that the poor should be taxed more are regarded as reasonable and, as Andrew Sullivan has examined HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, standard GOP talking points about the sitting President are so far removed from reality as to be the equivalent of fiction.
There's also the Ryan plan, a scheme so fantastical in its absurdity that it contains statements like this one on page 16:
"The U.S. military is threatened by an uncontrolled debt burden that weakens America - but defense spending is not the driver of that burden." EMPHASIS MINERemember, this a "serious" and "non-political" document.
Mitt Romney has called it "marvelous" to the delight of the President.
Yup, the right wing's whack-doodles are absolutely everywhere making their mischief like pooh-flinging monkeys on a coke binge.
But there really is no place like Arizona.
Sure, most GOP controlled state houses are trying to pass or have passed invasive new restrictions on a woman's right to choose. But none of them are like Arizona's H.B 2036. Not content to merely ape other transvaginal ultra sound mandates or impose new limits on when a pregnancy can be terminated, Arizona's GOP has inserted a provision which effectively alters the fabric of time.
Over at Mother Jones, Kate Sheppard explains:
"Like the proposals before it, Arizona's legislation is modeled on the "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act" designed by the National Right to Life Committee. And like the other bills, it states that abortion would be banned 20 weeks into a pregnancy. But reproductive rights advocates point out that Arizona's law would actually be more restrictive than others, as the bill states that the gestational age of the fetus should be "calculated from the first day of the last menstrual period of the pregnant woman."
Not to go all middle-school health on you, but that's not exactly the same as the actual date the egg and the sperm hooked up. Figuring out that exact point one became pregnant can be tricky. Most women ovulate about 14 or 15 days after their period starts, and women can usually get pregnant from sexual intercourse that occured anywhere between five days before ovulation and a day after it. Arizona's law would start the clock at a woman's last period—which means, in practice, that the law prohibits abortion later than 18 weeks after a woman actually becomes pregnant."Got that?
You're pregnant when you're not, ladies. So there. Harlots.
Still, this is very nearly rational in comparison with any number of other initiatives the Arizona GOP has proposed.
Got employer covered health insurance? WELL, let's protect their right to fire you if you use birth control.
Let's link any environmental initiative, even one using private funds to cover governmental interests, to a vast conspiracy involving "one world government," the U.N., Bill Clinton and... whatever.
Let's force any woman who is struggling with the Constitutionally protected right to choose to view an abortive procedure first.
Just in time for the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr, let's propose rather severe new penalties on civil disobedience.
Don't get me started on Joe Arpaio. Or Russell Pearce. It goes on and on and on with exemplars that boggle in comparison to almost any other so-called "Red State."
The state of Arizona has come to not only define, but also to predict establishment GOP extremism. They are the micro to the macro. If it's nuts, and it's happening there, it's also probably on its way to your state.
For the record, I used to love Arizona.
I once rode a horse in Monument Valley. It's one of my most treasured memories. I hoped at that time to capture the feeling, to be frank, that I thought John Wayne must have had in any of the many films he made there with the great John Ford directing.
It is a place of tremendous natural splendor. I also really liked the people I met when I was there.
But, that seems a lifetime ago.
Would I go back now?
Not a fucking chance unless I have to. I would as soon go to Kazakhstan and start loudly declaring myself to be American.
This is because it seems very nearly as dangerous to be one in either place.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Quote Of The Day
Feb 25th, 2012
"Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
A Nightmare Next Door, cont...
Jan 17th, 2012
Here name was Jackie, dammit. Not, "Jacqueline."
She was a good neighbor and a warm soul. She lived on the other side of my house.
She liked football and animals and Pinot Grigio. She liked the latter quite a lot.
All that separated our lives was a few thin layers of drywall. She was gorgeous, not the frowning face the newspapers have chosen to show.
More than that, she was beautiful in a way that didn't even threaten my girlfriend, Jenni.
Jenni's first reaction, upon seeing the ID photo or mug-shot or whatever bad-shot the gutter-draggers passing themselves off as "journalists" published was to exclaim, "Where's her smile?"
Indeed. Jackie's smile could light up the whole out of doors, not just a room.
She was murdered this weekend. According to a friend of Jenni's privy to local law enforcement, it was grisly. A single shot from a large caliber weapon.
My girlfriend apparently heard it. Not knowing what guns sound like, outside of the fiction of film, she thought it might have been one of our cats engaging in the casual destruction of which they are so very adept.
She was wrong. I was asleep. It didn't even register. Then, this happened.
For the last 2 days, our world has been cops. City cops. County cops. State cops. They all descended upon us. Multiple interviews with cops. Telling them all the same thing; "No. I don't know anything. No, it doesn't make sense. No, I never thought there were any serious problems."
And Vultures. Taking pictures. Plastering my exact address and photos of my home across the internet. Which has brought the gawkers, the rubber-neckers and the sick-fucks. You want a photo? Here's a fucking photo. From inside my house.
Then, there is the obvious suspect. His name is "Doug," although the media, as of this writing, has not yet released it.
I liked him, too. He was nice to me. We often talked while his crazy, dumb dog tried to jump on me and knock me over. I liked that he was such a good neighbor. Whenever he had friends over, he would knock and say, "Hey, buddy. Wanna hang out? Just lettin' you know we might be loud and stuff."
More often than not, I would decline. But, it felt great to have people we thought we could trust.
They were also very beautiful together.
To be honest, I thought of Doug as a very, very lucky man to have so lovely a lady.
Which just serves to make this uglier and harder to deal with.
It was his mother whom I consoled outside in the earliest hours of Monday morning.
She loved Jackie. Everybody loved Jackie.
Jackie was altogether lovable.
And special.
And now, our world is the stuff of bullshit TV-movies and hangers-on and quick-buck artists hawking manipulative crap about "domestic incidents."
And blah, blah, blah. And blah, blah, blah.
I just want her back...
Walking up the driveway in that ridiculous pancho she actually knew how to rock.
Flashing a peace-sign as if it were current. Beaming that smile and asking, "How are you?"
So that I might shoot back, "good... and you?"
As it is with all things that are too hard to fathom and, simultaneously, too ordinarily lurid...
I want a Goddamn explanation.
In spite of the fact that I know there will never, ever be one.
Here name was Jackie, dammit. Not, "Jacqueline."
She liked football and animals and Pinot Grigio. She liked the latter quite a lot.
All that separated our lives was a few thin layers of drywall. She was gorgeous, not the frowning face the newspapers have chosen to show.
More than that, she was beautiful in a way that didn't even threaten my girlfriend, Jenni.
Jenni's first reaction, upon seeing the ID photo or mug-shot or whatever bad-shot the gutter-draggers passing themselves off as "journalists" published was to exclaim, "Where's her smile?"
Indeed. Jackie's smile could light up the whole out of doors, not just a room.
She was murdered this weekend. According to a friend of Jenni's privy to local law enforcement, it was grisly. A single shot from a large caliber weapon.
My girlfriend apparently heard it. Not knowing what guns sound like, outside of the fiction of film, she thought it might have been one of our cats engaging in the casual destruction of which they are so very adept.
She was wrong. I was asleep. It didn't even register. Then, this happened.
For the last 2 days, our world has been cops. City cops. County cops. State cops. They all descended upon us. Multiple interviews with cops. Telling them all the same thing; "No. I don't know anything. No, it doesn't make sense. No, I never thought there were any serious problems."
And Vultures. Taking pictures. Plastering my exact address and photos of my home across the internet. Which has brought the gawkers, the rubber-neckers and the sick-fucks. You want a photo? Here's a fucking photo. From inside my house.
Then, there is the obvious suspect. His name is "Doug," although the media, as of this writing, has not yet released it.
I liked him, too. He was nice to me. We often talked while his crazy, dumb dog tried to jump on me and knock me over. I liked that he was such a good neighbor. Whenever he had friends over, he would knock and say, "Hey, buddy. Wanna hang out? Just lettin' you know we might be loud and stuff."
More often than not, I would decline. But, it felt great to have people we thought we could trust.
They were also very beautiful together.
To be honest, I thought of Doug as a very, very lucky man to have so lovely a lady.
Which just serves to make this uglier and harder to deal with.
It was his mother whom I consoled outside in the earliest hours of Monday morning.
She loved Jackie. Everybody loved Jackie.
Jackie was altogether lovable.
And special.
And now, our world is the stuff of bullshit TV-movies and hangers-on and quick-buck artists hawking manipulative crap about "domestic incidents."
And blah, blah, blah. And blah, blah, blah.
I just want her back...
Walking up the driveway in that ridiculous pancho she actually knew how to rock.
Flashing a peace-sign as if it were current. Beaming that smile and asking, "How are you?"
So that I might shoot back, "good... and you?"
As it is with all things that are too hard to fathom and, simultaneously, too ordinarily lurid...
I want a Goddamn explanation.
In spite of the fact that I know there will never, ever be one.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Regarding Allen West's Godwin Violation
Dec 16th, 2011
Earlier, we nominated Rep. Allen West (R-FL) for a Godwin Award following his conflation of the Democratic Party's "propaganda machine" with Goebbels.
Steve Benen chimes in:
"Now, I think it’s fair to say most objective, independent observers would agree that Allen West is stark raving mad, which suggests his comments are not to be taken especially seriously.
But just for the sake of conversation, let’s note a couple of things. First, I think it’s called the Democratic Party. If West is going to be in Congress, he should probably take a moment to learn the parties’ names.
Second, earlier this year, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) made a passing reference to Goebbels when going after Republican rhetoric, and Fox News was apoplectic. Megyn Kelly, in particular, devoted quite a bit of time to covering the comment, and I can’t wait to see — in the interests of being fair and balanced — how much time she invests in criticizing Allen West for the same misdeed.
And finally, even if we put aside the Nazi garbage, what on earth is West talking about? Democrats are good at message dissemination? Democrats“have an incredible propaganda machine”? Since when?
I’ve been watching Democratic politics for as long as I can remember. The party has plenty of strengths, but the development of an “incredible propaganda machine” isn’t one of them."
Earlier, we nominated Rep. Allen West (R-FL) for a Godwin Award following his conflation of the Democratic Party's "propaganda machine" with Goebbels.
Steve Benen chimes in:
"Now, I think it’s fair to say most objective, independent observers would agree that Allen West is stark raving mad, which suggests his comments are not to be taken especially seriously.
But just for the sake of conversation, let’s note a couple of things. First, I think it’s called the Democratic Party. If West is going to be in Congress, he should probably take a moment to learn the parties’ names.
Second, earlier this year, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) made a passing reference to Goebbels when going after Republican rhetoric, and Fox News was apoplectic. Megyn Kelly, in particular, devoted quite a bit of time to covering the comment, and I can’t wait to see — in the interests of being fair and balanced — how much time she invests in criticizing Allen West for the same misdeed.
And finally, even if we put aside the Nazi garbage, what on earth is West talking about? Democrats are good at message dissemination? Democrats“have an incredible propaganda machine”? Since when?
I’ve been watching Democratic politics for as long as I can remember. The party has plenty of strengths, but the development of an “incredible propaganda machine” isn’t one of them."
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Cain Watch - God Told Him To?
Nov 12th, 2011
Taking a page from Paddy Chayefsky, Herman Cain has actually finally channeled Howard Beale. Literally. Speaking to a gathering of "young Republicans" in Atlanta,Ga. today, Mr. Cain told the audience he decide to run President of the United States after God told him to. This is not parody.
Via National Journal:
"I prayed and prayed and prayed. I’m a man of faith, I had to do a lot of praying for this one, more praying than I’d ever done before in my life. And when I finally realized that it was God saying that this is what I needed to do, I was like Moses. 'You’ve got the wrong man, Lord. Are you sure?'"
Sleep tight.
Taking a page from Paddy Chayefsky, Herman Cain has actually finally channeled Howard Beale. Literally. Speaking to a gathering of "young Republicans" in Atlanta,Ga. today, Mr. Cain told the audience he decide to run President of the United States after God told him to. This is not parody.
Via National Journal:
"I prayed and prayed and prayed. I’m a man of faith, I had to do a lot of praying for this one, more praying than I’d ever done before in my life. And when I finally realized that it was God saying that this is what I needed to do, I was like Moses. 'You’ve got the wrong man, Lord. Are you sure?'"
Sleep tight.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
YAY! We Have An AttackWatch Hyperbole Award Winner!
Sept 14th, 2011
Way to go, Washington Times! Your editorial team has really come up with the play that was needed to win the game. In fact, said play made all previous examples of today's craziness simply pale by comparison. And you started straight in with the headline!
Wow. Not only do you evoke Winston Smith at 13 O'Clock, you also got away with calling the first African-American President "Brother."
Pretty Clever.
From the very first line, your piece would be fantastically funny... were it not for the fact that you are so utterly humorless:
"Be careful, if you dare to criticize Citizen Obama, comrade. The Web is watching."
I am just so impressed with this piece, it simply has to get the award for... (drum roll please)
"Most Hyperbolic Freak Out Over AttackWatch.com!"
YAY!
Way to go, Washington Times! Your editorial team has really come up with the play that was needed to win the game. In fact, said play made all previous examples of today's craziness simply pale by comparison. And you started straight in with the headline!
Wow. Not only do you evoke Winston Smith at 13 O'Clock, you also got away with calling the first African-American President "Brother."
Pretty Clever.
From the very first line, your piece would be fantastically funny... were it not for the fact that you are so utterly humorless:
"Be careful, if you dare to criticize Citizen Obama, comrade. The Web is watching."
I am just so impressed with this piece, it simply has to get the award for... (drum roll please)
"Most Hyperbolic Freak Out Over AttackWatch.com!"
YAY!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Totally Random Let's All Stay Sane Moment
Aug 13th, 2011
I first saw this when I was just a boy... and it completely freaked me out. It's sublime. It is really, really not for children. Many people don't realize that the old, pre-feature Tom & Jerrys of the mid-1950s were actually formatted in CinemaScope. It is a wonder of nearly-noir heartbreak. With a great voice-over. Here you go.
I first saw this when I was just a boy... and it completely freaked me out. It's sublime. It is really, really not for children. Many people don't realize that the old, pre-feature Tom & Jerrys of the mid-1950s were actually formatted in CinemaScope. It is a wonder of nearly-noir heartbreak. With a great voice-over. Here you go.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Raising Cain
June 13th, 2011
by F. Grey Parker
Brian Beutler has a fun piece this morning over at TPM:
"Not since the first head-to-CPU contest between Gary Kasparov and Deep Blue has the world waited so breathlessly for the kind of battle of the minds we're likely to witness Monday evening."
It is very disappointing to see that Gary Johnson, the two term Governor of New Mexico has been excluded from tonight's show. Frankly, his answers in the previous FOX News "debate" regarding the role of the military, the size of Pentagon budgets and the responsibility of government to adhere to the basic protections guaranteed under the Bill of Rights made me sit up and take notice.
by F. Grey Parker
Here they come. The Republican Presidential "contenders" will be duking it out tonight in front of the American people in the second debate of the season.
We can expect most of the afternoon to consist of "expert predictions" and "reading the tea leaves" which is amusing considering that the lineup is, for the most part, an utterly unpredictable collection of irresponsible rabble-rousers who don't stand a chance.
Brian Beutler has a fun piece this morning over at TPM:
"Not since the first head-to-CPU contest between Gary Kasparov and Deep Blue has the world waited so breathlessly for the kind of battle of the minds we're likely to witness Monday evening."
It is very disappointing to see that Gary Johnson, the two term Governor of New Mexico has been excluded from tonight's show. Frankly, his answers in the previous FOX News "debate" regarding the role of the military, the size of Pentagon budgets and the responsibility of government to adhere to the basic protections guaranteed under the Bill of Rights made me sit up and take notice.
I guess we can't have that sort of "sanity factor" potentially marring tonight's festivities.
Here's the line-up: Tim Pawlenty, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), Newt Gingrich, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), and of course the new darling of FOX, Herman Cain.
Let's be honest. The real draw tonight is Cain. Not even Rep. Bachmann looks crazy or unqualified in comparison to the Pizza King's series of pronouncements over the last month. You find that too bold a statement?
Then you haven't been paying attention. Last week, Herman Cain made the most amazing proposal for security on the southern U.S. border I have heard in my adult lifetime.
Here's the line-up: Tim Pawlenty, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), Newt Gingrich, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), and of course the new darling of FOX, Herman Cain.
Then you haven't been paying attention. Last week, Herman Cain made the most amazing proposal for security on the southern U.S. border I have heard in my adult lifetime.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
A Guy Who Knows
May 7th, 2011
The truly brilliant John le Carré (David Cornwell) talks 21st Century politics, propaganda and the realities of secret intrigues in the age of globalization. If you aren't aware of his background prior to writing the best and most honest spy novels of the last 50 years outside of Graham Greene's work, he was an intelligence operative. He actually is a guy who knows. Enjoy the full hour from Democracy Now.
The truly brilliant John le Carré (David Cornwell) talks 21st Century politics, propaganda and the realities of secret intrigues in the age of globalization. If you aren't aware of his background prior to writing the best and most honest spy novels of the last 50 years outside of Graham Greene's work, he was an intelligence operative. He actually is a guy who knows. Enjoy the full hour from Democracy Now.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The Right Hates Obama For Doing What They Want Him To Do
March 22nd, 2011
A CNN poll of American opinion on the Libyan conflict seems to have inadvertently shone a light upon the sheer madness of right wing emotionalism:
Overall, 70% of Americans support the "No-Fly Zone" strategy currently underway. (GRAPHIC BELOW)
Taking a closer look at public opinion on "Obama's handling" of the situation, the views of self identified "conservatives" get just plain preposterous (HT to Dave Weigel):
50% of all voters approve of "Obama's handling"
41% of voters do not approve of "Obama's handling"
63% of Republicans say they disapprove of "Obama's handling"
76% of Tea Party "supporters" disapprove of "Obama's handling"
73% of Tea Partiers approve of the "No-Fly Zone"
78% of Republicans approve of the "No-Fly Zone"
Pssst... The "No-Fly Zone" IS "Obama's handling" of the Libyan situation.
A CNN poll of American opinion on the Libyan conflict seems to have inadvertently shone a light upon the sheer madness of right wing emotionalism:
Overall, 70% of Americans support the "No-Fly Zone" strategy currently underway. (GRAPHIC BELOW)
Taking a closer look at public opinion on "Obama's handling" of the situation, the views of self identified "conservatives" get just plain preposterous (HT to Dave Weigel):
50% of all voters approve of "Obama's handling"
41% of voters do not approve of "Obama's handling"
63% of Republicans say they disapprove of "Obama's handling"
76% of Tea Party "supporters" disapprove of "Obama's handling"
73% of Tea Partiers approve of the "No-Fly Zone"
78% of Republicans approve of the "No-Fly Zone"
Pssst... The "No-Fly Zone" IS "Obama's handling" of the Libyan situation.
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