A story about a disturbing trend. Click here
A quote from the above:
"A fellow militiaman, armed with an assault rifle, walks along as Olson — a man whose conspiracy theories were so extreme that he was kicked out of the group he founded, the Michigan Militia, 15 years ago — discourses on the need for a paramilitary Alaska Citizens Militia.

Wait.... this guy was so bugfuck insane that he was too extreme for the goddamn MICHIGAN MILITIA?!?

Think the Air Force can spare a Predator or two for a "training exercise" on these types?
If you don't do it now, you'll only have to deal with them later.

--MAB

<RANT mode=ON>

Once upon a time in America it was possible for a NON-College educated Working Class person to:
1. Keep a good job with "benefits"
2. Earn enough to raise a family in relative comfort
3. Have a stay-at-home parent to raise the children
4. Buy and pay off a comfortable home in the suburbs
5. Own and operate a relatively new car
6. Take a REAL vacation every year
7. Send his children to a State University
8. Save enough to retire in comfort and dignity.

It was possible for anyone to attend a State University and graduate DEBT FREE if they were willing to work part-time.

Those things would be possible TODAY if we had politicians that represented PEOPLE rather than the highest bidder.

<RANT mode=OFF>

Remember, remember the Fifth of November
The Gunpowder Treason and plot.
I can think of no reason,
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

To whit:
Leviticus 18:22 Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.
Fair enough... but what about the passage a few chapters back?
Leviticus 9:9-12 9: Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales. 10: But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales—whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water—you are to detest. 11: And since you are to detest them, you must not eat their meat and you must detest their carcasses. 12: Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be detestable to you.

Seems like the Great Sky Wizard™ doesn't much like Maine Lobster.
Can we outlaw that too?
Or how about a boycott?

Two things I got from yesterday's election returns:
1) Some people who voted for Obama are disappointed. They still like Obama but they are not enthused. Independents are unimpressed.

2) The Palinista/Talibornagain forces that have taken full control of the national Republican Party cannot win elections outside militia-held territory.

Democratic and Republican spinners will wrangle over which message is real but they are both real. They are trends in opposition and eventually something's gotta give. We need to get people feeling good about Democrats because feeling bad about Republicans is not dependable.

In 1976 Ronald Reagan challenged Gerry Ford from the nutzoid-right. Everyone had a good laugh... he was like Ron Paul and Sarah Palin rolled into one. Jimmy Carter won the general election by post-Watergate default, surviving a late run by Ford. Then everyone turned on Carter. The Democrats became national figures of fun and the colorful crazy man who had been taken little more seriously than Sarah Palin won easily in 1980.

We just won two election cycles (2006-2008) because the opposition represented the worst President in American history. Now the low-hanging fruit is all picked.

I would suggest that banking on the absurdity of the Republicans to keep Democrats viable is a bad idea. That dynamic works until it doesn't. The Republicans will get less absurd or their absurdity will become mainstream.

Dems, here's a hint: Elucidate some principles and stick to them through thick and thin and pass bills that benefit millions of people immediately, not in 2013. Jobs, jobs, jobs. Capiche?

--MAB

On Sunday's Face the Nation, John McCain was asked if he could support health care reform that included a government plan. "No" said the Senator, "I have never seen where the government can do a good job providing health care.

This is John McCain. Navy Vet McCain. War Hero McCain. Pentagon officer McCain. Elected official McCain. All-his-life-on-the-public-tit McCain. Never had a paying non-government job McCain.

This is the McCain who qualifies for TriCare, VA care, and Senatorial insurance.

This is the McCain, who has never had to live in the non-governmental world.

McCain is not happy with government health care.

We must all be way better off than we thought we were.
And to think we wanted government run health insurance.
Good thing Johnny's there to set us straight.

Comes from the man who asked "Do androids dream of electric sheep?"

"The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words." ~ Philip K Dick


Words & phrases like "socialism", "death panels", "public option?"

--MAB

Silent deathray in first blast from the skies

Death-tech goliath Boeing has announced a long-delayed in-flight firing for the smaller of its two aeroplane raygun-cannon prototypes, the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL). The ATL blaster, mounted in a Hercules transport aircraft, apparently "defeated" an unoccupied stationary vehicle.

"This milestone demonstrates that directed energy weapon systems will transform the battlespace and save lives," said Boeing exec Greg Hyslop. "The ATL team has earned a distinguished place in the history of weapon system development."

....or if someone was just seeing if they could get it past the corporate legal dept.

Rocky Mountain Adventures of Ft Collins uses RFC2549 compliant delivery system for rafting pictures {grin} Click Here for the full story

--MAB

Michael Jackson, poor fucker. Something in the American psyche that loves a particular twist in its Gothic approach to its Christ mythology. Images of Baby Jane's organza bows merge w/a bloated Elivis falling in slow-mo off his golden toilet and the great mind of Howard Hughes fades away as he drinks his own piss in the dark. It's as riveting as gawking at Britney from the window as she shaves her head, cinematic in scope and to be continued at a later date. Right now it's Jacko's turn.


Welcome back to Sunset Boulevard, where Norma Desmond will always live to bury her monkey and plan her big comeback...

But dammit, it's my JOB!
(Shamelessly gakked from flaviarassen

--MAB

RE: California Supremes OK'ing Prop 8

I've always wondered why no one has thought to introduce a bill that says, in effect, "You can stand up in your special building with all the pretty windows making all manner of promises to your invisible sky wizard, but nobody's 'married' unless the STATE says "You're married"" i.e. make ALL marriages "civil unions" and just as much PITA/hassle for the straights. I mean, when you get right down to it, "marriage" is all about property rights, so why not just cut to the chase and call it a contract that you have to lawyer up for like anyone else?

The sky wizard crowd then couldn't complain that performing wedding ceremonies for same sex couples was "against their religion" since the ceremonies themselves would become irrelevant. The equal protection clause of the US Constitution states that "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
This seems pretty much a no brainer here, but then again, IANAL.

Thoughts?

--MAB

From this morning's Washington Post in an essay on how movie producers tiptoe around the fanbois:




Only the third and most recent trailer seemed in any way deviant, as a voice-over tells the new, hottie Kirk (Chris Pine) that he must fulfill his destiny and follow his father's footsteps, which, as anyone knows, is "Star Wars" talk -- a little like being handed a Communion wafer in a synagogue.


Best. Simile. EVER.

--MAB