can't get there from here

Since the haters can't seem to get rid of the Prop 8 ruling any other way, they're trying to get rid of the judge.

Well, "he's a fag," they reason, so he'd benefit directly from his own ruling so we can get rid of this mess by declaring he had a personal interest and therefore should have recused himself.

Grasping at straws I'd say.

And so it goes:

genius should be recognized

and these guys have got it

hgf

Narcissus has been looking in that damn pool again

Rick Santorum wants everyone to know that:



as if...

I'm becoming a huge fan of the late Howard Zin. Read him.

And so it goes:

They just keep giving me more and more help

It is true that all good things come to those who wait. I've spent over 1000 posts and about four years of my life dedicating myself to extolling the horrors of the depth of the stupidity of the average American. And now...

nsfw btw


And in an effort to meet their mandate to be a public service organization, Faux news has mistakenly used this picture

of Tina Fey instead of a real one of Sarah Palin.

They must have hired the former Kansas City Star intern who mistakenly used this photo:

to promote national clown week a few years ago. It's a photo of John Wayne Gacy. oops.

So I am forever grateful to the galactically stupid,(Tom Cruise pun intended) who keep this blog afloat.

I hope they get someone to read this blog to them so they know how grateful I am.

And so it goes:

Ain't we got fun

I love Sarah Palin! Her unwillingness to admit a mistake, and her incurable American Disease, i.e. her insistence that someone else was at fault...always...enamors me to her.

I mean where else would I find a joke that makes its own punchlines so readily?




The best part is that the teabaggers are so willing to support this POS that they're attempting to change the wikipedia page on Paul Revere to support her contentions that her version of events is correct and that Paul Revere was actually warning the British.

Why admit a mistake? Just rewrite history to suit you...much more expedient.

Ah Sarah, you justify ALL of my contentions about the hideous education system in this country.

Thanks.

Of course there's always my favorite patriot...hehe.

And so it goes:

yes i know, and hgf

Yes, I did I skipped yesterday's post. I was busy, and I was trying to figure out how to work my new phone.

Holy shit! I swear there's a period in the firsts ten days in which all one really wants to do is to throw a new phone against the wall. I was very tempted.

Well, today in political news a conservative hypocrite pays for his own helicopter rides,(Christie NJ) and a liberal hyopcrite goes to court to answer for some more of his sins(Edwards).

We have such an upstanding citizenry.

And so it goes:

you CAN make this stuff up!

So often I sit here and rail about some nutcase in a position of some influence who is abusing their power, and point out exactly what I think we need to do about it.

However, there are times, such as this one, when all I can do is let the latent speak for themselves.

Enjoy:
via towleroad.com


And so it goes:

last week in joplin

and so it goes:

In a minute....!

Alright, now hold on here.  HGF will be along in just a second you big pervs, just hang on.  First I want to show you a letter from the Director of the Vermont Arts Council to Dam Brownback and address a couple of issues regarding him and that...THEN we'll leer, just bear with me.

The letter:

An Open Letter to Kansas Governor Sam Brownback

May 25, 2011

The Honorable Sam Brownback

Governor of Kansas

Dear Governor Brownback,

I have been following with great interest your efforts to remove government support from the Kansas Arts Commission and to re-establish it as an independent, non-profit agency, with the expectation that doing so will relieve your administration of the responsibility of allocating taxpayer funds to match federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.  The budget now awaits your signature and there is a great deal of concern that you will use your line-item veto to effectively abolish the Commission which, I understand, a bipartisan coalition in the Kansas Senate representing a broad cross-section of Kansas citizens hopes you will not do.

It is neither my place nor my intention to engage in the political discourse of your state.  However, since our small agency has been frequently singled out by your administration as an example of a nonprofit state arts agency that is thriving without, as the media has reported it, the benefit of state investment I am compelled to weigh in and set the record straight on just three points.

First, in Vermont our nonprofit state arts agency is effective only BECAUSE there is significant state investment in our work.  Without a State appropriation of just over $500,000 we would be unable to provide the professional development services, educational outreach to underserved communities, accessibility services to hundreds of historic cultural venues that were built long before the passage of the ADA, and a host of other grants that support our creative sector.

Second, without State support we would be forced to raise more than half million dollars (to match our Federal grant from the National Endowment for the Arts) from the private sector—an activity that would put us in direct competition with the very cultural institutions that our mission requires us to support.  In addition, our largest grant program (Cultural Facilities), not only provides significant improvements to our historical and cultural institutions in the area of accessibility, the funds we award employ hundreds of carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers, electricians and other blue-collar workers that are, along with artists and teachers, the life-blood of our communities.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, every State SHOULD invest in the arts sector simply because it makes good economic sense.  One of our most conservative policy analysts looked at state and local tax revenues that flowed to state and municipal coffers from our very narrowly-defined arts sector in Vermont.  Income taxes paid by artists, arts administrators and independent arts contractors, as well as the long-established IMPLAN economic modeling analysis on just the nonprofit arts institutions in the state, reveal a total return of $19.45 million on a combined investment of $2.5 million, which includes our $500k appropriation.  This annual ROI of 775%  is even more astonishing since virtually all of Vermont’s state tourism dollars promote skiing, outdoor recreation, fall foliage, maple syrup, and artisanal food preparation and service, NOT art and culture—a circumstance which, I am happy to say, is going to change starting this summer.

Our legislature is getting more and more comfortable with thinking of the work we do as expanding the revenue base of our state, not increasing the expenses that our citizen taxpayers must bear.  Our sector provides good jobs.  It adds enormous social and civic value to our communities.  It improves the relationship that young people have with their schools and communities.  And it serves as a powerful attraction to entrepreneurs seeking to locate their new businesses in a creative, vital community setting.  The “creative economy” is real and it is thriving here in Vermont.  I believe that all these arguments are relevant to making the case for keeping the Kansas Arts Commission on sound financial, PUBLIC footing.

With great respect for you and for the wonderful citizens of Kansas, I am

Sincerely yours,

Alexander L. Aldrich

Executive Director

Vermont Arts Council

Dam Brownback (the first time it was a typo but I've decided I like it) is a prime example of GOP extremism.  We're seeing it all over the place and I have high hopes that the voters will react appropriately.  The sudden  insurgence of the teabaggers should, (if it already hasn't) alarm each and every one of us.   The small towns in Kansas are dying, and no one seems to understand why. But they keep voting for the GOP, who then gives all the power, wealth, and tax breaks to the corporations that are starving these communities of their money.  And no one seems to get how they're perpetuating this vicious circle.

Recently I posted about the meat packing plants in western Kansas that are essentially creating a third world out on the plains at the expense of the immigrants, legal or otherwise, that live and work there.  there are no roads, no sewage infrastructure, no decent schools, no health care, and if the locals   rebel, they pack up the whole operation and move it to the next town where they'll be allowed to do as they please.

We are the only ones who can put a stop to what's being done to this country, and we have to accept the responsibility of fighting the people like Dam who think it's a good thing.  The longer I live the more I realize that we're doomed to repeat history because we not only don't learn from it, we don't teach it.

Anyone who has ever received a check, a job, an opportunity to view or participate in  an arts event  due to the existence of publicly funded arts councils should be supporting their existence, and fighting to keep their budgets intact.

Vote responsibly folks.  The GOP no longer stands for what you think it does.  

And now for something you'll really like:

Today is my birfday!

Four activities planned, a bike ride, lunch at the gallery with a friend and then viewing of the monet, a horseback ride, and dinner with a friend. 

Such a whirl!

Have a nice day!

And so it goes:

Them that's got shall get...them that's not got lose, So the bible says...

It's amazing to me that  after Katrina, the GOP would even consider not rushing immediately to the aid of American citizens.  Alas...

New York – Eric Cantor says he won't OK aid money for Missouri tornado victims unless Democrats agree to an equal amount of spending cuts. Goodbye, "compassionate conservatism"?


In the wake of the murderous tornado in Joplin, Mo., plus other recent natural disasters, the federal government may need to replenish its disaster-relief accounts. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) says that, before his House GOP caucus would support such a funding bill, it would have to be offset by spending cuts elsewhere. Is this insistence on budget-slashing in the face of disaster "heartless," or is ruthlessness necessary to turn the "tide of federal spending"?


The GOP's callousness is shocking: "I don't expect much from House Republicans, but this has managed to actually surprise me," says Steve Benen at Washington Monthly. When part of the country is devastated by a deadly natural disaster, federal lawmakers "are expected to put aside politics and ideology" and help, not hold the victims "ransom" to their pet causes.


But cutting spending is the GOP's mission: Cantor is just faithfully representing his caucus' views, says Stephen Dinan in The Washington Times. Plus, Cantor has clearly learned a key lesson from former Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-Texas), who "stumbled" and "took flak from conservatives" for arguing that disaster relief for Hurricane Katrina should be tacked onto the deficit.


Well, voters were warned: No one should have "reacted with horror" to Cantor's remarks, says David Dayen at Firedoglake. Republicans gave up "compassionate conservatism" as a Bush-era failure, and their renewed passion for small government essentially means "you're on your own," even in the face of disaster. So the fine folks of Joplin might have to get ready to "rebuild their homes themselves." Elections have consequences.

But there is a ray of hope-

Last night Democrat Kathy Hochul upset Republican Jane Corwin in the blood red New York 26th Congressional District special election -- largely because of Corwin's support for the House Republican plan to end Medicare.


Her victory comes on the heels of a month during which Republicans have been battered for their vote to end Medicare at town halls across America and polls that show their plan is radioactive.


Maybe last night's election will be the alarm that awakens the Republican establishment from their dream-like fantasy that -- as much as the right hates Medicare -- the American people don't agree.


Memo to Republicans: snap out of it! Americans love Medicare and there is nothing you're going to do to change that.


Of course, the Republican right has hated Medicare since it was first passed in 1965.


At that time Ronald Reagan, who was a spokesman for the AMA, railed against Medicare as the harbinger of socialism in the United States.


Thirty years later, Newt Gingrich waxed eloquent about the Republican plan to allow Medicare to "wither on the vine."


And just this Spring, Congressman Paul Ryan managed to convince all but four Republicans in the House to vote for a plan to end Medicare and to put seniors back at the mercy of private insurance companies -- this time with a plan that provided partial "premium support". You can call that whatever you like -- maybe "partial care" or "coupon care" -- but it's not Medicare. Really, what were they thinking?


The thing is that Republicans can't seem to remember that every time they grab the third rail of opposition to Medicare they are very nearly electrocuted.


You'd think they'd remember that after they had scored an overwhelming victory against the Democrats and Bill Clinton in 1994, it was the battle between Newt Gingrich and Clinton over cuts to Medicare that turned the political tide and helped assure Clinton's re-election in 1996. Democrats accused Gingrich of wanting to cut Medicare to give tax breaks to the rich. Sound familiar?


Well, Newt Gingrich himself apparently did remember, when he called the Ryan plan "right wing social engineering" -- only to be sent off by the party's right wing ideologues, with his tail between his legs like a dog that chewed up his master's favorite shoe.


You'd think the Republicans would remember the damage that was done by the 1996 Democratic spot that showed Republican Presidential candidate Bob Dole making a speech to conservatives where he bragged: "I was there fighting the fight, voting against Medicare."


You'd think they would remember that just a few short months ago, their own ads blatantly, falsely and effectively pandered to the public's love affair with Medicare by claiming that the health care reform bill had "cut Medicare."


They are like Dr. Strangelove in the famous 1960's movie. The Doctor -- a German former scientist -- had an irrepressible tick. No matter how hard he tried he could not help periodically snapping out a Nazi salute. The right wing of the Republican Party can't help themselves when it comes to trying to eliminate Medicare. To them, the basic idea of Medicare is an abomination.


Basically this is a question of values. They don't believe that we're all in this together. They believe that we're all in this alone -- that you're on your own, buddy. They don't believe that government is the name we give for the things we choose to do together. In other words, they believe -- like their ideological mentor author Ayn Rand -- in a society where the strong dominate everyone else - in essence a society based on social Darwinism. And they positively reject the notion that our top priority should be to create a society where everyone can achieve their full potential -- a society with shared prosperity a strong middle class.


To them it just doesn't compute that Medicare is the most efficient system to deliver health insurance -- and that people like the idea that they are guaranteed coverage of their health care needs in their senior years. They simply dismiss the fact that Medicare spends -- depending upon how you count it - from 3% to 6% of total outlay on administrative costs and private insurers spend from 26% to 30%. I guess when the facts don't conform to your pre-conceived ideological view, it's just easier to dismiss the facts.


Medicare is a "fact on the ground" that demonstrates that all of their theorizing about how big corporations always do things more efficiently than government is a fairy tale.


That's why initiates in the cult of right wing orthodoxy are made to take a blood oath to destroy Medicare and Social Security.


But Medicare is an example of the political axiom that once something is a "fact on the ground" it is very hard to destroy. It's one thing to prevent people from getting the things they aspire to. It is much harder to force them to give up something they love and already have. That's why the right is desperate to undo the Affordable Health Care Act before its provisions themselves become "facts on the ground" too. When they do, everyday Americans will like what they see. And they will see that just as Medicare was not, as the right warned, the beginning of the Soviet conquest of America - heath care reform will not bring "death panels" to seniors' bedsides.


In the meantime, yesterday's defeat in the New York 26th District, the shellacking they are taking at town meetings, and the fusillade of angry calls to Republican offices have begun to cause panic in the Republican ranks. The Empire struck back last fall. The progressive counter-offensive has begun.

Woohoo!

And so it goes:

It just never stops!

I have driven through Joplin Missouri many many times when I was in grad school. I went home to KC at least once a month from Fayetteville, but these pictures and video leave me speechless, and regular readers know how difficult that is.

These pictures are before and after of the same corner.

 

 The video has no narration and I couldn't imagine what one would say, the town is just gone.



And so it goes:

Happy Birthday K!

It's a big day in paradise! Someone can now join AARP!!! woohoo!

And now for something you'll really like!

Congrats my friend!
And so it goes.

final post?

Since the end of the world is apparently nigh I'm surprised by a couple of things.

First, That I don't see anyone, and I mean anyone, online repenting.  Do these people think they have no "sins" to repent for>  Kinda arrogant don't you think?

Second, why aren't more of them divesting themselves of their worldly possessions?  Wouldn't one think that if you knew sinners you figured could use your shit once you've moved on to your reward, why not let them have it?

Alas,  they're selfish too...figures.

Not a very exciting hgf today, we're saving it up cause Sunday is a big day!

who really wants to create death panels? and religious love.

And the Catholics still aren't getting it:

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.  — WPBF.com
At the Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, Osama bin Laden appears on the bulletin for Sunday's service.
A parishioner made the prayer request for the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks on America.
Louis Pizzano Sr., a parishioner at the church, said he's against praying for the Al-Qaida leader, who was killed by U.S. Navy SEALs more than two weeks ago.
"I just don't think it's right, I really don't," Pizzano said. "I think what's happened to the American people, what he's done, what he was planning to do and because we killed him, it doesn't stop there."
The request has created a division between some parishioners.
Vince Stankey said he has no problem praying for the terrorist leader.
"The way he was trying to prove his god to do killing, I can't approve of that," Stankey said. "But I have mercy on his soul and I have to pray for him."
Pizzano said he will not pray for bin Laden on Sunday. He said he has a better idea.
"Let's pray for our soldiers that are over there, not for somebody that caused our soldiers to go over there," Pizzano said.
The prayer service is scheduled for Sunday at noon. 

And another thing:
"We are becoming a country that not only supports perversion, we cheerlead for perversion. A day against homophobia and transphobia -- what they're saying is Judeo-Christian morality is the equivalent of bigotry and irrational fear, and that is a false message. What they're saying essentially is if you are a Christian, a Muslim or a Jew, and you oppose sexual perversion or gender confusion, you are a hater; you are a bigot. This is the liberal message." - Porno Pete LaBarbera, denouncing Hillary Clinton's statement in support of the International Day Against Homophobia.-via Joemygod.


And so it goes:

And in this corner representing the people who want America back...

via huffpost

WASHINGTON -- Former Sen. Rick Santorum said Tuesday that Sen. John McCain, who spent 5 1/2 years enduring brutal treatment at the hands of his North Vietnamese captors, doesn't know how effective waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques can be. The Republican presidential contender insisted the tactics led the United States to al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a speech last week that waterboarding al-Qaida's No. 3 leader, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, did not provide information that led to bin Laden's compound in Pakistan.

McCain said he asked CIA Director Leon Panetta for the facts, and that the hunt for bin Laden did not begin with fresh information from Mohammed. In fact, the name of bin Laden's courier, Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, came from a detainee held in another country.

"Not only did the use of enhanced interrogation techniques on Khalid Sheikh Mohammed not provide us with key leads on bin Laden's courier, Abu Ahmed, it actually produced false and misleading information," McCain said.

In an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt on Tuesday, Santorum said McCain was wrong.

"Everything I've read shows that we would not have gotten this information as to who this man was if it had not been gotten information from people who were subject to enhanced interrogation," Santorum said. "And so this idea that we didn't ask that question while Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was being waterboarded, he (McCain) doesn't understand how enhanced interrogation works.

"I mean, you break somebody, and after they're broken, they become cooperative. And that's when we got this information. And one thing led to another, and led to another, and that's how we ended up with bin Laden," said Santorum.

He added: "Maybe McCain has better information than I do, but from what I've seen, it seems pretty clear that but for these cooperative witnesses who were cooperative as a result of enhanced interrogations, we would not have gotten bin Laden."

McCain, the 2008 Republican president nominee, said his information came from Panetta. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the chairwoman of the Senate intelligence committee, backed up McCain's assessment that waterboarding of Mohammed did not produce the tip that led to bin Laden.


Brooke Buchanan, a spokeswoman for McCain, said Tuesday she would not dignify Santorum's comments with a response.

In the House, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., the chairman of the Intelligence committee, said the Justice Department should stop investigating CIA interrogators for alleged abuse of detainees under the Bush administration because their work was a "vital part of the chain" that led to the successful raid on bin Laden's hideout.

The Justice Department had no comment.




and so it goes: