Today's Op-Ed

Konichiwa, Mudslingers (Original title) (turned to Twisting up the tall tales)

Imagine that you’re sitting in your house or your dorm or wherever you live. The phone rings. You answer it and you hear a person speaking on the other end. “Hello. I’m calling for John McCain and the RNC. You need to know that Barack Obama has worked closely with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, whose organization bombed the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, a judge’s home and killed Americans.”

Ta-da! You’ve been robocalled! It’s one of the disgusting parts of an election year. And did you know that McCain is using the same firm that made robocalls against him during his 2000 campaign to make these robocalls?

Did you hear the one about McCain and Palin palling around with terrorists and other such people? Let me tell it to you.

McCain is friendly with G. Gordon Liddy, one of the men behind the Watergate scandal. Liddy has even donated money to McCain’s various campaigns. Palin’s husband, Todd, has been associated with an Alaskan secessionist party. Palin even recorded a video for one of their conferences! Who’s palling around with terrorists now, hmm? Can you say “hypocrite,” Senator?

Have you heard the claims that Barack Obama’s policy of “redistributing the wealth” is socialist and that he is a socialist? Well, there’s nothing much to them. Redistributing the wealth has been done before. It happened during the Great Depression with FDR. Even Ronald Reagan redistributed the wealth. Why aren’t the RNC and the McCain campaign acknowledging this fact? And guess what? Palin redistributed the wealth in Alaska as governor! Can you say “hypocrite,” Governor?

Did you hear about the McCain supporter/volunteer who claimed that she was attacked by a tall and menacing black man who carved a “B” into her face when he found out that she was a McCain supporter? Falsified and a hoax! Firstly, the letter “B” was backwards! Secondly, the story was started by Fox News and the McCain campaign, and spread from there. Personally, I don’t believe much that I hear from Fox News. And when I saw the picture on the news, before the hoax was broken, I could easily tell that she faked the attack. Who carves a “B” backwards into their face? Someone looking into a mirror!

And have you heard the claim that Obama is a Muslim and doesn’t go to church? Blatant lie! He’s a Christian who did go to the same church for nearly 20 years, until the Rev. Wright story came to the surface. And what about McCain and Palin’s religious associations? You don’t hear too much about McCain attending church, and as for Palin, that’s a whole new story. Her pastor in Alaska is a man by the name of Thomas Muthee. Basically, before he became a pastor in Alaska, he ran a woman out of an African town, claiming that she was a witch. What’s more is that during a sermon, Muthee said a blessing over Palin to keep the witches and evil spirits away from her. Can you say “hypocrite?”

Finally, Sen. McCain, what happened to the respectful and “straight talk” campaigning you promised? Your campaign is currently as straight as a circle and as clean as a pig. Thanks for destroying my faith in the party of Lincoln.

This is Halloween!

Some pictures:






And some videos:

Save Pushing Daisies!!!

Folks, it's one of the most creative, bright, morbidly funny, and colorful (and I don't mean language-wise) shows out there. It's off to a rough start because its first season (last year) was cut short due to the strike, but it had been picked up for a full season. The cast, the acting, the directing, the writing, and the homages are all phenomenal. I bet that if you watch one episode, you'll be hooked. There are petitions going around to save the show. There are even campaigns to save the show. One such campaign is to send in pies and daisies (real and fake/paper) to ABC. Below are some links that are imperative to view if you're a fan of the show and/or you want to save it.

E! Online articles:
Did ABC Cancel PD?
PD is in Danger! Can It Be Saved?

The Petition, which currently has 16540 signatures.

And folks, watch Pushing Daisies at 8 PM Eastern on Wednesdays on ABC. If you can't watch it live, you can watch it at the ABC website. Don't let another phenomenal show disappear forever! And don't forget, have some pie! :)

Recent Discoveries- 10/30/08

Some really interesting stuff I discovered recently:

Stan Lee reading "The Raven".

The teaser trailer for Angels and Demons.


Tom DeLay being a complete asshole (as in a worser asshole than Michelle Bachmann).

Voting for Obama (From the Huffington Post)

An article I found on the Huffington Post website.

In 1952, when I was 16, my father was stationed in the Air Force in London. I was dating a general's daughter. I can still remember her kisses. They were luscious and the best experience to that point of my young life. Then one night in early September, just after a new American high school opened, I received a call from the girl's father, the general.
"Hello, Craig, it's General Kessinger. I understand you are planning a dance for the high school students at the American Teen Club,"
"Yes, sir." I said, "I am working on it." I had never had a call from a general before.
"This coming Saturday night?"
"Yes, sir."
"I don't suppose you will be allowing Negras to come to that dance, will you?"
There was a long pause at my end.
"Yes, sir," I finally said. "They are in school too. It would be only fair."
"It is not our custom to mix the races," he said, "not socially."
I told the general something, I think, about how hard it would be to change the announcement. Technically difficult.
My mother must have been listening. She chose that moment to come out into the hallway where I was standing, holding the phone. "Hold your ground," she said quietly as she walked past, pretending to need something in the kitchen.
"This could cause a whole lot of problems that you do not understand," said the general on the phone, "and I just don't believe that this is the right time or place to make a social statement."
"Maybe," I hesitated, "we could set a good example ...."
Now the pause was at his end.
"And if you were to hold such a dance my daughter would not be able to come. No, she would not come to a dance like that, not at all."
My mother walked back from the kitchen: "Hold your ground," she whispered again.
As it turned out, I won the war but lost the girl. The whole matter eventually went to the commanding general of the Third Air Force who ordered that we be allowed to hold the dance and that everyone should be invited. I remember a young black girl came. Just one. She was dignified and pretty and I was full of admiration for her. In fact, she was stunning. The general's daughter did not come. I never saw her again and never had another one of those delicious kisses.
Sixteen years later, I was practicing law in Denver when Martin Luther King, Jr., was killed. The city erupted in mass protests, meetings, school resolutions and turmoil. In the spring of 1969, I received a call asking if I would organize a lawsuit attempting to integrate Denver's schools. Together with an aroused liberal community hundreds of volunteers began a process that prepared the facts and details of Denver's history of school segregation. That segregation had all been informal and secret, never by rule of law. But there it was, hidden in the records of school admissions and boundaries, teacher assignments, bussing of whites out of black districts; the whole works.
As the trial opened in the Federal District Court in the winter of 1970, twenty-seven of our school buses were blown up. Dynamited. Boom, boom, boom.
Then one night our plaintiff's house was blown up. Boom. Cars began to drive around my house, slowly, headlights off. Inside our house we were pretty nervous.
For nine years thereafter I was awakened with phone calls in the middle of the darkest hours. It was always more or less the same message: "Get up! Send your pretty little blond daughter to school with some niggers!" Click.
That year, later in the fall after the trial, I was the nominee for Congress of the Democratic Party in Denver. Two weeks before the vote, I had a fifteen-point lead in the polls. Then my opponent started running full-page ads in the papers charging me as the person responsible for Denver's massed, forced, cross-town bussing . My 15-point lead evaporated overnight. In November, I was defeated.
Thirty-eight years later, I sat in the stadium at Invesco Field in Denver when 84,000 Democrats shouted and stamped their feet, screamed and yelled, sang and exalted when Barack Obama accepted the nomination of his party for the presidency of the United States of America. The same town that blew up the 27 school busses was holding a celebration that rocked the night. Fireworks and dancing, bombs bursting in air.
Last Wednesday, I went to the Fair Grounds of Santa Fe to vote. When I sat in that small booth and my pen came to the circle beside the name Barack Obama, an indescribable lump rose in my throat. With great care, I filled in the circle, over and over, and over, and over. Oh, my God, I thought, we have done it.
I went on, then, marking the circles in my ballot as if everything was normal. No shouting and exaltation rang out in the polling area. The election of a black man was now going to be a matter of course, of routine, of life in America.
For all of us in this country, this, or a variation of this, is our story. For me, this story began in 1952, when one high school identified and wrestled with the shadow of racism. In 1969, one city excavated, dug, wept and boiled over with the coming to light of the shadow. This year, a whole nation has not only identified, surfaced and called it by name, but has embraced its shadow, exalted over it, and the land of the free is more free than ever before.
---------------
Craig Barnes
Santa Fe, NM
October 26, 2008

Reading this article brought tears to my eyes. Everyone should read this. There's nothing more I can say.

My First Op-Ed Column!

I'm quite excited. Here's the column:

Now Playing
Originally Published October 17, 2008
By Jason Stack
I’m the kind of person who loves to listen to music. I listen while I’m working on homework. I listen when I’m reading books (yes, I actually read books). I listened on the way to and from high school. I’m also the kind of person who follows news stories. Over the last few months, I’ve been following political stories more, mainly because they’re featured on the news more. I tend to turn to “Countdown,” “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” for my daily news. I turn to these sources because they’re reliable, even if “Countdown” tends to bash “Fox Noise,” as Keith Olbermann calls “Fox News,” and even if “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” tend to satirize political news stories. I prefer to hear news stories from reliable sources that have other reliable sources to back them up, not supposed reliable sources that are backed up by mud, shit and lies. Anyway, considering the amount of airtime the candidates and their families are getting, I’ve decided to create a little playlist with songs that best fit either them or the way they’re being portrayed on the news.

For John McCain:

- “I’m Alive” by ELO: His heart just keeps ticking. Or maybe not.

- “Money” by Pink Floyd: How many mansions does he have? How much are they worth? And how much are those Italian loafers?

- “Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison/Van Halen: His first wife was a beauty queen. His second wife was attractive and rich. His VP pick was in beauty pageants. It doesn’t take too long to connect the dots.

For Sarah Palin:

- “Mrs. Robinson” by Simon and Garfunkel: People are calling her a VPILF. What more can I say?

- “Hey Bulldog” by The Beatles: “What’s the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick.”

- “All the Young Dudes” by Mott the Hoople, “I’m Sticking With You” by The Velvet Underground, “Anyone Else But You” by The Moldy Peaches: A little something for Bristol Palin. Juno was funnier than her situation.

For Barack Obama:

- “Imagine” by John Lennon: The KKK would’ve rioted back then if they found out that a black man was running for president in the future.

- “Revolution” by The Beatles: Sure, we want change. Peaceful change, though.

- “I’d Love to Change the World” by Ten Years After: Barack’s mentality.

For Joe Biden:

- “The Song that Never Ends” from “Lamb Chop’s Play-Along”: He’s been known to talk. A lot.

- “Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin: To quote Biden, “Sarah Barracuda, meet Joey the Shark.”

For the Edwards Family:

- “I Feel Pretty” from “West Side Story”: $400 haircut, anyone?

- “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair” from “South Pacific”: Probably what Elizabeth Edwards was thinking when the news came out.

For George W. Bush:

- “A Cockeyed Optimist” from “South Pacific”: Everything always appears to be working for him. Mission Accomplished! But we’re still over there …

- “When the Levee Breaks” by Led Zeppelin: Remember a little clusterfuck named Katrina?

- “Oh Well” by Fleetwood Mac: The lyrics mention “I talk real funny.” I hope that I don’t need to explain myself further.

For Dick Cheney:

- “Gimme Some Money” by Spinal Tap: Halliburton. Oil. Money.

- “Money” by The Beatles: Halliburton. Oil. Money.

- “Pigs on the Wing” by Pink Floyd: Halliburton. Oil. And money.

Pushing Daisies 2x3: Bad Habits

Pushing Daisies is one of my favorite, pleasurable shows to watch. It's whimsical, colorful, and so many other things. On with my thoughts.

Chuck's outfit in the beginning: Did it scream Jackie-O or was it just me?

Olive's digging: Cartoony, yet cute.

Mother Superior and the Father's names: Mary Mary (a song by the Monkees) and Eduardo de Donde (Edward of Where). Punny.

Reviving Sister Larue:
Ned's uneasiness was hilarious.
"Nun on the run!"

The food processor: The Hacken Chop!

Olive revealing the secret to Ned:
They managed to get charades in there, along with The Da Vinci Code. Great!

I really hope that ABC doesn't give up on this show!

Supernatural 4x5: Monster Movie

This was a great episode. It could be because of the fact that the episode was made in the style of horror movies from the 1930s. It could be because of the dialogue. It could be because of ... Anyway, here are my thoughts.

Sam saw the 4th Indy film without Dean. Great moment.
D: I still have to see the new Raiders film.
S: I saw it.
D: Without me?
S: You were in Hell.
D: That's no excuse.

The fake IDs: Agents Angus and Young.
Great! Especially since the new AC/DC album, Black Ice, drops on the 21st.

The style of 1930s horror movies.
The transitions. The music. Some of the camera work. But nothing can quite match the campiness and style of 1930s horror movies.

The Big Lebowski!
D: The Dude does not abide.

Dracula reference:
The other barmaid was named Lucy. In Dracula, Lucy was Seward's fiancee.

The vamp on the motorbike! Hilarious!

And did you recognize the actor playing Dracula? His name is Todd Stashwick. You might recognize him from a few guest roles on The Middleman (Mr. White in "The Flying Fish Zombification" and Psych (Frankjim Ogletree in "Ghosts").

The IVAW at the 3rd Debate- From New Politicus

From New Politicus:

Police Arrest 15 Members of the Iraq Veterans Against the War at Hofstra Outside The Third Presidential Debate.

REPORT FROM IVAW MEMBER:

On Wednesday, October 15th 2008, a peaceful protest outside the third Presidential Debate at Hofstra University on Long Island was met with violence and misconduct by police.

Iraq Veterans Against the War had a clear mission that night: to ensure that the issues most important to Veterans would be at the forefront of the debate. With over 4,183 service members having been killed in Iraq (at the time of the protest), it's unforgivable that the candidates have been allowing the Occupation of Iraq and it's casualties to fall into avoidable talking points instead of focused attention.

At 7:00pm the night of the debate, IVAW members, marching in formation in full dress uniform led a contingent of a few hundred peaceful protesters to the main gate of Hofstra University. As per our letter to Moderator Bob Scheiffer, because we hadn't received notice that two of our Veterans would be allowed to enter the debate to address the candidates, a small, uniformed contingent of Veterans physically attempted entry.

Immediately police began arresting those who "crossed the line". They then began using horses to physically knock protesters back away from the Hofstra gates.

As the order to get back on the sidewalk was being complied to at least one officer charged his horse up the curb, and onto the sidewalk- directly resulting in at least three injuries- including two Iraq Veterans.

Nick Morgan, a former Army Sergeant was trampled, knocked out, and had his face crushed by the hoof of a horse.

Witnesses say that police left him unconscious on the sidewalk for up to ten minutes before arresting him. Nick, disoriented and obviously suffering a concussion, was initially refused medical treatment beyond a simple piece of gauze taped to his face.

When Morgan was escorted onto the bus in handcuffs, he didn't know where he was, or why he was arrested. Police initially refused to bring him to the hospital irregardless of his potentially life threatening condition. It wasn't until other members of IVAW demanded he be allowed to see a doctor, that the police hesitantly put Nick into an ambulance.

At the hospital Morgan received stitches, and it was discovered after an x-ray that his right cheek bone was clearly displaced and pushed back into his skull.

After treatment, the semi-conscious Veteran was brought to Nassau County's Headquarters Jail and shackled to a bench with the rest of us including Matthis Chiroux (Army Sergeant), Kristofer Goldsmith (Army Sergeant), Adam Kokesh (Marine Sergeant), Mike Spinato, Geoff Millard (Army Sergeant), Marlisa Grogan (Marine Captain), Nathan Peld (Navy, 1998-2004), James Gilligan (Marine Corps, 6 years) and Jose Vasquez (Army & Army Reserves, 1992-2007). With fifteen in total sitting in the jail, the officers and detectives began taunting and harassing Nick, with all of us witnessing this misconduct by police.

We, the "Hempstead 15" were issued the same summons and case number for "disorderly conduct" and "failure to obey a lawful order". We include

On November 10th 2008, the Marine Corps Birthday, and one day before Veterans Day, we will be heard in court. We would like to invite you to come out in support of the very Freedoms granted by the United States Constitution that we swore to uphold and defend when joining the military.

First District Court, County of Nassau, Arraignment Part, 99 Main Street, Hempstead New York




----------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SUPPORT US NOW??
----------------------------------------------------------------------

My fellow veteran brothers need you. We need to call the Nassau County police department and ask them why they would trample IRAQ WAR VETERANS exercising their FREEDOM SPEECH in a peaceful manner. Is this the way members of the military who don the uniform and make an oath to defend the constitution, America, and it's people are treated? We MUST NOT ONLY hold the Police Department accountable but the Presidential Candidates as well for allowing this to happen. THIS IS NOT DEMOCRACY, THIS IS A POLICE STATE.

Below are the numbers. Call now and anytime until November 10th when the court date is set for the detained veterans. Stay posted for a possible action then.


LAWRENCE MULVEY
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE

Public Information Office
516-573-7135
516-573-7138 (24 hour)
516-573-7118 FAX


And the complaint line

Call 516-573-7000 and ask to be connected to the Desk Officer where the incident occurred (Hofstra University).

NC Police Internal Affairs Unit: 516-573-7120
NC District Attorney’s Office, Special Investigations : 516-571-2100
NYS Attorney General, Civil Rights Division: 1-800-771-7755


On November 10th 2008, the Marine Corps Birthday, and one day before Veterans Day, we will be heard in court. We would like to invite you to come out in support of the very Freedoms granted by the United States Constitution that we swore to uphold and defend when joining the military.

First District Court, County of Nassau, Arraignment Part, 99 Main Street, Hempstead New York
11550 (Room 268)

I hope to see you all there, for a Peaceful action.

-Sergeant Kristofer Goldsmith
Iraq Veterans Against the War
"1 of the Hempstead 15"

Thank you for your continued support,

Wendy Barranco
President
IVAW - Los Angeles
Combat Medic
SPC, USA
OIF 05-07
Tikrit, Iraq

Contact Info:
http://ivaw.org
99 Main Street
Hempstead, NY

They're veterans and the police treat them like this? Does this country have no respect for its veterans? First, McCain not voting for veterans, being a veteran himself. Then, Walter Reed. Now this. Honestly! While I'm not in support of the war, I still think that these people who fought for our country overseas should receive better treatment than this.

A Political Cartoon from Matt Bors

Pwned, McCain!

"Circus Circus" Review (Pushing Daisies 2x2)

This was a really great, witty episode. Actually, they all are great and witty.

Anyway, main points:
1) The circus jokes
- I really liked the circus jokes. Getting the revived mime to talk. All the clowns in the clown car. The clowns wanting to create a union.
2) The limerick
- Limericks are so much fun.
3) Emerson's past
- Slowly, we're starting to see Emerson break down a bit. The pop-up book he created in hopes of his daughter finding him, from last week's episode. His fatherly instincts causing him to take the case and find Nikki.
4) Chuck and Ned making a fresh start.
5) And of course, Olive and Lily at the convent.

Quotes:
"I'm Ned. I wake pies and make the dead."
"There once was a name named Van Deenus. They said he had a big ..."

Keith Olbermann's Special Comment on the McCain-Palin smears

Mini-Jukebox Hero

Jukebox Hero @ Yahoo! Video

Big Developments!

Well, let's get down to business.

1) I'm podcasting my shows! I have one of my two shows from September on the site (I could only get the audio for the second one), as well as my show from earlier today.

2) I have a new blog set up for the radio show.

Check both of them out!

Palin's Question and Answer Flow Chart

So, if I asked a question about gay rights or gay marriage, where would it end it?

From Daily Kos.

Also, the flow chart can now be bought on t-shirts and other assorted products!

It's Another Pleasant Valley Saturday

Well, another Saturday is here, and for the college crowd, that means sleeping in late.  Which is what I did.  I was up a bit late, putting together a video and uploading it to Youtube, only to find that the video had to be taken down because Fox got all huffy.  All I did was take clips from four episodes of Fringe and put them together with Crazy Train (Black Sabbath) and Crazy (Gnarls Barkley) as background music.  A frakkin' compilation video, for Christ's sake!  What's wrong with that?  What about other clips people have posted?  Going to take those down, Fox?

Anyway, I'm back on the radio later today from 5 to 5:30.  Listen live on the WHRW website.  The phone number and AIM SN are on the site, as well.  Keep your ears tuned in to that frequency.

The Sarah Palin Test

1) Do you have a passport?

    a) If yes, for how long?

    b) If yes, how many times have you been out of the country and to which countries have you travelled?

2) Name a Supreme Court case besides Roe v. Wade.

3) What would give you foreign policy experience?

4) Do you have any connections to Big Oil?

If you've answered no to 1, something similar to 2, something about Russia to 3, and yes to 4, then you're Sarah Palin.  If you've answered yes and provided decent answers to 1, something similar to 2, something not about Russia to 3, and no to 4, then pass the Sarah Palin test and are more qualified to run as VP. 

A Fun Game For the VP Debate

No, it's not a drinking game.  It's Palin Bingo!

Pushing Daisies season premiere!

Have a piece of pie for Pushing Daisies.

On another note, the pecan pie was okay.  Homemade pecan pie (especially chocolate pecan pie) is better.  Much better.