The night I met John Lee Hooker

It was the early 80's in Dallas, Texas. I and the girlfriend of my best friend went to see John Lee Hooker at a local club. During the set the woman, who was a Dallas sexual 80's woman, began making eyes at the bass player. The feeling was mutual. After the gig the three of us met at the bar to my awkward chagrin (I was supposed to be protecting .. um, who?).

So, the bass player invites us back to his hotel room. I was really freaked now. So we enter the room, flip on the light and there he was. John Lee Hooker was lying on his side in bed, an hour past showtime.

The man turned around and looked us all over, aiming his scorn at the bassman, "Why are those folks doing here?"

I excused us, grabbed ahold of my friend and split. She never forgave me and her boyfriend never knew.

Oh, by the way, the set rocked. John Lee Hooker was a monster of music but whenever I hear him or read his name, I remember that night, the hotel room and that old man legend trying to sleep on the road in his bed.

When you tout Olympic medals as Canada's greatest achievement in 2010...

...you are in big trouble. Harper's braggadocio about Canada's 'momentous' 2010, headlined by a record Olympic medal haul, rings hollow and sad. This year was a horrible one for Canada - one of the worst ever.

We lost face on the world stage at an unprecedented rate. Our personal freedoms were threatened by arcane bills proposed not to protect us from violent crimes but to curb pleasurable activities such as pot consumption and sex.

Authoritarianism was flaunted and used as a weapon against Canadians. Almost one thousand were arrested during a single weekend in Toronto, the vast majority detained for doing nothing more than standing around and observing.

Afghanistan continues to be a killing field for young Canadian soldiers.

Our economy, so robust for so long thanks to Paul Martin and the Liberals, continues to be threatened by Harper's spendthrift ways and love of war toys.

Our press corps continues its corrupt slide into Pravda-like worship of the Conservatives. Our 'opposition' press dwindles as the honest brokers of journalism are fired and discarded.

The list unfortunately goes on and on and on.

Yet Harper brags. All he has for the past year are some gold medals earned by incredibly talented Canadians who have nothing to do with Stephen Harper and the Conservatives.

Hang on to your hats folks, the Cons may not get a majority n 2011 but even as a minority party lacking any opposition whatsoever, Harper can look forward next year to do even more damage to our country. We are screwed not just for 2010 or 2011 but perhaps for decades to come.

"A university grad takes sociology, modern dance, field hockey, and other social science courses to get their degree."

The appropriately named rightblog, Climbing out of the Dark, takes on Canadian universities, sounding - not surprisingly just like its US counterparts - the alarm about 'leftist professors' in universities. COOTD prefers colleges, not just because colleges are primarily American institutions, but because COOTD claims they don't have those 'leftist' professors universities are wont to hire.

COOTD does not mention that the 'better education' supposedly offered by Canadian colleges won't get you a better job or even a good job, although it appears that is their only goal. However, it will give you a degree.

I'm not certain that colleges have fewer 'leftist' teachers or professors. But I do know 'leftists' make up a substantial portion of the university workforces because 'leftists' think, they value science and reason, they debate and they research. I'm pretty sure the college workforce is pretty much the same, except on a lower budget and with a more restricted goal.

If getting a job is all you want out of college, just send out a bunch of resumes, hit the pavement and save on college fees. It's much quicker. And without the life lessons offered by universities or even college, there's no guarantee you will ever climb out of that dark hole from which you are struggling to crawl.

Or if you really want an education, you can forgo higher education altogether, travel the world and visit libraries. Be forewarned, with that route it's a lot harder to spot the 'leftists' without a 'professor' label easily visible on those who may teach you a thing or two.

Catch 22 Harper Conservatives Vancouver meeting January 17

For all you Vancouver area progressives, Catch 22 Harper Conservatives will be holding a meeting, most likely in Gastown, starting at 6:30 on January 17. Details are sketchy at the moment but the meeting is definitely on. Details will be posted as they become available.

If you plan on attending, just send an email to masrour_zoghi@yahoo.ca and catch22campaign@gmail.com and you're in!

"Yes, you stupid Jewish lefties, you are bullshit that the Liberal blogger is smelling. Go take a bath double quick so you can smell nice and sweet for your Liberals and your commie NDP."

I know it's piling on, quoting Dodo again, but I just can't help it. It's just too much fun.

Justin Bieber: new enemy of the hyper right

There are many reasons not to like Justin Bieber. Unless you're a 13-year-old girl, Bieber's just another slightly annoying pop prince in a long line of same. But to some on the right, the singer has become something more akin to Osama bin Bieber than a teen singing sensation. Why? Some satirical site printed the following, attributing it to Bieber:

In an interview with Tiger Beat, the pop sensation stressed that freedom of religion is what makes America great, and went on to say that those who oppose the Mosque are motivated by bigotry.

“Muslims should be allowed to build a mosque anywhere they want,” the singer said. “Coming from Canada, I’m not used to this level of intolerance, eh.” 

Bieber went on to say that Muslims are “super cool,” Christians are “lame-o-rama,” and that the mosque will help “start a dialogue” with all religions about which Justin Bieber song is the most awesome. 

“I was like seven when September 11th went down, and frankly I’m surprised people are still going on about it. Move on, already!”

Obvious hoax, right? Not to some on the right.

I was able to reach the proprietor of the site, who confirmed that the Bieber item is in fact a hoax. "[T]he fact that some people take it seriously is hilariously depressing," he said in an e-mail. 

It's a hoax, though, that has spread around the Web, and succeeded in taking in several anti-mosque activists. They recently discussed the issue on the wall of the Facebook boycott page:
Megan Alpert: Why is Justin Beiber on Boycott companies for ground zero?? He's a kid. lol
Cynthia Bloemer: That stupid dhimmi kid spoke out for the Mosque. Idiot kid! 

Megan Alpert: That's crazy Cynthia. I totally missed that all together. 

Administrator: Justin took an adult position and spoke out in support of the mosque in tigar beat magazine. He one of the most influential teen sensations, reaching millions of impressionable kids. If he is going to play like the big boys he better expect some back lash... 

Megan Alpert: Well then he is leading all the young teens into a funny way of thinking. He was just a baby when the attack came upon us. He has no clue what we are up against. He is very lost. 

Walter H Steinlauf: Justin Beiber is "fishing in DEEP water" now. I eat people like that for breakfast. 

In the words of one 'nut, "Pray for Canada".

How far has disgraced ex-NYT Judith Miller fallen? Signs with newsmax.com.

Newsmax is a lowly blog run by some billionaire. It is infamous for its far, far right wing stories, mostly made up and tailored to its "Fox News is too liberal" readership. In short, the butt-ugly Newsmax is a novelty site created for neocons and the farthest of the far right. Even among the more serious of right, Newsmax is not taken seriously.

Judith Miller on the other hand was once respectable. She had a readership of millions at the New York Times. That is, until she coordinated her stories on the Iraq war with Dick Cheney's administration, pushing forth false narratives about the upcoming war and lying about the existence of weapons of mass destruction.

That was not the worse of it. For her role in the outing of a CIA operative, Miller went to jail to protect her WH source (and possibly lover) criminal Scooter Libby. She was eventually dropped by the New York Times. Rupert Murdoch took pity on the ex-journalist for her loyalty to the Republicans and placed her on Fox News.

Has far has Miller fallen? She has now been signed to write for the lowest of the low, newmax.com. While Miller has humourously always claimed she is no right winger, the judgement is in. Two minor league forces have come together with the shared purpose of spreading neoconservative viewpoints and to invent new ones. There is no one better to do that than Miller at newsmax.com. A match made in con heaven.

Should we feel sorry for Judith Miller? Hell no. She is still lying about her outing of Valerie Plame. With newsmax.com, Miller gets to let her neocon freak flag fly without the inconvenience of trying to appear impartial.

Besides the bundle she received from the NYT to get rid of her, she has finagled a marriage to a rich 76-year-old. It won't be long until he rides the rails, leaving Ms. Miller a richer woman, indeed.

Sarah Palin is Canadian and her name is Dodo! (Part II in a series)

Another day and another great catch from our friends at Blogging Tories in Their Own Words. This one is from a BT so BT she is no longer allowed to be a BT. Now, that's being a real BT!

This one is a comment to her own classic post and begs a reprint so here it is in all its glory. Back in October, Dodo was worried that Campbell's placing a 'K' on some of its soups for Halal-certified was not fair to all 'species of humans'.

Can I just say something here? I love me some BT's, even ex-BT's. Bless you Stephen Taylor for showing us that Conservatives do have a sense of humour, even though it is almost always strictly unintentional.

Tucker Carlson wants you to know as a Christian he wants Michael Vick executed

Just so you know how compassionate right-wing Christians are, Tucker Carlson calls for the death of Michael Vick by execution. Vick is a monster for what he did to those dogs but he has paid his time.

Hey, I think it is entirely silly that Barack Obama called the Philadelphia Eagles' owner to thank him for hiring an ex-con. Make no mistake, Vick was not hired out of any good will. He was hired because he was the best chance for the team to win football games and fill the stadium with fat Philly asses. That is the only reason Vick was hired by the Eagles.

But to call for the death of another human - even in jest or in the name of god - is purely fucked up. And oh so Christian conservative.



H/T: HuffPost

Canadians to get hit with higher taxes. Will the right complain? Nah.

Their American counterparts screech about taxes, demanding cuts every second breath. A Tea Party was even created to put a megaphone to their cries. Meanwhile, here at home the Conservatives are about to quietly raise payroll and income taxes for virtually every Canadian, as much as almost three percent. As usual, British Columbians and Ontarians are to be hit he hardest.

And what do our own tea baggin Conwipes do? Scream, yell and whine? Nope. Harper's their leader and he's Conservative just like them. So's taxes are a good thing in Canada, breaking momentarily from their buddies across the border.

See, ya need to pay for big shiny jets and guns, hold extravagant summits, provide payola to journos, build new jails for invisible criminals and hire new cops to stomp out marijuana and sex. But the government's gonna blame the raises on the socialist pension plan and commie unemployment insurance.

If you're going to hear any screaming about the taxes, it won't be because of the obvious reasons - it'll be because of socialism. And it won't be aimed at the real culprits - Conservatives. It never is.

UPDATE: Of course, meanwhile, CORPORATIONS ARE IMMUNE TO THE NEW TAXES! But you and I, average hard-working Canadians without tax lawyers who drive Bentleys and fuck $3,000 a night prostitutes, are the ones who are truly being screwed.

But, let's be philosophical. That's the Conservative way and who are we to argue? We let it happen and now we admire the shine on their shoes. It's the modern Canadian way. Just like the old American way. Welcome to Ford country.

Sarah Palin's Alaska: pollin' lower than than the other 48

While Sarah Palin continues to poll reasonably OK among Republicans, her own state thinks she's a piece of shit. To those Alaskans who have experienced the vacant one, suffered through her incompetencies and quitting, Palin is poison. She is polling at an abysmal 33 percent approval rating from her very own state. Says a lot. While Obama still has high ratings from Americans, Palin can barely get a third of her own at home to like her. No mystery there.

Hint to Palin in 2012: RUN SARAH RUN!

Sarah Palin is a Canadian and her name is Joe!

From your daily Blogging Tories in Their Own Words, comes this comment at SDA:

"I've always thought that 'science's' insistence that mankind came from Africa was rooted in white European racism. Some Europeans would say that the wide nose and slopping (sic) forhead of some native Africans made them look like African great apes. Since mankind 'evolved' from great apes wouldn't it make sense that the two species living side by side would still look alike?'

While I do believe evolution is the most solid theory for how the human race has arrived at its current state, there is no explanation why some of us, like Joe the Palin (or is that Joe the O'Donnell?), have been left behind.

Weather vs. Global Warming: It's not the same thing

With harsh cold temperatures and feet of snow, the east is bathed in a brittle cold spell. Britain has had a winter season with such unexpected low temperatures, pundits have been caught off guard and climate change deniers have found new fodder to laugh off 98% of the world's scientists.

Problem for deniers like Wallin, Will and Murphy is that they mistake weather for climate. To the uninformed, it's an easy mistake to make. Let me makes this clear: weather is seasonal and transitory, climate data is pruned from much longer periods of time. Don't take my word for it; just ask NASA.

While the right is bending over backwards to deny, The New York Times presents a coherent breakdown of what is actually happening to the earth according to facts and other scientific data, you know those inconvenient liberal things.

That is why the Eastern United States, Northern Europe and East Asia have experienced extraordinarily snowy and cold winters since the turn of this century. Most forecasts have failed to predict these colder winters, however, because the primary drivers in their models are the oceans, which have been warming even as winters have grown chillier. They have ignored the snow in Siberia.Last week, the British government asked its chief science adviser for an explanation. My advice to him is to look to the east.
It’s all a snow job by nature. The reality is, we’re freezing not in spite of climate change but because of it.

UPDATE: In an unusually bit of candid wingnuttia, rightbloggers are all over the Times piece. One of the dimmer nuts, Doug Ross, alleges its a 'lampoon' of the Global Warming claims. Ha!

Rosie Barton: "Oh for the record, Norman Spector is not a journalist. He's a guy who is allowed to write stuff. Big difference."

Best quote of the day re: Norman Spector's Laureen Harper gossiping. Paul Wells thinks Spector should resign or apologize. I doubt he will do either. He will most likely get a promotion. He certainly is showing no contrition. The story may have been pulled, but these people fail upwards. Even when they bite the hand that feeds.

Cross posted at Sister Sage's Musings

Archbishop of Canterbury vs. conservatives

Obama, meet the archbishop of Canterbury.

The archbishop of Canterbury today said that the burden of the economic downturn should be "fairly shared", amid fears that the less well-off in society were being hit the hardest. 

In his Christmas Day sermon, Dr Rowan Williams spoke of "a lasting sense the most prosperous have yet to shoulder their load". His comments might be seen to support the stance of trade unions and students who have claimed that, as the coalition government seeks to slash the national deficit, the less well-off are being penalised as a result of a recession caused by the folly of City bankers.

Teabaggers have a WTF moment. Joe the Bummer just spilled his eggnog. For a Muslim, that Obama sure says some Christian stuff. Who'd have thunk the AofC was a Socialist, too?

Fraser Mustard: "an aroogant,social;ist childcasre only advocate"

From the incorrigible Blogging Tories in Their Own Words, Dr Roy makes an appearance, with plenty a spelling/typo booboo. Look, we bloggers all make typos and grammatical errors (I'm notorious for mine). But when talking about illiteracy, one might take a little time to think through the post and edit it after writing.

From a comment to Dr Roy's above-mentioned post:

"...you misspelled 'illiteracy' three times in this post..."

CCFest today 4 p.m. Spacco Restaurant

Come hoist a glass with CC, Jymn and other progressive miscreants at Spacco Restaurant today beginning at 4.

"Respect and Obey Authority"

Start 'em off young. Because unquestioning allegiance to authority is so rock and roll.

Alberta: homosexuality is a mental disorder

At least the province is doing something about this primitive claim. But why has it taken so long?

EDMONTON — Alberta continues to list homosexuality as a “mental disorder” along with bestiality and pedophilia, and doctors used the diagnostic code to bill the province for treating gays and lesbians more than 1,750 times between 1995 and 2004, government records show.

The province has known about the classification for more than a decade and the Conservative government first promised to change it in 1998. On Tuesday, Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky repeated that promise. 

“It has no place in Alberta,” Zwozdesky said, adding he has called for a review of the entire 300-page diagnostic code. “It is simply an incorrect and unacceptable classification and I’ve ordered it to be removed immediately.” 

The diagnostic code is used by doctors when they bill the province for services provided to Albertans. 

The American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in 1973, followed by the Canadian Psychiatric Association in 1982. Eight years later, in 1990, the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from the 10th version of the International Classification of Diseases, known as the ICD-10.

Read more: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Alberta+lists+homosexuality+mental+disorder/4011328/story.html#ixzz18oISm3qU

In Toronto for the holidays - any Blogger Ethics Panels in the works? UPDATED

Arrived softly thru snow, shriving not so much from the cold but from the prospect of encountering Officer Bubbles or a Rob Ford goon but it's the same-seeming Toronto after all. The only police I saw were bent over tconcerned for the injured at a car wreck on the 401 from the airport.

Great old friends, accommodating neighbours and warm family - among the most friendly bunch of people I've ever known and loved. So this is Toronto, still wonderful and so strange to be the most hated great city in Canada. With some of the greatest people in the world.

Any blogger meet-ups or fests or panels I should know about?

UPDATED: It's on! CCFest/Blogger Ethics Panel set for Spacco (Eglinton/Yonge), Thursday 4 p.m.

Tom Coburn and rightblogger blow fuse at Grateful Dead being digitized for history

Useless Okie redneck Senator and perpetual asshole Tom Coburn is upset the government is spending $165K to assist the University of California in digitizing historical materials of the Grateful Dead. $165K! This from a total waste of GOP humanity who pours billions upon billions into the coffers of his rich buddies.

Like 'em or not, the Dead have a historical importance in the USA and worldwide. Documenting their history is beyond important. And $165 is peanuts! If Universities don't preserve cultural local history, what do we have as a society?

Even better is rightblogger, aptly named Weasel Zippers, whose case of the vapors is now a daily condition, cries out, "Obama regimes spends (sic) 165k (sic) to digitize song catalog of dirty hippy (sic) rock band Grateful Dead". At least WZ didn't call the band, "dirty fucking hippies". That term is usually reserved for Democratic politicians.

Rove assisting Sweden in persecuting WikiLeaks?

While the sexual misconduct allegations against Assange have taken some new and ugly turns, still nothing has been proven. It is still a she and she said/he said quagmire. Twitter has taken an ugly turn; Keith Olbermann and Michael Moore are being dragged across coals just for doubting the the veracity of the misconduct claims.

There is reason to doubt both the charges and Assange, himself. Both sides' accounts have holes in them big as the Grand Canyon. Perhaps, it's time to take a breath and wait for whatever legal proceedings to unfold before accusing anyone and especially of taking sides where neither side seems to be totally free of suspicion.

One of the strangest questions put to Assange is 'why don't you go back to Sweden and clear your name'? The answer is obvious; Sweden has been in bed with the USA in terms of 'fighting terror' and the US most definitely believes WikiLeaks is a terrorist organization and Julian Assange is the terrorist-in-chief. Osama who?

So, I was not surprised at all to see neocon and serial liar Karl Rove appearing to be knee deep in the Swedish pursuit of WikiLeaks, working hand-in-hand with Swedish authorities to capture Assange, not for any sexual misconduct charges but to nail him for espionage. While the article refers exclusively to WikiLeaks, you know that Rove's dirty tricks will go after the symbol of that organization in Assange. If the sexual misconduct charges result in extradiction to Sweden, expect Assange to be quickly handed over the Americans, salivating at capturing someone it deems a terrorist.

Karl Rove's help for Sweden as it assists the Obama administration's prosecution against WikiLeaks could be the latest example of the adage, "Politics makes strange bedfellows." 

Rove has advised Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt for the past two years after resigning as Bush White House political advisor in mid-2007. Rove's resignation followed the scandalous Bush mid-term political purge of nine of the nation's 93 powerful U.S. attorneys. 

These days, Sweden and the United States are apparently undertaking a political prosecution as audacious and important as those by the notorious "loyal Bushies" earlier this decade against U.S. Democrats. 

The U.S. prosecution of WikiLeaks, if successful, could criminalize many kinds of investigative news reporting about government affairs, not just the WikiLeaks disclosures that are embarrassing Sweden as well as the Bush and Obama administrations. Authorities in both countries are setting the stage with pre-indictment sex and spy smears against WikiLeaks leader Julian Assange, plus an Interpol manhunt.

Move over Bradley Manning, you may soon meet a new neighbour in solitary confinement, perhaps never to see the light of day. If this does come to pass that Assange is given over to the Americans, be forewarned, payback's a bastard and WikiLeaks will not be playing any games this time.

Craigslist stops running erotic ads in Canada

Well, you just knew our Conservative government would put pressure on Craigslist to succumb to the American-push to censor sexual ads on Craigslist. It's not about 'human trafficking' just like Bill S-10 has nothing to do with 'tough on crime'. It's about the Conservative denial of pleasure and the restricting of personal freedoms.

I worry to about my friend, in her fifties, whose only source of income derives from ads she placed on Craigslist. What about all the thousands of independent women across the country who are now denied a safe place to ply their wares and a tool to earn a living?

Now, these women - especially the many older women - are placed in jeopardy. They will certainly not be receiving unemployment. Now their only alternative is to hit the streets, under very real danger of being beaten, robbed and abused at the hands of pimps and unknown clients.

Sure, there may be isolated incidents where the ads are abused but according to my friend, who was also monitoring the contents of Craigslist ads on a volunteer basis, those incidents are far and few; in fact she couldn't recollect any when I asked about it. You can bet it will be far more dangerous out there for the vast majority of women who used Craigslist. This censorhsip is overkill and not the way to solve serious issues with human trafficking.

"I hate this country"

From the lowliest rightblogger all the way up to Stephen Harper, the hate that Conservatives have for Canada is palpable. Moose and Squirrel couldn't have said it any plainer.  While "you won't recognize Canada when I'm through with it" from the man himself is a shade or two more grey than M&S's proclomation, the malicious intent couldn't be more clear.

Sad day. RIP Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet)

Arguably the most original 20th century artist, musician and poet has ceased to exist on a physical plane. He changed the way I viewed and listened and thought. He changed lives. Captain Beefheart was unlike anyone else. He was a giant and he will be missed.

He was also a brilliant video director. (Much as I love Johnny Depp, he stole his modern look from ancient Beefheart (glasses, 'stache and hat.) Even if you don't care for the music, watch the visuals. Black and white with a little colour thrown in ('Ice Cream for Crow'). Beyond brilliance.















One more thing - for those who don't believe in the innocence of the actual 1967 summer of love, witness this bit of reality of Southern Califronia 1967. Nixon? He was still alive. But being alive was still cool. If you want to know what 1967 was really like, look at these photos. That's what I remember. Trepicadious young people without a clue but with a heart bigger than your ass now. And that's big, motherfucker.

"Screwed again". The rich get richer. Obama rolls over for Republicans.

Obama is set to sign a bill to keep giving the wealthiest two percent of the USA a huge Bush gift while the middle class suffers. The deficit just took another hit. Oh, if you're unemployed, Obama will keep your cheques coming. But if you're working and poor, you just got played suckas.

Earlier in the evening, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) made a concession to Republicans when he gave up on an omnibus spending bill that would have funded Democratic spending priorities for the next year. Instead, Reid announced the Senate will pass a continuing resolution to fund the government for 45 days, meaning Republicans will have further opportunities to push for cuts in the near future.
Debate over extending the tax cuts will now take place in 2012, when Obama, all House members and some senators are up for reelection.
HuffPost asked Wu -- who pushed for the unemployment extension to last as long as the tax cuts extension -- for his final thought on the bill as he went down a flight of stairs just off the House floor. He paused for several moments before delivering his answer: "Screwed again."

Expect Obama and co. to come out in the next few days and tell you that you're dirty fucking hippies and you do not amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Then he'll put out his cigarette on your palm and tell you it's for your own good. Thank you, Mr. Obama.

I've said it before and I will say it again, we as progressives are righteously screwed. It's over.

Bruce Boudreau on fucking HBO

Ever since I first began watching sports on TV as a kid, I've wished we could get to watch an unexpurgated version of the game without the prissy censorship and phony interview language. Decades later, HBO has come to my rescue. The network will be broadcasting a New Year's outdoor game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals. I could could give a crap about either of those teams but I am looking forward to finally hearing actual hockey players communicating, coaches yelling and referees keeping the boys in line. All without censorship.

To show the possibility of real language from real people in real situations, HBO has a teaser show - one of four - travelling with the two teams and plenty of on ice cussing and action. I was surprised first of all that the preview is actually engrossing. More than that, the salty language is laid bare. There are no attempts to clean up or hide the way these guys actually talk to each other. Bruce Boudreau's profanity-laced tirade after a loss is refreshing as is getting to be a fly on the wall in player's dressing rooms and homes.

Congratulations to both teams, the NHL and HBO for allowing us the fans an overdue peak at the inner world of professional sports. Such candor could never happen with the NBA, MLB or NFL.

Nice touch: HBO brings out Maxine Nightingales' "Right Back Where We Started From" from 'Slap Shot'. No mention of Eddie Shore in this documentary, though.

Meanwhile over there...

In Afghanistan, things continue to go along swimmingly. Even the usually clueless American public is getting it. Too about the politicians and the press.

KABUL, Afghanistan — The International Committee of the Red Cross, which usually seeks to avoid the public eye, held a rare news conference here on Wednesday to express deep concern that Afghanistan security had deteriorated to its worst point since the overthrow of the Taliban nine years ago and was preventing aid groups from reaching victims of conflict.

“The sheer fact the I.C.R.C. has organized a press conference is an expression of us being extremely concerned of yet another year of fighting with dramatic consequences for an ever growing number of people in by now almost the entire country,” said Reto Stocker, the head of the Afghanistan office.

By every measure that the Red Cross tracks, the situation has worsened throughout the country for civilian casualties, internal displacement and health care access and all of it is “against the background of a proliferation of armed actors,” Mr. Stocker said.

Fox News' Bill Sammon caught doctoring the news. AGAIN!

These people keep getting caught and it doesn't phase them. They just keep taking the body blows and walking through like zombies, tearing the heads off facts and the truth.

Fox News D.C. Bureau Chief Bill Sammon e-mailed staffers last December to instruct them not to assert that the "planet has warmed (or cooled)" without "IMMEDIATELY pointing out that such theories are based upon data that critics have called into question."

Sammon's e-mail, obtained by Media Matters, came less than 15 minutes after Fox correspondent Wendell Goler reported on-air that the World Meteorological Organization at the U.N. said 2000-2009 was "on track to be the warmest [decade] on record."

The missive was sent three weeks after the so-called "Climategate" scandal broke and in the middle of the Copenhagen climate summit.

The Fox News bureau chief wrote to his staff that it was "not our place as journalists to assert such notions as facts, especially as this debate intensifies."

The continuing torture of Bradley Manning

So far, the only victims of Manning's 'crimes' are the red faces of stupid diplomats tasked with defending the indefensible. Doesn't matter. Warning to all who leak information. Whistleblowers, bloggers beware. Here's what could happen to you, too:

From the beginning of his detention, Manning has been held in intensive solitary confinement.  For 23 out of 24 hours every day -- for seven straight months and counting -- he sits completely alone in his cell.  Even inside his cell, his activities are heavily restricted; he's barred even from exercising and is under constant surveillance to enforce those restrictions.  For reasons that appear completely punitive, he's being denied many of the most basic attributes of civilized imprisonment, including even a pillow or sheets for his bed (he is not and never has been on suicide watch).  For the one hour per day when he is freed from this isolation, he is barred from accessing any news or current events programs.  Lt. Villiard protested that the conditions are not "like jail movies where someone gets thrown into the hole," but confirmed that he is in solitary confinement, entirely alone in his cell except for the one hour per day he is taken out.

In sum, Manning has been subjected for many months without pause to inhumane, personality-erasing, soul-destroying, insanity-inducing conditions of isolation similar to those perfected at America's Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado:  all without so much as having been convicted of anything.  And as is true of many prisoners subjected to warped treatment of this sort, the brig's medical personnel now administer regular doses of anti-depressants to Manning to prevent his brain from snapping from the effects of this isolation.

Canada becomes America - mandatory minimum sentences for pot about to become reality

Harper's dream of a US of Canada just became more of a reality. In probably the most disturbing turn of Canada towards a totalitarian state was reached today in the Senate when Bill S-10 was passed by the Conservative body of the Senate. It will most likely breeze through the House of Commons.

No matter if you're pro pot or agin it, if you're Liberal or Conservative, you should be alarmed by this move. The press is virtually silent about the passing. We should also be worried in the complicity of our press in its silence. The whole thing stinks. Personal freedoms have become part of Canada's past.

So, this is getting 'tough on crime'. The mask has slipped. It was never about 'tough on crime'. It is about punishing pleasure and imprisoning those who participate. It was never about getting tough on murderers, rapists or ponzi schemers. It was always about pot. That's why all those new prisons are being talked about  in Conservative circles. Like the States, we are about to fill our prisons with victimless crime victims.

The Senate of Canada has passed Bill S-10, which includes mandatory minimum sentences for marijuana offences. No this is not a drill. The bill will now move to the House of Commons for voting before it can become law.

The Conservative-controlled Senate passed the bill on December 13 with barely a peep from the opposition Liberals or the press; an underwhelming response considering the implications for Canadians if the bill passes the House of Commons and becomes law.

If passed, S-10 will bring mandatory minimum jail sentences for marijuana offences to Canada for the first time - including six months for growing as few as five marijuana plants and 18 months for extracting hash or making pot edibles and sharing them. This means medical marijuana users who make pot cookies would be at risk of arrest, as there is no protection of this activity by current medical marijuana laws.

Some of the mandatory sentences increase to two years for growing or dealing near a school or park, and even more time with other 'aggravating factors'.

The bill even includes life sentences for non-violent marijuana crimes.

And you think this is just about marijuana? Think again.

H/T: Antonia Zerbisias tweet

Support the CBC - sign the petition

Found this at Far and Wide. With the incessant attacks from the right, especially from Sun Media, CBC is under constant threat. Please sign the petition below to support one of the only sources of news untarnished by right-wing influence available to Canadians. If you're a blogger, please post the petition and spread the word.

Where in the world is Andrew Breitbart?

Oh, that's where you are, inside a racist, 29-page, deliberately error-filled report on Pigford vs. Glickman. As Media Matters notes, those aren't simply errors in the report but, in typical Breitbart fashion, lies and distortions.

Why? Because P vs G involves a suit put forth representing black farmers who were discriminated against in the 80's. And who does Breitbart hate more than anyone? Black people - Shirley Sherrod, ACORN and now poor black farmers.

'Obama's Tax Cuts for the Rich' about to be reality

Well Barack, isn't that special? Compromise can be a bitch and you will continue to be one for the GOP for the last two years of your one-term presidency. Even Al Franken has bent over 'for his state'.

Buh-bye, Democrats. You can forget the 'Bush Tax Cuts for the Rich'. Obama owns them now, all for a short-term back-breaking fix. File 'Obama Tax Cuts for the Rich' alongside 'Obama War in Afghanistan' and 'Obama's Economy'.

Your credibility just hit the skids with just about everyone now except for Republicans and the super wealthy. Good luck in 2012. You better have a good pitch because you just punted away a sure game winner.

"A lot of people are unhappy that the President punted on first down, and I'm one of them. Extending the Bush tax breaks for the super-wealthy will explode our deficit over the next two years without doing anything to help our economy. It's bad policy.

But for Minnesota's middle class, struggling to get by in a tough economy, there's a lot in this bill that will really help: tax cuts for working families, a payroll tax holiday, energy tax credits, and the extension of Recovery Act initiatives that are already making a difference.

And for the Minnesotans truly suffering right now—men, women, and children on the edge of economic disaster—the alternative is simply unacceptable. If we let Republicans block unemployment benefits, even temporarily, there will be a lot more pain for working families, a lot more homeless kids spending Christmas in a shelter or a car.

If this is the prelude of a permanent extension of the Bush tax breaks for the super-wealthy, we're in big trouble. We'll lose our ability to make the investments we need to grow our way out of long-term budget deficits: education, infrastructure, and research and development. And I am taking the President at his word that he will fight harder to put an end to these wasteful tax breaks in 2012 than he did in 2010.

This isn't a great deal by any stretch of the imagination. But I got into this line of work because I wanted to stand up for Minnesota families trying to put food on the table and build a better life for their kids. And, for them, the only thing worse than a bad deal would be no deal at all. That's why I voted yes yesterday—and why I will continue my fight for economic policies that create jobs, address our deficit problem, and build new opportunities for Minnesota.

All the best, Al Franken"

Irony alert: Canadian brownshirt tells Haitian leaders to act with 'respect and calm'

Lawrence Cannon, representative of a government bordering on fascism, warns Haitian leaders to respect democracy. First Palin, now Cannon. How will Haiti survive this bullshit?

Crying on camera is the last refuge of a coward - The View mocks 'Weeper of the House' John Boehner

That John Boehner has emotional problems is obvious. He cries to gain leverage over people’s sympathies to advance his causes. He doesn’t cry for the ordinary American; he cries for himself. He is a selfish, manipulative jerk. If Michelle Obama cried on camera, or Nancy Pelosi for that matter, they would be vilified in the most sexist, raw terms by the right.

Remember when Hillary Clinton had tears in her eyes during the nomination process for the presidency? She was crucified by not just the right but many on the left, too. You just don’t cry on camera – male or female – to gain sympathy. It is cheap theatrics and the sign of shady ethics and weak governance.

But Boehner, according to the right winger on The View’s panel, is ‘a fine man’ who is ‘emotional’. Much of the right wing shares this same view. Let me get this straight: a man crying is fine; of course men cry. But crying on camera is the last refuge of a coward.

John Boehner has shown in his career that he cares naught for the everyday man and he cares less about making his country a better place. He is a stubborn, vain politician whose only concern is the advancing of his own agenda while destroying any progress for regular folks advanced by the opposition party. In other words, he’s just another asshole from Ohio.

Cross posted at Sister Sage's Musings

Obama tax cuts for the rich?

Obama is in a bind. He's going to lose big no matter which way this turns out. If the tax cuts for the rich succeed in being extended for another two years- it's looking likely - Obama's base will disintegrate. His right-wing critics will be more emboldened to attack and obstruct his efforts to progress the USA into the 21st century. The only people who will support the president after this will be sycophants for whom Obama can do no wrong, moderate Republicans, most journalists and Blue Dogs. Everyone else loses, especially Obama.

If the tax cuts are defeated, his base will be energized, the left-wing press will be cautiously impressed and the middle class will be wondering what the big deal is. The rich of course will be happy but say nothing. The tax cuts will no longer be known as the 'Bush tax cuts for the rich' but will now be 'Obama tax cuts for the rich'.

Most tellingly, his right-wing critics will be more emboldened to attack and obstruct his efforts to progress the USA into the 21st century. He can't win with those people. The deficit will be rocked further out of whack and chances for Obama's re-election will be severely hindered. The Democrats will suffer great losses in 2012 because the economy will continue to decline, more jobs will be lost and most of his base will have abandoned him.

This will not turn out well no matter the outcome, but the latter I fear will sink Obama and the Democrats. 2012 will indeed be the Apocalypse, at least for Democrats, Obama and the American people.

David Vitter accused of 'naked political posturing'

You can't say Aaron Viles, deputy director of the Gulf Restoration Network, does not have an acerbic sense of humour, especially when it comes to fundamentalist whoremonger David Vitter and his obstruction of the appointment of a scientist to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"From doubting the science of human-influenced global warming, to seeking earmarks for anti-evolution propaganda in classrooms, Senator Vitter has a long history of sacrificing science for naked political posturing. Add this effort to that list." 

US health care law challenged: Bush's stacking judges with conservatives pays off big time

A friend of mine lamented years ago that the left had gotten George W. Bush's legacy all wrong. It wasn't Iraq, the deteriorating financial fiasco or Katrina that would be the shame of his legacy. Instead, he pointed out that the dozens of right-wing judges appointed by the former president would negatively affect the progress of the USA for decades to come. That would be the true abomination of the Bush presidency.

Josh Marshall today goes one step further by blaming not just Bush but "decades of Republicans packing the federal judiciary with activist judges". This partisan judiciary has the power to overturn good works initiated by Obama and prevent further positive changes to the laws.

When the health care law passed earlier this year, Democrats and Republicans had already been bickering for months over one of the central provisions of the legislation: the individual mandate. Can Congress, under the Constitution's commerce clause, compel people to purchase health insurance? The fight was just one of many health care-related disagreements that have divided conservatives and liberals since the issue took center stage, but it's the one major aspect of the new policy that gave Republicans an opening to take the Affordable Care Act to court.

Normally, a lawsuit challenging the scope of Congress' power under the commerce clause would be open and shut -- it's been a perennial loser for plaintiffs going back decades. But in that time, the court has moved to the right, and become more partisan. And the early rulings in these health care lawsuits indicate what Republicans knew all too well -- that Republican-appointed judges will be as sympathetic to their arguments as Democrat-appointed judges will be opposed. And that could presage several major victories for conservative foes of the health care law as their challenges make their way toward the Republican-leaning Supreme Court.

Wisconsin strip club sign: "No Negro's Allowed"

Obama's post-racial Tea Party America. This club's owner feels it's his right to 'discriminate'. In today's USA, even Wisconsin is now Alabama.

Never mind the fact that Prior's sign ("No Negro's Allowed") is grammatically incorrect to comically epic proportions. Never mind the fact that businesses which discriminate against patrons on the basis of color are in direct violation of the Civil Rights Act Of 1964. Never mind how silly it is for Prior to state that he's not racist because he doesn't want unruly whites at his club either, but didn't have enough poster board to write a sign prohibiting them from entry specifically by name. Nope, never mind any of that.You know what really jumped out at me about this sad story?

Racism isn't the only trending trait of Tea Party America. Frank Rich writes of homophobia approved by the Smithsonian.

The story might end there — like Haring’s altarpiece, a bittersweet yet uplifting postscript to a time of plague. But it doesn’t because “Fire in My Belly” was removed from the exhibit by the National Portrait Gallery some 10 days ago with the full approval, if not instigation, of its parent institution, the Smithsonian. (The censored version of “Hide/Seek” is still scheduled to run through Feb. 13.) The incident is chilling because it suggests that even in a time of huge progress in gay civil rights, homophobia remains among the last permissible bigotries in America. “Think anti-gay bullying is just for kids? Ask the Smithsonian,” wrote The Los Angeles Times’s art critic, Christopher Knight, last week. One might add: Think anti-gay bullying is just for small-town America? Look at the nation’s capital.

Lisbeth Salander, Julian Assange and Sweden

Image: Culture Mulcher

Nothing much ado about anything but I find it interesting that Stieg Larsson’s Swedish heroine Lisbeth Salander was a computer hacker, a sexual heretic and a brilliant mind bent on unraveling evil while being labeled evil by the forces of evil. Julian Assange, while Australian, spent his most infamous time in Sweden, is allegedly sexually careless and is most definitely a hacker of genius. 

I don’t know if Salander used WikiLeaks’ primary tool Tor to elude being captured, but I bet she would have been the perfect WikiLeaks agent if she were indeed a living being. I wonder too if Assange deliberately chose Sweden with its contrary climate of openness and claustrophobic sexuality to map his own story of drama and trepidatious risk taking.

While Salandar’s author Larsson is no longer with us, and while his Salander trilogy is still selling like hotcakes both as a books and as movies, it seems natural that some enterprising screenwriter could come up with a new thriller based on Lisbeth Salandar as the ultimate WikiLeaks prankster. I bet it would be devastating although I don’t think palpitating wingers would appreciate the thrills. Somehow I don’t think Assange would mind and I'm pretty sure Larsson would have approved.

Cross posted at Sister Sage's Musings

Fox News on Clinton subbing for Obama yesterday: "At the Master's Feet"

Yes, that's what it says. That's exactly what it means. Clinton upfront, Obama slightly behind. No racism intended, seriously! I'm just surprised Fox News didn't spell it, 'At the Massa's Feet'.

Ford's Brain. Rob Ford's Karl Rove just as icky.

It's all about focus groups and manipulation but it works. I hope Toronto is ready for the next few years of Bush policies and Rove-like dirty tricks.

UPDATED - Bernie Sanders goes to Washington. Actual filibuster in action. EIGHT hours and counting!

Jimmy Stewart ain't got nothing on Bernie Sanders. Must see TV here. What an amazing performance from an amazing politician.

About three hours ago, just as he took the Senate floor, Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-VT) staff, tweeted: "You can call what i am doing today whatever you want, you it [sic] call it a filibuster, you can call it a very long speech..."

And he's been speaking, almost uninterrupted, ever since.

It's a filibuster as filibusters were originally intended -- and, as such, makes a mockery of what the filibuster's become: a gimmick that allows a minority of senators to quietly impose supermajority requirements on any piece of legislation.

UPDATE: Think Progress notes this is technically not a filibuster.

UPDATE I: Obama, Bill Clinton and CNN have teamed up to take away from Sanders' extraordinary feat by airing wall-to-wall Clinton coverage with only a snide, comical snippet of a mention about Sanders' historical 'filibuster' speech. Major networks follow suit. Your liberal media!

UPDATE II: Eight and one half hours later, Sanders yields the floor. Well done, Bernie.

10 Most Hypocritical Sexual Scandals by Republican Politicians of 2009-2010

This blog post calls out Republican hypocrisy in detailed, concise fashion. A must read. Sample:

1. The NRCC hits Forty Deuce. What better place to hold a fundraiser for a political party than a glorified strip club? Forty Deuce is a favorite hot spot of celebrities and those looking for scantily-clad women dancing to big band music. For whatever reason, the NRCC decides this is the place for a fundraiser gathering and Pete Sessions is in attendance. The NRCC insists there was no nudity at the event, but anyone who’s been to Forty Deuce can vouch that the shows are hardly wholesome.

Cross posted at Sister Sage's Musings

Bernie Sanders goes to Washington. Actual filibuster in action. SEVEN hours and counting!

Jimmy Stewart ain't got nothing on Bernie Sanders. Must see TV here. What an amazing performance from an amazing politician.

About three hours ago, just as he took the Senate floor, Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-VT) staff, tweeted: "You can call what i am doing today whatever you want, you it [sic] call it a filibuster, you can call it a very long speech..."

And he's been speaking, almost uninterrupted, ever since.

It's a filibuster as filibusters were originally intended -- and, as such, makes a mockery of what the filibuster's become: a gimmick that allows a minority of senators to quietly impose supermajority requirements on any piece of legislation.

Curiously, although Sanders has been discussing Arianna Huffington's book Third World America at length in his speech, his filibuster has yet to be reported at Huffington Post. Weird. UPDATE: Finally on HuffPo but buried on Politics page. Weirder still. UPPERDATE: Now on front page, five hours late.

UPDATE: Think Progress notes this is technically not a filibuster.

Move over WikiLeaks. Welcome Openleaks!

Looks like Julian Assange can add another hat to his collection of names he's being called. Called a 'slave driver' by some of his workers, Assange is losing some key members of his staff. These budding leakers are planning to open a whistleblower site of their own named Openleaks.

According to the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter, the new site will be called "Openleaks," and like its predecessor, will allow whistleblowers to leak information to the public anonymously. However, the new site will differ in that it won't be responsible for hosting the information itself directly for the public eye, but will instead act as an intermediary between whistleblowers and media organizations.

"Our long term goal is to build a strong, transparent platform to support whistleblowers--both in terms of technology and politics--while at the same time encouraging others to start similar projects," a colleague wishing to remain anonymous is quoted by Dagens Nyheter as saying.

Cross posted at Sister Sage's Musings

Taiwanese animators take on Tom Flanagan

We are all John Lennon. If you're not, you're Sarah Palin.

John Lennon had a great, ethereal rocking and lascivious life. His voice wasn't bad, either. He could write classic songs, too. But he was a bit of a lout and according to his closest son Sean, was a violent misogynist, too. I'm sure John Lennon was a lot of things, both negative and positive. Like a lot of us.

But unlike a lot of us, John Lennon made everyone around him better. He knew when to challenge and when to soothe. In close encounters with everyday folk and fans alike, Lennon assuaged the nerves and made everyone around him comfortable. We, the listeners who never met him, felt the same thing. We loved the voice and some of us loved the words and there were even a few of us who loved what he stood for.

What did John Lennon stand for? Fuck if I know. Perhaps it was peace. Perhaps it was love. But most of all, it was his peculiar challenge to authority, his humour in the face of unbelievable odds and a rare form of irreverence that enveloped Lennon over so many hearts.

I love John Lennon. I miss his music, his voice, his humour. But most of all, I miss knowing at any time I could turn on the TV or open a newspaper and John Lennon would be there with a savage quote that perfectly encapsulated the times. We don't have anyone like John Lennon anymore. He could writhe around in bags and lay in bed with Yoko and his critics would savage him but we still all loved him.

Because in the end, his soul, his being was all that mattered. Lennon was and is still totally of time, whether it was 1963 or December 8, 2010.

WikiLeaks is redefining what 'war' means

Julian Assange is proving to be merely one tentacle of a new kind of monster. And this monster means business. Serious business. Mastercard  - and now Visa - is finding out the hard way that if you play hard and dirty, you're going to get hard and dirty right back atchya. WikiLeaks is a hard-nosed organization, run by a brilliant if somewhat eccentric man. He has laid down the groundwork to hit back at those who attempt to harm him or WikiLeaks.

Unlike many pests of the past, Assange and WikiLeaks are prepared to counteract not just governmental bullying but the far more prevalent and deadly corporate kind. WikiLeaks has organized itself into an impenetrable fortress. Bite off an arm, another grows in its place. Arrest one member and you risk payback.

As the US is discovering, with every covert attempt to squash free speech - at least in WikiLeaks' case - payback is a monster. The further you dig, the harsher the sting. And that stinger has a seemingly endless source of embarrassment, indictment and scorn.

I kind of like this new manner of disobedience. We all may suffer in one way or another. Personally, I can stand to see politicians and diplomats being embarrassed and I can certainly wait a few extra days for my Mastercard payment to go through. This is worth it.

No state secrets have been revealed other than gossipy cables and soldiers cheering on a kill. That's what's got the authoritarian mob so outraged. Assange is embarrassing them. These mewling, snarling politicians and dotty diplomats are being humiliated by an evasive Aussie and that's worse than any state secret being revealed. Assange has hit them personally. It's all about them and those who fear future disclosures. Their countries be damned.

And that, my friends, is war.

UPDATE: Looks like Sarah Palin has been hacked for her wish that Assange be hunted down 'like Osama bin Laden'. Shit Assange, you can fight China and Visa all you want and stayed unsinged but with Palin, you better wear some extra heavy armour.

Are black hockey players subject to racism?

A few days ago, a junior hockey team left the ice after a white player called a black player a racist name. The coach who pulled his team was suspended. Last month in language similar to right wing attacks on Obama, white NHL player Mike Richards reproached black Canadien P.K. Subban for being too up front and vocal - or uppity. Don Cherry has harped on this about Subban more than once. Last night, TSN analyst Darren Pang stated that Subban should act more in the 'white way'.

Sure, Pang's statement could be attributed to a 'slip of the tongue' as Pang embarrassedly explained. I give Pang the benefit of the doubt. But it's all a little too convenient. Here we have a young, energetic, hyper-tongued black player doing nothing more than what most young professional athletes do - lay on the attitude and the back talk. If he were playing in the CFL, he would be mic'ed and celebrated. But as an hockey player, he is called 'arrogant' and worse.

These incidents could be truly innocent mistakes or overstatements. Maybe that black junior player heard wrong. Mike Richards may just be voicing a popular opinion that mouthy young hockey players should keep quiet. And Darren Pang just slipped up on a word. Perhaps. I'm just glad I'm not black and playing in the NHL.

Has the age of progress passed us by?

Surveying the American and Canadian cultural and political landscapes is a brutal occupation these days. For a progressive, the fun has escaped the balloon we were riding for so long. As progressive Canadians, we've been much more fortunate than the US, whose fear of personal freedoms and love of authoritarianism has a long an ignoble history. But Canadians are no longer immune to the far right wave of fascism that is engulfing the States. We are now part of that never-ending stream of hate and intolerance down south.

Ford, Fantino, Cherry are the new Palin/Fox News voices of Canada. Sure, they've always been there but now it's serious. With the right wing having taken over our airwaves and newspapers - even the CBC now regularly hosts voices of hate - Canadians, especially new Canadians which we thankfully have many, are subject to a low-brow, easy-to-comprehend form of gutter English and gutter politics.

See, no thought needed. Thought is highly discouraged. Trust god, trust your boss, trust your political leaders. Be afraid - be very afraid. These simple soundbites hit home with people whose primary language is not English and with those who are uneducated or uninterested in complexities.

We live in a age dominated by anti-intellectualism. Actually, it's not anti-intellectual - fuck, I'm anti-intellectual - it's anti-intelligence, anti-thoughtfulness, and worse, anti-intuitiveness. If any problem is needing analysis or tough thought, fuck it. That's over. Just yell, bellow and speak like an angry kindergartener and Canadians will listen..and vote for you.

I realize politics is a an up and down affair. The right has the power for awhile and then hands the reins over to the left. But this salvo of the far right over the past few years is just too strong to overcome. They own the media, they own our minds. Despite the fact that the Cons only have the support of a third of Canadians and Nenshi has become mayor in arguably Canada's most conservative big city, how can we recover without having a fair media and an informed populace? How long before the Cons become a majority and we won't recognize the place anymore? We're already hated around much of the world. Our former good selves are now persona non grata. And Canadians don't seem to care.

Has the western world become so controlled by the monetary policies of the richest so that any hope of sustaining a vibrant, compassionate, prosperous-for-all country is now impossible? It's looking more and more that way. The US still has an open press - despite Murdoch's attempts to close it down - but Canada I fear has lost that democratic edge.

With CBC being taken over by the whining, sputtering, bellowing right, there is no longer any outlet for the masses to receive information and decide for themselves. The Aspers, the Stevensons, the Levants, the Blatchfords, the Goldsteins have a monopoly to extoll right wing policies and dissuade decency.

Is it over for us? Probably not. But at the moment it sure looks that way.

Cross posted at Sister Sage's Musings.

Top fighter against jihad in Saudi Arabia? David Letterman.

In what should be a surprise to no one except right-wing loons like Palin, western television culture is a far more effective tool defeating Islamic extremism than all the war words and threatening bluster from right-wingers. You want to win over suspicious and angry Muslims? The answer is easy - show them a steady diet of Desperate Housewives and 'agent of influence' David Letterman and the Arabs soon forget their jihadi ways.

And you thought television was just a vast wasteland!

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Learn to say “Fuck You” to the world once in a while. You have every right to.

Just stop thinking, worrying, looking over your shoulder, wondering, doubting, fearing, hurting, hoping for some easy way out, struggling, gasping, confusing, itching, scratching, mumbling, bumbling, grumbling, humbling, stumbling, rumbling, rambling, gambling, tumbling, scumbling, scrambling, hitching, hatching, bitching, moaning, groaning, honing, boning, horse-shitting, hair-splitting, nit-picking, piss-trickling, nose-sticking, ass-gouging, eyeball-poking, finger-pointing, alleyway-sneaking, long waiting, small stepping, evil-eyeing, back-scratching, searching, perching, besmirching, grinding grinding grinding away at yourself.  Stop it and just DO.

Don’t worry about cool. Make your own uncool. Make your own, your own world.

Sol LeWitt to Eva Hesse
From The Accidental Maserterpiece: On the Art of Life and Vice Versa

H/T: @BinaBecker

Vancouver lawyer files complaint against Flanagan

Cool. Gail Davidson filed a written complaint today against Tom Flanagan, saying that he "counselled and/or incited the assassination of Julian Assange contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada". Nothing will probably come of it but A for effort.

In her complaint, Davidson requested that her complaint be investigated promptly by "competent and independent investigators", and that a report and a copy of the complaint be referred to an independent prosecutor for the approval of charges.

She also asked that she be kept informed by any officers or prosecutors involved in the case.

"Tom Flanagan has been a close advisor of Stephen Harper, as chronicled in his book, Harper’s Team: Behind the Scenes in the Conservative Rise to Power (2007, second edition 2009)," Davidson wrote in her complaint. "Flanagan managed Harper’s campaign to become leader of the Canadian Alliance party and then of the Conservative party. He managed the Conservative party campaign for the 2006 election and was the communications consultant for the Conservatives during the 2006 election campaign."

Dodo kicked out of Blogging Tories?

Just saw on my new fave blog The Blogging Tories in Their Own Words that infamous hate blog Dodo Can Spell is no longer listed in Begging Tories. Wouldn't you just love to know the circumstances behind this? If you know anything, please share.

It hasn't been a good couple of months for the poor lads and lassies of the Conosphere, especially over at BTs. If you have a spare tear, please share it. Otherwise, just have a good laugh and pass the salt.