NOTE: I don't know how you got it into your ultra-liberal minds that I have your phone numbers and addresses, but it's not true. I'm just poking some good-natured fun at your obsession with George W. Bush. I'm also not sure why you refer to me as "they," since I was only one person last time I checked. I am in awe of your reading comprehension skills. Really, I am.
In the extended entry, I have placed a list of all the Democratic Underground member names that begin with the word "Bush."
These people are f**king psychotic.
My favorites:
-Bush is the Devil
-Bush sucks Dick
-busheatspoo
-bushie-is-teh-uglie
-BushIsAnOilChimp
-BushisPoop
-bushissatan
-BUSH_IS_A_FREAKIN_MORON
Click for more...if you dare.
Bush Basher
Bush hater
Bush is a chimp
Bush is a Terrorist
Bush is the Devil
Bush Leaguer
Bush Loather
bush must go
Bush Pouts
Bush Sucks
Bush sucks Dick
Bush Sux
Bush was AWOL
Bush Whacked
bush04oneterm
bush2004com
Bush34President
bush4KING
bushalert
bushater
bushbash
bushbasher
bushbegone
bushbites
BushBlewIt
BushBlows
BushBot
bushbush
bushcheated
BushCheatey
bushclipper
Bushdor
BushDrowningInOil
busheatspoo
busheconomy
Bushed in Fla
bushedanddickedaround
BUSHED_WACKED
busher
BusheUSACrimeFamily
Bushevil
Bushfire
bushflyr
BushFreeZone
BushGirl
BUSHGONE
BushGone04
bushh8r
bushh8ter
bushhater
bushhaterr
bushhatr01
BushHeckler
bushido
bushie-is-teh-uglie
bushiehater
Bushisaclown
bushisacrook
bushisagoof
bushisagungrabber
bushisajerk
BushIsALiar
BushIsAMeanie
bushisanass
bushisanidiot
BushIsAnOilChimp
bushisbu__sh__
BushIsEvil
BUSHISNUTS
BushIsOver
BushisPoop
bushissatan
BuShit
bushitler
BushKilledDemocracy
BushKillsAmerica
Bushknew
bushleave
BushLiarKnew
BushLies
bushliesalot
BUSHLITE
BushMafiaGone
Bushman
Bushneedstogo
bushneedstogo2
bushnot
BushOccupation
bushreallysucks
bushrules34
BushStillBlows
bushStinks
BushStopper
bushsucks
bushsucks75
BUSHSUX
BushSux04
bushsux2
BushtheLoser
bushvoodoo
BUSHWACK
Bushwacka
bushwacked
Bushwacked_n_TX
Bushwacked_n_TX814
Bushwacker
Bushwacker04
Bushwacker10
bushwacker69
BushwackerFL
bushwah
BUSHWAKER
bushwakker
bushwentawol
bushwhack
Bushwhacked
bushwhackedagain
BushWhackedInSanAntonio
BushWhackedNoMore
BushWhacker
bushwhacker1
BushwhackerII
BushWho
bush_41
Bush_Begone
Bush_Eats_Beef
bush_h8ter
bush_happens
Bush_has_Parvo
bush_hater04
Bush_Hater_05851
bush_is_an_idiot
BUSH_IS_A_FREAKIN_MORON
Bush_is_a_Wanker
Bush_is_Evil
BUSH_KNEW
Bush_Sucks
Bush_Unemployed_04
Bush_Whacked68
I put this message in the archived post as well, but just in case one of you wandered to the main page...
I KNOW YOUR NAMES, PHONE NUMBERS, AND ADDRESSES, WELLS COLLEGE PSYCH PROFS, SO IF YOU'RE PLANNING ANYTHING, DON'T COUNT ON ANONYMITY.
I feel like I'm being stalked here.
(If you don't know what's going on, just...don't ask. This is between me and some "transgenders" and associates who appear to like my blog a little too much)
Larry...you're scaring me more than usual, man. I think you need to take a break for a couple weeks.
Seriously, I want to know who this person is so I can shake his/her hand.
$322.65.
322 dollars and 65 cents. For 7 books. For 4 classes. $322.65. And that's not including the course reader that I had to pick up at a completely different store and pay about $40 for. I love it.
Also, while I was in the bookstore, I glanced at the "Syracuse University bestsellers" shelf, or something along those lines. These superb selections included American Dynasty, My Life, and The Price of Loyalty. Shocking, isn't it?
In addition, as I was picking up my required Political Science books, I glanced at the required reading from some of the other poli-sci courses. Here are just a few of the books these professors are making people read:
Against All Enemies
Plan of Attack
Stupid White Men
Yes, you read that right. "Stupid White Men" is required reading for one of the 300 level courses, I believe. I hope it's so the students can learn how not to make an argument. And speaking of stupid white men, I heard someone in the bookstore mention that Michael Moore is speaking at SU right after the "Fahrenheit 9/11" DVD comes out in September. I still haven't decided whether I'm going to go and thin out the moonbat herd listen to the opposition's arguments.
In other college news, I have a good quote of the day from my professor of Television, Radio and Film 255: Intro to Writing and Producing:
"This class will take over your life."
Oh, that's good to know. My life wasn't that interesting anyway.
In all seriousness, TRF is my major, and I do want to be a writer/director, so I'll probably be spending a lot more time doing production and a lot less time blogging. It should be a good class, though. She used the first 20 minutes of Natural Born Killers as an example of good cinematography, so I'm expecting the rest of the semester to be interesting.
Hey, guess what? Thanks to my Site Meter stats, I can tell that a couple psychology professors at Wells College are e-mailing back and forth about my old post on transgenders at Syracuse. I also know that Wells and Syracuse collaborate on a few things in that area. Therefore, if I start taking crap about my views around here, I'll know who to talk to.
You have been warned.
So, my Social Psychology professor decided to give us some examples of how the subject applies to the real world. What were these examples, you ask?
- Abu Ghraib
- "Groupthink" as it relates to the evidence of WMD in Iraq
- Claiming that President Bush and patriotism were popular after 9/11 because mortality makes us protective of our leaders and our group, then saying that Bush "used the 9/11 images" (or something along those lines) to increase his popularity
This should be a fun class.
Apparently, my blog is among the top 30 results on Google for baby killers.
I'm not sure what to think about this. Since I have an 8:30 AM class tomorrow, I probably shouldn't spend too much time pondering it...
By the way, I'm still #1 on Google for Howard Dean is a douchebag. Too bad Mad How didn't get the nomination. I could've had some real fun.
Now that the RNC Convention has started, can we please stop talking about Vietnam?
PLEASE?!
I just got back from my first class of the semester: Political Science 121. No liberal bias yet, but I'll be on the lookout.
However, I did see "ASSASINATE BUSH" written on the wall of a bathroom stall earlier. You'd think that if someone wanted to call for the death of the president, they'd at least try to spell everything right.
From the NYT site:
Do I even have to comment on this?
I think we all know the answer to that.
UPDATE
Also, notice how the DNC paid for that ad. It looks more like something the MoveOn freaks would come up with. Way to go, Democrats. I am in awe of your maturity and intelligence. No, really, I am.
Really.
Bush Says Kerry 'More Heroic' for Going to VietnamPresident Bush on Saturday described John Kerry's tour of duty in Vietnam as more heroic than his own service in the Air National Guard, saying his Democratic rival had been "in harm's way."
But the president told NBC's "Today" show that both sides should drop the debate over their wartime service, saying, "I think that we ought to move beyond the past. ... The real question is who best to lead us forward."
Asked if he believed that he and Kerry "served on the same level of heroism," Bush replied, "No, I don't. I think him going to Vietnam was more heroic than my flying fighter jets. He was in harm's way and I wasn't."
Now, regardless of whether or not you think Kerry lied about what he did in 'Nam, you have to admit that Bush is really handling this whole thing with class. He's giving Kerry credit for his service, he's not denying that he wasn't in as much danger, and in any case, he thinks we should all move on and talk about current issues.
I may disagree with him on quite a few things, but this is my president, ladies and gentlemen.
Do these people actually think they're changing anyone's mind? I almost feel sorry for the brainwashed moonbats. Oh, well. At least they inspired a song.
You can't deflect criticism of Kerry's Vietnam antics by bringing up President Bush's National Guard records. In case you haven't noticed, Bush never made his service an issue, while Kerry's entire campaign has been based around the fact that he was in Vietnam.
Don't write checks you can't cash, F**k Up. That's all I'll say.
Apparently, Larry the Liberal is still blogging. In fact, he just fisked my latest rant.
Don't worry, Larry. With practice, you may learn how to use facts. They're tough to handle at first, but you get used to it.
Look, I know you're excited about being on your own for the first time, but could you all just STFU for like 5 minutes? If I didn't know better, I'd say you were all on crack.
And by the way, I know that all you freshmen are responsible for this, because when you were at the orientation thingy earlier tonight, it was quiet. Sophomores like me are too mature for your childish hallway antics.
NS just informed me of the existence of this book.
Why was I not told of this earlier? I've been calling myself a VRWC member without even owning the freakin' handbook!
I may have to check this thing out.
I just took the Essay Generator for a spin. Check out the essay it wrote on liberals...
(I put it in the extended entry. I hope you don't have to ask why.)
An essay on liberalsThe subject of liberals has been covered intensively by the world press over the past decade. I find my self constantly drawn back to the subject of liberals. Until recently considered taboo amongst polite society, liberals is featuring more and more in the ideals of the young and upwardly mobile. Since it was first compared to antidisestablishmentarianism much has been said concerning liberals by those politicaly minded individuals living in the past, obviously. Relax, sit back and gasp as I display the rich tapestries of liberals.
Social Factors
Society is a human product. Back when Vealinger reamarked ‘the power struggle will continue while the great tale of humanity remains untold’ [1] he shead new light on liberals, allowing man to take it by the hand and understand its momentum. Difference among people, race, culture and society is essential on the survival of our world, however liberals smells of success.
Did I mention how lovely liberals is? If society has a favourite child, it is liberals.
Economic Factors
Derived from 'oikonomikos,' which means skilled in household management, the word economics is synonymous with liberals. Of course, liberals fits perfectly into the Simple-Many-Pies model of economics.
There are a number of reasons which may be attributed to this unquestionable correlation. In spite of the best efforts of The World Bank the national debt cannot sustain this instability for long. Many analysts fear a subsequent depression.Political Factors
Politics was once a game featuring competitors from elite classes. Contrasting the numerous political activists campaigning for the interests of liberals can be like looking at 0
One quote comes instantly to mind when examining this topic. I mean of course the words of award winning journalist Aaron B. Adger 'Man's greatest enemy is complacency with regards to personal and political hygiene.' [2] Considered by many to be one of the 'Founding Fathers' of liberals, his words cannot be over-looked. If liberals be the food of politics, play on.
Is liberals politically correct, in every sense? Each man, woman and to a lesser extent, child, must make up their own mind.Conclusion
In conclusion, liberals deserves all of the attention it gets. It enriches, brought up a generation, though liberals brings with it obvious difficulties, it is truly liberals.
I'll leave you with this quote from Macaulay Clooney: 'At first I was afraid I was petrified. Thinking I could never live without liberals by my side.' [3]
[1] Vealinger - Turtle Power - 2003 ICJ
[2] Adger - Politics Per Day - 2000 Jinder Publishing
[3] Smashing Hits - Issue 224 - Jazz Media
This is a totally random post, but I thought I'd tell you about a discovery I made yesterday. Ready?
When struck by a drumstick, the metal portion of my desk lamp sounds just like a cowbell.
I don't know what I'll be doing with this information, but it's good to know.
O......kay. There are a few things I could say about this, but I'll keep those comments to myself. This would be better suited to someone like Harvey.
If you're going to blast music into the hallway at obscenely loud volumes, at least make it good music. How hard is that? I don't want to listen to talentless, mass-produced, R&B/rap crap.
I'm about ready to return fire. I think a little Staind or Sevendust would do the trick....
Vinny of Insignificant Thoughts is participating in a bike ride to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and he needs donations.
As a college student with only partial control of my checking account, I can't spare any money right now (seriously, I'd donate if I could), but if anyone else out there is interested in helping out, go here. Other bloggers are also encouraged to link to Vinny's donation page.
That is all.
I knew it was going to get hot as soon as I went to a place without air conditioning! Crap, I feel like I'm in a friggin' sauna.
I'm ready for snow now. Snow is good.
I just updated the random quote database to cover the last month or so. I suggest refreshing the page about 80 times so you can see 'em all.
In other news, a parent (I'm assuming) walked up to my door earlier and asked if I had a hammer. I love the first weekend of college.
NO. MORE. VIETNAM.
Holy flurking schnit, I can't take it anymore. Talk about the issues, people! I don't give a flying Fokker about what happened more than 30 years ago. I know I said that Kerry should deal with the charges, since he chose to run on his service, but take it down a notch! There are issues to discuss, you idiots!
And now, a message for neolibs:
YOU ARE ALL A BUNCH OF HYPOCRITES.
You continuously call Bush a fascist, compare him to Hitler, and claim that he's crushing dissent. Then, as soon as an independent group criticizes John "F**k Up" Kerry, you claim that Bush should step in and stop their "smear campaign."
MAKE UP YOUR FOTHERMUCKIN' MINDS, YOU SONS OF BIRCHES!
And speaking of the "smear campaign" meme...crap like this makes me forkin' furious:
Max Cleland, minus the three limbs he lost in Vietnam, showed up in his wheelchair outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Tex., on Wednesday to suggest that the president take the simple and decent step of condemning the slime that is being spread by Bush supporters against the war record of John Kerry...George W. Bush ought to call off his dogs.
First of all, the fact that it hurts the reputation of the Flip-Flopping Frenchman doesn't automatically make it "slime." I know that in Liberal Land, anything you don't agree with is a lie by default, but we're living in a wonderful place called "reality." You have to actually deal with the accusations, rather than attacking the messengers. Remember AWOL? Don't dish it out if you can't take it.
And furthermore, what is this "Bush ought to call off his dogs" nonsense? They're not working for Bush! This is yet another common logical fallacy of liberals: "Anyone who doesn't agree with me is working for/with my political opponents."
THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT WORKS!
Get used to the idea that people can, all by themselves, come to a different conclusion on an issue. It's not a shady plot by Karl Rove to discredit Kerry; It's just Americans exercising the rights they fought to defend. And now that I think about it...if it's wrong to criticize "war heroes," then why are you defaming the Swift Boat Vets? YOU'RE FREAKIN' HYPOCRITES, THAT'S WHY.
In addition, if you partisan pukes would take a second to look at facts, you'd notice that Bush disagrees with the claims of the SBVFT. Oh, but Bush is a liar, right? We can't trust anything he says, so we have to put words in his mouth, like "Mission Accomplished" and "Iraq is an imminent threat."
Getting back to the Bob Herbert piece, let's talk about this "chickenhawk" crap again. Our misguided columnist says the following:
What is incredible is that these attacks on men who served not just honorably, but heroically, are coming from a hawkish party that is controlled by an astonishing number of men who sprinted as far from the front lines as they could when they were of fighting age and their country was at war.
First of all, the attacks are coming from other veterans, but since this doesn't fit your "everyone who attacks Kerry is a puppet of Bush" view, I'll leave it at that.
However, I'm sick of people saying that you shouldn't be allowed to support war if you haven't served. You could at least be consistent about it. So, in the future...
-Don't call the police until you're trained to make an arrest.
-Don't even think about calling the fire department unless you work for them already.
-Don't order anything at a restaurant that you couldn't make on your own.
-Refrain from shouting suggestions at professional athletes until you prove you're capable of playing as well as they do.
-Don't vote unless you've held public office.
-Don't listen to any music until you learn how to play all the instruments.
-Don't pay for a haircut unless you learn how to cut it yourself.
...And so on. What's so hard to understand? We have a volunteer military because some people are more capable of serving than others. Declining to serve while still supporting the war doesn't make you a "chickenhawk" any more than calling the police makes you a "chickenpig..." or something like that.
And finally, let's take a look at this:
I would like to see at least some of these men, in keeping with their positions as leaders of a great nation, stand up and say it is wrong - just wrong - to try and reap a cheap political gain by defacing the sacrifices of individuals like John Kerry, John McCain and Max Cleland, who put themselves in mortal danger in the service of their country.
Disregarding the myths about McCain and Cleland, let's talk about Kerry again. I agree that it's wrong to deface the sacrifices of war heroes. But when veterans lie about their service, and then use those lies as the centerpiece of their campaign, it's fair game. John Kerry reported for duty, and his duties as a public servant include telling the truth.
In any case, real heroes don't brag about their heroism. Real heroes don't use men whose lives they saved as political pawns. Real heroes don't use their war injuries to dodge any criticism of their voting record. Real heroes don't have to constantly remind everyone how heroic they are. Real heroes accept their heroism and move on with their lives. We had a couple real heroes running for president in the last decade, but I guess that since they didn't constantly remind us of how they served in World War II, they weren't heroic enough.
Hypocrites. You're all a bunch of despicable, worthless hypocrites, and you're too stupid and brainwashed to even realize it.
I hate people.
I just heard that Michael Moore may be speaking at Syracuse this year.
It's on.
IT'S ON.
IT. IS. F**KING. ON.
More to come after I find out if this is true...although my roommate (who, in the SIT tradition of identifying people by their initials, will be known as "NS" from now on) and I both agree that it would be cool to go and throw things at him. Heh heh.
(By "things," I mean "reasoned arguments." Yeah, that's the ticket)
If you leave your door open while you're in your room, people you've never met will just come in and start talking to you.
And on that note...I find that I have to talk to someone at least twice before I can remember their name. Does anyone else have this problem?
Should I start posting on Evil Monkeys again? I need to write something completely ridiculous at least once a week.
EEEEEEE!!!
Next time I get one of those "Nigerian" e-mails, I think I'll respond with total nonsense. You'll understand when you see it (I'll blog it; don't worry).
The Bush/Cheney sign may not be going on the door, because someone might rip it down.
It's sad how much of a chilling effect liberalism has had on free speech.
Apparently, meal cards for upperclassmen don't get activated until Saturday. This information would've been rather helpful before I embarrassed myself at the dining hall.
My roommate just got here. The takeover begins now, people. First the floor, then the building, then the school, then the country, then the world!
30 years from now, will the presidential election focus on how well the candidates did or didn't serve in the War on Terror? Hey, history repeats, you know.
And now, I must go march at freshman convocation. When I get back this afternoon, I can start regular blogging again. I know you're all thrilled.
I'm kinda bored right now, so I took a picture of my brand new blogspace. Check it out:
This room is way too small (everything to the right of the microfridge is on my roommate's side, and I was leaning against the door when I took that shot), but I do have a dining hall on the 1st floor of the building, so when it's snowing between...well, October and April, I won't have to brave the elements just to get a meal. I had a similar situation last year when I was living right next to a dining hall, but this time the food is in the same freakin' building as me! That rocks!
By the way, there's still time to comment on the "open thread." Talk about Swiss Cake Rolls, spiders, drums, or whatever you want. I'll be done with band tomorrow, so I can start getting caught up on current events at that point. From what I've seen so far, Vietnam still seems to be the central issue. Because we all know that's more important than the war we're fighting right now.
Idiots.
The following message recently appeared in my e-mailbox, as well as on a piece of paper that was slipped under my door about a minute ago:
The City of Syracuse’s Department of Water in conjunction with the Onondaga County Department of Health, has issued a water advisory affecting portions of Onondaga County and the City of Syracuse, including the Syracuse University area. The advisory identifies that the City-supplied water may be tinted with a greenish color in portions of Syracuse. Water from the Woodland Reservoir has been identified as the source of the “green water.” The cause is suspected to be algae. The Woodland Reservoir has been undergoing treatment by the City of Syracuse to reduce the higher-than-usual algae growth.The advisory instructs individuals not to consume water that has
a greenish color or tint. Green-colored water should not be used
in food preparation or dishwashing unless it has been boiled.
According to the advisory, human bathing is permitted but
incidental ingestion during bathing activities should be
avoided.The University is maintaining close contact with the City and
the County Health Department to monitor testing results.
I'll refrain from commenting on this. I think it speaks for itself.
(Repeatedly bangs head against wall)
*THUD*
So...I got invited to a strip club today. Yeah. We had a break from band camp in the afternoon, and I was lying on the football field in the Carrier Dome taking a "turf nap," as we call it, when the following exchange took place between me and a fellow snare drummer named RJ:
RJ: Hey Chris, you're 18, right?
CD: I'm 19.
RJ: Great! You wanna go see some boobies tonight?
CD: Um...no thanks.
RJ: Oh. Okay.
Seriously, a bunch of band guys are going to a strip club later. That's...messed up. I did turn them down though, as you saw. Let's get one thing straight: I'm not above dedicating entire blog posts to ogling President Bush's daughters, but visual prostitution is where I draw the friggin' line, people. What a waste.
In other college news, I got to see the new SU chancellor, Nancy Cantor, up close and personal tonight. She's a lot shorter than I thought. Not very intimidating at all, really. However, if you know anything about this woman, you know that she has a history of bowing down before the altar of political correctness. If you're not familiar with her, I'll help you get started.
I'm afraid that she's going to move Syracuse University a lot further to the left than it needs to be. I take pride in the fact that this is one of the more conservative liberal universities in the country (although it definitely is liberal). That could all change really soon.
Oh, well. Me and my roommate will make sure the VRWC has a voice. I'll have more on those plans when he gets here tomorrow or Saturday. That should be fun.
I just got back from band camp about half an hour ago, and I still have to unpack and do laundry, but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to mock the stupidity of one of my fellow human beings. Therefore, it's time for a lesson in how not to troll a blog. Pay attention; There will be a test at the end of the week. Also, in order to keep the open thread...open...I'll put this post in the extended entry. I WANT MORE OPEN THREAD COMMENTS UNTIL BAND CAMP IS OVER! There are 8 right now. I want at least 15 by tomorrow at this time. If you happen to be an expert on Swiss Cake Rolls, now is your time to shine.
You should definitely read this post though, because it contains vital information.
As you may know, people occasionally decide to leave comments on posts that are several months old. I'm not sure what they think they'll accomplish by essentially spamming my archives, but that's not important.
Anyway, that's Lesson Number 1: Don't comment on archived posts. Look at the "posted at" date and see how old it is first.
We're in luck today, because we have an example of a troll comment that does everything wrong. If you look at the bottom of this post from March 9, 2004, you'll see the following comment, which was posted at 1:27 this morning:
"Give me ONE example of the administration saying that criticism is no longer allowed, and I'll purchase not one, but TWO of your albums. Come on. ""Those people out there who claim that this administration is trying to surpress descent about the war in Iraq should watch what they say."
-Donald Rumsfeld
You see, I challenged readers to provide an example of the Bush administration crushing dissent. The top quote is from the post, and the bottom quote is from the troll. I'll give you a second to absorb that information.
Now, if you are a person of about average intelligence, you should notice that there are misspelled words in the quote. "Dissent" is written as "descent," and "suppress" is written as "surpress." This brings us to lessons 2 and 3. Ready?
Lesson 2: Provide sources for your quotes.
The above quote is not linked to any outside source, and since I'm not the one who posted it, I have no obligation to find out if it's a real quote. If you can't show me a source, it means you probably just typed it from memory. The spelling errors are a dead giveaway. Because of this, there's a good chance that Donald Rumsfeld never actually said what is attributed to him here. Find an introductory psychology textbook and read about the reliability of eyewitness testimony, and you'll understand why I can't treat this as a real quote. Now, let's move on.
Lesson 3: Provide context
If I grant for the sake of argument that the quotation actually was uttered by Donald Rumsfeld at some point, I still don't know what context it was said in. It could be like the "haves and have mores" quote from Dubya, which was meant to be a joke, but is being thrown around by neolibs as an example of Bush's elitism. Or how about the "[Americans] need to watch what they say, watch what they do" line from Ari Fleischer? It was used to show that the administration was calling dissent dangerous, but in context, it was a warning against racially motivated violence. In addition, knowing the kind of guy Secretary Rumsfeld is, I wouldn't be surprised if he was just being ironic. Think about it for a second, and it's friggin' hilarious. Unfortunately, I still don't know if he actually said it. This brings us to our final lesson.
Lesson 4: Follow directions
Even in the event that this is a real quote, it still doesn't fulfill the requirements I provided, so I won't be buying any Barbra Streisand albums anytime soon. Let's look again. This was my challenge:
"Give me ONE example of the administration saying that criticism is no longer allowed, and I'll purchase not one, but TWO of your albums."
Once again, even if that quote is real, there's nothing in there saying that criticism is no longer allowed. Nothing. It's just a suggestion, and the last time I checked, those didn't count as rules.
And now, some final comments.
My challenge is still out there. If anyone can provide an example of the Bush administration clearly saying that criticism of their decisions is not allowed, I will purchase two Barbra Streisand albums. However, if a possibly fabricated Donald Rumsfeld quote that still doesn't meet the requirements is the best anyone can do, I'm not worried.
And now, I will continue unpacking. See ya.
HELLO, BLOGOSPHERE! CD IS BACK!!!!!!
Well, it's been an interesting week. Semi-Intelligent Thoughts is once again coming to you from Syracuse University in beautiful central New York. Pennsylvania failed to eat my soul, and now I'm back where I belong. Let's get to some updates.
First of all, in the Incredibly Good News Department, my audition was frickin' awesome, and I am now a snare drummer in the Syracuse University Marching Band. WOOHOO!!!!!
...Yeah, that's how I felt on Friday. But as of right now, I'm sunburned, my feet hurt, my back hurts, my hands are screwed up, and I'm exhausted. Hooray for band camp.
In all seriousness, I do love marching band, and the SUMB Drumline is better than a lot of other college drumlines, so it's awesome to be a part of it. And in case you're not a marching band person, let me fill you in: Everybody in the band wants to play drums, and everybody who wants to play drums wants to play snare drum. They may not admit it, but it's true. We're the elite musicians within the elite section. Snare drum rules!
The rest of the band is really good this year, so we should have a great season. Our first show is quite possibly the best marching band set ever. Are you ready for this?
The Video Game Show.
That's what we've been calling it. It consists of the theme songs from Super Mario Bros., Tetris, and The Legend of Zelda.
DOES THAT NOT KICK SOME SERIOUS F**KIN @SS?! WE'RE PLAYING VIDEO GAME SONGS AT HALFTIME!!!!
...As you can probably tell, I don't have much to say. I haven't had contact with the outside world since last Wednesday, so I have no idea what's going on. Unfortunately, it's probably going to remain that way until Friday afternoon. I'll be at band camp all day on Wednesday and Thursday, and when I'm not there, I'll be setting up my room. I actually haven't had time to unpack yet, but I went through the incredibly irritating process of registering my computer with ResNET so I could give everyone an update. I don't know why I bothered after I only got 2 FOTHERMUCKIN' COMMENTS on the open thread, but this blogging crap is addictive.
On a semi-political note, my roommate for this year is cool. I know it's not really proper netiquette to quote people's e-mails, but I have to share this line from the last one he sent me:
...if you happen to have a Bush/Cheney sign to put on our door, that would rock...otherwise we can print one out from the internet, only if you want to though. Some loony liberal might rip it down...
This should be better than last year, when I roomed with the World's Biggest Yankees Fan. Check out some posts from around last year's World Series to see what I mean. I know I mentioned him a couple times.
Finally, let me tell you about my morning. Today was the second time I got to see my dorm room for the year, but I actually moved in for good, so I was able to look around for a little longer before I went back to band camp. Anyway, to make a long story short...remember my old friends, sac spiders? Well, guess what was on the ceiling when I went into my room?
That's right: A FRIGGIN' SAC SPIDER!
It's dead now, but still...that may be a bad sign. This room was full of spiders when I got here, but I'm pretty sure I destroyed the majority of them. And their stupid webs.
I hate spiders. And I'm out of blogging time now, so I'll make this another open thread until I get a chance to write a real post.
I'D BETTER SEE SOME COMMENTS WHEN I GET BACK HERE!
You know, the people who wrote "American Pie" are frickin' idiots, because band camp isn't an actual camp. It's just the name for the period in late summer when marching bands rehearse for hours at a time to get ready for the coming year. There's no camping involved. Of course, considering how mind-bogglingly stupid the rest of that movie was, I'm not surprised nobody caught the mistake.
Anyway, there is a point to this post. This afternoon, I'm heading back up to Syracuse University for band camp. I'm hoping to play snare drum this year, as I've mentioned. To tell you the truth, I've been looking forward to this since June. Pennsylvania seems to be sucking away my life force or something. I have to get out of this state NOW.
Unfortunately, I won't have access to a computer until Tuesday the 24th, and even then, I'll be at band camp for 12 hours a day, so serious blogging is pretty much out of the question. Do you know what that means?
HIATUS!!!!!!
Yeah. There will be no new posts until at least Tuesday, and that will probably just be a brief update. Band camp ends on the morning of Friday, August 27, so that's when regular blogging will resume. However, classes start on the 30th, so that'll be occupying my time as well. We'll see what happens.
Until then, consider this an open thread. I'm going to be away for almost a week, so I'd better see some discussion when I get back. Dang it.
Later.
how did unicorns appeared in humans thoughts
What's with these searches? First trolls, now unicorns!
I'm not even going to say anything about the grammar. Man, people are stupid.
I have an announcement to make later (regular readers can probably guess what it's going to be), but before I do that, how about one more fisking of some Pittsburgh Post-Gazette letters to the editor? There are some good ones today. Let's get started:
Rise above fearTry to imagine a world without hypothetical questions!
Okay! And then you can try to imagine a world without unnecessary exclamation points!!!
A reader from Monroeville asked what we are to do if someone like Edwards were to be vice president if Iran were to develop an atomic bomb ("Consider Crisis Mode," Aug. 9 letter).
I'm guessing "cower in fear" would be involved at some point.
True, Cheney was the defense secretary in 1991 during the Persian Gulf war and thereby has a lot of experience. However, it is known that he also has a vested interest in the oil companies that are profiting from the misery and deaths of the Iraqis and of our own soldiers as well.
Here come the memes! Can't you neolibs ever think for yourselves? I would still take you seriously when you're wrong if you would stop parroting these stupid lies.
What I ask -- based on the 9/11 report and other recent evidence that our foreign intelligence is flawed -- would make you vote for a candidate on such an issue?
Since it would still be the same intelligence, I'll take Cheney over John "I will destroy you with my smile" Edwards.
Edwards is more concerned with the issues at home: the economy, health care and education, not nightmarish claims by foreign intelligence (and we have seen how imprecise that intelligence can be in the last few years under the Bush administration).
And that's a good thing? I'd like to see that as part of the campaign:
"Kerry/Edwards: They're too optimistic to give a crap about your security!"
Fear should not be the propelling force of this election!
Sounds like someone's still living in a September 10 world. It's sad to know that some people still think issues like health care are more important than getting rid of evil fanatics who want to slaughter us.
Let's go to the extended entry for another letter. This one's even better:
More than militaryIn New York Times columnist David Brooks' thinly veiled homage to the Bush presidency ("Is Military Experience Really a Requirement for National Leadership?" Aug. 5), we have another conservative strategically missing the point. Contrary to the Brooks inference, John Kerry is not running for president based on his military experience.
You obviously haven't been paying attention. Have you forgotten about the "Band of Brothers," "I'm John Kerry, and I'm reporting for duty," the biography at the convention that went in depth about Kerry's heroism in 'Nam, etc.? Give me a break.
Kerry is opposed to the current administration's policies because his military experience has taught him about the cost in human life and international politics.
So you're saying Kerry is running on military experience? At the very least, you've proven that his supporters have nothing else to work with, so he's obviously mentioned it a lot.
A nuanced understanding of both military and international relations is missing in the current administration...
Once again, I fail to see how this can be considered a Bad Thing. If "nuance" means "taking both sides of every issue," I want as little of it in my president as humanly possible.
...as evidenced in the mishandling of the pursuit of war and its aftermath.
Our letter writing friend is obviously unaware that in order to use the phrase "as evidenced in," you actually have to present evidence, not nebulous opinions.
In a complex world the ability to consider weighty issues in more than simplistic terms is a virtue, not a weakness.
And the inability to come to a conclusion based on those considerations is why Kerry would make a horrible president. What's so hard about this?
The Democratic convention's central theme was the need for a commander-in-chief who will apply experience and intelligence in a time of dire need.
I could've sworn it was either "Bush is the Antichrist" or "Kerry was in Vietnam," but maybe I'm not nuanced enough to see the real meaning.
The failure to do so has to this point cost us dearly in terms of unnecessary loss of human life and international good will.
First of all, you really need to work on supporting your claims with evidence. Second, what makes you think that Kerry would apply any experience or intelligence to his presidency? He sure hasn't demonstrated that he has either of those.
If the conservative instinct to protect the Bush presidency at all costs relying on a strategic "missing of the point..."
You know, the inability to consider another person's point of view as valid is a sign of mental immaturity. I learned that in my introductory psychology course.
I'd also like to mention that, as a conservative, I would dump Bush in a nanosecond if there was an actual conservative candidate, but that's just not gonna happen this year.
...the reader had best beware of simplistic spin as substitute for careful consideration.
Hmmm...let's compare:
Simplistic: "We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail."
Careful: "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it."
Draw your own conclusions.
From the famous hate site, Google.com, we have this search term:
Um, no, they're trolls. That's why they're not called people. Otherwise, I could've called this post "WHO ARE YOU TROLLS?!"
...I really need to start going to bed before 6 in the morning.
Sometimes, you can't help but laugh at the absurdity of the world.
Here's a familiar situation: If you can't refute someone's views with logic, call them a bigot! Look at this:
Google bans Christian ad
Yeah, it's from WND, so you should probably take it with a grain of salt, but if you read on, I'll explain why I believe this one.
Google has banned a Christian organization's advertisements promoting its stance against homosexuality, saying the group promotes "hate."
As we all know, "hate" means "views we don't agree with."
Stand to Reason, a nonprofit apologetics organization, says its "AdWord" advertisement on Google recently was pulled down. Specific AdWord ads are listed in the right-hand margin of search results on the popular site when key words an advertiser submits match with those put in by a Net user. A company promoting hats, for example, could have their site displayed when a user searches for information about hats.
Okay, here's where it gets interesting. Stand to Reason is one of my favorite non-blog websites. As I've mentioned before, I basically learned how to think from reading various commentaries and listening to the radio show, since the Publik Skool Sistem never bothered to cover critical thinking. I've spent hours and hours taking in this information. Therefore, I happen to know that there is no "hate" on the site. It's quite the opposite.
(Incidentally, it's not news to any of you newer people that I'm a Christian, is it? I don't think I've mentioned that in a while. Anyway...)
Melinda Penner, director of operations for Stand to Reason, says the organization placed four ads on Google. Three of the ads remain on the system, but one leading Net surfers to a Q&A about same-sex marriage was taken down after running for two or three weeks."Google's objections had to do with other articles on our website pertaining to homosexuality," Penner told WND. "They claimed that their specialist had deemed us a hate site and that their policies didn't allow people to have ads that discriminated against certain groups, which include sexual orientation."
I guess that means there's nothing wrong with discriminating against Christians. After all, they're just a bunch of hateful bigots.
Penner said she asked Google what specifically it thought was "hate speech."
Since there was no "hate" or "speech" involved, I'm wondering about this one myself.
"The things they cited were all moral judgments from our religious perspective about homosexuality, that it's wrong," she explained.
"GASP! You can't make moral judgments! That might hurt someone's precious feeeeeeelings! What? Yes, I know that I made a moral judgment against your site, but that's different because it has hate on it!"
"The irony is that in one of the articles they cited, we have an admonition that one of our moral perspective is that we treat homosexuals respectfully and kindly."
YES! Thank you for stating what would be obvious to anyone who actually read the freakin' site! I bet I can even find one of the articles they're talking about. Give me a second here...does this count?
Moving on...
The Stand to Reason website has a special page with articles on homosexuality issues.Penner says she has asked Google for its definition of "hate," saying Stand to Reason's positions are not hateful based on dictionary definitions.
When it comes to "discrimination," she says, it is actually Google that is discriminating by disallowing Stand to Reason's ads.
I think Penner has this one covered. By their definition, I can call Google a hate site because they're discriminating against Christians. It's so ironic that it just makes you want to vomit.
An e-mail Penner received from "Kristie" at Google used the "H" word, saying, "Google AdWords policy never permits ads or keywords promoting hate, violence, or crimes toward any organization, person or group protected by law," including those distinguished by their "sexual orientation/gender identity."
Since STR has articles that clearly condemn people who act violently or hatefully toward homosexuals, you should be supporting them. Do you not get it? THEY HAVE THE SAME POLICY AS YOU. They just happen to have a different moral perspective on it. Are you saying that it's okay to promote hate, violence or crimes toward people who aren't protected?
Penner countered via e-mail: "Your suspension of our advertisement illegitimately excludes one side of the [same-sex marriage] debate. If you deem the issue itself off limits, then consistency would require you to suspend all searches of the issue. Instead, your search criteria return links to sites strongly advocating same-sex marriage. …"
"You still don't understand! They're just supporting 'equal rights,' while you're promoting hate by having a different opinion!"
Kristie responded by reiterating the company's verdict that the Stand to Reason website includes "unacceptable content." In the same e-mail, she said, "Google believes strongly in freedom of expression. We therefore offer broad access to content across the Web without censoring results. Please note that the decisions we make concerning advertising in no way affect the search results we deliver."
Did you hear that? Google believes strongly in freedom of expression! Also, two and two make five, freedom is slavery, and we have always been at war with Eastasia.
Penner noted that Google, which is in the midst of an IPO, or Initial Public Offering of stock, takes pride in its company motto: "Don't be evil."
What? How dare they promote hate, violence, and crimes toward evil people!
"If that's your company motto then there must be some things that you don't want to do," she told WND, "and if your definition of 'hate' is calling something 'evil,' then aren't you a hate group?"
See why I love Stand to Reason? The above is an example of the "Columbo Tactic."
Anyway, there's more of the article, but that's the good stuff. Let's review:
Believing that homosexuality is immoral=hate
Believing that believing homosexuality is immoral is wrong=not hate
Believing that homosexuality is immoral, but also believing that violence against homosexuals is immoral=hate
Believing that homosexuality isn't immoral, and also believing that violence against homosexuals is immoral=not hate
Calling something evil=hate
Telling people not to be evil=not hate
...
...
Get me out of here. I don't care where you take me. Just...someplace where people can actually think for themselves.
(Hat tip: The Great Separation)
Are you tired of knowing that the neolibs have their own "debate" forum at Democratic Underground, but not quite willing to become one of the right-wing nuts at Free Republic?
Well, now there's a place for you: Patriotic Forums.
Go check it out. It's brand new, but there are already some threads started.
(Disclaimer: I had nothing to do with the creation of this site, and my endorsement is an act of free will)
thoughts of having a gay college roommate!
You know, this wouldn't really be that funny if it wasn't for the exclamation point. I don't think I've ever seen that in a search before.
In other news, I just memorized the snare part for "Street Time Ninety-Nine," the official SU Drumline cadence. Hooray for me.
Also, traditional grip is still hard. I find it hard to believe that someone figured out how to hold the stick that way hundreds of years before they invented a drum that hangs at a horizontal angle.
Allah is apparently unaware that I have official rights to the word "Bushchimpler." See for yourself!
Curse you, Moon God!!!
UPDATE
"Bushchimperialist" is still mine. It's better for me to have it than the neolibs.
I know that I have a history of saying I won't be posting much, then posting just as much as I usually do, but this is a somewhat different situation, so I figured I'd let you all know what's going on.
As I mentioned before, band camp starts this Friday, and two weeks from tomorrow, I start the fall semester of my sophomore year of college. I'll have more information on those things as they get closer, but for the time being, I have a ton of preparation to do, so posting will be extremely limited for the next couple days.
I'll post another update on the situation once I'm done getting everything ready.
This whole swift boat thing is getting ridiculous. I'll be perfectly honest: I don't really care how well Kerry served in Vietnam. I don't care whether he was in Cambodia. I don't care how he got his Purple Hearts. I'm not interested in the story behind the hat he carries with him. I'm more concerned with his actions after he returned, many of which involved blatant lies and slander, but even that pales in comparison to what should be important: ISSUES.
Kerry will not explain what he believes. I think I've been able to figure out that he supports universal socialized health care, and he did outline a few of his ideas in his acceptance speech, but that's about it. He still hasn't decided whether he agrees with the war in Iraq, and after he said he would've voted to give Bush the authority to use force, despite the fact that we haven't found "stockpiles" of WMD yet, he immediately qualified it by saying that he didn't expect him to actually, you know, ATTACK Saddam. It was just supposed to scare him into submission. What a joke. In any case, I still don't know if he'll keep the troops in Iraq or cut and run, because he seems to be hinting at both.
It's a similar situation with same-sex marriage. As far as I know, he doesn't support actual marriage for same-sex couples, but he might be in favor of civil unions. However, how is he going to handle situations like the one in California? Will he step up and condemn judicial activism, or will he just adopt a laissez-faire attitude to the whole thing? We don't know.
I'm sure you're all familiar with the flip-flopping, so I won't go any deeper into it, but I'm trying to make a point: Kerry is using his Vietnam service to cover up the fact that he has no core beliefs. Think about it. Almost every time someone brings up his defense record, his campaign claims that his patriotism is being questioned. They're also fond of saying that since he defended the country on a swift boat, he can do the same in the White House. I'm sorry, but that's a steaming pile of bullsh*t. It doesn't even make sense when you break it down.
But they don't care. The "Anybody But Bush" crowd will just parrot the talking points, and the "unbiased" media will give them as much support as they need by pointing out Kerry's military service in every single story involving the election. Even stories that are about Bush.
This brings me to the main point of the post: Kerry has backed himself into a corner by basing his entire campaign on Vietnam. Like I said before, he uses his service to dodge any criticism of his voting record, and his fan club is still clinging to the "AWOL/Chickenhawk" slur against President Bush. Yeah, let's ignore the fact that Bush crushed the Taliban, decimated Al Qaeda, and deposed Saddam Hussein. Until he can explain why he didn't want to fight in Vietnam, we can't trust him to defend our freedoms!
Unfortunately for Senator F**k Up, a few members of his little "Band of Brothers" are now coming forward and claiming that Kerry wasn't the hero he claims to be. They say that he lied about much of his service, and he may have put his shipmates in more danger.
"But wait," you say, "The important thing is that he served, and that's not an easy thing to do, so nobody should question his record!"
You know, I'd normally agree with that. In fact, I still believe that we should let Vietnam go so we can worry about the war that we're fighting at this very moment. But Kerry brought this on himself. He chose to run as a war hero rather than a senator, and he couldn't resist his little "reporting for duty" moment at the convention, so as wrong as it seems, I say he should face his critics. I think Charles Krauthammer says it best:
The Democrats next charge that the very idea of attacking the military service of a heroic American is disgraceful. On this there are two points. The "heroic" part is precisely what is at issue here, and the Swift boat veterans who themselves served honorably have some questions about it.More important, who brought up Kerry's military record in the first place? If Kerry had not made his Vietnam service the very centerpiece of his campaign -- "I'm John Kerry and I'm reporting for duty" -- this attack on his record could more justly be deemed scurrilous mudslinging. But if you run as a war hero, your claims of heroism are fair game.
Exactly. As I said earlier, I honestly don't care what Kerry did while he was in Vietnam, and I respect him for his decision to volunteer, but since he's chosen to make it the centerpiece of his entire campaign, he should be willing to address the concerns of the Swift Boat Vets. Fair is fair, you know. Go ahead and talk about Viet F**kin' Nam all you want, but don't smear anyone who questions your service as a right-wing wacko on Karl Rove's payroll. You had a chance to run on the issues, but you chose to be the 'Nam candidate, so deal with it.
I've said it over and over: I really wish Kerry would tell us what he believes and what he plans to do if he wins the election. I don't know about the rest of you, but I haven't sampled the Dubya Kool-Aid. I disagree with a lot of Bush's domestic policies, I'm appalled at how far to the left he's brought the Republican Party, and frankly, the man embarrasses me pretty much every time he speaks. However, he's willing to say what he believes, and I'd prefer to know what I'm voting for, rather than taking a gamble on Kerry's super-secret plan for Iraq. Therefore, Bush is still getting my vote.
In a perfect world, the candidates would run only on the issues. The past would stay in the past unless it was somehow related to their political abilities. For example, senate votes would be fair game, but military service wouldn't. That way, the people could vote the way the founding fathers intended: By choosing the candidate who best represents their beliefs.
Unfortunately, this is the real world, and the real world kinda sucks. In this world, it's apparently fine to use your military service as an indicator of your leadership abilities, but if anyone brings up your voting record, they're questioning your patriotism.
Well, if that's the way it's going to be, bring it on. Let the Swift Boat Vets have their say, and then respond to their criticism with complete, honest answers rather than character assassination. If Vietnam is the most important issue of 2004, the least JFK can do is answer a few questions about what he did over those 4 months.
On the other hand, there's still time for Kerry to tell us what he would do as president. But I'm not getting my hopes up.
If I don't post much about politics in the next few days, it's probably because I've become disgusted with the level of immaturity and stupidity coming from both sides of the aisle over the last couple weeks. Grow the f**k up!
I will probably have a CD review written soon, but you won't find out what band I'm reviewing until it's posted. HA!
You know...I'd like to see just one good meteor shower at some point in my life, but the weather ruins all of 'em! The last 3 Perseid showers (including the one happening right now as it rains here in PA) have been ruined by clouds, the last couple Geminid showers have been ruined by clouds, and during the much-hyped Leonid shower of 2002, despite the fact that I woke up at 4:30 AM to watch, I only saw 23 meteors in over an hour because of...you guessed it: ClOUDS!!!
Just. One. Good. Meteor. Shower. Come on, what's it gonna take?
But anyway...was anyone in a location where the weather allowed them to see this one? Was it any good?
Man, I'm in a really musical mood this week. I guess it could have something to do with the fact that band camp starts in 8 days.
Anyway, I just wrote another song and added it to the Music Page, and once again, I'm also posting it on the main site. Click the extended entry to check it out.
Fair warning: This is the angriest song I've ever written (even more so than "Choice"), but once you figure out what it's about, you'll understand.
Pay the Price
They feed you lies, they need the hate
That tells you to annihilate
A traitor to humanity
Your reason for living is tragedy
Perverted ideology
That sends you on a killing spree
You're looking forward to paradise
But in the end you'll pay the price
(chorus)
You say you're protected 'cause your faith is true
It's a shame your "prophets" were as blind as you
Your entire mission in life is flawed
You're a tool of evil, not pleasing God
You thought your enemy was weak
And now your future's looking bleak
Prepare for justice from above
This isn't a mission of peace and love
(chorus)
To your victims mercy was denied
And now it's time for you to die
You had a chance to save your life
But instead you chose the way of the knife
And murder burning up the sky
You made your bed, and there you'll lie
Your time is up, the end is nigh, so
DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!
DIE!!!!!!!
(chorus)
CHORUS:
You'll never win, so don't even try
You don't deserve anything except to die
A cancer, a virus infecting the Earth
Nothing you do is of any worth
Your life is forfeit, your soul will burn
You'll suffer through punishment that you've earned
You devasate, decimate, year after year
So now it's your turn to experience fear
I'm busy today and probably won't be posting much, so here's some links for you:
First of all, I guess I'm not the only one who's wondering about those photos of Iraqi terrorists. Little Green Footballs has more commentary (hat tip:Trying to Grok).
Also, because he linked my liberal Kool-Aid post from a couple months ago, go read INDC Journal.
That's about it for now. I may have a CD review or two later, as I'm going to pick up some new music tonight, but until then, there's really not much to say.
You know how newspapers are always featuring front-page photos of al-Sadr's men firing at U.S. soldiers?
Who are the f**king morons taking these pictures, and why have they not been rounded up and beaten yet? I mean...are these American journalists taking pictures of the enemy, or what? I don't get it.
From Trying to Grok:
You know, Kerry's starting to remind me of Chef's father. He couldn't talk about anything without going back to the Loch Ness Monster; Kerry can't talk about anything without going back to Vietnam.
Heh. I don't know why I never made that connection.
READERS: Hey, how about some posts that aren't about you, ya self-centered freak?!
CD: Fine! I'll get to 'em this afternoon! Until then, go check out The John Kerry Song.
Later.
The beard is no more. It hath been shaven...eth.
Now I'm just sitting here getting reacquainted with my old friend, Razor Burn. Mmmm...prickly.
Heh. According to this, President Bush has an IQ of 125. My IQ, if you were wondering, is about 150.
Numerically speaking, I'm smarter than the president. Heh, I say.
(Note to neolibs: This only makes sense if you understand that Bush really isn't a moron like you all think he is.)
(Hat tip: Right Wing News)
There's an interesting article in the Post-Gazette today called Campaign 2004: Election likely to alter make-up of top court. It details how the Supreme Court may change following the presidential election.
I just skimmed through the article itself, but I did read through a chart in the Dead Tree version of the paper that contains a photo and description of each current SCOTUS member. I want to excerpt some specific lines from these, and you can see if you notice the same thing I did:
Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist...is often the most influential member of a five-justice conservative majority...Justice John Paul Stevens...[is] considered the leader of the court's more liberal wing...
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor...is considered a moderate conservative...
Justice Antonin Scalia...[is] the court's most vocal conservative...
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy...is a center-right voter on the court and sometimes switches sides in ideologically sensitive cases...
Justice David H. Souter...has become a consistent member of the court's more liberal wing...
Justice Clarence Thomas...is a staunch conservative, and probably the court's most doctrinaire member...
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg...is a member of the court's more liberal wing...
Justice Stephen Breyer...usually votes with his liberal-leaning colleagues...
Did you catch it? Let's review:
Four judges are specifically identified as "conservative." In contrast, three are identified as "members of the court's more liberal wing," and one is identified by his liberal voting record, but not a single judge is actually referred to as "liberal." Only one right-leaning member is identified by his voting record, rather than his ideology.
I guess they're really taking that "'liberal' is an insult" meme to heart, aren't they?
"They did it first" is not a valid defense of any kind of dumb@ssery. That's the kind of thing little kids say when they want to avoid being blamed for something. Grow up.
(Inspired by the comments on this post.)
I'm excited. I just added lyrics for two new songs to the Music Page. There aren't any audio samples for these ones, but that's not particularly important.
I'm in the process of writing a few songs that have been on my mind for a while, and these two are especially significant. So much so, in fact, that I'm putting them in the extended entry of this post!
These are both related to subjects I've covered on the blog recently, so see if you can figure out what each one is about. They should be pretty obvious (especially the second one). I don't like my songs to be ambiguous. Anyway, click the extended entry to read 'em.
...And I'm still looking for a band. I just need a singer and a couple guitar players. Come on, people! (at Harvey's request: I'm going to be at Syracuse University for the next few months, if you're interested. I know that makes it a bit harder to find other musicians, but come on! I can't just sit behind the drums and sing, you know!)
Projection
Finding problems where they don't exist
Meanwhile you miss the obvious
It's on your side but you're oblivious
Cause it won't fit your views
(chorus)
You don't believe that it's all in your head
You can't see the irony in what you said
But you lead them along and they don't dare to tread
Off the path you've decided is true
(chorus)
Ever wonder why you're the only one who sees it?
Not everyone thinks the same
Nobody will help you, they just appease it
While you misplace the blame
And you're still wrong
Why do you go on?
Though you felt so strong
You were always wrong
(chorus)
CHORUS:
You have to project, you've gotta protect
The shell where you hide, you can crawl inside
You think that they are always wrong
And you know you will be safe as long
As you take your faults and throw them on
Your enemies, but you'll never see
Why they think your mind is gone
It's been projection all along
Useful Idiot
How can you exist, it doesn't seem it should be possible
Your thoughts are all so twisted and there's nothing there that's logical
You shout out all your slogans, try to force them on the populace
You can't go it alone and you'd prefer to be anonymous
Believe the unbelievable, it's too much work to figure out
They've made it so digestible, there's nothing more to think about
Put your faith in the elite, the ones who know what's best for us
And get out on the street where you'll prove you've given them your trust
(chorus)
It's time to march now, so choose a sign
Hold it up high and let it speak your mind
Pick up the pace now, don't fall behind
You wouldn't want to step away from the party line
Look over there, it's the enemy
He doesn't want you to be free
So tell him not to silence you, tell him he's been fooled
It's so much easier to think when you've memorized the rules
(chorus)
Nothing you say is truthful
But to them you still are useful
Sometime the day will come
When you finally have to run
Away from everything you've done
After they've had all their fun
And then you'll be surprised
That you swallowed the lies
So don't cry when you die
You had your chance to try
To deny them but now it's too late
So accept your fate
(chorus)
CHORUS:
You follow along like a useful idiot
Your head is hollow and they keep filling it
With lies and propaganda
You only know how to slander
It's the emptiness that kills
But you just do it for the thrills
How do you expect to change the planet
By leaving everyone empty-handed?
You're a useful idiot
You're useful
real player listen diarrhea parenthood
...You disgust me.
I'm a little late linking to this, but...
Seriously, I am in awe. Here's a sample of what you'll get by clicking that link:
Again: a Tyrant is not a Conservative, m'kay? Oh, but I suppose that, once again, you're invoking the irrelevant meaning from the root word "conserve". That would mean that supporters of school vouchers are liberals, while those that want to conserve the anti-choice status quo are conservatives? Or, if I really wanna be a jerk, I could say that Hitler rolling over Europe was the liberal and the Allies were the conservatives. See, isn't demonizing philosophical opponents with illogical argumentation fun?! God yer dumb.
Read it now...
...!
There are a couple of good letters to the editor in the Post-Gazette today. Let's take a look:
Repulsive policiesSharon Rusnak's July 31 letter ("Hardly Reputable") decries Democrats for cheering Bill Clinton. She has a point. Clinton's sexual mores as president were reprehensible.
Yeah, it was all about the sex. It couldn't have had anything to do with that whole perjury thing.
Ms. Rusnak should apply the same revulsion to George W. Bush...
"You will not deviate from the ideals of The Party!"
...an appointed, not elected, president...
"The Constitution let a Republican win! That's unconstitutional!"
...who came to office with minimal accomplishments.
Yeah, he was only the governor of a state that's larger than many countries.
If this wasn't enough, she should certainly be repulsed by his economic policies...
"The mean right-wingers aren't allowed to help people! That doesn't match my preconceived view of the world!"
...which have led to record deficits...
Oh, I could've sworn the whole deficit thing was due to Clinton. And, you know, the fact that the WORLD TRADE CENTER WAS DESTROYED.
...and lower taxes for the wealthy...
Apparently, "the wealthy" means "everyone who pays taxes." Weird.
...and his sending young people to their deaths...
Good call. It's not like they're allowed to fight back or anything.
...in a questionable...
Treating opinion as fact? Check.
...ultra-expensive war.
How dare he actually spend money to defend the country. Seeing as how you view war as "sending young people to their deaths," wouldn't you want those people to be well-armed? It seems like you just want to send them over there with Nerf guns and whiffle bats.
This in the country of Iraq...
Thanks for that vital piece of information.
...about which one writer wrote after the first Gulf war: "Had we gone the invasion route, the United States could conceivably still be an occupying power in a bitterly hostile state." The writer was George H.W. Bush. Did he teach his son to read?
The logic here really confuses me. Is the writer saying that George H.W. Bush is automatically right? Or that Dubya should listen to his opinion simply because he's his father? I don't get it.
In any case, we should've stayed in Iraq after the first Gulf war, because then Saddam couldn't have come back into power and terrorized his people for another 12 years. In other words, George W. Bush made a better decision than his father. If you can believe that.
Anyway, one other letter just contains a hilarious line. Check it out:
[Clinton] may have misrepresented the facts when he denied his affair, but it didn't cause one American life to be lost. I wish I could say the same for President Bush!
Aside from the pathetic use of the "nobody died when Clinton lied" technique, I just think it's funny to characterize Clinton's actions by saying he "may have misrepresented the facts." Because I could've sworn he "deliberately lied under oath, thereby committing an illegal act."
But maybe I'm misrepresenting those facts.
Atrios: Racism stalks you at every turn!
CD: Atrios!
Atrios: Well, it does -- aah! Racism! There it is! Racism!!!
CD: It's only a baby.
Atrios: (laughs sheepishly) Oh, yeah. You know, with leftist philosophy, the mind starts playing tricks. So --aah! Racism!
CD: That's only a cat.
Atrios: Oh. Aah! Racism!
CD: That's the baby again, Atrios.
Atrios: Oh. Where were we? Racism!!!
This is the kind of thing I come up with when I'm awake until 6:30 in the morning.
(Hat tip: The Simpsons)
Who are the idiots who voted for this f**ktard, and why have they not been severely beaten yet? I don't care if he was the only Republican on the ballot. You just don't vote for f**kin' racists, you morons.
It's a good thing I already lost my faith in humanity, because this may have pushed me over the edge otherwise.
UPDATE
And by the way, Atrios and associated neolibs, this is real racism:
Hart, 60, vows if elected to work toward keeping ``less favored races'' from reproducing or immigrating to the United States. In campaign literature, Hart contends that ``poverty genes'' threaten to turn the United States into ``one big Detroit.''
Notice how the guy admits that he's a racist? He doesn't have to use "code words" or whatever you conspiracy swallowing lunatics came up with to rationalize your hatred of anything other than your own beliefs. I hope you spend as much time verbally assaulting this @ssf**k as you did trying to prove that "InstaCracker" hates black people.
But I guess that wouldn't be as exciting as trying to decipher the evil hidden messages in pro-gun shirts.
Stop calling Iraq a "war of choice." Every f**king war is a war of choice. Do you think that human beings have something in their brain that, at some specific point, makes them fight a war instinctively? How can you call a sustained military effort anything but a choice? Even if you're being invaded, you have the choice between fighting back or surrendering (insert France joke here).
I'd take the left a lot more seriously if they actually knew what they were talking about.
You know, if President Bush were to take Kerry's place in this photo, the neolibs would probably start ranting about how he looks like a fascist and he's trying to stir up nationalism with his "war president" image. But since it's John "F**k Up" Kerry in the photo, it's a sign of the left's patriotism. I love double standards.
By the way, if you don't believe the part about Bush being compared to fascists, check out one of the comments on that post:
The more desparate they get the more they display their true colors. If anyone can explain why these tactics don't mimic those used in Germany in the mid to late 1930's, I'd like to hear it.These peole trample on the constitution. These people treat citizens with disrespect and violence. These people hire the same sort of consultants the Pentagon has in Iraq. Goons and mercenaries aren't consultants. They are muscle for sale.
There is eral ground here to find out where these so called security personnel hail from.
For all their flag wrapping and faux devoteness, Ann Coulter is not the lunitic fringe of their party. She IS their party. When ever these people say' "It's not politics," it IS politics. When they call someone treasonous, they are mirroring their own condition. When Bush ads claim Kerry's service in Vietnam is a lie, they are lying.
One thing is for sure. You can see, smell and hear the desparation in their words and actions.
These people are not sane. I'm almost afraid of what they're going to do when Bush wins the election. Especially since I'm going to be on a college campus when it happens.
And just for the record: I still think Ann Coulter is out of her farkin' mind. Does this mean I have to renounce my membership in the VRWC?
I usually don't announce when I add someone to the blogroll, but this is an exception. Everybody should go check out MY WAR - Fear And Loathing In Iraq. You get the real story, instead of the sanitized BS the "unbiased" media tries to cram down your throat, and you also get a sense of what's really going on in Iraq.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I could not do what those guys are doing. I have an unbelievable amount of respect for the armed forces, and I'll be sure to read this blog every day. I suggest you all do the same. If that makes me a "chickenhawk," then so be it.
Apparently, liking guns makes you a racist.
This is from the guy who also thought it was "really disturbing" that President Bush would have his picture taken with people who weren't white.
I believe it's time to apply a simple litmus test to thin out the blogosphere. Just answer one question:
- Do you think that Duncan Black, a.k.a. Atrios, is a raving lunatic who doesn't even know what he's saying anymore?
If you answer "yes," you're allowed to blog. If you answer "no," or go off on a tangent about how using the word "diversity" properly makes you a white supremacist, and appearing in a photo with black people makes you a racist, you're whacked in the face with a blunt object, preferably a ClueBat, until you come to your senses.
Why does anybody take that forkin' idiot seriously? The guy sees racism everywhere.
"That cloud looks like a KKK hood! The atmosphere is racist!"
I can't believe people exist who are that freaking stupid.
UPDATE
I wonder if it would be possible to convince Atrios to change his name. After all, "Duncan Black" makes it sound like he enjoys drowning minorities.
I (or Larry the Liberal, if I can find him) may have to try this.
UPDATE THE SECOND
I left this in Atrios' comments:
OMG LOL YOU'RE NAME IS DUNCAN BLACK AND IT SOUNDZ LIKE THAT MEANS "DUNKING BLACK PEOPLE" YOU KNOW LIKE IN WATER SO YOU SHULD CHANGE YOU'RE NAME SO BLACK PPL DONT THIK YOU WHANT TO DROWND THEM LOL!!!111!!!
He'll probably delete it, but he has to read it first. Bwahaha.
I've gotten about 50 hits today from people Googling for pictures of Maureen Dowd.
1. Have you idiots heard of Google Image Search?
2. There's a good Dowd picture here.
You're freakin' welcome.
One of my cats is missing. We've been looking for over a friggin' hour, and found nothing. And coincidentally, one of the back doors was hanging wide open for a good portion of the afternoon.
Definitely a bad thing. I'll be back later.
UPDATE
She was hiding behind a stack of tires in the garage. But she's okay now.
Crap. Crap crap crap crap crap crap. I've got serious blogger's block. If you haven't figured it out.
So, just to kill some time, I'm making this an open thread. Just leave a comment about anything you want, and maybe a discussion will get going eventually. This would be a good time for any lurkers to make their presence known.
I'll try to have something written by the end of the week, but my brain is more focused on music right now (band camp starts in 2 weeks), and I've been ignoring a lot of political issues. My temporary drum instructor said I should practice for 3-4 hours every day if I want to be ready for the audition, so you can probably imagine what that's going to do to my blogging time.
That's it. Feel free to comment about anything. I've been wanting to try this for a while anyway.
When you play with traditional grip, the stick should rest on the tip of your fourth finger, not the middle. It makes a big difference.
(Still got nothin'. Sorry.)
2004 e-mail addresses of Mr Hammer in spain
...
...
...Wow.
You know what? I've got absolutely nothing. You should all just go play Peasant's Quest until tomorrow.
Remember the gigantic hole the gas company dug in my backyard? They finally got around to filling the frickin' thing in this afternoon. So, instead of a hole, I now have a huge clump of mud in my yard.
I'll have pictures eventually.
So...how about stuff and things? Aren't they exciting?
I should probably start on that essay I keep talking about.
