The Burning Flag

The RNC and the Retarded Elephant

2010-02-15T15:17:00.000-08:00

So apparently Michael Steele smells blood in the midterm races this year, and quite honestly who can blame him? If Dick Gephardt could say in 2004 during his presidential campaign that George Bush was a "miserable failure" (which he was/is) then you could quite easily say the same thing about the Obama Administration and the democratic congress in 2009 (and thus far in 2010).

Steele sees the recent anouncements for democratic retirements this year in the House and Senate as the democrats "running for the hills." Is he right? Well, maybe.
The democrats have long been spineless weasels and proven themselves utterly helpless in a real fight (i.e. The Iraq War, The Afghan War, climate change, gay rights, healthcare etc etc.). And it is pricisely this reason that makes me think that perhaps he is right. Chris Dodd is one (D) who is not running for re-election and has announced his retirement. Now Dodd ran into a little bit of trouble last year in regards to AIG, and some have speculated that Dodd is responsible for there being restrictions on bonuses paid to AIG. According to my own research on factcheck.org, this isn't really true. He agreed, in protest, to the watered down restrictions that actually passed in the House/Senate compromise. But his justification for it was that he wanted the to be SOME restriction verses NO restriction at all.
Having said that, to me this goes back to the spineless weasel factor I just spoke of. When it comes down to a fight democrats want none of it. So, either way you slice it this hasn't been a good year for Sen. Chris Dodd.

Byron Dorgan is another Senator who will be leaving this year, and to be frank I don't know anything about this guy. The other, is Senator Even Bayh and frankly who needs him? He has been a huge problem for democrats during the healthcare debate (although nothing like Liebermann, who, though he is not technically a democrat is still a member of the democratic caucus).
By sheer numbers it is true that democrats have the largest majority in the House and Senate in modern history. But that includes a lot of democrats who appear to so in name only.

But let's get back to the RNC. By all accounts republicans should have a good year this year, and at the same time I have to ask, why? True the democrats haven't gotten much of anything done in the last year, but why does that mean we should vote for republicans? Have we already forgotten the miserable failure they were? Sure they could get things done, but they were all horrible things. And the things they tried to get done but didn't had the potential to be even worse. So I have to ask, even if you are angry with the democrats (as I am) why would you want to put the retarded elephant back in charge? Were things really any better? NO! Perhaps it's time we started looking at a third party..SERIOUSLY. And by third party to DO NOT mean the "tea party." Just a thought.

Adversarial Light,
Mortecai

Hey Sarah, How's All That Folksy Winkie Stuff Working Out For Ya?

2010-02-14T18:39:00.000-08:00

So here we are, 8 days removed from the Tea Party "Convention" and I'm still amazed that Sarah Palin was the best they could do for a keynote speaker. But I digress, because honestly who gives a fuck if the Tea Party succeeds or not. But one thing that has stuck with me, for better or worse, since the "convention" was dear Sarah asking President Obama "how's all that hopey changey stuff workin out for ya?" My first reaction was "Dear God, shut up Sarah the adults have work to do!" Then my sarcastic side kicked in and I asked the TV how all the "folksy winkie stuff" was working out for her. Childish I know, but I couldn't help it. And with good reason, because according to most polls it's pretty much unanimous...AMERICA THINKS SARAH PALIN IS A DUMBASS! Not that she has given anyone much reason to think otherwise, but why does she insist on coming back over and over again just to reprove it to everyone? Maybe the whole dumbass thing just causes a vicious cycle in which dumbass keeps going in front of cameras and showing how dumb he/she is, while simultaneously thinking they're blowing their opposition out of the water (i.e. George W. Bush). Who knows? But at this rate I think Sarah is going to have a very tough go of it in 2012 if she really does plan to run. Honestly at this point I can't imagine her NOT running for at least the Congress or the Senate. Unless of course she is just a media whore and can't get enough of the spotlight.

OH BY THE WAY.....before I forget, Sarah...you DO NOT get to critcize the president for using a teleprompter (which just about every politician does during a televised speech), when you yourself have your notes written on YOUR HAND!! My god, have you ever heard of paper?

But let's get back to Sarah Palin being a dumbass just because it's a fun topic. According to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll Sarah Palin's unfavorability outpaces her favorability by nearly 20 points among registered voters. According to the poll her favorable rating is at 37%, her UNfavorable at 55%. According to the same poll 71% of Americans believe that Sarah Palin is not qualified to be president including 52% of republicans. This is down from (approximately) 53% FAVORABLE upon her introduction to the nation in 2008. This means that her favorability ratings has done a complete 180 since the beginning of her vice presidential bid. This alone does not make her dumb, there are a lot of intelligent people who the general public might not consider qualified to be president. But when you take into consideration most (if not all) of her public statements, interviews, and speeches since 2008 you can't help but reach that conclusion.

OR....

Maybe she is just a political opportunist. Perhaps dumb is just plain wrong? That depends on your perspective, if you're concerned about the welfare of the country/world then yes, Sarah Palin is dumb. However if SHE is concerned about nothing more than personal welfare, then maybe she isn't so dumb. In this case she is just exploiting other dumb people for her own personal, political, and financial gain. This may seem like an unlikely senario, but it is perhaps a possibility that I just thought I would throw out there.

Adversarial Light,
Mortecai

OBAMA? LIBERAL? DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!

2010-02-09T20:10:00.000-08:00

Senator Obama, is the most liberal member of Congress!! - Or so John McCain and the republican machine would have had you believe during the 2008 campaign, but really? Seriously? Or are you just making shit up? ....Yeah, they were just making shit up.

1) Would a true liberal have taken more in corporate donations than ANY OTHER CANDIDATE EVER? No. Did Barack Obama? As far as I can tell in my research THUS FAR...yes.

2) Would a true liberal have taken single payer out of the healthcare debate before it even started?
No. Did Obama? Yes.

3) Would a true liberal have ordered the immediate withdrawl of US forces from Iraq and Afghanistan as quickly and as safely as possible?
Yes. Did Barack Obama? No.
Does he plan to? Well, withdrawl of combats forces in Iraq in August 2010 seems unlikely, but we shall see. In Afghanistan? Oh no, haven't you heard? Thrity thousand more are on their way! USA! USA! USA! Sheesh...what exactly is this going to accomplish?

.....anyway....

Would a true liberal have demanded by either executive order OR as Commader in Cheif that don't ask, don't tell be suspected until Congress is able to correct this injustice?
Yep, sure would have! Did Barack Obama? Nah...in fact it's going to be at least a year before they can figure out the "right way" to do it.

Would a true liberal have let taxpayer money to be used to pay CORPORATE BONUSES under the guise of "saving the economy?"
No. Did Barack Obama? Well, TARP was passed under President Bush so Obama could do very little to stop it's passage, other than vote against it which he did not. I can understand his poisition, the stock market crashed upon news that the first attempt at passing TARP had failed. Barack Obama was on the verge of becoming the first black president (although by that logic and being half white he could be considered just another white president also) and was told that this passes or we will have another depression! (are you absolutely sure we're NOT in a depression?) So, he did what any respectable politician worth Courtney Love's value as an organ donor would do...he voted YES! Does that make him a good politician? Yes. Does that make him worth Courtney Love's value as an organ donor, presidentially speaking? NO! This is NOT the change that millions of people voted for. I did not vote for Obama-style change because I knew that there is such a thing as "too good to be true" and Barack Obama was it! So, I voted for Ralph Nader..again someone too good to be true but at least someone I could believe in (remember CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN? ...I know, hilarious right?? ...Ya, your right it really wasn't)

Would a true liberal have demanded pay caps on all exective salaries paid by companies taking tarp money?
Yes. Did Obama? NO! What the hell does the "Pay Czar" you hear so much about do anyway?
Honorable mention I feel must be given here to a lady who DID demand pay caps for executive salaries under TARP, her name is Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) of Missouri.

So now we've covered the economy (in part), healthcare, the wars, don't ask don't tell....I think we covered most of the major issues....and as a liberal Barack Obama is a epic FAIL! So please spare me the ultra tax and spend, liberal, socialist, commie crap, ok?

Adversarial Light,
Mortecai

Pharm Animals

2010-02-09T10:08:00.000-08:00

I might be jumping this topic a little bit, so I won't go into much detail until I have the whole story. But there is a preview floating around CBSNEWS.com that I think is a big concern especially since I am (supposed to be) taking penicellen right now. The preview is called "Antibiotics and the Food Supply" and talks about a farmer who used antibiotics to help his pigs grow and maintain good health. When he a was gored by a boar with an antibiotics resistent "superbug" that the boar then passed on to him. Could the over prescription of antibiotics medications AND the use of them by factory farms on their animals cause antibiotics to one day stop working at all?

See the preview:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Adversarial Light,
Mortecai

The War on Political Terror

2010-02-08T15:43:00.000-08:00

How many more times to we have to disect, redisect, chop, chew, spit out, then re-chew, and re-spit the reading of miranda rights to Abdul Mutalab? Miranda rights are not just for American citizens! Miranda rights are for ANYONE tried in the American judical system, whether we like them or not. Why should we make an acception for someone suspected of a terrorist act? I'm sure nobody was really that thrilled with Timothy McVeigh, but he still got his Miranda rights. The same with BTK, "The Blind Sheik," Zacarias Moussaui, Richard Reid, Richard Rameriez, Lee Harvey Oswald, etc. etc.
None of these men were good guys...NOT ONE...but for those of us who believe that we have (an imperfect) but the closest to perfect system for judical process aren't willing to throw all of that in the trash just because conservatives think that we oaught to be more concerned with vengence.
But should we really be surprised? Well...no, we shouldn't. We're talking about the same people who never missed an opportunity to use 9/11 for political gain. In fact, one might say that 9/11 was the best thing that ever happened to the Republicans since ..oh, say..Ronald Reagan. Does anyone really believe that George W. Bush would have been elected in the first place without Karl Rove? Better yet, does anyone really believe that GW would have gotten a second term without Karl Rove AND 9/11...NO WAY! And the truth is, they realized this. If they hadn't they would have had more sense and dignity than to use scenes of horrific death and destruction to make sure they could have a few more years to line their pockets and the pockets of big bankers only to make sure that taxpayers fit the bill for their bonuses!

Cynical perhaps...give me a reason not to be.

Adversarial Light,
Mortecai

SARAH! SARAH! SARAH! ...TEABAG ME...please?

2010-02-06T20:11:00.000-08:00

Sarah Palin just got perhaps the biggest boast she has had to her 2012 presidential campaign, since her resounding defeat in 2008 with John McCain. Why is it that the "Tea Party" thinks they are the ONLY Americans in existence?

Hearing what Sarah Palin had to say tonight it is because the "Tea Party" is not only a conservative movement, but a NATIONALISTIC one. The bottomline here is that they don't care what happens anywhere in the world as long as AMERICA is doing well. But I happen to take an opposite view. While I do live in America, and thus I DO care what happens in the United States, this is not the entire scope of my WORLD VIEW! How can you have a coherent world view when the only thing you really care about is what happens in the United States of America? What it is that the "Tea Party" fails to realize is that there are other areas of the world that matter besides the United States of America! I have never seen such a horrific display of nationalism (even under Bush) as I saw tonight with Sarah Palin and her keynote speech at the "Tea Bag--PARTY Convention."

What it is that the "Tea Party" (republican party) fails to realize is that the world is much smaller than it was after the bombing of Hiroshima. With the internet, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and modern technology in general the world is not as small as it used to be. And thus in an age of the European Union, and an aspired North American Union, and an Asian Union, not to mention a time of war with the Middle East, the survival of America is not the only thing that matters.

Tea Partiers accuse Obama of having a "pre 9/11 mindset" when it comes to terrorism. But have we seen skyscrapers fall, or the crippling of American financial or military systems? NO! The most we've seen is some idiot give his ballsack third degree burns in an effort at Jihad! It's amazing to me that these people seem to think that 9/11 was a time to "come together" but ballsack scars are a call for revolution!

Sarah Palin didn't really say anything profound tonight, nor did most people expect her to. There was a lot of talk on CNN about the "independent" Tea partiers, but their so called "convention" was A) a publicity stunt, and B) a platform for the "conservative movement" ...It's so cute the way they try to show a difference between the conservative movement and the republicans, yet anyone who is paying attention knows that the republicans and the conservatives have become a mirror image if one another...and the democrats are what republicans used to be! Considering that the "Tea Partiers" would like "death panels" for anyone who disagrees with them I don't really see the problem here...unless they hate the people they USED to agree with.

Greetings in Adversarial Light,
Mortecai

Stop Dragging Your Feet!

2010-02-06T16:28:00.000-08:00

So, apparently the United States military is going to repeal don't ask don't tell! I talked about this a little bit the other night in "Fuckie, Suckie" (no, it's not a title with any sexual innuendo). And it basically seems that those who oppose the repeal just don't want to say "I hate fags, and if we have to have fags around I really don't want to know about it!" So they coming up with some of the lamest excuses that I've ever heard to try and make sure that this does not happen.

Some examples of this are: ...JOHN MCCAIN - you know I'm really sick of the media trying to make us feel like we need to respect John McCain just because he was a prisoner of war. This doesn't make him a military expert, nor does it give him any justification for saying that we are at war, and our forces are trying to rebuild after 8 years of combat and THAT is why "Don't ask, Don't tell" should NOT be repealed at this time. When it is PRECISELY THAT REASON that it should be repealed. Now I - like John McCain - am no military expert, but when I hear things like "allowing gays (they usually use the term "homosexual" which is starting to become more insulting that "fag" these days) to serve openly in the military would be detrimental to unit cohesion, I have to ask; "If this is the case, are America's servicemen mature enough to even be carrying a gun in first place?" Seriously, these men and women are supposed to be some of the most skilled and most disciplined in the WORLD! So that leaves me with only two conclusions to come to...either homophobic lawmakers are looking for excuses to stop DADT from being repealed, OR we are all being lied to, and the American military is really just a good ole boys club of immature morons that shouldn't be allowed near guns or sharp objects!

But I honestly believe (or maybe just HOPE that I'm right) that the former is true. I want to believe with all of my mind, body, and soul that America's military is a hotbed of mature, intelligent, respectable, AND tolerant young (and at the higher levels OLDER) men and women who are more sophisticated then idiotic, homophobic, corporate whores in Washington! So for the time being I would say to republician and democratic lawmakers alike STOP INSULTING AND DEGRADING AND BELITTLING some of our bravest citizens, and some of the (I hope) biggest defenders of LIBERTY AND FREEDOM (not necessarily America).

That's all for now, check back for more on the Tea Party "Convention" later on tonight!

Regards in Adervsarial Light,
Mortecai

Not more meaningful...just more of the same really...

2010-02-05T12:26:00.000-08:00

Like all politicians (except maybe GW) Chuck Schumer is, or is at least trying to be slick. But for people paying attention it's not hard to see what is really going on here. Ya see, Schumer isn't doing to well these days, and in fairness what incumbent really is doing that well right now? But Schumer could possibly be the next majority leader (perhaps MINORITY leader if things keep up) of the Senate, whenever that time comes so when I saw a story on the New York Times site about the possibility of his political "mortality" I had to take a look. Turns out his poll numbers are plummeting...well, SOME of them are. Some of them show that he is flat, but if you average plummeting and flat together the result is still equal to: Not good. NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg isn't happy with him for not bring enough money back home to New York for healthcare (join the club Mr. Mayor!), Wall Street is mad that in their view he is not "pro-Wall Streety" enough, and his constituents...well, they're not happy with him either. The latter, according to the pollsters doesn't really show that he is necessarily in electoral trouble, just a lack of enthusiasm among his supporters. No one is writing Schumer's political obituary just yet, but as we saw in the special election disaster in Massachusetts; lack of voter enthusiasm can turn into a candidate's lack of employment quite suddenly even for someone once considered a shoo-in.

But here's where he starts to look like a slickster, Schumer has been very pro-Wall Street and very pro-big banks for years. In fact, it wasn't long ago that the bankers LOVED this guy.

"Wall Street’s current disaffection is intriguing, as Mr. Schumer served for 30 years as Horatio at the bridge, guarding against too many incursions against the financial industry. He artfully sidetracked an effort to tax hedge funds and pushed for repeal of legislation that prohibited commercial banks from engaging in risky investments like trading stocks or mortgage-backed securities. And he helped craft a bank-friendly bailout. In return, he has taken in more money from the securities and finance industry over the course of his career than any Democrat other than Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts."-SOURCE: http://www.nytimes.com/

So you see, until the financial crisis Schumer appears to have been a Wall Street Darling, but now not so much. My how times have changed...

"Of late, Mr. Schumer has put a little flannel in his pinstripe love. He favors an Obama administration proposal to tax large banks. He has spoken out about “outrageous” bank overdraft policies." -SOURCE: http://www.nytimes.com/

So, now that things have gotten just O' SOOO OUTRAGEOUS...he wants to give them an extra tax, and hey, he even CALLED them OUTRAGEOUS! OMG..I bet they must have cried when they heard that!

I have better idea, how about instead of whining about how "outrageous" bank practices are let's have Senate hearings on fraudulant bank practices that not only brought the American economy to it's knees, but that of the entire world. If it's so "outrageous" why not see a few bankers heads roll? We've certainly seen plenty of other heads roll that had very little to do with the problem, except maybe buying a home.

In the end, Schumer will probably be re-elected, and corrupt bankers will run away with millions and retire to their own private island on the Mediterranean, and that is why this is "not more meaningful, just more of the same!"

Adversarial Light,
Mortecai

Fuckie, Suckie

2010-02-04T17:22:00.000-08:00

I give this title because politics is "fucking sucky" these days. It seems like everything is just one bullshit argument after another, and more often than not nothing is accomplished afterwards.

Given the current state of affairs I'm having a very hard time finding something interesting to comment on. OO OO OOOOOO...DON'T ASK DON'T TELL! Did ya hear? They're gonna repeal it! Oh but, not tomorrow, not this month...not even within the next six, and if you believe the Secretary of Defense not even this year. So that's just great, it's not like it's already over due, or that it could help retain valuable soldiers in a time of war, and a stretched military...so by all means take your time, no rush.

The little "President's Question Time" was a hoot! And with a title strangely resembling "Mother Goose Story Time" how could it not be?! So glory be, Obama moped with court with a bunch of Rush Limbaugh's retarded cousins...it's just ashame that he can't manage to do the same thing on Healthcare, the war, the enviornment, the economy, or ummm...well, let's just be honest..he can't mop the court with them on anything except speaking.
And let me be clear, I am thrilled that we finally have a president who can put words together in coherent sentences for..say... a couple sentences, or hell, maybe even an entire speech! Who knows, maybe he even knows how to diagram one! But what does it really matter if the government has come to a complete halt since a year ago (probably longer, but who's counting)??
Oh wait, I'm sorry, I government actually did get something done recently!! They decided that it's a good idea to let mammoth corporations (ya know, the one's "too big to fail") give as much money as resources as they care to to the candidate, campaign, or party they want to during elections! And when you think about it, it really does make sense...I mean, they just about brought down the economy single handedly, why not give them a shot at the political system?? It is after all much more fragile than the economy anyway, so...maybe it will work this time! We gotta try, right? After all it wouldn't due to go for a while without a fresh new crisis brewing, now would it?

I guess that's about all for now, until things get interesting and/or meaningful again.

In Adversarial Light,
Mortecai

The Bible Tells Me So...

2009-08-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

I came acrossed this video a while back. It is a Trailer for a film called "For the Bible Tells Me So" it's a little out of date, but I still liked it so I'm reposting it here...have a look! :)

Two years later...

2009-08-20T20:26:00.000-07:00

So it's been two years since images like this started popping up during CBS daytime programming on "As the World Turns", stealing the hearts of millions and igniting the inevitable hissy fit from the far-right. But I'm going to try and NOT let this turn into an assault on the AFA (note: TRY), this is after all a celebration not a fuck the AFA conference. I will readily admit to all of you that I was one of the millions who's heart was stolen...although not until about 10 months after the original kiss aired. Now I might start to sound a little crazy here so just bear with me. I'm not a fan of soap operas, or at least I wasn't until I found this particular story (It's called the Luke and Noah story for those of you who spend most of your time elsewhere in our solar system) and I haven't been able to stop watching since. You'd never know by my posts or by talking to me but I was born and raised as an evangelical christian and lived as one until about the age of 14. By my midteens I had pretty much shed that skin, but there was one problem...I was gay, and despite my rebellion I just knew that I couldn't be gay at least not openly. So I hid it and I hid it for well over a decade thereafter. It wasn't until I found the Luke and Noah story that I was able to see that gay love was just as real as hetero love, and could be just as beautiful (even more so given my personal tastes) and I was FINALLY able to come out.

Despite the obvious lack of any sort of physicality in the early months (we have the AFA's pressure on Proctor and Gamble and CBS to thank for that) it didn't matter, it was still a beautiful and moving story. And that is the magic of Luke (Van Hansis) and Noah (Jake Silbermann); far from the intense sexuality on "Queer as Folk" and other non-US soaps they were able to captivate us (many of us *cough* me *cough* still closeted). So I guess what I am saying is THANK YOU SO MUCH to all involved in the production of this story, (Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann inparticular) it changed my life just as it has many others and we will love you for it forever!!

HERE'S TO MANY MORE YEARS!!

HRC NEEDS YOUR HELP!! MIDNIGHT DEADLINE!!

2009-08-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

I have been informed by the President of the Human Rights Campagin that they need to raise 200,000 (much of which has already been raised) by midnight tonight August 20, 2009. I should have posted this earlier but if you're reading it and it's not yet midnight PLEASE donate as much as you can ($35+ includes online membership). This is all so that they can launch the "No Excuses" campaign in the fall to put pressure on Congress to stop their stalling and their complete failure to act on behalf of GLBT constiuents and their families.

In a related story Rick Santorum, the man who thinks education is bad for society, has made a desperate appeal to the National Organization for Marriage (NOM...ya know, the people who think Carrie Prejean is the smartest person on earth) saying that soon gay marriage will sweep the country like wildfire (err..grassfire maybe...anyway fire, something very scary to Santorum and NOM because the Devil lives in fire) and that if they don't act now DOMA is in danger of being repealed....HOLY SHIT!! HOW AWFUL!! *sarcasm* But I have to say that Santorum is more optimistic about DOMA being repealed than I am. Obama and the Dumbocrats (I know, how childish of me) can't even get healthcare passed with a filibuster proof majority. I think Santorum can rest easily knowing that the federal government is being run by a band of spineless pussies that have blown off America's gays since they took office. I doubt very much they will even repeal DADT this year which has 70+% support from the public. Believe me, DOMA IS SAFE...unfortunately.

The scariest part about Santorum is that he is a potential candidate for president in 2012, and if Obama doesn't shape up soon his office will likely be in play in three years. I guess we can always hope that by that time America will be fed up with both Republicans and Democrats and go all third party on them. But that won't happen without a major revolt, and the only people seemingly interested in a revolution at this point are the birthers, the "death panelists", and people who think Obama is an illegal alien antichrist from Kenya. Not exactly the people you want in order to have a proper revolution.

Ok enough! Just remember MIDNIGHT! Donate to HRC ASAP! PLEASE!!

Anti-nationalist NOT Anti-American!

2009-08-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

I want to make this clear from the very beginning I am NOT against America, I am against nationalism no matter which nation it is. Nationalism has a nasty way of making others seem as less important; as lesser beings. I see this often. I saw it immediately following the attacks on the WTC and the Pentagon and it hasn't stopped since. When those 3,000 people died it was seen as an atrocity; the unjustifiable murder of innocent men, women, and children and I absolutely agree. However when missiles destroy entire neighborhoods in Baghdad and kill innocent men, women, and children it's called "an unfortunate consequence of war." Forget about "oh well, they had to get the terrorists" I've got news for you, often times they don't kill any of them. And with at least 100,000 people killed in Iraq since the war began you would've thought they would have killed all of them by now if the majority of victims were terrorists. Unless of course our actions are breeding more of them...hmmmmm....

Now this would never happen but just indulge me for a moment. If terrorists invaded America and the military had no choice but to engage them in urban warfare on American soil, would it be ok with you if they accidentally bombed your neighborhood and killed your family? Didn't think so. And that's where the problem with nationalism lies...it's ok to do it in another country, but if the situation were reversed it would be intolerable. It's like I said, the lives lost in other countries mean less then the lives of your own countrymen. No wonder we have barely been able to get through a single decade since WW2 without a major war on our hands.