cartoon by Horsey of the Seattle P-I.
props and snaps to my awesome step-father who sent this cartoon my way
that other war on drugs
Monthly Archives: September 2008
L’ Shanah Tovah to all
edit 20080929@1744: oooops, so sorries. here is the link to these and more cards –
someecards Rosh Hashanah greetings
may you enjoy a bountiful sweet year
sometimes I am so jealous of the cats
make that "often".
check out what I came across a few minutes ago while rushing to go to work
damn. wonder if he's noticed me
nope. can I get even closer?
yep. closer?
uh-oh. may have gotten a bit too close there.
I better go. a glaring cat is not a good sign
…and then Chris Rock sez
been listening to some of Chris Rock's classics
like ranting on our love of money
or unable to defend rap "at an intellectual level"
wondering why so many rappers' murders have gone unsolved
finding out how to scare straight the kids
let’s liveblog this – the first presidential debate
the first presidential debate – Ole Miss University, Oxford MS September 26 2008
updates below this picture. go get a refreshing adult beverage and play along in the comments
9:00 – Jim Lehrer, moderator, welcomes all to the first debate. rules: about foreign policy and national security. nine-minute segments. candidates may engage each other
9:01 – [senators enter. applause]
9:01 – [senators enter. applause]
JL : 1st question: where do you stand on the recovery plan?
BO: "I have put fw'd a series of proposals" must have oversight, taxpayers should be able to gain, no support for CEOs and executives, must protect homeowners. this situation is caused by the policies of Bush and supported by McCain
JMcC: "bipartisanship, !yay!, this is a failure of depth, Main street is relying on us (government) to solve this crisis. puts fw'd what he requires from a solution package. this is the end of the beginning of the crisis. we must eliminate our dependency on foreign oil (?)
JL: "ok, but where do you stand on the rescue package?
BO: I warned about this two years ago… we need to find out why we destroy regulations…
JMcC: hey! I warned of this too! brings up Eisenhower. calls for accountability. blames Washington for a culture of greed and corruption.
– neither will answer the question, apparently.
9:12 –
JL: are there fundamental differences between yours and Obama's way to get out of this financial crisis?
JMcC: we Republicans came to DC to change government and government changed us. EARMARKS are EEEVIL!!!! EEVIIIL!!! Obama has requested many, many earmarks
BO: I have suspended any request for earmarks for my state. McCain is requesting $300 million in tax cuts for the rich. that's a difference between us. I am requesting tax cuts for 95% of the population, not the rich
JMcC: Obama did'nt stop requesting earmarks until after running for President. Obama wants to add $800 million in new spending and I want to cut spending
BO: those numbers are wrong. I'll pay for my programs by cutting tax loopholes and shelters, being more efficient. McCain's tax cuts for the rich just follows Bush.
JMcC: MY FRIENDS! take two drinks!!!!
BO: if you are 95% of the population, I won't raise your taxes. our business tax rate is high on paper, but there are so many loopholes and shelters, that businesses end up paying way less than individuals. and McCain wants to tax your employer-paid health benefits
JMcC: an energy bill that had lots of earmarks, I voted against it, Obama voted for it. I am a tax cutter.
BO: under McCain's plan, oil companies get $4 billion in cuts.
9:25 -
JL: as President, given the &700 billion package, what are you going to give up?
BO: no doubt, some things won't get done. but we will have a plan for energy independence. the health care system as families are hurting. we must compete in education. we must rebuild our infrastructure. BUT WHAT IS HE GIVING UP???!!!
JMcC: we must cut spending (duh!). I will stop ethanol subsidies. review military spending. go to fixed-cost contracts in the military. I saved the taxpayers money on a contract between Boeing and DoD. examine government agencies. JL: WHAT WILL YOU CUT ?!!!
JMcC: a spending freeze except Defense and care for military vets
BO: well. we are spending $10 billion a month in IRAQ. end the war
JMcC: we are sending $700 billion a year to countries that don't like us. ENERGY INDEPENDENCE! nuclear energy
JL: are you at least willing to ack the bailout will affect your budgets? and how?
BO: we need to ensure we try to get the taxpayers money back. I will have to make some tough decisions, and it will require examining our values (?)
JMcC: Obama[s health care plan will give health care to the government and I'm against' that. Obama wants to spend, I want to cut spending. I have plans to cut spending (HOW?)
BO: Bush has ^ spending like crazy, and you have supported them
JMcC: "I'm not Ms. Congeniality" <————– take a crink
JMcC: I'm a maverick and my partner is a maverick. <————— finish the bottle. then puke
9:40
JL: what are the lessons of IRAQ?
JMcC: we was doing bad, but we got this fabulous general and now we are wining. hell, we've won.
BO: should we have gone into the war? I opposed it 6 years ago, when it was unpopular to do so. I thought we needed to finish the job in Afghanistan. we've spent close to $1 trillion in Iraq, lost 4,000+ lives, Al-Quaeda is resurgent, and for what. we should not hesitate to use force, but we have not used it wisely in Iraq
JMcC: no need to revisit why we went. the next President needs to decide how to leave. zings at Obama for only going to visit Iraq this year.
BO: so the surge worked, I admit. but it worked to fix the screwup and quagmire we were in. McCain said we'd be greeted as liberators.
JMcC: Obama doesn't know the difference between a tactic and a strategy. the soldiers told me "let us win"
BOTH OF YOU. STOP SUCKING GENERAL PETRAEUS DICK!!! IS NOT PRESIDENTIAL!!!!!
BO: I do too understand the difference between tactics and strategies. we should end this war responsibly, but we must end it. and them go to Afghanistan after Osama bin Laden.
BO: Admiral Mullen (spe?) says that Obama's plan is dangerous. Obama didn't want to give the surge a chance. "we'll snatch defeat from the jaws of victory"
9:50
JL: do we need troops in Afghanistan? how many and when?
BO: yes, asap. 2-3 additional brigades to Afghanistan. we have 4x as many in Iraq now as we do in Afghanistan. we need to deal with al-Quaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
JMcC: I regret having left Afghanistan. we should not challenge Pakistan. he's been to Waziristan (he can see it from Sara Palin's house). we have to have collaboration from the people of those regions and from Pakistan. and that dreamy Gen. Petraeus is going to be in charge, there'll be a strategy that will succeedMcC: .
BO: Afghanistan/Pakistan is a difficult situation. our troops suffered cross-country attacks. we supported Musharraf as "our dictator" and alienated the population
JMcC: Pakistan before Musharraf was a failed state. in 1983, Reagan sent marines to Lebanon. the first Gulf War I supported, Somalia, and Kosovo. so I have a record at the highest possible level. !yay! town meeting. a lady gave me a bracelet about her son, dead in Baghdad. !yay! Vietnam
BO: I have a bracelet too! see! see! no soldier ever dies in vain. our soldiers are great, !yay! 't be "I will take this seriously"
JMcC: butbutbut Obama hasn't been to Afghanistan. and General Petraeus, he's soooooooooooo dreamy.
10:00
JL: what is your reading of the threat from Iran?
JMcC: if Iran acquire nuclear weapons, it'd be a direct hit to Israel. we cannot afford a 2nd Holocaust. I advocate we form a LEAGUE OF DEMOCRACIES so we can really threaten Iran wth painful sanctions. Iran is sending IEDs and trained personnel to Iraq.
BO: unlike what my opponent say, I do believe Iran's Republican Guard are terrorist. we cannot tolerate or accept a nuclear Iran. I believe that we'd need the support of Russia and China to enact sanctions. we also need to engage in direct diplomacy with Iran.
JMcC: Obama says he'd sit with Ahmadenijad, Chavez, or Castro w/o preconditions, and that's stupid because we give them credence. !Ronald Regan, Ronald Reagan, yay!!!
BO: I reserve the right to meet with anyone if I think is necessary to keep America safe. Kissinger (a McC advisor) advises to meet with Iraq w/o preconditions. in North Korea we cut talks and what happened? they basically became a nuclear power. and note that Bush had to reverse positions to try to engage North Korea in some level. McCain will not meet with the Prime Minister of Spain and Spain is an ally!
JMcC: by sitting with a foreign power without preconditions we legitimize their claims. the North Koreans have broken every agreement they've entered into (including those made by Bush?)
BO: we should be able to engage in talks without knowing the outcome.
OH MY GODl THIS IS GETTING SOOOOO BOGGED DOWN
10:15
JL: how do you see our relationship with Russia? friend, enemy, partner?
BO: given their actions in Georgia, we need to be careful. Russia needs to understand that we will hold them up to the six points of the ceasefire. Russia must leave South Ossetia. however, we cannot revert to Cold War levels.
I have led in the Senate to try to achieve control over possible rouge nukes. is not enough to "look into their eyes and see their soul"
JMcM: Obama is so naive. McCain is totes on Georgia's side. I am sure we won't go back to ColdWar levels, but we need to support our allies. and we must understand the Russia-Georgia incident is about oil and access to the main oil pipeline.
BO: we both mostly agree on the Georgia issue. I warned the administration back in April about Russian peacekeepers in Georgia. Putin feels strong because Russia is rich in petrodollars. we need to achieve energy indepenence, but we cannot get there by drilling. "Trust me I have a plan" <———— what. is. your. plan. ?
JMcC: offshore drilling is a bridge as we develop other methods such as solar, coal-to-gas, etc.
10:25
JL: what is the likelihood of another 9/11 attack in the continental US
JMcC: much less than it used to be. but still a long way to go. Lieberman and I pushed for what became the 9/11 commission. bipartisan and all that. we need to improve our inteligence. we shall not torture. we must work with our allies. we reorganized the government and need to protect our borders
BO: we are safer. much more security in airports. we need to do much work on transportation and ports. our biggest threat now is a rogue nuke. even though we need nuclear defense, but we also must work energetically to avoid nuclear proliferation. al-Quaeda is still a major thread. we need to improve our standing in the world
JMcC: Obama doesn' get it: withdrawal from Iraq will encourage al-Quaeda and other enemies. Gen. Petraeus OHMYGODHE'SSODREAMY!!!!.agree with me.
BO: our focus on Iraq has allowed al-Quaeda to thrive all over the world. and the money we are spending in Iraq could be spend so much better here. health care, veteran care, education
JMcC: I have been involved in every single major national security crisis in the last 20 years. I have the knowledge, experience and judgment. Obama doesn't. I can rise to the challenges, I dont' need onthejob training.
BO: my father was from Kenya. in the 60s US was the beacon, it is not now. we must send a msg to the world that we are coming back
JMcC: I WAS IN PRISON MOTHERFUCKERS!!!!
… and that's a wrap. off to get something to drink now and read your comments. thanks for bearing with me.
.
gather round, chillum – time to explain the debate drinking game
since the Republic has been saved, McSame will deign to make an appearance at the first presidential debate. huzzah!
in preparation for this event, please read and memorize these rules:
" Coward McCain Will (Maybe?) Show Up Tonight, So Here’s Your Debate Drinking Game!
Whew, that was close. Goofy old national joke John “Walnuts!” McCain had threatened to skip tonight’s debate unless he, uh, solved the Financial Crisis. Luckily for us, the 500-year-old clown can’t “keep his word” for more than a few minutes, so of course he’ll be at the debate tonight, unless he changes his mind again, which happens often when you can’t remember what you just said and have no idea what you’re talking about, anyway. So, huzzah, we will get to drink on a Friday night after all! Get out your iPhone or whatever and make a shopping list, because it’s time for Wonkette’s Famous Debate Drinking Game!
RULES & DEREGULATIONS: “Drink” means a hit off your beer or wine, or a shot of spirits — unless we specify what you are to drink. If you lack the specified spirit, just have two gulps of whatever you’ve got in your hand — unless it’s a penis in your hand. Save that for later: We are in a crisis. You may substitute whatever pills — except vitamins — or smoke your marijuana or whatever when the Game requires you to consume a specific pill. Generics are acceptable only if you can afford the name brand. “Thrift” is the new style for those with Health Care! (Or a good Rx dealer.)
Whenever John McCain says “My Friends”:
Two drinks (or one shot), poke the breast of the person to your right and smile creepily.
When Barack Obama shakes his head with dignity:
Shake your own head with dignity, take the beverage from the person to your left, and tell them to go get you a new drink because you are not going to get AIDS from their backwash/lipstick. "
….
read the rest at Wonkette
be there, be square, be ready to drink. and to liveblog, if you dare.
less than two weeks now
– ticket to show. check
– plane ticket. check
– itinerary. check
– train ticket. erm… almost check.
– awesome NC banner. stolen
seeing Nick Cave October 7th in Philadelphia with cranky. Priceless
an eloquent piece on the financial bailout (expressing how I feel without using profanity)
can't help it. whenever I think of the $700billion+ bailout we are embarking on, I splutter fuck this and fuck that and the goddamned clusterfuck… expressive, but not very eloquent.
Glenn Greenwald wrote a great piece about the bailout at Salon.com 'tis highly recommended reading.
here's a bit:
“What is more intrinsically corrupt than allowing people to engage in high-reward/no-risk capitalism —
where they reap tens of millions of dollars and more every year while their reckless gambles
are paying off only to then have the Government shift their losses to the citizenry at large once
their schemes collapse? We’ve retroactively created a win-only system where the wealthiest
corporations and their shareholders are free to gamble for as long as they win and then force others
who have no upside to pay for their losses. Watching Wall St. erupt with an orgy of celebration on
Friday after it became clear the Government (i.e., you) would pay for their disaster was literally
nauseating, as the very people who wreaked this havoc are now being rewarded.”
where they reap tens of millions of dollars and more every year while their reckless gambles
are paying off only to then have the Government shift their losses to the citizenry at large once
their schemes collapse? We’ve retroactively created a win-only system where the wealthiest
corporations and their shareholders are free to gamble for as long as they win and then force others
who have no upside to pay for their losses. Watching Wall St. erupt with an orgy of celebration on
Friday after it became clear the Government (i.e., you) would pay for their disaster was literally
nauseating, as the very people who wreaked this havoc are now being rewarded.”
preach on. high-reward/no-risk capitalism is exactly what is going on, and it is a mockery to what the free market is supposed to stand for.
the fuck.
serendipitous musical encounters – Gary Louris & Mark Olson (The Jayhawks), September 20, 2008
sometimes I wonder why I don't take the daily paper. I'd get out of the house more if I did.
take for example, yesterday: dragged meself out of bed at the crack o'11am, was checking email/VOX/etc and on a whim, popped over to the online edition of the paper.
"nothing, nothing, McCain, Obama, worst financial crisis, nothing…mmmm, what's this? musical lineup at Christ the King's Oktoberfest: 1:00pm Mark Olson and Gary Louris." those names sound familiar. about a mile from the house. free. quick googling: Mark Olson, founding member of seminal alt-country group The Jayhawks… well, I'm sold. quick shower and away we go.
the gig rocked, though the physical setup was rather…quaint. a wooden stage inside a tent, some basic PA equipment (manned by volunteers, natch -badly manned; which drove Mark Olson crazy – he kept on signaling the crew "lower, lower!"). one positive to the setup: it was thoughtfully located next to the Biergardner, for which teh SO was very appreciative. yet Olson&Louris played for over two hours without a break and the small (~200) audience had a blast.
the instrumental setup was as simple as the physical: Olson and Louris on acoustic guitars, Louris on the harmonica for a few tracks.
The set was a mix of The Jayhawks hits and tracks from the upcoming Louris/Olson album Ready for the Flood, drop date around Jan-Feb 2009. several of the tracks from the new album are outstanding – Bicycle, Turn your pretty name around, Kick the wood, Saturday morning on Sunday street.
more pics:
the setlist:
*The rose society
Say you'll be mine
*Bicycle
Over my shoulder
*Black eyes
Two Angels
*Turn your pretty name around
Clouds
Waiting for the sun
*Kick the wood
Tomorrow the green grass
Settled down like rain
Sister cry
*Saturday morning on Sunday street
See him on the street – introduced by Mark Olson as "a Kentucky sorta honky-tonk song"
Nothing left to borrow
*Doves and stones
Blue
Miss Williams guitar
ENCORE
Pray for me
*from upcoming album Ready for the flood
happiest of birthdays, ZKen!
wishing a very happy birthday to VOX friend and neighbor ZenKen!
ken is an officer and a gentleman
a family man
well-read
well-traveled
rational and thoughtful
hope you have a great birthday with your friends and family
Jockey Full of Bourbon 