Hope + Change = Hope for Change.

And only that.

Meanwhile, Jeremiah Wright says that Obama just says what "he needs to say" as a politician, apparently regarding his "distancing" from Wright, such as it was.

Allah's not sure if the quote can be taken to mean that. I'm less hesitant about it. A pastor says what he needs to say to inspire. A politician says what he needs to say to get elected. Seems Wright meant precisely what he seems to have meant.

Posted by: Ace at 11:34 AM | Comments (21)
Post contains 130 words, total size 1 kb.

Surprised? Nah, neither am I.

German Talis, AKA “Gary”, is a member of a group called “We Are Change”, which is a 9/11 Truther group. The group has posted a video from the event, which doesn’t show the attack, but does show a really pathetic women giving her account of the events. Oddly enough, she doesn’t mention at all how “Gary” beat on a handicapped 18 year-old in a wheelchair. Of course her description of the events is correct and those of the girl’s father, mother, and the police who arrested German Talis isn’t.

The website, We Are Change, is basically a site full of YouTube videos of group members "confronting" (i.e. screaming in spittle-flecked, incomprehensible rage at) political figures. The guy shouting at Laura and Jenna Bush was one of their agents, conducting a "Street Action."

Two things stood out on their website. This is the first:

Here's the second:

Their fund-raising prowess makes their group's name just so wonderfully ironic, doesn't it?

Posted by: Slublog at 11:24 AM | Comments (143)
Post contains 214 words, total size 2 kb.

As Thomas Jefferson said, "Just making shit up wholesale about what scripture says is underrated, but not overly so."

Posted by: Ace at 11:23 AM | Comments (29)
Post contains 41 words, total size 1 kb.

When John McCain first suggested a gas tax holiday, I shrugged and said "whatever" the same way I did when Congress passed the economic stimulus package. Both are nice, safe, pretty ideas, but neither is going to achieve their intended purposes. Sure, it's fun to get that $600 check, but having $600 of my own money returned to me isn't going to make me more confident about the economy. In fact, the more congressfolk who stand around wringing their hands and threatening to take further steps, the more worried I get.

The same is true for the gas tax holiday. Of course I like the idea of knocking down the 18.4 cent per gallon gas tax. But even if Congress jumps on the idea, the price at the pump isn't going to magically be a whole 18.4 cents per gallon cheaper on Memorial Day. That's not how prices work. The price benefit of a tax holiday is going to be split between consumers and sellers, probably by about half (given what we know about national elasticities of supply and demand for gasoline). And that ain't much.

The alternative is having the government muck about and impose self-defeating measures to force the sellers to pass on all 18.4 cents. Because government-regulated creative accounting hasn't caused problems before... And it's still only 18.4 cents per gallon.

If people want to get serious about reducing the price at the pump then there are very few short-term answers. It's no simple thing to increase the supply of gasoline in this country. And--as $4.00 per gallon gas has proven--it's no simple thing to lower demand; folks are still busily pumping away at every gas station I pass.

One avenue that should be explored is cutting state gasoline taxes. Of course, this would require action in the state legislatures, and then McCain couldn't hold himself out as some kind of hero of the people. State and local gas taxes are typically larger than the federal tax. More importantly, state gas taxes overwhelmingly increase the price for consumers more than they do for sellers.

A state tax holiday would correspondingly benefit consumers to a much greater extent than a federal one, making John McCain's suggestion not even worthy of any whatever.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 11:22 AM | Comments (46)
Post contains 394 words, total size 2 kb.

Remember that site the Israelis took out last year in Syria? Everyone was wondering what it was and now we may know.

The Syrian nuclear reactor allegedly built with North Korean design help and destroyed last year by Israeli jets was within weeks or months of being functional, a top U.S. official said Thursday.

The facility was mostly completed but still needed significant testing before it could be declared operational, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

However, no uranium — needed to fuel a reactor — was evident at the site, a remote area of eastern Syria along the Euphrates River.

The Syrian reactor was similar in design to a North Korean reactor at Yongbyon that has in the past produced small amounts of plutonium, U.S. officials said. Plutonium is highly radioactive and can be used to make powerful nuclear weapons or radiological bombs.

If this is true, it kind of shows how stupid that Iraq Study Group idea of relying on Syria as some sort of partner over there was, doesnÂ’t it?

ItÂ’s almost like Nancy Pelosi and Arlen Specter accomplished nothing by sucking up to Baby Assad last year.

Posted by: DrewM at 10:44 AM | Comments (20)
Post contains 218 words, total size 1 kb.

The British (Office of Government Commerce -- right away we've gone badly wrong here designed a simple logo, "OGC," reading just like that, left to right.

You know what you get when you turn that logo 90 degrees, which is easy enough to do as it's all over the mouse pads of OGC workers?

You get Big Fun, that's what you get.

Another Heh: The geekiest designer jeans ever. Mouse in a pocket, keyboard stitched right into the lap.

Might as well be wearing a chastity belt.

Thanks to rcl.

Heh x 3: Two women claim to have been raped.

We all know women never lie about rape.

But... I don't know. I think maybe this may be an exception to that rule.

Two local women claim they've been sexually assaulted by ghosts.

According to a police report, the two women told officers a paranormal person has been placing sensors on their bodies and having intercourse with them at their apartment in the 28600 block of 25th Place South.

One of the women said the assault began when she lived in Kent and followed them to Federal Way. The second woman said her encounters began recently.

The maintenance man in charge of the apartment complex said the women keep calling him saying the ghosts are raping them on weekend nights. He finally told them to call police.

It's an odd case for cops, but it's right up Ross Allison's alley. He's a ghost hunter.

"Cases like this don't pop up that often," he said.

You don't say.

The ghosts are placing "sensors" on their bodies?

At least the ghosts care enough to pay attention to their responses. They're making the effort. That's all I'm saying.

Thanks to ghengis.

Meanwhile, in Japan, "ancestral spirits" are maliciously attempting to force big-breasted Japanese Love Fugitives through holes they've punched in doors.

Posted by: Ace at 07:37 AM | Comments (56)
Post contains 310 words, total size 2 kb.

Winning a war will do that.

I found it interesting that yesterday Russ Feingold, bitching about the Petraeus and Odeirno promotions, said, "The question is not whether we are winning the War in Iraq, but why we are not defeating Al Qaeda?"

Let us ignore the latter part of that idiocy. The question is not whether we're winning in Iraq? Funny how that changed from being The Question to a question not even worth answering.

Thanks to CJ.

Posted by: Ace at 06:44 AM | Comments (36)
Post contains 100 words, total size 1 kb.

No reason for that headline; I just like that bumpersticker. Mainly because I visualize World Peace as a vast lifeless wreckage, the ironic result of the US finally deciding we can't share the planet with genocidal assholes anymore.

I kid, I kid.

Aaaanyway. That's neither here nor there.

Here's a great story about an American Hero, bravely battling the powers of darkness and evil.

A man heckling First Lady Laura Bush and daughter Jenna outside the 92nd Street Y was arrested after he punched a wheelchair-bound girl whose parents had told him to shut up, authorities said yesterday.

It is difficult to imagine the gumption it takes to confront Laura and Jenna Bush, those abhorrent global puppetmasters who would have you gutted for their dinner music.

But to have the physical courage to rain blows upon this girl:

Left, the very manifestation of Malevolence ; Right, Her Killer-Helot Gimp.

I salute you, sir. Wish I had been there to thank you in person. With a tire iron.

Thanks to spongeworthy.

UPDATE: Rob B. quips in the comments:

If I manage to get this time travel thing down, this thread is going to read "A shitload of cybernetic monkeys appear out of nowhere and asswhip a liberal douche nozzle after attempting to hit wheelchair bound girl."

Posted by: LauraW at 06:23 AM | Comments (100)
Post contains 222 words, total size 2 kb.

Andrew Stuttaford rips him, and K-Lo defends:

But I like the idea of the american military having nothing official to do with porn. We train our servicemen to protect and defend, in situations in which they often have to face perilous choices as who to protect and defend. Pornography is a grave indignity and degradation of the human person. If a soldier wants to view pornography, it's his right, but the U.S. military need not provide it to him.

And continues...

I honestly don't know that a congressional action is appropriate (I naturally hesitate), but I do know that I don't think that a congressman is a clown to broach the subject and offer a solution. Porn is a problem. Is Playboy less of one than the world wide web of hardcore porn we all have access to right now? Yes. But it's all dehumanizing. And we should talk about it. It's not just something people look at privately. It has consequences for honor and integrity.

In short, Paul Broun, whom I don't know, is no clown for addressing the topic. I applaud him.

The back and forth continues.

Whether or not pornography is "degrading" as K-Lo insists seems pretty immaterial. Troops can decide for themselves whether or not they're in need of such degredation, and just because someone has the power to impose their notions of what is Good and Right on someone else sure the hell doesn't mean they ought to.

Troops have signed up for enough damn hardship and deprivation without having to worry that Congressmen and busybodies, in the interests of assisting them to live hygenic and non-degrading lives, will make life even more of a hassle for them then it already is.

These are largely men, and largely young men, separated from female company for months at a time. As much as some might wish they spent all their off-hours reading the Bible, they have the right to choose spicier fare on occasion.

Incidentally, in warzones and when based in Muslim countries, where else can they get this sort of thing? I'm sure there's some of it available in the black market but why should they deal with the hassle, not to say very real danger, of leaving the base every time they might want to look at dirty pictures?

Good God. As Stuttaford says, let's get rid of cigarettes at the PX too; those are unhealthy. And then we can get rid of alcohol too, and any sports magazines that carry bettors' lines; mustn't encourage gambling either, nor give such a thing official military approval.

Better yet, let's just cut to the chase and mandate they spend all non-working hours sewing pillows for orphans. That should build sound moral character in our fighting men, who quite frankly are getting a little soft enjoying the voluptuary hedonism of military life.

These Good-Time-Charlie joyboys have had it too good for too long.

Posted by: Ace at 07:01 PM | Comments (149)
Post contains 514 words, total size 3 kb.

This morning, one of our commenters mentioned this ad, "Extreme", released by the North Carolina Republican Party. It uses part of Rev. Wright's Goddamn America speech to tag Obama and two of his supporters in North Carolina, the competing Democratic gubernatorial candidates.

Apparently, it got quite a bit of attention from Democrats crying foul. Then the national GOP followed. And this afternoon, McCain did too:

"John McCain strongly rejects this ad and the type of politics that degrades our civics," spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker immediately responded. "From the beginning of this process McCain has expressed his intent to run a respectful campaign based on the issues, and we have repeatedly called for all parties to follow his lead."

Within a few hours, McCain had written a letter to the chair of the North Carolina GOP, Linda Daves, saying, "From the beginning of this election, I have been committed to running a respectful campaign based upon an honest debate about the great issues confronting America today. I expect all state parties to do so as well. The television advertisement you are planning to air degrades our civics and distracts us from the very real differences we have with the Democrats. In the strongest terms, I implore you to not run this advertisement."

I'd like to know just what it is that McCain objects to. Is it that it connects Obama to Wright or that it clumsily backhands Obama's supporters for sticking with him? Does "respectful" mean that he won't be pointing out Obama's questionable connections? And, bizarrely, McCain seems to be questioning the truthfulness of the ad.

What do you think?

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 04:30 PM | Comments (161)
Post contains 287 words, total size 2 kb.