I’m Clearly In A Good Mood Today

Am I allowed to laugh?

If assholes could fly, this place would be an airport

Laugh at all the crazy people in the media who tossed the words “possible terrorist attacks” around on the most recent go of 9/11?  Seems to me that a whole lotta nothing went on.  Doesn’t mean the people who actually NEEDED to know this stuff didn’t have reason to be on alert and on guard, they did, it’s their jobs to be on alert for this stuff.  But… look… I don’t mean to trivialize potential terrorist activity.  Nasty shit happens all over the world, but… ya  know… it gets old, this “little boy who cried wolf” bullshit the media and government agencies pulled this weekend.

If the people who need to know this stuff, the police and those with police powers (too damn many for my liking but that is another article) then why am I hearing about this?   I cannot see that the media attention does anything at all for anyone.  Except maybe give Ray Kelly a reason to get more beat cops out on the street to get a few hours of overtime.  Not against OT, but do I need a press conference to alert me of it?

But maybe I should point a finger of shame at myself here.  I don’t know that the simple act of alerting the world they know someone may be coming didn’t scare them off…

Wait… These people want to die as martyrs, and want us to die with them, or at the very least want to kill us.  That is something of an attention getter, and these people want attention for their causes, for their beliefs.  No organization with a media arm, and Al-Qaeda has one, can be said to be in any other business than that of getting attention.

Doesn’t fit the terrorist M.O. that they’d be scared off by a little attention, when attention seems to be exactly what they crave.  People don’t strap bombs to their asses to avoid attention.  This coverage, this press attention on the “potential terrorist attack” should have brought any of these nuts that want to die and/or want us dead out of the woodwork.   Fact that nothing happened should stand as mute testimony to the lack of any seriousness to the  “little boy who cried wolf” bullshit that was pulled on us this weekend.

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Viddy of the day:  Potential 9/11 anniversary terror plot details

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Man is the only Patriot. He sets himself apart in his own country, under his own flag, and sneers at the other nations, and keeps multitudinous uniformed assassins on hand at heavy expense to grab slices of other people’s countries, and keep them from grabbing slices of his. And in the intervals between campaigns he washes the blood off his hands and works for “the universal brotherhood of man” — with his mouth.

Mark Twain, Letters from the Earth, “The Damned Human Race,” v: The Lowest Animal.

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This man says "NO BATHROOM BREAK FOR YOU!"

And while I’m giggling mirthlessly at those jackasses and their terror alerts, can I laugh just a little at the people who lost their tiny little minds over the whole ” ZOMG THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE BATHROOM ON MY AIRPLANE”  freakout?  Now, again I understand.  It was 9/11.  You Americans are an easily scared people.  If you weren’t you would not have reacted this way to events that in any other time in history would be considered normal.

One person who got ill, and a couple making out had the U.S. military breaking out fighter escorts.

Srsly.

The people who freaked out, and got the military involved here should be made to pay for fuel and take off and landing and any other costs of scrambling those jets for no readily apparent reason.

“But Mike!!! It was 9/11!!! We were scared!!!”

Good for you.  Now pay up.  Next time, knock on the bathroom door, talk to the people who are pissing like racehorses and find out what’s going yourself, instead of getting fighter pilots in fighter jets involved.

Have we become a nation of pussies? WTF?

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I’m clearly in a good mood today. 

Srsly I am, but this kind of stuff just drives me nuts.

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That’s it from here, America.  Have a good one.

May 2011 Random Thoughts

Once a month or so, I clear out some of the content on my Running Commentary, Random Thoughts, and 12 Notes pages and place them here on the main page to make room for fresh content on those pages.  This is the content from May 2011′s Random Thoughts.  Enjoy!

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Donald Trump has decided in his mind (as opposed to…say.. deciding with his ass) to run for President.  God bless America!  That is great.  He and the President are proof positive that anyone can run this great and proud country.  President Obama, a socially liberal democrat from Hawaii (a suburb of Kenya according to the birthers) who came to the Presidency via a vast wave of populism, and Donald Trump, a formerly socially moderate billionaire who has become the darling of the socially conservative.  Trump has really hurt himself recently with his birther nuttiness. Good luck hairball, you’ll need it. (5/1)

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Osama Bin Laden is Dead.  Good riddance.  His death is something that we have been clamoring for, looking for, and waiting on for years and years.  It is late in coming, but better late than never.  I railed against Bush for his inability to get him, and was equally unhappy with Obama for not getting him, right until the moment he, and we, got him.  That murderous bastard is dead, and I’m damn happy about it.  (5/2)

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I’ve been listening to talk about Osama Bin Laden, about his focus on terrorism.  His view was seemingly based on the economic damage the attacks Al-Qaeda were able to bring to bear.  He said something in an interview with Al-Jazeera a month after the 9/11 attacks, and his focus was on how much damage had been done to the stock market, about how many billions of dollars were lost in the aftermath of the attacks, and about the long term damage it would do to the economy.  He also, not surprisingly, focused on the psychological damage done to the people.

He’s dead and I am happy about it. (5/3)

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Amazing what drives some markets.  Been watching the oil prices with some interest, and find it amazing that people are panicked about it dropping… ALL THE WAY TO $100!!!  It was at $87 to begin the year, and THAT price was over-inflated, and yet a price $13 above that somehow is a bad thing.

Commodities have been overpriced for a while.  Example, there’s been talk of gold going over $2000 an ounce before the end of the year, and it sits well over $1500 an ounce now.  Wasn’t it around $1100 an ounce only a year ago or something? and in triple digits not too long before that?

They have been trying to call the current commodities prices a “new normal.”  A better name for it is  “Raging bullshit.” (5/5)

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Anagram:  Cinco De Mayo/ Acid Economy/ Coy Comedian/ Yo!  Manic Co-ed!/ A Coin Comedy/ Do My Cocaine/ I Am Con Decoy/ Die On My Coca  (5/5)

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I haven’t written here for 6 days, and not on the main page since last Friday.  I’ve been recharging my batteries.  For a while it felt like I was forcing things while I was writing, and I was really not writing very well, not up to snuff for me.  Sometimes I was in a fog, sometimes in a rush, and either one is a sure recipe for disaster as far as writing is concerned.

A few days off won’t kill me, and I’ll come back feeling better about my writing, it’ll help my writing, and that is really what I want, to be a more effective writer.  I won’t be gone much longer.  I’m feeling the itch to bark at people again.  (5/11)

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Anagram:  NHL Conference Finals/ Finch fallen onscreen/ Clefs For Channel Nine  (5/14)

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Man, today’s run beat the hell out of me.  Nearly 15 miles, almost 2 hours out on the paths.  Hamstrings feel like rubber bands, Quads are sore, Calves are hyper-sensitive.  Nice.  Gotta do this again, next week. (5/15)

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At this point in my day, I want to beat people with a crowbar.  My dad is in the hospital, was all day, and I could not get to see him, and didn’t know what was going on.  That irked the crap out of me, I was worried about the man.  Then on the way out the door from work, after I had punched out, that lil tyrant of an assistant manager decided it was time for a meeting, and pulled me away from going to visit my father to tell me she’d be really upset with everyone if this one job (which was nearly done) didn’t get done. I said OK, and went to leave.  She stopped me, again… there is more to this story, but it ended badly, and now I dunno if I’m gonna have a job come Tuesday or not. (5/16)

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I still have a job, they say I’m being re-assigned.  Gave me the day off with pay. That, to me, doesn’t sound good.  The ax falls tomorrow, perhaps? Dammit, I was just trying to go see my father at the hospital (he’s better now, btw, thank the lord.)  Why this stuff happens to me I have no friggin idea, but it does, and it isn’t easy to handle.  Dammit.(5/17)

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Great hockey news for real fans of the sport!  It is unofficial at this point, but word is that the Atlanta Thrashers are moving… TO WINNIPEG!!  That’s right folks!  Another Canadian team!  Now there has been some error filled reporting about it, such as the report that had Gary Bettman flying to Manitoba to finalize the deal while game 3 of the Eastern conference finals was going on… while he was at the game.  Silliness, but I think that is great news!

The American south loses a team they have only minimal interest in, and Canada, which LOVES this sport, gets another team.  (5/19)

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Harold Camping’s predictions for the end of the world, have, not surprisingly, not come true.  Guess I can go play the lottery now.    (5/21)

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Odd way to leave a job.  Got into an argument with an assistant manager on Monday, got written up for it.  Then I was told I’d be re-assigned on Tuesday morning.  Then they gave me the rest of that day, and Wednesday off, with pay, and told me to come in Thursday.  Then on Thursday they tell me that they would re-assign me but there are no assignments open, so… since I’m only a temp, then I would simply be let go.

So when I go to tell the people over at unemployment what happened, I can tell them, because this is how it was put to me, that I am out of work because of lack of work on their part.  Despite the fact that on it’s face, that seems a falsehood.

And I am in the process of fighting this termination with them as well.  I have asked for, and have yet to receive, the form with which to put in an official complaint about the person who got me fired. The charges were trumped up, and the situation seems a cover-up of the facts on their part, and I want…if nothing else, my word on the record with these people, and best case scenario, I get my job back, and someone else loses theirs. (5/22)

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It sucks being out of work… again.  I’m thinking about taking the art handler training course at the Bronx council on the arts.  Only stumbling block is the commute, and it isn’t much of one, to be honest.   A 2+ hour commute, and a rare 2 fare commute each way.  Nothing major, but that is expensive, $45 + a week commuting, with no money coming in.  But the Bronx… that is… the boonies, all the way out there, almost upstate New York. We’ll see.   (5/24)

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Downloaded the latest windows update (about a month or two since i’ve done it.)  Seems that the version of IE9 that the system tried to give me comes up as malware.  A false positive, no doubt.  Saw that, and started up my anti-malware and anti-virus software to see what it reads, so far nothing.  Damned malware detected screen won’t go away though.  Pissing me off.  Might do a hard shutdown just to see what happens.  (5/25)

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Bummed about my right hamstring.  Damn thing seized up on me 4 minutes into today’s run.  Dunno if I’m gonna be able to run worth a damn at the race on Monday.  Gonna try to run, might be more of a controlled speed gimp, though.  lulz.  (5/26)

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I went out and got my race number today for the memorial day race.  650.  Walked the three miles to the place to get the number and back.  And ya know what else I got?  Sunburn!  Nice.  2 hours worth of walking in 80 degrees sunshine after not really enough sun to make a real difference since… well … early last September made that happening seem reeeeeeeeeeal easy.  I don’t mind.  Tested out the hamstring during the walk.  It’s still an issue, but I feel better about it now.  That makes a difference.  (5/27)

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Had fun at the family barbecue yesterday.  I played my role for the kids, that of human pinata.  They beat me, I just hung there and took it.  Tires them out, and doesn’t hurt me, so no big deal.  When it does hurt I’ll say something.  Enjoyed cooking for everyone.  Well, enjoyed setting the meat on fire at any rate, close enough to cooking for me.  Cooking’s super easy when there is no food prep necessary.  Fire + meat  = Joy, or some such equation.   Family was great, had a blast! (5/29)

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Anagram:  Memorial Day/  A Dreamy Limo/  I Am My Ordeal/ Ye Mild Aroma/ Roam My Ideal/ I’d Relay Ammo/ Moral May Die/ Aid My Morale/  Lo!  Media Army/ My Lame Radio/ Adore My Mail  (5/30)

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After sending in several resumes this morning, I decided that it was time to try to find some career testing.  Checking out what other people think my best option for a career is.  Silly sounding concept, but I bit on it.  After being told that I am best suited to be a writer, editor, publisher, Paralegal, religious instructor, translator, engineer, accountant, management consultant, economist, intellectual property attorney, judge, and  inventor, I just gave up.  Forer effect, in full effect!  (5/31)

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That’s it for the moment.  More later!

Guantanamo, DADT, and John Kyl, That Whiny Bastard

I try to read news stories that are perhaps somewhat out of the mainstream, as far afield as possible, while still being important and relevant.  The first one up involves a senate vote about Guantanamo Bay.  You’d be surprised that something this big from that powerful and influential a force in the body politick could fly under the radar, but it has.  I watched the news and heard nothing on it.  Watched all the news commentary shows, and heard nothing on it. 

According to the AFP story, the Senate will begin considering a bill blocking civilian trials for any of the 173 terror suspects still held in Guantanamo bay.  The bill wil also feature language halting the closure of said base.  According to Attorney General Eric Holder, there is no precedent for Congress to intrude in the prosecution of any particular individuals. 

So, if military tribunals are so much better than civilian ones,  what about the case of Binyam Mohammad?  Jabran Al Qahtani?  The resignations from Guantanamo due to ethical considerations of Maj. John Carr, Maj Robert Preston, and the 5 other prosecutors who walked away due to ethical considerations?  What about the cases of torture, enhanced interrogation techniques, and other weak-kneed vindictive bullshit that masquerades as justice?  This is a legacy we want to add to?

Seriously?

With the way things were run there, with the things that were allowed to occur, do you think you’ll see more of your alleged justice?  What you want has a different name in the real world.  Vengeance is it’s name.  The real deal is this.  Osama Bin Laden is still free, and still alive.  This is a poor substitute for vengeance against our real enemy, against people who are not the man you want dead.  How does this bring us closer to catching him? How does doing this bring us closer to real justice?  The courts have been successful at prosecuting the real criminals who took part in harming our nation and it’s people, more successful than military tribunals.

To ignore that reality is to ignore justice, real justice. That is something you do at your peril.

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Viddy of the day:  From the fine folks at Fora.tv, a short clip of a long talk about Guantanamo Bay, from January of this year.  To watch the entire talk, click here.

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I like to walk about amidst the beautiful things that adorn the world; but private wealth I should decline, or any sort of personal possessions, because they would take away my liberty.

George Santayana, soliloquies In England and Later soliloquies

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DADT looks to be going the way of the dodo, and that’s a good thing.  It’s not like there are no gays in the military, If there weren’t, there would have been no need for the legislation to begin with.  Some numbnuts general said some crap, bout it’d harm soldiers in the field.  Bullshit.  Saying it would harm soldiers is just plain dumb.  There are Gay soldiers already there on the battlefield.  Flying missions, on the ground,  in foxholes with other soldiers, in Helicopters, in all sorts of places. 

Saying your own men, who are already there will harm your men is a patently ridiculous statement.

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Apparently Republicans hate working.  John Kyl says that all this…  legislation that the Democrats are trying to pass is an assault on Christmas. 

Whiny Bastard

He’s bitching.  Please.

I took my cat out of the animal hospital(his butt exploded, anal gland abscess burst, poor dude) walked 2 miles to the store, bought a 30 pound bag of littler he needed, special litter that won’t get in his open wound, carried it home, in my arms (no car) all the way back (THAT was a hella workout, biceps are sore).  Came home.   Cleaned out the cats litter boxes, tossed the old litter, put in the new litter. Looked for work, sent out 7 more resumes(that actually took a few hours, dammit). Gave the cat his medicine, cleaned his wound, brought him food.  Cleaned up around the house, made dinner.  Ran 9.7 miles. Worked out.

With the exception of that 2 mile walk for the litter and the walk from the Animal hospital, much of this is a regular routine.

I think I did more than he did. 

John Kyl: Whiny little shit.

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That’s it from here, America.  12 notes tomorrow.

Thinking About Terrorism

I Define a “terrorist” as a non-state actor who attacks civilian targets in order to strike terror into the hearts of the enemy community.. A “state terrorist” is a state doing the same thing.

Michael Mann

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Fear.  It is the enemy of the rational mind.  It makes life harder to live, by placing emotional pressure on the individual to live with the emotion.  Terrorism is based on fear, the creation of irrational fear in the minds of enemies, and change the minds of those who see the effects of the outrageous act that is an act of terrorism.  Any time you hear of terrorism or terrorists, it is fear that you hear of, fear and death, unless the terrorist fails.

Strength in the face of fear.  It is the bane of the terrorist, and the best friend of the rational mind.  It makes possible a simple understanding.  We are all mortal, and though the terrorist wants us to fear him and the potential of death he carries with him, it takes the sting of fear away.  True strength is a simple thing, a simple thought, five words long. 

“I Will Not Be Moved”

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Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.

Book of Job,  41:33

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It seems some idiot tried to set off some kind of bomb in Times Square yesterday.  Joy.  Good news is that whoever it was failed, and on top of that, he left fingerprints and he was spotted on video, so it’s really only a matter of time before they nail the idiot.  The bad news is that, despite the fact that I am personally safe, as are all other new yorkers, we will have increased inspection of bags and people, at random.  A pain in the ass, but one which most people accept in the name of “feeling” secure.

It is here that I have an issue.  “Feeling” secure.  Even with the fact that the bomber failed and the police and “We The People” were very much on point and got the job done right, just to fit some other persons idea of security, innocent people will have their privacy rights violated for no good reason. 

Ya, the idiot who failed to blow up Times Square is still out there, but he isn’t me, and he isn’t you (in all likelihood, but I don’t know you so I can’t speak for you). But will looking through the bags of innocent people make those people safe? And if so how? How exactly does stopping people from simply going about their business stop terrorists? It hasn’t that I have seen, have you seen it stop terrorism or terrorists in any way?    

Mind you, I understand the need to protect the populace, but the issue I have here is that this isn’t security, it is security theatre.  It doesn’t protect us, it does nothing more than make it look like we are being protected, while wasting resources that could be used elsewhere.  How will 3 or 4 policeman standing near a turnstile at 68th street stop someone who wants to blow up Times Square?  If anything it’ll clog up and slow down the commute for the illusion of security.

Would 3 or 4 policemen standing near the entrance of the Murrah building have stopped Timothy McVeigh? He never went in, you can’t stop what doesn’t come to you.  Surveillance and good old fashioned police work stop terrorists, like it stops crime, imperfectly, but well enough to keep the populace safe as much of the time as is possible. 

I want to see the very real threat of terrorism thwarted completely, but I also want to make sure that freedom is left unencumbered by the unnecessary presence of police who could be actually doing their jobs, instead acting on the need for security for those who are by their nature insecure.

The guy who tried to blow up Times Square is still free.  That will end soon, and that is good. I’m just looking out for everyone else’s freedom.  Someone has to.

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Sunday’s top five links:   

Kelly: White Male in 40′s seen on tape near scene of car bomb attempt

No evidence of Taliban’s NY bomb claim – Police

New York will always be a target for terrorism, warns leaders; City remains a focus of anger for a variety of groups says mayor Michael Bloomberg

Living in a target rich environment, as the Times Square car bomb reminds us

NHL Playoffs: Montreal Canadiens even series with Pittsburgh Penguins

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Sunday’s viddy of the day:   A Reuters viddy about the events from last night in Times Square.

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Pic and quotes of the day, from the enemy of the people that brought home grown terrorism home to an entire generation: 

I like the phrase “shot heard ’round the world,” and I don’t think there’s any doubt the Oklahoma City blast was heard around the world.  Timothy McVeigh

G’night America.  Sleep tight.

Taking My Time

    The last few days I’ve really been rushing the writing, like somehow there is some deadline here, or as if I am a slave to the clock.    I’ve begun writing relatively late the last few days, due to being busy the rest of the day, between looking for a job, running, working out cleaning up the house, etc,etc,etc. and it honestly feels like I have been giving less than my best effort writing wise.  My apologies for that.  I promise a better brand of rant today. 

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   Rush Limbaugh is in a hospital in Hawaii in serious condition after suffering chest pains.  No other news is available at this time.  As much as I think of this man as an enemy of all that is good in America, I cannot wish anything bad on the man.  Get better you stupid bastard, maybe this’ll jar that terminally softened brain of yours into caring for more than just the republican/right wing agenda. 

    I can’t say that he deserves this, or anything like this.  No one does.  Haven’t heard anyone wish anything bad on the man, despite years and years of bashing half of this nation without surcease.  That, more than anything else, speaks of the goodness of heart of the American people.  That however is not stopping a few extreme weirdos from saying that people are in fact wishing the man ill.  I am reading comments on the politico story I linked to above, and ALL of them are wishing Rush well…. with the exception of fans of his decrying the fact that liberals are wishing him ill.  I didn’t see anyone doing that though.  There were a few people saying he was a fat addict, but no one actually wishing ill on the man. 

   What can you do? People will see ill in their political opponents whether that ill is there or not.  I think Al Franken was right, Limbaugh IS a big fat idiot, even with all the recent weight loss, but I don’t want him dead.  No one does. And any of the Pro-Limbaugh forces who think otherwise are out of their minds. 

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     I am hearing a lot of noise from the right about how the President is doing things wrong…AGAIN.  I don’t see it though.  Dick Cheney, Pete Hoekstra and the rest of the gang that couldn’t think straight are charging that America is less safe.  Cheney claims that the President is pretending we aren’t at war.  Pete Hoekstra is just plain fear-mongering, and I have to tell you the man is funny.  Truly funny.  He took the Napolitano statement about the system working out of context, as have all those who have attacked her in this instance. 

    Before I get back to Hoekstra and Cheney, I want to address this simply and in a straightforward manner.  Watch the Video. 

     

   What she is saying is that ONCE THE SHIT HIT THE FAN, everything ran smoothly, NOT BEFORE.  If you listen to her talk it is plain that is what she meant.  If you can take anything else out of that statement, you are in fact putting something extra in it that wasn’t there beforehand.  

      Back to mauling Cheney and Hoekstra. 

     To Mr. Cheney first:  Where do you see pretending?  Show me, because I do not see it.  He does things differently, THAT’S WHAT WE HIRED THE MAN FOR, to do things differently that you.  For you to sling shit when you and your boys did worse is absolutely and utterly stupid.   The president has said time and again that we are at WAR. which part of WAR don’t you get, Dick? 

    Cheney talks about the President releasing prisoners from Guantanamo bay.  Interesting he should bring this up.  Very interesting, because it was men who were released from Guantanamo bay by the previous administration that went on to work with Al-Qaeda in Yemen, and perhaps even gave training to the “Underpants Bomber”.  Curious that.  

    But I am leaving “The Hoax” out of the conversation, and I really shouldn’t. 

The Hoax

 

    He is the one who passed on the Janet Napolitano Everything worked just dandy bullshit.  Again, watch the video above if you have questions about the veracity of the statement.  And on the strength of that single purposeful misstatement of his, the lie he put in Janet Napolitano’s mouth, he put out a campaign fundraising letter asking for money, playing on both the fears of terrorism, and anti-Americanism that is the hallmark of the conservative wing of the Republican party.  

    The Hoax even claimed that a pending court-martial against some Navy SEALs is “prosecuting Navy SEALs on the word of wanted terrorist and his lawyer”  Entirely untrue.  A navy seal punched a terrorist in the face.  His two buddies lied about it in a report, and it was found out.  He could have walked away with a reprimand if he had admitted to doing it, but refused, and as a consequence he, and the two men who were with him face a mandatory court martial hearing, for among other things, dereliction of duty and falsifying reports.  

    That doesn’t sound to me like “prosecuting Navy SEALs” on the word of a terrorist.  This is a Navy matter and will be dealt with by the Navy in accordance with navy rules.  I wonder how the department of the navy feels about aiding terrorists, which is the essential charge being brought forth by The Hoax here. What else would you call prosecuting Americans on the word of a terrorist?  

     The Hoax here is aiding and giving comfort to the enemy by assisting them in undermining the confidence in this government.  Nice job, Pete. 

     He is playing upon the fears of a fearful people, and the weakness of a people he thinks he can prey upon for easy cash.  

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    Gotta tell ya, before I call it a night, that my favorite part of the entire letter was the first line:  “We don’t have much time, so I will get right to the point.”   Right up there with ” I know you can’t read fast son, so I am writing this slowly”  

    Who is the very hurried we, Hoax? I had time to read it.  Your constituents have the time to read it, the unemployment rate in Michigan being what it is.  Maybe if you spent more time trying to do something for your constituents employment, they really wouldn’t have the time to read the shit you spout. 

   And why ask people with no money for money?   Maybe your rich friends have cash, but We The People are broke.  Maybe you can give us some money, ya cheap bastard! 

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     And something for the kiddies.  Talking of morality and God, and whether you need the second to have the first. Pretty obvious you don’t, and the beginning of the viddy eloquently makes that point. 

      

That’s it from here.  Later! 

Today’s nuggets, Via wikiquote:  Men go to a fire for entertainment. When I see how eagerly men will run to a fire, whether in warm or in cold weather, by day or by night, dragging an engine at their heels, I’m astonished to perceive how good a purpose the level of excitement is made to serve.  Henry David Thoreau 

But the great Master said, “I see
No best in kind, but in degree;
I gave a various gift to each,
To charm, to strengthen, and to teach.”  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

If you would be a real seeker after truth, you must at least once in your life doubt, as far as possible, all things.  Rene Descartes