God, Please Save These Troubled States

Thankfully, it seems as though the minimum-wage debate will take the Senate floor next week and, hopefully, the strangely-active Democratic congress with help to pass it.

However, as Think Progress reports, ten right-wing Senators banded together to attempt to delay the debate even further. Of these ten, TP has reported that atleast two of them are collectively worth over $35 million.

$35 million.

Their justifications?

Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH): “If you start losing jobs because you raise minimum wage too quickly, too fast that small employers can’t afford it, that’s going to have an effect on peoples’ opportunity to work.”

Wow. He definitely shows his complex and articulate understand of minimum wage economics.

Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA): “Robert Reich, once observed ‘most minimum wage workers aren’t poor.’ He is right.”

..........................................................................

I don't know what to say.

Yikes. So glad I never did wrestling in high school.

From Fox Sports:

The Minnesota State High School League banned competitions and direct contact between wrestlers in practice until Feb. 6 after 24 cases of herpes gladiatorum were reported by 10 teams. The virus is spread by skin-to-skin contact, and symptoms include lesions on the face, head and neck.

The suspension is meant to control the current outbreak, allow time to diagnose new cases and prevent disqualifications at the state tournament, scheduled for Feb. 28-March 3.

The Minnesota Department of Health has been tracking the virus, caused by herpes simplex Type 1, the same strain that causes cold sores. Officials first became aware of the outbreak at a tournament in Rochester in late-December.

Scot Davis, who coaches wrestling at Owatonna High School, has been involved in wrestling in Minnesota for more than 40 years and can't remember the league completely shutting down before.

Davis' wrestlers, who gets checkups several times a week, competed at the Rochester tournament where the outbreak was first detected, yet none of his wrestlers have been infected.

"I think it's a bold step," he said. "How else are you going to get this thing cleared up? How do I explain to a mom that her kid has herpes forever?"

Steve Larsen, wrestling coach at Century High School in Rochester, said his team will miss three competitions because of the eight-day suspension.

"It's going to make scheduling interesting," he said. "I hope some of it will get rescheduled."

Also, why is there a picture of Spike Lee on that page? Are they trying to say something?  

Everyone says it, so I'll say it too: I only watch the audition episodes of the show because I, too, enjoy to watch crazy people make a fool of themselves on national television. And Simon Cowell makes me laugh.

So, just in case you missed this gem, this is Ian Benardo and his audition.

Absolutely amazing.

So what does he do in response?

He releases a single.

I apologize in advance for any damage done to your ears.

I can't find any news about it, so perhaps you guys could clue me in?

What I've heard is that you now have to have a Yahoo account and there's some limit on tags......something?

COME ON. I know like atleast 99% of you old schoolers all migrated there. What's going on???

Hahahaha.

I just read this and, even though I knew about it when the accident happened, holy crap. The pictures are gnarly.

Singer Brandy may be sued for vehicular manslaughter (which is a felony.)

This post certainly isn't meant to demonize Brandy, as she seems to be taking responsibility for her actions, which led to the death of another man. I think what is significant, however, is all the comments which seem to be suggesting that we give her a break because it was an accident.

You're kidding, right? I mean, I'm glad she's invoking her celebrity status, but for pete's sake, don't do it for her!

Truth be told, I have had an uncanny number of stalkers in my life. When I say uncanny, I mean more than 10. Which is 10 more than any person should ever have.

But this blog post isn't about me. It's about "Katrina," the now-infamous stalker of hip hop mogul and superstar Jay Z. She appeared on Dr. Phil's show.

Some highlights, shall we?

“I’ve been stalking Jay-Z more than three years,” Katrina says matter-of-factly. “Jay-Z is the CEO of Def Jam [Records]. He’s a big celebrity. In my mind he’s more than that. He is just my dream. I can’t seem to think of anybody else. He is my all and all." Katrina buys every magazine Jay-Z is in, has called him over 300 times and e-mails him 200 times a day, but he has never responded. She even had a T-shirt made up with Jay-Z's and her picture, that she says she sleeps in every night. "Jay-Z’s real name is Shawn Corey Carter. When I’m writing songs, I would just call him Shawn. I make up my own songs and leave them on his voice mail," she shares. "I went to a Web site that has gossip, and they believe anything you say. I e-mailed them a letter, saying I wasJay-Z’s ex. I also went as far as saying Jay-Z liked me better than [his girlfriend] Beyoncé. He’s in love with me," she reveals. "Everything was made up."

"I don’t care. To me, I am Beyoncé. I am every man’s dream. I’m accomplishing it by just looking in the mirror and saying, ‘Jay-Z’s going to be my man,’" she says. Katrina explains that when she heard a rumor that Jay-Z proposed to Beyoncé, she snapped and tore all his pictures up.
"I want to see Beyoncé and Jay-Z one day in public and just go there and snatch her weave out.”

If you want to get next to Jay-Z, go through his close associates: his best friend, his cousin, his sister. Everyone who is close to Jay-Z, I’ve stalked,” Katrina admits. "My ex-boyfriend thought I was just nuts. And he got to the point where, ‘You choose me or Jay-Z,’ and I chose Jay-Z.

I just think he’s better off with me, because to me, she’s [Beyonce Knowles] just fake, and she’s not giving her all and all to him," Katrina says.

"I just know that he would like what he sees if he were to see me," Katrina says.

The delusional, while upsetting, are so fucking funny.

A bit of celeb news and a bit of politics, all in the same post!

The TMZ camp is reporting that Beyonce is filming a few music videos in LA this week, but has chosen to choose a cheaper route for paying the dancers in her videos. She's circumvented the dancers' agents, meaning they have no one to fight for higher pay.

Of course, there are still dancers flocking to LA, getting paid below industry standards, just so they can say they danced in a Beyonce a video.

Personally, I'm more interested in the dancers who are boycotting the entire gig. Good for you. Especially considering that even if these other dancers appear in a Beyonce gig, everyone will know they lowered their standards to be in it.

This is a public service announcement from Mark, reminding you that Beyonce is a rich and arrogant douchebag. Fuck her.

Bonus points to anyone who can name the song/band that is from without cheating.

You've probably heard the news of the 67-year old woman who just gave birth to twins, making her (possibly) the oldest mother on earth. (She lied about her age in order to get services. How did she do that? Fake a birth certificate?)

Pretty rad, right?

To an extent. I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer, but this story doesn't make me smile or giggle or grin from ear to ear. It makes me shake my head.

Let me first say that I am glad this woman got what she wanted. If she truly wants to have children, to give them the "miracle" of life (and I use that loosely), and to raise these kids, fine. More power to her. If she wants to give the middle finger to society saying she's too old, awesome. Ageism sucks and this woman rules for defying it.

But then I think about how she'll be 85 years old (if she's still alive!) when these kids become adults. Is she going to be able to financially support them? Hell, can she even physically support them at that age?

I suppose my own bias towards having kids is a bit unfair and unreasonable. I think there are enough people on this god-forsaken planet and its mighty selfish to think you need to add any more.

But then I look at pictures of Cosmo and fuck. My point goes right out of the window. HOW COULD YOU DENY THE WORLD SUCH INSANE CUTENESS?

Perhaps I'm just too self-centered to ever want kids, so I've developed this bizarre world view to rationalize it.

Ehhhhh.

I swear that I have to keep telling myself to stop being surprised about every white rabbit our current administration keeps pulling out of their hat. But honestly, this blows me away.

So the Democrats are in control. I don't expect any sort of revolution to occur in our government; hell, I don't even trust them any more than I trust the Republicans. They're all in the same boat, as far as I'm concerned. (That's a separate issue.)

But I have to admit that I'm slightest bit impressed by how quickly our new Congress has jumped into action. They're actually passing bills. I mean, it's what they're supposed to be doing, so I'm not gonna do flips or go crazy. But now, a great deal of them are actually standing up to the president.

So this is what he does in response (link found through the Crooks and Liars story):

Our President has signed a directive that allows him to place a regulatory offical to essentially control the rules and documents  for any regulatory industry, so that the interests of the White House are met.

For example: The Environmental Protection Agency cannot enact any new rules or documents without it first receiving the approval of a Bush-appointed offical. Same with OSHA.

Jesus Christ, this is fucking terrifying. I literally feel sick to my stomach. How can he do this? Why aren't we taking to the streets and decrying such blatant abuse of power? And shouldn't these policies be approved in the best interests of AMERICANS, not the White House?

Disgusting.

If you read this, I require that you also listen to Andrew WK whilst doing it. I guarantee it will be 100 times better.

Everyone likes to say that they don’t like to involve themselves with internet drama, but I’ll be damned if there isn’t something strangely compelling about it. And so I willingly throw myself into this because if someone doesn’t say something, this is never going to end.

Let’s start with a MySpace link, shall we?

www.myspace.com/evillynn



Yes. Some of you may recognize this already. Am I really rehashing out old grudges after years of burying the hatchet? Yes. And it will be totally worth it.

Let’s ignore the drama from years ago, except to make this point: I know this person to be certifiably insane. But I stopped caring about it long ago and have even been cordial to Amber’s face. Not because I felt I had to, but because I just didn’t care.

And then this lovely message appeared in my good friend Desiree’s inbox:

Amber: Hi Des, it's Amber.

I know you probably hate me from all of the messageboard drama but I wanted to say hi. I know that there are a lot of rumors and lies going around about me again and I just want to make sure no one believes them. Jade is now denying that he ever dated me and it is cutting me like a knife. I don't know if he is denying it because of Marissa Festa or something but it really hurts me that he would just pretend not to know me. Davey won't even call me which hurts because we used to spend hours talking on the phone when he was sick and sad because his gf had left him and he was all alone.

Just please, please, please do not let any chats or messages get send to the band again. I always thought you seemed really cool, and drama just got in between us. I bet we could have been really good friends.

Please write back.

xo,
Amber Strife

I hope you are laughing hysterically right about now. This is only going to get better.

Desiree responds:

Desiree: I can't believe you're still at it. You're a fucking nutcase. I'm not even sure if you realize that you're lying, or if somewhere in your fucked up little head, you honestly believe your imaginary stories. Actually, I think you're just one of those girls that really wants attention, and ANY attention - good or bad - will do.

Don't try to include me in your fucking creepy stalker shit. I am so tired of hearing about it, and I'm fucking sick of you perpetuating it. Cut out the bullshit and get a real life. You make me sick. I would never stick around someone that I knew was like you. It's not messageboard drama that drove us apart. It's you being a fucking creep! As soon as I discover that someone is a liar or a band stalker, I drop them like a hotcake. I don't want to know someone like that, I don't want in any way to be associated with someone like that. I think you and your mom need a whole hell of a lot of therapy to work this out.

Dave and Jade have nothing to do with you, and fuck you for messaging that same shit to Marissa. Keep your ridiculous bullshit for some dumb fangirls that might believe it, and stay out of their personal lives, because I guarantee that you are not - and THEY DO NOT WANT YOU TO BE - a part of them.

Fuck. That was a righteous rebuttal. Thanks Desiree.

I’m not really going to offer much of my opinion, as I’d rather let the facts stand as they are. And the next set of facts: Amber replies.

Amber: You really have everything all wrong. I don't really want to bring you into my personal life, but I guess I should tell you. I ended up sleeping with Davey one night, and Jade on another. I like to think of it as more than just sleeping with them, but now they are both ignoring me. I know you don't believe me. I don't know what I can do to change that. I really think you and I got off on the wrong foot and you have me all wrong. I'm not a bad person. I'm not a stalker. I admit I used to drive by their old houses but I don't think that's stalking.

I am just really worried that the lies that have been going around about me stalking them are going to get back to them.

I really think you have the wrong idea about me.

Why do you think that they don't want me in their lives? All I want are answers and no one is giving them to me. I really do think that Davey and I had something more going on. Next thing I knew he was fucking [some whore] and he never spoke to me again.

Please don't be angry with me. I'm not a creep, and I really want everything to be okay with us. Just please, all I am begging of you is not to send anything to the band that you might hear.

xoxo,
Amber

The bolded line is there for emphasis on the wildly hilarious and insanely creepy.

Funny how someone who is so close to a band needs to go through a third party just to contact them.

Desiree shoots back!

Desiree: Really, what is your deal? Why are you messaging me, when I don't even talk to you? Why are you telling me preposterous stories and then telling me not to tell them some other stories? I am just confounded. I really don't get it. What are you trying to do here?

A good point! I think the point is rightfully awarded to Desiree. 3-0, shall we say?

Amber: arent you the one who spread those rumors about me in the first place?Why didn't you answer my question? How do you know that they dont want anything to do with me? Did they tell you that or are you just trying to pretend that you know something. I thought we could be friends but you just want to stay angry at me. im really sorry for anything ive ever said about you or did to make you angry.

xoxo,
Amber

Ah, shooting the messenger! A poor technique, to say the least, but nice try, Amber! Score still stands at 3-0.

At this point, Desiree does exactly what you should do with a crazy like this: She passes this along to everyone she knows. Like me. I laugh. I don’t think it amounts to much and it doesn’t concern me. She hasn’t written to me, talked about me, or done anything that involves me. So I’ll just stay out of it.

However, another one of our friends chose to write Desiree’s response for her because she was so mad. Continue reading for some more e-PWNAGE:

The Reply: Of course I'm not the one who spread those rumors about you in the first place. I'M NOT FUCKING CRAZY. I DON'T DO SHIT LIKE THAT. I'm not some creepy band stalker who has to compete with other band stalkers to validate my life and sense of well being. I didn't give a shit about you until you started being a creepy threat to my friends, at which point I felt obligated to inform them.

Now, the most I care about your life is that I know I want you the fuck away from me, and everyone I know. I don't care enough about someone so sorry, miserable, and delusional as yourself to make up silly "rumors," especially when I don't need to. I know what I've heard is true because I've heard it straight from the horse's mouth.
Call it rumor all you want, Amber, it's not going to cover your ass anymore. Everybody knows you're a whackjob at this point, they don't even need the "rumors" to prove it anymore. Just look at what you say yourself!

How about I just tell them the fucking stupid stories that you've just sent me? We'll all have fun laughing and ridiculing you and your fucking insanity. Everyone I know already is. Way to prove yourself again, Crazy McGee.

I also find it quite hysterical that you question me, as if I'M the one that PRETENDS to have imaginary "relationships" with them.
It's obvious that the real reason why you're messaging Marissa and I (and whoever else you sent your incoherent bullshit to), is because you're so desperate for contact from the band, you're willing to get it from anywhere, from anyone who you think might be a link for you. Well, fuck off, it's not going to be me.

Go digging for attention elsewhere.

Funny, you jumped on the idea that "they might have told me something" when it's pretty obvious from YOUR OWN GODDAMN DELUSIONS that they want nothing to do with you. If you know Jade and Davey oh so well, why not call them and ask THEM how they feel about you? And if they want anything to do with you MAYBE THEY WOULDN'T "PRETEND" LIKE THEY DIDN'T KNOW YOU EXIST. Don't you think that might be a tip off, there? Just maybe? I don't know, my friends and loved ones tend to acknowledge my existence. Maybe things work differently for you.

And damn fucking straight I'm staying angry at you, and if you ever bother anyone I care about, ever - and that includes the band - I'll rip your fucking heart out.

I just answered your fucking question, now never, ever fucking message me again. Ever

Pretty straightforward and to the point. Lovely. I think we’re winning 4-0 now.

But Amber just doesn’t give up!

Amber: excuse me but what friends of yours did i start being all creepy to? did jade or davey actually SAY that they dont want anything to do with me?

Ha. Still trying to get validation for herself or atleast see if someone is paying attention to her. It’s such a bad comeback that…..you know what? She loses a point.

Score: 4 to -1.

At this point, Desiree realizes there’s no real point to this. It’s not like anyone actually believes Amber. So she blocks her on MySpace. Supposed to be end of story, right?

Boy, the crazy sure are tenacious motherfuckers:

Amber: What the fuck Des? you reported me for harrassment and got me deleted just because I asked you a question? better hope i dont run in to you at any of the california shows. im going to email gavin, jade and marissa and tell them that anything you say about me is a load of bull.

Minus 8 points for the weakest internet threat ever. If you warn someone not to run into you in public, you’re supposed to then say what’s going to happen.

Score: 324 to -9. That’s right. I gave Desiree 320 more points. Fuck you.

At this point, all this has done for me is provide amusement. I’m not getting involved and I don’t care.

Too late. Look what I got tonight:

Amber: Mark,
It was just brought to my attention from a PM from Des that there's a fake profile out there sending messages to people. Des got a few and I'm assuming you would too.

They made the mistake of messaging and threatening me so I went through all the myspace hurdles to have it deleted. Apparently they blamed it on Des....but it was me.

I'm in contact again with myspace again to have that one deleted as well.

Basically, the heads up is that if you get a message from http://www.myspace.com/amberstrife....its not me. This is my only profile and I don't have much time for it as it is.

Thanks,
Amber

I haven’t replied to her. I’m not going to reply to her. I’m going to do what should have been done years ago:

Calling you out.

Amber, you’re fucking insane. The fact that you have some diabolical backup plan in case your illogical fairy tales fall through is only more evidence that you’ve lost every single one of your marbles.

Your mom is crazy. You are crazy. It must be genetic, but, either way, get the fuck out of our lives. Don’t message me. Don’t message Desiree. Don’t message the band, anyone they know, Gavin, or anyone else on the board. We simply don’t give a shit anymore. It’s so tired and boring and old and ridiculous and, to put it bluntly, entirely fucking unbelievable. If you’re going to lie, tell good ones! But you’re not even good at that! What the shit? You’ve been doing it for so long that you would think one would become better over time.

But I guess logic and reason isn’t a strong point. None of this makes sense. If this is real (and I believe it is), it makes no sense. If those messages are all fake, it still makes no sense. That doesn’t matter.

So I’m doing this not to bring one bit of attention to myself. Fuck me. I don’t matter. I’m doing this so that every person who ever goes to an AFI show ever will know your face, know your name, and know what you stand for: absolutely nothing.

Oh, and go ahead and report my MySpace. Get it deleted. I don’t give a shit. I hate this site anyway. (BUZZNET FOR LIFE.) That won’t matter, because every person who reads this is also going to repost it as a bulletin. And then I’m going to put it on my site. And on every one of the billion messageboards I post on.

You’ll be right out in the open, instead of hiding in shady emails and dark corners of venues. And when the entire community of AFI fans is staring you right in the face, you’ll have nothing to say.

The rejection starts right here and right fucking now:

Get the fuck out of this community. You are no longer welcome.

Propagandhi are currently my favorite modern punk band. No one comes close. They released my favorite album in 2005. (Potemkin City Limits) They released my favorite album in 2001. (Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes.)

And they're notorious for taking forever to release records.

So imagine my surprise reading PunkNews this morning to learn that they're already writing songs for a new album, less than 2 years after the last one.
Read More
Sweetness.

I know I already wrote about global warming today. But this is so equally batshit, I had to share it with the Buzznet world.

Global warming really isn't a debatable issue any more, but some people want to insist that it's nothing but a bunch of liberal propaganda. However, this is the first time I've ever heard the issue used to promote Christian fundamentalism.

This isn't the first time a school board has blocked a viewing of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. No surprise. But when a parent objects to the film because they believe global warming is a sign of The Second Coming.........

I have to laugh. Is Jesus' ectoplasm warming up our environment? Maybe his burning heart is raising greenhouse gas emissions. I'd be ready to accept that.

But perhaps it's all the fuckwad Christian fundamentalists with their eyes heaven-bound, unconcerned what happens to people in the real world. (Since, you know, they're going to heaven. What else mattters?)  And maybe it's the materialistic Americans who insist that their actions have no effect on our environment as they parade around in their gas-guzzling vehicles, ever-contributing to the inevitable slumber of our Mother Earth.

Nah. It's totally Jesus coming back. Get out your swimsuits! It's gonna be a long summer.

Review first. Then read this.

My slight obsession with Glenn Beck essentially spawns from my interest in people who are so blatantly stupid and ignorant. I wonder if there are moments when he stands in front of the mirror in the morning and he comes to some sort of epiphany: Yes, I truly am an evil motherfucker. Then we wrings his hands together in some sort of joyous content and cackles like a madman. MUAHHAHAHAHA!

Or not. But after reading this Think Progress story, I can't help but assume that he's thought about his own purpose as the world's most asshole-ish commentator on the planet.

Glenn Beck has railed conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh for his divisive and destructive commentary.

UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Aren't you the same shit head who attacked a Democrat senator because of his religion? Who thinks "faggot" is just a naughty name?

Maybe Glenn Beck just needs to stare into the mirror just a little bit longer.

Well, atleast they got 2 out of 3 right.

Ok. I jest. I fear that a bunch of Men in Black will come take me away like in those old "The State" skits.

The girls were 14 and 15 and officials were quick to acknowledge that they don't think they thwarted an actual homocide, especially since the girls had no access to any weapons.

Still, I guess that they had to take the matter seriously, even with Tom Cruise and Oprah on the list.

It just goes to show, kids: If you're going to make a hit list, don't include wacky Scientologist or shitty talk show hosts.

Really, a story of this magnitude of stupidity does inspire me to cause physical harm on my own body.

I don't know what to type. I'm at a loss for words. Telling scientists to block the sun, instead of showing enviromental responsibility, is like saying, "HEY SCIENTISTS! IGNORE SCIENCE!"

Just.....what the fuck?????????

When I first read this headline, I was almost certain that I had somehow been directed to a Yahoo spoof site.   I mean, come on; could a city really sponser a death party?

Well, it's real. And even though I once told someone that I'd throw a party when they died, I'd like to think that I wouldn't actually do that. Yet, an entire city is going to throw a party in the Orange Bowl when Fidel Castro dies.

Am I missing something?

You guys do realize you're leaving me notes saying that notes aren't working, right?

I'll just let that sentence stand and hopefully this blog post won't implode.

But a damn good one at that.

I can't wait to see what he does next. In case you don't know:

The video.
The site.

Oh man, she is much smarter and nicer than I anticipated.

I just returned from the impromptu march organized just barely a few weeks ago for the citizens of Los Angeles to protest the war in Iraq. Not only do I feel it was more successful than planned (especially since it rained!!!!), but it was exhilarating to see so many separate and different groups come together for once cause.

And then at the end of the march, I got to be front and center for a short solo set from Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine/Audioslave fame.

HE COVERED CCR. "FORTUNATE SON." I DIED.

Did you march today????

Besides logic, reason, empathy, and a sense of understand for both history and current world/domestic events, there was one thing that was suspiciously vacant from Bush's State of The Union address:

Any mention of Hurricane Katrina.

And wasn't it just barely a year ago when Bush swore it was a top priority?

CBS has a great report on the victims who are still affected by this tragedy and how they feel completely forgotten.

CHECK IT. (Thanks again, Think Progress.)

Think Progress reports this morning about an agreement reached between Wal Mart and the Labor Board regarding a "miscalculation" of overtime pay for the previous two years. Wal Mart essentially turned themselves in back in 2005 to audit themselves because they feared their practices were not in compliance with federal law.

While most will read this story and see it as a commendable and honorable thing for Wal Mart to do, I had second thoughts. Last year, I was awarded money from a class action lawsuit against Hot Topic for this very same offense: a failure to correctly pay overtime. (I was actually fired because I was so vocally against the company's policies, but that is a separate issue.) Even then, I knew that the company was still fucking over its employees and the settlement wasn't much more than a PR move by the company.

At Hot Topic, we were routinely forced to cut our breaks short or simply not take them at all. This was especially true for managers; I can recall working 10+ hour days and being the only manager in the store for more than six hours. Even more diabolical, we were given absurdly difficult and time-consuming projects to complete in ridiculously short periods of time. If we didn't finish them, we'd be written up. If we added hours to ourselves or other employees and went over hours, we'd be written up. Forced between a rock and a hard place, I found myself clocking out many times just to get a job done.

So, knowing this, I decided to do a little research to see why this was an issue at all (with Wal Mart) and how they've gone about to correct themselves.

Surprise. They haven't.

First of all, you should subscribe to Wal Mart Watch's RSS feed to constantly remind yourself that there's no reason to ever shop there. But with a little poking around on the site, I learned a bit more about this issue:

Wal Mart determines over time by calculating, in a 2 week pay period, how much time is worked over 80 hours. This, however, is incredibly deceitful to employees; legally, overtime is paid for any time worked over 40 hours in one week. By measuring time over a two-week period, Wal Mart has the advantage because they can manipulate an employee's second week to make it appear as if they never worked overtime at all.

How is this so? Through the use of their TimeCard system.

Employees are responsible for keeping to their schedule within a hundredth of a minute of accuracy. Meaning they can get punished for going over their scheduled time by less than a second. That's how detailed the time card system is. Now, as some of you certainly have experienced, sometimes you clock in early. Sometimes you're busy and you clock out late. These minutes can add up, but they're generally not that significant.

Each week, on Thursday, an employees current hours are printed out and reviewed. (At this point, they should have worked no longer than 32 hours.) If they have? Their supervisor is required, by company policy, to suggest the employee take extended lunches or breaks to wipe out these extra minutes.

If this is so, then you have to wonder how Wal Mart somehow missed paying someone $39,000 in back pay. It's a fucking computer. How does it make a mistake like this?

This is most certainly not the first time Wal Mart has been found guilty of labor law violations. A quick glance at their offenses shows that they're very familiar with simply doing as they please, regardless of how much it eventually costs them. (Because, of course, a few million dollars in back pay is chump change for their billion dollar empire. And how do 127 out of 128 stores not comply with break time laws? Insane.)

Please do your part to boycott this company and convince your friends to do the same.

What the hell?

As Nicole Bell from Crooks and Liars points out, the Comedy Central Insider actually predicted Rumsfeld's resignation. So are they right about this as well?

If so:

WHAT THE FUCK?

You know, I was pretty bummed that the federal minimum wage hike wasn't passed in Congress this week, but this simply infuriates me.

As if it wasn't enough that the poor are still making chump change and nothing near a living wage, right-wing Senators decide to flog them some more by trying to vote to repeal a minimum wage altogether.

First of all, as I've stated in the past, the current minimum wage rate is pathetic. I've had to survive and pay rent off of a minimum wage job. It's akin to being dropped into a giant tank of water with weights attached to your ankles. You keep trying to stay afloat and prevent the water from entering your lungs; every so often, your head is above water long enough that you can catch your breath.

Both because I think they're greedy assholes and because they have no cognizant understanding of the plight of those on minimum wage, 28 Senators voted to turn the minimum wage rates over to the individual sates.

Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO) spearheaded this resolution. (If that name doesn't ring a bell, maybe those bills about flag burning and banning gay marriage should, since he's gone on record stating that both of these two issues are the most important issues facing Americans today.)

Bob Geiger points out that, if left to the individual states, the minimum wage rate in Kansas would be a mere $2.65 per hour.

Per. Hour.

Let's see what the rates would be in other states:

Arizona:     $6.25/hour
Delaware : $6.65/hour (Though it raises to $7.15 next year.)
Florida:      $6.67/hour
Georgia:    $5.15/hour
Idaho:        $5.15/hour
Indiana:     $5.15/hour
Iowa:         $5.15/hour
Kentucky:  $5.15/hour*
Nebraska:   $5.15/hour
New Mexico: $5.15/hour
Oklahoma:    $5.15/hour if company grosses over $100,00 annually. Otherwise: $2.00/hour.

*A special note about Kentucky. Employees are paid premium pay on their 7th day of work in one week.

Also, most states have no minimum wage at all and merely adopt that federal rate ($5.15) by default.

So yeah. We should totally let the states decide.

Especially since, if this holds, the White House is gonna be screwed. Totally screwed.

That's because, in testimony yesterday, Dick Cheney's former spokeswoman decided to let the court know that she specifically remembers telling Lewis Libby that Valerie Plame was a CIA operative long before he appeared on Tim Russert's Meet The Press. (Lewis is saying he didn't know who Plame was until he appeared on the show.)

Cathie Martin also revealed two strategies that the White House used to gain support for the Iraq war: "strategic leaks" and appearing on Meet The Press to "control the message." While she contended that Cheney never said to leak Plame's identity to Robert Novak (who wrote the New York Times article that outed her), this still looks terrible for the White House.

More updates as this develops!

And precisely why I make sure to read his blog every single day.

In case you hadn't heard, students at Tarleton State University (in Texas) held a Martin Luther King, Jr party on his day of rememberence. The party was held mostly by the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity on campus and featured a complete bastardization of African-American culture as the costume theme. Yep. Fried chicken, malt liquor brown-bagged, bandanas, Aunt Jemima, and gang signs.

Don't believe me?





Yep. These kids are totally black now.

Most of the blog responses have been pretty typical. OMG THEY ARE RACIST. OMG RIDICULOUS. OMG IT'S A JOKE. And this is precisely why Jesus' General, in his gloriously witty tone, stands far above everyone else:

Next time, you should probably go with a safer theme, maybe a Mafia theme for Columbus Day or a drunken pedophile priest theme for St. Patricks Day.

Read his full letter/response here. The best part is how the guy who threw the party says that his black or African American friend, "whichever you deem politically correct..." said it was ok.

He's no longer The Decider, guys. GUYS, ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION? THIS IS LIFE-STOPPING NEWS!

"I'm the decision-maker."

Oh FUCK. WATCH OUT GUYS.

Are you ready for this? CAN YOU HANDLE THE TRUTH????




















































John Kerry won't run for president in 2008.



THANK FUCKING GOD.

And it's getting worse.

So I don't take up so much space, click here to read a review of what has happened thus far.

At this point, I certainly expected a response of some sort from CNN, especially considering the nature of Beck's previous rants. Plus, I'm pretty sure I've never heard the word "faggot" on live television. Except, of course, when Ann Coulter called Al Gore one. (Birds of a feather.....)

But I am completely blindsided by CNN's defense of Beck. As referenced in GLAAD's statement to CNN, the network reasoned that Beck didn't use the word himself (WHO SAID IT, THEN???), that his show was opinion and not news, and that he was merely expressing an opinion.

They have simply wiped their hands their hands clean of the whole affair.

Good ol' AmericaBlog is helping to direct people to boycott two of the majors sponsors of Beck's show, Best Buy and Office Depot. I've already taken 10 minutes out of my day to let them know how I feel. You should too.

If you recall a blog I wrote last year, I deemed the "Hidden Under The Bed" predator as the creepiest news story of all time. And really, I think I was justified in saying so.

It's unfortunate that I think I have stumbled across a news story even more creepy than the guy who hid underneath his victim's bed for three months:

Neil Havens Rodreick II disguised himself as a 12-year old student and went to middle school with other students for over two months.

Link to story here. But let's break this down, as I've become so accustomed to doing.

First, let's take a look at Mr. Rodreick:



Hmmm. He most certainly does not resemble a 12 year old.

Let's take a look at the men Rodreick tricked into a sexual relationship:


Robert James Snow, 43.


Lonnie Stifler, 61.

Oh Lord. They look creepy. Plus, they're both being charged with attempted child molestation and attempted sexual contact with a minor since they believed Rodreick was 12.

So what do you say about a story like this? What can you say?

I guess I'll just say this: Lonnie Stifler totally looks like Christopher Lloyd.


Sorry.

Too bad it wasn't a zombie baby. That would make this story totally fuckin' sweet.

Essentially, after being notified of that her late parents' storage unit would have its contents sold at auction (due to overdue rent), she decided to take a trip down to Delray Beach, Florida to check it out.

And inside a suitcase that was inside a larger suitcase, wrapped in 1950s newspapers, was a mummified baby boy.

Seriously, could you imagine finding that? Could you imagine the billions of thoughts that would run through your head? Why did my parents hid a child in their storage? Did my parents practice voodoo? Did I just unleash the hellish and restless spirit of some murdered child?

Ok. Perhaps only I would think that.

They voted 12-9 and the issue may take the Senate floor as early as next week. And just yesterday, the President asked the American people to accept his plan and give it a chance. Ha. So much for that!

A few highlights from the committee:

Sen. Joseph Biden: "My intention was to send the first of many messages -- direct and unequivocal -- to the president: Stop what you are doing."

Good. Just what he needs. (To be spoken to as if he's a dog.)

Sen. Barbara Boxer: "The war in Iraq is fueling terrorism. It's draining our treasury ... It is weakening us in our own nation."

A little late to be said, but yes. This is true.

Debate next week and more blogs from me!

I've actually met Deadlee before; he was on Hollywood Blvd passing out a demo tape of his about 4 years ago. I stopped, gave it a listen, and talked with him about the poor state of modern hip hop and the apparent homosexual bias that seemed to be the norm in the scene.

Nice guy. I wasn't that big a fan of his rhymes, but I atleast respected him.

So, naturally, I was sort of surprised to read about his comments towards 50Cent, DMX, and Eminem this morning. Mostly because....well. They're not as articulate as I remember him to be.

"Eminem was called out for his juvenile, hateful approach to homosexuality, especially in his song 'Criminal,' [The Marshall Mathers LP]" Deadlee said. "He was the biggest rapper at the time and if he used the same song as a diss to Blacks or Latinos, he would probably be dead. Eminem likes to pick on the 'weak' but gay[z] aint weak and he might be a f*g himself. He knew all the subcultures in that song."

Um ok. So was the inclusion of the "z" necessary? Anyway, I don't find homosexual speculation to be an effective way to attack other people, but I will concede he does have a point.




Let's look at Eminem's lyrics:

My words are like a dagger with a jagged edge
That'll stab you in the head
whether you're a fag or lez
Or the homosex, hermaph or a trans-a-vest
Pants or dress - hate fags? The answer's "yes"
Homophobic? Nah, you're just heterophobic
Starin at my jeans, watchin my genitals bulgin (Ooh!)
That's my motherfuckin balls, you'd better let go of em
They belong in my scrotum, you'll never get hold of em
Hey, it's me, Versace
Whoops, somebody shot me!
And I was just checkin the mail
Get it? Checkin the 'male'?
How many records you expectin to sell
after your second LP sends you directly to jail?

Yeah. Ok. Maybe he knows too much.

Let's move on to DMX:

Deadlee, who was born in Denver but calls Los Angeles home, also has issues with DMX's constant use of the word fa**ot and his references to "homo thugs."

"I find it crazy when his videos are very homoerotic," Deadlee said. "All the guys kicking it with their shirts off!"

Ok. Well. Um. Isn't that like every rap video? It's to appeal to the ladies. But I guess he still sort of has a point.

50 Cent?

In April 2004, 50 Cent made international headlines when Playboy published an article with the rapper expressing his views on homosexuality.

"I ain't into fa**ots," 50 Cent told Playboy. "I don't like gay people around me, because I'm not comfortable with what their thoughts are. I'm not prejudiced. I just don't go with gay people and kick it - we don't have that much in common. I'd rather hang out with a straight dude. But women who like women, that's cool."

"F*ck him. I don't like ignorant b**ches around me, so he can suck my gun," Deadlee stated. "He is a classic man who had Homo-feelings and chooses to lash out because he is afraid he might act out on his true feelings. 50 Cent has deep rooted homosexual tendencies."

Ok, come on. I understand that a lot of homophobic people do lash out because of their own inability to accept their feelings. But 50 Cent? Dude's like the straightest man on the face of the planet.

Sigh. I liked Deadlee more when he was the MC on the street, speaking about these issues with people face to face. Shit talk wars never accomplish anything.  

Come on, God. I know I don't believe in you, but the least you can do is intervene in this world's television crisis.

What has caused me to cry out to our Creator with such passion and commitment? The news that the Netherlands will be producing a dating-type reality show for the physically disfigured.

Now, I'm all for introducing new ideas and bringing about tolerance through the television. (Well, atleast as a medium for information.) But experience tells me that this show isn't going to be about tolerance or acceptance and rather about exploitation.

Why do I feel this way? The inital title of the show was, "Monster Love."

HOW DOES THAT SPREAD A MESSAGE OF LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE?????????????????????????

I'll do my best to update the Libby Leak case as it unfolds.

This is the latest news: Scooter Libby's lawyers are claiming that the White House has smeared Libby in order to protect Karl Rove's political maneuvering.

I'm not sure how much I believe this, especially so early into the trial. But I don't doubt the possibility that this is true; knowing Karl Rove and what a douche he is, I wouldn't be surprised.

Let me explain the title a little bit more.

Back in 2002, the White House passed along a resolution to Congress that would approve military action in Iraq and, as we now know, it was passed easily. (I'd like to find out how many Congressmen and women now regret that vote.)

However, in a now-published interview with GQ magazine, Sen. Chuck Ragel (R-NE) reveals that, in fact, the original resolution was for the entire Middle East region:

HAGEL: [F]inally, begrudgingly, [the White House] sent over a resolution for Congress to approve. Well, it was astounding. It said they could go anywhere in the region.

GQ: It wasn’t specific to Iraq?

HAGEL: Oh no. It said the whole region! They could go into Greece or anywhere. Is central Asia in the region? I suppose! Sure as hell it was clear they meant the whole Middle East. It was anything. It was literally anything. No boundaries. No restrictions.

GQ: They expected Congress to let them start a war anywhere in the Middle East?

HAGEL: Yes. Yes. Wide open. We had to rewrite it. Joe Biden, Dick Lugar, and I stripped the language that the White House had set up and put our language in it.

Oh, and those regretted votes?

Asked about his vote in support of the final Iraq war resolution, Hagel told GQ, “Do I regret that vote? Yes, I do regret that vote.”

Yikes. Things aren't getting better in the Middle East.

Israeli President Moshe Katsav said he would temporarily step aside but not resign after it was announced that he would be indicted on rape and other sex crime charges.

"I announced today to the Knesset that I would suspend myself from my post," a visibly heated Katsav told reporters at his Jerusalem residence.

"The law does not oblige me to resign," he said. "I will not give in to blackmail."

Immediately after Katsav's announcement Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert added his voice to a growing chorus and spoke out against Katsav for the first time, calling on the embattled president to quit.

"There is no doubt in my heart that the president cannot continue in his functions and he will have to leave the presidency," Olmert said, addressing a security conference north of Tel Aviv.

In an angry and rambling 50-minute speech Katsav had just minutes earlier publicly addressed the charges for the first time, lashing out at the media, police and prosecutors for conducting a "witch-hunt."

Katsav, a married father of five, denied the rape allegations against him, calling them "venomous, untruthful and without basis." His tearful wife and children looked on as he spoke.

The announcement that he would step aside, but not resign his largely ceremonial post, allows Katsav to keep his presidential immunity from prosecution, legal experts said.

After a six-month investigation, Attorney General Menahem Mazuz said on Tuesday he intends to indict the 61-year-old on a slew of charges, including raping a female employee when he was tourism minister, sexual harassment, abuse of power, breach of trust and accepting bribes.

However, there is a silver lining to this whole story:

In Katsav's absence, Parliamentary Speaker Dalia Itzik will assume his duties, becoming Israel's first female president.

Interesting.

Let me first start out this short blog by saying that I hate McDonald's. I haven't eaten there in years and I hope to never step foot inside one for the rest of my life. Beyond their shitty food, deceptively annoying advertising, and pervasive invasion of every bumfuck town on the planet, they're just a shitty company with terrible business practices.

Enough punk rock rhetoric. I caught a glimpse of the Yahoo story about McDonald's doubling their fourth quarter profits. Yawn. And then this jumped out at me:

McDonald's Corp., the world's largest fast-food chain, said Wednesday that its fourth-quarter profit more than doubled, thanks in large part to the spinoff of a burrito chain and strong sales in Europe.

Ok. Wait. What? Since when has McDonald's sold burritos? And why the fuck would you want to eat a burrito from McDonald's? They can't even do our own country's food correctly. (Don't even try to say that McDonald's makes good burgers. The Burger Gods will smite you.)

That's all. The story is boring. Fuck McDonald's.

Review first. Then I 'splode.

Part I: Glenn Beck says "what everyone else has been wanting to say." Right. You're the rebel, Glenn Beck! Asking the difficult questions! (Proving you're nothing more than a racist asshole who parades himself around as a real journalist, of course.)

Part II: Jon Stewart observes, "Finally, someone who says what people who aren't thinking are thinking."

Part III: FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting) reports that Beck has been publicly racist in the past and, furthermore, that CNN hired him knowing full well that he was so biased and outspoken against Muslims. (So much for being a trusted news source!)

Part IV: Rewarding his racist actions, Good Morning America hires him.

Part V: Beck uses a racial slur on his show, erronously calling himself an "Oreo cookie," which is a derogatory term for someone who is black on the outside but white on the inside. Nothing happens to him.

This is getting long!

Part VI: Glenn Beck becomes furious at the New York Times for refusing to print the word "faggot." (There's a video at the link. Thanks Think Progress!)

The interplay:

GLENN BECK, HOST: But anyway, Dave, what is the — what is the controversy? One of the guys called another guy a naughty name.

DAVE GLOVER, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Yes. Basically you have Isaiah Washington, who’s one of the stars of the show, who referred to one of his co-stars during a heated argument as a derogatory term for a gay man that starts with “F”, rhymes with maggot. Did it a couple more times after that. And do you like how I did that?

BECK: Yes.

GLOVER: And…

BECK: Do you know that “The New York Times” wouldn’t even print — I mean, we can say the word. We`re having an adult conversation here. Wouldn’t even print the word “fagot.”

GLOVER: Right.

BECK: Wouldn’t print it. I find that amazing.

Perhaps I should educate Glenn Beck both on a little history and cultural sensitivity, since he seems to be lacking in both.

In the fine British tradition, a "faggot" is a bundle of sticks; a "fag" is also a cigarette. Both harmless words and both certainly not just a "naughty name." So it's obvious you weren't referring to this, Beck.

It is mistakenly believed that "faggot" is derived from the practice of burning homosexuals at the stake in medieval England, but there's no evidence to suggest that, especially considering that the first usage of the word as a derogatory term didn't happen until the 20th century.

According to The Straight Dope:

The first known published use of the word faggot or fag to refer to a male homosexual appeared in 1914 in the U.S. It referred to a homosexual ball where the men were dressed in drag and called them "fagots (sissies)." Ernest Hemingway, in The Sun Also Rises (1926), included the line, "You're a hell of a good guy, and I'm fonder of you than anybody on earth. I couldn't tell you that in New York. It'd mean I was a faggot." A 1921 cite says, "Androgynes [are] known as 'fairies,' 'fags,' or 'brownies.'"

George Chauncey, in his excellent 1994 work Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940, says that the terms fairy, faggot, and queen were used by homosexuals to refer to men who were ostentatiously effeminate. Homosexuals who were not as showy referred to themselves as "queer" in the first decades of the 20th century. But the general public mainly called homosexuals "fairies."

Fair enough. Nothing terribly concrete, but atleast we've got a basis for the word. Funny that it took Americans to completely change the definition of a word and make it something so ugly and hateful.

That's really my ultimate point. I imagine that you probably didn't have much problem with the word growing up, Beck. (But perhaps you did and that would a explain a whole lot about why you're so intolerant.) But people like myself did.

Have you ever had your parents call you a faggot and mean it with nothing but contempt? Ever been embarrassed in public with the word? Have a teacher call you a "silly faggot" in front of everyone in the class? Have you ever had a word used against so much that even now, 10 years after it was first used against you, you still cringe every time you hear?

I assure you, Glenn Beck, that the word "faggot" is not just a naughty name. It is one of the most vile words in the English language. It harbors a sense of complete rejection, a wholly discriminatory nature, and goddamn it, it fucking hurts when someone uses it.

It is never necessary to use it. Ever. It should be stricken from your vocabulary and stricken from the mouths of school children of this whole country. But when people like yourself so casually use it, so casually brush it off as nothing but a "naughty name," you're helping to teach a generation of people that it's ok to slander an entire group of people with six letters.

Grow up, Glenn Beck.

Obviously, consumer comfort is more important than freedom of speech. Atleast that's what Quantas Airlines has shown.

Allen Jasson was asked to remove/replace a shirt he was wearing that said, "World's #1 Terrorist," while boarding a London-bound plane in Melbourne. He refused to and chose to lose his flight fare in protest.

“I am not prepared to go without the T-shirt. I might forfeit the fare, but I have made up my mind that I would rather stand up for the principle of free speech."

High five, dude. You rule.

Because, by some massive oversight by everyone in the goddamned courtroom, a previous employee of The Washington Post is somehow ALLOWED ON THE FUCKING JURY.

HOW
HOW
HOW
HOW
HOW
HOW IS THIS LEGAL.

The reporter used to report to Bob Woodward, who is probably going to testify in the trial. HOW IS THAT NOT OBVIOUS BIAS??????

(In case you've been under a rock, Lewis Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, is accused of lying to to a grand jury about purposely exposing Valerie Plame as an undercover CIA operative in order to discredit her husband, Joseph Wilson, who has been critical of the US' involvement in Iraq.)

Anyway, I won't be surprised if Libby gets off scot-free.

And really, that makes me wonder how much they care about the best interests of the child.

Of course, the first rebuttal I would expect to that is something to the effect of, "Oh, but this is in the best interests of the child! If gays adopt children, no one will be straight anymore!"

Ok. Fine. I'm being facetious. But I'll bet a large handful of clergymen and parishioners feel exactly that way.

At heart, this is a matter of the separation of church and state. I don't think I would have a problem (at least a reasonable one) if Catholic/religious adoption agencies were exempt from the gay adoption. In many ways, it would be similar to the recent ruling from New Jersey's Supreme Court.

I guess that I can't understand why an organization that so explicity is supposed to care about children and seek to get them into a loving family would turn away a qualified and loving couple because they simply don't meet some archaic guideline. It seems backwards to me.

But what do I know? I'm just a crazy liberal islamofacist.

Or such was the news out of DC early this morning.

Is this going to do anything? Will John Warner's resolution have any effect on the President's current state of mind?

HURRY UP AND MAKE THE RESOLUTION, JOHN! I can't wait to see Bush and Tony Snow try to spin this.

As much as I hate trusting any source who assists that fuckhead Bono in his quest for world domination and global martyrdom, I can't help but feel that Jeffrey Sachs is right.

The world is running out of water and needs a radical plan to tackle shortages that threaten the ability of humanity to feed itself, according to Jeffrey Sachs, director of the UN's Millennium Project.

Professor Sachs, who is credited with sparking pop star Bono's crusade for African development [WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO TELL ME THIS?], told an environment conference in Delhi that the world simply had "no more rivers to take water from".

The breadbaskets of India and China were facing severe water shortages and neither Asian giant could use the same strategies for increasing food production that has fed millions in the last few decades.

"In 2050 we will have 9 billion people and average income will be four times what it is today. India and China have been able to feed their populations because they use water in an unsustainable way. That is no longer possible," he said.

Since Asia's green revolution, which began in the 1960s and saw a transformation of agricultural production, the amount of land under irrigation has tripled. However, many parts of the continent have reached the limits of their water supplies. "The Ganges [in India] and the Yellow river [in China] no longer flow. There is so much silting up and water extraction upstream they are pretty stagnant," said Prof Sachs.

The US academic said that the mechanisms of shrinking water resources are not well understood. "We need to do for water what we did for climate change. How do we recharge aquifers? What about ground water use? There's no policy anywhere in place at the moment."

Ah, crap. We are so fucked.

And easily one of the worst of them too.

Rush Limbaugh has garnered a reputation for many things, but I'd like to fixate on his ability to be historically, factually, and logically challenged. (Perhaps I'll also throw in that he's about as hypocritical as they come too!)

Let's not dwell on that, though. Let's dwell on this, which Limbaugh said (outloud!) on his show last Friday, January 19:

"Look, let me put it to you this way: the NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it."

Nice. That's about as racist as they come.

What happened next is what shocked me. Mostly because pundits as idiotic as Rush seem to be able to get away with saying whatever they want.

Not this time:

The Rush is no longer going to be on the air on WJBC. Radio Bloomignton General Manager Red Pitcher announced this afternoon the syndicated Rush Limbaugh Show will air for the last time March 2, 2007. Pitcher tells WJBC's Steve and Beth on The Drive, local programming will replace Rush.

Pitcher believes Limbaugh's popularity is declining becuse of controversial remarks that are offending even his Republican fans. He pointed to today's show in which Limbaugh compared players in the NFL with gang members. Details of the local programming line-up that will begin on March 5th will be announced in coming weeks.

HA. TAKE THAT, JABBA.

MY CAPS LOCK SUDDENLY BECAME BROKEN AT SUCH UNDENIABLY AMAZING NEWS.

I DON'T CARE HOW HYPOCRITICAL IT IS THAT THEY GOT PAID $1.2 MILLION TO REFORM. I WANT TO SEE THIS BAND AGAIN. AND I WILL GET TO.

Rejoice, for The Lord has spoken. And he has said, "FREEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!"

Hopefully, this time around, they'll ditch the hollow buzzsaw guitars. I hated the tone on The Empire Strikes First. Plus, about half those songs were very subpar for a Bad Religion record.

Do better this time around.

Ending weeks of speculation, Bad Religion has set a July 10th, 2007 release date for their upcoming full length. As reported earlier, the band will begin recording the follow up to 2004's "The Empire Strikes First" next month at Grand Master Studios in Los Angeles, California. The yet to be named disc will be produced by Grammy-nominated producer Joe Barresi (Tool, Queens of the Stone Age, Weezer).

8 hours. That's how long it took Metro authorities to respond to reports that a stranger poured mercury onto the platform at the Pershing Square station of the Metro Red Line.

I'm a fan of public transportation. Check out some of my blogs from early last year that chronicle the fun I have on busses and trains.  I don't have to worry about the expenses (or the environmental costs) of owning a car. It alleviates a lot of guilt I have about my own consumption on a daily basis. Plus, I can get to Pasadena in 25 minutes, Hollywood in 12 minutes, North Hollywood in 22 minutes, Long Beach in 45 minutes, and the South Bay in about an hour.

I pay $27 bi-monthly for a pass. That's it. No insurance. No gas. And I frequent the subway, which is more environmentally-friendly. 

I live on Wilshire Blvd, meaning I have access to 24 hour bus lines in case I'm out super late. I never have to worry about how I'm getting home.

Point being: There are no real cons, for me, in taking the Metro. Until now, that is.

I distinctly remember that day. December 22, 2006. I had to actually get off at the Pershing Square station because there's a Subway restaurant that gives you $1.00 off a footlong if you take Metro. (See? Another pro!) But it was announced over the intercom that the train would not be stopping at the Pershing Square station, so I had to get off a stop early and walk.

So now I know what happened. A mercury spill. Not that bad, but still. I'd expect someone would want to clean that up immediately, since mercury can be harmful to the touch.

BUT IT TOOK 8 HOURS FOR SOMEONE TO RESPOND! WHAT THE HELL?

I'll still feel relatively safe on the subway. But someone better be quicker next time. Lord knows that, knowing my bizarre luck, someone will spill mercury on me and it will take police and Hazmat units 8 hours to get to me. Great.  

Frustration, that is, over the fact that my generation is going to be completely fucked by the time we reach 35.

And why $1.2 trillion? Why choose that number?

David Leonhardt has written an interesting piece for the New York Times' Business section that puts the cost of the Iraq war into perspective: What exactly could you buy with $1.2 trillion?

Well, let's see. According to Leonhardt, we could:

*Double the current funding for cancer research.
*Provide treatment for every diabetes or heart disease patient whose condition is unmanaged.
*Save millions of children's lives with a global immunization plan.
*Start universal preschool for all 3- and 4-year olds. (Cost: $35 billion. A mere 3.5% of the total.)
*Completely fund the reconstruction effort in New Orleans.
*Enact the security provision recommended by The 9/11 Commission. (You know, actually secure baggage checks, screening, etc.)

And, for the record, Leonhardt doesn't even attempt to factor in the cost of the 3,000+ American lives lost in the war.

And bravo for that, because now the religious right has nothing left on which to base their moronic argument.

As you may (or should) know, the New Jersey Supreme Court realized that its equal protection provisions of the state constitution actually made it illegal to deny homosexual couples the rights of a married couple. So they did exactly what I've been saying should have been done this whole time: allow secular civil unions that grant identical rights, but have no bearing on the religious community.

Of course, there was backlash.

“There is no end to the slippery-slope of same-sex marriage,” Jerry Falwell said shortly before the decision came down. Legalizing same-sex unions would essentially “criminalize faith” because churches would violate the law it they discriminated against gay couples, the Christian Coalition warned its members.

Even further, residents began to worry that New Jersey law was mandating that churches provide marriages to the very citizens they despised. (THE GAYZ. OH NOES.)

After the New Jersey bill became law, the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins rhetorically asked if it would be used “…to force homosexuality on our houses of worship?” He said “the church must be prepared to defend its right of conscience and conviction” against the “counterfeit” being forced upon it.

This is where Jersey Attorney General Stuart Rabner steps in and reassures the moral right that, in fact, their precious institution has nothing to do with civil unions. (Click the link to read the actual letter Rabner wrote.)

This is the model we should follow in every state. You do not have to perform a civil union if you don't want to. There will be other avenues to pursue one; and, beyond that, it won't erode the rights or sanctity of the "traditional" heterosexual marriage.

Separation of Church and State: 1
Religious Tyranny: 0

I wish the motherfucker got 30 years instead, but atleast he's not being swept under the rug.

In case you need refreshing, Bob Ney pleaded guilty to bribery for trading political favors for a wide array of bribes: golf trips, campaign donations, gifts, etc. Who ratted him out? Jack Abramoff.

The only bummer of this story? The fucker is still entitled to his $29,000 a year pension when he turns 62.  Weak.

OH MAN. Everything about this story is hilarious.

Three thieves who allegedly stole 14 global positioning system devices didn't get away with their crime for long. The devices led police right to their home.

Town officials said the thieves didn't even know what they had: they thought the GPS devices were cell phones, which they planned to sell.

According to Suffolk County police, the GPS devices were stolen Monday night from the Town of Babylon Public Works garage in Lindenhurst. The town immediately tapped its GPS system, and it showed that one of the devices was inside a house. Police said that when they arrived there, Kurt Husfeldt, 46, had the device in his hands.

Husfeldt was charged with criminal possession of stolen property. His 13-year-old son also was arrested on grand larceny charges.

Town officials said the boy committed the burglary with Steven Mangiapanella, 20, also of Lindenhurst. He was charged with grand larceny.

How do you confuse cell phones with GPS devices?



Nope. Don't look the same at all.

I really don't need to state the obvious here, but can we appreciate (and exercise) our freedom of speech just a little bit more here in the US?

Not to belittle this situation at all, of course. In fact, it highlights Hrant Dink's courage as a journalist and progressive thinker. I'm sure he knew how dangerous his opinions were.

Hrant Dink was heavily critisized (and penalized) for his opinions about the relation between Turks and Armenians, specifically relating to Turkey's denial of the Armenian Genocide in World War I (carried out by Ottoman Turks). Dink fought for a formal apology from Turkey, as well as for more democratic rights for the citizens of the country. Hell, it even got him jail time for "insulting Turkish indentity." (Technically, suspended jailtime, meaning if he committed the offense again, he'd be thrown in jail.)

Yep. It's illegal to insult Turkey. Imagine if right wing cronies had their way.

But I digress, as that is certainly not the issue here. I don't think Dink is a martyr, as I don't believe his actions warrant some sort of reverant worship. However, I have nothing but deep respect for the man for his commitment to actual democratic values and principles, a commitment that directly spawned his death.

I won't say much, except to link to the L.A. Times story and the coverage on BoingBoing. We'll let his words speak for themselves.

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba — I AM WRITING from the darkness of the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo in the hope that I can make our voices heard by the world. My hand quivers as I hold the pen.

In January 2002, I was picked up in Pakistan, blindfolded, shackled, drugged and loaded onto a plane flown to Cuba. When we got off the plane in Guantanamo, we did not know where we were. They took us to Camp X-Ray and locked us in cages with two buckets — one empty and one filled with water. We were to urinate in one and wash in the other.

At Guantanamo, soldiers have assaulted me, placed me in solitary confinement, threatened to kill me, threatened to kill my daughter and told me I will stay in Cuba for the rest of my life. They have deprived me of sleep, forced me to listen to extremely loud music and shined intense lights in my face. They have placed me in cold rooms for hours without food, drink or the ability to go to the bathroom or wash for prayers. They have wrapped me in the Israeli flag and told me there is a holy war between the Cross and the Star of David on one hand and the Crescent on the other. They have beaten me unconscious.

What I write here is not what my imagination fancies or my insanity dictates. These are verifiable facts witnessed by other detainees, representatives of the Red Cross, interrogators and translators.

During the first few years at Guantanamo, I was interrogated many times. My interrogators told me that they wanted me to admit that I am from Al Qaeda and that I was involved in the terrorist attacks on the United States. I told them that I have no connection to what they described. I am not a member of Al Qaeda. I did not encourage anyone to go fight for Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden have done nothing but kill and denigrate a religion. I never fought, and I never carried a weapon. I like the United States, and I am not an enemy. I have lived in the United States, and I wanted to become a citizen.

I know that the soldiers who did bad things to me represent themselves, not the United States. And I have to say that not all American soldiers stationed in Cuba tortured us or mistreated us. There were soldiers who treated us very humanely. Some even cried when they witnessed our dire conditions. Once, in Camp Delta, a soldier apologized to me and offered me hot chocolate and cookies. When I thanked him, he said, "I do not need you to thank me." I include this because I do not want readers to think that I fault all Americans.

But, why, after five years, is there no conclusion to the situation at Guantanamo? For how long will fathers, mothers, wives, siblings and children cry for their imprisoned loved ones? For how long will my daughter have to ask about my return? The answers can only be found with the fair-minded people of America.

I would rather die than stay here forever, and I have tried to commit suicide many times. The purpose of Guantanamo is to destroy people, and I have been destroyed. I am hopeless because our voices are not heard from the depths of the detention center.

If I die, please remember that there was a human being named Jumah at Guantanamo whose beliefs, dignity and humanity were abused. Please remember that there are hundreds of detainees at Guantanamo suffering the same misfortune. They have not been charged with any crimes. They have not been accused of taking any action against the United States.

Show the world the letters I gave you. Let the world read them. Let the world know the agony of the detainees in Cuba.

Let the world know and pass this along. (Not as a shitty forward either. Personalize it. Tell people why this matters. Why this affects us.)

Because now the White House is using it to get rid of Senate-approved attorneys it doesn't like.

Ok ok ok. Breathe, Mark. Breathe.

This does not look good. At. All.

The House of Delegates is currently debating whether or not to pass a provision to apologize for slavery. Democratic representative Donald McEachin explains:

“It is meant to be a resolution that is part of a healing process, a process that still needs to take place even today in 2007. No one is asking any individual to apologize, because certainly there are no slaveholders alive today and there are no slaves alive today. But Virginia is alive and well, and Virginia was built on the backs of slaves, and Virginia’s economy boomed because of slavery, and it is Virginia that ought to apologize."

Fair enough. I think that's a fairly decent thing to propose. But Republican delegate Frank D. Hargrove opened his mouth and nothing but pure shit poured out:

"Are we going to force the Jews to apologize for killing Christ? I personally think that our black citizens should get over it."

..............................................

Ok. So um. Did you miss the point? Did you also fail to realize that the main proponent of this intiative is.......white?

What a douchebag.

WHAT THE FUCK???????

I don't get this. At all.

1) How did he get in the courthouse?
2) Why take her to the courthouse?
3) Why not to his office?
4) WHAT THE HOLY FLYING FUCK?

I'm done.

A review:

Part I: Glenn Beck says "what everyone else has been wanting to say." Right. You're the rebel, Glenn Beck! Asking the difficult questions! (Proving you're nothing more than a racist asshole who parades himself around as a real journalist, of course.)

Part II: Jon Stewart observes, "Finally, someone who says what people who aren't thinking are thinking."

Part III: FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting) reports that Beck has been publicly racist in the past and, furthermore, that CNN hired him knowing full well that he was so biased and outspoken against Muslims. (So much for being a trusted news source!)

Part IV: Rewarding his racist actions, Good Morning America hires him.

Maybe I'll be able to write a book about him if he keeps this up.

And now, PART V!

Ironically choosing the MLK holiday to make this statement, Glenn Beck said the following:

What happened to the Duke lacrosse team was practically a lynching without the rope. And for the first time in my life, Mr. Oreo Cookie without the chocolate on the outside can understand why people celebrated when O.J. Simpson was acquitted.

Maybe you don't see what's so bad, but I've bolded a term I used to hear on the playground and in the workforce growing up. (I worked at a grocery store in a conservative part of town when I was a junior in high school.)

In case you're unfamiliar with this term, when used to refer to an African American, it's a racial slur. You know. Black on the outside, white on the inside.

Hell, Beck knew what he was talking about. He even corrected himself by saying, "...without the chocolate on the outside..."

HOW HOW HOW HOW HOW HOW HOW.
HOW IS THIS OK.
AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE FINED FOR THIS KIND OF SHIT?

Janet Jackson accidently slipped out a nipple and the world ends. Glenn Beck, ONCE AGAIN, slurs a race of people and NOTHING IS WRONG!

ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!

Instead of my usual shit.

The Wall Street Journal reports that a group of 50 active duty military officers are going to deliver a petition (signed by 1,000 troops!) opposing the US occupation of Iraq. (Thankfully, they are protected by the Military Whistleblower Protection Act, though I won't be surprised if some of these officers are "demoted" in the near future.)

Honestly, I never saw this coming. I knew there were dissatisfied troops on the ground, but (at least to me) this is a huge deal. The troops themselves are protesting!

I know, I know. I'm probably getting myself too excited; I shouldn't expect much from this. But can't a boy dream????  

Really, the more I read this article, the less faith I have in our judicial system.

There's either a site or a book I've read that collects the bizarre and arcane laws here in the US that have never been repealed and still sit in dusty lawbooks. (Occasionally, they're brought to fruition...such as that assinine sodomy law in Texas.)

But this? It's a good thing I have a keyboard, because I'm literally speechless.

In a ruling sure to make philandering spouses squirm, Michigan's second-highest court says that anyone involved in an extramarital fling can be prosecuted for first-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony punishable by up to life in prison.

"We cannot help but question whether the Legislature actually intended the result we reach here today," Judge William Murphy wrote in November for a unanimous Court of Appeals panel, "but we are curtailed by the language of the statute from reaching any other conclusion."

"Technically," he added, "any time a person engages in sexual penetration in an adulterous relationship, he or she is guilty of CSC I," the most serious sexual assault charge in Michigan's criminal code.

No one expects prosecutors to declare open season on cheating spouses. The ruling is especially awkward for Attorney General Mike Cox, whose office triggered it by successfully appealing a lower court's decision to drop CSC charges against a Charlevoix defendant. In November 2005, Cox confessed to an adulterous relationship.

Murphy's opinion received little notice when it was handed down. But it has since elicited reactions ranging from disbelief to mischievous giggling in Michigan's gossipy legal community.

And that is my exact response. Complete and utter disbelief to laughter. Can this be true? Why? Hell, should it be true?

QOTD for sure.  

You know, my initial intentions for this blog were to report about the terrifying and heart-breaking blasts in Baghdad. I thought it was a great story to impart on you, oh Buzznet reader, because I feel that it's important to keep ourselves informed about the conditions in Iraq.

I use Flock to hold all my RSS feeds and really, it's a fantastic browser for my blogging. Since I prefer to write about topical events and my own political ramblings, I scour the internet for what I find interesting. Flock helps me organize that.

So, this morning, I opened my Yahoo news feed. I saw this:



I knew I wanted to write about it. So I copied the URL to save for later.

Fast forward about an hour, after I've finished browsing my feeds. I click on the URL that I saved. Instead of that headline, I see this:



Wait a second. Why is this headline different? And why is it only about the American deaths in Iraq, especially when 109 people have died from attacks near a predominately Shiite part of the city? (A university, a marketplace, and a drive-by shooting combined to make the 109-person death toll.)

I know that Yahoo is going to report news based on it's central location, which is the United States. But why deceive me? Why make the focus of this story on a small roadside bomb that only killed four people when a university was attacked and 69 people lost their lives?

Maybe I'm an asshole and maybe this tiny little difference doesn't mean anything. But it's fucking annoying to see our media fixate on what only affects us. The priority of a journalist is to report the news based on it's importance. I fail to see how the deaths of our soldiers is so much more important than a massive terrorist attack in Baghdad, so much so that the Baghdad bombings don't even get their own headline.

Ugh.