May 12 2008
Yesterday, was a real mother of a day, but there was no shortage of news for today’s Ten Post Round-Up:
1: Monsanto helping to bring down India’s farmers….
2: Myanmar cyclone almost takes down the 2008 Republican National Convention…
3: Is Florida being punished for the outcome of the last two general elections?…
4: Apparently, there really IS “a sucker born every minute”…
5: Our Constitutional democracy is in grave danger…
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May 09 2008
Barack Obama visited Eugene, Oregon today. I decided not to attend for a number of reasons- mainly because the local news live streamed the entire speech.
In any case, Obama was down to earth, eloquent, humble, and genuine all at once. I heard someone call him “a real human being” he does come across as someone who is not tainted, jaded and corrupt. He genuinely cares, and he hit on points I feel are key:
• He will uphold the Constitution. (He taught College level Constitution classes). He embraces & respects the Constitution.
• Shut down Guantanamo– Music to my ears.
• Restore Habeus Corpus– Hooray!
• Honor due process–Hello
• Bring them home- get our troops out of Iraq & Afghanistan
• Start spending $10 billion month in the US, not Iraq.
• Get up to speed on the environmental front- or as he put it, enough with the combustion engine already.
• Fund education
• Fund Healthcare
He said it’s not about *him*, that he is imperfect- his wife could have told us that long ago.
The times he’s most proud of, are running a positive campaign. Sometimes after getting lambasted enough you have to fight back, but he does not want to stoop to those levels. He dislikes all the distractions- flag pins, bowling scores, former ministers….. that none of that really matters to the people and how to fix the troubles & problems & needs of this country.
Amen & Right On
Sphere: Related ContentMay 08 2008
I received a call tonight- it was Chelsea Clinton- well a recording of Chelsea, with a very tired sounding voice, asking me to vote for her Mom. The verbiage was actually something like “vote for my Mom. My Mom will NOT GIVE UP!”. She sounded like she had to refrain from adding “dammit anyway” to that sentence.
I also saw the new kinder, gentler commercial ads- Hillary dressed in pink, with some gawdy pink necklace, going on about how she understands Oregonians- she has children & babies 6 in all- 5 are clean cut upper crust white kids & one token black child. She talks about how she will be a tough fighter, and closes with a shot of an infant holding her fingers. Or is she trying to pry money out of the baby’s hand?
Sphere: Related ContentMay 08 2008
After yesterday’s shellacking, Hill has decided to abandon all of the heretofore subtle panders to Klanservatives, and openly put on the white sheet.
In what appear to be the New York senator’s most blunt comments to date regarding a racial division in the Democratic presidential race, Hillary Clinton suggested Wednesday that “White Americans” are increasingly turning away from Barack Obama’s candidacy.
“I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on,” Clinton said in an interview with USA TODAY.
Clinton cited an Associated Press poll “that found how Senator Obama’s support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me.”
“There’s a pattern emerging here,” she said.
There sure is, Hill. From about the time your husband talked about how Obama is “like Jesse Jackson” on, you’ve been sending the message that you are the white choice for President. Couple that with your “elitist” slurs and your crass pandering on the gas tax issue, and even the Chimpletons were bound to take notice. But that’s what you intended, isn’t it?
I don’t have the greatest of educations, but I can tell when I’m being played for a fool. Racist pandering is what keeps guys like Chimpy viable in elections. The fact that you’re now doing it tells us much more about you than you could ever tell us in your own words.
—- off, Hill.
May 08 2008
The MSM seems to have Alzheimer’s when it comes to McCain’s ’spiritual guide’ Ron Parsley. Thanks to Mother Jones and Brave New Films, we get to see Parsley in all his..um…glory, at work preaching the …cough…word..of God. From the BNF site:
You may have heard of Rev. John Hagee, the McCain supporter who said God created Hurricane Katrina to punish New Orleans for its homosexual “sins.” Well now meet Rev. Rod Parsley, the televangelist megachurch pastor from Ohio who hates Islam. According to David Corn of Mother Jones, Parsley has called on Christians to wage war against Islam, which he considers to be a “false religion.” In the past, Parsley has also railed against the separation of church and state, homosexuals, and abortion rights, comparing Planned Parenthood to Nazis.
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May 07 2008
I’m a little verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. I’ll give you a topic.
Barack Obama’s NC speech is below. Just see if you can make it all the way though uninspired.
You know, some were saying that North Carolina would be a game-changer in this election. But today, what North Carolina decided is that the only game that needs changing is the one in Washington, DC.
I want to start by congratulating Senator Clinton on her victory in the state of Indiana. And I want to thank the people of North Carolina for giving us a victory in a big state, a swing state, and a state where we will compete to win if I am the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.
When this campaign began, Washington didn’t give us much of a chance. But because you came out in the bitter cold, and knocked on doors, and enlisted your friends and neighbors in this cause; because you stood up to the cynics, and the doubters, and the nay-sayers when we were up and when we were down; because you still believe that this is our moment, and our time, for change - tonight we stand less than two hundred delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.
More importantly, because of you, we have seen that it’s possible to overcome the politics of division and distraction; that it’s possible to overcome the same old negative attacks that are always about scoring points and never about solving our problems. We’ve seen that the American people aren’t looking for more spin or more gimmicks, but honest answers about the challenges we face. That’s what you’ve accomplished in this campaign, and that’s how we’ll change this country together.
Sphere: Related ContentMay 07 2008
There’s no news like good news. Sadly, there is no good news in today’s Ten Post Round-Up:
1: A serious drug ring was busted up at San Diego State University….
2: Whites and Blacks use drugs at the same rate, yet Blacks are far more likely to be arrested for drug offenses…
3: The offices and home of Special Counsel, Scott J. Bloch, who oversees protection for federal whistleblowers, have been raided…
FBI Searches Office of Special Counsel Building–Crooks and Liars
4: The “Robbins” half of Baskin-Robbins, has passed away (the other half - Baskin, died awhile back). Both left behind more than 1000 flavors enjoyed by ice cream lovers the world over…
5: They saved the school and were served with pink slips…
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May 06 2008
Put on your thinking caps. You will definitely find today’s Ten Post Round-Up educational:
1: Why does it seem that people who have a problem with women having abortions seem to have no problem with war?….
2: Gas is almost up to $4.00…
3: 4,327 Florida 10th graders can’t read…
4: Do we really want four more years of GWBs policies?…
John McCain didn’t vote for George Bush in 2000: Has adopted his platform for 2008–Crooks and Liars
5: The woman who helped overturn the law that banned interracial marriage, has passed away (Dizzy and her husband are thankful for that)…
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May 05 2008
Be forewarned. You might find some things in today’s Ten Post Round-Up a little shocking:
1: Teen who kept pregnancy secret, delivers healthy baby and walks to the hospital with the umbilical cord still attached….
California teen gives birth in shower, walks to hospital–The Associated Press
2: 38 years ago, 4 students were gunned down by National Guardsmen for standing up against an escalation of the Vietnam War…
Remember Kent State during Convention Protests–Colorado Confidential
3: While the media is dissecting Obama and his spiritual relationship with Rev. Wright, why is McCain being ignored despite his spiritual relationship with Pastor Hagee? The answers could be as simple as “black” and “white”…
Rangel blasts Blitzer: Brings up Bizarre beliefs of Falwell and Robertson–Crooks and Liars
4: The same chemicals used to make nonstick cookware are showing up in nursing mothers’ breast milk…
Moving up the food chain: PFCs present in nursing mothers’ breast milk–Flesh and Stone
5: Having plenty of trees on your block, could cut kids’ rate of asthma…
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May 04 2008
Hilary Clinton, Poison Pawn
By ReasonOne
Why would anyone trust Hilary Clinton to lead the charge for national health care? In the first place her current plan is little more than a sop to the insurance companies in that it requires Americans to purchase their own health care from–you guessed it–insurance companies.
In the second place the previous Administration had every opportunity to produce single payer insurance coverage and it failed miserably. Indeed, it not only failed, it wanted to fail. I strongly suspect that the Clinton Administration failed to produce single payer health care because it is fundamentally opposed to the idea. It wasn’t as if Hilary were faced with a hostile Congress. At the time Hilary was handling health care she had a Democratic Congress with which to deal, not a hostile clique of Republicans. So how did the Clinton Administration succeed in messing up?
Easy. Instead of appointing someone with the proper credentials they appointed a political hack whose sole qualification was the fact that she was the President’s wife. Did they appoint a knowledgeable doctor or a former
Surgeon General like C. Everette Koop? No. They appointed a lighting rod, a poisoned pawn who they knew would generate controversy and negativity. In short, Hilary was appointed to handle health care because the Powers That Be KNEW she would fail.
And now Hilary is back to poison the idea of health care again. It is no coincidence that the her position on national health care is so similar to Republican positions. The Clintons after all come from the DLC. They are corporate Democrats. They’re slightly to the right on social issues and corporate driven on the economic issues. They simply can’t be trusted to bring about enough of the kinds of changes that this country requires at the present time. Indeed, they are little more than Republicans in Democratic clothing.
They couldn’t be trusted then and they can’t be trusted now.
Sphere: Related ContentMay 03 2008
May 03 2008
The Democratic infighting, and the lengthy process is only making McSame’s job easier.
The sniping and the division must cause him to smile a grinchy smile.
This rant in in response to a post on Siren’s, to a piece about some voter’s choosing “None of the Above” - unhappy with the presidential offerings.
I guess that hit a nerve with me because, any move that gives the Reich wing a possible, remote hint of an advantage is not worth it to me. This is NOT an attack on the writer, but the concept of that strategy.
I want regime change- I wanted it 8 years ago, and I want it more than ever— now!
The idea of writing in *none of the above* candidates, is, in my opinion, a line of thinking that inadvertently winds up helping McSame & the republicans. There is a snarky part of me that feels like if no candidate fits the bill- is not good enough for said voters, then why don’t the dissatisfied run for office, if they think their standards & platform are superior? It seems like a cop out to just declare no candidate is good enough.
I can understand the dissatisfaction, so then I feel compelled to ask the dissatisfied- what are you DOING about it?
It is too easy to just declare no one is good enough & vote none of the above. I know some of my friends would answer the system is broken- and I agree. The press “Kuciniched” candidates- shut them out, silenced their voices- even went to court to assure they could uninvite a viable candidate from a debate, based on their own freedom of press. It really pisses me off & needs to be fixed.
In the end–someone will get this job & we will be living under their rules and philosophies. One of these candidates will be doing the deciding about this war in Iraq, if we should continue the illegal occupation, and wars in general and the direction of this country. One of these candidates will either stop the criminal behavior in the White House, or perpetuate the rogue high crimes & disregard of International laws.
Sphere: Related ContentMay 02 2008
May 02 2008
A lot of potential voters are feeling the strain of the current primary battle going on between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Of course, Obama’s supporters are up in arms about the Clinton camp’s apparent racial comments, not to mention the apparent “slips of the tongue” that seem to be a regular part of Hillary’s stump speeches.
As well, Clinton’s supporters are up in arms about the apparent misogynistic comments coming from the Obama camp. Many even argue that Clinton deserves the Democratic nomination simply because she’s a woman (their argument is that sex should trump race in this election).
Then, there are those Democrats and Progressives who aren’t keen on either candidate, for whatever reason. Of course, they wouldn’t dream of ever voting for a Republican, particularly not John McCain. Many voters are also not keen on voting for relatively or veritably unknown third-party candidates, either.
Many people believe that voting for either a Democrat or a Republican is a sell-out vote, no matter how you cut it. They call it “voting for the lesser of two evils” and of course, that means, no matter how you vote, you are still voting for “evil”. And, there are a lot of people who are not down for voting for “evil”, but they still want their vote to be heard. Instead of “voting for the lesser of two evils”, they prefer to vote “None of the Above” or “NOTA”.
Sphere: Related ContentMay 01 2008
I have to admit, there have been some topics of conversation re politics that have absolutely blown me away. At work the other day, a coworker said she was undecided about the Presidential primary. As the conversation went on, she announced she would not vote republican. Whew! Otherwise, that would have been one short conversation!
But she said she really did not like Hillary, sick of Bill in particular, but “not sure she was ready for a black person to be president!” I damned near fell off the chair. A part of me wanted to deck her right there in the employee lounge area. But I took a deep breath. I first commended her for not being inspired to vote republican. Then I asked-, where does this race issue come from? I feel like I live in some bubble because race & gender issues influencing my vote are entirely “off the table” so to speak, politically & in general. I feel broadsided by such remarks- a sideways slam you did not see coming. A Complete non issue for me. So this conversation was highly volatile.
But yet, she was just being honest, while insensing me, to the core.
I went on to say that for me, I could care less about color, or gender. or sexual orientation. I look at voting record, actions & integrity. I am not interested in sound bites, or manufactured campaign strategies. I loathe the low blow Hillary Clinton commercials with Osama bin Laden & images of Barack Obama meshed together in a not-at-all subliminal suggestiveness a la Hillary-the-desperate style. Damn the media for spending excessive debate time talking about flag pins & reverends.
Sphere: Related ContentMay 01 2008
May Buddha Bless Shark Fu..she is so eloquent and if only we all could be as eloquent as she is~Dusty
This bitch is stressed the fuck out with work-based things.
Fuck a duck, where’s a large bar of chocolate when you need one?
Shit.
Anyhoo, a certain Peterr sent this bitch an e-mail asking for my take on the second coming of the Rev. Wright drama and was specifically interested in whether this has anything to do with Acceptable Blackness.
Well Peterr, this bitch thinks it does.
Shall we?
A bitch has blogged about Acceptable Blackness before and how the concept pisses me the fuck off. Basically, acceptable blackness is the grown up version of the bullshit some white students used to toss at this bitch when we were in Junior High and they were feeling threatened by the black students being bused in from the city.
“Why can’t they be black like you, Shark-Fu? They sound so mad and I don’t understand them and they dress weird and blah blah followed by blah.”
I realized rather quickly that my fellow students mistook my “proper” speech and my adoration of preppified pastel fashion (shit, it was a phase…mercy) as some other kind of less threatening and more acceptable blackness.
But they were wrong.
Sphere: Related ContentMay 01 2008
I’ll beg your pardon, right off the bat, as today’s Ten Post Round-Up will probably get a bit personal:
1: “Live Veterans cost money that might better go to the war profiteers. Dead ones cost nothing”….
2: …”if 81% believe we are in a recession, then rest assured 81% will ACT like we are in a recession”…
3: Young voters not pickin’ up what the GOP is puttin’ down?…
4: We might have brought “democracy” to Iraq, but the women of Iraq are still waiting…
5: A little sumthin’-sumthin’ to add to my to-do list in 18 days…
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Apr 30 2008
I don’t know if the electorate are really bitter or not, but today’s Ten Post Round-Up will probably leave a grimy taste in your mouth:
1: So it seems that the only people that benefit from your college education is the college and the banks that issue student loans…
America’s Most Overrated Product: the Bachelor’s Degree–The Chronicle of Higher Education
2: Glass houses come to mind…
You Can’t Complain About Sexism If You Participate In It–The Democratic Daily
3: Single mom flips the script and sues RIAA…
Accused music pirate turns the tables on the RIAA–Geeks Are Sexy
4: Dizzy is a sucker for true crime murder mysteries…
Smiley Face Killers: All About The Growing Mystery Gang–The Huffington Post
5: Wright-Obama controversy: An interesting perspective on why religion and politics should stay separate…
Sphere: Related ContentSeparation of Church & State Really of Religion & Politics.–Hypocrisy.com
Apr 29 2008
A couple of observations about race are rumbling through my brain today.First, one thing the credible Obama candidacy has done is free African Americans
from a lot of political baggage. Obama’s “yes we can” is as much about discarding a defeatist mindset in blacks as in the country as a whole. It’s no longer viable to see this candidacy as symbolic. The man is going to win, or this country is going to see cheating on a public scale we may never recover from.
As he continues to campaign effectively, across all demographics, his blackness is becoming both more and less important. More important to people whose withering options leave them few weapons except fanning hate, and less important to people who see the message and not the color. There are folks from all races in each group, but I think we are actually at a point in our development as a national community that there are more who are responding to the message than need the hate to continue.
As a nation, we can. It’s a powerful thing.
Sphere: Related ContentApr 29 2008
Sometimes it’s hard to believe in the “benevolent brotherhood of man”. Today’s Ten Post Round-Up will probably not make it any easier:
1: The Supremes say it’s OK to require government-issued photo ID card in order to vote…
As Election Nears, Supreme Court Upholds Repressive Voter ID Law–AlterNet
2: The Secret Service rampant with racism?…
Cox reports “Noose allegedly found at Secret Service Training Center” and the Secret Service already has serious problems with racism–AMERICAblog
3: Money-saving tip: A stamp that is always equal to whatever postage is being charged for a 1 oz. letter, forever…
4: Well, it looks like the media has found Jesse Jackson’s replacement…
5: More of your tax dollars at work, supporting the troops, in Iraq…
Sphere: Related ContentDynCorp Manager Used Armored Car To Transport Hookers in Iraq–Muckraked
Apr 28 2008
So you think you know John McCain? Well, friends and neighbors the chances are that you don’t. I have no doubt that McCain and his handlers have placed a lot of time and effort in polishing is reputation and in keeping him from erupting in the public square, but the truth of the matter is that John McCain is a viscerally angry individual with a short temper who acts first and thinks later. A genuine misanthrope, he is well liked by his followers who don’t know him, but has few friends among the people who know him best. And for good reason.
As a child he used to hold his breath until he passed out
As a School boy his nickname was McNasty.
His out bursts of temper cannot be attributed to his years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. Indeed, he was a part of a 20 year study during which time it was determined that his temper almost certainly existed before he was held prisoner. This study, incidentally made him one of the most studied politicians in the history of the American political system.
Sphere: Related ContentApr 27 2008
From Salon’s Editor in Chief Joan Walsh, her take on Hagee, McCain and Wright, Obama;
Apr 25 2008
I have just discovered the coolest thing! I wanted to get involved with helping the Obama campaign (our primary is May 20). On his website you can log in to make calls, right from your home.
I happen to have an unlimited long distance calling plan, but I want to focus on my State for now- as people must be registered by Tuesday April 29 in order to participate in the primary.
Anyway you can remain at home to place calls for the Obama campaign. People will not be reimbursed for their calls, so you can burn cell phone hours, (some people have unlimited weekend cell phone calling options), or use your unlimited long distance plan, if you have one.
It’s great! You don’t have to commute/drive/park/wait for a phone, sign up for specific shifts, or get a staffer to direct you.
Go to the Official Obama website:
http://www.barackobama.com
Click on the Make a difference/ Make calls buttons & see if we can pull what’s left of this Democracy, out of the fire.
*I know Sirens does not officially endorse any candidate, but let’s face it, the pickins are getting slim. Bottom line, I don’t want Mc-more-of-the-same at the helm & I prefer Obama, of the remaining candidates– just sharing options people.
Sphere: Related ContentApr 25 2008
yeah. it’s usually better that i don’t write when i am exhausted because my normally short irritation fuse gets even shorter. i don’t even know how to start because i just have so very much actual anger at americans for being so incredibly stupid- and then at my own gender for being even stupider. i can hardly stand it. i have never given it a second thought- in my entire life- that i am a white woman. it doesn’t occur to me to care- because i have never had to. that doesn’t mean that i can’t be an ally with and empathize with- women of color or simply any other person who doesn’t look like me. i have always backed the under dog and i have always stood up for what i felt was right- i get that from both parents- although i don’t really have a relationship with my father-
Sphere: Related ContentApr 24 2008
“I think they wanted to communicate that I am unpatriotic, that I am un-American,
that I am filled with hate speech, that I have a cult at Trinity United Church of Christ.
And by the way, guess who goes to his church, hint, hint, hint? That’s what they wanted to communicate.”
-Rev. Jeremiah Wright
I will be watching this Friday evening. I find Rev. Wright to be a fascinating individual. I am not afraid of what he has to say and frankly, I don’t buy into the bullshit currently out there as 5 or 10 second soundbites by the assholes in the MainStreamMedia. Context is everything people!
To find out when it will show in your hood, click here.
Sphere: Related ContentApr 24 2008
Listening to the Talking Heads on MSNBC last night, I was struck by ho