Political Fingers

TYT

2010-12-27T11:40:00.001-08:00

Nice Picture HP

2010-10-19T15:38:00.000-07:00

The Problem with Hell

2010-08-27T22:50:00.001-07:00

I have MS and one day something short circuited and everything smelled like cheese. I mean everything: food, soap, shampoo, my car, my chair, my family - everything had this essence of cheese. Was some Dairy God sending me a message? Was this a cheesy sign? Should I worship at an alter of Limburger? The brain is a very messed up organ. It does things like make pretend places like hell possible. Thankfully the irritating symptom only lasted for about a week.

For us to survive as a species we have to engage in rational thought. That does not mean everyone has to completely deny the existence of a god, but only to accept that do to a complete lack of evidence there is most likely no god. Faith after all is just a feeling and like many other feelings, it could have more to do with the pizza you ate last night than something real.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

PHOTOS: U.S. News And World Report's Best Colleges 2011

2010-08-17T04:12:00.001-07:00

fail again:

Donald Rumsfeld went to Princeton. George Bush went to Yale and Harvard. Henry Paulson went to Dartmouth College and Harvard. Ashcroft went to Yale and Columbia. Gonzales went to Harvard. Michael Chertoff went to Harvard. Joshua Bolten went to Princeton. Paul Wolfowitz went to University of Chicago. John Negroponte went Yale. Lloyd Blankfein went to Harvard. John R. Bolton went to Yale.

Are you catching my drift here? Please do a little research instead of just regurgitating other magazine's stories. If you did, you would realize that Harvard is completely revamping it's business school because of the poor quality of grads.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Christopher Hitchens On Cancer: I'm 'Realistic' About Odds Of Survival, Pray For Me If You Want (VIDEO)

2010-08-06T09:32:00.001-07:00

He said he might at the end say there is a God, but it would be because he was not fully lucid. Which I find interesting - is belief a matter of consciousness? The less connection you have with reality the more connection you have with the supernatural? It seems sort of Joseph Campbell like doesn't it .. the primitive subconscious needs a magical power.
About CNN
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

The Rave Toilet: Who Knew Flushing Glow Sticks Would Be This Awesome?

2010-08-01T05:36:00.001-07:00

And thus .. God created the universe .. in his toilet
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Maxine Waters ETHICS CHARGES: Democratic Rep May Face Public Trial

2010-07-31T11:10:00.001-07:00

I'm not excusing Waters or Rangel. Hey, if you do the crime .. you do the time. But can't we get a little .. just a little enthusiasm for Obama to investigate the Bush crimes? I mean Waters and Rangel were over a little bit of money .. nothing compared to say .. oh .. starting a war on false pretenses.

Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

BP CEO Tony Hayward To RESIGN Before Tuesday: Reports

2010-07-25T14:05:00.001-07:00

Reminds me of the Beatles song -

You say yes, I say no.
You say stop and I say go go go, oh no.
You say goodbye and I say hello

Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Tom Vilsack: Shirley Sherrod Has 'Been Put Through Hell,' Deserves New Job

2010-07-21T17:03:00.001-07:00

What is wrong with Obama? I'm starting to think that Blagojevich would make a better president. At least Blagojevich has guts and stands up for his friends.

Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Learning from the Great Down-Under

2010-07-18T02:17:00.000-07:00

I spent many months in Sydney and I think we could learn a thing or two from our across the pond mates. I have to admit that saying I know Australia by living in Sydney is like saying you know the United State by living in New York.

Fair enough I guess, but here it goes.

Australian don't particularly have any fondness for guns. The people who live in rural area have a gun - but it's only out of need. I never met an Aussie who was a gun collector, nor have I ever seen someone armed.
All Australian are required to vote. If you don't vote you're fined by the government. Voting is a requirement

Australia has one of the best health care systems in the world. It's completely universal, meaning that everything from doctors to hospitals is run by the government. I spent some time in a Sydney hospital and the doctors were top notch.

Most Australians I meant were religious and regularly attended church. However, unlike Americans and an Australian would never judge or tell anyone how to worship. It would be the height of bad manners.
The government encourages people to exercise and have a healthy lifestyle. That's why their average lifespan is 82.6 years and our is 77.8 years. There have excellent parks and recreational facilities. They also have some of the best beaches in the world.

Australia honors their veterans. Not only do they have full health care, but there are support facilities and clubs call RSL's.

Most Australians care about the environment. Most believe in global warming. As a matter of fact, most Australians except science as a means of understanding the world.

Australians live and buy local. Sydney which is a large and beautiful city has many local markets and pubs. There are malls and I've purchased and excellent wool jacket at a Target. However, after work many Australians walk to a local pub or shop at a small local market.

Which brings me to the last point. Australians know how to relax. Most businesses give 20 days off plus another 11 (public holidays) off. For a total of 31 days. In the United States you're lucky to get 14 days off.
Now I love the United States and there are some things about Australia that really get on my nerves .. won't discuss them here. That aside, we could really learn from the Aussies. You don't see them protesting in the public parks - with signs that say "Stop Sosalism" (I know Socialism is misspelled)

BP - the company of I don't know

2010-07-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get the feeling that British Petroleum is just exhausted of dealing with us pesky, infernal Americans? We ask so many questions - all we do is nag, nag, nag. And we are too dang sentimental about our beaches and the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

As Tony Hayward, Chief Executive of BP said before jetting of to a yacht party in England, "I would like to get my life back." I guess we, Americans are just too much bother and BP is officially done dealing with us.

BP has become the company of "I don't know".

When Hayward was called before congress, he barely would admit he ran the company or that he knew anything about BP. One could almost hear him ask, "What is this BP you speak of?".

-- That left Democrat John Dingell of Michigan, the senior member on the committee, to ask Hayward a series of very specific questions on how much time and money the company saved on Deepwater Horizon as it carried out what many critics have termed corner-cutting.-- TIME

To which Hayward responded with nothing:

I can't possibly know why the decisions were made [on the rig].
I don't know.

I can't answer the question in that form. I can't recall the number.
I can't answer because I wasn't there.
I'm afraid I can't recall.
I can't recall that either.
That was a decision I was not party to.
I don't know.
I'm afraid I don't know that either.

Henry Waxman, the chairman of the Energy Committee become so infuriated with Hayward's nonresponse-response, Waxman exclaimed, ""I'm just amazed at this testimony . . . you're kicking the can down the road like you have nothing to do with this company." - Truth Out

It has been 85 days since the oil gusher began and about 184 gallons of crude (Yahoo News) have flowed into the ocean like some giant, greasy sea monster. Still BP knows nothing - The company is like Sgt Schultz in Hogan's Heroes - "I see nothing .."

To this day, it seems like BP still has no idea how things get done. Somehow, almost magically, ships arrived at the oil spill site and started doing stuff. How that happened BP is still fuzzy about the details.

BP is even unsure as to who designed the new containment cap or how it was installed over the damaged well. When asked by the Cristian Science Monitor if the rumors were true that a mysterious plumber designed the cap -

BP spokesman Mark Salt says, "There's no way of finding out at the moment" whether Bea's forwarded suggestion from the self-described "lowly plumber" made it into the design. "There's also a good chance that this was already being designed by the time this [tip] came in."

On the other hand, Mr. Salt adds, "I'm sure we've used bits and pieces of suggestions [from the outside] and have picked things out that could be used going forward. - CS Monitor

How can BP not know the origins of how the new cap was designed? If I acted this way with my wife, I would soon be a single man.

Further Reading:

Yahoo News - Now Begins the Wait
TIME - Hayward Doesn't Know
Truth Out - Waxman comment
Democratic Underground - Joe the Plumber fixes BP
Christian Science Monitor- Mystery Plumber

What's up my ninjas

2010-07-15T14:39:00.000-07:00

There's a difference between Ninja and Ninjer. Find out what it is.

I wonder what it is for 1/4 Jew?

Mr. Karma

2010-07-14T15:23:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that former Vice President, Dick Cheney underwent major heart surgery where a small pump was placed next to his shrunken, evil heart. The operation was conducted at Inova Fairfax Heart and Vascular Institute just outside of Washington, D.C.

“A few weeks ago, it became clear that I was entering a new phase of the disease when I began to experience increasing congestive heart failure. After a series of recent tests and discussions with my doctors, I decided to take advantage of one of the new technologies available,” - Cheney said.

The implant is usually used to help a failing heart until a heart transplant is needed.

*** My Thoughts ***

As the WSJ reported this device is usually used to keep a person alive until they can get a transplant. I'm not sure this is the case with Cheney. He may be getting the device to prolong his miserable life. But if he is looking for a transplant here are my thoughts:

Cheney is 69 years old and no matter how much I despise him - no one over the age of 65 should be getting a precious heart transplant. I know everyone wants to live as long as possible. I understand the feeling. But the amount of time, resources and unavailability of organs prohibit someone as old and frail as Cheney from getting one.

This is more suitable for a younger and healthier candidate. Cheney has lived a fulfilled life - granted it was full of evil deeds. There are many people who have not had the chance.

Even if he did get a transplant how long would he be expected to live - ten more years at most is my guess.

If you want to know why our healthcare is so expensive, it's because we foolishly spend very expensive treatment on people who it won't improve their condition for a long period of time.

Bad karma prohibits me from commenting further

Glenn Beck's Gal

2010-07-13T16:20:00.000-07:00

Meet the new face of the Republican Party. She want the ass-hat supreme, Glenn Beck to run for President. I'm not responsible for any brain viruses.

She might be one of Beck's many wives.

Whoopi Goldberg: Mel Gibson Is Not Racist, He's My Friend

2010-07-13T08:32:00.001-07:00

I think it is time to read from the tome of Terrell Owens:

"Like my boy tells me; if it looks like a rat and smells like a rat, by golly, it is a rat.”

“When I'm around him, he tries to downplay it, like everything is cool, ... But I'm not sure it is.”

“I don't think so and I'm just being honest.”

"I never had any run in with the law."

"Everybody is not going to be squeaky clean."

"I feel like I know it is from my heart and God knows it is for a good cause, it is not necessary to be made public."

"on-the-field heroics will far outweigh any off-field criticism."

"then he needs to get his sense of humor checked."

And those are the wise words for Mel Gibson from our friend and sage TO.

Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

100 of the Greatest Movie Insults of All Time

2010-07-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

Be insulted and enjoy ..

Warning Strong Language

As Seen On: gawker.com

Parking Wars

2010-07-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before I have MS. There are a lot of really bad things about MS but one of the benefits is that I have a handicap placard. So, when it's hot and my muscles are all locking up I get to park close to the nice cool entrance.

Yea for me! However, there is one place I frequent almost every day and almost every day a non-handicap person parks in the handicap zone- usually in the last available space. This forces me to use the parking lot across the street - walking in the 110 degree heat.

Boo for me - right. Okay, I don't mean to rant but this person is a gymnast instructor and her brood of kids are gymnasts. Literally, they come out bouncing, flipping and cartwheeling to their gas guzzling SUV, jump in the car and speed off. They do this almost EVERY DAY!

So, now I've started to take pictures of the offending car. I've provided an examples. See the infidels!! What's worse is her license plate clearly says "*gymnst" and there is her gymnastic school sticker on the window.

When I bring this up to my friends they tell me to report her or call the police. The sad fact is that I am too lazy to do that. Plus, there would be a confrontation and even though I'm in the right - it's just not worth the effort. Why bother? And my other disabled brothers and sisters that park there have remained as silent as me.

So, I sit here drinking a diet Dr. Pepper in a dark room, typing on a computer and simmering in self-hate.

Psychic Octopus Received Death Threats

2010-07-08T09:31:00.001-07:00

You know .. you don't have to eat the octopus all at once .. It could take up to 8 days to eat the creature. ... I'm just kidding .. let the cephalopod live - better yet set it free.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Bobby Jindal Signs 'Guns-In-Church' Bill Into Law

2010-07-07T15:22:00.001-07:00

Things I would rather have in church other than guns: a bucket of frogs, mice, rats, clowns, monkeys, clown monkeys, a dozen camels, a pirate with scurvy, Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh kissing in the front pew, Ann Coulter adam's apple, zombies, cheerleaders with rabies, watching Battlefield Earth, Bobby Jindal in a 7-11 uniform, Lindsey Lohan, Satin, satin, Satin in satin and Kenny G.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

America's Deadliest Sweetener Betrays Millions, Then Hoodwinks You With Name Change

2010-07-06T16:04:00.001-07:00

Another HP medical hysteria. How exactly does Aspartame mimic MS? Does it create lesions in the brain and spine. Does it cause you to lose your eyesight or hearing? Do you get a drooping foot?

I don't think so. Aspartame may not be the best thing to ingest every day. And of course fruits and other sugars are much better for you, but Aspartame will not ruin your life.

Aspartame Toxicity is an Urban Legend

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp

Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Glenn Beck University? Fox News Host Starts Own College

2010-07-06T08:37:00.001-07:00

First I do have sympathy for Beck .. His mother has severe depression that caused her to commit murder/suicide and his step-father committed suicide. He got divorced from his first wife because both had severe drug addiction and from his second wife because of his drug addiction and he couldn't handle his son's severe disability. He obviously is bipolar and has admitted he has ADHD. He is a drug addict and an alcoholic. He likes to smoke pot from time to time.

However, I fail to understand why anyone would take him seriously. He's a funny - sometimes scary little clown.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

The Game of Wife

2010-07-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

There's something very wrong with Finland's Wife Carrying Race ..

If you're a Mormon do you have to carry all of your wives?

Kobayashi ARRESTED: Joey Chestnut Wins Hot Dog Contest, Former Champ Dragged Off By Cops (VIDEO)

2010-07-04T14:56:00.001-07:00

Really - over hot dogs .. on the 4th of July ..come on .. what has this country degenerated into?
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Does Martha know Blogging

2010-07-04T03:12:00.000-07:00

Does Martha Stewart really know what's she talking about? You decide ..

ICYMI - Martha Stewart Explains Blogging @ Yahoo! Video

I'm between the Baby Boomer and Generation X. Which means, I did not get my first computer until I was about eighteen years old. Oh sure I had an Atari 2600 and an Intellivision, but the first computer was an Apple II+. There was no consumer Internet back then. But there were bulletin boards and Unix. So, I was familiar with e-mail and blogging before it really got big.

However, my poor parents - who barely know how to operate the DVD player are throughly confused by any new technology. It's hard enough for me to keep up - it took me six months to kind of figure out Twitter. My father still has a very hard time attaching anything to a message. It's sad .. very sad.

Your Parents and the Internet

21 Killed In Massive Mexican Gang Shootout Near US Border

2010-07-02T14:59:00.001-07:00

Good thing this has nothing to do with us Americans .. I'm so happy our hands are completely clean of this massacre.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

World Cup 2010: Germany Beats England 4-1

2010-06-27T13:30:00.001-07:00

The reason I am so happy that Germany crushed England is that you will never find a more magnificent complainer than the English. They take moaning and whining to a pure art form. Notice I said whining not winning - The English couldn't find winning even in the dictionary.

Back to my point, all throughout the UK you'll hear griping and crying and arguing about this World Cup for the next fifty years. You won't be able to walking into a pub - as an American and say Germany and football in the same sentence. As a matter of fact, if you're a Yank - you're just better off not even mentioning "soccer" and if you're a German just forget about that miserable island across the Channel.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Raining Oil in Louisiana

2010-06-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

There have been reports that oil from the BP disaster has been falling with rain in Louisiana.

Jobs Bill Fails In Senate: Democrats Say Thursday's Doomed Vote Was The Last Chance

2010-06-24T22:09:00.001-07:00

If Obama didn't help out his good friend Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. from an obvious racial profiling arrest - what hope do us "little people" have?
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Friendly's Grilled Cheese BurgerMelt: New Challenger To The KFC Double Down Throne

2010-06-24T17:08:00.001-07:00

Cheese .. I love cheese
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

BP response to oil disaster.

2010-06-18T14:33:00.001-07:00

BP's rational response to the oil disaster in the Gulf.

Leave me alone

2010-06-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

Watching the World Cup - England vs. USA.

So go away

Live Blog of Game

Oh Well ...

2010-05-31T04:24:00.000-07:00

What happened to Podcast #3

Dweebist

ThunderCats - gone to the great scratch pole in the sky

2010-05-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

As reported in Kotaku, Stephen Perry the writer and creator for the ThunderCats was murdered in Tampa Bay, Florida. The creepy thing is he was reported missing on May 20, 2010, when his van was found at a Tampa hotel with a severed human arm inside it. Police later discovered that his house had been ransacked and ...

"His roommates, James Davis (45) and Roxanne Davis (49), disappeared, but have since been arrested on unrelated charges, writes Tampa Bay Online. James Davis was picked up on drug trafficking charges, and his wife is charged with violating probation" - Kotaku

Perry was suffering from bladder cancer and had troubles paying medical bills due to a lack of health insurance. Sadly, he died before the republication of his comic, Time Spirits and a movie contract for the same title. It is widely known through the comic book community that James Cameron's Avatar is a direct ripoff of Perry's cat world creation.

Just take a look for yourself.

The Bull Stops Here

2010-05-22T23:04:00.000-07:00

According to the Huffington Post, the famous Spanish matador, Julio Aparicio was impaled through the bottom of the throat in a horrific goring. The injury left him in critical condition.

"[The horn] went though the tongue and penetrated the roof of the mouth, fracturing the jawbone," one of the medics who worked on Aparicio told AFP news in Madrid."

Warning Extremely Graphic

Click here to see pictures of the goring.

Click here to see a video of the event.

Daily Telegraph
Sky News

I bring you this story to highlight my general rules about animals:

1. Don't mess with animals. There's no reason why you need to mess around with an animal.
2. Don't torture, scare, injure, kill, mutilate an animal for entertainment.
3. There are only a few reason why you need to kill an animal.
A) The animal is going to hurt you or your family
B) The animal is food.
C) The animal is threatening the life of your livestock
D) The animal is crucial for the progression of medical research.
4. If there is a God, God did not put animals on this earth for your person sadistic entertainment.
5. Karma's a bitch and so is Mother Nature.

Pretty simple really.

Photograph is the property of the Daily Telegraph and does not belong to me and is used under "Fair Use" rights.

Chicken Lady Strikes Again!!!

2010-05-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

Cluck .. Cluck .. Cluck

Made a No. 2 - Political Fingers Podcast

2010-05-13T23:43:00.000-07:00

Finally completed a number two and like an infant I'm quite proud of myself. I think I got a little better in this podcast .. who knows?
I start off talking about my favorite talk-radio personality. Rush (oxycodone) Limbaugh. Rush recently challenged President Obama to a game of golf and I had to comment about that.
My favorite musical paradoy about Rush. I'm a Nazi Song
Rush's 2006 trip to the Dominican Republic.
Next, I talked about Nevada Republican Sue Lowden who is trying to take Harry Reid's Senate seat.
Chicken Lady Lowden - How to barter with your doctor.
Executive VP Sue Lowden - Breaking the back of Unions - My time at the Sahara Hotel
JD Hayworth's run for John McCain's Senate seat.

JD Hayworth corrupt connections to Jack Abramoff. Donations made by Abramoff to Hayworth.
Washington Post has a story titled "U.S. risks China's ire with decsion to fund software maker tied to Falun Gong."
NPR's story on "Hawaii Law Shuns Obama Birth Document Requests" and on Birthers.
Played commerical about Creationist oposition to Alabama Republican candidate Bradley Byrne
I made through another podcast .. hope to do a new one soon .. thanks for your support

All non-narrative audio clips are not owned by me but are part of "Fair Use" and are used for non-monetary, educational and commentary purposes. All music has been purchased by me but I own no rights to the music.

All other material is copyrighted 2010 Kmuzu

Happy (late) Cinco de Mayo

2010-05-09T16:38:00.000-07:00

From the sick mind of Robert Rodriguez, comes another great movie, Machete. Machete started as a fake trailer in the film Grindhouse. So happy Cinco de Mayo - Arizona Butt Wipes

Another Reason I'm Agnostic

2010-05-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I wonder if there is any hope for humans. Why is it so hard for some to accept science? All one must do is look around them to understand the earth is more than 6,000 years old.

Jesus Loves the Racist

2010-05-05T22:46:00.000-07:00

This is why I'm an Agnostic. Do I need to say anything else?

For Whom the Rig Blows

2010-05-05T17:10:00.000-07:00

Almost two weeks ago (April 21, 2010) the Transocean oil rig, Deepwater Horizon exploded killing 11 workers and sinking the rig into the ocean. This rig was leased by British Petroleum (BP), the fourth largest oil company in the world. The oil rig has been leaking 5,000 barrels a day.

An enormous oil slick is now heading toward the shorelines of Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida and is killing birds, turtles and a variety of other wildlife in it's wake.

Who's to blame for this disaster and the tragic death of 11 workers? Is it BP which is known for other disasters such as, the Texas City refinery explosion and the Cherry Point explosion. BP also has one of the worst rates of human death of any oil company. Is it Transocean which has had it's own troubles with accidents? Just after the accident Transocean CEO, Steven L. Newman released the following statement:

"As the nation and everyone in the Transocean family mourns the tragic loss of these people, our deepest sympathies are with their families and friends today," said Mr. Newman. "Transocean is doing everything we can to meet their needs during this difficult time, and our family response team members are in close contact to provide all necessary support. I would once again like to express our gratitude to the U.S. Coast Guard, BP and everyone involved for their exhaustive search and rescue efforts, despite this very sad outcome."

Obviously the statement was crafted by a lawyer in conjunction with some public relations person. How many times have we seen this exact statement from other companies? Notice nowhere does Mr. Newman take any responsibility for the tragic (not difficult) accident, nor does Transocean say exactly what they're going to do for the families. Furthermore, Mr. Newman does not even express regret for the disaster, only mourns for the family. Are those crocodile tears I see?

No matter how apathetic or greedy these corporations are, I suggest that most of the blame neither rests upon BP or Transocean, but with "Drill Baby Drill". It's America's insatiable appetite for gasoline. We encourage companies to drill in deeper waters and in delicate environment. We give money to countries that promote terrorism and kill our soldiers with sophisticated, armor piercing explosives in Iraq and Afghanistan. As the cartoon character, POGO once said, "We've found the enemy and he is us."

KFC- Double Down Experiment

2010-04-24T21:12:00.000-07:00

I tried a bite of the infamous KFC Double Down sandwich. The DD is two pieces of fried chicken pressed together. In the middle is a whole bunch of cheese and bacon. I hope you enjoy the pain I experience in the video.

This sandwich reminded me of the "They're Made Out of Meat" comedy video.

Lender Conversation

2010-04-21T23:01:00.000-07:00

So, I live in a part of town that always gets telemarketing calls. I decided some time ago to start recording these - not to get into any arguments but just try to get some of the people off script. Usually, I'm successful. Many of these guys are so desperate to talk to a real person and not talk about what ever crappy product their told to push. Here is one conversation I had about a month ago - I toned out the names to try to protect her identity.

Telemarketing Conversation #1

Gieco Lizard Fired - It's that easy.

2010-04-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

As reported in the Huffington Post today Lance Baxter, the voice of the Gieco Lizard was fired for calling Tea Baggers mentally retarded. I'm going to talk more about this in my podcast, but my initial reaction was - Doesn't everyone know that most of the Tea Party are mentally retarded. As I suspected most of the Tea Party organizations are full of sissies and cowards. They start crying, "Oh the Gieco Lizard called us retarded - I think I just soiled myself"

Look I understand that it's in bad taste to call a group of retarded people, retarded and it is appropriate for Baxter to apologize for his rude and inappropriate remarks, but to fire him is just wrong and an extreme overreaction by Gieco.

Does Gieco understand that most of its customers are in their 20's and 30's? And that target market ain't in the Tea Party. Furthermore, the Liberal blogs are chalked full of comments saying they're either dumping Gieco or never purchasing Gieco. How many customers does Gieco think they're going to get from the old, grumpy, white Tea Baggers?

Is Gieco going to do the commercials with a replacement VO? That will just be sad and awkward.

Gieco logo used as "fair use". Gieco in no way supports or endorses this blog.

Car Signs

2010-04-20T04:23:00.001-07:00

As I'm driving down the road I am sometimes amazed at the crazy stuff people on their cars. Here are three examples I captured with my cell phone:

Every Iranian, excuse me Persian I've ever known is so damn proud of being Persian. Persians are more proud of their culture than anyone. To them, if it ain't Persian it ain't worth crap.

Here is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. It's not enough for this Persian guy to have a convertible Porsche. Oh no, not for this Persian. He must also put a huge picture of the Persian state steal on the side of his car. God love em. There is nothing like em in the world. The emblem links to a website - Persia1.org. The guy who owns the car is Majid Majidian.

This one is a little hard to see, but on the back of this car in big letters is the title of his company. Dr. Doo (business must be closed - web address is dead) .. profession dog crap picker upper. Now I have no problem with a guy making a living and certainly there's a need for a good doo cleaning service. What I found funny is that just below this giant Dr. Doo, his license plate reads UKLIFE .. which I guess means something about the University of Kansas .. To me it just meant, "UK the Home of Dr. Doo." I mean no offense. I'm sure this guy is a hard worker and certainly a fan of UK. And no offense to the University of Kansas - although their basketball team could use some help.

The extent a retarded Tea Bagger will go to show his complete lack of class always amazes me. Here we have a Hummer, of all things, with the phrase, "Take Back America" and below it "Beelzebub: Obama". I guess he means Beelzebub the demon. Is he using Beelzebub as some kind of verb? But then why the colon? .. Is Beelzebub addressing Obama in a kind of letter? Is Beelzebub like a club and Obama is a member? Is he asking a question like Beelzebub? and hoping Obama will answer it?

The "Dump Reid" is typical of transient Californians who move here to escape the taxes. We Nevadans call em "Stiffs", because they come here with a suit and a dollar and neither gets changed.

Podcast Away

2010-04-20T04:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Political Fingers

PF is a podcast that covers news, stories and events from a damn Liberal point of view.
This is episode #1 - The beginning of a dynasty.

Show Notes

Alabama ranks 48th lowest in life span
Average life expectancy of people living in Utah

Audacity® is free, open source software for recording and editing sounds.
CAD U37 - The microphone I use to record the show.
Boogie2988 - He does stuff and things on the Internet for his own amusement.
Jon Voight - Tea Party manifesto on Fox.
Meteor streaks across the Midwest
Etta Baker - Blue Grass guitar
Youtube - Woman yells Heil Hitler to Jewish man.
Time Magazine - Living longer

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All other material is copyrighted 2010 Kmuzu

Back from the edge

2010-03-23T04:25:00.000-07:00

After a long recovery ... I am back and ready to save the world

Crazy is as Crazy does

2009-11-05T17:23:00.000-08:00

Everything went bat shit crazy today in America.

Michele Bachmann, Congressional skank from Minnesota unleashed a cornucopia of retards on Washington DC. She told the throng of lobotomy candidates to storm the congressional halls and "scare" their representatives.

Fortunately, half were so old (most on socialized medicine called Medicare) they could not make it up the steps. The rest were too stupid to find the building and ended up rolling in the grass and sniffing each others anuses.

Still a few were mentally and physically capable of getting themselves arrested outside of Nancy Pelosi's office. Threatening a member of Congress is always a good thing to put on one's job application. Shows you play well with others.

Like all Tea Bag events there was no end to the number of offensive, combative, and racist signs and chants.

Sadly, this was not the top story in the new Insane America. Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a military psychiatrist walked into Fort Hood's Soldier Readiness Center and emptied two hand guns into his fellow soldiers. So far 13 soldiers are dead and many are wounded. Hasan is said to be wounded but still alive.

The details are very sketchy at this point (several hours after the event) and I'm sure you're are already aware of the tragedy so there's no point in rehashing it here.

But here's what I think is happening. We're going crazy. After eight years of George W. Rat Turd and Dick Smacker Cheney, Americans have completely lost any connection to how normal people are supposed to act. I would call it mass aberrant behavior, but aberrant behavior is stuff that happens outside of social norms. I can't think of anything .. anymore that's considered outside of the acceptable.

An old treatment (and still used today) for cancer is ingesting arsenic. The theory being that cancer cells are weaker and less resistant than normal cells. So, you give just enough poison to kill the cancer cells but leave the normal cells alive.

I think something similar is happening to us. You can see it - right? The damaged people, the weak minded, socially inept, emotionally disabled are starting to unravel. This is the start to a much bigger problem.

The question is - what is the poison that killing our society?

Huffington Post - Scare Congress
Plum Line - Demonstrations
Mother Jones - Tea Party
Talking Points Memo - Strange Scene
Guardian UK - Hasan and Soldier Stories
Mother Jones - Long Deployments

2009-11-02T02:09:00.000-08:00

It is Sunday night - well really it is Monday morning, even with the time change. But who cares? This post is just a hodgepodge of stuff to flush down the political toilet before the week begins. So, if you're ready here it goes:

Africa

"It hasn't been a great year for democracy in Africa" - Reed Brody, an officer at Human Rights Watch, on the Mo Ibrahim Foundation's decision not to award its annual 5 million dollar prize for good governance to any African government. - source

Image by daveblume via Flickr

Newsweek.

Yes, Africa is sucking ass right now. There are Zimbabwe Conflict Diamonds, Egyptian Trash Pigs, Somali Pirates, Red Cross Kidnapped in Sudan, Guinea Blood, and Chad Kills Aid And this is just today's news.

I know Africa is big - I mean really big, but it seems like the whole continent has gone down the crapper. Africa has all it needs to be healthy and wealthy. When will Africa finally free itself from the chains of colonization or corporations?

Soccer - South American Style

Soccer players are leaving South America faster than Tony Tirado can say, "Goooooooal". Who could blame them? A couple of weeks ago and entire soccer team from Columbia was kidnapped and killed.

Robinho a Brazilian soccer star had just signed a contract with Real Madrid when his mother was kidnapped by armed thugs and held for ransom. Robinho reportedly paid $83,000 for his mother's release.

Grafite's, another soccer player from Brazil, mother was kidnapped soon after the abduction of Robinho's mother.

Argentinian player, Juan Roman Riquelme's brother was kidnapped in 2004 and held for 24 hours until the ransom was paid by the family.

Kidnappings and armed robbery against soccer players is rampant all across South America and Mexico. Soccer players are packing up their balls and families and moving to Europe and England where it's safer and more profitable.

Race

"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way" - Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, explaining why he refused to marry of mixed race couple.

If a person feels obligated to say they're not a racists, chances are they're a racist. It's just that simple.

Other Stuff

There is no such thing as money.

The real trouble starts when China starts getting involved in Kashmir.

If Hamid Karzai was in Vegas he'd be the front man for a mob run casino.

I would poop you a rainbow

2009-10-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

I am 43 years old. This may not be John McCain old, but I'm old enough to know what I want and what I don't want. I know what I like and don't like. And most importantly I know what is right.

As a Progressive, I believe every American has the right to affordable medical care and medication. It's that simple. I know the Trigger Option is a bunch of bullshit. I know insurance companies want me either to be perfectly healthy or die.

I know we went into Iraq to steal their oil and setup a colonial base in the Middle East. I know we need to withdraw our troops as soon as possible. I know we can never win the war in Afghanistan and I know terrorist can setup camp in virtually any place in the world.

I know the Katrina disaster was the biggest American culling of a single race since the Trail of Tears. The criminal lack of support and aid was intentional and probably had something to do with an enormous land grab scheme I know we need to spend billions to repair and resettle the original inhabitants - not only in New Orleans but across the Gulf Coast.

I know banks are dens of thieves and they committed the biggest robbery in world history. People need to go to jail and I mean a lot of people.

Finally, I know Republicans will never cooperate on anything. I'm old enough to separate people who are my friends and those who are douchebags. I know once a person is a douche always will that person will be a douche.

I beginning to think President Obama does not have any firm convictions. He is farshimmelt.

Is he for the Public Option or is he against it? Is he for pulling out of Afghanistan and Iraq? Does he really want to close down Guantanamo? He says he wants to help the victims of Katrina, yet he spends less than four hours in New Orleans.

Obama says the banks screwed America over, yet he hires all former bank employees to run the Treasury.

Back - way back in the 80's, we old folks had a saying, "Gas, Grass or Ass", which in simple terms means - we drove Obama all the way to the White House, now he needs to start putting up or shutting up. I'm not interested in any more speeches. His speeches, which used to inspire me now only serve to piss me off.

Make a decision and stop shitting me rainbows.

Tea Bagger Heaven

2009-10-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

What does a tornado and a Tea Bagger divorce have in common? - Give up?

In the end, someone's going to lose a trailer.

How can I trust or consider the opinion of a person who can't even spell "moron" correctly? It's inconceivable how someone would travel hundreds of miles only to have their picture taken with the word, "Socialism" spelled with a "Z" in it. My God, can't they use spellchecker?

I remember seeing one sign that read, "Send Obama's zars back to the USSR." Now that's just wrong on so many levels.

My point is this; one must separate the rabble-rouser from the rabble. The simpleton, village idiot and peasant with a pitchfork are always angry at something.

In the "Great Cat Massacre" by Robert Darnton. Darnton retells an event in the 1790's in France, when the apprentices and journeymen of a print shop become so frustrated with the master's cats they murdered every one of them. The men first put the cat on trial, a jury found the cat guilty and then hung or guillotined the animal.

True, it's a very gruesome story, but it shows how easy anger at the establishment can be turned towards something totally unrelated. The masters were cruel and merciless to the workers and the workers projected that domination on the cats.

Upon seeing the death of the cats, the wife of the master printer exclaimed, "These wicked men can't kill the masters, so they have killed my pussy. She can't be found. I've called La Grise everywhere. They must have hanged her."

Hitler was able to turn the anger and frustration at inflation and unemployment caused by the Treaty of Versailles toward the Jews.

Is that not what is happening now? Goons, like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh stir up and redirect the anger and frustration of America's rabble. Instead of the people being angry at the banks or the insurance companies, they're directed towards Obama and some pretend Socialist-Communist-Fascist Cabal.

My contention is that we must focus our attention not on the crowd but on the leaders and motivators of this Neo-Confederate movement. Extreme pressure must be put on FOX News to dismiss commentators like Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. This seems to fundamentally go against the spirit of the First Amendment, however the danger to our country, I think is far more important.

Black Elvis

2009-10-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

I'm mad at myself because I can't find my copy of "The Best American Stories of 2000", which contains a story by Geoffrey Becker called, "Black Elvis". I'm mad because I wanted to find a quote in the story that goes something like this. "We're apes who know we're going to die."

If you Google, "We're apes who know we're going to die." it references an article by Sam Harris called, "Faith Won't Heal a Divided World." - which I read. It's an interesting article, I recommend you read it too. Mr. Harris argues that faith generates irrationality while science generates rationality.

"In science, it is a cardinal sin to pretend to know something that you do not know. Such pretense is the very essence of religious faith."

Where the rational consider abortion as a privacy issue between a woman and her doctor or the removal of religious symbols from a public park as separation of church and state, the Christian sees a big sign that says, "HC SVNT DRACONES" or Beware Here Be Dragons.

Back to Black Elvis.

I live in Las Vegas and we worship Elvis just about as much as Memphis does. If you go to the Las Vegas Hilton you can see one of Elvis' glittery white costumes - cape and all. And like the story, "Black Elvis", we have all kinds of Elvi - skinny, fat, tall, midgets, Asian, Hispanic and yes - African American. They're all impersonators, which is accepted. Imitation is a form of worship. But none try to usurp the King. There's no replacement. Elvis is and shall always be white.

This started me thinking. Barack Obama is Black Elvis. He's not an impersonator but a black reincarnation of the King himself. To a true Elvis fan this would be the greatest of all sins. It would be like replacing the rosy Anglo-white Jesus with someone who look like Sam uel L. Jackson. It just cannot be ...

And so it is with our beloved white Tea Baggers. A president cannot be black. Let me repeat this. A president cannot ... never can be black - not even brown. It is an enigma. Obama is a unresolvable contradiction. And so a portion of our population has lost their frickin' mind. I mean this literally.

To a Tea Bagger, Obama is not the President of the United States. He's Hitler. He's a communist and a socialist. He's a racist. He's an anarchist. He's the Antichrist.

He is Black Elvis.

Knock ... Knock

2009-09-29T13:33:00.001-07:00

(stepping into the White House) .... Hello (knock knock) ... Hellooooo ... anyone there? (Seeing Red Phone on desk, I pick it up)

Mr. President? ... Ummm .. Barack, are you there buddy? I need to talk to you.

Oh you're in Denmark trying to get the Olympics for Chicago ... okay ... but I just wanted to tell you that your health care bill - you know the one Ted Kennedy died trying to get through ... that one ... well, it just went to hell in a hand basket and ...

Well, you're not here in Washington and maybe that's why five Democrats thought they could vote "no" on the public option. I know it's not real important to you.

Me? Well, it's kinda important to me - with my eye falling out and all. But you got better things to do - like have a big party in Copenhagen.

You don't say ... Copenhagen is the "Most Livable City" according to Monocle magazine. Well, that's probably due to universal health care .. right?

No .. no sir .. I'm not trying to be a smart ass.

Well, what's wrong sir is there is no public option in the health care bill. As a matter of fact five of our own Democrats along with all the Republicans voted the public option down.

I did speak to Rahm, but he told me to stuff the public option up my ... well, it's not important. I was just hoping that when you got back you could ...

Oh, you're going golfing with Ron Williams, CEO of Aetna ... No, I don't think he'll allow the public option even if you say pretty please.

Okay .. you got to go ... sure, you'll see me in 2012. Ya know, Mr. President - I'm going to have to go ahead a take a pass on that one. I think I'll be too busy to cast my vote that day.

(thinking) I wonder what Ralph Nader is up to?

My Dog - The escape artist

2009-09-25T19:35:00.000-07:00

The dog my wife and daughter begged me to get has now become a Houdini like escape artist. She breaks out of her cage, the backyard, and the fenced in family room. Here is a video showing her in action.

Please enjoy my misery.

In the Shadows

2009-09-25T03:33:00.000-07:00

The following is a list of conspiracy theories I believe are true. Not that I know they're true but I'm over 80% certain they're true. Fair enough ... Okay, here we go

1. The CIA is involved in the illegal drug trade 95% (source)
2. There was a male prostitute that visited the George W. Bush White House 98% (source)
3. The United States used chemical weapons on Iraqi civilians. 99% (source)
4. Michael Savage was a homosexual drug user. (87%) (source)
5. Oswald was not the only shooter in the Kennedy assassination 81% (source)
6. Blackwater conducted assignations around the world on Dick Cheney's orders 91% (source)
7. Mars has primitive life living on the planet now. 92% (source)
8. Mike Connell's (IT expert for Karl Rove) plane crash was no accident 80% (source)
9. The DC Madam's suicide was no suicide 84% (source)
10. President Bush used a communication device during the 2004 debate 95% (source)
11. InfraGard is the United States' KGB unit and gathers info on citizens. 84% (source)
12. Ronald Reagan traded arms for hostages in Iran Hostage Crisis. 90% (source)
13. Member's of Yale's Skull & Bones stole Geronimo's skull 80% (source)
14. United Flight 93 was shot down over Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001 83% (source)
15. Oliver North drafted a secret plan to declare martial law 93% (source)
16. The Soviet military build up and threat was a lie. 87% (source)
17. In 1975 the CIA overthrew Australian Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam 92% (source)
18. Paul Wellstone's, Senator from Minnesota plane crash was no accident. 80% (source)
19. Where ever John Negroponte goes there is death and destruction 85% (source)
20. Royal Dutch Shell was involved in the murders of native people. 92% (source)

There you have it.

Nine Horsemen

2009-09-20T15:16:00.000-07:00

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse a Democrat from Rhode Island was talking to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mike Papantonio's on their radio show, Ring of Fire. (September 15, 2009).

In this interview they were discussing how to prosecute those persons involved in torture, rendition, and other illegal activities under President George W. Bush's administration. The topic of political influence placed on Attorney General Eric Holder not to investigate or prosecute was being discussed when Senator Whitehouse alluded to a letter submitted by Republican Senators.

Senator Whitehouse: "... Very unfortunate letter from nine of my colleagues went over to Eric Holder seeking to influence his judgment and he wrote back a very good letter saying, look appreciate you have views but they don't count in making a prosecutor's decisions. He had exactly the right tone .."

Kennedy: "Was the letter urging him not to prosecute?"

Senator Whitehouse: "Yea .."

Kennedy: "And it was from Democrats and Republicans?"

Seantor Whitehouse: "Nope, all Republicans."

Starts around 4:35 in the video.

Who were these nine Republican Senators and what does this letter say?

What health care plan?

2009-09-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

I thought when Obama saw Baucus health care plan he was gong to be like:

Hey Buttcus what the hell is this? (waving plan in the air). Are you shitting me? (smells the papers) This plan stinks so bad I think it came out of your ass.

But that's just not the case. Obama says - although he prefers the government option, he has left the door open to a scaled-back compromise. What door? Oh you mean the back door. Cause that just where guys like me are going to take it - in the back door.

Look, I like you Obama. I voted for you and I even campaigned for you. But if you don't have the guts to support a government option then just shut the hell up. Please, don't embarrass yourself any further.

Maybe you haven't read the bill. I have .. and it is the worst piece of crap. I would rather you just did nothing. Really, just blow it off - The Baucus plan makes my life so much worse and it already is a piece of crap.

I think you've already forgotten the little people. You know the people who got you elected. Maybe it's the beer and the cigars - maybe it's taking up golf instead of basketball. I don't know, but you need to get your head together and kick Baucus in the ass and start all over - start with universal heath care and stick it to the Republicans.

Good day sir ... I said good day ..

We have met the enemy and he is us

2009-09-13T10:22:00.000-07:00

"We have met the enemy and he is us" is the title of a 1950's comic book by Walt Kelly. Pogo was a conscientious possum filled with good will. Always (in a child-like manner) searching for truth.Nothing seems more appropriate this morning than that statement.

Yesterday, September 12, 2009, eight years and one day after terrorist flew planes into the World Trade Center buildings in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC, there was a gathering of several thousand people on the National Mall.

They were not there in remembrance of the 911 victims, nor the brave men and women who gave their lives defending our freedoms. They did not honor our nation or it's people.

These American citizens gathered together out of a common fear of government. At the event, wild conspiracies were shouted along with the words, "Liar", "Hitler" and "Nigger".

Fear, anger, jealously, maliciousness, idolatry, greed, selfishness, stubbornness and hate - these were their motives.

The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either — but right through every human heart — and through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained. And even in the best of hearts, there remains… an un-uprooted small corner of evil.

[Gulag Archipelago, vol. 2, "The Ascent"]

The believer says we are all under God's eye and has commanded us to be of one mind and one heart. The believer also says Christ is the King of Peace.

As an agnostic, I sometimes wonder what God must think of us. As the richest nation on Earth we worry about secret military camps and birth certificates - We spend a whole day raising a fist that an illegal immigrant might get healthcare and never notice that 30,000 children died yesterday or starvation and disease.

I would revise Pogo's line in this way. "We have met the damned and God has damned us."

This post was inspired by a talk given by Jim Forest

The Duesh Bag Brigade

2009-09-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

Robert Millage of Kamiah, Idaho simultaneously was the first person to shoot a wolf in the lower 48 states and be awarded the biggest duesh bag in Idaho. Millage a real estate agent, who is not affected by the wolf population killed the animal because it's illegal to kill people.

Millage fits the typical profile of a major duesh bag. Self centered, narcissistic and generally a violent, malicious asshole. The dude thinks God put wolves on Earth for him to shoot. As I said before I've nothing against hunting. People got to eat - so animals got to die. This is the nature of things. It's perfectly fine with me if a person kills a deer as long as they eat the meat.

Being an agnostic, I can only hope there is some karmic equalization and Millage ends up as some second hand prison bitch. He already has the gay goatee.

To me there's no difference between Robert Millage and the Tea Baggers who protested today in Washington DC.

As the New York Times put it:

A sea of protesters filled the west lawn of the Capitol and spilled onto the National Mall on Saturday in the largest rally against President Obama since he took office, a culmination of a summer-long season of protests that began with an opposition to health care and grew into a broader dissatisfaction with government. Thousands Rally in Capital ...

The New York Times should know better. This has nothing to do with health care nor is it about big government. Were there any protests from these retards when Reagan grew the deficit? This is clearly about racism. As one HuffingtonPost blogger put it, "It's a KKK rally without the hoods."

I don't know if I would put it that strongly, but certainly if you look at the crowd it is all white and they're concentrating almost exclusively on Obama. Racism definitely plays a major role, but I think more importantly is a loss of civility and community.

These are people who do not consider themselves Americans. To put it another way, they see a white America and a colored America. And now that a colored America has taken over, they want to separate - secede from the Union.

This racist feeling has been justified and sanctified by politicians and so-called news networks like FOX. Texas governor, Rick Perry has toyed with the idea of succession- even while his administration takes in millions of dollars in federal money.

I believe it stems from a damage image of self. (I mean this sincerely) I wouldn't doubt if many of these people were either physically, mentally or sexually abused as children. The projection of hate and distrust is simply not rational.

These people have a kind of toddler's image of themselves. They see the universe revolving around them. All of their problems, concerns and frustrations stem from an external force.

Millage believes the wolf has in some way offended or insulted him. Maybe it was because he read that a wolf somewhere killed a sheep. Who knows - but Millage has internalized this as something personal enough to go kill a wolf.

The same can be said of the Tea Baggers. They for some reason think that Obama has personally hurt or offended them in some way. That out of 300 million Americans, Obama has targeted them personally.

At the heart of it, it is some kind of mental illness.

Thank you Sam Seder

2009-09-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

Thanks goes out to Sam Seder for cheering me up before the speech today. He posted this funny, ironic video on Twitter.

It is the best!

Healthcare Plan

2009-09-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

There are so many voices talking about healthcare that it seems redundant for me to talk about it on this tiny, little blog. I can only give this simple plea.

Like Michelle Obama's father I have Multiple Sclerosis. I won't go into it, but it sucks and it's expensive. I work as an independent contractor from time to time and I write. I would like to continue doing so, but I need insurance.

I can't afford a $1,000 a month plan + deductible and prescription plan. I just can't.

I worked hard to get Obama and other Democrats elected. I suffered eight years under that village idiot, George Bush. I've waited patiently for this moment when a public plan would be available (I really wanted Universal Coverage). And now it looks like I'm going to get screwed again.

Obama came into power promising an end to cynicism, but so far with his limp noodle response to the healthcare plan in Congress, he has created the greatest cynicism of all. I believed his rhetoric of hope and change and now I've an sinking feeling that I'm going to get screwed.

President Obama you have one chance in tonight's speech to turn it around. Please don't suck.

Everything sounds better

2009-09-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, everything sounds better when you Auto-tune the news.

From the fine folks who give you gas

2009-09-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

From time to time it's important for me to stop obsessing over the dull witted and inane Republicans and take a moment to remember those who are truly evil. And in celebration of the Evil among us I give you the most evil man that ever existed - Thomas Midgley Jr.

What? You thought I was going to say Hitler - maybe Stalin, Saddam Hussein or were you thinking old school like Vlad the Impaler. No, no, no my friends - these idiots were mere amateurs; very micro-evil if you will. Midgley was far more horrific in scale and consequence. Midgley killed more people and continues to kill more people that all those old evil freaks combined. Midgley exported his evil around the world. He came very close to killing the Earth.

Okay - who is Thomas Midgley Jr.? He was a mechanical engineer and chemist, who invented tetra-ethyl lead (the lead in leaded gasoline) and if that wasn't enough he also invented chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

According to Wikipedia, "One historian remarked that Midgley 'had more impact on the atmosphere than any other single organism in Earth's history.'"

What is tetra-ethyl lead and why was it so dangerous? In the early 1920's, automobiles had a major problem - they knocked. I guess knocking is the wrong word. They sounded like the engine was going to explode when you drove it. Knocking occurs when the fuel inconsistently ignites, sometimes exploding outside of the piston. It was loud, smelly and would give a horse a heart attack.

Early on, automobile enthusiasts found that adding a bit of clear grain alcohol lowered the volatility of the gasoline and prevented knocking. Seems like problem solved right?

Well, here's the problem. Companies really hate the following things. 1) Anything that might lower their profit margin. Alcohol was a bit expensive compared to gasoline. 2) Is easily produced by small businesses or individuals. Grain alcohol is extremely easy to produce. 3) Uses common materials that can be found in any geographic location. All you need is grain, yeast and heat.

General Motors and the oil companies were desperately looking for an alternative. So along comes Evil Midgely and his plan is to put poisonous lead in gasoline I have to give it Junior, it worked, but it also pumped millions of tons of this neurotoxin into the air.

Children all across America suffered from lead poisoning just by breathing the air. According to an article in The Nation:

A 1985 EPA study estimated that as many as 5,000 Americans died annually from lead-related heart disease prior to the country's lead phaseout. According to a 1988 report to Congress on childhood lead poisoning in America by the government's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, one can estimate that the blood-lead levels of up to 2 million children were reduced every year to below toxic levels between 1970 and 1987 as leaded gasoline use was reduced. From that report and elsewhere, one can conservatively estimate that a total of about 68 million young children had toxic exposures to lead from gasoline from 1927 to 1987.

Now if that isn't pure evil, I don't know what is.

Midgely did suffer for his dirty deed. According to Wikipedia:

On October 30, Midgley participated in a press conference to demonstrate the "safety" of contact with the substance. In this demonstration, he poured tetra-ethyl lead over his hands, then placed a bottle of the chemical under his nose and breathed it in for sixty seconds, declaring that he could do this every day without succumbing to any problems whatsoever. However, the plant was decisively shut down by the State of New Jersey a few days later, and Standard was forbidden to manufacture TEL there again without state permission. Midgley himself was careful to avoid mentioning to the press that he subsequently required nearly a year to recover from the lead poisoning brought on by his demonstration.

This alone might qualify Midgely for "Most Evil" but he went one step further. In 1930, Midgely at the behest of GM invented a cheap chemical to use in refrigerant, dichlorodifluoromethane or CFC. Midgely came up with a much friendlier name, Freon.

My guess is that Midgely was not satisfied killing children, he needed a bigger project. So why not try to kill the Earth? What does CFC do that is so bad. It only destroys the Ozone layer in the atmosphere. Ozone is the only chemical that blocks harmful UV-B radiation. This radiation kills living organisms - like us.

For these two extraordinary accomplishments, I give to Thomas Midgely Jr. the "Holy Most Evil" award. Congratulations.

What happened to Midgely? Well, I guess there is some karmic justice in the universe. In 1940 Midgely contracted polio which left him severely disabled. Always the inventor, Midgely designed his own death. He created a system of pulleys and ropes to help get him into bed. One night he accidentally entangled himself in this device and died of strangulation.

The Nation's article on leaded gas
How do CFCs destroy the Ozone

Hope Ya Don't Mind

2009-08-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

So, I leave for a couple of days on vacation and California catches on fire. And now all that smoke has traveled across the desert and landed here in Las Vegas. Like we need more smoke. So, I'm closed up in my house trying to rub the bloodshot from my eyes.

I see Dick and his daughter Liz are back at again. Maybe I should just start calling them Dickliz because they essentially say the same thing. "Who me - Torture?"

Here's what Dickliz said on Fox News in response to the planned investigation of the Attorney General, Eric Holder.

“I knew about the waterboarding, not specifically in any one particular case, but as a general policy that we had approved,” said Mr. Cheney, who noted that neither a gun nor a drill had actually been used on detainees. “The fact of the matter is the Justice Department reviewed all those allegations several years ago.”“The judgment was made then that there wasn’t anything that was improper or illegal,” said Mr. Cheney." - Ny Times

Yea right ... You know that gets me thinking. There's a great bit of dialogue between two characters in the movie Oliver. Bill is talking to Fagin.

Bill: Have you ever heard the sound a chicken makes when they're wringing it's neck? ... They squawks. Not a very pretty sound."

Fagin: No Bill.

Bill: And then they die, don't they?

Fagin: Yes, Bill. I mean, no, Bill.

Bill: Then, they say, some even start squawking before the event. They get what you might call a premonition. You wouldn't be having no premonition of that sort by an chance, would you?

You ain't gettin' no premonitions of that sort are you Mr. Dick Cheney? Is that a bit a squawking I'm hearing? Of course, I meant it as a metaphor and wish no harm to Cheney family. I'm a peace loving guy.

Mr. Cheney described the inquiry as an “intensely partisan, politicized look back at the prior administration” intended to placate the left wing of the Democratic Party. “It’s clearly a political move,” he said. “I mean, there’s no other rationale for why they’re doing this.” - Ny Times

Well, Mr. Cheney I got some questions of my own for you and President Junior that have nothing to do with torture, but I suspect are crimes none-the-less.

Question Number One: Why was CIA plane carrying cocaine and heroine for Mexican drug lords? - AFP "Mexican drug plane used for US renditions"

Question Number Two: Why were nuclear armed missiles transported, unknowingly to North Dakota? - Arkansas Online "Air Force punishes 70 in accidental nuclear-weapons flight"

Question Number Three: Why did we use a chemical weapon (WMD) on Iraqi civilians and who gave the order to use this weapon? BBC News - "US used white phosphorous in Iraq"

Question Number Four: Who knew Jeff Gannon and why was he in the White House? Washington Post - "Jeff Gannon admits past 'mistakes'"

Question Number Five: At the Republican convention in August of 2008, how did the police obtain information on potential protesters and why were those houses raided? Furthermore, who gave the command to arrest reporters covering the protests? Star Tribune - "Police Raid RNC protest sites in Twin Cities" and Democracy Now - "Host and Producers arrested at Republican convention"

Question Number Six: "Who gave the order to shell and bomb the hotel in Iraq housing reporters?" Guardian UK - "US tank shells hit media hotel"

Question Number Seven "Who gave the order to assassinate Italian reporter Giuliana Sgrena in Iraq?" CBS News - "Italian Journalist U.S. Lied"

There are so many more questions to ask ... but I think we know the answer to all of the them. Mr. Cheney - you have blood on your hands and no matter how hard you wash them they're stained forever

The Lion is Dead

2009-08-26T01:14:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Senator Ted Kennedy

I got an email from Politico announcing this:

Image via Wikipedia

Sen. E dward M. Kennedy died late Tuesday night at home in Hyannis Port, Mass., the Kennedy family said in a statement. Kennedy, 77, "liberal lion of the Senate," had fought a public battle with cancer. "He always believed that our best days were still ahead, but it’s hard to imagine any of them without him," the family said.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy died two years before I was born. Like Obama I have memories not directly, but through his work and persona. The space program is what I remember President Kennedy for. I remember watching a film of the "We Choose to Go to the Moon" speech when I was in third grade. Then watching astronauts land on the moon.

I have vague memories of Robert Francis Kennedy. It wasn't until college that I began to get a sense of the Kennedy legacy and the terrible tragedy of Robert Kennedy's death.

My memories of Edward Moore Kennedy (Teddy) are much more vivid. There was a Libertarian nutcase when I was a database manager at the Sahara Hotel & Casino. I worked on an ancient machine called the IBM System38. He was convinced that all Democrats were evil and their leader was Ted Kennedy. He went on and on about the Chappaquiddick incident.

Lucky for me, he was such a complete lunatic in other ways I mostly ignored him, but that image of Ted Kennedy remained until my third year in college. I'd become much more liberal then and I learned the other history. The other history that included Kennedy's work in health care and as an advocate of the disabled. He was a warrior for Civil Rights, but he was able to seek compromise and concessions from the Republicans.

In my political life, I grew up with Ted Kennedy - he was a teacher.

Dog Days of Vegas

2009-08-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

So, this is how it goes down. My wife and daughter see this dog at a pet store and fall in love with it. When I come, they want to show me the dog. I'm thinking, "Oh God - not a dog, anything but a dog or a cat." We used to have guinea pigs and my daughter promised she'd clean the cage, but guess who got stuck with the job - yep me.

We get to the pet store and they show me the dog. It's a Lhasa Apso. Now, I have a plan to not get the dog. I turn to the store manger (a short German lady) and say, "Hey, Fraulein - I hear these dogs come from puppy mills."

She's get a bit angry at me "I'm a married woman and no these puppies are certified by (some agency) and guaranteed not to come from a puppy mill. I would never sell a dog from one of those places."

"Does this dog have any diseases? I know these puppies come loaded with diseases.", I ask.

"Absolutely not." She has this offended look. "They are checked by a vet each week."

Yea right - By this time, my wife and daughter are playing with the puppy and then my daughter turns to me and gives me that sad lip. What is it about daughters? Drives me crazy.

We purchased the dog. I won't say how much cost - I'm too embarrassed.

(Sorry, had to leave to go pet the dog. Now, I'm back)

She's a cute little dog, but I'm a grumpy man and I just don't like animals. Not that I would ever harm an animal. I think animals have just as much a right to happiness as human animals do. But go be happy far away from me.

I take Daisy (my daughter named the dog) to vet and sure enough the dog has parasites. I have to feed this drug to her every night now. The dog also has separation anxiety and is overly protective of her food. The vet assures me the dog came from a puppy mill.

Okay, even with these problems - I admit it, the dog has grown on me a bit. I have a condition where I'm in pain most of the time. I don't take any narcotics - don't like being doped up. So, the pain makes me sort of irritable and grumpy. But the puppy is always in a good mood and wants me to be in a good mood. Why are dogs so optimistic? And damn it all, the dog cheers me up.

Today, the little dog backed down a feral cat. I guess these little dogs used to guard temples in Tibet. She dug in her front paws, hunched her shoulders and gave out a tiny, little bark. The cat retreated about twenty feet, hissed and ran away. I was kinda proud.

Anyway, this long, overdone story was to talk about animals. I can't understand what hell Michael Vick was thinking. How do you raise a puppy and then let it get its throat ripped out in some dog fight? What the hell did the dog do? Now that I have a dog, I realize what a douche bag, Vick is. I'm an agnostic, but if there is a hell, you're going straight down.

Look, I'm not an animal rights advocate. I know that we got eat, which means animals got to die. But I do think that an animal should have a whole bunch good days and then one bad day. There's no reason (other than money) why an animal has got to suffer day after day. So what, if I got to pay an extra dollar for the chicken breast. Let them run free.

Also, if you're going to hunt and I understand if you need the meat to eat, then eat what you kill. F*%k Sarah Palin. It's a real sport shooting wolves and polar bears from a helicopter. In my uniformed opinion is she's a perverted, nasty skank. She even has a couched from from a bear skin. The bear's head was made into an arm rest. I swear I will move to Holland if she becomes president.

If it quacks like a duck

2009-08-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

I really don't consider myself a Liberal. I think in a normal, sane world, I might even be a mild Republican. But in this political environment I'm some kind of left-wing Socialist. Why? Well, for the following reasons:

I believe that every American citizen has the right to health care.
I believe in evolution and the Earth is millions of years old.
I believe in the Big Bang theory. I also believe in the theory of gravity.
I believe that all children in America should have (at least) three nutritious meals a day.
I never supported the Iraq war.
I think we spend too much money on the military
I think in some circumstances, unions are a good thing
I know Obama was born in Hawaii and I know that Hawaii is a state in the USA.
I'm an agnostic.
I don't care one wit if gays get married, have children or sing Broadway songs.
An abortion is a private matter between a woman and her doctor. It is a medical procedure
Although I support responsible hunting, I think hand guns and assault riffles should be banned.
Although I support a moment of silence, I think prayer and the Bible should be kept out of schools.
I support Title IX.
Guantanamo should be closed and water boarding is torture.
We should spend more money on education.
I think stem cell research is a good thing.
I've never cheated on my wife, nor have I ever been to Argentina.

I guess I am a crazy Liberal.

Taste the Healthcare

2009-08-19T17:22:00.000-07:00

This happens all the time to my wife and me. Our friends will go to this brand new chain restaurant and then come back just raving about how good it is. They're like - "Oh, you gotta try Buca di Beppo. It's so authentic. You eat your food 'family style'."

And then we have to go with them to Buca di Beppo and just as I expected the food tastes like a monkey crapped on spaghetti and then covered it with tomato sauce. Okay, Buca isn't that bad, but just because they call the cheese - "formaggio" does not mean it came from Italy. More likely it was canned in Pittsburgh.

Not that I don't eat at McDonald's from time to time. I'm just saying there's good food and there's crap food and part of living as a human being in knowing the difference.

Why am I telling you this? Because, it's the same with movies, art, music, books - does not matter a bit. People cannot tell shit from Shinola. Unfortunately, this law is so very true for insurance and healthcare.

A few years ago I worked for a large manufacturer. One year, the company decided to let the employees choose what kind of healthcare insurance they wanted. I thought this was a great idea. The company offered several options from "good luck you're on your own" to "Don't worry everything's covered" The company shared a percentage of the costs, so it would have to pay more for the more expensive plan.

The whole company voted and guess which option they took? Yep, you guessed it. They choose the cheapest and crappiest. Sure enough - we met the enemy and he was us. The HR rep said that most people wanted to save the extra $50 a month.

Staying in Vegas

2009-08-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

I found sometimes you have to jump in with both feet and that's what I'm doing with this this new blog. Please, forgive me if it's a little rough around the edges for a bit. It takes a while to find your voice in any new endeavor.

I live in Las Vegas - actually grew up in Las Vegas. Which is a crazy thing if you think about it. In high school (many years ago) I had summer jobs at the casinos. I was a cabana boy for the Riviera Hotel & Casino. I met Steve Perry of Journey, Pavarotti (good tipper) and the late Andy Gibb (stiffed me out of tip every time). I've played video poker since I was fifteen - usually on dates at Macayo's or at the Hush Puppy.

I was always sorrta into politics. I worked in Harry Reid's campaign office when I was twenty. But it wasn't until we elected that misfit George W. Bush that I really got involved. I was always against the Iraq war. I was even against the first Iraq war (Desert Storm). I'm not much of a philospher but I just don't think we should be killing people. Killing=Bad.

Also, I can't understand why it's such a big deal to make sure everyone has a place to stay, something to eat and can see a doctor when they need to? How hard can that be? It's quite pragmatic to me. Ya give a person a boost up ... maybe they can get high enough to reach a slot machine.

What the Health Care?

2009-08-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

First - Healthcare reform without a public option is no healthcare reform at all. That's as far as the debate has gotten. I would like to talk about the intricate details of healthcare, but there's nothing more to talk about. The whole country has stopped to have a small conniption about a black American president.

So, let's talk about the walking retards of the country that make up the Republican party and why they're freaking out about Obama.

Republican are afraid. They're so afraid they've piddled in their Depends. To help them overcome this cowardly fear, they worship guns and even bring weapons with them at political events (Seacoast Online) (MSNBC). This serves another purpose of intimidating anyone who might disagree with them.

Republicans don't trust Blacks and Hispanics (The Guardian) (Newsweek). More to the point, Republicans can tolerate Blacks and Hispanics as long as they know their place, but if they threaten White Power then it's time for them to bring out the guns.

Republicans have low intelligence. There's just no arguing this point. It's just true.

Republicans suffer from a number of mental disorders:

Cognitive Dissonance - Example: A Republican sees herself as a good Christian, but then does not want children to have health insurance because it might raise taxes. Therefore, poor children are not loved by Christ. (ABCnews)
Rationalization - Example: I fear Muslims so they must be bad people. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Projection - Example: Republican men cheat on their wives because gays are immoral.
Emotional Reasoning - God told me through a feeling that I must hate the gay. (Politico)
Dehumanization - The Birthers argue that Obama is not an American citizen so he is not one of us. He's an outsider - even though he grew up in the United States.

Scare the Old People

2009-08-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

What the hell is wrong with Republicans? They've become the party of screamers and liars. I've been in business (the free market economy) for a long time. I've even invested my own money in my own business - trusting the American free market. I can tell you that none of these Republicans would last more than a few months at any normal business.

Republicans are lying about healthcare reform and they know they're lying. And these aren't little lies - these are baldfaced big lies. Republicans are also trying to put the fear of god into the old and the stupid. This is just wrong and mark my words, it will come back to haunt them.

Could you see the CEO of Walmart saying at a stockholder's meeting, "The government wants to kill your grandmother?" or "There are going to be Death Panels that will kill handicap children."?

It's crazy.

Leaders do not act like little children. Can you imagine Bill Gates, Andrew Carnegie or J.P Morgan behaving in this way? How embarrassing the Republican party has become.

You know it's just not embarrassing it's also dangerous. By acting in this foolish and retarded manner, they stoke the fires of the mentally ill and criminally insane.

The sad thing is I'm not even talking about healthcare reform ... I'm talking about how to talk about health care reform.

Sarah Palin's Death Panel
Sen. Grassley - pull the plug on grandmother
Steele's dangerous experiment
Commercial of FEAR

Welcome to Political Fingers

2009-08-15T05:01:00.000-07:00

This is Political Fingers. PF is online political commentary from the Left. Not the far left - this ain't no communist propaganda. It is just left of center.

There's no advertising here. All material is copyrighted, but may be used with appropriate references.

I may from time to time use other people's copyrighted material under the guidelines of "fair use". I will give every effort to properly reference and attribute this material.

I don't receive any direct profit from this blog. This blog is for educational and entertainment purposes.

Please feel free to comment on anything you see here - whether you agree or disagree. I have strong opinions and love a good argument.