Time to Get Off Our Asses

I grew up in the Gulf of Mexico. I know hurricanes and tropical storms. This shit is bad. Real bad.

Watching CNN and MSNBC 24-7 doesn't help. Neither does running down there half-cocked. So, unless you are part of an organized relief effort like the Salvation Army or the Red Cross, stay home and write a check to them. Then no one has to rescue your sorry ass, and real lives might be saved.

Foregoing lunch out at the office for one week or date night with your squeeze of the week means having the funds to help the victims of Katrina. Send the $50 or $100 to SA or RC instead. Don't send stuff like food and clothes. It will cost too much to move and organize. Oh- and hell, it's tax deductible too for you assholes who don't do anything without a bit of sweetness in it for you.

Here's the contact info:

Salvation Army: 1-800-SAL-ARMY or donate online.
Red Cross: 1-800-HELP-NOW or donate online.

BTW- If you own a corporation that makes bottled water, first aid kits, RV's, boats, or life jackets, or tents, etc. and you want to donate them at no cost and ship them down, you might be nice enough to call SA or RC and donate those things. Or if you own buses that can transport the guys from the SuperDome to Houston, you might contact FEMA at FEMA 500 C Street, SW Washington, D.C. 20472 Phone: (202) 566-1600. Or the Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness Office at: Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness, 7667 Independence Blvd.Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806(225) 925-7500(225) 925-7501 FAX http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov .

And just for the record- I'm not going out Friday night. I'm sending what I'd spend on one night's tab instead. I can always have a hangover some other Saturday.

My Big Worries About Discrimination, Fascism and Roberts

John G. Roberts is the current nominee to SCOTUS and he has very, very little of a written track record related to his own stint as a federal judge. He's also not so well published like previous candidates. It makes it kinda hard to read him. Plus, it doesn't help he looks like the "auto pilot" from Airplane.

I've been spending a fair amount of my free time trying to find out more on him, but of course, I don't have access to the papers the WH is withholding because of a bullshit thing called attorney-client privilege. (Will somebody point out the anti-Clinton decision negating that rationale, puh-leeeeeze???). Most telling is one recent article reciting written testimony of Roberts a few years back wherein he recited his favorite justices. The list:

Justices Oliver Wendell Holmes, Louis D. Brandeis, Felix Frankfurter, Robert H. Jackson and John Marshall....and of course, his friend and mentor for whom he clerked...William Rehnquist.

Odd list, huh? Not really. They have a great deal more in common than one would think at first glance.

Holmes- The original Harvard Man. Served in the Civil War. Had a fancy daddy. And was of the most elite social class of his time. Big proponent of judical restraint and not letting personal opinions affect decisions on the Court. Friends with Felix Frankfurter and Brandeis. And a believer of "the Fourteenth Amendment is perverted when it is held to prevent the natural outcome of a dominant opinion." (i.e. majority rule controls who is elected, therefore, the elected official represents the will of the people and should be obeyed unlessthere is a major fuck up). Privacy rights were not even a blip on his radar. Just what was in the Constitution.

Brandeis- Leader of the American Zionist movement and known for giving the government what it wanted so long as it didn't seriously abridge fundamental Constitutional rights (see the Whitney case). He upheld the conviction of anyone charged with espionage or being subversive. Saw the government as having a broad right to protect itself from dissenters. Today "fundamental" Constitutional rights can be seen as right to bear arms, eminent domain remuneration, free speech within some constraints, free market capitalism and that's about it. Figure that one out..... No penumbras???? Awww, come on....

Frankfurter- didn't want to vote for Brown v. Board of Education but did so as a sign of solidarity of the Court on an important subject(i.e. his arm was twisted). Founding member of the ACLU and was on the Sacco & Vanzetti trial. Very conservative on the Court- he was the Original Souter-esque stealth candidate. FF wrote the Korematsu decision essentially approving the wholesale jailing/segregation of people of a certain race for no real reason and giving the government broad war powers (now used in upholding BS Patriot Act provisions). FF was also a well-known Zionist. Big government, 14th Amendment to be interpreted narrowly. Closest thing to a true strict constructionist as there has ever been since he evaded his own personal beliefs to rule the way he did. Repeatedly.

Robert H. Jackson- Not much is known about this guy other than he and Black fought and he headed up the Nuremburg trials. One quote- "Sadly, today his name usually is best remembered for spurning the efforts in 1953 of his then law clerk, now Chief Justice William J. Rehnquist, to maneuver him into upholding the court's 1896 decision in Plessy vs. Ferguson and the constitutionality of racial segregation." In Brown, people!!! He voted like FF as a favor. Oh, and more importantly- he didn't see the 14th Amendment as extending the 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination to the States. In other words, you could be forced to testify against yourself in a state trial.

John Marshall- The original architect of Federalism. Established judical review which gave SCOTUS equal footing as the executive and legislative branches in Marbury v. Madison. But extended "implied powers" of the legislative branch in McCulloch. The aboslute first activist judge. He was an activist FOR the federal government. This flies in the face of alleged strict construction. Moreover, it reinforces my fears about Roberts doing away with social reform gains for the furtherence of his own agenda.

William Rehnquist- clerked for Jackson and tried to convince him not to derail segregation. Roberts clerked for Rehnquist who was/is also associated with keeping blacks from voting at the polls as a member of the RNC. Roberts worked on the FL2000 case in Florida where voting was a problem for blacks....and Rehnquist voted to give Bush the election. His entire legal and political career has been about limiting the 14th Amendment and broadening government power especially if it jives with his personal views ala Marshall.

The writings we do know about- briefs and arguments made before SCOTUS and other Courts about affirmative action, enforcing anti-discrimination laws, etc.- show a very smart guy who doesn't want to made this country free of dsicrimination. He (at least professionally) argues it's okay. What gets me is he's a fan of judicial restraint (see Holmes, and Frankfurter) and thinks the government should have broad powers to legislate until they run afoul of a very strict construction of the Constitution, but he has spent the better part of his career finding and creating loopholes so that Congress's laws don't have to be strictly followed (see the Reagan era stuff on enforcing anti-discrimnation statutes by Roberts). It doesn't make sense.

What does make sense is that a broad view of his associations, religious affilitions, political bent and cases he has worked on show a social conservative who uses his vast intellect to achieve social reform and advance uber conservative philosphies. Sure, his nomination is a political spoil, but he's been groomed for this his whole life. Every step, every pro bono case, every handshake and perfectly coifed moment has been staged for a reason.

Look at his cases- they all involve Republican views or interests except for two- the low-income tenant stuff and the gay referendum stuff in Colorado. The tenant stuff was put forward early on. Big deal you might say, but the gay stuff was leaked. By the WH no less. There's one thing about Washington DC- no one leaks without a well-thought out reason. In a town where information is power, you don't share info unless you get something for it. Leaking the gay case makes people rethink whether this guy is that conservative and whether he will legislate from the bench. I tell you he will. Seriously, who gives two shits about a case in the Rockies when a federal law can be passed by Congress usurping states' rights on the issue? Especially if Griswold and its progeny (including Roe) are overturned.

The Court has already accepted certain social hot button issues for its next term- gay rights, abortion and religion will be on the docket in soem form or another. Saying you accept stare decisis means nothing when the first cases of SCOTUS deny privacy rights. Hell, Rehnquist tried to get Plessy reinforced by Jackson. It's pretty damn easy to wipe out the newer cases for older law.

Don't trust this guy. Don't think for a minute that he will be conservative on the bench. He's not a conservative. He's a well-connected, very dedicated uber conservative. He will kill Roe, he will kill Lawrence, he will kill Griswold and he will allow our government broad powers in advancing a bullshit war on terror. His whole life has been groomed to get to this point and too many people have worked to put him in position. Rehnquist chief among them. Rehnquist isn't stepping down until Roberts is in the door.

Roberts is the Manchurian candidate. And he's on auto pilot.

Time to Make Some People Mad

I think it's bullshit that non-military types are supposed to roll over and grant the crown of supreme knowledge to any old asshole who ever received an LES and the GI Bill. I can respect service in the military just as much (but not more) as I respect the job a guy at Burger King who flips my burgers. If it is a job well-done, then wonderful. If not, why are you wasting the time and money of someone else?

I've got a theory on the origin of this extortion ring and why so many people buy into it or just don't speak up against it. It goes something like this:

There are and were poor schmucks who couldn't get out of the draft. They were poor, or too stupid (or poor) to go to college, or not politically connected enough to get a Congressman involved on their behalf or they couldn't fake an anal cyst. They resented going over and were forced to do things they wouldn't do if they weren't ordered to or hadn't fallen into the Lord of the Flies mentality. The resented those who dodn't go and got to go to school and protest the war. Those who didn't go felt guilty knowing their number was called and they got out of it because of money, influence, college or successfully faking anal cysts. Call it survivor's guilt if you will. Some would feel less than manly in some instances which will later lead to them being overly macho and chickenhawkish (see George W. Bush and Rush Limbaugh).

The poor schmucks who went to war returned unfortunately to a poor political climate wherein the poor schmucks were attacked as the problem rather than recognized as the collateral damage of the chickenhawks looking to solidify their bank accounts and verify publicly they had penises. The PS's were hurt and rightfully, and eventually angry. They now lead the charge proclaiming that those of us against the Iraq war are anti-soldier (which BTW is absolutely not true and if I hear it again, I may start beating the holy shit out of some of them). They have missed the proverbial boat in going after the anti-war types, projecting their long held animus against the protesters rather than the chickenhawks who play fast and loose with the lives of innocents.

The protesters feel guilty about not having gone, but most of their guilt is borne of the middle class guilt they already have because they recognize how good they have got it when they do nothing and are nothing. Instead of redirecting a conversation about the war in Iraq away from the ad hominem attacks and the feints of ad hominem attacks which target their longheld middle class guilt, they cave in and say "I support the troops," "military service is honorable."

Fuck you both. Fuck you bonehead servicemen and vets for being stupid in the first place and not having the damn sense to understand what makes you tick and why you feel this hatred (try instrospection sometime fucktards). And fuck you, you pussyass hippy types who feel guilty about your Volvos and your kids' Ranger Rovers out there in the 'burbs. Call a spade a spade. The 60's protesters went too far in attacking returning soldiers. They should apologize for screwing up the message in their zeal to be more protesterly than the next schmuck. The jarheads need to apologize for 3+ decades of emotional extortion and for questioning the patriotism of the protesters.

Now, with all that said, I direct both of your collective asses to the real root of the problem- the chickenhawks with the tiny peenies. I think Jesus' General's Operation Yellow Elephant is perfect. If the College Republicans or NASCRA types want to support this bullshit, misguided war in Iraq, they need to sign up rather than try to get Boy Scouts who are loosing their troop leaders like flies and poor black kids from the city to do it for them. The chickenhawks are the problem. Pure and simple. Take their asses out.

I don't think our men and women's lives should be wasted and I think this war was utter crap from it's inception in 1999/2000. That doesn't mean I hate our troops, but it doesn't mean I am giving a blank check to any emotional extortionist out there who wants to take a swipe at me either. It's a bad war and a terrible waste of human lives and property. Soldiers do a job just like I do. Neither of us deserve respect because of our job descriptions, but should earn it by how we do our job.

Oh, one more thing. The Lyndie England's of this world do more to demoralize our troops and put them in harm's way than I ever can by my bitching about this war on this blog or in my hometown. Say anything to the contrary and you can kiss my white ass.

I'll even shave a spot for 'ya.

The Shit I See On My Lunch Hour: Things That Drive Me Insane

So, I'm sitting here enjoying my $1.99 Chicken Fried Steak Dinner from KFC (Okay, enjoying is an overstatement, but it was cheap, fast and close by) and I was reading the back page of the local paper. The article was about Bill Frist getting dissed by Justice Sunday II which is the religious conservative equivalent of WWF's Wrestlemania except they allow douche bags like Tom DeLay to attend and speak. Hell, even Fristfucker spoke by video at the April 2005 Justice Sunday during the height of the Terry Schiavo shit. But poor Fristfucker didn't receive an invite this time 'cos he screwed Jesus' dog when he came out in support of expanded stem cell lines and funding last week. I don't understand that especially since he only did so in an effort to appear more moderate for his '08 presidential run.

Why then was he dissed? Because you either toe the Dobson created line or your name is mud. These dickheads will no longer speak Frist's name in the hallowed halls of Neverland.

"Whatever" is my initial reaction because I think Frist is a tool, but then the better part of me is like "what's with all the religious nuts getting so pushy about things like stem cell research when they have the audacity to support capital punishment and bombing the shit out of Iraqi babies?" Yes, you can imagine my response as I sit here in my baby blue cardigan and sensible white slip-on Keds and say unto you "Can you say 'hypocrite,' boys and girls?"

Then a few minutes later, I am checking out CNN when I see the second thing that chaps my hide- the headline about an 11 year old girl being charged with assault with a deadly weapon for hitting a boy in the head with a rock. And the daily poll asks if it's the right charge against her. I about shit myself when I saw 60% say she was appropriately charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Again, WTF?

Oddly, both the Frist and the rock girl stories have something in common. Both are the product of a privileged society which has fattened itself up to the point that we are in each other's business and go overboard "protecting" each other from ourselves. Those Justice Sunday assholes really do believe they have the right to lobby government to kill non-white "criminals" and protect 100,000's of frost-bitten embryos in spite of the fact they will never be viable and certainly aren't wanted by the donors any longer. Nevermind that 80,000 are destroyed annually when they can be used for new stem cell lines which might aid in research that could save ACTUAL lives. That poignant fact is not useful to these right-wing Christian conservatives. It means nothing at all. Just like the words "grow the fuck up" to that Fresno prosecutor and the delinquent boy's parents.

Kids fight. Sometimes they fight rough, but if we'd let them fight more often (like we use to when we were kids) then maybe they would know bringing a 2 lb. rock to a water balloon fight is a tad bit much. Just like maybe dropping 1000's of bombs on a non-threatening country may be overkill.

My husband would say that these are examples of the PC police of the 90's run amok. I'd say bullshit. It's clearly a product of too many people with too much time on their goddamn hands meddling in the business of others because they feel entitled to by virtue of the free time on their hands. Maybe, just maybe, if their sorry asses were having to struggle to survive like our grandparents and their grandparents before them, there would be some damn common sense in this country. And maybe if they weren't so goddamn "actuated" or whatever they might have a bit more respect for the boundaries and beliefs of others.

Common sense to me would be: don't have Justice Sunday II. Don't waste the money on the Best Western. Stay home, play with your kids and have a backyard BBQ. With regards to stem cells, get a life. Unless they belong to you and there is an unwarranted taking by the government or your neighbor of YOUR stem cells, fuck off. If you are the parents of those two kids, spank them and ground them. Both. They need to know you can't go around fucking with people just for sport. That you will get hurt and you will deserve to get hurt. If you are that girl's folks, pay for the stitches (i.e. pay the damn deductible- hospitals screw us as it is) without being asked. That should be the end of it.

But instead, there are assholes out there like the JS2 organizers who make money and get to say they rub elbows with the big dogs for making up false "life" issues and printing up bumperstickers instead of going home and dealing with their own problems or kids, and prosecutors who get to look tough on crime going after an 11 y.o. girl as they get handed another campaign contribution by a would-be JS2 attendee (shit, what a small dicked pussies they must be).

Seriously, you fuckers should get a goddamn life instead of worrying about everyone else's. And if you still need to dabble in the affairs of someone else or feel like you are accomplishing something worthwhile, send money and supplies to Niger, go to Dafur and stop the genocide, volunteer at a senior center or offer to pay the electric bill of a fixed income recipient who might die in a heat wave like we have been having. Spend time with your own damn kids and teach them that bullies should be beaten down and that you fight fire with fire, not atomic bombs. In other words, do something that is actually useful and doesn't just appear to be useful. And thank your god (or non-god) for the ability you have in this country and be a nosy asshole. If you lived elsewhere, you'd spend most of your time trying to find food, clean water or stay safe. You would not give two shits about the number of reruns on this summer or the fact that professional hockey has been gone too long. You wouldn't have time to be self-centered, fuckwit, assmunchers who annoy me.

And I wouldn't have time to write about you.

Rick Santorum Thinks His Nuts Have Dropped

And he clearly is mistaken. Shitbag Rick has come out taking pot shots at Hillary Clinton. Not only did he rip off the title to her book "It Takes a Village" for his own book, but now he wants a public debate about family values issues with her.

What a pretentious dick.

Hillary, don't take the bait. Don't drink the Kool-Aid. Hell, don't even respond. That prick isn't worthy of drinking your urine. Moreover, you really ought to sue his sorry ass just for being the dickhead cunt he is and taking up valuable space in the Senate building. I say you should imminent domain him into oblivion on the rationale that his desk would be better used as firewood than as a place for him to bend over while Dubya (or Jeff Gannon/Guckert) buggers his manpussy.

Rick "Man-Dog Sex" Santorum spends waaaaayyy too much time thinking about other people's sex lives (gay sex in particular). He's made a complete ass of himself on the issue of the Catholic priest scandal and certainly insinuates it's the victims' faults. He now is saying he wants a Constitutional amendment banning abortion.

Tell you what, Ricky Scrotum, why don't we spend all that money you'll waste on "hearings" and build a time machine, go back in time and convince your mother what a shitbag you'll turn out to be and give her the money for a back room abortion (pre-Roe afterall) and make sure your ass was never born??? It would be a far better use of taxpayer monies than letting you persist in your wetdreams of a culture war. You know an amendment would never happen. You know you're just posturing, and you know what else... your numbers are way down in PA. Why don't you just shut the fuck up and stop embarrassing your constituents, your state, your party and your country?

But if you can't resist opening your mouth and really want a debate about "family values issues," why don't you debate me? I've been to law school, too, you fucktard. I remember taking Con law and I remember fuckwit pricks like you who married teachers and screwed around on them constantly while acting like the were the most Christian of men. My only question to you in this forum is whether or not you're a top or a bottom because my suspicion is you are a saggy bottom and a finger in your ass just isn't good enough any more.

Bring it on fucktool, if you have balls enough.