ProleBlogThreat

Oil Addiction? The proof is in the President.

Great article in the New York Daily News here. It's filled with nice little tidbits to wow your friends at your next party. Good ones like:

Bush's 700-mile trip to give his State of the Union encore speech in Nashville yesterday cost $19,594.25 in fuel alone just for Air Force One, according to government figures.

And little digs like:

President Bush is one of the biggest gas guzzlers in the country and his first stop to sell the idea of breaking the nation's oil addiction burned up thousands of gallons of jet fuel and hundreds of gallons of gasoline.

Word.

Hubris... meet the Constitution.

Hey W, you're about to meet the Constitution. George and crew had to see this coming. No, sorry. That's a big assumption there. Turns out their wiretapping order is going to actually get a serious challange. I just finished reading in Salon of a new suit against the NSA by the ACLU that does not include a guilty terrorist as a litigant. There goes the whole, "we're just tapping guilty evil-doers. If you're not a guilty evil-doer you have nothing to fear." defense of violating civil rights.

As it turns out, the ACLU's case is based on that fear. That the fear of speaking freely is in itself a violation of our civil liberties. And the client list includes a variety of litigants whose very operations and careers are impacted by the thought of someone listening in. Nice one. I hope it gets to the courts.

It's hard to embrace the ACLU most times. But today I'm reminded of why they have become so important in our world. Today they aren't representing a bunch crazy bald heads wanting to march through Cincinnati declaring their hate of everything non-White. Today they are representing a diverse group of Americans that not even Bill O'Reilly can question (OK that's not going to happen, but maybe no one will listen this time).

If you want to read what the ACLU is saying about this or to donate, click here. Myself, I need to find my credit card. I'm sure the NSA has a good idea where it is...

House Leadership Struggle: He said Boehner

John A. Boehner. No joke. For a party reeling in scandal, this is the guy they come up with!? Hitting this guy is going to be serious slow-pitch. No, check that - more like T-ball. He's now being named as DeLay's potential successor as leader of the House Majority (aka Conservative White Old Man's Club). You can seriously start preparing Viagra jokes now...make sure you use words like 'stiffen', 'upstanding', and 'firm'.

I may actually stay up for Letterman this week if Boehner (hee hee) gets 'hard' support and his position within the party continues to 'swell'. He could inject new blood into the 'impotent' leadership that the House 'members' have shown during the last few months. Goddess knows the House could use a little 'straightening up'. Hopefully the fact he looks like a 'dick' won't keep him from growing a bigger 'tent' within the conservative GOP.

This is just too much fun...

W would be great at Calvin Ball, too!

So, if you aren't getting your way, change the rules.

According to UPI, W's sinister violation of our precious right to privacy began when he could no longer rely on the courts to give him permission to listen in on American citizens. Even though the bar for getting a legal permission to 'listen in' is really low (and can even be granted retroactively), the Bushzies still felt the need to bypass our legal protections in the name of public safety.

In addition, the data 'mined' by the NSA is being shared with other agencies. While I'm all for our security agencies getting their shit together and combining resources, I'm not for getting that information in one illeagal manner and then spreading that information around without public knowledge.

The lesson learned is this: If W can't overcome the absurdly low hurdle that is suppossed to be our legal right to privacy, then how can we trust him and his administration to use what information they do get responsibly? If you're reading this, you're not alone. Click away. Close your browser window. Make it look like you read this by accident. Because, we no longer can be assurred of privacy and right to free speech - whether we say it, write it, read it or listen to it.

Damn...I'm gonna be rendered now.

"The" Perfect Season not relegated to "another" Perfect Season

F#ck yeah! Sorry Colts fans. If any one breaks that streak, I prefer it to be Manning - a real winner. Plus, It would be good to point to one person who broke all the "unbreakable" records the Dolphnins and Dan Marino hold. That keeps those records special. But, I still celebrated when the whiste blew on today's Bolts/Colts game.

I hold before you the '72 team yearbook - the bible in PBT household. "Thus spaketh Jim Mandich, "Touchdown Dolphins! Yeah Baby!"...

Riles is back.

So, I may be even more hyperbolic than usual. Any guy that cares so much about perfection that he takes the time to sit down to write about it is aces in my book.

I've had my heart broken by the Heat so many times, I don't know what to do with this latest twist. I could wait and see...but then where's the fun in that?

So...watch the Heat. As their season goes, so goes my ever-changing moods. Looking forward to this season. But my liver is not.

I'M BACK! and is it possible to sound any more old?

Hey folks:

I'm back from my self-imposed exile helping the middle-left keep some sort of hold on the state of VA. Posting will be much more frequent and I'll also finally make my personal website live so the world can see my work. Stay tuned.

In other news, Borf pleaded guilty yesterday. Some random dude is quoted as saying,

"It's a sad commentary on our society that he will probably take his fame as a vandal and transform it into fame as an artist," said Phil Carney of Dupont Circle, who has scoured graffiti from his neighborhood for years and who came to court to learn the case's outcome.

"But there's no question he has talent and determination. Properly challenged, he could accomplish just about anything. Just let's hope it's less destructive."

Gee whiz. Old much? What a crusty, dusty fart. Look, I'm getting on in years, but if I ever make a statement like that about another artist's hard work I should be kicked in the ass.

That said, look out for more posts. Glad to be back.

Rumsfeld and the 'N' word.

During Congressional hearings, Rumsfeld uttered the following statement in response to lagging public support for war in Iraq (as quoted in the Washington Post):

"I have a feeling they're getting pushed" -- an apparent reference to unfavorable news coverage and political commentary. Rumsfeld expressed confidence that support would rebound.

I agree with the Post's assessment of his meaning. What a putz. Shouldn't we all remind him and this administration that the job of the media is not to market policy and legislation to the American public (that's my job). It's not a journalist's responsibility to sell the public on the war, but report the facts. Jeesh.

And what about "Checks and Balances"? Isn't it Congress's role to ask the tough questions and demand answers on behalf of the American people? How much denial do you need to be in to think that hundreds of deaths a week is something the press and this Congress should ignore and accept? Goddess knows that the press rolled over for years for this administration. This administration also has paid journalists to "report" on pending legislation.

Since I'm not in office I can say this: The Nazis had the Reichstag and Signal. The Bush administration wants the same out of Congress and the American Press. And they're whining that they are not getting it.

There. I said it. I brought up the 'N' word. And I don't have to apologize.

American-Style Democracy in Iran - "I Love this Game!"

So in this morning's NYT is the following quote:

"It seems there is an organized movement to hurt the glorious process of the elections."

Without identifying who was behind that movement, Mr. Khatami said in the letter that he was referring to the "disruption of gatherings, beatings, illegal pamphlets and spreading lies to ruin candidates' reputations regardless of political inclination."

{insert snarky tone} Glad to see that American-style Democracy is spreading in the Middle East. {/snarky tone} I love democracy and the very fact that I can use the word democracy in this blog is the main reason (see Microsoft's latest senseless, profit-driven move.)

However, the above quote highlights how we in America are not far from that. Sure the Poll Tax is gone and lynchings are now "illegal", but political campaigns are still about the lowest common denominator - lies, distortions, intimidation and deceit.

Ironically, I write this as I take a breather before playing my little role in this for 2006. Here's hoping that we'll see an elevation of discourse to be about higher ideas and not baser fears. In the meantime, I had better start eating some raw red meat...

Last shot of last game looming

For those of you that don't know yet, I am a big Miami Heat fan. For several years there was the drama of losing three series in a row to the hated Knicks on the last shot of the last game of the series. Total heartbreak. Then came Zo's illness...

Not that I'm giving up on my team, but damn. Tonight was a letdown that reminded me of those years. I'm hoping it doesn't happen again...