43-Ideas-Per-Minute

Trying To Trap A Freeman

2011-09-29T11:31:00.006-05:00

In the immortal words of Adm. Akbar......

And that precisely what this is:

Dear Mr. Freeman,

My name is Ali Akbar. I’m a 26 year-old African-American small business owner and a tea party activist. I’m not writing to rake you over the coals in the way that many conservatives have done in the last 48 hours. Heck, I wrote a passionate open-letter refuting many of your claims already, but this is not that. This is an honest and standing invitation. I do believe that you are wrong in what you said about the tea party, but I would rather prove it to you than castigate you for your comments.

I also understand that your reflexive comments came from experience. You grew up in a different America than the one that I was blessed to be born into. We both grew up in the south, but I never saw ‘White Only’ signs. I’ve been called a name or two in my three decades, but racism has always been the exception in my life, not the rule, as it probably was in your youth. I understand your suspicion of conservative political movements. It is rooted in pain and fear and memory, and though I never saw the horrors of segregation that you did, we share that cultural heritage.

I’ve been a fan of yours all my life. From “Driving Miss Daisy” to “Lean on Me” to “The Shawshank Redemption,” I idolized you as a boy. Growing up without a father, you were one of the strong black men in my life who gave me a model to follow. Each of the characters you played had dignity and confidence. I tried to emulate the strength you projected. While many of my friends headed down the all-too-familiar path of drugs, unwed pregnancies and crime, I’ve striven to live a life with dignity, be an example for my brothers and make my mother proud.

My favorite of your movies was “The Power of One.” I must’ve watched it a hundred times, crying every time when your character Geel Piet was killed by the racist South African. Geel Piet was brave and heroic, even in the face of death, because he knew that the hate that killed him was a trifle in comparison to the love that PK’s anti-apartheid movement was spreading. It is with that spirit that I’m writing to you this morning.

I’ve attended dozens of tea party events. I’ve helped organize them, and I’ve even spoken at a few. The tea party is not what is often depicted in the news. It is people of all colors who are terribly concerned about the direction that America is heading. We don’t trust big government to make decisions for us. And we fear that the present administration’s spending is going to lead our country down a path to insolvency, much like what Greece is currently facing.

Yes, the Tea Bagger is actually named Akbar.

This is on par with high school kids cleaning up their parents house just hours before mom and dad arrive home from their long weekend, making sure that there are no empty beer cans and bottles of Jagermeister; no ash-trays filled with remnants of blunts, or stray pairs of lacy undergarments from any of the girls that got tipsy enough to dance on the coffee table. This is exactly what this is.

Of course, Morgan Freeman likely knows this and should speak out to this effect. Does Mr. Akbar actually think that one of the more intelligent and articulate humans on the planet is actually going to fall for such sophomoric pleading? I certainly hope he doesn't. If anything, he should arrive, completely unannnounced and unrecognizable - with hidden camera at the ready - to a Tea Bagger gathering in the near future to get a real sense of what an unsanitized conglomerate this reactionary lot truly is.

I'm certain that Mr. Akbar's intensions - at least deep down inside him somewhere - are well and good, but to see anyone within the African American community, regardless of socio-political stripe; where they live; or what they do for a living, be so blind to the verifiable incidences of unchecked racial animus within the Tea Bagger movement gives me great pause. Are they simply playing the role of ostrich in order to maintain a sense of moral superiority? Or is this something more sinister, that they see it and it doesn't bother them in the lease because it's "not happening to them"?

Regardless, the trap as been set and I'm sure that Morgan Freeman is all too aware of this. And once he doesn't show up, The Modern American Right are going to have their "he was too scared to show up" talking points at the ready. They really are that predictable.

How To Lose Votes

2011-09-29T11:00:00.008-05:00

Remember when Herman Cain ( oh, wait, aren't we supposed to call him Herm or Herb now? ) said he would get no less than a third of the black vote?

Let's all watch as that vote magically disappears right before your eyes.

Yep, nothing like telling the black community that a majority of them lack higher brain functions and have no clue that conservative policies are what have kept them down for decades.

Of course, Cain attempts to offer the caveat that it's just 2/3 of blacks in America that suffer under the yolk of Democratic telekinetic suppression, but where is the data to back up this assertion? Oh, I see, Cain just made it up. It's his "anecdotal feedback machine" that he keeps hidden in his suit jacket.

The reality of this is that Cain just made a massive gaffe. All that has to happen now is for the Modern American Right to gin up enough spin to make this sound like a positive for the GOP field, and for Cain more specifically. I'm sure their will be some colorful chart used and Sean Hannity will utilize his own racial invective to back this up by having Eric Rush and Jesse Lee Peterson on as the "token black guys".

I bet Cain's foot tastes like Godfather's Deep Dish Pepperoni.

Apparently Safety Equals Loss Of Freedom

2011-09-28T10:16:00.009-05:00

Rand Paul has been out of sight for some time - as the GOP field of Presidential contenders have been taking up a plurality of the news cycles - but that doesn't mean that he hasn't been using his canted philosophy and using it as a tool that could ultimately endanger people.

A senator who opposes federal regulation on philosophical grounds is single-handedly blocking legislation that would strengthen safety rules for oil and gas pipelines, a bill that even the pipeline industry and companies in his own state support.

Republican Sen. Rand Paul’s opposition to the bill hasn’t wavered even after a gas pipeline rupture last week shook people awake in three counties in his home state of Kentucky.

Paul, a tea party ally who shares with his father, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, a desire to shrink the role of the federal government, won’t discuss his role in stymieing the bill. But industry lobbyists, safety advocates and Senate aides said he is the only senator who is refusing to agree to procedures that would permit swift passage of the measure.

Officials familiar with Paul’s objections said he has told lobbyists and company officials that he’s not opposed to any specific part of the bill, just to the notion of additional federal regulation.

This is the same Rand Paul that is against energy saving lightbulbs and complains about how his toilet "doesn't work". This is what Modern Libertarianism looks like - sacrificing safety and efficiency in the name of a failed ideology that only worked in a fiction novel.

Living in the heart of what is known as Kentucky's Coal Fields, I have seen first-hand what happens when proper safety oversight is either rejected or is doesn't exist because of people like Rand "Accidents Happen" Paul. I saw what happened with safety regulations weren't followed properly at the Dotiki Mine in Webster County where one of my close friends was killed in a rock-fall.

Does Rand Paul care more about the companies rather than the people they employ? One would think so, but in the story above, the pipeline company agrees with the increase in safety regulation. So what are we to believe of Rand Paul and his alleged ideology if he won't even listen to the "job creators"?

Excuses In Favor Of Distance

2011-09-28T08:19:00.013-05:00

The Modern American Right simply can't comprehend the very simple concept that they claim is one of the pillars of their ideology - accountability.

In light of the many "controversial" moments during the seemingly endless GOP Presidential debates, the Right is in full-on defense mode because some audience members booed an active duty member of the American Military because he is gay and he disagrees with Don't Ask Don't Tell.

For examples, check Breitbarts frothy-mouthed minions here, here, and here.

The rusty lynch-pin of their defense is that "it was just a couple of people", that this is something that not everyone in the Modern American Right would accept. And while the Right wants to paint this as a smear by Liberals/Progressive, the reality is that those that did cast aspersions at this soldier were largely ignored. They faced no backlash, even though Liberals/Progressives that merely questioned the need to invade and remain in Iraq were labeled as un-American traitors.

So it was with little surprise that I watched Fox"News" do their best to run . But what Megyn Kelly did was such a distortion of reality that I'm shocked that a time-space paradox didn't manifest itself right there in the studio with her:

Is Kelly attempting to excuse the actions of these people in order to push the narrative that there must be a specific amount of vitriol hurled by a set amount of persons toward a group of people that the Modern American Right allegedly champions before it becomes wrong? It would certainly appear that way. Moreover, her laughably flaccid claim that it wasn't the soldier that was being booed, that it was his question, falls completely flat when one considers how the Modern American Right spends countless hours decrying Liberals/Progressives questioning a particular mission of the American Military but offering support of the troop that is put in harms way.

I've seen and heard many disgusting and revealing aspects of Right Wing posturing, but this has got to be one of the worst. Not only do these people use members of the American Military as props, but they are more than willing to completely ignore real hatred that is leveled at them.

I'm wondering how long it's going to take the folks at Fox"News" or any lunatic fringe wingnut to piece together some conspiracy theory that it was actually Liberal/Progressive infiltrators at the debate that did this.

It's About What's Not There

2011-09-27T10:12:00.003-05:00

In which we examine how the Modern American Right prefer conspiracy theory over verifiable facts:

So what else has Obama not talked about? After all, if he hasn't spoken about it, it certainly has to be true.

- Drinking the blood of a newborn child? Nope, hasn't talked about doing that.

- Confiscating and burning all the Bibles from every bedside table at every hotel in America? No, he hasn't mentioned that.

- Demanding that all high school students have a "chip" installed in their brains so they can be easily controlled via remote control? Definitely hasn't spoken to that affect.

You kind of see where this is going, I'm sure.

Wingnut Blogger Praises Socialism

2011-09-27T09:04:00.006-05:00

In light of Ron Paul's insistence that a patient in a hospital be allowed to die as a result of an inability to pay for medical expenses, one would think that the Modern American Right would stand by their "individual responsibility" talking points.

Then again, embracing the concept of "I am my brother's keeper" can make you look like a caring and "compassionate conservative" if you find the to go along with it:

A Virginia marine who lost both of his legs and right arm in an IED blast in Afghanistan was welcomed home over the weekend.

J.B. Kerns, 21, returned to his hometown of Ararat, which is located in the southwestern part of the state, to a group of bikers who escorted the war hero home.

“Any young man that comes home in that condition, that’s what he needs. He needs to know people still care for him,” said one of the bikers welcoming him home.

“It feels real good to be home. It’s an honor to come from a town like this that gives such great support,” said Kerns. “You all don’t know what it means to me to know that everybody here is here for me.”

The community has raised more than $50,000 to help the family with medical bills.

( emphasis by Jim Hoft )

Anytime someone of opposing socio-political stripe suggests that the community come together to help another person, the Modern American Right ties themselves into knots while shrieking that such acts are "socialism".

Sure, soldiers returning home from "war" deserve our respect and our help, so why isn't this courtesy extended to others? Are they of lesser value to America because they exercised their free will and opted to not join the military? The answer is certainly they are of lesser value - unless they vote Republican, embrace Tea Bagger dogma, and are regular viewers of Fox"News"

Leave Her Alone: The Culture Of Victimhood Marches On

2011-09-27T08:40:00.005-05:00

The Modern American Right are the perpetual victims in our socio-political society. It is with this in mind that we should not be surprised that Sarah Palin

has revealed that she is what the Right have called "thin skinned" in relation to a book about her written by one Joe McGinniss.

Sarah Palin’s family attorney John Tiemessen has written a letter to Maya Mavjee, the publisher of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, that Palin may sue her, the company, and the book’s author Joe McGinniss “for knowingly publishing false statements” in his book released last week, “The Rogue,” ABC News has learned.

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The use of "unnamed sources" really isn't going to hold water. But so long as Palin's handlers can continue to convince people in America that she has been maliciously attacked any and every time someone even whispers her name, then that's what counts.

Fringe Right bloggers are already on the case since their best gal has been "hurt" over what is on par with what they have to say about Obama. But it's a poor defense to say that sloppy investigations that lead to equally sloppy tirades about Obama ( see every Right Wing book written about the Obama administration since Jan. 20th 2009 ) excuse McGinniss' sloppy investigations - if that's really what they are.

So is this what we should come to expect from a Palin presidency should she finally admitted she was in the race and actually won? Would she spend precious time in the White House complaining about everything anyone published about her and then threaten to sue? Considering how her handlers reacted to claims leveled at her during her brief stint as Alaska's Governor it's equally likely that she would either sue or just quit - like she did before.

Back At Last

2011-09-27T07:20:00.002-05:00

After some personal struggles and self-impossed delays, I figure it's time to get back on the metaphorical horse.

Having intentionally stayed away from most things in the political realm these past couple of months, I've had plenty of time to consider several aspects of my life and how I function in the socio-political landscape.

So let's get to it

Going Dark..........

2011-07-21T10:19:00.000-05:00

I've got a writing project that just fell in my lap that I cant pass up.

Be right back next month...........

What Is This "Gay Agenda"?

2011-07-18T08:50:00.002-05:00

The Modern American Right loves to use the word "agenda", as it evokes a sinister sound and feeling. They use it in relation to virtually everything they either can't understand or reconcile within rational thought. And when we are talking about the Modern American Right, rational thought simply doesn't exist.

I was reading a post from Right Wing sychophant Jim Hoft and that question came back to me - what is the "gay agenda"?

The reality of this issue is simple - though Hoft and his equally ignorant compatriots will not admit it..........

Gays and Lesbians are humans, are workers in society, are producers, and just want to have the same rights as others. That's it. But you wouldn't get that if you read Hoft or paid attention to the framing of the Modern American Right.

What really happened to "Life, Liberty, and the Persuit of Happiness"? Aren't these the pillars of Right Wing Theology?

Evidently not if you are a man that loves another man, or a woman that loves another woman.

The "Gay Agenda" is nothing more than saying "let us exist in American the same way that everyone else does." Why is that so hard for the Modern American Right to accept?

Palin, Cinema, And Context - or - Did Conservatives Not Learn Anything From Their Atlas Disaster?

2011-07-16T08:21:00.006-05:00

It's no surprise that The Modern American Right would start crowing like Peter Pan on crystal meth once the Sarah Palin mockumentary premiered in theatres across the US. But one has to ask whether or not these same people have forgotten even the most recent of Right Wing cinema flops that they claimed was a successful box office opening.

The much anticipated Sarah Palin documentary, “The Undefeated”, which chronicles Sarah Palin’s rise from mayor of Wasilla, Alaska to national prominence, will play exclusively in AMC Theatres starting today. You can vote for the movie to play in your town at The Undefeated website.

The Sarah Palin documentary “The Undefeated” opened to a huge opening day. They are selling out from Atlanta to Orange County.

Opens Friday, July 15th!

There are several reports that the audiences are standing and cheering in the theaters.

And while it's not unusual to witness cheering/shouting/standing in theatres during movies ranging from the latest sophomoric Wayans Brothers production to more serious offerings, The Modern American Right is in full framing mode with this one. After all, they have to, considering Palin has become somewhat of a religious figure amongst conservatives and some libertarians.

But lets look at this from an honest marketing and distributing perspective.

The Modern American Right have everything to lose should this mockumentary fail, so it works to their advantage to frame this opening as "groundbreaking". But what they aren't considering is the fact that we are talking about 10 cities, 10 specific theatres, and a cult following that really can't survive in a mass release.

And while some within the Modern American Right are poorly attempting to minimalize the reality of poor ticket sales, I can't but wonder what sort of "victimhood meme" they will conjour once the initial glow has worn off with members of the Tea Bagger set.

Late Night Music Club feat. Bauhaus

2011-07-13T23:21:00.001-05:00

The original goth band.................nuff said

God In An Alcove

The Reality Of Right Wing "Reading"

2011-07-13T12:05:00.003-05:00

As I studied film throughout my life - and as well as intensive classes at college - I was continually reminded to remove all expectations when viewing a particular piece of cinema. After all, if you go into the theatre expecting something, and then are promptly given something else, your opinion of the piece will be so canted and distorted that you will likely miss the majority of context and nuance and be summarily disappointed, thereby giving a review to someone that is based on your own ignorance.

The same is true of the written word. In this instance, I am speaking of the United States Constitution.

When you read a document of this power, you have to exercise the intellectual honesty in reference to the time it was written in. This is something The Modern American Right completely ignore while claiming to understand it's historical timeline.

Former Speaker of the House and unapologetic adulterer Newt Gingrich can't seem to wrap his head around the past and the Constitution while he pretends to be the nations preeminent Constitutional Scholar:

In the American system, if you read the Constitution correctly — this is why I wrote “A Nation Like No Other” — if you read the Federalist Papers correctly, the fact is the Congress can pass a law and can limit the Court’s jurisdiction. It’s written directly in the Constitution. The Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton promises, I think it’s Number 78, that the judiciary branch is the weakest of the three branches. There is no Supreme Court in the American Constitution. There’s the court which is the Supreme of the judicial branch, but it’s not supreme over the legislative and executive branch. We now have this entire national elite that wants us to believe that any five lawyers are a Constitutional convention. That is profoundly un-American and profoundly wrong.

But this is more about how the Modern American Right views our most important founding document. This is about how they pretend that The Founders knew everything that would transpire after its signing.

I mean, talk about hubris to the Nth degree............

Despite what anyone like Newt would tell you, the Constitution is - quite literally - a living document, and I honestly believe that people like Jefferson knew this to be true. After all, if you are going to found a country based on liberty and rights, wouldn't you be concerned with the future rather than the 5 seconds right in front of your nose?

But what Newt is doing is indicative of the Modern American Right's desire to perpetuate the "activist judge" meme. By that, I mean that they want to see people preside over the courts that will push their own ideological bent. And while the alternate argument can be presented to anyone with a socio-political philosophy that aligns itself with the Left, we have to understand that the former favors the few while the later favors the many. After all, that whole "majority rules" thing can be a slippery slope for the Right Wing ideologue.

Let's not get too far off topic - though what I have enumerated here is relevant.

The idea of "reading something correctly" being postulated by someone like Newt Gingrich is a clear signifier of the framing technique of the Modern American Right. They want to force a particular narrative into documents like The Constitution in order to validate their own canted ideological stance. But the downfall of presenting this argument is that they will, in turn, claim that it is the Left that does this instead of those that presented the argument to begin with. Yet another aspect of Right Wing framing; claim that it's not you but the opposition that are guilty of the sins you perpetuate.

It all comes down to one thing th3 The Modern American Right refuse to acknowledge:

Context.

Are the late 1700s the same as the Modern 21st Century?

Of course not.

Were there "smart phones", internet access, airplanes, high speed rail transport, or even xerox machines back then?

NO!

So to claim that the language contained within the original Constitution understood the advancements of America on such a varied scale was absolute and unmoving is to not understand the nature of a nation, regardless of where you live.

It's Called Being Lazy

2011-07-12T10:15:00.005-05:00

The Tea Baggers were all in a collective lather over Republicans none-too-modest gains in the Lower Chamber of Congress and said that they have delivered a "mandate" of sorts. I'm wondering if they are going to excuse Mitch McConnell's and the GOP's unblushing laziness.

They've already started:

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) offered his strongest criticism yet of President Barack Obama’s leadership in the ongoing talks.

“I have little question that as long as this President is in the Oval Office, a real solution is unattainable,” he said on the Senate floor Tuesday. Adding, “This was not an easy decision for me.”

Obama, he said, “has presented us with three choices: smoke and mirrors, tax hikes or default. Republicans choose none of the above.”

McConnell added the Democratic budget plan would provide only “a couple of billion dollars in cuts up front with empty promises of more to follow.”

‘”I had hoped to do good, but I refuse to do harm,” he said.

What McConnell is doing is akin to a spoiled child upset that they don't get everything they want at a moments notice. Moreover, McConnell is attempting to excuse the abject laziness of the Modern American Right by claiming that everything they campaigned on that they don't accomplish is actually Obama's fault.

I can recall that the Clinton White House was able to accomplish quite a bit with a Republican majority in the House, so what is McConnell's excuse now? He is clearly favoring pure partisan rhetoric and pandering to the most extreme notions of the Modern American Right, consequences be damned.

Pouring Out The Hubris Of The Right

2011-07-11T07:53:00.011-05:00

Not long ago I was flipping through a magazine at work and happened to stop on an article critical of Obama's handling of the so called "War On Terror". A woman next to me looked at the picture of Barack at the head of the article and proclaimed in a rather casual manner - as if she felt she was within a circle of like-minded friends - that "there's mister arrogant".

I will defer from speaking about the "dog-whistle racism" in modern socio-political conversation here in Western Kentucky in favor of pointing out that what Sarah Palin has done has run contrary to what the Modern American Right alleged stand for.

As Tina Korbe highlights over at HotAir, such arrogant to self-aggrandizement posturing is more than welcome within the Modern American Right:

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin hasn’t yet revealed whether she plans to run for the GOP presidential nomination, but she’s confident she could win if she really wanted.

In-so-much that she hasn't announced she as an "exploritory committee", anyone with even the most limited bone-marrow intelligence knows that she is going to run. And those of us that have listened to and followed Palin's base instincts know that she will draw her announcement out as long as possible.

Tina Korbe knows this, but prefers to play coy in order to deal her "I'm so shocked" card at a later date.

And as much as Korbe knows this, this next piece from Palin should show her how Palin's own arrogant nature that has been fostered and encouraged:

“I believe that I can win a national election,” Palin said recently in a conversation with Newsweek’s Peter J. Boyer. “I’m not so egotistical as to believe that it has to be me, or it can only be me, to turn things around. But I do believe that I can win.”

But then, Korbe starts to muddy her initial claim.

Perhaps her popularity among Republicans and conservatives warrants that pretty impressive confidence (after all, a countless many continue to clamor for her entrance into the presidential race), but, for whatever the polls are worth, Palin hasn’t yet bested President Barack Obama in a hypothetical presidential match-up (at least that I’ve seen). But, then, of the present GOP candidates, only former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has fared favorably against the incumbent, anyway, so maybe Palin has a point. If anything, the utter lack of cockiness among the current Republican contenders (with, again, the possible exception of Romney, who was cool and confident recently to suggest the firing of an Obama economic adviser) might be just what has caused so many to describe this year’s field as “dullsville.” Maybe the Palin presumption is what this race needs. Maybe, with Palin competing for the nomination, the other Republicans would kick it into even higher gear.

"Utter lack of cockiness"?

Where the fuck as Tina been living since 2009?

Considering the randomness of the initial GOP Presidential field of hopefuls, I would say that Palin either doesn't understand what's going on within the Modern American Right or is more concerned with her own visibility and financial gains.

I don't think I would be out of line by saying the later and the former have both evaded her and have more of a baring on what will happen in 2012 than she is willing to admit.

But lets continue with Korbe's meandering post:

Fortunately for Palin (as she herself recognizes) and probably for the GOP, it’s still very early and the field is far from set.

“Thank goodness the field is not yet set,” Palin said in the interview with Newsweek. “I think that there does need to be more vigorous debate. There needs to be a larger field. And there’s still time. There’s still months ahead, where more folks can jump in and start articulating their positions.”

Of course the GOP isn't set, and it won't be this year, as the Modern American Right are so concerned with removed Barack Obama from office that they are more than willing to ignore their own alleged "beliefs" in favor of casting him and his family in the roll of "extremists".

However, the Modern American Right is attempting to set the field already with the players at hand. And at best, they are all trying to use the same fear-mongering talking points. Have they worked? Well, considering that Palin hasn't officially announced and that perhaps those that once ( and perhaps still ) saw her as a religious figure are beginning to realize that she is either ineffective as a true leader or that she works better as a talking-point machine are tilting to polling.

Fortunately for Palin (as she herself recognizes) and probably for the GOP, it’s still very early and the field is far from set.

“Thank goodness the field is not yet set,” Palin said in the interview with Newsweek. “I think that there does need to be more vigorous debate. There needs to be a larger field. And there’s still time. There’s still months ahead, where more folks can jump in and start articulating their positions.”

But, if she’s going to get in, I wish she’d get in now, so folks would stop evaluating her non-campaign-campaign tactics and start talking again about her policy positions (which, at least as she laid them out in the Newsweek article, are as solid as ever).

I'm not entirely sure how large the field needs to be before Palin finally admits that she's running, as it's already so unofficially large that it's starting to get obscene, but she is running.

So what is Korbe wanting to hear once Palin makes an official announcement? Is she expecting people to conform to her own framing? I would wager so. What she is upset about is that people have been questioning her positions since John McCain tapped her as the ultimate VP gimmick of the 21st Century.

So why is Palin so sure that she could win?

Well, it's because she's been told that she can. Moreover, she's convinced herself that she is so much of a celebrity within the Modern American Right that she almost feels entitled to it.

And while most sane people won't go all-in for someone like Palin - based on what she has said and done - we are in a time where marketing trumps reality. This is one of the primary factors that separates the Modern American Right from true Liberals/Progressives.

Is Palin going to run?

Of course.

Will she win?

Perhaps the GOP nomination, but that is it.............

Random Thoughts For The Day

2011-07-07T12:01:00.006-05:00

- Seeing as how The Modern American Right are so excited over excessively long tirades about trains ( read: Atlas Shrugged ) I'm wondering why they are so against high-speed rail.

- Why does Fox"News" boast about how most Americans watch their network while crying about how the "mainstream media" is against them? Do they not know the definition of "mainstream"?

- Why does the Modern American Right lambaste Obama's Chicago ties as "thuggish" when Ronald Reagan's childhood home is in the same city?

- When I see and hear people like Glenn Beck preach the virtues of owning gold and then complain about the devaluing of the dollar, I'm wondering if they don't understand the far reaching implications of what they are essentially doing.

- If the Modern American Right don't think we have a direct impact on our environment, then can we build a coal-fired power plant and nuclear waste dump next to Rush Limbaugh's house?

- Have you ever noticed that since Obama took office that the Modern American Right have virtually celebrated every economic negative that they can find?

The Obama WH, Twitter, And Right Wing Pity Party Antics

2011-07-06T23:40:00.005-05:00

The Modern American Right doesn't seem to understand that social networking is just that - social networking. You see someone or something you find interesting, you comment on it, link to it, remix it with some "keyboard cat", or simply just ignore it. And the one element that really sticks in their craw is that responding to them is apparently tantamount to taking a greasy, soft-serve, shit on the American Flag and then wiping your ass with no less than four pages of King James "scripture".

You think I'm kidding? Check these out:

When the White House named Jesse Lee as its Director of Progressive Media and Online Response to rebut criticisms on social-networking media, some people argued that the Obama administration had taken a big step toward becoming Big Brother. At the time, I argued that this was nonsense, and that the White House had a right to respond to criticism — but that Lee’s job was a task better left to the DNC, which traditionally served the role of political response. Instead of looking hip and timely, attacking Twitter users would make the Obama administration look petty and thin-skinned, and would diminish the seriousness and dignity of the Presidency. Punching below one’s weight is a strategy that never pays off.

Little did I know just how far below their weight the White House would punch. Heritage Foundation’s Rob Bluey analyzes Lee’s feed and discovers that 15% of all his rebuttals in the month since he took the job have been directed at one user, and it’s not Jake Tapper, Bret Baier, Chuck Todd, or even Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck. Instead, Lee has spent almost one-sixth of his twitter time rebutting … Kevin Eder.

President Obama's director of progressive media is obsessed with one particular conservative provocateur. Jesse Lee's duties at the White House include "online response" - and there has been no shortage of responses to one person who routinely communicates with him on Twitter.

Of the 267 tweets written by Lee in just over a month, a stunning 40 of them have been directed at Kevin Eder, a prolific Twitter user with more than 83,000 tweets to his credit. That means 15 percent of Lee's tweets - from an official White House account no less - have been with Eder.

One such example happened last week in a dispute over the budget.

Eder posted this tweet: "Hmm ... it can't be true that @SenateDems haven't passed a budget in 790 days and the only plan Obama has is a speech. Right, @jesseclee44?"

To which Lee responded: "@keder @SenateDems Plan is keep negotiating w/ Rs & Ds, not default & trash economy, not voucherize Medicare to fund more tax cuts for rich."

Lee's obsession has impressed Eder, even if he's a bit baffled by the White House's decision to engage with him so aggressively. (Obama to meet with congressional leadership to discuss debt ceiling)

The later screed is from none-other than a favorite "source" of Fox"Nation", the DailyCaller - the fringe Right online publication of none other than Tucker Carlson.

The source of the "story" aside, it's interesting to note that both Fox and Ed Morrissey are simultaneously panting Kevin Eder ( @keder as both a "no one" and a "powerhouse socio-political giant" all at once. After all, they have to keep their bases covered once they realize that this hack that happens to have internet access really isn't as bright as he boasts to be.

I've have had a few and witnessed many Twitter altercations with him before, so I can attest to his rank amateur status on several issues. But we'll save the fun stuff for later.

The question stands, really, as such: should Jesse Lee respond to or even marginally "call out" the obvious "trolling tactics" of a kid that displays about as much talking-point skill as Bernie Goldberg? I would actually offer yes, considering how the Modern American Right are want to "educate" the Left on their followers. What's good for the goose, you know.........

This, like a plurality of stories propagated by the likes of Morrissey and Fox"News", comes down to the concept of "framing". If the Obama White House doesn't respond, they are therefore scared of one random kid from the D.C. area. If they respond, they are "bullying". And the Left should respond to neither allegation, but focus purely on the so-called "merit" of what is presented to them - which they have.

As I tweeted to Eder earlier today, I'm starting to wonder when his first appearance as an "analyst" on Fox"News" will happen. After all, they do love to employ the unqualified.

What Is July 4th For - A Progressive Perspective

2011-07-04T09:35:00.004-05:00

The more I look around the blogosphere today, the more I see how The Modern American Right is making this day about themselves and not about the country we live in. I wrote about this yesterday, but I thought that it would be nice to parallel what progressives ( like myself ) and liberals have to say about the day versus those that are against us.

First, let me tell you what we - libs/progs - are not doing today:

- We are not out to deify a president.

- We are not out to prove we know that little known final verse in the National Anthem

- We don't care to worship someone who cares more about celebrity than country using July 4th as the backdrop

- It's not about claiming how only one type of music matters.

And there's so much more that the Modern Liberal/Progressive Movement believes shouldn't use July 4th as an anchor point.

But what do we believe?

- Celebrating the diversity of community rather than telling our socio-politicals that they have no right to do so

- Enjoying time with family and friends in a non-partisan atmosphere ( and some good BBQ would be nice too )

- Acknowledging that our Founding Fathers had no clue where we would be at this point in history while reflecting on what they managed to accomplish while the country was so young

- And finally, understanding that July 4th is not a religious holiday, but a day of reflection, introspection, and remembrance.

Whatever you do today' be safe, be happy, and appreciate what you have - regardless of socio-political stripe.

And now, let's have some fireworks:

As an aside, Kentucky recently allowed "the good shit" to be sold and my neighborhood - and those around me - took advantage of that fact. It was like a fucking war-zone last night up around the cul de sac. I can still smell the smoke.

Nike Gimmick Fail

2011-07-03T12:04:00.005-05:00

Sometimes I'm a sucker for something so clever that it seemed like no one would ever do it. And when I heard that Nike was creating a shoe based on the Slayer album "Raining Blood", I was hyped. And let's be clear, I have NEVER been a fan of Nike.

So after finally viewing the promo for the shoe, I am given comfort in the fact that they still suck as much as they always have:

Brooklyn Projects Nike SB from Glenn PP Milligan on Vimeo.

Oh, WOW!!! They played "Raining Blood" for the promo commercial!!!! That's so...........

Really? That's your shoe Nike?

I've been a fan of Slayer since 1990 and if you are going to market a shoe based of the music of Tom, Kerry, Jeff, and Dave, then you've got a LONG way to go.

If anything, I want a black shoe with a blood red sole with the eagle/sword/pentagram emblem on the ankle that lights up when I take a step. Your marketing/design department really dropped the ball on this, big time. Fire them NOW!!!

For reference to the Slayer uninitiated, here's a video of the track Nike used. My only real fear is that Slayer signed-off on this at some point. But something tells me this was a "record-management decision". Can we get an interview with Tom and Kerry, please?

So what's next, a Nike shoe based off of Metallica's "Fight Fire With Fire" that's all blue? Give me a fucking break.

The Weekend Blog Round-up

2011-07-03T09:19:00.008-05:00

What was fully intended to be a weekly feature on Friday got derailed this past week, but here we are anyway:

- Scott Thill over at WIRED satirized both the Left and Right in his write-up of the Top 10 Patriotic Comic Characters.

- I was reminded of the several counties in Western Kentucky that have food share programs ( as well as those that have amazing private gardens ) while reading this piece from Yellow Dog over at They Gave Us A Republic.

- TinTin at SadlyNo appears to have the same thought as I do after seeing The Internet's Dumbest Man posing for pics with his assault weapons.

- Tengrain at Mock, Paper, Scissors has a running series of "Bad Ads" that is always a pleasure to check out. This installment is not exception.

- Breitbart employee Jeannie DeAngelis simply doesn't understand copyright law and the rights of the songwriter while attempting to cast Tom Petty in the role of pseudo-sexist-anti-american-left-wing-loon-that-approves-of-affairs-democrats-have.

- The so-called Media Research Center's Geoffrey Dickens seized the opportunity presented by Mark Halperin's suspension from MSNBC to claim that; Yes, Virginia, There Is A Liberal Media Bias at MSNBC. One glaring problem with Dickens' seemingly endless preamble is that Keith Olbermann lost his job because of whom he was and what he said.

- The newly minted "blog diva" - Tina Korbe - at HotAir continues tradition by showing how a "flip-flop" by a Republican really isn't one. Not only that, but she continues the meme regarding the EFCA, which her ill-informed ideological compatriots have dubbed "card-check".

- Over at Fox"Nation", they have a poll asking what the "Most Patriotic Film" is. Granted, they only listed 9 films ( one of which is Independence Day.......LOL ) it's interesting to note that Red Dawn is in 6th place at the moment while the Mel Gibson film "The Patriot" is in first. I'm guessing that more of a Pavlovian response rather than honest consideration.

Right Wing Entitlement Culture: Pt. V - We Own This Day

2011-07-03T08:05:00.012-05:00

As it's been a rather rough week at the Airon Later compound, I figured that since it's the July 4th Holiday weekend we should jump right into part five of my continuing series on Right Wing Entitlement Culture.

The Modern American Right have seized on a variety of July 4th narratives to show that they hold sway over the entire day and that anyone with even modest Left-leaning thoughts is decidedly anti-American.

The problem with this is that the Modern American Right see July 4th through the lens of "marketing" rather than a day of honest reflection on how America came to the point where she is today. And this should be readily apparent to anyone with the most minimal of socio-political reflection.

The most popular of these narratives is from a study done by Harvard that shows the marketing vs. pure patriotism standpoint of Modern American Right regarding July 4th parades is a reality. Too bad that those within the Right that are reporting on this completely missed the point that they have been called out on their "faux-patriotic" machinations and that flashy marketing tactics do work on the very impressionable.

The political right has been more successful in appropriating American patriotism and its symbols during the 20th century. Survey evidence also confirms that Republicans consider themselves more patriotic than Democrats. According to this interpretation, there is a political congruence between the patriotism promoted on Fourth of July and the values associated with the Republican party. Fourth of July celebrations in Republican dominated counties may thus be more politically biased events that socialize children into Republicans

The three key findings of those attending July 4th celebrations:

- When done before the age of 18, it increases the likelihood of a youth identifying as a Republican by at least 2 percent.

- It raises the likelihood that parade watchers will vote for a Republican candidate by 4 percent.

- It boosts the likelihood a reveler will vote by about 1 percent and increases the chances they'll make a political contribution by 3 percent.

What's more, the impact isn't fleeting. "Surprisingly, the estimates show that the impact on political preferences is permanent, with no evidence of the effects depreciating as individuals become older,"said the Harvard report.

And while these "key findings" are not guarantees for gains within the roles of the Modern American Right, the study is quite clear that these "likelihoods" increase in more Republican-leaning towns. Also, being from a VERY Republican country in Western Kentucky, the final statement that effects are "permanent" makes me want to take a look at the raw data of the study, as this was certainly not the case for myself and many of my close acquaintances that still live here.

Was is true regarding the minds of the younger generation is that they formulate their opinions of the world early on based on their parents actions/statements. Just going to a parade on the 4th of July at age 17 isn't going to turn you into a fan of Sarah Palin when you reach voting age. Neither is it going to make you "hate" your country if you happen to have a (D) next to your name on your voter registration card.

No one "owns" the 4th of July or patriotism. Just don't expect anyone within the Modern American Right to admit or even understand that concept. But considering the Harvard study and how the Right are embracing it as some "smoking gun" that if they take a look at their birth certificates, stock papers, or even a receipt from Wal-Mart that they will know exactly what percentage of the day or the ideal that they can call their property.

The Message, The Messenger, And Right vs. Left

2011-06-25T07:36:00.012-05:00

It's all too easy to berate a person delivering a valid message in favor of addressing the message itself. This is the M.O. of the Modern American Right - they know that their point of view on a variety of issues like women's reproductive rights, race relations, and he very nature of how news is delivered will ultimately fail if they focus on the message over who/whom delivers it.

But such is the nature of Right Wing framing.

Case in point is Keith Olbermann's new program on Current TV and a recent guest that the Tea Baggers and their sympathizers tried to prove was either nothing more than a hack comedian/actor or simply playing the so-called "race-card" in order to make the Tea Baggers look bad.

Internet sophist and over-simplifier, Allahpundit, takes to another meeting of Garofalo and Olbermann in textbook fashion when it comes to not addressing the message:

Via the Daily Caller, is Olby the voice in Garofalo’s head or is Garofalo the voice in his? There’s not a scintilla of disagreement here — just JG doing her usual over-the-top impression of a cartoon liberal with KO mm-hmming all the way — until around 4:35 in, when suddenly a dispute erupts over whether Clarence Thomas is (a) a victim of Stockholm syndrome in having married a white tea partier or (b) a token used by the tea party to distract from its own seething racism. Gee, guys, I don’t know. Can’t it be both? Coming next week to “Countdown,” hopefully: Olby interviews a tape-recording of himself.

And while some of you might claim that I am acting in the very fashion I am decrying, perhaps you should keep reading.

Let's let's look at the interview in question:

And while Allahpundit is want to source a popular Right Wing framing site, it should be pointed out that the very idea that there is racism within the Tea Bagger conglomerate is ignored in favor of insisting that there very well might be racism within Olbermann's staff since they appear to be predominantly white.

So, are Allahpundit and Ace of Spades now calling for some sort of "Affirmative Action Initiative" when it comes to the media, their staff, and their reporting? Absolutely not, as this is nothing more than a diversionary tactic explicitly used to undermine the very accurate and honest statement that racism still exists in this country.

More to the point, this is another aspect of Right Wing framing, as Allahpundit is insisting that Olbermann explain his staffing decisions in favor of confronting the very real aspect that there is a racist element within the Modern American Right. This is something that I have addressed before - insisting that it's not you but the other that is to blame for everything.

There's quite a bit that Olbermann and Garofalo get into that I can and will address later on, but the primary aspect is what Allahpundit does to this clip with his misplaced, meandering thesis and the reality behind it. Yes, I completely disagree with - and have for some time - that the blanket racism charge needs to be addressed. Not everyone that considered themselves a part of or even tangenticaly aligns themselves with the Tea Baggers are racists, as there are other primary motivators for such a movement.

I have seen Olbermann take after Obama on a variety of issues, such as warrantless wiretapping or the conflict in Afghanistan or the occupation of Iraq. So does the meme of "Liberal Media Bias" only go so far that the Right is butt-hurt that their water isn't carried on specific issues? I would wager yes on that one.

And with that in mind, I would like to leave you with this clip from Maddow to ponder the next time someone within the Modern American Right claims she is a pure Obama sycophant:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Conservative Jesus Shows His Cards On School "Choice"

2011-06-21T11:58:00.007-05:00

Check out and you'll see what Gov. Chris "No, I'm Not Going To Run For President" Christie has to say when asked a very honest and non-threatening question.

For starters, Christie acts as if the woman is demanding the address of the school and the name of his kids' teacher. Both of which are clearly not intended. But hey, it's a "red meat moment" so you know Christie is going to lap it up like so much Palin-churned cream.

Gail never requested the scholastic status of Christie's children, but he certainly offered it. Gail wondered whyy Christie wanted to punish the public school system, and that is what raised his blood pressure. Do you really have to wonder why?

And then he breaks out the "I pay more than you in taxes" meme - which I would love to fact check - in order to create the illusion that Gail's question is not only irrelevant, but that her entire existence and that of public schools is irrelevant in New Jersey.

Don't let the "choice" meme coming from the Modern American Right fool you. Chris Christie and his eager followers demand that your children be "educated" from a religious standpoint.

Late Night Music Club feat. Mastodon

2011-06-21T00:09:00.002-05:00

Got the chance to see Mastodon at - of all places - Bonnaroo a few years ago and they really impressed me. They really embraced the spirit of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal of the late 70s and early 80s and blended it with what I call the "epic adventrure" style of presenting your material.

This is a great example:

Sea Beast

RIP - Ryan Dunn

2011-06-20T12:29:00.005-05:00

I've been watching the Jackass films for years and have been enjoying the CKY videos for just as long. And with that in mind, I have to say that it's been the supporting cast that has made the genre - not the likes of Johnny Knoxville, Bam, or even Steve-O.

I honestly expected the later to be gone from this earth long before anyone of them.

The West Goshen Township Police Department says officers found Dunn's 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 "off the road and in the woods."

Both (Ryan) Dunn and his passenger "died as a result of injuries sustained in the accident." Cops will release more information on the passenger once officials can positively identify the body.

Cops say "speed may have been a contributing factor to the accident."

An investigation into the crash is ongoing.

As TMZ previously reported, Dunn tweeted a photo of himself drinking with friends hours before the accident.

While it's not certain at this point that Dunn was driving drunk, look for this story to be pushed as if Dunn was an out of control addict. Then again, isn't that part of the "Jackass" image?

This isn't to state that Ryan Dunn couldn't comprehend and understand his limits, but the modern media consumer is more than want to embrace the image rather than the reality of a person who happens to be on television.

Regardless of your standpoint on Jackass, no one should have to die this way. It was a tragedy, regardless of how this will ultimately be framed, and the world has lost a person of humor and honesty that can't be replaced.

Right Wing Entitlement Culture: Pt. IV - Fuck The Earth

2011-06-20T08:46:00.013-05:00

The Modern American Right love to endlessly complain about efforts to prevent environmental destruction.

This is an aspect of Right Wing Entitlement Culture that shows that conservatives/libertarians ( and yes, they are both part of the Right despite what many in the later would proclaim ) have more than just a modest desire to control science and completely misrepresent it.

The Right and science have a relationship that is expressed in a very specific way: Humans have no direct impact on the earth.

This, more than anything, is a blatant and indefensible lie that The Modern American Right should be able to understand based on their alleged principles of responsibility and accountability. However, they are more than want to reference the alleged "Dominion Mandate" in biblical scripture without comprehending it's deeper meaning:

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

And while the Modern American Right love to quote scripture without the least bit of analysis or inspection, it should be noted that religious publications like Christianity Today have written of Climate Change and it's connection to modern Christianity that came to this conclusion regarding the "Dominion Mandate":

....Christians were called to be a “new centre of strength” for creation and for others seeking to live in a more environmentally sustainable way.

He ( Rev David Moss, Vicar of St Michael’s ) said Scripture had to be understood in the context that it was written and that the Hebrew word ‘rada’ had often been “mistranslated” in Genesis 1as ‘dominion’ over creation.

“This word actually described what was believed to be the nerve centre of being of the plant, which ruled over the rest of the organism,” he said.

“‘Rada’ literally refers to the node or nucleus just above the root from which a plants life and being stems.

“In this context a better interpretation would be ‘Let [humanity] be the centre of strength’ for all creation.

“This translation demonstrates that humanity’s God given rule over creation does not come without responsibility.”

Blind ideological hatred can lead to consequences that one might not expect. And with that in mind, the Modern American Right have taken to frame Climate Change as nothing but pure ideological posturing by the Left, regardless of the evidence that is presented to them.

Their narrative is expressed as such:

- We have dominion over the earth as expressed in biblical scripture

- Corporations are not responsible for impacts on the environment ( See the recent Deep Water Horizon spill of last year )

- Teaching the impacts of humans on the earth is propaganda directed at children

- Protecting the environment ultimately kills jobs

and finally.......

- Science is Leftist theology

The later is clearly expressed in relation to Climate Change, while it is still present in various forms of verified scientific data.

So why does the Modern American Right have such a vendetta against science and against the Earth they occupy? The answer is quite simple - because it's a cause that the Left champions.

Had the Left championed an anti-abortion amendment to the Constitution, the Right would be against it. Had the Left desired to "clear-cut" all the National Parks in the South, the Right would be against it. When the Left does anything, the Right will reflexively act. But it is this aspect of the Left that the Modern American Right can use to their advantage - early missteps.

Science, in and of itself, is nuance - something the Right refuses to acknowledge - and while one scientist may discover something, another may find an aspect that bolsters or refutes the initial claim. The problem that the Right faces is that they not only want to inject ideology into science, but religion as well. These two factors have no place in the scientific community.

Science is not based on "feeling", but fact. And as the Modern American Right rely almost exclusively on the stimulation of feelings - generally towards the negative - they will continually fail in the realm of scientific debate. However, their "framing" approach has given them somewhat of an advantage, as the bulk of media in America tend to kowtow to such nonsensical blather in favor of a truly honest approach to their claims.

So the question stands - if the Modern American Right think we have no direct impact on the Earth, does this mean we can dump all our used motor oil onto Rush Limbaugh's front yard?

Sleep Well Big Man

2011-06-20T08:39:00.004-05:00

Not much to add to what transpired over the weekend but this........

Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, whose jovial onstage manner, soul-rooted style and brotherly relationship with Mr. Springsteen made him one of rock’s most beloved sidemen, died on Saturday at a hospital in Palm Beach, Fla. He was 69.

The cause was complications of a stroke he suffered last Sunday at his home in Singer Island, Fla., a spokeswoman for Mr. Springsteen said.

In a statement released Saturday night, Mr. Springsteen called Mr. Clemons “my great friend, my partner.”

“With Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music,” he added. “His life, his memory and his love will live on in that story and in our band.”

I don't know what else to say.

Summer Songs: Ed. I feat DJ NuMark and Chali Tuna

2011-06-17T13:05:00.003-05:00

Was jamming on Mark Farina's Mushroom Jazz Vol. IV this morning and honestly forget that this track was featured on the first half of the CD.

Enjoy.........

Comin Thru:

The Friday Blog Round-up

2011-06-17T09:24:00.005-05:00

Here's a new feature that showcases the blogs I follow.

This section will ( hopefully ) be a continuous Friday feature that showcases both the Left and Right. Not in the spirit of "fairnessy and blancyness", but just to show you how completely off base the Modern American Right are and make you understand that the Mainstream Media aren't digging in like they should on the real issues - while favoring the framing of the Right.

- It's certain to be a Right Wing, GOP, Tea Bagger talking point that Anthony Weiner's seat ( oh wait, are we supposed to say it's "the poople's seat"? ) will tilt to the Republicans, but Nate Silver tells us why Rep's should be tepid in their insistence.

- John Cole how Republican/Conservative/Libertarian/Randian? posturing gets mixes in a pot and either comes out as Galt-Cultist goulash, or just idiocy disguised as important socio-political dialogue.

- My Twitter Pal ( @bluegal - you're "it" ) briefly talks about the different from "non-profit" charter schools and "for-profit" charter schools ( read: Tea Bagger Institutions Of "Learning" ).

- Occasional commenter Busted Knuckles over at "Ornery Bastard" has the greatest description of what it means to be a Republican and really break the law in reference to extra-marital exercises.

- Gryphen over at The Immoral Minority points out what Fox"News" and Fox"Nation" will attempt to spin before we can say "Paul Revere actually brewed that beer with Samuel Adams, donchaknow"

- Former "I'm really the intellectual guy" MTV anchor ( and that's fucking funny on it's own ) Kurt Loder takes to the Doughy Pantload path and ends up highlighting how "Fascism" is part of the Green Lantern movie storyline. Yeah, you knew it was coming.

- Breitbart's "Big Gov't" site continues to push their ignorance ( wait, is it really ignorance or just a veiled attempt to protect those businesses that are more than willing to shaft the consumer if they can have accountability removed? ) of Net Neutrality with another call for "defunding".

- The internet's Dumbest Man is more than eager to show his hatred for women's reproductive systems while stalking his employer Andrew Breitbart at the so called "Right Online" convention to attempt to tell people he knows that his decisions are more important than any woman's. Typical.

- Oh, so the Romney "hey, guys I'm unemployed too" bit was just an innocent joke?

- Once again, Brent Bozell's easily lead employee's equate low ratings with "Liberal Media Bias"

Got a link for me to use? You know where I am.............

The Dangers Of Niche Market Posturing

2011-06-16T10:17:00.009-05:00

Considering the fact that The Modern American Right endlessly claim that our country is "Center Right", that we embrace "conservative ideals", and that we need to be fiscally responsible, why the fuck is Rush Limbaugh hawking a pack of iced tea - yeah, you read that right - that they really aren't that secure about peddling?

After teasing it for a few days, Rush Limbaugh made a major announcement on his show Wednesday afternoon. He’s launching “Two If By Tea,” what he calls “the best” sweet tea you’ll ever drink. A picture of “Rush Revere” adorns the bottle, “sounding the warning the liberals are coming.”

“We are doing this for the single reason that we love tea, and we want to share it with you,” Rush explained. “The shrink wrap is a work of art,” Rush said. “You’ll save it … along with the bottles.” Part of the profits will go to the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation.

Can we all say "Tax Write-off"? Yeah, I knew you could.

You'll notice the words "part of the proceeds". Why not all? Is Limbaugh banking on the fact that he can make more money off this if he doesn't have to donate 100%? I'm guessing yes, since there is a NO RETURN policy. After all, I remember his "donation fever" after the "phony soliders" letter of complaint from the US Senate was sold on EBay for $2.1 million ( which Limbaugh matched to obvious maximize his return ).

But let's look at the price - $23.76 per 12-pack.

In most markets, the cost of a 12-pack of beer ( Bud Light ) costs approximately $10.00. The cost of a 12-pack of coke costs approximately $5.00. The cost of 12 McDonald's sweet teas - despite the way they market it is almost half what it would cost you to buy Limbaugh's non-guaranteed bottles of swill.

So who's benefiting from this? Certainly not the consumer - unless they want to drink anything Rush tells them to out of some sense of patriotism. And I would love to see the results of a full audit from the alleged recipients of Rush's "charitable giving" considering how his compatriot Sean Hannity faired with his alleged "Freedom Concerts".

I bet you can say another word - "scam". Yep.

Late Night Music Club feat. KISS

2011-06-15T22:16:00.006-05:00

The first concert I went to was KISS. Certainly this will sound prototypical to some, but for me it's actually true. It was the UNHOLY tour and some rank amateur band was opening for them, whom was properly booed off stage.

I can vividly recall the moment that Gene Simmons took a fiery sword and spewed a mouth-full of kerosene onto it launching a fireball some 15 feet in front of him. But until tonight, I never knew of any instance since that they had played this track live.

Great Expectations

And here's the only live version I think I've ever seen then do.

The Right, Film, And Reality

2011-06-15T09:25:00.008-05:00

Considering the massive failure of the Atlas Shrugged film adaptation, one would have to wonder why The Modern American Right are proclaiming that there is this "grassroots" desire to see the new Palin propaganda film "The Undefeated"

ARLINGTON, Va., June 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In response to overwhelming demand from its
free-market grassroots activists for a sneak peek of the controversial
new film, The Undefeated, Americans for Prosperity Foundation's
RightOnline Conference will move the showing of the movie to the
1,000-seat main ballroom during RightOnline on Friday, June 17th at 9 p.m. CDT. The Undefeated is an independently produced feature film about Alaska Governor and Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin. RightOnline is a conservative technology activism conference that runs opposite the left-wing Netroots Nation Convention.

Film, regardless of your socio-political alignment and regardless of the subject matter, is very touch-and-go. You produce something that the market won't like and you will lose in the end. This is why indie films don't see the return that blockbusters produced/directed by the likes of Spielberg or star Tom Cruise see. And while the Modern America Right equate audience share with validity, this is a market that they will always fail in.

The world of "niche film" is difficult to make any considerable profit from. But considering the bulk-purchase nature of conservative books, I'm guessing that the DVD release of the Palin mockumentary is going to be showcased by Fox"News" and their easily persuaded automatons as proof that "conservative filmmaking" truly has a market in American - despite the fact that they are currently pushing the narrative that all of Hollywood is against anything "conservative".

Another aspect of "niche film" is that there can be enough of an audience for your product if you market it correctly. After all, if there is a market of people willing to spend money to see someone's mouth attached to another person's asshole, then there's enough people willing to go see a film trying to convince them that Sarah Palin is "experienced enough" to be President. But never let these people convince you that that will break any records, as they never will.

Late Night Music Club feat. Bruce Springsteen

2011-06-14T23:33:00.002-05:00

There aren't many artists that can capture the spirit and passion of American youth the way that Bruce Springsteen has been able to for as long as I can remember. But was Springsteen has captured is not only that passion and potential, but he has created an American storytelling tradition that can quite literally take one back in time and revisit their own experiences, often from a new and fresh perspective.

For me, that time traveling aspect is present in the Born To Run LP more than any.

This album came out the year that I was born, and each track has spoken to me in a variety of ways since I first heard it. Not to sound overtly corny, but I have often felt that this album tells my life story in a way that I never could have imagined. And the track that encapsulates much of my experiences - and many thoughts of late - is Thunder Road.

So, for tonight's Late Night Music selection, we're going to feature three different versions of this. One thing that Springsteen has been able to do is make his music and lyrics come alive with new arrangements and even with other artists.

First, the original version:

This version is from VH1's Storytellers - an exceptional show that I wish were still around.

This final version is a duet with Melissa Etheridge, and really creates a whole new visual landscape to the version originally recorded with the E Street Band.

When You Don't Have A Plan........

2011-06-14T10:16:00.003-05:00

It's normally when members of the Modern American Right have no plan that they claim that it's all in "God's hands".

Case in point - Texas Governor Rick Perry:

There are a ton a variables that can be brought up in reference to this.

Was Obama gifted to us from "God" to carry us through this burden?

Was the eviction and destitute of thousands of Americans the results of "God's plan"?

Was waste of funds in the Iraqi occupation part of "God's will" that lead to the death of thousands of Americans?

When you have no answers to your ideological "principles", this is what you end up with when you continually references the "invisible man in the sky". This is what happens when you let blind faith dictate your every move and machination. This is what happens when you want to be a member of the Modern American Right - you look like a fool that has no idea what policy and the needs of your people mean.

Right Wing Entitlement Culture: Pt. III - Accountability?

2011-06-14T07:51:00.008-05:00

When we continually hear members of the Modern American Right speak about "personal responsibility", it's curious that we rarely - if ever - hear them speak about accountability for one's actions. Well, we actually do, but it is usually in reference to those they call their ideological opposites - and they tend to be portrayed as belonging to a "lower cast system" ( ie: blacks, single mothers, immigrants - legal or otherwise - media that isn't controlled by Rupert Murdock, et al )

It's with that in mind that we should take a look at Tracy Morgan's poor performance in Nashville where he claimed he would kill his child if they were gay.

This revelation was met with great approval by the Modern American Right, yet they couldn't understand why he should be held accountable for his actions.

Remember how they suddenly embraced accountability when David Letterman joked about Palin's daughter? And there was clearly the intent to make it seem like he was joking about the younger Palin daughter when he wasn't. But nuance is something the Modern American Right doesn't understand, so we'll save that for later.

From "Dr. Laura" and her n-bomb fetishism that resulted in he firing, to Glenn Beck's conspiratorial machinations that have directly resulted in an attempt to murder, and even to the decisions of the Bush Administration that lead to the economic collapse of the nation and the deaths of thousands of soldiers and innocent Iraqis, The Modern American Right have completely divorced "responsibility" and "accountability" when it comes to their ideological kindred.

But back to Morgan, people within the Modern American Right - including Right Wing hack Jim Hoft - think Tracy Morgan should apologize to Sarah Palin for saying exactly what he and many others within their ranks treat her like.

The rationale here is that it's alright to threaten the life of a child, but admitting that you wank it to Palin now and again is tantamount to wiping your ass with The American Flag.

Comedy is an art, something which Tracy Morgan can be both deft with and unable to comprehend all at once. The later is where you favor "shock value" over substance in order to get your audience to respond. If anything, Morgan was successful in getting a very wide audience to respond. But should we neglect holding him accountable for his words?

I say let him continue with this exact same on-stage rhetoric. But when he starts to see his box-office receipts dwindle, the audience share of 30 Rock all but disappear, then perhaps he will understand that if he wants to be considered a serious comedian, then he ought to take his art seriously.

Late Night Music Club feat. Juno Reactor

2011-06-13T23:42:00.003-05:00

This track has made the rounds from it's standout sound on Juno Reactor's Bible Of Dreams LP, to being featured on the soundtracks for The Animatrix and Mortal Kombat.

I played this track quite often on my weekend radio program at WKU back in the late 90s and it's still amazing that it can stand alongside modern electronic music.

Right Wing Entitlement Culture: Pt. II - The Media

2011-06-09T06:59:00.016-05:00

UPDATE: Somehow I posted the unchecked, raw version of this post the other day without noticing it. So, in the spirit of showing you that I'm not a dithering buffoon who doesn't understand grammar, here's the version that should have been posted.

---------------------------------------------

In the second installment of our series on Right Wing Entitlement Culture, we examine the singular aspect of the modern American landscape that the Right claims is largely against them - The Media.

While the Modern American Right continually blast the "Mainstream Media", it's interesting to note that they also love to blather endlessly about how Fox"News" enjoys a massive audience share that other outlets should be jealous of.

Admittedly, I do watch Fox"News" now and again, but not for the reasons that they claim most people do. More on that aspect of the Right and the media in America in a moment.

I thought I would start this off with what is likely the perfect example of Right Wing Entitlement machinations: a healthy dose of rank conjecture, conspiracy, and more than a sprinkling of insistence of victimhood.

Immediately Breitbart goes after his most prestigious foe - Media Matters. Not because they are explicitly wrong by using context and the precise and accurately accounted words of the Modern American Right and their Fox"News" masters, but because he has a metaphorical hard-on to see Eric Boehlert and company be proven false by any means necessary.

This is the first, and most shining example, of conservative framing - attack the messenger without merit.

In terms of O'Reilly's insistence that he and Fox"News" have proven that Media Matters is a sham operation funded almost exclusively by George Soros, he again references the demonstrably misleading chart of Soros's financial contributions to Media Matters - something Breitbart and Fox"News" have tried to do with NPR as well.

This is where Breitbart - accompanied by an easily convinced O'Reilly - start to make completely false connections with Media Matters, Daily Kos, and Anthony Weiner's staffers that is the perfect definition of "unfounded". What O'Reilly postulates is that simply because people question Breitbart's motives and sources, they are simply trying to "smear" him.

Here is where they actually got it wrong, though their instincts were right from the start.

Andrew Breitbart has been so eager to prove that his socio-political opposites are nothing but corrupt and immoral that he will distribute and champion material that he apparently doesn't properly vet. And for those that used this template as a rational for going after the story and it's credibility, they were wrong - this time.

Breitbart then tries to explain his specious and laughably poor "connections" by referencing the non-controversial Journolist story as if it were in any way controversial. But, to a Conservative or Libertarian, any way to besmirch media that you don't control automatically demands that you label it as controversial.

The pair then went full-on Beckian to insist that MSNBC, Media Matters, and the White House are in this together in order to attack Breitbart and Fox"News". Again, this is something that is not even provable or even in the realm of speculation. What Breitbart and O'Reilly are relying on is another piece of conservative framing - something that media outlets have decided to cover based on nothing more than the Right has said that it was true.

Certainly, Barack Obama has had meeting with bloggers and reporters that champion the Left, but he has be equally open to those on the Right. But, I suppose that O'Reilly and Breitbart think that since they have both not been invited to an exclusive "sit-down" with Obama that this means that there is some sinister plot to destroy them.

Immediately following, O'Reilly defends his network's easily probable track record - defending, championing, and even employing members of the Modern American Right - against attacks targeting them when Breitbart boasts it is simply "projection" by the Left. It's at this point in the "interview" that reality is completely turned on its head.

After Brietbart lambastes The Huffington Post for being a primary source for ensuring that conservative claims never see the light of day - something that simply doesn't happen - O'Reilly goes full on "you know they are going to try and kill you". And Breitbart is more than eager to embrace that meme. After all, conservative victimhood works to their advantage more often than most people are willing to admit.

With that said, I'm not going to state that people of any ideological stripe have not threatened Breitbart. But one has to question what those threats are and if they are real or just posturing. We have all seen where conservative rhetoric leads to.

So how does this "interview" express the very real aspect of Right Wing Entitlement Culture in relation to modern media?

Primarily, it demands that anyone within the Modern American Right never be accountable for their previous mistakes and favor a singular instance where they were correct. I'm reminded of the popular phrase that "a blind squirrel can find a nut every great once in a while".

Secondly, The Right demand on a daily basis that their framing be used as a primer for all media coverage. Unfortunately for those of Liberal/Progressive perspective, this is all too true - even though the opposition that makes these demands will never admit it. Just take a look at virtually all the Sunday Shows on all major networks and you will see this in action. The Modern American Right demand that all media push their narrative - regardless of its merit - again and again and again. This is where they get the term "Liberal Media Bias". If someone doesn't genuflect to their particular belief system then you are guilty of heresy of the highest order.

For classic examples of what Breitbart and O'Reilly are referencing, check here and here.

Let's get back to the notion that Fox"News" has such a large audience share because their "reporting" is accurate, yet they can't seem to embrace the idea that this would make them "mainstream".

I have stated many times that accurate reporting and ratings-share are mutually exclusive creatures and to state that one equals another is a complete fabrication. This equivocation is another form of Right Wing framing. If this were true, then it should cross over into all forms of communications to audiences: The film AVATAR would have been more factually accurate than The Hurt Locker, as more people saw the former at theatres than the later.

Also, employees of Fox"News" have also claimed that America is a nation that is "Center-Right", yet that flies in the face of the fact that a plurality oppose the views that Fox and their compatriots champion.

The job of the American Media is to report the events of the day. When those events are beginning to be largely shaped by Right Wing ideology - and the media doesn't accept that premise - those that are attempting to shape it consider themselves being attacked by those they are attempting to control. This is the very nature of Right Wing Entitlement culture in relation to media.

Essentially, they are spoiled children being told that they can't have all that they want all the time. The reality is that their socio-political opponents are not in control the way they are being presented as.

Late Night Music Club feat. Big Wreck

2011-06-08T23:49:00.002-05:00

There are a metric ton of under-appreciated bands from the late 90's. But for me, Big Wreck is easily in my Top 10.

Ian Thornley and company produced some of the most honest music of the time that hardly anyone took note of. And by that, I mean that the mainstream music outlets in many markets weren't playing them.

Sure, they had one hit video on MTV with probably the most commercial track they ever produced, but that's not what made the band important.

As far as ballads go, Big Wreck had a way of melding heavy riffs and passion with a vocal style that would have left post "Badmotorfinger" Chris Cornell wondering where he had gone wrong.

Tonight, we feature two tracks from Big Wreck:

Blown Wide Open

That Song

Melding The Messages

2011-06-08T07:14:00.002-05:00

It's no surprise that the Modern American Right are attempting to make Weiner's ultimate downfall the downfall of the entire Democratic Party.

The Voice of the Right, Rush Limbaugh, claims that Weiner is an example of Democratic Family Values while one of the more popular Right Wing magazines, National Review, has in it's online edition an even more generalized spin on the Weiner controversy.

Whenever we hear anyone within the Modern American Right talk about "Family Values" or "Morals", this is nothing more than verbal special effects be used in the hopes that their intended audience will forget all the extra-marital transgressions and illegal activities that come from their side of the aisle as well.

Equivocation is a pointless game, but trying to pretend that someone on your side doesn't do it - even going so far as to blatantly and unblushingly lie about it while you're attempting to chastise your opposition for their own nefarious activities.

For the Modern American Right, "morals" simply means submitting in total to a authority figure; while "Family Values" falls alongside in a similar fashion - though it usually encompasses that which Liberals/Progressives fight against in their own family lives. One classic example of this is how the Right continually insist that "gay marriage" would be detrimental to "the family unit", while the reality is that more than half of all straight marriages end in divorce. But that's getting off the path a little here.

As stated previously, Weiner is at fault and will have to deal with the consequences, but we can't let this be spun into the image that the entire Liberal/Progressive population of America is somehow complicit in what he has done. And rest assured, that's what they are trying to do.

Late Night Music Club feat. Robert Plant and the Band of Joy

2011-06-07T23:51:00.002-05:00

Bonnaroo starts on Thursday afternoon and I'm honestly still a little bummed that I won't be there this year. But, having to be an adult and hold true to your responsibilities does take precedent - and buying a new car does tend to put a dent in your summertime funds.

For tonight's music session, we take a look at an artist I have had the honor of seeing many times over the last 15 years - most recently at Bonnaroo with Allison Krauss.

Robert Plant and the Band of Joy

For the full line-up of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, check the official blog here and be sure to listen to Bonnaroo Radio for all the music that makes this weekend special.

Reclaiming Their Obvious Title?

2011-06-07T08:36:00.004-05:00

It seemed like literally moments after Barack Obama took the Oath Of Office that Conservative Republicans renounced the (R) on their voter registration cards and took up the mantle of the "Independent" - something the Tea Baggers championed on literally a daily basis.

But as Obama's first term entered the later portion, the Tea Baggers seemed to become less relevant and the so-called "Independent" began to disappear from media coverage and those that championed them started to wonder where all the Republicans were.

One such person is Hot Air's own Ed Morrissey.

In another of his meandering poll evaluations, he concludes with this statement:

Finally, let’s look at the sample. The D/R/I in the April poll sample was a ridiculous 32/22/41. This sample has a slightly better split, although still skewed at 31/25/39, which still undersamples Republicans. In a sample more reflective of reality, Obama’s job approval would be lower than the 47% shown here, and he’d be in deeper trouble against Republican challengers than this shows.

Where did the love of the Independent go?

And this isn't the first time Morrissey pulled the victim card when a particular poll didn't suit his particular need or reflect his desire to make people believe that a majority of Americans believe exactly as he does. If he were as honest as she should be - given Hot Air's love for the Tea Baggers - he would be able to at least tacitly admit that just because you claim to be "Independent" doesn't mean that you always agree with and vote along Democratic Party lines.

I've noted here many time, polls are interesting snapshots into a particular moment in time but in no way dictate how people will vote come election day. But there is an obvious caveat that I should offer here.

The embrace of Scott Rasmussen by the Modern American Right seems, to me at least, that many of them look to polling and focus groups as voting indicators. This is quite troubling when you begin to take a deeper look into it, as this completely contradicts the Right Wing notion that they act based off their own desires and not the desires of any outside force. But that's another story for another day.

So He Was Right.......This Time

2011-06-07T06:48:00.004-05:00

In light of yesterdays confession by Rep. Anthony Weiner, it's no wonder that Breitbarts Big Blogs are in full on gloat mode.

But there's something that people need to realize - this doesn't vindicated Breitbart in any fashion other than he somehow managed not to screw this one up. And for the man that is perpetually wrong, that's a pretty big step up.

The downfall is ultimately going to be two-fold: Weiner will likely face an ethics investigation and will probably be resigning in the weeks or months to come, and Breitbart will get away with the narrative that all criticism of him, his websites, and his "employees" are completely unfounded because he showed the world Rep. Weiner's - well - weiner.

What this should cause all people to do is put more pressure on Breitbart to prove his legitimacy. We shouldn't let the media give him a complete pass on this. After all, this is the same guy that pushed the demonstrably false ACORN story that the media didn't even come close to correctly covering.

So the question I find myself asking is this - would Breitbart take the same stance against a GOP member of Congress? Likely not, as his modus operandi is strictly "anti-left" and in no way objective in nature. I would suggest we not hold out collective breath in the hopes that Breitbart "expose" conservative misdeeds.

The boasting and bragging will likely dominate media coverage for the remainder of the week, so look for Fox"News" to claim some moral victory before lunchtime today.

As for Weiner, his credibility is pretty much shot in the eyes of the average media audience. But that was the idea, was it not? As one of the most vocal and intelligent opponents of the Modern American Right, Breitbart knew that he had to get this one right so they could be rid of Rep. Weiner. But the Congressman wasn't really a victim so much as complicit in his own downfall, Breitbart just knew he had to exploit it the best way possible.

Palin, History, And Conservative Framing

2011-06-06T06:45:00.004-05:00

I've been watching, with great interest, how The Modern American Right have been doing the utmost in damage control in light of Sarah Palin's ignorance of American History that she claims to hold dear.

What troubles me about this the most is that it's not Palin's ignorance, nor that of her sycophants, that will ultimately gestate within certain cross-sections of children in our country, but that far too many people are willing to accept conservative "framing" of American history and allow that to be the basis of their response.

As the father of two young girls - one that just recently got an award of excellence in History - I often wonder what teachers are doing in relation to media exposure of people like Sarah Palin. Do they teach class in conjunction with conservative posturing? While this may sound familiar to some of my more Right leaning readers - as they are want to claim that the modern public school classroom is a breeding ground of far-left thought - I have seen a great deal of textbooks that are used in classrooms today that are more akin to far-right ideology.

Should we honestly have to counter Palin's idiocy simply because it is there?

Should we have to digitally grapple with the likes of Fox"News" and their ilk because they place Palin, and her ignorance of American history, on a pedestal?

The answer isn't so simple, but the results would yield dividends for Liberals/Progressives.

I believe that it's time that we take on the issues that matter to all of America, and not what The Modern American Right believes "America stands for". I say let Palin look idiotic on her own while we tackle the real issues. I say let Fox"News" and their easily lead compatriots twitch and chatter all they want while we make this country stronger.

It's time we end the reign of conservative framing.

Later Night Music Club feat. The Cure

2011-06-03T23:33:00.002-05:00

The Cure have endured many line-up changes through the years, and it's too difficult on most days for me to pic my favorite Cure LP. But for me, the years with Porl Thompson and Simon Gallup are the best.

And some have called Disintegration the greatest Cure album of all time - something I can't completely argue against, mind you - I've been revisiting Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me over the past year and I realized why it always stood out alongside Disintegration.

So tonight, here's a live version of the title track ( The Kiss ) featuring one of the greatest Cure intros of their entire catalog:

The Palin Jokes Just Write Themselves

2011-06-03T10:57:00.005-05:00

Fox"Nation" and frequent contributor Jim Hoft went full "woman on crustacion" fetish today with this post:

This is why they hate her…
She can bash Obama’s job-killing policies while she pets lobster.

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin (L) touches a lobster held by her father Chuck Heath during their visit to Yankee Seafood Cooperative in Seabrook, New Hampshire June 2, 2011.

This whole non-story sounded a lot like this scene from Clerks II

So what's next, Herman Cain molests a slice of Supreme Pizza? Mitt Romney combs his hair in slow motion, or Tim Pawlenty does...........well, I don't know what the Right does up north, but it proabably involves ice, a Vikings t-shirt, and some KY Touch Massage.

But in all seriousness, this whole Palin fetishism is getting WAY out of hand. But it makes for good material.

Pro Versus Anti-Honesty

2011-06-02T23:47:00.003-05:00

Having had someone close to me be faced with the choice - and yes, it is a choice - of abortion or having her life or the life of her unborn child be put at risk, I find the continued drumbeat of Fox"News" and the Modern American Right that anyone of opposing political alignment is purely a "pro-abortion" party to be simply ridiculous.

But, they seem to have their hooks in their easily lead droogies, so why should they give it up?

What Fox and the Right are missing is the fact that the platform of "choice" is not about a woman sitting around at her house going "jeez, if only I could get pregnant just so I could have an abortion". Nor is their insistence that Planned Parenthood is nothing more than an "abortion mill" even remotely accurate.

The choice that a woman makes is hers, not that of an alleged "law-maker" that doesn't even know her or her situation. The choice of a woman is not taken lightly, as they would have you believe. The choice of a woman is all to often that of life and death - and not in the fashion that the Right would have many of us believe.

This, more than anything, is about control and regulation of the reproductive system of women all across America - regardless of what is written on their voter registration card. Sadly, the Modern American Right still view women as second class citizens, no matter how many times they shove Sarah Palin in our faces.

Late Night Music Club feat. Norah Jones

2011-06-02T23:27:00.002-05:00

I never thought I would like Norah Jones as an artist, but once I gave her a chance she really got her hooks in me.

Also had the good fortune to see her at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival a few years ago. I would have posted my video I took of her there, but YouTube keeps yanking it for some reason.

So here's a interesting gem I found a while back of Jones and her band covering what is quite possibly my favorite AC/DC track:

Ride On

The Art Of The Hack Right Wing Blogger

2011-06-01T23:52:00.006-05:00

Sure, hypocrisy knows no political alignment. I have to admit that I've caught myself more than a few times saying one thing while thinking another. It's something I've learned from and feel I have become a better blogger, and better person because of it. This apparently hasn't happened to Andrew Breitbart's least intelligent employee Jim Hoft ( aka: GatewayPundit ) who's hypocrisy is so transparent that it practically screams at you several hours throughout any given day.

Take this post for example:

Another Day – Another Leftist Attack
The left must be very proud tonight. Far left criminals defaced Sarah Palin’s bus tonight.

The left is upset that Sarah Palin just won’t go away.

Actually, the Left isn't upset that she won't go away, it's just that she makes herself such an easy topic for scorn and derision when she does and says some of the most preposterous things - like this

And you call this an "attack" and an act of "defacement"? Please, it's a piece of paper with tape on the back. Take it off, drive away, and stop the pity party.

What makes this even more of a point that Jim Hoft is so eager to digitally finer-bang Palin that he can't keep his media "hate list" in order, is that he actually sourced the website that published pics from her hacked account. Double standard much?

Just check out his sit tomorrow morning, as Hoft will likely have many more examples that expose his rank amateur status.

Late Night Music Club w/ Aphex Twin

2011-06-01T23:31:00.004-05:00

Tonight's Music Club features two genius of Richard D. James ( aka Aphex Twin ).

The track is from Nine Inch Nails' "Further Down The Spiral" import EP entitled "At The Heart Of It All".

This is not a remix of any track off NIN's Downward Spiral LP, but was specifically solicited by Trent Reznor for this compilation. Aphex Twin also provided mix work to the track "The Beauty of Being Numb".

While the visuals in the above fan video lend themselves well to the track, I have always envisioned a city-scape along the lines of Blade Runner, but with a horror film twist. That's what makes these two musicians such phenoms, that they can conjure up emotions and visuals of such intensity.

You can also find this track on Aphex Twin's 2003 EP 26 Mixes For Cash.

Palin's Nasal Love Affair

2011-06-01T00:00:00.005-05:00

I caught this over at Bob Cesca's blog earlier today and wanted to add a little context to it, just so we can see what Palin is missing.

I love that smell of the emissions.

That was Palin during her "I'm riding 'Bitch' on this super-keen motor-cicle in D.C. doncha-know" thing.

So, what's is it about "emissions" that Caribou Barbie loves?

If you're into the serious scientific analysis of it, I suggest you read this. But for a more concise description of Palin's favorite new perfume, there's this little nugget for her to chop up and snort:

A short list of the likely pathogens in car exhaust:

Carbon Monoxide
Nitrogen dioxide
Sulphur dioxide
Suspended particles, PM-10 particles less than 10 microns in size.
Benzene
Formaldehyde
Polycyclic hydrocarbons

So let's look at what the PAH's ( Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ) do:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has determined that PAHs may be carcinogens. Several of the PAHs, including benzanthracene, benzopyrene, benzofluoranthene, benzofluoranthene, chrysene, dibenzanthracene, indenopyrene have caused tumors in laboratory animals when they ate them, when they were applied to their skin and when they breathed them in the air for long periods of time. Reports in humans show that individuals exposed by breathing or skin contact for long periods of time to mixtures of other compounds and PAHs can also develop cancer. Mice fed high levels of benzopyrene during pregnancy had difficulty reproducing and so did their offspring. The offspring from pregnant mice fed benzopyrene also showed other harmful effects, such as birth defects and decreased body weight. Similar effects could occur in humans, but we have no information to show that these effects do occur.

Studies in animals have also shown that PAHs can cause harmful effects on skin, body fluids, and the body's system for fighting disease after both short- and long-term exposure. These effects have not been reported in humans. PAHs are changed into chemicals that can attach to substances within the body. The presence of PAHs attached to these substances can then be measured in body tissues or blood after exposure to PAHs. However, this test is still being developed and it is not known yet how well it works. PAHs or their breakdown products can also be measured in urine. Although these tests can tell that you have been exposed to PAHs, it is not yet possible to use these tests to predict the severity of any health effects that might occur or to determine the extent of your exposure to the PAHs. These tests are not routinely available at a doctor's office because they require special equipment for sampling and detecting these chemicals.

Yeah, Sarah, sit behind Todd's big ass truck on Sunday afternoon and take a big whiff of that which you love so much.

This, among many other examples, shows how science and the mind of the Modern American Right, will never co-exist.

Late Night Music Club feat. Skinny Puppy

2011-05-31T23:33:00.003-05:00

Socio-Poilitcal activism in music is nothing new, but Skinny Puppy had their own special way of bringing it to the viewer through very powerful and often extremely graphic imagery. One could not walk away from a SP concert without knowing their standpoint on an array of subject matter from Right Wing Extremism, Animal Cruelty, and the growing power of the Military Industrial Complex.

If you only heard Puppy once, you would immediately recognize them the second time. Their fusion of dark vocal effects, metal, electronica, and noise core took the world of industrial music by storm during it's infancy.

I was never lucky enough to see Puppy in their prime in the late 80s and early 90s, but did manage to get the closest thing - their Candian reunion concert DVD The The Greater Wrong Of The Right.

Puppy's final album with the late D.R. Gottel was quite the departure from some of their earlier work, but the images and messages were still there and still distinct as when the Back and Forth tape series came out in the early 80s.

Here's one of my favorite tracks off the LP The Process:

Jahya

Right Wing Entitlement Culture: Pt. I - Hollywood

2011-05-31T10:09:00.007-05:00

Ed Morrissey over at Hot Air ( I do so love that name, since it's quite fitting for their subject matter ) is touting a new documentary intended to expose that evil "liberal bias" in film and television:

What does Hollywood really think of conservatives? Ben Shapiro talked to the movers and shakers in Hollywood to find out — and recounts his adventures in his new book, Primetime Propaganda: The True Hollywood Story of How the Left Took Over Your TV

This is something the Modern American Right love to do - play the role of the ultimate victim in society. This is readily apparent when Morrissey does post like this, as it not only shows how ignorant he is of film narratives but how his definition of "conservativism" shifts to fit a particular time and day.

The real story behind all of this noise and pity party posturing is that the Modern American Right don't want to have to deal with that which they champion most - Free Market Principles. Do they honestly expect studios to produce programming and feature films that don't have an audience that will bring them a profit? Actually, yes, they do. But we all saw what happened when Atlas Shrugged was a giant disaster at the box office, though Hot Air was sure to make excuses for that as well.

Having studied film for the better part of my life, I now that producers and studios can make really bad decisions and end up losing a lot of money, but using the consistent drumbeat of "we are a Center Right nation" that the Modern American Right doles out at every conceivable opportunity, coupled with the fact that the Tea Baggers are somehow "the voice of the people", why do you think Hollywood doesn't make more films like Atlas Shrugged? The answer is quite simple - they don't make money.

With that in mind, one has to ask whether or not this selective love affair with the Free Market travels outside the world of film and television? Does the Modern American Right think that there are business that sell toys, cars, or even food that cater to an exclusively "Far Left" audience? The answer is most likely a definitive yes, considering the group we are discussing.

But what is troubling most of all is how the Modern American Right define "conservativism".

Having grown up on a family farm in Western Kentucky, I saw what true conservativism was. It wasn't predicated on isolating people, but favored the noting that "I am my brother's keeper", as the community helped one another when the time called for it. It was about defending all of America and not just a specific, even fringe, element within it. The broader point is that the Modern American Right have taken the word "conservative" and melded it with "Libertarianism" and "Extremism" and attempting to convince people that this is what makes up a plurality of American thought. The only problem is that this isn't the case, and they will complain until their final breath that they are the target of a malicious attack because the majority won't openly embrace the minority.

Late Night Music Club feat. Underworld

2011-05-28T00:21:00.004-05:00

Having grown up in a geographical area that is virtually devoid of musical diversity, it was with great wonder that I absorbed and searched for various genres when I left for college and soon-after became a DJ.

One group that will consistently stand out as a pioneer in the genre is Underworld. Their style is unique in the realm of Electronic music yet easily recognizable due to Karl Hyde's vocal stylings.

Tonight's selection was originally featured on the "Batman and Robin" soundtrack, but was later added to Underworlds final studio album Beaucoup Fish

Underworld - Moaner

How Far Is "Far Left"?

2011-05-27T23:30:00.002-05:00

That's a question I have been asking myself for quite a while now.

Every time you hear someone within the Modern American Right use the term "Far Left", you have to look at the person using it and then ask yourself what their metric is for "Centrist" first.

It's quite the dizzying experience, as there is no true metric for this at all - it's just a talking point that sounds great and apparently tests well with the viewing audience of Fox"News" and conservative talk radio and blogs.

It's with that in mind that I never use the term "Far Right", as that would make as much sense as my political adversaries using the alternate term. I have opted for the more honest and encompassing phrase "Modern American Right". And while some may claim that that term is far too "general", I would offer that it is both accurate and historic based on our current socio-political climate.

But back to the definition at hand...........

I first started considering how the Modern American Right would define this back when Bush was still occupying the White House while watching Bill O'Reilly - as he was want to use the term during literally every segment of his program, and still does to this day.

His style is so dry and predictably flaccid that it became apparent that he would even call my grandmother - at the time an 88 year old woman that new nothing but farm life in Western Kentucky who just happened changed her political alignment sometime after Reagan's re-election but to this day is still one of the more conservative women I have ever known - a member of the "Far Left".

Then there's Glenn Beck......

Honestly, I think he would call his own children "Far Left" if they even wanted him to rent "Where The Wild Things Are" on DVD.

So, what about Sean Hannity? Sarah Palin? Fox and Friends? Heck, Neil Cavuto?

The truth of the matter is that the Modern American Right can't define that term. But I can.

"Far Left" simply means that any person who does not think Fox"News" is a legitimate source of news, thinks that women have the right to choose, thinks that workers have the right to organize, thinks that healthcare is a right, thinks that..............well, you see where this is going, don't you.

Anyone that even modestly disagrees with the Modern American Right will be labeled as a fringe extremist that is obviously hell-bent on tossing the country into the ever burning abyss of fire and damnation. And that's putting it mildly.

Are their sub-classifications of both Left and Right political alignment? Of course, but you aren't going to get that from Fox or even from some Left/Progressive sources. The reason is that, all too often, we get enraptured with the idea that painting something as "extreme" will elevate our own point of view. And for the Modern American Right, they are champs at distorting whom their socio-political opposites are.

Late Night Music Club feat. Faith No More

2011-05-27T00:08:00.002-05:00

Being a child of the 80s, I can remember bands like Flock of Seagulls, The Thompson Twins, and Herbie Hancock's video for Rokit on MTV for the first time. But the era of music that really started to mold me in a whole new direction was that of early 90s rock. The one band that sticks out as an influence on my life from those years is Faith No More.

For tonight's selection here's "A Small Victory", off 1992s Angel Dust

Decision Time

2011-05-26T23:35:00.007-05:00

Fox"News" is practically beside themselves over Palin's upcoming "Hey, I'm On A Bus Again" show and how this likely means that she's running for President.

Let's not mince words on this - Palin loves her "celebrity stature" and will not give that up if she doesn't have to. And there are lots of things that Palin would have to give up if she won:

- No more "speaking engagements" where she gets paid above and beyond what anyone of her faux intellectual level should get paid.

- No more "campaigning"; since as we all know, the Modern American Right can't stand it when people "campaign all the time".

- No more "reality TV shows", because she'll have to be making important decisions now rather than trying to pretend that her and her family and just "normal, real, Americans".

- No longer can she be in the employ of Fox"News".

But wait, would she really be giving all that up if she did win? Do you think Fox"News", talk radio, and her drooling sychophants would let her?

I'm not going to convince myself that she isn't going to run, nor am I going to be afraid that she would win, since there are enough people within the Modern American Right that will realize that as the days draw closer to election day 2012, that they can't afford to have someone like Palin in the White House.

Sure, she won't be doing it alone - as all Presidents have various advisers and cabinet members - but at the end of the day, this is the woman that quit ( and yes, she quit ) when the political pressure got to her. Obama has had to endure more pressure and specious scandal than Palin could possibly imagine, and he hasn't quit.

As far as myself, I say bring her on. And when she does announce - and she will - we are going to see infighting within the Modern American Right the likes of which no one has seen in a generation - possibly ever.

This Is Their Metric For Election Results?

2011-05-26T12:18:00.006-05:00

I'll be blunt on this - I can't stand American Idol. It's been pointless from day one. It showcases not true talent in the arena of music, but focuses almost exclusively on commercialism and gimmicks that are pushed to people who likely buy things because they think they will seem "important" or because the logo used is flashier. They are attracted by the "prettiest lights" that flash in front of them.

So when I read Jeannie DeAngelis' "article" over at Breitbart's "Big Hollywood" site about how the American Idol finale is a signifier that Obama is in trouble come election night 2012, it was revealed to me that the Modern American Right swallowed whole the notion that gimmicks and special effects are more important to them than substance.

After three endless years of Barack Obama being more popular than Jesus, God and country seem to be making a huge comeback. If this season’s American Idol outcome is any indication of what lies ahead in the next election, Barack Obama may be heading back to the home of Muddy Waters and the Chicago Blues.

Interestingly, on American Idol each week those eliminated, with the exception of a Rod Stewart wannabe from Alabama, returned home to blue states. Even the stunningly talented Pia Toscano, who was thought to be a shoe-in, was sent packing back to the blue shores of Howard Beach, NY.

Besides being entertained by judges J Lo, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson, this season American Idol has showcased talent from all along the musical spectrum. America was wowed by James Durbin, whose voice embellished raucous heavy metal; Pia was crowned the queen of ballads; Casey Abrams entertained America with a scruffy eccentric brand of stand-up bass showmanship; Haley Reinhard emerged as a polished version of Janis Joplin; and a cuddly promise of Luther was reborn in the endearing Jacob Lusk.

Yet, throughout the competition and despite the huge talent pool, country singers Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery endured from week to week. One thing about Lauren and Scotty that stood out was their consistent profession of personal faith and loyalty to a patriotic genre of music that unabashedly celebrates both God and country.

One thing that troubles me is when people talk about "country music". There is no "country music" anymore. So to say that Lauren and Scotty embody that genre is to participate in an action of pure unblushing ignorance. And if you couple that with the actions of the "voters" or American Idol and the real voters in the Presidential Election, you've done more than jump the proverbial shark - you've completely inverted the fabric of space/time and have placed yourself into the race to become one of the dumbest people in the known universe.

If Lauren and Scotty were truly the embodiment of real country music, then they would talk about the suffering of farmers and beaten wives; the plight of families dealing with a father that drinks or a mother that is absent; or sing songs of celebrations of renegades, outlaws, and excess in the South. Neither of these two have the passion of a true country artist like Hank Sr., Johnny Cash, or Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. And while it is true that these mentioned sang gospel songs, these were out of a sense of belief rather than a desire to posture to gain adoration.

Country music died decades ago and was replaced with a new form of "Top 40" fare that does nothing more than insult those that built the foundations of Country. Take a look at who's on the "Country" charts this week and then take those songs and compare them with the likes of Patsy Cline or Merle Haggard.

But there are those that take up the "appearance" of a Country purist but come off as nothing more than the current gimmicks that were the two finalists of the current American Idol season. Even some that once held the title of a true Country artist have become nothing more than supplicants of Right Wing theology. The name that immediately comes to mind is Hank Willians Jr.

It would be interesting to see the demographics for who voted on the American Idol finale and see how many of these people are even eligible to vote in the 2012 election, are even considering it, and if they are, what candidate they would vote for. I'm guessing that the results wouldn't mesh with DeAngelis' poorly constructed and utterly preposterous thesis.

Late Night Music Club feat. Danzig

2011-05-25T23:39:00.001-05:00

Been going back and listening to many artists that I had pushed to the way side several years ago and this guy kept bubbling to the surface on my MP3 player all day today.

So, tonight's Late Night Music Club feature is Glenn Danzig doing a bang-up version of Elvis Presley's "Trouble".

This version is contained as an addendum to the "ThrallDemonsweatLive" CD and showcase Glenn's passion for Elvis and blatant irreverence in rock music - as he's referenced him as a great influence, along with Roy Orbison and Jim Morrison.

The Irony Of Right Wing Posturing

2011-05-25T23:26:00.003-05:00

Jim Hoft ( also known as GatewayPundit - or the "Dumbest Man On The Internet" ) has a problem with Community Organizing. That is, until it presents an opportunity for him to pretend like he has a soul:

A St. Louis Facebook group was able to organize and deliver 4 semi trailer full of goods to the Joplin, Missouri tornado victims today.

St. Louis for Joplin Missouri Facebook group organized and sent 4 semis full of goods to the Joplin tornado victims today.

The semis left St. Louis this evening for Joplin, Missouri after the charity drive was organized a day earlier on Facebook. They collected 4 semi trucks full of household goods, diapers, sheets, cleaners, water, etc. for the people of Joplin.

So now he's for community organizing? After all, it's not solely about politics. But I guess it's alright for little Jimmy provided they aren't organizing to find affordable housing for low income families who happen to be primarily black.

Typical.

Position Predictable

2011-05-25T09:44:00.004-05:00

So the Modern American Right claims that Palin has a "secret weapon" she's about to use just in time to announce her candidacy for President.

Too bad this is the same thing she has used ever since she was vomited down into the socio-political stage of the "lower 48":

Shortly after Republicans swept last November to a historic victory in which Sarah Palin was credited with playing a central role, the former Alaska governor pulled aside her close aide, Rebecca Mansour, to discuss a hush-hush assignment: Reach out to conservative filmmaker Stephen K. Bannon with a request. Ask him if he would make a series of videos extolling Palin's governorship and laying to rest lingering questions about her controversial decision to resign from office with a year-and-a-half left in her first term. It was this abdication, Palin knew, that had made her damaged goods in the eyes of some Republicans who once were eager to get behind her potential 2012 presidential campaign.

The response was more positive than Palin could have hoped for. He'd make a feature-length movie, Bannon told Mansour, and he insisted upon taking complete control and financing it himself -- to the tune of $1 million.

The fruits of that initial conversation are now complete. The result is a two-hour-long, sweeping epic, a rough cut of which Bannon screened privately for Sarah and Todd Palin last Wednesday in Arizona, where Alaska's most famous couple has been rumored to have purchased a new home. When it premieres in Iowa next month, the film is poised to serve as a galvanizing prelude to Palin's prospective presidential campaign -- an unconventional reintroduction to the nation that she and her political team have spent months eagerly anticipating, even as Beltway Republicans have largely concluded that she won't run.

So Palin sent out the woman that writes her Facebook posts to convince a "conservative filmmaker" to make a propaganda film about her and the Fox"Nation" and all their drooling compatriots consider this a "secret weapon"? This is standard operating procedure for these people.

But let's consider their previous standpoints on documentaries of this nature......

By and large, documentaries can be divided into two categories: The Micheal Moore style and the Ken Burns style. While the former is largely and unblushingly predicated on a pure ideological message, the later is a purest form. Care to take a guess which one Stephen K. Bannon's is going to follow?

Moreover, one has to look at what Bannon is doing - putting up a meager sum ( most low budget, indie films spend MUCH more than this; as the producers of the box office disaster Atlas Shrugged spent upwards of 10 times as much ) of "one million dollars" - and this appears to me to be more of a calculated business move than one of blind allegiance to Palin. He'll likely pocket a rather substantial profit from this. Honestly makes me wonder who is bilking who in this whole laughable affair.

Regular Blogging Returns Tomorrow

2011-05-24T23:46:00.003-05:00

So I finally finished the third draft of my screenplay and the hunt begins for someone to buy it. Keep your fingers crossed.

That being said, this blog is about to get a serious revamp and return to some of it's original roots.

Tonight, we start with the late night music sessions again.

It was just announced - for any of my readers ( are you even still here? ) that are attending Bonnaroo next month - that Bjork has been added and will play a late night set after Eminem.

Here she is doing her usual quirky and ahead of it's time jam on the track Biofilia

Dumbest Attack On Obama Yet?

2011-05-12T08:30:00.000-05:00

Maybe not, but it's pretty close

Obama could have ordered a drone strike on the US helicopter wreckage at Osama Bin Laden’s compound.
He didn’t. And so last Thursday Chinese officials went to Pakistan to inspect the wreckage of the US chopper held by the Pakistani government.

The Pakistanis don’t want to give it back to the US. They’re upset about the “illegal strike” inside Pakistan.

What Jim Hoft ( aka: Gatewaypundit is referring to is the wreckage of the stealth copter that the Seal Team had to ditch prior to killing the man that George W. Bush simply gave up looking for.

But here's my question, if the SEALs knew they would have to leave the wreckage behind, they surely would have considered the fact that the Pakistani's would enter the compound and at least take a look at it themselves. So, why didn't they blow the wreckage prior to leaving? Was this something considered during the mission and then dismissed as unimportant? Who's to say one way or another.

Why, Jim Hoft, of course.

Also, one has to consider the fact that a drone strike is precisely what Obama didn't want, and sending in a drone after the fact would likely compromise any further plans the Obama administration has regarding Pakistan. Just don't tell that to Hoft, who's obviously an expert in military action.

So here's a question I would pose to Hoft: The next time a piece of awesome military equipment is lost in battle, do we automatically send a "drone" in to scorch the earth and destroy it? Is this for specific pieces of equipment only, or just ones that you think you can use as a pitiful attack against the man who's done a better job than your hero in the fight against terrorism?

Yes, He Did: Pt. IV - What Will Make Them Happy

2011-05-06T08:17:00.005-05:00

When I watched clip last night over at the Right Wing "hate-site" Fox"Nation", it finally became clear to me that it's not Obama that's making the successful killing of Bin Laden about him, it's the Modern American Right that's making it all about Obama:

I'll get back to how this "breaking news" is more about Fox's/The Right's own agenda than about what actually happened that day in New York.

Moreover, I seriously question the validity of Debra Burlingame's version of her encounter with Obama, considering her personal disdain with our President.

And while some will say that it's not right to question a woman that lost so much on Sept. 11th 2001, I feel that it's only intellectually honest to do so based on her preconceived notions of who Obama is and what he has done. After all, he gave the "go-ahead" order that lead to the death of the man that was responsible for the death of her husband.

But more on that portion of the story later.

While the Modern American Right remains to be unmoved by the implications of what has happened over the course of the last two weeks - that Obama has proven has was born in America and has brought down the most wanted terrorist in the world - I have to ask what else he has to do that will make them understand that his presidency is more of a success than the Bush Administration.

Considering the metric by which the Modern American Right operate, the bar is set so high that no one - not even someone they have deified - would be able to claim such a title.

Not Palin, not Trump, not Bachmann, no anyone.

Why is that?

The truth, despite what the Modern American Right will insist upon reads as such:

Obama must be impeached or defeated in the General Election.

And while I am given pause to relate the third and final prerequisite for Right Wing happiness, it shouldn't be ignored that some within their ranks openly and unflinchingly pray for his own death.

Anyone remember the Death Prayer movement?

Again, what does this man have to do?

Walk on water?

Cure the sick with a touch of his hand?

Make NASCAR a more interesting event?

The metric for acceptability lies purely within the hand of the Modern American Right. And no matter what happens, it seems they won't have any of it until he accepts George W. Bush into his heart as his "personal savior".

Sad.

Yes, He Did: Pt. III - It's All A Conspiracy!!!!!

2011-05-05T06:50:00.009-05:00

A saying that most people in America know and often repeat is that there are only two things guaranteed in this world - death and taxes. However, the Modern American Right has added another item that is also guaranteed - anytime the Obama administration does anything, there's going to be a multitude of conspiracy theories formulated.

But not all of these are as crazy and full of comedic value as others.

For instance, the newest meme is that the still photos of Obama's speech Saturday night were "staged", thereby questioning the legitimacy of the message itself. The only problem is that this has been standard procedure since - gasp - the Reagan Era.

John Harrington, president of the White House News Photographers Association, tells me that the Obama Administration has used this technique before and they are not the first.

“I am aware of it happening in previous administrations. I believe Bush 41 [George H.W. Bush] did it too,” Harrington says. “The times where I have known of it happening before is when the president is in the Oval Office and you are working in a very tight space.”

Other photographers who work at the White House told Poynter.org that since the Reagan era (and possibly before) it has been the standard operating procedure that during a live presidential address, still cameras are not allowed to photograph the actual event.

Questioning the actions of the President or his administration officials is completely rational and understandable - that is, until your questions and accusations fail to be rational or understandable.

The morning following the announcement, members of the Modern American Right even went so far as to decry the celebrations in front of the White House as nothing more than a "staged" incident.

Right Wing Socio-Political Agnosticism is quite an intriguing thing to analyze, as they are want to de-emphasize that which can clearly be seen, yet are more than eager to believe that which simply isn't there.

Seeing as how Obama provided the evidence that should silence the "Birthers" once and for all - but you know they'll keep going - the next (il)logical step for the Modern American Right to take is to use the same template in regards to the verified killing of Bin Laden:

The free world, particularly the United States, has a right to make sure Osama bin Laden is really dead. Every American has a right to walk right up to bin Laden’s corpse and view it. We are entitled to know for a fact that the witch is dead. No shroud for dignity’s sake, please – bin Laden’s naked, bullet-riddled corpse should be put on display in lower Manhattan for all the world to see. The entire body should be digitally scanned, inside and out – and made available for everyone to take his or her own picture.

The snuff fetishism of the Right is likely to be the hot issue on the 2012 campaign trail, and that could likely start tonight, as Ron Paul and Herman Cain will be taking the stage for Fox"News".

Truth-be-told, I enjoy a good conspiracy theory, provided it makes me do the research to either verify or debunk it. But the rapid-fire way in which the Modern American Right display their conspiratorial nature tends to make one realize that these are nothing more than excuses for their own ideological ignorance.

Yes, He Did: Pt 2 - It's All About George

2011-05-04T08:25:00.003-05:00

This was a natural path for the Modern American Right to take - credit George W. Bush for the success of the Obama administration. But do they remember this:

So why give credit to a person that admittedly wasn't concerned with Bin Laden - even after the whole "Dead or Alive" meme became such a chant with those that were the unflinching supplicants of the Bush administration. Additionally, since "waterboarding" ended in 2005, and if the Modern American Right are really wanting to maintain that it was the singular technique that helped find Bin Laden, why did the Bush administration not act on this intel they allegedly had?

The reason that people should be asking that is due to the latest meme that has sprung up within the Modern American Right - that Obama took 16 hours to decide how to approach this situation.

Take just a moment to consider the implications of reactionary decision making. While many within the Left wanted the Bush Administration to be more aggressive in going after Bin Laden just days after the attacks on September 11th, we knew that reactionary foreign policy wouldn't work, but this latest and laughable assault on the Obama administration stinks of so much hypocrisy that I shouldn't even have to tell you about it.

But there is an element within this event that I think we all need to understand - that Bush had, at least, a small roll in finding Bin Laden. Obama understood this, accepted this, and wanted him to be a part of the celebration of his death and what should be the singular action that ends our occupation of Afghanistan. The only problem is that Bush wanted no part of it.

Naturally, the Modern American Right are going to frame this as Bush "knowing" that Obama is just using this as a campaign tool. But didn't Bush use Bin Laden as a campaign tool for years? The hypocrisy continues.

Did the Bush Administration have any roll in finding Bin Laden? I'm certain they did, but I'm not so blind to know that "waterboarding" was the singular technique that found him.

Is Bush taking advantage of this to make Obama look bad? you bet he is:

A spokesman for George W. Bush says the former president has declined an invitation from President Barack Obama to attend an observance at New York's ground zero.

Obama plans to visit the site of the destroyed World Trade Center towers Thursday in the aftermath of a Navy SEALs raid that killed Osama bin Laden. The al-Qaida attack, which killed about 3,000 people, occurred in the early months of Bush's presidency in 2001.

The spokesman, David Sherzer, says the former president appreciated the offer to attend but has chosen to remain out of the spotlight during his post-presidency.

I'm almost certain that the Modern American Right are going to use this as yet another tool to claim that Bush is more of a leader than Obama is.

Yes, He Did: Reflections On The Aftermath Of Bin Laden's Death: PT 1

2011-05-03T08:31:00.006-05:00

I had fallen asleep early Saturday evening, so I missed the good news. But, upon awaking Sunday morning, I was bombarded with Tweets and Facebook updates that revealed not just that we had finally killed the preeminent terrorist of a generation, but that that very action had further divided the nation it was intended to bring together.

In the interest of full disclosure and honesty, I had - for some years, come to believe that Bin Laden had been killed and no one was really reporting this fact because his communications - primarily audio only heard by a select few - were unusually timed with specific Bush Era political moves. Not to go all "Alex Jones" on you, but the fact that Benazir Bhutto claimed to have actionable intel regarding Bin Laden's assassination, I was inclined to more than moderately embrace that theory.

But back to the point at hand.

The first thing that immediately jumped out at me was the fact that the Modern American Right, with unblushing intensity, refused to acknowledge that the Obama administration should be recognized for this victory. And that, to me, tells me that now more than ever, they can't define what the word "victory" means in regards to military action overseas.

What they did do was something I thought quite peculiar, considering their metric for praise prior to Obama's election - they claimed that Bush was responsible for Bin Laden being killed by military action. But this wasn't just about Bush, it was about "waterboarding". It wasn't about techniques proven to provide intel that could immediately acted upon, it was about something that Liberals/Progressives knew was untrustworthy. If "waterboarding" was such a glorious tool for gleaning intel from terrorist detainees, why couldn't the Bush administration accomplish this task in as timely a fashion as the Obama administration did?

Unfortunately, for the Right, this poorly conceived rationalization is false. Donald Rumsfeld has even denied that "waterboarding" was a factor in all of this. But don't tell that to Jim Hoft ( aka: GatewayPundit - someone who is consistently sourced for the "Fair And Balanced" hate-site that is known as Fox"Nation" ). He's also pushing for a new conspiracy - that Obama knew that it was Bin Laden living in that compound since last Fall. The only problem with this is that they were only aware of a compound and not who lived there.

The scrambling and twitching efforts of the Modern American Right to denounce the actions of the Obama administration show not only their desperation, but their own knowledge that the Bush administration failed for nearly 10 years where the Obama administration succeeded in less than 3.

More to come tomorrow.............

Of Tea Baggers And UK Basketball "Fans"

2011-04-13T07:09:00.009-05:00

Having grown up in Kentucky, I know that there are two things that people just don't do around here - talk bad about UK basketball and dismiss the Kentucky Derby has nothing more than the dumbest two minutes in racing.

With that in mind, I realized something while discussing the Final Four recently with a friend at work - the connection between a specific set of UK "fans" and the Tea Baggers.

What was postulated to me regarding sports is that there are certain types of "fans" - those that intimately know the players and stats revolving around the game and those that simply are "fans" because of the particular state they live in. This, more than just about anything, is explicitly true for "fans" of UK basketball.

Not being the biggest sports enthusiast in America also provides a unique perspective on the difference between someone that loves the game - whatever that might be - and someone that is simply enamoured with the idea of being a "fan". UK basketball "fans" can be some of the loudest and most eclectic persons, and that is not always a good thing.

I can recall just a few years ago accompanying a friend to a local restaurant/bar on a Friday evening for some steaks and drinks. What we didn't realize is that there was a UK game in progress and a group of about 13 "fans" had been meeting regularly at that exact restaurant/bar on Friday evenings to watch UK on the wide screen behind the bar.

The dining area, usually packed this time of the evening, was virtually empty, but the bar was ablaze with "blue and white" and a cacophony unlike heard in modern dining settings. I'm not entirely sure how many people decided to find an alternate place to patronize once they heard and saw the group, but I stopped counting around 10. My friend and I opted to stay not only to enjoy the pints of bitter, but to view the spectacle that continually erupted each time a UK player had the ball.

In contrast, I've been at homes and at locations like the above mentioned with sports fans that understand the nuances of the game in question. And yes, while there is the occasional bursts of noise, there is interlaced with it solid and knowledgeable commentary, concluded by an analysis of the game - oh, and some great hot wings too.

This same dichotomy exists within the socio-political realm. In place of the noise-making "fan" you have the Tea Baggers. And the solid policy wonk and intellectually honest observer is the sports statistician.

Ever since Obama's election, the political "fan" has made so much noise that we've almost become numb to what they are doing. And, unfortunately, we have allowed them to frame enough of the narrative that we have lost the initiative. Just take a look at what has happened in Wisconsin and the rallying cry for Paul Ryan's laughably poor and transparently laughable "budget".

I guess you could say that once people start announcing their presidential candidacy - which is already underway - we are the socio-political "tournament", though I'm not entirely sure what we would consider the "Final Four". Maybe that's once the televised debates start ramping up. But one thing for sure is that the "championship game" is election night. And that is when all the "fans" are going to be the loudest, regardless if their "team" wins or not. And the noise only increases the morning after so they can either gloat or complain about "plays" and "calls" made.

The root thesis of this is that the "fans" don't need to control the "game" or how it is viewed. If a player on UK's team had a strong performance, it doesn't do anyone any good to discuss how horrible his shoes looked or that he made a strange face when he got that dunk with only 30 seconds to go. Just visit any Right Wing website today and you'll find that that is the bulk of what is discussed in relation to Obama and his administration.

Blog Update: No I'm Not Leaving

2011-04-07T09:18:00.002-05:00

It's been quite a while since I've updated here or really got into heavy discussion on Twitter. I've been spending a great deal of time researching for my screenplay and putting in more hours at work, so there's virtually no time for this small corner of the internet.

I'm considering just making this a "weekend update" space, which would leave me at the back of the line when news breaks - like responding to Beck's show ending on Fox"News". But is that any different than where I am now?

I'm honestly beginning to think that reading people at Breitbart's sites and debating the failings of Libertarianism is sapping all the energy from me. But, if the ends truly justify the means, then I think I just might have a screenplay worthy of someone taking seriously.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Of Family And Opportunities Not Wasted

2011-03-24T07:47:00.012-05:00

I'll preface this post with the following:

Every time I see people within the Modern American Right speak about the need to find a "missing person" ( usually a white female as evidenced by multiple reports from Fox"News" over recent years ) there's a palatable undertone that is eventually coupled with a variety of "issues of the moment" - immigration, minority gangs, religion, media. The later two take center stage in this particular incident.

Malkin goes after NPR and Muslim comedian Maz Jabrini in an attempt to show that the public radio station and Muslims are "attacking her and her family":

If the obscure and has-been comedians who appear on National Public Radio want to mock conservatives and spread left-wing propaganda, they should do it on their own damned dime.

The government-sponsored radio conglomerate broadcasts a weekend show called “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” It leans heavily on laugh tracks to prop up the lame punchlines of the likes of liberal humorist Paula Poundstone and describes its purpose thusly: “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! is NPR’s weekly hour-long quiz program. Each week on the radio you can test your knowledge against some of the best and brightest in the news and entertainment world while figuring out what’s real news and what’s made up.”

The “best and brightest” include a Muslim comedian named Maz Jabrani, whom NPR has been promoting as “the face of Middle Eastern humor in America today.”

Judging from his latest bit performed on this weekend’s show, the face of Middle Eastern humor looks a lot like the face of your typical CAIR mouthpiece. Tea Party-bashers Ron Schiller and Vivian Schiller may be gone and the House may have defunded the public radio enterprise, but the conservatives=racist smear narrative is alive and well at NPR.

There are just a few problems with Malkin's claims ( and I'm not just talking about her insistence that it's a "canned laugh track" used in the program - like the one Fox"News" used on their own short lived and teeth gnashingly poor Half Hour News Hour ) about the program. The primary of which is twofold: that this was a direct assault on her family and her missing cousin and the allusion that NPR is primarily funded by taxpayer dollars.

And while Malkin is want to use issues of race, culture, religious background - and just about anything "non-right-wing" about a person to elevate her own ideological failings - what she is missing is that this particular skit on NPR is predicated on the notion that some people are going to fall for a particular story simply based on it's sensational nature. How ironic.

All one has to do is take a listen to the audio provided by NPR ( which Malkin even linked, mind you ) to realize that the story was false, as even the hosts revealed. Jabrini was using the continued notion of "birtherism" - something still rampant within the Modern American Right - in satirical fashion simply because so many people actually believe it.

Does the fact that a member of a person's family is going through a potentially tragic moment in their life mean that the person, like Malkin, in question is now officially immune to criticism? No. But to justify that based on how members of the Modern American Right act wouldn't exactly be fair either.

People like Michelle Malkin don't listen to NPR unless they are provided with a "tip" that there was allegedly something said that could be construed as "inflammatory" towards the Right in America that just might make for a good soundbite or talking point on their particular blog or on a Fox"News" program. That's the reality of how this story - and virtually all stories Malkin and her ilk are formulating regarding NPR - is gaining traction.

And while just about everyone within the Modern American Right will go to bat for Malkin anytime she misinforms, distorts, and fabricates herself, there's even a popular Right Wing blog that can't even get the clear and readily apparent facts straight on Malkin's missing family member.

But this is to be expected, when they are just as much "concerned" with distorting and misinforming about NPR as they are about finding this young woman.

Do I hope that this young woman is found? Of course. But I don't think we should sit idly by while Malkin uses this incident as a stick to beat her ideological opponents with. That, despite what she claims about NPR, is something that is truly disgusting.

EXIT QUESTION: Could NPR or their guests have known about Malkin's cousin prior to the recording of this program? I'm sure that they could have - provided that you work up your material predicated on the fact that you specifically look for information on your subject based solely on a potentially tragic incident involving a "non-immediate" family member.

Questions. Questions That Need Answers.....

2011-03-18T10:23:00.005-05:00

I haven't been blogging of late, as I'm working on a screenplay about how the world would look should the Modern American Right actually get their way with everything they claim to desire.

Picture Blade Runner meets Casablanca meets Beyond The Valley of the Dolls.....

I've already got a title:

ATLAS UNBOUND

That should get some attention with some of the Libertarian sychopants in America.

But to the questions:

- Why does the Right hate education?

- Why does the Right hate the ability for people to organize?

- Why does the Right have contempt for minorities?

- Why does the Right have contempt for women?

- Why does the Right have the ability to control the "media message" while claiming there is a "media bias"?

- Why is the Right against "Net Neutrality" and "The Fairness Doctrine" when these are two things they should - based on their continued machinations - be supporters of?

.......and there are more.

What are yours?

Without Words

2011-03-11T08:55:00.002-06:00

Attacks against Obama's use of a prompter - cheap.

Seeing one of the Princesses of the Modern American Right unable to recite what are allegedly her "core values" without one - priceless.

Brewer Has Another Lengthy Pause During Speech: MyFoxPHOENIX.com

We all know that Obama can speak quite articulately and at length without a prompter on a variety of issues - though the Modern American Right are want to either ignore those moments or attempt to spin them is some desperate fashion - but this is just another instance of where Right Wing icons simply fail without the tools they decry.

Maybe if she had written some notes on her hand then she would have been saved; maybe even gotten some support from Caribou Barbie.

Animal Instinct

2011-03-11T08:31:00.003-06:00

From Al Jazeera, we not only get video of the tsunami approaching Japan, but something else.

Listen to the audio at the start of this clip.

Wish I could find the start of this phone conversation, but it's clear that this woman is describing what happened literally moments before the quake hit - the resounding call of birds.

Anyone that says animals are not attuned to the happenings in nature, that they have no connection to the world around them, simply doesn't understand nature.

For Love Of Country

2011-03-11T07:04:00.004-06:00

Sure, I'm late to the party on this one, but the systemic impact from this could prove to be a great new talking point for the Modern American Right:

There’s no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate. And what I can tell you is that when I did things that were wrong, I wasn’t trapped in situation ethics, I was doing things that were wrong, and yet, I was doing them. I found that I felt compelled to seek God’s forgiveness. Not God’s understanding, but God’s forgiveness. I do believe in a forgiving God. And I think most people, deep down in their hearts hope there’s a forgiving God.

Somebody once said that when we’re young, we seek justice, but as we get older, we seek mercy. There’s something to that, I think. I feel that I’m now 67 I’m a grandfather. I have two wonderful grandchildren. I have two wonderful daughters and two great sons-in-law. Callista and I have a great marriage. I think that I’ve learned an immense amount.

And I do feel, in that sense, that God has given me, has blessed me with an opportunity as a person. Forget about all this political stuff. As a person, I’ve had the opportunity to have a wonderful life, to find myself now, truly enjoying the depths of my life in ways that I never dreamed it was possible to have a life that was that nice.

Because that's all it takes, doesn't it - asking forgiveness from some invisible man in the sky and wrapping it in the America Flag will make even the most scandalous of transgression go away; even from someone as high profile within the Modern American Right as Newt.

It's the new excuse du jour - I love my country so much that I ( insert what would normally be an unpardonable sin in accordance to alleged "standards" of the Modern American Right ) but I sure do love me some Jeebus!

So what happens when the Republican Debates ramp up and Newt has this thrown back in his face? Will that even happen? We've been accustomed to Right Wingers not heavily pressing their own. And if it's Palin that is questioned, then the entirety of the Modern American Right gets all twisted into knots that they don't know how to act. I'd look for the "rules" to change dramatically come May when Republicans gather at the Shrine of St. Ronnie - without Sister Sarah.

Maybe she's going to skip the other debates too because "she loves America and Baby Jesus so much" too?

EXIT QUESTION: I normally leave the "what ifs" to my ideological opponents, but wouldn't it have been great had Clinton used this as his excuse. It certainly would have made for great TV back then but likely would have made Newt's excuse even more preposterous than it already is.

Rush's Race To Use Race - Again

2011-03-11T06:53:00.004-06:00

I'll forgo to obvious hypocrisy in Rush complaining about anyone on the political Left calling for "Civil War".

Take a listen to this......

Sure, it's a truncated quote from the show - and I would have loved to have heard the rest of his analogy - but this is part and parcel of whom Rush Limbaugh is: a socio-political virus that feels more than comfortable not only maligning anyone that isn't white but also appropriating the struggles of blacks to gain their Civil Rights in a sad attempt to make him and his ideological kindred equal to those men and women in the 60s South that faced more than just "fire hoses".

Randian Logic

2011-03-11T06:07:00.004-06:00

The question that Rand Paul seems to be asking is "why can't my house be a Libertarian Home"?

Talk about smug grandstanding.

But let's get right to the heart of this thing - no one is being forced to by a particular refrigerator, washer and dryer, or light-bulb. That, in point of fact, is preposterous beyond measure. And what makes Paul's continued blatherings all the more ridiculous is that he knows this.

Simply go to any store like Lowes, Home Depot, or even Wal-Mart and you'll see a wide range of products that Paul listed in his meandering and laughable false tirade. There is choice for the consumer, but apparently not enough choice for Paul. Which begs the question - what precisely is he looking for?

And in regards to his claim that it's Ms. Hogan's department is responsible for jobs being shipped overseas, I think that Paul should take a look at the companies making those products rather than castigating someone that has no power to remove American jobs - that's a choice of the company.

What's even more mind-numbing about Rand Paul's belief in relation to his choice of toilet or microwave, or any other appliance is this insistence that people will be "fined" or "jailed" if their receipts for purchases don't pass muster with Ms. Hogan. Where is he getting such a claim?

But back to what Paul is really looking for - a Libertarian Home. Let's follow Paul's "logic" to it's ultimate ends.

Without even the most minimal of "regulations" on specific products, appliances like washers and dryers could pose electrical hazards; dish washers could potentially flood your kitchen; refrigerator compressors could fail and then Rand's milk would spoil. He wants a product that meets his own "standards" with complete disregard for product safety and reliability.

Having purchased all the major appliances that a home requires over the past 5 years, I can safely say that I didn't feel pressured to by a particular brand or style - and I wasn't fined and I didn't go to jail. Actually, only two of my appliances are "Energy Star" rated.

But do I have this all wrong? Am I missing Rand's point? Does he even have one or is this more "I'm about to Go Galt and build my own stove" talk that's designed to do nothing more than sound good his fellow members of the Modern American Right?

Exit Observation: What does he mean his "toilet doesn't work"? Does the Paul home smell of poo? His speech certainly did.

NPR, O'Keefe, and Complicit Actions

2011-03-10T08:23:00.005-06:00

A brief word on what scam artist and criminal James O'Keefe has accomplished - again.

While the Modern American Right crow like Peter Pan on Crystal Meth - complete with a whine-fest from a disgruntled former employee - one thing should be pointed out:

NPR's Board Of Directors are just as much to blame for what is happening right now.

Actually, the remainder of American media fails in this regard as well.

Are they so weak that they can't stand up to the edits and distortions of O'Keefe and his pimp Andrew Breitbart? Apparently not, as this is not the first time they have enjoyed a certain amount of "success".

Let's not kid ourselves - the Southern Strategy is very much alive in America; and the Tea Baggers are more than willing to swallow it whole and parrot it without fear of reprisal - whether it be in "dog-whistle" fashion or in blatant racism. And from what I have seen here in Western Kentucky, it's becoming more and more apparent and unchallenged.

And speaking about that was, from my perspective, the catalyst that gave CEO Vivian and Ron Schiller the boot. But why?

The reason is that the bulk of America media seem to be more than willing to kowtow to Right Wing attacks, seem to be all to eager to not push the stories that they should.

Of course, this isn't to say that they should adopt the same tactics that their Far Right compatriots do, but that they should report and expose what is there, and do it honestly and openly. In that regard, I would say that there should be more "Maddows" on television every night.

But as far as NPR is concerned, I'm guessing that they pushed out Vivian as more of a procedural move, and Ron was on his way out anyway. But the fact remains that NPR has come off as the weaker one in this story. But they shouldn't have - or is this more of an example of how their reporting has morphed. Dave Neiwert takes on this aspect of the story far better than I could.

There's actually a 2-hour unedited video of the Schiller encounter that I am going to watch and blog about that O'Keefe thinks will absolve him of any wrong-doing - as "context" is something that the Modern American Right are struggling with - but I'm guessing that this has more to do with the fact that their original intent of showing how NPR will accept money from The Muslim Brotherhood failed, and that Schiller voiced his "individual opinion" regarding the Tea Baggers........but more on that later.

Make no mistake, this is not "nu-journalism" as much as it is deception dressed up as reality. But then again, NPR fell for it just like the bulk of the media fell for the ACORN distortions. But there is a downfall to this - it doesn't address the real failures of government funding - which is the alleged point of all this O'Keefe/Breitbart hysteria.

At the end of the day, NPR dropped the ball and made themselves look as foolish as O'Keefe and Breitbart intended them to.

When are people going to realize that scams like this are so transparent?

Free Market Ignorance

2011-03-01T11:38:00.005-06:00

And I thought people like Fox"News" and the crazies they get some of their best material from were supposed to understand how "choice and competition" work.

Stupid doesn't burn much more than that.

Waiting For An Honest Review

2011-03-01T10:01:00.003-06:00

I'm not foolish enough to believe that the modern documentary - save anything done by Ken Burns - isn't purely an ideological point of view. However, any good documentarian has to be able to engage the audience with a balance of factual analysis and an emotional element that will keep them engaged.

Far too many documentaries are predicated on "fear" ( see anything done by Alex Jones ) while some utilize "humor" to the point where you have to ask if the director is actually taking the subject matter seriously enough ( see everything Micheal Moore has done since his days with the television show TV Nation ). And while both have elements of truth to them, a good documentarian will make us dig deeper, to seek out what lies in between the visual lines.

With that as the preamble, I just have to state that I think all these machinations from the modern American Right in regards to Waiting For Superman and how it wasn't nominated for an Academy Award are grounded in nothing more than a poor understanding of what is really wrong with public schools in America and how Documentaries are nominated for the ultimate "golden statue".

The entire thesis of Guggenheim’s film is predicated on the notion that if only every American could send their kids to "charter schools" then everything would be just grand.

But seeing as how the bulk of "charter schools" not only espouse but teach from a very specific and very rigid religious and socio-political point of view, one would think that this would run completely contrary to the modern American Right's claims of being against indoctrination. But one would be wrong.

As far as how and why Guggenheim's film was not nominated, it has all to do with his fellow documentarians and NOT the average Academy Member. Also, there are two rounds of consideration, and "Waiting....." was an early entry into the second round but simply didn't make the final cut. If the Right is really looking for a target, they should talk to someone like Morgan Spurlock, director of "Supersize Me" and one of the newest member of the Academy Documentary Nomination Committee.

But should someone like Spurlock be the real focus of why this Documentary didn't make the final cut, or is Guggenheim's style indicative of a failing to show balance? I would say the later is most certainly the case - and the modern American Right's misappropriation of the material to attack the union members of Wisconsin is a clear example.

No one, and most certainly not me, are claiming that our public schools are perfect - as that would be an unattainable goal. What we have to look at is how we measure that perfection and how we can assure that every school has the same ability to improve infrastructure. And if you think the later doesn't matter then you are fooling yourself. I can virtually guarantee that sending a kid to a school that looks like a condemned housing project and sending one that has modernize equipment are going to produce two very different kids after 8th grade.

But that doesn't leave teachers off the hook - at least not totally. They are there to provide the best available educational process possible, given the material and environment at their disposal. And that is where we finally reach the "collective bargaining" process that the modern American Right are completely against.

Do you really believe that the average public school teacher in America enjoys this lavish lifestyle and a pension that they can live off of exclusively? Not at all, yet that is the false portrait that is being painted. Collective bargaining isn't going to get your the Mercedes and the 5 bedroom home. At best, it gets you a living wage with at least a minimal of guaranteed healthcare coverage.

But to be able to attend that "charter school" in your region, you would already have to be able to afford that Mercedes or that 5 bedroom house for it not to adversely effect your monthly budget.

And this is where we see how class warfare and public education plays a clear role in the arguments from the modern American Right.

You see, it's not such a simple topic to tackle like people are being led to believe it is. And it's not so much of an issue of "waiting for a superhero" to magically make it all better, but an issue of waiting for people to realize that complexities can't be oversimplified.

Pushing The Poll Limits

2011-03-01T08:56:00.003-06:00

I've always stated that public opinion polls are nothing more than data manifested from a person's "feelings" on any given issue during any given news cycle. The later is the most prominent factor in this, as the modern cable news outlets are either taping into what is happening in Wisconsin from a pure visceral level or they are blandly reporting on it.

Cable news programs hosted by the likes of O'Donnell, Maddow, Schultz, Hannity, Beck, and O'Reilly are all opinion programs - Well, the first three will state without equivocation that they are opinion programs - but the fact still remains that a lot of people base their standpoints on another person's opinion. What I would have like to have seen from the NYT/CBS sample data regarding Unions in America is where they get their news from - particularly the MSNBC/Fox"News" split.

Ed Morrissey over at Hot Air tries to crunch the numbers:

First, the partisan split in the sample gave a ten-point advantage to Democrats. Their sample for this poll had a D/R/I split of 36/26/31, an absurd sample for political polling. In December, Rasmussen’s general-population survey put Republicans ahead, 36.0% to 34.7% for Democrats.

I'm trying to figure out why Morrissey considers this an "absurd" sample, as the modern American Right have been claiming that the "independent" voter in America is against things like public sector unions. By their own metric, the NYT/CBS poll looked at responses from a larger Independent set than Republican; and only 5 percentage points separate the I's from the D's. Moreover, since the modern American Right insists that "independents" vote largely along the same lines at Republicans, this actually puts the Democrats at a 21% disadvantage.

But then again, I'm just going by what people like Morrissey have been claiming.

While Ed does go on to harp about the percentage of Union employees that were polled, there's some data that he is ignoring; chief of which is as follows:

- A majority of those polled claim their political alignment to be more Moderate or Conservative.

- A majority are not supporters of the Tea Bagger movement while approximately an average of 17% claim no affiliation or opinions of the group.

- The split between the lower and upper age ranges are negligible, as is household income and highest educational level earned.

But Morrissey's final statement at least hints that he knows he just splitting hairs with this one:

The gaps in the results are wide enough that these issues by themselves might not have swung them to the opposite. However, at least the magnitude of the results can certainly be questioned in a poll this flawed.

Flawed in the sense that he isn't being given what he expected? I would largely say yes, as Morrissey is want to denounce any poll that isn't conducted by Rassmussen - who only polls "likely voters" and uses a methodology that only contacts people with "land line" service. Talk about flawed.

But the larger point goes back to the fact that a poll is never going to show you precisely how a person is going to act, simply how they feel at that particular moment in time based off the way they process the information they have available to them, which is primarily from Cable news outlets.

And speaking of ridiculous polls being pushed by the modern American Right, check this out. It's touted as the "real Tea Party Straw Poll".

Their Own Weapons Against Them

2011-02-23T10:00:00.005-06:00

Over the past week and a half, I have been researching the union protests in Wisconsin with considerable interest. What we are seeing is not only a reversal of script considering who some of the more vocal of protesters have been the past two years, but we are seeing the tactics of the modern American Right used against them.

Chief of these is the idea first espoused by a saint of the Right, Ayn Rand.

It's called "Going Galt".

First, some background.

The entire premise of Rand's seemingly endless preamble - which culminated with a 70 plus page speech from Galt on what would become known as the foundation of "objectivism" - is that is the "producers" separated themselves from the rest of the country, that they would prosper, as people relied on them - as they "produce the wealth" that all Americans enjoy.

For the avid reader of Rand, her prose is akin to Holy Writ, but upon further examination of the woman, she comes across as more of a hypocrite than a patron saint of modern American Right theology.

So how does this connect with the 14 lawmakers in Wisconsin that have left the state to prevent a "quorum" in the State House?

First, we have to look at how many of the loudest voices on the Right are criticizing the tactics they once embraced.

Vocal protests, suddenly the "thing to do" amongst "real Americans" after the election of Barack Obama have become something to joke about, to smear, to claim are nothing more than astro-turf gatherings that benefit no one but the "hidden" behind the scenes. Naturally, this was to be expected, as the modern American Right are want to embrace the Pee Wee Herman defense on a variety of issues.

But what has happened of late, and something that the 14 Democrats from Wisconsin might not have realized, is that they are using Ayn Rand's/John Galt's positions against them. And as this is something difficult for the modern American Right to reconcile - considering how they rallied around Sarah Palin's swift exeunt from Alaska - it becomes all too apparent that the double edges of this "Galtist" standpoint likely won't work for either party like they want.

For the Right in America, this idea of "leaving" would benefit no one outside of those that they idolize - the "producer". For the Left, those that "leave" are likely to face some form of punishment while those they are helping will see the bulk of the benefit. And in that, we see the clear separation of how the "Galt Cultists" in modern day America have a distorted view of whom needs representation.

That being said, the union workforce in America - in relation to the remainder of workers in America - is quite small. The number floats around 7%. But what is happening in Wisconsin has more to do with "disparate impact" than anyone on the modern American Right is willing to admit. It starts with teachers in Wisconsin and then spreads through the country like wildfire. And it's already happening in Indiana and Jersey. But why teachers? That's one of the real questions here.

Public school teachers have been a target of the modern American Right for decades, and will likely remain one regardless of what happens in Wisconsin. Why? The answer is one that is ultimately far too simple to be true, but it is. Public teachers that have organized simply desire a minimum of compensation for what they get each year and what they would get upon retirement. And to that, we need to face the reality that the Right in America have a seriously distorted view of what teachers make and what they do each day.

Does the average public school teacher make a salary equivalent to the average CEO? Not by a long shot. How about "Federal Employees"? No. But that is another point where the modern American Right shows their utter hypocrisy - not only in their accounting used but in whom they are really speaking about. Are we to believe that ALL Federal employees agree with and vote for Democrats? No, but this is what stories of this nature are designed to produce - a false equivalency. But this also goes by to what the Right often pushes as one of their pillars - being held responsible for your individual choice. Was one person forced into working for local and state government while another forced to take a job with a private company? No.

What will happen to the 14 Democrats from Wisconsin when/if they return to their State Capital? The narrative from the modern American Right reveals much, but nothing that would do much but benefit one side. Why are teachers being targeted? And that's the real question here. It's all a matter of perception versus perspective, as the former is being seriously skewed.

This goes beyond teachers, beyond Wisconsin, and far beyond simply just the average workers desire to fair treatment in the American workplace. This is about creating a wider income disparity, a decrease in the middle class, and a further elevation of monstrous private sector usurpers that want to control government to protect their own interests. This is the M.O. of the modern American Right, and it will ultimately see the downfall of even the least of them - they just aren't willing to admit that yet.

Right Winger Says What?

2011-02-11T11:05:00.003-06:00

In which Fox"News" cobbles together a panel designed to create the appearance of "balance" and "knowledge" only to have Micheal Scheuer come up with this whopper of a line at the 1:47 mark.

So, Americans hoping for a Democracy in a foreign country that is primarily Muslim are now labeled "Marxists"? Wait, the modern American Right are now Marxists because of what they wanted for Iraq and Afghanistan?

And this guy was allegedly some "terrorism expert"?

ASIDE: While Scheuer's laughable proclamation stands on it's own as a signifier of precisely how "buzzword crazy" the Right has gone in the last two years, it's almost equally as worthy to note how the modern American Right are worried about Egypt not being sufficiently "secular" while all but demanding Theocratic Rule here in America.

Contender Saturation Point

2011-02-10T19:55:00.002-06:00

Has the modern American Right worked itself into such a frenzy over finding anyone to defeat Obama in the upcoming 2012 election cycle that they have already been defeated themselves?

That was my first thought after watching this?

And the Right are clearly not pleased when their overzealous nature in regards to "trumping" Obama's ability at a second term.

Just think about the names that are already in the contender pool: Palin, Bachman, Huckabee, Romney, Santorum, Gingrich, Paul, and Trump. Not one of them has the solid credentials that the modern American Right claim are required, save perhaps Romney. And as far as Trump is concerned, he's more of a "self-promoter" and is likely doing this simply to boost his own visibility.

This is the problematic nature of the Right's 2012 narrative - favoring the gimmick, the rhetoric, over solid policy for the country. It seems that with every news cycle, the current situation in Egypt for example, the Right is more concerned with speaking about how Obama is failing at handling it, while not offering examples of how it should be handled.

Make no mistake, the 2012 election cycle is now in full swing, and it's already getting quite interesting.

EXIT QUESTION: After Ron Paul swept the CPAC straw poll last year, and Fox"News" doing their best to spin it as a fluke, or that the Paulbots rigged the results, who do you think will win this year. Certainly not Palin, as this is the third year in a row she snubbed the convention.

Enjoy The Silence

2011-02-10T12:23:00.003-06:00

In the continuing fight to stop H.R.#3, I'm wondering why the prominent female voices within the modern American Right are so silent.

We hear all this talk about "protecting our children" when it comes to taxes, but why is there complete and deafening silence in reference to the GOP/Tea Bagger representatives doing all they can to re-define rape and ultimately do much more?

The Queen Mother of the modern American Right, Sarah Palin, uses her children in every way she and her handlers can conceive. Her daughter is even out on the "no sex" circuit while someone is at home taking care of her toddler - and I'm guessing it's not Grandmama Grizzly, as she is too busy with her to-do list provided from her Fox"News" producers.

All that aside, why is Palin ignoring how this re-definition will harm women? The most likely reason is that it will not directly impact her, and more than likely just about all of the "top shelf" female voices of the modern American Right. Who it will harm are those that the Right refuses to acknowledge even exist, regardless of the legislation in question.

One can't but wonder what it's like to be a female who belongs to and champions a movement that has nothing but abject disdain for the choices of women regarding a variety of issues. No matter what a Republican voter will tell you, the last two groups of people whom are considered when votes are cast are women and minorities. And the sad reality is that there are far more women singing the praises of the modern American Right today than there were back when Bush was still occupying the White House.

Every woman who talks about the merits and "moral relevancy" of H.R. #3 should be challenged and questioned on why they would support such a draconian measure against a woman's very safety. Sadly, these questions will not come from the Right, as the constant chant is "tow the line, no matter who falters".

The Airing Of Grievances

2011-02-10T11:58:00.003-06:00

While the true face of Fox is celebrating the Palin/Santorum fight, there's always the morning damage control team to count on to provide the "context" needed.

It's not a surprise that Palin - the candidate that Fox"News" will ultimately back for President in 2012 - is tasked to challenge any and every high level GOP member just to see how the Right Wing voting populace will react. Once it looks like Palin has made sufficient headway, her target is then tasked with bowing out from the fight as gracefully as possible in order to save enough face with the modern American Right that they can continue to be seen as a relevant voice.

Their games are so transparent, aren't they......

Sending The Message

2011-02-10T11:10:00.002-06:00

In light of the uprising in Egypt, the modern American Right have been taking after the Obama administration as one that was "unprepared" and "continually surprised by surprises". Their narrative was one that Obama was and is unable to respond to crisis around the world.

So what happens when the Obama administration begins to utilize modern social-networking to show support for change in the Arabic world? The modern American Right eats what they are spoon fed

Hoping to widen the audience for its mini-pronouncements of U.S. policy amid growing unrest in the Middle East, the State Department has begun sending Twitter messages in Arabic.

The department’s first entry into Arabic language micro-blogging appeared on Twitter early Wednesday. It’s a post saying that Washington recognizes the “historic role” of social media in the Arab world. “We want to be in your conversation,” it said.

The next posts reiterated President Barack Obama’s stance that only Egyptians can decide their future and summarized Vice President Joe Biden’s Tuesday call to Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman.

The Twitter account is “USA bilAraby,” which means “USA in Arabic.” It had 40 followers within hours of appearing.

Naturally, this story was met by the fine, patriotic, folks at Fox"Nation" as just another in a long line of stories designed to do one thing and one thing only: to show that Obama is a Muslim and favors a Muslim takeover of America.

But what if it's a story about how Obama wants to communicate their intentions with the American people - another complaint leveled by the modern American Right, as they claim he isn't including us in the "national conversation" regarding issues like the unrest in Egypt?

Just ask Fox"Nation" darling and serial misinformer Jim Hoft:

Just like Hugo Chavez, Barack Obama wants to ram his way onto your television sets.

Maybe when he starts interrupting “Glee” and “American Idol” more people will wake up to this man’s intrusion on our lives.

Castro does this in Cuba too, doesn’t he?

Funny that the movement that demands instant gratification regarding a whole host of issues would be against the Obama administration showing a sense of immediacy, especially considering that's what they ask for on a daily basis.

Entitlement Mentality

2011-02-10T10:46:00.002-06:00

It's not a secret that MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell gives a hard hitting interview and actually turns the tables on his conservative guests by treating them the way people like Hannity, O'Reilly, and Meghan Kelly treat them on their respective shows.

The same was true on The Last Word recently when Congressman Steve King was on:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

When a prominent member of the modern American Right is pressed on the issues - or even chided for their ridiculous positions - the cry from their supplicants is one of "stop being so mean"!

When examining how the Right completely distorts and misinforms regarding their how their "leadership" is questioned, it reveals that they have an overbearing sense of entitlement in regards to media exposure. Granted, it's a legitimate complaint to point out media distortions of a given position regardless of your socio-political bent, but to claim that a particular member of your political party HAS to be interviewed a certain way, then that shows a lack of credibility and honestly before the first question is even asked.

ASIDE: You'll notice that King immediately launched into a rationale regarding how many times O'Reilly interrupted Obama - a topic that was discussed on many left/progressive blogs - but was not even the reason why King was brought on O'Donnell's program. What is more striking about King's excuse is that it is predicated on the notion of "getting even". That's pretty much par for the course, considering how the new Tea Bagger Congress is approaching their legislative duties.

Memoirs Of An Abstinence Fairy

2011-02-08T12:38:00.004-06:00

How in the world can a girl at barely the age of 20 even be considering writing a memoir?

Well, when that girl is Bristol Palin, it's actually expected of you.

Bristol Palin, daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, will soon be able to add "author" to her resume with the release of an as-yet-untitled memoir set to hit bookshelves this summer.

As noted by Political Wire, an Amazon listing for an "Untitled Bristol Palin Memoir" -- in hardcover no less -- has been created, announcing that the 304-page book will be available for a little over $17.

PopEater reported late last year that the 20-year-old mother was exploring a variety of options to cash in on the visibility provided by her successful, but not victorious, run on ABC's hit show, "Dancing With the Stars." Apart from the book deal and speaking engagements -- which no longer include a panel at Washington University's "Sex Week" -- a source also told PopEater that future jobs might include a role on another reality-TV show and as a spokeswoman for a fashion line.

According to the Amazon page, the book will be published by William Morrow & Co for release on June 21.

Interesting to note is that Amazon has removed the link to Bristol's book page. Could this have been due to pressure from the Palin militia? Possibly.

Is Bristol even writing this? Considering that Mama Palin has her Facebook posts written for her, and that every word from this family is carefully scrutinized - not to mention how their damage control team works overtime should they ever go off script - I'm guessing that there's a team of writers cranking out pages that they will bring to Bristol to "review" and then later have her pose for a cover to make it look official.

The larger point is that this is just another piece of Palin-Porn expressly designed to keep their mouth-agape followers thinking they are an important part of the American socio-political landscape, even the "saviors of the future".

At nearly 36, I've had some great adventures, experienced glorious highs and been to the depths of sadness and horror. I've sought out the excitement that life has to offer, tried to learn as much as I can, and had my own measure of "celebrity" at one point or another, but don't even think that my life is so spectacular that I believe it would sell a book. The unchecked hubris of the Palin family is something to marvel at in this regard.

However, I'm not to blind to not realize that being the child of a prominent political opportunist like Sarah Palin has placed you into some very interesting and I would even go so far as to say uncomfortable positions. But then the money starts coming in and people like Sarah and Bristol start to become comfortable with whatever is thrown at them. Soon after, all they had to do was hold out their hand and they could have and do whatever they wanted - or told that they needed.

Look for this book to be launched to the top of the NYT Bestseller list in the same way that all Right Wing tomes make it there - bulk purchases.

So what will the title be?

Political Porn

2011-02-07T10:55:00.009-06:00

If you're a member of the modern American Right, the past few days have been somewhat akin to a fever-dream. To put it in more blunt terminology, it's been like watching a Sarah Palin/Ronald Reagan sex tape.

And while you take time to reconcile that mental image, let's take a second to think about who both Reagan and Palin are.

I'll start off with some audio from Mike Stark and Rush Limbaugh, as that will provide some much needed context in a moment.

Two points before I get to Palin being touted as "She-Reagan":

First - Rush is clearly caught off guard. By claiming that Mike Stark wouldn't understand it if Rush were to explain the rationale behind the deification of Reagan, he's revealing his own ( and the entire modern American Right's ) inability to articulate specifics in favor of hyperbole.

Secondly - to claim that the Obama administration is aligning itself politically with Reagan is to twist the fabric of reality. What Rush is referencing is a poorly conceived narrative form a minority in the media who place Reagan and Obama side by side purely to draw a reaction from people like Limbaugh. It's less to do with actual policy comparisons or rationales than it is a catalyst to draw out a specific news cycle.

As for Palin - clearly "not letting a crisis go to waste" - she is less like Reagan than anyone within the modern American Right. Certainly, she has her crib notes memorized, but she - more than just about any aspiring Right Wing politico - lacks any and all ability to articulate in specifics what she would do/wants to do. After all, she is going to be running for President, let's not be naive about that.

What these two giants of Right Wing iconography have to offer is the ultimate in set-dressing for the upcoming 2012 election cycle. Reagan's clearly recorded legacy is being distorted ( more like completely ignored ) by the likes of Palin in order to attack the Obama administration purely because they have no alternative. Conversely, the Obama administration aren't exactly working from the positions they initially claimed they would. In that regard, I have to agree with Stark's statement to Limbaugh. If the Right in America would attempt to quell their continual hyperventilation, they would understand that Obama isn't the "tyrannical Socialist dictator" they claim he is.

The broader point of this is this - should the Right really be spending so much time molesting the corpse of Ronald Reagan, or should they be focused on what they told us they were focused on?

It all goes back to what it means to be a member of the modern American Right. In order to function and be recognized within their socio-political sphere, you have to live in a fantasy land and completely ignore the realities of your own country. If people like Palin, Limbaugh, and all of the other Regan worshipers would take time to see their country for what it is, then they would be more apt to formulate ideals that their opponents could at least consider.

I'm reminded of the claims that the Left in America were/are holding up Obama as some Solar Messiah, when the realities of his tenure has been marked with a majority within the American Left questioning his leadership decisions with marked intensity. From Guantanamo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Healthcare Reform, Financial Regulation, on down to the unfounded claims of his Kenyan birth, Obama could have taken the approach that many of us expected him to. But, he insisted on trying to meet as close to the middle as possible. The modern American Right's projection in this matter is unmasked in full.

Tea Bagger Quote Of The Day

2011-02-07T10:30:00.003-06:00

From the Bride's Maid who dreams of being The Bride

I take my first political breath every morning with one thought in mind - repeal Obamacare...That's my motivation in life..."

But, I thought the mid-term Tea Bagger agenda was about job creation? What happened to that? Oh, you don't have any ideas, do you.......

The Socialism Bowl : Updated w/ "Last Word" Commentary

2011-02-07T10:08:00.005-06:00

Last night's Super Bowl victory by the Green Bay Packers is largely being drowned out by commentary on Christina Aguilera botching a line from the National Anthem ( which every Right Winger in America is naturally taking advantage of - even alluding that they could have performed it better ) to making hay out of a car commercial that aired during the game.

And while the Packs certainly performed well - even getting some unintentional assistance from Big Ben via some poor passing - it shouldn't be ignored that the Green Bay Packers aren't owned by a single entity, but by "the people" :

Since 1923, Green Bay has been the only publicly owned, nonprofit major professional sports team in the nation. And that doesn't just make the franchise a charming anachronism, or the answer to a barstool trivia question.

It makes them an example. A case study. A working model for a better way to organize and administer pro sports.

Namely, through public ownership, a system that could mitigate some of the most irritating ills plaguing our games -- and with little downside, to boot.

The modern American Right are want to breathlessly claim that "Socialism" is evil and will destroy the country they claim to love and cherish. But it seems to have worked for the Packers. And while there is a Board of Directors that are tied to the team, the style of ownership plays a much larger role than most are willing to admit. Is it responsible for their win last night? I think in some small way it is, as the make-up of a team, in any sport, is largely predicated on the decisions of the team owners.

In all, it was a great game. All that's left now is to try to tolerate the complaints and conspiracy theories of all the Steeler's fans at work.

UPDATE

Lawrence comes through...............again

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

It Wasn't A Boxing Match

2011-02-07T08:47:00.006-06:00

That, however, doesn't stop Fox"News" from claiming that there should be a "winner" to talk about.

Really?

.....but it wasn't much of an interview either.

Granted, this was the first part of a multi-part interview in which O'Reilly was more concerned with ratings rather than conducing any type of hard-hitting Q&A session.

And right on schedule, the fine, patriotic, folks at Fox"Nation" are framing the interview in their predictable way - and allowing unblushing racism and calls for assassination to go unchallenged.

But what else would one expect from Fox and their audience.