I was watching a clip of John McCain on the Daily Show. Now do not take this as a bash on Jon Stewart in any way. I love the guy and I see why he is doing this (or perhaps I'm giving him too much credit), but he was just being rude and arguing and interrupting McCain like crazy. Sure they have "talks" backstage and he has been on the show so much they may be "friends" but still, he is running for the highest political office on the continent, of both American continents for that matter (some say the world, which could be the case, it's just a debate I don't want to get into right now). AND HE IS ON WORLD WIDE TELEVISION BEING PUNKED LIKE A BITCH!
If John McCain were Presidential material, he would have gotten visually upset and told him off. Something like "Listen, would you interrupt Teddy Roosevelt or Abraham Lincoln, would you insult John F. Kennedy? I am going to be the President of the United States and I would appreciate it if you would treat me as such." That would not have gotten my vote, but would have gotten my respect.
I like Stewart because he is doing this and showing people that these guys do not deserve the power they are aspiring for. He is exposing them for the gutless worms they are. Much applause to him, and I think he is waiting for one of them to put him in his place. Again, he may not vote for them but he will respect them a little more.
I have just never seen such fascist warmongering pussies in my life. They talk such talk, but will take abuse from anyone for a single vote. Whores. Fucking whores. We need a fucking Teddy Roosevelt again, someone who challenges world leaders to a boxing match in the White House gym (yes, he really did that) someone who will step up and re-enact the anti-monopoly laws we used to have and shut these corporate serfs the fuck down. Someone who gives a fuck about people, and will NOT accept being disrespected to the people they are representing to the world.
Of course Stewart is really nice to Obama and Hillary, which he should be an ass to them too, maybe not as bad, but still they deserve the right to stand up for themselves to and not just be a smiling face on the TV that has nothing new to say because no one is challenging them.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
Fair Tax NOW!
I bought a sandwich combo yesterday for lunch advertised at $7.29. By the time I was done handing over cash, it REALLY cost $7.73. That's nearly $0.50 extra. If that was all the tax I actually paid for that sandwich, then it would be a pretty good deal. Unfortunately, here's the other hidden taxes that got rolled in that $7.73:-Property taxes for the restaurant, payroll, Social Security, and Medicare taxes for the employee that made the sandwich, the truck driver that delivered the food to Blimpie, the distribution center employee who shipped the material for the sandwch, the farmers that grew the wheat for the bread, jalapenos, sweet peppers, lettuce, and onions that went on the sandwich, and the farmers who raised the chickens, and for the people who killed and processed then shipped the chicken, and all the truck drivers associated with those processes, along with the property taxes for the distribution center and all the farms! They are all taxed at all stages of the game, and that gets passed right along to me, the guy that already gets my income taxed!
Sure, 25% doesn't sound too bad when it's said like that, but then you get taxed again on absolutely everything that you buy for a compounding effect that generally adds up to most people paying around HALF of your money to the government at some stage.
We need the Fair Tax NOW! The Fair Tax is taken at the retail sales counter, and NEVER FROM YOUR PAYCHECK! There are no Value-Added Taxes (VAT) like they have in Europe, everything that you could pay is on your receipt, and you will NEVER have to report how much money you make to the government. The IRS is banished forever from our great country. Under the Fair Tax, you know exactly how much you pay in taxes, and the total amount of taxes you pay can never be hidden from you by politicians who make a living stealing your money.
Stop telling me that "it's a good idea, but they'll never pass it". Who's they, and why are you voting for them? This is more important than a political party! Hold their feet to the fire or we'll throw the tea in the harbor and start over!!!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The problem with secular western society:
With increasing secularization and the decreasing role of religeous morals comes a great problem that our friends in Europe are currently facing: the population is dying off.
Religeous Christians and Jews feel obligated to "Be fruitful and multiply", because a numerically strong population gives glory to God. Europeans represent the near-godless evolution of western society to the point where having children is unfashionable. This causes many problems, among them are:
-The number of workers required to support retirees decreases
-The cost of health care increases as the population ages
-The native population will eventually lose a voting majority to immigrants
-Productivity increases can't keep up with fewer and fewer workers
Do you think it's impossible for it to be "unfashionable" to have and raise kids? Read this article- but I'm warning you, it is unbelievably distrubing. Before you click I'll introduce it to you as Germany's new infanticide epidemic. No pictures or anything like that, just a sub-human disregard for young human life. If that doesn't make your heart break then I can't imagine what will.
The role of Islam in post-religeous secular western society:
The trend in America is following the European model- we are having fewer children and having them later in life. This allows for great wealth, but our still-religeous Muslim counterparts are multiplying like a page out of Genesis from the Bible. While most European countries have reached zero-growth native populations, several such as Italy and Sweden have made it to negative-growth of native population. Of course, the overall population continues to soar due to Islamic immigration.
Now, Judaism and Christianity reached a point about 500 years ago (roughly in the wake of the Lutheran Reformation) where we reconciled with the modern world and realized that the Church and State can operate indepenantly. We now believe the words of Jesus when he said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and give to God what is God's" (Luke 20:25). Islam will not stand for this. No, a Muslim must make everyone in his country abide by the same laws, and any violators will be punished according to Sharia Law.
So, all the liberties that were recognized by the great French Revolutionary thinkers, perfected and paid for in blood by the founding fathers of the United States of America, and paid for many times over again throughout European history will be swept away and scattered as Islam forces Europe to march backwards into the 8th century as it imposes Sharia Law as soon as a voting majority is obtained.
Now I'm not one to cook up a shitty topic until it boils without proposing at least one viable solution, so here goes with my solution to this inevitable showdown:
Introduce learning and science to Muslim populations. Knowledge is power, and powerful, knowledgable people will not be enslaved by a nonsensical and counterintuitive religeon such as Islam. The only reason why the Catholic Church was able to enslave the population for so many centuries is because they hid information from it by encoding the Bible in Latin. Only priests could read Latin, so unless you listen to a priest tell you that it requires money to go to heaven then how would you know the difference?
Radical Islam forbids reading certain books. This should set off your bullshit detector instantly. Any religeon that bans any kind of information can be likened to slavery and should not be tolerated by anybody (Bible-thumping FCC employees and lobbyists are not immune from this criticism).
It would be simply ridiculous to try and keep up with Islamic birth rates just to keep up, because I find it appalling to play games with human life.
Islam has destroyed middle eastern culture, and will prevent them from advancing to modern times so long as they keep its stranglehold over their population. How can you possibly keep up when half your population (female) is forbidden to be educated? The middle east used to be a place of great learning, making advancements in the fields of medicine, chemistry, and warfare. While Europe was suffering under a Pope-induced dark age, Arab culture flourished. Then, Islam arrived, and marched them all back into the stone age. Then the crusades came, and it was dark age versus dark age- a truly dismal scenario. But like I said above, about 500 years ago we woke up from the spell and reconciled with the modern world, and alas, a Rennaissance was born!
We need to force-feed Muslims the education that they are so desperately lacking until they advance out of the Bronze Age. No military campaign or economic sanction can make up for a uneducated, psychologically enslaved population.
Religeous Christians and Jews feel obligated to "Be fruitful and multiply", because a numerically strong population gives glory to God. Europeans represent the near-godless evolution of western society to the point where having children is unfashionable. This causes many problems, among them are:
-The number of workers required to support retirees decreases
-The cost of health care increases as the population ages
-The native population will eventually lose a voting majority to immigrants
-Productivity increases can't keep up with fewer and fewer workers
Do you think it's impossible for it to be "unfashionable" to have and raise kids? Read this article- but I'm warning you, it is unbelievably distrubing. Before you click I'll introduce it to you as Germany's new infanticide epidemic. No pictures or anything like that, just a sub-human disregard for young human life. If that doesn't make your heart break then I can't imagine what will.
The role of Islam in post-religeous secular western society:
The trend in America is following the European model- we are having fewer children and having them later in life. This allows for great wealth, but our still-religeous Muslim counterparts are multiplying like a page out of Genesis from the Bible. While most European countries have reached zero-growth native populations, several such as Italy and Sweden have made it to negative-growth of native population. Of course, the overall population continues to soar due to Islamic immigration.
Now, Judaism and Christianity reached a point about 500 years ago (roughly in the wake of the Lutheran Reformation) where we reconciled with the modern world and realized that the Church and State can operate indepenantly. We now believe the words of Jesus when he said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and give to God what is God's" (Luke 20:25). Islam will not stand for this. No, a Muslim must make everyone in his country abide by the same laws, and any violators will be punished according to Sharia Law.
So, all the liberties that were recognized by the great French Revolutionary thinkers, perfected and paid for in blood by the founding fathers of the United States of America, and paid for many times over again throughout European history will be swept away and scattered as Islam forces Europe to march backwards into the 8th century as it imposes Sharia Law as soon as a voting majority is obtained.
Now I'm not one to cook up a shitty topic until it boils without proposing at least one viable solution, so here goes with my solution to this inevitable showdown:
Introduce learning and science to Muslim populations. Knowledge is power, and powerful, knowledgable people will not be enslaved by a nonsensical and counterintuitive religeon such as Islam. The only reason why the Catholic Church was able to enslave the population for so many centuries is because they hid information from it by encoding the Bible in Latin. Only priests could read Latin, so unless you listen to a priest tell you that it requires money to go to heaven then how would you know the difference?
Radical Islam forbids reading certain books. This should set off your bullshit detector instantly. Any religeon that bans any kind of information can be likened to slavery and should not be tolerated by anybody (Bible-thumping FCC employees and lobbyists are not immune from this criticism).
It would be simply ridiculous to try and keep up with Islamic birth rates just to keep up, because I find it appalling to play games with human life.
Islam has destroyed middle eastern culture, and will prevent them from advancing to modern times so long as they keep its stranglehold over their population. How can you possibly keep up when half your population (female) is forbidden to be educated? The middle east used to be a place of great learning, making advancements in the fields of medicine, chemistry, and warfare. While Europe was suffering under a Pope-induced dark age, Arab culture flourished. Then, Islam arrived, and marched them all back into the stone age. Then the crusades came, and it was dark age versus dark age- a truly dismal scenario. But like I said above, about 500 years ago we woke up from the spell and reconciled with the modern world, and alas, a Rennaissance was born!
We need to force-feed Muslims the education that they are so desperately lacking until they advance out of the Bronze Age. No military campaign or economic sanction can make up for a uneducated, psychologically enslaved population.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
House Passes Timetable for U.S. Troop Pullout!
Cross-posted on The Metal Pundit and The Green Communist
Finally! The Democrats have finally acted upon their mandate won in November. The country's most important issue, the war in Iraq, has divided many in our soil. Furthermore, and most importantly, it has been the cause of death for thousands of our troops and many more Iraqi civilians. The House of Representatives passed legislation setting a timetable for a troop pullout. It says that the troops must be home by September 2008 if Iraq doesn't meet certain requirements. There is no question that this is the correct action to be taken after four years of relentless fighting.
Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) had to say:
Agreed! The White House has threatened a veto by the President. Democrats, nevertheless, grew some testicles and decided to face Bush with no fear. The administration has effectively lost touch with the reality of the Iraq War. Our current operations are no longer working (assuming they did work in the first place). Its imcompetence to plan a post-war Iraq led to the destruction of many American lives, and a dire situation where terrorism has flourished in Iraq. Osama Bin Laden is probably thanking Allah for Bush's war in Iraq!
As expected, this was a party-line vote. The legislation passed 218-212. Republicans were quick to argue that such a timeline would be an admission of failure. What they ignore is that, if it is indeed a failure, it is due to a Republican administration full of ineptitude and corruption!
Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) had this to say:
I agree. The stakes in Iraq have been very high and the sacrifices made by our military have been enormous. However, if this is the case, why did the Pentagon and the White House pursue a war without adequate planning? Why were our soldiers rotting away in awful conditions at Walter Reed? It seems like the "idea" of the stakes and sacrifices is what Republicans like Blunt are worried about, not reality.
As my good friend BlackLabelAxe said, someone has to do something. Partisanship doesn't matter so much at this point. We have to get something done...quickly!
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer(D-Md) said:
I applaud Mr. Hoyer!
Hopefully the Iraqis will see this action as a kick in the ass. Perhaps this will force them to take action and defend their country. It is now their job to secure and stabilize Iraq. Of course, it is debatable whether it can be done, regardless of our presence there. Iraq would probably best function as three separate countries, but that's a debate for a different day.
Republicans, of course, claim that the legislation is full of pork, and it is. However, we must realize that pork is what "greases the wheels" in order for the vehicle to move. If pork is necessary to get this done, then so be it. I'd sure rather have a pork-laden legislation passed than continue to lose our troops in Iraq!
Finally! The Democrats have finally acted upon their mandate won in November. The country's most important issue, the war in Iraq, has divided many in our soil. Furthermore, and most importantly, it has been the cause of death for thousands of our troops and many more Iraqi civilians. The House of Representatives passed legislation setting a timetable for a troop pullout. It says that the troops must be home by September 2008 if Iraq doesn't meet certain requirements. There is no question that this is the correct action to be taken after four years of relentless fighting.
Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) had to say:
The American people have lost faith in the president's conduct of this war. The American people see the reality of the war, the president does not.
Agreed! The White House has threatened a veto by the President. Democrats, nevertheless, grew some testicles and decided to face Bush with no fear. The administration has effectively lost touch with the reality of the Iraq War. Our current operations are no longer working (assuming they did work in the first place). Its imcompetence to plan a post-war Iraq led to the destruction of many American lives, and a dire situation where terrorism has flourished in Iraq. Osama Bin Laden is probably thanking Allah for Bush's war in Iraq!
As expected, this was a party-line vote. The legislation passed 218-212. Republicans were quick to argue that such a timeline would be an admission of failure. What they ignore is that, if it is indeed a failure, it is due to a Republican administration full of ineptitude and corruption!
Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) had this to say:
The stakes in Iraq are too high and the sacrifices made by our military personnel and their families too great to be content with anything but success
I agree. The stakes in Iraq have been very high and the sacrifices made by our military have been enormous. However, if this is the case, why did the Pentagon and the White House pursue a war without adequate planning? Why were our soldiers rotting away in awful conditions at Walter Reed? It seems like the "idea" of the stakes and sacrifices is what Republicans like Blunt are worried about, not reality.
As my good friend BlackLabelAxe said, someone has to do something. Partisanship doesn't matter so much at this point. We have to get something done...quickly!
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer(D-Md) said:
The American public expects, the Congress of the United States, to do something, not simply to say 'yes' to failed policies, but to on their behalf, speak out and try to take us in a new direction.
I applaud Mr. Hoyer!
Hopefully the Iraqis will see this action as a kick in the ass. Perhaps this will force them to take action and defend their country. It is now their job to secure and stabilize Iraq. Of course, it is debatable whether it can be done, regardless of our presence there. Iraq would probably best function as three separate countries, but that's a debate for a different day.
Republicans, of course, claim that the legislation is full of pork, and it is. However, we must realize that pork is what "greases the wheels" in order for the vehicle to move. If pork is necessary to get this done, then so be it. I'd sure rather have a pork-laden legislation passed than continue to lose our troops in Iraq!
havEy mETAl Fans aRe s,maRter
i knE w THis Alll Along!!! RUIn TO TEH HILLLLLSS!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2007/03/21/nmetal21.xml
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2007/03/21/nmetal21.xml
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Why Capitalism and Money Work
Before we even begin the debate, I think it's pertinent to understand that Capitalism didn't even have a name until people such as Karl Marx tried to criticize it. It is a natural law, comparable to gravity, which is why Adam Smith called it the "System of Natural Liberty". You don't hate liberty, do you? Capitalism can't be disabled or outlawed and neither can gravity. Trashing this natural law is as nonsensical as complaining about the speed of light. A true progressive would study this phenomina and use it like a tool to build a better society (I respect many opinions on the role of government concerning this application- I'm not arguing for unrestricted capitalism here). The world is not flat, and the free market plays a vital role in allowing for our society to be so complex. We don't have to make our own soap anymore thanks to capitalism. You could if you wanted to, but Irish Spring is just fine for me.
The idea of free trade on any scale of economy is as old as society itself. A farmer would trade food for tools, and a blacksmith might trade tools lumber or medicine, etc. Bartering is excellent free trade, but nothing promotes liberty like the endless flexibility of currency. Not everybody is a blacksmith, farmer, or a miller, so bartering is limited by the relative value of their goods to customers. Currency allows a coal miner to buy a Megadeth T-shirt from California.
Currency is simply a means of settling a debt between people. The US government devalues our currency by spending more than they collect, which causes the same damage as counterfiet currency. The problem is not currency, and the problem is not capitalism. The problem is irresponsible makers of policy with no respect for the natural system we call Capitalism.
Our stock market is legalized gambling, to be sure. Stock prices are set at around 20-25 times the earnings of the companies they represent. They are extremely overpriced, but historically this works well enough for people to trust their life's funds for retirement to. Even being so overpriced, I know that the returns from stocks and bonds will be far beyond what the Federal Government will ever return. Do you honestly think those clowns in Washington care about our retirement? They'll be long dead by then, after living a life of wealth and influence from the money they steal from our paychecks.
Furthermore, if you want to "take the power back", save your money and buy stock in these giant corporations that everybody loves to talk shit about. When you buy stock, YOU OWN THE COMPANY! It's difficult to own significant portions of super-huge companies like GM, but some people do. If people would stop buying stupid bullshit like new cars and expensive clothes and instead focus resources on buying back the companies that we feel are on the wrong track, then the "people" would have a voice, and would have "taken the power back".
You can take control of our corporate culture, but it will require the sacrifice of the MTV lifestyle. People that buy things on credit cards are signing themselves up for slavery. Who do you think pays for those skyscrapers in New York with "Chase" and "Citibank" at the top? Fact: the borrower is servant to the lender. Buy stock, and they are your servant. Buy stupid bullshit to impress people that you don't know on credit cards, and they own you. Credit card companies have so much power to buy off politicians, and it IS OUR FAULT. We give them that much power because we owe them too much money (collectively). We don't have power, we "have it now", and we'll spend our lives trying to pay it back.
It's so easy to bitch and moan about how rich some people are when we're doing nothing with our checkbooks and votes to take it back. Those people at the top are not stupid, and they know how to get you to keep paying them money so you'll never get traction for upward mobility if you choose. Capitalism is like gravity, we have to understand how it works and use it better if we hope to overcome. As for me, I'll learn as much as I can about our markets instead of complaining about why we can't fly. A war on Capitalism is just as laughable as a war on terror, drugs, gravity, and procrastination.
The idea of free trade on any scale of economy is as old as society itself. A farmer would trade food for tools, and a blacksmith might trade tools lumber or medicine, etc. Bartering is excellent free trade, but nothing promotes liberty like the endless flexibility of currency. Not everybody is a blacksmith, farmer, or a miller, so bartering is limited by the relative value of their goods to customers. Currency allows a coal miner to buy a Megadeth T-shirt from California.
Currency is simply a means of settling a debt between people. The US government devalues our currency by spending more than they collect, which causes the same damage as counterfiet currency. The problem is not currency, and the problem is not capitalism. The problem is irresponsible makers of policy with no respect for the natural system we call Capitalism.
Our stock market is legalized gambling, to be sure. Stock prices are set at around 20-25 times the earnings of the companies they represent. They are extremely overpriced, but historically this works well enough for people to trust their life's funds for retirement to. Even being so overpriced, I know that the returns from stocks and bonds will be far beyond what the Federal Government will ever return. Do you honestly think those clowns in Washington care about our retirement? They'll be long dead by then, after living a life of wealth and influence from the money they steal from our paychecks.
Furthermore, if you want to "take the power back", save your money and buy stock in these giant corporations that everybody loves to talk shit about. When you buy stock, YOU OWN THE COMPANY! It's difficult to own significant portions of super-huge companies like GM, but some people do. If people would stop buying stupid bullshit like new cars and expensive clothes and instead focus resources on buying back the companies that we feel are on the wrong track, then the "people" would have a voice, and would have "taken the power back".
You can take control of our corporate culture, but it will require the sacrifice of the MTV lifestyle. People that buy things on credit cards are signing themselves up for slavery. Who do you think pays for those skyscrapers in New York with "Chase" and "Citibank" at the top? Fact: the borrower is servant to the lender. Buy stock, and they are your servant. Buy stupid bullshit to impress people that you don't know on credit cards, and they own you. Credit card companies have so much power to buy off politicians, and it IS OUR FAULT. We give them that much power because we owe them too much money (collectively). We don't have power, we "have it now", and we'll spend our lives trying to pay it back.
It's so easy to bitch and moan about how rich some people are when we're doing nothing with our checkbooks and votes to take it back. Those people at the top are not stupid, and they know how to get you to keep paying them money so you'll never get traction for upward mobility if you choose. Capitalism is like gravity, we have to understand how it works and use it better if we hope to overcome. As for me, I'll learn as much as I can about our markets instead of complaining about why we can't fly. A war on Capitalism is just as laughable as a war on terror, drugs, gravity, and procrastination.
Why Capitalism doesn't work. At least for the populous.
When you think "Capitalism" one thing comes to mind, cold-hard-cash. Well there is a funny thing about money, it doesn't really exist. It is created out of thin air by a private corporation called the Federal Reserve (no, it is in no way a part of our government). There was a time when money was just a receipt for ownership of a bit of gold in Fort Knox, now that gold is owned by the private hands in the Federal Reserve. We traded it for paper, pretty good deal huh! The credits we work our fingers to the bone for is nothing but ... well ... nothing. Based in nothing, stands for nothing, is absolutely fucking nothing. We appear to have two groups in Washington fighting over this money, talks of spending and budgets ... but it's all bullshit. Our country is run by a few rich white men, and has been for a long time. The Dem Vs. Rep battle is just a show, it's entertainment for the masses to feel like their needs are being addressed. When there are only two groups, that leaves a broad enough window for both groups to absorb most of the population into one of the two divisions. Most people who say they are "Independent" are usually just waiting to see who will benefit them the most, not who stands for what they believe in.
Is money the root of all evil, no, people are. Money is merely a creation of the sick twisted mind of the human being. Does the control of money create wars? I think they try to make that the scapegoat so that it will reinforce the idea that our money is real and our economy is real and we need to protect it. This war in Iraq is about expansion, it’s about being conquerors ... not "money". We think we have evolved so much, which is the catch 22 on the theory of evolution; people interpret it like we ARE more advanced than the animals we came from when we are not at all. We are still tribal, territoristic people who can be easily persuaded by the beliefs of our lesser evolved ancestors. This war isn’t about oil, money, or terrorism … it’s about brute power and manipulation. And land. Land is real, money is not. That’s how I see it, they can spend all the money in the world and it’s not going to matter, as its just pretend, but if spending pretend money gets real land, well FUCKIN A … that’s a victory.
Part of me is all about globalization, I would love to be able to move to Sweden and get a job without jumping through hoops and green cards and visas and applications for citizenship, but I know if America (the American government as we see it in the current mutation) takes control it will be nothing but a worldwide police state. When the wars are over and the "man" no longer has to put up an image of "we care about our citizens" so that we stay loyal and obedient, they will have no need for us to remain so. We will be enslaved outright, it will be a serf world controlled by the descendants of the Rockefeller's and the Bush's, etc.
I am not a Muslim, nor do I really sympathize with them too much because what they do they base on religion, which is the most ignorant thing anyone can do. Go to war over your version of peace, what's wrong with lots of versions of peace?? But their term for the US "The Great Satan" is pretty much right on the knob. We are a great and giant tyrant for the whole world to fear. Our bastardized economy has spread so far now, it may be too late to stop it. Corruption is good business when there is no counter. Who is going to police the inner workings of the upper echelon of the world's largest Empire? The UN? HAHAHAHAHA, yeah ... that's gonna happen. The five permanent members of the UN are the worlds largest gun distributors to the tribal wars throughout the poorest lands of the Earth. THANKS GUYS!
What is the point of this, I don't know, I'm just rambling. Basically, I wanted to give a lead in to this and not sound too much like an anarchist with no real motivation other than chaos ... what would happen if everyone in America sold all their holdings in stocks, bonds, bills, and CDs ... as well closed all their bank accounts, all at once? Oh, it will never happen, but it would be great. There would be great suffering and chaos, sure, but it would be the right step to making this world a better place for our great-great-great-grandkids.
Is money the root of all evil, no, people are. Money is merely a creation of the sick twisted mind of the human being. Does the control of money create wars? I think they try to make that the scapegoat so that it will reinforce the idea that our money is real and our economy is real and we need to protect it. This war in Iraq is about expansion, it’s about being conquerors ... not "money". We think we have evolved so much, which is the catch 22 on the theory of evolution; people interpret it like we ARE more advanced than the animals we came from when we are not at all. We are still tribal, territoristic people who can be easily persuaded by the beliefs of our lesser evolved ancestors. This war isn’t about oil, money, or terrorism … it’s about brute power and manipulation. And land. Land is real, money is not. That’s how I see it, they can spend all the money in the world and it’s not going to matter, as its just pretend, but if spending pretend money gets real land, well FUCKIN A … that’s a victory.
Part of me is all about globalization, I would love to be able to move to Sweden and get a job without jumping through hoops and green cards and visas and applications for citizenship, but I know if America (the American government as we see it in the current mutation) takes control it will be nothing but a worldwide police state. When the wars are over and the "man" no longer has to put up an image of "we care about our citizens" so that we stay loyal and obedient, they will have no need for us to remain so. We will be enslaved outright, it will be a serf world controlled by the descendants of the Rockefeller's and the Bush's, etc.
I am not a Muslim, nor do I really sympathize with them too much because what they do they base on religion, which is the most ignorant thing anyone can do. Go to war over your version of peace, what's wrong with lots of versions of peace?? But their term for the US "The Great Satan" is pretty much right on the knob. We are a great and giant tyrant for the whole world to fear. Our bastardized economy has spread so far now, it may be too late to stop it. Corruption is good business when there is no counter. Who is going to police the inner workings of the upper echelon of the world's largest Empire? The UN? HAHAHAHAHA, yeah ... that's gonna happen. The five permanent members of the UN are the worlds largest gun distributors to the tribal wars throughout the poorest lands of the Earth. THANKS GUYS!
What is the point of this, I don't know, I'm just rambling. Basically, I wanted to give a lead in to this and not sound too much like an anarchist with no real motivation other than chaos ... what would happen if everyone in America sold all their holdings in stocks, bonds, bills, and CDs ... as well closed all their bank accounts, all at once? Oh, it will never happen, but it would be great. There would be great suffering and chaos, sure, but it would be the right step to making this world a better place for our great-great-great-grandkids.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
House Ok's Subpoenas for Karl Rove and Aides
Cross Posted on The Metal Pundit
The Democratic-controlled House ok'd subpoenas for Bush advisor Karl Rove and other White House aides. The firing of several U.S. attorneys triggered this much-needed move, despite President Bush's threats against the Democrats.
Dubya warned Democrats that such a political move would be met with a "legal fight". He argues that the Rove and aides should be questioned out of oath and, perhaps, off the record. In other words, he wanted to create a stage where his advisors could do what they have continously done throughout his presidency-lie!
According to Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA):
On Bush's lie-friendly terms, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) said:
In other news, Congress will vote on legislation dealing with troop withdrawal from Iraq. A House committee also made it possible for Valerie Plame, outed former CIA agent, to testify before it.
Discuss as you wish!
The Democratic-controlled House ok'd subpoenas for Bush advisor Karl Rove and other White House aides. The firing of several U.S. attorneys triggered this much-needed move, despite President Bush's threats against the Democrats.
Dubya warned Democrats that such a political move would be met with a "legal fight". He argues that the Rove and aides should be questioned out of oath and, perhaps, off the record. In other words, he wanted to create a stage where his advisors could do what they have continously done throughout his presidency-lie!
According to Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA):
After two months of stonewalling, shifting stories and misleading testimony, it is clear that we are still not getting the truth about the decision to fire these prosecutors and its cover-upHopefully, the Senate Committee on the Judiary will also issue a subpoena for Rove, as well as former White House Counsel Harriet "not-good-enough-for-wingnuts" Miers and her former deputy, William Kelley.
On Bush's lie-friendly terms, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) said:
Anyone who would take that deal isn't playing with a full deckAlberto Gonzales has to either resign or be removed as Attorney General. The White House has recurringly shifted reasoning regarding the firing of the attorneys. Furthermore, Gonzales admitted to the illegal aquisition of personal data from Americans over the past few years. When will the lies and scandals end? I know, 2008!
In other news, Congress will vote on legislation dealing with troop withdrawal from Iraq. A House committee also made it possible for Valerie Plame, outed former CIA agent, to testify before it.
Discuss as you wish!
Check this out!!!
Goremaster has completed an Interview with ex-Massacre and current Denial Fiend vo-Kill-ist, Kam Lee.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Friday, March 16, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
LEGIONS OF THE ABYSS REVAMPED!!!
Legions of the Abyss now has a new look!
http://www.legionsoftheabyss.com
http://www.legionsoftheabyss.com
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Ask Ken Hawk to go on hiautus
Tahst riGht Ask KEn ahwk will bE on vacation in APORil As I will be moving into my first hosue with my wifE, giviNG a seminar at my alma mater and compELting work on Two new traCKs among some smaller pORjects. I will be takiNG qwuestions up through the end of mArch. Ask KEn hAWk will return in mAy, probably not any bettEr and noT any moR eimproved.
TodAys topics include t he eternal hell that is my employement and a Telvison program that i may be on.
KEn ahwk
TodAys topics include t he eternal hell that is my employement and a Telvison program that i may be on.
KEn ahwk
Sunday, March 11, 2007
SAVE INTERNET RADIO!!!!!
If the RIAA and SoundExchange get their way, independent webcasting / Internet radio will soon cease to exist.
Why? The Copyright Royalty Board , the group overseeing statutory licensing for US-based internet radio stations, announced the new royalty rates for streaming radio performance rights. The board rejected the arguments made by webcasters and instead chose to adopt the proposal put forth by industry-backed SoundExchange, a royalty fee collection agency created by the RIAA.
The new rates are based on “performances” of songs. A “performance” is defined as one song being streamed to a single listener. In other words, a station with 1000 listeners is charged for 1000 performances of each song it broadcasts.
Further, the new rates, just announced today, are retroactive to 2006, and increase rapidly each year. The rates per performance are as follows:
$0.0008 in 2006
$0.0011 in 2007
$0.0014 in 2008
$0.0018 in 2009
At first glance, those seem like fairly small numbers: eight ten-thousandths of a dollar, eleven ten-thousandths of a dollar, and so on. When you actually do the math, however, you see the truth revealed. The average radio station plays 16 songs in an hour. Under this system, that would be equivalent to 16 performances.
0.0011 x 16 = 0.0176
Still a fairly small number - under two cents. But now assume this station has 1000 listeners. That means that, in one hour, the station would be billed for 16,000 performances.
0.0011 x 16000 = 17.60
That’s $17.60 an hour. Now we’re starting to see how expensive this truly is. Multiply that by 24 hours a day.
17.60 * 24 = 422.40
$422.40 a day. But there’s 365 days in a year.
422.40 * 365 = 154176
$154,176 for the year in performance royalties alone for a station with 1000 listeners. And that’s just for 2007: it gets even worse. In 2008, the cost rises to $193,536 for the year. In 2009, it goes up to $248,832. Even for a much smaller station, the royalties owed are huge.
Of course, these figures don’t include the other set of rights that Internet radio stations are required to purchase, which must be licensed separately from an agency like SESAC or ASCAP[/COLOR] , or the cost of bandwidth and server capacity. When you add all these costs together, you can easily see why nobody, save perhaps a megacorporation like AOL or Yahoo, could afford to pay these rates.
But wait - what’s this? The new rates apply retroactively to the beginning of 2006. In other words, someone who has been happily (and legally) running their small internet radio station for the past few years is suddenly going to be hit with possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional royalties owed. These bills could easily cause a small, independent broadcaster (and his family) to go bankrupt.
Meanwhile, over-the-air radio stations are still not required to pay one dime to the record industry for public performance rights from SoundExchange or an equivalent group. They only need to pay the far more reasonable fees of BMI, ASCAP, and/or SESAC. This reads like another tactic by the recording industry and corporate powers to exert control over anyone involved with music and an attempt to destroy independent broadcasting.
Whether you don’t want to see your favorite internet radio station go off the air, whether you just hate the RIAA, whatever the reason: please, help us get this senseless, greedy policy designed to do nothing but line the pockets of the record industry overturned. Write to, or better yet call, your representative , your senators, and the Copyright Royalty Board . Tell your friends and family, write on your blog, digg this - help get the word out and help to Save Internet Radio!
Here's the petition- http://www.savethestreams.org
(Thanks Fat Jenk)
Why? The Copyright Royalty Board , the group overseeing statutory licensing for US-based internet radio stations, announced the new royalty rates for streaming radio performance rights. The board rejected the arguments made by webcasters and instead chose to adopt the proposal put forth by industry-backed SoundExchange, a royalty fee collection agency created by the RIAA.
The new rates are based on “performances” of songs. A “performance” is defined as one song being streamed to a single listener. In other words, a station with 1000 listeners is charged for 1000 performances of each song it broadcasts.
Further, the new rates, just announced today, are retroactive to 2006, and increase rapidly each year. The rates per performance are as follows:
$0.0008 in 2006
$0.0011 in 2007
$0.0014 in 2008
$0.0018 in 2009
At first glance, those seem like fairly small numbers: eight ten-thousandths of a dollar, eleven ten-thousandths of a dollar, and so on. When you actually do the math, however, you see the truth revealed. The average radio station plays 16 songs in an hour. Under this system, that would be equivalent to 16 performances.
0.0011 x 16 = 0.0176
Still a fairly small number - under two cents. But now assume this station has 1000 listeners. That means that, in one hour, the station would be billed for 16,000 performances.
0.0011 x 16000 = 17.60
That’s $17.60 an hour. Now we’re starting to see how expensive this truly is. Multiply that by 24 hours a day.
17.60 * 24 = 422.40
$422.40 a day. But there’s 365 days in a year.
422.40 * 365 = 154176
$154,176 for the year in performance royalties alone for a station with 1000 listeners. And that’s just for 2007: it gets even worse. In 2008, the cost rises to $193,536 for the year. In 2009, it goes up to $248,832. Even for a much smaller station, the royalties owed are huge.
Of course, these figures don’t include the other set of rights that Internet radio stations are required to purchase, which must be licensed separately from an agency like SESAC or ASCAP[/COLOR] , or the cost of bandwidth and server capacity. When you add all these costs together, you can easily see why nobody, save perhaps a megacorporation like AOL or Yahoo, could afford to pay these rates.
But wait - what’s this? The new rates apply retroactively to the beginning of 2006. In other words, someone who has been happily (and legally) running their small internet radio station for the past few years is suddenly going to be hit with possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional royalties owed. These bills could easily cause a small, independent broadcaster (and his family) to go bankrupt.
Meanwhile, over-the-air radio stations are still not required to pay one dime to the record industry for public performance rights from SoundExchange or an equivalent group. They only need to pay the far more reasonable fees of BMI, ASCAP, and/or SESAC. This reads like another tactic by the recording industry and corporate powers to exert control over anyone involved with music and an attempt to destroy independent broadcasting.
Whether you don’t want to see your favorite internet radio station go off the air, whether you just hate the RIAA, whatever the reason: please, help us get this senseless, greedy policy designed to do nothing but line the pockets of the record industry overturned. Write to, or better yet call, your representative , your senators, and the Copyright Royalty Board . Tell your friends and family, write on your blog, digg this - help get the word out and help to Save Internet Radio!
Here's the petition- http://www.savethestreams.org
(Thanks Fat Jenk)
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
A Black Man's Chance In Bush Country
I say, this Obama character is the talk of the day ain't he? Well, I was watching a snippet of one of his speeches and it got me thinking if he really stands a chance. One thing he kept doing was spouting about his Christian this and Christian that, and it was kinda pissing me off but then I thought a little deeper and it makes sense, he doesn't have a choice in the matter. He has to prove somehow he is not a terrorist to the majority of the voters! With a name like that he has to throw the Jesus card and it's almost excusable. Almost.
So I pondered something else too. Something about how Americans vote. Some say it's all a big popularity contest, but that's really not what it is at all. There is just one word that needs to be said about how the modern day (and possibly earlier, I haven't delved into the history of losing candidates so much, and I don't really plan to, ever) voter chooses their candidate. The word is cocky. In the end they vote for the biggest ego, whether or not that ego is necessarily earned at that.
I will explain to you the exact steps that brought me to this. I went back to Kennedy. Kennedy was a fucking cocky ass prick. He was the definition of cocky ass prick. He was a shoe in against most anyone. Well he up and died. Which gave us Johnson, he ran against Barry Goldwater. Barry Goldwater was cocky but he was also kinda creepy and sweaty which just nullifies any level of cockiness. Nixon/Humphrey, Nixon was assuredly the cockier person IMHO. . There is absolutely no doubt that Nixon was the cockier person. Then he ran against George McGovern, kids these days know him as John Kerry. That bring us to Gerald Ford vs. Jimmy Carter. What a weird election, both men not the cocky pricks that we were used to, but in the end I agree with America that Jimmy Carter was cockier than Ford. Some may debate that, but he was more outspoken and almost "gleeful" cocky. It sold.
That brings us to Ronald Reagan. This motherfucker was the king dingaling of cocky, but not in that Kennedy way, more like that Sith Lord, "the antichrist" kinda way. He as well smashed Mondale who was borderline Pat Sajak nerd-a-liscious, I don't know what the Democrats were thinking that year. Then the dark emperor himself Georger Herbert Walker Bush. Read my lips is a cocky fucking statement. Dukakis had mutant hair, America hates a man with strange hair. That creepy factor did him in as well. Bush was creepy due to the CIA stuff, but Dukakis was really fucking creepy. I remember that guy.
Then we met Bill Clinton. At first we thought he was another Kennedy, he had all the makings, he defeated Sauron with a swift swing of his saber. But when that saber ended up in an interns mouth and it wasn't a super model's mouth, we realized he was just a dirty pimp. But he was a cocky motherfucker. Dole wasn't cocky enough to take him down. Dole was shady, everyone knew that if he won he would have sold us out just like he sold out to Viagra. A truly embarrassing moment in Americana. Gore, poor Gore, the exception to the rule, yet not the exception to the rule. So cocky he claimed to have invented the internet. Now that is ballsy, but in the end those who can steal an election and not have the rightful winners fight to the death for their right are truly cockier.
John Kerry, what a spineless jellyfish. The best site of the time was www.johnkerryisadouchebagbutimvotingforhimanyway.com. They should have chosen Howard Dean, he had the crazy bastard cocky down pat. He may have been enough to swing the late voters when they are looking at their cocky meter in the booth.
Alas, we come full circle.
Barrack Obama, he is a cocky guy. He is running as this "outsider" in his campaign. That he is different than all these old Dems and Reps that have been sucking us dry for so long. But he has yet to really (that I know of) pull an "Eddie Murphy in The Distinguished Gentleman" and prove some of this corruption that he talks about. I know he doesn't want to get killed, but if he went on an all out bi-partisan tirade of corruption conquering - that would be the shit. I'm not predicting he will get even close to the nomination, but if he is sincere in his words, that's what he would do. And that would be cock and balls. These are what get you elected in this country.
-GC
So I pondered something else too. Something about how Americans vote. Some say it's all a big popularity contest, but that's really not what it is at all. There is just one word that needs to be said about how the modern day (and possibly earlier, I haven't delved into the history of losing candidates so much, and I don't really plan to, ever) voter chooses their candidate. The word is cocky. In the end they vote for the biggest ego, whether or not that ego is necessarily earned at that.
I will explain to you the exact steps that brought me to this. I went back to Kennedy. Kennedy was a fucking cocky ass prick. He was the definition of cocky ass prick. He was a shoe in against most anyone. Well he up and died. Which gave us Johnson, he ran against Barry Goldwater. Barry Goldwater was cocky but he was also kinda creepy and sweaty which just nullifies any level of cockiness. Nixon/Humphrey, Nixon was assuredly the cockier person IMHO. . There is absolutely no doubt that Nixon was the cockier person. Then he ran against George McGovern, kids these days know him as John Kerry. That bring us to Gerald Ford vs. Jimmy Carter. What a weird election, both men not the cocky pricks that we were used to, but in the end I agree with America that Jimmy Carter was cockier than Ford. Some may debate that, but he was more outspoken and almost "gleeful" cocky. It sold.
That brings us to Ronald Reagan. This motherfucker was the king dingaling of cocky, but not in that Kennedy way, more like that Sith Lord, "the antichrist" kinda way. He as well smashed Mondale who was borderline Pat Sajak nerd-a-liscious, I don't know what the Democrats were thinking that year. Then the dark emperor himself Georger Herbert Walker Bush. Read my lips is a cocky fucking statement. Dukakis had mutant hair, America hates a man with strange hair. That creepy factor did him in as well. Bush was creepy due to the CIA stuff, but Dukakis was really fucking creepy. I remember that guy.
Then we met Bill Clinton. At first we thought he was another Kennedy, he had all the makings, he defeated Sauron with a swift swing of his saber. But when that saber ended up in an interns mouth and it wasn't a super model's mouth, we realized he was just a dirty pimp. But he was a cocky motherfucker. Dole wasn't cocky enough to take him down. Dole was shady, everyone knew that if he won he would have sold us out just like he sold out to Viagra. A truly embarrassing moment in Americana. Gore, poor Gore, the exception to the rule, yet not the exception to the rule. So cocky he claimed to have invented the internet. Now that is ballsy, but in the end those who can steal an election and not have the rightful winners fight to the death for their right are truly cockier.
John Kerry, what a spineless jellyfish. The best site of the time was www.johnkerryisadouchebagbutimvotingforhimanyway.com. They should have chosen Howard Dean, he had the crazy bastard cocky down pat. He may have been enough to swing the late voters when they are looking at their cocky meter in the booth.
Alas, we come full circle.
Barrack Obama, he is a cocky guy. He is running as this "outsider" in his campaign. That he is different than all these old Dems and Reps that have been sucking us dry for so long. But he has yet to really (that I know of) pull an "Eddie Murphy in The Distinguished Gentleman" and prove some of this corruption that he talks about. I know he doesn't want to get killed, but if he went on an all out bi-partisan tirade of corruption conquering - that would be the shit. I'm not predicting he will get even close to the nomination, but if he is sincere in his words, that's what he would do. And that would be cock and balls. These are what get you elected in this country.
-GC
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Ann "Bitch" Coulter Does It Again!
Outspoken wingnut pundit Ann "cunt" Coulter used a homosexual slur to throw mud at presidential hopeful, John Edwards. The "bitch", as many Americans know her as, called Edwards a "faggot" while talking about him.
Is there no end to Coulter's bullshit? Will she ever shut the fuck up? I suggest John Edwards return the favor and dick-slap her in the mouth, or at least in that adam's apple of hers! Feel free to BASH this whore all over this thread.
Goremaster:
I'm sorry but I couldn't resist...
Is there no end to Coulter's bullshit? Will she ever shut the fuck up? I suggest John Edwards return the favor and dick-slap her in the mouth, or at least in that adam's apple of hers! Feel free to BASH this whore all over this thread.
Goremaster:
I'm sorry but I couldn't resist...
Friday, March 02, 2007
Lefty Accepted to Law School!
I received my acceptance letter today! Wish me luck and good fortune, for the next three years will be hell!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
THE METAL PUNDIT FORUMS
Me and Lefty have started The Metal Pundit Forums! Another one to add to our Family of Forums!
SIGN UP FOR THE METAL PUNDIT FORUMS NOW!!!!
SIGN UP FOR THE METAL PUNDIT FORUMS NOW!!!!
Faux News is at it again
This is all bullshit. I have read The Audacity of Hope and he does speak in depth about living in Indonesia and attending a PUBLIC SCHOOL there for the first few years he was there.
Who does CNN think they are? They actually investigate their news stories.
Friday, February 23, 2007
In case you've never seen either of these items
This is a Cop Car
This is a car wreckOK, you have now seen both items, so there is no reason to stop on the freeway to see them.
There are certain things I have learned from driving down the freeway here in Texas
- The far left lane is no longer the passing lane; It is the "Big-dumb-redneck-in-an-F150-driving-45 MPH-while-talking-on-the-cell-phone" lane.
- The freeway is the most suitable place to read the newspaper, apply make-up, eat breakfast, and brush your hair.
- If you see somebody driving slower than the rate of traffic, you are supposed to pull up next to them and drive the same speed so that everybody behind you is also force to drive slow as fuck.
- If you must change lanes, you should make sure to change at least three lanes at once to make it worth while, and by no means should you ever use your signal to tell other drivers what you are planning to do.
What have you learned about the "rules of the road" in your area?
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Upgrade to New Version of Blogger
I have just upgraded to the newest version of Blogger. If you are a member of the forum and can not log on to the dashboard to create a new post, you may need to sign up for a gmail account. You may also need to upgrade your dashboard to the new blogger. I apologize for any inconvenience, but this is the direction that Blogger has decided to move towards.
Thank you for your continued support
Thank you for your continued support
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Time to dedicate more energy to the blog
With regrets, I hereby announce my resignation as an administrator and as the Webmaster for both Legions of the Abyss and Lords of Classic Rock. The narrow scope of both ideas and music held by the other administrators, as well as the fact that my voice has little to no influence as to the future of the web site, I feel I must step down.
The only other administrator of Legions of the Abyss that shared my views and opinions was released and banned from the site against my wishes. I mean no disrespect to the other administrators of the site, but feel I must step aside to maintain my self respect.
I will turn over all of my hard work, including the layouts and content of both web sites, to the respective owners of those sites. It has been a pleasure being part of both forums and I have met many great people, but I feel it is necessary to take this action. I wish nothing but the best for both sites, and I hope eventually the other administrators can view music, especially metal, in a much broader spectrum.
Sincerely,
BigNewsDay
We have been able to reach an agreement, and all four original members of LOTA and LOCR have been reinstated. I look forward to working with the team, and I will also try to devote more time to this blog as well as Lefty's Blog.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Rant De Jour- The Death of the Metal Scene
Today, metal is split into so many factions that it has become almost silly. Every band now falls into some bullshit category so that critiques can easily determine a reason to dismiss a band that they particularly don’t care for. It is much easier to lump a band into some generic group, than to speak honestly about why you don’t care for a band.
A similar predicament killed punk back in the 80’s. Punk became so fragmented that good bands were quickly dismissed because they didn’t fit into a narrow scope that each individual fan listened to. There are still many great punk bands out there, but they are so underground that few people know they exist.
Metal will surely suffer the same fate if we continue to fragment the scene as the current trend suggests. Corporate-friendly, radio safe bands will continue to saturate an already bland market, and good bands will never be able to dig themselves out of their local club scene because metal fans have become as close-minded as the punks from the mid-80’s. It is truly sad that metal has come to this, and the only way this can change is if we, as metal fans, start dismissing these bullshit labels. Black metal, death metal, speed metal, thrash metal, doom metal, power metal, etc…(the list can go on and on).
IT’S ALL FUCKING METAL!!!!!
I’m not saying we need to embrace shitty bands like Avenged Sevenfold or [insert generic shitty emo band], but we need to learn to support the entire metal scene and not just a small sect of bands that fit neatly into some bullshit classification of what someone thinks metal should be. If not, the entire metal scene will eventually perish.
A similar predicament killed punk back in the 80’s. Punk became so fragmented that good bands were quickly dismissed because they didn’t fit into a narrow scope that each individual fan listened to. There are still many great punk bands out there, but they are so underground that few people know they exist.
Metal will surely suffer the same fate if we continue to fragment the scene as the current trend suggests. Corporate-friendly, radio safe bands will continue to saturate an already bland market, and good bands will never be able to dig themselves out of their local club scene because metal fans have become as close-minded as the punks from the mid-80’s. It is truly sad that metal has come to this, and the only way this can change is if we, as metal fans, start dismissing these bullshit labels. Black metal, death metal, speed metal, thrash metal, doom metal, power metal, etc…(the list can go on and on).
IT’S ALL FUCKING METAL!!!!!
I’m not saying we need to embrace shitty bands like Avenged Sevenfold or [insert generic shitty emo band]
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
The New Metal Pundit is Here!
Check out the new and improved look of The Metal Pundit. Look for new material soon.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Saturday, February 03, 2007
The Return of The Metal Pundit Coming Soon...
After months of being inactive, the return of THE METAL PUNDIT is imminent. Once again I will grace my fellow bloggers and metalheads with compelling political news and discussion, thoughts and insight on metal music, and a variety of hackery! Look for new material this week!
Friday, February 02, 2007
Thursday, February 01, 2007
N. Korea assists Iran with Nuclear Ambitions -Revisited
Last week (or the week before), I published a post regarding a report by a British paper discussing North Korea's willingness to assist Iran with the development of nuclear weapons.
OK, I have since read many other articles that have given evidence to the falseness of that report. One article discusses how North Korea is using Plutonium in their nuclear reactors where as Iran uses Uranium. HMMMMMM!
I believe that both the Bush and Blair regemes are once again trying stir outrage in order to sway public opinions to suit their own agendas. Bush is already gearing up for war with Iran. He has sent new fleets of war ships to the area, and has also accused Iran of supplying the Iraqi insurgency with weapons. One problem, he has presented little to no evidence of this.
Britain's leading newspaper, The Telegraph, is reportin that North Korea
has agreed to assist Iran with performing nuclear test similar to the test
performed in North Korea in 2006. The report also suggest that a team of
Irainian scientists were present during the North Korea tests.
Read
the entire story.
This is a development that we all need to keep a
very close eye on.
OK, I have since read many other articles that have given evidence to the falseness of that report. One article discusses how North Korea is using Plutonium in their nuclear reactors where as Iran uses Uranium. HMMMMMM!
I believe that both the Bush and Blair regemes are once again trying stir outrage in order to sway public opinions to suit their own agendas. Bush is already gearing up for war with Iran. He has sent new fleets of war ships to the area, and has also accused Iran of supplying the Iraqi insurgency with weapons. One problem, he has presented little to no evidence of this.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Shortest Presidential Campaign in History
Less than 24 hours and already out of the running.
Nice work, Dumb Shit!
Who the fuck put LSD in his Wheaties this morning?
Buh-bye!
Nice work, Dumb Shit!
Who the fuck put LSD in his Wheaties this morning?
Buh-bye!
Friday, January 26, 2007
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
From the There's No Justice in Life Department
How is it that Larry Flint catches a hillbilly bullet and is paralyzed for life, but this bag of shit is walking the streets?
Seriously, the Aryan Albino Freak is the biggest sleaze merchant on the planet. He is only rivaled by fellow Aryan Albino Freak Ann Coulter in terms of sheer excremental capability.
Seriously, the Aryan Albino Freak is the biggest sleaze merchant on the planet. He is only rivaled by fellow Aryan Albino Freak Ann Coulter in terms of sheer excremental capability.
Jim Webb Kicked Some Serious Ass Last Night
These are issues many of us have discussed and blogged about for years, but this is the first time I've seen an elected politician on the national stage discuss them in such blunt and forthright terms:
How long before this guys runs for president?
"When I graduated from college, the average corporate CEO made 20 times what the average worker did. Today its nearly 400 times... Wages and salaries for our workers are at an alltime low as a percentage of national wealth, even though the productivity of American workers is the highest in the world...The middle class of this country, our historic backbone,and our best hope for a strong society in the future, is loosing its place at the table...We should measure the health of our society not at its appex, but at its base, not with the numbers that come out of Wall Street, but wit the living conditions that exist on Main Street.
Regarding the economic imbalance in our country, I am reminded of the situation President Theodore Roosevelt faced in the early days of the 20th century. America was then, as now, drifting apart along class lines. The so-called robber barons were unapologetically raking in a huge percentage of the national wealth. The dispossessed workers at the bottom were threatening revolt. Roosevelt spoke strongly against these divisions. He told his fellow Republicans that they must set themselves "as resolutely against improper corporate influence on the one hand as against demagogy and mob rule on the other."
How long before this guys runs for president?
N. Korea assists Iran with Nuclear Ambitions
Britain's leading newspaper, The Telegraph, is reportin that North Korea has agreed to assist Iran with performing nuclear test similar to the test performed in North Korea in 2006. The report also suggest that a team of Irainian scientists were present during the North Korea tests.
Read the entire story.
This is a development that we all need to keep a very close eye on.
Read the entire story.
This is a development that we all need to keep a very close eye on.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Slayer Rocks the Masses/The Viking Rant
First off, Slayer invaded national TV, and ruined thousands of people's shit all across the country:
Second, I'd like to invite everybody to check out my rant about why I adore Vikings:
www.myspace.com/blacklabelaxe
It's a reconciliation between my love of free market economics and my yearning to share the wealth, an interpretation of history, and a big shout-out to the great culture that probably invented heavy metal centuries before the first electric guitar. Hey, it's possible, and I'll argue that it's even likely. Sabbath and Priest were probably the Christopher Columbus of heavy metal- they get credit for inventing it, and from a mainstream perspective they surely did. I invite you to meet the Lief Erikson of metal.
Hails!
Second, I'd like to invite everybody to check out my rant about why I adore Vikings:
www.myspace.com/blacklabelaxe
It's a reconciliation between my love of free market economics and my yearning to share the wealth, an interpretation of history, and a big shout-out to the great culture that probably invented heavy metal centuries before the first electric guitar. Hey, it's possible, and I'll argue that it's even likely. Sabbath and Priest were probably the Christopher Columbus of heavy metal- they get credit for inventing it, and from a mainstream perspective they surely did. I invite you to meet the Lief Erikson of metal.
Hails!
Friday, January 19, 2007
THIS JUST IN!!!
Ted Nugent is still a fucking moron
This idiot has not written or performed a new song that anyone wanted to hear in a quarter century. The only way he can get any attention at all is to continue to make a complete ass of himself in public as often as possible. He's managed to keep himself in the public eye long after his viable shelf life by turning himself into the court jester of the lunatic fringe, sheet wearing radical right.
By the way, he was never that good a guitarist, performer or song writer anyway.
UPDATE:
More hilarity on Ted the Sped from Jesus' General
This idiot has not written or performed a new song that anyone wanted to hear in a quarter century. The only way he can get any attention at all is to continue to make a complete ass of himself in public as often as possible. He's managed to keep himself in the public eye long after his viable shelf life by turning himself into the court jester of the lunatic fringe, sheet wearing radical right.
By the way, he was never that good a guitarist, performer or song writer anyway.
UPDATE:
More hilarity on Ted the Sped from Jesus' General
Muslim Groups Protest a T.V. show
CNN.com is reporting today that Muslim groups are quite upset over the plot line of the new season of the T.V. series, '24'. For those that have never seen the show, it is about a government agency assigned to fight terrorism. I know, as well as any other American with common sense, that not all Muslims are terrorists. But the harsh reality is that most of the terrorists in the world are Muslims.
OK, my question is why are you protesting fiction, when you should be protesting reality?
If more Muslims showed outrage at the history of islamist terrorism, you would not need to worry about what people think of Muslims after viewing a fictional television show. When the majority of Muslims stay silent after terrorsit groups murder innocent people, what do you expect non-Muslims to think of you? It is the Muslim's responsibility to to project a more positive image of your culture and your people, not Hollywood's.
*********************************8
B.L. SABOB ADDITION: Speaking of dumb-shits who whine about their particular group's protrayal in entertainment....
"The overwhelming impression you get is fear and hatred for Muslims," said Rabiah Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations. She said Thursday she was distressed by this season's premiere. "After watching that show, I was afraid to go to the grocery store because I wasn't sure the person next to me would be able to differentiate between fiction and reality."
OK, my question is why are you protesting fiction, when you should be protesting reality?
If more Muslims showed outrage at the history of islamist terrorism, you would not need to worry about what people think of Muslims after viewing a fictional television show. When the majority of Muslims stay silent after terrorsit groups murder innocent people, what do you expect non-Muslims to think of you? It is the Muslim's responsibility to to project a more positive image of your culture and your people, not Hollywood's.
*********************************8
B.L. SABOB ADDITION: Speaking of dumb-shits who whine about their particular group's protrayal in entertainment....
... Opus Dei has had enough of the BBC portraying its members as "murderers, thieves and adulterers" in the popular fictional drama, Waking the Dead. From the entertainment section of The Evening Standard:
The secretive Catholic organisation lodged an official complaint of defamation on Tuesday after the award-winning drama, Waking the Dead showed an episode featuring a murder investigation of a Opus Dei devotee.
Damn, two democrats have pissed me off today
Don't get me wrong, I am still a liberal Democrat, but we seriously need to look at our priorities and initiate legislation that is based on common sense. Please read the following articles for further understanding as to what the hell I'm ranting about:
California Assemblywoman seeks to outlaw spanking
Sen. Dianne Feinstein wants to outlaw digital music
OK, I feel both of these women need to pull their heads out of their asses and tackle real problems facing our states/country. It is people like this that give the rest of us liberals a bad name.
UPDATE:
Finally, a fellow Democrat makes me happy:
Mondale rips Cheney
California Assemblywoman seeks to outlaw spanking
Sen. Dianne Feinstein wants to outlaw digital music
OK, I feel both of these women need to pull their heads out of their asses and tackle real problems facing our states/country. It is people like this that give the rest of us liberals a bad name.
UPDATE:
Finally, a fellow Democrat makes me happy:
Mondale rips Cheney
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
D/FW Blizzard of 2007
The storm was so bad that you can barely see the grass in my front yard.
Look at the several milimeters of snow and sleet that I had to clean off my car
This was my drive into work this morning. The roads were covered with ice, so the drive was quite treacherous. Please note the traffic and the speedometer. shortly after I took this picture while driving down the freeway, The snow got much heavier, and the ice got thicker. I pulled off the freeway, called my boss to tell him that this sucked, and I turned around & went home.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Obama's Plans for 2008
I just received this announcement today from the Obama camp. This is truly the best news 've heard in a long time.
If any of you have not had the opportunity to read The Audacity of Hope, I highly recommend you do so. Barrack Obama is one of the most intellegent people in Washington, and I strongly believe that he has the courage and drive to really shake things up.
Dear Friend,
As you may know, over the last few months I have been thinking hard about my plans for 2008. Running for the presidency is a profound decision - a decision no one should make on the basis of media hype or personal ambition alone - and so before I committed myself and my family to this race, I wanted to be sure that this was right for us and, more importantly, right for the country.
I certainly didn't expect to find myself in this position a year ago. But as I've spoken to many of you in my travels across the states these past months; as I've read your emails and read your letters; I've been struck by how hungry we all are for a different kind of politics.
So I've spent some time thinking about how I could best advance the cause of change and progress that we so desperately need.
The decisions that have been made in Washington these past six years, and the problems that have been ignored, have put our country in a precarious place. Our economy is changing rapidly, and that means profound changes for working people. Many of you have shared with me your stories about skyrocketing health care bills, the pensions you've lost and your struggles to pay for college for your kids. Our continued dependence on oil has put our security and our very planet at risk. And we're still mired in a tragic and costly war that should have never been waged.
But challenging as they are, it's not the magnitude of our problems that concerns me the most. It's the smallness of our politics. America's faced big problems before. But today, our leaders in Washington seem incapable of working together in a practical, common sense way. Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions.
And that's what we have to change first.
We have to change our politics, and come together around our common interests and concerns as Americans.
This won't happen by itself. A change in our politics can only come from you; from people across our country who believe there's a better way and are willing to work for it.
Years ago, as a community organizer in Chicago, I learned that meaningful change always begins at the grassroots, and that engaged citizens working together can accomplish extraordinary things.
So even in the midst of the enormous challenges we face today, I have great faith and hope about the future - because I believe in you.
And that's why I wanted to tell you first that I'll be filing papers today to create a presidential exploratory committee. For the next several weeks, I am going to talk with people from around the country, listening and learning more about the challenges we face as a nation, the opportunities that lie before us, and the role that a presidential campaign might play in bringing our country together. And on February 10th, at the end of these decisions and in my home state of Illinois, I'll share my plans with my friends, neighbors and fellow Americans.
In the meantime, I want to thank all of you for your time, your suggestions, your encouragement and your prayers. And I look forward to continuing our conversation in the weeks and months to come.
Sincerely,
U.S. Senator Barack Obama
If any of you have not had the opportunity to read The Audacity of Hope, I highly recommend you do so. Barrack Obama is one of the most intellegent people in Washington, and I strongly believe that he has the courage and drive to really shake things up.
Monday, January 15, 2007
...and the 'complete f**cking idiot of the day' award goes to...
A German jeeenyus decided to drive over a curb and proceeded to get his Audi stuck on a railrad track after his fancy little navigation system told him to "Turn Left". The authrities had to halt all rail traffic for hours until they could get this idiot's car of the tracks.
Read the article here
It seems that wrecks involving dumbasses and navigation systems is becoming a big problem in Germany.
Read the article here
It seems that wrecks involving dumbasses and navigation systems is becoming a big problem in Germany.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
ALBUM OF 2006 RESULTS
The results are in. And the award for Album of 2006 goes to..........
AMON AMRTH-With Oden on our Side
THE TOP 5 of 2006.
1.
Amon Amarth-With Oden on our Side
2.
Celtic Frost – Monotheist
3.
My Dying Bride-A Line Of Deathless Kings
4.
Slayer-Christ Illusion
5.
Agalloch-Ashes Against the Grain
Go to Legions of the Abyss to check out the Top 40 albums of 2006.
AMON AMRTH-With Oden on our Side
THE TOP 5 of 2006.
1.
Amon Amarth-With Oden on our Side
2.
Celtic Frost – Monotheist
3.
My Dying Bride-A Line Of Deathless Kings
4.
Slayer-Christ Illusion
5.
Agalloch-Ashes Against the Grain
Go to Legions of the Abyss to check out the Top 40 albums of 2006.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
BushCo: Economic Morons or Just Plain Liars?
First they told us that the Iraq Debacle would pay for itself. Then they fired one of their own for daring to say that the cost of the war would approach as much as $100 billion. They've been wrong on everything they've told us about Iraq from the beginning. But there are those who excuse such buffoonery. Hell, even Clinton thought Saddam had WMD, right?
But the one thing you'd expect the "adults" in BushCo to know about is Economics, right? After all the Neoclown cabal behind and tentacled through this administration contain some of the greatest economic and political minds to come out of the University of Chicago. Friedman and Strauss devotees litter the Whitehouse lawn like so many empty Coors Lite cans found in the parking lot after a NASCAR race.
How is it that all these "geniuses" got this thing so incredibly wrong? Are they really that stupid, or did they do it on purpose?
A recent article by Charles M. Young sheds some light on the subject
In an interview with Stiglitz, he also made the following statements:
• War is a lousy form of economic stimulus. Think of the Nepalese contractors doing work in Iraq. They spend their money in Iraq or Nepal -- not in America.
• Because the war drove up oil prices, we are also giving more money to Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela. It follows that we are not investing that money
• When you educate young people for twelve to eighteen years, you're investing a lot of money in them. If you then have them killed, maimed and debilitated, you destroy capital.
• If you're wounded, the government pays you only twenty percent of what you would have earned if you could work. The disability payment is a budget cost, but the economy misses the salary you would have been making now that you're not able to do anything.
• (Rumsfeld) wanted to lessen the impact of the war on the military, so he used private contractors, who are more expensive. What he didn't realize was that he was setting up a competition that has driven up the price of a soldier.
• One quarter of the war budget would have fixed Social Security for the next seventy-five years.
• (The administration) did do a calculation of the cost. They were just off. Like every other aspect of their analysis of this war, they were either deliberately misleading or incompetent.
• (Responding to a question about Paul Wolfowitz’ claim that the war would pay for itself with oil revenue): You have to wonder: What reward should he receive for such acumen? Bush made him president of the World Bank.
But the one thing you'd expect the "adults" in BushCo to know about is Economics, right? After all the Neoclown cabal behind and tentacled through this administration contain some of the greatest economic and political minds to come out of the University of Chicago. Friedman and Strauss devotees litter the Whitehouse lawn like so many empty Coors Lite cans found in the parking lot after a NASCAR race.
How is it that all these "geniuses" got this thing so incredibly wrong? Are they really that stupid, or did they do it on purpose?
A recent article by Charles M. Young sheds some light on the subject
Congress has spent more than $350 billion on the conflict, including the $50 billion appropriated for 2007.
But according to one of the world's leading economists, that is just a fraction of what Iraq will actually wind up costing American taxpayers. Joseph Stiglitz, winner of the Nobel Prize for economics, estimates the true cost of the war at $2.267 trillion. That includes the government's past and future spending for the war itself ($725 billion), health care and disability benefits for veterans ($127 billion), and hidden increases in defense spending ($160 billion). It also includes losses the economy will suffer from injured vets ($355 billion) and higher oil prices ($450 billion).
In an interview with Stiglitz, he also made the following statements:
• War is a lousy form of economic stimulus. Think of the Nepalese contractors doing work in Iraq. They spend their money in Iraq or Nepal -- not in America.
• Because the war drove up oil prices, we are also giving more money to Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela. It follows that we are not investing that money
• When you educate young people for twelve to eighteen years, you're investing a lot of money in them. If you then have them killed, maimed and debilitated, you destroy capital.
• If you're wounded, the government pays you only twenty percent of what you would have earned if you could work. The disability payment is a budget cost, but the economy misses the salary you would have been making now that you're not able to do anything.
• (Rumsfeld) wanted to lessen the impact of the war on the military, so he used private contractors, who are more expensive. What he didn't realize was that he was setting up a competition that has driven up the price of a soldier.
• One quarter of the war budget would have fixed Social Security for the next seventy-five years.
• (The administration) did do a calculation of the cost. They were just off. Like every other aspect of their analysis of this war, they were either deliberately misleading or incompetent.
• (Responding to a question about Paul Wolfowitz’ claim that the war would pay for itself with oil revenue): You have to wonder: What reward should he receive for such acumen? Bush made him president of the World Bank.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Feeling Safer Yet?
Former CIA director and current Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, just three weeks on the job, told lawmakers, “I would confess I'm no expert on Iraq.” Later, asked about reaching the right balance between American and Iraqi forces, he told the panel he was “no expert on military matters.”
LOL!!!
Yeah, this is all going to work out well.
LOL!!!
Yeah, this is all going to work out well.
Dems want to negotiate lower prescription prices for Medicare
AP reports:
This is great news for those American citizens who are forced pay outragous prices for prescription drugs. Unfortunately, Our President has vowed to veto the bill.
This is total horseshit. Tax payers are being forced to pay more now with the prices as high as they are. This is not regulating prices in the open market, but negotiating lower prices for those on a fixed income. This is a case where our government must act like a major corporation. Wal Mart negotiates lower prices on all products to secure lower prices for their customers. Our government should do the same.
The House planned to consider legislation Friday that would require the secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct those negotiations. The bill is one of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's six priorities for the new Democratic-controlled House.
This is great news for those American citizens who are forced pay outragous prices for prescription drugs. Unfortunately, Our President has vowed to veto the bill.
"Government interference impedes competition, limits access to lifesaving drugs, reduces convenience for beneficiaries and ultimately increases costs to taxpayers, beneficiaries and all American citizens alike," the administration said in a written statement.
This is total horseshit. Tax payers are being forced to pay more now with the prices as high as they are. This is not regulating prices in the open market, but negotiating lower prices for those on a fixed income. This is a case where our government must act like a major corporation. Wal Mart negotiates lower prices on all products to secure lower prices for their customers. Our government should do the same.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Quick Rant on "Troop Surge"
THIS WON"T MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!!
Last night, Pres. Bush announced to the world that he will be adding 20,000 troops to secure the city of Baghdad.
Let's do the math!
These 20,000 troops will have to patrol in shifts. From my understanding, with an escalation such as this, you would need to take the total number of additional troops and divide it by 4 to get the actual number of the increase of soldiers patroling the area at any given time. That means that we are actualy increasing our patrol of Baghdad by 5,000 troops. Hmmmm?
At any given time NYC has over 45,000 police officers on duty, and they still cannot elliminate crime in New York. With the increase in troops in Baghdad, we will still have nowhere near that 45,000 and it only takes a few suicide bombers to wreak havok on the city. The longer this debacle continues, the more resentment we generate in the area. We have already succeeded in bringing about a new regime, and it is time we declare victory. We need to bring our soldiers home before thousands more die for people who hate us.
Last night, Pres. Bush announced to the world that he will be adding 20,000 troops to secure the city of Baghdad.
Let's do the math!
These 20,000 troops will have to patrol in shifts. From my understanding, with an escalation such as this, you would need to take the total number of additional troops and divide it by 4 to get the actual number of the increase of soldiers patroling the area at any given time. That means that we are actualy increasing our patrol of Baghdad by 5,000 troops. Hmmmm?
At any given time NYC has over 45,000 police officers on duty, and they still cannot elliminate crime in New York. With the increase in troops in Baghdad, we will still have nowhere near that 45,000 and it only takes a few suicide bombers to wreak havok on the city. The longer this debacle continues, the more resentment we generate in the area. We have already succeeded in bringing about a new regime, and it is time we declare victory. We need to bring our soldiers home before thousands more die for people who hate us.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Mystery odor blankets New York
Early information suggests this can be attributed to the collective suckage of the Giants and Jets teams.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Tune in to The Abyss radio show
Legions of the Abyss now has it's on live radio show on http://www.hardrockradiolive.com that
will be hosted by me also i'm on there mon. wen.thurs. from 11 to 1 cst pm also at 11 to 1 cst am
The Abyss wull be on sat. nite at 11 cst pm to 3 cst am for hours of crush'in underground music.
will be hosted by me also i'm on there mon. wen.thurs. from 11 to 1 cst pm also at 11 to 1 cst am
The Abyss wull be on sat. nite at 11 cst pm to 3 cst am for hours of crush'in underground music.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
ALBUM OF 2006 POLL
2006 is comming to an end. I recently made a poll on what was the best metal album of the year. Vote at Legions of the abyss. The results will be made into a list for the Legions of the Abyss website when the poll is done.
Gerald R. Ford
I woke up this morning to see that 93 year old Gerry Ford has shuffled off the mortal coil. Further, I also see that the whitewashing and revisionism has already begun. This is no surprise. After Nixon died, we saw the same kind of revisionism by drooling pundits and politicians trying to pretend that Dick was a decent sort of guy. He wasn't. And Ford was one of his enablers.
So, while the rest of the punditry is tripping all over itself trying to genuflect before this guy, allow me a little equal time. Rose colored glasses have never been my style.
Ford was one of the leading members of the Warren Commission, which concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone and endorsed the "Magic Bullet Theory." Riiiiiiiiiight.
While in Congress he opposed federal aid for education as well as health care, attempted to restrict minimum wage, voted down measures that provided loans and subsidies for farmers, and in general voted down any federal attempt to intervene with state politics (including, notoriously, fighting certain aspects of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.) He was instrumental in supporting the early foundations of what would later become the IMF. One of his most controversial activities was his unsuccessful attempt in 1970 to instigate impeachment proceedings against Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas
A few years later, Ford was rewarded for his loyalty by being handed the vice presidency in the most corrupt administration in US history (at least it was, until 2001). Why, because he was such a dynamic leader? Or because Dick knew the hammer was coming and he needed a compliant, obedient lapdog who would promise to keep him out of prison and protect his US government perks after being forced from office?
Within one month of assuming the presidency upon Nixon's retreat, Ford fulfills his end of the deal and hands Dick Caligula an unconditional pardon. I keep seeing these pundits and political hacks regurgitating the talking point that Ford pardoned Nixon "For the good of the country." Since when is letting a criminal thug who attempted to subvert the US Constitution to amass power get off scott free with generous taxpayer-funded perks "good for the country?" Aren't these the same group of jerk-offs who cheered as Bill Clinton was impeached for lying about a consensual affair during at a frivolous civil lawsuit?
Although only in office for 29 months, his administration continues to haunt us. It was in his administration that current death and deception merchants like Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz and... George H.W. Bush as head of the CIA became national fixtures.
During a debate with Jimmy Carter in 76 campaigns, Ford bewilderingly argued that Poland wasn’t really under Soviet control.
When Carter defeated Ford, he was handed the worse US economy since The Great Depression.
Dry your eyes people, unless you weep for James Brown. If there is a Hell, Gerald R. Ford is now enjoying a little catchup time with his buddy Tricky Dick Nixon.
So, while the rest of the punditry is tripping all over itself trying to genuflect before this guy, allow me a little equal time. Rose colored glasses have never been my style.
Ford was one of the leading members of the Warren Commission, which concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone and endorsed the "Magic Bullet Theory." Riiiiiiiiiight.
While in Congress he opposed federal aid for education as well as health care, attempted to restrict minimum wage, voted down measures that provided loans and subsidies for farmers, and in general voted down any federal attempt to intervene with state politics (including, notoriously, fighting certain aspects of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.) He was instrumental in supporting the early foundations of what would later become the IMF. One of his most controversial activities was his unsuccessful attempt in 1970 to instigate impeachment proceedings against Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas
A few years later, Ford was rewarded for his loyalty by being handed the vice presidency in the most corrupt administration in US history (at least it was, until 2001). Why, because he was such a dynamic leader? Or because Dick knew the hammer was coming and he needed a compliant, obedient lapdog who would promise to keep him out of prison and protect his US government perks after being forced from office?
Within one month of assuming the presidency upon Nixon's retreat, Ford fulfills his end of the deal and hands Dick Caligula an unconditional pardon. I keep seeing these pundits and political hacks regurgitating the talking point that Ford pardoned Nixon "For the good of the country." Since when is letting a criminal thug who attempted to subvert the US Constitution to amass power get off scott free with generous taxpayer-funded perks "good for the country?" Aren't these the same group of jerk-offs who cheered as Bill Clinton was impeached for lying about a consensual affair during at a frivolous civil lawsuit?
Although only in office for 29 months, his administration continues to haunt us. It was in his administration that current death and deception merchants like Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz and... George H.W. Bush as head of the CIA became national fixtures.
The new CIA director was prompted to authorize an alternative unit outside the CIA to challenge the agency's intelligence on Soviet intentions. Bush was more compliant in the political winds than his predecessor. Consisting of a host of conservatives, the unit was called Team B. A young aide from the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, Paul Wolfowitz, was selected to represent Rumsfeld's interest and served as coauthor of Team B's report. The report was single-minded in its conclusion about the Soviet buildup and cleansed of contrary intelligence. It was fundamentally a political tool in the struggle for control of the Republican Party, intended to destroy détente and aimed particularly at Kissinger. Both Ford and Kissinger took pains to dismiss Team B and its effort. (Later, Team B's report was revealed to be wildly off the mark about the scope and capability of the Soviet military.)
During a debate with Jimmy Carter in 76 campaigns, Ford bewilderingly argued that Poland wasn’t really under Soviet control.
When Carter defeated Ford, he was handed the worse US economy since The Great Depression.
Dry your eyes people, unless you weep for James Brown. If there is a Hell, Gerald R. Ford is now enjoying a little catchup time with his buddy Tricky Dick Nixon.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Follow up to the War on Drugs posting
Who's getting rich off the War on Drugs and the War on Crime? "Free Market" Thugs like these are cashing in off your tax dollars while showering your elected "representatives" with gifts, trips, campaign funds, and propaganda ammo from their corporate funded think-tanks.
“Wackenhut was founded in 1954 by former FBI agent George Wackenhut. From the beginning the company engaged in dubious activities such as assisting the McCarthy Witchhunt. By 1965 the company could boast that it maintained files on 2. 5 million US citizens, participants in the Civil Rights and Anti Vietnam War Movements were targets. The assistance of far right causes was, however, not confined to the US Homeland. In 1977 the company obtained permission to operate in Belgium. Wackenhut’s first local director was Jean-Francis Calmete who hired members of the Westland New Post a fascist group. Wackenhut left Belgium in the early 1980’s following allegations that their guards were luring immigrant children into basements and beating them.”
Some more interesting reading:
INSIDE THE SHADOW CIA
Private Security Revelations On Group4 and Wackenhut
Abuse and Profiteering
Let’s face it, there's a hell of a lot of money to be made in "Crime," and not just by those who commit it, but by those entrusted with "fighting" it as well. It is in the financial interest of corporations like Wackenhut to have a frightened populace demanding that someone "save them" from the scourge of drugs, terrorism, crime, communism or whatever the Boogieman-of-the-Week happens to be.
When the government runs the Corrections Facilities, it is in their interest to keep prison populations as low as possible. However, with Privatization of the Prison System, “Industry experts state a 90-95% capacity rate is necessary to attract investors, ensuring a vested interest in a growing prison population for the future.” That’s what Greg Palast refers to as a Free Market in Human Misery.
You want to see any kind of real reform regarding the drug war or any other meaningful issues? Then we need to address campaign and lobbying reform FIRST. You need to take away the ability of corporations and well funded special interests to purchase our politicians outright. Clean up K-Street. When CEO's have no more access to our elected representatives than the average schmoe, only then you will see real representation and real change.
Until then, it really won't matter much if the bums you elect come with a D or an R after their names. They'll still be serving their real masters, who all have an Inc. after their names.
William Blake on wrote, "Prisons are built with stones of Law. Brothels with the bricks of religion."
What Blake fails to mention, perhaps because he didn't live in our modern, gilded age, is that both law and religion are the servants of the moneyed class. A man much smarter than me once said, "The function of law and theology are the same: to keep the poor from taking back by violence what the rich have stolen by cunning."
The idea that the owner class and the politician class are somehow at odds with each other is the greatest fraud ever perpetrated on mankind.
“Wackenhut was founded in 1954 by former FBI agent George Wackenhut. From the beginning the company engaged in dubious activities such as assisting the McCarthy Witchhunt. By 1965 the company could boast that it maintained files on 2. 5 million US citizens, participants in the Civil Rights and Anti Vietnam War Movements were targets. The assistance of far right causes was, however, not confined to the US Homeland. In 1977 the company obtained permission to operate in Belgium. Wackenhut’s first local director was Jean-Francis Calmete who hired members of the Westland New Post a fascist group. Wackenhut left Belgium in the early 1980’s following allegations that their guards were luring immigrant children into basements and beating them.”
Some more interesting reading:
INSIDE THE SHADOW CIA
Private Security Revelations On Group4 and Wackenhut
Abuse and Profiteering
Let’s face it, there's a hell of a lot of money to be made in "Crime," and not just by those who commit it, but by those entrusted with "fighting" it as well. It is in the financial interest of corporations like Wackenhut to have a frightened populace demanding that someone "save them" from the scourge of drugs, terrorism, crime, communism or whatever the Boogieman-of-the-Week happens to be.
When the government runs the Corrections Facilities, it is in their interest to keep prison populations as low as possible. However, with Privatization of the Prison System, “Industry experts state a 90-95% capacity rate is necessary to attract investors, ensuring a vested interest in a growing prison population for the future.” That’s what Greg Palast refers to as a Free Market in Human Misery.
You want to see any kind of real reform regarding the drug war or any other meaningful issues? Then we need to address campaign and lobbying reform FIRST. You need to take away the ability of corporations and well funded special interests to purchase our politicians outright. Clean up K-Street. When CEO's have no more access to our elected representatives than the average schmoe, only then you will see real representation and real change.
Until then, it really won't matter much if the bums you elect come with a D or an R after their names. They'll still be serving their real masters, who all have an Inc. after their names.
William Blake on wrote, "Prisons are built with stones of Law. Brothels with the bricks of religion."
What Blake fails to mention, perhaps because he didn't live in our modern, gilded age, is that both law and religion are the servants of the moneyed class. A man much smarter than me once said, "The function of law and theology are the same: to keep the poor from taking back by violence what the rich have stolen by cunning."
The idea that the owner class and the politician class are somehow at odds with each other is the greatest fraud ever perpetrated on mankind.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Quick Rant
We have a major war going on right now. We are in the midst of several Congressional scandals. We have families starving and living on the streets. So what is the major news story that has everybody glued to their T.V.s?
The fued between Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump over the Miss America lesbian alcoholic druggie!
WHO GIVES A SHIT!!!!!
FUCK ROSIE
FUCK TRUMP
(and let me)
FUCK MISS AMERICA
With all the death, destruction, and poverty in this world, it completely baffles me why anyone would give two shits about any of these assholes!
The fued between Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump over the Miss America lesbian alcoholic druggie!
WHO GIVES A SHIT!!!!!
FUCK ROSIE
FUCK TRUMP
(and let me)
FUCK MISS AMERICA
With all the death, destruction, and poverty in this world, it completely baffles me why anyone would give two shits about any of these assholes!
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
The Precedent for Failure: The War on Drugs
The War on Terror has an impossible scope, but it is not the first of its kind. The War on Drugs has been going on for much of the 20th century, and has much farther-reaching impact that terrorism will ever have. Both wars are being fought ineffectively under the leadership of politically correct assholes.
The war on drugs has devastated Mexico and Columbia most prominently. With genetic engineering in the arsenal, drug cultivators have now created a pot plant that grows year-round and cannot be killed by pesticides, making law enforcement nearly impossible.
The new Mexican president is fighting the drug industry with all his might, and leaving death and destruction in his wake. The American Department of State has commended this effort.
I've got a better idea for fixing Mexico's drug problem: Legalize it! Instead of cops unloading in trucks and destroying everything, why not encourage legal companies to invest in infrastructure and security?
It's the classic scenario: When government dictates, men with guns show up and destroy your life and kill you if you disagree. When consumers dictate, fair competition drives innovation and promotes stability and job growth.
I personally have never chosen to consume that product, but I have a serious problem with some asshole telling me that I can't if I wanted to. Nomatter how illegal drug use is, people are still going to do it. Law enforcement becomes an unsustainable burden on society when they attempt to regulate something that cannot be regulated.
The war on drugs has devastated Mexico and Columbia most prominently. With genetic engineering in the arsenal, drug cultivators have now created a pot plant that grows year-round and cannot be killed by pesticides, making law enforcement nearly impossible.
The new Mexican president is fighting the drug industry with all his might, and leaving death and destruction in his wake. The American Department of State has commended this effort.
I've got a better idea for fixing Mexico's drug problem: Legalize it! Instead of cops unloading in trucks and destroying everything, why not encourage legal companies to invest in infrastructure and security?
It's the classic scenario: When government dictates, men with guns show up and destroy your life and kill you if you disagree. When consumers dictate, fair competition drives innovation and promotes stability and job growth.
I personally have never chosen to consume that product, but I have a serious problem with some asshole telling me that I can't if I wanted to. Nomatter how illegal drug use is, people are still going to do it. Law enforcement becomes an unsustainable burden on society when they attempt to regulate something that cannot be regulated.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Henry Rollins "America is under attack."
Did you watch the video posted below of the kid going off on a rant about OLielly and the conservatard religious fanatics?
O'Lielly of course had to resond on his show in the most over the top way "This is child abuse!" WAAAAAAAA!!!
Watch just the first couple minutes of this, you can't take the whole thing without wanting to punch your monitor
But then watch the brilliant response that a well known blogger did using O'Losers own words against him.
Gotta love "The internets"
RIP Chuck
Today is the five-year anniversary of the passing of a great talent. On December 13, 2001, Chuck Shuldiner of the band Death lost his battle with brain cancer.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
LEGIONS OF THE ABYSS
Legions of the Abyss (the site formely known as Metal Pwns All) now has a website. http://www.legionsoftheabyss.com/
Don't forget to sign up for the forum.
Update BND:
Don't miss my exclusive interview with Tommy Stewart from the legendary thrash metal band, HALLOWS EVE.
Tommy Stewart Interview
Also, continue to check in on Lords of Classic Rock. I have made several updates and will continue to make updates in the coming weeks.
Don't forget to sign up for the forum.
Update BND:
Don't miss my exclusive interview with Tommy Stewart from the legendary thrash metal band, HALLOWS EVE.
Tommy Stewart Interview
Also, continue to check in on Lords of Classic Rock. I have made several updates and will continue to make updates in the coming weeks.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Target: Gullible Idiots (The Marketing Rant)
I throw away at least 3/4 of the mail I receive every day. Credit cards, auto insurance, and the newest product of the bunch- voice-over-IP long distance telephone service are the kind of offers that fill my mailbox, and I've been too cool about it for too long.
Credit cards are proven to be effective at preventing people from achieving real financial health. They promote the "I want it NOW" patience of a 5-year-old in a toy store rather than the prudence of a wise investor. I don't have as much to say to them now that they aren't allowed to call me on the telephone. It's much more convenient to just throw away the piles of pointless mail they send me every day. For those of you who don't think President Bush has done anything useful, please remember that he signed into law the legislation that banned telemarketing.
Now on to auto insurance. I get flyers advertising "$425 in annual savings over Allstate, State Farm, etc.". This is entertaining to me, because my annual auto insurance premiums barely cost that much. Not to mention the multiple-policy discount I have from insuring home and auto with the same provider. You'd think that with the information they can legally collect about us, they'd somehow realize that there's not enough margin in my premiums to cover the hassle of a provider switch, or the postage for the 5-7 letters they send me each week.
Voice-over IP long distance telephone is a new product that I enjoy throwing offers in the trash for every other day. It might be a decent product, but how can they make enough money from $20-$30 per month to afford the marketing costs of sending out millions of full-color ads and TV spots that we're all inundated with? If I'm interested in this product, I'm going to do some homework on them. Advertising is not a reliable source of information. I'm choosing the provider that advertises the least, because my price will be lower and the company's profits higher without all the titanic marketing expenses.
If you're as sick of mail-marketing as I am, there's two things you can do about it: To stop credit card offers, call (888) 567-8688 and let them know to stop selling your credit report information with the army of marketing zombies that clog our mailboxes every week.
To declare all-out war, read what King Maddox has to say: "How to piss off credit card companies and get away with it!"
Credit cards are proven to be effective at preventing people from achieving real financial health. They promote the "I want it NOW" patience of a 5-year-old in a toy store rather than the prudence of a wise investor. I don't have as much to say to them now that they aren't allowed to call me on the telephone. It's much more convenient to just throw away the piles of pointless mail they send me every day. For those of you who don't think President Bush has done anything useful, please remember that he signed into law the legislation that banned telemarketing.
Now on to auto insurance. I get flyers advertising "$425 in annual savings over Allstate, State Farm, etc.". This is entertaining to me, because my annual auto insurance premiums barely cost that much. Not to mention the multiple-policy discount I have from insuring home and auto with the same provider. You'd think that with the information they can legally collect about us, they'd somehow realize that there's not enough margin in my premiums to cover the hassle of a provider switch, or the postage for the 5-7 letters they send me each week.
Voice-over IP long distance telephone is a new product that I enjoy throwing offers in the trash for every other day. It might be a decent product, but how can they make enough money from $20-$30 per month to afford the marketing costs of sending out millions of full-color ads and TV spots that we're all inundated with? If I'm interested in this product, I'm going to do some homework on them. Advertising is not a reliable source of information. I'm choosing the provider that advertises the least, because my price will be lower and the company's profits higher without all the titanic marketing expenses.
If you're as sick of mail-marketing as I am, there's two things you can do about it: To stop credit card offers, call (888) 567-8688 and let them know to stop selling your credit report information with the army of marketing zombies that clog our mailboxes every week.
To declare all-out war, read what King Maddox has to say: "How to piss off credit card companies and get away with it!"
Friday, December 08, 2006
12/8 is quickly approaching
Repost from 11/18/2005
December 8 will forever be known as one of the most fucked up days in music history. On this date two assholes took from us two of the greatest musical minds in history. On December 8, 1980, Mark David Chapman could no longer fight the demons in his head. He waited all day for his prey, and even took time to shake the hand of his baby boy. Later that evening, as Chapman waited and became more and more furious, John Lennon's Limo pulls up and the rest is history.
Twenty-four years later, in a small club in Columbus, OH, another sick fuck decides to strike. It has almost been a year now since that sorry son of a bitch took Dime from us. People may think what they want of Dime, Pantera, or Damageplan, but take it from someone who grew up in the same town as the Abbott brothers; this man didn't deserve this shit.
I remember back in the early to mid eighties, when Pantera was first starting out here in Arlington. They would play little shithole clubs but would always pack them in. I was not a fan of Pantera at all growing up. I considered their music cheesier than Def Leppard's music, who at the time pretty much ruled the cheesy music scene. I remember days of going to school depressed for some reason or another, but always being cheered up when I saw how ridiculous Darrell (who went by the name Diamond Darrell Lance back in those days) looked. You could see him about 75 yards down a packed hallway because his hair towered about two feet over his head (that may be a slight exaggeration but you get the point.) And as I would get closer, I would generally have to fight the laughter. This dude would be wearing your standard leopard print sleeveless t-shirt, spandex with bandanas tied all the way up them, and a bullet belt, but what always seemed to get me was the big furry Eskimo boots. Even though at the time I had no respect for this dude, I knew deep inside that he was bound for greatness.
To be continued...
December 8 will forever be known as one of the most fucked up days in music history. On this date two assholes took from us two of the greatest musical minds in history. On December 8, 1980, Mark David Chapman could no longer fight the demons in his head. He waited all day for his prey, and even took time to shake the hand of his baby boy. Later that evening, as Chapman waited and became more and more furious, John Lennon's Limo pulls up and the rest is history.
Twenty-four years later, in a small club in Columbus, OH, another sick fuck decides to strike. It has almost been a year now since that sorry son of a bitch took Dime from us. People may think what they want of Dime, Pantera, or Damageplan, but take it from someone who grew up in the same town as the Abbott brothers; this man didn't deserve this shit.I remember back in the early to mid eighties, when Pantera was first starting out here in Arlington. They would play little shithole clubs but would always pack them in. I was not a fan of Pantera at all growing up. I considered their music cheesier than Def Leppard's music, who at the time pretty much ruled the cheesy music scene. I remember days of going to school depressed for some reason or another, but always being cheered up when I saw how ridiculous Darrell (who went by the name Diamond Darrell Lance back in those days) looked. You could see him about 75 yards down a packed hallway because his hair towered about two feet over his head (that may be a slight exaggeration but you get the point.) And as I would get closer, I would generally have to fight the laughter. This dude would be wearing your standard leopard print sleeveless t-shirt, spandex with bandanas tied all the way up them, and a bullet belt, but what always seemed to get me was the big furry Eskimo boots. Even though at the time I had no respect for this dude, I knew deep inside that he was bound for greatness.
To be continued...
A HOMETOWN HERO
Repost from 12/8/2005
I can’t believe it has already been a year. A year since that day; that awful day when our friend, brother was taken from us so senselessly. Growing up in Arlington, seeing Dime around was so commonplace, that I never really paid much attention to it. I would see him at the smallest of gigs to the largest arena concerts in town. I remember seeing Pantera play at Rascals down in the river-bottoms back in the mid-eighties, and then play at Reunion Arena opening up for Black Sabbath in the late nineties. In between, I can’t even count how many times I’ve seen them play. Metalworks, Joe’s Garage, The Basement, The Backroom in Austin, HardRocks in Lawton, or even at the Tattoo Bar with his side-band Gasoline. When Dime was alive and kicking much ass, I guess I failed to appreciate him as much I should have, because now it is fucked knowing I’ll never get to see him slay audiences with his guitar again.
Please share your thoughts and memories with us as we remember Dime and all the great music he gave us.
I can’t believe it has already been a year. A year since that day; that awful day when our friend, brother was taken from us so senselessly. Growing up in Arlington, seeing Dime around was so commonplace, that I never really paid much attention to it. I would see him at the smallest of gigs to the largest arena concerts in town. I remember seeing Pantera play at Rascals down in the river-bottoms back in the mid-eighties, and then play at Reunion Arena opening up for Black Sabbath in the late nineties. In between, I can’t even count how many times I’ve seen them play. Metalworks, Joe’s Garage, The Basement, The Backroom in Austin, HardRocks in Lawton, or even at the Tattoo Bar with his side-band Gasoline. When Dime was alive and kicking much ass, I guess I failed to appreciate him as much I should have, because now it is fucked knowing I’ll never get to see him slay audiences with his guitar again.
Please share your thoughts and memories with us as we remember Dime and all the great music he gave us.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
December 7, 1941
It's been 65 years since the Japanese Empire comitted the first act of war against us at Pearl Harbor. The 18-year-old recruits who fought back are now 83 years old, and have decided that is will be their last reunion. It's with great pride that we salute those veterans one last time as the passing of the "Greatest Generation".On to matters of historical debate: Col. Oliver North did a show recently exploring the possibility that FDR was aware of the Japanese plan to attack Pearl Harbor, but allowed it happen for the benefit of the run-to-the-flag reaction it generated. Although there were many clues in the few hours preceeding the attack, information leaks to anyone outside the Imperial Navy are extremely unlikely. The US Navy simply had no idea this could have happened.
I'm all about investigating possible conspiracies, but this one happened in a time where communication was anything but instant, and even further from reliable. In fact, the Emperor had intended to deliver their declaration of war to the US Department of State as early as 4 hours prior to the attack, but the transmission was delayed, and was not recieved until after the damage reports were being processed.
According to interviews with Japanese veterans, they had no idea the Americans weren't suspecting acts of war. A Samurai proverb states that one should always wake one's enemy before killing. A Japanese submarine was depth-charged in the wee hours, but the Navy didn't think enough about that to place the force at general quarters. The first wave of attack aircraft was spotted on radar, but the radar officer mistook the gigantic wave to be a scheduled flight of B-17's from the mainland. Remember that radar technology was in its infancy in those days.
The 2,000+ Americans that were killed that day were ultimately avenged, but it cost hundreds of thousands more. The concept of Boshido engrained a stubborness to fight that so emboldened the War Party of Japan that only a pair of nuclear bombs dissuaded further fighting. With this 65th anniversary, I think we should all close the case on the rumors of FDR's prior knowledge, and celebrate the heros that beat brutal oppression into submission all over the Asian continent and the Pacific Ocean.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
KARMA
Gullible is as Gullible does.
Maybe the "Nigerians" convinced them they were born of a virgin, could walk on water and rise from the dead.
Maybe the "Nigerians" convinced them they were born of a virgin, could walk on water and rise from the dead.
Friday, December 01, 2006
We don't call them Wing NUTS for nothing
No wonder most of the Reichwingers hate science:
A recent psychological study shows:
A recent psychological study shows:
The more psychotic the voter, the more likely they were to vote for Bush.
“Our study shows that psychotic patients prefer an authoritative leader,” Lohse says. “If your world is very mixed up, there’s something very comforting about someone telling you, ‘This is how it’s going to be.’
“Bush supporters had significantly less knowledge about current issues, government and politics than those who supported Kerry,” the study says.
Grand Old Pedophiles: Post-Election Edition
And The Hits Just Keep On Coming!!!!
Seriously, tell me this isn't a pattern and there isn't some kind of connection between Republicanism and Pederasty.
I understand why Repugs are so obsessed with protecting embryos. They're trying to figure out a way to HAVE SEX with them.
Seriously, tell me this isn't a pattern and there isn't some kind of connection between Republicanism and Pederasty.
I understand why Repugs are so obsessed with protecting embryos. They're trying to figure out a way to HAVE SEX with them.
How Democracy Dies
According to the Congressional Budget Office:
Between 1979 and 1997, income for families in the middle rose 9% from $41,000 to $45,1000.
Meanwhile, income for families in the top 1% rose from $420,000 to $1,016,000, a 140% increase.
--------------------------------------
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Between 1979 and 1997, income for families in the middle rose 9% from $41,000 to $45,1000.
Meanwhile, income for families in the top 1% rose from $420,000 to $1,016,000, a 140% increase.
--------------------------------------
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
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