Bush Booed At Baseball Game: Fighter Jet Worthy?

Last night, we heard a fighter jet fly overhead, which wouldn't be cause for alarm if we didn't live on Capitol Hill, inside the 6-mile No Fly Zone.

Our first concern: the president was a few blocks away, tossing the first pitch at the Washington Nationals game.

I checked the news, but there was nothing about the president or the game.

I checked again this morning and found this...




Bad pitch? Sure.

Loud booing? Obviously.

But fighter jet worthy?

I guess it is if you're George W. Bush.

Coward.



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Today's Sermon: Stealth Atheism

Today's sermon comes from Orlando, Florida, where the local citizens are so sensitive that a billboard can ruin their appetites...

Business Owners, Customers Upset Over Controversial Billboard

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- It looked harmless enough, but the words on a billboard un-nerved so many people that a popular restaurant nearby actually lost business.

The billboard was on Colonial Drive near the Old Cheney Highway. Although the popular Straub's Seafood restaurant often advertises on it, this wasn't their billboard. The sign was taken down after Channel 9 started asking questions.

The billboard came down around 4:00 Friday afternoon and nearby business owners are relieved. Straub's restaurant can replace the sign with the night's specials.

At first glance the sign looked like a children's cartoon, but the message next to the fairy princess stirred emotions.

"When you condemn all religions and say they are a fairytale that is wrong," said Rich Stormes, a nearby business owner.

The billboard went up a week before Easter and business at the restaurant went down.

"Easter Sunday is usually a busy good day," said John Russel, an employee at Straub's. "Easter Sunday business was down by two thirds."

Since it's so close, John Russel's customers thought the restaurant paid for the billboard. To clear any confusion up, Russel put up a sign of his own and called MediaNet, the company who owns the billboard.

"It's been causing us some problem. I think it's causing a bit of controversy city wide. People have been contacting the media," Russel added.

MediaNet said it had no idea the sign was there and someone put it up illegally in the middle of the night.

Nearby business owners said they weren't buying it.

"They should have known what was going up on the billboard. He should proof it. He had to proof it," Stormes stated.

The billboard rents for $1,400 a month. If an anti-religious group paid to rent it legitimately there is not telling how long it would have been up.

Orange County does not regulate messages on billboards. They are protected by free speech.

Thus endeth today's sermon.

Go forth today and consider that which ruins your appetite.

Can a billboard control where you go and what you do?

Think about it.

I mean it, damn it!




Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Silly Saturday: It's Always Somebody's Birthday!

Have a Silly Saturday, for tomorrow's sermon will surely darken your Sunday.



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

They Really Are "Just Words"

The short & the sweet:




Truly heavy sigh.



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Say What? Obama Compares Election to Bataan Death March

This guy's not ready for unscripted reality TV:

"For those of you who are just weary of the primary, and feeling kind of ground down or that it's like a Bataan death march, I just want everybody to know that the future is bright," Sen. Barack Obama told a group of fundraisers in New York on Thursday, according to a pool report.

What will we tell the veterans?

That Obama was joking?

Some joke, Obama...

During the march from Mariveles, on the southern end of the Bataan Peninsula, to San Fernando, 55 miles away, 76,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war were bound, beaten, or killed by their Japanese captors. Some were bayoneted when they fell from exhaustion. Some were forced to dig their own graves and were buried alive. Only 56,000 prisoners reached camp alive. Thousands of them later died from malnutrition and disease. In August, 1945, the Russian Army liberated the prison camp in Mukden and the first Americans they saw were at the Harbor of Darien, Manchuria, when the U.S. Navy loaded the prisoners aboard a ship for the long-awaited trip home....to the U.S.A.

Not funny, Obama.

Not funny at all.

And a piss-poor excuse for an analogy, to boot.

I expect a half-assed apology by the end of the day.

But will it be enough?

Could it ever be enough?






Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Obama Changes His Mind About Rev. Wright, Who's Now Livin' Large On His Congregation's Generosity

Remember that "historic" Obama speech on race? Scratch the part about "I could no more disown him... like an uncle... yadayadayada." and replace it with this:

"Had the reverend not retired, and had he not acknowledged that what he had said had deeply offended people and were inappropriate and mischaracterized what I believe is the greatness of this country, for all its flaws, then I wouldn't have felt comfortable staying at the church," Obama said Thursday during a taping of the ABC talk show, "The View." The interview will be broadcast Friday.

Don't worry about Rev. Wright, though.

He's got a sweet retirement deal going, courtesy of his church (way better than Obama's Rezko house deal).

Wright is about to move to a 10,340-square-foot, four-bedroom home in suburban Chicago, currently under construction in Tinley Park, a gated community.

Let's rephrase that...

Wright is about to move to a $1.6 million dollar, 10,340-square-foot, four-bedroom home in suburban Chicago, currently under construction in a gated community.

Let's do it again...

The man who said, "God damn America!" and "White folks' greed runs a world in need," is moving into a secure, gated community."

Some details:

According to documents obtained from the Cook County Register of Deeds, Wright purchased two empty lots in Tinley Park, Ill., from Chicago restaurant chain owner Kenny Lewis for $345,000 in 2004.

Documents show Wright sold the property to his church, Trinity United, in December 2006, with the proceeds going to a living trust shared with his wife, Ramah.

The sale price for the land was just under $308,000, about $40,000 less than Wright’s original purchase two years earlier.

Public records of the sale show Trinity initially obtained a $10 million bank loan to purchase the property and build a new house on the land.

But further investigation with tax and real estate attorneys showed that the church had actually secured a $1.6 million mortgage for the home purchase, and attached a $10 million line of credit, for reasons unspecified in the paperwork.

Here's what I find most interesting about this retirement deal:

Rev. Wright is moving into a gated community in Tinley Park, where he'll live alongside 45,092 white people and 931 black people.

To quote one of my favorite TV shows, Rev. Wright is "movin' on up."



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

The CBS News Video Anderson Cooper, Keith Olberman & Dan Abrams Don't Want You To See

Repeat after Obama People: Land mines aren't as dangerous as bullets...




Remember what the Republican swiftboaters did to John Kerry?

Why on earth would Obama Dems do the same thing to a fellow Democrat?

Oh, yeah. I forgot.


They have a crush on him, and he makes them have tingly feelings up their legs.

And Obama will come over for dinner and they'll laugh and joke around and "stuff."

And they'll all be just the best of...






Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Bite Me, Mrs. Greenspan (aka Andrea Mitchell)!

Must See TV


David Trimble?

Andrea Mitchell most certainly knows all about David "Crankpot" Trimble!

Jamie Rubin was right on the money when he referred to David Trimble as a “crankpot.” No truer words were ever spoken.

Trimble is a CONSERVATIVE, affiliated with the Unionist Party (that’s union with Britain, not “union” as in “labour”) apparently Andrea Mitchell doesn’t know that or she wouldn’t have brought up the man’s name.

The male dominated “unionist” parties in N.I. are notoriously anti-women, elitist, and aligned with the British Tory party. Thus, David Trimble’s statement as “evidence” is preposterous and laughable–sor of like saying, well, “Rush Limbaugh Said…”

I watch “pundits’ like Mitchell, Scarborough and Matthews, and it is alarming to realize how LITTLE THEY KNOW NOTHING about the world they judge every day in their commentary.

No one with any comprehension of the N.I. peace process would think otherwise–trust me, even the British government thinks David Trimble is a “crankpot.” And, his own “crankpot” Ulster Unionists party–the party of old, white men in N.I.–threw him out as leader. Even they couldn’t stand him.

Pathetic attempt, Mrs. Greenspan, to spread more lies and further divide Democrats.



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Unity Pony Code Red! Obama's Bleeding Voters!

It's not a pretty sight.

Obama has lost 16 points in the daily presidential tracking poll against McCain since Feb. 7th.

McCain leads Obama 51% to 41%. A little over a month ago, Obama was leading McCain, 46% to 43%.


Meanwhile, Clinton has lost only 3 points TO McCain during the same time period and is currently gaining (McCain 50%; Clinton 43%).

This primary is far from over.



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

The Bank Failures Are Coming! The Bank Failures Are Coming!

But you knew that already, didn't you?

You already knew that these BushCo bailouts were aimed at CEOs and Bushmade men, whose golden parachutes are in perfect working order.

And you knew that we, the taxpayers, would end up footing the bill for BushCo's financial folly.

But did you know that the FDIC is hiring more workers to get ready for 150 bank failures?

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. wants to add 140 workers to bring staff levels to 360 workers in the division that handles bank failures, John Bovenzi, the agency's chief operating officer, said Tuesday.

"We want to make sure that we're prepared," Bovenzi said ...

Gerard Cassidy, managing director of bank equity research at RBC Capital Markets, projects 150 bank failures over the next three years, with the highest concentration coming from states such as California and Florida where an overheated real estate market is in a fast freeze.

What I'd like to know:

How do they know it's 150?

There'd have to be a list, right?

Who made the list?

When was this list begun?

Which banks are on the list?

Who are these new workers? (Unemployed mortgage brokers...? There's your daily dose of probable irony for you.)

Here's what you need to consider today...

Which Democratic presidential candidate will be best prepared to deal with this bank failure nightmare... and the rest of the BushCo messes?

A blank slate or a seasoned fighter?



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

What Was Google Supposed To Do?

Turn its l into a crucifix?

National Review Online (Caution! Wingnut Xing Area) had this to say:

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Nothing Special About Today [Kathryn Jean Lopez]

Like, Memorial Day, Easter appears to be a holiday Google doesn't do — although it managed to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and the first day of spring (even if they skipped Jonah and my birthdays!) this past week.

How tacky would it be to incorporate the Christian holiday?




That's how tacky.

Plus, the logo now reads Googte.

Duh. It's not always about Jesus, people.



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Obama/Richardson: Coming Soon To A Bumper Sticker Near You?

Why else would Richardson wait so long to endorse Obama? Appearing to be neutral has always been his strong suit.

Why else would Richardson --normally, a mild-mannered statesman-- suddenly start accusing the Clinton campaign of "gutter" politics? That's the kind of thing your wingman does in a campaign, not just some random state governor.

Why else would Richardson turn his back on the political machine that created his success? I don't think Richardson would do that for another cabinet post; he'd expect to be asked, even without an endorsement.

While I'm concentrating on Richardson's motive, Tom Watson finds the flaw in James Carville's Judas quote:

You're Nothing to Me Now - Not a Brother, Not a Friend

With Democrats like Bill Richardson, do we need Republicans? On the Today Show, the former presidential candidate actually had the temerity to call for "unity" in the ongoing slog to a Democratic nomination - just two days after one of the great turn-coat performances in party history. Richardson, an ineffective and sometimes disinterested and disoriented candidate early in this race, turned his back on the political patrons who plucked him from semi-obscurity and endorsed Barack Obama - well after the New Mexico primary, when his imprimatur might actually have helped the Illinois Senator. Then he went against his national call of only a month ago for superdelegates to vote their states or districts: "It should reflect the vote of my state," he boldly proclaimed - way back then. Richardson now claims that because New Mexico was so close, he's free to abandon those much-ballyhooed principles (thanks to Jane Hamsher for repeatedly pointing this out). He then accused the Clinton campaign of engaging in "gutter politics" - which seemed to suit Richardson just fine when he was being appointed to a series of prominent positions - while simultaneously trying to claim he remains "very loyal to the Clintons." He then tried to extend that criticism of negative campaigning to the Obama campaign, even as he was endorsing it. The man actually believes he's now in the position to bring the two bitter campaigns together! What a strange mass of political protoplasm - equal helpings of rank opportunism and true cluelessness. So today, Paul Begala suggested that if you were hanging from a cliff you wouldn't want Bill Richardson to be the one holding the rope - this after his partner James Carville infamously ridiculed Richardson as a "Judas" during Easter week (he stood by it today). But Carville had it wrong - he picked a competent traitor. For all his faults, Judas got the job done. Bill Richardson is no Judas. No, no, no - he's Fredo.

I agree, Tom.

Well said!



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Obama: "This Is Not A Crackpot Church"

Okie Dokie, as Obama likes to say.

OBAMA: I will be honest with you that I didn’t have that many conversations with him over the last year just because I have been so busy. I haven't been going to church. I wasn’t hearing a lot of these comments. The ones that are most offensive are ones that I never knew about until they were reported on. I had had conversations with him in the past – in fact from the day I first met him -- about some of his views. Understand this, something else that has not been reported on enough is despite these very offensive views, this guy has built one of the finest churches in Chicago. This is not a crackpot church. Witness the fact that Bill Clinton invited him to the White House when he was having his personal crises. This is a pillar of the community and if you go there on Easter on this Easter Sunday and you sat down there in the pew you would think this is just like any other church. ... So I don’t want to suggest that somehow, the loops you have been seeing typifies the services all the time. That is the danger of the YouTube era. It doesn't excuse what he said. But it gives it some perspective.

Let's translate, shall we?

I'll be honest with you

I'm gonna lie to you now.

I didn’t have that many conversations with him over the last year-

trans. Don't blame me for what that guy said.

I haven't been going to church

trans. Don't blame me.

I wasn’t hearing a lot of these comments

trans. Don't blame me.

The ones that are most offensive are ones that I never knew about

trans. Don't blame me.

I had had conversations with him in the past – in fact from the day I first met him -- about some of his views

trans. I knew he was a wacko, but don't blame me.

Bill Clinton invited him to the White House

trans. Don't even imagine that I, an elected Democrat with the help of the Clinton 1996 landslide, had anything to do with suggesting this minister be invited.

if you go there on Easter on this Easter Sunday and you sat down there in the pew you would think this is just like any other church

We have pews, hymnals, and Rev. Wright is away on a luxury cruise for Easter.

the danger of the YouTube era

Don't blame Rev. Wright for selling his video sermons on the church's website, and don't blame me. Blame YouTube!

Sorry, Obama. Crackpot is as Crackpot preaches.

Yours may not be that "we don't have musical accompaniment because it's not in the Bible" Church of Christ, but yours is still a crackpot church.



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Of Church & Eggs & Parenting

I saw the news today, Oh Boy...




And for those not celebrating the Christian version of today's calendar date...





Happy Whatever You're Celebrating --Or Not- Day!





Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Silly Saturday: How Peter Got His Cottontail

Back, by popular demand...

My childhood!




Have a Silly Saturday!

And get your inner Pagan on today...

Dye some eggs and buy some candy, for tomorrow brings the Easter sermon on the blog.



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

WTF Is John Kerry Smoking?

"Because he's a black man."

Say what?

Somewhere Geraldine Ferraro must be sighing heavily.



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Jesse Jackson & I Are "Typical White Persons"

Today's Law of Obama Unintended Consequences:

Remember yesterday, when Obama said this...?

...The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn't. But she is a typical white person who, uh, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know there's a reaction that's been been bred into our experiences that don't go away and that sometimes come out in the wrong way and that's just the nature of race in our society. We have to break through it...

Typical? Hm.

"There is nothing more painful to me … than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery, then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved." - the Reverend Jesse Jackson, as quoted in US News, 3/10/96.

Here's where the Law of Obama Unintended Consequences comes in...

Jesse Jackson may have been afraid of Black men.

"Typical white women are just plain afraid of men, Obama.

Consider how many actresses play corpses on TV each and every night.

Consider how many news stories are based on women being terrorized, brutalized, and murdered on a daily basis.

When was the last time you feared a woman walking down the street behind you, Obama?

When was the last time you feared confronting a group of women disturbing the peace outside your apartment building?

"That night, well past midnight, a car pulls up in front of my apartment building, carrying a troop of teenage boys and a set of stereo speakers so loud that the floor of my apartment begins to shake. I've learned to ignore such disturbances -- where else do they have to go? I say to myself. But on this particular evening I have someone staying over ...

"'Listen, people, are trying to sleep around here. Why don't y'all take it someplace else?'

"The four boys inside say nothing, don't even move. The wind wipes away my drowsiness, and I feel suddenly exposed, standing in a pair of shorts on the sidewalk in the middle of the night...."

Barack Obama, Dreams from My Father, 1995, pp. 269-271

And that's just the obvious, Obama.

By insulting your own grandmother, you insult every white woman who marched for civil rights, made an effort to further race relations, and dared to look beneath skin color for the true measure of people.

The worst insult?

You assume that I am incapable of assessing your candidacy without considering your skin color.

That's your biggest mistake, Obama.

You have no idea that "typical white persons," like me, embraced desegregation in Texas public schools and even pitched a wall-eyed fit when ignorant white boys asked the new black girls, "So, when are you moving back to Africa?"

You know what else you have no idea about, Obama?

The high school I attended in the 60's still shows the tree-lined street its twin entrances, historical reminders of its original architecture: Separate entrances for boys and girls.

You still have a lot to learn about stereotypes, Obama.



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Obama: My Grandmother Is "A Typical White Person"

Ouch! I hope Obama's grandmother is in a coma, 'cause if she's not... Damn!

"... .. The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn't. But she is a typical white person who, uh, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know there's a reaction that's been been bred into our experiences that don't go away and that sometimes come out in the wrong way and that's just the nature of race in our society. We have to break through it. ... .." - Senator Barack Obama

Got that?

"Typical white people" are racist, Obama?

Sad. Just sad.



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

McCain May Have No Clue What's Going On, But Right Now He's Winning

How freakin' weird is this?

McCain's qualities in the GE

by Jerome Armstrong, Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 11:22:28 PM EST

Ignoring the GE polls, which this far out are good for looks, and momentum (and maybe the nomination) for a post; I've been looking at a CNN poll (via email) that details the ups and downs of McCain for the GE.

1. Has the right experience to be president? Yes, say 68%

2. Is a strong and decisive leader? That applies, say 65%

3. Would work well with both parties to get things done in Washington? Yes, say 56%

4. Cares about people like you? That applies, say 51%

5. Someone you would be proud to have as president? That applies, say 51%

6. Can bring the kind of change the country needs? No, say 58%

7. Has a vision for the country's future? That does not apply, say 59%

8. Generally agrees with you on issues you care about? That does not apply, say 59%

Creepy, to say the least.

So... who can derail the McCain Train?

Who can successfully speak out --with authority-- against the historical divisiveness of groups like the evangelical rightwing (currently being courted by McCain) and have the names, dates, and quotes they've used against her/him to back up such claims?

Who can successfully detail the Democratic Party's half century of demanding equal rights and economic security for all people --without vilifying one or more groups of people-- and have the names, dates, and quotes to back her/him up?

Who can successfully attack McCain's "works well with both parties" claim without promising to appoint Republicans to her/his cabinet?

Who can offer "change" that is based on promoting the general welfare of all and not just her/his personal demographic?

Who can defeat McCain with 4 5 simple words?

Those words? "It's still the economy, stupid."



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

If I Post This Obama News, Will You Call Me A Racist?

Senator Obama delivered "the speech" yesterday.

He was forced to deliver said speech because... well, the CBS poll just prior to the speech explains:

CBS Poll: Pastor's Remarks Hurt Obama

March 18, 2008

The poll found that among registered voters, 25 percent said they had heard "a lot" about Rev. Jeremiah Wright's comments, while 33 percent said they had heard some. Forty-two percent said they hadn't heard about the comments.

Of those voters, sixty-five percent said it didn’t make a difference in their view of Obama. However, of those whose opinion is changed, the net impact is very negative. Thirty percent said it made them have a less favorable view, whereas 2 percent said it made their view more favorable.

Interviewing for these questions was completed Sunday and Monday, before Obama's speech on the subject today.

And now, more news...

Racists endorse Obama on candidate's website

In an interview March 18, 2008, Malik Zulu Shabazz, national chairman of the New Black Panther Party—a "controversial black extremist party whose leaders are notorious for their racist statements and for leading anti-white activism"—"who has given scores of speeches condemning 'white men' and Jews, confirmed his organization's endorsement" of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in an interview with WorldNetDaily.com's Aaron Klein.

Because I've posted this news on the CBS poll and Obama's newest endorsement, will you now call me a racist?

Probably.

Any news that jeopardizes your dreams of a hope & change pony can't be ignored.

But you won't see the vitriol posted here. I moderate comments on this blog, and I don't publish the hateful ones.

Hm. Maybe that makes me a racist, too...

Like Obama's white grandmother (the one who raised and nurtured Obama), who allegedly feared seeing Black men on the street: Racist?

Just as racist as Obama's preacher man?

Note: Hawaii's entire Black population is currently 2.5%, and the percentage was much lower when Obama was a child. In fact, the Black population there at the time was mostly members of the US Armed Services.

I'm having a really hard time believing that Grandma was afraid of soldiers stationed in Hawaii.

But I'll be called a racist if I speak up, won't I?




Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Here's The Timeline For Your "Hope & Change" Campaign

For those out there who still want to believe that Candidate Obama is running a different kind of campaign, think again...

Attack Timeline

'Tis a ponderous timeline, indeed.



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Watch As Video Viewers React To Obama's Rev. Wright

In just over an hour, Barack Obama will deliver his "I'm not like Rev. Wright, even though I've been one of his flock for 20 years... Pay no attention to my minister because I'm multi-racial" speech on... you guessed it... race.

Maybe it will work. The man can read a speech from a teleprompter, y'all!

But here's what Obama has to overcome this morning:




Note: Support for Rev. Wright's words never rises above 0% for Democrats, Independents, or Republicans.

And African-American support averages about 20%.

Read the detailed results here.

Disclaimer: I originally thought last year that Obama would be unbeatable.

I was wrong.



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Obama's New Minister: "Stop Trying To Crucify Us!"

OK, this is really beginning to piss me off...

Church accuses media of 'crucifixion'

CHICAGO – The church attended by Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) fought back Sunday against mounting criticism of its pastor, accusing the media of character assassination and “crucifixion.”

Otis Moss III, the current pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, used his pulpit to defend his congregation and its past minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., from a wave of controversy stemming from inflammatory statements made by Wright.

"We have listened and watched as the wonderful work of our church has been vilified this week," he told about 3,000 congregants on Palm Sunday morning. "This week should be special for us because I guess we know a little something about crucifixion."

--Snip--


"Our very sanity is connected to the church. If it hadn't been for the church we would have lost our minds in the insanity of racism," he said, in a sermon titled, "Why the Black Church Won't Shut Up."

Although Moss never mentioned Obama explicitly, he alluded to his most famous parishioner in a prayer asking God to "do something amazing in this country" and "break down walls that are centuries old."

If you replace the word Black with the word White in Wright's and Moss' sermons and they were delivered at Bob Jones U, this would also piss me off.

Jesus isn't running for office.

And the church building is not a place for electioneering.

No wonder the IRS is investigating Obama's church.

Gee, I wonder if Obama (who claims he's never heard a word of these sermons) is even aware of the investigation. He should be. After all, he was the speaker who caused the investigation.

Obama: "Don't know much about my church or my friend, Rezko, either. Trust me, or no pony for you."



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Obama's Yeee Haaaw Moment: Rev. Wright Gets Scrubbed From Obama's Website

Is it enough that Obama has now scrubbed his website of Rev. Wright? So much for that whole "spritual mentor" and "guiding moral compass" talk.

This is no longer posted on Obama's website (thank goodness for screen capture software):



Click photo to see enlarged view

Is this scrub act enough to satisfy the masses, Obama?

Apparently not.

As of today, Obama appears to be bleeding support:

Pastor Jeremiah Wright, who has become part of the national political dialogue in recent days, is viewed favorably by 8% of voters nationwide. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 58% have an unfavorable view of the Pastor whose controversial comments have created new challenges for Barack Obama’s Presidential campaign.

Wright was Obama’s Pastor until he retired last month, but Obama has repudiated the preacher’s comments.

Seventy-three percent (73%) of voters say that Wright’s comments are racially divisive. That opinion is held by 77% of White voters and 58% of African-American voters. In addressing the issue, Obama warned against injecting race into the campaign .

Most voters, 56%, said Wright’s comments made them less likely to vote for Obama. That figure includes 44% of Democrats. Just 11% of voters say they are more likely to vote for Obama because of Wright’s comments.

However, among African-Americans, 29% said Wright’s comments made them more likely to support Obama. Just 18% said the opposite while 50% said Wright’s comments would have no impact.

Overall, voters are evenly divided as to whether Obama should resign his membership in the Church—42% say that he should while 40% disagree. White voters, by a 46% to 33% margin, say that Obama should leave the Church. African-American voters, by a 68% to 16% margin, say he should not. Wright retired last month as Pastor of the Church.

The story became big news in the past several days and has had at least a temporary impact on public perceptions of Obama. Last Thursday, 52% of voters nationwide had a favorable opinion of Obama. That figure has fallen to 47% on Monday (see recent daily results). In recent days, Obama has also lost ground to John McCain in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

Sixty-six percent (66%) of voters say they have read, seen, or heard news stories about Wright’s comments.

Yeee Haaaw, voters!



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

The Obama Plan To Screw Michigan

Don't believe the Obama campaign lies about the Michigan primary.

Get the facts.



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Today's Sermon: Of Cults & Group-Think

To be part of a group means you're really special.

Why else would anyone join a group?

I apologize up front for the "carriage-return" format in the cited text from The Guru Test; I'm too lazy to correct it this morning.

6.

Group-think, Suppression of Dissent, and Enforced Conformity in Thinking

The cult has standard answers for almost everything, and members
are expected to parrot those answers.
Willfulness or independence or skeptical thinking is seen as bad.
Members accept the leader's reality as their own.

Ask a candid question, Get a canned answer.

There are two corollaries:

• A) Independent or critical thinking is discouraged,
  especially critical thoughts about the leader or the group or the cult's teachings.
  
• B) Positive thoughts and statements about the leader and
  the group are encouraged.
  

In cults, no criticism of the leader, his teachings, or
his organization is seen as valid -- such criticism is always automatically
wrong, just because it criticizes the guru, his teachings,
or his group.
(And of course such criticism of the guru or his group also breaks
Cult Rule Number One,

"The Guru Is Always
Right".)

Group-think is not restricted to cults. It is a common problem throughout the world of groups and organizations. In her youthful drunkalogue, Smashed, Koren Zailckas encountered it while she was a football cheerleader who partied with the jocks: The experts say that jocks are susceptible to "group-think," a decision-making model that includes collective rationalization (i.e.: "There is no I in TEAM") and the illusion that shit can't happen. Smashed, Koren Zailckas, page 128.

Many cults claim to have some divine, infallible teachings,
"Sacred Science",
"The True Word of God",

"so of course any criticism of the guru or his teachings
is always wrong, and downright evil, because it is going against God."
...Or because it is going against The Spiritual Principles of the
Cosmos, or it is going against Nature, or whatever
the purported Higher Principle is...

In some cults, dissent is considered synonymous
with demon possession because
'Satan opposes the group's great works.'
Criticism of the cult, the cult leader, or his teachings
is seen as proof that someone is dominated by evil forces.

In many cults, the attitude is, "Those who agree with us are 'saved'.
Those who disagree with us, or criticize our group, our beliefs, or our
leader, are 'the lost', or the 'unsaved'."

Likewise, in cults, there is a reversal of judgement.
The cult itself is never judged, or subject to judgement; the people who comment
on the cult are judged by what they say about the cult.
People who say good things about the cult are deemed (by the cult) to be good people.
People who say bad things about the cult are deemed to be bad people.

Frank Buchman's Oxford
Groups/Moral Re-Armament cult (that was the precursor of Alcoholics Anonymous)
insisted that anyone who criticized 'The Movement' was immoral:

Moral Re-Armament cannot be honestly opposed on intellectual grounds
because it is basic truth....
Opposition to Moral Re-Armament has special significance.
It always comes from the morally defeated.



Remaking Men, by Paul Campbell and Peter Howard, page 66.

Dissenting members are advised to seek a consensus in all matters.
One fundamentalist Christian cult taught,

"In the abundance of counselors there is safety. He who
trusts his own mind is a fool."

Likewise, the Love Family cult told members who tried to
think critically,

"What's inside your mind is lies. We are your
mind. The group is your
mind."⁵

Cults can be quite harsh in
punishing
deviant or critical speech or thought.

As Synanon degenerated from a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program into a crazy cult, dissent was suppressed: In debates of Synanon policies on the floor, often too few representatives of the commune were involved. And once decisions had been made, it was dangerous to critique them. Those who did so were silenced with accusations of whining, negativism, or lack of commitment. Such indictments were often accompanied by allegations of contracting with other residents who felt the same way -- other dissenters -- though the very act of dissent was an essential contract-breaking activity. There was, in other words, no way one could effectively or appropriately disagree with decisions made by top officials. One was caught in a Catch-22 net of conformity. As Bill Olin described it, "The magic circle had deteriorated into a mono-dimensional psychic cattle prod for keeping us troops in line."9 9. Olin, William F., Escape From Utopia, 249. The Rise And Fall Of Synanon; A California Utopia, Rod Janzen, pages 218-219.

Group-think usually means no real thought at all;
just repeat the buzz-words and slogans and follow the program.
And group-think usually just means that the group thinks
that the Guru is always right.

Jeffrey Schaler wrote in his paper


Cult Busting:

One way of testing the cult nature of a group is by challenging
the ideology binding the group together. We can discover something
about the nature of a group by how well its members tolerate
opposition to the ideology that holds the group together. How
well do members tolerate difference of opinion, opinion that
challenges the very ideological heart of the group?

Members of the cult are like a colony of insects when disturbed.
A frenzy of activity and protective measures are executed when
core ideologies are challenged. The stronger the evidence challenging
the truthfulness of the group ideology, the more likely members
of the cult are to either lash out in a more or less predictable
fashion, fall apart, or disband into separate cult colonies.

Another aspect of group-think is something that might be called
"group-feel." The cult dictates what feelings or emotions
good members are supposed to feel.
Usually, all members are supposed to maintain a cheerful disposition
all of the time, happily proclaiming that the guru and his teachings
are just wonderful and will save the world, or some such thing.
Anger is permitted only when criticizing non-conforming or
under-performing cult members, or when faulting outsiders -- especially
when condemning "enemies" of the cult and other outsiders who criticize the cult, and when condemning competing cults or groups. Otherwise, everybody wears a smiley happy face.

Negative emotions about the cult or its leader are considered
especially bad -- a sure sign that someone is failing the standards
of holiness.

Thus endeth today's sermon.

Go forth today and look for the telltale signs of cult behavior.

You might be surprised how often you recognize it in people around you.

At least, think about it.

I mean it, damn it!




Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Silly Saturday: Food Court, The Musical

I'd spend more time at the mall if this were standard food court fare!

Have a Silly Saturday! (For tomorrow is Sermon Day.)



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Let's Ask Obama About The High Cost Of Healthcare & His Wife's $300K Hospital Board Salary

Before I begin my rant, I have to say that I'm a fan of Democrats' earmarks for the most part. Without them, after-school programs, subsidized lunches, community clinics, reading programs, and other worthwhile projects wouldn't have much of a chance to thrive. That being said, I do take issue with politicians who use said earmarks to line their own damned pockets. Enough said.


Frankly, I'm not holding my breath while waiting for a PA debate moderator to ask Saint Obama about his million dollar earmark to his wife's employer, The University of Chicago Hospital.

Or about Michelle Obama's "job" there as VP of Community Affairs (one of those "image improvement" jobs-- to the tune of $300K. (No wonder healthcare costs are so damned high! $300,000 a year to a hospital administrator who is in charge, not of any department having anything to do with the quality of health care being provided but, of "community affairs?")

Or about the fact that Michelle Obama's salary more than doubled shortly after her husband was elected to the US Senate.

Sidebar: If you can find any mention of a "vice president for community and external affairs" (with or without the appendage of "external") at the U of C Hospitals prior to Michelle Obama, let me know.

I can't find anything explaining this VP job.

Nor can I find any reference to Michelle Obama's predecessor in that job.

Hm. Maybe the debate moderator will ask about the fact that Barack Obama's #1 campaign contributor was --you guessed it-- The University of Chicago Hospital. (Note that the contribution just about matches Michelle Obama's salary prior to her husband's election to the US Senate.

And then there's Obama's connection to the Crowns and Pritzkers.

More on that later, but check out Obama's earmarks for yourself.



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

It's O'Gettin' O'Bama O'Weird Out There!

Put the Kool-Aid down and back away, blogging knitters!




If you don't find this weird, we need to talk.



Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Quick! Watch Obama's Preacher Before The Video Is Pulled!

Note: Every time someone uploads this video to YouTube, it gets pulled.




Jesus, Mary, Muhammad and The Easter Bunny!

If this isn't race baiting, I don't know what is.

Concentrate on the issues, people.

To quote Will Smith: "'Cause damn!"




Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.

Obama Plays The Bush v Gore Card: Bring In The Federal Goverment!

Barack Obama wants it all, and he's willing to turn to BushCo to bamboozle the vote in Florida and Michigan.

Obama camp raises flags about Florida revote

Sen. Barack Obama's campaign is raising red flags about the idea of a revote in Florida to solve the mess over the state's delegates to the presidential nominating convention.

David Plouffle, campaign manager to Obama, noted that the lead advocate for a mail-in revote is Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, is a supporter of his opponent Sen. Hillary Clinton. Plouffle said any revote would need to get U.S. Justice Department approval.

Plouffle again floated the idea of seating the delegations from Florida and Michigan - which were stripped of their delegates because they held their primaries too early - through some sort of negotiated "arrangement." One idea that has been tossed around is to evenly split the delegates between the two Democratic presidential candidates. If Florida's Jan. 29 vote were counted, Clinton would get a net of about 38 more pledged delegates than Obama.

Lawyering up against Florida and Michigan doesn't sound like either Unity^® or Hope^® to me. In fact, it sounds like a Pure D threat, considering that there is absolutely no constitutional precedence to support such interference by the government. In fact...

But in considering the delegate election, the (Supreme) Court seems satisfied that the rank and file have the “associational right to vote” for a convention delegate “without undue state-imposed impediment.”

And what about that "Just give us the same amount of votes that Clinton got, and we'll call it a done deal" proposal?

Like that's fair?

Aw, come on.

You're kidding, right?






Best bar bet in the world: Delilah didn't do it.
Judges 16:19-- And she made him (Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.