Sobering Numbers

There are 1,500 shelters for battered women in the United States.

There are 3,800 animal shelters.

Each year, medical expenses from domestic violence total at least $3 to $5 billion.
Businesses forfeit another $100 million in lost wages, sick leave, absenteeism and non-productivity.

It is estimated that 25% of workplace problems such as absenteeism, lower productivity, turnover and excessive use of medical benefits are due to family violence.

Violence is the reason stated for divorce in 22% of middle-class marriages.

Almost 6 times as many women victimized by intimates (18%) as those victimized by strangers (3%) did not report their violent victimization to police because they feared reprisal from the offender.

Annually, compared to males, females experienced over 10 times as many incidents of violence by an intimate. On average each year, women experienced 572,032 violent victimizations at the hands of an intimate, compared to 48,983 incidents committed against men.

75% of the calls to law enforcement for intervention and assistance in domestic violence occur after separation from batterers. One study revealed that half of the homicides of female spouses and partners were committed by men after separation from batterers.

The saddest fact: Those stats are from 1991.

The numbers are much worse since 1991:

On average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in this country every day.

An estimated 3 million women are physically abused by husbands and/or boyfriends per year.

In 2000, intimate partner homicides accounted for 33.5 percent of the murders of women and less than four percent of the murders of men.

A gun is the weapon most commonly used in domestic homicides. In fact, more than three times as many women are murdered by guns used by their husbands or intimate acquaintances than are killed by strangers’ guns, knives or other weapons combined.

In 2002, 54 percent of female homicide victims were shot and killed with a gun.

As of today:

85-95% of all domestic violence victims are female.

Over 500,000 women are stalked by an intimate partner each year.

5.3 million women are abused each year.

1,232 women are killed each year by an intimate partner.

Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women.

Women are more likely to be attacked by someone they know rather than by a stranger.

Phone Numbers To Memorize:

National Domestic
Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
1-800-787-3224 (TDD)

What's all this about?

Women have more important issues to deal with every cotton-pickin' day than jumping onto the Unity Pony Express and singing Kumbaya, damn it.

As long as discrimination and inequities remain so commonplace everywhere in the world, as long as girls and women are valued less, fed less, fed last, overworked, underpaid, not schooled, subjected to violence in and outside their homes -- the potential of the human family to create a peaceful, prosperous world will not be realized.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, 1995

"For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are."
-Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)


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 A Sin To Kill A Mockingbird

Thus endeth today's sermon.

Go forth today, aware that there are mockingbirds all around us...

And there are those who kill them.

Think about it. Seriously think about that metaphor and those who kill.

I really mean it today, damn it!




"For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are."
-Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)


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: Build Something Today!

... Even if it's not meant to last.




Have a Silly Saturday!




Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:



Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.


"For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are."
-Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)


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.

Yippee! I Kan Haz Gunz In DC... Eventually!

Legal handguns. Coming soon to my neighborhood (Capitol Hill):

1. Yes, I'll be able to own a handgun legally.

2. But I can't legally buy it (I'm a DC resident) in either Maryland or Virginia. So? Pennsylvania's super close, and so is West Virginia. And there's no sales tax in Delaware.

3. There are currently no gun stores in DC. Just illegal gun dealers. A lot of them, apparently. With the economy in such a piss poor state, I expect
GUNS Я US to open up on 8th ST any minute now.

4. I won't be able to carry the gun anywhere, which means anyone who lets anyone else know that they own a legal handgun could risk burglaries every time they leave the house. 'Cause that's where the legal gun has to be at all times, y'all.

5. And, in order to buy a legal handgun and bring it into my home eventually, I would have to register said legal handgun and pass a writing test. No problem, though. I have an undergrad degree in English.

Mayor Adrian "Hope & Change" Fenty isn't happy about the Supreme W. Court's ruling, but he's got his Chief of Police, Cathy "Checkpoint Charlie Neighborhood Barricade" Lanier working on a bunch of legal handgun restrictions for us DCers.

Wow! Just in time for the weekend...

Cathy Lanier sent out an email to residents expressing her disappointment in the ruling, reminding citizens they will have to legally register any handgun they intend to keep in their home, and pledging to "find additional ways to protect the District’s residents against the scourge of gun violence." It was no doubt planned in advance, but the timing of the second "All Hands on Deck" of 2008, which begins today and lasts through the weekend, seems optimal for Lanier. The Chief is quoted in the Post today as saying that while the District's handgun policies are being revised, officers who find handguns in residents' homes will "use their discretion" about whether to arrest the owners.

Catchy moniker, "All Hands On Deck," but oh, so misleading: The police knock on your door, ask if you have any weapons, and ask if they can come in and either see the weapons or "look for" them. Without a warrant of any kind whatsoever.

In my neighborhood (Eastern Market), We weren't asked during the first AHOD (by the good-looking, well-spoken police officers going door-to-door) if we had any guns in our house. But residents of other DC neighborhoods were, and the police arrested 480 people.

This time, I wonder if they'll ask clueless DCers if they've bought new handguns... knowing that the new laws haven't been ironed out yet. Hm. The police could drag in a good haul of shiny new guns this weekend! And they'll probably convince 480 more clueless residents to let them enter their homes without warrants.

It's always something, isn't it?

If I didn't know better, I'd think it was already Silly Saturday.

By the way, I don't want a cheesy little handgun.

I want this one...




Isn't it just the cutest, personal-size Uzi you've ever seen in your life?

Available magazines include 20-, 25-, 32-, 40-, and 50-round magazines (9x19mm Parabellum), 10-round magazines (.41 and .22 LR), and 16-round magazines (.45 ACP). All of the above are manufactured by IMI. Other high-capacity magazines exist (e.g. 50-round magazines and 100-round drums in 9 mm) which are manufactured by companies such as Vector Arms.

It even swivels on your hip holster!

How cute is that?

By the way, I know how to use it, too.




Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:



Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.


"For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are."
-Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)


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.

Welcome To The Obama Undercarriage, Scarlett!

The view's not much, Scarlett. And it's definitely crowded under here. In fact, Obama is going to need a much bigger bus.

Who's lying? Obama or Scarlett Johansson?

LOS ANGELES -- As he headed to a Hollywood fundraiser, Sen. Barack Obama downplayed the idea that he hobnobs with actress Scarlett Johansson.

The movie star, who campaigns actively for the Illinois senator, recently told the website Politico, "You'd imagine that someone like the senator who is constantly traveling and constantly 'on' - how can he return these personal emails? But he does, and in his off-time I know he also calls people who have donated the minimum to thank them."

She said Obama had responded to one note about a debate, commenting to her that the questions were "silly."

But speaking to reporters aboard his campaign plane, Obama said the actress doesn't have his personal email address. "She sent one email to Reggie, who forwarded it to me," Obama said, referring to his 26-year-old personal assistant, Reggie Love. "I write saying, 'thank you Scarlett for doing what you do,' and suddenly we have this email relationship"

My, my. but here's what Johansson said earlier...

She e-mailed him after some of the Democratic debates, offering her thoughts on his messages and performance. “After the silliness of the last ABC debate,” she said of the highly criticized event co-hosted by Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, she wrote to congratulate him on “holding his ground.”

His replies have been thoughtful, she said, more than a brief line or two; on the ABC debate, he responded that the questioning was “difficult” and he was being pounded on “one silly question after another.”

Johansson is somewhat shocked that he keeps up their back-and-forth correspondence. “You’d imagine that someone like the senator who is constantly traveling and constantly ‘on’ — how can he return these personal e-mails?” she asks. “

The problem, Obama Sweetie, is not the emails; it's that you feel you have to lie about them.

Welcome to the Obama undercarriage, Scarlett!

Enjoy your stay!




Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:



Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.


"For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are."
-Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)


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.

Mrs. Obama Invites Herself, Gives Women 7 Minutes Of Her Time

Quick Question: According to Emily Post, what's the one thing that's ruder than yakking on a cell phone in a restaurant? (Answer below*)





As for Michelle Obama...

Who raised this woman to behave this way?

First of all, who raised her to believe she could invite herself (86ing the originally brokered speaker, Gov. Deval Patrick), fly from Washington DC to Chicago, eat lunch, and pander to the prez of Emily's List and a Clinton women's outreach guru during a 7 minute speech?


Wow! 7 whole Michelle Obama minutes! (Plus travel time, Secret Service planning, logistics, and wrangling that invite!)

The intended main speaker, booked months ago, was Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, the South Side Chicago native who early on endorsed Barack Obama.

I am writing about this through a political lens because every place Michelle Obama goes at this stage of the campaign represents some sort of strategic judgment. And this decision for her to invite herself to drop by this group at this time was politically smart.

Probably the four most important words in Obama's speech were the names of two women she paid tribute to: Ellen Malcolm, the chairwoman of the partnership, and Judith Lichtman, a board member.

Malcolm is also the president of Emily's List -- one of the nation's largest Democratic political networks, which endorsed and campaigned very hard for Clinton. Lichtman goes back years with Clinton and was a senior adviser on the Clinton campaign in charge of women's outreach.

Another board member, Cheryl Mills, was general counsel of the Clinton campaign, which made women's concerns a centerpiece of Clinton's bid.

Sorry, Gov. Patrick. But Mrs. Obama really, really needs to bamboozle these women to benefit her husband, and you're just Candidate Hope & Change (version 1.0). Mrs. Obama's husband is the upgraded 2.0 version. Suck it, Deval.

*Quick Question Answer: An Uninvited Guest.

By the way, my friend Sugar calls Mrs. Obama "Scoop Mouth." The above photo should serve as a good reason why.




Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:



Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.


"For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are."
-Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)


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.

Vero OPotest!

Vero Potest- "In truth, he is able."

You say possum; I say opossum.

Remember Vero Possumus? It seems like it was just yesterday that I blogged about Obama's new campaign seal and his Latin motto. Oh, yeah. It was yesterday. I even noted that non-Latin savvy people might think Obama was saying, "Truly, Possums," or some such nonsense. Which brings us to the age-old argument...

Possum or Opossum?

New world members of the family Didelphidae are refered to as opossums, but the Australasian relatives of our opossums are called possums.

Since Obama has now shown us that Yes, he can...er, roll over and play dead, then can his new campaign seal and stupid Latin motto, I have to disregard this official seal scrubbing and post yet another parody pic:




Tee hee.




Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:



Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.


"For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are."
-Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)


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 Official Seal: Gone In 5, 4, 3, 2...

Wow! That was fast!

Obama’s presidential seal gone after one use
Posted: 03:19 PM ET, June 23

(CNN) – Barack Obama’s communications director said Monday that the presidential seal the campaign unveiled last week at a meeting with Democratic governors won’t be seen again.

“That was a one time thing for a one time event," Robert Gibbs told CNN.

Pegged to Obama’s rostrum at Friday’s meeting was his campaign’s version of the presidential seal – a bald eagle clutching an olive branch and arrows in its talons, but instead of a shield covering the center of the eagle’s body, Obama’s had the campaign’s trademark “O.” Rather of the words “Seal of the President of the United States” around the circumference, “Obama for America” and “www.barackobama.com” lined the top and bottom.

The Latin “Vero Possumus” was arched between the eagle’s wings, meaning “Yes we can,” an Obama slogan and rally chant.

Many wondered whether a seal – with Latin phrasing no less - was the best idea for a candidate fighting for the working class vote and trying to fend off allegations of elitism.

Psst! Obama, dude! I was just getting started...




So many things about that Obama seal to mock, so little time.

And now you've ruined my download/upload fun, Barry.

Heavy sigh.




Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:



Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.


"For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are."
-Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)


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.

Better Obama Motto Suggestions

See it?

Above the eagle.

Vero Possumus

Clumsy translation. In ObamaLatinDictionaryLand, it means "Yes, We Can!"

Looks more like True Possums to the masses, Obama.

Besides, you stole that motto, anyway. ("Sí se puede!" 2006)


Better Obama motto Suggestions:

Amicule, deliciae, num is sum qui mentiar tibi?
Baby, Sweetheart, would I lie to you?

Radicitus, comes!
Really Rad, dude!

Di! Ecce hora! Uxor mea me necabit!
God, look at the time! My wife will kill me!

Osculare pultem meam!
Kiss my grits!

Cur tu me vexas?
Why are you annoying me?

Semper avarus eget
Greed is never satisfied

Lagunculae leydianae non accedunt
Batteries not included



And my personal favorite:

Monstra mihi pecuniam!
Show me the money!

Well, that was more fun than quantifying the shark-jumping stupidity level of the campaign staffers who

a.) convinced Obama he needed an official seal;
b.) decided to steal a Spanish motto and translate it into English and then into Latin, in order to make Obama look...um, smart;
c.) managed to do all of the above without being laughed off the island.

Truly heavy sigh.




Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:



Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.


"For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are."
-Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)


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: Your Personal Hopes & Dreams Revealed

I've thought about you a lot lately, and I've prepared this personality profile for you, and you alone:

You have a need for other people to like and admire you, and yet you tend to be critical of yourself.

While you have some personality weaknesses you are generally able to compensate for them.

You have considerable unused capacity that you have not turned to your advantage.


Disciplined and self-controlled on the outside, you tend to be worrisome and insecure on the inside. At times you have serious doubts as to whether you have made the right decision or done the right thing.

You prefer a certain amount of change and variety and become dissatisfied when hemmed in by restrictions and limitations. You also pride yourself as an independent thinker; and do not accept others' statements without satisfactory proof. But you have found it unwise to be too frank in revealing yourself to others.

At times you are extroverted, affable, and sociable, while at other times you are introverted, wary, and reserved.

Some of your aspirations tend to be rather unrealistic.

You might disagree with some of my individual statements, but I'll bet not all.

I could also add that you have known these things about yourself for a very long time, but secretly you hope that others are unable to detect your self-doubt.

Surprise!

That stuff I wrote about you comes from psychologist, Bertram R. Forer, in 1948:

Forer gave a personality test to his students, ignored their answers, and gave each student the above evaluation. He asked them to evaluate the evaluation from 0 to 5, with "5" meaning the recipient felt the evaluation was an "excellent" assessment and "4" meaning the assessment was "good." The class average evaluation was 4.26. That was in 1948. The test has been repeated hundreds of time with psychology students and the average is still around 4.2 out of 5, or 84% accurate.

In short, Forer convinced people he could successfully read their character. His accuracy amazed his subjects, though his personality analysis was taken from a newsstand astrology column and was presented to people without regard to their sun sign. The Forer effect seems to explain, in part at least, why so many people think that pseudosciences "work". Astrology, astrotherapy, biorhythms, cartomancy, chiromancy, the enneagram, fortune telling, graphology, rumpology, etc., seem to work because they seem to provide accurate personality analyses. Scientific studies of these pseudosciences demonstrate that they are not valid personality assessment tools, yet each has many satisfied customers who are convinced they are accurate.

For those of you unfamiliar with The Forer Effect, see also The Barnum Effect:

If the statements appear on a personality inventory that one believes has been especially prepared for you alone, one often validates the accuracy of such statements and thereby gives validity to the instrument used to arrive at them. If Barnum statements are validated when they have originated during a psychic reading, the validation is taken as also validating the psychic powers of the medium.

"Barnum effect" is an expression that seems to have originated with psychologist Paul Meehl, in deference to circus man P. T. Barnum's reputation as a master psychological manipulator who is said to have claimed "we have something for everybody."

Thus endeth today's sermon.

Go forth today, knowing that there are those among us who would prey upon your personal self doubts and your oh, so human desires for a healthy, secure future...

Wishful thinking is interpreting facts, reports, events, perceptions, etc., according to what one would like to be the case rather than according to the actual evidence. If it is done intentionally and without regard for the truth, it is called misinterpretation, falsification, dissembling, disingenuous, or perversion of the truth.

Just don't take any wooden nickels.

Think about it.

I mean it, damn it!




Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:



Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.



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: These Boots Were Made For...

1. walking
2. Paddington Bear
3. Cinders, the piglet, who's afraid of mud
4. all of the above




The correct answer is 4.

Pig in Boots: The world's only porker who is afraid of mud

You can't get much happier than a pig in muck, or so we are told.

But when this little piggy arrived in the farmyard she showed a marked reluctance to get her trotters dirty.

While her six brothers and sisters messed around in the mire, she stayed on the edge shaking. It is thought she might have mysophobia - a fear of dirt.

Owners Debbie and Andrew Keeble were at a loss, until they remembered the four miniature (Paddington Bear) wellies used as pen and pencil holders in their office. They slipped them on the piglet's feet - and into the mud she happily ploughed.

Now she runs over to Mr Keeble so he can put them on for her in the morning.

Now, that's just silly.




But definitely cute!

Have a Silly Saturday!




Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:



Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.



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.

Michelle Obama's Makeover: From Corporate Powerhouse To Laura Petrie

... And this is supposed to be a better role model for women? On what planet?

She used to look like this...




Now, she's allowed her husband's campaign stylists to turn her into Laura Petrie...




The New York Times even told us the makeover was in the works, and the new & improved Mrs. Obama product would be launched this week on The View.

Now her husband’s presidential campaign is giving her image a subtle makeover, with a new speech in the works to emphasize her humble roots and a tough new chief of staff. On Wednesday, Mrs. Obama will do a guest turn on “The View,” the daytime talk show on ABC, with an eye toward softening her reputation.

Her problems seemed hard to imagine last fall and winter. Mrs. Obama, a Harvard-trained lawyer, appeared so at ease with the tactile business of campaigning and drew praise for humanizing, often with humor, a husband who could seem elusive.

Then came some rhetorical stumbles. In Madison, Wis., in February, she told voters that hope was sweeping America, adding, “For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country.” Cable news programs replayed those 15 words in an endless loop of outrage.

The weirdest part of the makeover, in my opinion, is the introduction of baby pink lipstick. And don't even get me started on that sleeveless sun dress she wore on The View (See Daily News photo above). Anyone who knows anything knows that women of a certain age and professional background simply don't do sleeveless... if they want to be taken seriously, that is.

And just for grins and giggles, why did Mrs. Obama's husband's campaign stylists abandon her original Jackie Kennedy Clone look?




Ah, Jackie!

Smart. Soft. Savvy. Sensitive.

And the woman knew how to dress.

Michelle Obama?

Not so much.

Back to the drawing board, stylists! With a client so willing to discard her professionalism, dignity, and maturity...

Maybe she could wear more of her "Sunday Go To Meetin'/Katherine Kulman" dresses.




Just kidding. That's a terrible look.

That'd sure go over well with those bitter, white, clinging folks.

Not.

Note to lurking Obots: Stop trying to post your whiny anti-Hillary Clinton comments here. If and when you admit that nothing said or written about either Barack H. or Michelle Obama hasn't already been trumped majestically by the crap already flung at Senator Clinton, I might consider publishing your comments.

Don't hold your breath, though.




Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:



Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.



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.

Which Obama Scandal Is GOP-Juiciest? a) Gay Sex & Cocaine In A Limo + Murder; b) Scarlett Johansson Rumors; c) Neither?

By now, everyone who keeps up with GOP-salivating, potentially useful Obama scandals knows about Larry Sinclair's allegations of his 24-hour gay sex and cocaine escapades with IL State Senator, Barack Obama.





And some of us learned recently (Jan. 26th) that Obama takes time out of his busy prez campaign schedule to exchange frequent emails with buxom blond "actress," Scarlett Johansson, who famously told People Magazine: "I'm engaged to Obama."

Hm.

Which GOP-salivating, potentially useful Obama scandal will surface as a problem for Obama as we near November?




If your answer is "Neither," you can thank the Obamagods^™ that your candidate's last name isn't Clinton.

Double standard, anyone?




Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:



Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.



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.

I Hate Reruns! (1968, 1972, 1980; 1984...)

Side note: I was too young to vote in 1968.


That being said, I wasn't too young to notice how savvy political operatives used the Flip-Flop argument to convince non-policy wonks that Dem candidates didn't really know what they stood for... until Bill Clinton came along in 1992.

Why is this relevant now?



Ahem.




And that's just one example.

Let's face it: Obama is one international security crisis (real or fabricated) away from becoming just another DNC election year rerun.

Final note: thanks to ex pat for sharing those Donna Brazile blackberry emails (in my previous posts' replies)! What a hoot!





Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:



Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.



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.

I'd Vote For A Clinton/Anyone Independent Ticket In A heartbeat!

Lots of people are asking about, talking about, and voicing support for Hillary Clinton as an Independent candidate for the presidency.

2,410,000 as of right now.

Count me in.



I'm serious.

And I have a checkbook.




Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:



Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.



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.

Give Me That Old Time Convention... It's Good Enough For Me!

It was good for Dean and Kennedy.
It was good for Franklin Roosevelt.
It was good for Woodrow Wilson.
And it's good enough for me.




Dr. Dean went to the 2004 DNC convention with 167.5 pledged delegates.

And his name was on the first ballot.

Ted Kennedy was 1000 delegates behind Jimmy Carter in 1980.

And Kennedy's name was on the first ballot at the convention.

Hillary Clinton has 1640 pledged delegates today.

But Howard Dean says her name will not be on the first ballot at this year's convention because... Are you ready?... it would "discourage party unity."

FYI, Dr. Dean: Franklin Delano Roosevelt wasn't even nominated until the fourth ballot in 1932. As for Woodrow Wilson...

Democrat Woodrow Wilson was nominated on the 46th ballot of a contentious convention, thanks to the support of William Jennings Bryan. He defeated both Taft and Roosevelt in the general election, winning a huge majority in the Electoral College despite only winning 42% of the popular vote, and initiating the only period between 1892 and 1932 when a Democrat was elected President.

History called and left this message: You're an asshat, Dr. Dean!

But I digress.

Back to the present...

Not placing Clinton's name on the first ballot at the convention defies history, Dr. Dean. The winner of the most primary popular votes ever (extrapolating caucus victories is BS, and you know it) won't be honored at the national convention? Come on!

The candidate, who started her career at the Watergate hearings legal table and survived 15+ years of baseless GOP slime attacks against her husband and herself, won't be honored by those who owe their very party positions to her fundraising and networking efforts?

I just have to ask, Dr. Dean...

What is it, exactly, about the penis that makes it superior... and oh, so first-ballot worthy this year?

I'd really like to know.

And if you claim that this idiocy has nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that Clinton is a woman, then the question becomes...

What, exactly, are you afraid will happen on the first ballot, Dr. Dean, if Clinton's name is on it?




Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:



Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.



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.

Michelle Obama: Barack Is "My Baby's Daddy"

Hm. Maybe there's a big difference between the "racist" FOX usage of "baby mama" and Michelle Obama's "baby's daddy."

The difference? An apostrophe and the sound of the singular possessive.

Look, I hate FOX as much as the next sane person. But when they're just trying to be cool (like all the white kidz who try to sound black) and don't realize how pig ignorant they really look, it's the ignorance I zero in on.

Michelle Obama was obviously trying to be funny when she called Barack "my baby's daddy." Listen again; the crowd loved it.

Just like Quinnipiac student, JAlmanza, was trying to be funny when he wrote this...

5 Reasons Michelle Obama Is A Baby Mama


It’s bad enough that Michelle Obama is already a seemingly miserable person but Fox News is just adding fuel to the fire. According to New York Mag, Fox News is apologizing to Mrs. Obama for referring to her as a “baby mama.” It's a lazy Friday, so I thought I’d jump right in and give you 5 reasons why Fox News finally got it right.

1. Girlfriend’s always complaining about her man. Michelle “Baby Mama” Obama doesn’t keep her mouth shut about her hubbie’s flaws as she told Newsweek that he snores and has bad breath in the morning. What’s next, Michelle – Get a better job, Barack!

2. Always rolling those big buggy eyes of hers. If Obama’s acting a fool at a political event, all Michelle has to do is give him the ole evil eye and he quickly brings it down about 20 notches.

3. Homegirl loves to make her man jealous. During Michelle’s appearance on The Colbert Report, she had Stephen Colbert serenade her to make Barack seethe with jealousy.

4. Dissing her girls for her man. Michelle left the ladies of The View thinking, Oh no she didn’t! She was supposed to guest star on an episode of the View last year but cancelled at the last minute to attend a Senate vote.

5. And finally, she's tired of spending time with her dang kids. In Barack’s 2006 book, The Audacity of Hope, he quoted his wife as saying “You only think about yourself. … I never thought I'd have to raise a family alone.” Girl, it ain’t always about your needs, you gotta make some sacrifices to make it work!

I have no opinion on the "racist" accusations, associated with FOX's stupid use of "baby mama," Michelle Obama's "my baby's daddy" remark, and the college newspaper article above.

I just don't find any of these linguistic cartwheels very funny.

So, bite me.




Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:



Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.



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: "Eeeviiiil Naked DC"

Dateline Kerrville, TX:

Robert Hurt went to Washington and didn't like what he saw – nudity in the nation's capital.

"Nude women, sculptured women," he told the state Republican platform committee, which sat in rapt attention.

Of all the evils in Washington that the Texas GOP took aim at this week, removing art with naked people from public view was high on the list for Mr. Hurt, a delegate from Kerrville.

"You don't have nude art on your front porch," he explained. "You possibly don't have nude art in your living rooms. So why is it important to have that in the common places of Washington, D.C.?"

Mr. Hurt offered statistics: He'd heard that 20 percent of the art in the National Gallery of Art is of nudes.

Watch out, Mr. Hurt. Your stupidity is showing:

He offered detail: On Arlington Memorial Bridge overlooking the famed national cemetery, "there are two Lady Godivas, two women on horses with no shirt on and long hair."

Hurt calls the men on horseback Lady Godivas?

Those statues are called "Valor" and "Sacrifice," Mr. Hurt. Valor and Sacrifice.

Flanking the eastern ends of the bridge and parkway are two pairs of monumental Neo-classical equestrian sculpture on identical pedestals. "The Arts of War" by Leo Friedlander stands at the end of the bridge. In "Valor" on the left, the male equestrian is accompanied by a female striding forward with a shield; in "Sacrifice" a standing female symbolizing the earth looks up to the rider, Mars.

Yep, Mars. As in god of war.

I guess it's a good thing that Mr. Hurt didn't see The Boy Scout Memorial.

You see, there's this innocent Al Gore/Wally Cleaver-looking boy scout, flanked by a mostly nude man and an equally scantily clad woman...

The bronze statue consists of three figures. The Boy Scout represents the aspirations of all past, present, and future Scouts throughout the world. The male figure exemplifies physical, mental, and moral fitness, love of country, good citizenship, loyalty, honor, and courage. He carries a helmet, a symbol of masculine attire. The female figure symbolizes enlightenment with the love of God and fellow man, justice, freedom, and democracy. She holds the eternal flame of God's Holy Spirit.

So sad, Mr. Hurt, that your idea of art is limited to Kerrville, Texas. I'm sure you'll glorify this summer's Kerrville cultural offerings:

3rd Annual Southwest Gourd Fine Art Show

Annual Kerr County Camp Exhibit

Daisy Air Nationals

The Book of Ruth
Retelling of the Old Testament story of a young widow's devotion to her mother-in-law. Set in Texas and later in Tennessee, this play puts a new perspective on the familiar tell [sic] of love, sacrifice and acceptance.

A Pictorial History of Texas Coast Naval Installations

Hill Country Boer Breeders Sale (Goats!)

Original Team Roping

Thus endeth today's sermon.

Go forth today and consider the nudity (and partial nudity) around you... Yes, that includes "Desperate Houswives" episodes.

And consider yokels like Mr. Hurt from Kerrville, Texas, who would rid Washington DC of "nude" art. Is he really this stupid?

Or is he just using this issue to further his own political ambition as he claws his way up the Kerr County GOP ladder?

Stop laughing and think about it.

I mean it, damn it!





Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:



Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.



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: Why Do Music Videos Still Suck?

There's no excuse in 2008 for music videos to suck as much as they did when The Monkees were still cranking out new episodes.

But they do.

Take a quick look at this one (Don't bother watching the whole thing 'cause it really sucks)...




Great song. Truly sucky video, right?

Some of the lyrics are outstanding:

Her face is a map of the world.

She fills up every corner like she was born in black & white.

Remember how great that song was in The Devil Wears Prada?

Now, watch what some creative YouTuber did with the same song and some pirated film footage...




Much better.

Have a Silly Saturday!

And don't waste your time on sucky music videos.

Life's just too damned short.




Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:



Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.



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.

Hey, Look Behind You, Judge!

The headline: Ohio judge: State must change lethal injection law

The accompanying photo of Judge Burger:




The photo's caption: "Lourain County Common Pleas Judge James Burge speaks in his office in Lorain, Ohio as posters of Che Guevara and Barack Obama hang on his wall."

Hey! Wasn't there an "Obambots say there's no scandal" Che flag/Poster scandal back in February?




Why, yes. I believe there was. And Obama called the Che flag/poster "inappropriate."

Here's another photo:




Good job, Judge Burger/Obamabot. Way to make an important statement on the death penalty turn into a weird Obama/"Stalin II" Republican talking point.

Idiot.



Number of days since Donna Brazile promised to leave the party if superdelegates decided the Dem nominee:



Donna has known for a long time now that superdelegates would be necessary for any Dem candidate to win the nomination this year. Ask Donna when she intends to keep her promise.
Don't hold your breath awaiting a reply.



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.