Plastic In the Afterlife

The Word "Muslim" is a "metaphor for racism"?

Amid a "firestorm" of controversy, President Obama finally released the long form version of his birth certificate, proving that he is---gasp!---in fact, an American citizen!  Dumbass attention hog Donald Trump trumpeted his self-gratification and pride at having "accomplished something nobody else has accomplished...I am really honored to have played such a big role in hopefully getting rid of this issue."  You the fuckin' man.  Please, please, please run for president---the GOP needs you!

In a recent Associated Press article, Charles Babington cited a new New York Times-ABC News poll in which 2/3 of adult Republicans "either embrace or are open to" the false claim that Obama is a foreigner.   ABC News pollster Gary Langer thinks that the real reason some people polled claimed that they believed in the birther issue is because "Some people who strongly oppose a person...will take virtually any opportunity to express that antipathy."  I do see what Langer is saying.  I know some people who don't like Obama, not only for his politics, but also because the man himself makes them uncomfortable, as if having a man of color in the highest public office in the nation makes some white people feel as if they're "losing ground" and need to regain this ground at any cost. 

 In a roundtable discussion Easter Sunday on This Week, ABC reporter Cokie Roberts and a team of panelists had, what I like to call "A Jerry McGuire Moment"---that is, they said what many people think, but do not have the balls to say, because once you say it, you get neutered.  So, what was their "Jerry McGuire Moment"?  It was that people's objection to Obama is often times a reflection of deep-seeded or even just-under-the-surface racism and xenophobia.  Panelist Steven Roberts said during the discussion that: "The word Muslim is a code word, and it's a metaphor. It's a metaphor for racism. It's a metaphor for he's different from us, he's not like us, he's got this funny name, which he says all the time. And it is - and he's an alien on some level...there has always been a strain of America that wants to exclude the other. Exclude someone who's different..."  Cokie Roberts added: "But...the bad part about this is that...it's acceptable to say that he's a Muslim...because the same people won't - won't say, 'I don't like him cause he's black.' " 

Now pause a second to listen for the gasps and outcries of shock and admonition.  Then wait a bit longer for the predictable network reproaches and apologies, accompanied by statements of remorse by the panelists in question.  Finally, take a step back and take a look at yourself and think about the people you've encountered in your life.  Think about all of the times you yourself have held a bias against someone because of some perceived or real difference.  Maybe you or people around you teased someone in your school days because that person was obese, very tall, very short, too white, too dark, had a speech impediment, wore the wrong clothes, had a strange name, was very poor or rich, etc.  People are devisive.  People take note of differences, and some people are uncomfortable with those who are not like them.  Being able to tell the difference between things and people is a necessary survival skill, like knowing to eat those berries, but not those other berries because they're poisonous.  But being that we are endowed with the ability to "reason", the perception of those differences between people can be skewed to fit that person's perception of the world.  As they say, "perception is reality".

So, let's not get all huffy-puffy about what was said in the program "This Week".  This birther issue, along with the Christian-or-Muslim issue, are just a reflection of the larger issue of fear/hate of "the other".  Noel Sheppard, who writes for "Newsbusters" (whose byline reads: "Exposing and Combating Liberal Media Bias"), wrote in response to the "This Week" discussion: "Calling Americans racist, despite there being an African-American in the White House, is acceptable on Easter Sunday.  I doubt I'm the only one that felt this was highly inappropriate on such a holy day."  Some play "the race card", some play the "religious holier-than-thou card"---I prefer to throw down the "truth hurts card".  No, not that all Americans are racist---that wasn't what they were saying.  But, having watched enough videos from the 2008 election in which people at McCain-Palin rallies spewed racist and xenophobic slurs about Obama, and having seen videos of Tea Party rallies where like comments were also in abundance, in addition to national polls (such as the aforementioned one) which reveal pervasive and persistent adherence to falsehoods, even in the clear light of the truth, it is then accurate to say that some Americans are, in fact, afraid of those who are not like them, and sometimes for those Americans, it goes far beyond simple politics.

 

Even Rats Leave a Sinking Ship...

As countries across the Middle East explode in protest against existing regimes, we are sure to see some strange political moves and countermoves over the next few months and years.  Libya is the latest Middle Eastern nation to be rocked by the tidal wave of political unrest, and in that wave, some of Qaddafi's former political supporters are jumping ship, leaving the captain to go down with the vessel.

Libya's deputy U.N. ambassador, Ibrahim O. Dabbashi, along with a dozen other Libyan U.N. colleagues denounced and disowned Colonel Qaddafi's regime, which has reigned over Libya for over 40 years. Dabbashi called for a "no-fly zone" to be established over Libya to prevent military aid to be flown into Libya to assist Qaddafi in his quest to crush protests.  Dabbashi also called for the International Crimes Court at the Hague to investigate Colonel Qaddafi for “crimes against humanity and crimes of war”, in addition to requesting that other nations not offer him a safe haven. 

However, Dabbashi and colleagues such as Libya's U.S. Ambassador Ali Aujali refused to resign, as did other Libyan regime members, opting instead to retain their positions.  Dabbashi said he and his U.N. colleagues "were not resigning because they served the people of Libya and not the regime."  He further added that,"This is in fact a declaration of war against the Libyan people...The regime of Gadhafi has already started the genocide against the Libyan people."  Ambassador Aujali explained to the Associated Press "that he was not resigning his post, because he is part of the 'good side' of the Libyan government and not part of the killing."

Now, I understand that just because you work for a jerk, it doesn't, ergo, make you a jerk by association; however, it is likely that Dabbashi and Aujali got their political positions only through political favors paid to Qaddafi or through familial connections.  This level of nepotism does speak, then, to the fact that these said politicians were well aware of Qaddafi's prior "crimes against humanity", as he had more than 40 years in which to commit them, and thus are complicit in his reign of terror.  

One could argue that these politicians were only accepting their posts in the fear that if they did not they would be considered traitorous and would be endangering themselves and their families.  While that may be partly true, to rise to the level of ambassador, you had to be pretty cozy with the Q-Man prior to your appointment.  Also, these guys were the spokespersons, the cheerleaders, if you will, of Qaddafi's policies and practices for years.  I'm sure in statements previous to the Libyan uprisings, Dabbashi's and Aujali's words were most complimentary and supportive of their great leader Qaddafi's ideas and actions.  

No matter how you slice it, you can't speak out of both sides of your mouth and not come off like a total hypocrite; a hypocrite who very much benefitted from Qaddafi's favor.  Thus, one can not have been a part of a despotic regime, and all at once, suddenly against it and "with the people".  The people of Libya deserve a clean-sweep, and that includes the sweeping out such self-serving turncoats as Dabbashi, Aujali and their ilk. 

Johnny McEntee's Trick Shots---Yeah, I Can Do That.

Well...if I was only a foot away from the intended target, that is.  Anyway, you've probably seen the amazing video of the UConn quarterback chucking the ball through a basketball hoop from 70 yards away and other such insane throws.  What some people find most amazing is that all of the throws are real. 

A report on Larry Brown Sports explains how over the course of six hours of shooting and three hours of editing, Johnny McEntee, the unassuming backup quarterback for UConn, executed all of the amazing throws on the video.  The aforementioned long shot basketball hoop throw took 20-30 minutes to hit, which led to much muscle soreness in his throwing shoulder. 

McEntee says that he's been working on these shots for years, and that just goes to show that practice can pay off.  Maybe we'll see him behind center for the Huskies come this football season?

 

Drill Baby Drill, Just Don't Spill Baby Spill!

Ah, yes...the phrase "Drill Baby Drill" first coined by current GOP Chairman Michael Steele at the 2008 Republican National Convention, and since championed and repeated (ad nauseum) by Sarah Palin lately leaves a slight oil-slick-like taste in conservatives' mouths as the BP oil leak disaster continues to spew hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into the ocean every day.  Still, Palin refuses to stay silent and forges blindly ahead in an attempt to stay somewhat relevant, kind of like the Kardashians or Paris Hilton. 

On the "Fair and Balanced" "news" program Fox News Sunday, Palin clumsily tried to create some nefarious conspiracy theory in which Obama and his administration were dragging their feet on stopping the oil leak because they were in cahoots with each other.  Said the astute Palin: 

"...the oil companies who have so supported President Obama in his campaign...if there's any connection there to President Obama taking so doggone long to get in there, to dive in there, and grasp the complexity and the potential tragedy that we are seeing here in the Gulf of Mexico."

You can always count on Mrs. Palin to lay some real doozies and make some real stretches in logic.  And how about her uncanny ability to intertwine quaint colloquialisms with hard-hitting political analysis---who else could use the words "doggone" and "complexity" in the same sentence?  I dare you to find someone else---I DARE YOU!!!

Anyway, while it is true that then 2008 Presidential candidate Obama received more money from BP employees ($71,051) than did McCain ($36,649), McCain and Palin benefited much more from campaign donations from the oil industry than did Obama, to the tune of $2.4 million to Obama's $900,000.  Darn those pesky facts!  Really, money from the oil industry flows through our nation's capital as free as the oil spewing from BP's well a mile down in the ocean!  According to PolitiFact.com, "The industry spent $174 million lobbying Congress in 2009, ranking it behind only the pharmaceutical/health products industry and business associations."  And to further chip away at Palin's pebble of truth, the Center on Responsive Politics has noted that "as an industry, about three quarters of the oil and gas money has gone to Republicans since 1990."  Mmm...ain't truth a bitch, Sarah?

As to the criticism leveled at President Obama himself that he is not personally doing enough to stop the oil leak, I guess he should don his spandex suit and cape and fly a mile down under the ocean and seal off the well with his laser-beam eyes.  It's ironic how people rail against "BIG GOVERNMENT" when they try to solve a problem so astronomical that the average person cannot even fathom what the solution could be, such as the health-care and health insurance industry mess, for example, but when another problem so astronomical that the average person cannot even fathom what the solution could be, such as the oil spill, then they call on "BIG GOVERNMENT" to come save the day.  Newsflash, folks---the government actually has the political ability to create laws that will result in concrete changes to the health-care and health insurance industries because debating the merits of bills and allocating funds is their "thing".   Stopping oil from spewing a mile beneath the ocean's surface is not their "thing", got it? 

George Lods, a seafood wholesaler whose business is based right in the affected Gulf region, a man who has every reason to resort to emotional diatribes on "slow" governmental response, stands as one reasonable voice amidst the clamor and political rhetoric surrounding this man-made environmental debacle.  I leave you with his sage wisdom:

"My personal opinion, I think they (the government) are doing what they are capable of doing. They probably could do a little bit more. But BP and Transocean, that was their rig, that was their business, just like this is my business. If something happens here, I'm responsible for it. The government can only do so much. They didn't drill the well. They can't stop it. That is not their expertise...I think it is his (Obama's) responsibility to see that BP and that we do everything we can to clean up this mess. But the president didn't make the oil well blow. The government really...doesn't know what to do.  The people that are in the oil field business know what to do, and they can tell the government, hey, we need this and we need that. But the government is not in the shrimping business either. They can't tell the shrimpers how to go catch shrimp. I don't think they can tell BP how to clean it up, because that is not the government's job."

Louise Slaughter threatened with her namesake

Health Care Reform has been an emotional issue, and due to high emotions, not an altogether rational one.  One way to temper the irrational fears born of relentless fearmongering by various conservative groups, such as the "Teabaggers", is to present cold, hard facts to the contrary.  On one hand, examine the fact that 1 in 6 (46.3 million) Americans are uninsured, and of that number, 8 in 10 are members of working families---not "freeloaders" as many have argued.  Also, according to a Time magazine report, "Eighty percent of those without health insurance are native-born or naturalized citizens. However, immigrants are more likely to be uninsured than legal residents. Racial minorities are also disproportionately represented; about one-third of Hispanics and one-fifth of blacks go without insurance, compared with 13% of whites."  This disproportionate representation and the largely white conservative backlash against Health Care Reform certainly could lead one to draw the conclusion that the ruling white majority is doing what it can to preserve the power balance that it currently enjoys, and that many in the majority fear that any change in health care equity will further tip the scales of equality in the favor of minority classes.  As Arsenio Hall used to say, "Things that make you go 'Hmm...' ".

Anyway, how discouraging it was to learn that a few extreme Health Care Reform opponents took to throwing a brick through the window of the Democratic Headquarters in Rochester, NY and also through the window of Democratic Congresswoman Louise Slaughter's Niagara Falls office.  Affixed to the brick thrown through Slaughter's window was a note that read "Exremism [sic] in the defense of liberty is no vice".  Um, learn how to spell, douche bag.  Mike Vanderboegh, author of the conservative Alabama-based blog Sipsey Street Irregulars (no link provided, thank you), said in a telephone interview with WHAM News 13 out of Rochester, NY:  "I’m advocating broken windows. I’m advocating vandalism...Wake up and understand what is happening in this country. You need to start listening to people who you think you didn't have to pay any attention to, because sooner or later they will get your attention".  Brick-by-brick, I guess.  Well, this brickhead is claiming that he was the inspiration for the incidents that occurred in New York State, as well as similar incidents that occurred in Tucson and Kansas.  Hey---there's a proud legacy to leave to your children.  Um, if you don't already have any offspring, Mike---don't spawn, alright?

To make matters worse for Louise Slaughter, there was a recent voicemail left at her campaign headquarters that advocated "assassination" "toward the children of lawmakers who voted yes."  Ironic how Slaughter, who championed a bill that would help preserve human life is herself being threatened with death, as are the innocent children of like-minded legislators.  Highly illogical, captain. 

But geez, I sure can understand how utterly enraged opponents to the Health Care Reform bill must be when they consider the fact that this bill would now make it illegal for health insurance companies to deny people coverage based on what they consider to be "pre-existing conditions", such as domestic abuse, for one.  Ah, the injustices of this reform!  The humanity! 

Maybe some people should consider grabbing a brick and knocking some sense into their own heads; how's that sound?

 

WTF?!? Waterboarding for Toddlers?

Joshua Tabor, and Army sergeant who served 15 months in Iraq, was recently arrested for and confessed to waterboarding his 4 year-old daughter for refusing to recite her ABCs after being forced to practice them for three hours straight.  Tabor told investigators that he was concerned that his daughter was "behind mentally for where she should be for her age," and that "his purpose was to punish her by putting her in the water because he knows she is afraid of it and he wanted her to cooperate."  He then added that "She said her letters after that."  Well, you showed her what for, big man!

Upon questioning, the daughter confirmed that "Daddy was upset becuase she wouldn't say her letters" and waterboarded her as a result of her refusal.  As to the torturous event itself, she related how "It was hot! The water was hot!  I told him I would say my letters then!"  In true toddler fashion, amidst the horror of the fact that she was being repeatedly dunked in the sink, one of the things she focused on was the fact that "My heart shirt got wet."  Well, I think a fitting punishment for this scumbag Tabor is to get waterboarded and then to have his heart ripped out, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom style!

Former vice-president Dick Cheney was unavailable for comment on the matter, though I wonder if he would consider Mr. Tabor's methods to be "enhanced interrogation techniques", or is it torture only when its victims are considered to be a "terrorist" or an "enemy combatant"---ie.: male, from the Middle-East, Muslim, etc.? 

Vancouver Olympic Opening Ceremonies: The Beauty of Imperfection

There was a good reason for the sweat on Wayne Gretzky's upper lip and for the wider-than-wide "what the fuck is going on" shit-eating grin on Steve Nash's face as they stood in the center of the indoor Olympic stadium waiting for the Olympic Cauldron to rise from the stadium floor.  Ahem, I said, "To rise from the stadium floor!"  Um...is something wrong?

When three giant pillars that resembled ice shards emerged from the floor, with the main cauldron itself rising in the center, it became readily apparent that the fourth pillar had malfunctioned and was not going to be making an appearance.  Nope, there was no hiding this kind of snafu.  I'm sure the creative director responsible for this spectacle was furiously pushing buttons and pulling levers behind the scenes, and, after changing his pants, slowly resigned himself to the fact that things were not going to go as planned and just said, "Fuck it." 

Hey, the way I look at it, you have to give these folks a pass.  The opening ceremonies were stunning and classy, complete with some truly poignant moments, like when there was a minute of silence for the Georgian luge slider who was killed when he had lost control of his sled during a test run and was hurled into the railing at 95 miles an hour.  You could have heard a pin drop in that stadium of 60,000 people as the Canadian and Olympic flags were lowered to half-mast in honor of the fallen athlete. 

So what if one of the pillars didn't work?  If anything, I feel that the fallen pillar was a fitting, albeit unintentional symbol for the fallen Georgian athlete.  Also, I think that the malfunction and the death of the Georgian athlete prove that things do not always go as planned, and that sometimes you have to just carry on with things as they are, because that's as good as it's going to get at the moment.  In that spirit, the assembled torchbearers gathered together to light the Olympic Cauldron in unison, even though it was not in its fully-intended form.  Also in the spirit of carrying on in the face of adversity, the remaining Georgian athletes, who had considered going home after their shocking tragedy, collectively decided to compete in this year's games to honor not only their fallen comrade, but also the Olympic spirit.

Kudos to the people of Canada and the world for a great opening ceremony.  I can only hope that this mix of mishaps and moments of near-perfection will remind all of us that we all are imperfect, but in recognizing this reality, we can still strive to be the best we can be in all that we do in life.  GO OLYMPICS!!!     

WTF?!? How does Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi still have a job?

Is Italy a sexist nation that openly engages in the exploitation of its women?  Well, having traveled through Italy I know that it was not uncommon to see racks full of magazines and newspapers plastered with pictures of scantily-dressed (or naked) women.  These fine publications were in full display and they weren't of the Playboy or Penthouse variety---these were regular news magazines and newspapers.  Sex sells, right?  Take, for example, this collection of ads from the Italian clothier Relish Clothing that depict policemen roughing up young female "suspects".  These ads were plastered on billboards all over Italy---yes, even the one of a cop grinding a woman's face into the pavement.   These ads went even farther into the depiction of violence and degradation of women than did the 2007 "gang rape" ad by Italian clothing designers Dolce & Gabbana.  Sure, companies often try to "push the envelope" when it comes to sexy advertisements, but most are contained within the pages of magazines---not on billboards for all to see.    

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been implicated in various political and sexual scandals in his tenure.  His second wife is divorcing him and claimed that he "consorts with minors".  His other alleged sexual exploits include having sex with a prostitute after a party and having a relationship with an 18 year-old underwear model.  In addition, Berlusconi faces a bribery trial hearing and is being investigated for possible connections to the Mafia.  Despite these and other scandals, Berlusconi has not suffered much politically and maintains great popularity among Italians.  Berlusconi has claimed publicly that he is "no saint" and remains unrepentant over his transgressions. 

Berlusconi is also a brazen sexist pig, who has repeatedly publicly degraded women.  In an NPR story on Berlusconi, they cite many of his horrifically tasteless quotes, such as this one in which he states that "Women are 'God's most beautiful gift to men.' In order to prevent rape, 'we would need as many soldiers as there are beautiful Italian women.' "  The report also cites how "Berlusconi, 73, boasts of the good looks of his party's young female members of parliament, dismissing the opposition ranks as menopausal."  In response to charges that he slept with a prostitute, Berlusconi retorted: "For those who love to conquer, the joy and the most beautiful satisfaction is in the conquest. If you have to pay, what joy is there?" As if that wasn't enough, Berlusconi called in to a talk show and said to female opposition parliament member, Rosy Bindi, "You're more beautiful than you are intelligent." 

So, you may be saying to yourself, "How the fuck does this corrupt sexist idiot not only still have a job, but also enjoy widespread popularity?"  Well, I guess as in advertising, sex sells.  Prime Minister Berlusconi may not be a "saint", but that is evidently what many find appealing about this man.  In some respects, one can see some parallels between Berlusconi and Bill Clinton in regards to their personal-made-public foibles.  It's great theatre---or at least a national trashy soap opera.  That's why talk shows like Maury Povich and reality shows like Big Brother exist---who can truly not rubberneck when they pass a car crash? 

 Anyway, to further heighten the absurd seeming approval of Berlusconi, the Italian edition of Rolling Stone magazine declared this man their "Rock Star of the Year".  Rock star?  I thought this guy was an elected leader of a powerful European nation?  Rolling Stone editor Carlo Antonelli says that the editorial staff unanimously nominated Berlusconi because he has the "lifestyle worth of the greatest rock star" and that "Rod Stewart, Brian Jones, Keith Richards in their prime were schoolboys compared to him."  Well, I wish I could say "ROCK ON!" to this ridiculous choice, but the only thing that can be said is "Walk on", as in "walk on out of office, you sexist pig."  

  

Rush Limbaugh: Don't Meet Me In Saint Louis

Rush Limbaugh was recently dropped from the group that was trying to buy the Saint Louis Rams.  Par for the course, Limbaugh went on his radio show and started pointing the finger (at everyone but himself, of course).  Limbaugh lashed out angrily at the NFL Player's Association Executive Director, DeMaurice Smith, who Limbaugh dubbed an "Obama-ite", and at Reverend Jesse Jackson and Reverend Al Sharpton, who LImbaugh called "race hustlers", for his being dropped from the group and being denied a minority share in the Saint Louis Rams.  Reverends Jackson and Sharpton had voiced their objections to Limbaugh's being a potential minority owner (now, doesn't that choice of words sound strange?), citing racially-insensitive comments Limbaugh had made in the past in regards to black NFL players.  Limbaugh was forced out of the broadcast booth at ESPN in 2003 when he said of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb:  "I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well."  He also implied that McNabb was overrated and was only getting the attention and accolades he was receiving purely because of his race.  In 2007, Limbaugh said this insightful statement on his radio show:  "The NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it."  I'm sure there were some die-hard Limbaugh devotees who exclaimed, "Finally!  Someone said it!  It's about time!" 

Ever the voice of reason and wizard of social commentary, Limbaugh tried to draw a connection between the Obama administration's actions during the recent economic meltdown and his own recent ousting from the ownership group.  Said Limbaugh:  "What is happening to the National Football League, what is about to happen to it, has already happened to Wall Street, has already happened to the automobile business."  Limbaugh said that he has "lost nothing" over the incident and would still be a supporter of the NFL; however, he stated emphatically that "On the other hand, our country has lost a great deal. A lot more than most people realize at the moment."  He capped it all off by saying that what happened to him in this recent incident was "Obama's America on full display."

Perhaps the biggest oversight in all of this is the fact that Limbaugh was kicked out of the ownership group because he had suggested a radical change be made to the name of the Saint Louis Rams.  You see, he wanted the name "Rams" to be an acronym that would stand for:  Racists  Advocating  Mandated  Segregation.

What a meathead---literally...

 During player introductions in yesterday's Seattle Seahawks vs. Jacksonville Jaguars football game, Seattle  Seahawks' fullback Owen Schmitt repeatedly struck himself in the forehead with his helmet, causing blood to gush down his face and onto his uniform.  Schmitt wasn't even ready until the second play from scrimmage because the trainers had to fix up the gash on his forehead and clean up his uniform before he would be allowed on the field.  Apparently, Schmitt has a history of such self-inflicted head wounds.  While playing at West Virginia University, Schmitt was caught on film on the sidelines smashing his head with his helmet after a play.  Maybe he was just feeling kind of sentimental (emphasis on mental) when he decided to relive the excitement of his college days by braining himself before Sunday's game.

Seahawks' head coach Jim Mora was concerned about Schmitt's actions because he was the only active fullback on the roster. Said Jim Mora about the incident:   "I said, 'Hey pal, if you get hurt, we don't have anybody else.  That's just his enthusiasm. He came over and apologized. I told him, 'Use your head.'"  Ba-dum-bum!  This Schmitt sounds like the kind of player who meets his challenges head on!  He's got a real head for the game!  Heck, he really gets his head into the game!  He is head and shoulders above the rest!  Um...okay.  I'm okay now.

Anyway, Schmitt's teammates were all abuzz about how his actions fired them up.  Seahawks' wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh remarked, "It gets you to the point like, 'Wow, this man here is ready to play.' You can't let a guy like that down when he's busting his forehead open.  That's going to be a scar for life. And it's one game."  The Seahawks did crush the Jaguars 41-0, so I guess that this intentional bloodletting did have its desired effect. 

In fact, so positive was the reaction of the team, that Schmitt plans to top himself next week.  What is it?  Well, not to give it all away, but let's just say it involves some thumscrews and a pair of forceps.  Stay tuned, kids!