Luckovich 07/07/2007

ELECTION DAY USA - CD COMPILATION

JimBob sent a link that offers downloads of 20 Anti-Bush/Anti-War songs. Some are a riot and all of them are pretty darn good.

Click here to see a description of the songs and artists. You can listen to an audio stream of each song or download them for free.

Anyone who posts a comment and sends an email to Little Blue Orb including name and address will receive a CD with all 20 songs. I saved you the trouble of downloading and burning them yourself.

Top 10 George W. Bush Moments

Did you know that Daylight Savings time heats up the planet?

A woman writes a letter to a newspaper to complain that moving Daylight Savings up a month has made it hotter and that the liberal Congress did it to make people believe global warming is real.

This is authentic and not from the Onion. What’s scary is that this woman has the right to vote.

Fascist America, in 10 easy steps

From Hitler to Pinochet and beyond, history shows there are certain steps that any would-be dictator must take to destroy constitutional freedoms. And, argues Naomi Wolf, George Bush and his administration seem to be taking them all.

Last autumn, there was a military coup in Thailand. The leaders of the coup took a number of steps, rather systematically, as if they had a shopping list. In a sense, they did. Within a matter of days, democracy had been closed down: the coup leaders declared martial law, sent armed soldiers into residential areas, took over radio and TV stations, issued restrictions on the press, tightened some limits on travel, and took certain activists into custody.
Keep reading - it's very interesting...

Postcards from 1900 depict technology of 2000

This collection of German postcards were originally give-aways in Hildebrands chocolates in 1900. They depict the world as it would be in 2000. Included are a water-unicycle, slidewalks, locomotives pulling houses, personal airplanes, weather control systems, amphibious railways, police X-rays for seeing through walls, and, of course, zeppelins. Beautiful artwork, too.

The one that caught my eye was the one depicting Summer Holidays at the North Pole. Do you think they actually had an idea that global warming was coming?
Link

How lazy do you have to be?

From an angry soldier...

I'm having the worst damn week of my whole damn life so I'm going to write this while I'm pissed off enough to do it right.

I am SICK of all this bullshit people are writing about the Iraq war. I am abso-fucking-lutely sick to death of it. What the fuck do most of you know about it? You watch it on TV and read the commentaries in the newspaper or Newsweek or whatever god damn yuppie news rag you subscribe to and think you're all such fucking experts that you can scream at each other like five year old about whether you're right or not. Let me tell you something: unless you've been there, you don't know a god damn thing about it. It you haven't been shot at in that fucking hell hole, SHUT THE FUCK UP!

How do I dare say this to you moronic war supporters who are "Supporting our Troops" and waving the flag and all that happy horse shit? I'll tell you why. I'm a Marine and I served my tour in Iraq. My husband, also a Marine, served several. I left the service six months ago because I got pregnant while he was home on leave and three days ago I get a visit from two men in uniform who hand me a letter and tell me my husband died in that fucking festering sand-pit. He should have been home a month ago but they extended his tour and now he's coming home in a box.

You fuckers and that god-damn lying sack of shit they call a president are the reason my husband will never see his baby and my kid will never meet his dad.
Read on...

TOO DAMN FUNNY!

Specter: I assume you are well-prepared for this hearing...

Gonzales: I prepare for every hearing, sir.

Specter: WELL DO YOU PREPARE FOR YOUR PRESS CONFERENCES, LIKE THE ONE WHERE YOU SAID YOU HAD NO INVOLVEMENT?

A Washington Love Story in 3 acts

ACT 1


ACT 2


ACT 3

Thanks to Brenda

Kucinich moves forward with articles of impeachment toward Cheney

Godspeed Dennis!

http://kucinich.us/

Another Republican comes to his senses

Lifelong Republican, Marine veteran and former congressman Pete McCloskey has left the GOP and registered with the Democratic Party.

McCloskey says he is disgusted with the "succession of ethical scandals, congressmen taking bribes and abuse of power by both the Republican House leadership and the highest appointees of the White House."

"A pox on (Republicans) and their values," he wrote.

More...

Watching the Wheels - John Lennon

Tom the Dancing Bug - Li'l George

Click image for larger version

Cheap trip to London

1. Go to http://maps.google.com/

2. Click on "Get Directions"

3. Type New York in the first box (from)

4. Type London in the second box (to)

5. Click on "Get Directions"

6. Scroll down to step #23

U.S. Congress Votes Database

This site lets you browse every vote in the U.S. Congress since 1991. This is a very powerful tool for the voter, remember, shit comes out of politicians mouths on a regular basis but it’s how they vote that really shows their true alliance. Keep this in mind, McCain has never voted against any of Bush’s initiatives. Moderate? I don't think so!

It reminds me of the old joke. Diapers, like politicians, need to be changed often. And for the same reason.

Now THAT was weird!

The same day I used Don Ho's image in a joke about the Imus affair, the man drops dead. I didn't find out about it until this morning. Sorry Mr. Ho.

I also used Don King's hair in that joke. So far he seems to be ok.

'Tiny Bubbles' Singer Don Ho Dies at 76

Nappy Headed Ho

Bush administration renews push for expanded spying powers

The illegal NSA spying program remains shrouded in secrecy over five years since it first began. Now the Bush Administration is reportedly once again pushing Congress to legislate in the dark and expand spying powers.

With the Senate Intelligence Committee taking up this topic next Tuesday, it's critical that you tell your representatives to defend your privacy and support thorough investigations into the domestic spying program.

Make your voice heard now by visiting StopIllegalSpying.org.

StopIllegalSpying.org is a new site setup by EFF, ACLU, and a broad coalition of groups defending your privacy and the rule of law. With your help, we can press Congress to do its job and restore the checks and balances that define our democracy.

Can you guess who this is?

This photo is dated 1940. The first person who correctly identifies this person will receive a prize yet to be determined.
JimBob and Brenda are not eligible because they saw the email :-)

Blast from the Past

Bill and Hilary circa 1970 - It sure looks as if he would have been an inhaler.
Thanks to JimBob for the pic.

The firing of Don Imus

Well they did it. They bowed to pressure and fired Don Imus. What a boneheaded thing to do. What he said, while vile, racist, and insensitive to women, was not a firing offense. Suspension? Yes. A fine of some sort going to a women's charity? Of course. But firing? If everyone who uttered a racist remark were fired we wouldn't have Bill O'Reilly anymore.

When speaking about the immigration problem O'Reilly cut loose with this gem:

"We'd save lives because Mexican wetbacks, whatever you want to call them, the coyotes--they're not going to do what they're doing now, all right, so people aren't going to die in the desert."

and this one:

"O'Reilly criticized the Immigration and Naturalization Service for not doing its job and not keeping out 'the wetbacks.'"

And two months later Bill O'Reilly was hosting a charity event for urban school children. An African-American singing group called "The Best Men" were schedule to perform, but were late. O'Reilly said to the audience:

"Does anyone know where the Best Men are? I hope they're not in the parking lot stealing our hubcaps."

Those remarks were every bit as bad as Imus's. Where's the outrage?

Another Hero Gone

Kurt Vonnegut, author of such greats as "Slaughterhouse-Five", has passed away. he remains one of my favorite authors. Not just for his work but for his opinions and politics. He will be sorely missed.
Read more via the AJC.

Walt Disney's passport for sale on eBay

Walt Disney's last passport, issued just a year before he died, is up for bids.

Four Earth-friendly Cleaning Solutions

An entire industry has been built on developing natural cleaning products - everything from nontoxic bathroom cleaners to environmentally friendly dish soaps. If you want to save money, are feeling creative, or don't have access to commercial natural cleaning products, try some of these non-toxic cleaning suggestions:

1. Baking soda: An all-purpose cleaner; especially effective on glass coffee pots and glassware; removes red-wine stains from carpeting. A paste (made with water) can shine stainless steel and silver; the paste also can remove tea stains from cups and saucers. Make a paste with a Castile- or vegetable-based liquid soap and a drop of essential oil (tea tree or lavender) to clean sinks, countertops, toilets and tubs.
2. Coarse salt: Cleans copper pans and scours cookware. Sprinkle salt on fresh spills in the oven, and then wipe off. Sprinkle salt on rust stains and squeeze a lime or lemon over them, let sit for several hours and wipe off.
3. Grapefruit-seed extract: Add to water in a spray bottle for an odorless way to kill mold and mildew.
4. Lemon juice: Use as a bleaching agent on clothing, and to remove grease from your stove and countertops. Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice to 10 drops of (real) lemon oil and a few drops of jojoba oil to clean and polish wood furniture.

Sen Kerry On Speaker Pelosi: "She Had A Right To Go. And She Was Right To Go"

We Democrats should've been unapologetic last week defending Speaker Pelosi because the truth was on our side: She had a right to go. And she was right to go. The coordinated attack on her trip to Syria was as inappropriate as it was irresponsible. And when that happens to one of our leaders, we should all damn well stand up and be counted in our support, or else we hand partisan operatives on the other side a dangerous victory.

The history on this is clear; Republicans use any opportunity, no matter how contrived, to attack any Democrat who is in a position of leadership. Believe me, I know. It's a concerted, ongoing effort to leave the Democratic Party without leadership on the issues, without voices unsullied by "controversy." They thrive on destroying our leaders - we can't let them. Especially when we've got the moral high ground.

And on this one, as on so many other "controversies" manufactured by the GOP, the facts are clearly on our side. Arlen Specter has been to Damascus 16 times since 1984. The president and the State Department were both informed of Speaker Pelosi's trip before she left and made no objection. This was an ambush for political gain-- sad but not surprising.
Continue...

Bonehead quote of the day

Apparently this Planned Parenthood clinic terminates the mother as well as the pregnancy according to this guy.

“We are taking this action, even at the risk of arrest and prosecution, in an effort to save the lives of some of the children and women who are scheduled to be killed or harmed at this location,” explained Mark Houck, who is the 32 year old director of Survivors United.

Survivors United? What exactly did they survive? Are they the products of botched abortions?

Luckovich 04/06/2007

Chomsky: Preventing War with Iran

Stopping a war with Iran requires a strong organized popular opposition.

Unsurprisingly, George W. Bush's announcement of a "surge" in Iraq came despite the firm opposition to any such move of Americans and the even stronger opposition of the (thoroughly irrelevant) Iraqis. It was accompanied by ominous official leaks and statements -- from Washington and Baghdad -- about how Iranian intervention in Iraq was aimed at disrupting our mission to gain victory, an aim which is (by definition) noble.

What then followed was a solemn debate about whether serial numbers on advanced roadside bombs (IEDs) were really traceable to Iran; and, if so, to that country's Revolutionary Guards or to some even higher authority.

This "debate" is a typical illustration of a primary principle of sophisticated propaganda. In crude and brutal societies, the Party Line is publicly proclaimed and must be obeyed -- or else. What you actually believe is your own business and of far less concern. In societies where the state has lost the capacity to control by force, the Party Line is simply presupposed; then, vigorous debate is encouraged within the limits imposed by unstated doctrinal orthodoxy. The cruder of the two systems leads, naturally enough, to disbelief; the sophisticated variant gives an impression of openness and freedom, and so far more effectively serves to instill the Party Line. It becomes beyond question, beyond thought itself, like the air we breathe.

Continue with the article...

What is your Personal DNA?

This is a fun test that maps your personal DNA. I found my report to be right on the money. Let me know how you did.

Here are my results:

Benevolent Architect

Take the test

What could have possibly prompted this reaction?

Caption this photo in comments.

Doonesbury hits the nail on the head

Click image to enlarge. You may have to click again to enlarge even further.

AC/DC - Back in Black

One of the most recognizable opening riffs in Rock & Roll

"The sanctity of life that formed the moral center of petitioner's life was being challenged"

Marine opposed to war ordered discharged.

A Marine lance corporal who said he had an aversion to killing and participating in war must be released from the military as a conscientious objector, a federal judge ruled. The Marine Corps Reserves must discharge Robert Zabala, 23, by mid-April, under the ruling.

Read more HERE

Mike Luckovich - April 4, 2007

John McCain Logic in Real Life

by Stephen Elliott

John McCain recently walked through a Baghdad market where he had tea and afterward declared that America wasn't getting the full story on all the good stuff that was happening in Iraq. One of the reasons for that is probably that it's not safe for journalists to leave their hotels. And also, many educated Iraqis have left Iraq...

...But what was really absurd, as everyone knows at this point, is that McCain traveled with 100 heavily armed soldiers, attack helicopters circling overhead. So yeah, the world's a safer place when you have your own mobile Green Zone. Every foot he walked in Baghdad (wearing a bullet proof vest) probably cost Americans $10,000 for security. Or more. If you need that much security, and a bullet proof vest, then things probably aren't going so well where you are. Hence, all the bad news out of Iraq.

Click here to read more...

Rare R.E.M track - Wicked Game

R.E.M. fans probably know that every year at Christmas time the band sends out an exclusive vinyl 7" single to their fan club members.

In 1995 the song was a cover of Chris Isaak's greatest hit, "Wicked Game" (1989). Even rarer is this live version of the song taped off the soundboard at an R.E.M. dress rehearsal.

Click the photo to download Wicked Game.

Hilarious Rummy video

I didn't know he was so talented

Thanks to Brenda!

Bush doesn't know what the term "illegal occupation" means

State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack says the U.S. will ask Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah exactly what he meant when he referred to our presence in Iraq as an “illegitimate occupation.”

Let’s save the State Department some time:

illegitimate: adjective; not legitimate; not sanctioned by law or custom, against the law.

occupation: noun; the seizure and control of an area by military forces, esp. foreign territory, the term of control of a territory by foreign military forces.

Also see: The Honeymoon is Over

Electoral College - it's time has come and gone

"It is odd indeed that in 2000, a nation devoted to spreading democracy throughout the world gave power to a man who received 543,895 fewer votes than his opponent." -E.J. Dionne Jr.

I have long maintained that the Electoral College is an antiquated notion that should be eliminated in favor of a popular vote system. The person with the most votes wins the office.

In his op-ed column, E.J. Dionne Jr spells out quite an argument for the abolishment of the Electoral College.

1984 has arrived

Dozens of private and public spy-cameras watch the streets, walls and windows of the area around George Orwell's apartment. Britain, the nation that "sleepwalked into a surveillance society," has created the situation that Orwell envisioned, a world where your every step is recorded from every angle. And as Cardinal Richelieu said, "If you give me six lines written by the most honest man, I will find something in them to hang him." Is there any among us whose movements aren't suspicious under the wrong circumstances?

On the wall outside his former residence - flat number 27B - where Orwell lived until his death in 1950, an historical plaque commemorates the anti-authoritarian author. And within 200 yards of the flat, there are 32 CCTV cameras, scanning every move.

Orwell's view of the tree-filled gardens outside the flat is under 24-hour surveillance from two cameras perched on traffic lights.

The flat's rear windows are constantly viewed from two more security cameras outside a conference centre in Canonbury Place.

In a lane, just off the square, close to Orwell's favourite pub, the Compton Arms, a camera at the rear of a car dealership records every person entering or leaving the pub.

Within a 200-yard radius of the flat, there are another 28 CCTV cameras, together with hundreds of private, remote-controlled security cameras used to scrutinise visitors to homes, shops and offices.

More via thisislondon.co.uk

Jules Shear - Steady

One of my favorite Jules songs!

McCain goes shopping in Baghdad

A few days ago I reported about John McCain saying how swimmingly things were going in Iraq. It must be true because he just went shopping in an open air market 3 minutes outside the heavily fortified Green Zone.

If things are going so well someone must ask McCain why he needed a bulletproof vest, 100 troops, 3 Blackhawk helicopters and 2 Apache gunships just to go shopping in his paradise.

More from Think Progress

Iran has a thing or two to learn about how to treat prisoners.

Excellent article by Terry Jones of Monty Python

Call that humiliation?

No hoods. No electric shocks. No beatings. These Iranians clearly are a very incivilised bunch

Terry Jones
Saturday March 31, 2007

I share the outrage expressed in the British press over the treatment of our naval personnel accused by Iran of illegally entering their waters. It is a disgrace. We would never dream of treating captives like this - allowing them to smoke cigarettes, for example, even though it has been proven that smoking kills. And as for compelling poor servicewoman Faye Turney to wear a black headscarf, and then allowing the picture to be posted around the world - have the Iranians no concept of civilised behaviour? For God's sake, what's wrong with putting a bag over her head? That's what we do with the Muslims we capture: we put bags over their heads, so it's hard to breathe. Then it's perfectly acceptable to take photographs of them and circulate them to the press because the captives can't be recognised and humiliated in the way these unfortunate British service people are.

Read more via The Guardian

Bush Cuts Off Diplomatic Relations With Congress

WASHINGTON, DC—President Bush announced Monday that his administration will permanently sever ties with the democratically controlled United States Congress, ending a nearly 220-year-old alliance between the two governmental branches.

"Our administration no longer recognizes the authority of this rogue body," said Bush in a televised Oval Office address. "Clearly, these combative men and women have a political agenda in direct opposition to our own. They have no concern for my national interests, and have left me no choice."

via The Onion

Injured Troops Request Extended Tours To Avoid Being Sent To Walter Reed

BAGHDAD—Many injured U.S. troops are actively lobbying for an additional six months of combat duty in Iraq to avoid returning to the United States to be treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.

"I've heard too many horror stories to go back to that hellhole" said Marine Pfc. Jon Hillman, 22, who suffered severe injuries in a roadside bombing last week. "I'm perfectly happy in Iraq, where at least I know that the people wearing the same uniforms as me aren't going to put my life at risk for no reason. Who knows what kind of inhumane acts I'd see there, halfway around the word."

Hillman added that he was hoping to be sent back out to patrol Iraq's streets soon, as he did not know how much longer he could fool the medical officers at the Green Zone hospital into believing he still had both of his legs.

via The Onion

CLOSE CALL AT THE WHITE HOUSE

Heroic Secret Service Agent Takes Question Intended For Bush

WASHINGTON, DC—White House Secret Service Agent Anthony Panucci is being called a hero after intercepting what could have been a critically damaging question aimed directly at President Bush during a press conference in the Rose Garden Tuesday.

According to eyewitnesses, the press conference began with Bush fielding routine questions about March Madness and the dedication of a World War II memorial near his home in Crawford, TX. However, approximately seven minutes into the event, a lone reporter somehow managed to maneuver to the front of the press corps group and fire off a loaded, highly charged question concerning Bush's role in the controversial dismissal of eight federal attorneys last year.

via The Onion

Saturday Morning Funny

Ministry of Silly Walks

Creationist says: Peanut butter disproves evolution

Are these people really that stupid?

This is the man who has his finger on the button...

The Beatles meet Dr. Who - 1965

The Beatles had a guest appearance on Doctor Who in 1965 -- singing "Ticket to Ride." Afterwards, a traveler from the future remarks that she's heard of the Beatles, having visited their memorial in Liverpool, but that she didn't realize that the Beatles also performed "classical music."

The original recording of that particular Beatles performance has been lost along with a lot of the BBC library which was tragically thrown out in a great video tape purge in the 1970s. That Doctor Who footage is now the only visual record of that performance.

Photo of the Day

Thanks to Brenda!

Sampson and De-lie-la

The New York Times and Los Angeles Times lead with the revelation that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was more involved in the discussions that resulted in the firings of eight U.S. attorneys than he had previously acknowledged. Kyle Sampson, Gonzales' former chief of staff, told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the attorney general's previous comments had been inaccurate.

Inaccurate?! C'mon Kyle. Don't sugarcoat it. We're used to it by now. HE LIED!

Mother Jones Pop Quiz

I missed 4 out of 15. Give it a go. Leave a comment on your score.

Iraq 101: Pop Quiz

Almost makes me ashamed to be white

Quote of the Day

"It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from its government" - Thomas Paine

Humor - Lewis Black

"The White House always complains that the liberal media never shows the good news coming out of Iraq. So tonight, I'm going to set things right with my new feature 'Lewis Black's Iraq Good New Explosion.' ... Tattoos. For decades under Saddam, they were punishable by death. But now, the only tough part about it is picking out a design. Let's see, should I get 'Mom' or 'Death to America'? I'd go with 'Death to America.' You never know how your feelings for your mom might change. ... There's good news for Iraqi nature lovers. A newly formed conservation group called Nature Iraq has published the country's first ever bird guide. Yes! What a great place to go birding! Let's say we throw on some camouflage, grab some high-powered binoculars, and go lurk. What could go wrong? ... Still, you have to admire the optimism. Imagine a day when Iraqis will want to see something flying towards them in the air." --Lewis Black on The Daily Show

It's better when you watch the video

John McCain - Serial liar

On The Situation Room, John McCain told Wolf Blitzer that the surge is going so well that General Patraeus now travels around in unarmored Humvees and American soldiers can walk around the streets of Baghdad safely. When confronted today by John Roberts, McCain backpeddled faster than a clown going downhill on a unicycle.

Roberts: I checked with General Petraeus' people overnight and they said he never goes out in anything less than an up armored Humvee. You also told Bill Bennett on his radio program on Monday..you said there are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhood today, yet retired General Barry McCaffrey said no Iraqi government official, coalition soldier, diplomat reporter could walk the streets of Baghdad without heavily armed protection

via Think Progress

Bushism

"And there is distrust in Washington. I am surprised, frankly, at the amount of distrust that exists in this town. And I'm sorry it's the case, and I'll work hard to try to elevate it." --George W. Bush, interview on National Public Radio, Jan. 29, 2007

R.E.M. - Losing My Religion

'toon of the Day

The Honeymoon is Over

Saudi King Condemns U.S Occupation of Iraq

Riyadh (Reuters) - Saudi Aarabia's King Abdullah told a summit of Arab leaders that Sunni-Shi'ite violence in Iraq threatened the stability of the oil-producing gulf region and he called for an end to the international blockade on the Palestinian people.

"in beloved Iraq, blood flows between brothers in the shadow of illegitimate foreign occupation and hateful sectarianism, threatening a civil war,'' he added.

DEMS IN SENATE WIN VOTE TO GET OUT OF IRAQ

Defying a veto threat, the Democratic-controlled Senate narrowly signaled support Tuesday for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq by next March.

via MSNBC

Gonzales Runs Away

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales today cut short a press conference about Internet safety, leaving the room at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago when reporters questioned him about the firings of U.S. attorneys. The questioning was to have lasted about 15 minutes, but it ended after less than three.

Hmmm. I wonder what the problem was.

Top 10 Political Videos

Quote of the Day

Heard on Air America this morning:

"Sen. James Inhofe believes the earth is flat and that storks deliver babies. Of course he doesn't believe in global warming" - Sam Seder

The Beatles - Get Back

The Christian Right's Creation Museums

From California to Florida, a string of Creation "Science" museums are springing up across the country as part of the Christian Right's attempt to rewrite the past and make it conform to the Bible.

via Alternet

Stick a fork in 'em, they're done!

John McCain agrees that the occupation in Iraq has been mismanaged for four years now. He thinks we should trust those who have mismanaged it to turn things around. Those days are over.

He seems to be in a tight spot. How can he support a mess and criticize it at the same time? That's good old Republican hypocrisy at it's best.

And now Bush is giving a big speech trashing the Democrats because they have the gall to want to try another course of action and get us out of the boondoggle Bush has created. Why would he trash those who are trying to do the will of the American people? Because Bush makes everything political. It can never be just about what's best for the country.

U.S. Conducts War Games Off The Coast Of Iran

You would think that since we're already in a war, well occupation really, that we wouldn't have the resources or the nerve to conduct "war games". Who thought of that term anyway? War is NOT A GAME! This saber rattling we're engaged in can't bring anything but trouble in my opinion.

via USA Today

Welcome to Little Blue Orb

Hi - Welcome to Little Blue Orb. I used to blog under the name Wild Sects. I decided to expand my horizons and try something new. The content won't differ much from Wild Sects except that I hope to post more about humor and music and not quite as much about politics. Being political junkie, it remains to be seen if i can resist temptation.