A Life Sentence on Planet Earth

Baseball Projections: NL West

2007-02-11T22:21:00.000-08:00

Much of the National League West has the same décor, only many of the centerpieces have been moved around. The in-house shuffle was only begun by Bruce Bochy, the manager of the two-time division champ Padres who shifted north to the Giants. Eight prominent players also changed uniforms within the division (Jason Schmidt, Greg Maddux, Luis Gonzalez and Dave Roberts to name a few), and even a head trainer (Stan Conte, who left San Francisco for Los Angeles) didn't go far.
This will make things interesting, especially considering how bunched the 2006 final standings were. Two teams (Padres and Dodgers) won 88 games, and the other three each won 76. The 2007 formation may be as tight, but the order could change quite a bit.

Los Angeles appears to have separated itself from the scrum with a series of moves designed to build on the torrid momentum generated by the last two months. The Dodgers are poised to spoil the Padres' dreams of being the NL West's first three-peater since the Braves; that's right, no team has copped three straight titles since Atlanta (1991-93) was confounding geography students by being in the West.

The Diamondbacks got much younger on the field, while the G-Men hardly did, remaining on AARP's mailing list. And the Rockies stayed the course, hoping their bumper crop of 2005 rookies is ready to conquer the hump.

However the race is settled, every NL West-head will be burning candles in October. Since San Francisco's win in Game 5 of the 2002 World Series, division teams have compiled a postseason record of 3-17. They're tired of the West being the land of the setting sun and of one-and-done.

The Los Angeles Dodgers

The volume of the Dodgers' changes (six front-liners in, seven out) should not be surprising, given how hastily the '06 crew had been assembled following general manager Ned Colletti's December hiring. More stunning is how well Colletti was able to adjust to being blind-sided by J.D. Drew's opt-out. Drew withdrew on Nov. 9; within a month, Juan Pierre and Gonzalez re-stocked the outfield. Colletti kept at it, adding an ace (Schmidt), a high-upside lefty (Randy Wolf) and a savvy backstop (Mike Lieberthal).

The Dodgers have to come up with the new batting order, with a 50 percent overhaul of the starting lineup (including Andre Ethier moving into Drew's spot in right field). For starters, who's better to lead off, Pierre or incumbent Rafael Furcal?

The position battles are Left field -- only with a major collapse can Gonzalez play himself out of the position, but there is a long list of standbys (Jason Repko, Matt Kemp, Marlon Anderson). Set up man -- Yhency Brazoban isn't likely to return from elbow surgery until midseason, so the spot is up for grabs. No. 5 starter -- Chad Billingsley is penciled in, but more experienced arms are available in the bullpen pool (Brett Tomko, Mark Hendrickson, Elmer Dessens).

Wilson Betemit commandeered the third-base job with his dynamite performance following his late July acquisition from Atlanta, but he has never played a full season of more than 373 at-bats. If the pace gets to him and if age had more to do than injuries with Jeff Kent's decline, the Dodgers will take on water in the holes in their lineup and sink.

The Arizona Diamondbacks

General manager Josh Byrnes has made over (Doug Davis, Livan Hernandez) and re-made (Randy Johnson) the rotation -- a nice feat with a reigning Cy Young Award winner (Brandon Webb) able to greet the newcomers. But remember what drove Johnson out of the desert in the first place? Lack of run support. It may be déjà vu all over again.

The biggest Spring Break challenge is don't overreact to how the team looks/performs. The kids in the overhauled lineup (four projected regulars have started a combined total of 113 Major League games) may come out like young bucks or be toned down by new pressures. Either way, just let them settle in.

The biggest position battles are Left field -- coming off the first 25-25 season in club history, Eric Byrnes would seem up to filling Gonzalez's shoes, but prospects are crowded behind him and the club already has shown a tendency to go with youth where warranted. Set up man -- Luis Vizcaino was sacrificed to the Yankees for the Unit, so a couple of Brandons (Lyon, Medders) and Tony Pena will fight over the eighth inning. No. 5 starter -- this will be a cattle call.

Much of the D-backs' hopes ride on their new set of lefties, and Johnson and Davis indeed bring lush credentials. Last season, however, was a weed bed. In fact, Johnson (5.00) and Davis (4.91) ranked last and third-to-last in ERA among all Major League left-handed starters. Unless those numbers go on a crash diet, the D-backs crash.

The San Diego Padres

The division's lowest-scoring team (731 runs) has lost about 30 percent of its offense without matching replacements, and old guys David Wells and Maddux don't seem enough to make up for it on the pitching end. Getting Marcus and Brian together is nice, but while the J. Giles Band sang "Centerfold," barring a lot of good breaks, the Friars' Giles Band will be humming a different kind of fold.

Hold onto Scott Linebrink. Aaron Rowand is out there for the asking, but GM Kevin Towers shouldn't react rashly to any early troubles by Terrmel Sledge. Rowand wouldn't be a defensive improvement in center, where the Padres already have Mike Cameron, and new manager Bud Black showed in Anaheim he can do wonders with a stacked bullpen.

There are two big position battles: Third base -- the Padres thought enough of Kevin Kouzmanoff to get him from Cleveland for Josh Barfield even before Marcus Giles was in place, but Russell Branyan is an available veteran fallback, and Catcher -- Josh Bard did a standout job as Mike Piazza's top reserve, but Rob Bowen has comparable experience and is in line to at least share the job.

If Jake Peavy can stay away from freak injuries, Chris Young remains the best 6-foot-10 pitcher in the division and Maddux has one more 15-win season in him, the Padres can remain in the Black.

The San Francisco Giants

There's been little renovation around the centerpiece (Barry Zito). The Giants shed 40-somethings Steve Finley, Moises Alou and Mike Stanton, but they kept the Gray in G-Men by retaining Barry Bonds among other vets and loading up on guys in their mid-30s (Rich Aurilia, Ryan Klesko, Dave Roberts).

There is one big Spring Training battle, dealing with, and making good use of, the Barry distractions. While Bonds and Zito will be centers of attention, Bochy will be able to mold his new cast into a unit.

The major position battles are Closer -- Armando Benitez still is in the house but inspires little confidence, and both substitute closers (Stanton and Tim Worrell, who has retired) are gone. Kevin Correia and Brian Wilson will get shots, as well as first base -- Aurilia is penciled in to start, but Klesko looked reborn at the end of the season and Lance Niekro still is on hand.

Giants fans gulped when Schmidt went south, but Zito will take over a rotation that has a high ceiling. If Matt Cain consistently shows the goods he flashed last season and Matt Morris rebounds from his career-worst year, the Giants can be a force.

The Colorado Rockies

Ownership quickly decided against shaking up things by dealing Todd Helton, but general manager Dan O'Dowd already had made a splash by turning one pitcher (Jason Jennings) into two potential starters (Jason Hirsh, Taylor Buchholz) and one center fielder (Willy Taveras). Part Coors, part sea-level talent, this young team will have the division's best offense, but the pitching staff could be just as scary.

It isn't in Helton's nature to be a vocal leader, but as the team around him has gotten younger, he has grown as its obvious anchor. Happy that his long-shot move to Boston fell through because it meant he could keep striving to bring a winner to Denver, Helton must now learn to speak up.

There are position battles here as well: No. 5 starter -- in addition to Hirsh and Buchholz, the field includes Byung-Hyun Kim, Oscar Rivera, Ubaldo Jimenez and Brian Lawrence, who will try to resurrect his career after major shoulder tears in both the labrum and rotator cuff. Keystone -- the Rockies would love for Kaz Matsui's work the last two months (.352) not to have been a mirage, but Jamey Carroll is shadowing second just in case, and Clint Barmes will fight to keep Troy Tulowitzki from taking his job at shortstop.

Yes, we've read and heard enough about how changes in certain conditions have made Coors Field more pitcher friendly, but the ERAs posted by incumbent starters Aaron Cook (4.23) and Jeff Francis (4.16) still were darned impressive in the context of the place's history. With Josh Fogg, Rodrigo Lopez and the survivor of heated competition for the final berth, they give the Rox the makings of an over-the-top staff.

FINAL RANKINGS:
1. LA Dodgers
2. San Diego Padres
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
4. Colorado Rockies
5. San Francisco Giants

Baseball Projectiona: AL West

2007-02-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

The American League East is quite possibly the most up for grabs division in all of baseball. Last Year Oakland ran away with it because of superior pitching, but with the defection of Barry Zito across the bay to San Francisco, will Oakland recapture the title or fall again?

Before Spring Training can reveal what GM Billy Beane might have up his sleeve this time, Oakland's title appears up for grabs. The defending champs lost their top pitcher and most productive hitter, and their closest pursuers (the Angels) have been laid-back -- so far -- about leaping through the window of opportunity.

The Mariners have overhauled their rotation into potentially the division's deepest -- a wonderful asset in expansive Safeco Field. The Rangers tread a little closer to being a sideshow, with Eric Gagne and Sammy Sosa -- but imagine the return if the two waylaid veterans furnish more steak than just sizzle.

Agendas litter the fields. Jeff Weaver's issues aren't with kid bro Jered, who took his job, but with the Angels, who gave it to him. Jose Guillen, Mike Scioscia's old headache, now is in right field for Seattle. Ron Washington, the beloved A's coach who couldn't get a managerial gig with them, now has it in Texas. Angels righty John Lackey and A's catcher Jason Kendall still aren't exchanging birthday cards.

Obviously, these guys play hardball with hard feelings. It's a lot to look forward to for fans, who will just have to temper their enthusiasm.

The drama looks to be interesting here.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anahiem

General manager Bill Stoneman dealt all offseason with owner Artie Moreno's well-documented "we will get an impact bat" vow/edict. In the view of many, he fell short with Gary Matthews Jr., whose signing for $50 million caused eyes to roll. But Stoneman was rolling the dice that Matthews' breakthrough season at 32 wasn't an aberration, but the onset of a late-breaking, high-level career. Otherwise, Stoneman continued to focus on a team strength, adding another layer to the bullpen (Darren Oliver, Justin Speier).

One can only hope that the Angels management doesn't tear out their hair when Bartolo Colon is the usual train wreck he is during Spring Training. The man is a slow starter. Colon is critical to the Angels chances, however, so their reaction will be understandable.

Their biggest position battles will be at first base and left field. Casey Kotchman's healthy return from a year taken by mononucleosis would improve the lineup. Scioscia would then have the option of playing Shea Hillenbrand at third, which would keep Chone Figgins as a super sub, and the Angels would be thrilled to see Juan Rivera (broken left leg) by July, so Reggie Willits and Tommy Murphy will contest the chance to fill the position in the meantime.

The Halos will start out with a lot on their plate at first, Colon has to prove to be a good healer, Jered Weaver and Matthews have to prove their 2006 was genuine, they have to break in a new right side of the infield (Howie Kendrick and the eventual choice at first).

If any of these flop is could spell disaster for then 2002 World Champs.

The Seattle Mariners

The King and his court ("King" Felix Hernandez, Jarrod Washburn, with newcomers Miguel Batista, Horacio Ramirez and Jeff Weaver) could form a good rotation. Jose Guillen and new DH Jose Vidro won't carry the lineup, but will be nice accessories if Richie Sexson, Adrian Beltre and, of course, Ichiro Suzuki do their things.

Vidro, however, needs to be productive as the DH and fast especially after last seasons' disastrous experiment with a DH by committee that ranked last in offense. Vidro has had leg problems in the past so hopefully staying off the field will help more then hurt.

One of the bigger challenges for the M's is settling their middle relief. Arthur Rhodes and Aaron Small. among others, will be competing for spots behind setup man Chris Reitsma and closer JJ Putz.

Ichiro and Guillen are two diverse players who have never really been clubhouse leaders, but have shown a tendency to be clubhouse drains. After three straight last-place finishes, the M's will open the season with fragile psyches and can't afford any snits regarding Ichiro's contract status, Guillen's playing time, or whatever.

The Oakland Athletics

Never underestimate Beane's genius for seeing more than is apparent to others, but the mirrors with which the A's have done it for years seem to be cracking. He may be the only GM who could feel comfortable about handing a new manager (Bob Geren) a rotation topped by a guy seen for fewer than 12 innings since early June (Rich Harden, who missed the heart of the 2006 season with a strained elbow ligament). Compiled with a forward-looking perspective, the team's 2006 highlight reel excluded Barry Zito's 16 wins and Frank Thomas' 39 homers and 114 RBIs; they won't be in '07 box scores, either.

Mike Piazza is another career NL-er who will try his hand at DH-ing, except how he adapts is far more crucial to the A's.

The A's are locked in at few positions, flexibility having been one of the keys to their successful run, but most open are the corners of the outfield and infield. A comeback by first baseman Dan Johnson, a major '06 flop, would allow Nick Swisher to take over in left field.

Esteban Loaiza came up huge in a supporting role last season, for long stretches ranking as the team's most dependable starter. If he can do as well with greater responsibility on him now, it will be a major step toward sustaining the rotation excellence that has been the A's signature. If Beane's sudden fascination with hard-throwing relievers (Kirk Saarloos' trade brought the latest proof) pans out, the bullpen will shorten games. They'll need that; they won't pack the comeback punch they had last season.

The Texas Rangers

Time will tell what Matthews gives the Angels, but he was undeniably huge for the Rangers, who replaced him with a human talisman (Kenny Lofton, who has appeared in 10 of the last 12 playoffs with six different teams) lacking comparable tangible tools. Talking the White Sox into giving up right-hander Brandon McCarthy may prove to be a coup. Barring a supreme rebirth by Sosa, however, the offense will remain spotty in a ballpark that absolutely demands it.

Get a read on Gagne will be a big challenge for the Rangers. His recent breakdowns have been sudden, so even the good signs may be misleading. But if he is convincing enough for the Rangers to consider moving incumbent closer Akinori Otsuka, they could turn him into a major upgrade in the outfield.

If Vicente Padilla, who has an alarming track record for doing his best when pitching for a contract, actually lives up to the latest deal he earned last season, it will go a long way toward legitimizing GM Jon Daniels' decision to make the Rangers more pitching-oriented than has been customary.

FINAL RANKINGS:
1. Anaheim Angels
2. Seattle Mariners
3. Oakland Athletics
4. Texas Rangers

Baseball Projections: NL East

2007-02-06T11:44:00.000-08:00

Today we're going to stick with the east coast and switch over to the National League. Last year the Mets got a running start and didn't stop until they'd earned themselves a playoff spot and unseated the Atlanta Braves for the NL East crown.

But what will happen this year?

The New York Mets

They relied on a makeshift rotation that carried them all the way to a Game 7 of the NLCS where they lost to the Cardinals (mutters "Get the bat off your f***ing shoulder next time Beltran.") the Mets took only some low-profile measures to compensate for Pedro Martinez's expected half-season absence. It's a big load to lay on the offense -- especially with uncertain production from new corner outfielders Moises Alou and Shawn Green.

Green may also have to battle with Endy Chavez during Spring Training to keep his spot in the lineup.

If general manager Omar Minaya guessed wrong on the available starters' ability to stay the course, the Mets may already be off course by the time Pedro gets back in gear. But if Martinez does return with the health and stamina to go six innings every five days, they should have a better finishing kick than last season.

The Philadelphia Phillies

This team made a late season surge, but just fell short of the playoffs. With the problems the Mets have had this off season, if the Phils can make all the right moves at the right times the division is theirs for the taking.

GM Pat Gillick brought in a proven big-game pitcher (Freddy Garcia) and a project (Adam Eaton), but is Eaton (13 starts due to a finger tendon injury) convincing enough to provoke the trade of Jon Lieber? There is also a problem with the setup replief pitching as well. Gillick's willingness to swap Rowand to San Diego for Scott Linebrink betrays his discomfort with in-house candidates Ryan Madson, Antonio Alfonseca and Geoff Geary.

If the Phils want to have a shot at the NL East crown they need to have their starters eat a lot of innings and cannot reply on the bullpen at least until they get to the end and hand the ball over to closer Tom Gordon.

The Atlanta Braves

Unlike other perennial forces who are only comfortable reloading with veterans through free agency and trades, the Braves have never been afraid to tie their fortunes to prospects. That was evident two years ago, when 17 assorted rookies helped them to their 14th straight division title. And so they roll the dice again with a green right side of the infield.

The Braves need to gain confidence in a couple of left elbows that can make-or-break the season. Mike Hampton missed all of 2006 following reconstructive surgery, and new setup man Mike Gonzalez sat out the last five weeks with tendinitis in the joint.

GM John Schuerholz and skipper Bobby Cox are committed to planting former outfielders Scott Thorman and Kelly Johnson at first and second, respectively. But there will be enough veteran options in camp (headlined by Craig Wilson and Chris Woodward) to shorten the rope.

Tim Hudson spent the offseason rediscovering his desire. If he now rediscovers the stuff and attitude that made him virtually unbeatable in Oakland (183 starts, 39 losses), he joins forces with John Smoltz and Hampton for a formidable trio. Cox could make up the other two days as he goes along, all the way to a return to October.

The Florida Marlins

This team was projected last year to lose 100 plus games, then proceeded to content until late September. It was all due to mamager Joe Girardi who won NL Manager of the Year, then was (very stupidly) let go by the Marlins.

Florida had the league's only rotation with five double-figure winners and four of them were rookies, an MLB first. Can they repeat this year? Who knows.

New manager Fredi Gonzalez, who essentially lost out on this job a year ago to Joe Girardi, and new pitching coach Rick Kranitz have to earn the trust of the young team.

There is going to be a major position battle in CF with versatile Alfredo Amezaga is penciled in, but Alex Sanchez, Reggie Abercrombie, Eric Reed and Cody Ross will all crowd him.

There is a major question mark with the new closer Taylor Tankersley. If he proves as sharp at the end of games as he was in the middle of them (2.85 ERA in 49 appearances), the staff may not have a ceiling. If offseason arm problems for Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez linger into the season, the team may not have a prayer.

The Washington Nationals

The very definition of a work in progress. They lost Alfonso Soriano to the Cubs and have not replaced him. This is the projected 100 game loser this year.

A team that didn't replace some important pieces who left may seemed to have regressed, but the Nats are now following the long-range vision of club president Stan Kasten. In his first four years at the Braves' helm, they averaged 98 losses, then won 14 straight division titles. It's called laying a solid foundation.

During Spring Training the Nats need to unleash the energetic optimism of Manny Acta, the youngest manager in the game, and let it inspire a blend of young, castaway and recycled players who will check in expecting to lose. If they buy into the program, Acta II should be a crowd-pleaser.

The biggest problems are that neither Nick Johnson (broken right leg) nor Cristian Guzman (torn labrum) will be ready out of the gate; by the time they step in to fill two holes, the Nationals could already be buried in a deep one.

Final Rankings:
1.Philadelphia Phillies
2.New York Mets
3.Atlanta Braves
4.Florida Marlins
5.Washington Nationals

Baseball projections: AL East

2007-02-05T10:51:00.000-08:00

It's that time again kids. The grass is being cut, the fields are being re-sod and pitchers and catchers are reporting for Spring Training.

Over the next few days I'm going to take my cues from the MLB website to break down the teams. Division by division, team by team, in order to give what I hope can be insight into the upcoming baseball season.

I'm going to start with the most competitive division: The American League East.

There are 5 teams in this division: The New York Yankees, The Boston Red Sox, The Toronto Blue Jays, The Tampa Bay Devil Rays and The Baltimore Orioles.

So let's get to it.

The New York Yankees:

The Yanks have realized over the years that money cannot buy championships, as evident by the fact that there have been no repeat champions since 2000. They've actually been shedding talent lately with the trade of Gary Sheffield to Detroit, the trade of Jaret Wright to Baltimore, and the trade of Randy Johnson to the Diamondbacks.

They've still got Bobby Abreu in Right Field and they've also signed two left handed pitchers: Kei Igawa from Japan and former Yankee Andy Pettite. They also have a logjam in the bullpen behind Mariano Rivera.

Chris Britton, Alberto Gonzalez, Ross Ohlendorf, Humberto Sanchez and Kevin Whelan have been added to the Yankees' future, along with the developing likes of Philip Hughes, Tyler Clippard, Jeff Karstens and more.

The Yanks have also added Doug Mientkiewicz to play first base (a shot at the BoSox if anything, since Doug played for them when they won the World Series in 2004) and this move allowed Jason Giambi to focus solely on being the Designated Hitter.

There is also a logjam in the outfield with Hideki Matsui (left), Johnny Damon (Center) and Abreu (right) along with Melky Cabrera (backup) which could put Yankee legend Bernie Williams in the minors if he signs the deal offered.

The problems the Yankees have are was this off season enough? Did they make enough moved to keep their hold on AL East Champions, which they have had for the last 9 years?

There was no major "October Suprise" signing like there was in previous years with the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson and Johnny Damon, unless you count Andy Pettite, which I persoanlly do not.

There is another problem as well. A-Rod's contract has an opt out clause at the end of this year, so if he struggles during the first half I see one of two things happening: Either the Yankees seriously consider trading him or he opts out of his contract at the end of the year and becomes the hottest free agent in all of baseball.

Only Time Will Tell.

The Boston Red Sox

While we are on the subject of moneyball, the BoSox spent loads of cash this off season, but they're not the only team to do so.

They signed JD Drew to replace Trot Nixon in the outfield. Julio Lugo to be the latest in a long line of Short Stops and Japanese sensation Daisuke Matsuzaka from Japan.

Drew opted out of his remaining contract with the Dodgers and is a health concern for the Sox as he hits behind David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Lugo will most likely hit leadoff and will be the teams stolen base leader.

But all the attention will be around Matsuzaka. The Japanese import who in all cost the Sox $103 million to sign from the Seibu Lions in Japan.

One thing they need to worry about is keeping Manny Ramirez happy, he basically bailed on the team at the end of last year when they finished third behind Toronto after an embarassing five game sweep at Fenway by the Yankees.

There were many injureis that plagued the Sox last year: Ortiz, Crisp, Papelbon, and Jon Lester who should be fully recovered from cancer treatment in time for Spring Training.

There is also a backlog and an open job for the closer role. Thrre likely candidates have emerged: Brendan Donnelly, who came over from the Angels in a trade, Joel Pinero who came over from Seattle and veteran Mike Timlin. The two kids, Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen, are not ready for the job yet.

The biggest worry in Red Sox Nation is Matsuzaka. He hasn't thrown a pitch in the majors yet and until he does he's an unproven commodity. The investment is steep and financial, mediocrity is not an option.

The Toronto Blue Jays

Attempting to build off of their second place finish, the Blue Jays made a big signing with Frank Thomas to be their DH.

The biggest concern for this team is pitching. They have Roy Halladay who always seems to get injured when he is about to have a breakout season, AJ Burnett who is going into his second season with the Jays, it would be perfect to get a full seaosn out of Burnett.

There are other pitchers that the Jays have signed Tomo Ohka and John Thompson. Building into season-ready shape a rotation each of whose cogs -- Roy Halladay, A.J. Burnett, Gustavo Chacin, Ohka and Thomson -- coped with arm injury in 2006; accepting 32 as a full season, that quintet missed a total of 57 starts.

Josh Towers, who in 2005 had the lowest ERA (3.71) among all AL East starters, comes to this camp as a fallen, non-roster invitee to try to take advantage of any letdown by Ohka or Thomson. So will Shaun Marcum, Casey Janssen and Dustin McGowan. Vet shortstop Royce Clayton tries to keep Russ Adams out of the picture.

The Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore's baseball dynasties were always built on pitching and, following a record ninth straight losing season, the Orioles have again embraced that model. The big offseason project was an overhauled bullpen, at a cost of $42 million for four relievers, to support the young, high-upside rotation. Leo Mazzone is on the spot to make it click.

Blow up a loser's complex and develop a new attitude. Very few of the players in camp have ever played on a winning team in the Majors. It's your move, Sam Perlozzo, to sell that losing is not inevitable.

Jay Gibbons, who lost his spot in right field while battling a right-knee injury, is an unhappy DH and will contest Nick Markakis for his old job. Newcomer Aubrey Huff and Kevin Millar both play multiple positions, and this'll be the time to assert their preferences.

The offense will be very spotty -- only Kansas City, with Mark Teahen's 18, had a lower AL team-leading homer total than Miguel Tejada's 24 -- but the staff's best-case scenario lands the Birds right in the chase.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays

The perennial basement dewllers. And I don't see much changing here either.

Overcome a buildup of cynicism and negativism to realize that B.J. Upton and Delmon Young don't just represent a new wave, but a new day. Show enough pitching promise to keep a quite-potent lineup focused.

It'll be a free-for-all once again in the bullpen, where six different relievers combined last year to save 33 games (and blow 21 others). Scott Dohmann came under the radar from Kansas City, but he's got the power arm to take charge.

With Scott Kazmir heading the rotation and ample firepower, the D-Rays just need some eighth/ninth inning people to hold leads; they lost an AL-record 60 games in which they had a lead last season.

FINAL RANKINGS:

1. Boston Red Sox
2. New York Yankees
3. Baltimore Orioles
4. Toronto Blue Jays
5. Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Fox News slanders Barack Obama

2007-01-21T15:37:00.001-08:00

I was going to use this week’s column to extol the virtues of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and talk about how his speeches against the Vietnam war are relevant in today’s war in Iraq.

That is want this column WAS going to be about but after seeing what I saw on Fox News. Fox News featured a segment highlighting a right-wing report that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) attended an Islamic “madrassa” school as a 6-year-old child.

Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy pointed out that madrassas are “financed by Saudis” and “teach this Wahhabism which pretty much hates us,” then declared, “The big question is: was that on the curriculum back then?” Later, a caller to the show questioned whether Obama’s schooling means that “maybe he doesn’t consider terrorists the enemy.” Fox anchor Brian Kilmeade responded, “Well, we’ll see about that.”

The Fox hosts failed to correct the false claim that Obama is Muslim. One caller, referring to Obama, said, “I think a Muslim would be fine in the presidency, better than Hillary. At least you know what the Muslims are up to.” Anchor Gretchen Carlson responded, “We want to be clear, too, that this isn’t all Muslims, of course, we would only be concerned about the kind that wants to blow us up.” Obama is Christian, a member of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ since 1988.

As a child, Obama spent four years in Indonesia with his step-father, a non-practicing Muslim, and his mother. Between ages 6 and 8, Obama attended a local Muslim school in Jakarta; after that, he was enrolled in a Roman Catholic school.

Please allow me to make something perfectly clear: Madrasah is the Arabic word for school. He went to a school. Barack Hussein Obama is not, as far as I know, a Muslim, nor does he want to "blow us up." And yet, lo and behold, our friends at Fox News are here to tell us that there is a 97% chance that Barack Obama has taken suicide bomb lessons and want nothing more than to win the Presidency so that he may kill us all. Thanks, Fox. What would we do without you?

It’s good to see that the GOP has their “swift-boating” ducks in a row, but if I were Sen. Obama I would file a defamation lawsuit against Fox News, this is defamation in its purest form.

And by the way, is this the best that Fox News could come up with, calling a devout Christian a closet Muslim.

Also, about the “reports” that Hilary Clinton’s camp leaked this, or reported it, or whatever. If a wing-nut publication says that Hillary Clinton is questioning Obama, and only Fox News reports it, (as of press time only Fox News has reported this) then it is most probably a subterfuge, kill two birds with one stone: sow dissension among Democrats and swiftboat Obama.

My goodness, if its this bad that he attended a Madrashah, I wonder how nuts Fox is going to go when they find out he’s black. Note the sarcasm.

Dr. Martin Luther King's speech on why he was opposed to the war in Vietnam

2007-01-17T10:20:00.001-08:00

I know its a couple days late but his words resonate now more than ever.

Keith Olbermann's latest Special Comment

2007-01-11T22:05:00.000-08:00

I'm not even going to try to set up this speech, Olbermann pretty much knocks it out of the park, so here it goes...

Keith Olbermann on Bush's speech

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Best and Worst of Pro Wrestling in 2006

2007-01-09T20:17:00.001-08:00

2006 Promotion of the Year:
TNA

With the changes to the negative in OVW as well as WWE,and ROH not having the banner year like they did in 2005 (though they do get props coming up) TNA wins this award almost by default. If Impact had a two hour slot to actually flesh out the angles and storylines that are often rushed in their current one hour format...it'd be easier to give this award with more enthusiasm Yet, where else does a mainstream audience get to see AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Chrtistopher Daniels, Kurt Angle, Christian Cage, Austin Aries, Chris Sabin, Sonjay Dutt, Homicide, Low Ki, and Petey Williams, to name a few?

2005 winner: ROH

2006 Wrestler of the Year:
"American Dragon" Bryan Danielson (ROH/ FIP/ Pro Wrestling NOAH)

In an era where championships have been made to mean nothing as promotional devices, having been given to TV actors, storywriters, and son-in-laws; being a wrestler...and one of the best... was more than enough for "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson.

Danielson represented Ring of Honor around the United States, Europe, and Japan, as champion from September 17, 2005 to December 23, 2006. He did so throughout the fall despite wrestling with a separated shoulder since August 25; so that he could play out the Ring of Honor storyline that would see longtime east coast favorite Homicide win the title in the promotion's final show of the year, Final Battle 2006 show at the Manhattan Center.

Danielson was a mainstay of the CZW-ROH Angle/storyline of the year (see below), which began on January 14, when ROH moved a show scheduled for the Boston area to the Philadelphia National Guard Armory on limited notice due to issues in the Boston market. This was a show that saw Danielson submit CZW's Chris Hero with a Cross Face Chickenwing to retain the ROH World Championship, and began a program with the two promotions which many saw as ever occurring only when hell froze over (which was later used as the show's title).

Danielson defended against Jimmy Rave, Alex Shelley, Delirious, Colt Cabana, Nigel McGuinness, Sonjay Dutt, Samoa Joe, and KENTA. He also worked ajor tag matches with Samoa Joe against Pro Wrestling NOAH's Global Honored Crown Heavyweight champion KENTA and Naomichi Marufuji.

2007 will likely see Danielson finally get the srugery he's so badly needed for months, which will leave a major hole in the Ring of Honor lineup.

2005 winners: Eddie Guererro (WWE), Samoa Joe (TNA), Bryan Danielson (Indys)

2006 Worst Wrestler of the Year:
The Boogeyman (WWE)

He's back. Need I say more?

2005 "winner": The Boogeyman

2006: Tag Team of the Year:
Paul London and Brian Kendrick (WWE)
Team 3D (TNA)

In an era where Tag Team wrestling is looked at as nothing more then a tool to get over two singles feuds at once it is refreshing to see a young, talented team get the ball and run with it.

Paul London and Brian Kendrick are one of the few things that WWE Smackdown has going for it, that and JBL's hilarious commentary. Here's hoping this team actually sticks around after they have to drop the Tag Titles.

Team 3D came to TNA as a suprise to everyone when they were fired by WWE and in 2006 they settled into their groove and with the feud they are in with LAX they look to finally capture the Tag Titles that have eluded them for so long, the NWA World Tag Team Titles.

2005 winners:
MNM (WWE), American's Most Wanted (TNA), Carnage Crew (Indy)

2006 Match(es) of the Year:
WWE: Paul London/Brian Kendrick vs. Steven Regal/ David Taylor vs. Hardys vs. MNM, Ladder match for the world tag team titles, WWE Armageddon

Independent: For sheer wrestling, try topping "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson vs. KENTA, Glory By Honor V, New York, NY, September 16, 2006

For sheer mayhem and crowd heat, the CZW/ROH Cage of Death War Games/The Match Beyond match; with Necro Butcher, Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli, Nate Webb, Eddie Kingston vs. Samoa Joe, BJ Whitmer, "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson, Adam Pearce, Ace Steele, and Homicide.

2005 Winners: HBK v. Shelton Benjamin (WWE), Samoa Joe v. AJ Styles v. Christopher Daniels (TNA), Samoa Joe v. Kenta Kobashi (Indys)

Angle / Feud of the Year:
CZW v. ROH

This year's CZW-Ring of Honor storyline was an example of what happens when 2 independent promoters work together, instead of engaging in the ego-tripping, turf-protecting, self-massaging exercises that all too many consider an everyday part of being an independent professional wrestling promoter (or the major wrestling promoter, for that matter). Two promoters...GASP...actually did business...to (even bigger GASP) DRAW MONEY; instead of worrying about whether "their guys" were protected to look good. Both promoters put over the competing promotion in the main event slot of each other's shows, to further the next stage of the feud.

The angle began on January 14, when ROH moved a show scheduled for the Boston area to the Philadelphia National Guard Armory on limited notice; a show that saw Danielson force CZW's Chris Hero to submit to the Cross Face Chickenwing to retain the ROH World Championship.

But the angle really kicked in when when both promotions ran the ECW Arena on March 11, 2006 in a scheduled day/night doubleheader.

At the end of the Ring of Honor show (the afternoon show), in a wild, over the top brawl, ROH and CZW went at it, as Zandig charged the ring with a barbed wire bat, and Wifebeater charged the ring with the long-banned (by the busybodies of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission) weedwhacker, along with Lobo and CZW's locker room others, ran out Samoa Joe and the ROH students who'd hit the ring. Two wrestlers brawled out into the crowd and into adjoining Swanson Street.

CZW finally cornered Ring of Honor's BJ Whitmer in the ring and taped him to the ropes. They stapled dollars to his face and ran the barbed wire bat over his face. Zandig spraypainted CZW over the ROH logo on the ring apron. CZW "took control" of the video screen and their music played to end the show. Zandig went off in a shootfabe interview on Ring of Honor on the mike. CZW's Justice Pain and Hardcore Nick Gage hopped in the crowd challenging the Ring of Honor fans.

Gabe Sapolsky then set up the stands at the April 22 ROH Philadelphia stands with "CZW bleachers" and "ROH bleachers" for the promotion's 100th Show Celebration before a packed Northeast Philadelphia National Guard Armory of well over 1,000, despite the Philadelphia Flyers opening the Stanley Cup playoffs that night.

The blow-off angle on July 16 took place before what may have been the largest ROH crowd in Philadelphia history (the pre-sale for the event was the largest in Philadelphia, even larger than the December 17, 2005 Final Battle show featuring All Japan talent), a fact even more remarkable given the competition of the Bon Jovi stadium show at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park last night and being well into the Jersey shore season.

The main event finale of the show had CZW's Cage of Death (version 2005, with a multi-sided cage on the floor) under War Games/The Match Beyond rules. The Cage included two ladders, two tables wrapped in barbed wire, and multiple trash cans inside; with the match featuring Necro Butcher, Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli, Nate Webb, Eddie Kingston vs. Samoa Joe, BJ Whitmer, "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson, Adam Pearce, Ace Steele, and Homicide.

If you've not purchased the DVD by now...do so.

Again, for all the other promoters out there...this is what happens when pomotions work together. Working together will help everyone make money...make bruised egos feel much, much better...and allow people, both promoters and workers to do what they love....and allow us as fans to watch the spectacle.

2005: winner: Batista v. HHH(WWE)

Worst Angles of the year:
The Eddie Guererro storyline in every form (WWE)

In what will top the infamous Katie Vick skit, Tim White's suicide sketches, and the various WWE angles involving proctology in the all time tasteless storyline device in WWE history; WWE kept dragging out the corpse of Eddie Guerrero to be used in the Chavo Guerrero-Rey Misterio, Jr. storyline... with widow Vickie Guerrero turning heel and siding with Chavo over Rey Misterio, Jr., then continues it all the way (together in storyline with Chavo) to the present day with Chris Benoit, posing the question if Vickie is "mismanaging Eddie's estate".

Fans have let their feelings be known loudly and publicly on more than one pay-per-view event, booing attempt after attempt to use Guerrero in storyline....and not heel heat, we're talking get the hell off my wrestling show heat. WWE has simply ignored fans displeasure and continued to use of Guerrero as a storyline device 13 months after his death.

Vince, would it have really pissed off WWE stockholders to have paid off Eddie's contract to Vickie...without dragging her through this continual, embarassing...bordering on eternal... use of the corpse of your most beloved wrestlers?

2005 "winners": Jim Ross proctology skit and the Tim White suicide skits (WWE)

Worst Event of the Year:
WWECW December to Dismember Augusta, GA (12-4-06)

For any wrestling fans that had any sort of delusions remaining about WWECW, they were taken back to a cold reality; with illusions totally shattered after the debacle of a PPV called December to Dismember.

The PPV was a two match PPV with the six man "Extreme" Elimination Chamber making Bobby Lashley the "new ECW World Champion". Sabu, advertised as being part of the PPV, was "injured" (translated: punished for recent heat with WWE) and removed from the Elimination Chamber match, replaced by Bob Holly. Additionally, after his escapades in July, there was no way Rob Van Dam was getting the belt back.

So...your new Veloc...er... ECW Champion...Bobby Lashley. Yup....Nothing says ECW like Bobby Lashley. Viewers paid a full price of $39.95 for this 2 hour and 19 minute PPV. Along with the 2 matches I mentioned above, there were four other matches thrown in there to fill in time...such time as Vince McMahon bothered to fill in at all. 2 hours and 19 minutes. That's flat out ridiculous.

2005 "winner": WWE Armageddon 2005, Providence, RI, Dec. 18, 2005 PPV

Card / PPV of the Year:
WWE: WWE WrestleMania 22, April 2, 2006, Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois This show's highlights included the RVD-Shelton Benjamin-Ric Flair-Finlay-Matt Hardy-Bobby Lashley in Money in the Bank ladder match, JBL-Chris Benoit US Title match, Mickie James-Trish Stratus WWE Women's Championship match, Rey Mysterio-Randy Orton-Kurt Angle Triple Threat/World Heavyweight Championship match, and John Cena-HHH matches.

Independent: Glory By Honor V Night 2, Manhattan Center, New York, NY, September 16, 2006 This show featured two Match of the Year nominees Bryan Danielson vs. KENTA and Naomichi Marufuji vs. Nigel McGuinness, along with Chris Hero/Claudio Castagnoli defeating Austin Aries and Roderick Strong to win the ROH World Tag Teamchampionships, Homicide and Samoa Joe defeating the Briscoe Brothers....and the first New York appearance in years by Bruno Sammartino

Announcer of the Year:
Mike Tenay (TNA)

As in 2005, Tenay continued his streak of the best announcer not named Jim Ross, Dan Wilson, or Steven Prazak. His obvious knowledge of wrestling history, melded with his getting over storylines that sometimes defy all logic and sense. This takes place even with the burden of having to get over 90 minutes of action shoved into a 60 minute package.

2005 winner: Joey Styles (WWE)

Worst Announcer of the Year:
Josh Matthews (WWE)

Matthews wins this along for his participation in the infamous "Lunchtime Suicide" skits with Tim White; which included White making the following suicide attempts: shooting himself...in the foot... in the now-infamous skit which made PPV, hanging himself from the ceiling, throwing a toaster into a bathtub in which he was standing...complete with WWE fireworks special effects, slitting his wrists with a straight razor, complete with inserted sound of the noise of spurting blood (and shooting "blood" ala the Julia Child Saturday Night Live sketch),"suffocating" himself by placing a plastic bag over his head, running out into traffic to attempt suicide, sticking his head in an industrial fan, being shot by a sniper (dressed like a terrorist)...ended with a skit wheren Tim White shoots Josh Matthews with a rifle.

Not one dime drawn. No rationale for upsetting people who saw the depictions of Tim White's "suicide attempts" as lacking in any humor, full of bad taste (even by WWE standards), and possibly contributing to kids imitating what they were seeing, which happened once in a mock attempt that was quickly removed from (site removed).

Vince McMahon is really, really, lucky that no kid ever actually imitated it, or more likely, that a greedy or grief-stricken parent didn't blame him for their child's problems that caused a real-life suicide. It would have created a PR disaster even Vince Mcmahon couldn't have handled. Imagine Vince McMahon having to explain to Bill O'Reilly why he had the inherent right to air a suicide storyline.

Josh Matthews's tag line before each "suicide attempt" was "That wouldn't be wise, Mr. White".

Neither was his participation in it.

2005"winner": Johnathan Coachman (WWE)

Rising Star of 2007:
CM Punk (WWECW)

This award is given out each year to the wrestler who I personally believe is going to have a breakout year in the next calendar year.

This year the award goes to CM Punk.

I've been very high on Punker for years, considering he's done hsi best work in the indies including having a 91 minute match one night and wrestling a 65 minute match the next night. He's shown versatility, personality and charisma in the ring and out.

Now if only he could get out of that toilet that Vince calls ECW.

2005 winner: Ken "Mister" Kennedy (WWE)

Our Constitutional Crisis

2007-01-08T21:20:00.000-08:00

While the November elections provided the Democratic Party a public mandate to end the war in Iraq, President Bush has signaled his intent to utilize his institutional powers as Commander in Chief to maintain and even escalate the U.S. commitment, public or congressional opinion notwithstanding. The Democratic leadership has removed two obvious ways to stop him -- impeachment and a cutoff of war funds -- from the table. Some Democrats have even indicated they will acquiesce in the sending of tens of thousands more troops to Iraq.

For those for in Congress and the public whom acquiescence is not an option, there remains an indirect route to challenging Presidential war-making power and force withdrawal from Iraq. That is to so discredit the Administration in the eyes of the public that neither Republican politicians nor the military, the intelligence agencies, the foreign policy establishment, or the corporate elite will allow it to continue on its catastrophic course. That requires a devastating exposure of the criminality, corruption, stupidity, and false premises of those who are making the decisions.

The road to withdrawal from Iraq, in short, may run through a congressional hearing room. But whether it does will depend in large part on how Democrats go about their investigations and how much the public demands they truly confront the Bush administration's criminality.
Just in the first three weeks of the session, Senate Democrats plan to call at least 13 hearings on Iraq.1 On the House side, Rep. John Murtha has promised to hold two hearings a day for several months beginning on January 17th, and many others are planned as well.

The Democrats' investigations could follow either of two strategies. One is to use hearings simply to service their '08 election goals by revealing some blemishes in Bush's Iraq policy -- while letting the war, torture, spying, and other crimes continue unimpeded. The alternate is to investigate with the intent of driving a dagger into the soft underbelly of the Bush juggernaut -- its criminal violation of the U.S. Constitution and U.S. and international law and its criminal coverup of its abuses.

The upcoming hearings will undoubtedly include demands for information that the Administration has up till now refused to provide. The consequence will be a power struggle which could -- if Democrats so choose -- be the defining moment in the effort to establish legal and constitutional accountability for the Bush administration -- and thereby force it to end the war.

The Bush administration has been historic in its refusal to share information with Congress or the public. It has strong motivations to continue to conceal such information, such as avoiding humiliation, further public exposure, and probable criminal liability. It has sent strong signals it will indeed refuse to provide such information. As Time magazine wrote just before the election:
When it comes to deploying its Executive power, which is dear to Bush's understanding of the presidency, the President's team has been planning for what one strategist described as 'a cataclysmic fight to the death' over the balance between Congress and White House if confronted with congressional subpoenas it deems inappropriate. The strategist says the Bush team is 'going to assert that power, and they're going to fight it all the way to the Supreme Court on every issue, every time, no compromise, no discussion, no negotiation.
As a result, the U.S. is headed toward what Tom Engelhard has called "the mother of all Constitutional crises."

Indeed, that crisis has already begun. For example, just after the elections the Justice Department, in response to an ACLU suit, disclosed in court the existence of directives from the President and the CIA General Counsel that may have authorized torture and other illegal interrogation techniques. Sen. Patrick Leahy, incoming chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, immediately wrote Attorney General Alberto Gonzales requesting the documents and related records.

On January 2, Leahy released a letter from the Justice Department refusing to provide the documents on grounds of national security and executive privilege. Leahy decried the refusal and added, "I have advised the Attorney General that I plan to pursue this matter further at the Committee's first oversight hearing of the Department of Justice."

This is just the first of what are likely to be myriad such conflicts. Both sides are likely to maneuver to determine the issues over which the climactic struggles will arise. The Administration will probably maneuver for issues on which it can make a strong national security case. Congress will probably seek to steer confrontation to issues like war profiteering on which the Administration will appear to be withholding information for self-serving reasons, e.g. avoiding embarrassment or criminal culpability.

Constitutionalists, progressives, and the public should support the congressional assertion of the right to know, whatever subject emerges as the decisive bone of contention. However, they should ensure that this does not become a means for either side to take other important but more controversial issues (such as the origins of the war and the commission of war crimes) off the table.

The Administration has been preparing for this situation for a long time; news reports indicate that even prior to the elections it hired lawyers specifically to plan for such a contingency. It is likely to use a variety of delaying tactics, diversions, and pseudo-compliances to bring the issue to a head at a time most advantageous to it. It is also likely to engage in counter-attacks, such as the recent attempt by its prosecutors to use a grand jury subpoena to force the ACLU to turn over all copies of a classified document. (The revocation of its demand also shows the effectiveness of firm resistance to Administration intimidation.)

Notwithstanding Administration delays and diversions, Congressional access to Administration documents is likely to become a serious power struggle quite rapidly after the opening of the new Congress.

A plausible scenario looks something like this:

A congressional committee will request information.

The Administration will stonewall.

The committee will issue a subpoena.

Amidst a sea of justifications and vilifications, the Administration will fail or refuse to produce documents.

The committee will pass a contempt citation.

The Senate or House will pass a contempt citation.

The contempt citation will be referred to the Justice Department.

The Justice Department will fail or refuse to bring contempt
charges.

At that point Congress will have several options:
It can make angry noises while in actuality accepting Administration intransigence.

It can pass legislation establishing a special prosecutor.

It can appeal to the courts by suing the Administration.

It can establish a select committee or otherwise threaten impeachment against whatever officials it decides to hold accountable, from the President and Vice-President through cabinet members and other top officials.

What choice Congress makes will depend largely on public perception of and response to the situation. For example, in the Watergate scandal, public outrage at the "Saturday Night Massacre" tipped the balance toward congressional impeachment hearings. On the other hand, public disapproval of the attempt to impeach President Clinton actually contributed to a Democratic victory at the next elections.

Constitutionalists and progressives need to start planning proactively to prepare the public to respond appropriately and effectively to this impending confrontation.

First, that requires an on-going interpretation to people of what is happening and what it means.

Second, it involves defining venues for action in which large numbers of people can participate.

Rep. John Conyers' mobilization of popular support for demanding information about the Downing Street memos represents on a small scale what will need to be done on a larger scale.

Third, it requires creating some kind of infrastructure or rapid-response network with the capacity to support such a mobilization.

Fourth, it calls for a broad coalition that reaches far beyond progressives to include conservatives committed to the rule of law and a broad public concerned about the abuse of presidential power and the preservation of democracy. Such a coalition already exists in nascent form, for example in the Constitution Project, which has brought together such improbably allies as Al Gore and Bob Barr to articulate concern about Bush administration abuse of presidential power.

The power and willingness of Congress to affect Bush's Iraq policies depends on utilizing the vulnerability of the Administration and its Republican supporters to severe loss of effective power, criminal investigation, and/or impeachment. That vulnerability is likely to be greatest, in turn, where the Administration can be shown to engage in Nixonian abuse of government power to suppress information in its own interest.

A defeat of the Bush administration on the right of Congress and the public to know what the government is doing can be the starting point of a broader effort to establish institutional and cultural vehicles for controlling executive power -- in short, for a transition to democracy.

It's Morning Again In America

2007-01-07T21:44:00.001-08:00

I know it is egotistical to use that phrase to describe the current state of things in America but nothing else fits.

It is indeed a new day with the Democrats, lead by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), in charge of both houses of Congress. Draining the swamp, taking out the trash, call it what you want but when the Democrats were voted in, it was the dawning of a new day.

Now with the Dems in charge, things are going to change. We are going to have investigations into the intelligence about the Iraq war to see if we were indeed misled, there will be hearing to see if the American people were deceived.

The election of the Democrats has pulled America back from the abyss, this election stopped the country from falling into fascism.

Now we’re going to undo torture, we’re going to investigate the warrant less wiretaps against Americans, there will be affordable health care for all Americans as well as affordable higher education.

There will be advancements in the areas of science, no more of this “animal-man hybrid” nonsense that scared people away from Stem Cell Research in the first place.

With Nancy Pelosi in charge the parents and the differing opinions on the war in Iraq will be heard. Gone is the time when parents give up their kids to a war and be quiet about it, but if a mother gives up her son and wants an answer to “what noble cause did my son die for?” she gets smeared in the media.

The Republicans are scrambling like rats, now they want to talk about a minimum wage increase, now they want to talk about ‘No Child Left Behind’ which was poorly funded, now they want to talk about global warming which they have denied even existed up until now.

One other thing the Republicans want to talk about now is a senate minority “bill of rights”, which I find very amusing. It is amusing because three years ago when Dennis Hastert (R-IL) was Speaker of the House, Pelosi put this out there as well and Hastert shot her down cold.

To think, people called John Kerry a flip-flopper.

I would like to leave you with a quote:

“Those whom the gods would seek to destroy they first make mad.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Meaning it was the pure, unbridled arrogance of the incumbent Republicans that lead to their downfall.

I hear people say that the only reason that the Democrats even won in the first place is because they ran conservative Democrats, if that is true then let me ask you this. If we won because we became more conservative, then why did the Democrats not lose one single incumbent?

I’ll answer that, we didn’t lose because we became more conservative, we won because the voters are becoming more liberal.

Get ready Red State voters, the Democrats have come to clean up the mess that your side has made of this country.

New Years Revolutions part 2

2007-01-02T17:22:00.000-08:00

Ok, that didn't take too long but I'm back:

I'm going to seriously go into Talent Agencies in Utah to see what I can get as far as movie roles and TV roles and whatnot. I want to at least get something going this year instead of sitting stagnant in the doldrums of college life.

I'm also going to be blogging more, mostly with political stuff with my life stuff sprinkled in from time to time. I've got the material for a lot of political posts I just have to have the want to post and with the new year I've made the resolution to post more, we'll see how long it takes for me to break it. LOL.

I will probably also be making changes to the links. I want to try to section it out with the following: Personal Blogs, Hollywood Blogs, Baseball Blogs and Other Blogs.

But as far as it goes for me to lose weight, that one I intend to keep. I'm going to ask around and attempt to get a workout regimen set up because I do want to get down to a healthy weight because what I'm at right now is not healthy. I can barely breathe when I sleep on my back.

I'm gonna try to get down to about 155. Meaning this year I have to lose 52 pounds and I'm going to do it the right way, not the way the Hollywood starlets do it by starving themselves. I'm going to look healthy like Jessica Biel not like Skeletor/ Nicole Ritchie.

I'm also going to keep everyone posted about my forays into acting. I've got a couple of friends who are doing it in Utah as well and I'm asking them to sneak me in.

Just a little story I wanted to pass along about that: Before I left for Washington State, where I am right now, I read for a part in a student film. I had barely gotten the script 5 minutes before I went in. I went in, read the lines and I nailed it.

The casting director told me that I read the lines like I studied them for weeks, and I'd barely gotten the lines. That was a huge compliment and a big boost to my ego.

So stick around dear readers, it looks to be an interesting year.

Good Night and Good Luck.

New Years Revolutions Part 1

2007-01-02T17:08:00.000-08:00

So it's been over a month since I last blogged and I realized that has to change so I (for the first time in my life) decided to make some new years resolutions.

First off I'm going with the obivous one...to lose weight. I weigh 207 right now and my ideal weight for my height (5'8") is between 144 and 159 pounds so I'm going to definitely try to lose weight on that front.

Second, I'm going to blog more. I've got a bunch of things that are going to be happening upon my return to Utah so I'll be sure to let everyone know about them. My life is going to be an open book.

Third, The job hunt is going to be furious when I return to Utah, my main resolution is to find a job with some stability, maybe I'll finally get a nursing home job. Hey, I'm qualified.

I'll be right back with more details about what the next year will bring.

Until then, keep your knees loose. Good night and good luck.

The Liberal Media

2006-11-22T18:09:00.000-08:00

There are very few things in this world that can make me laugh and at the same time infuriate me. One of those things is people saying there is a liberal media in this country.

Since the Democrats took the House of Representatives and United States Senate two weeks ago the attacks from the right have already begun.

One of these attacks, and I might add the most despicable one, was perpetrated by CNN’s Glenn Beck.

On November 14th he interviewed Democratic representative elect Keith Ellison (D-MN) who is the first Muslim to be elected to the House of Representatives

Beck introduced the representative and asked Ellison if he could "have five minutes here where we're just politically incorrect and I play the cards up on the table." After Ellison agreed, Beck said: "I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.' "Beck added: "I'm not accusing you of being an enemy, but that's the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way."

This is a perfect example of the “liberal” media at work. It’s because Ellison is a Muslim, Beck still has a job. CNN is coddling a racist and a bigot. He used the classic bait that “Some of my best friends are....insert race here”

I find it impossible to understand how he got away with that.

To even insinuate that Ellison is a terrorist just because he is a Muslim is the most basic form of racism and has no place on American television.

I’ve done my research and found out what kind of a guy Ellison is:

Ellison said he's angling for spots on the Energy and Commerce; Education and the Workforce; and Judiciary committees.

"Middle class prosperity is a crucial issue to me -- that means tax justice, a livable minimum wage, the right to organize a labor union," he said.

The state's other incoming freshman Democratic House member, Tim Walz, had expressed a hope to get on the Agriculture and Education committees. But on Tuesday, he said he's been told he's got a shot at landing an assignment on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

"That would be just huge," he said. "I'm sending out feelers. They know we'll be a target next time. It would bring some credibility."

Yep, sure sounds like a terrorist to me. Note the sarcasm.

Another example of the true CONSERVATIVE bias in the media is when the Huffington Post got their hand on an internal memo from Fox News that outlines the “news of the day”

The memo outlined how and where to slant the news for Fox, the memo was written the day after the Dems won both houses of Congress, (Nov.9)

Here are some of the gems from it:

“The elections and Rumsfeld’s resignation were a major event, but not the end of the world. The war on terror goes on without interruption.”

Then it brings out the old ‘a vote for Democrats is a vote for terrorism’ nonsense:

“Let’s be on the lookout for any statements from the Iraqi insurgents, who must be thrilled at the prospect of a Dem-controlled congress. The question for the day, and indeed for the rest of Bush’s term is: What is the Dem’s plan for Iraq?”

And one final shot just to scare the living daylights out of Americans:

“We’ll continue to work the Hamas threat to the US that came just hours after the election results…Just because the Dems won, the war on terror isn’t over.”

Here’s where it gets really good. Just hours after that memo was issued a reporter live on Fox News reported that there were “Some reports of cheering in the streets on the behalf of the supporters of the insurgency in Iraq that they’re very pleased with the way things are going here and also with the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld.”

Coincidence huh?

This is just another example of our “liberal” media at work, what bothers me is that 1/3 rd of Americans get their news from this propaganda channel that bills itself on being “fair and balanced.”

Having said that however, I think it's time Fox News drop their "fair and balanced" moniker and simply admit their pedigree. They are anything from "fair" and certainly propping Alan Colmes up nightly against Hannity who spends most of the hour interrupting the poor guy doesn't qualify as "balanced."

Decide for yourselves, without the influence of people who want to scare you to their side.

Just haven't had the energy to blog

2006-11-19T14:24:00.000-08:00

It's been over a month and a lot of stuff has happened.

I've been making plans to return to Centralia, Washington for the holidays and between there and Abderdeen, WA to visit my mom and a bunch of old friends I've found on MySpace.com

The Democrats won the House and the Senate, so that makes me happy.

Since they won I've been running out of stuff to bitch and complain about, but I should have something later today, I'll post it for you guys later.

I also got an audition for a movie being filmed out here in Utah, I didn't get the part but what they said to me was a confidence booster.

They casting director told me that even though I had recieved the lines only 5 minutes before, when I read the lines he said I read them like I had studied the material for weeks.

That was a huge boost to my confidence, so I am going to have to try to get an agent out here so I can try to get my foot int he door of the acting business.

A lot of stuff gets filmed out here in Utah so its worth a shot. It's also where they have the Sundance Film Festival, for those of you who didn't know.

Anyway, I'll be back either later tonight, or tomorrow with my latest political rant.

Good night, and good luck.

I know I haven't posted in a while...

2006-10-10T21:04:00.000-07:00

Life has been icking the shit out of me lately and I haven't wanted to post. I'm not going to bore you with the details but I've been given a new job at the University newspaper. I'm now a political commentator.

Here is my column for tomorrow's issue:

Hypocrite (noun):
A person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.

Sound familiar?

Given all that has happened this last week on Capitol Hill, this word has been running through my mind a lot lately.

For those of you who do not know about this, let's recap. US Congressman Mark Foley has been accused of sending sexually explicit e-mails to teenagers who were working as congressional pages.

There is also a second story here. The Republican party, most notably House Speaker Dennis Hastert knew about this and did nothing, and it has been known for at least five years.

What sickens me about this is that second story. Hastert knew about Foley and his "secrets" and he did nothing about it, which makes him just as guilty as Foley is. Nothing else has been done with the exception of a warning to the pages.

Foley resigned his post and, to tell you the truth, a lot more should happen to him.

Now what does this have to do with him being a hypocrite you ask? It's simple. Foley was basically the "go-to" guy if you wanted child protection laws passed. He worked with Mark Klass, father of murdered child Polly Klass, to get legislation protecting children passed.

What makes this story even sicker is that Republicans and conservative pundits are not only protecting Foley, they are defending him.

Matt Drudge takes the typical conservative route only in a much worse route in blaming the victim:

"They are just 16- and 17-year-old beasts after all and not innocent little babies who are engaged in a conspiracy against poor, old Foley. What kind of beast does that make the 52-year-old Foley?"

That is a direct quote from his radio show. Sixteen and 17-year-old beasts; poor, old Foley? I can't believe this guy is for real. Sadly, it just gets worse from here.
Sean Hannity tried to blame it on Bill Clinton saying there was not as much outrage when he slept with Monica Lewinsky…,what Hannity seems to forget is that Lewinsky was 22, these pages are 16 and 17 years old. That means they are underage.

Speaking of stooping low, Bill O' Reilly, on his show, labeled Mark Foley as a Democrat three times.

Let me put this out there once and for all; Mark Foley is a Republican. The Republicans pride themselves on being the party of family values and yet they protect and defend a pedophile like Mark Foley and, even worse, they try to pin this on the Democrats.

Bottom line, this was never about protecting the children. This was about a party in power doing whatever it took to hold on to that power even though every single poll says that the Republicans will lose their power.

All the democrats need is six seats in Congress and 15 in the House of Representatives and they will take control. And it is less then 30 days until the midterm elections. I personally do not want a party in control that protects people like Mark Foley and doesn't take responsibility.

I'll be voting Democrat on election day.

Words do not do it justice....

2006-09-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

...so I'll just post the video.

Keith Olbermann rips the administration a new one.....again

2006-08-31T09:56:00.000-07:00

The man who sees absolutes, where all other men see nuances and shades of meaning, is either a prophet, or a quack.

Donald H. Rumsfeld is not a prophet.

Mr. Rumsfeld's remarkable speech to the American Legion yesterday demands the deep analysis--and the sober contemplation--of every American.

For it did not merely serve to impugn the morality or intelligence -- indeed, the loyalty -- of the majority of Americans who oppose the transient occupants of the highest offices in the land. Worse, still, it credits those same transient occupants -- our employees -- with a total omniscience; a total omniscience which neither common sense, nor this administration's track record at home or abroad, suggests they deserve.

Dissent and disagreement with government is the life's blood of human freedom; and not merely because it is the first roadblock against the kind of tyranny the men Mr. Rumsfeld likes to think of as "his" troops still fight, this very evening, in Iraq.

It is also essential. Because just every once in awhile it is right and the power to which it speaks, is wrong.

In a small irony, however, Mr. Rumsfeld's speechwriter was adroit in invoking the memory of the appeasement of the Nazis. For in their time, there was another government faced with true peril--with a growing evil--powerful and remorseless.

That government, like Mr. Rumsfeld's, had a monopoly on all the facts. It, too, had the "secret information." It alone had the true picture of the threat. It too dismissed and insulted its critics in terms like Mr. Rumsfeld's -- questioning their intellect and their morality.

That government was England's, in the 1930's.

It knew Hitler posed no true threat to Europe, let alone England.

It knew Germany was not re-arming, in violation of all treaties and accords.

It knew that the hard evidence it received, which contradicted its own policies, its own conclusions -- its own omniscience -- needed to be dismissed.

The English government of Neville Chamberlain already knew the truth.

Most relevant of all -- it "knew" that its staunchest critics needed to be marginalized and isolated. In fact, it portrayed the foremost of them as a blood-thirsty war-monger who was, if not truly senile, at best morally or intellectually confused.

That critic's name was Winston Churchill.

Sadly, we have no Winston Churchills evident among us this evening. We have only Donald Rumsfelds, demonizing disagreement, the way Neville Chamberlain demonized Winston Churchill.

History -- and 163 million pounds of Luftwaffe bombs over England -- have taught us that all Mr. Chamberlain had was his certainty -- and his own confusion. A confusion that suggested that the office can not only make the man, but that the office can also make the facts.

Thus, did Mr. Rumsfeld make an apt historical analogy.

Excepting the fact, that he has the battery plugged in backwards.

His government, absolute -- and exclusive -- in its knowledge, is not the modern version of the one which stood up to the Nazis.

It is the modern version of the government of Neville Chamberlain.

But back to today's Omniscient ones.

That, about which Mr. Rumsfeld is confused is simply this: This is a Democracy. Still. Sometimes just barely.

And, as such, all voices count -- not just his.

Had he or his president perhaps proven any of their prior claims of omniscience -- about Osama Bin Laden's plans five years ago, about Saddam Hussein's weapons four years ago, about Hurricane Katrina's impact one year ago -- we all might be able to swallow hard, and accept their "omniscience" as a bearable, even useful recipe, of fact, plus ego.

But, to date, this government has proved little besides its own arrogance, and its own hubris.

Mr. Rumsfeld is also personally confused, morally or intellectually, about his own standing in this matter. From Iraq to Katrina, to the entire "Fog of Fear" which continues to envelop this nation, he, Mr. Bush, Mr. Cheney, and their cronies have -- inadvertently or intentionally -- profited and benefited, both personally, and politically.

And yet he can stand up, in public, and question the morality and the intellect of those of us who dare ask just for the receipt for the Emporer's New Clothes?

In what country was Mr. Rumsfeld raised? As a child, of whose heroism did he read? On what side of the battle for freedom did he dream one day to fight? With what country has he confused the United States of America?

The confusion we -- as its citizens-- must now address, is stark and forbidding.

But variations of it have faced our forefathers, when men like Nixon and McCarthy and Curtis LeMay have darkened our skies and obscured our flag. Note -- with hope in your heart -- that those earlier Americans always found their way to the light, and we can, too.

The confusion is about whether this Secretary of Defense, and this administration, are in fact now accomplishing what they claim the terrorists seek: The destruction of our freedoms, the very ones for which the same veterans Mr. Rumsfeld addressed yesterday in Salt Lake City, so valiantly fought.

And about Mr. Rumsfeld's other main assertion, that this country faces a "new type of fascism."

As he was correct to remind us how a government that knew everything could get everything wrong, so too was he right when he said that -- though probably not in the way he thought he meant it.

This country faces a new type of fascism - indeed.

Although I presumptuously use his sign-off each night, in feeble tribute, I have utterly no claim to the words of the exemplary journalist Edward R. Murrow.

But never in the trial of a thousand years of writing could I come close to matching how he phrased a warning to an earlier generation of us, at a time when other politicians thought they (and they alone) knew everything, and branded those who disagreed: "confused" or "immoral."

Thus, forgive me, for reading Murrow, in full:

"We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty," he said, in 1954. "We must remember always that accusation is not proof, and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law.

"We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were for the moment unpopular."

And so good night, and good luck.

------------

*stands up and applauds*

School starts

2006-08-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

The two most depressing words in the English language....school starts. Anything after that isn't really heard because it is depressing.

My financial aid went down the crapper because of my terrible grades so I have to pay for my two classes by myself...yeah two classes. I had to drop three because it would have cost me over $1500 to pay for.

I'm still planning to go to Seattle to spend the holidays with my mom, but outside of that It's just me saving for Los Angeles and hoping to hell that I don't fail out there.

I have two jobs now that I just hope lets me save up enough so that I can go out there. I'm selling tickets at the sports arena here on campus and I'm still working for the university newspaper. I hope to God that I can save up enough by this time next year that I can move to Los Angeles.

L.A. is, was, and always will be the dream. The first step is getting there, which I hope and pray that I can do.

I also got a new cell phone so I can keep in touch with people, but it sucks being on a budget.

Here's hoping things work out.

New semester beginning

2006-08-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

So I've got a new apartment, a new XM Radio, a new budget.

So I've got my classes for the Fall semester. I'm taking a 2 hour and 50 minute english 1010 class, but the good thing about it is that it only meets once a week on Thursdays so I'm good there.

I've got two PE classes that meet Mondays and Wednesdays, one right after the other.
Strength Training and Tae Kwon Do, this should be fun. LOL.

I've also got two online classes. Political Science and Into to Film. Ironically, both are my major (Theatre) and my minor (political science)

I've also moved into a new apartment across from the university. My roomies are cool, we don't hang out much but they are cool people.

I also got my new XM Radio, which works just fine when it wants to. I should have enough material saved up on it to listen to it all the way from here in Utah all the way to Centralia when I go up there at the end of the semester.

Anyway, as soon as something interesting happens I'll let you guys know.

God Bless Ebay

2006-07-15T15:21:00.000-07:00

For those of you who read my blog, a couple months ago my XM Radio was destroyed in a rainstorm and I was told it was going to cost $300 to get a new one.

I was told by the XM people to try to go on Ebay to look for a cheaper one, so I did and found an XM Samsung Nexus 25 reciever which holds 25 hours of memory and I only paid $112 for it.

I should have it within the next couple of weeks so I say again God Bless Ebay

New apartment

2006-07-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

So I'm finally all moved into my new place. It's pretty cool actually, I have three roommates right now, one I haven't met yet, I think he's in the military or something I don't know. I'm gonna like it here.

Anyway I spent my birthday packing so I could move in but other then that it was ok.

I also took my mom, before she left, to an Ogden Raptors game. The Raptors are a Single A affiliate of the Dodgers and I even got a baseball signed by former Dodgers manager Tommy LaSorda.

I get paid next Friday so i should have some more cash and more news by then, until then keep your knees loose. Good night and Good luck.

Can you really trust Fox News?

2006-07-01T12:06:00.000-07:00

Abraham Lincoln did not shoot John Wilkes Booth. Titanic did not sink a north Atlantic iceberg. And FOX News is neither fair nor balanced. These are facts intelligible to all adults, most children, and some of your more discerning domesticated animals. But not, as the third story on the COUNTDOWN prove yet again, not to Bill O Reilly.

The guilty pleasure offered by the existence of Bill O‘Reilly is simple but understandable, 99 times out of 100, when we belly up to the Bill-O bar of bluster, nearly every time we partake of the movable falafel feast he serves us nothing but comedy, farce, slapstick, unconscious self-mutilation, the Sideshow Bob of commentators forever stepping on the same rake, forever muttering the same grunted, inarticulate surrender, forever resuming the circle that will take him back to the same rake. The Sisyphus of morons, if you will.

But this is the 100th time out of 100. It is not funny at all. Bill O‘Reilly has, for the second time in under eight months, slandered at least 84 dead American servicemen. He has turned them again from victims of the kind of atrocity our country has always fought against into perpetrators of that kind of atrocity. He has made these Americans into war criminals. They are dead and have been dead for 61 years. They cannot defend themselves against O‘Reilly. We will have to do it for them.

Last October Bill O‘Reilly railed against a ruling that more photos from the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq might be released. His guest on his program was Wesley Clark. Clark is a retired four-star general, was for four years supreme allied commander of NATO in Europe. First in his class at West Point, wounded in Vietnam, earned the Bronze star, the Silver Star and has streets named for him in Alabama and in Kosovo.

Therefore, naturally O‘Reilly knows much more about the military than General Clark does. Clark defended the release of the additional Abu Ghraib photos saying we need to know what happened and to correct it. O‘Reilly lectured him and concluded that there had always been atrocities, even by Americans in war.

"General, you need to look at the Malmady Massacre in World War II in the 82nd airborne." O Reilly said.

It was a remarkable mistake. The Belgian town of Malmady did lend its name to one of the most appalling battlefield war crimes of the 20th century. But O‘Reilly‘s implication that the Americans committed it was entirely backwards. Americans, most of them, members of the Battery B of the 285th Fuel Artillery Observation Battalion, surrendered to German Panzer troops and were then shot by their captures by the S.S. Yet O‘Reilly had implied that the Americans had massacred these Germans in this one stark moment of the Battler of the Bulge. And he used this Alice through the looking glass view of history to somehow rationalize Abu Ghraib while trying to dress down a four-star American general.

Still it could have been a mistake, we make them. Even historians do. O‘Reilly had not explicitly called the Americans the war criminals of Malmady. Our war troops, too, were accused of crimes against prisoners in the Second World War. It was assumed last year that he had simply made a foolish error and though he got beaten up appropriately in some places, it was all largely dismissed as merely that, a mistake.

Then came this last May 30th, again O‘Reilly‘s guest was General Wes Clark. This time the topic was the apparent murder of Iraqi civilians at Haditha. That O‘Reilly was dismissive of that event should be no surprise, that he should have described as the real crime of Iraq the events of Abu Ghraib, should be no surprise of those who know of his willingness to jettison his most important beliefs of yesterday for the expediencies and the ratings of today, but that he should have brought up Malmady again, that was a surprise.

"In Malmady, as you know, U.S. forces captured S.S. forces who had their hands in the air and they were unarmed and they shot them down. You know that. That‘s on the record. Been documented." O Reilly said

Thus was the full depth of Bill O‘Reilly‘s insult to the American dead of World War II made clear. The mistake of last October was not some innocent slip nor misrembered history. This was the way O‘Reilly understood and thus, this way it had to be. No errors corrected, no apologies offered, no stopping the relentless tide of bull even briefly enough to check one fact.

The facts of Malmady are terrifying as described by Michael Reynolds in his painstakingly detailed article from a 2003 issue of “World War II” magazine. One week before Christmas, 1944, 139 U.S. soldiers, most of them from the 285th Field Artillery, encountered the German comf (ph) group, Piper, the leading formation of the German first S.S. Panzer Division, one of only two German units in the entire war which actually carried Adolf Hitler‘s name. The American were overrun. The 11 of the 139 soldiers were killed in the very short battle of Malmady, two more were killed as they tried to flee, seven escaped, six became prisoners of war. The other 113 Americans, nearly all of whom had surrendered outright, were ordered to assemble in an open field next to a restaurant, the Cafe Bodarue (ph). What happened next has been attributed to many things, a cold-blooded decision by that unit Panzer commander, Colonel Joachim Piper, that he could not handle the prisoners, or an unjustifiable overreaction to some kind of escape attempt or simply horrible mass murder.

Within 15 minutes the S.S. Colonel or someone directly under him had ordered his men to shoot the unarmed American POWs. The bodies at Malmedy were not found until a month later. There were 84 of them, all American soldiers, more than half shotgun wounds to their heads. Six had received fatal blows to the head, nine were found with their arms still raised above their heads. The fact that O‘Reilly got these horrible facts completely backwards twice offended even his usually compliant viewers. From his program May 30th, 2006:

"Don Caldwell, Fort Worth, TX. Bill, you mentioned that Malmady as the site of an American massacre during World War II. It was the other way around, the S.S. shot down U.S. prisoners.

In the heat of the debate with General Clark, my statement wasn‘t clear enough, Mr. Caldwell. After Malmady, some were executed by American troops." O Reilly said

Wrong answer. When you are that wrong, when you are defending Nazi war criminals and pinning their crimes on Americans and you get caught doing so twice, you‘re supposed to say I‘m sorry, I was wrong, and then you‘re supposed to shut up for a long time. Instead, FOX washed its transcript of O‘Reilly‘s remarks Tuesday. Its Web site claims O‘Reilly said in Normandy, when, as you heard, in fact, he said in Malmedy.

The rewriting of past reporting worthy of George Orwell has now carried over into such online transcription services as Burell‘s and Factiva. Whatever did or did not happen later in supposed or actual retribution, the victims at Malmedy were Americans, gunned down while surrendering by Nazis in 1944 and again Tuesday night and Wednesday night by a false patriot who would rather be loud than right.

In Malmedy, as you know, Bill O‘Reilly said on the air Tuesday night in some indecipherable attempt to defend the events of Haditha, “U.S. forces captured S.S. forces who had their hands in the air and were unarmed and they shot them dead. You know that, that‘s on the record and documented.” The victims in Malmedy in December 1944 were Americans, Americans with their hands in the air, Americans who were unarmed. That‘s on the record and documented, and their memory deserves better than Bill O‘Reilly. We all do.

In other news

2006-06-19T09:34:00.000-07:00

I should be moving into my new apartment soon, for once I'm glad I live near the university. There are these apartments right across the street and they only go for like $200 a month, the only bitch about it is that you have to have a roommate, but that's cool with me.

Now with this out of the way I can concentrate on replacing my XM Sattelite Radio, for those of you reading this and still listen to free radio. Trust me this is better. I bought XM in time for last years World Series and never regretted it.

In other news, working 2 jobs sucks ass. I work at the Weber State University library as well as the university newspaper. It's tiring kids, it really is.

This fall shit should start shaping up and being less boring, but then again this is Utah where boring isn't just a word, it's a way of life.

RIP XM Radio

2006-06-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

No the company didn't fold.

I lost my XM Radio service, not because of unpaid bills or anything like that. It was my own stupidity that cost me the service.

Yesterday here in Ogden there was a big thunderstorm and I was caught in the middle of it, I had my receiver in my jacket pocket....bad move. As I was heading to a friends car the heavens opened up and thunder went off literally over our heads.

I got home only to find out that my radio was damaged because of the heavy downpour I was caught in, I take it back to Best Buy and find out that the warranty doesn't cover my stupidity so I'm shit outta luck until possibly September when I can get a new one.

I'm going to be without XM Radio for a few months at least, so that means no XM Comedy, XM Liquid Metal, Air America, Opie and Anthony, Cinemagic and IRL Racing until I can get a new reciever which is at least 300 bucks.

This sucks.

Slow and boring

2006-06-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

Two words to describe my summer thus far.

The only thing of note that has happened recently is that I am now working at the college newspaper and the college library as well so I'll be making a lot of cash.

If anything things wont pick up until the fall.

Pics from the Lacuna Coil apperance

2006-05-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, with Lacuna Coil on Jimmy Kimmel Live a couple days ago I guess I should get around to posting the pics I took at the Lacuna Coil live apperance at the Borders Books on Salt Lake about a week ago.

This was before the concert at SaltAir a few hours later.These three images are from the actual in store acoustic performance they did.

This is the lesbian girl I mentioned, the one who wanted to nail Cristina:

This is a pic I took of Cristina by herself (I got solo shots of all the band members:

I got three pics of myself with Cristina. This first one is a face to face shot. I leaned in while holding the camera out. I'm impressed it came out as well as it did:

This second one I got after everyone was done and I managed to get back with Cristina:

And this last one was one I got with members of the band. Cristina Scabbia, Cristiano Miligore, and drummer Criz Mozatti:

And this was the cover of Revolver Magazine that Cristina was on, the whole band signed it:

Well there we go, that's all the ones I scanned. Hope you like 'em.

I guess its time to spill....

2006-04-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

...about myself.

If I want this blog to eventually turn into my memoirs someday I'm gonna have to produce some backstory about this wacky little guy named Brandon.

I came screaming into the world on July 4, 1983 in a hospital (now a nursing home) in Chehalis, Washington. A dung heap of a town in southwestern Washington state where the only claim to fame they have is that Lyle Ovebay of the Blue Jays was born there.

Anyhoo, I grew up hovering just above the poverty line. My family and I (which was basically my mom and little sister, my SOB father left when I was 2) never went hungry but we also never did those things that normal families do like vacations and stuff.

My mom raised me and my sister the best she could but when my sister turned 12 she grew into a demon. Always just walking into peoples houses even though our mom said not to, she grew too much to handle so she sent Brenda to live with mom. From then on Brenda treated mom like shit, even to this day, but I guess mom is a glutton for punishment because she's moving in with my sister this fall.

I discovered my love for acting at a very early age, mostly because it was an escape from the life I currently had. I would sit in front of the TV all day and see some of the shows and go "I can do that"

I usually got small parts in plays in elementary school but since mom lived a ways away from the school I could never get to act my parts out in front of an audience. That lack of attention in front of a crowd is probably why I am so dead set on getting to Hollywood within the next year, it's the media capital of the entertainment world.

We moved around a lot too from Chehalis to Sacramento, back, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, and now I'm moving to Hollywood. It's like we could never stay in one place too long, be it economic or just plain boredom I can't explain it.

I moved to Sacramento with my parents when I was about 8 and stayed until I was about 16 then we had move back to Centralia because my uncle (who we were living with at the time) was being transfered to the base here in Utah, so I had to spend three years up there until finally I had enough and hitchhiked from that city to Sacramento, CA where another uncle lived. That feat only took a day and a half.

Naturally my mom was pissed when she found out I hitchhiked so she sent me some cash to come out here to Ogden, Utah where I have lived for the past 3 years.

One reason (hell the only reason) I'm excited to live here is because of the Sundance Film Festival every January, but the sad part is I've never been to it. I keep saying I'm going to go to it but in all likelyhood I never will until I make it as a Hollywood star.

Anyway, I've provided you with some insight into my life so I hope that keeps you satisfied until later.

I'll let you know how it goes soon.

That's it for me on this, the 1,085th day since the decleration of Mission Accomplished in Iraq. I'm Brandon Wilson, keep your knees loose, good night and good luck.

What a night last night

2006-04-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know me I had never been to a concert before last night...yeah sad but true.

Last night was Lacuna Coil and Rob Zombie at the Great Salt Air here in SLC. My day kicked off with a Lacuna Coil in store signing at Borders Books in Salt Lake. The band performed 4 acoustic songs and took pictures and signed autographs.

Cristina looked smokin hot as the pictures will show once they are developed. (Yeah I've still got a film camera and not a digital one, I'm poor gimme a break)

I got a lot of shots of the group performing, and I got three of myself and Cristina. The whole band was awesome and that is why I prefer metal to this crap that is getting played on free radio. Metal bands are VERY loyal to their fans, Lacuna Coil didn't leave until everyone who wanted something signed or a picture got one.

Also, there was this cute lesbian in line with me and my friend Brian who took me there, this girl almost fainted when she got to Cristina, she wanted to make out with her but I don't think she ever got the chance.

Anyway after the signing Brian and I went to some Irish bar not far from the store, He had a couple beers I had a couple of sodas because I don't drink. That's what Straight Edge is kids no drugs, no alcohol, no addictions.

Anyway, we hopped on Salt Lake's transit system TRAX afterwards and went down to Franklin Covey Field where the Salt Lake Bees (a AAA affiliate of the Anaheim Angels)play. We didn't go in we just went tot he 7-11 across the street and waited on Brian's girlfriend who was taking up to Salt Air.

We then got one the road after I had a pizza roll from 7-11 (good stuff) here's where it gets funny, SHE WAS GOING THE WRONG WAY. But we didn't figure that out for a while, when we finally got on the right track we made it there with about 30 minutes to spare.

Salt Air looks like a russian palace from the outside and an emptied out warehouse from the inside. I lost Brian the second I got in there and managed to push my way to the front where I met....Brianna, the lesbian who nearly fainted in front of Cristina Scabbia earlier. She was literally a few feet from the stage.

So once the show started I held on to this girl very tightly, no she didn't mind. Cristina was fucking amazing live.....damn......I mean her at the signing was demure and cool, but live she was....oh my god. Brianna said to me that Cristina looked like she'd had a couple orgasms during the show. LOL.

Then came a break in the show while they set up for Rob Zombie.

I walked around the venue while killing time. I wound up at the very back of the venue and upsatirs as well. When Zombie came on the place exploded, and for the next hour my ears were blaring with the sounds of a legend in the game.....he even brought out the 10ft robot.

Anyway after the show Brian and I (we finally got back together after spending the entire show apart. I was down front for Lacuna Coil, he was down front for Rob Zombie) went over by the tour buses and waited and after about 10 minutes of waiting Rob Zombie came out and signed a few autographs with his wife and dog Dracula.

Just after Zombie went back to his tour bus Brian's girlfriend arrived and i made it home around 12:30 am.

All in all an awesome night and soon I'll have the photo evidence to prove it.

I'm also going to have two more parts coming because a lot happened so far this week and it's only Wednesday. See ya tomorrow kids.

Another bad day

2006-04-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

You ever have one of those days when you know that everything is going to turn to shit the second you step ouot of bed?

I had one of those days and it has beld over into today, with everything I have to do today I am going to be even more burned out then I already am when I finally get home.

I've got to a research project for the play 'Trifles' for my Stage Costume class and I have to have wardrobe drawings of the characters by tomorrow. I have a dentist appointment today. I have to get groceries with my mom because she got her food stamps today (yeah , I'm poor) and all this before my 4:30 aerobics class.

Then I get a bombshell dropped on me by my mom who said once ouor apartment lease expires in August she's moving back to Seattle to live with my sister.

I've made a decision that seems more like a leap of faith to me. Once the lease expires I'm transfering to UCLA. I always sais I would be in Hollywood by tht etime I turned 25 and I turn 23 in July.

I say it is a leap of faith because you can only plan so much in life you need to take a few leaps of faith. The last time I did that is when I left Washington state. I only had $10 in my pocket and I hitchhiked for a day and a half until I made it to Sacramento, CA and my aunt and uncle's house.

Long story short that's how I wound up here in Utah in the first place.

I stad at the start of the year that I'd keep you posted about me going to the Sundance Film Festival, that is changing, it's now about me adjusting to life in Los Angeles when I do make the transfer.

My friend Sara is right, I do have a restless spirit. I've never once felt happy here in Utah, I mean, I know this is a red state but these people are morons. This is one of only THREE states where Bush's approval rating is above 50% and it sickens me.

Anyway, hopefully things work out for me when I do make the big move. I'm sure I'll be a lot happier there, it just may feel like home for me.

Here's hoping.

That's my update for this the 1,060th day since the declaration of "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq. Im Keith Olbermann...I mean Brandon Mars. Keep your knees loose....Good Night and Good Luck.

New Editorial

2006-04-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

With the administration proving how racist they are with their new immigration bill, the only true voices are the progressive voices like mine.

Here is my latest column from the Weber State University Signpost.

I see the Republican spin machine hasn’t slowed down one bit. I read Phil Monson’s racist article in Monday’s Signpost and now allow me to blow holes in it.

Mr. Monson seems to forget history. I know this is normal for Republicans, but this time I cannot allow it to pass. What Mr. Monson is forgetting is that his family, my family and a good majority of families in this country ARE immigrants. This entire country was founded by immigrants, and since there was no INS at the time, they were ILLEGAL immigrants.

In fact, the only legal citizens in this country are the people whose land we stole from them — the Native American tribes are the only legal citizens in America because they were here first.

It is my firm belief that the bitter reality will hit the Republicans this fall when ... let me repeat that, WHEN they lose the house and senate. Their stances on immigration, the war in Iraq, domestic spying and so many other issues are why the Republicans will lose.

Bush’s approval ratings are down to near Nixon levels, which makes him the second-most hated president in American history, is this getting through to anyone reading? BUSH IS WRONG. Americans know this, and this fall, come the mid-term elections, Americans will tell him this with their votes.

This time next year, the Democrats WILL control the House and the Senate, and this time two years from now ... well ... President Hilary Clinton has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?

3 Years of Injustice

2006-03-18T09:25:00.000-08:00

I know I said my next columns would be about the Oscars and the upcoming baseball season but I looked at the calendar and saw that tomorrow is March 19. March 19 marks 3 years now that we have been in Iraq and over 2500 of our brave men and women have died for reasons that change more then a babyface and/or heel on a WWE program.

March 19th will mark the third anniversary of a war that never should have happened -- a war based on lies that continues to devastate the lives of thousands, both in Iraq and the United States.

United for Peace and Justice joins our partners in the global antiwar movement in calling for a massive outpouring of opposition to the war in Iraq. We are urging opponents of the war to organize a wide array of events in their hometowns for the entire week surrounding this anniversary. More than 500 actions are planned in all 50 states, as well as many more in countries around the world.

Some highlights: On March 15, UFPJ will join MediaChannel to kick off the week of peace and justice events with a National Day of Local Media Protest. On March 16, youth and students all over the country will stand up against 3 years of unnecessary war and its impact on their generation. During the week leading up to the 19th, two important marches -- the Veterans and Survivors March for Peace and Justice from Mobile to New Orleans and Peregrinacion por la Paz from Tijuana to San Francisco -- will be underway, each dramatically demonstrating how the war in Iraq is destroying our communities at home.

United for Peace and Justice - www.ufpj.org

Latest Editorial column

2006-03-06T09:22:00.000-08:00

This one appeared in today's issue of the Weber State University Signpost:

George W. Bush worst president since Richard Nixon
Letter to the Editor

March 06, 2006

For all those of you who continuously defend republicans, and specifically George W. Bush, I ask you this ... WHY? Bush’s approval rating is at 34 percent; only Richard Nixon had a lower approval rating.

What I say now is without fear or hubris: George W. Bush is the WORST president since Richard Nixon and there’s still two years left for W to become the worst. Don’t believe me? Let’s go back and take a look at everything that has been blundered since Bush took office.

Emergency management: This administration failed its first big test since 9/11 with Hurricane Katrina. Now you can make the argument that the mayor of New Orleans failed to get his people out, and I’d say you were right to a degree, but FEMA took 4 days to get help to the people there when it should have been done within 24-48 hours.

Fiscal management: Let’s face it, America is broke. These borrow and spend neo-cons have doubled our national debt to 8.2 TRILLION dollars. These republicans waste money in ways that make the “tax-and-spend” liberals look like penny pinchers.

Medicare: States were forced to step in and save their own from this administration’s poorly planned and poorly executed attempt to privatize huge chunks of the federal health safety net.

Afghanistan: Another truth we need to face. We could have had Osama Bin Laden 4 1/2 years ago. We had him trapped in Tora Bora, Afghanistan, until we were distracted by a shiny object — Iraq. Now we’re $75 billion in the hole on Afghanistan, and the sitting president of that country only has rule within Kabul. Tribal warlords, the remnants of the Taliban and al-Qaida call the shots in the rest of the country.

Iraq: This was only supposed to cost us $65 million; the bill is now over $300 million. The Shiites and Kurds are carving out their piece of the country while the Sunnis are being treated like we Americans treated the Japanese in WWII.

Iran: The administration’s threats to attack Syria next is only making Iran more and more bold with its nuclear weapons program. The ultra-religious scholars within Iran are saying that those threats have made it perfectly clear what the U.S. is over there for (it’s oil, for those of you not in the know). I believe the only deterrent as to why the Bush administration hasn’t attacked Iran is because of the nuclear weapons program.

North Korea: See Iran, the only difference is that N. Korea DOES possess nukes and the Bush administration constantly drops veiled threats and wants to talk.

Social programs: It seems the only way to afford health care in this country is to get injured in Iraq or Afghanistan. Nearly 50 million Americans cannot afford health insurance, and yet this administration has proposed cutting $440 billion from domestic social programs, including health care for the working poor.

The environment: The coral in the world’s oceans is dying at an alarming rate. Coral is the first rung on the food chain ladder; when it goes, everything else in the ocean goes. If the oceans die, we die. Global warming is the culprit here. Why? Because the administration feels it is more effective to be dead than to force reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Trade: We are approaching a $1 trillion annual trade deficit, most of it with Asia, $220 billion of it with China ... just in the last year.

Energy: Record-high energy prices. Record-high energy company profits. Dick Cheney’s energy task force continues to meet in secret. Need I say more?

Human rights: America runs secret prisons and a secret judicial system that would give Kafka fits, and the U.S. has joined the list of countries that torture POWs (there are pictures), but it seems the administration doesn’t care.

The sun continues to shine on this fool’s paradise, and Bush isn’t the least bit worried. Why should he worry, doubt is Bush’s enemy. How can he worry when he has no doubt?

Me, on the other hand, I’m plenty worried about the future of this country if we continue down this path.

— Brandon Mars,
WSU theatre major

I'll have two big columns coming up within the next week. One about alst night's Oscars and one about the upcoming Major League Baseball season. So stay tuned kids.

A few new details

2006-02-19T15:47:00.000-08:00

Ok, so within the last week I've had my hours cut because they said I was working too many and my mom finally comes home after house-sitting for my aunt and uncle.

All in all it's been ok this week, that coupled with Spring Training starting and Monday having no school or work. I'm doing ok thus far.

I've also been spending a lot fo time on Amazon.com, with my new revenue I'm going to build up my library of books. I've got abouot a dozen already and hopefully (providing on how much it is for the Festival) I may have a decent library of my own come next year.

Anyway, here is my wish list from Amazon.com :
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/2WO23RX90LQ4A

Every book I want to get from that website is on that list. And for those of you reading, I'm not going to say no to presents. (hint, hint) LOL.

Anyway, I should have my latest article from the university newspaper up soon, like as soon as it is published.

Until then,
Keep your knees loose.
Good night, and Good luck.

I do this a lot...

2006-02-13T08:48:00.000-08:00

I know I say I'm going to update and them don't for a while but I'm working to change all that.

I've been very hard at work with my new job at the university library.

I'll just say about the 2 of 4 movies that I saw is that they were really well done. Hotel Rwanda was a heartbreaking tale about just how evil humanity can be at times and it also shows the basic goodness of humanity as well as Paul Ruesesabagina saved over a thousand people from slaughter at the hands of the Tutsi rebels.

The other movie I saw was Iraq: Defined (at least I think that was the name of it.) Showed the real Iraq, how America is not helping, but hurting the country they claim to want to save. It was a powerful film that won at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

I'm making plans to save money and attend the festival next year so I'll keep everyone posted on my progress. As it stands right now I've only got $5 in the bank but my next paycheck is a direct deposit so it's all going in there.

I might also use my student aid to pay for my trip. Like I said I'll keep everyone posted.

I'm also going to post my next article for the university paper. It's a doozy, trust me on that.

Movie week

2006-01-31T13:43:00.000-08:00

This week there are at least 4 movies I plan to see. One I have already seen.

The first one is Hotel Rwanda, which as of this writing I just finished. It is a very powerful film of the true story of the Rwandan genocide. Paul Reuseasbagina will be speaking here at Weber State University tomorrow about his experiences as they actually happened.

Two more movies will be seen tonight as another local theatre has "Best of the Fest" the films that won the Sundance Film Festival's awards, this will be free depending if I can get in or not.

The fourth will be the 8x Oscar Nominated, Brokeback Mountain. This is playing here in Ogden at a theatre. I'm suprised that conservative Utah is allowing it.

Anyway, it will be a good week for movies. I hope to have reviews of all of them very soon.

My recent article for my university paper

2006-01-26T18:44:00.000-08:00

Here is the first of many articles of the school year in my university paper. It's about the federal minimum wage.

There is a battle in America right now over moral values. I thought I would weigh in on the issue by telling you my definition of moral values. Its’ not just about where you lie in relation to your religion. The moral thing is also about having a living wage.

In America, right now, the federal minimum wage is only $5.15 per hour. How can a person live on that mere wage if that is their full-time job? The minimum wage is so far below the poverty level in this country that I will argue that it is immoral. Let’s not even talk about it economically. Let’s talk morality.

Let’s talk about the notion of family values and morality. America has to stand for something. Shouldn’t our standards be, regardless of our political persuasion, that work should be rewarded? America’s entire free enterprise system is based on the notion that hard work gets rewarded. That is the incentive to go out and work.

Second, isn’t it moral to say that no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty? Because if you are going to live in poverty what is the use of going to work anyway? Why not be on welfare, why not just sit around and wait? It’s not fair, if we want to reward work, common decency says ‘fine’. Here are people who are “playing by the rules,” they’re not getting away with anything. They get up in the morning and go to work and, let’s be honest, a lot of these jobs are not very exciting or glamorous.

Here are people who are willing to work and any lever of morality says reward the work and make sure that anyone who does work full-time does not have to live in poverty. That is the moral argument for a living wage.

That is happening here in America and here in Utah. If you work a minimum wage job, you are lucky to make rent unless you have a roommate. I know this first hand, I work a minimum wage job and I have to have my own mother live with me to help make ends meet, and her health is declining so I have to take care of her but that is another story.

The federal minimum wage is obscene. How can you have a minimum wage that is below the poverty line? What is the point of getting people to work if the feds won’t raise it up from $5.15 per hour?

Because congress won’t move on it and because our government is all one party controlled and very conservative, because their attitude is that businesses should not pay for things like health care and minimum wage levels. Remember these are AMERICANS.

Don’t we care about other Americans? What is all this stuff about going to war to fight for America? How can we love America and not care about Americans? Wouldn’t you want to, as a patriot, make sure that everyone is doing ok? So why can’t we, as a society, simply say we are going to have a living wage that is not below the poverty line?

Because our government isn’t acting there are a number of communities and states that are standing up and helping out their workers. They are doing this by having the individual community set their own minimum wage, it was put on the ballot in Santa Fe, New Mexico and it passed. It has also been done in San Francisco and in the state of New Jersey.

There are individual communities that are passing minimum wage laws and that is so incredibly decent, and by the way, I can hear the argument that if the minimum wage is raised then the employers will not hire as many people and some of the bigger businesses will move out of America.

My rebuttal to that is this; a study was done involving New Jersey (which raised the minimum wage in its own state) and Pennsylvania who did not.

The result? It turns out that there was no correlation between the wage level and the rate of hiring, so that argument is false. This notion that if you raise the minimum wage there will be fewer jobs is just simply not true.

Most of the minimum wage laws apply to companies with 25 employees or more, so why can’t it just be the cost of doing business? Why can’t we just say if you’re going to make a living by owning a business, then you have to recognize that if you hire people they are going to be entitled to have a wage that permits them to take care of themselves and their families?

Otherwise the workers are being exploited. It just makes sense and it is fair, so why don’t we do that? What is wrong with the notion of saying we are going to have a living wage nationally so that people who work for a living will be rewarded for their hard work? And everyone who works full-time will not have to live in poverty.

That, to me, is the true meaning for moral values.

A new job

2006-01-23T11:36:00.000-08:00

So I finally managed to get off my lazy ass and get a job. I'm working weekends (Fri, Sat and Sun) at the library here on campus.

It only pays $5.15 an hour but I'll take what I can get. The federal minimum wage absolutely sucks right now because the Republicans care more about big businesses then they do about the American worker.

I penned a column for the newspaper here at the university just last week about the minimum wage in America and I will post it here ASAP, but right now I've got to get to class.

See ya.

Back to School

2006-01-13T14:13:00.000-08:00

So the first week of the new semester is in the books and I couldn't be more relieved. I've got a bad scheduele this time. I've got Stage Lighting / Stage Costume which is kicking my ass every Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30 am - 9:50 am.

Getting up that early is not normal.

I've also got 2 PE classes this time around. Bowling at 11am Mondays and Wednesdays and Aerobics every Thesday and Thursday at 4:30pm - 5:30pm. I took aerobics because I've put on a few pounds in the last year and I want to get rid of ti....plus I'm the only guy in that class so...... :D

I'm also taking Math 950 again this semester. Two good things about it. My instructor in Math is a hottie and I've got one of my good friends Brian in it with me.

Brian got back from Louisiana with another friend of mine Britan just before Christmas. They were in New Orleans cleaning up after Hurricane Katrina and man they've got some horror stories to tell.

But I'll get to that later.

Enjoy,
Brandon

Year end wrestling awards

2005-12-31T11:59:00.000-08:00

Ok mutants its that time again. I do this every year and now I'm doing it again. It's time for me to reveal my Year End Best and Worst of Wrestling Awards.

Rising Star or 2006:
Ken "Mister" Kennedy

You've got a guy who is practically gold on the mic and in the ring. I believe he is the best wrestler to come down the pike in many years and once he gets over his injury I think he'll be on the road back tot he top of the WWE and probably have some form of gold around his waist before 2006 is over.

Worst Announcer of the Year:
Johnathan Coachman

Honestly people, with Joey Styles carrying Jerry Lawler in the anounce booth every week Coach is just dead weight posing as an announcer. They should make him a manager of some form that way he can still be on TV and I don't have to hear his voice every freaking week.

Announcer of the Year:
Joey Styles

As if it is a big suprise. He did one hell of a job doing ECW's One Night Stand and one he took over for JR on Raw he's been the best reason to tune into Raw all year long. Once the Coach gets the boot (and I hope it happens soon) we'll see Joey finally blossom into the announcer he can be.

Worst Event of the Year:
WWE Armageddon 2005, Providence, RI, Dec. 18, 2005 PPV

Take a PPV that you've charged fans $35 for. Along with one or two good matches, throw together the rest at the last moment, including one match and one sketch scheduled for no other apparent reason than to punish a wrestler (JBL-Matt Hardy and Boogeyman sketch with Big Vito respectively). Then add a sketch in which you depict a long time employee committing suicide live on air.
Finish by putting over Undertaker yet one more time over Randy Orton in Hell in a Cell.

You have the worst PPV of the year.

Worst Angle(s) of the Year:
Jim Ross proctology skit, October 24, 2005, WWE
Tim White "suicide" sketches, December 18, 2005, WWE

First, forget Mae Young "birthing" a hand. WWE may well have topped both of them for sheer stupidity and tastelessness when WWE proceeded to show its viewers "Jim Ross's recent colon surgery" on a skit during Monday Night RAW.

McMahon came out to the live Fresno, CA crowd, and said that it was traditional when someone has surgery, as has happened during numerous knee or neck surgeries of WWE talent in the past, that WWE sends cameras to tape the event. McMahon "warned the crowd" about the footage saying it was graphic because it would show a blockage of Ross's bowel and colon. McMahon then ran "the video of Ross's surgery".

The tape featured Vince McMahon dressed as "Dr. Hiney", talking to his patient JR. "Dr. Hiney" kept listening to Ross’ intestines, and heard "Boomer Sooner", followed by the flushing of a toilet and other potty humor level sounds. Then, a overly endowed nurse named "Slobberknockers" put lubrication on "Dr. Hiney's" arm. He then removed from "Ross's colon", using everything from toilet plungers, jackhammers and the jaws of life, a bottle of Jim Ross’s famous BBQ sauce, a football, a Steve Austin action figure, the other hand of Mae Young (now WHY did McMahon want people to remember this?), an plastic owl, and a bag of goldfish; all accompanied by the taped voice of Jim Ross periodically screaming "Bah Gawd!" and other Jim Ross standards.

"Dr. Hiney" then pulled out a mannequin head with a cowboy hat, and said that he had solved the problem of having Jim Ross's head being up his ass."Dr. Hiney" concluded by saying that he needed after the operation to "release some tension" and rubbed his face in the nurse’s chest.

If seeing it once wasn't bad enough, WWE then decided to feature the skit on WWE.com for anyone who may have missed this nonsense that wouldn't have even rated as 2:00 am entertainment at your local college fraternity house.

If that wasn't bad enough, how about the recent sketch on the Armageddon PPV, depicting a "despondent" Tim White at his Friendly Tap bar outside of Providence, RI, downing shots and beers as a result of his legitimate injuries suffered at a previous Hell In The Cell match, then taking a rifle and off screen, firing the gun, with an implied suicide?

Note to WWE: what the hell are you thinking?

Depicting guns and alcohol are bad enough. But then WWE shows an off-camera implied suicide, which is then just blown off (pun not intended)...as Michael Cole and Tazz go into a Cruiserweight Title match.

Do you think people just blew it off? Hell, no. The live crowd booed like crazy, then they proceeded to crap all over a really good cruiserweight title match.

If that wasn't bad enough, according to the webmaster of the website for White's bar, this skit blew up to the extent that:

1) Local Cumberland, RI police got an estimated 1,000 phone calls about the suicide

2) The door of White's Friendly Tap bar was pried off the hinges by local police and fire, causing $3,000 in damages

3) White himself has to give a deposition regarding the incident to local police

4) The e-mail address of the bar received 4,000 e-mails of condolence and comment

Angle / Feud of the Year:
Batista v. HHH (WWE)

I'm not completely ragging on WWE altough it does seem like it. Let's face it they've done some really stupid things this year, but one thing they did right was the feud between Dave Batista and HHH.

They had HHH using Batista as his muscle while laughing at him behind his back. All the build up between the two men resulted in classic matches at Wreslte Mania 21, Backlash and Vengance that drew big money for the company, and once the third match was over we had an entire summer with out HHH. So that's good for me.

Match of The Year:
WWE: Shawn Michaels v. Shelton Benjamin (May 1 Raw)

Most people go for Angle v. HBK, but I didn't. Angle is already an established star in the company. I picked this match because HBK made Shelton look very good and at several points had the crowd convinced that he could pull off the upset. It didn't happen but this match showed what good wrestling should be all about.

TNA: Samoa Joe v. AJ Styles v. Christopher Daniels ( TNA Unbreakable September 11)

This match showed what TNA is really all about: The X Division. Three of the best wrestlers in the world today giving 110% in the ring for the fans. All three men came out of this match looking very good. AJ won the X Title, Joe's unbeaten streak was kept alive and Daniels came off looking very strong.

Indy: Samoa Joe v. Kenta Kobashi, New York, NY, October 1

Few matches in indy history were more anticipated than this match was. Yes, it was a first for most Americans to see Kobashi, even a Kobashi who is physically damaged. What may have surprised some was how well Samoa Joe more kept up with Kobashi as well. The crowd reaction as the two were introduced was incredible.
Highlights included Kobashi repeating the spot from his Pro Wrestling NOAH match with Misawa, where he hit Joe with a Kobashi/Misawa-like succession of as many as 60 chops with sweat flying off of Samoa Joe's chest; Samoa Joe doing a tope and later a muscle buster on Kobashi, and a stiff Ole kick; and Kobashi responding with a half nelson suplex, sleeper suplex, finishing with a series of strikes and the Burning Lariat to pin Samoa Joe.
If there's such a thing as wrestling perfection, the ***** match in North America, this was it.

Tag Team of the Year:
WWE: MNM
TNA: American's Most Wanted
Indy: Carnage Crew

At a time when the WWE seems hell bent on dismantling their tag team division. MNM came out looking like stars (that's their character on TV anyway) the red carpet enterance, the papparazzi, Melina doing her split leg enterance under the bottom rope. This tandem has stardom written all over them and I see a bright future for them.

As for AMW, their new cocky heel personnas are the perfect addition to the number one tag team that's worked consistently together in the United States this year. In a TNA rarity, Jeff Jarrett helped someone ELSE get over in the AMW heel turn when they helped Jeff Jarrett beat Raven to become NWA World Champion at a Border City Wrestling show in Windsor, Ontario. As heels they then showed attitude in regaining the NWA Tag Titles from the Naturals.

ROH's Carnage Crew are basically the backbone of the company, they've been there since day 1 and this year they reached the pinncale by winning the ROH Tag Team Titles. And with teh future emphasis on Tag Team wrestling (thanks to ROH commissioner Jim Cornette) they may be there for many more tag title runs.

Worst Wreslter of the Year:
WWE: The Boogeyman
TNA: Kid Kash

With Vince McMahon's return to using gimmick characters, fans have had the "Boogeyman" inflicted upon them in 2005. If you don't watch WWE, think of someone who makes the Bushwhackers look like Karl Gotch....whose best offensive move is stuffing worms in someone's face.

Yep...worms.

Thank God for remotes, because after seeing someone come on my screen whose best move is his "I'm comin' to get ya" promo, then hitting himself over the head with a gimmicked clock...I look for a hockey game, an infomercial, or nearly anything else for the 3-4 minutes of his segment.

Now with Kid Kash. He's basically been the Miguel Tejada of TNA earlier this year. He bitched and moaned and complained in the wrestling media until the baby got his bottle and he was released. Now he's in WWE as the Cruiserweight Champion, I'm not impressed by him and never have been.

Wrestler of the Year:
WWE: Eddie Guererro
TNA: Samoa Joe
Indy: American Dragon Bryan Danielson
This year Eddie Guererro passed away before he was to regain the WWE title. It was a sad day for everyonew who even wathed one of his matched. Eddie was a much loved performer in the ring and an inspiration out of the ring. Overcoming drug and alcohol abuse to regain his family, his faith and his dignity is something to behold. This is not a sympathy pick but one that was much deserved.

As for Samoa Joe, he's been booked as the unstoppable monster for his entire run in TNA and deservedly so. He may be a big guy but he can go in the ring, unlike Mark Henry.

And American Dragon returned to the ring looking as if he didn't miss a single step in 2005. Capturing the ROH title in the process he made the belt his for the time he's had it thus far this year.

Promotion of the year: ROH

It would be hard to find a promotion anywhere that has had such a consistent level of product quality than Ring of Honor in 2005.

In a year where we see proctology skits, exploitation of real life deaths, and continual featuring of wrestlers within ownership spread all over our TV and arenas and marketed as wrestling; ROH has consistently brought its fans high workrate, storylines that keep fans guessing, and a lineup found nowhere else in North America.

ROH's roster included Samoa Joe, "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson, AJ Styles, CM Punk, Alex Shelley, Austin Aries, Roderick Strong, Christopher Daniels, Colt Cabana, Nigel McGuinness, Ricky Reyes and Rocky Romero, Homicide, James Gibson, Kevin Steen, Chris Sabin, Claudio Castagnoli, Low Ki, Jay Lethal, Spanky, Matt Hardy, and Doug Williams.

ROH also helped make puroresu fans dreams come true with the appearances of Kenta Kobashi, KENTA, and Naomichi Marufuji; resulting in two of the year's top matches with Samoa Joe-Kenta Kobashi, Ring of Honor, October 1, New York, NY and Samoa Joe/Low Ki-Kenta Kobashi/Homicide, Ring of Honor, October 2, Philadelphia, PA. The promotion also featured legends such as Bobby Heenan, Jim Cornette (in on a semi-regular basis as "Commissioner"), and Percy Pringle.

As I said last year, Ring of Honor gave fans who were starved for wrestling that didn't insult their intelligence... a product that got them excited and one they could truly follow with enthusiasm. That's why I again gave them promotion of the year.

The semester is over and other things

2005-12-12T09:43:00.000-08:00

Ok so I've got a bunch of things to talk about today kittens.

First off, I finally got those pics of me holding an Emmy award. Camille Celucci, the visual effects producer for the Matrix sequels and Titanic visited Weber State (my university) to talk baout her work on those movies, she also brought along her Emmy from "The life and death of Peter Sellers" and a bunch of students took pics with it.

Here's mine:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/evil1_cssa1/Brandon.jpg

This one is me with Camille:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/evil1_cssa1/Brandon2.jpg

I also uploaded the pics from my trip to New York a couple years ago. Here's me with Alexis Laree (now Mickie James in WWE) and the legend himself Terry Funk:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/evil1_cssa1/PicturesfromPhilly.jpg

Here's me with Christopher Daniels and Trent Acid. The Daniels one is a double exposure:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v503/evil1_cssa1/PicsfromPhilly2.jpg

Well now that my ugly mug is out there for the world to see. LOL. I've got more tot alk about but I'll save it for later.

The Raccoon story Part 2

2005-11-19T10:31:00.000-08:00

I know I said I would post it the next day and it's been 2 weeks but I have been busy with school it's been very hectic recently with drama class and english classes recently but I'll get to that later.

Now on to the raccoon story.

This happened about 3-4 years ago at my friend Jason's place in northern California.

I was staying with him and he had just come down with the flu. This was around 3am and Jason was still up watching some old black and white movie when he heard this prying and scratching on the basement door from outside.

One thing to remember is that Jason's bedroom window was right over the basement door, so Jason comes into my room waking me up and we both look out of his window, the lights are on but no one runs away.

I'm understandably upset for Jason waking me up for this so I go back to bed and so does he. A few minutes later Jason wakes me up again and tells me that he thinks someone is trying to get into the house. So I get up and turn the outside spotlights on and once again no one runs away.

Now this is when I start hearing the sounds, it sounds like it is coming from the basement. I immidiately go back to my room and grab a .22 handgun from my bedside drawer. Jason meets me in the fromt room with his gun as well.

We start sneaking down the basement stairs ever so slowly because we don't want to scare the guy off we want to shoot him. We don't see anyone in the basement so we check the windows and doors. Everything is fine. So both of us decide to go back to bed, remember, it's 3am, so I go back to my room and try to get back to sleep. It was at this moment I heard footsteps in the kitchen.

I go and grab Jason and tell him about the footsteps. At this moment Jason's wife Sheridan wakes up because something was knocked over in the kitchen. Both of us grab out guns again, we throw the kitchen door open and turn onthe light and there we see it. On the kitchen floor among the spilled spaghetti noodles is a raccoon the size of a pitbull.

As soon as it laid eyes on us it bolted for the living room, luckilly there were doors to that room and we locked it in. I looked at Jason and said "What now?"

Jason replied "We're not gonna Dirty Harry this thing, not in this house, you're a lousy shot." To tell you the truth I was and still am, but anyway back to the story.

Jason then gets on the phone and calls the cops. 911 asked him what hsi emergency is, he asks to be put through to animal control. The dispatcher says Animal Control is closed, they'll send the cops over.

The cops arrive not long after that, batons drawn. Somehow, the raccoon had gotten out of the living room and was walking up and down the stairs between the second and third floors. The cops call Jason on his cell phone because they aren't believeing this and ask him if he really has a raccoon. Jason replies "I think so, either that or a really big rat."

The cop asks Jason if he can get to the front door, he says yes, so he gets there and lets them in. They look everywhere, downstairs basement / bar, living room, TV room, dining room, kitchen, hallway, bathroom. NOTHING.

Jason tells them "I heard him going up and down the stairs. If he's not down here the only place he could be is in my office." Jason leads the cops, of which there are about 6-10 of them, upstairs to the office of his various businesses.

Jason looks down the hallway leading to his office, the attic access door is open. It was then I realized he's not only big enough to pry the attic access vent off the roof but he had managed to kick open the attic hatch door, which has a latch by the way, open.

No they charge the office and there he is on Jason's desk. As they shine the lights on him, he starts to climb the curtains, which Sheridan paid a lot for, the cops manage to chase him out the sliding glass door and he jumps off and heads out into the woods.

One cop looks at Jason and says "That's the biggest raccoon I've ever seen."

So now it's 5am, the neighbors are awake and seeing 3 cop cars in Jason's driveway and the rumor mill starts and my noon half the people in town know this story. So once they start to leave after talking to me and Sheridan, Jason goes back into his office where his phone is knocked over, as he is picking up the phone Jason noticed that the raccoon left a little suprise for him.

That raccoon had crapped and peed on Jason's desk. So Jason had to spend his morning cleaning up the raccoon droppings.

I have no ending for this that's just what happened.

So there's the famous raccoon story I hope you found it as funny as I did when I lived it.

The raccoon story Part 1

2005-11-04T15:16:00.000-08:00

So I promised Yulia (the Anna Paquin lookalike from my English class) that I would tell this story on here but I'm gonna have to wait until later as I just remembered it and I have to go in a few minutes so I'll tell it tomorrow.

But trust me on this it is a good story.

See ya tomorrow bloggers.

Finally the truth...

2005-10-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

This article appeared in the October 21st. Independent Florida Alligator newspaper. It finally reveals the truth about that heinous cunt Ann Coulter.
----------
Ann Coulter, an outspoken Republican pundit and author, energized and entertained more than 800 UF students and Alachua County residents Thursday night at the third annual Ronald Reagan Black Tie and Blue Jeans BBQ.

The audience, decked out in patriotic garb and cowboy boots, fanatically surrounded Coulter before dinner, asking her to pose with them for pictures.

One woman caught Coulter's attention by begging for a picture, saying, "my husband loves you."
The Republicans got in the spirit of the night while enjoying an SUV-size trailer full of Budweiser beer.

Attendees paid between $25 and $75 to attend the event; the latter price included dinner. The money went to the Alachua County Republican Party, which paid $30,000 to have Coulter speak.

Coulter mainly addressed weaknesses she saw in the Democratic party.

"The Democrats complain about the Republican base being nuts," Coulter said. "The nuts are their entire party."

She warned attendees to not allow Democrats anywhere near foreign policy, "not even to keep them away from domestic policy."

Coulter defended the war in Iraq and chastised Democrats for "demoralizing America."

"The war was a magnificent success," she said. "We're a few years into the rebuilding."

She also criticized the media for being liberal and Democrats for whining about their rights under the First Amendment.

"They're always accusing us of repressing their speech," she said. "I say let's do it. Let's repress them."

She later added, "Frankly, I'm not a big fan of the First Amendment."

Her statements received applause, and many attendees said they enjoyed her speech, but some added that they think she's somewhat extreme.

"She's not very subtle, but I always enjoy her talks," Republican Senate candidate Travis Horn said. "They're very hard hitting, but the truth hurts."

The vice chair of the Alachua County Republican Executive Committee Bryan Harman said the unexpectedly large turnout was wonderful, and he enjoyed Coulter's fiery speech.

"I thought it was very funny," Harman said. "She used a lot of humor and good political satire to make people laugh. She would take serious issues and make fun of them a little, but she still got her point across."

UF students received a $30 discount, and UF College Republicans President Ashlee Black said the club sold about 100 tickets.

"We had a good turn out of UF students and College Republicans," Harman said. "They were very instrumental in pulling this all together."

Black enjoyed Coulter's speech, and said she felt special when Coulter called UF Republicans "beautiful" at the beginning of her speech.

"I think that she's incredibly intelligent and outspoken," Black said. "She's a little raw, but I think she balances the left's Michael Moore."
--------------

Let's get this out right now. If Ann hates the 1st Amaendment why the hell is no one covering this and calling her Anit-American. This cunt and her cohorts hide behind the 2nd amandment anytime any Gun Control laws come up and yet she trashed us for using the 1st Amentment when our rights are violated.

This is the true Conservative Republican.

It must be so easy to be a Republican, if anyone disagrees with you they are simply "Anti-American"

Yet another bored post

2005-10-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

So I don't post much about college because nothing of merit happens here. I'm studying for my first big scene in Acting class. Billiards class is just that, we shoot pool for an hour. I dropped my Intro to Film class because I missed so many days with my personal shit. My English and Math classes, I've got the distinct opinion that I'm teetering ont he edge in both of them and if I don't get a decent grade, I'm out of college. Hell, I'm academic probation already.

There is ont thing I noted though. There is a girl in the class before my drama class, which I made a joke about. It was funny, and even she herself laughed at it. Two hours later I ran into her, just before my billiards class, she comes up to me and threatens me saying she'll kick my as, then sick her husband one me.

First off, I don't respond well to threats. Seconds off, she obviously doesn't know me very well. The last guy who came after me wound up with a fractured spine, I've even got a picture of the aftermath. I'm going to give her the warning and we'll see what happens.

Next on to Hollywood, My favorite couple is Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. Mostly becasue J-Lo was a huge circus and Ben needs someone who is....how do I put this nicely....NORMAL.

But I do blame Ben for one thing. This idiotic trend now among entertainment reporters to call celeb coupled by one name. Bennifer, TomKat, Vaughniston, Brangelina.....how fucking lazy are you people? How hard is it to say 2 names?

Ben and Jennifer. Tom and Katie. Vince Vaughn and jennifer Aniston. Brad and Angelina.

It's not that hard people.

Now on to pro wrestling: After last night's Raw which I say was horrible on so many levels. I was watching How I Met Your Mother and Prison Break because it was so bad. Thos eare actually GOOD shows.

And people wonder why I'm so high on TNA

I guess that's all I have for right now, I'll try to post something when it comes up.

It's been a while

2005-10-05T16:15:00.000-07:00

So it has been a while since I updated, but a bunch of stuff has happened that I wanted to let you in on.

School: My financial aid hasn't come in yet, it's been almost 2 freaking months. I should have it within a couple weeks though, hopefully. I'll finally be able to chip in for rent and get my books finally.

There have been some other events here around school, we've had two people come to the school to talk on various subjects.

One was named Camille Cellucci, she is the visual effects producer for Titanic and both Matrix sequels. She had recently won an Emmy for visual effects on 'The Life and Death of Peter Sellers' I actually got my picture taken with me holding the Emmy. I should have received it by now but nothing yet.

Also just today I met Cara Kahn from Real World Chicago. She was speaking about depression, which I can relate to because I recently lost someone. And she immidiately made me love her with three simple words "Go Red Sox".

Politics: I know I've been bitching about them a lot lately so I'll chill...for now. And about the rally, thanks to a schedueling screw up on my part I missed the whole thing. I could go off on a rant but I'm not going to, I'll save it for later.

Hollywood: The stalker-razzi. I'm going to save this rant for later. I want to be a celebrity and I know that if (god willing) I should make it I'll have to deal with these people.

That's all I can come up with at the moment, I'm sure I will have more later, but for now. I need a drink and a shower.

Tomorrow is the big day

2005-09-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

For those of you who actually read this, tomorrow is the big Anti-war rally in Salt Lake City. This will happen in conjunction with other anti war rallys all over the world and will be the largest demonstration agains the Iraq war since it began over two years and nearly 2,000 lives ago.

In case you were wondeirng, here are the anti war protests nationwide:

This weekend's D.C. march, organized by United for Peace and Justice, promises to be a demonstration of historic proportions -- and it couldn't come at a better time.
Thankfully, the action won't just be limited to Washington. Activist groups across the country are organizing protests in cities nationwide.
Let your voice be heard -- check out our list, below, of state-by-state anti-war events to support this weekend.

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
"Alabama Says: Stop the War on Iraq!" activities include a rally and march. Meet at Kelly Ingram Park, 1700 6th Ave. N. from 2-5 p.m.. Other activities for Sept. 24 are also being planned. Contact: lahaynes@knology.net. Sponsored by Alabama Peace and Justice Coalition; Veterans for Peace, Alabama Chapter; Military Families Speak Out -- Alabama.

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
Saturday, Sept. 24 at noon, there is a rally and march in opposition to the war. Meet at Parkstrip-Vet's Memorial at Ninth & I St. Contact: jr4.l@att.net. Sponsored by Alaskans for Peace and Justice.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
On Saturday, Sept. 24, ANSWER is hosting a mass march and rally in downtown L.A. to help "fund people's needs, not the war machine." The march begins at noon at Olympic & Broadway, downtown LA. The rally is at 1:30 p.m. at the Federal Building at Los Angeles & Temple.

PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA
At noon on Saturday, Sept. 24, there will be a peaceful anti-war rally at the corner of Palm Canyon and Tahquitz, in front of the library.

SALINAS, CALIFORNIA
At 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24, a women-organized peace demonstration will be held at the corner of South Main Street and Blanco, in the Star Market parking lot. Email sage@redshift.com for more info.

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Chuck Lowery has organized an oceanside anti-war rally at Balboa Park, at the corner of Sixth and Laurel in San Diego on September 24.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
CodePink has organized a "women say enough" anti-war mobilization for Saturday, Sept. 24, 11 a.m. at Dolores Park in the Mission District (Dolores Street at 19th). There will also be a host of other groups organizing at Dolores Park on Saturday.
On Monday, Sept. 26, United for Peace and Justice will host a "defund the war, defend our communities" rally at the Civic Center Federal Building at 450 Golden Gate.

SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
At noon on Saturday, Sept. 24, there will be a march for peace, justice and freedom at Plaza Vera Cruz Park, 130 E. Cota Street.

SEBASTOPOL, CALIFORNIA
There's an "end the war vigil" held on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 11:30 a.m. Protesters will gather at the corners of HWY 12 (Bodega HWY) and HWY 116, in Sebastopol. Contact cognizant2@hotmail.com for more info.

VENTURA, CALIFORNIA
On Saturday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m., a rally begins in downtown Ventura at Mission Park, "with a Chumash smudging ceremony." The march starts at 1:30-ish and will proceed down Main Street to Fir Street, returning to Mission Park, where the rally will continue until 4 p.m. There will be "dynamic speakers, music, drum circles, ending with a white dove release." Contact: createpeace@sbcglobal.net.

CRESTED BUTTE, COLORADO
Saturday Sept. 24, at 4:30 pm, protesters will meet at the four-war stop sign and "march up Elk Avenue and back in time to join the Vinotok mummers procession at 5 p.m." Contact: vsshaw@ecoisp.com.

DENVER, COLORADO
At 12:30 pm on Saturday, Sept. 24, anti-war organizers will meet at the West Steps of the State Capitol at Broadway and Colfax Streets. Contact: claire@3novembermovement.org.

DURANGO, COLORADO
At 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24, there will be a peaceful procession through town. Meet at Rotary Park, 1500 2nd Avenue. Sponsored by Southwest Colorado Peace and Justice and Amnesty International. Contact: phissell99@lycos.com.

WASHINGTON D.C.
On Friday, Sept. 23 at 7 pm, the Washington Buddhist Peace Fellowship will host a candlelight vigil and peace meditation at St. Stephen of the Incarnation, 1525 Newton St., NW DC. Contact: info@wbpf.org.
Before the march on Saturday, Sept. 24, there will be a "Jewish Breakfast Against the War" organized by a coalition of different groups opposed to war, including: JVP-DC, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) and others. Meet at 8 a.m. at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 I Street, NW DC (in the Social Hall). Contact: dahliag@hotmail.com.
Between Saturday, Sept. 24 and Monday, Sept. 26, a rally, march, concert and interfaith service -- as well as civil disobedience actions and meetings with members of Congress -- are all being organized by the United for Peace and Justice coalition, in alliance with other groups. Click here for the full schedule.
The Women in Black will also host a silent vigil to mourn the war's dead on Saturday, Sept. 24; meet at 14th St. and Constitution Ave. at 11:30 a.m. Contact: parkerhead@earthlink.net.
On Sunday, Sept. 25, DC Poets Against the War will host a "poetry open mic for peace and justice" at 3 p.m. at Busboys & Poets Restaurant/Café, 2021 14th Street NW (at V Street). Contact: browning@womenarts.org

BOCA RATON, FLORIDA
On Saturday, Sept. 24, there is a "United in Peace" rally at 11:30 am at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Boca Raton at 2601 Saint Andrews Blvd. At noon, activists will march to the corner of Glades and Saint Andrews for a peaceful demonstration.

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA
At 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24, pro-peace demonstrators will meet at St. Cecilia's Church (Summerlin & Mathews Dr.) and walk with memorials bearing the names of deceased American soldiers to Veteran's Park (McGregor and Colonial Blvd.) Contact: nsacotner239@netscape.com.

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA
Anti-war protesters will gather at noon on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 13th Street and 39th Ave. Contact: faithccarr@yahoo.com.

NAPLES, FLORIDA
A street peace demonstration will occur at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24. Meet at Southwest corner of intersection of U.S. 41 North & Golden Gate Parkway (across from Coastland Mall and Food & Thought Organic Market & Cafe). Organized by Naples for Peace. Contact: Noelia@naplesforpeace.org.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA
Orlando's CodePink chapter is sponsoring what they hope will be the city's largest anti-war rally, on Sat. September 24 at 11 am. Meet at the intersection of Colonial & Bumby. Contact: csfield@bellsouth.net.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA
Anti-war protesters will meet on Saturday, Sept. 24 at noon in front of the federal courthouse at 1 Palafox Place. Contact: vfppcola@yahoo.com.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA
There will be a $75 bus from Atlanta to DC for supporters of the anti-war march on Washington. For tickets, e-mail atlantaiac@aol.com or call 770-989-2536. Sponsored by Atlanta International Action Center & Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition/Atlanta.

BOISE, IDAHO
The Idaho Peace Coalition will host a rally on Saturday Sept 24 at 4 p.m. Meet at the corners of Front St. and Capital Blvd. Contact: idahopeacecoalition@msn.com.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
Citizens from across Indiana will stand "to demand an end to armed conflict and hold pro-war politicians accountable for the deaths, the destruction, the lies, and the toll on our communities." Meet at noon on Sept. 24 at Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis. Contact: andrew@progressiveindiana.org. Sponsored by Progressive Indiana.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA
Women for Peace Iowa is sponsoring a rally on Saturday at 11 a.m.; meet at the pedestrian overpass at the corner of First Ave and 27th St. NE. Contact: wfppr@earthlink.net

DES MOINES, IOWA
On Sunday, Sept. 25, MoveOn DesMoines hosts a rally at noon; meet at Nollen Plaza, downtown, one block from the Federal Building. Contact: phyllis.stevens@amerus.com.

PITTSBURG, KANSAS
At 2 p.m. on Saturday Sept. 24, anti-war protestors will meet at the new Pavilion in Immigrant Park in Pittsburg, at Broadway and 2nd for a rally. Afterward there will be a march along Broadway. Contact: djudd@pittstate.edu.

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
On Saturday at 2 p.m. in conjunction with Washington's anti-war march, there will be a Rally for Defense of Katrina Victims as Citizens of New Orleans. Protesters will meet on the state Capitol steps. Contact: romar1@ix.netcom.com. Sponsored by Louisiana Activist Network.

PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS
At 11 a.m. on Saturday, protesters will join at Pittsfield Park Square, at the circle in the center of Downtown Pittsfield. "Volunteers are needed to assist with various tasks, and can call Gordon at 413-644-9630." Sponsored by Berkshire Citizens for Peace and Justice, and GIRO, Global Issues Resources Organization.

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
"For those who are not going to the protest in Washington D.C., join us for a protest march at 4 p.m. on Sept. 24. We will be marching from the intersection of Westport Rd. and Broadway to the military recruiting office at 39th Street and Main." Contact: resist_the_right@yahoo.com.
On Sunday, Sept. 25, St. Louis protestors "will gather at 8th and Washington downtown and then march to the Arch where we will rally for an hour." Contact: staff@insteadofwar.org.

SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI
On Saturday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m., demonstrators will meet in front of Congressman Blunt's office (2740-B East Sunshine Street). Contact: cdc885g@peoplepc.com. Sponsored by Peace Network of The Ozarks .

MISSOULA, MONTANA
On Saturday, September 24 from 5 a.m.-8 p.m. in Bonner Park, the Jeanette Rankin Pace Center and Code Pink are sponsoring a rally to "Take Back Our Country, Bring Back the Troops."

OMAHA, NEBRASKA
A "War: At What Cost?" rally will be held Saturday, Sept. 24th at 2 p.m. at Memorial Park (by monument) at Dodge St & 61 St. Contact: vwalsh@cox.net. Sponsored by Nebraskans for Peace.

NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Saturday, Sept. 24 at noon: the Nashua Peace Rally (in solidarity with the March on Washington) will begin at noon at City Hall. Contact: john@nashuapeace.org

ITHACA, NEW YORK
On Saturday, Sept. 24 at 2 p.m., there will be a Concert and Rally for Peace. Guest speakers and musicians have been invited to address issues of Peace and War. The Concert will feature the Katherine Aelias Band; begins at 2 p.m. at the Bernie Milton Pavilion on the Ithaca Commons. Contact: truthisonepathsaremany@yahoo.com. Sponsored by Bush Must Go!.

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA
NC's NOW chapter is hosting a conference on Saturday, Sept. 24 at Bennett College. After the conference, NC-NOW will hold a "solidarity march" in Greensboro, NC. Meet at 4 p.m. at Black Hall, Bennett College; the Hall is located off Gorreell St from E. Washington St. Contact: triadnow@triadnow.org.

PORTSMOUTH, OHIO
There's a rally to end the war at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24. Meet at the Esplanade Corner of 5th and Chillicothe Streets. Contact: mikebryan@appalachiafirst.org.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA
There will be an "Anti War fair" on Saturday, Sept. 24th at noon, featuring musicians, speakers and rallies in solidarity with the March on Washington. Meet at Memorial Park. One of the keynote speakers will be Dave MacMichael, a former CIA analyst who is on the steering committee with Ray McGovern for "VIPS" (Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity). Contact: longshortrose@aol.com.

EUGENE, OREGON
"Join the Mobilization to Stop the War on Iraq; Saturday, Sept. 24 at noon at the Federal Building, 7th & Pearl in Eugene. Contact: calc@efn.org. Sponsors: End the War-Eugene, Progressive Responses, a program of CALC, Justice Not War, W.A.N.D., Campus Strike for Peace Campaign, Lane County Democracy for America, Eugene PeaceWorks.

PORTLAND, OREGON
There will be candlelight bridge vigils to stop the war on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Hawthorne Bridge, Morrison Bridge, and Burnside Bridge in Portland. "Approach from east or west. STAY ON SIDEWALKS for safety; allow cycle and pedestrian passage." Contact: betsy@livingearthgatherings.org.

SCRANTON, PENN.
Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m., "we will gather in solidarity with the UFPJ mobilization in DC to end the war on Iraq, with some speaking, interfaith prayer, music, and walk around the courthouse square." Meet at Lackawanna County Court House 200 N. Washington Ave. Contact: victoryross@epix.net.

SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA
There's a "bring the troops home now" rally on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m.. Meet at the downtown Federal Courthouse at 400 S Phillips Avenue. Contact sdpjc@dailypost.com.

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
Join Knoxville's "Bring Them Home Now" rally on Saturday, September 24th at 7 p.m. Meet at Volunteer Landing, downtown, by Calhoun's on the river. 400 Neyland Dr. Contact: tduren@fireflygraphics.com

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
On Saturday, Sept. 24th at noon, there is a rally and peace gathering at Riverfront Park at 1st Ave. North and Broadway in downtown Nashville. "Speakers, music, and peace groups will be gathering down by the Riverside to mark this international day of peace and call to end the war on Iraq." Contact: christopher_lugo@yahoo.com.

DALLAS, TEXAS
On Saturday, Sept. 24th at noon, Dallas will host a peace rally at the Dallas Peace Center; meet at Old Red County Courthouse at 411 Commerce Street. Contact: admin@dallaspeacecenter.org.

HOUSTON, TEXAS
There's a Houston March and Rally Against the Iraq War on Saturday, September 24th at noon. "We will assemble at Market Square Park (301 Milam) at 12:00 p.m. and march to City Hall/Hermann Square (901 Bagby) at 12:30 p.m. The rally will include speakers, entertainment, and lots of chanting." Contact dsmith2740@houston.rr.com or herbertrothschild@hotmail.com.

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
On Saturday, Sept. 24 at noon, "in Support of Cindy Sheehan, anti-war protestors will sing, chant and carry signs asking for Bush to explain what is "the noble cause" that Casey and thousands have died for. Protest held on public sidewalks in front of downtown Federal Building on Hemisfair Plaza, 727 E. Durango. Contact ssidesat@webtv.net.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
"There will be a March and Rally on Sept. 24 in Salt Lake City. Gather at Pioneer Park at 11 am, and join in a large march to the City and County Bldg. for a rally with music and speakers at NOON."

MONTPELIER, VERMONT
On Saturday, September 24th at 10 a.m., join the statewide peace march and rally in solidarity with the march in Washington DC. Rally will feature powerful Vermont voices for peace in song and wordMeet at City Hall and march to the Statehouse for the rally. Contact: dvandyke@madriver.com.

As said before I'll be at the one in Salt Lake and I'll have a full report of the activites tomorow

Slow news day

2005-09-21T09:44:00.000-07:00

I've been really bored lately so that is why nothing exciting has happened here. The only remotely exciting thing that has happened is my University's power outage.

Some dumbass knocked over the transformer thinking it was a retaining wall on a construction site and it killed the power for an entire day. I feel bad for the people who got suck in the elevators.

Anyway, on to politics. I know I talk about it a lot lately but I think it fits here.

This was written on 9/11 by Michael Moore:

To All My Fellow Americans Who Voted for George W. Bush:

On this, the fourth anniversary of 9/11, I'm just curious, how does it feel?

How does it feel to know that the man you elected to lead us after we were attacked went ahead and put a guy in charge of FEMA whose main qualification was that he ran horse shows?

That's right. Horse shows.

I really want to know -- and I ask you this in all sincerity and with all due respect -- how do you feel about the utter contempt Mr. Bush has shown for your safety? C'mon, give me just a moment of honesty. Don't start ranting on about how this disaster in New Orleans was the fault of one of the poorest cities in America. Put aside your hatred of Democrats and liberals and anyone with the last name of Clinton. Just look me in the eye and tell me our President did the right thing after 9/11 by naming a horse show runner as the top man to protect us in case of an emergency or catastrophe.

I want you to put aside your self-affixed label of Republican/conservative/born-again/capitalist/ditto-head/right-winger and just talk to me as an American, on the common ground we both call America.

Are we safer now than before 9/11? When you learn that behind the horse show runner, the #2 and #3 men in charge of emergency preparedness have zero experience in emergency preparedness, do you think we are safer?

When you look at Michael Chertoff, the head of Homeland Security, a man with little experience in national security, do you feel secure?

When men who never served in the military and have never seen young men die in battle send our young people off to war, do you think they know how to conduct a war? Do they know what it means to have your legs blown off for a threat that was never there?

Do you really believe that turning over important government services to private corporations has resulted in better services for the people?

Why do you hate our federal government so much? You have voted for politicians for the past 25 years whose main goal has been to de-fund the federal government. Do you think that cutting federal programs like FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers has been good or bad for America? GOOD OR BAD?

With the nation's debt at an all-time high, do you think tax cuts for the rich are still a good idea? Will you give yours back so hundreds of thousands of homeless in New Orleans can have a home?

Do you believe in Jesus? Really? Didn't he say that we would be judged by how we treat the least among us? Hurricane Katrina came in and blew off the facade that we were a nation with liberty and justice for all. The wind howled and the water rose and what was revealed was that the poor in America shall be left to suffer and die while the President of the United States fiddles and tells them to eat cake.

That's not a joke. The day the hurricane hit and the levees broke, Mr. Bush, John McCain and their rich pals were stuffing themselves with cake. A full day after the levees broke (the same levees whose repair funding he had cut), Mr. Bush was playing a guitar some country singer gave him. All this while New Orleans sank under water.

It would take ANOTHER day before the President would do a flyover in his jumbo jet, peeking out the window at the misery 2500 feet below him as he flew back to his second home in DC. It would then be TWO MORE DAYS before a trickle of federal aid and troops would arrive. This was no seven minutes in a sitting trance while children read "My Pet Goat" to him. This was FOUR DAYS of doing nothing other than saying "Brownie (FEMA director Michael Brown), you're doing a heck of a job!"

My Republican friends, does it bother you that we are the laughing stock of the world?
And on this sacred day of remembrance, do you think we honor or shame those who died on 9/11/01? If we learned nothing and find ourselves today every bit as vulnerable and unprepared as we were on that bright sunny morning, then did the 3,000 die in vain?

Our vulnerability is not just about dealing with terrorists or natural disasters. We are vulnerable and unsafe because we allow one in eight Americans to live in horrible poverty. We accept an education system where one in six children never graduate and most of those who do can't string a coherent sentence together. The middle class can't pay the mortgage or the hospital bills and 45 million have no health coverage whatsoever.

Are we safe? Do you really feel safe? You can only move so far out and build so many gated communities before the fruit of what you've sown will be crashing through your walls and demanding retribution. Do you really want to wait until that happens? Or is it your hope that if they are left alone long enough to soil themselves and shoot themselves and drown in the filth that fills the street that maybe the problem will somehow go away?

I know you know better. You gave the country and the world a man who wasn't up for the job and all he does is hire people who aren't up for the job. You did this to us, to the world, to the people of New Orleans. Please fix it. Bush is yours. And you know, for our peace and safety and security, this has to be fixed. What do you propose?

I have an idea, and it isn't a horse show.

Yours,
Michael Moore

***

How many times to we have to show Bush as the fucking moron that he is? A guy who once ran HORSE SHOWS was in charge of FEMA. Why was aid not put in THE VERY NEXT DAY after Hurricane Katrina?

Yes, I understand that the state and local officials share some of the blame too but the federal govenment needs to be faster then this. They waited FOUR DAYS until they went in there.

We have proven that the Iraq war was based on lies upon lies and still more lies, yet people still support the war. I guess those people are too far gone to see Bush for what he really is. Let's be honest people, we elected Howdy Doody as President (children, ask your parents for that reference)

Bush invokes the name of God more times then even I can stomach, and I consider myself to be born again as well. When it comes time for Bush to meet his maker, does anyone reading this think Bush will make it to the promised land? I believe there is a special place in hell for people like him, who murder and endanger the lives of the people he is sworn to protect.

Nerly 2,000 soilders have died in this war of lies. I believe in my heart that their blood is on Bush's hands and on his concience. Of course I'm assuming that Bush has a concience.

I fear for the future of America if aqnother Republican gets elected on 2008. I pray to the good lord above that it does not happen.

And one more message to our Republican friends. Moral Values alone are not a reason to vote for ANYONE. The issues should be the reason you vote.

I'm not saying Moral Values aren't a good reason to vote, I'm just saying they shouldn't be the ONLY reason you vote for a candidate.

I'll probably update this a bit more as I see fit.

Keith Olberman's Editorial Smackdown

2005-09-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

God Bless you my good man, for having the balls to say what everyone else is too afraid to say.

Here is a transcript of Keith Olberman's editorial from last night's Countdown show.

***

SECAUCUS — Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff said it all, starting his news briefing Saturday afternoon: "Louisiana is a city that is largely underwater..."
Well there's your problem right there.

If ever a slip-of-the-tongue defined a government's response to a crisis, this was it.
The seeming definition of our time and our leaders had been their insistence on slashing federal budgets for projects that might’ve saved New Orleans. The seeming characterization of our government that it was on vacation when the city was lost, and could barely tear itself away from commemorating V.J. Day and watching Monty Python's Flying Circus, to at least pretend to get back to work. The seeming identification of these hapless bureaucrats: their pathetic use of the future tense in terms of relief they could’ve brought last Monday and Tuesday — like the President, whose statements have looked like they’re being transmitted to us by some kind of four-day tape-delay.

But no. The incompetence and the ludicrous prioritization will forever be symbolized by one gaffe by of the head of what is ironically called “The Department of Homeland Security”: “Louisiana is a city…”

Politician after politician — Republican and Democrat alike — has paraded before us, unwilling or unable to shut off the "I-Me" switch in their heads, condescendingly telling us about how moved they were or how devastated they were — congenitally incapable of telling the difference between the destruction of a city and the opening of a supermarket.

And as that sorry recital of self-absorption dragged on, I have resisted editorial comment. The focus needed to be on the efforts to save the stranded — even the internet's meager powers were correctly devoted to telling the stories of the twin disasters, natural... and government-made.

But now, at least, it is has stopped getting exponentially worse in Mississippi and Alabama and New Orleans and Louisiana (the state, not the city). And, having given our leaders what we know now is the week or so they need to get their act together, that period of editorial silence I mentioned, should come to an end.

No one is suggesting that mayors or governors in the afflicted areas, nor the federal government, should be able to stop hurricanes. Lord knows, no one is suggesting that we should ever prioritize levee improvement for a below-sea-level city, ahead of $454 million worth of trophy bridges for the politicians of Alaska.

But, nationally, these are leaders who won re-election last year largely by portraying their opponents as incapable of keeping the country safe. These are leaders who regularly pressure the news media in this country to report the reopening of a school or a power station in Iraq, and defies its citizens not to stand up and cheer. Yet they couldn't even keep one school or power station from being devastated by infrastructure collapse in New Orleans — even though the government had heard all the "chatter" from the scientists and city planners and hurricane centers and some group whose purposes the government couldn't quite discern... a group called The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

And most chillingly of all, this is the Law and Order and Terror government. It promised protection — or at least amelioration — against all threats: conventional, radiological, or biological.

It has just proved that it cannot save its citizens from a biological weapon called standing water.
Mr. Bush has now twice insisted that, "we are not satisfied," with the response to the manifold tragedies along the Gulf Coast. I wonder which "we" he thinks he's speaking for on this point. Perhaps it's the administration, although we still don't know where some of them are. Anybody seen the Vice President lately? The man whose message this time last year was, 'I'll Protect You, The Other Guy Will Let You Die'?

I don't know which 'we' Mr. Bush meant.

For many of this country's citizens, the mantra has been — as we were taught in Social Studies it should always be — whether or not I voted for this President — he is still my President. I suspect anybody who had to give him that benefit of the doubt stopped doing so last week. I suspect a lot of his supporters, looking ahead to '08, are wondering how they can distance themselves from the two words which will define his government — our government — "New Orleans."

For him, it is a shame — in all senses of the word. A few changes of pronouns in there, and he might not have looked so much like a 21st Century Marie Antoinette. All that was needed was just a quick "I'm not satisfied with my government's response." Instead of hiding behind phrases like "no one could have forseen," had he only remembered Winston Churchill's quote from the 1930's. "The responsibility," of government, Churchill told the British Parliament "for the public safety is absolute and requires no mandate. It is in fact, the prime object for which governments come into existence."

In forgetting that, the current administration did not merely damage itself — it damaged our confidence in our ability to rely on whoever is in the White House.

As we emphasized to you here all last week, the realities of the region are such that New Orleans is going to be largely uninhabitable for a lot longer than anybody is yet willing to recognize. Lord knows when the last body will be found, or the last artifact of the levee break, dug up. Could be next March. Could be 2100. By then, in the muck and toxic mire of New Orleans, they may even find our government's credibility.

Somewhere, in the City of Louisiana.

This sums up my feelings exactly

2005-09-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

I got this from this blog: http://stevegilliard.blogspot.com/2005/09/we-told-you-so.html

I think should sum up exactly how I feel about not only the Iraq war, but Bush, his cronies and thier slow response to the Katirna disaster

---------

A note to our conservative friends:

WE TOLD YOU SO

Ever wonder why New Yorkers detest George Bush?

Because we experienced his incompetence up close and person. We knew this guy was full of shit, absolutely full of fucking shit, after they started to play games with the funding and gave Wyoming terrorism money. We knew he was an assclown then.

We thought DC 9/11 was a comedy, because the Bush we saw hid in AF One like the scared bitch that he is.

But did you listen?

Fuck no. Until last week, Ann Coulter was calling New Yorkers cowards for not endorsing Bush's folly in Iraq.

We have been screaming for two years that Bush and his team sucked. That they had no clue. They sent soldiers to be wounded in Iraq without armored anything. And you idiots cheered him on from the safety of your keyboards. We told you he was fucking up Iraq. But no, we supported Saddam, we were racist, we blamed America.

You say this isn't about politics? Fuck you, this IS politics, real time, real life politics, where the insanity of all your ideas are exposed to the world for the fraud that they are. Tax cuts kill. Ask the relatives of the dead of the Gulf Coast.

Well, motherfuckers, the alligators are feasting on the dead and there isn't an Iraqi in sight. And Bush is trying to gladhand his way through a mess which has stunned FOX reporters. I mean, Shepard Smith is calling Fox's talking heads liars ON THE AIR.

CNN rips Bush in print and online after nearly five years of sleep.

Instead of hearing what we had to say about Bush, you called John Kerry a coward, mocked Max Cleland, blamed everything but herpes on Bill Clinton. You enabled Bush into this mess and now you're shocked?

Now, Fox can be outraged, now, Wash Times and Union Leader call Bush weak? Well, his coward ass disappeared in 2001. But you rather blame Michael Moore for that.

He can't even explain the Iraq war to a grieving mother.

So what did you do?

Write the most vile things about her and her dead son. Attacked her patriotism and her honesty.

Well, motherfuckers, and that means you, fat ass Goldberg and your master, Rich Lowry, PNAC Bitch Beinart, the racist wannabe white Malkin and the little fucktards at LGF, Bareback Andy and "Diversity" Instacracker, all you backstabbing, fag hating uncle tom ministers, you can see Dear Leader in action. America's largest port is gone, maybe forever, gas is $5+ a gallon and FEMA is coming. Whores come faster with old men than FEMA is getting to NOLA.

How did your wartime President react? Like Chiang Kai-Shek when the Yellow River flooded in 1944, with corrupt indifference.

Bush, the man your fever dreams built into the next Winston Churchill when he is really the live action Chauncey Gardiner, has failed to everyone, in plain sight, without question. Rick Perry is trying to save his ass, but it ain't working. NOLA looks like ANGOLA and that ain't flying.

Say 9/11 changed everything now, motherfuckers. Ooops, 9/11, 9/11. 9/11. Doesn't work anymore? Gee, maybe the sea of alligator MRE's once known as the citizens of New Orleans has something to do with that. Now you can shut the fuck up about 9/11. Bush just proved what would happen with another 9/11. Dead Americans as far as the nose can smell.

Drunken Chris Hitchens muttered some nonsense about blacks having it so good here. The poor man needs to stay in his bottle or go to Betty Ford before someone beats his treasonous ass stupid. Islamofascism means what, now motherfucker? Shove Islamofascism up your well travelled ass. The most dangerous thing to average Americans is not some mullah in Iraq, not even Osama Bin Laden, but George Bush. If he doesn't get you killed in Iraq, he'll fuck up saving your city so it turns into Escape from New Orleans. Armed junkies roaming the streets, looking for a fix, robbing and looting like Serb paramilitaries and about as sober.

George Bush's ineptitude has killed far more Americans than Osama could have dreamed of.

Some of you still try to see the clothes on the Dauphin, but he's as naked as Peter North around Jenna Jameson. Bush fucked up so bad, FOX turned on him like a rabid dog.

You can't hide behind racism forever. Bush fucked up, Bush is a weak, callous leader and the world knows this like it knows few other things. And all the stolen TV's in the world cannot hide that.

--------------

Kanye West was right. George Bush is a racist, don't believe me. Look at New Orleans and tell me I'm lying.

America has a stupidity problem, its name "Bush Voter"

Maybe more of the country will wake up to the ineptitude and stupidity of Prince Bush. New Yorkers knew this, and they knew it before 9-11.

How's this for an idea for the conservatives. How about next time we don't elect a cokehead fratboy to be the "leader" of what we used to call the free world or of the United States. Let's try someone competent and see what happens.

only hope enough people reach the wakeup moment. I absolutely identify with the sentiment: NOW people get it? Jeeeeeeessssuuuuussss, the evidence has been right there for years that this guy was a complete moron.

The white house actually had the nerve to complain about an ideological bias in the press coverage from this week.

See the thing is that for most "movement conservatives" criticism from the media and anyone not firmly in their thought camp simply proves their worldview. Their worldview has the USA as a fallen nation that needs to undergo political ablution and cultural redemption in order to restore it to "greatness."

They love the pictures of desperate, out-of-control black folks. It's political sustenance for them. They've already started in on the drumbeat of how Katrina was good because it exposes the depth of the America's junkie-like addiction to the welfare state. Come Nov. '06 they will be eagerly using the footage of looters to scare middle class voters in yet another endorsement of their slow-motion cultural revolution.

They don't care how many have to die in order to succeed.

The war hits home

2005-08-31T15:53:00.000-07:00

I don't think I really need to justify my reasons for being against the war in Iraq, I think it's pretty straightforward.

Bush lied about the weapons of mass destruction (C'mon, we've been there going on 3 years now, you think we would have found something)

Bush lied about a link between Iraq - Al Qaeda and 9-11. (15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi, why are we not going after them)

We are there even though we shouldn't be.

I birng this up because today I found out that my best friend got called up and is being sent over in a matter of a couple weeks. I've already got a cousin over there. Granted they both signed up voluntarily but why are they being put at death's door in a war based on lies? Can someone answer that for me?

This is the reason i am a part of the anti war movement, why should their families have the bury their children for Bush?

My cousin Patrick is already over there and last time I heard from him was when I was back in Seattle during Christmas and he told me he was about to go over there.

And just today my best friend Brian told me he's getting ready to go over there too.

I just hope they come back safely, but I will concentrate all my efforts to ending this war. This is why I joined the M19 Mobilization movement, I'm distributing flyers for the September 24th anti war demonstration, which is taking place simultaniously with others nation wide.

I hope this sends the message to not only the Republicans who run this vcountry but to the rest of the world that we will not remain silent anymore.

I hope to see all who read this at rallys all over America on September 24th.

www.m19mobilization.org

First day of college

2005-08-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

So today was day 1 of fall semester here at Weber State University and here's the run down of some of the events.

My Acting I class is in a room resembling a basement and I have a feeling I'll do ok in it. I met a cute blonde girl who is a transfer student from the University of Texas (I don't yet know why she transfered here) and the both of us signed up for auditions for the two upcoming plays that the university is putting on.

I forget the name of the other one but the one I'm hoping to get in on is Six Degrees of Seperation. (No it's not the Kevin Bacon one, I don't think) but my audition is on September 1 from 7:25 - 7:45 PM.

My next class was billiards where I leardned how to properly do a bridge to hit the ball. Granted I still got my ass kicked when I played against someone, but hopefully with this class I'll begin to get better.

My next class was English 1010 which, after stopping for lunch, I was 20 minutes late for. In this class I met a Ukranian born girl named Yulia, this girl was special because she looked just like Anna Paquin. SO naturally I gravitated to her becuase she was so damn cute and nice too.

Here's hoping this is a good semester. Stay tuned I'll be updating this a lot.

One down, one to go

2005-08-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, my first post was about the anti-war Demonstration. This one is about my college scheduele.

It is set this time. I will have 5 classes and Tuesdays and Thursdays off (yay me)

I'm going to have Intorduction to Writing / English 1010 every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 12:00 - 12:50 PM

Math 950 (basically pre-algebra) from 1:00 - 1:50 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

My billiards class (I dropped Bowling but kept this one) from 11:00 - 11:50 am on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Intorduction to Film (Which I think is watching and critiquing movies) from 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm on Wednesdays only

and Acting 1 from 10:00 - 10:50 am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

I hope you noticed a theme with the last 2 because they should (hopefully) count towards my major in Theatre Arts. I want to be an actor and come hell or high water I am going to be one.

When the rest of my student loans come in I'm going to take some of the cash and pay for head shots and other classes at a talent agency in Salt Lake and I should be able to get film roles through them.

Who knows, you may be seeing me on TV sooner then you think.

Political Activism

2005-08-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

So Monday (Aug. 22) I went to Salt Lake City to join a political protest in Poineer Park. Now I'll be saying this a lot but don't believe everything you read. Sen. Orrin Hatch from Utah said that "there weren't that many people there."

I don't know what the senator is huffing but 2,000 people seems like a lot to me.

Among the 2,000 was Salt Lake mayor Rocky Anderson who ripped on Bush for lying to the Ameircan people and Celesta Zappala, her son was Killed in Action during thsi Iraq war, she is a member of Gold Star Families for Peace, along with Cindy Sheehan.

She spoke about how her son dind't want to go to Iraq for a second time, and I persoanlly don't think he should have had so.

I'm so passionately agains the Iraq war for many of the same reasons these protesters were, BUT I'm against it for another reason. My cousin Patrick is over there right now and I want him to come home safe. I grew up with him and I don't want to out live him.

I met a lot of good people there and a lot of pretty girls (Who knew anti-war demonstrators were so good looking)

Now from the info I gathered there is going to be a national day of protest on September 24th and I'm definitely helping out with the one in Salt Lake. If we get as good of a turn out on 9/24 as we did on Monday then the message will be loud and clear.

WE ARE AGAINST THIS WAR.

Gold Star Families for Peace - www.gsfp.org

Inro on the SLC Protest and hopefully more about the 9/24 national day of protest - www.m19mobilization.org

Military Families Speak Out - www.mfso.org

College

2005-08-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

So today is the last day before my financial aid kicks in for the Fall Semester and I was still 2 classes short. I had already signed up for Math 0950 (Pre Algebra) and English 1010 (the same class I took last semester but failed), troble is though, I needed 2 more classes that I could use to drop in case the Theatre Arts ones I needed open up.

Intro to Film and Intro to Acting were the two I originally wanted for this coming semester but were all filled up. So now I have to wait until Saturday to find out if any spots open up for me to get in to those classes.

I should get a little over $2500 in finalcial aid and student loans that I have to pay back over time, meaning I'll be in debt for a while.

Anyway, the classes I picked up were bith P.E. classes. One is Bowling level 1 and the other is billiards level 1.

I love college, anyway, I'll keep youse guys up to date if anything develops.

First step

2005-08-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

Todya I had a meeting weith Tru Talent Agency here in Utah. They're the William Morris Agency of this part of the country.

I did a cold read from the movie "Donnie Brasco", the scene was 4 pages long but we stopped after 2. I don't know if that is good or bad, but I was told to come back in a couple of weeks.

There was some confusion when I first got there because they were casting for the TV show Blind Date and I went into the wrong office. After the confusion was cleared up I met with the assistant of (hopefully) my future agent here in Utah, Patrick Patterson.

I did the cold read with his assistant (who was very cute I might add) then I met with Patrick. He's a busy man because from what he told me they are casting 2 Disney movies, 2 movies that are going to Sundance in January and several commercials as well.

Patrick told me that I need classes in film acting because I've been trained as a stage actor and I also need headshots. I need to have $275 by August 22 at 3:00 PM, that is our next meeting.

I hope it goes well and I get represented by Tru Talent.

Strap in kids, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

2005-07-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

I've got a lot of shit to talk about this time, I know it's been a while so it explains it. I've got college life, wrestling and Hollywood to talk about so let's get going:

I officially declared my major today, Theatre Arts with emphasis on acting and directing. I've always said I'm gonna be an actor one day and this is just another step in that direction. I'll be taught under Professor Tracy Callahan, who I haven't yet met, but when I did go today there was a very cute secretary there, if she's there the whole time I'm gonna enjoy being there more.

I also finished all my finals this week. I bombed them horribly, I got a D in one and an F in another and one that I haven't heard back from yet, but since it is my first semester they'll probably only give me a warning, but next semester I'd better strap down and study more because if this is any indication the last thing I need are more failing grades in the fall semester.

I'm also planning to move into the student dorms, I'll have to take out student loans to be able to move in though so I'm looking at a shitload of debt very soon which I am NOT looking forward to.

I'm moving out of my mom's apartment because that lazy bitch my sister calls her fiancee won't get off his fucking ass and get a job. I'm gonna force his hand, my sister is going to Job Corps at the end of the month and I'll hopefully be moved into the student dorms at this time, so after I get my grant money and if there is anything left I'm giving it to my mom to move into a 1 bedroom apartment so his lazy ass gets out and works for a living......in case you haven't figured it out by now, I cannot stand the man my sister is goint to marry.

Anyway, on to wrestling.

This has been the most talked about week in pro wrestling today EVER, and we have Matt Hardy to thank for it. Let's break down Raw segment by segment:

We start off with Carlito's Cabana...or was it the Highlight Reel....Chris Jericho is criminally underused in the WWE and always delivers the best 1 liners "HBK wants to be interviewed by the Johnny Carson of Raw, not the Carson Daly."....LOL Classic.

Anyway, just as this segment was starting to wane who should hit the ring by ROWDY RODDY PIPER. This was the crwod's first MAJOR POP of the evening, and there would be nore to come.

The next match was Chris Masters v. Tajiri. As much as I hate Vince's Fist Fuel...erm Masters. He did serve a purpose here, he brought the crowd down for what would be one hell of a night. Naturally the more talented wrestler jobs to the waste of airtime and everyone is pissed.

We then get a disgusting segment with Snitsky's foot fetish.....yes I really did just type that.....we get a bit of foreshadowing with Edge and Lita watching their wedding vido with Matt Hardy's enterance music hitting and the crowd going nuts.

The next one up is a killer match which was kinda lost in the shuffle of what happened. Carlito v. Shelton Benjamin. This match was one of the best ones I've seen in a long time and there is a lot more mileage left in the feud with Shelton and Carlito. Then again, this is the WWE Creative team we're talking about so I don't expect much. This match did kind of add to the build up for the next big thing that was going to happen.

Out next came John Cena who ALWAYS gets the crowd going and has been pegged as the next big multi-media crossover superstar in WWE, came out next which led to Bischoff and Jericho coming out. I'm not expecting much form a Jericho v. Cena match because Jericho has been booked so horribly its almost criminal and he's not taken seriously as a main eventer which is just wrong. At least Bischoff got the FU by Cena which is always nice.

Next out came the pee break...I mean Diva Search. Which also served its purpose to bring the crowd down, I never thought that watching half naked women could be so damn boring but it was.

Next came a pleasant suprise for me and any hardcore wrestling fan. Anyone who follows wrestling knows of Matt Striker. He was the NYC teacher who was fired for using his sick days to make wrestling bookings. He was a part of the Kurt Angle Invitational. This was properly built up as Angel actually put Striker over as a legitimate threat to his gold medal, but Striker tapped out with one second left.

In a recent interview Striker said the tights he wore with an apple on them were a message to his students. That's nice.

Then came one of the biggest moments of the night. As Edge was coming to the ring, out of nowhere came......MATT FUCKING HARDY. Hardy clobbered Edge and was about to go after Lita when security came up. She looked legitimately rattled as she and Edge came to the ring.

Afterwards, Matt came out of the back and nailed Edge again and then said he's appearing in ROH this weekend, which was a nice rub for them.

Then came Piper's Pit with HBK, I've said it before and I'll say it again, HBK is one of the best in wrestling today and this segment showed why. Piper also showed that he's the best ever.

Now on to Hollywood...

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck are now husband and wife. Good for them. People alwyas give Ben crap for not being a good actor, but I think it is undeserved. I think that Ben hasn't been forgiven by the media for letting Bennifer 1 go last time and not letting the wedding happen.

I think the stalker-razzi need to back the hell off. This why celebrities live in secret, because they dont want constant flashbulbs in their face. This is why they wed in secret on Turks and Caicos in the Carribeen because they didn't want the media to get involved.

I know they are gonna make beautiful kids and Jen is going to have one of his in November. Congratulations to both of them, they actually deserve all the happiness in the world.

Why I barely watch WWE.

2005-06-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

I shouldn't be suprised that I'm writing this column, but after the bullshit that happened this week on Raw, I just needed to speak on this.

IF, and it is a big if, this is all a work then it is one of the best ever, they've got everyone fooled. If it's not a work (which is more likely) then it was basically pissing on the memory of him in front of all his fans.

I'm not the least bit suprised the WWE has been so crass and classless. I mean let's look at the last couple of years.

We'll start with the most obvious one: Katie Vick.

Yes fans still remember it and I bet the WWE does too because when this travesty aired fans turned away in droves, they know this because everyone remembers what the scroe was on Monday Night Football at the time (a luxury I'm sorry to say I did not take advantage of)

Then there's Eric Bischoff's simulated rape of Linda McMahon in her home. The WWE says they don't do rape or murder on their programming (although they've done both), another tasteless angle on Raw.

Then we go to Germany where JBL did a Nazi salute in the ring. As a decendant of a Holocaust survivor I can tell you I wanted to murder JBL when I heard about this. Did he even get punished for this disgusting action? NO. In fact he was rewarded with one of the longest title runs in history.

Then we go back in time for Mae Young giving birth to a hand. When will WWE learn that pregnancy angles and marriage angles will NEVER fly on TV?

Then we have Muhammad Hassan, they stopped as low as to use the worst tragedy in American History as a fucking wrestling storyline. Is there no low that Vince won't stoop to for ratings?

In the words of Comic Boook Guy "I'm afraid his mind is no longer in mint condition."

Then we go to this Monday's 'wedding' between Adam "Edge" Copeland and Amy"Lita" Dumas.

Matt Hardy busted his ass for the company and he gets treated like this, he gets fired for telling the truth about what happened. I know that for some reason the WWE sees Edge as their golden boy and Matt Hardy as....well...Matt Hardy, but this was emasculating the man on live TV.

And they wonder why ratings are down?

For those of you who know me, I've grown tired of having my intelligence insulted by the WWE. That is why I sing the praises of Ring of Honor, why I think they have the best wrestlers and storylines that do not insult my intelligence.

If the WWE keeps going down this trail, they will irreperable damage to their company and they will lose fans permanently, they've already lost me after this Monday.

So anyway...

2005-06-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since I updated this damn thing, but I for the life of me cannot figure out how to add links to other blogs so maybe I can get some more fucking traffic here.

Ah well.

I've also got a lot of shit going on. I start college officially on Monday. I've got Intro to University Life, Creative Writing and Political Science for this semester, and those are requirements for my major which is Theatre Arts.

I'm also working on my script called "The Last Days of Los Angeles" its set in the future where California has splintered from the US and become its own seperate nation, America (run by a conservative, I know big shock huh?) declares war on the new soverign nation.

Hopefully I can get this made into a movie in the future, you never know.

Once my requirements are out of the way, I'm going to try to transfer to either UCLA or USC, one way or another I will be in Los Angeles by 2010. Of course I made myself that promise 5 years ago anf it never came to pass and I'm stuck in Utah of all places.

Anyway, just thought I'd get a little rant out considering what my last one did.

Proof Positive that George Bush is the worst president EVER

2005-05-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

For the record, I don't like George Bush. And I don't like most of the people who work for George Bush. So, diehard Republicans can just brush aside my remarks as so much partisan blather.

But by now I suppose very few diehard Republicans ever read what I write. So do me a favor -- e-mail this to the diehards in your family and circle of friends. Ask them to tell me why I am wrong about this:

George Bush is the worst president of the United States of America, ever. Hands down.

And here are just a few reasons why I believe that statement is true.

America the Disgraced

President Bush's actions and policies have destroyed America's image as a nation that adheres to a set of core values, such as the rule of law, humane treatment of prisoners, presumed innocence, trial by jury and respect for international laws.

How do I know this? Because the world is telling us so, whenever we care enough to ask.

Positive views of the U.S. in Russia have risen 11 points in the past year. But U.S. favorability ratings in France and Germany are somewhat lower than last year and there has been a larger decline in Great Britain (58 percent now, 70 percent last year). Young people in Great Britain, France, and Germany have more negative views of America than do people in other age groups. An important factor in world opinion about America is the perception that the U.S. acts internationally without taking account of the interests of other nations. Large majorities in every nation surveyed believe that America pays little or no attention to their country's interests in making its foreign policy decisions. This opinion is most prevalent in France (84 percent), Turkey (79 percent) and Jordan (77 percent), but even in Great Britain 61 percent say the U.S. pays little or no attention to British interests.

Nice going George. Even Richard Nixon couldn't tarnish America's image that much.

George's Vietnam

Then there's the war that is largely responsible for that drop in our international image. President Bush really screwed this one up. First, everyone not drinking the neocon Kool-Aid tried to warn George not to pull that trigger. Then Army chief of staff, Gen. Shinseki, warned Bush that a war in Iraq would not be the "cake walk" his neocon Rasputin, Paul Wolfowitz, promised. Instead, he warned, we would need a lot of troops in Iraq for long time. For that piece of advice he was first publicly embarrassed by his boss then shown the door, according to The New York Times:

At a Pentagon news conference neither Mr. Rumsfeld nor Mr. Wolfowitz mentioned Gen. Shinseki, the Army chief of staff, by name. But both men were clearly irritated at the general's suggestion that a post-war Iraq might require many more forces than the 100,000 American troops and the tens of thousands of allied forces that are also expected to join a reconstruction effort. "The idea that it would take several hundred thousand U.S. forces I think is far off the mark," Mr. Rumsfeld said.

That was 2003. Here's a story from the May 19th, 2005 paper.

BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 19 - American military commanders in Baghdad and Washington gave a sobering new assessment on Wednesday of the war in Iraq. ... In interviews and briefings this week, some of the generals pulled back from recent suggestions, some by the same officers, that positive trends in Iraq could allow a major draw-down in the 138,000 American troops late this year or early in 2006. One officer suggested Wednesday that American military involvement could last "many years."

Gee. Who saw that coming?

So, thanks to George W. Bush and the handful of Neocon nuts you listen to. Now we are stuck in another Vietnam-type war thousands of miles from home. All the Vietnam trappings are here for anyone who cares to notice -- indigenous insurgents, driven by a fanatical ideology, supported and supplied by "spoiler" nation-states with their own anti-U.S. agendas, thousands of dead civilians, American soldiers dying by the gross week in and week out, with no end in sight.

Nice going, George. Maybe because you skipped out on the Vietnam War you didn't know this could happen. Or maybe you really are as dumb as common road gravel.

Sovietization of America

One of the Republican party's proudest boasts is that Ronald Reagan defeated the Soviet Evil Empire. The irony is they are now recreating pieces of that police state here at home now.

Hyperbole? You judge -- while you still can. From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON, May 18 - The Bush administration and Senate Republican leaders are pushing a plan that would significantly expand the F.B.I.'s power to demand business records in terror investigations without obtaining approval from a judge, officials said on Wednesday. "This is a dramatic expansion of the federal government's power," said Lisa Graves, senior counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union in Washington. "It's really a power grab by the administration for the F.B.I. to secretly demand medical records, tax records, gun purchase records and all sorts of other material if they deem it relevant to an intelligence investigation."

Now, the Patriot Act -- you know, the law that among other things allows federal agents to demand your local library tell them what books you are reading -- is about to be expanded.

Little by little this administration has chipped away at state powers by transferring them to Washington. And nowhere has this process been more pronounced than in the area of law enforcement and the courts. The FBI, which once had to defer to local and state law enforcers when on their turf, can now barge right in and take charge. All they have to do is an investigation a "national security" or "homeland security" matter.

Federal courts, which have acted as a brake on law enforcement abuses, are being systemically stacked with rightwing judges less likely to side with victims of overzealous cops or invasions of personal privacy.
That's why this is going on right now:

WASHINGTON, May 18 - The Senate plunged into an intense partisan struggle on Wednesday over the fate of stalled federal court nominees and the governance of the institution itself as the two parties locked in a debate over the right of the minority to prevent votes on a president's judicial candidates. "If Republicans roll back our rights in this chamber, there will be no check on their power," said Senator Reid. "The radical, right wing will be free to pursue any agenda they want. And not just on judges. Their power will be unchecked on Supreme Court nominees, the president's nominees in general and legislation like Social Security privatization.

The Bushites are on a neocon roll and the federal judiciary is their final obstacle. If they can stack the appellate courts and appoint two rightwing Supreme Court justices before the end of Bush's final term, it will be "game over" for civil libertarians -- and America as we knew her.

Peasantization of Workers

Over the past five years we have seen the biggest transfer of wealth in the history of money. The already wealthy have become mind-numbingly rich under George Bush. Where did the money come from? It came right out of the pockets of working Americans and the poor.

I heard that groan from the right. Same old liberal, bleeding-heart bullshit, right?

So, you judge.

What the right has accomplished in just five years is the creation of a low-wage economy -- a management wet dream -- a country filled with high-skilled workers so desperate for jobs they will work for peanuts. Once powerful labor unions have been powerless to stop the flow of once high-paying blue and gray-collar jobs to cheap overseas venues. The jobs that replaced those lost to outsourcing pay an average of ten grand a year less. (As I said above, the money came straight out of workers' pockets.)

Deflating Inflation

The administration likes to boast that it has kept inflation in check. Yes they have, at least somewhat. But the reasons inflation remains low are all bad reasons that will result in very bad news down the road.

First, consumers have less money to spend, as noted above. Since consumer spending power is a prime driver of price inflation, prices on many core consumer products have remained low. And many of those now low-price products keeping inflation low are no longer made here but in cheap-labor countries like China.

But inflation has many causes, not just consumer spending. Raw materials, shipping costs, currency fluctuations. And deep inside the bowels of the economic gut, rumbling can be heard.

WASHINGTON -- Consumer prices jumped again last month, primarily reflecting sharp increases in food and energy costs, the government reported today. But prices for items other than food and energy were flat in April, while oil and gas prices have fallen since then, the Labor Department said, boosting hopes in financial markets that the recent inflation flare-up may be fading. Food prices climbed 0.7 percent last month, largely because of the rising costs of fruits and vegetables. But the so-called core-CPI, which excludes food and energy costs, was unchanged in April and is up 2.6 percent from April of last year.

Inflation is not as benign as the government figures pretend. This is because of how they calculate inflation on individual items in the CPI and can fiddle with the facts. For example, if HP replaces a printer with a new model that might include a few modest enhancements over it's predecessor which sold for $100, but prices the new model $125, government economists can claim the price really did not go up because the new model is better than the old model.

Trouble is you can't buy the old model any longer, but never mind that. Even though you have to pay more for basically the same printer, the price did not go up -- because "they" say so.

How much of that is going on in calculating the CPI? Plenty. And if you shop you know it. They keep saying inflation is in check, but the checks I have to write for everything from my utilities to the food keep getting larger.

The point -- figures don't lie but liars can figure -- and they are.

Keeping Up Keeping Up

If things are so bad, why hasn't the economy slipped back into recession? Because it's been running on credit. During Bush's first term the economy perked up because Bush pumped $1.6 trillion in tax rebates into it. That was like giving a dying patient an injection of meth and then claiming he was cured because he was up and jerking around in bed.

Once consumers consumed their paltry tax rebates and the wealthy had deposited their hefty rebates into family trust accounts, the economy would have slowed again -- had it not been for low interest rates and easy credit. Consumers turned into home-equity vampires and credit card addicts in order to maintain the middle-class lifestyle their new low-paying jobs could no longer finance.

And, the government as well went on a borrowing binge running up a national credit card debt of just over $7 trillion.

All that damage in just five years! It's almost unimaginable, but true. And the negative long-term implications stagger those who understand that there really is no such thing as a free lunch, that deficits do matter, be they government deficits or consumer's.

Christian Jihadists

I will not belabor this point, except to say that, at the very time Bush berates religious fundamentalists abroad, he has breached the wall between religion and state here at home. He has jimmied open this Pandora's Box and there will be hell to pay for it eventually -- as there has been everywhere on earth where this was done.

All the above, and more, is why I contend that George W. Bush is the worst president EVER. Hands down, no one else even comes close.

Herbert Hoover may have triggered the Great Depression, but he didn't invade another nation on false pretenses, authorize torture of prisoners, or try to stack the courts. Franklin Roosevelt did try to stack the courts but Congress said "no" and he said "OK," and went on the save the world from fascism and secure the lives of America's elderly by creating Social Security -- which Bush now wants to subvert.

Johnson and Nixon did fight an illegal and immoral war but Johnson lifted millions out of poverty and got the Civil Rights Act passed, much to his own party's determent. Nixon tried to subvert the Constitution but was caught and thrown out of office before he could succeed.

But I fear it's too late to stop George W. Bush and his band of right-wing revolutionaries. We have let them get too far along now to stop them. We have let them neutralize too many constitutional checks and balances. And once they deep-six the filibuster it truly will be game over.

Yes, the Democrats have begun to fight, but too little and now too late. The only recourse soon will be public demonstrations of the kind and size not seen here since the 1970s.

The only question is, are there still enough of us out here who give a damn.

Music with a message

2005-05-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

I'll be the first to admit that the music I listen to is not always the best. I mostly listen to heavy metal, but I have got to say the crap polluting our airwaves today is about a million times worse then anything I listen to. I don't have an ego problem, it's just the way it is.

The music I listen to at times has a social issue behind it. Bands such as Rage Against The Machine (we need them now more then ever), Bad Religion and other bands. They are talking about political and social issues, not "groupie luv", "getting tipsy", or "krunk", or even "getting low".

Music used to be an art form, something that showed the personal opinions of the artists. It might relieve you to know that in today’s candy-coated world of music with TRL-style corporate pop and bubble gum rock, music with substance isn’t as hard to find as it may seem.

I heard the words "Zapata" and "Leonard Peltier" in Rage songs. I became curious, these names were new and mysterious to me. Why would anyone want to write a song about them? I knew this band was political, but I didn’t know what it was political about. This was back when I was in High school.

Back in high school I also discovered aggressive punk bands like the Dead Kennedys and Pennywise singing about social problems like police injustice, discrimination against lower classes and censorship. Pennywise’s song "F*** Authority" was released to enrage not only censors, but the government as well. It also happens to be one of my favorite songs. I love its fast sound and blunt statement. The lyrics are very explicit, like "We’re sick of your treason, sick of your lies/F*** no, we won’t listen, we’re gonna open your eyes."

Learning by listening to music is a lot better than sitting in some boring class. I had a history teacher last year who could easily waste an hour of our lives by rambling on about his own personal experiences, like trips to Mexico he took. At some point it became repetitive and dull. I was so bored, by the time he got back to the lesson I was too disinterested to care about what he had to say. After the school year ended I felt really stupid for not learning anything. And not learning means you really don’t have an opinion.

Music can use music for that purpose, to not feel stupid when someone else has something smart to say. It can be your motivation to understand better what goes on around the world. Unfortunately, today’s punk rock has been watered down by "pop-punk" and "emo" so there isn’t as much political outrage. But at least with these bands I’ve talked about, you can find your own opinions and express yourself.

The Dead Kennedys have made several songs about police injustice. In one song, "Holiday in Cambodia," they attack the police system by comparing it to the violent reign of Cambodian dictator Pol Pot, who killed anyone who didn’t agree with him.

Another band, System Of A Down (which is more well-known), uses straightforward lyrics to get its point across. In "Prison Song" they sing about how minimum drug sentences should be abolished to reduce the prison population. They sing, "Minor drug offenders fill your prisons, you don’t even flinch/All our taxes paying for your wars against the new non-rich."

As I took a good look at the justice system, I noticed something: there are a lot of minorities in prison, and abuse of power by police is rampant. This is especially true when it comes to police brutality against minorities and the lower class. You hardly ever see a white guy get busted on the TV show COPS. Also, there are political prisoners such as Mumia Abu-Jamal and Leonard Peltier, and none of them are white. It just goes to show that racial profiling is alive and well.

I also realized that minorities have it rough, especially when it comes to getting into a good college. Most of the people you see at colleges are white and rich because they have money and power. What about the rest of us? This hurts the chances of minorities and people from middle- and lower-class families, people who want to get into a good school like New York University and make a difference. Do you really think the Olsen twins would be going to NYU if they weren’t rich and famous? They probably would be lucky to get into Arizona State (no offense to any potential Sun Devils).

Rock musicians aren’t the only ones making political statements. Hip-hop artists like Public Enemy and 2Pac have taken a stand against racism. This kind of social voice goes all the way back to the '60s, when the Vietnam War raged on. Bob Dylan made protest songs a staple in his early albums, and Edwin Starr came out with his famous anthem, "War." This is probably a time of music that most teens don’t care about. After all, Bob Dylan is a folk musician whom your parents would be more likely to listen to. Still, it is probably the most extreme time period when it comes to exercising the First Amendment—free speech—through music.

You don’t have to be a passionate musician or a political know-it-all to be moved. If all you have is a taste for music and a little curiosity, whether it is 2Pac, Bad Religion or Bob Dylan, something out there will help you find your voice. Use it, because we all have a right to express what we think, and not enough teens speak up. As Bad Religion says in "Raise Your Voice," "Don’t be misled, you’ve got a lot on your head/And nobody’s gonna pay attention when you are dead".

Couple new things

2005-05-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

The only things that are really new in life this week are that I've started college.

It's only a math class twice a week until next month when I begin political science and creative writing, but I think I pulled a sweet deal when it comes to classes.

I should be getting paid a shitload of cash next week sometime and I'll add to my college experience moreso then.

Sorry I couldn't be more interesting this week but oh well. LOL.

Later,
Brandon

The WWE Crystal Ball and Smackdown thoughts

2005-05-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, first off with the Smackdown thoughts.

In my opinion after Eddie Guererro's promo the show went downhill fast. Eddie going nuts was a change in direction for his character and it made him better IMO.

After that we have Kurt Angle wanting to have "beastiality sex" with Sharmell, now I dont know if it means he wants to do her like an animal or he wants to find a 4 legged friend for some post-show fun, but that interview segment was mind numbing to sit through, I lost IQ points watching it.

Now there were a few good points for the show. Melina's enterance for one. (Yeah, I'm a perv)

MNM and Chavo v. London / Hass and Holly did a couple of good things it set up a couple POSSIBLE matches for the PPV. I personally want to see London v. Chavo myself.

Eddie's match with ROH Tag Team Champion Jimmy Jacobs got Eddie over as a monster heel and a hell of a character. It's something VERY good for Jimmy Jacobs, Guererro was DQed so technically Jimmy Jacobs has a victory over a former WWE Champion

Cena and JBL were good if only for the fact that it built heat for their I Quit match at the PPV, and the clusterfuck brawl was awesome as well.

Two more bad points:

Booker / Angle. Why, if they are booked for the PPV do you have them on free TV two weeks before the PPV. Why? This is NOT good booking.

Carlito / Show. If Carlito is Snow White does that mean Big Show ate the 7 dwarfs. Has the WWE creative team so strapped for ideas that they are copying fairy tales now? What is going on here?

Now to the WWE Crystal Ball.

After watching Raw this week I think I can basically call the next few months of WWE TV.

Ok, its basically a foregone conclusion that Edge is gonna win the Gold Rush tourney with Lita turning on Kane and joining up with her loverboy.

Edge v. Batista 1 is going to have Batista win, then Edge uses his "Money in the Bank" contract to give us part 2, which I believe he will fail again.

The draft will give us Christian going to Smackdown and Kurt Angle coming to Raw. Angle v. Batista will probably happen at Summerslam, but I doubt he'll win because that is when The H (HHH) will make his return and cost Angle the match.

I think that by Fall or early Winter HHH will have the title back around his waist again and he'll have the title going into WrestleMania 22, the circle of life continues.

One of my loves

2005-05-08T13:46:00.000-07:00

I think since the age of 13, maybe younger, I've always wanted to be a star.

Yes, I mean a movie star. I've never looked at TV shows and said, this kicks ass. (Well, I've actually said it but that's not what I mean), I've almost always looked at the TV and said "I can do that" I've been in plays since elementary school, I did a big time one in high school and I dod very well in it.

As I've said I live in Utah, (something I don't like admitting, this is an oppressive Republican red state run by the religious right) but one good thing we have here in Utah is there is a thriving film industry and I've had a few parts as an extra, my biggest one was on the TV show Everwood which gets filmed all over northern Utah.

Whenever I watch E! at home and they show the Palm trees of LA or the Hollywood sign or the Walk of Fame, something in my mind just whispers to me "Soon, very soon"

I'm trying to get an agent here in Utah so I can build my acting resume and in a couple years I plan to move to Los Angeles, maybe attend UCLA and try to break into the acting world.

I know it's tough, I know that competition is fierce, and I also know that there is a chance I may not make it, but dammit I'm NOT going to give up on my dream.

One recurring dream I've had since I first started wanting to act I've been having since I was 14. It starts with me on stage at the Academy Awards all decked out in a suit and holding an Oscar and thanking everyone like acceptance speeches go, but the dream ends before I can finish.

I've had this dream every once in a while since I was 14 (I'm 21 now, so I've been having it over the past 7 years) and every time I do it just pours more fuel on the fire. I'm not giving up and nothing on this Earth is going to stop me from pursuiting this.

NOTHING.

Welcome to my mind....watch that first step

2005-05-07T11:15:00.000-07:00

Yeah, that first step is a doozy.

Anyway, just wanted to drop a line and say hi to my blog. LOL. Yeah, I lost my mind long ago.

Anyhoo, I've started college at Weber State University here in Ogden, Utah I'm finally out of Job Corps with a CNA licence and pursuiting a Theatre Arts Major. Yep, just another Hollywood wanna be.

I'm a liberal as well so you Conservatives and Neo Cons, please leave you won't like what I have to say.

Anyway, I'll add more to this once I have something relevant to say.

Later,
Evil