Here's something you need to tell your senator about

From Feminist Majority.

Senate to Vote on Extreme Anti-Choice Judicial Nominee

The Senate has scheduled a vote for Tuesday on the confirmation of James Leon Holmes to the US District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. A hard-line anti-abortion activist, Holmes served as president of the Arkansas Right to Life, has worked extensively to overturn Roe v. Wade, and has compared pro-choice advocates to Nazis and abortion to slavery. Leading women’s rights, civil rights, and human rights organizations, including the Feminist Majority, continue to urge Senators to oppose Holmes’ confirmation.

The upcoming vote on Holmes is the result of a deal struck in May between Senate Democrats and the White House to allow a full vote in the Senate on 25 supposedly ‘non-controversial’ federal court nominees such as Holmes. In exchange, President Bush promised not to make any more recess appointments of controversial judicial nominees for the remainder of his current term in office.

TAKE ACTION Urge your Senators to oppose the confirmation of James Holmes

It takes two seconds to oppose the confirmation. I promise. Do it.

And just how did you find this site?

Couple new search strings people used to find Loaded Mouth this month. I will address their questions directly.

Dear "act like a assholehow to," you've come to the right place! After seeing me in action, you should be able to be an asshole with the best of them! ;>

Dear "fuck her mouth dry," first of all, why would you want to fuck her mouth? Secondly, why would you want to fuck anything that's dry? I think one of the objectives of fucking is to make her wet. Besides, ever tried shoving your penis into a tight, dry area? It's not pretty. Since you're in need of some education, I suggest you Google these queries in the future: "make her wet" and "foreplay foreplay foreplay!".

Would you like fries with your job growth?

USA Today points out the obvious.

Jobs in lower-wage industries and regions are growing at a faster pace than higher-wage jobs, suggesting job growth is less potent for the economy because the majority of new work isn't accompanied by fat paychecks.

There's all the jobs Bush has added to the economy. What a great fucking president, huh?

Did Bush really spend 42% of his time on vacation before 9/11?

My guest blog post to blunted on reality covering Fahrenheit 9/11 has been a cause for praise and debate. One commenter paraphrased a talking point spread by Fox News:

Moore claims that President Bush was on vacation 42 percent of the time during his first several months in office — but that estimation included weekends at Camp David, a common practice for presidents. Without those days figured in, Bush actually spent 13 percent of his time on vacation.

So, who's right, Moore or Fox?

They're both wrong.

Well, technically, Moore is correct. But the right's beef with Moore's stating of the facts in F911, that Bush was on vacation for 42% of his presidency before 9/11, is that Moore implies that Bush spent all this time on his ranch in Crawford. Indeed, Moore never once mentioned Camp David in F911, and I, as a viewer, was lead to believe that Bush spent all this time on his ranch.

However, Fox News is still wrong. Discounting the days spent at Camp David, Bush was either at his ranch or in Kennebunkport for 23% of his presidency before 9/11 - including all of August, 2001.

For anyone who wishes to fact check my figures, I got them from this Slate article. In particular, this paragraph:

Then again, it's easy to forget that before the terrorists struck, Bush was widely regarded as an unusually aloof president. Joe Conason has calculated that up until Sept. 11, 2001, Bush had spent 54 days at the ranch, 38 days at Camp David, and four days at the Bush compound in Kennebunkport—a total of 96 days, or about 40 percent of his presidency, outside of Washington.

Before 9/11, Bush had been in office for, I estimate, 250 days. He spent 54 of those at his ranch and 4 at Kennebunkport. That's 58 days spent on vacation, and if you do the math, 58 is 23% of 250.

Think about that for a minute. In his first 8 months on the job, Bush took nearly 60 vacation days away from Washington. In the first 8 months, he only worked 6 of them. I wish my employers gave me that much leeway!

What about after 9/11? Surely Bush got his act together and started showing upto work more often, right? Wrong.

He has spent all or part of 233 days on his Texas ranch since taking office, according to a tally by CBS News. Adding his 78 visits to Camp David and his five visits to Kennebunkport, Maine, Bush has spent all or part of 500 days in office at one of his three retreats, or more than 40 percent of his presidency.

Should Moore have mentioned Camp David when talking about Bush's vacation time? Yes. But Fox News didn't have to spread their own lie trying to debunk him. The "research" I did for this post took me all of 5 minutes with Google, so there's no excuse for Fox News not to have their own facts straight.

And let's not lose sight of the big picture here: Bush spends a hell of a lot of time away from Washington. He's certainly not there as much as Clinton was. He has not altered his vaction time since 9/11, even though such an event should have made his job more difficult. Shouldn't we expect the presidency to be a full time position?

[Crossposted from blunted on reality.]

Pakistan plans on testing some more nukes

And the Bush administration isn't crying "stop!"

The economy's doing great!

The Indian economy, that is. It is predicted that $200 billion worth of finacial jobs worldwide will be outsourced to them in 2005 alone.

Keeping my fingers crossed

After Colin's visit to Darfur, the Sudanese government claims it will act to stop the violence and let humanitarian aid workers in to help. I'd really like to believe that all it took was Colin and Kofi's visit, but the Sudanese government has supported the rebels committing the violence. They've claimed that humanitarian aid workers into the refugee camps.

The Sudanese government has lied on both accounts. Let's hope they have been scared into doing the right thing now.

Let's bring Saddam back, he know how to administrate things

Congress' nonpartisan General Accounting Office released a report which says basic services in Iraq were better before the war. And why aren't services upto par?

One of the biggest problems, Singer said, is that, while money has been pledged and allocated, not much has been spent. The GAO report shows that very little of the promised international funds — most of which are in loans — has been spent or can be tracked. The CPA's inspector general found the same thing.

"When we ask why are things not going the way we hoped for," Singer said, "the answer in part of this is that we haven't actually spent what we have in pocket."

"Very little of the promised international funds ... has been spent or can be tracked." It can't be tracked?! Uhm, why? If theres little money being spent to get Iraq back on it's feet, and then in the same breath you can mention that the money isn't even being tracked, isn't this one big problem instead of two separate ones? If the money can't be tracked, then how do we know it's not already spent?

I know that I'm been playing 20 questions in my posts lately, but, I mean, what the fuck? Am I the only person looking at this and wonders, "Hmmm, if the money isn't being spent, and the money isn't being tracked, then maybe the money is being stolen?" Shouldn't a journalist have this on their mind? Maybe an editor? Maybe somebody who works at the GAO?

Hey kids!, remember Operation TIPS?

It's baaaaaaack! [cue dramatic/scary music]

When the storms roll in, things get mighty busy here at work...

Unfortunately, I'm not sure how much posting I can do this morning.

Talk about missing the point

In a piece ironically titled, "More Distortions From Michael Moore," Michael Isikoff, a well known liar, belts out this paragraph concerning the Bush/Carlyle connections detailed in Fahrenheit 9/11. Talk about missing the point.

Most importantly, the movie [Fahrenheit 9/11] fails to show any evidence that Bush White House actually has intervened in any way to promote the interests of the Carlyle Group. In fact, the one major Bush administration decision that most directly affected the company’s interest was the cancellation of a $11 billion program for the Crusader rocket artillery system that had been developed for the U.S. Army (during the Clinton administration)—a move that had been foreshadowed by Bush’s own statements during the 2000 campaign saying he wanted a lighter and more mobile military. The Crusader was manufactured by United Defense, which had been wholly owned by Carlyle until it spun the company off in a public offering in October, 2001 (and profited to the tune of $237 million). Carlyle still owned 47 percent of the shares in the defense company at the time that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld—in the face of stiff congressional resistance—canceled the Crusader program the following year. These developments, like much else relevant to Carlyle, goes unmentioned in Moore’s movie.

Earth to Isikoff: There's a huge war being fought in Iraq right now for no reason. There are no connections to terrorism, nor are there any weapons of mass destruction to be found. Bush, being the slimeball that he is, shamelessly used the murder of 3000 people to launch this war. Do you think that Carlyle is somehow not profiting from this pointless war? Is this not a point that Fahrenheit 9/11 tried making? Are you actually going to address the points of the film before you again try to claim that Moore is lying?

Obligatory Red Sox post

FUCK!

What happens when Colin visits?

Mr. Powell was in Sudan yesterday. I hope he knows just how much the Sudanese government is trying to cover up the situation of crisis they have created in Darfur.

The Sudanese villagers in western Darfur were bombed. They were raped. Their huts were burned and their grain pillaged. Now, those who fled the chaos say they are being silenced.

The Sudanese Government dispatched 500 men this week to Abu Shouk, a sweltering camp of 40,000 near El Fashir, capital of North Darfur state, the refugees and aid workers said.

The men, some dressed in civilian clothes, others in military uniforms, warned the refugees to keep quiet about their experiences when the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, and the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, visit the region this week. ...

"They kicked us and said, 'Stop talking'," said Malki Ali Abduallah, 25, who fled the fighting six months ago with six children and a cooking pot. "I said, 'No, no, no. I am angry. I am tired. I don't want to be quiet. ...

The men told the villagers that they would impersonate victims when the US and UN delegations arrived and tell them the Government had done nothing wrong and rebels operating against the Government in the region were to blame.

Unbelievable. Why are we even giving the Sudanese government the respect of formalities at this point? We got the bomb, let's go get'em!

Kidding... But seriously. There's got to be a stronger response beyond sending Colin and having him get lied to. It's not like the whole world doesn't know what's going on in Darfur already, and the Sudanese government's guilt in the matter. Do we really need the Secetary of State to investigate the obvious?

...Well, at least our State Department says the Sudanese government is in a "state of denial."

Who's tracking your emails?

This is just plain ridiculous.

In an online eavesdropping case with potentially profound implications, a federal appeals court ruled it was acceptable for a company that offered e-mail service to surreptitiously track its subscribers' messages.

Is it OK for the post office to track who's sending me mail and for what reasons? No. So, what the fuck? Could somebody please explain to me the difference between a post office that has my private mail and an ISP that has my private email?

The Vic-20 is back! Well, err, kind of...

I didn't realize that Commodore was still in business. But we'll soon be able to purchase an eVic, Commodore's MP3 walkman with a 20 gig harddrive. It's even got the retro Commodore logo!

Wow, I actually like Yankee fans now!

The Big Dick got booed at Tuesdays Yankees/Red Sox game in the Bronx. Whoever thought I could look upon a Sox spanking so fondly?

Saddamarama!

An Iraqi boy smiles while looking at a display of Saddam Hussein dolls in a Baghdad toyshop June 29, 2004. Iraqis used to dance to his tune, but in Baghdad toy shops a chubby, gun-toting Saddam Hussein doll now wiggles his hips to the 'Hippy Hippy Shake.' Toy stores around Baghdad are doing a quick trade in dancing Saddam dolls -- foot-high battery-powered puppets of the former president, kitted out in full insurgent regalia, who swing their hips to cheesy pop music at the flick of a switch.

Fark Headline of the Day

"Drug prices up at three times rate of inflation since Medicare discount subscription plan went into effect"

I'm hitting the panic button with a sledge hammer

I. Hate. The. Fucking. Yankees.

Well, while I'm building a nuke to deliver to the House that Ruth Built, laugh along with the Soxaholix!

Bill: That reminds me. I'm standing in line for a fucking hot dog and there's this older guy in front of me decked out in Spankee gear and he's a talkative old prick, all making small talk and shit …

Doug: Oh, no, here we go … [Laughs]

Bill: Yeah, this is the fucking guy Sartre had in mind when he said "Hell is other people" … this guy's all, "You'd think they had to grow the hotdogs, ha ha ha"

Doug: A regular fucking Jerry Seinfeld, eh? [Laughs]

Bill: Fuck you know how I hate small talk and shit, let alone flapping the gums with a mofo Yankees fan … Anyway, the guy's like "I've been a Yankees fan ever since my dad first took me here to see Mickey Mantle" or some shit and he's all "What about you?"

Doug: Assuming you're one of them.

Bill: Fuck yeah, like we're all buddies and shit … So I reply, a bit too loudly, "I've been a Yankees fan ever since Daddy first fucked me." The man seemed angry. He turned away. [Laughs]

Doug: [Laughs raucously] Shut him right the fuck up, eh?

Debunking stupidity

Some absolute geniuses at Fox News came up with a list of lies in Fahrenheit 9/11. I have time to debunk a couple of these.

In "Fahrenheit 9/11" Moore also claims that the White House approved plans for planes to pick up relatives of Usama Bin Laden right after the attacks. But according to terrorism czar Richard Clarke, he alone approved the Saudi flights.

And does Richard Clark not count as "White House"? At the time, he was Bush's expert on terrorism.

In addition, Moore says that the departing Saudis were not properly processed by the FBI when leaving the country. That too is contradicted by the Sept. 11 commission, which said the Saudis were properly interviewed.

While there may be a gray area on Clarke's status as a representative of the White House, there's no gray area here. The fact that Fox News defends the FBI on this one is sracy. Moore puts out that he does not think that members of the bin Laden family were probably processed. Moore then points out that the FBI didn't even ask them simple questions, like when was the last time you saw Osama? Do you have any information on where he's hiding? This is his family, these are questions you're supposed to ask. The fact that Michael Moore chooses to put this information out there and organizations like Fox News won't even question the FBI on their actions in this instances just goes to show you who the real journalist is here.

Wow! Original!

Look everybody, right wing douchefuck Tim Blair makes fun of Michael Moore for being fat! That's groundbreaking blogging, let me tell ya! Nobody's heard that one before!

Memo to Tim: Go eat a bowl of fuck.

It's amazing...

Why are 5600 Individual Ready Reservists being called for duty in Iraq when were not even fighting a fucking army?! There's no army-type enemy to fight! I realize that we need more military there to maintain the occupation (instead of just listening to Iraqis and finding out that they don't want us there in the first place), but ask yourself this: What if we were fighting a real war? Think World War II. Hell, what if we face another threat right now? What if terrorists attacked us right now? With our military stretched so thin, re we even prepared for anything?

Blah

I have all these articles about Iraq in front of me right now. It's interesting stuff, to be sure, even if it's written blandly. Stuff about Israel and Iraqi Kurds holding hands, Iran and Turkey putting aside their differences to battle Israel's influence in the new Iraq, whether the new government can escape the "US puppet" shadow, etc.

But I'm just not interested in reading it right now. Blah. I've tried, but I'm tired and burnt out. Iraq, Iraq, Iraq, I'm sick of hearing about it. Do you ever get this feeling? Somebody please say yes, I want to feel like I'm normal.

Pelosi to Bush: Provide steady leadership on Sudanese Crisis

I'm happy to see a high ranking Democrat speak out about the crisis in Sudan. And to give the Republicans some credit, Colin Powell is visiting the region. Given how long this crisis has gone on for, though, some may consider Colin's trip to be too little, too late. Pelosi is right, Bush has to put together a plan and play a leadership role in stopping the Sudanese crisis from becoming another Rwanda, another genocide. He's dragged his feet on this for too long, and maybe it's not fair that the US has to take such a large role in the affairs of another nation, but a million lives could hang in the balance here. I surely don't mind my tax dollars going to save a million people. Do you?

The God Squad strikes again

Condoms pull a disappearing act in school text books.

Kerry's Performance Problems

His poll numbers just won't get up. At this point, one gets the feeling that if photos Bush jerking off little boys were published, Kerry's poll numbers would still stay locked in place. Why? This blurb from Salon gives me some thoughts on the topic.

Why isn't John Kerry getting more traction from Bush's plunge? MSNBC's First Read today reports on a focus group that might shed some light on this phenomenon: "A focus group is not a poll. And a focus group of 12 members of the U.S. military and military spouses is an even narrower cross-section of the electorate ... Nevertheless, the dozen gathered in Virginia Beach last night for a freewheeling session conducted by pollster Peter Hart (D) for the Annenberg Public Policy Center offered up some items of interest for both the Bush and Kerry campaigns."

" ... Just over four months until election day, Kerry remains largely undefined for this group, apart from several noting that he protested against the Vietnam war after serving in it. Asked to describe Kerry, they offered phrases including: 'lost' (twice), 'no comment,' '[I'm] interested in his ideas,' 'wishy-washy,' 'two-faced,' 'shady,' and 'good intentions.' Asked again to offer things they knew of him: 'served then protested,' 'too many positions,' 'two-faced,' and 'used his [Vietnam] story to his advantage.'"

What's missing from the focus group's answers? Issues, that's what. To me, this looks like people are judging Kerry on his personality and not on his politics. And don't say you're not guilty of the same thing. Go ahead, ask yourself what stance on issues Kerry has that you're excited about. What's one issue which makes you cheer, "Go Kerry! Rah Rah Rah!" Name one. I'm waiting.

I honestly can't name a single one.

Kerry's poll numbers aren't jumping because this election isn't about Kerry, it's about Bush. And those of us who are voting for Kerry aren't actually voting for him, we're voting against Bush. The Democrats could have a shit-throwing monkey running for office, and at this point that shit-throwing monkey would get my vote. And anytime Kerry opens his mouth about the issues I get pissed off, because then I have to listen to him talk about how it's OK to appoint pro-life justices to the federal bench and increase the number of troops in Iraq.

Since Bush voters equate any Democrat to the antichrist, they're certainly not focusing on the issues.

Kerry's poll numbers aren't going up because nobody gives a shit about him. The only reason he'll receive votes is because he's not Bush.

Nader assassinated; Kerry's poll numbers go through the roof

Just kidding.

What excuse do you think the Bush administration will use for this situation?

Yet another expert on terrorism, this time an anonymous "CIA veteran who headed an anti-terror task force focussing on capturing Osama bin Laden" is coming out with a book, "Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror." The White House might criticize he/she for remaining anonymous, but after what happened to Plame, can you blame the author?

The CIA agent accuses our government of not talking Osama seriously.

"Since there had only been one man or entity on the earth that had declared war on (the United States) since 1996 and had attacked us seven or eight times between (1996) and the World Trade Center (attack on September 11, 2001), I would've somehow hoped that the military would've been prepared to respond in some fashion," the CIA official told ABC's This Week. ...

"I think there's a great deal of moral or bureaucratic cowardice within the senior levels of the US intelligence community," he told ABC. ...

"What there was, I think, was a lack of moral courage or bureaucratic courage to say, 'this isn't the best intelligence in the world, but it's the best we're likely to get. And if we don't take this action, we're going to lose a lot of Americans'," he said.

So, how useless was our war in Afghanistan?

Even after September 11, he said, US forces moved too slowly into Afghanistan, almost one month later.

"By the time October 7 rolled along, most of those forces had been dispersed into the countryside, into Pakistan, into Iran, overseas to other countries," he told ABC.

And what of Iraq?

He also said the US-led invasion of Iraq was the greatest diversion bin Laden ever could have hoped for.

"It was the kind of a gift that a kid wants for Christmas, but he never thinks his parents are going to give it to him, and then he's just delighted when it finally shows up at the end of the day," the official said.

He also asserted that the invasion of Iraq has placed US troops in harm's way.

"What we've created is a Mujahideen magnet in Iraq," he said.

"We see people coming from all over the world to fight us, and it's likely to continue.

One has to wonder how much more damning evidence surfacing against the Bush administration it will take before the public finally, and rightfully, smartens up and turns on him. This is just getting ridiculous.

Here's a fluff piece

As the Family Values crew gears up for the Big Apple, only half of their Vice President's advice is being heeded: They're fucking somebody else.

With thousands of Republicans set to invade the city this summer, high-priced escorts and strippers are preparing for one grand old party.

Agencies are flying in extra call girls from around the globe to meet the expected demand during the Aug. 30-Sept. 2 gathering at Madison Square Garden.

"We have girls from London, Seattle, California, all coming in for that week," said a madam at a Manhattan escort service. "It's the week everyone wants to work."

"It's going to be big," agreed one operator at a midtown escort service.

Charging from $300 to upwards of $1,000 for an hour of companionship and a whole lot more, escorts said they can always count on conventioneers for big business.

You know, I just can't make this shit up.

Yes kids, a ceremony like this just screams full sovereignty!

In less time than it takes to speed to the corner 7-11 and buy a chili-cheese dog and a six-pack, the coalition hastily and secretively handed over “full sovereignty” to Iraqi Prime Minister without the Iraqi people even knowing about it. In a 5-minute ceremony attended by only a few selected officials and journalists, held in the fortified U.S.-controlled green zone, kept secret from even the coalition authority’s senior staff and not shown on Iraqi television, the surprise “transfer of power” was accomplished two days ahead of schedule. U.S. policymakers were concerned that insurgent attacks timed to coincide with the scheduled date of the transfer would have spoiled the press coverage of the changeover. The timing, secrecy and intense security surrounding the ceremony are the best indicators of just how much the security situation in Iraq has deteriorated in the face of a worsening insurgency and how little control the United States and the new Iraqi government have over events in Iraq.

Pass me a frosty roadside bomb, it's party time!

They just can't give it up

I listened to a local radio talk show today. Even though my state has some one of the highest percentage of Democratic voters in the country, the host is naturally a Republican. And with the Iraqi "sovereignty" handover now complete and "Fahrenheit 9/11" being the number one movie in the country, what did he choose to talk about?

Clinton getting a blowjob.

God, he hasn't even been in office for three and a half years. Give it up.

Some outlook

Linkie #1:

The notion that the newborn Iraq government will be able to root out powerful insurgents, even though 138,000 U.S. troops have failed at that task over many months, strikes many observers as fantasy.

Hmm, I guess we can file this away under the "Duh" column.

Linkie #2:

The U.S. has growled about the government's very public musings about whether to impose martial law over parts of the country because having an American-installed Arab government use Saddam's laws to restrict civil liberties -- just like most of Iraq's neighbors do -- doesn't exactly jive with Washington's goal of making Iraq an example of democracy in the Arab world.

Iraqis couldn't care less. They just want some peace and quiet.

This kinda of reminds me of US citizens supporting the PATRIOT act because they think it will make America safer. But I realize Iraq is a different situation, and I digress.

On propaganda and facts. (And, warning, spoilers.)

I said I wanted to wait until Monday to post a review of Fahrenheit 9/11. But I just couldn't wait, so I blurted out some thoughts last Saturday. Here's a couple more thoughts.

Propaganda - As I walked out of the theater last night, two women conversing walked by, and I caught this sentence: "It's no more propaganda then what's shown on Fox News." While processing that for a second, it took Matt all of half a second to comment on how fucking stupid she was. But this is one of the common complaints from those who wish to deride Fahrenheit 9/11. I think one basic question needs to be addressed before we can accuse anything of being propaganda: What is propaganda?

Open Dictionary defines the term as, "speech or writing advancing one's cause or ideas, or denouncing one's opponents." Well, that's pretty general. By this definition, F911 is propaganda. So is Fox News, and most branches of the news media, for the matter. So are official statements from the White House, Pentagon, and State Department. Going by this definition, it's all propaganda.

Wikipedia has a more indepth article defining propaganda and overviewing the history and examples of it. Their preface provides a clearer definition:

Propaganda is a specific type of message presentation, aimed at serving an agenda. Even if the message conveys true information, it may be partisan and fail to paint a complete picture. The primary use of the term is in political contexts. A similar manipulation of information is well known, e.g., in advertising, but normally it is not called propaganda in the latter context. The word propaganda carries a strong negative connotation that advertising does not.

"Even if the message conveys true information, it may be partisan and fail to paint a complete picture." This part strikes me the most, because now we have a credible basis for seeing if the label of "propaganda" can equally be applied to two polar opposites. In this case, I'm going to stick with the woman's example and compare Fox News to Fahrenheit 9/11. Both are "a specific type of message presentation, aimed at serving an agenda," but that's where the similarities end. Fox News continues to fit the definition of propaganda because it "fail[s] to paint a complete picture." I know some people will disagree with my assertion that Fox News doesn't paint a complete picture, but I'm forced to paint my assertion as fact for the sake of this argument. Opening up a discussion on how "fair and balanced" Fox News is(n't) would be asking for trouble.

But the fact is that Fox News does not paint a complete picture of they stories they report. If it did, then there would be no need for the existence of movies like Fahrenheit 9/11. If Fox News did their jobs, they would have published all the information Michael Moore detailed. But the fact is that they didn't, and this is what defines Fox News as propaganda peddlers.

While Michael Moore can credibly be accused failing to paint a complete picture, I have a different assertion: He paints the other picture. Fahrenheit 9/11 is certainly one sided, but he doesn't completely ignore the existence of the other side. Moore addresses that this side exists, here is what this side has said, and here's my reply. That's essentially what Fahrenhiet 9/11 is. And Moore's side of the story needs to be told, because the mainstream media has almost completely ignored it. Judging by the fact that Fahrenheit 9/11 was the top film in the country this past week, an unprecedented position for a documentary, there are millions of people who agree with Moore.

It's unbelievable that Moore can be accused of peddling propaganda in the face of this information. The same people who wish to keep these opinions, and many of the facts that Moore discusses, from permeating the mainstream media now accuse Moore of propaganda for daring to air his response. Fahrenheit 9/11 is a response to censorship from the White House and mainstream media. A response cannot completely ignore their side of the story, but Moore also makes the reasonable assumption that his audience is already well versed with their story. After making this assumption, Moore then focuses on his story. This is fair, and it paints about as complete a picture as you can get, which is something a viewer cannot get from Fox News.

Facts - More propaganda accusations will spawn from the argument that there's not a single fact in Fahrenheit 9/11, that it's all speculation.

Bullshit.

Fahrenheit 9/11 is filled with facts that Moore has no problem with backing up. Many of those who claim F911 is propaganda because it does not print the truth also haven't seen the movie, so they really aren't qualified to make those accusations. I have yet to see a member of the right watch the movie, make a list of Moore's facts and accusations, and then provide credible evidence to rebutt them. And we'll probably never see this. Fact is, Fahrenheit 9/11 is a true story.

The one part of the movie where Moore can be accused of playing "fast and loose" with the facts is the beginning, where he details the business and personal relationships between the families of Bush, Saud, and bin Laden. I heard one talk show host describe this smattering of facts that lead to no conclusion (those are my words) as, "Moore is trying to throw stuff up against a wall to see what sticks."

My reply to that argument is, "Yeah, and...? Is there anything wrong with this?"

There is no conclusion to Moore's listing of facts between Bush/Saud/bin Laden families at the beginnning of F911, this is true. But there's an implied conclusion. When Moore points out that Bush blacked out 28 pages of a 9/11 report because it detailed information about Saudi Arabia, he's alluding to an implied conclusion. When Moore points out that the Saud's and bin Laden's have invested $1.4 billion in Bush family businesses over the past 3 decades, asking if it's reasonable to assume that the Bush's have the best interests of Saudi Arabia above the interests of American citizens, (or, as Moore terms it, "Come on, who's your Daddy?"), it's an implied conclusion.

Everyone is willing to admit that speculation on such a conclusion means that you must open yourself up to conspiracy theories, and this can be dangerous. But at the same time, how can you not think about a few conspiracies here? How can the information Moore put together not make you curious?

If the Bush family wanted to quell suspicion, then all they have to do is come clean on their dealings with the Saud's and bin Laden's. Why were 28 pages of a public 9/11 report classified? How come the bin Laden's were even interested in investing in George W. Bush's little shit Texan oil companies from the 70's when they are sitting on the largest puddle of oil in the world and their money could have been better invested locally? How come the White House approved of private flights to get members of the bin Laden family out of the country on 9/13/01? Why? Why won't they come clean on any of this?

I realize that to speculate on this without evidence means you have to don a tin foil hat, but honestly, doesn't it make you the least bit curious? There's a huge side of the 9/11 story that the Bush family refuses to talk about, that we all know they have the answers to. The question that Moore merely asserts, after throwing facts against the wall to see what sticks, is why.

Shouldn't everyone in America ask the same thing?

[Crossposted to Blunted on Reality.]

How much is Bush's war for nothing in Iraq costing your family?

$3,415.

The report predicted the war will ultimately cost each US household $3,415; its annual costs would be enough to provide healthcare for more than half of the 43 million US citizens who lack medical insur ance. Danielle Pletka, an analyst at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, rejected such budget comparisons as intellectually dishonest. "That's not the way budgets work," she said. "I don't think healthcare has been robbed to pay for Iraq."

On Danielle Pletka's, uhm, "point," (if you can even call it that), nobody said the healthcare budget has been robbed to pay for the war in Iraq. One merely made the comparison that withthe family each family in America is paying for Bush's quagmire,it sure would payf or a hell of a lot of healthcare. Duh.

Paying real wages, with benefits, drives down labor costs for businesses. Who woulda thunk it?!

Certainly not Wal-Mart, but Costco is showing them up.

Indeed, Costco's pay is much, much, much better -- a full-time Costco clerk or warehouse worker earns more than $41,000 a year, plus getting terrific health-care coverage. Wal-Mart workers get barely a third of that pay, plus a lousy health-care plan. Costco even has unions!

Yet, Costco's labor costs are only about half of Wal-Mart's. How's that possible? One reason is that Costco workers feel valued, which adds enormously to their productivity, and they don't leave -- employee turnover is a tiny fraction of Wal-Mart's rapidly revolving door.

Another thing Sinegal rejects is offshoring: "We could move [some operations] to Bangladesh or somewhere. But what kind of message would that send to our employees? Not a good one, I think."

Gosh, a business plan that generates profits and doesn't screw over your workers. I thought 99.9% of the business leaders here told us this would never be possible. Well, it is! Wal-Mart doesn't have an excuse anymore, as far as I'm concerned.

Your tax dollars at work

With that all important "handover" date just two days away, it's nice to know that the Iraqi security forces we've trained are attacking us.

With american fighter jets and helicopters buzzing the skies overhead, an officer in Iraq's new police force approaches a group of fighters on Fallujah's front lines with an urgent call to arms.

"I need a man who can use an RPG," says Omar, who wears the uniform of a first lieutenant. Four hands shoot up and a cry rings out: "We are ready." He chooses a young man, Bilal, and they drive to an underpass on the outskirts of the city.

There, on Highway One, an American Humvee is driving east. Bilal aims and fires his rocket propelled grenade, turning the vehicle into a smoking, twisted, metal carcass. The fate of its occupants is unknown.

Some ARVN militants were in the Viet Cong, too. Nope, history certainly isn't repeating itself here...

40,000 people protest Bush in Turkey

I wish these things would happen here someday...

Can somebody tell Nader to fuck off?

Via Instapundit, Nader has launched an attack against Michael Moore. Just like anybody us funded with Republican dollars, he even stoops to making fun of his weight, all while insinuating that Moore has gone pro-war because he no longer backs der Ralph. Apparently, he hasn't seen Fahrenheit 9/11.

A couple months ago I still had respect for Nader, but not anymore. His letter to Michael Moore was all about Ralph Ralph Ralph. It didn't discuss Moore's new movie, it only discussed why Ralph Nader wasn't invited to the premier of Moore's new movie. Well, Ralph, maybe if you didn't become a dick, didn't attempt to tear apart the Green Party, and didn't freely take donations and support from the GOP, maybe you would still have friends.

Fuck you, Ralph.

Fahrenheit 9/11 is (probably) the number one movie in the country!

There are some reports out saying Fahrenheit 9/11 raked in $21.8 million at the box office this weekend, making it the number one film in the country. Which is huge news... But as I write this, the day still isn't over on the West Coast, and the actual numbers won't be available (at least from where I get them at Box Office Mojo) until 5-6am. And I won't be up then, but I'll be sure to check when I wake up.

...err, Box Office Mojo already has the numbers up, now that I check, even though the day still isn't technically over yet.

In case you missed it

There will be no Green Party endorsement for Nader.

Memo to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, re: "Your dumbass beheadings"

God, you're a fucking moron. Not that I or anybody else who actually cares about the well being of our troops minds, of course. The more time and resources you place into hunting for victims to behead, the less time and resources you spend on planning actual large attacks that will kill mass amounts of people. You're doing us a favor, so, really, keep it up.

Eventually, it will come to a point where beheadings aren't even shocking anymore. It's like a song that gets overplayed on the radio... Oh, sorry, you're probably not familiar with the concept. I imagine you're a bit too off the deep end religious to drink, listen to music, have premarital sex, and generally loosen up a bit. Allow me to explain: Here in Infidelistan, we all have little boxes that music comes out of. We can even switch to different songs! It's amazing. Anyways, when new songs are released, sometimes they come out of the box. Among these lucky songs, some come out of the box too often, and people get get of hearing them. That's when they become "overplayed."

This is exactly what's happening with all your little beheadings. And believe me, my government didn't give a shit about beheadings in the first place. Do you honestly think that a couple beheadings will scare Bush & Co.? Last year, Saudi Arabia beheaded 52 prisoners and we still support them. More recently, my government not only supports but trained the Afghan soldiers who beheaded Taliban members. Really, do you think your little spectacles have caused any member of my government to question their policy on Iraq?

Yes, you're still shocking the American public, but that won't last for long. Refer to the policy on overplaying. Plus we're fickle and have very short memories. I know that concept is lost on you, since your culture holds grudges for hundreds of years, but believe me: fickle is in here. If you keep up this weekly pace of beheadings, it'll become old hat. Non-news. Back of the A-section in two months, tops. No more attention for poor wittle you.

Al-Zarqawi, my friend, your beheadings are doing absolutely nothing. Go ahead and kill that US Marine/Muslim you have in your custody. Go ahead and behead a fellow Muslim, because if you haven't pissed off any common Iraqi citizens yet, that's sure to do it. I know our troops aren't doing their best to win over hearts and minds in Iraq, but I'd expect our enemies to take the moral high ground as opposed to being lower than dogshit. But if beheading is your game, keep it up. Hopefully it keeps you from waging a war of attrition, and more of our soldiers come home sans the pinebox.

"This is not the time for pessimism and rage..."

Those are the words superimposed over a graying, grainy photo of John Kerry at the beginning of Bush's latest offensive web ad. This ad shows angry Democrats who support Kerry, interspersing pictures of Hitler, even going as far as playing audio from Hitler's speeches. This coming from the party who were oh-so offended that anyone would dare compare their President -- who was appointed to office after his family disenfranchised voters, took away our rights, and invaded countries for no good reason -- to Hitler.

And at the end, they play soft piano music, assuring us that Bush is the only positive choice. How sweet.

As we all learned this week, there's certainly ("GO FUCK YOURSELF!") no hint ("GO FUCK YOURSELF!") of pessimism ("GO FUCK YOURSELF!") in the Bush ("GO FUCK YOURSELF!") camp.

[Crossposted to Blunted on Reality.]

The new issue of Playboy has a lengthy interview with Michael Moore

Just in case you're interested in reading something before getting to all those extracurricular activities that will otherwise be known as "man aerobics." And for women, it's there just in case you're interested in reading something. ;>

Let's see, turning the pages here... "Where's the Outrage? Conservatives love moral crusades, so why do they ignore Wall Street looting?" Good question, soon to be followed up with, "How come Playboy asks questions the mainstream media won't touch?"

Worship your Sunday Funnies!

Two by your lord and master, Ted Rall.