I hate people on the phone that ask "how are you" and then don't wait for a response. Either you want to know or not. Don't use "how are you" as a greeting. Just don't.

What's with all the gay hate lately? Tim Hardaway, former NBA player said in an interview "I hate gay people...I'm homophobic. It shouldn't be in the world, in the United States, I don't like it." Well fuck you too. The local website also has a poll: "I think Tim Hardaway's comments are...." Answers (as of 11:57am): What most people believe (27%), Courageous (14%), Stupid, but his right (16%), Insulting and hateful (17%), and Who cares what he thinks (21%). Well, it's nice to know that "most people" hate gay people and think we should not be in the world or in the US. FUCK YOU ALL TOO.
http://cbs4.com/local/local_story_045205258.html

On to more gay hate... you may remember a story from several weeks ago, in which members of a male choir were attacked in San Francisco. Now, we learn that as many as three marines may have been involved in the attack. Awesome. My question is, if you know that San Francisco is like the Gay MECCA - what do you expect when you go there? bastards. Note: the marines have not addressed the investigation yet, and the implicated marine was sent off to Japan. He is currently unavailable for questioning.

more on the military. What could go wrong by allowing mentally unstable persons, felons, or those with low aptitude scores into the military? Why don't we just take them all in, and train them, then arm them, then send them to Iraq to be further destabilized, and then bring them home without any support structure for when the go completely nuts, or are just pissed off, or want to continue committing crimes with their newfound weapons skills. great. is it somehow wrong to recruit felons, that they might die for their country, but in many states they can't vote because they are felons? Why do the people of DC not have representatives in Congress? Could it be that the republicans know that DC is solidly Democratic and doesn't want to add to their losses in the House and the Senate?

more on prison. "US Prison population to add 200,000 by 2011" reads the headline. The addition will cost taxpayers an additional $27.5 billion. Nice. Did I mention that the US has the largest prison population in the world? The home of the free, has the largest prison population in the WORLD. The ACLU reports that nearly 2/3rds of those incarcerated are there on non-violent offenses - many, many, many of them are there on drug possession. Did I mention the largest prison population in thew world? Is there something wrong with our system?

more on what's wrong with our system. Substitute teacher in Connecticut was convicted of exposing minors to porn site and impairing the morals of children.

1) malware and spyware were the root cause of the pornographic pop-ups that were coming up on the computer screen.

2) these SEVENTH graders had probably already seen anything that popped up, in the movies, or heard about it on the radio, or DONE IT.

3) the woman, refusing any plea, now faces 40 YEARS in prison. 40 FUCKING YEARS because the pop-ups wouldn't go away. Remember that Southwest commercial about a cubical worker that clicks on something and a popup comes up and kills on the computers in the office "Wanna get away" it asks. Yes, I think this teacher would like to get away. http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20070207/tc_pcworld/128672

NOTE: As noted in the comments over at DKos, by CTLiberal - "a child rapist may get 8 years in prison while this phony computer offense can get someone 40 years." The number and ridiculousness of laws pertaining to children and sex is FUCKED UP. Scratch that, the number and ridiculousness of laws pertaining to anyone and sex is FUCKED UP. So please, please, please tell me what's wrong with they system that allows a teacher to be sentenced to prison for 40 years because of spyware?

more on drugs. check out this fantastic article from Rolling Stone about medical weed in california.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/13390669/the_great_california_weed_rush/1

more on sex. what the fuck is wrong with Republicans? Catch this extremely poorly photoshopped E-card that is available at Blue Mountain E-cards (American Greetings Interactive) It features, among other things: Senator Hillary Clinton in a maid outfit, Governor Howard Dean and Senator John Kerry wearing dog collars, and House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi in bondage gear. That's classy - classy with a "k" - as Katie might say.'
http://www.rawstory.com//news/2007/National_greeting_card_company_associates_Love_0214.html

Let's talk about bad reporting. Lead paragraph:

"Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) believes it is his right as a Muslim to be sworn into Congress with the Quran. But apparently, the freshman lawmaker doesn't believe it's Rep. Tom Tancredo's (R-Colo.) right to smoke a cigar in his congressional office."

There are soooooo very many things wrong, wrong, wrong with this paragraph. 1) As a Muslim, it is Rep. Ellison's RIGHT to use the Quran at his swearing in (and would we really want him being sworn in on the BIBLE? A text that doesn't hold the highest level of sanctity?) 2) Rep. Tancredo does not have the RIGHT to smoke in his Congressional office. It is customary that Congresspeople can smoke in their congressional offices. They have gotten around the city-wide no-smoking ban, by simply exempting themselves. So there really is no RIGHT to smoke, in fact every time he does light up, he breaks the law, and it's just fortunately that lawmakers have exempted themselves. 3) So, maybe Rep. Ellison should have double checked the rules before sending the cops, but maybe Rep. Tancredo shouldn't participate in just deciding that he doesn't have to follow the law. 4) and maybe shoddy reporters shouldn't compare a man's religion to smoking, last time I checked, smoking wasn't part of Rep. Tancredo's religion.
http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/021407/tancredo.html

NOTE: (from Wikipedia) This is the same guy that:

1) Attended an event where there was a prominent picture of Robert E Lee displayed, confederate flags flying and at the close several men in full Confederate regalia sang Dixie (the unofficial anthem of the Confederate states. After well deserved outcry, he refused to apologize for an insensitivity that the event might have caused.

2) Called Miami, Florida a "Third world country." Never apologized.

3) An event that he was speaking at was canceled by the venue because their Hispanic staff threatened to not show up and the management didn't want to alienate their 80% Hispanic customer base.

4) Radio show. Rep. Tancredo is asked what we should do if the US was attacked with nuclear weapons by Al-Qaeda. Answer: Bomb Muslim holy sites. Never apologized.

5) Spoke out against the Non-partisan Congressional Black Caucus, Dem Hispanic Caucus, and Repub Hispanic Caucus. (Because there's not still an unofficially old white male caucus, out there).

6) Fierce opposition to immigration in any way.

Isn't if funny how right to lifers seem so anti-life. Shouldn't they be protecting kids too? born ones, i mean. like adopting all the kids in America. they're already here in the world, and they need someone to fight for them too. so where are pro-lifers on gay adoption? (usually) against it. because kids are better off without parents, than with gay parents. how about torture? that seems like an easy one - sanctity of life, right? - wrong. all for torture, and sometimes the death penalty. how about smoking? i think that pro-lifers should be against smoking - adults included! and they should be against well, fatty food causes death right? how about guns. guns kill people. that's not very pro-life. how about immigration? don't immigrants have the right to life too? etc etc etc. i know I'm making generalizations, i don't care right now. I'm sick of hypocritical evangelical Christians who believe that the bible is the WORD of God, but they can pick and choose which sections to follow.

UPDATE: Think Progress reports that Rep. Ellison never called the cops, it was actually his spokesman and he called the House superintendents office "as is standard protocol" they transferred him to the police. and there you have it. complete with rightwinger info.
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/02/15/tancredo-ellison-cigar/

This is just cool: who left the bath tub unplugged?
http://fogonazos.blogspot.com/2007/02/largest-drain-hole-ever.html

"The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty agreed between the US and the Soviet Union in 1987 set out the destruction of all short- and medium-range nuclear missiles in Europe."

Because of the US, Russia wants to withdrawal - mostly because the US wants to put "defense" systems in Europe and the Russians don't quite believe that those missiles are not pointed at them. http://www.losangeleschronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=20765

Meanwhile, Russia thinks that our foreign policy sucks, and it does.

(Putin: ".. Unilateral and frequently illegitimate actions have not resolved problems. Moreover, they have caused new human tragedies and created new centers of tension. Judge for yourselves: wars as well as local and regional conflicts have not diminished ... And no fewer people perish in these conflicts - even more die than before. Significantly more, significantly more!"

"...One state and, of course, first and foremost the United States has overstepped its national borders in every respect. This is visible in the economic, political, cultural and educational policies it imposes on other nations. Well, who likes this? Who is happy about this? ... And of course this is extremely dangerous. The result of this is that no one feels safe. I want to emphasize this – no one feels safe! Because no one can feel that international law is like a stone wall that will protect them!") Great. Awesome even.

So Russia is getting pissed at us and meeting with foreign ministers from India and China - to discuss ways to counter US power. Awesome. Did we mention that these countries account for 40% of the worlds population? and they have the worlds 7th, 9th and 3rd largest militaries in the world? And that India has the fastest growing economy? and that India an China desperately need Russian oil and gas? that all three agree that the Iranian situation should be resolved through the IAEA?

So what else did they talk about? " Their formal agenda covered issues ranging from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East and North Korea to energy security, nuclear non-proliferation and trade. The subtext, however, was clear: how to use their growing economic and political muscle to prevent Washington from tackling such issues alone."

There's no strategic alliance yet, but it's not hard to see one in India, China and Russia. And then what happens? Did I mention that all three have nuclear capabilities and Russia, alone, has 16,000 nuclear warheads?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1386812.ece

Meanwhile, Bush keeps ratcheting up the rhetoric on Iran. Lord help us.

First they say that unequivocally, Iran is supplying munitions to Iraq and it's killing US soldiers. (they even have an exact number!) But the Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff isn't so sure - he says, we're not sure. Then Bush says, yes we are sure - that the Qods force has been supplying weapons and they are part of the Iranian government. then he says he doesn't know if members of this force (really part of the Iranian military, saying they're part of the government is like saying the coast guard is part of the government) were ordered by the government or attacked on their own. Then he says (and here's the kicker):

"But here's my point: Either they knew or didn't know, and what matters is, is that they're there. What's worse, that the government knew or that the government didn't know? [...]

...what's worse -- them ordering it and it happening, or them not ordering it and it happening? And so we will continue to protect our troops."

Uh, right. So as someone pointed out, that would be like someone saying well, Timothy McVeigh was US military and he bombed Oklahoma City. So by Bush's "logic" that would mean that we should have held the US government responsible either way - whether they ordered him to attack Oklahoma city or whether he did it without their order. (Maybe we should have, bear in mind my comments about sending men and woman off to war and then being surprised when they come back a little fucked up. and then not having a support system to take care of them. maybe it is criminal negligence...) Bush thinks it doesn't matter. He doesn't understand that there can be individual action that the larger organism doesn't realize/take part in. re: the scooter libby trial - should we hold bush responsible? I mean, of course, if he authorized the leak, but even if he didn't should he be held responsible for his subordinate?

At any rate, the drums leading to war with Iran continue to beat. And just why should N. Korea be treated any differently when it comes to nuclear research? They too were singled out as part of Bush's Axis of Evil - right? How come they got a deal and Iran gets Patriot Missiles on their doorstep?

Meanwhile, a new report from the President's Office of National Drug Control Policy, headlines - "Teens turn away from street drugs, move to prescription drugs, new report reveals"

"The explosion in the prescription of addictive opioids, depressants and stimulants has, for many children, made their parents' medicine cabinet a greater temptation and threat than a street drug dealer," said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., Chairman and President, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. "The world of children and teens is awash in prescription drugs and some parents can become inadvertent drug pushers by leaving their prescription opioids, stimulants and depressants in places where their kids can get them."

So, kids are turning in their marijuana and shrooms for harder drugs. Why? Because we prosecute for the natural stuff - that's right, the stuff that's pretty near impossible to OD on pot or shrooms, but pretty near impossible to fuck up with prescription meds. So way to go drug policy, you're killing more kids and putting more in jail.
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/news/press07/021407.html

Unrelated note: I love when people call me and ask to be transferred to the CEO or the company like it ain't no thang. Yeah, right. I'll just transfer you there.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid schedules vote for Saturday and threatens to cancel next weeks vacation! hahahhaaha

"Senate Democratic leaders abruptly switched course in the Iraq war debate today, shelving a complicated non-binding resolution that has run into procedural hurdles, in favor of a House version that simply states Congress's objections to President Bush's troop escalation plan.

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) this afternoon announced that the Senate would take a rare Saturday vote on whether to proceed to consider the House resolution, which is expected to pass that chamber Friday, with some Republican support.

If the Saturday vote succeeds, Reid said he may cancel the upcoming week-long recess, scrambling campaign plans for at least six presidential candidates....

In particular, Democrats are calling the bluff of a group of Republican senators who oppose the escalation, but who joined with their GOP leadership to block the earlier Democratic-led resolution from coming to a vote, in an effort to force Democrats to allow a pro-administration measure to be offered."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/15/AR2007021500876.html?nav=rss_email/components