John Oliver Explains the Refugee Vetting Process

The chief fear regarding Syrian refugees seems to be that somehow terrorists will sneak in amongst the incoming flow of refugees. How this same fear doesn't apply to terrorists infiltrating Christian refugees (that the right wants to let in) isn't clear, but that's not important right now. What is important is, that the acceptance of refugees into this country is not a simple process, and would be possibly the least likely route a terrorist would take to get here. So, could we please just calm the paranoia just a bit?

[Excerpt]

Watch John Oliver Explain the Vetting Process for Syrian Refugees



In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, 31 U.S. governors now oppose the resettlement of Syrian refugees in their states. On Last Week Tonight, John Oliver described this as “pretty extreme, but also pretty meaningless” due to the fact that governors actually don’t have that power, as well as the fact that Syrians could simply walk across state borders, which Oliver noted “are not crocodile-filled moats. . .”

Read more at: Time

Chris Christie Buries Special Election on a Wednesday in October

Image from ABCNews

When Senator Frank Lautenberg died this week, Chris Christie, the New Jersey Governer was on the hotseat to nominate a successor. Christie is currently doing a tightrope dance (tricky for anyone, but him?) with his image, both trying to be his brash, gruff self to some people, and a cuddly teddy bear to others. He clearly has Presidential aspirations, and he has to be weighing every decision he makes. So, rather than appoint a Senator, he's going to have it put to a vote. But not in just any election. That could be risky for a number of reasons. So, he's burying the vote in a special election (which costs millions) just a couple of weeks ahead of the real election. Some critics are understandably interpreting this move as bald fear on Christie's part. Which is amusing for lots of reasons.  I couldn't decide which of these clips would irritate Christie worse, so I'm running them both. First, Rachel Maddow accuses Christie of being a wussy. Then Lawrence O'Donnell does. They're both highly entertaining.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Anderson Cooper Schools Anti-Gay Bigot

Remember that Pastor Charles Worley guy, who thought it'd be nifty to put "lesbians, queers and hom-a-seck-shulls" behind an electric fence, until they "die out?" Well, obviously, nobody would ever go on national television to defend such a thing, so. . .what? Somebody did? Oh dear, that couldn't have gone well, could it?

Actually, it's very instructive. Anderson Cooper is meticulously rational, measured and logical. And this horrible woman is impervious to all of it. She's got her own version of Wonder Woman's bracelets, except hers are logic deflectors! It's obvious how badly she's beaten by her snipe at Cooper right at the end there. I'd love to hear Cooper's internal monologue. . .he ought to have been proud of himself for this one.

Steven Weber: Fear Fracking

I haven't posted a piece by Steven Weber in quite a while. I've often said that the actor/writer writes like I think. . .If only my thoughts came out that well. Though I was slightly troubled by his revelation of a friendship with Andrew Breitbart (wow), his writing nearly always hits a bulls eye for me.

Anyway, I've been trying to figure out what the flying frack is going on with the GOP/Conservatives these days. To me, their unrelenting meanness--as evidenced by the late Andrew Breitbart and still-with-us Rush Limbaugh--is their brand now.  

Test welfare recipients for drugs! What, they don't use drugs more than other people? Who cares, test 'em anyway!

Actor/writer Steven Weber

All women who use birth control are sluts!

Gay people are evil!

On and on. But Steven's theory is fear. And fear may really be the root of it. Fear stokes other negative emotions, and can surely make a person mean. Make the people scared of the poor: They're drug users! Make them scared of "loose women." Make them scared of "teh gay." And you'll make them angry. And mean. And when you treat what they fear with meanness, you inspire a "they deserve it" reaction. I think ol' Brian from Wings is on to something here.

[Excerpt]


Fear Fracking 

I suppose it could be said that Rush Limbaugh and his brethren (and sistren) in the right-wing corporate media who regularly sculpt human behavior and current events into an unabashedly cruel and particularly paranoid narrative, only to then regurgitate it to their fact-starved audience like owls disgorging mouse-viscera into the open twitching beaks of its young, are only doing so because "It"'s there. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Rare Earthquake Hits Virginia, DC Area

I have felt only two earthquakes in my life, that I was aware of. The first was in Ohio in either my late teens or early 20s, and wasn't much of anything. The house was vibrating, but the ground itself didn't seem to be. The second one I felt was a major aftershock to the 1994 Northridge, California earthquake. This one was something like a 5.3, and it was a real rumbler. I was with my friend Dona at a Star Trek convention in Pasadena. It was a little disorienting, and possibly a little scary, though I don't remember fear being a primary emotion. Now, I realize that both of my experiences were before 9/11, and that the world has changed. But in neither previous event did I wonder what was going on. Earthquake, sure as shootin.' Earthquake. So I doing quite a bit of eye rolling at all the "scared" people pictures flooding the internets. Still, I hope there aren't any people with severely damaged property, or serious injuries. I'm sure it's possible that someone out there was in actual peril.

[Excerpt]

Rare earthquake shakes and shocks Eastern Seaboard

There were no major injuries reported nor severe damage, but the 45-second earthquake that hit the East Coast Tuesday afternoon gave millions of people a thorough and efficient education in what Westerners already know: earthquakes are frightening. . . 

Read more at: USA Today

Scariest E-Mail EVER: Karl Rove is Following Me!

When it comes to political figures that I loathe, despise or otherwise have a deep disregard for, there are frankly a lot to choose from. From Sarah Palin to George W. Bush to the odious Dick Cheney, there is ample evidence on this here blog thingy that the hall of shame is vast. But if I had to narrow my rogues gallery down to a top five, even a top two, Karl Rove would find himself there. So imagine my surprise when I found this in my email box:

Now, I don't really tweet very much, so this isn't all that concerning. Twitter for me amounts to an amusing distraction that I haven't really found tremendous use for. So, why is Turd Blossom following my tweets? The answer can probably be found in the three feeds we both follow: RightPride, the paradoxical gay Republican group (to keep tabs on them), NewsBusters (ditto) and Harry Shearer. The last shows that Rove has a bit more taste than I'd have given him credit for.  Anyway, it doesn't really bother me that Rove is following me. . .as long as he isn't literally following me.

From the Editor's Mail Box: Sarah Palin Wants to Meet Me

NOOOOOO!!!!!

Steven Weber: GOP and Fear

Photo from AOL

I haven't posted a Steven Weber piece in a while, and this one is pretty good. Once again, he writes what I'm thinking, only better.

[Excerpt]

Wasted

It must be a nightmare, clinging to beliefs that are regularly refuted by empirical facts, embracing myths of a country which only exists in the febrile Right Wing imagination, cringing in fear of contrived boogie men and having the world look upon you with a mixture of amusement and pity.

Because that is the reality of being a Republican today. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Steven Weber on the GOP's Lack of Courage

Image from 99Problems

Every once in a while, stark, vulgar words are necessary to convey a thought. The excerpted piece below by actor/blogger Steven Weber is just such an example. The word "coward" doesn't seem strong enough. Neither does "wimp." And "wussy" is just a wimpy way to say "pussy." So let's just go with it!

[Excerpt]

Pussies Galore

Republicans are pussies.

From the congressional chicken hawks to the half-baked Alaskan Sarah Palin; from the wild-eyed doughboys and smug bullies who spew bilge from their televised perches to the shivering talk radio gremlins who broadcast out of their parents' basements, they sure talk a good game but have no stomach for real battle, outsourcing their pathetic rage to the gullible multitudes. These yellow-bellies are in fact consumed with and by fear: fear of anything foreign, fear of empowered women, fear of their own mortality. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Back From the Dentist, One Tooth Fewer

Well, I'm down to 27 teeth. That's certainly better than the "worst case scenarios" that were rattling around in my head. When I was a teenager, I had two bicuspids removed, to make room for my eye teeth. Then about six years ago, I had my right wisdom teeth out (one was extruded, one was impacted). Today, it was the upper left wisdom that had to go.

It turns out that what I'd been supposing was true. My wisdom tooth was trying to extract itself. My mouth was never quite big enough for it, and it was crowded to the outer reaches of bone. It hung in there for a heck of a long time, but it just gave up. So, since it was trying to let go, and by closing my mouth I would push it back in, an abscess formed, which is what was torturing me.

I'm relieved to say that my dentist, Dr. David Mahon at Gentle Dental was very kind, and patient with my phobia, and he managed to live up to the name of the practice. The five or six shots I got were virtually painless, and the extraction itself? Except for a little pressure, no big deal at all. Really, there wasn't much to it. I'm back at home, and the bleeding has stopped. I feel some minor discomfort, but nothing too bad--certainly better than before. I've got some soft food lined up for today, and I am practiced at being very careful after having had previous extractions (though I was unconscious before) and periodontal surgery.

Now, mind you, I'm on hydrocodone at the moment, so things could change! But I have to tell you, dental-phobia is all about anticipation. During and after, it really isn't that bad. Periodontal-phobia? Whole different story. It sucks on every level. But thankfully, Dr. Mahon says I'm looking good gum-wise. Woohoo!

Blogger Down! Blogger Down! Crippled by Toothache!

My mind is not on blogging tonight, but on my current dental woes. I related last week that I was worried about one of my wisdom teeth. But after a cleaning on Friday that seemed to turn up nothing--though, to be honest I didn't press the issue--it started to hurt. A lot. And it's been a weird pain too, going from intense to annoying to nothing and back in odd cycles. Mornings have been the worst. Tuesday, things seemed to be getting better, and then Wednesday, full-on, skull-shattering pain.

Today hasn't been a picnic either, but I have to say, the sensation has been nearly entirely different each day. And oddly, though I'm pretty sure it's just one tooth that is the problem, the pain can extend across my top left molars, and occasionally the bottom ones too. I have a feeling that the pain from the one tooth is sort of sending out pain-waves that are confusing the rest of my mouth. Because the only pain I feel by actual stimulation is the one tooth.

It's kind of like when you have something lodged between your teeth, but can't find it with a toothpick. Confused mouth nerves. I don't know. I don't want to know. But I have a dental appointment in the morning, where I'm sure that the very best news I'll get is a single extraction. I won't be surprised to find that they want to take the bottom wisdom tooth too, which will make me unhappy. And if there's anything in addition to that? Well, I'll just be stone-cold terrified.

I hate dental procedures, even cleanings. Several years ago, I had lapsed in going to the dentist for a very long time. When I finally got back, I endured a very long cleaning, and surprisingly no cavities. The dentist told me that I had great teeth--and what a shame it was that they were all going to fall out. He was exaggerating, but it turns out I have periodontal disease, and bone loss.

So, I dutifully showed up for cleanings every three months for a year or so. And since I wasn't getting enough progress, I was sent to a periodontist. That evil man cut away and restitched my gums over three procedures. I went to see him a couple more times, but when it was time to transition back to the regular dentist, there was a scheduling snafu, followed by another lapse. As stupid as it was, procrastinating was easier than going back.

But that was a year ago. Since then, I've seen the dentist and the hygienist four or five times, most recently on Friday. So, you'd think that whatever is wrong, they'd have seen it coming. Not that any of that matters. My tooth hurts, and it must be addressed. I just wish I had some anxiety medication or something!

I'm sure--unless I'm too overloaded, or the news is too horrifying--I'll be back tomorrow afternoon with an update. For now, I can't promise any new posts unless I stumble upon something fun or interesting.

UPDATE: If you want to see how it all turned out, go here.

Red States Top Teen Pregnancies

Image from Blog.AFI.com

One thing we're starting to learn--as if we didn't already know--is that the policies of the far right don't work very well. Leaving aside the financial turmoil we find ourselves in, and a number of disastrous foreign policy decisions (that's a lot to leave aside, I know), the social policies of the religious right are showing a high failure rate.

How else do you explain the high teen pregnancy rates in red states, and lower rates in blue states? The "evils" of sex education in schools may get right-wingers all atwitter, but it sure seems to work. And "abstinence only?" Well it needs to be renamed. After all, nothing in life is "only," there are always options. And the option to abstinence is to actually have sex. Which teenagers are going to do, blue or red. So why not arm them with information and protection?

Oh, and by the way, something needs to be said about sex education in schools. Things may have changed since I was in school in the 80s, but when we got to the sex part of Heath class, there was nothing sexy about it. We had one or two parents who took their kids out of class, no doubt believing that we were reading Hustler and watching porno films. The reality was far more uncomfortable, absolutely not titillating, and taught by Coach Kane, the fattest, most slovenly Phys. Ed. teacher on the planet. These paranoid parents really have nothing to worry about, their children are not getting hot and bothered in Health class.

[Excerpt]

Red states dominate teen pregnancy statistics

Ignoring sex education does not appear to be working very well. Bible studies and pretending as though sex doesn't happen with teens is not a policy. Wouldn't it be nice to see this Congress put an end to the silly abstinence programs that cost so much and deliver consistently bad results? Oh wait, we need to be fair to them too despite the facts. . .

Read more at: AmericaBlog

John McCain Pulling Down Entire GOP?

Photo from source, Washington Post

My original title for this post was, "Still Worried About Counting Chickens. . ."

Damn, I'm on pins and needles. I wanted Al Gore to win, and arguably he did, but the argument is irrelevant. He didn't get to be President. I really wanted John Kerry to be President, but less for the man himself than the ouster of the Bush Administration and their horrendous policies and activities. That didn't work out too well either, and for a time I was politically depressed.

But this time, I don't just want Barack Obama to be President. I'm desperate for it. For the man, and for who he's running against. I don't think I can stomach another Republican Administration, and let's be honest: if a Democrat can't win in this environment, when could they ever win again? If the dirty tricks and lies work again, if the Karl Rove machinery--rusty and missing some parts--manages to crank out another win, just what the hell are we Democrats fighting for? I tell ya, it would be crushing.

Fortunately, nine days out, it looks like that dark scenario isn't going to happen. But I'm far too jaded to think this is a sure thing. It should be. It almost has to be. But I'm afraid. . .I don't know. . .that I'll jinx it if I get too excited.

Stories like the following one make me feel a little better about the whole thing. I sure hope they're right.

[Excerpt]

Sorry, Senator. Let's Salvage What We Can.

. . .I could pile up the poll numbers here, but frankly . . . it's too depressing. You have to go back to the Watergate era to see numbers quite so horrible for the GOP.

McCain's awful campaign is having awful consequences down the ballot. I spoke a little while ago to a senior Republican House member. "There is not a safe Republican seat in the country," he warned. "I don't mean that we're going to lose all of them. But we could lose any of them. . ."

Read the whole article at: Washington Post

Whipped into a Frenzy: McCain Supporters

I'm watching the Sunday morning political gabfests, and so far all of them have replayed the John McCain rallies with the crazed, terrified Republicans who simultaneously hate and are scared of Barack Obama. Something about these people strikes a familiar nerve for me, but it is difficult for me--as it is for them--to articulate.

One thing that really stands out with both the man and the woman who announce their fears to McCain (and the world), is that they are horrifically inarticulate. Part of that could be blamed on nerves for speaking before a public forum, TV cameras, and McCain himself. I'm sure that is why the man seems to be trapped between fear and a giggle fit.



But neither of these people had a very clear picture to paint about what exactly they are afraid of. The woman's "uh, he's not, uh, uh, he's an Arab!" is as strange as it is stupid. Obama is plainly not an Arab, so obviously the woman doesn't know what an Arab is. And McCain's defense of Obama is off too, acknowledging that Obama is a decent, family man--as though Arabic people are incapable of that.

The mangled, garbled fear that these Republicans are feeling has a name that provokes outrage by those labeled with it: racism. I don't give a flying fig what people think about my saying that. I'm a white guy, raised in a borderline racist household. Due to my parents' line of work, our family associated with a great number of people from "the heartland" (read: rural Midwest, Ohio River valley and Appalachia). I've been exposed to racism, its excuses and its M.O. since I was a kid. Like pornography, I know it when I see it. And you probably do too.

All of this talk of "he's a Muslim," "he's different," "we don't know enough about him," "he's scary," "he associates with terrorists," etc. are an easy way to put a different label on Obama, rather than saying "oh my gosh, have you noticed he's black?" Agree or disagree with me, but you cannot deny the feeling of that undercurrent.

When a McCain supporter gets up and asks in a manaical, paranoid tone, "how did we get here?," what I hear him saying is, "You're white. This other guy is black. How can he be beating you when he's a n*?" He might as well have been spouting the "frontier gibberish" of Gabby Johnson from Blazing Saddles.

John McCain Defends Barack Obama from Angry Mob

In the last two weeks, John McCain, Sarah Palin, and their campaign have whipped their base into a frenzy. They've been aided and abetted by Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin and a host of other right-wing blowholes. Their demonizations of Obama often do not make sense, or are contradictory. But their base doesn't do a lot of thinking for themselves. They let these bloviators stir up their emotions, until they boil over.

So, irony of ironies, John McCain is now forced to defend Obama against the very mob he's drummed up.



UPDATE: I couldn't resist giving you a little taste from right-wing world on this story. This comment, directed at John McCain about Barack Obama is from Free Republic:

"Wrong John, he is against everything American. Against everything good people stand for and believe in. He and his wife are no less than the END of America as we know it if they are allowed to ascend to power. Take a stand and stop this John !!!! You have the power to change minds if you speak the truth and take them to task for their ignorance - and that of the American populace."

These guys are total nutjobs.

Source: Free Republic

Fear Factor: Republicans Wired to be Afraid?

Image from DrWill

It's an interesting article, though I'm not sure that fear is the biggest emotional difference between Republicans and Democrats. Fear certainly does work in getting people to vote Republican when they otherwise might not have. I thought that was mostly skillful (if sleazy) Rovian marketing.

Without fear (and a lot of cheating), George W. Bush wouldn't have had a prayer in the 2004 election. He had already shown himself to be a malapropism spouting boob. But they worked the "war President" angle hard, making sure to issue a "terror alert" any time their strategy started to flag. It was at least good enough to sway enough people to make the election close enough to steal.* Meanwhile, liberals like me were baffled. We rolled our eyes at the color-coded terror chart, didn't buy the "Library Tower" or "Manhattan Bridge" terrorist plot stories for a second. . .in short, we heard the boy cry wolf far too many times.

[Excerpt]

Liberal? Conservative? Blame it on a fear factor

Die-hard liberals and conservatives aren't made; they're born. It's literally in their DNA.

That's the suggestion of a study by a group of researchers who wanted to see if there was a biological basis for people's political attitudes.

They found to their surprise that opinions on such contentious issues as gun control, pacifism and capital punishment are strongly associated with physiological traits that are probably present at birth. . .

Read more at: Politics West

*EDITOR'S NOTE: Before you write me off as a paranoid tin-foil hatter for saying 2004 was stolen, I have seen evidence that it was. I believe 2000 was too, but 2004 for sure. Sources to check out, here and here and here. Unfortunately, much of the material I've read on the subject occurred before I had a blog. Finding the links now may take more time, but I may do a story it in the near future.

Barbara Bush vs. Karl Rove: Who's Scarier?

Photo from source, Raw Story

File that one under "tough call." Karl Rove is scared of Barbara Bush? I assume he means the evil ex-First Lady, and not the tipsy First Daughter. . .

[Excerpt]

Karl Rove said he's 'lived in fear' of Barbara Bush

Karl Rove, former Deputy White House Chief of Staff, says he's always been intimidated by First Lady Laura Bush and that he has "lived in fear" of erstwhile First Lady Barbara Bush for 37 years.

"Laura Bush intimidates me," Rove tells GQ magazine in an interview for the May edition. "All the Bushes — well, most of the Bush men marry incredibly strong women, and they all intimidate me. . ."

Read more at: Raw Story

FOX "News" Playing Fear Card?

I clicked on the FOX "News" website earlier today, because of something I'd heard on the radio. I don't even remember what it was, but when I got to the site, I was treated to a "BREAKING NEWS!" banner, with this short story:

[Excerpt from FOXNews.com]

Counterterrorism Officials Analyzing Islamic Web Post Warning of 'Special Gift'

Federal counterterrorism officials are analyzing a posting on an Islamic forum Web site that warns of "a special gift" to be given on the sixth anniversary of Sept. 11, FOX News has learned.

The warning was posted Sept. 2 on a site frequented by radical groups and said in part that "there will be a special gift coming on the day of the blessed invasion of Manhattan."

Federal officials told FOX News they are trying to determine if it might be a specific warning or just part of broad chatter that has been heard during the last few months.

Postings talking about "gifts" have been seen before in the days leading up to the anniversary of Sept. 11.

It is now more clear that the "gift" was just another Bin Laden video, showing him (as has been breathlessly reported) sporting a dyed beard. But this "breaking news" story certainly seemed a lot more alarming than that. Maybe it's my bias poking through, but I thought this story was pretty blatant fear-mongering. I could be wrong.

Iraqi-Americans Removed From Flight

Photo from source, RawStory.com

The goal of terrorism is to make us jumpy and scared, and to disrupt our way of life. The constant drumbeat from our own government is, "be afraid, be very afraid." And boy howdy, some of us are afraid.

Iraqi-Americans removed from flight for speaking Arabic
[Excerpt]

NBC News reported Thursday on an incident at the San Diego airport in which "an American airlines flight to Chicago was delayed because a passenger was scared of several Arabic-speaking men on board."

"Those men she heard talking? They were Iraqi-Americans, in town to train US Marines at Camp Pendleton," explained NBC's Brian Williams. The men were removed from the plane and questioned briefly before being released. The flight was canceled and all passengers caught other flights the next day.

Read the rest (and see the NBC Video) at: RawStory.com