G.I. Cop (A Rocky Mountain Mike Ad Parody)

Leave it to Rocky Mountain Mike to find a nugget of humor in the ongoing crisis in Ferguson, Missouri. Though, hopefully we're getting a consensus that the militarization of the police is at the very least disturbing.

If you want more Rocky Mountain Mike, go here.
 

So, Ferguson, Missouri. What's Up With That?

Is this the new normal in small town USA? Creepy.
Image from source, New York Times.

If you're a regular visitor to this blog, you may have noticed that it's been rather thin around here, of late. Though I do tend to post less in the summer, there's more to it than that. I just can't wrap my hands around some of the horrible news going on in the world. You know? I mean, when it comes to the problems in Ukraine, Israel and Iraq, what can be said? These are long-running, war-prone regions, and I'm not going to pretend I have the answer. And shoot, most of the people who are paid to be experts don't seem to know what they're talking about either, most of the time.

Now, the news out of Ferguson, Missouri is a little closer to home. And my instinct in this case would be to reserve judgment until all the facts are in. I'm not one to immediately jump to the defense of the police or the accused. But I have to say, the cops are coming off badly here. Very, very badly. And I agree with the meme that is ricocheting around the internet: what does a small town police force need with all of this military gear? They look like an army invading a country. Is this what we want American towns to look like, occupied territory?

So, here's a little more on that. I'm going to try to get my brain in the game, but summer's not over yet. I still have that excuse.

[Excerpt]

Amid Protests in Missouri, Officer’s Name Is Still Withheld
 
In the five days since an unarmed young black man was fatally shot by a police officer here, the selective release of information about the shooting, and especially the anonymity granted to the officer, has stoked frustrations in this largely African-American community north of St. Louis, where residents describe increasingly tense relations with the police. . .

Read more at: New York Times

"Operation: American Spring" an Embarrassing Failure

I know, I know, the weekend isn't over. The throngs of patriots could arrive in DC on Saturday or Sunday. And winged monkeys could fly out of my nether-regions. No, the ridiculously named and ludicrously conceived Operation: American Spring is an embarrassing flop, a devastating splotch of FAIL on the tea bagger movement. And by movement, I mean tootling along at 5 mph in Rascal­­­® scooters.

Their goals were to compel by force the removal of President Obama, Vice President Biden, Speaker of the House John Boner Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. They were going to do this--apparently--by sheer force of will. Or something.

[Excerpt]
 
'Operation American Spring' Is Still Waiting for Its Millions of Patriots
 
Operation American Spring, the mass D.C. rally aiming to force several top government officials — including the president — to resign, spent a portion of its first day at the capital assuring people tuning into its livestream that more people are on the way. The protest's lead organizer, Harry Riley, promised 10 million to 30 million people would show up for his event; Friday's crowd appeared to be in the dozens to hundreds. . .

Read more at: The Wire

Tea Party a Shadow of its Former Self

No, lady, you don't. If you even know where Benghazi
is, you just want it to be bad for the President.
Image from source, Salon.

 

I really like the story below for several reasons. The reminder that the Tea Party movement is only 4 years old, and that it pretty much flamed out fairly quickly. Now, I'm sure that actual tea baggers (yes, I will continue to use that phrase when I'm 90) would find much to squawk about in the article. But the Salon piece is actually fairly mild and respectful. For instance, they didn't use the phrase "tea baggers."

They also don't go into the astro-turfy, faux grass-roots nature of the Tea Party, the fact that as a group, they were just re-branded conservatives, or the inherent, barely concealed racism of the whole enterprise. Yeah, I said it. Tell me a group that rose up immediately after President Obama was inaugurated, wanting to "take their country back," were fighting the policies of a man who'd barely enacted any yet. Sure, what else've you got?

[Excerpt]

The Tea Party’s sad, nostalgic reunion tour 

Remember way back to 2010? When the Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow” was tearing up the charts and a hot new upstart political movement called the Tea Party was striking fear into socialists everywhere? What began on Tax Day in 2009 hit a high-water mark just 18 months later with a massive rally on the National Mall organized by Glenn Beck (which later proved to be the beginning of the end of the Tea Party’s purpose for existing: massive anti-government rallies of colorful, flag-waving patriots). There’s no question the conservative revival in the GOP has remade the party inside Washington, but the Gadsden flags were rolled up and the tricorn hats put away as the outsider movement honed its insider game. . .

Read more at: Salon

GetEQUAL's Heckling of the First Lady Not Helping

Image from source, Huffington Post

Okay, as a gay person, I don't generally feel the need to opine on each and every activist that does something notable, or notorious. I'm only responsible for myself after all. But as a long-time blogger with a (sometimes) accent on gay rights issues, I just wanted to highlight this little performance. And say that I really dislike this sort of "protest," and think it does far more harm than good.

First of all, the Obamas have been vocal supporters of gay rights, far and away beyond any other First Family, even the Clintons, who have DOMA and DADT to live down. Not perfect, no. In fact, very frustrating at times, but we've made more strides as a community arguably, than during any other administration. And heckling Michelle Obama at an unrelated event like this seems to me disrespectful, out of line, and wholly inappropriate. I can't imagine that GetEQUAL's ENDA agenda (heh) was helped at all, and was in fact besmirched. I'm sure it made hardcore conservatives happy, but what in the world does that accomplish?

Badly done.

[Excerpt]

Michelle Obama DNC Fundraiser Speech Interrupted By LGBT Protester 

First lady Michelle Obama's speech Tuesday evening at a private Democratic National Committee fundraiser was interrupted by a protester, who demanded equality for gays and lesbians. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Gun March Coming to DC Because: Tyranny!

Image from source, Liberals Unite

It just keeps rolling in. If you'd never been to this blog before, you'd think I was a gun control activist, but no. It's just that the news cycle is top-heavy with gun nutters these days. And I find myself on the--I don't know, sane?--side of the issue.

I hardly know where to start with this bizarre, deliberately provocative, paranoid, batshit event, but I'll make two observations:

1) The group and the leader of this event illustrate no evidence of this "tyranny" they're railing against. But how are we to discern from their actions and words that they are patriots rather than traitors? And how would the authorities make that decision?

2) What would this group's reaction be if an identical protest were taken up by a group of militant, fundamentalist Muslims? And I'm not talking about the white, Russian type, but the full-on, Middle-Eastern, turbaned and bearded variety. I have a funny feeling that Adam Kokesh and his lunatic band of idiots would have a brand new definition of the 2nd amendment, and who it applies to. Don't you?

[Excerpt

Fomenting Rebellion In An Armed March On Washington

". . .This is an act of civil disobedience, not a permitted event. We will march with rifles loaded & slung across our backs to put the government on notice that we will not be intimidated & cower in submission to tyranny. We are marching to mark the high water mark of government & to turn the tide. This will be a non-violent event, unless the government chooses to make it violent. . ."

Assholes.

Read more at: Liberals Unite

And if you want to read a really good blogger write on this subject, go to rudepundit.blogspot.com, and scroll to "In Brief: Wayne LaPierre Is Gonna Get Us All Killed" 

Sears Pulls Ads from SNL Over "Djesus Uncrossed" Skit

Oh, I really don't like it when the fanatical religious zealots win one. I mean, win one legitimately, they claim they've "won" all the time in these sorts of boycotts/activist protests, whether they really did or not. But apparently Sears caved on these ridiculous protests over a bit that they didn't even really understand. See, it was all over a Saturday Night Live filmed bit that parodied Quentin Tarantino films, while simultaneously skewering the religious right's dichotomic lust for guns and Rambo-like violence. [Story continues below]


No, it wasn't really a statement on Jesus the (allegedly) historical figure, but leave it to the conspicuously religious to miss the point, and get bent out of shape about it. How about getting a little excited that a creaky (after 38 years) American institution like SNL can actually produce a funny bit for a change? Honestly, I don't think they'd have anything to do if they weren't getting offended and bent out of shape about something.

[Excerpt]

Sears removes online ads from 'Saturday Night Live' 'Djesus Uncrossed' sketch

SNL‘s trailer for Djesus Uncrossed, a fake historical revenge fantasy starring Christoph Waltz as a vindictive Jesus Christ, is more of a Tarantino send-up than a spoof of Christianity. But that hasn’t stopped faith-based groups like the American Family Association from expressing outrage about the sketch, and as a result of their urging, one advertiser has asked its commercials be moved from online showings of Djesus. Here’s the two-minute short that has stoked so much ire. . .

Read more at: Entertainment Weekly

Westboro Baptist Church Under Attack by "Anonymous"

This is what they do to their kids.

The Westboro Baptist Church is a motley collection of mostly related-to-each-other wackjob cult members. They exist to torment Americans of all stripes, but they are most often drawn to national tragedies. Whether it's a military funeral, a terrorist attack or a mass shooting, WBC will be there (or threaten to be), using their patented "God Hates Fags" protest signs and banners. There need not be any "gay" connection to the event, the WBC will strain to allege one. Why they focus like a laser upon a "sin" that is pretty low on the biblical prohibitions list, and which is argued even to some bible scholars is anyone's guess.

The Rev. Fred Phelps and his family are trained in law, and totally dig it if you lash out at them. They're ready to sue, sue, sue ya, baby! That may actually be their business model. And they've gotten some help from the courts of late, who have said that the WBC has first amendment protections. So, when the law doesn't work, what do you do? Well, Anonymous may have a plan. But before you watch the video, be warned that it's kind of freaky.

[Excerpt]

Hackers target Westboro Baptist Church after Newtown threat


A group attached to the online hacktivist group Anonymous claims to have hacked the Westboro Baptist Church Web site in response to plans by the controversial church to picket the funerals of those massacred Friday at a school in Newtown, Conn. . .

Read more at: CNet

Westboro Baptist "Church" Picks the Wrong Funeral to Protest

I know these jackasses are lawyers, and are just hoping that someone will touch them so that they can sue. But here's hoping that whatever court hears the eventual case, throws it out. They're assholes.

[Excerpt]

Westboro Baptist Church Protester Bull-Rushed At Military Funeral Protest


The Westboro Baptist Church's attempt to picket a military funeral in North Carolina over the weekend drew a lively counter protest that crested when a service member in the crowd bull-rushed a congregant attempting to stomp on the American flag. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Romney Defenders: Here is Why the Rest of Us Are Upset With Mitt

If you are a conservative who is thus far on Mitt Romney's side, regarding the politicization of the attacks in Libya and Egypt, I have an answer for you. Short answer: Mitt says there was an "apology" when there wasn't, and waded into the fray while the attacks were ongoing. For the longer, more nuanced answer, check out this clip from The Rachel Maddow Show. I'm serious, watch it. If nothing else, you may gain a little perspective on why so many people are so upset with Romney.

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

Bigotty Chicken: The Sorry Spectacle at Chick-fil-A

On Wednesday, a random visit to any Chick-fil-A would have seemed like "Gay Days" at Disneyland, but in reverse. Instead of gay people giddily being open and happy in the Happiest Place on Earth, evangelical Christians were celebrating being anti-gay at a chicken fast food joint. I don't know whether you'd call it a protest, a vigil, an anti-protest. For sure, it was weird. And most probably, it was mean spirited.

Image from Bullett

Mike Huckabee, the seemingly genial, grandfatherly politician, was the person who spearheaded "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day." Huckabee wraps his bigotry up in sunny good cheer, and I'm sure many of the people standing in hour-long lines for a fattening chicken sandwich didn't think it was anything but. I'll tell you this much, I'm quite sure that the probability of those people each having a gay relative is way over 50%.

The central argument is over marriage equality, or more colloquially, gay marriage. The backlash is driven by the. . .I want to say devoutly religious. . .but it's really more like loudly, conspicuously religious. Particularly with those groups with "family" in the name, and the National Organization for Marriage (NOM). The hard to type (and ridiculously named) Chick-fil-A's president, Dan Cathy, publicly proclaimed that he--and thus, the company--was for "biblical marriage," whatever that means. Concubines, I suppose.

But the anti-gay sentiments, and company dollars to anti-gay hate groups have flowed from Chick-fil-A longer than this week.  It is clear--if you follow this much at all--that this is about intense hatred of gay people, not gay marriage. I don't know how much of that the people making some grand political statement by waiting in line knew. Many of them, as you can read on many internet message boards and on Facebook, are rather indignant. It's actually descended to the trite, "God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!" argument. These people are Bible skimmers at best, from my vantage point, thinking that somewhere in there, God spelled out Protestant weddings, with bridesmaids and veils, the works. They ignore the polygamy, the "marrying your rapist" bit, the "marry your brother-in-law if your husband dies" bit. The fact that Jesus never married, and hung out with dudes all the time. And the afore-mentioned concubines.

Haters gotta hate. Image from HuffPo.

As a gay atheist, I find the entire spectacle an enormous, unnecessary, embarrassment. I'm already "gay married." This argument is no longer hypothetical, and no longer in the realm of speculation. This ridiculous protest, such as it was, proved no other point than the fact that you can draw a crowd if the aim is to poke your thumb in the eyes of other--emphasis on other--people. But these folks don't seem to ever turn inward. To wonder what life is like for gay people. To consider us people at all. But as I said before, you can be sure these people have gay people in their midst. And they've just embarrassed them. Shamed them. Hurt them. All for a fucking chicken sandwich.

[Excerpt]


Chick-fil-A Anti-Gay Controversy: Gay Employees Speak Out 

Elected officials have urged Chick-fil-A to stay out of their cities, the Jim Henson Company has severed ties, and gay rights groups are organizing national protests against the fried chicken chain. But at the Chick-fil-A where Andrew works in northern Alabama, business has been booming over the past few weeks. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

George Clooney Goes to Jail

Even looks good in handcuffs. Image from source, Raw Story

It's for a good cause, there were several prominent people arrested with him, and he'll surely be released quickly. But my brain is wrestling between an Ocean's 14 riff and a "pretty boy in prison" joke. I think I'll just leave it there.

[Excerpt]

George Clooney arrested outside Sudan embassy in D.C.

Actor George Clooney was arrested on Friday outside the Sudanese embassy in Washington, D.C. Clooney, a longtime human rights activist, was handcuffed and taken to jail after he refused a police order vacate the private property. . .

Read more at: The Raw Story

Great Parody of Occupy Police Over-reaction

Everything has a little humor in it. Image found at OMGBlog.com

Iraq War Veteran Critically Injured at "Occupy Oakland"

War zone in California. Image from ABC.

I have a increasing attraction to the "Occupy" movement, given its motives. I'm slightly less clear on their goals, though I get the gist: Wall Street caused the economic woes we're all going through, but no one was punished, no one arrested, and the 1% who weathered the storm are living high on the hog. Meanwhile, Congress (and let's just say it, the Republican Party) has been throwing goodies to the 1% while preaching austerity to the other 99%. It's enough to piss anybody off.

It's kind of inspiring to see the various groups all over the country and around the world, gathering for a cause. And so far, sticking with it. But the response by police and government has been really messed up in some places. "Beanbags" and "rubber bullets" sound harmless, but are actually capable of some damage. The response seems incredibly out-of-scale. The video from Occupy Oakland--where an Iraq War veteran was critically injured by police--looks like something out of Egypt earlier this year. Crazy.

[Excerpt]


Iraq War Vet Injured During Oakland Protests

A clash between Oakland police and Occupy Wall Street protesters left an Iraq War veteran hospitalized Wednesday after a projectile struck him in a conflict that came as tensions grew over demonstration encampments across the San Francisco Bay Area. . .

Read more at: ABC News

OccupyWallStreet Protester Schools FOX "News" Reporter

Usually, "man on the street" interviews are embarrassing displays of the common man's ignorance. So it is fun when the camera finds a guy who knows what he's talking about. Particularly when the camera is from FOX "News."

What if They Threw a Tea Party, And Nobody Came?

Jim DeMint Addresses the Masses. Image from source.

I've been saying for some time that the whole tea bagger phenomenon was waning. Like the supposedly forceful "PUMAs" that were going to elect John McCain in 2010, the Tea Party is over. Well, not over exactly. There are stragglers, and every once in a while it seems to get rolling again. But is this really a group that should be capable of holding the nation--the world's--economy for ransom?

This is a group that sprang up immediately after President Obama's inauguration, claiming that they were overtaxed, and that they were only responding to Obama's bad policies. Riiiight. Considering that he didn't really have any policies yet, the claim is rather dubious. The tea party started out loud and boisterous, not very organized, and kind of. . .Wal-Mart-ey? Quickly, political operatives got their tentacles into this amorphous group, and began to direct things from behind the scenes. The party split into factions, some more astro-turfy than others. And no matter what they did, the news media--the allegedly liberal mainstream media--gave them copious attention.



Liberal bloggers like me did it too, of course. The imagery was just to hilarious, the speeches too clueless, the whole spectacle too grody to ignore.  Like a train crash or a Sarah Palin word salad speech, it was like catnip. Meanwhile other protests and gatherings, often much bigger, much less vague than the tea baggers, got scant attention from any quarter.


So, the tea party was magnified in importance, because it was camera ready. And now that all the pizazz has gone out of the party, they're still given too much attention. They always were, but now it's just getting stupid.


Source: Slate

Wisconsin Legislator Admits on FOX "News" Real Goals

It's not about the budget. In Wisconsin, stamping out the unions is about making it harder for Democrats--President Obama in particular--to win elections. That this was about more than the budget has been obvious for a while, even though legislators and right-wing pundits have insisted that it was.  Well, here's one admitting what they're really up to.

[Excerpt]

WI Senate GOP Leader Admits On-Air That His Goal Is To Defund Labor Unions, Hurt Obama’s Reelection Chances




. . .State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI), one of Walker’s closest allies in the legislature, confirmed the true political motive of Walker’s anti-union push. Fitzgerald explained that “this battle” is about eliminating unions so that “the money is not there” for the labor movement. . .
 
Read more at: Think Progress

Michael Moore's Call to Action after Wisconsin Vote

Michael Moore was scheduled to be on The Rachel Maddow Show on Wednesday, before the surprise vote by the Wisconsin GOP had even happened. But it was good timing. In the clips below, you'll find the initial video footage of protesters in Madison, now re-energized. And right after, Michael Moore gives an impassioned plea for America to rise up and say, no more. It's good stuff. Now, will we do it?

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

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

Wisconsin GOP Pulls a Fast One on Unions

"No, really, am I coming off mean?"

I can't pretend to be an expert on all that is going on in Wisconsin. I'm not from there, I'm not in a union and never have been. But the trend in this country to try to plug budget deficits by going after working people, rather than Wall Street and the banks. . .well, it stinks. The investment bankers and their lot wrecked the economy, and pulled off the biggest heist in history. They didn't go to jail. We the tax payers bailed them out. And right now, they're doing fine. Better than fine, they're better than ever. 

Meanwhile, we the workers are still hurting. No relief for us. But hey, the country's still broke! Let's give tax breaks and subsidies to the rich, to the corporations, to the freaking oil companies. But let's stick it to workers again. Whatever you think about unions in general, I hope this is still starting to rub you at least a little the wrong way.

On top of all this, right when it looked like Wisconsin's Gov. Walker was going to lose this particular battle, the state GOP legislators pulled a rabbit out of their hat (or elsewhere), and just pushed through what they wanted. It was possibly against the law, and it is certainly unpopular. So, Walker will be a right-wing hero who is despised by everyone else. Maybe that's what he's going for.

[Excerpt]

Wisconsin GOP Strips Public Workers' Bargaining Rights

The Wisconsin Senate succeeded in voting Wednesday to strip nearly all collective bargaining rights from public workers, after Republicans outmaneuvered the chamber's missing Democrats and approved an explosive proposal that has rocked the state and unions nationwide. . .

Read more at: AOL

FOX "News" Shows Fake Footage for Wisconsin Protests

Palm trees. In Wisconsin.