Fast Blast: News 2.8.11

From alien tumors to dwindling rights, today is one helluva day for news stories. Here's your ADD news blast. Enjoy.

We come with cancer: A man underwent several hours of surgery to have a large tumor removed from his back, that apparently had tentacles, something doctors have never seen before, prompting the name "alien tumor." Scully, Moulder...we need you. (More on CNN.com)

Less rights, more patriotic: The House will vote today on extensions to the PATRIOT ACT, including allowing the FBI more leeway in wiretapping, access to library and other records (would really like to know what "other records" are), and drumroll please! Surveillance of "lone wolfs," i.e. people who have no connection with any terrorist organization...for example, me...I thought I felt like I'd lost something when I woke up this morning...huh, just more rights, par for the course. (More on democracynow.org)

Obama Inc.: Obama reached out to corporations today expressing his wishes to assist them in knocking down some irritating government barriers to their success...
"Now, another barrier government can remove—and I hear a lot about this from many of you—is a burdensome corporate tax code...
Which brings me to the last barriers we’re trying to remove, and those are outdated and unnecessary regulations. "
Yeah, fuck government regulations. Things work out so much better when we let corporations run rabid, inflate prices, knock down trade legislation...oh wait, no...that didn't work. For fuck's sake Obama, are you fucking kidding me?! I'm literally speechless. I'm sitting here staring at my keyboard wondering if there is any word in our vernacular that could express how fucking pissed I am...there isn't, so I'll move on. (More on democracynow.org)

Google power: Egyptian Google marketing executive, Wael Ghonim was released from a 12 day detention today, re-joining protestors at Tahrir square in Cairo. He is hailed as a key organizer in the online campaign against Mubarak that began the protests on January 25th. The internet has power, if wielded for things other than Farmville, porn and celebrity gossip. But fuck it, wacking off to the acquisition of a cyber farm is much more fun than starting a revolution...well, according to us Americans. (More on USAToday.com)

Paranoid DC: Washington DC lifted a 2 1/2 year ban on handguns, prompting more than 1,400 new registrations. The interesting fact: 90% of these new registrations were in the affluent neighbourhoods where crime is at an ALL TIME LOW. One man, who admitted he had never been a victim of a crime, said simply "You gotta be prepared." As a retired military man, he is. He now owns 2 revolvers, 2 semiautomatic pistols and a 12-gauge "combat assault shotgun." Hmmmm...are there fucking Zombies attacking Georgetown?! Did I miss that breaking news? Do the people living nearby him not also have the right to not live by a heavily armed loony tune claiming you gotta sleep with your eyes open? You're in fucking Georgetown. Since the handgun ban, crime has gone significantly down in the capital...oh, that's just a coincidence. Sargeant psycho will be ready and willing when those zombies come sneaking through his azaleas. Fucking christ. (More on Washingtonpost.com)

War-crafter: Chechen Warlord, Doku Umarov has claimed responsibility for the Moscow airport bombings, threatening more violence due to the "Russian crimes in the Caucasus." Caucasus and more specifically North Caucasus is a mountainous steppe region on the southern border of Russia whose history is marked with feuding clans and warring relations with Russia's government since Tsarist times. The region is mostly Muslim and Umarov has vowed "blood and tears" if Russia does not abandon and retreat from the North Caucasus region. His Jihad has two primary goals: to expel non-Muslims and implement sharia law, and to expand the jihad beyond the Caucasus. (More on Reuters.com)

Palin™: Sarah Palin is trying to trademark her name and that of her daughter, Bristol Palin. She was unfortunately denied due to the fact that she didn't sign her oh so special name on the forms. In her defense, I think it's still up for grabs whether she can read and write...maybe she could just sign an "X"...or hell, just put a target and crosshairs, that seems to be a trademark of hers already. (More on NYTimes.com)

Gluten free: China is experiencing and will continue to experience, a severe drought in the upcoming months, threatening not only drinking water for inhabitants and their livestock but also the wheat crop. China is the largest producer in the world of wheat - so grab some rolls while you can and start looking into some gluten-free options. You may need them. Also, while you're at it, build a bomb shelter and store some water - this fucked up international weather pattern can't bode well for any country or crop. (More on Washingtonpost.com)

Fast blast: News 1.19.11

I'm introducing a new news update. Since there's oh so much shit going on in the world, it's difficult to decide on just one topic to cover. Erego, I'm going to do periodic fast blasts, where I give updates on several news stories from the day, from various sources, bullet point style.
This way, you can get more info in less time so there's more time to go change the world.
Enjoy.

•Lieberman announces retirement: The Democratic turned independent turned Republican turned whatever the fuck he wants to be called has decided he's happy with what he's accomplished and won't be returning for another term in 2012. In 2000, he was Al Gore's running mate and 8 years later he ran across the aisle to support McCain - not my favorite guy in the world and certainly don't see eye to eye with him on everything, but his apparent ease at choosing his own values over his parties is a trend I'd like to see more of.
•Chinese President Hu visiting White House: In a seemingly more diplomatic and amicable meeting than the one in November, Hu and Obama hold a joint press conference discussing the two superpowers' diplomatic relationship. Obama said earlier today that this trip marks the foundation for the next 30 years of ties between the two countries. Of course, not to be outshone, Americas corporate interests (such as GE, Coca-Cola and Boeing) have made time with the presidents to discuss business deals with the US reaching more than $48 billion. Other topics on the table at tonight's state dinner include human rights, trade, currency and North Korea.
•Health Care bill up for repeal: The House will more than likely vote to repeal, the Senate won't. Either way, Obama will exercise his veto if it gets to him. Most Republicans have come to terms with the implausibility of a straight repeal but say they will try to cut funding to parts of the bill or eliminate specific provisions in the months ahead. Aka, Republicans will probably lose this battle, but they refuse to lose the fight in fucking you over. Democrats are always happy to help - welcome to your government :)
•Palin still on the war path: After suggestions that she should "sit down and shut up," Palin angrily contends that she won't. Unfortunately, even after her incendiary "blood libel" mishap and various other tweets, facebook posts and blogs, Palin's political career isn't dwindling as fast as respect for her is. She's a disaster, has no experience or real knowledge of national let alone international politics. However, her constituents represent the dangerous group of Americans who are exactly the same: not educated on social or political issues, don't care about international diplomacy, don't like change and cling to the rights they like and dismiss the ones that get in the way. If she gains a seat of any political power, our devolution as a country will take one giant leap closer to a deadly tail spin.
•Iran trigger happy with executions: Since the beginning of the year, Iran has executed 57 prisoners, averaging one every 8 hours. This is only the reported executions. The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran suggests that particularly Kurdish activists are among the many unreported hangings. The reasons why this sudden surge of executions is unclear, but it can only be assumed that Iran wants to show muscle, and indifference to UN and other human rights organizations.
•Bolivia pushes to lift ban on coca: The leaves which are used to make cocaine are currently on the UN's list of banned substances. Bolivians are pushing to have that revoked, saying that the leaves have health benefits. Of course the US will oppose this move at revocation. In my humble opinion, if you legalized all drugs that can be snorted, sniffed, popped, injected, and smoked, you could open up a billion dollar industry that would ultimately reduce crime, increase jobs and income and scale back at least some of our dependence on corporate drug companies' poison.

Oil spills, greed drills

Oh Obama...first nuclear power plants and now this. Who put weed in your cigarettes?

For those of you just joining us, allow me to introduce Obama's new plan to open up huge chunks of US coastal waters in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico to natural gas and oil drilling. This plan includes thrashing a 20 year ban on drilling off the Virginia coastline and opening up the Arctic Ocean off of Alaska's North Slope. A moratorium on drilling in the Gulf would be lifted, allowing nearly two-thirds of the available resources to be drilled.
At Maryland's Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility, Obama said, "This is not a decision that I've made lightly...Given our energy needs, in order to sustain economic growth and produce jobs and keep our businesses competitive, we're going to need to harness traditional sources of fuel even as we ramp up production of new sources of renewable, homegrown energy."

Hmmmmm...oil, nuclear power, and...you're stumping me on the "new sources of renewable, homegrown energy." I'm sure Exxon-Mobil is really excited, and that Shell is toasting your name on their yachts somewhere in South America. Meanwhile, back on the farm, a few concerned citizens and I are wondering where you draw the line.
I agree that our dependence on foreign oil is unacceptable. Our addiction has caused more damage than I think any of us can fathom. However, should that addiction be supplemented with a domestic dependence on non-renewable pollutants? What about all the jobs you could create with green energy? Why don't I hear any press conferences discussing plans for light rail systems between major cities, that would create thousands of jobs? Why don't I hear talk of building wind mills and solar panels, that would create thousands of jobs? It is 2010, right? I'm pretty sure that innovation has long surpassed the viscous mess that is oil. Why can't we wipe the gunk out of our eyes and get with the program? Wake up and smell the pollution!

Questions answered

I recently had a comment posted on one of my youtube videos with several important questions. I wanted to share those questions and my answers here on the blog. Continuously questioning people and ideologies around you and even in the mirror is vital to facilitating change.

The video focused on the Tea Party and former governor Palin being their ironic figurehead.

funkalunatic:
Palin's BS aside, what specifically do you mean by extremist? Isn't revolution as politically extreme as it gets? What should we be meeting in the middle of? What about people who want different things?

rooftoprevolutionary:

thanks for watching and the questions. an extremist to me is anyone who clings to one ideology with no willingness to hear arguments against their own viewpoints, or work with people who do not wholly adhere to one fanatical school of thought. meeting in the middle, in terms of leaving the left and right out of it. we're americans. our passports don't say republican or democrat. in reality, even those who are members of a party are moderate in their views, progressive in their thinking.
if we can be informed, active citizens, then i truly believe that we have the ability to facilitate change. we may all have different backgrounds, histories. i might want something from life that you don't. that doesn't matter. what matters is that i doubt either one of us wants to be fucked over by corporate america and the very people we put into power to help us, not abandon our needs and critical issues.
again, thanks for watching. hope to see you at our skype chat on sunday 14th, 5pm

Not Alice's Tea Party

I've been trying to wrap my head around the Tea Party for quite some time. As I said, I used to be a member until I found out that they had taken a bus to loony-ville and weren't coming back any time soon. The idea for the basis of this movement seemed good: concerned citizens pissed off about the fact that their government was spending money they didn't have on issues their constituents didn't profit from, monetarily or otherwise. That sounds like a good start to me.

There can be books written on the derailment of this good idea but I'm not gonna be the author. I just want to point out some things that alarm and concern me.
The movement is not fully coherent, there is not one leader, there are small groups of people that run their own versions across the country. They do not have a clear cut goal, unless you consider their blatant hatred for anything not outlined in the constitution a goal. Their ideology is based on right wing extremism, with a popular shirt sold at rallies stating: "Proud Right-Wing Extremist." They seem to have no ability to see or care about an opposing viewpoint. It's the good old fashioned, "You're either with us or against us" motif.

Now, I have a fear of any extremist, whether it be religious or secular. The reason being is that, like I said above, they offer no place for opposition, for questions to be raised. How do you know God exists? He just does Timmy, get your ass to church. Same thinking here. What's wrong with this country? It's a corrupt socialist money sucking liberal hot bed! Where's your proof? Shut up, I have a gun!

I wish that last bit were just a joking exaggeration. At a recent Tea Party rally, Richard Behney, a Republican Senate candidate, told Tea Party supporters his plan if the 2010 elections didn't swing in his favor: “I’m cleaning my guns and getting ready for the big show. And I’m serious about that, and I bet you are, too.”
On ResistNet.com, a Tea Party supporting blog, "fellow patriots" are encouraged to "grab their guns." Just one day after Stack crashed a plane into an Austin IRS office, Minnesota governor, Tim Pawlenty, told a group of Tea Partiers to take a page from Tiger Woods’s wife's book and “take a 9-iron and smash the window out of big government in this country." Tea Party hero and Minnesota congresswoman, said she wanted “people in Minnesota armed and dangerous." In Texas, the Tea Party gubenatorial sweetheart, reminded folks at a rally that “the tree of freedom is occasionally watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots.”

These are just a few examples. Now, this scares the shit out of me already. But just wait, the plot thickens.
“I voted twice and I failed political science twice,” said Darin Stevens, leader of the Spokane 9/12 Project, Glenn Beck's pet project closely tied to the Tea Party.
Another Tea Partier, Leah Southwell’s admits that “I knew zero about the Constitution," having until recently been a top Mary Kay sales rep.

Ok, so here's how I'm reading this. Let me know if you think I'm off: Tea Partiers are turning to increasingly more violent rhetoric with increasingly less knowledge of their country or its past and what brought it to its current state of affairs that they are so ready to overthrow. Hmmmmm...They don't even seem to realize that one of their champions (Palin) used to be the running mate of a man they think is way too liberal (McCain)!

If you check out a previous post of mine, it shows a link to a video of a man interviewing some of Palin's supporters outside of a book signing. They know DICK about ANYTHING. It is absolutely amazing that they stand outside waiting to meet someone they know nothing about yet blindly support.

We are royally fucked (even more so than now) if the Tea Party movement ever reaches a place where it is legitimately considered a viable political party and not a cult.
Do we have no answer to this? Do we have no response to the "Proud Right-Wing Extremists?"

What do Palin supporters sound like?

A video I found on youtube. Some of the commentary is a little leftist but the main point is a good one. Why do you support what you support? Do you think for yourself? Do you know who your government is and what they're doing?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27QTX46XNLM

Extremist Ideologies NOT what we need

Here's the link to my next video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgpApiKLCV8

I discuss extremist ideologies and their adverse effect on the US, using Palin and the Tea Party Nation as examples, since the convention and her keynote speech are still fresh news.

Tea Party

Here's my latest video blog entry. This one is on the Tea Party Movement which is currently convening in Washington DC.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnfboemxoJk