Go here. Recognize this.

There is this bizarre syndrome where Republicans claim that every event is good for them, pundits echo that, and Democrats internalize it to the point of being paralyzed with fear. If there is no terrorist attack, that helps Republicans because it shows Bush is protecting us. If there is a terrorist attack, that helps Republicans because it makes Americans focus on terrorism again. If Osama bin Laden is silent, that helps Republicans because it shows he has to hide. If he releases a video tape, that helps Republicans because it puts the focus back on terrorism. Bush supporters and pundits, in unison, will insist that virtually every issue is a win-win politically for the Republicans, even as Republicans suffer political collapse.

Thing is-- people aren't buying it anymore.

Spidey, I like.
Iron Man? COOL.
The Hulk? Not so much.

Your results:
You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man 75% Iron Man 65% The Flash 55% Hulk 50% Green Lantern 45% Superman 45% Supergirl 40% Robin 40% Catwoman 30% Batman 20% Wonder Woman 15%

You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

You've noticed, I'm sure, that the posting here has been very light-- The lovely and talented Mrs. B has been in hospital for the last few days for a just diagnosed heart condition.

That's where my mind has been lately.

And to establish her bonafides, while she doesn't loathe/hate/despise the right-wing assholes quite as much as I do (she is, after all, a lady), she's still a good "lefty" and deserving of best wishes.

A couple of quick thoughts:

Fire Bruce Arena. Please.

Somebody, please, bitch-slap that asshole Karl Rove.

And what fool thinks a group of poor-ass, broke-ass guys in Miami were a credible terrorist threat? Swede Jesus (that's that blonde, blue-eyed first-century Jewish carpenter, can you dig it?) is this an indicator that they're that desperate? Or that the American people are that fucking stupid???

Star Trek Cribs - The Director's Cut

Now, I've always been a fan of Classic ("Prime Directive? What the fuck is that?")Trek.

But who knew Spock had it goin' on like this?

Ever the oilman, Mr. Bush thinks in terms of dollars per barrel. And, while listening to Ed Schultz today, he had more than one conservobot caller talk about how the rebuilding of Iraq should be paid for by Iraqi oil; that the war itself will be paid for by Iraqi oil.

"You can measure progress in terms of oil sold on the market..."

Dumb bastards.

To even think about harnessing that rich vein of black gold, you have to secure the infrastructure. If you can't pump it, pipe it, load it and ship it, it's all but worthless.

That infrastructure is... a target. Every wellhead, every pumping station, every remote section of pipe, every tanker truck and every tanker ship has a big bullseye painted on it's side.

Systems Disruption "consists of simple attacks (using ad hoc weapons) on critical nodes of infrastructure -- oil, gas, electricity, water, etc. These attacks, if properly targeted, can cause cascades of failure that sweep entire systems."

Look, they've got to believe that anything the new Iraqi government knows, at least one faction of violent actors also knows. After all, they only let the Prime Minister know that George was coming 'til five minutes before the meeting.

"Mr. Allawi, you will be meeting with the President of the United States in five minutes." "WHAT? Beard of the prophet, I'm not ready! I have no notes! I don't have an agenda! What the... Mr. President, it is so good to see you...")

They didn't tell him because some faction or other would have known within hours. They didn't tell him because if the wrong faction had the right information, they would have whacked Our Boy George if they had to sacrifice themselves in droves to do it. And if our security people believe they're capable of that, despite the undoubtedly formidable defensive ring around him, they're surely capable of blowing up a few bits of infrastructure.

"He who can destroy a thing, controls a thing."

Such weaseldicks.

I just love how right wing assholes pretend evenhandedness. I mean, look-- Hillary's not my favorite candidate; I'm on record as being in favor of grabbing Al Gore by the neck and telling him in no uncertain terms that he is the goddamn candidate. But when shit-for-brains like John Hawkins, writing in a shit-smeared rag like Human Events tries to tell us what a bad candidate Hill would make:

Hillary is carrying around as much baggage as any of the other five candidates combined, starting with her philandering husband. In fact, there are so many controversies that have swirled around Bill and Hill than you can hardly list them all: Gennifer Flowers, Monica Lewinsky, Paula Jones, Kathleen Willey, Juanita Broderick, Whitewater, selling the Lincoln bedroom, using the IRS against political enemies, selling pardons, taking the White House furniture, shady cattle futures deals, impeachment, firing the travel office staff to make room for cronies, it goes on and on and on. Discount these scandals as old news if you like, but the American people are going to think long and hard before they vote to turn the White House into the sort of sleazy circus sideshow that it was during Bill Clinton’s tenure as President.

Oh, that is just fucking rich.

Hey, dumbfuck-- have you noticed the thousands of dead bodies around George Bush's tenure?

Fucking lying sacks of shit. I really hate the fuckers.

(sigh)

Meanwhile-- how 'bout them Spaniards? Opened 'em up a can of Spanish Whoopass on Ukraine. Makes me feel a little better that someone lost more ignominiously than USA did last Monday.

While the Brazilians just coast along, secure in the knowledge that the road to the Cup goes through Brasil. What fun!

So, I was listening to Big Eddie Schultz on my drive home yesterday. When I tuned to Radio Free Ohio (there's a free plug, fellas, use it with care) Big Ed was launching into some deep ramble about the "middle class" and how the middle class would still be there after the Rove story was over.

Ed's phrasing wasn't memorable, but one thing stuck with me-- the middle class is working harder and paid less. And that resonated with me, because I'm just another workin' stiff (yeah, I work in front of a computer screen most of the day and move symbols around, but I still gotta get paid so's my mortgage banker can get his cut, y'dig?)

In my work I do get around. And I talk to a lot of people in a lot of plants and companies and towns and cities and it seems like every goddamn one of us is bustin' his ass.

Every time there's another announcement of layoffs from somewhere, believe me, some hard workin' bitches and sonsabitches are all gonna be feelin' a little nervous. And once there's the blood has been let, those who remain don't have a lot of time to celebrate their survival. The work still has to be done, and if you don't want to follow your late and lamented former colleagues out the door, you damn well better pick it up.

If, on the other hand, you're one of those who either through luck, inheritance, or marriage (the reward for hard work isn't riches-- it's always more hard work), the changes wrought over the last few decades have been really helpful.

The American economy has been given over more and more to capital, and it's close enough to equate that with money. Wealth. Moolah. Cash. Paper (who thought up that fucked up nickname? It's worse than the 60's "bread," fer Ghod's sake).

Dem what has gets, dem what don't, don't.

Taxes on capital have been shrunk, shrunk, and shrunk again. The Republicans have made taxes on capital Enemy Number One. Inheritance taxes? Uh, no, those are "death taxes" and to be abhorred as though they were the cause of death themselves.

So-- if your income comes from your ownership of "capital," you've seen your tax rates go down faster than a transgender hooker in the back of Hugh Grant's car.

If your income comes from "the sweat of your brow," on the other hand, you're gonna get taxed at the fullest possible rate.

Higher tax rates for the working person; far lower job security for the working person-- while the trustafarians talk about strangling government in the bathtub.

Lately I've been hearing the old Communist rallying cry in my head- "Workers of world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!"

And speaking of wanting women to die for having sex-- the AngryBlackBitch calls this shit exactly what it is-- War:

A long while ago some asshole decided to comment rather dismissively on one of my posts because a bitch had the audacity to term the current abstinence only non-sexual sex education push as a deliberate war on women.

This bitch is on record…if it walks like it and talks like it call it what it is.

Loves me a bitch.

"We want women to die for having sex."

At least, that's what the Family Research Council would say if they were being honest with themselves and the rest of us.

Watched USA vs. the Czech Republic today; ran out on work and down to the local wing joint to sit with a bunch of guys who generally didn't know shit about soccer (like me) but still wanted to root for the Our Side.

And Our Side played like shit. I'm no expert. Hell, I'm utterly incompetent, having never really even played the game-- but even I could see that the American side's passing was poor, that they showed no spark, that there was no aggressiveness, bloody little willingness to attack the goal... well, it was depressing.

Thank God for beer.