Politics: Where we struggle to kneel in the muck.

[andViolins]

Originally posted by Secret_Agent_Man
In fairness, the likely "murder" was off-screen and is the ocre of the big mystery, and I haven't noticed any drugs or physical violence. What did I miss?

I admit that I did not see last Sunday's episode, but drugs do appear to be possible:

http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com...142&story=6990

aV

[sgtclub]

The Kerry campaign is getting more and more desperate.

Now comes word that a Kerry spokesman is criticizing top Republican officials for getting flu shots ("Cheney Got Flu Shot, Aides Say, Citing Heart Issue"). Reuters quotes the Kerry campaign as follows:

The Kerry campaign accused the Bush administration of "telling Americans to keep calm" while top officials like [Vice President Dick] Cheney and Treasury Secretary John Snow get their flu shots.
"Once again the Bush administration proves that it is the 'Do as we say, not as we do' White House," Kerry campaign spokesman Phil Singer said.


Drudge is saying that Senate Majority leader Bill Frist's decision to get vaccinated has also come under fire by the Kerry team.

There's only one teensy-weensy problem with the Kerry campaign's argument: Cheney, Snow, and Frist are all high-risk as defined by the CDC. Cheney has heart disease. Frist is a practicing physician. (According to this article, Frist spends many weekends practicing at free clinics in Washington DC and in Tennessee.) Snow is 65 years old.

If Kerry has any integrity he will retract his staffer's smear and promptly apologize to Cheney, Snow, and Frist.

Update: The New York Daily News reports that Bill Clinton got his flu shot ("Flu gotta have connections!"). Still waiting for a condemnation from Kerry.

Drumwaster's Rants writes, "Ugh...if this is the best this "campaign" can do, it's all over."

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by Not Bob
Are you serious? That is such a classic case of attempted intimidation. The message -- we know who you are, we are watching you, and we don't like what you are doing. What else could it be? And the fact that Podunkville PD takes my picture at a union picket line, but not if I'm at the county commissioner's Blockbuster blockade tells me that some political speech is considered by the people who can arrest me as acceptable, while other speech is not. Jesus.

Funny you should mention this (pictures of protestors/crowds etc). In Chicago, groups of local democrats are being organized go to Wisconsin for campaigning. Every saturday morning, a bunch of guys show up and get on busses and they go to Wisconsin.

Some people I know in Chicago were thinking of going and filing ["filming"? -- t.s.] these guys, their cars, and the busses at the departure point. Speculation is that some of these people may be campaigning on city or county time. Its happened before, numerous times. The thinking is more along the lines of, hey, this would make great evidence if these people are actually doing something wrong as we suspect.

Similarly, lawbreaking has been known to occur disproportionately at union picket lines, but who wants to keep the riot squad permanently deployed? Much easier to just keep a film to document the evidence. Its not like the strikers are wearing hoodies.

OTOH, I can't remember too many times hearing about politial speeches by politicians ending in violence. Except for that West Virginia republican whose kids keep getting mugged by democratic union worker supporters when they hold up protest signs.

Anyhoo, sure there's a rational justification for this. Its easier to take movies of groups of known and suspected would-be criminals before they commit a crime, than to keep the riot squads on them 24/7. This is efficient government at its best.

Do they film democratic politicians when they are speaking?

[baltassoc]

Originally posted by Not Bob
I'm not even talking about birth control. Simple stuff. Men and women. Women have eggs, men have sperm. The two mix when you have sex. This is how babies are born, so sex equals possible pregnancy. And diseases, some of which are not curable.

My kid knows this stuff. But her friends might not. And not only do I not want kids raising kids, I don't want them to have abortions. I don't want to pay for their ignorance in AFDC or in all of the other social problems caused by babies born to single teen parents.

But we can't explain this in the schools here.

Back in high school, I was on the newspaper staff and interviewed a dozen or so teen mothers for an article on teen pregnancy.

Of the girls I talked to, most claimed to have believed some story or another about why they couldn't get pregnant ("can't on your first time", "I'll pull out before," etc.). But most disturbing was the 15 year old who (it appeared to me) genuinely did not understand at the time of her baby's conception that she was in fact have "sex." She was, admittedly, not the brightest bulb in the drawer, but she had also never been explained the basic functioning of the human body. She knew what she was doing with her boyfriend was "bad" but not that it was going to lead to her having a baby. My school system, at the time, had basic sex ed, but allowed parents to opt their kids out, which her parents had. I understand from my mother that sex ed was recently taken out completely.

I'll agree to take sex ed out of schools when the parents can prove they've adequately instructed their children on such basic matters of living.

The story, detailing the life of a 12 year old mother and a 17 year old mother each trying to balance baby and school, with a sidebar on birth control methods, was killed by the principal. Why my crazy journalism teacher thought the school would let me run it is another story, but whatever.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me

But the question is begged, why did people believe them when they stepped forward? In different places all over the world, some dude steps forward and says the Creator just spoke to him, and people buy into it. Its like, like, we want to believe in something.

It's commonly understood in sociological and anthropological studies that people buy into it because they need to answer the question of why we die. If life on this Earth is all there is, and after that we all become worm food, then what's the point of it all? The Creator myth gives our death a reason, and, by implication, our life a reason.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by sgtclub
I am. I just don't know what has been censored by the social conservatives. The only thing I can remember is the Howard Stern fines, but those occured during both DEM and GOP administrations so I'm not sure it is a really a social conservative issue.

Edwin Meese?

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Not Bob

Then the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Podunkville (it ain't just the Baptists -- sometimes it's the pastor of the Evagelical Church of Jesus, or the pastor of the Liberty Christian Church, etc.) goes apeshit. He gathers the forces, and they testify at the council hearings on how sacred Sunday is, and do "we" want people going to bars instead of churches at 9 am on Sunday mornings, and shouldn't the Sabbath be kept as a day of rest?, and maybe some God-fearing people need to run for council come the next election.

Well, you see, the best way to deal with this sort of fellow, since reminding him of the separation of church and State will fall on deaf ears, is the following:

March down to the next council meeting with a large pitcher of margaritas and some plastic cups. When this fellow concludes his rant, announce that you're having a backyard potluck brunch on Sunday with free bloody marys. Then offer the entire room a margarita.

[Bad_Rich_Chic]

Originally posted by sgtclub [Flu-shot barbs]

Jeezus. And people wonder why I can't bring myself to vote for these jackasses.

[baltassoc]

Originally posted by sgtclub
Administration officials get flu shots, Kerry wrong to criticize.

FWIW, I think the criticism is wrong here. And I think the calls on Congress to not get shots unless they fall into high risk are bad as well -- as the doctor quoted by NPR put it, these folks shake a lot of hands, and are also prone to visit nursing homes and hospitals. They're walking disease vectors.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
It's because she's a pompous, insulated aristocrat wannabe.

[stp]

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by taxwonk
It's commonly understood in sociological and anthropological studies that people buy into it because they need to answer the question of why we die. If life on this Earth is all there is, and after that we all become worm food, then what's the point of it all? The Creator myth gives our death a reason, and, by implication, our life a reason.

I donno know about you, but I want it to be over when its over. If I wake up somewhere else and there's a whole new gig I have to deal with, I'm not going to be happy.

I'm just peachy with the notion of there being two states: consciousness and unconsciousness. I've faced serious illness. There's a comfort in thinking "Well, fuck it. Its done at least. The endorphins rush in, you halluciante and then the lights go out. If there's something else, you'll find out quickly. If not, selah."

All religion derives from fear - its the hedge against death. My favorite argument from the pious is "You cannot disprove the existence of God - therefore, my view is as valid as your atheism." Well, I can't disprove the existence of the Loch Ness Monster or that aliens visit the planet regularly either. Then, of course, the pious lecture me about "faith".

I believe in some all creating force on the logical premise that something had to start this whole gig. But I ain't crazy enough or arrogant enough to think its got some compact with mankind or there's some great repository of souls waiting for me when I finally die in a fiery wreck talking on my cell phone while trying to eat a burrito and navigate through rush hour traffic.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
today, in part because I wasn't here to chastise, several "Caption" posts were made. all but one were too lame to be proper. Before today i would have suggested sending a proposed photo via PM to ty to see if it made the grade. alas it is now clear Ty can't be relied upon.

Not to get all Paigow, but you all really should be more prudent in selecting a photo. Question: Is the photo one that truly sets up humorous potential, or is it merely of someone you like to laugh at? you're all adults. i will leave it to each of you....for the time being.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by sgtclub
If Kerry has any integrity he will retract his staffer's smear and promptly apologize to Cheney, Snow, and Frist.

If W had any integrity he would resign.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by sgtclub
Please tell me how the how social GOP affects your daily life in an adverse way. Abortion is legal. What other complaints do you have.

Ten years ago, my favorite radio station didn't have to beep out the word "shit" or similar words appearing in some songs. Now they do it regularly. It's not a major intrusion in my life, but, then again, the people who forced the change didn't listen to the Clash, Pearl Jam, or Eric Burdon then and they don't now.

I find it ridiculous that a movie shown on a basic cable station has to be hacked up but if it's on HBO, it's not censored.

Five years ago, it would have been inconcievable that Jose Padilla would be locked up in prison for months without access to counsel or without being charged with a crime. I realize this isn't my daily life. But then, Jose isn't free to answer this question for himself.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by baltassoc
FWIW, I think the criticism is wrong here. And I think the calls on Congress to not get shots unless they fall into high risk are bad as well -- as the doctor quoted by NPR put it, these folks shake a lot of hands, and are also prone to visit nursing homes and hospitals. They're walking disease vectors.

I agree with the members of Congress, but I'm not so certain that congressional staffers should be able to get to the front of the 'flu shot line as well.