So what will everyone be on Halloween? Who is going to parties? Who has a yard sign? Inquiring minds want to know.
What the F**(Fox)!!!
What the Fox! Oh for Fox sake! Its the weekend. Time for a little Fox-opinu-tainment with our favorite Stewart, John, of Comedy Central, who outdoes himself this time.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| For Fox Sake! | ||||
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My biggest problem with the war Fox is waging is that it destroys confidence. During the Depression and WWII, FDR continually spoke to the American people, reassuring them. He tried to paint a rosy picture, perhaps rosier than it should have been.
Much has been made since those days about the fireside chat mentality of the era. People felt reassured by their president on a weekly basis. However, back then there was no 24 hour news. News was a family time, when the family all gathered around a huge ugly radio and they listened. And the president spoke. It didn’t matter if those listening were Democrats or Republicans. They listened and somehow gained a little more positive outlook on the week ahead.
After a day of Fox News, I just feel despondent, like the world is coming to an end and that it is 2012 on Mayan calendar. The doom and gloom of the country is just oppressively hanging in the air because this dark picture has been painted for hours.
How the $%^&*() are we ever going to gain confidence and assurance in our country if we continue to hear how it is headed for financial ruin and socialism an any other vile condition you don’t want attributed to your country? It appears American people have no chance of showing their true mettle because too many have fallen victim to the pessimism of this news channel that seeks to destroy a presidency.
Rally Round the Blue Virginians –October 30
5:45 PM IN MANASSAS – GET OUT THE VOTE CAMPAIGN EVENT. Sen. Deeds will join supporters and voters for a campaign event in Manassas. Sen. Creigh Deeds will speak to supporters about the importance of getting out the vote on November 3.
When: 5:45 PM
Where: City Tavern (upstairs)
9405 Main Street
Manassas, VA
Senators Mark Warner, Jim Webb, and Governor Tim Kaine will join Creigh Deeds, along with Jody Wagner and Steve Shannon. Supporters are asked to be there by 5:30-5:45.
Local Author to Hold Reading and Book Signing-Poems from the Battlefield
Press Release:
Prince William County author Katherine Gotthardt will hold a reading and book signing of her newly released collection Poems from the Battlefield on Sunday, November 1, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. at Manassas Museum, 9101 Prince William Street, Manassas, VA.
A portion of the proceeds from book sales will be donated to support local and national parks as well as historic preservation efforts.Poems from the Battlefield captures unique aspects of the Civil War in Manassas and Prince William County, Virginia. Using persona, metaphor, photos and quotes, Gotthardt brings readers from contemporary park experiences back to the days of the Civil War, offering multiple perspectives and insight. Alongside historic themes, the poems touch upon anti-war sentiments, feminism, diversity and humanitarianism.
ESPN Bob Griese in Big Trouble
Sports announcer for ESPN, Bob Griese, has been suspended for a week for making racist remarks.
During the Ohio State/Minnesota football game, NASCAR drivers were shown. Someone asked where Juan Carlos Montoya was. Griese answered he was out having a taco.
The Associated Press reports:
(AP) ESPN broadcaster Bob Griese has been suspended one week for a remark he made about NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya.
ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz says Griese will not be working a game this week.
Krulewitz says ESPN has spoken to Griese and “he understands the comment was inappropriate.”
During ESPN’s broadcast of the Minnesota-Ohio State game Saturday, a graphic was shown listing the top five drivers in NASCAR’s points race. Fellow analyst Chris Spielman asked where was Montoya, who is Colombian.
Griese replied he was “out having a taco.”
He has twice apologized on air for the remark.
Montoya is declining to comment on Griese’s suspension. He brushed off the remark Sunday, and said he’d never heard of Griese.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/27/bob-griese-suspended-for-_n_335070.html
Is this comment and subsequent suspension much ado about nothing? Are we just getting way too sensitive as a society? Has PC taken over our lives? Yea, it was a stupid comment for sure but was it harmful?
How does this compare to say, making a comment about watermelon if he was speaking about any black player in the NFL? When put in those terms, suddenly the taco remark takes on a bit more of a punch. All of a sudden that taco grows before my eyes.
On the other hand, Bob Griese did apologize twice on the air. People misspeak. People say stupid things, often things they don’t intend. We all remember what we thought we heard from Bob McDonnell. One week isn’t too bad. It is symbolic. I think we can forgive Bob Griese.
“Patrols boosted at Jewish temple after attack”
There has been a shooting at a Temple in Los Angeles, click here for more details. Apparently two men were injured, but are recovering in the hospital, with no life threatening injuries. The police have arrested a 17 year old suspect. This act is being treated as a hate crime due to the lack of any other motive. This Temple is not far from the site where children were gunned down at a Jewish Community Center.
As a matter of fact, ADL is holding a Concert Against Hate, honoring one of the survivors of that tragedy, Mindy Finkelstein and the postal worker, Joseph Ileto, who was killed during the summer of hate.
LOS ANGELES – A gunman shot and wounded two men in the parking garage of a San Fernando Valley synagogue early Thursday and Jewish schools and temples were put on alert in case it was not an isolated attack.
Shayan Yaghoubi, 13, was walking with his mother to the synagogue’s adjoining school but wasn’t allowed to cross the police line.
“The cops told us we can’t go,” he said. “I feel very bad because this is my favorite school … I have a lot of friends over there. I hope everyone is OK. There’s never been a problem with fighting.”
The attack occurred 10 miles from Jewish community center where white supremacist Buford Furrow wounded three children, a teenager and an adult, in 1999. Furrow later killed a Filipino letter carrier on another street.
Furrow, who is serving a life sentence without chance of parole, told the Daily News of Los Angeles in a letter last month that he had renounced his racist views and regretted the pain he had caused.
More Bad Fox Manners
More Bad Fox Manners Except for Shep, that title should read. Fox Anchor Gregg Jarrett showed his anger at Rep. Rob Andrew over the weekend. He definitely left his professionalism somewhere else. Brief synopsis from Huffingtonpost.com:
During a debate on police powers, insurance, and the Constitution, Andrews who appeared with Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) found himself talked over and unable to make his point.
“Can we have just a minute of ‘Fair & Balanced’ here, just as an exception?” Andrews asked, as Blackburn chuckled.
Given the accusations swirling from the White House that Fox News is not a legitimate news organization, Jarrett did not take the swipe lightly.
“Congressman Andrews, I’m not gonna let you get away with that because I asked a very tough question of your colleague Marsha Blackburn and you know it,” Jarrett said. “And that’s a cheap shot and I’m not gonna put up with it here.”
Jarrett promptly concluded the interview
On the other hand, if you don’t want to be called out over ‘fair and balanced,’ don’t talk over people.
How absolutely, totally rude. The combative interview practices need to cease.
Contrast the Gregg Jarrett’s behavior to the darling of Anti, Shepherd Smith:
The video speaks for itself. Shep Smith is just a class act.
SJHS Students to Appeal Expulsion Decision
On August 25, Anti-bvbl had a post on students who had spelled out racial slurs and statements using sod up at Sinclair Elementary School. (See Link) Since that day, the 6 students who were involved in this incident have been long term suspended or expelled for a calendar year. On Wednesday, 4 of these 6 students will appeal the decision of the School Board to have them removed from school for a year.
According to the Washington Post:
Officials said that six boys used pieces of landscaping sod to form a swastika and spell out “KKK” and “white power” in a parking lot at Sinclair Elementary School in the Manassas area. They have been suspended from school since the Aug. 25 incident, said Roach, whose 14- and 16-year-old sons were among the group.
A committee of three school board members is to decide in a closed meeting Wednesday whether to follow the recommendation of another school system panel and expel them for the rest of the year, said Roach, who called that punishment “unjust.”
Four of the students were arrested and charged with vandalism, said Sgt. Kim Chinn, a Prince William police spokeswoman, but she couldn’t say which ones. Roach said she didn’t think any of the six had been charged
At some point, we have to ask ourselves what the point is of a year long expulsion. The students were not on school time. Sure they vandalized a school parking lot. If we look at time, cost and effort to repair their damages, unless the grass was killed, it was an easy fix. We also need to look at the impact of keeping 6 kids out of school for a year.
The words were stupid and inappropriate. Kids do things like that. They also say bad words and spell out countraband on calculators. Some even make Elmo say bad words. Are these things worth losing a year of education? I am not so sure PWC School Board isn’t on overkill on this one.
[UPDATE: 10/29/09 insidenova.com]
Four Stonewall Jackson High School students who admitted to creating racist symbols with sod in the parking lot of a Manassas area middle school (sic) were expelled for at least the rest of this semester after their appeals were heard by the Prince William County School Board Disciplinary Committee on Wednesday.
Correction: The incident took place at Sinclair Elementary School.
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Is It Ever OK to Call a Woman a Whore? NO
Congressman Alan Grayson has been mouth-flashing again.
Every video of this mouth flash has been disabled. (in the place of the embed code: Embedding disabled by request) Here is a copy of the transcript:
REP. ALAN GRAYSON, D-FLA.: Here I am the only member of Congress who actually worked as an economist, and this lobbyist, this K Street whore, is trying to teach me about economics.
So many questions, so little time.
- Why is Rep. Grayson allowed to ‘take it back?’
- Why is he so special that a video of him being a rude ass has been ‘deleted’ for all practical purposes?
- How do these remarks differ from what Don Imus said?
- Will Grayson get the same treatment from his colleagues that Wilson was given?
Apparently Rep. Grayson was on a radio show and was speaking about Linda Robertson, a lobbyist and advisor for Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke.
According to Politico:
Republicans and Democrats slammed Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) for calling Linda Robertson, an adviser to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, a “K Street whore” in a month-old radio interview that circulated on Capitol Hill Monday night.
“There’s no call for that language. No call for it. That’s absurd. If he was standing here now, I’d say that to him,” said Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.)
“He’s out of control,” added Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who is vice chairwoman of the House Republican Conference.
The remarks are the latest to surface in a string of controversial statements by Grayson, who said on the Alex Jones radio show that he believes Robertson, a former Enron lobbyist, is not qualified to pass judgment on intricate financial matters.
It’s clear that his colleagues’ opinion of him has suffered.
“Is this news to you that this guy’s one fry short of a Happy Meal?” asked Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.)
House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer defended Robertson, whom he said he knows.
“I think it’s inappropriate and unfair,” the Maryland Democrat said. He decried the “heated rhetoric” that he said interferes with the ability solve problems.
Late last month, Grayson said Republicans’ health care plans were for Americans to “die quickly.”
Steny Hoyer needs to learn that there are just some things you don’t call women. ‘Whore’ is one of those things.
Grayson issued the following apology:
“I offer my sincere apology,” Grayson said in a statement, just hours after his spokesman defended his comments. “I did not intend to use a term that is often, and correctly, seen as disrespectful of women.”
Husband Joins Army To Ensure Cancer Stricken Wife Gets Insurance
Had the husband not lost his job, would he have joined the armed forces? I highly doubt it. Apparently he had always wanted to join, so in some ways, this story is not necessarily an unhappy ending. However, there are THOUSANDS of Americans in just this dire predicament, uninsured, sick, and without health insurance, because they have been jobless for an extended period of time. This couple has been married more than two decades and yet she will find herself, fighting this very deadly cancer, without her loving husband.
Corrections Officers Charged with Dog Fondling
Five Virginia corrections officers have been charged with animal cruelty for filming the ‘bad touching’ of a german shepherd training in the k-9 unit. Apparently one of the newer men was the ‘handler’ and the others video taped the event and egged him on.
Do we seriously want these creeps as correction officers? It sounds to me like they are in training for Abu Gharib prison. 2 of the men have either resigned or been terminated.
Legally speaking though, is this animal cruelty? What statutes are on the books for this one? I had no idea fondling animals was against the law. I guess it just wasn’t something I had give much thought to. What makes people do things like this? Is SA right? Is this a sign of a permissive society? Or, has this kind of behavior always existed and there were fewer ways to document it?
On one level, is this just ridiculous! On another level, there is something very disturbing about this incident. Prisoners and k-9 dogs are both at the mercy of these people. What does getting caught fondling a dog and video taping the incident say about personal judgement? Will this kind of judgement be used when working with prisoners? How soon will a law suit be filed because of one of these clowns if allowed to work for the state? Finally, is this the best we can do as a society?
To wit:
Grimes suggested Beasley would have a difficult time proving animal cruelty.
“The statute is not set up to deal with this type of thing. I don’t think the legislature quite had this in mind,“ he said.
Beasley said the misdemeanor charge for each defendant was the same, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
“They were all kind of there assisting in one way or the other,“ he said.
In Virginia, bestiality is covered by crimes against nature, which could have resulted in a felony charge, according to state statutes. But a felony charge requires “carnal knowledge” of a “brute beast,“ implying intercourse, said Beasley, who added that he consulted with the state veterinarian’s office before filing the charges.
Trial is set for Nov. 20 for all except Webb, who will be tried Dec. 11.Asked if he knew why the officers videotaped the incidents, Beasley replied: “I don’t have the slightest idea — I really don’t.“
Grimes is one of the accused’s attorney.
Beasley is the Powhattan County Commonwealth’s Attorney.
And Paul Ebert thought HE had problems with the Bobbitt case!
Feature story in News and Messenger
So as we ponder why it is illegal to walk around naked while home alone, let’s also ponder pet fondling. This place is just getting too kinky for me.
Good News /Bad News on the Gang Front
There is both good news and bad news on the gang front. The bad news is that gangs are creeping down into middle schools and they have become the new epicenters for gang recruitment as well as gang activity. Middle schoolers are typically aged 11-15.
The good news is that gang activity and crime have dropped since 2004. In 2007, gang offenses in public schools were down 37%. Much of the good news is attributed to the efforts of the Northern Virginia Gang Task Force.
In releasing the Northern Virginia Comprehensive Gang Assessment, a study of the region’s gang activity from 2003 to 2008, officials emphasized that although middle school gang activity is a concern, gangs are less of a problem in Northern Virginia and its schools than they are elsewhere. They credited the task force and a strong regional economy.
The Naked Truth: He said/She said
The wife of a Fairfax County police officer has filed charges against a man for being naked in his own home. Apparently the woman cut through Eric Williamson’s yard while walking her boy to school and said she saw him naked at a door and again walking past a window.
Williams says he was in his own house and had no clue anyone could see him. Nevertheless, he was arrested and led away in cuffs for indecent exposure.
According to WTOP:
Channel 5 reports the woman and 7-year-old boy who saw him naked apparently had cut through Williamson’s front yard from a nearby path.
Williamson says he didn’t know anyone could see him.
“If I stood and seemed comfortable in my kitchen, it’s natural. It’s my kitchen,” Williamson tells Channel 5.
Williamson says his roommates were not home when he came into the kitchen and made his coffee.
Fairfax County Police say they believed Williamson wanted to be seen naked by the public.
Williamson, a father of a 5-year old girl, said he plans to fight the charge.
“There is not a chance on this planet I would ever, ever, ever do anything like that to a kid,” he says
How does a court ever sort this out? It really is a case of she said/he said. I guess this is why it is a good idea to walk around with a digital camera. I would like to know if this woman has experienced someone exposing himself to her in the past. Williamson is understandably outraged.
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Should Same-Sex Marriage Become Legal in D.C.?
Monday the D.C. Council will begin the final debate on whether to legalize same sex marriage in the District of Columbia. According to the Washington Post:
After months of strategizing, the debate over whether the District should legalize same-sex marriage is entering its final stages as a council committee takes up the issue Monday. Hundreds have signed up to testify, setting the stage for one of the largest council hearings ever, officials said. Another hearing Monday is scheduled before the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics, which must decide whether to allow a ballot initiative on whether marriage in the District should be restricted to unions involving one man and one woman.
To get an initiative on the ballot, its supporters must convince the elections board that their proposal would not discriminate against gay men and lesbians. Most legal observers expect the board will deny the request. This summer, the board rejected a referendum proposal to block the city from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states.
Protestors and supporters of same sex marriage have signed up to speak. The Council is expected to approve same sex marriage before Christmas.
Because of the location and uniqueness of Washington, D.C., whatever happens will very much affect Virginia, Maryland, and other near-by states. Much of what the Council will consider involves protection of churches and clergymen who oppose same-sex marriage.
Some of the testimony will center on whether the bill, which is sponsored by council member David A. Catania (I-At Large), goes far enough in exempting religious groups and affiliated organizations from having to participate in same-sex weddings.
Under the draft before the committee, churches and religious officials would not have to marry same-sex couples. Religious organizations could also deny reception space and other services to same-sex couples “unless the entity makes such services, accommodations, or goods available for purchase, rental, or use to members of the general public.”
Other than symbolism, how does same-sex marriage change anything? Since D.C. is not a state, can the federal government impose any sort of sanctions on what they might be getting ready to do? Would only those same-sex couples who reside in D.C. be able to actually benefit from marriage?
Should the legislation pass making same-sex marriage legal in D.C., should same-sex couples be entitled to everything traditional married couples are entitled to? If someone doesn’t approve of inter-racial marriage, are they allowed to opt out? Can’t ministers refuse to marry people without giving a reason?
How would this legislation affect same sex couples who live in Virginia? While Virginia does not recognize same sex marriage, could the couple be arrested? Would they be able to file a joint federal tax return and not a joint state return? Just how would all of this work?
The Virginia Marriage Amendment
(And then those after thought questions: will I be sorry I posted these question?)
Geraldo Expresses Disgust with Lou Dobbs
Geraldo called his boss because of the rumor that Lou Dobbs was leaving CNN and coming on over to Fox.
The boss said NO.
Geraldo defends the presence of immigrants in this country and reviles the defamatory tone used when discussing comprehensive immigration reform. He blames Lou Dobbs for setting the tone that affects all Latino people.
Geraldo stated the following which was reported in the Huffington Post:
Rivera told the crowd, “One of the aspects of our reality in the United States right now is the defamatory tone of the immigration debate and how that immigration debate has slandered an entire race of people. It has been reckless beyond imagining, it has been reckless beyond precedent.”
He then trained his sights on Dobbs: “Lou Dobbs, a man who was an accomplished journalist, and who left to start his own venture in the digital media… and then came back to CNN, and nobody was watching his program. He discovered that one of the ways he could get people to watch was to make of the image of a young Latino trying to get into this country a profoundly negative icon. Lou Dobbs is almost singlehandedly responsible for creating, for being the architect of the young-Latino-as-scapegoat for everything that ails this country.”
