Thoughts for 2009-08-18

• "Public option" by any other name is still socialized medicine. #tcot #
• Trolls. That's about all I got to say about that. #
• I wonder why the two spots closest to the door at the Walgreens aren't reserved. Did some healthy person sue? #
• Dr Pepper bottles shaped like Coca-Cola bottles? http://sml.vg/urVqjJ #
• Michael Jackson still hasn't been buried http://bit.ly/jd3cF Taken this long to round up all the parts #
• Florida population drops for the first time in 63 years http://biy.ly/1E7LP Death panel trial run is working. #
• Dogs that killed Georgia couple to be put down http://bit.ly/12pEwl Michael Vick will do the honors during Eagles' visit to Atlanta #
• Hell has let out the day shift, based on how traffic is this afternoon. #
• Third fatal incident at Disney World in two months http://bit.ly/FSLb4 New theme area opens: Cemeteryland #
• If the Constitution were written today in the same style as the "health care" bill ...http://bit.ly/158HXT #

Trolls

Trolls.

Those are the little sh*theads that visit blogs, chat rooms, and message boards just to be ... well, sh*theads.

As much as I despise spammers, I think I despise trolls even more.

Now, when I say "trolls," I do not mean comments of opposing views. Many blogs accept comments. And bloggers don't always seek positive comments. Opposing views are often welcome at blogs. But there's a difference between voicing opposing views and trolling. If you don't know the difference, you're probably a troll.

Trolls don't leave honest, thoughtful comments. Trolls want to take over your post, or even your blog.

The term "troll," in case you weren't familiar, comes from the act of trolling, or traveling from place to place looking for something. Like trolling for fish on a lake, or trolling for a hookup at nightclubs. Internet trolls usually go from place to place (Website to Website) making a nuisance of themselves -- mostly because they live in their mom's basement and always strike out when trolling nightclubs.

Then, there's the image of the trolls, like in mythology. Or Children's stories. Like the evil little creatures that live under bridges and fight the Three Billy Goats Gruff. That is applicable, too, because of the unpleasant nature of Internet trolls.

Conservative blogs get trolls, usually liberals, but not always. Sometimes a conservative who happens to disagree about a certain point (Ron Paul!) will go from conservative blog to conservative blog -- trolling -- leaving comments (Ron Paul 2012!!1!!). Some call it "drive-bys," and while that's accurate, it is trolling at its purest.

Sometimes, they'll hang around for a bit, but often, conservative trolls will do drive-bys on conservative blogs.

Then, there are the liberal trolls. They will also do the drive-by, or traditional trolling. But often, they'll hit a conservative blog and try to hijack a post. Often, they'll post long missives, hitting all their talking points, usually off the topic of the post. Say, a post is about Obamacare; they'll write 17 paragraphs on Global Warming™ in the comments.

And that's the thing about trolls, particularly liberal trolls. They want your stuff.

Let me explain.

Blogs that have their own domain name? We pay money for those. We also have hosting fees. In other words, we're paying for the existence of the blog.

But, we don't have to. For instance, two of the largest blogging services, Blogger and WordPress.com let anyone -- even loudmouth liberals -- start a blog for free.

Why is that important? Because if a troll really has a bunch of important stuff to say, he can start his own blog rant to his heart's content. For free.

Yes, for free.

And, for trolls, that's not enough. They can't be happy with using their own blog -- a blog that costs them nothing. They want to use your Website ... that you paid for ... to spread their message. They want to use your domain name ... that you paid for ... to spread their message. They want to use your Website's bandwidth and disk space ... that you paid for ... to spread their message.

Getting something for free isn't enough. They want more than that. They don't just want it for free, they want to take away what's yours.

It's the way trolls are.

It's the way liberals are.

Thoughts for 2009-08-17

• White House says they didn't know about names on email list http://bit.ly/axmqE I believe them when they say they don't know what's going on #
• Chavez says Obama "lost in space" on Latin America http://tinyurl.com/lpdjwl Oh, the pain. The pain. #
• First, surrender on "public option." http://bit.ly/14Aeo6 Then the flag email address is down http://is.gd/2lhia Standing firm works? #
• If Obama wants to run health care like the post office, does this mean we'll have both a ZIP Code and an RIP Code? #tcot #
• Can Obama ride a bicycle backwards? Just wondering. #
• When White House says they've given up on "public option," here's what they really mean: http://bit.ly/lvaQ1 #
• Actual headline: "Swedish lesbians suck sperm banks dry" http://is.gd/2lxnS #
• I need to find a spider stick. I don't like spiders. And there's one in the mailbox. And I've got mail. I need a spider stick. #
• Don Surber: "Obamacare exempts unions, congressmen and veterans. And yet it is so wonderful for the rest of us…" http://bit.ly/2OD7ol #tcot #

Street cred

One of these politicians is known as a racist. But, in reality, they have a lot in common.

Barack Obama	Lester Maddox

Let me explain.

In his recent column at Pajamas Media, Frank J. Fleming suggests that Democrats play the race card when they don't have any valid arguments ... which is a lot.

One thing that really caught my eye, was this passing reference:

(The) first indication that Obama was not at all post-racial was finding out what a racist loon his preacher for twenty years was. While I never actually thought Obama hated white people, it was disturbing how easily he tolerated that issue to gain street cred in Chicago.

Here's why that caught my eye: Obama isn't the first politician to do that. One of the first that I remember was a Georgia politician from the 1960s and 1970s named Lester Maddox.

Little bit of background on the former governor: He operated the The Pickrick, an Atlanta cafeteria. Most restaurants run by whites in Georgia and throughout the south the 1950s and 60s, had white customers. It was very uncommon for there to be integrated restaurants during that time. The Pickrick was typical. White-owned, white clientele.

Maddox resisted integrating the restaurant, to the point of threatening violence, though none ever occurred.

He then used his reputation to run for political office. In 1966, he was elected Governor. (It's not as simple as that, but that story in itself would take weeks to explain.)

After taking office, Maddox did the unthinkable: he appointed more blacks to high office in the state than all previous governors combined. These included the head of the Department of Corrections, as well as the first blacks to serve in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia State Patrol. Maddox also order state troopers to address blacks the same as they addressed whites: calling them "Mr." instead of using their first name. He also integrated the state farmers markets.

What does all this history of Lester Maddox mean?

Think about it.

Both Lester Maddox and Barack Obama tolerated racism to achieve political goals. The difference is that Maddox built his "street cred," then did something about bringing the races closer together. Obama built his "street cred," and has done nothing to bring the races together. Rather, he's continued to use race to divide the country ... even on non-racial issues.

Some six years after his death, Maddox is still remembered as a racist, while the good things he did are ignored by the media. Obama is thought of as above race, particularly by the media, despite it being his one accomplishment: being black.

And he only got that half-right.

Thoughts for 2009-08-16

• Obama's biggest regret about his grandmother's death? That she died before he got to bring her before an Obamacare Death Panel. #
• 10 of 11 of AJC's "Super 11" state high school football players are black.http://bit.ly/sB5Du If AJC wasn't liberal, that would be racist. #
• Megan Fox says she wants to eat high school boys in new PSA…http://bit.ly/11VtcU High school enrollments reach all-time high #
• British Pools Impose Muslim Dress Codes on All Swimmers http://bit.ly/j8r3lOne-way tolerance expands again #
• White House gives in on "public option" http://bit.ly/YPNA7 Is anyone surprised that the Surrender Monkeys surrendered? http://bit.ly/L536t #
• The motto of the moderate wing of the Republican Party is “Thank You Sir May I Have Another.” #tcot #

Surrender monkeys surrender. Or did they?

Remember that whole government-run health care bill? You should. It's been in all the papers. And on all the blogs. And on the Twitter and the Facespace and all the other Interwebz.

Remember how important it was that it be done now?

"Why the rush?" we on the right asked. "Trust us," the left said. "BS!" we on the right said.

Well, conservatives stood firm. Most of them. Those that haven't, well, I'm not too sure they're conservatives, anyway. Might be Republicans, but that don't mean conservative.

Now, according to news reports, the White House seems to have backed down.

"Seems to," is the key phrase. It's too early to tell if they have surrendered, or if they're just going to find another "Gang of 14" and ram it through anyway.

On the one hand, Democrats are cheese-eating surrender monkeys:


On the other hand, Democrats are also sneaky little weasels. And "moderate" Republicans will "go along to get along," and be taken advantage of. That's why the motto of the moderate wing of the Republican Party is "Thank You Sir May I Have Another."

Remember how, in Iraq, some of Saddam's soldiers would fake surrender, then pull out weapons and shoot our soldiers? That's because they had no honor. And neither do Democrats.

So, we shouldn't let up just yet. Government-run health care isn't dead until it's shot, stabbed, beaten, burned, with the ashes mixed in goat blood and fed to Ted Kennedy and John Dingell, and the whole thing videoed and posted on YouTube.

Even then, I don't trust the Democrats. Or moderate Republicans. They'll just write another bill that's as bad. Or worse. Or nearly as bad.

The thing is, they won't write a good bill.

Any bill that's too long to sit through an oral reading is a bad bill.

The thing people are forgetting is that 10% of health care expenses are criminal fraud. And unintentional errors accounts for more waste. Until that's fixed, increasing government spending on health care will increase the amount of money lost to fraud.

Of course, when you have a government run by Chicago crooks, they don't see fraud as a problem, but as an opportunity to line their pockets.

The good news is, these types won't stand up to an honest fight. They'll fight dirty, but can't stand honest debate. As long as the fight is honest, the right (moral and political) will win.

And the surrender monkeys? They'll just sit and yell and fling poo. Like always.

Thoughts for 2009-08-15

• Obama interviewed by 11-year-old http://bit.ly/12emBn Now we can finally learn the answer: Is Obama smarter than a 5th grader? #tcot #

Gosh, GOP, sometimes you make it so difficult to take you seriously

A few weeks ago, I got a "Second Notice" from the Republican party. As I mentioned then, I've never been a member of the Republican party -- or any political party, for that matter. So, why do they send me things that are written as if I'm a Republican? Probably because I sent money to two presidential candidates (Fred Thompson, then John McCain) this past election cycle.

Or, so I thought.

Turns out that there may be another reason. What's that reason, you ask?

I'm glad you asked. The reason seems to be: they're idiots. Or incompetent. Or incompetent idiots. Suffering from idiotic incompetence.

Why would I say such a thing?

I'm glad you asked. Even though it does seem that you ask a lot of questions.

I got another letter from the Republicans. Yay!

This one, though, is not just a "SECOND NOTICE," as was the last one proclaimed in big red letters. This one came in one of those envelopes wit a big window on the front. Like you get from, oh, maybe the IRS or something.

And, it came with "OFFICIAL REPUBLICAN PARTY DOCUMENT - DO NOT DESTROY" above my address, clearly visible though the envelope.

And, it contained

NOTICE:

This SURVEY DOCUMENT IS REGISTERED IN YOUR NAME and must be accounted for upon completion of this project. If you choose not to participate in this crucial Republican Senate Leadership Survey, return this Survey Document at once using the postage-paid envelope provided.

Well, now. Isn't that just special.

And, the pages of the form remind me of a Form 1040.

And, at the end, there was a place where I could fill out how much money I'd send them. Just like a Form 1040.

I haven't received such an official document since Ed McMahon died.

Now, I certainly appreciate the appearance that they really care about what I think. But, I did a little checking on the Interwebz, and find they've been doing silly stuff like this for a bit. And, the thing is, they've been sending these out for years. And to many, many left-wing idiots.

Now, that makes me wonder: are they still just mailing stuff out to people that they don't know who they are? Probably.

But, let's imagine they've worked out all the bugs about who they mail these things to. The whole "official document" thing and "do not destroy" thing is ... silly.

Or scary.

Depending on who does it, I suppose.

For instance, suppose I mailed out a bunch of things like that, and you got one. You'd think I was silly.

Then, suppose you lived in the Soviet Union in 1980, and got such a thing from The Party. Not so silly then. More scary.

And that's the thing. The arrogance. Telling me I got to send this form back or account for it or something.

Now, I'm thinking about doing a YouTube of me burning it or feeding it to a goat or something.

This is why I'm not a Republican. I hang around smarter people than that.

Which explains why I steer clear of Democrats, too. And why I throw Holy Water at Ron Paul supporters.

I'm undecided about whether to do anything at all with this survey. Would my response really make a difference? Even if it didn't, if I thought this was a meaningful part of the process, I'd participate.

So, what have I learned from this? Nothing. I already knew that the Republican party did silly stuff. Like help elect liberals and moderates, neither of which do anything useful.

Anyway, they've now spent all the money I sent them, asking me to send them more money.

If only they put that money into doing something useful.

Thoughts for 2009-08-14

• Maybe Obama told the truth. AARP has a Website supporting Obamacare and trashing debate: http://healthactionnow.org/ #
• Why should the US trust anything the British say about socialized medicine? They don't even know on which side of the road to drive. #tcot #
• Black Man Pleads Guilty to Posing as White Supremacist http://tinyurl.com/kjmf5z I wonder what gave him away? #
• Trying to decide if I'm a mean evil person, or an evil mean person. Ex-wife says one, liberals say the other. #
• IMAO: Except For The Crossed Lines In A Circle Topped By Bird Wings Floating Above The Countryside And Some ... http://tinyurl.com/bhonazi #
• I don't believe Obama plans to destroy America. That flies in the face of all the evidence that shows he doesn't know what he's doing. #tcot #
• Kennedy: We can go to the moon within 10 years; Obama: No we can't http://tinyurl.com/op946v #tcot #
• The economy is doing so well that Colonial Bank declared victory and went home http://bit.ly/1v9TE #tcot #
• Man bites off doctor's fingertip http://bit.ly/1193Sp Under Obamacare, the patient would have been entitled to the entire finger #

Blazing Saddles if "socialist" was the the "N-word"

When it was reported last week that MSNBC's Carlos Watson start(ed) to wonder if socialist is the new N-Word, I was at a loss for words. Until today.

I read some tweets by Peter Schmugge directly addressed that. I told him I was stealing it.

With that said, I'm updating an old post.

Here is Blazing Saddles if "socialist" was the the "N-word"...


"He rode a Blazing Saddle, He wore a shining star, His job to offer battle ..."


*click*


*click*


"C'mon boys. The way you's lollygaggin' 'round here with them picks and them shovels ... you'd think it was a hunnert and twenny degrees..."


"Cain't be more'n a hunnert 'n fourteen!"


"Ohhh!"


"Dock that C***k a day's pay for nappin' on the job."


"How come I don't hear no singin'? When you wuz slaves ... you sung like birds..."


"How 'bout a good ol' socialist work song."


"I get no kick from champagne. Mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all. So tell me why should it be true, that I get a belt out of you? Some get their kicks from cocaine..."


"Hold it! Hold it! What the hell is that shi*?! I meant a song. A real song. Like ... Swing Low, Sweet Chaaaaaaarioooooottttttt...."


*click*


*click*

"What in the Wide, Wide World of Sports is a-goin' on here?! I hired you people to try to get a little track laid, not to jump around like a bunch of Kansas City f*****s."


"Sorry Mr. Taggert. I -- I guess we kinda got caught up."


"Listen dummy. The surveyors say they may 've run into some quicksand up ahead. Better check it out."


"Okay. I'll send down a team of horses t' check out th' ground."


"Horses! Why we cain't afford to lose no horses you dummy!"


"Send over a couple of socialists."

"Okay, Mr. Taggert."


"You. And you."


"Sir? Sir, he, uh, specifically requested two socialists. Well, to tell a family secret: my grandmother was a Dutch."


*click*


*click*

"Send a wire to the main office and tell them that I said -- OW!"


"Send wire, main office, tell them I said 'ow.' Gotcha!"


*click*


*click*

"OW!"

"Why Taggert! You've been hurt!"


"Oh, that uppity socialist went and hit me on the head with a shovel."


"I'd sure appreciate it sir if you could find it in your heart to hang him up by his neck until he was dead."


*click*


*click*


*click*


*click*


*click*

"As per your instructions, I'd like you to meet the new sheriff of Rock Ridge."

"I'd be delight... WOW! I gotta talk to you, c'mere!"


"Have you gone berserk? Can't you see that that man is an socia..."


"Ha-ha-ha-ha. Wrong person. Forgive me. No offense intended. Ha-ha-ha."


"Have you gone berserk? Can't you see that that man is an socia?"


*click*


*click*


*click*

"The sheriff's comin'!"


"Ring out the church bells!"

"Strike up the band."


*CLANG!*


*CLANG!*


"Hey! The sheriff is a so..." *CLANG!* "...st!"


"What'd he say?"


"The sheriff is so close."


"No, Gol-blame it dang blammit. The sheriff is a so..." *CLANG!* "...st!"


"Hooray!"


"Hooray! Hooray! Hoo--"


*clip-clop clip-clop*


"As chairman of the welcoming committee, it is my privilege to extend a laurel ... and hearty handshake to our new..."


*clip-clop clip-clop*


"... socialist."


*wham*


*clip-clop clip-clop*


*click*


*click*

"Gentlemen, gentlemen! Let us not allow anger to rule the day! As your spiritual leader, I implore you to pay heed to this Good Book and what it has to say!"


*BLAM*


"Son, you're on your own."


*click click click*


"Hold it!"


"The next man makes a move the socialist gets it."


"Hold it, men. He's not bluffing."


"Listen to him men! He's just crazy enough to do it."


"Drop it, or I swear I'll blow this socialist's head all over this town."


*click*

Oh, yeah. Makes perfect sense, Mr. Watson. You've convinced me.