Harkening back to my World Full of Slimeballs post, Here's a story about Slimeball # 10,626,999, w/ a nice spot saved in Hell when he finally dies

http://independentrage.blogspot.com/2009/05/people-who-know-me-wonder-im-little.html

http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1225275.html

The perpetrator of this one can really, doubly, trebly and every other way truly go **** himself, because if I had been around when this shit was going down, I would stuck his head in a pile of dog shit first, followed closely thereby with a nice little (well actually, pretty forceful) boot to the head (and a corresponding self defense story for the authorities). Slimeball.

Don't let it be said I don't call it both ways & as I see it. I've poked some major fun at Fathead (aka Robert Gibbs) this week but I applaud him 2day

http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/0509/gibbs_vs_uk_press_affd77a0-da39-4f9c-af46-e7c5a5bddbe6.html

...Taking on the Brits for the reports that they are publishing that torture and rape are contained within the so-called detainee abuse photographs that the New York Times and ACLU (and numerous far left liberal Americans) desperately want released. His Majesty's administration has taken the position that it would not be in the best interests of our troops abroad for these photos to be made public, a position with which I agree. Obviously, there is detainee abuse in these photos, but rape and outright torture? Who the hells knows, but does it matter? His Majesty's administration has taken the position that these photos will only further endanger our troops overseas, and such rationale (the correct one, by the way) only gains in correctness if rape and torture are in fact involved. Which gets me back to my reason for applauding Fathead (or actually, applauding His Majesty on this one, because obviously Gibbs only spouts talking points that he is instructed to say): Good for them for not trying to play both sides of the fence on this one (as they have with the gay marriage issue) -- here they have taken a position, and they are actually acting consistent with that position. I applaud that. It's good to see for once.

What gives with His Majesty and burger joints?

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0509/In_which_the_president_discovers_an_American_intelligence_agency_at_Five_Guys.html



Not good for the arteries.

(Disclaimer: As noted previously in this space, I enjoy partaking in a good cheeseburger myself from time to time -- such as White Castle when I'm in St. Louis or Whataburger when I'm in Texas -- but we're talking maybe once a year at most. Damn, those things'll kill ya!)

Another observation tonight: How the republican party continues to let itself get buried by the Slimebaughs, Newts, Dicks & Karls of its ilk.

It's almost as if those 4 slimeballs are completely oblivious to how every time they open up their archaic-assed mouths, the left wing media has a new target for that day, much to His Majesty's benefit. I'm sorry, as far as I'm concerned, the repub party is DEAD, and now we need a new party to rise from the ashes. Where are the leaders? A majority of this country is just waiting for you. Sorry, I'm not the leader, just the messenger. Where are you?

This struck me as an intriguing column today, about His Majesty's alleged successful effort so far to marginalize and bury his top dem rival, Hillary.

http://thehill.com/dick-morris/the-incredible-shrinking-clintons-2009-05-26.html

Now, I won't profess to yet have an informed opinion on Dick Morris' credibility, because he's a turncoat (my position on such folks has been made very clear on this space), and he always just strikes me as a big fat bloated guy who really needs to reign in his saturated fat, not to mention that he talks out of the side of his mouth and reminds me too much of Dick Cheney in that regard. But regardless, his column was extremely interesting, and I have no basis to dispute any of it.

I may call myself Big Daddy, but THIS is the Real Big Daddy!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1189232/Desmond-Hatchett-fathers-21-children-11-different-women--hes-29.html

The banner says this Tennessee man, age 29, fathered 21 kids by 11 different women in a span of around 10 years. The funniest part of the whole story: "Many Knoxville residents are calling for him to be castrated."

Myself, I'm a big proponent of the punishment fitting the crime. I'd sentence this man to 1 year straight of being forced to care for all 21 kids at the same time. But alas, I think I'd run afoul there of our 8th Amendment's cruel and unusual punishment clause. Besides, I'm sure the Real Big Daddy would gladly accept castration over my punishment in a heartbeat.

For a little comic relief in these crazy times and world, you should read this story (AND this post).

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Reporter-Dragged-Kicking-and-Screaming-From-Near-Air-Force-One-.html

A number of observations here:

1. Can someone explain to me how in the heck this story is the headline of Drudge Report? Please. Drudge Report is starting to rub me the wrong way on a consistent basis almost as much as these left-slanted "journalistic" outlets like MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, etc.

2. I didn't realize the Catholic Church has suddenly done an about-face after centuries and centuries of only allowing males to be priests! (For the record, they should allow women to be priests, but that's irrelevant to the current point -- the only relevant fact is that the Catholic Church has not changed positions on this, and sadly likely won't anytime soon.) The FUNNIEST part of this story is how this lady ("Brenda Lee") claimed to be a "Catholic priestess" from LA. SAY WHAT?

3. This lady is apparently quite the globetrotter, moonlighting as a "Catholic priestess" in LA while somehow managing to find the time somewhere to be a writer for the Georgia Informer (whatever that is) in Macon, GA. I couldn't do that? Could you do that? (Wink to Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid).

4. Somehow I think that if Ms. Lee had been given a third opportunity to identify herself, we would have learned that she was previously Brenda Lee, the famous country-and-western singer, but also that she's undergone radical plastic surgery in recent years in order to contemporarize her entire look and image.

5. Why is Ms. Lee trying to hand a letter to His Majesty telling him to take a stand on traditional marriage? Hasn't he already done that? I thought that was already cleared up: His Majesty has very clearly taken the position (never retracted) that he opposes same-sex marriages (leaving aside his White House trying at the same time to walk both sides of the fence, e.g. basically referring to Miss California as a human being existing on the level of a canine). And BTW: Drew Barrymore ranting and raving today about the Cali Supremes' decision this week on gay marriage: Hey Drew, you were hot back in the day (and still largely are) in Poison Ivy and such, but where's the venom from people like you when it comes to the man you voted for for President (whom, I REPEAT, has taken the clear position -- never retracted -- that he opposes gay marriage)?

6. But I digress. I close with this observation: How in the heck was Ms. Brenda Lee ever granted White House press credentials in the first place? Was it due to her prominent place as a staff member of the Georgia Informer, or did it owe to her being a Catholic priestess from LA? Hell, methinks I need to apply for some White House press credentials -- after all I'm a graduate (cum laude, if I do say so myself) of the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism (the best J-School in the country, to this day, by the way) -- so I've got the credentials to get the "credentials", right? Damn, I'd love to walk into one of those White House daily briefings and start firing off some of the questions that I have! But somehow, I don't think such a spectacle would ever be permitted. Maybe if I was a Catholic priestess, though.

For a little bit of Independent Inspiration tonight, I thought I'd recite one of my all-time favorite quotes...

"In this world, some people are leaders, and some people are followers. And then there's me."

That's one of my favorite quotes because I just invented it about 10 minutes ago. (Although, if that just streamed through some level of my subconscious and some other ***hole said it first, I'm sure you'll let me know). It's rather quickly become one of my favorite quotes because I think it pretty well summarizes where I'm coming from in this thing.

Is White House press secretary Robert Gibbs merely a thin-skinned little male clone of Janet Napolitano? I guess I better be "careful" over here!

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/23016.html

Here goes His Majesty's administration again with the pointed comments about the kinds of words and language we should be using and the kinds of thoughts we should be expressing. Almost as quick as you can say Terrorist or Swine Flu, Gibbs is in on the act today with this outlandish statement concerning those who may try to criticize His Majesty's Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor:

“I think it is probably important for anybody involved in this debate to be exceedingly careful with the way in which they’ve decided to describe different aspects of this impending confirmation."

My follow-up question to Gibbs is simple: OR WHAT? What's going to happen to me if I'm not "exceedingly careful" (in your book) in any criticisms I might have of Sotomayor? Obviously, nothing's gonna happen. (See United States Constitution, Bill of Rights, First Amendment therein). That's why there is neither any rhyme nor reason to such an absurd assertion -- Rather it's just another mindless, overbearing directive from His Majesty's administration. Well, Your Majesty, that's some real good advice there. I hope you don't mind too much if I don't follow it. (Wink on the last line to that classic 70's western, Alias Smith & Jones).

Daily Notes: Cali gay marriage, Supreme Court nominee, and North Korea. So what do I think about the Cali Supremes upholding the CA gay marriage ban?

Well, here's precisely what I think: I couldn't give a rat's ass. It's an issue I care little about in the abstract, and moreover, I DON'T LIVE IN CALIFORNIA.

http://independentrage.blogspot.com/2009/05/groups-on-far-left-far-right-who-try-to.html
http://independentrage.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html

2. Obama's USSC nominee: Since I'd never heard of her before today (except perhaps a few mentions on the Sunday morning political shows two days ago), I have no informed opinion at this point. I have read her now infamous quote (“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life"), and frankly find it hard to ponder a more asinine comment coming from allegedly educated human being (let alone someone nominated to our nation's highest court) -- not to mention the outright impossibility of any caucasian republican USSC nominee making a similar comment and ever surviving the nomination process. But is it disqualifying? I'm not going to say that. Not as a person who has said myriad dumb, regrettable things in my time. No, I don't yet have any freakin' clue what this lady stands for or her judicial record, and so I'm going to reserve judgment until becoming more informed in the days to come and through the confirmation process. If you expected me to rush to judgment and start ranting and raving one way or the other, then you don't me very well and you can go **** yourself.

3. North Korea: I really do hate the national sports media's much-cliched line, "That's just Manny being Manny," which by the way the Kansas City media has transformed into a new stupid cliche ("That's just Zach being Zach", in response to your typical Greinke interview), but perhaps I will now lose all ability to ever have my stomach turned by such a line ever again, because here goes: This is just North Korea being North Korea. What the hell is supposed to happen in response? Sure, you'd hope that the US will work hard on the diplomatic front to garner a quick and sharp rebuke from the UN security council (something we were not able to accomplish after the recent missile test -- errrrrrrrrrrr "satellite launch" into space -- from North Korea). At least one thing I don't have to worry about: As much as many of His Majesty's views, policies and actions very much concern me, at least I know with him that there is no danger of us launching some ill-advised, moronic Neo-Con offensive at North Korea. AT LEAST I can sleep a tiny bit easier there.

Out.

On this Memorial Day, just wanted to take one second to express my extreme respect and gratitude to all our fallen servicepeople from all of our wars

Groups on far left & far right who try to affect elections in other states are the slime of the earth.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/25/conservative-group-takes-aim-at-reid/

And I call it both ways. The above link is about some far right group from outside Nevada trying to affect the next election involving Harry Reid as they previously did regarding Daschle. I say the same things when I see liberals from California and elsewhere like Tom Hanks pouring money into the Minnesota sentatorial campaign of Al Franken. And I say the same things when I see non-California Mormons rallying to defeat ballot measures in California. Worry about affecting politics in your OWN state OR, if you really want to affect elections in some other state or on a national level, then (1) MOVE to that other state or (2) run (or become involved in a campaign) for national office. Otherwise, shut the **** up already. I would call these people and groups carpetbaggers, but that would be an insult to carpetbaggers everywhere, since at least carpetbaggers have the sack to actually MOVE to the state they are trying to screw up.

The Top 10 Movies of Independence now (finally) have a #8!

Dances With Wolves (1990).

I've been slow in continuing this top 10 list, but to recap: #10, Field of Dreams; #9, Night of the Living Dead; and also-rans which did not quite make the cut: #11, Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid; #12, Godfather Part II; #13, Rocky (part I); #14, The Sting; and #15, The Outlaw Josey Wales.

But back to Dances With Wolves: In addition to the wonderfully magnetic cast, orchestral soundtrack (which is God-awesome), scenery, and cinematography -- to me, the most significant and overarching (and yet simple) message of this film was as follows: Don't buy too much into the stereotypes of groups of people whom society says are "different" from you because they come from a different culture and way of thinking, and don't embrace the too-often resulting viewpoint that you should be fearful, hateful and warwongering towards "different" people. Instead, before you do too much of anything, go try to get to know and talk to those people. You just might find that the stereotype bares no resemblance whatsoever to the truth.

Colin Powell continues to pi$$ away the former respect I had for him.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22902.html

Geez Colin, how about at least taking a decisive stand for one of first times in the political aspect of your career. At least I could have an ounce of respect for that. But you don't vote for Obama, then make proclamations about how most Americans "want" more and more taxes and more government in their lives, and then claim to be a republican! Talk about trying to walk both sides of the fence, which is something I can't stand. In my view, you're basically a liberal democrat these days, so why not embrace it? Or, if you truly do have views that are both on the left and right, then start calling yourself an Independent. But own up to whom you are (whomever that might truly be) and stop it with the incessant fence-straddling and turncoating which has very much become your calling card. It's getting very old, man.

My goodness, this is a crazy, hate-filled world. Want some peace? My suggestion would be to go to your local Best Buy and pick up Lennon Legend.

That's the greatest hits compilation CD of John Lennon from his solo career after the Beatles. If you can't listen to those songs and find a tiny bit of peace, then you have a screw loose.

BTW, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9.

Another thought tonight: My goal is not to make you change your mind. Because if your mind's made up I won't change it. My goal is for you to hear me

Because I'm just expressing $hit that the mainstream of America largely believes. So if you're on the far right or far left, I know I'm not gonna change your mind, but if you hear enough folks like me and rest of the majority speaking out, we will at least change your way of acting (if not of thinking).

Here's why the Far Right's portrait of Ahmadinejad as some kind of new AntiChrist figure has always been so laughable to me.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,521481,00.html?test=latestnews


This dude is like a complete cartoon character -- a dufus, a flunkey, a lackey, a sidekick, much like Danny Stinkscale to #1 D-Bag KEITZ! on 810 radio in KC -- he takes his orders from the Ayatollah. Did anyone notice in the last month (I don't have a link readily at hand, sorry) when Ahmadinejad got dressed down by the Ayatollah for firing some bureacrat whom the Ayatollah didn't want fired? I mean, Persia is a completely backward state, with several centers of power, and I would be surprised to ever see them act together in any kind of decisive fashion to suddenly pose a serious world threat. Not to mention, there is a very strong "moderate" influence in Iran that is a constant check on the radicals. We were told 'round 2003 that they are a part of this "Axis of Evil", along with Iraq and North Korea, and I have to say that's when "W!" totally lost me (I didn't vote for him (or Gore) in 2000), but I at least was willing to give him a chance). I can recall thinking, WTF are you thinking about with that speech, "W!" -- it was very clear right at that moment and from the pundits afterward that we were going to invade Iraq for any good or bad reason that we could find. Bad memories.

People who know me wonder I'm a little militant. A little angry. A little loud. A little out there. I'll tell you why.

http://www.kansascity.com/637/story/1212521.html

Because I live in a world of slimeballs. People who abuse animals. People who kidnap and rape children. People who hack off other human beings' heads. People who bully around others who aren't as physically strong as them. People driven to kill as many innocent Americans as possible, with a far left that immediately thereafter tells me that I'm to blame. People on both extremes who tell me I would never any place in their party since I'm not an extremist just like them. People third in line for the presidency who say "I was never briefed" but later are forced to admit that they were informed. People who lie to us about the pretense to invade a sovereign country in order to further some highly misplaced dream that it's our country's destiny to impose our way of thinking and governance (as wonderful as it may be, admittedly) upon the entire world. People who state or imply that I'm something less than them or am some kind of an extremist since I have the nerve to vote for third party candidates and to hale from a town of 9000. People who call themselves journalists but are no more than advocates for a cause. People (Jack Harry) who pick KU to win the north before the season and then disingenuously slam on Pinkel in November that he deserves no credit for anything except accomplishing what he was expected to accomplish. Allright, obviously I could keep up with such theme and rant all night, but the point being -- it's a slimeball world, and frankly these are fairly dangerous times. The rage and the anger is just a response to that. These days, we all need to keep an edge in one way or the other just to tolerate all the slimeballs. Laughing more is good way too. Just laugh at 'em when that's possible. Because the slimeballs aren't going anywhere (there are more of them every day). But either are we.

Moronic Far Left/Far Right Debate # 832,649.

http://www.kansascity.com/273/story/1210607.html

The BIG ISSUE? Whether or not a majority of the country is "pro-life". And then there's the corollary issue of whether recent opinion polls on the abortion question have been biased, corrupted and/or just plain fraudulent. Big yawn. I'm going to go out on a limb here and venture a guess that the country is somewhere around 50-50 on this issue, one way or the other. So there you have it. Can we move on now? I can think of many much more compelling things to think about this Memorial Day weekend, like where I'm going to pick up my lunch and whether the local zoning rules will permit me to construct a $hithouse in an apartment complex common area -- both of which I view about as seriously as whether 49%, 50% or 51% of the country is "pro-life".

Geez! Drudge Report doing its best to drive down the stock market?

DOLLAR PLUNGE; FEAR OVER DEBT
GM revamp under attack; Feds to cancel debts, inject aid...
FIAT already concerned for 'deteriorating' CHRYSLER...
Lawmakers want Obama to slow down on autos...

The above are the top 4 headlines on Drudge tonight and are very similar to what's been there all day long. I realize that Drudge slants to the right (just like the so-called mainstream media incessantly slants to the left), but this is a little over the top, and as a dude who just calls it like I "sees" it, and who absolutely hates the journalistic bias he sees all around him on a daily basis, I have to say on this night that Drudge should be ashamed of itself (or is it, himself? I have no idea how much Matt Drudge even has any editorial involvement in that site anymore). Last time I noticed earlier today, the Dow Jones was actually up, and now I see that it closed today at a WHOPPIN' FOURTEEN POINTS DOWN! Stop the Presses! To read Drudge all day, you'd think the sky was falling. As Lennon once said (paraphrasing), all most of us are just looking for is some truth. Too bad we can NEVER look to any of our media outlets or popular websites for the same.

Obama just keeps on rachetin' up the spending & troop levels in Afghanistan. CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN!

All without any articulated plan for what the **** we are doing there. MORE OF THE SAME, METHINKS!

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/21/senate-approves-billion-war-spending/

And Karl Rove really needs to join Cheney in that bunker somewhere and just go the **** away as well.

Meghan McCain has that $h** all correct -- Dude Rove is a really creepy guy, and I wish he would just go the **** away too.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124286200693341141.html

OK, Dick Cheney really just needs to go the **** away!

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22804.html

I'm get tired of listening to him. Hey Cheney, you say we all need to stop "looking backward"? Then why in the hell do you keep pasting your fat, bloated, slimey mug all over the television and internet? As many issues as I have with the current regime and the far left base they are in bed with, I must say dude -- It's not your proper place anymore to take them on. Your times are over! Over! And you've got to get that through your head! (wink to Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid and American Graffitti for a classic mixed line right there) . You and your brother in arms, "W!", committed about the worst political atrocity that I've witnessed in 38 years on this planet -- outright lying to us about the pretense for invading Iraq. And I've lived through slimeballs like Nixon and Clinton, so my last statement is really saying something. I'm serious, you slimey dishonest piece of crap -- just get the **** out of here! Don't go away mad, just go the **** away, already!!!

You want some change we can believe in? How about that you will not hear me try to blame today's NYC terror plot on either Obama or Bush.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/FBI-Bust-Plot-Foiled.html

The surmised motive for this plot is our continuing presence in Afghanistan, on which I have loudly criticized the Obama administration for wratcheting up our troop levels by 25K (with a lot more sure to come) and billions and billions of new spending WITHOUT any expressed, coherent plan for what the hell we are trying to accomplish there. Similarly, I had (and still have) no problem with our initial presence there because the stated goal was to take out Al Qaeda, but Bush screwed the pooch, as they say, by diverting most our resources to a BS infiltration of Iraq. So in other words, I have plenty to say about both these dudes that is not positive when it comes to their Afghani policies. But does that I mean that I blame either of them for some sicko, deranged freak plotting some terror plan against innocent Jewish people in NYC? Fuck no. (that's right, I didn't even bleep myself out this time as I usually do, because I feel so strongly about using that word in this instance). So whom do I blame? Get this -- because it's very novel thinking in this day and age -- I actually blame the sick fucks who hatched the plan and conspiracy in the first place! Whoahhhh! Stop the moon's revolution around the earth! What am I thinking? (well, actually, I'm just thinking like the 60-65% majority of this country thinks, even if the radical far left and far right are totally incapable of getting a clue about such a reality at any point in their pathetic lives).

On occasion, these politicans have to make tough decisions, and when they do, they don't deserve to be called war criminals and murderers.

I've never been much of fan of Jay Nixon. He's always struck me as a political fat cat, kind of like the new wave version of Kit Bond. Dude was Missouri AG for like 40 years (can you say term limits!), and dude has never impressed me with too much that's he's done (although sticking up for the preservation of the old Boonville railroad bridge over the Missouri river was a notable exception). But I digress. The point is he had a TOUGH decision tonight, and ultimately denied clemency for this Skillicorn character.

http://www.kansascity.com/637/story/1205083.html

I personally would have labored over that decision more than the natural resulting act of a hot dog eating contestant in a Georgia shithouse. I would have labored over the fact that I oppose the death penalty because it on rare occasions results in innocent convicts being killed, versus, on the other hand, that I've seen little (although haven't exactly followed the whole story and saga very closely, admittedly) to suggest that this Skillicorn isn't as guilty as sin and doesn't deserve to die for the innocent life that he took (as I've said before in this space, I have no problem with the basic tenet upon which the death penalty is based, i.e. that if you take someone's life in the first degree, you deserve to die for it). And I'll admit this -- I have no freakin' idea where I would have come out on such a decision if I had the power. So you won't hear my criticizing Nixon tonight on the extremely difficult decision he had to make.

Which leads me to something that REALLY riled my up recently, but which I have not previously addressed in this space. That would be Jon Stewart calling Harry Truman a "war criminal" for Truman's decision to drop the atomic bombs in Japan. I mean, shit, can you cite me a more difficult decision than ANY POLITICIAN IN THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY HAS EVER HAD than that one? -- between killing tens of thousands of innocent Japanese civilians versus killing tens of thousands of American troops through prolonging the war with an invasion of the Japanese mainland? Disagree with Truman's decision --that's fine -- but don't you dare start spouting some of these bullshit 2000's political buzz phrases like "war criminal" upon a Missourian who faced a tougher decision than I can recall for any American president. I think Stewart purported to issue some kind of apology after the fact, and frankly I have not read it, although I suspect it was probably laiden with the same kind of non-apology apology crap that we saw from Anderson Cooper's so-called "teabagger" non-apology earlier today (see this space, just below).

In sum, you loony, radical, out-of-touch far left and far right: It's fine that you go around spewing your moronic hate and using your anti-intellectual little buzz words 24-7 -- that's your right in this great, wonderful country -- but you really might want to stick the muzzle on when it comes to spewing your same stupid venom when it comes to politicians who truly have to make the hard calls, such as Nixon tonight and Truman in 1945.

Was about to credit Anderson Cooper for apparently taking back his 3rd grade style "teabagger" remark, BUT...

then I actually read the story.

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/cnn/anderson_cooper_says_teabagging_comment_was_stupid_silly_116894.asp

Talk about your typical non-apology apology. "It's incorrect to say that I was trying to disparage legitimate protests." That's precisely what you were trying to do, Cooper, wearing your biases on your sleeve at the same time -- behavior that is intolerable in my view from any person holding themselves out to the public as a journalist. THEN, just for loony good measure, you actually have the gall today to throw in the additional comment that "I don't think it's my job to disparage, or encourage, which oddly other networks seemed to be doing." The complete intellectual dishonesty of that statement is self-explanatory. So in conclusion, Cooper, why don't you take your non-apology and go **** yourself (again, just a catch-phrase, not necessarily to be taken literally). You're not a real journalist in any sense of that term.



Post-script: If you go back and read my posts about the tea parties when they occurred, you'll see my viewpoints on those events, which have not changed: I did not like the tenacles that the republican party had into those events, but to describe those events as being exclusively attended by conservatives, republicans and "racists" -- as the far left politicans, blogosphere and mainstream media tried to do -- when a huge swath of the attendees were Independents and/or non-conservatives (with even a fair amount of democrats mixed in), was pure falsehood.

It was sad to listen to a formerly true Independent, Jesse The Body Ventura, on the "Hannity" show tonight.

Dude seems very all-consumed with Bush hatred. Jesse -- he's gone finally -- move on to some new material. Not to mention that you sounded little different from the far left radical blather that I have no place for in my life. Very boring stuff. And cut the mullet dude (for crying out loud)!




Post-script: Hannity sickens me just as much as any of the loony leftsters who control the democratic party. Because everything with him is all about whether your viewpoints align on this neat little vertical pole that he subscribes to. One thing that Ventura had it right about tonight was pointing out that same fact. Of course, Ventura is talking out of both sides of his mouth, because he struck me tonight as just another boring Garrison Keillor & Walter Mondale-like Minnesota leftist with the funny accent. I liked him a lot better when he was Independent.

Heard Gore Vidal tonight likening "W!" to Richard M. Nixon. Shame on you Gore.

This came on VH1 Classic's "The U.S. vs. John Lennon" (an OUTSTANDING documentary that all of you should watch). With all due respect, Mr. Vidal, you are trying to compare apples to oranges, and that's the nicest way I can put it. I've yet to see any evidence of the W! people (as slimey as they were) creating FBI open files on anyone who had the audacity to disagree with them publicly, although I have very much felt some strong winds from your hero's current administration that this same sort of egregious practice might just be coming back into vogue from the Janet Napolitanos, etc., of this country. Yes, W! is one of the worst presidents in this great country's history, and his most absolutely unpardonable sin was lying to us about the pretense to invade Iraq, but was he an absolute enemy of America threatening to deprive us citizens of some of the most basic freedoms we've enjoyed for over 200 years (i.e., the right to freely dissent against our political leaders), as Nixon was trying to do? Not even in the same league. No credible comparison. Shame on you, Gore. Shame on you.

On 4/18/09, I criticized Obama for yucking it up with the likes of Hugo Chavez while tensions were running high between Israel & Iran.

http://independentrage.blogspot.com/2009/04/israel-stands-to-bomb-iran-this-is-bad.html

Today I will credit Obama for focusing on that issue, because it is a hugely important one.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6307431.ece

Me crediting His Majesty twice in the same day! That's gotta be some kind of record. But as the old cliche goes, I just call it like I see it, and I'll credit The President when I feel he deserves it. But hey, Obama, I'll still waiting over here for you to coherently articulate (sorry for the split infinitive) the plan for Afghanistan. It's long overdue, man.

Notre Dame protesters need to get a life.

As hard as I've been on Obama and his administration on several occasions recently, I'm glad he followed through and appeared at Notre Dame today. The absolute uproar over this from the Catholic Church and from students and other protesters, etc., seems to me to be very misplaced. When you get right down to the core of the issue, you have a group of people basically saying that since you happen to disagree with me on a particular issue, you have no business visiting our campus or ever speaking to us. It's my view that we need A LOT LESS of that kind of sentiment in this country. Our political system and discourse has become so intolerant of and hateful towards people with whom we disagree. Hey, I engage in a lot of that kind of anger myself towards the left and right -- I always use the excuse that it's what they do, so right back at them -- but sometimes I think that I really need to take a chill pill myself. Will I then? Not likely, but sometimes I at least consider it!

I will not let this White House sweep my Slimeball Sandwich recipe back down the page. So here's the recipe again:

http://independentrage.blogspot.com/2009/05/gingrich-blasts-pelosi-talk-about.html

White House jokes that new "first dog" perhaps should be called "Miss California." The pathetic hypocrisy.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/axelrod-ruminates-on-rove-and-miss-california/

The completely disingenuous nature of such a statement, from a White House that has previously very clearly taken the position (never retracted) that it (like Miss California) opposes gay marriage, is frankly sickening. It's real simple with me: Take a position and, for better or for worse, stick to it and defend it. Or hell, even flip flop. Even that's better that trying to walk both sides of the fence. Hey, gay marriage is very much an issue I care little about, because it has nothing to do with me or the lives of the people that I care about and support. What riles me up is this effort to walk both sides of the fence. This White House seems to often talk out of both sides of its mouth, just like any other group of dem or repub politicians. They are no different. Hardly "Change We Can Believe In". Like I said before, just more of the boring old same.

Why is everyone running so scared?

I've posted a link to this blog on prominent message boards for nary 8 weeks now, but people seem very reluctant to get it on with me. What gives? Where is the radical far left and far right? Warriors.....clink, clink, clink, come out and play-eeee. Warriors...clink, clink, clink, come out and play-eeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaeeeeeeeeeee!

DAMN! (We havin' fun yet?) All this BS political talk has AGAIN swept my Slimeball Sandwich Recipe to Page 2. So here it is again!...

http://independentrage.blogspot.com/2009/05/gingrich-blasts-pelosi-talk-about.html

I'm going to get this sandwich started in America if we have to hair-lip the governor. Damn right.

Just struck me tonight: People who call themselves "moderate" or "centrist" are basically no better than or different from liberals or conservatives.

I'm not a moderate, nor a centrist. I'm an average American who tends to have views on the right, left and everywhere in between. The majority of the people in this country are the same way. And no one is representing us. We just get two BS parties who are controlled by their loony left and right extremes (since that's where they get all of their money). A free-minded human being does not have viewpoints that align on some vertical pole -- whether that pole be on the far right, far left, or in the center. If some dude told me he's a centrist and that most all of his views align in the center, I'd say to that dude that he's no different from a liberal or a conservative, because he's viewing the world with blinders on. That's where I'm coming from. Fight the Power!!!

Garrison Keillor asks, "Does being an old crank make me a Republican?"

http://www.kansascity.com/273/story/1200053.html

No, Keillor, it just makes you a curmudgeony old crank liberal from Minnesota, out of touch with the overwelming majority of this country (the NERVE of someone like you having the audacity to call the repubs a "statistical subgroup."). Republicans hold a monopoly on crankiness? Your far left ilk, just like the far right, lives that characteristic 24-7, with a whole lotta hate and looniness thrown in just for good measure. The majority is "confused" and you are the "free" one? No confusion here. No mealy-mouthing. No equivocating. No pragmatism. Just a whole lot of belief and anger directed at two out-of-touch, B.S. parties controlled by their extremes. Further, as a crusty old liberal turd, you have about as much "freedom" of mind and ability to think for yourself as a rottweiler who just had a lobotomy -- about as much freedom of mind as that slimeball Cheney whom you target in your column. As I like to say, people like you and Cheney are two peas in the same pod -- doctrinaire, largely non-thinking zombies fueled by bitterness and typically a fair amount of hate. Well, a lot of us who are neither liberal nor conservative have started to develop a fair amount of anger ourselves, not that someone like you would be anything but oblivious to anyone who is not a conservative or liberal (you just dismiss us as "moderates," whatever the hell that term really means). Yeah, we're out here and we're going to do our best to make CRANKY old leftist farts like you pay a bit of notice. And we're not going away.

OK, I don't want my Slimeball Sandwich recipe to get buried in all the flurry of posts tonight! So here it is:

http://independentrage.blogspot.com/2009/05/gingrich-blasts-pelosi-talk-about.html

I like this post. It sums up the wonderful world of Independence...

and so therefore I will repeat it in this space:

http://www.tigerboard.com/boards/missouri-tigers.php?message=6633772

On a sports note, allow me to reiterate my previously expressed sentiments as to the KC Royals' Mike Jacobs. He's quickly becoming my favorite Royal.

Rather than re-invent the wheel, I'll instead just post what I posted on another messageboard earlier tonight:

Mike Jacobs:
Dude can't play a lick of defense, and he is what he is at the plate, striking out right and left and taking that huge hack regardless of whether it's 0-2 or 3-1. First, you have to admire a guy who enjoys what he does so much that he'll take the big hack regardless of count and won't complain for a second when he gets relegated to DH based upon the high defensive prowess of one Billy Butler. Second, Jacobs is donating 1000K for each home run he hits to a charity in the KC inner city that struck his heart when he visited it (Operation Breakthrough, which aids underprivileged inner city young people and families) before the season. Add to that the fact that he's a real and positive clubhouse leader among the younger guys, by all accounts. Add to that an interview I watched how he lost his old man when he was like 6, and he has big tatoo carved out as a tribute to said father, and Jacobs is very cool in my book. I don't care if he strikes out 150 times. We could use more dudes like him in KC.

So Big Daddy (I was asked), what do you think about this whole Pelosi flap? My response: I'd just prefer to focus on looking forward.

Oh wait, that was His Majesty's response -- oops, Sorreeeey. My response is set forth on the blog below. Sorry state of things (but alas just more of the same, as it's always been) when a meager, lowly man from a town of 9000 such as myself can speak the truth about Pelosi, but yet the most powerful man on the planet, i.e. his Royal Highness and Our Majesty, cannot do so. Change We Can Believe In!!!

You wonder why I'm angry?

You wonder why I call Obama His Majesty? You wonder why I laugh at his catch-phrase, "Change We Can Believe In"?

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2009/05/15/white_house_dodges_question_about_pelosi.html

Pelosi is caught in an obvious case of not telling the whole truth -- an obvious case of trumpeting a highly misleading statement over and over for weeks ("I was never briefed that the CIA was using waterboarding"), and His Majesty's White House -- just like every other one during my life -- can't give an honest answer to that question for purely B.S. political reasons. His Majesty is not change we can believe in. He is more of the same, more the same sliminess that I've basically watched up there for my entire life. More of the same sort of clown who does not represent me nor 60-65% of this country. Add to that the fact that His Majesty REALLY doesn't care for folks like me, from towns of 9000, and you have a man whom I will call His Majesty, and keep an eye on, and criticize as I see fit until the cows come home. But don't worry Slimebaugh and all you far right conservative freaks -- I gotta a lotta more for you too, boys!

Gingrich blasts Pelosi! Talk about a regular Slimeball Sandwich!

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2009/05/gingrich-pelosi.html

Newt calls Nancy a liar, despicable, dishonest, vicious and trivial? Pots really shouldn't call kettles black, but that's not even the real point of this post.

Thinking about that rather pathetic Slimeball Sandwich got me thinking about the Real Slimeball Sandwich -- a tasty type of sandwich that I invented and so named in 1990 as a sophomore at the University of Missouri. It resulted from the need to make filling, but very cheap meals on my extremely limited budget, since my only income at the time was working in the grill at McDonald's on Nifong Boulevard 15-20 hours a week (I think my hourly pay was around $4.30/hour, but can't recall for certain). So I invented the Slimeball Sandwich -- a very economical, yet slimey, yet tasty sandwich, perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner -- or even as a snack around 4:30 a.m. to help take the edge off.

Now, the sandwich can be made with regular, "full-flavored" ingredients (as I used to make it in college), but frankly it's pretty damn unhealthy that way. It can also be made much healthier, and still retain much of its tastiness, through utilization of low fat and fat free alternatives, which is how I make it now.

Now that one could cut the suspense around here with a knife, here's how the Slimeball Sandwich is made:

1. Toast two pieces of bread well in a toaster (I use low calorie light bread).

2. Put a piece of baloney or other lunch meat of preference on one of the pieces of bread (I use 98% fat free baloney as my #1 preference, but also use other low fat lunch meats, such as smoked ham and roast beef).

3. Then you start stackin' on top of the baloney: First is a slice of tomato (in college, I often left off the tomato for cost-reasons, but the sandwich is much better with the tomato). Also note: Sprinkling some salt, pepper and red pepper flakes on the tomato only adds to the party!

4. Then comes a giant dollop of mayo -- which ultimately gives the sandwich most of its sliminess, but also much of its taste (I use fat free Miracle Whip "salad dressing" mayo).

5. Then come sliced onions, and lots of 'em! (although you can always go lighter on the onions if that's your preference) Slice them and use them the way you would on a grilled cheeseburger.

6. Finally, a slice of American cheese on top (I use the fat free variety), followed by the other piece of well-toasted bread as the apex and roof of the sandwich.

7. Then preparation: Stick the sandwich in the microwave for about a minute and a half until the cheese is all liquidy and melted all over everything and the sandwich is very hot. For multiple sandwiches at once, go with about a minute and a half per sandwich. (I normally polish off at least four of these bad boys per sitting, which would mean 6 minutes).

Final notes: You will probaby need to let the sandwiches cool a few minutes, lest you want to scald the roof of your piehole. Also, these sandwiches are very good dipped in low fat cream of mushroom or tomato soup. Finally, note that these sandwiches are extrememly slimey, gooey and messy -- so bring plenty of napkins, unless having a mush of caked-on mayo and cheese is your sort of thing.

If I'm ever able to open up my own joint (i.e. bar and grill), this sandwich WILL be on the menu. You can thank me later for sharing it with you today -- just thank me when you see me again, Josey Wales.

Look no further than here for the truth on the Pelosi/CIA flap.

I've recently noted in this space that this whole item is not exactly one of my hot-button issues (i.e., Nancy Pelosi may have said something less than honest? -- NOOOO!), but there seems to be SO MUCH buzz concerning the issue right now that I felt compelled to read up on it and tell it how it is. The whole story seems rather confusing if you just read or watch one or a few isolated stories on the events -- things only seem to clear up if one reads a number of stories. So here goes, as best I can piece together from about 30 minutes of reading:

1. Pelosi's original story, which she apparently repeated for some number of days or weeks, is that she was "never briefed" on the fact that the CIA was using waterboarding on terror detainees. Such original story is important to keep in mind for later in this post.

2. The CIA this week comes out and says that Pelosi was briefed in September 2002 concerning the CIA's use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" on these detainees. Admittedly, however, I don't see where the CIA is claiming that it told Pelosi in September 2002 that waterboarding, specifically, was one of the "enhanced interrogation techiques" that was being used.

3. Pelosi reacts to the CIA this week by claiming that the CIA (at such September 2002 briefing) specifically told her that waterboarding was NOT being used with these detainees.

4. Under republican pressure this week alleging that Pelosi is lying about something here, Pelosi admits today that in 2003 she learned from an aid that other members of Congress had been briefed by the CIA that the CIA was, in fact, using waterboarding on these detainees. In Pelosi's words, "I wasn't briefed -- I was informed someone else had been briefed."

OK, is your head spinning yet? Let's try to cut through the crap here: First, whether Pelosi was told in the September 2002 briefing that waterboarding was being used (as the CIA insinuates), or whether she was told at that time that it was not being used (as she claims), is not really the primary issue here -- rather that seems to me to be more of a garden variety "he said, she said" dispute where either side could be telling the truth (tell me, do any of you really trust EITHER the CIA or Nancy Pelosi?-- I sure as hell don't).

Now, that brings us to the real issue here, which is Pelosi's ORIGINAL and repeated statement that she was "never briefed" on the fact that the CIA was using waterboarding on these detainees. In fact, she did KNOW about it (as she admitted today) REGARDLESS of whether that knowledge came from a "briefing" that she personally attended and received.

Pelosi seems to be trying to cling to the fact that her original statement ("I was never briefed") was technically accurate (if in fact her version of the September 2002 briefing is truthful), when in fact (and here FINALLY we get to the truth) her original statement was HIGHLY MISLEADING AND DISINGENOUS. Think about it: She admits now that she knew about the CIA's use of waterboarding back in 2003, yet she was going around for days or weeks claiming "I was never briefed" on such use of waterboarding. WTF?

To summarize, she may technically be correct that the CIA never PERSONALLY briefed her on the issue, but her admission that she nonetheless was INFORMED secondhand that the CIA was using waterboarding back in 2003 makes her whole original story ("I was never briefed") completely slimey and misleading because it omits a material and closely related fact and fails to tell the whole truth. But does this surprise me in any way? No! That's Nancy!

Janet Napolitano for US Supreme Court! Change We Can Believe In!

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D985I63O1&show_article=1

I'm struggling to think of a more absurd proposition that has occurred since His Majesty exchanged yucks and laughs with a despicable totalarian dictator from down south way. I do recognize the political convenience and advantage to such a move -- transfer perhaps the biggest Jackass appointment His Majesty has made so far (which is really saying something) from Homeland Security to a place where she never appears on camera and can keep a much lower profile for several years -- BUT PLEASE!

I can only imagine the Napolitano-written decisions we would get 35-40 years from now (i.e. the first point in time when the other justices would actually allow her sorry ass (errrrrr, her law clerk) to write a majority opinion). I think it would go something like this: "[IN A BIG, DEEP, STUFFY, COMPLETELY CONDESCENDING VOICE:] While the 14th Amendment does say that no person's life, liberty or property shall be deprived without due process of law, the defendant here, in tying up a public sidewalk in an alleged effort to assert his right-wing extremist viewpoints as a part of what we have been informed is connected to the so-called 'teabagger movement,' voted for a third party in the last election and, moreover, used such non-protected speech items as 'swine flu' and 'terrorism', and for that reason, we the majority hereby recognize a new exception to the plain language of the 14th Amendment. It is hereby articulated as follows: Do the tea bag, and the constitutional protections shall lag."

But more simply put: that Napolitano would ever receive consideration for the USSC for even as long as it takes to break wind in an Alabama Shithouse shows a reckless disregard for the best interests of this country and just exemplifies, once again as I've been saying, that His Majesty represents about as much change as the tin cup of a Grand Avenue Kansas City panhandler. Hardly change we can believe in. More of the same as far as I'm concerned.

Here's why the death penalty must go

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/12/death.row.exoneration/index.html

Simply put: Because although rare, innocent people sometimes get put to death. I think this is intolerable in a civilized society. Period (as they say). But I concede, this is a TOUGH issue, much like abortion. I would encourage any young person out there, when it comes to issues like these, take your time and don't feel compelled to rush to an end-all, be-all opinion right away -- if you have trouble resolving these kinds of hard issues until you're a bit older (like I was), who cares and that's fine. Better to get it right in the end than to flip-flop around in the meantime.

And here are some of the reasons that make death penalty abrogation such a close call: First, the primary justification proffered by the far left for eliminating the DP has very little merit in my eyes, i.e. that the state has no business or right taking the life of a person, even one convicted of first degree murder. I don't buy into that justification, and I certainly don't agree with it. Second, DP advocates -- leaving aside what I view to be their rather baseless and meritless "deterrence" argument -- make one hell of a compelling case in favor of the DP when they focus on their retribution argument, i.e. that if a person takes another's life in the first degree, then that person DESERVES to die for it. I agree with that basic proposition myself, but I just can't bring myself to get past the fact that on very rare occasions, an innocent person will die. To me, that is simply too high of a price to pay for a punishment with which I would otherwise have little problem.

Some1 tonite asked "why dont the libs quit making fun of 9-11". I had to respond to that, because the blame goes both ways, and here's what I said...

-- I think there are plenty of folks on both sides who made fun of it. For example, rather than getting all of our resources devoted to finding and taking out Bin Laden, we got BS (and knowingly BS) reasons for invading a sovereign country known as Iraq for no good reason other than that "bad people" controlled that country. It was a Neo-Con dream, and it failed. And now we're in Afghanistan ratcheting up troop levels ("CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN") with no clear plan being articulated for all these new troops, new casualties, and new spending that does not appear to be in anyway calculated to take out Al Qaeda (as opposed to protecting an imminently endangered regime from being toppled -- Can you say Vietnam?).

Good observation tonite from some repub dude on foxnews re: how Loony Far Left seems to want it all, even the silence of any1 who dares criticize them

(and allow me to preface this post with the fact that (as I've made abundantly clear on this space before), I think foxnews is pathetic for the right wing spin they foist upon their so-called journalism -- but I have to watch something, and at night i routinely channel surf between all these biased outlets -- Fox, MSNBC and CNN -- because I want to see what all of them are saying.) So here the post goes: I recall when the tea parties went down, the far left ("people" like Jeanine Garafalo (I'm sure that's not spelled correctly, but who gives a rat's ass)) was screamin' bloody murder about how these tea parties consisted of "all racists" (their words, not mine) and just a bunch of town-of-9000-type conservative republicans. Anyway, the point of this dude whom I referenced above was as follows: What do THEY (i.e. the Far Left) want? How much power do they need to have? They control the White House. They control the U.S. House. They control the U.S. Senate. They control that Senate with a soon-to-be fillibuster-proof 60 votes. They can rubber stamp through Congress just about any damn piece of radical legislation they wish (as we've seen multiple times in recent weeks). But that's not enough for these people. They are still just as rabid and venemous and angry and hateful as they ever were during the "W!" debacle. They seem now to not want any dissent whatsoever. And if you dare disagree with them, we get Janet Napolitano out there issuing memos and opening files on you for daring to vote for a third party, as I did. Or we get the White House press secretary going out of his way to deliver 5 pages of talking points against the words of any high profile dissenter. Or we get the infinitely vast Far Left blogosphere and Far Left controlled media trying to ratchet up the endless blitz of propaganda in a calculated effort to effectively squelch all dissenting views and free speech in this country. This stuff is starting to scare me. Because absolute power corrupts (whether it be in the hands of one of these two slimeball political parties or the other), and we're starting to see a movement down that very road right now, methinks. Just an observation. Keep your eyes open people.

OK, so THIS has been the Drudge headline all day! Wanda Sykes jokes at the Correspondents Dinner that she hopes Slimebaugh's kidneys fail?

http://www.breitbart.tv/html/336173.html

SLOW news day, uh Drudge? Good grief. Here's the thing: I LOVE Wanda Sykes. Watch that gal on Curb back when she used to be regular. Damn, she was funny. And so she joked that she wished Slimebaugh had kidney failure -- he sort of brought that on from his "joke" (well, actually, he was being serious) that he wished for America's failure while His Majesty is president. What's good for the goose is good for gander, as they say. And how about this take: One of the very few things that I would credit Slimebaugh with in recent years is how he was at least HONEST about his sentiments: He wants America to fail in the next 4 years so that His Majesty will be viewed as failing -- it's a rather rotten and pathetic sentiment, but AT LEAST El-Slimebaugh was being honest, and I always give credit for that. Because I've sat here for the last 8-9 years watching dishonest, disingenous, slimey far left freaks who could not be honest for a day of their lives even if it meant that His Majesty would raise the capital gains tax to 99% in return! They are completely silent about the current escalation in Afghanistan, and they will never admit how much, to the very fiber of their pathetic being, how much they wanted everything to go completely wrong in America during the "W!" years! At least Slimebaugh will admit it, and I give him an ounce of credit for that.

Now this was a scary pic! Darth Vader meets His Majesty!

I just saw this, and I'm thinking Big Don Vito Corleone at Sonny's funeral meeting face to face with King Henry VIII himself! As my favorite Oklahoman, Jim Ross, would say -- now there's a pair to draw to. Hard for me to ponder off the top of my head two more dangerous people than these two assclowns.

Post-script: The worst part of this picture is when I think of the current Afghani escalation on our part. The more the two B.S. extremes diverge, the more they come together in a total circle of extremeness (yes, I just invented a word). As I like to say, TWO PEAS IN THE SAME EXTREMIST POD!!! His Majesty gets in office, and he immediately rachets up the troop level by 25K, with more to come, embracing and spreading his legs all around the Bush-Cheney Neo-Con approach (except taking it to an even higher level). In the meantime, the Far Left goes completely silent on the issue -- those freakish, disingenuous, dishonest, slimeballs. But regardless, I'm still waiting over here, Your Majesty! What's the FREAKIN' PLAN FOR AFGHANISTAN! I realize the mainstream media will NEVER ask you that question, but I am. And methinks I'll never get an answer until we have a whole lot of Americans dead in a hot sandy place that more and more (apart from the terrain) reminds me very much of Vietnam. So what's the plan, Your Majesty?

And ALSO, BY THE FREAKIN WAY -- where's THE BOSS -- where's SPRINGSTEEN? Hey BOSS, you want to write a song like Born in the USA (which I very much connect with for its observations about the coming-home-from-Nam-era), and then you go around from concert to concert spreading your far left diatribe, and THEN YOU GO SILENT ON WHAT'S NOT GOING ON IN AFGHANISTAN? SHAME ON YOU, BOSS. YOU'RE JUST ANOTHER NO ONE AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED. I was born in the USA? Were you?

The Top 10 Movies of Independence now have a #9!

Night of the Living Dead. I had to get a horror movie on the list somewhere, and I can think of nothing better. The Exorcist is a close 2nd, but it clocked in at #16. This movie has just a weird feel to it. A lot of that feel was created by the low budget, rather unintentionally -- LISTEN to this movie -- so many parts have NO SOUND whatsoever: No natural sound, no soundtrack, no nothing. Just complete silence while these people go around doing things inside the house to try to barricade themselves against the zombies. So you have this long stretch of complete silence, and then BOOOOOOM! -- zombie at 9 0'clock trying to break in! the black and white film in 1969 only adds to the weird feeling. What a movie!

The Top 10 Movies of Independence now have a #10!

It's Field of Dreams starring Kevin Costner. Hard to think of a truly guy tear-jerker movie like this one that invokes all the nostalgia of baseball and at the same time parental tensions. This movie always breaks me up so much, I hardly ever watch it. Frankly, I watched it as inspiration on a certain night that I had do something crazy back in 2000 (I totally forgot about that until just now as I was typing this post -- very weird), and I haven't watched it since. The 2003 Royals almost made me watch it again, but I couldn't bring myself to do so. Maybe this year's Royals team, but probably not. I do think this is a movie made extra special by only watching it infrequently and at just the right time.

And as I mentioned earlier, while I reveal #10, I also want to reveal the also-rans at #11-15 so that you can see what just missed the cut on this list and at the same time get a feel for my movie-viewing preferences (and hopefully whet your appetites):
#11: Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid.
#12: Godfather Part II.
#13: Rocky (part I).
#14: The Sting.
#15: The Outlaw Josey Wales.

To Break up some of the monotony, and since I like Top 10 lists, I'm unveiling My Top 10 Movies of Independence!

Now, actually these movies don't necessarily have anything to with Independence, and actually reflect little more than my Top 10 movies of all time (although, note well, that my Top 10 Songs of Independence WERE chosen with Independence in mind -- I just kind of like the phrase "Top 10 _____'s of Independence", and so I'm staying with it). So shortly, I will reveal the #10 Movie of Independence of alltime, and at the same time reveal #11-15 (so that you can see those movies that just missed out, right up front).

Is there any room in the repub or dem party for someone who is not a liberal or conservative?

The answer is no. But to the dems credit, they've been able to seize upon this theme to make the repubs seem more out of touch (they are EQUALLY out of touch for the record), and the repubs seemingly haven't even tried to point out that the same "You will be extreme like us or you have no place whatsover" sentiment rolls thru the very core of the being of the dems' powerbrokers (just as it does with the repubs). Have to call it like I see it -- it's an equally pathetic situation from both parties, but only the dems have capitalized on it. Repubs these days are so completely sorry. They are the proverbial rudderless ship.

(BTW -- I posted this same message on a bulletin board earlier today, but liked it enough to go ahead and stick on the blog -- it's been kind of slow day material wise!)

Republicans just don't get it. They are as out-of-touch as the far left controlled dems.

Hey repubs, as your party dwindles down to almost nothing: The majority of us don't care a whole hell of a lot about planes over the statue of liberty, or Nancy Pelosi lying (pssst -- your "W!" lied to us about the whole pretense to invade Iraq and we all know it!), or Howard Dean saying we've had enough of capitalism (big shocker that that hotheaded far left freak would ever make such a statement) -- I'm freakin' shocked over here!!! You know why we don't care? BECAUSE NONE OF THAT BS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH US, OUR FAMILIES, OR OUR CONCERNS in a terrible economy and increasingly dangerous world. Here's what that the republican party has become: (1) Incessantly pointing out the stupidity of the far left (as if most of us are all idiots out here and don't already realize that); and (2) constantly making statements that anyone who is not a far right conservative is not welcome in your party. I've heard that message myriad times in the last month from that non-Missourian puke, Limbaugh, I've heard it 1000 times in the last month from the so-called "liberal translation shock jock" Hannity (who, BTW, insults my intelligence on a regular basis by thinking that average Americans really care about such things -- see above), and tonight I heard the same snide little sort of comment on FoxNews from Mike "Be a Social Conservative like me or go to hell" Huckabee. Hey Mike -- go **** yourself pal -- you are as out of touch with the majority of this country as all the worst of the far left, including your Al Frankens, your Nancy Pelosis, your Barbara Boxers, your Barney Franks, your moveon.org's, your dailykos's, etc. -- I could go on and on forever with that list that is not different from the likes of you, Big Mike. Hey Huckabee, as I often like to say, you and your ilk are like two peas in the same pod with the radical far left. No different -- all of you equally offer no representation to the majority of us whatsoever. And for your utter failure to EVEN TRY to do so-- Shame on you! Shame on you.

But I digress. Just keep it up, totally out-of-touch repubs because every day, in every way (to quote my man, John Lennon), you are easing the way for a new third party to emerge and replace your sorry right wing conservative asses. Have a nice day freaks.

This kind of got my goat. As if the repubs corner the market on their hatred towards and exclusion of centrists and "moderates"!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,519356,00.html

I'm focusing on this quote: "UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is true that being a Republican moderate sometimes feels like being a cast member of 'Survivor.'"

The pure insult to my intelligence from such a statement makes me want to force a shot of castor oil down that gal's snout and ask her if she's now cured. AS IF the far-left controlled democratic party does not spew the same kind of hate towards centrists and "moderates" as the far-right controlled repubs do! Jesus, lady, what country do you think I'm watching? Do you really think that we are such unwatching, unattentive and completely moronic steers out here? YOU HATE US just as much as right wing freaks like Limbaugh hate us. And to that, I say **** all ya'all.

Miracles do happen sometimes. Here's one.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,519216,00.html

When I first noticed the story of this boy's disappearance a few days back, I didn't even want to see or hear anything further because I knew it was only going to end badly. Maybe once in 1000 times (or maybe 10,000 or more), a miracle like this will happen. I'm completely blown away. And happy.

And finally, the Top songs of Independence now have a 10th song to round them out!

It's Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, which might as well be #1. See, my top 10 list has no particular order -- just 10 great songs that represent true Independence and freedom of mind. Take a good listen to these songs and come join us! As I said to a certain left-leaning gentleman [radio edit -- lol!] earlier tonight -- Here we are now, entertain us!

(Post-script: I'm holding open the possibility of a further Top 10 songs of Independence. We'll see.)

My take on Colin Powell vs. Rush Limbaugh

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/06/limbaugh-to-powell-become-a-democrat/
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/05/republican_party_deep_trouble.html

Powell used to probably be the American that I respected most. But now I just view him as a Specter-style turncoat, and I have lost much respect for him. As I've said before in this space, I have absolutely no respect for turncoats. If you choose (against my better discretion) to become affiliated with one of these two B.S. parties, as Powell chose to do with the repubs, then you either stay true to that choice or you become an Independent. Otherwise, I have no respect for you. And Powell, while never officially declaring it, is now basically a democrat, after endorsing His far left Majesty for president and based on all the things he's said recently -- which, BTW, are basically liberal talking points and falsehoods: We WANT to pay taxes and more taxes Colin? I think not. But we are willing to pay reasonable taxes as our civic duty. We are LOOKING for more government in our lives Colin? Who precisely is looking for that? The 10% radical left extreme that you now hang around with?

NOW, all that being said, Colin has plenty of excellent and accurate points in his words today. He talked about how the repubs have become a little niche party dominated by the far right and by social conservatism. That's absolutely correct. He criticized Rush Limbaugh as an awful, hateful, so-called "face" of the repubs. That's absolutely correct. But where were these sentiments 5 fives years ago, General, before you completely diminished yourself in my eyes as a garden variety turncoat?

And finally, guess what Rush had to say in response? Big shocker here -- the same old tired message that he's been spouting for 2 weeks now to anyone who is not a far right conservative freak like his non-Missouri ass: "[Paraphrasing] Why don't you just go join the democrats because we have no place in the republican party for anyone who does not think exactly like us on every single issue." As I've grown fond of ending recents posts with -- Go **** yourself Rush. You represent a very similar 10% radical extreme to that which Colin Powell's new friends inhabit. You are just as pathetic as those people, you non-Missourian you.

The Top songs of Independence now have a #9!

#9 Dream by John Lennon. Guess how high this song charted in the United States? That's correct, at position #9. #9 was a special number to Lennon because it always seemed to be hitting him over the head; for example, many of the most important dates in his life always seemed to fall on the 9th of a month.

One other thought: If you'd ever really like to get the phrase "#9" branded into your mind forever (I know, just the sort of thing that you have probably often desired), then check out Lennon's Revolution No. 9 from the Beatles' White Album. That song's lyrics go as follows: "Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ..." AND THEN later, just for good measure, the lyrics continue as follows: "Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ... Number Nine ..." You have to love John Lennon.

The Top songs of Independence now have a #8!

Express Yourself by N.W.A. The title of the song makes this song's inclusion here self-explanatory.

Not very healthy eating by His Majesty and Foot-in-Piehole Joe. Where's the PETA outrage?

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D980D0UO0&show_article=1

Of yeah, the far left only goes attack dog when it's not one of their own, completely explaining the far left silence when His Majesty ratchets up our spending and troop presence by 25K in Afghanistan, with no end in sight. Silly, pathetic, hypocritical far left. But I digress. I have no problem with the beef eating here, but must say that eating these big saturated-fat-drenched burgers with cheese lopping off the side is very unhealthy. (I will say, if these two guys rarely have a beef burger, then it's cool, because even I have one or two around the holidays.) If you want a burger, I'd suggest going with the soy veggie variety -- has nothing to do with meat vs. not-meat or regular American vs. "vegan" freak, but rather has everything to do with eating healthier. Just sayin'.

Angels & Demons starring Tom Hanks & directed by Ron Howard!

Good grief, how our previously thought-to-be mainstream heroes have fallen. Hanks is threatening to become (or perhaps has become) the new Kevin Costner -- he appears in the completely pathetic Da Vinci Code, and then stars in a sequel!, all the while heaping funds on the campaign of a far left liberal freak called Al Franken thousands of miles away in Minnesota. Yay Tom! Wooooooo! You're making us so proud! Tell me, did you REALLY have any association in any way, shape or form with the mini-series Band of Brothers? Methinks not. And Ron Howard, who are you over there?, directing this kind of drivel? To use another "methinks," Methinks you and best buddy loon Hanks have completely gone off the deep end. Very sad.

White House confirms its LOVE for MSNBC. What a shocker!

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/05/white-house-msnbc.html

Just as I'm sure the slimely, lying Neo-Con Bush regime loved ultra-right-wing biased Fox News around the White House, it's purely shocking to hear the Obama White House confirming how much it loves the ultra-left-wing biased MSNBC. Is there really much more to say here than what I've already reiterated in this space about 1000 times over the past 5 weeks or so? These national media outlets, holding themselves out as unbiased "journalists," are nothing but advocates, and our political powerbrokers couldn't love that sickening situation more! Because they are far-left liberal out-of-touch elitists like His Majesty and his ilk, or they are (as we previously saw) far-right conservative out-of-touch elitists like the whole Neo-Con movement and its ilk. And in the meantime, who the **** is representing us in the majority? Does anyone ever really wonder with a straight face my I'm so angry?

White Castle needs to get its ass back to western Missouri and to Kansas!

White Castle has a nationally known reputation as a burger joint, and IT STARTED IN WICHITA KANSAS, and YET their corporate bureacracy freaks saw fit in 1998 or so to pull ALL of their stores out of Kansas and out of Western Missouri. How dare you? I fail to believe that your sales were somehow slumping, because I know they were not. As I often say, I was born in Missouri, I became a man in Missouri, and someday I will die in Missouri. And White Castle, born and successful in Kansas and western Missouri before anything else, has totally turned its back on Kansas and Western Missouri for no good reason except the same kind of BS corporate drivel that we get out of such conglomo-mega-corporations that have no regard for the benefit of their customers, such as Nissin Ramen and McDonald's. You need to come back here, White Castle, and until you do, I'm going to rant and rave all over your ass on a very frequent basis. Because the corporation that turns its back on its roots is the one that completely deserves to be LOATHED AND CRITICIZED until the cows come home or we hairlip the governor. Take your pick.

Don't look now, but Independents are on the rise!

Thanks to SoCalTigr for this link: http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2009/05/amazing_numbers.php

It demonstrates that us Independents' polls are rising, while the repubs' poles continue to fall more and more limp in the wind. Hardly surprising, given the reaction from the right to that slimeball Specter's defection last week (i.e., such reaction was basically, "good riddance out of the party to everyone who is not a devoted far right conservative, lock-stock-and-barrel on every single issue with the far right, including most importantly, every single conservative issue on the social side of things"). Like I said before, **** you Rush. You're not even a real Missourian.

Any suggestions on the #8 Song of Independence?

Because I've got #9 all ready to go, but first I need a #8, and I'm at a loss. Any suggestions welcome.

Souter retires. Time for some "change we can believe in" from Obama.

"Change we can believe in" would mean him nominating a new Justice with a reputation of leaving aside personal biases and politics, and just trying to follow the law as best as she/he can. We currently have a Supreme Court made up of judicial activists who try to impose their political will on the Court's decisions -- some of them impose their judicial activism from the right, and others of them try to impose it from the left. And guess what? That is NOT the job of the most lowly of associate circuit court magistrate judges in Tightwad, Missouri -- let alone a judge on the nation's highest court. So here's yet another opportunity for you to impress me, Obama, but alas I'm about 99% sure that you will just stick another left-leaning judge in there who votes 90% or more of the time consistent with his/her personal biases. I repeat -- there's nothing judicial about that. It's just the slimey judicial world that inhabits this country like a particuarly virulent strain of the Swine Flu on steriods (ha, ha, Napolitano -- i know, know, I should have said the R2D2 Flu -- my bad).

I get it -- you're angry. WRITE IT!

It just occurred to me some words of wisdom I've heard like 1000 times from that old rock legend, Alice Cooper, when watching VH-1 Classic. That channel regularly (or at least used to run regularly) this 30-second promo spot when Cooper is talking about young wannabe rock musicians talking to him and trying to tell him how angry they are, but then he hears their set or their demo and he just doesn't here that anger -- rather he just hears crap. So he tells them, "I get it, you're angry -- NOW go out and WRITE it!" I'm trying to take such advice to heart and put some of these ideas to writing even though at the moment no one is reading (hopefully we're changing that) and even though if a few of the wrong people read some of this crazy, over-the-top angry-a$$-$hit, it's probably not so good for me. Hey Cooper, I'm writin' it!

The Top songs of Independence now have a #7!

What's Going On by Marvin Gaye. Truly one of the most beautiful songs in the history of American popular music.

What the fuck!

What the fuck? How can someone say nothing articulately and have so many people embrace it it? Are you a leader? Where the fuck are we supposed to follow you to? I have nothing against the poor, but I don't want to join them. Get a plan, smarty pants.

OK, I'm waiting Obama! Where's the plan for Afghanistan?

Perhaps one of these days, since we're talking about troop escalations beyond 25K, we might get an explanation? Or else we can just keep on with "change we can all believe in" and a complete continuation of The Bush policies without any explanation whatsoever!