We Never Called It A War, We Never Gave Them That Respect

The War Against the Filipinos only lasted a couple of years. The Filipinos that had guns usually didn't have any ammunition. Mostly they fought us with knives, spears and stones. We declared it over on July 4th, 1902. Nice touch. We continued to slaughter anyone who showed any resistance to American rule, summarily, for another decade.

20% of the entire population died. Men, women and children. After that, they were all pretty friendly. At least on the main streets. In the daytime.

Nice place to kick back. Have a beer. Get laid. American servicemen, stationed there, referred to the local girls, devout Catholics, as LBFMs. Little Brown Fucking Machines. They treated them accordingly. They always paid them for their services, almost nothing. Classy.

Yeah, He's The One

The American Film Institute has been giving out yearly Life Achievement Awards since 1973, starting with Director John Ford. Initially I was usually impressed by their selections. As the decades rolled by I was less so and often thought that while their selections were worthy, many superior potential honorees were ignored. Women have always gotten short shrift. In the last several years I have felt more and more this way.

This year, the honoree is going to be Michael Douglas. This guy did his best work in a supporting role on a TV drama 30 years ago. Since then, his material and the portrayals therein have rarely failed to be derivative and banal. Kathleen Turner was the real draw in those Romancing the Stone movies and they were a second tier Spielberg rip off. In "Wall Street", he was upstaged by Charlie Sheen. It's hard to imagine that's even possible, considering Charlie's narcotic intake at the time. Douglas' selection is a disgrace. Money must surely have changed hands.

Mel Brooks was probably booked up, not available. Jane Fonda, too political, no doubt. Sly Stallone would have actually been a better choice. Wonder who's on deck for next year? Hasselhof? Andrew Stevens? I personally am hoping for Sally Fields. I really, really like her.

Hive Head Hikes Into History

After less than a year on the National political stage, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is resigning her position. WTF!

I'm sorry to see her go. She has been the most entertaining and transfixing American politician since the emergence of pro wrestler and ex Navy SEAL Jesse Ventura, Governor of Minnesota. I can't imagine that she still harbors aspirations to high office, with just two and a half years experience as governor, most of it spent involved in unrelated efforts.

Perhaps she will concentrate on authorship of an inspirational book and seek employment on the prayer breakfast circuit or get her own daily cable show on the Fox News Network. That would certainly pay more than her present position and she is not a wealthy woman, yet.

Is it possible that Michael Jackson has written a codicil to his will, designating her as custodian of his finances and guardian of his children?

Even if she just wants to spend more time with her children, smoking methamphetamine and whoring, out on the tundra, who could blame her?

Let's all say a prayer for Sarah and Eskimo Todd, as they continue on, with their little family, in a seemingly aimless, aberrant and intermittent life's journey, much like that of the Alaskan midnight Sun, to which their lives are so irreversibly linked.

Bush was too Friendly with the Arabs and the Jews.

This guy was our ambassador to the UN under Pres. GW Bush. They talk about Barry O being a commie, mudman traitor. This guy is a genocidal, Israeli militarist.

Somebody please give me one coherent reason why US National interest should favor the continued presence of a Jewish State in the Middle East.

I got nothing against Israel but nothing for them either. They are not good partners. Their values are not our values. Their objectives are not our objectives. They have never been our friends and are chronic human rights violators. Friendship with them impedes trade and good relations with every other country in the area.

Israel should be on their own. Bolton and his militarist Neocon, Jewish buddies should go there to live and fight for the cause. What they are doing here is disruptive and often involves espionage and treason.

Oldest Actor

I gotta be honest with ya. I thought Karl Malden died years ago. Apparently not. He died today. Producers and directors live longer than actors. Mack Sennett and Billy Wilder both lived and worked past a hundred.

At ninety-seven, Karl was probably the oldest major league movie actor alive. Who's the oldest now?

Mickey Rooney has been around the longest but he was a child star and won't even be ninety until next year. There must be someone older than him around.

Maybe Eli Wallach. I heard he died a couple times but I think that's wrong. If he's alive he's ninety-three.

Art Linkletter was in a couple of movies. Is he really an actor? He's ninety-seven. As old as Karl Malden was.

Kirk Douglas is nominally alive. He's ninety-three.

If Kevin McCarthy is still alive he's ninety-four.

Women live longer than men. You'd think there would be a shitload of old leading ladies around. Not true. The oldest one I could find was Olivia De Havilland. She's only ninety-three.

Il Popo Ratzo Throws Brazilian Arch Bishop Under The Bus

Though loved for his antics by anti choice fanatics, World wide, he has become a figure of derision in his home country of Brazil. This is the guy that excommunicated the mother of the little nine year old girl, pregnant with twins by her pedophile stepfather. Brazil has the most Catholics of any country in the World and they all hate this guy. The Pope today accepted the resignation of Brazilian Arch Bishop Jose Cardoso Sobrinho.

Pope backs off. Feeds his brother to the angry crowd. Typical cowardly Popish behavior. Also clueless, dorkish, too little and too late to do any good. Pro Lifer shitcanned, anal raper Bernard Law remains safely sheltered in the Vatican. Catholicism marches on.

Mark Sanford

I normally wouldn't comment on something like this except to rag the Wingnuts about the feet of clay, that their leadership often exhibit. Everybody is talking about this though, and I wonder if I'm the only one that is seeing the obvious.

Everybody seems to think that Mark Sanford's problems stem from an adulterous relationship with an Argentinian woman. I don't think so. This guy is a big time drug user. Could be cocaine. Could be opiates. Could even be psychedelics. He did not get this way overnight. It's been going on for a long time. When you watch him on TV, he's not even in the same room with the reporters he's talking to. All you need to do, is look at the reaction of his wife, friends and staff to his recent behavior. There is no shock, outrage or even surprise. They are calm and under control. They're used to this kind of craziness on a regular basis. The wife seems relieved that it's finally out in the open. This guy shouldn't be operating heavy machinery.

He's going to have to spend some time in a rubber room, followed by an extended period in a nice quiet place with well tended gardens and high fences.

I wish Mark good luck. He's probably a great guy. Probably very smart. I've known a lot of people in his situation. If he makes it out the other end, he may become an extraordinary person and an inspiration to others that suffer as he did. Aint that what they always say?

Banana Republic

So, this week there was a Right wing military coup in Honduras. Pretty much every government in the hemisphere has condemned it, whether they support the deposed leader or not, as a blow to the emergence of the democratic process as the dominant political mechanism in the region. This includes Barak Obama, the illegal alien, mud person, chain smoking, President of the United States of America.

The wing nut faction in the United States, celebrate the coup as a victory for freedom and the good old Monroe doctrine of divide and conquer. They think the leaders of the Western Nations, Obama included, are a bunch of commies and the military, as an agent of the Christian, reactionary Right, is obligated to step in. No big surprise here.

We Waterboarded the Wrong Guys

Madoff got 150 years. He's getting off easy. He hasn't cooperated at all or given up any hidden assets or co-conspirators.

I say send him to Gitmo. Waterboard him every day for a couple of years. Get the number of every off shore account and asset. Get the names of everybody that helped him or knew what he was doing. Then convict and start on them. It's OK. Not torture, right?

Guys like him are an insult to everyone who works for a living. Jack Welsh, Warren Buffet, Angelo Mozillo. Take'em all down in the basement and put the electrodes to their balls. Crooks, all of them. Thousands go to prison for committing penny ante crimes to feed their families. These guys walk away with billions.

Make examples of them all.

Is Your Boat Here ?

Mine is the second one up from the pier.

Here she is in better days. I was probably on the bridge. OOPS, no DSRV docked on the ass end. Wasn't me on that bridge.

Sailor, Rest Your Oar

Muster eight sideboys. Rig the bosun's chair. Pipe him away. Put on some real uniforms and keep the damn laundresses below !

I knew a guy once who became the Supt. at Annapolis. Always with the big smile. Slimey bastard. Can't imagine he did the Middy's any good. This guy was a better one and no doubt a better sailor, though before my time. Made the transition to Nukes at the beginning, probably pretty sharp. This guy graduated Summer of '42, then went to sub school. That took a little while. Then he went to subs as an Ensign. Three years later he's XO, probably a Lieutenant or LCDR. No ticket punching for him. Nice way to jump start a career. David Farragut was in the Navy for forty years before he made Captain. S'way the hardtack crumbles. Or doesn't.

Says he he got an appointment to the Academy after two years at another college and still graduated at 22. I didn't think you could do that. Maybe because it was wartime. Anybody want to comment?

Not many of the WWII guys left, especially O gangers. Sorry to see him go. Sorry to see any of them go.

And The Box He Rode In On

You gotta love this stuff. The anticipation must be giving the Pope a big knobby.

Is Elton Going To Sing "Candle In The Wind" At His Fucking Funeral ?

Elvis and Michael had a lot in common. They were both American cultural icons, loved in the most traditional and religious segments of our society, as well as World wide. They both died of drug overdose in middle age, living isolated and marginalized lives. They were both deeply disturbed, aberrant individuals and remorseless sexual predators. They both paid parents to knowingly give over their children to be raped repeatedly. The corruption of the parent as well as the child was an important part of their sickness. Either one is a hundred times worse than somebody like O.J. or Phil Spector, who are just regular, old, celebrity, psychotic, sex murderers.

The media attention and homage paid on the occasion of their deaths is incomprehensible. That so many involved in the carnival claim conservative, Christian values, I find humorous.

Me, I got a lot more sympathy for the poor girl died of ass cancer after a life spent peddling it too cheaply in Hollywood. She was tired and sad but no monster. Good night, Farrah. Nice ass.

Bring On The Moose Killer

The 2012 elections are still a long way off. That's good for the Republicans because they have a lot of rebuilding to do and it looks like they still have a wait until the party completes it's current wave of deconstruction. Daily, more prominent Republican leaders are melting back into the foul black dirt of ignorance and ethnocentric enmity from which they sprung.

Barring complete political catastrophe, the Democrats are going to count on the leadership of their transformational leader, Barry O, to aggressively promote a liberal domestic agenda, while trying to co opt traditionally Republican leaning, independent, family values voters. The Republicans, with a stable of incumbent leaders with histories of graft, corruption, closeted homosexuality or marital infidelity, will have a hard time competing with them.

Karl Rove is counting on historical precedent to replenish Congressional ranks in 2010. I'm not certain that will happen. I think they will be lucky if they pick up enough new seats to replace further losses. They have a few attractive young up and comers with novel backgrounds. Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia is one. Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana is another. I doubt they can make either of these boys fit the mold they need to win the Presidency. I don't think they can retread either Huckybuck or Romney again and hope to win a national election. Who knows, I could be wrong on both counts.

Personally, I think Sarah Palin is too stupid, unsubtle, and mean to be elected President but it is looking more and more like she is the only candidate that can make an impressive enough showing in the Republican primaries to be a believable candidate in 2012. Whatever her failings may be, she is a bonafide modern female candidate. She owes no fealty to a stronger male figure, lurking in the background. Whatever she is, she is self made. This is a milestone in American politics, liberal or conservative.

Win or lose in 2012, the Republicans need to start building a new group of future party leaders. This new crop needs to be packed with women, minorities and people with openly alternative life choices. If they want to make a comeback, it can't be with their father's Republican brand.

I don't think that the culture wars are over. Not by a long shot. Reproductive and Gay rights will continue to be hot issues for years to come. I think that's the way it should be. Easy victories aren't victories at all. The longer that these public dialogs remain hotly debated, the more public opinion on them will moderate, on both sides and that is exactly what is needed. We also need to keep examining racial, religious and cultural diversity and what it takes to meld us all into some kind of workable homogeneous society. We're nowhere near there yet but a lot closer than we used to be.

Yo Ho Ho!

I found the link to this at W.C. Varones. You have got to hand it to the Russkies. Protect the sea lanes. Make a little money. Have a good time on vacation. All rolled into one. Well rounded life.

Health Care

Healthcare is a snakepit. You can't have a system of any kind that gives everybody the best possible healthcare. Even mundane care if provided to everyone, can produce mindboggling costs.

Use Steve Jobs as an example. Pancreatic cancer is not curable but death can be delayed, sometimes significantly. First, you get a Whipple procedure. You need a really good surgeon and it takes all day. He guts you like cleaning a fish for dinner, then reconnects what little is left. Convalescence takes a really long time and there will be complications and surgical revisions, no matter how otherwise healthy and young you are. If they do everything right, when you heal, you can eat but you won't digest anything. You'll need to have intravenous nutrition for the rest of however long you live. It's amazingly expensive and the risk of sepsis is extemely high, no matter how much care is taken.

Even with all of this, the cancer will metastasize and must then be dealt with. Chemo, radiation, organ transplants, all these can eventually be done if the patient lives long enough.

From the minute you decide to aggressively treat pancreatic cancer you are committing to millions of dollars a year in costs.

Given a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, most people are willing to submit to any measures necessary to stay alive. Even if it's not for that long.

There are a whole shitload of diseases just as expensive to treat as pancreatic cancer. There are some that are more expensive. Steve Jobs is a billionaire. If it costs him 10 or 15 million a year to stay alive, it's no problem for him. If we commit to treating everybody aggressively for every disease we can, it's a whole different matter. When those "Culture of Life" fuckheads get involved, it will be even worse. You think they're bad now, just wait.

There's maybe a billion people out of the six or seven billion on earth who are starving to death. There are a lot of places where the life expectancy is under 40 years. In many of these places, birth control is not practiced and consensual sex is not a recognized concept. Basic sanitation infrastructure is absent. Basic health care is not even productive in these areas. Lowering the infant mortality rate makes conditions worse in the long term. Maybe comprehensive health care is not where we should be focusing our best efforts right now.

I'd like to see Americans get basic health care. It seems to me though that we haven't even decided what that is yet. It seems to me that old people and poor people already get too much free health care, while the uninsured don't seek treatment even when sick for fear of burdening their families with unpayable bills. There's no way that's fair.

Traitorous American Catholic Militias To Fight The Culture Wars ?

I don't think this is any coincidence, do you?

The American Catholic press has chosen this time to rehash one of the most brazen and brutally punished mutinies in American military history. They are suggesting that the motivations for it were a gallant cause and worth emulating today. Old Zach Taylor rounded up every last one of these guys he could find and hung them publicly.

Today, when Pope Ratzo and his bishops are demanding all loyal Catholics to disregard American civil law on social issues and instead follow their edicts, can exhortations of armed resistance and rebellion be far behind?

I don't think any American Catholics will follow Ratzo on this and the thought of any fat, faggot bishops taking up the gun is laughable. Still, it tells you where Ratzo's head is at.

Tin Soldiers And Nixon Coming

Today, the wing nut, blood mongers of the Republican Party. decry the murder of the beautiful and innocent young Iranian girl Neda, shot down, presumably by para military thugs on the streets of Tehran. They aren't wrong but they are now and have always been, cringing little cowards.

Four decades ago, the voice of the Right was silent over the shooting, in cold blood, from several hundred yards away, of 13 students on the campus of Kent State University in Ohio. President Nixon, as newly elected as Barry O is today, said the shootings were the treatment that student protesters on campus should expect. No attempt was ever made to uncover who gave the order to fire. The soldiers who fired were not prosecuted because they were supposedly threatened by the students, most of them innocent bystanders, going from class to class, more than a football fields distance away.

On another note, we learned today that Nixon was generally against abortion, not on any quasi-religious or ridiculous "natural law" grounds but because he believed it weakened family values in America. He believed abortion should be allowed for cases of rape or miscegenation, which he no doubt believed would be mostly the same thing. He would have had no problem aborting Barry O. Hey, neither would I, if that's what his mother wanted. Dicky might have made it mandatory. He wasn't a big fan of the mulatto condition. Everyone knows they're uppity.

Family values and Richard Nixon. What a joke. It is well known that his wife despised and was disgusted by him and that he was a homosexual pedophile, indulging in his filthy passion with his friend "Bebe" Rebozo, down in Florida on Key Biscayne every chance he got.