Bush-Cheney campaign equates Democrats with Hitler?

In yet another sign that the Bushies are seriously losing their shit, their campaign web site now features an incoherent ad called "The Faces of John Kerry's Democratic Party." Bizarrely, and without explanation, the ad places Adolf Hitler alongside Dick Gephardt, Michael Moore, John Kerry, and Howard Dean. Okay, seriously. What the fuck is wrong with these people?

On the other hand, George Bush is in this roll call too. See what I mean? Incoherent. Better yet, see it for yourself. And see if you can make any sense out of it.

Look for it here. Right now it is on the main page, with a pic of John Kerry, and text that says "new web video" and "watch." If they have any sense left, it'll be pulled soon.

Fresh Air: Interview with Bill Clinton

Fresh Air's Terry Gross interviews former President Bill Clinton.

Listen to it here.

Tips: You will need to have RealOne Player installed and have your sound up, but not too loud. :)

Reuters: Cheney Utters 'F-Word' in Senate

Vice President Dick Cheney blurted out the "F word" at Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont during a heated exchange on the Senate floor, congressional aides said on Thursday.

What a fucker.

Read more here.

FDR's Unfinished Revolution

From Salon.com:

No matter who wins in November, author Cass Sunstein says, the country has moved far from Roosevelt's vision of a second Bill of Rights -- and a brand of liberalism that is no longer in fashion.

The gist: "The leader of the 'Greatest Generation' had an idea which the country hasn't lived up to."

Read more here.

Kenneth Turan Review: 'Farenheit 9/11'

From NPR's Morning Edition:

Farenheit 9/11, director Michael Moore's scathing depiction of the Bush administration's response to the Sept. 11 attacks, opens in U.S. theaters Friday. The controversial film won the top prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan has a review.

Listen to it here.

Tips: You will need to have RealOne Player installed and have your sound up, but not too loud. :)

FactCheck.org: Kerry "Paperwork" Ad is Accurate

An ad announced by the Kerry campaign on June 21st shows Kerry making a pitch for his health care plan, which he says "will save literally billions of dollars" by streamlining medical paperwork. FactCheck.org says he's right.

Read their report here.

This Week in the Bush Adminstration

A recent Washington Post­-ABC News poll shows that President Bush's advantage on the issue of combating terrorism has completely evaporated: 48 percent of respondents trust Sen. John Kerry to handle the issue, while 47 percent prefer Bush.

But the Bush team is still making serious mistakes. Look at what we've seen this week alone:

* Attorney General John Ashcroft's sworn testimony before the 9/11 Commission contradicts the statements made by two FBI officials who said that Ashcroft did, in fact, blow off terror warnings in the months before the 9/11 attacks.

* Papers released by the White House show that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld gave the go-ahead for harsh interrogation tactics, including the removal of clothing and stress positions.

* Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz appeared before the House Armed Services Committee and admitted that the administration’s war planners "underestimated" the duration of the Iraqi resistance, and said it's "entirely possible" our troops would be forced to remain there for several years.

Not to mention their dubious claims about connections between Iraq and al Qaeda! Right now, the Bushies have lost critical momentum on the issues of terrorism and Iraq. Their politicized answers have failed to fit the giant questions still looming in each front. And it appears that they have no plans to change course.

On the bright side, it's beginning to look like the electorate certainly does. ;)

USA Today: Durable goods orders drop in May; jobless claims up

From BushRecall.org:

The Bush administration has been hell-bent on advertising the apparent strength of the economy, but here's one statistic that you surely won't find in the White House talking points: Orders for durable goods (products - cars for example - that are expected to last at least three years) failed to meet economists' expectations for the month of May.

While analysts had predicted that the number would jump by 1.4 percent, orders unexpectedly dropped by 1.6 percent. Orders for durable goods are considered an important economic indicator because they provide insight about consumer confidence in the state of the economy.

If people are convinced the economy is humming along and that they can expect to benefit, they are more likely to invest in these higher-priced goods. If not, well, we're seeing what happens.

And that's not the only bit of negative economic news for the Bush administration to shove under the rug. It has also been announced that jobless claims for the week of June 19 swelled by 13,000 over the previous week - a number much higher than anticipated.

Read about it here.

Denver Post: GOP avoiding investigation of prisoner abuse

Yesterday, the Republican-controlled Senate shot down a Democratic plea for the release of more documents relating to the ongoing prisoner abuse scandal on a largely party-line vote.

Read about it here.

Washington Post: Pelosi Seeks House Minority 'Bill of Rights'

Read it here (registration required).

Now, I like this idea, mind you. But Republican rule is about to end anyway, so why bother? :)

Reuters: 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Turns on Box Office Heat

Fahrenheit 9/11 has broken single-day records at the two New York City theaters where it played. Read more here.

NPR: Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Set to Open

From All Things Considered:

Filmmaker Michael Moore's documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 arrives in U.S. theaters this Friday, after winning the top prize at the Cannes film festival and being shelved by the Disney Co., its original backer. The film, which criticizes President Bush's response to the attacks of Sept. 11, is being released independently. NPR's Bob Mondello has a review.

Listen here.

Tips: You will need to have RealOne Player installed and have your sound up, but not too loud. :)

NPR: The Politics of 'Fahrenheit 9/11'

From All Things Considered:

The Michael Moore documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11 is harshly critical of President Bush's response to the events of Sept. 11 and the war in Iraq. But supporters and opponents of the president both see ways to use the movie to their advantage. NPR's Mara Liasson reports.

Listen here.

Tips: You will need to have RealOne Player installed and have your sound up, but not too loud. :)

The New York Times: Michael Moore Is Ready for His Close-Up

Here is a terrific New York Times piece on Michael Moore and Fahrenheit 9/11.

My absolute favorite quote:

"Any attempts to libel me will be met by force," he said, not an ounce of humor in his familiar voice. "The most important thing we have is truth on our side. If they persist in telling lies, knowingly telling a lie with malice, then I'll take them to court."

Go get 'em, Mike!

Michael Isikoff and Newsweek Magazine Deceive the Public About Fahrenheit 9/11

Gotta keep on top of the right's disinfo efforts. Here's one in Newsweek.

Lollapalooza Cancelled!

Proof today that the nineties are indeed over (as if there really was any doubt), Lollapalooza 2004 has been cancelled. Read about it here.

Tell Cheney: Prove It or Resign

Vice President Dick Cheney is at it again. From the earliest moments after the tragedy of 9/11, Mr. Cheney has sought to convince the American public that Saddam Hussein's Iraq was linked to Al Qaida. So far, all the evidence demonstrates otherwise, yet Cheney keeps pushing his tall tale. And now he indicates that he has evidence not previously revealed to the 9/11 Commission. If he does, he should reveal it immediately and let the experts and the public judge it. Frankly, in other times, withholding such evidence would be grounds for impeachment. If he does not have such evidence, he should stop making it up and resign.

Click here to take action.

Freudian, Oedipal bullshit

Recent events in my life have made me see some things about myself, have brought me some epiphanies. And they’re not pretty. You see, I’ve often heard that men want women like their mothers (and vice versa). I never really gave the concept much credence, but suddenly I see it in my own relationships with women, both past and present. And it’s quite a disappointment, to put it mildly. Though it certainly explains a lot. I’ve always had a thing for broken women. And who is the classic broken woman in my life? You guessed it. My mother was fiercely intelligent, but also pessimistic, negative, critical, temperamental, and mean. So show me a woman with those qualities and I am hers for the bilking. It’s so clear now, my attraction to all these broken, damaged women. I couldn’t please Mommy, so naturally I gravitate towards women in my relationships that I will also be unable to please. It’s sick. And it has me in a mind to give up. Knowing one’s limitations is half the battle in life. Go with your strengths, right? I can either have a lifetime of unhappiness, striving to fix my mother by trying to fix all these women who are just going to do me wrong anyway, or I can opt out of that one small area of human relationships, and, instead focus my energies on being the best teacher I can be, helping kids, and having fun doing it. And in my spare time I can focus on making myself happy. THAT is a project in which I KNOW I can succeed. This Freudian, Oedipal bullshit, I cannot fix. I need to stop, while I’m still young(-ish).

I’m crying as I type this, which I haven’t done in...I don’t know how long. It’s not a happy realization. But once I get over it, I’ll be the better for having had it.

Subject change: I guess the forecast changed overnight, huh? It’s a beautiful day.

What I Learned From the NBA Finals by Paul Richards

One of the big sports stories of the year was the Detroit Pistons' amazing upset of the formidable LA Lakers in the NBA championship series. Paul Richards, veteran Democratic Party activist and onetime member of the Montana House of Representatives, thinks the Pistons' win has lessons for the Democratic party in this November's election.

What I Learned From the NBA Finals
by Paul Richards

* That ordinary guys who get in shape, hustle and persevere can win

* That blue collar workers playing pristine ball can upset spoiled rich prima donnas

* That reality can outshine glitter, despite all the PR to the contrary

* That dynasties can fail and storied empires fall

* That radical restructuring can occur at a moment's notice

* That hard work, courage and initiative can create windows of opportunity

* That if we play cohesively as a team and contest every single possession, we can dominate

* That, given the above, domestic regime change is inevitable

Michael Moore terrorizes the Bushies!

From Salon.com:

The right wing is going all out to stop "Fahrenheit 9/11" -- but it's not working.

Read it here.

Rush Limbaugh caught in yet another outright lie

Read it here.

'Fahrenheit 9/11' Yea and Nay

From Salon.com, two reviews of Michael Moore's new film:

Yea!

and

Nay!

Frisbie

In the process of the rather lame task of deleting Internet Explorer bookmarks, I came across this article on Frisbie, a Chicago band led by a childhood friend, Steve Frisbie. In 2000, they put out this album, which was very, very good. Last I heard from Steve, they were getting ready to gear up again. Anyway, read the article. It's a really nice description of the music. Good writing, which is often hard to come by in music journalism.

USA Today: The truth about Michael Moore

Here's a nice little piece on Michael Moore from today's USA Today (America's newspaper).

Associated Press: Board Upholds R Rating for 'Fahrenheit 9/11'

Michael Moore and his distributors lost their appeal today to lower the R rating for Fahrenheit 9/11. Read about it here.

Rock Saddam Hussein's Ass!

Here is the best mashup I think I've ever heard.

You might not get the joke, however, if you are unfamiliar with Wesley Willis.

Tips: You will need to have Quicktime installed and have your sound up, but not too loud. :)

Another review of 'Fahrenheit 9/11'

Here's an astute review of Fahrenheit 9/11 in The Nation.

The gist:

"I think there are two bundles of messages in Fahrenheit 9/11, one political and one emotional--and while the first is about as ambiguous as a call to take up pitchforks and torches and storm the castle, the second is too complex to unsettle those in power. It works to unsettle you. It's what makes Fahrenheit 9/11 a real movie."

Read more here.

NPR: Wilco's 'A Ghost Is Born' Reflects a Band's Struggle

The rock band Wilco's latest CD, A Ghost is Born, was recorded during the lead singer, Jeff Tweedy's, battle with an addiction to painkillers, among other distractions. Many of the Chicago group's songs reflect this tense and hallucinatory period in the singer's life. NPR Critic Tom Moon has a review.

Tips: You will need to have RealOne Player installed and have your sound up, but not too loud. :)

Porn Ashcroft

Here is a portrait of John Ashcroft made up of porn pics. Oh, the irony! :)

What was No.1 on the day you were born?

At thisdayinmusic.com, you can find out what song was number one on the day that your were born here.

The number one song on MY birthday, January 28th, 1969 was:

"I Heard it Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye.

Cool. Though I'm more of a "What's Goin' On?" kinda guy.

Pavement ist (still) rad!

So I was going through some CD-Rs to prep for this weeks edition of Contraband, and I came across an unlabeled CD-R. "Hmmm. I wonder what this could be." So I popped it into my laptop and out blasts "Box Elder." Yeah. Pavement. It was one of my legendary best-of-Pavement mixes. So I kept listening. And it sounded so effin' great to me. I've been all about Sloan for the last year, that I'd kinda forgotten about Malk.

BTW, it turns out some guy just published a book on the band.

Pavement, and then him solo, had been my favorite music for ten years. This really takes me back. Right now, as I type this, I am hearing "Grounded," from the summer of 1995, and it's just killing me. This shit was the soundtrack to my twenties/nineties. So many memories. So many ghosts.

Seriously. Sometimes when I'm feeling maudlin, I tell my younger friends that they will be amazed at how many people in their life will have already be dead by the time they're 35. But then, maybe it's just me. Your mileage may vary. And I hope it does.

On a semi-related note, my father, Jay Price, turns 60 tomorrow. Happy birthday, Dad!

I got him the CSI season three DVDs set. It's what I get him every year. :) I mean, seriously, what do you get for a guy who can buy a $43K pickup like it's nothing.


Wow, this post went from Pavement to pickup trucks. That's range (life), baby!

And now...a joke.

Q: What do you get when you cross Rush Limbaugh with OxyContin?

A: An oxymoron.

(rim shot)

Thank you, thank you. Please, try the fish.

President Bush: Flip-Flopper-In-Chief

Flip-flop this, fuckers!

Welcome Central Word friends (and others)

So I used to post quite a lot at this bulletin board. Now I don't. I got tired of persistent attacks by a short, ugly little Republican, who, unable to ever answer who his adminstration's crimes, would simply make fun of my age. That and the fact that the operators of the site, who had, for so long, worked to establish a friendly environment, seemed to have given up, letting the assholes take over the tone of the board. So I left. Big whoop. I didn't make any big announcement. I just left. Bye.

But yesterday, a buddy from school wrote me an email to say that I was the subject of this thread. It contains typically obsessed shenanigans by the very reason I left, but it also has a lot of really nice posts, which mean an awful lot to me. So if any of those people are checking in here, hey, thanks. :)

I have nothing to say to the others (except maybe "Why are you still so obsessed with me? Do you have some kind of intense crush on me that you find impossible to deal with?"). They suck and I'm pretty sure they know it, which is why they lash out. That's what Dr. Phil would probably tell them, anyway.

How to Deal with the Lies and the Lying Liars When They Lie about "Bowling for Columbine"

I received an email from an old friend who is a Bush supporter, and in it was an article about whether Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine was documentary or fiction. This was a pretty common attack made against the film, which was the most successful documentary ever (and one which will retain that honor for, oh, another week). So common, in fact, that Moore put up this page to answer said attacks. I suppose he's probably getting another one ready, because I’m sure we’ll hear the same attacks being levelled against Fahrenheit 9/11. Those of us who are informed will find what is contained in the new film somewhat old news in a jazzy new package. But those who are not informed, or who are Bush apologists/co-conspirators will be screaming their heads off. But, ha ha, it’s all true. That’s what’s so satisfying about it. Well, that and the fact that the rest of the country is already catching on to the corrupt ineptitude, and inept corruption, of the Bush administration, as seen in the latest poll numbers, all of which show Bush falling to Kerry. Hee hee!

A reminder: you should be now able to buy your Fahrenheit 9/11 tix here.

The Document Sean Hannity Doesn't Want You To Read

Fox News' Sean Hannity challenged American Progress CEO John Podesta to "defend and explain one example where I -- where I said something that was so false." Since choosing just one of Hannity's distortions is too difficult, here are FIFTEEN examples.

NPR: The Furor over 'Fahrenheit 9/11'

Film industry watchers say attempts to censor Michael Moore's latest film, Fahrenheit 9/11, may have improved its prospects at the box office. Listen to Kim Masters's report here.

Tips: You will need to have RealOne Player installed and have your sound up loud. :)