August 31 News Feed Update

My News feed, your virtual afternoon newspaper (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News), has been updated for today.

Top of the deck today:

1. The General is looking for favorite song lyrics opening lines in Best Opening Lines. He's provided a login and password as well.


2. Oliver Willis has a great piece in GOP 2008: More Of The Same.


3. An interesting historical take on the (continuing) Larry Craig story from Ruth Marcus at WaPo (A Precedented Scandal).

Plus, Grilling Tips for Labor Day Weekend.

Happy Labor Day weekend and Happy National Eat Outside Day!

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Penguin Tin Foil by David Ravenwood

Click image for larger view.
Click here for original post.

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Sooner or later...

... this was bound to happen:

(warning: adult-oriented
...and, no, it is not an ad for a Swedish automobile)

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The Best of...

...tonight on The Dark Side.

Join guest host Brian Wolf as he spins some of Rev. Darko's best on The Best of The Dark Side.

That's tonight at 7:00pm Central Time (-06:00 GMT) on Blog Talk Radio.

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August 30 News Feed Update

My News feed, your virtual afternoon newspaper (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News), has been updated for today.

The Larry Craig "story" keeps going strong, much to the chagrin of rightwingers.*

There's serious news in GOP lawmakers call for Craig’s ouster. There's some somewhat serious commentary in Conservative ‘Homophobic Hypocrisy’ In Craig Scandal. There's unintentional humor in Tucker Carlson, Tough Guy. And there's some downright funny points in A Bathroom Stall Named Desire, Take the I AM NOT GAY Republican Pledge Today! and Sen. Craig believes it.

But the funniest has to be The Width of Your Stance (sung to an obscure little folk song by Bob Dylan called “Blowing in the Wind”).

Also, nothing like the blatant mixing of church and state in Christian Legal Group Represents Missouri in Abortion Case.

Finally, although it was not included in my News feed today, there's a real gem in Helmsley leaves her dog $12 million in trust.

Happy National Toasted Marshmallow Day!

* And, yes, Tom Delay is still an ass.

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Well...that certainly explains a lot!

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The Face of the Party of Traditional Family Values

from left to right: Ted Haggard, Bob Allen, Larry Craig, David Vitter and Mark Foley

"Do Lewd Republicans Make The Usual Suspects?"
from PixelMarx
A Slightly Left Leaning Political Cartoon Blog

Click picture for larger view.
Click here for original post.

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August 29 News Feed Update

My News feed, your virtual afternoon newspaper (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News), has been updated for today.

Lots and lots to do with the Larry Craig scandal, both commentary and humor (including a devistating comic, Larry Craig Confessional!). Plus there's GOP lawmaker calls for Craig’s resignation. And do not miss Tom Tomorrow's More awesomeness!

Along the same lines, and again in the vein of Poison the Well, Salt the Earth, there's GOP Consultant: Scandals Are Killing Us.

Happy National More Herbs, Less Salt Day!

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The Orange Cone Theory

An automobile weighs in at 2,000-3,000+ pounds, with some coming in at two tons or more.

And the orange cone? Probably no more than 5-10 pounds.

Yet the lowly orange cone holds complete dominance over us and our behemoths. Allow me to illustrate:

You're driving around the crowded mall parking lot, looking for that elusive open parking spot. Turning the corner on yet another row full of cars you see an open spot...and it is right by the entrance! Anxiously, you speed up to get there before someone else grabs it ahead of you. You're almost there, there's definitely no car parked there when you see....

...the dreaded orange cone! Right in the middle of the coveted parking spot. No construction going on, no open man-hole, no freshly painted lines in the open spot. No evidence of any kind for the need to block this particular spot. Yet, there it sits, the orange cone.

And what do you do? Pull into the parking spot with your 3,000 pound automobile, crushing the orange cone? Of course not. Even with no consequences, no fine or threat to have your car towed, you accept the power that the orange cone exerts over you and your conveyance. Having surrendered to it you drive away, meekly continuing your frustrating search for an open parking spot.

Thus, the theory of the orange cone.

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August 28 News Feed Update

My News feed, your virtual afternoon newspaper (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News), has been updated for today.

The big stories are the continuation of the Gonzales resignation and the Republican (of course) Senator Larry Craig "story" (the General weighs in with some choice posts).

For your laugh today there's Gannon: I’m ‘the most honest’ White House reporter.

And for you techies there's New Disc Holds 1 Terabyte of Data.

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In the Spotlight: Chickenhead

Welcome to In the Spotlight, a semi-regular feature of this blog, where I highlight one or more of the links on my personal Web site, www.HansMeyer.net.

Today I'll be highlighting Chickenhead, a source for some of the best humor on the Web:

First up, The Absolute Bottom 50... (Behold! Lists upon lists of the unimaginably horrible!). Here you will find lists like Biblical Commandments, Fetishes and (naturally) Blogs:

Next up, Comic Strip, two panes of absolute mirth,and "fascinating minutiae":


Then there's Bannertown (Welcome to Bannertown - where old Chickenhead parody advertisements go to die). In addition to the link I'm including some choice banners:




Finally, some Buddy Icons to close out this In The Spotlight:

That's Chickenhead, which can be found on my Humor page (go to www.HansMeyer.net/Links, then click on Humor). Click here for this and previous In The Spotlight posts.

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Tonight: It's all about Gonzo, Gonzo, Gonzo!

Join host Lisa Litchfield for tonight's broadcast of Cry Freedom: It's all about Gonzo, Gonzo, Gonzo! The man, the memory, the dementia.

That's tonight at 7:00pm Central Time (-06:00 GMT) on Blog Talk Radio.

Be sure to tune in!

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YearlyKos 2006 featuring Tom Tomorrow

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Purity Trolls and Baby Sausage Trolls

Progressive Strategy, Illustrated: The Pincer Movement, from Corrente (Boldy shrill...).

Maybe I wrote this because I just finished reading A History of Warfare (h/t Bird), or maybe because I just like making diagrams. The pincer movement or double envelopment is a basic element of military strategy which has been used, to some extent, in nearly every war. The flanks of the opponent are attacked simultaneously in a pinching motion after the opponent has advanced towards the center of an army which is responding by moving its outside forces to the enemy’s flanks, in order to surround it. The Key Word is Simultaneously Over the past years, I’ve heard the argument that Democratic electoral victory must happen first, and only after that can Progressives really push for better policy. Everything that has taken place since the 2006 elections proves that this strategy is wrong. (read the entire article)

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August 27 News Feed Update

My News feed, your virtual afternoon newspaper (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News), has been updated for today.

The big news today is, of course, the resignation of Alberto R. Gonzales as Attorney General. You will find several different takes on this, along with a great "Fredo" cartoon.

On the lighter side The General has a great video in RFID: The Mark of the Beast. Also, The 10 Most caffeinated diet sodas and a round-up from A Hamburger Today.

And, being a Monday, there's The Top 10 Conservative Idiots, No. 305.

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The First Bluetooth Headset

When broadcasting Situation Awareness I use a Motorola Bluetooth headset. This past Saturday I was wondering: Who used the first Bluetooth headset?

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August 26 News Feed Update

My News feed, your virtual afternoon newspaper (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News), has been updated for today.

Some great stories today. Look for Blowing the search for Bin Laden ("...the bed-wetters of the right wing blogosphere."), Maybe they are Just Waiting for an Excuse... and Foul-mouthed Republican Rocker Ted Nugent May Run for Governor of Michigan.

Quote/laugh of the day: "If I want the truth about Karl Rove, I ask Karl Rove. Karl Rove would never lie to me, while the facts would. God bless Fox News."

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Sparkman and the Blinkster! by Tom Tomorrow

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Plan 9 from Inside the Beltway by Tom Tomorrow

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In the Spotlight: LiLEKS.com

Welcome to In the Spotlight, a semi-regular feature of this blog, where I highlight one or more of the links on my personal Web site, www.HansMeyer.net.

Although we would probably disagree on politics, James Lileks (LiLEKS.com - Unpacking the Past With Joy and Ambivalence Since 1996) has some of the funniest Web pages on the Internet.


There really are too many different sites to individually highlight here, so I'll just go with a few of my favorites.


My first *ahem* taste of LiLEKS humor:


The Gobbler Motel and Supper Club (as Lileks says, "What were they thinking?"):


"Come for the fun; stay for the gigantic cat-eyed fangfish.":

"Class. Pure class. That's what the entire catalog ooses...":


From Lilek's Flotsam Project:


And one of my favorites:


Finally, the one which is probably nearest and dearest to a computer nerd like me:


You can find initial links to LiLEKS.com on my Humor page (go to www.HansMeyer.net/Links, then click on Humor). Click here for this and previous In The Spotlight posts.

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Today on Shakedown Street: Presidential Candidate Frank McEnulty

Your host, Brian Wolf will be interviewing independent candidate for President, Frank McEnulty. That's today at 4:00pm Pacific Time (-08:00 GMT) on Shakedown Street.

For more information on the candidacy of Frank McEnulty, visit his Web site:


Shakedown Street, another Free World Radio Network production, broadcasting on Blog Talk Radio.

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August 25 News Feed Update

My News feed, (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News), has been updated for today.

Bush's Iraq=Vietnam continues with Bush Compares Vietnam to...Iraq-what?

The lap-dog echo chamber lives up to its reputation with Right-Wing Launches Assault Against Warner, Claims He ‘Hurts The Cause Of Freedom’ and From Pyrrhus to Petraeus.

In the vein of Poison the Well, Salt the Earth there's What the GOP will do with Bush next year.

Finally, your laugh for the day with Harriet Miers is Squeaky Fromme.

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Iraq is Just Like Vietnam

© dhonig 2007
Click image for larger view
Click here for original post on Hypnocrites.

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Today on the Free World Radio Network

Tune in at 10:00am Eastern Time (-05:00 GMT) for my show, Situation Awareness. Today's topic: Angry White Men Who Sit Around In Their Bathrobes Blogging All Day Long.

And, at 11:00am Eastern Time (-05:00 GMT), The Free World Pub serves up the first round.

That's today on the Free World Radio Network, broadcast over Blog Talk Radio.

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Something worse than a crime: It was a blunder

Bush's Vietnam Blunder

By Jim Hoagland
Friday, August 24, 2007; Page A15

Desperate presidents resort to desperate rhetoric -- which then calls new attention to their desperation. President Bush joined the club this week by citing the U.S. failure in Vietnam to justify staying on in Iraq.

Bush's comparison of the two conflicts rivals Richard Nixon's "I am not a crook" utterance during Watergate and Bill Clinton's "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky," in producing unintended consequences of a most damaging kind for a sitting president. (read the entire article)

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August 24 News Feed Update

My News feed, your virtual afternoon newspaper (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News), has been updated for today.

The best today has to be Corrente's Really, how stupid do they think we are?, the answer to what I think qualifies as idiot-post-of-the-year, Contraception is not the answer.

You just knew this was bound to happen: We Need a Saddam to replace Saddam: Operation Strongman.

For your humor today there's Friday Foil from Florida, and a couple of great posts from the General.

I'll be covering Bush's Vietnam Blunder in a separate post.

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Free Market Emergency?

"...Yes, I'd like to compare prices..."

PixelMarx
A Slightly Left Leaning Political Cartoon Blog

Click picture for larger view.
Click here for original post.

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FOX ATTACKS IRAN

Sign the Open Letter Tell the networks not to follow FOX down the road to war Dear ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, and CNN, "My station was intimidated by the administration and its foot soldiers at FOX News." That is CNN's Christiane Amanpour explaining why the major television networks failed to accurately inform the public in the lead-up to the Iraq war, choosing instead to follow FOX's lead. Now, FOX is beating the drums for war with Iran. Robert Greenwald's short film, "FOX Attacks: Iran", outlines the evidence from the station's own broadcasts, comparing their reporting before the Iraq war with what they are saying now about Iran. You have a sacred responsibility to the American people to provide accurate and reliable information so we can best make the decisions which affect our lives. We urge you to accurately and thoroughly report all sides of this important story. Please do not blindly follow FOX down the road to another war. Sincerely, Hans Meyer #38,937

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Tonight on The Dark Side ...

...the Rev. Darko discusses The Cult of the Professional.

That's tonight at 7:00pm Central Time (-06:00 GMT) on The Dark Side.

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Irony on OpEdNews.com

August 23, 2007

Irony
by Hans Meyer
http://www.opednews.com/

I-ro-ny (noun): incongruity between what actually happens and what might be expected to happen, especially when this disparity seems absurd or laughable.

Last night I was tuned in to Netroot Radio's broadcast of ePluribus Radio (Don't Hijack My Thread!) on Blog Talk Radio. The first topic of discussion was "Not "mining" our business. Declining mine safety and lack of consequences under Bush administration." The hosts compared the declining mine safety in this country with the lack of safety (and environmental) regulations in Communist China.

(read the entire article)

Adobe Acrobat copy of Irony

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August 23 News Feed Update

My News feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News) has been updated for today.

Jon Stewart once again proves why he is the real voice of truth in America today in Daily Show: Three Generations of “America to the Rescue.”

Also, the FWRN's own Lisa Litchfield takes on (and destroys) Mrs. Jill in Lost in Bonkers.

And there's a great cartoon, Moby Rove.

I covered The Power of (Right Wing) Myth (an excellent, recommended read) in an earlier post.

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The Power of (Right Wing) Myth

August 23, 2007
The Power of (Right Wing) Myth
maha @ 11:05 am

So yesterday, after years of denying historical comparisons between Iraq and Vietnam, President Bush delivered a speech comparing Iraq to Vietnam. To which much of America responded, WTF? Today America’s newspapers are peppered with complaints from historians that Bush’s speech distorted the facts of the Vietnam War. But of course; what actually happened during and after the war was not the point. He was speaking to those still inclined to support the war, and to them, Vietnam represents national disgrace. It also represents allowing the forces of darkness to scamper unhindered over the land. When Bush spoke of “killing fields,” for example, rightie listeners could relate. There was a movie about that, after all, never mind that the killing fields of Cambodia didn’t happen because America withdrew from Vietnam, but because we were bleeping there. (read the entire article)

Adobe Acrobat copy of The Power of (Right Wing) Myth

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Fisking the "War on Terror"

With a tip o' the Tilley to Corrente (boldy shrill) for this:

"Told by Juan Cole in words and pictures so simple even a Christianist or a Conservative could understand, assuming nobody was paying them to stay stupid."

Fisking the "War on Terror" Informed Comment Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion Juan Cole is President of the Global Americana Institute ---------- In the US, the Christian Right adopted the Mujahideen as their favorite project. They even sent around a "biblical checklist" for grading US congressman as to how close they were to the "Christian" political line. If a congressman didn't support the radical Muslim Muj, he or she was downgraded by the evangelicals and fundamentalists. ---------- By giving the Muj weaponry like the stinger shoulderheld missile, which could destroy advanced Soviet arms like their helicopter gunships, Reagan demonstrated to the radical Muslims that they could defeat a super power. ---------- The American Right, having created the Mujahideen and having mightily contributed to the creation of al-Qaeda, abruptly announced that there was something deeply wrong with Islam, that it kept producing terrorists. (read the entire article)

Adobe Acrobat copy of Fisking the "War on Terror"

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August 22 News Feed Update

My News feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News) has been updated for today.

The big story today is covered by two stories in today's feed:

1. Post-War Bush Forgets Pre-War Bush’s ‘Lessons Of Vietnam’


2. Iraq? It's Vietnamalicious!

Also, The Utter Uselessness of the Petraeus Report is a good read.

But the item all Americans should read is:

The Story of Blowback

... which I will be covering in a separate post here.

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Raptured: The Final Daze of the Late, Great Planet Earth

As a follow-up to this past Sunday's In The Spotlight, Earl Lee, author of Kiss My Left Behind, has a new book coming out, the latest in his Kiss My Left Behind series:

Raptured: The Final Daze of the Late, Great Planet Earth

I have already added it to my Amazon Wish List!

(read the author's blog).

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What Conservatives Say When They Think We Aren't Listening

Neocons on a Cruise: What Conservatives Say When They Think We Aren't Listening

By Johann Hari, Independent UK. Posted July 17, 2007.

The Iraq war has been an amazing success, global warming is just a myth and Guantanamo Bay is practically a holiday camp. The annual cruise organized by the 'National Review,' mouthpiece of right-wing America, is a parallel universe populated by straight-talking, gun-toting, God-fearing Republicans. (read the entire article)

Adobe Acrobat copy of Neocons on a Cruise

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August 21 News Feed Update

My News feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News) has been updated for today.

Some highlights to look for:

1. POLL: Liberals Read More Books Than Conservatives


2. Rightwing crazy comes and goes, but Google cache is forever


3. Big Encyclopedia is Watching You


4. The Rapture

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LegoKitty

From I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER?
(original post)

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Flight Attendants are there to save your ass…

...not kiss it! *

(photo: AP)

The Today Show was reporting this morning on the explosion yesterday of China Airlines flight #: CI-120 (a Boeing 737-800) in Japan. The hosts were remarking on the incredible fact that all 165 people aboard (passengers and crew) escaped alive.

The next time you’re flying please remember that the primary responsibility of the flight crew is your safety. All of the passengers on flight CI-120 escaped because the flight attendants were doing their main job: Protecting the passengers!

* My wife, who has been a flight attendant for almost twenty years, received a pen from a passenger recently as a small thank you gift. The title of this post ("Flight Attendants are there to save your ass not kiss it") was imprinted on it.

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Tonight: Whine and Cheese

Lisa Litchfield, as host of Cry Freedom, covers Whine and Cheese.

That's tonight at 7:00pm Central Time (-06:00 GMT) on Blog Talk Radio.

Be sure to tune in!

NOTE: Postponed from last week to make room for Karl.

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August 20 News Feed Update

My News feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News) has been updated for today.

It is Monday, time for the latest Top 10 Conservative Idiots (No 304).

Also, these items:

1. George W. Bush Not Messiah Of Democracy, News At 11


2. Ron Paul's Abortion Rhetoric


3. Conservative Calls for Bush to Name Himself 'President for Life'


4. Thank god our leaders are completely different from Saddam Hussein

Also, there's LegoKitty (don't miss it!) & Slashfood's latest Food Porn.

Finally, the "little people" may pay taxes, but everyone dies.

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August 19 News Feed Update

My News feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News) has been updated for today.

Some excellent articles, but be sure to catch:

1. Jesus' General's Rove family heirlooms ("I'm the proud owner of Karl Rove’s father’s solid gold cock ring.")


2. James Wolcott's Calling All Cavalry!


3. A perfect send off for all you clowns out there (Clown Down)

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In the Spotlight: Putting the faux religionists in their place

Welcome to In the Spotlight, a semi-regular feature of this blog, where I highlight one or more of the links on my personal Web site, www.HansMeyer.net.

On Friday I posted The Great I Am Says Vote For Sam, with a graphic/link to Baptists for Brownback. Yesterday it was What Would Jesus Wear. These are two excellent examples of the links I'm highlighting (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/Links).

Today we'll look at three Web sites which use humor, satire and sarcasm to thoroughly expose the hypocrisy of the so-called conservative Christians. The kind of faux religionists who deify the blastocyst, who think Chick Publications are the Word of God, and who wallow in sadomasochistic pleasure watching "religious" snuff films. The end-timers who can, quite frankly, Kiss My Left Behind* (read the author's blog).

First up, Jesus' General, who I read every day:


Next, America's Best Christian, Betty Bowers:

And, finally, Landover Baptist Church, where the worthwhile worship:


All three sites are, well, worthwhile! And all three sites can be found in my Humor section (go to www.HansMeyer.net/Links, then click on Humor)

* - Beware the Antichrist: Nickelay Dubyah, ruler of the former Soviet Republik of Texrectumstan.

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Today on Shakedown Street: Brian versus Fred, Part 2

And like last week, Phreaky Phred doesn't stand a chance.

Tune in to Shakedown Street today at 4:00pm Pacific Time (-08:00 GMT) and listen as your host, Brian Wolf, once again decimates the bigot from Kansas in Fred Phelps: Stupid or Satan, Part 2.

Will Fred, Jr. call in?

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What Would Jesus Wear?

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August 18 News Feed Update

My News feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News) has been updated for today.

Look for two items:

1. An article on The Overton Window (Another meme--Propagated), which I covered in a separate post earlier today.


2. Weekly Original Cartoon Round-Up

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How Idiotic Arguments Enter the Political Mainstream...

The Overton Window, Illustrated, from Corrente (Boldy shrill...) and other sources.

Or: How extremists play a role in setting public policy.

(click on image for larger view)
As the Overton Window shifts along the spectrum, a specific policy (a notch in the graph) goes through the following phases of public acceptance:

• Unthinkable


• Radical


• Acceptable


• Sensible


• Popular


• Policy

"The Overton Window, in my opinion, is basically the key to the Republicans' success over the past twenty years--and it comes straight from the Republican think tanks. "...the GOP knows that the middle DOES matter. They know that by playing to their base in very well-crafted ways, they can shift the very definition of what the middle is. By introducing radicalism into the public discourse (and taking initial heat for it), whatever used to be radical within this context becomes moderate by comparison." Why the Right-Wing Gets It--and Why Dems Don't by thereisnospoon

This cartoon (© Tom Tomorrow) says it all:

(click on image for larger view)

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Today on the Free World Radio Network...

... we start at 10:00am Eastern Time (-05:00 GMT) with a broadcast of my show, Situation Awareness. Today's topic: Poison the Well, Salt the Earth.

The first round is served at The Free World Pub at 11:00am Eastern Time (-05:00 GMT). Who will be buying that first round?

Visit our Web site (www.FreeWorldRadioNetwork.net) for complete details on these broadcasts and on all of the Free World Radio Network programs airing on Blog Talk Radio.

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The Great I Am Says Vote For Sam

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August 17 News Feed Update

My News feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News) has been updated for today.

Top of the deck today:

1. FOX Admits Employees Altered Wikipedia Entries


2. Two wickedly funny contributions by Gen. JC Christian, patriot


3. Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day (no, not that Mrs. Meyer!)

Also, GOP Revolution: It's a Wrap, which I covered in a separate post earlier today.

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The Republican Revolution Is Over

GOP Revolution: It's a Wrap

by Terence Samuel
August 17, 2007

The pendulum has swung, the Republican revolution is over, and every day the list of battered and retreating combatants continues to grow. This was a big week: Former House Speaker Denny Hastert and former GOP House Conference Chair Deborah Pryce announced their retirements. And, of course, "boy genius" and Friend-in-Chief Karl Rove, the general who was to consolidate all the Revolution's gains into a singular enduring triumph, cried uncle and announced that he, too, would leave the White House for the warmth of more time with his family. (read the entire article)

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Karl Rove, Champion of the Little Guy?

Kevin Drum completely destroys Michael Gerson's latest homage to the Turdblossom:

Really? Rove is the opposite of a cynical political operator? His great passion is helping the little guy get ahead? And his evidence for this is....wait for it....the mortgage interest deduction and 401(k)s? ... This is Rove's model for the Republican Party's great activist tradition of helping the little guy? Two programs that that were (a) accidental, and (b) not proposed by Republicans in the first place? What's the problem? Couldn't he come up with any actual examples of Republicans helping the little guy? (read the entire article)

Consider this your laugh for the day.

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The Wooden Foundation

A recommendation for our friends in the Tar Heel state. From the Wooden Foundation Mission Statement:

The non-profit Wooden Foundation was formed to address the largely unmet need to better equip our young adults with real world job hunting advice as well as other helpful guidance for transitioning from school to the working world. (read the entire Mission Statement)

Randy Wooden, a member of the Wooden Foundation Board of Directors, has been a guest on The Dark Side, one of the Free World Radio Network broadcasts.

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Tonight on The Dark Side ...

...the Rev. Darko discusses The Dark Side of Justice: Jose Padilla.

That's tonight at 7:00pm Central Time (-06:00 GMT) on The Dark Side.

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August 16 News Feed Update

My News feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News) has been updated for today.

Look for these interesting stories:

1. Dirty Pool by the RNC



2. DHS to use "Clergy Response Teams" to help "government" if martial law is declared



3. Bill O'Reilly is determined to destroy the liberal blogosphere



4. Daily Show: 1994 Dick Cheney vs. Post-9/11 Dick Cheney

Finally, rest in peace, Max Roach.

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Welcome to Michael Silliman!

I want to take this moment to welcome Michael Silliman as the newest member of the Free World Radio Network team!

To mark such an auspicious occasion I'm pleased to offer Michael's latest:

My Strange Day... by Michael Silliman From the pages of "Tales from the Limo..." I usually get my assignments the night before so I can print them out and properly research any addresses that I am unfamiliar with. Late Monday night I'm issued four jobs spread over a 16 hour period. The last one is a supposedly simple transfer at 10:00pm from Long Beach Airport to an address in Huntington Beach for one Shannon Funk. In comparison with LAX, Long Beach is a hick airport where passengers still board and disembark on creaky old stair trucks that drive up to the plane. Old school. Real Flintstones stuff. So I'm standing there for over 20 minutes in a practically deserted baggage claim area listening to the old Donna Summer music blaring out of the rusted speaker with the blown cone, ensconced no more than ten feet from the gate waiting with my sign, when the passengers from Jet Blue #217 from JFK finally start filing through the security gate. What first catches my eye among all the other disembarking passengers is a group of three young women, the center one wearing a goofy hat and sunglasses and being carried along briskly by her friends and I get the immediate impression that she's "somebody." But my focus is on the other female passengers, trying to make eye contact with every woman who gets off the place to see some recognition of their name being held aloft on the clip board, and I pay absolutely no attention to the three girls once they're out of my peripheral vision. Not more than 20 seconds later, a mob of paparazzi about 30 or so thick comes storming around the corner, rudely jostling themselves and the passengers waiting for their luggage trying to get shots of the now fleeing trio, and they, in turn, were followed by a small gaggle of grumpy airport Barneys pissed off that somebody had the temerity to interrupt their precious donut time. Me? I'm standing there with my eyes still glued on the door waiting for my passenger, one Ms. Shannon Funk. Fuck celebrities. This is Elay, man, and I'm celebrity fucking immune. All I care about is getting my passenger in my car and to the address listed on my trip ticket so I can get home, pour a couple of fingers of whiskey and get ready for the next day of playing Chauncey the Chauffeur. One by one, the passengers collect their bags, and bag by bag, the terminal becomes as silent and empty as I first found it. No Shannon Funk. My dispatcher tells me to wait at the location until they can clear me through the booker. As I'm standing there, a young woman approaches me and inquires if I know when Jet Blue #217 from JFK is arriving. I inform her that it arrived over 40 minutes previously which seems to cause her a bit of consternation. When she sees my sign, she tells me that she's looking for Ms. Funk as well, so I inquire if she's a friend and perhaps has a phone number I can reach her with. The young lady then informs me that she works for People Magazine and she's there to report on Ms. Funk. After my brief Scooby-Do moment, I’m informed that my passenger was/is the newly fired/quit personal assistant to Britany Spears that was there at the infamous OK Magazine interview meltdown, and had flown into Long Beach instead of LAX in order to (unsuccessfully) duck being served a subpoena by the trampy pop star’s ex-husband who’s trying to build a case for sole custody of the mutant offspring of their ill-fated union. The reporter seemed incredulous that I had no idea who I was waiting for. She asked me the usually questions about if I saw Ms. Funk being served, or if she spoke to anybody, etc. After a while she realized that I don’t have anything of any real value to add to her story and she puts the notebook down and asked if it would be alright if she waited with me, as she heard my dispatcher’s instructions for me to stay on station, perhaps thinking that the fleeing trio might return to at least collect their luggage, if nothing else. We are joined after a while by a swarthy, beady-eyed gent with a big pro video camera rig that I can tell instantly that she is not real happy to see. Once he discovers who my passenger was supposed to be, he starts hammering me with questions. My inability to answer any of them to his satisfaction just infuriated him no end. The tipping point came when he offered me an obscenely escalating amount of money to give him the address of the drop. There was no moment of hesitation, no visions of what material desires the windfall would garner me. He talked to me like I had a price. Fuck him. I told him that divulging that information would be a violation of a proprietary company procedure, and that he would have to learn that information from someone else. He reacted like Dracula to sunlight…Fuck! An honest man! And then he turned and disappeared into the night muttering to himself. The People reporter seemed slightly bemused, but said nothing. So about 11:30pm, two hours after the plane landed, the booker cleared me from the job and I drove home wrestling with a slight case of “what if” remorse thinking of the shiny black 60gig Playstation 3 and a case of uber-yummy port-casked Balvenie whiskey a moment of lapsed morals might have brought me for simply selling off a person’s privacy. Relax, Ms. Shannon. If they found your home address, they didn’t get it from me. Like the movie quote goes: “Relax, Jake…It’s Chinatown.”

Michael's original music can be found here:

www.HansMeyer.net/Silliman

Welcome, Michael!

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Rove retires; his cluelessness lives on

Rove's Blind Spot

By Harold Meyerson
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A11

Decades from now, historians will have trouble fathoming why Karl Rove's contemporaries hailed him as a genius. An expert practitioner of wedge politics, in the tradition of Lee Atwater? Sure. But architect of an enduring Republican majority? The great realigner? What were the pundits of 2002 and 2004 smoking? (read the entire article)

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Fight them there... on OpEdNews.com

August 15, 2007

Fight them there...
by Hans Meyer
http://www.opednews.com/

Of all the reasons for being in Iraq one of the most ridiculous is that we "fight them there so we don't have to fight them here." While all of the ever-shifting “reasons” given so far have been somewhat disingenuous (“WMDs”, imminent threat, spreading “democracy” – at the point of a gun, etc.) this one seems the most dubious.

What does "fight them there so we don't have to fight them here" really mean? (read the entire article)

Adobe Acrobat copy of Fight them there...

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August 15 News Feed Update

My News feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News) has been updated for today.

There are some real interesting articles today:

1. Two articles on mysterious happenings on Wikipedia ("Who’s editing Wikipedia?" and "FOX News Caught Re-Writing Wikipedia History").
   


2. A natural follow-up to one of my previous posts, They actually believe this... ("What Every American Needs to Know About Jihad"). "They" actually think it is a training video. Unbelieveable!
   


3. "Why don't pro-lifers protest in the inner city?"
   


4. "Asking Jesus to kick some ass"
   


5. A great Mark Morford opinion piece ("Jesus Loves Your Crappy Videos / Behold GodTube.com...")

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Democrats 101

Back to School for The GOP

By Peter Beinart
Wednesday, August 15, 2007; Page A11

In the past few years, Democrats have gotten pretty good at mimicking Republicans. They've been training college activists, establishing think tanks and, more generally, trying to turn their party into a movement -- just what conservatives did during their years in the pre-Reagan wilderness. (read the entire article)

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The Problem with Bush

Just ahead of my Saturday's broadcast of Situation Awareness ("Poison the Well, Salt the Earth") comes this excellent article from Oliver Willis ("2008: George Bush The Pariah").

In 2008, there will be a sitting Republican president with an approval rating ranging between probably 25-32% percent. In many ways the election will be the fork in the road 2004 should have been: stay the course or change direction. In order to garner their party's nomination, Republicans have pandered to the base by essentially endorsing a continuation of Bush's strategy in Iraq. It is a course of events violently opposed by Democrats and now Independents. The Republican party is going to have a George Bush problem, I think. (read the entire article)

Be sure to tune in to Situation Awareness this Saturday at 10:00am Eastern Time (-05:00 GMT) .

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August 14 News Feed Update

My News feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News) has been updated for today.

Still lots of coverage and opinion on the resignation yesterday of Bush's brain (aka: the Turdblossom).

Look for some keen insight by Oliver Willis ("Amazingly Stupid Things Some Liberals Say").

Also, Jon Stewart takes on (and defeats) Bill Kristol on the Daily Show ("Once again, Kristol blew persuasion").

Finally, look for the Three Best Burgers in the U.S.: No Agreement Anywhere.

Happy birthday, Gary Larson!

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Programming change: Lisa has changed tonight's Cry Freedom program to a discussion on Karl Rove.

Tune in tonight at 7:00pm Central Time (-06:00 GMT) on Blog Talk Radio.

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In the Spotlight: Tahoma Beadworks

Welcome to In the Spotlight, a semi-regular feature of this blog, where I highlight one or more of the links on my personal Web site, www.HansMeyer.net.

Today I'll be highlighting one of my favorite blogs, Tahoma Beadworks (go to www.HansMeyer.net/Links, then click on Blogs).

Created and maintained by JoJo, Tahoma Beadworks, covers "Beads, Crafts, Vincent, Music, Grateful Dead, Sports, My Travels & Life in General," with some great photography.

(I am wondering, however, who is JoJo's favorite actor. One of those life's mysteries, no doubt.)

Be sure to visit often... and tell JoJo I said "hello"!

URL: http://beadsandvincent.blogspot.com/

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Tonight: Whine and Cheese

Lisa Litchfield returns as host of Cry Freedom!

That's tonight at 7:00pm Central Time (-06:00 GMT) on Blog Talk Radio.

Be sure to tune in!

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August 13 News Feed Update

My News feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News) for today has been updated.

The big story is, of course, the resignation of Karl "Turdblossom" Rove. You'll find several items covering different takes on this story.

There are three (3) excellent pieces by Tom Tomorrow ("The denial industry" "We’ll always have Cheney" and "One if by land, two if by sea" - covered in a poster earlier today).

"How not to make friends" is also covered in a separate blog post from earlier today ("Bush is a Jerk").

Happy National Filet Mignon Day!

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They actually believe this...

Tom Tomorrow:

One if by land, two if by sea

From the article: "Every now and then, it is worth noting that substantial portions of the right-wing political movement in the United States — the Pajamas Media/ right-wing-blogosphere / Fox News / Michelle Malkin / Rush Limbaugh listener strain — actually believe that Islamists are going to take over the U.S. and impose sharia law on all of us. And then we will have to be Muslims and “our women” will be forced into burkas and there will be no more music or gay bars or churches or blogs. This is an actual fear that they have — not a theoretical fear but one that is pressing, urgent, at the forefront of their worldview." (read the entire article)

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Bush is a Jerk

Rove Reading:
The Plank - The New Republic
by Jonathan Chait

From the article: "Dick Armey, the House Republican majority leader when Bush took office (and no more a shrinking violet than DeLay), told me a story that captures the exquisite pettiness of most members of Congress and the arrogance that made Bush and Rove so inept at handling them." (read the entire article)

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Dick Cheney '94: Invading Baghdad Would Create Quagmire

In this interview from April 15th, 1994, Dick Cheney reveals the reasons why invading Baghdad and toppling Saddam Hussein wouldn't be a great idea. He also stipulates that "not very many" American soldiers' lives were worth losing to take out Saddam during the Gulf War.

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August 12 News Feed Update

There are quite a few interesting items in today's News feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News), but two items stand out:

1. Merv Griffin dies - Merv Griffin, the entertainer turned impresario who parlayed his "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune" game shows into a multimillion-dollar empire, has died. He was 82.


2. Dick Cheney (from 1994) states the obvious (I'll be adding this as a separate item here in my blog).

Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE should watch the video of Dick "Regent" Cheney.

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Why Do They Hate Us?

Why Do They Hate Us?
Strange answers lie in al-Qaida's writings.
By Reza Aslan
Posted on Slate.com on Monday, Aug. 6, 2007, at 1:49 PM ET

Americans have been asking this question for nearly six years now, and for six years President Bush and his accomplices have been offering the same tired response: "They hate us for our freedoms." With every passing year, that answer becomes less convincing. (read the entire article)

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Review of 'Frost/Nixon'

Watching 'Frost/Nixon' leads me back to Bush
By Robyn Blumner
Published August 12, 2007

From the article: "Who would have thought that reliving the constitutional crimes of a president 30 years later would be so timely?" (read the entire article)

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RUN... don't walk to buy your copy of The Crack Book

The Crack Book
by: Eric Decetis, introduction by The New Yorker cartoonist Tom Cheney
Copyright © 2007 Eric Decetis
Sellers Publishing Inc. 2007
ISBN: 1569069751
279 pages

This book will *ahem* crack you up! I generally only read a couple of pages before putting it down (have to breathe, don't you know?). For me, the product description from the Amazon.com site put it best: "Those who possess a taste for the offbeat and the irreverent are sure to be fans of Eric Dectis' engaging satire. " A "taste for the offbeat and the irreverent"... that would be me!

Here's a good review of this book from The Serious Comedy Site.

You can purchase The Crack Book from these on-line sources:

• Amazon.com
• Books-A-Million
• Barnes & Noble

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In the Spotlight: Idiots and Hypocrites

Welcome to In the Spotlight, a semi-regular feature of this blog, where I highlight one or more of the links on my personal Web site, www.HansMeyer.net.

Today I'll be highlighting two great sites, both of which can be found on my Opinion and Humor pages (Easy URL to my Links pages: www.HansMeyer.net/Links).

At the beginning of each week, Democratic Underground places ten conservatives under a different kind of spotlight.

URL: www.democraticunderground.com/top10/index.html

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BuzzFlash.com's GOP Hypocrite of the Week. As they say on the Web site: "So Many Republican Hypocrites, So Little Time."

URL: www.gophypocrites.com

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Today on Shakedown Street: Brian versus Fred...

... and Fred doesn't stand a chance!

Tune in to Shakedown Street today at 4:00pm Pacific Time (-08:00 GMT) and listen as your host, Brian Wolf, decimates the bigot from Kansas in Fred Phelps: Stupid or Satan?

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Says It All ...

From Corrente (Boldy shrill...), a bumper sticker from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area which "Says It All..."

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August 11 News Feed Update

My News feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News) has been updated for today.

Of note on today's feed:

1. Zimbabwe President Signs Eavesdropping Bill (that is NOT a misprint)


2. Giuliani: I Misspoke About Ground Zero


3. Tom Tomorrow's "Conservative death wish"


4. Right Wing Christians Aren't Real Christians

And a picture I would call "No, DON'T take a little off the top!"

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Brian's Shakedown Street blog!

The Free World Radio Network's Brian Wolf has started a new blog:

http://FreeWorldRadioNetwork.net/ShakedownStreet

Be sure to visit Brian's blog... often!

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The Failure of Antigovernment Conservatism

The Failure of Antigovernment Conservatism

by Paul Waldman August 8, 2007

Issues like children's health insurance and maintaining our infrastructure offer progressives the opportunity to finally say, without fear of disastrous political consequences, that sometimes government is not the problem, it's the solution. (read the entire article)

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Today on the Free World Radio Network...

Listen in to my latest broadcast of Situation Awareness, where I will be talking about The War on _____ (Liberals, bloggers, CHRISTMAS!?!?). That's this morning at 10:00am Eastern Time (-05:00 GMT) on Blog Talk Radio.

Also, today is the premier broadcast of The Free World Pub. Which one of the FWRN hosts will be buying the first round? Tune in to Blog Talk Radio this morning at 11:00am Eastern Time (-05:00 GMT) to find out!

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August 10 News Feed Update

On today's News feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News) you'll find articles on Giuliani's Illusion (and other problems), plus the problems the Republicans are having with a radioactive president as their party's leader.

Also, there's a look at the 2008 presidential primary calendar.

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Hypocrisy or Values? on OpEdNews.com

August 10, 2007 at 14:14:10

Hypocrisy or Values?
by Hans Meyer
http://www.opednews.com/

There is an interesting phenomenon in the anti-abortion arguments: Those who proclaim that they are “pro-life” but are also in favor of the death penalty. Doesn’t pro-life mean pro-life, whether it is a fetus or someone already born?

It interesting to watch as many of the so-called “pro-lifers” spin and spin when asked about their support for the death penalty. All of a sudden there are all sorts of rationalizations which come into play: ... (read the entire article)

Adobe Acrobat copy of Hypocrisy or Values?

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Tonight on The Dark Side ...

... Rev. Darko takes on The Dark Side of Naughtiness.

That's tonight at 7:00pm Central Time (-06:00 GMT) on The Dark Side.

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Remembering August 9th

While Hiroshima has the unfortunate distinction of being the first city destroyed by an atomic bomb, Nagasaki was the second.

62 years ago today the atomic bomb "Fat Man" was dropped on Nagasaki.

Here are a couple of movies I would recommend:

• Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
• Hiroshima (1995)

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August 09 News Feed Update

Here's the latest on today's News feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News):

1. The Political Confessions of Billy Graham; 2. The many uses of Pam cooking spray (other than cooking); and, 3. When being brown is illegal (by Gen. JC Christian, Patriot).

Oh, and one from yesterday (which I forgot to mention yesterday), but which still appears:

Snack your way to a bigger bosom with F-Cup Cookies

Happy National Rice Pudding Day!

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Problems with Blogger

Hopefully, the problems with Blogger have been resolved. For the past twenty four hours or so posts have been appearing and disappearing, as if by magic!

Meanwhile, I am pleased that one of my fellow Free World Radio Network broadcasters, Lisa Litchfield, is returning from her hiatus! Be sure to tune into her next broadcast of Cry Freedom, this coming Tuesday.

Plus, Lisa's blog now has a new address (and home):

http://FreeWorldRadioNetwork.net/ThreeSides

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Fear and Loathing in Middle America

An article from the July 20, 2007 edition of The American Prospect:

Sasha Abramsky reviews Deer Hunting With Jesus: Dispatches from America's Class War by Joe Bageant (Crown, 288 pages)

Every so often, you pick up a book and two pages in your nose is glued to it. Not necessarily because of the subject matter per se -- though good subject matter certainly helps -- but because the prose is so damned electric.

Usually, I've found, when it comes to reportage like this, the book's author has a single name: Hunter S. Thompson. Recently, though, I've added another name to my stuck-nose lexicon, having been utterly ensnared by Joe Bageant's Deer Hunting With Jesus.

Bageant grew up in a fundamentalist Christian, ultra-working-class family in a claustrophobic little Virginia town named Winchester. Then, in his own terminology, he made his escape. He moved west and made a pretty decent career for himself in the world of journalism. A few years ago, though, he felt a craving for his childhood home and, now deep into middle-age, decided to relocate once more.

So the self-proclaimed socialist, atheist, heavy-drinking, three-times-married Joe returned home ... (Read the entire article)

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Jesus' General: An Excellent Read!

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Why I Avoid Dr. Dre

by Gen JC Christian, patriot

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August 08 News Feed Update

There are some real eye-openers on today's News feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News ):

1. O'Reilly miffed Democratic candidates went to YearlyKos against his dire warnings
   
2. Bush administration official confirms War on Terror a political ploy
   
3. George Orwell describes the right-wing blogosphere
   
4. The Failure of Antigovernment Conservatism

Plus, an ephipheny from John McCain, the latest example of license plate insanity, and the last day of the 60th Annual Maine Lobster Festival.

I'm covering Gen JC Christian's "Why I Avoid Dr. Dre" in a separate post here.

Happy National Zucchini Day!

And Happy Birthday, Dustin Hoffman.

NOTE: This should have been posted yesterday (Wednesday, 08-Aug), but due to technical difficulties with Blogger it was not uploaded until today.

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New Feature: In the Spotlight

Regular visitors to my personal Web site (http://www.hansmeyer.net/) know that I have a large collection of links (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/Links).

These links include blogs, media (both traditional media and on-line media), opinion, humor, comics, information and travel, dining and leisure.

Periodically I will highlight one or more of my links, placing them In the Spotlight.

Today I'll highlight two links from my Information links page:

• Pew Research - The Political Typology


• Political Compass

The old one-dimensional categories of 'right' and 'left' are overly simplistic for today's complex political landscape. Use these sites to test exactly where you stand politically. You just might be surprised!

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August 07 News Feed Update

My News Feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News) has been updated for today.

Today there's a great picture of hair growth (a natural for me), the fifth update from the 60th Annual Maine Lobster Festival, and an outrageously funny post from Rev. Darko.

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August 06 News Feed Update

My News Feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News) has been updated for today.

62 years ago today the world's first atomic weapon was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. Six years ago today President Bush received a classified intelligence briefing that warned bin Laden was determined to strike inside the U.S.

62 years ago we dropped the bomb on our enemy. Six years ago Bush dropped the ball on us.*

Look to today's News feed for a couple of good stories on the latter.

I have introduced an easy URL:

www.HansMeyer.net/Blog

...for this blog.

Of course, you can always access this blog, my news feed, the Free World Radio Network and my Blog Talk Radio program easily from the home page of my personal site: HansMeyer.net.

Happy National Root Beer Float Day!

* - Thanks to Rev. Darko for the inspiration for that line!

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August 05 News Feed Update

My News Feed (easy URL: www.HansMeyer.net/News) has been updated for today.

Look at today's News feed for a great article by Tom Tomorrow, and another one by the FWRN's own Rev. Darko, plus Oliver Willis' countdown to the NFL season.

Oh, and Happy National Waffle Day (maybe).

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The Real Reason The Wingnuts Hate YearlyKos

Posted on OpEdNews.com.

This is an excellent article (here or here) by journalist Marc McDonald, the inspiration behind BeggarsCanBeChoosers.com.

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Shakedown Street - Tune in today!

Be sure to tune in to today's broadcast of Shakedown Street, with your host, Brian Wolf. Today, Brian talks about the much debated topic of conception and ensoulment.

That's today at 4:00pm, Pacific Time (-08:00 GMT).

Shakedown Street is a member of the Free World Radio Network.

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August 04 News Feed Update

I've updated my News Feed with the latest and greatest.

Some stories of note from today's News feed:

1. Another Republican Charged With Sexual Crime (why am I not surprise?
2. On Jesus' General, a book review on A Tragic Legacy: How A Good Vs. Evil Mentality Destroyed the Bush Presidency
3. A great picture of an overloaded mailbox (you think you have spam?)

As to item #1, be sure to check out the latest from Tom Tomorrow (found at the bottom of the FWRN's Programs page).

Oh, and I've added a "friendly" URL for my News Feed page: www.HansMeyer.net/News.

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The Free World Radio Network Web site is live!

Please be sure to stop by http://freeworldradionetwork.net/ for complete information on our programs, including my program, Situation Awareness.

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