South Park New Year's Eve Countdown

I'm heading out for the evening. Be safe, enjoy yourself, and here's to an awesome 2007!!!!!!

Top stories of 2006

Here are 2006's top 10 stories as chosen by US editors and news directors in the Associated Press's annual vote:

1. Iraq The war deteriorated into a dismayingly complex and savage struggle, with Iraqis by the thousands killed in sectarian reprisal attacks and the US military's death toll nearing 3,000.

2. US elections Unhappiness with events in Iraq was one of the driving forces behind the Democrats' surge in the Nov. 7 election. They took over the House with a large majority and gained a narrow edge in the Senate .

3. Nuclear standoffs The United States and its allies were frustrated in their efforts to rein in nuclear programs in North Korea and Iran.

4. Illegal immigration Congress tried to confront the influx of illegal immigrants from Latin America, but the effort collapsed amid deep divisions over whether to stress a crackdown or include provisions to help some illegal immigrants work toward citizenship.

5. Scandals in Congress Several GOP lawmakers were brought down by scandals: Mark Foley, Randy Cunningham, Tom DeLay, and Bob Ney.

6. Hussein trial Saddam Hussein was convicted in the slaying of 148 Shi'ite Muslims and was sentenced to death by hanging.

7. Mideast Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militia fought a monthlong war in the summer; more than 900 people were killed.

7. Rumsfeld A day after the midterm elections, President Bush announced the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

9. Airliner plot British authorities said they narrowly thwarted a terrorist plot to bomb several jets over the Atlantic.

10. Darfur Violence worsened in Sudan's Darfur region, where the fighting between rebels and government forces has killed more than 200,000 people.

Happy New Year

Anti-War Protests Set for 3,000th US Military Death in Iraq

U.S. military deaths in Iraq reach 3,000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq has reached 3,000 since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, an authoritative Web site tracking war deaths said on Sunday.

The milestone comes as President George W. Bush weighs options, including more troops, for the deteriorating situation in Iraq, where daily violence plagues Baghdad and much of the country and has killed tens of thousands of Iraqis.

The Web site, www.icasualties.org, listed the death of Spec. Dustin R. Donica, 22, on December 28 as previously unreported, and said that 3,000 U.S. military personnel had now died.

U.S. death toll in Iraq seen spurring anti-war protests

In Kansas City, they will light candles and lay out more than 80 pairs of empty combat boots. In Chicago, anti-war activists will hand out black ribbons, each bearing the name of a U.S. soldier killed in Iraq.

And in New Haven, Connecticut, opponents of the war plan to read aloud the names of 3,000 dead U.S. soldiers.

In all, organizers say some 140 demonstrations in 37 states are planned to mark the 3,000th U.S. military death in Iraq, a milestone that is likely only days away. By Thursday, some 2,989 U.S. troops had died in Iraq since the start of the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed in the unrelenting violence.

Among those keeping track of the U.S. death toll, including soldiers' families, peace activists, politicians, veterans and others, many say they will commemorate the 3,0000 mark as both a way to honor the dead and demand an end to the war.

"This horrific and tragic milestone allows us to remind this country of the daily unending human toll of a war that didn't have to happen," said Nancy Lessin, who co-founded Military Families Speak Out after her stepson was called to serve with the Marines in Iraq.

"When we reach the 3,000 mark, it is 3,000 too many."

Poll: More troops unhappy with Bush’s course in Iraq

The Military Times released a new poll yesterday of 6,000 active duty U.S. military personnel. The results were revealing. Some highlights:

– Only 35 percent said they approve of the way President Bush is handling the war, while 42 percent said they disapproved.

– 50 percent believe success in Iraq is likely, down from 83 percent in 2004.

– 38 percent believe the United States should send more troops to Iraq. 39 percent believe we should maintain current levels or reduce the number of troops, including 13 percent who support complete withdrawal.

– 72 percent believe the military is “stretched too thin to be effective.”

– 47 percent disagree with President Bush’s mantra that the war in Iraq is part of the war against terrorism, while the same percentage agree.

– Only 41 percent of the military said the U.S. should have gone to war in Iraq in the first place, down from 65 percent in 2003. That closely reflects the beliefs of the general population today — 45 percent agreed in a recent USA Today/Gallup poll.

– 52 percent approve of the overall job President Bush is doing, down from 71 percent in 2004.

– 63 percent say the senior military leadership has the best interests of the troops at heart. That number is lower from President Bush (48 percent) and lower still for civilian military leadership (32 percent) and Congress (23 percent).

H/T to Think Progress.

Song of The Day (Staind, 'Sober')

Staind performing a live, and quite stellar, version of Tool's 'Sober'.


I always think of Bush when I hear these lyrics:

I am just a worthless liar

I am just an imbecile

I will only complicate you

Trust in me and fall as well

Saddam is dead...do you feel safer?

Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein is dead

Executed by hanging for killings committed during a brutal crackdown nearly 25 years ago –- Iraqi TV stations report. Saddam was executed at 5:57am Iraqi time according to CNN TV.

Is Saddam's life worth the 3000 dead US troops and 10s of thousands that now have lifelong disabilities due to injuries? Was it worth the BILLIONS and BILLIONS of US dollars spent?

It's an easy answer....HELL NO.

The Year in Unnecessary Censorship

Jimmy Kimmel reviews the unnecessary censorship of 2006

Saddam's Execution Just Hours Away, Lawyers Work to Stop Execution

Ex-leader will be hanged by 6 a.m. Baghdad time

An adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Saddam would be executed before 6 a.m. Saturday (Baghdad time), or 10 p.m. Friday ET. Also to be hanged at that time were Saddam’s half-brother Barzan Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court, the adviser said.

Lawyers Work to Stop Saddam's Execution

Lawyers for Saddam Hussein asked a U.S. judge to block his transfer to the custody of Iraqi officials poised to carry out his execution. Hussein's lawyers filed documents Friday afternoon asking for a stay of execution. The 21-page request was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington before Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.

Bush #1 Villain of 2006: Beats Saddam, OBL, and Satan

From ABC News:

Bush won the villain sweepstakes by a landslide, with one in four respondents putting him at the top of that bad-guy list. When people were asked to name the candidate for villain that first came to mind, Bush far outdistanced even Osama bin Laden, the terrorist leader in hiding; and former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who is scheduled for execution.

From Scarborough Country - MSNBC.com

SCARBOROUGH: Now you don't have to have a political doctorate in Political Science to realize it's never a good sign when you're outpolled by Lucifer

H/T to C&L

Edwards announces 2008 bid for presidency...accidently

From the Wash Times:

Former Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards jumped into the presidential race yesterday, a day earlier than he'd planned, prodded by an Internet glitch to kick off a candidacy focused on health care, taxes and other domestic issues.

The North Carolina Democrat's campaign accidentally went live with his election Web site a day before an announcement, set for today, that was supposed to use hurricane-ravaged New Orleans as a backdrop.

The slip-up gave an unintended double meaning to his campaign slogan on the John Edwards '08 Web site: "Tomorrow begins today."

Edwards' states, "This campaign is about each of us taking responsibility for our country's future -- and ensuring America’s greatness in the 21st century. [And] we all must take responsibility and take action now to:"

• Provide moral leadership in the world
• Strengthen our middle class and end poverty
• Guarantee universal health care for every American
• Lead the fight against global warming
• Get America and other countries off our addiction to oil

Song of The Day (The White Stripes, 'I just don't know what to do with myself')

A great, great song and a sexy, SEXY video. :)

Bush Administration Helping Defraud Taxpayers in Iraq?

In 2003 a small, private military contracting company opened its doors just in time to feel the boon that would be the war in Iraq. Custer Battles, run by Mike Battles, a former CIA agent and failed Republican Congressional candidate, along with his partner Scott Custer, had zero experience in the security industry when it received one of the very first contracts issued in Iraq.

In the spring of 2003, after the fall of Saddam Hussein and around the time that President Bush declared “Mission Accomplished”, Custer Battles was presented with a whopping $16 million no-bid contract to secure the airport in Baghdad. This contract was the first of many.

During Custer Battles’ tenure in Iraq, the company was flooded with allegations of unrestrained force, fraud and over billing of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). Retired Brigadier General Hugh Tant III said Custer Battles’ fraud, "was probably the worst I've ever seen in my 30 years in the Army.”

Custer Battles was eventually kicked out of Iraq and forced to face fraud charges back in the United States, despite objections from the Bush Administration.

According to Newsweek, the Bush Administration "...has argued privately that the occupation government, known as the Coalition Provisional Authority, was a multinational institution, not an arm of the U.S. government. So the U.S. government was not technically defrauded. Lawyers for the whistle-blowers point out, however, that President George W. Bush signed a 2003 law authorizing $18.7 billion to go to U.S. authorities in Iraq, including the CPA, 'as an entity of the United States government.' And several contracts with Custer Battles refer to the other party as 'the United States of America.'"

In March of 2006 a jury found Custer Battles guilty, but that verdict was overturned shortly thereafter due to the supposed ambiguous nature of the structure of the CPA. The judge that overturned the verdict did admit however, that “U.S. taxpayers ultimately footed the bill.” In the end, the Bush Administration's argument shielded Custer Battles from refunding stolen U.S. taxpayer dollars.

According to Custer Battles’ owners, the company was sold to a Romanian firm, Danubia Global Inc. At the time of the sale, Danubia was owned by Security Ventures International Ltd, a British Virgin Islands firm.

“Battles and Custer, through a spokesman, said they sold the remaining Iraqi assets of Custer Battles - including vehicles, computers and intellectual properties - to Danubia early this year. Several former Custer Battles employees have joined the Romanian firm. But the contractors refused to name the employees, or to identify Danubia's owners.”

PR Newswire reported in May 2005 that Danubia had been bought out.

“Windmill International Limited, the American company, has a 15-year presence in Romania and recently acquired a major shareholding in Danubia Global Inc. (DGI), a global logistics and security provider headquartered in Bucharest which is currently providing security and logistics services in Iraq.”

The Board of Directors of Windmill include a wide variety of who’s who in the Republican party, including:

James Gilmore *: former RNC chair and Governor of VA

Hansford Johnson *: Acting Secretary of the Navy under George W. Bush – 2/03 – 10/03

Michael Ussery *: former State Department official and Ambassador to Morocco

Douglas Combs *: "Combs was acting undersecretary of the Navy from 1999 to 2003 and made frequent trips to Iraq during that period and worked with contractors and military advisers there. He also was a special assistant to Johnson, who was acting secretary of the Navy, the service's top civilian position, in 2003."

Ronald Dwight *: An assistant attorney general in Rhode Island, who later worked on Mike Battles failed congressional campaign.


Free Image Hosting - powered by FusionPics
(John Warner, Douglas Combs and Dick Cheney)


Free Image Hosting - powered by FusionPics
(Douglas Combs and George H.W. Bush) *.

Ronald Dwight, a personal friend and former co-worker of Mike Battles', was on the board of directors of the company that purchased a controlling share in Danubia Global, which had shortly before purchased much of Custer Battles' assets.

Also, Dwight briefly served as a legal adviser in the Iraqi Transportation Ministry around the time in which Custer Battles was receiving contracts throughout Iraq.

Recently, members of Windmill International's board of directors were accused "of scheming with a banned American contractor to get lucrative rebuilding contracts in Iraq."

According to the AP, "The current suit names former acting Navy Secretary Hansford Johnson, former acting Navy Undersecretary Douglas Combs and Custer Battles LLC officials including founders Scott Custer and Mike Battles, who were barred in 2004 after billing the government for work that was never done and for padding invoices by much as 100 percent.

Also named were six companies connected to the contracting firm, including Windmill International Ltd., a worldwide contractor run by Combs and Johnson, and a Romanian company, Danubia Global, which bought Custer Battles in 2005.

The new lawsuit contends Custer and Battles, both Army veterans with Washington political connections, tried to get around the suspension order by plotting with Johnson and Combs 'to set up sham companies (thereby) concealing their ownership and control of those entities.'"

A lawyer for Windmill International does acknowledge that Combs partook in a business meeting with Scott Custer in 2004.

Most of the players in this suit are in some way tied to the Bush Administration, either as a personal friend or having served at some level in the Administration itself. With the Administration's Justice Department arguing so vehemently in favor of Custer Battles', could Bush/Cheney, etc. actually be involved in assisting these contracting companies in defrauding the U.S. taxpayers?



*All photos and information on Board Members were originally hosted on Windmill International's website, which is no longer in operation.

Former President Ford Dead at 93

The now longest-living President of the United States (surpassing Ronald Reagan) Gerald Rudolph Ford, has passed away at the age of 93.

Ford's wife Betty announced his passing in a statement saying he "died peacefully", but no cause of death was announced.

Ford had been suffering from a variety of health problems, and in August underwent an "angioplasty procedure to reduce or eliminate blockages in his coronary arteries."

Funeral arrangements are still to be announced.

US Death Toll in Iraq Surpasses that of 9/11

On September 11th, 2001 the United States lost 2,973 of our family members to a senseless act of violence targeting the innocent.

As of Christmas day 2006, 2,978 service men and women have been killed in Iraq, surpassing the total number of those killed on 9/11.

The New York Times reports, "With new casualties announced by the U.S. military on Tuesday, the death toll of American soldiers since the March 2003 beginning of the Iraq war was at least 2,978 -- five more than the number killed in the Sept. 11 attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania."

Five + years after the attacks we still have not brought those responsible to justice, while we've sacrificed the same number of our American family members in a needless, unjust war.

Merry f$%&@!%$ Christmas.

Senate Report, Able Danger did not identify 9/11 hijackers prior to 9/11

Over the last few years some of the most extreme right-wingers attempted to blame 9/11 on Clinton. The righties were particularly fond of citing Able Danger, a classified military intelligence program under the command of the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM). They repeatedly claimed that Mr. Clinton ignored "startling intelligence" that might have helped to prevent the attacks. Well, as usual, the righties are flat out wrong. From a new Senate report:

The Senate Intelligence Committee has rejected as untrue one of the most disturbing claims about the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes — a congressman's contention that a team of military analysts identified Mohamed Atta or other hijackers before the attacks — according to a summary of the panel's investigation obtained by The Times.

After a 16-month investigation, the Intelligence Committee has concluded that those assertions are unfounded.

"Able Danger did not identify Mohammed Atta or any other 9/11 hijacker at any time prior to Sept. 11, 2001," the committee determined, according to an eight-page letter sent last week to panel members by the top Republican and Democrat on the committee.

Poor, poor, Sean Hannity, one could only wonder how he's going to take this latest defeat. And, how will he spin this latest news and attempt to continue to blame Mr. Clinton? 2007 is going to be a great year for Freedom and Democracy.

RIP James Brown (1933 - 2006)

James Brown, the ‘Godfather of Soul’, Dies at 73

James Brown, the dynamic, pompadoured "Godfather of Soul," whose rasping vocals and revolutionary rhythms made him a founder of rap, funk and disco as well, died early Monday, his agent said.

Brown, 73, was hospitalized with pneumonia at Emory Crawford Long Hospital on Sunday and died around 1:45 a.m. Monday, said his agent, Frank Copsidas of Intrigue Music. Longtime friend Charles Bobbit was by his side, he said.


I saw James Brown in concert in Memphis of 1993. It was an amazing show and I'll always remember that evening. It was surreal watching a living legend.

Merry Christmas to All!

A little Saturday Night Live humor to make your Christmas bright. Merry Christmas everyone!


Christmas Time is Here - SNL Christmas Song

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Ava's "War During Christmas"

Bad News

Make your own.

From the movie 'Bad Santa' (Rated R)

Song of The Day (Live, 'I Walk The Line')

The band Live covering Johnny Cash's classic "I walk the line".

If you have the chance to see Live in concert, I highly recommend it. They really put on a great Rock and Roll show.

Right-Wing Speak: "Criminal Profiling"

As we all know, the radical right have their own "language". A language grounded in ignorance, bigotry, hate, and down-right stupidity. Over the last few years the fringe right have desperately tried to insert their lexicon into mainstream America. For example, we've heard their excessive and despicable use of "homicide bomber" , "death tax", "feminazis", "activist judges", and my all time favorite, "liberal media".

So , while I was running some errands today I was surfing through the channels on Sirius radio in my car. This time of day is typically the normal time slot for O'Reilly's hate-fest so I tuned into Faux Radio (Sirius 145) to see what new "enemy" the right-wingers were attacking. O'Reilly was not on air and in his place was some wanna-be, second tier hate jock named Phil Valentine. As I tuned in, Valentine was on some bigoted, racist rant on the topic of racial profiling when he introduced a term that I have never heard before. In lieu of using the widely accepted "racial profiling", he proceeded to call it "criminal profiling".

I chuckled in disbelief for a second, but I thought to myself, how could anyone call it "criminal" profiling unless the person in question is proven guilty? To be precise, right-wingers actually want the targeting of individuals that they believe are criminals, however, the targeted individual has yet to be found guilty of ANYTHING! How typical and expected of the right-wing to believe in guilt before innocence. And of course, the blood thirsty Kool-Aide drinking listeners were in lobotomy-like agreement.

Get a Root Canal, Or Experience “Rocky Balboa” in Philadelphia?

I didn’t grow up in Philly, therefore Rocky is not one of my “experiences” in life. It doesn’t talk to me, or make me proud, the way it does to all of my friends and family that grew up here. When I went last night with two Rocky FANS, one in film, the other a hulking wrestler, I knew I was in for it during the car ride when the two began debating the merit of Rocky V.

When we arrived, it wasn’t too difficult to notice the audience was made up of almost entirely men – men that had grown up with this underdog character that probably not only describes who they are, but describes the very city in which they live. To them, Rocky isn’t just some untouchable character on screen, he’s a friend, a hero, a role model and a source of hope for a town that doesn’t (in the sports arena anyway) have much to hope for these days (yes, after living here for 8 years, I wholeheartedly believe there is a jinx on this town).

Before going in, I was worried the movie (I will not call it a film) would be as bad as having teeth pulled. While, in the end, the movie didn’t provide me with what I really wanted it to, it was better that I had expected.

The movie opens by explaining to us how desperate Rocky has become. He’s lost his wife to cancer, and his son, now grown up, is tired of living in his dad’s shadow. Rocky has opened a restaurant and earns his living by using his local fame to bring in customers, and spends his time reliving stories of his glory days to customers that probably aren’t coming in for the food.

Increasingly desperate to rid himself of pain from the loss of his wife, and to do something that will fill a void, or even possibly prove to himself that he’s still alive, Rocky applies for his boxing license. After a scene in which Rocky gives a speech about his freedom and that “piece of paper down the street”, his license is approved.

His first fight in years finds him after ESPN runs a simulation to see who would win: Rocky in his prime or a young heavyweight champion, Mason Dixon. Dixon’s managers talk convince him to take the fight, since no other fighters are interested in fighting Dixon and he’s taking in very little revenue. Both Dixon and Balboa accept and head to Las Vegas, where hopefully, Rocky will fight his last bout.

Much of the movie was weak, seeming as though Sylvester Stallone had some ideas that worked well on paper, but could not be properly executed for the screen under his direction. The dialogue was typical Rocky, which even elicited some hearty laughs from this non-Rocky fan.

One of the worst storylines in the movie comes when Rocky and a new friend adopt a dog appropriately named “Punchy.” An old, ugly, mangled beast, Stallone uses Punchy as a metaphor for Rocky – attempting to explain the premise of the movie through the pooch.

Punchy even somehow makes in into one of the most important scenes – Rocky running to the top of the Art Museum steps. Not exactly a fitting way for Rocky to make his last run.

The end left me extremely discontent, desiring something much more than Stallone delivered. To me, the best part of the movie was quite possibly the exterior shots of Philadelphia – which was portrayed rather accurately. The bar scenes were actually filmed at a local bar that I personally frequent.

The audience, all Philly boys, seemed to enjoy it. There was a smattering of applause at the end, and no one left during the credits, which consisted of locals mimicking the Rocky run up the steps of the Art Museum. More than for anything else, I believe the audience stayed to see if there was anyone they knew in the credits.

If you’re a Rocky lover – you’re either going to love it or hate it, but either way – you’ll probably want to go see it. For non-Rocky fans: if there isn’t anything better you wish to see, “Rocky Balboa” might help fill an hour and a half with some laughs.

Janie's Song of the Day: "My United States of Whatever"

I love Liam Lynch - I'm a huge "Sifl-n-Olly" fan, I loved Sarah Silverman's stand-up that he directed, and hopefully I'll be seeing "Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny" sooner or later. But for today, I needed a little bit of Lynch at this best.

NJ Governor Signs Civil Unions Law

As I mentioned last week, the NJ state Senate passed a law that would entitle same sex couples all the rights entitled to married couples.

Today, Governor Corzine signed the bill into law, making New Jersey the third state to provide civil unions for same sex couples.

During the ceremony, Corzine said, "We must recognize that many gay and lesbian couples in New Jersey are in committed relationships and deserve the same benefits and rights as every other family in this state."

The law goes into effect February 19th, 2007 and after that date these civil unions will entitle same sex couples to "adoption, inheritance, hospital visitation, medical decision-making and alimony rights and the right not to testify against a partner in court."

This might be the best Christmas present I've ever gotten: tolerance.

December 22nd, Global Orgasm For Peace

Mark your calendars!!!!

(CBS/AP) SAN FRANCISCO Two peace activists have planned a massive anti-war demonstration for the first day of winter.

But they don't want you marching in the streets. They'd much rather you just stay home.

The Global Orgasm for Peace was conceived by Donna Sheehan, 76, and Paul Reffell, 55, whose immodest goal is for everyone in the world to have an orgasm Dec. 22 while focusing on world peace.

"The orgasm gives out an incredible feeling of peace during it and after it," Reffell said Sunday. "Your mind is like a blank. It's like a meditative state. And mass meditations have been shown to make a change."

[...]

By promoting what they hope to be a synchronized global orgasm, they hope to get people to channel their sexual energy into something more positive.

The couple said interest appears strong, with 26,000 hits a day to their Web site, www.globalorgasm.org.

"The dream is to have everyone in the world (take part)," Reffell said. "And if that means laying down your gun for a few minutes, then hey, all the better."

Update 12/21/2006: I figured I would bump this post to the top since it is December 22nd in some parts of the world already. Everyone, have a wonderful Global Orgasm For Peace day. If you so desire, please feel free to send pics of your "protest". Peace!

Judge dismisses suit against Michael Moore

A US soldier tried to sue Michael Moore over footage used in Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. From Variety:

A judge has thrown out a suit by an Iraq War veteran against filmmaker Michael Moore. In the $35 million suit (Comment: I think variety got it wrong, all other links cite an $85 million suit) that also sought damages from Miramax, the soldier claimed Moore used his image without permission for the documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11."

The film shows an armless Sgt. Peter Damon lying on a gurney at Walter Reed Hospital. Damon says he feels pain but that medication allows him to "take a lot of the edge" off of it.

To no surprise, Sgt. Damon is a supporter of Faux news, Bush, and his failed war (Comment: I thought Republicans hated lawsuits?) I heard Sgt. Damon one morning back in June on the Faux Radio show, "Brian and The Judge". Now, I do feel sorry for the guy, but listening to Damon on "Brian and The Judge" was like listening to O'Reilly. He broke out every RNC/Faux talking point and it was really sad to listen to those two twits exploit and goad this American.

Here is the video clip from F9/11 that includes Sgt. Damon. He's the poor soul at the end of the video in the hospital gurney.

Marine Charged in Haditha "Massacre"

Reuters is reporting that Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich has been charged with 13 counts of murder for his possible role in killing unarmed Iraqis last year in Haditha, Iraq.

"Wuterich led a squad at the center of the probe into the November 19, 2005, shooting of 24 unarmed men, women and children in the western Iraqi town. It is one of a series of cases in which U.S. service members have been accused, and in some cases convicted, of involvement in killing civilians."

Looks like the right-wingers owe the ever prescient John Murtha an apology.

Song of The Day (Sinatra, 'Luck be a Lady')

There is no subliminal message, analogy, political statement, or purpose....I just love Sinatra. Here's one of my favorites:

Luck Be a Lady is a song written by Frank Loesser and performed by Robert Alda. The song was featured in the musical Guys and Dolls.

The song revolves around a gambler (Sky Masterson) hoping that he will win a bet, the outcome of which will decide whether or not he is able to save his relationship with the girl of his dreams.

"The War On Christmas": Frosty Gets A Beat Down

I wonder if the Faux nitwits, O'Reilly, Gibson, and Hannity, will cite this as proof of the "secular-progressive War on Christmas" (Tm)? Since this "attack" took place in Ohio, which happens to be a recently converted blue state, they could always use that as "proof" for their Kool-Aide drinking audience. From WFTV.com

A hidden camera caught two people repeatedly stabbing an inflatable 12-foot snowman at a home on Crest Road over the past weekend.

"I thought I heard something, but didn't think much of it. But then my wife came running downstairs saying Frosty was down," said 26-year-old Matt Williquette, who has seen it happen twice before in the last three weeks. "They slashed him there and they also got him in the head twice."

Inside Frosty's mangled torso, Williquette found a screwdriver and footprints on the nylon. His neighbors also heard the commotion.

[...]

Last week, Williquette installed a hidden camera because he knew the vandals would come back. This time he got them on tape.

The police canvassed the area and deputies arrested Robert Snell, who lives on nearby Overdell Drive. He was charged with criminal damaging.

Link to the Video

Bush Found About Cheney Subpoena Today

Earlier this week it was reported that Vice President Cheney will be called as a witness for the defense in the trial of Scooter Libby. According to Cheney spokesperson Lea Anne McBridge, "We've cooperated fully in this matter and we'll continue to do so."

However, during this morning's press conference, CNN's Elaine Quiano asked the President about this development.

"What is your reaction to that, is that something you'll resist?"

Bush responded that he was unaware of this development until reading the newspapers this morning.

"No, I read about it in the newspaper today, and uh, it's an interesting piece of news and that's all I'm going to comment about an ongoing case."

Why is it I knew the Vice President was being subpoenaed a day before the President did? Why was it that the President of the United States, the leader of the free world, had to read about his Vice President testifying in the newspapers? Guess the Patriot Act doesn't cover sharing information within the Executive Branch.

This day in history: Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District

A victory for facts, truth, and science. US District Court Judge John E. Jones III ruled against mandating teaching "intelligent design" in his ruling of Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District.

Tammy Kitzmiller, et al. v. Dover Area School District, et al., Case No. 04cv2688, was the first direct challenge brought in United States federal courts against a public school district that required the presentation of "Intelligent Design" as an alternative to evolution as an "explanation of the origin of life". The plaintiffs successfully argued that intelligent design is a form of creationism, and that the school board policy thus violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Eleven parents of students in Dover, Pennsylvania, near York, sued the Dover Area School District over a statement that the school board required to be read aloud in ninth-grade science classes when evolution was taught. The plaintiffs were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) and Pepper Hamilton LLP. The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) acted as consultants for the plaintiffs. The defendants were represented by the Thomas More Law Center. The Foundation for Thought and Ethics, publisher of a textbook advocating intelligent design titled Of Pandas and People, tried to join the lawsuit as a defendant but was denied. [1]

The suit was brought in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania seeking injunctive relief. Since it sought an equitable remedy there was no right to a jury trial; the Seventh Amendment did not apply. It was tried in a bench trial from September 26, 2005 to November 4, 2005 before Judge John E. Jones III. On December 20, 2005 Judge Jones issued his 139-page findings of fact and decision, ruling that the Dover mandate was unconstitutional, and barred intelligent design from being taught in Pennsylvania's Middle District public school science classrooms. The eight Dover school board members who voted for the intelligent design requirement were all defeated in a November 8, 2005 election by challengers who opposed the teaching of intelligent design in a science class, and the current school board president stated that the board does not intend to appeal the ruling.

Bush Signs Autism Bill

Amen!! Mark this date in history. Bush FINALLY does something right! Now, if he would only stop placating his unhinged out-of-touch base and open up funding for stem cell research. Oh well, two years isn't that long....unless of course you are suffering by one of the myriad of diseases that could possibly be cured via stem cell therapy.

The measure provides funding through 2011 to help the 1.5 million Americans who suffer from autism.

Since Bush took office in 2001, funding for autism research has increased from $56 million to $101 million, with $5.9 million going to study the factors that may put children at risk. The measure calls for early screening for the condition and to increase the number of people able to diagnose the condition.

"For the millions of Americans whose lives are affected by autism, today is a day of hope," Bush said in signing the measure, the Combating Autism Act of 2006.

"By creating a national education program for doctors and the public about autism, this legislation will help more people recognize the symptoms of autism. This will lead to early identification and intervention, which is critical for children with autism."

Another example of a split personality disorder on the right

Flashback 2004. Mr. Kerry was called a "flip-flopper" (Tm) over and over by the right-wing MSM because he actually had the NERVE to self-reflect and change his mind. The nerve! Well, flash-forward and compare and contrast what the Hannity wanna-be Rich Lowry has been saying. From the Whiskey Bar:

In their distrust of the mainstream media, their defensiveness over President Bush and the war, and their understandable urge to buck up the nation’s will, many conservatives lost touch with reality on Iraq. They thought that they were contributing to our success, but they were only helping to forestall a cold look at conditions there and the change in strategy and tactics that would be dictated by it.

National Review editor Rich Lowry
When the Media’s Right
December 19, 2006

It is time to say it unequivocally: We are winning in Iraq . . . Even as there has been a steady diet of bad news about Iraq in the media over the last year, even as some hawks have bailed on the war in despair, even as Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld has become everyone's whipping boy, the U.S. military has been regaining the strategic upper hand.

National Review editor Rich Lowry
What Went Right
April 27, 2005

Is this is an example of a split personality disorder, flip-flopping, disfranchised wingnutism, or simply a wake-up to the truth that Bush and his policies are complete and utter failures? I pick "all of the above".

Bush: U.S. Not Winning War in Iraq, Plans to Send More Troops

For the first time in my life I am absolutely speechless. Words can't describe my complete and utter contempt I have for this president. From the WaPo:

President Bush acknowledged for the first time yesterday that the United States is not winning the war in Iraq and said he plans to expand the overall size of the "stressed" U.S. armed forces to meet the challenges of a long-term global struggle against terrorists.

As he searches for a new strategy for Iraq, Bush has now adopted the formula advanced by his top military adviser to describe the situation. "We're not winning, we're not losing," Bush said in an interview with The Washington Post. The assessment was a striking reversal for a president who, days before the November elections, declared, "Absolutely, we're winning."

In another turnaround, Bush said he has ordered Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to develop a plan to increase the troop strength of the Army and Marine Corps, heeding warnings from the Pentagon and Capitol Hill that multiple deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan are stretching the armed forces toward the breaking point. "We need to reset our military," said Bush, whose administration had opposed increasing force levels as recently as this summer.

Song of The Day (Queen, 'Under Pressure')

I'm dedicating this to Bush and his failed presidency.

Oh Marion Barry, You Will Never Fail Me

Growing up just outside of DC, former Mayor Marion Barry was in the news just about everyday. I even remember hearing about him as far back as kindergarden, when I thought he was two people ("Mary & Barry"). And, of course, it's impossible to forget learning about hookers and crack at the ripe old age 9 while watching grainy footage of the police sting that eventually took him down (the first time, anyway). No matter how old I get, Marion Barry will always be my first introduction to corrupt, drug-addled politicans.

Now I'm 25, and Barry continues to not disappoint:

"Marion Barry said that he is talking to his lawyers and thinking about suing the D.C. government and the U.S. Park Police after he was stopped, arrested and then released this past Saturday.

Barry said that he was driving to a holiday party around 4:30 p.m. Saturday when U.S. Park Police officers, who said that he was driving too slowly, stopped him.

Barry said the officers asked him for his license and registration and then said that his license was suspended.

Barry told NBC4 the suspension was a clerical mistake, and he accused the U.S. Park police of racial profiling."

Who knows what the real story is - maybe it was simply a clerical error on the part of the DC Motor Vehicles (which, sadly, is extremely likely) but for Barry to immediately jump to "racial profiling" in DC is just, well... Classic Barry.

Maybe this will get him another term as Mayor!

January 20, 2001 - December 18, 2006: Rumsfeld's Reign Officially Over

Here's to 5 years of incompetence, blindness, ignorance, and narcissism. You will not be missed.

And just so you don't forget the type of man Rummy was, here's a brief reminder:



And Rummy - good luck fighting those war crimes charges. I pray justice is swift.

Your Government at Work: DoD Posts Counterinsurgency Manual on the Net

9/11 Commission recommendations not followed. Cargo not inspected. A country involved in terrorism given the keys to our ports. Why hasn't the Bush Administration just turned our plan for fighting in Iraq over to the insurgents? Oh wait. They did.

The blog, "IraqSlogger" is reporting that the Pentagon has released a 282 page report on the United States counterinsurgency plan. This is the first such report of this nature since 9/11, and is now available on multiple military websites that can be accessed across the globe.

The report itself does not contain any classified information, but does discuss such topics as "Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance", "Intelligence Cells and Working Groups", "Executing Counterinsurgency Operations", and "Targeting".

So, Bush policy it seems, is to provide an unwavering commitment to an illegal war, decline to offer an exit strategy/timetable because it will embolden the terrorists, but handing them our plan on a silver platter is A-OK.

UPDATE: It is now being reported that jihadist websites are now linking to and mocking the report.

From IraqSlogger:

"Jihadists and their supporters are reading and mocking the Pentagon's new counterinsurgency field manual, which was released publicly and posted on several Department of Defense Web sites Friday even though it addresses such sensitive topics as intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting.

One Arabic-language jihadist Web site linking to the Pentagon's 282-page counterinsurgency manual is Tajdeed.net, which routinely calls for the killing of U.S. and British forces in Iraq; praises bin Laden, al Qaeda, and the 9/11 attacks; and whose sponsor, Mohamed al Massari, has called for the assassination of George Bush and Tony Blair."

Thanks George Bush.

The 2006 Weblog Award Winners

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2006 Weblog Awards. I'm still shocked that even in TPT's infancy (just around 6 days old), we were not a finalist in one of the categories! Nonetheless, I digress, so based on 526,974 votes cast in 45 categories over 8 days of voting in early December 2006, here is a shortlist of the winners for The 2006 Weblog Awards (go to their website to view all the winners and finalists):

Categories
Best Blog: Daily Kos
Best New Blog: Lesbian Dad
Best Individual Blog: Lileks
Best Humor Blog: Sadly, No!
Best Comic Strip: Least I Could Do
Best Online Community: FARK
Best Liberal Blog: Think Progress
Best Conservative Blog: Little Green Footballs
Best Centrist Blog: The Moderate Voice

So, I was surfing through the categories and checking out blogs and links that I was not familiar with (which was quite a few) when I came across the Video Of The Year Category (The Diet Coke and Mentos video was the winner). One of the video finalists was a "Free Hugs" video. It's a powerful video accompanied by an equally powerful song. I thought I would share it with you (We'll consider this 'The Song of The Day'):

FYI, here is some information about the Free Hugs Campaign.

Macaca Tops List for Politically inCorrect Words for 2006

From The Global Language Monitor:

"Macaca, Global Warming Denier, Herstory and Flip Chart top the list of the most egregious examples of politically correct language found in 2006 by the Global Language Monitor in its annual global survey.

In 2006, the Political Correctness movement continued to gain momentum to the effect that many were unaware of the extent that it had inserted itself into ordinary English-language conversations, said Paul JJ Payack, President of The Global Language Monitor (GLM). The year has been rife with examples that have been nominated by the GLM’s Language Police, volunteer language observers from the world over".

Bill-O'Reilly "Returns To Combat", Visits Troops in Iraq

Well, well, well....Bill-O "returns to combat". John Kasich filled in for Bill O’Reilly, the combat veteran, Thursday night. In explaining his absence, Kasich said that O’Reilly was on assignment and would be back on Monday with a “major breaking news story”. It turns out the that "Culture Warrior" and Phone Sex Enthusiast was visiting the troops in Iraq. I'm guessing he couldn't be one-upped by his fellow faux nitwit, Sean Hannity, since Hannity just returned from Iraq last week.

"Bill O’Reilly came to visit the Camp Striker, Iraq dining facility Dec. 15. O’Reilly visited the Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) and other units at the Baghdad base camp to thank them for their service, he said. O’Reilly had lunch at the dining facility (Comment: Was falafel on the menu?), greeting Soldiers and civilians alike before autographing hats and shirts emblazoned with the title of his latest book, “Culture Warrior.” He posed for photographs with Soldiers, as well."

I wonder if O'Reilly gave the troops some advise on torturing the "enemy" and tactical movements?

Time: Janie and I (and YOU) is the 'Person of the Year'

Time Says You're the 'Person of the Year'

Magazine Awards Annual Recognition to Internet Community

Dec. 17, 2006 — - According to Time magazine, you and I are the "person of the year". Pfffft, I've been saying the same thing EVERY year!

"Yes, you, along with everyone else in the "digital democracy" blew other contenders, including North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il and President Bush, out of the water (though both made it into the magazine's list of "People Who Mattered.) In an age where MySpace, YouTube and blogs rule, Time chose to recognize the power of the common people who create and use content on the Internet."

Steve Young at The Huffington Post writes:

Anyone who was anyone and everyone who wasn't: Time's Person of the Year.

George Bush. Check. Nancy Pelosi. Check. Donald Rumsfeld. Check. Mel Gibson. Check.
John Mark Carr. Check. Michael Richards. Check. Kim Jong Il. Check. Larry the Cable Guy. Check.

Dick Cheney. Check.

The guy Cheney shot. Check.

Every single member of the Duke lacrosse team, including the manager, who wasn't even at the party. Check.

Osama bin Laden, who hasn't even made as much as a threatening tape in months. Check.

O.J. Simpson, if he did it, even though he did, along with his unemployed editor. Check.

Bill O'Reilly, like he needed any help with promoting himself. Check.

Carrot Top, who's not even a good punchline for an industry joke anymore. Check.

Barack. Now in first name needed only class. Check.

Tom Delay who didn't have to redistrict Time's voting to get himself in. Check.

Ken Lay, and he didn't even have to live out the year to make it. Check.

My old friend Mel Kardos who really hasn't done much since sinking that basket to put us within 10 points of Carl Sandburg Junior High thirty years ago. Check.

Even Britney Spears made it. She alone might be palatable, but did they have to include Kevin Federline? Talk about turning the knife.

And, oh yeah. Whomever it is who decides that Federline's name or picture belongs in any entertainment rag. Check.

So, I'll be expecting my check in the mail and brass monkey award very soon. I rule!

Man's Best Friend

Janie's Song of the Day

Mmmmm, Eddie Vedder singing a Phil Ochs song, with lyrics updated by Tim Robbins. Could my Sunday morning get any better?

Song of The Day (Elvis, 'In the ghetto')

Yeah, so I'm an "Elvis Guy". This is one of my favorites from The King.

1,000 Servicemen and Women Call for Iraq Withdrawal

Bush's overall job approval rating is 34 percent, which is another all-time low for the president in the poll. Now, The Nation is reporting that nearly 1,000 servicemen and women have publicly surfaced to oppose a war in which they are serving.

"After appearing only seven weeks ago on the Internet, the Appeal for Redress, brainchild of 29-year-old Navy seaman Jonathan Hutto, has already been signed by nearly 1,000 US soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen, including dozens of officers--most of whom are on active duty. Not since 1969, when some 1,300 active-duty military personnel signed an open letter in the New York Times opposing the war in Vietnam, has there been such a dramatic barometer of rising military dissent."

Seriously, what else needs to happen to convince Bush that his "war" is such a ridiculous and terrible mistake? I wonder how long it will take for the righties to start calling these troopers "cowards", "traitors", and "terrorist sympathesizers"?

100 million blogs by 2007??!

The BBC has a piece today that suggests by the middle of next year the number of blogs worldwide will reach about 100 million.

"The blogging phenomenon is set to peak in 2007, according to technology predictions by analysts Gartner. The analysts said that during the middle of next year the number of blogs will level out at about 100 million. The firm has said that 200 million people have already stopped writing their blogs."

The BBC report also included data from Technorati, a blog tracking firm, which claimed that 100,000 new blogs were being created every day, and 1.3 million blog posts were written.

Moreover, Technorati is tracking more than 57 million blogs, of which it believes around 55% are "active" and updated at least every three months.


Dr. Matt: Janie, we've got our work cut out for ourselves.

NJ OKs Civil Unions

I've spent the last seven years living in the land of Tony Soprano and acid wash jeans. Each morning I wake up to the smell of toxic waste, the welcoming sight of industrial complexes, and the sound of Bon Jovi playing on someone's (maybe everyone's) radio.

But today, despite all of New Jersey's benefits I list above, I've never been more proud to live in my state:

"New Jersey legislators have approved civil unions for gay couples and Governor Corzine is expected to sign the bill. It passed in the state Senate and the Assembly yesterday, by a significant margin. The civil unions give gay couples all the benefits of married couples. They include adoption rights, hospital visitation and inheritance rights. The Garden State will be just one of five states offering gay couples the same protections and benefits as marriage."

In October, the NJ State Supreme Court ruled in Lewis v. Harris that same sex couples should be afforded the same rights as straight couples. The court gave the Senate 180 days to pass legislation to this effect. It took them less than two months.

While this isn't exactly marriage, this is one step in the right direction. Hopefully one day, the rest of the nation will be as enlightened as New Jersey.

Temporary Leave of "Absence"

Janie and I are both extremely swamped with our own personal lives right now, so our blogging will be a bit truncated over the next few days. We have some interesting ideas on to make TPT a unique and important asset to the political blogosphere (I hate that word). So, watch for some major developments with TPT over the next few months. For now, we are going to stick with a diverse array of topics and themes and just have fun with it. Look for original content coming soon as well.

~Dr. Matt

Well Said: Defining Catastrophe

Jim Henley writes:

A rhetorical change I’m noticing since the ISG report came out is that we have to stay in Iraq “to prevent a wider regional war,” aka “the new thirty years’ war” and so on. That suggests that our mission is no longer preventing “full-blown civil war,” which used to be what we had to prevent, or “increased sectarian strife,” which is what we had to prevent before that, or “increasing insurgent violence” which is what we had to prevent before that. The pattern has always been:

1. Declare that we must stay in Iraq to prevent some Bad Thing from happening.

2. Bad Thing happens anyway.

3. Declare that we must stay in Iraq to prevent some Worse Thing from happening.

4. Worse Thing happens anyway.

5. Reiterate sequence.

At no point does the “Sensible Center” consider that the previous failures implicate our ability to fulfill the new mission, which is always paradoxically grander in scale while being a retreat from previous ambitions.

TDS Bids Farewell To Rummy

Senior Marine Corps official: dubyah has weakend the military and is jeopardizing the war on terror

From the Washington Post:

"We are concerned about gross readiness . . . and ending equipment and personnel shortfalls," said a senior Marine Corps official. The official added that Marine readiness has dropped and that the Corps is unable to fulfill many planned missions for the fight against terrorism.

It seems that our military leaders, who kept telling us that the war in Iraq was not weakening our military, and that we are ready to fight lots more wars wherever they may arise. Well, they were lying.

Now our military leaders want a permanent increase in the size of the military - apparently, we now don't have enough men and women to meet our global needs, all because of the Republicans' wars. But that's not all. The military now wants even more authority to totally screw the National Guard and the Army Reserves. Basically, anyone in the Guard or the Reserves who thought they were already drafted, just wait until you see what they're going to do to you next.

The Army and Marine Corps are planning to ask incoming Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Congress to approve permanent increases in personnel, as senior officials in both services assert that the nation's global military strategy has outstripped their resources.

In addition, the Army will press hard for "full access" to the 346,000-strong Army National Guard and the 196,000-strong Army Reserves by asking Gates to take the politically sensitive step of easing the Pentagon restrictions on the frequency and duration of involuntary call-ups for reservists, according to two senior Army officials.

It is an absolute disaster. Our military leaders are admitting that Bush's war has made us weaker.

And let me just add, I'm really tired of our uniformed military leaders lying to the country in order to cover Bush's ass. They told us they could handle all of these wars. And they lied.

"The Army has configured itself to sustain the effort in Iraq and, to a lesser degree, in Afghanistan. Beyond that, you've got some problems," said one of the senior Army officials. "Right now, the strategy exceeds the capability of the Army and Marines.

H/T to Americablog

Some advice from The Rude Pundit to expand my traffic: Mention Britney's 'Monkey'

The Rude Pundit writes, [Some] advice to young bloggers wishing to see their traffic expand exponentially...the key is Britney's exposed genitalia. "Apparently, if one includes a mention of a pop star's genitalia in the title of a post during a time period when said genitalia has been copiously photographed, oh, the bounty that will follow."

Dr. Matt: I'm not that desperate for traffic......yet.

The Fighting First Family

This town is a white Christian town in a Christian nation

During a council meeting, City Councilman Stephen Vengrow (New Providence, New Jersey) spoke out against the city purchasing a Hanukkah banner, declaring: "This town is a white Christian town in a Christian nation. It's about time someone reminded the Jews, Hindus, Mormons, Buddhists, and other guest-Americans that this is our country and they better start getting with the program."

As always, Jesus' General addresses this matter like any "French-hating heterosexual" should.

Ever wonder what insanity looks like: Soy Causes Gayness

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53327

A devil food is turning our kids into homosexuals
by Jim Rutz at WorldNetDaily

There's a slow poison (Comment: Typical win-nut scare tactic....nice touch) out there that's severely damaging our children and threatening to tear apart our culture. The ironic part (Comment: It if were true, it would be "irony". You should give dubyah a lesson on what is and isn't "irony") is, it's a "health food," one of our most popular.

Now, I'm a health-food guy (Comment: Chicken wings with light beer is not "health food"), a fanatic who seldom allows anything into his kitchen unless it's organic. I state my bias (Comment: duuuuuuh) here just so you'll know I'm not anti-health food.

The dangerous food I'm speaking of is soy. Soybean products are feminizing, and they're all over the place. You can hardly escape them anymore.

I have nothing against an occasional soy snack. Soy is nutritious and contains lots of good things. Unfortunately, when you eat or drink a lot of soy stuff, you're also getting substantial quantities of estrogens.

Estrogens are female hormones. If you're a woman, you're flooding your system with a substance it can't handle in surplus. If you're a man, you're suppressing your masculinity and stimulating your "female side," physically and mentally.

In fetal development, the default is being female. All humans (even in old age) tend toward femininity (Comment: That explains finding my grandfather wearing my grandmother's dresses!). The main thing that keeps men from diverging into the female pattern is testosterone, and testosterone is suppressed by an excess of estrogen.

If you're a grownup (Comment: It's evident you are not), you're already developed, and you're able to fight off some of the damaging effects of soy. Babies aren't so fortunate. Research is now showing that when you feed your baby soy formula, you're giving him or her the equivalent of five birth control pills a day (Comment: where's the citation for this "research"). A baby's endocrine system just can't cope with that kind of massive assault, so some damage is inevitable. At the extreme, the damage can be fatal.

Soy is feminizing, and commonly leads to a decrease in the size of the penis, sexual confusion and homosexuality (Comment: Again, no scientific citation for this so-called "research"). That's why most of the medical (not socio-spiritual) blame for today's rise in homosexuality must fall upon the rise in soy formula and other soy products. (Most babies are bottle-fed during some part of their infancy, and one-fourth of them are getting soy milk!) Homosexuals often argue that their homosexuality is inborn because "I can't remember a time when I wasn't homosexual." No, homosexuality is always deviant. But now many of them can truthfully say that they can't remember a time when excess estrogen wasn't influencing them.

Doctors used to hope soy would reduce hot flashes, prevent cancer and heart disease, and save millions in the Third World from starvation. That was before they knew much about long-term soy use. Now we know it's a classic example of a cure that's worse than the disease. For example, if your baby gets colic from cow's milk, do you switch him to soy milk? Don't even think about it. His phytoestrogen level will jump to 20 times normal. If he is a she, brace yourself for watching her reach menarche as young as seven, robbing her of years of childhood. If he is a boy, it's far worse: He may not reach puberty till much later than normal.

Research in 2000 showed that a soy-based diet at any age can lead to a weak thyroid, which commonly produces heart problems and excess fat. Could this explain the dramatic increase in obesity today (Comment: Apparently uber high fat diets have nothing to do with obesity)?

Recent research on rats shows testicular atrophy, infertility and uterus hypertrophy (enlargement) (Comment: What "research"? He must be using the "Paris Business Review" as his source of "data"). This helps explain the infertility epidemic and the sudden growth in fertility clinics. But alas, by the time a soy-damaged infant has grown to adulthood and wants to marry, it's too late to get fixed by a fertility clinic.

Worse, there's now scientific evidence that estrogen ingredients in soy products may be boosting the rapidly rising incidence of leukemia in children. In the latest year we have numbers for, new cases in the U.S. jumped 27 percent (comment: I can't stress enough how wrong that is, please refer to pages 12 & 13 of Cancer Facts and Figures. AML has increased by 1.8% per year since 1988 while CLL has decreased by 1.9% per year since 1992.) In one year!

There's also a serious connection between soy and cancer in adults – especially breast cancer (Comment: errrrrrrr, wrong again. A recent review of the literature found:"There is no clear evidence that phytoestrogen intake influences the risk of developing breast cancer". That's why the governments of Israel, the UK, France and New Zealand are already cracking down hard on soy (Comment: Crack, hard...where's Mark Foley?).

In sad contrast, 60 percent of the refined foods in U.S. supermarkets now contain soy (Comment: And 100 percent of your readers that believe you are idiots). Worse, soy use may double in the next few years because (last I heard) the out-of-touch medicrats in the FDA hierarchy are considering allowing manufacturers of cereal, energy bars, fake milk, fake yogurt, etc., to claim that "soy prevents cancer." It doesn't (Comment: G. dubyah Bush prevents cancer....right?).

P.S.: Soy sauce is fine. Unlike soy milk, it's perfectly safe because it's fermented, which changes its molecular structure (Comment: Hey Einstein, ALL phytoestrogens are metabolized in the gut and go through a series of "molecular changes") . Miso, natto and tempeh are also OK, but avoid tofu (Comment: You should avoid sharp objects, small children, and operating heavy machinery).

~~~~~~

Dr. Matt: It's quite comical and scary when really, really uninformed people like Rutz attempt to rationalize human behavior via their junk science. I only touched the surface on how wrong Rutz's little commentary actually is. The plain and simple fact about soy and soy products is: "we don't know". Some studies show phytos to be protective for a variety of cancers, others show no effect, and a few show increased risk. The same conclusions are true for the relief of menopausal symptoms, CHD, cognitive impairment, and osteoporotic fractures. So, please, if you are interested in a topic, do the research yourself. One place to start is PubMed. The last place to take advise is from wing-nut freaks like Rutz.

Song of The Day (Placebo, 'Running Up That Hill')

"Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" was the first single from Kate Bush's 1985 album Hounds of Love. Written by Bush, it features highly literate lyrics and impassioned vocals. It was released as a single in the UK on August 5, 1985, with the album appearing on shelves on September 16, 1985.

Placebo's cover of the Kate Bush classic was first released as a bonus track on their 2003 release, "Sleeping With Ghosts", but has been featured recently on Fox's T.V. shows The OC and on Bones in 2006.

Democrat vs. Republican Parody of Apple vs. PC Commerical

Tom "Criminal" DeLay plays the typical blame game

From Newshounds.us: Tom DeLay told an astounded Alan Colmes last night that liberals and the media were the cause of the problems in the Iraq war. Colmes repeatedly made the point that the president is the commander in chief, that it was neither liberals nor the media who planned and executed the war effort. Yet DeLay insisted it was all the liberals/media's fault.

From C&L: Colmes points out how silly his rant is because there's no basis of truth to it, but it's DeLay and the truth has no real place in his Republican propaganda. Hey Tom, over 60 people were killed in Iraq today, but I understand it's going much better than how the media portrays it.

Download QT Video

Download WMP Video

Notice how insane Delay acts on FOX, but when he's on MSNBC—Tom is such a terrific fellow and respects liberals and Nancy Pelosi oh-so-much.

Barnicle: I would get the sense just from your persona on TV that you absolutely hated Democrats and were inclined to blame them for everything, from psoriasis to the war in Iraq. Not so?

DELAY: Not so. I have the utmost respect for legitimate liberals, Democrats that fight for what they believe in. I enjoy the fight. I‘m passionate about what I believe in. I fight very hard for what I believe in.

BARNICLE: What do you think about Nancy Pelosi? Do you like her?

DELAY: I like her. I think she‘s an honest liberal. She‘s fighting very hard for what she‘s doing. I disagree with everything she stands for and—and am willing to fight with her toe to toe…

H/T to C&L for the video and partial transcript

A Tribute to Ricky "Man-On-Dog" Santorum

Ricky has a plan for the Iran: Bus Drivers Can Topple The Country!

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/12/11/santorum-iran-bus-drivers/

Rick Santorum's Plan For Iran: With Our Help, Bus Drivers Could Topple The Government

This morning on MSNBC, outgoing Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) unveiled his plan to "confront" Iran. Santorum said that the United States should have supported a bus driver strike that occurred a few weeks ago. According to Santorum, "We should have quietly gone in there and given them a whole boat-load of money so they could sustain the strike and continue to cause unrest within Iran to try to topple the government." Watch it:

Transcript:

IMUS: What do we do, then, when you say confront them — Iran?

SANTORUM: Well, I've (inaudible) forward a whole bunch of different thing. For example, there was a bus driver strike a few weeks ago in Iran. We did nothing to support it; we should have. We should have quietly gone in there and given them a whole boat-load of money so they could sustain the strike and continue to cause unrest within Iran to try to topple the government. And we did nothing to support that strike.

And as a result, they crushed the strike and another labor movement, which of course, as you know, like in Poland and other countries, was the key to the overthrow of the government because it's an organization that is based in democracy to try to topple these types of regimes that we see in Iran and we didn't do anything. That's one example.

But there are a host of examples of what we could be doing to be much more engaged and involved in Iran, but the State Department — a lot of folks don't want us to do it because we don't want to antagonize Iran. While Iran is killing our people in Iraq right now, I just think it's foolish.

IMUS: We're talking with Senator Rick Santorum.

By the way, I was just thinking as you were talking — because I wasn't listening…

First Post: The Truth Will Set You Free

The "conservative" neocon movement/cult of our Great Country believes the terms "liberal" and "progressive" are disparaging. Apparently, in their cloud of ignorance and dogma, they fail to realize that these terms are analogous with advancement, promotion, and progress. The "conservative" neocon cult want to convert this Great Nation into a zealot paranoid nation of drones and sheeple who cannot and will not question those who, apparently, reside in seats of "leadership". More precisely, if those seats of "leadership" are filled by an individual carrying an (R) next to their name.

The zealots have had their "little run" and left behind a nation divided wider then Moses at the Red Sea and the Grand Canyon combined. They have left behind death, destruction, debt, and utter and complete failure. We, the progressives, must and shall begin to take back our Great Country in 2007 and continue in 2008. Nov 2006 was just the start. We can not sit back quietly and hope for the best in the future. We cannot be satisfied and lazy. We must be pro-active and continue to fight back for our country.

It's time to make our Great Country what our fore-fathers and-mothers wanted Her to be, a shining beacon of light that the World respected, feared out of respect (and not thuggish dubyah-like terror), and looked towards for guidance. So, in closing of my first post my fellow Americans, Progressives, Liberals, Moderates, and Independents, let us not fear or hate or worry. Jesus was a Liberal, and this Great Country is inherently progressive, so lift your knowledge filled and I.Q. rich brains and let us take back and lead our Country.

~Dr. Matt