Funeral For A Friend

This evening I went to the funeral of a young man I considered a friend. 36 years old. Killed himself. Had one disappointment too many. Nobody there to talk him out of it. The end. When I knelt at the altar in front of the box that held his ashes surrounded by photos of him alive and young and handsome, that up-to-no-good- gleam in his eye in the pictures..I thought 'now what the fuck did you go an do this for?' I wanted to shake him and yell at him and scold him like a mother. But.

You all know that saying "Nobody likes a smart-ass"? Well, it does not apply to yours truly. I adore smart-asses and he was quite the one. But..I like smart-asses who are genuine and really nice to the core; that was him. He was the total package in that way.

The place his service was held was packed with people who liked him, loved him, and whose lives he touched. Which is ironic because he was always trying to leave Cleveland for some supposed greener pasture. I guess he didn't realize how 'green' he had it here. I'm not sure if it would have made a difference but I wish I would have been able to tell him before it was too late. I'm sure I'm just one member of a big club of people that feel the same.

Regardless, I just have to say how glad I am to have known him. Everybody has an impact on those around them whether they realize it or not. And most of the time we are all the better for it. I think that is something we all need to think about during these weirdly dysfunctional times.

Nothing political tonight kids, just saying farewell to a friend. This song is dedicated to him, the only person under 60 I knew that loved Neil Diamond:

Sweet Caroline

Where it began,I can't begin to knowin' But then I know it's growing strong
Was in the spring And spring became the summer
Who'd have believed you'd come along.
Hands, touchin' hands Reachin' out, touchin' me touchin' you
Sweet Caroline Good times never seemed so good
I've been inclined To believe they never would
But now I, look at the night And it don't seem so lonely
We fill it up with only two.
And when I hurt,Hurtin' runs off my shoulders
How can I hurt when I'm with you
Warm, touchin' warm Reachin' out, touchin' me touchin' you
Sweet Caroline Good times never seemed so good
I've been inclined,To believe they never would
Oh, no, no Sweet Caroline
Good times never seemed so good
Sweet Caroline, I believe they never could.. Sweet Caroline........

Goodbye friend. You will be missed.

Broadcast Snooze

As many of you who read this blog know, I am an 80's Girl and one of my favorite films is 'Broadcast News'. If you've never seen it, rent it asap. It's a comedic gem, the definition of 'poignant' and sadly, a commentary on how the Traditional News Media began the process of becoming superficial worthless Info-tainment many years ago.

Here's a killer quote from the movie by the 'real news guy' character Aaron Altman referring to the handsome vapid ambitious anchorbot Tom Grunnick:

"What do you think the Devil is going to look like if he's around? Nobody is going to be taken in if he has a long, red, pointy tail. No. I'm semi-serious here. He will look attractive and he will be nice and helpful and he will get a job where he influences a great God-fearing nation and he will never do an evil thing... he will just bit by little bit lower standards where they are important. Just coax along flash over substance... Just a tiny bit. And he will talk about all of us really being salesmen. And he'll get all the great women. "

Hell, this quote not only applies to the Presstitutes, it almost fits Dubya McCondilover & his gang of hoary splotchy corpulent ear-hair snipping cohorts to a tee. In their case I suppose "great women" means right-wing subservient helmut-haired Stepford fembots with hymens thicker than space shuttle skin. But I digress. Boy I really did digress there didn't I? Oops.

'Flash over substance' has been a phrase that frequents my thought-bubbles whenever I watch or read the 'traditional' news-media these days. And what better example of that phrase than CNN's Anderson Cooper for his coverage of the Utah mine collapse. As Arianna Huffington points out, he's ignoring the controversy surrounding the tragedy, treating it soley as a 'human interest' story while also treating the culpable culprit as some saint who is 'standing by the miners' families'. Puhleeeeze! The old rich bastard is following his lawyers' and PR teams' advice and spinning his fat age-spotted ass off blaming phantom fault lines and shedding crocodile tears. Earthquake my ass Bob.

By the way kids, it's utter bullshit for any philly in the Mediacracy stable to sell the line that 'we can't talk about why the mine collapsed while those miners are still missing'. Just like we weren't supposed to add 2+2 on the Minnesota bridge collapse? Silly 'Merkans! Bill Kristol tells us there's nothing wrong with our infrastructure. And you know how he's never wrong.

The Presstitutes cluck dutifully.."it's such bad taste to look for blame while the tragedy unfolds". Jaysus forbid the people actually find out who is responsible or how to prevent more of our loved ones from ending up under tons of rubble. How tacky of you 'Merka! Why aren't you at Walmart cranking up your WalCard balance? Don't you know you embolden the terrrrrisssts when you ask why instead of trying to buy?

If that is indeed the sentiment of the miners' families, then Anderson Cooper shouldn't be treating the mine owner, that has fought against miner unions and safety regulations, like Mother-Effing-Theresa either.

Of course, this latest mine tragedy is just one story the Mediacracy is not covering right. By that I mean, they run defense for every uber-wealthy connected unethical jackass behind every issue by intentionally ignoring the substance of the story. You name an issue: Big Pharma, Big Oil, Charter School Charlatans, Big War (ie Halliburton et al), Big Coal (ie Bob Murray); and the Traditional Media covers it as: Huge Corporation Benefitting Society Say It's Not Their Fault and Some Annoying Liberal Commie Pinko Activists Disagree.

This Sunday Cleveland Drinking Liberally is screening a film about how Traditional Media and Big Politics have been and still are hurting all of us. The film is called "War Made Easy: How Presidents & Pundits Are Spinning Us To Death" narrated by Sean Penn and based on the book of the same title authored by Norm Solomon. While this film examines the issue of war, the same modus operandi can be applied to all of the dire issues facing us today.

Less than 16 months from now we will be choosing two presidential candidates, one president, 34 Senators, and 45 House Reps. If there was a time when we needed to distinguish between flash and substance I cannot think of it.

Hope to see you all there.

Liberally Yours,

Judy

You Spin Me Right Round Baby Right Round Like A Record Baby....

The title of this post is that of an 80's tune sung by the quirky draggish group Dead or Alive that has been stuck in my head all week. It's been driving me up a wall but at least now I realize why that infernal song is plagueing me so. I watched and read the news this week.

The Mediacracy has been spinning it's pro-administration, pro-Iraq quagmire, pro-attack Iran, anti-Democratic party propaganda more furiously than ever these last two weeks. Now of course you'd assume that I'm talking about Fox News but you know the old saying...you'd be making an ass out of u (you) and me. The truth is, CNN and MSNBC are taking top B.S. Propaganda Honors this week.

Tuesday evening MSNBC's David Shuster was in charge of fact-checking the Dem's AFL-CIO debate and his so-called 'truth-squadding' made me want to taking a running ninja style flying kick at his package with my pointiest pair of boots. Shuster's "gotcha's" were really a matter of opinion with not an ounce of substance, but of course that did not stop him:

1. Joe Biden said that Bush has ruined this nation. Shuster tsked-tsked this one as false. Maybe he's waiting for 30 more bridges and 40 more mines to collapse before he's willing to agree with Biden. But maybe Biden meant that Bush has ruined the global reputation of our nation? "Oh p-shaw!" Shuster would say...."after all we still have Poland!"


2. Hillary said that unlike Bush, she would be a POTUS that cares about the Gulf Coast and Shuster got all up in her hizzy about that one. He said "it's a real stretch" to say that Bush doesn't care about the Gulf Coast. OH REALLY DAVY? He must think the fact that the Bush Administration has refused to accept the foreign aid offered to help the people of the Gulf Coast is for their own good. Shuster must think Bush, WHO WAITED FIVE FREAKING DAYS TO EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THE DISASTER, was just so emotionally overcome with empathy that it took him that long to collect himself enough to engineer those deeply caring-look-a-like photo-ops for his fellow telepunditutes. And the fact that our Secretary of State preferred shoe-shopping and play-hopping in Manhattan over paying attention to a major disaster in the nation she represents should be in no way construed as Marie Antoinette-like. No sir! The Arabian Horse Judge was doing a Heckuvajob! How silly of Hillary to think the Bush Administration didn't care..tsk..tsk.
   

Personal note to Shuster: truth squadding is checking facts not opinion-mongering and keep your eye out for a pissed off 5'6" redhead in all black wearing stiletto boots. And do the world a favor and tell Chris Matthews that his medication is wearing off. Where's Nurse Ratchet when you need her?

Not to be out done CNN (Conservative News NOTwork), has made sure to be extra cheerleaderish for the administration's policies lately.

1. Glenn Beck, who recently was honored with an audience along with several other con-radio/blogger types with the Wire-Tapper In Chief, waxed orgasmic at how Dubya McDraft-dodger really feels the pain of every soldiers death. Yeah, I bet he does. Just as he was "anguished" over all those denied clemency requests as Guv'nor of Texassistan. Beck is the prime example of someone who believes shit he wants to believe because it makes him money - you know, he's Republican. Fun facts about Beck: former drug addict, never finished college, current a-hole and inspiration for the character who played the obnoxious stupid bully in Back to The Future, Biff Tannen. By the way, CNN gives this tool four hours on air every night. I guess if you're a white bigoted loser in 'Merka the Republican Party can help you go places you'd never in a million years get to go!


2. Check out this Orwellian spot with Frau Youvillbelievus interviewing Pentagon stooge General Odierno misleading 'Merkans to believe that Al Qaeda is the whole problem in Iraq when his agency's own reports say they are responsible less than 10% of the violence. He also pushes the "success" of the surge and lobbies for his own membership in the Just Six More Months Club.

Not to be outdone by the Idiot Box the snail press has been very busy:

1. The never-ever-liberal yet characterized as liberal by the administration and other Neocon Scribblers cuz it suits their needs NYT Pro-Iraq Invasion & Occupation serial cheerleaders O'Hanlon and Pollack's pro-surge Op-Ed that has gotten them the attention they so desperately crave as pro-war leeches on the carotid artery of America always do. Except, they are as wrong as they've ever been. Who needs Judy 'Cheney's Beyotch' Miller when you got these two but as they say on the infomercials...Wait! There's More!
2. Michael Gordon, the Neocon's replacment-scrivener that by some miracle of circumstance avoided the negative consequences of being a Darth Cheney stenographer his co-byline colleague Judy Miller endured, is at it again. He helped Jude The UnObscure take the country to war in Iraq and now he's dutifully pushing taking action against Iran as any good Party Member would.

Hillary Clinton's cleavage has been the subject of one too many a written article or on-air news segment. So..are they telling the 'Merkan people that cleavage size is vital to their choice for a leader? What about penis size? Is The Mediacracy telling us that we are supposed to literally pick the best fucker to be our president or to put it less bluntly: 'I'd hit that so why not vote for it?' If that's the case then the GOP is in a world of hurt.

The Republicans have crowned Fred 'Droopy Face Denture Boy' Thompson as their "sex symbol". No wonder Republican women are sooooooo uptight, that and that dreaded inevitable "your husband was caught in the bathroom offering blow-jobs" can't do much for their disposition.

Anyhow, these examples are just a drop in the bucket in the propagandic-cesspool that is The Mediacracy. They frantically try to discredit the blogosphere because they do not want the people to have any other outlet for information except themselves. They want to go to cocktail parties and rub elbows with the Albino Son of Satan. They want to be well-paid semi-famous anchor-babes that just repeat news without having any idea of the context and substance that they cover and most of all they all want to keep their jobs because they have very few prospects in the mainstream media market - thanks to the T-Com Act of 1996. And they focus all their energy on the most superficial irrelevant bullshit on the planet to avoid any sliver of truth or relevance from slipping through.

So, that is exactly why Cleveland Drinking Liberally decided to screen the latest Brave New Films Production "War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us To Death". I don't know about you but I am so sick of the spin...right round baby, right round. It doesn't end unless we stop it.

Somethin Ain't Right

Something wicked this way comes....or at least that's the sick feeling I have in my stomach. I found an article entitled "Democrats Scrambling To Expand Eavesdropping" in the New York Times. Now, in my family Mr. Drinking Liberally tends to be the one who prefers aluminum chapeaus more than I, but something about this article really disturbs me.

Why did the Democrats even bother grilling the Abu Gonzales over the NSA Warrantless Domestic Spying Program when they are now are 'scrambling' to give George Bush carte blanche to gut The FISA law as we speak? We've heard testimony that Alberto Gonzales lied about the FBI abuses of this program and witnessed Senators crying foul. Now Harry Reid feels that it is imperative give The Dark Side and his trusty side-kick The Decider a big fat go-ahead to gut the Fourth Amendment at will before they break for summer recess?!

Something does not add up kids. None of the promised action against the administration officials who have ignored congressional subpoenas has materialized. The promised articles of impeachment against Alberto Gonzales that were supposed to come down by noon on July 31st have yet to appear. And now the Dems are bending over backwards to accommodate an administration that has broken the FISA laws, given itself the power to violate the 5th amendment and granted itself dictatorial powers in the instance of a 'national emergency'.

The wonderful Larisa Alexandrovna blogging on Huffington Post sums this whole situation up perfectly:

"There is nothing wrong with the FISA law that the impeachment of Dick Cheney cannot resolve. We, the public know this. More importantly, we the press know that giving the President more surveillance power is not only un-Constitutional, it is also a direct and full frontal assault on the press. Or did you actually think that Karl Rove and his new spy toy are going to go looking for Osama bin who?"

You know that little voice in your head that whispers to you, even nags, when you know something could be true but you don't actually want to believe it? Well my little voice inside has been telling me for the last few months: maybe the Democrats want to hold on to all the power Bush & Cheney have grabbed for the executive in the event they take the White House in 2008. Maybe they won't be so willing to give it back and maybe that's why they aren't impeaching them.

After reading that article in the NYT and Ms. Alexandrovna's piece on Huffington Post that little voice is no longer whispering, it's loud and clear.