Jaded Times

Reading this article in the Guardian about Abramoff, Scanlon, and Republican congressman Robert Ney, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of dejá vu. Where had I heard literally all of this before?

Ah, yes. Because DeLay was accused of accepting the same golfing package (though DeLay, a bit more slippery, first explained he didn’t know who the money came from, then that it was work, as he insists he met with Margaret “Mad Mags” Thatcher) in 2000 earlier this year. This time around, however, it is Michael Scanlon, DeLay’s former spokesman and former Abramoff partner. Thankfully, it appears Bush won’t be the only one to be bit in the ass by croneyism…

To read more about corruption in the Republican party, check out this nice summation provided by Prairie Weather. As for Abramoff, I have one suggestion: you might want to think of offering new packages, maybe Carribean cruises, or perhaps a safari. The Scottish golfing trips don’t seem to be working out too well for you.

Amidst lies, tragedies, failures, and instability in Iraq, promises unfulfilled in the fight against AIDS/HIV, and Iraq’s president not towing the White House agenda on current conflicts with Iran, this really hasn’t been the President’s month. Sort of like last month. Good thing the Bush administration’s policies have made our nation safer, completey revitalized the economy, and maintained international support.

Pull quote of the week:

In contrast to the Pentagon’s stock answer that there are enough troops on the ground in Iraq, the commanders said that they not only needed more manpower but also had repeatedly asked for it. Indeed, military sources told TIME that as recently as August 2005, a senior military official requested more troops but got turned down flat.

This has been your start of the week failure roundup. Thanks for tuning in.

Ok, not really. But Ariel Sharon has made yet another shocking move away from the warmongering, hard lined conservative he used to be by leaving the Likud Party and vowing to start his own, moderate party:

The dramatic events began with Sharon’s decision late Sunday, after a weekend of agonizing, to leave the party he helped found in 1973…At midday Monday, Sharon met at his office with 10 breakaway Likud legislators, expected to form the core of the new party, reportedly to be called “National Responsibility.”

Sharon leading a liberal party? It’s like Episode III in reverse…

Breaking News. These words have been used to announce such important events as the Kennedy assassination, the Los Angeles Riots, last year’s Tsunami…truly, news so important that breaking into scheduled programming–or, indeed, an actual newscast (there’s an irony)–is warranted.

So imagine my surprise when, at 10:30am, I flipped on the TV to take my ten minute break, thinking “Hey, maybe I can get a bit of this ‘network news’ everyone has been talking about”, and was exposed to FIFTEEN minutes (yes, I sat around, baffled, for an extra five minutes) of the following BREAKING NEWS report:

A Nike corporate plane was having trouble with one of its landing gear and might have to make an emergency landing.

Seriously. That was it. ALL of it. Shocking. I sat, waiting for them to move on to another story, or perhaps return to scheduled programming or cut to a commercial. But nope, that fifteen minutes (and Cheney knows how many before and/or after) were dedicated to local reporters spouting off technical data they knew nothing about, conjecture about the mental state of the pilots/crew (seven total–SEVEN–on board), and utterly dumbfounded guesswork as to what the pilot would choose–would he land the plane in Hillsboro? At PDX? Is he doing a practice run or attempting to land now? Oh, the edge-of-your seat suspense.

This isn’t breaking news, people, this is a short section on page ten of the metro section. Christ, there is REAL breaking news today (much of which I will report on in a minute or two), and this is what they spent the morning on? So to KGW8 (the NBC affiliate) and to FOX12, I say to you buy a dictionary, before you start talking about the “Avian Bird Flu”.

Kudos to the CBS affiliate for not interrupting their broadcast of The Price Is Right.

And awww, how utterly fitting: Fox News is the only RSS feed to feature the story. Good to know FOX’s national branch is as principled as its regional affiliates, huh?

EDITOR UPDATE: Apparently the plane safely landed. Wonkette takes a perfect view of how FOX News is handling the tragedy of the lack of a tragedy. -t

This article proves that 33% of British people should probably be wearing protective headgear:

One in three people believe a woman is partly or completely to blame for being raped if she has been flirtatious, or is drunk, according to new research. More than a quarter also believe a woman is at least partly responsible for being raped if she wears sexy or revealing clothing

Wow. Just…wow.

Arrested Development, one of the five shows currently worth watching on TV, is being cancelled again by FOX. The Network, obviously feeling that running two intelligently written shows simultaneously is just too much for the American people (season 5 of 24 beginning soon), have decided to cut the episode order for this season to 13 and not renew for next year.

The only silver lining here is that soon I will have no reason to ever turn on that crap ass channel. Way to go, Rupert, you ruined the Simpsons, and now you’re killing one of the last truly funny shows in existence. I guess the Hilton sisters blowing farmboys is what passes for entertainment these days, huh?

but the answer is NO!

Tip: I’m offering up my personal experience here so as to avoid this happening to you in the future. On future Voting Days I wouldn’t advise listening to the results of 2.87% of the precincts reporting, and then leaving right away to go see a show. Sure, it was a show you wouldn’t have gone to if it were not in celebration of a friend’s birthday, but you still want to be in a “fun up sort of mood”. You may not dance as much as you would have ( it was a dance if you feel like it type show), and your friend, he’ll dance a lot more than you and he won’t know what’s occasionally flashing through your head, that your spending energy chasing away those should I just leave this country thoughts. Then again you my not be someone inclined to have your emotions shift into concern gear at the slightest of retuns, that would be wise; I mean the radio host did warn you after all.

We shall see how conciliaratory things actually get, for now here are some comments from Tuesday night:

California Teachers Assn. President Barbara Kerr told several hundred activists in the ballroom: “This governor wasted $50 million, and he does not have the courage to apologize to all of you for the trash he talked about you. He doesn’t have the courage to say he was wrong, that we’re the real heroes of California.”

Exciting to see that Proposition 73 went down as well, as that one seemed to be a possible pass. Actress Mimi Rogers offered her perspective on this measure in a radio interview yesterday (11/8) when she said this would be a step in a direction that would lead to “Compulsory Reproduction”. It’s hard to believe she’s Tom Cruise’s ex-wife (not that I think she wishes to be identified that way) . 73 was the so-called Parental Notification Act, but it also had another agenda beyond that:

The measure also contained a provision that would have defined abortion as an act that causes “the death of the unborn child, a child conceived but not yet born,” deviating from more neutral language used in similar statutes elsewhere.

(I’m a little late in getting this completed.) On the radio Thursday, I heard a Nurse’s response, which was to the effect that now that the sham election was over we need to get down to real business, which includes Universal Healthcare, clean money election so never again will both sides money have to spend such a ridiculous amount of money. I wish I had her exact words because it was awesome, clearly expressed and included specific plans. I’m with the nurses.

Letter signed by moderate Republicans asked their leaders to strike the Alaskan drilling provision from a budget cut bill:

“Rather then reversing decades of protection for this publicly held land, focusing greater attention on renewable energy sources, alternate fuels, and more efficient systems and appliances would yield more net energy savings than could come from ANWR and would have a higher benefit on the nation’s long-term economic leadership and security,” they said.

The moderates knew they had leverage, given the narrow margin of GOP control of the House. It only takes 14 Republican defections to scuttle a bill, assuming every Democrat opposes it.

Nicely put. The Porcupine Caribou thank you (especially since their version of a maternity ward is in the same location as a proposed drilling area) , along with many people and other animal species.

From CMJ News Blast:

Mana “China” Nishiura, drummer for DMBQ and former drummer for Shonen Knife, passed away on November 4 when DMBQ’s van was clipped by another vehicle and rolled over on I-95, near the Delaware Memorial Bridge. The band was on tour with An Albatross, and were on their way to the first of two shows they were to play in Brooklyn over the weekend. Todd Patrick, the promotor for both shows, wrote on his site that other members of the band and their tour manager, Michelle Cable, were still recovering: “Michelle Cable is conscious following surgery for a head injury. Shinji Masuko is still in the hospital but is expected to be released soon. Toru Matsui and Ryuichi Watanabe have been released from the hospital.” He also wrote on November 6 that Cable, who is also editor of San Francisco noise zine Panache, will need extensive surgery for brain and spinal injuries.

Nishiura, a native of Hiroshima, Japan, also played drums for Rashinban, Jesus Fever, Teem, Music Start Against Young Assault and Cel. She played her first live show with Shonen Knife in 2001, and left the band in 2004. Genghis Tron-run record label Lovepump United have set up a fund to help the band and Cable pay for their medical expenses. Paypal donations can be sent to the band by clicking here, and checks can be sent to Lovepump United, PO Box 3241, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603.

Sad, sad news. For more info, go to the band’s website.