An Open Blog Post To John McCain

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing click to enlargeFor someone who wants to lead one of the largest economies on the planet in the 21st century, you sure don't seem to understand the issues important to America. Let's start with your computer illiteracy. It is so great that you have a tutor now and learning how to "work the Google" and we all look forward to the day when you can use the word Google correctly in a sentence. Soon, you will be able to get your email at "The Hotmail" and you will really love it when you can pour all your rage into "The Vista" when you reach the Blue Screen Of Death. Don't know what the Blue Screen Of Death is? Give it time, you will. The computer revolution started in the late 70's with the creation of the Apple II thirty years ago. That is thirty years of American and global economic progress that you have no clue about. Some old economy stalwarts are all concerned about the fate of General Motors. This is a company that has produced shoddy products that haven't been appealing to Americans in some time. This is a company that is run by a guy who thinks global climate change is a myth. With that kind of intellectual ineptitude, I really could care less about the fate of GM, it could close for all I care. That at least would make way for a smarter car company to evolve - one that would actually be good for America. Senator, you worry about the failure of GM because you are technology illiterate, what you should be more concerned about is the failure of Yahoo. If you were technology literate, you would have been very concerned about the outcome of SCO vs Novell - if that case had been found in favor of SCO, it would unleash a cluster fuck of network problems that you would have been woefully prepared to handle. How will your administration deal with open source initiatives? Because of your illiteracy, would you stand beside your big money lobbyists and enact legislation that would be unfavorable towards open source projects? How about PayPal? Do you consider it a bank? Do you know what PayPal is? What is your philosophy of secondary economies like auctioning off used belongings on eBay? Should that be taxed? Do you know PayPal is owned by eBay? Don't you think it is unreasonable for the United States to keep laptops of Americans returning to the US from abroad? Don't you think imaging the hard drives is a violation of our civil rights? And Senator, don't give me the terrorist crap. Did you know, once you pass through customs, you can just download the "terror" files from a remote server when you sit down at the wi-fi enabled Starbucks inside the airport's concourse? Yes you can get advisers to tell you all of this, but I am not electing them and even if I did trust them, you do not have the faculties to discern what is important and what it is not. It is nothing but a stream of three letter acronyms to you. You don't even know enough to talk about birth control so how in the world are you going to be able to make complicated decisions?

Note to McCain: Obama can read

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing click to enlargeYou can read, I can read and I am pretty sure Obama can read. We can read all about the Iraq war, we can see it in video form. McCain keeps pushing the meme that the surge worked. What he doesn't tell you about is the cease fire that the Sunnis and Shias put together last year. And he really doesn't want to tell you the Bush Administration or the US Government didn't have a thing to do with it. The clerics called a cease fire amongst themselves. Just think of that for a minute. Here we have heaped tens of thousands of dead bodies onto the streets of Iraq, dumped trillions of dollars there and Bush could not control the city of Baghdad. But, ironically the Sunnis and Shias came together and stopped the shooting on their own with no help from us. So what exactly is Obama going to learn? That is is damn hot? You can't walk down the street without an armed escort of about 100 Marines, snipers and hovering gunships? Maybe McCain knows something we don't know? Maybe there is a very large secret that has been kept? Maybe Baghdad is full of purple unicorns and prancing forest creatures? If that is the case, how does that account for all the body bags coming back? You know, the ones that we cannot see. So Obama is going to go to Baghdad and what do you think he will say? What will be the next slew of horseshit McCain will be shoveling when Obama comes back? Remember, you don't need to go to the sewage treatment plant to know it stinks.

Hey Phil Gramm, are the troops whinning too?

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing click to enlargeThe recent bank failures, suck-ass economy, rising gas prices are all a figment of your imagination. That is what the Bush Administration wants you to think as they keep pounding the podium for off-shore drilling - sucking the last of the Earth's marrow out while they are still in office. Because they sure as Hell don't want to be talking about THIS: US and Afghan troops have abandoned a remote village in eastern Afghanistan where militants killed nine US soldiers and wounded a dozen more on Sunday. It was the biggest loss of life in an Afghan battle since operations began in 2001. Things don't appear to be getting better. At least 100 - some reports say 200 - insurgents stormed the small combat outpost in the village of Wanat on the border of Nuristan and Kunar provinces on Sunday. Some militants briefly broke through defences and into the temporary base. "We are confirming that we have vacated our combat outpost at Wanat," said Nato spokesman Mark Laity. The outpost had only been constructed days before it was attacked. Nato's International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) announced the camp had now been "disestablished" but said there would be a "continued presence" in the area - namely patrols and the use of Afghan security forces. Omar Sami Taza, a spokesman for the governor of Nuristan, said US troops had withdrawn from the area, "leaving the district in the hands of only 20 policemen". "American troops have taken all heavy weapons out of the district," he told the BBC. "This is why we have lost the district to the Taleban because our police couldn't defend it with one AK-47." What an interesting use of propaganda - using a word like "disestablished." That is because the Pentagon don't want to fess up and admit that the Taleban wiped the floor with US troops. NATO refused to label the attackers, only calling them militants, the locals are not in denial, they identified them as Taleban. I guess now the Taleban is a figment of our imagination also. Assholes.

What you are missing at Netroots Nation in Second Life

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing click to enlarge Netroots Nation in Second Life is in full swing today: While this year’s Netroots Nation conference (formerly YearlyKos) takes place in Austin, a concurrent gathering will take place in the virtual world Second Life. Netroots Nation in SL (July 17 through Sunday, July 20) is the annual in world conference of people from multiple progressive groups in Second Life, e.g. Cafe Wellstone, Commonwealth, Democratic Party of Second Life, SL Netroots, and Virtually Speaking. Running concurrently with the Austin, Texas Netroots Nation Conference, it is organized as a public benefit by in world volunteers. In addition to live streaming sessions from Austin, there will be interactive events between the two gatherings as well as Second Life-only events designed to educate and activate future progressive leaders, as well as joint events with attendees of the virtual version of the BlogHer convention. Netroots Island, including the Exhibit Hall, will be open 24 hours a day. Attendees may drop in at any time. Events scheduled: Tuesday, July 15th 4:30 - 9:30 pm: Social with the NNSL Mentors, Netroots Island Main Plaza Wednesday 16th 5:00-9:00 pm: Gathering at Commonwealth Island 5:15 pm: Group Horse back riding tour of the 3 Commonwealth sims and activities 6:15 pm: “Human Chain” for Obama…send a message of support. Showing up and unite in solidarity for the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, Democracy! For progressive change! 7pm: Drum Circle at the beach (surfing and windsurfing also available) 8pm: Group Tai Chi on Commonwealth 3 Thursday 17th 5:30-7:00 pm: Austin Keynote Address: Gov. Howard Dean, Netroots Arena 7:00 -10:00 pm: SL Opening Party, Netroots Island Ballroom Friday 18th 7:00am: Austin panel “The Next President and the Law”, Netroots Arena. PANELISTS: Cass Sunstein, John Dean, Adam Bonin, Michael Waldman 9:00 -11:00am: Tours and Activities of Second Life, Netroots Island Main Plaza 11:30am:Austin Panel “How the Media Learned to Bend Over Backward to Please the Right”, Netroots Arena. PANELISTS: Paul Krugman, Duncan Black, “Digby” Parton, Rick Perlstein 2:30pm: Austin Panel “Beyond the Political ‘Sphere: A Netroots Nation / BlogHer Conversation”, Netroots Arena. PANELISTS: Andrew Slack, Marcus Williams, Laura Dawn, Tracy Russo 4:00 -5:30 pm: Tours and Activities of Second Life, Netroots Island Main Plaza 6:00-7:30pm: SL Panel “The Restructuring of the US Economy: A Conversation with Stirling Newberry”, Netroots Arena 7:45pm: Dancing Liberally @ Cafe Wellstone Saturday 19th 9:00-10:00am: Coffee Klatch, Roisin’s Coffee House 10:00a-11:00am: Austin Lunch Keynote: Lawrence Lessig, Netroots Arena 11:30am: Panel “More and Better Democrats: The Class of 2006-08″, Netroots Arena. PANELISTS: Joan McCarter 1:00pm: Austin Panel “The Races We Aren’t Watching but Should (and Those We’re Watching, Too), Netroots Arena. PANELISTS: David NYC, Markos Moulitsas, Arjun Jaikumar, James Lambert, Jonathan Singer 2:30-3:30 Austin Afternoon keynote, Netroots Arena 3:45m-5:45 pm: SL Panel “It’s All Media: Influencing the Narrative”, Netroots Arena. PANELISTS:Cliff Schecter, GeneralJCChristian, Jimbo Hoyer 6:00-7:00pm: Austin Evening keynote, Netroots Arena 7:00pm - late: Dancing at the Lonely Yak Roadhouse Sunday 20th 6:45-7:45am: Austin Pastor Dan’s Multifaith Service, Netroots Arena 8:00am: Austin Keynote: Van Jones, Netroots Arena 9:15am: Bloggers Brunch, Netroots Arena 10:15am-12:30pm: SL Panel “Progressive Values at Work: Using Virtual Worlds for Real World Impact”, Netroots Arena. Gentle Heron, Vitual Ability, Carolina Keats, Consumer Health Librarian 12:30 - 2pm: Afternoon talkback and SL tours Conference planners will be on hand to hear feedback from new people and SL veterans who participated., Netroots Island Main Plaza 2:00pm - 3:15pm: SL panel “Perspectives on Democracy and Sustainability”, Netroots Arena. PANELISTS: WilliamtheWise Goodman and Delia Lake 4:00-6:00pm: Formal Closing party NN Island Ballroom, Netroots Island Ballroom For more info on how to use Second Life can be found HERE. To go directly to Netroots Nation Island, click HERE. * Yes, the dialog in the cartoon was part of a conversation that took place at Netroots Nation in Second Life. I was not wearing my Sperm Helmet when this conversation took place.

Economic Flashbacks

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing click to enlargePhil Gramm must be high: Many in the United States are concerned about the high prices of food and gasoline and the loss of almost a half million jobs. Senator McCain met with voters in parts of the Midwest. The region has been hit hard by the struggling economy. "People are hurting,” McCain said. “People are hurting badly." But one of McCain's top advisors, former Senator Phil Gramm, expressed a different point of view. "You've heard of mental depression? This is mental recession," Gramm said. I wonder what recreational pharmaceuticals Phil Gramm is on? I have been high and I have been drunk, but never in my experience with mind altering substances, has the a bad economy magically turned wonderful. Maybe I am not drinking the right kind of bourbon? Maybe I need to up my vodka game? Maybe I need to go bath in the steamy pot pools of Humboldt County, California? Dunno, but I think everyone knows Phil Gramm is either stoned, mentally disabled or a total liar. My money is on the latter.