I can't stop playing this game...
I'm not sure if this link is going to work. This is sort of a test...
UPDATE: The link is fixed! Start wasting your time... NOW!
Kucinich... (Tillman Hearing)
... is now tossing Rumsfeld around like a rag doll. The more I see this guy, the more I like him.
Rumsfeld basically said that maybe they outsourced some of the propoganda, but he has no idea. You'll have to ask someone else, not me. To which Kucinich closed with:
Mr. Chairman, I think it's very important that this committee determine whether or not the outsourcing of press was one of the elements responsible for communicating to the public something that seemed to be beyond the understanding of the Department of Defense.
In other words, if you're going to pretend to be an idiot, I'm going to treat you like an idiot. Nice.
UPDATE: Raw Story has a nice little post on the Kucinich/Rumsfeld business, including video.
Eye For An Eye
I like Oliver Willis. He's a pretty smart guy, and a fun read. But he seems to be somewhat apprehensive about linking to this. I wish he had given it a little more thought before he did.
It's a link to a Mike Stark post on Kos. He is writing about his trip to Bill O'Reilly's house. Stark put a bunch of signs around his block referring to Andrea Mackris and calling O'Reilly a liar, etc... Then when O'Reilly came out of his house Stark seemed to confront him in his driveway. It looks like (from the stills - video is coming later I think) O'Reilly calmly asked him to leave his property, and Stark obeyed, waving good-bye with a loofah on his hand.
Now, O'Reilly's been an especially big dick lately to Kos' site. And in the past he also has urged his radio listeners to "visit" Mike Stark's home. Although, as far as I know, he didn't reveal Stark's name or address to follow up on his threat.
Anyway, there is a (pretty boring) debate in the comments of Stark's post about whether or not what he did was proper (scroll down after the link). And Stark responds to some of his critics by calling them "concern trolls."
I am so sick of this phrase. Are there right wingers who go onto leftie comment boards and try to sway the argument with disingenuous remarks? Sure. I've seen them. They're usually pretty obvious. (I'd bet the opposite is true as well)But I think this label is now being applied to anyone who doesn't agree with whatever post the comments are referring to. I have been labeled thus by Crooks and Liars (comments are now closed for some reason) albeit in a thinly veiled way, when I took offense to their posting a video of a girl in Iraq being stoned and kicked to death.
By the way, C&L have posted approvingly to the Stark/O'Reilly business as well.
Anyway, this is bullshit. The reason O'Reilly is an asshole (one of the reasons) is because he says stuff like "Let's go to his house!" Once we stoop to his level we are just as bad as he is, no matter what our motives. I realize that Stark did nothing violent, and it certainly appeared like he left O'Reilly's driveway when he was asked. But going to someone's house, littering the neighborhood with signs and such, and hanging out in his driveway hoping to catch a glimpse of him in his jammies is fucking stupid, and wrong. And it's not justified by O'Reilly's rants advocating the same thing. In fact, that should be the first sign that it is a really fucking stupid idea. It is the WRONG THING to do.
I think Mike Stark does good work. So does the Crooks and Liars site, and so does Oliver Willis. But this is just beneath all of them. It should be beneath everybody.
UPDATE: GIGANTIC hat tip to Keith Olberman for stating the obvious. Also, kudos to C&L for posting it. But I have to wonder if Olberman had posted in the comments instead of talking on TV would he have been called a "concern troll"?
More On Tillman
Watching the hearings with Rumsfeld et al.
How many times can these clowns say "I don't recall" to questions about the most memorable events in recent history?
They are all liars. They are all devoid of morals.
I don't believe in hell, but I guess I wouldn't mind being wrong about that.
I Used To Worry About Too Much Elmo
One of the fatal flaws of the human race is that ANY couple with the proper plumbing can have a child.
This, from the NYT...
JERUSALEM, July 16 — Hamas television, which was criticized for a Mickey Mouse-like character named Farfur who spouted anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish nostrums at children, has replaced the mouse with a bee named Nahoul, who says he is Farfur’s cousin.
Farfur was beaten to death by an Israeli who wanted his land on the previous episode of the children’s show “Tomorrow’s Pioneers.”
Nahoul, the bee, says: “I want to continue on the path of Farfur, the path of ‘Islam is the solution.’ The path of heroism, the path of martyrdom, the path of jihad warriors.”
In the name of Farfur, the bee says, “we shall take revenge on the enemies of Allah, the murderers of the prophets, the murderers of innocent children, until Al Aksa will be liberated from their filth.”
Palestinian Media Watch, an Israeli group that monitors Palestinian media for anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish incitement, says the bee is referring to Jews and Israelis. Al Aksa refers to the mosque that is part of the Noble Sanctuary, a site holy to Muslims in Jerusalem on the Haram al-Sharif, known to Jews as the Temple Mount.
Please allow me to repeat the most incredible sentence from this article about a childrens' show.
Farfur was beaten to death by an Israeli who wanted his land on the previous episode of the children’s show “Tomorrow’s Pioneers.”
Anyone can have kids. Fred Phelps can have kids. Ann Coulter can have kids (I think). Any old hatemonger can have kids.
I am not Israel's biggest fan. Basically, I'm not a big fan of ANY GOVERNMENT OR POLITICAL MOVEMENT (including Hamas, just in case I need to say it) who claims that they have a right to this or that because "God said so." But this is some CRAZY HATEFUL SHIT to be showing kids.
Think about how far we've come just in the last century or so. The moon, the internet, cell phones, fucking GOOGLE EARTH! And yet, in so many ways, we have never left the stone age. This isn't just Islam. This isn't just Hamas. How many Israeli children are taught to view Palestinians, or Arabs in general, as subhuman? And we have hate just as strong here in out own country. And it just doesn't make sense. Depressing.
(Hat tip to Deirdre)
Tillman
I would just like to know when our Democratic leaders are going stand and call BULLSHIT on this.
(Thanks, Oliver Willis)
Thanks, Orel!
Well, it's been fun. This past week we've paid tribute to various Moral Orel creators, including Jay, Carolyn, Nick, Dino, and yes, even Otis.
The big online chat with Dino was a HUGE success! Thanks to EVERYONE who came out and participated! And by everyone, I mean Otis.
Before we get back to the Bell Business at hand, I'm just going to wrap up Moral Orel Week with a couple of music videos. Both were created (very effectively) using footage from the show. Both are great songs, in my opinion, although they could not be more different. The first uses a song by Rancid. The second, a song by Io Perry, who might be romantically linked to Jay Johnston, I'm not sure. I suppose I could call Jay to check, or maybe call Dino cuz he would probably know, but that would require just a little more effort than I'm willing to put out right now. So. My. Hands. Are. Tied.
Anyway, these are cool videos.
Anyway, it's been a roller coaster of a week. I've praised Moral Orel, I've bitched about it. In the end, I think we can all agree that the bitching was more on the mark.
What's going to happen today in the much anticipated Pt II of the episode that aired a few days ago? Who can say? Who can care? Tune in to (I think) the Adult Swim website to find out!
Another thing, on a serious note, I actually do love Moral Orel. I wish it were more than ten minutes long, especially now that Dino and the gang are getting more into the characters. The last episode felt way too short. But whatever. That's nitpicking. It's a good show. Tivo that shit.
UPDATE: Scott Adsit is a nice man, and a very talented actor who also contributes to Moral Orel in some fashion. I remember him from college.
Moral Orel - The Otis Files!
Thank God that Otis came along, otherwise the big web chat thingie with Dino might have been a waste of time or something. I know very little about the man, other than he is the former Mr. Universe pictured above.
Also, he freed the slaves. And he's gonna get us all out of Iraq!
Kudos, Otis!
IT'S ON!!!!!!!!!!!
HERE WE GO...
PLEASE PROCEED TO THE COMMENTS SECTION FOR THE CHATTY BUSINESS.
