Projectile Vomiting Not Allowed

I was originally planning a New Years ending rant on the upcoming nationwide feast of Landru, where the fine citizens of this country participate in various unsavory acts of drunkenness and moral debauchery. Instead I have decided to post some links that will be deciphered differently by the various individuals (we all tend to see things through our own prescription lenses), it will be dismissed by some, it will sober some individuals ruining the New Years party-party-party atmosphere building and spur others into an early start of the mind numbing festivities most of us are all about to partake in. I offer up these links without anymore of my usual long-winded commentary or personal opinions concerning the subject and insight offered up by the links. The only thing I will offer up is that they are links to a blunt blog I came across sometime back which contains disturbing imagery and speculation.

 

A Happy and Safe New Year to All!

 

(PS No Projectile Vomiting allowed on my residence or sidewalk!)

 

 

Link 1          Link 2          Link 3         Link 4

Trumpeting Hosannas to the Local Scalawags

Anyone who knows me personally is also aware of the total aversion I have for the political arena and even worse the politicians of the Democrat and Republican Parties that have created and that feed upon the corrupted political humus they produce. All lifetime professional politicians should be forced to wear the brand of Scalawag upon their forehead to warn the people around them of the humus nurtured stench and hubris approaching. It would also give the unsuspecting citizens time to secure any money or valuables long before the Scalawag gets within pickpocket range. Thanks to the instant rumor starting availability of the Internet, the typical hate filled venomous mudslinging has managed to reach new scandalous heights previously unknown to mankind. After viewing this years campaigns I am sure that the two political parties shall fill all our lives with ribald laughter and diversion from reality as they can now dig up and spread the dirt about each other at unimaginable ever increasing incredible Internet speeds, as they continue to fester rot and decay the country to feed their insatiable hunger for money and power.

But as this year and political season ends and the New Year begins, I wish to offer up special acknowledgement to the Scalawags of the 17^th district of Illinois. The 17^th district of Illinois, reaching into 23 separate counties, is the epitome of twisted Republican and Democratic political gerrymandering designing which allows the rigging of elections. If you live in the 17^th district of Illinois, as I do, your representative Scalawag will come from the Democratic Party. That is a fact of life thanks to gerrymandering. What is also a fact of life is that it is similar to the USSR philosophy of voting where you could either vote yes or no for a political candidate. The difference is that to vote “Yes” you vote for the Democratic Scalawag and to vote “No” you vote for the Republican Scalawag. This is done to give the districts voters the illusion of actually having a choice in the matter. Nor is it likely to change barring some voter saving calamity, as the court systems tend to back the idea of gerrymandered districts. A true independent hoping to hold the two-party system to any degree of honest representation stands little to no chance of success in such a fixed environment.

This year’s election for the 17^th’s congressional representative was a crowning achievement in gerrymandering history. The Republicans rolled out their usual cast of non-entity characters as if they were really planning on making a run (not that they would even stand a chance of competing) for what turned out as a soon to be vacated Democratic office. The current long-term Democratic office holder decided to vacate his Primary election win status, after securing the Primary win. No real surprise here as he has been fighting Parkinson’s disease for years now. The real surprise is that the faithful sheep of the Democrat party (and indolent media) bought the soon to be released spin and spew for waiting until after the Primary election to announce his non-candidacy availability. Well, due to the blinders the faithful of both parties wear I suppose it is not all that big of a surprise that they are so gullible. And afterwards the Democratic Party puts on a phony election process where instead of the Democratic voters getting to choose an elected official to represent them, the candidate is chosen in a smoky backroom deal where one of the right-hand men of the outgoing representative eventually takes the spot on the ballot via a phony election process, chosen by the committeemen who owe their political lifeblood to the Scalawags in power. They were not even good at keeping the secret about the arm twisting going on in the background, as one of the local bloggers on the inside leaked out some of the scandal information after the fact. American politics and politicians, you just cannot beat them with a stick. But I sure as heck would like to try. The only problem with it might be the decayed humus falling that has replaced their brain matter.

So I salute the Democratic Party of the 17^th District of Illinois as they proved once again that if you are the Shepard Scalawag du jour and in charge of a gerrymandered district, you can easily fleece the sheep of your district and at the same time make them shout hosannas to the party for saving them from having to think about selecting a candidate to represent them!

I am the Man baby!

A couple of recent posts here and on other blogs have left me emotionally drained, so today I post something on the lighter side. I admit I have a drug-liked-induced-weakness for some of the movie fare Hollyweird dishes out. I especially like Sci-Fi genre, action movies and dark and/or twisted comedies. And though some of the movies I like to watch are box office bonanzas many of them are what will become cult/classic movies. If you check my personal movie library after snooping through all the Star Wars/Star Trek/LOTR series and their various clones you will begin to find movies (Used Cars, Amazon Women on the Moon, Heathers, All the Marbles, Dr. Strangelove, etc. and including some that predate my existence upon this planet like Harvey) that will often cause the average movie spectator to get a perplexed look upon their face when trying to Identify the title in their mind. But that is a post for another time as I have digressed from the original intent of my post. Much of the escapism fare I am attracted to is just as enjoyable on the tiny tube in my home as it is when viewed in the spectacular land-of-the-giant-screen format at the local theatres. But to truly enjoy the complete spectacle of many movies like Sci-Fi, Action Adventure and Nature-in-a-Can designer extravaganzas you have to trudge out to the theatre and plunk down your nine dollars a head, four dollars each for your ninety-nine cent watered down Big Gulp clone and stale bag of freshly-popped-nine-months-before-kept-fresh-by-Griswoldian-newer-and-better-enhanced-food-perservatives popcorn. MMM MMM MMM tasty and refreshing!

 

Now as you sit there watching your kings ransom purchased movie and consuming those pricey mass quantities of chemically enhanced faux foodstuffs (often having followed a pricey meal of your favorite eats and drinks at your favorite restaurant) your date, already moody (in keep with the G-rating of this post) involving the choice of Apocalypto over the romantic comedy du Jour, begins to wonder if she is attending this feast for the mind with a man or a six year old. This usually happens about the time the man, has completely consumed his thirty-two ounce drink and is cost consciously desiring a refill for his four-dollar purchase. It is also at this point that mass the quantities of liquid consumed with the meal begin to fight for space in your bladder with the now also consumed theatre drink. This is where the battle of the mind begins. First you really want more liquid for your money, but realizing they would just charge you more astronomical prices, you can easily talk your self into not getting the refill. We are men; we are cheap and thrifty, unless sex is involved. However the raging battle in your bladder seeking relief from the over saturation of the region has now joined the previous conflict of your mind, but the mind says “I am the Man Baby”, I just paid nine dollars to see this movie and I will be ****** (once again keeping with the G-Rating of the post) if I am going to miss part of the movie to relieve the stress in my bladder. This is also the point of the movie where the women (who sensibly restrained their lust for the pony keg of Mt. Dew at dinner) in the audience begin to become more entertained by the various contortions of the men in the audience, than the movie, as the men are performing each individual’s version of the pee-pee dance while setting in a restricted movement environment while trying to look unworried, manly and studly yet loveable. Though our body language informs others differently, we gallantly guard our male pride by holding our position and hide our longing to leave the battlefield until the movie is over and the credits begin to roll. At his point the battle begins a full retreat from the empty cup and popcorn bag strewn battleground. Most women seem to handle this next segment so much better than men, despite the fact that the process is more time consuming for women.

 

This is the point where the men in the audience stampede the multi million dollar movie complex knocking over fixtures, unsecured objects and any slow moving traffic in their paths in an effort to reach the half-dozen or so working stalls in the bathroom. Sadly most conventional megatheatres lack the hindsight and wisdom of unmentionable mens’ clubs where they install converted cattle troughs on the wall for bladder relief. This can be the bloodiest part of the battle. The sick, crippled and Woody Allens are pushed to the side during this running of the bulls. Unattended little children are bounced off the walls or stomped on and left quivering lifeless on the floor as grown men swagger for position in line for the few strategic gateways into the only safety zones, the porcelain relief vicinity.

 

This was also the usual local scenario until the opening of the Moline Great Escape Cinemas. The designers of the Men’s bathrooms at the Moline Great Escape complex must have been blessed by the Gods with great vision of mans psyche. When you walk into the complexes men’s lavatory you will find no skeletal remains of unfortunate individuals crushed by the Hulk Hogans of the world. There are no faded police chalk lines or darkened blood splatters on the floor from trampled and rotting dead corpses. It is like walking into Wal Mart and having every checkout line open, no long waits, no endless enduring of self-inflicted torture, no need to have to worry about getting knocked to the side during a stampede and no need to twist your body into contortionist positions while waiting for relief.  The designers of this building must have been blessed with the wisdom of Socrates and Plato. To them I say, for all the tortured individuals (okay the men) just wanting some relief from their own acts of thoughtlessness, I salute you and bow to your unmatched wisdom!

Angel Diaz Execution: A Botched Process of a Defective Practice

 

                                                   Caution:

The following post involves discussion of the Death Penalty. Some of the language and links contained in the post may create harsh imagery for selected individuals.

 On December 13, 2006 the state of Florida legally executed convicted murderer, Angel Nieves Diaz. Mr. Diaz had been convicted for the murder of a Miami strip club manager 27 years ago. The initial attempt to execute him was botched and required a second dose administered as he struggled against the pain from the first dose. Final analysis was that the veins had been completely punctured and the dose was spread through out the area injected. Mr. Diaz, who likely was an associate of the murderer if not the actual perpetrator, claimed innocence from the beginning of his charges until his death. Mr. Diaz was convicted and executed despite no actual witness to the crime, despite that he acted as his own lawyer while having no legal background, despite that he spoke poor English and required a translator to communicate that allowed minimal communication with the court, despite that there was conflicting pretrial and post-trial psychological evaluations as to his ability to stand trial and despite prosecution witnesses that renounced their testimony.

  Before I go any further with my post I will state on record, while conservative to moderate leaning on many issues, I do not believe in the death penalty as a form of criminal punishment except possibly in rare cases like the Timothy McVeigh/Oklahoma City bombing events. So I will freely admit that my opinion concerning these issues is way off-center. My personal opinion dates way back to a college research paper I did over a decade ago concerning crime, punishment, the mistake filled process of prosecution and uneven methods in which it was handed out. I am not going to dig up that old paper and post my conclusions. I will however post the essence of my thoughts at the time.  

Deterrent seems to be the rallying call of pro-death penalty advocates. Though it does stop the individual from recreating the crime, so does a lifetime of solitary confinement. Plus most of the information I have read suggests that deterrent is not a factor in most murders. Most murders are crimes of passion such as rage over infidelity or a belief that the killer has been wronged or tormented by the individual murdered. Crimes of passion are normally committed when an individual has lost control of their sense of rationality; death penalty as a deterrent requires rational thought at the time of the crime.  

Another problem with the death penalty is that it is administered disproportionately. The poor and minorities (often the same people) are far more likely to be incarcerated and/or executed than those that are capable of acquiring high-powered attorneys 

There is no humane method to kill an individual. I once read that during the act of beheading the mind and nervous systems work for around 15 seconds after the sever. Probably many that have lived on farms have been witness to similar situations when slaughtering chickens for food. I can remember as a child watching as the dead body of the chickens would often run around the yard long after their heads had been removed. Lethal injection, the way used on Mr. Diaz, has its negative aspects, human error and equipment failure, as does every other form of execution. A 2005 seven state study by University of Miami researchers generated a report that stated in their toxicology findings that 43 out of 49 executed individuals had been given insufficient doses than required of the anesthesia to be present in the lethal injection cocktails. The doses tested out less than those doses given to surgery patients. In 21 of the individuals the dose was determined to be so low that it was probable that they were not in complete unconscious state, as the dose is supposed to achieve, during the execution.  In the case of Diaz, it required a second dose to finish the execution long after his death was to be final. Florida, like 37 other states, has adopted lethal injection to replace other previously and also flawed systems such as the electric chair (states have had individuals’ heads burst into flames), the gas chamber and hanging. There is no quick, humane or relatively painless method in which to kill someone, which is the selling point of every evolvement of execution methods 

Most importantly the judicial system is full of human error that can and has resulted in numerous innocent people facing  and being convicted of the death penalty. And no one is really certain just how many innocent individuals have went to their death for crimes they did not commit. An article from 2003 that I read further anchored my disagreement with the death penalty when it pointed out that between 1972 and 2003 over 100 people convicted and sent to death row had since been exonerated of their crimes. There were eleven of those individuals found innocent in what I had always thought to be one of the more sensible justice administering states, our state of Illinois. A further look into the situation by a later study for the years between 2000 and 2005 found 36 individuals in the country found innocent of the crimes for what they originally been ordered to their death. My original writing on the subject had included the very process is often built on and around faulty witnesses and information. Many witnesses’ testimony are not only untrustworthy but like the one in Mr. Diaz’s trial, who was also a fellow prisoner, they may well recant their testimony that was used to convict the individual. The OJ Simpson trial has become the poster trial for good evidence gone badly. Corrupted crime scenes, possible tainted and police with possible hate agendas. Currently DNA evidence is supposed to be very reliable, yet since the OJ Simpson trial DNA has gotten a bad rep. DNA is good science in its basest form, the real problems rest in the human error factors that happen moving along the system. Prosecutors, police and even judges can have their own agendas that influence trials. Though not a death penalty case, the current Duke lacrosse team trial also exposes some problems with DNA evidence’s creditability and creates the image of prosecutorial agenda at the same time.    

Then as well as now I find it unacceptable to accidentally execute one innocent citizen to get revenge on other individuals that can be simply made powerless to damage society further by their permanent incarceration. If the subject is guilty, then a lifetime of solitary confinement would be a harsh sentence that leaves room for correcting any judicial system errors.  I also that those convicted of death penalty crimes should be offered the choice of 23 hour solitary confinement or limited contact confinement and imprisonment that revolves around extreme medical and psychological studies and evaluation of their homicidal activities for the rest of their natural life unless proven innocent. In my opinion to take their life serves no purpose other than revenge. I also believe society should also attempt to avoid the Richard Speck approach of punishment of where a convicted murderer is actually allowed to use the system to for personal entertainment, and a convicted murderer should instead be given an opportunity to pay for their crimes by a life sentence punishment of extreme medical and psychological study at the hands of experts, which should eventually lead to paths that could help future generations lessen the cause and effects that lead to most murders. My viewpoint is we cannot fix the horrible events surrounding a murder that might have already happened, but we can use the horrendous sequence of events to help find a way to reach out to the future with a hope of understanding about how to reduce those predators and their murderous actions that continually terrify this country.

Psst. Hey Buddy Want to buy some genuine Irish Dirt!

While skimming the Internet for news I ran across what has become a money making enterprise for a couple of young Irish lads. It seems they are harvesting and processing their good old genuine Irish Dirt, packing it up and sending it around the world, for a handsome fee of course! The USAmerican Public always eager to pay good money for a piece of land have evidently been purchasing the dirt to grow authentic Irish Roses and for sprinkling on coffins of family and friends being buried. They have evidently made over a million dollars, American money since the startup of their business. I wonder if there is a market for good old Silvis, Illinois soil somewhere out there! The link to the complete article by Henry McDonald, Ireland for the UK Observer is listed below.

UK Guardian

!!!!!Arghhh, I Was Ready for Some Football!!!!!

OK Monday night I am reclined back in Big Green, feet propped up in the air, the #12’S laying underneath my dangling feet, the ice cold large economy size of Mt. Dew and an assortment of my favorite nuts and snacks appropriately laid out for my enjoyment. And I am getting ready to watch the Bears, during a rare winning year, on Monday Night Football (screaming I am ready for some football!!!) and what do I get; Obama doing an imitation 2008 Presidential coming out pre-game skit! Arghhhhhhhhh! I just danced a jig because the 2004 election phonies from the Republican and Democrat parties had disappeared back into the woodwork following another open season of hate and blaming each other for the worlds problems, the end of time and the two gray hairs that have shown up in my beard. The last thing I wanted to see was another politician out posturing, under the guise of a football promotion, for his run against Hillary two years from now. I turned the channel for Professional Football not more hidden publicity stunts by President wannabes. It is bad enough everyone will have to listen to all the future Presidential Party Sock Puppets strut their stuff on the television runways during the next election cycle, the rest of the time they could at least stay in their smoke-filled backrooms and plan their next barrage of manure spreading and give the voters and sports fans a respite from their stench. Sigh, they could have at least waited until after the holidays!

 

When the media snoozes, we lose.

We now break into our regularly scheduled blatherskiting, to bring forth the following subject for contemplation.

 

All right, I admit it I am a news junky (and a third-shifter to boot so I get to see lots and lots of repeated information)! I travel the high and the low roads of the Internet, Radio, Television, Newspapers and occasional magazine seeking to increase my so far infinitesimally acquired amount of universal knowledge and understanding. You may easily find me in my spare time kicked back in Big Green freely wiggling my toes while searching my 100+ channels and absorbing stale used information from ESPN, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, CSPAN, Links or whatever other news media source my mind-confusing-multi-functional-universal-more-intelligent than myself remotes take me. (Can someone please get it through the electronics industry think head that universal remotes and their multi-functional teeny-tiny writing is an abomination to people with bi-focal glasses. Sorry but I don’t need a television remote that also controls my ceiling fan and blender!) Sorry got off track for a minute. J As I was watching the news today I scanned across a group of self-important news media specialists discussing Radical and Moderate Islam. During their round table discussion a real voice spoke up to the usual he-said she-said (Ya can’t trust ‘em vs. poor misunderstood creatures). The group was debating why Muslim Moderates were not speaking out across the World when one US Muslim Moderate joined by tele-conference brought up some intelligent information while also asking an important question. She pointed out that there were Moderates, like herself, which were speaking out. They were just not getting press coverage. She went on to point out that many moderates even in here in the US feared for their lives when they spoke up! She went on to explain she has received so many threats of violence and death over voicing her Moderate opinions that she had to turn over the information to Homeland Security for her protection. And as she continued she brought out the point that just today there was a huge nation wide demonstration of college students in Iran protesting the newly imposed information access restrictions, but not one major US news source had covered it. She was correct as far as I can see. In my travels through the various national information highways I had not yet run across that information, nor did it seem had the round table that were discussing the lack of Moderate Voices! If we are to expect the Moderate Muslims of the world to speak up, our media must also step up and feed them the information and visions that they are not alone in their quest for peaceful coexistence. It is amazing to me that a media that can find the time let me know what type and color of underwear Brittany Spears is or is not wearing cannot find the time report to the world important and needed information such as a large anti-radical protest inside of Iran.

Nuff said!

 

We now return you to our regularly scheduled mind-numbing programming.

That Special Gift for that Special Someone

As I was kicked back in Big Green thumbing through the avalanche of Sunday Christmas Advertisements, all designed to lure me out among the multitude of Christmas Shoppers, all crowded into buildings designed to hold half the amount that was milling through the isles, to spend wads of my cash; I was suddenly ensnared by someone’s suggestion of an idea of a gift by committee for a dear family member. Instead of doing the sane thing and immediately knocking myself unconscious with a hammer, I bit on the idea hook, line and sinker! Woe is me, did someone slip something mind dulling into my jug of Mt. Dew? After much non-useful repetitive circular deliberation everyone decided on the type of present and cash needed, and after which  I was voted as the sacrificial-lamb, err I mean pointman in the search for this illustrious committee gift. (I don’t even remember seeking the honor.) After spending the first part of my week researching various models and features suggested on the Internet I packed my multitude of model feature sheets freshly printed from the Internet and made my way to the various retail outlets and intermingled with the gloomy and glum, err I mean bright and cheery sales clerks. {Out of Stock! New model change! Where is the clerk on duty? Sorry sir but I work in ladies lingerie. Can someone help this guy over here! We can order that one for you. We have a similar model to that one! That one does not have all the features that you will really want! If you buy Today we will give you a ten percent discount (except for certain model disclaimers) when you sign-up for one of our high interest credit cards etc. etc. etc…} Needless to say I was the glum and gloomy Gus upon my return trip home. After returning to the committee with my strenuously obtained findings, The Alpha-Shopper of the group (the same shopper who stated they did not have time to do the footwork and also had volunteered my services) decided she was unhappy with my findings, as she was sure that she could get a better deal. (So why didn’t she just go get that better deal to start with and save me time and trouble!) Grrrrr! I decided to sit back down in Big Green and read the Sunday funny papers I had pushed to the side several days earlier in order to do the now rejected research. And of course the big committee purchase has not yet been finalized. ROFLMAO!