tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49526807435719628042024-03-14T04:07:46.920-07:00Two plus two equals 7Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-15573980905258014202020-05-08T12:24:00.001-07:002020-05-28T09:58:27.275-07:00Law and Order: The infected casualty of the Klandemic*Ah white privilege and entitlement: the one disease that actually does harm more people that Coronavirus (Hear that Pro-virus wingnut:. I just gave you your next "<i>It's-not-as deadly-as....</i>" talking point. Be sure the credit me when you're pilfering it.)<br />
<br />
Just a quick reminder how the rules work (or <i>don't</i> as may be the case); <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/critics-say-police-target-minorities-more-white-protesters-over-social-n1192696" target="_blank">B</a><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/critics-say-police-target-minorities-more-white-protesters-over-social-n1192696" target="_blank">lack people</a> are <i><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/07/nyregion/nypd-social-distancing-race-coronavirus.html#click=https://t.co/QWMWYsAjfa" target="_blank">bound</a></i> by law. White people are <i><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52496514" target="_blank">protected</a></i> by law. And that is....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LQstJ1_59mgEU1gjFmreQmBf4k-vGBey6jWS2dSoONbZtvfopjSvgTRsf0L47CTehcCUsff5Ma01b-w2jhkGEw1zHf1n6OSTcO0GHyKZa71aV-4tpiB9AvWp2kPrc89OOxnTwBD8wtsc/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LQstJ1_59mgEU1gjFmreQmBf4k-vGBey6jWS2dSoONbZtvfopjSvgTRsf0L47CTehcCUsff5Ma01b-w2jhkGEw1zHf1n6OSTcO0GHyKZa71aV-4tpiB9AvWp2kPrc89OOxnTwBD8wtsc/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></div>
<i>*Which will now be my "go-to" word for pro-virus white supremacists fighting for the "freedom" to spread their nasty-ass Conserva-coties on unsuspecting people without repercussion.</i><br />
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<b>Edited to Add (5-13-20)</b>: I changed the title to add #Klandemic to the lexicon added a definition on what that meant.Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-79499597475927333812018-11-06T04:49:00.001-08:002018-11-06T04:56:03.469-08:00Election Manual for the Voter Apathy Party (2018 edition)Yes I dusted the cobwebs and fumigated the rats, so it's safe to come back to this long dormant blog now. And just in time for another entry in the Vote, Dammit! series. While voter turn-out has already been high this year than it's been in the past, there are still those trapped in the supercilious grip of the Voter Apathy party. One sledgehammer to use against this brick wall is to change the mentality of the way some folks approach voting and clear up any misconceptions people have about the concept.<br />
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<ol>
<li>You are <i>not</i> the Godfather and your vote is not a "favor" to grant to whoever kisses your ring the most.</li>
<li>You vote is not a commodity chip. Voting is supposed to be important to you. If you consider your own vote worthless, don't expect anyone running to artificially inflate it's value for you (yet another case of people failing to distinguish <a href="http://twoplustwoequals7.blogspot.com/2015/06/public-servicecustomer-service-same.html?m=0" target="_blank"><i>civil</i> service from <i>customer</i> service</a>) And on a related note....</li>
<li>The people who are most affected by election results are <u>always your fellow citizens and NOT the candidates running.</u> The populace at large are the ones that deal with the consequences of an election (unless you think "not being bound by the burdens of political office" is an example of "suffering", a mindset reminiscent of Kavanaugh's Life Being Ruined™ by not automatically ascending to a position on the highest court). So using elections as a way to "punish" or "get back" is a sucker's game.</li>
<li>Voting is a responsibility to your fellow citizens (see point #3 for why) and a duty (the fact that it isn't enforced doesn't make it less so.)</li>
</ol>
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Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-33079870361389133382018-06-29T09:51:00.001-07:002018-06-29T09:51:37.665-07:00The "I Loathe Trump" club will now come to order.Greetings fellow libtards. Before we get on will our weekly task of being both deep-state and "elitists", let me take the floor to dispense this piece of advice.<br />
<br />
I always find it weird when som3 some poo-throwing Trumpanzee tries to troll you with "You just hate Trump." The proper response for this is "Yeah? So what? It's with <i>cause</i>." It's not irrational or arbitrary. There should not be any shame in taking that position. Indeed it's the proper stance for all Decent-Americans.<br />
<br />
This is the big difference between the people who hate Trump and those who hated Obama<br />
<br />
You see we are just practicing what the great Martin Luther King taught preached in which he envisioned a dream where people were judged by <i>the content of their character</i> and not the <i>color of their skin. </i>Far too many Trump supporters (and their enablers) would like that to work the other way around.<br />
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<br />Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-67388425670678988072018-02-09T07:33:00.001-08:002020-08-31T19:57:40.876-07:00Fun with Font: #metoo editionEven with all that's been written about #metoo and the various sex abuses and misconduct the movement is attempting to catalogue and expose, there are people who still have a problem properly understanding the issue. There have been debates on whether this was an issue of "content" or "tone." But I propose that this may simply be something in need of a typography correction. So let us restate the basic premise now:<div>
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The problem with sexual assault and sexual harassment is sexual <b><i><u>ASSAULT </u></i></b> and sexual <u><i><b>HARASSMENT</b></i></u> .</div>
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Do we get it now? Don't make me break out the 72 pt font and comic sans, people!</div>
Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-68362416598326361922017-11-11T09:15:00.000-08:002018-04-27T09:04:30.281-07:00Sexual abuse BOGO day at Rationalizations-R-Us!Just a quick observation about <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/woman-says-roy-moore-initiated-sexual-encounter-when-she-was-14-he-was-32/2017/11/09/1f495878-c293-11e7-afe9-4f60b5a6c4a0_story.html" target="_blank">Roy Moore</a>. Apparently Bill Clinton (or Ted Kennedy or Harvey Weinstein or whichever "liberal" bogeyman the "Wheel of Strawman" landed on for the day) is a stamp on someone's "One Free Puss-Grab Card!"<br />
<br />
As a parting gift for that "stamp" here's some <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/online-harassment-lauren-duca-thigh-high-politics" target="_blank">food for thought</a> from Lauren Duca (using her story of online harassment as an example) about the way we obscure and obfuscate the victims' tales of harassment and abuse (it's basically the old platitude about hiding the needle of the subject amongst a whole bunch of <i>straw)</i>:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 18px;">It’s incredible how quickly the obvious awfulness of this story is obscured with nonsense. </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #252525; font-family: georgia, "Times New Roman", times, serif; font-size: 18px;">Is this actually about me trying to get famous? Does Martin really mean it when he says on a public video feed that he "get[s] to f*ck Lauren Duca"? Am I the true aggressor because <a href="http://www.splicetoday.com/politics-and-media/teen-vogue-writer-lauren-duca-is-a-skilled-professional-victim" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ed1d24; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">I tweeted about him being at Guy Fieri’s Flavor Town Bar & Grill in August 2016</a>?</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 18px;">Really just pounds of nuance to unpack here, but if we can set all of that aside, I’d love to zero in on the simple reality eternally holding this conversation back: Online harassment victims feel they are not allowed to share their stories.</span></blockquote>
<b>Edited to add (4-27-28):</b> Now that <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/26/us/bill-cosby-trial/index.html" target="_blank">Bill Cosby is going to J-A-I-L...O</a> I thought a reminder is needed that that putting this justification in blackface doesn't make it any less ridiculous or disengeous.Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-5179077546917628962017-11-05T22:34:00.000-08:002017-11-06T08:26:09.540-08:00Psst! Pick "D": All of the AbovePop quiz, folks! Guess what's the problem with <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/texas-church-shooting/amp/who-devin-kelley-alleged-texas-church-shooter-n817806" target="_blank">this</a>?<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial"; font-size: 18.4px;">He arrived at church ready for war, wearing black tactical gear and a ballistics vest and toting what authorities described as an "assault-type rifle."</span></blockquote>
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No, no, <i>no</i>, wrong answer, Libtard! The <i>actual</i> problem is that we don't see a problem with that paragraph.<br />
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<b>Update</b>: Here <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ken-paxton-texas-guns-church_us_5a002bc3e4b0baea2632f48a?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063&utm_campaign=hp_fb_pages&utm_source=main_fb&utm_medium=facebook" target="_blank">someone</a> who failed this little quiz spectacularly<br />
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<span style="font-family: ProximaNova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.4px;">Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) views the </span><a class="bn-clickable" data-beacon-parsed="true" data-beacon="{"p":{"lnid":"deadliest mass shooting","mpid":1,"plid":"https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/shooting-texas-at-church_us_59ff60cae4b0c96530003531?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009"}}" href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/shooting-texas-at-church_us_59ff60cae4b0c96530003531?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009" style="box-shadow: rgb(13, 190, 152) 0px -2px 0px inset; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: ProximaNova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.4px; text-decoration-line: none;">deadliest mass shooting</a><span style="font-family: ProximaNova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.4px;"> in his state’s history as evidence that more church parishioners should carry guns for self-protection.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: ProximaNova, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.4px;">In. A. Church. People!</span>Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-54891941280277606162017-08-19T12:29:00.000-07:002017-08-19T12:57:18.016-07:00Neo-Nazis:aka the weenies that were rejected by Oscar MeyerAww. And the <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/neo-nazi-charlottesville-identified-move-white-supremacy-rally-unite-right-life-over-jarrod-kuhn-a7899596.html?amp" target="_blank">world's tiniest violin</a> is in the repair shop too...<br />
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A couple of things:<br />
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1) Yeah I mean who'da think that being around a bunch of people that promote the violent oppression and eradication of <i>whole groups of people </i>would have such negative consequences?<br />
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2) Dude, I think a "My live is over" testimony is more applicable to Heather Heyer, <i>because she was killed by your "allies"</i>.<br />
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3) Jerrod Kuhn's own description:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“I’m not a neo-Nazi. I don’t belong to a German workers’ party from 1933,” he told the paper. “... I’m a moderate Republican.” </blockquote>
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Isn't that the same thing nowadays?*<br />
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4) I'm amazed at how quickly the all the smug "machismo" facades and macho posturing fade away from these cretins when faced with a little accountability, a little push-back from people tired of their awfulness. Incidentally, Heather Heyer's mother has <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/heather-heyer-charlottesville-victim-mother-susan-brodeath-threats-neo-nazi-anti-fascist-a7900081.html" target="_blank">also gotten death threats</a> (for the grand "crime" of invoking her <i>daughter's murder</i> to inspire people to rally against injustice) yet she (who has a daughter who was killed by "moderate Republicans", remember) doesn't seem to be pouring herself as much <i>whine</i> as these losers have. If these guys were bigger pussies, The Donald would be <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/08/us/donald-trump-tape-transcript.html" target="_blank">grabbing them right now.</a><br />
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<b>Edited to add (8-19-17):</b> <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/amberjamieson/kessler-tweet?utm_term=.ltXYbaKJ6J#.wqBOxdgXlX" target="_blank">These</a> are some of the "misunderstood" "moderate Republicans" that Mr Jerrod Kuhn <i>desired</i> to be a part of. Yeah it's <i>so</i> freaking hard to figure out why the public might not want such roaches infesting their neighborhoods.<br />
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*<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Any "moderate Republican" that's "offended" by that association would probably do well to stop pandering to and coddling white supremacists and start denouncing and standing up this this horrible cancer on our society.</i></span></span></h3>
Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-21238546389904274332017-08-14T10:03:00.000-07:002019-01-17T00:57:35.857-08:00Unpacking the "box" of the Master Liberal Stereotype<div class="tr_bq" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2a2e2e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
(Dust cobwebs off the ol' blog and chasing away the rats that nested in the neglected corners)</div>
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Just somthing I was thinking about the clusterfuck in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/13/us/charlottesville-virginia-overview.html" target="_blank">Charlottesville</a> in responds to <a href="https://wonkette.com/621635/trump-embraces-the-dark-side-more-wonkagenda-for-mon-aug-14-2017" target="_blank">this</a> (Mic-Drop worthy) comment by a "Saxo the Grammarian":</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2a2e2e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; padding: 0px;">
Taking my thoughts for a test drive here...<br />
OK, if you were at the protests in Charlottesville, and you threw a rock or a bottle or a brick, you shouldn'ta done it. Regardless of whose side you are on. Causing someone else's serious injury will not advance your cause. It will stop it dead in its tracks, in fact. And you don't need that stain on your soul.<br />
That being said (clears throat), if you traveled to Charlottesville to take part in the neo-nazi rally, and you marched around chanting nazi slogans like "Blood and Soil", and you got a bloody nose or a black eye or a bump on the noggin, I don't have the slightest bit of sympathy for you. You went looking for a fight, it found you, and you get to live with the outcome. You wanted war, you became a casualty. Think twice, count the cost, and understand there are consequences for living your racist dreams.<br />
Sermon over, stay for the potluck</blockquote>
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😲 Actions have consequences? Who knew? (Anyone with some goddamn common sense perhaps?)</div>
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Here's my related tangent:</div>
<blockquote style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2a2e2e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; padding: 0px;">
I think the problem is that too many people take "Liberal stereotypes" for granted (including, unfortunately, many liberals who feel pressured into internalizing them.) We're<span style="font-size: 15px;"> </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 15px;">suppose</i><span style="font-size: 15px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">to be all wishy-washy and "touchy-feeling" and spineless. We are the "equivocating party." We're suppose to "feel their pain" in a way that transforms empathy into hand-wringing rationalization. Our kindness is suppose to be taken for weakness to the point where it's blunted down to good-natured long-suffering, a Marge Simpson if you will ("Now let's forget this racist carnage with a big bowl of strawberry ice cream!") "Libs" are suppose to be be all "wimpy." We're not suppose to take a stand, remain firm in our resolve and (most importantly)</span><span style="font-size: 15px;"> </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 15px;">fight back</i><span style="font-size: 15px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">(sometimes vigorously and with passionate fervor). No, we're suppose to be like "the chick" in a stereotypical horror/action movie, a weeping mess flailing helplessly in a corner while her man is being hacked to death by demon axe murders ("LIBERAL SNOWFLAKE TEARS!").</span>Therefore it confuses and infuriates these cretins when we don't act according to (artificially-imposed) orthodoxy with actions that are thought to be "reserved" (you can even say <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">entitled</i>) only for them (cue the "hypocri-shaming!") The fact that we can show gumption and subvert these stereotype being enforced upon us is what the assholes are REALLY protesting. The "America" they want to "make great" again is one where people simply <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">took </i>whatever they hashed out.<br />
THAT is what's different</blockquote>
Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-56445922027712919582017-01-31T21:05:00.001-08:002018-10-30T06:35:52.464-07:00Cynical Sincere Proverbs 1:31 (The end of an era)Because you demanded it, the LAST issue of <strike>Dazzler</strike> Cyncial Proverbs!<br />
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Yep, I decided to retire this feature for now. So let's end it with a bang, with an importance slice 'o wisdom that's particularly relevant in these times.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Be wary of people who claim to have their finger on the pulse of society because often their extremities are somewhere a lot lower and smellier.</blockquote>
<br />Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-89603414725822181212017-01-28T08:45:00.000-08:002017-02-01T07:01:29.678-08:00How to talk with a representative (which you shoud)<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2a2e2e; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
I got this from a message board (who then got it from the group listed below) but thought it was crucial to share to people who want to reach their congresspersons about the gazillion things that are becoming fucked up about this country:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Long, but hopefully useful to some - from the March on Science Facebook group:<br />
For folks who are expressing themselves to congresspeople, this comes from a high-level staffer for a Senator (who is a friend of my friend XXXXXXXX XXXXX):<br />
There are two things that all Democrats [ED: or anyone leaning progressive wanting to register their opinion] should be doing all the time right now, and they're by far the most important things. [If you want to share this, please copy and paste so it goes beyond our mutual friends.]<br />
--> You should NOT be bothering with online petitions or emailing.<br />
1. The best thing you can do to be heard and get your congressperson to pay attention is to have face-to-face time - if they have townhalls, go to them. Go to their local offices. If you're in DC, try to find a way to go to an event of theirs. Go to the "mobile offices" that their staff hold periodically (all these times are located on each congressperson's website). When you go, ask questions. A lot of them. And push for answers. The louder and more vocal and present you can be at those the better.<br />
2. But, those in-person events don't happen every day. So, the absolute most important thing that people should be doing every day is calling.<br />
You should make 6 calls a day: 2 each (DC office and your local office) to your 2 Senators & your 1 Representative.<br />
The staffer was very clear that any sort of online contact basically gets immediately ignored, and letters pretty much get thrown in the trash (unless you have a particularly strong emotional story - but even then it's not worth the time it took you to craft that letter).<br />
Calls are what all the congresspeople pay attention to. Every single day, the Senior Staff and the Senator get a report of the 3 most-called-about topics for that day at each of their offices (in DC and local offices), and exactly how many people said what about each of those topics. They're also sorted by zip code and area code. She said that Republican callers generally outnumber Democrat callers 4-1, and when it's a particular issue that single-issue-voters pay attention to (like gun control, or planned parenthood funding, etc...), it's often closer to 11-1, and that's recently pushed Republican congressmen on the fence to vote with the Republicans. In the last 8 years, Republicans have called, and Democrats haven't.<br />
So, when you call:<br />
A) When calling the DC office, ask for the Staff member in charge of whatever you're calling about ("Hi, I'd like to speak with the staffer in charge of Healthcare, please") - local offices won't always have specific ones, but they might. If you get transferred to that person, awesome. If you don't, that's ok - ask for their name, and then just keep talking to whoever answered the phone. Don't leave a message (unless the office doesn't pick up at all - then you can...but it's better to talk to the staffer who first answered than leave a message for the specific staffer in charge of your topic).<br />
B) Give them your zip code. They won't always ask for it, but make sure you give it to them, so they can mark it down. Extra points if you live in a zip code that traditionally votes for them, since they'll want to make sure they get/keep your vote.<br />
C) If you can make it personal, make it personal. "I voted for you in the last election and I'm worried/happy/whatever" or "I'm a teacher, and I am appalled by Betsy DeVos," or "as a single mother" or "as a white, middle class woman," or whatever.<br />
D) Pick 1-2 specific things per day to focus on. Don't go down a whole list - they're figuring out what 1-2 topics to mark you down for on their lists. So, focus on 1-2 per day. Ideally something that will be voted on/taken up in the next few days, but it doesn't really matter - even if there's not a vote coming up in the next week, call anyway. It's important that they just keep getting calls.<br />
E) Be clear on what you want - "I'm disappointed that the Senator..." or "I want to thank the Senator for their vote on..." or "I want the Senator to know that voting in _____ way is the wrong decision for our state because..." Don't leave any ambiguity.<br />
F) They may get to know your voice/get sick of you - it doesn't matter. The people answering the phones generally turn over every 6 weeks anyway, so even if they're really sick of you, they'll be gone in 6 weeks.<br />
From experience since the election: If you hate being on the phone & feel awkward (which is a lot of people) don't worry about it - there are a bunch of scripts (Indivisible has some, there are lots of others floating around these day). After a few days of calling, it starts to feel a lot more natural. Put the 6 numbers in your phone (all under P – Politician. An example is McCaskill MO, Politician McCaskill DC, Politician Blunt MO, etc...) which makes it really easy to click down the list each day.</blockquote>
<br />
<b>Edited to Add (2-1-2017)</b>: Here's a <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yq1NT9DZ2z3B8ixhid894e77u9rN5XIgOwWtTW72IYA/htmlview?sle=true#gid=1473996386" target="_blank">good resource</a> to utilize to schedule some of that "face-to-face" time mention above. Oh and note to "Senator Flake": You seem to living up to your name with your potential no-shows and all.</div>
Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-83775599648207306352017-01-26T00:16:00.000-08:002017-01-26T00:16:01.731-08:00Question from the audience (Freedom: 2017)From the dark, dank recesses of evil (by which I mean a <a href="https://plus.google.com/118179686118880272126/posts/FLGvpbqaDWd" target="_blank">Youtube comment section</a>*):<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #e06666;">Sue T</span>: Why do I care where you stick your dick?<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Me</span>: Sue T. Because other people "care" and use it as an excuse to treat other people as less than human and as something "inferior." After all, many heterosexual celebrities can talk openly about their relationships without any hand-wringing worries about "where they stick their dicks at". It's something that "real" people do and gay folks are part of reality. And if anyone else wants to live on the REAL world they have to truthfully acknowledge what exist in it.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*RIP George Michael. Also, free video! (One his bestest!)</span></i><br />
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<br />Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-84883502468093444742016-12-28T16:43:00.001-08:002016-12-28T16:50:25.011-08:00(Belated) Holiday Wishes for the Politically Inclined<p dir="ltr">As one of his final acts, I wish Barack Obama would tells people to breathe so that that way a particular segment of our society will compulsively stop doing so. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Happy Holidays! 😊</p>
Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-88987107580317380802016-11-24T19:22:00.001-08:002020-11-20T18:36:22.951-08:00Da Mic Drop: Austin "Teebore" Gorton<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Da Mic Drop is a regular segment, where we look at people who make such a pointed "standing-ovation-worthy" commentary in regards to a person or issue that it has to be highlighted. </i></blockquote>
<br />
<br />
Kinda sad (and yet oddly appropriate, on this political climate) that some of the most insightful commentary on Trump's election to presidency is from a comic-book site. And yet Austin "Teebore" Gorton, proprietor of the perpetually entertaining <a href="http://www.therealgentlemenofleisure.com/" target="_blank">Gentlemen of Leisure</a> has taking a break from recapping 90s X-Men comic (one of the few things almost as horrifying as a Trump administration) has delivered an <a href="http://www.therealgentlemenofleisure.com/2016/11/the-world-turned-upside-down.html?showComment=1479906156984#c8390884962258179671" target="_blank">epic post</a> on the feeling of despair that gripped many people after the election results came in It's all a good read, but the end is especially powerful:<br />
<br />
<blockquote style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">
<span style="background-color: white;">America just told all those people, my wife, my son, the planet itself, that it doesn't value them, it doesn't like them, it doesn't care what happens to them so long as they can feel safe and pretend new jobs are going to magically appear out of nowhere and go about their lives like it's still 1950 without anything anything even slightly outside their definition of "normal" coming along to shatter that illusion. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;">Yesterday, I went to my polling place and exercised my constitutional right to vote, an act which has always made me feel immensely proud to be an American. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;">Tomorrow, I will try to take heart in the fact that those of who didn't give in to fear and hatred yesterday are strong, and technically more numerous than those who did. That the majority of us are fundamentally good people, and that even the good can occasionally fall, that the better angels of their nature can be, momentarily, overwhelmed by their fear or ignorance, and that they'll eventually see the error in aligning themselves with the truly evil, those who legitimately believe the hatred and bile routinely spouted by our new president. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;">I will try to believe that we will pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off, and continue to fight the good fight, continue to do good, no matter how much harder it is now, no matter how many obstacles are put in our way, for as long as we have a planet to fight on. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;">Because doing good is the right thing to do. </span><span style="background-color: white;">But today...</span><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Today, I have never been more ashamed to be an American.</b> (<i>emphasis mine</i>)</span></blockquote>
<br />
Exactly.<br />
<br />
Actually that whole thread is a must read. As many of the comments are just as profound. Particularly fantastic is this retort from regular poster "Jason" regarding the constant contrarian-scold concern-trolling excuse-making for Trump supporters calling voting against their best interests some kind of "political revolution":<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">People are tired of the guys who spout fucked-up and incoherent messages, so they voted for Trump.</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;" /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">That makes sense. I myself am tired of this persistent,pesky cough I've got so I voted for the bubonic plague.</span></span></blockquote>
<br />
(Applause)<br />
<br />
Indeed, this will now be my go-to response to the 5,987,654 such <a href="http://twoplustwoequals7.blogspot.com/2016/07/da-mic-drop-anbheal.html" target="_blank">hand-wringing articles</a> that pop up about how we need to treat such attitudes as "sincere political reform" and not the illogical, destructive behavior it is. But we sure showed that ol' cough a thing or two, eh? (Hack, wheeze, ack!)<br />
<br />
In a related note I gave a response that noticed an unflattering link between the characters featured in the books Teebore usually reviews and the regrettably frequent "characters" that enabled this idiot to rise to leader of our country (Warning: Chromium Age nerd culture alert) :<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">In a bizarre case of ironic timing, this site has recently covered the beginning of the "Iceman's bigoted dad" subplot in Uncanny X-Men #289. And we are currently only a few issues away from Graydon Creed's appearance in #299. The funny thing is that when both of these people appeared, at the time they were being derided for being too exaggerated and over-the-top with their prejudice to be believable. Before this year, that was an assessment I would have agreed with. Now though...</span></blockquote>
<br />
There seems to be an effort on too many voters to reduce themselves to caricature, to find "identity" in conforming to the most outlandish stereotype. That's just sad, people! (especially when you end up <i>less</i> nuanced than 90s X-books.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-471036893176419352016-11-13T22:14:00.000-08:002017-02-24T11:22:22.340-08:00Why Hillary Clinton the country lost (part 100,000 apparently)Don't let the numerous fumbles of the political bench-warmers doing their post-election "armchair quarterbacking" fool you. <i>I </i>have the true deep analysis on where Hilary Clinton went wrong and the horribly offensive stratagems her team utilized. Here is the <i>real</i> reason she lost:<br />
<br />
Her campaign overestimated the decency and common sense of a huge swatch of Americans. <i>HOW DARE SHE?!?</i><br />
<br />
(Ok I know I'm suppose to try to cynically exploit the chaos in order to promote a narrative through tenuous links of specious reasoning. But this is just the TL:DR version of what those guys...often inadvertently...end up saying anyway. Albeit with a bit more inexplicably smug gloating, like "How <i>condescending</i> to have faith in the sensible decision-making skills of the public. Loser!")Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-45883006809470330402016-11-08T04:47:00.001-08:002016-11-12T08:06:19.681-08:00Da Mic Drop: Calvin (?!?)<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Da Mic Drop is a regular segment, where we look at people who make such a pointed "standing-ovation-worthy" commentary in regards to a person or issue that it has to be highlighted. </i></blockquote>
<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></i>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16.5639px;">And yet another segment of the "VOTE DAMMIT " feature as we enter the home stretch of the 2016 elections. I don't think anyone has captured the political id of the nation's consciousness like cartoonist (and inadvertent) political prophet) Bill Watterson. An example of that is his most famous creations Calvin from "Calvin and Hobbes" explaining his position as the <strike>president</strike> supreme-dictator-for-life of the "Voter Apathy Party" with the appropriate amount of maturity and thoughtfulness that only a bratty self-absorbed 6 year-old can muster!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16.5639px;">Update (11-12-2016): Obviously, we decided to spend the next four years "blaming things than fixing them" (To be fair it <i>is</i> a lot more "fun")</span></span>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16.5639px;"><br /></span></span>Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-86754890016752438042016-11-08T03:27:00.000-08:002016-11-08T03:27:50.077-08:00The 2+2=7 Presidential Cliff-NotesAnother part of the "VOTE, DAMMIT!" segment<br />
<br />
There has been some (often willfully-induced) confusion on what we are choosing when we elect a president. So as we settle into the madness of election day, here's a quick reminder.<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.870588); font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.870588); font-size: 16.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the problems with civic misunderstanding is that few people seem to realize that they are voting for a <a href="http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_States" target="_blank">president</a>, and not a king, an emperor or (god help us) a wizard. The president certainly has power (and as a "leader" he can certainly influence the direction of a country), but only so much (and if that's what you want, then there are some nice dictatorships a few countries to your right.)"</span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.870588); font-size: 16.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.870588); font-size: 16.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.870588); font-size: 16.1px; white-space: pre-wrap;">So no one in higher office is "controlling your destiny" unless you secretly want them to. Indeed since they depend on citizens for "job evaluation" WE actually control their destiny (if only Americans didn't worship authoritarianism too much to proper utilize that simple fact)</span></span>Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-11860766820351642212016-11-08T01:57:00.001-08:002018-11-06T01:23:43.363-08:00Cynical Proverbs 11:8This is a special edition of Cynical Proverbs today, folks (so I'll make sure to cover it in a <a href="http://www.cbr.com/all-time-worst-comic-book-gimmick-covers/" target="_blank">polybagged holographic die-cut chromium cover</a> and charge an additional $3.50 for process.) Not only is this "special" because it's a election-themed segment, but the formula here is going to be tweaked a little bit. Instead of tackling optimism cliches and self-righteous platitudes with my trademark sardonic wit, I'm going to tackle a bit of electoral cynicism (an "anti-platitude" if you will and one that can ironically enough be just as self-righteous and cliched)<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Voting is pointless"*</blockquote>
The same could be said for getting out the virtual corkscrew to pop open a bottle of vintage Internet <i>whine</i> (this years vintage has been made from particular ripe sour grapes), and yet people seems <i>more</i> than willing to engage in that.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*Any other phrasing of this facile sentiment is also acceptable.</span></i>Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-19672685464774156552016-10-08T08:18:00.000-07:002016-10-08T08:18:00.365-07:00Da Mic Drop: Zianna Oliphant<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Da Mic Drop is a regular segment, where we look at people who make such a pointed "standing-ovation-worthy" commentary in regards to a person or issue that it has to be highlighted. </i></blockquote>
<br />
Baring few exceptions, I have made it a policy not to comment too much on the <a href="http://wonkette.com/606923/rakeyia-scott-would-rather-you-charlotte-cops-please-not-shoot-her-husb-oh-f-f-f-f" target="_blank">almost</a> <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/disturbing-helicopter-footage-shows-oklahoma-police-kill-unarmed-man-n650866" target="_blank">weekly</a> <a href="http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/alton_sterling/article_7a1711be-1d0a-5f98-9274-113b819b7431.html" target="_blank">occurrences</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/07/06/video-captures-white-baton-rouge-police-officer-fatally-shooting-black-man-sparking-outrage/?tid=a_inl" target="_blank">incidents</a> ( it's like there's a quota they are trying to surpass or something) of police brutality and abuses toward black folk. This has happened with such alarming frequency that it's almost overwhelming trying to match which victim to which police shooting without it all becoming a total blur. Not to mention that most of what I said about this problem in 2015 still applies here. There isn't anything more I could even say at this point.<br />
<br />
Fortunately (or unfortunately) a bright, articulate, emotionally-distraught 9 year old, named Zianna Oliphant has said it for us at city council meeting in Charlotte after Unwarranted Police Shooting #9876 (The Keith Scott incident, I think. Again, these events are starting to blur into one long continuous assault on black people) because we have gotten to the point in our nation where we need a tear-stained <i>child</i> to tell society the blatantly obvious:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 21px; will-change: auto !important;">
<i>"I come here today to talk about how I feel, and I feel like we are treated differently than other people, and I don’t like how we are treated just because of our color and it doesn’t mean anything to me.</i></div>
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<i>I believe that we are black people and we shouldn’t have to feel like this. We shouldn’t have to protest because y’all are treating us wrong. We do this because we need to and have rights.</i></div>
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<i>I’ve been born and raised in Charlotte and I never felt this way until now. And I can’t stand how we’re treated. It’s a shame that our fathers and mothers are killed, and we can’t even see them anymore. It’s a shame that we have to go to the graveyard and bury them.</i></div>
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<i>And we have tears, and we shouldn’t have tears.</i></div>
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<i>We need our fathers and mothers to be by our side."</i></div>
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Damn right, we "shouldn't have tears." And because this young lady is wise beyond her years (and certainly wiser that many adults, that's for sure) here is little Zianna again, explaining why she went up and gave her speech:<br />
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<br />Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-75298514535308485332016-10-08T05:40:00.002-07:002016-10-08T05:40:11.095-07:00Cynical Proverbs 10:8<blockquote class="tr_bq">
You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make him drink.</blockquote>
<br />
Especially when the trough is located in <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/20/465545378/lead-laced-water-in-flint-a-step-by-step-look-at-the-makings-of-a-crisis" target="_blank">Flint, Michigan.</a>Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-79011888694499121272016-09-25T22:39:00.001-07:002016-09-25T22:39:23.267-07:00Debate questions I would like to see<div dir="ltr">
Here are some essential debate questions I would like asked of all the participants. Indeed, if these questions were asked I would even encourage invitations extended to two-bit presidential sloppy seconds like Jill Stien and Gary Johnson (The "Everybody-Gets-a-Trophy-Day Participation Award" of election candidates):</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
1) What steps would you take to enact your various proposals and ensured that they are passed?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
2) How would you overcome potential opposition to your proposals? Would you consider making compromises to your policies in order to get it passed or will you be content to let it fail?</div>
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But yeah more question about actually getting shit into workable order and less rhetoric please. It's getting down to the wire.</div>
Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-14620789978883377612016-09-24T06:21:00.001-07:002016-09-24T06:21:37.425-07:00Cynical Proverbs 9:24<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The sun will come out tommorow"</blockquote>
<br />
Unless you live in Northern Finland....Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-1835081903876216032016-09-03T06:26:00.001-07:002016-09-03T06:26:47.125-07:00Cynical Proverbs 9:03<blockquote class="tr_bq">
If you lie down with dogs, you'll to get up with fleas</blockquote>
Of course it seems more prudent of us to simply give that mangy ol' dog a bath (or alternatively to go get the dog "fixed") 😆Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-34354953129127175842016-08-30T22:33:00.000-07:002016-09-03T22:39:54.574-07:00Da Mic Drop: IknowRIGHT (with a special guest appearance by...)<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Da Mic Drop is a regular segment, where we look at people who make such a pointed "standing-ovation-worthy" commentary in regards to a person or issue that it has to be highlighted. </i></blockquote>
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I might say more about the Colin Kaepernick flag "non-troversy" (what? But I thought we were still supposed to be "scandalized" by <a href="http://twoplustwoequals7.blogspot.com/2016/08/da-mic-drop-special-wiener-edition-no.html" target="_blank">Anthony's weiner?</a>) But because this accusation always comes up whenever someone is not properly wrapping themselves in the flag I thought it might be helpful to have a refresher course on how "Patriotism" actually works, courtesy of this post by <a href="http://wonkette.com/606054/what-are-fox-news-patriots-saying-about-terrible-horrible-america-hater-colin-kaepernick" target="_blank">Wonkette message board contributor</a>, "IknowRIGHT" (hey look at him and/or her live up to his/her name!):<br />
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Things that make you patriotic.<br />
1. Being kind to each other<br />
2. Respecting others beliefs or non beliefs<br />
3. Helping each other<br />
4. Loving each other<br />
5. Supporting troops both during AND AFTER the war.<br />
6. Paying your damn taxes. You want the benefits of living here, You have to pay up. I'm told life isn't fair, we're told that frequently so why should it "be fair" how much you pay in taxes? Luke 12:48 "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." You want to say we are a Christian nation, then start acting like it.</blockquote>
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Things that DON'T make you patriotic<br />
1. Flag Pins on your lapel when running for office<br />
2. Saying you support the troops, but cut funding for their food stamps housing, education funds, mental & health services after coming home from war.<br />
3. Being a Christian.<br />
4. Putting your hand on your heart during the national anthem<br />
5. Standing during the national anthem.<br />
6. Reciting the pledge of allegiance<br />
7. Being white<br />
8. Being a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Green Party, Hippy, Trump Supporter or what ever, no one party owns the rights to patriotism.<br />
9. Draping yourself in the flag.<br />
10. Telling others what they say is Anti American because YOU don't agree with it.<br />
11. Thinking the Constitution begins and ends with the 2nd Amendment, and for forgetting that the 2nd Amendment STARTS "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,"<br />
12. Saying immigrants aren't welcome. Unless you are a Native American you come from Immigrants too.</blockquote>
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<b>Edited to Add</b> (9-3-2016): With many schools suffering budget crisis, it's apparently up to two-bit bloggers and hapless comment sections to play substitute Civics class teacher. So class (Bobby, stop throwing spitballs at Sarah and pay attention!) let's have guest lecturer <a href="http://www.salon.com/2016/09/03/colin-kaepernick-and-american-freedom-the-quarterbacks-protest-exemplifies-what-our-nation-stands-for/" target="_blank">poboy7</a> school you on how those gosh darn "rights" work in regards to Kaepernick:<br />
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Let's get some things straight.<br />Colin Kaepernick is an American citizen.<br />He has Constitutional rights.<br />He has rights Jefferson referred to as "natural born rights."<br />He is not a second class citizen, no matter if you agree with and disagree with his stance.<br />He does not need for you to give him permission.<br />He does not need for you to tell him it's okay.<br />He has every right to give his opinion about this or any other issue he wants to.<br />Just because he signed a labor contract does not mean he loses any of his Constitutional rights, including the rights to free speech.<br />That labor contract bought his services not him, because he is not a slave.<br />Buying his labor does not prevent him from exercising his Constitutional or human rights.<br />If you do not agree with any of these, I have one question for you.<br />What country do you think you live in?<br />Here in this country, the land of the free and home of the brave, we have Constitutional rights that can not be infringed.<br />Who disagrees with this?</blockquote>
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That guest speaker is so clumsy, doing an <i>epic mic drop</i> right in the middle of the lecture.Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-829525813062236152016-08-29T22:29:00.001-07:002016-08-30T22:09:18.205-07:00Da Mic Drop: Special Wiener Edition (No need to snap a pic of that "mic" there, Weiner)<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Da Mic Drop is a regular segment, where we look at people who make such a pointed "standing-ovation-worthy" commentary in regards to a person or issue that it has to be highlighted. </i></blockquote>
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This is just a quick summation of my thoughts on the <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/08/29/anthony-weiner-caught-another-sext-scandal/89526640/" target="_blank">Anthony Weiner "scandal"</a> (basically a "E!" story that desperate columnist are trying to dress in political cosplay so they can utilize their "Trump University Relationship Counselor" degrees and tisk-tisk in self-aggrandizing affectations about personal issues that are not really any if their business.)<br />
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This is a stupid non-issue so it's fitting that I went to Twitter (the usual breeding ground for stupidity about non-issue) for reflection. However, a few people actually made some salient points about the appropriate responses to this story.</div>
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First there's <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/770348238260101120?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet" target="_blank">Glenn Greenwald</a>, a frequent critic of the media's hyperventilating salivation over sensationalism while ignoring substantial claims that actually affect the public (for instance, he offers a <a href="https://theintercept.com/2015/08/20/puritanical-glee-ashley-madison-hack/" target="_blank">very meaningful reflection</a> over the Ashley Madison leak a year ago. Check it out, it's a pretty thoughtful analysis):</div>
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<a class="u-block" href="https://mobile.twitter.com/ggreenwald" style="background-color: transparent; color: #3b94d9; display: block !important;"><img alt="Glenn Greenwald" class="u-block u-sizeFull UserAvatar" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/659383028771364869/G9HHnjiI_reasonably_small.jpg" style="background: rgb(225, 232, 237); border-radius: 0.35rem; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box !important; color: transparent; display: block; width: 63.9531px;" /></a></div>
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<a class="UserCell-userNames u-textBreak UserNames UserNames--stack u-textTruncate u-linkComplex" href="https://mobile.twitter.com/ggreenwald" style="background-color: transparent; color: #aab8c2; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden !important; text-decoration: none !important; text-overflow: ellipsis !important; white-space: nowrap !important; width: 358.156px; word-wrap: normal !important;"><span class="UserNames-displayName u-linkComplexTarget" style="color: #292f33; font-weight: 700;">Glenn Greenwald<span class="u-hiddenVisually" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px) !important; height: 1px !important; overflow: hidden !important; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; width: 1px !important;">–</span><span class="UserNames-badges UserBadges" style="margin-left: 0.3rem;"><span class="UserBadges-icon Icon Icon--verified" role="presentation" style="color: #88c9f9; display: inline-block; height: 1.25em; position: relative; vertical-align: text-bottom;"><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhBQAGAIAAAP///////yH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAAFAAYAAAIFjI+pawUAOw==" style="background: rgb(225, 232, 237); border: 0px; color: transparent; display: block; height: 20px; visibility: hidden;" /><svg viewbox="0 0 60 72"><use fill="currentcolor" xlink:href="/i/rw/svg/d59db662aca906e7d567f8c0732ec807/icon#icon-verified" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"></use></svg></span><span class="u-hiddenVisually" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px) !important; height: 1px !important; overflow: hidden !important; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; width: 1px !important;">Verified account</span></span></span> <span class="UserNames-screenName u-dir" dir="ltr" style="direction: ltr !important; unicode-bidi: embed;">@ggreenwald</span></a></div>
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This is revolting. A big reason people like to talk about sex scandals is they enable self-glorifying moralizing... <a class="TweetEntity u-dir u-linkComplex" dir="ltr" href="https://t.co/7zQG8UZuYm" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; color: #3b94d9; direction: ltr !important; text-decoration: none !important; unicode-bidi: embed;" target="_blank" title="https://twitter.com/robinmarty/status/770319229736226816"><span class="u-linkComplexTarget" jsaction="click:linkClicked; clickmod:linkClicked" jsnamespace="TweetEntity"><span aria-hidden="true"></span><span class="u-hiddenVisually" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px) !important; height: 1px !important; overflow: hidden !important; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; width: 1px !important;"> https://</span>twitter.com/robinmarty/sta<span class="u-hiddenVisually" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px) !important; height: 1px !important; overflow: hidden !important; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; width: 1px !important;">tus/770319229736226816 </span><span aria-hidden="true">…</span></span></a></div>
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12:51 PM - 29 Aug 2016</div>
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<a class="UserCell-userNames u-textBreak UserNames UserNames--stack u-textTruncate u-linkComplex" href="https://mobile.twitter.com/ggreenwald" style="background-color: transparent; color: #aab8c2; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden !important; text-decoration: none !important; text-overflow: ellipsis !important; white-space: nowrap !important; width: 358.156px; word-wrap: normal !important;"><span class="UserNames-displayName u-linkComplexTarget" style="color: #292f33; font-weight: 700;"><span class="u-hiddenVisually" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px) !important; height: 1px !important; overflow: hidden !important; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; width: 1px !important;">–</span></span></a><span class="UserNames-displayName u-linkComplexTarget" style="background-color: transparent; color: #292f33; display: inline-block; font-weight: 700; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; width: 358.156px; word-wrap: normal;"><span class="UserNames-badges UserBadges" style="margin-left: 0.3rem;"><span class="u-hiddenVisually" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px) !important; height: 1px !important; overflow: hidden !important; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; width: 1px !important;"><a class="UserCell-userNames u-textBreak UserNames UserNames--stack u-textTruncate u-linkComplex" href="https://mobile.twitter.com/ggreenwald" style="background-color: transparent; color: #aab8c2; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden !important; text-decoration: none !important; text-overflow: ellipsis !important; white-space: nowrap !important; width: 358.156px; word-wrap: normal !important;">Verified a</a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #8899a6;"> </span></span></span></span></blockquote>
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And then, <span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px;">weighing in for a two-fer is Nerd God/<a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheScrappy" target="_blank">Shark Jumper</a> hybrid, Wil Wheton who (in the same Glenn Greenwald thread oddly enough, like who knew he was even a follower?) chewed on this tidbit:</span></div>
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<a class="u-block" href="https://mobile.twitter.com/wilw" style="background-color: transparent; color: #3b94d9; display: block !important; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Wil Wheaton" class="u-block u-sizeFull UserAvatar" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/660891140418236416/7zeCwT9K_reasonably_small.png" style="background: rgb(225, 232, 237); border-radius: 0.35rem; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box !important; color: transparent; display: block; width: 63.9531px;" /></a></div>
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<a class="UserCell-userNames u-textBreak UserNames UserNames--stack u-textTruncate u-linkComplex" href="https://mobile.twitter.com/wilw" style="background-color: transparent; color: #aab8c2; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden !important; text-decoration: none !important; text-overflow: ellipsis !important; white-space: nowrap !important; width: 358.156px; word-wrap: normal !important;"><span class="UserNames-displayName u-linkComplexTarget" style="color: #292f33; font-weight: 700;">Wil Wheaton<span class="u-hiddenVisually" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px) !important; height: 1px !important; overflow: hidden !important; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; width: 1px !important;">–</span><span class="UserNames-badges UserBadges" style="margin-left: 0.3rem;"><span class="UserBadges-icon Icon Icon--verified" role="presentation" style="color: #88c9f9; display: inline-block; height: 1.25em; position: relative; vertical-align: text-bottom;"><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhBQAGAIAAAP///////yH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAAFAAYAAAIFjI+pawUAOw==" style="background: rgb(225, 232, 237); border: 0px; color: transparent; display: block; height: 20px; visibility: hidden;" /><svg viewbox="0 0 60 72"><use fill="currentcolor" xlink:href="/i/rw/svg/d59db662aca906e7d567f8c0732ec807/icon#icon-verified" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"></use></svg></span><span class="u-hiddenVisually" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px) !important; height: 1px !important; overflow: hidden !important; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; width: 1px !important;">Verified account</span></span></span> <span class="UserNames-screenName u-dir" dir="ltr" style="direction: ltr !important; unicode-bidi: embed;">@wilw</span></a></div>
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<a class="TweetEntity u-dir u-linkComplex" dir="ltr" href="https://mobile.twitter.com/ggreenwald" style="background-color: transparent; color: #3b94d9; direction: ltr !important; text-decoration: none !important; unicode-bidi: embed;">@<span class="u-linkComplexTarget">ggreenwald</span></a> I feel like I missed something. Dad sends explicit text messages to another adult. How is that a dangerous situation for child?</div>
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12:59 PM - 29 Aug 2016</div>
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Also, because the only thing that turns our dull-witted on more on that breathless sweet nothings of sex scandal tabloid speculation is "Both Sides Do It" foreplay, here's Wil getting a jump on diffusing this little piece of logical fallacy:</div>
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<a class="u-block" href="https://mobile.twitter.com/wilw" style="background-color: transparent; color: #3b94d9; display: block !important; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Wil Wheaton" class="u-sizeFull UserAvatar" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/660891140418236416/7zeCwT9K_reasonably_small.png" style="background: rgb(225, 232, 237); border-radius: 0.35rem; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box !important; color: transparent; display: block; width: 63.9531px;" /></a></div>
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<a class="Tweet-timestamp u-floatRight" href="https://mobile.twitter.com/wilw/status/770337440720621568" style="background-color: transparent; color: #aab8c2; float: right !important; margin-left: 0.6rem; text-decoration: none;"><time datetime="2016-08-29T19:08:52+0000"><span aria-hidden="true">10h</span><span class="u-hiddenVisually" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px) !important; height: 1px !important; overflow: hidden !important; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; width: 1px !important;">10 hours ago</span></time></a><br />
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<span class="u-alignTop UserNames UserNames--noWrap u-textTruncate " style="color: #aab8c2; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; word-wrap: normal;"><span class="UserNames-displayName " style="color: #292f33; font-weight: 700;">Wil Wheaton</span> <span class="UserNames-screenName u-dir" dir="ltr" style="direction: ltr !important; unicode-bidi: embed;">@wilw</span></span></div>
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Trump: *hires racist to run campaign*
Clinton: *aide is married to a dirtbag*
Media: EQUIVALENT CONTROVERSY ON BOTH CAMPAIGN'S STAFF!</div>
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I also can't forget the wise words of this nation's most...let's say "appropriate" philosopher (from the fervent mind of someone who has done as much media criticism as Glenn Greenwald). So take it away, America's brattiest six-year old (no, not Trump):</div>
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Of course this is about vaguely Beltway-adjacent people (he's a former congressman and his wife is working on Hilary Clinton's campaign) so the press can pretend that this is Different and Important, but honestly, this piece of sensationalism has all the colossal relevance of finding out that omg! you guys, Hank Baskett totally cheated on that Kendra chick with that T-girl she is like so scandalized and we got to see every angst-plagued rendering of their mega-confrontation (and if you're wondering what does that info has to do with anything going on, then you've already gotten the point.)</div>
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Oh and My grand take? As I said on another message board:</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; padding-bottom: 0.98438rem;">
"Who cares?"</blockquote>
And even by "prurient interest" standards, this is a boring old rerun. Not enough investment for the the public at large to grab the Pearls of the Titillated Busybody for which they may clutch in Scandalized Outrage.<br />
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Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4952680743571962804.post-25776894002100288282016-08-14T08:07:00.001-07:002016-08-14T08:07:53.218-07:00Cynical Proverbs 8:14: Special Riverdale Edition<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"All men are created equal"</blockquote>
"It's just that somen men are more equal than others" --Veronica Lodge ("And stop saying that I bastardized that quote from <a href="http://literarydevices.net/all-animals-are-equal/" target="_blank">Animal Farm.</a> My servants doing research assured me that it was an original idea I came up with all on my own! Besides it's so hard the think up sayings when you have to worry about whether Archie asked that bitch Betty out on the same day as you like he did 5,000 other times. Let's see George Orwell deal with important issues like <i>that</i>! And where the hell is the chauffeur with my Lamborghini...")Jon Dubyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783906806644566810noreply@blogger.com0