Ocassional Thoughts of an Independent Progressive Atheistic Humanist
Until I saw it on YouTube I had forgotten about the dance routine in the middle of the film Clerks 2 – the follow up to the cult classic Clerks by Kevin Smith. The song is one of my favorite Jackson 5 songs and the routine in such a recent film is tribute to the Jacksons and Michael.
The first 20 seconds or so isn’t office or family friendly language wise……. just turn down the sound until you see Jay and Silent Bob with the boombox.
On the Tuesday edition of the Daily Show, host Jon Stewart had a segment about the cable channels reaction to the shooting at the US Holocaust Museum. He attempted to ridicule MSNBC’s blaming the right and the pundits Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Rielly blaming the left for setting off the alleged shooter. Unfortunately, Stewart and his writers missed the point of those reports and bought into the mainstream reporting that the shooter was a “lone wolf” crazy person.
There have been several killings by people later linked to right wing extremism. I know their extreme views didn’t kill the people – the people who pulled the trigger did – but think what it is like to listen the recent increase in Doomsday talk by the stars of right wing talk shows like Limbaugh and O’Reilly.
Everyday your warped view of the world is validated by the people you listen to on the TV and radio and you get to the point where you HAVE to do something. So while people like Limbaugh and O’Reilly didn’t kill anyone – their rhetoric – which has been more shrill since Obama took office – creates the powder keg and match that sets off people like the museum shooter who are not very rational in the first place.
The whole time Bush Jr. was in office I can’t think of any domestic terrorist killings happening because he was in office or from people irrationally afraid of his policies.
Here is the clip of the Daily Show:
After hearing about another right winger loon killing people in the name of “Amerirka”, I decided to put together an all star list of right wing pundits who don’t care what they say, don’t take responsibility for their words, and just hate America and what it stands for. Feel free to print out my poster and post around your community to warn them of these chowder heads because they help victimize everyone.
I really wish these people would be victims of the economic melt down.
As promised, here are some of my favorite songs from one of my favorite years – 1976. That year I had my first transistor radio that also had an FM band so not only did I get to listen to WFIN and CKLW but also WIOT in Toledo. There were a bunch of hits that I loved that year and I remember that summer, camping with the family at Sulphur Lake near Arlington and the only thing that I constantly had besides my swim trunks was my transistor radio.
These are in no particular order:
Silly Love Songs – Paul McCartney and Wings
Theme from S.W.A.T. – Rhythm Heritage
Don’t go breaking my heart – Elton John & Kiki Dee
Afternoon Delight – Starland Vocal Band
S.A.T.U.R.D.A.Y. Night – Baycity Rollers
Rubberband Man – The Spinners (Live 1976 Midnight Special)
Shake your booty – KC and The Sunshine Band
Blinded by the Light – Manfred Mann
*Note* I had a problem coming up with a good 10th song to mesh with this list. My first choice “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot was a favorite but just killed the buzz of this list.
But if you want to see that one, follow the next link:
President Obama starts a trip to the Middle East this week where he will speak in Cairo. It is a chance to restart our strained relations with the rational Islamic people in the area. One messy area that seems to avoid cleaning up all the time is the problems between Israel and the Palestinian people. There is a solution to the problem and President Obama wants both sides to “buy a ticket”.
The President drew some harsh feedback when he expressed the view that Israel needs to stop building settlements in disputed land and to prepare for a two-state solution.
In a column by Thomas Friedman, in the New York Times, Obama also sees what the Palestinians must do:
There are a lot of Israelis, “who recognize that their current path is unsustainable, and they need to make some tough choices on settlements to achieve a two-state solution — that is in their long-term interest — but not enough folks are willing to recognize that publicly.”
There are a lot of Palestinians who “recognize that the constant incitement and negative rhetoric with respect to Israel” has not delivered a single “benefit to their people and had they taken a more constructive approach and sought the moral high ground” they would be much better off today — but they won’t say it aloud.
When it comes to dealing with the Middle East, the president noted, “there is a Kabuki dance going on constantly. That is what I would like to see broken down. I am going to be holding up a mirror and saying: ‘Here is the situation, and the U.S. is prepared to work with all of you to deal with these problems. But we can’t impose a solution. You are all going to have to make some tough decisions.’ Leaders have to lead, and, hopefully, they will get supported by their people.”
I have never understood the “Israel is always right…” part of US foriegn policy. I understand their need to be safe but that seemed to be contradicted by the building of settlements, treating the Arab population as 2nd class citizens or worse, and their program of targeted killing of “enemies”.
I also never understood the Palestinians negative actions whenever some progress was being made. I understand they have been treated poorly by Israel but the circle of violence has to end some how and they give up the moral high ground when they let people like Hamas start firing rockets etc….
The obvious solution is to set up two states. Now we need each side to buy a ticket.