tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57485174781854908392024-02-08T09:04:05.445-05:00Ganymede's GhostNews, views, reviews, haikus, and fomenting of peaceful revolutions.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.comBlogger387125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-40000774092954081762009-01-27T10:26:00.004-05:002009-01-27T11:50:56.277-05:00Drug-Sniffing Dog Becomes Latest Victim of War on Civil LibertiesAn innocent Springer Spaniel named Max who was used by a police department in Devon (the one in southern Britain) to violate the human rights and civil liberties of people who chose to possess recreational drugs has been <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4357551/Police-sniffer-dog-dies-of-nose-cancer-after-sniffing-cocaine.html">euthanized</a> after coming down with an extremely rare and aggressive nasal tumor. Although there is no scientifically demonstrated link between nose candy and nose cancer, Max's vet refuses to rule it out as a potential cause since this type of cancer is so rare in dogs, and Max spent most of his life inhaling things most dogs normally don't. Max's owner, a cop named Ispector Higgins, is quoted in the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/">Telegraph</a> saying,<br /><br /><blockquote>He was a fighter until the end and always very dignified. He has had a good life and a successful one as a police dog. Just think of all the bad people he managed to put away.<br /></blockquote><br />"Bad people." Hm. That's a loaded statement. While I'm very sorry for Inspector Higgins' loss, I would like to point out that Max might [would probably] be here now if he hadn't been trained and used on a daily basis to violate the privacy of people who are obeying all the laws of common sense [by not doing things that <span style="font-style: italic;">victimize</span> other living beings]. No one has the moral authority to tell other mentally competent and consenting adults what they may or may not smoke, snort, swallow, inject or otherwise ingest in the privacy of their own homes. The "War on Drugs" is a transparent farce--an excuse for corrupt and fearful governments to assert physical control over their populations. It is also a massive and perverse monument to the power of corporate pharmaceutical, alcohol, and tobacco lobyists. Max is its latest innocent victim. His life could have been much more fulfilling if he had died of tumor caused by sniffing explosive residues.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-36141754927689531392008-12-18T08:08:00.007-05:002008-12-18T09:14:51.807-05:00I like the guy who screamed, "God DAMN America!" betterIt appears as though president-elect <a href="http://pageoneq.com/news/2008/obamawarren121708.html">Barrack Obama has begun to sell out the Queer community before he even takes office</a> with the careful selection of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Warren">raving bigot</a> to deliver an incantation at his official inauguration. Rick Warren, leader of <a href="http://www.saddleback.com/index.html">a superstition-based organization near LA dedicated to the legal subjugation of lesbian and gay people</a> often referred to as a "megachurch" by the corporate media, will attempt to lead our nation in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer">an organized superstitious ritual</a> during the inauguration of our next president. Plans for a public protest have not yet been formalized.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-54915488379067665572008-12-05T10:35:00.003-05:002008-12-05T10:40:43.375-05:00King of Luxembourg gets to keep his moneyI don't understand much Luxembourgese, but I think <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,594398,00.html">this</a> means that his official role is being changed from figurehead to hood ornament.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-31401341505930462932008-12-05T10:08:00.001-05:002008-12-05T10:09:45.630-05:00Here's another reason to love PhillyWe almost <a href="http://www.philly.com/dailynews/top_story/20081205_STORMY_LEATHER_Jealousy_in_kinky_triangle_blamed_for_murder-suicide.html">never</a> have dull news days.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-35752355187844723932008-11-17T09:18:00.003-05:002008-11-17T09:24:48.984-05:00What would FDR have done if he had to buy tanks from the Germans or Japanese?Happily, the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/17/business/economy/17impact.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&oref=slogin">world has changed</a> and humanity has outgrown war.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-7070262541325985762008-11-14T13:05:00.004-05:002008-11-14T14:37:08.774-05:00Response to passage of Propostion 8 continues to grow nationwideIn California, another <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10976766">legal complaint</a> was filed today because it is believed that the Mormons did not properly and legally report all money and labor that they donated to the political cause of persecuting gay and lesbian families in California. The California Supreme Court also appears to be taking the legal challenges to Prop 8 that have already been filed <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/14/BAMU1449RR.DTL&type=politics">very seriously</a>. Meanwhile, California Attorney General <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2008/11/14/BAMU1449RR.DTL&o=0&type=politics">Jerry Brown appears visibly aged</a> since November 5th. Perhaps he is losing sleep over the prospect of having to defend Prop 8 in court while also defending the validy of all the same-sex marriages performed between May and now? To complicate matters further, county clerks across the state are <a href="http://pageoneq.com/news/2008/Calif._clerks_When_does_gay_marriage_ban__1114.html">unclear</a> on when or whether to stop issuing same-sex marriage licenses, and some appear to have made the decision based on subjective criteria. None appear to have made the decision in coordination with any other.<br /><br />A <a href="http://jointheimpact.com/">nationwide protest</a> planned for tomorrow, November 15, continues to attract <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-11-13-backlash_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip">national media attention</a>. A "<a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/la-oe-stein14-2008nov14,1,4815265.column">No-Gays-for-a-Day</a>" nationwide protest is in the works for Friday, December 5, and <a href="http://www.kathygriffin.net/">Kathy Griffin</a> has agreed to headline since her show is not airing on the planned date nor does she have any live gigs scheduled [and presumably her quote was met]. She plans on spending that day in the private company of <a href="http://www.cher.com/">Cher</a> and <a href="http://www.bettemidler.com/">Bette Midler</a>.<br /><br />In a less positive development, envelopes containing a "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_meth">suspicious white powder</a>" that turned out to be a "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baking_soda">harmless substance</a>" arrived in <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hWQRMq91zcde41dhzAaSEx2wEHFwD94EEP9O2">the mail</a> yesterday at openly Mormon temples in LA and Salt Lake City. It is not known whether <a href="http://www.dhs.gov/index.shtm">authorities</a> are investigating the possibility that the envelopes were mailed by a Mormon (or Mormons) intent on making the LGBT community look bad (like <a href="http://www.wpxi.com/news/17789715/detail.html#-">that woman</a> in Pittsburgh who carved a backwards B on her face and then falsely claimed to have been assaulted by an Obama supporter on the <a href="http://www.drudge.com/">Drudge Report</a> just before the election). After living in this country for thirty-eight years and paying attention to the news for about thirty, my best educated guess is that they aren't investigating that possibility, nor have they even entertained it. The authorities will, however, almost certainly use this episode as justification for further government encroachment on human and civil rights, especially in certain minority communities. Regardless of who sent them, the envelopes did cause the Mormons to temporarily divert money and labor that would otherwise have been spent persecuting gay and lesbian people, so I guess you could still say that every cloud has a silver lining [and maybe even magic underwear].Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-81855388389084933242008-11-10T07:41:00.012-05:002008-11-13T12:39:21.189-05:00Passage of Prop. 8 in California catalyzes nationwide protests and resistanceIt is now very clear that <a href="http://vote.sos.ca.gov/Returns/props/allprops.htm">Proposition 8 was approved by California voters</a> by a margin of 4.6%. This ballot proposition reclassifies gay and lesbian Californians as second-class citizens by reinstating a ban on same-sex marriages that was <a href="http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/archive/S147999.PDF">ruled unconstitutional</a> by the California Supreme Court in May of 2008. This ban effectively withholds over one thousand special rights, responsibilities and privileges from up to 10% of the state's population. It is <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10909942">legally unclear</a> whether the proposition will retroactively annul the tens of thousands of same-sex marriages that have been performed since the court decision that legalized them. It is also <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/11/10/schwarzenegger_proposition_8_fight_isnt_over/">legally unclear </a>whether the proposition will withstand <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-marriage11-2008nov11,0,5162523.story">numerous legal challenges</a> that have already been filed against it.<br /><br />The proposition passed with no small amount of financial and volunteer help from Christian extremists, many of whom, such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints">Mormons</a> in Utah and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Pope">all-male [wink] Roman Catholic hierarchy</a> in the Vatican City, reside far beyond California's borders. Local <a href="http://saddleback.com/flash/index.html">nondenominational megachurches</a> in California also contributed money and volunteer time to legally attacking the human rights of their own neighbors. If you'd like to know whether anybody in your hometown abetted this latest example of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyranny_of_the_majority">tyranny of the majority</a> that will permanently stain American history books, you can <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/webdb/prop8/">search this database</a> by specific name or browse a list of contributors by state and/or city. Hmmm, it appears that a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Templeton,_Jr">John Templeton, Jr</a> of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, president of the <a href="http://www.templeton.org/">Templeton Foundation</a>, felt so strongly in favor of persecuting gay and lesbian families in California that he donated a honking $450,000 twice. Must have a been a good year for him.<br /><br />In GLBT communities across the United States, reaction to the passage of this punitive and ambiguously worded proposition has been unexpectedly <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-protestarrest6-2008nov06,0,288808.story">swift</a>, <a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2008/11/no_more_mrs_nice_gay.php">assertive</a>, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/us/11gay.html?_r=1&oref=slogin">widespread</a>, and <a href="http://www.queerty.com/the-second-stonewall-five-days-of-protest-in-california-20081110/">well attended</a>. The <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7723645.stm">international press</a> has even taken notice. Protesters appear to be <a href="http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/11/08/5985">focusing</a> their resistance on the <a href="http://www.lds.org/">Christian extremists</a> who made this theft of human rights their latest crusade in a long, ultimately unsuccessful series of reactionary attempts to force those whose behavior they take issue with because it violates some of their superstitions to live the way they do.<br /><br />If you'd like to protest Proposition 8 yourself, you are invited to make a big creative sign and go to your local <a href="http://www.phila.gov/property/virtualcityhall/visitorsinfo.asp">city hall</a>, <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=mormon+temples+in+philadelphia&ie=UTF8&z=10">Mormon temple</a>, or <a href="http://www.sspeterpaulcathedral.catholicweb.com/">Roman Catholic cathedral basilica</a> this Saturday, November 15 for a national day of protest. You can find specific information about any planned protests in your hometown <a href="http://jointheimpact.com/">here</a>. In California the demonstrations began spontaneously immediately after the results became known and <a href="http://queersunited.blogspot.com/2008/11/listing-of-prop-8-protests-and-rallies.html">continue to this day</a>, especially in the gay-friendly areas of West LA and the San Francisco Bay. A <a href="http://www.signorile.com/2008/11/prop-8-protest-in-new-york-announced.html">protest at the Mormon temple in Manhattan, NY</a> also attracted <a href="http://pageoneq.com/news/2008/10000_gays_march_on_NYC_Mormon__1113.html">thousands</a> on Wednesday, November 12.<br /><br />If public demonstrations aren't your thing but you still want to express your feelings about this perversion of democracy, you can <a href="http://www.mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/ask-a-question/chat-live">chat</a> with a Mormon missionary online. Fun questions to ask might include, "Which version of traditional marriage is most traditional, the one where there is one woman and one man or the one where there is one man and as many girls and women as the man can afford or keep captive?" Or, "Why do you hate gay people and want to steal their human rights and dignity when Jesus said to love everybody as you would yourself?" You can also feel free to boycott the states of California and Utah, the <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j3xrKGCR3_Lr31cirVMS_5fY_8igD94ADR9G0">former</a> being much more difficult than the <a href="http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_adctlid=v%7Cjq2q43wvsl855o%7Cxjq247b4iq1uri&issueId=xjptu9p7nq5i7a&xid=xjpvjamq6wxlhj">latter</a>.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-39908704114322463972008-11-08T09:17:00.008-05:002008-11-08T12:18:39.973-05:00Personnel cut-backs at local newspapers become increasingly evident<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_912cUgh_Pi8/SRWgdtz4JSI/AAAAAAAABh4/XJzRR9yA-n0/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 323px; height: 350px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_912cUgh_Pi8/SRWgdtz4JSI/AAAAAAAABh4/XJzRR9yA-n0/s400/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266291771653498146" border="0" /></a>This characteristically alliterated blurb for a local <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/">Martha Stewart</a> book signing ran in today's <a href="http://www.philly.com/dailynews/">Daily News</a>. Although the prose is perky and fun, it makes our "doyenne of domesticity" sound as if she's not a native speaker of English. Also, note the lack of punctuation at the end of the second paragraph from last, which could not be highlighted because it's not there. One has to wonder if they laid off <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> their proofreaders during the most recent round of layoffs.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-66742241419183803932008-11-08T09:02:00.003-05:002008-11-08T09:11:42.704-05:00It's time to take down the Halloween decorationsA 90-year-old woman has been <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081108/ap_on_re_us/evanston_deaths">living with the corpses</a> of her deceased siblings for years, one of whom was last seen in the early 80s. Foul play is not suspected despite the presence of foul vapors. Lawyers for the RNC plan to file suit to determine if, or how often, each of the deceased voted in the past seven presidential elections.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-4383430392389986732008-11-06T10:00:00.000-05:002008-11-06T10:01:15.551-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_912cUgh_Pi8/SRMGooPQmQI/AAAAAAAABhw/WkIZpRgQxTw/s1600-h/DSCN1536.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_912cUgh_Pi8/SRMGooPQmQI/AAAAAAAABhw/WkIZpRgQxTw/s400/DSCN1536.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265559684392196354" border="0" /></a>Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-24231440684270713402008-11-06T09:56:00.000-05:002008-11-06T09:57:52.484-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_912cUgh_Pi8/SRMFzzVUdgI/AAAAAAAABho/-7nhTTXwVDs/s1600-h/DSCN1551.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_912cUgh_Pi8/SRMFzzVUdgI/AAAAAAAABho/-7nhTTXwVDs/s400/DSCN1551.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265558776837338626" border="0" /></a>Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-42810934123831676762008-11-06T08:49:00.007-05:002008-11-06T09:52:26.853-05:00Californians pervert the machinery of democracy to abet religious extremists in an obsessive drive to re-secure special legal statusThe state of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California">California</a>, second in the United States following <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts">Massachusetts</a> to ensure legal equality for all of its citizens, has suffered a temporary <a href="http://pageoneq.com/news/2008/prop8suit_110508.html">legal set-back</a> in the form of a confusing, discriminatory, and punitive ballot initiative that was funded in no small part by <a href="http://www.focusonthefamily.com/">Christian extremists</a> from other states, including the Church of Latter Day Saints (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygamy">Mormons</a>) in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah">Utah</a>. Although California <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/elections/story/1371978.html">election officials have not finished counting all the votes</a>, the <a href="http://pageoneq.com/news/2008/Proposition_8_votes_still_be_1105.html">Christian extremists have already claimed victory</a> in their obsessive drive to re-secure special rights for themselves and those who share their ancient, superstitious beliefs regarding the consensual sexual behavior of legally competent adults. Despite numerous appeals, it appears likely that California's gay and lesbian citizens will once again, at least temporarily, be designated second-class citizens to appease <a href="http://www.catholic.org/">Christian extremists</a>.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-21476780505286064362008-11-06T08:47:00.000-05:002008-11-06T08:48:50.181-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_912cUgh_Pi8/SRL1lS44GWI/AAAAAAAABhg/i3HkrLTbjv4/s1600-h/DSCN1506.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_912cUgh_Pi8/SRL1lS44GWI/AAAAAAAABhg/i3HkrLTbjv4/s400/DSCN1506.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265540935423891810" border="0" /></a>Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-63181572241813071422008-10-27T11:21:00.009-04:002008-10-27T12:12:42.126-04:00Perhaps allowing an 8-year-old to fire an Uzi is to the Second Amendment what allowing one to read Hustler would be to the First AmendmentPerhaps <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hl-VtQImXVuBfNXTpNMvOgFOxj2wD942R8P82">not</a>. Setting all subjective moral beliefs aside, however, in the <a href="http://whitehouse.org/">United States of America</a> it is actually <a href="http://www.childrensdefense.org/site/PageServer?pagename=newsroom_20080626_SCOTUS"><span style="font-style: italic;">legal</span></a> to allow a young child to fire an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzi">Uzi</a> while allowing one to read <a href="http://hustler.com/mansion1/home.php?s=9&p=1&w=396250&t=0&c=22&cs=1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hustler</span></a> would most certainly provide legal grounds for an inquiry from <a href="http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/ServicesPrograms/ChildWelfare/ChildAbuseAnnualRpts/2006ChildAbuseRpt/003676187.htm">Child Protective Services</a> likely to result in diminished parental rights and/or jail time. The adults who allowed this horrific shooting death to <a href="http://www.westfieldsportsman.com/Events.htm">occur</a> are as likely to face jail time as <span style="font-style: italic;">Hustler</span> is to go out of business.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-38561822509572412242008-10-22T09:23:00.006-04:002008-10-22T09:59:36.186-04:00The Bush-Cheney junta fires a parting shot at hungry kids in PhiladelphiaAccording to the <a href="http://www.philly.com/inquirer/">Inky</a>, the Bush-Cheney junta is apparently not satisfied with the economic hardships it has already inflicted upon middle and lower income Americans. Now they want to eliminate Philadelphia's school breakfast and lunch programs to ensure that more of <a href="http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_top_stories/20081022_USDA_to_kill_Phila__school_lunch_program.html">the most vulnerable members of our society will now face even more hunger and deprivation</a>. It's disgusting but not surprising.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-43518148833288965502008-10-13T16:18:00.001-04:002008-10-13T16:20:58.475-04:00George Bush is still a mother-fucking bigotHere's <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14480.html">more evidence</a>.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-45365232861092679642008-10-11T09:49:00.002-04:002008-10-11T09:55:40.637-04:00Connecticut becomes third US state to treat all citizens equally under lawTheir supreme court issued <a href="http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid63422.asp">the decision</a> Friday.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-35617979900931355742008-10-11T09:33:00.002-04:002008-10-11T09:43:00.812-04:00If poisonous food and disregard for the health of our environment don't bother you, here's another <a href="http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid63490.asp">good reason not to patronize McDonald's</a>.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-9730601370889193572008-10-06T07:58:00.003-04:002008-10-06T08:05:15.070-04:00A New Infectious Disease May Be Emerging in Southern AfricaThe <a href="http://www.mg.co.za/">Mail and Guardian</a> reports that <a href="http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-10-06-fourth-person-dies-of-mystery-illness-in-gauteng">four people near Johannesburg have recently died from an unknown, apparently contagious illness</a> that begins with flu-like symptoms. It may have originated in Tanzania, from whence the first two victims originated. Three out of four victims have tested negative for hemorrhagic fever, and the fourth will be tested today.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-24122646622355465512008-09-28T09:11:00.003-04:002008-09-28T09:24:23.645-04:00Democrats In Congress Roll Over for the Bush-Cheney Junta One More TimeThe Washington Post is reporting that the Bush-Cheney junta and Congress have worked out a tentative government <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/28/AR2008092800064.html">bailout plan for wealthy Americans</a> who invested heavily and recklessly on Wall Street. Although the plan puts small limits on the golden parachutes of executives who ran their firms into the ground, it does nothing to help working class Americans caught up in the foreclosure crisis, which many believe is the root cause of the national financial crisis.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-6001540075647167872008-09-27T09:25:00.015-04:002008-09-28T08:57:34.931-04:00First Presidential Debate Makes Clearer What Some of Us Already KnewDuring last night's presidential debate, John McCain did an excellent job of projecting the image of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_mccain">cranky, misinformed, narrow-minded, older straight white guy</a> who can't think beyond his anger at the fact that the world and most of the people on it have changed around him despite his static position of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cindy_mccain">inherited wealth</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Us_senate">power it can buy</a>–most likely while he was napping. He is the kind of guy I would avoid sitting next to at a diner counter or corner bar so as not to ruin a good meal and/or beer with psycho-socio-racial-pathic heterosexist bile that should have been vented to a paid therapist in the Twentieth Century. When pressed by the moderator to answer a specific question about the economy with specific proposals rather than general campaign slogans, he recites the polysyllabic names of former Soviet naval ports, proving only that some cells in his brain containing memories from the 70s and 80s are still alive. He can't pronounce the name of the current, elected leader of Iran and becomes visibly annoyed when circumstances force him to make an attempt. I wouldn't trust him to conduct me safely through any of Philly's rougher neighborhoods after midnight without unnecessary gunfire and bloodshed, let alone to conduct two wars [one of which is completely illegal and counterproductive] in my name and allegedly on my behalf.<br /><br />In addition to his poor and unsurprising performance in the debate, McCain has previously made clear his intention to prolong the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_of_marriage_act">Republican and Christian extremist-orchestrated suspension of our Constitution and Bill of Rights in order to continue the proactive denial of basic human rights to all non-heterosexual Americans</a>, which he did not make any attempt to recant last evening. Before the debate, that was the deal-breaker for me. Now I don't feel so much like a one-issue voter.<br /><br />I wish Obama would have been a little bit more assertive, but I agree with most of the specific proposals on his <a href="http://my.barackobama.com/">web site</a>, which means I'll still vote for him. I suspect at this point he'll catch more flies with honey than vinegar anyways.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-37756616857603194592008-09-24T07:38:00.004-04:002008-09-24T07:45:49.318-04:00Help Slow Down the McCain-Palin Cabal With Ghost ContributionGo to this online contribution <a href="https://secure.donationreport.com/donation.html?key=JXRJWBNIXJJ2">link</a> for the McCain-Palin cabal and enter garbage data. It will waste their time and money. And the best part is, they'll think you were referred by Matt Drudge's blog. If this doesn't sound like enough fun for you, see if you can do it using only obscenities or Obama campaign memes.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-73260965003556037142008-09-22T11:13:00.000-04:002008-09-22T11:14:51.881-04:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_912cUgh_Pi8/SNe2Ra8E8TI/AAAAAAAABhA/hovEQx6i5hQ/s1600-h/DSCN1174.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_912cUgh_Pi8/SNe2Ra8E8TI/AAAAAAAABhA/hovEQx6i5hQ/s400/DSCN1174.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248864301128937778" border="0" /></a>Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-41517168061005079622008-09-22T08:50:00.004-04:002008-09-22T10:09:57.606-04:00Neoconservative Fiscal Policy Declared Dead on FAUX NewsAccording the <a href="http://nytimes.com/">Old Gray Lady</a>, on Sunday the Bush-Cheney junta's Secretary of the "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_debt">Treasury</a>," Henry M. Paulson, Jr, made a very <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/business/22paulson.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin">interesting statement</a> while shilling for a taxpayer-funded bailout of wealthy investment bankers and those who ensured them that does nothing to help economically distressed, lower income homeowners who struggle daily to obtain the basic necessities of life such as potable water, food, fuel, and shelter.<br /><blockquote>“I hate the fact that we have to do it, but it’s better than the alternative,” Mr. Paulson said on “Fox News Sunday.”</blockquote>Translation: admitting ideological defeat is better than allowing the situation to deteriorate to the point that my friends and I might not be able to keep our entire unfair share of wealth indefinitely.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5748517478185490839.post-81468091286692514692008-09-22T07:43:00.005-04:002008-09-22T10:13:22.107-04:00McCain Campaign Continues to Shelter Palin from Real People Who Have Real Questions About Her Qualifications to LeadUnder the very close guard and control of dozens of lethally armed men in dark suits and sunglasses, Christoextremist candidate for vice president, Sarah Palin, delivered a very well orchestrated speech at a Republican retirement community just outside Disneyworld on Sunday, proving once again that she is <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26825079/">capable of reading out loud while moving her lipstick</a>. Members of the press as well as the general public were forbidden from asking Ms Palin any questions so as not to expose further her complete lack of qualifications and knowledge that many believe are required to run the United States without risking global financial catastrophe or a full-scale nuclear conflagration.Scott Morgan Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988584802727629970noreply@blogger.com0