Bernie Madoff Crushed by Farting Bull

That’s supposed to be Bernie Madoff against the wall…at least according to the BBC. Other views of the sculpture here.

Happy Blasphemy Day!

Did you know today is International Blasphemes Day? Me either?!

So, quickly and with much haste - here's a quote from Christopher Hitchens and George Carlin

"Religion. Religion easily has the greatest bullshit story ever told. Think about it. Religion, has actually convinced people... that there’s an invisible man! Living in the sky! Who watches everything you do, every minute, of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does NOT WANT YOU TO DO. And if you do any of these 10 things, he has a special place full of fire, and smoke, and burning, and torture, and aguish where he will send YOU, to live and suffer and burn, and choke, and scream, and cry, forever and ever till the end of time. …but he loves you. He loves you. He loves you and he needs money." -George Carlin “You’re All Diseased.”

"What can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof." -Christopher Hitchens

Public Option DOA

The left is OUTRAGED! The Senate Finance Committee has voted against creating a new government health insurance plan to compete with the private market. The 15-to-8 vote could forecast the fate of the public option in the Senate as a whole. And, remember, it was the Democrats who voted against it.

Funny how the left bangs away on their keyboards and expects to be given 'free' healthcare

81% of Democratic voters support the public option, but 19 million health insurance lobby dollars support the five Democratic Senators who voted against it.

Meh, I, for one, expect to see the metric system implemented before sensible medical reform in the United States.

PS - Jesus! You're not scrubbed in, and you have an open wound! For Christ's sake - oh

Obamagoths

Barack and Michelle Obama with Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and his family + goth daughters.

Monday Morning Quarterback

Bears came back and defeated a team they were supposed to wipe off the bottom of their foot. I felt really good about the win, until I realized that Seattle was missing half their regular starters.

Washington bailed out Detroit, again.

Favre out Favred Favre - thanks to a little help from his friends

Colts and Cardinals on Sunday Night. Looks like Kurt is back to his old crappy self again.

Steelers are looking a little rusty.

Saints and Jets are 3-0. Wha?

And the long drawn out failure that is the 2009 Cubs season is finally over, while the Yankee's $201.4 million gamble has (finally) netted them an AL East Division title.

Defeat the Police State

http://Sons-of-Liberty.me
http://Dont-Tread-On.Me

"When you are aware, you can prepare." Chris Duane
** Help spread this video: rate it, comment on it, favorite it, share it **

Microsoft’s OMGIGP, a.k.a. That Puking Video

When Microsoft decided to talk about Internet Explorer 8, the company reps said Microsoft’s goal with IE8 was to erase perceptions of Internet Explorer 6. Apparently lurid images of puking were part of that strategy. I still remember the atrocious IE 6 as clearly as the time I suffered from near-death mono. And your puke-fest video makes me want to keep a more-than-safe distance from IE 8 too.

Have you guys thought about getting a new marketing team?

16 Steps to Improve Healthcare

16 steps to improve healthcare without involving more government... from Dr. Ron Paul.

Just 41% of voters nationwide now favor the health care reform proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. That’s down two points from a week ago and the lowest level of support yet measured.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% are opposed to the plan. (see graph)

Then I found this in the Congressional record:
"Rep. Ronald Paul [R-TX14]: Mr. Speaker, our government has been mismanaging medical care for more than 45 years. For every problem it has created, it has responded by exponentially expanding the role of government.

Here are some points I'd like to have my colleagues consider. Number one, no one has a right to medical care. If one assumes such a right, it endorses the notion that some individuals have a right to someone else's life and property. This totally contradicts the principles of liberty.

Number two, if medical care is provided by government, this can only be achieved by an authoritarian government unconcerned about the rights of the individual.
Number three, economic fallacies accepted for more than 100 years in the United States have deceived policymakers into believing that quality care can only be achieved by government force, taxation, regulations, and bowing to a system of special interests that creates a system of corporatism.

Number four, more dollars into any monopoly run by government never increases quality, but it always results in higher costs and prices.

Number five, government does have an important role to play in facilitating the delivery of all goods and services in an ethical and efficient manner.
Number six, first, government should do no harm. It should get out of the way and repeal all of the laws that have contributed to the mess we have.

Number seven, the costs are obviously too high, but in solving this problem one cannot ignore the debasement of the currency as a major factor.

Number eight, bureaucrats and other third parties must never be allowed to interfere in the doctor-patient relationship.

Number 9, the Tax Code, including the ERISA laws, must be changed to give everyone equal treatment by allowing a 100 percent tax credit for all medical expenses.

Laws dealing with bad outcomes and prohibiting doctors from entering into voluntary agreements with their patients must be repealed. Tort laws play a significant role in pushing costs higher, prompting unnecessary treatment and excessive testing. Patients deserve the compensation; the attorneys do not.

Number 10, insurance sales should be legalized nationally across State lines to increase competition among the insurance companies.

Number 11, long-term insurance policies should be available to young people similar to term life insurances that offer fixed prices for long periods of time.

Number 12, the principle of insurance should be remembered. Its purpose in a free market is to measure risk, not to be used synonymously with social welfare programs. Any program that provides for first-dollar payment is no longer insurance. This would be similar to giving coverage for gasoline and repair bills to those who buy car insurance or providing food insurance for people who go to the grocery store. Obviously, that would not work.

Number 13, the cozy relationship between organized medicine and government must be reversed.

Early on medical insurance was promoted by the medical community in order to boost reimbursements to doctors and hospitals. That partnership has morphed into the government/insurance industry still being promoted by the current administration.

Number 14, threatening individuals with huge fines by forcing them to buy insurance is a boon to the insurance companies.

Number 15, there must be more competition for individuals entering into the medical field. Licensing strictly limits the number of individuals who can provide patient care. A lot of problems were created in the 20th century as a consequence of the Flexner Report in 1910, which was financed by the Carnegie Foundation and strongly supported by the AMA. Many medical schools were closed, and the number of doctors was drastically reduced. The motivation was to close down medical schools that catered to women, minorities, and especially homeopathy. We continue to suffer from these changes, which were designed to protect physicians' income and promote allopathic medicine over the natural cures and prevention of homeopathic medicine.

Number 16, we must remove any obstacle for people seeking holistic and nutritional alternatives to current medical care. We must remove the threat of further regulations pushed by the drug companies now working worldwide to limit these alternatives.

True competition in the delivery of medical care is what is needed, not more government meddling."

Give the Doctor a Hurrumph.

Pederast Polanski finally arrested on that outstanding warrant

Film director Roman Polanski has been taken into custody on a 31-year-old US arrest warrant, Swiss police say.

Mr Polanski, 76, was detained on Saturday as he travelled from France to collect a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival.

The Swiss justice ministry said he was being held ahead of a possible extradition to the US for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977.

What's a pederast, Walter?

Sunday Comics

The Last Pancake Supper

The Far Left Side by Mike "Lefty" Stanfill

MJ was Dorky Once

Here's a picture of Michael Jordan Urkeling it up in his dorm room in 1983.

And playing Mrs. Pac Man. I'm sure he was AWESOME at Mrs. Pac Man. He could probably get to the Pear level on one life!

Here's some more from MJ the College Years

Saturday Morning Cartoons

Oh the world owes us a livin' --

Walt Disney, always the anti-Communist, drives the point through the classic morality tale about not working.

Could be applied to athletes, movie stars, or just procrastinators.

And don't try to tell me that the ants are the Socialists. They're a family. And they did give charity to that lazy fuggin' grasshopper at the end. But under the condition of work.

Saturday Morning Cartoons

Coyote Finally Gets The Roadrunner
NSFW Language and Cartoon Violence

Marketing Fail, or Win?

This is either so bad, it's full of win - or I just don't know what works anymore

But we were going to be BFFs!

U.S. Accuses Iran of Concealing Nuclear Site

President Obama and the leaders of Britain and France accused Iran of building a secret underground plant to manufacture nuclear fuel, charging that Iran has hidden the covert facility for years from international weapons inspectors, according to senior administration officials.

Read More:

But, but, Hillary Pantsuit gave you a note - and that note said that we all want to be friends, and we were going to talk after class, and we were going to hold hands.... This means that the Jewish kid Israel was right about your all along. You really are a dirty lier and and cheater. You just wait until the other kids on the playground hear about this! I'm totally going to tattle on you! You can bet that they're all going to gang up on you and write you a nasty note condemning you. There's no way anyone is going to trade stickers with you anymore. We might all even get together and TP your house, you stinker face! I don't like you anymore, Iran.

Some Stats on Guns

Did you know:

Americans use a gun in self defense once every 13 seconds:

• The National Self Defense Survey, as conducted by Florida State University criminologists in 1994, indicates that Americans use guns in self defense 2,500,000 times per year, which is once every 13 seconds.
• In about 30% of the defensive gun uses, the would-be victim believes that the gun “almost certainly” or “probably” saved a life.
• In more than 1/2 of the self defense gun uses, the would-be victim was under attack by 2 or more criminals, making a firearm the only viable means of self defense for most people.
• The overwhelming majority of these defensive gun uses were never reported by the news media.
• Gun ownership protects 65 lives for every 2 lives lost.

For those who wish to read the peer reviewed and published studies substantiating these facts, see:

“Armed Resistance to Crime: The Prevalence and Nature of Self-Defense with a Gun,” Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz, in The Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, Northwestern University School of Law, Volume 86, Number 1, Fall, 1995

“Guns in the Medical Literature – A Failure of Peer Review.” Dr. Suter, Journal of the Medical Association of Georgia. March 1994.

An interview with the author of this study, Dr. Gary Kleck, can be seen here. Oh, and here's a picture of a very attractive woman posing with a weapon. Cap'n doesn't recommend this type of attire at the firing range, but I certainly don't condone it.

Needs More Cowbell

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Heh, he.. what the hell was that? Are you guys serious? Oh, you're trying to be funny? Of the few celebs that I actually recognized, I'm surprised at the giant brass balls that Will Farrell has. I mean, 10 bucks a head to see 'Bewitched' or 'Land of the Lost'?' And you're talking about greed? Here's Will's salary from a couple of the things he's done lately... (imdb)

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006): $20,000,000
Bewitched (2005): $20,000,000
Kicking & Screaming (2005): $20,000,000
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004): $7,000,000

That's as hypocritical as having to pay money to watch Michael Moore's movie about the evils of capitalism!

And the message, if you got through it all... As with any who-the-hell-is-that-guy-he's-a-celebrity-?- political spots, it’s boring and three times longer than it needs to be simply in order to accommodate everyone involved with sufficient camera time. If you didn't fall asleep watching it, you’ll learn that (a) apparently 80 percent of America wants the public option, [which is news to me] and (b) people who make millions churning out one unwatchable piles of bile after another, inexplicably feel no shame in accusing insurance executives of being overpaid. God bless America.

Well, Mr. Farrell, I do believe you've made my list for...

Blasphemes Hypocrite of the Week.

Put that on your mantel with all those awards- ooh. Sore spot.

Racist Ice

Just as Chairman Obama badmouthed the country he serves and outlines how he's going to save the earth, some unpleasant news came out.

In National Geographic this week:

Oops. Arctic Ice to last longer than we hoped -er- expected.

This year’s cooler-than-expected summer means the Arctic probably won’t experience ice-free summers (predicted about a year ago) until 2030 or 2040.

Dang. So much for that Northwest Passage.

Some models had previously predicted that the Arctic could be ice free in summer by as soon as 2013, due to rising temperatures from global warming.

Scientifically, what does this tell us about the climate-change models used to make this hysterical claim? Ahem. What have I been ranting about all along?

There's no way that a computer model can... look, it can't even predict the weather about a week out, let alone the next decade. And AGAIN, I've yet to see one that factors in the sun or the heat absorbing properties of the earth's oceans.

But seriously, you know the argument that the scientists who disagree with ClimateFaith(tm) must be bought off by oil money? Well, let me ask this: if you were a real climatologist would you risk losing piles of government money by disagreeing with some political hack who couldn't even beat George Bush in a general election, or would you just quietly nod and agree?

Just proves to me that that white ice is racist and is trying to undermine our President.

Ultimate Praying Challenge!

She's 23

Newspaper Bail Out?

Is there any industry that Barack Obama won’t bail out? Regardless of it’s own incompetence ?

Nope:

Saying he is a “big newspaper junkie,” President Obama expressed hope on Friday that newspapers can find their way through the financial crisis most are now mired in.

In an Oval Office interview with editors from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Blade, the President talked about the vital role journalism and newspapers play in American society.

“Journalistic integrity, you know, fact-based reporting, serious investigative reporting, how to retain those ethics in all these different new media and how to make sure that it’s paid for, is really a challenge,” Mr. Obama said. “But it’s something that I think is absolutely critical to the health of our democracy.”

(…)

Mr. Obama said he noted the trend. “I am concerned that if the direction of the news is all blogosphere, all opinions, with no serious fact-checking, no serious attempts to put stories in context, that what you will end up getting is people shouting at each other across the void but not a lot of mutual understanding,” the President said.

“What I hope is that people start understanding if you’re getting your newspaper over the Internet, that’s not free and there’s got to be a way to find a business model that supports that.”

Where oh where do I start ?

Golly, where will I get my news from? Oh, but you're going to need the AP and Reuters right?

If it weren’t for YouTube and Twitter would you have known what was going on in Iran?

How about the Dan Rather/Bush National Guard story in '04? Someone finally was able to call Rather and CBS on not doing their homework.

I'd say there are more resources now than just cutn'pasting AP wire stories now-a-days.

Furthermore, Obama’s complaint about the Internet being “people shouting at each other across the void but not a lot of mutual understanding” ignores the history of print media itself. Even as recently as 50 years ago, newspapers were biased as World Net Daily and the Daily Koz: and they were hardly the vanguard of rational debate on issues of the day, and they didn’t always perform their supposed role of information the public.

Also, I don't like the State actually owning a media outlet. It's one thing for only five corporations to do it, it's another all together for the State to physically own the news. As it is, his Administration has been accused of using the NEA for political purposes.

Sigh, just another day. What's the over-under of Obama bailing out the candlestick makers and the Whaling industries next?

Water on the Moon

I've been informed that there will be a press conference at NASA HQ at 2:00 pm this Thursday featuring lunar scientist Carle Pieters from Brown University.

The topic of the press briefing will be a paper that will appear in this week's issue of Science magazine wherein results from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) aboard Chandrayaan-1 will be revealed.

The take home message: there is a lot of water on the Moon. Lots.

Me? I'll be looking forward to that cool refreshing one thousand dollar Evian bottle to be hitting Target stores for the holidays in 2024.

Vietnam - er - Afghanistan

The situation in Vietnam - er - Afghanistan is growing worse, and without more boots on the ground the U.S. risks failure in a war it's been waging since September -1959- er, sorry, keeps slipping - 1959 - No, 2001, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Vietnam - dang - Afghanistan says in a confidential report.

"Resources will not win this war, but under-resourcing could lose it," Gen. William C. Westmoreland - sorry - Gen. Stanley McChrystal wrote in a five-page Commander's Summary. His 66-page report, sent to Defense Secretary Robert McNamera - no, Robert Gates - on Aug. 30, is now under review by President Lyndon B. Joh- Barack Obama.

Details of Westmoreland - d'oh, again! - McChrystal's assessment were first reported late Sunday by The Washington Post. The newspaper posted a link to the report on its - newspaper - no -Web site, with some operational details withheld at the request of the Pentagon.

"Although considerable effort and sacrifice have resulted in some progress, many indicators suggest the overall effort is deteriorating," McChrystal said of the war's progress.

While asserting that more troops are needed, McChrystal also pointed out an "urgent need" to significantly revise strategy. The U.S. needs to interact better with the -Vietnamese - agh! - Afghan people, McChrystal said, and better organize its efforts with NATO allies.

"We run the risk of strategic defeat by pursuing tactical wins that cause civilian casualties or unnecessary collateral damage. The insurgents cannot defeat us militarily; but we can defeat ourselves."

Look gang, I think we need to reassess what our goals really are in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our treasury has been depleted to win a war that cannot be won. Darius the Great, Alexander the Great, Chandragupta Maura, Ashoka, Kanishka, Menander, Atilla the Hun, Genghis Khan, Timur, Mahmud Ghazni, Mahmud Ghori, Babur, Hmanyun, Akbar, Nadir Shah... the British Empire, the Soviet Union, and now the United States. What an interesting fraternity. And even those that had early victories - they found it was impossible to keep their possessions very long.

Let's be clear, I very much support our troops and our troop's families. I think we all need to look long and hard as to why we're being asked to escalate the war in Afghanistan.

Even Genghis figured that out. And he wasn't there to win "hearts and minds."

Milton Bradley - You Are The Weakest Link, Goodbye

The headline was the first thing I thought of.

All I'm going to say about Milton Bradley and his games are that Jim Hendry should lose his job over this too.

I said this a month ago, and the day they signed him.

Still doesn't change the fact that the Cubs still suck. It doesn't matter if Bradley's gone, fired, they eat his contract, the whole chain is just about useless.

Obama to Paterson: DIAF

Mr. Obama, who seems to have an opinion on everyone else's business, from GM, to Kayne to Israel to what's best for Poland (on the very anniversary of Stalin's men invading), tells NY Gov. David Paterson to get the hell out of the NY governor's race.

However, Obama's track record on getting results by telling Governors what to do is 0-2. He told IL Gov. Rod Blagojevich to get the hell out of town too. Rod told Barack to stick it, and mumbled something about Rahm Emanuel.

The fun part about this story is that Paterson is a WORSE governor than Elliot Spitzer - who thought that paying for high priced hookers was a good idea, while in office, and after prosecuting people for doing the same thing - and it's come to the point where Paterson isn't listening. I'm sure the Democratic party fears that Rudy Fooli-ani, er Giuliani will come back and run (and Win) the governorship of NY.

In the meantime, wait about ten seconds before the folks on FOX News start shouting that Obama is a racist or is against blind people, or some crap. Well, they're using the race card on the Tea Party people, no doubt since it's already on the table - it'll be used again by Paterson's people, and might keep the more popular Attorney General Andrew Cuomo out of the race.

My god, can't we get some new people into this game of politics?

Sunday Comics

This is what Civil War in America means

This is what Civil War in America means

Recently many individuals and groups have started talking about another civil war in America. These people are not just from one ideology nor are they from obscure fringe groups. State Governors and elected representatives are some of the people calling for open warfare in America. As a soldier I was sent to combat zones in Iraq and Kosovo where open civil war was happening. I am writing this because American civilians have no idea what open warfare is. Before someone makes the first move and starts something that cannot be undone I think we all need to know what life would be like in our hometowns in the event of war.

To start with civil war would not be between two well defined groups. There would be no less than three groups in any one area and dozens in some areas. The federal government would be the third party in any armed conflict. At the beginning of civil war there would be martial law. The federal government would actively kill and imprison all persons not a member of the armed forces that participated in combat. Because of the degradation of our constitution the federal government no longer has any legal restraints. The President, whomever that person may be, has dictatorial powers because of such things as directive 51.

For those who think they would join any side in a civil war know this: When your enemies find out who you are everyone you know and care about would be in danger. All non combatants would also be in danger of death. Your enemies will kill everyone connected to you. This means your mom working at the local grocery store, your sons and daughters at grade school, or your grandparents at their home would all be targets for assassination. Before picking up arms to solve our problems remember that you will be putting all the people you know at risk of death.

Do not think that civil war would be limited to rifles. The only thing America actually produces is weapons of mass destruction. This includes mortars, grenades, rockets, land mines and the deadliest chemical weapons on the planet. We also have the world’s largest stockpile of nuclear weapons. This means when your mom goes to work your enemies will bomb and mortar the building she works in. Your child’s school will have the same fate. Know that if you survive any length of time you will see everyone you know die if there is civil war.

Some State Governors think they can simply secede from the union without bloodshed. This is a ridiculous delusion. If a state legislation does this there would be instant civil war. On every military installation across the globe American soldiers would kill each other overnight. Post commanders would have to detainee and execute all those not aligned with their own ideology. This means if your post commander is a republican all those soldiers known to be liberals would be executed. Liberal commanders would do the same to republicans.

The next thing to think about is the duration of the conflict. Simply put you will never see the end of it. If you live out your normal life and die of old age you will still not see the end of civil war. In the event of civil war America would never recover. There would never again be a union of 50 states. Instead our descendants would have several different nations just like Western Europe does.

Let us not forget our large stockpile of nuclear weapons. How long would it take for a conservative faction to nuke San Francisco or Seattle? How long would it take a mentally disturbed liberal to nuke parts of Texas and Alaska? Scarred and war weary soldiers will use whatever weapons they have at hand. So if you still want civil war in America remember that we have several hundred nuclear weapons to play with.

My whole point of this is that if you want to fix America then start restoring the things that made America in the first place. These things are the Constitution and the rule of law. There is no such thing as a unified people. We are all different from one another. The only thing that makes any nation is a constitution. The only civil society is the one that recognizes universal human rights. The only free nation is the one that obeys the rule of law. If you really want to fix America restore these things. This means voting.

The Foxholeatheist

Dear Foxholeatheist,

Let me start by thanking you for your service. Also, thank you for sending your blogpost to Blasphemes. Your descriptions of a second civil war in America are chilling and I'm sure with your experience, are also spot on accurate.

To add to your point, I would say that in the final days of the actual Civil War in America, just before his surrender at Appomattox, General Lee resisted please by his officers to reject surrender and allow small units to melt away into the mountains, changing the war from regiments to guerrilla war. Luckily for all Americans, Lee's gentleman's honor would not allow it. If not for this one decision by Lee, I am convinced that America would still be fighting the Civil War - in a Northern Ireland sort of fashion.

I agree with you, that voting and restoring the rule of law and the Constitution are the ways to start fixing America. Uphold, protect, defend the Constitution. But to do this, we should also keep all our options on the table.

2nd Amendment

Saturday Morning Cartoons

Bugs Bunny - Baseball Bugs

PA Nullifying Some Federal Gun Laws?

Pennsylvania to Consider Nullifying Some Federal Gun Laws

Pennsylvania State Representative Sam Rohrer has introduced the “Firearms Freedom Act” (HB1988) for consideration in the state legislature. The bill is “An Act prohibiting certain firearms, firearm accessories or ammunition from being subject to Federal law or Federal regulation.”

HB1988 currently has 48 additional co-sponsors, and according to FirearmsFreedomAct.com, is similar to bills recently enacted into law in both Montana and Tennessee. While the bill seems to focus solely on federal gun regulations, it has far more to do with the 10th Amendment’s limit on the power of the federal government. It specifically states:

The regulation of intrastate commerce is vested in the states under the 9th and 10th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, particularly if not expressly preempted by federal law. Congress has not expressly preempted state regulation of intrastate commerce pertaining to the manufacture on an intrastate basis of firearms, firearms accessories, and ammunition.

Rohrer, in a recent letter to Pennsylvania House Members, addressed the issue of the commerce clause:

Under the current, expansive interpretation of the Interstate Commerce Clause in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, it is permissible for the federal government to regulate the sale of goods that are manufactured and sold exclusively within a state’s borders. Effectively, the federal courts hold that if a product might possibly find its way into streams of interstate commerce, federal laws to regulate that product are appropriate. The product need not actually be sold between states.

In 1942, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against a farmer who was fined by the federal government for growing too much wheat. Effectively, the argument in Wickard v. Filburn was that the wheat he grew and consumed himself would lead to decreased wheat sales in other states, so it fell under federal jurisdiction because of the interstate commerce clause.

As recently as 2005 (Gonzales v. Raich), the U.S. Supreme Court cited Wickard as standing for the proposition that “Congress can regulate purely intrastate activity that is not itself “commercial,” in that it is not produced for interstate sale, if it concludes that failure to regulate that class of activity would undercut the regulation of the interstate market in that commodity.”

According to the U.S. Supreme Court, wheat (in Wickard) and medical marijuana (in Raich) are completely indistinguishable from such products made and sold in interstate commerce, so federal regulation is appropriate.

Under my bill, the policy of this Commonwealth would be that firearms and firearm accessories manufactured and exclusively sold in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, carrying the brand “Made in Pennsylvania” (all clear indicators of intrastate commerce), would be subject only to state law.

What does all this mean? Nullification by way of the 10th Amendment.

The principle behind such legislation is nullification, which has a long history in the American tradition. When a state ‘nullifies’ a federal law, it is proclaiming that the law in question is void and inoperative, or ‘non-effective,’ within the boundaries of that state; or, in other words, not a law as far as the state is concerned.

All across the country, activists and state-legislators are pressing for similar legislation to nullify specific federal laws within their states.

A proposed State Constitutional Amendment to effectively ban national health care will go to a vote in Arizona in 2010, and up to 10 states may consider similar Amendment proposals next session.

While some advocates and legal theorists concede that a 10th Amendment federal court battle has a slim chance of success, they point to the successful nullification of the Real ID Act as a blueprint to resist various federal laws that they see as outside the scope of the Constitution.

In the past 2 years, nearly two dozen state legislatures passed resolutions and laws refusing to implement the 2005 Real ID Act. Because of this, and without congressional repeal, The Bush-era law is effectively null and void.

Some advocates of these efforts say it doesn’t matter whether or not the federal government agrees, or even if it threatens states over funding, as they did recently with Oklahoma. Gary Marbut, author of the Montana Firearms Freedom Act, took this position in a recent interview with the Tenth Amendment Center:

“We’re not depending on permission from federal judges to be able to effectuate our state-made guns bills. And, we’re working on other strategies to wrest essential and effective power from the federal government and put it where it belongs.“

Which means there's a growing state level rebellion brewing.

Journalist's Guide to Firearms

Was just sent this from our new good friend Rob Ballen.

Be sure to check out his site.

My Suggestions for Teabaggers

Okay guys, I understand your outrage. The economy is bust, you're frustrated, no one's getting any sleep, ...all while your government is overreaching and trying to take more of your money and give it to their cousins and cronies. But, like any group, you've got a couple folks in your ranks that are making the rest of you look like fringe weirdos. Not you, but the guy standing next to you. Yeah, that guy.

So here's some ideas I have that I'd like to share with you to help you on your way.

1. Change your name. It's early in the movement. You can get away with a brand shift now. But the name you've chosen or have been given means something that I don't think you realize what it means. That's why there are a lot of media types making fun of you - to your face - and you don't really 'get' the joke. Think Boston Tea Party or Revolution 2.0 or just the Tea Party rather than 'teabaggers.' Really. Ask a teenager or google it. You really have to change the name.

2. Learn your history. Figure out that Reagan and Bush ran huge massive Federal deficits too. And not that Bush, the other Bush. Also...

3. Learn your quotes. I'm guilty of this too - but you can't cherry pick Jefferson and Hamilton quotes - and put them on the same banner. Jefferson and Hamilton hated each other. And Jefferson was much more of a Democrat than a Republican - while Hamilton seems very Libertarian would have loved the Fed. So, if you follow step two you'll be more conscious of what exactly you're having your daughter march with.

4. Medicare and Medicaid are government socialized medicine. If you read a sign that says 'keep your hands off of my Medicare' - send the person home to read a book. You don't need this person in your group, they only slow down your movement and attract wolves.

5. Kick out the Klan. If there really are any racists in your group, ditch 'em. No one wants to listen to that crap - and if they really don't like the President because they can't get past his skin color, then they're in the wrong group. You're against the President's policies and his actions as the representative of you and your country... those who can only look at color already has a group. They wear white sheets and pointy hats. Send them back. Don't let anyone use the race card.

6. Leave the weapon at home. We're all big supporters of the 2nd Amendment (well, a couple of us anyway) at Blasphemes. Search our archives and you might find a couple gun related stories. I understand that you want to remind your employees that you are the boss, not them and that is a very nice reminder. But brining weapons to protests scares folks who don't get it, puts the police and Secret Service at edge, and makes for good cable news talking points - at your expense.

7. How about a dress code? You should all dress nicely, in your Sunday best. Or better, suits and ties for the men. You're the management of the politician pond scum that you elected, so show 'em who's boss. A well dressed crowd would scare the piss out of a politician - and it did at some of the Town Halls. So much that the pundits thought that you were all plants by the insurance industry. The LL Bean's. Keep going with that. Have a dress code... but avoid uniforms. Especially black or brown shirts. You really don't want to give the wrong impression. If you don't get the reference, please repeat step 2.

8. Protests and street marching? Really? Back to the '60's, huh? Is that the best you can do? You know what I see? Hippies with signs. Fine, if you're going to go all Mahatma Gandi then get creative with it. Consider sit ins at the DMV. Ah, but who would notice? How about sit ins at your Representative or Senator's office? That'd be interesting. Tell them that you want to talk to your employee. Not there? How about his house? You paid for it. Think of other interesting, and new ways to get your point across. May I suggest something along the lines of "What would John Galt do?" Again, if someone in the group is scratching their heads - point them to the library (yikes, public institution, er) - how about Borders?

9. Political Take-Over. The Republican party is weak and disorganized. If you can accomplish 1-6 and maybe 7, you'll be a political force. You can effectively create a hostile takeover of the Republicans and replace that old deck with new platforms. Hang a banner that says "Under New Management." Why grow grassroots when you can take over a tree? Sure it's rotten to the core, but there's an infrastructure for local elections and fundraising that can be used. And find a leader who isn't Sarah Palin. Or Glen Beck. And for the love of god - please leave out 'the love of god' when you rebuild the thing. If you really believe in the Constitution, you'll remember the separation of church and state is clearly stated in there.

10. Don't get drunk with power. It took the Democrats about 3 months before they were even worse than the Republicans they replaced with spending and arrogance and hypocrisy. IF you are able to keep your ideals and actually work toward implementing your Tea Party tenants... you'll be the only group in history to follow through with their promises. Even the Democrats, with all their posturing, are so busy bumping into each other they can't get anything done.

Good luck. Don't forget to vote.

Peter, Paul and...

Mary Travers, a Member of Peter, Paul and Mary, Has Died at 72

Mary Travers, whose ringing, earnest vocals with the folk
trio Peter, Paul and Mary made songs like "Blowin' in the
Wind," "If I Had a Hammer" and "Where Have All the Flowers
Gone?" enduring anthems of the 1960s protest movement, has
died at 72.

Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com?emc=na


Well Mary won't have to steal from Peter to pay Paul anymore.
She sure outlived Mama Cass.
There's a Puff the Magic Dragon gag in there if she's cremated. Blowin' in the Wind too.

Differences

Democrats: The people in power can’t be trusted. You need to remove them and put our guys in charge

Republicans: The people in power can’t be trusted. You need to remove them and put our guys in charge

libertarians: People in power can’t be trusted. You need to remove their power and be in charge of your own damn self

Everyone else: Hey - didja hear Ellen is going to be on American Idol this year?

Soda Tax

The head of Coca-Cola came out swinging against the proposals to impose special taxes on soft drinks:

Sept. 14 (Bloomberg) — Coca-Cola Co. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Muhtar Kent said the idea of a federal tax on soft drinks, under consideration by the U.S. Congress and President Barack Obama, is “outrageous.”
“I have never seen it work where a government tells people what to eat and what to drink,” Kent said today, responding to an audience question at the Rotary Club of Atlanta. “If it worked, the Soviet Union would still be around.

2 More Times

Okay, the Kayne memes are getting nuts... but THESE TWO are perfect for Blasphemes.

Why we have an Easter Bunny

Makes as much sense as the human version. Loved the chocolate part the most. Thank you Easter Bunny!

Kanye Meme

We all know Kanye is a Douche, But this is going to far.

And of course, it's already an internet meme...

Killed Bill

John Hopskins student kills intruder - with samurai sword

A Johns Hopkins University student armed with a samurai sword killed a man who broke into the garage of his off-campus residence early Tuesday.

According to preliminary reports, a resident called police about a suspicious person. An off-duty officer responded about 1:20 a.m. to the area with university security. They heard shouts and screams from a neighboring house and found the suspected burglar suffering from a nearly severed hand and lacerations to his upper body, he said.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. Thud.

The student told police that he heard a commotion in the house and went downstairs armed with a samurai sword, Guglielmi said. He saw the side door to the garage had been pried open and found a man inside, who lunged at the student.

Detectives were still interviewing the student and his three roommates. Burglars had already stolen two laptops and a Sony PlayStation from the student's home.

The suspected burglar had prior convictions for breaking and entering and had just been released from Baltimore County.

Human Rights by Day, Secret Nazi (collector) at Night

Human Rights Watch, has suspended its senior military analyst following revelations that he is an avid collector of Nazi memorabilia.

HRW had initially thrown its full support behind the analyst, Marc Garlasco, when the news of his hobby came out last week. On Monday night, the group shifted course and suspended him with pay, “pending an investigation,” said Carroll Bogert, the group’s associate director.

Mr. Garlasco declined to be interviewed. But on Friday he posted an essay with theHuffington Post in which he called the Nazis “the worst war criminals of all time,” explaining that he was simply a “military geek” whose interest grew out of his own family’s history.

My first reaction is why should someone's personal collection of wartime memorabilia be anyone's business or under any scrutiny? I can see where some folks, especially his employer, might worry that Marc is a secret Nazi. The largest question that needs to be asked is whether he favors Palestinians over Israel at his job?

Mr. Garlasco, it has been revealed, is not only a collector, he has written a book, more than 400 pages long, about Nazi-era medals. His hobby, inspired he said by a German grandfather conscripted into Hitler’s army, was revealed on a pro-Israel blog, Mere Rhetoric Mere Rhetoric, which quoted his enthusiastic postings on collector sites under the pseudonym “Flak88” — including, “That is so cool! The leather SS jacket makes my blood go cold it is so COOL!”

Hrmmm. My guess is that while Marc's case may be just a terrible misunderstanding - it's proof that personal privacy is gone. Especially anything you do on the internet... speaking of... I think I'll be changing my name to Senior CappyTan.

Oh, and Marc - you are in the lead spot for Blasphemes Hypocrite of the Week. So, good luck with that.

Urlacher

Uh, remember that 'unknown injuries' crack I made yesterday?

Sorry Bears Fans.

Brian Urlacher of Chicago Bears out for season with wrist injury - NFL - SI.com

Warning Sign

Beer

Sometimes when I reflect on all the beer I
drink, I feel ashamed. Then I look into the
glass and think about the workers in the
brewery and all of their hopes and dreams.
If I didn't drink this beer, they might be out
of work and their dreams would be shattered.
I think, "It is better to drink this beer and let
their dreams come true than be selfish and
worry about my liver."

Babe Ruth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When
they wake up in the morning, that's as good
as they're going to feel all day."

Lyndon B. Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave
up reading."

Paul Hornung
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence?
I think not."

H. L.. Mencken
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we
fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no
sin When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. So,
let's all get drunk and go to heaven!"

George Bernard Shaw
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Beer is proof that God loves us and
wants us to be happy."

Benjamin Franklin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Without question, the greatest invention in the history
of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was
also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly
as well with pizza."

Dave Barry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


BEER: HELPING UGLY PEOPLE HAVE SEX SINCE
3000 B.C.!


W. C. Fields
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Remember "I" before "E," except in Budweiser.


Professor Irwin Corey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


To some it's a six-pack, to me it's a
Support Group Salvation in a can!


Leo Durocher
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


One night at Cheers, Cliff Clavin
explained the "Buffalo Theory" to his buddy Norm:

"Well, ya see, Norm, it's like this. A herd of
buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo.
And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and
weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural
selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the
general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members! In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first.. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine!
That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers."

For all you Non Football Fans

What a tough day to not be a sports fan - it's gorgeous outside, there's NFL, baseball playoff hunt, golf and tennis are something to some people.

What's a nerd to do? Here at Blasphemes - we've got you covered. We've got Star Trek doing the Camelot song!

Sunday Night Football

The fever pitch and expectation for a successful Chicago Bears season is the highest its been since Ditka paced the sidelines of the Monsters of the Midway.

When Jay Cutler takes the Bears' snap on Sunday night at Green Bay, he will be the 56th quarterback to do so since Hall of Famer Sid Luckman retired in 1950. Of those QBs, 47 of them were starters. 56. Jebus Christmas. That's a lot of QB's. The fever around Neckbeard's replacement is so nuts - you would have thought that the Bears had Tom Brady on the team tonight (or something better). The expectations are a 'little' high.

The Bears were the dominant NFL team in the 1940s, however since 1950, they've won just two championships. Two.

Injury-prone Jim McMahon, who led the Bears to their only Super Bowl championship, was the only star of the bunch, but to be a nitpicker George Blanda was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame based on his years as a placekicker for the Oakland Raiders. Back to the Bears, since 1985, no team has come close to beating the dead horse of one Super Bowl win like the Bears have. It's kind of like the 72's Dolphins... and I'm sick to high heaven about that pile of old turds too.

Look, I like the Bears on paper - but like the Cubs - they look great on paper. I would like to think that this talented team can get a wild card spot this year, even with a couple unknown injuries. But it's a rebuilding year - and it's going to be an interesting NFC Central this year, it might even be competitive. Let's just make sure we put on a couple extra burnt offerings on the BBQ and see what happens.

PS - bring back the Honeybears!

Great Jerb

I am proud to see that government edumicashon is doin' a great jerb.

Saturday Morning Cartoons

Rejected Cartoons by: Don Hertzfeldt

Never Forget

Never forget... when Cookie Monster got super huge and ate the World Trade Center in 1976...

How to Explain 9-11 To Kids

Take out the blocks, arrange them in a lower Manhattan skyline, then get a couple die cast airplanes - then fling them at the towers as hard as you can.

But if you're a truther, it's a little harder. Set the whole thing up months ahead of time - somehow don't tell ANYONE about it. Then place Black Cat firecrackers inside all of the blocks. Then place them in one of the buildings next to it as well. Be sure that you pay everyone off to keep them quiet, or kill them off ahead of time.

Then, orchestrate a false flag die cast plane hostage crisis - four planes, maybe more. Ditch the planes and the passengers somehow then hit the Pentagon with a missile or a Matchbox truck bomb, again, don't tell anyone...

...do I need to continue this nonsense? Can't we just all agree that our government was asleep at the wheel while some religious fundamentalists who were pissed off at the United States for meddling with world affairs fought back in a spectacular Jerry Bruckheimer inspired terror display? Then the terrorists who expected the paper lion to fold were caught with their pants down as the U.S. fought back by overreacting to the point of tearing up the Constitution and depleting the treasury.

goddamn it.

Bert & Ernie tries Gangsta-Rap

Why is America so Complacent?

Dear Cappy,

Why is America so complacent?

America doesn't really riot any more. It doesn't get up in arms about important things any more. It doesn't make its elected people work for it. It doesn't seem to know what it wants for itself. Why is this? Initially I thought "Happy-TV" was what controlled people and made them forget about their problems, but other countries have similar television programming and yet they get shit done for the people (France). Then it suddenly occurred to me. "Divided we fall." "Divide and Conquer." How easy it would be to put a population to work for the benefit of a few... Give the people instant gratification while setting the stage with a grandiose bloodless fight of opposing ideas and heaps of skewed truths constantly pumped into the culture and minds of America. It becomes a civil war of identity.

by miloir

Dear Miloir,

Thanks for the question and subject matter for Blasphemes today. Here's my immediate cynical take on it.

First off, America has been bought and paid for many years before we got here. "The 60's are over, Mr. Lebowski. Your revolution is over. The bums lost." Anyone who stood up to take on the establishment has been assassinated or labeled as a kook on the fringe - left and right. So who in their right mind wants to take a stand?

Besides, Americans are fat - meaning they're full. Hungry people riot. People who have nothing left to lose riot. Opportunists also riot. And yes, American Idol is on... The American Karaoke Contest, I like to call it.

Americans that do take to the streets can't even unite under one banner or one single protest - they're a mishmash of differing opinions and hipsters looking to get laid. Protests are ineffectual, we still went into Iraq, and we're escalating the war in Afghanistan.

The most Americans do anymore is bitch on the internet or cutn'paste something about Healthcare on their Facebook status and think that creates a meaningful change.

When Americans do discuss real politics, most of the discourse is so uninformed, you mostly get a bunch of people complaining or screaming at each other about some ridiculous made up talking point that is being propagated by a political activist group. Again, left and right are equally to blame.

However, the real American - the average American, is a guy in a blue shirt and khaki pants. He still believes in the opportunity that his country offers. The average guy has a chance to work in a field that he wants to work in, and one where that work CAN be rewarded. They believe in Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll - but still have a set of religious influenced morals and don't mind their job at the Big Evil Corporation, Inc. Well, enough not to rock the boat to get fired. That's the middle ground kind of guy. Kind of a libertarian more than a liberal or conservative. But he'd never agree that he's a libertarian. Just a guy trying to get by.

That's my half cent. I can't afford the other 1 and a half.

Cap'n

What does god need with a jet?

Preacher says God wanted him to hijack Mexican jet

What does god need with a AeroMexico Jet?

You've Been Warned

Well, I think that covers just about everybody....

If you're selling crazy, no thanks, we're all full up at my place.

A Doctor Drops Question

Dear Cap'n and Blasphemes,

Let's get to the bottom of something. I'm a doctor. How much do you think I should make?

To the folks in favor of a single-payer option should realize this would create a monopsony on health care, essentially leading to the government dictating what physician salaries would be. Now...this isn't necessarily a bad thing for physicians. For example, in the Dutch single-payer system physicians are compensated very well, resulting in salaries which are actually higher than their American counterparts.

My pertinent professional details: Education and Training: 4 years college, 4 years medical school, 5 years post-graduate training. The 4 years of college and 4 years of medical school represent, together, a total of ~$180k of tuition and another 8 years x whatever you want to allot of room and board. Salary during residency is dictated essentially by the US government (socialism!) and averaged ~$45k a year or so. I went "straight through" the system and got my first real job at age 31.

I average 50 to 55 hours of work a week and am available 24 hours a day M-F by phone for my patients currently on treatment*. I share weekend call with 5 other physicians in town.

*On treatment? What does that mean? I am a radiation oncologist, meaning I use x-rays to treat cancer. I am trained in brachytherapy implants for gynecologic cancers, breast, head and neck, and prostate cancer, as well as the use of external beam radiation therapy and stereotactic radiosurgery for the treatment of both intra- and extra-cranial malignancies. (Got a bit technical there, I know, but I naturally always assume you guys to be intelligent and well-versed in the ways of The Google. I could have said "I'm a cancer doctor" and been done with it.

So... if the US were to move to a "single-payer" system, as dictated by the economics of the situation, the governement's reimbursement rates would essentially dictate my yearly salary.

What do you think that should be? Just curious.

(To note, please do not take the chance to assume I'm one of those doctor pricks who only focus on the dollars- they do exist. Just today I told a patient I would treat her absolutely for free because she couldn't pay.)

OTN

Dear OTN,
Thanks for taking the time to write. Just wondering, you know, why? I can't speak for the other folks who contribute to Blasphemes.blogspot.com, but I am in support of you earning whatever you are worth.

However, I think you have brought up some valid questions, and I am interested what our readers think. Come on gang. Let's hear from you.