Quote of the Day

"In fact, while it's possible that before Hunter started speaking on her own behalf, I might have entertained the notion that she was a slightly dopey lady who fell hard for a bad man who was running for president and got caught in a very unfortunate saga, I now feel quite confident that in fact she is a borderline simpleton, fame-seeking narcissist whose self-interested grab for attention is likely doing further permanent damage to the Edwards family, including her daughter and her siblings. If her appearance on the Oprah show seemed like an unjust setup, then Hunter proved that, every once in a while, someone so amply meets all expectations for awfulness that it's impossible to muster anything other than loathing for them."

-- Rebecca Traister, in her piece on Oprah's interview with estate wrecker and new-age super genius Rielle Hunter in today's Salon

Remember my fellow Democrats - John Edwards is your Sarah Palin.

Thanks Chez

Spill, Baby, Splill!

Gulf Oil Spill Could Eclipse Exxon Valdez Disaster

The President pledged to "use every single available resource" -- including the U.S. military -- to help the London-based energy giant BP fight the crude oil spill, which was about 3 miles from the marshes of the Mississippi Delta and spreading faster than expected toward the shoreline, according to the Coast Guard.

The widening oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico is the excuse for the Obama Administration to shelve the idea of offshore drilling off the American outer continental shelf. Axelrod just made some announcement that there won't be any more drilling until he, "has answers."

The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig and the estimated 42,000 gallons of oil gushing daily has been feeding the congressional opponents of offshore drilling. They're using this disaster as evidence that offshore drilling threatens the environment, human life, fishing industries and coastal states' tourism dollars and anything else they can run with. Despite all the oil, they're getting a lot of traction.

The success of the massive recovery and containment mission now under way will influence the near-term future of offshore drilling, said Ken Medlock, a fellow in energy economics at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. But don't expect to hear anyone yell "Dril, Baby, Drill" again anytime soon.

Meantime, after the Valdez disaster - which was caused by a drunkard sea Cap'n - the Congress created a bill that required oil companies to "you broke it, you clean it" -- which means that BP is footing the bill. First they waived off the government and said, "no thanks, we got this." Then it got worse, they couldn't shut it off, and still have been unable to cut it off. Then BP said, hey, er, government. Can you lend a hand? We'll still pay for it.

Doug Suttles, the oil company's chief operating officer said, "We'll take help from anyone."

As the slick has grown, 1000 to 5000 barrels a day. And so have potential cleanup costs.

"As the president and the law have made clear, BP is the responsible party" for costs, Napolitano said.

Now, to put this in some kind of perspective before some drunkard sea Cap'n makes some sort of jump to conclusions. How much oil is actually being lost? 5K barrels a day is about the daily consumption of the island of Bermuda. Or the amount consumed by Afghanistan.

The daily consumption of oil in the United States is 20,680,000 barrels of oil.

EACH DAY.

This minor spill is merely a drop in the Gulf.

In order to keep that insatiable appetite for crude, America WILL have to drill. Baby. Drill.

Lee Elia Tirade

27 Years Ago: Lee Elia threw the Best Sports Tirade Ever

(Extreme language warning! NSFW)

This famous tirade by Chicago Cubs manager Lee Elia occurred following a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1983, 27 years ago today.

It was recorded by reporter Les Grobstein.
They started 5-91, and won their last 66 games, so they really did hit that groove like he said.

Che Shirts

South Park Card

Free ad space to the good folks at eecards. Keep up the good work, guys!

Gordon Brown Caught On Tape!

Gordon Brown describes pensioner as a 'bigoted woman'

Gordon Brown has apologized after being caught on microphone describing a voter he had just spoken to in Rochdale as a "bigoted woman.

Not more than a month after American Vice President learned how sensitive microphones are (Big F*ckin' Deal) Gordon Brown forgot to see his sound man and give back his mic pack - or forgot to switch it to 'mute'. Either way, Gordon Brown has now committed the most horrific political gaffe possible in the UK - he spoke his mind.

Now, in penance, he will go on an eight day apology tour - which is mandated by the British people. He has already apologized eight hundred and fifteen times, but that's not nearly enough, and well below British standards of apology.

The incident began when sixty-five-year-old Gillian Duffy, a pensioner, challenged Prime Minister Brown on a number of issues including immigration and crime on a campaign stop.

As he got into his car, he was still wearing a broadcast microphone and was heard to say "that was a disaster".

Mr Brown later phoned Mrs Duffy to apologize after the tape was played to him during a BBC Radio 2 interview.

After listening to the recording, with his forehead resting on his hand, he said: "I do apologize if I've said anything that has been hurtful."

The Prime Minister has even gone to apologize to Mrs Duffy in person.

The comments were made after the conversation with Mrs Duffy which ended with him complimenting her and her family.

As he went to get into his car, Mr Brown told her: "Very nice to meet you, very nice to meet you."

But off camera, and not realizing he still had a Sky News microphone pinned to his shirt, he was heard to tell an aide: "That was a disaster - they should never have put me with that woman. Whose idea was that? It's just ridiculous..."

Mrs Duffy said after hearing of Mr Brown's comments: "I'm very upset. He's an educated person. Why has he come out with words like that?

"He's supposed to be leading the country and he's calling an ordinary woman who's come up and asked questions that most people would ask him... It's going to be tax, tax, tax for another 20 years to get out of this national debt, and he's calling me a bigot."

Mrs Duffy, a widow who has a daughter and two grandchildren, said she used to work with disabled children for Rochdale council before she retired.

She had earlier told reporters she was a lifelong Labour voter and described Mr Brown as being "very nice".

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said it was a disaster for the prime minister because it showed the gap between his public face and private face.

Yes, Americans, this is much much worse than sleeping with a woman who is not his wife.

The Answer to AZ's Law

The Correct Response to "Show Us Your Papers."

Greek Hangover

Like a deadbeat older brother, Greece has defaulted on it's assumed ability to pay their loans back.

"Hey, man, it's like, all good, bro!" assures Greece, as he reaches for his brand new Graphix bong that he bought on extended credit.

But it's not 'all good' for Greece. The younger, more A-type personality that is Germany has made concessions that it's deadbeat brother can get more cash, but only after Greece decides that it's going to clean up it's act and straighten up.

Greece, predictably, sees the call to clean up their act as a personal assault to his feel-good vibe and lifestyle choice.

The rest of Europe sees the foreclosure of his condo as a bad influence on the rest of the unit, as the damage caused by Greece in his latest party may de-value the entire neighborhood. Portugal, Spain and even frugal Ireland may not be able to borrow enough to fund their spending, and that's making the whole world nervous.

Philip Lane, a professor of international economics at Trinity College in Ireland, referring to the Wall Street failures that propelled the financial crisis of 2008. “It is not so much the fundamentals as it is the unwillingness of the market to fund you.”

The rest of Europe is debating whether to bail out Greece, and its opening up old family wounds, and in-fighting within family homes. In Germany, while the sister is willing to reluctantly hand over additional funds to help Greece get a new start, the rest of the household is super pissed about it, and knows he's 'just going to blow it on weed... again!'

It'd be shaping up to be a hilarious Thanksgiving in the E.U., if they celebrated such a thing.

Gold $acks Grilled by Hypocrites in Senate

When the Senate grilled Goldman Sachs execs today they asked, "Where'd you learn to take from your customers, let them lose, and make billions while you bet against them?"
Their answer: I learned by watching you, okay? I learned by watching you!

"Hey, Senator. Blow Me!"

Bud: How much is enough, Gordon? When does it all end, huh? How many yachts can you water-ski behind? How much is enough, huh?
Gekko: It's not a question of enough, pal. It's a Zero Sum game - somebody wins, somebody loses. Money itself isn't lost or made, it's simply, transferred - from one perception to another. Like magic. This painting here? I bought it ten years ago for sixty thousand dollars, I could sell it today for six hundred. The illusion has become real, and the more real it becomes, the more desperately they want it. Capitalism at it's finest.
Bud: How much is enough, Gordon?
Gekko: The richest one percent of this country owns half our country's wealth, five trillion dollars. One third of that comes from hard work, two thirds comes from inheritance, interest on interest accumulating to widows and idiot sons; And what I do, stock and real estate speculation. It's bullshit. You got ninety percent of the American public out there with little or no net worth. I create nothing. I own. We make the rules, pal. The news, war, peace, famine, upheaval, the price per paper clip. We pick that rabbit out of the hat while everybody sits out there wondering how the hell we did it. Now you're not naive enough to think we're living in a democracy, are you buddy? It's the free market. And you're a part of it. You've got that killer instinct. Stick around pal, I've still got a lot to teach you.

On last note... their name is GOLD SACKS... for crying out loud! They don't even understand what everyone is pissed off about.

Blasphemes Exclusive Special Report: TMI

In a moment of clarity (I ran out of booze) I have compiled this special report about a website called Spokeo. Spokeo is an online phone book that has YOUR personal info: a picture of you, your house, your credit score, your profession, age, how many people live your house. In my case, it wasn't too interesting - but if some hot babe were trying to stalk me - she would have found where I dock the boat. Worse, an ex-girlfriend collection agent or someone who doesn't like the goofy crap I write on this here blog could have come knocking on ole' Cappy's door.

If you would like to remove yourself, find the Privacy button on the very bottom right. Copy and paste the url from their own site. Then go to your email as it instructs, and click the link to complete removing yourself and family from its pages. I suggest you also take off your computer illiterate family members, such as your grandmother and elderly aunt - but it will only "allow" you to take off a few at a time in one day, which pissed me off to no end. Even with additional email addresses. Until I can hit it again, I know that my Aunt Tilly is still vulnerable.

Yes, I know all this information about all of us is floating out there. Yes, I open myself up on a semi-regular basis. Yes, I have a Twitter account -- even though I think I only have about 2 spam-bots following me -- but it's the idea that all that info is being brought together in one neat little package. And that's the free side! I can imagine what kind of juicy bits there are for the paying customer?!

Look, maybe it's harmless? But maybe, just maybe, a few folks out there still value their privacy and don't want this information in a neat little package?

So what is it?

Spokeo is people search service that specifically uses social networking sites for details about people. One of Spokeo‘s target audiences is HR Recruiters, who can use Spokeo to get details about job candidates that they may have a hard time getting through a traditional online search. One of the site’s slogans is “Explore Beyond the Resume”. As if the drug test wasn't enough for these people?

Oh, and if you think you’re safe from Spokeo, think twice. It allows people to do in-depth web searches across more than 40 sites, including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Flickr, Linkedin, Picasa, LiveJournal, Friendster, hi5, bebo, YouTube, Photobucket, Amazon, xanga and many more. And you thought the Facebook 'like' button was intrusive?

Again, this should be a wake up call, not just that potential and current employers can have complete access to your personal information - but also complete strangers -- and worse, creepy ex-High School kids. Try to remember this as you put any of your personal or inappropriate information online.

I, however, shall carry on.

In an attempt to make a quick buck...

I just added the new-fangled Facebook "Like" button to this here blog.

Rather than being a bum and asking you nice folks who read on a semi-regular basis to donate money to me, buy some t-shirts or even to say, click on an ad (even once)... I'm determined to annoy the piss out of everyone with this facebook crap. Let's see if anyone bothers? Might be interesting?

(Bet I'd get a lot more if Facebook had a "Dislike" button?)

Bummer Photo Op

Unfortunate picture of the leader of the British Conservative Party, David Cameron

Family demonstrates good trigger discipline

Two AR-15's, Two HK G3's, One Saiga, One AKS-74U, One MP5. The variants.: Saiga-12

Simpsons for South Park

Simpsons, we support your support for South Park...
but the Simpsons already did it.

Call Out the Guard!

Well, it's come to this. They're calling in the guard.

Two state representatives called on Gov. Pat Quinn Sunday to deploy the Illinois National Guard to safeguard Chicago's streets.

113 people have been killed across Chicago so far this year, the same number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan combined in the same period. State reps want to fight violence with National Guard's help. I guess they'd rather have troops get killed closer to home?

In addition to what the implications are to having troops patrol the streets of Chicago, these two politicians have publicly displayed an amazing lack of confidence in the Chicago Police Department, Dah Mayor, and the ability to quell the violence in the streets.

Chicago Democrats John Fritchey and LaShawn Ford said they want Quinn, Mayor Richard Daley and Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis to allow guardsmen to patrol streets and help quell violence. Weis said he did not support the idea because the military and police operate under different rules.

"Is this a drastic call to action? Of course it is," Fritchey said. "Is it warranted when we are losing residents to gun violence at such an alarming rate? Without question. We are not talking about rolling tanks down the street or having armed guards on each corner."

Maybe if they rolled back the 'corruption tax' and bothered to fund the schools in the neighborhoods with the highest homicide rates? Maybe if they attracted some jobs in those areas, rather than invite crippling welfare rolls, or by having the highest sales tax in the nation and telling businesses to take a hike - yeah, maybe you wouldn't have to consider bringing in troops to solve territory wars.

Or you could get really 'progressive' and legalize the drugs that the kids are slinging? Maybe or maybe you could tighten that handgun ban. Oh, you did? How's that working out? You're asking for troops to patrol the gun free zones?

Fritchey said he expects a, "heightened presence on the streets," particularly on the roughly 9 percent of city blocks where most of the city's violent crimes occur.

Weis previously identified those "hot spots" and said he plans to create a 100-person team made up of selected and volunteer police personnel to respond to crime there. If guardsmen were to assist police, they could comprise or contribute to that force, Fritchey said. And then what? Kill citizens? Would this be a police action or martial law? Would there be house to house searches without warrants - the same kind that Ross Perot championed in 1992? Well, that's the next step when the hotspot plan doesn't yield results.

Quick history lesson, in 1970 Kent State University incident where the National Guard was called in and protesters and students were shot, Weis said having guardsmen handle crime could be "disastrous." But he said if The Daley suggested it, he would consider the option. Funny how that works.

"I'm open to anything that reduces violence. But I have concerns when you mix law enforcement and the military," Weis said.

But Fritchey and Ford said prompt action is needed because summer is right around the corner and with the warm weather comes an increase in violence.

Fritchey and Ford serve two different constituencies, representing the North Side and the West Side respectively. "One half of this city views this as a part of daily life," Fritchey said. "Another part of the city doesn't care because it doesn't affect them." Yet the lawmakers said they are coming together because gun violence should be a priority to all Chicagoans.

"No help is too much help" Ford said. "This is not just about the murders. It's about the crime. It's about people being stabbed, robbed and in the hospital on life support."

Fritchey said he spoke to representatives from Quinn's office about deploying guardsmen and they "seemed open to the idea." The lawmakers had yet to speak to Weis or the mayor's office.

"I don't anticipate the governor implementing it over the objection of the mayor," Fritchey said.

"I hope this doesn't become a territorial issue. I hope this doesn't become an ego issue. This isn't about public relations or politics. This is about reclaiming our communities."

Funny part is, there's a governmental territory issue that will have to get worked out too. Since it's against the law for the troops to be engaged by an order of martial law is declared by the Governor. Even then, the Guard have no police authority to arrest, only maintain order.

And, the rules of engagement would make their presence useless anyway.

It's an election year. John Fritchey and LaShawn Ford are running for re-election.

-- Kristen Mack and Daarel Burnette II contributed to the cut'n'paste part of this article.

Happy 20th Birthday Hubble Telescope

Sunday Comics: Week in Review

And that was the week. Hope you had fun? See you next week.

New Law Allows More Mexicans To Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at Home This Year!

¿documentos por favor?

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed a bill Friday that requires AZ police in her state to determine whether a person is in the United States legally, which critics say will foster racial profiling but supporters say will reprimir la inmigración ilegal.

The bill requires immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times and requires police to question people if there is reason to suspect that they're in the United States illegally. It also targets those who hire illegal immigrant day laborers or knowingly transport them. The second act should have been the only act - but hey, who am I to judge what civil liberties or that silly prior restraint clause of the Constitution says... it's not like I work for the ACLU or something.

The Republican governor also issued an executive order that requires additional training for local officers on how to implement the law without engaging in racial profiling or discrimination. About that, how are you going to pull THAT off with a straight face? You're going to have to assault some white grandmas at the grocery store, and you're STILL not going to be taken seriously. This is going to go over about as well as not having Dr. MLKJr's birthday as a day off -- to quote a wiser comedian than I, "You gotta be pretty racist to not want a day off from work?!"~Chris Rock.

"This training will include what does and does not constitute reasonable suspicion that a person is not legally present in the United States," Brewer said after signing the bill.

"Racial profiling is illegal. It is illegal in America, and it's certainly illegal in Arizona," Brewer added. Which, as long as you ask everyone - it's okay. And that's SO NOT OKAY!

What will Arizona's immigration law do?

Previously, officers could check someone's immigration status only if that person was suspected in another crime. Whoa! Did you see how that was written? It is biased toward treating illegal immigration as the first crime! I'm on to you, you CNN Wire Staff that I cut'n'pasted this article from!

Mrs. Brewer's executive order was in response to critics who argue that the new law will lead to racial profiling, saying that most police officers don't have enough training to look past race while investigating a person's legal status.

"As committed as I am to protecting our state from crime associated with illegal immigration, I am equally committed to holding law enforcement accountable should this stature ever be misused to violate an individual's rights," Brewer said.

She added that the law would probably be challenged in courts and that there are those outside Arizona who have an interest in seeing the state fail with the new measure.

"We cannot give them that chance. We must use this new tool wisely and fight for our safety with the honor Arizona deserves."

The bill is considered to be among the toughest immigration measures in the nation. Supporters say the measure is needed to fill a void left by the federal government's failure to enforce its immigration laws.Read the full text of Arizona Senate Bill 1070 (PDF)

Its leading sponsor, state Sen. Russell Pearce, said this week, "Illegal is not a race; it's a crime."

"We're going to take the handcuffs off of law enforcement. We're going to put them on the bad guy," said Pearce, a Republican.

Another Republican state Sen. Frank Antenori said the biggest reason he supported the bill was because a rancher in one of the counties he represents was murdered by someone who crossed the U.S. border with Mexico illegally. He said the person of interest in the killing had crossed the border numerous times and cited other similar violent crimes.

"The citizens of this state are tired of the catch and release that is going on by the federal government where they grab people, they process them, and they take them back and drop them on the other side of the border," Antenori said. "They just come back, and we have no border security down here."

After the signing, the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police, which had opposed the measure, issued a statement saying, "law enforcement professionals in the State of Arizona will enforce the provisions of the new law to the best of their abilities."

The state's largest police union, the Arizona Police Association, is in favor of the law.

And so do Arizona VOTERS: Which explains everything.

Fifty three percent of likely Arizona voters are concerned that the state's tough new law targeting illegal immigrants will also be used to violate the civil rights of United States citizens.

The majority of them support it anyway.

He Won!

This is Chris Shaw, and he won $258 million in the Powerball lottery in Missouri. This is the outfit he chose to accept the ceremonial check. Predictions on what he'll do with the money or how long it will last? I give him maybe three years before its all gone.

Big Drama and Surprises on Illinois: Over By Dere

With the season finale of Illinois: Over By Dere just a few episodes away, there sure have been a slew of revelations, surprises and new adventures making this the best show on television!

Blagojevich attorneys want to subpoena Obama!

The old character who left the show for the spin-off of Illinois: Over By Dere for his own program, The Left Wing, the President is now the key to proving former governor’s innocence, lawyers suggest in court filing!

Just weeks before the start of his federal corruption trial, ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich sought Thursday to tie his credibility to that of long departed lead character President Barack Obama by asking that the leader of the free world be compelled to testify for the defense.

The court filing by the ex-governor's attorneys attempted to protect sensitive details by blacking out references to sealed investigative records. But it became an instant Internet sensation thanks to a computer glitch that enabled people to view the entire document — a mix of new allegations and old details that combined to create fresh intrigue over charges Blagojevich sought to sell the Senate seat vacated by Obama when he was elected in 2008.

Stringing together tidbits from closely held FBI interviews and secretly taped phone conversations, Blagojevich's lawyers suggested there is more to the story of the Senate pick than either federal prosecutors or the White House have acknowledged. And they argued that only Blagojevich and Obama know the details that could prove the former governor's innocence.

Quoting from a sealed prosecution memo, the defense team aired a previously undisclosed allegation that convicted influence peddler and main story stooge Antoin "Tony" Rezko told investigators he tried to buy Obama's favor with illegal campaign contributions. Rezko, a top fundraiser for Obama and Blagojevich, is cooperating in the case against the former governor.

The defense filing seeks to have the president rebut Rezko's claims and in the process discredit him.

Obama has repeatedly said Rezko has never asked him to do anything improper and he has never done so. White House spokesman Bill Burton said Thursday: "We aren't going to comment on an ongoing criminal investigation."

Never camera-shy despite his legal peril, Blagojevich has frequently suggested to the media that he might seek testimony from Obama and top White House aides from Chicago! It'll be a cross over to rival Law and Order!

And, after Sun was reunited with Jin (finally) she was able to speak English again. Most likely because Jin was her constant in both the alternate and island timelines. It should be noted that the timelines are running parallel, with a four year gap.

Meanwhile, the defense filing represents a ratcheting up of the pretrial chess game just a day after U.S. District Judge James Zagel admonished Blagojevich to quit grandstanding and said he would not allow the defense to play all 500 hours of government wiretaps for jurors. Zagel summoned lawyers in the case to an unscheduled closed-door meeting after the full content of the defense filing hit the Internet.

Since Blagojevich's arrest in December 2008, Obama has insisted that he and top aides were never part of any deals for the Senate seat and were unaware that Blagojevich may have been scheming to use his appointment power to enrich himself.

There is nothing in the filing to indicate otherwise. But the cherry-picked nature of how the defense document was assembled and the suggestive nature of the allegations invited immediate claims from Obama critics that the filing raised doubts about the president's veracity. Looks like he's going to be coming back to the show that made him famous?

Blagojevich's attorneys said Rezko has informed federal authorities that he "engaged in election law violations by personally contributing a large sum of cash to the campaign of a public official" and used a lobbyist to offer to hold a fundraiser for the official in exchange for "favorable" action. The attorneys indicated the timing of these alleged actions was around 1999 when Obama was launching an eventually unsuccessful challenge to U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush. Or, for those of you new to the show - he was bought off.

"The defense has a good faith belief that this public official is Barack Obama," the filing declared, while also noting that Obama has denied any knowledge of or participation in such actions.

Sources have said Rezko has not been prepped by prosecutors to testify in the case, and that the government has not made a decision on calling him. The defense filing makes it clear that the Blagojevich camp is confident Rezko will take the stand as "one of the government's main witnesses."

Prosecutors have accused Blagojevich of working with Rezko and other associates to run the state as a criminal racket even before the ex-governor was sworn into office in 2003. In addition to the charges involving the Senate seat, Blagojevich has been accused of trading official actions for kickbacks that would benefit his campaign fund, his friends, his wife and himself, even going so far as to allegedly shake down a children's hospital. Which, fans will always remember as one of his greatest moments on the show... even better than his impeachment.

It is the charges swirling around the Senate pick that have led the defense team to attempt to draw Obama into the case. In December 2008, shortly after Blagojevich's arrest but prior to the presidential inauguration, Obama said he had "never spoken to the governor on this subject. I'm confident that no representatives of mine would have any part of any deals related to this seat."

But Blagojevich's defense team contends that Obama's public statements contradict those of other potential prosecution witnesses, including Valerie Jarrett, a White House official who briefly was considered the favored Senate replacement for her longtime friend Obama.

Oooops!

The filing cites FBI interviews with labor officials, including one who said he spoke to Obama on the eve of his Nov. 4, 2008, election and said the soon-to-be-president believed that Jarrett "would be a good senator for the people of Illinois." The union official said he told Obama he would convey that message to Blagojevich.

Obama ordered an internal investigation after the Blagojevich arrest, and Jarrett told the lawyer leading that probe that she met with Tom Balanoff, head of the powerful Service Employees International Union in Illinois, three days after the election. She said Balanoff told her he had spoken to Blagojevich about picking her as senator.

In the same conversation, Jarrett said, Balanoff also told her Blagojevich had raised the possibility of his being named as secretary of Health and Human Services in the new Obama Cabinet, a possibility that Balanoff and Jarrett agreed would never happen.

The filing alleges that the day after the election, a supporter of Obama suggested to Jarrett she reach out to then-Illinois first lady Patti Blagojevich about the Senate vacancy, according to an interview Jarrett had with the FBI shortly after the former governor's arrest.

The Obama supporter, who is not identified in the filing, allegedly mentioned "fundraising" (hehee) help for Blagojevich in exchange for naming Jarrett to the Senate vacancy during a phone call to Blagojevich's home that was secretly recorded by government agents the day before the election.

Jarrett withdrew her name from consideration eight days after the election, and prosecutors contend that Blagojevich then went on to entertain an array of other possible Senate contenders he could name in return for financial gain. My guess is that Jarrett 'discovered' the wire tap once her benefactor did. And that man is the man with the submarine - Widmore.

One week before Blagojevich's arrest, Obama and the Illinois governor attended a national meeting of governors in Philadelphia. The filing notes that the two spoke there and that two top aides to Blagojevich later discussed that conversation in a wiretapped phone call. But there's no indication in the filing that the Senate vacancy was discussed by Obama and Blagojevich when they met.

The other major intersection between Obama and Blagojevich involves Rezko, who in 2008 was convicted of corruption for his role in rigging regulatory decisions in the Blagojevich administration.

At one point during that trial, Rezko complained that federal authorities were pressuring him to tell them "wrong" things about Blagojevich and Obama. "I have never been a party to any wrongdoing that involved the governor or the senator," Rezko wrote to a judge.

The defense contends that Rezko has told the government that in 1999, when Obama was an Illinois state senator, the two had "certain conversations about gaming legislation and administration" which Obama has publicly denied having. That was the year that the legislature passed a major expansion of casino gambling, and Rezko reportedly was angling for casino-related business.

Obama voted against the legislation and spoke against it during debates.

In its filing, the defense said it realized that asking a sitting president to testify would be difficult because of his demanding schedule and security concerns. To make it easier, Blagojevich's lawyers offered to question Obama on videotape and play the deposition in court.

To comply with a judicial order to protect sensitive information, Blagojevich's lawyers had blacked out references to confidential evidence handed over by the prosecution.... but then there was a computer glitch that allowed everyone to see it.

Oooops!

Fire up that pop corn, this show just went from great to legendary!

By Jeff Coen, Rick Pearson and Bob Secter, Tribune reporters John Chase, David Heinzmann, Stacy St. Clair and Serena Maria Daniels contributed to this report.

Uh, Excuse Me, Mister? Your sign melted my brane.

It's the End of the Earth... Day

The Predictions of the End of the World, Earth Day 1970.

“Population will inevitably and completely outstrip whatever small increases in food supplies we make. The death rate will increase until at least 100-200 million people per year will be starving to death during the next ten years.”
~Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist

“By…[1975] some experts feel that food shortages will have escalated the present level of world hunger and starvation into famines of unbelievable proportions. Other experts, more optimistic, think the ultimate food-population collision will not occur until the decade of the 1980s.”
~Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist

“It is already too late to avoid mass starvation.”
~Denis Hayes, chief organizer for Earth Day

Happy Earth Day 2010

Thousands of protesters at Illinois Capitol demand tax INCREASE

What's the antonym of a Tea Bag?

The Hand Outs?

Thousands of protesters bused down by labor unions and social service advocates rallied at the Capitol today in an attempt to pressure state lawmakers into raising the income tax to avoid more budget cuts. Obviously these people didn't have anything else to do on Wednesday?

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White's office estimated the rally crowd at 15,000, with more than 12,000 marching around the building. That would appear to make it the largest Capitol protest since the Equal Rights Amendment crowds a quarter-century ago.

Bus after bus pulled up on streets surrounding the Capitol complex and dumped sign-waving protesters clad in purple, green, red and blue shirts that represented a show of strength from a variety of public employee unions (wouldn't ONE color do that more effectively?) and dozens of groups that formed what they named the “Responsible Budget Coalition.”

"Raise my taxes! Raise my taxes! Raise my taxes!" they chanted, lined up shoulder to shoulder for a few hundred yards stretching a street in front of the Capitol.

"These 177 people who have a job don't want to do their job," said Henry Bayer, head of the Illinois chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, referring to the number of lawmakers in the House and Senate. "Yes people are hurting, that's why we need a tax increase....If you try to leave town without doing your job we're going to chase you." And no one once asked if they sent some of their pay, which is generated only from tax revenue if they sent any of it back? Or why there is a budget crisis, which is tied directly to their bloated pensions granted to them from the indited former Gov. Blago? No - that would be reporting.

The un-indited current Gov. Pat "Mighty" Quinn is pushing a 33 percent increase in the state income tax rate --- taking it from 3 percent to 4 percent --- to prevent cuts in state spending. Quinn has suggested that education will bear the brunt of the cuts, although that would have to be negotiated with the General Assembly. Which means nothing is going to happen since it's an election year.

Organized labor showed up in force to pressure lawmakers to change their minds.

I call your bluff, Jesus

Ante Christ. Badum tsh. And another Ace comes on the river! It's a miracle!!! Praise Jesus

A challenge

A challenge has been issued by one of our readers to prove you've gone out in public in this shirt:
Double bonus points if you're eating something with 2000 calories in it.

Go Easy on the 'Kid'

Radical Islam threatens South Park Creators

Radical Islamic website gets pissed off at "South Park" for showing the Prophet Mohammed... even though he was in a bear disguise

The religion of peace has declared a jihad on Matt and Trey. I say, let's call a jihad on radical Islam!

So someone, let's say "a fan" already has hacked the offending offended site... The radical Islamic Web site Revolutionmuslim.com (see the picture, hacked) is based in New York, was the subject of a CNN investigation last year for its radical rhetoric supporting “jihad” against the West and praising al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Its organizers insist they act within the law and seek to protect Islam.

“We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh for airing this show. This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality of what will likely happen to them.”

You'll remember that Theo van Gogh was a Dutch filmmaker who was murdered by an Islamic extremist in 2004 after making a short documentary on violence against women in some Islamic societies. The posting on Revolutionmuslim.com features a graphic photograph of Van Gogh with his throat cut and a dagger in his chest.

The entry on Revolutionmuslim.com goes on to advise readers:

“You can contact them [the makers of South Park], or pay Comedy Central or their own company a visit at these addresses …” before listing Comedy Central’s New York address, and the Los Angeles, California, address of Parker and Sloane’s production company.

When asked about the post, Abu Talhah al Amrikee, said that providing the addresses was not intended as a threat to the creators of South Park but to give people the opportunity to protest.

Sure.

All I can say is that Matt and Trey proved their point.