ALL THE NEWS UNFIT TO PRINT

All the news unfit to print for Saturday, February 16, 2008

FREE SPEECH WILL COST YOU

You've got to pay it to say it.. at least on public grounds.. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania's city council passed a new ordinance requiring a group of 2 or more people pay a fee before they publicly protest.. The ordinance faced some criticism .. Some feared it was a violation of civil liberties at the least and Constitutional rights of assembly at the most.

According to the Wilkes Barre CITIZEN'S VOICE, changes can be made before council votes on the ordinance on final reading on February 28 .. this according to Assistant Solicitor Bill Vinsko.

The reason for the fee requirement, says the city, is not to limit freedom of speech but instead to have a police presence in case of violence or disorderly conduct.

While there may be abilities under the First Amendment for a government body to impose requirements on people wishing to protest on public grounds, there is case law that makes it unconstitutional for a government body to pick and choose what protests it likes and what it doesn't like.

And with that in mind, the CITZEN'S VOICE reported that Vinsko said, "If you apply for a permit, you’re going to get a permit."

The VOICE however, also reporting that Wilkes-Barre activist Tim Grier fears loopholes.. The VOICE reports, "Political activist Tim Grier also questioned the need for the ordinance. 'Loopholes' would allow the city to deny permits and block certain areas that may be a "more effective place for somebody to draw attention to their cause," Grier said."

The VOICE noted that during the council meeting, Grier addressed the Council. The Council's Chairwoman asked him to take off his hat. He didn't.

THE SCHMUCK OF THE WEEK: JOHN McCAIN

Not only a schmuck .. but a major disappointment as well.

For months there were many happy that the presumed GOP nominee, regardless of a stance on warfare, would be anti-torture. The man who endured so much when he was the captive of Vietnam. Bones broken and re-broken to the point where now he can't even move them in certain ways.

John McCain angered fellow Republicans at a few debates, too. Mitt Romney even argued at one point (though not in a straight-forward way but when did he?) that the United States must leave everything on the table. McCain always tabled one thing: Waterboarding. It looked like no matter who won in November, the era of waterboarding would be left with the former Administration officials that introduced America to the practice.. Romney and company argued, though, that America was just and moral. McCain argued correctly that no matter how wretched a person we were dealing with, when we delve to their levels we won't get back out of the mess we created.

Fast forward .. McCain this week had his chance to do the right thing, stand up, be the maverick, and hold firm: He did just the opposite.

The same day that John McCain spoke out against waterboarding he voted against a bill sponsored by anti-torture Senators that sought to ban waterboarding and other controversial interrogation techniques..

McCain said that while he remains opposed to waterboarding, "We always supported allowing the CIA to use extra measures."

The maverick .. not so maverick anymore. The front-runner. .a little schmucked up now.

What those 'extra' measures may be isn't for me to ponder. He led us all down the road by hand, we believed he was on the good fight side.. only to find out his straight talk express doesn't take the same exit that most of the country does. Who exactly is driving the bus?

John McCain.. the schmuck of the week.

Looks like this is becoming a very regular thing.

A new pattern on the Obama campaign trail: People fainting with excitement..

Each time, apparently used to this, Obama calmly asks if the person's ok.. asks for a medic. .tells them to get some water.. and assuredly and proudly continues with this speech.

He does always ask the polite and revved up audience to make some room.

The audience cheers now and then when Obama throws the faint-ee some water.

fainting rallies
by krs601

A few for the road: Some random rakings

California police arrest man that made more than 27,000 911 calls..

Leading medical group sees nothing wrong with medical marijuana ..

Maybe he won't pass yet: Harrisburg boy slams car into house during driving test..

Florida Deputy that dumped paralyzed man on floor arrested..

Pregnant woman attacks bartender after being refused a drink!

Must read: George Romero on the cruely and torture porn in current horror

Bai Ling arrested on suspicion of shoplifting celebrtity magazines..

Pam Anderson's strip act gets warm reception..

Fonda lets C-word slip on TV..

Pope to visit White House..

Why do I get the feeling this is going to happen a lot: Reuters mispells Obama as "Osama"..

Where's the outrage and anger?

We're watching Britney Spears crumble.. We're seeing Presidential campaign coverage 24/7 to the point where it's nausiating .. All the while a war rages on..

And now, new revelations are shocking --- at least to those paying attention.

The Associated Press reporting this morning: Hundreds of Marines may have been killed without reason due to fact they didn't have blast-resistant vehicles.. vehicles that were requested by commanders.. rejected by Marine Corps bureaucrats that refused the requests.. It wasn't until Defense Secretary Gates said MRAPs would be the Pentagon's number one acquisition priority..

The flawed Secretary Rumsfeld getting a lot of blame in the report, written by Franz J. Gayl..

"Budget and procurement managers failed to recognize the damage being done by IEDs in late 2004 and early 2005 and were convinced the best solution was adding more armor to the less-sturdy Humvees the Marines were using. Humvees, even those with extra layers of steel, proved incapable of blunting the increasingly powerful explosives planted by insurgents. _ An urgent February 2005 request for MRAPs got lost in bureaucracy. It was signed by then-Brig. Gen. Dennis Hejlik, who asked for 1,169 of the vehicles. The Marines could not continue to take "serious and grave casualties" caused by IEDs when a solution was commercially available, wrote Hejlik, who was a commander in western Iraq from June 2004 to February 2005. Gayl cites documents showing Hejlik's request was shuttled to a civilian logistics official at the Marine Corps Combat Development Command in suburban Washington who had little experience with military vehicles. As a result, there was more concern over how the MRAP would upset the Marine Corps' supply and maintenance chains than there was in getting the troops a truck that would keep them alive, the study contends. _ The Marine Corps' acquisition staff didn't give top leaders correct information. Gen. James Conway, the Marine Corps commandant, was not told of the gravity of Hejlik's MRAP request and the real reasons it was shelved, Gayl writes. That resulted in Conway giving "inaccurate and incomplete" information to Congress about why buying MRAPs was not hotly pursued. _ The Combat Development Command, which decides what gear to buy, treated the MRAP as an expensive obstacle to long-range plans for equipment that was more mobile and fit into the Marines Corps' vision as a rapid reaction force. Those projects included a Humvee replacement called the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and a new vehicle for reconnaissance and surveillance missions."

Without question, the news from Iraq has gotten better. But it's infuriating to think that since there's no bad news the media is not focusing on any news. Especially news of previous years' mistakes that cost lives .. lives forever gone and families back home now coping with whether or not they even had to die.

War is war.

But when we go to war, shouldn't we give our forces each and every ability to wage that war we seek for them to win? Shouldn't we give them every avenue to live and fight? Shouldn't we stop tying the old yellow ribbons to the oak trees and instead make materials that they could wear or vehicles they could drive in that would keep them safe?

This may all go back to how the war was introduced to the public: It was a PR campaign aimed at convincing people Saddam had nukes and weapons .. I distinctly remember journalists on TV ready with their chemical masks in case Saddam would launch some of his arsenal. Arsenal he didn't have.

The issue of mismanagement of this war should be one of the top campaign issues in 2008 .. and if John McCain keeps saying he wants us in Iraq for 100 years, maybe it will be. That's a lot of MRAPs. That's a lot of lives.

Only a week ago You Tube and TV was lit up with Sarah Silverman singing that she's "f*cking Matt Damon" .. This week reports that Jimmy Kimmel ready for a comedic response..

According to the NY POST: Kimmel is striking back with a song called "I'm [bleep]ing Ben Affleck." Our source told us the video for this song, set to the theme of "We Are the World," will star Affleck, Robin Williams, Don Cheadle, Harrison Ford, Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz..

Silverman and Kimmel.. the funniest couple of the 21st century?

Weekend box office The Spiderwick Chronicles (Paramount) / 3,847 Jumper (Fox) / 3,402 Step Up 2 the Streets (Buena Vista) / 2,470 Definitely, Maybe (Universal) / 2,203

All the news unfit to print for Friday, February 15, 2008

All eyes on space; United States plans to shoot down satellite hurtling towards Earth

MEMORIALS IN THE SNOW

REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski (UNITED STATES)

Horrible: Outstanding but "erratic" student launches attack on Northern Illinois University while official University site mourns..
According to the University site: NIU officials have confirmed the names of the following students killed in the shooting: Daniel Parmenter, age 20, last of Westchester, Ill Catalina Garcia, age 20, last of Cicero, Ill. Ryanne Mace, age 19, last of Carpentersville, Ill. Julianna Gehant (pronounced Ghee-hant), age 32, last of Mendota, Ill. Gayle Dubowski, age 20, last of Carol Stream, Ill.

All the news unfit to print for Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Ain't that love. the pre-V Day rakings

Always random.. always filled with chocolate covered heartache. .more than most hearts can take.
Because reality bites.

Hope your Valentine's Day is shared with someone you love..

For your readings, the rakings.. today's version filled with stories of love.. and chaos. From around the heart-shaped world.Dog lovers rejoice: A beagle the top dog in the United States! At least it wasn't this one..

Tainted love: Valentine's day e-cards may contain viruses and worms.. .. as can your mate!

President Bush today signed the economic stimulus bill.. It won't help pay for your Valentine's Day gift, but will help out come spring with the credit card bill. That's the goal for the checks to be mailed out..

No love: Morgan Stanley cuts 1,000 mortgage jobs..

For those who love TV: CBS announces the return of 14 shows..

Fight on: Marriage arguments may be healthy..

Winter lovers happy: Storm and storm coming..

No love on Capitol Hill: Interesting day of testimony from baseball's top names...

YES HE CAN..
AND IS..

The Clinton campaign still reeling from the events of yesterday. .Not only did Senator Obama score knockout punches against Hillary Clinton in Virginia, D.C., and Maryland, but he tossed her campaign to the side like an old bag of garbage.. Something from the 20th century that was still hanging around..

Great statues of Mrs. Clinton being toppled .. Great icons of the 1990s becoming that of history. And only history.

In present tense, Obama has now been crowned the new king of front-runners..

The media is crazy over him. Chris Matthews' coverage of Obama's landslides last night included comments that his legs were tingling from the Obama-mania.

Democrats seem to be going wild over her.. He won over Hispanics last night.. he won over women .. he won over seniors.. He even won over a former Clinton campaign manager ..

He definitely won over the media. Coverage of his speech last night continued from beginning to end.. no networks broke away to show the victory rally that John McCain held.

He's even winning over Republicans. In the 1980s, the Reagan coalition was broadened with "Reagan Democrats." In 2008, there are Obamacans.. Republicans turning to him due to his stance on the war.. and on 'change' and hope. Just what that hope is .. or that change is .. is still in high-powered words.

The Obama campaign has now charted a new course: They say they can't be stopped.

But in Texas.. Ohio .. Pennsylvania .. Maybe he can be.

A few things are still unclear: PA Governor Rendell, a Clinton supporter, suggested that some whites may still not be ready for a black president.. Texas still has a huge voting block of Hispanics.. Ohio and PA have a lot of elderly people. Obama's final test will be these states. If he pulls it off, Hillary is effectively done. He would show he has a broader coalition than she can ever imagine having.

But.. with three weeks to go, and two desperate Clintons, this entire thing can quickly turn around.. leaving us with the dull choice of 20th century candidates in November.

All the news unfit to print for Tuesday, February 12, 2008

The single weirdest and creepiest political ad of the year so far..

All the news unfit to print for Sunday, February 10, 2008

Obama wins--a Grammy!

The Sunday Morning Sidewalk

Lightning rolls across the sky of Tyler, Texas as powerful thunderstorms stretch across Texas to Tennessee on Monday night, Feb. 5, 2008.
(AP Photo/Dr. Scott M. Lieberman)

There were thunderstorms over Eastern Pennsylvania last night, a few of them severe according to reports.. Immediately afterwards, windy snow blew through as a cold front went by.. Meanwhile, political thunderstorms rocks a few states. Barack Obama had a clean sweep .. Hillary Clinton appeared after he did at a dinner .. she didn't look well.
And so much for that road to the nomination paved with gold for John McCain: Mike Huckabee won two of three states.. Washington state still up in the air.
Mathematically, it's impossible for Huckabee to win unless some unexecpted surprise comes our way. Or like Huck says, a 'miracle.' He may need Walker Texas Ranger for that..

For your viewing pleasure: Random news and random rakings from around the pale blue dot:

A Whale of trouble:Australia vows to continue its opposition to Japan's whaling practices despite Japan's anger over it..

How a lunar eclipse saved Columbus..

Eyebrows raised and closed noses: Farting being banned in a school?

The return of the writers: Deadline Hollywood's Nikki Finke says the strike is "over." She reports that at the Saturday WGA meeting in Los Angeles, the guild membership appeared to OK the deal that the leadership negotiated in the last few weeks..

According to China, the recent blast of snowstorms has destroyed one tenth of China's forests..

Who is doctor Jarvik? Congress wants to know.. .. a "stunt" doctor?

Voluntary ahi fish recall in Hawaii over salmonella ..

MUST READ: Metabolic Syndrome is tied to diet soda! .. and in case you ever forget, another reminder of how Donald Rumsfeld's help led the world down the interesting road paved with aspartame..

Loud booms in North Carolina causes stir..

Concern over the loss of Catholic schools.. .. The Catholic church through its constant church and school closings have, yet again, created their own problem..

"Intersex" fish more common in areas with population density and farming..

Horrible reviews for Paris Hilton's movie THE HOTTIE AND THE NOTTIE

Republican presidential hopeful, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, speaks before the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, Va., Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008. It always sounded innocuous enough, tucked into the adjectives Romney would rattle off when he described the qualities for the next president - wisdom, optimism and the right temperament.(AP Photo/Steve Helber)

We'll miss ya, Mitt

What was it about Mitt Romney that was so failed?

His haircut? That way he sneakily slicked it to the side?

Perhaps those eyes. A friend of mine said he looks like he is hiding something dreaded behind them..

I don't think it's any of this. I think, instead, it's those moments of his pharmaceutical salesman type appearance. I think it was the time when he was asking African American children "who let the dogs out" in some type of a weird way of connecting to them..

I think it was his 'casual look' when he would take off his suit coat.. never loosening the tie.

Americans never really liked preppy kids in school .. they distained those high school athletes that wrapped the varsity sweater around their waste.. They abhor snobbery and drinkers of fine vodkas that go to those private country clubs .. And that, whether fair or unfair, is what they saw in Mitt Romney.

If Romney wants to run again in 2012 or a later year, he may have the same troubles that he had this primary season. Americans didn't take well to him.

Even if Romney was a nice guy, a great and successful businessman, and an organized chief executive, he failed... there was just something about him we didn't like.

Tears for fears..

Once again, Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton wiped here eyes that were swelling up with tears .. she was listening to disabled Vets in an audience in Maine..

Some have suggested the tears are for attention..

A few said that she only cries when she thinks she is losing..

The same day the tears flowed, Barack Obama swept three states..

It's going to be a long primary season.. plenty more times for those tears to flow.

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