2nd Amendment Remedies

I received a most interesting response to my recent article, The New American Revolution.

Wrote Jonolan, "OK. You do that. True Americans will mostly ignore you, arrange for your votes to be meaningless, and quietly laugh. If that doesn't work or if you get too obnoxious, we'll go ahead with the rifles and cannons. That's one of the many great parts about truly loving America; it gives you those 2nd Amendment remedies to domestic enemies."

That wasn't the first time I have heard one of these limp-dick weenie squirts threatening armed revolution if the political pendulum doesn't swing their way. Dry cleaner Bob down the road told me a couple of years ago that the only way to take the country back from Obama and the Liberals was through armed rebellion. That was just prior to me taking my dry cleaning elsewhere.

Right-wing loonies all over the Internet are constantly spouting the same drivel. There are just a couple of hardly worth mentioning points these "True American Patriots" are overlooking. One of the most glaring is that these clowns are not patriots, they are traitors. Their seditious ramblings are verging on treason. For this reason it might behoove these "patriots" to Google: 18 USC CHAPTER 115 - TREASON, SEDITION, AND SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES.

Interesting stuff in the United States Code!

Section 2381, Treason: Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death...

Section 2383, Rebellion or insurrection: - Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both...

Section 2385, Advocating overthrow of Government - Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States [...] by force or violence, or [...]

Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, [...] 

Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof - Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years...

One other point these seditious bastards are overlooking is that they are not the only ones who may be packing their 2nd Amendment remedies. There are those in this country who would be more than willing to defend this country, it's lawful government, and our President against armed rebellion.

When I enlisted in the Army in 1968 I swore to defend my country, the Constitution, and the Commander-in-Chief. I gave my oath again in 1983 when I enlisted in the Florida Air National Guard. I am no longer in the military, but I gave my word back then. I will honor that pledge of allegiance today.

And, don't fucking threaten me again!

Debt Crisis? What Stinkin' Debt Crisis?

Thanks to POLITICO.com for this lighthearted look at the latest Congressional Clusterf--k.

Fire Buchanan Over Racism And Bigotry

There is a petition floating around the Internet demanding that MSNBC fire Pat Buchanan because of, well - "Buchanan's laundry list of unabashed white-supremacy includes downplaying slavery,writing a book in which he advocated shutting down our borders to maintain white dominance and espoused the genetic superiority of whites,complaining that confirming Elena Kagan would put too many Jews on the Supreme Court, and even defending Hitler."

While the sponsors of the petition allow that Buchanan has the right under the 1st Amendment to spew from his mouth anything generated by the shit-for-brains in his head, they don't think he should be given a platform on MSNBC and that MSNBC should fire Buchanan posthaste, ASAP, without delay, and do it right now.

I disagree - about the firing part, not that Buchanan is a racist, bigoted jerk. I think it would be a wise move by MSNBC to keep this monomaniac on their network. This gives MSNBC credibility as a balanced news outlet airing both liberal and conservative views, unlike their parallel universe opposites.

Has FOX News, the propaganda arm of the Tea Bagger Republicans, ever added a progressive to their stable of addle-brained correspondents? Some on the FOX network almost make Buchanan appear left-leaning.

Almost!

Some astute person said, "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." MSNBC should keep Pat Buchanan on board so we can keep track of the enemy's mind set without having to debase ourselves by tuning in to FOX News.

The New American Revolution

We need a new revolution in America. A revolution that takes the country out of the hands of the obscenely rich, the special interests, the blood sucking corporations, the Tea Baggers, and all factions seeking to destroy Obama, the poor and middle class, women's rights, science, education, health care for all Americans, and the United States of America.

We need to let these people know that we have had enough of their ignorance and hypocrisy, and we are ready to fight back - not with rifles and cannon, but with our votes, our protest marches, and our anti-totalitarian demonstrations. These people need to know:

"We'll be fighting in the streets
With our children at our feet
And the morals that they worship will be gone..."

They need to know that we:


Not only is that classic Who, but it is a timely anthem for our new revolution.

Economic Russian Roulette

Florida's prick with ears, CEO Scott, has weighed in on the looming economic debt ceiling crisis. Thank God! I couldn't have gone another minute without hearing from this ass-hole.

Scott, the recognized goober of all things economic, has stated that it will be just peachy if the country defaults on our debt. Scott, the master of fraud and deceit, has debunked the opinions of economic scholars world-wide by declaring that an American default on our financial obligations would be no big deal.

The position taken by the Lord Voldemort of Tallahassee is that since the country has never been in default before then no one knows for sure what will happen, so let's go into default just for funsies. What a hoot that will be!

Before I continue, let me remind the bare majority of Florida voters that this is the "experienced CEO" that you chose to run the state (into the ground).

Now, back to the issue of debt default, or what I consider to be the Republican game of economic Russian roulette.

The rules of Russian roulette are simple; put a single bullet in a six shot revolver, spin the cylinder, put the gun to your head and pull the trigger. What fun!

Having never played Russian roulette, I am unsure of the outcome. According to professional odds-makers I would have an 83.3% chance of survival, but who knows for sure. Unlike Scott on the debt ceiling, am I going to put a loaded gun to my head and pull the trigger? Hell no! But that is what Scott and others in the Party of No are suggesting the country should do.

And, these are the people who want to rule the country? These are the people who claim to be smarter than all the world's economists, scientists, physicians, and educators combined. What unmitigated hubris!

Those of us with a few functioning brain cells still intact need to rise up against this arrogant stupidity and vote these Tea Bagger Republican bastards out of office. As fellow blogger John Lambert of America's Voice recently wrote, "We will turn out at the polls and vote for leaders until they finally fight for us. We will win and take back America, for all of us, not just for a select few."

Glenn Beck Is Disturbed

The big wart on the ass of sanity, Glenn Beck, spoke out about the mass killings in Norway on his Monday radio show. He said that he was disturbed by the summer camp on Utoya Island.

The camp is run by Norway's leading center-left party, and has long been a haven for young people looking to break into the political scene.

Beck said the camp "sounds a little like the Hitler Youth. I mean, who does a camp for kids that's all about politics?"

Well, let's see now.

How about Jeff Luken's Tea Party Indoctrination camp for the youth of the land who have been brainwashed by the public education system?

I can't say that I am a fan of any youth camp that stresses political ideologies, but I don't recall Beck frothing over the Tea Party youth camp.

I will agree that Beck is disturbed - very, very disturbed.

Lordy, It's A Blues Monday

Today is even bluesier than usual with a double blues whammy.

First up is blues legend Robert Johnson, master of the Delta blues. 

You gotta stick around for another blues great after Mr. Johnson.



Rory Block is, without question, a blues giant. Her interpretation of the Delta blues, especially in the style of Robert Johnson, is without equal. Her gritty vocals and spine-tingling slide guitar licks bring tears of blues joy to my eyes.



I think I shall put a couple of Rory Block CDs in the stereo machine, drink me a shot of whiskey, and watch the rain a-coming down while sittin' on the back porch in a rockin' chair.

Happy blues Monday, y'all.

Economic Recovery Catch 22

Booming profits mean that American corporations are saying adios and au revoir to the Great Recession. Second quarter earnings for Caterpillar are up 44%, G.E. up 21 %, and MacDonald's up 15 %. For these three companies alone we are talking about billions of dollars in profits.

Now, what about American workers? Well, millions are still out of work with unemployment stuck at 9.2%.

Those numbers demand an answer to the question, "If American corporations are making record profits why aren't they hiring?"

The truth is, they are hiring - just not here in the United States of Corporate Greed and Stupidity. While 2.4 million people were hired overseas, 2.9 million were let go in America. The corporations are squeezing the life out of existing workers because the CEOs know that these people have no place else to go. This is one reason why unions are more important now than ever before - Corporate Greed!

Now for the Catch 22. The corporations don't want to squander their vast wealth by hiring American workers because the corporations are not convinced that there are enough Americans who can afford to buy their products.

How the hell do these corporate geniuses even manage to dress themselves in the morning?

Maybe if more people had jobs, they would also have more money to spend. Is that really too hard to understand?

Apparently so, and these are the people the Tea Bagger Republicans want to keep subsidizing with our tax dollars.

How freakin' dumb is that, y'all?  

Taxpayers Funding Bachmann & Associates

Here is an interesting post from CREDO Action - especially in the face of the Tea Bagger Republican attacks on Planned Parenthood and the Health Care Reform Act:

So-called gay conversion therapy has been denounced by the scientific and medical communities as ineffective, and potentially dangerous.

But an investigation earlier this month exposed that this hateful practice is used by the "quality Christian counseling clinic" owned by Michele Bachmann and her husband -- a clinic which was recently discovered to have received over $137,000 in federal Medicaid funds, in addition to $24,000 in other state and federal funds.

It's bad enough that Bachmann and Associates, after denying for years they practiced ex-gay therapy, clearly encourages patients to pray the gay away. Our taxpayer dollars shouldn't be funding it.

I just signed a petition asking The Dept. of Health and Human Services, which oversees Medicaid, and the Minnesota Dept. of Health, which distributes the funds within the state, to immediately pull public funds from Bachmann's clinic.

Learn more and sign the petition HERE.

Attack On Murdoch Empire In America

Normally the Oracle, and I personally, are in agreement with MoveOn.org efforts to ensure that true democracy survives in this once great country.

MoveOn has taken up a new cause that has given me pause for thought. I'll let MoveOn speak for themselves:

"Allegations in the U.K. against Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, Fox's parent company, just keep coming. Hacking into the phone of a 13-year-old murder victim, bribing government officials, and now claims of hacking into the voice mail of 9/11 victims and their families.

Now, the key is to find out how far Fox and the rest of Murdoch's news outlets went here in the U.S. If they've been as corrupt and criminal here as it looks like they've been in the U.K., then we might just see Murdoch's media empire crumble.

So we're launching a new campaign to build unavoidable public pressure for full investigations. We'll start tomorrow with a hard-hitting new ad asking whether Murdoch is "running a company or a crime syndicate." But first we need to the raise the money to get it on the air and ramp up the campaign."

MoveOn is soliciting $5 donations to help them fight the fight.

___________________________________________

Let me say right now that I am not a fan of FOX, The Invent The News Network. To me they are nothing more than a propaganda machine for the lunatic fringe and Tea Bagger Republicans. That said, I will not argue against their right to spout all of the hate, dissent, and unadulterated bullshit they can come up with. Just like the SOG City Oracle, FOX is guaranteed the right of free speech by the U.S. Constitution under the 1st Amendment.

To advocate launching a "witch hunt" against Murdoch and FOX because you "think" they may have committed some sort of crime seems like it is stooping to their level. The Constitution exists to protect the rights of all people in this country against vigilante justice.

I am not a Constitutional scholar, although I do have a copy that I read on a regular basis, but I could envision legal action against MoveOn citing, at a minimum, the 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments.

I have faith in our legal system. I am comfortable leaving any legal actions against Murdoch and company in the hands of the Department of Justice, the Federal Communications Commission, and any other agency that has standing in this matter.

Five dollars will stay in my pocket until I get to the store and pick up a six pack.

Cheers, y'all.

Allen West: Hershey Squirt Winner

The SOG City Oracle Hershey Squirt award goes to Republican Congressman Allen West for his despicable e-mail to Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Wrote West: “You are the most vile, unprofessional, and despicable member of the US House of Representatives...you are not a Lady.”

West continued his diatribe by telling her to “shut the heck up” for daring to challenge the GOP plan to gut Medicare and Social Security to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.

Said Rep. Steve Israel, DCCC Chairman, "This kind of appalling behavior is all too familiar from Congressman West, who has riled up his extremist right-wing base by attacking progressive women for “neutering American men,” calling supporters of President Obama, “a threat to the gene pool” and writing for a misogynist magazine that denigrated women with words I'd be ashamed to even repeat."

What is not surprising about West is that this product of Uranus was elected by - wait for it -- here it comes - Florida voters. Yes indeedy, the same ones who elected former Hershey Squirt winner, Florida CEO Poopmeister Scott.

Not familiar with this week's Hershey Squirt? See below for a "blast from the past" (15 seconds in):



West may have been an officer, but he is no gentleman. He also appears to be unaware of Florida's Castle Doctrine when he threatened, "...you gotta make the fellow scared to come out of his house."

What a Hershey Squirt!

The Fast And Furious Cluster F--K

It has been all the rage in media news lately: the ATF "Fast & Furious" scandal where a "plan" was hatched that allowed firearms to flow freely into Mexico so that U.S. agents could ferret out gun smuggling routes going into the country that would lead to the bad guys.

A great plan to help the U.S. win our war on drugs - right?

Some 1,700 guns eluded tracing, and only 200 were eventually recovered at crime scenes in Mexico.

Back in June, Jon Stewart of The Daily Show had an in-depth report explaining the subtle nuances of the PLAN:

 (It's really Jon, without the H, dammit)

So, there you have it - The American War on Drugs.

Holy crap, y'all.

Bernie Sanders Says: It's A Piece Of Crap

Jesus Christ: A Socialist?

In the St. Pete Times' Your Letters that appeared today, a writer claimed that Jesus Christ was a socialist. The basis for that claim was the Sermon on the Mount. According to the writer, Jesus said something like, "Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you." Since I don't subscribe to the Holy Book of Parables I will have to assume that was an accurate quote.

The real question here is, was J.C. a socialist? That quote didn't sound to me like anything more sinister than a suggestion that we be a little more charitable to those who are less fortunate, and not be so damn Tea Bagger Republican (as in: I've got mine, so F--K you).

I suppose that it would be reasonable to have a clue as to what is this thing called socialism. "Socialism generally refers to an economic system that seeks to manage the economy through deliberate and collective social control. At its heart, socialism stands for a belief in government for the benefit of the whole of society," not just the filthy rich and special interests.

Just for clarification and contrast: "Communism seeks to manage both the economy and the society by ensuring that property is owned collectively, and that control over the distribution of property is centralized in order to achieve both classlessness and statelessness." Read MORE.

I am not a fan of anybody's religion, but it sounds as though this J.C. dawg was just trying to be a nice guy. If he was a socialist, he has got some interesting company:

We Love Lou Ann

It's kind of a blue Monday, but to brighten up the day I got a pot of red beans with chunks of smoked pork shoulder bubblin' away on the stove. To amp things up even more in the SOG City kitchen I loaded the player with some blues and boogie woogie jams, including a couple of Lou Ann Barton CDs.

Never heard of Lou Ann? Shame on you! She is HOT!

Crank up the decibels and jam with Lou Ann.



Happy Monday, y'all.

The Gospel According To A Child

And it came unto me in an email. A youngster was tasked with writing a book report on the Bible. Though a little longish, all is revealed through the eyes of a child:

The Children's Bible in a Nutshell  


In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was   nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says,   'The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that.
Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did.
Then God made the world.  
He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked,   but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet.
Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad   apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden.....Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars.  
Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long   as he was Abel.  
Pretty soon all of the early people died   off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.  
One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy,   but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a   large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked   some other people to join him, but they said they would   have to take a rain check.  
After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more   famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son   named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.  
Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was   Charlton Heston. Moses led the IsraelLights out of Egypt   and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on   Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice,   bowels, and no cable.  
God fed the Israel Lights every day   with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include: don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your   neighbour's stuff.  
Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more:   Humour thy father and thy mother.  
One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua who was the first   Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and   the fence fell over on the town.  
After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a   giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had   about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise,   but that doesn't sound very wise to me.  
After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then   barfed up on the shore.
There were also some minor league   prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.  
After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the   star of The New. He was born inBethlehem in a barn.   (I wish I had been born in a barn too, because my mom is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.')  
During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like   the Pharisees and the Democrats.  
Jesus also had twelve opossums.  
The worst one was  Judas Asparagus . Judas was so evil that they   named a terrible vegetable after him.  
Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even   preached to some Germans on the Mount.  
But the Democrats and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.  
Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminium. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

There you have it; another, more innocent, interpretation of the Bible.

Happy weekend, y'all.

Tell'em To Go To Hell, Mr. President

“I’ve reached my limit. This may bring my Presidency down, but I will not yield on this.”

President Obama to Eric Cantor and Congressional Republicans in a closed-door meeting at the White House.

__________________________________________

Could it be that our President, the leader of the free world, has finally had enough of Republicans’ childish games? We can only hope.

Despite weeks of negotiations, Republicans are still holding our economy hostage with their ridiculous demands. Eric Cantor and the Tea Party Republicans think they can play games with seniors’ Social Security checks and the full faith and credit of the United States in order to bring down President Obama.

These Republican obstructionists keep spewing the same tired crap about getting a mandate from America this last election. I suppose at the time they did, but I don't believe that America had a clue as to the real Republican agenda.

The GOP agenda isn't about jobs and the economy. It's about destroying Obama, and the country and its people can just go to hell - all except for the rich and powerful, of course.

I say it's about time President Obama told these self-serving bastards to GO TO HELL!

I'm Not Sayin' He Is, But...

Jon Stewart of The Daily Show started a recent episode with a discussion centering on Marcus Bachmann, husband to Tea Party High Priestess of Utterly Stupid, Michele Bachmann.

Marcus has been in the news lately because of his homophobic view that prayer and beatings will drive the gay devil out of those afflicted with this insidious disease. I don't pay much attention to crazy people like Marcus; although, I did once wonder if latex was involved in any of his cures.

Anyway, back to The Daily Show. I was hoping to see the one with the recent Medal of Honor winner as a guest. Instead, there was an author of something, but the show started with Marcus. It was implied that Marcus might himself be a little light in the loafers, which would certainly explain his fascination with homosexuality. He wouldn't be the first person to scream out against gays while keeping a little secret hidden away in the closet.

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

(Note: There is a 15 second commercial at the beginning that I couldn't get rid of.)

After watching that video I can only think that if he isn't gay then he needs to cowboy himself up a bit, but not in a Brokeback Mountain kind of way.

I can't agree with Stewart on the dancing, though. Marcus didn't dance gay, he danced white. I was a disco DJ a number of years back and I can assure you that white folks can't dance - no natural rhythm. They hit every damn beat and then some.

Personally, I could care less about Bachmann's sexual orientation. What pisses me off is the ignorance and the hypocrisy.

And Jesus Spake Unto Them...

...it is okay-dokay to smite God's creatures, manatees though they be, if they intrude upon your enjoyment of the waterways in thine gas-guzzling pleasure craft. So sayeth the scriptures according to the Citrus County (Florida - big surprise there) Tea Party Patriots.

She who has received divine messages from her tin foil hat, Edna Mattos, proselytized that it's against Bible teachings and that stuff in the Bill of Rights to "elevate nature above people." Mattos and her fellow "patriots" are protesting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to limit boating and other human activities in King's Bay that have been detrimental to the well being of manatees.

God has yet to speak to me about the manatees; I am assuming because She has more pressing issues. Since I am not a scholar of the Holy Book of Myths, I will have to give Mattos the benefit of the doubt on that one.

I pulled out my copy of the Bill of Rights, the collective name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. The First Amendment gives Mattos the right to be a ball-busting idiot, with the Second allowing her to carry a gun. The Third says she can't be forced to house a military person, though for the life of me, after Iraq and Afghanistan, I can't image any soldier subjecting him or her self to that kind of torture.

Most of the other seven Amendments protect people from being dragged from their homes and lynched by foaming-at-the-mouth patriots without first receiving a fair trial. There is nothing in the Bill of Rights that gives you the right to run over those fat sons-of-bitches slowing down boat traffic in King's Bay, or anywhere else for that matter.

Mush for brains Mattos was probably thinking of the preamble to the Constitution where it is written that the Creator has endowed all men with the unalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of manatees. Those rights are not guaranteed specifically by the Constitution, but by a higher law derived from moral reasoning.
 
Mattos and her self absorbed tea-bagger buddies should take a few moments to view the following video:



Happy boating, y'all.

Time For A National Coffee Break

How disheartening to see what has become of this once great nation. We no longer appear to be united. We have become a nation not just divided, but fractured into millions of individual parts.

E pluribus unum, Latin for "Out of many, one", seems to have taken on a new persona. No longer are we many uniting as a single nation, but a nation of one out of many who says, "As long as I have mine, to hell with you."

Maybe all of us in America need to pause for a bit and enjoy a cup of coffee.

Crisis On Planet Glox

Salutations Earthling,

The political overlords on planet Glox have been unable to reach agreement on a pending legislative formality. This has resulted in an imminent accounting crisis.

The overlords could resolve the crisis by reducing the budget of the warrior caste, or by increasing taxes on some of Glox's wealthier sentient lifeforms. However, the overlords seem instead to be leaning toward abandoning the elderly on planet's northernmost plains.

Read about the crisis on planet Glox by clicking HERE.

End correspondence.

Chris Bowers
Earth Division, Daily Kos

Don't Need No Gud Grammer - Spellin' Ether

Aaaargh!

With all of the problems in the world like drought, starvation, Republicans, global warming, America on the brink of financial disaster, Republicans, depleting the world's oil supply in 42 years, and Republicans it would seem that little things like grammar and spelling would be the least of our worries.

That is so very true, but darn it all to heck, it is so annoying to read newspapers, magazines, and blogs where the writers, who should know better, cannot differentiate between then and than.

Allow me to assist:

THAN

Unlike then, than is not related to time. Than is used in comparative statements.

THEN

Then is used either as a time marker or with a sequence of events.

Here is an example: If Palin is dumber than Bachmann, then who would be a better choice for president - of anywhere but here?

I know that in this country where, more and more, ignorance is considered a virtue that this little helpful hint isn't going to amount to a hill of beans - but, goddammit, I feel better!

__________________________________

Let me leave you today with a "Didja Kno."

Didja kno that as of right now almost $211 billion has been spent on illegal drugs, world wide, this year alone?

Would you care to venture a guess as to which country spends the most?

Instead of waging an unwinnable war on drugs, wouldn't it make more sense to capitalize on drug usage? 

Legalize it and then tax it!

Unions: What Are They Good For

From MoveOn.org: "Corporations and the super-rich are doing everything they can to silence and overwhelm our voices in the workplace, in our communities, and at the ballot box. They're spending huge sums of money to buy elections and hire lobbyists, pushing anti-immigrant legislation in the states, making it harder for minorities to vote, and trying to block the rights of workers and unions to organize nationwide.

66% of Americans think we should cut the deficit by raising taxes on the rich. Less than 4% think we should start by cutting Social Security and Medicare.

In a working democracy, these would be settled questions. And yet President Obama offered up cuts to Social Security and other vital programs as part of a deal on the deficit. All while Republicans refuse to even consider raising taxes on the rich.

It's clear that we'll never make the economy work for regular folks until our democracy does too—until we take the power to make decisions away from corporate lobbyists and the super-rich and put it back in the hands of the the people."

I would suggest that we can either stick our heads in the sand while we get shafted at the other end, or we can contact our elected officials and tell them we "are mad as hell and won't take it anymore."

The Oracle has called, written, and signed petitions. We are also registered to vote. We have voted in the past and will vote again in the future.

What have you done?

Honorary Mayor Of Riverview

The SOG City Oracle is pleased to endorse the candidacy of Gabrielle Perham for Honorary Mayor of Riverview, Florida.

So, who is this lady who aspires to such a lofty position?

From Ms. Perham's website:

I am a product of Tampa Bay

The Tampa Bay community is rich: in heritage, in cultural diversity, in entrepreneurial spirit, in ideas and in the arts and this richness is mine. Tampa’s rich diversity created in me the ability to see things from multiple perspectives. It sparked in me a love for people of all kinds: young and old, rich and poor, from all nationalities and backgrounds. And it inspired in me a taste for all kinds of food and drink, an ear for music of all tones and tempos, and a love of different textures and structures.

I am a product of Tampa Bay.

I am inspired to produce work that is a unique blend of the rich diversity that surrounds me. And I am devoted to my Tampa community and will make it my life’s work to give back.

____________________________

After reading that excerpt from her bio, I think this young lady might be a viable candidate for Mayor of Tampa sometime in the future. I am not suggesting "honorary" here. I am impressed!

Not that Ms. Perham needs to ride the coat-tails of a famous celebrity in the Tampa Bay community, but she is the daughter of my blogging friend, The Ybor City Stogie.  

Light Up Your Spliff; Light Up Your Chalice

Enough with the politics already! It's time to party with the greatest, most under-rated reggae man of all time. Ire, y'all!



If you have any energy left - we're smokin' with Peter at the palace.

Peter Tosh, 19 October 1944 – 11 September 1987

My favorite Peter Tosh album.

Retirement And The Debt Ceiling

I spoke with my broker today about the investments in my retirement account. They are perking along just fine, thank you very much.

My real concern, though, is how will they be doing if the Democrats don't cave in to the Republicans and the Republicans allow the country to go into default. I got the impression that Kevin feels that these limp-dick Democrats will cave and I should have nothing to worry about.

"What if neither side blinks," I naively ask, "and the country does default on our debts. Then what?" Using financial jargon, Kevin stated that "you are fucked!"

So, there you have it folks - free professional financial advice from the Oracle. Unless you are filthy rich and or have a financial shelter, you are fucked if the country goes into default. But, if the Republicans win the game by getting the concessions they are demanding from the Democrats, we are still fucked. Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are already under Republican assault.

To "get" Obama the Republicans, apparently, will stop at nothing. That begs the question: if the country defaults, what happens to their investments; to Wall Street; to big oil; to big business; to the Koch brothers? Are they too, fucked, or are they too big to fail?

I'll end this little financial epistle on a high note. According to Kevin, if the country does go into default it should recover in about two years. Ain't that fucking grand? We haven't recovered from the Great Republican Recession and the GOP wants to do it all over again.

That wasn't the high note. I have been trying to think of ways to turn the SOG City Oracle into a a profitable endeavor, and I come up a flash! Every time I type in a cuss word I have to toss a quarter into the SOG City Dirty Word jar.

Holy shit, I am already up to a dollar on this scribble alone.

Oh crap, that's a dollar twenty five. I better quit, and no, it isn't retroactive goddammit.

$1.50 in the jar.

Son-of-a-bitch!

$1.75

Take Social Security Off The Table

King George the Bush and his puppet masters raped Social Security to finance two pointless wars. It has been predicted that the program will go broke by 2037 unless drastic measures are implemented.

"What drastic measures," you might be asking? Most involve changing the cost-of-living formula by which benefits rise to compensate for inflation. Others include "means-testing" for the wealthy so they don't get as much. Those ideas are getting renewed attention now.

The one measure than is getting no attention at all - eliminate the $106,800 income cap!

As if the attacks on the nation's middle class weren't bad enough, it appears that President Obama is applying Anal Lip Balm in preparation for kissing Republican ass instead of telling them to go F--K themselves.

According to multiple news sources the president has offered to cut Social Security benefits if Republicans agree not to let the U.S. default on its debts.

MoveOn.org has stated: "It's his offering to the out-of-control Republicans, who are threatening to crash the economy in order to ram through savage cuts to crucial government programs.

It's sickening to think that millions of seniors would have to sacrifice in order to appease Republican hostage-takers. Especially because every poll shows [an] overwhelming majority of Americans support raising taxes on the rich and protecting Social Security and Medicare."

MoveOn.org has a petition that you may sign in protest to cuts in Social Security. Whether it will do any good or not remains to be seen, but it can't hurt. I signed it with a message to Democrats to "quit kissing Republican ass and grow a set."

President Obama needs to get an ear-full, too. Give him a call, or send a FAX:

Phone Numbers

Comments: 202-456-1111

Switchboard: 202-456-1414

FAX: 202-456-2461

You may send an on-line message at this site: www.whitehouse.gov/contact 

Obama has other options other than to acquiesce to the Republicans. One is the 14th Amendment, Section 4: The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

Here is another option:

The Trial Is Over: Time To Move On

Image yourself lying comfy and cozy in your bed when suddenly you are startled out of a dreamy sleep by the sounds of splintering wood and loud voices. Before you are fully awake you feel hands grabbing at you and dragging you from your bed. As you struggle to understand what is happening you hear voices screaming, "He's the one. He did it. Hang him."

Clad only in your now ripped pajamas you find yourself in the yard under a limb of the huge live oak that provided a shady respite from the summer sun at family picnics. A rope is secured tightly around your neck and you feel yourself being pulled upward. Your  jugular vein and carotid arteries are blocked and blood flow to the brain is reduced. The last thing you are aware of is a great blaze of glaring light.

You are the victim of vigilantee justice carried out by a group of your neighbors who have appointed themselves judge, jury, and executioner. Were you guilty of a crime? We will never know because you were denied the right to a trial as guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment to our Constitution:

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence. 

Nowhere in that Amendment does it say that if any of the general population disagrees with the verdict at a trial that they have the right to form a lynch mob to administer vigilantee justice. That vigilantee mentality does seem to be rearing its ugly head in some quarters of this country.

Hate filled rhetoric is being directed at the judge, jury, attorneys, and the legal system in general, but just image that you are the hapless soul being dragged from your house in the middle of the night. Wouldn't you want to face a judge and jury, with an attorney at your side, and the justice system on your side instead of that lynch mob?

We may never know whether Casey Anthony is innocent of what many want her to be guilty of or not. All we know for sure is that the jury found her "Not Guilty" and that a not guilty verdict means one thing - the prosecution did not prove their case. Innocent and not guilty are not synonomous. Either way, the American justice system did its job - whether you like it or not.

You who are demanding your pound of flesh need to remember that you weren't at the trial. You have no standing in this matter. Maybe it is time to get on with your lives. Double jeopardy rules that this case is closed.

_______________________________________

As a final thought: The news media here in Tampa and elsewhere are clambering for the court to release the names of the jurors. In a high profile, contentious trial like Anthony's, I would suggest that releasing the names would place an additional burden on the jurors. 

After enduring six weeks of cloistered existence, plus a gut wrenching trial, these jurors may now be faced with having to look over their shoulders to see if they are being stalked by some hate-filled loony. Personally, jury duty wouldn't seem like much of a privilege if I had to fear for my safety after the trial.

Movie: Midnight In Paris

Paris! The city of lights, love, and romance. We love Paris in the springtime, summer, and fall. We love Paris when it sizzles as well as when it drizzles. We have wandered the streets at midnight, but never have we experienced the thrill of 1920s Paris in the company of Cole Porter, the Fitzgeralds, Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, or Picasso.

This past Friday was a date night for me and the Belle of Ballast Point. Our plans for the evening included dinner and a movie at one of our favorite venues, the Cobb CineBistro in Hyde Park. The movie was the latest masterpiece from Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris, a movie that eclipsed the superb food and wine at the Cobb. Seeing this movie was as a trip back in time to our past visits to Paris.







The opening scenes were of some of our favorite places; the streets, the parks, the hotel.

In the movie, Owen Wilson's character, a struggling writer, takes midnight strolls through the city that transport him back to earlier times. He meets people from the 1920s Paris that he so admires who inspire him to continue pursuing his writing career.

Along the way he meets a like-minded young lady who longs for the past - La Belle Époque - the age of beauty that began in the late eighteen hundreds and lasted to the First World War. Together they leave the 20s and wind up in the age of her dreams. She decides to stay. Wilson's character reluctantly leaves her behind and returns to the present day, finally realizing that "the good old days" are the days we are living today.

I look forward to seeing this movie again if not for the story, then for the images of a city we love.

A fountain at the Chateau de Versailles

Da Blues And Mo': Conrad Oberg

A few days ago the Oracle featured a couple of YouTube videos of teenage blues sensation Conrad Oberg. Those videos were good, but let me say, emphatically, that they were nowhere near as good as seeing and hearing Mr. Oberg in person.

This past Sunday we ventured north of the paradise that is SOG City to enjoy Conrad's performance at the Skipperdome. He and his band just blew us away. Blues, slide guitar licks, some oldies, key boards, trumpet - this four person band just burned the dome down with their talent.

Conrad and the band played three long sets. We stayed through two of those sets, but the food from inside Skipper's began calling our names.

Along with some of the coldest beer we have had in a long while, the Belle of Ballast Point ordered the black beans and yellow rice with sour cream and onions. I had a bite and it was yummy. For myself, I had a dozen raw oysters on the half shell, and a special of the day, Scallop Ceviche.

To my great surprise and pleasure, those oysters were as good as the ones I had last week in the Florida Panhandle at Ouzts Too - perfectly shucked, salty and delicious. The ceviche was one of the best I have ever had, and I have had some dandy ceviches all the way from Ballast Point to Mexico and back.

We don't go to Skipper's just for the food, but we figure as long as we are there we'd be silly to pass up their grub. They have some great swamp food - catfish, gator, crawfish - in addition to some tasty treats from the sea. 

And, Conrad Oberg - that was some fantastic blues.

The Thinning Of The Herd

No sane, compassionate person should celebrate when another human being meets with some sort of tragedy, especially if that tragedy results death. I issue that caveat prior to mentioning the death of a motorcyclist recently in Onondaga, N.Y.

The events surrounding the expiration of Philip Contos simply ooze with irony, though. Mr. Contos was astride his motorcycle alongside 550 other cyclists at a anti-helmet law rally. In what could be assumed an unexpected series of events, Contos lost control of his cycle and went ass over tea kettle, landing noggin first on the pavement.

According to investigators, Contos probably would have survived had he been wearing - here it comes- a helmet. I could find no information as to whether this rally was considered by the organizers to be a raging success or failure. The rally certainly made a statement.

The Belle of Ballast Point said a doctor friend who has seen many helmetless head injuries recently commented, and I paraphrase, "If these idiots want to ride and feel the wind in their hair, don't wear pants."

What the good doctor fails to understand is that "this here is the land of the free and we don't cotton to no damn government telling us what we can and cain't do. We's freedom lovin' Americans with wind in our hair and bugs on our tooth."

New York is missing one of its freedom loving Americans. How sad.

Happy Birthday America

Is America Worth Saving?

Well, is it, Pilgrim?

That is a question well worth asking this 4th of July weekend. I would invite all of my Oracle readers to pause for a few beer drinking, firecracker popping minutes and read John Lambert's America's Voice article.

After you've taken the time to read Mr. Lambert's article, I would be interested in hearing your opinion. Is America worth saving, and how would you go about saving it?

For everyone who responds, I personally will drink a beer in your honor.

Drive With Hymn For Her

Said Lucy and Wayne in a recent email to the Oracle:

We know that many of you are inspired to take a drive somewhere different for the holiday weekend. Even if you can't get away, our new video will give you a chance to escape for a few minutes. Sit back, grab a beer, a shot of whiskey or a cool glass of water and tune in. Imagine yourself in the hot desert with the windows down, rockin out to some H4H. Share us with your pals. Enjoy the video and have a sparkly holiday. Love.

Florida: On A Downhill Spiral

CEO Rick Scott and his fellow butt-plugs in the Republican dominated Florida legislature are rejoicing today. Their plan to "F--K Florida" has moved forward as their new laws against citizen protections and pocketbooks go into effect.

One particular law that SCREAMS Republican hypocrisy is:

• A woman seeking an abortion will be required to pay for an ultrasound even if she doesn't want one.

This law was enacted by the same group of scum-sucking bottom feeders who bellow from their conservative houses of the holy that it is un-Constitutional to force "patriotic" Americans to buy health insurance.

Republican hypocrisy knows no bounds!

Florida needs to remember this: 

Every state legislative seat will be on the ballot in 2012.

We can't do anything about Scott until 2014, but we can get rid of those self-serving, arrogant bastards in the legislature in 2012.

____________________________

French Blood On American Soil

As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day honoring the birthday of the United States of America and the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, I feel that it is appropriate that we also honor the country that helped us win our freedom.

France entered the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) in 1778, and assisted in the victory of the Americans seeking independence from Britain (realized in the 1783 Treaty of Paris).

From a Wikipedia article, "Following the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution was well received in France, both by the general population and the educated classes." Many Frenchmen, whether seeking glory or inspired by the ideals of liberty, volunteered to fight alongside our American patriots. Volunteers included the likes of Pierre Charles L'Enfant, and La Fayette, who enlisted in 1776.

About 3,000 French joined with 2,000 Americans in the Siege of Savannah, in which a naval bombardment was unsuccessful, and then an attempted assault of the entrenched British position was repulsed with heavy losses.

The aid to our country was not just in money and munitions. French blood was spilled on American soil in defense of our cause. I think it is fitting that we pause a moment in our 4th of July celebrations to thank our brothers who fly Le Tricolor. The Flag of France.

So, hoist a glass of wine and sing along:



A votre sante!