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Suppose I Could Make Bill O'Reilly Disappear. How Would You Celebrate?

Bill O'reilly Goes Crazy on The Set of Inside Edition

Image courtesy of theleetgeeks via Flickr

Bill O'Reilly of Fox News, Polk Award, Inside Edition meltdown fame, is a bad person who's doing bad things to this country. I cannot enumerate them. Google can do that for you. It's clear this country would be better if he weren't around. I got to thinking, what if he were to disappear into the void between dimensions? Based on Stephen King's The Mist, that seems like a place full of really bad monsters, so Bill should be right at home. I'm not saying I can do this, but with a particle accelerator and some cayenne pepper... let's just say I might know a guy and leave it at that. So supposing, just supposing it were possible to banish him to the interdimensional void, how would you celebrate? I really want to know. A friend on Twitter suggested a national holiday called "Fuckery Free Day." I think I'd max out my credit card to put on a massive parade of falafel-eating munchkins all singing "Ding Dong O'Reilly's Gone" or something to that effect. What would you do? What would you like to see done if our prayers of Bill O'Reilly disappearing were to come true?

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The Smurfs Anti-War Episode Is Incredible

This year, the Smurfs turn 50. I shared this info with a co-worker who sent me this.

From the YouTube description

Unicef commercial against war. Designed as a UNICEF advertisement, and with the approval of the family of the Smurfs' late creator Peyo, the 25-second episode was shown on the national evening news after the 9pm timeslot to avoid children seeing it. The scene starts with happy peaceful Smurfs and butterflies, who are then bombed by warplanes, ending with a lone Baby Smurf surrounded by dead Smurfs. The final frame bears the message: "Don't let war affect the lives of children."

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NPR Redux: Bell, The Wrath Of The Math, and Loving

cross-posted to jack and jill politics We were on NPR's News & Notes (audio is at the link) again yesterday and got to talk about the Sean Bell protests, the death of Mildred Loving and a lightning round on the Democratic primaries. First of all, I must confess, I almost missed the joint! I got too cute with my time and arrived at the studio just in time. Just call me Lake County :) Hopefully, I didn't sound too out of breathe. As usual, Carmen brought some knowledge and insight to the discussions of race, and it was good to rap with Casey Lartigue for the first time although I think he misinterpreted one of my statements. I mentioned people were experiencing fatigue in the Sean Bell case because we're constantly reminded of the dual justice systems in this country. He thought I meant Sharpton fatigue. No biggie. I also gave some love to Black Agenda Report for their perfect description of the Sean Bell verdict: the decision may have been legal, but it wasn't justice. I'm most proud of my campaign lightning round comment about life post-NC/IN in which I stated:
I'm just happy to welcome the mainstream media to the Democratic primary. They've finally caught on to the Wrath of the Math which hasn't really changed since Obama's 12-state sweep post-Super Tuesday. That, I think, is the biggest change. The facts on the ground haven't changed, but the media narrative and perception has, and I'm glad to see it has.
BTW for those who don't know, "The Wrath Of The Math" is Jeru the Damaja's second album. I started using it to describe the Democratic primary when we were on News & Notes from Dallas the day after the Texas primacaucus Carmen also represented, raising the point we've been hitting a lot in the Afrosphere about Hillary's inability to win the black vote being more legitimate than the question of Obama's capture of the white vote. Finally we talked about the death of Mildred Loving and the status of marriage equality. Thankfully, we didn't get sidetracked into discussions of interracial extramarital affairs (which I don't really see as relevant to equal protection under the law) and instead stayed focused on perceptions of interracial marriage and the larger issue of marriage equality. I tried to make the link from the Loving decision to the need for marriage equality for same sex couples as I've done here and here. Big up to Farai Chideya and the entire News & Notes staff for running a substantive show. Thanks to the JJP and Afrosphere fam for contributing to the important democratic (small "d") conversation in this country. Again, you can listen here.

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Tax Day Blues Inspires Demand For Marriage Equality

cross-posted to jack and jill politics The following is a letter I got from fellow artist Karin Webb. She's part of the arts scene in Boston where we met years ago. Here it is. (I bolded a few parts).
Hi all, I wanted to share some thoughts I've been having. This is not a show announcement or anything having to do with my art... though it just may work it's way into performance sometime very soon... I got a message from the ERA this morning and was asked to fill out a letter to my Congressperson. I usually ignore these, but I've been boiling for months about my taxes this year... (for those who don't know) I am married in MA to a woman named Jill Gibson. She is also a partner of mine in my theater troupe. We share expenses, art, a home, inspiration, dreams, arms, love, and I can't imagine being on this journey with anyone else- nor can I imagine being on any journey in my life other than the one I am on. Because the gender of my wife is similar to the gender of myself (the sex the same), I have to figure out my/our taxes three separate times this year (3xSuck = smoke blowing out my ears and the fiery pits of hell lapping at my toes). The federal government doesn't recognize my situation as "really married" (though having lived in both married and unmarried households in my lifetime, I truly can't understand the reason why)... I wanted to share the thoughts I shared this morning with my Congresspeople with you. It seems to me that if we live in a country that won't condone segregation or unequal treatment based on sex, that my marriage should fall under that protection... and really I am sick of the shit... Until our country stands behind all of it's citizens and affords the same rights and privileges to all, we are living a lie. It is so easy to dismiss inequality when it doesn't hit home, or when it has happened to you all your life. I am a woman who has had partners both male and female, and I have got to say: the message comes in loud and strong to someone who can pass and live a privileged life in the shadows, but I hope for more in my experience. I hope for more in the life of my baby niece. I hope for more in the lives of all the people I love. Below are the words I added to the ready-made letter. This is a link you can use if you are interested in sending your own letter (not pressure, just a consideration for those who want to) "Here I, Karin Webb, will veer off of the predetermined message for a moment: I believe it is unfair that not only must I do three times the work a straight married couple does simply because of the gender of my wife, but in doing the work of preparing my federal taxes, my wife's federal taxes, and then re-figuring out those same taxes again for state filing, I am constantly being reminded that I am a lesser citizen based solely on the gender of the person I fell in love with and chose to make a life and family with. I, Karin Webb, am being Federally denied actual currency- earned wages- for choosing to marry the person I feel most connected to. In a country that continually voices its support of family values- the values that keep families together and our national community strong, I believe I, and many other working Americans have been betrayed by the United States of America. Please hear my voice, and recognize that I speak through my love and passion for equality and freedom- the very rights this country was created in the name of. Thank you for listening." Luck and Love to you all, -Karin
Last June, a coalition of organizations and social justice groups (National Black Justice Coalition, Hispanic National Bar Association, Asian American Justice Center and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) honored the 40th anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia decision which ended all race-based legal restrictions on marriage. I blogged about it then and wrote:
I am so excited to see the breadth of the coalition behind this event and the movement generally. I'm tired of black folks especially feeling that the civil rights movement stopped with us. It seems to me that too often we display an attitude of "game's locked" with regard to Latino and immigrant groups and gay/lesbian rights. Just look at the absurdity behind the language of the miscegenation laws, and it becomes increasingly difficult to justify such discrimination against our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters.
Karin's letter reminds me that there is much left to do in our continuing mission to perfect this union. Please visit FreedomToMarry.org or consider writing a letter via the Human Rights Campaign.

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Bill Clinton Is Incredible, Now Lying About Lies

cross-posted to JJP That's just meta. When I was in Philly for Obama last week, a friend made a pretty insightful statement. "When people say they hate Hillary Clinton, you don't know if it's a Republican or Democrat saying it." That wasn't always the case, but I keep finding myself asking, "was the vast right wing conspiracy right about these people being serial liars?" There's no way out for Bill Clinton on this one. This is Bill explaining the actions of Democratic Primary Spoiler Hillary Clinton's Bosnia deception. From ABC's blog
President Clinton's described his wife's experience, saying, "There was a lot of fulminating because Hillary, one time late at night when she was exhausted, misstated and immediately apologized for it - what happened to her in Bosnia in 1995. Did y'all see all that. Oh, they blew it up. Let me just tell you." Clinton then criticized the press, saying, “You woulda thought, you know, that she'd robbed a bank the way they carried on about this. And some of them, when they're 60, they'll forget something when they're tired at 11:00 at night, too." President Clinton's version of the story has several inaccuracies. Hillary Clinton actually made the exaggerated comments numerous times, including at an event in Dubuque, Iowa on Dec. 29th, in Waco, TX on Feb. 29th, and twice -- bright and early in the morning -- on March 17. Sen. Clinton did not apologize, as Mr. Clinton asserted. His wife did say she had made a mistake and said that she had misspoken when describing the Bosnia incident. Sen. Clinton also wasn't as quick with her apology as President Clinton may remember either. In fact, it took a week for her to eventually correct herself, first talking to the Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board on March 24 and again the following day in Greensboro, N.C. President Clinton also indicated that his wife's trip took place in 1996 – when it fact it took place in 1995. President Clinton then later in the evening told the story again in Jasper, Ind., saying the press was treating his wife like the Mata Hari. "She took a terrible beating in the press for a few days because she was exhausted at 11 o'clock at night and she started talking about Bosnia and she misstated the circumstances under which she landed in Bosnia. Did you all see all that? And oh, they acted like she was practically Mata Hari - like she was making up all this stuff."
There's just no defense at all. No misinterpretation possible. He's absolutely destroyed whatever credibility he reconstituted after leaving office. For shame. Saying she robbed a bank is not far off from the truth. She robbed people who actually were in combat of their experience. She made up a combat story of her own. It's called valor theft. Now please go away. I'm so tired of this.

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Dan Drinker Endorses Barack Obama

Dan Drinker is a Pennsylvania resident who has Down Syndrome. His brother, Will, is making a documentary about their lives and has been posting articles and videos to dandrinker.com One of the recent videos was Dan's endorsement of Obama. It's pretty touching and direct. He's got some especially complimentary (and accurate) things to say about Michelle Obama as well.

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HIllary Too Busy Dodging Sniper Fire To Pay Small Vendors, Health Care Bills?

cross-posted to jack & jill politics This is astounding. I peeped this at Politico first, then Pam Spaulding at Pandragon fleshed out more. From Politico:
Among the debts reported this month by Hillary Clinton’s struggling presidential campaign, the $292,000 in unpaid health insurance premiums for her campaign staff stands out. Clinton, who is being pressured to end her campaign against Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination, has made her plan for universal health care a centerpiece of her agenda.
From Pam, who also cites Politico
The Clinton campaign is trying to keep its financial operation afloat as it hits the next slew of primaries, but this is bad PR any way you look at it. You can’t sell yourself as a president ready to give hope and help to working families when you stiff small vendors who have made you look good on the road. Even worse, when vendors have contacted the campaign to see when they might be paid, no one responds
The people who put on her Ohio event had voted for her and now regret it. T-R-I-F-L-I-N-G So let me get this straight. Ms. 35 years of experience, ready on day one, don't call me Hillary, call me Healthcare Clinton, doesn't pay her bills, doesn't pay her HEALTH CARE BILLS!!?? Are You F^%&^ing Kidding Me?? Health care. Wow. I know sleep deprivation and sniper fire can interrupt an otherwise responsible lifestyle, but damn Hillary. Get your ish together.

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