Fitna Video
Posted on March 29, 2008
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This controversial, anti-Islamic video is causing a stir after Network Solutions, a web hosting company, suspended the website that featured it citing serious threats from Muslims unhappy with the video.
The video was then featured on Live Leak, a news/video website, but quickly removed after they too received serious threats from Muslims.
The videos have since been spreading on YouTube and Google Video. Will Google be the brave soul to stand up for free speech? We’ll see… in the meantime here are the videos:’
We can understand why Muslims might be upset. It depicts their entire religion as violent murderers and terrorists interested in furthering their religion at any cost. To those people: if that is the view you are trying to deflect, isn’t making threats to companies and people in direct contradiction to your goals?
I can see how this video could be seen as propaganda that is detrimental to Muslims. Ignorant folks often see one side or the other, failing to see both sides of the story. To them, the violence in this video and the Islamic religion may be seen as one in the same.
But is the War in Iraq sending the same contradictory message? If the violence in this video is all that the Middle Eastern Muslims are used to, as this video would have you think, than how is bombing them and using force to bring about change offering an alternative? Sure, the end goal might be freedom and democracy, but do you expect these people to see that?
The American goal can’t merely be Democracy and Freedom, because to be successful in that attempt, the Middle Eastern people must first embrace the ideas and concepts of Democracy and Freedom. At this point, many of them don’t.
Here is the response LiveLeak provided about their removal of the Fitna Movie: “Following threats to our staff of a very serious nature, and some ill informed reports from certain corners of the British media that could directly lead to the harm of some of our staff, Liveleak.com has been left with no other choice but to remove Fitna from our servers.
This is a sad day for freedom of speech on the net but we have to place the safety and well being of our staff above all else. We would like to thank the thousands of people, from all backgrounds and religions, who gave us their support. They realised LiveLeak.com is a vehicle for many opinions and not just for the support of one.
Perhaps there is still hope that this situation may produce a discussion that could benefit and educate all of us as to how we can accept one anothers culture.
We stood for what we believe in, the ability to be heard, but in the end the price was too high.”
Every religion has had its dark times and we must learn to separate our views of people and our views of religion. There are bad Muslim people… and even if 99% of Muslims are bad people it doesn’t make Islam bad… it just means that bad people have transformed a fair religion into a rotten apple.
The Hebrew Bible (and Exodus in the Christian Bible) says, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot,” but nobody disparages the religion of Judaism as the problem source in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel has some pretty terrible things going on in their country too…
In the sermon on the mount Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’. But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” But there are plenty of Christians and Catholics who do things as bad as the things seen in this video. It isn’t the religion that makes them bad… they are simply bad people.
Ghandi, who practiced Hinduism, said, “an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.” But, he was a peaceful figure in a time of mostly turmoil for both Hindus and Muslims who were focused on killing eachother. Christians had their time as well… remember the crusades?
But one thing is for sure… the barbaric brutality going on in the Middle East must stop. The thought that non-Muslims must all die for the world to be a perfect place must be seen by all as complete nonsense. Unfortunately, spreading the video on the Internet won’t allow it to get to the people whose mind’s we are trying to change.
Where are the Martin Luther Kings, the Ghandis, the Mother Teresas of today? We desperately need you…
Inflation Hits Hooker Industry
Posted on March 12, 2008
Filed Under Comedy, United States | Leave a Comment
Fake breasts aren’t the only thing being grossly inflated in the whore industry these days… the price tags for their clients have ballooned as well. Just ask former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer:
He paid $4,300 for 2.5 hours with a call girl he met at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington. Court papers state he also paid for train tickets, cab fare, mini-bar and room service charges for Kristen — a 5-foot-5, 105-pound brunette he arranged to meet the night of February 13.
What is the only industry to see greater year-to-year price increases than gasoline/oil? If you guessed hoes, you guessed right. See chart below illustrating the increase in hourly investment for a hooker, from 1993 until today:
What could POSSIBLY be worth $4,500 and change that made this 5 foot 5 beauty worth every buck? Nothing… Eliot Spitzer is an idiot and has further burdened Americas prostitution customers by setting a new precedent for high prices.
But in all seriousness… what on earth was he thinking? $4,500? Caught via text messages and e-mails? I’m surprised his poor wife stood next to him during the press conference. As if having it happen wasn’t embarrassing enough how about facing the entire country while your husband admits he paid thousands to sleep with someone for a couple hours.. talk about feeling useless.
So what happens to Eliot Spitzer after this? Who knows… who cares… hopefully he disappears into the silence of the night. But someone tell that pretty little 5′5″ Call Girl to show her face… we want to see how stupid Eliot really is.
I wonder if she Spitzered or Swallowed.
Ferraro: Obama Only Winning Because He Is Black
Posted on March 12, 2008
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You read them right. The words uttered from Geraldine Ferraro were not only reprehensible, off based and racist but also straight up wrong.
Here is the exact quote from Ferraro:
“If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is.”
To which Obama refuted:
“The notion that it is a great advantage to me to be an African American named Barack Obama and pursue the presidency, I think, is not a view that has been commonly shared by the general public.”
Obama’s reaction makes Ferraro’s initial remark seem laughable… what a fool. To think that someone holding a position in Hillary Clinton presidential campaign who is in one of the closest primary races in the history of our country would make such ridiculous, racial comments is much more than a lack of judgement. Perhaps it is senility - she is 72. No… I think bigotry would be the proper word.
Ferraro stepped down from her post in the Clinton campaign. The title of her position? Honorary New York Leadership Council Chair. Perhaps she made the racial comments because she was pissed at being shafted with a pointless, make-believe, ridiculous sounding position stuck somewhere in right field.
Actually, it sounds like a Bud Light Commercial… Here’s to you Ms. Honorary New York Leadership Council Chair Woman. I hope you enjoy that nice tall glass of shut the hell up.
By the way… you look like an uglier version of that chick from “Murder She Wrote”.
Hillary/Obama Dream Ticket a Reality?
Posted on March 6, 2008
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After primary victories in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island, Hillary Clinton is right back in the thick of things, trailing Barack Obama by a slim margin. That likely means the two Democratic candidates will be battling it out until the finish line.
Asked about the potential “dream ticket”, Hillary says, “That may be where this is headed,” but insists the race will continue until a clear victor is decided because they must know who is, “at the top of the ticket.”
Barack Obama commented that the “Dream Ticket” discussion is a bit premature. We’re sure Hillary is happy to discuss it because only a few days ago she was all but counted out of the race. Still, we can’t see these huge egos, especially after the punches that have been thrown, coming together on one ticket. Will either of them take a back seat to the other? I strongly doubt it.
The real threat here is that the Democratic primaries WILL go on until the checkered flag, with each candidate delivering potential knockout blows via negative ads and insults that will leave the actual Dem candidate woozy when facing McCain.
Sure… it’s an interesting primary run… but you can be sure that the Dream Ticket is more like the Disaster Waiting to Happen Ticket. How easy would it be for John McCain to claim, “Well even your own Vice President said this about you: blah blah blah” to which the Democrat nominee will have no rebuttle. Because it will be true. And with each passing day, the chances of the Dream Ticket being victorious is smaller and smaller, simply because McCain will have more ammo for his arsenal.
Highlights: Obama vs Hillary Texas Debate
Posted on February 22, 2008
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Just wanted to point out a few of what I thought were the memorable moments of the debate:
The first 45 minutes consisted of constant agreement of repeated answers by both candidates which my mother would later call, “a lovefest.”
Obama sent a strong continuation of his “change message” with vivid verbage saying, “There isn’t a lack of good ideas…” and says the problem is that, “
Asked whether or not they would meet with Raul Castro, who will take over in Cuba after his brother Fidel stepped down, Clinton said only after a move in the right direction took place. Obama said he would meet without any preconditions but not without preperation. The two then gently passed around the word “preparation” for what seemed like eternity.
A big topic in Texas, immigration reform, seemed to be met with the answer by Obam who put his trademarked speech giving skills to good use when summing up: “We are a nation of laws and we are a nation of immigrants. We can reconcile the two.”
The debate then took a change of course when the questions became extremely pointed regarding the recent allegations being slung between the Obama and Clinton campaigns. The main question seemed to be on the Obama plagiarism charge which Obama largely shrugged off as “silly season” in politics that was simply negative campaigning. He laughed it off and the audience laughed it off with him.
That put Hillary in a precarious position, looking like a foolish child who was screaming, “But mommy… it’s not fair!” She was able to somewhat restore her credibility with a line that Obama could probably respect for it’s creativity saying his stolen words, “isn’t change you can believe in it is change you can xerox.”
Ouch…
Nice comeback, but Hillary didn’t seem to have enough umph in her punches throughout the night to overcome the tone, confidence, wits and logic of Obama. His momentum is mounting. She needed some type of material that would be able to deliver a knock down of some sorts but came up way short.
The debate was even and Hillary needed a win. Game over?
Obama Plagiarism?
Posted on February 19, 2008
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The Clinton campaign launched a vicious accusation that Obama has plagiarized numerous times in recent speeches, stealing quotes word for word from Deval Patrick.
It is completely true that Obama took parts of Patrick’s speech word for word and here is the proof:
Unfortunately for Hillary, this comes across as a last ditch effort to take Obama down with any dirt she can possibly dig up. While it is true that much of Obama’s momentum could be attributed to his motivational speeches and rhetoric of change, the plagiarism claim won’t do much to derail the seemingly inevitable Obama Democratic nomination.
When asked about the plagiarism, Obama admits that he did indeed borrow these lines from Deval Patrick and that he should have Patrick as the original source. However, Patrick is a supporter and friend of Obama and likely (as Obama claims) suggested he may want to borrow a few motivational lines that seemed to “work”.
While Obama probably won’t lose the Democratic nomination because of this controversy, it is something that the McCain team is looking at with a magnifying glass. If Obama does indeed face off against McCain for the presidency, we’re guessing this issue will “resurface” with a little help from Johnny boy.
By the way… where the heck is Deval Patrick in all of this? Don’t you think he could clear this whole thing up pretty darn quickly if he gave his side of the story? Why isn’t anyone asking the source directly? That’s the only thing that seems fishy about this… are they trying to coordinate a “company line” with the Obama team?
Sidenote: For being such a great speaker, we don’t think Obama’s “plagiarized” versions were nearly as good as Deval Patrick’s originals. Oh well…
Fidel Castro Resigns
Posted on February 19, 2008
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The Cuban president Fidel Castro has resigned his position saying he, “will not aspire or accept - the post of President of the Council of State and Commander in Chief.” The notification came in the form of a letter distributed through the media.
At 83 years old, it isn’t a huge surprise that Castro will not push on as the President of Cuba, especially considering recent setbacks to his health. The word “President” could be somewhat misleading: Fidel Castro ruled for nearly 50 years in what seemed more like a dictatorship. His 76 year old brother Raul Castro will likely take over the “throne” and serve as Cuba’s next president… sounds like a monarchy to me!
Fidel Castro is best known as a guerilla leader who reshaped Cuba into a Communist government, survived assassination attempts by the United States and fueled the “Cuban Missile Crisis” during the JFK administration that brought the world to the brink of Nuclear Warfare. Through 10 U.S. presidencies that have tried to oust him, none of been seen successful and the 1961 “Bay of Pigs Invasion” is considered the most disastrous. After this failed takeover by Cuban exiles, funded by the United States, the American relationship with Cuba grew very icy.
President Bush used the resignation as an opportunity to criticize Castro saying he denied the Cuban people, “their right to live in a free society.” He suggested Cuba should move towards a Democratic process and said their current “staged elections” don’t count - Cuba is one of the world’s last remaining Communist countries.
Some of praised Castro for providing great healthcare to his citizens without any type of aid from the United States. But, most see the blood on his hands as he is responsible for suppressing individual rights and liberties by force. And those that praise him may do so because those that detract from him face a perilous fortune.
So Raul Castro takes over at 76 years old… what happens when HIS time has come and gone? Let’s face it - 76 isn’t exactly youthful. The United States has pushed for Democratic turn of events, but that is extremely unlikely to happen with a Castro in office and the country probably won’t have a change of heart after both brothers are gone.
For those who trumpe Democratic principles, the resignation of Fidel Castro is however, at least symbolic of the opportunity for change. But when will it happen? Don’t hold your breath.
Barack Obama & Ron Paul: The REAL Dream Ticket
Posted on February 16, 2008
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[Help spread the dream… DIGG THIS ARTICLE!]
Political analysts have pondered the possibility of a “dream ticket” that would include Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. The same could be said for a John McCain and Mitt Romney Republican ticket. Both are unlikely to happen because of the bitter rivalries and egos involved.
But since we’re dreaming, we’d like to pose the most utopian dream ticket possible… Barrack Obama as president with Dr. Ron Paul serving as Vice President.
Choosing a Republican running mate would be considered political suicide for Obama, although NO choice would better illustrate his inspiration verbage about ending partisan politics. Both Paul and Obama captured national attention by sending a message of change and peace that was embraced by a youthful America.
Besides their thoughts on bringing the military home from Iraq, Obama and Paul probably don’t agree on a ton of issues. But, Ron Paul is a champion of the constitution who, when it all comes down to it, just wants to make America a better place for Americans.
Would it be so bad to have an honest Republican as your right hand man who can bridge the gap between the huge philosophical divide? With our foreign policy (including the War in Iraq) being the top issue in this election, and an issue on which they agree, the timing couldn’t be better to shake up the two party system that has ailed our nation for too many years. New ideas are silenced, new concepts are closeted, new contributors are suffocated and the mainstream media is a co-conspirator in holding down these new opportunities.
A bigger statement couldn’t be made than an Obama-Paul election ticket… it would say loud and clear, “We want change. We are all Americans. We can work together.” It would send a message to the world. It would expose the existing political infrastructure for what it is - an imperfect system susceptible to corruption, private interests and greed. But it would show that what’s good about America and overcome what is not.
An Obama-Paul ticket would say we do NOT have to succumb to the norm. We do not have to be pigeon holed into a system designed for only left and right. We do NOT have to follow a political path that seems written in stone, edited and maintained by only Republicans and Democrats. And all it would take is one Democrat and one Republican, with similar philosophies and equally desired results, to come together.
It will never happen. But we can dream, can’t we? And if we stir up enough attention about it, perhaps we could even get the media to speculate the possibility. Senator Obama? Dr. Paul? What do you think?
Unfortunately the President and Vice President don’t have all the power in the world. The congress is still responsible for creating, passing and/or denying the vast majority of laws that are put into effect. But if you’ve ever heard of “the trickle down” effect… the dream of an Obama-Paul ticket could mark the beginning of an American Revolution that rivals the one which gained our countries independence… without the bloodshed.
Help spread the dream… DIGG THIS ARTICLE!
Romney Endorses McCain
Posted on February 14, 2008
Filed Under Election 2008 | Leave a Comment
Here’s how it goes down:
- Romney spends his fortune to fund his own presidential campaign
- Romney and McCain have bitter debates and arguments with finger pointing and insult flinging at debates and broadcast advertisements
- Romney loses footing after poor Super Tuesday showing
- Romney insists he will fight on
- Romney drops out of the race just after insisting he will fight on
And now:
- Romney endorses McCain, the same rival he traded bitter blows of words with just a few short weeks ago.
Many would liken the exchange to being the fan of an American League baseball team and when your team isn’t in the pennant race, you root for another American League team out of allegiance. But Romney’s support of McCain seems more like a Yankee-bashing Red Sox fan supporting the Yankees in the World Series after trashing them for the past decade. What gives?The scenario is a bit different, but Romney cited his Republican allegiance as the reason for quitting the race in the first place. He didn’t want the Democrats to have an edge by prolonging an internal battle for the Republican nomination. He realizes McCain is the to-be-nominee and wants to be seen as a key influence in uniting the party and citizens around him. I’m sure he also hopes that, should McCain get elected, his support of McCain will be credited with part of the reason he was able to make it.Most thought the proper thing would be for Romney to be silent, seeing as how he repeatedly questioned McCain’s credentials and decisions throughout his campaign. But, I guess Romney is trying to “take one for the team” so the Republicans can get re-elected. No single man is bigger than the goals of the party I suppose.
It’s an admirable thing on Romney’s part if you look at it on paper. He sucked up his losses… financial and emotional and supported his rival for the good of his team. But, knowing that Romney is a smart guy, he probably looked at it on paper before hand and said, “they’ll probably admire me for this.”
And so it happened. I have to say… as much as you could try to diss Romney for this and say “there he goes flip flopping again,” you have to give him credit for doing the right thing for his party. Who knows… maybe this will earn him the role of Vice President.
In any case… we’ll miss you Mitt… you made the Republican race a little more interesting.
Obama Takes, McCain Maintains Lead
Posted on February 13, 2008
Filed Under Election 2008 | Leave a Comment
With the Potomac hat trick completed (Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC) for both Barack Obama and John McCain, they both move closer to becoming their party’s presidential nominee.
For John McCain the road to a primary victory seems pretty simple: a GOP candidate needs 1,191 votes to win the nomination and McCain currently has 812 (68%) with the only standing competitor being Huckabee with 217 (18%) of the delegate votes needed. John McCain better keep his eye on the ball and figure out how he’s going to beat a Democrat when Americans disapprove of the War in Iraq and want change. McCain is seen by many as “serving Bush’s 3rd term.”
Meanwhile, the Democratic competition begins to heat up. Obama has taken the lead over longtime favorite, Senator Hillary Clinton with his 1,215 to her 1,190. The Democratic candidate to earn 2,025 delegate votes will earn the nomination. And although they are neck and neck, Obama has won the last 8 primaries and caucuses and the latest Potomac victories were of a convincing fashion.
Obama seems to be pulling from the Clinton base: the only demographic lead Clinton seems to maintain is that of white women. Here are some of the demographic voting percentages Obama received based on exit polls in Virginia and Maryland:
- Obama wins 60% of overall female vote
- 66+% of male vote
- 90% of African American vote
- Obama, Clinton Split the white vote
- Obama has 6% edge on Hispanic vote
Next up?
- Next Tuesday: Wisconsin, Washington (and Hawaii Caucus for Dems)
- March 4th: Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont. This is a HUGE day where Clinton likely must win Texas and Ohio to stay alive.
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Polling Research Center:
