Birds Fly Away

Note to all the so-called music “artists” out there (Britney, Miley, I’m looking at you), take a close look:

- ACL

Popping the Balloon

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m still waiting for the media’s apology for obsessively following this Ballon Boy nonsense. Scratch that. The media can skip the apologies (since I’ve never been big on apologies anyway) and simply start focusing their attention on pressing matters.

That’s all for today.

- ACL

True Bipartisanship

Here’s one you don’t see everyday. Apparently East Cleveland’s incumbent mayor Eric Brewer has put himself in a pretty compromising position as he is set to launch his re-election campaign. Scratch that. It’s more like compromising positions.  See for yourself.

Uh…well…uh…you see…um. Sigh. Never mind. What’s the point? I couldn’t defend men in drag when Tyler Perry did it. I can’t defend it now.

- ACL

Behind the Gun Smoke

I will NEVER bask in a person’s death, especially when they’re senselessly murdered. And as much disdain as I have for the NRA and for the nonsensical argument that guns are the best thing since sliced bread, I try to become increasingly more tolerant of gun owners and their rights to pack heat.

But then I read a rather odd and ironic story on CNN:

Soccer mom Meleanie Hain, who made national headlines last year by having a loaded, holstered handgun at her 5-year-old daughter’s soccer game, has been found shot dead in her home along with her husband, police said Thursday. Information from 911 calls shows that it took a SWAT team nearly an hour and a half to gain entry to the Lebanon, Pennsylvania, home Wednesday evening. Inside, they found the bodies of Hain, 31, and her husband, Scott, 33, police Capt. Daniel Wright said.

Police have avoided labeling the incident a murder-suicide. However, they do not believe that another person was involved, Wright said. A full investigation is under way, he added.

[...]

Meleanie Hain became an overnight celebrity and, to some, a steward of Second Amendment rights when she carried a Glock strapped to her belt to her daughter’s soccer game September 11, 2008.

Days later, on September 20, her permit to carry a gun was revoked by Lebanon County Sheriff Michael DeLeo, who claimed that she showed poor judgment at the child’s game. County Judge Robert Eby later reinstated the permit.

Weisberg, Hain’s attorney, said the sheriff’s action violated Hain’s First, Second, Fourth and 14th Amendment rights.

Read the rest of the article here.

I have to admit: when I first read this, my initial thought was that this was an ironic and real life manifestation of the ”…live by the sword, die by the sword” metaphor.  But then another part of me saw the story behind the story: yet another tragic display of violence at the hands of people with no respect for human life; others or their own. Added to that is the ongoing reality of domestic abuse against women and the gross consequences that rise from it. Regardless to how people may feel about Meleanie Hain and her belief in carrying heat, she was also a mother, daughter, and friend to people. Besides, not all women who are victimized by domestic abuse meet their end at the barrel of gun. These days, other weapons of choice include knives, belts, pans, or bare hands. Unfortunately these subtextual aspects of the story always seem to get forgotten during the discussion.

On top of all that, I suppose one of the reasons why I won’t politicize this case as a reason to push for more gun control is because of the futility of it all. Like all the other killings, murder/suicides, and accidental shootings that have occupied the media over the years, there is nothing noteworthy enough about this story to change the complexity of the debate. If anything, I suspect all this story will do is give gun opponents a little more aummunition (no pun intended) to support their arguments…while giving gun defenders the opportunity to flash their own stats and anecdotal evidence as refutation of those claims. So to both sides: relax. Most assuredly, there are going to be plenty more gun deaths in the future to keep this debate alive. No need to come to come out firing on all cylinders right now.

For now, let’s just concentrate on yet another victim of domestic violence.

- ACL

Lover’s Quarrel

Video of the day: Here’s a brief clip of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi offering comments about Afghanistan. Notice how Pelosi responds when Reid puts his arm around her. Then notice her response when he indicates the bipartisan support Congress has for President Obama’s choices:

Marital counseling, anybody?

- ACL

The Beauty of Politics (Part 2)

Despite my best efforts to form a list of hot politicians, I realized that I missed out on some real winners. To make up for it, here is Round 2. *Note: to those of you who gave me grief about it before, I assure you: Nancy Pelosi is NOT on the list this time.*

First, the honorable mention:

Caroline Flint: Member of the Labour Party in the UK. Checking her out makes me forget about how annoying it is that the Brits needlessly add the “u” in Labor.

Gina Parody:  Columbian Senator. Please God. Turn me into a Columbian drug lord so I have to testify before her subcommittee.

Yuri Fujikawa: Japanese Assemblywoman. If you thought Japanese supremacy ended with electronics, think again.

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy: First Lady of Franch. Though a wee bit on the petite side (i.e. the anorexic model type), I can’t deny the hotness from the First Lady. The French know a thing or two about fine wine. But they’ve also got the thing about fine women down to a science.

Nicole Parra: Former California Assemblywoman. She’s so hot, she probably had a little something to do with all those wildfires in California. Quick, somebody call the Guv-ee-nah.

Michele Bachmann: United States Representative (Minnesota). As far as looney toons in Congress go, Bachmann is the worst. But if there was ever a politican I could watch on mute, it would be her.

Eunice Olsen: Former member of Parliament. Singapore. Once a former Miss Singapore Universe and co-host of Singapore Wheel of Fortune, Olsen also enjoyed tons of success as a Singaporean politician. I’m sure the fellas in Parliament enjoyed her success as a Singaporean politician just as much.

And now for my [other] Top Five:

#5: Christine Kelly. French Minister for Overseas Territories.

When those idiots on the right tried to sever ties with all things French (i.e. “Freedom Fries” and “Freedom Toast.”), they took one look at her and dropped that silly campaign.

#4: Tsepeli Nikoleta: Greece.

So I have to admit: before now, I never even heard of Nikoleta. In fact, other than her own webpage (completely Greek to me. Literally.), I can’t find any other sources about her politics. But looking at her, who the heck cares?

#3: Strida Geagea: Lebanese political activist and politician. 

I’ve always maintained that Lebanese women are among the hottest on the planet. But Lebanese politicians?! Are you kidding me!!! Wow. Plus, as it the case with most of the women on this list, her story is very interesting.

#2: Orly Levy: Member of the Yisrael Beiteinu, a nationalist party of Israel.

Considered by many to be the Sarah Palin of Israel, Levy does not boast extensive political experience and she maintains a very conservative approach regarding foreign policy, with which I am mostly in disagreement. But I’m sure even Palestinians would love a Gaza Strip Tease from her. OK…that was wrong.

…and the new winner of the “Hottest Female Politician award goes to….

Drum roll, please:

…Mara Carfagna: Italian politician. Mercy.

Given that she was a former model/showgirl, she’s supposed to be at least relatively hot. But her decision to enter into politics (albeit, right of center) made her stock rise exponentially. So much so, that even fellow members of her party openly professed their infactuation. Sarah Palin is hot and all, but not even she could get the dirty old perves from the Republican party to publicly profess it (then again, in her defense: many…of…them…are…gay of course). So Mara, I salute you!

There you have it. My latest sorority of hot politicians. Let the debating begin!

- ACL

Hocus Pocus, Presto-Chango

Apparently, Criss Angel’s latest trick was turning liberals into conservatives.

I was over at Mirror of America reading a post by the Angry Independent. In it, AI expresses the very same frustration I have with President Obama and his decision to venture all the way to Denmark (spending more than my annual salary for each hour he was there) trying to make a [failed] attempt to bring the Olympics to the city of Chicago. Aside from the sheer political stupidity of wasting taxpayer dollars when there are far more pressing matters on the table, this trip gave Republican opponents PLENTLY more to chew on with Obama. Needless to say, I got a little ticked myself.

After the attempt to get Olympics crashed and burned, Republicans all over the country found cause for celebration. True, lots of Obama’s opposition was simply in the form of petty and unsubstantial nitpicking against anything the President does. But some oppostion about Chicago hosting the Olympics stems from rational concerns over the economic impact of the event (have we forgotten about China already?). Whether or not the right is simply using this as political opportunism, I agree wholeheartedly with their opposing viewpoint.

Fast foward to today. While watching my beloved Wolverines tragically lose to Michigan State (sigh.), I ran into a guy on campus - a proud, self-professed liberal. In our conversation, the issue of Obama and the Olympics came up. As we were talking about the story, he declared that Republicans opposing Obama’s Olympics bid are nothing short of political obstructionists with an ax to grind and who clearly “…hate America.” I was stunned to hear that…but not necessarily in a bad way. To use that kind of language in response to people’s dissent has been the VERY THING Republicans have been using for years to control the tone of debate. Honestly (and perhaps I shouldn’t be admitting this), it was somewhat refreshing to see some of those same tactics being used by the other side. Granted, I agree that Obama’s lobbying in Copenhagen was done in bad taste. But if there was ever a way to flip the script on how debate and policy are controlled in this country, the libs would have pulled off the ULTIMATE in magic tricks.

There is no denying that the Right-wing media is a force like nothing we have ever experienced in the history of the American political system. Yet I have always taken issue with the way liberals have all but capitulated their stance in favor of Republican noise making. Being “unpatriotic”, “hating America”, being “treasonous”, etc. are examples of rhetorical daggers historically used by the right. Seeing it turning around (even with a story where a Democratic president was dead ass wrong, IMO) was a work of art. It reminds me of the hardcore, unapologetic approach Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) has taken in the healthcare debate:

Republicans want sick people to die quickly?! Brilliant!

Simply put, I’m seeing somewhat of a reversal of roles…something that is much needed in this current political climate. For too long we’ve seen the right-wing media jocks and the fear-mongering Republican congressional figures co-opting American moralism. But seeing somewhat of an insurrection from the left – albeit not as influencial – is refreshing, to say the very least.

So far Obama hasn’t been able to deliever on much during his administration. But he has – at least in some minimal instances – woke some folks up out of a slumber.

- ACL