Never Enough Abject Wrongness Department

But still quite effective, and, let's face it, funny as hell.

What is it? Why, it's The Stranger's 2004's Scariest Halloween Costumes! Look for these genuinely creepy costumes at your front door this Sunday!

Never Enough Righteous Moshing Department

If you haven't seen or heard Eminem's video for the song "Mosh," then perhaps you should.

Let me re-iterate. I'm a metal fan, and a queer, and a woman. And Eminem, a hip-hop artist who has had homophobic and misogynistic lyrics in the past, is far, far from my musical idea. Still, I repeat--watch the "Mosh" video! It is gorgeously animated, emotionally charged, and most of all, politically powerful. In short, it is an incitement for the disenfranchised and betrayed to rise up and throw Bush out of office.

A young black man is racially profiled by cops for doing nothing but walking down the street. A soldier in Iraq, listening to an Eminem concert, comes home only to find out he's been re-assigned back to Iraq. A young mother comes home to find out she's being evicted, simultaneously watching Bush announce more tax cuts for the rich on TV. These and many more people all don black hoodies and join Eminem on the street, forming a massive army of Americans unwilling to allow Bush to continue his policies any further. The video ends with a confrontation between riot police and the crowd. The crowd, victorious, pushes on ahead into their target, a government building, where they... vote.

But I cannot do the video justice without writing an essay on the subject, and
there are already good analyses out there. So let me conclude with the closing words of the song:

"And as we proceed, to mosh through this desert storm, in these closing statements, if they should argue, let us beg to differ, as we set aside our differences, and assemble our own army, to disarm this weapon of mass destruction that we call our president, for the present, and mosh for the future of our next generation, to speak and be heard, Mr. President, Mr. Senator."

Right on, Mr. Mathers.

Never Enough Draft Thwarting Department

OK, there isn't a draft yet, but who's to say there won't be? So consider signing the No Iraq Draft petition, and putting a little red dot on the map to show where you're coming from--literally.

Get goin'!

Never Enough Bush Brains Department

If you have a heart, you'd make sure Bush never lacks for brains again.

What am I saying? If you don't have a heart, you'll love this Flash game. It's evil and cruel and mocking and just the thing you need when not making sure you and your friends vote. (Ahem.)

Never Enough Hard Numbers Department

First, here is a table of the percentages of Bush supporters vs Kerry supporters that correctly perceive their candidate's positions on various issues. Grim.


Then here's a compilation of raw numbers representing Bush's record. It's also grim.

Finally, something less dependent on numbers--but it's a list of 100 facts (and an opinion) which point at why Bush shouldn't be re-elected.

Don't think of this as pornography for depressive wonks. Think of it as ammunition for the last 10 days of our counter-assault against a GOP hegemony which has crippled our country.

Never Enough Hunter Thompson Department

It's been a while since I've read a Hunter Thompson column. It was worth the wait.

Never Enough Hopeful Statistics Department

Worried that Bush might win this election? Worry no more--based on all the data we've got so far, and fed into an election simulator, Kerry wins roughly three out of every five simulations. Bush barely ekes out two wins every five simulations.

But frankly, I think it's going to be better than that. Practice saying "President Kerry" a few times--you will be saying it a lot over the next four years.

Never Enough Proper Credit Department

I know I've been avoiding reading, let alone reblogging, articles from the New York Times. But here I must make an exception as the NYT takes on Jon Stewart's fabulous appearance on Crossfire:

"The transcript of Friday's 'Crossfire,' and the blog commentary about it, popped up all over the Internet this weekend. Mr. Stewart's Howard Beal (of 'Network') outburst stood out because he said what a lot of viewers feel helpless to correct: that news programs, particularly on cable, have become echo chambers for political attacks, amplifying the noise instead of parsing the misinformation. Whether the issue is Swift boat ads or Bill O'Reilly's sexual harassment suit, shows like 'Crossfire' or 'Hardball' provide gladiator-style infotainment as journalists clownishly seek to amuse or rile viewers, not inform them.

When Mr. Carlson took the offense, charging that Mr. Stewart had no right to complain since he had asked Senator John Kerry softball questions on 'The Daily Show,' Mr. Stewart looked genuinely appalled. 'I didn't realize - and maybe this explains quite a bit - that the news organizations look to Comedy Central for their cues on integrity.' When Mr. Carlson continued to argue, Mr. Stewart shut him down hard. 'You are on CNN,' he said. 'The show that leads into me is puppets making crank phone calls.'"

You tell 'em, Jon. And thanks to the New York Times, he'll be heard. Loudly.

Never Enough Political Ad Depositories Department

Are you looking for a political ad you know is online somewhere, but it's proving to be elusive? Why not give p2p-Politics a try? Fair warning, however--so far, it's mostly Kerry and anti-Bush ads. There's one ad for Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik, and none for Bush.

Have fun!

Never Enough Bush vs Bush Department

In case you have been wondering, I've been posting more of my polical rants on the Daily KOS site, so if you're here just for the political rants, I recommend checking out the Daily KOS. It's a great community in general and I'm glad to be involved.

But let's get to the meat of this blog entry: six of Bush's second cousins are voting for Kerry. In fact they even have their own site to explain, personally, why they are supporting Kerry instead of their famous relative.

If Bush family members are turning from Bush, things can't look very good.

Never Enough Sinclair Protest Tools Department

Have you wanted to send emails to Sinclair advertisers but are overwhelmed by how many there are? Let this site do the work!

Never Enough Funny Shit Department

The Republican Language: A Report From the Field will make you laugh. Unless you're a Republican--but don't worry, the "for kids" version is under way.

Never Enough Jon Stewart Payraises Department

Wanna read something funny?

Here you go.

Ah, there's nothing quite like Jon flogging the media.

Never Enough REBs Department

I don't honesty think anyone who reads this blog is a Republican who's disgusted with Bush--I don't even know if I have an audence--but if you are such a Republican, the Vote REB site is for you. (That's "REB" as in "Republican Except for Bush.")

Enjoy.

Never Enough Bush BS-Calling Department

So Bush is done calling Kerry a flip-flopper, seeing as that line of attack clearly was not working. That lets us use it on Bush. In a word--HAW!

Never Enough True Virtue Department

I know, it may sound weird for a black-metal listening transsexual SubGenius to talk about virtues as if I were in a Jesuit seminary, but a discussion of last night's debate led me to discuss virtues thus:

"I agree that Kerry could've gone after the 'nuisance' quote, but he did the right thing by instead going after Bush's 'not a concern' quote. Because what Kerry realizes, and Bush does not--and cannot--is that one cannot eradicate all evil in the world without generating new evils. Virtues must be carefully balanced--it's one thing to have righteousness in spades, but if you lack sufficent compassion, that righteousness will create tragedy.

"This illustrates the basic moral difference between Bush and Kerry. Bush thinks that good can vanquish evil entirely, and doesn't see that good can become evil if it is overzealous--just look at how much death and distrust have arisen because of Bush's obsessions with an impossible perfect victory. Kerry knows that good can displace evil if done with honor, compassion, and truthfulness, and that so balanced, goodness will have no fear of wickedness.

"And that is why Bush has failed, and will fall."

And it's a damned shame that the hard-core fundies of Bush's base fail to see that. Damned shame.

Never Enough Civil Rights Reports Department

Officially, due to political pressure, the US Commission on Civil Rights has withheld their report on how Bush's record on civil rights.

UNofficially, the report is available for download here. (PDF)

Enjoy!

Never Enough Strong Finishes Department

The Gadflyer has a beautiful discussion of how Kerry should handle tonight's debate. I'm sure Kerry is drowning in advice, but I agree with the essence of this article--Kerry needs to point out early and often that Bush will lie about Kerry's positions. (And frankly, at this juncture, let's just call them "lies" and not try to be sensitive. We all know Bush is lying, and to hear Kerry call them "lies" will strengthen his position considerably.)

Once Kerry has established that Bush is full of lies, then Kerry will be in great shape to tell America not just that he won't mislead, but how he intends to lead.

Never Enough Intelligent Proposals Department

Everyone hates income taxes, a point Bush is hoping to use against Democrats as he suggests a national sales tax. But what if it were countered with a tax on wealth rather than income?

Few rich people would vote for it. Then again, in this country, the rich remain a minority.

Never Enough Anti-Bush Silliness Department

Do you think Bush looks dorky? I bet you could make him look dorkier still.

Never Enough Shitstorms For Stooges Department

You probably have now heard about how Sinclair Broadcast Group's CEO ordered all his TV affiliates to air the film Stolen Honor, which criticizes John Kerry's anti-Vietnam War activism.

You may not have heard that a Sinclair sales representative is now claiming that Sinclair charges more for pro-Kerry ads than for pro-Bush ads and may be penalizing employees who support Kerry.

Of course, the right wing sites seem to be agitated by rumors that iN Demand might carry Fahrenheit 9/11 the night before Election Day, and seem to think that Sinclair's airing of Stolen Honor is merely just desserts.

How Sinclair's army of FCC-regulated TV stations can compare to a pay-per-view service like In Demand is beyond me.

Never Enough Good Documentation Department

More than 50 Bush Flip-Flops ...says it all, really.

No, really, there's nothing more I can add. Not even a snarky comment.

NO, REALLY. Just go to the site already.

Never Enough Oil-Regime Realism Department

It's been a while since the New York Times has inspired me to mention them in my blog. This is one of those times. In short, Thomas Friedman argues that we need to seriously trim back our reliance on oil if we want to stimulate reform in the Arab world, and therefore fight Islamic terrorism in the most effective way. You tell 'em, Tom.

Never Enough Presidential Intelligence Department

The LA Times posted an editorial which, I'm relieved to say, finally repeats something I've been tossing around for a while--that, in fact, I mentioned in a conversation last night. To wit, President Bush is not dumb. To paint him as such is a disservice to those Americans who might have insecurities about their intelligence, and therefore might feel resentment towards those calling Bush "dumb". He's got intelligence, after his own fashion. It's also a disservice to those who are attempting to point out serious political problems, since calling a politician "dumb" will close, not open, ears.

But the LA Times gets it right: Bush is "mentally lazy". That is, Bush is unwilling to scrutinize his own beliefs, to reconcile where those beliefs contradict one another, and unwilling to accept data that refutes his beliefs. This sort of intellectual laziness is dangerous when it resides in a President responsible for running the most powerful nation in the world. Any leader knows how to listen to others, knows when to demand data to get a clear view of the situation, and knows when to change course when necessary. Bush, in his career both in and out of politics, clearly doesn't act in this way, preferring to insulate himself with yes-men who tell him what he wants to hear, and ignoring critics--if they're lucky--when they try to offer an alternative view.

The Times missed on one point, however, when comparing Bush to Ronald Reagan. Now, I'm hardly an apologist for Reagan; growing up under his shadow has not been good for my soul. But the Times' comparison falls apart with scrutiny. Reagan may have been "mentally lazy" in some senses, but if so, he was still less lazy than Bush. Unlike Bush, Reagan read newspapers and allowed himself to be exposed to opposing facts and opinions. He even raised taxes, once it was clear that the federal government would collapse without a partial reversal of his earlier tax cut. Bush, on the other hand, wouldn't raise taxes if it were clear that the Army would go to battle with miniature Swiss Army knives.

Furthermore, Reagan was willing to talk to Brezhnev and Gorbachev, and thus helped (in a small way, I feel) wind down the Cold War. Reagan was able to tone down his public "Evil Empire" bluster and open dialog with world leaders, when it was necessary, and so came across as much more diplomatic than his words might usually belie. Bush, in contrast, has pretty much blown his wad in terms of diplomacy; he started out belligerent, then cynically used September 11 to excuse his belligerence. It's almost as if, in his arrogance, he sees no need to consult with anyone at all--no need for consensus, no need for openness.

We've had enough of this arrogant variety of mental laziness. The problems of the world require a much smarter leader than we currently possess. Unfortunately, for the past few years the United States itself has been lulled by its own mental laziness--an unwillingness to scrutinize facts and a resistance to demanding truth and justice. By November 2, I fully expect our own mental laziness to come to an end.

Never Enough Rude Awakenings Department

I know that gay conservative Andrew Sullivan and I disagree on a lot of things. But sometimes, we wind up agreeing anyhow.

We were lucky in retrospect that Saddam didn't have any WMDs. The way this war has been run, it would have actually increased the chances of such weapons getting to America via terrorists rather than reduced them. At least, that seems to me to be the logical inference. Am I somehow wrong?

No, Andrew, you're not.

Never Enough Disintegrating States Department

So Bush used Kurds in his invasion of Iraq. This is a matter of historical record. Now it is becoming clear that the Kurds used Bush to strengthen their claims of independence. Attempts to integrate the Kurdish minority into an Iraqi democracy are pretty much doomed to fail, and not just because of the sad state of Iraq.

This is bound to displease Turkey to no end.

Never Enough Debate-Inspired Memes Department

Remember "It's the economy, stupid"? Well, Edwards gave us the 2004 version tonight, during the VP debate:

"YES--THE QUESTION IS ABOUT JOBS."

Spread it far and wide.

Never Enough Letting The Truth Slip Department

From a CNN.com article on Kerry responding to the GOP "global test" stink, quoting Condi Rice:

"I don't understand 'proving to the world that you did it for legitimate reasons,'" she said.

Of course you don't, dear.

Never Enough Not Forgetting Poland Department

So we should treat Poland as a valuable contributor to Operation Iraqi Liberation? We should put this matter in context, quickly:

Poland wants the UN to force Spain to stay in Iraq, so Poland can hand off parts of their operation to them.

Poland would also like to reduce their contribution by 1000 soldiers. They only have 2400 there as is.

And, as soon as Poland feels that the security situation has stabilized, they wish to pull out entirely.

They sound like they're willing to keep up appearances but really, really don't want to be there. If we had that attitude from the beginning, this war would've turned out so much differently, and probably for the better.

Never Enough Cash For Security Department

I've seen references to this on many a blog, but it's nice to see a mainstream newspaper noting that when John Kerry talked about increased funding for first responders and neglected security concerns, Bush laughed and said, "I don’t think we want to get into how he’s going to pay for all these promises."

Which is, needless to say, the absolute wrong thing to say. Expect this one line to get so much play it'll make Dubya's red, huffy, exasperated head spin more than Karl Rove.

Never Enough Surprise Drafts Department

Congress is pushing through the Universal National Service Act of 2003, hoping to get it on the books before the end of the election. It establishes a draft for men and women ages 18-26. It does allow for drafting into civilian positions, but let's face it, the majority of young Americans will get put into the military and sent off to Iraq and elsewhere.

Here is the House version of the bill (HR 163); the Senate version is here.

I cannot stress how important it is to get knowledge of this bill out there.

Never Enough Stern Finger-Wagging Department

Tom DeLay, having watched several of his cronies get lenghty jail sentences for their roles in campaign fraud, got away with a slap on the wrist. I'm glad the House Ethics Committee at least admonished DeLay, but I was hoping they'd throw the book at him. Or, better yet, drop the collective volumes of the Journals of Congress on his thick haid. Nothing like over 200 years of proceedings to pound some sense into DeLay, one dusty tome at a time.

Never Enough Retro Hipness Department

I can't believe John Kerry's site makes a Flock Of Seagulls reference. Of course, I'm not surprized--as a kid I remember my friends and I singing, "And Iran, Iran so far away... where Khomeni, Khomeni better stay... or he'll get blown away!" That was, naturally, before I found out that Iran was receiving weapons from the US, at the same time Iraq was too.

And we wonder why they aren't fond of us.

Me, I'd put pressure on the Iran to heavily reduce the influence of the ayatollahs in their government, and not just focus on whether they are building nukes. There's a very large pro-democracy contingent in Iran, and if we want "regime change", it's far better to work with this base than some misguided exiles with a grudge.

Just saying.

As for the retro newwave thing, I certainly can't critique, not when Cynthia just got a copy of Sigue Sigue Sputnik's album "Flaunt It".

Never Enough Earnest Retractions Department

OK, now I've seen pictures of Laura and Theresa's outfits. They dressed in white, not pink. Either my TV is off, or my eyes were more bloodshot than I thought.

I still want to see the two of them going at it in a disgustingly salacious manner. Cynthia would prefer a hot, sweaty catfight. I'll settle for a relatively "mainstream" lesbian fantasy, though.

Ghods, we're repulsive. Heh heh.

Never Enough Modest Proposals Department

Do you need a line for explaining why Bush is not a suitable President? Feel the need to talk about Iraq and domestic issues at the same time? Try this tack:

--

Because of President Bush's post-war policies, millions of Iraqis are now unemployed and deprived of basic services, living in desperation and violence. Bush wants us to believe he will make the situation better for them. But Bush also failed to make millions of jobs here at home. Under his watch, Bush has allowed corporate scandals, environmental destruction, and the violation of our privacy. He has failed to capture terrorists at home and abroad. And he has greatly damaged America's influence among our allies. He can't fix problems in this nation--how can we expect him to fix Iraq?

--

Done right, it should be a killer.

Never Enough Cold Blows Department

Truly, utterly evil. I should be ashamed for linking.