Paula Abdul "Blotto" On AM TV Show!

Oh I know I will get in trouble over this, but it's one of my guilty pleasures. Almost as much fun as watching Takeshi's Castle, here's Paula Abdul, drunk on a morning talk show in Seattle.

I love watching celebrities melt down in public!

More Dangerous Heterosexuals! Mother Feeds Daughter Toilet Cleaning Acid.

Just when you thought it was safe for our kids we discover another dangerous heterosexual out there. Seems a German mother fed her daughter acidic toilet cleaner over 24 times in an effort to get her out of the way in a hospital for a while. Seems she didn’t want to have to bother taking care of her child. Later she scalded her daughter in hot bath water to try to collect accident insurance as well.

So next time you hear some idiot saying that gays are not fit to be parents, show them this little nightmare. Myself, I have no desire to have children, but I know that my gay and lesbian friends who do have them are much better parents than this woman. Why should her sexual orientation be any qualification for parenthood?

Princeton Scientists Discover "Off Switch" For HIV

Researchers at Princeton University think they have discovered an "off switch" for HIV the virus that causes AIDS. Thought this is not a cure, it may lead to a way to deactivate the virus and essentially send it into hibernation. That would have profound effects on patients with HIV and could extend their lives and halt the progress of the disease.

As great as this news is, I find myself melancholy hearing it. I immediately am overwhelmed by the memories of the many many friends I have lost to this disease and wonder what he world would be like had this development happened years ago. The AIDS crisis is more than a news story to me. It has been one of the defining events in my life. Though I am still HIV negative, I find it hard to understand why. I loved through the 70’s and 0’s just like everyone else, I just got lucky and never became positive. For that I am grateful, and saddened at the capriciousness of fate.

I pray that this development may not be just another false hope for an end to HIV and AIDS. I pray that no more people will become infected. I pray that our government will finally realize that we must fight the disease with not only education, but also action. I pray that the politicians who have bought into the lie of "abstinence only" education will wake up and become part of a solution.

Lots of prayers. They are not new either. I have prayed the same ones for years and I only hope hey will be answered before any more people die.

Senator Johnson Recovering And Talking

Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota is recovering and responding to therapy after his brain surgery last month. Sources say he is forming words and his speech centers are undamaged. This is good news for all those praying for his speedy recovery.

Also bad news for Fox News who had already forecast his replacement and the Republicans reclaiming the Senate. Here's wishing a continued recover for Senator Johnson.

Bush Speaks - The World Yawns

So why no blog about Bush’s speech? That’s an easy one. What he said was not news or any surprise. The only scintilla of truth in his talking points was saying in the most passive voice imaginable, "Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility lies with me…."

And then there is the media being complicit in Bush’s lies by calling this a surge, it’s an escalation not a surge and everyone knows it. To use the deceptive terminology of the Administration the media is jumping on the propaganda bandwagon. Remember that next time someone feeds you that line of bullshit about "liberal media bias."

Lastly the Democratic response, while better than Bush’s speech is impotent. Bush has declared he will do whatever he wants regardless of Congress or the American public opinion. It is that kind of unilateral deciding that makes this "decider" a dangerous and reckless despot. I know I throw those words around here a lot and nobody would think I have any love for our President. True, but the words fit and the media is afraid to use them. Bush is behaving like a dictator. He makes pronouncements and signing statements that run contrary to constitutional process and that puts him outside the law. He would be prosecuted as a war criminal were he president of any other country.

Most importantly, Bush is talking like he plans to make war with Iran next. If he goes on unchecked, he will ignite a fire in the Middle East that will burn for centuries. Bush has some sort of warped crusader complex and if you add that to his recent dictatorial behavior and it spells trouble. Recently several commentators have compared him to Hitler. I think it may be an apt comparison. Though he has yet to start a "final solution" for his scapegoats, I am keeping a close watch. The day he decides that all Arab Americans need to be protected in special relocation camps is the day it will be too late.

"Munsters" actress Yvonne De Carlo dies at 84

Though she will probably be remembered as the spooky wife of TV’s Fred Munster, Yvonne De Carlo was a famous leading lady in numerous films. Playing Moses wife in the "Ten Commandments" opposite Charlton Heston and in dozens of westerns, she was often cast as the romantic leading lady.

Miss De Carlo died today at age 84 in Hollywood with her son in attendance. She will be fondly remembered and greatly missed.

Retailers back Warner combo DVD

In a move that I am intensely interested in Warner Home Video has decided to publish its new titles in both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD on the same disk. As a producer, I have been watching this struggle for a while and waiting before jumping in with both feet into the HD pool. This move is welcomed by retailers who have been working to convince consumers to upgrade their DVD players to one of the new HD formats.

Right now I record all my HD programs on digital tape format, and have yet to release anything for the public in a HD version. My hope is that this will not deteriorate into a Betamax/VHS war and a format will be settled on soon.

For those who have not gone to HDTV yet, let me tell you it's worth every penny. The experience is well beyond conventional video.

Feingold, Sununu Introduce Data Mining Reporting Bill

Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and John Sununu (R-NH) have reintroduced legislation requiring federal agencies to report to Congress on the use and development of data mining programs. This bill can be seen as a response to the illegal wiretap activity authorized by Bush and roundly condemned by the American public. More on Raw Story.

Snow Tells Congress - Bush Will Do As He Pleases

Watching the White House press conference yesterday was a surreal experience. Tony Snow, chief apologist for the administration basically told the press that Bush would do whatever he wants, Congress be damned. Here are his words verbatim when referring to a possible move by Congress to limit funds for the war: "You know, Congress has the power of the purse…. The President has the ability to exercise his own authority if he thinks Congress has voted the wrong way."

Snow was asserting what Bush has believed all along that he is a "unitary executive" or in more realistic terms a dictator. The decider, now dictator will take whatever measures he wants even though the American people and Congress oppose him. When asked about the November election Snow said Bush does not read it as a referendum on the war. "The President believes that -- if you take a look… at the elections, you can read any number of messages."

Why aren’t Americans marching on Washington demanding this megalomaniac resign for the good of the country? Bush and his cronies are effectively ruling like third world despots and must be called for their actions. We must pressure our Congresspersons to Impeach this criminal regime before there is no freedom to do so left.

Former Regan Aide Says "Bush Like Hitler" - Duhhh!

I guess it takes a former Regan cabinet member to call a spade a spade. Paul Craig Roberts, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under Ronald Regan says, "Bush is like Hitler. He blames defeats on his military commanders, not on his own insane policy."

The quote is in an interview on the libertarian website Antiwar.com. I guess it takes a conservative to make the obvious comparison before anyone will believe it.

Senator Fiengold Asks Bush To Explain Signing Statement Regarding Opening Mail Without A Warrant

I wish Russ Fiengold was my senator, instead I have that Bush lapdog Kay Bailey Hutchinson who is a rubber stamp for any Bush initiative. Senator Fiengold, on the other hand, has shown some balls and wrote our criminal-in-chief a letter demanding to know the details of Bush’s latest signing statement. That’s the one that gives him the ability to open the mail without a warrant. I call it the "ability" as opposed to the "right" since the whole issue is suspect and most likely unconstitutional.

I can only hope to see more of these kinds of calls from the Democrats and in the future a reversal of the sweeping powers claimed by Bush. His authority, at least according to Alberto Gonzales, is one of a "unitary executive", a term that disguises the more proper term, "dictator".

Photo Proves Bush Is A Lying Sleezeball

Well looks like the folks over at CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) have the goods on "W". The White House has gone to a lot of trouble to distance themselves from Jack Abramoff, but here he is smiling with George in a photo opp.

Gotta wonder how much money Jack gave Bush to get this photo in 2003?

Over 1000 People Spell "Impeach" On San Francisco Beach

Over 1000 people gathered in Nancy Pelosi's district, on Ocean Beach in San Francisco, to spell out the message "IMPEACH!" "America is a great country," said event organizer Brad Newsham, a local cab driver and author. "But President Bush has betrayed our faith. He mislead us into a disastrous war, and is trampling on our Constitution. He has to go. Now. I hope Nancy Pelosi is listening today."

A majority of Americans share Newsham's sentiments. A 2006 Zogby poll found that 52% of Americans agreed with the statement: "If President Bush wiretapped American citizens without the approval of a judge, do you agree or disagree that Congress should consider holding him accountable through impeachment?" (photo by John Montgomery)

New York Stinks - Or At Least Its Mayors Explanation Does

In an amazing show of bravado, Mayor Bloomberg of NYC told anxious citizens that the noxious gas smell was "not dangerous". When asked what it was, he said they had no idea. OK, maybe my logic skills need a little polishing but just because you don’t know what it is does not make it benign. It was not natural gas, but it had traces of the material normally added to natural gas to give it its odor. That is a long way from knowing what the odor was caused by and declaring it safe. If you remember the World Trade Center site was declared safe only a couple of days after the event and now workers at the site report major health problems.

Calm down everyone, nothing to worry about, no problems. What a bunch of malarkey! It sounds like Bloomberg is getting his dialogue out of a 1950’s movie rather than from any kind of scientific research. If I were a New Yorker, I’d keep my eyes and ears open. Whatever that smell was it was not normal and my guess is that in a few weeks we will really find what it is.

Terrorism? Probably not, but industrial accidents are often not revealed until weeks and months after to diffuse blame.

Bush "Flip-Flops" On Troop Levels In Iraq

I have to say I get tired of writing about the lies President Bush tells. Just 18 months ago he said sending more troops to Iraq was a bad idea, and today he wants more troops! The guy can’t make up his mind, and worse he has no idea of what he wants to achieve. His excuse for not sending more troops was that he didn’t want the Iraqis to become too dependent on us for security, and now that’s the main problem, security.

His generals told him it was a bad idea to send a "surge" of troops, and so he fires the generals. I can’t believe that Bush is coming up with this crap on his own, I only hope that whoever is feeding him this stuff will either stop it or take a moment to really evaluate what is going on in Iraq. We need an exit strategy, not an escalation strategy.

US Greases Wheels For Exxon And Others To Exploit Iraq Oil

For those of you who might be either asleep or brain-dead, today proof of the real reason for the Iraq war surfaced in the form of…drum roll…OIL! Yep, the US Government handed over to Exxon, BP and Shell the rights to exploit Iraqi oil. Our puppet government in Iraq is cooperating as the US helps write the laws that will give western oil companies the green light.

The controversial law will meet some resistance in the Iraqi parliament, but I suspect it will go through with enough US arm-twisting. Yes, it was all about oil, just like everyone thought. Another Iraq war fact confirmed. Too bad nobody made this crap public before we went and destroyed the lives of thousands of Iraqis and American soldiers.

Musical Chairs IN The White House? Watch Condi & Cheney

So DC is abuzz this weekend about the John Negroponte move. Why would he take what was in essence a demotion to leave the CIA and become Condi’s right hand boy? Well here’s the rumor, one which I predicted over a year ago. Condi will move into Dick Cheney’s seat when he resigns for "medical reasons" and that will give her a secure post for a run at the White House in 2008. Negroponte will move into the Secretary of State seat and Bush will have another lapdog in place.

Others have their opinions and I am sure there will be lots of chatter about this in the near future.