Be the Change

Pilot Error

Jeff Blackwell — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Note: This post is a reprint from my other blog, Rubber@Road , of 2/18/2009. With the current developments in this story, this has been very much on my mind again. ~ Jeff * * * * My dad was a pilot. He flew small, private planes from the age of 16, and...(read more)

No Need for More Torture Pictures

Jeff Blackwell — Wed, 13 May 2009 22:45:00 GMT

I have been consistently backing the lawsuits of the ACLU to make the record public on torture by the U.S. under the Bush administration, and letting the chips fall. From the top down. Word comes this afternoon, that in light of a personal plea from Gen...(read more)

Advice to Restaurateurs

Jeff Blackwell — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:00:00 GMT

I appreciate that running a successful restaurant is one of the hardest jobs one could choose. I always try to support locally owned restaurants, and am grateful that we so many of them. Unless you've lived in a place that offers nothing but the chains...(read more)

Baby, You Can Drive My Car

Jeff Blackwell — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:09:00 GMT

Born in Detroit, I will proudly accept the label of Gearhead, though I rarely spin a wrench these days. (Cars just don't need the constant maintenance they did when I was coming up.) (Even if you are NOT a gearhead, catch my automotive photography...(read more)

Well, this may be interesting

Jeff Blackwell — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:41:00 GMT

I have been blogging against the political current in Lake Country for a while, and developed somewhat of a reputation. Bomb-throwing revolutionary, traitor, Democrat apologist, liar, whiner, etc. I get that some of you think that I am a genuine threat...(read more)

Right Wing Subversion

Jeff Blackwell — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:25:00 GMT

When local bloggers casually (and thoughtlessly) ponder whether the President of the United States is a traitor it's time to call them out. When the Governor of Texas panders to the people of Texas by accommodating the suggestion that they would be...(read more)

Torture Works

Jeff Blackwell — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 21:50:00 GMT

Some on the right have taken the position that torture can be rationalized with their Judea-Christian values because "it works". Setting morality to the side , former Vice President D ick Cheney, who is obviously anticipating judicial proceedings...(read more)

Hold Your Fire!

Jeff Blackwell — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:57:00 GMT

OK, so let me clarify, if you will. The line in my previous post about melting down your handguns? An emotional burst of outrage. If I ran the world, there would be no handguns. Or any guns. I fully understand that handguns are a part of life in America...(read more)

Leave Your Guns at Home

Jeff Blackwell — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:10:40 GMT

According to a statement by Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, it is perfectly legal to walk around sporting your handgun in the state of Wisconsin. The modern day codpiece for the insecure male, I suppose. J.B. says the mere act of carrying a gun around...(read more)

Torture is a Disease

Jeff Blackwell — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:16:00 GMT

The slow release of documents exposing the inhumane and illegal interrogation policies of the CIA under the Bush administration have confirmed what human beings have learned over the centuries through the practice of torture. In summary, torture inflicts...(read more)

Republican Craziness

Jeff Blackwell — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:52:00 GMT

Self-anointed super-patriots are freaking out.

Dressing like pigs and dancing in the streets is all good and fine fun, but there is something much more serious afoot.

We saw an escalation in written attacks on liberal writers here in these blogs well before the election last fall. When it was clear to any reasonable person that the Bush Doctrine was failing utterly on every front, the desperate rhetoric of hate began to replace the snide remarks from so-called "conservatives".

Words like "Bush hater", "traitor" and "anti-American" were tossed around like playground taunts by those who feared change was coming.

Recently, the moderators of the Journal-Sentinel had to step in to warn that personal attacks are not appropriate, and warn against threats of physical confrontation.

George W. Bush deserves a lot of the credit for the report released today by the Department of Homeland Security (Obama should have renamed this department on day one), which warns that devastating economic conditions and the election of America's first African-American President have amplified his thoughtless cry; "You are either with us, or you are with the terrorists!"

According to the DHS, right-wing extremists are hoarding weapons and gathering up the idle, the unaware, the afraid and the gun nuts of all stripes, looking to commit acts of violence to bring down the government.

From NBC's Pete Williams, "The report, dated April 7 and distributed to police nationwide, was made public by a conservative blogger. Its main conclusions closely track with a much more detailed assessment done in February by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which identified 926 active hate groups, up from 888 the year before.

The Homeland analysis says threats from white supremacist and anti-government groups "have been largely rhetorical and have not indicated plans to carry out violent acts." But it says they seek to expand their recruitment by trying to capitalize on:

-- insecurity brought on by economic troubles and loss of jobs
-- the rise in illegal immigration
-- fears of renewed efforts to limit gun ownership
-- and racist reaction to the election of President Obama"

This is very disturbing news, but not in the least surprising. Right on these pages, we have seen fanatical loyalty to President Bush replaced with pathological hate of President Obama.

Republican Madness

Jeff Blackwell — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:18:00 GMT

Without irony, it really is sad to see what's become of the Grand Old Party.

It was bad enough when they were just wrong. Now they're crazy and wrong.

They wandered off the path decades ago, it's true, still you hate to see an old friend go completely off the deep end.

From Ronald Reagan, through Ollie North, Tom Delay, D ick Armory, Newt Gingrich, George Bush, D ick Cheney, John McCain and Sarah Palin, there has been an uninterrupted string of Christian radicals, right-wing extremists and just plain nonsensical fools coming to the surface of the so-called "Conservative Movement". The weird thing is, there are still a rather significant minority of Americans who are far enough out of touch with reality that they follow along.

What happened to plain old conservative Americans who supported their government and were happy to pay their taxes?

Now, it seems, that a total lack of alternative ideas (cutting taxes is not an alternative idea when taxes have already been cut) and leadership has led the Republicans to this. Tea Parties.

Really? That's it? Street corner circus?

Rupert Murdoch's FOX "News" organizes a bunch of Fascist-leaning millionaires to put together these ridiculous Tea Parties across the country, and the loonies show up.

These are people who deny they lost the election, people who don't believe in evolution, people who still think civil rights should be restricted to straight white men, survivalists, end-timers, and people who think reality is something you see on TV.

It is not only sad, it's bad for the country.

We could really use some fresh ideas, and someone to raise legitimate concerns with the current administration, but the Republican Party has collapsed in on itself, the only thing emanating from the debris is hate.

The only thing more tragic would be if they had won the election.

VOTE on April 7, 2009!!!

Jeff Blackwell — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:32:00 GMT

By Amy L. Geiger-Hemmer

Tuesday, April 7th is a voting day! Turnout is expected to be very light (estimates are at 15% to 20% right now.) However, there are two very important positions up for election. The first is for the School Superintendent of Wisconsin and the second is for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

For School Superintendent, my choice is definitely Rose Fernandez. Her opponent, Tony Evers, is little more than a WEAC hack, exactly what our state does not need. Fernandez supports a back-to-the-basics philosophy, and does not believe that simply throwing money at our schools fixes any problems. From www.changedpi.com: Fernandez says point-blank that the education establishment too often puts the bureaucracy and the adults first, ahead of kids. She argues that the status quo blocks the kind of innovation necessary to reinvent education for the 21st Century. She favors measurements and accountability for teachers and administrators; merit pay to reward excellent performance; reform of tenure provisions to make it easier to remove weak performing teachers; expansion of choice programs, vocational programs and virtual school opportunities; and retention of the QEO (qualified economic offer) to hold the line on spending. Evers, on the other hand, pretty much opposes that entire agenda.

WEAC has supported Evers with more than $700,000 for his campaign (hey, shouldn't that money be used "for the children?")... Fernandez doesn't have the major bucks behind her, but her campaign is very strong. She needs our support!

For Wisconsin Supreme Court, the best choice is Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Randy Koschnick. Koschnick believes that judges should not legislate from the bench, like his opponent Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson. Abrahamson is a typical liberal judge - and sees nothing wrong with judicial activism. Our judges are supposed to follow the laws - not re-create them to suit their own agenda. Please vote for Randy Koschnick to support the future integrity of our Supreme Court.

And another BIG reason for voting for Rose Fernandez and Randy Koschnick: the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel has endorsed Tony Evers and Shirley Abrahamson.

Vote on Tuesday, April 7th - you can make a difference!

By Jim Hayett

Need help with your vote? Here are the best choices. These are people, unlike the candidates they are running against, who want the best for our children and not put their ideology or a unions ideology and interests first. Children first. That's what we need more of in America and these two candidates fit that mold. Children first!

For School Superintendent, my choice is definitely Rose Fernandez.Rose Fernandez

For Wisconsin Supreme Court, the best choice is Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Randy Koschnick.

Nutty Newt - Jestor of the GOP

Jeff Blackwell — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:27:00 GMT

Newt Gingrich:

“One morning, just like 9/11, there’s going to be a disaster."

'We're not going to tolerate a North Korean missile launch, period.' I mean, the world's either got to decide that North Korea is utterly dangerous -- I'd recommend, look at electromagnetic pulse, which changes every equation about how risky these weapons are."

When I read that Newt was advocating attacking North Korea (with risky ray guns!) I could not write seriously anymore.

I had to express myself with the above cartoon.

(image and words copyright Jeff Blackwell 2009)

It's All Too Much for the GOP

Jeff Blackwell — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:07:00 GMT

It took a couple of weeks, but after President Obama released his budget plan last month, the Republicans came up with their response; (sing it with me now) "It spends too much, it taxes too much, it borrows too much."

House Republicans went so far as to predicted a doomsday scenario of crushing debt and eventual federal bankruptcy.

From the Washington Post, March 18, "Republicans are howling about the proposal to expand health coverage and tax greenhouse gas emissions without their input, warning that it could irrevocably damage relations with the new president."

"That would be the Chicago approach to governing: Strong-arm it through," said Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.),

Finally, last Thursday, Rep. John Boehner(R-OH) gathered the press to reveal the Republicans' alternative budget proposal.

OK, guys, let's see your numbers.

“Here it is, Mr. President,” Boehner crowed, looking exceptionally pleased with himself.

Here it is indeed.

To say that the Republicans' "Road to Recovery" that Boehner distributed was underwhelming would be satire.

Fascinatingly, the Republican's budget contains no actual numbers. None at all.

It is all of 19 pages, five of which I am reproducing below:

I think you can sum up the entire "Republican Road to Recovery" document with this helpful image:

Nice work, guys.

My Top 3 Issues with Obama

Jeff Blackwell — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:17:00 GMT

3. The Bank Bailout

It's not surprising that Wall Street loved the plan revealed today. As I understand it, hedge funds and big brokers (the folks who got us into this bubble by taking absurd bets on an ever-expanding mortgage market) are being "asked" to buy back those "toxic assets" at $7 on the hundred, with the Feds (us) picking up the rest.

Then, if the assets increase in value (the goal), these guys make out like - bandits. If they don't, we are on the hook.

Having serious doubts about Tim Geithner.

Word to Barack: Better be ready with Plan B, better be ready to go to it, and better be transparent, dude.

2. Afghanistan

While I applaud the new emphasis on street-level diplomacy and infrastructure projects, more troops is more troops. We know what that means.

And these unmanned drone attacks on Pakistan (I'm sure they happen on both sides of the border) may, in fact take out some bad people, but the United States should not be vaporizing entire households to get a bad guy.

These attacks are terrorist acts. They create counter-terrorists. They have to stop.

Word to Barack: Terror by robot is still terror. Make friends with the enemy while you find the exit.

1. War Crimes

Torture is not a policy issue. It is illegal. It is a war crime. We have the evidence. We have the testimony of witnesses. We have the pictures.

We do NOT need a "truth and reconciliation" commission.

We need to stop discussing the political and security implications, and enforce the law.

Word to Barack: You are abetting war crimes by standing in the way of the law. You better get out of that position before you become the target.

Stick and (Dam) Ball Games

Jeff Blackwell — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:01:00 GMT

NOT a fan.

It is now 6:48 and I have been waiting since 5:55 to hear what the President of the United States has to say about whether or not he thinks he can keep the economy of the United Sates from collapsing.

It was Hemmingway who said "There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games."

I would add that the only one worth watching is road-course motor racing. Circle racing sucks, too.

Basketball is a dam game.

What is wrong with the corporate-owned, profit-driven, short-attention-span, lowest-common-denominator, right-wing pandering, moronic media in this country?

Thank God for John Stewart.

I wish he had his own network.

Torture, 9/11 and "Truth" Commissions

Jeff Blackwell — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 13:58:00 GMT

We all carry a version of 9-11 in our heads. I watched the second plane hit, and each tower collapse on a 6" B&W screen in a buddy's cubicle at the office.

You no doubt remember how the events unfolded into your world.

But there is an Official version of the worst act of violence on American soil since Pearl Harbor. Although most people think of The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also known as the 9-11 Commission), as an attempt to prevent further attacks, the "independent, bipartisan commission created by congressional legislation and the signature of President George W. Bush in late 2002, is chartered to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, including preparedness for and the immediate response to the attacks."

This report - delivered to the American people on July 22, 2004, nearly two years after American troops invaded Iraq in retaliation for the attacks - is the Federal government's version of what happen on September 11, 2001. You can read, or review the record managed by of the National Archives and Records Administration, here.

But keep this in mind. As we now know by admission of the CIA, the three primary authors of the report were coerced into writing it by the use of torture.

(Save any comments about what you personally consider to be torture. There are legal definitions under various statutes, and they were all broken in the treatment of Abu Zubdayah, Abd a'Rahim al-Nashri, and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.)

The 9-11 Commission failed to account for the fact that it's primary witnesses - the alleged perpetrators of these acts - were under threat of torture and death when they laid out the "official" story of 9-11. In the courts, of course information obtained through coercion is unacceptable as evidence (not to say it doesn't happen), but in intelligence circles, information obtained through torture is highly suspect, because research shows that people will say whatever they need to to avoid physical pain.

The 9-11 Commission never had access to any of the detainees, but sent their questions to the CIA, who obtained answers by whatever methods they felt necessary.

So, much of the Official version of 9-11 must now be considered to be fictionalized to meet the demands of those holding the whip - the United States government, specifically the Bush administration.

Now there is a growing call for another "Truth Commission" - to investigate the very actions that lead directly to the report from the 9-11 Commission.

We are a nation of laws. We do not need any more commissions.

We need a full, legal investigation by a Special Prosecutor of the possible crimes, national and international, committed by President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney, and any other officials of the previous administration, including the CIA, the military, and private contractors to determine what, if any, laws were broken.

Those who have broken the law need to be tried, and those convicted need to be sentenced appropriately.

*** bin Laden

Jeff Blackwell — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 04:54:53 GMT

*** Cheney apparently is still alive.

I saw him yesterday on TV.

He was saying that in spite of the fact that there has STILL been no terrorist attack on the U.S since 9-11, that we are just asking for it.

Oh Yeah. Big Time.

By reclassifying "enemy combatants" as criminals and ceasing to torture them, we are just asking to be attacked by Those Who Hate Us, The Evil Doers.

By reverting back into a state of lawfulness, President Obama is working to destroy everything we believe in.

*** Cheney should hope that there is a serious terrorist attack before he dies.

Him and Osama bin Laden.

To Hell with the "Free Market"

Jeff Blackwell — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 04:50:03 GMT

Let's just ban short selling.

Why should we allow people to bet against companies by "buying" stock that they never intend to own, panicking "regular" investors who buy stock anticipating that it will go up.

These "short sellers" don't actually want to own the stock and help a company grow by providing a needed product or service. They want to borrow the stock, drive the price down, then actually pay for their purchase when the price is lower.

Why should this be allowed?

This only forces the price of a share of a company down, causes a "run" on the stock, and ruins companies that otherwise may succeed in the marketplace. Companies that would employ people to build their products or provide their services.

The federal government should ban short-selling.

If you want to buy a stock, you should have to pay for it. Up front. With real money.

OK, you can charge it, but if you don't pay for it by the end of the month, you get hit with 30% interest and an obscene "late" fee, just like we do with our credit cards.

The so-called "free" market is nothing of the sort. It is stacked in favor of those who already have capital and against those who actually work for a living and want to invest in companies that provide quality products and services to share in their success.

It's time that we impose some serious controls on the market that level the playing field for working class Americans.