Der Parson's rant

New Obama Girl video

Barely Political

A little history lesson:

BBC ON THIS DAY | 31 | 1968: Americans alarmed by 'Tet Offensive': "1968: Americans alarmed by 'Tet Offensive'
The American command in Vietnam has reported over 5,000 people dead after two days intensive fighting.

South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu has been forced to declare martial law as communist forces, under General Vo Nguyen Giap, have kept up sustained assaults on several fronts - from Saigon in the south to Hue in the north.

Authorities in the North Vietnamese capital Hanoi, described it as, 'a more powerful and more continuous offensive' than ever before."

John Edwards to quit presidential race - Yahoo! News:

"By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer
DENVER - Democrat John Edwards is exiting the presidential race Wednesday, ending a scrappy underdog bid in which he steered his rivals toward progressive ideals while grappling with family hardship that roused voters' sympathies, The Associated Press has learned."

This is really bad news, I was really thinking Edwards would be our best choice. I guess now Obama is our last hope for a decent candidate. I really think if the democrats pick up Hillary for the nominee we are going to get raked over the coals in November. I wonder if Edwards will endorse one of the others? Hopefully he will endorse Obama.

Goodbye Rotten Rudy
Too bad no one would vote for you...

I just seen on MSNBC, Rudy only got 15% and they are saying he is dropping out of the race and going to endorse grandpa McCain.

In other bad news Hillary one again in Florida... I have a really bad feeling about this. If it comes down to Hillary vs. McCain. I would vote for Hillary but McCain just might win. It's really the last thing we need and another war monger old man in office. I don't even understand why some old man wants to be president. Why not retire and enjoy the rest of your days in Florida? Maybe he wants the presidential health care plan so he can live longer or something.

Giuliani fights for survival as Florida votes - Yahoo! News:

"Giuliani, a former New York mayor, predicted victory despite polls that show him struggling for third place."

Oh I can't express how much I hope Rotten Rudy gets his ass handed to him in Florida. If he ends up quiting the race that would just make my week. I just have a special hate for Rudy. It just seems to me he would be 10 times worse the Bush. It looks like McCain is probably going to win Florida.

"A Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released early on Tuesday showed McCain with a slim 35 percent to 31 percent lead over Romney. Giuliani and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee were tied for third place with 13 percent each in the poll, which had a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points."

Talk about the lesser of 4 evils.

I added a link for Montagano for Congress. In the upper left corner. He's a young man that we could really use in Congress, and he would unseat our long time (like 14 years) congressman Souder. It's really time we get some younger people that aren't part of the "good 'ol boy" network into congress and senate. We need people that aren't corrupted by the lobbies to get into congress and make some need changes. Hopefully as things die down a bit were I work I can make some time to get more involved in this campaign and help out if possible.

Robert Rouse has video and the best info. so I'm linking to his post.
Left of Centrist » Michael Montagano officially announces bid to unseat Mark Souder

AT&T's proposed filtering policy is bad news - Netiquette- msnbc.com

By Helen A.S. Popkin
MSNBC
updated 9:16 a.m. ET, Fri., Jan. 25, 2008

Joel Johnson, gadgets editor for the tech/science site boing boing, pulled a Harvey Pekar during his recent guest appearance on the online AT&T Tech Channel’s “Hugh Thompson Show.”
In 1988, Pekar, the “American Splendor” comic book writer, torpedoed his eighth (and final) appearance on NBC’s “Late Night with David Letterman” by criticizing General Electric (NBC’s parent company), for manufacturing weapons.
Johnson, exhibiting a politeness foreign to the notoriously-cranky Pekar, nonetheless used his guest shot on Thompson’s show to call attention to AT&T’s newly proposed (and very creepy) plan to filter user activity on the Internet.

AT&T to start monitoring users internet browsing and e-mails.



When ask to comment George W. Bush , just made a gesture with his hands and said "excellent", turned to a secret service agent and said "release the hounds!".

Kucinich getting out
CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Kucinich getting out - Blogs from CNN.com: "WASHINGTON (CNN) — Rep. Dennis Kucinich will announce he is abandoning his long shot bid for the White House in a news conference Friday, his campaign confirms to CNN."

Wow, another one falls out of the Presidential race. It must be true because his website has been changed over to "Re-elect Democrat Dennis Kucinich for Congress". In other bad news they don't have pictures of his wife on the new site. I guess it doesn't matter what your wife looks like if your running for Congress.

Thompson abandons White House bid - CNN.com:

"(CNN) -- Former Sen. Fred Thompson on Tuesday ended his run for the presidency, coming off the heels of a disappointing third-place finish in South Carolina's GOP primary and heading into the showdown state of Florida next week."

Earlier, Thompson finished third in Iowa, fifth in Michigan and Nevada, sixth in New Hampshire and a distant second to Mitt Romney in Wyoming.

Well it's a good thing Fred has his acting career to fall back on. All I hope for now is for Rotten Rudy to get his ass handed to him in Florida and pack it in.

GO PACKERS!!!!

WHEN they beat the Giants it's on to the BIG game, so no pressure for Farve and crew.

A little something John from Left in Aboite

10. Sometimes stays in bed until after 5 am.
9. In his sock drawer, you find pictures of women without bonnets.
8. Shows up at barn raisings in full "Kiss" makeup.
7. When you criticize him, he yells, "Thou sucketh!"
6. His name is Jebediah, but he goes by "Jeb Daddy."
5. Defiantly says, "If I had a radio, I'd listen to rap."
4. You come upon his secret stash of colored socks.
3. Uses slang expression: "Talk to the hand, 'cause the beard ain't listening."
2. Was recently pulled over for "driving under the influence of cottage cheese."
1. He's wearing his big black hat backwards.

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Taleban attack Kabul luxury hotel

Four heavily armed Taleban fighters have attacked the Serena hotel in the Afghan capital, Kabul, the main hotel there for international visitors.
Guests, including the Norwegian foreign minister, were rushed to the cellar to escape the attackers.
There was at least one explosion, which the Taleban say was caused by one of their men detonating a "suicide jacket", as well as shooting.
Casualty figures are not clear. Police have kept journalists from the scene.

Deteriorating security
Many international workers are based at the Serena.
In December the Taleban carried out two suicide bombings in Kabul, killing 13 people in one attack.
Later in December, a rocket attack near the Kabul governor's residence killed five people.
Security in much of Afghanistan has deteriorated in the past two years as the Taleban have renewed their attacks on Afghan security forces and Western troops.
They now have significant influence across the countryside in most of Afghanistan.
US-led forces toppled the Taleban in late 2001. However many Afghans complain that since then President Hamid Karzai's government has failed to bring about economic improvements and that corruption is as big a problem as ever.

Just like another middle eastern country, little George Bush playing cowboy charged in, defeated the bad guys then called it done.

Then went looking for the next war. Basically Afghanistan is going to go back to the Taleban and anything good that was done for Afghanistan will have been for nothing.

Little Gamers ♥ Hot swedish love

(click on the image for a larger version)
Sorry but I found that rather amusing.

Obsidian Wings: Andy Olmsted

This is a pretty sad post, by a blogger and most importantly a soldier that was recently killed in Iraq. No matter your view on the war, it's well worth reading the whole thing. It's not very often something makes me openly cry, but when I got to the last few paragraphs it really touches your heart. It's well worth it to take the time and read it.

I think it's important to read this also, how-to-help
I think I will probably send something this weekend.

h/t: Left of Centrist World Blog Report and Obsidian Wings

BBC NEWS | South Asia | 'Bribes' free top Taleban leader

Bribes' free top Taleban leader
By Alastair Leithead
BBC News, Kabul
A Taleban commander in Afghanistan responsible for leading attacks on British troops says he has been freed from prison after paying a bribe.
Mullah Sorkh Naqaibullah told the BBC he paid $15,000 (£7,500) to the Afghan authorities to win his freedom. It was the third time that the leader, known as the "Red Mullah", had been captured and released, he said. Mullah Naqaibullah operates in Helmand province, where there is a large concentration of British troops.

Nice, he's captured pays a bribe to get out, then calls the BBC to let them know he paid to get out. Hopefully next time he is captured someone will be smart enough to save everyone a lot money and shoot him while he's "escaping". This shows another reason why this whole war thing is just a waste of lives and time. The governments we have put in place in these countries are completely corrupted, and are only interested in making themselves money. I didn't know there was a middle eastern chapter of the GOP.

Iranian boats 'harass' U.S. Navy, officials say - CNN.com

(CNN) -- Five Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats "harassed and provoked" three U.S. Navy ships early Sunday in international waters, the U.S. military said Monday, calling the encounter a "significant" confrontation. The Iranian boats made "threatening" moves toward the U.S. ships and in one case came within 200 yards of one of them, the U.S. officials said. The U.S. Navy also received a radio transmission that officials believe came from the Iranian boats. The transmission said, "I am coming at you. You will explode in a couple of minutes," the U.S. military officials told CNN.
When the U.S. ships heard that radio transmission, they took up their gun positions and officers were "in the process" of giving the order to fire when the Iranians abruptly turned away, the U.S. officials said.

Sounds to me like the Revolutionary Guard is just trying to provoke US ship into firing a shot. Then they can start crying about how they have to defend themselves from the infidels. It would be George Bush/ Dick Chaney's wet dream come true if the US ships would have shot at one of the Iranian boats and started a war.

‘Miraculous’ Recovery for Man Who Fell 47 Floors - New York Times

By JAMES BARRON
Published: January 4, 2008
Alcides Moreno plunged 47 stories that morning last month, clinging to his 3-foot-wide window washer’s platform as it shot down the dark glass face of an Upper East Side apartment building. His brother Edgar, who had been working with him on the platform, was killed.
Somehow, Alcides Moreno survived.

This is a amazing story. Well worth reading. After falling 47 stories Alcides survived, obviously
hurt pretty badly but doctors think he will up and walking within a year.

Obama, Huckabee Win Iowa Caucuses - Politics on The Huffington Post

DES MOINES, Iowa — Sen. Barack Obama, bidding to become the nation's first black president, swept to victory in the Iowa caucuses Thursday night over Hillary Clinton and a high-powered Democratic field. Mike Huckabee rode a wave of support from evangelical Christians to win the opening round among Republicans in the 2008 campaign for the White House.

Hopefully this is some good news for Obama and he can keep this momentum going. Personally I favor Edwards, but I think anything is better then Hillary or a full blown Republican especially Huckabee. The bad thing is ol' Hillary will circle the wagons and really go on the attack now to pick up NH and try to get back in front.

Led Zep for festival - Mirror.co.uk

We can exclusively reveal that the legends - who staged a triumphant "one-off" gig at the O2 this month - will be the headline act at the Bonnaroo festival in the US next year.
The festival runs from June 12 to 15 in Tennessee - and if all goes smoothly they may even hit the road and tour.

This might make a trip to Tennessee worth taking. Ticket info and for driving directions

I really hope Zepplin decides to go on a real tour. It would be so great especially if they came anyplace near Fort Wayne IN.

Speaking of good music and lyrics check out the top right corner, I added a nice little thing with the lyrics to the newer Ozzy song, "Black Rain" it's a good anti war song.

Letterman, Leno Return Wednesday Night - MSN TV News

Letterman, Leno Return Wednesday Night
Jan. 2, 2008, 3:03 PM EST
The Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Advantage, David Letterman. Five of television's late-night funnymen return to the air Wednesday after two months, and while Letterman has his writing staff back, Jay Leno doesn't.
NBC's Leno and Conan O'Brien and ABC's Jimmy Kimmel all said they were coming back reluctantly with the writers strike still on, and will be putting on shows unlike any they've done before.
Letterman's production company worked out a separate deal with writers for his CBS "Late Show" and Craig Ferguson's "Late Late Show.

Well I think it will be interesting to see how these shows go. I always have preferred The Tonight Show over the Late Show. I usually only watch the first 1/2 hour of Leno then turn it over to Kieth Olberman.