Epic Fail Continues. . .

So I haven't posted for awhile and I am feeling kind of horrible right now, so I'm gonna post. I think life in general has me down at the moment. I feel like everything around me politically, economically, and personally is stuck in a downward spiral.

So let's start with the political. If you haven't figured it out by now, Obama lied on the campaign trail about almost every facet of his presumed presidency. I expected this, but I am not exactly happy to have been proven right on this one. Let's see, he campaigned on personal liberty and ceasing the unlawful detainment of prisoners that had gone on in Bush's term. What happens after he's elected? He wants to expand indefinite detention. He decried the secrecy in the Bush regime and their total lack of transparency even when it came to visitors to the White House. What happened post election? He pulled a Cheney and claimed that visitor logs amongst other things which would make for a transparent government should be classified (along with the fuckin' photos of torture that showed inmates getting raped). Hmmmmm. . . See a pattern? He campaigned on the removal of don't ask, don't tell and other gay issues. What happened? His administration drafted a brief asking the supreme court to not hear a case in which don't ask, don't tell's constitutionality would come into play. He claimed in that brief that it was necessary to continue the status quo. Right. He's escalated the war in Afghanistan (which he said he would do). There is yet to be any meaningful ceasing of engagements in Iraq. What is going on right now with health care is a total debacle. I mean, where is single payer in the discussion? If not for the protests in which doctors and nurses were arrested in congressional session, it would have been completely shut out in the talks. Obama isn't our president. This is clear. He is the president of the coal companies, the fucking health industry, Wall Street, and the military industrial complex.

I think the fuckin' Bushies should rejoice in the job that Obama has done thus far. I mean, he's a better Bush that Bush was. All the same policies continued and advanced with none of the bumbling idiocy. Fuck. But I also think that for those of us who aren't fuckin' asshole conservatives, this should be a fuckin' wake up call. The democratic party has fuckin' sold the american people to the very same interests that the republican did before them. The have actively worked to undermine the voices in the party that are legitimately for the people (Kucinich, Gravel, etc.). Shit, they even fuckin' tried to challenge Kucinich for his district. His own fuckin' party tried to fuck him for rockin' the fuckin' boat. Democrats need to wise the fuck up and stop supporting these fuckin' corporate assclowns. It's fuckin' obvious who these assholes support once they're in office and it certainly isn't their electorate. Stop supporting the fuckin' Obamas, the Clintons, the Kerrys. They aren't much different than the Bushes, the McCains. Same shit, different names as far as I'm concerned. In 2000, I got a lot of shit about voting for Nader instead of Gore. You know what? I stand vindicated in that decision.

There might have been an argument to have been had about what a president Gore might have been versus Bush. But at this point, Nader's argument about the relative similarities between Gore and Bush has been vindicated. There is virtual no difference in the decision making that happens in the democratic leadership versus the republican leadership. The argument of what might have been no longer holds water. Obama has shown what the result of a democrat for president 8 years of go might very well have been. He ran with the same fuckin' soundbites about being for the people, against pollution, etc. And look at him now. What a fuckin' joke.

And this brings me to the failed economic policies that have us in our current predicament. It seems that every where I look, people I know are hurting. Restaurants are closing. Something like 50% of houses in Arizona are now fuckin' under water. Jobs are disappearing. And fuckin' Goldman Sachs is about to fuckin' pay out the biggest bonuses in company history? What? Are you fuckin' kidding me? I thought these guys needed bailout money? Oh, big surprise. . . they fucked us. And the fuckin' people in power keep letting them fuck us. What the fuck is going on? I feel like I'm fuckin' taking crazy pills. And GM and the other car companies. . . what a fuckin' joke. So let me get this straight. . . we give them money so that they can shut down their plants and move them to other countries. . . how does this fuckin' help us? Glad we have a government that is looking out for us. Good thing we fuckin' elected a president that is for the people. Power to the fuckin' people. I mean, GM is a joke. The story that is fuckin' told to the public is one of unions causing poor effeciency. Give me a break. They didn't need a bailout from that. What they fuckin' needed a bailout on was their fuckin' failed investments. GMAC handled their investments and they were fuckin' bust-o. Nearly all the money given to GM went to GMAC because of their failed investments. But ultimately, that doesn't matter. What does matter is that our government is paying them to basically cut our fuckin' jobs. And it's gonna get fuckin' worse. We are losing more and more jobs. This shit is spiraling. House prices are going to continue to fall. We've still got another round of forecosures coming. Shit is going to get way worse, I promise you. And yet the fuckin' liberals are still drinking the fuckin' koolade when it comes to our government. For the first fuckin' time in a long time, the executive and legislative branch of government is controlled by the democrats. And look what they've done. We're basically fuckin' drowning and rather than help us out of the water, they've fuckin' put a boot in face and pushed us under. Thanks a fuckin' lot. They've passed an "anti-smoking" bill that was fuckin' written by Phillip Morris. That's worthwhile. They've passed a fuckin' credit card bill that a Georgetown Law professor has proven to be worthless. I'm even angrier as I write this shit.

Now, I'm fuckin' depressed by all this shit. It fuckin' bothers me on a daily basis. I feel like I'm better informed than almost anyone I know but my brother. I can converse about clean coal and what a fuckin' pipe dream that shit is. I can talk about the fuckin' coup in Honduras. But you know what? Where does this shit get me? I'm frustrated because ultimately, I can't do a fuckin' thing to influence anyone. No one fuckin' listens. I have yet to convince one liberal to stop supporting the fuckin' democrats. Apparently, I cannot influence the political process beyond the single action of my vote and statistically speaking, that's not very much at all. Ultimately, people are fuckin' uneducated and aren't inquisitive when it comes to things that happen around them. People are content to watch the fuckin' corporate news, drink the fuckin' corporate koolade, and continue the status quo. But I feel trapped because I cannot join them. I cannot not see what the fuck is going on. And so I'm left feeling continually helpless when it comes to influencing any change at all. And nothing fuckin' changes. It's the fuckin' same shit, different guy. So fuck, what should I do?

Fuck the Police! Those Pigs Are Full of Fail!

It seems like every other day, thanks to the miracle of camera phones, video cameras, etc. I get to witness the horror of police brutality all across America. It is really a wonder of the modern era that we are fortunate enough to catch these fucks on film as they brutalize the population. It does make me wonder, how many of these incidents go unfilmed? Given the amount that I manage to see on a weekly basis, what percentage of incidents are the ones I've viewed.

In case you only watch CNN or FoxNews or some other blather, you are probably not familiar with the Bart shooting that happened on New Years Eve. Police illegally detained and searched a few "suspects" on the Bart in Oakland on a report of a jewelry robbery. One unlucky individual who was compliant was forced to the ground by two police officers, while a third shot him in the head. Shot him in the fucking back of the head!

Now, is it any wonder that Oakland is rioting? Should this surprise any of us? I mean, news agencies are trying to spin it like "OMG, look at all these unfortunates that get screwed in a riot!". Sure, it is unfortunate that some people suffer property damage. But can you really blame the citizenry of Oakland. Especially when this incident was recorded by multiple cameras? And this fucking pig is still out of jail and living free?

We'll see if this fucker ends up serving any prison time. Frequently, these fucking rapist/murderer/thug cops serve little to no time. These fucking pigs, even when prosecuted (which happens all too unfrequently), waive their right to jury trials and end up with judges that are members of the fuckin' fraternal order of police. These fuckin' judges let these fucks off with fuckin' slaps on the wrist. It is absolutely ridiculous.

Not only should these fuckin' pigs be punished, they should be punished more severely than an average citizen that commits the same crime. Why? Becuase these fuckin' pigs act with the authority of the state behind them. The state needs to deter these fucks from abusing the authority vested in its officers. Unfortunately, this rarely happens.

I bet a few of you that read my blog right now are doubting that police brutality incidents are all that frequent. A part of me wants to start posting videos that I have seen of cops beating, tasering, raping, and murdering innocent citizens. I am not lying when I say that in the past few months, I've seen over a dozen of these incidents that have failed to make news. Isn't that ridiculous? What's more ridiculous is that these fucks still work as police officers. Give me a fuckin' break.

Now that I'm a little through my outrage. . . I think other questions needs to be asked. Do you think that our governmental policies of sponsoring torture and illegal detainment have been trickling down to the local levels with police? Are police merely reacting to a shifting moral stance on the value we place as a society on human life and dignity? Are the police more apt to visit brutality on others with the relaxing of protections against brutality by government agency? I mean, to my mind the acceptance of torture and illegal detainment as just when applied to a segment of the population must on some level affect societal norms. Is this then what we as a society have to look forward to- a rising tide of police brutality? What do you think?

Christians Are Not Necessarily Full Of Epic Fail

I was just surfing aimlessly this morning before I go into work and I came upon this. I found it a pleasant reminder of just why I do not lament my Christian/Quaker upbringing. In fact, if I didn't have a little problem (probably a much larger one to be honest) with the idea of faith, I certainly would not have a problem remaining a member of the Quaker Society of Friends. I find that I agree with them on just about every issue. Perhaps that's due to my upbringing. But I am a pacifist. I support gay rights. I support racial equality. Just just keep this in mind when you feel like bashing Christians. Not all of them are full of epic fail. (Jeffrey, I'm looking at you.)

So. . . I Saw A Movie Tonight That Was Certainly Not Full Of Fail

So, Let The Right One In was absolutely amazing. It was actually quite tragic, which is not something I was expecting. I won't spoil this movie for anyone who is interested in seeing it. Suffice it to say I thought it was an incredibly tragic ending. This movie, while certainly had plenty of horror elements readily apparent, was just bursting with tragedy. I was certainly impressed. A friend of mine made an observation about this movie being more about relationships than events and that was what "drew" him in. I concur. It certainly wasn't the usual vampire movie fare. What's more, I urge you all to see it. It's currently at the Valley Art, but who know's how long that one will last. Go now and see this one on the big screen while you can.

Obama - Full Of Epic Fail

I winced as the latest round of appointees were announced. And then I laughed cynically. I remembered Matt Taibi speaking of his predictions for the Obama campaign, in that it would consist simply of ever increasing in size signs that simply said "Change" while failing on any level to really bring change. I thought he was correct about Obama (this is one of the major reasons I voted for an actual candidate for change in Ralph Nader- along with attending a Nader event at Changing Hands, etc.). I think he has certainly proved me right so far. I mean, the "economic team" Obama has assembled really brings out the cynic in me. I doubt John McCain and Palin could have done a worse job.

Where is the talk of helping those with real problems brought on by the predatory business practices of these fuckin' capitalist barons? Obama a socialist? Please. Don't be fuckin' stupid. He's appointing these very same asshats that fucked us to begin with. Now they get their chance to fuck us some more. And we have no one to blame but ourselves. To those who wanted the "change" that Obama brings: Enjoy your fuckin' change now.

While I'm on the subject of actual progressive thought, let me mention that I hope that Frankin doesn't get screwed in this fuckin' recount. To those of you that are curious: have you seen the videos that are available on teh internetz of the ridiculous challanges that Coleman is making? I mean, if a person voted for McCain and voted for Frankin clearly, with no other visible markings, Coleman is claiming that those votes should be invalidated because a vote for McCain denotes intent to vote for Coleman. Are you fuckin' kidding me? My favorite though? A guy writes in for president Lizard People and fills in a bubble. For Senate, he writes in Lizard people and draws a bubble, but does not fill in the bubble and instead fills in the bubble for Frankin. Coleman challenged that one of course, though clearly the guy denoted his intention to vote for lizard people with his bubble, and the same happened for Frankin. Whatever.

I had oft (I always wanted to use this archaic word, and now I have) been in argument with people who disputed claims of little difference between Obama and McCain. I submit that the difference has nothing to do with individuals. Rather, it is that there is little difference between the parties that these two candidates represented. Candidates that recieved a nod from these parties have given up whatever differences they had with minor exceptions and moved towards the center/right. Nevermind that this county, in reality, leans more left no matter what Hannity likes to say. Or for that matter O'Reilly. Ah well, c'est la vie.

Whatever. I'm disheartened right now. I can taste the change. And it tastes rotten. Enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Football Coaches Are Full Of Epic Fail

So, last night I was so goddamn frustrated as I watched the Cardinals nearly lose a game that should never have been in contention. The Cardinals were losing practically the whole game to the fuckin' 49ers! The fuckin' 49er's! And the 49ers had two running plays on the goal line to win at the end of the game! The fuckin' 49ers! Give me a fuckin' break!

Seriously, I am so angry with the defensive and offensive coordinators. Let me see. . . at first, the Cardinals were playing a no pressure defense and the 49ers moved the ball at will. Then, the Cardinals wise up and start fuckin' blitzing and putting pressure on the Quarterback and what happens? The fuckin' 49ers can't move the ball for shit! That's what fuckin' happens. So, Cardinals take the fuckin' lead and what do they decide to do? Oh, play a no pressure defense for the last 5 min. of the game and allow the fuckin' 49ers to move the ball at will! Are you fuckin' kiddin' me?

I know why they fuckin' do it. They decide to play prevention defenses because if they don't it reflects poorly on the coach if he's seen to gamble the win away. But seriously, this is the coarse that is for the lose. I mean, it nearly happened against the Cowboys earlier this season. We put pressure on the fuckin' QB, sack Romo more than he had ever been sacked, even fuckin' tear up his body, and in the last few minutes decide to stop doing what works. What happens? Why, the Cowboys come back and take the game to fuckin' OT of course. Fuck me. The same thing nearly happened last night and would have if it hadn't been for some fuckin' luck.

Seriously, everytime I see the Cardinals rush three and play a prevention on like 3rd and 25 or so, I freak out because I know the conversion is coming. It came against Carolina over and over again. It came against Dallas at the end of the game. It certainly came last night. What the fuck! I think people don't understand for what a prevent defense should be used. It shouldn't be used when a team has 2 min. to get down the field and score. It should be used when a team has 1 play to get 50 yards for a score. Prevent gives up a lot of short and medium yardage, which is terrible when a team is going the length of the field on multiple plays. It is not unusual to see a team give up 20 yards on a prevent defense? Why? Because it did what it was supposed to do and fuckin' prevented the fuckin' touchdown that was 50 yards away. With the Cardinals though, this is even worse because the talent and team dynamic is so full of fail when playing a prevention style defense. They are terrible at it. Stop playing it please. Keep hitting the QB. Don't stop hitting the QB. You will lose that way.

And as far as the offense is concerned, give me a break. They need to put a muzzle on this offensive coordinator first. Let Kurt run no huddle more. It fuckin' tires out the defense. And he's fuckin' good at it. Some of the Cardinals best drives this year were during a no huddle offense. Let the man work. Second, stop trying to force the run so much. The Cardinals are terrible at run blocking. It's hard to run when you have defensive linemen in the backfield. Open the game up more. Pass for like 9 straight downs. And when the defense gives up on defending the run, run it a bit. Then pass for like 9 straight downs. When I watch Cardinals drives fail, it is usually because they forced 2 telegraphed runs in a series of downs. That puts a lot of pressure on recievers and QB's to get the first in 1 play, and there's a lot of shit that can go wrong. Give up forcing the run. Run it from like a draw every so often. It will fuckin' work, I promise.

Oh, and take some fuckin' game theory classes. Play to the Cardinals strengths, not weaknesses. Fuckin' stop trying to force them to do shit like prevent defenses, running, huddles when they have clearly superir options. Set the tone for the game. Make the game about what the Cardinals do best. See if the other team can keep up. The Cardinals have so much talent on the fuckin' team. Fuckin' utilize it the way it needs to be used. Give up trying to play against the fuckin' talent. Embrace it. Grow a pair. Go out on a limb. I understand that such decisions might reflect badly on the coaching staff. But seriously, grow a pair. The cardinals should really only have 1 loss right now. In my opinion, the other 2 can be chalked up to poor coaching and a mismanagement of the team at the end of the game. Learn from those mistakes. We are going to need to against teams like the Giants and the fuckin' Pat's.

My Epic Fail Prediction For Tuesday In Lolcat Form!

So, I thought I'd switch it up and tell what I think the story will probably be on Tuesday in a lolcat narrative form. I hope you enjoy it!

















Next up. . . Lolcat narrative about the coming Labour Camps!