Tony Snow Caught Red-Handed

We all know he lies at will for the President and the rest of Bush's Administration. The latest lie is caught by Jon Stewart in brilliant fashion using the wit of the Daily Show and the two videos of Tony saying one thing a while back and completely contradicting himself this week.

Burning People Into Oil Gets Industry's Attention Until....

Have you ever heard of Vivoleum? According to two men at a Canadian oil conference, Exxon has now made it possible to turn the dead into oil. They told the audience not to worry about climate change, because Vivoleum was the way of the future.

From BitterTonic:

“Representatives” from Exxon and the National Petroleum Council reassure us that in the worst case scenario, the oil industry could “keep fuel flowing” by transforming the billions of people who will die in an environmental calamity right back into oil.

“We need something like whales, but infinitely more abundant,” said “NPC rep” “Shepard Wolff”.

“”Vivoleum works in perfect synergy with the continued expansion of fossil fuel production,” noted “Exxon rep” “Florian Osenberg.” “With more fossil fuels comes a greater chance of disaster, but that means more feedstock for Vivoleum. Fuel will continue to flow for those of us left.”

Scared? You should be. Because this crazy presentation that was delivered June 14th at GO-EXPO, Canada’s largest oil conference, wasn’t outed as a prank until nearing the end of the speech, when the fake representatives lit candles supposedly made from actual Vivoleum obtained from the flesh of an “Exxon janitor” who died as a result of cleaning up a toxic spill. The audience - 300 oil men - only reacted when the janitor, in a video tribute, announced that he wished to be transformed into candles after his death.

The two pranksters were escorted out of the building rather quickly, but the local police did not find anything seriously wrong with their actions. Commonly known as the Yes Men, these guys travel around and pretend to be criminals such as oil execs, arms dealers, etc. and make light of all the evil that these industries engender.

The scary thing is that their audience listened intently to the processes described to turn human bodies into oil. To these crooks it is all about the dollar, if they don't care about the planet why would they give two shits about respecting the dead.

Ron Paul, Low In The Polls But Hot On The Net

If your popularity on the world wide web was an indication of who was going to win the Republican nomination, Ron Paul would likely face the Democrat in the fall of 2008. Unfortunately for him he is still just a blip on the radar screen when it comes to real world campaigning. Even though his fundraising is up, it is still far behind the front runners, which means he has a small staff and a small following. Yet he is still one of the most popular words on the net.

From The Washington Post:

Rep. Ron Paul is more popular on Facebook than Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). He's got more friends on MySpace than former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. His MeetUp groups, with 11,924 members in 279 cities, are the biggest in the Republican field. And his official YouTube videos, including clips of his three debate appearances, have been viewed nearly 1.1 million times -- more than those of any other candidate, Republican or Democrat, except Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

No one's more surprised at this robust Web presence than Paul himself, a self-described "old-school," "pen-and-paper guy" who's serving his 10th congressional term and was the Libertarian Party's nominee for president in 1988.

"To tell you the truth, I hadn't heard about this YouTube and all the other Internet sites until supporters started gathering in them," confessed Paul, 71, who said that he's raised about $100,000 after each of the three debates. Not bad considering that his campaign had less than $10,000 when his exploratory committee was formed in mid-February. "I tell you I've never raised money as efficiently as that, in all my years in Congress, and all I'm doing is speaking my mind."

But can these impressive web stats translate into anything in the real world. Being popular on facebook or myspace is great, but will all your 'friends' turn up at their polling place on election day? Will they contribute funds to your campaign? True, it is working well for second-place Obama over here on the left. But the netroots and the conserva-roots are two totally different animals. So Paul is still just a blip to most Republican voters.

Angelina Jolie On The Daily Show

Angelina made an appearance on Thursday's Daily Show to talk about her new movie portraying the story of slain journalist Daniel Pearl, "A Mighty Heart". She also helped to clear up the controversy Fox News tried to conjure up about interviewing her about the film.

The Myth Of Conservative America

For many years now, it isn't hard to hear a cacophony from the political pundits that America has become more conservative. "Blah, blah, blah, Reagan, Bush, blah, blah, blah" is constantly blasted on radio and TV political talk shows (not an exact quote). But is that really true, is America leaning more to the right? The 2006 elections tore a large hole in that theory, but after twenty years of conservative think tanks and media gaining speed, they don't want to quit the operation now. So the talk of conservative America continues. So why don't we put another gaping wound in their delusions of grandeur.

Cue Media Matters please:

Conventional wisdom says that the American public is fundamentally conservative - hostile to government, in favor of unregulated markets, at peace with inequality, wanting a foreign policy based on the projection of military power, and traditional in its social values.

But as this report demonstrates, that picture is fundamentally false. Media perceptions and past Republican electoral successes notwithstanding, Americans are progressive across a wide range of controversial issues, and they're growing more progressive all the time.

• The role of government - Americans support an active government that tackles problems, provides services, and aids those in need.
• The economy - Americans support increasing the minimum wage and strong unions, and believe the wealthy and corporations don't pay their fair share of taxes.
• Social issues - Americans support legal abortion and embryonic stem cell research; opinions on equal rights for women and gay Americans have grown dramatically more progressive in recent years.
• Security - Americans support a progressive approach to national security, emphasizing strong alliances and diplomacy over the indiscriminate use of military force. On domestic security issues, progressive approaches to crime and gun control enjoy wide support.
• The environment - By enormous margins, Americans favor strong environmental protections, a core progressive belief.
• Energy - Americans support energy conservation and the development of alternative fuels.
• Health care - Americans clearly favor universal coverage and are more than comfortable with government solutions to the health care problem.

Read the whole report, it is a true testament to what Americans are thinking and what they believe the role of government is in our democratic nation. The founding fathers did not dream of drowning our government in a bathtub and neither do we now in 2007.

Giving Away Downtown NYC

Lower Manhattan has been in a state of transformation since the horror of September 11th. Many businesses have moved up to Midtown, New Jersey and even farther than that. Meanwhile a slew of buildings have been converted to condominiums and rentals to attract people to live down in the financial district. Out of all the neighborhoods of Manhattan, I think this is the least exciting area when it comes to nightlife and culture. I guess if you are a history buff and like to live amongst the relics of early New York then it would be great. Of course, that isn't the cup of tea many New Yorkers prefer.

The boom in residential units available does not mean the city is giving up on the area from a business perspective. The city and state still want major companies to stay downtown as the rebuilding of the WTC area begins. Though instead of doing smart business with some of the world's corporate giants, Bloomberg and Spitzer have agreed to give away property at rock bottom prices. One example would be the deal just struck with JP Morgan Chase.

From WNYC:

REPORTER: The financial giant will receive $200 million in tax incentives from the city and the state, to move 7-thousand jobs to the 42 story tower downtown. The company will pay the Port Authority $300 million for the 92-year-lease, and in return will receive an unspecified amount of tax incentives and benefits.

Bettina Damiani, of the government watchdog group, Good Jobs New York, is critical of the plan. She says government officials are presenting lower Manhattan as a source of giveaways instead of a business epicenter. She also criticizes the lack of transparency in the subsidies given to the company.

DAMIANI: I'd venture that the state and the city know exactly how much is being provided to JP Morgan Chase. The transparency issue here is very troubling.

The financial powerhouse is allowed to take this charity while keeping its world headquarters at the current tower up on Park Ave. in Midtown. How this can be conceived of as fair to the people of New York is beyond me. Doing the math, JP Morgan Chase is going to pay $100 million for 92 years worth of rent, or slightly over $1 million a year, not including the undisclosed benefits.

For all we know, the building is being given to them for free. Meanwhile the company is free to make billions of dollars at the new site. Imagine if all New Yorkers were given this type of deal to live downtown, living in the city would become a whole lot less expensive.

SiCKO Premiere In Sacramento

Michael Moore was invited to introduce his film at a premiere in Sacramento this week at the behest of House Speaker Fabian Nunez of the California State Legislature. When you see the movie after it opens on June 29th, you probably won't get to see Moore live on stage, so take a look right here:

NOLA Turning To Other Countries For Aid

It is a sad testament to the state of our country when we cannot even help one of our most cherished cities rebuild from a natural disaster. Instead New Orleans is appealing for international aid in hopes of restoring the famous Crescent City. As the two year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches along with the new and expected busy hurricane season, funds from the state and federal government are slow in coming.

From The Sun Herald:

Kenya Smith, director of intergovernmental relations for Mayor Ray Nagin, said city leaders are talking with more than five countries. He wouldn't identify the countries, saying discussions were in the early stages. But he said the city is "very serious" about pursuing foreign help.

"Of course, we would love to have all the resources we need from federal and state partners, but we're comfortable now in having to be creative," Smith said. He did not know if the city would have to overcome any obstacles if it got firm pledges for aid, but "we want to make sure we're leaving no options unexplored."

For months Nagin has complained bureaucracy is choking the flow of much-needed federal aid dollars to New Orleans - slowing the city's recovery. As of June 8, the city said it had received just over half of the $320 million FEMA has obligated for rebuilding city infrastructure and emergency response-related costs. The city has estimated its damage at far more than that - at least $1 billion. And that doesn't include other improvements - such as raised neighborhoods - meant to help build the stronger city promoted by Nagin and his recovery director.

As long as our national government fails to fulfill its moral obligation to help repair the city, there is no reason why anyone would have a problem with New Orleans accepting international aid. Although the countries are still anonymous, the first two that come to my mind would be France and Spain. Both have history with the port city going back centuries, long before the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.

No matter which country decides to help the rebuilding efforts, its is greatly appreciated by all Americans that love New Orleans, whether they live there or not. This incident should shame the Bush Administration into providing more assistance than they have given or even pledged....but this is George Bush we are talking about, so he probably doesn't even care.

The Beach Gestapo Have To Go

Susan Stark wrote about her experiences on New York City beaches and was abhorred at the "beach gestapo," also known as the park personnel. The bully and intimidate beachgoers with ridiculous policies where you can't be on the sand after a certain time and only within a certain area within that certain time. Shouldn't the beach just be the beach, open to all with the exception of a warning when the city screws up and spills sewage up the river?

From NYC Indymedia:

Once, on Staten Island, I walked from the train to the beach, got in the water, and was promptly told by a passing personnel that I must, MUST be in a designated swimming area with lifeguards. I had to walk a half a mile north to this area, only to see that the area was only several yards long, and was crammed with noisy people and their kids. I like my beach experience quiet, so I walked as far away from the crowd as possible, while still in range of the lifeguards. I should not have had to do all of that, because a simple sign saying "NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY, SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK" would have sufficed in most places. Not here, apparently.

The Beach Gestapo also goes around at 6pm sharp to tell everyone to get out of the water because the beach is closing. Shocking. I never heard of that practice until I moved here.

There are very few personnel at Coney Island Beach in Brooklyn telling folks to leave the water "immediately, or else", but the last time I was there, there were signs on the bathroom doors telling people that they cannot use the bathroom to change clothes. This would've made sense if the city provided a place to change clothes, but there wasn't a building in sight where you could do that. I changed clothes in the bathroom anyway, and so did everyone else. A nice bit of psychological warfare, if you ask me.

This looks like a bad case of overzealousness by the parks department. Their policies definitely need heavy review. It is nice that the city wants to keep us safe from the water and ourselves. But there is a line when it comes to responsibility for the life of a New Yorker on the sand and the city crossed over by leaps and bounds.

The FBI, Another Law-Breaking Branch Of Our Gov't

Corruption is a disease that plagues Washington, D.C. As Bush gets away with more and more crimes, it isn't surprising to see scandals at the GSA and the Justice Department. Here we have the FBI and their breaches of privacy over a thousands times without warrants. Countdown has the scoop.

Gore Slams G8 On Climate Change

Al Gore slammed the agreement made at the G8 on climate change, calling it "a disgrace disguised as an achievement." The man that should have been President called out the group for failing to enact any type of real reform with hard and sufficient plans that will actually cut carbon emissions. The only person he spared was German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who advocated for hard deadlines in cutting fossil fuel consumption back.

From Yahoo News:

G8 leaders agreed to pursue "substantial" reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, stopping short of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's hopes for concrete numerical commitments on emission reductions, including her key aim to cut gases by 50 percent by 2050.

They said they would negotiate a new global climate pact that would extend and broaden the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012.

"It was a disgrace disguised as an achievement," Gore said at an event in Milan, where he praised Merkel for her efforts.

"The eight most powerful nations gathered and were unable to do anything except to say 'We had good conversations and we agreed that we will have more conversations, and we will even have conversations about the possibility of doing something in the future on a voluntary basis perhaps."'

Gore is dead on here. Merely saying that there will be a plan does not guarantee an actual plan. Much like in Iraq, there was no plan other than to win. If you do not come up with a plan to help turn the state of the environment around, then chances are you will not end up anywhere. Only a few like Merkel and Gore are brave enough to stand up in a way that can give hope to our current situation. The problem is however, where are the rest of the players on this one?

Mitt Romney: Heartless

Mitt Romney is known for flip-flopping on issues, particularly about abortion. He publicly supported a woman's right to choose as Governor of Massachusetts, but now plays to the religious right. That previous stance though was indeed public, the things that went on in private were absolutely disgusting. One example was Judy Dushku's anonymous friend's pregnancy and Mitt's choice words for the woman.

From Right's Field:

In the interview, Romney scolds a woman who faces death from a pregnancy for considering undergoing an abortion, despite the fact that her doctor also recommends an abortion. He then professes his pro-choice views, which he attributes to an aunt who died from a botched back alley abortion, and political necessity in Massachusetts that’s been rubber stamped from “the brethren” in Salt Lake City.

(snip)

He said - What do you think you’re doing?

She said - Well, we have to abort the baby because I have these blood clots.

And he said something to the effect of - Well, why do you get off easy when other women have their babies?

And she said - What are you talking about? This is a life threatening situation.

And he said - Well what about the life of the baby?

And she said - I have four other children and I think it would be really irresponsible to continue the pregnancy.

The irresponsibilty and heartlessness of Romney is astounding. This man who wants to be President needs to be stopped.