I usually don't pull comments to...ahem...comment on them on the blog but this was just too funny to pass up.

So far I have had two Libertarians comment on my P&T PeTA show. Both of them exhibit the same characteristics that most Libertarians exhibit when debating. toolkien was not very interesting but Jared's comments have been most amusing. He starts by accusing me of that which I accuse P&T, namely spin. What makes it a laugh riot is that I have given (probably) too many examples of Penn & Teller spinning information on "Bullshit". Jared has yet to share one instance of my spin with me. Ah well, I figured it would be a good format to discuss a few of the shining lights that appeared on the show.

So without further ado...

What is wrong with you?

Nothing much, thanks for your concern.

You take one statement in a Penn and Teller episode, spin it completely out of control, to the point of calling it a boldfaced lie (which it definatley(sic) isn't--perhaps a very very minor exaggeration). And then you use this one statement to discredit the whole show.

I can only assume that the one statement your talking about is that "PETA supports banning the ownership of pets and advocates releasing them into the wild" Only a Libertarian would consider this a "very minor exaggeration". Nor is the fact that you keep accusing me of spinning without offering the slightest evidence that I am spinning a thing is...well let's say it's less than impressive...

Here is your chance Jared. Please find me anything from PeTA saying they are against pet ownership. Betcha can't. In fact, according to their FAQ, they are all for pet ownership. They urge people to get their pets from shelters and not pet stores, but an objection to pet stores is not an objection to pets. If you can't find anything that says PeTA is against pet ownership, and I can find information that PeTA is all for pet ownership then this is a lie, pure and simple. While you are at it, please find any official statement that PeTA thinks the best life our pets can have is to be released into the wild. Betcha can't. Without such evidence this is a lie, pure and simple. You do understand what a lie is don't ya Jared?

Who is spinning who?

Indeed. This is not the only example of P&T spinning. I note you said nothing about the fact that there was not one representative of PeTA on the show. You say nothing about P&T's implication that the protestors at the start of the show were members of PeTA (PeTA supporters is how the show referred to them) when it was really the ADL-LA chapter that was protesting. Nor do you mention the comparison of PeTA to a cult, Gary Yourofsky being identified as "PeTA's official orator" when the only person making that claim is Gary Yourofsky, or the implication that because PeTA gave money to Rodney Coronado it must have taken part in the firebombing of the lab. Quite a bit to leave out Jared. I am starting to think that you are trying to spin me and my readers. Sorry it won't work. I have argued too long against brain dead Libertarian to be fooled by this crap.

Then, instead of addressing this comment, you attempt to discredit the whole idea by labeling it libertarian, as if that automatically shows the fallacy behind any reasoning.

Well gee Jared perhaps you can help me by pointing out exactly what in your previous comment there was for me to address? You simply accuse me of spinning without giving one example. And yes, I did label that style of debate (leveling a charge at someone without any attempt to back it up) Libertarian. Why? Because I have seen so many Libertarians, such as yourself, use it. It's so common that we should probably call it "The Libertarian Gambit".

In fact Jared, while we are talking about spin why don't we take a closer look at those people that P&T had on their show attacking PeTA.

First up we have David Martosko, Research Director of the Center for Consumer Freedom, yet another Libertarian think tank that is funded by the very industry that they claim to oversee.

From Disinfopedia.org:

The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) (formerly called the "Guest Choice Network") is a front group for the restaurant, alcohol and tobacco industries. It runs media campaigns which oppose the efforts of scientists, doctors, health advocates, environmentalists and groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, calling them "the Nanny Culture - the growing fraternity of food cops, health care enforcers, anti-meat activists, and meddling bureaucrats who 'know what's best for you.' "

CCF is one of the more active of several front groups created by Berman & Co., a public affairs firm owned by lobbyist Rick Berman. Based in Washington, DC, Berman & Co. represents the tobacco industry as well as hotels, beer distributors, taverns, and restaurant chains.

The group actively opposes smoking bans and lowering the legal blood-alcohol level, while targeting studies on the dangers of red meat consumption, overfishing and pesticides. Each year they give out the "nanny awards" to groups who, according to them, try to tell consumers how to live their lives.

Anyone who criticizes tobacco, alcohol, fatty foods or soda pop is likely to come under attack from CCF. Its enemies list has included such diverse groups and individuals as the Alliance of American Insurers; the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons; the American Medical Association; the Arthritis Foundation; the Consumer Federation of America; New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani; the Harvard School of Public Health; the Marin Institute for the Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems; the National Association of High School Principals; the National Safety Council; the National Transportation Safety Board; the Office of Highway Safety for the state of Georgia; Ralph Nader's group, Public Citizen; the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

In a 1999 interview with the Chain Leader, a trade publication for restaurant chains, Berman boasted that he attacks activists more aggressively than other lobbyists. "We always have a knife in our teeth," he said. Since activists "drive consumer behavior on meat, alcohol, fat, sugar, tobacco and caffeine," his strategy is "to shoot the messenger. ... We've got to attack their credibility as spokespersons."

Typical Libertarian bullshit. The Center for Consumer Freedom is not interested in science which is no surprise since Libertarians are not interested in science...just the spin that they can put on science. Let's take a real close look at who funds them:

Pre-2001 Contributions
4 B's Restaurants - $200
Advantica Restaurant Group - $10,000
Armour-Swift Eckrich - $5,000
Bestfoods Foodservice - $1,250
Buca, Inc. - $500
Carlson Hospitality Worldwide - $1,000
Chart House Enterprises - $2,500
Comarco Products - $2,000
Country Kitchen International - $1,000
Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. - $1,500
Louise's Trattoria - $500
Max & Erma's Restaurants, Inc. - $2,500
Ruby Tuesday, Inc. - $500
Ruth's Chris Steak House, Inc. - $1,000
Standard Meat - $17,500
Trinchero Family Estates - $10,000

2001 Contributions
Anton's Airfoods, Inc. - $3,000
Applebee's International, Inc. - $15,000
Cameron Mitchell Restaurants - $1,250
Campagna-Turano Bakery, Inc. - $500
Casual Restaurant Concepts - $3,300
Coca-Cola Company - $200,000
Coldwater Seafood - $15,000
Crystal's International - $252
Custom Cuts - $1,500
Daisy Brand - $1,000
Excel/Cargill - $100,000
Fired Up - $6,000
Hatfield Quality Meats - $33,700
HMS Host Corporation - $50,000
Jeff's Gourmet Pies - $1,000
John R. Daily Company - $750
Kagome, Inc. - $1,086
King and Prince Seafood - $9,200
KorBert, Inc. - $300
KPR Foods - $1,000
LTP Management Group - $3,250
Marie Callendar Pie Shops - $11,900
Mexican Restaurants - $750
Monsanto - $200,000
National Steak and Poultry - $10,000
North American Enterprises - $500
North American Provisioners - $150
Not Your Average Joe's - $347
Outback Steakhouse - $164,600
P.F. Chang's China Bistro - $15,000
Packaging Corporation of America - $10,000
Performance Food Group - $15,000
Pilgrim's Pride Corporation - $100,000
Pro Edge - $2,400
Quantum Foods - $18,000
Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers - $1,000
Rare Hospitality - $15,000
Real Food Marketing - $500
Restaurant Concepts - $6,000
Rosemount Estates (Southcorp Wines) - $5,300
Royal Cup - $1,000
Save-on Seafood - $2,000
Sugar Foods Corporation - $5,000
T. Marzetti Company - $10,000
TriOak Foods - $5,100
Tyson Foods, Inc. - $100,000
Wendy's International, Inc. - $200,000
White Castle System - $43,872
Worldwide Restaurants Concepts - $1,500

2002 Contributions
Brinker International, Inc. - $25,000
Cameron Mitchell Restaurants - $1,250
Campagna-Turano Bakery, Inc. - $500
China Mist - $400
Coffee Reserve, Inc. - $140
Darifair Foods - $5,000
Dean Foods Company - $5,000
Eli's Cheesecake Company - $1,000
Excel/Cargill $100,000
Good Humor/Breyer's Ice Cream - $1,500
HMS Host Corporation - $25,000
John Soules Foods - $1,000
Ken's Foods Inc. - $5,000
Michigan Turkey Producers Cooperative $- 7,000
National Everclean Service - $500
Not Your Average Joe's - $347
Paradise Tomato Kitchens, Inc. - $7,500
Perdue Farms, Inc. - $40,000
Pro Clean - $1,500
Revolution, Inc. - $1,000
Royal Cup - $1,500
RTM, Inc. - $64,872
Simmons Foods, Inc. - $5,000 Sun Orchard, Inc. - $2,000
Syracuse's Italian Sausage - $500
Tyson Foods, Inc. - $100,000

Next up we have (as they said on "Bullshit") fucking Ted Nugent, a man that could not put together a coherent argument if his life depended on it. The height of his intellectually simulating declaration was:

"To eat meat is the "natural order". To try to tell me I can't eat flesh is weird, I just can't comprehend it. Meat is food. End of story."

Wow I'm convinced.

Then there's Dennis Prager, a right wing disk jockey who also had a knack for just the right argument to make:

That's just stupid. The person that made that statement must have gone to college. Only in college do people learn to make statements that stupid.

No it's not an exact quote but it is pretty damn close. Funny, I never suspected that college actually made one more stupid. Interesting since Mr. Prager has attended a couple himself...

Then my personal favorite Dr. Ray Greek, a former member of PeTA who broke with the group because they failed to repudiate violence, a worthy reason to quit by all accounts (my own included). What makes the good doctor a funny choice is not so much his stance on violence as his stance on animal testing. You might remember that Penn & Teller were so upset at PeTA because of their stance on animal testing in the medical field (causing yet another great Penn line "I would kill all the gorilla's in the world to save one human being"). Yet Dr. Greek's organization is against just that:

Advocating for patients and their families.

Americans/Europeans/Japanese For Medical Advancement (AFMA) promote human wellness by exposing the lost opportunities for cures and the life-threatening results of animal-modeled biomedical research. We educate the public, showing how government and charities misspend medical research dollars and place us at grave risk.

Animal-modeled biomedical research yields results that cannot be safely applied to humans. It diverts research dollars that should be going to proven methods of curing human disease.

We disclose how industry introduces and keeps unhealthy and often deadly products in the marketplace through animal experiments.

As taxpayers, we deserve the best research our money can buy.

Now why do you suppose P&T were so upset at PeTA for taking the same stance as Dr. Greek? Do you think it might have something to do with the fact that PeTA is the world's largest animal right's organization? Maybe? Bah!

It's just spin. The whole freakin' show was nothing more than spin. Penn & Teller do a good job when the subject of the show is something within the area of expertise...busting ghost or making fools of mediums. This is what they should have stuck with, this is the evil they know best.

But when Penn & Teller talk about political or science or policy questions, the "Bullshit" flies thick and fast.

So Jared here we are. I have given more than one example of P&T's spin on "Bullshit". As was pointed out earlier I have (now eight) huge articles describing that spin. You have yet to give on example of my spinning anything.

And people wonder why I don't admire Libertarians...

posted at 08:43:03 AM by Dominion

One of the reason's I did not do an update yesterday was because I was busy putting the finishing touches on my latest entry to Acid Planet.

As part of the Panurge remix contest we have this little ditty called Mixed Calvary (Rock&Roll Mix). If you would like to see all the work I have done for the Planet just click here.

posted at 07:58:25 AM by Dominion

Tue, Apr 20 2004

It's Great To Be A Team Leader!

Offered for your amusement:

Dear fellow American,

While no one will be nostalgic for April 15, this year's "Tax Day" reminds us how much we all pay in taxes and how great it is to have a President who ensures we can keep more of our earnings.

The fact is all Americans are enjoying tax relief under President Bush.

But that could change unless you do all that you can to stop the tax invader!

A new interactive web game (click here:) allows you to help President Bush shoot down John Kerry's massive tax increases before they reach your wallet.

Earlier this week the RNC unveiled the Index De Le Miserables (IDM), which calculated John Kerry's promised spending, promised tax increases, and unidentified tax increases.

Sen. Kerry's IDM is the same as President Carter's in 1980. That says it all.

I'm about to deliver a speech to the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in Miami-I'll have some insights from here in next week's email.

Until then, you don't want to miss Sen. Fred Thompson's op-ed in today's Washington Post:

http://www.gopteamleader.com/myissues/view_issue.asp?id=1719

Sincerely,

Ed Gillespie

Chairman, RNC

*********************************************************

Action Item: Write Your Local Editor

President Bush's tax cuts are working. In honor of tax day, get the message out that you support the President and his positive agenda for the country.

Get your local newspapers here.
http://www.gopteamleader.com/actions/view_alert.asp?id=279

***********************************************************

Republican Confidential

"We knew each other, but we sort of didn't know each other."

What liberal Democrat said this? Click here to find out.
http://www.gopteamleader.com/myissues/view_issue.asp?id=1720

***********************************************************

In Case You Missed It: Campaigning On Defeat By Fred Thompson, Op-Ed, April 16, 2004

Even the most partisan critics of the war in Iraq insist they are every bit as determined ... to secure a democratic peace there. Regardless of whether the administration's decision to go to war was correct, they say, the United States cannot now afford to cut and run.
http://www.gopteamleader.com/myissues/view_issue.asp?id=1719

***********************************************************

Next Reggie Stop - Florence AZ, 4/21-4/25

Reggie will be at Country Thunder registering new voters and recruiting Team Leaders.
http://www.gopteamleader.com/reggie/

***********************************************************

Site Updates

RNC Research Briefing - SEN. JOE BIDEN ON IRAQ, 1998-2004
http://www.gopteamleader.com/myissues/view_issue.asp?id=1718

Senator John Kerry's Southern Voting Record
http://www.gopteamleader.com/myissues/view_issue.asp?id=1717

RNC Launches John Kerry: The Tax Invader Web Game
http://www.gopteamleader.com/myissues/view_issue.asp?id=1715

***********************************************************

Request Reggie!

Invite Reggie the Registration Rig to an event near you. Just click here and fill in all the info on the event.
http://www.gopteamleader.com/reggie/reggie_request.asp

***********************************************************

Attend a Republican MeetUp & Recruit New Team Leaders Check out a Republican MeetUp* near you and use it to recruit new Team Leaders. Learn more here:
http://republican.meetup.com/

*Please note the RNC in no way sponsors or is affiliated with "MeetUp."

***********************************************************

Was this forwarded to you? Want your own? Join the Team!
http://www.gopteamleader.com/users/joinnow.asp

So what are you waiting for? Come on and Join in the fun!

posted at 07:35:33 AM by Dominion

Mon, Apr 19 2004

Monday Morning Musings

Man it's good to be back.

Well I am back up and running well. The new modem seems to be perking right along, bits and bytes are flowing through my computer once again.

Feels good. I absolutely hate it when I can't access the net. It's like, a whole week of news just flew by me without any chance of seeing it. I had to resort to (gasp) TV for news and wow, does that suck or what. After getting most of my news from the 'net (I spend 3/4s of my free time reading news articles) watching TV news is like watching news for the brain dead. If you can call that news. More like inforntainment.

I am constantly surprised at what passes for "news" these days. Morning shows, the less said the better. If you are going to get anything worthwhile from them it will be in the first hour. After that, it quickly devolved into irreverently. I don't really care what the latest cure for male pattern baldness is, nor who the latest "hot" actress is sleeping with, nor the opinion of Mr. Fashionburg on why Hollywood dresses "so gay" (and yes I really heard that statement, though for the life of me I can't remember where or who...anyone got a clue?). I don't care that Bill killed Jesus. And Oh Lord I beg of you, strike down those pigs that gather around the daily cookfest to hog down on BBQ spare ribs and shrimp Florentine. At 8:00 am local time, it just makes me want to barf.

Local news ain't much better. I have come to the conclusion that the term "local yokel" was created just for local TV reporters. Since I live in Houston, where we know in our hearts "if it bleeds it leads" I can wallow in images that are sure to confirm the stupidity of ever stepping foot outside my door (in spite of the downward trend of violent crime that had been going on for some years). Lucky for me, this was not a sweeps week. My television was mercifully free of the bulging bosoms of strippers, the sultry suggestions of sex therapist, or the erotic hints of how to spice of my sex life. But by far the most horrible of all sights is the nightly thawing of the cryogenically preserved Marvin Zindler. Every night deep in the bowls of Channel 13, gallons of fresh virgin blood (an scarce commodity of which I understand he pays millions) are pumped into this decaying corpse so that he can horrify yet one more generation of Houstonians. By all rights the face that launched a thousand face lifts...and looks it, should be roasting in hell at this very moment. But by some perversion of science known only to the employees and relatives of KTRK he sticks around, year after year after year. I swear if I hear that loud squeaky voice screaming "Maaarrrrrrvin Zzzzzzzindler....IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-Witness News" one more time I a'gonna rip off my ears and stomp them flat...

Marvin Zindler, the ever-living.

(For those of you not in the know, Marvin Zindler is the guy that made a name for himself by closing down the infamous Chicken Ranch, a house of ill repute. We have not been able to shut him up since then.)

Then we have the evening national news, where no story is worth more than 30 seconds, no matter how complicated or important. Only slightly better than morning or local, at least I have a glimpse of what might be going wrong in the world, but don't expect any nuance. Nuance was kicked out of the news room in the early 80's.

Ah well...on to bigger and better things.

On the theory that it never rains but it pours, I have gotten a lot of email during my enforced vacation. Most of it from well wishers (and thanks for the kind thoughts) and a few with links worthy of a liberal's attention. Let's take a look shall we?

First up is The Raw Story. It is a " freshly-minted liberal media site you might enjoy which culls and composes progressive news, arts and business reporting from around the world. Similar to Buzzflash, but with a much more user-friendly design and updated far more frequently." Give it a try today!

Next we have the ever popular Freeway Blogger who has come up with a new word to paste to the highways and biways of this great country - Chimpeach. I like it.

Last but not least, we have Dan Youra and Utoons. Dan is an up and coming artist and cartoonist. Go tickle your funny bone.

Hopefully things will get back to normal around here toot sweet. Thanks for your patience.

posted at 07:16:12 AM by Dominion

Thu, Apr 15 2004

For Those Wondering Where I Am

Easy answer, I am not on the 'net.

It seems as if my cable modem has had a nervous breakdown. I have been assured by Road Runner that it can be fixed, mostly by replacing the modem. And they are quite willing to do this...

Next week.

So I have an appointment for early Monday morning. Look for an update then...Tuesday at the latest.

Sorry for the delay. We will be back as soon as possible.

posted at 06:48:14 AM by Dominion

Fri, Apr 09 2004

Penn & Teller: Exposing Bullshit or Spreading It 7?

They just keep going and going and going...

So when I heard that Penn & Teller's "Bullshit" was picked up for a second season, I really did not hold out much hope that they had learned a damn thing between seasons. I head over to the "Bullshit" website and find that they were going to do a show about PeTA. "Oh groan" I thought to myself, "Here we go again".

It did not take long to find out that P&T had returned to their own "Bullshit" ways. On the 'blurb' page we had the claim that PeTA was all for the banning of pets and the releasing of pets into the wild. Well right there, I knew that was bullshit (you can read about it here).

But what about the show itself? was it anymore fair? Oh of course not. Let's take a closer look shall we?

I knew things were not going to go well when the first images P&T showed (that were not cow related) was of a protest outside of the L.A. Animal Shelter. As P&T are talking about what a nutso group PeTA is, they are showing images of protestors asking for the removal of one Jerry Greenwalt who ran the L.A. shelter at the time. The group was protesting the euthanasia of animals at the shelter. There was only one problem. The group protesting was not PeTA. It was, in fact, the Animal Defense League (ADL) - LA Chapter. See PeTA actually supports the right of animals shelters to euthanasia animals. From the animal companion FAQ:

"Rather than euthanizing dogs and cats, couldn't we just build more animal shelters?"

Shelters do not provide a solution to the problem of companion animal homelessness because dogs and cats need more than food, water, and shelter from the elements. They need and deserve loving care, regular human companionship, respect for their individuality, and the opportunity to play and run. As difficult as it may be for us to accept, euthanasia (carried out by veterinarians or trained shelter professionals via intravenous injection of sodium pentobarbital) is often the most compassionate and dignified way for unwanted animals to leave this uncaring world.

However the ADL do not support the right of shelters to euthenize animals. It was the LA chapter of the ADL that was protesting. Not PeTA. P&T get around this by claiming that the members of the protest are "supporters" of PeTA. Well obviously these people do not support PeTA's stand on euthanasia. Now what do we call that boys and girls? That's right! Spreading Bullshit. It went downhill from there!

Another bullshit point was the comparing of PeTA to a cult. Which is ironic because one of the things I agreed with on the show was the over-the-top comparison of animal slaughter with the Shoah. I have said before that I lived on a farm when I was younger. I have also been around animal slaughter most of my life. Most rural kids are. Whether it was my uncle Bill's father stringing up a goat for dinner or the modern slaughterhouse we took our cattle to, killing an animal is not neat, and it is not pretty. Once again my sympathy is much greater for the six million Jews that lost their life in the Shoah and I think that the "Holocaust on Your Plate" campaign was (at the very least) deeply offensive.

But then P&T do the same thing by comparing PeTA to a cult. As a skeptic, I know what a real cult is. I can think of no better source than Xenu.net (the best web page around for information on the Church of Scientology) for a definition of just what a cult is:

Definition of a cult. - Every cult can be defined as a group having all of the following 5 characteristics:

1. It uses psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate and retain its members
2. It forms an elitist totalitarian society
3. Its founder leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, not accountable and has charisma
4. It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds recruit people
5. Its wealth does not benefit its members or society

Go and read about real cults and see the damage they do to it's members. PeTA does not even come close to qualifying. Dennis Prager (more about him next week) claimed that by PeTA comparing animal slaughter to the Shoah they dilute the meaning and the horror of the Shoah (which I totally agree with) then we can say the same about P&T comparing PeTA to a cult.

One of the most disturbing feature of this show was how P&T used members of other organizations to smear PeTA. For example they bring up Gary Yourofsky founder of Animals Deserve Adequate Protection Today and Tomorrow (ADAPTT). They identify him as "PeTA 'official orator", whatever the hell that means. But just how "official" is this "orator"?

What he does intend to do is go on hitting the road, trying to make more converts to a vegetarian diet. It is a lonely life. For a brief time, he was on staff of PETA, People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals, but he found that too confining. So now he is just on retainer - PETA pays him $150 a speech, meaning he makes less than $25,000 a year.

In fact, the only person that identifies Gary as "PeTA's Official Orator" seems to be Gary himself. I could find nothing from PeTA identifying him as such.

Next up we have Steve Best, Associate Professor and Chair of Philosophy at the University of Texas at El Paso. P&T never did offer any evidence that he was in any way associated with PeTA, merely calling him a "supporter". Steve seemed a lot more infatuated with the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) a truly vile group of animal activist. In 1999 in England alone, they were responsible for 1,200 fire bombings, acts of vandalism and physical attacks. Of course I should not have to point out that ALF is not PeTA.

Last but not least we have Rodney Coronado. Rodney is a member of the ALF and in 1992 firebombed a research lab at Michigan State University. P&T implied that PeTA and more specific Ingrid Newkirk actually helped Rodney firebomb that lab by providing money to his support group and a loan to Coronado's father. They also imply that there is something funny about the loan (it was never paid back), but according to this website, he knew it was for Rodney's defense fund. And therein lies the rub. There is no way that the PeTA money helped in the firebombing since both payments were in 1995 three years after the firebomb. There's more on this but you will have to wait till next week when we look at the "parade of fools" that P&T once again provided their viewers.

Look I don't like Gary Yourofsky, he promotes violence and that's bad. Nor do I like the fact that PeTA pays him for lectures, even if it is just a paltry amount. I don't like Steve Best nor Rodney Coronado. I don't like the fact that PeTA seems to condone violence. Their FAQ has this to say about the ALF:

"How can you justify the millions of dollars of property damage caused by the Animal Liberation Front (ALF)?"

Throughout history, some people have felt the need to break the law to fight injustice. The Underground Railroad and the French Resistance are examples of movements in which people broke the law in order to answer to a higher morality. The ALF, which is simply the name adopted by people who act illegally in behalf of animal rights, breaks inanimate objects such as stereotaxic devices and decapitators in order to save lives. ALF members burn empty buildings in which animals are tortured and killed. ALF "raids" have given us proof of horrific cruelty that would not have otherwise been discovered or believed and have resulted in criminal charges’ being filed against laboratories for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Often, ALF raids have been followed by widespread scientific condemnation of the practices occurring in the targeted labs, and some abusive laboratories have been permanently shut down as a result.

To me this is just stupid. Nothing excuses violence. Just ask Mahatma Gandhi.

I have said it before and I will say it again, I don't like PeTA. But that is no excuse for P&T to paint the organization with a brush that is primarily made up of other groups. Ultimately that is exactly what P&T did. In the whole show we heard not one thing that PeTA has done that was violent. An amazing fact no? I mean, I would have at least mentioned PeTA's habit of throwing paint on people who wear fur, which is a practice I find odious at best. But no. We hear alot about the ALF, we hear from people belonging to ADL - LA but nothing about the violent acts of PeTA itself.

I got interested in this because of the P&T claim that PeTA supports the banning of pet ownership and the releasing in the wild of domesticated pets. I knew that was a bullshit charge, I just did not realize just how much bullshit would be contained in the show...but of course there's more.

Tuesday: Penn & Teller's Experts...Parade of fools part 2!

posted at 07:13:50 AM by Dominion

A Musical Interlude

Wow, am I lucky today or what? I have three new songs for your listening and Bush bashing pleasure.

The first up are my good friends, "The Compassionate Conservatives". In their own words:

Hello Dominion!

I am proud to present two new songs: "Bush" and "Not My President, Not My War".

"Bush" is based upon the theme to the movie "Ben", circa 1972, originally performed by Michael Jackson back when he was a bit more normal. Naturally the lyrics are completely different -- you can find them here:

http://oregonwaterfalls.com/cc/lyrics/Bush_lyrics.html

"Not My President, Not My War" is based upon a chant by Portland anti-war marchers on March 20, 2004. The lyrics are written from the point of view of a soldier who witnesses the Fallujah incident and is scared to death. Lyrics are here:

http://oregonwaterfalls.com/cc/lyrics/NMPNMW_lyrics.html

The direct links for the songs are as follows:

Bush: http://tinyurl.com/2s8vc
NMPNMW: http://tinyurl.com/35lum

I hope that you enjoy them!

As always, I remain yours in peace,

CC

http://oregonwaterfalls.com/cc

Go give a listen, man this is funny funny stuff.

And speaking of funny stuff we have a new musical artist to join in. Ladies and Gentleman I give you Sea Lion Records:

Download a free mp3 of our new CD-single, Sonofa Bush. Or listen to the free RealAudio stream. It's political satire music, the 'voice' of George W Bush, rapping his way through recent history, with lyrics inspired by his Bushism mispronunciations and misguided thoughts. Visit www.sealionrecords.com/newreleases.htm

I know nothing more than you read because they have sent me nothing more than you see. I am going to see if I can find out more information about Sea Lion Records

posted at 07:03:42 AM by Dominion

Thu, Apr 08 2004

Yah yah, I know. I was supposed to have a critique of Penn & Teller ready on Wednesday. I failed. Abject, miserable failure. I thought I would have it up today, but again, failure. I want one more opportunity to watch the show (which will be repeated tonight) because I want to be very sure I heard what I thought I heard (there is a part in the show that to the best of my recollection might actually be actionable so I want to be sure to get it right).

So while you are waiting allow me to introduce you (via the mighty Atrios) to George W. Bush's idea of compassion.

It seems that if you surround yourself with minority people, you will be considered compassionate. How nice. And easy too! I mean, it's not like you actually have to do anything, just have your picture taken with black and brown folks, then be sure that you defund every project ever created to give minorities a leg up.

Let's face it boys and girls, more than three years into a George W. Bush administration one thing we know is that compassion and conservative certainly do not belong in the same sentence.

And via American Leftist by way of Sisyphus Shrugged we have this piece of artwork.

Magnificent.

posted at 07:06:58 AM by Dominion

Tue, Apr 06 2004

Well it's that time of year once again. The time of year rabbit lovers beg and plead for people to think for just a few minutes before buying a pet they view as "cute" and "cuddly" and not much of a responsibility.

Getting a cute fuzzy bunny for your child at Easter is not good for your child, the rabbit, or you.

It always surprise me when people don't do basic research into buying a pet. Yes a bunny is cute, yes a bunny is fuzzy. A bunny is also a destructive force of nature that you will have to take care of for up to 12 years. There are all sorts of things you need to know, such as the proper food (fresh veggies, fresh hay and plenty of water is the order of the day) how to protect your walls, carpet, walls, wires, walls, electronic equipment, walls...er did I mention walls? You need to be prepared to take the bunny into your home, as a member of your family. Never keep a rabbit in a hutch outdoors, outdoor rabbits can die within two years. Rabbits are social animals, they need the companionship and love. They suffer when they are left alone.

And for pete's sake people take a look at those back legs. Do ya see how powerful they are? Do you really think that the best thing to do for a rabbit is lock them in a cage? They need exercise, they need a chance to stretch those huge legs. You need to get them toys, because rabbits being prey animals are very intelligent and they need the simulation. You need to get them tasty wood to chew up.

The Amazing Hunter Bunny

Lil'Bit look evil

Woodstock taking it easy

Then there are the health issues. There are lots and lots of things that can go wrong with rabbits. They can't throw up, so a hairball can be deadly. They can get blockages of their digestive systems. They can have strokes, calcium overload, bad teeth, bad ears, well the list is very long. Rabbits can be litter trained quite easy, but you will still have to pick up pellets because a) they don't have very strong anal muscles and b) because they use pellets to play dominance games (as all herd animals, rabbits have an alpha rabbit. For those of us that have multiple rabbits such games can be soooo much fun...NOT).

Snoopy looking concerned

Hocus protecting Pocus

Heath is looking good.

Pocus, the furry cannonball.

Now don't get me wrong. Rabbits are great pets. They are playful, loving bundles of fun. There is nothing like seeing your bunny binkying (a type of hop that means your rabbit is happy happy happy) down the hall. Rabbits purr when you pet them...not like a cat purr but by scraping their teeth together. When you get a lick from a rabbit, it means they accept you as one of their family. My wife is constantly being courted by our bedroom bunny, Hunter. He does this by running in a circle around her, jumping and cavorting in his efforts to get noticed. Rabbits are a constant source of surprise.

So if you are prepared to take care of a rabbit for the years that will be required I can't recommend them enough. We have seven and believe me when I say they keep the house hopping.

The important thing to do is learn before you buy. The best place for that is the House Rabbit Society. Pay them a visit and spend some time reading and you will be well prepared.

This is an amazingly sad time of year for Rabbit rescuers because we know that within three or four months we are going to get calls saying such things as "Bunny is more trouble than it's worth, how do we get rid of it" or "Wow I did not think that small bunny would grow up to be such a big rabbit, how do we get rid of it" or any other of a dozen of dumb excuses all capped with "how do we get rid of it". Some people, in their ignorance, will do the worse thing in the world for a domesticated rabbit, which is releasing them in a park or wooded area. Do that and congratulations, you have just signed that rabbit's death warrant. We know that the rabbit population in city shelters will increase two fold in the months following Easter. There are not enough people to take in every abandoned rabbit, even people like us who are wild about the critters can only handle about eight at a time, that let me tell ya, that is pushing it.

So please people think. Before you walk into that pet store and buy that cute fuzzy bunny please, I beg you, THINK.

Edit: Included a link to the House Rabbit Society. Sometimes I am so dumb.

posted at 07:39:26 AM by Dominion

Mon, Apr 05 2004

Penn & Teller's Showtime Board Removes a Post.

Hey guys, if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

Well Showtime, once again, decided in their infinite wisdom to remove one of my posts from the P&T "Bullshit" board. You can read about the first time they removed a post here. I thought it was pretty stupid at the time (it was removed because I posted abstracts for pity's sake, and they viewed that as a violation of copyright, proving that the Showtime Moderators are not the brightest bulb in the pack.

This time it was because I called an idiot...an idiot.

I have been posting to the Showtime board over the weekend about the show on PeTA. Now the Showtime board is simply chocked full of what I like to call "brain dead Libertarians". This is certainly meant to imply that all Libertarians are in fact brain dead. After debating them for a number of years, I can safely say this with total confidence that I am correct.

Libertarians never want to deal with your argument, they want to bring up everything else under the sun. They have a skewed view of the world, reality makes absolutely no impression on them. I have compared them in the past to Creationist. Like Creationist, they only like science that agrees with their carefully constructed world view. If they don't like it, they never attack the science, instead they attack the scientist. Penn & Teller behave just like creationist as we saw here, here, here, here, here, and here. They don't like the science because it interferes with their political belief and so they throw out the science.

Just like Creationist.

I was planning to do a longer critique on P&T's show on PeTA, and I will get to that in a couple of days (I have an article for tomorrow that is pretty important...to me at least...but will get to the PeTA show on Wednesday) but today I am gong to go ahead and post my response here, so that people on the boards there can read it. I don't plan to change a single word to please Showtime, if a person is an idiot, then they are an idiot and there is not much Showtime can do about it...

For those interested, you can find the whole thread here.

Heat, I can only assume your an idiot. Here is what you said:

Dominion"P&T flat out lied when they said that PeTA supports banning the ownership of pets and advocates releasing them into the wild. ".....see below

"But it is also important to stop manufacturing "pets," thereby perpetuating a class of animals forced to rely on humans to survive."

PETA pamphlet

"Six million Jews died in concentration camps, but six billion broiler chickens will die this year in slaughter houses."

Ingrid Newkirk, PETA

Please show me just where they are saying they support the banning of pets. Saying you want people to stop "manufacturing" pets (whatever the hell that means) is a far cry from saying you want to ban pet outright. Nor can I find anywhere, in any of your spew, just where PeTA recommends releasing pets into the wild.

See, this is exactly why I call Libertarians brain dead.

Any piece of crap as long as it fits your preconceived notions of what is right and proper.

I will never understand you guys. I am a skeptic. When I became a skeptic it was with the knowledge that I would give up comfortable fantasy for harsh reality. I want to live in reality. I don't want to be fooled by crap propaganda by a couple of entertainers who seem to be unwilling (or unable) to research a subject.

Once again I get a bunch of quotes that say nothing about eliminating ownership of animals and certainly nothing about releasing them in the wild. Yet that is exactly what P&T claim right here on their "Bullshit" website.

"PETA supports banning the ownership of pets and advocates releasing them into the wild"

As of now, every one of the people that replied to this thread has ignored this piece of dishonest bullshit because you like the political stance that P&T have assumed. Shame on you.

This is not debunking and this is not being skeptical. It is being yet another source of bullshit. Far from eliminating bullshit, all they are doing is shoveling more.

I do have to thank you all for once again reminding me of why I will never be a Libertarian. Y'alls willingness to buy all sorts of bullshit, as long as it agrees with your cherished beliefs, is truly amazing. Sort of reminds me of Creationist, but then P&T remind me of Creationist too. PeTA acting like a cult??? That is so ironically funny I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

Creationist, Libertarians, and Penn & Teller have this in common. When the science does not agree with what they believe, they throw out the science. Rather than deal with what a group really stands for, Creationist, Libertarians and Penn and Teller would rather create quotes or take quotes out of context, or refuse to furnish context for the quotes they use.

Sad to say, P&T's track record is pretty clear. On the show on ETS, on GM foods, on Environmental concerns and now on PeTA, Penn and Teller have proven that they are not interested in the truth of things, but in how they can spin things.

Now was I wrong to call heat an idiot? This is only the third group of quotes he produced that has absolutely nothing to do with banning pet ownership and/or releasing domesticated animals into the wild. So in my most humble opinion not only was it right, but it had (by this point) been factually proven. Of course, I remain unsure that this is the real reason that my post was removed. It could be that Penn & Teller are simply gutless.

I have never argued that PeTA is against pet ownership. It might be that they are, more likely they are not (after all, the only PeTA position I could find on pets seemed to suggest picking up a stray at an animal shelter is a wonderful thing). It is clear they don't like pet stores or animal mills, but then a lot of animal advocates feel the same way. Certainly when we are asked about rabbits we ask that people not buy them from pet stores, feed stores, or any other place that puts money in front of the welfare of the animal. The less said about animal mills the better.

P&T never claimed that PeTA was merely against pet ownership, they claimed that PeTA wanted to ban pet ownership outright and have everyone release their domesticated animals into the wild, a position that is so much at odds with every other animal advocacy group out there that it simply defies belief. None of those brain deal Libertarians that populate the Showtime board want to deal with the fact that when fighting bullshit, P&T manage to spread a fair amount of their own crap around. This is a perfect example (just one among many during the show, but more about that on Wednesday), to say that PeTA wants to ban pet ownership is nothing more or less than pure, unadulterated bullshit.

posted at 06:28:16 AM by Dominion

Thu, Apr 01 2004

The American Family Association goes after Fox TV!

You gotta love it when right wingers eat their own.

Got this in my email box yesterday:

Dear James,

Because of our supporters like you, the FCC is now working hard to bring decency back to broadcasting. They have already issued several fines, and more are coming.

Many in the broadcasting industry are making some efforts to clean up their programming. Some are not. One network that is not is Fox TV. Here is an example of how they are treating the concerns of citizens across the country, the Senate and House of Representatives.

Click Here to see the actual content of Fox Network's indecent programming. Please be forewarned that this content is extremely offensive. If you prefer to take our word for it, simply move on without clicking.

Please, we need you to thank the FCC for their work thus far and encourage them to take take this issue up with Fox.

Please send the email, and then forward this message to at least one friend. Every parent in America needs to join these efforts. Encourage others to get involved.

Thanks for caring enough to get involved!

Sincerely,

Don

So what is it that got their...ahem...panties in an uproar? Well an episode of "That '70's Show":

In the March 24 episode of That '70s Show, Donna walks-in on boyfriend Eric while he's masturbating in her bathroom. The entire episode was filled with vulgar references to masturbation.

Eric tries to explain what happened to his friends, Hyde and Fez . "Well, we all know as a young man in the prime of his life, I have some needs ... Anyway, today, at the house of the woman I was theoretically going to marry, I had some needs that I felt it necessary to take care of right then and there."

Hyde: "In her house? Why didn't you just do it in the bus station like the other degenerates?"

Eric: "You know, I don't know ...There I was, there the bathroom was ... it was like two trains passing in the night."

Fez : "That's beautiful."

Eric: "You know, it kind of was ... and then Donna walked-in ...you know what? This is Donna's fault with all her 'No more sex 'till we're married' crap. You guys have no idea how hard it's been to have no sex at all!"

Donna, talking to Jackie about what happened says, "Okay, the thing is, I knew that Eric did that ... but knowing and seeing are two very different things! It's kind of ...it's kind of like I know there are rats under the house ..."

Jackie: "But you don't want to see the rats diddling themselves in the bathroom."

Eric's father, Red, greets him by saying, "Well, if it isn't Cassanova. The man who seduced himself."

Later, when the family is about to sit down to lunch, Red says to Eric, "Well, he tore himself away from himself long enough to join us."

Kitty, Eric's mother asks, "Honey, you washed your hands, right?"

Kitty: "When you were a baby, you had your hands down your pants all the time. But that's okay because it's natural. Red, tell him it's natural ... But why wouldn't you lock the door?"

Red: "How could he lock the door when he's in there pawing himself like an animal?"

Kitty: "You know some people get addicted and can't even hold down a job!"

Red: "If you can't get someone to do it for you, you do without. In Korea ...I went for two and a half years!"

Eric: "Dad, you were there for three."

Red: "What are you, an animal?"

Later, Eric asks his father if he can talk to him about what happened.

Eric: "Hey dad, I can't believe I'm saying this, but can I talk to you in private for a moment?"

Red: "No, I don't think so. I know the kind of things you do in private."

Eric: "Dad."

Red: "Oh alright, just keep your hands where I can see them. This really isn't getting old."

Donna tries to talk to Eric about what she saw, and in the course of their conversation, she realizes Eric became aroused while looking at pictures of Jackie's mom in a bikini.

Donna: "What got you going in my house? We were just sitting around looking at pictures ...Oh! Jackie's mom! Jackie's mom got you going?!"

Eric goes to Donna's house to talk about what happened.

Donna: "Okay, but be careful. Jackie's mom was here earlier. I don't want you to catch a whiff of her perfume and have to sexually assault yourself in the hallway."

Eric: "This is all your fault. Yeah, Do you have any idea what your celibacy thing is doing to me? My needs have risen to near Fezian levels! He is a sick bastard, Donna, and now, thanks to you, so am I. Yeah, that's right, Donna. You created a monster. I can't leave myself alone."

Donna: "You know what? You're right. I'm sorry ...This has been very hard, and the celibacy thing was my idea, so I need to accept some responsibility for the odd and disgusting things you do ... Next time, be like a normal person! Go to your room, lock the door, light some candles, put on some Al Green and make an evening of it."

Eric: "Why Donna, that was really detailed ... it's almost like ... Oh my god! You do it too!"

Donna: "What? No. No!"

Eric: "I noticed the candles getting lower although I've never seen them lit."

Donna leaves the room.

Eric: "Wow. So this is where it all happens."

Eric goes back to his house and tells Hyde and Fez what girls do when they're alone.

Fez : "So they make an evening of it?"

Eric: "Yeah, candles, music ... God, girls do everything better."

Hyde: "You don't suppose Jackie ... no, she wouldn't even go to a self-serve gas station."

Fez : "What would happen if I walked into one of their evenings? Are they like us where even though we're alone, we welcome a visitor?"

Eric: "Well, yeah, I mean ... it's not like they'd rather do it themselves when they could have a man do it, right?"

Hell and I thought it was pretty funny.

Considering the type of programming Fox engages in, it is no surprise that they have pissed off a right wing group, it was just a matter of time. What Rupert Murdoch seems to fail to understand is that Fox TV shows are going to consistently upset the more religious of our right wing brethren. And all the money and all the slanted news is not gonna to prevent it.

If I were Murdoch, my first reaction on seeing Janet Jackson's nipple would have been to be afraid....very very afraid.

posted at 06:41:51 AM by Dominion