A horse is a horse, unless it's dead

Prepare yourselves for one last news blitz about our Lord and Savior Barbaro, as the Kentucky Derby winner and inspiration to millions was put to sleep earlier today. Even though Barbaro and his trainers were from Kennett Square, Chester County, I cannot honestly say that I care even one bit for this majestic animal. However, on the other end of the spectrum, there are folks who care a little too much about our four-legged friend:

I must admit that on hearing the sad news of Barbaro's passing, the only other times that I have felt so empty and so devastated was when President Kennedy was assassinated, and when the World Trade Center Twin Towers collapsed.

and:

For eight months I prayed for a miracle for Barbaro. Even last night at 8 p.m. EST I kept praying. To me, Barbaro represented hope in dark times, belief that in God all things were possible including a miracle for a well-loved horse who just wouldn't give up. Yet within the past five days, I learned three times that God does not hear prayers or grant miracles. Barbaro was the third. I've come to the conclusion that "in Him, all things are NOT possible." With respect to Barbaro, the only redemption is that he is no longer suffering.

D-Mac over at Philly Will Do is collecting these precious prayers all week long, so stop over and say hello if you get a chance. It's a hell of a blog to read; unless, that is, you're a raving lunatic disciple of a racehorse.

link via [Philly Will Do]

T-Shirt Heck

I suppose this is to be taken as a sign that we've learned absolutely nothing from our time in Iraq. Beautiful.

Hey, let's make one for liberals that says "I {noose} America!"

Smearing the Senator from Illinois

Media Matters has a pretty complete and comprehensive list of smears against Barack Obama, originating with, and repeated by members of the press.

This really goes beyond digging up dirt on the guy so they can have something negative to broadcast. He just entered the race two weeks ago and they haven't even let him trip up on his own -- no, they're doing everything they can to nip this campaign in the bud, and it's not working.

link via [Media Matters ]

le syndicacion de francais oui oui oui

I just realized a minute ago after adding all my friend's blogs to my feed reader that Estelle's food blog is written entirely in French, which means all I can do is look at the wonderful photographs and wonder what exactly she's blabbering about in her crazy moon language.

Enter your SSN and Driver's License # in the comments section

Welp, the free cable gravy train ran out this week, so I was forced by Lauren at gunpoint to call Comcast and pay my hard-earned TP dollars to get it switched back on. I come to find out that after you fill out the order form on the Comcast website, they direct you to a chat room where a friendly Comcast representative claims they need your Social Security number and Driver's License number to continue with the order for the $12-a-month service.

"I can assure you sir that this is a secure chat room"

I informed the agreeable chap that I have a once-a-month max limit on having my identity stolen, then shut the browser window. To be safe, I shut off my brother's computer and then stabbed the screen a couple times with a pocketknife I found nearby. Robbie wasn't very happy about the phony Comcast chat room either.

The "C" in C-SPAN is for "Candid"

It is amazing that this type of frank, open discussion has taken nearly four years to reach the Senate floor, but that's the fact. Who would've guessed that the person to speak up would've been a Republican from Nebraska?

And I want every one of you, every one of us, 100 senators to look in that camera, and you tell your people back home what you think. Don't hide anymore; none of us. That is the essence of our responsibility. And if we're not willing to do it, we're not worthy to be seated right here. We fail our country. If we don't debate this, if we don't debate this, we are not worthy of our country. We fail our country.

...

These young men and women that we put in Anbar province, in Iraq, in Baghdad are not beans. They're real lives. And we better be damn sure we know what we're doing, all of us, before we put 22,000 more Americans into that grinder. We better be as sure as you can be.

That is the voice of Chuck Hagel, Republican Senator from Nebraska, speaking to the rest of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Refreshing to hear such candor coming not just from liberals, but from conservatives as well in the largest legislative body in the country. How many more politicians have to have this "Come-to-Jesus" moment before we find a way to stop what we're doing in the Middle East?

Link via [Crooks & Liars]

Show some love for Dennis Kucinich and the Fairness Doctrine

Got this tidbit from FMQB via Crooks & Liars. Bringing the Fairness Doctrine back would change the news so completely you wouldn't even recognize it anymore.

Over the weekend, the National Conference for Media Reform was held in Memphis, TN, with a number of notable speakers on hand for the event. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) made an surprise appearance at the convention to announce that he would be heading up a new House subcommittee which will focus on issues surrounding the Federal Communications Commission.

The Presidential candidate said that the committee would be holding "hearings to push media reform right at the center of Washington.” The Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the House Government Reform Committee was to be officially announced this week in Washington, D.C., but Kucinich opted to make the news public early.

In addition to media ownership, the committee is expected to focus its attention on issues such as net neutrality and major telecommunications mergers. Also in consideration is the "Fairness Doctrine," which required broadcasters to present controversial topics in a fair and honest manner. It was enforced until it was eliminated in 1987.

Kucinich said in his speech that "We know the media has become the servant of a very narrow corporate agenda" and added "we are now in a position to move a progressive agenda to where it is visible."

FCC Commissioner Michael Copps was also on hand at the conference and took broadcasters to task for their current content, speaking of "too little news, too much baloney passed off as news. Too little quality entertainment, too many people eating bugs on reality TV. Too little local and regional music, too much brain-numbing national play-lists." Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein also spoke at the event.

I'm going to see Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein hold a "Public Forum on Media Ownership" at Temple University tonight, and this smashing news ought to dominate discussion. If you're in town and want to join me, it's at 6:00PM in Gladfelter Hall.