Remembering John Lennon...

It's been 26 years since John Lennon was taken away from us prematurely. Why not join me in spinning a few of his LPs tonight and remembering the good times.

65 Years Ago...and Today

Today we marked the solemn anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. As we all know, the United States reacted the only way they could to such a threat to our well-being and way of life: swiftly and completely.

Ironic isn't it that was just a couple of days ago that the "Iraq Study Group" (sorry...I can't hear that term without picturing a bunch of sixth-graders working on a project with their desks facing each other) released their recommendation for "talks" with barbaric enemies like Syria and Iran.

What a difference 65 years makes, huh?

Cox and Forkum are among my favorite editorial cartoonists - never shying away from telling it like it is. The "Forkum" of the duo pens an excellent piece on the ironic juxtaposition in his Blog of yesterday, which can be read HERE.

The times, they sure are a-changed.

Thanks as always to Tammy Bruce for the heads-up on the C&F piece.

Giving Thanks

Hey pals and palettes,

Hope everyone had a super-groovy Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays, full of warm memories from my childhood, right up to today.

This year was another triumph. The day began (of course) with the yearly ritual of watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Despite the yucky weather, no light poles fell on anyone this year, and that alone is something to be thankful for. Even an unwelcome roof leak that sprung up in the middle of the daycould not ruin the good karma today.

We had the familiy over here and set up extra tables, chairs, etc. We had a 22-pound turkey (!) that was big enough to feed a small, fourth-world nation. I don't know how Mon does it, but she always makes perfect turkey - whether it's a 10-lb midget or a 22-lb behemoth. This year's was juicy, dark brown and perfect. One breast pretty much fed the whole brood.

Two kinds of stuffing, two kinds of cranberry (compote and the good ol' jelly), the obligatory green bean casserole, yams, corn...a feast above feasts. Five kinds of pie and cheesecake for dessert. Woof...I'm still stuffed.

It's been a few hours since the house emptied out, and as we sit and reflect, we certainly have a lot to be thankful for, leak be damned (especially the new Maytag dishwasher!). I sit here and raise a late-night beverage to all friends and family, I wish that you and yours enjoyed the same good company and food that we enjoyed here today at stately Sayek manor.

Let the holiday season begin!

No Thanks...for the Spam

Has anyone else has had the misfortune of getting Spammed or included on this chain e-mail that's been going around lately telling people NOT to celebrate Thanksgiving this year? There's a big diatribe attached to it that rehashes the old "Evil Pilgrims" tale and goes on about how the Indians were mistreated and taken advantage of, so Thanksgiving is bad, bad, BAD, etc., etc.

Thankfully (no pun intended), the guy who forwarded me this nonsense IS a friend and only sent it to me because he knew it would get my goat (and so I won't feel obligated to take a tack hammer to the side of his head). Unfortunately, the origins of this chain e-mail do indeed seem to be serious.

Look, lunatics…Thanksgiving is all about being thankful for what you have, your friends and family and counting your blessings - NOT what went on over 400 years ago. Maybe some people still DO think about it that way, but many people DON'T. Nothing is more unappealing than modern-day, 21st-Century Pilgrim guilt. What the hell is THAT all about?

If it makes the malignant narcissists out there feel any better (because I know, nowadays it's all about "feelings"), speaking as someone whose lineage is 50% American Indian (or Screaming Red Savage, whatever you prefer), it's OK. I forgive you on behalf of people that have been dead for a few hundred years and probably weren't your ancestors anyway. Let's move on. Or, feel free to go right ahead and have a Whopper with a side helping of self-righteousness on Thursday. Personally, I'll be enjoying the company of family and counting my blessings.

I get older…and the world keeps getting weirder. What's up with that?

This 'N That

Greetings peeps,

Now that the Election Day unpleasantness is in the rear view mirror, and I have entered the calm, acceptance phase (like with frostbite, the moment right before your digits fall off), I figured I'd just shoot the breeze tonight instead of griping for a change. I popped my ankle on the way to work so I'm currently on ice like Ted Williams' head.

Thanksgiving week is just about here...hope everyone has nice plans for the day of the feast. We have the usual spread on tap - big turkey, ham, two kinds of stuffin', potatoes, cranberry...I can't wait. The family will be coming by as always and the spirits should be grand.

One of these years I'm gonna convince the Mrs. to do a TurDuckEn. I am SO intrigued by the concept of that, but my palate is a tad more exotic than Mon's. I don't quite know how that works out. I know you have to cook them for nine hours at real low temperatures or something crazy like that. So you can watch football or play Monopoly by the actual rules and the bird-within-a-bird-within-a-bird should be done by then.

As it is, the REGULAR turkey takes too long for me, I might not have the patience for the mighty TurDuckEn! Maybe someone will sell them fully cooked - then I can shove it in the oven for an hour and go to town!

Have some new update news on the WHOT Aircheck Archive, but I'll save that for the next update.

Pass the apple cider!

The News Just Gets Better and Better...

I think I might move into a cave in the Andes for a while. Not only is it probable that we're going to have to deal with psycho-surrealist-facelift-manic-phycho-hosebeast as Speaker of the House, now comes the wonderful news that ten-toed, do-nothing sloth Gnarls Rangel will likely be the next head of the Ways and Means committe.

Great. This is rapidly turning into that eposode of Star Trek where Kirk ends up in the "evil" parrallel universe where everyone is insane and has goatees. The same tugboats they are using to try and move the Intrepid will have to be employed to haul his fat, moss-covered ass out of his old office.

This is gonna be a long, sad couple of years...

Post-Election Post Mortem

I started to get the sinking feeling some time around 8:30 last night that things were not going to go well. The early numbers were coming in, and races that I had good confidence in were not going as expected. By 9:00, I was fairly certain that the House was lost, and so today it is – with the Senate hanging by less than a cat’s whisker. The TV was off and I was in bed by 11.

After the initial shock comes acceptance, and so that’s where I am at today. The Dems are doing their best to play up last night’s election results as a “referendum against Bush / the War on Terror”, etc. Don’t believe it. Two of largest win margins were chalked up by WoT supporters (Arnold and Leiberman). If anything, the results of last night are a glowing example of just how out of touch the Republican Party is with their core constituents right now. The foundations that were successfully laid by Reagan and Gingrich were being neglected to the point of decay. Somewhere along the line, both the cart and horse ran way off the road.

If you believe in the ebb and flow theory of politics, then this turnaround was expected. What you see now is what happens when a party is in control for any extended period of time: they become complacent, fat and sloppy. If any good comes out of this, hopefully it will be the Republicans looking at themselves in the mirror this morning and realizing that what Republicans want to see in office are Republicans – not RINOs that play the “moderate” card without bringing any real thoughts or ideas to the table.

The Dems ran a campaign based on painting their opponents as “being with Bush”. The mistake the Reps made was not standing up to that and saying, “You bet your ASS we are with the President. We’re fighting the biggest threat to Western Civilization since Nazism, you idiot”. Instead, it was the same old smear-and-smear-more campaign. Maybe people are tired of that. Who knows. I’m certainly have my issues with Bush – the way he spends like a drunken sailor at the local whorehouse and never met a veto he didn’t sign – even disagreeing at time on how the War on Terror is being handled – but the alternative option was far more distasteful in my humble opinion. Others seem to have disagreed.

I guess what I am most disappointed about today is lost opportunity. We had 6 years of Republicans in the Oval Office, House and Senate. There was a golden opportunity to push through some REAL issues – REAL immigration reform (not that “guest visa” nightmare that Bush keeps pushing), REAL tax reforms, you name it. Instead, there were to many tangential issues that to be honest, the majority of Republicans (and Americans, for that matter) weren’t really all jacked up about. Sure, there was the Democratic stonewall that reared its’ ugly head whenever a judicial nomination came up – but with all three branches controlled by one party, it just feels like we showed up for a kick ass road trip, but no one remembered to buy gas. In many ways, W is too much like his Dad…mamby and pamby at the worst of times (when the Cowboy in him was most needed).

It also irks me that while a change at this juncture is not surprising, I guess it is what we are left with that is the most disturbing. I woke up today fully aware that not only had the Republicans lost the house (and possibly the Senate), but what we are left with is the usual Democratic refugees from Dick Tracy’s Rouge’s Gallery: a Klansman in West Virginia, a potential terrorist sympathizer in Minnesota, the swimmer / murderer in Massachusettes, a run-of-the-mill thug in New Jersey and a carpet-bagging leech in New York. Never mind the fact that we’re about to be saddled with the most oblivious raving lunatic ever to be installed as Speaker of the House in possibly this country’s history. It’s hard to find solace and feel good about that.

Despite the way this will be played up, what happened last night isn’t even CLOSE to the Republican Revolution of 1994. As waves go, this was no tsunami. I look at it this way: if I lived through the Rangers winning the Stanley Cup, the Red Sox winning the World Series and TWO TERMS of Clinton, I can live through this, easy.

The GOP has two years to get their act together and learn from these mistakes. Hopefully, the Democrats wont muck up the political process so much that our enemies have two free years of scheming to try and kill more of us. The focus is now on them. They wont be able to get by on bitching and moaning anymore. Since the Democrats did so well in the minority of mucking things up, threatening filibusters and locking up judicial nominees, maybe the Republicans can return the favor.

Bottom line now is to focus on 2008. The madness stops NOW.

PS – Despite the gloom and doom, we had a great time in the Hot Air Election Night Chat Room last night. It was about as much fun as you can have while watching your pet hamster get run over by a mack truck!

Monday Evening Quarterback

Well, the eve of Election Day is upon us, and regardless of the outcome (more about that later) I'll be happy to finally be rid of these freaking politcal ads on TV. The basic approach from the Dems (at least in NJ) has been to offer up nothing in the way of a platform, other than to discredit their opponents for backing President Bush. Nothing new here.

I've also greatly enjoyed Madame Hillary's ads that give her credit for everything - from the sun coming up in the morning to man landing on the Moon ("When we needed sunrise in the morning, Hillary was there to make it happen..."). If you didn't know any better you could swear they were a really elaborate SNL sketch - THAT'S how ridiculous they are.

This is an important election, and while the latest POLLS now show a more realistic-looking dead heat across the board, I tend to put very little into polls. As our old friend Tammy Bruce points out, since most polls are run by the major media outlets, relying on them is like trusting Goebbels to be honest with you about how World War II was going.

That said, if you really care about what the next few years are going to look like, get out and vote. On the other hand, if your only knowledge of the candidates running in your local race is what you see in their campaign ads, maybe you should stay home. Just a thought. As Hank opined on Sunday's Election Day special, when you are in the voting booth, just ask yourself: who would the Al Quada prefer you vote for?

Think about it.

Alrighty then off to bed. On an unrelated note, I'm starting to think that I am the only person on the face of the Earth who thinks that Borat movie looks like the stupidest thing ever caught on film. I think I'll hold on to my $10 - $15 and wait until I can't sleep one night and it's on HBO.

Keepin' the faith,
Petezs

New Classic WHOT Podcast

At long last, there is a brand new classic WHOT broadcast up from May 26, 1984 for your listening pleasure!

By e-mail request, we present the very FIRST WHOT appearance of the one and only Chuck Simpson! Chuck joins Hank to grace the WHOT mike and answer listener questions on "Dial-a-Bus-Driver" night!

May 26, 1984 Part One

May 26, 1984 Part Two

In Other News...

There's so much going on in RFNY and Hank and Jim land that I don't even know where to begin! Hank and Jim (and occasionally, yours truly) continue to bring you the finest in controlled insanity (AND your requests), every Friday evening at 8PM ET! You can join in on the fun by going to The All-New Hank and Jin Show web site - just go to the TUNE IN link and click away!

Since you're listening, why not stop in the all-new Hank and Jim Show CHAT ROOM? Crazy is more fun when you can share!

Last but not least, if you find yourself needing nitrous oxide when visiting SOME radio forums, we've got the answer for you: the BRAND NEW "Mixed Signals" Forum!!! Come on by, register, say hello and feel free to join in. Discussions on everything from radio (licensed and unlicensed) to music to your pet llama is welcome. We hope to make this bigger than plastics! Just click HERE to stop in!

Of course, for the latest in the Brooklyn Pirate Radio Archive Project, remember to come on by the Radio Free New York site, too!

It's multi-media madness, I tell you!

Meet the Hopper!

Yes. there's a new cat in the Pete household - the aptly named Hopper. Mon rescued him from a garage in the back of her workplace.

He's too damn cute for his own good!

Cory Lidle: 1972 - 2001

Please send thoughts and prayers to the wife and son of Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle. Cory died in a small plane crash earlier today when the Cirrus SR-20 he was flying crashed into an Upper East Side condominuim.

I can't really explain the mixture of shock and sadness that I am currently experiencing as I watch the news and hear players talk about Cory as a teammate and man. Always misunderstood - probably because his career began as a replacement player during the player's strike in 1995 - Cory spoke his mind but never really said anything that wasn't true. He called Barry Bonds out for his alleged steroid use and gave his teammates a hard time for their lousy performance in the ALDS against the Tigers.

I respect a guy that can be honest without being trite, and Lidle certainly was that. He did tireless work for the Make-a-Wish Foundation and never met a poker game he didn't like. He was, above everything else, a regular guy.

Thanks for the big games down the stretch, Cory - and thanks for being a regular guy.

October 9th

Today is October 9th, 2006. John Lennon would have been 66 years old today. Take some time today to enjoy some of John's music if you can.

Good news: looks like I survived the first round of layoffs at work. Whew.

Could be worse: Tower Records officially put the "Going Out Of Business" signs up today. The music institution suffered from the same old story (over-expansion, slow reaction to buyers trends, stubborn refusal to change, etc.) and will soon close its' doors. Of course, Tower has not really been the same for me since the days when I used to rifle through the stacks of LPs and 45s, but it will still be sad to see it go.

Keep smilin', folks...

The Party's Over...

In case any of you missed it, the Yankees were embarrassed by the Detroit Tigers in four games and ousted from the playoffs last night. Since then, I have received countelss e-mails and messages from friends and co-workers, all bandying about what the Yankees will do between now and next year. As such, I figured I offer up my two cents...

I am all for a total rebuild around the obvious nucleus. I wanted this team to rebuild 3, 4 years ago. If they'd done that - instead of putting new coats of nasty paint on the same old problems - the team would be just about ready to contend right about now.

Why rebuild? Obviously, the methodology of tired, old free agents on the downside of their prime is NOT working - especially in the pitching area. If the team can unload some of the older talent to hungry teams that would be willing to part with some high-level AAA or young talent, do it. Let them cultivate and mature here. They either end up playing for the Yankees or go in trades for needed talent (something under 40 from now in, please).

Rebuilding makes sense. Do it now, and you will have a team ready to contend just as Yankee Stadium III is ready to open. The downside is you MIGHT miss the playoffs for a couple of years (even that is not a given - look at the Tigers). OR - keep doing things the way they are done now - keep trying to win THIS YEAR - and make the playoffs, but win NOTHING again.

I'd rather not make the playoffs and work to another Dynasty than keep putting the same Rust-O-Leum on the rusting hull that we've been doing since 2002..

There are obvious things that need taking care of:

The Pitching Staff

Michael Kay said it best on the Game 4 post-game show: aging free-agents have not been working. Look at the teams that have been advancing: young, hard throwing guys that are not afraid of the strike zone. Cash a Co. need to look at what's out there and start dangling the dispensable parts.

Mussina needs to go. He's done nothing to alter that rep he has of being "just good enough to lose". When you want to know why he's never won 20 games in his career, look no further than Game 2. His inability to hold a 2-run lead was the turning point in the ALDS. It caused the offense to press and put tons of pressure on the other pitchers.

Randy Johnson needs to go, but with a no-trade clause, we're probably stuck with him. A best-case scenario would be RJ retiring, but that is not likely to happen. Wright was never meant to be anything other than a #5 starter - but at this stage of his career can only get worse. Should go.

The young pitchers did not embarrass themselves this year. Give Karstens, Beam, Rasner and others a chance to fight for a spot (or two) in Spring Training. They certainly can't do any worse than what we have now.

Everything Else

More than anything, this team needs a REAL first baseman. If Giambi sticks around, he needs to be the full-time DH as his fielding is atrocious. Phillips has not shown he's 100-plus-game starting material. A problem that needs to be seriously addressed in the off-season.

Melky Cabrera showed himself to be for real by staying consistent until regulated to the bench. Although there is risk to doing this, I'd like to see him be the starting left fielder next season. We have way too many OF/DHs on this team, so let's use some to get younger. Sheff plays hard but is a liability in many ways. I would say "thanks for the monster shots" and bid Sheff farewell. Matsui is a solid player, but his lack of an arm and propensity to be streaky - and getting older - means I would NOT turn down any deal that brings his name up. Abreu fit in well, he should be a keeper. Damon is a solid CF despite having an arm made out of fusilli. Lost the sparkle in his eye when the post-season started - can't let that happen again.

Jeter and Cano are here to stay. Cano needed more pressure-seasoning, but another year under his belt should help. Jete is Jete - never stopped playing hard throughout. That leaves A-rod.

Love him? Hate him? Indifferent? Regardless of what you think, he needs to go somewhere else. Some marriages, no matter how good the courtship or the honeymoon, just don't last. This needs to be written off as another Brad and Jen...Burt and Dolly...whatever. It just didn't work out.

As much as Alex says he wants to stay, does ANYONE want to be there on Opening Day 2007 when his name is read during starting lineups? It will be pretty ugly. I for one do not call out other fans for booing. Booing has been part of the game since Day One. All new players get booed until they win over the fans. Happened to Tino, even Reggie. A-rod just seems to make his own mess worse, and I do not ever see any time when it will get better. So it would probably benefit all parties to start divvying up the living room furniture and part the closest of friends.

Last but not least, I think it is now the appropriate time to bring an end to the Joe Torre era. Joe was definitely the right guy at the start of the Yankees’ turnaround – a calming force in a place that had been filled with chaos. However, all things must come to an end. Even the great Casey Stengel eventually was shown the door as the stagnation of his managing style crept into the players’ psyche.

I’d always been non-committal about whether or not Joe should stay, even after the disaster of 2004. That all changed during Game 3 of the ALDS. When Joe didn’t even flinch when that horrific ‘safe’ call was made at third base – no argument, no yelling, not even a swear word – I knew it was his time to go. When asked by a reporter if he planned to speak with the team following the embarrassment of Game 3, Joe replied, “My guys know what they have to do”. Maybe not, Joe – or they would have been doing it. There’s laid back…and then there’s comatose. Joe’s behavior in this ALDS bordered on mummified, and perhaps after 10 years, that’s not what this team needs anymore.

So there you have it – my analysis on what needs to be done before Pitchers and Catchers hit camp in February. Let the games begin!

Congratulations 2006 AL East Champion NY Yankees!

It took a Red Sawx loss to make it happen, but maybe that was more "poetic justice" as the Baseball Gods continue their "market correction"...? :-)

What a year! 11 more wins to #27!

LET'S GO YANKEES!!!

Don't Mess With Jack

Not that we needed more proof, but THIS is just another reason why Jack Nicholson may just be the most awesome American actor of our generation.

You CAN handle the truth!

Hey Matt - You're an Idiot!

I may not always agree with President Bush, but right or wrong he's a genuine guy who tries to do what's right (unlike his predecessor), and I have to respect that.

Plus, nothing makes me happier than when he goes on the offensive - especially when it is against a lightweight pantywaist like Matt Lauer.

Check out how Lauer tries to bait Bush (and has the audacity to argue the side of Kahlid Mohammed, of all people). Bush refuses to take Lauer's shit and treats him like the bitch that he is.

I wish W would get his rankles up more often. I could totally get on board with THIS President Bush...not that I'm not already.

Recollections, Five Years Later

It's amazing how five years can seem like five minutes, but it surely can.

Five years ago today, on September 11, 2001 my day started out like pretty much any other day. I said goodbye to Mon and boarded the 6:50AM bus. On a normal day, this bus would have gotten me to Port Authority by 8:30.

But this day, there was a disabled bus in the "express bus lane" to the Lincoln tunnel. From the loop of the Helix, I sent a text message to work to let them know I was probably going to be late. It was such a perfect morning, I didn't care. I took a few extra minutes to marvel at the Manhattan skyline and its' majesty in the morning sun.

As luck would have it, no sooner did I text my message when the traffic started moving. As the bus entered the mouth of the tunnel, I checked my watch: it was 8:45AM.

Running late, I purchased a new MetroCard, took a short cut through the 42nd street tunnel and ran up for the 1 train. As I hit the platform, an ominous announcement was being made overhead. "There is no 1, 9, or 3 service due to police activity at the World Trade Center". "Damn", I thought to myself, and prepared to walk up to get the M10 bus instead.

Strangely, as I turned to head up the stairs, a nearly-empty 1 train pulled in to the station. "Next stop, 50th Street". What luck, the train IS running. I jumped on and got off at 66th street like every morning.

As I emerged from the station to the street, my pager went off. Expecting it to be work, it instead read "Breaking News". I hit Enter and read, "Small plane hits the World Trade Center. Smoke visible for miles". I sped up 66th towards West End. At Amsterdam Avenue, I saw the guys at Engine 40 / Ladder 35 speeding out towards downtown.

As I raced up the elevator, I entered the lobby at 9:10AM. Staring at the TV monitor, I grabbed a co-worker by the arm and asked, "What the hell happened? Did a plane go through both buildings?". White as a sheet he replied, "No - there were TWO planes".

That's when I knew.

The rest of my day was a blur. The phone rang off the wall from radio stations in search of information. I remember not being able to get a dial tone, and the helplessness of not being able to call anyone. Finally, a call from Mon. I had to fill her in on what was going on as she had no TV at work. A frightening call from my Dad in Brooklyn, telling me that debris from the crash impact was landing in his backyard in Brooklyn.

Call after call, all day long. The Tower collapses. The Pentagon. Shanksville. Couldn't eat - no appetite, just a sick, queasy feeling. The next ten hours went by like a blur. The phones never stopped until President Bush came on. It was as if everyone stopped to hear what he had to say. It was then that the phones fell quiet.

With no way in or out of Manhattan, and an "all hands on deck" call at work, all of the day staff was still present. As the clock struck 10PM, we decided to venture out to stretch out legs and maybe find somethine resembling food. That was when the reality really hit me.

As the adrenaline rush of work subsided, I became aware of what was happening around me: armed National Guardsmen guarding the utility building; sharp-shooters on the roof; spotlights outside the Red Cross building; barbed-wire laden roadblocks in front of Lincoln Center; and a Broadway that was eerily dark and desolate.

This was the sort of thng you got used to seeing on TV in a war-torn nation - NOT in Manhattan. I felt sick. The combination of the ghostown-like Broadway combined with reality sinking in - oh, and "the smell" wafting up from Downtown - I probably couldn't have eaten anyway.

Our little group found a restaurant - kitchen closed, but bar open. We ordered a drink and said a prayer. The world as we knew it would not be the same again.

I decided to head back to work so I could call home before trying to get some sleep. After being scared to death by a low-flying fighter jet, I RAN back. I called home, tried to shut my eyes, and thought about everything that had gone on, not knowing when I was gonna get home, unable to sleep on the cot they set up for me because my mind was racing. Whenever I would drift off to sleep, I'd be awakened by the nightmares.

I finally gave up trying at about 3AM. I wandered into the newsroom with a hat on my sofa-headed hair and asked if I could do anything. I got put of coffee duty. Once the coffee was made, I sat and checked out the forums on NYYFans.com. It was almost theraputic.

After working another half a day came word that the trains were running to New Jersey. I finally got home at 7PM on the 12th, a trek that started around 1PM. NJ Transit was letting people on the trains for free, and I ended up taking three different trains (transfers at Newark and Bridgewater), with long pauses at almost every stop along the way so the police could walk the train. At the time, everyone was expecting another attack (I still think there was probably something else planned, but they cancelled it), so they were being super cautious with the trains. All cross roads the tracks went over were blocked with construction or farm equipment.

I stumbled into my house, ate my first real food in over 40 hours, and promptly collapsed on the sofa. As exhaused as I was, it was still the worst sleep I ever had.

Every year on the anniversary of 9/11, I replay that day in my head, minute by minute, in great detail. I guess in some way so I won't forget. None of us should EVER forget. I know I personally changed that day, as so many of us have.

As I sat and watched President Bush earlier this evening, I was reminded of how much we came together after 9/11, and how far we seem to have come apart at times since then. First and foremost, we should always remember the victims, the heroes and the fighting men and women that are still working to keep us free (even the ones that don't appreciate it).

We may never have that same naieve view of the world that we had on September 10, 2001 again, but in reality, we shouldn't. We must remain diligent and steadfast - and remember that our best plan of action is STILL to Defend, Protect and PREVENT. Freedom, as they say, is never free.

God Bless the United States of America. God Bless us all.

Insanity Update

We're now three days in to the "Path to 9/11" saga, and here's what we defintely know:

1. ABC, in their attenpt to make an even-keeled doco-drama on the events that led us to the tragedies on 9/11, used multiple sourcing (NOT just the flawed 9/11 Commission Report) as their guide. They then made the grevious error of pre-screening the thing.

2. Once the Democrats and Clinton saw that it wasn't going to be the typical Hollywood lovefest / whitewash of Clinton's culpability in what happened on 9/11, they blew a gasket.

3. In one of the most horrific examples of using power as a bully pulpit and censorship tool, the Dems further embrace the warm fuzzy glow of fascism by releasing a letter to ABC that coyly THREATENS THEIR BROADCAST LICENSE if they run the film as-is.

Since yesterday, a few things have happened: some left-wing web sites and organizations are trying to get a protest outside ABC together (wonderful); ABC claims it's still "editing" (when in fact, the final cut was completed weeks ago); Surprisingly, some of the actors in the film are speaking out AGAINST the censorship (good luck finding another job), and some 9/11 Commission members are supporting the film (not surpriising).

What has now become violently apparent, is what I have said for many years: The Democratic Left in this country talk a great game about free speech - UNTIL you say something they don't like. Then they have no problem censoring, bullying and threatening a victim into submission. Don't be fooled - this is nothing more that The Guilty not wanting people to see the fruits of their ineptitude, plain and simple.

Someone sent me a link to an entry on Power Line that spells out VERY clearly ALL of the Islamofascist attacks that took place while Clinton was president. It's WAY more than you think. It's a good learning tool for exactly how brazen these savages were while Clinton sat in the Oval Office, planning his next conquest. So I don't want to hear any more bullshit from the Dems about Clinton's "dilligence" against terrorism. He couldn't have cared less if he tried.

Clinton's been pretty lucky in getting a free pass or successfully blaming his messes on others since leaving office. As soon as he gets the FIRST example of Hollywood not playing nice-nice, he circles the wagons and calls out the Schumerman Pinscher attack dogs to squash the misbehaving child IMMEDIATELY to make sure it never happens again.

This is shameful behavior of the highest order, but since the 2000 Elections, I have learned that the Democratic Left has NO shame. I'm not surprised - just amazed.

PS - it was pointed out to me that several of the former Clinton administraions complaintants - and loud 9/11 Commission complaintant Richard Ben-Veniste - happily accepted invitiations to - and attended - the premiere of Fat Boy's polemic "FatAss 9/11". Surprising? No. Like I said - NO shame.

The ABC / Dem Saga Gets Crazier

Shame on me for not watching the news BEFORE posting last night's blog, or I woulda been REALLY steamed...I had no idea that Iger / BAC was doing a complete cave-in on "The Path to 9/11" because of the shameful bullying tactics of Clinton and the Democratic Party (I guess the old line appiles to the Dems as a whole: "You can't HANDLE the truth!"). There's even some discussion now that ABC might cancel the whole thing. Incredible.

Rather than go over and over what's already being blogged elsewhere, check out a detailed compliation of how this mess has been unfolding over the last 24-48 hours over at Hot Air (as always, mega-props to Tammy Bruce for the heads-up). There's stuff on there about the current conent being posted on the official Democratic Party web site that will make your colon prolapse.

Even more harrowing details of "The Great Cover-up" (a.k.a. the "Demo-Fascist-Bully-Censorship") are posted at Texas Rainmaker, whose link I got from Hot Air (above).

I can't believe kind of shit goes on - and gets neatly tucked away by 90% of the media (they seem to be coyly siding with the Dems - what a shock). I'm sure if the Bush Administration protested their portrayal in the film (something they haven't done BTW because they don't wring their hands about image issues), what the reaction would be.

Some people have no shame - others just don't care.

The Lunatics and their Asylum

Hey all...been a while since the last blog, been super-busy. The Archive Project is moving along so quickly even I cant believe it. I'm in the process of setting up a PodOMatic page to replace the Archive Shows page on the RFNY Site, and all other exciting bits of this and that...the Yankees are 9 games up, the Magic Number is down to 15...all the while, trying to work some SLEEP into the math.

But that is not why I come to you this fine evening. No, I am pounding away at the keyboard because I have my nuts in the kind of twist that can only be untied via all-out gut-spillage.

We sit here tonight four days away from the 5th anniversary of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 - the worst attack on this country since Pearl Harbor. This is a topic for a future entry, probably on Monday.

However, the news was vivid today with stories and images of a newly-discovered tape on Al Jazeera (a.k.a. Terror TV) of Osama bin Laden meeting with the 9/11 hijackers in advance of the attacks (guess THAT shoots a hole in many of the wacko conspiracy theories out therebut then again, the insane ARE delusional). Interesting timing by Terror TV in magically finding this footage so close to the anniversary of the attacks, dont you think? Its akin to someone magically finding video of a loved one about to be murdered on the anniversary of their death. Nice work.

If it serves ANY purpose, it's a stark reminder of the lengths these parasites went to in their plan to commit mass murder. I know it's easy for a lot of us to not think about what happened, but its something we should ALWAYS think about.

The other and more ponderous story of the day was the former Clinton administration's reaction to preview screenings of the upcoming ABC docu-drama, "The Path to 9/11". To ABC's credit, they chose NOT to go with the broad whitewash of the administration's culpability in what transpired on 9/11 as much as the so-called "9/11 Commission" chose to (thanks in many ways to the heel-nipping of Dem commission lackey Richard Ben-Veniste, who has also chimed with his two cents against this film).

Previous to the day at hand, the buzz about "The Path to 9/11" was that it was a more close to what actually went on leading up to the attacks than what we actually got out of the 9/11 Commission. When I first heard that, I wondered what THAT meant. When I saw Clinton and his lap dogs going apoplectic in the papers this morning, I finally knew.

There's a pretty good reason why they are all foaming at the mouth: because the representations laid out in the film are just TOO close to the 'real thing'. The first blow in the war against America WASN'T on 9/11: it was eight years earlier when the FIRST attack on the World Trade Center took place. Then, the attacks on the U.S. Embassies in Africa. The terrorists saw the Clinton administration doing NOTHING to retaliate for these attacks, so they got bolder. Next came the attack of the USS Cole (something a little bit too close to home for MY liking), after which Clinton did - you guessed - it nothing.

Three major attacks and all Clinton could really get worked up about was how much adultery he could commit in the Oval Office without getting caught. It's percieved of late that the miscommunication problems between the FBI, CIA and other branches of law enforcement that proved so fatal on 9/11 all spiraled out of control under Clinton's watch. No one was able to muster a cohesive plan to take out bin Laden; several opportunities to do so were blown and lost.

One of the more outspoken critics of the ABC pic is none other than Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger, Clintons national Security Advisor, who gets called out in this film as being too tentative - and allowing bin Laden to escape a possible attack. Sandy's a fine, upstanding citizen after all, whose word is GOLD. This is the SAME Sandy Berger that stole critical documents from the National Archive and shredded them at home before the 9/11 Commission could see them! What a guy.

What makes this most humorous is the fact that "The Path to 9/11" supposedly takes a pretty even-keeled approach in the blame department. George W. Bush does not escape unscathed, although it IS pointed out in the film that the man had only been in office for 200 days at the time of the attacks. OF COURSE, the Clinton camp hasnt said word one about the Bush portions of this movie, because I'm sure they believe THOSE parts are ALL true! In actuality, Bush was probably never properly briefed about the Al Quada threat because despite Clinton's claims to the contrary, he couldnt give two flying shits about Osama bin Laden when he was in office.

All Clinton gave a crap about for eight years was getting fat, making hay and banging interns. All this crybaby bullshit that is coming out from Clinton (and his bunch of gorillas) today is nothing more than him trying to maintain this Vaseline-on-the-lens, smoke-and-mirrors joke of a supposed legacy he's invented for himself. WHAT legacy? As the Bang Master? Clinton believes if he keeps repeating it, everyone will eventually start believing it, too. Most Clinton sycophants already do.

When the 2000 Election mess was finally settled and the dust was clearing, I remember sitting here with The Mrs. and saying, "There's probably so much underhanded shit that went on while Clinton was President that this country will still be tripping over it for years to come". Little did I know at the time that Osama bin Laden, already viewing America as a weak, paper tiger in light of our lack of action and reaction to repeated attacks, had the worst by-product planned to come.

Of course, late word is coming now that Iger and ABC are caving in to the all-out uber-fascista-censor-and-fear campaign being waged by the Clintonistas, and will make some tweaks to "The Path to 9/11", and will stress that some of the film is a dramatization (something they previously swore they wouldnt do). Incredible. John Gotti didnt have such pull. I think Clinton is feared more than HE was, although I have no idea why. Strip away the faux-Hollywood veneer and he's still just a two-bit Arkansas used car salesman in a thousand-dollar suit, same as always.

As I said on December 15, 2000...we may never know the true extent of the royal fucking this country (and several interns) may have endured for eight years. Hopefully, 9/11 was the worst - and last - of the under-the-rug surprises.