Album of 2006

2006 is comming to an end. I recently made a poll on what was the best metal album of the year. Vote at Legions of the abyss. The results will be made into a list for the Legions of the Abyss website when the poll is done.

Dimebag Darrell Rest In Peace!

Today marks the second anniversary of Darrell L. Abbott's death at the hands of a psychotic killer. The metal community continues to struggle with the thought of losing one of its most-talented and beloved axeman. Condolences are extended to the Abbott family. May such a trajedy never happen again.

We miss you Dime! WHY ARE THE GOOD ONES ALWAYS TAKEN FROM US?

Lefty Metalhead Endorses Barack Obama for President in 2008!

As many of have probably heard, Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) has indicated that he is thinking about a White House bid in 2008. This news comes as somewhat of a surprise due to the senator vehemently denying consideration just a few months ago. Obama now gives many Democrats like me hope for 2008. This nation needs a strong leader who can UNITE its people, not DIVIDE us like George W. Bush has done. Obama, in his book The Audacity of Hope, suggests that we need a new kind of politics, one that promotes unity to solve our nation's most critical problems. Not only must we fight corporate special interests, but we must also not tax ourselves to death. We should employ diplomacy with persuasion along with a strong military for our most serious threats. Our government must THINK before it acts. This is what Obama stands for, and that alone warrants my support for him.

I came across Obama's eloquent ideas during his 2004 senatorial campaign, in which I was a volunteer. In person, Obama is just as well-spoken, intelligent, and well-mannered as he appears on camera, perhaps even more. He embodies everything our nation's leader should be. I urge everyone who loves this country to support Obama. If you happen to have concerns regarding his experience, rest assured that nobody arrives to the presidency "prepared". We have seen this is true with the current president, who never quite looked prepared to handle our domestic concerns. For those of you who are skeptical about both parties, I don't blame you. However, it is your job as a citizen to change the current political landscape, and refusing to participate only makes your cause look hypocritical. Let us save this nation from governing ineptitude.

Barack Obama, you have my vote. Now please run!

HAHA!!!1

Looks like Blabbernu went PC.

"To report any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, please send an e-mail to bmouth@bellatlantic.net with pertinent details. Anyone posting such material will be immediately and permanently banned. IP addresses are recorded to aid us in enforcing these conditions."

Now I am not a racist man nor a homophobic man but isn't it obscene comments that gave Blabbermouth it's name? I think Bori(ng) just lowered the standards.

So if you are upset with Blabbersuck.nu come over to a site that isn't full of uptight numbskulls. Sign up for Metal Pwns All today! You won't find any Avenged Sevenfold news there.

http://www.metalpwnsall.com


Orignally posted on BigNewsDay

The Family of Forums

Take some time and visit these amazing forums, all of which are administrated by my blogging brothers.

Metal Pwns All

Punk -n- Politics

Lords of Classic Rock

Pummel and Grind

\m/

Right-Wing Lunacy

As we all know, gay marriage has been a hot topic for Americans in the last few years. Today, while reading my daily dosage of The Onion, I came across this excellent piece about legislation that would protect the "sanctity" of marriage (note: marriage can be attained in drive-thru chapels in Las Vegas)from SHARKS!!! According to conservatives, marriage is under attack! Well, let's all do our part and urge our Congressmen to pass this law, for the protection of marriage is the most important issue in the universe!

New Bill Would Defend Marriage From Sharks

WASHINGTON, DC—Congressional Republicans cited the saw-edged teeth of the shark community as a direct threat to married couples everywhere.

Just in case some of you are wondering, the above story is FICTION. The Onion is a fictional, satirical newspaper that aims to put contemporary issues in a humorous light.

Remembering Vivian Casalduc

Every single American knows the impact the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001 had on this country. We had never been attacked in such a way, leaving us terrified and heartbroken. This year marks the 5th anniversary of, perhaps, the darkest day in American history. Our nation moved on, but the scars of the attacks remain in our hearts. The memories of that horrific day remain in our minds. The sorrow of losing so many loved ones remains in our souls.

In remembrance of September 11th, we set politics aside. We calm our anger toward our attackers. We look inside ourselves, profoundly, and ask whether we have become better people since that day. Most importantly, we refuse to forget about the blood, sweat, and tears that were shed. We realize that we must never let the victims' memories fade away.

This year, 2,996 bloggers decided to honor the people who needlessly died at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the field in Pennsylvania. I now have the honor of remembering Vivian Casalduc , an American who died with dignity.

I never had the priviledge of meeting Vivian. Nevertheless, I know who she was and what she did with her life. From a biography published in the New York Times on November 21, 2001...

Vivian Casalduc lived to make her family's eyes light up. Each December, she would bake gingerbread for a giant candy land, where the ground was coated with thick piles of shredded coconut (snow) and the houses were studded with lollipops and licorice. "She would make it the first two days in December and let everybody look at it all month long, and on Christmas morning, she'd let everyone ransack it," said her daughter Angilic Casalduc.

Five small grandchildren spent alternate weekends in her care, and would come home with cotton candy in a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes. Turns out, Grandma had bought a cotton candy machine.

A Brooklyn native who grew up in housing projects, Ms. Casalduc, 45, married at 16, had three children and divorced. Her job as a microfiche clerk at Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield moved two years ago from Brooklyn to the 28th floor of 1 World Trade Center. Her commute was longer, but the salsa concerts downstairs became a part of her lunchtime routine.

Ms. Casalduc left one prescient lesson, her daughter said: "Do everything the hard way." Why major in one subject when four would do, or take a taxi when public transportation was there? "Do it the easy way," Angilic Casalduc remembered, "and you'll never learn anything, and God forbid, anything happens, she worried we wouldn't know how to survive."

Here are some comments by Vivian Casalduc's friends and family, posted on several online memorials.

Yon-Paul Casalduc

Mommy I miss you,we all miss youand love you thier is not a day that goes buy with out some thing or some one that reminds me of you.i know you would of love to see your new grandson Jon Luis .I owe every thing i got thank you mom for every thing in life you gave me and in death you gave me i love you so much and will never stop.you son

Angel Casalduc

Realy sorry about her tragic death.Is my first time in this page is very hard for me and all Casalduc family in Purto Rico.Angilic,Paul and Yon Paul god bless and her family rest in pease Vivian.www.kingcoler@hotmail.com

Lisa Albergo

I worked with Vivian for quite a few years at EBCBS. She always had a smile on her face and a cheer in her voice when answering the phone. She was always making us laugh and bringing in hilariously funny cakes for special occations. I think of her often and hold the memories of her close to heart. She always had love in her voice when talking about her children and grandchildren. God bless you all.

Carmen

vivian:
I want to extend my sympathy to the casalduc family. I was a friend of her's from the housing projects. We always talked on the way to the train station at smith 9th every morning on our way to work. I will miss her.

Milly Calderon

Vivian, I miss you so much. God you don't know how much I wish that you were here with us. You are always on my mind and in my heart. Merry christmas. I love you so much. Your big sister. Milly

Vivian, you will forever be in our hearts and minds. We are all saddened by your tragic death at the hands of dastard terrorists. I am honored to have gotten the opportunity to remember you on this 5th anniversary of 9/11. Hopefully, we will all learn to become better people as a result of this tragedy. For the tragedy of 9/11 showed us humankind's worst, but also brought-out our best. We salute you Vivian!

A Year after Katrina

Are the levees any stronger? Has the Bush administration learned its lesson and become more competent? The answer to both is probably NO! The only positive I can derive from the Katrina disaster is the probability that many people will vote Democrat in two months. These GOP hacks have proven that they are out of touch with reality, only believing in religious mythology and ignoring the nation's real problems. September 11 looms, and I don't feel this administration has succeeded at making the country safer. It has been time for a change for years. American voters, make it happen!

Metal Haven

Metalheads, today I'll be visiting Chicago's premier heavy metal shop, Metal Haven, located near the corner of Broadway and Belmont in the Lakeview neighborhood. I look forward to purchasing some brutal shit, so I'll update this entry with reviews once I have listened to my acquisitions. I feel like a woman - excited about going shopping!

I have arrived

Thanks Lefty for the invite. I'll mostly help out with the metal side of this metal/politics blog. Cool blog. So



















\m/

Al Bundy

Upcoming Metal Albums

We all know new albums by Slayer and Iron Maiden will be released soon, but what other releases are we looking forward to? In other words, what are all you metal pundits looking forward to in terms of underground metal?

Up the \--/

Hey Metalheads, This One's For You

It's True...I'm not Dead!

All my fellow bloggers: I do apologize for not posting anything in the last few days. I've been incredibly busy lately, working overtime and representing the family business in court. The reason I've been going to court is because the City of Chicago is notoriously strict with building codes, health codes, and all other ordinances. As a result, routine inspections always lead to some kind of violation being found by the unrelenting inspectors. Therefore, I had to represent the business in two mandatory hearings last week. Don't get me wrong. We're not in trouble by any means. The hearings are fairly routine for business owners in Chicago. The process includes attending the hearing, pleading liable on all counts, and the administrative law officer (not a judge) imposes the minimum fine to which you would have already agreed upon. Lastly, a short walk down the hall leads you to the City Clerk's office, where the fine is paid. After the hearings, I proceeded to have lunch around downtown Chicago, where the Chicago Department of Revenue is located.

So what has happened in Lefty's life in recent weeks. As we all know, I caught me some gorgeous ass down in Mexico. I'm still recovering from the tequila, Jack Daniel's, and the unbelievably long sex session. Aside from this, I attended the Sounds of the Underground show. Gwar, Cannibal Corpse, In Flames, Black Dahlia Murder, Behemoth, and Trivium kicked fucking ass! I also saw Bill Maher on his comedy tour. That fucker had me laughing my balls off!

As for political stuff, I haven't been active lately. However, I've been paying attention to all the bullshit going on. The Israeli-Hezbollah conflict is utter bullshit. I can't believe Dubya has given Hezbollah all the blame for this situation. Israel is no saint either! I had the pleasure of taking Professor Norman Finkelstein's course on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while working on my degree at DePaul University. Mr. Finkelstein, the son of two Holocaust survivors (his mother survived the Warsaw ghetto and Auschwitz-Birkenau), is an expert on Mideast politics. Surprisingly, he is very critical of Israel and the Zionist's role in destabilizing the region. I suggest you read some of his work, especially The Holocaust Industry and Beyond Chutzpah.

Iraq is making no serious progress, despite the claims from the Bush administration and the pro-war right. Let's face it, it's a fucking disaster! As long as Republicans refuse to consider the economic side of the War on Terror, we can continue to expect increasing bloodshed. Iraq needs a Marshall Plan-type policy to help stabilize the region. Poverty is known to help foster terrorism. How many affluent suicide bombers have we known about?

Stem Cells - I'm not going to say much about this. The wingnuts want to Christianize the entire country under a smokescreen of fiscal conservatism. BULLSHIT! Bush isn't so much concerned about not spending federal money on stem cell research than he is about putting the religious nuts in his pocket.

Election fraud in Mexico! Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador smells a rat, and it looks like it may be president-elect Felipe Calderon. This reminds me so much of Bush-Gore.

I plan to resume my blogging duties this week. I hope to have at least three entries per week, as time permits. Thanks to everyone who continues to read The Metal Pundit. You all kick ass and I will drink this cold and tasty Corona in your honor. Gulp gulp...ahhhh!

All That Remains - The Fall of Ideals BUY THIS FUCKING ALBUM, along with the latest ANATA. Good day!

Back from My Short Vacation

I just got back from my 5-day vacation to Mexico with my father. This was somewhat of a short-notice journey, decided upon only weeks before departure. Nevertheless, I had a spectacular time hanging out with family and friends.

The primary reason my father and I decided to visit family in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, is because both my grandfather and one of my aunts are sick. My grandfather, although now doing much better, had his diabetes catch-up to him as his blood pressure and blood sugar levels soared. My aunt, unfortunately, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. On the bright side, a few second opinions have given her hope that cancer isn't actually present in her breasts. Nonetheless, she is receiving chemotherapy while further analysis is performed.

Since our arrival was met with good news, we proceeded to drink it up! We got ourselves several bottles of tequila, including Corralejo, Don Julio Anejo, Jimador, and Casadores. At night, I would join my cousins in late-night drinking. We went "clubbing" on two of the nights I was there. Let me say that the only good thing about the club scene are the girls. Other than that, the music sucks nuts and liquor is terribly expensive. I suppose dancing and feeling-up Mexican chicks is worth it.

During the day, my father and I would visit family from both his side and my mother's. You see, the entire family lives in Mexico, with the exception of my immediate family, a few cousins, an uncle, and an aunt in Chicago, one aunt in Dallas, and two uncles and family in Los Angeles. We ate great food and just kicked back sipping on Coronas and Victorias.

After three nights of striking out, I finally got laid on the fourth night. The lucky girl is very hot and knowledgeable in bed. She's a light-skinned, blue-eyed, blonde chick with an incredible ass and pretty face. I will honestly say she is out of my league in terms of physical traits. However, I've yet to meet a girl who enjoys talking on an intellectual level with me. Her best quality is the fact that she listens to punk and metal! As a result, we fornicated while playing Metallica's Black Album. Good times!

Since I took American Airlines, I had to stop at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport. I was there for a couple of hours as I waited for the flight to Leon. I looked out the window and wondered where my good friend, BigNewsDay, could be. I almost felt like missing the flight and contacting you dude. One of these days...

So that's a brief summary of the last week. I know I sound overly excited about my vaginal acquisition, but I haven't been getting much lately, so bear with me!

Henry Rollins OWNS Ann Coulter

Watch the brutal love letter!

Presidential Straw Poll

Greetings Everyone! It's been a long time since I posted anything politically meaningful. I decided to create a Presidential Straw Poll to get a grasp of the most popular candidates for the presidency in 2008. Feel free to pick as many candidates as you please. I'll post the results in a few weeks.

Don't forget to comment on your pick(s) in this diary. Not only are your comments appreciated, but I'm actually curious to know what everyone thinks. Have fun with this and we'll soon know who are the favorites for 2008.

One last thing, please spread the word on Blabbermouth. I'm curious what the Blabbermouth community has to say.

De La Hoya Schools Mayorga!

In a 6th round TKO, Oscar De La Hoya defeated Ricardo Mayorga to win the WBC Middleweight Championship. After a vicious promotion, where Mayorga taunted De La Hoya with vile vitriol, the new champ dropped Mayorga twice and gave him a boxing lesson. There is no doubt that De La Hoya is the #1 boxing attraction. I'm hoping a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. sees the light of day! Although De La Hoya showed a little rust, he landed an impressive 44% of his punches. Mayorga could only bow down after the brutal beating he was given.

Good Stuff!!!

Star-Spangled Banner...en Espanol?

After a laborious morning, my father and I decided to head over to a restaurant close to home for lunch. We sat down and proceeded to order our meals. We talked for a while before I glanced at the TV hanging from the wall directly in front of me. The TV was showing CNN's coverage of some American's outrage over the recording of a Spanish version of the Star-Spangled Banner. At first, I laughed after reading viewers' emails, which staunchly condemned such blasphemy. In other words, I thought the coverage was simply showing typical American bigotry. However, as I began to pay more attention, I noticed even the anchors were speaking in a more serious tone.

I thought about it to myself. I thought, "why would anyone want to record the national anthem in Spanish?" I came to the conclusion that it wasn't a great idea and that it would probably promote the bigot's Reconquista claims.

I then asked my father what he thought about it. My dad is an immigrant from Mexico. He came here over 25 years ago, worked his ass off for years, and finally became a U.S. Citizen about 10 years ago. He is extremely proud of being American and he isn't afraid to show it. His answer, therefore, surprised me. He asked, "why are they so mad about? They took half of Mexico and we eventually got over it. You can't compare a national anthem to half a country." At first I was speechless, but it then it hit me. People who are "defending" the national anthem from losing its soul are hypocrites. I'm sure many of these people don't know the words to the song and yet they're attempting to defend it on so-called principles.

Americans, typically conservative hacks, call for unquestioned patriotism. The immigrants who support this Spanish-version "Star-Spangled Banner" are demonstrating their love for this country. Fuck, it feeds their fucking families. I'm not defending illegal immigration here, let's make that point clear. I'm simply making the case for bigots to settle the fuck down. It's a powerful song, I agree. But before you begin to bash a sizeable part of this country, re-examine the meaning behind our national anthem.

An update is likely since I'm a little fired-up right now!

Senator Feingold...Our Next President?

While the GOP is self-destucting, not many Democrats have taken advantage by pushing the envelope further. Perhaps the one Democrat who has been exceptional is Senator Russ Feingold from Wisconsin. He was the one senator to question the Patriot Act shortly after 9/11. He has consistently pushed the idea that Republicans can't govern. Recently, he introduced a presidential censure resolution. This move was both brilliant and risky. Not only did he move his base, but he proved that there IS a Democrat out there who owns a nice pair of balls!

This past week, Senator Feingold went into hostile territory and appeared on Faux News! As much as that jerkoff Chris Wallace tried to pin Feingold into a defensive position, the senator maintained his message and looked very civil. You can see the video here.

Could it be that we're looking at our next president? I once thought McCain would be the most-likely person, but he's been messing around in wingnuttia. The Arizona senator has been moving to the right in almost every issue. He sure is looking like Joe Lieberman these days!

I now have a difficult choice for whom I will support in 2008. Will I support Al Gore (assuming he'll run, which he has negated)? Or will I support Russ "balls of steel" Feingold? We still have some years to go before this heats up. A note to Feingold: don't let Hilary get all the money! Start raising the funds now!

Children of Bodom Show on Wednesday!

Greetings everyone! I'll be attending the Children of Bodom show on Wednesday! God Forbid will be supporting. This will be a phenomenal show! I'll post a review the following day.

The Metal Pundit will be returning with more political hackery soon! Until then, post whatever the fuck you want!

Chicago Marches Against Draconian Immigration Legislation

On Friday, I had the pleasure of taking part in Chicago's march against terrible immigration law, especially Rep. Sensenbrenner's (R-WI) HR 4437. This law, which passed the House of Representatives in December, removes judicial review from the deportation process, undermines the writ of habeas corpus, and even implicates anyone who helps (including clergy and medical doctors) with criminal charges. It doesn't stop here guys!

If the Senate Committee on the Judiciary puts forth a bill with these provisions, will all Mexicans like me have to carry proof of our "legality"? How is that fair for citizens like me?

I'm all for better border protection, but these draconian measures are just plain wrong. I want to start a discussion on immigration policy. Let us discuss HR 4437, as well as the McCain-Kennedy bill.

Please be careful of how you illustrate your opinions because this is a sensitive issue for me. Although such a law doesn't affect me, it sure affects family and friends, people who have been busting their asses with horrendous wages just to make a living. Please be civil. While you gather your thoughts, here are some pictures of the enormous march (up to 300,000 participants were estimated)!

The End of the Bush Administration?

The Bush administration suffered yet another political blow, thanks to the collapse of the Dubai Ports deal. Bush's painfully low approval ratings may have pushed many GOP Congressmen to oppose the deal, despite Bush's veto threat. Being an election year, this isn't all too surprising. This latest debacle solidifies the idea of Bush's White House being incompetent.

Incompetence has been the theme of the Bush administration since being re-elected. He failed miserably on social security reform, despite his national tour promoting it. He pissed off his wingnut base by nominating Harriet Miers, a seemingly qualified attorney who wasn't conservative-enough. The far-right hated her so much, that they denied her the "up-or-down vote" they have been so vociferous about! Bush ignored warnings about Katrina's potential devastation, possibly leading to FEMA not having the resources to be at the scene in time. At the moment, he's shifting blame to Congress for the lack of progress in the rebuilding efforts, a tactic that implicates his fellow GOP (remember Congress is GOP-controlled). The Iraq mess is only getting worse, and now Iran appears to be in the cross hairs. How many days was Bush on vacation in Texas?

While the Democrats still must work hard to convert these failures into Congressional gains, the job is looking much easier these days. Could this be the end of the so-called conservative movement? I sure hope so because it sure hasn't worked!

Bye Bye Dubya!

Latest News

Greetings fellow metalheads! I apologize for the delay in posting a meaningful diary. I have been incredibly busy these past couple of months. I finally received my LSAT score. While it isn't as high as I expected, I'm still in the mid 150's, which will help me get in a decent Chicago-area law school. I suppose my forte isn't standardized testing because I was doing very well in the practice tests I took. However, I have to keep pushing forward and must not let anything get me down.

A lot has been going on lately in the world of politics. A video showing the Bush administration ignoring Katrina warnings has made significant noise. The left is surely attacking the Bush administration, which has recurrently proved that Americans cannot trust federal government-loathing people to govern. This administration has demonstrated how incompetent it is. Sure, they're awfully good at politics and framing the debate, but responsible social and fiscal governing has been more than lackluster.

For Democrats like me, this doesn't mean that this year's midterm elections will be glorious. The DNC has to develop some meaningful ideas that will resonate with the American public. The Dems will not win if they simply run on GOP failures (and there are plenty of them). I sure hope Democratic leaders like Rahm Emanuel (head of the DCCC)are creating a strong message.

The other big story is the Dubai Ports deal. This story bores me, so I don't really have anything to editorialize about. I will say that this situation raises questions about the Bush administration's true political motivations. Bush's 2004 campaign was infested with "fight against terrorism" rhetoric. He consistently asserted that he would do anything to beat the terrorists. Furthermore, the contrapositive to this is that he would also NOT do anything that would help the terrorists. I'm not suggesting that such a deal would help terrorism in any way. I am, however, saying that this fiasco reveals a crucial inconsistency - that suddenly Bush isn't as austere about this principle anymore.

Those Republicans who support the president on this deal (many GOP are opposed) have spewed vitriol at the Dems, suggesting that their opposition stems from outright racism. I will say this isn't the case. However, it is quite apparent that this debacle is all about politics. It's understandable since it is, indeed, an election year.

Share your thoughts!

Rick Rubin to Produce Next Metallica Album!

Fellow Metal Pundits, the Bob Rock era Metallica is officially done! According to a story on Blabbermouth, Metallica have announced that their next album will be produced by the legendary producer who is known for his work with Slayer, Slipknot, and System of a Down. I'm actually excited about this! No more trash can snares, no more lack of solos, and hopefully no more crappy songs! I have high hopes for this next album. I sure hope they don't let us down again! The ideal would be to have Rubin influence them to play thrash. This is all wishful thinking, but I really wish that their next album will rival recent masterpieces by Exodus and Nevermore!

The McCain-Obama Saga and the Funeral Rally

Barack Obama swept the Democratic Party off its feet with his keynote address at the DNC Convention in 2004. His truly inspiring words gave hope and meaning to a party in desperation. His lovable persona and strong work ethic implied that it would be difficult to find a major flaw in the junior senator. However, just when many of us, on the left, thought Obama was un-smearable, Senator John McCain unleashes a mudslinging campaign against him. Here is the letter McCain sent Obama:

"When you approached me and insisted that despite your leadership's preference to use the issue to gain a political advantage in the 2006 elections, you were personally committed to achieving a result that would reflect credit on the entire Senate and offer the country a better example of political leadership, I concluded your professed concern for the institution and the public interest was genuine and admirable. Thank you for disabusing me of such notions with your letter. ... I'm embarrassed to admit that after all these years in politics I failed to interept your previous assurances as typical rhetorical gloss routinely used in political to make self-interested partisan posturing appear more noble. Again, sorry for the confusion, but please be assured I won't make the same mistake again."

I'm not particularly interested in McCain's whimpering. Rather, I dare to speculate on what I think is manifesting: Dent Obama's image now for later reference.

It's true. I think McCain, a possible GOP presidential nominee for 2008, is attempting to lay a foundation to later smear Obama, just in case he's on the ticket for 2008 (which I doubt). I'm aware that this may sound all too suspicious, but why else would McCain engage in such a public display of character-thrashing? One thing is for sure, the wingnuts over at Redstate are ecstatic over this. They see it as a victory for the GOP since the Democrat's rising star was bitch-slapped! A bitch-slapping it isn't. Obama hasn't responded to this just yet. When he does, expect the same eloquence and honest character he has employed since he broke-out in 2004.

McCain, I believe you have fucked up going after Obama. It is not because I happen to like Obama, or because I worked on his senatorial campaign, but because this will make you look like the fool that you are.

Then again, the GOP's talking points have been lame as of late. What do they do after Coretta Scott King's funeral? Bitch the fuck about it! They make it seem as though the funeral was actually a political rally. They claim that it was inappropriate to bring politics into the funeral ceremony because it is "bad etiquette". Huh...just like politics were brought into a family's personal decision regarding a woman in a persistent vegetative state. Of course politics were appropriate, in my opinion, because Dr. King's legacy is defined by his civil rights work and the politics that came from it. Perhaps Bush's spy program shouldn't have been mentioned, but continuing to yap about makes the funeral a partisan issue...thanks GOP!

Super Bowl XL

Greetings everyone! I took the LSAT yesterday and I think it went very well. Hopefully this isn't purely wishful thinking and confidence actually exists within me. I expect to receive my score February 27th, give or take a few days. We'll see how smart Lefty Metalhead really is! Fortunately, the test included only one logic games section. However, I went through the necessary reading comprehension section, plus THREE logical reasoning sections (one of which will not be scored). I'll keep you posted.

The Super Bowl is today. I pick the Seattle Seahawks to win with a score of 38-28. The Steelers are being hyped too much for my taste. We'll see in a few hours...

***UPDATE*** Damn! I was way off! Congrats to the Steelers!

Senator Kerry's Message

The following is a diary posted by Senator Kerry over at DailyKos. It makes a strong case for the filibuster of Judge Alito. It explains why it is necessary to oppose Alito, and it outlines the hypocrisy of the right: refusing to give Harriet Miers the up-or-down vote "every presidential nominee deserves" while demanding it for Alito. Read on...

Do I support a filibuster? The answer is yes.

Yesterday Senator Kennedy and I spoke with our colleagues about it. I don't have a shred of doubt in my opposition to Sam Alito's nomination. I know Senator Kennedy does not either. He has truly been a great leader in the effort to oppose Judge Alito.

I spent a lot of time over the last years thinking about the Supreme Court and who America needs on the highest court in the land. So I don't hesitate a minute in saying that Sam Alito is not that person. His entire legal career shows that, if confirmed, he will take America backwards. People can say all they want that "elections have consequences." Trust me, more than anyone I understand that. But that seems like an awfully convoluted rationale for me to stay silent about Judge Alito's nomination.

I voted against Justice Roberts, I feel even more strongly about Judge Alito. Why? Rather than live up to the promise of "equal justice under the law," he's consistently made it harder for the most disadvantaged Americans to have their day in court. He routinely defers to excessive government power regardless of how extreme or egregious the government's actions are. And, to this date, his only statement on record regarding a woman's right to privacy is that she doesn't have one.

I said yesterday that President Bush had the opportunity to nominate someone who would unite the country in a time of extreme division. He chose not to do this, and that is his right. But we have every right, in fact, we have a responsibility, to fight against a radical ideological shift on the Supreme Court. Just think about how this nomination came to be. Under fire from his conservative base for nominating Harriet Miers--a woman whose judicial philosophy they mercilessly attacked--President Bush broke to extreme right-wing demands.

This was a coup.

Miers was removed and Alito was installed to replace the swing vote on the Court. The President gave no thought to what the American people really wanted--or needed. So it's up to us to think about what America really needs - that's part of the true meaning of "advice and consent."

Here's the bottom line though and I'll just be blunt and direct about it. It takes more than one or two people to filibuster. It's not "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." I'm doing what I can, Senator Kennedy is doing what he can, but if, like me, you want to stop Judge Alito from becoming Justice Alito, we can't just preach to our own choir. We need even more of your advocacy.

The right opposed Harriet Miers and got rid of her. We must oppose Alito and get rid of him! I'm not saying we'll succeed, or even that we have a chance, but the fight is worth fighting. Many rights are at stake here. I don't think any of us are willing to return to the 1950's. Good day! -Lefty

Update from Lefty

Greetings Everyone!

I apologize for the lack of content on my part throughout the past couple of weeks. I didn't want to bore anyone with my personal life, but I think I'll tell you all what's going on in my life. I encourage every Metal Pundit to do so as well.

I've been incredibly busy the last three weeks. I took a Kaplan prep course for the Law School Admissions Test. It has been going very well as I see steady improvement. I've taken three practice tests and I'm in the range to attend a decent law school. I'm not intimidated by the test anymore, which has allowed me to think clearly and focus on the material. I take the real exam on February 4. So wish me good luck!

Aside from that, I've been practicing guitar a couple of days a week. I still suck, to say the least, but I'm seeing, and hearing, improvement.

As for social life, what social life? Friday the 13th was my birthday (23 already). I had dinner with my family and received three pairs of much-needed shoes and a laptop. This past Saturday, I attended my best friend's baby's birthday party. It was the little dudes first birthday, so it was fun be there. I hung out with my friend Alex and his wife after the party. Of course, the little dude came along.

The LSAT is in two weeks. I'll be posting content more often then. Once again, wish me luck guys.

Lefty

Rebel Meets Rebel

With the untimely death of his brother "Dimebag" Darrell, Vinny Paul decided to release their collaberation with outlaw country singer David Allan Coe. The record, titled "Rebel Meets Rebel" couldn't be more aptly titled. It's set for an April 4, 2006 release date on Big Vin Records, Vince's new label.

New sound clips are available on the webpage (www.rebelmeetsrebel.com), and I encourage everybody to check it out. To hear the mighty Dimebag's legendary Dean guitar wailing again nearly brought tears to my eyes, and compelled me to bang my head violently.

It's not metal, it's not country, it's just balls-out rock and roll created by some of the best rule breakers ever to record a song.

All hail the mighty RIFF!

Conservatives Against Illegal Spying

Borrowed from Kos at DailyKos

What do most conservatives think about Bush's illegal spying on Americans? I cannot really say for I haven't spoken to an adequate sample of them to make a conclusion. Nevertheless, the conservatives in the Wingnutosphere, namely the hacks over at Redstate, Instapundit, and that wench, Michelle Malkin, get behind their man and attempt to discredit or smear anyone criticizing the program. Some on the left are no better, passing judgment before knowing the facts.

The reason I'm writing this diary is to shed light on the few conservatives who openly criticize Dubya's illegal spying. To do so, I will quote the mighty Kos:

...here are some of the key figures of the conservative movement essentially calling foul on the administration's egregious overreach. Norquist is literally the central figure of the VRWC. Weyrich, another key figure in the VRWC, was the founding president of the Heritage Foundation and founded the American Legislative Exchange Council. Keene's credentials are self-explanatory. Barr is no surprise. He's an old-school libertarian who has been consulting with the once-hated ACLU.

Kos is right on:

This should never have been a partisan issue, despite the knee-jerk defense of the indefensible by those who think Bush can't do any wrong.

Getting back to the conservatives, what is the big deal, right? These are a few quotes from some of these big shots:

Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances (PRCB) today called upon Congress to hold open, substantive oversight hearings examining the President's authorization of the National Security Agency (NSA) to violate domestic surveillance requirements outlined in the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, chairman of PRCB, was joined by fellow conservatives Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR); David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union; Paul Weyrich, chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation and Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, in urging lawmakers to use NSA hearings to establish a solid foundation for restoring much needed constitutional checks and balances to intelligence law.

"When the Patriot Act was passed shortly after 9-11, the federal government was granted expanded access to Americans' private information," said Barr. "However, federal law still clearly states that intelligence agents must have a court order to conduct electronic surveillance of Americans on these shores. Yet the federal government overstepped the protections of the Constitution and the plain language of FISA to eavesdrop on Americans' private communication without any judicial checks and without proof that they are involved in terrorism."

The following can be attributed to PRCB members:

"I believe that our executive branch cannot continue to operate without the checks of the other branches. However, I stand behind the President in encouraging Congress to operate cautiously during the hearings so that sensitive government intelligence is not given to our enemies." -- Paul Weyrich, chairman and CEO, Free Congress Foundation

"Public hearings on this issue are essential to addressing the serious concerns raised by alarming revelations of NSA electronic eavesdropping." -- Grover Norquist, president, Americans for Tax Reform

"The need to reform surveillance laws and practices adopted since 9/11 is more apparent now than ever. No one would deny the government the power it needs to protect us all, but when that power poses a threat to the basic rights that make our nation unique, its exercise must be carefully monitored by Congress and the courts. This is not a partisan issue; it is an issue of safeguarding the fundamental freedoms of all Americans so that future administrations do not interpret our laws in ways that pose constitutional concerns." -- David Keene, chairman, American Conservative Union

So what is the proper, or just, course for conservatives? Should they support an independent investigation of Bush's impeachable offenses (impeachment isn't just for blowjobs anymore)? Or should they stand by their man regardless of what bullshit he's done?

Thoughts on Scalito

Samuel "Scalito" Alito's Senate Confirmation Hearings began today in a predictable fashion. Both Donkeys and Elephants unleashed their talking points almost flawlessly. Read the story below the fold:



GOP:

Alito has exceptional record of serving the public.
Alito is qualified for the position.
Alito has an unquestioned character and integrity.
Alito is a FAIR and IMPARTIAL judge.

Ok, Alito has a nice resume, but why don't Republicans talk about his judicial philosophy? Why don't they mention his view on the issues most important to Americans?

Perhaps the left has some answers. Michael at AmericaBlog has some interesting thoughts, which mirror what I was going to say. Since he beat me to it, he gets the credit for writing this insightful piece:

The far right wants us to believe that Supreme Court nominee Alito is similar to Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Even though everyone knew Ginsburg was a liberal, she was passed by a vast majority in the Senate. They are both in the mainstream of judicial philosophy, the far right says. So Alito deserves the same treatment because he's "qualified."

The wingnuts must be crazy to make a comparison like this! As for Ginsburg:

Ginsburg IS in the mainstream of judicial philosophy, even though she's clearly a strong liberal. But she never pretended to be anything else. And everything on Ginsburg's resume was something she was proud of. Every group she belonged to, every organization she worked for, every position she staked out on the issues of the day and every promise she made reflected who Ruth Bader Ginsburg was, what she stood for and what she believed in.

Great, but what really separates Ginsburg from Scalito is this:

Did she insist you shouldn't read anything into her work for the ACLU? Of course not; she was proud of that work. Did she insist you shouldn't read anything into her activism over the years, her push for equality among the sexes? Don't be absurd. Did she break her word on solemn pledges made before the Senate? Never.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said about Scalito:

Nothing could be further from the truth for Alito. He is apparently ashamed of everything he's ever done. Alito boasted on an application for promotion in the Reagan administration about belonging to the racist, Neanderthal-ish Concerned Alumni For Princeton. Now he pretends he can't remember ever belonging to them at all.

Alito said he wanted to become a lawyer because he was so distraught about Supreme Court rulings that led to "one person, one vote," a cornerstone of our modern democracy. Now, he says we should ignore his consistent, persistent attacks on affirmative action.

Alito also cannily helped to devise the incremental approach to dismantling Roe v Wade that has been the very tactic the far right has used. Now Alito says to ignore all that.

Alito has repeatedly proven he believes the president is more like an emperor -- someone who deserves almost unlimited deference from the Supreme Court, especially during a time of war.

Finally, Alito pledged to the Senate that he would recuse himself under certain situations as a federal judge. He repeatedly broke that pledge. His excuses vary: he forgot, the computers shouldn't have assigned him those cases in the first place, he never HAD to recuse himself, and finally he never promised he would recuse himself forever. The reasons change, but the fact remains: Alito gave his word and then he broke it. He can't be trusted.

Why should this gentleman be a Supreme Court Justice if he hides his past. Proponents of Scalito boast about his intellectual record, citing cases in which his opinions truly stood out. Furthermore, only a brief synopsis of his work is generally given without mention of his judicial philosophy. Of course, Michael's piece aims to discredit the proposed similarities between him and Ginsburg. Nevertheless, one can conclude that Scalito may be hiding too much for him to comfortably be confirmed.

Which brings me to these questions: Why aren't conservatives open about their beliefs? Why must they hide their true feelings?

I suggest you be proud of your beliefs! If overturning Roe v. Wade is your goal, just say so. Admit that you wish to deny homosexuals their right to marriage. Admit that you would like to blur the line between church and state. Admit that you would love nothing better than to privatize everything and destroy government. Most importantly, for the time being, please admit that your beloved Sam Alito is just like you! He's a judge with an agenda. The least he could do is be honest about it!

It's the WHOLE economy, stupid.

As Bush goes on and on about how good the economy is, Think Progress points out some truths that show just where this good economy is going.

1. The Unemployment Rate Would Be 6.6% if As Many People Were Looking for Work Today as Were When President Bush Took Office.

2. Both Average Real Weekly and Average Real Hourly Wages were Down in 2005 – and Indeed are Down for the 4 years Since the End of the Recession.

3. The Rate of Job Growth for the Fourth Year of a Recovery is the Weakest it has Been Since the 1930s.

Go to the TP Post for some really good statistics and great links.

Bush in Chicago!

Cross-posted on BigNewsDay. Warning, this is a RANT!

Today, the City of Chicago (my home), had the complete displeasure of hosting President Bush in a luncheon hosted by the Economic Club. Dubya talked about the economy and how over a hundred thousand jobs have been created. He also took credit for the "bustling" economy! In short, this luncheon can best be described as the "Annual Wishful-Thinking Shindig".

The President was among the richest businessmen in Chicago. Why the hell didn't they include Chicago's real citizens in there? Dubya would've gotten a beatdown, courtesy of sweet-home Chicago! That fucker had the audacity to mention my beloved White Sox, although he made fun of the Cubs! Nevertheless, Mr. President, you weren't welcome in our great city. As a person, perhaps I would welcome you, but as a president, hell no! The relatively few wingnuts in Chicago were probably sopping in their trousers at the sight of their king, but the rest of us had a bad taste in our mouths.

Sorry for the lack of academic content, but studying for the LSAT has bludgeoned me! Surely I'll be back with real diaries with proper academic prose! - Lefty

National Champs

WOW!

That was the best football game I have ever seen. Hats off to the Trojans for all of their achievements and for making this the greatest college championship game in a long time.

HOOK 'EM HORNS!

Happy New Year to All!

Happy New Year to all the Metal Pundits! These past several months have been great! Let's make 2006 even better! I wish health and prosperity for everyone. Take care.