Presidential candidate John McCain is giving spelling lessons...
Barack Obama, another presidential candidate, recently released a statement saying that the course we are on in Iraq is not working, citing John McCain's recent visit to a Baghdad market as evidence. Obama said that "the fact that Senator McCain required a flack jacket" (as well as armed soldiers and helicopters, if you remember) was a "reflection" of the wrong course in Iraq.
McCain bounced back with a statement that said, "By the way, Senator Obama, it's a 'flak' jacket, not a 'flack' jacket."
Of course, McCain's statement was supposed to be an I-wore-the-uniform-and-you-didn't kind of thing, but alas, McCain's statement has been debunked, not by Wikipedia, but by Webster's New World Dictionary, 3rd College Edition.
As MSNBC's Mike Viqueira points out, "[The Dictionary] says actually that "flack" -- F-L-C-K [sic] -- setting the record straight here -- is a noun, and it's alternative to the spelling of "flak" -- F-L-A-K."
Oh, and as Media Matters points out, the phrase "flack jacket" (with a "c") is used on multiple government web sites.
But thanks, Senator McCain, for the attempted spelling lesson.
5.24.2007
Death of a Salesman: Jerry Falwell - at the Capital City Free Press
My newest article about the late Jerry Falwell is up early at the Capital City Free Press.
It's titled, "Death of a Salesman: Jerry Falwell."
Here is an excerpt:
It's titled, "Death of a Salesman: Jerry Falwell."
Here is an excerpt:
"A person's death does not change the way someone chose to live their life,
and while Falwell may have done some good things, he made himself known for the
bad... and he did most of it in the name of Christ."
5.23.2007
Two stories that get a great big WTF?!
Story #1:
A Liberty University student has been arrested for making bombs. Mark David Uhl was in the Army ROTC at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, and he told a family member that he made bombs and planned to attend Jerry Falwell's funeral.
According to police, the bombs were not to harm the Falwell family or disrupt the funeral, but may have been a response to the [insert your favorite 'insane' adjective here] members of Westboro Baptist Church who had planned to protest at Falwell's funeral. You may have heard of Westboro Baptist Church, home of the Reverend (to misuse that word) Fred Phelps, and the creators of the 'GodHatesFags' web site.
According to the Associated Press, "The Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church sent about a dozen members to protest across the street from the funeral, claiming Falwell was a friend to gays. The group also has picketed soldiers' burials, claiming the deaths are God's punishment for a nation that supports homosexuality."
So what we learn here, kids, is that news travels slow to Westboro Baptist. In fact, it apparently doesn't travel at all because anyone with two brain cells knows that Falwell was no friend to gays. After all, it was Falwell, who said in 1997 that "gay folks would just as soon kill you as look at you."
If stupidity was contagious, then Westboro Baptist should have been quarantined long ago.
Oh, and thanks to Uhl for proving that religious fundamentalism isn't just for Muslims.
Story #2:
If you've been wondering what David Duke's racist brethren have been up to, wonder no more, for fliers have recently appeared in a predominantly black neighborhood in Wetumpka, Alabama.
Said fliers include a news story about Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom, two whites who were gruesomly tortured and mutilated by five black suspects. The creator of the flier claims that the national media did not cover the story because the victims were white and asked why Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Morris Dees (of the Southern Poverty Law Center) did not rush to the defense of the victims' families.
Of course, the flier asks the readers to visit stormfront.org and, of course, davidduke.com.
So now, we're left to wonder if this is just the beginning of something more, and if Duke will crawl out from the shadows to promote more closed-mindedness and bigotry.
According to Wetumpka police, they know about the flier, but cannot do anything because, so far, no crime has been committed. Let's hope a crime doesn't happen.
A Liberty University student has been arrested for making bombs. Mark David Uhl was in the Army ROTC at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, and he told a family member that he made bombs and planned to attend Jerry Falwell's funeral.
According to police, the bombs were not to harm the Falwell family or disrupt the funeral, but may have been a response to the [insert your favorite 'insane' adjective here] members of Westboro Baptist Church who had planned to protest at Falwell's funeral. You may have heard of Westboro Baptist Church, home of the Reverend (to misuse that word) Fred Phelps, and the creators of the 'GodHatesFags' web site.
According to the Associated Press, "The Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church sent about a dozen members to protest across the street from the funeral, claiming Falwell was a friend to gays. The group also has picketed soldiers' burials, claiming the deaths are God's punishment for a nation that supports homosexuality."
So what we learn here, kids, is that news travels slow to Westboro Baptist. In fact, it apparently doesn't travel at all because anyone with two brain cells knows that Falwell was no friend to gays. After all, it was Falwell, who said in 1997 that "gay folks would just as soon kill you as look at you."
If stupidity was contagious, then Westboro Baptist should have been quarantined long ago.
Oh, and thanks to Uhl for proving that religious fundamentalism isn't just for Muslims.
Story #2:
If you've been wondering what David Duke's racist brethren have been up to, wonder no more, for fliers have recently appeared in a predominantly black neighborhood in Wetumpka, Alabama.
Said fliers include a news story about Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom, two whites who were gruesomly tortured and mutilated by five black suspects. The creator of the flier claims that the national media did not cover the story because the victims were white and asked why Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Morris Dees (of the Southern Poverty Law Center) did not rush to the defense of the victims' families.
Of course, the flier asks the readers to visit stormfront.org and, of course, davidduke.com.
So now, we're left to wonder if this is just the beginning of something more, and if Duke will crawl out from the shadows to promote more closed-mindedness and bigotry.
According to Wetumpka police, they know about the flier, but cannot do anything because, so far, no crime has been committed. Let's hope a crime doesn't happen.
5.18.2007
Michael Moore investigated for trip to Cuba
If you haven't heard the news, Michael Moore, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind "Bowling for Columbine" and "Fahrenheit 9/11" is now under investigation for a trip he made to Cuba while filming his new movie "Sicko."
According to a post on www.michaelmoore.com, Moore states that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson initiated the investigation into his trip because of trade embargoes with Cuba and travel laws that prohibit average citizens from traveling to Cuba. However, Moore also states that "The law does not prohibit anyone from exercising their first amendment right of a free press and documentaries are protected works of journalism."
Moore's new movie examines the U.S. health care industry, and he was in Cuba filming part of the movie about the health care involving some 9/11 rescue workers.
"Sicko" debuts at the Cannes Film Festival this Saturday and hits theaters June 29.
According to a post on www.michaelmoore.com, Moore states that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson initiated the investigation into his trip because of trade embargoes with Cuba and travel laws that prohibit average citizens from traveling to Cuba. However, Moore also states that "The law does not prohibit anyone from exercising their first amendment right of a free press and documentaries are protected works of journalism."
Moore's new movie examines the U.S. health care industry, and he was in Cuba filming part of the movie about the health care involving some 9/11 rescue workers.
"Sicko" debuts at the Cannes Film Festival this Saturday and hits theaters June 29.
5.07.2007
Letter-to-the-editor about my Don Imus article
Well, it appears my Don Imus article in the Capital City Free Press has caused a little controversy, though luckily, not the same level of controversy as Don Imus himself.
A letter-to-the-editor came in saying that Imus should have been fired for the very same reason that I said he should not have been fired.
Read the letter here.
Also, for those that missed it, I was a guest on 107.1 FM this past Friday at noon. I was on there to talk about issues ranging from Don Imus, my role at the Capital City Free Press, an entertainer's responsibility in the media and my alter-ego as the singer/guitarist for the band Marsellus.
(If you've ever wondered why my blog doesn't talk about Marsellus often, it's because I keep my politics and my music separate....so even if you hate me and think I'm a dirty liberal, please feel free to continue enjoying the non-political music of Marsellus. Thanks.)
A letter-to-the-editor came in saying that Imus should have been fired for the very same reason that I said he should not have been fired.
Read the letter here.
Also, for those that missed it, I was a guest on 107.1 FM this past Friday at noon. I was on there to talk about issues ranging from Don Imus, my role at the Capital City Free Press, an entertainer's responsibility in the media and my alter-ego as the singer/guitarist for the band Marsellus.
(If you've ever wondered why my blog doesn't talk about Marsellus often, it's because I keep my politics and my music separate....so even if you hate me and think I'm a dirty liberal, please feel free to continue enjoying the non-political music of Marsellus. Thanks.)
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