“I hate to say this, but in Texas we can fight all day long, but there’s a propensity to write us off. They think, ‘That’s Texas. Texas is a place where those kinds of things happen.’”
— Texas state Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, discussing why there was little national attention to Texas’ sonogram bill but similar legislation in other states has received national media coverage.
Filed under News
Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull on Wednesday admitted to sending a racially charged email about President Barack Obama from his courthouse chambers. Cebull, of Billings, was nominated by former President George W. Bush and has served as chief judge for the District of Montana since 2008. He insists he isn’t racist – he just doesn’t like Obama.
According to reports, Cibull sent the following email on February 20 to six people:
“A MOM’S MEMORY
Normally I don’t send or forward a lot of these, but even by my standards, it was a bit touching. I want all of my friends to feel what I felt when I read this. Hope it touches your heart like it did mine.
A little boy said to his mother; ‘Mommy, how come I’m black and you’re white?’ His mother replied, ‘Don’t even go there Barack! From what I can remember about that party, you’re lucky you don’t bark!’”
Obviously, the email insinuates that President Obama’s Negro (Kenyan-born) father is a dog. That means when President Obama’s deceased mother married his father, she committed bestiality. Cebull went on to clarify his true sentiments, which somehow got lost in the commotion:
“It was not intended by me in any way to become public. I apologize to anybody who is offended by it, and I can obviously understand why people would be offended. The only reason I can explain it to you is I am not a fan of our president, but this goes beyond not being a fan. I didn’t send it as racist, although that’s what it is. I sent it out because it’s anti-Obama.”
As someone of mixed Spanish, Indian and German ancestry, I’ve been the brunt of such callous remarks, although no one has been so stupid to denounce my parents – or anyone else in my family – guilty of bestiality. It’s typical of some extremist Caucasian conservatives to equate Negroes and Indians with animals. That’s how the first Europeans in the Western Hemisphere viewed the indigenous populations and it’s why they started importing slaves from Africa. They considered our ancestors nothing more wildlife, or at best, livestock.
The email came to light through the usual means. One of its recipients forwarded it to another person, who in turn forwarded it to another person. The email was eventually passed along to the Great Falls Tribune, who contacted Cebull for clarification and comment. Cebull said he was surprised the recipients of the e-mail passed it along with his name on it. Yes, of course! Who could have seen that coming?
Survivalist Tip: Since it’s the 1st of March, I want to address those folks who plan to take off on foot somewhere once the apocalypse strikes. You already understand the need for traveling light, but I want to make certain you understand that hiking and climbing for long distances can be tiresome, especially if you’re out of shape and / or you’ve stored too much into your backpack. First, you have to get into shape, which means moving around more than between the refrigerator and your computer. This means actually marching, like people do in the military, on prison chain gangs, or when they’re members of the varsity drum major squad. These individuals understand the importance of maintaining good stride while walking uniformly – otherwise they might get shot! Yes, those drum major coaches can be real hellions. You may be on your own, but you’ll have to keep a good stride. This will help to prevent you from losing your sanity, as you clamber over rough terrain, jumbled vehicles, or masses of dead bodies. If you are out of shape (read: fat ass), start now by marching up and down the street, the apartment complex stairs, or the halls of the mental hospital where you’re staying. This will help to prepare you for long treks across the wasteland. Second, learn to lighten that glut of mess in your backpack. And third, if you carry an I-pod with tunes of Native American music, it would be even better for your soul, as that will show the Mayan gods you are one with the Earth. Otherwise, just hum “99 Bars of Chocolate on the Wall” and you’ll be alright.
Filed under Mayan Calendar Countdown
Singer – actor Harry Belafonte (The Banana Boat Song, Jamaica Farewell) is 85.
Actor Robert Conrad (The Wild Wild West, High Mountain Rangers) is 77.
Singer Roger Daltrey (The Who) is 68.
Actor Dirk Benedict (The A-Team, Battlestar Galactica) is 67.
Actor Alan Thicke (Hope & Gloria, Growing Pains) is 65.
Former professional basketball player Brian Winters (LA Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks) is 60.
Actress Catherine Bach (The Dukes of Hazzard, African Skies) is 58.
Producer – director Ron Howard (Splash, Cocoon, Backdraft, Apollo 13) is 58.
Actor Timothy Daly (Diner, Wings) is 56.
Actor Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) is 43.
Filed under Birthdays
1692 – The Salem witch hunt began in the Massachusetts colony when 3 women were charged with practicing witchcraft.
1781 – The Articles of Confederation were finally ratified when Maryland approved them.
1803 – Ohio became the 17th state to enter the union.
1867 – Nebraska became the 37th state to enter the union.
1869 – Postage stamps depicting scenes were issued for the first time in the U.S.
1872 – President Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill creating Yellowstone, the nation’s first national park.
1873 – E. Remington and Sons of Ilion, NY began the manufacturing of the first practical typewriter. The strong as steel, heavy black clunkers became instant fixtures in offices across the country. It would be another half-century before electric typewriters made their appearance.
1890 – Readers picked up copies of the Literary Digest for the first time.
1912 – Captain Albert Berry of the Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, MO made the first parachute jump from a moving airplane at an altitude of 1,500 feet and a speed of 50 mph.
1932 – The baby of Charles and Anne Lindbergh was kidnapped from the family home in Hopewell, NJ.
1949 – Boxer Joe Louis, ‘The Brown Bomber,’ announced he was retiring from boxing as world heavyweight boxing champion. Louis held the title longer than any other champ – 11 years, eight months and seven days.
1954 – Four members of an extremist Puerto Rican group shot at the floor of the House of Representatives from the visitors’ gallery, injuring 5 Congressmen.
1961 – President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps.
1966 – Venera 3, a Soviet probe launched Kazakhstan the previous year crashed into Venus, becoming the first unmanned spacecraft to reach the surface of another planet.
1969 – Mickey Mantle announced his retirement from baseball.
1971 – The Weather Underground set off a bomb in a restroom in the Senate wing of the Capitol, causing $300,000 in damages, but injuring no one.
1987 – S&H Green Stamps became S&H Green Seals, 90 years after the lick-and-stick stamps were introduced as a way for businesses to bonus their customers – who then used the stamps to buy merchandise from catalog stores. The stamps became peel-and-seal stamps along with the name change.
1999 – Some 130 nations agreed to a United Nations Treaty banning land mines which went into effect this day. The U.S., Russia and China did not sign the treaty.
Filed under History
Filed under News
“Mark my word. If and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they’re sure trying to do so, it’s going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me.”
— Barry Goldwater speaking four decades ago on the subject of religion and politics
Obviously, Goldwater’s prediction hasn’t just come true, it’s turned into a nightmare! God save America from the Judeo-Christian Taliban!
Filed under News
“Early in my political career I had the opportunity to read the speech and I almost threw up.”
– Rick Santorum reflecting on John F. Kennedy’s 1960 speech advocating the separation of church and state
Now Santorum is trying to back away from that repulsive and dramatic statement. You can’t put toothpaste back in a tube (although some have tried), and Santorum can’t do much to make up for such an idiotic description. Santorum isn’t half the man that Kennedy was in his short life and probably never will be. The thought of Santorum in the Oval Office –with his medieval views of society and the various people who occupy it – makes me want to throw up! Fortunately, most Americans – even conservative Republicans – are too moderate and logical to let this clown get that far.
Filed under News
Survivalist Tip: Since this is “Leap Year,” it’s appropriate to remember the old English proverb, “Look before you leap.” It’s likely that some Englishman came up with that after a few pints of ale. The English – like Germans and Mexicans – could quaff down some brew and end up one shot away from being a frat boy. But, of course, when you want to gain a good look at something, a pair of binoculars is perfect. A telescope is even better, but that won’t fit in your backpack. A good set of binoculars is perfect for surveying areas ahead of you, if you have to flee your home. But, they also can come in handy even if you’re able to remain at home. Either way, with binoculars you can see approaching and potential enemies like zombies, vultures and Catholic priests. If you’re out in the wild, you can spot possible food sources like deer, buffalo and Twinkies. (Remember, deer and buffalo are great sources of protein, and Twinkies have a shelf life of 5,000 years.) So, stop into a sporting goods store soon and grab some binoculars. They’re not just for peeping toms anymore!
Filed under Mayan Calendar Countdown
