Archive for June, 2009

Surprise! Franken Wins Minnesota Senate Seat

Posted by mario piperni On June - 30 - 2009

franken coleman wrestling  http://mariopiperni.com/

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The flesh wound turned out to be fatal.

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that Democrat Al Franken be certified as the winner of the state’s long-running Senate race.

“The Supreme Court has made its decision and I will abide by the results,” Coleman told reporters outside his St. Paul home.

Not much more one could say on this epic 8 month battle that has not been said.  Republicans did their darnedest to get Coleman elected and prevent a filibuster-proof Senate.  It was not to be.  Rumors have it that Coleman will be the new RNC chairman once Steele is finally booted from the post.

If you did not catch a post I wrote up on the Franken/Coleman farce, here it is.

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Finding a Home For Bernie Madoff

Posted by mario piperni On June - 30 - 2009

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There appears to be a problem as to where to place convicted swindler, Bernie Madoff.

Sentenced to 150 years, Madoff will probably be sent to a medium- or high-security prison, probably in the northeastern U.S, according to lawyers and prison consultants. Even worse for Madoff, fellow inmates serving life sentences may want “to make a name for themselves” by harming the ex-money manager, a former inmate said. The Federal Bureau of Prisons, which will decide where he’s jailed, may isolate Madoff to protect him from other prisoners.

One word.  Gitmo.  Should work as long as Obama and his successors keep it open for the next 150 years.

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Whew!  It’s been one hell of a week.  Funeral, wedding, packing boxes for a major move to Florida, intermittent internet and a hundred other issues…it’s been rough.  Not being able to write for the last few days has only added to the stress level, but I’m back in normal mode…well, semi-normal mode until my move is complete.

Good to be back!  Now, what’s been happening out there for the last 3 days?

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Are They Still Listening To Joe?

Posted by mario piperni On June - 26 - 2009

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It might be the pissy mood I’m in today (my upcoming move is testing my patience) but my tolerance level for ignorance is at a low. Came across this quote from Joe the Plumber and it really ticked me off.

“I’m here for one reason and one reason only: It’s ‘I love America,’” Wurzelbacher told the crowd. “Mainstream media wants to paint us as a bunch of extremists, right? We’re in search of liberty and our freedoms. What’s so extreme about that?” [...]

“Let me give you another extremist view, ‘In God We Trust,’” he said to wild applause. “Say that too loud in some parts of America and you will be shot. It’s terrible.” “‘In God We Trust’ … too loud in some parts of America and you will be shot.”

Tell us Joe, you stupid little weasel,  in what part of America will you be shot for saying “In God We Trust”?   What is this nonsense where liberty and freedoms are exclusively conservative values?  And the “mainstream media” is not painting conservatives as a whole as extremists.  It is (are you listening Joe?) painting EXTREMISTS as extremists.

Seriously, the Joes and Bachmanns and Limbaughs are a tiresome bunch who are damaging the conservative and Republican causes more than their little minds can ever understand.

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The Devil Made Them Do It

Posted by mario piperni On June - 26 - 2009

I have little tolerance for homophobia whatever the justification used by the individual to make their position appear reasonable. Religious based bigotry is as unacceptable. Get a load of this…
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Instilling guilt in a young man for being gay is as anti-love, anti-God, anti-Jesus an act as anything I can conceive.

In the name of Jesus, you homosexual spirit…
We call you out right now!

Hiding behind a bible makes one no less a hateful bigot.  Masking their ignorance and couching their words in Biblical verse makes them even more despicable.

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Michael Jackson Dead

Posted by mario piperni On June - 25 - 2009

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I was not a Michael Jackson fan but I will readily admit I loved his Thriller album. Billy Jean is still a song I’d have no problem slipping into my CD player.  Learning of his sudden death has had an eerie effect on me. As one who casually followed his ever increasing bizarre life, I find myself struck with the strangest of feelings. Strange enough that I don’t know what label to apply to a semi-detached morose emotion that the world is somewhat different today. Not better, not worse, just different.

Michael Jackson is dead.  Too strange.

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Michael Savage Takes On MediaMatters

Posted by mario piperni On June - 25 - 2009

Anyone who has been reading these pages for any length of time (see here, here and here) would be aware that one of my least favorite people is conservative nutcase, Michael Savage.  His homophobic, xenophobic radio show delves beyond entertainment and spills into the arena of pure hate.  MediaMatters has been exposing Savage for years and now the hate monger has decided he’s had enough.  He claims he will post post “full pictures and other pertinent information about” Media Matters employees on his website.

MediaMatters has responded with a montage of Savage clips under the heading, “We’re still listening.”

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Exposing this guy to be the lying, fraudulent hate-monger he is, is just too easy.  Simply play back his words. That’s all.

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Mark Sanford  http://mariopiperni.com/

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Finding it difficult to figure this one out.

After going AWOL for seven days, S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford admitted Wednesday that he’d secretly flown to Argentina to visit a woman with whom he’d been having an affair.

Questions about Sanford’s whereabouts arose early this week. For two days after reporters started asking questions, his office had said he had gone hiking on the Appalachian Trail.

Appalachian Trail?  What was the man thinking?  Another Republican presidential hopeful bites the dust.

The Washington Post has an interesting piece on Republican’s sorry state in light of this latest scandal.

Coming a week after Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) admitted to an extramarital affair, the scandal will impact the Republicans in several ways. First, it further damages the GOP brand, potentially driving away more voters or at least making it more difficult to win back some of those who abandoned the party in the past two elections. Second, it could disillusion social and religious conservatives — a critically important part of the Republican coalition — who may now wonder whether those who share the Republican label truly share their values. Third, the Sanford saga removes one more new-generation GOP leader from the field of prospective 2012 candidates, adding to doubts about the strength of the party’s bench.

Glenn Church over at Foolocracy takes a look at the Sanford scandal from a different angle and here’s an interactive thingy on political sex scandals over the last 35 years.

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Ahmadinejad Won’t Be Celebrating July 4

Posted by mario piperni On June - 24 - 2009

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No corn dogs for Iranian diplomats on July 4.

The Obama administration has rescinded an offer for Iranian envoys to attend U.S. embassy Fourth of July parties as the violent crackdown in Tehran continues.

Hillary speaks…

“Unfortunately, circumstances have changed and participation by Iranian diplomats would not be appropriate in light of the unjust actions that the president and I have condemned,” she said in her message sent overseas. “For invitations which have been extended, posts should make clear that Iranian participation is no longer appropriate in the current circumstances. For invitations which have not been extended, no further action is needed.”

Might this be the game breaker for the Iranian government?  Will Ahmadinejad now admit he rigged the election?  I think so.

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I Hate Moving

Posted by mario piperni On June - 24 - 2009

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Today’s the day when the brunt of my packing gets done before the Monday move, so I won’t be back till later today.

Have I mentioned that I despise packing and that it is an area I don’t excel?  How bad am I?  This little anecdote should help describe it.  One Christmas, my 8 year old daughter walked into my studio where I had just finished wrapping up gifts for her mother.  Cristina took one look at the mangled wrapping paper and untidy bows, sighed and gently pushed me aside.  Without a word, she proceeded to beautifully rewrap every gift.  Right there and then she became my OWP (official wrapping person) for the next many years.

I’ve since graduated to paper bag wrapping. So much simpler.  Place the gift in the bag, cover it with tissue paper and voila!…it’s done.

Okay, I’ve put it off long enough…open thread.

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