The Rational Radical's Weblog

Friday, November 22, 2002

Tonight O'Reilly said that (and I quote from memory) "a substantial portion of the proceeds" from Factor Gear sales goes to "poor Americans who want to help themselves." His web sites don't, as far as I can find, give any details. A guy calling for transparency in connection with charities should himself give out the details of what he claims to be doing.

Jack Clark 10:38 PM [+]   
Post #84960212

Okay, I know I wrote a little while ago saying I missed the Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson (see, I restrained from calling him the Rev. Jesse Lee Peckerhead, although I guess I just did so, didn't I, naughty boy) because I always got such a good laugh from him. Well, O'Reilly the other night devoted a segment to probably the most idiotic lawsuit ever filed in the history of Western jurisprudence: Blacks Sue Jesse Jackson: You're Not Our Leader   Only people with a bug up their ass about Jackson like Bill O'Reilly and other right-wing crazies like Newsmax.com would even bother to report on something so obviously headed for a quick dismissal by the judge. While I watched the segment, I said to myself, "Boy, isn't this something that Rev. Peterson would do?" But the segment never mentioned him. Well, I felt happy to read the above-cited news story since it mentioned that Rev. Peterson's organization was one of the plaintiffs. Surprising that Rev. Peterson, the desperate publicity hound trying to feed off of Jackson's persona, didn't also appear on the O'Reilly segment. So I still didn't get to watch the hysterically sincere Rev. Peterson in person. I'll just have to wait.

Jack Clark 9:55 PM [+]   
Post #84958982

"Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty over Liberalism"   This is the title of Sean Hannity's best-selling book. Hannity complains all the time that the Democrats are vicious and always try to "demonize" Republicans and conservatives. I don't know how he can say that with a straight face, since his very own book title says that if liberalism wins, liberty will be defeated. Sounds pretty demonizing to me. (I'm not a liberal, but I'm sure whatever Hannity says about liberals he would appy ten-fold to more progressive thinkers like me.)

Jack Clark 10:43 PM [+]   
Post #84911740

Fox News Head Sent a Policy Note to Bush

A Letter From the Boss Contradicts Fox's Creed

The headlines say it all.

No one says there can't be a conservative-slanted network. What's annoying is when it claims not to be.

Jack Clark 9:56 PM [+]   
Post #84856011

Did you see Mario Cuomo on Hannity & Colmes tonight? He made Sean Hannity seem like the 8th grade social studies class-level ranter and raver that he is.

Jack Clark 10:13 PM [+]   
Post #84749310

Amazing how when it's an anti-animal rights statistic, the New York Times is awfully unquestioning. Some Fur Now Flies in Unlikely Directions  The reporter quotes the Fur Information Council's stat that in 2001 fur sales were $1.53 billion, compared with $1.1 billion in 1991 as supporting "improving sales of fur products." It's not clear whether the conclusion is his or the Council's, but in either case it should have been discounted. That's because in constant dollars, $1.1 billion in 1991 translates to $1.43 billion today. So going from $1.43 billion to $1.53 billion is less than a 7% increase over 10 years, hardly enough to justify the claim of "improving sales," since the population grew by almost double that rate during the comparable period ten year period 1990-2000.

Jack Clark 9:44 PM [+]   
Post #84748290

Every time I read something like this, it makes my blood boil: New York Exports Mentally Ill, Shifting Burden to Other States and Bouncing Around the System, With Little Help and Pataki Assailed for Sending Mentally Ill Patients to New Jersey  As the N.J. governor mildly put it:

"The practice, if documented, violates acceptable notions of decency, as well as legal and moral standards for patient health care."

In essence, many years ago New York State emptied its psychiatric hospitals, saying the patients would be better off in small group settings. Problem is, New York State didn't fund such small group settings, so the mentally ill are out on the street or in facilities that are totally unequipped to properly care for them. Shame on us! It recalls Jeb Bush and all the lost (and probably dead) foster children under his administration in Florida. What the f**k is wrong with us as a species?!

Jack Clark 9:38 PM [+]   
Post #84748012

The re-colonialization (that's not really a word but who cares) of the world continues: U.S. Turns Horn of Africa Into a Military Hub  Actually, I should say military re-colonialization, since economic colonialism never ended. See G8 Globalization: "Meet the new boss/Same as the old boss"

Jack Clark 9:28 PM [+]   
Post #84747670

Another thought about the concept of the Blue and Red states forming separate countries: The Bushian Red states can form a fundamentalist Christian theocracy. Bill O'Reilly can be the morals czar and make sure no Eminem or Ludacris besmirches that nation. John Ashcroft can still be Attorney General, and outlaw breasts and dancing. And on the economic front, wanting to avoid evil "big government," there will of course be no minimum wage (let alone a living wage!) so all those intelligent working class people who vote for Bush and his ilk can have their dream come true and work for Third World wages.

Jack Clark 11:04 PM [+]   
Post #84696598