Stolen signs

I've now had four Mejias signs stolen. Two were at the Bay Shore LIRR station. The first of those disappeared the morning that canvassers for Pamela Greene showed up. The second went up on Saturday afternoon, and was down by this morning. The third was on Union, across from the exit of the Stop & Shop. (The "age 3 and up soccer kids" sign stayed up.) The fourth was from my yard. Someone pulled the sign down but left the metal stakes up.

It looks like this has become a trend around the district - same thing happened to the good folks at King Watch, and all over the place. Of course, Pete King is trying to blame "Democratic operatives." He's probably blaming Newsday as well. So if you see a copy of Parade Magazine sneaking out of your home delivery bag on Sunday, walking down the street, and ripping up signs, please call 911 immediately.

I was up in Westchester/Dutchess County over the weekend. There are signs everywhere. In many cases, John Spencer signs and Hillary Clinton signs sit next to each other at intersections. So what's the problem with King's sign stealers down here?

Pete King: Lapdog

Another new clip I put together tonight. Pete King, Lapdog.

The Terrorists and Peter King

New video just up on YouTube. This one's more serious. Let me know what you think. (Or don't. It's a free country.)

Let's Go Islanders!

So I took Cynicor Jr. to the Islanders game on Saturday, courtesy of a friend in the organization. The seats were in the same row I was in when Shawn Bates scored on The Penalty Shot.

The Islanders shot out ahead 2-0, and looked like they were cruising. Then Carolina, the least impressive Cup winners ever, scored three quickies in the third period. The crowd started to get restless, even though it was Third Tier Mascots Night.

The Isles never gave up, however. Mike Sillinger snapped in the game-tying goal a few minutes later, and the place erupted. The play went to the booth for review, but league rules state that no goal will be disallowed after the crowd has done the "WOOOOoooOOOOOO" chant.

When the Isles score on the power play, the scoreboard ribbon declares it an LIRR Power Play. This is fitting, because both the LIRR and the Isles PP unit operate at about 12% efficiency.

Anyway, former Rangers favorite and goal-a-game-deflecting-into-own-net hero Tom Poti loosed a cannon from the blue line just a few seconds into overtime, sealing the win for the mighty Isles. Even Stinger, the Columbus Blue Jackets mascot was excited, despite living with the terrible knowledge that if his mascot tail were ever to break off, he'd surely die.

Peter King: The Longer You Look...

It's my first YouTube video!

Times endorses Mejias!

AWESOME! I'm sure that Peter King will call for the Times to be hanged for treason again.

Elections in the Third Congressional District, which covers half of Nassau County and a slice of Suffolk along the South Shore, are usually yawners, with Democrats meekly stepping up to be stomped upon by the Republican incumbent, Peter King. He has not had a close race since his first, in 1992.

This year might be different. The Democrat, David Mejias, is waging a lively campaign, brandishing his credentials as a member of the Nassau County Legislature and seeking to ride what he says is a general wave of disgust with Washington, with Congress and with President Bush.

Mr. King is the last Republican standing in Long Island’s Congressional delegation, and judging from his lonely pugilist persona, he just might like it that way. Many voters warm to his belligerence, believing it denotes independence and truthfulness.

Those on the receiving end of his rhetorical bombardments are surely less charmed. He has blisteringly belittled many, from constituents criticizing Mr. Bush’s Social Security plan to Catholic clergy members who condemned Mr. King’s immigration bill and got a lecture in return about pedophile priests and an admonition to go to confession.

(The Times was also in Mr. King’s cross hairs, for writing — treasonously, he says — about a secret terrorist-surveillance program.)

We do not support Mr. King, but not because he wants us in jail. Our decision has to do with temperament, effectiveness and differences on issues from taxes and Iraq to abortion and immigration.

Mr. King does not get everything wrong. As chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, he has been a vocal defender of New York’s interests in anti-terrorism funding. But he has also stood in zealous opposition to abortion rights and in support of Mr. Bush’s harmful tax-cutting policies, and he has been an enabler of Mr. Bush’s go-it-alone defiance of Congress,
courts and the Constitution in waging the war on terrorism.

Mr. King also lost us with his singular devotion to hard-line immigration enforcement measures, particularly the bill he co-sponsored that would make felons of people giving charity to illegal
immigrants.

Mr. Mejias is one of the few bright bulbs in the low-watt Nassau Legislature. He helped to create a bill of rights for domestic workers in Nassau, requiring that employers give them written statements of their rights under federal and state law. He has a good environmental record, particularly in efforts to preserve open space, and has been an important ally of County Executive Thomas Suozzi in restoring fiscal discipline to Nassau government. He promises to be a refreshing change in the Third District, and we endorse him.

An even CUTER eternity

This Huggable Bear Keepsake Cremation Urn makes the Precious Moments urn look like a pile of CRAP.

Now they're just rubbing it in

Stingray jumps aboard boat and stabs Lighthouse Point man, 81, in chest

LIGHTHOUSE POINT -- An 81-year-old resident was in critical condition Thursday morning, a day after a spotted eagle stingray jumped onto his boat in the Intracoastal Waterway and stabbed him in the chest, leaving a foot-long barb stuck in him, authorities said.

The cutest afterlife EVER!

I heard a story today that a company had entered into an agreement with Major League Baseball to offer caskets and urns with your favorite team's logo on it. OK, I thought, maybe someone is really anxious to be buried with the Arizona Diamondbacks rattler on their box. I'd actually heard of another company doing this for some college teams. (Go Dawgs!)

I did a quick search on this story tonight, and the company (Eternal Image) has a rather spare Web site right now. You can get baseball caskets. You can get AKC breed urns for your dog's ashes. (A little odd but understandable.) And you can get...

PRECIOUS MOMENTS URNS.

You can get an urn with a Precious Moments figurine on top. If you croak, but still want people to talk about how cute your remains are, why not dump the ash into a Precious Moments urn? After all, you got married at the Precious Moments theme park in Carthage, Missouri. You're going to get saved for all eternity in your Precious Moments urn. Hey, why not make it a triple play and use a Precious Moments diaphragm on your honeymoon? Live the Precious Moments life. Die the Precious Moments death.

And if all goes well, guess what? This will be the only page referenced within Google that has the phrase "Precious Moments urn" in it. See?

Pete King: Baghdad as safe as NYC

Well, except for all the torture, kidnapping, and murder. DELUSIONAL.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/10/17/king-baghdad-manhattan/

Mejias now on "emerging races" list

This is so great. Usually the field of competitive races starts to narrow at this time of year. For the good guys, it's expanding. The DCCC added Dave Mejias to its list of "candidates who have taken traditionally non-competitive districts and, through the strength of their campaigns, put themselves in a position to win in November." Rahm Emanuel has been bickering with Howard Dean a bit, but let's face it. Because of Dean's long-term strategy to build the party in every district in the country, Emanuel now gets to expand the list of competition halfway through October. Pray for rout, and read more about Mejias vs. King here.

Top ten signs I'm getting too fat

• The conductor on the train charges me a step-up fare for my ass now.
• My shirt button flew off in the car and shattered the windshield, sending the car over a cliff where it burst into flames.
• Target no longer carries my pants size. Even Wal-Mart doesn't. I have to go to Fat Hank's Pants Hut in Corona, which is closed on Saturdays.
• I was asked to sit in an aisle seat on the train to give it a better shot at making it through the tunnel.
• I failed the pencil test--with my navel.
• I was banned from the Olive Garden "Endless Pasta Bowl" night. In fact, they banned all people named Josh to avoid discrimination suits.
• I have been avoiding NYC on Thanksgiving week ever since I broke free of my tethers in a brisk wind three years ago and crushed a 34-year-old mother of two.
• I don't have the energy to make it all the way across the supermarket now, so I start with frozen foods and aim towards fruit and veg.
• I stitched a racing stripe down the side of my underpants to give myself a sconch of extra room.
• I accidentally started "the wave" at an Islanders game, as the people in neighboring seats kept pushing my gut back and forth out of their way, creating a mesmerizing ripple effect.

King 48, Mejias 46

MoE +/-3. This is yet another "gimme" race for the GOP that's within the margin of error now. The choice is stark here.

If you like how George Bush has launched an endless war in Iraq on false pretenses, held hundreds of people without charge for years, approved torture on POWs, ignored major disasters in American cities, trashed the environment, tried to dismantle Social Security, and created the largest spending government in history, vote for Pete King. He thanks God every night that Bush is president.

If you don't like that stuff, vote for Dave Mejias.

Bipartisanship

Bipartisanship is crap. Bipartisanship is meaningless. Bipartisanship means that sometimes you do the right thing, but sometimes you go along with Bush. Anyone who claims they're bipartisan is just saying "I think Bush is doing a good job on a lot of stuff." Anyone who claims that they want to make the tone in Washington more civil is really saying "I think Bush is doing a good job on a lot of stuff, so please don't yell at me."

Peter King is known around these parts, oddly enough, as "bipartisan" and "his own man." What does that mean in practice? It means that he voted against the Clinton impeachment eight years ago. It also means that he "thanks God every night that George Bush is our president." I'm going to weigh one against the other and go out on a limb here. King is not bipartisan. King has boasted that he mocks Democratic constituents who write to him. King celebrates Karl Rove, not to mention terrorists. (But only light-skinned ones.)

But back to the point. There is no such thing as "bipartisanship" in America today. Anyone who claims they're trying for it is either lying or delusional. Anyone who thinks Pete King is "bipartisan" is kidding themselves and not looking at his voting record, statements, and actions.

Jericho, episode 8

(CBS) Weds 8 PM ET/PT
Jericho - The gang finds a box of crackers. (CC/Stereo)

Who is Rod Bernson? WHERE is Rod Bernson?

And why is he haunting me?

I got a comment this morning on an old blog post, a 2005 ranting about Los Angeles. I wondered what drew someone to read it, and went to my StatCounter page. Something is going around, because most of the searches leading to my site involve Rod Bernson. And this isn't just one person. This is searches from Independence, MO. Rancho Cucamonga, CA. And of course, Torrance and Burbank. People are even looking for him on the Fox 11 site.

First of all, he's not here. He was mentioned once because he happened to be on a Fox News report that I saw while I was flying to Long Beach last year.

Second of all, his name is spelled Bernsen, not Bernson. That's why you can't find him. Try it again, everyone.

Google "Peter King terrorism"

Here, you can just click here and it will do it for you. The first ten entries:

1. Wikipedia entry that talks about Newsday readers and editors speaking out against King's thoughts on ethnic profiling. (Quoting MY letter!)
2. "Peter King, has been aligned with one of the most violent terrorist groups in recent European history...."
3. "King endorses ethnic profiling"
4. "The principled opposition to the all paramilitary groups contrasts sharply with Pete King."
5. "Pete King and his support of terrorism. From a BBC interview: King: To me terrorism is always wrong, but I think the IRA was a legitimate force that had to..."
6. GovTrack on Peter King
7. The Media Jihad Against Peter King
8. NY Times search on Peter King
9. "Peter King likes to say that he is committed to fighting terrorism. However, when the interests of the terror fight and big business conflict, without fail"
10. King on NewsHour, where he says "I think it's wrong to make it a partisan issue because the president is absolutely committed to this as are many Democrats. I've never made this a partisan issue."

So out of the top ten hits, two are neutral. One is right-wing. Six link Pete King to terror. And the tenth is a lie from King, the guy who says that he thanks God every night that Bush is our president.

Since Pete King is linked with terrorists wherever you look, it shows just how little the GOP leadership cares about truly fighting the threat when you consider that they made him the head of Homeland Security in the House. Can you imagine? It would be like putting a mining industry official in charge of mine safety enforcement. Or Donald Rumsfeld in charge of defense. Or Dick Cheney in charge of protecting the Constitution. Or....

Peter King, terrorist supporter

You can really go a long way in this life if you're willing to bully your way through while shifting your principles to suit.

So yes, this is about Peter King. Rep. King now holds the spot at the head of the Homeland Security Committee, a plum assignment for the Long Island Republican. And his leadership has paid off, as Chertoff drained funding for New York this year in favor of popcorn factories in Indiana.

King has been campaigning for reelection in his two constituencies (Nassau/Suffolk and Fox News), consistently talking about the threat of "Islamic terrorism." He uses the phrase in interviews, in mailings, and he even has Ed Koch using it in the pathetic radio ad for King. (He wanted to get Grandpa Al Lewis, but he wasn't dead enough.)

And you know why he uses the phrase "Islamic terrorism," right? Because for years - decades - King was the American patron of the IRA. Never forget that King aligned himself with "one of the most violent terrorist groups in recent European history."

King defended the IRA and their slaughter in Britain. He called the IRA the legitimate voice of occupied Ireland.

King used to travel to Belfast regularly. Now he has turned on not just the IRA but the entire country of Ireland. He recently said "There's a certain unpleasant trait that the Irish have, and it's begrudgery ... and resentment towards the Americans."

Peter King worked with Noraid, a group that supplied money and guns to the IRA.
Peter King would go to Ireland and drink in IRA clubs - including one that was limited to IRA veterans who spent time in jail.

The conflicts between the IRA and loyalists resulted in over 3600 deaths. They assassinated officials and royals. The IRA was responsible for designing car and truck bombs. The same designs are now used in Iraq against Americans. This is the group that Peter King supported for years.

Peter King is beyond hypocrisy. A hypocrite is someone who says they're a strong supporter of education but then votes for No Child Left Behind. Someone who supports terrorists who slaughter civilians, then vilifies other American citizens as potential terrorist supporters because they happen to be Moslems (or just dark-skinned), is a treacherous, race-baiting danger.

And now King is running on his record - Ed Koch is extolling King's vote to remove habeas corpus from detainees, to wiretap American citizens without cause, and to allow American citizens to be detained without rights at the president's say-so.

Think about it. Peter King supports the reversal of rights that we have assumed since King John in 1215. He wants to rip apart the Constitution, which talks of "inalienable rights" - rights that all humans have. He supported major terrorist groups, and now covers up his past record by vilifying Moslem residents of Long Island.

Peter King stands against the basic goodness that made America the greatest country in the world. A vote for him is a vote for fascism, without exaggeration.

The Curse of the Yankees

I don't talk about baseball all that much these days, as I have nothing much new to offer. I'm partial to hockey. But a momentous event occurred in New York over the weekend. The Yankees were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round. The Mets swept their first round series and moved to the league championships. What does it all mean?

The Yankees spend a fifth of a billion dollars on payroll. $200 million. They gathered all the top stars. Created a Hall of Fame lineup. And for six consecutive seasons, they have not won the Series. Most everyone you hear talking about this says that the reason is clear: while they're a collection of great pieces, the Yankees aren't a true team. They are a bunch of individuals. You can't win if you don't play as a team.

That's true in basketball. That's true in hockey. That's true in football. However, this is most decidedly not true in baseball. Baseball is a series of individual acts. The only people who have to work together are the pitcher and the catcher. A shortstop doesn't have to intuitively know that the left fielder is in a particular spot. A runner on second doesn't need to have a particular play worked out with the batter. Baseball is a collection of individual events performed by individual players. A lack of teamwork is never to blame for striking out, popping the ball up with the bases loaded, or on the other hand, wild throws and dropped fly balls.

So why haven't the Yankees won since the WTC was intact? It's very simple. In 2000, they beat the Mets in the World Series. At the time, I cursed them. Sure, they won the dream series, but I would make sure that they never again won it all as punishment. Well, it's been six seasons now where they have the best team but choked. I put that lump in their throats. I said "in six years, you'll sweep the Red Sox in a five game series during the season, but it will not make up for the fact that you lost a 3-0 lead to them two years earlier. Jerks."

When will I lift this curse? The Mets haven't won the Series yet, but they have at least a one in four chance. If they do take it all this year, I'll consider lifting the hex. But I probably won't. See, the Yankees just don't play well enough as a team yet.

Big in Tirana

Dridhe Trupin

"Baby Shake! He he, shake your body or "dridhe trupin" is the essence of this song. Simple but damn to the point. Oran G the King of Rap, member of the Shqip Squad break dance. You will love this song."

Joe Lieberman sucks

I lived in Connecticut until 1995. In that time, I voted against two Democrats. One was a local race in New Haven; I voted for my friend Lisa Valentovish. She was a Republican, but not one of the sucky ones.

I also voted against Joe Lieberman when he ran for Senate. I voted for Lowell Weicker, a decision I am prouder of every year. Weicker was a Republican, and he was more liberal than Lieberman. Lieberman's campaign was backed by William F. Buckley. Weicker later broke from his party completely and won election as governor as an independent. He was truly beholden to no one, from the time he bucked his party and demanded the truth of what Nixon had done in the Watergate scandal.

Lieberman was always an annoying, moralistic scold. A jackass, and not in the good MTV sense of a guy who staples his scrotum to his thigh for a TV show. The type of jackass who cares so much about what's right that he will throw Clinton overboard while still expecting his support years later. We all gritted our teeth when Holy Joe was added to the Gore ticket in 2000 as a way to shore up the Jewish vote in Fairfield County.

And still, he's at it. He has consistently spoken out in favor of Bush's war in Iraq, which shows that he will take the wrong position and stick with it, even when it puts the House elections in danger. He is adopting this "bipartisan" line, which over the past 12 years has translated to "do whatever Republicans say or we'll start rumors that you're gay." This is truly the worst part of his act. He has taken several substantive steps away from women's reproductive rights under the cloak of "bipartisanship." He really tries to uphold Bush's "uniter, not divider" line, when we've all seen what a crock of crap it is. I just don't know whether he's really stupid and is getting played, or if he's so sinister that he's trying to save his cushy job at the expense of his views. The third possibility is that he is setting himself up for a Unity '08 run for president, where he plays the role of the Republican who pretends he's not.

Any way you slice it, Lieberman, Buckley's favorite Democrat, has been the wrong guy since 1990.

Mejias for Congress ad

Hey, spot me in the Mejias for Congress ad!

Hint: From 0:23, look to the right of the screen and watch as my face appears. I'm the large-headed guy in the pink shirt.

Seattle photos

While I was in Seattle for family and work, I had the chance to take a few photos I like. I went to two good locations: Seward Park and Gasworks.

At Seward Park, you can get a great view of Mount Rainier - but only when it's crystal clear, and only when you're using a good polarizer. If you get everything just right, your photo can look like this.

At Gasworks, the park is open until 11 PM, but it's completely unlit. You can't see where you're walking after dark without a flashlight of some sort. Through the miracle of long-exposure photography, however, you can see the gasworks lit only by the moon and stars. Gasworks also has, in my opinion, some of the best views of the Seattle skyline you can get. The reflections off Lake Union on a clear, still night are amazing. You also get a great sense of foreboding because you literally can't see anything but silhouettes walking around. Get the photos without losing your nerve!