The REAL Polarbear's Blog

THIS IS THE RESULT OF HATE CRIMES AND ETHNIC VIOLENCE:

3 Teens Charged In Immigrant Beating Death

(AP) Three white teens were charged Friday in what officials said was an epithet-filled fatal beating of an illegal Mexican immigrant in a small northeast Pennsylvania coal town.

Brandon J. Piekarsky, 16, and Colin J. Walsh, 17, were charged as adults with homicide and ethnic intimidation in the July 12 attack on Luis Ramirez.

A third teen, Derrick M. Donchak, 18, was charged with aggravated assault, ethnic intimidation and other offenses. All are from Shenandoah, where the attack occurred.

Ramirez, 25, was beaten to death after an argument with a group of youths that police said included high school football players. Authorities could not immediately say if any of the suspects were members of the team, but they confirmed that all three used ethnic slurs during the fight.

"As a result of this crime, a young man has lost his life. Many other lives have been devastated, and the borough of Shenandoah has been filled with tensions between many ethnic groups," Schuylkill County District Attorney James Goodman said.

"Now that the criminal charges have been filed, we must let this case be handled in the criminal justice system," he said.

Police said as many as six teens were involved in the fight, which ended with Ramirez in convulsions and foaming at the mouth. He died July 14 of head injuries.

Crystal Dillman, the victim's 24-year-old fiancee, who is white and grew up in Shenandoah, has said Ramirez was often called derogatory names, including "dirty Mexican," and told to return to his homeland.

"I plan on moving out of this town as fast as I can. Not because I'm scared. I just don't want to see my children have to deal with what their father dealt with," Dillman said.

Piekarsky and Walsh were being held without bail, while Donchak was held on $75,000 bail.

Lawyers for Piekarsky and Walsh said their clients were not guilty and that there was no evidence to support the homicide charges. They also said they would try to have the case removed to juvenile court.

Donchak declined comment.

© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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I only hope that anyone reading this will see the picture and think of their actions. I speak to a certain blogger with children especially(who I will not name) along with everyone else. THINK about what you are saying and what kind of a message you are sending to your children. It is very important that they know this kind of behavior is wrong and should never be tolerated. Racism is NEVER right and must be fought and destroyed.

As a result of racism and intolerance, this Hispanic man lost his life and the three losers accused of the crime are facing murder charges. It is absolutely disgusting that in our world today many still choose to be narrow minded and ignorant about other races and nationalities. And the worst part is this same man has been called names like "dirty Mexican" in the past and told to return to his homeland. According to the police, not just the three arrested, but up to SIX (6) morons are said to have been involved in the fight that lead to Mr. Ramirez's death. The other sad part about this story is the suspects are between the ages of 16 and 18. These are stil children spreading and spewing this hatred and violence. It is inexcusable and unacceptable.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Unfortunately I could not find photos of the suspects(I'd LOVE to plaster their little racist faces across the world) or any other info. I will definately be following this one as more developments come out.

THIS IS THE RESULT OF HATE CRIMES AND ETHNIC VIOLENCE:

3 Teens Charged In Immigrant Beating Death

(AP) Three white teens were charged Friday in what officials said was an epithet-filled fatal beating of an illegal Mexican immigrant in a small northeast Pennsylvania coal town.

Brandon J. Piekarsky, 16, and Colin J. Walsh, 17, were charged as adults with homicide and ethnic intimidation in the July 12 attack on Luis Ramirez.

A third teen, Derrick M. Donchak, 18, was charged with aggravated assault, ethnic intimidation and other offenses. All are from Shenandoah, where the attack occurred.

Ramirez, 25, was beaten to death after an argument with a group of youths that police said included high school football players. Authorities could not immediately say if any of the suspects were members of the team, but they confirmed that all three used ethnic slurs during the fight.

"As a result of this crime, a young man has lost his life. Many other lives have been devastated, and the borough of Shenandoah has been filled with tensions between many ethnic groups," Schuylkill County District Attorney James Goodman said.

"Now that the criminal charges have been filed, we must let this case be handled in the criminal justice system," he said.

Police said as many as six teens were involved in the fight, which ended with Ramirez in convulsions and foaming at the mouth. He died July 14 of head injuries.

Crystal Dillman, the victim's 24-year-old fiancee, who is white and grew up in Shenandoah, has said Ramirez was often called derogatory names, including "dirty Mexican," and told to return to his homeland.

"I plan on moving out of this town as fast as I can. Not because I'm scared. I just don't want to see my children have to deal with what their father dealt with," Dillman said.

Piekarsky and Walsh were being held without bail, while Donchak was held on $75,000 bail.

Lawyers for Piekarsky and Walsh said their clients were not guilty and that there was no evidence to support the homicide charges. They also said they would try to have the case removed to juvenile court.

Donchak declined comment.

© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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I only hope that anyone reading this will see the picture and think of their actions.  I speak to a certain blogger with children especially(who I will not name) along with everyone else.  THINK about what you are saying and what kind of a message you are sending to your children.  It is very important that they know this kind of behavior is wrong and should never be tolerated.  Racism is NEVER right and must be fought and destroyed. 

As a result of racism and intolerance, this Hispanic man lost his life and the three losers accused of the crime are facing murder charges.  It is absolutely disgusting that in our world today many still choose to be narrow minded and ignorant about other races and nationalities.  And the worst part is this same man has been called names like "dirty Mexican" in the past and told to return to his homeland.  According to the police, not just the three arrested, but up to SIX (6) morons are said to have been involved in the fight that lead to Mr. Ramirez's death.  The other sad part about this story is the suspects are between the ages of 16 and 18.  These are stil children spreading and spewing this hatred and violence.  It is inexcusable and unacceptable.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Unfortunately I could not find photos of the suspects(I'd LOVE to plaster their little racist faces across the world) or any other info.  I will definately be following this one as more developments come out.

So often we read anti-Hispanic/anti-immigrant rhetoric about the "illegal invaders" or the "dirty Mexicans" or any other slur about these people.  And it seems to get a free pass.  It's OK to belittle and abuse the brown people.

But what about them?  Do they not suffer as well?  Take the case of the Immigration Raid on the meat plant in Postville, Iowa awhile back.  About 700 people were caught working at the Agriprocessors meat packing plant.  After the May 12 raid, one-third of the town is missing and the plant lost almost all of its employees.  At one point, busing in homeless people from Texas to fill the openings.  Around 300 people were arrested and are currently serving five month sentences for identity theft.  And many women and children are currently awaitng court dates, as if they were common criminals.  One eample is Maria Cruz, whose husband was arrested and Cruz herself is without a job, wearing an ankle monitor and raising her three sons.  Is this how we treat people coming here for a better life?  As if they were animals or criminals?

Instead of focusing on the fact the workers at this plant were undocumented(as the media did) we should instead be focusing on the fact the conditions inside this plant were unsafe.  Two of the owners are facing charges for helping workers get identity information.  However, they need to face the consequences for the REAL crime here: the unsafe working conditions these people were subjected to.  The local pastor commented on the conditions of the plant, stating that it is "dirty and unsafe".  The pastor has also had to take people for medical care due to cuts and there were even children with missing fingers and hands. 

Remember this next time you decide to take a cheap shot at Hispanics in discussion about immigration.  Remember the people who are sufferign and who is at fault: BIG BUSINESS.   Big Business who intentionally helps these people get false information only for the purpose of forcing them to work in unsafe conditions for low pay.  Whether it is a sweat shop in China or an American Capitalist Exploiter trying to make an extra buck, this violation of human rights is wrong and must be stopped. 

These Hispanic people are NOT the threat to our country as some say.  The employers who mistreat and abuse their employees are the true threat.

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(CBS)It was the largest single immigration raid in the country. There were 700 warrants and 300 arrests. Agriprocessors, a kosher meatpacking plant, lost three quarters of its workforce, reports CBS Evening News correspondent Russ Mitchell. And tiny Postville, Iowa lost one out of every three of its residents.

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"I would say we lost a good third of our people," said Postville Mayor Bob Penrod. "It's a pretty substantial hit."

Businesses that had served the Hispanic community struggled or shuttered after the May 12 raid. The meatpacking plant scrambled to replace 700 workers -- at one point busing in the homeless from Texas.

"This has not created anything good for the community," said Father Paul Ouderkirk, a former pastor at St. Bridget's Church "It's created division, hurt, harm."

Most of the nearly 300 undocumented workers arrested are serving five months sentences for identity theft, but some 40 women along with their 90 children are still living in Postville, awaiting a court date. Unable to work, the families are completely dependent on St. Bridget's Catholic church for food, rent money and medical care. Maria Cruz is one of those women.

"They took my husband and left me with my three sons and I can't work," Cruz said. "It makes you feel humiliated and we didn't do anything bad, the only thing we did was come here to work."

Cruz has to wear a tracking bracelet 24 hours a day and cannot leave Iowa until her case comes to trial. Maria also told CBS News that after the raid, her last paycheck was missing 20 hours of overtime and she was not paid for two weeks of vacation time she had earned - money she desperately needs now.

Two Agriprocessor managers are facing indictment for assisting plant workers get fake identity cards. Now the federal Labor Department is investigating the plant for child labor violations; the equal Employment Oppotunity Commision is looking into sexual harrasment charges; and lawyers for the immigrants are working on a lawsuit over wage and hour violations. And over the years, there have been repeated charges of safety violations.

"The line behind us was dangerous, it was all sharp knives," Cruz said.

"It was the dirtiest, unsafest plant I've ever been in," Father Ouderkirk said.

Many of Ouderkirk's parishioners worked at Agriprocessors. He has toured the plant and says workers there were routinely mistreated.

"We're dealing with them -- we've seen them -- the kid without three fingers and the one with his hand missing, and when I was a pastor here I took how many people to the doctor with cuts," Ouderkirk said.

Agriprocessors denies employing underage workers, and would not discuss any pending litigation, but says it has begun to make changes in the plant.

"We have hired a compliance officer, that was reported to everybody, and I'm not going to get into the details, but I think it was reported, many new and improved systems," said Chaim Abraham with Adriprocessors.

Still, that's not enough for Fr. Paul.

"They have a responsibility to this whole community that they never lived up to," Ouderkirk said. "They painted a good picture, but their actions spoke a different story."

 

© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

Sometimes when we touch…

 

The honesty’s too much…

 

And I have to close my eyes and hide…

 

I wanna hold you til I die…

 

Til we both break down and cry…

 

I wanna hold you til the fear in me subsides.

 

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John McCain and George W Bush are in bed together!!

Voting for John McCain is voting for a third term of George W. Bush!!

John McCain is trying to put distance between himself and Bush, but he cannot hide the fact that he and Bush are best buddies.

*John McCain's positions on the War in Iraq are almost IDENTICAL.
   -John McCain wants to "stay the course" of George Bush's failure in Iraq.
   -John McCain has stated that he wants to keep us in Iraq for 100 years!!
   -John McCain has joked about bombing Iran. 
   -John McCain will continue George Bush's mission to attack Iran.

*John McCain once opposed the George Bush tax cuts for the rich.  Now that Johnny is running for president, he suddenly wants to make the very same tax cuts he opposed PERMANENT.  Repeat after me: FLIP FLOP!!

*John McCain wants to drill for oil offshore and in Northern Alaska.
   -Not only is this dangerous to our enviroment, but it will have NO EFFECT on gas prices.
   -More oil(doesn't matter where it is from) will NOT lower prices.  We would still be processing the SAME amount of oil in the SAME refineries. 
   -And, several years back, John McCain voted AGAINST a bill that would keep oil from US drilling in the US.

 

*John McCain wanted us to drill here and sell it to other countries!!!  He wants us to destroy our environment just to make money.

 

This November, vote NO for this oil wh0re and his oil wh0re buddies!!

Let's see what GEORGE W BUSH does with his hands during patriotic events:

It seems that eveyrone but Georgie knows where to put their hands. 

Once again, Gerogie has his hand in the wrong place.  And how comical is this one?  Bush in graduation attire.  Methinks he flunked Anatomy.  Must've been drunk that day.  Your heart is in you chest(if he had one!!)

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Now let's take a look at what BARACK OBAMA does with his hands during patriotic events:

Much better.  His hand is in the correct location.

Once again, Barack Obama gets it.  Looks like someone didn't sleep through college(or kindergarten).

The lesson here: don't believe all the BS you get from emails.   Evil people out there have started a desperate inbox-filling campaign to derail Obama's presidential campaign.   They have failed.   Look who our Democratic Nominee is.  

 

VIDEO: T. Boone Pickens Wind Energy Commercial

Get with the program John McCain!!  John McCain's main campaign talking point has been "we need to expand drilling here in America".  Like a damn parakeet he's been squawking that mantra over and over.  The dangers and risks of this are nowhere near the benefits.  Oil prices would hardly change.  the only "change" would be an increased risk of destroying marine life with offshore drilling and killing animals in the habitats in Alaska.  John McCain's other dangerous, pseudo-plan is lowering or eliminating the gas tax.  The result of this foolishness will be our roads and highways sinking into further disrepair.  Remember the Minnesota bridge collapse? 

This election, tell John McCain he John McCAN'T be our president!!  Someone who is that out of touch with reality and that big of an oil wh0re does not deserve the title of commander in chief.

 

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About T. Boone Pickens:

T. Boone Pickens, founder and chairman, BP Capital Management, is principally responsible for the formulation of the energy futures investment strategy of the BP Capital Commodity Fund and the BP Capital Equity Fund. With more than $4 billion under management, BP Capital manages one of the nation’s most successful energy-oriented investment funds. Pickens frequently utilizes his wealth of experience in the oil and gas industry in the evaluation of potential equity investments and energy sector themes. He has not been shy in predicting oil and gas prices and — more often than not — has been uncannily accurate.  http://www.pickensplan.com/about/

 

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America is addicted to foreign oil.

It's an addiction that threatens our economy, our environment and our national security. It touches every part of our daily lives and ties our hands as a nation and a people.

The addiction has worsened for decades and now it's reached a point of crisis.

In 1970, we imported 24% of our oil.
Today it's nearly 70% and growing.

As imports grow and world prices rise, the amount of money we send to foreign nations every year is soaring. At current oil prices, we will send $700 billion dollars out of the country this year alone — that's four times the annual cost of the Iraq war.

Projected over the next 10 years the cost will be $10 trillion — it will be the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of mankind.

America uses a lot of oil. Every day 85 million barrels of oil are produced around the world. And 21 million of those are used here in the United States.

That's 25% of the world's oil demand. Used by just 4% of the world's population.

Can't we just produce more oil?

World oil production peaked in 2005. Despite growing demand and an unprecedented increase in prices, oil production has fallen over the last three years. Oil is getting more expensive to produce, harder to find and there just isn't enough of it to keep up with demand.

The simple truth is that cheap and easy oil is gone.

What's the good news?

The United States is the Saudi Arabia of wind power.

Studies from around the world show that the Great Plains states are home to the greatest wind energy potential in the world — by far.

The Department of Energy reports that 20% of America's electricity can come from wind. North Dakota alone has the potential to provide power for more than a quarter of the country.

Today's wind turbines stand up to 410 feet tall, with blades that stretch 148 feet in length. The blades collect the wind's kinetic energy. In one year, a 3-megawatt wind turbine produces as much energy as 12,000 barrels of imported oil.

Wind power currently accounts for 48 billion kWh of electricity a year in the United States — enough to serve more than 4.5 million households. That is still only about 1% of current demand, but the potential of wind is much greater.

A 2005 Stanford University study found that there is enough wind power worldwide to satisfy global demand 7 times over — even if only 20% of wind power could be captured.

Building wind facilities in the corridor that stretches from the Texas panhandle to North Dakota could produce 20% of the electricity for the United States at a cost of $1 trillion. It would take another $200 billion to build the capacity to transmit that energy to cities and towns.

That's a lot of money, but it's a one-time cost. And compared to the $700 billion we spend on foreign oil every year, it's a bargain.

An economic revival for rural America.

Developing wind power is an investment in rural America.

To witness the economic promise of wind energy, look no further than Sweetwater, Texas.

Sweetwater was typical of many small towns in middle-America. With a shortage of good jobs, the youth of Sweetwater were leaving in search of greater opportunities. And the town's population dropped from 12,000 to under 10,000.

When a large wind power facility was built outside of town, Sweetwater experienced a revival. New economic opportunity brought the town back to life and the population has grown back up to 12,000.

In the Texas panhandle, just north of Sweetwater, is the town of Pampa, where T. Boone Pickens' Mesa Power is currently building the largest wind farm in the world.

At 4,000 megawatts — the equivalent combined output of four large coal-fire plants — the production of the completed Pampa facility will double the wind energy output of the United States.

In addition to creating new construction and maintenance jobs, thousands of Americans will be employed to manufacture the turbines and blades. These are high skill jobs that pay on a scale comparable to aerospace jobs.

Plus, wind turbines don't interfere with farming and grazing, so they don't threaten food production or existing local economies.

A cheap new replacement for foreign oil. Cleaner

Natural gas is the cleanest transportation fuel available today.

According to the California Energy Commission, critical greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas are 23% lower than diesel and 30% lower than gasoline.

Natural gas vehicles (NGV) are already available and combine top performance with low emissions. The natural gas Honda Civic GX is rated as the cleanest production vehicle in the world.

According to NGVAmerica, there are more than 7 million NGVs in use worldwide, but only 150,000 of those are in the United States.

The EPA estimates that vehicles on the road account for 60% of carbon monoxide pollution and around one-third of hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide emissions in the United States. As federal and state emissions laws become more stringent, many requirements will be unattainable with conventionally fueled vehicles.

Since natural gas is significantly cleaner than petroleum, NGVs are increasing in popularity. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach recently announced that 16,800 old diesel trucks will be replaced, and half of the new vehicles will run on alternatives such as natural gas.

Cheaper

Natural gas is significantly less expensive than gasoline or diesel. In places like Utah and Oklahoma, prices are less than $1 a gallon. To see fueling stations and costs in your area, check out cngprices.com.

Domestic

Natural gas is our country's second largest energy resource and a vital component of our energy supply. 98% of the natural gas used in the United States is from North America. But 70% of our oil is purchased from foreign nations.

Natural gas is one of the cleanest, safest and most useful forms of energy — residentially, commercially and industrially. The natural gas industry has existed in the United States for over 100 years and continues to grow.

Domestic natural gas reserves are twice that of petroleum. And new discoveries of natural gas and ongoing development of renewable biogas are continually adding to existing reserves.

While it is a cheap, effective and versatile fuel, less than 1% of natural gas is currently used for transportation.

The Mechanics

We currently use natural gas to produce 22% of our electricity. Harnessing the power of wind to generate electricity will give us the flexibility to shift natural gas away from electricity generation and put it to use as a transportation fuel — reducing our dependence on foreign oil by more than one-third.

How do we get it done?

The Pickens Plan is a bridge to the future — a blueprint to reduce foreign oil dependence by harnessing domestic energy alternatives, and buy us time to develop even greater new technologies.

Building new wind generation facilities and better utilizing our natural gas resources can replace more than one-third of our foreign oil imports in 10 years. But it will take leadership.

On January 20th, 2009, a new President will take office.

We're organizing behind the Pickens Plan now to ensure our voices will be heard by the next administration.

Together we can raise a call for change and set a new course for America's energy future in the first hundred days of the new presidency — breaking the hammerlock of foreign oil and building a new domestic energy future for America with a focus on sustainability.

You can start changing America's future today by supporting the Pickens Plan. Join now.

MORE INFO: http://www.pickensplan.com/

The mixed bag of nuts known as the Religious/Christian Right is now one nut short tonight.  Hatemonger and imbecile Senator Jesse Helms is dead today at age 86.  Helms(in the typical Southern style) began his political career as a supporter of segregation and later made the headlines for a controvercial commercial during his 1990 Senate campaign.  In the commercial a white man crumples up a rejection letter, having lost out on a job to a less-qualified minority "because of a racial quota."   This in an election where Helms was running against a Black man, Harvey Gantt.  Helms' racist side showed once more in 1983 when the Senator was opposed to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, citing that two of King's associates had "communist ties".  Also during the same time frame, Helms was a strong supporter of the tobacco industry and even received the support of companies such as RJ Reynolds and Phillip Morris.  Helms also once offended Senator Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois by singing "Dixie" in an elevator with her.

     "Soon after the Senate vote on the Confederate flag insignia, Sen. Jesse Helms (R.-N.C.) ran into Mosely-Braun in a Capitol elevator. Helms turned to his friend, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R.-Utah), and said, "Watch me make her cry. I'm going to make her cry. I'm going to sing 'Dixie' until she cries." He then proceeded to sing the song about "the good life" during slavery to Mosely-Braun (Gannett News Service, 1993-09-02; Time, 1993-08-16)."

What a shame that a hemorrhoid like this died on a national holiday like Independence Day.  A despicable man does not deserve such an honor.  Republican Christians are like cancerous tumors: when one goes away, they continue to multiply and regenerate.  And there's no shortage of Republican polyps in our world today. 

Good bye Senator Helms.  If you thought the South was hot in the summer, just imagine how hot the palce you're headed for is!

#3  Privatizing Your Money-gate. 

On everything from your health care to fighting terrorists, the Bush administration says private companies do it better and cheaper than, well, than the Bush administration.  But the “Washington Post” reports that every year since 2001, more than 300 employees of private companies have filed claims saying their companies defrauded the government.  The Bush Justice Department has only pursued about 100 cases a year, to the tune of about 13 billion recovered tax dollars.  The current backlog of cases not being pursued is more than 900. 

 

#2  Only Bush Could Go to China-gate. 

We needed torture to get life-saving intelligence, right?  We needed confessions and intel and if we had to break a few eggs to get that omelet, so be it.  The “New York Times” reports that trainers at Guantanamo based an interrogation lesson there on a chart of coercive techniques, a chart that dated to 1957.  That chart was taken from an article called, “Communist Attempts to Elicit False Confessions from Air Force Prisoners of War.”  This was a study of how the Chinese tortured propaganda fodder out of Americans in the Korean War.  Prolonged standing, exposure to cold, all that enhanced interrogation stuff, we called it torture when the Chinese did it to our guys in Korea and we know it produces false confessions.  Why are we using these techniques? 

 

#1  Have You Got a Good Lawyer-gate. 

 The Justice Department‘s inspector general found last week that Justice officials made hiring decisions based on politics and ideology, which is a violation of the law, not to mention a violation of justice.  In doing so, the Justice Department illegally rejected the job applications of some of the country‘s best lawyers, possibly hundreds.  Surprise, the jilted lawyers are suing, not only because their rejections violated civil service laws, but because their privacy was violated when the DOJ researched their political views. 

As if that‘s not enough, to defend itself, the Justice Department now has to rely on the legal savvy, the brilliant legal minds of the people it hired instead, like the genius alumni of Jerry Falwell‘s, quote, university, end quote.

 

Pay special attention to number two.  That’s the one that truly pissed me off.  This evil little man(George W Bush) has the nerve to take heinous torute techniques used against our own people in the past and use them on others.  To take the reputation of our great country and drag it through the mud.  To commit the same cruel acts against others, all in violation of international law.  I do not care what the situation is, this is America.  We DO NOT torture.  We are better than that. 

And spare me the bull BLEEP about “we need the information” because that is a load of BLEEP.  The only thing these forced interrogations produce is false information.  False information that may end up harming Americans rather than helping them.  Thanks, Georgie!!  You look like an even bigger boob for using techniques we know do not work and we look like monsters to the rest of the world.  Torturing just like the enemy.

 

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VIDEO: 19ActionNews: Comedian/Author George Carlin Dead at 71

A Few Words…

Today is a sad day in the Polarbear’s house. I am a big fan of george Carlin both in comedy as well as many political/other views. Over the years he has been known for many things, one of them being the list of the “Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television”. He has also released many performances over the years, many of which come up occasionally on HBO. I always would be really happy to find one on or DVR it if I couldn’t watch live. He was honest and spoke his mind on subjects like politics, government, civil liberties and our current American culture. Truly unique and great, the kind that can’t be replaced. A permanent hole is left in the world of comedy.

The News Story:(Associated Press/Newsnet 5)…

George Carlin, the dean of counterculture comedians whose biting insights on life and language were immortalized in his "Seven Words You Can Never Say On TV" routine, died of heart failure Sunday. He was 71.

Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, went into St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica on Sunday afternoon complaining of chest pain and died later that evening, said his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He had performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.

"He was a genius and I will miss him dearly," Jack Burns, who was the other half of a comedy duo with Carlin in the early 1960s, told The Associated Press.

Carlin's jokes constantly breached the accepted boundaries of comedy and language, particularly with his routine on the "Seven Words" -- all of which are taboo on broadcast TV and radio to this day. When he uttered all seven at a show in Milwaukee in 1972, he was arrested on charges of disturbing the peace, freed on $150 bail and exonerated when a Wisconsin judge dismissed the case, saying it was indecent but citing free speech and the lack of any disturbance.

When the words were later played on a New York radio station, they resulted in a 1978 Supreme Court ruling upholding the government's authority to sanction stations for broadcasting offensive language during hours when children might be listening.

"So my name is a footnote in American legal history, which I'm perversely kind of proud of," he told The Associated Press earlier this year.

Despite his reputation as unapologetically irreverent, Carlin was a television staple through the decades, serving as host of the "Saturday Night Live" debut in 1975 -- noting on his Web site that he was "loaded on cocaine all week long" -- and appearing some 130 times on "The Tonight Show."

He produced 23 comedy albums, 14 HBO specials, three books, a couple of TV shows and appeared in several movies, from his own comedy specials to "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" in 1989 -- a testament to his range from cerebral satire and cultural commentary to downright silliness (and sometimes hitting all points in one stroke).

"Why do they lock gas station bathrooms?" he once mused. "Are they afraid someone will clean them?"

He won four Grammy Awards, each for best spoken comedy album, and was nominated for five Emmy awards. On Tuesday, it was announced that Carlin was being awarded the 11th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, which will be presented Nov. 10 in Washington and broadcast on PBS.

Carlin started his career on the traditional nightclub circuit in a coat and tie, pairing with Burns to spoof TV game shows, news and movies. Perhaps in spite of the outlaw soul, "George was fairly conservative when I met him," said Burns, describing himself as the more left-leaning of the two. It was a degree of separation that would reverse when they came upon Lenny Bruce, the original shock comic, in the early '60s.

"We were working in Chicago, and we went to see Lenny, and we were both blown away," Burns said, recalling the moment as the beginning of the end for their collaboration if not their close friendship. "It was an epiphany for George. The comedy we were doing at the time wasn't exactly groundbreaking, and George knew then that he wanted to go in a different direction."

That direction would make Carlin as much a social commentator and philosopher as comedian, a position he would relish through the years.

"The whole problem with this idea of obscenity and indecency, and all of these things -- bad language and whatever -- it's all caused by one basic thing, and that is: religious superstition," Carlin told the AP in a 2004 interview. "There's an idea that the human body is somehow evil and bad and there are parts of it that are especially evil and bad, and we should be ashamed. Fear, guilt and shame are built into the attitude toward sex and the body. ... It's reflected in these prohibitions and these taboos that we have."

When asked about the fallout from the Super Bowl halftime show that ended with Janet Jackson's breast-baring "wardrobe malfunction," Carlin told the AP, "What are we, surprised?"

"On that Super Bowl broadcast of Janet Jackson's there was also a commercial about a 4-hour erection. A lot of people were saying about Janet Jackson, 'How do I explain to my kids? We're a little family, we watched it together ...' And, well, what did you say about the other thing? These are convenient targets."

Carlin was born May 12, 1937 and grew up in the Morningside Heights section of Manhattan, raised by a single mother. After dropping out of high school in the ninth grade, he joined the Air Force in 1954. He received three court-martials and numerous disciplinary punishments, according to his official Web site.

While in the Air Force he started working as an off-base disc jockey at a radio station in Shreveport, La., and after receiving a general discharge in 1957, took an announcing job at WEZE in Boston.

"Fired after three months for driving mobile news van to New York to buy pot," his Web site says.

From there he went on to a job on the night shift as a deejay at a radio station in Forth Worth, Texas. Carlin also worked variety of temporary jobs including a carnival organist and a marketing director for a peanut brittle.

In 1960, he left with Burns, a Texas radio buddy, for Hollywood to pursue a nightclub career as comedy team Burns & Carlin. He left with $300, but his first break came just months later when the duo appeared on the Tonight Show with Jack Paar.

Carlin said he hoped to would emulate his childhood hero, Danny Kaye, the kindly, rubber-faced comedian who ruled over the decade that Carlin grew up in -- the 1950s -- with a clever but gentle humor reflective of its times.

Only problem was, it didn't work for him, and they broke up by 1962.

"I was doing superficial comedy entertaining people who didn't really care: Businessmen, people in nightclubs, conservative people. And I had been doing that for the better part of 10 years when it finally dawned on me that I was in the wrong place doing the wrong things for the wrong people," Carlin reflected recently as he prepared for his 14th HBO special, "It's Bad For Ya."

Eventually Carlin lost the buttoned-up look, favoring the beard, ponytail and all-black attire for which he came to be known.

But even with his decidedly adult-comedy bent, Carlin never lost his childlike sense of mischief, even voicing kid-friendly projects like episodes of the TV show "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" and the spacey Volkswagen bus Fillmore in the 2006 Pixar hit "Cars."

Carlin's first wife, Brenda, died in 1997. He is survived by wife Sally Wade; daughter Kelly Carlin McCall; son-in-law Bob McCall; brother Patrick Carlin; and sister-in-law Marlene Carlin.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

HAIL TO THE CHIEF!!

VIDEO: I'm Voting Republican

Just watch this video.  It provides a satirical look at what we are currently experiencing and what we can expect with four more years of "Staying the Course" on Bush's failure of a presidency.  Don't subject our country to four more years of Republican failure.  The power is in your hands.  YOU can make a difference!

This video is a must see for DPRIN or anyone else that idolizes Bill O'reilly.  Even if you dislike him, watch it anyway.  It just confirms what those of us with brains already know, O'reilly is an insane, violent, rage filled maniac.  This clip is from when Mr. Serious Journalist was working on Inside Edition, which is a tabloid news/celebrity gossip syndicated program.  Even in the 90s he had his meltdowns and blowups, just not on air.  This clip shows Billo going on an angry tirade against the staff because of a line he has to read.  Who woul have ever thought this man would one day go on to host a calbe news program where he has on air tantrums like this and makes a fool of himself nightly.  Plus, he really looks like an arse compared to Keith Olbermann.

VIDEO: O'Reilly Explodes, Swears at Staff

That's right.  Americans are crossing the border to go TO Mexico.  Gas prices are about two dollars less in Mexico than in the US.  What is the difference between the United States and Mexico?  Hmmmm?(cue the Jeopardy music)  I got it!!  The individuals in the two highest political offices in the US just happen to have interests in Big Oil.  What a shock!!  Having two Big Oil w h o r e s like Bush and Cheney in power along with several of their buddies helps to stop any legislation that would stop price gouging at the pumps.  Stop any legislation that would take away ridiculous, outrageous large tax breaks from these corporations.  Stopping anyone who cares about the American people from looking into alternative fuels or at the very least stopping these capitalist pigs from making the big bucks.  And what is it?  Conflict in the Middle East?  How convenient.  Bush just happened to cook up a Mid East conflict and refuses to end it. 

This November, vote AGAINST the party of Big Business.  Vote AGAINST people who stand up for Big Business and allow them to make record profits in a time of recession all at the expense of the American people.  Vote AGAINST clueless Republicans like McCain, who does not understand Middle East politics and vows to continue to "stay the course" of Bush's failure in the Iraq war and vows to continue four more years of the Bush style of political failure that has torn our country apart, sunk us into a dark place financially as well as murder over 4000 of our military.  

THE REPUBLICAN PARTY MUST BE STOPPED AT ALL COSTS!!!

VIDEO:  Heading South Of The Border For Diesel

---

(CBS) Angelo and Sharon Romano have a lot riding on a single trip to Mexico.

They're hoping that a 180-mile journey from Phoenix all the way to Mexico, will save their family trucking business.

"You're getting more nervous as we get closer," CBS News correspondent Seth Doane said to Angelo.

"Oh yea, I get so nervous, the closer we get to the border - not knowing what is going to happen," he said.

The trucking company's been in the family for nearly 40 years. Their daughters' names are on every fender.

"It's been real tough," Angelo said. "We have a multi-million dollar business that is struggling. Everything that I sacrificed in my life could come to an end in a matter of months."

"It seemed like overnight for me. I woke up one day and thought, 'oh my God, how can we do this?'" Sharon said.

How can they keep their dozen trucks running on diesel, when fuel prices have jumped nearly 50 percent in just a year, wiping out any profit.

"We saved our money - we put money aside for the rainy days," Angelo said. "We've gone through our savings - we went through our reserves to pay our fuel bill."

When Angelo learned that diesel in Mexico is half the Arizona price, he built a large tank to fit into his truck.

"So 11 inches of the bed have been retrofitted to be a fuel tank?" Doane said.

"To be a fuel tank for the truck," Angelo said.

And headed south nearly three hours just to fill up.

After they crossed the border into Mexico … diesel in Nogales was selling for about $2 a gallon. The Mexican government owns the stations and controls the prices.

"This is quite a trip," Doane said. "Is it worth it?"

"For 200 gallons," Angelo said. "Yeah, just saved myself $400."

But getting back over the border is stressful, with hours of questions, paperwork, and taxes to pay.

"It feels like I'm smuggling marijuana back into the states and I'm just bringing diesel back," Angelo said.

The whole family is feeling the pressure.

"They had their 8th grade class trip to Disneyland. Nicki chose not to go, because it would be an added expense," Sharon said. "So we have really good kids."

The Romanos are desperate.

"There's no help. We have to do it ourselves," Angelo said. "We - me and Sharon - had to go out there and find a way to survive. We're survivors. And we will survive."

The Romanos named their dog Diesel - and they joke that right now he's the only diesel they can afford.

© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

That's right.  Americans are crossing the border to go TO Mexico.  Gas prices are about two dollars less in Mexico than in the US.  What is the difference between the United States and Mexico?  Hmmmm?(cue the Jeopardy music)  I got it!!  The individuals in the two highest political offices in the US just happen to have interests in Big Oil.  What a shock!!  Having two Big Oil w h o r e s like Bush and Cheney in power along with several of their buddies helps to stop any legislation that would stop price gouging at the pumps.  Stop any legislation that would take away ridiculous, outrageous large tax breaks from these corporations.  Stopping anyone who cares about the American people from looking into alternative fuels or at the very least stopping these capitalist pigs from making the big bucks.  And what is it?  Conflict in the Middle East?  How convenient.  Bush just happened to cook up a Mid East conflict and refuses to end it. 

This November, vote AGAINST the party of Big Business.  Vote AGAINST people who stand up for Big Business and allow them to make record profits in a time of recession all at the expense of the American people.  Vote AGAINST clueless Republicans like McCain, who does not understand Middle East politics and vows to continue to "stay the course" of Bush's failure in the Iraq war and vows to continue four more years of the Bush style of political failure that has torn our country apart, sunk us into a dark place financially as well as murder over 4000 of our military.  

THE REPUBLICAN PARTY MUST BE STOPPED AT ALL COSTS!!!VIDEO:  Heading South Of The Border For Diesel

---

(CBS) Angelo and Sharon Romano have a lot riding on a single trip to Mexico.

They're hoping that a 180-mile journey from Phoenix all the way to Mexico, will save their family trucking business.

"You're getting more nervous as we get closer," CBS News correspondent Seth Doane said to Angelo.

"Oh yea, I get so nervous, the closer we get to the border - not knowing what is going to happen," he said.

The trucking company's been in the family for nearly 40 years. Their daughters' names are on every fender.

"It's been real tough," Angelo said. "We have a multi-million dollar business that is struggling. Everything that I sacrificed in my life could come to an end in a matter of months."

"It seemed like overnight for me. I woke up one day and thought, 'oh my God, how can we do this?'" Sharon said.

How can they keep their dozen trucks running on diesel, when fuel prices have jumped nearly 50 percent in just a year, wiping out any profit.

"We saved our money - we put money aside for the rainy days," Angelo said. "We've gone through our savings - we went through our reserves to pay our fuel bill."

When Angelo learned that diesel in Mexico is half the Arizona price, he built a large tank to fit into his truck.

"So 11 inches of the bed have been retrofitted to be a fuel tank?" Doane said.

"To be a fuel tank for the truck," Angelo said.

And headed south nearly three hours just to fill up.

After they crossed the border into Mexico … diesel in Nogales was selling for about $2 a gallon. The Mexican government owns the stations and controls the prices.

"This is quite a trip," Doane said. "Is it worth it?"

"For 200 gallons," Angelo said. "Yeah, just saved myself $400."

But getting back over the border is stressful, with hours of questions, paperwork, and taxes to pay.

"It feels like I'm smuggling marijuana back into the states and I'm just bringing diesel back," Angelo said.

The whole family is feeling the pressure.

"They had their 8th grade class trip to Disneyland. Nicki chose not to go, because it would be an added expense," Sharon said. "So we have really good kids."

The Romanos are desperate.

"There's no help. We have to do it ourselves," Angelo said. "We - me and Sharon - had to go out there and find a way to survive. We're survivors. And we will survive."

The Romanos named their dog Diesel - and they joke that right now he's the only diesel they can afford.

© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

INTRODUCTION:

The original blog post items appear in RED.  My comments and answers appear in BLUE. 

1) To be the Candidate of National security: a) Victory in Iraq

---Are you saying someone who will "stay the course" of Bush's failure? Someone who will support spilling more blood and more money on that lost cause? Someone who will support an unnecessary war? The only TRUE VICTORY in Iraq will be our people coming home soon.

*****What we really need is someone who will end this damn war as soon as possible.

b) Fully support NSA, Patriot act, tough interrogations, keeping Gitmo open

---I get it. Four more years of violating international law and torturing human beings in the same way OUR people were tortured in past wars. Four more years of being the aggressor nation and bullying others. Four more years of stepping all over our own Constitutional rights. Four more years of the the criminal Partiot Act and illegal wire taps and illegal searches. Four more years of undermining the Bill Of Rights.

*****What we need is a president who will set a good example by upholding international laws and treat human beings with dignity, because it is the right thing to do. This is America, we are better than that. We DO NOT TORTURE!! We need a president who will defend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Who will ensure that our rights are never infringed on. Someone who will not use security as an excuse to make this a police state.

c) A Candidate that pledges to NOT demean our military while they are fighting for their Country. eg Harry Reid: "the surge has failed", "the war is lost" d) Candidate that promises to ensure that our veterans can live out their lives in dignity.

---So it is not demeaning to keep sending MORE people to an unnecessary death? It is NOT demeaning for a presidential candidate who happens to be a veteran to refuse to support a bi-partisan modern day GI bill that would reward our men and women for their service? It is NOT demeaning to not provide the proper mental health services to reduce suicides of returning soldiers?

*****What we need is a president that is in touch with reality. The surge didn't work. The war IS a lost cause. We are wasting lives and money fighting an unnecessary battle. It is time to put an end to this thing. We need to reward our returning men and women. They served their country, even in the bull**** war. Nothing in this world can ever completely thank them for their service. The current politicians and administration are not even worthy of breathing the same air our men and women breathe. The LEAST we could do is pass the new GI bill to help these individuals with housing and education and other expenses. Provide ALL necessary medical health and mental health necessary. There is no excuse to keep throwing money at Iraq and treat our people like BLEEP.

2) The Candidate who pledges to oppose Appeasement: a) The Candidate will oppose any and all efforts to negotiate with dictators of the world in places like Iran, Syria, N.Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela without "pre-conditions"

---ABSOLUTELY WRONG!!

*****We need a mature president who is in touch with the real world and realizes the global world we live in. We need a president who is open to communicating with other countrues. Open to finding out WHY they feel as they do and what cna be done to fix the problem. We need open communication, even with enemies, to ensure we are aware of what is going on and if there are any threats. We need a president who will end this silly, immature embargo with Cuba. They are our neighbor to the South and it is in our best interest to be on good terms with them. There's no place for the "cowboy diplomacy" of the Bush Administration. 

 The Candidate Pledges to support Tax CUTS, and fiscal responsibility: a) The American people are NOT under taxed, Government Spends too much

---ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!

*****If you want this, John McCain is NOT the person to vote for. The man who once opposed the Bush tax cuts for the rich now wants to make them permanent. Tax cuts for the rich are bull****. They need to be greatly reduced. Tax cuts for Big Business and Big Oil especially need to be drastically cut. Tax cuts need to be given to families and poorer Americans instead.

b) The Candidate who Pledges to ELIMINATE and VOTE AGAINST ALL Earmarks ---ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!

*****We need a president who will be tough on earmarks and pork barrel spending. The CBS Evening News does a great segement called "Follow the Money" that exposes many of these outrageous earmarks. They're a drain on the system and they need to be stopped, PERIOD.

c) The Candidate pledges to BALANCE the budget

---Yes!

*****In order to balance the budget, we first need to stop adding to it. That means eliminating the biggest waste of money in the world, the Iraq War. We need to put an immediate end to the "borrow & spend" economic policy of the Bush administration. He has single-handedly bankrupted our country and passed the burden of his mistake on to future generations.

4) The Candidate Pledges to be a supporter of "Energy Independence" a) supports Immediate drilling in Anwar and the 48 states

---It is WRONG to allow drilling in protected areas and it is WRONG to allow the destruction of natural habitats.

*****Drilling in these places is equivalent to treating a bullet wound with a band aid. What we really need is a long term solution that will help the American consumer as well as protect our environment. We need to put serious work into alternative fuels. We need to stop the dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels that contribute to the greenhouse effect and global warming. We need to stop rewarding the oil companies with record profits and help consumers, who cannot afford fuel.

b) Building new refineries

---No more refineries. No more pollution-causing energy sources. See above.

*****Rather than continuing the current downward spiral, we need to begin researching and investing in alternative fuels, solar power, wind power. We need to expand these new, growing industries to give Americans necessary jobs. We need to look to the future and embrace these new technologies.

c) Begin building and using Nuclear Facilities

---OK, to a point. We need to be careful with nuclear technology. We need to ensure that it is done safely.

d) expand coal mining

---Absolutely NOT!! The last thing we need to do is MORE coal mining.

 *****We need to again look to alternative energy sources. We need to become less dependent on coal. With our current mines we need to increase safety and avoid tragedies like the mine collapses we have had in the past.

e) realistic steward of the environment While simultaneously working with private industry to develop the new energy technologies for the future, with the goal being that America becomes completely energy independent within the next 15 years.

 ---This is what we need to do. increasing mining and oil drilling will NOT help.

 *****We need a president that realizes global warming IS real and man IS contributing to it. We need strict regulations and punishments for companies that pollute and damage our environment.

5) The Candidate pledges to secure our borders completely within 12 months: a) build all necessary fences

b) use all available technology to help and support agents at the border

c) train and hire agents as needed

---NO FENCES!!

*****We need a president who realizes a fence is not a logical solution in the modern world. We don't need another great wall of China. What we need is to talk to Mexico. We need to assess what the problem is and when it began. We need to offer solutions and help them fix THEIR problems which will in turn fix our problems. Solve the problems with jobs and money there to stop them from coming here for jobs.

6) Healthcare: The Candidate will look for Free-Market solutions to the problems facing the Healthcare industry, and will vigorously oppose any efforts to "nationalize healthcare".

---We need a Universal Health Care system we all pay into and can all get something out of.   We need the opposite-oppostion to the current privatized system.

*****Free Market=Privatized. We already have a privatized health care system. We are the only industiralized nation without some form of Universal Health Care. We need to drop the "rest of the world is wrong" attitude and help our citizens. HMOs run the system and people are hurt by it, all as the insurance companies make record profits. What we need is a candidate who will vigorously oppose the privatization of health care and further putting control and power into the hands of Big Business. We need a Universal Health Care system everyone pays into.

a) The Candidate will fight for Individual health savings accounts, that includes "catastrophic insurance" for every American, so people can control their own healthcare choices.

---Forget about "choices" and "personal accounts". We first need to get EVERY American citizen health care coverage.

*****We need to go after Drug Companies as well as doctors and hospitals who charge outrageous prices all in the name of making money. Health Care needs to NOT be treated as a business. The bureaucracy needs to be ended.

*****We need to stop this system of "sick care". Instead we need to invest in getting EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN access to PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE. Treating people and giving them regular checkups to avoid disease/illness from getting to advanced stages, requiring more expensive care.

7) Education: a) The Candidate pledges to "save" American children from the failing educational system

---Yes!

*****The first step is to put an end to the No Child Left Behind disaster caused by George Bush. Education needs to be reformed from the highest levels all the way down to the local school. Corruption, greed and mismanagement of money need to be confronted and ended.

b) The Candidate will fight to break the unholy alliance of the Democratic party and teachers unions, which at best has institutionalized mediocrity, and has failed children across the country

---Again, the corruption and mishandling of money need to be confronted and ended. School sdministrators and teachers need to be held accountable for their actions. Incompitent teachers kept on the payroll because of "seniority" need to be terminated.

c) fight for "CHOICE" in education and let parents decide d) fight for vouchers for parents

---Read my lips: ABSOLUTELY NO VOUCHERS!!

*****Vouchers must be fought with full power. We cannot allow money from already cash-strapped school districts. The law requires that the government provide PUBLIC EDUCATION. If you want to send your children elsewhere, it is YOUR responsibility to pay for it, NOT the government's. Taking money away from schools only hurts the school more. We need to instead fix the current broken public school system. Taking money from the system will not help.

*****More choice will not help. If anything, it has only hurt the system. These charter schools and vouchers are only taking away from the public education system. We need to invest in fixing the current public education system.

8) Social Security and Medicare: a) The Candidate will "save" social security and medicare from bankruptcy.

---Yes. We need to ensure Social Security is protected and will be around in the future.

b) Options will include "private retirement" funds so people can "control" their own destiny.

---NO. We cannot allow people to take money out of social security. We must keep it the way it is now.

*****Many candidates(usually Republicans) always talk of "choice" in social security. Choice is bad, People will not "choose" to save their money. They will treat it as extra spending money to use now. We mus ensure that EVERY American pays into the system so they can get money back in their old age.

9) Judges a) The Candidate vows to support ONLY judges who recognize that their job is to interpret the Constitution, and NOT legislate from the bench.

---Stop appointing judges who agree with the president's views.

*****Several of Bush's appointed judges share his conservative beliefs and we are close to being in danger of violating the woman's right to her body and reproductive rights in Roe v. Wade.  No more conservative judges.  This country is headed in a dangerous, ugly direction because the conservatives have taken power. 

10) American Dream: The Candidate accepts as their duty and responsibility to educate, inform, and remind people that with the blessings of Freedom comes a Great responsibility. That Government's primary goal is to preserve, protect and defend our God given gift of freedom.

---Exactly. I wouldn't say God given, but instead the rights in our Bill Of Rights and Constitution.

*****We must fight to protect our Constitution, our Bill of Rights and the rights the Founding Fathers fought for. We must defend our principles of tolerance for others and religious freedom and not imposing beliefs on others.