To sum up

Your oxymoron is showing

The Republican party keeps harping on Senator Obama and the Democratic party as the party of celebrities and elites.

Ahem

From www.m-w.com

oxymoron

Main Entry:

ox·y·mo·ron

Pronunciation:

\ˌäk-sē-ˈmȯr-ˌän\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural ox·y·mo·rons also ox·y·mo·ra \-ˈmȯr-ə\

Etymology:

Late Greek oxymōron, from neuter of oxymōros pointedly foolish, from Greek oxys sharp, keen + mōros foolish

Date:

1657

: a combination of contradictory or incongruous words (as cruel kindness); broadly : something (as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements

All of the following taken from www.wikipedia.com and www.youtube.com

Fred Gandy
Republican
US House of Representatives

January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1995


"If there were no Gopher, there would be no Fred Grandy for Congress."

-----

Sonny Bono
Republican
US House of Representatives
January 3, 1995 – January 5, 1998




-----

Fred Thompson
Republican
US Senator
December 2, 1994 – January 3, 2003



This is the closest he ever came to being in the military BTW

----

Arnold Schwarzenegger
Republican
Governor of California
Incumbent



----

Ronald Regan
Republican
President
January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989



----

Did I miss anyone?

I couldn't find an actor who ran on the Democratic ticket. I may have missed one, but I don't think so.

Morality

photo © Simone Cortesi for openphoto.net CC:Attribution-ShareAlike

Boston Globe

The death of a taboo
Posted by Sasha Issenberg September 4, 2008 08:41 PM

ST. PAUL -- One of the most enduring taboos in American politics, the airing of graphic images from the September 11 attacks in a partisan context, died today. It was nearly seven years old.

The informal prohibition, which had been occasionally threatened by political ads in recent years, was pronounced dead at approximately 7:40 CST, when a video aired before delegates at the Republican National Convention included slow-motion footage of a plane striking the World Trade Center, the towers' subsequent collapse, and smoke emerging from the Pentagon.

The September 11 precedent was one of the few surviving campaign-season taboos. It is survived by direct comparisons of one's opponents to Hitler.

Words fail. Words just fail.

Exploiting death for political gain. From the party of morally and family values.

I thought I would be more surprised.

Oh, and don't forget the fake military funeral. $5k at Getty Images.

A veteran’s advocate said that with soldiers still deployed and in harm’s way, there is an obligation not to sugar coat reality.

“What it does reveal is a serious lack of understanding and a lack of personal connection to the military,” said Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

Rieckhoff, who is at the convention with a contingent of veterans added that a video tribute to Medal of Honor winner Michael Monsoor, a Navy Seal killed in Iraq, shown on Tuesday night, used combat video that appeared to him and several other veterans of the Iraq war to have been staged.

After a Web search of videos played at the Democratic National Convention last week, CBS News found no obvious use of stock footage.

The RNC did not respond to CBS News’ request for a comment.

Seems they like to exploit the death of others all around.

Things to think about

A young girl reading by Jean-Honoré Fragonard

The ironies continue to roll on. Feminists question how a VP can balance work and family while conservatives shut their eyes and continue to cheer for what they've opposed for generations. We can only sit here and shake our heads....
- Jeannie Chancey

And it's the feminist/liberal/progressives who are saying that you shouldn't air your children's dirty linen in public.

And it's the feminist/liberal/progressives who are saying that young people should be taught how to not get knocked up in high school.

And it's the feminist/liberal/progressives who are saying that maybe the baby should come before the mother's career.

And it's the feminist/liberal/progressives who are saying that the decisions on how to best deal with issues like these should be made by the family, not by the government.

You might want to think on all that....

This makes no sense

If you didn't want the pregnancy to be the center of attention, why oh why oh why oh why oh why did you invite the baby daddy to the convention?

Bristol's Boyfriend to Join Palins at RNC

By RACHEL D'ORO

AP

posted: 10 HOURS 33 MINUTES AGO

WASILLA, Alaska (Sept. 2) - The boyfriend of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's unwed, pregnant daughter will join the family of the Republican vice presidential candidate at the GOP convention in St. Paul, Minn.

Levi Johnston's mother said her 18-year-old son left Alaska on Tuesday morning to join the Palin family at the convention where Sen. John McCain will officially receive the Republican nomination for president.

(snip)

The young man's presence could set off a media frenzy around the young couple as photographers and cameramen scramble for pictures of the two teenagers.

This is why, if you wanted them left alone, you leave them out of the spotlight. Actions have consequences. You get knocked up, you don't get to go to Mommy's convention. Simple

On Monday, Palin and her husband, Todd, said their 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, planned to have the baby and wed a young man identified only as Levi. The family asked the media to respect the young couple's privacy as has been the tradition with children of candidates.

Sarah Palin is scheduled to address the convention Wednesday night and traditionally her family would join her at the conclusion of her speech.

(snip)

He's not family yet. He's not family until after the wedding.

Levi Johnston, a high school hockey player for Wasilla High School, is not listed on the team roster for 2008-2009, and his mother wouldn't say if he graduated. She said simply he's no longer a student and any further information would have to come from him.

You know, once upon a time getting knocked up and having to marry the high school dropout daddy was considered shameful in this country. What happened?

And don't blame the Democrats. Republicans have affairs too. But at least Democrats raise their children right.

(found on AOL news)

Here we go again - part 3

photo © Anindya Chowdhury for openphoto.net CC:NonCommercial

I wasn't going to say any more. I really wasn't going to say any more. I was just going to spend the day doing my laundry in peace.

And then this:

( Taken from The AmericaBlog)

1. Sarah Palin's first son, Track Palin, was born in April 1989 (we don't have the exact day). Actually now we do, courtesy of FOX News' Alan Colmes. He was born on April 20. For the purposes of this analysis, we will give Sarah Palin the benefit of the doubt and assume that her son was born on April 30, 1989, the longest possible April date from her marriage.

2. Sarah Palin was married on August 29, 1988. She eloped.

3. 38 weeks is the typical human pregnancy.

4. 38 weeks before her son's birthday, April 20, 1989, is July 28, 1988 - i.e., that would be the hypothetical day of conception.

5. If this data is correct, that would mean that Sarah Palin eloped four weeks after her son's conception.

6. Sarah Palin's son could still be legitimate if he was born four weeks premature, AND if he was conceived on the night his parents eloped.

Sigh. Someone please start teaching these people about the birds and the bees. They're making us all look bad.

Here we go again - Part 2

photo © MIROSLAV VAJDIĆ for openphoto.net CC:Attribution-ShareAlike

Well, regardless of whether or not that baby is Sarah Palin's child or grandchild, her family once again proves that Good Christian girls simply cannot keep their legs together.

From Reuters via MSNBC:

Reuters: "The 17-year-old daughter of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is pregnant, Palin said Monday in an announcement intended to knock down rumors by liberal bloggers that Palin faked her own pregnancy to cover up for her child.

Bristol Palin, one of Alaska Gov. Palin's five children with her husband, Todd, is about five months pregnant and is going to keep the child and marry the father, the Palins said in a statement released by the campaign of Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

Please, Christians, spare us all the sanctimonious, holier-than-thou bull any longer. Being "saved" is just an excuse to get away with anything. Truly responsible parents teach their children to take control of their sexuality, not give that up to some mythic deity. Think about it, that deity made man in his image, to take control of the animal, starting with himself. There's a reason why humans don't have a heat cycle.

I suggest that from now on all liberals view any criticism of their openness to all forms of sexuality and their willingness to teach their children about sex from a scientific point of view as mere jealousy on the part of the conservative christians. They envy us our good families and our daughters who make it through college without getting knocked up.

Remember folks -

Family values = sexual irresponsibility
Abstinence = Getting pregnant ASAP

NOTE: I do applaud her for keeping the baby. We're all human and we all make mistakes. It's not a decision I ever had to face, but I imagine it must have been a tough one. I also applaud her for planning to marry the father. I hope their families help both of these young people to finish their educations while starting their family. It looks like they have a tough road ahead and I wish them all the best. At this time I don't plan on saying any more about this particular family.

Here we go again

Found on www.dependablerenegade.com. Copyright to the owner, whomever that may be.

Note: First round of updates in blue.
Second round in brown
Third round in green
Fourth round in purple
Fifth round in red
Sixth round in black again (because I'm out of colors)
Seventh in black too

-----

So, in that picture up there breastless, bellyless Sarah Palin, (on the right) the presumptive GOP VP nominee, is six months pregnant.

UPDATE #6 - This is apparently her late in one of her previous pregnancies.

(link)

Uh-huh.

There are a lot of people not buying it today. The rumors, and I must clearly say rumors, are flying.

The two different scenarios go like this:

Option one - The official story

1) Gov. Palin and her husband find out that baby #5 has Down's syndrome. Being Good Christians they decide not to abort. (which I find admirable)

2) After telling all her immediate family, Gov. Palin formally announces in her seventh month. Her staff is shocked since she had shown no sign of pregnancy. Apparently she didn't show, didn't have morning sickness, was never tired, and made no doctor's appointments for the first seven months. (You would think her secretary would know about those) (link)

3) Upon going into premature labor with #5, a known high-risk baby, Gov. Palin proceeded to...give a speech and then fly 8 hours from Texas to Anchorage before going to the hospital, commercial, changing planes at least once. (link) She and her husband then drove another hour to the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Wasilla - a hospital that doesn't have a NICU. This knowing that she was having a high-risk baby. (link)

"The stage of her pregnancy was not apparent by observation. She did not show any signs of distress," - Caroline Boren, Alaska Airlines spokeswoman, speaking for the flight crew

According to her doctor, Cathy Baldwin-Johnson, even though her water had already broken and she was 10+ hours into labor, she had to induce.(link)

4) Three days after this high-risk birth, when most mothers are barely able to make the bathroom and kitchen, she was back to work with a full schedule.

According to my husband who works in an ER, when called for a mother past baby #3 most Paramedics joke about bringing a catcher's mitt. It happens just that fast.



Option two - the rumor

1) Gov. Palin's daughter, like so many Good Christian girls, found herself in the family way. She didn't tell her family until well after the chance to procure a quiet little abortion had passed. (I am not saying she would have had an abortion, I am just pointing out the timing.)

2) Out of the blue her mother tells everyone she's pregnant, while her daughter is pulled out of school for the last five months of her mother's pregnancy for "prolonged mono"

3) Upon hearing that her daughter had gone into labor she consulted with the doctor, who said that "Things were already settling down when she talked to me," and flew home from Texas.

4) Three days later with her daughter comfortably settled at home with her grandchild, she went back to work.



Now, it's a rumor. No one knows for certain. On the one hand, the chance of having a DS baby shoots skyward when a woman passes 40. On the other, according to some of her high school friends her daughter was having issues with diet pills. She wouldn't be the first girl to try to diet to hide the baby weight, which just can't be healthy. No, that wouldn't cause DS, but I could see it causing something similar.

Anyway, these pictures were taken through out Gov. Palin's last pregnancy.

UPDATE #3: Apparently earlier this morning there was a picture on the official State of Alaska page showing an obviously not-pregnant Gov. Palin. It was linked through this page here, it was the thumbnail on the top right under the find box. I didn't see it, by the time I got there that thumbnail was a dead link. Now all the photos show her sitting or hidden behind things. The original thumbail is here.

Right.

UPDATE #4: I do believe in admitting when you're wrong. Here's the picture in question, and it looks like her husband is holding the baby all the way on the left.

UPDATE#5: Even if the official story is true, to me it calls her judgement into question. Your water is broken, you're a month premature, you're having a high-risk baby and you then fly 9 hours and drive another, past a NICU, to give birth at a small, regional hospital because, according to her husband, "You can't have a fish picker from Texas".

If the rumor is true she wouldn't be the first mother to pass of her grandchild as her own. And I doubt she'd be the last, considering the habit, noted here over and over again, of Good Christian girls being unable to keep their legs together.

I do know three things.

1) If it's true, Gov. Palin owes her daughter an apology for putting her in the spotlight by accepting the nod for VP. If it's not she needs to jump on this with both feet and pony up some pregnant pictures. I feel bad for making this post, but I firmly believe the GOP has hurt this country, almost to the point of ruin, and I personally know handfuls of Good Christian woman who are saying they will vote McCain/Palin simply because she didn't abort a DS baby.

If she comes up with the pictures, I will post a retraction.

2) McCain didn't exactly vet his choice for VP well, now, did he? Because apparently these rumors have been floating around Alaska for a while now, and should have been dealt with before hand. (There's also something called Troopergate floating out there, but I have no details on it at all). This does not bode well for an efficient, responsible presidency on his part.

And if the rumors are true, if they are true

3) It's another example of how Good Christian = sexually irresponsible. And do we want that back in the White House?

-----

Let me make this quite clear, this is all internet rumor and my opinion. Take it all with a grain of salt. As I dig up confirming links, I'll add them.

Zimbo
Daily Kos
......

UPDATE #6 - Here's a video showing her walking down an icy road, in high heels, drinking coffee, with no baby bump, at 8 months. Thirteen days before the baby was born.




Update #7 - Aparently McCain didn't vett his choice at all, really.

"The campaign of John McCain has sent a staff of eight people into Alaska to conduct background checks and vetting on Governor Sarah Palin.

Word is they have have eight rooms reserved at a Wasilla hotel." (link. Note Republican source)

Note#2: I've had at least one person ask my why I published this rumor. I did so, even though it left a bad taste in my mouth, for a couple of reasons.

1) A number of conservative homemaker types have instantly jumped behind Gov. Palin and Sen. McCain simply because of her pro-life stance and her not aborting her DS son. If that is truly the case, I find it admirable. If that is not the case, and that is actually her grandson, I think she needs to tell the truth at this point. Granted, that they kept the baby, rather than encouraging her to abort, is also admirable, but I also think it speaks volumes to the "Mommy" candidate if your daughter is having an illegitimate baby at 16. For me the issue speaks to hypocrisies and honesty.

2) If this is the case, she does deserve to be called out for putting her career ahead of her daughter. Period. Either having the baby herself or adopting it from her daughter is admirable. Putting her under the spotlight and not clearing this up in advance is exactly the opposite. Yes, I know I'm not helping, but someone has to point that out. And I have yet to see anyone in the blogosphere point out that she just threw her daughter to the sharks.

3) I find that the party that calls itself "Conservative" , "Christian", and "for family values" tends to be the one that promotes sexual irresponsibility and tends to produce illegitimate children. In my experience and based on my research, those tend to be the children most at risk of abuse of all kinds. Where as the party that calls itself "Liberal", bears no religious affiliation, and is highly inclusive tends to promote sexual responsibility and encourages wanted children. And in my experience and based on my research, tends to produce better parents and happier children. So in supporting the Democrats, I firmly believe I am supporting family values and making a better place for children. At this point in time that means exposing the hypocrisies and mendacity of the GOP, period.

More on that in another post on another day.

Finally, someone gets it

photo © Adrian van Leen for openphoto.net CC:PublicDomain

And that someone is the New York Times. Specifically Well columnist Tara Parker-Pope.

Better to be fat and fit than skinny and unfit

A few choice quotes

Last week a report in The Archives of Internal Medicine compared weight and cardiovascular risk factors among a representative sample of more than 5,400 adults. The data suggest that half of overweight people and one-third of obese people are “metabolically healthy.” That means that despite their excess pounds, many overweight and obese adults have healthy levels of “good” cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose and other risks for heart disease.

At the same time, about one out of four slim people — those who fall into the “healthy” weight range — actually have at least two cardiovascular risk factors typically associated with obesity, the study showed.

See, fat =/= sick, skinny =/= healthy

The data follow a report last fall from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute showing that overweight people appear to have longer life expectancies than so-called normal weight adults.

But many people resist the notion that people who are overweight or obese can be healthy. Several prominent health researchers have criticized the findings from the C.D.C. researchers as misleading, noting that mortality statistics don’t reflect the poor quality of life and suffering obesity can cause.

That poor quality of life couldn't have anything to do with size discrimination, now could it?

“Why is it such a stretch of the imagination,” he said, “to consider that someone overweight or obese might actually be healthy and fit?”

A very, very, very good question.

Go read that article. This fat lady is going for her daily bike ride now.

On perverts

Boldly slurped from www.gymbox.net.
All credit is theirs, copyright to them or the owner of the picture.

This picture is of Oksana Chusovitina winning World Champion on vault in 2003

I just watched her win silver on vault in Bejing.

She's a 33 year old wife and mother, with a 9 year old son.

Let me try that again...She's 33 years old.

There is no reason why older gymnasts, older any kind of athlete, can't compete.

There is no reason why we can't groom our best college gymnasts for world competition, rather than our high school athletes.

There is no reason why girls have to starve themselves to the point of losing their periods to compete.

There is no reason except that the Baby Boomer perverts who are still in charge of this culture want to watch prepubescent children in skimpy outfits on television.

And by insisting that only the prepubescent body type is attractive, by only selling clothing to fit that type, by swearing against all medical science that only that body type is healthy and that any woman who allows her body to mature to full womanhood is going to die any minute of heart disease or cancer they are making one half of this country sick and miserable. All because of their perverse thing for children.

This is proof. Let all Gen X and Y take note. Look at the women in these Olympics, look at Dana Torres and Cheryl Haworth and Oksana Chusovitina and know, know, that beauty and health are possible at any age and any size and that it is so possible to be sexy past the age of 21. And as soon as those bastards finally retire, take control and start putting that message out there. Don't let our daughters suffer the way we have.


For more on the athletes:
Dana Torres
Cheryl Haworth
Oksana Chusovitina

For more on the medical science: JunkFood Science. I can't push it often enough.