John McCain: “Earmarks caused the Minnesota bridge collapse”

This is just pathetic.

“McCain blames Minnesota bridge collapse on earmarks”

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Republican John McCain said Wednesday that the bridge collapse in Minnesota that killed 13 people last year would not have happened if Congress had not wasted so much money on pork-barrel spending.

Federal investigators cite undersize steel plates as the “critical factor” in the collapse of the bridge. Heavy loads of construction materials on the bridge also contributed to the disaster that injured 145 people on Aug. 1, according to preliminary findings by the National Transportation Safety Board.

“The bridge in Minneapolis didn’t collapse because there wasn’t enough money,” McCain told reporters while campaigning in Pennsylvania. “The bridge in Minneapolis collapsed because so much money was spent on wasteful, unnecessary pork-barrel projects.”

Something tells me the lunatic right-wing “conservatives” in the U.S. are going to start liking McCain more and more. Using the death of 13, the misery of their families and the 145 people that were injured in the bridge collapse in order to push his pandering, unrealistic and stupid “Earmarks, never again” platform? He’s proven his point. He’s as sick and demented as the rest of the “conservatives” that never met a death they wouldn’t exploit.

-WKW

I am 62 percent Muslim, therefore I am 62 percent more likely to be tortured

My friends, it is time I admit to a hidden truth. I am 62 percent Muslim.

I’m not sure how it happened. Deep in my heart, I believe Islam, Christianity and Judaism are all quite similar to Scientology - as cults. The “Big Three” just has the advantage of having been around so long that people accept them as respectable. But they’re all the same to me.

Nonetheless, it turns out I am 62 percent Muslim. Which makes me 62 percent more likely to be enslaved and tortured in a U.S. internment camp like Guantanamo Bay, or somewhere in the hills of Romania. Hopefully, I’ll catch a break as despite being 62 percent Muslim, I am really, really a crappy Muslim. Hell, I’m eating a pork sandwich as I type this.

But I respect the fact that 62 percent of me is a non-believing, non-practicing Muslim. I’m not sure what the rest of me is, but my latest trip to the doctor leads me to believe a good portion of the other 38 percent is pure cholesterol.

Anyway, I just wanted to be open and honest about how I break down on a percentile basis when it comes to being a Muslim. Feel free to find out how Muslim you are at Are You a Muslim?

-WKW

President John W. McCain: Wikipedia entry, 2015

From the year 2015, an excerpt from the Wikipedia biography of President John W. McCain:

“When McCain won the U.S. Presidency (controversially winning nine states by one vote each), the United States had reached lows it had not seen since the Great Depression era. With the nation at war on four fronts as he took office (Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Alabama), McCain quickly responded by taking an 87-day holiday and changing his middle initial to “Dubya.”

Upon returning to office, McCain continued to do little but show old movies of himself to people visiting the White House. It was under these circumstances that the U.S. reached full recovery.

It was Sept. 2009 when the “American Miracle,” as many have taken to calling it, began. First, the dollar strengthened based on absolutely nothing. Job creation also skyrocketed, as business owners around the nation decided that hiring people could be a way for their companies to stop hemorrhaging money. Acting on this news, oil prices plummeted to $42 a barrel, and the price of gas at U.S. pumps averaged $1.28 a gallon.

Health insurance rates plummeted based on the “well, everyone else is doing it,” economic theory. Wealth inequality closed dramatically as the poor were not anywhere near as poor and the rich were just slightly less rich. All U.S. infrastructure simultaneously strengthened in 2010, based on what McCain called the “successful privatization of the U.S. infrastructure.” Critics pointed out that no private companies had done anything, and that it had all just sort of “happened.”

Not long after the American Economic Miracle came the American Military Miracle. Basically, based on the news of the strengthened dollar, radical Islamicists all spontaneously gave up and supported a democratic system with a Freidman-inspired economy in Iraq, Iran, and Syria and promised never to do terrorism again. Alabama chose to continue to its Civil War battle, however, albeit it peacefully.

McCain never admitted to knowing how it all occurred, instead lavishing praise on the Conservative Ideology. “I’m a Conservative, so I knew along everything would come together,” said McCain in 2014. McCain also pointed to conservatism for the victory in the drug war, as everyone stopped doing any type of non-legal drug, all stating that they were too high on life to get high on anything else.

Former President George W. Bush was quick to take credit for most everything, however.

“I always knew my legacy would show my greatness. Now, as I live my legacy, I only look forward to an even better legacy in the years to come,” Bush told the New York Times in 2014 from his compound in Paraguay. Still, Bush was unable to exactly explain how the “American Miracle” took place. “First off, I think by sheer force of personality, I created a better world. Secondly, God.”

The McCain Presidency has been called the “Second Camelot” by many, as the public enjoyed peace and prosperity. McCain’s vibrant personality and jovial personality gave Americans a standard bearer for how to react during bad times. And by just thinking more positively as a nation, as some government officials stated, everything just magically got better.

Whether a critic or a fan, few can doubt that John McCain was the greatest U.S. President of the 21st century. Without having a plan, without actually doing anything, McCain saved the United States of America.”

-WKW

George W. Bush: The common language of the globe

Today, I spent some time on a farm in Brazil and even enjoyed some horseback riding. It was truly enjoyable. While a group of us rode our horses, the farmer siddle up by me and made some conversation. I’m not the best conversationalist in Portuguese, but we did ok.

“You’re from the United States?”

“Yeah, California.”

“Is that as big as Texas?”

“They are both pretty big.”

“A lot of nice beaches in California, right.”

“Yep, lots.”

“Do you like Bush?”

When you’re American “Do you like Bush?” means this: “Do I like you?”

-wkw

African-Americans are dying for bone marrow donors - a call to action

When I recovered from the shock of learning that my Mom had acute myeloid Leukemia, I set to work on learning more about it, and trying to find what part I could play.

It was evident early on that my Mom would need a bone marrow transplant to survive more than one or two years. AML is a vicious disease that can only be repressed by intense chemotherapy. It comes back, and the chemo treatments quickly lose potency. So I saw the part I would play, and knew it would be a lifetime endeavor.

With the help of Pat Conlee of the National Marrow Donor Program, I began to learn about the bone marrow registry. I worked with Conlee, my Father and friends and family to put together a bone marrow drive for my mother in Victorville, Calif. But I knew that was not to be a one-time effort, and that the NMDP needed help from wherever it could find it.

As I learned about the NMDP, one fact struck me extremely hard. For Caucasians in need of a bone marrow transplant, 88 percent find a suitable donor. For African-Americans, that number tumbles to 60 percent.

While any person of any race can be a suitable person for anyone in need, the simple fact is this: ethnicity matters when it comes to bone marrow. A Caucasian person has a much better chance of getting a match from another Caucasian. An Asian person has a much better chance of being matched with another Asian. An African-American has a better chance of being matched with another of African descent.

According to the NMDP, there are just 11 million people on the bone marrow donor registry. And that’s not in the U.S. That’s in the world. In the U.S., there are five million white people on the registry. There are 500,000 blacks. There lies the difference between the 88 percent and 60 percent figures.

This is a call to the black community. The National Marrow Donor Program needs you. And those of African descent need you even more. They are literally dying for a better representation of blacks on the bone marrow registry.

To put a face to issue, let me point to my friend Emru Townsend. In December, Townsend - of Montreal - was told that he had AML, as well as a disorder called monosomy 7. He was told he needed a bone marrow transplant to survive. He was also told that due to his African-Caribbean heritage, his chances of finding a donor were much less than if he were white.

But Townsend did not waste his time with self-pity. He immediately began to champion the cause, and his efforts to get more blacks on Canada’s bone marrow registry have been covered in newspapers, radio and on television. He is a true inspiration, going so far as spending days working to get his message out while he is receiving chemotherapy. And he is still without a matching donor. His site - HealEmru.com - tells his story and has valuable information on how one can get on the bone marrow registry.

“After everything I’ve learned, I just can’t believe that everyone is not on the registry,” said Townsend. “It’s just such an easy thing and it’s so important to so many families.”

In the U.S., one of the reasons for the lack of donors of all races is likely the cost. It costs $52 to get on the registry, but that amount falls to $25 for African-Americans due to the need. But even if an African-American doesn’t have a dime to spare, if they want to get on the registry, they will not be turned away. But this is why donations are always eagerly accepted by the NMDP to help defray the costs of the tissue typing necessary.

The process for donating is simple - all it takes is a few swaps from a person’s inner cheek, filling out some paperwork, and it’s done. If you are called as a potential match, you will be given a battery of tests (free of charge) that will see if you are in good health and able to donate. The donating process consists of taking some marrow from your spine (under local anesthesia) and does not entail an overnight stay in a hospital. Generally, some minor discomfort for a day or two is the full price that has to be paid for saving a life.

For my allies in the POC blogosphere, and anyone else interested in helping, I humbly request that you write about this issue in any way you deem fit. Discuss your thoughts on why blacks are so underrepresented if you like. Discuss the issue from any angle you wish. But please discuss it. And register. And try to get more people of African descent onto the registry. Lives are literally in the balance.

Helpful Links

- The National Marrow Donor Program: Here you will find a plethora of information on the bone marrow registry, including how and where you can register. They can also be reached at 1(800) 627-7692.

- Jes Us For Jackie: Rapper Nelly’s ongoing effort to get African-Americans involved in the bone marrow donor registry. Nelly’s sister died from Leukemia, unable to find a donor.

- Emru Townsend’s site: Townsend has worked tirelessly to create a site that has information on his plight, as well as information on bone marrow drives throughout the U.S. and Canada.

- The Caitlin Raymond International Registry: An International bone marrow and cord blood search and donor recruitment center.

- African-American Community Health Advisory Committee: More information on the need for African-American marrow donors and information on how the process takes place.

- Asians for Miracle Matches: Non-Japanese Asians, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders are also underrepresented on the marrow donor registry. A3M is trying to change that.

If you have any other questions, such as how to put together a bone marrow drive in your community or anything else, feel free to contact me at wkwolfrum(at)gmail(dot)com.

-WKW

Happy Birthday, Charlie Chaplin

“Do not despair. The misery that is now upon is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of progress.”

Today is the birthday of Charlie Chaplin, who was born April 16, 1889. His courage and humanity came shining through in The Great Dictator, and his final speech resonates today as much as it did in 1940. He was an imperfect man, but his willingness to stand up to oppression on the world’s biggest stage set a standard that is rarely matched by those with the greatest reach.

-WKW

China must ban U.S. from Olympics for human rights abuses

The time is nearing for China’s Olympics. The Olympics, combined with the World Expo in 2010 have long been pointed to as landmark events for China in its build up to superpower status both militarily and economically.

With the battles in Tibet, however, China’s human rights record is once again showing itself to be a major problem for the nation that promotes its “One nation, two systems” paradigm. Thus far, Chinese officials have shown no interest in doing much regarding its horrific record on human rights and its squelching of personal freedoms, and few other countries seem to have the fortitude or strength of character to force the issue.

There is a solution for China, however, that would reverberate around the world and show at least a minuscule effort at improving global human rights. With U.S. President George W. Bush ho-humming about China’s abuses and committing to be in China for the opening ceremonies, Chinese officials have an opening of their own.

They can ban the U.S. from competing, and not allow Bush within their borders to show that they will no longer accept the human rights violations and international crimes of the U.S.

The United States is now a nation that admittedly tortures both foreign nationals and its own citizens. The U.S. is an aggressive, warring nation currently fighting wars on two fronts while saber rattling about starting a third. The U.S. spies on its own citizens, as well as citizens of other nations. The U.S. has consistently not only shown a lack of concern about the people’s of other nations, but have actively helped murder millions whether through war, sanctions or covert actions. Those in power of the U.S. jail political opponents. When the Gulf Coast of the U.S. was decimated by Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. government watched as the deaths piled up, then offered its citizens poisoned trailers to inhabit.

The U.S. has defied the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion, the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, the Non Proliferation Treaty, the Geneva Conventions Protocol, the UN Charter, as well as its own constitution.

Antoine Bernard, executive director of the International Federation of Human Rights, has said, “The key to peace and democracy building world-wide is accountability for international crimes.”

By banning the U.S. and George Bush from the Olympic Games, China will shine a bright light on the myriad human rights violations and international crimes of the U.S. under the Bush Administration.

While this would undoubtedly be viewed (and rightly so) as an incredibly hypocritical move by China, it would be another step in its ultimate goal of becoming the world’s next superpower.

After all, the U.S. has created the blueprint for how superpowers are allowed to act in regard to human rights abuses and international crimes. And that blueprint simply states “Do as we say, not as we do.”

-WKW

I’ve had to put up with this all year

Sometimes you just put up with things. Certain things become a part of your life, and before you know it, you just can’t get rid of them. It’s almost as if destiny has decreed that you need to put up with it, and you find yourself unable, and sometimes even unwilling to act.

Some things just become a part of your life, whether you want it or not

Like Afonso.

Thanks for a great year, little guy. You’ve become a comfortable, secure, playful and happy dog, and you’ve been the perfect complement to our other dogs and to our life. We are just crazy about you, you little mutt.

P.S.: I just noticed I made it through a blog post without preaching. Let me rectify that: If you’re in the market for a dog, cat or other pet, go adopt and rescue one. You’ll be really glad you did.

P.S. II - P.S. Harder: Also, give some love to Dogs Deserve Better, Tammy Grimes’ great site where she fights against leaving dogs chained.

Now let’s leave Afonso alone in the sun for a while.

-WKW

The Skeptologists - an important and fun new show needs your help

Are you a Skeptic? Or someone who thinks science trumps the supernatural? Well, we have a show for you -The Skeptologists, which just finished shooting its first pilot

Hosted by Brian Dunning, the Skeptologists will be a skeptic-reality show which will include Skeptics Guide to the Universe host Dr. Steven Novella, Michael Shermer, Phil Plait (The Bad Astronomer) and Mark Edward.

Oh yeah, Yau-Man Chan, one of Survivors’ most popular players, is also a regular on the show. You can listen to an interview with Yau-Man on Skeptics Guide by clicking here.

“There was this general optimistic feeling that this would happen. It still could not get picked up, but if any hardcore skeptical show can make it on the air, it will be this one,” said Novella.

The hour-long pilot will include looks at the Wheat grass craze, as well as looking at the instruments that ghost hunters use.

The Web site for Skeptologists is here. They also have a page on Facebook here.

Want to see The Skeptologists? Send an e-mail to skeptologists(at)newrule(dot)com and tell them you can’t wait to see some serious skepticism. They’ll be taking the e-mails to producers to show that this is a program that people want. Plus, you’ll be doing Plait a favor, as he’s already done 275 different pilots and hasn’t seen one get picked up. The Skeptologists may be the one. I’ll definitely be sending an e-mail.

-WKW

More on Martha Burk and the Masters at WorldGolf.com

Head on over to WorldGolf.com to see the continuation of my conversation with Martha Burk, this time in feature story form: “Martha Burk’s fight against Augusta National’s all-male policy gaining momentum, she says”

The story takes a look at Burk and the “Women on Wall Street Project,” as well as her opinion on the “Curves vs. Augusta National” debate (“It’s a silly comparison,” said Burk), and more.

And, if you haven’t seen it, check out the blog post I did on Burk and the Masters golf tournament, as well, which you can find by clicking here. I’d love to hear your thoughts on both of them.

-WKW

Martha Burk’s work far from over five years after Masters protest

Getting off the phone earlier this morning with Martha Burk, I was struck by one thing more than any other - her focus. For a woman who five years ago put herself on the front lines for feminism in the most visible of ways, she is still more focused than ever. And still on the front lines.

Because while the golf establishment decided that Burk was a non-factor, the rest of the nation took notice. The fact that Augusta National is a sexist organization became blindingly clear to many due to Burk’s 2003 protest at the Masters. And the fact that it remains that way due to a member list that consists primarily of CEOs, politicians and the like is also equally obvious.

I wrote a blog post about Burk and her experiences before and after the 2003 Masters at WorldGolf.com. You can read that post by clicking here. I am also working on a feature story for WorldGolf.com that will take the story even further.

When I told Burk that the blog post I wrote would likely be met with by anger from the golfing community, she could not contain her laugh.

“Tell me about it,” she said.

I hope you go read the post. Because it was truly a pleasure to speak with the indomitable Martha Burk.

-WKW

Like today’s headlines? Vote McCain

Simply put, John McCain has all but stood up and said “I will give you the exact same thing that Bush has given you,” during his topsy-turvy road to being the GOP nomination for President. Plus, he has proven that things like stopping torture and global warming - two issues he has taken very firm stands on in the past - are things he will vote against and then go on saying he’s a supporter.

Basically, John McCain is an older, more war-worshiping version of George W. Bush, and has made it clear that he believes the U.S. is headed in the right direction.

So if you like the major headlines of today, April 8, 2008, vote for John McCain:

- Petraeus calls for halt to Iraq troop pull out

- Al-Sadr Threatens to End Cease-Fire

- Pending home sales index falls 1.9% in February

- Fed concerned about prolonged and severe economic downturn

- Medical Errors Costing US Billions

- Defiant Iran expands nuclear operation

- Israel holds emergency drill amid attack worries

- Five U.S. troops killed in Iraq

The 2008 U.S. Presidential election comes down to one simple thing - if you read the above stories and think the last eight years have made the U.S. a better place, then vote for John McCain. It’s just that simple.

-WKW

Christians at the Masters: Save your souls by giving away all your money (to me)

This week at the Masters golf tournament there will be more millionaire Christians congregated together than one could shake a stick at, should stick shaking be an action you prefer for this type of thing.

Yes, Augusta, Georgia is just bursting at its peach-stained borders as it prepares for the Masters, as old money meets with new money that meets with “Hey, how the hell did you get money?” at extravagant Masters-flavored galas throughout the land.

But the fact is this: Christians are in immortal peril. We must save them. You see, as I was strolling through Kevin 4:12 (there was a Kevin, right?) I came to a part that states that every Christian should give away all their money and preach about Jesus, or go to Hell. Or something like that. It was pretty explicit, though.

Now, while I pick and choose which parts of the Bible I take seriously (you know, like all other Christians), I have decided to take this particular sin Extremely Seriously.

And being a golf blogger, it was easy to find a whole flock of sinners this week - in Augusta. You can almost feel the Christianity in the air at Augusta National, though I suspect that would be true in most of the South. This is not a bad thing, mind you. I would have to guess that the vast majority of Georgia Christians are true peaches. They tithe, they give, they are generally pleasant to be around. But like me, they are sinners headed for hell. Unlike me, they care.

So I have decided that a two-prong plan is necessary. The first part is that every good Christian in Augusta (including PGA Tour players) must give away all their earthly goods. The second part is they need to give it all away to me.

Now, I can see that the latter part of this plan raises eyebrows, but its necessity is two fold. First, it’s all about verification. You send me everything; I mark you down as not violating that sin. And I’ll make a Powerpoint Presentation out of it that will really dazzle.

Secondly, you’ll be enriching me. As a non-believer, I will be punished even extra for living such a luxurious life, and I will be promoting the Christian cause. Do you see the beauty in that? I will not mock your faith and only speak highly of it. Because, seriously, I’ll freakin’ love Christians.

Also, for me - a Hell-bound soul - this is sort of a “Pay My Way Through Hell” deal. At very least, I can spend my mortal days in the manner I so clearly deserve. And when it’s all over, you can laugh at me from above as I get eternally tortured, and kick myself for being so shortsighted.

But it’s cool because I don’t believe in that. But you do.

Because religion matters. And you either follow the rules or you don’t. God just isn’t going to cut anyone any slack and this isn’t something a deathbed confession will fix. This is a big sin we’re talking about here. I want to help as many of you as I can. Let me save you as I damn myself. Just put on some old clothes and hiking boots and start wandering the land telling people about Jesus. And then have your accountant give away all your possessions. To me.

-WKW

Blog Note: Masters time is here and I promise to be a better blogger

First, an apology to my doting reader(s). The last couple months have been appallingly hit and miss here, and I feel bad about that. It honestly is strange how committed I feel to this blog, and how I feel bad abandoning it for any amount of time. As I was with my parents to help out and visit while my Mother fights Leukemia, I don’t feel too bad about it, really, but I do feel bad about not posting enough.

So I anticipate this week to be posting with more regularity. One place I should be posting a lot is at my WorldGolf.com blog, where I will be taking several different looks at the upcoming Masters tournament. There is a long history of racism and sexism at Augusta National in Georgia where the Masters is played, and I intend to cover those subjects as best I can. I got it started today by wondering who are the people gambling on golf and how do they do it.

Mainly, if you’re reading this, I just wanted to say thanks for being a reader. It’s something I truly appreciate and care about.

Bill