SupramaximusNeo's Xanga

So Exciting 2008!

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:04:46 GMT

I have learned so much this past year or so, been thru so many experiences both good or bad. Out of all the wreckage I do believe that Barack Obama is the best candidate for the presidency, I have so much to talk about and so little time to say, I will just post up my latest blog post, but i do plan to post on this regularly!

Hilary’s chances of winning the democratic nomination.

Quote:
Overall, Obama's delegate lead is 1,645-1,507. That masks an even larger advantage among those won in primaries and caucuses. There, his advantage is 1,414-1,250.

An additional 566 are at stake in the remaining contests in eight states, Guam and Puerto Rico before the primary season ends on June 3.

If Obama captures 53 percent of them, which is the share he has gained in contests to date, he would close out the primary season with at least 1,945 delegates, only 80 less than the total needed to clinch the nomination. If he and Clinton split the 566 evenly, he would still be within 100 of the number needed.

Clinton needs to win a forbidding 65 percent of the delegates in the remaining primaries to draw even with Obama in pledged delegates. It's a share she has achieved only once so far, in Arkansas, where her husband was governor for more than a decade.

Given the unyielding delegate math, Clinton has relied for weeks on forbearance from party leaders to sustain her challenge. And they are growing restless, eager for the epic nomination battle to end so Democrats can unify for the fall campaign against John McCain and the Republicans.

In fact, it's unlikely any other candidate could have survived as long without coming under overwhelming pressure to withdraw.

"There aren't many figures in American politics who could sustain 11 straight losses and hang into a race and raise $35 million," Obama said at The Associated Press annual meeting recently. "So in that sense she's unique, and the fact that former President Clinton is there, too, and the structure that he has of loyalty all across the country and the brand name that they have makes it very tough."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080418/...eDq5y.dsnw cF

According to my rough estimates Hilarys chances of winning the democratic nomination is 15%, Barack Obama has a 85% chance of winning the nomination. Hilary has to win double digit blowouts in each of the remaining primaries to even catch up to Barack Obama and surpass him. Something that has happened so far only in Arkansas. I am really happy with the direction the democratic party and the United States is going in terms of accepting Barack Obama for who he is.

ALEX RODRIGUEZ COMING BACK TO YANKEES AND OPINION ON SCOTT BORAS

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 23:17:59 GMT

Alex Rodriguez coming back to the Yankees? (plus my opinion on Scott Boras)

"After spending time with Cynthia and my family over these last few weeks, it became clear to me that I needed to make an attempt to engage the Yankees regarding my future with the organization.

Prior to entering into serious negotiations with other clubs, I wanted the opportunity to share my thoughts directly with Yankees' ownership. We know there are other opportunities for us, but Cynthia and I have a foundation with the club that has brought us comfort, stability and happiness.

As a result, I reached out to the Yankees through mutual friends and conveyed that message. I also understand that I had to respond to certain Yankees concerns, and I was receptive and understanding of that situation.

Cynthia and I have since spoken directly with the Steinbrenner family. During these healthy discussions, both sides were able to share honest feelings and hopes with one another, and we expect to continue this dialogue with the Yankees over the next few days. "
-Alex Rodriguez

ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ'S TAKE:

10 years/280 million = Insanity....no one deserves this kind of money especially a manipulative son of a bitch. Even if it was Scott Boras' fault.

Drama is defined by the relationship of Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees. I hated A-Rod after he opted out of his contract, its sort of like when you break up with a significant other after a long relationship, your feelings are so mixed you don't know what to feel. On one hand I feel that Alex (or at least Scott Boras) should never be forgiven and always hated for what they did for what he did, on the other hand he was my favorite player, he shares my last name, he is arguably the greatest hitter of this generation ...still its extremely confusing.

Alex for 10/280 is insane, honestly if I were Hank Steinbrenner or Brian Cashman I would not do it. But they run the team....not me.

The Yankees will be criticized, hated and scrutinized now more than ever, and history will be a testament, just because of the greatest hitter of this generation, Alex Emmanuel Rodriguez.

Get ready for the eternal stream of hate Yankee fans, Get ready!

Thanks ALEX!

PERSONAL OPINION ON SCOTT BORAS:

All this drama just confirms that Scott Boras is a Machiavellian Parasite, and a despicable human being. I knew that Alex deep in his heart never wanted to opt out of his contract, but that conniving power hungry egoistical son of a bitch Scott Boras manipulated him to do it and make him an enemy to all Yankees. I always knew Alex wasnt a bad person, but he was always easily manipulated by the evil Scott Boras, whatever there is no use of complaining its done. Scott Boras is one of the most despicable men in the universe.

Bella and Eduardo Verastegui

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:45:38 GMT

Bella was a good movie but it had the potential to be so much more. The basis of the story was excellent, a story about a soccer player who had everything a man can desire, until a fateful incident changes his life forever, and then how a friendship with a co-worker, a women he barley knows, and how he helps her make the best decision of her life.
Even with its briefness, Bella, is a good movie. It could've used more character development and more depth towards the character, it also felt like it was missing some chapters to the story. But nevertheless it was a good film with a great message, I will be honest and say it had the potential to be so much better. But it was exceptional nevertheless. I recommend everyone to watch it. A story about friendship and love.

What was even more amazing than the movie, was the true story of the main actor, this was a man who in real life had everything, he was handsome, rich, and famous. Yet he still felt empty, until he discovered catholicism and faith again. His story is one of the most inspirational i have ever witnessed.

What a wonderful man, he lost all his selfishness to be an loving instrument of God

ALEX RODRIGUEZ IS A GREEDY SCUMBUCKET

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:27:31 GMT

JUST AN ENRAGED RANT:

I want him to just try to get 30 million dollars a year elsewhere, it aint happening Alex and fuck you Scott Boras, you are the biggest bloodsucker out there,

Alex your a dipshit, I cant believe i considered you my favorite player for a time, you will not get more than 25.2 million dollars a year anywhere/

and your probably never going to have a season like you did in 2007, and your never gonna have a ring.

As much as I tried to like you, your nothing but a talented scumbag.

CONGRATULATIONS RED SOX!!!!!!!!!! on winning your second title in 89 years!!!!!!!!!!!

AS MUCH AS I HATE THIS TEAM, THEY ARE THE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS, I WONT TALK SHIT ABOUT THEM EVER AGAIN.

IT JUST PROVES THAT GOOD PITCHING ALWAYS BEATS GOOD HITTING.

HOPE THE YANKEES TAKE THIS AS A LESSON...

NOW MY GOT RINGS? Shirt is worthless...

Theo Epstein focused on pitching and they are succesful.....we focused on hitting and we are out of the playoffs.

If you look at the 2007 Boston Offense its the weakest since 2002, yet they are one of the best pitching team in the American league with a good mix of veterans and young talent guys.

The 2004 Boston team had a much stronger offense, but a bit weaker pitching thats why they were succesful as well.

They are just a more balanced team than the Yankees right now.

Congrats Red Sox

MIKE GRAVEL AND RON PAUL

I didnt know about these two candidates until a few weeks ago. They seem to be shunned by the mainstream media, but a growing band of grassroots supporters and college students support them with tremendous ambition.

They both have a 10% chance of winning the presidency in 2008 as of right now, simply because they are too extreme in their viewpoints, which to me is not a negative, its just not feasible if they want to win. Unless the general public and the mainstream media conglomerates do an about face theses candidates have a slim chance. Thats why I cannot support them unless they have a real chance of winning. Which still might happen if they garner enough mainstream attention or if the market themselves really really hard. Alot of things have to go their way if they are really going to have a chance to win.

Out of the two I like Ron Paul better, simply because he is a libertarian constitutionalist who is pro-life.

Gravel he is more extreme than Ron Paul but still the young people love him for his policy towards drugs.

If they show they can really win this election, i will support Ron Paul.

Otherwise,

The man who represents the most change and has a good chance of winning (50% or greater)
Obama 2008

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 07:16:17 GMT

I AM BACK

Well the Yankees Baseball Season has been extremely exciting....everyone wrote us off in June and we came back and made the playoffs....Alex had an unbelievable season...54 homers??? Wow...even i didn't predict that many, I think I predicted 44 homers for Alex this season.
Yankees Offense is the best in baseball, However our pitching leaves alot to be desired.

So what if Boston won the AL east were looking for vengeance from 2004, I will tell you what though, BoSox pitching is better than Yankee Pitching.

The young guys, Joba, Phil, Melky and Robbie made the team worthwhile to watch...

As for the Mets what a monumental collapse....they are tied right now with the Phillies.
I dont know what to think, I like the Mets, I just dont like their fans. I hope they win though.
Jose Reyes and David Wright has awesome seasons.

Marlins are still the best team with an under 30 million dollar payroll....

As for Politics and Current Events....

The BlackWater Scandal....I think this was going to be inevitable, I know how disorganized Iraq is right now and with the government speedily hiring contractors in order to cover the lack of trained armed forces troops this was bound to happen. I bet many of their security guards are ill trained thats why they killed so many unarmed civilians all in the mean time these contractors get paid millions of dollars to do their work, much more than the volunteer. Face it the Iraq War is a mess....a 30 billion dollar black whole in which thousands of lives have disappeared.

The Republican Party going down in flames with Senator Craig and his gay sexual innuendo as well as the Iraq war, the Alberto Gonzalez scandal and the worse mistake of all, the Iraq Conflict....I would be surprised if the Republicans win in the next 15 years.

Obama for president 2008

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:02:43 GMT

I find myself in a difficult place

My personal political philosophy is in a sort of limbo, and I need some guidance, I find myself listening to left wing music, mostly by Immortal Technique, and i find that its the most relevant, emotional, and rawest music out there, a year ago, i would have hated this music, I was a conservative right winger, maybe i was blind, its weird, my political philosophy has always been changing, I was a democrat from 1992 to 2001, than a hardcore republican after 9-11-2001, my descent to right wing ideology was apparent all through 2002, culminating in my support of the illegal invasion of Iraq by coalition forces in March 2003, then came the capture of Saddam in December of 2003, the Madrid bombings of March 2004, the London bombings of July 2005, the civil war the continues to ensue in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2002 and 2003....but as I see how the quagmires developed in Iraq and Afghanistan and how my family members and friends and joined the armed forces b/c of "patriotism" and how they told me, how this is a war just to make money, so that halliburton and wackenhut make millions of dollars, while the poor soldiers make a buck 50 an hour for the same job, contracters make 25 dollars an hour for the same job, its some bullshit, and the renewal and enhancement of the patriot act, and innocent civilians murdered daily, iraqi citizens are poor and they get poorer, contractors are rich and they get richer....and we ask where does the hate come from? Russia and China were right, the US got way over its head....and the 2004 elections were totally insane. It took me time to realize this....When Life got Hard...I regained my sight. Thanks Immortal Technique....u made me see the light.

I was friigging brainwashed like those hispanics in houston who believe in Jesus. or the cubans who beliebe in la revolucion.

so now in late 2006, i switched my politics, and ppl label me a hypocrite, fuck that shyt, i am what i am, and everyone is a hypocrite, to deny it, only serves to confirm it, its part of human nature nigga.

i used to scoff at leftwingers when they told me that Iraq was better under Saddam, but fuck that shit, i know that is totally right.....i find myself between a rock and a hard place

I was blinded by faith in government, like muslims and christians are blinded by faith in religious instititions and "holy" men

When Fahrenheight 9-11 came out, i hated it, i labeled it leftist propaganda, maybe it still rings true, but maybe now its more relevant

The War of Ideology has always been fought forever.

Id like all my friends to watch "THE SIEGE" (1998) about the dangers of what happens when the government suspends civil liberties, and the US constitution is voided, in the pursuit of terrorists, and exactely how disorganized the government and its departments are the CIA, FBI, and the US military all in a melting pot of confusion and misinformation and lots of assumption, and then the manifestations of this disorganization takes place in Abu-Gharib and Guantanmo Bay. It disgusts me when the UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION IS VIOLATED. THE SIEGE is the most prophetic movie ever, esp with the passage of the PATRIOT ACT of 2001, which in some ways violated the US constitution. Its amazing how relevant this movie has been in the past 6 years. Its probably the best contemporary political thriller i have ever seen.

Have the TERRORISTS already won? like Detective Hubbard asks in this clip? The US has spent billions on this war, and we have negated our government, and allowed it to slip into something closer to an autocracy? How close is martial law to reality? CLOSER THAN U THINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Watch this clip while i sort out my philosophy, I will be great in this world, its my destiny.

WHAT IS JUSTICE??
WHAT IS PERFECT JUSTICE?
CERTAINLY PERFECT JUSTICE IS NEVER OF MEN
BUT OF GOD..................
THE PERPETUAL PURSUIT OF THE PERFECT DEFINITION OF JUSTICE.

THE WAR OF IDEOLOGY IS FOREVER.....

<img src=http://a619.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/00826/81/62/826722618_l.jpg>

<img src=http://a619.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/00826/81/62/826722618_l.jpg>

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Unconditional and Unquestioned Faith, The Greatest Danger of them All

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 06:52:41 GMT

Unconditional and Unquestioned Faith, The Greatest Danger of them All......

When one accepts something, an ideology, a nation, a religion, a course of action, anything, as the absolute and unquestionable truth, there lies a grave danger in doing so.

When there are others who have faith in another absolute truth, and they disagree with you, there is a potential for a vast amount of conflict and general malice.

The more I think about it, the more I believe that faith is one of the roots of all evil. Think about it, all the wars in the world were rooted in either my people, my nation, my god, my land is better than yours, i have a faith in something and i dont agree with your faith.

I came to this observation, by recalling how in 2003 and 2004, I had faith in our government, I trusted it as a symbol of steady discourse in action and benevolent interest in all peoples. I unquestionably agreed with this administrations policies on the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and continued to support the administration throughout the elections of 2004. I cannot say it was all a complete deception and the reaction of those parties opposed to the United States is unconventional and unanticipated, they still use terror as their primary weapon. Now that the United States and its allies faithfully dived into a blackhole, where escape, especially in the terms we expected seems impossible.

The United States, The Moral Majoritym The Silent Majority, whatever you want to call it, was blinded by a belief, a belief of relief and liberation for this nation, Iraq, who seemingly does not want to accept democracy. The Propagation of this belief was led by the Administration.

It saddens me that daily, hundreds of innocent Iraqis are killed, and the American populace treats it as news fodder. The impact of mass amounts of death had not affected us since 9-11-2001, however in Iraq this is a daily occurence, and its a universal truth that death, especially sudden an unexpected is a horrifying experience.

I had this faith...and I admit I committed a grave error.

Sunni's and Shiites, Its hard to believe that the root of all this evil in the Islamic world, falls upon the faith of who should succeed the Prophet Mohammed as the leader of the Islamic World, this conflict, as any scholar of Islamic History knows, has been perpetual since the death of Mohammed since 632 CE, and now its manifested in Iraq in 2007 CE.

Maybe mere faith isnt to blame, but rather that certain groups of humans accept this faith, unquestioned and unrivaled.

To accept something blindly threatens the very foundation of democracy and liberty.

For democracy to flourish, the citizen must question the issue, analyze and research from all perspectives, debate reasonably while suppressing emotion as best as he or she can. Never accept something as the absolute truth, without question.

In my ideal society this would be one of the central tenets, more on that later, maybe my 8th grade dream of writing a book on this subject will be realized soon

Citizenship especially in a democratic society, is the greatest role, the greatest duty a man can have. The role and duty of the citizen is held upmost, surpassing all other duties and roles.

To that end, Unquestioned Faith is like the Force in Star Wars, it can be used for the greatest of goods or the worse of all evils.....

my revolution

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 07:10:46 GMT

Ethan Thomas's speech to the President and my change in my personal political philosophy.

Even though I used to be a big right winger....i think i settled down when the reality of life on your own hit me like a brick and i stopped going to church. I used to think that big government was good, the christian right was righteous, now i have realized how this administration really just plays on peoples emotion, faith, and fear. They used faith in me as a tool, as well as most of America, playing and decieving the moral majority. All of America now sees how it has been decieved, even I. As real life affects me even more and i know how it feels like to live on a crappy wage with debts seeming insurmountable, struggling middle class lifestyle is my reality, my stateof mind has changed. I havent gone to church for months, and though i still maybe conservative in some aspects, i am going back to my populist roots in my political philosophy. Before 2002-2003, I was actually a enourmous democrat, I have been a democrat all my life since 1992, when i predicted Bill Clinton would win the 1992 elections, when I was just 6 years old. I def. thought Al Gore shouldve won the 2000 election, i remember writing an essay about it. Then in 2003, I moved to Florida, I started really going to church and involving myself in faith-based organizations, this of course prompted me to align myself with the right wing, as my "new" understanding of the christian faith showed that the right was the most righteous. Esp. when i visited Washington DC in Jan 2004 and Jan 2005 and I saw how our esteemed president portrayed himself as a righteous crusader ready and willing to fight for the unborn and eliminate all infidels and promote democracy and "christianity". George W Bush with his impassioned speeches and his great victory in the 2004 presidential elections strengthened my resolve in the Republican Party. The new age of faith and freedom was emerging. I guess I can admit Mr. Moore, who i still hate, had some of it right. Of couse then 2006,rolled along, the year of the devil was 2006....i suddenly stopped going to church...because of one fateful night in April 2006....temptations were overwhelming and desire was overflowing....i lost my faith and thus gradually as the world grew bleaker and explanations grew thinner, i lost my faith in government and i realized a truth that has been played over and over for centuries.....faith is a tool of manipulation....faith and fear....George W Bush has used it, Osama Bin Laden has used it, heck even the Roman Catholic Church has used it for centuries.....and the eternal question arises what is it to be truly liberated?

In a sense 2006, has bene the most significant year in my young life so far, i never imagined i would change so much, i was the same person i was for 2 years in March 2006, then i changed dramatically, more liberal, more of a free thinker.

To that end, I was playing NBA LIVE, and of course I had my all NY TEAM going on,NBA players all who were born in NY......

of course this is my starting lineup

C- Channing Frye
PF- Elton Brand
SF- Lamar Odom
SG- Ron Artest
PG- Stephon Starbury

of course one of my reserve centers was a player that i have always been intrigued with, the only one who was born in Harlem, this was C- Etan Thomas, I have seen him play when i used to watch NBA regularly, hes my type of player a bruiser and rebounder, but,....it wasnt until i looked him up in google that i noticed what a great writer , rapper, and social intellectual this man is...in fact not too long ago, he delivered a speech in front of the white house which was to say the least exceptional....in reminsing with Langston Hughes to Malcolm X to Martin Luther King......I think this guy is preety good......he was raised a young intellectual in Harlem.....read his speech which he dedicated to ther president

and now his speech which was to say extremely good....

"Giving all honor, thanks and praises to God for courage and wisdom, this is a very important rally. I'd like to thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts, feelings and concerns regarding a tremendous problem that we are currently facing. This problem is universal, transcending race, economic background, religion, and culture, and this problem is none other than the current administration which has set up shop in the White House.

In fact, I'd like to take some of these cats on a field trip. I want to get big yellow buses with no air conditioner and no seatbelts and round up Bill O'Reilly, Pat Buchanan, Trent Lott, Sean Hannity, Dick Cheney, Jeb Bush, Bush Jr. and Bush Sr., John Ashcroft, Giuliani, Ed Gillespie, Katherine Harris, that little bow-tied Tucker Carlson and any other right-wing conservative Republicans I can think of, and take them all on a trip to the 'hood. Not to do no 30-minute documentary. I mean, I want to drop them off and leave them there, let them become one with the other side of the tracks, get them four mouths to feed and no welfare, have scare tactics run through them like a laxative, criticizing them for needing assistance.

I'd show them working families that make too much to receive welfare but not enough to make ends meet. I'd employ them with jobs with little security, let them know how it feels to be an employee at will, able to be fired at the drop of a hat. I'd take away their opportunities, then try their children as adults, sending their 13-year-old babies to life in prison. I'd sell them dreams of hopelessness while spoon-feeding their young with a daily dose of inferior education. I'd tell them no child shall be left behind, then take more money out of their schools, tell them to show and prove themselves on standardized exams testing their knowledge on things that they haven't been taught, and then I'd call them inferior.

I'd soak into their interior notions of endless possibilities. I'd paint pictures of assisted productivity if they only agreed to be all they can be, dress them up with fatigues and boots with promises of pots of gold at the end of rainbows, free education to waste terrain on those who finish their bid. Then I'd close the lid on that barrel of fool's gold by starting a war, sending their children into the midst of a hostile situation, and while they're worried about their babies being murdered and slain in foreign lands, I'd grace them with the pain of being sick and unable to get medicine.

Give them health benefits that barely cover the common cold. John Q. would become their reality as HMOs introduce them to the world of inferior care, filling their lungs with inadequate air, penny pinching at the expense of patients, doctors practicing medicine in an intricate web of rationing and regulations. Patients wander the maze of managed bureaucracy, costs rise and quality quickly deteriorates, but they say that managed care is cheaper. They'll say that free choice in medicine will defeat the overall productivity, and as co-payments are steadily rising, I'll make their grandparents have to choose between buying their medicine and paying their rent.

Then I'd feed them hypocritical lines of being pro-life as the only Christian way to be. Then very contradictingly, I'd fight for the spread of the death penalty, as if thou shall not kill applies to babies but not to criminals.

Then I'd introduce them to those sworn to protect and serve, creating a curb in their trust in the law. I'd show them the nightsticks and plungers, the pepper spray and stun guns, the mace and magnums that they'd soon become acquainted with, the shakedowns and illegal search and seizures, the planted evidence, being stopped for no reason. Harassment ain't even the half of it. Forty-one shots to two raised hands, cell phones and wallets that are confused with illegal contrabands. I'd introduce them to pigs who love making their guns click like wine glasses. Everlasting targets surrounded by bullets, making them a walking bull's eye, a living piñata, held at the mercy of police brutality, and then we'll see if they finally weren't aware of the truth, if their eyes weren't finally open like a box of Pandora.

I'd show them how the other side of the tracks carries the weight of the world on our shoulders and how society seems to be holding us down with the force of a boulder. The bird of democracy flew the coop back in Florida. See, for some, and justice comes in packs like wolves in sheep's clothing. T.K.O.'d by the right hooks of life, many are left staggering under the weight of the day, leaning against the ropes of hope. When your dreams have fallen on barren ground, it becomes difficult to keep pushing yourself forward like a train, administering pain like a doctor with a needle, their sequels continue more lethal than injections.

They keep telling us all is equal. I'd tell them that instead of giving tax breaks to the rich, financing corporate mergers and leading us into unnecessary wars and under-table dealings with Enron and Halliburton, maybe they can work on making society more peaceful. Instead, they take more and more money out of inner city schools, give up on the idea of rehabilitation and build more prisons for poor people. With unemployment continuing to rise like a deficit, it's no wonder why so many think that crime pays.

Maybe this trip will make them see the error of their ways. Or maybe next time, we'll just all get out and vote. And as far as their stay in the White House, tell them that numbered are their days."

-Etan Thomas

Thoughts?

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 16:46:25 GMT

FINALLY SOMEONE HAS THE BALLS TO GIVE MICHAEL MOORE A TASTE OF HIS OWN MEDICINE...............I HOPE HE LOSES AND PAYS 500 million dollars to everyone he misrepresented in his film. Hes rich he can do it, that fat lard.

A Massachusetts national guardsman filed an $85 million lawsuit against

Michael Moore in Suffolk Superior Court last week, accusing the filmmaker of distorting a TV interview to portray the soldier as anti-war in his scathing 2004 documentary about the Bush administration post-Sept. 11, 2001.

Sgt. Peter Damon, 33, has stated that Moore didn't have his permission to use pieces of the on-camera interview he gave in 2003 to an NBC Nightly News correspondent at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. Damon's appearance in Fahrenheit 9/11 resulted in a "loss of reputation, emotional distress, embarrassment, and personal humiliation" for him, court documents state.

Damon is suing for $75 million and his wife is seeking another $10 million for the "mental distress and anguish suffered by her spouse."

The lawsuit states that "[Fahrenheit 9/11] creates a substantially fictionalized and falsified implication of a wounded serviceman who was left behind when Plaintiff was not left behind but supported, financially and emotionally, by the active assistance of the president, the United States and his family, friends, acquaintances and community."

Damon, a double amputee, lost both of his arms while stationed in

Iraq when a tire on a Black Hawk Helicopter he was servicing exploded. Another reservist was killed.

In Moore's film Damon is shown lying on a gurney, covered in bandages. He says he feels as if he's "being crushed in a vise," adding, "but [the painkillers] do a lot to help it. And they take a lot of the edge off of it."

The scene prior to Damon's features U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott (news, bio, voting record), a Democrat from Washington state, saying, "You know, [those in the Bush administration] say they're not leaving any veterans behind, but they're leaving all kinds of veterans behind."

In his lawsuit, Damon has argued that the juxtaposition of those two scenes made it sound as if the military and the Bush administration had left him to grapple alone with pain or possibly even a drug addiction when, in reality, he "agrees with and supports the president and the United States' war effort and was not left behind."

NBC had been questioning Damon about the painkiller he was using, a new drug the military was distributing to wounded veterans.

"They took the clip because it was a gut-wrenching scene," Damon told Fox News Tuesday. "They sandwiched it in. [Moore] was using me as ammunition."

Miramax Films, NBC, and Lions Gate Entertainment are also named in the suit, according to Fox News.

The controversial Fahrenheit 9/11 was a smash hit for Moore and Miramax, winning the Palme d'Or at the 2004

Cannes Film Festival and grossing more than $222 million worldwide.

The film, which focused pretty one-sidedly on the Bush administration's response to 9/11 (sorely lacking, according to Moore) and its instigation of the war in Iraq (inexcusable, Moore said) was passed over come Oscar time, however, partly because the director entered his production in the Best Picture category, rather than take a run at Best Documentary.

Damon told the New York Post that Moore couldn't have picked a worse guy to pin the charge of being anti-war on.

"I'm the most fortunate disabled guy," he said. "I was complaining about the pain I would've been having [if it weren't for the painkiller]."

Damon's lawyer, Dennis Lynch, also weighed in with the Associated Press.

"It's upsetting to him because he's lived his life supportive of his government, he's been a patriot, he's been a soldier, and he's now being portrayed in a movie that is the antithesis of all that," Lynch said.

Phone calls from the AP and Fox News to Moore and Miramax were not returned.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Tue, 02 May 2006 06:04:32 GMT

United States Immigration Debate

May 1, 2006 marked the day of nationwide protests by immigrants(mostly hispanic) in which they did their best to try to paralyze American society in protest of the House Bill 4437 that was approved by the house of representatives in Dec. 2005 and is being debated in the Senate at whether it is to become law.

To those of you out of the loop, House Bill 4437 is an extreme right wing bill, and while i consider myself a right winger, I am also an hispanic immigrant who is not yet a citizen of this great country, and this bill reminds me of something a Nazi government would pass, making illegal immigrants into felons is absolutely inhuman. Building a wall 700 miles long? Are we still living in the Cold War? Other proposed provisions of this bill include $3000 fines for those who voluntarily leave after capture and private business who employ illegal immigrants will get much stiffer penalties, $15,000 for first offense and higher.
The guy who proposed this bill a republican from Wisconsin by the name of Sensebrenner reminds me of a Neo-Nazi.

I like what George W Bush originally proposed a guest worker program that would lead into permanant residency and eventual citizenship of the United States while attending free english language and American assimilation schools.I also believe that all immigrants should be documented and categorized for Homeland Security Purposes. Private businesses should not be penalized at all for employing illegals. I know for a fact that a few of my Uncles need the labor of illegals for their enterprises and I myself have worked beside and interacted with illegal immigrants. I know that they are good people and they only work to provide a better oppurtunity for their children and the ones they love and they believe the United States would provide that dream for themh, however hard and humble they must work. Private Business reap the awards and benefits of illegal immigration which helps capitalism become more succesful. I think that all immigrants should get a chance at a better life in the United States and let them celebrate their culture, sooner or later they will be assimilated or just create something new, a new culture. Immigrants are what made this country and we still have many wide open spaces and land to share.

To that end, I think the Great American Boycott was a necessary event, even though i went to work today and fully participated. It was not only a symbol for hispanics, but all immigrants whether from Asia to South America. I know that the senate wouldnt dare pass a bill that is so extreme right wing. Instead we should definetly go with Bush's original plan with the input of more sympathetic democrats and republicans. I do believe that immigrants should be legalized and enjoy the benefits of being a permanant resident and end the constant living in fear of being an illegal. HB4437 is not the way, that should be tossed in a fire.

I want to see hispanic power and how hispanics are a part of the American Identity and are vital to the well-being of the United States as acountry.

GASOLINE ANALYSIS by 4degrees

In a gallon of gasoline, about 50% of the price is in the cost of oil.

When gas prices were about $2.70/gal, oil was at $60/barrel. Today, it's breaching $70, which is a 17% increase. So the total increase in gas should be 8.5% or $0.23 which would put gas at $2.93, but it's up around $3.09-$3.39.

So is there gouging or is there something more reasonable going on? Where is the 20 cents?

- Katrina: Lousiana produces about 10% of US oil. The US produces about 30% of it's internal need and imports the other 70%. So you could expect a 3% bump which is about 8 cents.

- Foreign currency exchange: Thanks to your president and his budget deficits, the US dollar sucks against other currencies (George might be an idiot, but he's no dummy; you can hide this impact well). Considering that 70% of the oil is imported, this can go up or down in very wild swings. We lost about 5% against the peso, so there's another 13 cents.

So the recent surge in gas prices can be attributed to:
- surge in oil prices (also brought on by demand in China)
- Katrina to a small degree
- Currency exchange due to poor economic policy (told you that war had poor utility)

I think the gas companies are not gouging now because they took their chunk of change earlier.

You also have to keep in mind they multiple dip. They take a profit for getting the oil, for refining the oil, for moving the oil - if 1 corporation owns the entire supply chain, they can diffuse the extra profit in separate divisions and make it look like they are not making a windfall.