FLORIDA ELECTION COMPLAINTS BEING IGNORED ALREADY

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OSAMA'S NEW RELEASE

Well, I was going to give Osama's latest video the MST3K treatment, but it's hard to make fun of a guy who has basically admitted to killing 3000 Americans. Even Chaplin was embarrassed after realizing just how foolish he had made Hitler look in The Great Dictator (which is still a great movie, in my opinion). There's another reason I decided against quipping to it. It's also because people have already written some pretty good commentary about it.

Tech-Noir author, William Gibson (one of my favorite writers) blogged twice about the ObL video. First here and again here. Basically he thinks that bin Laden is not so much in cahoots with Bush, but that bin Laden and Bush are partners. Like the cop who lets his number one criminal escape just so the chase can continue. After all, bin Laden committing acts of terror does suggest a bit of job security for Bush and using the deaths of 3000 Americans sure help Bush's career out. Gibson suggests that bin Laden effectively sided with Kerry in order to help Bush. The idea is that if bin Laden doesn't like Bush and you don't like Bush, then you must be a terrorist. However, Gibson turns around the next day and second guesses himself saying:

After sleeping on it, I find I'm not quite as inclined to imagine that OBL's tape was a conscious effort to swing the election for Bush. It doesn't seem to me that he understands us quite that well, and it doesn't seem to me that I understand him well enough to be that certain of what he's up to. I think the message might actually have been: "Hi. 9-11 was all my idea. And you haven't been able to catch me, so I'll do it all over again if I decide to. I know you're having an election now, but that won't make any difference either way. In order to make a difference, you'll have to get your government to stop doing the things they're doing that keep me wanting to attack you again. 'Bye."

I find that I like both of his theories.

However, my favorite commentary on ObL's tape is over at Rahul Mahajan's Empire Notes. Rahul says about ObL's statement on the tape:

Perform for a minute the difficult task of imagining yourself to be an Arab living in one of these subjugated countries, and try to analyze what bin Laden is saying from that perspective. All of it sounds reasonable. If the United States and Israel attack us, we’ll attack them. If they kill large numbers of civilians during the attack, we’re allowed to do the same. They talk about freedom but support despotism here and in their own country. If they stop attacking us and trying to rule us, we’ll stop attacking them. It’s difficult to argue with any of this, from that perspective.

Maybe I'm biased, but I don't believe the terrorists are "evil," I just believe they're a bit morally corrupt but are fighting for what they believe in--just like we're supposed to be.

I remember all the stuff about Timothy McVeigh and his bombing of the OK City Fed Bldg. I don't remember more than a handful of people back then wanting to talk to McVeigh about the specifics of why he did what he did. It was all about killing the bastard. God forbid anyone should think we could learn a thing or two from the guy in an effort to prevent other terrorist attacks. But no, we had to kill him. I did see a Diane Sawyer interview he did just before he was executed. I did get some answers--he said that when you're trying to deal with a government that communicates only through violence, then you must do the same. McVeigh had been a US Navy SEAL and claimed that he had been asked to do horrible things by his commanding officers, but refused to mention what those things were. He clearly wanted to make a statement to the USGov in the hopes it would change. That's a sad laugh. Of course, after seeing how little the USGov cares about human life in Iraq, McVeigh was foolish to think that anything would change these people's minds aside from someone in the White House who actually wanted to address issues that concerned McVeigh and ObL.

Of course, wanting to talk to a terrorist is tantamount to being a gay communist being caught in the process of killing a small puppy.

As Colin Powell would say, "Let's not go there."

Powell is so street.

Don't take my word for it, head over to Al Jazeera's website and read the more accurate translation and see what you think of ObL's words.

Judge for yourself and vote accordingly on Tuesday.

LOOONG AGO, "W" WANTED TO GO INTO IRAQ

When did George W. Bush want to attack Iraq?

In March of 2003?

No, earlier.

Oh, right, after 911--he said Sadam was helping terrorists like those that committed 911.

Nope! Earlier.

I remember now, that was what some guy who quite the White House said--Bush wanted to go into Iraq right after he entered office.

Keep going!

Further back?

Further!

What? Before he was even in office?

Yep! This is from an article at GNN.tv:

Houston: Two years before the September 11 attacks, presidential candidate George W. Bush was already talking privately about the political benefits of attacking Iraq, according to his former ghost writer, who held many conversations with then-Texas Governor Bush in preparation for a planned autobiography.

“He was thinking about invading Iraq in 1999,” said author and journalist Mickey Herskowitz. “It was on his mind. He said to me: ‘One of the keys to being seen as a great leader is to be seen as a commander-in-chief.’ And he said, ‘My father had all this political capital built up when he drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait and he wasted it.’ He said, ‘If I have a chance to invade….if I had that much capital, I’m not going to waste it. I’m going to get everything passed that I want to get passed and I’m going to have a successful presidency.”

Yeah, well, your "presidency" is a "catastrophic success."

Congratulations, tens of thousands of people are dead now.

I'm sure they're all glad you didn't waste your capital.

Although, I bet there are some people out there who want to waste our nation's capital. Perhaps that chappy with the initials, ObL?

CRONKITE: ROVE BEHIND BIN LADEN VIDEO

OK, maybe Walter Cronkite, former father figure to America, is going senile, but then again, maybe not. According to Drudge, Cronkite said in an interview with Larry King that he is "inclined to think that Karl Rove, the political manager at the White House, who is a very clever man, he probably set up bin Laden to this thing."

As Larry King was the interviewer, this comment was not followed up on.

The line between conspiracy theorists and respected American citizens grows ever hazier, doesn't it?

BUSH CHARTS TELL IT ALL (Pt. 5)

Ah, more economic reasons to vote Kerry. Hey, money does make the world go 'round--shouldn't you be thinking about financial issues in choosing who you will vote for? Or do you think it's good that the guy in the White House gives tax cuts to his friends and not to most of the citizens of America?





Now, if only we could vote Greenspan out of office! ;)

US LABOR DEPARTMENT PREDICTS BUSH WIN

Here's a clip from an article by the AP posted over at My Way News:

Labor Department staff, analyzing statistics from private economists, report in an internal memo that President Bush is likely to do "much better" in Tuesday's election than the polls are predicting.

The Kerry campaign said the analysis was an improper use of taxpayer money, and the Labor Department acknowledged Friday, "Clearly, this kind of armchair political analysis doesn't belong in government memos, even if they are entirely internal."

The Labor Department report, obtained by The Associated Press, includes an analysis of economic models that suggest Bush will beat Democrat John Kerry. Titled "In Focus: Predicting the Election Outcome," the memo says, "Nearly every single model has him winning."

Nice. I just saw John Zogby on the Daily Show the other night say that odds are Kerry would win because the undecideds usually vote against the incumbent, but now the Labor Dept. says this.

Please let them be wrong!!!

DEMOCRATS SAY GOD IS ON THEIR SIDE

It's true--according to an article at CedarValleyDailyTimes.Com:

Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin says John Kerry has been gaining in the polls every day since Oct. 21, and George Bush has been going down every day.

"That's how God wants it to be," Harkin told a group of about 25 people at the Benton County Headquarters in Vinton on Thursday afternoon.

While not quite an October surprise, dems claiming God wants Kerry to win is a surprise, nonetheless. I mean, what a crock. Talk about hypocracy. Most people on the left look at Bush who essentially claims that God chose him to lead America "during these troubled times" and cringe. Suddenly, it's no big deal when the dems make the same claim.

It's the left-right-middle falacy again--the idea that the left and the right have portions of the truth and somewhere in the middle is accurate. The thing is, neither side has the truth but both desperately want us to believe that they do. In between two lies is not the truth. Then, there's the God Factor.

I'm sorry, but any time someone claims something is happenning because God wants it I don't believe them. Putting my Atheism aside for a moment, I feel like if you arbitrarily decide that God wants something to happen and it just so happens to be something good for you, it seems like you're using God to justify your actions. It also suggests that God wanted Bush to win in 2000--now, if He did, wouldn't He have made it a little easier for George to ascend to his throne without all that recount crap? If God wanted Bush to be president for the last four years, doesn't that mean that He also wanted Bush to illegally invade Iraq? It also would follow that God wanted tens of thousands of Iraqis to die. Surely, there would be an easier way to do that then have America invade. What about earthquakes, diseases and other natural disasters?

Bringing God into this just complicates things. If He does exist, he's way more mysterious than anyone is willing to admit and anyone who claims to know what the Great Architect of the Universe wants is either lying or selling something... or both.

ThePeteTV: Home Movies

The Home Movies library is fairly self-explanatory. These are clips I've shot myself and feature odd little moments from my own life. These won't be general, boring clips of things that are uninteresting to everyone but the people in them. These will be funny, odd, strange, but somehow entertaining.

As with the other clips in ThePeteTV vid libraries, these are hosted by Lisa Rein. Thanks Lisa!! You ROCK! Go check out her site for more great clips and great commentary and news, similar, but different to the kind of stuff you find here.

You can access this library any time under "ThePeteTV" in the Nav menu near the top of the right-hand column. You can also find other libraries with cool clips, too.

Anyway, on with the vids! The more recent additions are at the top.

Home Movies

20041106Hwood_Protest_MC02.mov Added 11/7/2: This clip was shot just before the march began. If you look closely in the background, you can see the Chinese Theater. 20041106Hwood_Protest_MC03.mov Added 11/7/2: Here's a clip from further on in the march. It provides a great view from the front of the march. I was literally one person back from the "pace" marchers. 20041106Hwood_Protest_MC04.mov Added 11/7/2: This is what the crowd looked like once we got where we were going--specifically, the corner of Sunset and La Brea. This crowd, I'm guesstimating to be about 400-500 strong. Small compared to the thousands we'd see at protests last year. 20041106Hwood_Protest_MC05.mov Added 11/7/2: Sign sampling! This clip was shot before the march began on the corner of Hollywood Bouleard and Highland in the very heart of Hollywood. In this clip you can see a good sampling of the various signs people were carrying around. Some carried signs made by organizers while others carried signs of their own design. 20041106Hwood_Protest_MC06.mov Added 11/7/2: This is another clip shot at the corner of H'wood and H'land. In it, I catch the reason I thought the local LAPD was being quite reasonable in covering us. They had a flock of bicycle cops on us and that was it for the beginning of the march. This would change when protesters surrounded the army recruitment center on the corner of Sunset and La Brea. Riot cops showed up and we were all threatened with arrest if we didn't clear the parking lot. So, like good little sheeple, we cleared out. I have video of the riot cops and will have it posted in the next few days. I also muse in the clip that the city closed down one of the most major roads in LA, just for us protesters. Kind of cool, really. 20041106Hwood_Protest_MC07.mov Added 11/7/2: This is a short clip of the police chopper that was following us all afternoon. It was fine, at first, but then the damn thing flew so close that we couldn't hear the speakers talk before the march began. It seemed almost like they were trying to drown them out on purpose. Considering my miniDV camera could zoom in to a close up on a person in a window 10 or 15 flights up, I'd say they didn't have to hover right above the buildings along H'wood Blvd... WhenTelemarketersGoWrong.mov This is a great little clip I shot of our answering machine as it plays a recording left by a computerized telemarketer. By the sound of it, the computer was sufferring from a bit of RAM jam because, well, watch the clip and you'll hear what I mean... my_clogged_sink.mov The sink in my apartment has a history of clogging. I think the pipes in my building are too small or my pig isn't good enough at slicing up the food I dump down the drain. Either way, our kitchen occasionally floods and before it did the last time, I shot this clip.

ThePeteTV: Politix

The Politix vid library is pretty self-explanatory. These clips have to do with the absurdity of politics but they don't have anything directly to do with Arbusto or his admin.

As with the other clips in ThePeteTV vid libraries, these are hosted by Lisa Rein. Thanks Lisa!! You ROCK! Go check out her site for more great clips and great commentary and news, similar, but different to the kind of stuff you find here.

You can access this library any time under "ThePeteTV" in the Nav menu near the top of the right-hand column. You can also find other libraries with cool clips, too.

Anyway, on with the vids! The more recent additions are at the top.

Politix Clips

Ari_Laughed_Off.rm This is a great clip because it's actual video proof of the press being the cynical bastards we know them to really be. Normally, they hide behind this absurd claim of objectivity but in this vid, they laugh in former White House front man and traitor to his species, Ari Fleischer when he claims that the idea of the President of the United States bribing countries to get their help with the Iraq problem is absurd. That Fleischer!! He kills me! F***_New_York.mov This is an AWESOME clip shot by a group of young New Yorkers who didn't like the idea of the RNC being held in the Big Apple. Yo, watch the clip, bitch! Rep_Tim_Ryan.mov Usually, I find most politicians to be duplicitous bullshitters who couldn't state the truth if I printed said truth on a T-shirt and made them wear it. However, Dem Rep from Ohio, Tim Ryan broke with tradition and called the Repubs out as total liars and faulted no one for finding the urge to not trust a word from the Repub party. KICK ASS, RYAN!!

ThePeteTV: Misc Clips

The Misc Clips library are clips that don't fit anywhere else. They may get moved once I get more of a particular type of clip. I've got a lot of random clips in my collection and I'm not sure how many I'll upload. Hell, I'm not even sure why I uploaded all of the ones that are in here now. Well, hopefully you'll find them thought-provoking, fun or just weird. Please feel free to comment on any of them.

As with the other clips in ThePeteTV vid libraries, these are hosted by Lisa Rein. Thanks Lisa!! You ROCK! Go check out her site for more great clips and great commentary and news, similar, but different to the kind of stuff you find here.

You can access this library any time under "ThePeteTV" in the Nav menu near the top of the right-hand column. You can also find other libraries with cool clips, too.

Anyway, on with the vids! The more recent additions are at the top.

Misc Clips

Afraid.rm This is a very depressing, but important vid. It features footage from a USMil gunship as it targets and kills three Iraqi men put to the David Bowie/Trent Reznor song I'm Afraid of Americans. Check it out--it will move you. Comedy_-_News_report_from_Iraq.wmv This is a much needed parody of the coverage of the Iraq Attack. I'd love to see more clips like these, but for now, this will do. BTW, Mac users don't need Windows Media to watch this clip. They should just DL the latest version of VLC--it should play just fine. Discussion_in_firehouse.mpg This is a clip of firemen who were involved in rescuing people from the Twin Towers before they fell on 9/11/01. This clip is of note because they point out that when towers fell, they looked like they fell because of a controlled demolition. This isn't proof, just fodder for anyone who may be finding the official explanation a little open to interpretation... Electric_Company_Ep_150_sample.rm I'm not sure why I even bothered uploading this clip. It's just funny to me. It's a short clip from an episode many people in my generation grew up watching when we were kids--the show Electric Company was something that was daily viewing for me and until just recently, upon finding this clip, I had forgotten just how incredibly retarded we treat young kids. Don't believe me? Watch the clip.

ThePeteTV: Documentaries

You've found the Documentary library at ThePete.Com. This is where you can find all sorts of docus or clips of docus that will hpefully change the way you look at things. Most are in Quicktime, but some are in Real Media or other formats. Special thanks go out to Lisa Rein of OnLisaReinsRadar.Com for hosting these files for me! YOU ROCK, LISA!!

Anyway, you can always access the docu library by clicking on "ThePeteTV" in the nav menu. You can also check out other categories chocked full of vids that will make you think, laugh and other stuff, too. Because these files are hosted on Lisa's server, I can't tell how often they're being downloaded so if you want to do me a huge favor, please let me know if you download any in the comments section below. Or just go and talk about them in TheForum.

OK, here are the docus with the newest additions at the top:

Documentaries at ThePete.Com

Great docus that you'll probably never see, otherwise... Election2000pt1of4.mov This is the first part (of 4 clips) of a documentary about the Election in 2000. It's less a documentary and more a video taped talk given by Vincent Bugliosi, who I believe wrote Helter Skelter and Greg Palast, journalist for the BBC. Bugliosi explains how Bush was improperly elected in the eyes of the Constitution. Palast details how the election in Florida was rigged to favor Bush. This docu is not "conspiracy" stuff--it's documented and real. These are two real journalists and authors who have their facts straight. Election2000pt2of4.mov Part 2 of the above described docu. Election2000pt3of4.mov Part 3 of the above described docu. Election2000pt4of4.mov The final part of the above described documentary. warspin.mov Warspin is a great British docu that does a wonderful job of deconstructing the media's treatment of the Jessica Lynch story featuring interviews with the medical staff that actually treated Lynch when she was in Iraqi custody. This is a single file download of 63mbs! Please feel free to download this docu in the smaller chunks available below. warspinpt1of3.mov Part 1 of the above described docu. warspinpt2of3.mov Part 2 of the above described docu. warspinpt3of3.mov The final part of this 45 minute docu.

ThePeteTV: Daily Show Clip Library

This is the official Daily Show clip video library at ThePete.Com. This is where you can find all sorts of clips from the most important television show ever, The Daily Show. Most are in Quicktime, but some are in Real Media or other formats. Special thanks go out to Lisa Rein of OnLisaReinsRadar.Com for hosting these files for me! YOU ROCK, LISA!!

Anyway, you can always access ThePeteTV's Daily Show clip library by clicking on "ThePeteTV" in the nav menu. You can also check out other categories chocked full of vids that will make you think, laugh and other stuff, too. Because these files are hosted on Lisa's server, I can't tell how often they're being downloaded so if you want to do me a huge favor, please let me know if you download any in the comments section below. Or just go and talk about them in TheForum.

OK, here are the Daily Show vids:

Daily Show Clips

The most important clips from the Daily Show--not always funny, but always important. The newest clips are at the top. For a more alphabetical listing of these files, go here Giant_Mess_O_Potamia.mov ADDED 11/1/04 - "I'm not going to address the torture word," says Rummy in this clip that will at most make your blood boil, or at least bewilder you as to how the USGov could possibly be so blatantly moral-free. Iraq_Attack_1_yr_later.mov ADDED 11/1/04 - Look back at a year of post-war peace in Iraq... or not! Kerry_Can_Run_But_Cant_Hide.mov ADDED 11/1/04 - Watch this clip from two weeks before the election when the candidates were exchanging questionably credible barbs and Bush was touting his campaign of hope while Cheney talked about terrorists nukes in New York. It's a happy clip. (This is the "Holy graphics department, Batman!" clip.) Richard_Clarke_2_Blame.mov ADDED 11/1/04 - Let's see, either former Terrorism Czar for the last three presidents, Richard Clarke is a hard working, honest, upright guy, or he's a complete and utter traitor with a book to sell. Watch this clip and be the judge! Rummy_Ache.mov ADDED 11/1/04 - Rumsfeld faces the music on the Abu Ghraib scandal. Wow, in that thumbnail, it looks like Stewart has a rummy ache! Awww! Safer.mov ADDED 11/1/04 - Jon Stewart learns that George W is POSITIVE that since Saddam has been removed from power AMERICA IS SAFER. Stockpile_of_Weapons.mov ADDED 11/1/04 - Learn about an illegal plan to postpone the presidential election because of terror warnings. Suspending_Elections.mov ADDED 11/1/04 - Learn about an illegal plan to postpone the presidential election because of terror warnings. Talking_Points.mov ADDED 11/1/04 - Ever wonder why Republican speeches sound so similar? Well, now you can find out why... Turned_the_Corner.mov ADDED 11/1/04 - Jon Stewart learns the hard way that, according to George W, we've Turned the Corner. America_The_Book_NY_Library_pt1.mov ADDED 11/1/04 - Part 1 of a C-SPAN broadcast of an event at the New York Library. Jon Stewart and some of the writers from the Daily Show read excerpts from America: The Book and answer questions. America_The_Book_NY_Library_pt2.mov ADDED 11/1/04 - Part 2 of the above described video. America_The_Book_NY_Library_pt3.mov ADDED 11/1/04 - Part 3 of the above described video. America_The_Book_NY_Library_pt4.mov ADDED 11/1/04 - Part 4 of the above described video. America_The_Book_NY_Library_pt5.mov ADDED 11/1/04 - Part 5 of the above described video. America_The_Book_NY_Library_pt6.mov ADDED 11/1/04 - Part 6 of the above described video. 911_Blame_Game.mov ADDED 10/31/04 - Play the 911 blame game during the 911 commission hearings where it's duelling lappell flags and finger pointing 101 as your main activities. Abu_Ghraib_Fun.mov ADDED 10/31/04 - Watch as the Department of "Justice" stands in the way of a proper investigation into the Abu Ghraib scandal. In this clip Ashcroft "invokes nothing" and simply blows off a Senate request for memos that may or may not condone the use of torture. Bush_Vs_Bush.mov ADDED 10/31/04 - This is one of the Daily Show's smartest moments--they cut together a "debate" between "President" Bush and Governor Bush using footage from recent Bush addresses and clips form the presidential debates in 2000. Basically, Bush looks like an Ass because in 2000 he said a couple of things that he's gone back on regarding Iraq. I know, I know, 911 changed everything! Yeah, well, it didn't change politicians--they still lie, cheat and scare to get what they want and here's a little bit of proof! Jon_Stewart_on_C-SPAN-low_qual_Pt1of4.mov Jon Stewart is interviewed on C-SPAN's American Perspectives for an hour. Personally, I wish the Daily Show were an hour every day, so, getting him to sit alone for an hour and just talk means guaranteed laughs and intelligent commentary for an hour straight! This is part 1 of 4. Jon_Stewart_on_C-SPAN-low_qual_Pt2of4.mov Part 2 of Jon Stewart on C-SPAN. Jon_Stewart_on_C-SPAN-low_qual_Pt3of4.mov Part 3 of Jon Stewart on C-SPAN. Jon_Stewart_on_C-SPAN-low_qual_Pt4of4.mov Part 4 of Jon Stewart on C-SPAN. Daily_Show_Smart_Bomb.mov This is the Daily Show's parody of the pro-Bush video that ran at the RNC in 2004. What it really does is point out how much Bush has lied to the American people and backs it up with Bush 43's own words. Daily_Show_on_UK_C4_News_Oct04.mov This is a news story the UK's Channel 4 did on the Daily Show and Jon Stewart's antics on CNN's Crossfire (see clip below). This is an interesting clip because we get to see how British news covers US news "coverage." Jon_Stewart_Crossfire.mov Here's the now historic clip of Jon Stewart pulling few punches on CNN's Crossfire. Stewart comes off looking like a virtual Mr. Smith (of "Going to Washington" fame) while Tucker Carlson comes off looking like a douche. RNC_Arnold.rm Here is the Daily Show's commentary on Arnold's "thrilling" speech at the RNC where he refers to Nixon as sounding like a breath of fresh air. (Arnold, not Stewart!) Your_Tax_Dollars_Lying_2_U.mov Here is part one of two parts of the Daily Show's coverage of a "news" report produced by the Bush 43 Admin to help promote the new Medicare bill that they had already lied about. The report was shot using a fake reporter and was clearly not hard news. This report was distributed to news shows around the US and was even aired by many of them. A few months after this story aired, the General Accounting Office found that this was actually a violation of federal law. However, because no one was ever brought up on charges, the Bush 43 Admin did it again. Sadly, the Daily Show hasn't covered the GAO story or the new propaganda "news" report. Your_Tax_Dollars_Lying_2_U_Pt2.mov Here's part two of the clip featuring Rob Corddry talking about how the White House has done a much better job of fake news than they do. Of course, this becomes a veiled criticsm of the White House's adeptness at lying. oct7-oreilly-1of2s.mov Here's part one of two files featuring Bill O'Reilly's appearance on the Daily Show. To get why this is important, imagine if Obi-Wan Kenobi had his own talk show and then had Darth Vader on as a guest. You see what I mean? oct7-oreilly-2of2s.mov Here's part two of the clip. Creepily, I found myself actually agreeing with O'Reilly in this segment... >shudder<