6:36 pm CST
It was 24 years ago today …



DEAD SILENCE IN THE BRAIN

6:32 pm CST
The “Intelligence Reform” Bill (i.e. Patriot Act II) was passed today. It’s all over now, baby blue:

Secret Patriot Act II to give Hitler's Powers to Bush

Keeping us “safe”:

TSA Strip Searches: Bureaucracy Run Amok

7:58 pm CST
DER PHOOEY

Look at him in his new Dictator Duds (tan military jacket and epaulets!) addressing the troops in Camp Pendleton. Scary, ain’t it? All that’s missing is the Charlie Chaplin moustache.

Consider this: For the first time in U.S. history, a president has chosen to wear a uniform while in office. Eisenhower did not wear one, nor did Grant, nor did Washington. When they assumed the office of Commander in Chief, they did so in civilian clothes, as befits the leaders of a free country. Only where people are not free, only in dictatorships, only in the most Godless Police States do leaders cavort in uniforms. Think Hitler. Think Mussolini. Think Stalin. Think countless other cretins in uniform lording it over one banana republic or another.

But now, at last, it has happened in America. Now, this too is a dictatorship—a banana republic—a Godless Police State Hell Hole.

Should this surprise us? Of course not. On at least three separate occasions, Boy Bush told us himself he wanted to grow up to be a dictator:

"You don't get everything you want. A dictatorship would be a lot easier." Describing what it's like to be governor of Texas.(Governing Magazine 7/98)
-- From Paul Begala's "Is Our Children Learning?"

"I told all four that there are going to be some times where we don't agree with each other, but that's OK. If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator," Bush joked.
-- CNN.com, December 18, 2000

"A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier, there's no question about it, " [Bush] said.
* Business Week, July 30, 2001

Pray for America, and for all humankind.

7:09 am CST
Homeland Security Hires Ex-Stasi Chief Markus Wolf

Ex-Stasi Spy Chief Markus Wolf Hired By Homeland Security?

7:06 am CST
A new medium for propaganda has been born: video games. A couple of weeks ago we read about a video game that promotes the lone assassin scenario in the JFK assassination. This week it’s a video game glorifying the slaughter in Fallujah. And the military is involved in the production of these games. Read about it HERE.

Speaking of Fallujah, here is a link I meant to post days ago:

Fallujah Residents Face Choice: Retina Scan and Take ID Card....Or Die

7:03 am CST
Eminem's controversial anti-Bush video "Mosh" has been updated with a new ending, in which Eminem and an angry mob storm the Capitol, causing Dick Cheney to have a heart attack. Check it out HERE.

5:57 pm CST
CENSORSHIP ALERT


Received the following press release this morning from my friend and Bush Junta contributor Peter Kuper this morning:

CBLDFNews U.S. Government Seizes Parody Comics At Customs

On October 27, U.S. Customs sent a letter to Top Shelf Productions notifying them that copies of the anthology Stripburger had been seized, charging that the stories "Richie Bush" by Peter Kuper and "Moj Stub" (translated, "My Pole") by Bojan Redzic constituted "clearly piratical copies" of registered and recorded copyrights.  The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has retained counsel to challenge these seizures.

"Richie Bush," appearing in Stripburger (Vol. 12) #37, is a four-page parody of Richie Rich that also satirizes the Bush Administration by superimposing the personalities of the President's cabinet on the characters from the comic. "My Pole," appearing in Stripburger (Vol. 3) # 4-5, which was published in 1994, is an eight-page ecology parable in Slovenian that makes visual homage to Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and Woodstock in three panels.  Customs seized five copies of the issue with the Peanuts reference and fourteen copies of the issue containing "Richie Bush."  The stories were both published in the middle of their respective issues and no graphics from either story appeared on the covers.

Top Shelf is the American agent for Stripburger, an Eastern European comics publisher that releases anthologies of comics from cartoonists around the globe.  The comics that were seized were sent along as an extra in a shipment of The Miniburger Dirty Dozen, a boxed set of mini comics that Top Shelf imported to offer in the Direct Market and at conventions.  Top Shelf did not order the seized issues of the anthology.

Upon investigating the shipment, Customs released the copies of Miniburger, but held the issues of Stripburger, giving Top Shelf thirty days to either forfeit the shipment, request administrative relief, or initiate court action.

  At the urging of Stripburger, Top Shelf and CBLDF President Chris Staros brought the case to the attention of the Fund as a potential news story.  CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein felt the matter warranted serious legal attention, so it was sent to Burton Joseph, the Fund's legal counsel, whose opinion was that Customs was unlawfully holding First Amendment protected speech.  The option of pursuing court action on First Amendment grounds was then taken to the CBLDF Board of Directors, which unanimously voted 8-0 to take up the case; Chris Staros recused himself from the vote.

  On November 24, the Fund retained counsel in Charleston, SC who hand-delivered a letter to Customs stating that the comics are protected under existing First Amendment case law and should be either immediately released or that court action should be initiated.

"In this case, it looks like Customs is overreaching its authority," Staros says.  "The comics in question are clearly within the acceptable bounds of parody, and there is absolutely no likelihood that consumers would confuse these works with the subjects that they are parodying."

Brownstein stated, "The stories that were seized are short segments within larger anthologies that in no way represented the content as anything other than what it is.  The charge that these are piratical copies of existing copyrights is not only wrong-headed, but the seizure amounts to an unlawful prior restraint of protected speech. It is our hope that Customs will recognize that they have acted in error in seizing these stories and release them immediately.  If not, we are prepared to go to court to protect the First Amendment rights that are endangered by this misguided action."

See a Richie Bush flash animation HERE.

5:53 pm CST
Alex Jones is reporting that on Friday evening Michael Moore was guest of honor at a secret meeting of the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. According to Alex’s sources—two top film producers who attended the meeting—Moore warned attendees that a serious movement is underway to amend the Constitution to allow Arnold Schwarzenegger to run for president in 2008. Moore suggested that an effective counter-measure would be to enlist another movie star, such as Robert Redford or Paul Newman, to run against Schwarzenegger. Read more HERE.

5:32 pm CST
Police State USA:

Stasi Chief Markus Wolf Hired by Homeland Security

Dead inmate was Tasered twice

Police State Australia:

Checkpoint Drug Tests For Drivers In Australia

And in Police State UK, not even Santa is free from surveillance:

UK mall sets up webcam to spy on Santa

5:41 pm CST
DREAM: Expecting visitors, cleaning up the apartment—I'm in a room full of pinball machines and hear a tapping on the window, followed by a voice hissing, "What is your Judas label? Come outside and show yourself." Fearful, I back away. But, a few moments later, anger and curiosity overcome my fear; I go to the window and peer out into the night. Someone is moving around below; he looks up at me angrily; I give him the one-finger salute and he disappears into the shrubbery. Then I notice a cluster of cop cars in the parking lot, lights flashing. Apartment tenants are standing around, watching. I step outside. "What's going on?" I ask. A man replies, "Someone was making an unauthorized film." Whereupon I see film equipment, also the cops questioning three people. Trying to figure out why someone called me a Judas, I say: "They must have thought I'm the one who called the cops, but it wasn't me." The man says, "No, it wasn’t just you—they were knocking on everyone's window." Meanwhile, the cops have sedated the suspects and wrapped them in hooded straitjackets; they load them into the back of a refrigerated paddy wagon, stacking them on top of each other like cords of wood. It is disturbing to see human beings treated this way. I say, "Where are they taking them? Camp X-Ray?" Everyone laughs, as if I've made a joke. I start walking back into the apartment building. A cop tells me to hurry up, but I can't—my right foot is stuck on something. "Move," he says in a threatening tone. I turn and see that my shoelace is caught on a strand of Christmas lights. The cop starts toward me. I wake up …

5:31 pm CST
In a perfect world:

Canadian authorities arrest US president George W. Bush

Meanwhile in the real world:

No Child Unrecruited Worse Than Ashcroft: Bush's new attorney general helped write the Patriot Act and supported torture

Return of the Blacklist

SLC lawyer: FBI likely knew of Oklahoma bombing plot

7:11 pm CST
Ever since I got back from my Thanksgiving trip to Dallas I’ve been busy trying to meet the deadline for a comic strip project. And whenever I’ve reached my day’s drawing quota and have sat down at the computer, I’ve been too wiped out to write anything for this blog. Instead I’ve just answered a few emails and idly net-surfed. I’ve visited websites that have told me all about carnival dark rides and funhouses, for instance. Also, I’ve read biographies of the great grade-B western stars (Tom Mix, Bill Boyd, Ken Maynard, Tim McCoy, Buck Jones, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers), and have learned a great deal about the legendary stripper Sally Rand as well. I’ve also spent way too much time at FindAGrave.com, gazing with morbid fascination at the tombstones of movie stars and famous writers. I’ve also wasted a lot of time on Ebay—not buying anything, you understand (I don’t have much money here lately, and am not sure how I’ll afford Christmas), but just window-shopping—looking at Reddy Kilowatt collectibles, Silver Age comic books, men’s adventure magazine covers, and first one thing and another. Mostly, I’ve avoided the news and political sites I usually visit, because—to tell you the truth—ever since the New Freedom Initiative was passed, authorizing mandatory mental health screening for Americans, I’ve been so depressed by the news I haven’t wanted to hear any more. For two days I didn’t even listen to my friends Alex Jones, Jack Blood, and John Stadtmiller’s radio shows. I feel kind of bad about that—not just because they’re friends, but because it’s important to stay informed. Staying informed is our best defense against the New World Order. But never mind—today I started listening to Alex and Jack and John’s shows again, and also started reading the news again. Below are a few news links I found. (Another time I’ll post all the wonderful links I found about Sally Rand, Tom Mix, carnival funhouses, etc.) …

Former President Says Schwarzenegger's going to be President

Rep. Ron Paul: Bullies at the Airport

Mainstream Media is Pentagon's Propaganda Arm

Police are too quick to grab for Taser's power, say critics

Numerous Deaths Caused by 'Non-Lethal' Tasers