THANKS TO ROCKETBOOM (AND, FOR THE HAT TIP, BRAVE NEW FILMS) for the following "must-watch" video showing just how hard-wired the Religiopolitical Right is electorally by way of typical rural Bible Belt mentalities epitomised by two women in Lynchburg, Tennessee (of all places) whose delivery seems to suggest deliberately-nuanced overacting pro Deo et patria (or so they seem to think):

Just because Mike Huckabee has dropped out of the presidential race doesn't mean Janet Folger is done campaigning for him, penning an open letter to John McCain urging him to tap Huckabee as his VP:

I'm not telling you whom to pick, but if you want the vice presidential candidate who in addition to winning the "must win" states in the primary, who has the best cost/vote ratio, who has proven he can energize the base of the party, who defended (not attacked) you even before you won the nomination, who is honest, consistent and according to Rasmussen, has the least opposition among American voters, Mike Huckabee is your guy.

Ask him, I'm sure he would be honored to be your vice president, and I'm sure millions more would be honored to vote for you if you do.

While Folger has already made peace with her principles by deciding to throw her support behind McCain, her one-time comrade-in-arms Gordon Klingenschmitt is having none of it, taking to the pages of WorldNetDaily to chastise Folger for selling out:

In a recent WND column, Janet Folger begs social conservatives to vote for John McCain. She believes McCain will rescue "most everyone" from our political "burning building" – when in fact McCain has already locked arms with the Kennedys, Feingolds and liberal Democrats to keep social conservatives "out" of politics while they burn our constitutional republic to the ground.

…

McCain not only refused to participate in Janet Folger's Values Voter Presidential Debate, he has repeatedly distanced himself from religious groups. He won the Republican nomination without faith-based voters. So, if he wins the White House, will he suddenly listen to our pleas? No chance! Only by treating ourselves with respect can we demand respect from others. Have we no dignity?

Klingenschmitt and Folger have a long history together, as she was one of his staunchest defenders when he was fighting to keep his job as a Chaplain in the Navy, with Folger regularly citing Klingenschmitt's legal fight as evidence of the on-going "criminalization of Christianity."

After being discharged from the Navy, Klingenschmitt linked up with Vision America's Rick Scarborough and Alan Keyes for their "70 Weeks To Save America Crusade" and then quickly lined up to support Keyes' own vanity run for President (he's currently listed at the top of the "Honor Roll" on Keyes' website for his efforts to secure 104 pledges to support his campaign.)  

But it looks as if now Klingenschmitt and Folger are on the outs.  In fact, it looks like Klingenschmitt is on the outs with the Republican Party altogether, announcing that Keyes is reportedly leaving the GOP and that he intends to follow suit so that he may "continue to support Dr. Keyes wherever he leads our Exodus":

Abandon McCain's sinking ship! Man your lifeboats! I cannot violate my conscience in November. I'll make a statement with my vote, instead of wasting it on Clinton, Obama or McCain. Faith-minded people cannot tolerate evil, whatever its degree, since Christ taught us, "Be ye perfect even as your heavenly Father is perfect." Show some self-respect and have faith in God. America needs principled leaders who have borne the battle for liberty and are unashamed of the wounds received in doing so. I'll vote for Alan Keyes, writing in his name if necessary. Join us, and someday you'll stand before God with your head held high, blameless and unashamed of your vote.

(Personally, though, Your Correspondent has to wonder if those on the Religiopolitical Right are really closet admirers of the sadisto "law-and-order" types from the ranks of "privileged" Afrikanerdom as dominated apartheid South Africa, especially so Prime Minister Hendrik Verword and head of police John Vorster ... and resort to all manner of means to keep the whole secret from "meddling bloggers" generally.

(But then again: What exactly would preclude the Religiopolitical Right from calling for a voter boycott of Indecision 2008, let alone all manner of pathetic excesses for fasting, sackcloth and ashes?) 

YOUR CORRESPONDENT ISN'T EXACTLY SURE HOW DEEP THE FROST STILL IS IN THE GROUND in and around the Minnwissippi where he resideth ... but as he prepares this, it's rather rainy to the most intense. And rainy enough to help accelerate the melting of the last piles of snow as are still around in parking lots from the winter's plowing operations.

(In support of the fact that there may be still be some frost in ground, I see a few instances of ponding rainwater on grassy surfaces, thus precluding the ground's taking up the rainwater and allowing such to percolate through the topsoil. That, and the usual highway weight restrictions for the time of year.

(Meanwhile, some slushy snow could be possible towards evening and the overnight up this way, sure to be molten quickly as the week progresses--and then some--with the onset of milder temperatures as herald April's arrival. Let's just hope some calm and clement days may be forthcoming to allow farmers and planters to get the spring fieldwork done without serious interference.)

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WITH HYPERCONSERVATIVE MOUTHPIECE AND "HERO" OLIVER NORTH OF IRAN-CONTRA INFAMY AN OCCASIONAL SHILL ON FOX PROLEFEED, Your Correspondent got to thinking the other day about whether this sorry excuse for a sunshine soldier may have been the bad seed of Peggy and Jerry North (as in the radio comedic mystery series Mr. and Mrs. North, which readers of a certain age are certain to recall, and then some.

(But then again, Mr. and Mrs. North originated in the pages of The New Yorker magazine back in 1936 or thereabouts, making the transition to radio between 1942 and 1957. The couple, in any case, were the kind to be "caught in the wrong place @ the wrong time" long enough to play detective and crimestopper.)

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IF LONGTIME ZIMBABWEAN PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE HASN'T ALREADY SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK, expect him to within measurable distance.

I say this in light of early election returns from Zimbabwe suggesting that Mugabe's ZANU-PF party is losing seats in the Parliament to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), with the returns to the moment being about even between the two.

Offically, of course: Critics are suggesting that the slow pace of reporting election returns (as in announcing such on a precinct-by-precinct basis) is really nothing but a back-door ruse by which the ZANU-PF party can maintain power through trick, fraud and deceit--means which the GOP would certainly love to use come November, having studied such vote-rigging techniques thoroughly and comprehensively, howbeit incognito lest suspicions be attracted in certain circles of the Harare government.

Tricks and techniques which ought be challenged @ every opportunity lest democracy be compromised by elements weird and unwholesome as claim to be defending democracy, yet are really serving its perversion in the same brand of Maschienpolitik as was epitomised by the likes of Boss Tweed ... Ed Crump ... Richard Daley peré ... Tom Penderganst ... James Patrick Curley ... Frank Hague ... Huey "Kingfish" Long ... Jimmy Walker ... not to mention the O'Connor System which made the Twin Cities outright "safe harbour" for the nation's most notorious criminals of the early 1930's so long as they toed the line and avoided attracting attention.

"Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely," as Lord Acton reminds us from history.

Which can be well reinforced by George Santayana's reminder of "those who do not reminder the past are condemned to repeat it."

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"For your conveinence, we recommend courteous, efficent self-service."

THUS PROCLAIMS A SIGN IN A HONG KONG SUPERMARKET from one of those collections of minced English as are widely circulated online and otherwise.

Which has Your Correspondent thinking about something he read somewhere about Japanese "love hotels" offering self-service check-in @ the reception desk, allowing intending guests (usually couples wanting a quickie) to choose the room they want, select same, and pay for it with a credit or debit card.

And if Japanese "love hotels" can offer self-service check-in and check-out, then what would prevent smaller motels and resorts from offering DIY check-in, saving considerable time and helping deal with shortages of adequate staff to handle check-in details under normal circumstances?

No doubt sure to be welcome in "shoobie trap" resorts where staffing @ reception can sometimes be a problem, especially so in the smaller motels wanting something cost-efficent, yet affording them plenty of opportunity to take care of More Pressing Issues.

Provided such was affordable, cost-efficent and yet more than pay for itself within measurable distance.

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YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED IN YOUR "JUNK MAIL" OR "SPAM" E-MAIL FOLDERS OF LATE from time to time rather glowing-sounding e-mails claiming one could earn as much as $225/diem by simply processing rebate requests from home for and on behalf of leading companies, linking to websites featuring rather glowing-sounding "testimonials" as are probably fabricated or otherwise structured to discourage independent review of the claims.

You may want to reconsider such a notion, particularly when you hear that the Better Business Bureau out of Colton, California (serving the Los Angeles Basin) doesn't consider Penbrook Productions, the company behind this "work-from-home" scheme, too highly.

For starters, they insist on a $197 fee for what turns out being an "informational report" urging you to essentially perpetuate the scam on the Information Stuporbahn; as the BBB's report on Penbrook Productions explains:

On-line users need to be careful when browsing the Internet and responding to unsolicited offers. If an ad seems too good to be true, it probably is. Talented individuals can use a Web Page to create a company that looks very legitimate, but just because an ad looks legitimate on the computer screen, is no reason to assume it is.

Many questionable work-at-home offers are perpetuated through classified advertising. No matter where you find classified ads online, you are likely to find some false and misleading claims. For example, some classified ads promote quick and easy get rich ventures, traditional pyramid schemes, or the basic chain letter scenario. Traditional work-at-home systems, such as making handicrafts or stuffing envelopes, have been replaced by offers to use your home PC to make money fast in your spare time. Con artists who previously touted scams through newspapers, U.S. mail and telemarketing are using computers to reach potential victims. They can sit at their keyboard and reach hundreds of thousands of people, pretty much for free, in a short period of time. Getting a phony ad or message out is now cheap and easy. To evaluate tempting, on-line solicitations which offer a chance to earn money by working at home, follow the same signals that tip you off to potential frauds in print and other media.

Watch out for warning signs to questionable online advertising, such as overstated claims of product effectiveness; use of hype titles; exaggerated claims of earnings, profits or part-time earnings; or claims of "inside" information. Also, be leery of offers which require money for instructions or merchandise before telling you how the plan operates, or if they tell you that no experience is necessary. Anyone victimised by work-at-home offers over the Internet can file a complaint online or off-line with their Better Business Bureau. Customers who remain silent only allow others to be swindled by these fraudulent operators.

And of especial importance here is the likelihood of such scams seeking to exploit (howbeit subtly) the real or imminent likelihood of serious socioeconomic dislocation, mass unemployment and limited job openings for especially such with limited or no realistic job skills, but badly need extra income or otherwise "make wise use of their hands and time."

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NOT A VERY GOOD DAY FOR THE CONSPIRACIST ELEMENT, AND ESPECIALLY SO MUHAMMAD AL-FAYED, owner of the London department store Harrods:

The Coroners' Inquest in London enquiring into the tragic circumstances behind the 1997 death of Diana, Princess of Wales has rejected claims from Mr. al-Fayed that HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and MI6 set up the tragic chain of events for political or other reasons; in the words of Lord Baker, as quoted by the BBC:

They are not being pursued because there is not a shred of evidence to support them.

Foremost among them is the proposition that Diana was assassinated by the secret intelligence service (MI6) on the orders of the Duke of Edinburgh.

There is no evidence that the Duke of Edinburgh ordered Diana's execution, and there is no evidence that the secret intelligence service or any other Government agency organised it.

[***]

There are no doubt those who genuinely believe this to be the case and will continue to do so regardless of any verdict you return.

You have heard the evidence and it is your decision that matters and not anyone else's.

You will have been reassured to have heard that Mohamed Al Fayed told you on oath that he will accept your verdict; no doubt the other interested persons will do likewise.

But then again, the same coroners' jury may have unwittingly been taken in by weird and unwholesome elements offering incredible testimony; again, citing the BBC:

Lord Baker said it was regrettable that there had been some witnesses "who it appears have told lies in the witness box or elsewhere", naming former butler Paul Burrell as one of those who were "liars by their own admission".

Mr Burrell appeared at the inquest for three days in January, but in a video recording obtained by the Sun newspaper he apparently claimed he introduced "red herrings" during his evidence and held back facts.

He then refused to re-appear at the inquest to explain discrepancies between his evidence and comments reported in the newspaper.

At the time, the coroner said he could not compel him to give evidence because Mr Burrell lives outside the court's jurisdiction in the US.

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CRITICS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM WHO EXCUSE SUCH ATTACKS ON "PATRIOTIC" GROUNDS TO COVER ANTI-SEMITIC INTENTIONS are probably going to turn ballisto with Treasury Secretary Paulson's announcement that the Federal Reserve will be given greater powers of regulatory oversight over banking, insurance, equities markets, consumer loan and finance companies, etc., in the biggest single major regulatory overhaul since the New Deal.

Which such specimens of hatemongering will likely see as nothing less than subtle nationalisation, yet lacking credible evidence all the more. 

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Bratz
CITV, 15 March 2006, 16:30
ITV, 28 April 2006, 16:00

Introduction

Two viewers complained about the use of the word "spaz" in these episodes of the children's series Bratz.

Both complainants felt that the word is a 'deeply offensive' and 'derogatory' term referring to a disability. They were particularly concerned that it was used as an insult in a programme made specifically for a child audience.

Response

ITV said that it had reviewed the tapes prior to transmission. In the programme of 15 March 2006, it had considered the term to be borderline but within the bounds of acceptability because it was used as a derogatory term by one of the 'bad' characters in the series. In addition, it was not a reference to an actual disability. Later in the same scene the insulted character demanded an apology and was given one a few seconds later. The broadcaster therefore initially felt that, on balance, the use of the term was acceptable because it was not used by a 'role model' and was seen to merit an apology and was therefore clearly 'wrong'.

However, after being made aware of viewer concern about the term, ITV had since undertaken a review of all episodes of Bratz and removed any terminology which might be considered unacceptable.

ITV had also taken steps to remind colleagues handling similar material to take particular care with language in this area, especially in relation to US acquired material that on occasion contained terms that had more scope for offence in this country [Great Britain] than the US.

Decision

Ofcom's research (Language and Sexual Imagery in Broadcasting: A Contextual Investigation - 2005) indicated that respondents considered the word 'spastic' to be very offensive to most people, although a few thought that it was permissible to use the word 'spas' or 'spaz'.

Rule 1.16 of the Broadcasting Code states that:

"Offensive language must not be broadcast before the watershed, or when children are particularly likely to be listening, unless it is justified by the context. In any event, frequent use of such language must be avoided before the watershed'.

The word 'spaz' does not necessarily cause the same level of offence in America and therefore its use in acquired programmes such as this series presents UK broadcasters with editing and scheduling judgements.

In this instance ITV had considered the first of the two instances borderline but justified by the fact that the character who used the term was known to be a 'bad' character, had been made to apologise and the word was not used as a reference to a specific disability.

Judgements about the inclusion of such words are particularly complex when used within a programme for younger children who will not necessarily have the maturity to understand the associated context. The fact that the word "spaz" was not used in reference to a specific disability may not negate its potential for causing offence.

We note the action taken by ITV to try to avoid similar future occurrences, and consider the matter resolved.

Resolved 

HILARIOUS VIDEO YOU'VE JUST GOT TO SEE, by way of the Postal Jokes blog (which I picked up by way of BlogMad, as helps generate traffic to this blog)--it's rather funny, just how a pet dog tears into the day's delivery of mostly junk mail:

YOUR CORRESPONDENT HAS LONG BEEN OF THE BELIEF that articles of faith held dear among cultural conservatives amount to doublethink in large measure. Witness where:

• on the one hand, the Zealots and True Believers thereof are forever seeing Amerikanischer Realkultur to be Morally Superior to all other specimens thereof; but,
• on the other hand, the same element is forever taking issue with same for its "unhealthy attention and emphasis" upon sex and violence to the point of "undermining Traditional Moral and Family Values***as have been the foundation of our antient and pecuilar soverignty and soverign identity."

Especially when you stop and consider the "litmus test" of this presumed "moral superiority"--which the Supreme Court, in Miller v. California, would describe as "prevailing community standards" to be applied by the average person in determining whether a work is obscene--preferred by cultural conservatives would likely be none other than Die Bransoner Muzikschaukultur, which sees the "music shows" in and around Branson, Missouri to be The One True Center and Acme of Amerikanischer Realkultur, if only because of their subtly promoting a sugar-coated patriotic ideal consistent with conservative ideals.

Ideals, it seems, hard-wired back in the 1950's of Ozzie and Harriet, I Love Lucy, Father Knows Best and Leave It to Beaver--all rather sugar-coated in and of themselves when you consider the Inconvenient Truths of 1950's-model "Traditional Values" held dear by cultural conservatives:

• The maintenance of White Christian Supremacy requiring contempt, scorn and ridicule towards the poor (especially if they were on relief, as welfare was commonly known in the 1950's) and National Minorities.
• The moral supremacy of America being conditioned by the defence of free-market capitalism as Great White Father, especially so in the Greater Struggle against International Communism.
• Enforced patriotism and xenophobia being necessary for the sake of common national identity in the face of Communism.
• The poor being all the more so because of "moral weakness" more than anything, requiring all manner of contempt "to make sure they know their place."
• The use of "patriotism" as an excuse to intolerance, bigotry and xenophobia--not to mention use of mental-hygiene laws as then written to silence or otherwise intimidate those suspected of offering "dissenting" viewpoints.
• The worst problems with television were not so much sex and violence (in fact, there were complaints that many of the Westerns then popular were promoting violence in children) as sponsor and ad-agency interference in programme content, aided and abetted by the industry-sanctioned "blacklist" of such suspected as being "Communists" based mostly on hearsay.
  (Case in point: A 1958 adaptation of Judgement at Nuremburg on the CBS drama anthology series Playhouse 90 aroused the ire of its sponsor, the American Gas Association, who promptly asked that all reference to the use of gas by the Nazi regime to kill Jews be deleted lest viewers get the wrong ideas--as in one memorable instance in which "gas ovens" was bleeped out--by implication.)
• The Greatest Moral Danger to American Youth was seen to come from the likes of horror, crime, war and science-fiction comic magazines; highly-sensationalised "true crime" and "true adventure" pulp magazines (themselves implicated in influencing the debauched murders of Ed Gein in late 1957) and the nascent National Enquirer. (Oh, and let's not forget highly-sensationalised gossip magazines with names like Confidential  ["Tells the Facts and Names the Names--Uncensored and Off the Record"] and Hush Hush.)
• The harrassment of parents by children in influencing purchasing decisions was tacitly endorsed and tolerated by children's TV show hosts (as in "ask your mom to buy--"), even if such amounted to outright nuisance sure to send the parents into nervous breakdown.
• The overzealous defence of free-market capitalism requiring all manner of tacit bureauracy to be dealt with in case consumers had problems with products or services they purchased ("exhausion of administrative powers") before turning to the only option frustrated consumers usually had--the Better Business Bureau--and even then, all manner of prissy language and tact had to be used.

And these the cultural conservatives call "traditional values***as will save America from herself"?  

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AND ANOTHER THING: Quite often, much of this same propaganda about the "moral superiority" of Amerikanischer Realkultur will make rather liberal use of terms like "we" and "our" throughout.

How do we know these aren't really code and/or "weasel words" carrying racist or otherwise anti-Semitic significance in cultural-conservative circles, howbeit rather subtle and discreet (and resorting to all manner of ruses to avoid attracting suspicion of racism or appealing to latent racist feelings)?

Has anybody thought of such a possibility here? If not, what would prevent this?

THE DALAI LAMA, TIBET'S EXILED SPIRITUAL AND NATIONAL LEADER, RECENTLY USED THE TERM "CULTURAL INTIMIDATION" to describe all manner of subtle manouvers by the Chinese Government against the Tibetan people and culture so as to undermine and weaken Tibetan identity, as epitomised by the recent ultraviolence in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa.

As in subtly "resettling" ethnic Chinese into Tibet in a manner not seen since the forced mass relocations of urban young people to rural areas, expecting such to "learn from the peasants" all the more, during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) period--and hoping the resettled will act as agents provocateur, so to speak, against ethnic Tibetans.

The which has Your Correspondent thinking just how much longer before "cultural intimidation" becomes, to paraphrase Hostess Quickly in Shakespeare's Henry IV, part II, "an excellent good term before it was ill-sorted," the blame for which can be laid squarely upon racists and white-supremacists looking for another of their pathetic-sounding broken-record bromides in "Mother Machree" form for their own selfish and pathetic ends.

Not to mention neo-Confederate causes looking to establish National Minority status under civil-rights laws for what they call "Confederate Southern Americans"--"white trash," for the most part, supposedly descended from white residents of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War period ... and, elaborating further to the point of absurdity, claiming they are "entitled to a natural right of self-determination," including "the right to a soverign national homeland" in the territory formerly encompassed by the aforementioned Confederate States, citing as precedent the Balfour Declaration as entitled the Jews, based on valid religiohistorical associations, the right to establish a soverign "national home" in Palestine so long as the rights of other religious groups so resident were respected.

The which is so pathetic, such deserves to be watched. And challenged @ every possible opportunity.

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