Good Old Neon

From Salon:

Do Hannity and North operate a "charitable" fraud?

Sean Hannity and Ollie North say they collect millions of dollars for veterans' kids. But where did the money go?

A potentially damaging scandal erupted today that implicates Fox News Channel personalities Sean Hannity and Oliver North in the worst kind of charitable fraud. According to complaints filed with the Federal Trade Commission and the IRS, the two right-wing icons have exploited American veterans for personal and partisan gain. The actions filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington accuse Hannity and North of misusing millions of dollars collected by the Freedom Alliance, a charity they promote and control.

Similar accusations were aired recently by right-wing blogger Debbie Schlussel, who complained that the "Freedom Concerts" sponsored by the Freedom Alliance and headlined by Hannity were not donating all proceeds -- estimated at more than $10 million -- to scholarships for the children of wounded and killed service members, as advertised. But now CREW, which had been investigating the same allegations independently before Schlussel posted her warning, has completed its own probe and filed legal actions before the two federal agencies.

The CREW complaint to the FTC charges that "Hannity and Freedom Concerts have engaged in illegal and deceptive marketing practices by suggesting that all money generated by ticket sales for the Freedom Concerts he sponsors each summer goes to scholarships for children of killed and wounded service members." Duane Ward, the promoter who heads Premiere Marketing, which produces the concerts, also runs Premiere Speakers Bureau -- which exclusively represents Hannity and North. "After staging the concerts, Premiere donates an unknown portion of the concert proceeds to the Freedom Alliance," according to CREW.

CREW points out that Hannity often promotes the concerts on his radio and television broadcasts, claiming: "Every penny, 100 percent of the donations are applied to the Freedom Alliance scholarship fund." Appearing with Hannity, North has said: "There’s no overhead. There’s no expenses taken out. Every penny that’s donated or that’s raised through things like the Freedom Concerts goes to the scholarship fund."

In its IRS complaint against Freedom Alliance, CREW says that the group’s charitable tax status should be voided because it has engaged in "prohibited political activities" such as its annual "Freedom Cruise" with Republican politicians, including Newt Gingrich and Michael Steele.

"There is little more despicable than preying upon the generosity of Americans by deceiving them into believing they are aiding the children of killed and wounded service members when the truth is most of the money is going to a for-profit venture," said CREW executive director Melanie Sloan in a press release. "Americans deserve to know whether this high-profile charity allegedly dedicated to helping veterans and their families is really doing what it says it is."

Not surprisingly, Hannity and North and their allies have sought to refute the charges first lodged by Schlussel. But one of the researchers who worked on this matter says there is much more that will be revealed in the coming days.

link - http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/joe_conason/2010/03/29/hannity/index.html

Meanwhile, Palin ratchets up the stupid and the crazy:

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/03/29/on-facebook-sarah-palin-mixes-gun-imagery-march-madness-in-exh/

Can you level up your units so that they can rain fire or electricity down upon your opponents – and/or can you maybe ride a dragon into battle against those damn confederates? Cause if you can do that that would be awesome, and I would definitely download this game from Pirate Bay.

But in all seriousness, the game looks great. I like the idea behind real-time strategy games, but once the fighting starts, I get all panicky, forget all the commands and which unit works best against other units, and so just end up getting all my little men killed. I’m more of a turn-based, Civilization man myself – when I’m not terrorizing the fine folks of Liberty City as Niko Bellic.

The conservative movement continues to eat its own - this time, it's David Frum for daring to speak his mind/tell the truth.

David Frum, AEI SPLIT: Conservative's Position 'Terminated' By Major Think Tank

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/25/david-frum-aei-split-cons_n_513544.html

"were gonna take the sub..."

 

 

is it just me, or was that a bad ending? definitely didnt warrant the dramatic music. i feel the last few episodes have been tame, and next weeks should be a crazy "wtf" episode. cant wait.

Agreed, the wife and I burst out laughing when the music kicked in.

My big thing is a sub easier to pilot then a plane? Or did Sawyer spend some time in the Navy that we don't know about.

My big thing (among many other things) is how in the hell are they going to, a.) fix a jumbo jet on a deserted island, and then b.) build a sufficient runway, and then c.) fly the damn plane?

 

The "Party of 'No'" crap is pretty ridiculous, too.

 

No, really, it’s not – and they’ve said as much.

The latest Rasmussen poll from the weekend showed the country opposed to the health care proposal 54% to 41%. And those numbers remained pretty steady for the last 7 months.

 

Sounds like the Party of the People to me.

As far as polls, well, considering that a not insubstantial number of folks who were against the bill were against the bill due to all the fabricated bullshit coming from the right, and when asked, can’t quite tell you why they oppose it, other than, they just oppose it, or, if they do, they just rattle off republican talking points having to do with socialism and the loss of freedom and what not, I think the polls are pretty much useless. I would argue that at least 75% of the population is completely in the dark with respect to the actualities of the bill, and if the republicans have been successful at one thing, it is fostering confusion in the public’s mind.

On the news last night, a reporter doing a “man on the street” type interview asked a random passerby if they were for or against it, he said he was against it, when asked why, he answered that he had heard a bunch of scary, negative things – I would be willing to wager that his opinion reflects 99% of those who opposed it. In order to respond truthfully and intelligently to a poll, you sort of have to know the facts related to what it is your being questioned about, I don't that is the case in this (and about a hundred other) instance(s).

We ran into the same problem with our infant daughter, eventually, they just sort of become accustomed to the crate.

Has anyone talked to Limbaugh to find out when he’s moving, and where he’s moving to? He said on the air that if the bill passes, he would leave the country – I’m just hoping he doesn’t renege on his pledge – cause that would make him a flip flopper – and we all know how he just can’t stand a flippy flopper.

Hey do you know Dave Aaronoff (ex-Shods)?

 

I worked with Dave Aaronoff at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where I once provided a bottle of water to museum guest Tony Bennett, at his request.

Sort of – he was around quite a bit, and we all hung out at the same dives in Lowell, The Worthen, The Safe and then Smithwick’s, but he and Kevin sort of fell out of favor with each other – I think Kevin referred to him as a “douche bag” in the liner notes of a post-Dave Shods release. From what I understand, they have reconciled. Jess, my wife, has known Dave since high school . Dave, Kevin, my brother in law, Adam, and Kevin’s brother, Eric – have all been in bands together at one time or another – Only Living Witness, Formicide, The Shods, The Invaders, Duck Duck, Two Sun System, Hank Crane, I’m probably forgetting a few.

As for Tony Bennett, he and I have never met.

My friend Kevin (lead singer of The Shods), who also happens to be my wife’s cousin, was a close friend of Joe Strummer – end of need to elaborate further.

A Washington Post profile of the women pushed to have Thomas Jefferson removed from textbooks:

After the 2006 election, Republicans claimed ten of fifteen board seats. Seven were held by the ultra-conservatives, and one by a close ally, giving them an effective majority. Among the new cadre were some fiery ideologues; in her self-published book, Cynthia Dunbar of Richmond rails against public education, which she dubs “tyrannical” and a “tool of perversion,” and says sending kids to public school is like “throwing them into the enemy’s flames.” (More recently, she has accused Barack Obama of being a terrorist sympathizer and suggested he wants America to be attacked so he can declare martial law.)

The article in full - http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2010/1001.blake.html

I don't know if it's the the kids or their parents that are getting dumber.

That is ugly. Just this sentence is terrifying:

 

“We are adding balance,” said Dr. Don McLeroy, the leader of the conservative faction on the board, after the vote. “History has already been skewed. Academia is skewed too far to the left.”

Yep - these people shouldn’t even be allowed to decide what pretty pictures are included in one of those coloring books they sometimes give children at like, Applebees, nevermind anything having to do with history or science or economics or, like, reality.

Stupid shit like this certainly isn't helping...

Texas Conservatives Win Curriculum Change

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/education/13texas.html

If it makes you feel any better, every year, for Christmas, for like, the last 10, my aunt has given the wife and I a $50 gift certificate for the Outback Steakhouse – which, is great and all, but we’re vegetarians.

Corey Haim is dead, Los Angeles Police confirmed to TV station KTLA. He was 38.

Police say it is believed the actor, who had a long history of substance-abuse problems, perished from an accidental overdose at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Haim reportedly was found unresponsive at his Southern California apartment. His mother was said to be with him at the time.

He was pronounced dead Providence St. Joseph's Medical Center in Burbank.

Haim shot to fame in the '80s after starring in several teen films, including The Lost Boys, Lucas and License to Drive. Most notably, he collaborated numerous times with Corey Feldman, and the pair were dubbed "The Two Coreys." They starred in an A&E reality show with that name from 2007 to 2008.

But Haim struggled with drug addiction for several years. At one point, Feldman told his friend he would no longer speak to him until he got sober.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20350037,00.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iIYRZWBd9Y&feature=player_embedded

 

This guy is a delusional wanna be 80s action movie star.

Plus, he claims that he shot, edited, & did everything on this video.

 

Keep dreaming pal!

I think he just made an I Love You video to his own self.

Well this just sucks.

Surely there has to be some irony (or some variation thereof )in here somewhere:

Roy Ashburn ARRESTED: Anti-Gay State Sen. Got DUI After Leaving Gay Nightclub, Sources Say

 

Early Wednesday morning, State Sen. Roy Ashburn (R-Calif.) was pulled over and arrested for drunk driving. Sources report that Ashburn -- a fierce opponent of gay rights -- was driving drunk after leaving a gay nightclub; when the officer stopped the state-issued vehicle, there was an unidentified man in the passenger seat of the car.

 

Ashburn has issued an apology for the incident:

 

"I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor judgment. I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences for what I did. I am also truly sorry for the impact this incident will have on those who support and trust me - my family, my constituents, my friends, and my colleagues in the Senate."

link - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/04/roy-ashburn-arrested-anti_n_485419.html

If in this example we’re defining irony as the GOP claiming bias in a situation in which they themselves are guilty of displaying bias, is it really ironic or just hypocritical? I’m not trying to be a pain in the ass (though I probably am, by default), and keep in mind I’m someone who throws the word ironic around as if I get a royalty check every time I do – though, I’m not quite at the level of Alanis.

You know, I wanted to knock on Sandra Bullock for a long time, but I enjoy every single movie I've seen her in, and she's really carried some duds. I'm continually impressed with her work, and even more impressed that - while she's not above challenging herself - she also has a good sense of her limitations as an actress.

Whenever I watch a Sandra Bullock movie, I think, I’m watching a Sandra Bullock movie in which Sandra Bullock gives her standard Sandra Bullock performance – I get a similar feeling whenever I watch a movie starring Jennifer Aniston.

Unlike Poon, I will bag on Bullock, and suggest that as an actress, she displays about as much range as a Daisy Red Rider bb gun – a popular, yet weak starter rifle not exactly known for its abilty to knock stuff down. I haven’t seen Avatar, but sort of suspect that the Academy nominated it based on its ability to fill theaters, something that is sort of rare nowadays, rather than anything having to do with artistic merit – which is not to say the CGI is not flat out amazing, but it has all the depth of an episode of the Thunder Cats, at least based on what I gather from the commercials I’ve seen and the people I’ve talked to, anyways.

I’m just going to go ahead and suggest that Christopher Waltz gave the performance of the year, and probably should have been nominated in every single Oscar category, up to and including Best Key Grip and Best Musical Score – I haven’t had that much fun watching someone on the screen in since, like, well it’s been a really long time.

How many more episodes do we have left?

By my count, 10.

For the people who clicked on the spoiler link - is anyone else concerned that Bob Newhart is scheduled to appear in the final episode?

Farking hirarious.